NEW AND IMPROVED A/N: okay, so here's the new version of this fic. It's actually not that different. wow! I did change a little part in the middle and I'm adding this here.

NOTE: This takes place almost right after Cleon breaks the news to Kel about them breaking upo, no one else knows this at the moment though. I know that in the book, Kel wasn't all that upset about it, but I'm taking some liberty and pretending that she's all upset and hormonal and stuff. That's why she is a little OOC.

Cami of Queenscove: I don't know whether to be mad at you or not….my friend is I know…but I don't think I am. I kind of see where you're coming from and I agree that Kel and Neal should be together. But that's not going to work out for this fic…I may write a different one later where Kel and Neal get together…but not this one. So get over it. Plus I have an army or dust mites…so those bunnies better watch their backs! Hehe.

Disclaimer: I actually don't own any of these characters supprisingly. They all belong to Tamora Pierce. *sob*

A/N: I tried really hard not to make this sentimental crap. I think I did pretty good considering a rarely write romance. Hope you enjoy it. Please tell me what you think! Please?

For All Eternity

"Neal, we have to talk," Kel said as she pulled Neal into a small, out-of-the-way room. "Please, it's important."

Neal nodded, a little puzzled as he followed her in, "Sure Kel, whatever you want. Why made you get like this all of a sudden?" Kel, Neal, and a group of their friends, including his new fiancé, Yuki, had just been sitting and talking about their plans. Then, Kel had suddenly stood up and started pacing. That was when she had asked Neal to go for a walk.

This was so frustrating. Why hadn't she realized this before? Well, of course she had realized it before, she had just dismissed it as the hormones of a young girl running wild. But this, this was a different feeling. She and Neal were always meant to be together! She couldn't let him marry this Yamani girl, this Yuki. She understood that they seemed to have feelings for one another, but hers were so much stronger. Plus, hadn't she known Neal for the longest? Didn't she have some sort of first rights to him? Didn't she?

They stood inside the small room, which was bare except for a lonely chair, some boxes, and a table. The floor underneath them was stone and sent chills into the air. Someone had just finished packing up their belongings; ready to start a new journey somewhere new.

Suddenly, Kel leaned forward and clumsily pressed her lips to Neal's. When she stood back, feeling rather satisfied, she saw shock and horror in Neal's eyes. She looked down, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Hadn't that sounded so right when she had thought about it? Why did it seem so strange and wrong now that she had done it? Instead of feeling good and that things were now right with the world as she thought she would feel, all she could feel was shame. The horror that she saw in Neal's eyes made her forget all her previous thoughts. But she still had that feeling that she and Neal were meant to be. She had to keep trying to make him understand.

"Kel…I…I don't know what to say," Neal stuttered, still staring at Kel. "You really shouldn't do that. You know I'm…I'm committed to Yuki."

"But Neal, " she cut in, "I love you."

There she had said it. That should make him understand. He would hear those words and realize his true feelings for her.

"No Kel, you don't. Not that way at least. You love Cleon, I love Yuki. That's the way it is. You know that." He tried to explain. "We've never…loved…each other that way. Never."

That hurt. Was he trying to say he had never the slightest feelings for her? Surely he must be mistaken. They had lived together for nearly nine years now. How could he say that? Cleon? Oh! He didn't know! Gods, why?! He would never understand now!

Tears began to well up in Kel's eyes. She didn't mean for them to, but the just came. She was so frustrated with Neal. She leaned over to try to kiss him again but he turned his face so her lips only brushed his cheek.

"Neal, please. I've always loved you! You can't marry her!"

At this, Neal seemed to get a little angry. "Kel, listen to me. I am marrying Yuki. It's a commitment, a promise, that I've already made." He calmed down, "And even if we did both had feelings like that for one another, you know it could never work. You know it. We could never agree on anything, and we'd drive each other crazy. You're so sensible and I'm always going off on something. We'd screw everything up." He laughed.

Oh, how she loved his laugh. And even then, as she melted over it, his words cut her deeply. Maybe he meant them in a joking way but they hurt. She always knew that the truth hurt the most. Especially coming from someone so close.

Neal could see that Kel was crying and how much this hurt her. But she had to realize. He could never marry with a clean conscious knowing that Kel still thought that they could ever be together. Gods, he thought, she looks so sad.

"Oh, Kel. Stop that please," he put his arm around her shoulders, trying to calm her down. This just succeeded in making her cry harder. So he stood in the middle of the cold room, holding her close as she sobbed into his shirt.

"Kel, you know I'll always love you. Just not that way. No matter what happens to us, you and I, we will always love each other. For the rest of eternity."

She nodded, finally understanding. How did he make such clarity out of this mess in her head? Of course they loved each other. Two people could love each other and not marry. They probably loved each other more than that. Marriage was till death, this sort of love was for all eternity.

A/N: Okay, so it was sentimental crap. But I happen to personally think that it is very, very good sentimental crap. But if you don't agree with me (or perhaps you do) you can always tell me by clicking on that little review button down there. I would so greatly appreciate your opinion. Seriously.