I Hope You Dance

June 11, 1989

"I don't even see why I'm going." Sara muttered hotly as Arilyn fixed her hair into a curly, tumbling, bun.

"What do you mean you don't know why you're going?" Arilyn exclaimed incredulously. "Oh, I love your hair…" she muttered as an afterthought, gazing into the vanity mirror before them. " Red is so overrated."

Emma, Arilyn, and Sara were all in Arilyn's messy room, covered with dirty clothes, beaded doorways, and heavy perfumes. The vanity was covered with used lipstick and eye shadow. Sara was sitting at Arilyn's vanity, arms folded, with a resentful pout on her face.

"I don't see why I'm going," Sara repeated in an exasperated tone.

"Oh for Pete's sake Sara! It's your graduation dance! You have to go!"

"According to you. It's not official I have to go."

"Even I'm going Sara." Emma offered in Arilyn's defense. "And I never go to the dances."

"Well you're only going because you have nowhere else to be!"

"And you do?" Arilyn questioned, continuing to brush and pin Sara's hair.

"Work?"

Arilyn let out a snort of mirth.

"Bud gave us the night off. There won't be anyone at the restaurant anyway—they'll all be at the dance."

"So? I could catch up on dishes or health codes or something."

"Sara, Sara, Sara. You really need to learn how to have a good time."

"I still can't believe you talked me into buying this dress…" Sara muttered angrily, unfolding her arms and gesturing at it.

It was a crimson satin fabric, folding from her waist to her shoulder, leading all the way down to her ankles dawned in matching high-heeled shoes.

"I almost got you to buy the strapless." Arilyn added proudly.

"Almost." Sara emphasized. She had always been uptight about spending her money, insisting she needed every penny of it.

"Sara Marie, you would have gone in jeans and a t-shirt if it weren't for me. Besides, I bought you matching shoes and a purse to go with." She placed some bobby pins in her mouth and furrowed her brow in rapt concentration.

Sara sighed and slumped down slightly in her chair.

"Hey! Careful! You have to hold still!" Arilyn cried, muffled through the pins.

"Sorry!" Sara straightened quickly, causing Arilyn to grunt slightly in resentment.

"So…" Sara mumbled. "Is there a reason you're wearing a torn jean skirt and a tank top?"

"Well, unlike you two lonely souls, I have Alan."

"I thought you broke up!" Emma exclaimed from behind them.

"We did. We just got back together a month later is all." Arilyn replied sneakily.

"That still doesn't explain your wardrobe choice." Sara grumbled.

"I don't need to make a big impression."

"So either you're going to not make a big impression by dressing differently or Emma and I are going to be the only two dressed up?" Sara questioned, trying her best not to squirm as Arilyn painfully stuck another pin in her hair.

"Of course you're not going to be the only two dressed up. And different is a highly offensive term. I prefer 'unique' thank you very much."

"Right…unique if that's what you call it…"

"Oh shush." Arilyn placed a final bobby pin into Sara's hair. "You are looking fi-ine. You are going to pull in the catch of your life tonight! Now for one final touch…" She reached around the vanity's drawer, pulling out with a small bag in tow. She opened it briskly and pulled out assorted varieties of make-up, mascara, lipstick, eye-shadow—the works.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second. Who said anything about wearing make-up?" Sara yelped, pushing Arilyn's hand away as she came towards her with a tube of bright pink lipstick. Arilyn pulled away with a huff.

"Well what have I been teaching to do for…oh…I dunno…the past year?"

"Fine," Sara grumbled as Emma laughed in the background. "But I'll do it. You always put on too much. And I'm not using that color."

Sara reached into the bag as Arilyn rolled her eyes and threw the tube of lipstick over her shoulder. Sara came out with a red, slightly brown, shade.

"There, see?" She quickly applied a light layer and smacked her lips to some extent as Arilyn had instructed repeatedly throughout the year in a vain attempt to make her more 'in style'.

"Now eye-shadow!" Arilyn coaxed, shoving the bag further towards her.

Sara sighed and pulled out the pallet.

"What color did you say goes best with brown eyes again?" Sara questioned, gazing confusedly at the many different colors.

"Well, normally mauve, green, and gold, but I don't like mauve, and green would make you look too much like a Christmas elf, not that you're short…so go with gold."

"I was going to anyway," Sara muttered, applying that as well. She finished placing the rest of the make-up on about fifteen minutes later, receiving numerous random promptings and tips from Arilyn in the process.

"Finished," Sara declared, flinging the mascara into the pouch of make-up.

"Finally!" Arilyn cried. "You know I could have done it about five minutes faster, right?"

"Stop rubbing it in," Sara responded resentfully, Emma chuckling again in her corner.

"Who'd you say was driving?" Arilyn asked, kicking some used makeup out of Sara's way, helping her to stand shakily, thanks to the pleasant mix of thick shag carpeting and high-heeled shoes.

"I am," Sara declared, bending over and plucking a set of keys from inside her newly purchased purse that resided amid the make-up on the vanity.

"Says who?" Arilyn questioned, letting go of Sara and heading towards the door.

"Says me."

"Why can't I drive?"

Sara stood and thought for a second. "Is there going to be alcohol at the party?"

"First off, it's not a party, it's a dance. Second, no there won't be any."

Sara bit her lip and thought for another moment.

"Alan." she finally stated.

"What about Alan?"

"You get to sit in the backseat with your boyfriend."

A slight guilty smirk spread across Arilyn's face before she asked yet another question, "Well then why can't Emma drive?"

Sara opened her mouth to speak, but Emma interrupted, raising her hands in surrender.

"I don't want to drive."

It was Sara's turn to smirk now.

"There, see? Case closed." she declared.

"Typical." Arilyn muttered under her breath, leaning against the frame of the doorway.

"What?" Sara wobbled forward, her hands held out to balance herself. Her purse was in one hand, keys in the other.

"Well, it's typical for Miss I'm Going to Harvard to Be a Detective to say 'case closed'."

Sara smirked again, taking a few more wobbly steps forward.

"Well it's not typical for me to walk in high-heeled shoes." Sara muttered, tipping a little towards the right, and struggling to stand straight again. Arilyn just chuckled.

"Race you to the car!" she cried, as Emma swept past gracefully. Arilyn followed her, giggling madly.

"Not fair!" Sara shouted, still smiling in a false way, struggling to walk through the cluttered bedroom. Suddenly, Arilyn's head peeked back behind the doorway.

"Not fair?" she repeated. "What if I gave you lessons?"

"I don't need lessons." Sara grunted, finally managing her way to the door.

Arilyn jutted her chin out in concentration before declaring decidedly "Yeah, you do."

Sara rolled her eyes but allowed Arilyn to take her by the hand and lead her out onto the wood floor of the hallway.

"Okay, now what?" Sara asked, struggling to stand upright.

"Just walk back and forth down the hallway a couple of times."

Sara did as she was told, leaning onto the wall for support. When she returned to Arilyn, the redhead sent her out again. "Don't use the wall this time!" she added. Sara struggled a bit at first, feeling as if she were going to fall flat on her face, but she did manage to walk without falling.

Arilyn applauded her from down the hallway.

"Now for distraction!" she called.

"What do you mean?" Sara answered back.

