Playing With Fire

++++++++++



Kelly stretched as she woke up. She turned over, finding that she was the only one in the bed. She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she sat up, looking around, her heart racing. She started to worry that she had said the wrong thing the night before. With a shaking hand, she reached out to pick up the note Carrie had left on the night stand.



Hey Baby, don't worry. I love you, and I promise that I agree a hundred percent with the decision we made. I had something come up for work, but I'll be back before the show tonight, I promise.



Love you,

xxCarriexx





Kelly let out a slight sigh of relief, although she could still feel the nerves swimming in her stomach as she got out of bed to get ready.



+++++++++



"Where's Carrie?" Ashley asked curiously as they ate supper. "I haven't seen her all day."



"Me either," Kelly admitted with a worried frown.



"Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?"



"I hope not," Kelly replied. "She left a note this morning saying she had something to do for work. What would she have to do for work in England?"



"Maybe someone was flying in to see her? Like her manager or something?" Ashley offered.



"Maybe..."



"Maybe you should call her," Ashley handed her, her phone. "I'm sure everything's fine, and she'd be upset if she knew you were worrying."



"Shouldn't she have called?"



"You know how spacey she gets sometimes," Ashley shrugged.



Kelly nodded, dialing the country singer's number.



It rang three times before she got a breathless, "Hello?"



"Care?"



"Hey, Kell," she could hear the smile in her voice. "You got my note this morning?"



"Yea, I was just...I wanted to make sure everything was ok. I hadn't heard from you all day."



"Oh, yea, no, perferct. We're perfect," Carrie assured. "Just something came up."



"You sound out of breath. Are you sure everything's ok?"



"Yea, I just went to the wrong airport."



"Airport," Kelly nodded with a relieved smile as she looked up at Ashley who gave an 'I told you so' smile in return.



"Yea, I went to the wrong one, but I'm at the right one now, and I'm trying to hurry and find Tony so I can make it back in time before the show. I promise I'll be there, ok?"



"Yea, no worries, Care. It's just good to hear from you."



"Ok, I'll be back soon. Love you."



"Love you too," Kelly replied before hanging up.



"See?"



"Nothing to worry about," Kelly nodded. "She's meeting her manager."



"Am I a genius, or what?"



"What," Kelly teased.



++++++++++



Ashley laughed as Kelly squirmed in the make up chair, her fingers drumming on the arm rests impatiently, "Relax. I'm almost done, and I'm sure she'll be here soon."



"What if she lied?"



"About what?"



"Everything. What if she was really catching a flight, and she's halfway back to Tennessee as we speak?"



"Look, Kelly, I have no clue what has you all jumpy or nervous, but you need to let it go, ok? Why in the world would she be going back to Tennessee? That doesn't make any sense."



Kelly nodded, taking a deep breath, but continued to rap her fingers against the chair.



Ashley shook her head.



"What?"



"Will you ever get to a point of having too many rings?"



Kelly looked down at her fingers with a smile, "No. You know how I am. I love accessories."



"But not clothes...you are the weirdest girl ever," she laughed softly, turning her head to the side. "That's a new one."



"Yea," Kelly nodded, looking down at her left hand.



"Wait...isn't that the one Carrie's always wearing?"



"Kinda odd that you know what rings my girlfriend wears, Ash."



"Well, I don't think the girl's ever taken it off, and no dirty comments," Ashley warned.



Kelly laughed, "Yea, it's hers. Her grandma gave it to her on her sixteenth birthday."



Ashley froze, "Oh...my...God..."



"What?"



"A ring."



"Yes."



"That Carrie got from her grandmother."



"Yes," Kelly nodded.



"That Carrie now gave to you."



"Yes."



"Is on the ring finger of your left hand."



"Yes," Kelly smiled.



"Oh...my...God. Oh my God. Oh my God," Ashley muttered, staring down at her best friend's hand in shock. "She..."



"Yes."



"And you said..."



"Yes," Kelly beamed.



"Oh my God!" Ashley squealed, wrapping her best friend in a tight hug. "Sweetie, I'm so happy for you."



