AUTHOR'S NOTE: HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE YOU GUYS! Holy hazelnuts, this last chapter gave me loads of trouble. This is probably the 8th rewrite, and I was seriously thinking about not finishing this. I'm not gonna give any crappy excuses for not writing this, I just seriously couldn't write anything that I didn't find awful the next day. Fortunately, somebody commented some uplifting words and I became motivated enough to finish it. But, of course, I had to reread the original trilogy and then bum around on finishing it for a couple weeks… Ahem, months. (True story, folks.) I can't believe it's the one year anniversary of this fanfic!

It's pretty obvious, but my writing style changed a bit in the past few months. Hopefully for the better, am I right? :D Anyway, I hope you find this to be a satisfying last chapter! :)

Chapter Ten: A Night to Remember.

Kate gazed into the mirror, scrutinizing the reflection staring back at her. The hair, done up in a fancy style she'd rarely ever been seen in, and the outfit she wore was much the same. The outfit choice was hardly her own, but she could see the need for it. Her usual, casual outfit wouldn't quite meet the dress-code.

It wasn't every day that they got to attend such a high-class party. But today they did.

It'd been a surprise from Mr. Benedict, a last minute one that had almost been cancelled on account of the past few events. But thanks to Kate's quick recovery, it hadn't been.

And now the society was just fifteen minutes away from a car-ride to the outskirts of stone town where a grand party awaited them.

Sticky had successfully retained a lot of information about it from the adults, and the society had excitedly discussed it all in a meeting the night prior. They had agreed that the four of them should stick together, especially during the countdown.

Reluctantly, Kate had to partially skip out on the meeting. Milligan was awfully stern that she rested well the night before the party to drive away any remaining ailment. She frustratedly agreed, not wanting to cause any more upset.

"Don't talk about anything dreadfully important without me!" She had stated in mock demand the night before. "Wouldn't dream of it!" Reynie had responded.

Everyone had been up early that morning, getting dressed and ready. Because preparations were handled so hastily, the society had lots of time to hang around afterwards. With it being a holiday break, they had nothing on their plates.

By eight in the evening, they were back to adding some final touches to their outfits. Hairstyles, in Kate's case.

It had taken a dreadfully long time, but Rhonda managed to get it looking very fashionable. Kate refrained from squirming or complaining, not wanting to give the impression of unthankfulness.

She was looking forward to the party! She'd heard all about the entertainment, the fancy food, and all the other upper-class stuff. The building had three stories of it! Plus, it would be especially nice to get her mind off of everything that had happened in the past week. She was certain that this would be a great way to do just that. It would be a night to remember.

They were all certain that it would be a night to remember.

And although they weren't wrong, things didn't go exactly as planned…

"Where the heck are they!?"

Kate mumbled under her breath as she made a 360 turn around the room. She'd lost them about half an hour ago, and just could not find them again. The gigantic size of the place sure didn't make things any easier.

In retrospect, she probably should've been more wary of this when she went off to explore… Without telling anybody. But at the time, they all seemed preoccupied with their own things! She didn't think anybody would mind. She was just bored, and restless, and dying to get a good look around the place.

And now she was just dying for a friendly face she recognized.

She'd liked it there at first. She really had! Nice food, nice music, nice atmosphere. When she was with her friends, that is.

But as she wandered around the place, alone and desolate, she didn't like it all that much anymore.

Plus, She kept on getting these funny looks as she walked by.

Kate knew it was her bucket they were gaping at, but she personally thought that the frilly, scarlet red dress— Number Two and Rhonda had forced her to wear —was the ridiculous part of her outfit.

She sighed in exasperation as a little girl pointed at her and laughed. Kate was pretty good with people, but all these fancy-schmancy, upper-class people didn't exactly fit her definition of friendly.

"Excuse me!"

Kate called out to a business man who's bright shiny watch had caught her attention. He reluctantly turned his head and a look of disdain crossed his face when his eyes landed on her.

"...How can I help you..?"

He had a distinct tone of disgust in his voice.

"Would you mind giving me the time?"

She motioned towards the watch.

He gawked at her like she'd just spoken complete gibberish. But after a moment, he slowly held his wrist up.

"..Twenty 'till midnight.."

