"Whatever the reason, that's real thoughtful of ya', Sherrie." She returned the grin Angus gave her as she walked in the coffee shop first, Angus holding the door. It was a quiet Monday, and for that both were grateful. Sherrie had a lot to talk about and a loud atmosphere would cloud the point. They walked up to the counter and the man behind it hardly glanced up from his magazine. He reminded Sherrie of the first taxi driver.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Uh, what do you want, Sherrie, I'll just order the same," Angus said. The woman glanced at the menu, narrowing her eyes to see.

"Black is fine with me," she shrugged.

"The same then." The man set his magazine down and almost wished he hadn't. The flush in his cheeks was enough to boil water. His hands shook and his words came out like a broken hose.

"You're-you're-" His finger waved pathetically at Angus, who looked around the shop hoping the attention level was low. "You're-"

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

"You're him," the man said. He couldn't have been older than a teenager. "My G-god sir, it's an honor to meet you. I'm sorry if-if I've offended y-you in any way, or spit on you with my stuttering..."

"No, not yet," Angus smiled, wiping his face just to be sure. His head was lowered as he felt the whole shop staring at him now. "It's nice to meet you too uh-" He squinted at the name tag, "Elliot."

"You said my name," Elliot squeaked. "Sorry, my first time meeting f-famous people."

"It's alright, I'd react the same. Hell, I do every time I look in the bathroom mirror," Angus laughed. Elliot made sure to let Angus know he found his joke especially funny.

"So uh, will there be anything else?"

"Can I get one of those scones they cover in frosting? The lemon ones," Sherrie asked.

"No problem. Oh gee, I should be writing this down. Hold on..." A Styrofoam cup was picked up from a stack, the rest scattering all over the counter and on the floor. Elliot's hands were still shaking. "Uh, maybe you ought to write your name down, my h-handwriting's a little shaky." His voice sure cracked like a teenager. Angus took the cup and pen from Elliot and signed it, a perfect cursive signature. Elliot took it and stared at it, while the other two exchanged looks. "I'll have you order out soon, you can pay the other side." His voice was dull as he stared at the cup in his hand. Sherrie walked to the register to pay while Angus found a table.

There was one by a large window with a nice view of the street. Granted a bit of construction work was going on on the other side but the rest of it was pretty. Outside the windows were flower boxes nailed to the wall, nothing inside them. A brown bird perched on the box right at Angus' window, and he smiled at it. It hopped around and dug through the dirt with its beak but didn't find anything. A cup was set in front of him, the coffee inside steaming. "Lucky our drinks are quick," Sherrie smiled above him. An identical cup was sat on her side of the table and she sat down to wait for the scones. Angus turned his head to the window and saw the bird had flown.

The coffee was hot on his lips and tongue. He set his cup down and grabbed a napkin, a set of cursive markings in his line of sight. The cup he signed was the same one he was drinking out of. Elliot must not have been paying attention. "You're quiet," he noted at the woman across from him. She had hardly spoken a word, not even sipping her drink.

"Something wrong?" she asked him.

"No, nothin's wrong. But when you said you wanted to talk about somethin'...I don't know." He took her hand in his and just held it there. "Anything on your mind?"

"Nothing we have to start with," she said running her thumb over his hand. "How's your drink?"

"Hopefully the same as yours," he said.

"Haven't tried mine."

"Hot and black. Yours must be the same. Your scones are ready." Sherrie turned her head to see Elliot placing a small plate on the counter with a few yellow pastries. She stood up to get them.

"They're bigger than I thought. Want one?" He took one.

"My drink isn't all you wanted to talk about, surely?" he asked chewing.

"How's the scone?" He swallowed it.

"Perfect. You do somethin' different to your hair today?" Sherrie felt it underneath her fingertips.

"No...why?"

"Jus' seemed different today I suppose. Nothin' wrong with it, it looks beautiful."

"Something different with your hair?" she teased. Angus shook it out letting it fall out in front of his face.

"Jus' the same shower, same towel. You've been there, you know how it works." She hit his shoulder with a smile. "You hear from your parents at all?"

"No-well, once. It was a few weeks ago just to tell me they had been on vacation and that's why they hadn't answered my calls. But they promised to call me soon again and...I've yet to hear from them."

"Tell your mum to send us some of her muffins," Angus said. "I haven't had one in a while an' I'm shaking for another."

"No you're not," she smiled again. "She's been taking care of my dad, she might not have time to bake like she used to. He's been out of work sick a lot recently, and they thought the vacation would pick him up. Exactly the same."

