Hey guys! I know it's been a few days since I posted a new chapter to this story well I have been really busy with work.

Now that I have got some time off, I got inspired to finish the third chapter!

Thanks a bunch to everyone who has reviewed! I really appreciate the comments :) I really love this chapter as it explores more into the lives of the girls since we last saw them ;) This one is one of the longest chapters of this story so far but I should warn you that the next one won't be as long so I hope that it will suffice enough

Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club or the OC's featured in this story.

I hope you like it!


"I told you that I am not doing it!"

Stella sighed with frustration for the third time that afternoon as she continued her argument with Brandon. The pair of them had been locked away in Stella's bedroom for almost an hour and they were no where near close to coming to a solution, or in Stella's opinion the only answer available. Stella huffed to herself as she planted her butt back on the edge of her luxurious king sized bed. She kept her opinions quietly to herself as she watched Brandon pace the floor before her.

"Brandon," Stella sighed with annoyance. "I don't think I have to remind you how small of a favour I am asking."

"A favour?" Brandon scoffed. "What you are asking of me is not a favour."

"Going downstairs and having brunch with my father is a simple request."

Yes, the long-standing couple that all girls at Alfea wanted were arguing about a brunch with the King of Solaria. A few years ago Brandon would not have hesitated in attending something like this, especially for his bright haired beauty. Nowadays since the innocent with the witches the previous year Brandon would rather endure sticking burning pins in his eyes or suffering through week's worth of dragon stable duty at Red Fountain. Suffice to say that Brandon's hesitation at his girlfriend's 'simple request' may have been due to the fact that King Radius was no longer a fan of Brandon's. Okay….Radius hated Brandon with a passion.

"Brandon, sooner or later you and my father will get past this phase," Stella continued.

"I don't think that locking the two of us in a room together is going to help, honey," Brandon replied. "It is going to take more than scones and jam to get your father to even allow me in this palace."

"But you are here."

Brandon smirked as he continued to pace. "I have had a lot of practice with sneaking through the windows of palaces."

"Aren't you even going to try, Brandon?"

Brandon immediately stopped pacing once he heard the desperation in Stella's voice. Without a moment's hesitation he was instantly kneeling in front of the Princess and took her hands in his.

"Stella, believe me, I will try anything to get your father to trust me again. In fact, I have done everything imaginable but as you said it has been a year and he hasn't even moved an inch."

Stella looked down at the ground for a moment before slowly meeting her gaze back with Brandon's.

"You haven't tried brunch with my father," Stella said hopefully and with a teasing tone.

Brandon rolled his eyes as he let out a dramatic sigh. Stella started bashing her eyelids and giving Brandon the cutest and flirtatious smile that she could muster. When dating your high school sweetheart for as long as these two had, you begin to know what their weaknesses are. Brandon groaned at the sight and finally relented.

"Alright fine," Brandon grunted. "I will give it my best shot. But if he throws several insults my way then I am out of there. I am tired of trying to earn his respect when he gives me none. He has to meet me halfway here if he wants his daughter to be happy."

"Yay!" Stella cried out happily and threw herself into Brandon's arms. "It's a deal. No come on, he is probably downstairs waiting for us."

"What? But that means he could have been waiting there for an hour."

"Yeah," Stella replied nonchalantly as she dragged Brandon out of the room. "That probably was not a good start to this. You should really work on your punctuality better, Brandon, it might be something in your favour."

Brandon could not form a response to his girlfriend's utter obliviousness to her statement so he decided to respond simply with another eye roll that she couldn't see. The pair of them soon arrived in one of the conservatories that had a stunning view of the royal gardens outside. King Radius sat impatiently at the small table as he waited for his daughter to finally make an appearance.

"Daddy!" Stella cheered once entering the room. "I'm sorry we kept you waiting."

"We?" Radius said confused. His question was soon answered once Brandon following in behind Stella. "What the hell is he doing here?"

