A/N: I thought I would give a little more info on the girls' parents. Good or bad. Please review!!

Disclaimer: I only own original characters.

Avery knocked on the door to her parents' suite as her hand gripped Reid's tighter. He looked down at their clasped hands and smiled a little.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"No, why do you ask?"

"Because you have a fucking death grip on my damn hand," he said with a laugh.

"Okay, so I'm a little nervous." He leaned down close to her face and smiled.

"It'll be fine." He moved in a little closer to kiss her and the door opened. Audra smiled as Reid and Avery jumped a little. They looked at the woman holding a Martini, framed by the doorway in front of them.

"Avery, Reid." Audra stepped out and hugged Avery.

"Hey Mom." Audra stepped back inside the room and Avery and Reid followed. Avery looked around the room and smiled. "Never do anything half-assed, do you Mom?"

"Your father insisted on the Presidential Suite." Avery looked at her skeptically.

"Why did Daddy come along with you anyway?"

"He has some business to take care of."

"But, he could have easily stayed home for that."

"Not really..." Audra sipped from her Martini and smiled. "We're having the house renovated. We're staying here for a few weeks while it's being done."

"Nothing but the best." Avery smiled.

"Is my mom here yet?" Reid asked.

"No. She's on her way." Avery's father walked out and she smiled.

"Daddy!" She let go of Reid's hand and ran over to her father. The large man picked her up and spun her around.

"It's so good to see you Pumpkin," he said in a heavily southern accented deep voice. He set her down. "Who is this young man?" He looked at Reid and Avery smiled as she walked over to the blonde.

"Daddy, this is Reid Garwin, my... boyfriend. Reid, this is my father, Nevil Butler." Nevil walked over and shook Reid's hand.

"It's uh... nice to meet you sir," Reid said.

"Garwin? Is your father Joseph Garwin?" Reid smiled.

"Yes, sir, he is. You know him?" Everyone moved into the living area and sat in the various chairs and couch.

"Yes. He is designing a building for me in New York at the moment."

"Really?" Nevil nodded. "I've never really been privy to any work that my dad is involved in."

"And why is that?" Reid leaned back and took a deep breath considering his next statement carefully.

"I dunno, sir. I guess, I never really thought that architecture was all that interesting." Nevil leaned forward and eyed the blonde sitting before him.

"Other than my daughter, what do you find interesting, Reid?" Reid smiled and kissed Avery's hand.

"I don't know. I'm almost eighteen years old... I'm getting ready to go to college in the fall, but I have no idea what really interests me. I have no clue what I want to do with my life... yet." Nevil eyed his daughter and cleared his throat. Slowly a smile appeared on his face as he sat back against the chair.

"I like to hear that." Avery looked at her father in shock. A grin appeared on half of her face.

"Wait a minute," she began, "I have no clue what I want to do with my life yet and that is a bad thing, but a guy, a guy I am dating no less, comes in here and tells you the same thing and you like that? How muffed up is that?" She laughed as her father smiled at her lovingly.

"Avery, it's not necessarily a bad thing to not know what you want to do when you are young, the bad part is being content in that stagnant place, which you seem to be." Audra said softly. "Did you bring your presentation statement like I asked?"

"Yeah." Avery stood up and handed her mother the 3X5 cards. She reclaimed her seat next to Reid as her mother put her reading glasses on. She began reading and Reid looked at Avery. He smiled at her and slipped his hand around hers. He leaned over close to her ear.

"Don't be so nervous. It's a good presentation statement." He gently kissed her behind her ear as her mother looked up.

"I thought you were considering USC and UCLA as possible schools after Spenser," Audra said.

"No, you were considering those schools. I told you I was looking at Duke and NYU." Audra took off her glasses and set the cards on the table between her and Nevil's chairs.

"This will not do. You also mentioned you want to backpack through Europe for the summer after graduating?"

"Well, I do. Isn't the purpose of a presentation statement to give a little information about who I am and my future plans?"

"Why of course, but you also have an impression to uphold as well."

"Mom, how can you expect me to tell people about me when what you want just isn't me?"

