- Chapter Eighty-One -

The First Hurdle

Plan to leave the front door wide open for the duration of the party, bleeding citrus rays filled the sky and the rhythmic crashing of waves carried all the way up the porch, mixing with a comfortable conversation. Voice immediately recognizable, the sound of the tide had nothing against Sully regaling whoever would listen with one of his allegedly true stories. Which in this case was a half-attentive Nadine and a couple of local women.

Further down the path Joey and the birthday girl were loitering just next to the stairs, the boy asking after the acoustic guitar that Cassie had specifically locked away for the occasion. Pest being the exact word she had used.

Deeper into the scene, most everyone was already spreading themselves out, from Stella Rose giving Vicky poochie smooches to Rafael making himself at home at one of the art stations. Shaking up all the going pools, having slipped racing down the front steps Georgie was the first casualty of the night, earning the attention of some of the more helicopter-schooled parents in attendance.

Throwing back another shot from a personal flask, Chloe and the Drake's old friend Charlie were hunkered down at the fire pit, the woman throwing moody daggers. Mary-Elizabeth had buzzed by to snip at the infamous ex for this 'inexcusable behavior', however she was smarter than to expect her lectures to have any kind of result. Still, the woman felt as if it were her responsibility to help keep things as clean as possible for the kids.

So long as Fraser continued to keep her head down, it wasn't any more damaging than Nathan performing an old routine that made it seem like he had lost hand. Elena loved him dearly, but some of the kids had been forced to bring siblings that were even younger than they were... maybe even too young for that kind of magic act. Although she supposed it was better than him losing yet another rabbit. Nodding to Mary-Elizabeth on the way back to the kitchen, the former investigative journalist paused to consider the inchworm progress her brother-in-law was making.

Palms starting to feel clammy, the heiress squeezed Sam's hand for encouragement. Life rolling on as the cobwebs were dusted off the lit lens and the swiveling gears were rotated around to shine down on the pair - putting them front and center - technically speaking her brain knew that this wasn't some kind of coming out. It was just that there were even more people here than there had been after the last volleyball game, and all the extras on set were making her anxious.

Jian could have hired any one of them to spy, and if he were really smart, he might not even have to pay for the information.

Having the foresight (and recent experience) to account for such an attack, the hired historian double-tapped the side of her hand as a signal to let go, slowly moving into position to shield her from the crowd. Protecting his baby girl first and foremost, on one hand she could do with learning a thing or two about assertiveness, but on the other... there were better places for her to use it.

Not that any came readily to mind...

"Sam!" Caller a little too eager as they broke away from a friend mid-conversation, the ex-con pretended not to hear an optimist that had yet to grasp what a one night stand was.

Behind him, Dells almost had the same reaction. Less big name star and their bodyguard against a sea of paparazzi and more a lost little girl clinging to her champion in the dark, he wasn't surprised in the slightest by the tug of her clasping the back of his shirt. Awkward as this stance might make certain conversations (it was a no-brainer that folks were going to judge the young woman for gluing herself to an adult in such a juvenile way), it was a healthy-sized stroke to the ego to know that she was counting on him. At least, that was the way he took it.

"Oh, Sam, you made it!" Waving just a little too energetically for the strained top button of her blouse, Kimmy was the first to greet the eldest Drake brother. Technically Elena's brother-in-law and his curious cling-on had been there since the Doctor made his traumatizing impression on a bratty little shit heel in Montana, but that wasn't about to deter the welcoming committee. "And... Lenore, was it?" Peeking around the man at the little thing trying to shrink from existence, the twins' mother guessed something that sounded fancy. And doomed.

Bad enough that her effort to patch things up with Cassie had backfired, finding herself in that oft-explored scenario where the waitress rudely ignored the fact that a second person was there while transparently flirting with their man was more than a little vexing. Blatantly apparent that the 'slip' was more intentional than it was an honest accident, this was the straw that broke the camels back, the hill that she was going to die on.

Pride not going to suffer this on top of everything else, the heiress gave up her knee-jerk attempt at strangulation and leered around her human shield to get a better look at Kimmy. Finding nothing too threatening about a normal housewife type after dealing with actual psychos and thugs, Dells squared her shoulders before popping out from behind her cover.

