Disclaimer: Not mine

Moirariordon: Glad you like it, because i LOVE wishworld, and it's a Craig/Ellie. Not that i have anyhting against Jimmy, i just like Craig better with Ellie.

Sparkle587: My story? Super? Have i mentioned what a DOLL i think you are?

It's drawing to a close folks, hope you like what's left!

"What the hell?"

She had snuck in her room via this tree tons of times before, and never, never had it been so unbelievably difficult.

Maybe that had something to do with the fact that she had never attempted to climb the monstrous thing in a skimpy little cocktail dress that kept catching and slipping and riding and...eww. She had just squished a caterpillar between her fingers as she was reaching for a higher branch. Had she mentioned that she wasn't particularly fond of New Year's Eve? Right about now the only thing she was even remotely happy about was the fact that she had worn a pair of boy-short underwear that pretty much covered her ass, seeing as she had pulled that stupid dress up around her waist to try and give herself an easier time climbing. She could just about reach the limb that extended to her bedroom window, though how it had managed to grow so much between now and when she had started her trek she hadn't the faintest. She was sure it hadn't been that far away the last time she had stayed out too late practicing with the band on the one night of the week her Mother was sober. Really, her luck never failed to astound her. Screw Marco and his fucking "lucky day," that dress was on her top five of worst choices ever, and that was saying a whole hell of a lot. Just a bit further now...

"HEY SMELLY!" the all-too-familiar voice bellowed through the darkness, causing Ellie's mind to dart away from her task and her hands to lose their grip on the bark. Uh Oh.

Then all she would see was the twisting of the tree branches and the swirling of the night sky above her, and one very startled Craig Manning directly in the path below her. "Uh Oh" was an understatement.

"Woah!" he exclaimed upon catching the terrified girl in his arms, a rather messy save she must say, but at least she wasn't kissing dirt.

"Ellie, what the hell were...you...ummm..." suddenly Craig seemed to be looking absolutely anywhere and everywhere besides at Ellie. He, the king of witty comebacks was at a complete loss for words, stuttering and stammering like Tobey Issacs on a first date.

What was wrong with him? Ellie wondered to herself, trying not to think too much about the fact that a beautiful boy now cradled her in his arms. She knew that her falling from the sky in Paige's dress was a bit of a surprise, but...Oh God, it was the dress! She looked like an idiot and he didn't want to embarrass her! Quickly, Ellie glanced down to survey her disheveled condition and found...

Boobs.

Her boobs to be exact, now freed from the constraints of the strapless dress that had somehow been pulled down from her chest in the sudden and unexpected journey from the tree and out in the open for the world (or maybe just two teenagers) to see. Fuck, and she thought she had been exposed when Paige took away her hoodie, how wrong she had was! Giving a quick shriek she yanked the dress back up to its rightful position and tumbled out of Craig's grasp and onto the ground. Scrambling to her feet, she felt her humiliation subside a bit when she saw how entirely discombobulated her hero had become by her little mishap. Hmm, maybe this could be fun. Craig had been making her squirm every since that kiss at Christmas, and payback was a bitch.

"What's the matter Craig?" she said, opting to use a very dry tone rather than a seductive one, which seemed too "Manny" a choice. He glanced back in her direction with saucer-like eyes as she sauntered up to him, quickly averting his gaze when the two made eye contact.

"I mean, it's not like you've never seen boobs before." She fought back the urge to smile as he opened and closed his mouth several times like a goldfish though no words managed to make themselves heard.

"I know I don't have anything on the infamous "Santos" boobies, but come on, mine are better than Ashley's right?" By now she was directly in front of him, fixing the boy with an unrelenting stare and accomplishing her goal. Craig was obviously squirming as he struggled to answer her question.

"Well,umm...you know, they were very...ummm, nice?" He replied haltingly

"Craig, you're such a jerk!" she laughed, breaking her look of intensity and slugging him in the arm. She was already making her way back up the tree before the boy's sense's returned to him and he mouthed a silent "Ow" while rubbing his bicep.

"Smelly, where are you going?" he called, running after her.

"My room," she replied simply, "You coming?"

Craig couldn't help but smile as he scrambled up the tree after her. Damn, he loved New Year's.

But once up in her bedroom, Ellie didn't stop before heading straight for the door and crouching on the landing. Craig followed after her and surveyed the scene below them with curiosity.

"Elle, what's going on?"

Despite Craig's questions and close proximity to her, the object of her affections was the last thing on her mind right now. There weren't a great number of people downstairs, maybe five or so couples milling about with wine glasses or martini's in their hands. A blond woman Ellie believed to be named Laura had the laugh of someone who was a bit tipsy, but other than that the alcohol seemed well-managed. At first she couldn't see her mother, but after a minute or so she came walking from the direction of the dining room with a friend, gait steady, eyes clear and hands empty.

"She's sober" Ellie murmured in awe, voice barely above a whisper.

"Who?" Craig asked, following her gaze back to Mrs. Nash.

"Your Mom? Well yeah, didn't you say in group that she stopped drinking once you moved back home?" But Ellie was smiling dreamily at the laughing, happy woman her mother had become once again and didn't seem to have heard Craig.

"Elle?" he tried again, putting a hand on her leg comfortingly, "didn't you say-"

"I lied" she answered, eyes still focused downstairs.

"Oh God Elle, you could have told me" he said soothingly, absentmindedly rubbing her knee, "I would have unders-Ellie what's that?" he interrupted himself abruptly, pointing to the red gash leading up her thigh that was now peeking out from under the dress, "I though you-"

"I lied" she repeated just as quietly, a tremble barely evident in her voice, "I...I've been doing a lot of that lately."

"What? Cutting yourself again or lying?" he said, obviously peeved

"Both" a slow tear trickled down her cheek along with her confession.

"Ellie-"

But Craig was cut off as Mrs. Nash gave a loud scream and the front door began to open...

dun, dun, dun...REVIEW!