It was almost an hour later that Mark, Roger, Mimi and Emily were at the fair. Nancy and Robert had declined from accompanying them, stating that they had to go and check into the hotel they were staying in as they did not want to intrude into their son's place, and because Cindy had promised her husband that she'd call when they had arrived.

"Besides," Nancy had said. "We know you probably want some alone time with Emily, Mark, honey." So now, the four friends had been left to explore the fair. It didn't take long for Roger and Mimi to go off to do their own thing. And so, Mark and Emily were left alone.

"Okay, now spill," Mark turned to Emily the moment Roger and Mimi had left. "What were you doing, saying you're my girlfriend? I thought you didn't approve of that lie I told Mom."

"I don't," Emily insisted. "But, the thing was… it happened like this…."

Flashback

Emily looked from her apartment door, where her friends had disappeared, to the Loft door. Making up her mind, she led Wenceslas up to the Loft, where she momentarily was puzzled by the presence of Mark's family waiting for the others to return.

"Hello," Emily began. "Not to be rude, but who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Nancy, Mark's mother."

"Oh, so you're the famous Mr. and Mrs. Cohen," Emily realized. "Hi, I'm Emily. What brings you here?"

"Oh, Mark told Mom he got himself a girlfriend," Cindy stated. "Although, seeing as he hasn't had much luck in that department, I can't wait to see who he got this time." The three visiting Cohens seemed to not notice Emily's stunned expression at the realization Mark was in deep trouble, the gears in her head going into overdrive.

End Flashback

"So, while I still don't agree with how you lied, Mark," Emily concluded, "what kind of friend would I be if I just stepped aside and let you float down the river without a paddle? So, I just took the first thing I could think of, and went with it."

"Emily, I just… You really don't have to do this…."

"Mark, you told your mother you had a girlfriend, didn't you?" Emily reasoned. "Well, now she's here to meet the girlfriend you made up. Why shouldn't I try to help you out? You helped me out of the whole Rat Fang mess, if you'd remember."

"Emily, we're friends," Mark reminded. "You don't need to repay friends. We just do things for each other because we're friends."

"Ah. You've just answered your own question. That's why I'm doing this. We're friends." Mark sighed.

"I hate when you do that."

"Do what?" Emily chuckled.

"Bring me into a place where I can't find any counter argument."

"Hey, easiest way to win a discussion, isn't it?" The two shared a laugh at this. Even though he was still a little hesitant about going along with Emily's charade of the two of them being together, Mark couldn't deny that he was grateful that she was willing to help him out.

"Oh, hold up," Emily stopped, pausing at a new age booth. "Nana's been after me about needing new healing crystals. You know how Nana gets about her superstitions and omens."

"I remember the time she actually berated Maureen for whistling and inviting evil spirits to visit her."

"Yeah. Imagine living with that for nearly twenty years." Mark grinned and started helping Emily go through the crystals.

"Emily, do you think Nana wants a smoky quartz, or the quartz crystal?" Mark looked over and suddenly frowned in concern, seeing that Emily was staring at something behind him, looking positively panicked. "Emily?"

"Oh, crap," Emily hissed before trying to hide behind a display board.

"Emily!?" Mark tried to move around to talk to her, but he was rewarded with Emily snapping and shoving him away.

"Mark! Get away! Don't… he'll know I'm here!"

"What? Who? Who are you trying to hide from?"

"No one, okay? Now, quick, pretend I'm not…"

"Emily?" A new voice made Mark look up to see a rather good-looking man with thick hair, a shade lighter then brunette, standing in front of them, looking down at Emily in surprise. A second man of Asian decent was at the man's side. "Emily! Wow, I thought I recognized your voice."

"Hello, Karl." Emily muttered, standing up slowly and making a conscious effort to avoid looking at Karl.

"Well, this is a surprise," Karl laughed. "I didn't expect to find you still living in New York. It's a small city, isn't it?"

"Yeah, too small," Emily growled.

"Wait," Mark stepped in, looking from Emily to Karl. "So, you two know each other?" Karl suddenly looked awkward.

