Yep, I know. I'm sorry! Again! It's been a while. Like I said before, I'm not abandoning this, it's just a little slow on the updates at the moment. I'm planning to get a few chapters written up before I post again, so here's a short one, to keep us going!

Allison awoke as the first signs of daylight began to stream through the curtains, and she wasn't surprised to see that it was barely 6am. She often woke up early- it was her favourite time of day. So peaceful, so full of promise.

Sitting up, Allison glanced down at the sleeping figure beside her, and a small smile played across her lips as she watched the early morning sunlight against the contours of Andrew's face.

Last night had been special for Allison... for both of them, in fact. For her, it highlighted how far they had come in their relationship. In the last day or so, all the concerns she had had during their last few months of high school were gone. She no longer spent hours questioning whether or not she was holding him back, whether they were right for each other, whether it would last. And perhaps, she realised, the question of whether or not she was good enough for him was also losing some of its significance. Andrew Clark wanted to be with her, just as much as she wanted to be with him.

Slipping out of bed, Allison crept across to the window, opening the curtains a fraction, seeing the motel parking lot in daylight for the first time. Not exactly a picturesque view, but peaceful all the same.

Peaceful and still, aside from one thing. Squinting in the rapidly strengthening sunlight, Allison could just about make out the figure sitting on the hood of their unmissable mode of transport.

Silently, she pulled on her jeans and slipped her feet into her Chuck Taylors.

Closing the door behind her as gently as she could, she made her away across the parking lot, joining the other on the hood.

"Smoking this early?" she asked, without so much as a glance in his direction.

Bender shrugged. "'S'as good a time as any."

"Have you even been to bed?" Allison questioned.

He nodded, taking another drag. "Not the most comfortable of cars, I must say."

She frowned. "You slept in the car?"

Another nod. "Bitch locked me out."

For the first time since she had sat down, Allison glanced across at him. "We heard you fighting."

"Reckon they heard us in Peru," he snorted.

"It sounded bad..." she said quietly, almost as if she was afraid to pry.

Bender shrugged. "You know how we are."

A pause before he spoke again.

"Listen, Al... about last night.. I'm sorry. If I crossed the line with what I said. It was just a joke, you know?"

When she didn't reply, Bender turned to look at her, quickly becoming perturbed by the smirk spread right across Allison's face.

"What's your problem?"

"Did I just get an apology from John Bender?" she asked, amused.

"Hmph. Well, don't get used to it Klepto," he grunted, shifting uncomfortably.

She shrugged, retying the lace on one of her sneakers. "It's fine. I knew it was a joke. I can take it."

"See, that's what I said to Her Highness. But she was too busy having a mini bitch fit about it," Bender told her.

"Andy knows he shouldn't have hit you," Allison told him, quietly.

"It's no biggy," he shrugged it off. "I know he's all ga-ga over you. He punches like a girl anyway."

She glanced curiously at his face, surveying the damage.

"I'll live to see another day." Bender assured her.

"Are you sure you want to carry on with the trip?" she asked him, seriously.

"What are you talking about?" he sighed.

"It's just... well, all that with you and Andy last night... and I know you and Claire haven't been getting on great either..." she began, cautiously.

Bender shrugged again. "S'what me and Sporto do, isn't it?"

"...And you and Claire?" Allison asked.

"Klepto, if I put time aside to figure out the inner workings of Cherry's mind, we're never gonna get to LA," he grinned, standing up and stubbing out his cigarette before patting her on the shoulder. "Besides, I don't bail on friends. See ya later."

With that, he strode off across the parking lot in the direction of the road, and Allison knew better than to question it.