A/N: Well.. what can I say except I am deeply sorry... OK so I'm just going to quit quoting delivery times, the updates will be out when they're out. Sheesh, Oh boy this one is embarrassing all around. Let me just say, it was an absolute pain in the arse to put out, it was without a doubt the hardest one yet, and not because it's all that great. lol. I had wanted and intended it to be beefier, but to be honest, I admit it's extremely lacking simply because I just wanted to get it out and FINALLY move on to chapter 16, so I ended up just cutting out a bunch of stuff, which is why you may find it just kind of sails along without as much of the usual detail and deep diving. Again, for that I deeply apologize. Well, now I FINALLY can move on :D

So, in short, I'm terribly sorry this one isn't all that great, and it's absolutely not likely to be worth the wait, but HOPEFULLY the next one will more than make up for that and HOPEFULLY it will be out soon... In any cause, I deeply apologize again, and dearly hope you guys like it at least a little all the same... lol. Wish me luck, pray for me, whatever you're wont to do to help lol! Looking forward to your feedback and as always much love and blessings from my end! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own... my stuff... that is all....


Deep amethyst clashed with metallic silver as the owner of both pairs of gems stared each other down. For a long time there was no movement as the two studied each other, sized each other up, looked for an opening. For a long time there was scarcely a breath between them, until finally, an enthusiastic voice off to the side cut through the tension.

"Alright you two, I want a clean, fair fight, see!" Victoria clowned with a theatrical accent. "Competitors, on your mark!"

Demetra shifted her weight, narrowing her eyes on her opponent as she lifted her wrapped fists defensively.

"Ready!" Victoria called loudly.

A tiny, confident and taunting smirk tugged at the corner of Kage's lips as she gripped the staff in her hands.

"And fight!" Victoria yelled, making a chopping motion through the air.

Instantly the competitors shot towards each other, and just like that the fight was on. With practiced, lightning quick moves, the girls attacked each other, neither willing to concede the upper hand. As per usual, they were fairly evenly matched, and for some time their moves were a steady ebb of give and take. However unlike usual, Demetra was distracted.

"Oooo!" The two younger girls cooed, cringing as they watched Kage's staff strike Demetra hard in the side.

"That's gonna leave a mark!" Victoria teased.

Demetra placed a hand to her throbbing side, trying not to make a face as she and her opponent began to circle each other. Moments later, they shot towards each other again. Demetra succeeded in blocking several of Kage's swings, even managing to get in a shot to the silent blader's ribs. But soon enough, her thoughts began to cloud her concentration once more, and before she knew it, she felt the butt of Kage's staff in her stomach.

Clutching her abdomen and gasping to regain the wind that had been knocked out of her, Demetra stared up at her opponent from her spot on the floor.

"Woah... That's a first..." Keisha's stunned voice piped up from the sidelines.

"Girl, you are way off your game today." Victoria teased.

Though she knew they were tying to lighten the mood, Demetra could hear the worry in their voices. Just like she could see the worry in Kage's face, as her sibling stared down at her with an intense and studious expression. Aside from Breal, whom neither of them had ever been able to best in a match, Kage was the only one who'd ever been able to take her down. But it wasn't a common occurrence, and she'd never been able to do it so quickly or easily.

Gritting her teeth, Demetra hauled herself from the floor, resisting a wince at the bruise she already felt spreading across her stomach, and lifted her hand in a come-get-me gesture to her opponent.

"Again." She said, her voice a little raspy.

Without hesitation, Kage once again shot at her, and once again the two were evenly matched for a while. But in the end, it became clear Victoria had been correct; the elder brunette really was off her game, in a bad way.

Once again, Demetra was staring up at Kage from the floor. This time she watched the ravenette tuck her staff against her side so she could speak.

"Are you alright?" She asked, her furrowed brows matching the deep frown on her face. "Want to take a break?"

Furious with herself, Demetra once again hauled herself to her feet.

"No." She seethed through clenched teeth. "Again."

This time Kage did hesitate, but eventually she put her staff in her hands again and sprung towards her Captain. Demetra figured the swing the ravenette made at her was meant to be a freebie, and she was both grateful and irritated at how easy it was to catch the staff. Gripping it tightly, Demetra dropped to the ground and swept her leg forward, intending to knock her opponent off her feet. But it was a poor choice, because as if expecting it, Kage jerked the opposite end of her staff upwards, yanking it out of her Captain's grip, tucked and rolled to the side in a skillful tumble, then whirled to turn Demetra's move back on her.

For a third time, Demetra found herself on her back, feet swept out form under her by Kage's staff. Forcing herself into a kneeling position, Demetra pounded her fist into the mat beneath her, her fury mounting as she yet again, forced herself to her feet.

"Again!" She barked angrily.

This time Kage didn't move. She was standing staring at her Captain with a deep look of concern on her face, her staff casually resting at her side as she studied.

"Again!" Demetra demanded.

Kage turned away from her and walked off the mat.

"Kage!" Demetra barked roughly, but the silent blader ignored her. Instead she walked over to the bench, propped her staff against it before sitting down, crossed her arms and legs, and stared at the brunette with a pointedly obvious refusal.

The two younger girls exchanged a look, then Victoria got to her feet and forced playful grin.

"Okay, my turn!" She sang enthusiastically, grabbing her own specialty weapons.

"I bet you're just rusty, Demi, that's all!" Keisha called out encouragingly as Victoria moved to join the other brunette on the mat.

"Well, here's hoping, cause I'm looking to score me my first point against you, Captain!"

Demetra made no comment in response to Victoria's playful taunt. Instead she merely got into position; taking up stance and lifting her her wrapped fists again. Victoria partially coiled her heavy black rope around her wrist and fist, then gripped her whip in the other hand, giving her Captain a challenging and confident look as she did.

"Ready to lose, Demi?"

Intending the taunt to be teasing, the younger brunette didn't expect the serious and determined look she got in response.

"OK, competitors on your mark!" Keisha called, taking her turn at officiating. "Ready! Fight!"

Instantly the harsh crack of Victoria's whip rent the air, and when it struck, the sound it made was explosive. Fortunately, Demetra was quick enough to roll out of the way - though only just. Whirling on her opponent, Victoria flicked her wrist again, and this time the whip managed to lick flesh.

Risking a glance at the point of contact, Demetra made a face at the angry red welt swelling across her forearm. Shaking the sting away, she focused back on her opponent, eyeing her carefully as the younger brunette grinned cockily at her.

"Well, well. Looks like this might be my lucky day." She taunted, giving her whip a confident crack again. "You might be off your game, Demi, but your loss is my gain!"

Throwing the strength of her entire upper body behind the thrust, Victoria cracked her whip again, and this time it whistled sharply as it cut through the air towards her opponent. Lifting her arm to block her face, the razor strand wrapped itself tightly around Demetra's forearm, and she winced as she felt it cut into her skin. Lowering her arm to look, she noted Victoria's supremely cocky and triumphant smirk.

"Gotcha!" The latter crowed, giving the whip a hard yank.

Demetra jerked forwards, but things didn't go quite the way the younger planned. Dropping to a knee, the hand attached to the whip-coiled arm twisted around to grip tightly, then used the momentum of Victoria's drawback to yank her opponent towards herself. Eyes widening Victoria cried out as she was suddenly thrust forwards towards her waiting victim. As soon as she was in range, Demetra's fist up and caught her in the jaw, making her stumble back.

As Victoria steadied herself, Demetra uncoiled the whip from her arm and tossed it aside.

"Damn it, I always fall for the fake-out!" Victoria grumbled, reaching up to press the back of her hand to the corner of her mouth. When she pulled away, she gave the smear of blood she saw there an irritated look. "Geeze Dem, believe it or not, I kinda like this face! Think you can leave it in one piece?"

"Stop being so cocky, and you won't have to worry about the shape of your pretty face." Demetra replied moodily, massaging her swollen arm.

Victoria snorted indignantly and straightened, faced her Captain and took up a defensive stance.

"Noted." She stated fiercely, and with that she was on the offence again.

For a while, it seemed like Demetra was back in her groove, and she felt the relief flood her at the thought. This time Victoria's whip was hard-pressed to find a lodging, as Demetra's practiced, skilled moves easily evaded and blocked her time and time again, as they usually did. Eventually a colourful curse sprang from Victoria's lips as she stared up at her Captain's upside down profile from the floor.

"This is totally unfair." She grumbled up at the taller girl. "I should have taken you on first before you shook the rust off!"

"Ready to give up, porcelain?" Demetra taunted, offering a hand up.

"Not on your life!" Victoria exclaimed confidently, taking the hand. "This match isn't over until I finally put you on your ass!"

Demetra smirked as she yanked the girl to her feet.

"As if I haven't heard that before." She replied teasingly.

"Yea, well every dog has its day!" Victoria said, releasing her hand and taking a step back, then she cracked her whip again and grinned. "Woof!"