Arilyn leered at her, then stuck her fingers in her mouth and blew out, in a long hard whistle. Sara's eyes widened but it was too late for her to do anything to keep her balance. Arilyn's black Labrador, Timothy Oscar Tierce Omar (Toto, for short), bounded into the hallway, his large paws padding heavily on the wooded floors, his nails clicking loudly. He ran right past Sara, causing her to lose her balance and fall painfully onto the floor.

"Hmm…" Arilyn muttered, patting Toto on the head as he squirmed around her. "Let's try that again…Stand up Sara."

Sara glared at her as she stood shakily while bracing herself against the wall, purse and keys still in her hand.

"Okay, go on Toto!" She gave the animal a slight shove in Sara's direction. He charged, but Sara was ready this time. She quickly moved out of his way, thankfully keeping her balance as he skidded into the kitchen, knocking over a few chairs in the process.

Arilyn and Sara both laughed as Toto rolled onto his back and squirmed around on the floor amidst the fallen seats.

"I think you're ready Sara." Arilyn giggled. "Okay, Toto, into the backroom. We don't want you eating anything of Mom's while we're gone now do we?"

The dog stopped rolling around on the floor and bounded up to the backdoor. Arilyn strode over and opened it, letting the animal into the room, then closing it behind him.

"Your dog has his own room?" Sara questioned disbelievingly.

"Oh he's spoiled like you wouldn't believe." Arilyn confirmed.

Suddenly the sound of the doorbell rang through the house.

"Hey you guys!" came Emma's voice from a few rooms down. "Alan is here!"

Arilyn smiled broadly and strode over towards the source of the racket, primping her hair distractedly in the process.

"Aren't you going to pick up the chairs?" Sara asked.

Arilyn waved it aside and went out of sight. Sara huffed slightly then bent down and lifted the chairs to their original standing positions. Arilyn really was a slob, but not the dirty kind of slob that left crumbs and food everywhere like Leroy. She was just cluttered.

After she finished putting the chairs back, Sara followed Arilyn's path to the front door where Emma, Arilyn, and Alan were waiting for her. The night was starry and bright, with a clear fresh sky and a distinct, indescribable scent of fresh air.

"Hey Sara!" Alan greeted her with a handshake and smile, which Sara returned. He had short brown hair and hazel eyes that Arilyn said were his best feature. He was a jock, like Chandler, but in a different sort of clique. Arilyn was hanging on Alan's arm, gazing up at him with wide, adoring eyes. Emma stepped over towards Sara, as though not wanting to intrude on the couple in front of them.

"We're…uh…driving my car, right Arilyn?" Sara asked, holding up her keys.

"Well I guess." Arilyn muttered distractedly, arm still hooked with Alan's.

"Good." Sara strode carefully over towards her small car, Emma, Alan, and Arilyn following her. She entered the driver's side, Alan and Arilyn the back, and Emma the passenger side.

"Now, no making out until you can do it in private. That's disgusting, and rude, mostly because Emma and I don't have boyfriends." Sara mumbled, staring back at the couple through the mirror. They were in the back seat and looked dangerously close to kissing. Sara started the car with a shake of her head. Nothing she said would make any difference.

Her car was old, but she had patched most of it up herself, just tinkering with it. Sure, it did break at some of the worst times, but this car she had managed to get with very little money, even considering its worn out state. The transmission started with a slight sputter but it drove down the road steadily all the same.


"Come on! Hurry up Sara!" Arilyn cried, walking down the parking lot towards the highschool auditorium. She was still hanging on to Alan's arm, and still managing to stare into his eyes half the time. Sara sighed and shut the car door behind her while Emma leaned against the right side of it, waiting patiently for her.

"Thanks for waiting Emma." Sara acknowledged, walking towards the highschool as well, still feeling as if she were going to fall forward. "You know what? Let's slow down." she muttered, slowing her pace.

"Why?" Emma questioned, slowing down to Sara's speed.

"Because I still don't want to go."

"Oh…"

By the time they reached the auditorium, Arilyn and Alan were already dancing.

Sara sighed, although she was extremely thankful most of the crowd was dressed in tuxedos and gowns. It was like how Arilyn explained the prom, which Sara had missed.

"Are you going to dance?" Sara asked Emma.

"Not right away, no." she muttered back.

"Let's go sit down."

"Good idea."

The two strode over to a deserted bench against the wall and sat down. Arilyn and Alan were now dancing so vigorously to the upbeat song, a crowd was beginning to gather around them to watch. Sara sighed again and pulled out a paperback book she had snuck into her purse. Emma leaned over Sara's shoulder to read with her for several minutes.

"Hello there ladies." came a smooth talking voice from above them.

Sara and Emma looked up from the book towards the voice, and some slight other snickers.

"You are looking B-e-a-utiful tonight Sara Sidle."

It was Chandler. Sara instantly narrowed her eyes and glared.

"I must say, I would have never thought you'd be one to dress up but you fix up mighty nice." Chandler was dressed in a white tuxedo, his hair slicked over with piles of hair-gel. Two of his friends were there as well, sniggering slightly.

"Thank you, Chandler." Sara mumbled, turning her eyes back to the book, tightening her grip on it.

"Care to dance?" he asked, taking one of his sausage fingers and pressing the book down. Sara jutted her chin and looked into Chandler's blue eyes. He was smiling charmingly and his pearly teeth sparkled.

"I don't dance." Sara replied coldly. "Especially with you."

"Oh come on, Sara! Is this about all those years ago?"

"Kind of, just a little, yeah it is."

Emma was sitting quietly, watching the two talk like a tennis match.

"Aw, come on. You got me back for that."

They were mere inches apart, Chandlers hand was pressed against the wall behind Sara and the bench, his other was tucked in his pocket. He continued beaming captivatingly at Sara—she continued coldly staring at him.

"Please?" he asked. She could smell his awful cologne and the breath mint on his exhalations. They were in a slight silence for a few moments before Sara broke it.

"I don't think so, Chandler."

His smile vanished and he returned the glare.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you took a step back."

He leaned back to a standing position then his gaze snapped to Emma.

"Emily, you look gorgeous tonight. I've never noticed your eyes before."

"It's Emma, and no, I'm not dancing with you."

He huffed, muttered a 'Let's go,' to his two followers, then walked away towards a bench where some other girls were chatting.

Sara and Emma watched him leave, a thick silence lingering in the air after his presence had left. Finally, the two girls let out the breath they had been holding in.

"I thought he was going to kiss me or something," Sara said with a chuckle.

"I did too." Emma admitted.

Sara set the book back inside her purse and turned her gaze to the dance floor. Emma followed her line of sight and let out a sigh.

"He is so annoying."

"You can say that again."

"He is—"

"Figure of speech Emma."

"I know." she said with a laugh.

An entire hour passed and it was nearing ten o' clock. Suddenly, another boy swept over to Sara and Emma.

"H-Hey Emma." he greeted nervously. "Sara," He nodded at Sara in greeting, Sara answering with a smile.

"Hello there Matt." Emma mumbled. Matt had ordinary brown eyes and bland blonde hair. He was twiggy, and gave off a nervous air, although he was dressed nicely in a white blouse and tie.

