"And because of that, I can't love you."


Tancred's storm that night rained that line. He'd held off the rain until he knew Emma's plane was out of the country, at least, then let it rip, releasing it like whole oceans where coming down at one time. Streets were flooding horribly.

His parents tried to talk to him through the door, but he did not listen, could not respond. He only sat on his mattress of his surprisingly calm room with his head pressed into it and tears, yes, tears, flowing from his eyes.


"And because of that, I can't love you."


But she did anyways. She loved Tancred with all her heart and soul and being, but couldn't put the pain of them of being such a long distance away. It tore her to shreds thinking about Tancred's face when she'd told him. He looked like a statue, still and lifeless. She couldn't take it, so she ran past him and to her home, where Julia and Paton were waiting. (A/N: Paton's going with them. I decided this because Ms. Jenni N. brought up a good point. We can't separate Julia and Paton! So it's turning out like this)

The cab was just pulling up as she arrived. Her aunt and soon-to-be uncle began loading their luggage into the cab. Everything else was getting sent to them at a later date.

The plane ride took a long time, but Emma didn't notice. She couldn't get Tancred off her mind. He was the only one she'd told about her sudden departure of the country. She hadn't even told Olivia or Jamie. What she couldn't believe was that everything had happened just the way she'd always hoped, but she'd just let it slip through her fingers. Tancred loved her. That was her biggest dream, for him to realize that. But now that she had, it only seemed like it was a nightmare, torturing her ruined spirit and cursing her.

Love.

I love Tancred Torsson.

She said this to herself as the plane rode through the sky. She'd done this many times before, but knowing how he felt about her in return made the words fit and completed Emma. They were the piece to the puzzle she'd always been missing.

The plane landed in an airport just outside of a city in Michigan (A/N: had to put my home state in there XD). Julia was moving her bookstore here and had rented out a building to do this, with a little apartment up on top, much like the one back where they'd lived before. Stepping inside, Emma thought it looked much like the one back there, too.

It was now Thursday. On Monday, Emma would start at the Fletcher School for the Fine Arts. Much like Bloor's, it took in endowed students. From what Emma was told by Paton, who had done much research on the school, there were only five other endowed, most of them Emma's age, maybe a year older or younger. All were on the same side, no fights between them. No drama to ensue.

Today was Thursday.

Yesterday was Wednesday.

On Wednesday Tancred had told her he loved her.

On Wednesday, she'd told him she couldn't love him back.

It took until Thursday for Emma to realize what she'd done.

It would take a lifetime to get over this decision.


"And because of that, I can't love you anymore"


It rung in their heads simultaneously for days as they sulked in their beds, ignoring the knocks on their doors and worries from their friends. They would come to on Monday, each deciding to pretend nothing had ever happened.


The school wasn't like Bloor's at all. It just seemed much more loose and free. There weren't capes forced onto the children's shoulders or even assigned rooms to eat meals. Also, it wasn't an overnight school. You came and went everyday. Emma found this as relief. Here, they didn't have the two hours of homework in the King's Room, but they had an hour of homeroom in a regular class, all six endowed together at the end of the day.

Emma anticipated this as she walked down the lively hall to her first class, a drawing class, which she could not find. She stopped in the middle of the hall to find some type of teacher to help her. Just as she'd done so, she began walking away, and she'd collided with someone and stumbled to the ground.

"I'm sorry." Said someone with the American accent she would never grow used to. She looked up and past the fluorescent lights that hung in the locker-lined hall and swore she was seeing Tancred. Quickly she stood up and looked closer. No, it wasn't him. Of course it wouldn't be him. But he did have a Tancred-like face and the same abnormally spiky hair. It was rather odd. "Um, are you new?" He asked when he became aware of her staring and the fact he hadn't seen her before. She was rather pretty.

"Yeah." She folded her sweatshirt covered arms across her chest, hoping he didn't notice much of the other injuries. The most serious ones were hidden in the sweatshirt. "Just came from a school much like this one in Britain, actually." Well, not much like this one, but it had the same principles to it. She didn't say that, though.

"Oh, from Britain? That's quite a long move. You must be extremely talented if you had to come to a school all the way in the United States." He had a smug smile. "I'm pretty talented too, but not in one of these artsy ways."

"I'm an okay drawer, if that's what you mean."

"Oh, do you have your schedule? I wonder if we have any classes together." She pulled it out and handed it to him. "You're actually in most of my classes." He took a closer look at the paper. "And you're endowed, I see."

She shrugged, "It's nothing much. I just turn into birds, is all. My friends back home did really cool things. One of them could bring up whole storms with the flick of his wrists." Emma had no clue why she'd brought up Tancred. Now her heart ached as she thought of that look he'd get when he would conjure up the storms. Even if he was mad, the look was a peaceful one that was permanently imbedded into Emma's heart.

"No way. Your friend has the same endowment as me." The boy laughed slightly. "I didn't think that was possible. Is he descended from Thor, too?"

She shrugged, "He might be. I think I can remember him bragging about it once or twice."

He laughed, an oh-so-familiar laugh. Those two had to be related closer than being a descendent from Thor. Maybe they were cousins. Yes, they had to be. She snapped her attention back when she realized he'd just asked her a question and was waiting for a reply.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I wanted to know what your name is. By the way, I'm TJ Grayling."

"Emma Tolly."

"Emma." He smiled as he said it. "It's a nice name. It's got a very nice ring to it."

A bell rang behind them.

"We'd better get to class." TJ grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall. He didn't see her blush furiously, or see her scowl at herself for doing so. This wasn't Tancred. But he sure was starting to make her feel better. As long as TJ was around, she didn't hurt as much at the thought of the boy she loved, but could never have.


Tancred was abnormally quiet on Monday morning, much to everyone's surprise. They were also surprised to hear that Emma had left to the United States. Manfred broke the news at homework that night, with a slight taste of pleasure. Of course he was happy to see another of the good endowed go.

All week he was silent unless spoken to. On Wednesday, though, he broke. And Lysander was the one who picked up the pieces and helped Tancred through.


oh dang guys, sorry i didn't update in, like, forever. I've been working like mad on an original story and totally ignored my fanfiction account. thanks for those of you who have reviewed and brought me back here so i could please you with my story. I have the feeling that after this fanfiction is done, you guys won't see much more of me. I'm not so much into fanfiction any more. I like writing my originals. But I do have an awesome idea for another tancredxEmma fanfic, so pray i don't give up lol.

So review if you want to know how the conversation between
Tancred and Lysander goes.
There's two more chapters after this one
and i'm getting out of school in a week
so i'll have plenty of free time to write it
now press the magical review button
and all your tancredxEmma dreams will come true :D
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