A/N: Hey guys! Thank you so so so so so so SO much for being so barking awesome! You all have been so nice about my fic and I hope I don't disappoint! By the way, Deryn's new nickname is courtesy of one of my besties, Meredith, who is on this site somewhere…anywho! Biscuits for reviewers! (If my reviews reach 30 I'll post an extra chapter, otherwise the next one is probably the last one…will that even make you guys review? Hm…)

WeAreTheOthers: Yes. I think we can safely say this is officially a love triangle.

MustachioedMalignant: Gah! As awesome as llamas and trapeze artists are, you and Pony are killing me! Stop guessing my plot! I feel so barking predictable…but at least you got the circumstance wrong. :P So take that! (I'm kidding, you're awesome!)Thank you for your continually kind, funny, and helpful reviews! :)

Pony: The question is, does she really like Ado? Or is it the way Alek like Dylan in Leviathan? Mwahahaha! We shall see! And thank you, I kind of rushed that scene, so I'm glad that some people enjoyed it, despite its roughness. ^^;;;

Jett-Wolfe98: Deryn is oblivious because she enjoys making us suffer. Let's face it, we've all (probably) read Goliath by now. *hint* Storm *hint* ;) Robinson Crusoe? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with plot point thing you're trying to convey, as I have not actually read the book…

Disclaimer: If I were Scott Westerfeld, people would be leaving more reviews (*cough* not-so-subtle hint *cough*)

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-ADO'S POV—

A soft knock at the door.

"Come in."

"H-hello, Ado. How are you?" Deryn stood in the doorway, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Fine, you? Do come in, Deryn. My room is not contaminated in any way, I can assure you." Ah! There! A smile split her face and she stepped in, closing the door behind her.

"I'm doing fine…but…I'm a bit worried about Alek. He seems…he seems…oh! I don't know the Clanker word for it!"

"I'm a fair hand at English. Don't make this conversation so hard on yourself." Deryn's face grew slightly pink.

"Well…you see, Alek has been acting weird for a while. Since about three days ago, actually." The water fight. "He won't look me in the eye and it feels as though he's been avoiding me. Do you know if I've done anything wrong?" She looks so worried. Does she honestly believe she could even do anything wrong? She seemed perfect. Oh! What am I thinking?

"I'm sure he's simply being a…oh, er…what's the English term? Bum-rag about having been beaten in the water fight by you."

"Why would he feel that way? I've saved his bum from far worse than water before."

"You don't say? How on earth do you fall into these situations? And exactly what were these situation?"

"Well, I was serving on board the Leviathan a few years back and Alek was also on the ship. I helped him gain favor with the Captain, and assisted him with a revolution in Istanbul—"

"That was you two?"

"Yes. Of course, he's saved me enough times. We help each other; that's the promise we made when we became best friends. Along with the promise of no secrets. No secrets! He's the one who decided that we should have no secrets! So why is he so keen on avoiding me?" Deryn looked frantic. She actually thought that she had done something wrong to bring about Alek's silence. Alek, you idiot, I will personally kill you if you cause Deryn more grief. Ado was shocked by his own forcefulness. This…it's just because Deryn has become a good friend. I just don't like seeing friends feel hurt or betrayed. That's it.

"I'm sure it has nothing to do with you. I'll talk to Alek, if you'd like." Deryn's face lit up, and that was worth the flutter of his stomach that made him grimace before standing to open the door for Deryn before following her out. I must be hungry. Or I could be contracting a cold.

-ALEK'S POV—

Alek sat in the kitchen. His frame slumped in the chair, hunching over the table, with his left hand cradling his head. She's got to know. I've been such a dummkopf, she has to have found out that I…I love her. A form blocked the light, shadowing Alek and capturing his attention.

"Alek, look up at me. There, that's a good lad. Deryn came to me; she said you have been avoiding her. She's quite upset, it seems. From what she's told me, I know you two have been through a lot. You guys are best friends, so act like it, dammit!" Alek looked up, sighed, and stood. He walked to pitcher sitting on the other end of the table and poured some lemonade into a glass. "Don't ignore me, Alek. Please, just tell me what's going on."

"There's nothing to tell, Ado. I've just had a lot on my mind lately; don't worry, I'll settle my problems with Deryn very soon."

"Not everything can wait however long you want. Sometimes, things have a way of running away before you can catch them."

"It's a matter of timing, my dear friend."

"I'm not the only one."

"Ado."

"Yes?"

"Give me my biscuit."

"No. I'm hungry."

"Give it."
"I told you that some things have a habit of running away if you leave them long enough."

"I want that biscuit, Ado."

"You should have taken it when you had the chance."

"I've had that biscuit longer than you have!"
"But now whose hand is it in?"

"I just wanted to have some normalcy in this stupid life! My past isn't all rainbows, now is it?"

"You really want this biscuit, don't you?"

"I may very well love this biscuit, so leave it alone!"

"Just keep this in mind, Alek; I don't want any secrets between us. After all, that's not what friends do, am I right? You may want to stop lying to yourself, and to Deryn. She doesn't deserve that." Alek held his breath as Ado swept out of the room. With a deep sigh, Alek set down his nearly full glass; he suddenly was no longer thirsty.

-DERYN'S POV—

"Stop lying to yourself, and to Deryn. She doesn't deserve that." What could that mean?

Alek found Deryn up in a tree. She had run away from the kitchen quite fast. Fast enough for him to know that she heard something.

"Quite the Der-devil you are, Mr. Sharp." Deryn groaned, but allowed Alek a broad grin and hopped down from her perch. "Sit with me a while? I really need to tell you something. It's quite important."

-ADO'S POV—

"Deryn, we've been part of each other's lives for so long, and I want to tell you everything that I'm thinking, but I don't know how to put it. I feel so close to you, and I don't want that to ever change. There's so much I'm trying to sort out now, but I want you to know. I just wish I knew what this all meant myself. Just…just don't leave me, okay? You're my everything, Deryn. My best friend." Ado's eyes narrowed as Alek slipped his arms around Deryn; his eyes were watering, threatening to spill over. Deryn didn't push him away; she slowly wrapped her own arms around Alek.

"There, there, daft prince. I'm not leaving, aye?"

Alek. She wasn't just your everything. She's quickly become my only thing. Of course you wouldn't know of my mother's sickness, but she's going soon. I hold no power, my friends are few and far between, and girls usually irritate me with their false promises and shrill giggles. My life is quickly deteriorating and having you and Deryn here has been wonderful, but now I fear that you are in my way. Daft prince, indeed.

A/N: Pretty please review! I want critique, I want to know what I'm doing right and what I need to work on. C'mon guys! Help me out here!