New Year's Eve celebrations are fast approaching in the charming town of Middleton. Cassie Nightingale is busy with the party preparations at Greyhouse and she enlists the help of Dr. Sam Radford, much to Grace's surprising disappointment.

Set in Early S2 and minor AU (where Linda has left Middleton, Ryan is well and truly out of the picture, and Ben has yet to make an entrance). A three-part series.

Part 1

It was a frigid morning in Middleton. The grounds glistened, rooftops were covered in snow, and weeping willows danced in the wind. The sun had yet to rise, but warmth radiated through the hallways and rooms of Greyhouse. In one corner stood a Christmas tree adorned with gold, red and silver ornaments. A few boxes rested underneath, waiting for their receivers. It was the day after Boxing Day and townspeople were slowly rising to prepare for New Year's Eve celebrations.

Cassie Nightingale had been up for an hour to prepare breakfast, enjoying a quiet moment before the day ahead. She had set the dining table with fresh fruits, yoghurts and pastries, and was working on a special treat for her guests. As she garnished the last plate, stacked with waffles -

'Hi, Sam.'

Her neighbour shuffled into the kitchen, shivering, and he approached the island where Cassie stood with her back to him. Sam peeled off his gloves and chuckled to himself, curious but no longer surprised by her impeccable sense of timing. There was a mixture of sweet syrup and the bitterness of coffee in the air, but Sam knew better than to expect the latter. His face brightened as Cassie handed him a warm cup of tea. He took it with thanks and felt the cold outside slowly dissolve with the first sip.

'What can I do for you?' Cassie asked, turning back to survey the finishing touch.

'Oh, nothing, really,' he replied. He stepped closer to admire the stacks of pancakes and waffles. 'I heard there was a bed and breakfast around here that does a killer holiday special.'

'Ah,' she mused. 'So, you've run out of Christmas leftovers.'

He smirked. 'Something like that.'

They smiled at each other, an air of playfulness between them. They had come a long way from their icy start. Sam took another step towards her, reached over, grabbed a strawberry from the abandoned pile and popped one in his mouth. He then set his tea on the counter, picked up the two plates and gestured for Cassie to follow him to the dining room.

'Oh,' she said, taken aback by the gesture. 'Thank you.'

Sam shrugged and placed the final pieces on the table. He absentmindedly picked up an apple and tossed it back and forth in his hands, admiring the feast before him.

'Now this is what I call breakfast,' he declared. 'I must say, I'm a little surprised.'

'I like to mix it up sometimes, especially as the Christmas spirit winds down.' She looked down at his fidgeting hands. 'But I see you're starting to opt for fruits and, dare I say, yoghurt?'

Sam seemed surprised by the apple, as though it had conjured itself out of thin air. He chuckled. 'You know, there's a rumour these are good for you.'

'You don't say,' she laughed and turned to face him. They held each other's gaze for a beat longer than they had before, a charged silence hung in the air between them. Neither wanted to be the first to break away nor did one want to be the first to acknowledge. The moment, however, was interrupted for them by the sound of hurried footsteps. Grace rushed into the room. Cassie took a step back from Sam and turned to her daughter.

'Hi, mom. Hi, Sam,' Grace said, hurriedly. She did not look at them directly, but rather focused on her assessment of options on the breakfast table. She picked up the closest pastry and gave Cassie a quick peck on the cheek before racing towards the front door. She hollered back. 'So sorry. Friends are here. I'll be home this afternoon. Bye, mom. Bye, Sam.'

Cassie opened her mouth to call out to her daughter, then shut it as she heard the front door close. She turned to Sam, who rolled his eyes at the door for dramatic effect.

'Teenagers. Always in a rush.' He chuckled.

Cassie gave a small smile and murmured in agreement. She paused for a moment, then lit up with an inspired expression. 'Can I ask you to do me a favour?'

'Sure.'

'Since you're stopping by the Bistro, would you mind passing a gift along to Stephanie?' She pointed in the direction of the front room. 'I've got to see Martha about the party, and I was going to ask Grace but, well -'

'Ah, the illustrious New Year's Eve,' he mused.

'You and Nick should stop by,' Cassie said. 'Another opportunity to mingle, and it's only a few feet away.'

Sam chuckled. 'Thanks for the invite, but I don't know what Nick is doing and I think it'll be a quiet one for me. Once you've done a ball drop in Times Square, I think you're off the hook for all future New Year's Eve celebrations.'

Cassie smiled. 'Well, the offer is there.'

'In any case, I can do that for you. Although, I don't know how you knew I'd be swinging by the Bistro, and -' he paused and raised a hand to emphasise his supposed nonchalance, 'I'm fine with not knowing. This party, it sounds like important business.'

