"No I wouldn't say so."Veronica replied, showing obvious distress as she scanned the empty dance floor. Abandoned save for the two of them.

A deadly silence crept over the room as nearly all eyes turned to them in anticipation. More eyes than Lance had ever seen at one time, or wanted to for that matter. This was like one of his worst fears coming to fruition.

"Well Lance what do we do?"Veronica asked worriedly.

For a single moment Lance couldn't answer. To numbed by fear to move or even talk. There was nothing in the world but him and the eyes.

But then that moment passed.

Thinking quickly he started his plan as soon as each step came to him."Okay I've got an idea. Take my hands and follow my lead."He whispered into her ear, gripping her hands and leading her into the center of the dance floor.

Grasping one hand and placing the other delicately on her waist, Lance mentally prepared to go through hell and back and maybe one more time after that. Her grip was uncharacteristically gentle and the soft fabric of her fingerless gloves felt surprisingly pleasant.

"So? What's the plan then?"Veronica asked in a hushed voice.

"Well first I'm going to need you to put your hand on my shoulder."Lance stated, waiting for to do so."Okay and now we dance."

"We dance?"Veronica snorted."That's your big solution?"

"It's not my best plan I'll admit."Lance confessed."But I don't see much chose in the matter."

And before they could say more the music started. It was a lot more slow and romantic than the previous selection of music and Lance figured a slow easy dance would be most appropriate. Lance didn't dance much and he had absolutely no experience doing it with a partner whatsoever, but from what he had seen on TV it didn't look that complex.

"Follow my lead."

And so they began. Taking slow, deliberate steps as the song started slow. Okay nothing's gone wrong yet. Maybe I can do this.

The rhythm started to pick up in speed along with their dancing. Lance threw in a twirl every once and a while to avoid looking repetitive and for her part Veronica did a remarkable job as well. He had never seen her move so gracefully but then again he was usually the one doing the foot work.

You know this isn't half bad. Lance thought cheerfully as he span Veronica around once, twice, thrice then just as quickly brought her back in.

And suddenly he was someone else, bolder than ever before. Smiling without even realizing it he picked up his pace. Dancing in circles quicker and quicker until the music slowed down, spinning this beautiful girl in his arms. And in that moment she was the most beautiful girl in sight if not the entire world.

They span and span and span again. Climaxing in a low dip, their faces mere inches apart. The music ceased and their dance ended just as quickly as it had began.

And once more he was Lance Rodriguez, panting slightly as held Veronica above the ground, scanning the gathered attention for any hint of mockery only to find silence but then, surprisingly, applauding hands, clapping as they refilled the dance floor.

Pulling Veronica back up, he was quickly surrounded by a crowd of questions, high fives, and slaps on the back. Lance did his best to smile and nod as the horde slowly started to relent, finally ending with a troubled looking Kidd.

"Oh Lance thank goodness."Kidd stated franticly, straightening Lance's collar to comfort himself."I saw the spotlight landed on you and I was worried-"

"Relax Kidd."Lance said."It's okay, it landed on us, we danced and now we're fine."

Forever the worrier. Lance thought with a shake of his head. When will he realize that I don't need him watching my back anymore?

"Okay as long as your fine."Kidd said, placing a hand on Lance's shoulder."Sorry but I have to entertain guests. Talk to you later."

When all the people seemed to have had moved on Lance finally heaved a sigh of relief. Somehow he had survived with nary a scratch and since he didn't know most of the people there he figured he would be forgotten fairly soon.

"Well that was surprising."Veronica said beside him."I had no idea you could dance."

"Indeed. Neither did I."Lance said, noticing he was still holding Veronica's hand, which he quickly released." just a spur of the moment thing. Hey where's Mark?"

"I left him with Tsubaki."She explained."I just was looking for you when the spotlight came on."

"Yeah I saw you glaring."Lance said."Which wasn't very polite by the way, care to explain?"

"Me? Glaring? No."She snorted."I was merely observing as you were paraded around by your new friends."

"My new friends?"Lance repeated."Do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

"As if," She scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Well don't bother."Lance said dismissively."They're not my friends."

"Not even the girl who had her arms wrapped around you?"She demanded, raising an eyebrow accusingly.

"I'm not entirely sure to tell you the truth."Lance admitted."She seems to assume we're friends at the least."

"Well she seemed pretty "friendly" to me."Veronica retorted.

"You are jealous aren't you?"Lance goaded."I didn't figure you for the type, though I suppose I'm not really surprised now that I think of it."

