The special guest to appear was not at all what any sane person would have expected to see. It was not a local celebrity or some person in the region who was well-known. In fact, the special guest wasn't even a person at all.

It was a beagle!

And not just any beagle either. It was Charlie Brown's faithful pet dog, Snoopy, outfitted in an orange sort of "ensemble" that he had fashioned himself. He winked at, made poses towards, and smiled at as many different people as he could as he made his way up towards the stage.

"Oh, good grief!" Charlie Brown cried out in dismay, slapping his hand over his eyes. "I can't believe it!"

"Yes, Charlie Brown. It appears that our 'special guest' is none other than 'Flashbeagle'," Linus said, giving his bestie an amused smirk.

"Who is 'Flashbeagle'?" Janice asked, not understanding the situation.

"I have no idea," Mary replied, looking just as confused as Janice was.

"Trust me, you girls don't want to know," Charlie Brown said, shaking his head.

"This ought to be interesting," Schroeder said.

While some of the partygoers were also confused, many others seemed excited as "Flashbeagle" positioned himself on stage. Everything was dead silent for several seconds. Then, the speakers blasted with a sort of fast-paced 80's music, and "Flashbeagle" began to dance.

He steps on the floor without making a sound,

then he starts feelin' the beat!

You would think the floor was greased

by the way he's moving his feet!

While Charlie Brown merely stood still, not saying or doing anything, most of the remainder of the stadium appeared to be quite enjoying the talented beagle's performance. They were all clapping and cheering along, and even Charlie Brown's own crew seemed to be entertained by this.

"You know, Charlie Brown, I've always wondered something," Linus said, getting the attention of his bestie. "Why exactly is it that you sometimes wish that you could quote 'have a normal dog like everyone else'?

Charlie Brown appeared quite surprised by this question. "Huh?"

Linus continued. "I mean sure, there are times when Snoopy's antics come at the annoyance of others, but more often than not, any other people would be quite impressed to encounter a dog like that."

Charlie Brown tried to answer. "Oh. Well, I guess it's just that... maybe that... if he were a normal dog, then maybe I'd feel a little more normal myself, or something like that."

Heather, who had been listening to this exchange, decided to put in her own two cents.

"But uniqueness can often be a good thing, Charlie Brown," she told him. "Could you imagine a world where everyone fit into a strict mold and behaved in pretty much all the same ways?"

Charlie Brown was silent as he pondered over Heather's words.

"I don't know about you, but I'd probably find such a world boring and dull," she continued. "Our individual quirks are a key part of what makes us who we are. Therefore, and I apologize if I sound like I'm coming down on you a little bit, but I think you need to be a little more accepting of Snoopy for who he is. Remember, I've always accepted you for who you are."

Charlie Brown hadn't thought of it that way. Despite occasionally getting on the nerves of others, Snoopy's individual traits definitely make him unique. And plenty others accepted him as he was, and would even get enjoyment from him like they were right now. But Charlie Brown, on the other hand, would sometimes complain about it. It was then that he realized just how selfish his wishes actually were. He should really be quite lucky to have a dog like Snoopy. Surely there were many others in the world who would love to have such a unique and interesting pet.

About a minute later, Snoopy was finished with his little performance. The beagle then began making his way towards his owner and his crew, waving and grinning as he passed by all his adoring fans.

"Snoopy, there's something I want to tell you," Charlie Brown told him as he approached him.

"Hm?" Snoopy cocked his head to the side, wondering what this could be about.

"I've come to realize something," Charlie Brown began. "Now, I'm well aware that you have a lot of 'alter egos', such as the World Famous Author, a World War One Flying Ace, among many others. And then of course, there's this whole 'Flashbeagle' thing."

Snoopy was silent as he listened to his owner.

"But there have been times where I've been turned off by your antics, and would occasionally wish that you would just be a normal dog," Charlie Brown continued. "However... I've come to understand how selfish, and perhaps even a little cruel, those wishes were. Snoopy, I'm deeply sorry for the times in which I said I wish I could have a normal dog like everyone else. You are an amazing and wonderful dog as you are, Snoopy, and I am really very fortunate to have a dog like you."

