Here's Part 2 of the homecoming dance! When we left off, Yakko and Nori were dancing with the sibs, and they had also had an encounter with Amber. A dance contest is coming up, and the Warners overhear a plan they're about to intercept. What plan is that? Read on to find out!

Our game for identifying the teachers is still on – can you guess who I had in mind for them?

I also want to say thanks again to my readers, and as always, Mr. Yaksalot and Jenny. You both make my day with your feedback and your support; you're both sweethearts!

Soundtrack:

"She's So High" – Tal Bachman

"Glenn Miller Medley" and "Swing the Mood" – Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers

"Breathe" – Faith Hill

When the song ended, the next one didn't play right away. Everyone's attention was snared by the DJ – and no wonder. The guy looked like an 80s rock star: long, wildly wavy brown hair and a goatee, a black-and-silver suit studded with rhinestones, and a cowboy hat to match. Yakko couldn't help grinning. "Who's the rhinestone cowboy?" he asked Nori.

Nori laughed. "Our music teacher, Mr. Franklyn. Don't worry, he doesn't wear his bling to class, just for special occasions. He used to have his own band. He's a big dork, but we all love him."

Dot, eyeing Mr. Franklyn's bling, nodded in approval. "I like his style."

Wakko was gazing at him in admiration. "I think he's cool! I'd love to wear what he's wearing!"

"We'd see you from space if you did. Kidding aside, I like his guts. He's not scared to stand out," Yakko said.

Yakko was right. Mr. Franklyn beamed at the crowd and said into his mike, "I hope you're all having a great night so far! You all look amazing!"

"Not as awesome as you!" someone yelled out from the crowd.

"Yeah, who needs a disco ball when you have me, right?" Mr. Franklyn asked, getting a loud laugh from his audience. "Just a friendly reminder that later tonight, we're gonna be choosing our homecoming king and queen, but before that, our awesome dance teachers, the Fred and Ginger of Golden State High…"

"Quit sucking up and introduce us, Chris," called out Mr. Berkeley with a grin.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ray and Claire Berkeley; give it up for them!" Mr. Franklyn enthused, leading everyone in a round of applause for the dance instructors. Mr. Berkeley gave a nimble leap into the spotlight and spun his wife into a pose. Mr. Franklyn smiled and returned his focus to the crowd. "As I was saying, these two will be judging our swing dance contest, so make sure you keep your shoes on and ask yourselves this question: where were you in '52?"

"In jail," Yakko quipped, just loud enough for several students to hear and send him funny looks. "Oh please, like none of you have ever spent a Saturday in detention? Spend 60 years locked in a water tower and then call me."

Thankfully, the teachers hadn't heard him. Nori elbowed him and whispered, "Nice going. Now they think you're a felon."

"Aw, let 'em. There's a fine line between funny and felony, and I've never crossed it. Cozied up to it, yes; crossed it, no."

Nori's expression turned impish. "You are so full of it. I believe you've flirted with a felony 'bout like I believe there's an IQ above 90 in Congress."

Yakko snorted a laugh. "I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted that you can see right through me."

Nori lifted one of his ears and peeked inside. "Well, I can't see through here, scary as that is."

"Flattered it is." Mr. Franklyn got the next song going and Wakko tugged at Nori's skirt, asking for another turn around the floor. She picked him up and carried him into the dancing crowd. Yakko asked Dot if she wanted to dance again, but she politely declined, her eyes sliding toward the punch fountain. He strongly suspected her refusal had more to do with the boy standing next to it and less with the punch; it would be interesting to see if Dot could actually stick to her own promise and keep her paws off the poor sap.

"Mind if I join you for a second?"

Yakko looked up to see Mr. Berkeley next to him, punch cup in hand. "Sure. Where's your better half?"

Mr. Berkeley chuckled. "She's out on the floor. Our resident historian borrowed her for a dance," he said, gesturing outward.

Yakko followed his hand to see Mrs. Berkeley cutting a rug with a man around Mr. B's age – a heavyset, yet handsome, guy with thick silver hair. "Friend of yours?"

"My best friend. Brian Richards – he teaches AP World History. I always tease him that the only reason he knows so much about this planet is 'cause he wants to rule it someday."

Yakko looked back up at the gangly dance teacher. If he could take a little teasing, then… "And you're not afraid he'll steal your wife from you?" he asked with a grin.

"Not a bit."

