Author's Note: I changed the summary, because well…Ashley hasn't really been chasing after Craig has she. She's falling for him, but she's not so much the one going after him; it's more the other way around. For some reason, it's easier to write Craig going after her than Ashley going after him. Maybe she'll come around in the end. OK, that's all. Continue. Oh, and thanks to Hall & Oates for the lyrics 

Baby come back; any kind of fool could see

There was something in everything about you

Baby come back; you can blame it all on me

I was wrong, and I just can't live without you

Now that I put it all together

Give me the chance to make you see

Have you used up all the love in your heart?

Nothing left for me? Is there nothing left for me?

Just like Ashley said, Craig was ready in 10 seconds tops. He found a shirt that didn't look too wrinkled and didn't seem to smell and threw his leather jacket on over it. He couldn't wait to see her again, but this 30 minutes was killing him. He needed something to pass the time. He decided to call Marco to see if he had any last minute advice; he knew he could always go to Marco with relationship stuff. Next to Ellie, he was the only other person to fully understand and appreciate his relationship with Ashley.

"Marco, buddy 'ol pal," Craig says.

"You're acting weird, what's wrong with you?" Marco asks.

"Nothing. Unless you count the fact that Ash and I are totally getting back together," he excitedly says in his 'I'm a dork' voice.

Marco thinks before his next words come out, remembering the conversation he and Ellie had with Ashley the night before. "Um, I wouldn't be so sure about that, Craig."

"Ouch. You sure know how to cut a guy down. What is that supposed to mean anyway?" he asks.

"Let's just say I talked to Ash last night and she isn't so keen on the getting back together idea."

"You talked to Ash? Well did she not tell you that she kissed me? SHE kissed me," Craig asks.

"Ya, she mentioned it."

"Well, what about Manny and I breaking up? I bet she left that part out."

"Actually, no. I told her that part."

"Well then, what'd she say exactly?"

"She just wants to be friends."

"Just friends? She knows we can't do that."

"That's what Ellie and I said."

"Well it's true."

"It might be, but I think she's gonna try really hard, so I wouldn't get your hopes up."

"Well this just…SUCKS man!"

"I know dude, I'm sorry. But maybe it's for the best. Maybe you two will end up back together eventually and you'll have a better relationship because you didn't just jump back into things so quickly this time around."

"Ya, maybe. Well, thanks man. Even if you did give me crappy news, thanks for listening."

"That's what I'm here for…the listening part, not the crappy news," he says with a laugh.

"I know. Later."

"See ya, Craig. And good luck, buddy." Marco knew he would need it.

Ashley spent the majority of her 30 minutes deciding on what look to go with. Does she up her game and try and drive Craig crazy? No, that wouldn't be very nice. Especially since she would be explaining to him that she just wanted to be friends. She wasn't that cruel. Maybe she shouldn't spend any time getting ready and just go in her pajamas…OK, that thought lasted about two seconds. She wasn't going to walk all the way to the park in her pjs and she sure as heck didn't want Craig getting any ideas either. Seeing pajamas leads one to think of sleep, which turns into the bed, which turns into…nope, Craig didn't need to be thinking that. She decided on the casual, everyday Ashley, which was a bit different than the Ashley Craig had last seen, but not so much so that she would be unrecognizable to him.

Ashley decided to make Craig work a bit. Since she arrived at the park first, she chose a bench that was somewhat hidden and forced Craig to search a bit. It was all in good fun, though.

"Hey, you. What took so long? I thought you only needed 10 seconds?"

"Well if you didn't send me on a wild goose chase. I was going in circles. I almost started calling out your name. Hopefully you didn't see that."

"Unfortunately, no I didn't," she laughed.

"Phew. That woulda been embarrassing."

"And you never do anything to embarrass yourself," Ashley mocks.

"OK, we can quit while you're ahead."

Ashley smiles. "Aww, thanks."

Now that the lightheartedness was done, neither knew how to start the conversation back up.

"So I hear Manny broke up with you," Ashley laughs.

"Oh yes, it was a hilarious event in my life."

"It's not that. It's just that I couldn't think of anything else to say. It was the first thing that popped into my head. I laughed after I heard how ridiculous it sounded coming out of my mouth," Ashley explains.

"Well, it's about time she broke up with me, right? I'm a horrible boyfriend."

"You're not a horrible boyfriend, Craig. It just depends on whom you're with," she countered.

Now how could she say these things and just want to be friends? Whatever, he was gonna go with it anyway. No need to further embarrass himself.

"Well thanks, I think." He decided he would be the one to change the subject. "So speaking of things we've heard…I hear you just want to be friends?"

"Who's the blabber mouth? It was Ellie wasn't it?" she asks.

"Nope, it was the other blabber mouth."

"I knew speaker phone wasn't a good idea." Craig gave her a 'huh?' look. "Nothing, forget it."

"So…friends huh?"

"What, you don't think we can do it?" she asks.

"It's not that, it's just…well, are you sure that's what you want to do…just be friends?" He decided to keep the conversation going on a light note. "You know you can't resist The Craig," he says as he bats his eyes and gives her the puppy dog face, pouty lips and all.

"Oh boy, are you full of yourself. I think I can handle it."

"We'll see then. I give you two weeks…tops! And then you'll see my charming ways."

"Oh please. You couldn't charm your way out of…I can't think of something to finish that sentence, but you better believe it would've been really good."

Craig laughs. "Nice Kerwin. You have such a way with words."

"Oh Craig, you're right. I'm falling for this charm already. Somebody stop me, before it's too late," she dramatically says.

"OK fine, I'm done. So as friends," he does the air quotes, "do you want to go get something to eat or something?" he asks.

"Sure, friend," she smiles.

Craig decided he could handle being just friends with Ashley Kerwin, because he truly believed it was only a matter of time before they were something much more. And he could wait for that day to come.