'Only the utmost, if you know Martha Tinsdale,' Cassie laughed. 'Thanks so much, Sam. It's the silver one under the tree. You can't miss it.'

He hovered for a moment, but Cassie's attention had turned to her first guests entering the room. Sam took that as his cue and waved goodbye as she started pointing out their options.

Sam walked into the living room and made his way to the Christmas tree in all its Merriwick glory. As he bent down to pick up the package, he noticed a flyer tucked underneath another.

A Night Under the Stars
Middleton's Greyhouse
Dec 31st, 8pm

There was a silhouette of a family staring up at the night sky, arms around each other. Sam smiled to himself and pocketed the invitation, taking it and the package with him. He turned back to look at Cassie, laughing and mingling with her guests. She stopped, noticed his gaze and mouthed a 'thank you.'

Down at the Bistro, Stephanie had been busy pumping out orders all morning. She managed the influx, as hopeful sales shoppers moved in and out of stores down the main strip. As she revelled in a moment of respite, Sam entered with a gift in his hands extended towards her. Stephanie smiled and wandered over to him at the counter.

'Is that for me?' she asked, her expression brightened.

'It sure is,' he said, then after an awkward pause, 'From Cassie.'

Stephanie's smile faltered a little. She took the gift from him and turned to hide her disappointment. 'Oh, she must be swamped,' Stephanie pondered aloud, back still to Sam. 'What, with the party planning and all.'

'You know, I thought Christmas would be busy, but it looks like New Year's Eve is even worse,' said Sam.

'You should know by now, we Middletonians love a good soiree,' laughed Stephanie. 'The usual?'

'Actually, Nick's meeting me here, so we'll grab a couple of those,' he said, pointing to the assortment of muffins. 'And he'll likely order a drink when he arrives.'

'So, no coffee?' Stephanie asked, her eyebrows knit together.

Sam paused and thought for a moment. 'It's a first, but I'll pass on that.' He shook his head, incredulous. 'Thank you.'

'Who are you, and what have you done with Sam?' she joked. 'Two surprise muffins and no caffeine coming right up.'

'When you find out, let me know,' he replied. 'I had a tea over at Greyhouse.'

A small frown appeared on Stephanie's face. She directed him to an empty table in the corner. Sam thanked her but, as he turned away, she placed her hand on top of his still resting on the countertop.

'Speaking of Greyhouse,' she said. Sam looked down at their hands, raised his brows, and then looked back at her. Stephanie removed hers slowly and gave him an apologetic smile. She continued, 'What are you doing for New Year's Eve?'

'It's going to be a night in, I'm afraid.'

'Well, I was thinking that, maybe, if you're up for it,' Stephanie said. 'If you're not wanting to be alone for the New Year, we could go to the party.'

She looked up at Sam, who remained silent, then continued, 'Together?'

Sam blinked in surprise. His silence was heavy in the air. Stephanie stared at him, patiently waiting. He cleared his throat, twice, and smiled kindly. 'Thanks for the invite, but I really do think the countdown days are over for me.'

Stephanie, not one to buckle easily, took a step back and replied, 'Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.'

After a pause, she turned away and picked up the dockets on the coffee machine. Sam stood there and tapped his knuckles on the counter, his eyes shifting across the displays. He seemed unsure and hesitant like he might have more to say. Instead, he gave a tight-lipped smile, then pivoted and walked to an empty seat in the section out of sight.

Stephanie fixed her eyes on his retreating figure, sighed, and returned to work.

'It's ruined,' Martha exclaimed, gesticulating wildly with a gavel in hand.

The planning committee met at City Hall to go over the final details for the event. Martha approached Cassie to work with the Garden Club, and they unanimously agreed to host the party at Greyhouse. It was Cassie's idea to outsource services so Stephanie could enjoy a break over the holidays. The responsibility of invitations, decor, garden preparations and entertainment rested with them. In the beginning, it had all fallen together seamlessly. However, as the temperature dropped each night, so did their enthusiastic optimism. They were starting to wonder whether an outdoor event would be possible.

'Why, of all winters, does this have to be the coldest?' cried Martha.

'I don't think we can blame the weather for acting as it usually does,' Cassie reminded her.

'But the event is "Under the Stars,"' Martha said, woefully. 'How are we to celebrate properly if we can't, well-,' she paused, searching for words.

'- be under the stars?' Cassie offered.

Someone from the committee chimed in. 'The contractors in charge of the fireworks display have just informed us that, if the grounds are too wet, they might not be able to go through with it.'

Martha gasped. 'It's a disaster. That just won't do,' she cried.

There were murmurs and nods around the table. Martha banged her gavel and looked directly at Cassie.

'What should we do?' she asked.

'We can make the inside of Greyhouse light up like the night sky if it comes to it.'

