OK just to let you guys know, this will be the last chapter i upload for about two months. this is mainly because exam seasons here and i've got to sit GCSE's. however i might not upload any more chapters after this if i don't get any more reviews. so please please please review. i'd love to know if any of you think this is worth me continuing.

Kate

Disclaimer: i still don't own Dirty Dancing, except for the DVD copy sitting on my shelf. LOL

Chapter 4

In the main house I could see things starting to get underway. All the college boys were busy serving breakfast to the guests that were up yet. Breakfast ran late here at Kellerman's. they stopped serving at nine-thirty to get ready for lunch. Baby. That was her name. She had my Baby's eyes and name. And now I was attempting to put her in the same position. Dancing, with only four days practice at the Sheldrake Hotel. I don't know why, but I believe that she can do it. Johnny's furious at me, but things will work out. I walk over to the staff area and see Penny already sitting there with her breakfast. I take a meal off the counter and go to sit opposite her. She seems relieved to see me.

'Hey, Pen. Mike working already?'

'Yeah, you know he's gotta sort out all the lighting and that up at the gazebo for the dancing tonight.' Mike had taken Billy's job after he left eleven years ago to get married to one of the pretty young dancers. They now lived in New Jersey and had three kids.

'So,' Penny asked, in between mouthfuls, 'how's rehearsals going for Friday?' Penny knew how important the gig at the Sheldrake was. I knew I couldn't hide the truth from her.

'Not good. Melissa fractured her ankle in rehearsals this morning, she's not gonna be able to dance.'

'What are we gonna do? There's no-one to fill in for her. This is just like…' Penny stopped. She never mentioned that summer. I think she knew how much it hurt me to remember. She'd seen me change over that summer. From the tough guy from the streets to the guy I am now, older, wiser and less likely to use violence. Baby did that to me.

'Yeah it is. And I'm gonna try the same thing as I did back then. Johnny had the same reaction as I did too.' I laughed. The similarities were striking.

We finished at nine and I had to rush to make my first lesson of the day. My student was one of the bungalow bunnies. God how I hate them. How their husbands put up with them I don't know. They'll sleep with anything with two legs. Mainly the college boys, the dancers have better taste.

Two hours later and I'm saying goodbye to the elderly couple I've been teaching the foxtrot. Johnny's coming in having just finished teaching his lesson. He looks impatient to get started. It's only two minutes to eleven and he's pacing up and down the studio, while I stand by the record player trying to find the right record.

Just before eleven Baby rushes through the door, out of breath as if she'd just ran the whole way. 'Sorry, I couldn't get away.'

'Don't worry, you're right on time.' she looked so relieved that I wanted to laugh. 'Let's get on with it shall we?'

An hour later and she seemed to have a grasp of the basic steps, but we needed to work on her timing. I decided to step in and take control, 'You don't mind working through lunch do you?'

'No. I need all the practice I can get.'

'OK then. Well you seem to be getting the steps, but the steps aren't enough. You need to feel the music. Now this dance it's not on the one, it's not the mambo. It's a feeling, a heartbeat. Now close your eyes. And two three four, two three four, open your eyes, good. Now try and do that with Johnny.'

Johnny stepped up and they started to do the steps again, with the music. There was so much more rhythm this time and it was starting to look good. Whoever this Baby was she had a natural rhythm and was a fast learner, just like another Baby I used to know.

We decided to spend tomorrow working on the lifts so we told Baby to meet us at the studio at seven a.m. to go down to the lake. She seemed so eager to help us out, even though the only thing she got out of it were dance lessons. I couldn't help but remember Baby. Was this girl connected to my Baby. I have other things to think about right now. Like how I am going to get this girl ready to perform at the Sheldrake in the next three days.

That evening we went to the staff hall where the usual 'dirty' dancing was getting underway. I mainly sat at the side. I didn't really enjoy getting up there anymore and dancing. Too many memories. I know I should leave the past where it belongs but I can't help it. 'Do you love me?' was blaring out of the speakers. I sat there reminiscing. That was the first time I saw Baby.

Hey cuz. What's she doing here?

She's came here with me, she's with me.

I carried a watermelon.

I laughed at the memory. Oh Baby. Why did you have to leave me like that? Penny wanted to dance but neither me nor Mike wanted her to be dancing. She was almost nine months pregnant and the baby was due this week.

I remembered the last time Penny was pregnant. That was why I taught Baby to dance. Penny wanted an abortion and the only time she could get was Thursday afternoon and that was the night we had our performance at the Sheldrake. Baby stepped in to take Penny's place and the rest as they say is history.

The next morning I woke up bright and early. The weak morning sun was shining through the window. I looked out. The sky was cloudless. The promise of a perfect day. I looked at the clock and realised that it was only six a.m. I had an hour before I had to meet Johnny and Baby at the dance studio. I have a shower and get dressed for the day. It's still only ten past so I decide to start looking at the details for the final show. The show is in two weeks and already preparations have begun. Neil hates me but to save himself the trouble he always leaves the preparations to me, although he insists on checking everything two nights before so he can change anything he doesn't like. I look at the number of guests that have paid to stay until the final show. I'm surprised to see the Houseman's name on that list. They haven't attended a final show since… well you know that already.

I spend about half an hour on that and decide it's time I made my way over to the dance studio. I have to sort out all the music for the day. I get there and I've almost got all the songs I want and realise I've left a couple of them in my cabin. I hate it when that happens.

On my way back to my cabin, I knock on Johnny's door to see if he's almost ready. When he answers the door, I realise I've just woken him up. He's wearing nothing but his underwear, his hairs tussled and he's bleary eyed. I sigh. 'Get ready and up to the dance studio as quick as you can Johnny.'

I reach my cabin at ten to seven and start looking for the records I want. Twenty minutes later I have all but one. I look all through my pile and then at the pile in the record player. What are the chances. It's in the bottom of the record player. I find the sleeve for it and pick up the other records I need.

I decide to see if Johnny's ready yet but as I reach the door I can hear the shower running. God, what takes this guy so long?

I go to the back studio. There are three dance studios in this building. One on the left, one on the right and one at the back. The one at the back is the biggest and since it's available right now I want to take advantage of the extra room. It is a large room and the first wall is covered in mirrors. The opposite wall is made of glass and you can see down to the lake from it. The other two walls are plain.

The one on the left is the one we normally use. It is smaller than this one and actually the smallest of the three. It to has the mirrored wall and windows along one wall, again with a record player in the corner and plain painted walls. The third one is my favourite. It has the same features as the other two but instead of plain walls they are covered in photographs. Some of them are bigger than others. The biggest one is of me and Baby doing 'the final dance.' It shows the moment when Baby finally trusted me enough to let me lift her high into the air above my head.

By this point I'd finished loading the record player and was looking at the clock. It was ten past seven. I expected Johnny to be late but Baby had always been on time. Hang on, I hadn't told her that we were moving studios. She's probably gone into the usual one. Nope not there. I should check in the other one just to be on the safe side. Yep, there she is, looking at all the photo's, one in particular.