The Masquerade - Part 15

"So I'd like to order two full year vip passes... Yes two... What do you mean I can't place this order over the phone? – Obviously I could care less how expensive two passes will be, otherwise I wouldn't be on the phone trying to place the order? -- You seem to be under the misguided assumption that all people that have money have a pathological need to prove their means to you. I neither want nor need to prove my wealth. And I equally would hate to drop names since I like to think I've grown past that stage in life. However, that's not to say that the recent middle ground reached between my very powerful mother and I won't come in handy if you continue to make a very simple order difficult... I will bring the wrath of Satan upon you if you don't get me two passes… You doubt me!? Seriously, I think you need to get your manager before you say something that costs you your job… Hello? This is Nicole Julian am I speaking with the ticket manager? Oh? You voted for my mother? Well, like I told the employee that answered the phone, I wasn't going to bring my mother into this. However, the fact remains that I would like to buy two passes for today…Look, I'm… sorry I snapped at your worker bee. The problem is simply that I'm trying to plan something of a surprise for someone and I well… Waiting in line would simply kill the effect, don't you think? So, are you going to work with me on this for? – I see… It's good to see that there are still reasonable people in the world Mr… Mr. Jacobs. I'll be sure to remember this... My credit card number is…"

-----

="I have no idea what to wear! I mean it's not every day that one gets invited to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony! And it's like… every other lifetime that someone is actually nominated. Yet here it is, I'm on the cusp of experiencing both while having absolutely nothing to wear! God I should have just let you buy that dress you said looked gorgeous on me… Nicole Julian! Are you even listening to me!?" Turning around to face her wife, who had previously been sitting at her desk looking bored, provided Sam with quite the shock indeed. Because standing there by the bed they shared every night was Nicole Julian…Holding the dress that she said would look great on her.

With a smirk Nic held Sam's eyes for a moment before she started to speak. "So after 12 years if you honestly think I didn't I know you well enough to see this was coming, I want a divorce. Now go put the dress on, the shoes to match are waiting for you in the bathroom." =

******

"… I'm so glad we worked everything out Mr. Jacobs... Yes… I'm sure she'll love it as well… So where can I pick them up at? – Yes that's correct, when I get there with her I don't want to wait in any lines… --- Ah... No thank you sir. I'll be there shortly."

::click::

Nic sat the phone down with a satisfied smirk on her face. She was after all, experiencing the always great feelings of having her demands met. Taking a glance at the clock above her desk caused Nic to groan at the time she saw herself reflected on its face. Standing up and stretching, Nicole swallowed a yawn before muttering, "Seven in the morning… Honestly, the things I do…"

Shaking her head as she ran a hand through her hair, Nic grabbed her keys and started toward the door. "First things first, coffee."

------

As Nic eased her car into the driveway at the Palace, she was certain the day she planned for Sam would go brilliantly. Furthermore, she was also certain that the two passes currently residing in her bag would ensure that there would be many more equally brilliant days to come. So then if she was so certain of the utter brilliance the day she had planned would turn out to be, why was she cowering in her car?

Well… Knowing was only a third of the battle. The other two thirds were working up the nerve to knock on the door. This was after all, their first date…Technically.

Letting out a groan, Nic mumbled, "No wonder it took so long for me to tell Sam how I felt. I'm a bloody procrastinator." Which of course was easier to say and admit then `slightly insecure, slightly'. So with another groan of frustration, Nicole hit the steering wheel, immediately causing the horn to let out a loud wail. Jumping and looking around in shock, Nic hoped she hadn't just single handedly woken the whole block. After the shock of the sudden noise had died, Nicole decided it was time to bite the bullet and get her brilliantly planned surprise started. Getting out of the car Nic started up the walkway that led to the Palace doors, only to have the doors seemingly open by themselves as soon as she got within reach to knock. For a moment Nic wondered if this was one of those foreshadowing moments that alerts everyone but the person in the movie to run… until she saw the smiling older brunette that appeared once the door was fully open, solving the mystery of the `self opening doors' and the question of whether going forward was a bad idea.

"I was wondering if you were ever going to work up the nerve to come in, Nicole. It's fairly cold out here you know, I was getting worried." Jane said with a smile.

Feeling a slight blush trying to appear at being caught hiding in her car by none other then Sam's mom, caused Nic to mumble, "I had the heater on…"

Hearing this, Jane simply shook her head and chuckled as she invited Nicole into the house. "Don't worry, Nicole. I won't tell Sam that you were hiding in the car." Jane finished with a smirk at the look Nic sent her in response.

"Speaking of Sam, you do know she's still asleep right? After all it usually takes an act of God to get her up before 1 pm on days where there is no school or work."

Finally over being caught hiding, Nicole felt her first smirk of the day start to form. "Or… an act of Satan… Would you mind if I called her?"

Once again shaking her head, Jane chuckled before responding. "Not at all. If you don't mind sharing the living room with Mac and her cartoons for a few moments I can go get us both a cup of coffee." Pausing as she saw Nic about t protest, Jane said "I started the coffee pot as soon as I heard your car pull up." With that, Jane immediately left to get the coffee.

