V. went over to the Friels' house for dinner Friday, as Amy had asked her. She brought them a bottle of Merlot.

It was nice, with Amy and Amanda sitting there, it was easy to keep the conversation going. V. felt like she was being let in on something, somehow, when the Friels talked to each other.

V. complimented the dinner and asked who was the cook.

"Dad," Amy said. "I was going to do it, but he took it into his own hands."

"Amy's not bad," Rick said, taking a sip of the wine, "for ordinary occasions."

"I'm sure she's good for any occasion," V. said, smiling. "But thank you."

"Now that school is over for the year," Rick said. "Amy will have to be doing something for the summer. A summer job, or camp, or lessons of some kind."

"Well, how about cooking lessons?" Amy asked. "Or drawing. V. could do that, couldn't you V.?"

"V. might not have time for that," Rick said. "Cooking does sound like a good idea, though."

"I have time," V. said. "For an interested student."

"I doubt she has talent," Amanda commented. "Amy, that is."

"You don't need talent," V. said. "Anyone can learn to draw."

"Like they say about singing?" Rick asked.

"Yes. You may not end up being Vincent Van Gogh. But it is a good skill to know something about."

"I'll do both," Amy said. "So you don't have to worry about me wasting time this summer, Dad."

"And tennis camp," he said.

"And volleyball?" Amy said. "Don't forget that."

"Sure, OK," said Rick.

"Are you still working for Oksana, Amanda?" V. asked. "How is Zander doing?"

"Great," Amanda said. "Zander's getting out on his own. But Oksana still hired me full time to teach English to her relatives. I'm a professional tutor of Russians."

"That sounds interesting," V. said.

"And one Korean," Amanda said. "Zander's helping me."

"You must be really proud of his accomplishments," V. said.

"Oh, she is," said Amy. "We never hear the end of it. Fortunately for me, I like Zander, or I'd hate him from hearing about how great he's doing."

Later, Amy and Amanda did the dishes. V. sat with Rick in the living room.

"You've got two wonderful daughters, there," V. said.

"Thank you," he said. "I bet your mother's proud of you, too."

"I'll fix you up with her some time," V. said, grinning. "You and she are in the same boat. Never mind she's quite a bit older than you are."

"That's nice of you," he said, smiling back. "I was thinking, you know, before you have time for this, the nurse's ball is coming up, and I thought, maybe, I was wondering if you'd want to go. With me, that is. Kind of sub for your mother."

"I'd love to," V. said, simply.

"Oh," Rick said. "OK."

Back at the opening to the kitchen, the eavesdropping Amy pumped her fist.

Amanda rinsed off a dish and put it in the dishwasher. "You think he asked her?" Amanda said.

"Yeah, I heard, along with some weird stuff about her mom."

"Weird stuff?"

"I think she's teasing him," Amy said.

"Is that bad?"

"No," Amy said. "I think it's just what he needs."

When Sarah walked in to the Nurse's Ball with Duane, she asked him: "Could I take your arm?" Her eyes were sparkling; her lips were curved into the slightest smile. She was gorgeous in a royal blue evening gown.

"Of course," he said, and took her hand.

Sarah felt happy, walking hand in hand with him into a public place.

"There are my folks," she said. "Want to get it over with, or save it for later?"

"Whatever you want to do," he said. "Save it for later, so you won't think I'm dreading it."

"I understand it making you nervous. You won't see how nice they are until you meet them, but before, you don't know for sure. I was nervous about talking to Valerie and Yvonne, and I'd be nervous to talk to your parents."

"Yeah, that thought makes me nervous, too" he admitted.

Sarah just smiled and touched his arm with her free hand. "It will be all right," she said.

Jeff and Jennifer saw Sarah and came over on their own, making any further planning unnecessary.

Sarah introduced him to them.

"It's nice to meet you again," said Jeff, in a friendly way. "Or at least, I met you over the phone when I was looking for a lawyer for Sarah."

They were gracious and friendly to him. He hadn't expected that.

"See, that wasn't so bad," Sarah said, as they walked away.

"No," Duane said. "I'd think they'd be a little more doubtful. You must have talked them into it."

"Yeah, maybe I did."

"You could talk anybody into anything."

"I must be learning that from you," she said.

Later, they had a talk with Paul and Elizabeth. Duane felt like Paul was analysing him. Doubtless he had heard all of Elizabeth's opinion. Of course, Elizabeth was staring him down. "Nice of you to show," she said. Duane felt Sarah squeeze his arm.

"I thought you'd like it," he said to Elizabeth.

Tim Connor was the hit of the Nurse's ball, with his solo acoustic guitar spot. Then his sister Quinn and another nurse, Joanna came out and joined him for some folk songs.

Chad and Mary Ellen were dancing.

"Jackie Templeton came," Mary Ellen told him. "The whole office is in an uproar."

"I think Dad knows her from high school."

"They're both journalists. They should get together."

"I'll tell him that she is in town. You don't mind?"

"Oh, of course not. If he reads the Port Charles Gazette, he'll find out anyway. The whole town should know by now."

At the door, he kissed her good night.

She smiled, lingering in his arms. "Thanks for not trying to get me into bed tonight," she said.

"Now why would I do that?" he asked.

"My sister the counsellor told me how some of her patients complained that guys they dated said the rule was you had sex on the third date."

"That's crazy," Chad said. Mary Ellen felt relieved that he felt that way. "I'll tell you what. Wait until our 25th date."

Mary Ellen laughed. "That far, huh?"

"Yeah, by then it'll be a matter of resisting temptation – even being able to hold out. You'll never have to feel rushed."

"That's sweet," she said.

"Then if it's getting close and you still don't feel like it, it can be put off further," he said. "It's not a required deadline."

She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "You know, you're really a good guy," she said. "It just may be hard to hold out that long."

Sean and Skye went back to his apartment after the Nurse's Ball.

"If you had your own place," Sean observed. "I could take you there."

"Then why don't you take me to my parents' now?"

Sean laughed and kissed her neck. "If you lived here with me, you'd be home now."

"I'm here."

"Right where you belong," he said.

"Can the lines," Skye said. "You don't need them. Just shut up and take me to bed."

"She always loves for me to shut up," Sean said, to the ceiling. "You'd think she didn't appreciate my wit and wisdom."

Skye laughed and reached up and kissed him. That usually shut him up.

Rick took V. home. "A great time," V. said. "The Nurse's Ball always is."

"The Nurses' Ball is always interesting," he said. "Your friend Jax looked happy to see you."

"Old times," V. said. "I've gone with him. I think he is really happy I have dates for things. Now that he isn't around to be the fallback. He no longer needs one, but I still do!"

"Well," Rick said, nervously. "There's always Patti."

A smile lit V.'s face. "And Amy," she said. "I can reassure my friend Jax that I am well taken care of."

"About Amy," Rick said.

"Yes?"

"That was – Amy helping. It's not Amy's idea. It's Amy helping me with my idea I might be too – shy to carry out."

V. smiled at him, brilliantly. "I thought we went to placate Amy." But she looked pleased at the idea that he hadn't.

"No," he said. "Amy just didn't let me – fail to do it."

"You raised an amazing young woman," V. said. "And on your own, in tough circumstances."

"Thank you," he said. He took her hand, looked at it, but then kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Thank you for going with me," he said.