Hey you guys! I HAVE FREAKING 1.17K READS THIS IS BOSS OMFG!!! I want to thank you all for encouraging me so much, and for making me feel good even on my worst days. I know I'm not one of the best out here, and this is why I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the precious time you donated to this story. I know I started off horribly, but thanks to you guys, my writing style has improved drastically. I really don't know how to thank you guys. A giant, massive hug from me to all my readers!

"No, no, nope, no...", Kathy muttered as Nyota and Stacy, along with a pissed of assistant, scrolled through a wide variety if dresses for the hybrid. Bones and Jim were whispering softly to each other, unwilling to be seen in a shopping complex.

"This is why I am dead against last minute shopping", Stacy muttered, shaking her head at a sheepish Kathy.

Kathy had completely forgotten about the upcoming Christmas party. Only when Jim asked her about her dress did she remember about the event. Panicking slightly, she had decided to skip the party, but Nyota and Stacy would have none of it; they had all but dragged her to the shopping complex nearby.

Now, they were standing next to Kathy, scrolling through the virtual images of dresses for the masquerade ball.

"Kathy, what about this one?" Stacy asked, as a the assistant projected a strapless, black tube dress that barely covered Kathy's behind. Nyota sighed while Kathy looked at her friend incredulously.

"I think you look sexy", Jim said with a smirk.

Kathy rolled her eyes. Typical Jim. "Bones, what do you think?"

"I'm a doctor god dammit!" The doctor hissed. After a short pause, and his infamous scowl, he continued. "But if you really want to know, this dress sucks."

"I don't want anyone miss behaving with you", Jim added with a serious expression, his brotherly instincts kicking in. Kathy gave two of the most important boys in her life a caring grin, trying to be goofy.

"Aww... it's moments like this I cherish", Nyota said, beating her to it. The annoyed shopkeeper cleared her throat pointedly.

"Right, back to the mission at hand", Jim joked, making Kathy and Bones snicker.

Nyota and Stacy sighed. Needless to say, it take a lot of time before they'd find a dress for Kathy. Meanwhile, Kathy's eyes widened as she spotted a dress on one of the catalogs. Nyota and Stacy observed the dress, both grinning with satisfaction. Jim grinned while Bones rolled his eyes- his way of showing his approval. Kathy looked around, asking everyone for their opinions.

"I think it's perfect", they chorused.

*** *** *** ***

"Guys... I honestly think you're overdoing this", Kathy said, earning a stern glare from Stacy.

"Remind me to slap you later."

Kathy rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to speak, only to be shushed by Nyota.

"Don't ruin our masterpiece!"

Kathy sighed, twitching a bit.

*** *** *** ***

Jim wasn't exactly a religious man.But when he saw the girl, he thought that he'd died and gone to heaven. To say that she was perfect would be a massive understatement.

She was wearing a red dress which loosened below her chest. This part was covered with red sequence, forming a shape similar to an arrow. On her left hand was a black watch, matching with her perfectly manicured black nails. She seemed to elegantly walk- no, glide in a pair of black stilettos, (Jim never thought someone could even do that), her posture giving out a regal aura. Her face was concealed behind a posh sequence filled black mask with black feathers attached to the upper right corner.

The mystery woman walked up to him, meeting his eyes at a distance of a few feet. Jim's eyes widened as he saw the green eyes which were a bit too familiar.

It was Stacy. Her red stained lips curved into a grin as Jim used every ounce of self control within him to stride over to her, placing his large hand on her back, bending to whisper in her ear.

"You look ravishing."

"Jim!", Stacy exclaimed, turning beet red as she smacked his shoulder, making the blonde smirk even more.

Sybock was in a similar state when he saw the girl, his girl. Nyota was nothing less than a princess in Sybock's eyes. If anything, this feeling increased the moment he set his eyes on her. Nyota wore a simple yet enchanting black dress. The upper part was strapless, and had a sweetheart neckline, revealing the tiniest amount of cleavage. The dress flare from a little below the chest, which was bordered with black sequence. Her lips were painted in a subtle shade of nude, and coated with a thin layer of gloss. Her face was covered by a mysterious black mask, which was a combination of patterns and swirls, spiking up with a long, feathery appearance at the top right corner. To complete the look, she had donned a pair of classic, black high heels.

"Where is Kathy?" The two starstruck men had managed to asked their counter parts. Bones had refused the attend the party, and even an apocalypse wouldn't lure him out, everyone was sure of that.

