Me Against the Music And Everybody Else, a witchblade fanfic

Me Against The Music… And Everybody Else

How it all got started…

Sharing drinks around the pool table, that was Sara Pezzini's idea of a good evening. She and several of her friends, including her two partners Danny Woo and Jake McCarty and her friend from the morgue Vicky Po, were all standing around the bright green table laughing at the choice of the music blasting form the juke box that night.

"We must have a bunch of teenagers in here," Vicky commented, "because none of the biker boys I see would ever be caught listening to Justin Timberlake or Christina Agihora." She laughed at her own little joke against the pop singer whose fashion statements she thought were better off in porn films than prime time TV.

"I think one of us better go find them and kick them out because it's waaaaay past their bed times," Jake added, looking down at his watch to see it was well past one in the morning as he tightened his grip around Vicky's waist. The two were an item and everybody knew it, they just didn't like talking about their relationship out in the open.

"What the hell makes them listen to think kind of music anyway?" Sara chimed in, taking another swig of her beer, the sixth to be exact. "Its garbage if you asked me. Nothing but shitty vocals placed over crappy music. And their videos! Don't get me started with those things. They're nothing but a huge orgy where you don't know if people are dancing or having sex. I think I could do a better job than all those little sluts drunk. Hell, they can't even sing!"

"Amen, sister!" Vicky replied, throwing her fist up in the hair. "All the more power to ya if you can pull it off."

"I sure can!" Sara defiantly answered.

"I think I'll take that from you now," Danny finally cut in, grabbing the beer out of her hand. She was drunk, and they all knew it. Sara tried to grab it back, but he continued to hold it away from her, laughing as he watched her stumble and trip over her own feet.

"You don't think I can do it!" Sara protested.

"I think you can do it. I just think you're a little too drunk to do it now. Maybe when you're sober and you actually realize what you're getting yourself into, you'll figure out that this is all really stupid. Right now, we should take you home so you can sober up for work tomorrow," Danny tried to explain as he placed his arm beneath hers to steady her.

"You really don't think I can do it," Sara said, looking him straight in the eye as soberly as she possibly could at that moment. "Fifty bucks says I can."

Danny shook his head. He knew Sara was just drunk, and that by morning, she'd forget she even made this kind of bet, but Jake, on the other hand, couldn't help the prospect of making this kind of monumental bet with one of the least feminine cops on the force. "How 'bout a hundred, guys choose the song, the place, and the time?" he asked.

"Jake!" Vicky quickly jabbed him in the side with her elbow. "Are you crazy?"

"No," he replied. "Tell you what; I'll make it two hundred if Vicky joins you."

Vicky quickly shoved him away, angry that he was doing this and that he had just put her in a position she really didn't want to be in.

"Deal," Sara said as she stuck out her hand, and they shook on it.

"Sara!" Vicky cried. "How could you?"

But Sara wasn't listening. The smirk on her face was enough to tell anyone she was serious about this. Yet in her mind, she had no idea what the hell she had just gotten herself into, or what the hell she was doing for that matter. But now that the deal was sealed, there was no backing out, and in the morning, she'd get the shock of her life when she found out exactly what she'd be singing.

How it all went down…

Ringing… Ringing in the ears… and the head… Ringing coming from a certain clock that Sara despised, but relied on in order to wake up after nights as horrible as the one before. It was nearly seven in the morning, and already the hangover from the oh so many beers she drank had set in and was reeking havoc on her battered brain. It was enough that she had the Witchblade bothering her all night with strange dreams and premonitions, and getting drunk had been one of the ways to stop them, but killing brain cells just wasn't a good idea any longer, especially if she couldn't even remember what happened the night before. Everything got fuzzy after the third beer, and by number five, it was time to give up looking for answers. All she could do was rely on her friends to tell her if she didn't something stupid or not.

Sara rose from the bed, immediately heading over to the bathroom and retrieving the bottle of headache pills on the sink. A quick fix, she knew, but at least it gave her an hour or so of peace. For the rest of the time, coffee would become her one true friend, providing her with the energy and strength she needed to get through the day. Padding out of the bathroom and into the kitchen, she started a large pot of the live giving liquid before stepping into the shower to shock her nerves and wake her up.

