A/N: I know it is taking me for-fracking-ever to update this thing, but life keeps happening. My sincerest apologies to all who have been waiting and cursing my existence for leaving you hanging. Trust me, I am so not doing it on purpose! But alas, on with the tale.

Chapter 11

Blake sat in her chair staring at the monitor before her. She had to at least look like she was doing something productive. The music blaring in her ears provided just the right amount of distraction for not her to be bored but, not nearly enough for her to burst into song in the middle of the lecture. It was Pop.

Suddenly a set of slender fingers, with slightly chewed nails and somewhat calloused knuckles, was in her face. Sam was clearly trying to get her attention.

The brunette removed her earbuds just in time to hear, "Earth to planet Derkus-Majora!"

"What's up?" she responded distractedly.

"What's up? I'll tell you what's up, the leader of the 'Lets Get the Hell Out of Here As Fast As We Can' brigade was off in some other galaxy and left the rest of the members to scatter madly with no direction."

"Sounds like a major problem." continued Blake as they walked out the door.

"These kids need a map to find the quickest exit routes to this school." stated Sam.

"There's probably an App for that."

"And if not, surely you could whip one up and sell it for the right price. Of course I'd get a share of the profits for helping you think of it."

"Of course." agreed the younger girl. Then she asked, "Where's the Carlmeister?"

Sam looked at her and answered, "Oh, I told her to go ahead to the convention center."

It was the last week in October and that meant the time for the Annual Halloween Costume Ball was at hand. The faculty believed the word 'Ball' made it a classy event; in reality it was just another school sanctioned event that threw most of the student body into a frenzy of what to wear and who to take.

"Oh. I thought the Ball was Friday?" asked the genius.

"It is but, the sooner we get the venue set up, the more time we have to focus on more important things, like what cuddly animal we get to claim our barely-there-outfit is supposed to represent." smirked the older girl.

"Ah. Right, of course. Because scantily clad girls gyrating under the disco ball is totally what the spirit of Halloween is all about." deadpanned Blake as they reached the parking lot.

"You know it." said Sam as she put her hand in the air and did a sexy little spin.

"YES!" came the cry from the front lobby area. A few moments later it was followed by Sam walking through the convention room doors wearing the grin of a thoroughly satisfied woman.

Carly looked up from a clipboard and began to walk toward her friend.

"I'm assuming Blake gave you a ride?" she wondered aloud.

Sam met her halfway and wrapped an arm around the web girl's shoulder.

"One of these days you are going to find out exactly what it feels like to have that much power between your legs. And I'm sure if you're not too tired afterwards, Blake will be more than happy to drive you around on the bike too." she grinned.

Carly turned to look at the blonde astonished. "Oh my gosh, you are such a perv." she said as she slapped the other girl's arm of her shoulder.

"I heard 'Perv'. Who's talking about me?" came the slightly accentuated voice.

"Oh I was. But don't worry, it was mainly about your linguistic skills." said Sam.

"Great." Blake turned to look at Carly, "Why do I suddenly have the urge to take a five-hour shower?"

"She has that effect on people." said the older brunette as she walked towards the empty refreshments table, Blake and Sam following closely behind.

At the table one of the underclassmen was holding to different colored fabrics, obviously for Carly to choose from. She pointed at the orange one and the girl immediately went to set out the tablecloth.

The rest of the day went pretty much in the same fashion, with the upperclassmen delegating most of the work on the younger members of the planning committee. As the evening wound down Blake helped Carly get the last of the boxes safely placed away in the storage area behind the stage. Both girls then joined Sam and sat at the edge of said stage looking at the finished product.

"Not too shabby for a day's work." marveled Sam.

"How would you know? You didn't do anything." pointed out Carly.

"I brought you guys lunch." defended Sam.

"Yes. And then you proceeded to eat it while we continued to set out the streamers." noted Blake.

"Yeah, yeah, shame on me. Now, on to more pressing matters, what do you guys think of a bunny costume?"

"Depends," said Carly, "Are we talking Anya bunny or Regina bunny?" she asked.

"Definitely Regina."

"Just make sure it isn't sixty-eight degrees outside, with a thirty percent chance that it's already raining." deadpanned Blake.

"I never should've suggested you watch that." said Carly as she tried, unsuccessfully, to keep from laughing at the look on Sam's face.

"Eh-heh. Hilarious." said Sam, the sarcasm evident in every word. She turned to Carly, "So what are you wearing for the Ball, Ms. Thang?"