Angus tried to look anywhere but the counter where he could see Elliot staring at him. "Sorry to hear that, do they know what he's got?"

"Some flu going around, maybe worse. He's old enough as it is, he doesn't need a disease to cripple him."

"Send him my regards, and, I guess I don't really need those muffins," Angus said. Sherrie squeezed his hand.

"I'm sure she'd make them for you anyway, she loves you." Angus straightened his posture. Sherrie's coffee was getting cold and her scones were untouched. Angus took another one. "Was your day with Hannah okay?" Angus coughed on a crumb.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Went okay, went shopping, you probably saw that. Travis usually gets the food but he hasn't been gettin' enough." Angus drank the rest of his tea in one sitting. "Pain in my ass. Stole her money too."

"Does she have anywhere else to stay?" Sherrie's eyes didn't show concern, necessarily, but curiosity. Angus shook his head.

"Not really, he makes all the money."

"That's what he said."

"Huh?"

"He mentioned it once, on the bus a few days ago, it's nothing."

"Bus?"

"The tour bus, he left before you got on. He's not-the best company, I hate to admit." Angus sighed.

"I'll shout it from a roof if I have to, he's the worst company. Want to get back there soon, take Hannah with me an' Mal someplace."

"Again?" Sherrie did nothing to hide her tone.

"Is there a problem?"

She sighed and took a drink before continuing. "You're over there a lot."

"Well...wasn't that the point of this trip? You an' I are supposed to be back home, but we're here instead."

"I didn't think you were going to spend every waking moment with her." Angus looked around them.

"I'm not," he answered.

"Never mind," she said, her voice more bitter than the coffee. Angus didn't miss it.

"What's the matter, what are you goin' on about?"

"Nothing!" she suddenly yelled. "Nothing is wrong, I'm just pointing out your time over there. It's a lot."

"Yeah. And?" She didn't answer. "I'm checkin' up on her-"

"She's an adult."

"-'cause Travis is an emotionally abusive bugger, who can't ever keep his mouth shut on anything. You've talked to him, how much would you want to spend one day with him?" He waited for an answer that never came. "Well, Hannah spends her whole life with him. I want to keep her safe, and takin' her on fun trips with her friends isn't such a bad idea."

"Why not just call the police on this guy if he's abusing her?"

"We have no evidence," he said. "I'm not even sure emotional abuse is illegal." She picked up her cup then set it down again.

"Travis also said you two...perhaps had a relationship?" His eyes widened. Sherrie's words got quieter. "He said he wasn't quite sure, but that you two-"

"Why the fuck would he think that?" His words were also quiet and his face was red. "I haven't said one word to him about our friendship-nothin' of that sort, anyway."

"Is it true?" Angus kept quiet. "You did? I don't believe this. After all this time of telling me you felt nothing for her, and you lied?"

"It was just a small crush, I didn't think it mattered! She's my past now, why are you so upset?"

"She's your past?" Angus looked around the shop to see a couple people staring at them as Sherrie raised her voice. "Yeah, sure looks like it as we're here with her instead of at home where my dad is sick, and my mum is working day and night to take care of him! You've sure forgotten her as you head to her house a hundred times a day!" The clock on the wall struck its pendulum signalling the next hour. "Oh, is it time for another visit, Angus? Every hour on the hour?"

"I'm helping her forget reality for a while, so she can be happy once!"

"You can't escape reality, it's what we live in! If life's terrible, then it's terrible! You deal with it! Someone else's partner doesn't just get comfortable with them to 'forget'!"

'We're not together, Sherrie, did you forget?" Angus asked. "I didn't mention it to you before because I didn't want your reaction. This is why." He sighed. "I may have had a few feelings for her when we were kids but they're gone now, and they're not comin' back, so what are you so worked up about?"

"What about that note you keep in your suitcase?" Sherrie hated to pull the card, but she was left no choice.

"What note?"

"In the pocket, there's a note that I surely didn't write, and who else could have?" Angus tightened his hold on his cup.

"You went through my suitcase?"

"Answer my question."

More stares were focused on them and Angus lowered his head and his voice. Sherrie refused to. "It-it was somethin' she wrote me years ago-"

"She?"

"Yes. She wrote it years ago and it got switched with somethin' else an' I don't think she ever meant for me to read it..." He looked away from Sherrie and stared at the table. "I wonder if she even knows it's lost."

