"There she is! We were gettin' worried," Cliff said, smiling at the couple. Hannah stepped into the studio room, enchanted by its setup. Sure she'd made a visit before, though she only stayed inside long enough to greet the band before setting off on her own for the day. Setting off for the independence she craved. 

Bon stepped forward, rubbing his hands over his eyes. "That can't be the little lady I see," he said trying to get a smile from her. "Was afraid Angus locked ya' away or somethin'." Ignoring the face Angus made him, Bon stepped behind Hannah, putting an arm over her shoulder to bring her further inside the building. "Good to see ya, we were jus' gettin' started."

"Bon! Need your help in the sound room!" someone shouted down the hallway. 

"Ah, sorry 'bout that, little miss, I'd better go see what the warden wants," Bon said dropping his arm and disappearing down the hallway. Angus dropped his coat on the sofa and took Hannah's off her shoulders. 

"This is it, you remember," Angus said looking the large room over. "They pack us in like sardines usually but this one is better."

"The one in London was the worst," Phil said, in the process of replacing the old bass drum with a new one. "Couldn't get my damn drums through the front door an' when I asked someone what I was supposed to do when we left, we had to screw open a window for the bass ya' know," he said, keeping Hannah up to speed. He shrugged. "Said it was my business to deal with, an' he had nothin' to do with it."

"I never had a problem," Angus said, stretching himself out on the sofa with the coats placed on the armrest. 

"I didn't either, my drums did. An' now my old bass broke an' I spent half the night trackin' down a new one." He tested the skin out, hoping it wasn't too loose or too tight. It was too loose. He sighed an expletive and continued tampering with it. 

"You wanna see the rest of the place, love?" Angus asked standing up. She followed him out of the main room to a hallway, where one door was wide open. Inside, Malcolm was standing by a control board holding a wire in his hand. Someone was under an open section of the board, jean covered legs and boot covered feet sticking out. Another wire was in his hands, being pulled behind the board and pushed into various outlets.

"Try that," Bon said staying where he was until he got an answer. Malcolm still holding his wire flipped a few switches on the board, no signs of life from the speakers behind him. "Anything?"

"No, number four and eight are still out," Malcolm commented looking it over. "I don't get it, it's like someone came in last night an' messed everything up. Hannah, good to see ya!" Hannah gave him a polite wave, watching with interest. "Don't mind us, we're jus' fixin' a few things here."

"Little lady? Ya' there?" Bon called out from his position on the floor. "Yeah, don't mind me, I'm used to bein' caught like this." Angus giggled to himself while Hannah let out a whole laugh and a half. "Is Angus up there with you? Tell him to get in here with me an' check somethin'."

"I can hear ya'," Angus said dropping to the floor and scooting himself to where Bon was. "What is it?"

"Is this little blue cord plugged in straight, my old man eyes can't see shit down here like," Bon said as kindly as he could. Angus squirmed where he was, trying to get a good look. "You see it anywhere?"

"This one?" He lightly tugged on a long, pale blue wire sticking out from the back of the control board, dangling behind the table. "It looks like it, what's it connected to?"

"Number three-no four, four, that's it."

"An' four's not workin'?" Bon coughed from the dust falling into his mouth. 

"No, it's not." He watched Angus' hands fiddle with the cord, pulling it one way, then another, grabbing a different cord and plugging it in. "A little too cozy under here, ain't it?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry," Angus said moving off of Bon, the older man spitting hair out of his mouth. "This fuckin' cord won't stay put in number five an' I think six and seven are switched."

Malcolm sighed from where he stood. "Do you need me to come take a look?"

"No, we got it," Angus answered, several cords behind the table now loosely swaying. "Ah, fuck." Bon laughed. 

"Alright, one of ya' out, let me have a go," Malcolm said setting the cord down. Bon slid out from under the table before Angus could, giving Malcolm room to work. "What the hell have ya' done back here, Angus?" he asked exasperated. 

"I'm tryin' to fix the damn thing, you got wires crossed an' fuses blowin'-"

"It was workin' fine until you messed it up, only two of them were wrecked," Malcolm griped, sighing at the lack of distance between him and the man he was irked at. Bon shook out his massive hair, standing where Hannah was by the door. 

"You wanna have a turn under the table?" he asked with a grin. 

"I'm afraid I wouldn't be too useful," Hannah said. "I know how to change a tire but not a thing about studios."

"You can change a tire, huh? You'll have to come with us on a road trip sometime, we could use that expertise. Course we all know how as well, I guess. How 'bout Christmas, surely you're comin' with us?" Bon asked.

"I believe so, day after tomorrow?"

