~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've decided that if you want a song list, you're going to
have to e-mail me for it, seeing as though I can never seen to remember to put
it up with my stories.
Memories are still in Italics, with * before and
after them
Thanks to Superhoop3 for agreeing to be my beta.
So far so good. Lol
"The
eyes are the window to ones soul." ~Unknown.
You know, I don't know what it is
The music was blaring throughout the ballroom, leaving little room for
conversation unless you wanted to take it outside. Shelby had been sitting down
for most of the night, and Auggie decided to do something about it. He
whispered something in Juliet's ear and then stood and wandered over to
Shelby's side of the table.
Shelby had been talking
to Brittany for the last ten minutes, and she felt as if she were going to
scream. Brittany seemed to be able to talk about nothing but Scott for the
entire conversation, and Shelby was sick of it. So when she saw Auggie walking
to her, she excused herself quickly, grabbed his arm, and pulled him out to the
dance floor. "No talking, dance." She commanded lightly.
Don't you try and tell me that he's not my type
To idle what I feel inside
When he makes me weak with desire
As her body twisted in Auggie's arms, Shelby just let her mind go. Her
eyes locked with Auggie's, and for a moment, it was as if nothing had changed
from the time they had first met. She was still as hot and heavy, and he was
more willing to help calm her urges.
Let him think I like the chase
But I can't stop fanning the fire
I know I'm meant to say NO
Juliet just sat there. She wasn't sure what she should do. Auggie had
assured her that he was only asking Shelby to dance because he was worried
about her, but his actions out on the dance floor hint otherwise. She turned to
look at Scott, whose eyes were also staring at the pair on the floor and
smiled. "Hey Scott?" She asked softly, watching him turn and look at her. "You
wanna dance?"
Scott nodded and Juliet
stood and followed him. They stopped right next to Shelby and Auggie, who were
laughing at some stupid thing David had done.
When Auggie's eyes made
contact with Juliet's, he looked over at Shelby. She nodded, and let go of
Auggie to grab a hold of Scott's jacket. "Prove to me you can move, Cowboy."
She said jokingly, as she leaned into him.
But he's irresistible
Up close and personal
Now inescapable
I can hardly breathe,
More than just physical
Deeper than spiritual
His ways are powerful
And irresistible to me
Scott closed his eyes and allowed Shelby to move him to the music. He
was acutely aware of how close she was to him, as well as the fact that her
body was bumping into him at all the right times. Slowly, he placed his hands
on her hips and watched her look up at him in surprise. Her surprise quickly
turned to pleasure as she scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms around his
shoulders.
"Peter's gonna kill us"
Scott whispered into Shelby's ear as she turned to look at the Cliffhangers
that remained at the table. He heard her laugh and she ran a hand through her
tasseled hair.
"You think?" She asked
him sweetly.
"I know." Scott
answered. He opened his mouth to say something when she smiled and reached up
to place her forefinger on his lips.
"Less talk, more
dancing." She giggled and pulled his body against hers. Go for it! Her
mind screamed and she placed a soft kiss on his neck as they moved to the
music.
Don't you think I'm trying to tell my heart
what's right?
That I should really say goodnight
But I just can't stop myself falling
"You'd think that we weren't happy for our friends." Ezra reached over
and patted Daisy's thigh. They hadn't said a thing since Auggie and Scott
switched partners.
"That's because we know that it won't last." Her voice was as soft as
it could get to still be heard. "We know that as soon as Scott goes back to
Brittany, everything will go back to the ways it was." Pale lips sipped off of
the straw and then curved into a frown. "And it sucks."
"But that's how it's supposed to be." Ezra answered her sweetly. "Would
you care to dance?" He asked her, fearing the answer would be no.
"Just as long as you know you're not irresistible." Daisy joked,
pulling him out onto the floor.
Maybe I'll tell him that I feel the same
That I don't want to play his game
Cause when I feel his arms wrapped around me
I know meant to say NO
Alex couldn't believe
the scene in front of him. The way Scott and Shelby were dancing didn't hint to
them being separated. Deciding to put a stop to it, he walked over to the table
and tapped Brittany on the arm. She looked up at him and smiled brightly.
"Yes?"
"Is there anywhere we
could talk?" He asked over the drone of the music. Brittany stood and walked
out onto the large parapet that was to one side of the hotel, overlooking the
water of a large lake. The music was a little quieter out there.
"Yes?" She asked again.
She enjoyed being around Alex. Something about the way he ran things just
appealed to her.
Alex reached into his jacket
pocket and pulled out two cigarettes. He offered one to Brittany, who took it
and waited for a light. "I have a proposition for you." He said simply. "And
what is in it for you outweighs what you'll have to do to get it."
But He's Irresistible
Up close and personal
Now inescapable
I can hardly breathe
More than just physical
Deeper than spiritual
His ways are powerful
Irresistible to me
"Where'd Alex and Brittany go?" Daisy asked
Shelby when they found each other on the dance floor.