"Why, 'cause you'll beat him up?"

"No, Claire would do it first. All kidding aside, Brian's too good a man and too in love with his own wife to be such a dog," Mr. Berkeley replied, nodding at a pretty blonde whom Yakko assumed was Mrs. Richards. "Besides that, I have faith in Claire. She's the only woman who ever loved me for me." He laughed softly. "What she saw in a whackjob like me, I don't know."

Another grin quirked Yakko's mouth. "You make her laugh?"

"Yeah."

"You keep her safe?"

"Yeah."

"You treat her right? I mean, you're good to her?"

"Yeah, of course I am. I love her."

Yakko smiled. "There ya go. She knew a good guy when she saw one."

Mr. Berkeley looked surprised for a second, but then his face relaxed into a grin. "I think I can say the same about Nori."

Now it was Yakko's turn to be surprised. "You think?"

Mr. Berkeley's grin deepened. "If you're anything like me, absolutely." He gave Yakko's shoulder a friendly squeeze and went out onto the floor, no doubt to reclaim his wife for the next dance.

"Wouldn't that be funny," Yakko muttered to himself, but Mr. Berkeley had warmed his heart. If you're anything like me… He watched Mr. Berkeley playfully slap Mr. Richards on the back and get a noogie in return, then draw his wife into a hug. The friendly dynamic between the two guys was very much like what Yakko shared with his sibs, while the abiding love between the Berkeleys was what he prayed he could have with Nori. Holy crap, I am like him. How freaky can you get? Man, I need a drink. He beat feet over to the punch fountain, where Dot was turning the starry eyes on the sap she'd eyeballed. Hmm, what've we got here? He tiptoed closer, enough for the teenager to spot him and go bug-eyed. Dot must have sensed him coming, because she went rigid and a plume of steam shot out of her tied-up ears. The teen wisely took that as his cue to skidoo and skittered off. "86 the tippy-toes, Yakko," Dot said, not even bothering to turn around. "I know you're behind me."

"What big ears you have, Granny," Yakko quipped, chuckling as his sister, PO'd frown intact, turned to face him. "You actively tryin' to do my chores for a month?"

"Don't you wish." Dot's expression softened. "But I can hold up my end since you've been doing so great with Nori. And I'm guessing you don't even care about the bet anymore?"

There was Dot's perception again. "I'd love that kiss, but…" He sighed pensively.

Dot smiled. "You love Nori more, don't you?"

Now it was Yakko's turn to get starry-eyed. "Yeah." Both of the sibs were prevented from saying anything further by a cool breeze and a rustle of the tablecloth on the buffet. Dot frowned in confusion as she scanned the top of the table, using her eyes like a periscope. "Wasn't there a tray full of chocolate-covered strawberries up here just a second ago?"

Yakko glanced down at the floor-length tablecloth, from under which protruded a pair of furry white feet. "Yup, and dollar to a donut it's in Wakko's belly right now." He bent over, took the feet in his hands, and pulled. Out slid Wakko and the tray, which thankfully still had plenty of strawberries left on it. Wakko grinned guiltily at his big brother, sporting a chocolate mustache. "Hi," he said innocently.

"Hello." Yakko nodded at the tray. "Find yourself some sweet stuff, Sticky Fingers?"

Wakko grimaced. "I wanted some more dessert."

"Yeah, not the whole tray. We'll be peelin' you off the ceiling." Yakko pointed at the table. "Put 'er back."

"All right." Wakko hoisted the tray back onto the table with his tail. "By the way, somebody lost their marbles."

Yakko snorted a laugh. "This is California. That's a prerequisite to live here."

"No, big brother. There's a jar of marbles under here."

"What for?"

Wakko shrugged. "Beats me. I saw a girl in a red dress poking around under here with her foot earlier, so maybe it's hers."

The hair on the back of Yakko's neck stood up. "Lemme see." He ducked under the table and sure enough, there was a glass jar filled to the brim with multicolored marbles. Poking his head out from under the cloth, he asked, "Wakko, what did this chick look like?"

Wakko thought for a second. "Blonde hair, lots of makeup, shiny red dress."

"Shiny as in sequins?"

"Yeah, that's it." A frown worried Wakko's forehead. "Why, do you know her?"

"Yup, and she's gonna lose more than just her marbles if I'm doing my math right," Yakko griped, his right hand clenching into a fist. Any toon worth their ink knew what function marbles served: tripping someone up. And Yakko could easily guess who Amber wanted to trip up.