"She'll meet us there", the two girls had replied, mentally congratulating themselves at their successful attempt at leaving their men stunned.

*** *** *** ***

Kathy was, as usual, late for the ball. She stopped outside the hall, dropping the sides of the dress she had held to help move faster, as slipped on her footwear. Taking a deep breath, and making sure that her mask was in places, she moved in to join her friends, rolling her eyes at the whistles she received from them.

"Here, have this", Jim said. "You'll feel less nervous."

Kathy looked at him suspiciously, eyeing the drink. "It's not spiked, is it?"

Jim shook his head.

"You sure?" Kathy questioned, getting a pointed 'as if I would lie to you' look from Jim.

Hesitantly, she grabbed the glass from him and took a sip. It tasted fine, fruity almost. Shrugging, she gulped down the whole thing, oblivious to Jim's snickers.

Biggest. Mistake. Ever.

"Jim you arse, you spiked it!" Kathy hissed, feeling tipsy after a couple of moments.

Jim grinned at her, speaking suggestively as he sauntered away.

"Enjoy yourself!"

Kathy let out a groan. She was so screwed...

*** *** *** ***

Spock stood uncomfortably in the corner, suppressing the urge to fidget in the tuxedo his mother had forced him to wear. He was feeling... different, due to which he suspected that Captain Pike had spiked his drink. After all, it was tasting suspiciously sweet. He observed the crowd, his calculating expression partially hidden behind a simple black mask. All was well, until he saw what he would describe as perfection.

The woman wore a cream/ beige, three- fourth sleeved gown. It had a scooped neckline, and stopped high enough to give its host a sensual appearance without revealing her cleavage. The neckline at the back was also scooped, giving tantalizing hints of the woman's shoulder blades. Its sleeves were translucent, and was, along with the part of the gown above the chest, covered with black floral patterns. The gown flared from above her hipbone, where a black satin strip was present. The translucent material forming the sleeves formed a coat over the gown, also housing those magnificent floral patterns which seemed to thicken slightly, before diminishing near what Spock assumed would be the woman's knees.

Her dainty feet, which were adorned by a pair of short, strappy black heels, peeked out whenever the woman lifted her dress slightly to ease her movements. Her lips, which were which were twisted into a permanent, playful smile, were coated with a layer of light and glossy, rose pink lipstick, which accentuated her lip movements as she spoke. Her eyelids acted as a canvas for a thick line of eyeliner, making the eyes prominent, the grey- black eye shadow acting as a catalyst for the same. Spock didn't see the need for her to cover her face with make up; she was beautiful to him without it. However, he couldn't deny how elegant it made the woman look.

Her long, black hair was tied into a loose, black plait which ended at her waist, giving a clear view of her back. Spock was horrified when he caught himself studying a mole on her back, and immediately tore away his gaze to look at her face. Her adorable, pointy ears hosted a pair of glittering studs, and her face was hidden behind a fancy, black, patterned mask which made her look like a queen (in Spock's eyes at least). The part of the mask near the nose was curved upwards into something akin to the Fleur de Lis. Spock couldn't help but smirk a bit, knowing that this was quite expected. The symbolism was not lost to him.

Spock attempted to tear away his gaze from the her. He started seeing her in a new light; not as the annoying, clumsy girl who pranked everyone, but as a fine woman who was gentle, humble, and at the same time everything that made a woman adorable. Spock was sensible enough to know that she was average, when compared to others. Spock mentally tried to find faults in her, though deep down, he knew that even if this woman was dressed in a trash bag, she would always be the prettiest, most charming woman in the universe, in his eyes.

Spock gave in, albeit reluctantly, and continued to stare at the beauty across the hall, watching her laugh with her friends, seeming to be slightly tipsy. The first thought that had entered the Vulcan's mind upon seeing the woman had left him pleased yet horrified.

That is my Katherina, for none but she can achieve such levels of beauty and perfection.

I'm the worst person ever, I know... but I can explain. My dad was home, and my mom disconnected the wifi connection. To add to that, I didn't exactly score the best of grades. I'll admit to briefly considering to abandon the stories, but you, the readers' love, enthusiasm, and interest for the story made me change my mind immediately. I do feel ashamed to have had such thoughts. Anyways, I couldn't ever thank you guys enough for all the support and interest my stories have received, but still- thanks a bunch.

PS- The pic is Kathy's outfit.

All the love,

Kit_Kat

xxx