****So this chapter would take place sometime in the new book, because Stevie would be 13 and Mellissa would be 10 and Annabelle would now be there. This chapter arose because of one of the gifts Skylar gave Death, my daughter came up with the whole name a star after him thing and then Mellissa's little outburst. We also wanted Mellissa to go wake Logan up at some point in time and her to do the snowman song, so I added that to the beginning of the chapter.****

“Mellissa, can you please go get Logan so we can start this meeting?”

Mellissa scooted off the couch and headed for the door to go get Logan at Storm’s direction. “Sure Storm, I’ll be right back!”

She hurried down the hallway, across the foyer and raced up the stairs. Once she’d made it to the door of Logan’s room she raised her hand to knock and froze with her hand poised in front of the door, suddenly struck by inspiration, a giant grin lit up her face. She rapped lightly on the door and spoke as soon as she’d finished knocking.

“Logan? Do you want to build a snowman?”

His voice sounded from inside the room at her question. “Hell no! Go away Mellissa! What the Hell, it isn’t even snowing outside!”

She ignored him as if he hadn’t spoken. “Come on, let’s go and play!”

“NO! Are you even listening to me?”

She kept right on singing. “I never see you anymore! Come out the door!”

“You saw me last night at dinner! Go away or you bet your little butt I’ll come out there all right!”

“It’s like you’ve gone away!”

“I haven’t gone anywhere you little twit! I’m talking to you through the flipping door!” he bellowed at her.

Still she sang, really getting into it now. “We used to be best buddies and now we’re not. I wish you’d tell me why!”

“We were never best buddies! You’re annoying, short, annoying, you leave whip cream cans everywhere, you’re annoying, and you steal the TV remote every five minutes. Oh and did I mention YOU’RE ANNOYING! Now go away!”

“You said annoying more than once Logan. But anyway … Do you want to build a snowman? It doesn’t have to be a snowman …”

“GO AWAY MELLISSA!” he screamed through the door at her.

She sighed and her shoulders slumped. “Okay bye …”

“Thank God!” Logan muttered.

Mellissa shrugged as she skipped back down the hallway and headed for Storm’s office. Oh well, she’d tried! Storm couldn’t blame her for Logan not being at the meeting. She hummed the rest of the song as she ran back to the office and through the door. “He won’t come out of his room, I really tried! Honest!” She climbed back into her spot on the couch next to Stevie, grinning widely at Storm as she did.

“Well, I’ll just have to speak to him later then. So, let’s just get to it then. I wanted to let you all know that I’m giving you this week off for Valentine’s Day. This way you can make some plans to go visit your families or you know …” she trailed off awkwardly waving a hand in the air.

A’Cadia raised her brows wiggling them at Storm. “Go on some hot dates?”

Storm actually blushed. “Yes, I suppose so. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, all of you out of my office.”

Everyone started getting up and leaving the office, glad the meeting was over and no one was in trouble, the usual reason they were called to Storm’s office.

Mellissa grinned at Stevie and leaned toward him. “Wanna go on a hot date with me Stevie?”

He leaned away from her and scowled. “No! I’m gonna take Annabelle out!”

She glared at him. “Why on earth would you want to do that?”

He stood and stared down at her. “Because I like her Mellissa. I don’t know why you can’t seem to understand that.”

Mellissa made an exasperated sound as she watch him walk out of the room. When Annabelle stopped in front of her she had the urge to tackle her and rip the other girl’s hair out, but she didn’t, mostly because Storm was watching her closely. She really, really disliked the other girl. The fact that she had somehow managed to accomplish that when the other girl’s power was the power to make other people act polite, and kind, when she was near them, was a major accomplishment.

“Aww Mellissa honey, it is gonna be awright, you’ll see. I’m down right certain you’ll find your perfect someone someday. You’ll see he’s just got to be out there somewhere. I mean I’m just sure there’s a match for you, there has to be.” She patted Mellissa on the shoulder and gave her a sympathetic smile before walking out after Stevie.

Mellissa had the feeling that the stupid girl had been trying to make her feel better, but somehow it had made her feel worse. She sank down on the couch and groaned.

Ziva chuckled. “What’s wrong Mellissa? Little Miss. Sugar and Spice getting to you?”

Mellissa shot Ziva a glare. “Maybe. She’s too polite, I don’t like her.”

“Maybe you don’t like her because Stevie does like her,” A’Cadia put in.

“Maybe,” Mellissa answered sulkily. She stood up and headed for the door. “I’m gonna go to my room and suck down a couple of cans of whip cream.”

They watched her drag out of the room. A’Cadia looked at Ziva. “You know I think I liked her better when she was six and all she cared about was the whip cream and annoying Logan. I am not looking forward to her hitting puberty.”

Ziva gave a small nod. “The thought gives me constant nightmares.”

A snort from behind them caused them to turn and look at Storm where she still sat at her desk. “It’s something that’s given me nightmares for far longer than any of you. Now, can I have my office back?”

They both flushed red as they realized everyone else had already left the office and quickly left Storm to her work.

***

After Storm’s announcement Monday morning, Skylar had decided they should make Valentine’s Day a weeklong event. And so to avoid any conflict with her, they had all agreed.

She’d been skipped about all week handing out little cards and gifts and encouraging everyone else to as well. It was kind of sickening.

