"I can't believe you pulled this together in a couple of hours," Marco shook his head at Paige. Their house was packed with friends, friends of friends and almost strangers, all dolled up for the New Year.

"I know! This is ridiculous! And you got guys! Hot guys! Hot single guys that seem to be in my league!" Ellie tried to keep her voice down, but widened her eyes with excitement at her friends.

"Hun, you would be amazed at the things I can pull off with a blackberry, mobile facebook, and a few free minutes," Paige rolled her eyes and sipped from her plastic cup of keg beer. "This is tame."

She had strutted into Squatch Wear in one of the most fashionable get ups she had, complete with boots, dress coat, full hair and make up and her briefcase looking every inch Pre-Banting-Paige. She topped her look off with a stand-by accessory, a pink scarf tied around her neck to hide the evidence of just-made-up love. To Jimmy's amazement, she wowed the buyers, closing deals with three new boutiques, and on her post business deal high, made the decision that it was New Years Eve, damnit, and they had all best be partying tonight. You know what? Let's do it at my house. Some phone calls, a few profile blitzes, an IM or two and she had the house full of everyone who was anyone and their guests glammed up for the stroke of twelve.

"I'm just glad you're back," Marco kissed her cheek.

"Me too," Ellie draped an arm around each of their shoulders and pulled them in for a hug.

"Thanks, guys. I know I was sort of awful for a while. I'm really sorry," Paige fidgeted with her cup, running her fingers up and own the side.

"Please, all in the past. The worst part of all of that was that it was clear you felt like hell and there was nothing we could do about it!" Ellie said a little too loudly.

"Are you drunk?" Paige asked her flatly.

"Probably. Almost." Ellie paused to take another sip. "Yes." She tacked on, nodding her head firmly. Paige and Marco burst into laughter. It was so nice. The three of them felt like themselves again. Maybe even more than themselves. It was one of those moments where they realized they had grown a little.

"Hey," Marco said, scanning the crowd. "Where's Alex?"

"She's here," Paige glanced over her shoulder. "She was in the kitchen a few minutes ago," she pointed.

-------------------------

"So? Huh? Come on!" Mel joked, giving Alex playful jabs in the stomach. Alex had a beer and a grin she was trying to suppress as she leaned coolly against the kitchen counter.

"Shut up," Alex swatted at Mel, but couldn't stop blushing.

"Lexi, seriously. You owe this girl the details," Jay joked, taking a swig of his beer. "She's been at me ALL DAY. 'Do you think they made up, Jay? Do you think everything is okay? She hasn't called me, has she called you? JASON. Are you listening to me? Should we go over there? BLAH!' It's killing me!" Jay rolled his eyes, mocking Mel's voice in a high pitched tone.

"Oh bullshit, I never called you Jason," Mel pointed sternly at him.

"The lady speaks the truth," Jay gave her a hug around her shoulders. "So spill it, Lex. Did you and Paigey have it out and apologize and say you're sorry and all is forgiven and now you're bestest girlfriends again?" Jay raised a brow. Alex wasn't listening to him. She was looking into the living room, a half smile spreading on her face.

Paige was smiling back.

"Yeah," Alex shrugged. "Something like that."

"Oh my god, you guys totally did it," Mel gasped, a hand over her mouth.

"WHAT!" Alex squawked, suddenly back in the conversation.

"You did!" Mel was gawking. Jay was trying to remain indifferent but on the inside wanted to squeal along with Mel.

Finally.

"How the fuck did you know that?" Alex snapped.

"You have the look of a woman who did it," Mel replied matter of factly. "I know these things."

"She does," Jay nodded.

"You two are ridiculous!" Alex hissed.

"So did you do it?" Mel kept teasing.

"Yes!" Alex grumbled. She almost looked pissed off. She was too busy trying not to grin to look honestly mad.

"And it's cool that you did it, right?" Mel asked slower this time. She and Jay both looked serious. They looked like they'd start shit if something wasn't cool about the doing it at hand.

"Yeah, of course it is," Alex blushed. She actually looked shy. It reassured both of them. "It's great. We're in a good place, everything is cool." Alex nodded slowly, believing herself more and more now that she was saying it out loud.

"So…is she like… the girlfriend?" Mel raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"We're working it out," Alex shrugged. "Girlfriend is a title. Kind of a label. Neither of us are really interested in using either right now," Alex looked back up again to where Paige was standing across the way. She was dancing with Marco and laughing really hard, her head tilted back.