"Oh, tha—"

Then he simply swiveled around before she'd even finished.

'Well, that was pretty rude of him,' Kate thought.

Twenty 'till midnight? Kate had to find them before that, otherwise they would miss the countdown! Everyone's favorite part of the night, especially Kate's.

A blissful smile spread across her face, and she felt an odd feeling emerge in the pit of her stomach. Familiar, but still odd to Kate.

She clenched her fists and urged the feeling to go away, wondering in frustration when she'd started getting so mushy with her feelings.

Sometime after coming home from the hospital, she figured. Back when she'd been confined to bed.

If one knew Kate in the slightest, they'd know that she'd normally despise every moment of her confinement! But the weird part is, that's not exactly what happened..

Kate had felt more sick than she ever cared to admit— which she obviously hadn't enjoyed —and yet, she wouldn't trade those few days for the world!

Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that she and Reynie had gotten a lot of time together. Just the two of them…

Kate supposed she'd liked it because it'd given her lots of time— time she wouldn't have made for herself, had she not gotten sick— to think about all sorts of things and people… Not that there was a particular person she thought about a lot, or anything!

At this point, Kate's cheeks were turning as scarlet as her dress. She hated thinking about all of this stuff. It made her flustered, and fidgety.

And to prevent spending any more time thinking about it, Kate harshly told herself to return to the task at hand. She figured it was time to try searching one of the lower floors again.

With a sharp breath, she cleared her mind and whipped around to face the other direction.

But instead, she found herself staring directly into the eyes of whom she most dreaded— and kind of looked forward to —being around at the moment. The cause of her wacky midlife crisis, or whatever it was.

Naturally, she began to flounder around hopelessly.

How would she normally react in this situation? She panicked and sprung forward to hug him— nearly body slamming him to the ground in the process.

…Complete and utter failure.

"Reynie! Hi!" She exclaimed, pulling back from the hug. "I'm so glad I found you!I was beginning to think I would have to start the new year off with a bunch of stuck-up strangers!.." She added, breathing hard.

Reynie, still recovering from the near heart attack Kate had just given him, laughed weakly.

"Hi, Kate," He replied, "Sorry it took so long for me to find you, but this place really is huge..! I came back from the restrooms, and you guys were nowhere to be found! I know it took me a while and all, but I had no idea where to find them.."

"Oh, yeah.. Sorry about deserting you." Kate said apologetically. "We planned on staying where we were until you came back, but then Constance left to get some more snacks, and Sticky got into this deep, philosophical debate with a bunch of smarty-pants, scientist-type people." She frowned. "I couldn't understand half of what they were saying, and kinda got bored.. So I figured I'd go around and check this place out!" An uncharacteristically timorous smile arose on her face. "I ended up losing track of time…"

Reynie checked his watch curiously. "Oh, wow.. I can't believe it's been nearly three hourssince we got here!"

"Time flies, I guess." Kate said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Reynie nodded emphatically. "Only fifteen minutes till the countdown starts.. But I'm sure that'll be enough time to find Sticky and Constance!" He paused thoughtfully. "You know, the balcony would be a great place to go for the countdown.. The view is stunning, and we'll be able to see the fireworks crystal clear!"

"Sounds great!" Kate replied without missing a beat. She knew what balcony he was talking about. A big, fancy, marble one on the third floor, and it was stunning.

Reynie shot her a familiar, charming smile, and Kate felt her stomach flip-flop. He really had a nice smile, didn't he? She'd never realized how nice of a smile it was until a few days ago.

For about three seconds, Kate decided there was absolutely nothing wrong in the world, and that she'd be quite fine staying there with Reynie for the next few hours. However, the elation was short-lived.

"Meh, don't bother looking for me or Sticky." Called a voice from behind.

"Huh?" Kate turned around to face the short, blonde haired girl. "Connie-girl?!"

Constance rolled her eyes and took a large bite out of a powdered donut. "Well, duh. Who else would it be?" She remarked with a mouth full of food. "Also, do not call me 'Connie-girl' in public. Or ever."

"How long have you been standing there?!"

Reynie asked, sounding oddly embarrassed.

