Yay reviews :)))))

I apologize for the delay but still thank everyone who reviewed.

And yes it's free to make an account on here.

This was a difficult chapter for me not only in how detailed it is, but how I wanted to get the story really moving. Plus dialogue placement was difficult, especially for Neil he's such a complex character sometimes it hard to tell how he will act and speak. Of course, that's what makes his character so much fun to write too.

As always enjoy :D

Stalagmites and stalactites emerged from the cave floor and ceiling that stretched into rough, jagged points. With each pass the farmer and the animal dealer made, Kat swore the points were like reaching fingers. Fingers with claws that would pull her back into the darkness where she belongs. She had to keep reminding herself she wasn't dreaming, after all Neil was here.

Water dripped somewhere in the darkness and Kat was afraid she might accidentally step into a larger pool of water. She didn't know much about caves except for their darkness and their uncertainty. She never ventured in to cave before and she didn't have the desire to do so again. So to avoid stepping into a pond of water or hole or running into anything for that matter she kept uncomfortably close to Neil's side. Every so often the sleeves of their clothes would brush against each other. If Neil noticed he didn't mention it.

"Do you even know a way out of here?" Kat asked demeaningly, she doubted Neil or anyone else for that matter even knew that the floor of the mine had a massive cave beneath it let alone knew the way out of it. And she was exhausted, so exhausted she didn't care that was she was snapping at the animal dealer.

"Of course," Neil's eyes were darting left then right deciding which route to take. It's been awhile but he remembered the way. He paused, beamed the light to the left and headed off into that direction.

Kat quickly veered with him and scowled at his abrupt change in direction. With arms crossed she asked, "And how do you know?"

"I used to live here." He said it so low that Kat had to strain her ears to hear him. "and work here."

Kat almost stumbled over a rock at his statement, confusion rolled around her head. She uncrossed her arms and wrapped arms around her shoulders as if to keep the cold from seeping into her bones, the wound on her shoulder was starting to dry. She must have heard him wrong, "What?"

Neil grimaced, it wasn't a total lie. He did manage to make a small home for himself before his brick house was built. This was after all the place that Dunhill found him. Small, cold, and dirty. He shuddered at the memory. But he didn't say anything else.

When Kat noticed he was going to comment, she didn't press him. Instead she asked him a different question. "Worked here?" Water was dripping at a faster rate than before, a drop fell onto Kat's nose and fell to the floor. She noticed her boots were sloshing in water as if she was walking in a puddle. She looked down and in fact she was. "You sure you know where you're going?"

"Yes Kat," He bit out in annoyance. After a moment Kat was no longer sloshing through water but now she was standing on ledge with a railing to the side. She instantly backed away afraid she might fall. Neil abruptly stopped and turned the light towards the ceiling. "You know why they call this Echo Village?" Neil's eyes were directed upwards his eyes searching for something.

With a shake of her head she uttered a, "No." Her eyes traveled over Neil's features watching as his roamed over the ceiling, "No, not really."

"Back in the day this village used to be so...animated." He whispered as if he was thinking of the past. He paused then directed his gaze back at her. This was the first time that she had a normal conversation with him, so far they hadn't said one insult. She knew it wouldn't last. "Do you know why?" Kat shook her head as sleep threaten to take over, the only thing keeping her awake was Neil's normalcy and his voice. "Yell something," he suggested, when Kat offered him a puzzled look he rolled his eyes, "anything."

With a mischievous grin she looked over the ravine, took a deep breath and shouted, "NEIL SUCKS!" The words echoed off the cave wall till they faded after a few moments. A triumphant smile was plastered over Kat's face as she tried to stifle a giggle

When she looked back at Neil he was looking at her as if he was trying to figure her out. "Mature." Kat's smile dropped, "real mature."

Kat shrugged, "I thought it was funny."

