"Well, I haven't been to one of these in a long time," Goldie said, checking in the mirror. "Though I have gotten somewhat used to being a plus one."

"Well, the balls are always open to family of faculty," Argyle replied, checking his tie was aligned correctly. "That's part of the point of them- you can't dance with only yourself, after all."

"Unless the person you're dancing with is imaginary," Goldie joked, adjusting the skirt of her gown. "Is my makeup on correctly?"

Argyle took a glance. "Looks fine to me. Now then, let's find Sunny and remind her of what's going on tonight."

Both parents walked through the house and down the stairs to find Sunny sitting on the sofa, reading. "Sunny?" Goldie called.

Sunny popped her head over the top of the sofa. "Yes mo-" She stopped, trying to process why her parents were dressed so fancily. "Is there a ball on?"

Argyle knew Sunny was asking this as a joke, and laughed. "At the university, yes. We'll be out probably for all the night, and probably won't get back until after you go to bed."

Sunny nodded. "Can I come?"

"I don't think you'd enjoy it," Goldie said. "To be completely honest they can get a bit boring at times. But I'm going to support your father, and truth be told the music can get pretty good."

Argyle nodded. "Your Aunt Veronica's currently on her way, and we'll stay until she gets here. We'll be back by tomorrow."

Sunny looked happy. "It'll be nice to see her again!" Sunny preferred her Aunt Veronica to a babysitter. This was mainly as she wasn't a baby and hated being sat on.

"Now then, just some reminders for tonight," Goldie said. "There's a warning of bad weather coming, so stay indoors and don't go outside. Veronica should be able to handle anything you might need, but if there's any trouble call us, OK? I'll have my phone set to silent, but I'll check it regularly."

"I'll do the same," Argyle said. "If one of us doesn't respond, try the other. Food is in the top drawer in the fridge- only one cupcake, understand? I don't want a repeat of the Easter incident."

Sunny nodded. That had been a mistake. "Gotcha."

Just then, the door buzzed, and Argyle went to open it. "Ah! Veronica!"

Veronica smiled, bowed, and then stepped inside the house. "To whom do I owe the pleasure, Your Highness?"

Argyle snorted. "I'm just a professor, nothing too important. And aren't women supposed to curtsy instead of bow?"

Veronica shrugged her shoulders. "I'm wearing jeans, so that doesn't work. Besides, it's still kinda surreal seeing you dressed to the nines."

"Not too often I need to bring my suit out of storage," Argyle admitted. "Anyway, we'd best be on our way. The carriage awakes. Tell me, have you seen the pumpkin recently?"

Goldie immediately spotted what Argyle was referencing. "I'll try not to leave a shoe behind. It would be awkward if a prince found it, given I've already found mine."

"The weather out there looks bad," Veronica commented, glancing over from the stove. The rain had arrived in ernest, and was starting to lash the waterfront quite violently.

Sunny was looking out of the window. "I feel sorry for anybody who has to be on a boat out there."

"The fishermen came in a while back," Veronica said. "I got an alert about it on my weather radio. Anyway, you wouldn't mind helping to set the table, would you?"

Sunny nodded, and started collecting the required items. "On it!"

Veronica looked behind her for a moment, then went back to the pan. "So, how have things been for you?"

"Pretty good," Sunny replied, as she laid some cutlery out. "Dad's teaching me how to cook now- he says it's always important to know how to prepare meals from scratch."

"Very true," Veronica said. "You'd be surprised at how many people don't know how to prepare food from ingredients, or just buy ready meals and toss them in a microwave. It's less work, but also not as good for you."

"Well, dad always says that hard work brings its own reward," Sunny replied, as she arranged the glasses. She frowned, and adjusted one slightly. "That was out of alignment."

Veronica laughed. "You're just like your dad, you know? He'd move glasses if they weren't the same distance apart. Something about maintaining symmetry. Guess he was an artist even back then!"

After a few more minutes, the food was ready, and Veronica served it up into bowls and put them on the table. "Drinks?"

"Uhh, what would you like?" Sunny asked.

"Do you have any of the lemon cordial?" Veronica asked.

"Got it!" Sunny replied, pouring herself some water before filling Veronica's glass with the same and putting it down at her place. "Shall we toast?"

Veronica nodded. "Zum Wohl. I picked that one up from your mom."

Sunny looked confused. "Why are we talking about voles?"

