Rochelle Mclean finished putting makeup on AJ and kissed him soundly before going to check on their daughter. Ava was almost a year old and the light of both of their lives. She was curled up on a couch sleeping with her skeleton doll. Rochelle kissed her forehead and reached for her phone when it rang. She grinned when she saw who it was.

"What's up, Dare?" Ro answered.

"I'm taking the job".

"I knew that. Nick's been storming around here for hours bitching about it." Rochelle looked across the room to where Nick was still grumbling about it to Brian.

"He's gonna have to get over it." Darien rolled her eyes.

"How did it go last night at your house?" Rochelle turned away from everyone and curled up on the couch with her daughter.

"It was amazing. He and Ainsley got along really well and then we all danced together for awhile before she went to bed."

"This is what I want to hear about. What happened after that?"

"We danced together again and it was so hot. And then he kissed me." Darien giggled.

"And? How was it?" Rochelle asked, her eyes wide. "Was it wet? Not wet enough? Firm? Soft? Was there tongue?"

"Slow down, Ro. It was the best kiss I've ever had. He made my body hum."

"Best ever?" Ro was shocked. She had kissed Nick on a drunken night when the four of them had been playing truth or dare so she knew Carter could kiss. Kenny was better than that?

"Yeah. There is mad chemistry between us. My heart races when he holds my hand." Darien shook her head and grinned. She sounded pathetic right now.

"Are you guys like a couple now?" Rochelle asked.

"I don't know. Ainsley's flying out there for the weekend so we'll see what happens." Darien laughed.

"You're gonna sleep with him?" Rochelle said loudly. Too loudly. Nick's attention was on her now.

"Sleep with who?" He raced over to her. "Who are you talking to?"

"Is that Nick? Did he hear you?" Dare was saying in her ear. Rochelle did the only thing she could think of and hung up the phone.

"I wasn't talking to anyone." Rochelle tucked the phone into her bra. "Just checking voicemails."

"Don't lie to me, Rochelle." Nick shook his head. "I know it was Dare. Is she gonna sleep with Wormald?"

"I don't know, Nick. I've told you repeatedly, I'm not getting in the middle of this." Rochelle sighed. "Darien's my best friend."

"And I'm your husband's best friend! I have to know if she's gonna move on with someone else!"

"Please don't shout at me. You'll wake Ava up." Rochelle looked up at him.

"You don't understand what this does to me, Ro. How would you feel if you were in my situation?"

"I would feel as though I made my wife give up her lifelong dream." Rochelle spat at him. "You can't change her into what you want, Nick. She has to be free to be who she is. And dancing is who she is."

"This is my fault?"

"Well, it's not all hers." Rochelle gathered Ava up and left the room. Her tour bus was looking much more inviting at this point.

Kenny and Misha were finishing up an intro class when Darien and Ainsley got to the studio that evening. Kenny caught a glimpse of them as they passed by his studio on their way to where Ainsley's class was gonna be held.

"Keep your head in the game, Kenny." Misha warned when he saw Darien.

"I am." Kenny glared at his friend and returned his attention to the group of kids he was teaching. He wrapped the class up and fought the urge to rush to Darien, but he knew the dancers liked to talk to him after the class so he stuck around. Finally with ten minutes to spare before Ainsley's class started he walked into her studio. Ainsley was off by herself warming up. He could already sense the tension between her and the other students who had been together for years. Darien was sitting along the wall doing something on her phone. She looked up and grinned at him and Kenny winked back at her before calling the class to order.

"Gather around everyone!" Kenny called, cutting the music off and clapping his hands to get attention. "We have a new dancer with us tonight."

"We know who she is." Taylor, a fourteen year old girl said with a sneer on her face.

"Well then you know how talented she is." Kenny pulled a very embarrassed Ainsley to the front of the class and put his arm around her. "This is Ainsley Carter and she's just moved here from Florida. I want you all to welcome her."

"Hey." Ainsley waved at the rest of the class and looked up at Kenny. "What are we learning today?"

"Watch and see." Kenny laughed and motioned to Misha to join him. They showed the class the new routine and got down to teaching it. Ainsley had it down after two run throughs and busied herself doing ballet moves along the barre. She lined up behind Kenny when he called them to order and groaned when her mom stood up and filmed her doing the dance.

"I think we've got it so this is what we're gonna do. Everyone's gonna get a turn freestyling until the chorus and then we do that routine. I'll repeat the song a few times." Kenny explained and hit repeat on the song. He watched the girls show off in the front of the mirror and joined in on occasion. Darien circled the group the whole time, recording Ainsley and he could tell himself when he was front and center. After another hour of working on different stuff, he ended the class. He talked to a few of the moms and most of the girls before there were only a few people left in the studio. He slowly walked over to where Misha was talking to Darien and Ainsley.

"You did good tonight, kid." Kenny elbow nudged her and rocked back on his heels.

"Thanks. That was a creative routine. I liked it." She sipped at her water.

"Me and Misha have been working on it for awhile." Kenny turned to his friend. "What do you think about our new recruit?"

"I think she's good. She'll be a good fit here. And so will her mother." Misha sent a tentative smile at Darien. "Can we call a truce?"

"Of course." Darien smiled at Misha. "You ready to head home, Ains?"

"I guess. Can we stop at Cold Stone Creamery on the way home?" Ainsley asked.

"Sure." Darien nodded and turned to Kenny. She wanted to hug and kiss him but she didn't want Ainsley to know quite yet. She could see the want in his eyes as well. Misha took pity on them and drew Ainsley's attention away.

"This sucks." Kenny frowned. "I want to touch you and I can't."

"I know how you feel." Darien smiled ruefully. "She's going to Nick's for the weekend. I'm dropping her off at the airport Friday evening."

"Can I come with you?" Kenny asked.

"I guess. If you want." Darien shrugged.

"I want to take you out Saturday night. Dinner and dancing." Kenny said, his hand sliding down her arm and squeezing her hand.

"Dancing, huh?" She chuckled, her skin on fire where his fingers branded her.

"Yeah. So be ready at 8:30 Saturday."

"Ok." She nodded.

"And I need you here at ten in the morning. Time to start working." He leaned forward and lightly kissed her lips. "Text me when Ainsley goes to bed."

"I will." She kissed his cheek and left while she still could. She grabbed Ainsley and they left the complex. Ice cream suddenly sounded just right.