Micaiah, Laura, a very drunk Mia, and Noelle were all in the middle of a poker game. It seemed odd that four girls were playing poker but this was very entertaining to everyone else in Edward's house right now.

"Micaiah, I love you dearly but you suck at this. NOLAN! Drink some more with me!" Sothe said a little sloshy as he hit Nolan in the back. It was true Micaiah had lost every single hand she had played. Mia, despite her uncontrollable laughter and poor reasoning skills was doing the best. Sothe handed something over to Nolan that he had lovingly made in the kitchen.

"Okay, let's do something." Sothe said putting his arm over Nolan's shoulders. "Look at the way Mia and Noelle hold their cards…they've played poker before. Now, look at the way my beautiful wife and Laura hold their cards…they obviously don't know what they're doing. Hey! Nolan! You want to bet on something?" Sothe asked, naturally his face was full of pure diabolicalness right now.

"Always. What are we betting on?" Nolan asked. Sothe leaned over and whispered something to Nolan.

"Oh my god Sothe! Leonardo is going to kill you! I mean, he's totally suave ninety-right percent of the time but in that other two percent he's going to go crazy on you! But yes, I am totally in on that bet. In fact, I will raise my glass to you on that one." Nolan said clanging his glass into Sothe's. Nolan threw forty pieces of gold on the table beside them.

"Perfect!" Sothe said. "By the way, where is Leonardo right now?"

"Well, Edward was stupid enough to spill something all over himself so Leonardo's helping out there since Edward didn't even have a clue that he had done something." Nolan said.

"It's nearly midnight, he better get the job done or they will both miss the fireworks." Sothe said.

"You know, I have to say…it's really nice that Leonardo is there for him ALL the time. If you spilled something all over you. I would make Micaiah deal with you. You are a great friend and all, but I'm turning you over to Micaiah if that happens." Nolan said. The time right now was 11:38. There wasn't much time left until midnight was upon Nevassa.

"Where did you learn to play poker?" Laura asked Noelle. Noelle laughed.

"It's an odd story but a good one. When I was 17 my father started taking me with him to poker night at the Bern Street Tavern. The first few trips with him I just watched the men play but when I started getting in on the games my father told me I could keep anything I won. I learned a lot about life around that poker table." Noelle told her.

"Whoa, I've never done anything like that with my dad." Laura said smiling.

"It was a good group that my dad played with. They were honest, hard-working men who would have never hurt a fly. I guess I was lucky enough to have five fathers instead of one." Noelle told her.

Edward and Leonardo had returned to the living room. "Here Mia, he's clean." Leonardo said shoving Edward into her. Mia just laughed like crazy. It was now 11:43. There were a little over fifteen minutes left before the start of a new year.

"Nolan, the way I see it. This year is going to be our year!" Sothe said. He had no idea what he was talking about.

"Sothe…your year was last year…how many times do I have to remind you that you're MARRIED! And to the woman you've been in love with since…as long as I can possibly remember." Nolan said.

"Damn…I did have MY year last year didn't I?" Sothe said disappointed. "I'm like…the one you come to for advice now aren't I?" Sothe asked. Nolan laughed at him.

"Ooooh my god Sothe! You will so not be that person for at least another five years. I am still the holder of that title. You want to hit the bars with me tonight?" Nolan asked.

"Are you serious? You're going to go?" Sothe wondered.

"Maybe…hell I don't know. I might just sit here and see what happens to Edward if you don't go with me." Nolan said.

"I can't go with you! Micaiah would kill me! And frankly I don't blame her! You and I will stay right here…where did I get this popcorn?" Sothe asked.

"You took that from your wife after kissing her in a most passionate manner. I wouldn't know what that's like." Nolan said.

"Don't you get all mopey on me! Nolan! Don't give me that crap! You snap out of that attitude right now!" Sothe told him. The poker game had now ended after poor Micaiah had lost her twenty-seventh hand that night. It was appropriate enough, Edward had wandered into his own kitchen and couldn't wait to show Mia what he thought was the funniest thing EVER.

"Mia! Come here!" Edward said smiling like crazy trying to hide his laughter. Mia was so excited as she rushed toward the kitchen to see what Edward was hiding.

"LOOK!" Edward said wide eyed thrusting a pineapple into Mia's face. Mia, like Edward thought this pineapple was hilarious. Leonardo was standing behind where Noelle was sitting.

"Oh my god…they were positively meant for each other. They've entered the laughing at fruit phase." Leonardo said resting his head on top of Noelle's Her hair smelled nice. Without even thinking, his lips touched her head. It wasn't really a kiss but it could have been. It had potential but it didn't quite make it. It was unusual, Edward was well lit and Leonardo wasn't even halfway there. He wanted it that way even though last year he was just as bad as Edward if not worse. Leonardo had plans and he was going to be stone sober when those plans were carried out. The time was now 11:52. It was time. Leonardo leaned over Noelle's shoulder.

"Hey, do you want to go to the end of Edward's street to see the fireworks? There's a great view at the end of the street." Leonardo asked her. There was only one way to get her alone and away from everyone else in Edward's house. This was it…midnight wasn't far away.

"Yeah, yeah sure. Let me find my coat." Noelle said standing up. Everyone else would be watching tonight from Edward's back porch. Leonardo put his coat on while Noelle got hers out of the closet.

