~Disclaimer: I own none of them, I'm just playing with them, and I'll be returning them when I get through. I also stake no claim to any episodes that I use for the Flashbacks. They belong to the writers and FFC. I do however own Alex Wallace, his father and his secretary Connie, as well as anyone Scott knew when he was at home with his father.~

~There are also a few lines that I have taken from one of my other favorite shows, BTVS. I thought that Joss's words would fit better in this type of subtext. I am not changing the words in any way shape or form. They will also be returned when I'm done.~

~I'm sorry it's taking so long to write this....Major case of writer's block. It's over now, and expect at least one every two days. Keep the reviews coming, that's how you get the long ones. *Illusia

"The eyes are the window to ones soul." ~Unknown.

The next two days were spent preparing for the Morp. Peter had talked Jeff into shortening the classes to half an hour each, so the Cliffhangers would have more time to work on everything they needed to. The other students didn't like that idea much, seeing as though the only ones to take advantage of that offer was the Cliffhangers. Peter also extended lights out an extra hour. Juliet and Jessica spent every waking hour that they had, after and before class, plotting out nad designing the layout of the lodge. The guys chopped wood, and worked and chores and Peter's "guy hikes," while Daisy and Sophie were in charge of figuring out how to procure the tuxes for the guys and gowns for the girls. A few of the local tux shops in the area offered to cover the expense of the guys rented tuxes, and Daisy had called local businesses for donations for the ladies gowns. Before she even had time to ask him, Alex had already handed Sophie a check for two thousand dollars, THEN he offered to pay for all of the Cliffhanger girls' expenses for whatever they would need for the Morp. Juliet's mother, on the other hand, told Daisy that they only had enogh money for Juliet's gown alone. Two days later, the bank called to conferm a check for nine hundred dollars from Hal Rowe, along with an apology for his wife's actions earlier in the week. Since she wasn't allowed to have a job due to her recent "illness," Peter had allowed Shelby to spend her two days of freedom with Alex in town. They did nothing but look around in shops and talk. She told him about her life here, her arguments with Scott, and how it felt to go home and see her family. And Walt. It felt good to just get it out in the open.

The Morp was scheduled for Saturday night, so Friday morning was, in a single word, hectic. Peter had left the responsibilities of Horizon with Jeff so he could take the Cliffhanger guys shopping for their tuxedos, and Alex and Connie had rented a van so that they could drive the girls around to search for what Juliet called "the perfect dress." As the girls climbed into the gray van, Juliet and Jess in the very back seat, Shelby and Daisy in the middle, and Alex and Connie up front, Alex kindly reminded the girls that money was no object as far as they were concerned. Jess smiled and nodded her approval to her sister, who just tried to ignore her. Then they were off. "Peter suggested that we go to Seattle to look for gowns in the bigger shops." Connie was running the schedule that she had prepared by Alex, who wasn't paying her the least bit of attention. Alex's mood had changed drastically over the past three days, and Connie didn't like the effect that Shelby had on him. Alex soon noticed how quiet Shelby had gotten since the van pulled onto the highway. He adjusted the rearveiw mirror so he could see her face better. "Hey Slate?" She jerked her eyes open as if she had just been shot. "You tired?"

Shelby nodded wearily. "I feel like I just finished covering Crawford Street." She laughed strangly as the other girls turned to her, their eyes searching for something to tell them what they were supposed to do. It wasn't often anyone got Shelby to talk about her past that easily. Not even Scott could get her to do that. Off of Alex's look she smiled. He had forgotten her and Patty's arangement from years back. "Whenever Patty or I weren't feeling well, we'd split up each other's street amoung those in our building until she felt better. So I'd take it twice in one day." She looked at Alex's deep green eyes. "We didn't want to ask you for more cash, you were paying our rent as it was." She told him sternly, not wanting to hear him lecture her about it. "Patty would just cover my streets when she felt better, to give us a break. But you know that one night, I covered Crawford Street for her. Damn. I just didn't want to wake up the next morning." She laughed akwardly and smiled at Daisy. "And to think this is where it got me." The irony shone through her voice like a beakon.

