The next morning Ellen and Linda took me holiday and clothes shopping. A little store downtown carried summer shirts and seasonal jeans and Ellen dragged me there. "You're so small, any shirt in here'd fit!"

"That's good, 'cause I have a roast in the oven for dinner tonight and I can't leave it in there all day," Linda said.

"Don't worry Lin, the boys have it handled."

"Yeah, we'll come home to ashes."

"'Boys, where's the house?' 'The living room used to be here, the bathroom kind of went everywhere, and the kitchen was the first to go,'" I joked.

"'Smells a bit like roast too,'" Linda imitated Malcolm making us laugh.

"'By the way Lin, what's for dinner?'" I replied, more laughter erupting.

After shopping we went to the house so Linda could check on her roast. The house was still standing. Angus walked by us on our way inside. "Hey Ella, hey Lin," he said. The other two didn't notice, but I stood and watched him continue to the living room. He didn't even acknowledge me. I shrugged thinking he just didn't see me, and followed the women to the kitchen.

Angus made up his mind the night before to forget his feelings for Hannah. It was time to move on. He started his plan by pretending not to notice her when they came home from shopping. It hurt to ignore her, but he figured it'd go away in time. He didn't tell anyone what he was doing, especially not Malcolm. He'd be pissed he was denying his feelings again, but Malcolm didn't understand. He didn't have this problem. Besides his plan had to work. It worked with Bon's death after all.

The next couple of days went by and before we knew it, Christmas Eve was on our shoulders. Cliff and his girlfriend Georganne went to get a tree to put in the living room. Ellen wanted to make desserts this year since this was her first Christmas with the band and knew how to bake. I wasn't objecting to food.

Malcolm must have noticed something different about Angus the same time I did. He would talk to me and laugh with me, but he didn't hold that same closeness as the first time we met. He was colder and sometimes completely ignored me. Malcolm asked me about it later that day.

"Did you two get in a fight or somethin'?"

"Who?"

"You and Angus, I've noticed his attitude lately." I shook my head.

"No I don't think so. If he's upset about something he hasn't told me."

"Hmm. Prolly just stress got him. With the holidays and the tour for the new album, and now with a new singer... it gets to him ya' know? Gets to all of us."

"I don't blame you."

"We'll see how he is after tomorrow. If he hasn't lightened up, we'll talk to him. Not like he'd tell us much anyway," Malcolm smiled.

Cliff and Georganne came back with the Christmas tree but only then did we realize we had nothing to decorate it with. "Crap, now what?" asked Cliff.

"Put some candy on the branches. Stuff that won't go bad," said Brian.

"Here use these." Ellen handed us a small plate with burnt cookies on it. "These ones got a little singed, you can hang them up."

"Does anyone know how to attach string to cookies?" Malcolm asked.

"I'll get the tape," Brian said. He came back with some tape and Phil got some string for us. We spent an hour taping the string to the burnt cookies and hanging them on the tree. We stepped back to view our finished work. It was-nice.

"This is the shittiest tree ever," Malcolm laughed.

"It's one of those low-budget trees," I said. "One of those, 'we'll see what we can do' trees."

"I'm not eating those after Christmas," said Linda.

"No need to, I just finished some better ones," Ellen called from the kitchen.

"Come out and see our lovely little decorations!" Brian called in reply. Ellen came out and squinted at our tree.

"My God..."

"It's called improv Ells," said Angus.

"I'll say."

"Don't look at us, they're your cookies," Phil said.

"Don't look at me, that's your craftsmanship," she replied going back to the kitchen.

Angus stared at the tree in front of him. It was-well, it's the thought that counts ain't it? Now all it needed was an angel...No! He shook his head to clear his thoughts. She was supposed to be the last person he thought of. Maybe suppressing his feelings was a bad idea. The more he ignored her, the more he longed to talk with her. He missed her. He missed joking at everything and hugging her when he got the chance. He was almost mad at her. How can she stand there and smile when she put him through all these thoughts? She shouldn't have returned. Shouldn't have left. Shouldn't even have gone back in time in the first place. He sighed almost inaudibly. He shouldn't have fallen for her the way he did. He began to get mad at himself. And why didn't Malcolm stop him from getting married? He tried to, but not hard enough. Bon had been alive, why didn't he help?

Angus left the group and walked to the backyard. The sun blistered his already burning arm. And worsened his already bad mood.

"Want one?" Bon stood before him holding out a cigarette box.

"Is this a joke or something?"

"Nah, that's Phil's game. Here." He handed him a cigarette and sat down next to him. Angus joined him. "Lovely here isn't it?"

"What are you doing here?"

"What, a man can't come outside and enjoy the view?" Bon smiled.

"I mean you're-you're dead."

"I am. Just thought I'd take a break and visit for Christmas." Angus exhaled the smoke.

"You're not the only one," he mumbled.

"So I've heard. Have you told her yet Angie?" he asked grinning.

"Told her what?" Bon gave him a look. "I can't tell her what isn't true."

"It is true."

"It's not."

"Look pal, I don't blame ya' for gettin' hitched. I would have too if I loved her enough. But you gotta tell Hannah how you still feel. Ignorin' her's done no good." Angus crumpled his cigarette and threw it at him. "Only made you pissier than usual."

"She's just gonna leave again."

"But she came back didn't she? It's happened twice already, a third time is inevitable."

"You don't understand Bon, you're not having this problem. No one is."

"No one's what Angus?" Hannah asked standing over him. Angus looked up at her. He looked next to him but Bon had already left. Looking back at her he smiled.

"Nothing. Here, sit a while with me." He held his arm out to her and wrapped it over her shoulders as she sat down next to him.

"Little warm for a hug isn't it?" Hannah asked smiling.

"Suppose it is. But you're stuck now aren't you?"

"We'll just see."

We sat there a while in silence. It was nice to see him feeling better, especially before Christmas. Malcolm was probably right, just stress getting to him. To all of us. "You going out for New Year's? Or will you stay here?" Angus asked me.

"Where would I go?"

"Clubs, parties, gatherings..." I gave him a look. "Libraries," he laughed. "Didn't think so. 'M stayin' here too. Ellen's visitin' her mum with Linda for a week and Phil, Cliff and Mal booked this band's meeting in North America. So that leaves you, Brian and I."

"Oh that ought to be fun."

"Should be. Two of the funniest people spendin' a week with you," he smiled.

"I thought you said you were staying," I joked. He blushed a little but tried to cover it up by tickling me.

"You cheeky little-" He laughed too hard to finish his sentence and I laughed too hard to even hear him.