"I'm
not sure." Shelby thought for a minute. "Maybe Alex wanted a cigarette-"
Daisy didn't look convinced. "So he took Scott's date with him?" She
threw a glance over at Scott "I think there's something there that you guys
don't see."
"And I think you're looking too far into this." Shelby snapped and
turned back to dance between Scott and Ezra.
Ezra smiled down at the blonde that had just positioned herself in
front of him. Her face was flushed, and the way her hair was throwing itself
around it looked like she had just spent an hour or so making out rather than
dancing with her friends. "What would you do to me if I told you that I think
Daisy's right?" He asked her as she pulled away.
"Don't do this to me
EZ." She ran her hands up her arms and through her hair. Unless you were
standing there next to her you'd think she was just singing the lyrics of the
song. "You're supposed to be my friend."
"I am," he started as
she took a few more steps toward Scott. "Shell-"
"Forget it Ezra."
Shelby closed her eyes and swayed to the music, allowing any thought that
pertained to Alex just slide off of her body. She didn't need to suspect anyone
of anything tonight. She just needed to relax.
Can't you see whenever he's close to me?
I really find it hard to breathe
He's so irresistible
Alex lit up another cigarette for Brittany and leaned against the
railing. "So you'll do it?" He asked her for the second time. He didn't like
doing things like this, but he was used to doing what he had to, to get what he
wanted. And he wanted Shelby.
"For the kind of money
you're offering me?" Brittany said assertively, "I'd do that and more." She
turned and watched the pair on the dance floor and forced herself to turn
around. "But this isn't going to be easy." She reminded him. "A lot of people
are going to get hurt."
"I can deal with that
as long as Shelby's in my arms by the end of the night."
"You're doing a lot to
get this girl," Brittany started to say. "Is she worth it? 'Cause from what
I've been able to get from the counselors and other kids at Horizon, Shelby's
not something like you and I are used to."
"Listen, I'm not going
to give you money to tell me what kind of girl I can handle." Alex's temper
flared, and Brittany had seen a new guy in the one that was with Shelby. "You
get the five thou, when I walk up to my room with Shelby on my arm. You keep
talking, and don't think for a second I won't reconsider this deal." He took
the last drag off of his cigarette and stormed off of the deck. Taking one last
look at Brittany, he headed out onto the dance floor.
Baby you know it's more than just spiritual
His kisses are powerful
He's So Irresistible
Brittany patted her hair one more time before heading out onto the
dance floor. "Show time." She said to herself lightly. This kind of thing came easy
to her. After years of helping football players 'alleviate' their stress, Scott
Barringer would be no problem as far as she was concerned.
As she passed Alex, her stomach muscles tightened. She didn't know what
to make of him. One minute he's nice and agreeable, the next he's threatening
her if she doesn't comply with what he wants. For some odd reason she felt
guilty for what she was about to do.
She applied some lips gloss and rubbed her lips together. Preparing her
mind for what her friends laughingly referred to as 'battle.' As she neared the dance floor, she caught a
hold of David and smiled. He was dancing by himself, which made him her target
to get close enough to what she wanted. She watched the group for a moment,
slowly backing into David. She lifted her hands over her head and swayed.
Someone bumped into her and she didn't bother to turn around to see who it was.
David slid his hands onto Brittany's hips and smiled to himself. Maybe
she knew who it was, then again; maybe she thought he was Scott. He didn't
really care at the moment, seeing as though his date was on the other side of
the room, getting herself punch. He eyed Daisy and Ezra uneasily and pulled
Brittany into him.
But he's irresistible
Up close and personal
Now inescapable I can hardly breathe
More than just physical
Deeper than Spiritual
His ways are powerful
Irresistible to me…
The song stopped and
everyone walked back to the table together. Just as they all sat down, dinner
was served. The group ate a three-course meal of Caesar salad, the girls had
tortellini, the guys had steak and they all ate a hideously huge helping of
death by chocolate. Alex, Shelby and Brittany all had a little bit of wine, and
the rest of them had sparkling cider. David kept making comments on how if Alex
slipped the rest of them wine, Peter wouldn't be able to tell.
"Pass the salt." Daisy
said softly as another Jessica Simpson played in the background. Ezra reached
over Shelby's plate to retrieve the salt, and Shelby popped his arm with the
backside of her fork.
"Careful there Ezra,"
Shelby warned him as she waved her fork again. "You don't want to draw back a
nub do you?" The table laughed and Shelby held up her French bread. "Does
anyone want my bread?"
Half a dozen hands went
up, and Shelby chose to hand her bread to Juliet, who just nodded her thanks.
"We normally talk about something meaningful at dinner." Auggie started,
looking around at his friends. "And I think I'll start the conversation off by
proposing a toast." He raised his glass, and stood. "To Horizon, the place that
showed us that even freaks can be on higher ground."
