Author's Note: Yes! Someone else ships Wink/Fibb! And by the way, the previous chapter is going to be replaced later. I read through it a third time and for the first time with this fic I was NOT happy. At all. It will probably have the same events, but…gaah, I think I could have written it better. And speaking of, this chapter is pretty much more to set in motion events for later. Not much action here. I feel I must warn you. And I'm running out of jokes faster than ….sheesh, I can't even make a good analogy right now! No more updates tonight. I think I'm out of it. Please, PLEASE tell me this chapter is better than the last. I'll rewrite both, should the need arise, but I don't know if I'm running out of ideas, or just really out of it, or …I don't know what's going on!!!

Heinrich and Abby didn't say anything. The only movement they made was to get dressed. They weren't making eye contact. "I'm…gonna go talk to somebody," Abby finally said. "You should probably get back to Hoagie's." It had just turned three. "I…uh.."

"Abigail, I…."

"If you're asking to marry you, save it, Heinrich. I'll talk to you about this later--"

"Aber--"

"Later," she said firmly, motioning for him to get out. He did so, without saying another word. Not even a goodbye. She drew her knees to herself, thinking carefully. So…this is how that feels. She felt ashamed, but it was more that she'd done it while sodden than it was about it being with Heinrich. Finally, she pulled her phone off the hook and dialed the only friend who would listen to her without cracking up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Nigel…" Abby said slowly, pacing around her room. "I..uh..Heinrich just left." She let it sink in with her former sector leader. He didn't say anything for a while.

"Well…Uh.." He paused again, and continued awkwardly, "It seems odd to be waking up in the same bed as your rival as often as you do." Abby bit her lip, making a note to get back at him later. "But I don't get it. What's the problem?"

"Now he's going to keep up with the 'let's get married' thing because he thinks he has to…some stupid family tradition."

Nigel seemed to think for a while. "Well…have you tried explaining to him that you don't like him? Oh, and by the way, if that is true, you really should stop sleeping with him…sends the wrong message, you know--"

"I didn't sleep with him!…err…well, not until last night, at least," she admitted. "But it's different. Numbuh 5 was drunk, she didn't know what she was doing!"

"So you slept with a guy you didn't like?" Abby frowned. She typically had more common sense than Nigel, but the roles seemed reversed in this instant. He was pressing her, and she had a feeling he already knew the answer to his question.

"No…I'd never do anything like that," She said softly. "I just don't want to marry him…not right now. I'm only seventeen, Nigel! It's crazy!"

"Well, yes, but not for his family…Lizzie's family as their sets of crazy things they do as well," Nigel did not go into detail there, "But maybe you should meet his family and see if you can't see why they have this tradition? Get to understand it better? I'm not saying you have to go through with it…just see if they're crazy or if there's maybe a good point to all of this."

Abby sighed. "Oh, all right. I'll ask Heinrich about that later."

"All right, I've got to get going. Lizzie wants to go look at wedding dresses. Ever since she overheard Heinrich, she's insistent we at least start looking into it…"

"Okay," Abby agreed, not the least bit surprised. They got off the line and she sat down to think, turning her CD back on, letting herself reflect on all that had happened. She sighed. All right…Numbuh 5 just needs to figure out what she needs to do…

"You know, most people go home after the tenth or twelfth time the girl tells her no," Hoagie said casually, tossing a piece of paper into his trash can, basketball style. "Not hang around her house all night."

"I vas not hanging around her house!…I vas in it."

"..You broke into her house?! Man, that's seriously messed up…"

"Nein! I voke up and I vas in zere…in her bed…"

Hoagie looked thoughtful for a moment. "Sheesh…how many times you two going to do that, anyways? This is getting a little ridiculous."

"Zhis has never happened to you, zhen? I zhought you said you vere a genius vith vomen…vell, vhat do I do? I can't exactly just go over zhere and talk to Abigail…she doesn't vant to see me right now.." He frowned. "Grandpa Leopold vill make sure I never see ze light of day if I don't marry her…"

"Nothing you can do, short of a boyfriend helmet, I'm afraid."

"I am not looking for ein boyfriend!"

"It can be modified.." Hoagie looked thoughtful, "But Abby would kick the crap out of you if you did it. Have you thought about..you know, being nice, respecting her, treating her well and letting her know you care about her?"

Heinrich glared. "You said zat vas ze vrong vay of doing it!"

"Man, I don't have a girlfriend," Hoagie looked thoughtful, "Haven't ever had one, to be honest. Why the hell would you listen to me?"

"You said you knew vhat to do!"

"Yeah, well," Hoagie shrugged, "I never told you that you had to listen to me. It was really your choice. So, it's your own fault."

Heinrich leaned forward, "I absolutely DESPISE you, you know zhat?" Hoagie shrugged.

"Say what you will, but I'm not the one who can't seem to keep my hands off the girl that's supposed to be my enemy."

"…Fine, you vin," Heinrich said, looking irate. He glanced out the window.

"So…uh…not to be rude or anything," Hoagie said, choosing his words carefully, "But…when are you going back to Germany? I kinda would like my room to myself."

"Oh, don't vorry…Grandfather Leopold's rules are very clear on zhat--"

"Oh, good, cuz I --"

Heinrich cut him off. "I can only return vhen Abigail agrees to marry me."

Hoagie looked crestfallen, and gave a fake laugh. "Uh…well…heh..maybe you might..consider lying to them, you know…not telling your family what happened? You know..keep it quiet?"

"Nein! Ve are never dishonest vith each other in mein family. Just vith outsiders. Besides….I kind off…already told zhem."

Hoagie's mouth dropped open. "You…told them?! Why the hell would you do that?! What if Abby doesn't agree to marry you! And then…worse, I'm stuck with you for the rest of my life! You are NOT staying here that long!"

"Es tut mir leid," Heinrich apologized, "aber it just sort of slipped out…Und Grandfather Leopold seemed so excited about ze marriage…"

"But what if…" Hoagie paused, slapping a hand to his forehead. "…Your family things Numbuh 5's actually going to agree to this crazy plan, don't they?"

Heinrich coughed. "I …may haff told zhem zat she…uh…already said yes, und zat ve vere just vaiting on her parents' approval…"

This guy is nuts! Hoagie decided, as he crossed his arms and analyzed the situation. "Okay…somehow or another, you've got to get Numbuh 5 to agree to marry you…"

"I am not sure I vant your help anymore…"

"Look who's being picky," Hoagie said with a snort, "The King of Drunken One Nighters with the Girl He Hates."

"…All right, all right, point taken," Heinrich agreed, "But Abigail vill not talk to me, und I am not going vith another one of your ridiculous plans. She said ve vould talk later, but…"

"Did she look mad?"

"Well…ja. Ve had just voken up in bed together."

Hoagie thought for a moment. "Only one thing for it."

"Ja? Vhat is it?"

"It doesn't matter what we do, man….Abby's going to totally kill you."