Water sloshed around the sink, mixing in with the freshly expelled toothpaste and mouthwash. Having a rinse, he turned the faucet off and dried his face with the towel. The hotel room was quiet. The heater had shut off a while ago, nothing but the sounds of birds singing outside to take its place. The other resident was gone when he woke up, like usual. Rolling over in bed to see it empty, he laid there for another hour, wishing he had stayed asleep. Finally he pushed the covers off and grabbed some clothes from his suitcase. It had snowed last night as the news predicted, though not as much.

It was pretty outside. A sheet of snow covered the town like icing on a cake. Birds of blue perched on lampposts, none of them obligated to gossip quietly. An old black car slowly rolled over the snow, the color looking striking against the white. Grass was frosted over, one small patch in a nearby backyard was as green as ever, having recently been under a desperate dog.

Angus looked at himself in the mirror. The curls on his head were far from tame, his eyes darkened with sleep, or the lack thereof. The white shirt on his back wasn't so white anymore. The rest of his laundry would have to be washed soon. He bared his teeth for the reflection, examining his recent dental work, formal and informal. The dentist practically owned his bank account now, but the end result was worth it. Giving himself one last rinse, he left the bathroom to find where he had placed his jacket the other night.

Malcolm had called him after the show. The group would meet downtown for breakfast, then find somewhere for ice skating. Phil repelled the idea at first, dreading the idea of showing off how ungraceful he was on ice. Only convincing the boys to yearn for the sport, he gave in with a sigh. Where Malcolm got the idea for ice skating Angus would never know, but he was anxious to get out and do something, whether or not Sherrie was with him.

Finishing dressing himself he reached for his keys and wallet, sticking them in the pockets of his jacket. He reached for his hat as well before remembering Hannah's new possession of it. Deciding to break his own back with courtesy, he grabbed the hotel stationary and inkless pen, and wrote a scratchy note for Sherrie should she return before him.

"Signed, A...dot...Young," he mumbled to himself, scribbling out his name at the bottom of the page. It tore a bit as he ripped it off the notepad. It was placed on her pillow, lopsided on the unmade bed where she'd see it right away. His watch said nine, and he rushed to get his shoes on, hopping on one foot, tugging the shoe on the other. When both were set and tied, only falling over three times the whole endeavor, he was out the door.

He really wished he brought a second hat. The wind had picked up by nine thirty and the group stood waiting outside the warm restaurant for their guests. The street was empty save for one car driving past them, honking in recognition. Snow from the ground blew into their eyes, lacing their lashes and salting their hair. Bon shuffled over to Malcolm, a scarf wrapped around his mouth. With a gloved finger he pulled it down. "Is this absolutely necessary, Mal?" he asked. "We can't wait for them inside?"

"They need to know where to find us, so we're standin' where they can see us," Malcolm answered shaking in his coat. It was a rather comical sight, with the five of them nearly swept off their feet by the winter. Phil had resorted to stamping his foot to keep the cold at bay, while Cliff took it like a champ, lucky enough to have a hood on his jacket. Bon replaced the scarf over his mouth and paced the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, kicking around a few rogue stones.

Checking his watch, Malcolm sighed and watched the road for anyone he recognized. Besides someone who looked like Brian Jones crossing the street with a striking resemblance, there wasn't a soul. Smoking wasn't allowed inside, taking away any chance of risking a puff beforehand. Bon swore to order the biggest whiskey on the menu and Malcolm threatened to snag his scarf away if he didn't share it with him. Angus looked at the grey sky, missing his home country.

"All I'm saying is if you had set the alarm you would have woken up on time!" a voice yelled a small distance off. About fifteen meters away hustled two people, a man and woman. The woman had a smoky sweater while the man wore a brown trench coat and the most ridiculous pair of pink earmuffs Angus had ever seen. The color hadn't thrown him off so much as the style, and the fact they didn't quite agree with the rest of his ensemble. The size of the headband compared to the muffs was near physically impossible, and the porcupine material of the muffs was thrown against the wind, simply making Angus laugh. His smile disappeared when they got closer, their conversation louder.