"I am dressing as a vampire." she responded matter-of-factly.

"Ohh, kinky." voiced Sam as she wiggled her eyebrows in a salacious manner. Then she turned to the other brunette, "And what about you, Ms. Genius I.Q.?"

"Nothing." she answered with a smile.

"Whoa! Way to take it to the next level there." responded Sam with a huge grin.

Blake rolled her eyes and hopped off the stage. She took a step and turned around to face them. "What I mean is that I am not wearing anything to the Ball because, I am not going to the Ball."

"What?" snapped Carly.

Both girls turned to face their friend with raised eyebrows and questioning gazes.

Carly quickly changed her tone and joined the youngest teen on the floor. "I mean, why?"

Blake answered with a cautious hesitation, "Because I don't see the point in attending an event where there will be more rules to follow than at a Federal Penitentiary."

"Which is exactly why as soon as the clock strikes ten, everyone will be heading over to Ricky Larter's house for the after party." pointed out Sam.

Now Blake began to squirm a little under their pressing looks. Carly noticed the shift in demeanor.

"That's not the only reason, is it?" she asked crossing her arms across her chest.

The cornered girl clasped her hands together and turned a pleading pair of violet eyes towards her friends. "I got a call earlier this morning."

Carly didn't like where this conversation was headed. Blake decided there was no time like the present to finally come clean.

"There are some things that need to be taken care of in Madrid."

At least as clean as she was willing come at the moment.

"Since Alice has to work and it isn't exactly certain how long it will take,"

"You've been asked to fly out instead." finished Carly cutting her off.

"I leave tonight." came the defeated affirmation. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay." she said, looking anywhere but at the girl in front of her. "An Adamo's got to do what an Adamo's got to do, right?"

There was an awkward silence in which Carly finally brought herself to look at her technical producer. Big mistake. If disappointment had a face, it still wouldn't look half as pathetic.

"Alright, so how about we discuss this further over dinner?" she suggested, her resolve waning.

Blake looked down at her ever present watch and grimaced. "My flight leaves in two hours and I still have to get home and pack. Rain check?"

"Always." answered Carly bitterly.

Blake and Sam exchanged goodbyes before the olive skinned girl turned back to Carly and offered a farewell. Carly didn't answer, her resolve reanimated like a nasty, relentless zombie.

Or so she thought. The minute Blake reached the doors and picked up her helmet, Carly dropped her arms and called out, "Wait!"

Blake turned around just in time to have the older girl wrap her in a tight embrace. After several seconds they finally pulled apart.

"Just be careful, okay."

"Always."

Carly looked at the scar that now permanently split her friend's eyebrow and then at her violet eyes, "Right. I'll see you when you get back?"

"Count on it."

Several farewells and another hug later, Blake walked out the center doors and Carly began to make her way back towards the stage.

The entire time this exchange had been occurring, Sam couldn't help but feel like she was looking in on what should've been a private moment.

The room was currently void of any noise, other than breathing. This made the sound of the clasps on the suitcase closing even more unbearably loud than necessary.

Alice watched from the living room couch as Blake closed the door to her room behind her and began to make her way down the hallway. The young woman got to her feet and enveloped the girl in yet another hug.

"I am coming back, you know." rose the muffled response from her shoulder.

Alice pulled away and held her sister at arm's length. "I know. I just don't know when and would rather O.D. on sister fluff, than have to face withdrawals while you're halfway across the globe."

"I'm sure Spencer is just as huggable as any other human." grinned Blake.

"Do you need me to drop you off at the airport?"

Blake raised an eyebrow and gave her a pointed look.

"I meant metaphorically, you know. A cover story." threw back Alice.

"Sure. If we can't actually live like the average pair of siblings, we can at least lie for each other like them." said Blake from the front door.

"Say hi to Grampa and Nani for me."

"Will do...Metaphorically."

Alice couldn't stop the grin brought to her face by that comment, even if its implications were tearing her apart inside.

Carly and Sam decided to go ahead and leave once Blake had gone. So both girls were conveniently sitting on Carly's couch when an extremely loud shriek came from across the hallway. Both girls looked at each other and then tripped over one another to get to the door.

Once in the hallway they noticed Mrs. Benson's door was wide open. They began to inch towards the single woman's home with trepidation. Of all the things that had been going through the girls' minds, what they saw when they reached the entrance was definitely not one of them.