Prompt: confused

When Stella opened the door, Don said nothing for a full minute. He just stared with his mouth open. Finally, he said, "thank you."

Stella laughed, "Who are you thanking? And for what?"

He shrugged, "You for wearing that dress, God for creating the dress that you're wearing, the store for carrying the dress that you're wearing. Take your pick."

"You are too much, Donald Flack, do you know that?"

He frowned, "Come on, sweetheart, anything but Donald."

"Right, sorry, sorry."

"So, are you ready to boogie?" he asked, shaking his hips a little, as he helped her into her coat.

"I really am. I'm so glad Mac gave me the night off for this. He's still coming, right? No emergencies?"

"None yet. Although he's going to be a little late so we're going to pick Jess up on the way."

"And Lindsay and Mike will meet us there."

Don made a face and Stella glared, "Don you have to be nice to him."

"I am nice. He's just so…boring and he's always touching Monroe."

"He's her boyfriend."

"For now."

"Please don't cause a scene. Lindsay is really excited about tonight. Danny isn't even going to be there and she can just relax and…"

"Okay, okay, I'll be good. Just relax, Stel, tonight is going to be perfect."

She smiled, "Yes, it is."

&&&&&&

Stella was having a ball…literally. The party was beautiful, everyone was having a great time, and she and Don had already danced twice by the time Mac showed up. Lindsay was smiling for the first time in what felt like forever. It was perfect.

"Having a good time?" Mac said as she sat down next to him.

She smiled, "So much. I really appreciate you giving me the time off, Lindsay too. Its doing both of us a world of good."

"You deserve it," he said with a smile, "and everyone else will be here soon."

Stella frowned, clearly confused, "Everyone else? But everyone's here. You, me, Don, Lindsay, Mike, Jessica…who else is there?"

"I didn't tell you? Things were so quiet when I left that I suggested everyone else join us. If there's an emergency, we can always leave early. In fact here comes…"

"Oh crap," Don said from behind her.

Stella's eyes widened, and then she gasped as she realized who was walking in with Danny, "Oh he did not bring her. He did not. I'll kill him."

Don put a hand on her shoulder, "Calm down, Stella, there's nothing we can do about this."

Stella's eyes moved from Danny who was heading their way with Rikki to Lindsay who had just spotted them. She was turning white, completely and totally, bone white and she looked like she was going to pass out.

"Hey guys," Danny said as he came over, holding out a chair for Rikki to sit and smiling, "You all know Rikki, right?"

No one said a word as all of them looked at Danny in complete and utter confusion.

"Maybe he's having a nervous breakdown," Don suggested.

"Maybe he's going to have a concussion when I beat his head in with my shoe."

Don stifled a grin, but that slid away as Michael stood, "If you excuse us, I think Lindsay and I are going to dance."

Danny's whole body tensed up as Lindsay rose and took Michael's hand, following him out onto the dance floor. Mike pulled her close, his eyes locking on Danny and almost daring him to do something.

"So," Don said, "Now everyone's here. That's great. We could probably use some drinks and…"

"What the hell?" Jess said as she looked at the door.

Mac smiled, still not completely sure what was going on with his employees. Maybe he didn't want to know. He really wished Michelle had been able to come with him tonight. She was much better at figuring all of that out and telling him what to do.

"That's Adam," don said, "with Kendall. Okay, so yes we all need drinks now."

"What's wrong?" Stella asked. She was the one that was confused now.

"Jessica and Adam have been dating for two months and she made me not tell you." He smiled at her, "Sorry."

She shook her head, "Its fine, but why is he here with Kendall?"

Don shrugged as he looked at Jessica's face that seemed to have hardened into stone, "I have no idea. I think Adam might be leaving here in a wheelchair, though."

"He can join Danny in the ambulance," she said as Danny stood and headed for Lindsay and Michael, "Oh we're going to have a freaking riot. Its going to actually be a cop-led riot soon."

Next to her Mac cleared his throat, "Uh, what the hell is going on?"

Stella sighed, "We're all imploding. Except Don and I, and you and Michelle."

Mac nodded, "Well, that's something then."

&&&&&&

"Can I cut in?" Danny asked.

"Well, actually," Michael started.

"Thanks," Danny said, cutting in between them and whisking them away. Michael could have stopped him, but that would mean getting physical with the CSI in the middle of a NYPD funded party and he wasn't exactly prepared to get suspended over that prick.

