A few days had passed since Sidney's meeting with Annie and Dewey's return to New York. Life was back to normal for the Kincaid household until Sidney received a phone call from Gale. She drove into her home's driveway and answered the veteran journalist's call.

"Hey Gale, how are you and Dew-…" She was cut off by a stunned and angry sounding Gale.

"Dewey fucking left me!" With her right hand, she pulled opened the last dresser drawer and saw that it was empty.

Her words caused her younger friend to pause; this was the last thing she expected to happen. "Wait, he just walked out on you?!"

Slamming the bedroom door shut, she headed toward the kitchen, "Yes! I came home from work to find his note telling me that he was 'so sorry but that he couldn't do this anymore because this place isn't for him' and that I should stay here because it's where I'm 'meant to be'! He took all of his things with him! And he's not answering my calls and texts!"

"God, I'm sorry Gale. When he was here, he acted as if everything was fine." She grabbed a large bag full freshly made Mexican food from the front seat.

"Really? Because he did seem excited to go back to Woodsboro but I thought it was because he got to see you, Mark and the girls again…" On the refrigerator was a photo of Gale and Dewey on a bench Central Park as they held each other. The picture had been taken a few days before he returned to California to help Sidney; she couldn't recall him acting distant or even homesick.

Sidney cradled her phone in between her face and shoulder while she unlocked the front door, "Not at all. I mean, he was thrilled to see us again but he only spoke positively about you and New York…Do you want me to call him and find out what's going on?"

"Yes, but he's ignoring me so don't be surprised if he does the same to you." Using her free hand, she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of red wine. "Sid, I swear, I had no idea that he was going to do this. Work has kept me busy but every single day I'd call him and any free moment I have I spend it with him. And he told me he was happy at his job….Why would he do this to me?"

Hearing the confusion and despair in Gale's voice surprised Sidney. The hardened journalist's usually tenacious and blunt demeanor made it easy to forget that she was a human with a heart just like everyone else. In a sympathetic tone, she said, "You don't deserve this, Gale. And if he answers my call or text, I'll let you know immediately."

"Thanks Sid, that means so much to me…I gotta go, my producer is calling me." She removed a wine glass from the cabinet.

"OK, but if you need anything else, just call."

A grateful grin touched her mouth, "Thanks and I will. Bye Sid."

"Bye Gale."

Mark was truly shocked when he found out that Dewey left Gale. It was all that he and Sidney spoke about over dinner. Angie and Elle were too preoccupied with Frozen playing on the kitchen's television to notice their parents' conversation.

"And he still hasn't gotten back to you?" He asked before biting into a beef empanada.

With a slow shake of her head she answered, "I thought that I'd at least get a text by now…You should have heard Gale, she was pissed off but also really hurt. She at least deserves an explanation from him."

After wiping his mouth with a napkin, he said, "I'm shocked that she hasn't flown to Woodsboro to confront him!"

"She's working and since she's the only host it's not like she can just bail without a few days' notice." The trilling of her mobile phone against the table caught her attention, she immediately picked it up, "Dewey texted me!"

He leaned forward, "What did he write?"

A long sigh came from her after she read the text, "It's pretty much his note to Gale except he added that he feels terrible, he hopes that I don't hate him and that he needs space. I don't hate him, he's like a big brother to me, but I'm so…"

"Disappointed in him?" Mark offered as he wiped some salsa off Angie's mouth with her bib.

"Exactly! He is one of the most sensitive, honest and brave person I know. This isn't unlike him." She glanced at her phone then met Mark's stare.

He reached across the table and held her hand, "It sounds like he was too scared of hurting Gale and having to see it in person. And that he'd make her feel guilty for his unhappiness. That's still no excuse for what he did…but he'd never intentionally hurt her or anyone."

She knew that he was right and nodded, "Yeah…Mark, we share a beautiful home, family and life together, promise me that you'll share whatever's troubling you instead of keeping it inside, like Dewey did."