Kelly laughed as she pulled back, noticing the tears in her best friend's eyes, "Ash..."



"Hush it. I'm just so happy," she smiled, cradling the short Texan's face. "I'm so glad it's happening for you. After all the mess you've been through, you deserve to spend your life with someone that makes you as happy as Carrie does."



Kelly was now grinning from ear to ear, "Thanks, Ash."



"But wait...this is why you're freaking out?" Ashley raised an eyebrow. "She proposed last night?"



"Yea."



"And she wasn't there this morning. Only left a note? Didn't even call?"



"Yea."



"I'm gonna kill her," Ashley determined.



"Ash...she had work."



"So? Everyone in the world knows how insecure you are with the whole love thing. For her to just leave you like that...I'm gonna kill her."



"Well, before you do that, can you at least finish my makeup? I have a show to do."



"Fine, but when she gets here, she's dead."



"Deal," Kelly laughed.



++++++++++



Ashley looked up to see the thin blonde hurrying backstage, looking for Kelly amongst the band, "Hey."



"Hey, sorry, Ash, can't talk, I'm in a hurry."



"Oh no, we're gonna talk," Ashley took her arm.



"Ashley, this is important. I need to see Kelly."



"What the hell were you thinking last night?" Ashley ignored her. "You propose then you leave without saying anything? Do you realize how nervous she's been all day? She thought you changed your mind you idiot."



"She told you I proposed?" Carrie smiled.



"No, I figured it out, but she admitted it. And don't get all sappy on me, and try to change the subject."



"So, if she admitted it, then she still wants to? Her answer's still yes, right?" Carrie grinned.



Ashley rolled her eyes, "Of course her answer is still yes. This isn't something she takes lightly."



"I know," Carrie looked over her shoulder. "Sorry Ash. I have to do this right."



"Do what right?"



"Kell!" Carrie called out, pushing past her.



Kelly looked over her shoulder as she talked to her musical director. She smiled at the sight of the country singer rushing to her, "Care, where have you been? I thought you changed your mind. I was so worr..." Her voice trailed off, and she brought a shaky hand to her mouth as Carrie knelt down in front of her.



"I had to go to the airport to get the ring. I found it back in January. I knew it was perfect. I had Tony keep it for me. He flew it out," Carrie explained quickly.



"Care..." Kelly's heart melted as her girlfriend took her left hand. "You don't have to."



"I need to do this right," Carrie insisted, taking a deep breath. "Kelly Brianne Clarkson..."



Kelly smiled as she felt herself tearing up as everybody that was backstage froze to watch the two of them.



"I love you with every fiber of my being. I can honestly say that before you, my life just wasn't complete. And I know we've only been dating for less than a year, so I'm not saying we have to rush out and get married...I'm just saying that this is it for me. You...you're everything to me. I can't imagine waking up to any other face but yours for the rest of my life. I love every thing about you--the good and bad--and I know that I want to spend forever with you...do you think that you could spend forever with me too?"



Kelly nodded, trying to sniff back the tears.



"So, Kelly Brianne Clarkson," Carrie giggled nervously as she opened the small box in her hand, revealing a diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"



"Yes," Kelly whispered.



"Yes?"



"Yes," she replied louder, pulling her to her feet and kissing her firmly.



There was an eruption of applause throughout the backstage area as the two singers pulled apart.



Kelly felt herself beaming as Carrie took her grandmother's ring off the Texan's finger and replaced it with the engagment ring. "Care, it's perfect."



"Really?"



"So perfect," Kelly nodded, kissing her again.



"I'm sorry I worried you," Carrie stroked her cheek affectionately. "I didn't mean to. I was just so scattered, wanting this to be right."



"It's ok," Kelly assured, reaching up to wipe a tear off her cheek.



"And I meant what I said just now and last night: this isn't a we have to run out and get married right away thing. We'll wait till the time is right," Carrie nodded.



"So perfect," Kelly repeated, her fingers moving from her cheek to her lips, tracing them softly before she kissed her adoringly. "I love you."



"I love you too," Carrie smiled broadly.



++++++++



Carrie kissed Kelly lightly as they lay facing each other on the tour bus, "I love you."



