Chapter One

The Grange Hill theme tune blared out on the TV, as weak spring sunshine shone in through the flat's windows. Tim lay on the bean-bag, mouth slightly open as he dozed.

Colin the dog sat next to him on the floor, gnawing at a chew toy that Daisy had bought him to keep him entertained. So far, Tim and Daisy had had to remove it twice from his jaws to stop him swallowing it.

Daisy herself lay on the sofa, also dozing lightly, with her glasses knocked slightly sideways as she had fallen asleep after reaching page three of Tolstoy's epic War and Peace, a book that she kept meaning to read, but one that she always put of reading because she wanted to have the time to 'fully appreciate the vast scope of Tolstoy's conceptual style'.

Well that, and the fact there was always a juicy new chick-lit out, which Daisy would devour and then deride as something she could've written ten times better. Somehow, she just never got round to doing it.

Tim, Daisy and Colin lived happily in the flat together. It had been over two years since all 'that business' over Marsha selling the house, Sophie, Colin leaving, Daisy nearly buggering off but then staying.

Since then a few things had change. For a start, they had a sparkly new coffee maker, which Daisy didn't want to use because it 'looked pretty and might get messed up by coffee stains' and that Tim didn't want to use because he was scared it would highlight his ineptitude when it came to electrical devices. He had electrocuted himself on the toaster, after all, and toasters don't contain boiling water.

Also, Tim had a regular job as a graphic artist at Dark Star Comics, and drew a new installment of 'The Bear' every month. He'd built up a small but loyal fan base, who e mailed him constantly about who he liked best: Scully or Buffy. Tim had never been asked such a hard question.

Daisy still had dreams of being a freelance writer, but she also wrote articles for women's mags, and occasionally newspapers so she could still pay the rent.

Something had changed in their relationship as well. Rather than just treating each other as friends, they seemed to feel something deeper for each other.

However, neither one of them wanted to ruin their living situation by making a move and then messing up. So instead, they tried to ignore it. Just recently though Tim had begun to hide his true feelings for Daisy under a layer of moodiness. The reason he'd done that was Robin.

No, not that chirpy little bird that hangs about on Christmas Cards. Robin was a man. And not just any man. He was Daisy's new guy.

Tim couldn't believe it when she'd told him. He'd stared at her open mouthed.

"Tim, I think we need to talk." Daisy said as they sat at the small table in the kitchen area.

"Look, Daisy, if it's about me and Mike using your tampons as missiles and playing

'Bathroom War' with them, then I'm sorry, it wont happen again." said Tim, not looking up from his Spiderman comic .He picked up his mug of tea and took a gulp.

"No, Tim, it's not about that this time. The thing is Tim… I've kind of, met someone." she blurted out.

Tim spat out all his tea onto his first edition Spiderman Number 93. He didn't care at that moment (he would later though, as he desperately tried to dry the running ink using Daisy's hairdryer)

"What?" he asked.

Daisy had explained. She'd met Robin in a bar. He wasn't like other blokes. He was sensitive and wanted to be a writer too. He liked art and plays and poetry recitals. They'd been going out for sixth months.

Tim had met him two weeks into his and Daisy's relationship. He hated the man on sight. He had the kind of foppish curly hair that most women thought was cute and Byronesque, but actually looked stupid and needed cutting.

He also spoke in this not-too-obviously condescending manner.

"Oh… you draw cartoons Tim? How very cute."

Tim had imagined pulling out a chainsaw and slicing him up Leatherface style. Or maybe he'd hang the smarmy bastard from a meat hook first, watch him squirm a bit.

Tim refused to believe that the real reason he hated the guy so much was because he had put his arm round Daisy in such an easy manner that it screamed to him 'MARRIED WITH BABY WITHIN TWO YEARS!'

A sudden pair of screaming voices woke Tim and Daisy up from their Sunday morning dozing. They looked at each other, then up at the ceiling.

Another thing that had changed in the past two years was that Marsha, the lovely, alcoholic Rock-Queen landlord, and Mike, Tim's best friend, the sweet TA gun freak, had become lovers.

As unlikely as it seemed, Marsha and Mike were well suited. Mike's easy manner had allowed Marsha to let him into her heart as he was the kind of bloke who wouldn't run off with half her cash to the Costa del Sol with some nasty little tart he'd picked up in a Soho nightclub.

Mike found that Marsha was a fascinating lady, with an amazing life story. He was drawn to her as she was kind and looked good with a gun (he frequently let her handle his guns. If you know what I mean wink).

The two often went on walking holidays and to rock festivals. Mike loved walking and it kept Marsha's pins in shape. Marsha loved the atmosphere at festivals, and the music. And Mike would never pass up the opportunity to spend a weekend in a tent.

Tim and Daisy barely had time to react as the door to the flat swung open and Marsha and Mike beamed at them, obviously ecstatic.

"Are you to OK?" Tim feared that somehow, they'd found that 'bad speed' he kept meaning to throw away, but kept forgetting to, which he had hidden under his mattress, like he used to do with porn magazines when he was thirteen. Old habits die hard.

"WE'RE ENGAGED!' they both yelled at the tops of they're voices.