Ric watched Christina play with two little girls her age over by the sand box as he held Baby Kristina in his arms, rocking her gently back an forth.  He looked up when he heard fimiliar laughter and saw Elizabeth and Emily walking towards him with packages.   She stopped laughing when she caught Ric's gaze and smiled shyly.  

"So how was your day with the kids?"

"Wasn't half bad actually.  These two are just wonderful."  Little Christina ran up to them and tugged on Ric's pant leg.  He looked away from Elizabeth on to the angelic little face.

"Ric, can I have some ice cream?"  She pointed to a near by ice cream truck.   Ric checked his watch.

"Ok, but it's getting close to dinner, so make it a small one.  I doubt your mother would like you ruining your appetite."  

"I promise."  Ric shook his head and reached into his pocket presenting the girl with a few bills and she happily ran off to the awaiting truck.

"I have to admit, you are pretty good with them."  Elizabeth commented as Ric gently layed the sleeping baby into the bassinet.  

"Yeah, well it's easy when they are so sweet."

"They aren't always sweet, trust me!"  Emily sighed.  "They can be a handful.  I don't get how you can get them to act like perfect angels."

"It's his patantant Ric Lansing Charm. Works on all females of any age."

"There is only one female that I'm hoping it will work on."  She rolled her eyes playfully.  

"Anyway.  Ric, are you ready for phase 3?"

"Phase 3?"

"Yes your 3rd and final task."

"Yeah, sure I guess.  Are you sure this is the last one."

"Yup the ultimate challange.  Think Fear Factor."

"Fear Factor?  You're gonna have me jump off a bridge or walk a tightrope and release little flags along the way?"

"No, lets just say that Christina isn't the only one who shouldn't ruin their appetite."

He arched an eyebrow suspiciously at her, his mind racing with horrible things that she could do to him, but nothing would prepare him for what she had in store.

*******************

Saying goodbye to Christina had proved difficult.  She insisted that Ric accompany her home, with Emily in tow.  And when they got there she didn't want to let go of the his neck when she gave him a goodbye hug.  Emily had to pry her off of him.  She started to cry, but Ric assured her he'd be over to play with her soon and gave her tiny kiss on her cheek, which seemed to calm her down.  

Now Ric was outside a very closed Kelly's and his curiousity was getting the best of him.  She had instructed him to meet her there at 8pm sharp and here he was at 7:59 just standing outside.  I knew he should go in, but as curious as he was he was also very anxious as well.  This was his last shot at proving to Elizabeth that he was the man she wanted and that he was in love with her.  Whatever he had to face, he would.  No matter how dangerous or disgusting it could be.

He took a deep breath and entered the diner the small bell chiming.  Elizabeth appeared from the kitchen wearing an apron and a wicked, devious smile.

"Alright, I'm here."

"Yes, you are.  And that means something."

"Can we get this over with?  The sooner we get this over with the sooner I can hold you in my arms and I can't tell you how much I've missed that."

"I've missed it too."  She allowed herself a moment of weakness and walked over to him taking his hand and looking deeply in his dark soulful eyes.  She could stare at them all day.  She stood on her tip toes and leaned over to his ear.  "But first, we have business to attend to."  She said in a seductive whisper.  He shivered at the hot breath against the sensitive skin of his ear and as quickly as she was there she was gone.  She took off for the kitchen leaving a frustrated and arroused Ric shaking his head in disbelief.  What was it about this girl that had him willing to put up with this torment.

"She's the girl of your dreams, Lansing, don't let her slip by." He whispered to himself.

"Alright, dinner is served."  She brought out a few covered platters and sat them in front of him.  

"This is the big plan?  Dinner?  Wait you said Fear Factor style.  This isn't like bull testicles or fish eyes or something?"  Elizabeth giggled at his grossed out expression.

"Some would say worse."

"Fine what is it?"

"A dinner specially prepared by me."

"What's so bad about that?"  She uncovered the platters and was extremely amused at Ric trying not to look disgusted at the sight in front of him.  The chicken was small and blackened.  The mashed patatoes were runny, but the stuffing looked normal so he went for that first and was surprised to lift up the spoon, already placed in it, and to find the entire contents come up with it.  He smiled and put it all on his plate.  He tried to get the spoon out, but it would budge.  He then went to the mashed potatoes and put a small dab on his plate.  He winced slightly as he put the chicken on his plate.  Elizabeth watched his movements intently, laughter dancing in her eyes.  She stared at him with fascination and a bit of horror as he brought the first bite of chicken to his mouth, laughing at the face he made.  He was going to eat her cooking and Elizabeth was just amazed at how wonderful the guy in front of her was.  He truly would do anything for her.  He chewed the charcoaled meat and struggled trying to swallow it.  When it finally went down he started an uncontrollable coughing fit.

"Ric, are you okay?"  Elizabeth was concerned for his health.  No one had ever eaten her cooking before and she wasn't sure what effect it would have on a person.
He coughed a few more times before regaining his speech.

"I'm fine.  The meal is wonderful, really."  His smile was a little too big and Elizabeth knew he was lying.

"Uh huh."  She eyed him skepticly.

"Yeah, a home cook meal made by the woman I love.  What could be," he gulped, "better."  He lifted up a forkful of mashed potatoes and brought it to is mouth.

