Chapter Three: PARTY!

AL got everyone to come to the bar as the food was being laid out in chafing dishes. She then teleported to Baltimore to Charm City Cakes to get Duff and the cakes. She wound up having to make two trips because of the size of the cakes and bring Clark outside so he could carry some of the weight.

“Okay, Duff,” AL said. “Follow me.” She led him into the Inkwell.

“Wow!” he said when he saw the decorations and sheer size of the building. “This is…wow!”

“Duff, that’s about the reaction they have to your cakes. Set them over on the thing over there.” AL pointed to the pool table they’d put a tablecloth on.

Victoria was headslapping herself as she came in. “I can’t believe I forgot about this! I’m just glad somebody remembered.”

“You’re welcome,” said Gary.

“Thanks a lot. I’m glad it didn’t go unnoticed.”

“Yep, no problem. V, this is Duff. Duff, Victoria. The Docs and Martys are hers. And Victor and Simon and Dee and Lucy and Alice.”

“Nice to finally meet you,” said Duff, extending his hand.

“Wow, yeah, really,” said Victoria, giving the pastry chef a handshake. She eyed the cakes on the pool table. “What’d you come up with this time?”

“You’ll see,” said AL, bopping Victoria’s hand with her wing when she tried to open the big box with the display piece in it. “Stop it. No cheating.”

“Can I see?” asked Dee, bouncing in.

“Eh…” hedged AL. Could she really say no to a six-year-old? “Okay, but don’t tell anyone, okay? Duff, luv, give her a peek, will you?”

The big kid chuckled and huddled the little kid around the big box so no one else could see.

“Lisa!” Robert called from the kitchen. “Dinner’ll be ready in one hour!”

“Thank you!” she called back. “Hey, VampDoc, could you track down Clockwork and Museical and get ’em back here?”

“Of course,” he replied, heading for the door.

While he was gone, everyone else got the food laid out and the rest of the decorations up. It was a rush, but with so many of them there, they accomplished it.

AL heard them coming before they even approached the door. “Quick, everyone, hide!” she said and shimmered invisible, hitting the lights.

Clockwork-and-VampDoc walked in a moment later. “Why is it so dark in here?” asked Clockwork, reaching for the light switch.

The moment the lights turned on, everyone yelled, “SURPRISE!”

“Great Scott!” ClockworkDoc shouted, steam hissing from everywhere and a stiff wind blowing past everyone. He spotted AL in the crowd. “What’s this all about?”

The alien brought out the Inkwell deed; she’d had it put in a new frame. “One year ago today, V gave you this little slice of paper. One year ago today you became the owner of the Inkwell. I figured it was cause for a celebration!” She jogged over to the bar. “So I got on the phone to my buddies over at Food Network. You already know Robert.” Chef Irvine waved from the corner of the bar. “Now I want to introduce you to Alton Brown of Good Eats.” He stepped out of the kitchen. “And Duff Goldman, the Cake Guy himself!” Duff came out and stood next to Alton. “He made cake and Robert and Alton and Lou made the food.”

“Great Scott,” said ClockworkDoc again, this time more softly. “It’s…uh, it’s a pleasure to meet you both,” he said to Alton and Duff.

“Likewise,” said Alton.

“Awesome place you have here,” added Duff.

“Okay!” AL said, taking Clockwork’s hand and leading him to the table where the cakes were. “See the cake, eat food, eat cake, yeah? Duff, you wanna do the honors?”

He nodded and went over to the covered confectionaries. “So Lisa asks me if we could make a cake for this party about a week before she’s gonna have it. Mary Alice nearly killed me when I said I’d make them by myself.”

“Yeah, I heard her,” said AL.

Duff laughed. “This time she asked for a display piece since you all seem unwilling to eat the sculpted cakes.” He opened the large box to reveal the display replica of the bar complete with gum paste figures of all of the Inkwell inhabitants including Steve and Gary.

The reactions were the common “ooh” and “ahh” ones Duff’s cakes always got. He concluded, “I have two big, plain sheet cakes to feed everyone. The replica is a display so you can show it off for a while.”

“That is absolutely incredible,” said ClockworkDoc. “What flavor are the cakes?”

Duff pointed. “This one’s s’mores and this one’s chocolate mint. I think Lisa’s working her way through all the flavors in the bakery.”

AL simply grinned. “Let’s eat!”

The End

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