Brandon felt his entire body tense up upon seeing the king's reaction. He was under the impression that Radius was expecting this brunch with him. Obviously his girlfriend was up to her same old tricks again.

"Daddy," Stella warned. "You promised to have brunch with me."

"I promised brunch with my daughter, not him."

"Please, daddy," Stella begged quietly. "This has gone on far enough. You two have to get passed this problem area."

"I have no problem area, Stella," Radius quickly replied. "He is the problem."

"Daddy!" Stella scolded.

Being the bigger person that he apparently was Brandon took a deep breath and walked closer to Radius who was still giving him a glare.

"Sire," Brandon began. "I don't want there to be any hostility between us. I am in love with your daughter and she loves me. You have known me for years. Surely we can both be bigger men here and come to a mutual ground."

"A bigger man?" Radius scoffed. "It seems that bigger men were the problem that caused the hostility in the first place. Or don't you recall the nasty bruises that you once gave my daughter?"

"Ouch," Brandon said under his breath.

'Point one to daddy Radius' Brandon thought to himself.

Stella immediately heard it and growled a little to herself. She could see that Brandon was close to breaking point soon.

"Daddy!" Stella yelled. "You are going to sit down and have brunch with us. Whether you like it or not Brandon is part of my life and if you want to continue being in my life as well then you two are going to need to at least tolerate each other for my sake."

Radius sighed to himself and did not reply verbally and simply nodded his head. Stella huffed in triumph and gestured the two grown men to sit down at the table with her. The three of them took their seats and started to eat and drink in awkward silence.

"Stella, my dear," Radius said breaking the silence. "How is the life of a guardian treating you?"

"It's fine," Stella replied. "A bit boring to how I first thought. However, people still don't fully respect me."

"In time they will," Brandon assured her, taking one of her hands in his. "Sometimes it's hard for people to accept things that have changed."

"You would know, wouldn't you Brandon?" Radius replied, taking a drink of juice.

Stella closed her eyes and tried her best not to release yet another sigh. Brandon just tighter his grip on Stella's hand.

"What do you mean by that, sire?"

"I mean I am sure it must have been difficult for Stella and her friends to accept that you lied to them in freshman year when you pretended to be the prince of Erakleon."

"If you must ask, then yes it was for her and all of them but they adjusted to it just fine," Brandon replied firmly.

"Hmmm" Radius answered. "You can always tell how a person acts just from the first date, wouldn't you agree Brandon? It appears that from the first date you went on with my Stella, you were lying. So I guess that you are a man of lies."

Brandon sat up straight in his chair and glared at the king. If it weren't for Stella's hand keeping his in a death grip Brandon would have shot directly out of his chair and pounced of the king.

"Daddy you know that is not true," Stella quickly replied.

'Radius: two

Brandon: zero'

"I believe that it is also hard for someone to correctly judge a person's character from the first date, wouldn't you agree Radius?" Brandon asked knowingly, earning a questionable gaze from the king.

"Why do you say that, boy?"

"Oh I just mean that everything that happened with Cassandra, sometimes you cannot always rely on first impressions to give an accurate read on a person."

Radius slammed his cutlery down on the table, his breathing picking up and his gaze firm and unwavering from Brandon's slight smirk.

'Score one for Brandon'

Stella slammed her hands on the table causing the two men to slightly jump in their places.

"Please, both of you just stop," Stella yelled. "You both have one thing in common and that is me! Now if you BOTH want me in your lives then you both need to get your heads out of your - "

"Stella!" Radius interrupted before Stella could finish.

"Then you need to shut up and be cordial! If you are not going to like each other then at least pretend and be polite in the presence of company. Royals have been doing that for centuries."

"Alright Stella," Radius relented. "I'll give it my best shot."

Brandon nodded his head following Radius' statement. "You know I would do anything for you, Stella."

Stella looked slowly at the two men for another minute before she too relented and the three of them resume their brunch.