It wasn't until after she had taken her cold shower and had her first two cups of coffee that she discovered the note taped to her kitchen table that read "Britney Spears and Madonna 'Me Against The Music.'" The first thought that came to Sara's mind was, "What the fuck?" She recognized the handwriting as Jake's chicken scratch, but what the hell was he talking about when he mentioned Britney Spears and Madonna? Was it some kind of code for what had happened last night, or was it something else? The only way she was going to find out was getting her ass to the station immediately and confronting him about it.

Sara was quick to leave her apartment and grab a cab to the station. Snow made it almost impossible to control her bike through the streets of Manhattan. Besides, with her hangover, she was glad that someone else was doing the driving. It gave her mind a little more rest before she faced the challenges of the day head on.

Walking into her office a few minutes after having paid the cabbie, she noticed sever things amiss. Both her partners were strangely silent and two cups of dark, rich coffee were on her desk. 'A peace offering,' she thought. 'They must have done something horrible last night and are trying to calm me down before I even hear it.' "Speak," she said aloud.

Danny and Jake looked up at her; Danny having a somber look on his face while that on Jake's seemed more mischievous than he was letting on. "About last night…" Danny hesitantly began, his gaze shifting quickly over to Jake, who was trying to hide the smirk on his face.

Sara looked at them both, getting utterly annoyed with the fact that they weren't telling her anything. She was getting especially bothered by the way Jake was obviously so happy with what had happened last night. "Out with it already!" she yelled. "What the hell happened last night? And, Jake, wipe that grin off your face before I do it for you."

"I told you she wouldn't remember," Danny mumbled.

"Why do you think I left a note," Jake retorted.

"Explain the note," Sara cut in before they started squabbling and she was forgotten. "What the hell does 'Britney Spears and Madonna' and 'Me Against The Music' mean? Is that some sort of thing I should have remembered from last night?"

"Well, technically, you should have remembered it, but since you were three sheets to the wind, I guess you didn't," Jake answered. Sara glared at him, waiting for the rest of the explanation. "We made a bet last night, and next week, you're slated to sing that song in front of the whole precinct at the Christmas Ball."

Sara's mouth dropped. "What?" she cried, glancing over at Danny. "How the hell did this happen?"

"You were spouting gospel about how pop singers couldn't sing and that their videos suck and how you could do so much better than they could drunk, so you started to bet Danny fifty bucks. I merely upped the ante to two hundred, and you shook on it," Jake finally explained the rest of it to her.

Sara's gaze went back and forth between Danny and Jake, finally stopping on Danny as she asked, "And you didn't stop me from making this bet? What kind of friend are you?"

"Don't worry, you're not alone," Jake added. "Vicky's supposed to be performing with you."

"Really?" Sara questioned. "Was she just as drunk, or was she forced into it?"

"Coerced is more of the word I would use," he said.

"I hope she's not giving you any, especially Christmas and New Years, because you seriously don't DESERVE ANYTHING FOR THIS!" she yelled into his face before storming out of the office to find Vicky down in the morgue.

"Well, if it isn't my partner in crime," Vicky sarcastically grumbled when Sara burst through the metal doors straight into her office. She sat at her desk working on a report she had been writing that morning from the night before even though at the moment, she was angry at her so called boyfriend for putting her in a position that she really didn't want to be in, and just as pissed as Sara for opening her big mouth in the first place. But it had been Jake's idea to bring her in first, so she really didn't have that much beef with her. "I take it you just found out."

"Oh, yeah," Sara replied. "Please tell me you've denied him of all sexual pleasure for the next decade."

"Try the next century," Vicky answered, pushing herself away from the desk and standing up. "What do we do about this?"

"I dunno. I'm still trying to get it to process in my mind," Sara said as she paced the concrete floor of the morgue. She was still reeling from her hangover and now this whole mess of having to perform in for of the whole precinct with only Vicky at her side. She was definitely going to get some good revenge for this, and soon. Her first thoughts had a little something to do with Super Glue and its many uses, but there were more elaborate schemes forming in her head at the moment involving some pretty elaborate costumes and music.

