Back with another chapter! :D I felt like some cuteness was much needed after last chapter, so this chapter happened, which has Michael and Amanda at various points in their relationship in North Yankton! This will be kind of a filler while I work on my other story (which I'm finishing the last couple chapters of!) As always, enjoy, review, and all of that stuff!

"Don't you ever want to leave this place?"

The question came out of nowhere. They were walking to her place, the neighborhood silent except for the snow crunching beneath their feet, when she'd looked over at him and blurted out that question.

Michael just continued walking, staring down at the snow. "Don't worry, I'll take you somewhere nice."

Amanda shook her head. "I mean leave the city, the state. Leave North Yankton."

"Oh, yeah? Where do you wanna go? South Yankton?" he teased. "Or I could take you down to Carcer City if you want."

Her face scrunched up in disgust. "Hard pass," she said. "I don't even know how you survived being in Carcer for even a week and I wanna be some place far away from any state with the word 'Yankton' in it…"

"Aw, c'mon, babe, it could be...nice...there," he said doubtfully.

"There are other places besides the Midwest, Michael," she reminded him gently. "Have you really never thought of leaving here?"

"Eh, I don't know…" he shrugged helplessly. "I kinda accepted the fact that I'll be stuck here my whole life a long time ago…"

"Me too, but...think about it. This place holds nothing but bad memories for both of us, darling," she said, a shiver running through her as she thought of their awful childhoods. "Don't you want to just leave all of that shit behind? To just start new somewhere else?"

He thought about that. Thought about his days as a scrawny 19-year-old in prison for the second time that year, wondering how to get big and go somewhere new and exciting (and warm…). "I mean yeah, that would be nice, but-"

"But what?" she crossed her arms and frowned at him. Unlike him, she had never been outside of North Yankton in her twenty-one years and that ambition showed.

He let out a deep sigh and ran his gloved hands through his hair. "But I can't exactly get a real job, Mandy. And, hell, babe, we barely have enough money to pay rent; we don't have enough to pack up and move somewhere else."

"So we save," she said as if the answer was easy. "A couple extra nights at the club won't hurt me. And we have the savings from you being a high-rolling criminal and all…"

"Alright, fine. You got me there," he conceded, smiling at her enthusiasm. "But what about a ride to get outta here? I mean, my truck isn't the newest thing ever…"

"We can use mine. No offense, darling, but I definitely trust my car more than that thing…" she laughed.

Well, at least her car isn't a rust bucket that's older than her like mine is, he thought with a chuckle. "Okay…" he admitted.

"Transportation is covered, then," she said confidently. "Any other questions?"

"Where would we go?" he sighed. "We've never really been outside of North Yankton…"

"You tell me," she said, delicately walking backwards through the snow with a huge grin on her face. "What place would be fucked up enough for both of us?"

"What about…" he trailed off for a moment, thinking. Suddenly, it hit him: the place of fame and fortune, the one where the best movies were made. "Los Santos?"

"Of course you'd choose Vinewood," she smiled as if she already didn't know what he'd pick. "It'll be nice, though. You and I with an apartment overlooking the city, going to the Del Perro Pier every night to watch the sunset, laughing at all the superficial rich people…"

"Sounds perfect," he said softly, smiling as he watched his girlfriend practically dance across the snow with a newfound lightness. Still, the pessimist in him kept gnawing at his brain, telling him to say something, to ruin it like he ruined everything. "Amanda…"

"Yes?" she hummed in contentment, brimming with a happiness that sent butterflies to his stomach.

"I..I dunno, it seems crazy even for us…" he muttered uncomfortably. "I...it just seems like a fantasy, babe...you know?"

"Since when have we ever been above craziness? You rob banks for a living, I take my clothes off in front of guys for money. We've never been normal, darling, and I doubt we ever will be…" Amanda trailed off before her voice went soft and she grabbed his hand, interlocking her fingers with hers. "Leaving this place isn't impossible, Michael. How can I convince you?"

Michael smirked at her expectantly, his eyes wandering down to her parted lips. "Well…" he started teasingly.

She laughed. "Of course…" she said just before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her height for a kiss.

It was, without a doubt, one of the best kisses of his life. The world seemed to stop around them as they kissed, time seeming void for just a moment. Amanda's lips moved gently against his, warm, reassuring, and every type of confident. Whatever semblance of hesitance he had was quickly crushed by her kiss, replaced by a happiness he hadn't ever felt before.