After a moment a small smile broke across Neil's face then he shook his head. "Anyway, look up." At the same time he shone the light back to the ceiling. At that moment the light caught on the flashlight and something like glass glittered and sparkled illuminating the area and cave walls as if water was dancing all round them. "Dunhill used to use different color lights." Kat could only stare in awe, "something in the vibrations from the sound waves cause some sort of material to shift and shimmer." He faced her then, "this is what Echo Village is known for. Dunhill says it's the sprites dancing or something."

Kat didn't understand the mechanics of it as she stood there with her mouth shaped in an 'O'. Then a thought occurred to her, "you lived and worked here?"

Like shadow falling over the land Neil's face fell. All repose gone, she watched as he mashed his teeth together and like that all courteousness dissipated. His eyebrows drew together in a deep 'V'. "Hurry up," he snarled, "or I'm going to leave you here." He whirled around not bothering to see if she was following him

Every so often Neil would glance in the farmer's direction to make sure she was following along. She of course was, but a little too closely for that matter. He noticed the way the farmer held her wrist close to her body, limp and bent at an awkward angle. Then his eyes would settle on her chest, but then he would look away just as quickly. He can't believe he got somewhat to second base.

"Hey," she startled him from his thoughts but kept trudging forward, "you're the one that paused for that little demonstration, if anyone needs to," she yawned, "...hurry up. It's you." Since Kat wasn't looking where she was going her nose collided with shoulder, she almost fell completely on her butt; however Neil's hand shot out. He grabbed her bad arm, by the forearm, and hauled her to her feet.

Normally he would have lashed out and told her to, 'quit being a clumsy idiot.' But it was late and he was tired. He usually had a lot more energy regardless of the time of day. However, with trying to keep his business from going under, the stress and the work was both a little excessive and exhausting. Neil looked down at where his hand was, still clutching her forearm. His eyes traveled the length of her arm till he they landed on her wrist. With a sigh, he gestured to two boulders, "It's broken."

"Huh?" He was guiding her over towards the boulders regardless of how unaware she was of the situation. He sat her down and handed her the flashlight.

"Here" She took it without hesitation, "shine the light on your wrist. Got any branches?" Cutely, like a puppy Kat cocked her head to the side, Neil sighed once more. "I know you collect those damn things every day."

Without consent he rummaged around in her rucksack till he found two think branches. "How do you know what I collect?" Kat asked playfully trying to get rouse out of him. It was so unlike him to act so calm.

Neil ignored her while she held out her wrist. With tender and careful fingers he brushed over the inside of her wrist. Feeling the swollen and broken bits, he applied pressured just below her palm and he didn't miss the hiss of pain the expelled from between her lips. "Definitely broken." He placed the two branches near his feet while he probed her wrist further.

"You know a thing about broken bones?" She looked up from hooded eyes, she noticed the way his hands slightly tighten that the pain was faint but still there. His eyes didn't meet hers as he paused and his eyes furrowed. Then the moment was gone, his hands moved to the ends of his shirt tearing at the bottom. "Your shirt," Kat said appalled that he was ruining it but he only gave her look as if to say, 'are you fucking serious, it's a shirt, you idiot'.

He bent over, placed a branch on one side of her wrist followed by the other. He began using the long, strands of his torn shirt to tie the sticks together. "Did your dad break your bones?" Kat wasn't asking meanly she was genuinely curious. Again he paused and his eyes slide over her body.

"Shut up," he snarled as he wound the fabric around her wrist.

"Is that why you lived here?" She noticed how he tighten the knot a little too tightly, "cause he broke your bones?"

"I said shut up Kat." He finished tying knot with a final, forceful tug and stood.

Kat looked at his handy work marveling how it looked like a splint, she shrugged supposed it would have to do before she went to the clinic. "Thanks"

"I didn't do it for you"

He ripped the flashlight from her hands, "then why?"

He spat to the side, "If you're injured how the hell how are you going to fix up the town."

Oh, she looked down at her wrist forlornly realizing everything he did was for the town or in some way his own benefit. Without so much of a glance he turned around and started heading in the opposite direction.

Scrambling to her feet she jogged next to him. "So did he?"