"W-Would you…like to d-dance with me?" he stuttered. A flush crept up his neck and he wrung his hands anxiously.

Emma smiled over at Sara and she could tell she was holding back a giggle.

"Go on…" Sara urged.

"Are you sure?" Emma whispered back.

"Have a good time. Go on and dance."

"All right," Emma mumbled uneasily, standing up. Matt grinned slightly then turned to Sara.

"Do you need a date?"

"No, no, I'm fine...here."

"Are you sure? ' Cause Jeremy needs a date too." He pointed over at his friend who was standing in a corner. Jeremy was even worse off than Matt in the looks department, with scraggly brown hair, dull gray eyes, and poorly concealed acne.

"I-I think I'll pass, thanks." Sara answered.

"All right," Then he and Emma walked out to the dance floor and danced to a slightly slower song.

Sara sighed, pulled her book out of her purse again, and continued reading. Only when she finished it half an hour later did she begin thinking of heading home and packing. Several times she was asked to dance by several different boys she had never talked to before. Every time she rejected them, steadily feeling more and more egotistical. Maybe she'd just let the next boy talk to her or something.

However, word seemed to have gotten around that she wasn't dancing with anybody. The requests stopped and she was becoming even more bored than before. She felt like a statue, boys walking by her, visibly attempting not to stare, and then walking off.

A few times Arilyn and Emma stopped by. One of them would hand her a glass of punch, and then the three would talk a bit. As a final attempt, Arilyn would try to convince Sara to dance with somebody, even saying she'd share Alan if she had to. Sara always said no.

An hour later, Arilyn and Emma came by Sara again.

"Here you go Sara," Arilyn mumbled through a mouthful of cake, handing Sara a plate with some cake on top.

"I'm not hungry."

"You haven't eaten anything the entire time we've been here."

"So? I'm not hungry."

"Fine. You eat it Emma," Arilyn muttered, handing the plate over to her.

Emma stared down at the plate, then bit off the frosting rose.

"What's got you so down Sara?" Arilyn questioned, sitting down on her left, Emma on her right.

"Nothing. I'm just…bored."

"What book did you bring?"

"How'd you know?"

"I know you too well."

Sara heaved a slight sigh and looked over at the dance floor. Chandler was putting his charm on some blonde girl on the dance floor and the next second they were dancing together. Arilyn followed her gaze.

"Ah…Yes, Chandler. He tried to get me away from Alan earlier."

"He was onto me too." Sara muttered.

"He looked like he was about to kiss her." Emma piped in.

"Interesting…Let's go kick him."

"What?" Sara exclaimed.

"Yeah! Let's go kick him!"

"No, that's stupid."

"Oh, and punching him wasn't?"

"That was completely different. I had a reason."

"You just don't want to get out of going to Harvard."

"I'm not kicking him, Emma's not kicking him, and you're definitely not kicking him because that will turn into a full blown fight and you'll end up doing more than giving him a bruised shin."

Arilyn smirked. "You're right."

"I know I am."

Then suddenly, the sound of doors opening reached her ears above the music. Everyone in the hall seemed to stop for a split second to see who had entered. Sara, Arilyn, and Emma glanced towards the doors as well. A man walked in, a young one, with dark hair, dark eyes, and a slightly built figure. He was wearing jeans, a dark shirt, and a tan jacket over it.

Sara recognized him almost instantly as Derek.

"My God…" she whispered.

"What?" Arilyn questioned, taking another bite of cake.

"It's…Derek…" she gasped, enormous smile creeping across her face.

"Who?" Arilyn questioned.

"My brother, remember?"

"Oh…yeah…Wait. What's your brother doing here?"

But Sara wasn't listening. She stood up from her spot and began walking over to Derek, standing in the middle of nowhere, looking around as though for somebody. Sara knew it was her he was searching for. Finally, he spotted her walking towards him and a smile spread across his face.

"You look wonderful." he said, smile still on his face.

"W-What are you doing here?" Sara asked, smile still on hers as well.

"I didn't want to miss your graduation, but I did so I figured I'd come to the dance afterwards. You do look gorgeous. How many times have you been asked to dance?"

Sara rolled her eyes, "About…oh…I'd say at least five times."

Derek's lips turned up again.

"It's so great to see you." Sara cried in disbelief.

"How've you been?" he asked.

"Great…really…great…"

They both smiled yet again before Arilyn and Emma approached from behind.

"So…this is your brother?" Arilyn questioned, eyeing him from feet to hair.

"Yeah. Umm…Derek, this is my friend Arilyn, Arilyn, Derek. And this is Emma, my other friend."

"Hi…" Arilyn mumbled shyly, quite out of her nature. She then leaned over to Sara, cupped her hand over her mouth and whispered, "He's hot…"

"Oh shush," Sara responded.

"But you're not real brother and sister are you?" Emma asked.

"No," Derek answered. "Foster,"

"Right,"

"Are you single?" Arilyn asked suddenly.

"Arilyn!" Sara cried, turning around, her smile replaced by a slight frown.

"What?"

Derek and Emma were laughing now and Sara attempted to hold back any giggles trying to escape. Arilyn was now blushing.

"No, I have a girlfriend."

"Finally?" Sara responded.

"Yes, finally."

"What's her name?" Arilyn questioned eagerly.

"Jeanette,"

Arilyn's lips curled into a pout and she folded her arms.

"Where is she?" Sara asked.

"At school."

"You're school?"

"Yep…I hear you're going to college too."

Sara smiled and Arilyn added the rest.

"She's going to Harvard to be a detective."

"Forensic Scientist…" Sara muttered under her breath.

"Pbbf, Sorry," Arilyn scoffed.

Once more, everyone laughed.

"Sounds like you're doing well." Derek commented. "You hungry?" he asked, catching sight of the overflowing buffet table.

"Yeah, a bit." Sara replied.

She and Derek walked towards the buffet table, Emma and Arilyn following, throwing questioning looks at Sara who had five minutes before said she wasn't hungry, and was now saying she was.

They reached the buffet table and Derek instantly reached for a glass of punch and a slice of cake to eat. Sara truthfully still wasn't hungry, but she took a slice of cake all the same. Arilyn and Emma went straight to the cake once more, and Sara was actually thinking about maybe enjoying herself with Derek when a slight annoyance made its way back.

Chandler and the girl he had been dancing with on the dance floor made their way to the opposite side of the table. However, instead of reaching for a plate and some food, they stared across at Sara and Derek. Derek didn't bother to notice them, but Sara threw one glance their direction and then avoided all eye contact.

"Who's this Sara? I thought you didn't have a boyfriend." Chandler jeered, flashing his teeth again.

Sara felt herself flush, but she looked up to glare Chandler in the eye again. Derek had a confused look upon his face and was watching the two interestedly as the conversation proceeded.

"He's not my boyfriend Chandler."

Sara took a glance over at the pretty blonde hanging on Chandler's thick arm, gazing up at him in the very same manner Arilyn did with Alan.

"Well, we know he's not your dad." he sneered.

Sara opened her mouth to respond, but apparently, Derek thought it was time to intervene. "I'm not her boyfriend, or her dad, I'm her brother."

Chandler's dashing smile seemed to fade for a split second, but it returned.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me. It's nice to meet you." He held out his sausage hand for a shake, and Derek took it, shaking only lightly.

