Note: This picks up where Changes One left off. Read that first or this won't make sense.

Ellen looked at the ring and then at Mike. She loved him, trusted him, but she didn't think he would ever do anything like this. This wasn't right. "Mike, I love you, but no, I won't marry you. Not now."

Mike felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He hadn't expected her to say no. He let go of her hands and the ring fell to the floor. He didn't pick it up. "W-why not?" he asked her finally.

"Because you're asking for only one reason. You may love me, but you only want to marry me because you feel like you have to now," she told him. She was surprised at how easy is was not to cry in front of him. "If we did get married how long would it be before you regretted it, before you wanted out? Tell me that, Mike."

"I wouldn't feel like that," he said. "I'm not my father, Ellen. I'm not asking just because you're pregnant. That's my baby, too and I want to be a part of his life whether you want me to or not. And I want you to be my wife. I've thought about this for a long time, not just last night. I'm lonely without you. I can't sleep unless I'm holding you. When you were gone I slept maybe three or four hours a night. I was up most of the night tossing and turning wishing you were there with me. I'm incomplete without you." He gently cupped her chin in one hand and rested the other hand on her stomach. It was too soon for any movement, but somewhere in there was his child. "Tell me it's not the same for you and I'll leave, but I can't abandon my child like my father did to me. We belong together, Ellen. I've known that for a long time. I bought that ring in San Francisco, but I wanted to wait to give it to you. I've known for a long time I've wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you more than anything and I would marry you even if you weren't pregnant. I hope you understand that."

Ellen didn't know what to say. Had he really meant what he had said or was he just saying that so she would change her mind and tell him yes? The look in his eyes told her he was being sincere about his feelings. "This is all happening so fast," she said. "I need some time to think about everything. If you love me, give me time."

He didn't say anything, just nodded and kissed her softly on the cheek. He let go of her and turned toward the door. He opened it and turned back to her. "Call me when you make up your mind," he said, not even trying to disguise the hurt in his voice. Then he stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

She noticed the ring still laying on the floor. Why had he left it? She picked it up and looked at it. The diamond looked real. The ring must have been expensive. Mike couldn't afford a ring like that. Most months he couldn't even afford to pay the rent on time. He had gotten $375 from the job in San Francisco and he had spent most of it on an engagement ring for her. That proved he had meant all those things he said. Maybe if she hurried she could catch him. She opened the door and saw him at the end of the hallway. She called out his name and he stopped when he heard her. She walked up to him, holding out the ring.

"I guess I forgot about that," he said, taking it from her. "Thanks."

"No, I wanted to tell you I changed my mind," she said. "I will marry you."

"What made you change your mind?" he asked as he slipped the ring on her finger.

"I realized you meant all those things you said when I noticed just how expensive that ring was. You spent most of the money you got in San Francisco, didn't you?"

"Yep and you're worth every penny," he said and kissed her right there in the hallway. He didn't care who saw them. They were lost in their own little world.

When the kiss finally ended and they pulled apart they were surprised by the sounds of applause around them. A few people had stopped in the hallway to watch them. "Guess we better get back to your apartment before we get arrested," Mike said.

"No, I think we need to go to your place. We have to break the news to the guys sometime."

"Later," Mike said, taking her by the hand and walking back to her apartment. "Right now I want you all to myself."

"As you wish," she said.