Fairy Mary and Fairy Gary exited the infirmary with contented faces. Tinkerbell and her friends immediately rushed up to them and flooded the two with anxious questions. "How is Terence's ankle?" Tinkerbell pushed impatiently. "Is the injury that bad?"

"His head is okay, right?" Iridessa added.

"C'mmon, Fairy Mary and Fairy Gary," Fawn begged.

"Tell us everything!" all five fairies demanded at once.

Fairy Mary waved them away with her lime-green fan. "Oh, where ARE your manners!?" she chastised and began fanning herself. "1...2...3...4..." Taking a deep breath, she then said, "Terence is fine. The nurse said that his ankle was just sprained a little. He should be able to recover within a week or two."

Fairy Gary scratched his head. "Aye, but now look," he sighed. "My best dust keeper is having a long absence."

Fairy Mary shot him a glare. "Oh, don't be so selfish!" she nudged him. "Let the lad have his rest. He certainly deserves it."

"Yer right, yer right..."

"Well then, it's best we returned to work." Fairy Mary and Fairy Gary ascended to the sky. "Take care of yourselves now!"

As soon as the two were gone, Silvermist heaved a sigh. "Poor Terence," she sympathized. "This is so tragic for him! He was looking forward to the Winter Ball." She swept her bangs aside and looked down at the floor. "I pity him..."

Rosetta nodded in agreement. "What a shame."

Fawn gave Tinkerbell a pat on the back. "Sorry about that, Tinkerbell," she said. "It looks like you can't go together."

"..." Tinkerbell lit a knowing smile. "Who said I was going to the Winter Ball?" She turned to meet the shocked faces of her friends. "I'm going to stay here in the infirmary that day. I will be by Terence's side so that he doesn't feel lonely." She held her own hand close to her heart. "That's what true friends do after all."

A giggle emitted from the group. "You still call the relationship between you and Terence 'friendship'?" Iridessa asked.

Tinkerbell's cheeks began to turn bright red at that. "O-of course!" Memories of her moment alone with Terence within the rosebush flashed within her mind. Her heart jumped. "It's...it's gotta be. I mean, uh...we-"

"Sure, sure." Fawn pushed Tinkerbell towards the infirmary.

"Whoa!" Tinkerbell squeaked and scowled. "What was that for!?"

Iridessa winked at her, giggling. "We know you want to go in there." She waved. "Good luck!"

Silvermist smiled warmly at the blonde. "Go see him."

Tinkerbell studied her friends. They're all encouraging me. I can't let their efforts go to waste. She smiled back. No matter what, I won't fail this time. I'll definitely... She held a thumbs up and winked, bangs swept by a gentle breeze. ...do my best! With a burst of joy, she dashed into the infirmary, eager to meet with her best friend.

"How romantic," Fawn sighed dreamily, batting her long eyelashes. The others agreed, nodding their heads and smiling at each other.

Terence stared at the ceiling, unable to blink. The cotton pillow beneath his head cushioned his heavy thoughts nicely as they formed in clusters within the very depths and surfaces of his mind. Kiss or no kiss? Kiss or no kiss? Argh, Fawn this is all your fault! His ears picked up on the sound of his room's door clicking open.

"Terence?" Tinkerbell's soft voice drifted into the ivory room.

GAH! It's her! He quickly turned t his side and closed his eyes, feigning unconsciousness.

Tinkerbell slid the curtains aside and found Terence fast asleep on the bed. "Oh..." she moaned and sat on the chair beside him. "Terence, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Her eyes remained focused on his sleeping form. He looks so peaceful right now.

Terence mentally frowned. Tink, what are you saying sorry for? You didn't do anything wrong! He exhaled quietly.

"I shouldn't have crashed into you like that," Tinkerbell continued, completely oblivious to the dust keeper's facade. "Now, because of me, you're in the infirmary and out cold. You're ankle is sprained- you can't make it to the Winter Ball." A small, anguished sigh came from her mouth, which she quickly stifled with a trembling hand.