"I love you too," Kelly replied, brushing their noses together.



"Tell me what you were thinking?"



"When?"



"Last night...when I proposed."



"How hot the sex would be if I said yes," she grinned.



"Kell..." Carrie fussed.



"Alright, alright. I'm sorry," she laughed softly. "What was I thinking?"



Carrie nodded.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Carrie kissed her lightly, "I love you."



"You too."



"With all my heart and soul."



"With all my heart and soul," Kelly agreed with a smile.



"And I want so spend the rest of my life with you."



"Me too."



"Marry me," Carrie whispered.



Kelly froze.



Carrie's eyes widened.



"Wh--what?"



"M-marry me," Carrie repeated shakily.



"Care..." Kelly shook her head. "That's not funny."



"I'm not trying to be funny," she admitted, taking the Texan's hands in her own. "Marry me."



"Care..." Kelly could feel her heart racing in her chest.



"We've talked about it before. It keeps coming up. We keep saying that we'll wait till we're ready, but what are we waiting for?" Carrie asked. "I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me?"



"Yes," she whispered nervously.



"Then why can't I ask you to marry me now? What's the difference between now and a year from now?"



"I don't know..."



"About what?"



"A wedding? With everything we have going on?"



"Not a wedding," Carrie shook her head. "Just a proposal...an engagement...a promise that you'll be my wife someday. I understand waiting a little longer for a wedding, but I don't understand why I can't ask you to marry me now."



Kelly smiled softly, "You have every right to ask me now."



"I do?"



She nodded.



"So you want to be my wife?"



She nodded again, biting her lip.



"Really?"



"Nothing would make me happier."



Carrie could feel herself tearing up as she leaned to her, kissing her warmly. She pulled back with a smile, "So, I'll ask you again...marry me?"



"Yes," Kelly matched her smile. "Yes, yes, definitely yes."



Carrie pulled her to her, kissing her fully as she held her as close as she could. "I love you," she whispered, showering her face with kisses.



Kelly giggled, allowing the giddiness to envelope her.



"So, you're sure?" Carrie pulled back for a moment.



"I'm sure."



"Completely sure?"



"More sure than I've been of anything in a very long time."



Carrie beamed proudly, moving to kiss her again.



~~~~~~~~~~~~



"I was thinking that you are going to make a beautiful bride, and that I can't wait to start our life together," Kelly replied.



"You were nervous?"



"Up until the moment I said yes," she nodded.



"But not after then?"



"Not in the least bit," Kelly smiled. "After I said yes, I just felt..."



"Felt what?"



"It was one of those moments where you know you're in the exact place that you're supposed to be, doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing."



Carrie brushed their lips together.



"And I felt safe," Kelly nodded. "Not safe like, boring, no excitement, taking the easy way out safe, but safe like...like the way I feel when you hold me after I've had a really long day."



Carrie's eyes sparkled as she touched her cheek affectionately, "I love it when you talk about us and how you feel."



"Yea?"



"Yea, you just...the way you say things, the way you word them...you can tell you were meant to write and sing. Just the little voice inflections you use, and you talk with such passion, kinda like when you talk about your music. I love that. I love that you're such a passionate person."



"Well, that's good, because I don't know how else to be," she shrugged.



Carrie laughed softly, "And I'm so happy you said yes. I mean, I know we said 'one day', but I don't know, this just makes it seems real, you know?"



"Definitely," she agreed.



"And again, I'm so sorry I made you worry this morning."



"Then...that was when I became scared," Kelly admitted.



"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you doubt the engagement at all. I was just so excited, and worried about the ring, and making it perfect like it should've been, not me just blurting it out when neither of us expected it...I wasn't thinking."



"It's ok. I'm just glad that you don't think it was a mistake. After saying yes...I don't know, I just felt like after saying yes, I'd given you everything I possible could at that moment, and if you'd changed your mind...I don't think I could've handled that."



"Baby," Carrie cooed. "Trust me on this: this is something I will never change my mind on, ever. I mean it when I say that I am yours from now till the end of time."



Kelly pushed herself forward, kissing her, "I love you."



"I love you too."