With all that his owner was saying to him, Snoopy felt so touched, and even felt tears coming to his eyes. He then lunged at Charlie Brown and engulfed him in a great big hug. Charlie Brown smiled and hugged him back.

Everyone who has just witnessed this exchange broke into a round of applause, and Heather was happy to see the impact her words had on Charlie Brown's thought processes.

It was now eight forty, with just a few minutes until Heather and Charlie Brown were to meet up with Mrs. Wold to be taken back home. For Charlie Brown, it had really been a night to remember. This was nothing at all like any other event he's ever been too. And he, in a million years would have never possibly imagined being accompanied to this dance by his (once) little red-haired girl of his dreams. He would never ever forget tonight.

For the most part, things at the dance were now beginning to wind down. People were steadily starting to leave, and most of those that were still here were either snacking away, or were engaged in casual chatting with their dates or friends.

But then one last time, Franklin made an announcement over the intercom.

"Hey everyone. So you all understand, and are aware that this dance is supposed to be a Valentine's-themed dance, right? Well, in my humble opinion, it wouldn't be proper to end this night without playing a little music that felt a little bit more... romantic, you know what I mean? So, before we wind down this lovely night, I'm gonna play for you all a little something meant for just you and your dates."

And with that, Franklin began to play the final music of the night, a slow yet very pretty melody that really sounded like it was meant for couples to dance to.

It was a battle lasting a number of seconds of working up the courage given the situation, and Charlie Brown's face had heated up quite a bit. Nonetheless, he managed to stand up and face his date.

"Heather, may I have this dance?" he asked her, offering her his hand.

Heather was definitely a bit caught off guard by this, and she let out a very small gasp. Charlie Brown was asking her to dance with him to this tune? A few seconds later though, her shocked expression changed into her giving him a soft smile. She took his hand, and the two of them returned to the dance floor for one final go around.

There was one thing that Charlie Brown was not aware, but once he and Heather were back on the dance floor, realization of this washed over him like cold water. He didn't know how he was supposed to properly dance to music like this!

Heather noticed the look of panic beginning to appear on Charlie Brown's face and she gave him a concerned look. "Is something wrong, Charlie Brown?"

"Well, Heather, I just realized..." Charlie Brown uttered out. "I've never actually... I mean, I actually don't really know how I'm supposed to dance to this type of music."

Heather was silent for a couple of seconds. But she then grinned. "Don't worry. I can help with that. Give me your hands."

Charlie Brown did as he was told and Heather took his hands.

"So first, you put one hand behind my back, like this," Heather instructed him as he guided his left hand into its proper place. "And as for your right hand, you just hold mine like you are now. And now I will take my left hand and just..."

And so Charlie Brown and Heather were now in the proper position and they began to move back and forth. At first, Charlie Brown was a little bit clumsy, but he was doing better than he ever thought he would have. And after about thirty seconds, he was actually doing quite well!

"You're doing very good, Charlie Brown," Heather told him with a bright smile.

"Eh... I'm not that good," Charlie Brown said after giving off a weak laugh.

"Don't say that, Charlie Brown. You're doing just fine. And besides, even if you were a terrible dancer..." Heather then gulped as she felt her face heating up. "What really matters to me is the fact... that I'm dancing with you."

Charlie Brown was at a loss for words at what Heather had just said to him, and he immediately felt his chest tightening.

"It does?" he asked in barely above a whisper.

"Uh-huh," Heather replied. "I wouldn't have things any other way tonight. This is one of the best nights I've ever had. I'm really happy you asked me to go to the dance with you."

The tightness in Charlie Brown's chest grew all the more as Heather poured out her feelings about tonight to him. "Well, I'm happy that I was able to show you a good time," he said softly. "I'm also really happy that you went to the dance with me."

By this point in the dance, it seemed like Charlie Brown had completely gotten the hang of it. As the song was beginning to wind down, he glanced around at the other couples who were on the floor waltzing away.

Patty Swanson and Pig-Pen were dancing together once more. It seemed that Pig-Pen was able to comfort Patty, and the two of them were looking now like, despite Violet's earlier antics, they did not have a care in the world right now.