The only response she got was a muscle feathering on the side of Neil's jaw.

"Did he break your bones?" She elaborated.

He groaned, "You're not going to let this go are you?"

"Why don't you want to talk about it?" He groaned again, aggravated the she answered his question with a question.

He whirled around on her and like in the forest he used his forearm to pin her to the wall. "Why do you want to talk about it?" He seethed, "do you get some sick pleasure out of other's pain?" He leaned his forearm against her throat for emphasis, not enough to her hurt her but enough to get the point across. He did not want to go there.

Her eyebrows rose as if unfazed by him, unfazed by his hostility and rudeness. "No," she shrugged, "I just want to understand." She was beyond tired, she could feel her eyes drooping shut.

He pressed deeper into her throat, trying to wake her up, "why? Why do you have to know?" They stared at each other for a long moment before Kat shrugged. In truth, she didn't know why she had to know. Maybe so once she understood him they could get along. But she has feeling she tried that once and it didn't work out.

Before giving her a final shovel, he whirled around again and kept walking. She caught up to him again, "my mother," she began and she saw the way he rolled his eyes, "beat me." He stopped walking and finally looked at her. "I don't think, she broke any bones," she was going on nonchalantly, "but there were some scars."

He aimed the light at her wrists, "are those from your mother?" Kat's head whipped downward almost embarrassed as she tried covering up her wrist.

"Um no." She looked away not wanting to explain those scars to him. They kept walking and both of them were quiet for a moment.

Surprisingly Neil was the first to break the silence, "you're lying." Kat almost stopped and tripped over herself but she kept in pace with him.

Her voice for once sounded dangerous and angry, "I' am not lying." They came to abrupt stop when Neil noticed a pile of boulders blocking his path, he aimed the light upwards noticing there exist was blocked, he cursed.

"No one can talk so openly about something so traumatic." He aimed the light left then right, he was going have to find an alternative route but there was only so many.

Kat crossed her arms careful not to joust her arms around too much. "Just because you can't, doesn't mean I can't."

"Yeah and how's that?"

"Because she's dead."

For the umpteenth time that night he shone the light at her chest illuminating her features. Nothing in her facial expression or body posture insinuated she was lying. She didn't even look remorseful or happy about it. Just a calm acceptance. "You're full of shit, you know that?" Although Neil knew she wasn't lying he couldn't think of anything better to say. He wasn't always good with words and he wasn't inclined to say the typical 'I'm sorry' because he felt he didn't do the meaning justice. Those two words couldn't change the past nor make it better in the future, so he found it pointless.

She bit lip and her eyes blazed with anger. Something that Neil knew would get a reaction out of her. For some reason he like that. "I' am not lying." She couldn't believe this. That of all people he would react just as cruelly about the subject as if nothing ever bothered or affected him. She noticed the way he shook his head in denial, she wasn't sure if he didn't believe her words or what happened to her actually occurred.

The animal dealer was on the move, either done with this conversation or done with her. She tried catching up to him and went to reach for his elbow but he shrugged off. "Why are you like this?"

He kept trudging forward his lips set in a firm line, desperately trying to find the quickest way out of this mine. But the farmer was reaching for him again, "why are you such an asshole?" And again, he wrenched his arm away.

"Why do you push people away? Why the walls?" This time with her hands inches from his elbow he lashed out roughly with his hand. Shoving the farmer so hard she fell backwards and landed on her bottom.

He didn't even try to hide his anger as he shone the light on her, "You're one to talk." He took a step towards her. "What are you trying to hide, huh? Kat?" Another step, "You never talk to anyone. You don't visit anyone!"

Kat started backing up till she hit the rock wall behind her, the stones biting into middle of her back. Although he loomed over her with dominance and rage, Kat stood her ground. She locked eyes with his and stuck out her chin. "It's like nothing ever touches you." She spoke softly causing Neil's eyebrows to shoot up, "you don't care about anything or anybody, and you just keep pushing people away, why?" He bent down to one knee, holding the flashlight downwards so the light only illuminated their faces.

