This is a sequel to my first Spongebob fic "Some Things Never Change". This chapter takes place on the exact same day. You should read that fic first before reading this one, otherwise you'll be confused. It's only 4,000 words or so, so it shouldn't take long.

Not much happened since Sandy arrived to deliver the newest Gary. This one would be Gary VI? Yes, Gary VI. Squidward might not have been the biggest fan of snails, he actually despised the slimy vermin, but he had the common decency to mark their graves at the ever-expanding pet cemetery he inevitably created at Jellyfish Fields. Squidward just hoped that Sandy made sure to fix the new snail up before bringing her here, otherwise Spongebob would be beyond confused if Gary gave birth to a litter.

Worse still, the yellow nimrod would probably come bother him about it to quell his confusion. He did know where babies came from? Right? Guess he would find out eventually.

Rubbing his droopy nose, Squidward tried to focus on his magazine, the latest issue of Fancy Living Digest. He couldn't believe that magazine was still running, or that he was still subscribed to it, after all these years. Reading it allowed him to depart from the real world, if ever so briefly, and experience the dream he never could have lived. Fortunately, all the customers were currently sitting at their tables and munching on their junk food, and there weren't too many today. Those that came were familiar faces, now accompanied by their adult children and their new grandchildren.

Grandchildren? Squidward grew a small, involuntary smile. After two decades, he and his clique of unwanted acquaintances still were Bikini Bottom's most ineligible bachelors. Spongebob was still too childishly-minded to even ponder the notion of settling down, Patrick was just a deadbeat hedonist, Sandy wasn't exactly a catch by Bikini Bottom standards, given the massive species gap and the citizens' general narrow-mindedness, and Krabs used to be and still was married to his one true love; money. Why the old miser adopted Pearl was still beyond him? Children cost money and Krabs hated spending money, Squidward knew that much.

As for himself, Squidward never did have much luck with the ladies, like with everything else in life. Squilliam and his other classmates voted him "most likely to die alone" during senior year at high school and it seemed they were right on the money. He didn't really regret it though. Taking everything into consideration, given his rotten luck, he probably would have ended up with a massive nag that would have given Plankton's robotic spouse a run for her money and children that would have made great company for Pearl, unmotivated slackers who would never leave his house and ask him for change every day. Squidward shuddered at the thought of that. That would have been the last thing he needed on top of having Spongebob and Patrick as neighbors.

Some varnishing liquid dripped on his head, causing him to look up. "Spongebob! Would you mind?" he barked irritably while shielding his magazine bellow his right tentacle. "Try to be more careful!"

"Heard you loud and clear, Mr. Tentacles!" Spongebob saluted him while holding a mop in his other hand, hanging upside down from the ceiling with the help of two suction cups attached to his shoes. How he had the bucket stuck to the ceiling was less clear. "I'm almost done varnishing the ceiling!"

Squidward exhaled and went back to his magazine. Suddenly, the phone on his counter rang, making him jolt a bit.

"Hello, Krusty Krab?" he picked up the call, as usual answering with zero enthusiasm. "Sorry, sir. But we're closed."

"Squidward!" a familiar gravelly voice was heard from the other end on the line, making the octopus snap to attention.

"Mr. Krabs!" he chuckled nervously. "Eh…everything's going great at the Krusty Krabs. No need to worry. How is New Kelp City?"

"Never mind that! I need to tell ye somethin' pronto!"

"What did you say?" Squidward made a face. His boss's voice was hard to make out over the roaring winds.

"RAAAAAWWWRRRR!" Squidward jerked back and flinched from the deafening noise.

"No time fer details! I hit a few roadblocks, so I might not make it back by tomorrow!" Krabs hastily answered as he was being chased by a pair of yeti crabs high up in a snowy mountain range, in the middle of a blizzard.

He skimmed his free claw through the snow, forming a huge snowball. He used the ammo to hit one of the yetis in the face, knocking it down. The other lunge at him and Krabs barely dodged its huge claw.

"Mr. Krabs? What's going on there?"

Krabs backflipped, striking the beast in the jaw with his leg.

"Scratch that!" he shouted into the phone. "I'll definitely not be back by tomorrow!"

A third yeti crab charged at him and Krabs jumped at it, decking the hairy giant in the face again and again.

