By Lisey

Disclaimer: I don't own em', just wish I did (Die Randy and Whora, Die!!!!!!)

Dedications: To my modem, who finally got me on the internet.

"Ben, tell me a bedtime story" Max whined, Ben inwardly sighed and

tried to psyche himself up. Bron was on his mind constantly, he was

trying to forget, move on with his life, but no matter how hard he

tried, he couldn't forget the love they shared.

Ben stood, "What do you want to hear?"

"Goldilocks and the three bears" Max shouted in glee.

"It's his favorite." Paula said placing her arms on her son's

shoulders.

"Mine too" Ben said, his mind wandering to the past.

***

"Tell me a bedtime story" Ben said smiling up at her

"What?" Bron laughed

"Tell me a bedtime story" he repeated, god how she belonged here,

with him, always.

***

"Ben! Start reading!!!" Max demanded bouncing up and down on the

bed. Ben found his mind wandering again.

***

"What about Goldilocks and the three bears? Bron asked crawling

across the bed

"Who's sleeping in my bed? Yeah, that sounds about my speed" Ben

drawled, as Bron settled into his arms.

"Since you know it so well, then you can tell me" Bron replied, as

she snuggled into his embrace.

***

"BEN!!" Max hollered, dragging Ben back from the past, "READ!!"

pointing his finger at the book.

Ben opened the book to the first page, memories continued to wash

over him.

"Once, upon a time, there lived…"

***

"Once upon a time, there was a lonely, unhappy, but very handsome

woodcutter," Ben began, stroking Bron's hair, "who lived all alone in

a very big, empty house"

"Mmmmmm, has this got a happy ending?" Bron enquired

"Yeah, it's a bedtime story," Ben informed her, "always have happy

endings."

"Anyway," he continued, "One day along came this feisty, little red-

haired nurse, who dreamed of meeting a very handsome woodcutter, and

she stumbled upon his house. At first, the lonely, unhappy, but very

handsome woodcutter, he didn't notice her. But then she started to

cook for him, wash his clothes…"

"Hey you said this had a happy ending" demanded Bron, playfully.

"Oh, the Woodcutter was very happy" Ben replied

"Oh, was he?" Bron laughed as they looked at each other and shared a

moment of pure joy and happiness that Ben couldn't even begin to

describe.

***

"Do you want a coffe or something?" Paula asked Ben hopefully, after

Max had finally gone to sleep.

"Nah, thanks. I had better get going" Ben said uncomfortably.

Paula summoned all of her courage "Ben, I think you know how I fell

about you,"

"Paula..." Ben tried to interject, but failed.

"No, let me finish," Paula insisted, "I've always felt this way, even

when you were with Bron. I know how much you like Max, and he likes

you too, but I need to know how you feel about me. If we have

chance, if you could ever love me the way you love Bron."

Ben silence spoke volumes, he didn't want to her, but he couldn't

give her what she wanted, he couldn't give it to anyone.

"I just got my answer" Paula said tearfully

"I'm sorry" Ben said quietly

"Don't be," Paula said bravely, "I knew, deep down, I always knew,

you're still in love with Bron, aren't

you?"

Ben didn't even need to think about it. Bron was all he could think

about. She had hurt him terribly, but he couldn't live without her.

"You know I am," he said.

"Then do yourself a favor," Paula advised him "you have to forgiver

her, or your never going to be happy. You're never going to get over

her."

Ben leant down and kissed her on the cheek "Thank you" then he turned

and headed out the door.

"Where are you going?" Paula called after him

He turned in the doorway and smiled slightly "To get her back, to

tell her how much she means to me, how much I love her."

"Goodluck" Paula said, and meant it.

Ben stopped by his house, on the way to Bron's to pick up something.

It was supposed to have been his wedding gift to Bron, but he

couldn't think of a more appropriate time to give it to her than

now. If she let him back in her life. It was the first time that

Ben had even allowed himself to even consider the possibility. She

had hurt him, yes, but he had hurt her as well. And the thought tore

at his heart.

Finally he pulled up outside Bron's house, he hoped she was home. He

rang the bell, and listened as footsteps made their way to the door.

Bron made her way slowly to the door, wandering whom it could've been

at this time of night. She was the only 1 home, Scott was at

Rebecca's, Mat was at a party and Jared was at work. She opened the

door, and standing on her front door step, was the one person she

longed to see, Ben.

She looked so beautiful standing there, bathed in the light from the

lounge room. His heart was going a mile a minute.

"Ben, hi." She said, unsure of why he was there, but glad to see him

just the same.

He heard the uncertainty in her voice, and couldn't blame her. "Bron,

we need to talk, can I come in?"

Bron gestured for him to come inside, her insides all aflutter.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked him nervously.

"Us," he replied, "I have something for you" he said handing her a

package

"What is it?" she asked taking it.

"Open it and see" he told her.

She tore open the paper and inside was a beautiful photo album; she

opened the album to the first page. There in embossed silver was:

BEN & BRON-

A LOVE STORY

"What is this?" she asked quietly, unsure of what to make of it. The

album was full of pictures of them, from when they were ambo

partners, to a couple of weeks before they broke up.

"It's the story of us," he said simply "Turn to the last page" he

told her.

She did as he asked, there was a picture of them kissing, looking

blissfully in love and the inscription read:

And so the handsome woodcutter and his feisty nurse lived happily

ever after…

The end!

She smiled as she gently fingered the lettering. Ben stepped over to

her and gently lifter her head so they were looking into each other's

eyes. Her's were wet with tears; he wiped them away with his thumbs.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm so sorry Ben"

"Shhhhhhh," he soothed her, smiling down at the woman he loved,

"haven't you ever seen love story? Being in love means never having

to say you're sorry."

"Didn't she die?" Bron asked tearfully

"Ben leant his head against her's "Yeah, but we get the happy

ending. I promise" Bron's eyes filled with tears again, Ben could

feels his own eyes, wet with emotion. "I love you, Bronwyn Craig," he

whispered, "I love you so much."

"I love you too" she whispered back. Finally they kissed, hungrily

and desperately; suddenly Ben pulled back breathlessly.

"What's wrong?" Bron asked him worriedly

He traced a finger over her swollen lips and smiled "Just one more

thing," he said going down on his knee, "Marry me?" She didn't

answer at first, and he began to panic.

"Bron?" he asked urgently.

Slowly she nodded her head, "Yes" she said quietly. Ben pulled the

ring; she had given him back only days earlier, out of his pocket and

slipped it on her finger. Ben stood and looked at her for a moment,

tracing the lines of her face with his finger.

He leant in to kiss her again, this time she was the one to pull

away, "We forgot something" she smiled and took his hand leading him

into her darkened bedroom, the moon the only source of light. The

ring she had given him sat on the bedside table; she picked it up and

placed it on his finger.

"This time it's forever" he whispered huskily, "Ben & Bron Forever"

he leant in to kiss her, slowly and lovingly.

"Ben & Bron Forever," she repeated into his kisses.

The end