Hello, my darlings! I think I'm doing rather well with the "longer chapters" promise! I'm expecting this to be several more chapters long, although how many exactly, I can't be certain. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, all of you. For all of your reviews, for all of your support, for just reading my story. I thank you. Also, I'm not entirely sure of how this story is going to turn out. I'm sort of just going with it as I write it. Any other writers on here will know, the characters speak for themselves. Sometimes I just wish I could make Mal kiss Natara and say he loves her and they could get married and be happy or vice versa with Oscar. But honestly, Natara is so stubborn and has her problems, as does Mal. It's awful. I feel so bad for them, that they can't be happy. But they just ... they speak for themselves. They act like themselves. They're so stubborn!

In other news, I now know the My Little Pony theme song by heart. Naturally.

I honestly do not know what to say now. My author's notes have been so incredibly long in this story. I swear, they're the same length as the story, I bet. But anyway, I just wanted you all to know how much I appreciate you. I've said it a million times, and I'll say it again. I love you. c: You should always tell everyone you love them, because it's true. Everyone is so special in their own ways. I want you all to be so happy and to enjoy life. You're all such amazing people. I wish I could personally know each and every one of you. You're so great, and I just know you from the reviews you leave. I can't imagine how wonderful you are to the people around you. So, thank you, dearest readers. Thank you for being so inspirational and helpful and kind. Thank you for being amazing people. Thank you for existing. :3

This chapter might annoy some people; I don't blame you in the slightest. Men these days. I can't even. But anyway, I know the men in this chapter are complete asses, but it's okay. I'm planning to make it all work out in the end. Well, I hope so. I don't really know, because I had this idea. It was a crazy, little idea for the ending of this whole thing. But if I write it, you'll hate me. It doesn't really directly involve Oscar, and yet...

I don't think you'll be pleased.

On another note, I apologize sincerely for my slightly angry review to the anonymous reviewer on my story, Choose. I just don't take criticism very well. Trust me, I ranted about it to my friends for a good hour or so. Just kidding. That review didn't bother me so much; they usually do, though. I don't know why that one didn't bother me an insane amount; it was odd, I must admit. But it was nice, not getting all worked up about what someone thought, for a change. Lovely change. c:

But anyway, thanks again for being great people. Thank you so much. I want you all to keep writing your fanfics because it entertains me greatly to read them. They're all so wonderful and you're so creative! I can't even believe what great story ideas you all have! (And I've noticed some people are starting to include Oscar in a slightly better light, which I would like to claim credit for. Oscar deserves a life too! Great job!) I wish I had such great ideas; I'm so jealous of your creative brains!

I really hope you enjoy this chapter a lot. It isn't one of my favorites, personally. It's alright, of course. But I can imagine some people will be hating me afterwards because of the men's attitudes. Ugh.

Please, enjoy! If you feel up to it, please review! I've been working on reviewing other people's stories! So please, please, please, my loves, please review! They all make me so happy and make me smile for hours!

Friendship is magic, of course,
Sami.

Deviate
Chapter Four – Speak Now

I strain my neck and try desperately to see over the people in front of me. I am very aware of the presence of my best friend, Amy Chen, behind me, but I don't have time for welcomes right now.

"Natara?" she says uncertainly. "Is something the matter?"

"No, no," I say breezily, waving my hand. "It's great you could make it. You can just…sit anywhere." I strain my eyes harder, but the people in front of me seem intent on remaining a blockade between myself and the front of the chapel.

"You seem a bit…stressed."

"It's a wedding," I say. "It's a lot of work."

"Um, okay. I guess I'll go find a seat quickly, then," she replies, obviously crestfallen.

I turn to her and take her hands. "I'm so sorry, Amy. I'm really thrilled that you're here. I wanted you here more than anyone else…" Except Mal, of course. I'd be positively glowing if I knew he were here.

She smiles sadly. "I understand, Natara. I'm going to go sit down now. Maybe we can talk afterwards?"

"Sure," I say, and return to my searching.

Finally, it is my turn to walk down the aisle. My father isn't here because of his "work," but that's alright. I've always been independent, and this is just another chance to show that quality. Or that's what I've convinced myself of, anyway.

