How can you forget about someone when you're laughing with them and hugging them? You can't. Angus knew his plan would never work if he kept this up. But no matter how hard he tried to leave her, he asks her to sit with him and spend a week with him. Hannah was making this more difficult for him, and he hated her for it. Loved her, hated her, and loved her again.

Angus turned away from her and crossed his arms. Hannah recovered from laughing and cocked her head at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin'."

"I know that face."

"It's not a face." Hannah stared at him. "What do you want? It's not a face, you're reading too much into it. Maybe stay out of people's business," he said standing up and walking to the front door. There was no face, there was nothing wrong. He needed to stop thinking about that damn girl and she needed to stay out of his way.

Angus was not feeling better. He had gotten worse and I got the broken heart to prove it. Hopefully after Christmas or maybe even the new year he'd feel a little better. Just leave him alone for a while I guess. But he was so happy two minutes ago...

Bon was leaning against the front of the house. "Hey mate, you're goin' the wrong way!" he smiled.

"Fuck off," Angus said walking inside.

Later that night we stayed up giving each other our presents early. Cliff, Phil, and Malcolm were leaving tomorrow for that meeting and we celebrated the holidays a day early as a result. We put our presents in a garbage bag as there was no room under our dingy tree. "Here's one for me. And who's it from? Whaddya know? Me!" Phil said pulling out a box from the bag.

"You sent a present to yourself?" Malcolm asked.

"I saw it on sale at some corner store, you guys would never find it." Phil unwrapped the box and pulled out one of those liquor flask things.

"A drink is it?" Brian laughed. Phil opened it and smelled it.

"Damn straight. Look, even comes with a built in bendy straw."

"Oh yeah. Wouldn't want to lose that now would we?" Cliff said.

"Alright, next present," Phil said. "Or that may be the last one..." He checked the bag a bit more. I saw Angus shift uncomfortably in his seat and bite his lip. "Don't see anything."

"I'll take care of it," Angus said standing up and taking it away in a hurry.

"Wait Ang, I thought I saw somethin' in there, at the bottom," Malcolm said standing and trying to look in the bag.

"It's just a piece of paper Mal, somebody must have accidentally thrown it away in here."

"Let me see, it might be my shopping list," Ellen said with curiosity.

"It's just a blank piece of paper, I'll throw it away." Angus crumpled up the garbage bag and walked to the front yard garbage cans.

What's eatin' him?" Cliff asked.

"He wants a bendy straw liquor flask now," Phil said.

"Believe me, that's the last thing he wants," Malcolm answered.

"Better than an old beer pack that's for sure. You don't get no bendy straws for those," Brian said.

"See Mal? Brian likes it," Phil gestured to him. Brian held up his hand.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here..."

Angus stood in front of the garbage can. The plastic bag was crumpled in his hands and he unwrapped it. A small, bent up envelope was pulled out and examined. After putting it in his pocket, he threw the bag away and came back in.

"Where is this meeting anyway? Do you know?" Brian asked when everybody got settled.

"Ah geez, somewhere in Canada? I think?" Malcolm said.

"Canada, how long is this charade?"

"We're not goin' the long way around," Phil said. "Should be back around mid January."

"Holy hell."

"What in the world are you talking about up there?" asked Linda.

"Just music stuff love," Malcolm answered her.

"What takes that long to talk about though?" Ellen asked. "It's surely nothing you couldn't talk about here."

"I don't know, I didn't check."

"You didn't read the brochure before you signed us up?" asked Cliff.

"They don't have brochures for that."

"Sounds sketchy to me," Angus said.

"It's just a small music meeting in Canada, I didn't organize it!" Malcolm said exasperated.

"Who did then?"

"A fella from Sydney. He knows about us and a couple other bands, he asked if we were interested."

"During Christmas?" Ellen asked. Malcolm opened his mouth to speak before Phil answered for him.

"It doesn't start until the 28th, but we have to be in Canada early to get ready."

"Yeah," Malcolm finished.

"Who are these other bands?" Angus asked.

"Didn't specify," Phil said.

"We'll tell you about it in January," Cliff said. "Right now we don't know a whole lot."

"You bringin' your flask Phil?" I asked.

"You know it," he winked back.

"Don't lose it in Canada you know how many fellas would want it," Brian joked.

"Shove off Johnson," he laughed.

"I'll miss you Malcolm," Linda said petting Malcolm's hair.

"Aw, I'll miss you too babe," he answered kissing her.

"Ew," we all said turning away from them.

"Don't be jealous I've got the greatest woman in the world."

"Hey, she's my mum too ya' know," Angus smirked. Malcolm threw his soda can at him and Ellen stood up.

"Well it's been a snazzy Christmas Eve, but it's high time we cleaned up and went to bed. Linda?"

"Aw Ellie, I'm comfortable here with Mal."

"Well there's no way in hell the boys are gonna help, and Hannah's our guest so..."

"Wait wait," Angus said standing up. "No way in hell we'll help?"

"We'll help," Malcolm said.

"No, you'll sit there and watch us."

"We've got other sources for that," Phil smiled. Ellen and Angus gave him a look. Malcolm snickered and Linda punched his shoulder.

"We can clean this whole place in five minutes," Angus bet her. Ellen placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh really?" she smirked. "Alright. Five minutes, go." Angus started picking up bits of wrapping paper as the other men watched him.

"Come on then, let's go," Angus said to them.

"This wasn't our bet mate," Cliff said.

"Four minutes."

"I bet we could clean this, not myself. Now get up and help me or I'm taking all your Christmas presents and putting them..." He stopped to think.

"Putting them where?" Malcolm asked.

"In-the-oven." He smiled to himself and started laughing. "I don't know, just clean somethin'."

"Alright boys, don't want Phil to lose his flask," Cliff said standing up.

"What is so wrong with a man buying himself a liquor?" Phil asked to no one in particular.

"Nothin', just your bendy straw's a bit odd mate," Malcolm said.

"And the fact you bought yourself a present for Christmas," Linda added.

"Three minutes."

"I'm doing everything myself here," Angus called to us.

"Angus, do you think my present's cool?" Phil asked.

"It's splendid Philip, now someone come assist."

"See, Angus likes it."

"Phil, when a man says 'splendid', he means it's sissy," Brian said. The discussion amongst the group continued to spark and Angus was cleaning everything himself still. I stood up to help him clean the leftover wrapping paper and other findings.

"It's about ti-" he said before turning around and seeing me. I smiled as he tried to think of something to correct himself with.

"Time for what?"

"Time for-time for, me to-spend, time with you," he stammered.

"I thought you wanted me out of your business," I smirked.

"I do. No! That's-that isn't what I meant. I mean-I'm sorry." He gave me a regretful gaze. "I didn't mean to say that to you it's just-"

Angus stood there in mid sentence wondering whether he should tell her why he acted the way he did. It's just with him being married and all, he shouldn't love her as much as he did. But her being Hannah he couldn't help it, so he got mad at her. Telling the truth was always the best option...

"I was just stressed and all. We have a tour coming up, the band's leavin' for Christmas and I've been moody."

"I figured. I didn't want to bother you about it till you came to me first." I turned away from him and continued cleaning the counter.

"How thoughtful of you," he joked. Behind his mirthful eyes I saw something. Some sort of emotion. Not really sadness, but distress. Confusion. Like he was in some sort of dilemma. I smiled in return but never lost my worry.

"Anything for you love," I said mimicking an English accent. He chuckled before a voice called from the living room.

"Five minutes Angus!" Ellen called.

"You're in trouble now," I smiled. He gave a little one back to me.

"Thanks," he said patting my shoulder and heading to the living room.