"Long enough." Constance said with a steady and insulting smile, "I saw you guys from across the room and figured I'd join you. Also, I found George Washington on my way. He was talking to some nerdy, old guys. I nearly passed out from boredom after hearing about three seconds of their conversation… Anyway, I reminded him about our stupid plan to meet up, and he told me that he wanted to finish his conversation. He doesn't even mind if he misses the countdown."

"Huh? He really said that!?" Reynie questioned, "That doesn't really sound like something he would say, especially when it comes to this…"

"Yeah? Well, get over it because it's true. If it makes you feel better— or not, I don't really care— I have generously decided to stay back there with him. Feel free to go ahead without us. Or, if you'd rather, you could join Sticky's bore-fest of a conversation.."

Constance shifted her eyes over to Kate and grinned, "Anyhow, I'm sure you wouldn't mind it just being the two of you." She swiveled around and tottered away gleefully. "You kids have a nice time!"

Reynie blinked idly, processing the information that had just been catapulted at him.

"Do we just stay here with them, or-?"

"Let's just go to the balcony like we were going to!" Kate interjected swiftly, "Constance seemed okay with it, and it sounded like Sticky was, too! Y'know, we don't always have to stay as a group.."

Kate felt an intense pang of guilt the moment the words tumbled out of her mouth. What was wrong with her? How could she dump Sticky and Constance to the curb like that? Just because things with Reynie were kinda out of whack, that doesn't mean her loyalty to Sticky and Constance should be, too!

"Okay..." Reynie concurred, a shy smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Her heart palpitated excitedly at his unexpected reaction.

'Reynie seems to agree..' She thought slowly. 'If he's good with it, then it must be okay.. right? I'm just blowing everything out of proportion.'

And with that, Kate reasoned that it was okay. To make a big deal out of it was to make a mountain out of a molehill.

So, with her mind racing, and her feet skipping joyfully beside Reynie, Kate headed towards the balcony.

Unfortunately, upon arrival, they discovered that there wasn't quite enough room for them among the large crowd… Frankly, Kate thought there wasn't enough room for about half the people who were there. It seems everyone thought that the balcony was the best place to watch the fireworks.

"Well, this isn't exactly what I had pictured..." Reynie said as a large woman harshly shoved him aside in an attempt to get a better view. "It's a little crowded.."

"A little crowded? It's a wonder this balcony hasn't snapped off yet." Kate noted.

She sighed disappointedly and lolled her head back.

It was awfully nice that Mr. Benedict planned this whole thing out, and all, but it would've been great if the place weren't so crowded! At least that way she and Reynie didn't have to spend the beginning moments of the new year sandwiched between a thousand people.

She slumped her shoulders down and sighed once more. Maybe it was best that they join Constance and Sticky…

Which is just what she was about to suggest, until she noticed what was lingering above them.

Now shimmering and shining in all its glory, another balcony. A beautiful, pure marble, and completely person-free balcony.

'That's right,' Kate realized. 'There's another floor!' She'd heard Sticky mention it.

Oh, yeah— and she'd tried sneaking up there about thirty minutes ago.

But she'd quickly stopped herself after realizing what repercussions might come along if she were to be caught!

However, those repercussions were the last thing on her mind now.

"Reynie!" Kate exclaimed,"What if we went up onto that balcony?" she added, cautiously quiet.

He looked up and furrowed his eyebrows. "But… that balcony is on the fourth floor, and the fourth floor is-"

"-closed. Yeah, I know…" Kate sighed.

Then leaning in closer, she whispered, "But I'm sure that getting in there wouldn't be so hard."

Reynie grimaced.

"We would have a perfect view of the fireworks, way more space than we have down here, and the entire thing to just us!" Kate continued.

At his reluctance, Kate began to suspect that Reynie would oppose. After all, breaking the rules was rarely ever Reynie's first choice of action.

Just as she considered shooting down her own idea before he could, a ready, endearing smile appeared on his face.

"Let's do it." He said resolutely.

Kate's eyes lit up and she hopped up and down eagerly.

"Let's do it." She repeated with an aura of mischief in her voice.

Reynie and Kate crept through the door to the staircase they'd originally taken on arrival and carefully tip-toed up a restricted flight of stairs to the fourth floor, each flinching at every noise that emerged from the silence.