There was also Linus and Janice. Being two to three years younger than the other partygoers and thus shorter, they sort of stood out from the crowd. That didn't seem to matter to them though. Linus and Janice looked like they were having a wonderful time together.

And to Charlie Brown's surprise, even Schroeder and Mary Stewart were dancing together! Charlie Brown found himself watching them for several seconds, and like with himself, Schroeder seemed like he wasn't the best at executing these kind of dance moves. But fortunately, Mary appeared to be making sure that Schroeder could get the hang of it. It seemed that being the best friend of such a talented dancer might have rubbed off on her.

All in all, what little time remained of the night went by smoothly and peacefully for everyone involved. The gang and their dates all finished the evening having had a wonderful time.

It was now a little after nine in the evening and Heather and Charlie Brown were sitting together in the back of the Wold family car, now on their way back home. After a fun-filled evening with loud music, dancing, and socializing, the smooth sound of the car humming as it was going down the street was very peaceful indeed, and the two young teens were beginning to relax.

"So, Charlie Brown," Heather said. "Tell me what you thought about tonight. Did you have a good time?"

Charlie Brown faced his dance partner and smiled at her. "I had a great time. One of the best nights of my life. How about you?"

"I had a great time as well," Heather replied. "By the way, you want to know something interesting about tonight?"

"What's that?" Charlie Brown asked inquisitively.

"Well, you know those who make up our little 'gang' as some like to call it, right?" Heather said. "You know, Linus, Janice, Mary, and so on."

"Yeah," Charlie Brown answered.

"I hadn't really noticed it before, but everyone in the group who went to the dance went with another member of the group as their partner. There was Linus with Janice, and Schroeder with Mary."

"Hey, you're right!" Charlie Brown said, realizing this was true. "And of course, there was you and me."

Heather nodded. "I dunno. It was just something I found kind of interesting," she finished.

The two of them were then silent for a couple of minutes before Heather realized something. "Oh! I almost forgot!" she suddenly cried out.

"Huh? Forgot what?" Charlie Brown asked as Heather began rumbling through her new purse that she had brought to the dance with her.

A few seconds later, Heather pulled out from her purse a pink envelope that had been sealed with a red heart sticker before handing it to Charlie Brown.

"Here. This is for you from me," she said, suddenly sounding shy.

Charlie Brown looked rather shocked as he gingerly took the envelope from Heather. Was he seeing correctly? Was Heather Wold actually giving him a valentine? Not sure what else to do, he slowly opened the envelope.

The card inside wasn't anything excessively fancy, but it was still a very pretty card. And it was clearly made by Heather herself rather than being store-bought. Inside was a short poetic message written in Heather's own lovely cursive handwriting.

"Roses are red, violets are blue. I always have a good time hanging out with you.

You're still have the qualities that make you so swell, and they continue to inspire me as well.

You're one of the main reasons I'm happy in this town. With that, I say: Happy Valentine's Day, Charlie Brown.

It probably wasn't the best ever written poetry, but reading this still brought Charlie Brown close to tearing up. Even if Charlie Brown had received a thousand valentines from other people, there was no doubt that this one would still be by far the very best one.

"Thank you, Heather," he said, smiling fondly at her. "I'll always treasure this."

Charlie Brown then felt a strong surge of nerves. Receiving this valentine from Heather made him remember that there was his own little something he wanted to give to Heather. He could not imagine how Heather might react to reading this. It wasn't going to be anything poetic, but he sort of felt like he was going to be spilling out, right then and there, how he truly felt about her.

He couldn't let his nervousness stop him now though. After everything else he was able to push himself through these past several months, and after having received a valentine from Heather, it would be a grave injustice to himself not to do this.

Steeling his resolve, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his own valentine to Heather.

"I have something for you too," he said, his voice slightly shaky as he handed it to her.

"Oh!" Heather said in surprise as she took it.

Charlie Brown then waited with baited breath as Heather proceeded to open the valentine.

Like with Heather's card to Charlie Brown, it was homemade, though the quality wasn't quite as good as the card Heather gave to Charlie Brown. He hoped that Heather wouldn't mind though, which so far, her expression seemed to indicate that she didn't. She had a soft look on her face as she looked the card over.