Reflexively, Demetra bent backwards and watched as Victoria's whip narrowly flicked past her face. Straightening, she watched her opponent draw back, then flipped backwards to avoid the second strike. Turning several flips, Victoria drove her across the mat, until eventually, at the edge, Demetra watched her opponent flick her wrist for another crack. She saw it as if in slow motion; watched Victoria's whip as it sung towards her, watched her own hand as it shot out and grabbed the stinging weapon mid-air, watched a triumphant smirk light the other girls face as her other hand dropped to her side, letting the rope coiled around it come free.

Demetra knew the intent, she saw it coming, was ready for it. But as Victoria swung her lariat, as Demetra watched it loop in the air, ready to grab it too, the flash of a memory struck her like lightning, and it made her freeze as the shock of it rocked her to the core.

-;-

"What's wrong, Princess? Having trouble keeping up?"

Demetra growled angrily as Tala looked at her over his shoulder, a cocky smirk on his face as he easily left her in his dust. They'd been running an obstacle course, something she was all-too familiar with, and was normally able to tackle with ease. But this time her over-competitiveness with the Russian irritant was getting in the way, and that weakness had allowed him to stay ahead of her nearly the entire run through. Ignoring the Blitzkrieg Boys cheering enthusiastically for their Captain from the sidelines had admittedly been difficult; normally the people observing cheered for her.

Clenching her teeth tightly, Demetra forced herself to surge forward as they came upon the final stretch. As she watched Tala leap onto the platform ahead, grab one of the hanging ropes and immediately began to scramble up it like a monkey through the trees, she knew she was going to loose.

Reaching the platform, she bound up on top of it and grabbed a rope, but as she did, a sudden thought struck her. Without giving herself a chance to think it over, or to reconsider, she reached for the knife at her belt and swiftly yanked it from its holster. With a quick swipe, she cut the rope before her and twisted it into a loop. Looking up at Tala's retreating form, she knew she only had a tiny window of opportunity, so swinging the rope over her head, she tossed it, feeling a swell of triumphant satisfaction when it wrapped around his leg. Giving a sharp tug tightened the loop around his ankle, and she yanked hard.

"What the-!" Cut off by a cry of alarm, Demetra watched as the redhead plummeted from the heights, landing on his back wth a loud 'Oomph'.

While Tala blinked up at her in stunned shock, Demetra grabbed the still attached rope and scrambled up the incline. When she reached the top, she clambered over the edge, then turned to look over it, noting Tala making his way back up. Once he was within arms reach, she reached out and offered him a hand with a smug expression. Fully expecting him to angrily brush her off, especially since she'd admittedly unfairly cheated him out of the victory, Tala eyed her for a minute with an irritated scowl before, to her surprise, grasping her hand.

"Where the hell'd ya learn a move like that?" He demanded once he'd righted himself on his feet. Demetra smirked.

"A little trick I learned from an exceptionally talented ally."

Tala snorted indignantly and released her hand, eyeing her with a mix of emotions for a minute, until finally, he scoffed as a smirk of his own split his face.

"Not bad." He praised approvingly. "Though there's something to be said about the fact you had to cheat to beat me!'

"There's no cheating in war." She countered mischievously. Tala lifted his chin to look down his nose at her, his smirk darkening.

"Noted. Don't think you'll be getting away with that a second time, Princess."

-;-

Coming out of the memory was like slamming down onto a concrete floor, and indeed Demetra felt like she had as she stared wide-eyed up at the ceiling. When she'd eventually regained her bearings, she blinked several times before lifting her head just a little and looking to her feet, which were bound tightly together at the ankles. Looking then to her opponent, she noted Victoria staring at her with a look of supreme shock.

"Woah..." The younger brunette cooed in awe. "I can't believe that actually worked..."

A moment later, her face lit up with a mile-wide grin before releasing a loud whooping cheer.

"Awe yeah! I finally did it! I finally took you down! I can't believe I finally did it! Yes, yes, YES! Wooooo!"

Thrusting her head back against the mat, Demetra clenched her teeth again, resisting the powerful urge to release a furious howl. She stared at the ceiling while her opponent continued to dance and brag.

"I did it, I did it! I took down Demetra!" Victoria sang, hamming it up while her opponent in question brooded moodily on the floor. "Go Tori, it's your birthday, you da bomb, you a rockstar! WOOO! I am the champion of the WOOOOORLD!"

"What the hell is the matter with me?!" Demetra thought furiously, ignoring the younger brunette's antics. "If I were this useless on a training mission, I'd be dead!"

"Alright, alright! Can it you braggart!" Keisha said teasingly, tossing a glove at her best. "Sheesh! Good thing Kage's got modesty in spades, otherwise your egos would implode the whole mansion!"

"Hey, this is a momentous occasion!" Victoria argued with a wide grin.

Standing from the bench, Keisha approached the two on the mat and stopped some feet from her Captain, placing her hands on her hips.

"Take a seat, cheeseball!" The redhead laughed, jabbing a finger at the bench. "We all know the only reason you managed to score a point was cause Demi's off her game today!"

"I don't care how it happened!" Victoria argued, placing her hands on her hips. "All that matters is that it did! You're just jealous cause you haven't taken her down!"

"I'm sorry, tell me again, how many points have I scored on you today Tori-Meshi?" Keisha countered smartly, a smug and teasing grin on her otherwise innocent, cherub face.

"Details, details!" Victoria replied flippantly, airily waving a hand in a dismissive gesture.

Rolling her eyes with a smile, Keisha turned to face Demetra, then lifted her hands over her head to do a few stretches.

"Well, if you can't beat me, we're taking you to get checked out!" She teased playfully.

Demetra knew the redhead was trying to lift her spirits, but her kindness was having the opposite effect. Finally forcing herself into a sitting position, Demetra leaned down to untangle Victoria's rope from her feet, tossing it aside before forcing herself yet again off the floor.

Checking and adjusting the bracers on her arms, Keisha gave her a playful grin as Demetra once again got into position.

"Ready, Captain? Now it's my turn!"

"Actually, it's my turn."

The four girls turned towards the training room entrance to see Breal striding towards them, fully decked out in his training gear. Kage got to her feet, moving to stand beside Victoria as all four girls stared at their Coach with mixed expressions. Straightening, Keisha blinked at him.

"Huh? You're training today too, Breal?"

Without answering the redhead, Breal stopped some feet from Demetra, gave her a stern look, then turned towards the other three.

"You three did well today." He praised, his deep voice barren, as usual, of tone or emotion. "Take a break."

Knowing they were being dismissed, the girls exchanged a glance, then faced their Coach and gave him a respectful bow.

"Thanks, Breal." Keisha said politely.

"Thank you." Kage added when she'd straightened.

"You saw that last match, right?!" Victoria crowed when she too righted herself. "You saw me finally take her down? Heh! Not bad, right?!"

"Not bad." The blunette agreed, a tiny spark of amusement in his eyes as he jerked his chin towards the door. "Go."

Giving the man they respected more than any other in their world one more respectful bow, the three turned to give their Captain a mix of encouraging looks and lopsided smiles, before finally following instruction and leaving the two alone.

When the other three were gone, Breal fixed his sister with a steely stare. Swallowing hard, Demetra did her best to hold his gaze, a feeling of dread creeping over her. But instead of commenting, she watched her brother lift his hands and take up a defensive stance. Reluctantly, Demetra mimicked him, and as soon as she was in position Breal sprang towards her.

Under normal circumstances, while Demetra was no match for her brother, she was usually able to fend him off for a while. But this time she didn't stand a chance; before she'd so much as thought to block his first attack, she was already on her back staring up at him.

Breal stood over her, staring down with an unreadable expression. Wordlessly, he offered her a hand. Working her jaw for a few seconds, Demetra eventually clasped his hand and allowed him to pull her up. As soon as she was on her feet, Breal came at her again. This time, she managed to defend herself from his first handful of attacks, until eventually the blunette got behind her and gave the back of her knee a forceful kick.

Going down hard, Demetra cried out as she narrowly avoided face-planting into the mat. Rolling to the side, she just missed a kick to the ribs, and thinking she had her opening, she grabbed her opponent's leg. But it ended up being a mistake, because the second she latched on, Breal dropped to his other knee, flipped over her and twisted around, hooking his free leg around her neck and successfully pinning her in an inescapable submission hold.

With her head and one arm pinned tightly between Breal's thighs, the other drawn painfully back as Breal held it in a vice grip, Demetra was forced to admit he had her again. Grudgingly, she managed to tap his leg, and instantly the blunette released her and got to his feet.

Reaching up to rub her sore neck, Demetra gave her brother a cold look as he stared down at her with an unreadable expression, hand once again extended towards her. A part of her desperately wanted to swat the offering away and tell him to stick it, she'd had enough. But, as Breal stood there like a statue, neither his gaze nor his hand wavering, she eventually heaved a heavy, irritated sigh before reaching up to slap her hand into his and once again allow him to pull her to her feet.

This time, Breal gave her a chance to breathe, to compose herself. And when she was ready, instead of coming at her like he usually did, he lifted his hands in a come-hither gesture to beckon her to him. Hesitating a long minute, Demetra eventually frowned before reluctantly springing forward.

