Crissy didn't even try to sleep the night before the party. She stayed in the kitchen, her recipes spread all over the counter amid flour, sugar, egg shells and cooking utensils. She had filled Quinn's order for the party days ago, but as long as she continued to ice cupcakes and cookies or beat her fists into the yielding warmth of bread dough, the butterflies in her stomach were kept at bay and she didn't feel quite so sick with nerves.

When Amy walked in at the start of her shift, she let her bag slide off her shoulder and drop to the ground with a whump.

"You haven't slept a wink, have you?" she asked.

Crissy looked up, unable to hide the guilty expression on her face. She nudged her empty coffee mug closer to Amy.

"I could use a refill though," she said.

Amy sighed and kissed Crissy's forehead as she took the cup and started making a fresh pot of coffee.

"I thought you were feeling better about this whole thing?" she asked.

Crissy shrugged. "Well, I was, but...it's really happening. Now. Today. And..."

"You're freaking out," Amy finished for her as she slid the now full cup of coffee onto the counter next to Crissy.

Crissy let out her breath in a rush. "Yeah."

Amy leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms. "And you've been wondering, all night long, whether or not you're actually ready for this. Right?"

Crissy nodded. Amy placed her hands on either side of Crissy's face and looked her in the eyes.

"Take a flying leap, sweetie," she said. "You will never know if you're going to be ready for this until you take that next step. No matter what happens tonight, it won't be the end of the world. You've always got me," she finished with a smirk.

Crissy smiled softly. "What would I do without you?"

Amy screwed up one eye as if she had to think about it. "You'd kick ass like you always do. With me around, we kick ass together and we look fabulous doing it."

Crissy couldn't help laughing at that. It felt good to laugh after the tedious, long hours of the night before. Maybe she should have called Amy earlier and talked to her...

Amy picked up her bag and shoved it into Crissy's arms. She waved at Crissy, shooing her out of the kitchen.

"Go take a shower, get changed, all that fun stuff," Amy said. "I'll be up to do your hair in a little while."

"But what about the shop?" Crissy protested. Her stomach alternated between butterflies and a vise grip. She didn't want to leave the safety and comfort of her kitchen. "I can't just take the day off."

"Crissy, honey," Amy said. "You baked all night. There's enough food here to feed an army for a year. I'll cover for you. It's about time you took a break anyway."

Amy pushed her out of the kitchen and up the stairs to Crissy's apartment above the shop. The bell over the shop door rang, signaling the arrival of the first customer for the day. Crissy stood in the middle of her apartment, clutching Amy's bag and trying to stay calm. Amy paused with her hand on the door to Crissy's bedroom.

"You got this, sugar," Amy said. "Stop thinking about it and enjoy the moment. Show me that excited smile you had yesterday when you found that dress."

Crissy attempted a weak smile that was nowhere near the desired effect. Amy tipped her head to the side and squinted.

"We'll have to work on that," she said. "But we've got plenty of time. Don't sweat it."

She winked and started to close the door but Crissy took a step forward. The idea of preparing for the party on her own, without Amy around, without the comfort of her kitchen or her recipes, it was terrifying and she wasn't quite ready to be alone just yet.

"Will you...?" Crissy hesitated, fumbling for words.

Amy paused, waiting expectantly.

"Will you help with the make up later?" Crissy asked. "I never could manage that magic you do with eyeliner."

Amy beamed. "You bet your ass I will. No way would I skip out on helping my best friend prepare for her big day."

"Thank you, Amy. For everything."

When Amy had left and the door finally closed, Crissy stood rooted to the spot for a full minute, willing herself to move, to stop thinking and enjoy the moment like Amy had suggested. She forced herself to set Amy's purse on the bathroom counter then turn on the shower, as hot as she could stand it, and started to get ready.

A few hours later, Amy came in with a steaming hot cinnamon sugar bagel and cream cheese and a fresh cup of coffee. Crissy was sitting cross-legged on her bed, her hair still wrapped up in a towel as she spread her recipes around her.

Gently, Amy took the recipe Crissy was working on out of her hands and replaced it with the bagel and coffee.

"You need to eat something, honey," Amy said.

Crissy accepted the food and tore off a chunk of the bagel. "I thought I'd just work on my recipes for a bit until you got up here."

"That was four hours ago, Cris."

"I could have sworn..."

Amy crawled onto the bed behind Crissy and pressed a kiss to the top of Crissy's head.

"It's okay," she said. "I know you're nervous. I should have checked on you earlier. But now it's crunch time. Where's your dress?"

Crissy pointed to where the dress hung on the back of her bedroom door. Amy patted Crissy's shoulders.

"All right, get dressed and I'll prep the make-up."

The moment Crissy put on her dress, her stomach flipped so hard and so fast that she wondered if she'd be able to keep that little bite of bagel down. She smoothed her hands down the front of the dress repeatedly, took a breath, then stepped out of the bathroom. Amy grinned and patted the bed beside her.

"You look gorgeous, sweetie," she said.

Crissy sat on the bed as Amy worked her magic, gently tugging Crissy's curls into obedience. She said nothing while Amy kept up a constant stream of chatter, as usual.

"And I'll be right here at the shop if you need me," Amy repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. "If he tries anything funny or if the party is an absolute train wreck, you just call me and I'll come get you. Then I'll send Manu to beat him up."

"You've said that already, Amy," Crissy pointed out, the first words she'd spoken within the last hour.

"Well I mean it."

Crissy hesitated before she ventured her next question. "You're nervous too. Aren't you?"

Amy's hands went still for a fraction of a second. She sighed and moved around to face Crissy.

"I just really, really want you to have a good time. That's all. And if anyone makes my best friend cry, seriously, well...I hate to say this, Cris. I know you think he's cute. But I will knock out his kneecaps. And I'll probably knock out his pretty front teeth too for good measure."

Crissy wrapped her arms around Amy and laughed. "I'll be okay. But I'll hold you to that if things go south."

They stayed that way for several seconds. Amy had been trying so hard to be excited over this, to think positively, but Crissy knew, with the way Amy's embrace was bordering on almost suffocating, Crissy knew Amy was just as worried about tonight as she was.

Finally, Amy broke away, placed her hands on either side of Crissy's face and smiled. "It's party time, sweetie," she said.

A minute later, Crissy was on the snowy sidewalk, the icy winter wind biting at her cheeks, with the box of baked goods in her arms. Amy stood inside the coffee shop door without her coat, tugging Crissy's scarf a little tighter against the cold.

"Now remember what I told you," she said. "Call me anytime. I'll be there to get you. No matter what."

"I know, Amy. I'll be okay."

"No kneecaps and no front teeth. Considerably less attractive. Just sayin'."

"Go back inside, Amy. Please. You can't threaten physical violence if you catch your death in the cold."

"Fine, fine, I'm going."

Amy ducked into the coffee shop and pressed her hand to the glass door. Crissy forced herself to turn around and start walking despite how shaky she felt. With every step further away from the comfort of the coffee shop, she wanted to turn right around and run back. But she didn't. One foot after the other.

Before she knew it, she stood at the door of the fire station. A burst of laughter echoed inside. For a split second, she considered calling Amy right then and heading straight back to the shop. Then she stopped herself. Amy had helped her to get this far. She was not going to turn around and disappoint her without even giving it a shot.

Crissy took a deep breath and fumbled with the box for a moment before she raised her hand and knocked.

The door flew open. Quinn stood on the threshold, his broad shoulders filling the doorway.

And Crissy forgot to breathe.