Dot suddenly tapped his shoulder. "Yakko, I just saw the girl you're talking about. She was sneaking out of the gym with a boy, and I heard her mention Nori."

Ice settled into Yakko's gut. "Stealth mode, sibs. Follow me." The Warners slunk out of the gym without a sound, Dot pointing the way until they heard voices around the corner. All three flattened themselves to the wall and listened carefully.

" – nuts for doing this. If we get caught, I can kiss my football scholarship and my spot on the team goodbye!"

"We're not gonna get caught. Only idiots get caught, and nobody knows about this. I've been planning this since that little witch embarrassed me in the cafeteria last week, and no one's copped on yet."

That's what you think, sweet cheeks, Yakko thought.

"I have a jar of marbles hidden under the buffet table from when I was overseeing the decorating earlier. You know what you're gonna do, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. Hide under the table and slide the marbles out when Bennett and her Mickey Mouse ripoff get close," Billy said, sounding bored by the whole thing.

Yakko growled deep in his chest, so low that only his sibs could hear. He didn't know what hacked him off more: the plot to hurt and humiliate Nori, or being compared to Disney's tooth-rotting mascot.

"Why do I have to be the one to do it? You're the one who's got a beef with Bennett; can't you do it yourself?"

"No, 'cause I'm not that dumb. I'm not gonna risk losing my homecoming crown or my popularity."

"But it's totally fine if I get booted off the football team? Thanks for caring," Billy groused.

"Oh, quit whining. You'll get rewarded when we're done."

"Jeez Louise, the things I do for a good time," Billy griped again, and the approaching footsteps told the sibs the two morons were heading back. Yakko motioned to Wakko and Dot and the two nodded, then all three Warners sped silently back to the gym before they could be seen. They all jumped into their chairs at the table and huddled up.

"Did you hear that? They're gonna hurt Nori!" Wakko said, his eyes fearful.

"If I didn't have a toon code of honor to follow, I'd rearrange that girl's face," Dot growled, cracking her knuckles.

"You just said it, Dot. We're toons – turning tables is part of our job description. So let's do what we do best and turn the joke on those two! Here's my idea…" Yakko gathered them together and they spoke quietly, all agreeing to the plan and to tell Nori first thing. A moment later, she returned to the table. "What's up?"

"Someone's gonna lose their marbles, that's what's up."

Nori chuckled. "You mean there's one person in this state who hasn't?"

"For once, I ain't jokin'. Beyond trying to trip you earlier, has Bargain-Basement Britney ever tried to hurt you?" Yakko asked.

"Amber? Not seriously; just a few stupid pranks here and there."

"Mean girls'll be mean girls, more at eleven. Come on, Nor, details!" Yakko urged, putting his hands on Nori's shoulders. "What has she tried to pull on you?"

"Nothing I haven't managed to avoid. She's tried spiking me with a volleyball in gym and then there's dodgeball, but I've gotten away. I've got good reflexes, thank God," Nori said.

"Yeah, you're gonna need 'em tonight. Come here." Yakko motioned Nori close and he told her the plan he'd overheard Amber and Billy discussing, confirmed by Wakko and Dot.

Nori's eyes widened at first, then went hard as flint. "What do y'all have in mind?"

"Let's just say they'll be going on a little trip," Yakko said, his eyes gleaming wickedly.

Understanding dawned on Nori's face and she nodded. "So you and I are gonna play bait…"

"While Wakko uses his gag bag and Dot puts that camera of hers to good use, yes." Yakko glanced at the DJ booth, where Mr. Franklyn had called time and was gathering everyone around for the dance contest. "Shall we?"

Nori gripped his hand and smiled. "Let's go." They ventured out onto the floor again, Wakko and Dot each slipping off to their posts: Wakko a few yards away from Amber, and Dot under the buffet table. Everyone stood waiting while Mr. Franklyn passed the mike over to Mr. Berkeley.

"All right, who's ready to dance?" Grinning at the cheers, Mr. Berkeley continued, "So, we expect to see some swing moves tonight. Lindy hop, jitterbug; pretty much, if it was from the time of old Hollywood, go for it. It's time to jump, jive, and wail and just have fun! So while my lovely lady and I –" He paused to beam at Mrs. Berkeley – "are watching, Stud up there will keep the party going," he said, pointing at Mr. Franklyn. "Hit it, Chris!"