There was a series of
glass clinking and soft "here here's," and Scott stood. "Let if not be said
that I didn't follow Auggie's lead from time to time." Daisy coughed, and
Shelby just started laughing. "I'd say to friendships, but we're all beyond
that." He threw a glance over at Shelby and smiled slightly, a gesture that
wasn't lost on Alex. "So I'm going to go one up on that. To my family, the one
that knows me better than I even know myself."
Ezra stood just as
Scott sat down and nodded. "All the good toast are taken, but I'll give it a
shot anyway." He looked over at Shelby, then to Daisy. "Mine is to love.
Without which we couldn't have survived all these months at Horizon." He
laughed as the glasses clinked, and sat down. Everyone looked at him. "What, no
one else wants to add a toast?"
"I will." Shelby said
smoothly, as the next song started to play.
When I lost faith
You believed in me
When I stumbled
You were right there
For every act of love you've done
I owe you one
All eyes were on Shelby as she held up her wine glass. "Horizon, family, love…" She nodded to Auggie, Scott and Ezra in turn as she mentioned their toast. "All good things to be thankful for. I'm surprised that it was the guys that thought of them." She laughed, and then her mood got very serious. "But what good is all of those things if you're not alive to enjoy it." Wiping a tear from her eye, she smiled at Jessica. "To life. Something that I kind of forgot mattered along the way."
Daisy rose quietly, taking a sip of the water that was near her sparkling cider. She wasn't sure what she was going to toast to, but she was damn sure that it was going to be a good one. Looking over her audience it hit her. "To the pain that brought us here." She watched as everyone suddenly became confused. "If it wasn't for our fucked up parents and shitty situations, we wouldn't be sitting here together right now." She explained as everyone raised his or her glasses.
There were hard times
I know I survived
Just because you stayed by my side
With all I have, with all I am
I promise you all my life
"No regrets." Jessica
said loudly, raising her glass and eyeing Scott and Shelby nervously. She wasn't
quite sure where they stood now, and that made it more difficult on her. It was
really easy to say the wrong thing when she wasn't sure what to say. A waiter
came over to the table and refilled the glasses. Taking a sip of hers, Jess
smiled again.
"And may we all be successful in the future, at whatever we may do." Kat couldn't help but join in to the toasting. She couldn't be happier at how the night had turned out.
Whenever the road is too long
Whenever the wind is too strong
Wherever the journey may lead to
I will be there for you
I will be there for you
Juliet raised her glass and scooted closer to Auggie. "To laughter and tears," she started, making sure to make eye contact with everyone at the table. "Joys and fears," she reached her available hand to hold onto Auggie's. "Loves and disgusts." She smiled and leaned into the table to clank her glass with Shelby's. "To the makings of a damn good group of friends."
A look of shock spread
across Shelby's face when she realized that Juliet had cussed. "To Queenie!"
She said after a moment. "Who finally realized that you can be good and be bad
at the same time." The group laughed and Juliet sat back down.
Through sorrow
Or the darkest night
When there's heartache
Deep down inside
Just like a prayer, you will be there
And I promise you all my life
"Lets see?" Alex
started simply, standing up to make what he said heard easier. "We've heard
family, life, love, joy and pain." He nodded to everyone who had made those
toasts in turn. "But has anyone here forgot the pleasures of life?" It only
took a moment for the table to realize what he had just said. "To the simple
pleasures that we've all found along the way."
Whenever the road is too long
Whenever the wind is too strong
Wherever the journey may lead to
I will be there for you
I will be there for you
David laughed and
raised his glass for the umpteenth time. He patted Jessica's hand and she
giggled. After the table got quiet again, he stood. "I would like to say
something." He started as goofy as possible, getting a few giggles out of
Juliet and Jessica. Then his face went straight and he smiled seriously. "I had
no life, no family, and definitely no direction before I came to Horizon." He
closed his eyes and pictured the way he was when he first showed up. "I was
without a doubt, the biggest ass on the planet for at least-three weeks-"
"Longer than that!"
Auggie laughed from his side of the table. David only acknowledged him with a
nod.
"I stand corrected." He
pointed to Auggie after a moment. "The point I'm trying to make is just that
after time, you guys allowed me to enter into the world that was the
Cliffhangers. And for once, I was accepted." He held his glass up higher as he
spoke his last few words. "I guess I'm trying to toast to us. The way we are,
was, and ever shall be." There were a few claps and smiles, and Juliet wiped
her eyes discretely. "Thank you."
Whenever the road is too long
Whenever the wind is too strong
Wherever the journey may lead to
I will be there for you
I will be there for you
It
was as if the room stood still for at least one moment, when the photographer
came around to the Cliffhanger table. Everyone crowded to David's side of the
table, and raised their glasses. It was picture perfect, and the smiles on
everyone's faces didn't hurt either. The night was a success, and for at least
a few minutes, everything was right in the world.
Remember, Reviews are the nicest way to get me to
post sooner. And you still have time to submit you're vote for Morp King and
Queen. So far, S&S fans should be ashamed of themselves, (lol) One of the two
are winning, but the other is a few points behind. (Send you're votes to Darlasfriend@aol.com subject: MORP)
Illusia
