A/N:

Hobey ho, folks! Chase here, with Pendragon-related material! WOOT!

Downside? It's not DD material. Well, technically not.

This has characters from Demon's Daughter and takes place in the same continuity as DD. However, it's not to be taken as part of the main DD canon, but rather an Alternate Universe fic from the DD universe! An AU to an AU…what will they think of next?

There will be some spoilers for Demon's Daughter in here, but since this is an AU story, I can't tell you what is a spoiler and what's just the AU information. You'll have to draw your own conclusions from this little baby!

Rest assured, I am still working on Demon's Daughter. But I needed a break from it for awhile! So to get myself back into the Pendragon universe, I wrote this piece as a birthday gift to my dear young friend Shannon Ashley. Sorry it's so late, Shannon!

Disclaimer: Don't own Pendragon, blah blah wish I did blah blah. Happy?

Oh, also a general note – does contain very, very, very slight shonen-ai and the mention of another boy/boy couple that you probably aren't expecting if you read DD.

If you don't read Demon's Daughter, may I shamelessly plug my own story in my other story? I can? Thanks! So yeah, you should read Demon's Daughter if you like this!

(Ahem) Right! So, without further ado – here's the story! (presses play)

What Little Sisters Wish For

An AU Demon's Daughter mini side-fic by Chase Ravencroft Tilton

A gift-fic for Shannon Ashley - Happy Birthday, Shannon!

Facing down quigs trying to eat you? Yeah, that was easy. Shooting off through time and space to save all there ever was or will be? That was no problem. Almost dying a few hundred times while fighting against an enemy who would eventually become a sort of adopted uncle to you? Yeah, Bobby Pendragon could do that just fine.

Finding a birthday present for a soon-to-be-twelve year old girl?

This was going to be the biggest challenge of his life.

Bobby groaned inwardly as he leaned his head against the wall in front of him. His little sister Shannon was turning twelve tomorrow. And he still had no idea what in the heck to get for her. He had tried asking his friends for advice, but they had already selected their gifts, and couldn't really help much. He had tried to ask his cousins Leila and Chase for help, but they along with his Uncle Press and Uncle Danny had gone off to pick up the other Travelers for the party, and to pick up their own gift for her.

With his Traveling family officially of no help, Bobby was running very low on chances to get help. Finally, his thoughts turned to his Acolytes and best friends, Mark Dimond and Courtney Chetwynde. Since Mark knew absolutely nothing about girls, Bobby figured he wouldn't be the best person to ask.

So he called Courtney and asked for her help, pleading with her as his absolute last chance to not look like the worst big brother of all time. She had agreed to go shopping with him, and tried not to laugh at his plight.

And now Bobby was here, waiting in the hallway outside of Courtney's bedroom while she changed her clothes so that they could leave. And he was dreading the thought of being dragged into pink and sparkly girl stores, and being surrounded by butterflies and bears, or whatever it was that little girls liked.

'I'm doomed...' he thought to himself miserably. Maybe it would be easier to go stare down some dados for awhile, he mused, just as Courtney's bedroom door opened.

"I don't think my parents would like it very much if you dented my wall." Courtney teased, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He turned to face her, witty comeback on the ready, but let the words die on his lips as he looked at her. He had always known she was pretty, and he had always liked her, but in the recent months since he had been back home, Courtney just seemed to glow. He hadn't had much time to think about romance while he was zipping around Halla, but now that the fighting was over, and he had reconnected with his friends from home, it was getting harder and harder to deny that he had fallen in love with her.

"It's not going to be that bad, Bobby." Courtney reassured him, flicking her long ponytail over her shoulder as she turned on her heel. Bobby couldn't quite keep his eyes up as he noticed how well her jeans clung to her body.

Uh-oh. Swallowing hard, he took off down the hall behind her. "I'll take your word for it." he managed to say. Thankfully, his voice hadn't broken.

She chuckled. "C'mon, have I ever steered you wrong? I know you, I know Shannon, and best of all - I'm a girl – "

'Believe me, I've noticed…' Bobby lamented mentally.

"So yeah, we've got this in the bag. So let's do this."