"I did set the alarm, it didn't go off like it should have," Hannah responded. Her cheeks were rosy, a cream outline encircling a matching rosy nose. Angus felt a need to place his hands on them, brushing his thumbs over her skin to warm her up. Her eyes were cast at her feet, two little boots trudging through the snow as quick as she could. Travis kept up all the same.

"I'm not so sure you did," he answered. Hannah turned her back and glared at him.

"Piss off."

"I'm not trying to upset you, Hannah, you're not listening to reason!" They reached the group who had listened in on the fight, waiting for them to settle it. "I don't know, maybe you thought you set it, or you dreamed you set it, or something."

"I told you, I know I set the damn thing!"

Before Travis could make another false accusation, Angus stepped in between them, Malcolm right behind him. "Hannah! Glad you could make it," Angus smiled, guiding Hannah away from the tall man. Malcolm stood in front of the retreating pair in case Travis tried to stop them.

With his hands on his hips, Malcolm smiled at him. "Travis, good to see you." He didn't answer. Only kept his stare directly at Hannah, Angus comforting her. "Hey," Malcolm said softly, taking him aside. "What's all that about, huh?"

"It's nothing, Malcolm," Travis muttered.

"That hardly looked like nothing, what happened?"

"Hannah didn't set her alarm. So we're late."

"Late, you're not late, you're right on time," Malcolm assured, though not for Travis' sake. "An' if she says she did, why-I believe her."

"The clock's not broken, Malcolm!" Malcolm took a step back, seeing the heat burn in the other man's face. His fists were clenched, the veins exposing themselves to the surface of his skin. He paced the ground doing anything he could to calm himself down.

"Even if you were late, what does it matter? We don't mind waitin' a bit, it's not like you have to impress us or nothin'."

"Just...leave it alone, okay? Look, it doesn't need to-" He groaned into his hands, continuing to pace. "It doesn't need to be a big deal, alright? Drop it." The wind blew around them, Malcolm catching a whiff of Travis' scent.

"Did you smoke somethin' earlier? Smells like...smells like a Vegas, don't it?"

"Did you drink something earlier?" Travis asked, crossing his arms. "What the hell is it to ya'?"

"Nothin', nothin', I jus' smelled it, was all. Not used to those kinds of smokes around here."

"Who gives a rat's ass what I smell like?" Malcolm raised his hands up, continuing to step away. "You don't smell too good either, don't pick on me."

"I'm not pickin' on you, I'm jus' makin' an observation!" Malcolm defended himself. "'M sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." Travis didn't answer, only stood off by himself, letting his anger simmer. Malcolm turned to leave. "An' don't get after Hannah, alright? She's a sweet girl. Things like that jus' happen." Bon waited for him by a stop sign, hailing him over.

"What's goin' on with him?" Malcolm closed his eyes and shrugged. Bon glanced up at Travis, then over to Hannah and Angus, his hands resting on her cheeks, thumbs brushing over her skin. His gaze returned to Malcolm. "He jus' pissy for nothin'?"

"Blamin' Hannah for some shit, I tried to calm him down, an' he exploded on me." Bon snickered earning a punch. "You dirty little bugger."

After his episode Bon returned to the stop sign, leaning against the pole. Malcolm left to stand next to Cliff, Phil keeping to himself during the whole thing. The singer watched Travis create a draft several feet away, clenching and re-clenching his fist. His earmuffs had gotten tousled with his mania and he attempted to fix them before just ripping them off. Hannah stood with Angus, listening to whatever he had to say and nodding her head. Even from here he could see the glint in her eyes, sparkling more than any icicle on any rooftop. Sparkling more than that silly ring on her finger. He saw Angus reach a thumb up to wipe away the river.

"He can't make you feel bad unless you let him," Angus whispered to her. "Don't let him get to you, it's his problem. Understand? His."

"Yeah," Hannah nodded turning her head away. "Yeah I know. 'Cause everything is always about him, he's the cause for everything."

"That's not what I said," he sighed, brushing her hair back. He wanted to see her face again, but she turned it too far. Her right hand grasped her left arm, lightly rubbing it. Her skin was cold under Angus' touch, and she wished for any excuse to have his hand stay there. Angus tilted his head. "Though I will say he's the cause of a lot of problems of late."

