AN: It's been a quick trip, but Susie and I are glad you joined us for this little writing experiment. Wish us luck as we try and get an agent to get Ali and Chloe to the masses!

We do own the characters.

Chapter 23: Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End

Ben and I went to the cast party in his Land Cruiser, with Leo and Steph talking together in the back seat. Everyone was still buzzing over Mr. Rosenblum's offer when we pulled up to the restaurant Mendi's dad had rented out for the occasion.

"I just can't believe you're actually going to be a regular on the show!" Steph was practically bouncing up and down as we handed our coats to the woman at coat check. She grabbed my hands in hers and squeezed them excitedly, "I mean, really, Ali! Can you believe you were actually fantasizing about this in my living room only two months ago? Now look where we are!"

She looked out at the restaurant and my eyes followed hers. It was definitely a far more chic place than anything we'd ever seen in Middleton. The entire place was paneled with pale wood, and there were actual trees growing up from under the floor and through holes in the glass roof, where their branches only partially blocked the view of the starry sky above. A stream of water trickled over black stones lining the far wall, and long black drapes were pulled back dramatically from the far windows to reveal the moonlit Pacific Ocean beyond. People stood wall-to-wall, dressed in the kinds of expensive clothing we used to only see in magazines (and wonder who could afford!) and interspersed among them were cameramen from Mullholland Creek with their lights shining and their cameras rolling.

Even Steph looked different tonight; Chloe and Pepper had given her a makeover with even more energy than I could remember them putting into mine. From head to toe, she'd been transformed from Middleton urban rebel to high-class haute couture chic. They'd actually convinced her to dye her hair back to a solid black, with the trade off being full access to a completely Gwen Stefani-ish punk wardrobe. She'd replaced her former death warmed over look with pale powder and dramatically dark eye makeup and cherry red lipstick, and the results were phenomenal. Even the ever-mellow Leo perked up considerably when he first saw her.

"So, are you ready?" Steph asked, turning back from the restaurant and smiling at me expectantly.

"For what?"

"For your first night out in Hollywood as a Mulholland Creek regular?" Even as she said it, a cameraman a few feet away from us seemed to notice my presence and rush toward me, the bright light from his camera making me squint. As he did it, three photographers who had been mingling nearby also crowded around me.

"Ali Harvist!" They yelled. I couldn't help but start giggling. Was this really happening to me? They all started shouting questions at once:

"Miss Harvist, how do you feel about being called a country bumpkin on national television?"

"What's it like living with your biggest rival?"

"How does Mulholland High compare with your old high school in Ohio?"

"Are the rumors true that your old school was a one-room schoolhouse?"

One-room schoolhouse? Did they think I was Laura Ingalls Wilder or something? As much as I wanted to set the record straight about Hoover High, my fingers went to the copy of the folded contract Len had given me earlier which I'd shoved into my purse. What had he said to do about the press? Oh yeah.

"Thanks, but I'll have to say no comment for now." I took Steph's hand and looked behind me for Ben, who seemed to have disappeared since we came inside.

"Let's find the ladies room." I whispered to Steph.

Five no comments and six paparazzi-like pictures later, we finally made it safely into the restroom.

"Oh my God, Ali! This is crazy!" Steph locked the door behind us and leaned back against it to catch her breath. "And how cool were you with your whole 'no comment' thing! Where'd you come up with that?"

"Actually, it was the one thing Len told me that I could remember out there. He said I needed to read this," I pulled out the crumpled contract for her to see, "Before I made any comments to the press or posed for any pictures. I guess now would be the time to look it over, seeing as how there are a zillion photographers and press people out there."

"Um, Ali…is that a signed contract?" Steph's jaw had dropped open and she stared at me like I had a third arm sprouting out of my forehead.

"Well, yeah," I frowned at her, trying to figure out what had her so concerned, "I told you he wanted to sign me on as a regular."

"Yeah, you said he 'wanted to' sign you on," Steph yanked the paper out of my hand and smoothed it against the black marble countertop by the sink, "You didn't say you actually signed anything!"

"What's the difference?" I asked, a little frustrated she was taking the fun out of my first night out as a regular.

