DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN WINX CLUB.

First of all...

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018!

MAY THIS YEAR BRING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TONS OF HAPPINESS :)

Second of all...

Thank you so much for the kind reviews! :D They made my day! I got 20 new reviews after I updated recently! Thank you! I hope I can answer ALL of your questions in this chapter. If not, you know what to do ;) Ask away again :)

Third of all...

Okay, if you guys have been following my latest updates, then you'll know that I published a new story yesterday called "Mistaken Identity". And you'll also know that I deleted it. There are three reasons for that:

1. I didn't like the way I wrote it especially compared to my other fics. I didn't feel that good about it and I don't think many people enjoyed it either.

2. I didn't have a concrete plot going for it. Normally, I try to at least roughly think what the next part is going to be so I don't write random chapters. But I didn't have time to do that for this one. I just had an idea and I wrote it.

3. This is the most ridiculous reason of all. I received 4 reviews in total. One of the reviews was from a guest reviewer. He/she accused me of stealing their idea of a story from private messaging. I'm really hurt by that because I only discuss about story plots with ONE author and she's from another FanFiction cartoon. It was ridiculous because I certainly didn't get that idea from anywhere except brainstorming. I definitely don't expect sunshine reviews. I want constructive animadversions, but hearing outright baseless accusations is ridiculous.

Now that story is deleted, but to all of the kind, kind reviewers who have been soooooooooooooooooooooo sweet and loyal, I'll come back with a better one :)

And

Fourth of all...

I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

~ The Next Day - 8:00 AM ~

Stella sleepily yawned as she stepped out into the living room. She rubbed her eyes lazily when she suddenly stumbled over her footing. Regaining her balance, she walked over to the couches and wasn't surprised to see Brandon already showered. Bless the daily manners of this boy.

"Good morning, princess," he enthusiastically greeted her.

Stella looked at him weirdly. "Um good morning, prince." He chuckled. "Breakfast?"

"...Are you high?" she asked him dumbly. This sudden generosity of his is so out of place on him. Especially when he literally dragged her around like a ragged doll and threw her in his car just yesterday evening.

"I don't want you think that I'm a tyrant or anything. I used to be like this..." he trailed off at the end with a small frown that did not escape Stella's notice. Used to be? Why not now? She'd appreciate it if he can stop sending cryptographic messages her way. Shrugging it off, Stella lay down on the couch again and closed her eyes.

"If you're so sleepy, why bother waking up?" he snickered with a smirk. Maybe she spoke too soon. Modesty just wasn't in his blood. The 'I'm a good boy' face was gone and "I'm a total time arrogant airhead" face took its place.

"I don't know...I was up thinking last night, I guess?" Stella answered as she faced the ceiling. She placed an arm underneath her head and a hand on her waist, the fingers tapping slightly against it.

"About?" he pressed.

"Princeton," Stella answered. His lips parted into a small 'oh' as understanding dawned in his eyes. He sort of understood why she felt apprehensive. But to be honest, he genuinely thought that college will be good to her. It's a way to forget all of this and maybe just...move on. Life is too short to stop at one point. There's still so much to explore. So many unknown places to travel. So much of life she has yet to experience...so many memories to create...

And he wanted to help her. He's through with seeing Stella so upset at the mention of every trivial thing. Change will be good for her. He'll make it so.

"There's nothing to think about, you know. How long are you going to stay like this?" he prodded. "The only way to move on...is really move on."

Stella turned to him as he finished. Sometimes...he acted like he genuinely cared. While other times he could really be a dipshit.

"You're probably right," she murmured wistfully. Raising herself, she stood up and lightly stretched. "Well, if that's the case, I need to book myself a ticket to LA. Can I use your laptop?"

"Already booked. We have a flight in four hours. Get ready," he smirked as he picked up today's newspaper from the small table in front of him.

"EXCUSE ME?!" Stella screamed half out of shock and half out of...of whatever.

"What part of 'we have a flight in four hours' didn't you understand? Go inside and get ready," he calmly spoke as he turned a page. Stella's eyes flashed with shock once more. Frustrated at his nonchalant attitude, she snatched the newspaper from his hands.

