Author's Notes This chapter references a scene from Total Eclipse Of The Heart from Season 5 but is actually set during the end of the school year in Season 4. I'm gonna make random references to that episode because it's my favourite one, even though it doesn't fit with the timeline.

Chapter 1: Allison Gets Smacked In The Face With Drama…TWICE!

Shades on and lips pursed, Allison Davis was in a taxi, on her way home from the train station. She hadn't been home for the better part of a year and she was nervous. She was afraid of running into people, especially one Dylan Michalchuk. She could still feel the sting from last year's emotional goodbye and she wasn't sure she could handle facing him. She felt something was weird when her father called her and insisted that she come home a week back, and she wondered what was going on and why he had insisted upon her return.

Finally the taxi came to a stop in front of the Davis residence. Allison stepped out, grabbed her duffel bag and paid the driver before walking up the front steps. She walked slowly towards the front door and sighed. Home sweet home. She pulled out a key and unlocked the front door. Before she entered the house, she glanced across the street at the Michalchuk house. Shaking her head and changing her mind about checking in on Dylan, the dirty blonde girl stepped into her childhood home. She noticed a blinking light on the answering machine on the table by the stairs and she hit the play button.

"Hey, Sweetpea, I'm sorry I wasn't able to pick you up from the station. Work's been brutal, but I want you to be ready to go out tonight. I have a surprise for you at dinner. Be ready by 6. Love you."

When it beeped to signal the end of the message, Alli exhaled sharply as she went upstairs to get settled. It was going to be a long day.

Reeling from the confrontation that had just ensued with Marco, Dylan was sulking in the living room, channel surfing, when he noticed something outside his window. His eyes drifted to the house across the street, a house had barely paid any attention to since his return from Montreal. He noticed that there was some activity there; a girl was in the living room. He thought of only one person it could be. That was the last thing he needed after a failed attempt to get Marco back: drama on the ex-best friend front. He was really worked up and was ready to go confront Allison but he figured it wasn't a good idea, especially when he was only wearing boxers.

"Hey, Dyl, you know the best way to get rid of a pest is to kill it," came the familiar snarky tone of voice of his younger sister Paige, "Nothing's gonna happen if you just sit there."

Dylan looked over his shoulder to find Paige standing there. "Hey, didn't see you come in," he greeted her absentmindedly as he turned back to the window, this time not looking at anything in particular.

"You just got home and already you're moping! You can't mope. I should mope – I still have a month of school left!" Paige went on, "Let's go to the Dot and grab a bite to eat or something and then go shopping."

Dylan glared at Paige for a moment before getting off the couch and heading upstairs to get changed – he figured Allison would notice no one was home and that would be that and he wouldn't have to see her.

After taking the bus (public transit wasn't the worst thing in the world), Alli decided to go to the mall to shop for a new outfit. She needed something nice to wear for dinner and she had a few bucks to kill. Mind you, it sounded like more than just a typical father-daughter date but she figured it was still just the two of them. It wasn't like she had to dress up for her dad, but she wanted to. It had been a month or so since their last father-daughter date and she missed him loads.

"Hmmm, well if it isn't The Loser Who Abandoned Her Best Friend," came a snide comment from behind Allison a couple of hours into her shopping trip.

Allison turned around to find Paige Michalchuk standing there with a shopping bag in each hand. "Hello, Paige," she replied coolly, "How are you?"

"I'm doing very well, thank you. How are you?"

"Oh I've been okay, not sure why you care." Allison pursed her lips and maintained a very serious expression.

"Oh, I don't - but maybe the best friend you ditched might care. What brings you back?"

Rolling her eyes, Alli asked, "What is your point in this?"

"I don't know yet, but I'm sure I can make you pay for hurting my brother somehow. Just wait."

"Well, I hate to btch and run, but I have to get this outfit home - I have a dinner date to get to."

Without waiting for Paige's response, Allison walked away.

The doorbell interrupted Tommy's thoughts he stopped unpacking things in his kitchen. He had to wonder who was going to visit him at 3 in the afternoon unannounced. He didn't know anyone from around the area and Justin was supposed to be in the city. As he opened the door to find the young man in blue in front of him, he was surprised.

"Justin! What are you doing here?"

The brown-eyed kid looked at his friend with a certain subtle alarm in his eyes. "Tommy, I'm nervous, man!"

Tommy let Justin in and replied, "Nervous? About what?"

Justin followed Tommy to the kitchen and explained his situation. "You know Cassie's asked me to tag along to this dinner thing to meet her fiancé's daughter, right?" As Tommy nodded, he went on. "I've just never really been good with girls, man!"

Tommy chuckled as he spoke. "And you drove an hour out of the city just to come here and tell me that?" When Justin shot him a frustrated glare, he got serious and added, "Buddy, it's gonna be fine – just be yourself."

Justin rolled his eyes. "Thanks a lot man – I drove an hour for THAT???" A sigh escaped his lips and he went on, "I've just never really had a chance to talk to girls my age."

"Look, just sit down in the living room and I'll try to come up with something helpful."

Justin went off to the living room while Tommy finished unpacking some dishes. Boy would he be laughed at once Justin heard what he had to say. It would be worth it though, to reassure his young friend. It's not like he had any useful advice to give.

"I can't believe you did that, Dad!"

Allison slammed the car door angrily behind her and stormed towards the house.

"Allison Nicole Davis, stop just one second!" Spencer caught up to his daughter on the front porch and added, "Would you please stop?"

After unlocking the door with her key, Alli went as she stormed into the house. "When were you going to tell me you were going to get married???" She kicked her shoes off and went straight for the living room.

As he sat down next to his daughter, Spencer started to speak. "Allison…Sweetpea…"

"Don't Sweetpea me! Just tell me the truth," Alli snapped, interrupting her father.

"You said you needed to be free – I thought you would be old enough to understand that I might be feeling the same way."

After a pause, Alli spoke up with a bit of a cold whisper. "You already had Mom…what were you thinking, going after someone else?"

"I don't expect you to understand, Alli, but I want you to hear me out. Life is short, and not everyone gets a second chance for anything but especially a second chance at love and happiness. It's like your mother knew I needed someone and sent me Cassie."

"You were looking for an assistant." Allison was still in denial and the wedding was a week away. "Some of us still haven't moved on. How could you?"

Shaking her head, Allison went up to her room. She needed to be alone.