-------------------------

"So," Marco trailed off, pulling Paige close to him and taking one of her hands, leading her around the living room floor in a sarcastic waltz. It didn't mesh with the hip hop beats coming from the stereo but both of them were feeling tipsy and too happy to care how silly they looked.

"Yes, dear Marco?" Paige giggled.

"I see you have your life back on track, and your room's clean," he spun her around and pulled her back in. "Is that sex life coming along?"

"Marco!" Paige scoffed, looking away with red cheeks. "Frankly, that is none of your business."

"Have I told you how obvious your scarf is yet?" Marco joked, dipping Paige with a goofy grin.

"Obviously fashionable!" Paige joked right back.

-----------------------

"Well, Man, another year is coming to a close," Spinner said, his voice melancholy as he watched Paige and Alex smile away as they played drinking games against Jay and Mel.

"Yeah," Jimmy sighed through a smile before taking another swig from his beer. "I think it was a long one, but a good one," Jimmy shrugged.

"It certainly had a few ups," Spinner tried to fight a smile as he recalled his one night of brief passion with Paige. "But mostly downs," he tacked on sourly as she playfully grabbed Alex and gave her a huge kiss full of giggles and smiles on her cheek.

"Shut up, Dude. This year was pretty great," Jimmy tried. "And check it out. We have a sweet job and a really great line of clothes that people dig. I never would have done any of this without your help."

"Yeah, yeah, no need to get all mushy on me," Spinner joked.

"And I mean, you had a good run with Darcy?" Jimmy tried again.

"Which crashed and burned in a hypocritical flame," Spinner nodded.

"And you got to come back to school."

"Please, keep bringing THAT up," Spinner rolled his eyes.

"You got to have one last hurrah?" Jimmy nodded his head at Paige and lowered his voice.

"I guess it's better to have loved and lost and all that shit, right?" Spinner shrugged.

"Cheers," Jimmy held up his red cup. Spinner clinked his beer against it and they both drank.

"So what's your New Year's Resolution?" Spinner asked after a short lull.

"I was thinking about running a marathon," Jimmy joked.

"Come on, Ass. Tell me," Spinner laughed.

"Alright," Jimmy paused in thought. "My New Year's Resolution is to get my line in five new stores," Jimmy pointed a finger to finalize his choice.

"That resolution is dumb," Spinner waved a hand.

"Alright smart guy," Jimmy replied. "What's yours?"

"Well?" Spinner took a long look at Paige. "My New Year's Resolution is to stop being such an idiot so I don't feel like this next New Years Eve," Spinner gave Jimmy a look. Jimmy just smiled back at him.

"Well then drink up and screw up now, cause you've only got a few more hours of this year left!" He patted Spinner on the shoulder and they both drank from their cups.

-----------------------

"My New Year's Resolution," Ellie began, totally yelling and totally in the arms of a hunky bookish junior from the core she didn't know very well but would love to know better. "Is to stop being so timid when it comes to boys!"

"Here, here!" Blond With Glasses with his hand on her hip raised his cup.

"No!, Come on, don't be a jerk," Ellie laughed. "I mean it! I don't want to be pushed around anymore! I want to be a strong woman, damnit!" Ellie raised her glass.

"I hear that!" a few of the girls from the core spoke up.

"Mine is to find yet another perfect hair cut, and to allow myself more funtime during the semester!" Marco clinked his cup against hers. "No more of this boring Marco and Ellie studying and floor scrubbing on weekends! We're going to have fun this year!" Marco whooped. Ellie joined him. They carried their declarations of Resolutions through the living room to get their coats to head out for a smoke.

"New Year's Resolutions, huh?" Jay looked up as the crew stumbled past. "What's yours?" he asked Mel.

"Save money, exercise more and drink more water," Mel said quickly and mechanically.

"Hun, that's the most generic New Year's Resolution I've ever heard," Paige made a face.

"What can I say? I'm generic," Mel held her hands up. "I think resolutions are silly anyway. Everybody breaks them."

"Well MY New Year's Resolution is to beat the old Mario 3 start to finish, no whistles, find the perfect honey mustard sauce, and get more gas mileage out of my civic," Jay nodded in affirmation.

"Wow, Babe. Setting those goals high," Mel joked, taking his cheeks in her hands.

"I do spend my days thinking of all the important things," Jay grinned at her, then kissed her nose.

"My New Year's Resolution is to stop being a holy mess," Paige offered a tight lipped smile. She felt Alex's hand slide over her lower back. "Of which I am only minorly embarrassed about in front of you guys, but my other resolution is to stop being embarrassed about being a former mess in front of the rest of the world," Paige added with a more genuine smile this time.