"Well, it is two hundred bucks a piece. I say we give them a show," Vicky responded. It was apparent that she had been thinking this over most of the night and all through the morning, waiting for the chance to tell someone.

"What do you have in mind?" Sara asked, figuring that her revenge would come soon enough, especially if Vicky had been planning it.

Rehearsals…

"I can't believe you're making me watch this stupid video again!" Sara whined as she sat on Vicky's couch watching the music video to the song they would be performing in a few days. This must have been the hundredth time she had seen it, and with each viewing, it seemed to get all the more annoying. But it was all part of the learning process if they were going to get these moves down pat by the time Sunday rolled around and their little bet would be over with. Both were determined to get the two hundred dollars Jake was offering, then spend it on things to make his life a living hell for the next month or so. 'Stupid rookie,' Sara thought, a smug grin coming across her lips, 'should have thought about what he was getting himself into.'

"Pay attention!" Vicky scolded when she noticed that Sara's mind was beginning to wander. She quickly snapped to attention. "This is where we're screwing up. See, right there, when Madonna's singing and Britney's dancing." The two had come a long way since they started practicing for this thing. They had half the moves of the video down, while the other have was being perfected. How both Sara and Vicky had managed such a feat in just a couple of days was beyond them, but they kept going, not letting their little successes distract them for too long.

At the moment, Vicky was watching the video, trying to imitate the movements Britney was making as she hummed the tune in her head. They had drawn straws to see who'd get which part the first day they had started their lessons, and as luck would have it, Sara got Britney's part while Vicky got Madonna's. Even though they were pretty much singing for the same amount of time, the emphasis was still on Sara since she was the one that made the initial bet. She couldn't have hated herself more for this. 'I'm never drinking again,' she silently vowed, even though she knew after the performance, the first thing she'd reach for was a very hard drink just to forget it even happened.

"Get up," Vicky said, realizing she would lose Sara if she didn't get her to move around. She took her hand and hoisted her up off the couch so they could start synchronizing their movements during this part of the song where the moves were virtually lost in the video.

"I hate this," Sara mumbled as she started to follow Vicky's lead and began dancing to this part of the song.

Before either of them had realized it, both were dancing together, doing the moves like they were old pros. It was just like the first time they had even tried to do these dance moves. They laughed when one screwed up a move, and pushed each other around when one would get in the other's way or take up too much space. Sara was having more fun than she could image, but she'd never let anyone besides Vicky know it. The guys would end up pushing her into doing this more often if they knew, something she was terrified of.

The light tingle in her wrist alerted Sara that someone was watching them, someone of the dark and deadly stalker kind she really didn't want to deal with at the moment. She didn't let Vicky on to her discover, only looked out the window and onto the fire escape where she was sure to find him, even though he could try his hardest to be invisible. She'd deal with him later. Right now, the music was more important, as were her dance moves. But her mind still wavered to the image of him standing at the fire escape laughing his ass off at what she was doing. Oh, she was gonna get hell for this, but she'd give it right back, no doubt about that. If he breathed even one word, and she'd shove it down his throat so fast, he'd never see it coming. The thought made Sara smile and her dancing improve.

"I think it's time to take a break," Vicky said as she flopped down on the couch and turned off the tape to start watching "prime time." Sara rolled her eyes. 'So typical,' she thought.

"Alright, well, I'm gonna go grab a breath of fresh air," Sara replied, getting up and making her way to the fire escape. "Mind if I step outside for a little while?"

"No, knock yourself out, but just be back soon or you're gonna get sick," Vicky warned before turning back to watching "CSI." Sara knew by that time she was dead to the world. Forensics was her thing, so naturally she gravitated towards those kinds of shows. With her out of the way, Sara opened the window and snuck out into the frigid night air. As a frosty breeze hit her face, she took a deep, comforting breath before turning around and facing her stalker head on. She was met with a soft pair of brown eyes gazing at her curiously.

Sara couldn't help but laugh at his expression, quickly breaking the tension before it got to both of them, something she hadn't expected doing. Then again, she was in a good mood, so maybe tonight would be the poor guy's lucky night. "Nottingham," she said his name with less anger than usual.