"What I want is for you to be you, but I also want you to remember who you are, where you come from and that you are a reflection on your father and I." Avery rolled her eyes and sighed.

"So, you would rather I be a liar instead of who I really am?"

"No, of course not."

"That's not what you just said."

"Look, I didn't ask you up here to argue with you. I asked you up here for a nice dinner with your father, Reid and Meredith." Avery stood up.

"Well, I think I should just go. I can see we are not going to have a nice dinner. Excuse me." She walked to the door and opened it before storming out. Reid looked at Nevil and Audra as he got up.

"Um... it was nice meeting you Mr. Butler. I'm going to go see about her."

"Pleasure meeting you as well Reid," Nevil said as he stood. They shook hands and Reid walked out.

Nicki sat between her mother and Tyler and sipped her water. Diane looked at her and smiled.

"You excited about tomorrow?" she asked as she sipped from her glass of wine.

"Yeah, actually I am. I wasn't looking forward to this whole ball thing when you told me about it before, but now..." Nicki smiled and looked at Tyler. "What about you?" He smiled.

"I'm just hoping I don't mess anything up." Diane smiled.

"You'll do just fine, Tyler," she said reassuringly. "Have you and Avery gotten your presentation statements written up yet?"

"Yep. Finished them up a few days ago. I swear, I hate writing papers for school when I have a subject to guide me. Do you know how much of a hassle it was to write something about myself that didn't make me sound like a stuck up bitch or a total moron?" Tyler snickered softly next to her and she nudged him in the side. "Shut up, Ty." A smile appeared on her face.

"Well, look at it this way," Tyler began, "You don't have to do it again after this. I mean, you do only debut once, right?" He raised his eyebrows with the question.

"Yes. You only debut once." Tyler grabbed his water and took a sip.

Avery sat by the window, in her room, looking out at the city below when she heard a soft knock on the door. She got up and walked to the door. She opened it and Reid smiled.

"You okay?" he asked as she opened the door a little more.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just frustrated is all." He stepped in and she closed the door. "I swear. Nothing ever makes her happy. I get good grades, they aren't good enough. I cut my hair, it looks awful. I grow it back, I should have left it short. I am beginning to wonder why I even bother anymore. Seriously." She felt tears stinging her eyes and she turned her back to him.

"Ave, you are perfect the way that you are." She wiped the tears that escaped from her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I am far from perfect, Reid." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck.

"You are... perfectly imperfect. Just the way I like you." He smiled and she turned in his arms to face him. He smiled softly and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. He kissed her and smiled. "I have an idea." Avery laughed a little.

"What? Trashing my parents' suite?" He laughed.

"Good idea, but no. I'll be back. Don't go anywhere."

"Where the hell am I going to go Reid?"

"I'll be back." He walked over to the door and walked out.

"Do you have plans after you graduate, Tyler?" Diane asked as she took a bite of her dinner. Tyler looked up from his plate.

"Um... I am going to BU in the fall."

"You never told me that," Nicki said as she looked over at him.

"You never asked." Tyler smiled. "Where are you planning on going?"

"Stanford," Diane broke in. Nicki looked at her mother.

"Thanks Mom, but I think I could have told him myself." Diane smiled and Nicki looked back to Tyler. "You really want to stay here?"

"Massachusetts is my home. All my friends and family are here."

"But I won't be." Sadness made its way into Nicki's eyes and Tyler took hold of her hand.

"It's fine. We'll work something out."

"You sound so sure." Tyler smiled and kissed her cheek.

"I am sure, Nic." She smiled a little.

Avery walked to the door of her suite when she heard the soft knock. She opened it and Reid smiled.

"Come on," he said as he reached his hand out to her.

"Um... Where are we going?"

"Surprise. Grab your room key and let's go." Avery walked over and picked up the card from the table. She walked out into the hall and Reid smiled.

"Can I have a hint about where we're going?" He shook his head as he gently took her hand in his and they walked to the elevators. "Come on Reid, I hate surprises. What is it?"

"Just a little something I cooked up." He smiled as the elevator doors opened. They stepped into the car and he pushed a button. The doors closed and Avery looked at Reid.