"It's Ella." Though seeped in the dark dyes of Poe, while Daniella thought the name Lenore sounded pretty enough, it wasn't who she was. Not today. "Not Lenore, not Eleanor, not any of that. It's just Ella."

So much for needing that backbone.

Scarcely daring to believe that she had told an adult off, the would-be second coming of Bonny continued to ride the strange current, impulsively laying into a possessive side she hand't realized she had. Consideration for what she was doing less than an afterthought, the heiress took an unprepared Sam by the sleeve and threw his arm around her neck, effectively showing the world that she belonged to someone. Suffice it to say it wasn't an especially graceful maneuver... however it caught the right attention (and maybe some bad too).

Not ready to commit to anything - even if he wasn't all that annoyed by her brash decision (and was actually kinda...) - the adventurer found himself to be of two minds.

Thinking maybe not all the product of his northern brain, there was a part of him that could just about imagine a version of events where he reeled her in and rested his chin on the top of her golden crown. Make good on the claim she was making. Body pressed flush against his own, on the outside there wouldn't have been inherently suspicious enough to draw any additional attention. But inside...?

Adversely, the other side remembered where they were, that this was supposed to be his niece's big day, that that scumbag Ryan was out there somewhere, watching. It just wouldn't sit right; not with Cass, nor her parents, nor anyone else that actually mattered in the grand scheme of things. And...

Opening that candid slice of self that he liked to pretend died, the explorer was, to be frank, scared. He may have started to come around to the fact that it was going to be hard to dance down this road, especially when the words hadn't yet been put out there and the intentions outlined, but that didn't help make it any easier. It certainly didn't change that he had no idea of how to proceed. Sure, the first thought to spring into his mind was to go with that other voice, but something was sticking, and he couldn't quite bring himself around.

Coward.

After leaving the sanctuary of their room, neither had really addressed the matter... In fact, the closest they had come to it was holding hands in the dark during the movie. So maybe it was too much to expect him to have her back, to think that this was one of those times when the other person was supposed to stick up for you. In both legal and technical terms there wasn't any obligation between them, but... Daniella was disappointed that Sam hadn't even tried to go along with it.

Kinder side reasoning that it might have had something to do with playing this thing close to the vest, it made sense that he wouldn't want the whole entire world knowing, just in case this all went south. Which it probably would, somehow or other. Still, was it really so wrong to hope for another outcome? Perhaps that was the current definition of insanity, but since when had anyone in her family ever been able to claim that they were sane? Like, fully?

Speaking of that self-entitled lineage, the ugliest part of it prickled like the hackles on a cat when the older woman simpered at the apparent rejection. Penciled-in brows quirking smugly as if to say that it was still fair game, the mother of those twin boys turned her attention back to Sam.

Low, she used those same boys as a means of relating to the handsome thief, "Don't you just hate it when they try to act harder than what they are?" Cue the condescending shit-eating grin of someone that was under the impression they won. "When Dylan broke his arm, he refused to cry in front of anyone else, but almost every night when I put the boys down for bed, I would hear him bawling his little heart out. Noah was such a dear, not telling anyone the real reason he wasn't getting any sleep! But you understand what it's like to look out for your brother, don't you?"

Please, I practically built a career looking out for that little punk, was what the man would have said, if he weren't doing the same thing all over again for his baby girl.

His understandably fuming little princess, pure wrath incarnate as her processors worked on the best possible vengeance, leering eyes more scarlet than blue-gray as they fixated upon the single mother. Possibly even more fearsome than the death Chloe was glaring, the young woman took an automatic step forward that she didn't even realize she took. Weary of what the girl might do, Sam wisely intervened before she could do anything else reckless.

"And this one too."

Too little too late, Adler junior made to jerk away from Sam's sorry attempt to placate her fury only to shoot herself in the foot instead. Rubbing her elbow with those comforting little circles that had done so much for their relationship since the very beginning, the elder gent got why she might resist the motion. Fine. What could only be so calculated by either party was the fact that she was not the most steady person in the world, slipping on the sand as she meant to take another step away from decorum. Prepared to catch her before she could fall, he grinned down as she crashed into his chest.