She made a swipe at his head, which he blocked, swung her leg up to kick his side, which he rejected, then threw a left hook, immediately followed by a right, several rapid-fire punches; all of which the blunette easily countered. Finally, as a last ditch effort, Demetra dropped into a tumble, rolled to the side and sprang to her feet behind the blunette. Swinging her leg up and around, she made to aim a powerful kick at his head, but Breal was faster. Whirling on her, he shoved her leg away, unsteadying her, then lifted his own foot to forcefully plant it into her chest.

The strength of the attack sent Demetra soaring through the air, and when she hit the floor with enough force to knock the wind out of her, her body slid back several feet before stopping. Clutching her stomach, Demetra gasped for air while her brother approached her with a casual stride. When he'd stopped at her feet, he offered her his hand one more time, but Demetra had reached her limit.

"Like hell!" She spat breathlessly, kicking his hand away as she fought to regain the ability to breathe.

When air finally flooded her lungs again, she rolled onto her side, resorting to a fit of coughing and sputtering, still clutching her undoubtably bruised stomach tightly.

"I'm done!" She exclaimed furiously, her voice hoarse and cracking.

"That answers that question then." Breal said tonelessly.

Demetra turned her head to give him a cold glare.

"What question?!" She spat in disgust.

"The question of how much it takes to make the almighty Demetra Nakamura crack." Breal said, a twinge of mocking in his voice. "I have to admit, I'm sorely disappointed."

A vicious scowl twisting her features, Demetra hauled herself into a sitting position and stared up at her brother with a sort of furious expression she'd never aimed at him before.

"You enjoy this, don't you?" She snarled venomously at him. "Always lording your superiority over us? Knowing you're better then we are? Faster, stronger, more learned at virtually everything? I bet you get off on kicking our asses time and time again don't you? Does it make you feel powerful, Breal? Does it make you feel like a man?!"

In a way, Demetra had been hoping he would lash out at her, would take offence to her bait, would show some kind of outwardly emotional reaction; if for no other reason than to assure her that she wasn't the only one currently slave to her emotions. But unsurprisingly, she received none of those things, instead she watched her brother cross his arms and lift his chin to look down his nose at her with a cold expression.

"If that's what you really think, then the past decade has been a complete waste."

Instantly shamed by his short, simple response, Demetra felt said shame burn her face so hotly it forced her to lower her gaze, instead glaring a hole through the mat at her feet. Of course those weren't her actual thoughts; truth be told she was completely mortified at herself for the unfounded accusation. Not only had she never said such a thing to her beloved mentor before, she also knew full well the accusation was the furthest thing from the truth. If one thing could be said about Breal Nakamura, it was that no matter how cold and emotionally barren he may appear, it was almost painfully obvious to anyone and everyone fortunate enough to know him, that he was the absolute most selfless soul any one person could be, even to the point of willing self-destruction.

Not trusting herself to open her mouth again, Demetra clenched her jaw as she continued to avoid her brother's gaze. She'd hoped he would get fed up with her and just leave her to her nasty thoughts, but once again, he dashed those hopes.

"I'm not invincible, Demetra." Breal's deep monotone rumbled with a sharp edge. "I'm not infallible, omniscient, omnipotent. I don't have all the answers."

The words felt like a slap to the face, and on reflex Demetra's head jerked back towards her brother.

"I know that!" She snapped, deeply offended.

It felt like he was sticking her with another barb, outing her weaknesses, blatantly pointing out that her inability to defeat him wasn't because he was so much better than her, it was simply because she was pathetically weak.

"Do you?" Breal countered instantly, intensely stern gaze boring into her and holding her fast. "Because it's been agonizingly obvious for years that you put far too much stock in my direction and opinion."

Having caught her off guard, Demetra felt some of her anger fizzle out to give way to confusion, as her brows furrowed deeply at the statement.

"What are you talking about..?" She asked almost cautiously.

Then, to her surprise, she watched her brother do something she'd never seen him do before; he averted his gaze from her.

"You should know by now that just because you respect someone, just because you hold them in high regard, doesn't mean that person is worthy of your admiration."

For the first time, Demetra was able to see past the mask her bother always wore, was able to see past the walls he'd erected for himself so long ago, and the deeply troubled and pained emotions she saw there, finally succeeded in snuffing out the last of the anger and frustration she'd been desperately clinging to.

"A long time ago Yua Nakamura placed the entirety of her trust and respect in a man she regarded far too highly..." There was a flicker of torment in Breal's face for a moment, but he quickly managed to wrangle it back under control. "And that misplaced sentiment cost her everything."

Suddenly Demetra knew where her brother was going and it made her blood run cold.

"You can't compare yourself to him." She almost growled. But Breal continued as if not having heard her.

"Her story should be a lesson to you." The blunette said, his voice once again cold and toneless, though the alien expression on his face remained. "Don't put your life in the hands of another person, no matter how much you believe in them."

"You're nothing like him Breal!" Demetra stated firmly, her voice raising several octaves this time, determined to force him not to ignore her a second time.

For a brief moment, deep sapphire blues flicked back to lock with hers, and the tournament in them this time rent her heart down the middle. A mere moment later, his gaze averted again.

"Perhaps not." Breal said, his voice still barren of emotion, and yet much quieter this time. "But that doesn't take away from the point I'm trying to make."

There was a short silence, until eventually, seemingly with some great effort, Breal looked back to his sister again, his expression once again as barren of emotions as his tone. But this time Demetra was able to see the cracks in the mask, and the sight was both perplexing and unnerving.

"You're not a child any more Demetra." Breal said pointedly. "You've got a mind of your own, skills of your own. You're strong and independent and you're more than capable of taking care of yourself."

"What are you saying?" Demetra demanded, internally cursing to hear the hint of panic in her own voice.

"Know that I'll never fail to be there if and when you need me." Breal said, holding her gaze steady. "When either of you need me. And I'll always be there to protect you. But you don't need me to make decisions for you anymore, to help you decipher right from wrong, or how to sift your feelings."

Demetra's brows knitted deeply.

"I know all that..." She said quietly, a lilt of confusion lingering in her voice. "But I still don't understand what you're trying to tell me..."

Breal watched her for a few minutes, studied her, and though his gaze made her squirm, Demetra let him until eventually he spoke again.

"Do you have feelings for him?"

"What?" Demetra replied with a stunned expression, having been caught off guard. Then she made a face of disgust. "I'm fairly certain that's a term reserved for romantic relationships... And you know I don't harbour any sort of positive feelings for him. I despise that miserable beast."

A rare sight, the corner of Breal's lips twitched upwards just a little in amusement.

"I'm not talking about Masaru, Demetra." He said, the amusement clearly evident in his tone. "I'm talking about Tala Ivanov."

Instantly flushing scarlet with hot embarrassment and fluster, Demetra turned her face away from her brother.

"Right..." She muttered in mortification. "Of course..."

After enduring Breal's searing gaze for a few moments, she heard her brother's voice cut through the awkward tension.

"Are you unable to answer my question, or unwilling?"

Demetra's nose scrunched up in displeasure and further embarrassment to note the amusement was still in the blunette's tone.

"Both." She retorted smartly. To her shock, she heard Breal scoff in a way that nearly sounded suspiciously like a chuckle.

"Fair." He replied bluntly. Quiet for a moment, he eventually continued. "In that case, then let me tell you what I know and am willing to admit."

Demetra still felt his gaze on her, and she was still unable to look at him. But despite this, she still listened intently as Breal continued.

"Although I'm of the opinion Tala Ivanov is unstable, unpredictable and completely undeserving of any member of my family, least of all my own flesh and blood... I can't deny the remainder of truth either..."

Hearing her brother release a heavy, weary sigh, Demetra looked out the corner of her eye to note him rubbing his forehead in a weary gesture, a rare glimpse which displayed a certain amount of stress and discomfort for the blunette, which intrigued his sister immensely.

"The truth is, while I'm inclined to dislike him immensely... I can't help respect him either. Nor can I deny that for all his faults... he is a boon to you. At times."

Demetra's brows shot up at that.

"Really?" She stated more then asked. Breal eyed her for a minute, giving her a pointed stare.

"Really." He stated bluntly. "I'm not afraid to admit when I'm wrong, Demetra. Mainly because it doesn't often happen."

Rolling her eyes at her brother's cheek, Demetra focused on his words when he spoke again, knowing they were going to be some of the more important ones he'd ever said to her.

"But I know I was wrong about you two." He seemed to weigh his words very carefully before continuing, and Demetra hung off every one. "I don't know what happened between you, and I'm not fishing for you to tell me. What I do know, is that as big of a thorn as he's been in both our sides, as many negative traits he's brought out in you, dragged to the surface... I've also seen him bring out a great deal of good in you as well."

That statement floored Demetra, and as such her jaw unhinged a little. But her brother wasn't done with his shocking revelations just yet.

"I know you value my opinion a great deal, Demetra, and I know my preferences have unintentionally coloured far too many of your decisions over they years... I only hope my own sense of self-righteousness and biased pigheadedness hasn't stolen something irreplaceable from you this time."

Her brows furrowing in confusion, Demetra knew her brother could pick up the uncertainty in her face, and as such, he added just a little more to clarify.