"That's the one. You'll have a ball you will. Ya' know we don't always have affairs like this but this one-this one's special," he said, simply grinning from ear to ear like he was crazy. Four out of the five of the band acknowledged this as well. He sat on a nearby table with only a Yamaha keyboard on it and swung his legs, making room for Hannah to sit next to him. His legs were a bit longer than hers. "How 'bout your job, how's that goin' then?"

"Fuck!" Malcolm yelled. "Sorry," he said right afterwards. The two on the table laughed, picking up their conversation again. 

"It's alright, I've had a bit of writer's block recently. And one article was three whole pages worth. Only paid me for two though." Bon frowned.

"That's not right," he said. "You wrote three, they ought to pay you for three."

"It was just a two page job," Hannah explained. "I went a little overboard as it were." Bon started kicking his foot against Hannah's, the two beginning a little soccer match without the ball. 

"Where is this place you work for, I'm gonna head down an' give 'em a little talkin' to," he said. 

"Thank you, but it's fine," Hannah laughed. "I'd rather keep my job if it's alright with you."

"You'd never lose it if I was down there, ya' jus' gotta sleep with-ahem-charm the right people,  ya' know?" He laughed to himself at the disgusted look Hannah gave him. Amused, but disgusted. "If you say so."

"Ya' got it?" Angus asked, watching Malcolm pull and plug in, then unplug and switch around again. One red cord was plugged in, and Malcolm sighed. 

"I think so. Bon? Ya' still there?"

Bon jumped off the table landing squarely on his feet. "Whatcha need?"

"Turn on the board, switch on four an' eight." Bon walked to the board to try it out. "If this doesn't work I'll eat my hands."

Whistling like a young boy, Bon scoped the board out for the correct switches. He switched four on, then eight. Leaning over the panel he turned the volume up on both, hearing the result come out of the speakers. "It's workin'," he called.

"Thank fuck," Malcolm said scooting his way out. Angus followed suit, the both of them disheveled and antsy. "Alright, this good to go then?"

"I don't see anything else wrong with it," Bon said looking it over once more. 

"Did you try all of 'em?" Malcolm asked switching the others on. Cliff came from the main room to check on everyone. 

"Here you all are, Phil's jus' got the drum fixed."

"An' we got the soundboard workin' again," Bon said making his way to where the instruments were down the hall.

"We?" Malcolm asked following behind him. "My hips an' back say different." The argument continued down the hall getting fainter and fainter, Cliff following after them. Angus double checked everything in case their haste led them to overlook something, then took Hannah by the hand. 

"Come on, we gotta get playin'."

After three hours of practicing the songs they had and thinking up new ones, the five men had spread themselves all over the room, Angus strumming his guitar in a chair in the corner, Bon with his papers and a pencil in the hallway while Cliff tuned his bass on the sofa, Phil and Malcolm playing cards on the floor. Hannah excused herself to go to the bathroom; one of the doors in the hallway. It was always open ajar if vacant, and this time it was. A pencil and some papers littered the floor, though Bon was nowhere to be seen, and Hannah knocked just to make sure he didn't forget to close it. 

While nowhere near the toilet itself, Bon was surely in there, using a screwdriver at the window over the sink. He had climbed on top of it, unscrewing the pane off, or at least, attempted to. Hearing a noise he turned around, grinning when he saw Hannah. "Hey there, little lady. Am I interruptin' your toilet time here?"

"I think it's the other way around," Hannah said staring at the man. With a small grunt of labor, Bon pried the window off and handed it to Hannah, who set it on the floor. "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like?" He stuck one leg out the window, easing his way out the small hole, then hauling the other leg through. Before letting go, he wagged his hand at her. "Come on, follow me."

"Where are you going?"

"Wherever the wind takes me, now are you comin' or what?" Hannah looked behind her, the door slightly open, a bit of talking coming from down the hall. "Here, go on an' do your business, I'll keep the motor runnin'."

After doing what she came in for, closing and locking the door, Hannah eased her way onto the sink, staring out of the open window. Bon stood below her, hands in his pockets. Looking up, he saw her and waved. "You comin'?"

The ground was a bit farther than Hannah would have liked. Swallowing her fear, she turned around on the sink, standing backward, and shuffled her right foot out first. Bon noticed her trouble and stood underneath her. "Here, I'll catch you." 

The sides of the window pierced her skin, her arms shaking as she yanked her left foot through. Two arms grabbed her waist and gently pulled her down, setting her on the grass below. "There ya' go," Bon said. He took a seat next to her, waiting for her to fix herself up. "You alright?"

"I think so," she said holding her chest. Angus' fear of heights must have engraved itself onto her heart, as the distance from the window to the ground had her head spinning. 

"You sure?"

She nodded, catching her breath. Bon stood up, helping Hannah to her feet, holding her still so she wouldn't fall over. "What are you doing?" she asked again. 

