A/N: MPants in the hizzouse! :D FYI: The action's skipped forward a few nights, it's now December 15. Read on!

I sat at my desk, shaking my pencil in between two fingers. My right leg, crossed over the left at the knee, jiggled in time with the pencil. I looked up at the clock and tossed the pencil down on the desk in frustration. I uncrossed my legs and pushed back from the desk, stood up and headed to Edward's office.

I stood in the doorway for a minute before he noticed I was there.

He spoke without looking up. "Yes, Alice?"

I frowned. This night had been my idea, and no one but me seemed at all interested in being excited for it.

I blew my breath out in a "humph" and walked back to my desk. I flopped into the chair in a very unladylike manner and crossed my arms. I grimaced when I heard a light chuckle coming from the back office.

A lot of things became obvious to me over the course of the dinner at Esme's last Friday night. The six of us—Pops, Eddie, Bella, Jazz, Esme and me—had gotten along like we'd known each other our entire lives. Conversation had flowed easily, and when Eddie started questioning Esme and Bella about Emmett, the rest of us had jumped in like we were part of the team. I'd been a good partner, trying to keep Pops and Jazz occupied while Eddie got down to business. But the dining table was only so big.

A slight smile raised a corner of my mouth. After we'd discussed the case, I'd been happy to see that Pops and Esme paired off. I'd had a sisterly feeling about Bella since she walked into the office earlier this month, and now I knew why. I hadn't seen Pops so happy in a very long time. It made my heart smile.

Bella and I'd bonded over Esme's impressive shoe collection, and I pried a bit of information out of her about her feelings toward a certain private eye in the process. I know there's more she didn't tell me, but I am a very patient person. I'd promised I wouldn't tell Edward anything, but when Jazz called me on Sunday night, I had to spill, at least a little.

"Hello lovely."

The sound of his voice on the other end of the line had me searching for the nearest chair. It felt like my legs had gone missing.

"Jazz." I'd breathed his name like a prayer. I'd never imagined I'd fall so hard and so fast, but I didn't mind it one bit.

"Did you have a good Sunday?" he asked.

"I did. Pops and I went to church and then ate over at The Palm, on Second. Good food."

"Never been. Maybe I can take you sometime?"

"Absolutely."

"It's a date."

My smile grew wider. The mental image I got when I pictured the two of us together, walking arm in arm, was magical.

"So, Jazz. You can keep a secret, right?"

"Of course," his voice got strained, worried. "What is it Al?"

"Nothing's wrong," I reassured him. "Other than Emmett still being missing and all."

He'd laughed, softly. He knew that the Emmett Swan case was taking up a lot of my time these days, so I wasn't being flippant. It really mattered to me that we get Emmett back, safe and sound. And soon.

"I think Bella has a bit of a crush," I began.

"On Edward," he finished.

"Yes! How did you know?"

"Al, it's as plain as the cute as a button nose on your adorable face. I could practically feel the energy between the two of them. It's not the best of times, nor the best of situations, for the two of them …"

"Things are gonna be fine, Jazz. I just know it. We'll find Emmett, Bella and Eddie will be free to be together, everything will be more than copasetic."

"You bet, baby. Oh, speaking of the case …"

Jasper had gone on to fill me in on the details he'd pried from Rose. I'd squealed a little when he'd announced that Rose and Emmett were having a thing; I'd known there was something more to her feelings about him than just the typical bar owner-bar patron relationship. I got a little carried away with scheming, pairing the people in my life off … Jasper had to pull me back to reality.

"Earth to Alice."

"Oh! Sorry Jazz. Daydreaming."

An idea'd popped into my head at that moment.

"Jazz, you busy Wednesday night?"

"Nope. I get off at 6."

"Let's go out. I'll get Eddie and Bella to come along too. Say, would you think Pete and his girl would be game?"

"Sure, Ali. I'll ask him. You don't think you're pushing too hard, with Bella and Edward?"

