Author's Note: okay, I lied. This isn't the last chapter. See, I wanted to stuff it full of stuff, but I'll probably continue it. I mean, there are so many things I could still do. So, it might very well become rather saga-ish! Sorry, Jueee… lol! No short one… not yet.

"Daisy!" David said, arriving at her house. She was sitting on the porch steps with a coke can in her hand, her face revealing deep thought.

"David," she acknowledged, looking up and seeing his face lit up by her eyes. "Do you want something?"

"Why're you out here?" he asked, getting worried about her. Daisy shrugged.

"Parents having a hissy fit," she said with a bitter laugh.

"Where's Jess?" he asked, realizing that she wasn't around.

"Went round the corner to get a snack. We got hungry."

"God, how long have you been out here?" He sat beside her now, giving her his coat. She looked cold, but would never admit to it. He couldn't believe how negligent her parents were.

"Couple of hours," she replied with a shrug. "Uh, why are you here?" she asked, coming out of her stupor and sensing all the tension in the air.

"Dais, I'm really sorry I blew up at you like that. When you told me I could talk to you still, I figured you didn't hate me for all the stuff's that happened to me," he tried. She looked at him sadly.

"Why did you think I'd hated you, David?"

"Because of all that's happened. Because my dad beats me," he whispered.

"David, you were there, my dad beats me too," she pointed out, getting uncomfortable. "Anyway, what's the point of all this?"

"Well…I was sort of wondering if we could… uh…"

"Get back together?" she filled in. He nodded. "David… I dunno." His face fell at once. She explained further. "Look, I'm in over my head with everything with my parents. I have to protect Jess from them, and that's taking all my energy. I just can't deal with all the drama," she said, sighing. David didn't' know what to do. He didn't want to lose her. She was the only girl who knew what his secret was, and didn't run.

He looked at her, really taking her in. He noticed just how beautiful she was. He couldn't believe that he'd broken up with her, she really was very special. She looked at him, sensing his eyes on her.

She saw the glint from the tears in his eyes. She really did like him a lot. She didn't want to have broken up with him, and she definitely wanted to get back together. She just needed some kind of insurance that he wouldn't hurt her again. She hadn't shown it, but his leaving her had torn her up. She looked him in the eyes, deep into his soul. All she needed at this point was some sort of sign to point her in the right direction.

David didn't know what to do. He wanted to prove to her everything he felt. In a final attempt, he leaned in and kissed her lips. She was so shocked that at first she just sat there, letting herself be kissed. Then, realizing what all this meant, she leaned into the kiss and kissed him back, letting him open her closed lips with his tongue. She smiled into the kiss. This was right. These were all the signs she needed.

David smiled back at her. She stared at him. "So I guess we're back together, then," he said, hope shining through his eyes. She smirked.

"Well, you might have to give me a little more reason," she replied. He slipped his hands around her neck and kissed her again. When he pulled away, she nodded. "Alright, you've proved your point." She leaned back in and kissed him some more.

**************************************************************************************

"You love me?" she asked, confused.

"Yes," he said, smiling weakly.

"Okay," Shelby replied, taking it all in.

"So?" he asked hopefully.

"Give me a minute." She put her head in her hands and thought. She loved hearing him say he loved her, but she still wasn't sure if she wanted to give into that… into him. She didn't know whether she was ready for that.

Oh and it hurts my soul,

Cause I can't let go.

All these walls are caving in,

I can't stop my suffering.

I hate to show that I

Lose control cause I

Keep coming right back to the one thing that I need

To walk away from.

"Shel?" Scott asked after having given her several minutes. She lifted her head and looked exhausted.

"Why did you do that, Scott?" she asked softly. She wasn't being rude or mean; she was actually pondering the answer to that question.

"Do what?"

"Tell me you love me!"

"Because that's how I feel," he said as though it were an obvious answer. "I needed to say it."

"See, that's the thing Scott. You said what you needed, but did you bother to think about what I needed?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Scott, it was a valid reason and all, but…"

"But?" he asked, wincing at what she may say.

"Why did you think I'd treat you as another trick?" she asked curiously. He let go of a breath he didn't realize he was holding in.

