It was the night of the senior dinner dance. Rose stood in front of her step-mother's standing floor mirror and stared at her reflection. The dress she wore was a deep green dress that had short sleeves, a slim waist line, and reached down to her feet. It had a sequined designed and brought out the color of Rose's eyes. Her red hair was pulled into an intricate bun with a beaded ribbon woven throughout.

"You look lovely, my dear," William Dewitt Bukater stood behind his daughter, his smile full of pride.

"Jack will not know what hit him when he sees you."

"You really think so?" Rose asked, standing still as Katarina began to apply the make-up. She had agreed to help after Rose had a panic attack earlier that day, certain that she was going to look a mess and Jack wouldn't want her anymore. Katarina had just laughed and had agreed to help Rose, giving the girl her confidence back.

"I know so. When will the young man be here?"

"Soon. Just let me put on the finishing touches...," Katarina smiled at her husband. "And you sir will not be waiting up. You will come to bed tonight, with me."

William just rolled his eyes and laughed. "Hey, this is my first dance. Of course I'm going to wait up. Ruth called by the way."

"What did she want?" Rose frowned. She hadn't spoken to her mother in some time and really wasn't keen to again. After all she had done, Rose really couldn't think of her as a mother at all, if she was being honest with herself.

"Something about wanting you to be grounded for that incident at Madeline's party the other night. I have no idea what she is talking about. You didn't even go to that thing."

Rose's eyes widened and she resisted the urge to laugh. So her mother found out about Madeline's uninvited guests did she? Maybe she was even there. "Oh from what I heard, a lot of uninvited guests had shown up and trashed the whole thing. I don't know why mother thinks I had anything to do with it, though."

"It seems like Ruth is just looking for things to blame you for," Katarina frowned with disapproval. She did not understand William's first wife. How could a mother be so hateful towards her own daughter? It made no sense to her. She never liked the woman the few times she had met her, and the woman's treatment of Rose made her like her even less.

Rose bit her bottom lip, wondering what Katarina would think if she knew that this time her mother was right. She had been behind the uninvited guests and it was awesome! Madeline and Constance had gotten what they deserved for sticking up for Cal and harassing Annabelle and herself.

The sound of the doorbell filled the house and Rose felt the butterflies in her stomach react. "He's here..."

Katarina closed her make-up case with a smile. "Have fun sweetie."

Rose just smiled nervously. The last time she had been at a school function, she had been planning to kill herself. This time, she was looking forward to a night of dancing and friends and romance. No thoughts of suicide anywhere. What a difference a change in circumstances made.

Let into the house by William, Jack stood at the bottom of the steps waiting for Rose's arrival. He too felt nervous. This was the first time that he had a real date for a school dance since he had moved to California. No having to be the third wheel or wondering if a girl would want to dance with him, even if they didn't come together. This time, he had a girl to dance with. It made him look forward to the dance even more.

Hearing footsteps on the steps, he looked up and the world stopped moving as Rose made her way down. Jack had seen a lot of beautiful girls...mostly in movies and TV, but they had still been beautiful, but Rose out shined them all. She was the most beautiful girl ever and she was his girlfriend. How he had gotten so lucky, he didn't know, but he was appreciative of it. Not taking his eyes off of her, he walked over to the stairs, waiting for her to reach him and took her hand in his and kissed it.

"I saw that in a movie once and I always wanted to do it," He smiled.

Rose just smiled back, a blush heating her face. No one had ever made her feel like a lady like Jack did. So handsome in his tux, the light from the overhead lighting making his slicked back blond hair gleam and his blue eyes dance. He was the very picture of prince charming.

"William, get your cell. Take some pictures!" Katarina appeared at the top of the stairs as Rose walked down the rest of the stairs and slipped her arm through Jack's.

"That's what I'm doing," William took out his cellphone and held it up. "Smile kids!"

Jack and Rose smiled as William took a few pictures. After few clicks he returned the cell to his pocket. "You two have fun. Don't keep her out too late and if Hockley bothers you, give me a call."

"Yes sir," Jack nodded, leading Rose to the door. She smiled at the black limo waiting for them in front of the house. "Are the others inside?"

"Julie is. We will be picking everyone else up now."