"Thought I'd take another walk," he said with the little grin of his that drove his mother nuts. 

"Another one?" Hannah jogged to keep up with the man's long strides. Under the sun his motorcycle sparkled, one helmet hanging from the handle. The bike leaned to the left, showing off its rather large structure, one Hannah hadn't ever seen up close before. Bon took the helmet and gave it to her, throwing one leg over the bike and sitting down. Hannah only turned the helmet over in her hands, unsure if Bon was asking for her help in putting it on. 

"Go on," Bon urged. "I only brought the one, you can use it. I would have brought two if I'd a known I'd have company in the bathroom, ya' know." He smiled again. "Come on, they'll be lookin' for us any minute."

"Is this thing safe?" Hannah asked, eyes looming over the large bike. 

"Out of the five of us I can drive one of these the best," Bon bragged. "Ask your husband, he took a little drive with me on your wedding day."

"I heard," Hannah said. Looking at the vehicle with still more hesitance, Bon glanced back and forth from her to the studio. 

"You comin' or what?"

"Won't they hear the motorcycle going?"

"You think they can catch up to it if they do?" he asked in return. "Come on, don't ya' want to have just a little bit of adventure? Ya' don't have to travel the world for it, it could be right in your backyard, ya' know?" The front doors to the studio didn't open, and Bon wouldn't change his mind. Looking back once more thinking they ought to tell the boys where they were going, then realizing Bon probably pulled stunts like this all the time, she placed the helmet on her head. The world before her was a lot darker now. She eased her way up on the bike, Bon making room in front of him. "There ya' go," he said. "Hold the handles now, don't want ya' flyin' off."

"Flying off?" Hannah asked, turning her head. Ignoring her, he started the engine, it being much louder than Hannah anticipated. She grabbed the handles, her knuckles turning white with a face to match. Surely Angus didn't have a good time riding with one of these thi-

The bike roared down the road before Hannah could finish her thought.

Coasting to a stop, lurching a bit, and finally killing the engine. Hannah's ears were ringing. Without the helmet the wind would have been sifted through her hair, sprouting in all different directions. Bon got off the motorcycle and took the helmet off her head, setting it back on the handle. 

Hannah pulled the pink sleeves of her sweater down, her arms still a slight red from the burns. The itching had stopped, but stress-related skin afflictions due to hazardous first time motorcycle rides were bound to happen. Helping her off the bike, Bon laughed, holding her still so she wouldn't lose balance. "You alright then?"

"Fine, fine, a little motion sick but alright," she answered, holding to the handle for support. Bon's laughter died down, genuine concern on his face. 

"Hey, you're not gonna get sick, are ya'?"

"Just lean over and your hair can catch it." Bon didn't reply, still a little concerned for his companion, who looked up at him with a playful grin. The man's face soon matched her own.

"You're real funny," he said pocketing his hands and leading the way down the sidewalk. Another sunny day, with a crystal blue sky and golden sunshine giving color and life to the flowers planted along the path. Beside them was a park, filled with children out of school and parents tagging along to watch them. One arm wrapped around Hannah's shoulders and a slight breeze blew by the both of them, giving color to the young woman's face. "Great day for a stroll, Mrs. Young, wouldn't you say?"

"Lovely," she agreed taking in the sight. Whatever spur of the moment led Hannah to climbing out of a studio bathroom window and joining the lead singer of a rock and roll band out for a walk, she'd never figure out. But she was glad it caught her in its net. She could have done without the motorcycle though. 

"You're havin' a good time, ain't ya'?"

"Sure I am. But...what are we doing?"

Bon shrugged. "Whatever we feel like." They walked a ways, eyeing the park beside them and the numerous shops and buildings on the rise. "What do you feel like doin'?"

"I didn't know I would be breaking out of the studio today, I didn't make any plans to do anything."

"We don't need any plans, we jus' plan on the go. That's what life's about, right? We ain't gonna live forever ya' know. An' makin' plans is jus' gonna make it rain, if you understand." Hannah turned the words over in her head. 

"I think so..."

"So...what do ya' feel like doin'? 'Cause I feel...like gettin' somethin' to eat. I'm starvin', how 'bout you?" Hannah smiled and nodded her head.

"That sounds good."

Angus looked into the sound room, pushing the door open. It was empty, the only sound coming from down the hall by the bathroom, where Phil stood banging on the door, a beer bottle in the other hand. "Bon, come on, ya' think of goin' before you left?"

"Phil, have you seen Hannah anywhere?" Angus asked getting his attention. 

"No, I've been standin' here waitin' for Bon to get his arse out of the bathroom for ten minutes," he said banging on the door again. Angus sighed, leaning against the wall. "Bon! Fuck's sake, you paintin' the Sistine Chapel in there?"

"Are you sure he's in there?"