Walking further into the living room, Nic saw Sam's mini-me sitting on a huge couch that seemed to dwarf in her comparison while watching her Saturday morning cartoons and eating a bowl of cereal. Not wanting to startle the little girl Nic decided to speak before she got any closer. "Hey little Sam, do you mind if I sit with you for a little bit?" Nic watched as Mac quickly turned to her with a big smile, her attention briefly taken from her cartoons and sugary cereal.

"Hey Ni'ole! You came to watch c'toons with me!? `Mantha is sleep, but sometimes she watches c'toons with me! But she's sleep right now. Sometimes `Mantha sleeps fo'evar! And I wanna wake her up so she'll watch c'toons with me but then momma always says No! Mac don't wake up your big sister she's sleep! But I just want her to watch c'toons with me! But since momma says no, I don't. But sometimes that makes me sad so momma watches with me but I wish Sam could just watch with me too! And... do you like Fruity pebbles? I like Fruity Pebbles but I don't like milk! YUCK! Daddy used to try and make me drink it but I wouldn't never ever. So momma got me some Si… Si… some something that's not milk that I eat with my cereal! Do you want some!?"

Just as Nic was about to graciously turn down the spoon full of the now mushy cereal Mac was offering, Jane coming back into the room interrupted her.

"No Mac, you eat all of your cereal. You asked for it and I want you to eat it. If Nicole wants some I'll go get her a bowl, ok? So just finish your cereal and continue to watch cartoons?" The earnest nod Mac gave in response caused both Nicole and Jane to share a smile as Jane handed her a coffee. "Sorry for cutting you off like that Nicole, I could tell you were about to respond. The problem is Mackenzie is such a picky eater that what she will eat, we give it to her. However, she's such a hyper and preoccupied little one that the smallest things can have her completely entranced and she'll forget about eating all together. But enough about the littlest McQueen. I wasn't sure how you liked your coffee so I brought cream and sugar. Have you called Sam yet?"

Shaking her head to show the negative, Nic started spooning cream and sugar into her cup while responding. "She reminds me of Sam in elementary school." Nic said with a pause and smile. "But no, I haven't called Sam yet, I was to busy following her mini-me's conversation. However, if you don't mind I'll call her now?"

At the shake of Jane's head, Nic picked up her phone and dialed Sam's cell phone…

*****

=="And here to win the Nobel Peace Prize for Journalistic Integrity is none other then our very own S...."==

::riing::riing::

=="Um... I'm not going to announce the winner until the phone stops ringing. So is someone going to answer that? Sam? Sam? Are you going to answer that?"==

"SAMANTHA CRISTINE MCPHERSON! Will you please wake up and answer your phone!"

At Jane's yell, Sam was yanked out of her dream in time to hear the last ring on her phone before the call was redirected to voice mail. Groaning at once again being awakened before she could receive her prize, Sam looked at the clock on her bedside table and shook her head - because ten in the morning was still too early in the morning to wake up. Hearing her phone let out the tell tale noise that signaled a new voice mail, prompted Sam to reluctantly get out of the bed so she could pick up her cell phone... Or rather, find her phone under the pile of clothes she left by her bathroom door the night before.

After locating the phone and dialing her voice mail, Sam went from still being half-sleep to wide-awake in seconds.

So, Mantha, I'm going to assume that the reason you're not answering your phone is that you're still asleep. To which I have to say is rather unfortunate. Didn't I say that you should be ready bright and early? *sigh* I'm so disappointed. However, I do have to say that you're giving me the perfect opportunity to share embarrassing stories and pictures about you with Jane... Oh right, that's what I left out. I'm calling you from the couch downstairs in the Palace. And since you're obviously still to tired to answer you're phone, I'm going to take it as a go ahead for Jane to start telling the really embarrassing stories.. In the mean time, why don't you come down whenever you wake up.

::You have no more messages.. For more optio..::

Once the message ended, Sam stood for a moment in slight shock, unsure if Nic was actually downstairs or if she was simply on her way. However, that question was answered for Sam rather quickly in the form of a small brunette ball of energy ripping through her room.

"MANTHAA!!!" Mac screamed as she jumped in her bed only to realize that her sister was already up. "OH! YOU'RE WAKE ALREADY!? GOOD! MOMMA SAYS THAT YOU SHOULD COME DOWNSTAIRS `CAUSE NI'OLE IS HERE AND SHE BROUGHT ME CANDY AND SHE SAID THAT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AWAKE ALREADY! AND MOMMA DOESN'T KNOW THAT SHE GAVE ME CANDY SO IT'S OUR SECRET AND YOU CAN'T TELL MOMMA, KAY?! AND ARE YOU COMING NOW?! BECAUSE NI'OLE'S BEEN HERE FO -EVAR! AND SHE SAID SHE'S NOT GOING TO SHOW YOU THE SUPRISE IF YOU DON'T COME SOON AND I LIKE SUPRISES DON'T YOU? AND..."

