(A/N: Hey! Sorry it took so long for me to update! I had a bit of a block for a while and couldn't think. But I'm back now. I'm hoping to finish this in this in a few more chapters. Enjoy I hope. : D)

Moe had had a hard time getting up the next morning. Luckily, it was Saturday. A tired fog had invaded his brain and had tightly wrapped itself around it. Ma had the day off, but who knew how long that would last. Her boss would sometimes call on her days off. Not really a sometimes. He nearly always called, and Ma nearly always went in, because they needed the money.

Ma had taken Mikey to get groceries this morning. Moe stretched out on the couch, and flicked on the TV. Cartoons.

" Spider-man," Moe yawned.

Moe had watched nearly two hours of cartoons when the phone rang.

" Hello?"

" Hey Moe," Tess's warm voice flooded the air waves," What'cha doing?"

" Watching cartoons," He smiled," It's Saturday. What else would I be doing."

" Want to come over?" Tess asked," I can see from here that your mom isn't home."

" Yeah, okay," Moe flipped off the TV," I'll be there in a bit."

" Okay Moe. See you when you get here," Tess said happily.

" See you," Moe replied, eager to see her, even if they had just spent last evening together. She was his best friend. And after what had happened after she had left, he needed to be around a normal family.

It was almost ten-thirty when Moe rang the doorbell at Tess's. Tess answered almost immediately.

" Get in, it's cold," She ushered him in, then seeing his red face," Your face is red. And you're all snowy. Did you fall into a snow bank?"

" Yeah," Moe unwound his scarf from around his neck," Mrs. Bishop's dog wound his leash around my legs," He explained as he stepped out of his boots," And I fell in the big snow bank right by Ms. Bishop's driveway."

" Cold," Tess grimaced.

" Tell me about it," Moe muttered," Hey bud," He added as Bart began rubbing against his legs.

Bart was an orange cat, slightly chubby, with a cantankerous temper. One of Tess's brothers had brought him home one day, and the cat had taken a strange liking to Tess. If Bart was in one of his moods then be careful of the claws. But he had never once scratched at or even attempted to scratch Tess. And so, Bart was allowed to stay. He was a good cat when he wasn't cranky.

" Want to watch a movie?" Tess asked," The J's," Her brothers, all with J names," Are all out somewhere. Dad's in his work shop, and Mom's making cookies."

Moe thought Tess's family was like the Hallmark family. Compared to his, it was like heaven. He figured Tess knew this, and he knew she made an effort to include him in everything.

" Sure."

Tess popped a video in the VCR, and then settled on the couch next to Moe. She draped an afghan over her legs, and Moe's. Leaning back, Moe yawned. He was warm, he was comfortable, and he had his best friend cuddled up beside him.

The hose smelt like baking cookies, sweet and chocolaty. Halfway through the video, Tess's mom set a plate of cookies on the coffee table. Taking a bite of one Moe grinned, and felt a strange lurch in his stomach. Maybe his family was all screwed up, but Tess was his one constant, the one thing he could always count on.

He looked over at her, and she grinned at him, a bit of chocolate on the side of her mouth. He wiped it away with his thumb, slipped his arm around her, and they settle back to watch the movie.

Mrs. Riley entered the room to find her daughter and her best friend cuddled up together on the couch. Both were asleep.

She adjusted the afghan around them and kissed the top of both their heads. Maria then noticed how tightly Maurice was holding onto Tess. Maria knew about Maurice's father, and what kind of man he was. Who knows what kind of trouble Maurice might get into if he was left to follow his father's example? But from the looks of the hold he had on Tess, she would keep him well grounded.

Let's hope it lasts, she thought. With a last pat on each child's head, she left the room.

Maurice stirred in his sleep, and tightened his arms around Tess. He wasn't letting go of her.

Never.