#owen006

[gwenmcguinness]

A Proposal || Gwen + Owen

Format: Chatzy

Timeline: Several days after St. Patrick’s Day

Location: Owen’s apartment

Characters: Owen Burke (@owen--burke) and Gwen McGuinness

Summary: Following the hospitalization of Gwen’s father and finding out the status of their immigration, Owen proposes a plan that could offer a solution to her problems.

Owen: Owen was pacing the length of his living room, Rocky sitting on the couch watching him as he moved back and forth. What he was thinking about was crazy, absolutely crazy and after some more research, probably illegal. After learning that his friend was an illegal immigrant, Owen's brain began thinking about ways to help. Applying for citizenship outright would take years, time that Gwen's father didn't really have. Continuing to live life under the radar, like Gwen already was, would be challenging, a life of worrying about being discovered and deported back to Ireland. The idea that Owen was thinking of.. well.. was crazy. Absolutely nuts. It had started off as a joke at first, one that made him laugh but lingered in his mind long after the chuckle had disappeared. Waiting for Gwen to show up at his apartment, he was finally going to tell her the idea that had been stewing in his brain for the last few days. Now all he could do was find the right words for it.

Gwen: Gwen hadn't been walking with the same spring in her step that she usually did the last few days. Though her father was getting stronger, a little bit back to his old self, the weight of everything seemed to be sitting directly on her shoulder. She'd gotten an invoice from the hospital when they'd escorted her father out, showing just exactly how much they'd owe without insurance. Rent and earning money for it was burning a hole through her brain, so she was taking on as many shifts at the diner as she could -- really only going home to sleep for a few hours and then return. She hadn't spent a lot of time thinking about the secret she had dropped on Owen -- one that she hadn't told another soul in Boston. She hadn't seen him in a few days, or texted him -- maybe she was avoiding him subconsciously. Owen, however, had reached out to her; texting her near the end of her shift. She had took a bus over to his place, remembering the street from when she stayed after visiting the ER. She arrived at his apartment still in her uniform, sending her dad a quick text to keep himself out of trouble (a sizable request) before knocking on the door, giving the peephole on the door a quick wave in case he was looking.

Owen: There was the knock at the door, the sound kicking Owen out of his own head. Rocky was running to the door first, barking at it as Owen followed, rubbing the dog's head and telling him to knock it off before finally opening it. Who else would be visiting him today besides the person that he had invited over? "Get down," Owen muttered to Rocky, who was immediately trying to jump up as dogs did when someone knew showed up. "Sorry about that," Owen apologizing out of reflex at this point. Rocky wasn't a big dog by any means, but always seemed to think he was bigger than he actually was. Finally looking back up at his guest, Owen could practically see the tiredness that was in her eyes. He remembered that look in himself when he had been working nights for months. "Hi. You want anything to eat? Some coffee or something?"

Gwen: Gwen gave a tired smile at the barking that greeted her when the door was opened, kneeling down once she stepped inside to greet the dog, scratching behind his ears and cooing to him. "Hey, good boy. How you doin'? Such a good puppy, yes." Because all dogs were puppies to Gwen -- didn't matter a single bit how big they were or how old. It made her miss Butter; sure she would see him when she got home, but all the extra work she was doing was making her feel guilty for not spending more time with him. "Hi," she gave Owen another worn smile, rising to her full height again. "Yeah, I think coffee would be good, I'm dead on my feet. Wha' abou' you, are you alrigh'?" she asked, slightly concern in her voice as she was unable to help but wonder what he'd asked her over to talk about.