"Let's dance!" Mr. Franklyn hollered, turning the music up. Clearly, he had the same taste as Wakko, for Yakko recognized the Glenn Miller medley from his brother's CD. He grew to his dance height again and swung Nori into the Lindy hop, as the rest of the kids did the same. "In the Mood" segued into "Little Brown Jug" without incident, but when they got to "Pennsylvania 6-5000," Yakko saw the first sign of trouble. Amber gave a nod to Billy, who'd been loitering near the buffet, and the big palooka made a show of looking around before ducking under the table. Yakko rolled his eyes. In any sane world, he'd have been caught; it was dumb luck the schmo managed to hide without someone seeing. That, and most people were watching the dance contest. Come on, sis, don't let us down. Knowing Dot, she was probably flattened to the roof of the table, waiting for the right moment to take Billy-boy's mugshot. He spun Nori out and caught Wakko's eye, sending him a wink. Wakko nodded and slipped his gag bag out of his tux pocket. Yakko pulled Nori back in and mouthed now. She nodded once and they whirled off toward the buffet, eyes peeled.

The bait worked. Yakko saw marbles shoot out from under the tablecloth, said to Nori, "Don't look down," and leapt them both into the air, where they continued dancing as though they were on solid ground. From their height, he could see a bright flash light up under the tablecloth, illuminating two silhouettes: Dot bearing her camera, and a hunched figure holding a jar. A loud yell and a massive thump sounded a second later, and the table shook from the force of an empty skull thwacking it.

Nori winced. "That had to hurt."

"I doubt it. He hit his head; how much damage could it do?" Yakko quipped as they continued to dance on air. The next thing they knew, Dot zipped out from under the table, waving a picture in her hand, and Billy, still seeing spots from the flash, was running drunkenly after her. "Gimme that, you little runt!" he yelled, attracting attention as he went.

"You idiot! You ruined everything!" Amber screamed, barreling toward her date and forgetting the floor was littered with marbles. As her boyfriend slipped on the little glass balls and somersaulted to the ground, Amber also hit the marbles and went skidding across the floor, screeching like a chimp until her feet flew out from under her. With lightning speed, Wakko yanked an inflated whoopee cushion out of his gag bag and frisbeed it across the floor in Amber's direction. With perfect toon timing, it slid to a halt right underneath Amber's falling butt – and of course, when her butt crushed the cushion, it let rip a raspberry. Unfortunately for her, three things happened right at that moment.

1. Mr. Franklyn killed the music to better hear the commotion.

2. Everyone turned to see the source of the commotion.

3. The whoopee cushion sound was amplified and echoed, thanks to the gym's acoustics.

The entire audience was in a roar. The students, Nori's friends in particular, were killing themselves laughing. Mr. Franklyn was bent over the DJ booth howling, while Mr. Berkeley was being held up by his wife, who was also chortling heartily. In a mirror parallel, Nori had to be held up by Yakko, and both were shrieking with laughter; thank God, they'd both returned to the floor.

Totally humiliated, Amber's face turned about six shades of red. She looked around frantically for help but, realizing she wasn't going to get any, picked herself up, snatched the whoopee cushion off the floor, and stormed over to Billy. He'd only just managed to get his bearings back when Amber slapped him with the deflated cushion. "Idiot! You had one job, and you blew it!"

"Uhh, what was that job again?" Yakko asked loudly.

"Yes, I think we'd all like to know that," said Mrs. Berkeley, who had come to investigate, her husband at her side.

Billy was quick to play stool pigeon. "It was all her idea!" he said, jabbing a finger at Amber. "She made me do it!"

"What?" Amber whirled on him. "You're in this, too! If I go down, you're doing down with me!"

"Little late for that, blondie," Yakko said with a grin. "You already went down, and everyone heard it. And speakin' of hearin', lemme tell you what my sibs and I heard." He gestured at Amber. "We followed this chick and her boyfriend out to the hall and heard them planning to hurt Nori. She masterminded it, but like you saw, she fell into her own trap. And if you don't believe me, my sister has a picture of Billy-boy there caught in the act. Dot?"

Dot presented the picture to Mrs. Berkeley with a flourish. "Read 'er and weep, Mrs. B!"

