Disclaimer: I don't own The Penderwicks

Chapter 11 (Jeffrey's POV)

Jane was right about me when said I'd turned out to be a romantic too. I felt myself smile as I leaned deeper into the piano keys in front of me. This particular song fit that description quite well actually. But considering I was privileged enough to present Mr. and Mrs. Geiger with a melody to accompany their first dance together, well I don't think it should have been anything less.

Maybe it was a risk to steal a glance at them from over my shoulder while I was still playing, but I couldn't resist. It was surly the hopeless romantic in me. And they did really look dazzling. Like a picture out of a storybook. A storybook I'm sure I didn't read, being a boy, but one I was suddenly appreciating it all the same.

So one by one I let my fingers dance along with the happy couple. And it was a wonderful feeling really, doing something to add to another's happiness. But it was especially nice because these people weren't strangers to me. In fact I was happy to say they were...family.

They always had been…

After a minute or two more I gently faded out the music, before I turned on the bench to join the applause that was suddenly traveling around the room. All eyes were on Tommy and Rosy, and mine were too, but… Well I may admit to a distracted glance centered at a certain corner table. A spot almost hidden behind the mass of cheerful people. But I won't admit to who was sitting there. Because frankly I think you already know.

Grinning I reached to adjust my bow-tie as I nodded out a few thanks, now that the applause had shifted toward me. But I wasn't planning on warming the stage all night long, so I gestured for Nick, our appointed DJ, to start with the recorded music.

So stepping down, I made my way back into the crowd and started trying to find my way through the happy fray. To find my way to that awkward little corner table. It wasn't awkward itself, but that was how I would have described Skye's face. I grinned. Well of course besides beautiful, but that went without saying.

Sliding into the chair next to her I grinned a little wider, or maybe goofier would have been how she would have put it. "I do believe the dance floor is now officially open my lady." She shot me a sidelong glance, and her eyes almost looked pleading. "Uh...I'd rather not…"

I smiled as I leaned into my hand as I started over into her face, possibly making her more awkward, because she let go of a frustrated sigh. "I'm sorry...I know it must be pretty lame to have…" She hesitated. "Well a girlfriend…" I laughed a little at how she still choked on that phrase. "That doesn't know how to dance I mean…"

She really did look genuinely upset about disappointing me, and possibly close to self pity just for extra measure.

I frowned at her playfully. "Yeah I know… I even feel sorry for me." I shrugged. "But what can you possibly do? What is it Jane always says…? You can't help who you fall in love with?" Skye just looked down as she frowned. "Yeah I guess…"

Reaching over to take her hand that was resting on the tabletop, I smiled a little softer. "Which is a scary thought… Since I'd always choose to fall in love with you."

I watched as her face went a few shades redder before she let herself admit to the little smile that had just appeared on her face. "Wow…" She mumbled out. "You're even quoting Jane's books now? You have lost it…"

I laughed. "No, but I am glad to finally be able to say that sorta thing without worrying about getting punched." She turned to send me a playful glare. "I still might you know…"

I smirked right back at her. "I'll just have to take the risk."

Skye didn't get it did she? She didn't realize that she was both the most beautiful girl in the world, and the one always sitting alone in a corner. If I could have, I would have put her in the middle of that dance floor. And if I could have managed it somehow, I would have infused her with all the confidence, awe, and love I had for her. And then I know she would have just danced… But I also knew that wasn't going to happen. So I decided to put her where she most wanted to be anyway…

Standing I tugged on her hand to follow me. She looked suddenly worried. "I mean it Jeffrey, I really can't dance."

I nodded. "While I don't believe that at all, I wasn't going to drag you on the dance floor."

Her look of dread eased a little. "Ok...then where are we going?"

I grinned, but decided not to say anything, I just gently pulled her outside onto the open balcony to the left of us. You could still hear the sounds coming from inside, and there was even a few small groups of people out here too, but we were almost alone. But I actually didn't come to be alone, no I came so she could be in the only crowd had didn't make her uncomfortable.

Like a magnet pulling her brilliant blue eyes toward them, the stars above us caught her glance and then locked her stare. "Better?" I asked with a grin.

She nodded without coming back down to earth. "Always better..."

"Good…" I whispered softly as I let myself fall in right beside her. I couldn't say I understood each one of those lights the way she did, but it didn't take a masters in astronomy to understand why so many works of art had been created because of them. In fact I could hear the notes coming together almost effortlessly as I stood there looking up. But I'd have been lying, which I wasn't good at at all, if I said they were the only thing inspiring me.