Owen: "I'll get you some coffee then." Owen was trying to distract himself and he knew it. Why did he have to be so awkward? Why couldn't he just be confident and forthright with what he wanted to say? Right, because he was basically going to be proposing marriage to someone was practically a stranger. Yep, that was going to be difficult to say. Heading into the kitchen, Owen didn't notice that Rocky was tailing him as he heard the beeping coming from the coffee maker. He had taken the initiative to already start a fresh brew once he had worked up the courage to invite Gwen over. He hadn't talked to her in days, not since she slept over and dropped the bombshell, but with how worried she had been about money, he had assumed she was probably working like crazy and would need the boost of caffeine to make it home in one piece. There was a manila folder on the island, a folder that contained all the forms that would need to be filled out, if Gwen took him up on his offer. The rest of this all depended on what she said, if she was willing to take the risk. Pulling out two white mugs from one of the cabinets, Owen filled the cups before heading to his fridge and bringing out a gallon of milk, followed by sugar. Preferring the additions to his own drink, Owen began adding the milk to his coffee when he finally spoke. "So, I was thinking about the last time that you were here and what you told me about your... status. And I just kept thinking about how much I really wanted to help and I think I found a solution. Maybe."

Gwen: It felt like St. Patrick's had been weeks ago, not just days. Her thoughts had been running constantly since then, trying to figure out how the hell she was going to get herself and her father out of this mess this time. (Of course it all fell on her, her father wouldn't do a damn thing.) "Thank you," she answered, reaching up to pull the tie from her ponytail, ruffling her hand through her hair as it fell over her shoulders as she followed him to the kitchen just steps behind Rocky. She watched as Owen filled the mugs, taking in a deep inhale of it brewing, as if the smell alone would be enough to revive her. She helped herself to the milk and sugar as he set it before them, pouring a splash into her coffee and once scoop of sugar -- she usually drank it black, but she figured she deserved this small treat. Gwen wanted to be optimistic, at least for Owen's sake -- but she doubted he'd have been able to find a loophole that she hadn't in the last two years. She took a drink and raised her eyebrows with interest, leaning her elbows on the island. "What did you find?"

Owen: It seemed that Gwen was interested in knowing what he had learned and researched. For a moment, Owen wondered if Gwen had done her own research in the time that she was here, but that wasn't the point of this meeting. The words spilled out of Owen as he grew more excited about what he had learned in his google search. "So, normally for someone to get a green card, it can take anywhere from five to seven years, especially if it's not high priority. But I found something where the waiting time is on average six months to a year and the green card is approved. And it wouldn't even matter that your visa has expired. It's still the same time frame. It's filling out two forms, sending it to the USCIS, and once the application is filed, your stay is legal, even if your visa is expired. Then it's finger printing and an interview and you have your green card." It was a lot of information, most of it that had been gathered in the manila folder that was still laying on the island in the kitchen, but there was a catch, the pause in his voice showing that. "The only thing is... it involves a marriage. To a U.S. citizen. Like me."

Gwen: Her visa expiring had been it's own set of sleepless nights, when she had dropped out of college and her student visa lapsed. She'd spent hours on library computers, reading until her eyes were sore or until she had to retreat to bathrooms to cry just from purely being overwhelmed by laws and information. Yes, of course, she knew a green card was possible through marriage -- she'd seen The Proposal -- but it never seemed like a possible option for her. She listened intently to Owen's words, the lingo and the wait times more than familiar to her, before he reached his conclusion. She released the cup of coffee, leaving it resting on the island counter top as she took a deep breath, pressing her index finger to her lips. She was silent for a moment before she spoke, watching Owen's face as she did so. "So...Okay, I'm just checking tha' I'm not misunderstanding -- Would you be suggestin' tha' we --? You n'me--?"

Owen: She was getting the hint, which was a good thing and a bad thing. She understood what he was suggesting, the fraud that they would be committing together. Though it wouldn't be completely fraud, would it? They were friends and Owen did enjoy spending time with Gwen. It's just that they weren't interested in each other romantically and here they were, talking about a possible marriage. Owen had been trying to avoid eye contact as he explained, but now that she asked her own question, his eyes flicked up to meet hers. "Yeah. That's what I'm suggesting." His stomach was in knots, Owen unable to drink the coffee that he had poured for himself. "Look, it's a crazy idea, I know. But I work for the government and I'm a military vet, so I have even higher priority. You and your dad can get citizenship faster and healthcare under my plan at work. And you can both stay here, rent free. I have the space for it. And we stay married for a few years and once we are done, we get a divorce and you get to remain a citizen. I don't really see the harm in all of that."