"What're you going to tell your mom?" He looked over at her.

"I'll think of something. Don't worry about my mom, worry about yours." He smiled as the car stopped with a soft 'ding' and the doors opened. They walked out and over to a set of double doors. Reid stood behind Avery and smiled. "Close your eyes."

"Why?" He sighed behind her.

"Just do it."

"Fine." She closed her eyes. "They're closed." He opened one of the doors and covered her eyes with his hands. "Why are you doing that when my eyes are already closed?"

"I don't want you peeking." He led her into the room and she laughed as they continually managed to stumble over nothing in particular on the floor. "Okay, stop." They stopped walking and as he took his hands from her eyes, she slowly opened them to see a little candlelit picnic on the floor of a ballroom next to huge windows. Avery smiled as they sat down.

"How did you manage this?"

"Eh, I have my ways." He grabbed a bottle of lemonade and filled two wine glasses. He handed her one and she smiled.

"Thank you, Reid." He smiled.

"Don't mention it." She looked down at the food.

"What is all this?"

"Um... a chicken quesadilla and a pizza. Sounded pretty good when I looked at the menu." Avery sipped her lemonade and grabbed a piece of the quesadilla. She bit into it and smiled.

"This is so good." Reid grabbed a slice of the pizza.

"Didn't anyone tell you not to talk with your mouth open?" Avery smiled as she swallowed the food in her mouth. She set her glass down and crawled over to the blonde still munching his slice of pizza. She sat on his lap and they looked at eachother. His hands drifted up to her waist and she smiled. She leaned down and kissed his. His hands moved up her back under her shirt as her tongue slid easily into his waiting mouth. She buried her hands in his soft blonde hair as gentle moans escaped her mouth into his. Her skin tingled as his fingers danced their way around to her stomach. Slowly they made their way up to her lacy bra and she smiled as she looked at him. She put her hand on his jaw and he smiled.

"You are so beautiful," he said softly. She smiled as her mouth continued its assault on his. She felt goosebumps erupting over her skin as his hands explored her body. They heard the door open and looked over at a security guard who was shining his flashlight on them.

"What's going on in here?" his voice boomed through the empty room. Reid and Avery laughed softly. They got up and grinned at the man.

"Sorry. Just having a little indoor picnic with my girlfriend," Reid said.

"You can't be in here."

"Alright... we'll go." Reid took Avery's hand and they walked past the man and out the door.

Tyler and Nicki rode in the elevator car in silence. He looked over at her and sighed.

"Say something, Nic. Please," he said softly as he reached for her hand. She looked at him with sad eyes.

"What do you want me to say, Ty?"

"Say something. You barely said a word through the rest of dinner after the whole college conversation."

"You want me to say something?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Okay... 'something'." He sighed in frustration.

"That's not funny."

"I don't know what you expect me to say."

"Are you mad? Sad? Frustrated? Horny?" Nicki laughed. "Ah, see, I knew I could get you to give me a little laugh." She turned so her body faced him.

"I'm none of those. I am just taking in the fact that you will be here and I am going to be in California for college. Granted, you and I don't know if we will even be together by the end of the year, but if we are, how are we going to make this work?" Tyler grabbed both of her hands and looked at her. His arms encircled her and she laid her head on his shoulder. She inhaled his scent deeply and smiled.

"Nic, like I said, we will figure something out when the time comes. Don't let it get you down now." She smiled softly.

"Alright, Ty." The elevator car stopped with a soft 'ding' and the doors opened. They walked out and down the hall.

"You don't think we'll be together by the end of the year?"

"I didn't say that. I said that we don't know if we will be. Which is true. Of course I want us to be, but things could happen." They stopped in front of her door and he smiled.

"So, I guess I won't see you until tomorrow sometime."

"Yeah, seems like it is going to be a full day for Ave and me." He leaned into her and they kissed. She smiled as he looked at her. He kissed her again, this time a little deeper. "Um... I should go." He kissed her again and she laughed softly. "Really, Ty..." His mouth captured hers again. She pushed him away as she smiled. "Goodnight, Tyler." She unlocked the door and she went into the room. She closed the door as he turned to go to his across the hall.