She grinded her teeth menacingly at him, "You should count yourself very fortunate that we are surrounded by possible witnesses."She hissed."Now I suggest you attempt to wow me with some more surprise dance expertise in the hope that I may forget about this."

Lance new she wouldn't forget but that wouldn't stop him from trying. Once again taking her hands awkwardly they resumed their dance for a few more songs before settling down on a small table to the side of the room.

The night hadn't had been as terrible as he thought it would be, Lance supposed. Not that his expectations had been particularly high but still. But with the continued stress of being surrounded on all fronts there was one thing he was craving horribly. The one thing he couldn't have.

But he wasn't so addicted to let it grind his gears too badly. Just sitting back in his chair and listening to a bit of music was enough to put it out of his mind. Watching all the various people continuously dance around the room had its own sort of sereneness to it too. All that mixed with the added company of Veronica made it seem almost pleasant.

Sitting there silently tapping his foot may have been enough for him but it apparently wasn't enough for his sword.

"Well I'm bored."She stated bluntly."If you plan on doing something fun I'll be over there."

And so he watched her saunter away, he felt a surprising sense of disappointment at seeing her go. Like he wanted her to stay but only if she wanted too.

Oh well. He thought absent mindedly. Time to get a smoke.

Scanning the vicinity for anyone who might disapprove (namely Veronica or Kidd) he made his way to the door with slow innocent strides, looking to all the world like he was just getting a breath of fresh air. Yes fresh air that's what he was going out for or so they could all believe.

Sliding out the closing door, Lance snuck out into the starless night. Even the moon was nowhere to be seen, not smiling its bloody wicked grin. With no natural light the only source for miles were from the mansion and street lamp posts.

The street was empty, well at least it appeared empty. It was times like this that made Lance wish he had soul perception so he could properly scan the area. His mother had had it so why didn't he?

Leaning against the wall he popped out his pack and retrieved a cig, lighting it slowly with his lighter as he took in the first sweet puff, reveling in it as it filled his lungs before breathing it out gently in a cloud of smoke. That's the stuff. He thought with a satisfied smirk.

It was hard for him to relax too much knowing his razor sharp partner was only a wall away. Still he tried to savor as much pleasure as he could. Pleasure was a fleeting thing after all. One should take full advantage of it while one can. That was his philosophy on the matter anyway.

It was not lost to him how hypocritical of a thought that was for him who was constantly hiding who he really was. Not that he knew who he really was but it definitely wasn't that mask he wore everyday at school. Maybe he was that guy in the center of the room circling Veronica in his arms with a smile on his face as he gazed into her beautiful green eyes…..

Then right in the middle of his insightful self inspection he was interrupted by an intruder. Quickly extinguishing the cigarette on the wall behind him he assumed a natural position, adjusting his posture accordingly. Then emerging from the opened door stood Liz, the oldest of Kidd's weapons if he recalled correctly.

She was in a red dress that ended at her knees with high heels contributing to her already tall height. Lance had to look up to avoid being at eye level with her breast. He never realized how grateful he was for Veronica being just as tall as him. It'd be dreadfully awkward if she was that much taller than him when they danced.

"Hey Kidd saw you walk out here and he asked me to check on you."She explained.

Oh that explains it, big brother Kidd always watching my back whether I want it or not.

"He shouldn't worry so much."He said, in a slightly humored voice to show her he really was fine."I just stepped out for some fresh air."

This answer seemed to satisfy her but before she could leave she seemed to notice something.

"Is that smoke?"She asked, sniffing the air.

"I don't know. Smells like it."Lance said, doing his best to play dumb.

"Maybe someone was out here smoking."Liz mused."Too bad, I haven't smoked in forever."

The grip on his previously lit cigarette tightened as he contemplated telling her the truth. But that would be silly. She'd tell Kidd and if she didn't still why would he want to share his smokes anyway. The whole idea was illogical on nearly every level. There was no way he'd be doing that.

"Actually now that you mention it, someone was smoking out here."Lance told, raising what remained of his cigarette, contradicting all his previous thoughts.

He closely noted her reactions in his mental diary. First astonishment then contemplation quickly followed by fiendish delight. "And Kidd made you sound like such a good boy."She smirked."I hope you intend on letting me bum one or else who knows what he may find out."

Lance smirked as well at the little joke. They were both in on it. Lance could tell her threat wasn't serious. After all they would both be guilty in Kidd's shiny gold eyes, Co conspirators in a sense. Slipping his hand into his concealed pack he handed her one. She pulled out a lighter of her own and lit the end.