"There was a puppy." He was looking her straight in her eyes watching as confusion crossed her features. He could see that she had no idea where he was going with his so he kept going. "I was probably ten."

"Why are you-?"

"Shut up!" He curled his fingers around the flashlight till his knuckles turned white that he was sure he was going to crack the glass. "You wanted to know why, you going to shut up and know the fuck why," he seethed. "One of its legs was broken." Like a reflex Kat quickly glance down at her wrist then back at Neil's eyes. "Nothing serious, I fixed it up and in a few weeks it was walking again. Following me around like it was my own personal shadow." A cruel grin spread across face. "Then my father found it. He took the dog by the collar and examined it, telling me to make it compliant and it was mine. So I did and a year later it was." Kat was listening intently still not understanding what this had to do with walls or why he kept pushing people away. "Then my father found us."

Neil remembered the stench of alcohol on his father's breath. The way he swayed back and forth as he burst from the house. He could hear his mum weeping in the background, as he stood huddle behind the dog's raised hackles. Neil spent most of his time in the woods with his dog named ironically Shadow. Whenever he heard his father calling for his name, he and Shadow would dash towards the woods till the drunk gave up and returned home, passed out. However when his father sometimes got too close Shadow would bare his teeth and snarl ready to protect his best friend at any cost. Neil would pat the dog's shoulder blade and coax him further into the woods till his father went away.

However, one day his father's persistence paid off. Neil wasn't sure if he had enough of abusing his mother or was just simply bored of his only play thing. Where are ya, boy? His voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

"He took a swig of something and asked if I trained the dog. Naive as I was I showed him." A bitter yet sad smile spread further on his face. "The dog could roll over, sit, shake all the works. Then my father threw down the bottle shattering glass everywhere. He told me I didn't train it to obey. I trained it wrong; without force but with love." Neil swallowed hard; Kat noticed how his Adam's apple bobbed. "Long story short, he said the dog was worthless and that's when I noticed the gun. Drunk out of his mind he aimed the gun on me by mistake...at least I think it was a mistake. Anyway Shadow lunged, deflecting the blow. The bullet missed me but now Shadow."

"Neil," Kat gulped, "I'm so so…"

"Don't tell me you're sorry!" He was breathing heavy as if trying to reign in his anger. "I learned something," he shook his head and bit out a bitter laugh, "love always fades and dies no matter how hard you try to nurture it. Nothing lasts forever and when it does end it hurts like a bitch, kitten." He smiled cruelly as if still lost in thought. Then abruptly stood, staring down at Kat waiting for comment. "Satisfied?"

Did he really expect her to happy about this little story he told her. If anything she was stunned. She couldn't believe this was his whole belief system on life. It was somewhat similar to hers but nowhere close. She had feeling there was more to it than that. And any hope of building a friendship was lost on her. The way he carried himself told her that he didn't want anything do with anyone because eventually they would let him down in the end.

She stood, brushed herself off and held her gaze. And went for something that got him angrier. Anything was better than that flicker of sadness she saw flash in his eyes. "You need to let it go." She saw rage first so she quickly added, "I don't mean to forget, but move on. For you. Sure, I understand but just one tragic instance shouldn't dictate your whole outlook on life." She saw it before he said anything. Anger flashed in his eyes as they smoldered and simmered. His brow furrows and his fist clenched.

"Let it go? Your one to talk? Walking around here like you're barely conscious. Is that what you did? Moved on from your mother? Because you have a funny way of 'moving on."

Ugh with each sentence anger sparked within her. It was like the two couldn't get enough of baiting the other. To see who could get a rouse first.

She inhaled deeply trying to calm her anger. "Of course I moved on from that. I'm the one that ended it."

Raw shock displayed across Neil's face. It would have been funny if not how serious she was about the whole ordeal. Every time he got that look it struck her as funny. A lot of things he did made her laugh, but right now she wasn't laughing. He narrowed his eyes.

