Disclaimer: The usual

Author's note: Nothing special, just please review!

Arianne and her father had been staying at Doug and Carol's house for three days now, and Thanksgiving was tomorrow. Shane was staying at his parents' house also, but he slept in his childhood bedroom while John slept in Kate's old room and Arianne in Tess'. The whole arrangement was pleasant, with everyone getting along. John, Carol, and Doug all reminisced about their lives thirty years ago. Shane and Arianne loved learning about their parents past.

Carol, already clad in jeans and a sweatshirt, was in the kitchen that Thanksgiving eve morning starting to get the turkey defrosted. Her husband and her houseguests where still asleep, leaving just her and her son up. The house was quiet with just he two of them, bringing back memories of when the two of them spent the mornings together before he went to nursery school in the afternoon.

"Hey Mom." Shane said as he opened the fridge to get some orange juice

"Hey." Carol said as she set the giant bird wrapped in plastic into a bowl of cool water

"Can you take Arianne shopping today?"

"For what? Does she need anything?"

"Well, can you go with her to buy a formal gown? I mean I'll give you the money and all that, I just need you to take her."

"You guys going dancing or something?"

"You could say that." he said taking a glass down from the cupboard

"Well once she gets up and ready for the day I'll ask her if she wants to go with me dress shopping. I need a new dress for this Pediatrics Association of Seattle gala next week any who so it all works out."

"Thanks." Shane said as poured his juice

"Your welcome, but I need you to open the fridge for me?" Carol said as she struggled with the heavy brown and beige ceramic bowl that contained the following night's supper

"Yeah, yeah." he said, setting his glass on the counter

Arianne came down a few minutes later, her windbreaker pants sounding her arrival. She was very much dressed down this morning, in comparison to the other days she was there. Usually she wore jeans and a trendy top, but this morning windbreaker pants and a baggy shirt from Harvard, which is where she studied pre-med, took the place of the jeans and trendy top.

"Morning, Shane. Morning, Carol." Arianne said through a yawn

"Hey, Beautiful." Shane answered as he gave her a kiss on the cheek

"Morning Arianne. I was wondering if you want to go dress shopping with me today. Doug and I are going to this gala next week and I need a new dress for it.  I just need to clean up here and then we can go."

"That sounds great, but I don't have money with me for a formal gown."

"I've got it covered." Shane reassured as he pulled out a check from his checkbook. "All you have to do is fill in the amount and the store."

"Shane, this is really generous of you. I don't want to spend all of your money though."

"Don't worry about it. Honestly, so long as you don't buy out all of the mall I think that we'll be fine."

"Okay then, if you're sure."

"I am."

"Just let me go upstairs to do my hair and then we can go Arianne."

"Take your time."

Carol washed her hands and left the recently remodeled kitchen. Shane and Arianne sat at the kitchen table, set with just two chairs, and read the paper. Arianne read the Culture section while Shane was absorbed into his Sports section.

"Shane, why do you want me to buy a dress?"

"Well tonight we're going out, and I think that you deserve to have a wonderful new dress."

"Where are we going?"

A sly flirty smile crossed Shane's face "Well, you'll find out soon enough."

"Don't to this to me. You know how much I hate suspense!"

"And that is exactly why I'm not telling you right now. Peak your interest a bit."

Arianne just rolled her eyes and sighed as she re-did her ponytail. "Shane was something else when he wanted to be" she thought "That is part of his charm."

"Arianne, ready when you are." Carol said as she put on her coat, which was hanging over a chair in the other room

"Just let me put my coat on." Arianne said as she got up and joined Carol in the other room.

"Have fun you two." Shane said as he folded the newspaper and took another sip of his juice

Carol and Arianne got into Carol's little car and started to the shops downtown.

"What kind of dress do you think I should get for tonight Carol?"

"I don't know what he has planned for you. I would say get something timeless and classy."

"The little back dress?"

"Not necessarily. Think of all those actresses in those old black and while movies. They wore timeless styles that weren't just the little black dress."

"I guess so. I just don't want to dressed really out of place."

"You can see what you see at the shops."

"I wonder what Shane has cooked up for me? I mean he's such a sweet guy."

"Well you're a really nice person and I'm glad that you two found each other."

"It's really cool to actually meet you and Doug. I mean Ella and I have been told stories all about you two."

"Oh yeah? Which ones?"

"Um… lets see here. There was the one about Ricky Abbot. Your wedding that didn't happen. Doug's string of ex's is another one. How you wanted to adopt that little Russian girl.  My favorite was how you just got up and left Chicago to be with Doug. Then some others that I can't think of right now."