Gwen: Gwen took a step back from the island, finger still on her lips as she listened to Owen. Her ears were getting warm, and she wasn't quite sure why. She inhaled through her nose, letting out a breath through parted lips, eyes still on Owen as he laid out his plan. A green card, healthcare, a place to stay without rent...It all sounded too good to be true, but she knew it wasn't. It was just how good Owen was, how much he genuinely wanted to help. She almost regretted telling him now, but she never would have ever dreamed he would suggest doing this. "Of course there's harm in it Owen, it's a felony. It's marriage fraud, if you get caugh' in it it's something like..." she wracked her brain, trying to remember the figures she'd read years ago. "Five years in prison or two-hundred thousand dollars in fines. Or both. I--" Gwen let out a breath, stepping back to the island again. "God, Owen, I can't ask you t'do tha'..."

Owen: "You're not asking me." It's true. Gwen wasn't asking him to help her with this or trying to manipulate him into doing this for her. Hell, that was part of the reason why he was so willing to go along with this. Owen was someone who always wanted to help in any situation that he ran across and here was something that he could help with. Sure, it was outside of the box of what he normally did, but life was an adventure, wasn't it? "I'm telling you I'm okay with this. And really, you're a beautiful woman. I'm a good looking guy. We don't really look like the kind who is gonna be committing marriage fraud and on top of that, we are already friends, so we are already winning half the convincing battle to begin with. The choice is yours, Gwen."

Gwen: Sometimes, immigration felt absolutely impossible. There were mountains of paperwork, endless forms with dizzying codes, and the waiting only made all of it worse. It was no simple thing; sometimes people waited decades to only be halfway to being a citizen. And here Owen was, out of the goodness of his heart, offering Gwen a path that was way smoother than what most people got a chance at. It didn't feel so impossible when he said things like that because it was true -- They were young, and attractive. They probably wouldn't raise many red flags, from what she could remember. It would be foolish to turn him down outright,but she didn't want to take advantage of his kind heart or willingness to help. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself for that... "But Owen, think abou' the long run here," she told him, placing her hands on the island. "Okay, let's say we do get married. Let's say we have to bank down...Three years," Gwen swallowed, tilting her head at him as her voice came out softer than she intended. "Wha' if you meet someone in those years -- someone tha' you truly wan' t'marry. For real. And have a life and kids with and a home and everythin'. But you can't because you're stuck bein' married t'me--?"

Owen: Three years. Three years was a long time to remain fake married to someone. One of Owen's faults was that he thought in the short term more often than the long term. Short term, this idea made a ton of sense. Gwen's father needed health insurance, Gwen needed to start some process toward citizenship and Owen had the time and space available to help. Long term... well long term, he hadn't really thought about it. Gwen brought up a good point. What if he met someone that he really wanted to marry while they were in the middle of all this? It wouldn't be the first time he wanted to get married for love. Three years from now and Owen would be 39, almost 40 years old. There were plenty of dudes who were that age and starting their lives, so it wasn't all that weird. It was all hypothetical. No one really knew what the future held. "If I meet someone, then I'll explain what I'm doing and if they really love me and want to be with me, then they'll understand why I felt this was the right thing to do. And I mean that. This is the right thing to do." Owen was one with his convictions and morals and throughout his life, they had never let him down. "And really, it would be like we're roommates. Roommates with a wedding license."