"His shit's all over the floor over there, see." Phil nodded his head to the mess of papers and a pencil on the floor. He sighed, exasperated. "God, you'd think he could fuckin' answer."

"Maybe he can't," Angus said, showing some concern on his face. Phil took a drink from his bottle despite his condition. 

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe he's...not awake?" Cliff's head poked around the corner, the rest following after him. 

"What's all the noise about?"

"I gotta piss an' Bon's havin' a shit or somethin'," Phil muttered banging on the door again. 

"Cliff, you seen Hannah?" Angus asked. Cliff turned around, then shrugged his shoulders. 

"Not for a while, no. She missin'?"

"I haven't seen her for a while either, gettin' a touch concerned." 

"Bon! Fuck, mate."

"You think maybe he ain't in there, Phil?" Cliff asked trying the door for himself, putting an ear to it to listen. "I can't hear anything."

"So you think maybe somethin' happened?" Angus asked, tapping his heel to the ground. He pulled his cigarettes out of his pocket and a lighter, gunning a stick. 

"Like what?" Cliff asked. Angus shrugged himself, getting a bit antsy.

"Like, he's passed out in there, or drunk off his arse, or he's hurt, a lot of things coulda happened."

"He's not still on that heroin, is he?" Phil asked taking another drink. 

"Not since Mal an' I got a hold of him," Angus answered exhaling the smoke. "Maybe he's tried, but never in front of us."

"Hope nothin's wrong," Cliff said. 

"There you buggers are, what are ya' doin'?" Malcolm asked joining the group by the bathroom.

"I can't get in here, Angus is lookin' for Hannah an' Cliff jus' showed up," Phil explained hitting the door again.

"So that's the noise, eh?" Malcolm asked wincing when Phil's fist met the door. "You see the key anywhere?" Malcolm left for the sound room, Angus following him. 

"Mal, know where Hannah is?"

"Where is she?" Malcolm asked scanning the room. 

"No, I'm askin' if you've seen her."

"Wasn't she with you?" His brother shook his head. "Maybe she's outside or somethin'."

"I think I would have seen her, Mal." Malcolm held his hands up.

"Alright, alright, don't get your boxers in a knot, she can't be far. Now where the hell is that key?"

"Bon? You alright in there?" Cliff asked through the door, knocking again. "Do we need to call someone, or break the door open, or..."

"Hey! Anyone know where the key is?" Malcolm asked stepping out into the hallway. Phil closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall, Cliff feeling around his pockets and pulling out a paperclip. With his fingers he bent it into different shapes, pricking his finger once or twice. Angus stood behind Malcolm, smoking off his worries. "That a no?"

"I got it Mal," Cliff said kneeling on the ground by the keyhole. Phil looked over the group eyeing Malcolm.

"Maybe Hannah's in here too," he said. Malcolm frowned, unsure.

"Why would they both be in there?"

"Dunno," Phil said with a satisfied smirk. "I'm not the bathroom expert."

"Mal, she's not-"

"Calm down, Ang, she ain't in there. If Cliff opens that door an' Hannah's on the floor with her mouth foamin' of heroin we're takin' her home, understand?" Angus rolled his eyes.

"You know what I fuckin' meant." Before an argument could start, Cliff shoved the door open and stood up, Phil pushing past and setting his bottle on the sink, unzipping by the toilet. The other three men stepped inside, looking around the very aged and very messy floor, seeing no signs of drugs or other various substances. None recent, anyway. The room had been completely empty, shown by the window pane laying flat on the floor. Cliff picked it up, inspecting the window above the sink. 

"He's busted out," Cliff said. Malcolm climbed on top of the sink, looking through the window, shielding his eyes from the sun. 

"Bike's gone," he sighed, jumping down. Phil zipped himself up and flushed, coming over to wash his hands. "Shit."

"Not this time," Phil joked. "It's not clean by any means, I'll say." Malcolm laughed in spite of himself. "So where'd he go?"

"Who the hell knows? He's busted out again when no one was watchin' an' he took Hannah with him. Shit, shit."

"We need a bell on him or somethin'," Cliff suggested setting the pane down. "If we keep losin' him all the time." Angus kept quiet, knowing in the back of his mind Hannah was with him, doing whatever Bon had in mind to do. A bit annoyed but much relieved the bathroom had been empty when they opened it. Any scenario they conjured up in the hall could have been possible, and it was hard to think about.

"We waitin' for them to come back?" Phil asked grabbing his bottle, looking disappointed it was almost empty.  Malcolm bit his lip. 

"I'm not about to get in my car an' drive around lookin' like they're a couple a dogs or somethin'," he said. "Bon's been out an' about before, he knows where to go an' all that. He always comes back, ya' know? Course that don't excuse leavin' work early."

