Bright lights twinkle like stars in the soft light of the late summer evening, laid out like a constellation in front of the two teenagers. "Just one more step," John instructs Allison, her hand tightly gripping his in trepidation. Allison takes an unsteady step forward and he stands, smiling at her blindfolded confusion. A tiny mew sounds from the tiny kitten in Bender's pocket, and Allison's grip tightens.

"What was that?" She asks nervously, her foot digging in the dirt as she digs her nails into her palm with her free hand.

"Nothing," Bender reassures, petting the kitten to keep it quiet. "Okay," he says, his hands on her shoulders. "You can take off your blindfold." He watches her expression carefully, noticing how her hands tremble as she fiddles with the back of the blindfold. Her lip is constantly under her front tooth, a bad habit from childhood she'd never bothered to crack, and he smiles at her apprehension. Mainly, because he thought of a couple of weeks ago, when she'd have rather attempted to kiss the front of a moving train than let him lead her somewhere blindfolded.

When the blindfold falls to the floor, her gasp is the only sound. Her mouth opens and closes a few times as she fails to comprehend what happened to her beautiful haven, now turned into something more beautiful and if possible, something that held even more comfort and sentimental value to her. Twinkling fairy lights shined in the tears welling her in brown eyes, and baubles hung in abundance in the trees. The river, flowing leisurely, showed a wobbly reflection of the wonderland he'd created and she barely knew where to look.

A smile settles on her features as her eyes swivel around, taking in the decadence of all of her lost perfect Christmases as a little girl that were displayed in front of her. Bad memories resurfaced, of course, of not feeling good enough for her parents, but in that moment, it felt as if those memories that had torn her apart for all of those years were the basis of one of the happiest moments in her life. "Oh, John," she breathes, her words a stunned whisper. "It's…perfect."

"Your present," Bender offers to her, holding out the tiny animal, a red ribbon tied loosely around the kitten's neck. Allison's heart soars as she gingerly holds out her hands and takes the tiny ball of fur between her fingers. "A little Alley-Cat." Bender smiles at her.

"She's adorable," Allison coos, nuzzling the cat to her own face. She smiles, looking to her feet sheepishly. "I always wanted a cat."

"Why?" Bender asks, though he too could see the appeal of always having a companion by your side who stuck with you even if you messed up. He guides Allison to sit down by the river, and the two teenagers sit closely together, kicking off their shoes and letting their feet dangle into the water. He puts his arm around her cautiously and she smiles, leaning into him.

"Because there's nothing more comforting than having a sidekick. Look at her, she'll love you for just being you. And she's just too cute. I was alone a lot as a child." Allison then frowns, looking contemplative. Bender tilts his head, a prompt for her to tell him what was wrong. "How am I gonna keep her?" Allison wonders. "She can't come home with me. My mother would have more kittens!"

"She can stay at my house," Bender assures her, "My dad didn't notice me growing up; how's he going to notice a little stray cat?"

"She's not a stray anymore." Allison corrects, trying hard not to imagine John's sad childhood in an attempt not to spoil this perfect night. "She's got us."

"But has she got a name?"

"How about Midnight?" Allison murmurs, entwining her hand into John's. John smiles down at Allison, unable to hide his content. "Because that's when we met."

"Was it?" Bender replies, impressed. He flexes his muscles and winks at her. "The time I became your hero. Put it in the history books."

"So the next generation can scribble over your face and laugh about your name, like our generation did to all of the people written in the textbooks?" Allison teases. "I'll tell my children to watch out for you."

"I'm sure you'll tell your children everything about me." Bender says confidently, splashing her with some of the water. Allison smacks his arm playfully and frowns at him.

"Hey, it's cold out here." Allison protests. Bender pulls her closer, ignoring her feeble protests, and laughs.

"Then you'll just have to sit closer, won't you?" Bender teases, looking to the clouds above them. The sky was turning into a cotton candy canvas and Bender wondered if he'd ever feel this peaceful ever again. Allison, one of her hands absentmindedly running down Midnight's back, one still entwined with John's, has similar thoughts running through her mind. "It doesn't matter that summer's almost over, you know." He reassures her. Allison looks up at him, her expression unconvinced.

"What happens after summer?" She whispers, her voice barely audible. "What happens at school?" Allison almost doesn't want to hear the answer, but John looks at her, still feeling confident. He smiles.

"I try and fill up my empty wallet," he laughs, "I spent my last dime on that cat's collar." He opens out his wallet and shows her, and she smiles at him.

"You got a new wallet," she murmurs, the approval evident in her tone. Bender nods proudly.

"Not the only thing I got," he tells her. "Don't worry about school. I'm not going back. I got a job."

"You got a job?" She echoes, unable to comprehend.

"Yeah. Good pay, too. I'm gonna move out of my parents' house. Can't stay there any longer."

"What about me?" Allison whispers, her brow creasing. Bender smiles.

"You'll just have to house train your cat." He laughs. "And pack your bags. Come with me, Ally. This is our chance. What do you say?"

A/N:

Happy 2016! I hope you've been having a fabulous new year…can't talk much because I'm about to have dinner but I hope you enjoy this chapter :)