"Heavy stuff, Michaelchuck," Jay nodded, impressed.

"Good!" Mel nodded once sharply to let Paige know she supported her. "And if any of those yuppies give you a hard time? Fuck 'em!"

"What about you?" Paige turned to Alex, leaning into her a bit.

"I, uh, hadn't really thought about it," Alex shrugged, hiding her discomfort in a swig of beer.

"What! Come on, you gotta have one," Paige pushed, poking Alex in the ribs, making her flinch.

"No, not really. I don't," Alex shrugged again.

"She must already HAVE the perfect honey mustard," Jay scowled.

"No resolution, Lex?" Mel raised a brow.

"You don't have one either," Alex shot back.

"Yeah, but that's because I'm boring and predictable. We've been over this. You're smart and deep. Smart and deep women make New Year's Resolutions," Mel gestured at Alex with her drink.

"I still have an hour to think of one," Alex shrugged and took another drink.

"Hurry up!" Mel chided. She grabbed Jay by the hand. "Come on, Babe. Let's smoke a butt and leave these two lovebirds alone," Mel rolled her eyes sarcastically. Paige and Alex both blushed.

"I, uh," Alex stammered once Jay and Mel were gone.

"Told them we-"

"Yeah." Alex bit her lower lip hoping Paige wasn't mad.

"You know," Paige took Alex's drink out of her hand and set both of them on the kitchen counter. "My room's right there," Paige lowered her voice and nodded towards her door. She was talking close to Alex's ear over the noise of the party. Her hand was in Alex's back pocket.

"NOW?" Alex yelped.

"I mean, if you don't WANT to, we can just-"

"I didn't say that!" Alex jumped on Paige's words.

"Maybe your resolution should be to start saying what you mean," Paige joked.

"I don't play games, Paigey. Lead the way," Alex pointed at the door.

---------------------

"Alright! Come on, come on! Everyone get in here! It's almost time!" Marco shouted, herding people into the living room and kitchen. Ellie and her new pack of Junior boyfriends were pouring cheap champagne into cups and handing it out. There were two minutes till midnight and everyone at the party was rowdy and drunk and getting as close to the TV as possible.

"Come on!" Paige grabbed Alex's hand and scooped up two plastic cups of champagne with the other. She pulled her close and giggled as their noses bumped, then handed one of the cups to Alex. They were being publicly snuggly, had flushed faces from their impromptu romp, and Paige forgot to add her pink scarf upon her re-entry to the party, but nobody seemed to care. Their friends thought it was great, their acquaintances were polite enough to smile and let it roll off, and the guys there that didn't know them thought it was hot, so everybody won.

"Get some champagne!" Alex whacked Jay on the arm. Mel bounded over with two cups over her head, using her bartender voice to shout EXCUSE ME at men twice her size.

"I fuckin' love New Year's Eve!" Mel shouted once she reached them.

"Come on! It's almost time!" Ellie shouted. She was standing on the coffee table and pouring cups and passing them into the crowd. Paige's lips worked into a half smile just watching her. She was having such a blast and she looked magnificent. That green dress was from Paige's closet, and looked way better on Ellie anyway. Maybe she should let her keep it. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Paige felt she'd done Ellie a favor by fooling around with Jesse that handful of times. He was bad news for Ellie, and once Paige had been there, Ellie had no desire to ever go back again. Tonight she looked free, happy and excited about everything. Part of that was the blanket of confidence that kegs of cheap beer cloaked her in, but part of it was the magic of New Year's Eve. She just hoped it would carry over into the morning. She liked this new Ellie.

"Does everyone have a cup?" Marco shouted. He was on a chair looking over the crowd. He was so cute. So organized. Paige's smile spread to a full one as she raised her glass at him. He gave her the warmest smile back. She and Alex were in one another's arms right in the middle of the floor.

"Happy New Year, Bro," Jimmy raised his glass to Spinner. Spinner finally softened from his sullen sulk he'd been sucked into all night. It was moments like this one that really made him thankful for who Jimmy was. Jimmy had every right to have written him off, but he took him back. He let him have the second chance he needed. He loved him for it. They were doing great with everything despite all the shit that went down between and around them. Maybe the year hadn't been so bad. Maybe it was actually kinda good.

Maybe, all things considered, it was one of the best he'd had in a while.