"Bon wouldn't take Hannah that far away, he's not stupid," Cliff said leaving the stark white bathroom, Malcolm following him. "An' if takin' heroin got him in trouble then I can't imagine what takin' Hannah would get him."

Bon wiped his fingers on the napkin, watching Hannah drink her water out of the straw. Her plate wasn't much, just a cup of water and french fries. He knew she didn't eat much, but this was something to behold. "You don't talk much, do ya' little lady?" Hannah let go of her cup, setting it down on the table. "Nothin' wrong with that, of course."

"I never have talked much I guess," Hannah said softly, suddenly very conscious of her every action. Bon folded his hands over the table, looking her over, then down at his hands. Hannah's gaze flitted to the window they sat by, watching the people walk down the sidewalk. Her gaze lingered a bit longer when one couple had a dog on a leash in front of them. 

"Must be why Angus likes ya'," he stated, stealing one of Hannah's fries. Hannah looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, of course there's other reasons too but...ya' know." Hannah smiled at his sudden clumsiness, knocking his soda with his hand. "But uh, some talk a lot, ya' know, which isn't bad either, I like girls who talk. Ya' know? I like you though," he added, Hannah now laughing. "Angus is pretty quiet himself, both those Youngs are, ya' know?"

"I think so," she answered taking a french fry. 

"Right, you've known them a lot longer, huh?" She nodded. "Right, right. So, you an' Ang together as kids, or what?"

"No, we hated each other," she said, reminiscing. Bon's eyebrows raised. "Well, I didn't hate him I guess, no. No, I never hated him."

"What made you pick him over Malcolm?" Bon asked, his curiosity one of a cat's. "You were friends with him too, right?" Hannah felt her face grow a little hot at the sudden questions thrown at her. Bon leaned away, waving his hand. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be askin' you this stuff, should I?"

"It's fine," Hannah assured, Bon not looking so sure. "I've just...not really thought about that before. I guess...Malcolm's got that, "protective older brother" thing about him. You know?" Bon looked down at his food. "He's also older and was never in my class. I hung out with him, yeah, but not as much as with Angus. Especially as he left school and all, he wasn't around as much." Bon nodded, Hannah thinking to herself. "I missed him."

"So if the roles were switched you think you would have felt differently?" Hannah sighed, wondering about Bon's choice of conversation. 

"I'm not sure. I still think Mal would have been more like a brother, he's just got that about him. Angus was a bit protective too, now that I think about it. Someone flirted with me a bit one day, after school and Angus told him we had somewhere to be when we didn't." Light filled Hannah's eyes at the memory. Bon smiled as well, stirring his straw in his drink. "Malcolm would usually protect me from things like...whenever Angus and I got into a fight, he'd get mad at him."

"You seem to know a lot about brothers," Bon commented. "You have any at home?"

"No, it was just me and my mom. What about you, any older brothers?"

"Uh...no, no. Younger yes, but not older. Sandy, he kind of...died ya' know. When he was born." Hannah's face fell. "Don't worry about it, I don't."

"I...I didn't know that." 

"Not many people do," Bon answered sitting up in his seat. "I don't usually go around tellin' people stuff like that, ya' know." Hannah looked down at her food, letting the ambiance of the restaurant fill her head. Only to be shaken out of it when Bon lightly knocked on her forehead. "There you are," he smiled. "So tell me little lady. What do you see in Angus then, hmm? The little maniac that he is."

"Well for starters he's a maniac," Hannah said, getting a grin to grace her face once again. "He was my first friend when I moved to Australia...sort of. He cheers me up, makes me laugh, you know. I like his laugh too, now that I think about it."

"His laugh," Bon mused.

"And-and he does this little thing with his thumb, when he's holding a tea mug or something, he won't use the other hand to scratch his nose. He just uses the one holding the mug, and..." She huffed happily to herself. "Of course when we were kids he was just a brute. Picking fights, picking up girls, picking his nose...he still does at least two of those things I guess, but it was incessant back then. But he was honest, and sweet...smelled like chocolate and smoke."

Her attention turned to Bon, who sat laughing in his seat. "I've been around him for a while myself, and I've never noticed his smell," he laughed, getting the girl to pout. "Unless we jus' played a concert or, ya' know, sometimes his hotel room reeks of that chicken he likes so much, ya' know. Maybe I'm jus' used to the smoke, is all."

"You've never kissed him either," Hannah stated, crossing her arms. Bon quit laughing, his lips in a tight smile. 

"No, you're right about that." He reached for another of Hannah's fries, getting a hand of hers to swat him away. "Alright, alright, I can take a hint," he grinned. "So you like his smell, eh?"

"Why am I even telling you any of this?" Hannah asked, realizing their conversation continued to grow rather curious and personal.