"It's German, and means 'to your health'. It means roughly the same thing as 'cheers'." Veronica smiled. "Now then, let's eat. We don't want the food to go cold, do we?"

As they ate, the weather grew worse. The rain was soon joined by thunder and lightning lashing the area, and the skies were soon black with rain.

"Nasty weather out there," Sunny commented. "I'm glad we're in here and not out there."

"We'd be soaked to the bone if we were," Veronica commented, as they looked out of the window. "And I certainly pity the old souls who are forced to work in it. I just hope Argyle's OK out there, and they got there before the bad weather hit."

Thunder boomed overhead. Veronica tuned a radio to try and pick up a weather broadcast, but suddenly received an odd message.

"Mayday, mayday! This is HMS Dauntless! We are in danger, over! Our engines are offline and the RADAR is offline! Requesting urgent assistance!"

Sunny looked over in surprise. "That sounds bad!"

At Falmouth University, the Ball was going strong despite the inclement weather outside. The string band was playing well, and the floor sounded to the careful footsteps of dancing couples.

Argyle and Goldie had taken a break from the dancing and were sat at the edge of the room. "Band are in good form tonight," Argyle said, looking outdoors. "I just wish the weather was nicer."

There was a loud thunderclap outside, and the sky turned black again as if to prove his point.

"Good thing we set off when we did," Goldie said. "If we'd arrived any later we'd probably look like drowned rats. And I'd rather not have that, having just had my hair done."

A waiter walked past with a tray of nibbles on it. "No thanks," Argyle said, before turning back to his wife. "I just hope Sunny's OK. I know Veronica always takes good care of her, but I still can't help but worry."

"That's because she's our daughter," Goldie replied. "I worry about her too, you know. We both just want the best for her- and we both know this is probably the only shot we'll get. Hence why I want to be the best mom I can possibly be."

"I'll second that, just switch mom to dad in my case," Argyle said. Suddenly, he felt his phone buzz. He clicked a button and read the text. "It's from Sunny."

"She's probably asking where something is," Goldie commented.

Argyle looked at the message with growing concern. "What?" he asked. "Sunny's just messaged me to say a ship's in trouble out at sea. Why is she telling me that?"

Argyle looked in the direction of the sea, and suddenly saw what looked to be a Royal Navy vessel in the harbour. It was drifting dangerously about. "That's not good."

Suddenly, a bright light flashed across the harbour.

"Captain, we're dangerously close to wrecking!" shouted a sailor.

"Keep the engines at full power!" the captain replied. "Turn rudders to port, as hard as you can! We are not hitting the shoreline!"

Another sailor sprinted back. "Captain, the searchlights are out. The engineers are trying to get them going again, but we're constant power issues!"

"See if anybody can be raised on the radio!" the Captain replied.

As he looked around, the brutal weather making navigation incredibly difficult, he seemed worried. "I can only hope we haven't annoyed Neptune somehow."

As he looked out to sea, he suddenly saw a bright light flashing across the harbour. "What in the world?" he asked. "When did they get that working again?"

"Sir! I can confirm light! Flashing across the harbour!"

"I know," the captain said. "It's the old Falmouth light. Follow it to safety! All rudders hard to port, bring us about! Set course, bearings to follow!"

"Aye, sir!" said the helmsman. "Setting course, Eastward. Engines to Flank Speed!"

The ship began to move once more, heading towards what was hopefully safety.

Inside the lighthouse, Sunny was frantic. "Aunt Veronica, we have to do something!" she said.

"Like what?" Veronica said. "We're two people. It's not as if we can save a ship that floundering on the waves!"

Just then, Sunny had a brainwave. "There is!" she said. "This building is linked to the old lighthouse, and dad recently got it working again! If we can get the light fired up, we can get those sailors to safety!"

Veronica thought for a moment. "Good thinking, Sunny!" she said. "Let's do it!" She flung open the door to the lighthouse proper. This door connected the house to the lighthouse itself, and they stepped inside and found themselves at the bottom.

Veronica walked over to the nearby box and pulled it open. Inside were three large switches. She pulled down the first one, and looked over. "The foghorn's operational! Set that running!"

Sunny nodded, and flipped a switch. The foghorn soon began blasting at regular intervals to warn any ships.

Veronica then threw the second switch. "Light is on! Just need to power up the rotation generator!"

She reached over, and pulled the third switch. "All switches are armed, now we need to get upstairs and get the lense rotating!"

