A/N: This is the last chapter.

CHAPTER 20: Welcome Home!

I guess I must have slept for quite a while, because the next thing I heard was Jason's voice saying, "Karen? Karen, wake up, love. We're almost home."

"Wha...?" I said, opening my eyes to find myself with my head in the crook of Jason's arm. I felt a little better, but not much.

"How are you feeling?" Jason asked, laying a hand on my forehead. "Hmm...still a little warm." He opened the pouch, took out the little thermometer strip, and laid it across my forehead again. "99.8."

Upon hearing that, I felt tears coming to my eyes, because I remembered that Jason hadn't felt well on the day we'd left for Washington. "Hey, Karen," Jason said softly. "It's all right. It's probably nothing."

I smiled and wiped my eyes as the bus pulled into the parking lot at the Y. Standing there, umbrellas in hand, were our families. As we stood up to file off the bus, Jason helped me up and escorted me off the bus.

The first person I saw was Daddy. I ran up and threw my arms around him. "Are you all right?" he asked worriedly, laying a hand on my forehead. "You feel a little warm."

That's a new one, I thought, but instead, I just nodded.

"I think so," I said as I saw Kristy and David Michael run into Nannie's and Elizabeth's arms.

While Daddy hugged Andrew, Emily ran up and threw her arms around my waist. "Hi, Karen! Hi!" she squealed. "Oh, I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you, too, Emily," I said as I regained my footing. And you know what? For the first time in my life, I began to understand how Jason must have felt every time Andrew or I ran and jumped on him like that.

It was a little chaotic to see all of these parents and children hugging, and right in the middle of everything, I sneezed. "Oh, I hope you're not coming down with a cold, too," Mom said.

We got back in our van, and went to Daddy's house.

At Daddy's, there was a smorgasbord waiting for us: pizza, potato chips, celery sticks with either peanut butter or cream cheese, and soda, iced tea, water, or lemonade to drink. Since I wasn't feeling so hot, I hoped I wouldn't get sick on all this food, so I was careful about how much I had to eat. Nick and David Michael, on the other hand, did the exact opposite. And I thought Sam ate constantly!

You want to hear something really weird? Despite not having much of an appetite, I was really thirsty. I think Elizabeth had to make another pitcher of lemonade.

After we finished eating, we watched the videos of our performances, both at SES and the competition. When it got to Andrew's part in "ABC", Jenny looked straight at him and said, "I love you, too." Then she gave him a big wet smackeroo right on the cheek. And let me tell you, I'd never seen my little brother's face turn that shade of red in my life. At least he was laughing.

Before the party ended, all of us gathered beside the piano. I pulled out the piano bench and sat down, because I was still feeling a little run down. Hannie and Nancy stood on either side of the bench, obviously keeping their distance from me, and Andrew and Jenny sat by my feet. I held the Best Costumes award, and my friends touched it from the sides; Andrew held his award; Rick held the participation certificate; and Mr. Drubek held the Class C Champion award. Each of the chaperones took turns taking our picture.

"Do you think they'll be done soon?" I whispered to Nancy.

"I hope so," she answered.

I won't lie to you—I was really missing Washington, but at the same time, I was glad to be back. I think Judy Garland said it best when she said, there's no place like home.

THE END