Song: Stand by me - Ben E King

Balloon: Thanks so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

When the night has come, and the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we will see
No, I won't be afraid, oh, I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
So darlin', darlin' stand by me
Oh stand by me

Will's eyes scanned and darted around the hall. The decorations, the band, the atmosphere…was perfect. Just as he expected it to be, thanks to his obsession over every detail of the night. Perfect. I will be the life of this party! No reason to be down. Then why am I? No. I'm not. I am happier than Mickey Mouse on amphetamines! He convinced himself as he dusted off his suit and walked over to the bar to join Grace and to collect a glass of wine.

"How do you think its going?" She asked nervously, indicating with her head that she was talking about the party.

A smug smile crossed Will's face. "Great. No one is drunk, the band is good, besides the fact that the singer is wearing a shiny purple jacket with a matching vest." His face then overshadowed with concern. "Are you alright sweetie?"

Grace let out a loud sigh. "Yes I'm fine! Why do people keep asking me that? Even people I haven't seen for like, 5 years are asking me that!"

"Well…you know…the whole you and Leo thing. I mean, it can't be easy on you…"

"Hey hey hey! You're single this New Year's too! Sorry to bring you down, but it's the truth!"

Will took the stab as a tactic of self defense. He knew she was hurting, much in the same way he was. He was trying to push it to the back of his mind. After a few seconds of needed silence between the two friends, Will turned to Grace.

"Do you think we did the right thing by inviting our exes here tonight?"

"Of course we did. How else can we show them how fantastically we are doing without them? I can show Leo that I am the independent career woman I was always supposed to be, and you can show Vince how together you are."

"But Vince and I didn't have a bad break-up…I don't really need to show him anything…"

"Hey! You took up the double dare Will, you can't back out!" Grace scorned.

Will took a sip of his wine as he watched the people dancing together on the floor. His friends, his family…everybody he ever needed in one room, yet he still felt partially empty.

"Champagne?" He asked Grace.

"No, I am so not drinking tonight…I don't want to make a fool of myself."

"C'mon, this isn't some teenage party where you're having your first encounter with vodka. You know when to stop yourself."

She shook her head, confirming her decision. Will was about to push her further about her decision when he noticed Grace tense up. Leo had just entered…and with the accessory of the beautiful Dr. Morty hanging from his arm. Will grabbed Grace's hand as her face crumpled.

"That bitch" She muttered under her breath before turning around to face the bartender. "Four glasses of champagne please. You want anything, Will?"

Jack, Karen, Rosario and Elliot moped at a table, also watching the people dance and enjoy themselves. Elliot and Jack were playing with the candle wax that was dripping from the central candle on the table.

"Will is gonna kill me for wrecking his arrangement" Jack giggled.

"What are you gonna do?" Elliot asked.

"Easy. I'll tell him it was you."

"Hey that's not fa…"

Elliot's complaint was cut off by Karen.

"Oh no, Leon's here…with her!"

Jacks mouth gaped open. Grace must really be DYING! He thought. His heart reached out to her, something about New Year's always made him feel sentimental.

"Let's go dance with her!" He blurted out.

"Um, honey, maybe later. Me and Rosie are discussing her pay cut for the new year."

"What?" A shocked Rosario piped up.

Jack rolled his eyes and grabbed Elliot's arm.

If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darlin', darlin' stand by me
Oh stand by me

Grace was onto her fifth glass of champagne when she was tapped on the shoulder.

"Um…may I have this dance?" a shy voice questioned.

She quickly spun around to come face to face with…Elliot. She was quite buzzed by this stage and her speech was beginning to slur a little.

"Sure, as long as you don't marry me, cheat and then end up dating an even hotter woman. Can you promise me that Elliot?" She asked Jack's son, placing her hand on his shoulder, partly for emphasis and partly for balance.

Elliot laughed nervously.

"Jack told me to dance with you…but sure, I can do that."

He smiled as he linked arms with Grace and walked her onto the dance floor.

Jack looked up at Will, who was ordering another glass of wine. He was chatting to the bartender, who stood there, looking confused as he poured Will's order.

"I mean, I am enjoying myself. I swear. I like seeing everyone happy, I like making everyone happy…that's what I do. I am…I am like the catalyst of…of happy!" He rambled.

Just as the bartender was handing the glass over the bar, Jack reached in and grabbed it before Will, who stood there surprised.

"We'll just leave this here, ok?" Jack said, soothingly, placing the glass back down on the bar.

"Why?"

"Because you look pathetic and we are dancing." Jack responded, taking Will's hand and dragging him towards the floor. Will took one glance back at the bar before losing all fighting power, allowing himself to be forced into dancing.

Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me
Oh stand by me

After some bickering, Jack finally decided to let Will lead the dancing. It felt right. Dancing together so casually, surrounded by people that understood and respected them…and most of all, loved them.

With his hand on Will's shoulder, Jack looked at his best friend and smiled.

"Wow. You still really can't dance!"

This allowed Will to crack a tiny smile.

"At least we are better than Joe and Larry, and Elliot and Grace." He said sneakily, indicating with his eyes for Jack to look towards the left. Jack giggled.

"I make you look good!"

Will rolled his eyes as he continued to slowly move around the floor, his hand around Jack's waist. They danced in silence for a few minutes, drinking in each others company. Standing in dancing embrace, he looked inquisitively at Will.

"Are you…actually enjoying yourself tonight?"

"Of course I am! Why would you say that? Is it because Vince didn't turn up?"

Jack was surprised. Vince was invited?

"No...don't worry. You realize that we stopped dancing?"

Jack pulled the left sleeve of Will's suit up to inspect his watch. Only 10 minutes to midnight!

A faster song began to play, as will spun Jack under his arm before they resumed dancing.

Karen looked up as a girl slid into the stool at the bar, next to her.

"How the hell did you get in here?" Karen asked.

"By ship…what do you think? The door!" She said, rolling her dark brown eyes. Brown and red shoulder length hair framed her pale face. She was about seventeen or so and she wasn't incredibly tall. Her small hand tightly clutched onto a photo of Karen.

"You're the girl that was at my door! You and your ugly shoes! I remember you!"

The girl was taken aback, first by the pitch of Karen's voice and then by the fact that she seemed to be unrecognizable to this woman.

"My shoes are not ugly, you're just old." She responded.

Karen's face was a frozen mask of shock. She slowly allowed her face to regain normal composure before stating:

"I like you."

The girl smiled. "Well, that's a good start."

"By the way…" Karen questioned, "Who are you?"

The girl looked down. "Well I didn't really expect you to remember me…"

"Honey, I don't remember five minutes ago, how can you really expect me to remember someone I haven't met before? Now what's your name, I wanna introduce you to my friend, his name is Security."

"Will you introduce me correctly if I tell you?"

Karen nodded.

"Well, in that case." The girl said. "Josephine Walker-Black. Biological daughter of Karen and the late Stanley."

To be continued…