"You know, I can see the resemblance." the blonde muttered, cocking her head one way and then the other, taking angled glances at Sara and Derek.

"So…how's your evening been Sara?" Chandler questioned, still smiling charmingly.

"Fine…" she muttered.

"How's your evening really been?"

"You know what? I'm not going to talk to you." Sara muttered under her breath, refusing to take her eyes off the delicately adorned table.

Chandler's chin dropped and his smile once more disappeared.

"You know what? You're just jealous." the blonde interrupted in a whiny sort of voice.

Sara couldn't help but chuckle. "Right. Jealous, if that's what you call it."

"Well I mean, come on, you're date is your brother!"

"He's not my date. He showed up."

Chandler and Derek were at this point staring at the two young women arguing over such a trivial thing, Chandler's smile had returned, although it was a nervous sort of 'Will you shut up now so we can go away?' smile rather than a charming 'I want to date you' smile. Derek however, had a concerned look upon his face, one of his eyebrows raised.

"Sara, may I talk to you?" Chandler whispered across the table, forcing the two out of their staring match.

Sara jutted her chin out and threw a glance at Arilyn, then Emma, and finally Derek, before muttering a "Fine, if it will get you to leave me alone."

Chandler smiled his normal charming smile then excused himself from the blonde girl. He and Sara walked over towards a corner and stopped just behind a row of tall potted trees.

"Look…Sara, I know you still have some bitter leftovers from all those years ago, when you were…14? Was it?"

"Yep," Sara muttered in an annoyed tone.

"Well, I know I was stupid then, and maybe a little bit too forward."

"No, you think?"

"I want to make it up to you."

"And how would that be?"

"You be my girlfriend and I'll show you."

Sara tried, but failed to hold back a scoff.

"First of all, you already have a girlfriend. Second of all, it's our graduation. We're never going to see each other again after this!"

"So? We could be…a long distance couple. I've worked hard to get to this point. In case you care to notice, I've raised my grades and passed tenth, and eleventh, and twelfth grade. I'm going to college to be a football player!"

They sat in a tense silence for a while.

"Besides," Chandler added breaking the tension. "Candy? She's not my girlfriend. She's my 'temporary date'."

"Yes, but does she know that?" Sara questioned.

"Well…I don't know."

"Well that's a surprise. Look, I've got to go."

Sara made to turn around and step away from behind the potted plant, but suddenly Chandler grasped her arm.

"Wait Sara!"

Sara turned back around and brushed his hand off her in an instant.

"What?" she cried incredulously.

"I…I…I…"

"You what?"

Then suddenly, Chandler Shelton leant forward and kissed Sara Sidle squarely on the lips. Sara's entire mental state seemed to swell, winding the tension in her body to the breaking point. She did the only thing she thought to do at the moment: She slapped him.

He cried out in pain and brought a hand to his left cheek, taking several steps backwards in the process.

"What the heck was that for?" he cried, gasping slightly in pain.

"You see this space between you and me?" Sara muttered, her voice ridden with angry shock, gesturing at the two-foot boundary now separating them.

"Yeah…" Chandler grumbled, still rubbing his face forcefully.

"This is how close you will ever get to me ever again, unless you want me filing charges. Do you understand?"

"Yeah…" Chandler moaned. Then Sara turned on her heel and stormed out from behind the potted plants.

"What happened?" Arilyn asked when Sara's positively disgusted expression came into view. Emma was looking over Sara's shoulder at Chandler as he exited the row of tall potted trees, red hand mark blaring from his face. Derek looked concerned and cocked an eyebrow at her when Sara quickly grabbed a glass of punch and chugged it down within a few moments.

She emerged from her drink gasping, lips curled slightly in disgust.

"What happened?" Arilyn repeated.

Sara remained quiet and placed her hands on her hips, still gasping slightly. She glanced over her shoulder towards Chandler. Candy was now picking over him like a distressed mother, caressing the red mark on his chin and throwing angry glares over at Sara.

"Hello? Earth to Sara? Bother to tell us what happened?"

Sara hesitated, then shook her head.

"He's crazy…"

"I know. I dated him. What'd he do?"

Sara grinned exasperatedly, then muttered, "He kissed me."

"Oh…" Arilyn cringed slightly. Emma's eyes were wide, her chin dropped, and Derek's concerned look only intensified.

"Lips or cheek?" Arilyn asked, taking a quick bite from her cake and chewing.

Sara hesitated, then spoke. "Lips…"

Arilyn nearly spat the food over the floor, only managing to hold it back with a couple of well-timed gulps. Emma's gaze snapped from Chandler and Candy to Sara, her large eyes nearly popping out of her head. Derek's face changed instantly to something close to that of an alert guard dog.

"Derek, I'm fine." Sara muttered, catching wind of his ready to act manner.

"Are you sure?" He looked down at her, raising his eyebrows even higher.

"You don't have to go all big brother protects little sister, all right? I've already taught him a lesson and told him if he ever comes within two feet of me again I'm going to file charges."

Derek bit his lip, but Sara was smiling so his frown turned into a slight soft grin. Emma and Arilyn had begun laughing madly, until Matt and Alan showed up, just as a new song started.

"See you later Sara, Derek." Emma murmured as Matt swept her away. Alan and Arilyn went towards the dance floor as well, but Sara turned to sit back on the bench.

"Aren't you going to dance?" Derek asked, following her to the seat.

"Nope." She sat down and pulled the book from her purse.

"Why?"

"Because I don't dance."

Derek went quiet and gazed out at the dance floor.

"Would you dance with me?" he asked after a few minutes.

"I wouldn't dance with anyone right now."

Derek glanced up at a clock that was ticking away on a wall.

"Come outside with me for a bit, will you?"

"What for?"

"I'll show you. Remember, I have a surprise for you."

"You never said anything about a—" But Derek was already lifting her to her feet. Then they walked together out the side doors Derek had first entered, Sara feeling oddly confused.

The stars were still out and a slight breeze blew through the parking lot, sending shivers up Sara's spine. The trees were waving in the wind, their thick boughs adorned with rustling. An owl hooted through the night, dew seemed to be forming on a couple of plants, and flowers, as well as a mist was lingering over the grass.

"Here," Derek murmured, swiping his tan jacket off his shoulders. He wrapped it around Sara's bare arms and she sighed with the warmth of the jacket. It didn't quite smell like the Nelson home, but it was still comforting.

"Thanks," she replied.

"So," Derek began, reaching an arm around Sara's shoulder and pulling her closer to him. "How've you really been?"

"I told you, I've been fine."

"What's happened?" he questioned deeper.

Another breeze blew through the tree branches and another rustle of leaves only confirmed it.

"Nothing much really."

"Oh, come on, you're not telling me that the four…three? Four?"

"Four." Sara verified, slight smirk riding its way across her face.

"The four years we've been 'incommunicado' nothing major has happened?"

"Well…no…I just—there's nothing you really need to know, is there?"

"Start with Chandler. How do you know him?"

Sara let out a small chuckle.

"Oh let's see, he's had a crush on me since I was fourteen. He asked me out once, I said no. Turned into this great big fight and I ended up punching him."