Everyone in front of me was now making their way down the aisle, leaving only me to begin walking, alone. As I lift my foot to take a shaky, nervous step forward, I feel a breeze from the door opening hit me again. How many people come late to weddings these days? I look behind me and my heart skips a beat.

"Hello, Natara. I must offer my congratulations. Mal's a lucky guy."

"You didn't seem to think so when you had your chance," I spit at him. "What do you want, Oscar?"

"I see you're alone back here," he observes coolly. "May I be so bold as to offer to give you away?"

"I don't think Mal would like that very much," I say.

"Of course, my bad. He does probably still have an internal promise to kill me. I don't blame him," Oscar says, losing all pretenses. "Natara, I'm so sorry."

"Right," I say coldly. "Well, that's cleared up. Now I really must be getting going. They're expecting me up there."

I put my foot forward to walk and not two steps later, Oscar grabs my arm.

"Let go," I growl and grit my teeth.

He shushes me. "Let's go, they're expecting you."

We slowly make our way forward and I do my best to stay as far away from Oscar as is possible while walking down a narrow aisle.

"I didn't want to leave you," Oscar whispers urgently as we walk.

"I don't see how it would have been hard not to," I answer coldly. "It's pretty easy to do, not leaving. I did it."

"You don't understand. Please, just give me a chance to explain, Nat."

"Never," I mutter darkly, "ever, call me that again."

"I love you, Natara Williams. I never stopped. You have to let me explain-"

He stops talking and I have no need to ask why. I make my face as apologetic as I can, in response to Mal's look of pure venom. He steps forward to take me from Oscar and his grip is slightly tighter than necessary on my arm.

"I guess I am worried sometimes," he whispers to me. "You were right."

I look up but his face shows only anger. Oscar walks away and sits in a front pew.

The wedding ceremony commences but I tune it all out. Mal and I are having one of our many silent conversations.

"Have you ever had one of those relationships where you were so close, you don't even need to speak to know what each other are thinking?" Mal asked. "Well, of course you always know what everyone is thinking. But have you ever been that close with someone?"

I frowned. I hadn't. "No," I admitted. "Were you and Sandra like that?"

He scowled. "Not in the slightest." He paused, hesitant to say something. "I think…I think when someone is like that with you, it's true love. I guess I've never had that. You haven't?"

"No." I stared at him as he gives me a funny, indecipherable look. "What?"

He laughed. "Nothing. It was stupid. Never mind."

"Tell me!" I laughed too. "Please?"

"Maybe we can have silent conversations." He winked jokingly. "We haven't tried."

"How do you even go about that?"

His eyes flicked down to his food, then mine, then he licked his lips and wiggled his eyebrows. I laughed at his expression, but knew exactly what he meant.

"No, Mal," I tease. "You may not have my food! I don't care if you know it's better than yours!"

His eyes widened and I laughed again. "Well," he murmured. "I guess that was sort of obvious."

Every day since then, when we were at work, he would attempt to communicate silently with me from across rooms, around people, and when he got bored. Eventually, it caught on, and we began to know each other so well that we didn't even need to look at one another. I knew what he wanted me to do before he said it, and vice versa. That's why we were such good partners.

'Why is he here?' Mal's eyes asked angrily.

'I didn't know he'd be here. I didn't even know where he was since that night.'

He looked down. 'Whatever.'

Great, he's mad again. This is such a wonderful way to begin our marriage. Maybe I'm not ready, I think bitterly. Maybe he's right. I'm not ready for fighting like a husband and wife. I miss when things weren't complicated.

"…speak now, or forever hold your peace."

I realized I was holding my breath as the priest said it, but I didn't know why. My eyes scanned the crowd daringly, and halted on a man in the front row who was standing.

He opens his mouth to speak and there is an audible gasp from the rest of our guests. No, I think desperately. This is not happening to me.

"I object to this marriage."

I swear, the look on Mal's face is murderous. If I could communicate with Oscar silently as well, I'd tell him to run for his life. Before Mal punches him in his handsome little face.