"Why would you book for me without my knowledge?!" she half-yelled as she rolled up the newspaper and began to hit him.

"Ow! Hey!" he glared as he dodged her hits. "This is what I get for being a nice, normal guy?! Stell-!"

"This isn't called being nice! This is called going too far!" she growled as she hit him with the crumpled newspaper wherever she could.

"Stella, I would stop if I were you," his lips slowly formed into his traditional smirk. God, that smirk. She wanted to slap it right off his face.

"NO. You're going to cancel MY ticket. And I'll pay for myself, thank you VERY much!"

"I don't take money from a girl, thank you," he replied as he stood up. He grasped her flailing arms and grabbed her to him. Her face flushed at the proximity. He searched her eyes for a moment and all he could see was anger mixed with shock. Her hair was wild, but her face was still radiant despite waking up just a few minutes ago. Her face was makeup-free, unlike many girls he knew. Who can find a girl these days without a paint of makeup on her face? (NOTE: This is definitely not meant to offend ANYONE. Makeup is a woman's personal choice. I prefer to roam literally makeup free. So that's my take on it, so please don't be offended.)

Stella was definitely beautiful, he'll give her that. "If I spent on you, it means that it was my choice. Get over it," he said.

"It's my choice whether to accept the money or not, okay?! Sheesh!"

His eyes found themselves being suddenly attracted to her piercing light brown ones. He instantly looked away and pushed her away slightly. What the hell? he thought to himself. What was happening to him? He felt an attraction every time they got close to each other. "Just get dressed and eat something. It'll be a long flight," he incoherently mumbled. He let her go and turned on his heel, leaving Stella confused.

As he walked away, his features were flawed by a frown. Why was he unable to speak just a few moments ago? He felt as if...as if...he wanted to gaze into her eyes forever. They were a smoldering dark honey...ones that he easily got drowned in. "Stella needs to get out of here," he whispered to himself. He didn't understand nor did he like the mixed feelings he felt at the moment. He promised himself that he would never be attracted to another woman again. He made a mistake of that once and paid the price painfully.

"Brandon?"

He stopped in his tracks when he heard her soft voice. Unable to resist, he turned around to face her. She looked worried. "Are you okay?" she asked. He suppressed the urge to smile. Stella...always so worried about people even if they're mean to her. "I'm fine," he genuinely smiled. She seemed taken aback by his smile. He was surprised too at how natural that felt. A moment later, she nodded before heading back to her room. He followed her retreating figure with his eyes. Her long hair bounced behind her as she left.

What the hell is happening to me? He sighed as he turned around. He frowned. Again. No, he can't be attracted to this girl. She's nothing but a complete airhead. Most of all, a total misfit. Right?

No...she isn't, his subconscious answered for him. You know that.

"Stop that!" he whispered imagining a subconscious devil sitting on his shoulder.

But you know it's true. You're attracted to your wife.

"Wife? She's not my wife!" he berated stubbornly. "Great. Now I'm talking to myself."

Wife...Stella is legally his...wife. He chose to ignore it instead of acknowledging it. They both made the choice together. Pretend their so-called forced marriage was nonexistent. It was easier to deal with. Just pretend that your problems didn't exist in the first place. But the truth remained. Stella Solaria didn't exist anymore. Stella Solaria became Stella Shields from the moment they kissed.

The kiss...Brandon touched his lips unconsciously. He won't ever admit this to anyone, especially her, but there were no words to describe how awestruck he was when she glided down the aisle in her wedding dress. He found it hard to admit that even to himself. She was beyond gorgeous. But the only he didn't end up smiling because there was an invisible frown embedded into her face. It was only visible to him. Of course she's not happy here. Why was he desperate to get Stella to stay here? They barely talked in the last few months except for a few therapy one-sentence sessions. So why was he so bothered? So displeased at the news of her departure? That's the reason he's going to LA himself. To make sure that she gets her butt back here again. Getting his things was just an excuse. An excuse that somehow so conveniently worked out. He sighed.

This was gonna be a long flight...

~ John F. Kennedy Airport - 12:30 PM ~

Stella's knees shook as the plane got on the runway. She shut her eyes tightly as she wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Uh, you okay?"