"Sara?" Ian nearly asked, still eyeing her suspiciously.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned, still not raising her voice. Before he got a chance to answer, she added, "The usual?"

"If the usual means watching over you, then yes," he answered. "And a little something more."

"You're wondering what the hell I'm doing, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Dancing."

"Oh."

"It was a stupid bet."

"Oh?"

"Don't ask."

"I won't."

"Good."

They stood in silence for a few moments, watching each other to see what would be said next, but no one said anything. It remained quiet, the light winter breeze whirling loose snow around their bodies in a beautiful show of nature. Sara began to shiver, feeling stupid for not grabbing her jacket to put over the sweat soaked tee shirt she had been wearing to this rehearsal. She wrapped her arms around herself, her gaze shifting to the skyline ahead of her. She was too absorbed in the beautiful sight before her that she didn't notice Ian take off his jacket until he was getting to wrap it around her. Startled, her gaze fell on him once more. He froze, wondering if what he had done was something he would regret, but she didn't say a word, and quickly snuggled into the warm coat.

"Thank you," Sara said, a slight smile appearing across her lips.

"You're welcome," Ian replied, glad that he hadn't received a tongue lashing for his actions.

Another strange silence fell between them, except this time it felt a little less tense than the first one. They seemed more relaxed with each other than they had ever been. Sara felt the need to speak, to break the silence before she got too comfortable with it, but she remained in that peaceful quietness, her eyes shifting from the man in black in front of her to the cityscape behind him. Everything was just so beautiful at the moment that a single word would shatter it all. She sighed and sat down on one of the steps close to the window. Beautiful moments weren't meant to last forever.

"So, what do you think about all this?" Sara finally asked.

"All of what?"

"What me and Vicky are doing? Do we look stupid?"

"Of course not," Ian answered. "You look marvelous."

"You're just trying to make me feel better."

"No, I'm not. It's the truth. Your body looks stunning as it moves in time with the music. If anything, you should do this more often."

The comment actually made Sara blush, and she tried to cover it with the sleeve of the jacket, but he could still see the twinkle in her eyes. She looked away, realizing that he had caught on, blushing all the harder. She was thankful that she could disguise it as the wind beating on her cheeks, but he already knew, so what was there to hide? "Would you like to come and see us perform Sunday?" she asked, not understanding why, but knowing that she had to. "I'd really like it if you came."

Ian stared at her as if she had just spoken some foreign language that he didn't understand. Was she really asking him to come to one of her social events as a guest, as something allowed to walk among her peers? The thought was absolutely ludicrous, but he nodded his head anything, realizing he'd never get this chance again. Sara smiled at him as she stood up and took off the jacket, handing it back to him before she climbed back into the apartment.

"Be there at seven, and don't be late. Don't wanna miss all the fun, do ya?" Sara winked as she stepped back inside, closing the door behind her.

Ian held his coat for a few minutes, letting everything sink in. Oh, this was definitely going to be a wonderful holiday season.

An early Christmas present…

Sunday morning started out like most Sunday mornings, except a few hours earlier. Sara was out of bed by seven, her coffee brewing by the time she got into the shower and her clothes for the rest of the day set out on her bed just to make things go all the more quicker. It was eight by the time she had reached Vicky's apartment. The rest of their morning was spent perfecting their moves and practicing singing the lyrics. Both were utterly out of tune, but that didn't deter them from their goal of making the two hundred dollars Jake had put on the table if they went through with the bet. The other half of the day was spent looking for the perfect outfits at the last place Sara wanted to be… the mall. Four days until Christmas and the place was already packed with people. She hated crowds, and this wasn't the way to get over her fear.

"We should have gotten this done with the first day, but no, you decided to leave it until the last minute," Sara accusingly pointed at Vicky as they walked through the overcrowded plaza.

"Oh, shut up," Vicky shot back.

Neither of them was in a really good mood that morning, and realizing the fact that they were going to make asses out of themselves for being horrible singers heavily hung over their heads as they continued to push through the crowd. This was not going to be the wonderful experience they were planning on, and even though their plan for getting revenge against Jake was already thought out and plotted to the very last detail couldn't put a smile on either one's face.