"Does that convince you?" Amanda asked after they pulled away, breathing a little heavily.

He barely even had time to nod before they fell into another kiss. It felt like something straight out of one of his old movies: thedashingly handsome hero (if he did say so himself) kissing his amazingly beautiful girlfriend in the middle of an empty street, the world quiet and still save for the snow fluttering from the sky and their sighs of satisfaction as they kissed.

When they finally broke apart, they were both grinning like idiots. "I could be more convinced…" Michael managed to say.

Amanda patted him on the chest lightly. "I'm pretty sure it was convincing enough if you felt the same way I did during that," she said with a blush. She reached over and grabbed his hand again, tugging him along towards her trailer. "We could do it, Michael."

He nodded. "I...I know you're right. Let's do it," he said suddenly. Amanda looked at him as if he was high or fucking with her. "I'm serious, babe. You and I, together? This cold, tiny shithole doesn't stand a chance. Let's get out, Amanda. Just you and me."

"Really?" she asked eagerly, earning a nod from him. "Alright...shit, um...I'll start taking some extra shifts at the club…"

"...And I can do a couple more jobs," he added, grinning at her. "We're doing this."

"We're doing this," she repeated breathlessly, laughing as they walked along.

Before they knew it, they were outside her trailer, but neither of them wanted the night to end quite yet. "Thanks for walking me home…" she murmured as she pressed a kiss to his cheek before smirking at him flirtatiously. "Do you wanna come in?"

He came in.

"What are you doing?" Amanda asked, leaning against the door with a frown on her face. They were up in his hotel room, where she had paid him a surprise visit before he went off to do another job. Now, here he was, an hour late and practically glued to the bed.

"Babe, this time I really gotta get going…" Michael said insistently, starting to get up before Amanda stepped in front of him, grabbing his hands in hers and placing them onto her waist. Her own traveled up to his broad shoulders, red painted nails digging into his bare skin. His breath caught in his throat at the contact.

He hesitantly looked up at her. She was wearing nothing but his shirt, but it was a little too short to cover everything up... and she had left most of the buttons undone...and fuck now he was staring…

Amanda tilted his face back up to hers with a knowing smirk. "You don't gotta be going anywhere, Townley."

"But the guys-"

"Can wait." She backed him up against the edge of the bed and playfully shoved him back down onto it, earning a defeated sigh from him. "Come on, darling. Stay for just a little bit longer?"

He tried his best to distract himself from the way her hands started to run through his hair, how she not-so-subtly tugged his head closer to her. Tried to distract himself from the overwhelming smell of her perfume, the intoxicating scent of alcohol on her breath, but he couldn't. Fuck it, he decided, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her down to him. "Oh, you're gonna be the death of me, Mandy…" he murmured just before their lips met.

She giggled in between kisses. Soon enough, the shirt, the sole fabric that was separating them, was discarded and forgotten as he pulled her back onto the bed.

Hands wandered, lips wandered as they were determined to make what little time they had beneath the hotel sheets count. It was so normal, so routine for them at this point, but this time felt different to Michael. It felt like home.

Soon enough (too soon), they were done and, after a few minutes of cuddling, faced with the pressing dilemma of him leaving. Amanda, snuggled up in his shirt again, whimpered and tried to pull him back down into bed, but this time he shook her off.

"I won't be gone long, okay?" Michael said reassuringly, going about to find his clothes scattered on the floor. He had just finished putting his jeans on when he felt her foot nudge against him.

"Kiss," she demanded when he looked back at her.

He laughed as he leaned over the bed and gave her a quick kiss. "Happily," he smirked before trying to find the rest of his clothes.

"And babe?" she asked. "I got a little surprise for when you get back," she winked as she held up a dime bag of coke.

"Oh, fuckin' A! Forgot I stole that from Trevor," he muttered happily, still looking around before he stood up and crossed his arms impatiently. "Can I have my shirt back now?"

"But it's so comfy…" she pouted, burying herself deep into the loose-fitting shirt and hugging the half-empty bottle of whiskey that they'd kept in bed to her chest. "I need something to remind me of you while you're gone."

Michael sighed in defeat, knowing that he wouldn't get her to take it off ever, much less right now. "Alright, fine…" he muttered, leaning down to his bag and managing to find a different shirt. "And Amanda?" he asked once he stood back up.

"Yes?" she hummed innocently in between sips from the bottle.

"My keys?"