She opened her eyes to see Brandon weirdly staring at her. "Um. I don't like the taking off and landing sequences. They make me queasy." She frowned when the plane picked up speed.

"Stella, relax. It's going to be fine," he smirked.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who feels like puking!" she retorted.

He raised his hands in surrender. "I was trying to help. No need to get all testy," he smirked. Ignoring him, she closed her eyes tightly. This was another reason she hated travelling by air. She felt airsick even though she was careful to not eat anything since morning.

Is this the only reason I feel sick? Stella frowned.

No. It isn't.

She didn't even know why she's going back. Getting her clothes and other was just an excuse. With the amount spent for this flight ticket, she can buy a whole new wardrobe.

But...she wanted to go back just once more. To pay her final respects to her late parents. This was the first time she's going home where she'll be greeted by a cold, desolate home. It wasn't even a home anymore. It's just a...shelter. That's all. After today, she'll probably never set foot in that house again. Her wounds started to open up slowly closely. The walls she had built over the past two months carefully and slowly started to crumble. Her face turned into a frown.

Time to face the music...

~ Stella's House, Los Angeles, California - Local Time - 5:00 PM ~

Stella's eyes glistened as she fumbled with her keys. She tried to insert the keys into the lock, but they didn't fit. Her vision grew blurry as she forcefully tried to insert it in. "Why isn't this working?!" she nearly cried out of frustration.

Brandon's eyes softened. "Here. Let me," he placed a hand on top of hers.

"No. I got this. I can open a lock!" she pushed him away as she tried to open the front door. She rubbed her eyes when her vision faded. No. She promised herself that she wouldn't cry.

"Stella, stop," Brandon said firmly. He grabbed her arm. "Let me go!" she snapped as she pushed him away.

"Stella, let me open the door," his gentle voice pressed on. She shook her head as tears streamed down her face. "No, I can do it," her voice grew muffled as a lump grew in her throat. He held her arm again and tugged her towards him. He snatched the keys from her and quickly opened the door with one click.

"I told you I had it!" she said angrily with teary eyes.

He pushed her inside and locked the door behind him. "Did you? Because we've been stuck there since the past ten minutes," he snapped.

He regretted his tone immediately when she looked as if she's just been slapped. He took a step forward to apologize when she spoke. "Why are you mean to me?" her voice cracked. Tears continued to flow down her face. "Please just take your stuff and leave. I...I don't think I can come with you this time," she told him with a broken voice as she turned around. He sighed, ashamed of himself. He just hurt her again. And in the worst way possible. She wasn't done mourning and he snapped at her. Just thinking about how hurt her voice sounded...it made him feel like an all time low.

His jaw slightly clenched as she slowly walked away dully as if the life force of her body has been sucked right out of her. He needed to fix this. He was hurt by one woman before but why show his anger on everyone? Stella was not from his past. She's, in a forced way, his present and his future. She's his wife. Now, this may not be a mutual feeling but he did take a vow. While he can't promise to love her, he can protect her. Not only physically, but also from an emotional imbalance.

With four quick strides, he reached her. Stella's eyes widened as let out an audible gasp when she felt an arm around her shoulders and her midsection from behind. "I'm so sorry," he apologized with honesty and sincerity in his tone. "Why? So you can feel better? You'll just snap at me again," she cried. "What have I done to you that you're treating me like this?" her voice broke. He pulled her to his chest tightly. "Nothing, princess. Nothing. I'm taking my anger out on the wrong person. I'm the one behaving like a rotten jerk." Stella sniffled and stayed silent.

"I'll change. I swear I'll...never make you cry this way again. I want this to work, Stell. I want us to work," he said sincerely not knowing where the sudden love was coming from. He didn't care about his past anymore.

"We keep fighting, Brandon. There's no way to make anything work," she cried as he embraced her tightly from behind.

"Can you forget everything that has happened till now?" he asked. She stayed silent. She wanted to. She so badly wanted to forget this nightmare. But how can she...? She lost her home and her whole world in the blink of an eye. She sadly shook her head 'no'. This pain will always be a devastating part of her.