"No." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I meant that..." Searching into his eyes she saw an eager yearning. For an answer, for something more, she couldn't place. They were the same boyish, mischievous eyes that had gotten them both in chapters of trouble years ago. The longer she stared, the more devious a scheme developed, even if she couldn't read the whole plan. She knew something was there, his own spark of life.

She wished she had never lost that spark from her life.

A warm forehead pressed against hers, the eyes suddenly very close to her own, blinking at her. His breath was also very close, turning her cheeks red for reasons all on their own. "I-I meant-meant that..." Her words croaked in her mouth, twisting her tongue in a knot. He put his thumb on her lips.

"It's alright," he said. "I know what you meant." His own lips formed a smile, and he stepped back to admire the view. "Cheer up now, love, you can't be sad on our day out!"

"Yes I can," she pouted.

"But I don't like seeing my best friend sad, would you? Now then." He reached a hand up to grab her left arm. Stumbling forward as the arm was suddenly out of reach, Angus looked up at her. This was a look all too new to him. Dark and distant, staring at the snow below, and just as cold. She was a good foot away from him now, holding her arm close to her and shaking. When he tried reaching for her hand she pulled away, looking at him with those dark eyes. "Did I do somethin' wrong?" he asked daring a step nearer. "Shit, I'm sorry, what did I do?"

It took her a minute to answer. "I-it's fine, don't worry about...about it," she choked. He placed his hands on her shoulders and tilted her chin up, hating to see whatever it was he was seeing. She flinched. "Don't worry about me, you didn't do anything."

"Are you sure? We can go somewhere to talk if you want, someplace quieter-"

"Are we gonna jus' stand here, or are we goin' inside?" Bon yelled from the restaurant door. "I'm freezin' my balls off out here, an' no amount of roastin' in this joint will fix 'em." Angus frowned at the imagery, his appetite decreasing an amount. Hannah's seemed to have increased as she was the second one to the door, escaping Angus' grip and walking with a gait dangerous around ice in Bon's direction. Looking around him he saw Travis eyeing him, fiddling with his pink head wear. Cliff and Malcolm followed Hannah, Phil trudging behind. Bon stood there holding the door open, watching the staring contest between the final two men, thinking how difficult it must have been with their height difference. Correcting his posture and straightening his trench coat, Travis walked briskly inside, Angus sauntering behind him. Bon closed the door and the group scoured for a table.

The booth they found was right next to a heater coming from the wall, surely being the most coveted arrangement this season. The building was small, only opening its doors in the mornings. Parades like this weren't expected, especially ones decorated with famous figures. The seats were leather, with wooden backs. The table was an eggshell white, dots of color like confetti sprinkling the tops. Malcolm slid in first to fit in the narrowest spot, Cliff taking a seat next to him. Phil And Bon took the other side, Hannah was sat next to Bon, budging a smile in return at the one he gave her. Travis squeezed past a few waitresses to sit next to her, but Angus had been quicker and claimed his spot next to her. With a glare, Travis took the only one left, next to Cliff on the other side of the half circle. He glared across from him. A woman in a black apron holding a notepad and a chewed on pencil came out to greet them, her messy hair in a bun, one lip painted in too much lipstick.

Her smile was sweet, and so was her accent. "Good marnin' to ye' all, me name is Cassidy, I'll be servin' ye' today," she said. A stack of small menus were handed around the table, a list of drinks on both sides. The tip of her pencil touched the paper, waiting for their requests. Malcolm held his up and skimmed it over.

"Let's see, uh-"

"Coffee for all of us," Cliff interrupted. Malcolm looked up from the menu and stared at him, both remaining silent. Receiving no objections, Cassidy wrote it down.

"Will there be anythin' else?" she asked.

"Can I get a little milk in mine?" Angus asked handing his menu back.

"Same for me," Hannah agreed. Writing it down, she took the stack of menus back and headed for the kitchen. Cliff and Malcolm resumed their quiet confrontation. The leather of Bon's jacket shifted as he crossed his arms.

"Coffee ain't as good as whiskey in this weather," he said to Cliff. "My nuts are still chilled an' now I can't have anything to numb the pain?"

"It's too early for alcohol, mate," Cliff said leaning back. "Won't give us energy for skating later." Bon made a face at him and adjusted his scarf so it didn't cover his face.