Amanda shrugged helplessly, holding up her empty hands. "I have no idea where your keys went…"

"C'mon, babe. You're a better shoplifter than pickpocket," he laughed, holding out his hand expectantly. "And I do need to make the money for us to have any chance of getting outta this town."

She sighed in defeat before pulling out the car keys and tossing them to his awaiting palm.

"Thank you," he said, leaning down to the bed to give her a gentle kiss on the lips. "I promise you I'll be back soon, darling. I ain't gonna fuck this one up this time. We…" he said, gripping her hand reassuringly. "We can just pick up where we left off."

She bit her lip hesitantly as she watched him head for the door. "Michael?" she called out softly. He turned around to face her, his handsome face gazing at her in question. His hair was still a little messed up (she so wished that she could reach over and smooth it back) and his eyes were glinting with excitement, and it gave her a feeling that she hadn't ever felt before. I love you, she wanted to finally tell him, but all that came out was, "Stay safe, please?"

"I always am," he chuckled, but she could feel the same longing in his own voice. "I'll see you later, darling."

"What if it's a boy?" Amanda asked. They were in his bed, their eyes fixated on the ceiling. It was late, but both of their minds were whirling from the day's events.

She's pregnant. Michael was still reeling over the news himself. Sure, he was excited, ecstatic even. A part him of had always wanted a kid so that he could prove himself to be better than his father ever was, but he was so fucking nervous. He was barely 23; Amanda was only 21. What did they know about raising a kid?

But, instead of voicing his concern like any other asshole, he just laughed shakily. "A bit early for that, eh, babe?"

She rolled her eyes dismissively. "Well, we're gonna have to decide sometime. So, give me your ideas," she demanded, nudging him with her foot.

"Ah, well, let's see…" he muttered, stroking his non-existent beard as if deep in thought. "Michael Jr. has a nice ring to it…"

"Oh God, no. One of you is enough," she laughed. "And, besides, what if it's a girl?"

"Then we name her Amanda," he said with a shrug.

Amanda slapped him on the arm teasingly. "But I'm Amanda...and would you take this seriously, you ass?"

"Honey, I take everything seriously. Especially little Michael's future," he smirked, earning a glare from her. "Aw, c'mon, don't you have some ideas, 'Mand?"

"Well…" she said thoughtfully, resting her head on his shoulder and trailing her fingers along his chest. "I've always liked the liked the name Tracey for a girl. For a boy? I have no idea. I've been with way too many assholes that I'd never let my kid have the same name as them. What about you?"

He thought about it. He wouldn't wish his father's name on his worst enemy, and he never had the greatest male role models growing up that he could name a son after. After some thinking, he finally thought of the one guy who had treated him with some fairness growing up. "I dunno...I kind of like the name James…" he muttered, trying to appear indifferent.

"That your dad's name?" she asked. It was an innocent enough question; after all, he hadn't told her all about his awful childhood yet. He knew he'd have to do it eventually, but he wasn't in the mood to do it right now.

"Fuck no," he scoffed, voice a little harsher than he had intended for and making his girlfriend flinch. "Shit, sorry, babe...I...I'm just not on good terms with him, okay? Let's leave it at that…"

"Okay," she said calmly, not pressing him any more about his father. It was one of the things he loved about her. She could tease him and make fun of him all she wanted, but gave him space when he needed it.

Love, he realized he'd thought. They'd said it to each other for the first time that day, and it shouldn't have been that big of a deal, but it was to him. He'd been a lone wolf for most of his life, and he was still in awe that he had a girl who worried about him, who cared about him. Who loved him.

He quickly changed the subject before he told her something too cheesy. "But, ah...it was my football coach's name. Guy was a tough old bastard, but he was the only one who showed me some respect when I was a kid," he said with a fond smile. "He'd probably have a heart attack if he saw me now…"

"Well, I think he'd be glad to see that you kept fit," Amanda teased, reaching down to feel the taut muscles in his arms. "James…" she echoed, feeling the name out. "I like it."

Michael smiled at her almost shyly, not-so-secretly glad that she was happy with it. "I like your idea, too," he said.

"Thanks, darling. Well, the good news is that we have names taken care of," she said, grabbing his hand and gripping it reassuringly. "We'll get through this, Michael. We always do."

A relief surged through him at the touch, more intoxicating than his favorite whiskey ever was. Before he knew it, he was saying it again: "I...I love you, Mandy," he said.