The pair exited the Chetwynde house and made their way to the train station.

Only four hours in, and he already felt like quitting.

They had been walking through various stores for the entirety of those four hours, looking through everything in the juniors department, and trying to find something girly and sweet but tough and smart, just like Shannon. So far, it was a huge failure.

"C'mon, Bobby. You can't quit on me! I haven't lost a challenge yet, and I don't plan on starting just because you're acting like you're allergic to the color pink."

"Acting? Who's acting? I am allergic to the color pink. And sparkles. And anything even remotely related to the Twilight franchise." Bobby snorted.

She shot him a look of annoyance. "This isn't exactly a picnic for me either, you know. I'd much rather be looking at the new soccer gear, or a new routine for regional finals, but I'm here to help you find something instead."

He felt a bit sheepish now. Courtney had a point – she was helping him even though it took time away from other things she could be doing. He was deeply appreciative for it, and very glad to have some time with her. He pushed aside the other thoughts that starting creeping up in the back of his mind, and tried to re-focus on the present hunt.

"Thanks, Courtney. I really do appreciate the help."

She stopped and put down the overly-large heart-shaped pillow she had been looking at. "We're friends, Bobby. It's what friends do." Her smile was soft and warm.

He managed a smile back at her, trying to fight back the blush he felt creeping over his face. She was gorgeous when she smiled. Well, she was gorgeous when she just…stood there. But she was ten times more beautiful when she smiled, and her eyes lit up.

They went back to scouring the aisles in search of something that Shannon would like. When they still hadn't found something another hour later, they decided it was finally time to take a break, and re-organize the plan.

"Ok, so what does Shannon like that we know of for sure?" Courtney asked, tapping the back of her pen against the table. They had opted to duck into Johnny Rocket's for lunch, and while waiting for the waitress to return with their burgers, Courtney decided that it would be helpful to make a list of Shannon's likes and dislikes.

Bobby stared at the back of the napkin that Courtney was writing on, trying to come up with something other than volleyball, reading, and listening to music.

"It's hopeless. I'm a terrible big brother." He groaned, slamming his head onto his arms.

Courtney rolled her eyes at his childish reaction. But inwardly, she was smiling. She had always thought he was cute when he acted this way, as annoying as it could be at times. Sometimes it felt like they were still six years old, playing kickball at the local park and arguing over who was better at pitching.

Over the past few years of Bobby's crazy adventures through Halla, Courtney had come to learn quite a few things. She had learned that her stubbornness and her temper could be bad things when trying to work on a team. She had learned that she could do anything she set out to do by trying out for cheer and making it, then learned that practice made perfect when she tried out for soccer again and made it this time.

And she had learned, as she spent many sleepless nights wondering if he was okay, that she was completely head over heels in love with Bobby Pendragon.

Though she'd never tell him so, that was a big part of the reason why she had offered to help him today. She saw him every day at school, true – but they hadn't spent time together away from the rest of the group in ages.

If it had been anyone else, she'd have thought that they deserved the title of Horrible Brother of the Year for not knowing what their little sister and supposed best friend wanted for her birthday. But because it was Bobby, and she knew how devoted he truly was to Shannon, she made up her mind to do anything to help him.

"You're not a terrible big brother. I think you're just straining your brain too much. Keep it simple – stick to what you know in a tight situation, like your Uncle Press tells us all the time. Relax, take a deep breath, and ask yourself what Shannon likes."

Bobby sat up straight and took a breath like told. With a heavy sigh, he let it go, and started thinking seriously again. He knew his sister better than anyone. She was his biggest fan and his biggest supporter, even if she could be a little bratty sometimes. But they were closer than most brothers and sisters, especially with the amount of years that were separating them in age. He knew that she would appreciate anything he got for her because she was just that nice. But he also knew she deserved something special.

"She would want something from the heart. Something that she knew I had actually put effort into, not just some cheesy over-dramatic Hallmark card that anyone can buy." He began, gears slowly starting to turn in his head.

Courtney was scribbling away on the back of her napkin as he spoke.

"Something from the heart…not just anything, but something special, like her." Bobby finished simply, thinking about all the times she had brought him candy or walked Marley for him. He loved his little sister with all his heart.