Derek laughed.

"You'd think he'd have learned!"

"Yeah, well, I guess not. I thought he was over me for the longest time."

"Trust me Sara, anyone would kiss you tonight if they got the chance. You look great."

Sara smiled shyly and pulled Derek's jacket closer around her.

"What else? I need details!" Derek prodded.

"Well…I got a job, against Leroy and Em's wishes, but I got one. I managed to keep it a secret for a whole year."

"What gave it away?"

"Well, Emma told me that Em and Leroy went up to the school to make sure I got home in order to call…my mom…and they found out that there was no study group, like I said there was. Leroy got really mad."

They stopped walking by a bench located on the edge of the lot. Derek sat down and Sara followed suit, sighing faintly.

"He hurt you didn't he." Derek stated, the cheer in his voice gone.

"Yeah, he did." Sara looked away from Derek. "Mentally and physically. Apparently his outlook on me isn't very good."

"You get to keep your job?"

"Yep."

"How'd things go after that?"

"Hasn't said a single word to me since except for: 'Get out of my way. Get me this. Get me that.' I can do pretty much anything I want to and he wouldn't care. He's basically given up on me."

"Yeah, well we know he's an idiot."

"Yeah," Sara giggled and plucked a fallen green leaf from the bench. "Hasn't even bothered to notice I'm going to college on my own money."

"It's nearly midnight…The surprise should be here soon."

"What is it?" Sara questioned eagerly, gratefully leaving the previous conversation.

"I can't tell you, it wouldn't be a surprise."

Sara smirked. "I knew you'd say that."

"I knew you'd ask."

Silence prevailed for a few minutes before the questions ensued.

"So what's been going on with you? How's…Jeanette was it? What's she like?"

"Well…we met in a coffee shop."

"A coffee shop? You?"

"I told you I was changing."

"You get your degree yet?"

"Almost. I have a couple years to go."

"How'd you pay for it?"

"Well, Frankie and Jill, they paid for my first semester while I worked. Then I paid for the rest of it."

"They still in money trouble?"

Derek let out a small breath through his nose and he appeared to deflate in his seat, his arm becoming slightly heavier on Sara's shoulder.

"Not really, sort of, but not really. Jill doesn't have to be home half-time with Meg anymore so she's got a job now."

"How old is Meg now?" Sara asked, leaning her head on Derek's shoulder.

"Nine, going on ten."

"That makes Mike and Taylor…"

"Eleven. Their birthday's in August."

Sara sighed longingly, receiving in return a squeeze on the shoulder. Suddenly, a blinding light filled Sara eyes and she sat up straight, out of Derek's grip.

"What…oh…it's a car."

She meant to lay back down but Derek was standing.

"The surprise is here." he declared, walking towards the car as it parked in one of the only empty spots.

"What are you talking about? Delivery?"

"Come on," Derek turned around and grasped her arm, tugging her gently towards the car.

"What—"

But just then, a rather large silhouette of a person appeared out of the driver side of the doorway. The door closed and the person waddled over to the back door of the car and lifted out another small, silhouetted person. Then words were spoken as the passenger door opened and yet another silhouette appeared, smaller than the first but larger than the second.

Sara couldn't believe her eyes. It couldn't be. But that voice, it was so cheerful and pleasant, she instantly recognized it as the voice that greeted her that day five years ago.

"It…It couldn't be…" she murmured breathlessly. She gripped Derek's arm for support but just then, the first shadowed person stepped out into a beam of streetlight.

It was Frankie, holding a sleeping young girl with long curly blonde hair. Meg.

Sara stood stock-still, her mind quite unsure of what to do. Then the next second, the right back door swung open, and two smaller figures piled out quickly, the next second sprinting up to Sara and staring up at her.

"Hello Sara." Frankie muttered, clearing his throat and hoisting Meg up further in his grip.

"It's not Sara." declared Mike from before her. He and Taylor were staring up at Sara, their hair still ruffled, their outfits consisting of torn jeans and wrinkled t-shirts.

"Of course I'm Sara," she muttered, her voice cracking, her jaw trembling.

"No you're not. You're wearing a dress. Sara hates dresses."

"Come here,"

Sara bent slightly to the boys' height and held out her arms. They shared an anxious glance, as if wanting to reassure with the other it was safe. Then the two stepped forwards, each taking a hug in one or the other arm. Sara squeezed, breathing in the fresh scent of their hair, a familiar scent of the home she had at one point been a part of.

They broke apart and Mike and Taylor's eyes had widened, happiness shining in them like a million pools of reflecting joy.

"It is you Sara." Taylor declared. "But—you're in a dress!" They're faces twisted into confusion and Sara let out a slight chuckle, then a sniff.

"This wasn't my idea. It was Arilyn, my friend."

"Oh…"

Sara stood up straight again and glanced at Derek. He was smiling, his hair gleaming under a streetlight, chocolate eyes shining. She looked away at the people before her and took a step forward, and then another, and another, until she was in front of Jill. The woman had exited the car after the twins and was now standing next to Frankie and the dozing Meg.

Her eyes were wet with joyful tears at the moment, her hair with a prominent gray streak, but what comforted Sara was that her eyes were still friendly. She knew she hadn't changed one bit.

"Oh Sara," she cried, then next second reaching out and hugging her tightly. Sara returned it, tears filling her eyes as she heard Jill's small sobs of joy. For some unknown reason Sara chuckled, almost as if she were laughing at the prospect this was actually happening.

"I've missed you Sara. I'm sorry we never visited but it was obvious you're aunt and uncle didn't want us around."

"I've missed you too." Sara mumbled into her shoulder. She didn't want to let go—this was comfort she didn't want to let go of.

"Oh, honey you look beautiful." Jill cried, wiping tears from her cheek and then cradling Sara's face in her hands.

"Thanks,"

"Go, go hug your dad."

Sara smiled. Dad. It sounded right. It all seemed like a dream as Sara broke away from Jill. How could they possibly be here?

Frankie shifted Meg into his right arm and reached out to Sara with his left. She walked towards it, and when she was within his reach, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders in an enormous bear hug, his grip so tight it seemed he would never let go.

"You've grown up so much. You're acting so proud, and deserving, and dignified, and so mature. You have every right to be angry with us but you're not. I'm so glad you're not."

He laid his graying head atop Sara's and squeezed her again. Sara fought once more to hold back tears, although Frankie was doing no such thing, allowing his fat, round tears to roll freely down his face. They broke apart, Frankie taking great loud sniffs. The stood in silence for a few seconds while Frankie attempted to recover. When he finally did, he shook his right arm softly and muttered into Meg's ear, 'Sara's here, Sara's here'.

The girl stirred quietly, her eyes opening slowly at first so she was no more than squinting, but then she caught sight of Sara.

"Sara…?" she questioned unsteadily, slight hesitation in her voice just as Mike and Taylor had encountered.

Sara smiled at her. Meg returned it.

"Sara!" She flung out her arms towards her and Sara lifted her up and out of Frankie's pudgy arms. She weighed quite a good number, but Sara braced her arms and placed Meg on her hip. Meg proceeded to hugging her around the neck as tightly as she could, causing Sara to nearly drop the little girl.

"Aren't you getting a little big to be carried everywhere?" Sara questioned.