A little smile came to his face before he kissed her hand, "I promise, Sid. I love and respect you too much to just run away from you…also, you can be pretty terrifying. I see what happens to guys who get on your bad side, I'm not gonna make that same mistake."

They both chuckled as she leaned over and touched his lips with hers. "That's another reason why I keep you around."

June 2017

With Mark and Jack picking up Elle's birthday cake, Sidney was putting the finishing touches on the backyard with Elizabeth's help. The youngest Kincaid took after her father when she developed a deep fondness for astronomy. Colorful planets, moons and stars were all over the living room, patio and backyard.

At the appetizers table, Sidney was setting down a plate full of star and moon shaped sugar cookies covered in multicolored frosting.

"Hey Sid!" Navi happily said as she and Jae walked onto the patio. She held a white plate full of jalebis.

"Hi Sidney, where are you putting Elle's presents?" Jae lifted up a big box with white and purple wrapping paper on it.

"Hey you two! You're early and the gift table is over there." She pointed to her left as Navi walked over to her.

Navi placed the plate next to the cookies, "Ayla really wanted to see Angie and now they and Mikin are in the living room playing The Lady Bug Game. Anyway, everything looks amazing! You and Elizabeth did an incredible job with these decorations!"

"Thanks, but Elizabeth is the real artist. Your jalebis look delicious!" She glanced at the spiral sweets.

Waving her off, she explained, "My mom made them and insisted that I bring them along but that's not only thing I brought. I have really good news to share!" Her lips pulled into a brilliant smile. "This week, Jae and I have started looking at houses in this area because we want Ayla to go to kindergarten with Angie!"

Sheer excitement filled Sidney as she embraced her friend. "Navi, that's wonderful! And your timing couldn't be better, my neighbor Lucia is preparing to sell her house this month because she's moving to Italy!"

"That's perfect! We're gonna be neighbors!" She hugged her back.

"Our girls will be so thrilled!" Sidney nodded before she heard her phone receive a notification and picked it off the appetizers' table. "It sounds like you're not the only one who's early." She paused when she opened her home security app and saw Dewey pulling into the driveway, "It's Dewey!"

Astounded, Navi remarked, "Shit, is Gale coming?"

"No, she's busy with work but her gift for Elle arrived yesterday. He didn't promise me that he'd make it during our last video call. But I'm so damn happy that he's here!" She turned toward the house and cursed, "Navi, can you please do me a favor and get the goodie bags in my office and put them in the kitchen?"

"Of course I will, Sid! Now go say hi to Dewey!" Her hand briefly gripped her shoulder as they both headed inside.

Sidney's face lit up after she opened the front door to find Dewey holding a big pink gift bag while wearing a megawatt smile. A part of her always felt nostalgic and safe whenever he visited her. The small-town sheriff truly was the best part of Woodsboro. She pecked his cheek and pulled him into a big hug. "Dewey, I'm so glad you made it!"

The power of his embrace was just as strong as hers. After a beat, he reluctantly let go, "Aw Sid, I'm so happy to be here! And I missed Elle's birthday last year so I didn't want to make that same mistake."

"Come on, you have your own life and responsibilities, but we're so thrilled to have you here with us. You're a part of our family and you always will be." She placed her hand on his back as they started walking toward the patio.

"Thanks, I feel the same way." The sheriff grinned at her as he gave her a one-armed side hug. "So, who else is coming?

With a reassuring curl of her full lips, she told him, "Gale's working."

"That's not surprising, but why-why do you assume I was asking about her?" He squinted his eyes.

Her right hand grasped her hip as she gave her old friend a skeptical look, "Do I need to remind you how long we've known each other?"

A little laugh came from him, "No. But I am relieved that she's not here. I mean, we wouldn't cause a scene but it's easier this way."

"I get it and she's not the only one missing this party due to work. Kirby sent a gift because she's writing for a Netflix show!" She proudly told him. "The showrunner is a protégé of Jack's and she wanted to have as many talented women in her writers' room."

"Aw, I'm so happy for her and she deserves nothing but success! It's crazy how time flies, I remember telling Kirby to slow down whenever she was driving to school every morning. Elle's three but I swear, it feels like she was born yesterday." He set his present on the gifts table.