The pair of them dashed up the stairs to the top, and soon found themselves in the lense room. The lense sat static, as without power it wouldn't move.

Sunny pulled a lever, and sure enough the lense started to rotate, sending out a regular light signal.

"I know that sequence!" Argyle said. "The lights over there!"

Goldie looked out, and her jaw dropped. "Good heavens," she said. "They've powered up the lighthouse!"

Argyle looked over. "They're in trouble! We have to get down there!"

"Not in this weather we won't," Goldie said. "We don't want to get stranded ourselves, do we?"

Argyle had to conceded that point. His wife was right. "I'll try and get Sunny on the line and- except we can't. I haven't finished linking up the telephones in the lighthouse!"

Veronica was trying to signal to the ship using a morse code indicator, but the light wasn't doing much good in the storm. The foghorn was still going strong, and the light from the lighthouse cut through the gloom like a beacon of hope.

"The ship's coming closer!" Sunny called, looking through a telescope. "I think it's trying to dock near us!"

Sure enough, the ship closed in on their position, and came to a stop at the mooring point. The crew of the ship threw out mooring ropes, and secured the ship in position.

Veronica looked at Sunny. "I'll head downstairs and see if they need anything. Stay in the house, OK?"

Sunny nodded. Although they had saved the day, she had technically disobeyed her parents in leaving the house. Hopefully her parents would understand.

She looked out to sea, the light continuing to shine out to sea and illuminating the town below. Falmouth was saved.

The next morning, the storm had subsided, and HMS Dauntless was still docked at the lighthouse dock. The crew were working on repairing damage to the vessel, and the residents of the lighthouse complex were asleep. Veronica had fallen asleep on the couch, and Sunny was in bed, still asleep at eight in the morning.

Suddenly, Sunny was stirred by a familiar voice. "Sunny? Sunny?"

Sunny sat up in her bed. "Huh? What time is it?"

Her bedroom door opened, and Argyle and Goldie entered the room, still dressed in their finery from yesterday. "Sunny? Thank the stars you're OK," Argyle said, pulling her into a hug.

"Is everything OK?" Sunny asked.

"Well, the captain of the ship informed us of what happened," Goldie said. "And I have to say that what you and Veronica did was very brave. Without your actions and quick thinking they'd probably have foundered on the rocks."

Sunny nodded. That didn't sound fun. "Where's Aunt Veronica?"

"We found her asleep on the couch," Argyle said. "Given the circumstances I can't really blame her."

Sunny felt the adrenaline from yesterday returning, and remembered what she'd feared. "Dad, I know I left the house when you'd told me not to, and-"

"The lighthouse is part of the same building, so I think I'll excuse it," Argyle said. "Besides, you had a very good reason to go in there and power the light on."

"You've made us proud, Sunny," Goldie smiled. "For that, we'll let you sleep in. You look like you need the rest."

Sunny nodded, but slid out of bed. "I think I'm ready to get up."

The rest of the day passed more or less as normal, with the family living their usual weekend pattern. But even so, the hard work they had done that day more than added up.

That evening, Argyle prepared Sunny's favourite meal for dinner, and as they gathered around the table, Veronica joining them, Argyle proposed a toast.

"Sometimes," he said, "life requires acts of great bravery, and stepping outside of our comfort zone. Often, we find ourselves helping others in distress, much as last night. When people are in trouble, those who step up to the plate are the true heroes.

"And so, to this end, I propose a toast. A toast to those who did just that and answered the call of duty and, in doing so, saved lives. Ladies and gentlemen, a toast to Sunny and Veronica, the heroes of the hour!"

"Cheers!" everybody said, as their glasses knocked against one another. Sure enough, there was much merriment and cheerfulness as the stories were unravelled, food and drink was shared, and merriment spread around the table.

Sunny knew this was the sort of family which was best. For it was hers, and they loved and cared for her.

Argyle felt this was the happy ending he had sought all along- family, a positive community, and a loving wife.

Goldie felt the same way, for in this town she had achieved one of her dreams- becoming a mother.

Together, they had a good life. This was the Starshine Life.

Author's Note

Hello, and welcome to the grand finale of this collection! For this one, I decided a dramatic action story would be ideal, and so a storm was the topic I selected. Elements were taken from another story on this site and the Dad's Army episode A Man of Action.

I hope you enjoyed!