"Oh, well…" Karl stammered. "It's… the thing is…"

"Oh, let me tell it, Karl," Emily interrupted, glaring at him in spite. "It's such a wonderful story." Mark turned to Emily in shock. He'd never heard Emily talk with such disdain. When Emily glanced over to Mark to begin telling the story, the filmmaker's surprise doubled at seeing the raging fire in her hazel eyes. "You see, Mark," Emily began. "Karl here was my fiancé!"

"Your… sorry, what?!" Mark gaped. He had known Emily once had a boyfriend, but engaged?

"Yeah. That's right," Emily nodded, disdain for Karl radiating off her. "We had it all planned out, too. The reception hall booked, the caterers with all their food, everything. But then, on the night of our rehearsal dinner, I find Karl," Emily paused in her narrative to send the man in question an evil glare. "Karl, and Lee here, who was chosen as the best man." Emily gestured to the Asian man. "I find them making out. IN MY VAN!!" A stunned Mark turned to stare at Karl and Lee, who were both looking very uncomfortable at the moment.

"I think that pretty much covers the finer points," the enraged and bitter photographer concluded. "Have I left anything out, Karl?" Emily cast Karl one more furious glare before storming off.

It took Mark ten minutes to find Emily, but he eventually spotted her sitting in the Life Café, swirling the cup of herbal tea in front of her absentmindedly. She didn't look up until Mark had placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" Mark asked in concern.

"I should have realized something right off the back," Emily gave a dry chuckle. "I mean, Lee was going on about these 'phenomenal canolis' at a small bakery. Wouldn't stop talking about them. I'm not sexist, you know I'm not. But any guy who goes on endlessly about a pastry product…" Mark was quiet for moment. He'd never told her purposely because he was so tired of people laughing at him. Emily had never laughed at him once since they met, and he wanted to keep it that way. But this time… she couldn't laugh, could she? After all, she'd been there. She could relate.

"I know how you feel," Mark comforted.

"I doubt it," Emily shook her head.

"Emily… did you know… Maureen and I used to date?"

"Maureen?" Emily looked up in surprise. "But… she and Joanne…"

"Yeah," Mark nodded, and quickly summed up his history with Maureen, and how Joanne had entered the picture. To his pleasured surprise, his prediction had held true. Emily didn't even show the slightest sign of laughing. She just sat there listening with an understanding smile on her face, and once he was finished, she lifted a hand to rest on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Mark. That must have been rough."

"Thanks. You know, you're the first person who heard that story who hasn't laughed."

"Well, maybe people laugh because they don't know what that's like. You can't shake the feeling that it's somehow your fault, that they went that way because you were lacking something. The feeling that if you just gave a little more, or did something differently…" Emily trailed off, and the two sat in silence for a few seconds.

"It's funny," Mark began. "How long has it been since we first met?"

"It's been over a year now. Why?"

"I don't know. It just seems… like I've known you my whole life at times. It probably sounds crazy, but…"

"No. I know what you mean. With you, I don't have to think about what to say next. It just comes naturally."

"Yeah. Exactly." Mark and Emily laughed in unison.

"Well, I guess it's to be expected," Emily smiled, looking back at her tea. "Filmmaker and Photographer. It's only natural that you and I can talk to each other so easily. Doesn't exactly hurt that you stuck by me during that whole ordeal with the Rat Fangs, and when I thought I was going to loose Penny. I don't think I ever told you how grateful I was to you when you kept being there to try and comfort me. You even stayed with me the night when I'd given up all hope. Like I told you then, Mark. You're a true friend."

"Yeah, you'd know about that, after all." Mark nodded in agreement. "How many people would pose as someone's girlfriend, just to help get that someone's mother off their back?"

"Speaking of your parents," Emily sighed, "we probably should head back. Parents usually have a thing about wanting to get to know their child's new love. Well, at least that's how Nana was during the start of the whole mistake with me and Karl." Emily suddenly started to smirk. "However, usually those little meetings are meant to help the parent or guardian decide if the person in question is right for their child, and Nana pretty much failed in her job at placing Karl in the 'not for you' category right off the back." Mark and Emily left the Life Café, both laughing at the joke Emily had made about her failed relationship. Clearly, Mark's story about his history with Maureen had made her forget all about her animosity on the subject.

AN: And that is how Emily's relationship with her ex-boyfriend ended. How'd you like it? Next chapter will be up once it's written. Until next time...