"You don't have to eat anymore of it." A dropped the fork and picked up his napkin, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Thank god."  

"Hey, it couldn't be that bad."

"You wanna try some."  He lifted the plate for her.

"No thanks.  I can't believe you were going to eat all that for me."

"I'd do anything for you."

"I'm starting to get that."

"And you, who knew.  Guess I'm not the only schemer in this relationship."

"Yeah, left over from my teenage days.  I was always pulling some prank or had some vindictive plot.  Usually always against my sister, Sarah."

"Ah, so we both have it bad with sibling rivelry huh?"

"Uh huh.  Except I never tried to make her think I slept with her boyfriend.  I tried to stop her once from sleepiing with hers."

"Oooh you were so bad." She playfully hit him on the shoulder.

"It was to impress Lucky, whom I had a mad crush on and he could only see Sarah who only had eyes for Nikolas.  Of course that didn't stop her from coming back here not too long ago and sleeping with Lucky when I was still engaged to him!"

"Ah, now i'm starting to see why you hate her."

"I don't hate her, she's my sister, I'll always love her.  I may not like her most of the time, but when it comes down to it, I'll always be there for her."

"Don't ever expect that with Sonny and I."

"I don't, but a truce of some kind would be nice."

"I thought I was done proving myself to you."

"You are, I thought you could do that one for yourself."

"I'll think about it, but right now I have other plans."

"Oh really."  She leaned across the table and he did the same, their lips mere inches away when Elizabeth jumped up causing Ric to stumble back in his chair.  "I almost forgot, dessert."

"Dessert?"  Ric groaned.

"Yeah, trust me you'll like this.  Think of this a reward for the day of hell I put you through."

"It wasn't all that bad."  She glared at him knowingly.  "Ok it was, but it brought me to right here right now."  He stood up and put his arms around her from the back.  She leaned into the embrace for a moment and then turned herself around so she could face him.  She traced his face softly with her fingertips and his eyes closed as he reveled in the feel of her skin on his.  He leaned in swiftly, not wanting her to get away again, and kissed her with all the pent up passion and frustration.  He knew that everything he had done and would continue to do fo her was all worth it just to be able to hold her and be held by her.  

She pulled back slightly.

"Ric, what about dessert?"

"Screw dessert, I have the sweetest thing right here in my arms."  She gave him a gentle kiss before retracting again.

"Why do you always pull away when we are getting to the good part?"  He whined.

"Patience, my dear Ric.  Dessert is the only thing I didn't ruin."

"Fine what are we having."  He relented seeing how much she wanted to give him something that wasn't ruined to eat.  Little did she know he just wanted to devour her, the most perfect and precious thing in his life.

"Brownies!"  She exclaimed as she disappeared into the kitchen and reappearing seconds later with a pan of brownies in her hand.

"They actually don't look half bad."

"Wait til you taste them.  They are kind of a specialty of mine.  As in the only thing I can cook."  He went for one and she slapped his hand away. 

"First you want to eat them, now you dont?"

"It's not that, it's just this tradition, Emily started it.  A brownie toast."

"A brownie toast?"

"Uh huh.  So Mr. Lansing what is it you most wish for?"  She held up a peice of brownie.

***********************
Chapter 5
***********************

"I wish for a lifetime of happiness for us."  She fed him the brownie and looked at him in awe.

"I like that one."

"And you, Miss Webber?  What do you most wish for."  He picked up a brownie and she smiled.

"For everything to stay as perfect as it is right now."  She took the bite he offered.  

"Elizabeth, I do love you."

"I love you too."  She walked over to him and sat in his lap wrapping her arms around his neck and playing with the little hairs she found there.   She couldn't imagine a better place to be and wondered how she could ever doubt this man.

"How did I get so lucky?"  He murmered as he inhaled her sweet scent and leaving feather light kisses on her neck.

"Lucky?  I put you through a day of hell, how is that lucky?"

"You gave me a chance to prove myself to you and for that I would've jumped off the hightest mountain."  he kissed her collarbone. "Swam the Port Charles River."  He kissed the tip of her shoulder.  "Done anything to just be where I am now."  He placed his forehead on hers and cupped her face.  

"Why would you put yourself through that for me?"

"Haven't you figured it out yet?  You, Elizabeth Webber, are the girl of my dreams.  You are everything I ever dared myself to want and so much more.  You give me the strenght to wake up on mornings when I feel I best of staid in bed.  Even love doesn't seem like a strong enough word for what I feel towards you.  You are everything."  A small tear ran down his face and mingled with one of her own.  He lowered his lips to hers letting them just linger for a moment before deepening the kiss.  

"So where do we go from here."  She whispered when they broke apart, foreheads still touching.

"I was thinking my suite."  She laughed and hit his shoulder.

"What am I gonna do with you, Ric Lansing."

"Anything you want to."  He shifted slightly signalling her to get up.  He took her hand and started to pull her towards the door.

"What about the dishes..."

"They'll be there in the morning."

"But..."

"No more buts, I'm taking you home and ravishing every inch of your body as we make love all night long and I'll not hear another word out of you."  She moaned softly at his words. "That's more like it."  He kissed her cheek and waited for her lock up before practically dragging her to his suite.  Elizabeth wondered what he did with the Tarzan costume.