"My wedding to Tag…that was ages ago. Well I guess I shouldn't call it a wedding should I? Tatiana, I haven't thought of her in a long while. I wanted her so bad; she deserved a good home. She would have too, if I wasn't so stupid and tried to kill myself. That's why they wouldn't let me adopt her. As for me going to Doug with the twins, it was just what I had to do. I mean our babies deserved their father."

The rest of the ride was filled with small talk and the like. The first shop that they hit was a little boutique off the main streets and was run by a middle-aged woman. The woman was at the counter, reading a paperback romance novel and popping bubble gum.

"Oh, Carol!" Arianne breathed as she walked the shop.

Her eyes scanned the racks of elegant gowns, gowns that were shimmery and gowns that were flocked. After poking about for a few minutes, Arianne found the most wonderful dress that she had ever seen. It was garnet colored velveteen and went down to the floor. On the empire waist started a clear shimmery material that fell all the way to the hem. The spaghetti straps joined the square neckline, which was traced with little clear glass beads in a swirly vine pattern. Quickly she took the dress of the rack and took it to the dressing area.

"Carol?" Arianne called once she was in the dress

"Yeah?" she said standing outside of he curtained off area.

"Can you button this gown up?"

"Sure." Carol said as she pushed the curtains aside

Arianne took Carol's breath away when she saw her. The dress seems to be made just for her. All of her best features where brought out, and she looked like a real fairy tale princess. When Arianne turned around, Carol took to the take of fastening all the little buttons on the back of the oh-so-elegant gown.

"Oh, Arianne! This dress was made for you! Everything about is wonderful on you."

"I love too. The best part about it is that it's on sale, thirty-five percent off! Did you find anything?"

"Yeah, but it isn't as pretty as this is on you."

"You can pull anything off, Carol. Show me what it looks like, please?"

"Okay, sure, why not?"

Carol left Arianne and when to the chair where she placed her gown. She then went to the other dressing room and put on the much simpler gown. It was a deep purple dress what when to the floor also. It had a mandarin collar and was sleeveless. There was a slit on the right side that went up to Carol's knee. All over the dress was an embroidered pattern of little flowers in a shade darker purple.

"Carol, can I come in?"

"Yeah."

Carol looked wonderful in the dress. It was sophisticated and perfect for the gala that she and Doug where to attend.

"So what do you think?"

"I think that this is the dress that you should get. Without a doubt you should get it."

"Well you can go and get your gown together while I change, and then we can go pay."

After a few moments Carol re-emerged in her sweatshirt and jeans, gown folded over her arm. Together they went up to the register and paid. The owner, still popping her bubble gum constantly, put the gowns in their own bags.

"Have a nice holiday ladies."

"You too, Harriet." Arianne said, reading the nametag that was pinned to her sweater

Carol and Arianne went back to the car, putting their newly bought gowns in the trunk.

"Hey, is there anywhere else that we need to go?"

"Nope, well that is if you don't need anything."

"I'm pretty much set, I just want to know what Shane has planned out for me."

"I'm sure that you'll love it. I mean he knows what he's doing…or so I hope."

Looking at the clock, Arianne saw that it was eleven-thirty. That would mean that they wouldn't get back to the house until noon.

"Arianne, I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Do people even remember what happened to Lucy?"

"Not really, not they way that we know about it. They just know that some patient with schizophrenia murdered a med student on Valentines. Abby, Luka, Chuny, and I know it though. We're the ones who make sure that there is no blue cake, or loud music. We also try to avoid the room too."

"Well at least you know about it, I mean she deserves to be remembered."

"I'm sure she does. Well I know it; no one should be forgotten. Part of me hates the man that did it for tearing Poppa's world apart. I mean he was addicted to pain killers for crying out loud!"

"Well I don't know what ever happened to him, but he has to deal with the idea that he killed a wonderful young woman and nearly killed a fine doctor. That is worse than anything the state could do to him."

The drive was quiet from then on, both woman lost in thoughts and wonderings. The only sound that was in the car as in made its way through Seattle was the soft rock station. Arianne wanted to sign to her favorites, but she wasn't really in the mood. All she could think of what if Lucy Knight never died. Would she and Poppa fallen in love? From what she gathered from people, they were starting to fall in love, but their teacher-student relationship wouldn't let them become a couple.

********************Eight That Night**************************

After Carol worked on her hair for the past hour, Arianne made her way down the steps, all dressed up for her night with Shane.  Her hair was French braided and she was sliding her necklace, the one that was her Momma's and she never took off, for that is what she did when she didn't know what else to do with her hands. Carol loaded Arianne her black velvet wrap to keep her warm on the cold night. In her left hand she carried a little drawstring purse and in the other hand she held the wrap.

"Thanks you look good in that suit."

Shane extended his arm to her, and together they walked out the limo that Shane had arranged to pick them up.

"I love you, Shane."

"I love you too." he said, just before he planned a little kiss on her nose