"'Cause I asked, an' you were nice enough to answer," Bon replied, crumpling the napkin in his hand. "Aw come on, we're friends, aren't we?"

Narrowing her eyes, Hannah's lips turned upward, reaching across the table to grab the last french fry on Bon's plate before he could stop her. Giving him a smug look, she chewed the fry, realizing he never took it due to how burnt it was. Her smug look disappeared, spitting the fry into her napkin. "Good friends," Hannah nodded, a look of disgust on her face. 

Standing up from the booth, Bon took his wallet out, tossing some money on the table before pocketing it again, then grabbing Hannah around the waist. "Alright, little lady, off on our next stop." The world turned upside down as Bon threw the girl over his shoulder, leaving the booth and stepping out the door, the sunshine hitting his face, Hannah's laughter hitting his ears.

And his heart.

"Mal, hand me the string, will ya'?" The string changed hands and Cliff held his bass up with the other hand. "Seems like everything's broken today, huh?"

"As long as they're easy to fix I don't mind," Malcolm said resting on the sofa. "This place goes up in flames then we're fucked." He tossed his head over his shoulder, shaking the hair out of his eyes. "Ang, if you're gonna pace like that can you do it over here? It's hotter than hell in here."

"I'm not pacin'," Angus said taking out his cigarette and throwing it on the floor. He stepped on it, pulling another one out. "You'd jus' think if a man were gonna leave with your company he'd tell you somethin'."

"Come on, Ang, you know Bon never tells us where he goes," Cliff said. 

"It's not jus' him though, I'd tell him if Irene an' I went on a walk, or Silver or-" He waggled his head and continued to, in his words, "not pace". 

"Silver doesn't like any of us much, she'd never agree to it."

"The point is...Bon didn't say shit where he was takin' me on my wedding, an' he had your boxers in knots, Mal."

"He told us," Cliff said with a grin. Phil nodded his head from his spot sitting on top of the mini fridge. "You made it back alright, didn't ya'?"

"In a full body cast, sure," Angus said taking a few drags. 

"We had a wedding at three, an' the groom was on the other side of town. I had reason to worry. See, Ang, you gotta know when to worry an' when to let it work out. We don't have anywhere to be, we have plenty of time. Sun's still up...now if it gets close on to midnight an' they're still not back then we can worry," Malcolm said. "Get over here, bring your guitar. We'll play off each other for a bit."

Angus grabbed his guitar he left on a stand and brought it to the sofa, Malcolm sitting up and taking his own in his lap. 

"Alright, start goin', I'll pick up."

The studio was filled with the sounds of blues that afternoon.

"You're a writer."

The young woman nodded. "Yeah, we talked about that this morning."

"Yeah," Bon said walking down the sidewalk. "So you have good judgement on what's good an' what isn't, yeah?"

Great beams of sunlight hit Hannah squarely in her eyes and she blinked. "I guess so, I mean...not with songs or anything, if that's what you mean." Bon's own eyes sparkled. 

"Sort of. See, I write a bit myself, ya' know, poems an' things like that when I got a little time. An' some of those I use for the songs we make, ya' know? Here, let's sit down for a bit." Their direction switched to a bench in the grass, overlooking the park. Bon sat down, fiddling with something in his pocket, pulling his wallet out again, and taking a folded white paper out of it. "Give this a look an' say what you think. Don't hold back or nothin'." Hannah took the paper and unfolded it, running it over her bent knee to remove the creases. Only a line or two was even written, the handwriting as if in an accent. It took a few minutes to read, and she handed it back. 

"It's good. When did you write it?"

"Last night, when I was tryin' to sleep. You ever lay down to sleep an' inspiration picks that time to visit?

"All the time," she answered. 

"Yeah? Well this came to me last night, thought the boys might want a look at it when it's finished ya' know. They got music that might work for this." He leaned back on the bench, spreading his arms out on the back, crossing one foot over his knee. "So whatcha think?"

"It's good," Hannah repeated. 

"I heard that, I mean what else? Ya' like the words or...you think it's too vulgar?"

"Ronald Scott, everything you write is vulgar," she stated making the man laugh. "I like this though, I think it rhymes well."

"See, you gotta be smart to come up with a rhyme like that, ya' know?" he bragged. "I mean, I don't think of myself as any Einstein but I know I ain't slow."

"I think some of the smartest people are the artists," Hannah said handing the piece of paper back. Bon folded it up and placed it back inside his wallet. "My mother wouldn't agree at all, and that's one of the reasons she's so disappointed in me."

"Parents look out for their kids, ya' know?" Bon said. "But even then they don't know everything." Hannah sighed in reply. "Mums love us, most do anyway. My mum wasn't too happy with my choices either, ya' know?"