"Why did you keep it? If you have no feelings whatsoever-"

"I didn't want to lose it, that's all! After missing her car the day she left it was all I had left of her! I didn't want to lose my friend completely so I..." He shrugged. "I kept it." Sherrie's eyes were like fire.

"And took it with you. Took it on the tour then, I imagine?"

"...didn't want to lose it."

"Leaving it at home wouldn't have harmed anything, you knew exactly what you were doing when you packed it. You obviously did have it for the tour since we didn't stop at home first...and-you must have had it with you when you first went to see her during break..." Angus' face kept going redder. "You just carry it with you? Surprised I never saw it framed at home!"

"Sherrie..."

She laughed. "Don't 'Sherrie' me, Angus. Is this all a joke to you? I mean-how can I be with someone who has feelings for someone else? Still?" She shook her head.

"At least I don't go through other people's stuff."

"Oh, don't pull that on me now, okay? You're just mad because I caught you. It was your fault for leaving the damn thing out anyway. Maybe Hannah can't leave, but I can." She stood up and grabbed her purse, leaving the cup and scones behind.

"You're not serious...you can't just go home now." She stopped and turned around.

"Who says? You can't tell me what to do." The door to the shop opened again, this time one person instead of two. Angus stood up after her. He grabbed the cup from his table and handed it off to Elliot.

"Here, you can keep that. Sherrie!"

Elliot stared at the cup with stars in his eyes.

It was dark when Angus knocked on the door. Hannah's door, actually. It was a last minute trip, his heart pounding in volumes he didn't think possible, or healthy. After being ignored on the walk back to the hotel and yelled at inside, Sherrie decided against going home. That had calmed him down some, but not enough to soothe his anger. He made sure his belongings were out of her sight before he left and she didn't answer when he told her.

If Travis answered the door he'd just bowl him down and head straight for Hannah. After the scene in the coffee shop, Angus told Sherrie he'd be going on a walk, but didn't mention where in case she exploded again. Maybe it was a bad idea to keep another secret from her that she was sure to find out, but he didn't care at the moment. He wanted some peace with a friend.

It was quite a shock when a hand poking out of a pink sleeve opened the door. Hannah stood there in her bathrobe, shocked to see Angus as well. "What's wrong?" she asked seeing the look on his face.

He rested his fist on the open door frame. "Nothin'. Travis home?"

"No, he caught a ride with a friend to a bar in town," she said fixing her robe. "He was picked up an hour ago."

"How long will he be gone?"

"Depends, might be all night. Do you want to come in?" He didn't answer. Her hand was grabbed in his and he pulled her closer to him, her face in his hands. She held her breath when Angus let her go and grabbed her hand again, pulling her away from the house.

"Did Travis take the car?"

"No, I said he was picked up." Luckily for Angus the garage was open. "What are you doing? Let go!" She was pulled closer to him again when he stopped.

"I want to talk," he said suddenly. His eyes darted back and forth to both of hers. "I-need to talk."

"Did something happen?" He swallowed, unable to answer just yet. Instead he let her go and headed for the car.

"Where does Travis keep the keys?"

"Angus...you're not serious." She watched him try the door handle a few times then look around. "We're not gonna take his car around on some ride, okay? He could be back any minute."

"You said he'd be gone all night."

"I said might, Angus! He could come back early and you know how upset he gets." Angus did know, but he pushed the thought away. "Come on, we can talk inside."

"No, I need to get away from this place."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you on the way, now where are the keys?" Angus had tipped a few things over in his rush to find them.

"You can't even drive, let alone find your way around, where do you expect to go?"

"Hannah, please." He stopped looking for the keys and stared at her. It was dark, and Hannah will never be sure, but she thought she saw a bit of water in his eyes. His voice had cracked as well. She had never known him in such a vulnerable state. She missed the first time.

"Angus, you still can't drive."

"I couldn't ask you to do this..." He looked away from her, hoping maybe he'd see the keys on a shelf. "But, could you?" To his surprise, she smiled.

"Of course I will." She walked toward a drawer on some tool desk and opened it, pulling out the keys to the Hearse. Both front doors were unlocked and Angus got in the passenger side. "Now," Hannah said as she got comfortable. "Where are we going?"

"Doesn't matter," Angus said looking out the window, despite still being parked. "Just away from this house, away from the city."

The headlights were burning out. The tires bounced along the uneven road and the engine made a gnarly sound. The road they were on wasn't even a real one; it was made of dirt and rocks and anything else unpleasant to drive on. Hannah had a bit of trouble making her way through traffic and Angus eventually told her to veer off on the dirt path. Neither one knew where it led but it was father out than any street sign could take them.

