"Well, Lady knight, things seem to be going quite well." Dom walked up
behind her.
She frowned. "Don't do that."
He looked slightly shocked. "What, compliment you?"
"Call me Lady Knight. You know I don't like it."
He shrugged. "Fine, be that way." He kissed her on the cheek. "I've got to go, I've got some work to do."
He jogged out the door, narrowly missing Fhire, who was walking in.
"Good morning, Lady Kel." She said, smiling.
Kel looked up and smiled back at her squire. "Morning. Did I miss anything this morning?"
Fhire put a finger on her chin, looking pensive. "Hmmm, let me think. Oh yes, there was a big one. Everyone gathered in the mess hall, and before we knew it. . ."
Kel raised her eyebrows. "Well, what happened?"
"We ate breakfast!" Fhire said, her eyes wide with mock excitement. "Seriously, you haven't been at breakfast in a few days."
Kel sighed. "I'm sorry, but I've had a lot of work to do."
Fhire sat down, pulling a few of the papers out from under Kel, and she started to go over them. "Neal told me that you never used to miss any meals. He said that you thought eating with the refugees was important, because it made them know you didn't think you were better than them. He said something is wrong, and I'm surprised he hasn't come to see you yet. Dom is worried too." She looked up at Kel. "They're your friends, Kel. They know you better than anyone else. I don't know you that well yet, but they do. And they've figured you out. What's wrong?"
Kel leaned back in her chair. "I don't know." She sighed. "Every thing seems different now. Since I came back from Scanra, everything has changed. Not my friends, but me. I look the same, and I think I'm the same, but deep down, I can tell something has changed. Something important. I just don't know what. And it makes it feel strange to talk to my friends, to tell them things."
"Why can you tell me, but no one else?" Fhire asked.
Kel shrugged dramatically. "I guess because I wasn't that close with you before. I don't think that Scanra was what did it. something has been building up inside of me for a long, long time, and being kept in a jail cell for such a long time opened it up. Everything I knew before, it feels wrong now. It feels like I've changed, and I'm not right for my friends anymore."
Fhire looked at her, and Kel could feel her eyes boring into her. It felt uncomfortable.
Fhire shrugged. "I think you're just in shock."
"WHAT?" Kel cried.
"Calm down, Lady Kel. It's not that bad." She said softly. "You were in solitary confinement for such a long time, it feels strange to be back, like it isn't right. Your brain and your body aren't used to it. Give yourself a little time to work it out, and if that doesn't work, talk to Neal. He might be able to help. And for Mithros' sake, don't keep yourself locked up in here, no matter how right it feels. Spend as much time in the company of others as you can, hopefully outside, or in large spaces that aren't your rooms."
Kel stared at her. How did this girl know so much? She seemed to know exactly what was wrong, and she came up with perfectly reasonable responses.
Fhire seemed to read her mind. Again. "Don't look so confused, my grandfather is a healer, and he studied psychology at the University. He's told me a lot about it. (A/N I don't know if that is the term, or if it should be psychiatry, or something completely different.) He wanted me to go to the University to study, but my father said he would be proud to have another knight in the family, so he let me come."
Kel nodded slowly, an Fhire stood up, dragging Kel up with her. "Come on, we're going to go around the camp, you have work to do there. But first, we're going to get you some food."
They walked across the square to the mess hall, where they sat down with bowls of oatmeal. "Kel, you will get better, don't worry. Just try to relax around people. you have to remember, they all love you, and they'd all do anything for you."
Kel nodded, and smiled weakly. "Thank you so much, Fhire, it's so helpful."
Fhire grinned. "Don't worry, Kel, dealing with crazy people is my specialty."
Kel grinned too. "Than why are you focusing on me, and not Neal?"
Fhire shrugged. "He's weird, you're actually insane."
Kel laughed.
A few minutes later, they went back outside, and Kel slightly better. She looked at all the people around her, and she didn't feel like she should be somewhere else. She felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
* * * * *
The next few days got better and better for Kel. She found it easier and easier to be with her friends, but she still avoided being alone with any one of them. She was quite sure that Dom wasn't very happy about it. She had barely spent any time with him. Every time they had a chance to be alone, Kel had to come up with something new to get out of it. She wasn't ready for it yet. Finally, after almost two weeks, Kel thought she was okay with being alone with him.
