I have no idea how this happened, but somehow, I managed to miss out a chapter so as things stand, Mia walked in on Diego and Penny and then in the next chapter Mia had just headed home and it didn't make a huge amount of sense, really. So this is the real chapter nine.

Sorry guys, won't happen again.

Coping with things questionably

Needless to say the couple instantly sprung apart as Mia immediately backed out of the room.

Why didn't you knock Mia, why, why, why, why? She practically ran down the steps hearing her footsteps being followed by Diego who had ran out and after here.

"Mia, wait!" Mia heard him call after her, she ground to a halt and turned around.

"Ah,-yes-Mr. Armando? I'm-so-sorry, I-should-have-knocked-I mean,-really,-how-embarrassing-for-you-and-me-and-the-glue-that-holds-this-awkward-situation-together; Penny. Though, that-being-said, you-really-should-put-up-a-"Please knock"-sign-for-un-suspecting-Co-workers-such-as-myself-because-I'm-not-going-to-lie, I-didn't-exactly-want-to-see-that. I-didn't-even-know-you-were-seeing-Penny. How-long-has-that-been-going-on-for-" Mia said all of this very fast without stopping for breath before Diego stopped her. He raised his hands and his eyebrows as he spoke.

"Calm down Kitten, it' not like we were having sex or anything. I can see you weren't expecting to come in and see that. I'm sorry if it embarrassed you, though.". He said, calmly.

She gulped and straightened her suit "W-well yes. Sorry I didn't knock. I'd really better be going now. Thanks…" She began to walk off down the rest of the stairs.

"Mia, was there anything you wanted? After all I figure you came to my office for a reason."

"Nope…No reason at all; though I should mention how happy I am to see you and Penny have err…found each other.". Mia blushed realizing how strange, what she'd just said sounded. "Well, I guess I also wanted to thank you for being so nice to me, too."

He looked away, "It's nothing, I didn't mind at all, honestly," then he started shuffling his feet and looking at the floor. "and for the record, we haven't found each other. We're not even dating.".

"Oh…well what are you doing then?" she asked confusedly.

"Well, err kissing . . . and other things…" He said sounding slightly embarrassed himself now.

"Well yeah, obviously," she said feeling considerably less embarrassed. After all, this didn't need to be awkward, did it? Diego was right; they're actions were perfectly PG-13, "but after that you're going to start dating her right? I probably shouldn't say but she really likes you."

He coughed "I guess you win some, you lose some. She'll be okay."

Mia raised her eyebrows "Let me get this straight, you don't want to date her, even though she likes you, you've made out with her; implying you like her too but you're not going to anyway. Then, why make out with her in the first place?"

Diego paused apparently thinking "Err…I made out with her because I felt like kissing someone and she's attractive and seemed to want to…"

"Well that's…incredibly shallow and more than that, incredibly selfish." Mia thought aloud "So are you going to tell her this or leave her standing up there where she's probably waiting for you…or should I?" she asked, sarcastically.

Diego took a minute; clearly playing out what that would be like in his head before he finally reacted, "No…no, no, no, no, no! That's really not a good idea…" he paused for a moment.

Diego's acting really strangely. she thought trying to figure out why "Okay, so you'll go and apologize to her for not respecting her feelings at all and explain how you completely slipped up?"

"Yeah…okay…" he nodded and began to walk back up the stairs to his office, but Mia swore she heard him mutter "Or something like that…" under his breath.

She decided that all this was a good distraction. The more she busied herself as the day went on she found the less she had time to dwell on anything that would upset her. She found that her lunch time was the worst. She decided to head to the staff room to make some hot chocolate for herself where she bumped into Penny. She blushed realizing it was definitely too late to back out of the room unnoticed. Mia had her own troubles after all; she didn't exactly feel like being Penny's shoulder to cry on at the moment. Penny turned round and smiled; this was very much a surprise for Mia as she had expected Penny to either have mascara halfway down her face or to look exceedingly angry.

"Mia! Hi! Can I get you anything?" Penny exclaimed.

She shook her head in answer to the question. This behaviour confused Mia, after all, practically as soon as Mia had first met Penny it was quite clear that she had been very interested in Diego Armando who had then kissed her despite not having feelings that matched the girls own. The only way that Penny could not be angry or upset at this moment was if…

"So has Diego spoken to you yet?" Mia asked casually picking up the tub of hot chocolate.

