Chapter 20. The only thing I am going to say is that this chapter turned out better than I thought it did. Okay past that I hope you like it.

Spoilers: 20 chapters later it is still AU

Disclaimer: I don't own Kate or Abby.

"Are you ready?" Abby asked excitedly. She had practically been bouncing off the walls for the past hour or so. Today was the Fourth of July barbecue. Anna had been planning for months. It was the only time of the year when there was a big get together at her house and needless to say that Anna was stressing out. Kate and Abby were supposed to be downstairs helping once they got dressed.

"Yes," Kate replied adjusting her headband slightly. She was wearing blue jean capri pants and a white tank top with a red headband. Abby was wearing a red and white striped shirt and dark blue jeans. Together the two girls made their way out onto the yard to help and found that most of the decorating had been done. At that point Monica came out wearing a red, white, and blue sundress.

"Great," Delilah told them, "You have now managed to avoid all the decorating so you get to figure out how to put up the stuff we didn't get to." The three girls looked at each other but got to work. They were in the middle of trying to put up an extremely long banner when two people arrived.

"Do you need help?" Mason asked looking up at Kate who was balanced on a ladder.

"That would be great," Kate told him, "Can you help us pin this banner up?" Mason nodded. He and Landon moved forward and attached the thumbtacks to the house. It only took them a couple of minutes and the banner was in place. It was about then that Anna came down wearing a beautiful white suit with a blue shirt and a red scarf.

"Is that your grandmother?" Mason whispered to Kate as he helped her down from the ladder. Kate nodded and watched curiously as Mason walked over to Anna. "Mrs. Todd," Mason addressed her politely, "Thank you for allowing me to come on such short notice."

"Oh it was my pleasure," Anna told him very impressed by his politeness, "I am glad that Caitlin has made friends this summer."

Mason smiled warmly and then handed Anna a beautifully wrapped package. Mason smiled one more time and walked back to Kate.

"Well," she told him quietly, "You just earned the respect and admiration of everyone in my family."

"Except your brothers," Abby pointed out as she walked by.

"Yea," Kate replied partially to Abby and partially to Mason, "But they don't like any guy that enters a three foot radius around me or Monica."

"Oh come on they liked some of my boyfriends," Monica pointed out.

"Yea," Kate agreed, "While they were good to you. Actually I am surprised that Pete is still alive to breath fresh air."

"They don't know about him yet," Monica replied then smiled widely as she saw Drew walk up. He was the boy she had met at the beach and invited.

Over the next fifteen minutes all the other guests began to arrive and make their way out onto the lawn and the beach. Several tables worth of food and alcoholic beverages were set up on the lawn so the six of them under legal drinking age fled to the dock. They had known that they would be the youngest people here because almost all of the people were Anna's friends.

It was not long after they finished eating that Monica and Drew to break off from the teenagers and disappear from the party completely.

"So did you girls live on island?" Mason asked curiously.

"No," Kate replied a little sadly, "We live in Louisiana and we fly home on Saturday."

"Well that's too bad," Mason told her, "Are you going to come back next summer?"

"I am," Kate replied, "Abby probably won't, but let's not waste our last days dreading what's to come."

"Good idea," Landon agreed, "Look the fireworks are starting."

The four of them all leaned back and with their feet dangling in the water they watched the fireworks explode above them. For half an hour they watched in rapture then Landon sat up and looked at the other three.

"Are any of you wearing anything non water proof?" he asked them suddenly.

"No," Abby replied as they all exchanged looks, "why? What are you thinking?"

"I am thinking that it would be really fun to take sparklers and run off the end of the dock with them lit," Landon explained.

"That is so tempting," Kate said after a moment of thought.

"Our good girl Kate is tempted," Abby exclaimed in mock surprise, "So lets do this."

"Wait until after the finale," Mason pointed out, "It will be more impressive." So they waited as Landon readied the lighter and sparklers. They walked back to the end of the dock just as the big finale began.

Landon handed a sparkler to each of the other three and took one for himself. They watched for a few more moments then as the smoke died from the skies Landon lit his and ran down the dock with it flaming it over his head.

Abby followed as soon as he hit the water. Mason followed her and Kate followed him. As expected their sparklers went out when they hit the water. So the result of this daring stunt was four teenagers in the water holding burned out sticks, but they were all laughing.

Suddenly there was clapping from shore and a couple of the younger people including Monica and Drew jumped in. Soon half the party was floating in the water.

"This is my kind of party," Abby told Kate happily.

"This is the Vineyard," Kate replied also laughing, "When things get crazy they just keep going."

"Do people usually do this on Fourth of July?" Abby asked.

"They will now."

"We're going to be a cover story," Landon said throwing his arms around both girls shoulders as reported snapped a picture. Abby and Kate both laughed. However they were both certain that the morning paper would need framing.

Either way, neither one of them could wait to say what they did on their summer vacation.

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