Rohan got to Ruby's and sat down at his usual booth. He grinned when he saw Harry with an apron tied around his waist and pouring coffee into a customer's cup. This was different. He tried to see if Annie was out the back but couldn't.

"Hey, Rohan. Do you have coffee?" Harry turned over the cup and started to pour.

"Yeah." Rohan chuckled. "Are you starting a new career, Harry?"

Laughing, Harry shook his head. "Nah... just helping out. So, you took Annie out again. Science Museum. Good idea." Harry put the coffee pot on the table, and then pulled an order book from the pocket of his apron and a pencil from behind his ear. "What'll you have?"

"Steak sandwich with barbecue sauce." Rohan wondered how much Annie had told them. "Where is she, Harry?"

"Just out the back. I'll tell her you're here." He picked up the coffee pot in salute. "Won't be long."

When Annie came out, she was carrying Rohan's sandwich. "Hello there."

"Hello, Annie. Thanks." He flicked his eyes at her, and then down at his sandwich. His knee jerked a fraction as he looked up at her again wondering if she was thinking, like he was, about their last moment together. What to say? "Why's Harry wearing an apron?"

Annie looked over her shoulder and giggled. "We've been pretty busy today so Harry said he'd help out. Sid's out the back washing dishes. It gives them something to do every now and then." She slid onto the seat opposite and whispered, "To tell the truth, they tend to get in the way a bit but their hearts are in the right place." She could tell he was a little tense. The memory of him hard against her caused her to look down at the table. Annie wondered if this was why he seemed nervous.

He had to say something so remembering her advice on conversation making, Rohan grinned before speaking. She looked more beautiful than he remembered. "I had a great day on Saturday, Annie."

She gave him a curious look. Perhaps he was thinking about their last moments. Annie hoped he'd got the message that she really liked him. "So did I, Rohan."

Before she could say more Gus called her. "Annie. Table five." He held up the plate of food through the servery.

She rushed to get it. Annie had never seen the man it was for before, the instant he looked up at her he gave her the creeps. Not many people did this and so when it happened Annie was very aware of it.

"Thanks love." He patted her on the bum as she put the plate down. Annie tried to ignore it but as she went to walk away, he took hold of her wrist. "How about some sauce, honey?"

"Sure, no worries."

Rohan noticed the man crane his neck and watch Annie walk away. He didn't like the way he had touched her and wondered if Annie knew him. She hadn't been friendly like she normally was. When she came back with the sauce the man grabbed her again.

"You're a good-looking girl. What time do you get off?"

Annie didn't answer but instead pushed his hand away.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her a slimy grin. "What cat got your tongue?"

"Let me go!"

Rohan's heart pounded. A surge of unease ran through him. He cursed himself for being a coward. When the man gripped Annie on the backside and pulled her closer his anxiety turned to anger. Without thinking he got up and grabbed the man's shoulder. "Let her go!"

The man laughed. By this time everyone in the café was watching. Rohan pulled the man's arm from around Annie's waist and pushed her behind him.

Annie panicked. "Rohan! No!" She didn't want to see him in a fight.

He took no notice and without saying another word hit the man in the mouth.

"Fuck!" Yelping in pain the man lunged to his feet. He punched Rohan in the face. The force knocked Rohan backwards where he crashed against the counter.

The man ran his hand over his bloody lip and stepped towards Rohan. "What the fuck, you prick, no one hits me!"

Annie screamed and stood between them.

Rohan pushed her aside, stepped forward once more and lifted his fist as Gus moved his bulk between them. "Enough! No one fights in my café! Get the hell out!" He lifted his hand and pointed at the door. "We don't want you here."

"That prick hit me for nothing!" the man whined.

"Not how I saw it pal. No one handles my girls and you're lucky he didn't hit you again, now get out!"

"But I paid for that meal!" he protested some more as he made claim on the food at the table.

Ruby picked up the man's plate and tipped the contents into a brown paper bag. "Take it and go eat at the zoo with the rest of the animals."

The man was going to say more but when he looked around Harry, Sid and even Mal were all standing glaring at him. He grabbed the bag from Ruby and stormed out.

Blood ran from Rohan's nose. When Annie saw it, she went into overdrive. "You silly man. Damn it. Why did you do that? Sit down."

He chuckled as she forced him into his seat and dabbed his nose with a serviette. Rohan tilted his head back and tried to push her hands away. "Annie... will you stop? You're hurting me more."

She sighed and slumped on the seat opposite. "You didn't have to do that; I would have handled it."

Rohan laughed again, he felt so euphoric. He had stood up to a man and hit him. The experience was exhilarating. "I did have too, Annie. I wasn't going to sit back and watch someone do that to you."

Looking at the sheer delight on his face, Annie couldn't help but smile. "Why are you so happy about it, you could have got hurt, well more hurt than you are."

"I've only ever done that once before, Annie." Rohan chuckled again. "A long time ago and it felt good to do it again."

She looked at him curiously, her heart beating faster. The urge to kiss him made her stand and go to his side of the table. Annie lifted his chin and smiled down at him. "Well, you're stupid if you think fighting, is a solution."

"Sometimes it is, Annie." He cocked his head and added, "I'm learning that sometimes it's the only solution."

She bent down, put her lips on the side of his mouth and kissed him lightly.

Rohan gasped. "Annie..."

She blushed, straightened up and brushed his cheek with her finger. "Thank you, Rohan." Annie headed to the kitchen. She was so surprised he'd had the courage to hit that man. As Annie got to the kitchen door, she glanced over her shoulder to see him looking at her with a gentle smile on his face. She noted his leg wasn't shaking.

*

Mal watched young Annie and her fellow. At least by the way he looked at her, Mal was sure he wanted to be her fellow. Mal shook his head. He had really done it, had hit Patrick Murphy smack bang on the nose. It was less than he deserved after hearing Amaryllis's account of what he and Bill Peters had done to her. Seeing Murphy turn up at Ruby's was a shock but seeing Short Pants hit him was the real kicker. Mal chuckled because he wouldn't have thought Short Pants had it in him. It had surprised Mal. There was little these days that astounded him. When something did, it restored his faith in the world because everyone on this planet had a secret side. Even him.

Photo - Masterfile