"If you're going to sever ties with him..." Breal began carefully. "Make sure it's for the right reasons, your own reasons. And make certain to the best of your ability, that it won't be something you'll regret. Because I can promise you, you will realize there's no greater regret in life then severing a bond of the heart."

Letting his completely unexpected words linger and hang in the air, Demetra silently followed her brother's figure with her gaze as he turned and left her alone with them.


There was a time, a time not so long ago in fact, that taking a stroll through the village would help Tala clear his mind and put his restless soul at ease. But that time had passed; now as he moved through the empty streets, all he could see wherever he looked was the one person he'd come to try and banish from his mind.

He'd thought if he ventured far enough, eventually he would come to a place that wasn't completely permeated with Demetra's essence. However as it turned out, no matter how far he walked, no matter which corner he turned, it seemed every place, every scene and sight was haunted by her ghost.

Passing by a certain building, Tala felt an aching pain from somewhere just under the surface, when the potent memory attached to it invaded his already overcrowded brain. Stopping to stare at the homey little restaurant, he watched the walls melt away before his eyes, let his mind take him back, until he saw sitting around one of the large tables in a corner, himself and his friends with their newest addition to their once tight knit little group. He watched his friends pester and goad him until finally he'd broken down and agreed to share his soup with the resident pain in his neck. A fluttery, sickly feeling churned in his stomach as he watched himself offer the brunette his own spoon to taste. Funny how something that had seemed so innocent and menial back then, now suddenly seemed so personal and intimate.

Tearing his gaze away from this memory was harder then he expected, and it took some kind of will power to force himself to turn away and continue on. For several long minutes, Tala's following steps were agonizing as he relived countless memories he'd shared with the cause of his misery since her time with them. He'd thought they couldn't get much worse, but as he passed a certain stall, this time Tala was reminded of a memory that could very well be considered the start of it all. With a measure of misery, he watched an all too familiar pair huddled beside each other in the cold, unbeknownst to their partner, each crafting a personal present for the other.

Unconsciously, Tala lifted a hand to the opposite arm, began worrying the bracelet from that memory around his wrist as said merry played out before him with the clarity of a movie on the big screen. When he eventually realized what he was doing, a deep frown etched itself onto his face. Stuffing his hands into his pockets to stop the fidgeting, he once again tore his gaze away from the scene and forced himself to continue on.

The next place he came across was undoubtably the most painful of all. Stopping to stare at the dog sled rental building, Tala felt the knife that had been lodged deep in his heart as of late wrench agonizingly. Of all the places in the village, it was arguably the place most steeped in a bounty of bittersweet recollections. Staring at it forced him to remember their first sledding trip, all the things he'd learned about her that night, all the precious moments they'd accumulated during those few brief hours. He recalled the trips they'd taken afterwards, all the moments he'd found himself letting his guard slip around her, the times he'd found himself oh-so-tempted to let the wall drop just once to actually let this totally unexpected person in.

And, inevitably, he thought of the most gut-wrenchingly horrible moment of his life; the moment he thought she was gone forever. Without a doubt, the day he thought he'd lost Demetra, was the day he realized that he must have a beating heart and burning soul after all, that there was someone out there who meant enough to him to actually completely undo him, because on that day, he got a taste of what it would be like to literally die of a broken heart.

That thought made the knife in his chest twist so hard, Tala outwardly winced, his hand going to his chest as if there actually was a physical blade buried deep there. Just like at that day, right now he was sure he'd never see her again. The only difference between then and now though, was back then he thought death had taken her from him, this time he'd robbed himself of her presence all on his own. Thinking back to the way she'd looked at him the last time he'd seen her, Tala figured as far as Demetra was concerned, he was probably the one dead to her this time.

Once again halting in his step, this time Tala tipped his head back and closed his eyes as a heavy, heartsick sigh rattled shakily from his lips. He expected the blackness behind his lids would give him a reprieve from the torturous thoughts, and for the briefest of moments, they did. But those moments were fleeting, because no sooner had he closed his eyes, then the memories began to play out behind his eyelids as if reliving them all over again. So, opening his eyes again, Tala decided instead to look up at the night sky; his fail-safe for whenever he needed a distraction or some peace. But that proved to be fruitless as well, because the first thing he laid eyes on when they opened again, was the huge stunningly beautiful full moon, floating above him in a cloudless inky sky and shinning with all its glory. Normally he loved staring at the moon, but this time, it reminded him, as virtually everything else had lately, of a certain brunette, namely her captivatingly stunning silver dollar eyes.

Realizing there was no peace to be had in the village after all, another heavy sigh echoed from Tala's lips before turning around and grudgingly deciding to make his way back to The Facility. Originally he'd been glad there was no one around, relieved it was too late for anyone else to be roaming the streets as he was; if for no other reason then because he didn't want anyone stopping him to ask about her. But now, as Tala retraced his steps, the absence of a single other soul, along with the deafening silence that accompanied the breathless night, made for a terribly lonesome picture.

Staring at the ground in hopes of staving off some of the memories seemed to do the trick for most of his journey, and Tala mentally kicked himself for not doing so earlier. However when he'd reached the outskirts of the village, near the path leading back to The Facility, some mysterious tug inside made him reflexively look up. As if it had led him to the place, Tala noted with mixed feelings that the moon seemed to be shedding its light on the building before him, lighting it up like the flood of a spotlight. The warm glow of the celestial night guardian made the building look oh so inviting, and the sight of it tugged again at something inside Tala. Eying the beautiful old church for a few minutes, another distant recollection came to him.

"The next time you come here, you'll go in..."

His face screwing up with the memory, Tala couldn't help but note it was the first time he'd been at the gate's threshold since that night. Unwilling to believe it was some sort of freaky divine intervention, and determined to prove the whole thing was just an unpleasant concoction of his muddled brain, Tala pointedly turned on his heel away from the building and forced himself to walk away. But just like that night, he felt a hard tugging in the pit of his stomach, willing him to stop, preventing him from leaving. Clenching his teeth, Tala desperately tried to resist turning around, tried to tell himself he was going back and nothing was going to stop him. But ultimately, as if they had a mind of their own, he felt his feet turn him back around, felt himself hesitate, and before he knew it, he was standing at the foot of the ages old front steps.

Jaw tightening, Tala swallowed hard as he stared up at the long, shallow incline. He tried to convince himself it was pointless, the place was probably locked up for the night, tried to tell himself it looked foreboding instead of the honest truth that it actually looked extremely inviting. Once again, he tired to turn away, but the urge to go inside was far too powerful to ignore, especially now that he was so close. So, Tala drew in a long, deep breath, slowly exhaled as he continued to stare, then finally reluctantly made his way up the steps.

Fully expecting the front doors to be barred tight, firmly putting his curiosity to rest and that would be the end of it, Tala was surprised after giving a tug to the handles that the doors immediately opened, swinging silently outward to invite him in. Frowning and hesitating yet again, he eventually bolstered up his nerves and entered the old building.

He expected to feel uncomfortable, out of place, awkward upon entering the sacred old building. But once again Tala's expectations were proven wrong when he instantly felt a sense of ease and comfort as the doors closed quietly behind him. Working his jaw a moment, he eventually moved forward, making his way towards the inner sanctuary.

For several steps, Tala walked slowly, trying to make a conscious effort to be quiet, but he quickly realized it was unnecessary because the thick carpet under his feet muted his footsteps anyway. So instead, he relaxed and walked normally as he continued deeper inside. Although he felt at peace being inside, and although the doors were unlocked, Tala couldn't help but wonder if it really was OK for him to be there. But, seeing as no one had shown up to kick him out, he decided to take his chances.

Coming into the inner sanctuary, Tala stopped for a minute at the end of the centre isle between the rows of wooden pews. Just like they had been all night, once again his thoughts came back to Demetra, this time making him try and picture her there. He wondered what had drawn her into the place, then wondered what had been on her mind when she'd been.

Feeling a bit awkward about just standing there, Tala decided to make his way forward. He didn't really have a destination in mind, figured he'd keep walking until he either reached the front or felt another mysterious tug. Somewhere around the middle, not entirely unexpectedly, Tala felt another said tug and stopped beside a particular pew. Looking down at the long wooden bench at his right, his hand lifted to rest on the back of it. By all looks and appearances, there didn't seem to be anything special about the seat, indeed it seemed just like all the others. And yet still, he felt inexplicably drawn to this particular spot. So, deciding to just roll with it - why stop now? - Tala sighed lightly before moving to slide into place.

For a long while, Tala simply sat and stared ahead of him, feeling a bit awkward. He'd never been inside any sort of holy place before, not even for a funeral. He'd never prayed, never tried speaking to someone who wasn't physically there in front of him (communication devices notwithstanding), and as such he found he was completely at a loss for what he was supposed to do. It seemed like he'd been sitting and staring for a long time until, once again, Tala's thoughts took him back to the brunette who'd been plaguing his thoughts not just all night, but indeed since he'd met her. Not for the first time, he recalled the last time he'd seen her, the last thing she said to him, and wondered painstakingly if there was anything he could possibly do or say to make it right.

"Now here's a man who looks like he's got a lot on his plate."

