The Hansons were holding a News Years Party (like they seemed to do most years), and as always they had invited family and friends to join them.
Natalie smiled and held Taylor's hand.
"Just think," she mused. "We only met two years ago today."
**********
Meanwhilst, Zac has spotted the arrival of someone he had been sending an abundance of postcards to:
"Kate!" he called, waving enthusiatsically to her.
Taylor
"Imagine that," Taylor grinned, leaning in to kiss her as he bounced Ezra on his knee.
Matt and Kate
"No way," Matt was saying to Kate, as he lead them up the front path. "Nat will be way happier to see me."
"Nope," Kate argued playfully. "She'll be way more excited to see me."
"Unlikely!" Matt grinned. "We'll see."
"We will," she chuckled, then looked up as someone called her name. "Oh hey!"
Natalie and Zac
Natalie chuckled and returned the kiss.
"Yep. Who would have thought we'd be married with a kid and another on the way?"
**********
Zac trotted over to Kate and Matt.
"Welcome to the party," he said. "Hi Matt. Nat's over's there with Tay and Ezra."
Kate and Matt
"Right, we can settle this now," Kate said to Matt.
"Are you sure you want to lose?" Matt replied, grinning. "Because you will."
"I think not!" Kate retorted, then turned to explain to Zac. "We're betting on who Nat will be more excited to see. I personally think it'll be me."
Taylor
"I know. Talk about a time warp," Taylor chuckled, looking up.
"Oh hey, Matt's here."
Natalie and Zac
"I know I'm more excited to see you than Matt," Zac grinned.
Natalie looked up.
"Matt. Kate! Hey," she said, running over to give her best friend a hug.
"I think Nat agrees," Zac nodded.
Kate and Matt
Kate flashed Matt a triumphant smile, hugging Natalie back.
"Oh, what was that? I win?" she asked innocently, stepping away from Natalie.
Matt frowned. "Rigged. Rigged!"
Taylor
"What are we talking about?" Taylor looked between them.
Matt and Kate
"Well," Matt said, mock glaring at Kate. "I bet that Nat would be more excited to see me, over Kate."
"And I bet the other way around," Kate said, shrugging. "We got bored on the way over."
"You called ahead and told Nat to pretend to be excited."
Natalie
Natalie giggled.
"Now why would she do a thing like that?" she asked. "You didn't have money riding on it or anything?"
Taylor
"If they did I think the winner owes us half," Taylor mused.
Kate and Matt
"No," Kate grinned. "But we should have."
"Nah, coz then you'd be out money," Matt told her.
"Actually, you'd be paying me, Matt-o, because you just lost."
Zac, Natalie and Isaac
"Are you sure you're in the right place at college, Matt?" Natalie teased.
"Hey!" Isaac called from the barbecue. "Who wants steak and sausages? Come and get it!"
"Food!" Zac shouted and bounded over.
Taylor
"What would you like?" Taylor offered Natalie with a smile.
"I don't think there's any leftover turkey, so that's out."
Matt and Kate
Matt waved his hand dismissively. "Eh, I'm on a football scholarship, I just need to stay handsome."
"Well, you've failed already," Kate said, as the two of them went to get food.
"You hide your love for me under this mask of mean-ity," Matt replied.
"Mean-ity isn't a word."
"Neither is your face!"
Natalie and Zac
"A couple of sausages and a bit of steak," Natalei replied. "No onions. Thanks, Tay."
Zac grabbed a plate and started filling up.
Taylor
"No problem," Taylor nodded, heading for the table.
Zac
"So, Kate," Zac said. "How's things? Get any nice postcards recently?"
He grinned broadly.
Kate
Kate feigned confusion.
"No, was I meant to?"
Zac
Zac pulled a face, then grinned again.
"Ahh, perhaps I should rephrase the question," he said. "Did you get any psycho postcards recently?"
Kate
"Oh yeah, I think I have a stalker," Kate said, her face still serious, though her eyes were twinkling.
"I'm thinking about getting a bodyguard."
Zac
Zac snickered, ran over the so many possible answers to that and finally settled on cheesy.
"I can be your bodyguard," he said, waggling his eyebrows.
Matt and Kate
"Ah, but," Matt interjected, grinning. "Perhaps it is you that she needs protection from in the first place."
"Good point," Kate said, glancing at him. "Well played."
"Thank you, Captain."
Zac, Saku, Trina and Amber
"Yes, because I'm a a very dangerous person," Zac nodded. "You wouldn't want to upset me. I might decide your underwear needs overheating. While you're still wearing it."
His eyes glinted with mischief.
"Don't listen to him," Saku advised as he, Trina and Amber joined the group. "He hasn't done it yet."
"No one's upset me enough."
"Sure, sure."
Matt and Kate
"We're from Georgia," Matt said, nodding. "We don't wear underwear."
"Speak for yourself, weirdo," Kate replied, shoving him gently.
Matt snickered.
Zac
"Too much information, Matt," Natalie objected.
Zac chuckled.
Ending as written by Michelle, some months after a lack of replies
The evening progressed and soon the countdown began.
"Ten. Nine. Eight."
Isaac took Nikki's hand.
"Seven. Six. Five."
Natalie smiled at Taylor.
"Four. Three. Two."
Zac turned to Kate, a mischevious grin on his face.
"One. Happy New Year!"
Zac leant forward and kissed her softly and quickly. Yet even as he pulled away there was something in that moment that made him want to kiss her again. So he did.