Sorry for such a delay in posting. This episode was really hard on me! Life events, coupled with an episode that I just didn't want to write, has led to me not write much at all! I'm not sure how much writing I'm going to be doing from now on, so this story may never be finished to the extent I wanted to finish it. I'm thinking I may just post the chapters that I've already written and leave gaps. Maybe I'll fill in the gaps later.

3.10c Carnival Shanghai

Together, through town, our heroes did strut,
Linked up, at their elbows, contentedly but
Lachesis was hiding a trick up her sleeve.
She plotted their course by stringing a weave.

While Rory had hinted to evening's appeal,
Had Jess only smirked at her true sense of zeal.
Had Rory no luck in changing his mind.
To solo attendance, she'd soon been resigned.

So, as the Fate planned, they'd set a deadline:
The two, at Miss Patty's, would meet up at nine.
But—as of yet—neither naive teen would know,
That Rory was destined to be a no-show.

The Fate documented the course of events,
Which, added to Jess, would augment incense:
How Rory, distracted, would hang out with Dean
And, when Jess would look, the two would be seen.

Then, later that night, when time would she notice,
She'd run to the diner to find him but—hopeless—
The two would then fight and that would be it:
To their separation, would curt Jess commit.

But, now, Rory clung to the arm of her Jess
And likewise, his heart, did Rory possess.
And she'd give, to him, her heart in a trade
As, blithely, did two, down the lane, promenade.

Lachesis watched on, but perked with concern
As Jess—as she'd planned—had missed the right turn
To take him away from the set of the scene
So Rory, alone, could meet up with Dean.

Instead, she saw Jess maintaining his stride,
In timing with Rory, to walk alongside!
"Oh shoot!" cried Lachesis, observing the glitch.
"This must mean I've dropped a pivotal stitch!"

Just then, the teens both, did cross intersection
Whereby they would make that certain connection
With Forrester clan—of Clara and Dean!
Would Jess, as a fourth, with others convene!

The speech of young Clara, in innocence steeped,
Did, as the Fate planned (though too much be reaped)
Proceed to include Dean's ex in her troop—
Extending invite to the fourth in the group!

Jess wouldn't, his motives, set out to explain.
Split-second decisions he'd not preordain.
He just had the sense of what he should do:
If Dean would be there, he'd have to go too.

Befuddled was Rory that Jess would retract
Their formerly adamant meet-at-nine pact.
Though she hadn't guessed what had led to her gain,
She got what she wanted so didn't complain.

The Fates tried their best to get him to leave.
Young Clara, Dean's sister, would surely Jess peeve
So they wound her thread—up tight like a spring—
So she would, to Jess, destructively cling.

That Clara would get herself under his skin.
Her questions to Jess would make his head spin.
High-pitched and pervasive, insidious blare
Would question his name, his hygiene and hair.

She'd follow him still—to dire Bottle Toss—
So Clara could taunt him with each luckless loss,
As Fates, clever nymphs, would toy with his game
By letting that voice dismantle his aim.

So now they'd succeeded in riling Jess up,
By adding on barbs and piling stress up,
The Fates sent young Clara to drag off her brother,
So Rory could get her tongue-lashing from other.

As soon as they'd left, did Jess surely pounce,
Just as the Fates planned with each red-dye ounce,
"So anything, Rory, that you wanna share?"
"I like," came coquettishly, "Your crazy hair."

"You didn't have plans to meet up with Dean?"
"No. Seeing him here was quite unforeseen.
I swear," she replied. "Okay," he resigned,
But dropping the subject left Jess disinclined.

"So when," did he add, as her face did he study,
"Did you and Dean get to be so buddy-buddy?
The last time I checked, you weren't even speaking
And now, for your snowcones, you've sent him off seeking."

"We're not buddy-buddy," her story did stretch,
"And snowcones, for Clara, he'd already fetch...
We're not really talking. We talked, one time only."
The tale that she told him left Jess rather lonely.

He questioned her, "Friends?" with fear in his heart,
While knowing how friendship could be just the start.
"The Hollow is small. I'll see him around."
"I got it," he said, vehemence profound.

"You're mad," Rory murmured. She worried a bit.
How Jess really felt he'd never admit:
How hurt grabbed his heart and constricted it coldly.
"Just figured it's something that you could've told me."

It wasn't enough to pique Jess's anger.
Though sore that he was, it wasn't the canker
To cause him to leave her, or even to fight.
As Rory'd insisted, she'd just been polite.

Now, much to Lachesis and Clotho's dismay,
They watched as the couple would stroll the midway.
The fight that their painstaking work would have wrought,
Was not the reality their efforts got!

The evening progressed with both teens more eased.
Her arm 'round his waist would render Jess pleased.
Their first tactic shot, the Fates now decided
That Dean's blackened thread was more suitably guided.

At first chance they got, the Fates sent in Jess
To, actions of Dean, succinctly address.
He stated the plans of the other, transparent,
Had rendered just pity from Rory apparent.

But righteous tirade was quickly cut short,
As Dean stated facts that could confidence thwart,
"Hey, look. We're just friends, just like you two were.
And look how things turned out between you and her."

Did gasp good Lachesis, as Dean dealt his blow.
Would Jess's neuroses, from such a hit, grow!
And though she regretted that Jess be so hurt,
His doubts were their best hope to travels divert.