Startled by the sudden voice, Tala's head jerked to the left to see a man with a kind expression standing in the isle. Suddenly feeling awkward again, Tala shifted uncomfortably, figuring the man was there to kick him out.

"Sorry... I know it's late, but the door was open so..." He mumbled under his breath, making to get up. "I can leave..."

"It's alright, son." The man said with a chuckle, pulling a hand from his pocket to gesture the redhead to stay seated. "I'm not here to kick you out. The doors to this place are always open, you can say we're always open for business."

When the man gave him a teasing grin, Tala felt himself relax. Feeling a bit awkward again, Tala wasn't entirely sure what to say, so instead he shifted uncomfortably again as he tried to hold the man's gaze. Thankfully, his companion seemed a lot less awkward than he was.

"Mind if I join you?"

The request surprised Tala, and he was fairly certain it showed on his face. He easily recalled adults of position and power, even men of the cloth often looking down on him and his friends, often treating them like lesser beings.

"Uh... no." Tala replied dumbly, staring at the man with a look of surprise. "It's your house... I mean..."

When he trailed off, the man chuckled.

"I know what you mean." He said, seemingly genuinely amused.

Tala watched him move into the pew and take a seat beside him. Once again he was at a loss for what to say, so he said, as he often did, the first thing that came to him.

"I'm Tala, by the way."

"Pleasure to share your company, Tala." His companion replied respectfully. "You can call me Joshua."

"OK." Tala said simply. Then once again he was back to being at a loss for what to say.

There was a short silence for a while, until eventually something nagging at the back of Tala's mind demanded his attention.

"Hey... can I ask you something?"

"That's kind of what I'm here for." Joshua replied teasingly. Tala opened his mouth to voice the question, but at the last minute he chickened out.

"Don't you people ever sleep?"

Joshua laughed this time.

"I tend to need a lot less sleep then most people." He said in amusement. "But something tells me that wasn't what you were going to ask."

Staring at the back of the pew before him, Tala hesitated a moment before eventually deciding to follow through with his original question.

"Have you ever seen a brunette in here... I mean, I'm sure you've seen plenty of brunettes but... a particularly..." He paused a moment to carefully measure his words. "Uh... good looking one? Tall, silver eyes. Probably a sour look on her face."

Joshua chuckled at the description.

"Why, is she a friend of yours?" He asked, not answering immediately.

A deep frown etched itself across Tala's face at the question.

"I don't really know anymore..." He replied morbidly.

"Not sure?" Joshua questioned in confirmation. "Now how can that be?"

"I thought we were..." Tala answered, the frown deepening as a sickly feeling churned in the pit of his stomach. "Or something... but I kinda messed that up pretty bad."

"Mind if I ask what happened?" His companion asked gently. Tala scoffed in self-depreciation.

"You can." He said bluntly. "But I don't really feel like airing out my dirty laundry... Let's just say I made the biggest mistake of my life... and I'm pretty da- uh... pretty sure she won't be forgiving me any time soon."

Unconsciously, he flinched at that admission.

"Not that I can blame her..." He tacked on under his breath.

Seeming completely unbothered by his vagueness, Joshua leaned back in his seat and looked skyward.

"It's human nature to make mistakes." He stated simply. "And everyone makes them. The only difference is what you decide to do about them. It doesn't really matter if you're able to fix them or not, sometimes you simply can't. What matters is that you try."

Tala scoffed again.

"Good." He stated bluntly. "Cause it's pretty safe to say she's probably not gonna let me away with this one..."

"Oh, I don't know." Joshua said cryptically. "You'd be surprised the kind of things people are willing to forgive each other for. Never hurts to ask for some."

Looking back to his ward, the man gave Tala a pointed look.

"So have you asked for some?"

Tala swallowed and looked down at his hands.

"Pretty sure the wounds are still to fresh yet..." He mumbled quietly.

"Maybe. But sometimes extending the olive branch early can keep the scar from becoming too deep. It can even help hurry along the healing process."

"Yea well... the opportunity hasn't exactly presented itself yet..." Tala argued.

"Perhaps the opportunity will present itself when you least expect it." Joshua persisted, undeterred. "I find it often happens that way."

"I'm not holding my breath." Tala continued to argue. "She's not exactly the forgiving kind. Besides, I don't really deserve it anyway... Can't say I'd be so forgiving if the tables were turned..."

This time Tala's companion was silent for some time, and the silence made him squirm in his seat. Eventually though, the man spoke again, and his words made Tala cringe.

"Sounds like a whole lot of excuses." He said bluntly. "Are you trying to convince me of these things or yourself? And perhaps the bigger and more important question is; what are you most afraid of, her not being able to forgive you, or you not being able to forgive yourself?"

Tala had a feeling the questions were rhetorical, he was fairly certain the man knew the answers very well. As such, he decided not to reply. Instead, at a loss of what else to say, his gaze flickered to the side. Almost as if magnetically drawn, his gaze fell on Joshua's wrist, and crimson brows furrowed deeply to see a very familiar bracelet there. His head lifting, he stared at the woven pattern for a while before lifting his gaze to look his companion in the face.

"Where'd you get the bracelet?" He asked somewhat sharply. Belatedly, he realized how rude and harsh it sounded, making him internally cringe again, but still he continued to stare as he waited with bated breath for the answer.

Still, if Joshua minded his rudeness, he didn't show it. Instead he lifted his wrist to look at the object of topic.

"This? It's actually a token of a promise." He said casually, not fully giving the redhead the answer he was hoping for. Tala's brows knitted in confused wonder.

"A promise?" He echoed. "What kind of promise?"

This time Joshua smiled conspiratorially.

"Well now, that's between me and the maker." He said with a wink.

Tala frowned again and looked down at the similar, yet much more elaborate design on his own wrist, absently spun it around his wrist as he considered the brunette in question.

"I see you have one too." Joshua said conversationally. "And what does yours symbolize?"

Once again, his companion's question gave Tala a sharp, aching pain inside. He once more recalled Demetra's final words to him, the last look she gave him, and her bare wrists when she delivered both. Quitting his fidgeting, he instead placed his hand over the threads, hiding them from view - mostly from his own.

"It doesn't mean anything..." He said softly, his voice cracking a little to his dismay.

"Really?" Joshua asked, sounding unconvinced. "If that's true, I can't help but wonder, why still wear it?"

Still feeling like the question was rhetorical, Tala remained silent this time as well. To his both relief and displeasure, Joshua continued.

"Homemade gifts tend to be special, personal. A display of a person's feelings. Much more valuable then something store bought or acquired from somewhere else. Normally when one gives a homemade gift, it's an act of love and/or respect."

Tala could feel the man's eyes on him when he continued.

"Yours looks much more elaborate then mine. Clearly a great deal more time and effort went into making it. And, I'll venture to guess, a good deal more care and love. Something tells me the person who put so much into making that for you, wouldn't be able, or perhaps even willing, to withhold forgiveness for too long."

Tala really felt like he should say something this time, but despite that want, his mouth was bone dry and seemed to be glued shut for the moment. Beside him, he felt Joshua shift, and looking to his left, he was mildly surprised to see the man getting to his feet.

"This is where I take my leave." The man said, as if reading his mind. He made his way back out into the isle and placed his hands into his pockets, giving Tala a smile as he gestured towards him with his chin. "I'm sure you've noticed, but I feel like pointing out the beads on your bracelet are an uncanny resemblance for your eyes. I can't help but think about what was on her mind when she made it for you."

Looking away from the man, Tala removed the hand from his wrist and once again stared at the bracelet in question, this time at the beads. He actually hadn't thought about it before, but now that it was pointed out, he supposed it was probably fairly obvious that she'd had him on her mind when she'd made it, and also that she'd very likely put special effort and attention into the making of. The thought actually gave him the first warm sensation he'd felt since she'd left Russia.

"Goodnight, Tala. It was a pleasure chatting with you." Joshua said from somewhere behind Tala, his voice sounding far away now. "Give my best to Demetra."

Tala was just about to absently call after then man, promising to do just that, when suddenly something struck him.

He knew who Tala had been talking about the entire time after all?

Whirling around in his seat to look after the man, he was perplexed to find his companion was nowhere to be seen. Blinking in astonishment, Tala stared down the empty isle for a while before eventually turning forward again and looking back to his wrist. As he absently spun the bracelet on his arm, as he was often wont to do, he considered his recent conversation and all the new revelations and advice he'd acquired. Eventually he felt a tiny spark of dangerous hope swell inside him as he made a solid decision within himself. Resolved, he decided if the opportunity did present itself, no matter how sudden or appropriate, he would force himself to offer up an especially endangered apology. And if she, by some miracle, decided in turn to forgive him, he'd make sure to do whatever was in his power to see he didn't screw up again. Not only that, if she forgave him, he would fight for her, tooth and nail and to his last breath. Not for the first time, he was more than willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted, to give her what she wanted. And this time he wasn't going to let anyone or anything get in his way; not even himself.


"Seriously, he always says the damn funniest things without even trying to be funny! OMG! Like OK, I remember this one time, we were all hanging out at Robert's castle, just talking about whatever, and out of nowhere, Enri just randomly asks; what would you use to dilute water?"