"Okay, one more store, and if we don't find anything, I guess we'll just have to grab something out of my closet and make it look good," Vicky said, her tone defeated and tired. She really wanted to get the hell out of here and soon. Sara nodded her agreement, pushing past another flock of shoppers that had stopped in front of them in order to get into the last store they'd look through before heading home, defeated. Their search had taken them nowhere, and now both were stuck looking through Vicky's old clothes to see if anything tasteful would still fit either one of them.

By four, both were exhausted, and pissed off. They had found some pretty tacky old clothes they knew would only add to their humiliation. Vicky had picked out a tight black leather mini skirt that barely concealed the dental floss she was wearing as underwear with a fuzzy pink long sleeved shirt from back in the eight grade that miraculously still fit her. Sara somewhat matched her, wearing a red leather mini skirt and a tight black shirt that clung to her like plastic wrap. Both had luckily found matching knee high hooker boots, but they still felt stupid. They decided to take one more look around Sara's closet before they made their decision, and quickly headed over to her place.

Before putting the key in the door, Sara made sure to clarify one thing, "Believe me when I say I have nothing in my closet except for jeans, tee shirts, and sweaters."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm still gonna look through it," Vicky replied as Sara threw open the door. She walked past her and into her bedroom. "Hey, what's this package on your bed?" she asked, noting the mysterious box that lay on the clean white sheets.

Sara walked up beside her to find the large box, wrapped in silver paper and a big silver bow on top, sitting there on her bed as if it belonged there, beckoning her to open it. 'Nottingham,' she instantly thought, a smile coming across her face. He had probably been following them the whole day.

"Well, are you gonna open it or should I do the honors?" Vicky questioned, picking it up and shaking it.

"Give me that," Sara was quick to take it away from her before she started making anymore assumptions. She pulled the bow off and gently popped open the top to reveal a beautiful black suit exactly like the one Britney wore in the video with matching hat, shoes, and other accessories. She gasped, unable to contain her excitement and relief that she didn't have to wear the other outfit that she had found over at Vicky's. She took the marvelous garment out of the box to reveal even more beneath it. This time it was Madonna's white suit from the video.

"Holy shit," Vicky barely whispered. "Is that for me?"

"I think so," Sara replied, unable to look at her as she gazed at the outfit in her hands.

"Oh, my God! Did you read the tag? It's Dolce and Gabanna! Where did you get these?" Vicky questioned, utterly stunned at the clothes she was holding in her hands. She carefully place them on top of the bed as if they were a new born baby before she looked over at Sara, scrutinizing her every action and reaction to what she was seeing. "So, do you have a boyfriend you've neglected to tell me about? Or is it just some secret admirer who happens to have a key to your apartment?"

"I… don't know," Sara replied, still amazed. These clothes must have cost a fortune. What the hell was Ian thinking?

"Or was it that guy that seemed to follow us all day, the really cute one in all that black who I remember calling a pirate a while back ago," Vicky quickly hit on the subject, throwing Sara into a tizzy as her face turned bright red. "Oh! It was him! Alright, out with it. Who is he? Are you seeing him? Have you had sex? Is he available? Can I have his number?"

"He's just a friend," Sara confessed. "I don't know and haven't done the rest."

"Well, if you two don't start going out soon, I'm gonna steal him from you," Vicky warned in a playful tone.

Sara sighed. She couldn't believe he had done this. She was going to have to have a long talk with him that evening after the show, to thank him and to scold him for what he had done, but at the moment, she let those thoughts drift as she headed to the bathroom to change into the beautiful clothes.

When she emerged a few minutes later, she was met with a whistle and the comment, "Well, if it isn't the anti-Britney."

Sara laughed and looked over at Vicky to see her dressed as well. "And aren't you the anti-Madonna," she commented. They both laughed at their comments as they stood before each other, excited to look so good.

"Please tell me these were gifts and I don't have to return them to their rightful owners," Vicky said as she glanced at herself in Sara's mirror.

"I think it's pretty safe to say that they were gifts," Sara replied as she looked herself over as well. The overall effect was stunning. Even though both women were brunettes, they could easily pass as the people they were impersonating. "I wonder if I can dance in these shoes," Sara pondered out loud.

