Magical. That was the only word that sprung to Tate's mind as he watched the old maid twirling violet around to the fast paced beat of Da Doo Ron Ron. That and variations of the word.

Magical. Enchanting. Captivating. Bewitching.

Perhaps he was getting carried away here. He knew it was wrong to watch her in such a way. Of course everyone there was watching her and Moira, but not with the same intensity he was. They may have been able to see Violet but Tate remained certain that he was the only one who saw Violet, just as she was the only one who had ever seen him.

The world is a goddamn filthy horror show and he hadn't saved her from it. Tate knew it was selfish of him to say, but there was a small part of him that had to admit to being somewhat happy she was still here with him, even if she had to die to be here. Watching her spinning in the arms of Moira, Tate's heart was flying to see her smile. That smile. The smile she had once given him so willingly. That very same smile he had not seen for so long.

So captivated by the girl in front of him, Tate had missed the figure sidling up to him. He didn't notice her until a sharp elbow came out to dig in to his ribs, effectively ending his trip down memory lane.

"You know, I have to say on behalf of everyone here that the way you are looking at her is slightly perverse. Maybe you should make an effort to blink a bit more, and look a bit less like someone is about to drop you off the edge of a cliff. Self-pity is not a good look on anyone, even you wonder boy."

"Hayden, I'm really beginning to dislike you." He bit out from the corner of his mouth, never once allowing his eyes to leave Vi. "This is the closest I've got to her for twenty years."

"That's bull. What about the time Patrick caught you hidden away in the basement watching her with Nora? Or when Ben was on the rampage because he'd noticed you were never more than six feet from his little princess?"

"Hayden, you seriously want to have this conversation right -"

"Sorry, have I touched a nerve? Clumsy me. I should really try to reign in on that, I would hate to get a reputation for speaking the absolute truth." Smirking, she sauntered her way back across the room to Travis leaving Tate grinding his teeth in frustration and muttering about how much he wished he could resurrect Hayden and attempt to find a way to make her suffer a second, excruciatingly painful death. She'd certainly touched a nerve. Tate couldn't complain, she was one of the only people who talked to him after Violet found out about his actions. His stupid actions. Even if speaking to Hayden left him tied up in knots and contemplating whether there was a possibility for one ghost to seriously maim another, some interaction was better than none. Over the last ten years, more of the ghosts had come to speak to him again. There was no love there, but at least they all tried to get along to some degree.

If only Violet would notice him. He'd tried so hard to make amends but he just didn't know how to approach her and ask to build a relationship with her again, even as friends. Sometimes he had entertained the idea that maybe one day they could be together again, but he had no evidence yet that there was any chance of that. If friendship were offered he would accept it. If only Violet would offer him a sign.

Tate had been so busy arguing with Hayden that he had missed Violet move to her parents' side. Maybe if he had been less focussed on the overwhelming nostalgia of finding himself close to Violet, he would have noticed that she was just as affected as he was. She'd know Tate had been watching her all this time. As subtle as he thought he was being little did he realise that she was more than aware of him. All it took was to walk in to a room and she could identify that smell that was distinctly Tate. No, that doesn't mean the smell of self-abhorrence, as Chad would quite happily have led everyone to believe Tate smelt like. Violet's yearning for Tate had not gone anywhere. Now that she was one of the ghosts she was faced with the issue of contemplating an eternity of loathing him, or one in which she wanted him. Although her mother had been very vocal in advocating Violet talk to Tate, much to her father's irritation, she could not find a way to approach him. She had never been entirely ready to forgive him. It had been hard to move on from the knowledge that he had murdered his peers, but this, this took the biscuit. How could she justify loving the boy who had fathered one of her brothers? Admittedly one that Constance Langdon had taken away, but somewhere out there was the product of Tate's evil. Complicated didn't even begin touch the surface.

Deciding that tonight was not the time to think about him, she pushed him from her mind and turning to her father asked for him to dance. More than happy to oblige, Ben had led his eldest daughter to the floor intent on bringing a smile back on her face.

"You know, I've noted you have danced with nearly every male in this room now, and I'm one of the last you come to?" smiling, he spun her out and pulled her back.

Violet could only smile sweetly at him, rolling her eyes. "Daddy dearest, you are the only male in this room that I can guarantee will not leave my feet in a mess from being trodden on. So forgive me for requesting a dance just so coincidentally at the time I most need to give my toes a chance to recover from being mauled by other people's feet."

"Who was worse at it – Travis or Beau?"

"Travis. Two left feet is an understatement." Violet turned to come face to face with Travis, who raised an eyebrow at hearing her. Laughing, she span away as the song came to an end. Then she kept spinning, and kept spinning before losing her balance and veering towards a wall.

All of the ghosts turned to her, watching as she lost control. Violet saw all of their faces as she span. Some where concerned, some on the edge of laughing. She only just saw someone throw themselves forward to break her fall.

Violet found herself in a pair of arms she was all too familiar with. A pair of arms she had successfully avoided up until now.

Tate.

Hey all,

So there you go. Again, I apologise for being so late to the party but the follows and favourites have overwhelmed me and I appreciate them so much that I decided to come back here and try to add a bit more to take it somewhere a tad nearer to completing it.

Apologies for such a cliché ending to this instalment, but it's my favourite of the many possibilities I though up in terms of getting Violet and Tate in to a situation where interaction is needed. As always I'd appreciate any feedback that you have to help me, or if there are any suggestions about something you want me to incorporate I promise to give it my best shot.

Hope you're having a lovely day my little horrors!

S x