Matha grimaced. 'Cassie, now, you've always created such wonderful displays at any given time of the year, but this is "Under the Stars". It's the new year. It signifies the changes, the promises, the hope of tomorrow for Middleton,' she said, painting a canvas in the air.

'It's not "under the stars on a cramped staircase."' Martha looked sheepishly at Cassie and said, 'No offence.'

'None taken,' Cassie replied.

One member made an enthusiastic suggestion to change the theme of the party.

Martha flicked her wrist to dismiss the idea. 'No, it's far too late for that. Invitations have been out for two weeks and we've already had most of the guest list confirm.'

Cassie smiled and said, 'I'm sure it will all work out. George has already started on the transformation of Greyhouse, and we'll have it ready for a walk-through in two days.'

Derek appeared at the entrance and, stopped by the tense atmosphere, took slow steps to Martha. He informed her that the contractors for the fireworks had been trying to reach her for the last hour, and they had been patched over to his department. Martha recoiled.

'Well, Cassie Nightingale, for the sake of Middleton's new year, I hope you're right.' She banged her gavel. 'Meeting adjourned.'

When Cassie stepped out of City Hall, she sighted her daughter in what looked like a heated exchange with Nick. She held back and watched as Nick stormed off, with one last glance at Grace, who threw her hands up in frustration. Cassie frowned and cocked her head to the side, observing the remnants of their argument. As she started towards her daughter, Sam appeared at her side.

'Cassie?'

'Oh,' she said, pulled from her thoughts. 'Hi, Sam.'

Sam smiled in amusement. 'Well, that's a first.' He stopped and took in Cassie's expression. 'Is something wrong?'

Cassie watched as Grace stomped in the direction of home, then looked up at Sam. Her features softened, but the smile did not reach her eyes. 'Oh, it's beyond my efforts right now.'

He followed her gaze and hummed in agreement. 'Anything I can do to help?'

'Not with this. Unfortunately, It's a part of adolescence that I can't say I miss,' she replied. 'But if you happen to know how to make Greyhouse sparkle like the stars, I'm open to suggestions.'

Sam nudged his shoulder into hers, bringing them closer. He placed a hand on her arm. 'If anyone can do it, it's you.' Cassie chuckled, relaxed, and Sam continued, 'I'm free for the next few days, you know, if you need the extra help.'

'Thanks, Sam,' she replied. She started to walk down the main strip, and Sam removed his hand but clenched it by his side. The electricity of the slight touch lingered on his fingertips.

'But I can't ask you to help set up a party you're not even going to attend.'

'You know, I was thinking about it after our chat this morning,' he said, bringing one hand up to his chin for effect.

'And?'

'Well, I might be persuaded.'

Sam held her gaze in an attempt to convey his feelings. Feelings that surprised him. Feelings not unwelcome.

Cassie blushed under the intensity of it and turned her attention to his practice. 'I didn't think GPs could ever close?'

Sam blinked a few times, shook his head and replied after a pause, 'I'm still on call. I took a few days to spend time with Nick, but he's apparently had enough of the father-son bonding over Christmas,' he said. 'What about the Bell, Book?'

'I pop in every now and then, but this party planning has been a bit of a bulldozer,' she said. 'But I trust the ladies have it under control.'

'That's settled, then. I'll chat with George and see what needs to be done.'

Cassie shook her head, 'Sam, that's really too much to ask. You don't need to do this. Spend time with Nick.'

'I want to do this,' he implored. 'I'll see what his plans are, then work around that.'

Sam took in the torn expression and insisted, 'Please. Let me repay you.'

'For what?'

He threw his head back and laughed, gesturing to the open. 'Cassie, where do I even start? For helping me and Nick, for being a great friend? For helping with Linda?' He stopped walking and gave her a serious look. 'For making sure we never starve?'

Sam cleared his throat and lowered his voice to a whisper, 'Seriously, I - well, I don't think we would've made it this far without you.'

Cassie smiled up at him and after a moment of reflection, she nodded. Sam's face lit up as they arrived at the front of her store.

'On one condition.'

'Yeah, anything.'

'You stick around for midnight?' she asked, in a low voice. She shifted on her feet and her eyes fell to the floor. Sam couldn't believe it, and part of him feared he might have imagined it, but Cassie Nightingale seemed nervous.

Sam grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and lowered his head to catch her eye, trying to read her face. Cassie stilled. She gazed up at him, so earnest and steady and promising.

'I'll be there.'

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review!

AN: An avid reader, this is actually my first time completing a fiction. I'm too much of a perfectionist to finish anything. I stumbled on The Good Witch series at the end of last year and I've had it on repeat since. These characters live in my head rent-free and I keep going back to the first two seasons, where I could taste the longing from the other side of my screen. I've written most of this three-part story and will have the second part out in a week. Thanks, again.