Alice swung open the shop door and walked in, panting. "Sorry I hung up on you… you sounded very distressed."

"Oh it's quite alright, I was actually more worried about you. I thought you became vexed and since I didn't say anything in your defense, I was thinking maybe you were…" Howard turned his bottom lip.

"No I wasn't angry with you and I never could be," she came to him immediately and touched the sides of his face. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't know… it's beyond my reasoning," he said. He despised how poor he was at hiding denial. He couldn't believe how Alice remained with him this long. After almost a fragment of a second, he could tell if he didn't have a chance with a woman. He'd used to think she either had a strong stomach or she possessed one of the kindest hearts that it seems almost impossible to find.

"You poor thing, you sound so glum!" she pressed her forehead against his.

"No I'm fine, I'm fine," he placed his hands over hers, smiling automatically.

"Sure you're alright Moonie? You sounded so sad on the phone," Alice said.

"Don't worry, everything's alright now, really I'm fine," Howard held her hands in front of his chest.

"Are you really sure?" she asked.

He kissed her softly on the lips. "Does that answer your question?"

"I don't know, that could mean anything…" she said with a coy grin.

He placed his arms around her and gave her a deeper kiss. "Was that any more convincing?" he asked.

"It's kind of hard to see what you're trying to get at, but maybe if you can really try…"she was close to giggling.

Howard took the advice from her last word and held the back of her head. She tilted her head to get closer to him and ran her hands up his back. He sighed under the kiss, feeling peace of mind knowing he had her to call his own. He couldn't remember how he was before he was with her, but he knew he wouldn't want to. He didn't even have to try, the joy he experienced though her overshadowed the despair of being lonesome for countless years. It was astonishing how long years of suffering could be turned around by something that seemed to have happened briefly. He stroked her hair and wrapped his other arm around her waist. She held onto him as if she was melding with him.

"Howard," Naboo called as he walked out in the shop. "Hey I wanted to know… oh c'mon give it a rest!" he frowned.

"Oh sorry 'bout that…" Howard gave him an awkward smile. He didn't notice that he had Alice pressed against the desk suggestively.

"You didn't eat any of my owl beaks, did you?" the shaman asked in a stern tone.

"No of course not," Howard said.

"Owl beaks? What are they for?" Alice asked.

"Um… nothing…" Howard blushed.

"They're highly concentrated aphrodisiacs. It makes the blood flow rapidly and it'll keep you going for hours. Commonly used by men Howard's age," Naboo said. Howard scowled and growled quietly.

"Well he doesn't need it anyways. In fact he's doing well off!" she rubbed her cheek against his chest and held him tight.

"That was a little more than I needed to know…" Naboo winced and cringed his shoulders as if he was getting icy water poured on his back.

"Alice you should know better than that. You can't just give away personal information like that," Howard shook his finger at her. She playfully bit his finger. "Oh you're gonna get it!" he warned. She giggled and slipped away from him, but then he came from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Naboo was a little surprised by how Howard was acting. He was being playful and silly. He couldn't blame Vince for thinking there was something wrong with the jazz maverick since this was very much unlike him, but that was mostly because he felt as though his childhood friend was going to desert him for this young perky girl with the same passions as him. Naboo shook his head. It amused him how Earthlings just can't seem to agree on things in a positive manner like Xooberons. There always has to be disagreements and conflicts in everything. He would know, after all he lived on this planet for many years and observed it before he came. He could've changed everything in those years, but it would've been an utter waste. No matter what, there's always going to be more Vinces, Howards, Bob Fossils, and even Bainbridges here on this planet to obstruct everything, so why not just sit back, take a few hits from the ol' hookah and pretend the problems in the world don't exist?

"Well that's enough now Moon, c'mon," Naboo said.

"Aw do you have to go?" Alice pouted.

"Yes I do unfortunately, but I won't be long," Howard touched her cheek.

"Don't let go, I'll catch cold!" she tightened her grip on him.

"Oh!" he chuckled heartily. "Well we wouldn't want that to happen would we?"

"Howard I'm waiting!" Naboo protested as he tapped his foot impatiently.

"Alright, alright I'm coming," Howard groaned. He gave her a quick kiss. "I'll be back."

"Promise?" she smiled.

"Of course I will," he stroked her hair.

"Howard!" Naboo beckoned.

"Fine, fine, fine!" Howard grunted as he followed Naboo.

Alice giggled with delight as she watched him leave disgruntled. She found it so adorable when he'd get upset, especially over her. Vince walked past Naboo and Howard. His body jerked with a start when he saw her. "Oh, I didn't see you there," he said.