"Your mom isn't like mine, mine doesn't like too many people." Hannah gave him a once over. "I can't say she'd like you too much either, and she couldn't stand Angus."

"Oh, you're kiddin'," Bon said with exaggeration. "A woman in her thirties not likin' our band, oh, this is a first!" Hannah shook her head with a laugh,  "I don't believe this!"

"You know what I mean!"

"Sure I do." The man closed his eyes as another breeze swept over his face, fanning through his hair. "You like me, don't ya'?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"A real one, an honest one, ya' like me?"

"Of course I do. You're my friend."

"That's good to hear." He stayed quiet for a moment. "I'm kind of surprised to be honest. You're a sweet kid, ya' know? An' I ain't as sweet as that. Ya' know? I'm a mongrel."

"No you're not you're a-" She paused to think. "Well, okay, that's a-that's one way to put it. Oh come on, you're a good guy, Bon, you know that."

He switched his crossed legs and folded his arms. "If you say so, little lady." Minutes of silence ticked by, once in a while someone stopping by to talk to Bon, asking for a picture or two. Hannah shied away, cameras and new faces making her nervous. Bon introduced her to a few of them, mostly the ladies for reassurance. They seemed friendlier after that. When less people came up to them, and more daylight faded, they resumed their talk. "You don't like attention, little lady?"

"Not really." Her shoes seemed much more interesting than Bon's gaze at the moment. 

"You hate cameras an' you marry a famous man?"

"That's different, I like him," she explained, forcing herself to look up. No one was around them anymore, but just in case... "I could never be famous. All those pictures and interviews, I'd hate it."

"It's not always a bag of fun," Bon agreed, tilting his head to look at the orange sky. "It gets stressful at times, ya' know. But it's better than a nine to five office job gettin' nothin' out of it. We get to see places an' meet new people, an' I think it's pretty good. It's how we met you, ain't it? Oh, except for your friends of course."

"How do you keep up with it all? Travelling makes me so tired and sick and I'd just be grumpy the entire time."

"You haven't seen grumpy till you see Angus in the mornings," Bon said, holding a finger up. "I guess you have then, huh? Well then you know."

"But how do you do it?" continued Hannah, turning on the bench so she faced him. "With a show every other night and going from one place to the next?" With a tilt of the head, Bon looked at her, deciding how to best answer the question. 

"That, little lady, is why some turn to the evils of this earth," he said, waving the foot on his knee. "Ya' know about that stuff, it keeps ya' awake, an'...turns your teeth yellow."

"I hate drugs." Her nose wrinkled. "Hate 'em, don't tolerate 'em either."

"You an' the Youngs, huh?" The two shared a look, Hannah holding a hand over her eyes to block out the glow dipping under the horizon. "They got after me, ya' know."

"After you?" He nodded. "What do you mean?" The look he gave her was confusing to decipher. Perhaps Hannah wanted it to mean something else, something she wasn't thinking. Because what she was thinking, wasn't anything good. "Bon..."

"Jus' a few times, I haven't touched it since. Well..." He looked at her, not wanting to lie to a sweet friend. "Not a lot anyway."

No reply. She swung her feet from the bench instead, turning her gaze to the ground. A miniature flock of birds escaped a tree behind them, their singing the only sound within five feet. "Oh."

"You're not gonna start hatin' me now, are ya'?"

"Of course not," she said, finally looking at him. "I'm not gonna tell you what to do or what not to do, you're a grown adult. And you're smart, you know what they do to you, you know the effects, I'm not gonna lecture you." Again more silence. "And don't for one second think you're a bad person, Bon. You're not."

Inhaling the air, taking in the last few minutes of sunshine, Bon sat up on the bench and folded his hands, resting his arms on his knees. Hannah yawned, drawing his attention. "You're tired?"

"A little," she shrugged. The wobbly bench shook a little as Bon stood up, holding out his arm. 

"Come on," he said, wrapping the arm around her. "Ang's waitin' for us, let's go." One by one the stars came out in the navy sky, less and less people roaming the streets. More wind, more chill, less color. Bon's bike still leaned by the curb where they left it, the helmet still swinging from the handle. "One of these days, little lady, I'll change my evil ways, ya' know? Don't know when, don't know how, but...one of these days..."

"We'll go look up on North an' if they're not there then we'll head up the highway," Malcolm said, standing by his car, the door open. "Hopefully Bon's jus' visitin' friends or somethin'." Angus briskly walked to the passenger side, having just thrown away his empty cigarette box. 

"You can't drive all night lookin', eventually we'll have to call around," Cliff replied heading for his own car. 

"Bon can't be takin' our little group an' distributin' it around every corner of the globe," Malcolm sighed. "He does that enough with himself."

Cliff laughed while Angus set his and Hannah's jackets down in the car. "Can we go Mal?"

