For a day off it was surprisingly busy the next day. Georganne rushing about much to Cliff's worrying. Malcolm and Phil messing around for new music material. Phil hadn't nor could he bring in his drum set to the cottage, so he made do with boxes and the couch. Malcolm had settled with an acoustic.

Brian and Angus were playing music as well, but were also writing the songs. At least five hours were spent in that house working on the new album which would end up being known as Stiff Upper Lip. I admired their hard work and sat aside to watch them a bit. Though at times I couldn't help but feel in the way. So I kept real quiet.

Many times I lost focus and thought back on the night before. I had just seen Bon Scott. I fell asleep in his arms. And more importantly, Angus had been seeing him in that state for years now! I made a mental note to ask about that later, and about other things he's refused to tell me.

"Sounds good. What do you think, lass?" I looked up to see five expectant for answers band members. I already knew what the finished product sounded like, and it wasn't the same as what they had just been playing. It was better to let them take control and the album would work itself out. Angus seemed to have read my thoughts.

"You already heard it huh? In your time?" I nodded. He smiled as he set his guitar aside. "Is it good, or do we need your input?"

"Oh no! No, you don't need critique, it's good. Great even," I assured. "Though I will say you won't keep what you have." The men seemed to take that into consideration.

"Better keep workin' then," Malcolm decided, standing up to take a break. He and Cliff went to the kitchen for homemade scones and Angus sat on the floor next to me.

"You okay? Seemed nervous to tell us anythin'," he asked. The sun shone through the skyline above him making him squint.

"Yeah. Angus? Can I talk to you later? You know, when you have the chance?"

"Sure. Just to talk, or somethin' specific?"

"We'll see won't we?" I grinned earning one from him as well.

"Alright then. Jesus, this sun. Remind me to sleep during the day, I can work at night."

The sea lapped over the sand and rocks. The usually blue water had turned chrome under the moonlight, and the shore was sprinkled with diamonds. A breeze whispered in my exposed ears as my hair was pulled back. I regretted it, the summer heat was replaced by a chilly night.

I sat on a rock admiring the reclusive scene around me. After dinner the boys went straight to work and Georganne went straight to bed. There was nothing for me inside so I kept myself company in the outdoors. Once in a while a bird would land near me, then take off for its home.

Its real home.

I don't know how long I was out there when Angus came looking for me. He stood on the porch taking in his surroundings, then came over once I turned around. "There you are. Looked all over the house for ya'. Hidin' from me?"

"Yeah, shame you noticed," I laughed. For a second I couldn't remember what I was gonna ask him. He took up talking for a while.

"Got maybe a song or two done. Dunno, might scrap 'em. There's a few chords I'm willin' to try but Mal thinks there's another way." He threw his hand up. "Never can see eye to eye, despite our heights during confrontation. If he's got somethin' better I'd love to try it out. Not sure what this animal will be but it'll be somethin'."

"Take your time. There's three years before it's released."

"Oh believe me I ain't stressin' over that. Mal thinks he is an' it takes me all I got not to choke him."

"Come on Ang, he's your brother..."

"And? I've got five others." He laughed to himself. "Nah. Mal's irreplaceable. If anyone's leavin' that party it should be me. Not Mal. Take me out but leave him be." I opened my mouth but closed it again. If I couldn't tell Malcolm himself, I couldn't tell Angus. "You want to talk out here or should we head inside?" I shivered and hugged myself.

"Let's stay out here. It's quieter." Angus scooted closer.

"But you're cold," he said. "You wouldn't want to freeze out here."

"I'm fine." Angus wrapped his arms around me making me shiver again.

"You don't look fine."

"Well that was your own fault."

"I know," he smiled smugly. "Well if we're gonna talk out here I'd rather do it in a more comfortable spot. Here, let's move to the grass. If it's all the same with you of course."

"Of course, lead the way." He stood both of us up then took my hand and walked to a grassy area. He sat down and gestured for me to do the same. The grass was cold but dry, and I was glad I wore long pants due to my allergies. Angus sat criss cross facing me, his hands folded over his lap.

"Stage's yours."

"Alright I have three-maybe four things to ask you," I told him. He smiled.

"Okay, I'll answer them best I can."

"First of all, Bon said last night that you'd been seeing him for years." Angus nodded. "Is this true?"

"Yeah. Back when you came back before Christmas he-showed up. Mostly to deal with my stubborn idiocy in ignorin' you but he's right." I bit my lip.

"Has anyone else seen him?" He shook his head. "Why not? You'd think he'd want them all to see him."

"Maybe he has gone to them and no one else has said anything," Angus suggested. "Why, I don't know. Prolly same reason as me. If he hasn't gone to the others..." He shrugged. "Bon has his own way of thinkin', you change his mind, he'll throw you overboard." I smiled as he laughed.

"How often does he show up?"

"Recently, it's been frequently. Granted he shows up without warnin' but..."

"You think it's really him?" Angus sat in thought. He had pulled out some grass while we talked and soon enough had a pile of blades at his side.

"Only Bon could really say. He sure as hell acts like him, don't he?" I nodded.

"Secondly, you said you had a nightmare?" Angus didn't respond. He continued pulling grass. "Was it like that first nightmare you had?"

"Sort of. Not really I guess. The first one, I could see-where you were, but you were tryin' to get away. This last one I couldn't even find you."

"They were about me?" I asked.