"Why don't you try?" Vicky replied, going over to Sara's CD player and popping in the CD they had been listening to all week. They tried their first few moves and were surprised to find that the heels they wore didn't bother them as much as they thought they would.

"I think it's safe to say that tonight is gonna be a wonderful night," Sara declared as she glanced over at the clock to see it was almost time for them to start heading out to the precinct for the party.

"Oh, yeah," Vicky replied, holding her hand up for a high five, which Sara reciprocated.

"Let's go!"

Let's dance all night long…

Sara was pacing around the empty gymnasium floor, her nerves a mess, her nails almost completely chewed away. What the hell had she been thinking taking this bet? She was better off paying Jake the money than being humiliated like this. But she knew, deep down inside, it would all work out in the end. Even the Witchblade was humming that night, buzzing with excitement as she continued to pace the floor, her heels clicking and echoing as the long overcoat she wore to conceal her outfit flowed behind like a train.

Taking a quick look around the empty gym, Sara tried to spot her favorite stalker, but he still wasn't anywhere to be seen. Was he even going to show that night? Well, he had to. After all, he had paid for the outfits. Why wouldn't he come? Sara didn't know, continuing to bite her nails as she paced the floor.

Vicky sat behind her on a large speaker beside the DJ booth. They were the only live entertainment that night, and it showed. She too, was dressed in a long overcoat which she wrapped around herself like a second skin, shivering even as a blast of hot air from the vents above hit her body. She was just as nervous as Sara, if not more. "Quit pacing!" she growled at Sara, unable to stand the clacking of her heels any longer. "You're driving me nuts!"

"I'm sorry!" Sara shot back, plopping herself down on the speaker beside Vicky. She ran a hand through her overly stressed locks and asked, "How's my hair?"

Vicky looked over at her and replied, "You look fine. Stop worrying," as she fixed a few of the strands to calm herself down as well.

"Only if you do," Sara said with a smile as she stuck out her hand.

"Deal," Vicky answered, shaking it just as the door flew open and Jake, along with a large crowd of other people, came walking in.

"Is everybody ready for a PAR-TAY!" he was yelling as people cheered behind him. It was finally time.

Sara and Vicky stood up and walked to their places on the makeshift stage beside the DJ's booth. They put on a pair of microphones that wouldn't inhibit their movements when they began dancing and looked at each other, waiting for the lights to shine on them and the music to start before they took off their coats.

"Here goes nothing," Sara whispered as she closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath while Vicky did the same beside her.

"Why don't we start this party off with a little live entertainment?" Jake asked his crowd of followers. "I've got a great surprise for all of you. Performing 'Me Against The Music,' our own Sara Pezzini and Vicky Po!"

At that moment, Sara and Vicky glanced at each other for reassurance.

All my people in the crowd
Grab a partner take it down!

They both began singing, queuing the DJ to start playing the music for them at that moment.

[S:] It's me against the music
[V:] Uh uh
[S:] It's just me
[V:] And me
[S:] Yeah
[V:] C'mon
[V:] Hey Sara?
[S:] Are you ready?
[V:] Uh uh, are you?

The first few seconds of the song were spent standing there, heads down, eyes cast away from the crowd, coats still hanging around them until Sara began the first chorus. She threw off her coat to reveal the outfit beneath. She heard the gasp come from the crowd, the most prominent being that of Jake and Danny, and her confidence immediately grew, along with the smile on her face. She stole a quick glance over at Vicky to see that she had also thrown off her coat and was sporting the same fantastic smile as she was. They were definitely ready to take on the crowd, and Jake, tonight.

[S&V:] No one cares
[S:] It's whippin' my hair, it's pullin' my waist
[S&V:] To hell with stares
[S:] The sweat is drippin' all over my face
[S&V:] No one's there
[S:] I'm the only one dancin' up in this place
[S&V:] Tonight I'm here
[S:] Feel the beat of the drum, gotta get with that bass
[S:] I'm up against the speaker, tryin' to take on the music
[S:] It's like a competition, me against the beat
[S:] I wanna get in a zone, I wanna get in a zone
[S:] If you really wanna battle, saddle up and get your rhythm
[S:] Tryin' to hit it, you could die
[S:] In a minute I'm a take a you on, I'm a take a you on
[S&V:] Hey, hey, hey

They began dancing at the start of the first chorus, timidly at first, but with confidence growing with every line Sara sang alone. She could feel all eyes were on her, and the adrenaline going through her body at that moment easily rivaled any face off she had with a criminal. Her heart thundered within her chest as she hammered out the lyrics all while dancing in her three inch heels without so much as missing a single step. This was getting to be a lot of fun, and judging by the smile on Vicky's face, she was having fun too. They continued to sing and dance without inhibition until the chorus.