Who knows what would happen if they were seen by a staff member. Kate figured they'd be kicked out— or even worse —harshly reprimanded by their guardians. (Which was bound to happen if they were caught.)

Eventually, they arrived at a large door with a sign hanging off the handle. 'STAFF ONLY' It read in big, bold lettering. Kate skipped forward in a thrilled manner, adrenaline hyping her up. With a swift hand, she lockpicked the door, and the two discreetly slipped inside.

It led into a large, empty room illuminated solely by the light shining in from large glass windows. The room was very similar to the one below, only smaller with a slightly different design. The only reason it'd been off-limits was because it was undergoing minor renovations— so she'd heard —but by the looks of it, the construction was nearly finished.

Upon looking at the glass door that separated them from the balcony, Kate rushed over and repeated the same method of lockpicking.

With Reynie close behind, she stepped out onto the balcony.

A wave of fresh air hit her, and she was immediately engrossed in the atmosphere. The bright, tiny speckles dotting the night sky, drifting behind the perfectly silhouetted mountain in the distance. The impeccable balance between the brisk air lingering above, and the draft of warmth from below.

Resting her hands on the crisp, cool balcony rail, she took it all in.

She glanced over at Reynie, his dark hair whirling in the wind, and the light reflecting off his eyes so perfectly. She felt a nervous, fluttery feeling that made her whole everything go all fuzzy and warm.

She almost liked the feeling..?

"How much time left?" Kate choked out, her voice sounding more ambiguous than she'd meant.

Reynie glanced down at his wrist then darted his eyes back up at Kate. "Just about 8 minutes." He said, flashing her a radiant smile.

"Hmm.." Kate expressed blissfully. She could hear music emanating from below. A gentle, swooning melody. Down on the lower floor, Kate had found the music a little intruding and loud.

However, now it was muffled in the most perfect, charming way.

An idea crept inside Kate's mind, and it made her queasy thinking about it. But in an odd way, she liked it; the same way she liked the adrenaline rush from before.

"Well, in the meantime…" Kate's voice was soft, and clear. She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks as she outstretched her hand to Reynie, "May I have this dance?"

Reynie was taken aback by her question, like it was one of the last things he expected her to say. It probably was.

"I- I don't know how to dance…" He said regretfully.

"Me neither," Kate responded nonchalauntly, "But we can try— and totally flop —together." She winked.

Reynie's complexion tinged with pink and he smiled timidly, "Sounds like a pretty good plan to me."

She placed her left hand on Reynie's shoulder and her right hand on his side, while he did the same. Kate barely knew anything about dancing, but she had seen enough to know the basics.

"Ready?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yup..!"

"Alright," Kate said firmly, "Here we go..!"

The sweet melody was slow and romantic, and— thankfully, for them — easy to dance along with. It was a simple step up, side, down, side, repeat, kind of dance— with a couple of spins and twirls added in here and there.

And, good grief, was it far from perfect.

One of them would step on the other's foot every few minutes, and they both kept stepping forward or sideways when they weren't supposed to. Definitely not to the standard of any romance movie.

Nonetheless, Kate felt lightheaded, and her heart stirred excitedly. She could stay in that moment for hours, laughing and twirling around underneath the night sky. A moment shared just by the two of them, free of all worry and anxiety, and yet, filled to the brim with meaning. A moment of— oh, what's the word?

A moment of.. euphoria.

And the particularly special thing was that— in that moment, as she gazed into Reynie's soft brown eyes —Kate asked herself a very significant question. A question that had been lingering in the back of her mind for the past few days. A question whose answer she would not soon forget.

'What's so bad about the feeling?'

All this time, she'd been trying so hard to convince herself that the feeling was new and foreign, and that soon things would return back to how they were; that things were better that way. But was that really true?

If she took a moment to register the feeling— seriously register it and not pretend like it wasn't there —Kate figured that maybe it wasn't all that new.

In every interaction, every experience she'd ever had with Reynie, something was always off. Her heart beating just a little faster every time he walked into the room, the way she looked at him, unlike any way she'd ever looked at anybody else, that feeling she got whenever she thought of him— how she so frequently thought of him!