Courtney couldn't stifle her laughter anymore. "You know, you're pretty cute when you actually figure out how to get in touch with your emotions."

Normally, he would have some sort of witty comeback for this, but his mind was moving slower than his mouth, because the next thing he knew, he had said "You know, you're pretty cute all the time."

Embarrassed, he quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, hoping that maybe she hadn't heard. No such luck, it seemed. She was staring at him wide-eyed.

An awkward silence settled over both of them, and Bobby was suddenly aware of just how close together they were sitting. He swallowed hard, trying to find words.

"Bobby…did you just…um…" Courtney began.

She was interrupted before she could truly begin as the waitress returned with their order.

He hastily dove into his cheeseburger, determined to ignore what he had said.

Courtney became very interested in her French fries, but she tucked away that thought of his offhand comment in her head, making a note to ask about it later. If there was even the smallest chance that Bobby still had feelings for her like he had all that time ago when they first kissed in his house, then she was going to take it this time.

"Hey almost-birthday girl! How's my favorite niece?" Press barged into the living room where Shannon was sitting on the couch with Marley, face buried in a book.

She gave him a big smile and patted Marley to get him to move. "Hi Uncle Press!" she snuggled into his open arms and gave him a tight squeeze around the waist. "I'm great! I can't wait till tomorrow! Where's Uncle Danny and Chase and Leila?"

"Uncle Danny's in the kitchen – your mom roped him into helping with the cooking for the party tomorrow before I could save him. Leila's headed off to Aravil to pick up Devin, because she wants him to meet you on your special day. And Chase and Spader are back at the house wrapping your tons and tons of gifts." The Lead Traveler winked at his beloved niece, ruffling her hair before leaning down to pet Marley.

"You left them alone together?" Shannon raised an eyebrow at her uncle. Everyone knew how overprotective he was of the Tilton and Pendragon kids. He glared daggers at Siry of all people when the Ibaran had been over for Christmas last year, and all he had done was ask Shannon what he was supposed to do with a candy cane.

"Gunny's with them. They know better." Press replied.

That made more sense, she thought. Everyone loved Gunny way too much to do anything inappropriate around him. "Good thinking, Uncle Press."

"Thanks kiddo. Hey, have you seen your brother around? I needed to talk to him."

"Nope. He's been out of the house all day. Something about going to see Courtney, I dunno. I shouldn't have to listen to what he says that early in the morning. I shouldn't even have to be awake before ten o'clock in the morning on a weekend at all!"

It was Press' turn to raise an eyebrow. "Going to see Courtney? Hmm. That's odd. Oh well. I'll catch him early tomorrow morning I guess. Go say hi to Uncle Danny before your mom bashes his head in with a rolling pin, huh kiddo?"

Shannon nodded, and set out for the kitchen to greet her adoptive uncle – and possibly save him from the full force of her mother's pre-party rage.

"So do you have a gift yet or not?" Chase asked, amusement clear in her tone.

Bobby grumbled his reply. When she started laughing, he was tempted to hang up on her. But since she knew where he lived, he decided that would be a bad idea. "Hey, I have an idea about what to do, okay? Give me a break, I'm bad with girls…"

"I'll say!" Spader interjected. He was sitting next to Chase on the living room floor, fighting with a roll of scotch tape and a strip of wrapping paper. The phone was on speaker, as Chase had her hands full with a rather large, oddly shaped box. It was probably her adopted dad's gift, knowing him. He would pick the difficult box, she thought to herself as she cut off yet another square of wrapping paper for the side.

"Ok, you have a track record with them yourself, so I don't wanna hear it from you!" Bobby snipped back. But the amusement was clear in his voice.

"So when are you guys coming back? Dad was looking for you earlier."

"Which dad?" Bobby asked. "You kinda have two to choose from you know."

Chase rolled her eyes. "We've been over this before, Bobby. When I say "dad" I'm talking about Press. When I say "papa" I'm talking about my real dad."

"Okay, okay, I got it. Any idea what he needed me for?"