Penny's reaction was an instant deep red blush as she clapped one of her hands to her mouth, "I'm so sorry! I completely forgot about how you walked in on us earlier, how embarrassing!"

"Uh yeah…that was a bit of a shock but I'd forgotten if I'm honest." This was lie. Mia had found it very distracting to think of poor Penny when she found out Diego had basically used her as a stress relieving coping strategy. Perhaps Mia would have been harsher towards Diego if it was not for what had happened yesterday. She assumed that Diego had just needed someone to be close to in that way with and Penny had been the first person he'd seen. "So, you've spoken since then?"

"Of course…though he did seem a little distant…though he said that was because of something that happened yesterday." She looked thoughtful for a moment before tuning to look at Mia who was pointedly looking at the kettle; waiting for it to boil. "Actually…he said that you had something to do with it. Something like some guy named Terry?"

She winced at his name, but repressed her feelings. She breathed in and tried to think of something, anything else.

"Mia, are you all right?" Penny asked, sounding concerned.

She sniffed, "I'm fine…" she said stirring her hot chocolate "I should go, I have so much work to do, bye!" she said this quickly as she picked up her mug and practically ran out the room as fast as possible without spilling it.

She was going to confront Diego and who could blame her? The least he could have done was perhaps tell her how he had been too gutless to tell Penny the truth. Without visiting her room she clonked up the stairs to his office feeling pretty furious as she burst through the door half expecting to see him with another girl.

He looked up; clearly surprised to be burst in on again. Mia was amazed to see he was actually doing some work. He stopped and looked at up her from his desk.

She marched right up to his desk "Why haven't you told Penny?" She asked; practically shouting.

"Uh…" he mumbled, breaking eye contact and trying to busy himself with some sheets. "I changed my mind. Penny's a nice girl. A guy could do a lot worse." Diego carried on looking through his papers and re-arranging them.

Mia raised her eyebrows sarcastically "Really? Because I thought it was because you're too gutless to tell her what you did and why you did it. But forgive me. I was clearly wrong!"

This caused him to look aback at her gain "Oh right? That's what you thought was it? Go on then, use your amazing psychological skills to analyse why I did what I did then!" he shouted fuming now.

"Fine, I will! Because I think the incident from the other day affected you so much more than you're letting on. You say you actually do care about Penny and yet you don't even tell her what happened! Terry Fawles killed himself right in front of all of us because of that bitch; Dahlia Hawthorne. No matter how much you try to be tough and not be bothered by this you are! Stop trying to bottle it inside. I'm not expecting you to cry…Just tell me how you feel."

"Tell me how you feel?" Diego repeated skeptically "You mean the way that you did when you shut yourself in the bathroom and locked yourself in your room? Mia, believe it or not I actually do understand human emotions. I know why you did those things and I respected that by going back to work. I know you needed to be left alone to come to terms with the terrible thing that happened! I'm here for you Mia because I know you care. You're not the kind of person who leaves the person they were a moment ago in the courtroom forgetting who's guilty, but found innocent; forgetting who's innocent, but found guilty and I respect that and I respect you, but don't go criticizing my way of dealing with whatever life throws at me!"

Mia's face softened "I'm glad you respect me but I can't respect your way of dealing with when your method shows how little you care for Penny's feelings…" she said simply.

"Or perhaps I know I messed up and it's because I care about her feelings that I haven't told her…though I am scared too…" he admitted.

"Diego…everyone makes mistakes and messes up…I'm sure she'll understand if you tell her what happened and how sorry you are you hurt her". Mia said, trying to sound convincing.

He grumbled under his breath "Thing is…would it really be the worst thing if I don't? Maybe I could go out with Penny for a while, that would help her get over me wouldn't it?"

"I don't follow you…" Mia said, trying to see what he was getting at.

"Well if we go out on a few dates she'll how annoying I am to be in a relationship with . . ." he said, thoughtfully, resting his chin on his hands.

Mia narrowed her eyes in disbelief before she said "You know what Diego? Do what you like but don't expect me to have anything to do with it, okay? Tell her what you did…" she paused for dramatic affect "Or I will…"

Ah, a welcome distraction for poor Mia in the shape of a turbulent co-worker relationship. I'm really stuck on editing chapter 10, but i'll try and figure something else. When I wrote it originally, it really didn't make a lot of sense and seems kinda random.

Oh well, i'll try my best :') Thanks for the reviews :')