A cruel smile spread across her face. If she was going to be rejected and treated like a monster. She might as well act one. No matter where she went or how badly she tried to prevent it, death would follow.

"Long story short, I was seven found my mom's lighter and before I knew the house was on fire. With her in it." She shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal, but every now and then guilt gnawed at her insides.

Still with that stunned expression on his face she added, "Is that what you wanted to hear? You're making me out to be this horrible person and guess what? You're right I'm a killer." She threw up her hands in exasperation.

She remembered how the firefighters tried putting out the fire and others were trying to calm her hysterics. But she kept repeating in her head that 'it was over.' It was a bittersweet moment.

Neil shoved his hands in his pockets unsure how to comment on that, "a killer nah? An ignorant child? Maybe." She could tell that he thought she was innocent. "Then you haven't moved on." It wasn't a question. And horror dawned on her as he figured it out. "Or you have moved on and you haven't moved on from something else." He gestured towards her scars. "You said those weren't from your mother."

Kat bit her lip. She moved on a long time ago. With her mother it was easy she didn't love her mother. It's different when you love someone with all of your heart and soul. Of course she couldn't move on from that. She relived the day each night in her dreams. It was impossible to move on.

Kat walked right past him, "I think I had enough sharing for one day." It was like someone took a knife and twisted it inside his gut. She didn't even give two shits to what he said even though he practically laid it out there for her. Only a few people knew this story. The way she abruptly told her sad little tale, made him snort in disgust. Probably a lie. If she moved on she wouldn't act so mopey all the time at least he didn't walk around asking for the attention.

At least this was the same story he told Emma who conveniently told Dunhill after he found him in this hellhole. It wasn't the hardest of stories to tell people, but all the same he kept it to himself. He didn't want or need their pity. People didn't know how dark or how far his father went for absolute control and obedience in his family. Neil internally shuddered, and they would never know.

There was more to behind Kat's story and that could affect the whole 'town restoration' process or worst his business.

He grabbed her by the elbow and turned her around forcing her back against the wall, "I just laid my guts out for you and now you're telling to me to piss off." His gripped tighten.

She rolled her eyes left, "not in those words."

He shook her, "quit playing games, Kat. Bet you don't give two shits about this town do you? The hell are you doing here, you don't care about Hana, about the villagers, about us. Why are you really here, Kat?" Then a thought occurred to him. "Why did you say you should have died?"

Slowly she raised her head, "let me go, Neil or I'll…"

He smiled, "you'll what?"

In a blink, she had him over her shoulder and on the ground. His back landed on the ground with a loud thud, she couldn't help the pleased look that spread across her face at Neil's stunned expression. He grunted, "You have some moves."

She pinned her knee on his chest, "I do care about this town, about Hana, all of them." She leaned down, "its because I care so damn much that I push'em away."

She eased off him, letting him get back on his feet. With a snort, he pushed himself back to his feet. "Fine." He turned around, ready to trudge out of this cave and find the surface. "The sooner I'm away from you; I have a less chance of being killed by you."

That stung and Neil saw it. Good. He wanted her feel just as shitty as he felt. No way was he walking out of here feeling like shit while she feels so pleased at so-called 'moving on'. Moving on, my ass.

He could of sworn she muttered a 'its for the best.' But he wasn't sure.

"So where did you learn to fight?" Kat was surprised that he was still talking to her. She thought he was done with her. After all, now that he knew she was sure he would keep his distance. But she guessed she was wrong.

"My dad."

"Nothing to do with the fact that all that farm work has made your body leaner?"

Kat paused, surprised and a little embarrassed that he was looking at her body that way. She discarded the thought; nobody would want or could love a murderer. So she shrugged, "sure."

The two trudged on, Kat felt like she was just going deeper and deeper to nowhere. She couldn't believe how vast this place was. Once in a while a flock of bats would screech over head where she would instantly grab Neil's arm. He probably thought killers shouldn't be afraid of anything.

"Didn't learn to fight in prison?" She didn't know if he meant it as a joke or to be mean. She took the latter.