A few minutes later Cassidy returned with a red tray, holding four mugs on it. "I'll be back with the rest," she said handing them out. "It's just the tray can't hold any mar."

"Don't worry about it, hun," Bon said taking his. "Angus can wait for his bottle, can't he?"

"I don't know, Bon," he smiled. "I'm awfully thirsty..."

"Should have ordered straight black," he responded taking a sip. "Easier to make, easier on Cassidy."

"Oh I don't mind droppin' in a splash," she said setting down the last mug and putting the tray under her arm. "I'll be right back, yeah?" Bon took another drink and set his mug down by Hannah.

"Here, take a sip o' that, little lady," he said passing the cup to her. Giving him a glance as if to confirm permission, and receiving an encouraging nod, she put the cup to her lips.

He laughed at the face she made when it hit her tongue. "This-" she coughed. "This is why I put milk in mine."

"Sometimes I do too, but I need somethin' strong to get my mind off whiskey." Malcolm lifted his head from his cup and stole a glance at Cliff, the latter already returning it. Bon grabbed a napkin from the middle of the table and wiped his mouth, then wiping Hannah's mouth.

"Hey!"

"Had coffee on your chin, from your sputterin'." Struggling away from him she leaned into Angus, waiting for the napkin to leave. Angus draped his arm around her grabbing a napkin for himself to use later. He caught Travis staring at his arm, and he kept it there to spite him.

"Alright, you're done," Hannah said pushing Bon's hand away. She straightened herself and folded her hands over the table. Soon enough Cassidy came back, with the same tray carrying three mugs.

"Here ye' are," she said placing the remaining ones down. "I brought back a menu or two to have a look at, I'll come back in a minute, right?" The table thanked her and she left again, the tray under her arm. The menus were handed around the table, these ones much bigger than the first set.

"Alright, alright, what do we have here?" Cliff asked looking his over. "Hmmm...nothin' with the word 'surprise' at the end sounds all that great."

"Bean surprise?" Phil asked looking up at him. "You're right, that's a surprise for someone else."

"Does the surprise come during the meal, or after?" Bon asked earning laughs and chokes around the table. The rest of the restaurant guests turned their heads to the noise, some scoffing, some whispering, some conveniently pulling out cameras they packed for their trip. Malcolm, after seeing every option there was to see, cleared his throat.

"Alright, jus' so it's clear everyone pays for their own meal, alright? What goes in your mouth comes out your wallet."

"Shucks, Mal, nine ninety five?" Bon whined.

"Suck it up."

Angus pulled out his wallet and checked it. He nudged Hannah. "Hey, let me pay for you?" he asked. "I kind of fucked it up last time, I...want to make up for it."

"I brought some with me," Hannah said. "Really it's fine."

"C'mon, please?" He looked at her with those eyes, those silly, pleading eyes. They worked their charm however, and he got his way.

"Okay," she surrendered. "But I won't have you spend a fortune, I'll get somethin' small."

"No! No, get whatever you want, I don't have a problem. Of course, like Cliff said, you might not want any surprises in your meal." He looked over his own menu. "Of course you can get whatever you want."

Travis had been keeping awfully quiet on the other side of the table. All day yesterday as well, he hadn't spoke much, much to everyone's secret relief. As much as he wouldn't admit it, he felt a bit out of place with the group, these rockers and rollers. Hannah was taken in with open arms, and Travis nearly accused open legs. She never once took her ring off, but separate hotel rooms provided a slight obstacle for him to make sure. There was something else he noticed as he looked around the room, and he'd have to ask Angus about that elephant.

Skimming through his options, he turned the menu over. "I'd have thought they had a more..." He paused to enunciate. "...put together selection," Travis noted. Malcolm and Phil looked at him, then at each other, then back at him.

"What were you expectin', mate?" Phil asked. "Chocolate fountain? Swan napkins?"

"An egg not served with catsup on the side?" Travis retorted. "I'd normally not come to breakfast at a place like this."

"Then why did you?" Angus asked quite loudly. All eyes were on him. Travis glared at him, taking a sip of his drink. "You could have stayed behind ya' know."

"I can't just sit in a hotel room all day," Travis answered.