"What's the difference? Are you serious?" Steph looked up from my black scrawl across the bottom of the page. "Really, Ali, I've been here, what, three days? And in just those three days I've heard Chloe say about a hundred times how much she needed a new agent after her last one did such a terrible job with her contract for Mulholland Creek! And here you are, with a signed contract for the same show that you haven't even read?!?"

As much as I was irritated with how serious she had become, I couldn't help but realize everything she said was true. How could I have been so stupid? I felt my eyes well up with tears immediately, and I dabbed at them with a tissue so I wouldn't mess up my eye makeup.

Just then someone knocked loudly on the restroom door.

"Can you guys hurry up?" A girls voice pleaded from the other side. Steph looked from the contract, to me, to the door, then back to me again.

"Oh, hey, I didn't mean to make you cry." She transformed her scowl to a gentle smile and shook her head at the contract. "I'm sure everything's fine. I mean, really, what could be bad about it?" She forced a wider smile and even I had to laugh at it. "Right?"

"Yeah, right." I forced a smile even wider than hers and we both cracked up. The girl outside pounded on the door.

"We should go." I said.

"What are you going to do?" Steph asked.

"I'll talk to Chloe about it later," I shoved the contract back in my purse and tried to put it out of my mind, "In the meantime, I'm going to find Ben. I think we might need to spend a little more time practicing the end of the dance scene before tomorrow night." Steph laughed and linked arms with me.

I found Ben ten minutes later. Steph had gone off with Leo, who couldn't seem to take his eyes off her tonight, and Ben stood by himself, looking out the windows at the water below. He looked even cuter than normal; his black outfit looked silvery in the reflected moonlight, and his profile reminded me of the night he'd sat with me on the curb by the Quick-E Mart. How did I spend so much time with him without realizing how cute he is? Especially since it was all I thought about every time I saw him now?

"Hey Ben," I said as I walked over to stand next to him.

"Hey there," He smiled. I felt myself blushing, just because he was looking at me. "I saw you trying to escape the paparazzi," he laughed, "Welcome to your new life, huh?"

"I guess so," I looked behind us at the crowded room and didn't see any photographers nearby, but a few people back I could see the bright glow of a camera's spotlight. Ben saw where my eyes went.

"I know a place we could go," he whispered. "It's got a great view, and no cameras are allowed." He winked.

"Sounds great." I took the arm he offered me and followed him as he ducked behind one of the heavy drapes next to the windows.

"Uh, Ben, this hiding-behind-the-curtains trick doesn't even work for my cat."

"Trust me." A moment later, a cold wind blew against us. We stood outside on a metal fire escape that spanned the side of the restaurant. Ben leaned over and pulled something from beneath a fire extinguisher post. He stood back up and held out my coat.

"How did you…" My voice trailed off as Ben leaned toward me.

"I had a feeling." He slipped the coat over my arms and I buttoned it as he zipped up his own jacket, "And you should know, it wasn't exactly easy getting this from the coat check lady. I kind of had to promise her you'd give her a few autographs for her little sister."

"Really? That worked?" My stomach started fluttering as I realized it was the first time I'd been alone with Ben since we kissed. He moved closer to me to keep me warm.

"Well, sort of. A few dollars exchanged hands, too," He lifted his hand to my cheek and brushed some hairs behind my ear. I noticed his eyes suddenly looking at something behind me.

"Hey, look over there," he whispered, turning me back toward the restaurant. From where we stood, we could see in one of the side windows. Practically the entire room was visible from there.

"Look at that!" Ben let out a long, low whistle and pointed to the back corner of the restaurant.

"What do you see?" I strained to see where he was pointing. I lifted up on my toes so I could make out the two figures huddled together on a bench by the coat check. Just as they pulled apart, I realized one of them was Steph.

"Looks to me like Steph and Leo have hit it off pretty well." He laughed as I realized in shock that the two of them were making out. How did Steph move so fast? And who knew Leo even could move fast?

