Somehow Jenny managed to wake herself up for work the next morning with enough time to stop for a hot chocolate with Dan. He looked incredibly tired, but they both talked even more than they usually did-recounting the previous evening. Everything-from the delicious cake (which came after the four-course meal and Jenny had barely been able to eat more than two bites of) to Dorian's delight over several new toys and games to the dancing-had been playing itself over and over again in Jenny's mind ever since Dan had walked her home after a late display of fireworks.

"I don't know if I've ever been much of a dancer," Jenny said with a laugh as Dan reminded her of the Baroness DeGent's attitude towards dancing.

"You must have been," Dan declared, wiping down the counter to make it shine.

Jenny laughed again and shook her head. "But," she said, still grinning broadly, "if it had been possible, I could have danced all night."

Dan chuckled, nodding in agreement. He'd just started to respond, when the main door opened and a voice called out to them.

"Jenny! Don't you have to get up to the castle?"

The social secretary's eyes darted to the decorative clock on the wall and she leapt off her stool, pulling on her coat again as she went. "Thank you, Anastasia!" she said as she passed her friend, then she turned back to smile at Dan as she ducked out onto the street.

"I felt that way too," he whispered after her as the last wisp of her strawberry curls left the window.

Anastasia looked from the door to Dan and back again as she took off her own deep burgundy coat. Then she managed a small smile as she stepped closer to the counter. "I take it you enjoyed my nephew's party?"

Dan smiled back as Marc joined them. The head baker grinned knowingly as he exchanged glances with his girlfriend. But Dan's eyes had gone back to the bakery windows, though there were very few people milling on the sidewalk.

"Yes," he said. "Very much."

~~°o°~~

In her haste, Jenny bumped into three guards, startled a scullery maid, and nearly tripped over Pom-pom (the castle's cat, though Jenny really had no idea why the cat was there since Cinderella and Charming were definitely more fond of dogs). Luckily, when she reached the Queen's chamber, Cinderella had barely done anything to start her day and didn't mind that Jenny was one and a half minutes late.

"Really," she said with a laugh. "You worry too much, Jenny. Normally on the day after a birthday, we all just take our time with the day-stay in our night clothes and have a late breakfast and such. All I have to do today is have tea with a few friends."

In fact, the queen was still in her nightgown, seated at a small tea table by the window. Jenny was just about to object again when a soft knock came from the door.

"Come in," Cinderella answered quickly, giving Jenny a victorious grin.

"Majesty," said one of the footmen (a short man with a beak-like nose whom had been introduced to Jenny as Ralph). "The Lady Megara and Sultana Jasmine await you in the east parlor."

"Already?" Cinderella asked, then glanced around for the clock.

"Its quarter to eleven," Jenny offered, looking to her wristwatch.

Cinderella's eyebrows shot up and she pulled Jenny's wrist to look at the time as well. Then frowned thoughtfully. "They're early," she said and rolled her eyes before looking back to Ralph. "Alright, let them know we'll be joining them shortly."

Ralph bowed out as Cinderella sighed, her hands on her hips. "Alright," she said, turning to Jenny with a smile. "I suppose now we can rush."

Jenny smiled back, even chuckling slightly, as she nodded. Then the two women set about putting an outfit together.

~~°o°~~

When Jenny and Cinderella made it down to the east parlor, a large room with pastel green walls and light yellow furniture, about ten minutes later. It was easily one of Jenny's favorite rooms, especially while the sun lit it up through the large windows. She just loved the peaceful feeling it gave. The current atmosphere, however, was an entirely different energy as they found a nearly military conflict type of tension hanging over the two women seated at the small card table.

Cinderella smirked and let Jenny out of what she called "peace negotiations" by sending the young secretary over to Dorian's abandoned art supplies in the nearby sitting area. Jenny was a little hesitant, but very thankful that she was allowed to disconnect herself. Soon enough she was sketching pictures with colored pencils and crayons as though she was an eight year old herself, and having a marvelous time of it.

She'd just gotten up to get more paper from a cabinet near the door when Aurora arrived, with her children in tow. Only moments after Cinderella had managed to quell the hostile tempers of her guests.

"Jenny!" the blonde queen cried out happily and gave her a quick, tight hug. "Did you have fun last night? Wasn't the dancing wonderful? You know, King Adam has such an attachment to you!"

"Yes, your majesty," Jenny said, smiling brightly. "I did, it was, and he was always a fan of finding ways to disrupt the day."

Aurora chuckled. "I can imagine," she said with a grin, then turned her attention as Cinderella joined them. "Are we the first ones?"

"No, Hercules dropped Meg off about fifteen minutes ago so he could go help train the new troops," Cinderella said, nodding back toward the table. "And Jasmine visited Adventureland with Aladdin and Rashid this morning, so she arrived about five minutes ago."

"Oh is Prince Rashid with her?" Aurora asked glancing around as though afraid she'd missed him somewhere in the architecture.

"No, it seems the little prince is starting to learn about the business of his kingdom," Cinderella said with a smile as she lead them to the table.

"He's following Aladdin's every move today," Jasmine agreed, greeting them with a smile. "The twins have their lessons, and Hasan is still too young to sit still for the carpet ride. He'd probably try to crawl right over the edge."

"Takes after Aladdin then," Meg remarked, smirking as she pushed the cards to the center of the table. "So now that's four, are we going to play bridge?"

"Oh, but I'm terrible at Bridge," Aurora said. "Couldn't we play gin-rummy?"