Something hit her knees, and she looked down at a small box. "I thought you might want to wear this to the dance seeing as though it's yours now." She snatched it out of Connie's hand pale hands and opened it carefully, as if it was going to explode or something to that affect. Juliet almost jumped out of her seat when the light hit the object that was inside. Laying on top of a black velvet bag was a siver chain with a silver pendant attached to it. The pendant was a simply designed butterfly. It was nothing elaborite, with the exception of the wings, they were decorated with strategically placed tiny diamonds. And the antennas had small cut diamonds as well. Only two people in the van actually knew about the segnificance of the necklace; it was the only thing of value that Patty owned in her intire life. She had told Shelby that if anything ever happened to her, it was hers. "You're either speachless, or you're sitting back there plotting my death." Alex tried to lighten the mood from his place in the front seat.

"Where...whe-"

"Where did you get it?!" Juliet squeeled excitedly, snatching the necklace box out of Shelby's slackened grip. She eyed the boy cautiously before Shelby's hand retrieved the box from her hands rather forcably. Juliet couldn't believe Shelby's luck from the past few days. With the exception of what happened with Scott.

A single words crossed Shelby's lips and Daisy sat bolt upright and held onto Shelby's fragile hands. The tears the were demanding to come flooding out were damed up by the wall that was always behind Shelby's cool exterior. For a few long moments, Shelby just sat there, saying nothing. When she finally regained her powers of speach, Shelby hurriedly flipped the back of the pendant to make sure it truely was Patty's. There, on the back of the left wing, cut into the it so smally you had to squint to see it, were the letters W Y I Y D. "Thank you for locating it Alex, where did you find it?"

"She was wearing it when..." The strong voice faltered, and he wiped his face with the back of one of his designer sleeves. The corner found it on her ankle during the autopsy. Dad said the police wanted to hold onto it until they found her family, but he thought I knew of someone who needed it. A sister or something. I thought of you." He reached back and rubbed her lower leg with his large hand. Wanting to comfort himself more than her. The car pulled off the highway onto an exit ramp and stopped in front of a gas station. "I'm gonna get myself a Coke and the car needs gas, anyone want anything?" His door opened and he looked diretly at Shelby.

There were a few shouts for some candy, and Daisy wanted apple juice, but Alex's gaze was locked on Shelby's ironic smile. "If I asked for a pack of cigarettes, would you humor me?" She noticed how he thumbed through his wallet and checked for his I.D. and smiled at her. Then he was gone.


"Yo Meat?" Auggie brushed Scott's arm to reach across one of the side tables at Rusty's. He took the salt away from Ezra and attempted to pull his arm back to his side of the table without upsetting Davids ice tea. Peter had decided to buy them lunch at Rusty's so they could spend all day away from the campus like the girls were. Half of the boys had already gotten their tuxeos, and Peter was going to drive them to Seattle so Scott and Ezra could buy theirs. Their parents actually sent money for them. Or in Ezra's case, his parents could actually afford to allow him to buy his. Neither boy saw anything they liked in town. "What do you think the girls are gonna wear to the Morp?" He shoved a french fry into his mouth and concentrated on the food that had been set in front of him.

"Clothes?" David suggested helpfully, his gaze shifting from the guys at the table to the pictures that Peter had developed from Morp last year. "I just can't wait to see what Shelby decides to wear this year. With Alex's money and her style. She should look better than she did last year. And last year she was HOT!" Peter sat down at the table, and David shoved a handful of potato chips into his mouth. He would have bet money that if Peter hadn't shown up when he did, that Scott would have come over the table to hurt him. "Well...she was."

Peter took David's glass of tea away from him, and refilled it with the contents of the pitcher that he had in his hands. He had missed the beginning of the conversation and decided that he was going to see if the guys would trust him enough to tell him what they were talking about. "Which one of the Cliffhanger girls was what?" Auggie made a quick pass at the ketchup and Peter passed it to him without thinking. It suprised him that the guys were this quiet. On some level it was really unnerving. "Let me rephrase." He said simply, watching Scott's glare follow David's movements carefully. "Shelby was what during last year's Morp?" He stopped almost mid thought and looked at Ezra slyly. "BESIDES kissing Ezra in the kitchen when she was supposed to be minding the snack table." Scott stiffled a laugh and turned to look at Ezra. Apparently he had heard about the kiss, and how much Shelby had helped Ezra that night.