It had been filled with gas before they set off. Hannah insisted on it much to Angus' arguing, just so Travis wouldn't combust upon seeing his car on empty. Taking it without him knowing was trouble enough. Angus paid for it though, perfectly okay with helping Hannah, even if it was Travis' car.

One light had burnt out completely, the path getting darker and darker every minute. Eventually Angus placed his hand on the wheel, indicating to stop. Hannah put the car in park and killed the engine. His eyes were glued to the dashboard. "We're here," Hannah said, making light of the situation. Angus didn't laugh. "You okay?"

"I'm tired," he said rubbing his eyes.

"It wouldn't have hurt to go to bed instead of taking a drive."

"I needed someone to talk to." Hannah turned around in her seat so she was facing him. Angus did the same.

"I'm listening," she said quietly. After sitting in silence with his head in his hand, he sighed.

"I'm not a perfect man," he mumbled. Hannah tilted her head.

"I know that, but who is?" she said. "Doesn't make any difference to me."

"Well it does to some people," he spat. "And why shouldn't it? You don't want to be with someone you can't trust. Do you?" Hannah frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Isn't it true?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"It's true! You can't force yourself to be around someone you don't trust and I don't blame them! I don't blame her at all, yet I don't know if I can trust her either! You ever rifle through a man's underwear just to prove a point?" he asked.

"I-no, but I don't understand what you're getting at, you're just speaking in riddles." He laughed without humor. "Did something happen with Sherrie?"

"Nothing is the-damn! matter, I just-" Hannah took Angus' hands away from the chair they were hitting in case the chair should break apart. Counting to ten never worked for him. Hannah was shaking as she held his hands, afraid he might get angry again. But he didn't. He slowly returned to his normal self, tired and all. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

It was quiet in the car besides the radio Travis kept on the dashboard. Sometimes he'd listen to talk show hosts yelling about the state of the planet and he'd call it a load of rubbish. Hannah always asked why he listened to such things if he didn't believe in any of it. He rarely answered her, and when he did it was always condescending. Angus turned it on as an excuse not to talk just yet, and switched it to some music station. "Talk shows? This guy's a bloke!"

"I trust you," Hannah whispered after a minute. "You can be trusted, you're a good man. Sure you're not perfect, but I wouldn't want you to be. You wouldn't be you then, would you?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Now who's speakin' in riddles?" He smiled when she laughed. The car was noticeably colder, the time surely later. "Sherrie an' I had a fight."

"I'm sorry, I should have known-"

"You couldn't have, you couldn't have," he said squeezing her hand. "I was too upset to give you a background to work with. It wasn't too bad, I mean, she was pretty mad at me."

"What'd you do to her?" Hannah asked.

"Do to her? What makes you think I did anything?"

"Don't forget the last six years I spent with you and all your tricks," Hannah laughed. "Anyone-and I mean anyone could have been a target of your schemes."

"Lucky you were on my side then," he smiled. "I'll have you know I didn't do a thing..." He stared at her, the car not so cold anymore. Sherrie's accusations left his memory. "...that-I regret."

Hannah, from the dark of the car, had closed her eyes and rested her head against the side of the seat. Angus' sentences didn't seem to register, but he didn't want to repeat himself. Her pink bathrobe looked warm, and he shook his head at himself for envying it. In his hurry he left his jacket behind, his anger heating him up instead. It hadn't vanished, rather, taken a backseat. Much like the night of the New Year's party he and Malcolm got into serious trouble for, the longer he found himself staring, the closer he leaned in.

Her face was turned slightly to the right with the corner of her lips pressed against the seat making it difficult for Angus to find a good angle. He wasn't sure if she had fallen asleep or not but a small one wouldn't hurt, even if it only grazed her cheek. His eyes began to close when Hannah's mouth opened, letting out a huge yawn. He leaned away from her covering his mouth to hide his own. Stretching her arms out in front of her then pulling them close. Angus knew she couldn't drive home like this. Caring about Travis and his car was the last thing he wanted to do that night. Making sure her yawn was finished, he put a hand to her cheek. Her eyes opened.

"You tired?"

She nodded.

"Come on then." He removed his seat belt after removing hers and stood her up from the seat. She bumped the steering wheel but didn't fall, and Angus took her to the backseat of the Hearse, parked in the middle of nowhere.