As Rose climbed into the back of the limo, she knew that this was going to be one of the best nights ever. At one time, she had been sad to leave White Star Academy, but now she was glad that the school had closed. After her hollowing experience last summer, it was a good thing that she had switched schools. She doubted that she would be in such a good place if things hadn't changed the way they had. Most of it was thanks to Jack and his unending support and love. The rest was because of the change of friends and circumstances. The old Rose Dewitt Bukater would have been decimated as her friends and mother turned against her, helpless as she was sent away. But the new Rose that had appeared...she was stronger than that. She had changed not only for good, but for the better.

…..

The Netherland Plaza was another venue where receptions were normally held. But that evening JFK High's Senior Dinner Dance was to take place there. The place was decked out in sparkling red and white streamers, the school's colors, and a DJ played the day's popular music in the back of the room. Dinner tables were situated around the room, surrounding the dance floor. The dance was well underway when Jack, Rose, and their group of friends arrived.

"Oh this is...amazing," Rose looked around, taking everything in. "White Star never did anything like this."

"For a school receiving all kinds of money, they sure were cheap. All of our dances and formals were in the school gymnasium," Derrick snorted.

"And yet they went bankrupt," Rose shook her head. "Makes me wonder what they did with all that money our parents paid them."

"Cal isn't here, is he?" Annabelle asked, a tinge of fear in her voice. She hated herself for still having that fear. She wished that she was like Rose, who seemed to have no fear at all. She didn't know how she did it.

"I don't know. Hopefully he's too busy recovering from Madeline's party. That was probably more excitement than he had in a year," Rose snorted. "Can you believe that my mother called my father wanting me grounded for what happened?"

"How did she know that you had anything to do with it?" Jack asked. He had to laugh every time he thought about what a mess that prim and proper party had turned into.

"I don't know. I guess anything bad that happens to Cal and his cheerleaders can be considered my fault," Rose shrugged. It was strange how her own mother's attitude towards her didn't even hurt anymore. On some level, she knew that Ruth had never loved her, not in the way that a mother should love her daughter. Which was fine. She didn't need Ruth's love and approval. Not when she had people like her father, Katarina, and Jack in her life.

"Your mother sounds like our parents," Derrick replied as they found a table that had enough chairs for everyone in their group. "They won't hear of anything being said that would put the Hockley's in a bad light."

"Why? I mean, you're not related to the guy are you?" Julie asked.

"No. But our father has dealings with his family. I guess you can call the Hockley's family friends," Derrick shrugged.

"It's always the friends of the family," Jack mumbled, anger at the edge of his voice.

"Jack?"

"It's nothing, Rose. Don't worry about it," He looked away, not wanting to ruin the night.

"It's not nothing, Jack. It's a disgrace," Julie frowned. "His sister's rapist is up for parole Monday. The man has a chance of getting out."

"Yeah and where's Lisa's chance? She didn't even have one," Jack began to rant and took a deep breath, stopping himself. "I'm sorry. This is a party. We should talk about something else."

"Like the menu!" Fabrizio held up the card that had a list of what they were to have for dinner, quickly changing the subject. He didn't want Jack to be all broody for the rest of the night, so it was best to change the subject and quickly. "My Helga was on the committee and she had a hand in everything."

"Looks like mainly Italian food, here, Hel," Tommy read the choices. "Italian Sausage Soup, garlic bread, salad with Italian dressing and for dessert a choice between chocolate Cannoli or a Italian crème cake..."

"Fabrizio on the brain much?" Julie laughed.

"Shut up! Fabri was telling me about all the delicious food they had in Italy and I decided it'd be great to have some of that deliciousness for our dinner," Helga blushed. She should have known that she would get teased for the food choices on the menu, but she just couldn't help herself...at least not in the moment when she was planning the menu, and yes, her mind had been full of Fabrizio indeed.

"I think it's sweet," Rose smiled in support of her new friend. "And it sounds delicious."

"If only it were my mama's cooking...pure heaven," Fabrizio sighed, feeling a bit homesick.

"From where in Italy are you from? We were in Rome the year before last. Beautiful country, gorgeous city. We could feel the history of the place...as if we could reach out and touch it...," Derrick sighed at the memories. "I'd love to move there someday, perhaps with the woman I love. Raise our kids away from the craziness that's my parents."