Mrs. Berkeley took the picture and examined it, Mr. Berkeley and Mr. Franklyn likewise sneaking a peek. The photo showed a shocked Billy crouched under the buffet, holding the jar that was still spilling marbles. "Well, a picture's worth a thousand words, Mr. Clarkson," she said, shooting Billy a dark look. "What have you got to say for yourself?"

"She made me," Billy stubbornly repeated, ignoring the vicious look Amber threw him.

Mr. Berkeley took it from there. "Your turn, Miss Harding. Would you like to confess here or in detention?" When Amber just gave him a sullen look and kept quiet, he sighed and said, "Detention it is for both of you, starting Monday after school and ending Saturday."

"And you can kiss your nominations for homecoming king and queen goodbye," added Mrs. Berkeley.

" What? No!" Amber yelped. "You can't do that!"

"Try us," Mrs. Berkeley said with a glare. "You should've thought about this before you decided to harm one of your classmates."

"What about them?" Amber pointed at the Warners. "They humiliated me! Aren't you gonna kick them out?"

Mr. Franklyn laughed. "For being themselves? You'd be better off telling the pope not to pray!"

"Considering they were trying to protect Nori, they're not going anywhere. But you are." Mr. Berkeley pointed to the door. "Both of you, leave now."

"What if we don't want to?" Amber asked defiantly.

"Death Wish Girl over here," Dot whispered to Nori and her brothers.

"Then your detention will be upgraded to suspension and a strike on your permanent record," Mrs. Berkeley said, standing her ground. "What's your choice?"

Billy nudged Amber. "Say detention," he hissed.

"Shut up," she said, whapping him in the gut.

Mrs. Berkeley's glare could have frozen hell. "And you just upgraded yourself to suspension."

"Why? Because I hit a guy? Get real," Amber scoffed.

"Two weeks. Keep making this easy for me," Mrs. Berkeley said, fed up with Amber's crap. "Brian, would you escort these two out, please?"

Mr. Richards stepped forward. "With pleasure. Let's go, you two."

Amber kept her defiant glare but said nothing as she flounced out of the gym. Billy looked a little humbler as he slunk out behind her, Mr. Richards following. "Clearly you two didn't pay any attention to our unit on the Roman Empire. Pride always comes before a very big fall," he said to the fallen in question.

"Exhibits A and B," Yakko said, pointing at the departing fools. His eyes suddenly caught Scratchy and Heloise approaching and he cringed. "Uh-oh, trouble at ten o'clock." He braced himself for a lecture and a grounding until Christmas, but he was ready to defend the actions of his sibs and himself. "Look, before you guys start in on us, it was my idea. If we didn't do anything, Nori could've been hurt. But if you wanna punish anyone, punish me. Leave Wakko and Dot out of it."

To his surprise, Scratchy laughed. "Punish you? Ve are here to congratulate you!"

Yakko stuck a finger in his ear and wrenched. "Did I hear you right? Spiritually speakin', I'm over 60, but I ain't deaf yet."

"You heard right. Yakko, what you guys did was brilliant. You stood up for your friend and you exposed a bully – and you made everyone laugh to boot." Heloise smiled. "We're proud of you."

Well, wash me in acetone and call me dipped, Yakko thought, a slow smile spreading over his face. They were proud – actually proud of their antics! "Someone look outside and see if it's snowin'," he said, unable to resist teasing them.

"Stop it," Nori said with a friendly cuff on his shoulder. "Take it graciously. After what you did for me, the three of y'all are heroes. As a matter of fact, let's hear it for them, y'all!" She led the gym in a round of thunderous applause.

Yakko took his sibs' hands and raised them in the air, savoring this victory. To say it felt good was an understatement – after being degraded and chastised all these years for their jokes and pranks, it felt like winning Olympic gold to be praised at last. "Aw, shucks. You guys make us feel like the life of the party."

"Hey, speaking of party, we've got one to get back to! Come on, everyone, let's dance!" Mr. Franklyn called out, starting the music once more.

Yakko grinned at Nori when he recognized the new tune. It was the medley they'd danced to the day they trounced her mother. "It's our song!"

Nori returned his eager smile and clasped his hands. "Let's show 'em how it's done!"

