Author's note: I want to apologise for the shortness of the last chapter, but my brain just wouldn't let me make it any longer.

Theresa: and now the entire world knows I'm illegitimate. Terrific.

Author: stop complaining. It's not affected his feelings for you in anyway.

Kevin: I do NOT fancy her!

Author: Whom, exactly, are you trying to convince?

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"So, how was your date with your mystery man?" Micky asked, entering Theresa's room without preamble. Theresa herself was lying on her front on her bed with a large leather bound book propped up on a pillow in front of her and Banksy was lying on the rug nearest the window (where the radiator was)

"What mystery man?" she wanted to know, not looking up from her reading.

"You know which one," he replied, leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed, "the one you went out with on Saturday night. Jonathan Nikals told me he saw you…"

"What do I care what Jonathan Nikals told you? I don't care and it wasn't a date," She said distractedly, before turning a page, "just took him to the club where Verleide was playing."

"Uh huh, and WHEN was the last time you took ANY bloke, besides me, to hear you play? Go on, admit it, you went on a date with him"

"It WASN'T a date, Micky! I'm not interested in dating. Ever! Got it?"

"You don't have to get
 all defensive about it," he teased, flopping down beside her, dropping am arm around her shoulders before giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm NOT getting defensive!" She snapped defensively, shaking off his arm and sitting up on her knees, "I'm trying to read!" she held her book out for inspection, as if it were a barrier against subjects like 'dating' and 'love'. Micky peered at the title. It figured, she was reading a copy of 'Beethoven - Life & Memoirs'.

"I didn't mean anything by it, Tezza," he pouted, giving her a look akin to a wounded puppy, "
I just think it's something you should be able to talk to me about."

She faltered for a moment at the look and for that one moment he actually thought that she'd tell him about it…but then she shook her head, almost hard enough to give herself a headache and said:

"I don't want to talk about it, Micky! This conversation is over…"

"Yeah, but...

"

"OVER!" she flopped back down with a sigh, dropping her book with a loud THUD that made Banksy look up curiously, realise it was nothing important and go back to sleep.

"Well, okay," Micky conceded finally…then the impish part of his personality showed up and made him say: "but just so you know…if you decide it WAS a date, you can talk to me about it"

Theresa sat up and hit him with her pillow.

"Wasn't a date! Now stop it!"

"Theresa is a boy-liker," He sang unrepentantly, laughing as he shielded himself from the blow with his arm, "took ya long enough,"

She suddenly stopped, physically sagged and flopped back onto the bed, covering her face with the pillow

Micky sighed and reached over to hug his friend tightly. He knew it was all really just a case of 'the lady doth protest too much' mixed in with a lot of fear.

If she didn't like this bloke she wouldn't even be giving him the time of day, let alone taking him to hear her play at her favourite music bar.

"You really do like this bloke, don't you?" he said softly,

After a few minutes, she nodded gently against his shoulder and whispered: "What'm I gonna do?"

He thought for a while then said, "Go for a walk…why not visit your mum? It's been a few months. Maybe it'll help clear your head."

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Kevin was sitting on a bench in a churchyard. He wasn't particularly religious but churchyards were generally quiet, places that he could think without hundreds of screaming fans or photographers…generally, even they had more respect than to do that sort of thing here.

He'd always found it strange that there was always an aura of quiet around these places, traffic went past but the noise seemed muted within the church grounds.

He was here because he was trying to clear his head, a pastime he was spending a lot of energy on in recent weeks.

A certain blond distraction took up a lot of his thoughts at the moment, which was completely unacceptable.

He didn't have time for distractions, he was supposed to training. THAT was the important thing in his life. He had to train and become the greatest wrestler in history. He shouldn't be spending time with blonde girls with infectious smiles, cute blushes and the voice of an angel...

He could STILL hear that song she and the lead singer of the band she was with had sung together. How'd it gone…?

"…We'll all be forgotten

There's no endless fame

But everything we do

It's never in vain

We're part of a story, part of a tale.

We're all on this journey; no one's to stay

Where is it going?

What is the way?

We're part of a story, part of a tale,

Sometimes beautiful, sometimes insane

No one remembers how it began…"

He wished he could hit his head on something hard and forget about her. He just had to keep reminding himself that he didn't care about her at all.

Yes, that was what he should do…

She wasn't important!

She was a nobody!

She was a distraction from his training!

She was…at the church gates, carefully lifting the latch to let herself in.

He watched her walk along the path, hands shoved deep into the pockets of her jeans against the chill, apparently paying no attention to anything except where in the small churchyard she was headed…a small black granite headstone near the wall at the back, a foot or two away from where he was sitting.

"Hey mum," he heard her say, "it's me…"

He blinked…and a lot of things he's gleaned about her made sense. From here he could just about make out the engraving on the headstone:

Here Lies the Earthly Remains of

Melody Serefina Chappen

Beloved daughter of James & Harmony Chappen

Much loved mother of Theresa Chappen

April 15 1967 - May 26 1992

"Our loss is Heaven's gain"

Well, now he felt like a heel encroaching on a family moment!

Unacceptable!

So he stood up, intent of leaving, right now! Without even letting her know he'd been there! Yes! She could talk to a grave all she wanted! He'd personally be very surprised if it talked back!

………

Except that his body apparently had other ideas and made his feet carry him closer to her.

She had been talking gently but stopped when she heard him stop behind her. It was with a lot of caution that she turned her head and her eyes went wide and her face went first pale then scarlet, first from shock then from apparent embarrassment.

"Kevin…?" in a flash she was on her feet again, faster than he could blink and made to walk past him. Unthinkingly he grabbed her wrist.

"Where're you going?" he asked, wondering WHY he sounded apologetic

"I'm…I'm going home…" she answered eventually, "didn't know anyone else would be here…I'm…gonna go now…" and tried to pull herself out of his grip, without success since his hand didn't seem to want to let go.

The next words out of his mouth surprised the both of them, but him most of all.

"Come for a walk with me."

Ack! That WASN'T what he'd meant to say! That wasn't what he'd meant to say at all!

Then again…a walk would probably give him a chance to talk to her about why they couldn't be anything more than friends…if that.

Yes, a walk to break this friendship off and then he could go back to training without distractions.

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"A…walk? Now?" Theresa asked, confused. He'd caught her talking to her mum's headstone and he wanted to go for a walk?

"Yes, now," he nodded, then added, almost as an after thought, "please?"

She thought for a few moments…a walk was good. A walk could be a good way to end this…friendship.

Yeah, she'd tell him straight that she didn't want to see him anymore and then she could get her life back to normal.

No distractions.

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Author's note: Stubborn, aren't they? Well stick around because as if I'm going to let them end it there before they've even tried.

Also, for anyone who's picky (and-or) interested: Theresa's mum died of breast cancer.

Music references: slightly modified the opening of the song 'if you were gay' from Avenue Q for Micky and Theresa's conversation at the start of the chapter. Title is from a song of the same name by The White Stripes and the song flashback is 'Never-ending Story' by Within Temptation.