"You know what I meant." Malcolm wiped his face of coffee with his napkin and stood up, squeezing past everyone at the table, patting Angus on the shoulder, and pointing to the men's room.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked. Angus stood as well, allowing Malcolm to pass through and they headed for the bathrooms. Once inside Malcolm took a spot away from the door, Angus taking one a few down the line. They were quiet a while.

"He's bein' a real lad tonight, ain't he?" Angus asked. "I'm delighted we took him."

"I know you're mad, Ang. But this ain't the time or place for it," Malcolm said zipping himself up. "Duke it out on your own time, but not here, an' not with Hannah around."

"She can take it," Angus answered following his brother to the sink.

"Sure, but she fights with him herself too, she don't need to see your blue with him." He turned the faucet off and grabbed a paper towel. "Take it outside if you're gonna scrap."

"I was not gonna scrap," Angus said. "Might throw a swing here an' there if he mouths off, but."

"I can't stand him either, Ang. He's the bloodiest wanker in the history of wanking, yeah? But he's payin' his own way, he's his own guy. We don't have to look after him, or give a fuck about what he's doin' or what he's fuckin', eh?"

"So he starts pesterin' Hannah we jus' let him?"

"Was he doin' anything to her?" Malcolm asked. "I didn't see anything, you see him do somethin'?" Malcolm clapped Angus' shoulder and headed for the door. "For now, let's count to ten, alright?" When they reached the booth outside they saw the table cleared of menus save two. "You all order without us?"

"Well, while you two were shit takin', Miss Cassidy came out and we had a chat," Bon said as the two regressed back to their places. "You'll have your chance when she comes back."

"What'd you get?" Angus whispered to Hannah.

"German pancakes," she answered. "I've had 'em once, they're pretty good."

"Alright then," Angus said. "I'll make it two."

"What makes it German?" Travis asked. Hannah fiddled with her mug and shrugged.

"They're not really German," she said. "We make them in America, my mom did at least."

"You're gonna eat the whole thing?" Travis asked, not breaking eye contact. She shrugged again.

"I was intending to, but-"

"I see." With a cough into his hand Travis checked his watch, waiting for Cassidy to return. "Glad I'm not the one paying for you." One glare from Malcolm kept Angus from throwing the table aside. That glare of course was shared with Travis as well, who didn't see it, or didn't bother to look. Letting her mug hide her face she drank and drank and drank, till there wasn't any more left. Then setting her cup down, her head was also cast down. Wishing he could give Travis the biggest bird, Angus instead leaned in closer to the young woman beside him.

"Hey, remember what I said?" Angus asked, remembering the words from Malcolm for himself. "It's his problem, don't let him bother ya'."

Instead of replying she simply leaned on to his shoulder, picking at the loose threads on his jacket. He let her, as he brushed her hair out of her eyes. Cassidy came back with a tray of food, another one soon to follow. "Here ye' are, the rest of it is on the way," she said setting down Hannah's plate. Not two seconds passed before she grabbed a fork and began to eat. "Have ye' two decided on anythin'?"

"I'll have what she's havin'," Angus said thumbing at Hannah. Malcolm passed his menu down the line and leaned back.

"That's fine."

"Alright, I'll have yer food in a minute. Sarry about table two over there, they're noisy."

"Oh...we haven't heard them at all," Cliff admitted. Cassidy brushed her bangs out of the way.

"Ye' haven't! I've been hearin' them since seven this marnin', gabbin' away!"

"Have they ordered yet?" Bon asked looking over his shoulder at the table in question. Teenagers sat in every seat, four of them crowded around a magazine, chatting away, one glancing up from her book now and then.

"A while ago, but they stay sometimes, this is their little hideaway as it were. I see them come in every so often, most days that I work. I don't mind it, but I will say, this is a place to eat, not come in here an' act the maggot, I'll tell ye'!" With a turn on her heel, her notepad scribbled in, she made her way back to the kitchen, a skip in her step. Bon grinned.

"She ain't seen us yet, we're the worst of the lot!"

"Oh surely not you, Bon," Travis said, grabbing a sugar packet from the center of the table. He opened it and poured it in his drink. "You couldn't possibly be worse than a young scoundrel like one of them." Bon lost his smile and looked around the table.