"Nah. We'll be working on the case from all angles next week, and by the middle of it I know we'll all need a break. It'll be good. I know this girl who works down on Broadway. There's a new play getting ready to open, and they're running dress rehearsals; Angela can get us in. They like having small audiences to gauge reactions and the like. We can go out to dinner and then head to the show."

"Alright darlin', if you say so."

"I do."

We'd made plans to meet at the precinct at six-thirty on Wednesday. Jazz told me he'd work on Pete and his girl Charlotte, and after we'd hung up, I'd dialed Bella's number. She's answered the phone all out of breath; turns out she'd just gotten home from dinner at Esme's. When I'd told her the plan, she'd been hesitant at first. I could hear it in her voice. But then I'd mentioned off-hand that it would be good for Eddie to have a little down time and she'd cheered right up. I didn't tell her that Eddie hadn't agreed—yet—but I figured what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

I told Bella to meet us at 6 at the office, and we'd all head downtown in Eddie's car. "Wear something nice," I'd told her, hoping she'd get the hint that when I said "nice," I meant "the cat's meow."

When Monday morning rolled around, I'd headed into the office. Eddie and I discussed what Jasper had found out from Rosalie, and he'd retreated into his office to try and get more information from various sources. I heard him mutter curses under his breath more than once, after he'd slammed his phone's receiver back onto its base. I wasn't sure when the best time would be to tell him about Wednesday, so I waited.

The end of the day came and went, and I still hadn't told him about the plans. I'd left him at the office, and returned on Tuesday morning to find him in the same position, hunched over his desk, phone attached to his ear. If he hadn't been wearing different clothes, I would have sworn he'd stayed the night.

I'd approached with caution; stress creased his forehead and his lip was red where he'd been chewing it in frustration.

"Heya, Eddie?"

He'd sighed. "Good morning Alice."

"Morning. Seems like things aren't going so well. Can I help?"

"Nah, Ali. I just thought the information Jasper gave us was a big break, but I've been hitting nothing but stone walls whenever I throw out the Russian's names."

"You best be careful who you're talking to, Eddie. I'm positive they don't like you poking your nose around in their business."

He'd run a hand through his hair and looked up at me. His eyes were dark and there was a hint of sadness in them.

I'd continued on before he could speak.

"We're going out tomorrow, Eddie. And I'm not taking no for an answer. Bella and Jazz and a couple of Jazz's friends are coming along. We're seeing a play and getting dinner. You need this."

"Ali—"

"No. We're going. We'll start again Thursday morning, with a refreshed perspective. I'll head to Lilly's later this week, maybe drag Jazz along, and see what else I can get out of Rose. I'll push, if I have to. The Russians aren't killers, from what we know of them. They're trying to figure out what to do with Emmett. They're not planning ways to hide the body."

He'd sighed and I knew I'd won. All it took was the mention of Bella's name, but I'd added the other reasons to make him feel better for giving in.

Before heading back into the front room, I'd added: "Oh, and Eddie? If you don't put on your glad rags, there will be hell to pay."

When I left last night, I'd dragged him out with me, assuring him he needed sleep, 'else he'd be looking like the walking dead when he saw Bella the next day.

I'd stayed up late, planning the perfect outfit for tonight's shindig. I'd called Bella and found out she'd be wearing a dark blue dress. I'd stared into my closet for an hour before I'd decided on a little red number. It would go great with my pale skin and dark hair.

I'd had Pops drop me off at the office on his way to work this morning. I'd brought along my dress so I could change at work, and I didn't want to chance them getting mussed in a cab. I'd kissed him as I stepped out of the car and told him I'd be home late. He smiled at me, a real genuine smile. I made a mental note to work on him asking Esme out for a night on the town sometime soon.

I brought myself out of my reverie and looked at the clock. 5:30. I'd been reminiscing for longer than I thought. Jumping up, I nearly skipped over to the coat rack on which I'd hung my dress. Before taking it and my makeup clutch down the hall into the building's shared bathroom, I called out to Edward.