"That the best ye got, ye glorified fur coat! Me ole mother pinches harder than that!"

The stupefied Squidward kept listening. "Eh, should I take this as meaning I'll be managing the Krusty Krab again tomorrow?"

He only heard strange, garbling noises in response. "Mr. Krabs?"

"Just try t' swallow me! I'll claw me way back out!" Squidward cringed as he heard further sounds of struggling and what sounded like teeth getting shattered.

"Yes! Yes! Ye'll be runnin' me galley! Again!" a drool-covered Krabs finally responded while prying the now toothless yeti crab's jaw wipe open with his claws and legs. "Everythin' better be in order when I come back!" he warned the octopus as he jumped out of the yeti's mouth, only to find himself surrounded by the other two.

"RAAWR!"

"Call ye back, Mr. Squidward!" Krabs hung up before jumping high, spin-kicking one yeti crab in the face and then grabbing the other one's arm, swinging on it and landing on its back.

"Ye besties are tough, I'll give ye that!" Krabs admitted while holding on to the flailing yeti crab's back, who roared in anger but couldn't reach him.

Ignoring the biting cold and pounding blizzard, Krabs pulled off his winter jacket and pulled it over the yeti's head, blinding it.

It flailed around furiously, while the now bare-chested Krabs jumped off it and then rammed his body into the yeti crab. The giant whimpered as it found itself tipping over the edge of a cliff, swinging its arms before finally plummeting into the foggy abyss. Krabs spotted the remaining two yetis, both beaten and bruised, running at him.

Gritting his teeth, he charged at them and skid between one of the yeti's legs, leaving behind a large impression in the deep snow. He finally caught his sword, which had been stuck in the snow, before somersaulting over the two beasts and landing gracefully on his short peg legs.

"Argh! Enough of this! I have places to be!" he now had a western-style stare-off with the two yetis. Without his jacket, he needed something else to keep him warm. Both parties growled and sent each other death glares.

"Lets end this, ye hulkin' furballs! Mano a mano!" Krabs exclaimed before running at them with his sword.

Meanwhile, a speechless Squidward just put the phone down, as Spongebob walked up to him, making suction cup noises as he walked down the wall.

"Was that Mr. Krabs? How's he doing?" he asked chipperly.

"He said there was a delay?" Squidward just shrugged. "Looks he we'll be managing the Krusty Krabs alone once more tomorrow."

Spongebob gasped, before his pupils grew in excitement and he grew a babyish smile of pure, unadulterated happiness.

"We'll be managing the Krusty Krab alone? Again!" he repeated, unable to believe his earholes. "Squidward! This is incredible! Mr. Krabs already trusts us to be running his restaurant alone for more than 24 hours?!"

"Yeah, I guess?" the octopus replied indifferently. He did wonder if this could be the last time they heard from Old Man Krabs? Maybe he would become the Krusty Krab's new manager permanently? But Squidward didn't celebrate prematurely, for he knew Krabs was a tough customer.

"It's all happening so quick!" an overjoyed Spongebob held his chest as he was trying not to fall into another bliss coma. "The students are becoming masters! Dreams do come true!"

Squidward's eyes shifted at the wall clock and he grew a shifty smile. "Yes, they do." He said sneakily.

He cleared his throat. "Eh, Spongebob?"

"Yes, Mr. Tentacles." The sponge shot him two finger guns and snapped his fingers.

"Did you…eh…? Did you remember to vacuum your grill today?" Squidward asked faux-seriously.

"Oh, I don't think I have?" Spongebob put his finger to his lip, feeling bashful over it.

"Then get to it already?" Squidward said sternly. "The Krusty Krabs has a standard of cleanliness to uphold."

"Understood, captain!" Spongebob saluted him, now sporting a serious look before marching into the kitchen.

Once he was gone, Squidward literally slithered his way to the wall clock and got up, making sure nobody was watching him. It was 4.20 p.m. and Squidward moved the pointers to read 6.30. Neptune, this felt amazing! He had been dying to do this for over 20 years!

A loud ring echoed through the restaurant, alerting all the patrons. To Squidward, it was music to his earhole.

"Sorry, folks." Squidward announced and clapped his tentacles. "But we're closed."