"I was afraid. I thought you may take advantage of me, like you did the other guys."

"Okay… listen. I never--NEVER--take advantage of those guys. If anything, they take advantage of me. You think I want to sell myself when I run? Huh? You think that's my secret deep wish? God, Scott, think with your head here," she said, getting slightly angry with him. Did he have no faith in her?

"I know. I was just… scared."

"Right. Well, how about I rule tomorrow?" she asked, tired of this.

"Rule?"

"Decide."

"On what?"

"On whether or not I still love you," she finished and walked into the house. She came face to face with... "Sean," she greeted, nodding her head. He sat on the stairs, which faced the front door.

"Shelby," he replied in the same curt way. He did not get up to let her pass, though.

"Do you mind?"

"Yeah, actually." She gave him a blank stare.

"Well?"

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he asked incredulously.

"What do you mean?" she asked, thoroughly taken aback.

"I mean, that kid, as much as I really dislike him, totally put his heart, not to mention his pride, on the line to say that. Why won't you take him back?"

"Sean, you don't know anything," she growled angrily, approaching the staircase, but he wouldn't move. "Let me pass."

"No. Explain to me why," he pleaded.

"What the fuck? Just let me pass!"

"No!" She looked shocked at his anger with her. What's his problem, she thought. She finally walked into the kitchen to get something to eat. Her choice of snack was a chocolate chip cookie. She sat down on one of the stools at the island. Sean followed her in after a while. "Shel, why didn't you?" he asked, being kind and soft with her now. She looked up at him, and turned on her stool to avoid his eyes. "Shelby, look at me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because when I look into your eyes, I can't hold anything back."

"So, let it out! It has to come out at one point," he reasoned. She sighed, but swiveled and looked him in the eye all the same.

"I didn't take him back because he betrayed me. I told him what happened at home. He figured out that I'd been a whore and told the school."

"Why did he?" Sean asked, sitting on a stool across the island from her and looking at her.

"Because he was afraid I'd use him like his… like another woman he knew," she said.

"Elaine?"

"Okay, how thin is that door?" she asked, amazed that he'd heard all that. He shrugged. "But yeah, Elaine."

"Okay…" Sean said, taking it in, and positioning all the information in his mind. "What came next?"

"Well, he realized that he loved me, which was probably really hard to accept."

"Because you… sold yourself?" She looked at him sadly and nodded. "And he's the hot jock of the school, and can't deal with loving you?" he asked, indignant. She smirked and nodded again. "I get it…"

"So, can I go now?" she joked. He smirked.

"No, one last question."

"What?"

"Do you still love him?" he asked solemnly. She stared at him for a minute, dumbstruck. Then she regained her senses and got up to leave. "Shelby!" he called, she was walking out the kitchen door, and up the stairs. She totally ignored him and walked into the guestroom that Sean's parents had let her use. It was now her official quarters. It was rather understood that she'd be staying there a while, probably until high school ended. "Shelby," Sean said once more, pushing open the door to her room. It was not equipped with a lock.

"What?" she asked rudely.

"Do you still love him?"

"What the fuck, Sean! Why can't you just mind your own business?" she yelled.

"Because I care about you!" he yelled right back at her.

"Get out!"

"No! Why won't you talk to me?" he asked a little softer. She looked him straight in the eyes and felt the sadness that radiated from him. "You're shutting me out again. The same way you did two years ago. Why can't you trust me?" She was starting to break under the pressure of his pain. She had indeed blocked him out, and without wanting to she was doing it again. She didn't want to, she hated blocking him out of her life. She didn't even know why she did it; it was some kind of perverse instinct.

"Fine, you want to know the truth? The truth is I'm terrified! The truth is that every waking moment I think of him. The truth is I've never been so in love in my life. The truth is I don't know what to expect. The truth is I'm petrified he might hurt me again! There's your fucking truth! Are you happy now?" she yelled and sunk down on her bed, her head buried in her pillow. Sean looked at her.

"Okay," he sighed, sitting down beside her and rubbing her back comfortingly. "You know what you have to do, then, right?" She shook her head into the pillow.

"No," came the muffled sound.