"Too bad that not everyone can afford such trips," Julie frowned, a little annoyed. She couldn't help feel resentment that some people can just get up and go wherever they wanted. That money was never an issue. She would love to go to Italy, explore Fabrizio's home country or to Ireland and see where Tommy was from. But she would never be able to afford such trips.

"When there's a will, there's a way," Jack said. "I remember my mom talking about how she went to New Zealand on a study abroad thing when she went to College."

"Or you can have a boyfriend that can afford to sweep you off and take you to those places with him. I doubt any guy you date would want to leave you behind," Derrick replied.

"Dream on," Julie glared, catching on to his flirting.

Everyone laughed except Derrick. He didn't understand this girl and he didn't understand his attraction to her. She was rude and stand-offish. She didn't know how to smile obviously. But there was more to her than that...and he wanted to find out what that was. She intrigued him.

"Dreams come true all the time," Derrick shrugged, picking up his menu and glancing at it. "The choices on this menu are certainly delicious. No complaints from me, Miss. Dahl."

"Thank you," Helga smiled, satisfied that someone appreciated her choices and wasn't teasing her about Fabrizio's influence.

Rose was about to ask if Jack wanted to dance when she saw them enter. Cal and Constance. Constance was dressed in a black strapless gown, covered in sequins and reaching her knees. She had on black heel that matched her dress and a sequined purse that matched the dress. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in a cascade of ringlets. Cal was in his tuxedo with his hair combed back to immaculate perfection and his face was one of arrogance and prestige. She couldn't believe that they were actually there. She had been sure that they would find the school's dinner dance somehow beneath them.

"Well look who's here," Derrick frowned, looking at his sister, who was looking a bit pale. "Hey, are you alright? If you want to go..."

"I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm not going to let him rule where I go and don't go," Annabelle rejected the idea. She was beyond tired of running. So tired of being afraid. It was time that she stopped running and start living the life the way she had before the attack...before being sent away. She was not going to let Caledon Hockley win.

"Well, with that said, how would you say to a dance?" Tommy got to his feet and held his hand out to Annabelle. He wanted to show her that she could trust him. That he wouldn't let that scum Hockley get to her.

"I'd love to," Annabelle accepted the offer and took his had.

Derrick watched them as they walked onto the dance floor where a slow song began to play. He was appreciative that Tommy seemed to be following Annabelle's lead with how close to get as he held her and kept his hands where they couldn't be deemed threatening.

"Tommy may be my ex, but I can vouch for him. He's a good guy. He won't do anything she wouldn't want him to," Julie caught Derrick's gaze.

"Why aren't you two still together if he's such a good guy?" Derrick asked, more curious than anything.

"He's a happy friendly person. I'm not. We weren't a good match," Julie shrugged. She didn't regret breaking up with Tommy. It was for the best really. A guy like Tommy needed to be someone needed his kindness and compassion. Sadly, she didn't. Not anymore. "He'll be good for her, though."

"Well, I trust your judgment," Derrick sighed, looking away from the dancing couple and back at Cal. He frowned when he saw his eyes on Annabelle. "Oh no he doesn't," Derrick got up much to Julie's surprise. She looked over at Jack to notice that he and Rose had done gone out onto the dance floor themselves, along with Fabrizio and Helga...which left her to deal with what could be a bad situation.

"Great," She groaned, getting up and following her date to where Caledon Hockley and his entourage were sitting.

"Take your eyes off my sister Hockley," Derrick stormed up, planting himself directly in front of Cal so he could no longer look at Annabelle.

"Look who it is. Derrick Watson. Here to threaten me some more?" Cal snorted.

"It'll be more than a threat if you don't stop looking at Anna! You are never to lay your filthy eyes on her again, do you understand me?"

"It is a free country, Mr. Watson. I can look at whoever I want. Whether it's you, my lovely date here, or your sister. She really should watch what she's wearing. A dress like that can give a man so many inappropriate ideas..."

Counstance snorted. "Yeah..."

"Yeah. Like the I'm a slut dress that your date is wearing," Julie came and stood beside Derrick, grabbing his arm when it became clear he was going to make a grab for the grinning creep.

Constance gasped at Julie's comment. "Hey, this is a Versace original!"

