Sorry about the wait. I got the new Pokemon game last week, so you know… ^^;

Anywho, here ya go!

To my reviewers:

livromaniaque: Yes, I actually spent a long time thinking about that scene. I'm pretty happy with the option I'm gong with, hehehe.

Chalcedony Rivers: Good thing, too! I put so much more work into this plot than into my impromptu Pokemon stories. I'm glad I got to finally bring Angel/Collins in, too.

Wonder1234: Thanks! And… woah, that's trippy. If I ever write a sequel, that'll be it.

obsessive-elphaba: You're forgiven! Haha. And you'll just have to wait and see what I do with that little scene right thar.

"Hey look, we're almost there!" Mark noticed, pointing out ahead. Sure enough, there was a jumble of tall buildings on the horizon.

"Ooh, yay!" Angel cried excitedly. "I sure can't wait to get home!" Angel ran off ahead dancing. Collins, who had been trying to inconspicuously grab her hand, laughed and followed her, leaving Mark and Roger in the dust.

Roger saw an opportunity to confront Mark.

"So," he began casually. "You know Maureen?" Roger grinned, satisfied with his own sneakiness.

Mark chuckled. "Unfortunately."

"What do you mean?" Roger asked. Who does he think he's fooling? Roger studied Mark again. He looked like he was hiding something.

"It's kind of complicated."

Roger pushed harder. "Come on, I'm curious."

"It doesn't matter. Hey! How'd you know that I know her, anyway?" Mark frowned.

Damn.. "I saw you… ah… talking in that restaurant."

"Oh yeah. She sure is crazy sometimes." He sighed. "I don't know what I was thinking back then, really."

"Back when?"

Now it was Mark's turn to scold himself. "Nothing, nothing! We just sorta used to… dateorsomething…" He coughed.

"Uh-huh."

"Hey, where'd Collins and Angel go?" Mark said suddenly, scanning the bleak cityscape ahead.

"Don't change the subjec—hey! You're right." Roger, too, noticed that Angel and Collins had vanished.

The two exchanged a worried glance.

Meanwhile…

"Whee! Don't you love skipping?" Angel sang.

Collins was sprinting behind her, panting. "I… gasp… love it!" He managed to choke out.

Angel laughed again and slowed down. "You okay there?"

"Yeah." Collins breathed, resting his hands on his knees.

"Hey look, there's an interesting street up there!" Angel said, pointing. There was a long gravelly road crammed with small shops, restaurants, and other entertaining-looking buildings.

"Wanna go look around?" Collins asked, boldly offering his hand.

"Yeah, let's go honey!" She took it and they started forward at a more reasonable pace.

"Hey youse guys!" A small man ran up to them. "Wanna buy somethin'?" He showed them his small stand, which included everything form newspapers to suspicious jewelry.

"No, no thanks." Collins answered. "Uh… thanks, though." He gripped Angel's hand tighter and led her away.

"Honest living!" He called after them.

"What an interesting place. Ooh! Look, Collins! A bakery!" Angel was giddy again as she briskly made her way over to a bakery crammed between a casino and a whorehouse.

"I don't think this place would sell the most respectable –" Collins began, but they were already there.

A young, boyish woman stood out in front with a tray of brownies. "Hello there! Would you two care for a free sample?" She pushed the tray under their noses.

"Well, those do smell pretty good." Collins conceded. He looked at Angel and they each turned back to the woman and took a brownie before continuing on.

"Thanks for the brownies!" Angel called over her shoulder.

"No problem!" Joanne responded, waving and trying to hide her grin.