Mellissa kept slipping things into Stevie’s room; he kept pretending he didn’t see them, which ended up upsetting her and sending her on a whip cream binge. Sklyar and Death were all lovey-dovey and sickeningly sweet. They even had little nicknames for each other now. Ones Ziva had no intention of ever repeating. It made Ziva want to puke just looking at them.

Although, she had to admit, Craig had been rather cute all week slipping her little love notes. He’d even made an attempt at poetry. It was a rather poor attempt, but the fact that he’d even tried was so adorably sweet that she loved him for it. She and A’Cadia had to assume that he and Stone had labored over their love poems together, asking each other for advice, because some of the lines of their poems were rather similar, but still it was cute that they’d tried.

Now that the week was over and today was actually Valentine’s Day, they had to wonder what exactly they had planned for today.

Skylar came breezing into the room, all smiles. “Death, sweetie, I have your final gifts for you!”

Death sat up straighter on the couch, smiling up at her. “Sky, darling, you know I don’t want anything more as long as I have your love then I’m eternally happy!”

She waved a hand at him turning her head away slightly and blushing. Death was always saying things like that, one of the things that made Ziva want to hurl. “Oh Death! Come on out to the garage so that I can give you your first gift!” She grabbed his hand and skipped from the room, leading him out.

Interested to see what she could have gotten him, the others followed along behind them. They all stood inside the garage moments later, looking around in confusion. “Skylar, what are we supposed to be seeing here?” Ziva asked her.

Skylar smiled a little mysteriously. “Everyone, close your eyes!” she commanded. She waved a hand in front of Death’s face to make certain he, especially, had his eyes closed. Then she hit the button to open the garage door. It trundled open, once it was fully open she squealed in delight. “Open your eyes!”

Death gasped and took a tentative step forward, stopped, took another step, and stopped again, before turning to look at Skylar. “Sky?” He was clearly stunned.

Skylar looked suddenly nervous. Her lower lip trembled slightly. “You don’t like it, do you?” She shot a look at the fully restored hearse in the driveway covered in the band’s logo.

“Oh my god, no I love it. I just, I don’t know what to say. You did all this, for me?”

She smiled broadly and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. “Yes silly!”

He hugged her back, laughing. “Thank you Sky! It’s beautiful! The guys will love it too!”

They all spent some time looking at the car. Skylar had gotten a deal on the car because the engine had been shot, Logan had rebuilt the engine for her and a friend—surprise Logan had a friend—of his had done the car wrap with the band’s logo on it. So it hadn’t ended up costing Skylar all that much. Death was certain the rest of his band—Death’s Door—would love it was much as he did and it would be awesome for promoting the band.

Skylar was beaming. “Okay, okay, now for your final gift!” She handed him a white 8 X 10 envelope.

Death carefully opened it and drew out the paperwork inside. He stared down at it for several minutes, his brows drawn together as if he couldn’t quite figure out what it meant.

Skylar finally rolled her eyes at him and pointed to the writing on it. “I bought you a star and named it after you silly!”

Mellissa stifled laughter. “Is it called the Death Star?” Her outburst was followed by a full minute of silence. “Oh come on, seriously? I couldn’t have been the only one thinking it!”

Stone tentatively raised his hand. “Yeah, no I was thinking it too.” A’Cadia slapped him on the arm. He shrugged. “Well, I was!”

Skylar scowled at them both. “That’s not funny you guys!”

Death chuckled. “Actually, it kinda was.”

Skylar stomped a foot. “Death!”

He shrugged, smiled at her, and pulled her in for a hug. “Let it go Sky.”

She relaxed against him and sighed. “Fine.”

Ziva leaned against Craig and smiled, this was seriously the most she’d heard Death speak since he’d come here. He wasn’t much for talk. She’d always wondered if it had something to do with his power or if he just wasn’t much for talking. She guessed it was the latter. Maybe he just never really had much of a reason to talk before. Skylar gave him a reason. She made him happy.

Ziva looked up a Craig and smiled. Craig gave her a reason for a lot of things, too. Her gaze swept the room. A’Cadia had Stone; she’d been a lot cheerier since she’d started dating him. Stevie was a lot less, well; he was a lot less of a dork boy since he’d become interested in Annabelle. Too bad Mellissa couldn’t get over that fact.

Craig grinned back at her, leaned down, and whispered in her ear. “Something wrong?”

She shook her head and whispered back. “No, just happy.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Yeah, me too. I’m glad we’re together. I’m glad I have you.”

His words sent a warm shaft of happiness through her. Yeah she was happy she had him too. She just hoped all the happiness lasted. Being what they were, well, bad thing tended to happen around them.

“Oh, let’s take the car out tonight! We can all go out to dinner!” Skylar said happily.

A’Cadia chuckled. “We’ll probably get mobbed by Death’s fangirls.”

Skylar waved a hand around in the air. “No we won’t! Now stop it! We’re going, no arguments! Everyone be ready by six, I’ve already made reservations!” She skipped back into the house.

Ziva chuckled. There was never any arguing with Skylar when she’d already made plans. So there was no sense in trying to get out of it. She signed rather contentedly. Yeah, she was gonna enjoy all this happiness for however long it chose to last and not question one second of it.

She heard Mellissa calling after Skylar. “No, really I wanna know if it’s called the Death Star! Come on Skylar, seriously!”

Ziva chuckled as she followed everyone inside, her fingers twined with Craig’s.