"Don't always have happy dreams, Hannah," he lightly smiled.

"I understand that but you had nightmares about me?" He nodded. "What on earth happened?"

"Just-I guess I'm just afraid of losin' you. I know you'll go back an' all, but I'm not lookin' forward to it."

"No one is."

"No." He sighed. A breeze blew around me and I hugged myself. Angus scooted over to sit next to me. "I've got a bit of a soft spot for you ya' know. Don't want anythin' tricky happenin' to you."

"Me either. But they were just dreams right? Nightmares suck but they don't usually happen in real life."

"Thank God for that." Angus lay on his back on the grass to look up at the stars. I kept in my spot and looked down at him. "The world would be a scary place."

"It already is sometimes," I said joining him on the ground. I folded my hands across my chest and crossed my feet. "Just keep your head up."

"Keep your head up, your shoes tied, your nose blown, and your pants zipped." I snorted. Angus sighed and crossed his arms. "A lot of stars out tonight, ain't there?"

"Yeah."

"How many are there, ya' know?"

"Billions."

"With a b? Jesus. Why is that one bigger than the others?"

"Where?" I followed his pointing hand. "That's a planet."

"That's a planet? Doesn't look like one, I don't believe you."

"Believe it Buster, that's probably Mars or somethin'." Angus whistled.

"Sure is somethin'. Wonder what it's like on another planet. Though if I can't find a damn restroom in my own town I probably shouldn't go to space should I?" he laughed.

"Just find a rover to go on."

"Yeah, NASA can do whatever they want with those pictures." I covered my face in laughter. After I calmed down Angus spoke again. "Anything else you want to ask?"

"Oh yeah. Before Georganne took our picture, you said you sometimes think of something. But you never finished your sentence."

"Oh, yeah."

"So...what were you gonna say?" I turned my head to look at him. He laughed nervously, or he thought it ridiculous of me to ask him.

"I just-I was gonna say sometimes I-" He paused to scratch his arm. "Sometimes I think-what life would have been like-if, ya' know, we got married. Ya' know? Would it be different? I mean, probably right?"

I turned my head back to the sky. Now I felt bad for not thinking about that. But since it's on the table...what would it be like? I'm sure it would be different. Angus would be 'antsy' all the time and I couldn't bring myself to do what I'm not comfortable with. All in all, probably not the best idea. "What are you thinkin'?" Angus asked me.

"You wouldn't want me Angus," I said. "You'd have a pretty-'boring' marriage to put it one way."

"Boring? Hannah, you're everything but."

"I mean-we would never... How can I put this in a way that won't gross him (or me) out? I remembered how Justice put it. "We would never 'be friends with each other'."

"I don't follow."

"My problem, Angus! My...problem..." My voice dropped off to a whisper. He was quiet a minute.

"Oh. That."

"I know you enough Angus to know that you would never-"

"Never force you into anything," he finished for me. He slipped one arm under my shoulders and pulled me closer. "I said if you weren't comfortable with it, it wasn't gonna happen. Didn't I?"

"Yes, but-"

"Marriage isn't all that stuff, it's others. Communication is a big part of it and if one feels edgy, they let the other one know."

"But what if the edgy one is the antsy one and the other one is unwilling?" I asked.

"Well, that's a good thing to talk about before you get married then, eh?" I turned my head to rest against his shoulder. "Do you know how I felt in '75 when I tried to-you know?" he asked. "And you started to panic?"

"Disappointed?" I guessed. Angus shook his head.

"Scared. I was scared. Didn't know what to do, or if you were okay..." He crossed his leg over the other one. "Nah, I'd be more disappointed if I wasn't good enough than if you didn't want to at all," he laughed.

"Sorry I scared you," I mumbled. Angus patted my arm.

"Maybe I needed a good scarin'. I wasn't gonna try that as quick as I did ya' know. Thought to myself, if she ain't goin' home yet, I oughta meet up with her, get to know her more. Then you come out, say you're not from there, an' I say, shit. I've lost her." He sighed. "Thought I could really let you know how I felt and..." Angus brought both his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes. "Worst idea ever."

"Angus, you didn't know-"

"Like hell I didn't know!" I lay there as he calmed himself down. It was a few minutes before he talked again. "Like fuckin' hell I didn't know."

"You didn't," I protested. "Stop beating yourself up for this, it's over and done with. Okay?" I took his hand in mine and squeezed it. "It's over."

"Now you can't trust me," he scoffed. I blinked at him.

"That's the dumbest thing you've said all night, you know that?" He closed his eyes. I sat up and looked down at him. He wrung his hands together. "Why on earth couldn't I trust you? You made one mistake a long time ago and I forgive you. Please don't feel bad about it anymore." Angus opened his eyes and looked at me. He still looked sorry, but in consideration of what I said. His hand reached up and pulled me next to him again.

"Thank you. I uh, needed that." I turned over and used his shoulder as a pillow and his arm as a teddy bear. He laughed and glanced at me. "Hannah?" My eyes met his. "Don't feel bad yourself. Don't call it a problem, don't let anyone else get you down about it. There's nothin' wrong with you." I smiled.

"Thank you."

"So, is there, anything else you were gonna ask me?" I thought for a minute. He had told me everything I was curious about, nothing else seemed important at the moment.

"No. I don't think so."

"Because I have somethin' I've been wantin' to ask you."