Sara and Vicky's plan for revenge took shape the moment they began to sing the chorus. That had been Vicky's queue to grab Jake out of the audience and bring him on stage with them. When Vicky pulled him in, Sara could see the sparkle in her eyes. She was going to take as much pleasure out of this as she was, if not more. Sara grinned.

They each slid up against him, rubbing their bodies all over his, watching him lose control to the point where their movements controlled him. The devilish gleam in Sara's eyes and a quick nod of her head gave Vicky all the power as she pried herself away from Jake to finish singing the chorus whole Vicky grabbed his shirt collar and dragged him off the "stage" to a more secluded area behind the curtain. It was there that the rest of the plan would finish taking shape.

Vicky was quick to put it in action since her part of the song was coming up soon. She turned off her microphone and gently nuzzled up against his neck, leaving a light trail of kisses in her wake. By now Jake was breathing hard, his eyes glazed over with desire as he watched her, felt her. She made her way to his ear and whispered, "I'm sorry for giving you the cold shoulder. How can I make it up to you? I know, how 'bout a quickie right here, right now?"

Jake's eyes widened as he looked down at her. What he failed to see what the deception in her eyes as he grabbed his belt and started taking off his pants. Vicky continued to grin as she watched, waited, and listened for her queue. With her luck, he'd be naked in seconds at this rate. The grin on her face grew.

Meanwhile, Sara faced her own little trials and tribulations out on stage, alone, with no one at her side. She continued to sing, but the panic in the pit of her stomach grew. She knew it would only be moments before Vicky came back with their own little surprise for the audience, but it felt like an eternity. Just as she was about to give in to the fear, a flash of black in the corner of her eye distracted her. She glanced in the direction it came from to find Ian standing to the side of the crowd, watching her, a smile on his face.

Sara's confidence came back full swing. She was thankful not to be alone anymore, and happy to see that he had actually made it. Now, if only the thoughts of what she'd say to him about the outfits would drift out of her mind…

[S&V:] All my people on the floor
[S:] Let me see you dance
[V:] Let me see ya
[S&V:] All my people wantin' more
[S:] Let me see you dance
[V:] I wanna see ya
[S&V:] All my people round and round
[S:] Let me see you dance
[V:] Let me see ya
[S&V:] All my people in the crowd
[S:] Let me see you dance
[V:] I wanna see ya
[S&V:] So how would you like a friendly competition
[S&V:] Let's take on the song
[S:] Let's take on the song, let's take on the song
[S&V:] It's you and me baby, we're the music
[S&V:] Time to party all night long
[S:] All night long
[V:] Yeah, let's go!

Jake was nearly naked when the chorus ended. Vicky's part of the song was coming up soon. She gave Jake a quick kiss on the cheek before turning around and running back to the stage where Sara stood alone. She looked quite happy from where Vicky was standing, which only meant one thing… The "pirate" had shown up. She glanced over in the direction Sara kept turning to see him standing there, as gorgeous as ever in all black, making her smile as well.

[S&V:] Get on the floor, baby lose control
[S&V:] Just work your body and let it go
[S&V:] If you wanna party, just grab somebody
[V:] Hey Sara
[S&V:] We can dance all night long
[V:] Hey Sara, you say you wanna lose control
[V:] Come over here I got somethin' to show ya

Finally, it was time to really get this party started. Vicky grabbed the curtain and pulled it back, unable to help the grin that now completely took over her face. She heard the crowd gasp and looked out to see what she had revealed. Jake was right where she had left him, naked and surprised like a bat out of hell. He did his best to try and cover himself, but the damage had already been done. The crowd was laughing as Vicky continued to sing the rest of the song with Sara.