"Never been." It was true she never went jail on her mother or lover. In both cases she was ruled out innocent and the whole situation was an accident. Unfortunately that's not how she saw it and neither did the other residents at her previous town. "Why are you even talking to me?" She was genuinely curious; she figured he extremely loathed her by now and that he was done with her. And for the fact that he was talking to her at all was surprising. He wasn't a man of many words.

"Because you about to fall the fuck over," he snarled, "and I don't feel like carrying back, a fatass."

She had nothing to add. She was tired, not only physically but emotionally. She was done fighting with him.

A deafening roar started filling her ears with each step she took. She could have sworn it was a monster. "Neil? What is that?" It sounded like something was crashing repeatedly on a hard surface. Like water.

He aimed the flashlight to his right. There she saw a river. Moving swift and fierce. White overlapped black waves as they smacked against rocks and the cave walls. "All part of the amusement."

Kat offered a questioning look, he sighed. "Besides the whole light show. We had animal rides, waters rides at Echo Village."

"So is this what you meant by working here?" He nodded, "so before you became an animal dealer this was your job?" She was incredulous, she couldn't see Neil putting up with little kids and parading them around an animal's back. She just couldn't believe how deep his love for animals went.

"So was it after you Dad killed Shadow that you decided to live here?" They passed a rickety, worn-out railing as they stepped over jagged rocks. She noticed they were walking on worn-out beaten path.

A growl emanated from Neil's throat. "Why do you freaking care?" There seemed to be no boundaries to Kat. She would say whatever she wanted regardless if it stung the person.

"Answering my question with question, how cute." She did it to mock him but for the thousandth time he stopped and whirled around.

"No, you know what? Why did you say 'you should have I died, huh kitten?"

She gulped, "why do you freaking care?"

He stepped towards her watching as emotion rolled across her face. "Because I prefer a non-suicidal farmer." He took another step towards her, "answer the question, kitten."

She took another step back. She could perfectly defend herself if she had to. And she didn't have to tell Neil anything. "None of your business," she jutted out her chin defiantly.

She saw the way he reached for her and she reacted. But Neil reacted faster; he grabbed her by the broken wrist and twisted her arm behind her back, pushing her against the railing.

"No more beating around the bush, kitten. Answer me."

"Quit calling me that," only her lover was allowed to call her that no one else.

"Oh excuse me, Kat."

"That's not even my full name." She felt him pause and used his hesitation she sweep his feet from underneath him. She examined her wrist making sure it wasn't further damaged. He was right about one thing, if she couldn't use her arms she couldn't work. And no work meant no distraction from her dark thoughts.

He was quick, he was already on his feet by the time she was done checking her wrist. "You play dirty," She held up both fists, despite her injuries, close to her face.

He spat to the floor, "so do you." She was unsure if he was referring to the whole reveal-my-story-and-you-shit- on-it part or something else entirely. A small grin spread across his feature, "who knew you were so feisty, killer." She charged, angry to be called that.

"Don't call me that!" She pushed him into the railing, hearing something crack. But she ignored it.

He deflected the blow, "oh and what should I call you, kitten." He went for an uppercut, but like him she dodged it.

"Katrina," she went for him again, "Katrina Frey."

They went at it like this for several minutes, she heard him mutter 'pretty', before he had her pinned against the railing, again with his forearm leaning deep into her throat. She noticed the way he never aimed a direct hit at her body, as if he was letting her let loose all of that pent-up anger, hostility, and sadness. "Now," he pressed his body closer against hers, "why do you want to die?"

"You wouldn't-"

Everything snapped. The railing, the wood, her wrist. She was falling, back-first into the river. Pain shot up her arm again as her wrist broke further. She saw the alarm spread across Neil's face when her body hit the water. Before she knew it the waves were crashing over her head and her body was getting pushed and turned around that she didn't know which way she was going.

Something hard and sharp smashed into the back of her head. A rock. And she felt herself falling deeper into the darkness than ever before.

As always, R&R

Thank you

:)