The sound of snorting laughter echoed around the room, while the girls sat talking and chatting in a way they hadn't in what felt like far too long for either of them.

"What? Seriously?!" Keisha giggled, plugging her nose to stop her drink exploding from it. "Was he joking?"

Victoria shook her head, grinning wide behind her glass while she took a long sip.

"No, he was totally serious." The brunette said with a laugh, lowering the glass. "He's so precious, bless him. But what can I say, the boy's a freaking babe."

"What about you Kage?" Keisha asked with a grin, turning to their silent sibling. "Any funny moments to share?"

Demetra was barely even pretending to listen as her sisters chatted and gossiped around her. They'd somehow convinced her to sneak into the bar room late one night, a few days after their return from Russia, and were currently enjoying a glass of pilfered drinks from the expensive, ages old booze decorating the older still walls. While she'd never really been one to willingly participate in such menial conversations, she usually at least paid attention and attempted to occasionally offer some sort of input, for the sake of camaraderie if nothing else. But that night she couldn't even manage to feign an interest.

"After everything that idiot put me through, everything we've put each other through... after swearing to myself I was done with him, and that the only time I wanted to see him again was across the dish, on his knees, after finally serving up his just deserts... I still can't get him out of my head!"

Despite how badly she wanted to forget about the irritating Russian in question, how badly she wanted to convince herself he was nothing to her, that the time they'd spent together had been nothing more than a learning experience she could use to better herself and grow from her mistakes, Demetra had been completely unable to banish the redhead from her thoughts, not for so much as a moment. Ever since she and her team had returned from Russia, Tala had plagued her thoughts and been nothing but an unwelcome distraction for her. And where once she'd convinced herself that the greater the time apart, the more her memory and feelings of him would fade, she was instead beginning to realize that the opposite was true; the more days piled up without him, the greater the distraction and disturbance he stirred within her.

Unconsciously, Demetra's hand lifted to delicately brush her fingers across the fading bruise at her neck. She had tried to tell herself that the biggest nuisance of it had been trying to hide it from her over-protective brother, but in reality she knew better. The biggest nuisance of it had been the meaning behind it; the fact that although she swore to herself that her feelings of the redhead would fade with it, the actual fact was, the more the mark faded, the stronger her old feelings became, until she began to feel like the mark had been little more than a seal, sealing those burning feelings under her skin, where the flames of them fanned behind closed doors, raging and scorching until they completely consumed everything beneath the surface and threatened to burn their way out. As the days went by, she couldn't help but wonder what would happen when that seal burned away, and she was once again left with the all-consuming flames, this time with nothing to hold them back.

"Hey, you with he face!"

Blinking several times, Demetra came out of her trance at the sound of fingers snapping in front of her. Focusing, she noted her girls staring at her expectantly.

"Care to share your thoughts with the rest of the class?" Victoria voiced, making an attempt at teasing.

"I was just thinking how I must have the patience of a saint." Demetra replied smartly. "Surely there's no way I'd be able to abide such pointless conversation otherwise."

Victoria scoffed while the other two chuckled.

"Oh please!" The younger brunette said sarcastically. "There isn't a saintly bone in your body! And God help us if the qualifications change to include you!"

Keisha tipped her head to one side as she observed her Captain.

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" She asked gently. Demetra made a sour expression.

"About who?" She asked bitterly, deciding to play dumb, even though she knew it was pointless.

"Don't even try that with us." Victoria said bluntly.

"We haven't really talked about what happened between you two." Kage said with a cautious expression. "Maybe we should."

"There's nothing to talk about." Demetra instantly shot back sharply.

"You're not gonna feel better until you get it off your chest." Keisha said gently, giving the brunette a pointed look.

Another sour look creased Demetra's expression, but this time there was a fair amount of pain behind her eyes as well.

"How about you start by telling us how your night locked in together went...?" Keisha suggested after a long silence.

She really didn't want to, she really didn't want to talk about it. But Demetra knew that her sisters would not leave her alone until she opened up. So, reluctantly, she released a heavy sigh before forcing herself to reply. As both a relief and to her dismay, as soon as Demetra began to speak, it was like opening the floodgates, and before she knew it, she'd spilled nearly everything; what had occurred that night in question, a plethora of good memories she shared with the redhead in question, the many ways and reasons he'd managed to weasel himself past her defences and into her heart. All of it.

When eventually Demetra seemed to have exhausted her recollections, and the natural flow of the conversation seemed to ebb away, Keisha waited for a break in the words before finally speaking up.

"I'm so confused about the whole thing..." She said with a deep frown and a troubled expression. "It really seems like he likes you... I mean actually likes you..."

"Well if that's true, he's got a pretty damn lousy way of showing it!" Victoria fumed, thumping her fist down on the bar top. "I mean, who does he think he is, treating someone like that? Did he think she was just gonna crawl away in the corner and lick her wounds, then come crawling back afterwards like a whipped dog?!"

"Tori, that's so not helping." Keisha argued sternly with a deep frown.

Demetra was silent, staring at the bar top in deep thought as the two bickered back and forth on her behalf. After a few, she noted a movement in her peripherals and lifted her gaze to see Kage speaking.

"When we spoke to the Blitzkrieg Boys, they seemed to agree that there was absolutely something between you two as well.."

Victoria scoffed teasingly. "Heh! Yea, heck the whole village seemed to think there was something between you two!"

Demetra scowled at both comments.

"Yes well, perhaps he's just a damn good actor." She growled moodily.

There was silence between the girls for a while after that as all four stared into their glasses deep in thought. Eventually, Keisha broke the silence.

"Do you think you'd ever be able to forgive him...?" She almost whispered.

A deep frown creased Demetra's face and her brows knitted deeply. She could feel the gazes of all three of her companions studying her, but she refused to meet either of them. She wanted desperately to say hell no! Of course not! There was no way on God's green earth she'd ever be stupid enough to so much as let her guard down around him again, never mind actually let him back in! He'd caused far too much damage the first time, she'd have to be completely insane to give him a second chance!

When her mouth opened, she had every intention to say just that, or something of the like at the very least, Unfortunately, none of that came out.

"I don't know..." Demetra heard herself mutter instead.

"If you saw him again... if you could tell he'd changed and that he was, you know... really sorry..." Victoria chewed her cheek, studying her friend a moment before continuing. "I mean, if he... was somehow able to convince you he really does have big feelings for you... would you accept him...?"

"Those are some colossal what if's." Demetra muttered bitterly, avoiding the question.

"Yea but, you know... What if?" Keisha pressed.

"You've still got feelings for him."

Demetra made a face at her silent sibling's comment. It hadn't been a question, it was a statement, and they all knew it, just like Demetra was well aware that her sisters all knew there was a considerable amount of truth to it. Eventually, Demetra released a heavy sigh and lifted a hand to her forehead, closed her eyes.

"There's something seriously wrong with my head." She stated irritably, which made a collection of sympathetic half smiles break across her sister's faces.

"Yea, you're a total masochist." Victoria teased playfully.

"Well, you've known him a lot longer than we have." Keisha attempted comfortingly. "Clearly something you've learned made you realize his character's worth... something."

"Everyone knows Tala's a complicated person." Kage pointed out. "But Keisha is right, you've had more time to get to know him then we have, or most people have. There's obviously something about him that your consciousness acknowledges is worth hanging on to."

Kage tipped her head to one side a little.

"It seems so strange that he would just... snap the way he did." She observed pointedly. "Especially when things seemed to have gone, and been going, so well between you both after the lock in... Is it possible something might have happened between then and... the incident?"

The deep frown that had etched a dark expression, carved deeper lines into Demetra's face as she considered the fair question. Truth be told, ever since the horrific moment in question had occurred, she'd almost had to continue to convince herself daily that it had actually happened. Even now, looking back, the whole thing seemed so surreal, merely like a hyper-realistic nightmare than something that had actually happened in the waking hours. No matter how much she thought about it, no mater how hard she tried, she simply could not consolidate the Tala from that day with the one she'd come to know. Over their time together, Demetra had come to learn quite well that the redhead was a good actor, that he was very sufficient with hiding his true thoughts and feelings, that he was terribly and maddeningly difficult to read on the best of days. Yet still for the life of her, even knowing that, she simply could not begin to comprehend what had possessed him to do what he'd done.

Demetra thought of all the hints he'd thrown her, all the heavy suggestions he'd made that might as well have been flashing lights on a billboard pointing to his desire for her to stay. She remembered his comments on if she were around long enough, the things he'd shared with her the night they'd been locked in together, and all the revelations those things had revealed to her. For all looks and appearances, she'd been so sure he'd wanted her to stay. In fact, she'd fully intended to stay.

Although it drove her mad to think about, no matter how much time and thought Demetra devoted to the problem at hand, she simply could not work it out. Nothing about the situation made sense and it was a very foreign concept for her. She didn't like unsolved problems. But the fact that this one seemed unsolvable without speaking to the redhead in question again, was a problem in and of itself, and that drove the madness further still.

"It really sucks either way that things had to end the way they did..." Keisha said sympathetically, shaking Demetra out of her dark thoughts.

