YES my exam results were fine. I won't be leaping off a cliff tonight! Now, I can enjoy my summer without stressing like a madwoman. And also...it's Hermia's birthday today! Happy Birthday, Hermia!

Poor Benvolio. Let's follow on with the aftermath.


Amparo was propped up in bed, writing in her little journal. Gabriel was sitting beside her, combing through his hair. When each blond strand was free of tangles, he set down the comb on the bedside table, and lay down, facing the ceiling. Amparo turned to lie on her side, facing him, continuing to write.

"You must tell me everything you've done"

"It's a long story" Gabriel sighed "You know what happened when I got chucked out of La Scala. Well, after I settled at Shylock's, Anthony turned up, asking for a loan"

"I know this bit" said Amparo, her pen resting above the page.

"Well, one night, I tried to talk him out of it" Gabriel sighed again, gently tapping each of his fingers on his stomach "And he went nuts. He shut me in my room with no food and no water"

"For how long?" gasped Amparo.

"Twenty four hours. I tried to get out. I tried to ring you, but my phone had no signal in that room. Then his daughter, my friend Jessica," Gabriel yawned tiredly "Let me out the next day. My phone ran out of charge, and I'd broken my charger whilst trying to escape. I had no money because I'd spent it all on...stupid things I didn't need. I couldn't contact you or return home, even if I'd wanted to"

"Oh, Gabriel" sighed Amparo. She closed her journal and put it, along with her pen, on the bedside table. She leant back on the pillows, closing her eyes.

"Oh, wait, before you go to sleep" said Gabriel "I didn't just waste my money on silly things. I bought something for you"

Amparo opened one eye sleepily "You did?"

"Uh huh. Just let me get it" Gabriel scrambled up and out the bed, heading to his suitcase. Amparo lazily watched him rummage through his case, before sitting up.

"I bought you these. I saw them and I knew they'd suit you" Gabriel held up two silver hair slides with a little bird, spreading out it's wings in midflight.

Amparo beamed "Oh, Gabriel, they're lovely!"

"I knew you'd like them!" Gabriel smiled. Amparo took one, and gently stroked the wing on the bird.

"I will wear them tomorrow. I thought, whilst we still could, we could go and have a little look around the place. What do you say?"

"Of course!" Gabriel replied, tucking the blanket over himself.

"What did you get up too, whilst you were here?"

"Oh, this and that. I went out dancing, I sang in clubs, I posed for photography students and found myself in a magazine. I may have made my mark in this city"

"I know you can, Gabriel. There's something about you, and I call it star quality. Tell me what else. Did you go to any of the places we'd planned?"

"No. I saved it all for when I was with you. And anyway, most of the time, I was stuck at Benvolio and Hermia's house. I was worried about bumping to Shylock. I just hope they're all ok. I'd never realised what...what great people they were"

"I'm sure they are. I didn't mean to drag you away so fast, I just felt like they'd need to bond as a family unit again"

"I know, I know. I think I may have left some stuff there. I'll go and get it before we leave. I never even managed to thank them for all the things they'd done for me, either"

"You can do that..." Amparo broke off to yawn "In the morning"

"Uh huh" nodded Gabriel "So...while I was here...did you get any?"

"Did I...oh, did I get some? Yes, I got plenty. None of them were as good as you, though"

"Well, that's the way I like it. I got some too, although Rose wasn't too pleased about it the next day"

"You slept with your ex?"

"Yeah, she was around. She's friends with and house-sharing with Portia. I rung her, to get Portia to come and represent the case. Although, it was so awkward whenever me, Benvolio and baby Eliseo were in the same room as her! It was so funny, though! I wish you could have been there too. Then it would have been even more awkward and even more funny! She seemed to be absolutely terrified of Hermia – I mean, it's like she thought Hermia thought she'd try and get Benvolio back and would bite her head off if she even looked at or spoke to him. It's even funnier because Hermia's nothing like that!"

"What did Rose think she was going to do?" laughed Amparo "Pee up the guy's leg?"