"You have to tell him."

"Why?" came that same strained muffled sound.

"Because if you don't, you'll regret it the rest of your life." She rolled around, and looked up at him with slightly blurred eyes. He lay down beside her and looked up at the ceiling. "Scary prospect isn't it?"

"Tell me about it. Sean?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbow, and turning to face him.

"Yeah?"

"How am I gonna tell him?"

"Don't search for the words. They'll come when you need them," he said. He looked her in the eye and gave her a kiss on the cheek before going to his own room to sleep.

She flopped back on her bed, looking up at the ceiling, alone in the dark. Well, I have one guarantee, she thought. Tomorrow's gonna be one heck of a fun day. With that last thought, she fell asleep, dreaming of her coming encounter with Scott.

**************************************************************************************

Shelby stood, frozen, for several minutes. It was lunchtime and she was watching Scott talking to Matt. She couldn't take her eyes off him. Suddenly, she felt a presence beside her.

"You gonna go talk to him?" her best friend said. She didn't turn her head.

"What says I want to?"

"Well, you haven't taken your eyes off him all day… that's usually enough for me to know what's on your mind," she pointed out knowingly.

"Yeah, I'm gonna talk to him. Just… give me a minute."

"Yeah, I totally understand." Shelby turned to look at her.

"You look happy," she observed.

"Yeah, David and I are back together," Daisy replied, shrugging, but grinning all the same.

"Thought so." Shelby smirked as Daisy raised an eyebrow.

"Did you now?"

"Yeah. Let's just say David isn't the most discreet person ever… come to think of it, Jess isn't either."

"So, what's going on with you and Scott?"

"Oh, he came to me yesterday. Told me he loves me. Now I have to tell him my decision," Shelby said resignedly.

"Which is?" she asked, subconsciously taking in an expectant breath.

"I thought you'd know… what with those tarot cards," Shelby said sarcastically.

"Yeah, what can I say? I haven't read up on you in a while," Daisy replied with a smirk.

"Right. I still love him; that's my decision."

"You do?" Daisy asked, furrowing her brows. "Still?"

"Yeah… I don't know what it is about him, but he's got some kind of hold on me."

"Understandable. He's special, that one," Daisy said wisely, nodding at Scott. Shelby raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, anyone that you like is special. And someone that you talk to about your past is even more special."

"I'll take that as a compliment to my judge of character."

"You do that. Now, go talk to him," she replied, giving Shelby a little push in the back.

"I'm going, I'm going!" she replied, throwing her hands up defensively. Daisy laughed and went to join David to get some lunch down the street. Shelby walked up to Scott and Matt. Scott got up from the bench where he was sitting, smiled, and looked at her carefully to try and find some sign of what was to come. "Matt, could I have a moment?" she asked, a little too nicely.

"Yeah, take as long as you need," he said, getting up. "Scott, I'll see you in math." With that, he left them alone to talk things over.

"So, what's the verdict?" Scott asked, sitting down beside Shelby, trying to stay calm, but failing horribly.

She shifted in her seat and looked him in the eye. A small smile spread across her face at just how nervous he was. When he looked puzzled, that smile grew into a broad grin.

"What is it?" Scott asked, practically jumping in his seat. She smiled on. "Shel, does all this smiling mean what I hope it means."

"Well, if you hope it mean I still love you…" he sat forward in anticipation, "you're absolutely… right," she whispered in his ear. She pulled away and looked him in the eye. The hugest smile appeared on his face as he leaned in, cupping her face with his hands, and kissed her passionately. She too smiled as she kissed him back, just as passionately.

"Wow, well, I'm relieved," he said, showing the emotion perfectly. She laughed.

"Yeah, come to think of it, so am I," she sighed. They got up and walked down the street to where the restaurants were. They walked hand in hand, receiving knowing looks from people from their school. They didn't care, though. They were happy for the first time in a long time.

"I love you, Shel," he whispered. She looked up at him, and they stopped walking. She stood in front of him, and looked him in the eye.

"I love you too, Scott," she whispered back. It was almost as though those three words were so sacred; neither could utter them aloud. She grinned as she brought his head down to meet hers and kissed him.