"Yea, I seriously thought for sure you two would get a happy ending after all this..." Victoria added with a truly disappointed expression. "I mean... damn, you guys seemed so great for each other for a while there..."

"Their story's not over yet." Kage said pointedly, a chiding expression on her face. "Stop talking like time will stop tomorrow! Who knows what time will bring... sometimes strange and wonderful things happen after wounds heal... sometimes before."

She looked into Demetra's face, whom was actually willingly looking back at her this time.

"I remember a time not so long ago, when you wore deep wounds you never thought would heal... wounds you swore you'd never give forgiveness for..."

Demetra swallowed hard as she recalled the memories her sister was referring to.

"And yet when those healed... some pretty amazing moments bloomed from them. So why are you trying to convince yourself that these wounds are so much worse? That they're so deep nothing good can ever come after them?"

Her mouth suddenly dry, all Demetra could do was stare frozen into the wise amethyst eyes that had her pinned. Damn it all, the girl was right; she wasn't about to admit it aloud, but as usual, the silent blader was right.

"Damn, girl..." Victoria cooed after a long silence. "You're like a thousand year old, wise ol' turtle!"

"That's our Kage!" Keisha teased jokingly, leaning over to wrap her arms around the ravenette. "A fountain of age-old wisdom beyond her years.

Kage smiled good-naturedly and lifted an arm to wrap around her younger sister, but her eyes never left her Captain's, and her gaze stayed locked with the laters until eventually Demetra could no longer hold it and had to look away.

"Well, we better clue this little pow-wow up before we're busted!" Victoria teased, only half jokingly. "Breal catches us in here guzzling back the family stock, we're all toast!"

"Unfortunately for you, it's a little late for that."

Very much resembling a bunch of cartoon cats hitting the ceiling when the barking dog sneaks up, all four girls turned with mixed expressions to see Breal standing in the doorway with crossed arms and an unreadable expression.

"Eh- heh, heh..." Victoria chuckled sheepishly. "Ooops... Eh... Care for a glass, Coach...?"

"You may be more grown-up then most teenagers your age, and you're all nearly legal anyway." The blunette said sternly, eying them all with a matching expression. "But you're still underage. You understand the only truly responsible thing for me to do, would be to cut you all off, then send you straight to bed with the promise of an early rise and gruelling punishment in the morning."

Sweat-dropping, the four girls watched with a sense of dread as their mentor approached them, waiting for him to confiscate their glasses and deliver on his threats. Their eyes followed him as he approached the bar and reached between them. However to the surprise of all four, instead of confiscating their glasses as expected, he instead reached for an empty glass before setting it down in front of himself. Four pairs of eyes watching the blunette in stunned surprise, they followed him as he moved around the bar, opened a glass cabinet on the back wall containing a single, fancy bottle with a clear scarlet liquid inside, then turned back to them. With the satisfying popping sound of the old-school cork, Breal proceeded to pour himself a glass of the red liquid. He placed the bottle down, lifted the glass to his face to give it a gentle swirl, releasing the pleasantly fragrant scent, then finally took a long, savouring sip. Closing his eyes as he savoured the taste, the blunette released a deep, satisfied sigh, before finally opening his eyes.

"This was our mother's favourite drink." He informed them. "A custom made brew... the very last of its kind."

The girls watched silently as an expression that seemed to be a cross between fondness and pain clouded his face, until eventually he seemed to come out of his trance and focus again. Once again, the four were surprised when he again reached for the empty glasses, this time setting one each in front of the girls before proceeding to pour them all a generous amount.

Still silent, the girls watched their coach cork the bottle, set it down, then lift his glass skyward while he looked round at them all individually.

"To family." He said evenly.

The girls exchanged a glance, then reached out to pick up their glasses.

"To family." They echoed agreeably as one. A collective hum of appreciation vibrated around the small group as the girls took a sip of the aged drink.

"Oh wow..." Victoria cooed almost dreamily. "This is delicious."

"It's so flavourful!" Keisha agreed smacking her lips.

"I can see why she loved it so much." Kage tacked on, lifting the glass to her nose to breathe in the delicious aroma.

Demetra, for her part, didn't comment, she simply lifted her glass to her lips for another savouring sip.

"Yua was the coolest." Victoria said with an admiring smile as she watched the contents in her glass swirl. "Even her taste in booze was amazing."

"What else is amazing is how much you're like her, Demi." Keisha said with a soft smile at her Captain. The latter made a face at that.

"I'm nothing like her." She argued moodily. "Though I wouldn't mind if I was..."

This time when she took a sip, it was more or less to occupy her mouth to keep it from saying anything more.

"What are you talking about, Dem?" Victoria countered. "You're so much like her!"

"Yea, I mean, maybe you don't look exactly like her, you definitely look more like your dad.." Keisha began, weighing her words. "From the videos we've watched together, and the things Breal's told us over the years though, you've definitely got her personality and spirit."

"For the most part." Breal piped up, attempting a teasing comment. "There are certainly some differences, but without a doubt, you're very bit as stubborn as she was."

The girls, save Demetra who merely gave her brother an unamused look at that, all chuckled at the statement.

That topic quickly exhausted, there was another silence for a while as everyone drank quietly among their own thoughts, this one more comfortable then the others, until surprisingly, Breal spoke up to break it.

"I hope you girls know I've always tried to do right by you."

All four girls blinked at the blunette, mildly stunned by his sudden statement.

"I've made my share of mistakes." He continued, choosing to stare into his glass rather than look at either of them. "And you may not have understood or agreed with many of my decisions, or things I've said or done. But I hope, ultimately, you're all able to realize you four have always been at the root of every decision, every choice I've ever made. Since the day you agreed to let me take care of you, everything, all of it has only ever been for you..."

He looked up now, and once more passed a look around to each of them individually.

"All of you." He said seriously.

Closing his eyes, Breal reached up to place his fingertips to his forehead, a gesture they'd long ago realized was something he did when he felt awkward or uncomfortable.

"I can't figure out my own mind half of the time, never mind four teenage girls." He said wearily, which unbeknownst to him, made amused expressions pull at his charge's faces. "I know I'm not the parental figure you all deserved, and likely the furthest thing from what you've wanted and dreamed of... I apologize for that."

When he lowered his hand and opened his eyes, he stared into the contents of his glass for a moment, a grimace coming to his face.

"I apologize you ended up stuck with me instead." He said grimly, a dark and tortured look coming to his eyes for a moment. "You all deserved better."

The girls watched the blunette lift his glass to his lips, take a good long haul that nearly drained it. Their expressions were all mixed, but the one emotion they all shared was a deep sense of surprised shock. They'd never seen their coach act this way before, never heard him say anything of the like, and for while, all four were completely at a loss for words.

Eventually however, the resident redhead was the one to break the ice this time.

"Awe! I always knew you were really a big ol' squishy teddy bear under there!" Keisha exclaimed playfully, throwing her arms around the blunette.

"That's right, Coach!" Victoria added with a one hundred watt grin, boxing the young man in on the other side. "You're the coolest big brother a girl could ever ask for! I mean, you have no idea how jealous all those preppy girls in school are of us! They all think you're the hottest thing since California reapers!"

Never having been one for sentimentality, especially the physical kind, Breal tensed in the younger girls' arms while his handsome face turned a shade of scarlet they'd never seen it before.

"We've never had anything to complain about." Kage chimed in with a supportive smile, much more calm then her younger counterparts. "Least of all with you. You've been good to us, and I know I speak for us all when I say we appreciate you more then we could ever express."

Eying her brother for a minute, Demetra forced a lopsided smirk of camaraderie for his sake.

"I don't think I need to tell you how I feel about you." She said, attempting playfulness. "You know you're not the family I always wanted."

Though his face was still flushed deep red, the latter comment succeeded in making a whisper of a smirk tug at the corner of the blunette's lips.

"I am well aware." He replied with a hint of amusement. Then he released an awkward cough as his fluster deepened. "At least about the latter comment... though I'll admit, I wasn't aware I was such a... hot commodity among your peers..."

"Oh yea! They're all crushing on you so hard." Victoria teased, finally pulling back from him. "They all totally hate us over you."

After a fair amount of playful comforting and good-natured teasing, Breal eventually had about all he could take, and the girls knew he'd reached his warm-and-fuzzy limit.

"On that note, I believe it's time for me to take my leave..." The Coach muttered, now throroughtly embarrassed.

Getting to his feet, he slid the delicious bottle onto the centre of the bar, towards the girls.

"I'll leave this to you girls." He said, his thumb brushing it one last time before releasing it and pulling away. "However, take it easy tonight. You've got the day off tomorrow, but the following day will be an early rise, and it will precede a gruelling training regime, one which will continue daily until Worlds. Goodnight, girls."

"Night, Breal." The collective chime echoed from the four left behind.

All four watched the blunette make his way from the barroom, and for a moment or two there was another silence, until eventually Victoria spoke up this time to break it.

"Heart-warming as that was..." She drawled slowly, still staring after their coach. "Anyone else think it was the weirdest thing ever?"

"Totally..." Keisha seconded, staring at the empty doorway as well. "I've never heard him talk like that before..."