"That's another you owe me." Dark isles twinkling with the promise of mischief, as they looked at one another something just clicked into place. Dare it be suggested that the world got a little brighter?

Stupid Sam. Grudging her thief that damn infectious charm of his, that smile that could best her no matter what, the fire in her belly lowered to a simmer when he caught her. Forgiving him (more or less) when he looked at her the way he currently was, Daniella could feel her breath hitching in her chest once more. How can he always do this to me?! Infuriated as well as infatuated anew, she promised herself that even if it wasn't anytime soon, this wasn't going to be the end of it.

[Pick Me!]

Main event leading up to the cake and candle-blowing, Nate, Elena, and Nadine were setting the final safety bumpers into place for three-legged race. Assembly still ambling around the beach in search of the largest seashell (not an official event by any means, yet one that just about everyone had participated in to some extent), most had called it quits and were in the process of pairing off. All seemed to have it in their minds that it would be a cinch, that victory was as good as in the bag. For some, that might have been nearer to the truth.

For others, it was less about who 'won' and more about who they were temporarily tied to. Even though neither woman had left the impression that they were going to participate, almost all night Chloe and Nadine had just barely missed the less hostile looks the other had been giving. Jenn had reluctantly given up all hope that the apple of her eye would give her request the time of day, Georgie had no one in particular in mind, and Ali was still working his way up to asking Rafael if he was even interested in the contest, let alone if he wanted to join him.

Kimmy - after counting the many long seconds it took Sam and 'just Ella' to detach from one another - had grudgingly come to accept that there were only two girls the visiting rogue would spare a second thought on. Wondering what it was about the Drake brothers and blondes, she settled on joining the 'I too cut a notch on Sam's bedpost only to have my heart broken' club. It stung, but at least there she knew she would be in good company. Unless she joins us there too.

When it came to the obvious pair-ups, if there was an award handed out for who was an absolute lock, it would have gone to the new kid on the block. Years past the Drakes seemed to rotate exclusively within their family circle, with Joey being the closest thing to an outlier. This year... not a single person even questioned if Sam would partner with this stranger, because of course he was going to. Even Cassie, who totally hated it, knew that it was inevitable.

Oddly enough, it seemed like the only person that that didn't just assume it was going to be a thing was the heiress herself. Over the course of time she had spent around Elena planning the party, the young woman knew that this was a staple for the Drake family, that it was going to be the showstopper before the candles were lit. She had learned from Mr. Drake (who she was still trying to come around to calling by his first name) that it was presently Elena's year to be the chosen one, provided of course that Cassie went with the default option of family. Sitting in on these moments, Sam never chimed in.

Fast-forward to now, and he still hadn't said anything about it. Holding on to a rather lovely chunk of spiral shell that had washed up on shore for her, the career criminal wasn't really doing much speaking at that point. Partially glad for that, in her mind it must have been out of contrition for earlier with the neighborhood trash... or else it was a clever cover to keep both eyes on her rear. Either way, kind of a win-win for her.

Daniella's turn to be smug, if it was the later then that was especially flattering, as the young woman had found herself taking longer than usual to get ready. Sure, the extra attention to detail could have gotten written off as being for that night, but the truth was that she was trying to make magic... for Sam. Already a self-conscious being and jarringly aware that he had seen her at her worst, Dells wanted to look good for him, to prove that she was just as good as any of the rest. Unfortunately that had led to too much everything and a self-sabotaging attempt to course-correct, but in the end she'd left the hotel feeling like she had made a small improvement.

For a whole fleeting second, when she had looked in the mirror, she didn't want to cry.

So then why the hell was Sam having such a hard time asking her?!

Pondering to herself if maybe it was because he was holding out for a better option, that train of thought served only to bring the heiress back around to a certain someone that was young, blonde, and wore glasses. More specifically, the loathing that was stronger on one end than the other... Curious if their spat made it that much more likely that Cassie would defy all odds and pick Sam, the young woman found herself at the edge of the sea. Fingers skimming across the frothing edge of wetness, Daniella plunged her whole hand into the lapping tide.

