A/N: Hello Everyone!

Here's an update! Many apologies for not doing it sooner, I have been insanely busy.

Thank you again to my reviewers of the last chapter, and a special thank you to Lanekimfan for jolting this new chapter into publication!

Here they are:

have-a-cookie

Ari93

Lanekimfan

Enjoy, and please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Recess or any of the characters.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'So are Gus and Gretchen not coming?' Mikey asked as he leaned up against the tree, looking at TJ questioningly. TJ opened his mouth to answer, but before he could say any words Vince ran up and sunk down beside him with a sigh, sharply flicking his phone shut.

'I just called Gretchen but she said she had to finish a project, and there's no answer on Gus' phone, so I'm guessing he's asleep,' Vince explained.

'It's not the same without them,' Mikey said with a melancholy voice, sinking down the tree to be at the same eye-level with the others. As he hit the ground, Spinelli looked across at him from her curled up state, and then at TJ. Mikey shot her a fast sympathetic look, and then brushed the wood chips off his back. Vince noticed the silence and asked if everyone was ok. Spinelli gave a quick nervous laugh and brushed off his question, 'we're fine, just waiting for TJ to tell us what's going on'.

TJ beamed at everyone and quickly stood up, excitedly pacing the space around the circle in which they all sat. He occasionally bounced, as if the idea inside him was fighting to get out. It eventually did, and the sheer speed in which it came out made everyone jump.

'Ok,' he began, gesturing enthusiastically, 'I for one definitely don't want my permanent record to get all messed up, I can do that myself thank you very much'.

There was a short chuckle of laughter.

'…and the idea of spying on HK at Recess isn't working, sorry Mikey…'

Mikey shrugged and just smiled, 'don't worry about it TJ, it was just a passing idea'. Spinelli thought she detected a small note of disappointment in his voice, so she glanced at him proudly, 'I thought it was a good idea Mickey'. He smiled back thankfully.

'It was a great idea,' TJ agreed, patching over any hurt that he caused him, 'but we need to work faster. So, we know that he always stays after school to do some dealing. I think we should go there, and find out what he is dealing.'

Everyone nodded in agreement, apart from Spinelli, who shuffled uncomfortably in her seat.

'Something wrong Spinelli?' Vince asked her. She scrunched her face up in contemplation and bit the side of her teeth. She felt TJ's eyes on her and somehow found the courage to look up into them. She held his gaze for a moment, a battle between wills, before he failed and sheepishly looked away. She stared at his eyes still, growing a shred of confidence inside her and spoke in a steady voice back at Vince - although not looking at him.

'It's not fair. Why should he have to suffer?'

'He could be selling something really dangerous Spinelli. And if he's not then we can tell Prickly that, and then he wont be in that much trouble anyway – everybody wins.'

'It's still not fair. He's never done anything to us.'

'I know it's not fair. But we don't have a choice.'

When Vince stopped speaking TJ looked back at her. For a moment they felt as if they were not together in the park, but more back in the dumpster during that moment she told him that she loved him. As she looked back at him she suddenly saw him realising something, a moment in his face that showed him making up his mind…about her. It was hard to place it, a slight tilt in the head, and the contemplation in which he stared at her intensify and climax into justification. What had he decided?

Vince brushed off the moment as just random banter, and stood up, his elevation breaking the tension. 'Ok, so let's go!'

'Now?' TJ asked spinning around to look at him.

'Unless you have something better to do!' he replied, punching him playfully. TJ laughed and watched as Vince turned to Mikey and Spinelli and shouted, 'come on you guys!'

Mikey stood quickly and held out his hand to help Spinelli stand, she took it, and as she resumed her full height he squeezed it quickly. She looked up at him and his smile spoke wonders – he had seen it too. He mouthed the words, 'don't worry' and led her in the direction in which TJ and Vince were already sprinting. She sighed shakily and shivered her head into reality, finding that confidence inside of her, ready to push on with the task in hand.

----------

A/N: Please review! Update coming soon...