"Ah.' She moaned as the puff of smoke escaped her lips."It's been too long."

Lance couldn't help but smirk. For some reason he always smiled when he saw someone else satisfied. Removing his lighter he lit his already half smoked cigarette, savoring its flavor before it died to remain only as faint smoke and left over ash. All the while the two made polite chit chat, About Kidd, the school, smoking, and life in general. After about two cigarettes each they decided to go back in to avoid looking anymore suspicious. Not before both chewing some mints and gum, of course.

Surprisingly Lance had enjoyed himself quite a bit. He was even happy to see Maka and Crona as he made his way back in, though this time he succeeded in hiding his smile. All in all it wasn't a bad night.

Not a bad night at all.

Veronica never blushed.

Not ever, she prided herself on this fact. She hadn't blushed since she was an innocent little girl too unaware to know how weak it was to do so. But now, with Lance's hand on her waist she could feel her cheeks getting flushed. No doubt matching her hair she thought grudgingly.

And he was just so bloody good at it too. Not that this was a particularly hard dance but still unless he had had lessons like her he had no right being so good.

And he was smiling. Lance smiling of all the things he could've done that just had to be it. Why couldn't he just give her that cool, calculating look he normally wore? Instead of this warm grin sending chills up her spine. Uh and his grip was so firm on her hand too it felt so nice…

Wait, what the hell was she saying? Why was she getting so worked up? It was just Lance. Just with his big brown eyes enlarged by his glasses staring at her like she was the only thing worth beholding…..

Damn, she did it again. She was lucky Lance was leading or else they might have slipped up. Maybe if she just tried not to think for a little while she could relax again and just let her body perform on autopilot.

That thought went away as soon as Lance took her down for a dip. Their faces only inches apart but for Veronica it didn't seem close enough. For reason beyond her she felt the sudden compulsion to get closer to Lance.

So they danced. Even after they're dance had ended they danced for a few more and she found herself relishing every moment in his arms. That was when she knew what she had to do.

She had to get away.

After they had stopped dancing they had sat at an empty table for a few minutes in a comfortable silence. Too comfortable, she wanted nothing more than to stay there and discuss whatever random topic came out of their mouths.

And that was why she left. Mumbling an excuse she retreated to an abandoned part of the mansion and she curled herself into a tight ball, her defense position. Why was she suddenly feeling like this? And what did it have to do with Lance? Maybe she was sick, she was certainly feeling sick right about then anyway.

Her defense position was a technique she had learned as a little girl to help clear her mind of thoughts and worries and so far it seemed to be doing its job. Who knew maybe in a few minutes she'd feel secure enough to move again.

Okay I'm fine. She reassured herself. Now get up before someone sees you. Dusting herself off, she strutted back to the dance floor, her normal confidence returning.

Just as she arrived she saw Lance walk in and talk to Maka and Crona. Why was he outside? Whatever, doesn't matter.

For some reason she was more comfortable with Lance hanging with those two than the other blokes he had been with earlier. Maybe because the lack of touching going on or the fact that Maka was clearly in love with that white haired scythe of hers. Honestly the way she stared at him when she thought no one was looking was just a dead giveaway.

"What's up mates?"She asked as she joined in on their conversation.

"Oh hello Ronnie," Lance greeted, giving another one of his rare smiles that didn't seem to want to stay rare tonight. "I was just looking for you actually. Mark passed out on the couch so I figured we should go take him back to the apartment."

"Yes that would be best."She nodded only half paying attention as Lance said farewell to the two ladies next to them and led her to the hunched up form of her little brother sprawled on the couch. Gently hoisting him onto his shoulder Lance maneuvered through the crowd with her at his heels.

The night air was a nice change of pace from the musky scent inside. There was a slight odor of smoke but she ignored it. Her brain was too busy traveling a thousand miles a millisecond to care. So fast she could scarcely follow them so it all just became a blur of pictures and images that she didn't understand. Maybe it was best if she didn't even attempt to work out what her own psyche was trying to tell her.

Grrr. Maybe she was simply going mad.

"There something wrong Ronnie?"Lance spoke with a hint of amusement."Your cheeks are matching your hair."

Yes definitely mad.

"What? No threat on my life? I'm rather disappointed in you."Lance continued."Can you hear me? You're getting redder you know? Err your heads starting to look like a giant tomato, only missing the green part. Maybe I could get you a little green hat. That'd be cute wouldn't it?"

