The Lady Jane: Thanks so much for your review. I love a Midsummer's Night Dream (actually my nickname happens to be Puck, but I chose the title for other reasons, too)

Nan placed a cold compress across Elise's brow.

"Do ya remember last night?" she asking leaning over the young one.

"Yes," she groaned.

"Where have you been? Are you drunk? And where are your shoes?" Elise's father shouted as she entered the apartment. "It is three in the morning, do you know how worried I was, now tell me where you were!"

Elise pressed her hand to her forehead, his booming voice hurting her head, "Please father, may I go to sleep, I'm tired," she pleaded.

"Where you with this boy?" He asked, holding up her drawing of Spot.

"What? No, I don't even know him," she fibbed, "I was with Joaquin, he's home from school and wanted to surprise me," she lied some more.

Her father huffed, "You are not to leave this house with out my explicitly expressed permission. Now go to bed."

"I remember last night just fine," she mumbled.

"Then you know y'er not going anywhere, anytime soon," Nan almost scolded her.

"I know," she groaned hating her punishment. Elise lived for adventuring; even on the very short leash that her father and Nan kept, but now she didn't even have that.

"Maybe yew can get practicing on drawing dresses like Mistah Harris wants."

The girl just groaned in response.

Elise hurried up the staircase to her bedroom. Once inside she went to her desk and scribbled out a quick note. She folded it up and wrote a name and address upon the out side and rushed to the window. Sliding open the frame, Elise stuck her head outside and hissed Spot's name.

He was on the fire escape as she expected, she had told him to leave at the door, but was sure he'd have stuck around.

"Miss me already?" he smirked approaching her.

"Listen, I'm in big, big trouble," She whispered quickly, "If you don't want to end up in the refuge, then you need to take this note to Joaquin Kennedy, the address is written on it."

"Ok," he said taking the paper and turning around.

"Wait," she called quietly, "No kiss?"

He turned around, smirking and pecked her on the lips.

Nan brought Elise her lunch in bed. Though she swore she was fine, her nanny insisted.

"Joaquin Kennedy's here."
"He can come in," she mumbled, dipping her spoon into her soup.

The door creaked as Nan left and her friend came in. Joaquin climbed into the bed next to her, wrapping one arm around her shoulder. She rested her head on him, comfortable and content.

"What'd you do?" he asked quietly.

"I went out with this guy last night. He was really sweet, but I got caught."

"Was he worth getting caught?" he questioned.

She didn't anything at first, just looked at him, smiling, "Yes."

"What do you want me to tell your dad?"

Apparently Joaquin did very good job talking to Elise's father because she was allowed out again, and she could go out alone if she was with Joaquin.

"So, how's college?" she asked, sipping on a cola at the diner.

"It's great, I really enjoy my classes and professors," he replied.

"And have you met anyone special?"

"Uh, kind of I think, I mean, I enjoy their company," he blushed.

"What does she look like?"

"Well, actually, it's not so much a she, but a, uh, he," Joaquin commented, unable to look directly at her.

After a pause of silence, Elise commented, "I guess you need this fake relationship as much as I do."

It was climbing close to two weeks since Elise had seen Spot. She had taken to checking her fire escape every night in hopes he would be there.

"Spot?" She asked the night. A shadow moved at the end of the escape, she assumed it was a cat until he stepped into the light.

"Is everyone asleep?" He asked.

The smile that engulfed her face made it hard to talk, but she nodded and stepped aside to let him in. He climbed through the window, careful that his cane wouldn't knock over her lamp. She stood in her dressing gown, with her hair in a simple braid, watching him. He studied the bedroom, taking in the ornate duvet, and the large mirror.

"This place is a palace," he commented finally looking at her. He smirked, breathing deeply and stepping closer.

Elise thought to the last time that she saw his face. The memories were fogged, but her feelings were clear. She wanted to kiss him again, she wanted her stomach to flip, but she was nervous. The liquid courage had earned it's title that night.

Spot sat in the chair at her vanity, "So who's Walky?" he asked.

"Who?"

"Your friend who I gave the note to, you said his name was Walky," he elaborated.

Elise smiled shyly, "His name is pronounced, 'Wa-keen'," she corrected, "His mother is from Havana."

"So who is he?"

"He's a friend who owed me a favor," she explained sitting on the trunk at the foot of her bed, "So I asked him to tell my father that he had taken me out the other night. He's back at Yale now, though."

Spot cocked an eyebrow, "So you're with him?"

"As far as my father knows," she smiled at her guest, leaning forward.

Spot leaned forward, too, closing the gap and enjoying her lips. Elise noted that her stomach only hiccoughed this time, maybe she was getting used to him. She tried to deepen the kiss, elevating her feelings as she heard the click of heals in the hall. Elise broke away, forcing Spot to the window.

"You need to go, now," she hissed.

"What? Why?" he asked, resisting her grasp.

"You don't understand Spot. If my father catches you, you'll end up in the refuge."

"What?" he was still confused.

"My name is Snyder, Elise Snyder." Realization dawned on his face as he connected the dots.

"You're Snyder's daughter?" He asked from outside the window frame.

"Step-daughter, but you need to leave, now!" She closed the pane and pulled the curtains, turning around.

She answered the knock on her door.

"Where you talking to someone?" The warden asked.

"Just a stray cat outside my window. It was an adorable tabby," she responded looking down.

"It's late, you should be asleep."