"Something about making sure you had that spare Acolyte ring handy. I stopped listening cuz Van Helsing came on HBO and I mean it's frigging Hugh Jackman, you can't expect me to pay attention to anything but Hugh Jackman when he's on the screen." Chase ignored Spader's look of annoyance as she gushed about the handsome actor.

"Yeah, it's in my room. Why? Wait…he's not thinking about giving it to…."

"That seems like the plan, mate. Dunno, you'd have to ask him."

If there had been a wall right in front of him, Bobby would have smacked his head into it. There went the next part of his brilliant idea! He was back to square one, practically.

"Alright…I'll call him later on. I think I'm going to stay the night at Courtney's place so that I can come up with a gift before tomorrow morning. I don't want to have to see Shannon right now…I may just crack from the pressure if I do."

Spader and Chase shared a look.

"You're gonna stay the night at Courtney's house? Are her parents okay with that?" Chase ventured, trying to broach the topic lightly.

They all knew that Bobby was totally head over heels for Courtney. And they all pretty much suspected that Courtney still felt the same way for Bobby. It had been a rough road for Courtney and Chase, but after a final confrontation with one another, Courtney had gotten the Neeanyahn to realize how unfair and cruel she was being. After Chase managed an apology, the two had opted to try for friendship. It had worked, and while they still bickered over things from time to time like any competitive females, they were good friends. Now, Chase wanted nothing more than for Courtney and Bobby's happiness together, and she along with the others had been trying to get them together.

"Her parents aren't home, they went to visit her grandma this weekend."

Spader fell into a laughing fit that he tried to disguise as coughs. It didn't work.

"It's not gonna be like that!" Bobby squawked, realizing where Spader's dirty mind had gone. "She's just trying to help me find a gift, it's totally innocent you pervert!"

"If you say so, mate. Just remember, make an honest woman outta her!"

"Okay I'm hanging up now. See you guys at the party tomorrow." Bobby grumbled.

The line went dead before Chase or Spader could get in another word. Chase closed her phone and set it back on the table before turning back to Spader.

"Ten bucks they end up getting together by tomorrow afternoon."

The Cloran reached into his back pocket for his wallet, checking his Second Earth funds. "You're on, lovey. You got much more faith in em' than I do, though, that's for sure."

Chase just smiled knowingly. "Let's just say I have a feeling about this one."

"So how are Chase and Spader doing?" Courtney asked, coming back into her room with a box full of art supplies.

"Just fine." Bobby gave a sour look at his phone before taking the box from her. "So are you sure this is a good idea? I'm not really good at this poetry stuff."

"You write all the time, what are you talking about?"

"Journals are totally different. I'm writing about what happened to me already, not trying to sound all artsy fartsy." Bobby was holding a bottle of silver glitter like it was a snake.

She snatched the glitter away from him and placed a notebook and a pen in his hand in its place. "Poetry doesn't have to be artsy fartsy. That's just a bunch of stuffy old white guys in suits trying to say it has to be. Poetry really just comes from the heart."

Bobby glanced up at her, swallowing hard. When it came to things dealing with the heart, he wasn't exactly an expert – and talking about the heart when what his heart really wanted was the girl sitting next to him, and when her parents were out of the house…

He shook his head rapidly, trying to clear out all the thoughts that drifted in. "I don't know anything about that stuff. I don't think I even know how to talk to my heart."

The look she gave him was a mix of pity and amusement. "Sure you do. Everyone knows their own heart best. You just really suck at expressing what's there."

"Thanks, that helps a lot." He retorted dryly.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Just start writing, doofus. The words will come. I'm gonna start working on the actual card part."

So Courtney took the box of art supplies, tugged out some construction paper, and set to work, leaving Bobby and his empty notebook to themselves.

"You are easily the best, most awe-inspiring, sweet and warm-hearted niece in the history of Halla, and I will sing your praises to the gods for the rest of eternity! " Daniel was hugging Shannon tightly, still not recovered from his time in the kitchen.

Shannon and Press couldn't help but laugh at the way the much-taller Daniel was practically draped over his young adoptive niece.

"It wasn't that bad, Danny, suck it up." Press snickered.