It was summer again now… But what had I done before I had her to spend each one with…?

Jane was right to think of me as a prisoner locked up in the beautiful but lonely Arundel. Because that's just how I had felt for so long… Maybe Skye was really the knight who rescued me from a dungeon, instead of the other way around? I almost laughed.

But before I could I felt her staring at me, so I slowly turned my head to see if I was right. And unbelievable as it was, she really had chosen me over the stars. We just stared at each other silently for a second or two before she hesitantly spoke. "Thanks by the way…"

I smiled softly. "For what might I ask my lady?"

She looked straight ahead and then back at me. "Uh well...for admitting how you felt I guess… I mean I know I wouldn't have had the nerve to ever do that…"

I raised a curious eyebrow. "Well well Skye Penderwick, you sure are full of things you assume you can't do."

She frowned a little. "No really, I'm being serious."

I grinned a little. "So am I. Seeing as I beat you to the punch concerning confessions though, we'll never know if you were right about that."

She nodded. "Yeah I guess…"

"But," I began as I took a step back and opened my arms. "We could still find out if you really can dance or not." I watched as her nose wrinkled in either annoyance or fear. Or most likely a little of each. "I really was serious about that Jeffrey."

I smiled. "Ok fine, then I guess I'll just have to dance with myself." And so I did, hand and hand with open night air I twirled around the balcony, not even caring about the glances and out and out stares I got from the other people around.

Skye didn't seem quite so unfazed though. She frowned harder as she stole a glance over her shoulder at our perplexed and amused small audience. "Stop that! You're starting to look like you're really crazy!" She said in a sharp whisper.

But I could be just as stubborn, so I ignored her and just kept right on dancing with my invisible partner. Or at least until Skye fell into her place, and she sent a glare over her shoulder that told all the smirkers to mind their own business.

So we danced silently, and from the look on her face, I could tell she was as embarrassed as she was angry. But not able to take it anymore I cracked a crooked grin and could hardly hold back the laughter. "See, you can dance after all. You were wrong about that one."

She took in a deep breath, probably meant to stop herself from pushing me over the railing, before she spoke. "I'm just trying to keep them from locking you up."

I chuckled. "Maybe, but I think you might just enjoy yourself if you give yourself the chance."

She wrinkled her brow as if she found that hard to believe. Anyone else would have been worried about pushing her to the edge of annoyance, but I knew her too well to stop myself. "After all, we're dancing under about a billion stars during a warm summer night. Isn't that incredibly romantic and sentimental?"

I watched as her face flickered between a few different emotions before she finally settled on playfully annoyed. "Are you always gonna be like this? Because I could still change my mind about us you know."

I faked a worried look. "Forgive me my lady, your beauty giving me the tendency to babble."

She just sighed as she seemed to surrender to her new, permanently redder complexion.

"I guess I'll just take that as a yes…"

I laughed. Loud enough that is, to gain a few stares back from the other side of the balcony. And also loud enough to make her cringe. "Everybody's gonna stare again now…" She moaned quietly.

I smiled. "I don't mind."

"Yeah but I do!" She whispered back.

I did my best to look truly hurt. "Oh you don't want to be seen with someone who dances with himself huh?"

She rolled her eyes, seeing right through my playful attempt at making her guilty.

"Well when you put it that way…"

I smiled. "Fair enough, but you have to admit… You're at least having a little fun right?" And that time I really did mean it.

And just like before, she could tell it. Her face softened a little before she looked up to meet my eyes. "Yeah...fine I am…" I admit I couldn't stop the grin I felt coming to my face. It was goofy I'm sure, and probably very love sick, but I wasn't even the least bit embarrassed.

"I mean…" she added slowly. "I mean if you like dancing with…"

"With what?" I asked curious at whatever she was about to say.

She slowly gave me that lopsided, but heartfelt grin. The one I'd seen on special occasions where she had managed to let a little more of her true self out. One of those moments when she was just a little closer to earth…

"If you like dancing with your best friend that is…"

I smiled down at her. "So do you…?"

She frowned and bit her lip, before she looked back up at me. She met my green eyes with her blue and just stared for a few moments, before she slowly spoke. Somehow I figured I'd never forget this night, or what she was about to say...

"Yeah…" She began awkwardly. "As long as it happens to be you anyway…"

FIN

Thanks so much for reading! Please let me know what you think as always. Anyway I expect to write some one shots or something in the future, if not another longer story. It's just to me, this seems more like a beginning than an end. :)