[V:] Sexy lady, I'd rather see you bare your soul
[V:] If you think you're so hot, better show me what you got
[V:] All my people in the crowd, let me see you dance
[V:] C'mon Sara lose control, watch you take it down
[S&V:] Get on the floor, baby lose control
[S&V:] Just work your body and let it go
[S&V:] If you wanna party, just grab somebody
[V:] Hey Sara
[S&V:] We can dance all night long

At that moment, Sara had her own little bright idea. She walked over to the side of the stage where Ian had conveniently concealed himself and grabbed his hand, pulling him up there along with her. The look on his face was priceless. Shock was the first thing she saw register in his eyes, followed by disbelief, and finally embarrassment. She smiled at him, continuing to sing as she led him towards Vicky. Sara turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, her body grinding against his as she closed her eyes, singing like there was no tomorrow. It was fun giving him that brief moment of spontaneity that he probably never would have experienced if it wasn't for her.

Sara opened her eyes after finishing the last chorus and watched him as she danced. She could feel that he had placed his arms around her as well and was moving with her. Their eyes made contact, and almost instantly the world seemed to melt away. Ian actually looked happy for once, and the smile on her face turned into a bright grin as she leaned closer, flattening herself against him as Vicky finished the song by herself as if she didn't know that Sara had stopped.

[V:] All my people in the crowd, let me see you dance
[V:] C'mon Sara take it down, make the music dance
[V:] All my people round and round, party all night long
[V:] C'mon Sara lose control, watch you take it down

When the music stopped, Sara closed her eyes and leaned closer, her lips pouted ready for that inevitable kiss. She could feel Ian's lips press against hers for a few moments before he pulled away, his uncertainty getting to the better of him. She pulled him back in, knowing she'd regret it if she didn't, and finished the kiss just the way she had imagined it with all other guys; lots of lip, a little bit of tongue, and plenty of fire and passion. When they pulled away from each other, Sara found it pretty hard to breathe. She was dazed, but absolutely elated, and with the crowd cheering in the background, the moment couldn't have been any better. Even Vicky was looking at them and clapping. She walked over to them and wrapped her arms around Sara for a giant hug. The bet was over and they had won their money, along with a whole lot more.

"Thank you," Sara whispered into Ian's ear as he led her off the "stage" and towards a more secluded area of the gym. She let Vicky grab the attention for the performance as they found a nice little niche in the wall, continuing the kiss that they had started during the performance.

"You know," Sara said as she pulled away for a few breaths of air, "You really didn't have to get us these outfits. We had some already picked out."

"Sure you did," Ian replied skeptically. "I saw you put on those clothes, and the disdain on your face was enough to tell me you hated it, so I knew I had to intervene before your humiliation became infamous. I hope you're not angry with me."

All Sara could do was smile and say, "Thank you for saving my social life." She then leaned in and started to kiss him again.

"You're welcome," he answered between rounds.

Now I ain't worried about a thang cause I just hit me a lick
I got a fat sack and a superfly chick
That ain't makin you a thing to a playa
Cause doowop, she fly like the planes in the air
That's right she's full grown settin the wrong tone
I'm diggin the energy and I'm lovin the o-zone
So fly like a dove so fly like a raven
Quick to politic with some fly conversation
In a natural mood then I'm a natural dude
And we some natural fools blowin out by the pool
She like my sexy-coo mama with blades on her berata
Rockin Dolce Gabbana with high-drows and a iguana

"Let's dance," Sara whispered as she took Ian's hand and led him away from their hiding place. They made their way through the crowd, being careful not to get all that noticed as she found a perfect spot, her arms wrapping around him as his wrapped around hers, and began to dance slowly.

"Merry Christmas, Sara," Ian said quietly into her ear as her chin found a nice resting place on his shoulder.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Ian," she replied, saying his first name as a last shock for the evening.

You got me lifted shifted higher than a ceiling
And ooh wee it's the ultimate feeling
You got me lifted feeling so gifted
Sugar how you get so fly?
Sugar sugar how you get so fly?
Sugar sugar how you get so fly?
Sugar sugar how you get so fly?
Sugar sugar how you get so fly?