Angelica felt the air in the room behind her still to silence. She stole a quick glance over her shoulder and saw all seven pairs of eyes large, and staring at Thomas.

"How," And Peggy came stomping to her feet. "did he get here?"

"I took a Grab," Thomas replied calmly.

"I didn't invite him," John said. "Did you invite him?"

"What? No—but how does he know where we live?" Peggy demanded more.

"I think the bigger question here is what is he doing here," this came from Alexander. Angelica turned to him and saw that his eyes were glowing black now. The teasing glint had vanished, like it was never there, and he stood firmly with his arms folded. "What are you doing here, Jefferson?"

His voice dragged out, Long and sharp and menacing. Everyone in the room turned back to Thomas, eyes waiting and expecting, but nobody sure for what.

Thomas looked back at Alexander through controlled eyes. A mere muscle in his jaw twitched, before he said, "I don't have to explain myself to you."

"You can at least explain yourself to Angelica."

"And I will," Thomas said. "Without you here butting in, thanks."

"Watch it." The warning was from Aaron, which only spouted more threatening looks from the others. "You mess with the tomcat, you mess with us."

"Guys!" Angelica's voice sliced the air. "There will be no messing."

Silence answered this.

Straightening the bouncing skirts of her pale pink swing dress, Angelica looked back to Thomas and another drop of silence passed between them.

"So..."

"Can I talk to you?" Thomas's voice was as soft as hers, humbled even. He had dressed into a suit of dark, plum purple, which accompanied the volume of his hair dashingly. "Alone, please."

"Angelica."

Alexander's voice came pushing in through her left ear. He sounded worried. Afraid. Possessive. Angry.

Angelica's hand on the door handle closed into a fist. As much as she felt for Alexander, he had to know that the decisions she made were hers and hers alone. What she did with her life was up to her.

And right now, she was going to talk to Thomas.

"Yeah," she replied. "Of course."

And she stepped out into the cold night air, locking the door behind her.

:::

"Right," Angelica leaned back against the cool wood of the door, trying to feel more comfortable, and... well... less awkward. "So. What did you want to talk about?"

"Listen," Thomas said. "I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now. But I figured I just had to try." He toyed with something in his hands, a movement that almost immediately caught Angelica's attention. Her eyes widened as she saw what it was—a rose.

Something warm touched her heart.

"Oh," she looked down at the rose, and then back at him. The surface of her eyes softened. "That's for me?"

Thomas blinked at her for a moment, and then down at the rose, as if just realising it was there. He outstretched it to her.

"Only for you."

"Thomas," she felt a smile uplift her face at the warming gesture. She took the rose from him and weighed it in her hands. "It's... beautiful."

"Like you."

Angelica had to look up at this. She found that she was staring right back into a deep pool of heart. A gentle smile graced his own lips as he watched her.

"There's beauty in everything," he continued on. He took a small step forward, and pressed a hand back against the door. "But even as there is beauty, there are also thorns. And sometimes... those thorns can contradict the beauty."

She watched him.

"I know I screamed at you," he said. "And... I tried to force you to choose, and I drunk-called you. And then after that, I pretended you didn't exist. For weeks."

Angelica felt the stab of his words, that were the reality she hadn't before said out loud.

"And I probably hurt you," he looked up suddenly. "Which was never my intention, I promise."

"Thomas."

"I know from the way we left things, that it seems like we're over. But I don't want it to be over, Angelica," he reached out and picked up both her hands in his. She swerved to look down at them, and then back up into his eyes. "I don't want to give up on you—on us—before I've really tried my hardest. Because maybe... you know... we can be something beautiful too."

Angelica felt her heart soaring; it was confusing her. Maybe I do love Thomas.

"So really, princess, I'm asking you to give me a second chance."

But what about Alexander?

We were going to work things out... although we haven't done anything, yet. If I give Thomas a second chance, would I be playing them?

Does that make me a bad person?

But even as she thought this, she couldn't help herself. She looked back up at Thomas through amused eyes, smiling like the stars.

"Hmm," she said, dragging out the sound until it was mocking him. "I don't know if I can, though. I mean, you were pretty much a Monster to me at the parking lot."