"You too, Jimmy," Spinner patted Jimmy on the shoulder. They both tried not to admit to themselves that they were having a moment, but it was one of those inevitable warm smile moments when you realize something's been learned. They both laughed to take the seriousness out of it, but both of them knew it was there.

"Ladies? That happiest of New Years," Jay tipped his black ball cap to Alex, Paige, and lastly Mel. Never in his wildest dreams would he have seen himself where he was a few years back. He was in the arms of a beautiful woman who WASN'T Alex at a party completely full of preppy college kids and a complete void of illegal drugs in Paige Michaelchuck's apartment. He chuckled to himself. He wasn't nearly as big of a fuck up as everyone expected. His bills were all in on time. He was on deck for assistant manager at the garage. His best friend was really pulling her life together and dating a former cheerleader turned ivy league renegade.

And he had a really sweet, really smart, happy, healthy, beautiful girlfriend that loved him back.

He kissed Mel's cheek and tried not to let on how lucky he was feeling all of a sudden.

"Right back atcha," Alex tipped her cup at him. She hadn't stopped smiling in hours. Maybe since she woke up. She didn't expect to stop for days. Everything felt so good. And so real. Her friendship with Jay and Mel felt deeper than partners and crime, work buddies or drug traders. They opened themselves completely to her and let her right into their home. She, in turn, had done the unthinkable and admitted she needed their help. The change in her attitude and image since she moved in a few weeks ago was visible. She felt part of something. She felt safe. It was new, and it was different, but it felt good.

And Paige.

Finally, it was all real with Paige.

She had her arm draped around Paige's shoulder as they strained to get a look at the ball dropping on TV. It didn't really matter, it was all kind of the same every year. This year it would be different because of who she kissed at midnight. Whose hand she was holding right now. Whose hair she could smell and whose jeans she was wearing because she hadn't even been home yet. Whose bed she was going to sleep in tonight.

Alex had never felt so perfect in her entire life. She took her own moment to try and think of any time she ever felt better.

Nothing came.

"TEN!" Marco shouted.

"I thought of a resolution," Alex shouted over the counting.

"NINE! EIGHT!"

"Yeah?" Paige turned and looked startled, up at Alex. She was drunk, it was in her eyes, but shit did she look happy too. Alex involuntarily held her tighter.

"SEVEN! SIX!"

"Yeah!" Alex shouted.

"FIVE! FOUR!"

"What is it?" Paige shouted back.

"THREE! TWO!"

"To remember how happy I am right now," Alex tried not to blush at her less-than-tough resolution. Paige stared blankly back.

"ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" The entire party shouted out. Champagne was chugged, everyone shared kisses and hugs and shouts of a Happy New Year. Ellie drunkenly started a messy chorus of Old Lang Synge. Paige dropped her cup to the floor, still stunned by Alex's honesty and reached up with both hands to catch Alex's cheeks. She pushed one of the most earnest kisses against Alex's lips.

"I could never hope for anything else," Paige smiled, her arms lazily around Alex's neck. Alex looked down shyly, not meeting Paige's eyes at first. She had her shy smile on. The one where Paige was being almost too sweet. "And you know what?" Paige said thoughtfully, if not a little drunk.

"What," Alex laughed the word out. Paige couldn't remember the last time Alex looked that pretty. Maybe it was the light, maybe it was the smile, maybe it was Paige's make up she was wearing, or just maybe it was the way they felt.

"I don't think this scares the crap out of me as much as it used to," Paige finally stated. Alex looked right at her, suddenly serious.

"Really?" her words were low and hard to hear.

"Yeah, really," Paige nodded slowly. "So I hope your mind is changed, too."

"It's on its way," Alex shrugged, a playful smile on.

"I guess that's all I can ask," Paige sighed through a goofy smile.

"Happy New Year, Paige," Alex squeezed her into a hug. She pulled back and tried to control her smile as she looked Paige over.

"Happy New Us, Hun," Paige smiled even wider before pulling Alex in for another kiss.

The End

--------------------------

I don't really know much about author's notes, or if this is even how you write them, but I hope it is. If not, I think this will work.

I just wanted to extend an honest thanks to anyone who has read this piece, even if you haven't reviewed. But to all of my reviewers, one-time to faithfully posting every chapter, I can't say enough how touched I am by what nice things everyone has to say.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this and that I did some of your favorite Canadians justice. I had a really excellent time writing this piece, and I didn't really expect to ever do more with it than experiment for few chapters to practice some character development skills that were new to me. With the responses I was getting, I felt like it needed to be finished, and I had a blast.

Thanks again, everybody.

Hurricane Jane