"..." Terence felt his heart drop. Having to hear the grieving tinker confess her guilt instead of her love- which he wanted- struck his heart with a laden illness.

"Since you can't even hear me anyway," Tinkerbell scented, blushing a little. "I just want to say that...honestly, in my heart..." She looked away, finding no courage to finish in front of Terence. Hesitation was evident from the long pause, but she finally said, "I really wanted to go to the Winter Ball with you."

Terence held back a shocked gasp when he heard this. Then...then why did you decide to go with that Zen!?

Tinkerbell bowed her head, her ears now just as red as her face. "It's not just you, Terence," she sniffed. "Me...me, too." She now turned to face him. "I also want to know how you feel about me. If this is one-sided love, I wish you'd just tell me! Because waiting and waiting...not knowing the outcome of anything I decide to do or say..." She squeezed her own hand. "It's such an awful feeling!"

"..."

"It hurts one day and the pain just gets worse and worse the longer I wait. I don't know how much longer I can endure it!" Tinkerbell gasped when she felt something strong and warm grab her shoulders. She looked up to meet the lips of the once-sleeping Terence. Her eyes widened as he deepened the kiss. H-how did this...happen!?

Terence quickly pulled away, his face just as red as Tinkerbell's. "Stop!" he panted. "Just...just...stop...!"

"...!?" Tinkerbell's arms limply fell to her side. She was still in disbelief as to what just happened to her. He. What. I. Am I...did he...? HUH!?

Oh, boy. She's out of it. WAY out. Terence waved his hand in front of her unblinking eyes. "Tink?" he called. "Tink? Earth to Tinkerbell!" Nothing. Err...maybe I shouldn't have done that. He cleared his throat, trying to calm his maddened heart. "If you don't snap out of it, I might just have to repeat that 'surprise'. Well?"

As though by magic, Tinkerbell instantly came to be. Unfortunately, what replaced her bewilderment was anger. "Y-y-you...!" she fumed, pointing an accusing finger at Terence.

Terence instinctively retreated. "What?" he asked sheepishly.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO!?" Tinkerbell screamed at the top of her lungs. "That was...totally...uncalled for!"

Terence held back a small laugh. "I'm sorry," he grinned. "I didn't know you were so shy. If I had known, I wouldn't have kissed you so suddenly." He looked at her apologetically, now starting to feel guilty for what he had done. "...I went too far, didn't I?"

To the dust keeper's surprise, Tinkerbell shook her head. "It's not that it's just..."

"What?"

"...that was my first kiss!" Tinkerbell looked away in shame. "I don't know if I should be happy or sad!" Happy that it was taken by the fairy I really like. She inhaled and exhaled to calm her shaken nerves.

Terence furrowed his brows, slightly offended. "What's the sad part?" he questioned in an uncertain voice.

"That my first kiss will soon be forgotten; erased by new kisses."

"...do you really think that I would do something that cruel?" Terence placed his warm hand on Tinkerbell's own cool one. "Tink, ever since you came to Pixie Hollow, all my eyes can see is you. If anything, I should be the one to worry. I mean, you were supposed to go with Zen to the Winter Ball, weren't you?"

Tinkerbell looked at him as though he were the craziest being alive. "No, I declined."

"You declined? Really?"

"Yes! Anyway, how did you know about Zen?"

"I..." Before Terence could finish, the nurse appeared and tapped Tinkerbell on the shoulder.

"Visiting hours are now over," the charming strawberry-blond nurse informed the tinker. "You will have to come back tomorrow." She saw the disappointment in Tinkerbell's eyes and sighed. "Don't worry, sweetie. Your boyfriend will be just fine."

Tinkerbell's first reaction would be to oppose that. But for some reason, she didn't. "Yeah," came her short reply as she made her exit. I should've said something against that! Terence and I aren't together! ...or are we? I don't know. I'm so confused right now. She rubbed her temple.

