I stood in my bathroom, staring apprehensively at the dress bag that hung off the back of my door. The last time I had done this, the last time I had prepared for a party, I had ended up kidnapped. But, I knew tonight would be different. I knew that Vlad was sealed away, though I still couldn't help feeling a little sick to my stomach. My hands trembled, and I leaned forward and to grip my bathroom counter, trying to ground myself.

Vlad was not going to take over my life.

I repeated this to myself, like a mantra. Vlad and Elliot were gone; they no longer held any power. I was going to have fun. I was going to live my life. Nothing was going to stand in my way – absolutely nothing.

Feeling more confident, I backed away from the bathroom counter and went to put on my dress. It was simple, as far as dresses go, but I absolutely loved it. It was a long grey gown, although it wasn't a ball gown. It had thick straps that modestly covered my chest, however once the straps looped over my shoulders they became much thinner, before they crossed one another and reached back around to wrap my waist. My waist and lower abdomen were wrapped again and again with a long strip of material, before they finally tied delicately on my left side. I smiled and reached out to touch the heavy, silky surface.

The material felt cold against my skin as I put it on, the long skirt of the dress pooling slightly around my feet. I swished my skirts, feeling incredible in my dress. It was unlike the corseted ball gowns that I usually donned for parties, and I was finding I much preferred this style.

I took one last look in the mirror, satisfied with my appearance. I touched my healing wound, hoping that it would not bother me tonight, and then swept from my bathroom. I meandered down the hall and knocked on Tara's bedroom door.

"Enter!"

I pushed open the door, to find Tara spinning wildly around her room in her dress.

"This is the best thing I've ever worn!" She squealed breathlessly, coming to a halt in front of me.

"You look fabulous," I complimented her. "Like one of those punk Disney princesses."

Tara grinned, looking over her shoulder into a mirror, appraising her tattoos and piercings. She then ran her hands along her dress. Her dress was a dark purple-burgundy colour. It was a strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline. The upper part of her dress was tight against her body, but once it reached her hips, the dress swelled. The skirt was puffed and had lifts throughout it, giving it a more full bodied appearance.

"I do look fuckin' fabulous," Tara agreed, finished with looking at herself. "I'm so glad we get to do something like this before I go!"

My smiled faltered, although it was slight. I didn't like to be reminded that Tara was flying out early Sunday morning, heading back to her university. I was going to miss having her here, but I was also willing to admit that I was jealous. I should be going to university too. I would have been, were it not for Vlad. I would have to start this coming September, a year behind everyone else.

"Me too," I murmured my agreement. "Should we go see if Leslie's ready?"

"Sure!" Tara consented, and we went down the hall one door to Leslie's room.

I could hear her talking – although I wasn't sure to whom. I wondered if I should knock. If she was having a phone conversation, I didn't want to interrupt her. But then I heard Gavin giggle, and I realized that she was simply having a one-sided conversation with her baby. I knocked, and I heard Gavin laugh at the sound, so I knocked again, eliciting more baby laughter.

"Come in!" Leslie trilled, and so I opened the door, tapping my knuckles against it all the while.

"Are you ready?" I asked her.

"We're both ready," Leslie announced. She'd been leaning across the bed, where Gavin lay, but she straightened. "What do you think of my dress?"

It was simple, but Leslie was so striking that she didn't need to wear eye-catching clothes in order to turn heads. Her dress was long and light pink. The skirt of her dress flowed down her body, much like mine did. The top of her dress was the most embellished, although it wasn't with bling. The garment was one-shouldered, the strap elegantly looping over the top of her shoulder. The other side of her dress rose up to her shoulder, although it didn't go down her back. On the same side, she had a rose decal.

"You look sweet," I complimented her.

"Aww, thanks," Leslie hummed. "But it's Gavin that's stealing the show."

She scooped up Gavin, turning him so that his back was against her torso, his bottom on her arm as if the limb was a chair. He looked adorable. He was wearing the smallest tuxedo that I had ever seen in my life. He had on little black pants, a little button-up white shirt, the suit jacket – the whole nine yards. He even had a handkerchief in his pocket and a little bow-tie around his neck, both in the colour of Leslie's dress.

"He's so cute!" Tara gushed.

"Sweetest little baby ever," Leslie agreed, pressing her cheek against the top of his head.

Before we could get another word out, my mother's voice echoed down the hall. "Samantha!"

"Mother!" I shouted back.

"Where are you?"

"Leslie's room!"

I heard the click of heels and Mother swept into the doorway, looking grand and elegant; although, at this point, I didn't expect anything else from her. When we had gone shopping, she had found a pale pink dress that she had loved the shape of, but had been rather plain. The original dress had been strapless, with a sweetheart and an A-line skirt. Mother had added her own flair to it, transforming the dress into something else entirely. She had gotten the dress shop to find a sheer fabric the same colour as her dress. The sheer fabric had been added to the dress. The added feature formed a sleeve, falling to about her elbow. The sleeve came over her shoulder and diagonally across her body. It wrapped around her waist, falling asymmetrically across one thigh. She had added jewelled embellishments to one hip and to her shoulder, thus making the dress a totally new design.

