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Ben's Note of Sheer Awesome: I just have to say that we have officially reached 100 reviews! I'm so proud that this fic has risen from the ashes. We all be have KCL to thank for that. I just have to say that you guys keep me motivated. Things are rough for me, but your reviews and support make me feel obligated to write this ship for you guys! So even when I have these bouts of depression, you guys are what make me smile and keep me moving. I'll try my hardest to keep updating, but with an upcoming speech I have to give for school, it might be a little scattered. But this is me we're talking about. I'll probably update tonight.

I should make note that once Kitty left Alistair and Sven, the universe broke off into two parts. This chapter won't be following Kitty and Maddie, but Alistair and Sven. Just thought I let you know.

Prompt 55: Loveless

Alistair found Sven was different than most other fairy tales.

Alistair had his mom, Kitty her mom (and deceased father), Lizzie had her mom, Maddie had her dad, and Bunny had her dad. Sven… didn't have parents. At least, he never talked about them. The only one he knew in Sven's situation was Neb, but Neb was always the oddball. Maybe that was why Sven and Neb got along so well.

"I… knew him b-b-b-b-before Peeta, you know," Sven said quietly. Alistair nodded, assuming Sven meant Neb. "He… he was always so… so… kind. He might b-b-b-b-be s-s-s-stern and make f-f-f-fun of me… but I know h-h-h-he looks out for m-m-m-m-me."

Alistair smiled. "Neb sounds like a brother to me," he said. Sven flinched, which Alistair caught. "You don't consider him that way?"

"N-n-n-no! Family is bad! C-c-c-c-can't have a family! No, no, no, no, no!" Sven said frantically, shaking his head. "Attachments are bad! Nope! Peeta always said, no attachments. All they'll do is backstab you."

Alistair inwardly blanched. He hated Peeta for a lot of reasons, but the way it sounded like he treated Sven was probably the biggest reason. "What about Harry? He and the March Hare were together."

Sven's head drooped. "Harry w-w-w-w-w-wasn't important t-t-t-t-to the Hare. He was only th-th-th-there because the March Hare couldn't g-g-g-g-g-get rid of him. Peeta always said that family never m-m-m-m-mattered, nope. Not even if th-th-th-they were stuck together."

Alistair frowned. "That doesn't sound right to me," he said. "How can you get through life without a family? Without someone to love you?"

Sven screeched in fear and crouched in the fetal position. "Love?! No! I can never love! No one can love me! Not after what I did! No, no, no, no, no! Love is bad! Peeta said so, every day!"

Alistair cocked his head. "What makes love so bad?" he asked him.

"My parents are dead because of love. They trusted me too much… I DIDN'T MEAN TO! I don't remember doing it, honest! But love does bad, bad, bad stuff! Dead stuff! No love, no love," Sven said worriedly, shaking back and forth.

Alistair pretty much understood what Sven meant. He didn't want to bring out those feelings though, since he wasn't the right person too. After thinking a moment, he suddenly had a thought. "What about Maddie?" he asked him.

Sven stopped rocking back and forth and looked at Alistair. "Wh-wh-what about Maddie?" he asked.

Alistair chose his words carefully. "You've been with her for a few weeks. She's been helping you adjust to life in Ever After. You two spend a lot of time together. Don't you… care about Maddie?"

Sven hesitated a moment. "Maddie… would she be mad if I said something nice? Peeta always got mad if I said something nice," Sven mumbled.

"She won't be mad. I promise," Alistair said. He thought it was funny because she was already mad, but not in the way Sven was thinking.

Sven still hesitated. "She's… pretty," he said nervously. "She… helps me with… my n-n-n-nervousness. No one c-c-c-cared about m-m-m-m-me like that, not Peeta, not Neb. M-m-m-my parents… no, no, no! No parents! Think about not parents! Love is bad!"

Alistair decided to make a move. "What about your parents reminds you about Maddie?" he asked him gently.

Sven hesitated again. "I feel… attached…. No! No love! Bad feeling! No, no, no, no!" he shouted, shaking his head furiously.

It took Alistair a moment to realize why Sven was so against love. He was loveless his whole life. Whatever happened to his parents, the only people who Sven seemed to think loved him, seemed to have robbed Sven of any hope that love was good. Peeta treated him horribly and Neb wasn't the kindest person in the world. Sven might have been developing feelings for Maddie, but he was…

"You're afraid if you love Maddie you'll end up hurting her like your parents," he realized. Sven nodded furiously in fear. Alistair looked at Sven with a pained smile. That explained it. Question was…

…how was he going to tell Maddie that Sven needed her more than she thought?

BN: I actually feel really bad for Sven. He's probably one of the most terrified characters I've ever written, but since I've pretty much made his life a living Cheesepuffland, it's to be understood. Imagine the only people who loved you were taken away, and you never felt that since? Throw Peeta in the mix and it's no wonder Sven is terrified out of his wits. The fact he's starting to feel love again toward someone scares him because he doesn't want what happened to his parents happen to Maddie. It's funny though, because it shows how much Sven loves Maddie by trying not to love her.

Alistair, I felt, was the best one to help Sven here. After what happened with Kitty's suicide attempt, Alistair knew how to handle someone who was scared and terrified of what happened in the past. Sure, it wasn't the exact same situation, but Alistair has a lot of experience that could help Sven. Thus why I left Sven with Alistair instead of Neb, since Neb's pretty sarcastic and not really one to portray he cares.

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