Yakko grew to dance height again and off they went, with nothing stopping them this time. With both of them ecstatic over Amber getting her just desserts, their dance radiated pure joy. Every spin and lift was greeted with approval from Mr. and Mrs. Berkeley, but one trick in particular got them raves. Nori whispered an idea into Yakko's ear and he was too happy to oblige. Using his toon magic and a little inspiration from Fred Astaire, he danced them both up the wall and onto the ceiling. They stayed up there for a good while until, as the medley was coming to an end, Yakko dropped from the ceiling, caught Nori in his arms, and spun her around while the house raised the roof.

"Wow!" Mr. Berkeley cried, his face split in a megawatt smile. "Well, no doubt about it, we've got our winners! Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Nori Bennett and Yakko Warner!"

Yakko let out a whoop louder than the crowd and swung Nori around; her smile could have lit up the universe. And when they both lifted the mirror-ball trophy into the air, he was thinking to himself that there was no way this night could possibly get any better.

Later on, as the dance was petering out, Yakko had to eat those words. Most of the kids were sitting at the tables, tuckered out from too much dancing and too much food. Wakko was being cuddled by Jessica, Dot was up in the DJ booth trading fashion notes with Mr. Franklyn, and Nori and Yakko were sitting at their own table watching Scratchy and Heloise dance.

"There they go," he said as a slow song started and the couple began to waltz. "I give it 'til Christmas, New Year's tops before Scratchy pops the question."

"Has he bought a ring yet?"

"I don't think so. If I know Scratchy, he'll ask Dot to help him pick one out. My sister's on par with Marilyn Monroe when it comes to diamonds being a girl's best friend. Probably why she's jawin' jewels with Diamond Jim Brady over there." Yakko shifted his gaze to Wakko, who was in heaven with Jessica rubbing his belly. "I'm gonna need a crowbar to pry Wakko out of your friend's arms. I don't think he wants this night to end."

"He doesn't want the cuddles to end," Nori said with a chuckle, as Jessica began scratching Wakko's tummy. Wakko smiled and one leg kicked in joy. "But I get what you're saying. I don't want this night to end, either."

Yakko's heart thumped. "Really?"

"Yeah. Spending time with y'all, watching Amber get her butt handed to her, winning the dance contest… it's been amazing. Not to mention it was awesome seeing Chelle and Mike win Homecoming Queen and King."

Yakko grinned. Nichelle totally deserved her crown, and Michael had been so happy, he fist-pumped the air and led the crowd in the wave. "They deserve it."

"Thanks to the three of you. You and Wakko and Dot helped everyone see Amber for what she really is and that helped win the crowns for Chelle and Mike. And it let everyone see you as heroes. You ought to be proud." Nori grinned at him. "I know I am."

And there were his earlier words, served on a silver platter with a side of bliss. The night just got better – and he knew how to make it better still. "You wanna dance? We haven't had a slow one yet." He was a little worried when she didn't say anything at first, but then she held out her hand and gave him the special smile – his smile. He felt the now-familiar rush, slow and sweet, sweep through his veins as he touched her hand and led her out onto the floor. Yakko swore all he could hear was her heartbeat as he took her in his arms and opened their waltz, the world fading away.

If Nori had ever had walls built around her heart, they were rubble now. Once again, Yakko had gone the distance for her, proving his loyalty and his good heart. This wasn't him trying to win a bet anymore. This was Yakko being his true self – a good man. As far as Nori was concerned, he had nothing left to prove. All she wanted right now was to enjoy their slow dance and just be close to him. Neither of them spoke, and honestly, at this point, there was no need. He held her close during their waltz… close enough for her to feel his heartbeat. However, it was when she felt him breathe that her own breath was stolen. She'd always known he was as real as any flesh-and-blood human, but feeling him breathe hit something home for her: he was a real, solid presence in her life, the first person she'd felt completely safe with since her father died. He was the first she'd ever felt such a soul-deep bond with.

Soul. A sweet, steady rush went through Nori at the thought. She'd grown so close to Yakko that she could feel him in her soul. And she didn't ever want to lose that feeling. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight, her fingers buried in the soft fur at the back of his neck.

As Yakko embraced her back, neither of them cared that Dot had taken yet another picture of them. Or that Scratchy and Heloise were sending each other knowing smirks. Or that, at a table nearby, Mr. and Mrs. Berkeley were watching the pair with smiles, the former's arms embracing his wife from behind. The dance teachers mused on how much those two reminded them of themselves over thirty years ago – a pair that seemed mismatched, yet were destined to be together. And if they were indeed like the Berkeleys, three little words would come soon. It was only a matter of time.