"I didn't ask to be carried out of the car."

"Then you wouldn't mind me putting you down, would you?"

Meg squirmed towards the ground and Sara let her slide down to it, only to be embraced around the knees, nearly loosing all balance.

"I've missed you. Dad was mean and he wouldn't let us go see you. Will you ground him? You're an…an…adult…like Derek now, right? You can ground him now?" She said the word as though not quite sure how to use it.

Sara and several other people around chuckled.

"No, not really. How's your reading been going?" Sara asked, still smiling.

Meg beamed.

"I'm getting straight A's."

Sara's smile widened.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you Meg."

"She's your minion." Mike declared. "But not nearly as nice."

Meg stuck her tongue out at the boys who stuck theirs out right back. Afterwards, Meg clung to Sara's hand. She was actually gaining up on height, Sara's estimate around five feet tall. She definitely shouldn't have picked her up.

"Uh…Dad, did you…bring the uh…'present'?" Derek asked from his quiet, smiling, stance by the car.

"Oh, yes, that's right. Remember Meg, what I gave you this morning? I said you had to give it to Sara for all the birthday's we've had to miss?"

"We didn't have to miss it Dad." Meg muttered bossily. "You made us miss it."

Tension followed while Meg dug fervently in her tiny jean pocket. Eventually, she dragged out an envelope with a flourish of her wrist.

"Here Sara."

"What's this?" Sara asked through a smile. It was probably a card of some sort. She tore open the envelope neatly and pulled out the expected card from inside.

"Let's go over to a streetlight, so I can read it."

The group strode over to the bench Sara and Derek had resided in minutes before.

The card was a light blue, a picture of white roses on the front and a poem stretching all the way to the next page. Sara read it aloud, "Though time may change, friends do not, but when friends are lost, what else do you got? There's something special everyone has. Everyone has, a mom and a dad." Sara glanced up at Frankie and Jill as she read, then continued,

"Thought they may not be true, they're there all the same. They'll help you maneuver through life's game. After the parents come the number two set, a brother or sister who cause you to fret. But don't worry because, after all's said and done, they'll be the one's who let you have fun. There's something in life that everyone's got. It's one special thing that means so much more." She turned the page to spy an upside down check. She quickly read off the last bit of the card, and then the part they had written to her specially. "A family, a family, and nothing more. We are your family Sara. Remember that always, somebody, somewhere, cares about you very much. Love, Jill, Frankie, Meg, Mike, Taylor, and Derek."

Sara looked up at them with a wide grin on her face, tears making their way towards the breaking point again.

"Thank you, thank you very much." Meg squeezed on her finger and gave her another latching hug across the knees.

"But what's the check for?"

"Well look at it." Jill prodded.

Sara raised an eyebrow at her, smirk riding across her face, but she went and flipped the check over all the same.

"A thousand dollars!" Sara exclaimed, utter shock in her voice. Her eyes widened and her hands trembled as she held the slip of paper in her hand. "I-I-I can't take this from you guys, I can't." She attempted to give the paper back to Jill, but the woman refused to take it.

"We owe it to you. You've been so angry with us."

"Wa-wa-wait. I'm angry with you? I'm disappointed with you, but not angry with you. Never contacting me after four years? That didn't make me angry with you, just disappointed you weren't talking to me."

"What are you talking about Sara? We sent letters to you at least twice a week."

"Letters?" Sara cried.

"Didn't you get them?" Meg whined from below.

Sara blinked. So they had tried to talk to her. She was the one not talking to them.

"I-I-I never got them."

"Your aunt and uncle probably tossed them away before you ever got to read them. We thought you just weren't writing back."

"Why didn't you tell me about them before?"

"We had assumed you were angry with us and didn't want to be bothered. After all, it did seem like we kicked you out."

"Why not a telephone call?"

It was a stupid question; Sara already figured the answer out before she finished asking.

"Your aunt and uncle."

"Right…"

She stared back down at the check in her hands, the numbers in ink staring up at her from the paper. 1-0-0-0. One thousand dollars into her college savings. One thousand dollars to help her off her feet into her new life. One thousand dollars.

"It's cold," Meg stated, interrupting the silence in which everyone was watching Sara stare at the check. "Can we go inside?"

"Do they have cake Sara?" Mike questioned eagerly, his eyes widening slightly.

"Yeah, they have cake. But ask Jill and Frankie first." Sara bossed, but Mike, Taylor, and Meg paid no heed and dashed right into the building.

"I'll get them," Derek muttered, walking away, "I'll leave you three alone."

Sara watched him leave then turned to the two people in front of her, check still in her trembling fingers.

"Uh…Thanks." she finally managed. It was really a pathetic recognition, not nearly comparable to the true joy she felt.

Jill smiled broadly and Frankie sniffed again. The next moment, the three had joined in another tight hug. Frankie began to sniffle harder as more fat tears accumulated. Jill's broad smile continued to shine over Sara's shoulder, and Sara was laughing slightly among the sobs escaping her mouth. They broke apart a few seconds later as Meg came padding up to them, her hair flopping up and down in the dim light.

"Mom! Dad! Mike and Taylor said that I couldn't have any of the cake. I think you should chastise them."

Sara raised her eyebrows, but Jill and Frankie didn't seem to notice.

"Have you been learning some bigger words while I was gone?" Sara questioned her as Jill swept into the building, Frankie following, noting to give Sara a pat on the head as he passed.

Meg beamed. "You bet. I look in the dictionary every day to find a new word."

Sara chuckled.

"Why don't we go inside? You might find a date you know,"

Meg's eyes widened. "I'm not allowed to date. You know that."

"But tonight's special. It's a dance."

Meg stared up at her with her sharp gray eyes, their pupils reflecting the street lamp, light dancing across their surface.

"Well you can at least dance, right?" Sara offered noticing quite pointedly that Meg wasn't going to go and break her mother's rules that simply.

"I suppose…" Meg mumbled. She then turned and scampered into the building. Sara was now alone in the night with nothing but Derek's coat and her purse over on the bench at the edge of the parking lot. She swept over to the seat beneath the street light and picked up the items gingerly. When she got to her purse after draping Derek's coat around her nearly bare shoulders, she took the check, glanced at it once more, and tucked it into the bag.

"Sara!" came the call of somebody. She turned her head to the doors to see Arilyn and Emma standing there. Sara began walking towards them, pulling the jacket closer around her to protect against the breeze blowing across the parking lot.

"Do you know what kind of people have just shown up?" Arilyn cried incredulously.

"Umm…my family?"

Arilyn laughed.

"Yeah, I know, Meg…was that her name?" she asked Emma. Emma nodded simply.

"Yeah, Meg she told me at the buffet table. That they were with you. Your brothers are such smart little boys." A sort of false smile spread across Arilyn's face and it stayed there.

"Really…is that what they seem?"

"Well…I didn't want to say this but…They're talking to Chandler."

"What!" Sara swept in past the two girls.

"Hello Miss Bulldozer! Nice to talk to you too!" Arilyn mumbled as Sara stormed past her, shoving her purse into Arilyn's hands. The building was alive with the sounds of music and chatter. Sara surveyed the floor like a hawk, searching for any hint of the twins. Arilyn had said that Meg was at the buffet table so Sara headed in that direction.