"Hi Vince," she replied.

"Listen," he tilted his head and scratched behind his neck. "I'm sorry about earlier today. I and my mates were just having a bit of fun."

She took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose. She really didn't want to argue with him but she knew it was bound to happen one way or another. Thanks a lot but just remember, ignorance is temporary but stupidity is permanent."

Vince puffed. "I did say I was sorry!"

"There's another reason why I prefer older men. The younger ones are rude, arrogant, and superficial, plus not to mention the greatest love of their lives are themselves!" Alice spat the last part.

"I don't see what your personal life has to do with this," he said with an icy twist.

She had the look of wanting to thrash him, but she was a dignified young woman that would never resort to hitting someone. "I don't understand you Vince. Howard is supposedly your best mate but yet you express great apathy towards him," she frowned.

"Apathy?" he repeated with his hands on his hips.

"Oh you don't think so? You're terrible to him! You belittle him and you manipulate him all out of spite and yet he still remains here with you even after all the humiliation you put him through!"

"Hold it," Vince raised his hand. "You don't know half the things I've done for him. I'll have you know I've always been there for Howard throughout his life."

"Like a disease!" Alice shouted.

"I'm not finished!" he snapped. "I've always been there for him as a faithful friend. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't be where he is now."

"Guess he could've been doing a whole lot better," she muttered bitterly.

"Oi! Who's ignorant now?" Vince exclaimed.

"Hey what's going on?" Howard noticed them arguing as he came down the stairs.

Alice groaned loudly. "Howard! Why do you bother with him?" she pointed at Vince.

"Sweetheart whatever's the matter?" Howard came to her and delicately touched her face.

"Oh here he is, here to rescue her from the evil Vince Noir!" Vince cried out sarcastically.

"Vince please, now what happened here?" Howard asked.

"He just doesn't stop! He's just an over-grown spoiled rotten child!" Alice said.

"You're really starting to get under my skin Alice! You act as if you're the best thing that ever happened to Howard! " Vince shouted.

"Well maybe I am! Especially after all the bushwa you put him through!" her body shook with annoyance.

"Would you quit using the lame mid-1920's talk and say what you mean? You're not exactly Clara Bow!" he hissed.

"Stop it! Both of you please!" Howard shouted. He was beginning to become greatly irritated by them.

"She's the one who won't stop! She doesn't know anything, she's clueless, she's obtuse, she's… she's blind to all reasoning and logic!" Vince yelled.

Alice's eyes went wide and then closed tight. She wordlessly turned and left the shop.

"Vince!" Howard shouted.

"What's her deal? Just leaving like that," Vince said.

"She's near-sighted, she's afraid she'll go blind someday!" Howard whispered loudly.

"Oh well… I didn't mean it like that," Vince said.

"Doesn't matter, that was very shitty of you," Howard glared intensely.

"Alright geez I'm sorry! No need to get defensive!" Vince cried.

"Why did you have to be so harsh on her?" Howard was furious.

"Hey what am I the villain now? She's the one who got on me first!"

"Vince… I don't care how it started, you really went too far!"

"What the hell Howard? What's so praiseworthy of her? She's just a ditzy blonde!"

"There's reasons I could never explain in words Vince."

"What just because she took your virginity and she's as obsessed with jazz as much as you are?"

"Shut up, just shut up," Howard said coldly. "I can't take this anymore. I can't tell whether it's her you don't like or the fact that I have something good going for me."

"What?" Vince cried out in disbelief.

"It's true, it's always about you: Vince Noir the Rock n' Roll star, the chosen one, and everything else! You always have to come out on top and I'm just supposed to take what's given to me which is usually nothing! But when I get a little something, to you it's like I'm trying to steal all your glory and so what little I have gets taken from me. If it's not by you, it's by those who think you're great and I'm nothing! I can't have this, it's unbearable. I live in your shadow as your support system and even then, it's like I'm worthless to you and not just you, everyone else it seems."

Vince stood there and listened to him earnestly and quietly. "If you don't like it here, you could just leave then 'cause I don't see why you should remain if it's unbearable," Vince finally said in an expressionless voice.

Howard looked down. "That's what I'll do then." He opened the door to the shop.

"Alright," Vince shrugged.

Howard sighed heavily when he was outside. "So this is it then," he thought glumly to himself as he put his head down.

"Howard?" he heard Alice call. She ran up to him and looked at him with deep concern. "Is everything alright?"

Howard pulled her close and embraced her tightly.