Summary: It's been a few weeks since the trident stone was destroyed and Erik ran away into the ocean. Everyone's had a lot on their minds, especially Ondina concerning Erik and his choosing the chamber over her. Sometimes you've got to face things and move forward, even if it's difficult.

I had/have an extra hour between classes today so I hope you enjoy.

Words: 1045

It was several weeks after Erik's betrayal and his escape to the sea. Ondina was walking along a secluded beach away from all the land people, trying to keep her mind off him. That seemed to be all her mind wanted to think about lately. She had strong feelings for him, feelings she didn't know existed, both positive and negative ones. She wished she could find him to talk to him and figure things out but at the same time, she was relieved to not have to deal with that at all.

"Ondina," a voice suddenly called out behind her. 'It couldn't be', she thought as she turned around, but sure enough, it was Erik, running up the beach behind her.

"I don't want to talk to you, Erik, just go away," she said. The emotions she'd been holding in suddenly started coming out as she spoke, her voice growing weak. She continued walking away from him, down the beach in the direction she had been going.

"Ondina, please, hear me out," he called, his voice grew more soft than it normally was. He watched her retreating back for only a few seconds before he started after her. "Ondina, please, listen to me," he said, catching her wrist

"Listen to what!" she exclaimed loudly, turning around to face him. Tears were brimming in her eyes. "Listen to how you're so sorry. Listen to your lies. I don't think so, not this time." Despite the weakness of her voice and the tears on her face, Ondina remained composed and even let a little harshness seep into her tone.

"Ondina, everything I did, I did because I was trying to protect you and keep you safe." Erik's voice cracked and he grew closer to tears himself he took her hands back in his and this time, she didn't immediately pull them back.

"And how did that turn out?" she asked smartly.

"Ondina, please, I really, truly care about you. I thought I was keeping you safe, that was my goal in getting the stone, I wanted to make sure you were safe. I never meant to hurt you. I really am sorry about what I did. I know it was wrong."

"Then why did you do it?" Ondina knew she had gotten him because all Erik did was stare back at her blankly. "That's what I thought." Ondina slipped her hands free from his grasp and turned to start away again.

"Because I love you, Ondina. That's why I did it," he called after her, a few tears escaping and running down his cheek. His words made Ondina stop dead in her tracks.

She stood, unable to move, staring off into the distance, Erik's words echoing through her mind. 'I love you, Ondina.' Tears spilled silently from her eyes and ran freely down her face. A few slipped down off her face, making small specks in the sand.

"Ondina," his voice rang out through the deserted, secluded beach.

She couldn't turn around, she couldn't let his see the tears in her eyes, couldn't let him see what he did to her. She didn't want him to see what she really thought of him; she didn't want to reveal her true feelings to him or to anyone, not now, not after he betrayed them all.

"Ondina, please talk to me."

Ondina, still turned away from Erik, took a deep breath and brought her hands up to her face to wipe the remaining tears from her eyes and her cheeks. She spun around, kicking up sand around her feet. "What do you want me to say, Erik!" she exclaimed, a harsh emphasis in her tone as she spoke his name.

"Well I-"

She cut him off before he got the chance to say anything more. "I can't lie to you about anything. What you did was really selfish and if you really loved me, you would have listened to us in the first place and not have done it. You could have destroyed Mako, that's my home, Erik. It's where I lived almost my entire life. It's where I belong. How can you expect me to forgive you after what you did. Did you think telling me that you love me would make everything fine? How can I believe anything you say when you chose Mako over me?"

Erik sighed, he knew she had him there. How could he expect her to trust him again, just like that. "Ondina, I wish I knew how to show you that I really am sorry, that I really do love you, but I don't know how to."

"Exactly," she spoke, giving him a look that showed that she had won before turning back around and heading up the beach.

Erik sighed again, what else could he say? "I'm glad the stone's destroyed," he spoke, catching her attention. "I know it was stupid of me not to trust what you and Rita and Zac and everyone else said about it and the chamber being dangerous. Zac and Mimmi's ancestors didn't open it and that should have been enough for me to know that I shouldn't mess with it either."

"We all know that," Ondina said, turning back around to face him. She sighed, "But it takes a big person to admit that they were wrong."

"So am I forgiven?" Erik asked hopefully.

"No," Ondina spoke very bluntly.

"You know I really do love you, that's why I was so stupid, it was because I wanted you to be safe."

Ondina took a deep breath and slowly started back over to where Erik was, she stopped about a foot away from him. "I'm really not sure what to make of saying this myself," Ondina started, looking up into Erik's eyes, he watched her intently, hanging on to her every word, waiting for what she would say next. "But I think I might love you too. Even if I do actually love you, it doesn't mean you're forgiven."

Erik nodded. It wasn't much, or maybe it was. He was still on everyone's bad side and probably would be for a while yet, but if it was possible that Ondina still loved him maybe he had a chance of making it up to them someday.

A/N: I actually wrote this several months ago and got it typed up and edited in the last week or so. I was really trying to convey the emotions that both Ondina and Erik would have been feeling. So let me know if you think I captured it well or not and what I can do to improve. As always, if you have ideas, feel free to PM me or add an idea into your review and I'll try to make it work.

-CrazyHayniac