Chapter 7: Falling Out

A/N: Hey guys, long time no see. I know many of you are pretty upset I haven't updated this in four years. To be honest, I don't know how often I'll work on this but for the time being I decided to pump out some chapters for old time sake.

Meia sat quietly, her eyes darting from one screen to another in rampant succession. It had been hours since she surfaced topside. As far as anyone was concerned she was down in the bowels of the ship performing inventory though that couldn't farther from the truth.

It had been close to a year since they had been attacked by anything other than pirates. Even so, the Nirvana had gained a reputation for being an unmatched vessel among the stars. So why now out of the blue were they blindsided? In the commotion, no one seemed to realize they were taken by utter surprise. After finding Dita it seemed as though they were seemingly left alone. Something wasn't adding up, she was sure of it.

In frustration she found herself slamming her fists against the control panel. Nothing in the ship's logs were helping her decipher this mystery. No reports or scans of the enemy ships. Everything was wiped clean.

With a hefty sigh she buried her face into her hands.

"I have a bad feeling about this," she whispered to herself.

Peering through her fingertips she scanned the screens before her, their glow casting an eerie glow across the darkened room.

How did they not see the attack coming? How did they find Dita? This couldn't be a coincidence.

Calling it quits she rose from her chair and headed for the door only to feel a subtle uneasiness arise.

Then it hit her.

They weren't blindsided.

They were let in.


Barnette stirred awake only to find herself staring at the ceiling. Lifting her arm a solid pain shot through her aching body causing a painful gasp to slip through her lips. Before a single thought could form a delicate hand touched hers. Glancing to the side, her vision focused on a pair of green eyes staring with a glare of concern.

"How are you feeling?"

She sighed, "How long was I out?"

Jura frowned as she brushed a long strand of blonde hair behind an ear, "Long enough. You hit the ground pretty hard. That's what you get for working yourself up. It can't be helped."

Barnette lifted herself to an elbow ignoring Jura's plea to the contrary. Whatever had happened, a simple fall couldn't be blamed for her body feeling as though it had been plowed by a freighter. Everything hurt. Even the light in the room stung her eyes.

"I should get back to duty," she said as she attempted to shun the memories of her dream into the darkest crevices of her mind. There was simply no use in trying to explain to anyone of what she saw or heard. As far as the universe was concerned, it was only a dream.

Jura placed a firm hand against Barnette's chest preventing her from rising: "You're not going anywhere. I think it's obvious you need time to rest."

Slapping her hand away, Barnette rose off the cot and onto her feet. However, upon standing she could feel a sudden weakness stab at her legs.

"What is your problem?" Jura said with a shout, "Why can't I help you? Just for once?"

Barnette stood frozen feeling a pang of anger rising in her gut, knuckles whitening as they curled into tight fists.

Finally she found the words, "You don't get it, do you?"

Jura stood transfixed.

"No," she replied, her green eyes narrowing with smoldering rage. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

"You want to know something else that's obvious? How about our relationship? Is that ringing any bells in that head of yours?"

If looks could kill she would surely be dead.

"You honestly think I haven't gotten the hint?" Jura said heatedly, "You don't think for one moment I haven't realized how far away from me you've gotten?"

Barnette felt her stomach rock, "Then why are you still here?"

"Because unlike you, a spoiled brat, I actually never stopped appreciating you."

Silence deafened the room. She could feel herself standing upon the precipice of gaping wide chasm. Any moment she would be blown off the edge and into oblivion. There was a chance to salvage everything but did she even want to? In her chaotic mind was there even a relationship to go back to? All there was left was a hollow shell. A shell she had grown out of.

In her mind, she lifted a foot into the abyss.

"I don't love you anymore."

She waited for the explosion, the moment of impact. If Jura struck her, she deserved it and she would live with it. However, it didn't come.

A soft whimper broke the silence.

"I know you don't."

Barnette felt her mind go blank.

"I knew a long time ago you stopped loving me," Jura said in a trembling voice, "I knew it. A part of me didn't want to believe it. Everyone told me and I ignored them."

Barnette felt the blood drain from her face.

Everyone knew about her and Hibiki?

Turning around, Barnette could only stare as Jura slowly lowered to her knees. Her green eyes wet with a tangible sorrow she couldn't describe. The blonde haired woman gazed up at her, chin quivering in desperate attempts to swallow her anguish.

The anguish she caused.

"Did you sleep with him?"

Without a word, Barnette turned and walked from the room leaving behind her past. The hall echoed with a cry of agony giving her one final souvenir of love abandoned.