She nodded, "I know exactly what you mean. Although on the bright side, Elle gets Angie's old clothes so I don't have to spend money on clothes and shoes that she'll grow out of in a few months!"

"How smart, resourceful and not wasteful, that's very you and hell, it sounds like you were always meant to be a mom!" Dewey flashed her a quick smile as they headed for the appetizers table.

A cheerful Elle smiled and bounced in her chair when everyone gathered around her and began singing, "Happy Birthday". Just as the song came to its end, she leaned forward and blew out the number six candle on her cake and clapped. In tandem, Sidney and Mark kissed her cheeks causing her to giggle.

As Melanie and Elizabeth cut the cake and served it to the guests, Elle eyed the gifts table to her right. Dewey's present caught the toddler's attention compelling her to grab it.

"That's from me, Elle. It's made only for you!" He eagerly told her.

She stood up on the chair and reached into the gift bag removing the pink tissue paper before grasping the present. With both hands she pulled out a large light blue crescent moon pillow. Its sewn-on face made it look as if the moon was peacefully sleeping. On the head was a navy blue sleeping cap with white polka dots. At the bottom was a small attached cloth tag embroidered with her initials.

Her lips formed into a brilliant smile that reached her dark eyes, "I love it! Thank you, Uncle Dewey!" She wrapped her arms around him.

Dewey kissed her forehead and held her close, "You're very welcome, Elle! And I hope whenever you sleep, you have nothing but sweet dreams."

Sidney smiled as she captured the lovely moment with her phone's video camera.

Mark and Sidney were grateful when Melanie and Trip volunteered to cleanup after the guests had left. With that task taken off their shoulders, they got their daughters ready for bed. It had been such an eventful day that both girls fell quickly asleep.

Right after closing Elle's door, Mark asked Sidney to give him five minutes alone in their room. He explained that he had a gift for her and needed some time to prepare it. Pleasantly surprised, she briefly curled her mouth then touched his lips with hers before returning downstairs.

Seeing how much time and energy Sidney had put into Elle's birthday party moved Mark. It didn't matter if it was party planning or coming up with an activity that will expand their imaginations, Sidney always put so much care into whatever she did for their girls. She was one of the most dedicated and loving moms he had ever known. Even though his surprise wasn't extravagant, he hoped that it would convey how much he valued and loved her.

After a knock on their bedroom door, he heard her ask, "Mark, can I come in?"

"Yes, I'm in the bathroom!" He added a handful of bath crystals to the tub.

When Sidney walked in, she stopped and took a moment to enjoy his surprise. The hot tub was filled with bubbles while giving off a pleasing scent of vanilla and roses. Next to the tub was a small dish stacked with Oreo cookies and a glass of milk on a black foldable tray table. Her preferred way to unwind paired with her favorite cookie, it was simple yet thoughtful.

Both of her hands grasped his, "Mark, this is so sweet and perfect, it's just what I needed!"

A satisfied smile came to his face, "I'm glad you like it and you're right. Today and every day, you do everything you can to make sure girls are happy and loved." He brought her hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. "I'll leave you to it."

"Thanks, but try to stay up. After I finish these cookies and the bath, I might need some extra dessert." Her dark brow arched as her full lips curved into a wicked smirk.

His blue eyes devoured her perfect body before he pressed his mouth against hers, "Whatever you want from me, it's yours, always."

She licked her lips then returned his amorous kiss with one of her own.

A couple of weeks later, Sidney picked Angie up from her friend's house after an afternoon play date. They were driving through the neighborhood until Angie hollered and pointed at her window. Sidney stopped the car and found herself in front of an abandoned house with overgrown grass. She saw what caught her daughter's attention and watched it with just as much interest.

Note:For now, Neve isn't returning for Scream 6. I have mixed feelings, on one hand it means that she has her happily ever after instead of being killed off. But we won't get to see her and Kincaid with their kids! There's still a chance for a cameo but it seems slim because they started filming this week in Canada!