Disclaimer: I don’t own any Ally McBeal characters (Though I do wish I owned Robert Downey Jr

Disclaimer: I don’t own any Ally McBeal characters (Though I do wish I owned Robert Downey Jr. Ymmmm…) and this story is a complete work of fiction for enjoyment purposes only.

“The Way It Should Be”

By Casidy

"Larry was here. He dropped off a note." Elaine said walking up to Ally and holding out the envelope.

Ally came to a sudden stop, shocked. She had been expecting it: Larry's goodbye, but now that it was in front of her she couldn't believe that it was true. - She was loosing him. - He was just going to walk away from the best thing either of them had ever had. Well she wasn’t about to sit by and loose him. Ally grabbed the note from Elaine and turned around, stalking toward the elevator.

"What the hell is this?" Ally yelled, storming into Larry's office. Marching up to where he sat, Ally slammed the letter down on his desk with a resounding thud.

Larry gulped and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Uh, well…"

"It's a note! You were going to leave me with a note, weren't you?" Ally screamed. "You are a chicken, Larry Paul! You were just going to walk away from us? You weren't even going to do it dignifiedly you had to leave me with a note, damn-it."

"Dignified-ly?" Larry asked, trying to stop her tirade.

"Oh, no you don't you're not gonna interrupt my rhythm! I've got a lot to say so you'd better just sit there and listen!"

Larry leaned back in his chair obediently but pulled his glasses off and nervously began cleaning them with his tie.

"How long have you been planning to break up with me, huh? A few days? Since my birthday? How long have you been looking for the perfect opportunity to break my heart and leave me even more broken then when you found me?" She looked down at him expectantly, signaling him that he was then allowed to talk.

"Ally, I didn't plan any of this. I just thought after everything you said today that things were over. I wanted to say goodbye the quickest way possible."

Ally look at Larry, he looked just as broken as she felt. Her anger suddenly slipped out of her in a rush and she collapsed into a chair and would not bring her gaze up from her shoes. "Last night, I thought you were going to break up with me." She said very quietly.

Larry sat up and leaned toward her over his desk, "Why would you think that?" he asked hesitantly.

"When we went out to dinner last night, everything was going great and you were really romantic until dessert. I took one bite of my cobbler and your face just… fell a little. Something just…happened. Then you canceled our lunch date, and right after I talk to John about how I thought you were going to dump me I find you having lunch with your ex-wife." Ally bravely held back her tears to glance up at Larry. "I knew you were going to make or break me," she said quietly, "I just didn't want it to happen yet." she stood from her chair and avoided his gaze. "I'm not sure why I came here. I just wanted more than a note." Her tears pooled in her eyes as she looked at him for what she knew would be the last time.

Larry sat leaning forward in his chair, looking at her intently. His eyes were divested but they cleared as he blinked several times. "Don't go." He said simply as he stood and walked around his desk. Ally did not move as he came toward her, not stopping until they were so close she could smell his sweet cologne and even the faint traces of chocolate in his hair.

"I'm not ready for this to be the end. I promise you I wasn't going to break up with you last night at dinner. If I seemed on edge it was because I was going to purpose." He stated mater-a-factly. He waited for Ally's reaction. When her eyes grew wide he continued, "The reason dessert was such a disaster was because the ring was supposed to be in your cobbler. Instead it went to the wrong table and I had myself convinced it was an omen. I was afraid of strike three. I don't want to mess up with you like I've messed up everything else in my life. Helena was trying to help me get up the courage to try again. Not telling you the truth was a mistake and I'm so sorry for that but this doesn't have to be the end. If you can trust me, I promise I'll never hurt you like that again. You have no reason to doubt my love, baby."

Ally felt her tears falling at his words. She didn't want to loose him any more than he wanted to leave. When he explained it like that everything seemed alright again. He wasn't with his ex-wife because he still loved her, he was with her because he loved Ally and wanted to make her his wife.

"Please don't cry baby." Larry took one final step and Ally fell into his arms, her head landing on his chest.

"I don't want it to be the end either Larry. I love you. I don't want to loose you." Ally cried into his shoulder.

"Shhh, it's alright. It isn't the end, I promise." Larry held her tightly in his arms. "Ally, can't you feel it? Us, this is it. I've been miserable thinking that I'd lost you and I don't ever want to go through that again. We're meant to be together, always. After everything that's happened today I know that now more than ever. Marry me Ally?"

She pulled her head off his shoulder and looked up at him. Had he really just asked what she thought he'd asked? They weren't even officially back together and already he was proposing. The scary thing was that she already knew her answer, "Yes," she said breathlessly. "Yes Larry, I'll marry you."

He grinned widely and reached into his pocket, pulling out a ring. Smiling widely he bent down on one knee in front of her. Holding up the ring he said, "Alyson McBeal, if you will spend the rest of your life with me I promise to love you forever. Will you marry me?"

Ally kneeled down in front of him not letting go of his hands, "of course." She whispered her tears falling once again.

Larry touched her face with his palm and gently brushed her tears away with his thumb before taking her left hand in his, "I love you, baby." He said as he slipped the ring on her finger. Slowly they leaned into each other. Their eyes were locked the whole way until they fluttered shut as their lips touched. Ally repressed a cry at the thought of how close they had come to loosing that feeling forever.

"Make love to me Larry. Please, just make everything else go away." Ally whispered leaning her forehead against his.

Larry did not need further invitation. He kissed Ally hard and took her tiny frame in his arms, pushing her down onto the floor of his office. As Ally pulled Larry's tie loose they gazed into each other's eyes before kissing again.

Ally had finally found her moment, she knew she was in the right place at the right time. She was meant to be in Larry's arms at that very moment. She'd waited for it all her life.