Daniel glared daggers at his lover. "That woman is EVIL. And I of all people know the definition of the word evil, remember!? I never want to see another hand-made eggroll as long as I live! Ever! I don't care how delicious they are, they are nightmarish to make!"

Still snickering, Press crossed the living room and gently eased Shannon out of Danny's grip before sliding into the man's embrace himself.

"That apron looks really cute on you though. Light blue really brings out your eyes."

"Shut up, Press." Daniel grumbled.

Shannon tried to stifle her giggles, but failed miserably. She couldn't help it – her uncles were just too funny! She knew all about the Travelers and the Battle for Halla, and though she knew all about her Uncle Danny's past as a villain, she knew it was all in the past and had welcomed him into the family like everyone else. It was always nice to have another loved one – the world needed more love all around.

"Hey, you're turning on me too, birthday girl? Even after you valiantly rescued me from the clutches of your mother?" Daniel looked hurt, but she knew he was joking.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Danny. I still love you though!"

They were interrupted by the chiming of the old grandfather clock down the hall. It gave ten chimes, then grew silent once more.

"You should get to sleep, kid. You have a big day tomorrow and all." Press ruffled Shannon's hair a bit, then leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"But it's only ten o'clock! I'm not tired!" she argued, not ready to sleep.

It was no use though. Both Press and Danny were giving her their best parent faces, and she knew it was pointless to keep fighting.

"Okay, okay. I'm going. Goodnight Uncle Press, goodnight Uncle Danny." She hugged both of her uncles before trudging off to the stairs.

As she passed her brother's empty bedroom, she frowned. She hoped that he hadn't forgotten that her birthday was tomorrow. While she wasn't expecting anything from him, she really wanted to hang out with him. Her brother was one of her best friends, and he meant everything to her. She had really missed him while he was off saving Halla, and she and her family were in hiding in the Interim for their safety. It had been a long two and a half years, that was for sure. But now that her family was back together again, and she had lots of new Traveler friends, everything was perfect.

Well, everything was almost perfect to her. The only thing that was missing was her big brother's total happiness. All that she really wanted was for him to finally be happy with Courtney, but ever since the war had ended, he was too chicken to say anything to her.

As she changed her clothes for bed, a bright star caught her eye from her bedroom window. While she didn't really believe in wishing on stars anymore, this was a special case, and besides, she had learned that much stranger things happened.

"Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight. I wish that Bobby and Courtney would hurry up and get together!" she whispered, crossing her fingers as she gazed earnestly at the star.

Satisfied in her childish wish, she hopped into bed and tried to convince her body to sleep. She was so excited about tomorrow, she could hardly wait!

"I…think I wrote a poem." Bobby seemed in shock as he glanced over the words he had scribbled over the blank paper over the past hour and a half.

Courtney glanced up from the paper star she had been gluing in place. "So in other words, I was totally right again like I always am? Good to hear!"

Bobby didn't bother to respond to that as he handed the notebook over to her. She quietly read over the poem, eyes scanning slowly across each line. After a few moments, she blinked and set the notebook down.

When she didn't say anything after a long minute, Bobby cleared his throat.

"What, was it that bad?" He ventured timidly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"No – it wasn't that bad. It was pretty amazing, actually. I think this is one of the sweetest things I've ever read. She's going to love it, Bobby."

If Courtney noticed that he was blushing, she didn't say anything.

"Th-thanks." He stammered, rubbing at the back of his head.

There was silence in the room for a moment as they regarded one another. Once again, it felt like there was something that they each wanted to say, but neither of them could find a way to get the words out. Just as Courtney began to speak, the clock on her nightstand buzzed, breaking the silence – and breaking the moment of possible confession.

"Damn, it's already eleven. We should get some rest, especially since we have to be at the bookstore early to pick up the second part of our gift." Bobby took the chance to get rid of the awkwardness and hastily stood up, placing the notebook on the table.

"Dammit!" Courtney thought. She had been so close, and now she had lost her nerve. This wasn't supposed to happen to Courtney Chetwynde! She sighed. Nothing to it now. It would just have to wait for another day. She grabbed her pajamas from the dresser, and walked to the door. "I'm gonna go change. You okay with sharing the bed? I don't want to make you sleep on the floor. We can sleep crossways from each other like when we were kids, feet to opposite sides of the bed."