"I guess so, huh?" My eyes moved across the rest of the crowd, to where I could see my parents standing with Mr. and Mrs. Winterhaven and Gram-Gram. They were laughing and clinking their champagne glasses together. Mr. Winterhaven patted my dad heartily on the back and my mom seemed to beam with pride. I had a feeling they were talking about something other than the performance tonight. Maybe something was happening with the sauce business? Just then, Steven and Chloe, both with flushed and slightly guilty looks on their faces, emerged from around the corner. Mr. Winterhaven said something and Chloe immediately began clapping her hands excitedly. Steven gave my parents a huge bear hug and my mom picked up a bottle of sparkling cider from the table behind her and poured them both glasses.

"What, did Chloe and Steven get engaged or something?" Ben laughed into my ear. I backed up against him and hugged his arms where they wrapped around my stomach.

"Actually, I get the feeling my dad's going to have some good news about his business when I go inside."

"That doesn't mean you're in any rush to go back inside, does it?" He asked, letting his lips linger on my ear as he said it. I turned in his arms so our faces were only inches apart. I couldn't help but notice his product-styled hair was beginning to lose its battle with his naturally wild curls. Here and there, loose strands waved around his head in the wind. I giggled.

"What are you laughing at?"

I tried to wipe the smile off my face. "I'm sorry. Nothing. I mean, I just like how you did your hair tonight." I reached up and patted down one of the waving strands, letting my hand slide down so I could rest it on the back of his neck.

"Oh you do, huh?" He smirked. "That friend of Chloe's – what's his name? JaMarcus? He made me take a bottle of this gel stuff when he saw me coming to hang out with you while you were babysitting. I don't know, he said something about taming my 'goldy-locks.' I think he tried to pinch my butt, too."

We both started laughing.

"I can see that." I said.

"You can?" Ben asked, leaning forward to lightly kiss my cheek near my ear, "The goldy-locks part, or the pinching my butt part?"

He kissed my cheek softly again, closer to my lips. My stomach gurgled loudly. Ben stopped kissing me for a moment and moved his face back to lock eyes with mine.

"Now that reminds me." He looked suddenly serious. Oh my God, please don't let my stomach be the end of this!

"What?" I asked, my voice just as serious as his. Please, please, please. No more growling.

Glurp. My eyebrows shot up. I didn't even feel my stomach do that! Ben's eyebrows shot up, too.

"You're telling me," He said. "Look what you've done to me." His stomach gurgled loudly again. I couldn't help but start giggling.

"Hey there, Yahtzee champ! Easy on the laughs! I'm a sensitive guy!" We were both giggling now, and we leaned our faces together as we did it. We started kissing between laughs. Ben moved back suddenly.

"Uh-oh. Looks like we're about to have company." He frowned. I turned to see where he was looking and saw Leesa headed toward the door we'd just come out of with a serious look on her face. Before we even had a chance to move apart, Leesa swung open the door and peered around toward us.

"Ali!" She practically barked. I jumped. "Your family is looking for you." Leesa's eyes stopped on Ben's arms where they wrapped around me, and her lips turned down. "Not to mention, Ali, don't you think you have a bit more responsibility to mingle? You know, now that you're a regular and everything?" She said the word "regular" like it was some sort of punishment. Ben slowly unwrapped his arms from me and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Uh, thanks, Leesa." I stammered.

"Yeah, thanks, Leesa." Ben said in a mockingly grateful tone. "So kind of you to hunt us down out here." He turned to me, "After you," and waved toward the door. We squeezed past Leesa, and Ben helped me slide out of my coat.

"I'll drop these back off at coat check and meet you by your parents," He said, before bending down to kiss me on the cheek. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leesa's cheeks turn bright red. We both watched him as he walked away.

"Hmm." Leesa snorted. "You might want to be careful, there, Ali." She crossed her arms over her chest and smirked at me. "You know, getting so invested in someone who isn't on the show and all." I pushed my eyebrows together. What was that supposed to mean? She went on, "That is, unless you worked it out in your contract that you can do that. Which, I'm sure, being as experienced as you are, you must have done."

She stood up straighter, brushed back her hair and put her hands on her hips, "Anyway, see you around, Ali."

She turned and strode away, and I could hear her laughing to herself as she did. I tried not to let what she said bother me. No doubt, it was just her way of trying to get back at me because Ben wasn't interested in her. Instead, I looked over toward where my family was gathered and caught my mom's eye. She waved and motioned for me to join them.