The fish all complained, but Squidward couldn't care less as he walked by every table and gave each customer a take-out bag. "Don't care, take your slop with you."

"This can't be right? My watch says it's only 4.21?" Fred lamented while pointing at his wrist watch.

"I guess you need new batteries." Squidward said carelessly as he shoved a take-out bag into his fins.

"But I'm meeting with my son and grandson here?" the olive fish pleaded. "It's little Freddy's 10th birthday? Fred Jr. promised him that-wow!"

"If I cared I'd let you know." Squidward said dryly and lifted him up, carrying him to the door.

"Hey, let me go!" Fred cried before being tossed into the street, crashing off-screen.

"My leg!" he cried while Squidward dusted his tentacles before inhaling and exhaling with relief. Cutting his shift by two hours? Now that was a dream come true!

"What's going on, Mr. Tentacles? Why is the Krusty Krab empty all of a sudden?" Spongebob appeared, carrying a vacuum cleaner.

"It's closing time, Spongebob." Squidward casually pointed at the clock. Predictably, the revelation broke the little twit's heart.

"Closing time? Already?" Spongebob frowned sadly and dropped the vacuum. "Boy, vacuuming my grill took longer than I thought?"

His pupils grew in size and his eyes started watering. "Time passes so quickly, huh? I guess all good things must come to an end?"

Squidward rolled his eyes at his coworker's melodramatic reaction and locked the door before putting Mr. Krabs's keys in the skin pocket on his waist. Wait what?

"Quit being a drama queen, will ya? We'll be back here tomorrow." The octopus told him halfheartedly.

"Yeah, but that will take forever." Spongebob looked crestfallen.

Squidward sighed tiredly. "How about you go pay Sandy a surprise visit or something? That should cheer you up?"

Spongebob immediately perked up. "That's a great idea, sir! Thank you for sharing your wisdom!"

He jumped and hugged Squidward around his waist, much to the latter's chagrin.

"I already feel so much better!"

"Control. Urge. To. Kill." Squidward told himself through clenched teeth.

Right then, a female fish walked by with her child. Squidward recognized her as Sandra, the daughter of their old regular Saddie. Like her mother, she was orange in color with red lips, and usually wore purple dresses. But both her and her son were dressed in black this time, but Squidward failed to notice that as he was preoccupied flushing in embarrassment as Sandra sent him and Spongebob a scrutinizing glare.

"Come on, Alister." She said harshly and pushed her son to walk faster. "We don't associate with such people."

Squidward deflated in resignation, with the ever-oblivious Spongebob still clinging on to him.

Why did the two of them constantly have to end up in compromising positions in public?

Cue bubble transition…..

"All things considered, today wasn't too bad." Squidward told himself as he took the short walk to his home at Conch Street. With Spongebob off bothering Sandy, he might get to enjoy a peaceful evening.

Today was a lovely day, fit for a bike ride across town, but in his age, Squidward could no longer muster up the energy after working hours to do that. Maybe on Sunday?

Squidward opened the door and walked into his humble living room, pondering what to do with his free evening. Finish his latest self-portrait? Water his flower garden? It occurred to him that he had been neglecting it for past few week? Pop in his DVD of season two of Fab and Fancy? Fab and Fancy, he thought nostalgically? He was probably the only person left in Bikini Bottom who still remembered that severely underrated show.

Read his newspaper? Yes, that would be a good start. Take things slow. Squidward had left it in his kitchen for two days now, a few crazy antics involving a certain sponge prevented him from reading the latest issue of The Bikini Bottom Examiner sooner. It probably wouldn't be too interesting, as usual. Little happened in this sleepy little hick town, but it would be a nice way for him to kill time while preparing and drinking some herbal tea. So Squidward headed for his kitchen.

"Hey, Squidward." Patrick waved to him as they passed by each other. The starfish was holding a large ham, a string of sausages, a big wheel of cheered and a box full of bagels.

"Hey, Patrick." Squidward waved back before halting in his tracks. "Patrick?!" he looked over his shoulder and saw the fat starfish making himself comfortable on his couch and turning on the tv.

