Author's Note: Okay folks. I have to tell you, I am super giddy about this chapter. It was just a lot of fun to write and I hope you enjoy it! If you're curious about how my odd little brain works and would like to see some of my inspirations for the characters, places, and things in this FF you can check out my FanFiction board on Pinterest by following "gert4life" (pinner "Stephanie Ann"). Or if you want to share your own visions of Jessie, Dean, and the rest of the crew, "Like" my Facebook page (authorsamwinthrop) and feel free to post your own images for A Beautiful Wreck. Until next time... :)

"Stop being such a grump. Would you rather I have just let you guys go at it, then tell you in the morning that I heard the whole thing?" Kelsey asks from her perch on the bed behind me. She's attempting to weave my hair into an acceptable style for the party, but I've been giving her a hard time for interrupting my conversation with Dean last night. I'm not really mad anymore, but for all the times I've had to deal with her and Paul, she totally owes me.

"Blah, blah, blah. How's the hair coming? We have to leave in half an hour."

"It's almost perfect. Just a few more pins." She jabs some bobby pins into my hair and then envelops me in a cloud of hairspray. I cough several times before she deems me presentable and tells me to go look in the mirror.

"I kind of want to get the full effect with the gown and all. Do you mind if I get dressed real quick?" I ask as I climb to my feet.

"Go for it. I need to put the finishing touches on my lips anyway. I'll be back in a minute." She bounds from the room and a pang of jealousy hits me. She brought one of her dresses from home, but it's still impressive. It's got short cap sleeves and bares both of her shoulders. Rhinestones make the silver pleated material of the dress shimmer as it hugs her curves. The material fans out at her knees in a mermaid style. Her black stilettos add an extra five inches to her height. Her pile of glossy black curls is pinned to the side so that it spills in a waterfall down her left shoulder. Envy races like a drug through my veins.

I unzip the garment bag and remove my own dress. It is gorgeous, but I'm not sure I'll do it justice. Especially standing next to Kelsey and the other guests who are used to getting all dolled up for events like this. With a sigh I step into the silky black material and pull up the short zipper at my lower back. I slip on the gold shoes and secure the straps around my ankles, offering up a silent prayer that I don't break a leg, literally, tonight.

Unable to put it off any longer, I close the closet door and stand in front of the full length mirror. I almost do a double take because I barely recognize my reflection. Kelsey has woven part of my hair into this intricate braid that wraps around the crown of my head where the rest of my hair is pinned up in thick, lustrous curls. She's left a few twisted strands down to hang around my face and neck.

I notice my eyes and blink a few times. My lashes have doubled in length and there's a thin gold line above them breaking up the darkness of the smokey shadow on my lids. My lips look almost bare with a pinkish gold tint to them beneath the sheen of gloss.

The earrings Kelsey picked out for me are large gold drops with rhinestones filling the center. Despite Kelsey's protest that it doesn't match, I've fastened Dean's necklace around my neck and the gloves are resting just above the neckline of my dress.

The gown fits like a second skin down to my hips. There is one long lace sleeve that reaches my wrist, the other arm is left uncovered. Half of my back is exposed as well. The top half of the dress is a sheer floral lace pattern with nude lining. The lace stops in a diagonal line just past my waist and is replaced by flowing black silk that spills into a short train behind me.

I smile at my reflection and twirl a bit to see the skirt sweep around my legs. For the first time, I think I might actually fit in tonight.

"Oh…"

"My God!"

Mom and Kelsey exclaim from the front seat. I'm sitting behind them in Mom's car as we pull up to the Annenberg mansion. Dad, Jamie and Jared are behind us in the SUV. They've never seen Dean's house before, so I completely understand their shock. I'm pretty sure that was my reaction when I saw it for the first time too.

Mom puts the car in park next to the valet and before we can open the doors, we're met by three attendants who open them for us and hold out their hands to help us from the car.

"Okay, you definitely downplayed this whole thing," Kelsey whispers to me as we round the front of the car to meet my dad and brothers.

"Well, they didn't have hired help the last time I was here!" I hiss back at her.

"This is some seriously fancy stuff," Dad says, taking in the house and grounds. I can't tell if he's impressed or intimidated. I'm guessing it's not the latter. I mean come on, he's Travis Maddox.

"I hope they have some good food," Jared chimes in.

Jamie just looks at me with raised eyebrows and I know he's finally understanding where my nerves have been coming from with this whole situation.