If Cassie was so convinced that she had some sort of insidious plot going on, then maybe giving her this one thing would prove that she wasn't such a bad guy. Was that something I needed to prove? The echo-fist in the water said yes. But why should I have to do that? Because it's her birthday?

Selfishly thinking of all the time she had already lost with him, Dells had no clue how much more she would have; Cassie had Sam for the rest of his life, so surely one more day wouldn't kill her! Then again... Dark wash casting a distorted reflection that might not have even been strictly real, the young woman could see her father, someplace between a memory and the monolithic oil painting that haunted the hollow halls of his house. For what it was worth, Daniella knew exactly what it felt like to be overlooked, to be cheated of precious time with loved ones.

In that regard, Dells wanted to be the bigger person and tell Sam that he should compete with his niece, however as she looked out at the starkly contrasting horizon, it seemed that Sleeping Beauty was more petty than that. Fueled by pure selfishness, the primary truth in this pudding was that she didn't want Cassie to have him, not after their little chat in the back. Totally unaware of the fact that she was the one the man had chosen, she straightened and began heading back for the closest thing she had to a home.

Supposing it were just as simple as waiting to be asked to the dance, Dells could picture herself taking control, faking confidence that she didn't really have as she told him that they would be competing together. Why not, after everything they had been through? But then she came up to the man, and something else entirely came out of her mouth.

Eyes skipping across the scene to make sure they weren't the focus of attention like she kept fearing they were, her gaze landed squarely on the true star of the night. Laughing with her friends about something, for just a moment the girl glanced in her direction, and they were locked in a staring contest that lasted only so long. Short enough that the gaggle of preteens were none the wiser yet spanning a stretch long enough for a trained observer could pick up that something had transpired. Long enough to feel like an eternity damn near.

Sense of guilt rising to overpower everything else, the teen that had never really had much in the way of a friend before could feel herself buckling...

"You're going to be participating in the race, right?" Clueless as to what had come over her, her only hope was that the girl would refuse her uncle because she had made a prior commitment and wanted to be a woman of her word. "You should ask Cassie if she wants to be your partner."

Not granted the chance to even answer if they were planning on running - yes, he was so sure that they would enter the race together that he never once stopped to think of it in terms of needing to run the idea by her - Sam broke. Um, what? Weren't they doing that together? "Come again?"

Gears slowly grinding into place as she continued to watch his niece with her friends, that sudden stare down between the two girls now made sense, however he still didn't get why Daniella would say something like this. Nathan had already made it perfectly clear that if anyone in the family was going to be paired up with the birthday girl, it was going to be her mother. Unless there was some reason why she wanted to bow out, and this was her way of achieving that?

"You should ask Cassie if she wants to run the race with you." Repeating herself not making the situation any better for her stomach or clearer for the man, she wanted to just laugh off the whole thing like some unfunny joke, but she was too deep into it now to just change course all of a sudden. Although why that meant she felt the need to double-down was beyond her. "Cassie's your family, and she loves you. Besides, who knows how many more of these days she'll get with you?" Basically confessing that the girl thought she was trying to steal him away, Dells gave an impassioned head shake, "Sam... Just do it. It never hurts to be asked, trust me."

Maybe Cassie isn't so wrong about me after all... Maybe I am just saying all of this to look good...?

Arching a thick brow shot through with more brown than any other color, it was Sam's turn to catch her off guard, "I do, baby girl." Moment in danger of getting too sappy, the explorer shrugged and put on a playful smirk as he passed her back her shell, "Alright, fine, I'll go ask nicely if it'll make ya happy."

He... he really means it, doesn't he?

Profoundly struck by the words, Dells wanted to take it all back, to say that she would really be happy if he picked her instead. But it was too late for that, the damage was already done, and it was her own dumb fault...

Author's Note:

So I've been really sick since about the 14th, so I may be a little off. Like there might be extra spelling errors or grammatical mistakes that I miss, or something. Or maybe something was put in that made sense in my muddled brain but actually doesn't. Just a friendly heads up.