"So Stella," Radius began, steering conversation into a different direction. "The annual Solarian Champion Games are upon us soon. It would be nice if you, as the Princess, would be able to attend."

"I will try to make it, Father," Stella answered. "Hopefully there won't be any trouble on that day so my duties as guardian can be put on hold for you."

"Excellent" Radius smiled.

The Solaria Champion Games was one of the most awaited events on the realm's calender. Every year, hopeful and skilled fighters from all over the galaxy, mainly Red Fountain students and graduates, all competing in a battle of wits and skills to gain the honour of winning and being crowned fighting champion until the next time they all battle. Brandon had come across this event while he attended Red Fountain and even he heard about it from Stella when she refused upon watching such a horrid display but he never once enrolled.

Frankly the opponents entering were always bigger and much more…dangerous and deadly in regards to skill than he was. However, being a Red Fountain graduate, Brandon was intrigued and slightly excited at the prospect of perhaps one day seeing or even entering the competition. He really did miss some good fighting classes at school, he always enjoyed them.

"And…" Stella slowly added with a hopeful smile. "Wouldn't it be nice for Brandon to enrol in the competition, especially considering he is the boyfriend of the princess."

Radius was silent for a few moments as he processed the information that his daughter had said. Stella and Brandon shared a worried expression, Stella fearing that he may say no while Brandon feared that Stella had pushed her luck too soon and he was in trouble. Soon their fears were put to rest when Radius finally spoke.

"I guess we could work something out," Radius answered.

Stella gripped the handles of her seat to stop herself from squealing out in delight and success. Radius wiped his face with a napkin before he rose in his seat and started talking directly to one of his personal assistants that stood in the corner.

"Harvey," Radius began. "We must continue with the game's preparation."

Harvey nodded and Radius started walking away, not before he gave a quick kiss on the top of his daughter's forehead.

"I want formal invitations sent out to all of the past competitors and current fighters sent out to all of them. Let them know when the registration date is and anyone who is late for registration will be disqualified. Harvey, make sure Brandon's late."

'So close' Stella thought before face palming herself at her dad's insult.

Brandon had lost it. He immediately jumped from his seat and watched Radius slowly walk out of the dining room.

"That's it!" Brandon said angrily. "Hey! I know an insult when I hear one. Look at me when I'm yelling at you, Radius!"

Radius ignored Brandon's rants and just continued walking away, his assistant close behind him.

"What gives you the right to talk and treat me like this?" Brandon demanded.

Radius stopped in the middle of the door way. "I am Stella's father," Radius answered.

Without another word, Radius and Harvey left leaving a shocked Stella and an angry Brandon. The room was quiet except for Brandon's soft panting from his anger. It was at that moment that Stella thought that maybe Brandon was right. Maybe brunch was too much to ask. I mean, if the two of them couldn't sort out their differences after an entire year, what made her think that it was ever possible past that?


"Alright. After mixing your potions, what is the ideal method for preserving unused sea slugs for future use? A) Sugar them, B) Smoke them, C) Pickle them, D) Freeze dry them."

Bloom looked up at her pupil and gave them an encouraging smile. Her smile soon faltered when she noticed her student leaning back in her chair and and messing around on her phone. For a few months now Bloom had volunteered as a tutor at Alfea for some of the freshmen students. So far it was a nice and relaxing way to give back to the school that had given her so much over the last three years. Lately, however, she was starting to lose patience with her less than willing pupil, a freshman named Nina. Bloom sighed to herself and picked up the textbook that sat on the library study table in front of her and let it drop back down. The sudden loud thud made Nina jump and forget about her phone.

"Nina," Bloom sighed. "Were you even listening to me?"

"Of course I was," Nina defended immediately.

"Then what is the answer?"

"Well, now you see, if I had extra sea slugs even after sending them to their fiery demise, I would let those little movers and shakers slither right back into the ocean."

It took all of the energy Bloom had left within her not to sigh. She ignored Nina's attempt at sarcasm and continued on her lesson.