A man in a full tuxedo and white gloves directs us down a path to a gigantic enclosed tent next to a glistening lake. Purple lights are beaming out of the windows and the thumping bass of the music grows louder as we get closer. When we reach the entrance, two men open the doors for us and we step inside to instant warmth. There is a bustling crowd of people milling about with cocktails as waitstaff make a circuit with platters of hors d'oeuvres. The room is lined with tables and a large dance floor takes up the center of the room. There is a table filled with New Years décor and favors at the front of the tent. Another table holds a towering chocolate fountain surrounded by all types of fruit and treats to dip. Above the dance floor is a hanging bubble machine that periodically expels a burst of bubbles over the heads of all the dancers.

I must be gaping because Jamie and Kelsey both nudge me at the same time from either side of me. "This is insane."

"Did you see the chocolate fountain?!" Jared exclaims as he breaks free of our little group. There are several other kids his age in attendance, I'm assuming they're all family or close friends.

"I'm gonna go mingle, see if I know anyone. Try to have fun, Jess. Go find your man." Jamie yells over his shoulder before disappearing into the crowd. Dad and Mom have found Aunt Mer and Uncle Shep and are sipping champagne with wide grins on their faces. Didn't take them very long to fit in.

"Kels, I'm freaking out here. I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb. I feel like people are looking at me. Are people staring?" I ask her, panic lacing my voice.

"Not as much as they're going to be in a few seconds." I look over at her but her eyes are focused on a point just past my shoulder. Before I have time to turn my head to look, I feel a hand at my waist and smell the cologne/soap/man mixture I've become so familiar with.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" Dean's lips are at my ear and I close my eyes to absorb the warmth.

"What do you mean?" I ask, eyes still closed.

He turns me to face him and I open my eyes, seeing him for the first time tonight. My jaw drops a little and my mouth goes dry instantly. He's in a black suit with a white button down shirt and black bow tie. His hair is combed back from his face but styled in a way that makes it look casually tousled. There's a day's worth of stubble on his face giving a sexy edge to his whole look. His eyes are blue steel as they take me in from head to toe.

"I mean, you show up here looking absolutely mouthwatering, and I have to be on my best behavior because your father and his best friend are both here and will kick my ass if I do even a fraction of the things I'm thinking of doing to you right now."

"Sorry?" It comes out like a question because I still haven't managed to regain my wits.

He laughs and shakes his head. "There's my girl. Why don't we take a spin on the dance floor?"

"I can't leave Kelsey," I start to say, but when I turn to gesture to her, there's no one there. "Where'd she go?"

"Uh, looks like she's doing just fine." Dean points to the far end of the tent where I see Kelsey in a conversation with some guy who I can only see from behind.

"Maybe I should see if she's okay…," I hesitate.

"Jessie, she's fine. Kelsey knows how to handle herself in this crowd. Now come on, I want to make sure every guy in here knows that you're here with me. Time to go show off." He winks at me and takes my hand, leading me to the center of the masses.

A slow song comes on and he pulls me close, holding my right hand in his, his other arm wrapped around my back. "Hey look, we have music this time."

I smile up at him and relax into the familiar movements. We sway back and forth and as the chorus builds Dean spins me away from him then tugs me back, moving us in a slow circle. I'm not the greatest dancer, but with him leading me, it's like magic. When the song ends we exit the dance floor and Dean grabs two flutes of champagne from a passing waiter, handing one to me.

"To our first New Years together," he clinks the rim of his glass against mine and smiles as we both take a sip.

"I probably should eat something before I have too much of this," I gesture to the glass.

Dean leads me to three different stations around the room and piles food onto a plate. There is no way I'm going to eat even half of this but I don't argue. We sit at one of the tables and I pick at some of the things on my plate. Mom, Dad, Aunt Mer and Uncle Shep find us and settle in with their own plates. Dean gets into a conversation with them about some of the people in the room and how his family knows them. I guess there are some local celebrities in attendance tonight but I hadn't really noticed. I'm sort of on sensory overload at this point. I swallow the last of my champagne and before I can even place the glass on the table a waiter places another in front of me. I don't argue because at this point I'll take whatever will help me take the edge off of these nerves.

"Jessie! Oh my, that dress does look lovely on you. I just knew it would." Kathy comes barreling toward our table out of the crowd. I stand and give her a polite hug in greeting. She looks classically elegant in a deep blue satin gown with lace embellishments.

"Kathy, this party is unbelievable. I can't believe you do this every year," my mom comments from across the table.

"It's amazing. Thank you so much for inviting us." Aunt Mer chimes in.

"It's our pleasure. I'm on so many boards and head up so many different charity fundraisers throughout the year, I don't really get to throw any parties just for fun. That's why we started doing the New Years Eve bash. It's a chance to let loose just for fun. No business," Kathy explains.

Dean stands and takes my hand. "And we definitely intend to have some fun. See you later, Mom." He kisses her cheek and leads me to the dance floor again before I can protest.