Point being, she'd never likedReynie the same way she liked Sticky or Constance, had she?

No, something was different. Something always had been. Maybe she just hadn't acknowledged that.

And that difference was an affection that meant all the world to Kate. Not the family kind of affection she had for everybody else, but more of a gentle, pining affection. An affection that lit up her life like a candle.

So, what was bad about it? To cherish and adore a very important person in one's life, to want to spend time with them, and to be better because of them.

Was there really anything bad about it at all..?

It took hypothermia, a few hours of unconsciousness, several days of intense denial, and several years of close friendship, but she could finally admit it to herself.

Kate Wetherall liked Reynie Muldoon. Really, really liked Reynie Muldoon.

Being around him lifted her spirits, she felt comfortable and safe with him, he inspired her, and that wasn't bad.

At these surmises, something within Kate altered. What once had been a burden or weight changed into something different. An elation. A liberation. And she smiled. Smiled as genuinely as she ever thought she had. Bringing Reynie justa little closer, she simply let the feeling envelope her.

"Thanks, Reynie." Kate said gently.

Reynie's face scrunched up in confusion. "For what?"

Kate rested her head on his shoulder— which momentarily caused his entire being to tense up.

"A lot of things." She said promptly. "Carrying me through the snow for miles and not giving up, keeping me company while I was sick and felt really crappy.." She pulled him in and hugged tight, and in a quiet voice— nearly a whisper —she added. "And for just.. I don't know.. being you."

Kate wasn't really sure where those words came from. A deeper part of her, she guessed; one just a little more vulnerable than the Great Kate Weather Machine preferred.

However, any uneasiness of hers was instantly erased out of existence when Reynie returned the soft embrace— which momentarily caused her entire being to tense up. "Thank you, Kate…" His lips were so close to her ears that he barely had to whisper for her to hear. "For everything. And, well.. for not dying this winter. Especially that."

Kate felt laughter bubble up in her throat and she smiled to herself. "I had some help in that specific area.."

She slowly pulled back from the hug and looked Reynie in the eyes, emphasizing her smile once more. Reynie returned the smile, and Kate liked the way his eyes twinkled in the lights.

"Since when did you get so soft, Kate Wetherall?" Reynie asked with a teasing smile. "Guess I've been spending too much time around you." She winked.

"Is that an insult?" Reynie asked, looking significantly offended.

"Quite the opposite, actually." Kate laughed and poked him. "I like you just the way you are. Softness and everything."

Seemingly out of nowhere, a chorus of a hundred voices began to shout out from downbelow. "10.. 9.. 8.."

They both flinched away at the sudden noise. "The countdown must be starting!"Kate said in disarray.

They both intuitively rushed towards the edge of the balcony, hastily joining in with the other voices.

"7.. 6.." Reynie and Kate turned their heads to look at each other, a giddy smile breaking onto either of their faces.

"5.. 4.." This was it.

"3.." New year,

"2.." New chances,

"1.." New beginnings.

"Happy New Years!" Kate and Reynie cheered out into the night sky along with everybody else. The traditional New Years song started to play as friends hugged and people shouted out merrily.

The two slowly drew closer together like magnets, both anticipating the arrival of fireworks.

Kate took a deep breath, and gently intertwined her fingers with Reynie's— which most definitely caught his attention. She flashed him a bright, warm smile, and he managed to return a slightly confused, slightly dizzy one. She held his gaze for a good minute before her face slowly started moving closer to his.

It wasn't really a conscious decision that she do it, until Kate realized that she was doing it.

She was moving her lips towards his, watching his eyes widen in relatization, watching herself risk their entire friendship.

She was suddenly overcome by adrenaline. The bad kind. The kind that gives you sweaty palms. The kind you get right after making a huge mistake.

Kate realized she was on the verge of making that huge mistake.

Her mind was spinning so rapidly, she felt sick. Her brain and her heart were clashing violently.

Then and there, Kate Wetherall followed— what she figured to be —her brain's better judgement. She backed out from her crazy, spontaneous decision, and she backed out shamefully.

It was stupid. The entire thing was stupid. To take a risk like that— to risk losing Reynie's friendship after a moment of losing her self-control. If that move had ruined their entire relationship, she never would've forgiven herself. That night would have truly become a night to remember, but only for reasons of regret and hurt.