"D) Freeze dry them, is the correct answer."

Nina smiled at Bloom. "I was going to guess that."

"Before or after your texting session?" Bloom asked tiredly. Nina looked away from Bloom. "Why are you even guessing at all, Nina?"

"To pass," Nina replied, shrugging her shoulders as if the answer was obvious.

Bloom groaned in frustration. "Nina, this isn't algebra or trigonometry . It's not like you are never going to use it again. If you mess up a potion, it will blow and innocent people could be hurt."

Nina's eyes widened slightly at the response Bloom gave. Clearly the young freshman never really thought that a potion could potentially harm someone. Perhaps she missed Professor Wizgiz's first class of safety procedures…..that is mandatory for all freshman.

"Did you study for this quiz at all?" Bloom continued.

"Of course I did," Nina replied. "Well….I started to last night. It's just…a friend from the dorm next door came over and she had movies and chocolate. Who could resist that?"

"Someone who clearly wants to repeat freshman year," Bloom whispered under her breath.

"Look, I'm sorry Bloom. I know that you are trying to help me and I really appreciate it. I just…I hate book learning."

"I know," Bloom said sadly. "But we all had to start somewhere."

"Even you?" Nina scoffed. "One of the mighty Winx?"

"Yes. Especially me as I never knew that I was a fairy and I had to learn how to be one the hard way. You have the easy part, you know what you are capable of already. Nina, I am here to help you but I can't do that if you don't meet me half way."

"Alright Bloom," Nina answered with a small smile. "I will try."

"Good, now let's get back to potions."

Before Bloom could continue on with the list of questions she made up, a voice sounded from behind her.

"Miss Bloom."

Bloom turned around in her chair and found a sophomore standing behind her, looking slightly nervous.

"Yes?" Bloom replied curiously.

"It's…It's Headmistress Faragonda," the sophomore began. "She's…she's requesting your immediate presence."

"Oh dear, I swear I will start studying!" Nina immediately responded in panic.

"It's…it's Winx Club business," the sophomore added.

Now that was a statement that got Bloom's immediate attention.


Jab left…jab right….jump…side dodge…block…crap!

Musa gasped out when a leg suddenly came out of nowhere and swooped underneath her feet and made her lose her balance and stumble to the ground. The wind knocked out of her and made her gasp again in desperate need for air. She was covered in sweat, slowly dripping down from her forehead all the way down her face and arms. She couldn't remember how long she had been fighting for and she couldn't seem to find herself getting any better. She laid flat on the ground staring at the ceiling, slowly panting to calm her racing heart. The sound of foot steps calmly walked closer to her and stop when they were in her visual range.

"Don't be tense. Be prepared," the voice said.

Musa resisted the urge to roll her eyes and decided to remain laying on the cement. She looked up at the cool mask on the man's face with a small smirk playing on the edges of his lips. the piercing magenta eyes was the only thing in his mask that betrayed him, staring directly into her cool blue ones silently asking if she was alright, and that maybe enough was enough for the day. When Musa didn't respond the man continued his directions, staring down at her like her current position was not unexpected.

"When I contract, you need to expand. When I expand, you contract."

"I know that, Riven," Musa replied, still slightly panting.

"Then why are you letting too many blocks get through?" Riven questioned with an eyebrow raise. "You need to watch your opponent's hands."

"I know!" Musa growled in annoyance.

Musa ignored Riven's look of disapproval at her attitude and instead slowly started to sit up right and grab the water bottle near her. She drank from it hungrily and when she was satisfied she stood up and wiped the sweat rolling down her forehead, waiting for Riven to spar with her again.

"Your moves are too slow and jerky. It is like you are distracted."

Musa rolled her eyes at Riven and prepared herself in an attack position, ready for them to begin. She was confused when Riven stalked over to her and started repositioning her arms in a way that would have successfully knocked his leg down.

"Musa, you need to watch me. Even the slightest muscle tremor will give away my attack and intention. Use it against me. Now, pay attention."