"...that's the same case with me. I'd rather not talk about it, but I've lost something that was a part of me. I can't forget about it and this is why I took it out on you." He continued, "That doesn't mean it's right. I'm not justifying myself nor am I right in berating you every day. I'm so sorry, Stell but...can we start over?"

She didn't say anything. Instead she simply reached up and held his arm which was wrapped around her shoulders from behind, giving him the answer he needed.

~ Stella's Home - 7:00 PM ~

"For someone who wanted us to start over, you sure go back on your own ways," Stella muttered as she flipped chicken patties on the stove. He smirked as he silently ate the food she prepared. He took a few more from her plate making her slap his arm.

"Brandon, I haven't eaten yet, you know! You're such a pig!" she yelled making him laugh.

"Stella, men need a lot of stamina, you know. We work every single day."

She rolled her eyes. "Really? For the past two months, I haven't seen you go out of your room."

"That's because I didn't want you to cry alone," he murmured. The smile from her face instantly disappeared and a frown came.

"You didn't go anywhere because of me?" she asked as she stopped and turned to him. He nodded silently as he went back to eating. Stella looked at him in slight awe. Her frown slowly dissipated. She knew she should be feeling guilty, but somehow...she felt warm and fuzzy inside. She never really thanked him for letting her stay during those months. She didn't think she had it in her to come back here. Without another word, she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around him. He stiffened slightly and relaxed a few seconds later.

"Thank you," she smiled against his buttoned shirt.

He'd hug her back but his hands are a bit full with his plate and a bottle of ketchup. "You're welcome. Now let go already. Those patties are about to ashen and I don't like burnt food."

She giggled and let him go. "So what's the plan for tomorrow?"

He thought for a moment. "We'll go to New Jersey. I think it's probably good if you got comfortable with the city before you start college."

She sighed. "Do we have to go? I think I'm getting a migraine from the travels." Stella rubbed her head and also her stomach. She felt sick, still not recovering from the flight's turbulence earlier. She suddenly lost her appetite even though the food looked scrumptious.

"Are you done yet?!" She asked annoyed at his eating habits.

"Give me the ones on the stove and I'll leave you alone after that."

She shook her head in bewilderment. "How are you not fat?!"

Brandon looked up and smirked. "It's called exercise and working out. You should try it once."

Stella blushed as he gestured to her figure. "No, I don't gain weight. I'm good, thanks."

He smirked. "You're right..." He set his plate aside and stood behind her, making her breath slightly hitch. She stopped when he wrapped a ghostly arm around her waist, touching yet not touching her. "Even though you are a pig once in a while, you sure do have a sexy figure," he spoke, his lips slightly brushing against her cheek.

Stella gasped, but she was soon blushing like a red tomato. She elbowed him and he laughed as he picked up his plate again. "Stop that!" she stammered as she continued blushing. He found her blush suddenly endearing, but she didn't have to know that.

"Stop what, princess? Are you mad that I called you a pig or that I called you sexy?" he smirked when she started blushing crimson again. "C-c-cut it out!" she stammered again as she looked everywhere else but him. His eyes, however, were glued to her face. It was astonishing how beautiful she was when she's truly happy. And to know that he just made a tiny bit happier made him feel as if he just achieved one of the greatest things in life. Maybe...he can finally let go. He can leave the very thing that has plagued his sleep for the past two years.

Maybe...with due time, he can accept another woman into his heart again.

He didn't bother hiding a fond smile as she started talking about something. He chose to just listen. Tonight...while it might be trivial to her, it will be one of the best nights in his life. Because to her, it was just another night. To him, it was more than 'another night'. It was the first step in forgetting his own heartbreak a few years ago. It was the first step in letting go. It was the first step in finally accepting the reality. His past...was no longer his present.

Because tonight...

He can finally let go.

Oh my gosh. Okay, I had difficulties in writing this chapter mainly because I have a feevvveeeerrrr **sing-song voice**

That's what I get for dancing in the snow since Christmas xD

Anyways...I hope you liked it.

I'll probably update another one next. Either "Maiden Belle" or "Destined To Meet". Once again, thank you in advance for the reviews (if I get any :P)!