Disclaimers in chapter 1. Also, Bianca is only doing what I cannot. Enjoy!

She had had this feeling in the pit of her stomach all day. She had no idea this is where she was going to end up tonight. Miranda had woken her up quite early this morning at her mother's urging. Bianca made them all breakfast and then told Kendall that they had to go shopping.

"What for? You need more presents than we bought yesterday."

Bianca, facing away from her sister, just smirked. "Yeah, I forgot to buy a dress."

"For what?"

"The casino's New Years party tonight." Bianca turned and faced her sister, trying her best to keep that completely innocent look on her face. "Did I not mention that to you yesterday?"

Kendall's mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide and that feeling was back. She hadn't felt it since she stomped out of the suite on the island. She thought she had beaten it, but, nope, there it was again!

"What… when… ok, what?"

"Do you need a new dress? I hear it's going to be a very fancy shindig – the women in beautiful dresses and the men, all the men, in tuxedos. I mean, all the guys are going to look really good, don't you think? Ethan, Jack, Aidan, JR, Reggie…" Bianca specifically left one name off that list, hoping that Kendall would pick it up.

And pick it up she did. The vision of Zack in a tuxedo popped into her head. Just the thought of him like that made her want to run across the courtyard and see if he was home.

Kendall shot out of her chair and made a beeline for her bedroom.

"You alright Kendall?"

"I've got to get showered and dressed. We have to... I don't… I NEED A DRESS!" Kendall yelled at the top of her lungs.

Bianca heard the shower go on and giggled to herself. "That was almost too easy" Bianca said to her daughter, as she finished cleaning up the plates and pans.

So, she found herself here, in this fantastic dress, nervous as all get out. She had spotted him across the room, sitting with Bianca. She tried to ignore him. Simone brought her food, Ethan told her lame jokes, but nothing seemed to be working. She suddenly found herself needing fresh air.

She wondered if she had really screwed everything up. She should have just told Ryan to go to hell and thrown him out of the hotel. She should have stayed on the island with him or moved to Las Vegas or anywhere – just him and her anywhere but Pine Valley, but her ego and pride got in the way. Hell, she didn't know if she was still married to him or not.

"You look tired."

His voice startled her and her head shot up to see him standing at the doors, hands shoved in his pockets.

Normally, that remark would have sent her into a fit. She would have started a fight with him, since that's what they did. They sparred. But, tonight, seeing him like this, the fight was gone. She didn't want to fight him anymore, fight what she felt anymore. She was, for once, going to do what she wanted to do, not what anyone else was pushing her to do. That's all she had done recently – give for others and put her life on hold and look where that got her.

"I am Zach."

He sat down next to her. He could tell she wanted to say something else, and he would wait all night for her to say it if he had to.

Kendall sighed and looked up at the sky.

"This night makes me tired. Every year, this night just forces you to relive the previous year and remember what you have done. Can't say this past year is going to rank near the top of the list. I just usually find myself on New Year's Eve hoping that the next year will be better than the year before, but it always seems to turn out the same or even worse. I always think 'man, this year has got to be the worst. I've got nowhere to go but up, right?' but it never seems to pan out right. You think next year will be a better year?"

She turned and looked at him. He had been staring at her this whole time, wondering where his spunky, take on the world Kendall had gone to.

He scooted closer to her and put his arm lightly around her shoulder. "Next year can be whatever you want it to be. What do you want next year to be?"

"I want my life back. I want to do what I want to do. I want to go where I want without having to worry what Greenlee is going to say. I want to make decisions without Erica feeling like she needs to be my appeals court. I want to be with…" she voice died off as she took him in. She was right – he looked fantastic in his tuxedo, so good that she shivered a bit.

Thinking that she was cold because of the shiver, he pulled her in a bit more to his body. "You want to be with?"

"I want to be with whomever I want without worrying about Ryan busting down the door" she said in barely a whisper.

That made him smile a bit, thinking back to those two fantastic days on the island. "Then do it. You deserve whatever you want and you deserve to get it on your terms. I've watched you give up so much for these people… it's about time you take back a little bit, in my opinion."

She smiled back at him. "That's very good advice, Mr. Slater."

"Why thank you."

He rubbed her shoulder with his hand, trying to keep her warm. She closed her eyes for a moment and enjoyed the contact with him. She had missed being able to touch him, him touching her. She had missed his smile, his scent, his wickedly handsome brown eyes.

"I almost forgot, Kendall, I have a Christmas gift for you."

Her eyes shot open in shock. "You do?"

"Of course. What kind of husband would I be if I didn't buy my wife a Christmas present? Could you even imagine?"

'Wife' – not ex-wife, but wife. That made her smile like she hadn't smiled since their lobster dinner. "Not at all. So…"

"What?"

"My gift please" she said, holding out her hand.

Zach smiled and reached into his coat pocket, feeling for the box, but suddenly realized that he hadn't grabbed it.

"Ok, so I'm a slightly bad husband. I left it in the suite."

"Well then, looks like we are going to have to go retrieve it now, aren't we?"

"Now?" he said as she stood up.

"Yes now. Never tell a woman she has a gift waiting if you want her attention somewhere else" she said as he got up off the bench.

"Words to live by" he said, chuckling as they walked inside, through the party and toward the elevators.

They didn't even notice him as they walked through the lobby toward the elevators, but he was seen by someone else who wanted to make damn sure there was no repeat of the island.

"Ken…"

"HEY RYAN!" Bianca yelled, drowning out his yell for her sister.

"Oh my god! Bianca? Wow, I didn't even know you were in town!" he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, it was kind of a last minute trip – I didn't give anyone a lot of notice" she said, side stepping with him as he tried to get around her.

"Well, you know, we should have lunch tomorrow, but I really need to talk to your…"

"Hey, could you help me out with something, real quick?" she asked, dragging him back toward the main entrance and out the door.

They stood in the portico as Bianca waved to someone.

"Umm… ok, is this going to take long, because I really need to…"

"Oh no, I just need you to help me with something from the car and then you are free to go!"

A black sedan pulled up. A large man got out of the passenger seat and opened the back door. With all her might, Bianca shoved Ryan into the car and slammed the door shut.

"LOCK THE DOORS" she yelled to the driver.

She heard Ryan struggling with the doors inside the car as she turned to the man who opened the door.

"Leon, take him back to the Pine Cone and watch him till the morning. If he tries to leave, break his legs."

"Yes, Miss Montgomery" he said as he climbed back in the car. Bianca watched as the car peeled out of the casino's parking lot and back toward the Pine Cone.

"Was that Ryan?" Bianca heard her mother ask as she headed back inside.

"Nope, I haven't seen Ryan" Bianca said, smiling at her mother.

"That's strange. I told him that Kendall would be here tonight if he wanted to talk to her. I can't believe he hasn't shown up yet."

"Well, you know Ryan. He doesn't always make the smartest decisions" Bianca said as she lead her mother back toward the party, quickly eyeing the elevators as they walked past them, knowing she would get all the juicy details in the morning.