AN: I swear I will return with a new story soon, I just had to revamp this one. I wasn't satisfied with the other version, so I deleted it. Hopefully this one is better. I know Mordaret's dead, and that the finale pretty much destroyed any hope for these two, but let me indulge a little.

Read, review, enjoy.

CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS FOR THE FINALE. READ AT YOUR RISK

"And you're sure Benson won't mind?" Margaret asked, looking to the jay beside her, apprehensive and unsure.

"Please," Mordecai rolled his eyes, waving a dismissive hand. "Me and Rigby have been doing this for years. He's cool with it, trust me."

Margaret raised an eyebrow dubiously. Somehow she doubted that, even if there was some truth to the statement. Since the dome's return, the usually uptight park manager had been a lot more lax, allowing his employees to slip in and out of their chores as they pleased without cursing them out and threatening unemployment. It was strange. Any memories of the gumball machine she had were bracing for cover underneath tables as his audible screams rattled throughout the coffee shop like a level nine seismic quake. Or listening to Mordecai and his raccoon companion rant and rave about how lame and unfair he was as she served them coffee and sandwiches. Even having the displeasure of invoking his wrath herself.

"I guess if he was going to fire you, he would have done it by now," she mumbled, shaking her head slightly.

Mordecai snorted at her response as he walked with her. "Are you kidding? The park would fall apart without us to save it," he boasted, puffing his chest out pridefully to emphasize that fact.

"Sure, sure. The property damage would beg to differ," she chuckled with a roll of her eyes.

The two continued down the sidewalks, hand in hand, enjoying their leisurely stroll through the neighborhood as the warm rays of summer sun baked down upon their backs. It was a slow day at the news station, the pandemonium of the dome's return had all but faded away as gossipers turned to the latest scoop. In her boredom, Margaret decided to pay a visit to her favorite groundskeeper. There was a new place she had been dying to show Mordecai since his impromptu expedition in space, and since it just so happened to be a slow run of the mill day at the park, Mordecai was all too willing. They snuck away while Benson was preoccupied, asking Rigby to cover in case he noticed before they returned. After all, a solid was a solid.

Around them the city bustled with the humdrum of everyday life, cars drifted back and forth down the road and the occasional pedestrian would pass, paying no mind to the couple and their shenanigans.

As they engaged in idle conversation, Mordecai couldn't help but sneak a sporadic glance at her, his again. He couldn't believe his luck, returning three years later to find that the girl he had pined after, won and lost was still very much single. It was if the red string of fate had guided him back to her loving embrace.

He had forgotten how soft her hands were. How Margaret's feathery fingers interlocked perfectly between his own. Blue and red mixed seamlessly together like colors on a palette. CJ's hands were always so cold and small compared to his own. Margaret's always had a certain warmth to them when he held them or they caressed his cheek. He missed holding them like this, feeling the tickle of red feathers against his palm and proclaiming to the world that she was his and his only.

Listening to her laugh as she did now, he never realized how much he missed the sound of her cherubic, infectious laughter; an old weakness that still served as his Achilles heel after all these years. He missed a lot of things about earth, but she was what he missed most. Her genuine smile, and curvy lashes, the feeling of running his hands through red feathers. Margaret had imprinted herself on him. She was all he could think about; the only thing that really kept him going throughout their journey across the galaxy. He couldn't deny it anymore, Rigby was right: he still loved her, and he didn't think he'd ever get her out of his head.

His attempt at subtlety didn't go unnoticed to the robin, who knew him like the back of her hand. Having felt his lingering gaze, she glanced back at him, unable to hide the redness of her cheeks. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I don't know," he gave a slight shrug. "I just missed looking at you."

Her cheeks darkened, and she shoved him back. "Stop," she couldn't hide her bashful smile at his words.

"You know it's true."

Margaret looked away, training her blush on the sidewalk, unable to wipe the silly smile off her face. As they came upon their destination, Mordecai glanced at the flashing sign mounted above.

"So, this is a new place you say?"

"Yeah, it opened a couple weeks ago. I've only been here once with Eileen. It's nice though."

He rushed to the door before she could, pushing it back and stepping aside.

"After you, My Lady," Mordecai bowed courteously, gesturing a hand inside.

"Why, thank you," Margaret grinned, curtseying. "Who says chivalry is dead?"

The two laughed at that remark, fingers interlacing again with one another as they entered the little store. The bell chimed a friendly greeting as the door swung shut behind them. Almost immediately they were hit with the overwhelming flavors of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla.

Mordecai inhaled the cool air with a smile.

"Man, I've missed this"

"You missed air conditioning?" Margaret raised a brow in question.

"Well, in space the air's all dry,"

"I thought you couldn't breathe without a suit," she teased, giving a playful nudge to his side.