There was a pinch of silence.

"Ah," Thomas took a step back, instantly closed down. "I see."

But Angelica reached out and took hold of his hands, before he could make an attempt to leave. He looked up at her and she found herself grinning widely.

"Of course I'll give you a second chance," she said, in an obviously tone.

His eyes lit up into a smile as wide as hers, so that now they were just standing there, hands clasped, smiling wide at each other.

"Now, do we have a Dance to catch or what?" She said.

"Ahh," Thomas said. A frown flickered across his brows as he remembered. "Right. The Dance."

"Come on," Angelica let go of one of his hands, just so she could open the door behind her. Her other hand stayed firmly in his. "We'd better get going, if we're going to make it to the Winter Dance."

:::

Alexander was not happy with this new arrangement.

Not many in the gang were.

"No," Alexander said, when the rest of the group had already headed out the door to wait for the limo, including Thomas. Angelica had stayed back to gather her things, and Alexander had claimed that he needed the toilet. Now, it was just the two of them in the house.

"Alex," Angelica said.

"No. Angie, I don't like this," he took a step forward towards her, eyes accusing and almost traumatised. "Of all people! Of all the morons that could have shown up tonight -"

"I know," Angelica said.

"It's him! It's that—that dicklick!" Alexander's arms waved about at this statement. He turned and looked at the couch, glaring at it like it was Thomas, or something icky on his shoe. He almost kicked it, but Angelica's voice stopped him.

"Hey, hey," she took a step forward, forcing Alexander's eyes to focus on her. "Calm down, okay?"

Alexander stared at her, "Calm down?" He repeated.

"I know this is hard for you," there was guilt threaded in her voice, but she pushed it down. "I know how you feel about him, but please—" her voice shifted into a pleading whisper "—please behave."

"Why did you invite him?"

"Because... I..." like him.

She knew it. She was right. I am a bloody player.

She didn't have to say anything, anyways. Alexander could see it right away in her eyes.

"You like him," he said. "But you love me?"

"Well, I mean—"

"So what happens? Are you—are you leaving me? Are we forgetting about everything?"

Angelica whirled to look at him, shocked, "No—"

"Okay, so it's tonight then? Just tonight, okay. Mess around all you want in the name of the Winter Dance. And then how can things go back to normal? What comes next?"

"Alexander!"

It was her shout that made him stop. He turned and looked at her now, through the quiet. His milky eyes turned soft.

He exhaled a long breath, "Okay."

"I'm sorry. Things are kind of weird right now," Angelica's voice grew warm. She stared down at her hands, smooth and chocolate-coloured. But somehow, they felt red with the weight of her problems. "I don't know what comes next. All I know is that..."

Silence followed, as she thought through her next words. She looked up at Alexander then, and found that he was already watching her, conflicted emotions flashing through his eyes. She looked into them, digging thoroughly into the depths of his soul, his endless starry gaze.

His warm, whole heart.

"I gave you a lot of time to think," Angelica said finally, keeping their gazes locked firmly. "About me and Eliza... about what you wanted."

There was a pause, as this sank in.

"All I ask now is that you give me the same. I know you don't like Thomas, and you may think this is unfair for you—although, technically you are still with Eliza," she said, realising it. "So really, everything is unfair now. It almost doesn't... doesn't matter."

More silence. Alexander seemed speechless to this, so his eyes spoke for him.

"And I'm using tonight as time to think about my decision... what I want... what is best, for things... everything. Whether you like it or not."

This last silence was the most tense of all. Angelica looked up at him through the thick quiet, knowing that her sisters all probably thought she had fallen into the toilet bowl by now.

When Alexander finally responded, he surprised her, "What do you need me to do?"

"Behave."

"If he hurts you, I'll kill him." Angelica had to smile at his possessive tone, as if he would go through hell to protect her. He picked up her hands that had been hanging by her side, and threaded them into his own. "If he does anything—"

"He won't," Angelica assured. "I promise." She wasn't sure if she should be making promises she didn't know if she could keep.

Alexander inhaled a long, soothing breath. He looked down at her, eyes filled with longing. And he nodded.

"Okay," he said. "Then you have my word."