When she got there Meg wasn't present, but a slight sound from her right caught her attention. It sounded like Mike or Taylor was over by the string of potted trees and strings of crepe paper Chandler had cornered her by earlier. Sara walked briskly over towards the noise and just as she had suspected, Mike and Taylor were both standing there, chatting with Chandler and Candy.

"So, you play football?" Mike questioned.

"I don't play football little man; I am the king of football." Chandler bragged

"Wow!" Mike and Taylor exclaimed.

"More like the king of vanity." Sara muttered harshly.

Chandler's gaze snapped to Sara who was standing cross-armed in the entrance to their little 'corner'. Candy was glaring at Sara, who was glaring daggers at Chandler, who appeared to be struggling to pick up the shattered pieces of the situation.

"I wouldn't believe a word he says boys." Sara muttered. Mike and Taylor were staring quizzically around at the three, first at Sara, then at Chandler, and then at Candy.

"Are you here to steal Chandler away from me again?" Candy sneered. Sara's gaze snapped to hers and their eyes met. Blue on brown, and no one was going to back off. "Are you going to try and woo him away with another one of your kisses?"

Sara raised an eyebrow and dropped her jaw in an offended way.

"W-w-wait…You think I kissed Chandler? Are you nuts?"

Chandler cleared his throat authoritatively.

"Uh, Sara—"

"I think you need to get your facts straight."

"Well everyone knows you've had a crush on him for forever!"

"Candy—"

But Candy continued. "And everybody knows you're just a snob."

"A snob?" Sara repeated.

"You reject everyone who wants to get to know you if they're not up to your supposed standards. Then you find somebody like Chandler, who, quite surprising to you apparently, is out of your league." She spat the last few words and then continued. "So when you ask him out on a date and he refuses you, continues to make a harmless joke, you nearly break his nose!"

Sara's eyes were wide open, her jaw hanging, Mike and Taylor with the same expressions on their faces.

"And thenyou and that…Anna, was it? Form a 'rejected by Chandler' sort of club thing, right after she was dumped."

"Candy really—"

"Then," Candy continued, taking absolutely no heed to Chandler's pleas for silence. "You still can't properly control your emotions for him, so when he pulls you over to a private area where he wants to convince you he's not interested, you kiss him." Suddenly Candy pointed to a small bruise on Sara's arm.

"And that? That was from where Chandler pushed you away to get you off him. And then you slapped him when he continued to say he wasn't interested."

The truth about the bruise was really Leroy had pushed Sara aside that morning, causing her to bump painfully into a wall. And here Candy was, making up hundreds of lies.

Candy concluded her rambles with a poisonous question. "What do you have to say to that?"

The entire room seem to fall into silence as Sara thought for a moment, her eyebrows raised, her voice box shut off due to shock. Then she managed, "Well…Uh…First of all, I have to say I'm impressed."

Candy raised her over-tweezed brows at her.

"I never would have thought you were smart enough to think up something that elaborate."

Candy narrowed her eyes at her and glared.

"Second…umm…Chandler, I would have thought you didn't need a woman to fight your battles for you, much less lie to someone while they fought your battles."

Chandler opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, as if thinking about what he could possibly say in the present situation.

"Look, Candy," Sara continued, turning to her, "Arilyn's the one who broke up with Chandler, Chandler's the one who asked me on date, I was the one who rejected him, he was the one who kissed me!"

The corner fell silent again. Mike and Taylor were still looking quite confused, Candy was still glaring daggers at Sara, and Chandler still looked completely humiliated.

"Uh…Candy? Baby, why don't we go…dance or something?"

"Just what I was thinking…" Candy hissed. Then Chandler and Candy, who was still latched onto his arm like a leech, walked out from behind the row of potted trees and danced, leaving Sara and the twins standing completely speechless. After a few moments, Taylor spoke, confusion etched into every syllable.

"You kissed him?"

"Well…I wouldn't really call it a kiss…"

Mike and Taylor glared accusingly at her.

"Okay, so it was a kiss, but he kissed me."

They curled their lips in disgust.

"Oh you two are so immature. It was just a kiss! An involuntary one I could file charges on…but still…"

The two beamed proudly.

"What did I say?"

"You said we are immature. We know. We get that a lot." Mike affirmed.

"Oh…right. Well, if it makes you feel any less revolted, I don't like him."

"He's a liar." Taylor stated.

"Yep."

Then suddenly, a voice from behind them sent all three jumping.

"Hey Sara, Mike, Taylor. What's going on? Party without me?"

It was Derek.

"This whole thing is a party Derek." Sara muttered.

"It's a figure of speech."

"I know."

"I—"

"Chandler's a liar." Mike interrupted.

"What'd he say?" Derek questioned.

"He said that Sara likes him and that she kissed him." Taylor added.

"But he was the one who kissed her." Mike finished.

"Where is he now?" Derek asked, his brows furrowing with slight concern.

"Derek," Sara began, turning and staring him straight in the face, "There's really nothing you have to worry about it. He just told Candy some untrue things about me. You don't have to go all big brother. I've asked you before not to."

"Sorry," Derek muttered.

"You're getting too defensive. I can take care of myself just fine."

Derek seemed to ignore the comment for a moment, for the next words he spoke were to Mike and Taylor. "Mike, Taylor; Mom and Dad were looking for you earlier. They want to talk to you about…something or another."

The twins scampered off in the direction of Jill and Frankie who were seated on a bench over on the far left of the gym. Meg was with them, her half-asleep head leaning against Frankie's shoulder peacefully. Sara and Derek watched them go quietly before turning back to each other.

"Look, it's nothing really. They're just lies, not anything I can't deal with. He hasn't hurt me at all."

"Maybe not physically, but what about mentally?" Derek questioned sternly.

"I'm fine Derek. Really!"

"I'm just watching out for you. You know that right?"

"I'm not an emotionally disturbed fourteen-year-old anymore! I can handle these things without a breakdown!"

Derek blinked under her sternly spoken words. She had never really raised her voice to him before, not meaningfully. This was different. They stopped speaking for a few seconds, before Sara started again, "Look, I'm going to go sit down. I'm probably going to leave soon."

"All right. I'm going to go…dance or something."

Derek walked off, his head drooping slightly. Sara cursed herself for acting that way towards him as she strode over to an unoccupied bench and sat down. In her silence, she discovered she was becoming steadily more annoyed with the blaring music and constant chatter of people around her. She placed her head in her hands and groaned with tiredness. She should probably be driving over to Emma's house soon to get a good nights rest before she went to catch her flight a couple days from today.

Leroy and Em had sworn to her that as soon as her graduation was officially over, she had one more trip into the house to grab her stuff and leave the house key, and then she was out of there for good. She didn't mind. She was going to college as soon as possible.

Time passed and song after song played over the speakers. Jill and Frankie had even gotten up and danced to a couple of slow songs, leaving the slumbering Meg to Sara. As 1:00 neared, Sara was becoming steadily more itchy eyed and drowsy. Even Mike and Taylor seemed to be losing their energetic, sugar induced spark.

Arilyn and Emma continued dropping by, normally to chat up Meg, Jill, Frankie, the twins, or Derek who came over occasionally, and then they went to dance again.