"Yeah, we're goin'." Malcolm began climbing into his car when Cliff looked up, Phil at a distance seeing the same thing. 

"Mal, look." Malcolm climbed back out, looking out to the street, Phil jogging up to the group. Behind him, headlight shining right at them, came the loud roar of Bon's motorcycle, driving up to the building. "There they are," Cliff said. Angus closed his side of Malcolm's car door and met up with them, the engine dying down and the bike stopped to a lean. 

With shaky legs, Hannah managed to get off the motorcycle and take the helmet off, her hair slightly messy. The dark world shook a little bit, teetering one way and then the other. Checking her over, Angus held her shoulders, attempting to look in her eyes. "There you are, we were jus' about to come look for you two."

"Got her back safe an' sound, Ang," Bon grinned, scooting forward on the bike and taking the helmet from Hannah. "We had a real wild time, right, little lady?"

"Don't worry, Angus, I'm not buying a motorcycle anytime soon," Hannah assured, resting her dizzy but happy head on his shoulder. He pulled her in for a non-reciprocated hug, kissing her hair. She was warm, almost feverish. Rubbing her back with one hand he used the other hand to pull her closer, glad to see her safe. 

"I won't worry, sweetheart," he replied. "Where'd you go?" This question was directed at Bon.

"Where have you been?" Malcolm asked, coming up to them with Cliff right behind. Phil stood to the side, listening in. "Ya' sneak out the bathroom an' disappear on us or what?"

"I was jus' gettin' to that, Mal," Bon said. "you've got great timing. Hannah an' I went off on a little adventure, if you will, our own little food hunt, stroll by a park an' a talk on a bench." He grinned at them like a little boy, a mischievous little boy taunting his parents. "We had a great time, didn't we?"

Angus looked at her for an answer. "I had fun," she said. "I could use a good sleep and a few saltines though."

"Well, thanks for bringin' her back in one piece, Bon," Malcolm said clapping him on the shoulder. "Though, tellin' us next time would be tip top too."

"That's not my style, Mal, you know that."

"I'm afraid so," he agreed. "Angus, all our stuff in the trunk?"

"Yeah," he replied over his shoulder. 

"Alright, I'm takin' you two home, Hannah, so you won't have to walk. You guys can sit in the back."

He took to the driver's door, giving Cliff, Phil, and Bon a goodnight. Hannah gave Bon one last wave before leaving with Angus, who opened the door for her. Bon waved back with a smile, watched them climb in, then put his helmet on at last and waited until the cars left before he started the engine again. 

Leaning her head against the back seat of the car, Hannah sighed, relieved that the spinning began to slow down. Angus closed the door, taking the jackets Malcolm handed to him from the front. "You have fun, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, we just took a walk around the neighborhood," she replied relaxing into him. His heart jumped in his chest as if he had a huge crush on her, and she was sitting next to him for the first time. Losing himself looking at her, Malcolm starting the car sparked his senses and he jumped in his seat. 

"You alright back there, Hannah?" She didn't answer, choosing Angus' shoulder and neck to fall asleep into instead. Malcolm switched gears and looked behind him. "Anyone out there, Ang?"

Angus turned to check as well, scanning the lot. "I can't see anything, I have no idea."

"Cliff's not out there I can hit?"

"Don't...think so." Backing the car as carefully as he could without killing anyone, Malcolm put it in drive and stole out of the lot into the street on the way home. 

"I'll jus' take ya' to my apartment, alright?" he asked. "Since we're goin' to Mum an' Dad's an' all?"

"Alright," Angus replied, yawning a bit himself. Taking Hannah's coat he turned it over, placing it over her body, tucking it around her. The various movements of the car sent her bouncing in her seat, Angus taking her into his arms to keep her still and preserve her sleep. "Don't wake us up too early, Mal, it's not actually Christmas tomorrow."

"Yeah yeah," Malcolm muttered, turning a corner. "Hey, who's gonna watch your rabbit while we're gone?"

"We asked Mr. Nelson yesterday if he'd do it. He likes small animals ya' know."

"Oh, right. Good ol' Nutjob Nelson. You sure he won't do somethin' wrong?"

"He's only got two days to do it, Mal, we wouldn't have let him watch on our honeymoon."

"He'd burn the place down?"

Angus scoffed. "No. Maybe leave the door open on accident for someone to take our stuff...But he has an apartment of his own, he knows how to run a place."

"If you say so." The conversation dropped until they reached Malcolm's place, Angus dozing off in the backseat of his brother's car. Pulling his feet up, he curled himself around his wife, resting his head on top of hers. Minute by minute, his heart rate slowed down, the image of her slowly fading as his eyes fluttered shut, the last thing he felt being her hot breath on his neck. 

Once again, he fell asleep holding the love of his life.