Gabriel shrieked with laughter "That's disgusting! Oh, honestly. Girls that age"

Amparo sniggered "Hey, remember when we turned up at your end of year prom thing, and how petrified she was of me?"

Gabriel continued to laugh "Oh, yeah! That was hilarious. Ah. Poor Rose"


"How long's it been?" asked Mercutio.

"Three days" replied Hermia.

"And he's just been lying there?" asked Allegra.

They were, of course, talking about Benvolio. Since arriving home after the court case, he'd gone straight to bed, and hadn't left the room. He had only shuffled out every now and then to use the bathroom. Other than that, he hadn't ate, hadn't drank, or spoken to anyone. He hadn't even had a wash.

"I've tried everything" said Hermia "I took him a cup of tea. I asked him if he wanted some food. I put Eliseo on his head. I even offered him sex but he didn't want that either"

"I tried the shock factor" said Mercutio "I ripped off all my clothes and jumped on the bed. He didn't even tell me to put little M away"

"Mercutio, you're disgusting" giggled Allegra. Mercutio beamed, delighted that she was laughing at him. At least Allegra was feeling better. Against Hermia and Rosaline's wishes, both Mercutio and Tybalt had a rare moment of teamwork, where they went back to Simon's house, and beat up Simon. When they arrived back at the apartment so Tybalt could say goodbye to his family before he left for Milan, Mercutio gave Tybalt a kiss of appreciation. Tybalt did not appreciate it, of course, and screamed and yelled about having 'Mercutio-germs' which cheered Allegra up even more. But nonetheless, Simon left for Verona the next morning, leaving his house behind.

In the meanwhile, Mercutio had spent his time with Allegra, comforting her, making her laugh and trying to cheer her up. When Allegra was in the bathroom, Mercutio broke the ban on him using the telephone that his mother had imposed on him, and dialled his uncle, Prince Escalus. He warned him of Simon returning to the city, and Escalus was outraged. The 'legal difficulties' that Tybalt had helped Simon out of involved Tybalt unwittingly providing a false alibi after Simon apparently stalked and spied on a girl who had turned him down.

With Tybalt no longer on his side, and with no alibi, Simon was signing his own arrest warrant by returning to Verona. Mercutio grinned to himself. It was just a matter of time until Escalus rung him to tell him that they'd caught him. After that, Escalus added, in a very low whisper, that he was proud of him for being such a gentleman to his girlfriend.

The door knocked.

"Who is it now?" asked Mercutio. Hermia swung over to the door and pulled it open.

"Gabriel?"

"I'm back!" sang Gabriel "May I take a bath?"

"No!" cried the three.

"I'm kidding, you dipsticks. I just came back to get the stuff I may have left here" said Gabriel.

"Oh, you mean this metal thing?" Mercutio held up a metal device "What is it?"

"It's an eyelash curler" sighed Gabriel "I wondered where that went! How have you been feeling, Allegra?"

"Fine" replied Allegra.

"Good! Where's Benvolio?" asked Gabriel.

"In his room" replied Hermia "Still"

"What, all this time?" asked Gabriel.

"We can't get him out. I ripped off all my clothes and jumped on the bed and he just ignored me" said Mercutio.

"That probably traumatized him further, you crazy idiot!" exclaimed Gabriel "Right. I'll get him out of there if you want"

"Please do" said Hermia.

Gabriel barged in. The room stank. Benvolio slumped under the covers defeatedly. Only the top of his scruffy hair was visible above the duvet. But Gabriel was not put off.

"Get up!" yelled Gabriel, shaking him "Come on! Enough of this. You've been there long enough"

"Go away" groaned Benvolio.

"No! Get up!" Gabriel yanked the duvet away. Benvolio curled into a ball, like a hedgehog. Gabriel grabbed him by the arm and pulled.

"It's time to get up! Come on! I'm not having this. Even when I feel like crap I still have to get up and dance with a smile on my face. If I can do it, so can you. Up!"

Reluctantly, Benvolio sat up. Gabriel thrust his glasses under his nose, and Benvolio took them.

"What do you want?" he complained groggily.

"You and me are going out. I'm leaving today, and we're having a chat first. Out!"