After gulping down the rest of his chocolate cherry shake, Scott looked at Peter's face, and noticed the sheer determination in his eyes. "Shelb was looking good last year." He said sheepishly as he tried to hide behind his double cheeseburger.

Auggie put his food down and looked at Scot. "Damn man, she was looking better than good." The group of guys laughed and Scott started to relax. "There's no telling what she's going to decide to wear now that she has the funds to pull it off." Auggie gave his best shot at being supportive when it came to Shelby and Alex. In the past few days, he saw sides of Shelby that he had never seen before, and he couldn't help but to smile when he thought of the effect that Alex was having on her.

Scott tensed up again, and Auggie was the first to notice. Peter's cell phone rang before he could say something about it. "Hello?" He asked quietly, eyeing the boys so they would know to behave for a few minutes. "Yeah, Jeff, I've got Scott here, why?" There was another pause and Peter smiled. "Yeah hold on, I'll get him." He looked at Scott and frowned. "There's a Britany Woods at Horizon, and she'd like to speak with you."

The phone passed across the table, and Auggie stood quickly, walking to the front door and stepping outside. David followed Auggie, hoping the older Cliffhanger wouldn't kill him once he got out there. Ezra didn't know where to go, so he just stayed at the table while Peter went to use the pay phone to call Sophie. Scott stared at the phone until he decided that he should talk. "Hello?" He paused, it was deathly silant at the table, now that there were only two people there. "Hey Brit."

Her voice was soothing. She knew exactly what to do to keep Scott Barringer to herself. Britany Woods spent years perfecting her image so Scott would notice her. After the night they spent together, she wasn't about to let him go. "I heard from you're father that you're school was having a prom, and I was kinda hoping you didn't have a date." She forced her voice to sound innocent now that a female counselor was standing in front of her. Cell phone plastered to her ear. She kept referring to Brittany as "she" and "her."

"You came out here, to the middle of no-where to ask me to my Prom?" Scott asked unbelieveing her. "Brit is there something else you wanted to talk about?"

She paused a second and looked at the woman. "I just wanted to see you again Scott." She smiled happily and patted the skirt to her short summer dress back down her legs. "Would you mind if I stayed until the Prom?"

Scott didn't know how to react. Or worse, how Shelby would react to Britany being there. But deep in his heart, Scott knew that he couldn't deny her anything after the times that he had hung out with her while he was back home. "Sure Brit, why don't you tour the campus while we're in Seattle. We should be back before dark." He said his good-bye's and hung up the cell phone. Then he stopped. What had he just done? Shelby would never understand. It would kill her.


Sophie stood next to the girl that Peter had refferred to as Scott's "partner in crime" when it came to Shelby's outburst a few nights ago. She didn't know what to do with the girl. Britany definately wasn't using the Horizon dress code, with her sleveless square-neck summer dress that came down to about her mid-thigh. It was as red as wine and she knew that Britany wasn't just there for the Morp. "Miss Woods?" Sophie asked hushed, choosing her words carefully. "I'll show you around until the Cliffhangers get back." Keeping her voice calm, Sophie showed Britany where everything was, wasting an entire afternoon with a girl that she wished she could throw off the condemed bridge that Ezra had shown to everyone last year before Scott had first shown up at Horizon.


Auggie lit up a cigarette and took a long puff. Then he beame aware of the guy standing behind him. "It's a good thing Alex offered to take the girls for the afternoon." David commented offhandedly. "There's no telling what Shelby would have done if she heard that Britany called Scott." He waited, trying to get a reaction out of Auggie that didn't have to do with a fist. "On the other hand-"

"Do you have anything usefull to say?" Auggie barked at David. Hoping that he had shut him up permaniately. David produced a cell phone from his pocket and handed it to Auggie. "What's this for?"

"It's one of Alex's. He told me that if there were any problems with Scott to let him know." He smiled at Auggie. "Scott's tempary insanity would probably be considered a problem." He turned to go back inside and said one final thing to Auggie. "But it's entirely up to you."


