A/N: Nowadays, I seem somewhat obliged to always start off my chapters with an apology; my procrastination on this story has been out of hand, but I am determined to finish this, I must finish this :). I really need to thank all of my reviewers, especially the latter ones, because getting those e-mails telling me about the reviews, favorites, and alerts certainly made my day and urged me even more to continue.

"Wouldn't it just be groovy if you and Corny got married?" Tracy asked the next day over breakfast, making Jane bite her tongue. After taking a gulp of water, she looked at her younger sister with wide eyes and asked: "Where did that come from?"

"He's going to teach you how to drive, Jane! That's pretty much being engaged." Jane rolled her eyes. Ever since she had gotten home from her "friendly outing" the night before, it was all that Tracy could talk about. Corny this, Jane that, Corny and Jane this. It was driving her slightly insane. "It would be really cute if you came by the studio after the show today."

She pretended like she didn't hear her sister's last remark, and silently fiddled with the scrambled eggs that were on her plate. "I'm sure he would love that!" Tracy added quickly before taking one last bite of her breakfast. "Well, I gotta go! Maybe I'll see you at the studio!"

She looked at her eggs, and decided that she couldn't eat them anymore. She tossed the remains of her plate into the trash, and cleaned hers and Tracy's plates. Once she came into the living room, she sat down next to her mother and started folding clothes. "Are you and Conner having another date soon?" She asked, and Jane smiled and rolled her eyes.

"His name is Corny, ma," She said. "And it wasn't a date."

"If that's what you want to believe, hon," Edna chuckled to herself.

Jane sort of missed it when Tracy wasn't on the show, when she'd come running home and they'd watch the Corny Collin's show together. Now it was sort of an awkward situation; she would watch the show with her mother, who would be dancing to herself, and making little remarks about how cute and good Tracy was, and how handsome and suave "Cranky" was.

She would tap her feet to the rhythm of the songs, but that was it. She tried to stay concentrated on Tracy or Link or someone else instead of looking at Corny, and she didn't know why. Every time her eyes will fall upon him, she would actually feel giddy. It was strange, like nothing she had ever felt before.

"Hon, maybe you should go pick up Tracy," Her mother said in the middle of the kids trying out a new dance move. "I can give you some money and you two can go see a movie or something!"

She was about to say no, her and Tracy can go to the movie when Tracy gets home, but her eyes fell on the television again, and her eyes met those of Corny's. "Sure, ma." She said as she got up from the couch. Her mother handed her some money, and she grabbed a handful of peppermints and shoved them in her pocket.

"Bye daddy!" She said as she hurried downstairs, kissed her father on the cheek, and walked out of the store.

It wasn't until she was down the block that she actually came back to reality; a sense of nervousness had settled in the bottom of her stomach, and she contemplated turning around and going home. 'You're going for Tracy, not Corny, there's nothing to be nervous about.' She thought to herself as she slowly made her way to the studio.

The security guard on duty this time seemed much more intimidating, and made her feel uneasy. "I-I'm here for Tracy Turnblad, I'm her older sister."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" He asked in a gruff voice. "Do you have any identification?"

"The only identification I have is my library card, which is-"

"Jane!" She heard Tracy's familiar squeal. "You came!" Jane looked past the security post, and saw Tracy waving energetically.

"Go ahead," The guard said as Jane walked past him.

"For a second I thought you weren't gonna come! I was lookin' all over for you." She stated happily as she bounced over to a row of mirrors and makeup. "Corny's getting' dressed, but he should be out of his room soon!"

"I'm not here for him, I'm here for you," Jane replied, looking around at the set. All around her, she could see all of the kids socializing and getting ready to go home. "Ma gave me money so we can go see a movie."

"Cool!" Tracy replied. "Maybe we can get Penny to come."

"That'll be fun, may-"

"Well, hello Baby Jane." She heard Corny's smooth voice from behind her. Swiftly, and with a little excitement, she turned around and saw him standing with his arms crossed. "You can't get enough of me, eh?"

She didn't anything, and she just gave him a small smile, and took a peppermint out of her pocket, and sliding it into her mouth. She glanced over at Tracy, who was facing her mirror, smiling to herself as she combed her hair.

"Now tell me Baby Jane, what are you doing tonight?" He flashed his famous grin.

"Me and Tracy were just-" In mid sentence, Tracy elbowed her really hard in the side. She gasped, grabbing her side, and looked over to Tracy who was shaking her head and mouthing something. "Actually," She said, weakly, letting go of her side. "I'm not doing anything." She glanced over a Tracy again, who smiled and flashed a quick thumbs up.

"Good," He smirked as he walked past them. "I'll pick you up at seven thirty."

Once he was out of sight, Jane pushed the comb out of Tracy's hand, making her giggle. "Why would you do that?" She whispered. "I thought we were going to a movie."

Tracy laughed, and covered her mouth. "You're kinda funny lookin' when you're mad, Jane," She said. "And he really, really likes you. I can tell he talked about how he had a good time with you last night!"

"He talked about me?"

"Only to me!" Tracy said quickly. "And he was in a really great mood, too!"

The moment they walked into the living room, they were greeted by the smell of food and fabric softener. "I thought you two were going to go see a movie," Their mother called from the kitchen.

"We were," Tracy said happily. "But Janie's gotta 'nother date with Corny!"

"Really?" Edna asked excitedly as she came into the living room. Jane could feel her face going red as she sat down on the couch.