"Going to change, Eddie. You best do the same."

Locking the door after I entered, I slipped out of my day dress and into my red one. I backed up as far as I could go and turned to and fro, making sure there were no wrinkles, and that it fit smoothly over my slip. I moved closer to the sink and peered into the mirror above it. The makeup I'd put on this morning still looked fine, I just needed to touch up my dark eyeliner and red lipstick that matched the exact shade of my dress. Of course. I put a little water on my pin curls, making sure no hair was out of place. I smiled at my reflection, feeling very much put together.

I tugged at my stockings, making sure they were firmly attached, and once again straightened my dress. I took a deep breath and gathered my things, then walked down the hall towards the office. Bella was standing outside of the door, wrapped in a dark wool coat. She looked hesitant.

"Bella!"

Startled, she turned to me. "Alice! I … I thought you were inside."

"Nope." I raised my work dress in the air. "Changing, in the bathroom."

Bella wrinkled her nose. "How's it sharing a bathroom with a bunch of guys?" The other offices in the building were filled with lawyers and accountants, all men. "I know sharing a bathroom with Emmett was pretty bad. I can't imagine sharing with more than one."

I shrugged. "I made it pretty clear during the first week I worked here that if it wasn't clean, I'd make a stink. They've all behaved themselves quite nicely."

I wrapped an arm around her waist and pushed open the door, leading Bella to the coat rack. "It's real warm in here, Bella. Can I take your coat while we wait for Eddie?"

I could see into Edward's office from the front room, and knew that he could see Bella's back if he was sitting at his desk.

She nodded, and took off her coat, revealing a stunning blue gown, embellished with beading and embroidery.

A loud thud sounded from the inner office.

"Ow."

Both Bella and I raced into the room. Edward was sitting on the floor, rubbing his head, his lips pursed in a annoyed pout.

"Eddie!" I cried.

Bella rushed over to him, her face full of concern. She knelt, as well as she could in her dress, and brushed a bit of hair dangling in his face off his forehead. "Are you alright?" she said, inhibitions forgotten, if only for a moment.

I watched as his face lit up, all pain forgotten. "Hello Bella."

I laughed, suddenly, realizing what had happened. The back of Bella's dress was cut quite low, and it showed off quite a bit of her porcelain skin.

"You were tipped back in your chair, weren't you." I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe. "You fell over. I warned you!"

Edward sneered at me, but when Bella tried to stifle a giggle, his mood changed. Chagrined, he started to get up. "Yes, Alice. Thank you. I fell over. Wonderful way to start the evening."

Bella moved to allow him room to straighten up his chair as I wiped the tears from my eyes and caught my breath. I noticed I'd smudged my mascara, so I went back to my desk to re-apply it, also giving Bella and Eddie a moment alone. I could hear them exchanging quiet pleasantries, and then Bella walked out.

"I have told him so many times that was going to happen," I said, loud enough so he could hear.

"That's enough, Alice," Edward's voice rang out from the other room. "Thank you."

I smiled. I packed my makeup back into my purse and went to get my cloche and coat. I helped Bella on with hers and we waited for Edward to turn off his office lights and join us.

"You look beautiful," I mentioned to Bella.

"Thank you Alice, as do you."

"I love your pearls."

"Oh, thank you! They're actually Mama's, but I borrowed them on account of tonight."

"Good choice. Your dress is stunning as well," I paused for effect. "Literally."

Bella fought back a grin as Edward came into the room. He was dressed in a dark, slim-cut suit with a light shirt and red tie. Bella will look wonderful on his arm, I thought.

He walked over to the rack and picked up his own coat, and his trademark fedora. "Shall we, ladies?"

I turned off the lights and headed toward the front door. Bella and Edward followed behind, her hand wrapped lightly just below his elbow. I smiled. I'd known this was a good idea.