"Heh, rumors,"

Mordecai turned and froze, his eyes widened as he took in the bright gaudy colors and showy decor. Everything was so modern, unlike the cafe which gave off an eighties retro vibe. Margaret felt a surge of envy as she sized up their register. Unlike the old antic with the sticky keys she had been forced to use, these employees had the luxury of an electronics.

She glanced around the shop, taking in the surroundings. She had been too focused on relieving herself of the warmth during her prior visit with Eileen to really take anything in.

Scoops of ice cream adorned the walls looking down at them through bright goggly eyed smiles- not the unsettling kind that was the breeding ground of goosebumps and night terrors, but the kind with a certain warmth that made you feel welcome and fuzzy inside. Margaret had to give them credit, the coffee shop was certainly overdue for a paint job.

Mordecai, on the other hand looked like he had just entered through the pearly gates of heaven. He mumbled incoherently, salivating over the displays. His eyes darted all around the cozy shop, unsure where to rest. They settled on a yogurt bar stationed behind the counter with more toppings and syrup than he could count. The young woman standing at the counter smiled and greeted them perkily with a friendly wave. Dressed in a pink apron and a bowl of ice cream on her crown, her sunny disposition didn't seem forced, but genuine.

As she waved them over, Mordecai stood cemented to the floor, his mouth agape. Margaret waved a hand in front of the jay's face, stifling a giggle when she didn't get a response. She noticed the server was staring at the gawking avian with a strange look.

"It's his first time," she explained to the server who was staring at the gawking avian with a strange look. "In like three years."

Before the girl could open her mouth to question her, Mordecai snapped his beak shut, immediately releasing her hand and dashing to the counter. He pressed his face and palms against the glass excitedly like a kid in a candy store, looking over the vast assortment inside, wide eyed and anxious.

"There's so many flavors! Butter fudge almond. Butter fudge ice cream with almonds, cherry vanilla. Vanilla ice cream with whole red cherries, coconut chip. Coconut ice cream with chocolate flakes..."

Margaret laughed again as he proceeded to list off every flavor animatedly, the small group of customers sitting around stared at him; their quiet conversations disturbed. She shook her head.

Like a child alright, she mused with a smirk. Something's never change.

"I've never seen anyone so enthusiastic about ice cream before," she commented, joining him at the counter.

Mordecai whirled around excitedly. There was a light in his eyes that hadn't been there in a long time.

"Are you kidding?! I used to eat this stuff all the time as a kid. There was this one store that Rigby and me would always walk to; it was a bit of a hike, but it was totally worth it."

"Ice cream is the best," she admitted with a small smile.

"Yeah, it is!" He whooped, throwing his wings in the air. Margaret laughed along with him. She turned to the server who had been patiently waiting, entertained by the strange couple's antics.

"What can I get for you two?"

"Hmm," Mordecai scratched his chin as he pondered the options. "I think I'd like to try some frozen yogurt." He shrugged. "You only live once, right?"

"Sure! Help yourself," She chirped almost too eagerly, waving a hand at the bar behind her.

Mordecai grinned as he tugged Margaret along by the hand. The action caught her off guard and she nearly stumbled, trying to match his brisk pace.

When did he become so strong? She wondered as she stared down at his muscular wing. Before she could easily best him in an arm wrestling match. He had certainty gotten stronger. She chalked it up to the space training.

The two decided to share a cup. Margaret grabbed it as Mordecai mulled over the line of various flavors, reading them aloud and chuckling at the bubblegum flavor.

The couple decided after some persuading on Margaret's part, and Margaret poured out the frozen dessert into the cup while Mordecai picked out the toppings. He then ushered her to a table, insisting that he would pay despite her protests. After grabbing a couple spoons, the duo seated themselves at a table in front of the window.

Mordecai still couldn't seem keep his eyes in one place. Margaret chuckled softly as they continued to sweep over the shop, jumping from the customers to the jukebox in the corner playing pop music, and back again.

"I can't believe how modern this place is," he marveled. "Kinda puts the coffee shop to shame."

"Don't tell me you're choosing yogurt over coffee!" She wiggled her finger disapprovingly at him. "The cafe can't afford to lose its best customer."

He shrugged, nonchalant. "It's frozen yogurt, can't compete with that. I mean, we had ice cream in space, but it wasn't as good as this. It just didn't have the same taste to it, you know?"

Margaret's smile faltered and faded at that. She looked down, adverting her eyes from his as she felt them build up with moisture. She bit down hard on her lip to keep from crying. Mordecai frowned, did he say something wrong? He reached for her hand and held it, hoping to console her. She sighed.

"I really missed you, Mordecai. I missed us. Back in that pub three years ago, I meant what I said; I did still have feelings for you. And losing you like that, not knowing if or when I would ever see you again, it hurt." She wiped at the tears now threading down her cheek and sucked in a breath, trying to gather the courage to continue.