"I love you, too, darling," she replied. The words seemed to effortlessly roll off her tongue, and he wondered if she'd been meaning to say it for a while, too. She snuggled up closer to his chest, yawning. "I should probably get some sleep. Good night, Michael."

"Good night, sweetheart," he said softly. He watched with a smile on his face as his girlfriend drifted off to sleep. Somehow, he felt a little less afraid for their future.

As he stayed up late that night with Amanda nestled in his arms, he fully realized how much he needed her stability and warmth in his life, how much he never wanted to lose that feeling.

He went out and looked for engagement rings the next day.

Michael played with the hospital bracelets around his wife's wrist anxiously, smiling slightly when he saw his last name after Amanda's name. They'd been married for a few months now, but seeing his name with hers still gave him as much pride as it did as the first day.

Amanda looked over at him, smiling weakly. Her face was still pink from overexertion and her dark her was stuck to her forehead with sweat, but he found her just as beautiful as ever. "Do you wanna hold her for a while?" she asked, holding out the bundle of blankets in her arms to him.

"Of course," he said softly, taking their daughter from her. "You rest, honey," he told her, brushing the strands of her away from her face with his free hand.

She nodded, yawning, and shut her eyes, almost immediately falling into a deep sleep. She must have been exhausted, he noted, from everything that day. From the stress of going into labor when Michael was out on a job to worrying about whether or not he'd make it (he did!) to almost punching him in the face when he got there to...now.

Michael looked down at his newborn daughter in admiration, his hands practically shaking as he held her. "Hey there, baby girl…" he whispered, careful not to disturb her or her mother.

Tracey Townley, he thought fondly, staring down at her. They'd gone with Amanda's original name suggestion, but she promised him that if they ever had a boy, he got to choose. He had to admit, though, the name sounded better than anything he could come up with.

Things would be hard, impossible, even, with his lifestyle and a kid, he knew that, but he was hopeful. Him and Amanda were determined to be better than their parents ever were, to break the vicious cycle of neglect they'd been through.

He'd done a lot of bad, stupid things in his life, but having his daughter would never be one of them. His heart had fluttered from the moment he'd laid eyes on her only hours ago. She's perfect.

Michael was almost glad that Amanda was asleep so she couldn't see the tears of happiness forming in his eyes.

Like clockwork, the crying woke them up at two in the morning. The bleary-eyed new parents had to wonder when the last time they'd gotten a full night's sleep was as they struggled awake. Amanda had just started to get out of bed before Michael gently pulled her back down and got up instead. "It's my turn, anyway," he said before heading into Tracey's bedroom.

Amanda knew she should sleep. She wanted to go back to sleep so badly, but her brain was in overdrive. Is he happy? she had to wonder. When she'd met Michael, she would have never expected that he'd be the type to get tied down, to get married and have a kid. At first, she didn't care. She hadn't been the type either, and why did it matter?

But here they were, married for half a year with a three-month old daughter. Everyone had told her that he'd change. That he may have been acting happy now, but he'd get resentful. That he'd wished he'd never settled down...

The crying had long since since stopped, she realized, but he wasn't back yet. Amanda finally rolled out of bed and wandered over to the next room in the small trailer, yawning the whole way there.

The sight that she was met with erased any of the doubts that she'd had. Tracey was fast asleep in her crib, thanks to her father's natural calming reassurance, and Michael was standing above her with a loving smile on his face.

He jumped slightly when he noticed her watching him in the doorway. "Oh, hey...thought you'd be asleep by now," he said softly, trying not to wake Tracey.

Amanda shrugged. "Can't sleep," she murmured, walking up beside them and looking down at their sleeping daughter.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" Michael asked with a proud smile. "Gets that from her mother."

She smiled back at him hesitantly, but that doubt still tugged at the back of her mind. "Hey...are you happy?" she whispered suddenly.

He looked at her in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be? I have the most amazing wife, a great daughter…"

"I don't know...maybe it's stupid, but you never struck me as the type to get settled down, you know?" she said, biting her lip nervously. "I...I thought that maybe you'd regret all of this…"

"Amanda, honey, do me a favor and look at her," he said, waiting for her to oblige before he continued. "How can I ever regret that? She's you and me and she's perfect, babe."

When he put it like that, it did sound pretty stupid. She couldn't help but smile down at their daughter. Oh, it was gonna be so hard to raise her, but they'd do it, especially after tonight. "We never did get to leave, you know…" she said.

"That's okay," he said, looking down at Tracey. "I got something better."