As I came through the crowd to where I could see everyone, Ben appeared next to me and slipped his hand into mine. My mom raised her eyebrows and winked at me. He's cute! She mouthed. I glanced over at Ben, hoping he hadn't caught that. He beamed down at me and whispered, "Tell her I said," and he mouthed the words thank you. I could feel my cheeks burning. He squeezed me and laughed.

"Ali-oop!" My dad practically shouted when he noticed me there. It took all my effort not to check what Ben's reaction was to that. "I'm so glad you could join us! We've got some terrific news!"

He grinned widely, taking a moment to look at everyone in our circle. Mom handed Ben and me glasses of sparkling cider, and motioned to Steph and Leo with two more glasses as they came up for air on the nearby bench. Leo coughed awkwardly into his fist and cleared his throat. Steph smoothed her hands over her hair and skirt, and caught my eyes as I watched her. She smiled broadly when she stepped up to my side.

"I think I could get used to living here," she whispered. We both giggled. "Me too." I said, nodding toward Ben.

"So, now that we have everyone gathered, it's time to make the official announcement," My dad said.

"We can't wait!" Gram-Gram chipped in. Steven draped his arm over Chloe's shoulder beside Gram-Gram and squeezed her to him, and Chloe and I caught each other's eyes across the circle. We'd come so far together these past couple of months, and I couldn't help but realize at that moment how lucky I was to have met her. Chloe, it seemed, was feeling the same way. Her eyes twinkled as she looked between Ben and me, and I could pretty much feel my own eyes twinkling back between her and Steven.

"Go ahead, Keith," Mr. Winterhaven prodded. He and Mrs. Winterhaven seemed about to burst with pride.

"Alright then," Dad pulled mom closer, "Thanks to Charlie's business finesse, beginning next month, Great Harvist Sauces will become the official dressings and sauces of Olive Branch restaurants nationwide!"

I could hardly believe the news! Olive Branch was one of the largest successful chains of Italian restaurants in the country!

"Dad, are you serious?" Steven said excitedly. "That's great!"

"Yep, totally serious." Dad said, "And it's time for a toast."

He lifted his glass to the center of the circle, and we all lifted ours to his, "I'd like to recognize what an incredibly fortunate couple of families we are," he began, taking a moment to let his eyes lock with each of ours as he looked around the group of us, "Just a couple of months ago, this was all just a dream. But, thanks to a whole lot of lucky coincidence, and then, to a whole lot of hard work, it has become so much more. Not only have we launched a new business, but we've also found a new home. We've also, fortunately," he paused and nodded to Mr. Winterhaven, "made some really great friends." Ben squeezed my hand.

"I'd like this toast to be in honor of that. To friends – new and old." He clinked our glasses with his.

"To friends!" We all chimed in. When I swallowed my first sip of sparkling cider, I started coughing suddenly. Steph patted my back.

"Leo and I kind of swapped labels with another champagne and the cider bottle earlier," Steph confessed. "You know, just in honor of the big night and all."

She winked conspiratorially at Ben and me. Ben laughed and I took another sip of the champagne.

"Hey, go easy on that." Ben said.

"Oh yeah, why?" I asked.

"Well, you know what they say about bubbly drinks," His lips started to turn up in a smile.

"No, I don't" I said. "What's that?'

"Well, you know, the bubbles." He raised his eyebrows at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked. He leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"If you're not careful, they'll make you Yahtzee," I practically spit out the champagne in my mouth.

"Ben!"

"Well, hey, I'm just saying," He motioned to the crowd around us, "There will be a lot more eyes on you now that you're famous and everything."

"Yes," I put my hand on my hip and waited to see where this was going. "And?"

"Well, you know," he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer, "I just, well…" He spoke the rest of his sentence into my neck, "I want your Yahtzees to be me for my ears only."

I burst into giggles and swatted at him. "Ben!"

"Ali!" he mocked. He pulled his face away from my neck and touched his nose gently to mine. Somewhere to the side of us I heard the shutter of a camera and a quick burst of light reflected in his eyes. I hardly noticed. I felt, at that moment, like everything I could ever want, I had right then.

And, it seemed, things would only get better.

AN: Click ahead to see thank you's and answer a few questions!