Gwen: Gwen couldn't help but let out a soft laugh at his words. Roommates with a wedding license. Well, that was one way to put it, that was for sure. Part of her wanted to refuse him -- what he was offering was too much, a sacrifice of himself more than what she felt she deserved. But then she thought about her dad, the way his skin was starting to yellow in a telltale way in certain places. The words of the doctor. His liver was failing, he was a lifelong alcoholic, and there wouldn't be much time if action wasn't taken. Maybe this was the action that Gwen was supposed to take. Looking through her options (and there weren't many), this was certainly the best one being offered to her. This is the right thing to do, Owen said, and if he believed it..."I..." she swallowed, bobbing her head once as she more and more seriously began considering the idea. "Your family. They won't think it's weird? You getting married out of the blue?"

Owen: She was considering it. Gwen wouldn't have been asking all of these questions if she wasn't ready to cross her t's and dot her i's. When she asked about his family, Owen couldn't help but laugh. "My mom will be excited about it and not too surprised, I think. She's told me before that I'm the kind that falls 'hard and fast'," Owen using air quotes around the words that his mother had told him whenever he had his heart broken. "My sister will be happy that I'm settling down. I mean, I don't think we'll be able to tell the full circumstances of everything, but I'm not too worried about them." Tapping his fingers against the counter, Owen paused for a moment before finally asking the integral question. "So.. are you saying yes?"

Gwen: "Well, tha's good. There'll be tha', at leas'," she nodded, almost smiling. Her own family -- well, her father would know what was going on, obviously, especially if he was going to live with them. And, seeing as it was his ass that was on the line, she was sure he'd keep his big mouth shut. Her own sisters, well, what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. She would tell them she was getting married, they'd be so blindly excited that they probably wouldn't question the reasons much further. Gwen hadn't ever been one to share what was going on in her life romantically. "I'm not sayin' no," she said slowly after a moment, finally reaching out to take another drink from her coffee. "Wha' abou' friends? Coworkers? I only ask because, you know, if we do this it had to look...real. People have t'think it's real or else someone could report us..."

Owen: "I think you are overthinking this," Owen bursted out, finally laughing at how gung ho Gwen was to find someone who would somehow get them into trouble. Sure, it was important to try to make sure that there wasn't anyone that they had to worry about, but Owen really couldn't think of anyone who would actually want to do something. "There isn't really a lot of people I talk to that closely and I just started a new job. My co-workers don't really know me." Walking over to the other side of the island, Owen had to make a show as he leaned against the counter, his free hand pushing back an errant blonde curl that had landed against Gwen's cheek behind her ear. "I can make this look very real," Owen reassured, his fingers lingering against the delicate skin for a few moments to prove the point. Standing back to his full height, Owen needed to hear the answer so that they could begin whatever planning that they needed to do. "So, what do you say?" Kneeling down on one knee was not something that Gwen anticipated, but what the fuck, it felt right in the moment. "Will you, Gwen McGuinness, fake marry me?"

Gwen: Gwen filed through her mind over people who might raise eyebrows over her getting married suddenly. There were coworkers -- the girls at the diner -- and friends from bars and the music scene. She'd done some pretty stupid things in her life, so she was sure no one would be too shocked if this was the next wild stunt that she pulled. Well, Scott would take some convincing. And then there was Sam...God, that would be...Well, a mess. It seemed to be the theme of the way her life was going currently. But if she made this choice...Well, by 27 she would have a green card and she and her dad would be back on their feet and on the path to being irrefutable citizens. It was more of a future than what she had woken up with that morning. Her eyes stayed trained on Owen as he made his way around the counter, practically holding her breath as he brushed his fingers over her cheek. Was he going to kiss her?! Fuck! But no, he was making a point -- and damn if it hadn't been an effective one. "Owen wha' -- Wha' are you doin' -- Oh god," her confusion turned to a laugh in spite of herself as he sank to his knees in front of her. Well, if they were going to pull this off, why not start committing to it now? "Fake yes, fake yes, a thousand times fake yes," she answered.