We piled in to Edward's car and headed toward the precinct. I hopped out from the struggle buggy when we arrived and gave Jasper, who was waiting on the curb, a tight hug. He was dressed up as well, in a charcoal suit a little less formal than Edward's, but none the less handsome.

"Hello Officer. Where's Pete and Charlotte?"

"Hello to you too, darlin'," he'd replied. "Charlotte came down with something, so Pete's at her place lookin' after her. They send their regrets."

"Aw. That's too bad. It's gonna be a great show." We both climbed into the back seat and I directed Edward toward the vicinity of the theater. There were restaurants in the area; I figured we'd decide what we wanted to eat when we got there.

"Speaking of," Edward said from the front seat, after Jasper had made his hellos. "What's this show we're going to see?"

"Well, from what Angela says, it's a crazy story about some murders, trials and jail time. It's based on a true story of these two dames, Belva and Beulah, outta Chicago. One of them was a cabaret singer."

"That's, uh, an interesting plot, Ali," Edward said. "You certainly have an interest in these types of things, don't you."

"Why do you think I work for you, you big lug?" I playfully swatted Edward on the arm.

Jasper chuckled, then placed an arm around my shoulder. "That's my Alice," he said with a smile.

Edward pulled the car to the curb in front of a quaint French restaurant. "I heard this place is good," he said to the rest of the car.

"I've never actually had French food," Bella commented.

"Me neither Bella," Jasper added.

"Geeze, really? It's wonderful," I asserted. "Stick with Eddie and me, you two, and you'll both become world travelers. Or your stomachs will, at the very least."

We were seated immediately when we walked through the doors. The interior was quaint, and decorated to look like Provence. I'd never been, but I'd read plenty about it. I'd wanted to go to Europe for a very long time. But I hadn't had the time or the money. I was pretty satisfied with filling the urge with foreign cuisine and pictures in books, but I promised myself that someday I'd get the chance to see the world.

I took a chance and ordered the escargot bourguignons, or snails and mushrooms sautéed in butter and garlic. Edward shot a sideways glance when our appetizers arrived; everyone else had stuck with dinner salads and fresh bread. Jasper and Bella openly gaped as I pulled the tiny animals out of their shells and popped them into my mouth.

"Mmmm." I murmured with pleasure. When I noticed everyone else staring, I smiled. "What? They actually taste a lot like clams."

"We'll take your word for it Alice," Bella replied.

When the main course came around, I decided to go more tame, and not scare the rest of my party any more. Bella and I both ordered the fish special—a pan-seared filet of halibut served over a rustic ragout of tomatoes, olives, capers, onions and fresh lemon juice—and the boys ordered the veal served with new potatoes.

The food was delicious. We spent most of the time savoring the flavors, but what conversation we did had was light, friendly. Edward seemed to be bringing up some aspect of the case a couple of times, but each time I shot him a look. I didn't want to ruin the night with speculation or work talk. We all deserved a little down time.

We shared a chocolate mousse and a vanilla custard for dessert. At one point, Jasper fed me a bite off his own spoon. I nearly fell out of my chair.

After we'd all finished, we headed back to the car and then to the theater. Edward parked right out front, across the street. As far as I knew, we were three of less than twenty people invited to see the performance. Angela was working as an understudy/assistant to one of the main actresses, Jeanne Eagels. Angela had held a real interest in the theater during our time together at Macy's, so I was glad to see she'd gotten her foot in the door.

The play was definitely interesting. The cast was excellent, even in dress rehearsal. There were only a few flubs I saw, and that was only because someone in the crew pointed them out. I left feeling like the play was missing something, a little bit of life. I was enamored with the recent influx of musicals to the Broadway scene, and found myself wondering how to add music to the story. Music made everything better.

We parted company outside the theater. Edward was running Bella home, and Jasper and I were sharing a cab.

"You sure I can't give you two a ride too? We're all headed the same way," Edward said.

"Nah. 'Sides. It'll give us some alone time." I winked at Bella and grinned when I saw a slight shade of pink creep up from below the collar of her coat. I leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek as I gave her a hug. It was great seeing you tonight Bella."