"I'd say I've jus' 'bout invented the word," he stated. "Kids at school would keep away from me for miles. Callin' in sick."

"Such a sophisticated man like you?" The tone of Travis' voice scraped Bon's eardrums. "I should hardly dare to think!"

"I've gotten in plenty of scraps myself, with men sayin' the same thing you are." Bon's happy attitude was melting away with the snow outside, the sun having shown its face.

"You've fought men for giving a compliment?" Malcolm reached a hand to Bon, grabbing his arm about to make a move. "That's hardly what I'd call a good neighbor."

"Bon, Bon!" he whispered. "Leave it, he's jus' askin' for attention."

"...He's askin' for it alright," Bon said taking a long drink of his coffee. The bitterness tasted better than Travis sounded. The coffee was easier to stomach than his words. Bon didn't say anything more until Cassidy came back.

"Here ye' are, the rest of it. Can I get any of ye' anythin' else to drink?" Bon's mug was held up to her face, his eyes locked on Travis. With a look of surprise forcing a smile, she took the cup from his hand and headed off.

"They sure make food fast here," Malcolm said tearing into his food. Angus instead had taken to cutting up his into little pieces, eating them one at a time. "But it's much better than fast food."

"To us it is," Bon mumbled pulling apart his toast. "Some of us I'd say, are not impressed." Bon's coffee arrived just in the nick of time.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Cliff asked. The snow had picked up again, this time covering the streets with a blanket. The group finished breakfast and walked downtown to find the second part of their day out.

"The map says Streatham," Phil answered looking at the large paper in his hands. Making sure it wasn't upside down, Cliff took a look over Phil's shoulder. "Building says Streatham."

"I don't remember it quite lookin' like this."

"Street sign says Streatham High Road..."

"Oh, can it, Rudd, I believe ya'." The massive building in front of them was the color of cotton candy and dreams. Masses poured in and out, all of them rushing from the precipitation. Hannah burrowed herself into her sweater, excited to go inside. The warmth from the restaurant had been carried with them for a mile and a half, but it wasn't enough. "You ready to make an idiot of yourself?"

"Not in the slightest, but I'm anxious to get out of this tundra."

"It's an ice rink, Phil!" Bon shouted behind him. "I don't know what improvements you're expectin' but it can't be much!"

"Anything is better!" Phil yelled back. "It ain't snowin' inside!" The line had shortened some by the time they got there, but it was still a few minutes' wait for entry into the building. The colossal pond frozen for fun housed a lot of people, but not enough for anything less than comfortable. A few people seemed to recognize the men but they were left alone. It was still too cold to stop moving for a picture or to chat.

Standing in the second line wasn't so bad, it wasn't as long. Everyone had to give their shoe size and in return receive a pair of skates. It took Hannah and Travis a minute to convert their American sizes to the local normal. It took even longer to find Angus and Malcolm's sizes, something they would never hear the end of that day.

Once they reached the rink, even more people had left, less coming inside. "You'd think it'd be the opposite," Travis noted. "So late in the day."

"This ain't the weather for skatin', mate," Malcolm said. "Everyone's gettin' cold." Travis reached up to fix his earmuffs.

"The ice can try me then."

Angus sat on a bench to remove his shoes. The same shoes he had trouble putting on that morning he had trouble taking off. The left one went flying forward, the right ripping off and smacking his arm. "Fuck," he muttered. His arm stung when he rubbed it.

"You hurt yourself?"

Angus looked up and saw Travis standing above him, hands in his coat pockets. His earmuffs had been moved to his neck for now, skates on his feet. He looked silly standing there, the blades hardly upright. Yet he maintained balance all the same. "...I'm fine," he mumbled.

"There's a trick to putting skates on, you know." Angus couldn't wait until he left.

"I'd love to hear it."

"I'll tell you..." Travis sauntered closer to him, sitting on the bench next to him. "...if you return the favor."

Angus blinked. "Pardon?"

"I want to know something." The shorter man shrugged in response, grabbing the left skate.

"No, I've never been skating before, so get in line for pictures." Travis shook his head.

"No," he said. "Where's your girl?" Angus frowned in confusion, automatically landing his gaze on Hannah, who was already on the other side of the rink talking to Malcolm and Cliff. She stayed closer to Malcolm, having known him longer. Realizing the real target, he quickly tore his eyes away.