The only problem was, she still didn't want to tell him why she'd been avoiding him. She decided to just talk to him, and not bring up why she hadn't before.
She caught up with him that night, after dinner.
"Dom!" She called out to him, across the square.
He turned around slowly, but didn't move towards her. Puzzled, Kel ran over to him. "Dom, do you want to do something?"
He looked away, then back to her. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" He asked, not looking her in the eye.
Kel frowned. "What are you talking about?"
He shrugged. "Doesn't matter, I'm sure you'll have something to do, I'll see you tomorrow."
He walked away, leaving Kel, standing alone, in the middle of the square.
She stood there for a minute, thinking. After that, she sprinted to his room. She knocked on the door. There was no answer, but she could see a candle on, so she knew that he was there. She knocked again. Nothing.
"Dom, please open the door." He didn't answer.
Kel felt like she was about to cry. "Please open the door, Dom. I can't fix anything if you don't tell me what's wrong."
She was just about to knock again, when the door opened. Dom was standing there. He stepped back and let her in.
She sat down on the bed. "What's wrong?"
He sighed and sat down beside her. "You've been avoiding me."
Kel frowned. "No I haven't." She took a deep breath. "I've been avoiding everyone."
Dom looked puzzled. "I don't understand."
Kel stood up and started pacing. "Fhire said I was in shock from my little trip to Scanra." She explained everything to him, and when she was done, he looked at her skeptically.
"Kel, I'm not sure about this. Why didn't you tell me?"
Kel shrugged. "I didn't tell anyone, well except Fhire, but she's a smart girl, she figured it out herself. I just wasn't comfortable with it."
Dom nodded, and smiled slightly. "I think I can accept that."
Kel grinned and sat down beside him. "I love you." She hugged him.
Dom smiled back at her, and Kel felt such warmth that she could barely sit still. Suddenly, Dom pulled back slightly. "I want to know. . ." He paused. "I've always been there for you, right? I've always listened to your problems, and tried to help, right?"
Kel nodded. "Of course!"
"Can I count on you for the same thing?" Kel looked at him. He was serious.
Kel gave him a hug. "Absolutely."
Dom smiled. "Good to know." He kissed her forehead.
Almost an hour later, Kel dragged herself away. "I'm sorry, but I actually have to go. It's late, and I have to be up early to help Fhire with her glaive work."
Dom kissed her, and she seriously reconsidered leaving, but she finally left. She jogged back to her room, only to be woken up almost six hours later by a warning horn.
New Hope was under attack.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am so evil! And I'm having so much fun! I realized that Kel went back because New Hope was getting attacked so much. And I needed some action, this chapter was SERIOUSLY lacking. I'm sorry to anyone who was bored out of their minds!
Valese: I'm glad you like it, and you don't know how much that means to me! I strive to write like TP, but I always suck at it. no one's ever told me that before!
AJ 4EVA: glad you enjoyed it.
Fhire:WAH!!!!! Evil people! hate them so much! My neighbors kitty got hit by a car, but he's okay. . . but my other neighbors cat got hit by a car and died! It was so sad, because I was at camp, and I came home, and my mom told me! Random facts about my life. . . heehee
Treanz-alyce: absopositivilutely! That's pronounced abso-positivi-lutely. Mix of the two words. I definitely give you something to gossip about!
Lady Bee: I'm really sorry I took so long to update. . . I've been busy.
Kelly Masbolle: OOH! You're the person who's story I read last year and it was really good but it didn't end. . . but I just looked it up, and it's not there! Did you get rid of a story? I'm sure it was you. Anyway, I'm horrible, I always notice that it's bland too, and I'm trying, really I am. I've gotten the hang of it with my HP stories, I think. It's getting better, less talking, more writing. Fun!