A digital ring pierced through the dream that had filled Avery's head all night and she looked up wearily. She reached for the receiver of the phone and put it to her ear.

"Hello," she said sounding somewhat like a husky voiced Elmer Fudd.

"Avery, are you still sleep?" Diane asked. Avery furrowed her eyebrows.

"No, not anymore, Diane."

"Good. I would like you and Nicolette to join me down in the restaurant for brunch." Avery looked over at Nicki.

"Alright. I'll wake her up and we'll meet you in a bit."

"Alright, I'll see you then."

"Yeah." Avery hung up the phone and got up. She stretched and walked into the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and grabbed her toothbrush. She brushed her teeth and sighed as she walked back into the bedroom. "Nic." Nicki groaned softly. "Nic." Nicki opened her eyes slowly and looked at her friend.

"What?"

"Your mom just called. She wants us to meet her downstairs for brunch."

"What time is it?"

"Um..." Avery looked at the clock on the nightstand. "7:30." Nicki rubbed her eyes and she looked at the ceiling.

"How long have you been up?"

"A couple of minutes. I'm gonna take a shower, so relax for a bit in bed." Avery grabbed some clothes from her bag and went into the bathroom. Nicki sat up and stretched. The phone rang and she grabbed the receiver. She put it to her ear.

"'Lo."

"Good morning, Nicolette. Is my daughter awake?" Audra asked.

"Yeah, she's in the shower. We're getting ready to meet my mom for brunch."

"Could you please have her call me when she gets out of the shower?"

"Will do, Audra."

"Bye, Dear."

"Bye." She set the receiver back on the phone and got up. She stretched and turned on the radio. She began dancing around as the chorus of Glamorous drifted from the speakers. She began to sing along as Avery walked out of the bathroom. She covered her mouth to stifle a laugh that threatened to make itself known.

"If you ain't got no money...," Nicki began singing.

"Take your broke ass home!" Avery shouted. Nicki shrieked and turned around to see her friend laughing. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help it Nic." Nicki began laughing along with her friend.

"Your mom called. She asked you to call her back." Avery sighed. Nicki grabbed some clothes from her bag and went into the bathroom. Avery sat on the bed and grabbed the receiver. She dialed and waited as she heard the line ring.

"Hello," Audra said silkily into the phone.

"Hi Mom. Nicki said you called."

"Yes. I wanted to talk to you about your presentation statement." Avery sighed into the phone.

"There isn't really much to talk about is there? You don't approve of it."

"Do you want to come pick it up or would you rather I bring it with me this evening?"

"Bring it with you mom, burn it... I really don't give a shit."

"Don't use that kind of language to me."

"Sorry Mom." Avery rolled her eyes. "I guess you can bring it with you tonight. Makes no difference to me either way."

"Alright. I'll see you this evening then."

"Bye, Mom." She hung up the receiver and grabbed her hairbrush. She ran the brush through her hair absent-mindedly. She heard a soft knock on the door and she got up. She walked across the room and opened the door. Reid smiled behind three large Calla Lilies. Avery smiled and stepped aside. He walked in and kissed her. "Those are beautiful."

"They're for you." He handed her the flowers and she smiled.

"Thanks."

"You are more than welcome. Where's Nic?"

"Shower."

"I thought you two had a while before you had to go to the stylist and all that."

"We do. We're meeting her mom for brunch before we have to go." Nicki walked out and smiled.

"Morning Reid," she said as she set her pj's on the bed.

"Hey, Nic. Well, don't let me keep you two ladies from brunch." He kissed Avery gently and she smiled. "I'll see you later tonight." He kissed her again and smiled. Avery opened the door and Reid walked out. Avery stuck the flowers in a vase already full with flowers and smiled. She grabbed her room key and looked at Nicki.

"You ready for brunch?" They grabbed their coats and purses.

"No, but let's go anyway." They laughed softly. They walked out of the room and headed down to the elevators.

A/N: Do you think Ave's mom is a total bitch or just a little too into her status in life? I think she's just a bitch. LoL