So she supposed that— however painful the conclusion may be —it was wisest to let her feelings simmer inside…

However, something caused Kate to change her mind. Something big. Something astronomically big.

Just as she slowly backed her face away, it happened.

A surge of warmth flooded Kate's entire being. Everything around her spun and twisted into a blur, melting away into undefined shapes and colours. She closed her eyes, and she was suddenly floating up off the ground, flying up into the stars.

It took one more second for her brain to fully register that she, Kate Wetherall, was kissing Reynie Muldoon. Really, and actually. They were kissing.

Time stopped. It must've, because even though it lasted for mere seconds, Kate swore it felt an infinity longer.

When their lips parted, she took a slow breath in. She was dazed and disoriented, but not in a bad way! She stared long and hard into his eyes.

Hehad kissed her. He had kissed her. Reynie freakin' Muldoon had kissed her!

She was just about ready to break out into some kind of excited, flipping, gymnastics routine when she noticed Reynie's face shift into a grimmer expression. A wide-eyed one that really screamed "What the heck did I just do?!" The regret in his eyes, very apparent.

He slowly opened his mouth to say something— probably some kind complex, thorough, sincerely deep apology promising he would never do anything of the sorts again, and that he'd stay an extra three feet away from her and her respective comfort zone till the end of time and beyond —but before he could, she swiftly covered it with her hand.

"Reynie—" Kate said sternly. "I know you're probably about to apologize, but— uh, let me speak first." She anxiously shifted her weight from one side to the other. " I don't exactly know what that meant… but- uhm, I'm gonna make an assumption." She took a deep breath in.

"I like you." She said firmly. "Like-like you. I sorta always have. It just took almost freezing to death to realize it… So, don't apologize." She stared at him with a luminous, hopeful smile. "Because I'm glad you did it."

Reynie's eyes widened— even more, that is —and he gently moved Kate's hands off his mouth, a smile flickering waywardly on his lips.

"You like me..? Actually…?"

Kate tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded. "Reynie, you're clever, and kind, and.. you always make me feel excitedand happy on the inside." She smiled to herself. "And I don't want that feeling to go away." She laced her fingers into his and gazed deeply into his eyes. "I really, actually like you."

He gazed back quizzically with a wide-eyed, wonderous expression, Kate's words truly sinking in.

"I like you, too." He said softly, a small, affectionate smile appearing on his lips.

Kate grinned. "Really?"

"Are you kidding? I've liked you for forever! But I was afraid that might mess things up… that if you ever found out, everything would be ruined..!" He paused and his eyes darkened. "But then you almost died… and I realized there was so much that I'd never said. Things I wanted to say, but just never did…" He looked into her eyes sincerely. "I'd never gotten to tell you just how much I appreciate your confidence, and cleverness… Or that I love how you're always so brave, and how you always make me feel brave. I cherish and admire so many things about you, Kate." He gave her a soft, deep-eyed smile. "I cherish and admire you."

Those words…

Those words were more than Kate could ever ask for. More than she could ever want.

She smiled and laughed. Was this all really happening? All in the course of one minute, her life had been flipped upside down. Reynie liked her. Reynie actually liked her. The words of confirmation ran through her mind on repeat, each time sounding sweeter than the last. She felt like she was losing her mind and gaining it all at once.

"Can I kiss you?!" She asked ecstatically.

He froze for a second before fully understanding the question. "I- uhm- sure?"

She placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him forward, kissing him solidly on the lips. As if on cue, a loud crack boomed in the sky synchronously, and Kate could see the fireworks' brilliant colors in the corner of her eye. She felt Reynie's initial shock curve into a smile, and shutting her eyes, she let everything else fade away.

There was this wonderful, amazing feeling blooming inside Kate's chest, unlike anything she had experienced before. Something words could not quite describe.

If what Kate was feeling at that particular moment was what one might call "love," then she understood the hype.

After a couple of seconds, their lips pulled away and two of them were left gazing into each other's eyes with adulation.

Kate gave Reynie one the most genuine, warm smiles known to mankind, and naturally, he returned it.

"If I'm dreaming…" Kate said blissfully, "don't wake me up."