The van had just pulled up to one of the more expensive gown shops in Seattle when the cell phone attached to Shelby's waist started to ring. She put her cigarette out and picked the phone up. Hitting the 'talk' button she grabbed her purse out of the front seat and put the phone to her ear. "Speak." She said snobbily. Daisy and Juliet were giggling in the back ground.

Auggie had to laugh at how relaxed Shelby had sounded. "Hey homegirl." He said sweetly, taking another drag of the cigarette that Shelby had given him. "Alex around?"

"I think he's here?" Shelby took the phone away from her ear and looked around the parked car. "Al?" She laughed into the phone. "Telle-phone." Alex took the phone out of her hand and his thumb rubbed up against her bottom lip. Her eyes widened until she realized that her sister was watching them. "Auggie." She said simply, following Connie into the shop.

Alex watched Shelby go before putting the phone to his ear. She looked better than she had in days. She was wearing an outfit that Connie had bought her yesterday when they had gone shopping for some new clothes. The black jeans hugged her hips, and he never could figure out why almost every pair of jeans she bought had a flower on them somewhere. These had had embossed roses all over them. Over top of that, she wore a burgandy spagetti strapped camisole and a beaded flower choaker. She had borrowed a pair of Juliet's chunky platform shoes with a metal zipper on the side instead of laces and he had given her his leather jacket to wear over top of it entire outfit. Auggie heard him breathing before he said anything. "Hey Auggie." He said breathlessly. "What's up?"

Auggie didn't know how to respond to that. "We might have a problem when you get back with the girls." He spit out eagerly. The sooner he got that over with, the happier he would be. "We're at Rusty's eating lunch, and Scott just got a phone call from Britany Woods, you know, the girl that he slept with when he was home. I think he's going to invite her to the Morp." Keeping his voice level was the most important thing. Alex was just trying to make sure Shelby was safe. He owed the guy for that. Shelby was more likely to listen to Alex than Auggie. "He seemed pretty excited to get the call."

"Where are you guys going after lunch?"

"We're following you." Auggie put the cigarette out and headed back into the building. He was suprised that Peter had come out and busted him for smoking. "Scott and EZ haven't gotten their tuxes yet, and Peter suggested Seattle. Why?"

Alex followed the girls into the building, and never took his eyes off of Shelby. "We're eating dinner at my father's hotel, the Madison. Really huge place in the middle of town. You can't miss it. Dinner's at five, see if you can get Peter to meet us there?" He waited while Auggie asked and smiled when Peter said 'yes.' Shelby was helping her sister pick out a dress, and Jess kept commenting about the price. "We'll talk more about this then." He watched as Daisy slipped into onte of the dressing rooms with a few dresses and Shelby practically shoved her sister into one. Alex had noted how alike the two Merrick girls were. He just hoped that after what Scott had done today, he could keep the Shelby that he's been with for days, rather than the cold hearted replacement that she had become during her tenior at Horizon. The Ice Queen that David was telling him about the night before. "But I wouldn't worry about Shelby if I were you. She seems to be doing just fine."

"Really." It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Auggie was telling Alex that Shelby was always better when he was around.

"Yeah. Call me later on tonight and we'll talk about the suprise that I'm planning." Alex smiled at Shelby and nodded in the direction of the red dress that she was holding. "I'm gonna need help with this one." He wasn't sure if he should let any of the girls in on the secret. He probably wouldn't, but it might help him if he had a girl on his side. "And tell Peter that I'm going to need his help with something. I think he might be able to get me eveything I need tomarrow night. And ask him if he can call and get the busses or should I do it. He'll know what I'm talking about."

"Message sent." Auggie smiled as he slid into his seat and glared at Scott. Peter had gone up to pay Grace, and Ezra and David were cleaning up the area. He hung up the phone and handed it to Ezra. "You hurt her and I'll kill you, Meat. Auggie told Scott solomnly, never taking his eyes off of the other boy. "She's tougher than nails, but you have a way of breaking her."

"I'm not going to hurt her Auggie." Scott turned his attention back to Peter's phone and just glared at it.

"You already have, Scott." Auggie stood and gave Scott one last glare. "You do it again, and there is no way in hell Peter would be able to stop me from flatening your ass."

Peter walked up behind him with a smile on his face. "Okay, Guys...lets go to Seattle!"

*What is Alex planning??? It's something you're never going to guess.