"Y-y-yeah, I'm cool with that. I'll just borrow one of your really big t-shirts then."

Courtney left the room, closing the door behind her.

And Bobby smacked himself in the forehead. He had been so close, and he blew his chance! Smooth move, Pendragon, he lamented. And now on top of it all he had to share a bed with her!? Granted, they would be on opposite sides of it in opposite directions, but still! He may not have been a pervert, but he was still a teenage boy!

He just hoped to make it to tomorrow afternoon alive. It would be a big damper on Shannon's birthday if her older brother hadn't survived the night due to his own hormones succeeding in killing him.

"Long time no see, Bobby!" Chase grinned, tossing an arm around her cousin's shoulder.

"Hey Chase." Bobby yawned. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night, as he predicted.

Sensing that it wasn't a good idea to mess with him at that particular moment in time, she took the wrapped package from his hands and set on the table with the other presents. It took a moment to find a place to put it without it falling over. Press hadn't been kidding when he told Shannon she had loads and loads of presents. They were everywhere!

"Your mom and dad took Shannon to her volleyball game. They'll be back in a few hours. We're just setting the last of the stuff up now." She filled him in as she led him over to the living room, where streamers and balloons were taking over.

"It looks good." He observed, falling onto the couch.

"Thanks. Patrick and Gunny helped Devin put everything up. Apparently he really, really likes balloons and streamers now. Dad said to watch him on the way back to Aravil, to make sure he doesn't smuggle a package back. They're like his new crack or something."

Bobby managed a weary smile at the mental image this conjured.

Now Chase was a bit worried. This wasn't at all what she had seen in her vision. The Bobby in her vision a few days back was all smiles and energy. If things didn't go according to how she saw them happening in the vision, she was about to lose ten bucks.

"Hey…is everything okay? I know you're stressing about your gift, but Shannon's gonna love whatever you give her, you have to know that, right?"

He thought for a moment before looking over at her. "Yeah, I know that. Hey…you're a little sister too. So tell me something. What do little sisters wish for?"

She smiled softly. "Well…it depends on the relationship between the siblings. You and Shannon are pretty close, like me and Leila are. Um…ok, little sisters are usually the ones that everyone protects and looks after, right? But what people forget is that little sisters want to protect their older siblings too. You guys are really important to us, and we always want to do our best to make sure that you're safe and happy."

"Okay, so…?"

"I'm getting there!" Chase tapped Bobby lightly in the nose. "So I guess what little sisters wish for most is for their older sibling to be happy and taken care of. I mean, I used to wish for Leila to get a good boyfriend who would take care of her and stuff. Or, more specifically, I always said to my gods "please let Leila fall in love with a good, strong, honest, hard-working and loving guy, and not some creep-o loser with no education and no job who still lives in his parents house bitching about how life isn't fair while he sits on his ass all day playing video games and thinking he's some kind of dragon mage or some shit like that, and who leeches off of the people around him and is pretty much a worthless pile of flesh and blood that doesn't deserve the oxygen he breathes". Yeah it was something like that, I can't remember exactly. But you get the idea."

Bobby blinked at the rapid fire description. "Uh…did you know someone like that or something, because that was a pretty detailed prayer. Not that the guy doesn't sound like a complete jackass, but yeah…did something happen that you want to talk about?"

Chase shook her head. "Not to me or Leila, no. But I knew this girl from the dojo once, nice girl, really sweet, but kinda shy. There was another guy in our class that really liked her, but was too shy to say anything, and there was this other guy who hung around the dojo who was…well…exactly like I just described. She fell in love with him for some stupid reason – cuz really, there was nothing redeeming about him at all, let me tell you! – and they started dating. All her other friends hated this guy and saw what a loser he was, but Rose just…well, she was so tired of being alone that she settled for him. So she chose him over her friends, and then wondered why none of them would talk to her anymore. It was really sad. I mean, I guess she had her loser boyfriend and all, but she lost all the friends that she had made over the years in the process. So yeah…I just didn't want Leila to end up the same way. I love her too much to see her throw her life away on some stupid boy. Friends and family are forever, you know?"

