The rehearsals for the second anniversary show were in full swing. Chelsie had been dreading performing her routine and thankfully been kept busy with her various groups and preparing her star students, Kimmy and Richard for their routine. She helped Kimmy Brubacher zip up her ballroom outfit and admired her in the mirror.

�You look great Kimmy! Your red hair is perfect for this outfit.�

�A Batman and Poison Ivy tango, what made you think of that?� Kimmy asked.

�Oh, just something from a long time ago. But the music is perfect for you two. You will be the stars of the show.� Chelsie smoothed a wrinkle out of Kimmy�s sleeve.

�I don�t know about that, you and Mr. M are dancing together!�

�I think you and Richard are better than us old folks.� Chelsie joked. �Here comes Richard, you better go take your place behind the curtain, you�re next.�

Chelsie watched the couple join hands and venture backstage. Richard�s somber black attire a striking contrast to Kimmy�s red hair and brilliant green costume. Chelsie smiled at the image that popped into her head and let her thoughts ease her pre-performance jitters to the back of her mind.

�I can�t believe that�s what you�re going to wear to the party!� Chelsie exclaimed.

�What? Poison Ivy rocks!�

�She�s a girl.�

�Yeah?� Mark stared at her, not getting her point.

�You�re a boy.�

�Yeah?�

�I forgot, you�re the one that wears Katee�s onsie to bed, never mind.�

Chelsie twirled around in her go-go dancer outfit. �I thought you were going to match me tonight. You were gonna be Austin Powers.�

�Damn.� Mark swore. �I forgot, Chels. Thayne and I went out this afternoon and he found this awesome Geisha costume. I dared him to wear it and then he dared me to wear this.� Mark held up the skimpy green leotard, a garland of ivy and an orange wig.

Chelsie rolled her eyes. �Boys.�

�You love it.�

�Yeah.� Chelsie kissed his cheek and sighed. �Let�s get ready, Poison.�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chelsie flopped down in a chair and watched Mark and Thayne laughing across the room. Everyone had paired up or had joined into groups and Chelsie seemed to be the odd man out this time. Which was fine with her. It was probably better that she was by herself anyway. Every time she so much as caught a glimpse of Mark in his tight costume she had to fight the urge to tackle him and drag him back to her room to have her way with him.

�Hi.�

A man Chelsie didn�t recognize sat down beside her and gave her a quick hug and a kiss.

�Do I know you?�

�I�m with David, over there.� The man pointed off to a corner of the room and let his arm drop on Chelsie�s shoulder.

�I don�t think I know you.� Chelsie squirmed from under his arm and stood up, crossing her arms awkwardly over her chest.

�Sure you do, what do you say we head out and have some fun.� The stranger grabbed Chelsie�s hand and began to tug her away from her spot. Chelsie swung her head, searching for Mark and opened her mouth to scream when she didn�t see him.

Out of nowhere, Mark swooped in and tapped her on the shoulder with his stick.

�I think you are being a very naughty girl. Does Poison Ivy need to�take care of you?�

The man stared at Mark in disbelief. Chelsie covered her grin with her hand. It wasn�t often you ran into a 6 foot tall man dressed in a green leotard covered in ivy.

�What did you have in mind?�

�Oh, I can�t tell you here. Not in mixed company. You�ll have to come with me and see.� Mark took her hand gently from the man and held it tightly in his own. �Let�s go love, you�re in big trouble.� She allowed Mark to lead her out of the large dining room and into the lobby.

�Thank you for rescuing me from that guy, Poison. You were right on time.� Chelsie giggled. �He was a little strange.�

�And yet, here you are with me, of all people.� Mark chuckled.

�Oh, you�re not strange.� Chelsie steered him toward the bank of elevators across from the entrance to the dining room. �You�re just weird. There�s a difference.�

�You like weird?�

�I love weird.�

�Well, yay for me.�

�Yay for you.� Chelsie murmured, letting one arm settle around his waist as she pushed the button to summon the elevator.

�So, where are we going? And why? The party��

�My room.� Chelsie replied, as she gently slipped the bright orange wig off his head. �Because I want you and no one will miss us at the party.� Her fingers brushed through his black hair, spiking segments up and twisting the locks around them.

�Chels, we did it just before we came here, like, less than two hours ago!�

Chelsie pushed him backwards into the elevator as the doors slid open. �So? Did you really think that I could keep my hands off you all night, in that outfit?�

�It�s usually the guy saying a line like that.�

�Because it�s usually the girl in a tight leotard showing off her ass.� Chelsie shot back.

�My, my, when did little Chelsie Kay Hightower become a nympho?�

�When I met Mark Kenneth unpronounceable name Kanemura and he corrupted me.�

Mark looked down at her and could feel the heat from her steady gaze.

�Yay for me.�

�Yay for you.�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

�We shouldn�t, Chels, if we go back to the party and my makeup is wrecked, everyone will know what we were up to.� Mark protested, as Chelsie pushed him back onto the bed.

�If we go back to the party now, how are you going to hide that in this outfit?� Chelsie climbed onto Mark�s torso and pointed out his rather obvious approval of her actions. �If they�ve even noticed that we�ve gone, which they probably won�t, everyone will know why anyway. So, we might as well get on with it and mess up the makeup.�

�But��

�I�ve got all your stuff right here anyway, we can make you beautiful again. Now, will you just shut up and let me�� Chelsie leaned over and whispered in Mark�s ear.

Mark couldn�t argue with that, so he lay back and let Chelsie loop her fingers under the spaghetti straps of his leotard, pulling them tantalizingly slowly down his arms. As she kissed his bare chest, Mark tipped his head down to her, accidentally grazing her hair with his false eyelashes and catching a few strands in them. Chelsie looked up and giggled when she realized what had happened.

�This is so twisted.� She couldn�t control her laughter as she stared at her boyfriend lying under her. Her boyfriend whose eyes were painted with green eye shadow, cheeks were dusted with pink blush and full lips were currently decorated with bright pink lipstick. �So twisted and so wrong!�

�Never thought you�d be covered in my lipstick on you after we made love, did you?� Mark teased.

�I haven�t got any on me.�

�Then let�s get busy, shall we? Just be careful of my ivy!�

Chelsie smiled at the memory of their Halloween party. She now realized that, at the time, she had been pregnant for almost a week. But surely her hormones couldn�t have acted that fast? It was probably just his costume. Whatever the reason, she had wanted Mark badly that night and he didn�t disappoint her. Chelsie let those thoughts drift away like a thinning fog as Leilani�s baby hip hop class trooped offstage in their bumblebee outfits.

�Mommy, did you see me? Did you see me?�

�I did, sweetie. You were the best boogie-ing bumblebee I�ve every seen!�

�I wasn�t boogie-ing.� Leilani pouted. �I was hip hopping.�

�Sorry!� Chelsie quickly corrected herself. �You were the hippest, hoppiest bubble bee out there!� Leilani giggled. �Now go off with your group and change so you can watch me and Uncle Gevvy soon, okay? Leilani scurried off and Chelsie turned to look at Gev despairingly. �We�re gonna have to dance soon.�

�You�ll be fine.�

�I�m scared.�

�No one�s out there.�

�Just my daughter.� Chelsie whispered. �And maybe her dead father.�

�Chelsie and Gev? You�re up next.