Hotel OJ loomed in the distance, its lights making it stand out against the dark landscape of the night like a beacon in a port.

"It won't be long until we're on camera now."

"Yeah."

There was a certain majesty to the moment. Marsh's heart pounded out a rhythm that was part nervous, part anticipation.

"The trick is to not spend that much time around one another."

"But Marshmallow, we're a team! Partners in crime! The bestest of best friends!" Apple hugged her arm, practically hanging from her shoulder. "We can't be separated!"

'...There goes the moment.'

Marsh shook her arm, but Apple didn't let go. She groaned. "We actually do. It's not healthy to spend every minute with someone."

Apple stared desperately at her. "No..."

"Look, I'm really sorry, but we just can't. It's counterintuitive. Er- that is, it goes against the point of what we're doing."

Apple sobbed dramatically; Marsh couldn't tell whether it was real or fake as she pried Apple off her arm and patted her comfortingly. "It'll be one week. It's not like I'm going off to war or something like that."

"That doesn't change that I'll miss you!"

"You were the one who insisted we do this. That means getting some space. Our goal is to keep the press at bay, so that means not clinging to me every second. It's just a week, okay?"

"But Maaaaarsh-"

"I'm not your mom. You shouldn't have to hold my hand to make other friends. Prove that you're mature enough to date me this week."

Apple finally stood, though she still looked miserable, even the leaf on her stem sagging. "I didn't realize you were personally trying to juice me..."

"I don't want to be here either! You thought it was a good idea, and we're doing this. I think it's a good idea to keep the relationship secret, so we should."

"Can I at least get a hug first?"

Marsh was caught off-guard, but thought she hid it well when she said, "O-okay."

The hug took longer than one might expect: a full ten seconds. As she pulled away, Apple looked marginally less miserable.

"...Look, just..." Marsh sighed. "I believe in you, okay? Just be careful, for both of our sakes."

"So it'll make you happy if I keep it secret?" Marsh nodded affirmatively. "Okay. I won't talk about you too much."

'It's so weird that I'm reassuring her when I'm the one shaking in my boots.'

Marsh picked up their suitcases as they walked closer. Nervous anticipation bubbled inside of Marsh the entire time, all her doubts nearly paralyzing.

How would anyone respond to seeing them for the first time in years, anyway?

How would they respond if they knew that the hatchet was buried under six feet of drawings and dates, tokens of a strange-seeming relationship?

The familiar sound of party music was coming from inside. Apple knocked the towering door.

OJ soon answered, looking surprised. "Marshmallow? Apple? What a surprise."

He stepped aside, and they walked in. Marsh giggled nervously. "Funny how things work, right?"

"I guess so. Well, we have a lot of catching up to do, but for now, the refreshments are over there," he motioned, "and if you go to the gameroom, they're about to start a round of ping-pong. And, uh, your room keys should be marked with your names over behind the front desk, so you can just help yourselves, they should be on the third fl-"

There was a sudden scream as Bomb bowled through, crashing into a table and spilling punch all over himself and the carpet. "Oh crap! Not the carpet!" OJ shouted, and with that he was gone.

Marsh and Apple watched him deal with Bomb for a moment before Marsh said, "I guess this is where we part ways. I'm going to find Paintbrush."

"R-right."

Marsh gave her one final look before walking off, hyper-aware of Apple's eyes on her as she stood on her toes and peered over the contestants.

Plain as day, across the room, she saw Paintbrush's bristles jutting out from the crowd. The room wasn't terribly crowded, but she did bump into some contestants as she went through. Her pace picked up as she drew closer.

'Hope Paintbrush doesn't hate me...'

Marsh reached the end of the dance floor as she brushed past Baseball's leg, stumbling on her face just outside of the floor. Marsh hastened to pick herself up, dusting herself off. What an embarrassing trip-

Marsh fell again with a yelp when she was attacked. Viciously. From the front. And lifted off her feet.

Lightbulb beamed at her. "Long time no see, sweet stuff!"

'Way to give someone a heart attack,' she thought in deadpan, but exclaimed, "Lightbulb! I-I guess that's... true... could you let me down?"

"There's nowhere to go but up, you silly billy!" Lightbulb tossed her into the air; though Lightbulb made to catch her, gravity had its way with Marsh, leaving her to land gracefully several feet to the right of where she should have. She sighed with relief.

'At least I didn't fall into the punch bowl.'

Didn't change that she felt a bit seasick, though.

"Y'know, we missed you on the team. Where'd you go?"

"I-I... Um, Purgatory Mansion.".

"Why'd you go there? Doesn't seem like a fun place to go."

Marsh sighed. "It's complicated, okay?"

Lightbulb shrugged. "Cool! Guess you really were right around the corner."

"Yeah... Wait, you're not mad at me...?"

A frown. "Why would I be?"