Bobby nodded. He understood that fully. He knew he would never want Shannon dating a guy like that either. "Yeah, I understand. But what about for themselves? Is that really all that little sisters wish for, for their older siblings to be happy?"

She nodded. "Yup. Anything else is a bonus. Older siblings are part of why we do what we do every day. You guys are our heroes – so of course we want you to be happy!"

What would make him happy? He knew the answer to that. Not that he wasn't already happy with his life, but having someone to share it with would make him that much happier. What if the answer he was looking for had been in front of him all along?

"Oi – we need yer help puttin' up some o' the decorations, Bobby. Mind lendin' a hand?" Youran, dressed in jeans and a tee shirt to blend in on Second Earth, poked his head into the room, paper party hat perched precariously atop his wavy hair.

"Yeah, I'll be right there." Bobby affirmed. Youran nodded and went back into the other room. Slowly, Bobby heaved himself off of the couch. "Thanks Chase. That helped."

"Glad to be of service, oh-wonderful-cousin-o-mine. I'm gonna go bug dad and papa for awhile. Have fun decorating!" she gave him a pat on the shoulder and bounced off.

The look on his face as she was walking away told her that her vision had not been wrong after all – it just needed a little push in the right direction. Grinning to herself, she started to plan out what she was going to buy with her soon-to-be twenty dollars.

Courtney was nervous as they gathered in the living room, waiting for Shannon and her parents to return home. It wasn't that she was nervous about presenting her and Bobby's present. It was that she was nervous about being with Bobby after her averted attempt to confess her feelings to him. Being in a room full of happy couples wasn't helping. Chase and Spader were standing nearby, making jokes at one another, while Press and Danny sat on the couch talking. Leila and Devin were on the other couch, talking to Patrick and Youran, with the librarian red-faced and perched on the Red Dragon Guard's lap.

While she was happy for all of her friends, she was miserable for herself. She and Bobby had been friends and rivals for years already, had already admitted they liked one another, and had even kissed already! So why was it so hard to go back to that point? Had the war changed that much between them? It wasn't fair.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the sound of footsteps reached her ears.

"Here they come everybody, get ready!" Gunny instructed.

While it wasn't really a surprise party, since Shannon already knew she was having one, they still wanted to give her a huge welcome home. They waited quietly while the key turned in the lock, and listened as the footsteps rounded the corner.

Shannon was still in her volleyball uniform, bright smile indicating they had won their game. Even though she knew everyone would be waiting for her when she got home, she was still slightly surprised to see all the decorations and happy faces there.

"Happy Birthday, Shannon!" Everyone greeted, making whistles and whoops of joy.

"Thanks everybody! Wow, you guys really went all out, huh? I feel so special!"

"You are special, kiddo – and we all love you very much. So let's start celebrating your special day!" Press swooped in and picked her up with ease, hugging her.

Someone started up music, and the party was officially on.

After much food and cake, and plenty of dancing and laughs, it was time for presents. Shannon had already opened a good deal of them, and the pile of new clothes, books, some music, and various other cool gadgets and gizmos was almost bigger than her.

Finally, it was time for the last package on the table. Bobby took a deep breath before grabbing it and handing it to her. "This is from me and Courtney, sis. Hope you like it."

Curious, Shannon gently tore the wrapping paper off of the gift. As she pulled the paper away, she found herself holding a beautiful black leather-bound book with a small clasp. It was small enough to tuck into a bag, and even had a black ribbon bookmark dangling from the side. She opened up the book and saw an envelope tucked into the first pages. She flipped through the pages a bit before looking at her letter, and found that they were blank. It was a journal of her very own.

"It's beautiful, you guys! I love it!" Shannon beamed at them, then grabbed her envelope.

"This is…um…well, you'll see when you open it." Bobby bit his lip, clearly flustered.

