Wow… how long has it been? A month or something now?

Yah, sorry, I've been caught inbetween stuff going on in life and then the laziness to write this up and then the blahblahblahblahblahness.

Review Replies:

Switchback: xD How very entertaining you are your… Chester… are. ;P

Irule800: Heh… heh… you jinxed it there… "The chapters are coming fast!" … and then I don't even update for a month. Heh… :P

And FOREVER: I wonder what Mandy is going to do as well… this is the part where it's hard to keep all these guys in character, am I right?

Kitsune of Destruction: LMAO… heh… ah, what an enlightening little tale there :P

Captain Catfish: Hmm… perverted? I wasn't intending on making him appear that way, but oh well. :P

edwardelricsgfHikari: I'm glad you think so!

Hikari-Aoi: Uh… thanks:P Different is GEWD…

Animegurl088: Heh… well… I hope this is soon enough :P

Ryu: Well, trying to please everybody here—you might see some action, you might not. Or… you might see both…. DUNDUNDUUUUN.

Wow… you guys are lucky I actually took the time to read and reply to all your guys' reviews. I'm usually so lazy :P

Onto the story! (finally, I mean, seriously, all these review replies took up like a whole freakin' page)

"Well?" Nergal asked impatiently, tapping his foot on the ground.

Grim swallowed, extending a hand to nudge Mandy on the shoulder. "Mandy…" he whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "I know you don't want to do dis, and neidder do I, but I want to get outta here just as much as you do." Grim paused, watching the unresponsive Mandy. "It'll just be a…. a kiss… a quick, meaningless kiss… not even a kiss!" Grim persuaded, offering a reassuring smile.

Mandy glared at Grim, her face growing even more red. Surely they could wait for Billy…? Perhaps they could do something to force Nergal to let them free…? These thoughts had already flown through her head numerous times, and she just couldn't think of anything that would work, and she didn't want to bother trying… one false move could ruin their chances of ever being able to even try to escape again.

Finally, she exhaled deeply, her stubborn instinct withdrawing for the moment. She gave Grim a look of defeat. "If it's the only way…" she said quietly, features softening.

Mandy and Grim exchanged hesitant glances, both nervous and somewhat revolted about what they were expected to do. The couple could feel the glances of Nergal and Junior burning into them and they wondered for one final instant whether Billy would turn up in time to save them. Then they realized that even if Billy was there, there wasn't much the numbskull could do.

Finally, both Grim and Mandy leaned towards each other—they knew delaying this any longer wasn't going to change what they had to do. Both closing their eyes for the purpose that they didn't have to see each other and make it a little less real and puckering their lips, they leaned ever to close to each other until Grim noticed a change in the lighting.

He turned his head away from Mandy, just to have her lips brush his bony cheek. Mandy, flinching, stepped away from Grim, the blood seeming to drain from her face. Grim's mouth, already open from his beginning comment to Nergal, fell another few inches when he registered what had happened. He attempted to regain his lost thought but failed miserably when he looked at Mandy. For once the scowl on her face was gone and her eyes were wide with bewilderment. Grim felt a small warmth creeping up his body and suddenly he wanted to have her…

Abruptly the same evil look that Grim was so familiar with returned and he suddenly was angry at himself for wanting to hold her. He was sure that if he put his hand too close to her mouth she would bite it off, so instead he tried to remember what it was he wanted to say to Nergal in the first place.

However, a brilliant thought floated into Grim's empty skull before he could recall his previous notion. He stood up straight, stared right at Nergal, and said to his face, "A'ight, can we go now?"

"Of course not!" said Nergal, "I've had more intimate kisses with my son." At this point Junior cringed. "I've got a feeling that you two are tricking me, so unless you can prove—and I mean really prove—that you are in love, I'm just going to have to hold you prisoner until the end of time."

"I thought you were only keeping us here until Billy showed up." Mandy butted in, finally recovering from the shock of her encounter with Grim's cheek.

"I changed my mind." Nergal replied, "I enjoy keeping you two as my hostages."

"Well then," retorted Grim, "if you like us as hostages so much, why did you lower the flames?" Grim asked the question he had forgotten before.

"Well, I have to be able to see, don't I?" Nergal grinned toothily.

"Ehh… I guess you have a point…" Grim replied uncomfortably. Turning towards Mandy he said, "shall we then?"

Mandy, far beyond angry at this point, did not intend to be forced to kiss that skeleton AGAIN. The first was horrible enough, and after that she certainly couldn't imagine how nauseating it would be to kiss Grim on the lips.

Grim glanced at the ceiling awkwardly, then prodded Mandy subtly. She looked at him, grimacing slightly. 'Well, at least he's not Irwin…' Mandy thought grumpily.

Without a word, she leaned towards Grim and fought to pucker her lips, distorting her face. Grim hesitated, but seeing the unconvinced Nergal out of the corner of his eye, he leaned towards Mandy in turn, millions of thoughts once again racing through their heads.

'I can't believe my first kiss is going to be with Grim… well… it's not like there's any other guy that would be better… but that doesn't mean that I would want to kiss Grim any more than I would want to kiss Billy! Well… maybe I'd rather kiss him than Billy… Wait! What am I thinking!' The last words came painfully to the girl, a sudden jerk occurring somewhere inside her. Time stopped—somewhere, out in the infinite universe, a whole solar system far more advanced than our own was obliterated—and Mandy felt her heart beating… in anxiety!

Mandy's knees buckled, and she fell to the ground in a crumpled heap in front of Grim. Grim, who was having trouble hearing his own thoughts, almost toppled backwards in surprise. Grim leapt to Mandy without considering any alternative option, taking her in his hands. He studied the unconscious Mandy's face. Her expression was not in any way menacing, in fact, she didn't look too ugly as Grim normally saw her.

At that moment, the 9th dimension collapsed.

Well… there you have it… the next chapter… I tried to put more of Grim's accent into his dialogue, so it might be different or somefink. Only a few more chapters to go… well… maybe one… maybe two… maybe TWENTY! GASP… !

Any suggestions for what you'd like to see? I already have the whole story written, but I might change it if enough of you want something to happen or somethin'. And tell me about what has happened—what occurred in this chapter that you didn't like? I KNOW there's gotta be someone who thinks someone is out of character :P

Thanks for reading!