An Old Friend: Version A Part 11

"LISA!!" Michael yelled, running towards the castle and away from his friends.  He suddenly thought he heard a snicker from one of the Pythons, so he stopped short and turned around sharply.

"How could you do this??" he raised his voice an octave.  The others stopped and looked at him.  His face was red with anger and his jugular looked as if it were about to burst.  They had never seen Michael like this as he'd always been the sweet, shy one. "I mean, this has got to be the most pissing awful thing you've ever done!" he shouted.  "What is the matter with you all?  Don't you have any sense of decency??"

He sighed and turned back around, starting again for the castle.  The others just looked at each other before Jonesy and Gilliam went back to setting the cameras up.

Michael ran around the castle until he reached the front courtyard.  He began to grow worried that Lisa may have run away, and it was all his fault.  Maybe she had gotten a lift from a passing truck driver and he had turned out to be a serial killer.  Or maybe she had entered the castle but climbed to the top and then leapt to her death.  All these thoughts raced through his head.

"No, stop this silly nonsense," Michael muttered to himself, shaking his head as if to clear it.  "Michael, you're being irrational and daft and just plain stupid.  She's probably fine, maybe up in the castle.  Just... just work on finding her."  He sighed heavily and hoped to God that she was alright as he made his way through the castle doors.

Lisa sat on the cold stone floor with her legs tucked up and her arms folded on top of her knees, resting her head on them.  She was on the top floor of the castle, having climbed up the twisty spiral staircase.  This part of the castle was one which wasn't being used for shooting, and it seemed secluded enough. 

She raised her head and looked out the window.  She saw the other Pythons a bit of a distance away setting up the cameras and in the middle of discussion which she could not hear.  She frowned as hot tears rolled down her cheeks.  She had not expected them to make such comments about her.  She thought they were supposed to be sweet, funny guys like Michael.  She loved him very much, but if these were the people he associated with all the time, maybe it would be best to break it off with him.  She wouldn't want to go through this ridicule each time they'd see her and Michael on a date. 

Still, she loved him with all her heart.  She thought about how much it hurt when she lost touch with him.  She didn't want to experience that hurt again.  "Oh God I'm so confused," she muttered out loud, then put her head down and began to sob softly. 

Michael had been searching almost every inch of the castle...at least the part in which they had filmed.  He grew more and more anxious and feared the worst.  He was almost about to give up when he heard what sounded like soft sobbing.

He turned his head upward toward the staircase and realized it was coming from the upper floors of the castle.  The hair went up on the back of his neck, as he first thought it was a ghost.  But that was silly, why would the place be haunted?  As he rounded the corner of the staircase and reached the top floor, he heard the sobbing grow a bit louder.  He cautiously entered the room near the front with the big window until he saw Lisa sitting across from the window with her head down and sniffling.  A feeling of relief washed over him as he saw she was alright. 

As Lisa heard quiet footsteps approaching, she stopped sobbing and raised her head.  There in front of her stood Michael in a somewhat muddy Sir Galahad costume, his face slightly red from running around, and his eyes filled with sadness and concern.

"There you are, love.  I've been looking all over for you," he said softly, still standing in front of her.

She said nothing, but just kept looking at him with a haggard, worn look on her face.  Then she turned her glance away from him.

Michael sighed.  "I deserve that, I'm sure," he said quietly.  She looked at him sorrowfully as he walked over to her and sat down next to her.

He looked into her eyes.  "Please, Lisa, I apologize for the guys.  I feel awful for what they've said to you.  They can be real gits sometimes." He looked out the window with a disgusted look on his face. "It's all my fault, really," he continued. "I should have told them about you in the beginning.  Sure, they would have laughed, but it would have been much better than seeing you hurt." 

She looked into his apologetic eyes and smiled at him.  It felt so good for him to see her smile.  "Awww, after all these years, you're still a sweetie," she said softly.  He smiled shyly at her and she gave him a little hug.

Michael sighed.  "I have to tell you, Lisa.  Seeing you again after all these years...you don't know how good it makes me feel."

Lisa reached up and brushed a small strand of Michael's bangs off to the side of his forehead.  He smiled at her, then a thought dawned on him as he looked down at the scabbard hanging by his side. "Actually, I'm sort of glad you ran off here," he said.

She looked up at him, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"I've been waiting for us to be completely alone." 

Lisa looked at Michael curiously as he reached into his scabbard, and pulled out a small felt-covered box.  He shyly handed it to her.  Lisa's eyes lit up in surprise.

Michael took hold of Lisa's right hand.  "Can you stand up for a moment Lisa?" he asked her softly as he got down on one knee.

She slowly stood up and opened the box.  Her eyes widened and she gasped at its contents: a dainty diamond ring set in a Celtic-like design.

"Oh, Michael!" she said breathlessly.  "It's beautiful!"

She immediately slipped it onto her ring finger, where it sat comfortably.  "And it fits perfectly! You really know what I like, don't you."  She smiled.

He looked into her eyes and smiled tenderly at her, clutching both her hands in his.  "Lisa," he began, nervously looking down at the floor for a moment. "I guess there's no denying it.  I’ve always loved you ever since we were friends at Oxford. Seeing you again after all these years has just made that feeling stronger.  I'd be the luckiest man alive if you'd be my wife."

Lisa looked at Michael's dear, sweet face filled with sincerity and struggled to hold back tears of joy.

"Michael, I've had a lot of time to think about what you mean to me," she began, just as nervously. "And I can say without conviction that my heart belongs to you."

Michael looked into her eyes and smiled.  "So...is that a yes?" he grinned.

She giggled through her tears.  "Yes!!"

He put his arms around her and they embraced, kissing tenderly.  Lisa remembered what a terrific kisser Michael was, so tender and never overbearing.  This was something she could get used to.

"Oh, I feel like the happiest girl in the world!" she cried, still in his arms. 

Michael giggled.  "And I am the luckiest man in the world to have you for my wife."  He let her go and looked at her.

"Well...the happiest girl in the world and the luckiest man in the world.  We make a good couple, don't we?" he grinned.  She giggled as they embraced once more.

Meanwhile, at the back of the castle, the Pythons had straightened out the camera positions and everything else, and were ready to start filming again.

Jonesy looked impatiently at his watch for the fiftieth time.  "Where the hell is Mike?? We've got a picture to film here!!" he screeched loudly.

In fact, he screeched loud enough for both Lisa and Michael to hear.  Michael threw his head back and laughed. "Oh dear," he said, wiping the tears from his eyes, "I've forgotten all about this, we're supposed to be making a film."

Lisa laughed.

"Ah well," he sighed, "I better get back there before he starts in the Pepperpot voice."

Lisa looked at him curiously, not understanding the Flying Circus reference.  Michael shut his eyes, annoyed that he'd forgotten she had never seen the show. "Oh, never mind about that," he shook his head. "You'll see what I'm talking about...later." 

Michael got up and started down the stairs, with Lisa slowly following.  When they reached the bottom of the stairs, she hesitated. He turned back and looked at her with concern.  "Coming, love?" he asked.

"Oh...I'll be out eventually," she said timidly.  "I just felt it would be better for me to stay inside for a little while, after what they said."

He looked at her sorrowfully and walked back to her.  "I'm so sorry they treated you like this, Lisa.  Don't worry, they'll receive their comeuppance in due time."  He winked at her.

She giggled.  "Alright, I'll be along.  Good luck."  She playfully tousled up his bangs.

"Hey, watch the hair," Michael said jokingly as he smoothed them back down.  He gave her a small kiss on the cheek before heading out to finish the scene.