Gabriel turned from her conversation with Tegwen. "Well, Sleeping Beauty, glad you could join us --" Her tone changed as soon as she saw the look on his face. "What's up with you?"

"Ah . . . ah, jest a dream is all." He panted, standing shakily. "I'm, ah, gonna go outside ta get some fresh air."

"Intermission's almost over," Tegwen said with a smirk.

"Actually, we have fifteen more minutes," Megavolt said before Tegwen slapped a hand over his mouth.

"I don' care, Creampuff." Steelbeak snapped as he made his way to the aisle. "I need air." And I need to get away from dose eyes for a second!

Tegwen lunged toward him, angrily. "Don't call me that!"

Gabriel watched him leave their aisle and the theater, holding the petite girk back from her partner. "Chill out, Tegwen." She said. "Something's not right."

"And you have to go side with him! Oh, so poor little Steelbeak is having an off day? Like I care." Tegwen sat down in her chair in a huff. "I hope he suffers," she sneered.

"You hope everyone suffers," Megavolt pointed out.

"What do you --? You know what, thanks a lot for ruining my night, guys. Both of you." Tegwen stood to leave. "I was in a halfway decent mood, too."

She had half a mind to loudly thank the theaterful of St. Canard residents for ruining her life as she stormed her way up the aisle. She was relishing the thought of the chaos it would cause when she barreled into a young hen wandering down the row.

"Oh!" The woman exclaimed. "I'm so sorry, I . . . "

"Hey!" Tegwen snapped. "Watch where you're going!" She looked up then, meeting the girl's eyes.

"I thought I saw my brother, and I was trying to follow him . . . I'm sorry, miss . . . "

Tegwen smiled crookedly. Miss? She called me miss? "It's all right," she said slowly. "It was my fault. I wasn't watching either."

"Well, it's a beautiful old-time theater. And with architecture like this, who's going to look at the aisles, anyway?" The hen smiled warmly.

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