A/N This chapter was a lot of fun to write mostly because I rather enjoy tormenting Neal. :P

Thanks to all Reviewers!

Dedication: to GroupOfRandomPeople, don't worry it wasn't any trouble, I counted all your reviews. :) I'm glad that you're all enjoying the story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. :D

Kel had found recently that she very much enjoyed gloating; she knew it was considered poor sportsmanship and everything, and she would never do it to another knight upon beating him in a joust or something of the like, but she absolutely could not resist the feeling of glee that erupted when Neal stormed into her rooms.

Dom wasn't there, Raoul and Third Company had been called off to help with repairs after bandits had raided a village a days travel from Corus. Kel predicted he would be back within a week at most.

"How could you?" Neal began dramatically upon making his entrance into the rooms. Kel was currently in the process of searching for a missing shoe under the bed, didn't deign to reply. "Oi, Kel," Neal repeated. "It totally ruins my dramatic pronouncements if you don't even pay attention." Neal said sternly.

She sat back, resting on her heels and glared up at him. "I'm kind of in the middle of something, Neal."

"I can see that." Neal said an amused tone briefly cutting through whatever annoyance it was that brought him to her rooms (although, Kel had a fairly strong notion of what was bothering him). "Besides, it's not good for you to be crawling around like that, and I bet you can't even get up off the floor."

Kel scowled at him, although looking down at her six-months-pregnant-with-triplets-stomach she had an uneasy feeling he was correct. "Just help me up." She ordered.

Her best friend strolled over to her and hauled her up from the floor. "Sit down and rest, will you?" He requested.

Kel rolled her eyes but complied, settling down on the sofa. When he didn't immediately pick up his tirade again, she felt obligated to prompt him. "You were saying...?"

"What?" He asked with a confused expression.

"Something about 'how could I do this to you?'" Kel offered.

"Oh! Oh, yes!" Neal exclaimed excitedly. "That's exactly correct." He agreed. "How could you do this to me?"

"You'll have to be more specific." Kel replied dutifully carrying on her role in his dramatic announcement. She would say this for her best friend; life with Neal was seldom dull.

"Look at this!" Neal said pulling a square of white paper from his breeches' pocket and waving it spastically in Kel's face.

"Yes, that is a sheet of paper." Kel agreed.

Neal made an inarticulate noise of rage or exasperation; she wasn't entirely which one it was. Perhaps both. Was it possible to be both enraged and exasperated? Now there was a question to ponder...

"Are you even listening to me?" Neal's voice demanded.

Well, no. Kel thought, but somehow she didn't think that was what Neal was going for. "Could you repeat that, please?" She asked politely.

Neal sighed and ran his hands through his hair making it look quite a mess. "This is not a sheet of paper, it's an invitation!" Neal corrected.

"Technically," Kel began. "That is an invitation printed on a piece of paper."

She was having way too much fun with this.

Neal scowled at her but didn't comment on the remark. "Do you know what this invitation is for?" He asked sternly.

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me." Kel said brightly.

"It is an invitation to the baby shower of one Lady Keladry of Masbolle."

"Is it, really?" Kel asked adopting an expression of shock and wide-eyed innocence.

"So, again, I say to you, how could you do this to me?"

"Technically, your wife and Princess Shinkokami are in charge of the invitations and the entire baby shower, so if you have a complaint to make you should really go talk to one of them." Kel replied benignly.

"I loathe you." Neal replied with a glare.

She was unfazed by that profession. "Of course you do." She agreed. "I warned you that I would have my revenge, I told you that you would regret approving this party, but did you listen to me?" She demanded. "No, you did not. Thus, I find that last evening I went to see my dear, old friend Shinko and told her that I positively could not have my baby shower without my best friend ever."

"Wasn't it enough that one of us suffers?" Neal asked.

"Of course not." Kel replied frankly. "As the saying goes, 'misery loves company,' although I find that I have become a great deal less miserable ever since my conversation with Shinko last night."

"You hate me, don't you?" Neal demanded.

"No," Kel answered simply. "I simply enjoy seeing you suffer. Besides, you started it."

"Remind me never to start anything with you ever again." Neal muttered.

"Oh, I will. You can be sure of that." Kel agreed. "Although, I'm sure that you will not listen." She added.

"I listen all the time." Neal protested.

Kel eyed him skeptically.

"I do." Neal insisted. "I just frequently choose to ignore those things which I have listened to." He explained loftily.

"Ah. Is that all?" Kel inquired.

"Quite." The healer replied. "Although, I will add that I have many ways of getting my revenge against you for this little party invitation."

"I thought you said that you weren't going to start anything with me anymore?" Kel asked. "I thought you'd last longer than a minute." She remarked. "Ten at least."

"This doesn't count," Neal explained. "This war has already begun, and you may have won the battle, but I shall win the war!" He pronounced turning on his heel and storming from the room. He was barely out the door when he turned around and came back in. "Don't forget to rest, I expect you to take a thirty minute nap every afternoon." He ordered.

"I will." Kel promised.

He eyed her sternly to make sure that she was actually planning to listen to him, before he turned and left the room for good this time. Kel was left to laugh at her friend, and begin plotting new ways to win their apparent war.

A/N Review!

Girl Names:

Alessandria: 54 votes

Arianna: 49 votes

Zara: 28 votes (suggested by Bradhadair fire starter)

Boy Names:

Jason: 59 votes

Adrian: 46 votes

David: 31 votes

Nicolas: 20 votes

Girl Godsparents:

Yuki: 62 Votes

Alanna: 29 Votes

Shinko: 17 Votes

Salina: 16 Votes

Lalasa: 12 Votes

Oranie: 10 Votes

Buri: 9 Votes

Boy Godsparents:

Raoul: 52 Votes

Neal: 50 Votes

Anders: 27 Votes

Roald: 19 Votes

Merric: 4 Votes

Wyldon: 5 Votes

Tobe: 2 Votes

Davlon: 1 Vote

Avinar: 1 Vote

Owen: 1 vote

George:1 Vote

Salina/?

Alan of Pirate's Swoop: 11 Votes

Liam of Conte: 11 Votes

Merric of Hollyrose: 5 Votes

Faleron of King's Reach: 2 Votes

Seaver of Tasride: 0 Votes

Esmond of Nicoline: 0 Votes

Prosper of Tameran: 0 Votes

Jasson of Conte: 0 Votes