"I know!" Must yelled. "I can do this, Riven!"

Riven took a step back away from Musa and gave her a long look, almost as if he was examining her.

"What is your deal today, Musa?" Riven asked more curious rather than angry. "You have a bad attitude and it is affecting your concentration."

"I'm fine," Musa replied.

"Clearly you're not because you are letting little things get to you that you could have blocked successfully before."

"I just want to continue."

"Well I am not going to oblige if you are distracted. I could really hurt you."

"That is why I am doing all of this!"

Riven sighed sadly to himself and watched as Musa stormed to the other side of the training room. Since graduation, Musa and Riven moved into a top floor apartment in the heart of Magix. It had two bedrooms and spacious kitchen/diner and a killer balcony view. The place was so spacious that Musa had begged Riven to turn the second bedroom into a training room, claiming that she needed a private space to continue her guardian training. It was also beneficial since Riven was now a commander for the Royal Magix Air Force where he would be training new recruits. Yeah, Riven was happy at the fantastic hero opportunity but hated the training the newbies part of it.

Riven should have known that this was what had been plaguing Musa's mind. Ever since the whole hospital incident after the witches of Traldayor, Musa had been very pro the idea of learning self defence and fighting techniques. At first Riven thought that it was her trying to become a better guardian but now, twelve months later, he knew that she was still affected about his betrayal. They both were.

Riven slowly walked up to Musa and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. When she didn't shrug it away he started to talk.

"Musa, you have to let this go," Riven said softly.

Musa didn't reply and continued to stare at the wall. Musa never admitted it to Riven but she was not completely over Riven's betrayal. Yes, she reminded herself time and time again that Riven was under the influence of a spell but she almost died. Her powers were useless against her own boyfriend and she had no ability to defend herself. To be completely honest, when Musa was Riven standing above her ready to end it all, she was scared to death. She felt weak, scared, and helpless and she couldn't do anything about it. She never wanted to feel that way and she never wanted Riven to ever hurt her like that again if he somehow become influenced once again. That was what all of this was about. She had to learn how to defend herself in times where she couldn't depend on her powers. She will not allow herself to be a weak and defenceless girl.

"It has been a year, Musa," Riven continued. "I know how badly you were affected by it but you can't let fear and doubt fuel your desire to fight. I should know. It will eat you alive."

"Can we not talk about it?" Musa asked quietly.

"No," Riven answered. "You ask that every time we train but now I can't ignore this anymore. Pretty soon you will get hurt and I can't bare to see that happen again. If you want to fight then it has to be out of your own will not out of the will of fear. If you fight with fear or with anger then you will become vulnerable."

"I will not be vulnerable!" Musa yelled, spinning around to face Riven.

"You are not," Riven answered quietly, not wanting to press Musa further with his temper. "But you could risk it in battle."

"We aren't in battle, Riven."

"Every time you defend yourself is a battle, Musa."

"I….I just want…I just want the nightmares to go away."

Riven smiled sadly and gently pulled Musa into a hug. He gently rubbed her back as he let his girlfriend's silent tears fall. For a few months now every night Musa had been getting nightmares of her reliving the events in the forest. He pained him to know that he was the cause of them and there was nothing he could do to stop them.

"Every night," Musa continued. "Every night is the same moment….and it always ends the same…."

"It's alright, Musa," Riven comforted. "It will be okay."

"I…I won't stop until the ending changes….and I become strong."

"Then I will do whatever it takes for you to feel strong and safe again," Riven promised.

That was a promise Riven intended to keep, and he did mean whatever it takes. The silence in the room was soon broken when a phone echoed through the room. Riven gently released Musa from his hold and when over to the phone hanging from the wall.

"Yes?" Riven answered. "Musa…"

Musa looked up and noticed Riven holding the phone out to her.

"It's Faragonda," Riven continued. "It's urgent."


So what did you all think? Let me know :)

~AngelAlexandra~