Rescued.

“Well, that's a major bummer.” Zack sighed, sitting across from Alex while I tried to coax Jack out from under the table.

“Come on, Jack...I'll...” I searched my brain for something to bribe him with, “I'll share my...Dr. Pepper with you...or...like...buy you a drink?”

“Are you offering to purchase alcohol, Sara?” Alex asked, shock plain in his voice.

“No! Well...yeah, I just don't want to see him sad anymore, okay?”

“Guys, I just want to go home.” Jack said, crawling back out.

“Why did you go under the table anyway?” Alex asked as Jack brushed off his knees. “Or is there even a reason. You are Jack...”

Jack just shrugged and we all went out to Zack's car. My feet were killing me, I shouldn't have let Makahla coax me into these stupid heels. They suck! As soon as I sat next to Alex, I took them off, sighing in relief.

“Hurt?” Alex smiled, pointing to my feet.

“You have no idea.” I stretched my legs across the seat and onto his lap. He took my right foot in his hand and started massaging it. Though it felt good, it tickled. I giggled, pulling my foot back.

“Are you ticklish?” Alex's smirk only grew when I nodded. And, soon, I was screeching with laughter as Alex tickled not only my feet but my sides, neck, back, arms. One of my biggest weaknesses is that I'm so ticklish.

Curses.

“Stop! Stop! I give! I give!” I shouted, trying to get away from him. Alex sighed and kissed my cheek, smiling. I pushed him gently back over to his side and told him to put on his seat belt while buckling mine.

When Zack dropped us all off at Jack's, Jack went straight to his room. I rubbed my eyes, coming back with black goop on my hands. “You just smeared your makeup.” Alex laughed, rubbing under my eye.

“I'm going to take a shower and change and whatever, and when Makahla comes back, can we go to your house?”

“Sure, Sar-bear. But, why?” He asked, brushing my hair back from my face.

“Your mom makes really amazing cocoa. I want some when I wake up tomorrow.” I explained, giving him a toothy smile.

“So you didn't want to sneak into my bed?” He teased.

“Nope.” I popped the 'p' and turned away from him and going up to the room Makahla and I were staying in to get some clothes to change into.

After the shower, it was getting to be two o'clock in the morning, I yawned while exiting, clean and clothed.

So I waited out on the swing for Makahla to come back. After a little bit, Alex came out with two steaming mugs of something and a blanket. “Hey, any sign of her?” He said, handing me one of the mugs. I sighed, shaking my head. “It's not my mom's, but it'll still keep you warm.”

“I'm worried.”

“She'll come back when she's hungry.” Alex sat on the swing next to me.

“She's not a dog, Alex.” I scolded softly.

“Hungry for some Jack lovin'” Alex corrected, nudging me by hitting against my swing.

“Gah! I just never thought they'd go at it like that. I mean...sure, it's happened before. I think I'm their greatest common factor...but...”

“Hey, maybe Kaitie was just PMSing or something.” Alex offered, making me laugh.

“No...she gets drunk and turns mean.” I shrugged. Though it wasn't his mom's, Alex still made a mean cup of cocoa. “Thanks for the cocoa, by the way. It helps.” I smiled, staring into the cup.

“Here's a blanket, too.” Alex set his cup down and stood to wrap the blanket around my shoulders. Cupping my face, he lifted my eyes up to his. “Don't stay out all night, okay?” He said, kissing me. “She'll be back.”

I nodded, giving him a small smile. He took his cup and went back into Jack's house.

Not even ten minutes later, Makahla came strolling up the drive. I had to stop myself from running over to her and hugging her.

She seemed pretty upset still. I wish there was something I could do or say to help her a little. But, the war was in her head, and I couldn't help that. I just couldn't believe that Jack asked her to marry him. Cute, but a little too fast.

I followed Makahla into the house and sat next to Alex who was watching something on television. “Ready to go?” He said, clicking the thing off. I yawned and nodded. “It's been a long night.” Alex smiled, taking my hand as we walked to his car.

“That is has, my friend, that it has.” I smiled, leaning against his shoulder.

….

I woke up in Alex's room on his bed, Alex must have slept on the couch or something. Very gentlemanly of him. Taking a second to get lost in the strong Alex-y smell, I got up. Slipping on one of Alex's hoodies that he had lying around in the room, I made my way to the kitchen. “How come it is you wake up all beautiful and sparkly, and I wake up like this?” Alex asked, gesturing to his major bed head, bleary eyes, and wrinkly clothes.

“I'm not sparkly.” I grumbled, “I'm just fantastic.” I shrugged, kissing him good morning.

“Yeah?” Alex challenged, “Fantastic, eh?”

“You sound like an old Irish man.” I teased, wrapping my arms around his middle.

“Oh, I do?” He said in the same challenging tone and his hands flung to my hair, messing it up.

“Ah! What are you doing?” I laughed, grabbing hold of his wrist to try and pry his hands away from my head.

“Good morning, kiddos!” Alex's dad greeted happily from the doorway.

“Morning, dad.” Alex smiled, taking his hands from my hair, “Is mom up?”

“Yeah, she'll be down in a minute. How was your night?”

“Pretty darn good, if I say so myself.” Alex answered, patting my hair back down. “Even if little miss two left feet kept stepping on my toes.”

I flushed, “I told you I never learned to dance, but you insisted I dance with you.”

“Because you make me feel so warm and cuddly,” Alex grabbed hold of me, pulling me to his chest, “I couldn't help but want to dance with you.”

“You're so...cheesy.” I huffed, trying to release his arms from me. “Let me go, I want food!”

“Let the poor girl go, Alexander.” Alex's mom's voice came from the doorway. Alex let go of me and pouted at his mom.

“But, mommy!” He whined like a child.

“Mrs. Gaskarth, if it's not too much trouble, can you make some of the delicious cocoa you made the other day for me?”

“Yes, dear.” She nodded.

“And, since I'll be leaving soon, can you teach me how to make it?” I asked, sitting at the bar table in the middle.

Mrs. Gaskarth smiled, “That's my own special recipe.” She said. “I don't let just anyone know it.”

“Okay, that's fine, I understand Mrs. Gaskarth.”

“But, I will show you on one condition.” She turned to me, eyes squinted.

“What?” I asked, a little scared. Alex's mom was just too...proper and...English to not intimidate me.

“Call me Isobel.” She smiled.

“Oh...okay, Mrs...Isobel.” I nodded.

“Be happy,” Alex suddenly appeared, wrapping his arms around my waist from the back. “She hasn't even told me.”

“That's because you never asked.”

“And why can't I call you Isobel?”

“Because I'm your mother.”

I watched from Alex's embrace as they playfully bickered back and forth, a smile on my face. I wish I could have had something like this growing up. I did in my teen years, sure, but it didn't ever feel quite like this. Alex let me go and started to make some toast.

“You guys are so cute.” I giggled, accepting the cup of cocoa Isobel offered to me.

“You're cute.” Alex toned it as an insult like my sisters and I always used to do. “I made you some toast with nutella.”

“Yum!” I cheered, looking down at the plate he set in front on me, “Thank you so much!”

“No problem.” He said giving me a peck on the lips.

“You kids are so noisy.” Mr. Gaskarth grumbled over the newspaper. “Makes me wish I was young again.”

“What are you talking about, daddykins?” Alex wrapped his arms around his dad's neck. “Just because you're bald, doesn't mean you're not young.”

He acted like a child sometimes. Though, I guess, not as much as Jack. But, that's part of the reason I like him so much. I laughed, shaking my head as I took a bite of my toast.