"Well, are you going to let me in or do I have to stand here on your shabby doorstep all day?" Anton huffed, forcing his way in as the black collar on his coat glistened with diamonds.

Closing the door slowly behind him, not being able to believe what had just happened, his thoughts soon quickly spun back round to Louise and how she’d feel if she knew he was in the house. Would she want to go back with him or was he just here on a friendly visit? Somehow that last option didn’t quite appeal to what he was thinking.

Dashing into the kitchen, Mark looked down, alarmed, while Louise looked up in concern. Her blue eyes seemed to wobble like puddles at the thought of seeing Mark so abrupt, and as he bent down slowly in front of her, she knew something was wrong.

"What’s up?" Louise asked, worried.

"Anton’s here…" Mark whispered, looking firmly into her eyes hoping he could judge the way she was feeling.

"What?" Louise said in disbelief as she dropped the can in front of her. "Anton’s here? Anton is here?"

"Don’t worry Lou. I’ll take care of it. I promise." Mark assured, gripping hold of her hands tightly.

"What does he want?" She questioned, being pulled up from her feet. "Did you tell him I was here?"

"No… no. As far as I know he knows nothing. For all you know he could be here just to… to talk to me about the piano thing I did… I dunno, just don’t worry ok. I’ll look after you."

Staring into her puddles, which now were attacked by more rain, she looked weak, nerved, scared. Why was Anton suddenly on Mark’s doorstep? And why was Louise looking so weak up against him?

"Come here." Mark ushered, pulling her into a small, brief hug. "It’ll be alright." He smiled. "Now I’m gonna have to get back in there, maybe you should come? Talk to him."

"No, no. I can’t. Mark, I can’t. I’d rather him not know where I am. I don’t want to see him, I, I just wanna be with you." Louise said sincerely, looking pleadingly up.

"Ok, ok, I just thought it might be best to get it in the open, talk to him about everything."

"Mark, if I go in there and face him I’ll…"

"Alright, alright. You don’t have to. It was just a suggestion, ok?" Mark smiled. "I best get back in there though before the guys say anything. Will you be ok?"

"Yeah, yeah I’ll be fine. Just don’t bring him out here. I don’t -"

"Ok," Mark grinned. " I won’t even say you’re here. You worry far too much." He smirked, kissing her lips before he left her grasp.

What if Mark wanted her to go? What if Anton just found her anyway?

Pacing quickly through before there was any more time to suspect, he reached the doorway where Anton stood a little ahead, analysing the place he was in, and the others in the room.

"Mark, what’s going on?" Christian asked, eyeing him cautiously.

"I was about to ask the same thing…" Mark pondered, watching Anton turn his nose up at the surroundings he was now examining.

"I will not be here for long," Anton began, "thank god," he muttered. "I am just here to sort a few things out with Mr Read."

"And what would these things be?" Mark queried, sending out daggers.

"Oh you know… loose ends…" Anton smiled.

"What loose ends?" Mark continued to question, staying vigilant.

"Loose ends? Oh my Mr Read, you do not know?" He chuckled. "Things like, hmm… I don’t know, your fee for the work you did? Trying it on with my fiancée?"

"I… I’m not quite sure what you’re on about." Mark lied while Christian looked uneasily up at him.

"You are ‘not quite sure’?" Anton mimicked before a callous laugh followed. "Oh come on, it’s not everyday you try it on with an attached lady, especially a young lady of such manner, or so I thought. What is it? Another job of yours so you can earn petty cash to keep this… this shack above your head."

"Hey! This is no shack!" Ben declared. "I’m not sure I like you…" He trailed off.

"And I am sure the feeling is mutual," Anton sighed. "So I will not be here any longer then I have to be."

"No one invited you anyway." Ben snarled.

"Well it is not like I asked to be here. I am just visiting because I have to, not because I want to." Anton glared. "The rudeness these days…"

"Hey Mark can I borrow -" Paul began before instantly stopping in his tracks. "Who’s this?"

"This here is Anton." Mark replied.

"Mr Aphex Campbell to you, all of you in fact." Anton made clear, facing Mark.

"Mr Aphex Campbell as in…"

"Yes Paul…" Mark intervened, cutting him short before anymore was unveiled.

Keeping to Louise’s promise could be harder then it looked with the others around.

"Well, what’s he doing here?" Paul asked, a little annoyed.

"I am here to finish off some business that occurred between Mr Read and I. You didn’t seriously think I wanted to come here, did you? I’ve already made that quite clear with another one of your pals over there." Anton grimaced.

"Well get on with it then. We don’t want you here any longer then you have to be." Paul told.

"So polite aren’t you?" Anton said to himself. "Anyway, I know that Louise is here so if you just go and get her, I am sure she will want to leave this slum straight away and come back with me, her fiancé."

"Louise? Louise isn’t here…" Mark prevaricated while the others looked on confused.

"Oh come on! Don’t mess me around! I did not traipse all the way down here just to be lied to! Where is she?" Anton raged.

"I’m sorry Mr Aphex Campbell, but I don’t know what you’re on about either. Maybe you have the wrong house." Paul added, smugly.

"Oh stay out of this! Where is she? Upstairs?" He suggested, charging forwards.

"I don’t think that’s a very good idea," Christian threatened, standing up. "Like Paul said, maybe you have the wrong house."

"Yeah, because it certainly isn’t this slum." Ben said, he too standing up.

"What am I going to have to do to convince you?" Anton questioned, easing back a little. "Maybe this will help…" He offered, reaching into his inside pocket.

Sitting tense in the kitchen, the bags strewed out all over the floor, Louise patiently waited, stewing over her thoughts. The noise coming from the lounge wasn’t exactly what she expected, but once thinking about it, she didn’t really know what to expect. Things had obviously got louder, and more voices had joined in, pushing a picture into her head of the situation she couldn’t face. Inhaling deeply before standing up, Louise left the bags behind and headed into the lounge, taking those worrying thoughts with her. If she wanted to defeat the troubles she had within, then the only answer was to face them.

Approaching the doorway, nervously wanting to tip toe in and become unnoticed, that feeling soon turned into regret as what confronted her harshly was enough to make her want to turn back time; that she couldn’t do. Sorely seeing his hand hold the miserable money, her eyes began to sting as their awed faces around him told her enough. Like the rest of the world, money was all they were after, and as her heart sank, crashing below, his words that next followed made her want to drown even more.

"Lou, this isn’t what it looks like!" Mark proclaimed, throwing the money on the table while Anton’s face smiled comfortingly.

"I’m sorry Louise, but I only came to make you see," Anton said gently.

"Louise! I… its… I…"

"I should never have got involved with you…" Louise faintly told, turning slowly and walking out into the rain.

Ambling on after her, Anton wrapped his arm loosely around the top of her shoulders where she shuddered coldly, leaving that dirty money behind.