Squidward wanted to yell at him to get out of here, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He just sighed and deflated in defeat. Years of experience had taught him that trying to get rid of the pink bufoon would be a futile effort. Instead, Squidward headed to his kitchen and came back with a freshly cooked turkey on a platter and a big glass of warm milk. Don't ask me how he found either of those things at the bottom of the ocean.

"Comfortable, Patrick?" Squidward tried to sound civil.

"You bet!" Patrick replied happily while biting out a big chunk of flesh out of the ham. "Befth hamph ahm ehmh tusthed…" he continued with a full mouth.

Squidward wanted to hurl from watching this uncouth lout's vulgar table manners but kept his cool. He glanced at his tv and saw that Patrick was watching a clownfish decked up in a clown costume fumbling around and getting hit in the head by a coconut. Now that was clever comedy if he had seen any?

Patrick laughed and pointed at it, spit and chunks of ham spilling all across Squidward's coffee table and floor. The octopus seethed.

"He gogh hith inph the headh by a coconuth!"

"Um, Patrick?" Squidward spoke up as he placed the turkey and glass of milk on the table. "I brough you something?"

Patrick looked mesmerized by it. "Wow! That looks yummy!"

Squidward swung his fist. "It sure is. Might I suggest you start your fine dining experience with this? Warm milk will really help you chug that stuff down faster and it will prevent any indigestion."

Patrick didn't need to be told twice. Opening his mouth wide, he wolfed down the turkey, his cheeks puffing up as he chowed down on it and swallowed it in one gulp. Squidward recoiled in disgust but then relaxed and walked off as Patrick gulped down the two liters of warm milk next.

"Bon appetit, Monsieur Moron." Squidward said simply and left him to enjoy his low brow show. He knew now that letting Patrick fall asleep in his home was a much better way to get rid of him than trying to kick him out. Once Patrick fell asleep, whole days might pass before he woke up again.

A little later, while Patrick was snoring and drooling with his face planted on Squidward's coffee table, the octopus sat at his kitchen table and placed a steaming tea pot on it. He took a whiff of the steam and savored the soothing scent.

"Ahhh…" he sighed in a relaxed tone as he poured some tea into a glass. "Now that's how you spend your afternoon."

Squidward had never led an active life, now more so than ever. Home was where he would indulge in his artistic endeavors, secluded from the crude world he was born into. He had promised himself that he would try to enjoy his hobbies as just that, hobbies. Not as a means to pursue some pipe dream of fame and stardom. Tonight, he would do it just for fun.

In his futile quest for success, he had often forgotten how to simply enjoy his passions. Not tonight. Tonight would be different. After all, he was almost 60 years old, who knew how much time he had left? He had to make the best out of his lousy life, while he still could. With that bloated bum knocked out cold, Spongebob pestering Sandy and Mr. Krabs being away doing Neptune knows what, and possibly being dead, tonight might just be the perfect opportunity to kick back and finally enjoy himself.

"Let's see what's new in Bikini Bottom?" he said after taking a sip of his tea. "Probably nothing major. Maybe some news about Mrs. Puff's parole?" He snarked as he took a gander at the frontpage.

But the title he read, typed in capital letters and with a big exclamation mark, was anything but mundane. Squidward's eyes bulged and he rubbed them. Surely he must have misread it?

He took a second look but read the exact same thing. The news made his jaw drop.

SQUILLIAM FANCYSON III HAS DIED!

How is that for a cliffhanger? Squidward just found out that his most hated enemy is sleeping with the fishes? How is he going to react to it?

I got the idea for this fic after realizing how Squilliam hasn't made a proper appearance since "Keep Bikini Bottom Beautiful", which aired in 2010. A whole decade ago. And no, fanboys. I don't count brief cameos, like him appearing as one of Squidward's noses in "Code Yellow" as proper appearances, I mean real physical appearances by the monobrowed snob himself. For some reason, despite being Squidward's arch-rival, the show hasn't used him as a character for a whole decade now and based on some tweets made by current staff on the show, they (for whatever reason) don't have any future plans for him either. They might backpaddle on that, they probably will, if the show keeps going for another two decades or so, but either way, this got me thinking and gave birth to this story.

It will most likely be a two-parter, possibly a three-parter, and like its prequel, it will be more of an introspective peace, but once more, I will also try to weave in some classic Spongebob comedy.