"She's with a friend."

"A friend?"

"The one who was supposed to drive her to our show yesterday, told me last night she couldn't come." Travis whistled.

"Kind of last minute." Angus' left skate was pulled on. He tilted his head.

"What's it to ya' then?"

"Just wondering, curious about a woman like her. I've never seen 'em like that one."

"Neither have I," Angus grinned to himself.

"Oh, but you two are together aren't you? Should have remembered that, it's obvious by the way you two were going at it yesterday."

"What do you mean?" Angus asked suddenly.

"On the bus?"

"Oh...I wouldn't say we're, together."

"You're not?" Travis asked surprised. Angus shook his head. "Wow, I could have sworn..."

"No. No, we're not official yet. Who knows, we might never be."

"Really. I could have sworn. The way you two look at each other." Angus shook his head again. "But you're still...together."

"Yeah, she uh, she lives with me. Been livin' with me for a year now, we're really close." The right skate had a bit of a harder time coming on, like it was playing a game. It wasn't the only one, as he was caught in the middle of a round of twenty questions. "I really like her."

"What's her name again?"

"Sherrie."

"That's right, Sherrie. Of course. You seemed a bit surprised to see her yesterday."

"We all were."

"Of course," Travis agreed. "Boy, she must really be something, huh?"

"Most beautiful woman in the world." Travis smiled.

"Is that all?"

"Good talker," Angus replied, fighting the pain from his tugging fingers turning red. "She talks so much I'll hear her havin' a conference in the bathroom." Another minute had gone by with no progress nor tips on his ice skate methods. He noticed everyone else had made it out on the rink, Phil already getting laughed at for falling.

"Not good when you're trying to sleep."

"By that time, I'm already exhausted," Angus giggled to himself. "Even if she's not ready for anything more I'm glad I have her."

"She's not ready?" Angus swallowed the lump in his throat from last night. "Why not?"

"I don't know," he mumbled. "She likes me, she said so. But..."

"Commitment isn't her thing?"

"It's not that, it's not that."

Travis stood up from the bench and headed for the ice. "She sounds like a remarkable girl," he said. "Though, I must confess to you, Angus..." Angus looked up at him, the skate finally slipping on his foot. "I don't believe our minds were on the same thing."

Angus nearly fell off the bench sliding his skate on. Travis made his way to the gate by the ice when Angus called out to him. "Wait! We made a deal!" Not that he was anxious to hear the secret to getting on footwear, but he hoped maybe Travis would come back and explain himself. Travis eyed Angus' feet and kept walking.

"I think you've figured it out."

Cliff's laughter filled the whole arena as Phil fell down again. "It's not funny, ya' bastard," Phil would say as he grabbed the rail and stood himself up. His arms shook while his legs pushed his weight off the ice, and his first step sent him sliding away again. "It's not funny."

"I'm gonna keep laughing until you keep yourself upright," Cliff said, offering him up a hand. "Here. Stand right here." Phil inched his way over to the rail, both men standing with their backs to it. Skaters more practiced than the both of them circled by. "Now keep your hands on the rail."

"What are you doin'?"

"I'm teachin' you how to skate! Now come on, keep your hands on the rail, and jus' do what I do, okay?" Phil watched Cliff slide his left foot forward, lift it up, then bring it back to the wall, his right foot doing the same thing. The ice was soon scratched up where he stood. "Don't make me do this alone, Phil."

"This is ridiculous..."

"Says Humpty Dumpty over here." With a roll of his eyes, Phil imitated Cliff, sliding his feet forward as if he were walking in place. "There ya' go!"

About ten steps in his left foot went out a little too far, the rail disappearing from his grip. His body met the ice again, his clothes surely soaked. Cliff laughed the loudest yet. "It's not funny, ya' bastard."

Meanwhile, Bon, Malcolm, and Hannah were slowly skating in the middle of the rink, the girl doing everything she could to keep her balance. Bon walked on her right side, Malcolm on her left, both there in case she needed help. Normally she would have insisted she try on her own, but with all three of them novices, it wouldn't hurt to have a friend with her. The two men held a conversation over her, once in a while missing their footing.