"Where the hell are you going?" Wait…you don't have to tell me…but let me tell you something…" Leonardo cut Sothe off.

"How drunk is he?" He asked Nolan.

"Man, we are both drunk enough to look you in the eye and tell you that we think your girlfriend is damn fine!" Nolan said. Leonardo didn't have a chance to respond to that one.

"Alright, so I was saying…what was I saying?" Sothe asked Nolan. "Wait! Now I remember. Okay, okay…don't do anything I wouldn't do…but if you do…always tell your friends everything in great detail." Sothe said. Leonardo tried to smile through gritted teeth.

"Sothe, if I didn't know you were smashed right now and that this is the way you are when you're smashed…and I mean this in the nicest way…but I would hold that against you for a really long time."

"You're so understanding, man! I knew I was friends with you for a reason!" Sothe said standing up and throwing his arms around Leoanrdo.

"Okay, sorry. Mia fell on me in the closet, then Edward closed the closet and well anyway, now I'm here." Noelle explained.

"Oooh that could have been hot." Nolan whispered to Sothe.

"Could have been hot, man." Sothe agreed with him in the same hushed tone.

"We'll be back." Leonardo said taking Noelle by the hand and heading out the door.

Once outside, Leonardo wrapped Noelle in his arm. "We're just going to the intersection. It isn't far and we'll have a great view." Leonardo said. He could feel his heart racing a bit. Leonardo looked at his watch: 11:57. Three minutes until he made the move he had longed to make since the day he took Noelle to the winter dinner.

"I'm…I'm not going to lie…I'm so happy being with you tonight." Noelle said. It was true that she had spent the last four New Year's Eves alone. After her father had his stroke…she didn't really feel like she had him with her anymore. So the past four years she had spent it alone, on the second floor balcony of her house watching the fireworks and drinking all the wine she could handle. She remembered how painful and overwhelming the previous year was, how life had somehow got the best of her and she spent midnight on her balcony in the cold with a bottle of wine in one hand and her tears falling like the embers of the fireworks display. My, was this year different.

"I wouldn't want you anywhere else tonight. You um…you don't deserve to ever spend a New Year's Eve alone…or a Monday, or Tuesday…or….Wednesday…or…any day." Leonardo told her. It took a lot for him to say something like that.

"Have you been okay with being with my friends all New Year's Eve? I never really thought of that. We need to do something with your friends sometime." Leonardo said. Noelle's face sunk a little.

"Leonardo, I…I don't…I don't really have friends. My two best friends were killed in civilian cross fire in the war. I guess there is Johann and Wesley from the tavern…but they are more like brothers…not friends. And it's not like you can just…oh it's not important anymore. Me and Mia have gotten quite close in the time we've known each other. I like that." Noelle explained. That was almost enough to break Leonardo's heart to think that someone like Noelle had been alone in her life for so long.

"Noelle, my friends are your friends…even though Edward was laughing at a pineapple when we left…everyone in his house would do anything for anyone with a good heart." Leonardo reassured her.

"That's actually very comforting to know." Noelle said

It was 11:58, almost there. Leonardo could feel her tighten her arm around him. It was amazing that they had come this far when only three weeks earlier Leonardo was a nervous wreck over the winter dinner. It was all out in the open now, how much Leonardo adored her and how much Noelle had secretly been attracted to him. She wanted to melt every time Leonardo touched her. The streets were alive tonight more so than usual. There was a party going on of some sort in every house on the block tonight. The air was filled with the scent of smoke that was bellowing out of all the chimneys tonight.

11:59, they had arrived at the intersection of Edward's street. "Okay, here we are. You know, last year we were all stupid enough to get on Edward's roof and watch the fireworks from there. Looking back, that was probably not a good idea but the view was amazing. What did you do last year?" Leonardo asked holding her against him. She returned his embrace more than willingly. She smiled as she thought about last year. "Oh, it was…well I'll be truthful last year was…sad. But that…that was last year, it's in the past now." She was shaking in his arms but it was more from excitement than cold. Noelle put her head on his shoulder. Leonardo could feel her breath on his neck. Amazingly, that didn't make him nearly as nervous as the anticipation of midnight. He buried his hand in soft black hair. It was smooth, silky, and absolutely perfect.

"Noelle…nothing and no one should ever, ever make you sad." Leonardo said. Noelle didn't have a chance to respond. 12:00. The first of the fireworks exploded exactly on time over the central clock tower. The boom made them both flinch even though they were expecting it.

"Happy New Year…Noelle." Leonardo's voice was serious as he cut right through her with tender blue eyes.

"Happy New Year." Her voice was soft and deliberate. This was it, 12:01 would be too late. It was still 12:00 but not for much longer. Noelle could feel Leonardo's arms around her shoulders, which forced her to lean in closer to him, so close in fact that now Leonardo could feel her breath on his lips. She didn't take her eyes off him. One was just as frozen as the other right now. There were fifteen seconds left until that minute hand changed on the central clock tower. Noelle carefully, gently drug her fingertips over Leonardo's cheek. And then…in that moment…his lips met hers. There were no words to describe this moment. This was the plan, and it had been executed beautifully. Noelle held on to him tighter. She hoped he would never let her go. It was much more than a short-lived New Year's kiss. It was intense, divine and passionate. It had been the best New Year ever.