Reynie laughed softly, the look of relief evident on his face. "I thought I messed up so bad back there."

"Reynie, if you hadn't kissed me, I probably never would've had the guts to tell you I liked you." She laughed.

He raised an eyebrow coyly. "Oh… so you're saying I'm braver than the esteemed Kate Wetherall, are you?"

"Hmm.. braver, or just.. dumber?"

Kate asked accusingly.

"Wow." Reynie noted dryly. "Insulting me on our first date? You're really raking in the guys, aren't you?"

"Watch it, pal, or you're gonna find yourself dumped within the next five minutes of this date." Kate stated matter-of-factly.

She sighed blissfully and stared into Reynie's soft brown eyes. "So what happens next?"

"I don't really know, but.." He smiled playfully and held his hand forthright. "We can worry about that later..?"

Kate grinned and accepted the forward. "I like the way you think, Muldoon." She stepped forward and casually placed her hands on his shoulders. "Oh, and by the way, Reynie—"

"Yeah?" He raised an eyebrow smoothly.

"Happy New Years." She winked.

—-

Constance kicked her legs up and down on the brim of the car seat. Boy, was she exhausted. From lack of sleep, and otherwise.

It'd taken a frustrating amount of time to convince Sticky that the whole getting separated from Reynie and Kate thing had been a substantial misunderstanding on her part. It hadn't been, but she needed him to believe it was… whatever, it had worked so what was the point of being concerned about it anymore? Everything had gone— relatively —according to her brilliant plan.

Those two idiots had liked each other for, what? Two, three years? She was so sick and tired of watching them go back and forth about it… She'd seen the perfect opportunity for them, and she'd hastily grabbed it. Aside from sticking them underneath a bunch of mistletoe, what was more perfect than New Year's Eve countdown? (And, yeah— sure, maybe she didn't really orchestrate the entire thing, and mainly just got the two of them alone for the countdown without any further plan… But, hey! That was more than nothing!)

Sticky might've been 'exuberantly annoyed' at her for the first few minutes, but they had still enjoyed the countdown when it was just the two of them…

They would have to get used to Reynie and Kate being a thing now, anyways. That is, when the two spilled the beans that they were dating. Whenever that was gonna be. She could already see the two of them acting like a sappy couple, chatting and whispering in the backseats of the car.

However, she smiled at this. Despite her inclination to barf whenever she saw a couple kissing or holding hands and crap, she felt happy for those two dummies. (And she was excited to see how badly Milligan and Miss Perumal would react to their relationship.)

She yawned tiredly and rested her forehead on the car window, watching the lights of the grand building slowly fade into the blackness of the night.

It'd been a pretty great end to a pretty fantastic year, Constance admitted.

Somewhere deep inside, she had the premonition that the society would all but escape perilous excitement in the coming 365 days…

And as Constance slowly joined Sticky in peaceful slumber, she found herself all but dreading it.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm… done? I'm done… I'M DONE! After one whole freaking year of work and dedication to finish this fanfic, and being anxious to get this thing finished on time, I'M DONE!

I read it over, and over again, and I'm actually happy with it! I had no idea how hard it was to write a kissing scene. And you know what? I don't even care if I read this next week and think it's complete cringe, because I am 100% certain I did my best! And I'm DONE, BABY!

I can finally allow myself to start working on different writing projects!

It's been a great run, you guys! I spent hours and hours researching for this fanfic. I learned so many things about hypothermia, how car gas works, how bunkers are built, and I definitely learned a lot about helicopters. (Probably a lot more than necessary. Pretty sure I can fly a helicopter now.)

If you managed to get this far into the story, thank you! I re-read this entire fanfic, and found that there were definitely a lot of cringe things I'm tempted to go back and fix. (I might do just that if I find the time…) For example, 'bored game.' 'B-O-R-E-D game.'

Ughhhhhh, the embarrassment of not knowing how to spell board game …

Also, why are they playing connect four in chapter one? Like, seriously? Why didn't I just make them play chess?

Anyway, thank you all for the kind and supporting comments. Hopefully I'll come out with some more things soon! But in the meantime, I hope you all have the most amazing, spectacular year yet. -KitKatz.