A/N : It's a short one, I know, but lately I've been lacking the time to really work on this story. I figured I'd post a short chapter just to let everybody know that I'm by no means giving up on the story. This is that short chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

July 3, 1939.

Angela watched anxiously as Edgecomb, Brutal and Terwilliger walked over to the bars of Eduard Delacroix's cell. After asking Edgecomb to take care of his mouse for him, Del placed mr Jingles on Edgecomb's shoulder.

"Del, I can't have a mouse on my shoulder while...you know" Edgecomb said.

"I'll take him" Angela said "Just for a little while. If Del doesn't mind"

"Yeah, you take 'im. Take him til' dis foolishment done, bien" Del said to Angela before turning to Brutal and Edgecomb "After, you take him down to Florida?. To dat Mouseville?"

"We'll do it together, most likely. Maybe take a little vacation time" Brutal answered.

Edgecomb moved to Angela's cell and the mouse skittered from his shoulder to her hand.

"People pay a dime apiece to see him" Del continued, still enraptured with the idea of Mouseville"Two cents for the kiddies. Ain't dat right, Boss Howell?"

"That's right, Del" Brutal said.

"You a good man, Boss Howell" Del said "You too, Boss Edgecomb. Wish I could'a met you both someplace else"

Del moved out of his cell and closer to Angela's cell.

"Au revoir, mon ami. Je t'aime, mon petit" Del said to mr Jingles before turning his eyes to Angela.

"It was nice knowing you, Del" Angela said softly, her voice cracking.

"You too, joli gamine, you too" Del said with a smile.

Angela reached out and Del briefly clasped her hand, the first and only physical contact they would ever have. Del walked on followed by Edgecomb, Brutal and Terwilliger and Angela watched them go.

Angela paced back and forth in her cell, something terrible had happened. She had heard the screaming coming from the execution chamber, had heard the panicked calls of the guards present at Del's execution and had seen thestressed looks on their faces when they came back to the Mile.

Brutal and Edgecomb had walked passed the cells, checking on the remaining three occupants. They had also told Wild Bill, who had been hollering and singing since Del's execution, to shut up, something for which Angela was immensely grateful. She now looked back and forth between Brutal and Edgecomb, both of them looking very pale and very pissed off.

"What happened?" Angela asked.

Edgecomb shook his head and walked back to the small office at the end of the Mile. Angela turned to Brutal.

"Brutal?" Angela questioned.

Brutal shook his head as well but didn't walk off. He reached through the bars and held Angela in his arms as best as he could, wishing for the umpteenth time that he could open her cell and hold her properly. Angela sighed as he held her, he wasn't going to tell her but Angela knew something had happened, why else would they be so upset?.

Later that night, Angela was asleep. If she had been awake she might have noticed Wild Bill asking Percy to come out of the small office to speak with him, she might have heard Wild Bill talking to a fearful but interested Percy, and she might have seen them turn to her, psychotic grins on their faces. As it was, she had no idea what was going to happen. No idea.