Terence's eyes refused to leave the door that closed after Tinkerbell's leave. She didn't say anything. A glimmer of hope welled up within him. "Is it possible...?"

"Hm?" the nurse chimed. "Did you say something, Terence?"

"Oh, uh, no. Sorry about that, Nurse Alena." Terence buried himself under the white sheets and heaved a sigh. Tink, just what kind of thoughts go on inside that mind of yours? He turned on his stomach, letting out a soft grunt. "It's killing me..." he grumbled into the pillow. "Thinking as deeply as this."

"I hope Terence's ankle gets better soon..." Tinkerbell hugged herself as she floated out of the infirmary.

"HA! I KNEW IT!"

Tinkerbell snapped out of her trance at the sound of that familiar yet detested voice. A scowl quickly appeared on her once-thoughtful face as she spat, "Stella. And her angry mob." She placed a hand on her hip. "Why are you guys here?"

Stella mentally smirked at the tinker, her sadistic laugh echoing in her mind. This will be my greatest performance yet. "See, I told you!" Stella cried, jumping into a nearby dust keeper's arms. "Terence is in that infirmary right now. Tinkerbell just came from visiting him- feeling guilty of what she did!"

What the!? How did she know!? "Well of course someone would visit their friend to apologize!" Tinkerbell reasoned.

"You're really despicable," Rick spoke in a low, infuriated voice. "I can't believe you'd purposely trip Terence while he's making errands in a neighborhood! That's just...childish!"

Tinkerbell's mouth opened in the form of a big 'O' at this. "Trip him while he-" Ugh, I feel like slapping all of them! "How is it that you fairies are so easily deceived by that conniving little witch!?" she asked, pointing at Stella. "Can't you see that she's just taking you all for fools and playing with you!?"

"Enough already!" a water fairy shouted. "You're just jealous of Stella!"

"What could I be possible jealous about!?"

"The fact that she's pretty, talented, has lots of friends, and WAS going to the ball with Terence to the ball until you purposely tripped him!"

"Now he has a sprained ankle and can't go," Rick remarked. "This was all part of your plan wasn't it, Tinker-loser?" He blew what seemed like a hurricane of golden dust at her, making her flail and cough. "Well brilliant; IT WORKED."

Tinkerbell fanned the dust from her hair and eyelashes, trying to regain her eyesight. "But why are you being so mean about it?" she asked forlornly.

Rick humphed. "We're not being mean. We're just standing up for a bullied friend."

Stella pretended to gasp in surprise and gave Rick a hug. "I'm so moved!" she giggled. "Thank you, everyone! You're all so good to me." She then looked back at Tinkerbell, secretly snickering at the blonde's misfortune. "That bad tinker should finally be learning her lesson right about now."

"I'm not giving up on Terence! Just wait and see; he'll be mine!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing to take the time to find the source of that voice. "Was that...YOU, Stella?" Rick broached, arching an eyebrow.

Stella quickly shook her head. "N-no way! It couldn't be!" Where is this coming from!?

"It couldn't possibly be," a garden fairy with light-brown hair and green eyes commented. "That sounded WAY too mean. Not to mention obsessive."

"Oh, Vidia. Don't you think it's sad? How you're taking out your anger on me like this just because no one will believe you and Tinkerbell?"

Every fairy turned to look at the baffled Stella, certain conclusions now evident within their eyes. "It IS you!" they said at the same time. They heard a melodic giggle from a nearby tree and snapped their heads towards it.

From the shadows emerged Vidia, voice-taker right at hand and a triumphant smile on her face. "Checkmate," she announced, looking right at Stella.

"Vidia!" Rick acknowledged.

Vidia put on a headstrong front and held up the voice-taker. "This will prove just how much Stella has lied to you all!" she told them. "Her true, UGLY, and deceiving side!" I warned you. She pushed the 'PLAY' button. Her burning, violet eyes remained fixed on Stella's trembling form. You messed with the WRONG fairy.