At nearly one thirty, Emma came by with a glass of nonalcoholic sparkling cranberry juice.

"Aren't you going to dance to just one song?"

"Nope."

"Just one song."

"There's no one to dance with."

"Derek isn't dancing with anybody."

Sara's gaze wandered out onto the dance floor, but as soon as they spotted Derek, Arilyn, and Alan dancing, they then fell on Chandler and Candy, sending any possible prospects of dancing completely out of her head.

"I'm not dancing."

"Party pooper."

"Go away." Sara muttered jokingly, head leaning on her hand, smile creeping across it.

"No."

"Fine, I'll go away." Sara stood up abruptly.

"No you're not."

Emma swapped her juice between her hands, reached up, and grabbed Sara's elbow, pulling her back down into her seat.

"Fine…" Sara huffed, placing her head back onto her hand. "I'm thinking about leaving soon. I'm beat."

"Is your family going to come with you to my house?"

"I don't know. Probably not. They probably have to head home before Frankie ends up falling asleep at the wheel."

Emma sighed and looked over at the sleeping Meg on the bench.

"Your sister's cute."

"Yeah…" Sara agreed.

"You know, if you hadn't ever told me that they were your foster siblings, I would have thought you were related. You and Meg have the same personality…sort of…and Mike and Taylor there's just something about them that reminds me of you. And Derek, well…Derek, he looks just like you."

Sara grinned slightly.

"You know, if you go…I have to go. You're my ride home, remember?"

"Yep."

"At least Arilyn and Alan are getting a ride home from Arilyn's parents."

"At two in the morning?" Sara asked incredulously.

"That's her curfew."

"Oh…wow…I have no curfew."

"You're home at eight every night."

"I…set my own curfew."

Emma chuckled. "Typical…"

Sara chuckled with her, smile fading slowly afterwards.

"You know, I'm going to go. I'm really tired."

"I'll go too. Maybe my parents will be home. Sleeping, but home."

"All right. Just…let me say goodbye, swap addresses and—"

But just then, the slightly upbeat song halted and Derek swept over to Sara, hand outstretched.

"Dance with me on this next one?" he questioned, smile on his face.

Emma was beaming at Sara who looked rather stuck in the tight situation.

"Uh…Emma, didn't Arilyn say there was no alcohol at this dance?" Sara asked.

"Very funny Sara, come on! Dance with me!"

"I-I-I have to get some-some-sleep. Sleep. Yeah. So I'm well rested."

"Just one dance?" Derek pleaded. "This one's nice and slow!" he offered, as a new tune came on that was quite softer than the last one.

"But—"

"Go on Sara!" Emma prodded giving Sara a slight shove out of her chair. Via Emma pushing her by the small of her back, and Derek grasping her arm gently and tugging her forward, Sara stood up from her seat.

"What if someone thinks we're dating? That's disgusting! You're my brother!"

"We know we're not dating and that's what matters, right?"

"I—"

But Derek had grabbed her hand and was now dragging her unwillingly onto the dance floor.

"Derek!"

"Shh…" he whispered, putting a finger up to silence her. He then grasped her other hand and laced his fingers through hers. "All right, your right hand goes here." He took her right hand and placed it on his shoulder, then led his left hand to her waist.

"Derek—"Sara began.

"Bu-Bu-Buh! And this hand," He raised their merged fingers upwards and to the right. "Goes here." He smiled and began moving slowly in a circle to the melody. Sara let him guide her, for she was more preoccupied with their feet, paying careful attention not to step on his toes.

"And you just keep moving around and around like this." he murmured above the soft, melodic, music that was playing.

"You know, I'm glad I'm being taught how to slow dance by you rather than my…first date or something."

"I figured you would be."

Sara looked up from the ground into Derek's chocolate eyes. That was a mistake.

"Ow!" Derek exclaimed softly as Sara's high-heeled shoe met his foot.

"Sorry!" Sara cried apologetically, glancing down at her feet that had been so suddenly knocked out of rhythm.

"No problems. Just start up again."

They began revolving slowly again, Derek still guiding Sara through the steps.

"There, you've got it now. Now stop watching your feet."

Sara looked uneasily up from the floor spinning beneath them and back at Derek.

"There, see?" he encouraged. "No worries."

Sara smirked and allowed Derek to continue moving her gently across the floor. Then Derek mumbled, "Hey…uh…I just wanted to let you know that…I'm sorry. I really am."

A confused look brought itself upon Sara's face.

"For what?" she asked.

"For everything."

Sara let out a small laugh and smiled again.

"Like what?"

"Well, tonight for example. Like you said, I'm too defensive and I'm sorry for it. I didn't mean to be."

"Derek, that's nothing. I just…needed some space to deal with things myself like I have been for seventeen years!"

"I guess I just…don't want what happened to me to happen to you, for you to get wrapped up in that sort of thing."

"Derek, you know me better. You know I'm not that stupid."

Derek jutted his jaw.

"Yeah…I'm sorry."

"And you're forgiven. I just…you know…no. Forget it. It's nothing."

"What?"

"Well…" Sara hesitated. "Well, I just…I've kind of lost my faith in people—permanently it seems right now. And you getting into that accident and that bag it was just… degrading? Would you maybe say?"

"You sound like Meg." Derek muttered, then bit his lip. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way. But trust me; I've changed."

"And I believe you…for now." Sara threatened.

They were silent for a few moments, dwelling in the spinning, swirling movements they were making across the floor.

"You do look gorgeous tonight." Derek muttered, "And that's coming from a completely not Chandler guy. I was hoping I'd be the one dancing with you tonight."

"You know there are some moments I'd think you were my angel." Sara whispered.

"Really?"

"And others when you're more like the devil's advocate."

"I mean it though. Any man would fall for you tonight Sara Marie Sidle."

Sara smiled up at him.

"I wouldn't have wanted to hear that from anybody else."

Then the song ended.

The End


I Hope You Dance: By Lee Ann Womack

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake
But it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart
Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
Time is a real and constant motion always
I hope you dance
Rolling us along
I hope you dance
Tell me who
I hope you dance
Wants to look back on their youth and wonder
Where those years have gone

I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
Time is a real and constant motion always
I hope you dance
Rolling us along
I hope you dance
Tell me who
Wants to look back on their youth and wonder
I hope you dance
Where those years have gone

Tell me who
I hope you dance
Wants to look back on their youth and wonder
Where those years have gone


A/N: I'd like to say THANK YOU to all my reviewers! You guys are excellent, and the fuel who kept me going! I love this story, and I'm sure you do to...so...GOODBYE! I'm sorry this last chapter took so long, but hey! It's 24 Word Pages thank you very much! If you have any questions about something, email me at and stay tuned for a random 'other' chapter thing with just a bunch of random information you don't really need to know but I thought I'd put out anyway.

Also: Stay tuned for my next story. It's not a sequel to this, but it is CSI.

Flowers of Flame

An arsonist is burning down whole apartment buildings, managing to haul in the entire CSI team to work the steadily increase in dead bodies and attacks. The case becomes much more personal when one CSI begins receiving stanzas of a threatening poem, piece by piece, each accompanied by a bouquet of white lilies—the flower of death.