"This is a nicely-made card, Charlie Brown," she said to him. "Thank you."

"I tried my best," Charlie Brown said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"And I see that it came with a note included," Heather then said as she put the card down and was about to read the note.

Charlie Brown inadvertently inhaled as Heather was now about to read the note accompanying her card.

"Here we go," Charlie Brown thought as he gripped tightly at his suit jacket.

Heather then slowly began to read the message:

First off, Heather, a very happy Valentine's day to you. You are truly one of the nicest and kindest people I know, and this card comes nowhere near the kind of gift you deserve. These past several months with you as my friend have made for the best memories in my life. You've also helped me so much, helping me go from feeling like a depressed loser all the time, to giving me hope for my life and my future. I still remember the moment, before summer camp started, when I really got to talk to you for the first time. Even if that moment didn't mean much to you, it meant the world to me. Honestly Heather... you mean the world to me. I don't know where I would be if it weren't for you coming into my life. Thank you for being my best friend (aside from Linus that is), as well as the most important person in my life.

Sincerely yours,

Charlie Brown.

As Heather finished reading the letter, she felt... touched, to say the least. She always knew that Charlie Brown appreciated her companionship, but to read something like this coming from him... she felt her cheeks going a deep red. She didn't quite know how to respond.

"Charlie Brown, I-I mean that much to you?" Heather was actually stammering as she asked this.

"You really do," Charlie Brown said softly to her, staring back into her eyes to show his sincerity. "I meant every word in that letter."

"I'm really grateful to hear you say that," Heather said, her chest feeling very tight right now. She then scooted closer to Charlie Brown and took hold of his hands. "Charlie Brown, I just want you to know, that I will always be by your side, no matter what."

"Heather, I..." Charlie Brown trailed, feeling Heather's delicate warm hands holding his own. He was at a loss for words right now.

"That is my promise to you," Heather continued. "I want to see you continue to grow to your fullest potential. And also... the truth is, y-you are the most important person in my life as well."

By this point, Charlie Brown's eyes were glittering. "Really?"

Heather gave a gentle nod as she scooted even closer to Charlie Brown.

"Oh, Heather," Charlie Brown sighed.

And then, if Charlie Brown wasn't met with enough surprises, he felt Heather gently leaning herself up against him and resting her head on his shoulder!

Charlie Brown's face heated up big time as he felt Heather's body in such close contact with his. His first thoughts were about how long they were going to remain in this position. Was this only gonna be happening for a few seconds?

But nope. That didn't look like it was going to be the case. Heather looked quite content right now to be snuggled up against Charlie Brown, and she had even closed her eyes. After several seconds, Charlie Brown decided it was best to just embrace these blissful moments, and he tilted his head slightly, so that their heads were touching.

From the driver's seat, Mrs. Wold looked a quick look back at her two passengers cozied up together. She smiled warmly at them before refocusing on the road. A thought went through her mind.

I think that the big day for them may be getting close.

Throughout the day, Charlie Brown had been really wondering if he should give Heather that letter or not. He had been really nervous about it. He wasn't quite sure how she would take it. He didn't outright say that he was in love with her (though by this point, describing his feelings for Heather as anything but that wouldn't do them justice), he did say that she meant a lot more to him than just a friend.

Fortunately, the result was spectacular. Much better than anything he had expected. He was glad in the end that he did give it to her.

Tonight has not been one of the best nights of Charlie Brown's life. Nope. No way.

It was THE best night ever. By far.

And that concludes another chapter, as well as another whole arc as well. This chapter marks a major milestone in CB and Heather's relationship, and you can expect an uptick in shippy moments between them from here on out.

Next chapter finds the Peanuts gang going into Spring, with the baseball season appearing on the horizon. Upcoming content include, of course, Charlie Brown trying out for the team. Will he make it? Something major is also soon about to be happening with Lucy, and this something will more or less conclude the storyline I had planned for her. And of course, more is to come for other characters, so stay tuned!

Next Chapter: Chapter 37 - A Bunch Of Things To Kick Off Spring