Halfway through the crowd, he stops abruptly and I'm unable to fight the momentum, slamming into his back. I'm about to ask what's wrong but when I peer around his shoulder all of my words catch in my throat. In front of us is what I imagine the human embodiment of a Barbie doll might look like. Tall, blonde, built. Her shimmering electric blue dress picks up the light from the spinning disco ball and I'm somehow able to tear my gaze away from it long enough to glance over at Dean.

His face is screwed up in a grimace and his entire body has tightened with tension, as is evident from the white-knuckle grip he currently has on my hand. Before he can utter a word, life-size Barbie squeals (yes, she actually squeals) and claps her hands together. "Oh my God! Dean! Who'd have thought we would run into each other? And on New Years Eve!"

If it's even possible, his body stiffens further as she leans forward in an attempt to place a kiss on his cheek. At the last second he turns his face so she meets air and I can see her carefully arranged features falter a bit before she composes herself and straightens, running a hand over her shimmering skirt.

"Considering you're on my property, Brooke, you had to have known the odds would be pretty good."

She looks wounded by his words and something tells me this emotion may actually be genuine. "Dean, don't be like that. It's been ages. Come on, let's have a drink and catch up." Extending her perfectly manicured hand, she grasps his free hand in an attempt to pull him away from the dance floor. I'm so stunned by her complete disregard for the fact that I'm standing right next to him, I just stand there blinking in silence. Who the hell is this girl?

Dean, however, is on full alert. He jerks his hand out of hers and steps back, bringing me even closer to his side so that I'm forced to actually move a bit in front of him. "In case you didn't notice, I'm here with my girlfriend." He looks down at me with an adoring smile and I almost forget about our audience; the girl currently sneering at me as if I were a bug splattered on the windshield of her BMW. "Brooke this is Jessica Maddox. Jessie, Brooke Cosgrove. Her mother and mine are on a few of the same boards together."

Damn my ingrained manners, I find myself reaching out and offering my hand to this girl who looks like she'd just as soon swallow shards of glass than interact with me. "It's nice to meet you," I say, plastering a smile on my face.

She smiles back at me, but hers has a decidedly calculating and cruel edge to it. Taking my hand, she addresses Dean over my shoulder. "Now Dean, don't be so vague," turning to me and dropping my hand, she continues, "We were together for quite some time in high school. Dean and I know each other very well."

Bingo. I had a feeling, but she just confirmed it. This is the bitch who left Dean to deal with everything alone when he was going through all the drama with his dad and Danny's addiction. The girl who didn't think the family name and fortune would survive all of the turmoil, so she jumped ship to find some other wealthy guy to latch herself onto. I don't even know her, but I hate her on principle already.

I glance at Dean and he looks worried, like this revelation is going to upset me in some way. I loosen my hold on his arm but trail my hand down to his, threading our fingers together and squeezing briefly to reassure him.

"Oh, you're that Brooke," I say, even though I didn't know her by name until just now.

Her flawlessly arched eyebrow raises and the smirk reappears. "So, he's mentioned me?"

"Of course. How could he not tell me about the gold digging opportunist who turned tail and ran the minute she thought the well was about to run dry?" Her mouth bobs open and closed like a fish, but I continue on. "Yeah, I know all about you. I'm guessing this is your pathetic attempt to reconnect, but let me save you the trouble. I'm not going anywhere. But if you're smart you'll turn your ass around and get gone quick. I hear you're good at that." As soon as the last words leave my mouth I'm internally shocked, but also pleased with myself. I'm not going to let some rich little tart try to intimidate me, and I'll be damned if I make Dean fight my battles.

Brooke's nostrils flare with anger and the gleam in her eyes has gone from calculating to incensed. She actually has the gall to step forward so that we're less than a foot apart, toes almost touching. She towers over me by almost half a foot, but I've taken out girls bigger and badder than her. I wouldn't dare cause a scene in front of Dean's family, but if she is attempting to intimidate me she's definitely falling short. "I don't know where he found your little trailer trash ass, but you'd do well to watch what you say to me."

Dean steps forward in my defense and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me close. "One more negative word about the girl I love, and you'll be tossed out on your ass Brooke. Don't test me." His voice is so low that no one outside of the three of us would be able to hear it, but the power behind his words is evident.

I smile and lean into Dean's side, bringing my hand up to rest on his chest. "It's okay Dean, I would really love for her to call me trailer trash again so I can kick her ass into that lake out there. But I think Brooke is smarter than that, aren't you Brooke? You wouldn't want to cause a scene. How would that look for mommy and daddy? Do you think they'd enjoy being embarrassed by their spoiled little trust fund brat of a daughter in front of their friends? You walked away from Dean once before. You should have no problem doing it again."