Curious, Shannon slid her finger under the lip of the envelope and popped it open. She tugged the card free, and turned it over. On the front of it was her name in bright green letters over dark green construction paper. Underneath this were several silver and gold stars, and a glittery golden heart that read "to the greatest sister alive" in silver gel ink.

She opened the card to find what looked like parchment paper glued inside, with Bobby's distinct slightly messy handwriting across it. At the very top, in big bold letters and underlined were the words "A Birthday Poem". Curious, she began to read.

To Shannon, my sister, I love you the best.

No one else can compare, you're above all the rest.

I'm happiest when you're right here by my side.

When you went into hiding, I broke down and cried.

I looked for a present that was as cool as you,

But that's a pretty impossible thing to do.

You're funny and smart, and charming and witty,

And each year that goes on, you get even more pretty.

I'm not the best poet, but I'm trying anyway,

Because you deserve something special on your 12th birthday.

Hope the next year is full of good times and fun,

I've run out of rhymes, so this poem is done.

Love, Bobby.

Bobby watched Shannon close her birthday card with bated breath. He was nervous as all hell, and couldn't decide if he wanted the ground to eat him or a clown to attack him. Either of those not-too-nice options would have been better than the tense silence.

Finally, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She wiped them away before they could fall, stood up, and lunged for her brother, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Bobby that was so sweet! I didn't know you thought about me like that. I love you so much, big brother! That was the best birthday card ever! Even if your poetry skills are kinda…well, let's just say I think I could write a more grown-up poem!"

Everyone had a chuckle at this, but Bobby didn't care. He was too relieved that she had liked it to care about what anyone else thought at this moment in time.

Despite stressing up until the last moment, Bobby had pulled it off and found something perfect for his little sister. And it was all thanks to Courtney.

As Shannon began to gather up all her new things to put away, and the others went back to dancing or snacking, Bobby noticed that Courtney wasn't in the room anymore.

"She's in the kitchen, Bobby. Go get her." Chase urged, giving him a hearty wink as she nudged him in the side and gave him a slight push in that direction.

He gave her a look of slight confusion, wondering how she had known. She merely grinned. "I know you, Bobby. I knew full well what was on your mind earlier. So go and make yourself happy – it would be the best final gift Shannon could ask for."

Bobby blushed lightly, grumbling as he walked off to the kitchen. Was he really that easy to read? He would have to work on keeping his emotions off his sleeve eventually.

But he would have time to do that later. For now, it was time to gather up his courage and finally make his move. It was time to ask Courtney Chetwynde to be his girlfriend.

"Hey Courtney, can we talk?"

Courtney turned at the sound of Bobby's voice, setting down the plate she had been holding. Her cheesy-pepperoni deliciousness could wait.

"Yeah, sure. What's wrong? Everything went perfect, didn't it?"

He cleared his throat. "Um…yeah. Everything went great. But it was missing something, and it's my fault. I forgot the most important thing I needed here."

Confused, she reached a hand out for his shoulder. "What were you missing?"

Bobby looked straight into her eyes, and without missing a beat, whispered "You.".

The silence in the air filled up around them, blocking out the rest of the world. Wide-eyed, Courtney stared straight at him and tried to process what he had said.

"What do you mean?" she managed to ask after a moment.

He licked his lips. It was now or never. "Chase told me that little sisters wish for their older siblings to be happy. And the one thing that would make me the most happy is you. I should have said something ages ago, but I was scared. And…well…I'm not scared anymore. I don't want to be without you anymore. So will you be my girlfriend?"

Courtney's eyes were brighter than Bobby could ever remember seeing them as a smile spread across her face. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips to his.

As he held her tight and kissed back, Bobby decided to take that as a "yes".

"Thanks for the ten bucks, babe! It's going to good use, I swear. That brand new copy of Fire Emblem is mine for the taking!" Chase did a little victory dance as Spader grunted.

"How the heck did you even know this would happen?!" he demanded. She didn't give as answer, merely grinned even more. It was then he noticed how dark her eyes were. "Wait a minute…you had a vision about this, didn't you!? That's cheating!"

Chase just laughed. "Hey – when it comes to a bet, all's fair in love and war!" And no matter how much Spader would whine about losing his money, it was totally worth it.

THE END