"...It was really lonely here without you. Nothing was the same. There weren't nearly as many exciting stories to report. I didn't even have Eileen to keep me company, I wrote her letters knowing she'd never receive them. I guess it was for closure, you know? Really, the only friend I had was CJ..."

She trailed off. Mordecai stared at her then looked at their cup, circling the spoon around thoughtfully as he mulled over her words.

"I still can't believe we're back," he said finally. "I keep thinking this is just a dream and that when I wake up, I'll be back on the Space Tree."

"Yeah, me too," she sniffed, wiping her face in her wing.

She looked back up at the jay, and suddenly smiled. She started to snicker, cupping a wing over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"What?" He asked obliviously.

"You got a little something on your beak,"

"...I don't feel anything."

With an impish smile, she gathered some yogurt on her finger tip and leaned across the table, dotting his nose.

"Hey!"

Margaret fell back into her chair, giggling at her childish act. With a sly smile, Mordecai bent back his spoon and released it, flicking his own share at her.

She gasped, staring down at the yogurt blotched onto her shirt, mortified. Hastily grabbing a handful of napkins from the holder, she looked up to see Mordecai laughing at his deed. Scowling, she dug her spoon into the cup, and launched the mound. Mordecai's laughter ended abruptly with a yelp as the desert made contact with his feathers. His bewildered expression met her smug smile and challenging look.

Before either of them could acknowledge it, they were in a full blown war. Mounds of yogurt sailed through the air as each targeted the other, ducking behind chairs and dirtying the walls in the process. Most of the customers fled, grumbling under their breaths about how poor the establishment was, while others joined in. The heaviness of the atmosphere earlier absolved.

Mordecai's calculating eyes swept over the shop, searching for the robin's whereabouts, a scoop of yogurt at the ready in his hand. He felt someone tap his shoulder and spun around, only to be attacked head on by a sugary kiss filled with gummy bears and skittles. Margaret kissed him feverishly, gripping his shoulders and nearly incapacitating and knocking him off his feet. She giggled as she parted, licking the yogurt from her lips. Mordecai stumbled back in a daze, stunned and disoriented, his mouth agape. Even with her ruffled feathers, disheveled hair and yogurt stained and blotched into her clothes, she was stunning. He opened his mouth and closed it several times, unable to choke out so much as a syllable.

Margaret smirked triumphantly. It seemed she had won.

The two returned to their table to finish what little fro-yo remained, laughing about their silly game as they cleaned each other up with the leftover napkins.

"Oh gosh, I haven't laughed like that in ages," Margaret wiped away a tear as she scrubbed at a stubborn stain on her blouse, her eyes shining with rapturous glee.

Mordecai gave a small smile. "Thanks for this, Margaret. I've been really bummed out lately. It's nice to be able to smile again," he said earnestly.

"Of course," she crooned with the warm smile that made his heart melt into putty. "I hate seeing you sad."

"It's just so much has happened," he continued, turning his forlorn gaze to the window. "Being in space for three years, Pops' death. It's a lot to take in."

She laid her hand over his, giving it an encouraging squeeze. He gave her a small smile, grateful for her company.

"You wanna go to Cheezers? Maybe we'll get a discount or something; technically speaking, you are an astronaut."

"Heh, yeah," he snorted, smiling faintly. "What's with this city and astronauts?"

"WHAT HAPPENED HERE!"

The two jumped and turned to see a man stomp over to them, jaw clenched, his face beet red. The girl at the counter winced and ducked down. Unlike her server's apron and hat, he wore a pin stripe shirt and tie. The avians blinked as he towered over them, his nostrils flared. The tag pinned to his lapel clearly told them he was the manager.

"YOU TWO, CLEAN THIS UP RIGHT NOW BEFORE I HAVE YOU BANNED INDEFINITELY!"

"Indefinitely?" Mordecai parroted incredulously.

"Indefinitely!" He screeched.

The two recoiled in disgust as his spittle pelted them.

"Say it, don't spray it," Mordecai mumbled under his breath, wiping his face.

"You think he and Benson know each other?" Margaret asked him in a hushed whisper. The two snickered in unison at the comment.

"NOW!"

"Yes, Sir!" They chorused, hurriedly hopping from their seats and pulling a handful of napkins out of the dispenser. They scrubbed the sticky table fervently as he watched.

"And I thought Benson was scary," she murmured as the man marched away, his shoulders taut.

The remainder of the day was spent scrubbing down and scraping blobs of yogurt from the walls and floors of the little joint. The two bantered back and forth as they worked, swatting at each other with rags and cackling as the manager of the shop observed them through narrowed eyes. The vein on his forehead pulsed.

"Damn kids"