Lindsay, on the other hand, was doing her best to smash Danny's feet with her heels.

"Hey, hey,"' he said, "That hurts."

"Good, why don't you bend over and I'll shove one where the sun doesn't shine."

"Now, Montana, that's just plain mean. Its mean enough that you came here with that jackass."

Lindsay's face turned bright red and her eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing several times, "That I came with? I CAME WITH!?!"

"I only came with Rikki because I heard from Don that you agreed to go with that prick that can't keep his hands off you."

"So you brought the woman that you cheated on me with? Are you out of your mind?"

Danny sobered, his eyes going dark, "Pretty much ever minute you're not with me?"

Lindsay stopped dancing, her eyes filling with tears, "I can't…I just can't do this."

Danny and Michael both watched as she ran off the dance floor, and out of the room.

Both of them chased after her.

Rikki looked at Stella, "Where is he going?"

Stella rolled her eyes and Don laughed, "Hey, Rikki, I know a great real estate agent. Ever think of moving to Jersey?"

&&&&&&

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jessica asked, "And with her!" she pointed at Kendall who was still at the table, completely oblivious.

"It was a last second thing. Mac comes in and tells us we're coming and Kendall needed someone to go with."

"And you just volunteered to go with the woman you used to have a crush and surprise your new girlfriend?"

"That's not what happened. You said you didn't want to tell anyone about us yet."

"I have reasons. I'm a professional and…"

"And I accept those reasons, Jess, I really do, but it was exactly why I couldn't tell Kendall no. Listen, it's not a big deal. We'll dance once or twice and then I'll take her home and…"

"Adam," Kendall said as she snuck up behind him, curling an arm around his waist, "Are you going to dance with me already?"

Adam looked heavenward as Jess' eyes narrowed, "No, Kendall, he's not going to dance with you."

Kendall pulled away from Adam and faced Jess, "And why is that?"

"Because," Jess said firmly, "He is mine." That being said she grabbed Adam by his tie and pulled him close, kissing him passionately as Kendall looked on.

At the table Don hooted, "Go Ross."

&&&&&&

Outside Lindsay stood in the rain with Danny on one side of her and Michael on the other. Stella had followed them all out, her new gown getting soaked as she tried to help her friend.

"Lindsay, here," she said, giving the sobbing woman her forgotten purse, "we'll get you a cab."

"No," Danny said, "We have to talk."

"You're done talking to her," Michael said, shoving Danny away.

"No, no, STOP IT!" Lindsay screamed, "Just stop."

"Lindsay, let me take you home," Stella said.

"'No," Lindsay said, her eyes on Danny now, "No, no more running. I want to talk to Danny."

Stella nodded, knowing better than to argue with her friend when she made that face, "Okay, Michael let's go."

Michael turned to her, his face hard, "I'm not leaving her out here with…"

"Oh yes you are," Don said, as he emerged from the building, "Inside Jackson….now."

Michael stomped away, cursing angrily as Don and Stella followed him inside.

"Okay," Lindsay said, water dripping down her face, "Talk."

"Can we go…?"

"NO!" she yelled, "Talk. If you want to talk then talk no more bullshit."

"Fine, no more bullshit," he agreed, "I'm sorry I came here with Rikki, Lindsay. It was a knee jerk reaction to hearing you were with Jackson. It was dumb and cruel and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything, for pushing you away, and lying to you, and I'm so sorry for cheating on you Lindsay. So sorry I can't even put it into words."

Lindsay looked away, took a deep breath, and then looked back at him, "It needs to be different this time. You need to be different. No more hiding, no more pushing me away."

"I won't, I swear." He reached for her slowly, waiting to see if she would let him touch her. She smiled and fell against him.

&&&&&&

Inside Stella and Don watched their friends re-unite.

"Go Messer!"

"Shut up!" Stella said, smacking him on the head, "They'll know we're watching."

"So what? They're happy. And Adam and Jess are happy and…are we the only people who came together and are leaving together?"

Stella covered her mouth as she started to giggled, "We are. Oh my god, we've all switched partners."

Don shook his head, "Well you're not switching partners."

Stella stopped laughing, looking up at him lovingly, "I would never."

He leaned down and kissed her as the rain fell around them.

It was, Stella decided as she leaned against him, the perfect night after all.