And Only Surrender Will Help You Now

With skin too tight and eyes like marbles
You spin me high so watch me as I glide
Before I tumble homeward, homeward

~ Mumford and Sons
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Brian continued to stare at the file in his hands for a few seconds before he snapped it shut and walked out of the office. Kate went after him, hurrying along in her high heels and trying to catch up with his long legs.

"Brian! Brian, wait!"

When she finally managed to catch up with him she snatched the file out of his hand, and when he turned to her, Kate pointed at him with it. "Where the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm gonna ask you the same thing!" With his dark, curly hair, matching dark eyes and intimidating height, not everyone would have stood their ground in front of him when he was pissed. Luckily, Kate wasn't one of those and she glared back up at him. The hallway may have been empty but probably wouldn't stay like that for long, so Kate opened the door to a broom closet and ushered him inside. The small space went completely black when she closed the door and Brian flicked the single lamp on.

"Where the hell do you think you're going with this?" Kate hissed and waved the file around, almost hitting him in the throat.

"Where the fuck do you think? To get rid of the thing!"

"How do you know I don't have a copy of it?" She inquired and met Brian's glare. Taking a deep, much needed breath, he changed the subject from the paper file.

"What if someone finds out that it's fake? Do you know what'll happen? You'd be deported but I could get in jail!"

"That's why we're gonna make sure no one finds out!" Kate retorted and clutched the papers to her chest. "If you don't want this to reach the press, your coach or your family, you will do this for me."

"That's fucking blackmail!"

"I know," she responded cooly. "But I also know that there's no way I'm going back to Canada. Make a choice, pretty boy. Either this reaches the press or you marry me."
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Not even an hour later the pair walked through the door at the immigration office, looking like eachothers complete opposites. Short, redheaded, freckled ivory skinned Kate wearing a pencil skirt, a blouse and a blazer with high heels. And very tall, dark haired, dark eyed, naturally pale skinned Brian in jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers following her. Kate walked to the desk with the shortest line and once she was standing still, her heel started tapping against the linoleum floor.

When they reached the front of the line, Kate only had to state her name before they were asked to follow the woman behind the desk. Then they did as they were told and stayed in the room they'd been lead to.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Brian muttered to himself and ran a hand though his dishevelled curls, while Kate only rolled her eyes and sat down in one of the chairs available, holding her purse in her lap. About a minute later the door opened and Kate held back a groan as she saw Sean Walker for the second time that day. Brian seemed to recognise him as well, and sat down in the chair next to Kate's.

"Good to see you again, miss. Montgomery, mr. Boyle. I hope you didn't have to wait for too long." Walker said as he entered and sat down behind his desk.

Kate gave him a convincing fake smile and replied: "Don't worry, mr. Walker. We understand that you might be busy. Thank you for accepting us at a short notice like this."

Walker decided to cut the chase and asked if the engagement was a fraud so that Kate could stay in the U.S., told them about the interviews that would take place and also about what would happen to Brian if it turned out to be a fake engagement.

"Sir, I know that this seems strange, but it seemed like Katie-" Brian placed his huge, warm hand on Kate's knee as a sign of affection. "-And I just, you know, clicked I guess. But if there's one thing I know, it's that we're completely serious about this."
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They were allowed to leave the office after having to tell Walker about their plans to see Brian's parents during the coming week, and Kate started looking through her schedule as they walked down the street together.

"I think I will be able to work this out." Not looking up from the screen of her phone, she easily sidestepped a litterbin. For the last three years Katherine had been working for the Rangers' Event Presentation team after being recommended to the team by her previous boss.

"Are you serious?"

Now she looked up from the phone and stared quizzically at Brian. "What? What do you wan't me to do? Propose to you?"

"Yes." Brian didn't even think about it and had to fight a smile at the look on her face.

"Are you serious?"

"If we're going to do this then I want a real proposal." Oh, he was definitely having fun with this.

"Like a real-down-on-my-knee proposal?"

"Yup."

Looking around them, Katherine stuffed her phone back in her purse and got down on her knees on the asphalt, careful not to scrape them against the rough texture. She then craned her neck and looked all the way up at Brian. "Will you marry me?"

"I'm sure you can do better than that."

Sighing, she started again. "Brian, sweet, sweet Brian. Will you do me the honour of marrying me?"

"Eh, that'll do." He then hauled her back up on her feet as if she only weighed five pounds before walking away. Kate looked at him, rolled her eyes and went after him. If only her car hadn't been parked on the MSG parking lot.
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As soon as Kate came back to her apartment, she changed out of her work clothes, removed her make-up and started looking through her movie collection. She'd popped in a DVD in the player, grabbed a tub of ice-cream and poured a glass of red wine when her phone signalled a text message.

Be ready for take-off at 10 am.
- Hubby

That alone was enough to make her down the glass of wine and quickly pour another one.
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Just as she was told, Kate was waiting outside her apartment building with her two bags at ten in the morning on a Sunday. Unlike while she was at work, she was wearing a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt with a pair of boots. And even without make-up and red hair up in a ponytail, she still looked more awake than Brian, who almost looked half asleep in his seat. When he didn't get out to help her with her bags, Kate rolled her eyes and hauled them to the trunk.

Getting into the front seat, she blew a piece of stray hair from her face and held out one of the two cups of coffee that she'd been carrying to Brian.

"Thanks. When'd you get these?" He seemed surprised that she'd bought one for him as well and took a gulp before driving down the road.

"I had some time over this morning."

And with that a silence rose in the car that was neither awkward nor comfortable. Kate sipped her coffee slowly and listened to the music playing softly from the car radio. But it didn't take long for the coffee to run out and they both knew they had to bite the bullet.

"I think we need to learn more about eachother since we have those interviews when we get back to the city."

Brian glanced at her and then returned his eyes to the road. "Uh, yeah. Sure. Twenty questions?"

"Sure. Why don't you start then?"

"Okay. Favourite color?"

They continued like that. Or more like, Brian continued like that. Somehow Kate already seemed to know those things about him. And in the end he had to ask. "How do you know all these things about me?"

"You'd be surprised what you pick up during three years around you guys."
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Once they reached the Boston area Brian's stomach started growling and they decided to pull into one of the diners. When they ordered Kate wondered if Brian was going to eat everything on the menu and she was glad that she wouldn't have to pay for it all. She was less happy when he decided to pay for her food as well, but he wouldn't listen to her protests.

"Why won't you let me pay?"

"I don't want to owe you anything." Kate almost felt ready to stomp her foot.

"You won't!" Brian groaned and leaned his head back. Then he looked down at her with a grin. "Besides, isn't it my job to take care of you, wifey?"

Kate once again rolled her eyes, though she couldn't stop the smile from creeping onto her face. When the waitress later on brought their food, she had to take two trips from the kitchen. Her hamburger and curly fries in front of her couldn't distract Kate from staring at all the food Brian'd ordered.

"How are you able to eat all of that?"

"I'm a grown man, Katie. You'll find that I always eat a lot." Puffing out his chest, Brian winked jokingly at her and Kate couldn't help but laugh at him.

They had a relatively uneventful lunch and Brian was only recognised once as they were about to get back in the car, but soon enough they were back on the road for the rest of the way to Hingham.
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"We're almost there."

As Brian uttered those words, butterflies erupted in Kate's stomach. It'd been a long time since the last time she met someone's family like this and she couldn't help but to feel nervous. Hence why she stayed silent the rest of the drive. When they reached the homey-looking house, Brian turned the engine off and turned as much as his huge build could in the seat.

"You ready to face the music?"