Chapter 6.

'What about you Kelly, what were you doing whilst Cate was having all this fun?' Julie asked as Jill handed her a glass of wine.

'Well…' Kelly began when the phone began to ring. Cate quickly picked up the receiver.

'Hello?'

'Caitlin, it's your mother.'

'Hi mama.' Cate said with a smile at her mother's announcement.

'Tessa is still in labor but it shouldn't be long now.'

'Alright mama, everything is fine here, Becca is asleep in bed and we're all sitting around telling stories and waiting for the call.'

'Alright sweetheart well we'll keep you all posted when to get yourselves down here to meet your new niece or nephew.'

'Ok than mama, we'll speak to you later.' With that Cate hung up the phone.

'Everything ok?' Scotty asked taking a bottle of beer from Kris.

'Everything's going fine, no baby yet.' Cate smiled sitting back with Kelly.

'So we're ok to carry on?' Jill asked smiling.

'Kelly you were saying.' Cate said turning to her sister.

'Well whilst Cate was having her 'fun' as it were, I was having fun with the two Munroe sisters or at least they were trying to make me have fun.' Kelly smiled as she reminisced.

3 years earlier.

It was getting later in the evening and Kelly grew restless not having heard from Cate at all. The Chinese was all eaten and the film watched.

'How about we mix up a few drinks huh?' Jill asked to which Kris eagerly nodded in agreement.

'I don't know that I want to be a miserable drunk.' Kelly moped on her couch.

'Oh come on Kel, it'll be fun and you've got all we need for some great drinks.' Jill said as she looked through Kelly's drinks cabinet. Kelly groaned and grumbled in response.

'Come on Kel, we have music and drink we'll have all sorts of fun.' Kris insisted grabbing onto Kelly's arm trying to pull her into the fun. Kelly groaned again but broke into laughter as she went with Kris to join Jill at the drinks cabinet.

'This isn't going to end well.' Kelly joked as Jill passed back a bottle of Vodka to Kris.

'Shots!' Kris cheered as she rushed to the kitchen. Kelly smiled shaking her head.

'Just remember tomorrow is Christmas Eve and the Christmas ball so we can't get too drunk, I don't want to be hung over all day and night.' Kelly warned as Kris began to pour vodka into shot glasses. Jill stood beside Kelly swinging an arm around her shoulders as she did.

'Have no fear Kel, we will not get that wasted I promise.' Jill smiled Kelly looked to Jill before rolling her eyes.

'Yeah right.' Kelly said before breaking into a smile and laughing. 'Well we might as well phone a few others rather than it just be us.' Kelly suggested.

'Great idea!' Jill beamed as she rushed for Kelly's phone. 'And I know just the people to call.' Kelly suddenly dreaded suggesting the idea as Jill started dialing.

'What was the damage?' Julie asked leaning forward resting her head on her hands.

'A little more than we bargained for.' Kelly smirked looking across at Jill and then Kris, who both lowered their heads grinning embarrassed.

'Jill, how many people did you invite?' Kelly called over the loud music and voices of the people that now filled her house.

'Just one or two Kel and had them invite one or two.' Jill explained.

'And then I invited one or two and had them invite one or two.' Kris added as she managed to squeeze in next to them.

'So some how we've ended up with what fifty something people including us?' Kelly asked not amused.

'May be but at least it isn't dull.' Jill called out as some of the party guests grabbed her to join in the dancing. Kelly watched after her friend as she was dragged into the dancing circle that had formed in her living room.

'It's better than sitting around moping and worrying Kel.' Kris said as she lifted her drink in her hand acknowledging friends she hadn't spoken to yet then left Kelly on her own but not for long as Kelly got swept up into the dancing. Still holding her drink Kelly looked to it and the people all dancing around her, shrugging her shoulders Kelly downed the drink in one put the glass down and joined Jill in the centre of the dancing group and began to enjoy her self.

The party continued with more people, music and drink it concluded with sirens, banging on the door and people being ordered home.

'Disturbing the peace?' Jill exclaimed as she looked at the ticket the police officer had handed them.

'And count yourselves lucky we're not taking you downtown for a night in the cells. Now clean up this mess and keep it quiet!' The police officer who obviously enjoyed his little power trip too much said in a raised voice before turning on his heel and storming back to his patrol car.

'The cops were called out!' Scotty exclaimed as quietly as he could without disturbing Rebecca. Kelly sat back into her sister her hands covering her face.

'It was so embarrassing, all the neighbors were watching and those that weren't at the party were complaining about it. Real good show for them, their neighbor the lady detective having the cops come round to shut down a loud Christmas party.' Kelly said from under her hands as Cate put her arms around her sister hugging her.

'And you call me the trouble maker.' She teased.

'It wasn't that loud.' Jill tried to defend.

'But it was a little impromptu I suppose for the neighbors to take.' Kris added to which Jill poked her tongue out at her sister.

'I still say it was an over reaction by that cop.'

'Let it go Jill.' Cate said soothingly and slowly, which only caused Jill to get more ticked off as she tossed a cushion at Cate who caught it before it hit Kelly and laughed.

'So what happened next?' Scotty asked getting the story back on track.

'Well we cleaned up the mess which took until the early hours of Christmas Eve morning as one of the party goers thought of the genius idea to teepee the next door neighbors tree.' Kelly explained to the hilarity of the rest of the room.

'And whilst they did that I was still trying to get home and heading towards the contact Spider had given me.' Cate finished through laughter.

'How much further darlin'?' Four Leaf asked as he woke up from his sleep next to Cate in the cab of the truck, Cate driving.

'About another hour or so Four Leaf.' Cate explained with a sigh. 'I hope this contact of Spider's can help. It's now Christmas Eve and the party is tonight.' Cate said sounding more and more defeated.

'Just keep you hopes up Catey, we'll make it I'm sure of it. It is Christmas after all and you're an Angel, it has to turn out right in the end.' Four Leaf said trying to pick up his friends spirits that were crashing so quickly to the ground. 'Why don't you let me drive for a little while get yourself some sleep you haven't stopped for a long while now.' Four Leaf offered. Cate looked to her friend, he was right she hadn't stopped for ages and she was tired and ached all over but Cate didn't want to give up the wheel, she didn't want anything to go wrong, a wrong turn or anything that might cause further upset to their journey. 'Come on girl let me take over I promise not to take a wrong turn or miss one.' Four Leaf promised. Cate nodded and began to slow down the truck to pull it over to a stop.

'Ok but just for a while.'

'We're not far from where we need to be now Cate just let me finish the drive alright, you've done the rest.' Four Leaf re-assured. Cate smiled to him as she brought the truck to a stop, getting down from the cab she stretched out her back and legs as she walked round to the other side getting in again this time as the passenger as Four Leaf scooted to the driver's side. 'Alright now that we're in and secure you get some shut eye and I'll handle the rest.' Four Leaf winked to Cate as she settled down next to him, it didn't take long for sleep to take hold.

Cate felt Four Leaf shoving her trying to wake her.

'Come on Four Leaf, you've only just taken over!' Cate complained trying to move away from him shoving at her.

'That was over an hour ago darlin, we're here now come on.' Four Leaf hurried as he jumped down from the cab rushing round to the back of the truck letting out the rest of the band. Cate opened her bleary eyes and looked out the windscreen and smiled broadly as she did.

'Spider you genius!' Cate smiled from ear to ear as she swung open the door and jumped out heading towards the office of the small private airfield.