This is the sequel to my story 'Wanna Bet?' I will have a date set for when each chapter takes place, and I'm hoping that this fic will end up MUCH longer than my previous one. I feel like a horrible person... this first chapter is so short, but I REALLY hope you all enjoy the read.

December 4th 2004

TJ found himself frozen in place, thinking over what just happened. Vince had kissed the love of his life, then she punched Vince and ran away. TJ watched as Joey ran after her.

"Wait, Ash!" he called out.

He wanted to move, he really did. But something was holding him there. Why am I not following her? he thought to himself. He stood there for at another fifteen minutes, before Gretchen broke the uneasy silence surrounding them.

"You stupid idiot, chase after her!" TJ looked up from the ground to see Gretchen glaring at him.

"What?" he asked her.

"You heard me! You seem to be the only person other than Joey that can get through to her when she's like this! Go!" she yelled.

TJ nodded and took off in the direction of the Spinelli household, leaving Gretchen and Vince behind. TJ pulled out his cell phone, and dialed Spinelli's number.

"Come on, pick up, pick up."

"Leave me alone!" Spinelli screamed on the other side of the phone.

TJ stopped dead in his tracks. "Spinelli, what's wrong?" he asked.

He heard her crying. "Spin-"

"Shut the fuck up! You don't know what it's like! You don't have a fucking clue! Just leave me alone!" she screamed out between sobs.

"Spinelli, calm down. What's wrong?"

"Fuck you, Detweiler!" After her last scream, the line went dead.

TJ shoved the phone back into his pocket, and continued to Spinelli's house.

~At the Spinelli house~

Spinelli put her phone back in her pocket. When she looked back out the window, she jumped. There was a person who seemed to be staring at her. She couldn't tell, because he or she was wearing a black sweater with the hood hiding their face. The person pointed to her with a gun, before running down the street. Once the person was out of sight, Spinelli brought her phone back out and called 911. Within minutes, an ambulance and three police cars had arrived. Seconds later, Mr. and Mrs. Spinelli pulled into the driveway. Spinelli had run out of her room, and down to her parents.

"Excuse me officer, but could you please tell me what is going on?" Mrs. Spinelli asked.

Almost immediately, her daughter ran up and hugged her. "Mom, Joey got shot," she cried.

Mrs. Spinelli dropped to her knees, crying. The youngest Spinelli chose now to go back up to her room, and she locked the door. She watched out the window as paramedics lifted a gurney into the back of the ambulance. The gurney held the body of Joey Spinelli. He wasn't dead, no. In fact, the bullet went right through his let shoulder. According to paramedics, he would be fine once the wound was cleaned and stitched up. Spinelli's window was open a crack, so she heard the conversation the medic had with her father. She sighed in relief, but was still on edge.

Spinelli numbly walked back to her parents, just as an officer had entered the Spinelli home. He had informed the three remaining Spinelli's, that 'Ashley' needed to be put into the witness relocation program, until the shooter was caught. In order for that to happen, she needed to disappear or fake her own death. However they chose to do it, was entirely up to them. Her family had decided that it was best for this to happen as soon as possible, so that she would be safe. A few arguments, a broken vase, a smashed window, and an unhinged door later, the family had agreed with Spinelli. She was to disappear after Christmas, on new years day to be precise.

And Spinelli wasn't happy.

Who knew where she would end up? Who would she end up staying with? God knows she doesn't have any family in America. Not to her knowledge at least. Sure a cousin came to visit from Italy, but that was it. Spinelli retreated to her room. What would she need to pack? What would she leave behind? She grabbed her black suitcase, and tossed it onto her bed. She unzipped it, but didn't do anything after. Could she do this? How long would she be gone? Questions flooded her mind as she sat on her bed, beside the suitcase.

"Can I really do this? I don't want to leave without TJ." Sure, he had flaws, what person didn't? But Spinelli had overlooked those flaws. To her he was kind. To her he was strong. To her, he was the most amazing person in the world. To her, he was perfect. She knew she had a crush on him but just now, it fell from the sky and hit her like a ton of bricks. She didn't have a crush on him anymore. Somehow, Ashley Funicello Spinelli had turned soft, and had fallen in love with Theodore Jasper Detweiler.

Tears streaked down her face as she slid off her bed, and onto the floor. She was certain that she couldn't do this.

But she had to. She had to leave. If she didn't, the shooter might come back for her.

"Spinelli!" Said girl lifted her head to face her bedroom door. There stood TJ Detweiler, panting for air.

"Spinelli, what happened?" he asked her.

Spinelli sighed before wiping newly formed tears. "Joey got shot," she whispered.

An uneasy silence passed between the two. TJ just watched as Spinelli fixed her gaze on the floor. A minute passed, and neither of them moved. Another minute had passed.

"Is he okay?" TJ had asked. The only reply he got was a nod. "Are you okay?" he questioned.

"For now." Spinelli looked up at him with a sad smile. "Let's not talk about depressing things. Are you still going with Ashley A to the Christmas party?"

TJ shook his head. "Her dad took her on one of his business trips."

"Oh."

"Are your parents still going to Italy?"

Spinelli mimicked TJ's action, and also shook her head. "With what just happened, they don't want to," she grinned slightly as she continued, "but I'm forcing them to anyway."

TJ scratched his head before asking, "why are you forcing them to go if they don't want to?"

Another uneasy silence passed between them.

Spinelli sighed and stood up. She walked over to TJ and pulled him into her room, closing the door behind her. She leaned against the door. "I want to spend Christmas alone with you..." her face immediately reddened once she heard her own words. "And the guys," she added. "This will be the first year that my parents trust me enough. I want to make it special for everyone," she replied.

Her face reddened more as she walked closer to TJ, and wrapped her arms around his torso. She whispered, "you never know what could happen. This could be our last Christmas together."

A/N: Okay, not the best to start with. I will get things going pretty good within the next few chapters... I hope :/ Please review and let me know what you think of it so far! (But I don't take to kindly to flames, so please keep hurtful comments to yourselves.)