Dean's grip on my waist tightens and he places a kiss on top of my head. "No, I don't think I'm going to give her the chance. This time I'm walking away, with you. Later, Brooke."

The last image of her that I have is with a reddened face, narrowed eyes, tight jaw and balled up fists at her sides. She looks like a child about to stomp her foot and throw a hissy fit. I can't keep the giggle to myself as we walk away, nudging through the crowd to the center of the dance floor. When Dean turns me and takes me in his arms, swaying gently to the beat of the slow song that has just started, I see a gleaming blonde head making its way to the tent's exit. I guess she took the hint.

"Your ex-girlfriend is a real peach." I flutter my lashes at him facetiously.

"Jessie, I swear to you I had no idea she would show up here. She never comes to these things, not since high school." His eyes are full of sincerity, not that I need any convincing.

"It's okay Dean, I'm not mad. I mean, not at you. A little at her for being a speed bump in our night, but I'm fine. I don't scare that easily. And I'm sure as hell not going to cower under her Louboutins. I am sort of curious about one thing."

"What's that?" he asks anxiously.

"How did you date someone like her, and then someone like me?"

He laughs and shakes his head, resting his forehead against mine. I smile up at him through my lashes. "Clearly you've never been a teenage boy."

"Um, I sort of thought that was one of my best selling points?"

"Yeah, I have to say that is one of your most attractive qualities."

I hate that it's bothering me, even a tiny bit, but I press further while still maintaining a nonchalant tone. "So, it was just about the whole hot-blonde-big-boobs package?"

"I was sixteen, so yeah that was part of it. She wasn't always such a bitch, or at least not this big of a bitch. I don't know, I was a stupid kid." He focuses on my face for a moment and his lips purse, eyes narrowing. "You're not, like, jealous of her…are you?"

I snort and look past his shoulder to my left. "Uh, no…"

"Jessie," he tries to get my attention and I face him but keep my eyes on his tie.

"Wow. Seriously?" I feel his shoulders shaking under my hands with the laughter he's trying and failing to hold back.

"Okay, so not funny." I warn shooting daggers at him with my eyes.

"I'm sorry, but it's sort of cute. And completely unnecessary. If she hadn't broken up with me, I would've eventually saw her for who she was and broke it off with her myself. She's not the right person for me. Now you on the other hand…"

He brings me closer so that my head is resting against his shoulder, his hand trailing softly up and down my back, lips at my ear. "You're smart, I can talk to you without worrying about things going over you head like I did with her." I laugh at that and close my eyes, breathing in his scent as he continues. "You're a serious badass. I'm not gonna lie, I would've liked to see you put her on her ass if we weren't in the middle of my mom's favorite event of the year. You love your family, which you know is important to me. And," his hand stops moving and rests at my hip, the other coming up to cup my cheek bringing my face so close to his I can feel his breath on my lips, "you're sexy as hell. I can't take my eyes off of you when we're in a room together. I've been on the brink of spontaneously combusting these last two weeks not being able to touch you. But if those aren't enough reasons to convince you that you don't ever need to be jealous, how about this."

His lips close in on mine, soft and controlled at first. He takes my bottom lip in both of his, dragging his teeth over it then soothing the burn with his tongue. I gasp and try to take the kiss deeper, but then I remember we're in a room full of people, my parents included. Painfully sooner than I would like, I pull away and lean my head on his shoulder again to catch my breath.

"Okay, I'm convinced."

The night goes on without incident from there. We dance. Dean introduces me to both family and friends as we run into them. I'm having a lot of fun getting acquainted with this part of his life. Just before midnight, Kelsey joins us in the center of the dance floor while her dance partner for the night is in the restroom and Dean excuses himself to grab some champagne before the ball drops. Literally, they have their own mini version of the Times Square ball above the DJ booth.

I'm bouncing around on the dance floor with Kelsey as she gushes over the hottie she's been 'just hanging out with' all night. Smiling and laughing, I swing around and scan the crowd for Dean. I see him making his way back to us and just as I'm about to turn back to Kelsey, my heart comes to a screeching halt in my chest. Time seems to suspend around me, even though I vaguely register that the countdown to midnight has begun. Breath shallow, eyes frozen wide, I try to process what is happening right now. My brain manages to convey a message to my throat and I swallow deeply, attempting to soothe the ache in my throat enough to make speech possible.

Like a floodgate has been opened, my body starts functioning again. Blood pumping, heart pounding, my entire body trembling, I blink up at the figure standing in front of me. Gathering up all of my strength, I force myself to speak and it's barely a whisper. One word. One question. Something I never thought I'd have to say again.

"Will?"