"I don't believe a word of it, Bon."

"It's true!" Malcolm shook his head with a smile at the taller man, the latter shocked he should ever doubt his frontman. "You've jus' never seen me do it."

"God in Heaven is laughin' at you right now."

Bon nodded his head, slipping once or twice. "Alright," he said. "Let's take it up with the little lady then."

"What is it?" Hannah asked, hands out in front of her, her steps like that of an infant. Malcolm explained before Bon could alter his words.

"Bonny here says he can ride a unicycle a whole mile, an'...I don't think he's tellin' the truth." Hannah smiled as she wobbled forward. "What do you say?"

"I say he's had a long time to come up with that story while he walked that mile," Hannah laughed. Malcolm beamed.

"You see? Ladies don't lie." Bon lightly pushed Hannah into Malcolm like a domino.

"Not the sweet ones," he said. "Not the little lady here."

Hannah fought long and hard to keep her balance on the thin ice, her legs aching from the stress they carried. One step after the other, each one more concentrated on than the last. Bon and Malcolm seemed to be speeding up, their presence on either side of her slightly ahead now. One faulty step on the ice sent her forward, her hands outstretched to stop herself, when someone had caught her instead. She looked up to thank Malcolm and Bon when they were suddenly far ahead of her, getting smaller and smaller. Two arms encircled her waist from behind, pulling her over to a wall. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, just curious why I'm going the wrong direction," she said. For an answer, she was gripped tightly, and spun around to face her captor.

"That better?"

"Thanks," she mumbled. Angus smiled.

"Anytime." He walked backwards until they reached the wall where the rail was, latching on. Hannah grabbed it with two hands. "So what's a fine miss like you doin' with a couple of guys like that?"

"Trying to get these things to work," she said scratching the ice below with the heel of the blade.

"They broken?"

"No, but they're making things a lot more difficult for me," she pouted. Her hands were taken from the rail and she was skating again, dragged along by a man in reverse. Her feet would slide in two different directions, finally setting themselves to travel a straight line. She couldn't quite see everything behind Angus' head, hoping there weren't any victims behind him.

"Then I'll skate for you." Her face turned red.

"You don't have to do this, I'll never learn if I don't-hey!" She was pulled closer to him, Angus skating at a pace he knew how without risking any danger to themselves. Her lips were an inch or two away from his, only furthering the distance when he turned around to check for traffic behind him. He took her around the rink in a circle, making sure to stay close to the rails. Thoughts of Travis' interrogation nor the sound of Cliff's laughter could bother him now; the only other one in the room was in front of him.

As they reached a full circle, Angus stopped skating and brought her over to the rail, letting her grip it again. Her face was redder than he had ever seen it, her hair covering her eyes. "There, how was that? Was that fun?"

"How come you can skate so well?" Hannah asked. Angus shrugged.

"I can't. Beginner's luck. Do you think you could do it on your own now?"

I, I mean-I could try, but it's not as easy as you make it look." Hannah faced the ice, let go of the handle, and walked forward. Her legs were still shaky from their trip, but she refused to hold on to anything.

Angus followed her as she took a few more steps toward the middle of the rink. Her stride was getting longer, and her confidence was inflated, though on too windy of a day. When her steps reached twenty one (she counted), her skates had gotten used to the feel of the ice and soon she was no longer walking, but actually skating. Her smile grew to reach her ears and she made sure Angus saw it. On her twenty seventh step however, the blade of one caught on to a deep scratch, halting her movement. Her arms stretched out to the first thing they could, Angus' shoulders the only thing in her line of reach. Angus caught her in time, her face soon buried in his shoulder as she embraced his neck.

The material of his jacket pressed against her skin, his warmth now her warmth. Carefully he skated backwards again, taking her for another ride. He didn't bother checking behind him as much, keeping his eyes on her, all trust completely in him. Angus rubbed her back in circles, matching the ones they traveled. He could feel her heartbeat racing against his.

It wasn't cold anymore.

"You're alright," he whispered, carrying her across the room. "I've got ya', I've got ya'." He'd be lying if he said he didn't stumble once or twice. but it hardly mattered to him. Resting a hand on her hair, he smiled. "I've always got ya'."