`So that answers the question about whether Nic is actually here,' Sam thought before cutting off her off her little sister who obviously had already had some of the secret candy and was only just taking a breath for air. "Mac! Mini-me, sweetie! I need to ask you something ok?" Sam paused to smile at the suddenly serious look Mac was attempting to give her along with a small nod, before continuing, "Can you tell me what Nic was wearing?"

Sam had no idea what to wear and it wouldn't do to go greet Nic in her pajamas.. no need to give her any teasing material if she didn't have to, after all... she liked her Babar the Elephant pajama's... they were cute.

"OH! Yep! I `member what she was wearing! She had on pants and a shirt and some shoes and a jacket and that's where she hid the candy from momma!! It was in the jacket pocket and when I walked by her, she gave it to me and that's when momma tol' me to come get you and..."

Laughing, Sam stopped Mac from getting lost in another tangent about how gloriously sneaky her girlfriend was at getting her candy, before directing her attention elsewhere. After all, even though the description Mac gave was minimal, she got the general idea of what Nic was wearing and in turn what she should wear. "Thanks Mini-me, what would I do with out you?" Sam paused to smile at her pleased looking little sister, before continuing, "but now that you've told me everything you were supposed to, could you go tell momma and Nic that I'll be down in a few minutes? I want to take a shower and get dressed before I come down and hang out with you guys." Sam said before letting out a chuckle at how she got no more then an excited nod in response before the whirl wind that is her little sister was running out of her room and down the stairs.

Shaking her head, Sam got all of her clothes ready and started to head to the shower only to hear the shower turn back on right before she got to the bathroom door. Letting out a sigh, Sam knocked on the door before calling out to the girl inside. "Brooke! What are you doing? I know you finished your shower already, as I heard it cut off right before Mac came in my room and I need to get ready!"

From the other side of the door, Brooke wore a smirk as she called back to Sam from her spot in the shower. "Oh, sorry Sam! You're right I did turn off the shower and I heard that you need to be going but I forgot to wash my hair and you know how my hair is if I forget to wash it! So let me just finish up and then I'm all yours!"

Frowning at the `All yours' comment, Sam shook her head again in frustration. "What? Brooke? Seriously, what are you talking about? I told you I'm dating Nicole and all I want from you is for you to get out of the shower so I can get in! I know the only reason you even got back in there was to keep me from leaving with Nic."

After Sam's last comment that was entirely too true for Brooke's liking, she decided to simply pretend like she hadn't heard her. Reconditioning her hair seemed like the logical thing to do since she was already in the shower.

However, after five minutes of waiting for Brooke to either get out of the shower or at least respond to what she said, Sam was becoming extremely annoyed. "Brooke!?"

Hearing the way, Sam screamed her name caused all kind of thoughts to go through Brooke's head and she let out a chuckle. "Really Sam, screaming my name? What will Nic think?"

"You know what Brooke? Whatever. Take all the time you need." Sam yelled back, beyond tired of the constant game she found herself unwillingly participating in with Brooke. Shaking her head, she decided to just use the bathroom in the hall. Unfortunately, in her rush to get to the bathroom, Sam found herself colliding into Mike and dropping her clothes in the process.

"Woah woah, easy Sam!" Mike said as he quickly grabbed Sam to keep her from falling. "What's going on? Why the rush?"

Running her hand through her hair as she realized she was facing yet another delay in her plans to get ready quickly. Sam let out a frustrated noise before she responded. "I was trying to get to the bathroom in the hall so I could take a quick shower."

"Why didn't you just use the bathroom you and Brooke share?" Mike asked with a confused look that got even more concerned with the only response was a muffled snort and mumbling. "I'm sorry what was that Sam? I didn't catch it?"

"I said that the reason I didn't use the bathroom I share with Brooke is because the Princess thought it would be funny to spend the whole day in there. Or more importantly.. She's just in there to make sure I can't use it. It's really pathetic and juvenile, and irritating as HELL. Because I mean, hello!? If she had a life you wouldn't see me trying to sabotage it, would you!? No! Because there's this thing called growing up that most people do, but Brooke? I don't..."

Finally realizing that they could be standing in the hall for quite a while before Sam was finished with her rant, Mike took a brief note of the fact that rambling must run in Jane's family before cutting Sam off. "Right, right. Why don't you just go take that shower, huh Sam? I think I heard you saying something about Nicole being here?"

The mention of Nic snapped Sam back into focus. "Right! So yeah, thanks I'm just going to go take that shower!"

After watching Sam slamming the door shut in her hurry, Mike decided to see exactly what she was talking about. So, walking through Sam's room he knocked on the bathroom door. And well, the scene that greeted him was a thing of nightmares for any father....

------

The knocking sound caused Brooke to smirk. She knew Sam would be back and she had prepared for just this moment. So with out further ado, she stepped out of the shower and threw the door open with a smirk and said, "I knew you'd come back, Sa..."

And that's when she realized that she was standing, dripping wet, naked as the day she was born in front of her dad... not Sam.

"BROOKE!"/"DAD!"

tbc