That got a reaction. Thrusting her fist she propelled Lance several yards away into a wall. Catching her brother in mid air as he gently landed in her hand. Not even stirring in his sleep.

"Now that's more like it."Lance groaned as he struggled to return to his feet, smiling a much more wicked grin than his earlier one that somehow seemed to suit him better as he dusted the dust off his suit and pulled at his lacy cuffs. She felt her heart skip a beat.

"Bloody hell," She grimaced.

She truly was completely, one hundred percent, absolutely freaking bonkers.

Glaucus had successfully assimilated himself into the party.

It had been all too easy really. The simple suit he wore proved to be just flashy enough for him to blend in without attracting unwanted attention. The wig also helped with masking his hair too. Not that it was necessary, he had already seen most colors of the rainbow in the hair of the DWMA students but still it made him nearly unrecognizable which was the major goal after all. Only his large blue eyes were left unaltered.

To think he could enter the house of Lord Death himself so easily was as disappointing as it was exhilarating. Only a wig, a suit, and a handy little spell and they let him right in, no questions asked. Not even a raised eyebrow at this total stranger. It was almost embarrassing on their part but maybe it was to be expected that they'd feel secure right after defeating the mighty kishen himself, completely unaware of the remnants of Arachnophobia still lurking in the shadows.

Not that he was a part of Arachnophobia. Large evil societies like that didn't suit his taste. He preferred working solo as a single operative making his own decisions. Like his current mission for example. It wasn't a mission of high class subterfuge or sabotage like he would have liked. Instead it was a mere reconnaissance operation, a chance to study the students of the fearsome DWMA in all their glory.

Fearsome and glorious indeed,

The images around him did much to dismiss that claim. Though he was sure some of these students were indeed fearsome it was hard to think that when he was surrounded by them all dancing like morons. And not even dancing well at that. He supposed for all their so called glory they were still just a bunch of kids and would behave as such.

Glaucus had considered registering himself into the DWMA once, before the school nurse had reportedly turned out to be a witch using soul protect. Now he was glad he had never did. This was exactly the sort of tomfoolery he'd rather not be a part of. But to best disguise himself he had entered the dance floor a few times. Succeeding in performing what he had heard was called a "grind," much to the pleasure of his dance partner while he had hid his disgust, both at her and the putrid dance.

The music was loud and bothersome. And the fray of moving limbs grated his nerves. It took a plethora of self control to not throw a spell or two into the middle of the crowd just to see the fools really dance. The image was enough to put a small smile on his face.

Slipping into a corner he pulled out his digital notepad and typed in a few notes on his observations, making special entries on some of the more intriguing students the DWMA. For instance there was the star of the evening himself, Death the Kidd, the son of Lord Death. Glaucus had been able to recognize his trademark golden eyes and the three white stripes wrapping around his head easily enough. He was quite well known after all. Glaucus felt the reaper's apparent obsession with symmetry could come in handy.

Just as he finished his entry about the son of death he heard the music stop abruptly. Growing curious, he walked over to see what was happening. The entire crowd that had once encumbered the dance floor had evaporated save for two single people; a boy with black hair and glasses in a fancy black Victorian suit and a girl with bright red hair clad in a more modern suit. A spot light had landed directly on top of them and the DJ was telling them to dance. For a moment Glaucus could swear he saw fear on the boy's face.

Then the expression shifted into something Glaucus was more familiar with. Confidence, grasping her hand he lead her throughout the room, gracefully matching every beat of the song that played as they stepped each harmonious step.

Watching the two so closely embraced, smiling at each other, their faces mere inches apart. And for a moment Glaucus felt something he couldn't quite place, something eerily similar to loneliness.

The notion quickly left his thoughts.

Figuring he had been there long enough he headed for the door, avoiding on comers as they reentered the dance floor. No one else was around the door so his departure went mostly unnoticed. He was greeted to vast darkness on all fronts as he pondered his night.

Well that was very informative.

The intel he had gathered might be useful in the days to come. He knew Arachnophobia wasn't going to stay quiet for too long and he had his own plans to set into action soon. Things were about to get a lot more complicated for everyone involved. It was rather exciting in a way. To know the calm before the storm was going to end so abruptly. The clouds were overhead, the wind was blowing fiercely. All that was left was for the first spark of lightening to finally strike the earth.

Removing his wig he ruffled his stark white hair, letting his bangs hang over his eyes. With the street empty there was only one thing left to be said.

"Soul protect off."