"Well... it's very rare for him to consume any alcohol..." Kage pondered, her arms crossed thoughtfully. "And this stuff has been sitting on that shelf for decades. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's head stared to swim after the first few sips..."

Demetra snorted humourlessly, her own arms crossed and eyes closed.

"There's nothing else for it." She stated bluntly. "He's drunk off his ass."

Another brief silence ensued until, seconds later, three of the four burst into laughter.

After laughing good-naturedly at the Coach's expense for a while, the girls poured themselves another drink from the prized bottle, then fell into casual conversation again. Eventually, once all the usual topics had been exhausted, the conversation turned towards a certain upcoming event.

"So Demi, your birthday is coming up." Victoria said casually, eying her Captain over the rim of her glass.

"What's your point?" Demetra replied tersely, taking a sip of her own drink as well.

"Come on, don't be like that." Keisha scolded. "It's kinda a big one! Don't you wanna do something special?"

"You know the answer to that." Demetra replied snappily.

"Yea, we know you'd be content spending it in the training room, or just sitting in your window seat messing with your bey all day." Victoria replied bluntly, her face screwing up with the thought.

"I can't deny that." Demetra replied bluntly, taking another sip. "I couldn't care less how I celebrate my birthday."

The two younger girls exchanged a look at that.

"So does that mean you don't care if we plan a little something for you?" Keisha said, a mischievous lilt to her voice.

Turning her gaze on the two in question, Demetra made a face at them

"I know you two and I know that look. And I know your definition of little." Demetra replied wearily. Noting the pouty, pleading looks on their faces, she heaved a heavy, weary sigh.

"Just don't go overboard." She warned, caving as she nearly always did. "I mean it!"

A loud whooping cheer erupted from the youngest bladers while Kage simply smiled and shook her head, knowing as well as her Captain the warning was falling on deaf ears, as usual.

For some time, Demetra sat and only half listened to her sisters while they excitedly chatted and planned, completely in their element. Eventually, when the two balls of energy began emitting deep, wide-mouthed yawns, Kage chuckled and reached for the half-empty ornate bottle they'd been sharing.

"I think that's a good sign it's time to call it a night." She said before returning the bottle to its previous position and reverently closing the glass door. "Let's save this for another time, a special occasion, I think."

"Agreed." Keisha said through another wide yawn.

Passing around generous love and farewells, the two younger girls left their older siblings behind and headed off to their rooms. Seeing as their Captain didn't move from her place, Kage hesitated, tipped her head to one side as she observed the brunette studiously.

"You alright?"

When the silent blader had finally gained her attention, and Demetra had looked up to note her question, she straightened in her chair and gave her sibling a brisk nod.

"I'm fine." She confirmed shortly.

"Not going to bed?" The former questioned with a concerned expression.

"Not just yet." Demetra replied cryptically. "I just need another bit."

"Is this a company bit, or a solitude bit?" Kage asked, figuring she knew the answer.

"Definitely solitude." Demetra replied confirming her sibling's thought.

"I thought so." Kage replied knowingly. "Alright. Well you know where to find us if you need us. Night Dem."

"Night." Demetra replied absently, staring into her glass again.

Giving her Captain one last look of concern, Kage finally turned and reluctantly left the brunette to her own.

As Demetra stared into the fragrant liquid between her hands, she tried to think of something, anything other than the one person who'd been plaguing her mind body and soul for longer than she cared to admit. Unfortunately, just like a bad drug, no matter how badly she wanted to shake him, she could not get the redhead out of her mind.

"Now I know why I never took drugs." Demetra muttered bitterly under her breath. "The addiction just isn't worth it!"

Lifting her glass to her lips, she drained what was left in one go, slammed it down more forcefully than she'd intended, then got to her feet and moodily left the room behind. She hadn't wanted to retire just yet, knowing that her dreams would inevitably be haunted by an undesirable personality with stunning polar blue eyes, but considering the fact that her waking consciousness was already consumed by him anyway, she knew it didn't really make much difference.


"Mail's in!"

Tala glanced up from his morning coffee and the sports magazine he'd been skimming through, looking instead down at the table where Ian had slapped down a mixed assortment of envelopes and thin packages. Reaching out, he sifted through the pile, sliding the pieces addressed to him towards himself, giving them a brief uninterested once-over. A cell phone bill, another subscription or two, some offers from various schools and jobs, some other miscellaneous items. Nothing interesting, nothing that demanded his immediate attention. Lifting his mug for a sip, Tala sat back in his chair and resumed flipping through his magazine.

"What the hell is that?" Brian's voice questioned a moment later, a mix of disgust and wonder in his tone.

Peering over the top of his page, Tala eyed the stack of obnoxiously coloured envelopes his friend was poking at as if it were some sort of dangerous creature.

"Looks like it's from Villikosto." Spencer observed thoughtfully aloud, leaning towards the stack and reading the addresses atop them. Then he reached out and thumbed through the bundle. "Top one's for Ian but there's one for all of us."

"Dude, quit looking at them like they're gonna blow up in your face!" Ian exclaimed towards Brian, both amused and exasperated.

"Why are they so pink?!" Brian asked in clear disgust this time.

"They're from girls." Ian said matter-of-factly, reaching out to untie the string binding them all together. "All girls love pink."

"I'm pretty sure that's not true..." Spencer muttered under his breath, but his friends ignored him as they waited for Ian to pass out the extremely girly envelopes.

His magazine thoroughly forgotten, it fell to the table with a faint slap as Tala's teammate slid the one addressed to him his way. For a moment, his heart leapt as he reached with a slight tremor in his hand towards it. However, when he pulled the girly paper towards himself and peered down at, a pang of disappointment tugged at his heart upon noting the unrecognizable handwriting.

"Well it's not from Demetra..." He thought, a small frown creasing his lips. He tried to tell himself it didn't matter, that he hadn't really expected it to be, but not so deep down, the pang of disappointment morphed into a deep sense of longing.

While he was staring at the pink monstrosity, wondering what on earth could be inside without really much desire to find out, his teammates were already ripping theirs open with varying degrees of enthusiasm. He hadn't really being paying attention to them until all of a sudden, a collective cry erupted from them all, making the redhead's face jerk up with a start. To his stunned observation, he noted all four of his friends completely covered in glitter and sparkly confetti, all looking totally unamused.

"And you said it wouldn't explode." Brian grumbled.

"Shut up, Brian." The other three grumbled in response.

Tala blinked, watching Ian spit out a mouthful of the offending debris, while the others reached up to swipe the rest from their faces.

Finally looking back down at the cards in their hands, the four lifted them to read.

"Huh. Looks like an invitation to Demetra's birthday party." Ian observed aloud.

This succeeded in pricking Tala's interest, and as such, he looked back down at the object in his hands with renewed interest as his friends talked about it amongst themselves.

"Party's in two weeks." Brian noted aloud, skimming through his invite.

"They even provided airfare." Spencer added, impressed.

Finally opening his own invite, Tala pulled the card free, and seeing as he'd already seen what was contained inside, held the card at arms length before opening it, waited for the explosion of girly paraphernalia to belch out and settle, then pulled it back to read for himself.

"There's no way Demetra wrote this!" Brian exclaimed, making a face.

"Definitely not." Ian agreed bluntly, proceeding to mockingly read the words on the page. "Come for the celebration of your life, and expect a totally fantabulous experience!"

"Well, you guys wanna go?" Spencer asked, lowering his card and glancing around at his friends.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm up for a party!" Ian cheered enthusiastically. He then looked over at Tala. "You in Tal?"

"That was some awkward as hell goodbye between you two." Brian said teasingly, eying his Captain curiously. "You guys good or what?"

"Yea. Why wouldn't we be?" Tala lied reflexively, avoiding his friend's gazes as he stared instead at the paper in his hands.

He knew his friends were curious about the way he and Demetra had parted ways, but he also knew they wouldn't pester him about it either, knowing him well enough to understand it wasn't something he wanted to talk about, even if they were curious as hell. For that he was extremely grateful.

"You didn't answer the question, Tala." Kai spoke up, the first comment he'd made since the conversation had started. "Are you going?"

Tala turned his head to fix the blunette with a confident glare.

"You couldn't pay me to miss it." He almost growled challengingly.

"Then I guess we've all got plans that weekend." The blunette retorted, returning the challenging with a look of his own. "This should be fun."

While his friends all descended into an enthusiastic conversation around him about the topic at hand, and Tala turned away from the bane of his existence with every outwardly appearance of supreme casual confidence, on the inside his body was undergoing complete havoc. Suddenly he recalled a recent conversation, and the voice he heard in his head seemed to spin a whole new perspective for him.

"Perhaps the opportunity will present itself when you least expect it."

Tala felt his pulse quicken at the thought. He didn't expect to be seeing her so soon, never expected his chance at redemption to come so quickly. And yet still, despite the suddenness of it all, Tala was certain of one thing; this was absolutely the chance he'd been hoping for, and most importantly, it was absolutely the last one he was going to get. If he wasted this one, without a doubt, there would not be another one. This was going to be one opportunity he couldn't afford to screw up.