"...Because I abandoned you guys, i-in the middle of the show." Marsh tapped her fingers together, feeling a lump in her throat.

"Hardly even noticed," she chirped. "I was too busy findin' the golden coin."

'I... can't tell if I'm relieved or not.' "Oh."

Lightbulb squeezed Marsh's cheeks. "It don't matter. You're too cyoot to stay mad at anyway! Look at you!"

Marsh blushed. "R-right. Can you please let me down?"

Lightbulb did so. "That's enough of me. Yo Painty!"

Paintbrush turned away from Knife, exasperated. But the second their gazes met, Paintbrush's jaw dropped. Paintbrush rushed over and looked at her as if figuring out whether or not it was really her.

"You're alive."

'You're alive? What does that even mean? Why wouldn't I-'

Silence stretched between them, punctuated by the beats in the music. Marsh blinked.

"I can't believe it. Where have you even been?! I'm so glad you're safe."

'Wait a sec, is he - she - crying?!'

"Um... I'm glad to see you, but in marsh's good graces, what the everloving heck do you mean, 'you're alive'?!"

"We weren't allowed to watch the show back at the hotel. You disappeared so suddenly. And right at the same time, Apple went missing, too." The words were short, almost hoarse. "I knew you wouldn't resort to murder, but I wondered if somehow she got you."

'...funny how that happened, just in the opposite way.'

"Are you saying you thought Apple killed me?!"

"It doesn't matter anymore, because you're here. Where were you?"

"Apple and I made amends, and we've been living with Bow at her place."

"What?! But she's-"

"Dead, I know. It's... a long story. Not really something I'd explain in the middle of a party." She muttered the last part conspiratorially, spotting the glare of a camera's lens trained on them.

"Yeah... We could go set your stuff in your room and talk there."

Marsh glanced around, and sighed when she noticed Apple sitting a little ways away, all alone, staring directly at her. Apple gave an awkward little wave and then looked away.

Marsh rolled her eyes. 'Of course.' "Um, give me a minute."

Apple looked startled as Marsh marched towards her, but then beamed. "Marshmallow! I knew you couldn't stay away, I knew it!"

"Apple." Her tone left nothing for question. Apple chuckled uneasily. "Look, I know that I'm not the best example for how to make friends," chucking a boulder at the window at Hotel OJ came to mind, "but it's something you need to learn how to do."

"But-"

"No buts about it." Marsh grabbed her arm and practically dragged her, scanning the room for someone who wasn't dancing, in too big of a group, or known for being mean. She spotted Suitcase on the other side of the room, chatting with Balloon.

Wasn't Balloon's thing that he wasn't mean anymore or something? Maybe he and Suitcase would be alright to be Apple's friends?

"So you're here! I guess you didn't kill each other after all."

Marsh looked up to see Soap addressing them, a blue cloth in hand. She rolled her eyes.

"...Soap, right?"

"Yep! I have to keep cleaning this place up. A lot of reporters will be here for the interviews in a few days, and I for one am not letting this place look like a pigsty when they do."

Marsh and Soap had hardly ever talked, and yet Marsh disliked her. Maybe it was because they were on opposite teams and hadn't spent time together through season one, but then again, she was fine with Suitcase and Microphone....

'Soap must just be annoying. Whatever, T

this isn't for me.'

"Eh, good enough. Apple, introduce yourself!"

Apple hesitated. "Uh... Totally. I'm Apple."

'Cute,' Marsh thought, then perished the thought. Soap smiled and said, "You're such a pretty shade of red!"

Apple chuckled nervously, rubbing her stem. The shade of her face brightened a little. "T-thanks!"

"You're so cute! How do you even reach the high shelf?"

"Oh! Marshmallow and I usually just kinda stack on top of each other. Whatever 'usually' means. Not so hard."

"You two are so cute together."

Marsh realized that she was still holding Apple's arm; she tried to be subtle as she let go, stumbling away. and feeling embarrassed. 'Shoot, hope she didn't notice.'

"T-thanks! Marshmallow's the cute one, though."

'I used to think so, but now I'm not so sure, with you around.'

Embarrassed by the thought, Marsh muttered, "Maybe, but that's besides the point."

"That's true. Who says it should be a contest? Who has to choose? Your stem is so cute, though!" Soap reached her hand out to touch it, but Marsh instinctively bristled enough that she backed off. "Does the leaf even make glucose?"

"Glu-what? What's that?"

'At least she's being nice... maybe a bit too nice, but we'll address that some other time. All that matters is that she has someone, I guess.'

Soap spared her a mere glance as Marsh walked back to Paintbrush.

"Guess you two have really put it behind you," Paintbrush remarked thoughtfully, "Guess telling me how is is at the top of the agenda."

"Heh, guess so..." A nervous chuckle.

Paintbrush nodded. "Anyway, let's head upstairs. It'll be quiet. I think I'll need quiet to understand it all..."

"Yeah, lead the way."