"Well, around here, we call it a come get me dress. And I guess you're with the right guy if that's the look you're going for," Julie snorted.

"Cal! Are you going to let this rude girl talk to me like that?" Constance looked towards Cal who was busy smirking at a glowering Derrick.

"I'm going to kick your ass someday, Hockley. That is a promise," Derrick growled.

"And I'm going to have your sister again someday, someday soon. That is a promise," Cal leered at him. "And there will be nothing that you can do about it."

"You really are a monster aren't you," Julie looked at Cal, wondering why he was allowed to be out around normal people. Attend normal schools, go to normal school functions. Be around normal people. He ought to be locked up where he couldn't hurt anyone. She knew that it was because he was rich. He could buy anyone and everyone. That's why Rose was so afraid when he had gotten to her and why Annabelle was still afraid and why Derrick was close to committing murder at that moment.

"Derrick, come on. Let's go back to our table. He can't do anything here. Too many people..."

"I'm going to kill you Hockley. I will, just you watch," Derrick glared, letting Julie pull him back to their table, where Jack and Rose were sitting once again.

"Why were you two over there?" Jack asked as they returned to their seats.

"That bastard was looking at my sister," Derrick explained, still glaring at Cal's table.

"And I went to make sure that he didn't spill blood onto the dance floor," Julie explained. "That monster isn't worth it."

"No he isn't," Rose agreed. "I still can't believe that they had the audacity to come.

"Don't tell Anna. She's finally enjoying herself. I'm not going to let that gross slug ruin it for her," Derrick sighed, sitting back in his chair, tearing his eyes off of Hockley. He turned to Julie, his face unreadable. "Thanks, by the way. I would have definitely ended up in jail tonight if it weren't for you stepping in."

"You would have gotten out, I'm sure," Julie shrugged, thinking that his money would have probably saved him.

"Forget it. My parents are close friends with the Hockleys. They probably would have let me rot in jail. Remember, they sent Anna away so she couldn't 'ruin that poor boy's reputation'"

Julie frowned. Why that sucked...to not even be able to trust your parents...to know that that they would side with someone else. But wasn't that what Rose was going through with her mother? She had just lucked out in having a father that wasn't drinking the Hockley kool-aid, but Derrick and Annabelle weren't that lucky.

"That's why Cal gets away with it. In our world, we know that nothing will happen to him and if blame is to be laid somewhere, it'd be laid on us," Rose nodded, understanding Derrick all too well. "Julie, you may think we have it made, coming from money. But we don't. It's a trap. A prison if you will, where it's hard to find anyone to trust. Especially when it comes to families with lots of old money like the Hockley's. In our crowd, Cal can do what he wants with no consequences whatsoever, and whoever dares rocks the boat, live to regret it."

Jack wrapped an arm around Rose, remembering how they had met. Remembering her tears of fear and loneliness. He had decided to reach out and pull Rose back over the edge...to give her somewhere to turn, even if it meant stepping out of her own world. He hadn't regretted doing so since. "You had me...and your father..."

"But I hadn't know you until this year...and I didn't even know that my father was an option at the time. I'm just saying...I know where Derrick is coming from and how it feels to be in Annabelle's shoes."

Julie looked at her hands, now regretting being so hard on Rose and even Derrick. She had thought that just because they were from money, life wasn't as difficult for them. She didn't even stop to think that they had a whole different set of problems that, thanks to her loving and supportive family, she would never have to even think about. "That sucks. I...I'm sorry to both of you. For being so hard on you."

Jack arched a brow, his eyes seeming to say 'I told you so', yet he remained silent. He just kept a supportive arm around Rose.

"Why is everyone sitting here looking as if they've just gotten cancer of the puppy?" Tommy asked, returning with Annabelle by his side. Cal's attention had not gone unnoticed by either of them. Tommy wanted to go over and break Hockley's face, but Annabelle talked him into just taking her back to the table. It was almost time for the dinner anyway.

"Julie just had some epiphanies," Jack shrugged as Helga and Fabrizio returned.

"The food will be here in five minutes," Helga rubbed her hands together in excitement.

"Good. Because I am starving. Is anyone else hungry?" Fabrizio questioned, looking at his friends.

"I think we all are, Fabri," Jack laughed, hearing his own stomach rumble.