"You too Alice. It was also nice seeing you again, Jasper."

"Likewise, ma'am," Jasper responded. "Edward."

"Jasper."

The boys nodded at each other. I scoffed. Men were strange.

I waved as Bella and Edward walked across the street to the Silver Ghost. "That is one fine automobile," Jasper commented as the two drove away.

I slipped my hand in his and we strolled toward the street corner. He raised his hand to hail a taxi and I studied his face in the light of the street lamp. I raised a hand up and gently brushed my fingertips over the scar on his chin.

"Will you tell me where you got that, Jazz?"

He looked down at me, his eyes soft. "Someday, baby. Not tonight."

Complacent enough with the answer, I snuggled closer to his side as we waited. When the cab pulled up, he opened the door for me, and then went around to the other side. He directed the cabby to his apartment, and we spent the trip discussing the play and the feasibility of the portrayal of the penal system in it.

When we arrived in the East Village, I asked the driver to wait as I walked him up to the front door. Snow had begun to fall, lightly, and the snowflakes caught in Jasper's hair.

"I love the way your hair sparkles when the snow hits it," I mentioned.

"Really?" He raised a hand to his head, self-consciously tucking a bit of hair that had come loose back into place.

I caught his hand on the way down and grasped it in between both of mine. "Really."

Jasper leaned in, closer. "You looked lovely tonight, Alice. That red really does wonders for your beauty."

I turned away, slightly. "Th-thank you," I whispered. I'd become inexplicably nervous in the minute we'd been standing on his doorstep. Brash, spitfire Alice was gone; she'd been replaced with an anxious, quiet girl. "Your suit is quite nice as well."

Jasper took my chin in his hand and raised it so that our eyes met. He brushed his hand down my jawline, stopping when he'd cupped my face, his fingertips just touching my hair. I took a shaky breath.

He leaned forward and brushed his lips against my right cheek, barely touching the corner of my mouth with his. I shivered. I wanted more. But he pulled away, and I knew he was being a proper gentleman. And I was much too much a lady at this moment to push it. I'd be kicking myself later, but for right now, this was heaven.

"Good night, my love." Jasper's voice was filled with emotion. My heart leaped at the word love.

I could barely speak, but I managed to squeak out a goodbye. "Until next time, Jasper."

I turned and floated back to the cab. I could feel him watching me as I got in, and as we drove away. I raised a hand to my face and touched the spot where Jasper's mouth had nearly touched mine. I'd never wash that spot again.

The high I was on lasted until we reached the house. I stepped out of the car and paid the driver, then turned to walk up the walkway. I stopped when I walked through the door, suddenly feeling uneasy. Pops was asleep in his reading chair; I could hear his soft snores from the foyer. The door had been locked, and I didn't feel like I was being watched, so I knew it wasn't because someone was in the house. I went into the kitchen and sifted through the mail on the table. Bills, bills, a letter from one of Pops' old friends who lived in Italy, an advertisement for a sale at Gimbels. Nothing out of the ordinary. I frowned, but then shrugged off the foreboding feeling and headed to bed, thinking of nothing but my last moments with Jasper less than an hour before.

A/N: So, apologies for this chapter being mostly fluff. Everyone needs a break now and then, especially these four. They're dealing with a lot of stress. I can promise that the case has not been forgotten, and will be progressing pretty rapidly from here on out. Hope you enjoyed it anyway.

Some housekeeping:

The Palm is an actual NYC restaurant that opened in 1926. And the play they went to see was the very first version of Chicago (not yet a musical), which opened on Broadway on Dec. 30, 1926.

Preliminary voting for the Indie TwiFic Awards opens today! If you like our story, and we hope you do, head on over and give us a little boost, will ya?

Links in our profile to the gang's glad rags.

Slang terms:

cloche—a woman's hat

copacetic—wonderful, great

glad rags—fancy clothes