"It's not a date," Jane said as she lay down. "It was all Tracy's idea; she's the one who made me tell him I wasn't doing anything tonight."

"If I didn't give you my guidance, you wouldn't be going on your date with Corny tonight. Maybe he'll teach you how to drive!"

"Hon, he's going to teach you how to drive?" Edna asked. "Boy, that's very promising!"

"Ma!" Jane exclaimed.

"I know, ma!" Tracy exclaimed. "This is probably the most exciting thing, ever!"

Jane rolled her eyes. "It's not that exciting," She said, and she felt like they weren't even listening. "It's not like we're actually dating or anything. He's just a friend."

"He sent you flowers, though," Edna said.

"And he's going to teach you how to drive!" Tracy said as she sat down next to Jane. "And he really likes you, I can tell he does! This is just so groovy!"

"This is just so excitin'!" Edna said to herself. "You know what: I'm going to iron one of your best dresses for tonight. Oh, I know exactly which one! That pretty white one you wore to your friends party!"

"Ma, that was nearly two years ago," Jane said. "I don't even know if I still have it." She hadn't been to a party in almost two years, since the summer she graduated high school. The parties her peers had in college seemed bigger than the one's she had been too, and she was too afraid to ever go to one (now, she thought it funny that she wasn't hurt at one of those 'wild' parties, but walking home late one night).

"Maybe Corny will take you to parties!" Tracy exclaimed as Edna retired into her daughter's bedroom in search for the dress.

She remembered back when she was a junior in high school, and she had her first date. His name was Tommy and he was in her Geography class, and sat directly behind her. She didn't talk to him much, but every day, fifteen minutes into class he would kick her chair and then proceed to ask for a pencil, every day. She didn't think much of it, except for the fact that he always seemed to lose the many pencils she gave him; but, one morning when she walked into class, there was a piece of folded paper on her desk which read: I think I should repay you for all those pencils, how about dinner on Friday night? She didn't feel obliged to say yes to him, but something inside her, despite the fact that they have had little contact with one another, told her that she couldn't say no (it was probably the fact that all of her friends had been on their first dates ages before her, and she finally wasn't going to be out of the loop). Once she told her family about it, it was like they were in a craze: Tracy pranced around, singing about Janie's new boyfriend, her father paced around and ran his hands through his hair, and her mother spent hours ironing this one particular dress of Jane's, making sure it was perfect. Even she changed; she made sure her hair looked nicer, and that she wore her best.

Her present situation reminded her of that time in junior year, except for the fact that there was no second date with Tommy (although she would still like to mask whatever she had with Corny as a friendly outing); and her father seemed less precarious now than before. But other than that, it was like the mother and sister from her past had come back to her.

"I couldn't find that white one anywhere," Edna said from the bedroom. "But how about this one?" She asked as she stuck out a blue dress that Jane didn't even recognize.

"That's fine, ma," Jane replied as her mother began ironing it. Tracy had gone to their bedroom to do her homework (at least that is what she told their mother). "I'm going to go see if dad needs help with the shop,"

"Don't be down there too long, you'll need time to get ready." Edna called after her.

"Hi, daddy," Jane said as she sat down on the stool next to her father, who was selling a customer a Tracy wig.

When the customer left, Wilbur diverted his attention to his oldest daughter. "Sweetheart," He said in a loving tone as he kissed her cheek. "What is going on up there? I could hear your mother and your sister through the ceiling,"

"Ma and Tracy are just going on about how I have another date with Corny," Jane replied, and Wilbur raised his eyebrows. "It's not a date though. We're not dating."

"I didn't say there was a problem with you dating your friend,"

"I'm just saying," Jane said.

"It does seem like you two are pretty close to dating, though," Wilbur smiled.

"Daddy!"

"I'm just sayin'," He shrugged, smiling. "You have fun with your friend now." He winked as he kissed his daughter's forehead. Jane slowly slid off of the stool and went back into the upstairs.

"Janie!" She heard Edna call (more like giggle) from outside. "Your friend's here for you!" Once she had returned from her father's shop, Jane had took the dress that her mother was ironing, and got ready in her room, and stayed there for the next hour reading. She got up from her bed and came into the living room, where Corny was standing with her father, mother, and sister.

"Hey Jane," He smiled. "Why, aren't you a pretty picture tonight?" Tracy giggled, and Edna flashed an 'I ironed and picked out your dress, so I'm basically responsible for this compliment' look; Wilbur's face remained, for the first time in a long time, straight.

She remembered that night, the night when she dreadfully called her father from the hospital in Washington, tearfully begging him to come get her. She remembered waiting and waiting for him to come, and when he finally did, he looked different. He looked older, and so different from the comical man she had grown up with. That was the last time she had seen her father with a straight, almost emotionless face.

"Oh, Conner, don't you look handsome," Edna said, and Jane nearly died. Corny laughed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Why thank you, Mrs. Turnblad." Faintly, Jane could hear Tracy correcting her mother a little impatiently.

Jane started to walk towards the door. "Bye ma, bye daddy," She said, and Corny started to follow her.

"Young man, can you stay here for a moment?" Her father asked, and Jane froze, looking at her father, and then Corny, who was grinning.

"Of course I can, Mr. Turnblad."

"Janie, go down in the shop and wait for your friend." She hesitated. "He'll be down quickly."

And so she obeyed. The next five minutes she spent sitting on the stool in her father's dark shop seemed like an eternity. "Ready to go, Baby Jane?" He grinned, drumming his hands against the counter.