"There you are!" She sighed. "There's a lot of people downstairs."

"I know," I answered, knowing exactly what she was getting at. I grinned at her cheekily, "But you can't rush perfection."

Mother put her hands on her hips. Anyone else might have thought the posture implied annoyance; not me. I could see how hard she was trying to not laugh. "All right, young lady. But you need to be down there when the Fentons arrive. You and Danny are both the guests of honour."

My heart fluttered at the mention of the Fenton family. It wasn't just because of Danny's impending arrival, although I had to admit to myself (as much as I didn't want to) that he was probably a part of it. A bigger part, however, was that I knew Jazz and Tucker would be arriving along with Danny. I hadn't reached out to them in my time being back. I had gotten too wrapped up in being reunited with the people in my house, although I had exchanged a few brief text messages with Tucker, confirming that he was coming tonight and that I would get to see him.

"When are they going to get here?" I asked Mother.

"Ten minutes," Mother revealed. "Now get yourselves downstairs before I have to come back up here!"

"Yes ma'am," Tara muttered under her breath as Mother left the room.

I nudged her in the side. "Come on. We'd best go downstairs."

Together, we walked the length of the hall and down the steps. There were people milling about my house – some of them I'd never seen before. I wasn't surprised at that and slowly began to mingle through the crowd, heading for the front door so that I could greet guests with my mother. Leslie stuck quite close to me – despite being in Amity with my parents for several weeks, she still didn't know a lot of people here. Tara drifted away almost immediately, saying that she thought she saw someone that she wanted to talk to.

I arrived at Mother's and Dad's sides just as the front door opened, revealing Maddie and Jack. One of the servants that had been hired for the night immediately took their coats, revealing Maddie's gown. It was a fifties style deep aqua dress that revealed her strong, shaped arms.

"Sam!" Maddie gasped, after saying hello to my parents. "How are you, honey?"

"I'm okay," I told Maddie. "I've just been adjusting to home."

"Danny's been having some struggles with that." Maddie reached out and rubbed her hands up my arms. "You're so strong … Sometime soon, I think us and your family need to sit down – just us together – and talk about things."

I nodded, strongly agreeing. "Yes, definitely."

"I'll see you around tonight," Maddie said, and moved on.

Jack gave me a hearty clap on the back. "Glad to see you there, Sam!"

"Glad to see you!" I managed, as Jack went to join his wife.

Once Jack had moved out of the way, I could see past him to the front door, where Jazz, Danny, and Tucker were grouped. My throat swelled and I could hardly breathe. I had seen Jazz that day in the hospital when Danny and I were finally able to see our families, but it was nonetheless overwhelming to see her there now, delicately perched in her wheelchair. And Tucker … Oh, Tucker. I had known that he was alive; I had exchanged text messages with him, but to see him there, standing straight and tall was overwhelming.

"Tucker!" I called.

"Sam!" He shouted back at me.

I was only a few steps away from him, so I was able to reach him quickly. I wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. He hugged me back, squishing me, but I didn't care.

"I missed you," he told me, his speech a little on the slow slide.

"I missed you too," I answered.

"We'll dance later, okay?"

"Okay," I muttered into his chest. Tucker was unimaginably tall and he made me feel extremely short because of it.

I untangled my arms from around his waist, turning to face Jazz.

"Hi, Sam," she hummed, opening her arms so that I could lean down and give her a hug. Where Tucker made me feel short, Jazz in her wheelchair made me feel tall. I didn't like the sensation. While Jazz was no giant, I was used to looking up at her. "Been good?"

"Been good," I confirmed. "You?"

She laughed and then told me, "I'm on a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend."

I laughed back. "Don't be stealing quotes."

"Don't tell me what to do," Jazz returned.

I grinned. "Never, Jazz, never."

"Good."

"I love your dress, by the way," I mentioned.

Jazz looked as if she had been dressed in the night sky. Her dress was a dark blue-black, coated in shimmering jewels that reminded me of stars. There was a flower-esque decal that was affixed to the top of her dress, in the same dark blue black, where the strap would have been.

"Me too," Jazz murmured, sliding her hands along the skirt of her dress. "It's going to be wonderful to dance in."

"Dance?" I repeated, glancing at the wheelchair. A beat after I said it, I remembered Danny saying that Jazz could walk, and that her situation was getting better on that front.

"That's why I'm sitting now," Jazz confided. "So I can save up my dancing legs."

"Good plan," I commented.

Tucker came up behind me. "We should probably get out of the doorway," he rumbled.

"See you, Sam," Jazz said as Tucker grabbed the handles on the back of her wheelchair and moved her away.

I was left standing there facing Danny.

"Hi," I said first.

"Hi," he echoed.

Mother, as was her habit, burst between the two of us.

"Come along, guests of honour!" She sang. "There's a place waiting for you!"

She then looped one arm around Danny's shoulders, dragging him forward until she could put her other arm around my shoulders. She dragged us off through the crowd, toward our unknown 'place', before either of us could get another word in.

I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my betas: Forever Sky.

~TLL~