"Not that one again," Jasmine groaned.

"Well noone said you had to play, Aurora," Meg pointed out.

"But that would make us one less," Jasmine pointed out, already shuffling the cards.

"What about you, Jenny?" Aurora asked, turning to her with a large persuasive smile. "You could sit in until one of the other girls show, couldn't you?"

"Me?" Jenny asked, her eyes going wide. She gave an apologetic smile. "I don't know how to play cards—I barely knew how to play Go Fish with the Darling children."

"It isn't too hard," Cinderella assured her.

Jenny had just begun to shake her head "no, thank you" when the Ralph entered.

"The Queen Snow White," he announced.

In stepped the petite young woman, smiling broadly at them.

"Well you look cheery today," Meg commented with a smirk. "What's the occasion? Finally got over your fear of apples?"

"Its not a fear—it's a wariness," Snow White said, rolling her eyes, but continuing her smile. "But the children are spending the day with Ferdinand—"

"Praise Zeus!" Meg declared, her hands in the air.

"That in itself is enough to celebrate," Jasmine commented. "Not that your quints aren't dolls, Snow, but they must be a handful."

"At times," Snow White agreed, "which is why these days to ourselves are such a delight."

"Join us at the table then," Meg said, motioning toward one of the two still vacant chairs. "We're about to start a hand of Bridge."

"I'd be glad to," Snow White said, giving Jenny a smile of greeting before sitting down to Meg's left.

"Fa, Mulan," Ralph announced from the doorway as a beautiful young Asian woman entered.

"Hello!" Mulan said happily. "Am I late?"

"Just in time, actually," Cinderella said with a smile. "You play the first hand, Aurora and I have something we need to talk over."

Mulan nodded and took her place between Snow White and Jasmine. Aurora gave Cinderella a curious look, but handed her son off to Jenny and followed the princess to the cushioned seats by the windows.

Jenny smiled at Prince Stephan and then down at Princess Odette. "How about we do something fun?"

Aurora's children smiled back, nodding eagerly as they joined Jenny to where she had been sketching earlier. Jenny passed them sheets of paper and large crayons that were shaped like Mr. Mouse and his friends, which little Stephan enjoyed greatly.

The following hour passed quickly enough, especially when Princess Ariel arrived with her younger daughters, three year old Sinfonia and one year old Melody. Jenny happily entertained the children, including Melody until she fell asleep and returned to Ariel, while their mothers played cards and talked about whatever they felt like. The hot topic this time: Jenny Doe and Dan Bennet, which they discussed in hushed voices.

"Really?" Jasmine asked with interest after Cinderella told them of her suspicions. "You know, I remember Aladdin saying that Dan was with Jenny when he first met her."

"And she's been going there every morning before work?" Mulan asked.

Cinderella nodded. "Anastasia told me that she usually gets there just after the bakery opens."

"Anastasia?" Mulan asked, in surprise. "Are you sure she's telling the truth?"

"Of course," Cinderella said. "After all, she's seeing Dan's cousin—the baker—and he's said that Dan is practically driven distracted by her."

"But he still hasn't asked her out?" Meg asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's the thing—he has," Cinderella said.

"And?"

Cinderella shook her head. The other women stared at her.

"But why not?" Ariel asked, shifting Melody to her shoulder.

"We're not sure," Cinderella said. "Even though they definitely enjoyed each other's company last night."

"It might have something to do with her memory loss," Aurora offered.

"That's true," Mulan said with a nod. "I've had to deal with soldiers who lost memory because of something too traumatic to deal with."

"What could have possibly happened to make her avoid romance?" Snow White asked in alarm.

"I know a few examples," Meg said, focusing on her cards.

"There has to be a way to help her get over it," Mulan said.

"How?" Aurora asked.

"A moonlit boat ride?" Ariel suggested.

"A night on the town?" Jasmine offered.

"Does he sing?" Snow White asked. "He could serenade her."

"Of course, you could always try Belle's way," Meg commented. Getting only blank stares, she continued, "Lock them in a house together for a few months."

That brought laughter and Jenny's attention, which the royals noticed quickly.

"Jenny?" Cinderella called to her. "How about you take them to the prince's quarters? I'm sure that Dorian will enjoy company for lunch. This way the younger ones could go down for a nap, too."

Jenny smiled and followed instruction, leading the children out of the room as easily as if she were the Pied Piper, stopping to gather Melody from Ariel on their royal women waited for the door to close before they continued their discussion to develop a plan. It took them a few hours, but by the time the noon tea trays came in, they had settled on an idea.

"Alright," Jasmine said, slapping her palm on the table. "It's settled."

"Right," Mulan agreed. "I'll invite Jenny to join us for tea."

"At the bakery," Aurora agreed.

"Just a thought," Meg said, interrupting her fellow conspirators. "Has anyone run this past Belle?"

Cinderella and Aurora exchanged sheepish glances. "Well," Aurora said slowly. "That's where things get tricky."

Meg raised an eyebrow at her.

"How about we keep everything in the Magic Kingdom," Cinderella said after a moment. "Just for now. Belle only comes here once a week to visit her father, the longer we have before she finds out we're match-making, the better chance we have of Jenny and Mr Bennett taking their own steps."

"We're not match-making," Aurora corrected. "We promised your husband we weren't! We're simply arranging situations."

The others nodded in eager agreement. Meg, though, laughed. "Oh I can't wait to see what happens next."

A/N: And the chaos commences! Here's hoping I don't forget anything as I continue from here on in...