Rora Kuusou: IC instead of OOC? Am I supposed to know what that means? I thought about book titles, but I'm drawing a blank, I haven't read any in such a long time. Please explain! Anyway, sorry I took so long.
Fireangel: glad you enjoyed yourself.
Wake-robin: again, glad you liked it, and sorry I took so long.
Well, that's about it. I want to thank you people for giving me 25 more reviews than my next highest reviewed story! (as of this point) it makes me so happy! Well, to you people, not my readers of my other stories. . . grumble. . .
Happy reading!
-unolimbo
She frowned. "Don't do that."
He looked slightly shocked. "What, compliment you?"
"Call me Lady Knight. You know I don't like it."
He shrugged. "Fine, be that way." He kissed her on the cheek. "I've got to go, I've got some work to do."
He jogged out the door, narrowly missing Fhire, who was walking in.
"Good morning, Lady Kel." She said, smiling.
Kel looked up and smiled back at her squire. "Morning. Did I miss anything this morning?"
Fhire put a finger on her chin, looking pensive. "Hmmm, let me think. Oh yes, there was a big one. Everyone gathered in the mess hall, and before we knew it. . ."
Kel raised her eyebrows. "Well, what happened?"
"We ate breakfast!" Fhire said, her eyes wide with mock excitement. "Seriously, you haven't been at breakfast in a few days."
Kel sighed. "I'm sorry, but I've had a lot of work to do."
Fhire sat down, pulling a few of the papers out from under Kel, and she started to go over them. "Neal told me that you never used to miss any meals. He said that you thought eating with the refugees was important, because it made them know you didn't think you were better than them. He said something is wrong, and I'm surprised he hasn't come to see you yet. Dom is worried too." She looked up at Kel. "They're your friends, Kel. They know you better than anyone else. I don't know you that well yet, but they do. And they've figured you out. What's wrong?"
Kel leaned back in her chair. "I don't know." She sighed. "Every thing seems different now. Since I came back from Scanra, everything has changed. Not my friends, but me. I look the same, and I think I'm the same, but deep down, I can tell something has changed. Something important. I just don't know what. And it makes it feel strange to talk to my friends, to tell them things."
"Why can you tell me, but no one else?" Fhire asked.
Kel shrugged dramatically. "I guess because I wasn't that close with you before. I don't think that Scanra was what did it. something has been building up inside of me for a long, long time, and being kept in a jail cell for such a long time opened it up. Everything I knew before, it feels wrong now. It feels like I've changed, and I'm not right for my friends anymore."
Fhire looked at her, and Kel could feel her eyes boring into her. It felt uncomfortable.
Fhire shrugged. "I think you're just in shock."
"WHAT?" Kel cried.
"Calm down, Lady Kel. It's not that bad." She said softly. "You were in solitary confinement for such a long time, it feels strange to be back, like it isn't right. Your brain and your body aren't used to it. Give yourself a little time to work it out, and if that doesn't work, talk to Neal. He might be able to help. And for Mithros' sake, don't keep yourself locked up in here, no matter how right it feels. Spend as much time in the company of others as you can, hopefully outside, or in large spaces that aren't your rooms."
Kel stared at her. How did this girl know so much? She seemed to know exactly what was wrong, and she came up with perfectly reasonable responses.
Fhire seemed to read her mind. Again. "Don't look so confused, my grandfather is a healer, and he studied psychology at the University. He's told me a lot about it. (A/N I don't know if that is the term, or if it should be psychiatry, or something completely different.) He wanted me to go to the University to study, but my father said he would be proud to have another knight in the family, so he let me come."
Kel nodded slowly, an Fhire stood up, dragging Kel up with her. "Come on, we're going to go around the camp, you have work to do there. But first, we're going to get you some food."
They walked across the square to the mess hall, where they sat down with bowls of oatmeal. "Kel, you will get better, don't worry. Just try to relax around people. you have to remember, they all love you, and they'd all do anything for you."
Kel nodded, and smiled weakly. "Thank you so much, Fhire, it's so helpful."
Fhire grinned. "Don't worry, Kel, dealing with crazy people is my specialty."
Kel grinned too. "Than why are you focusing on me, and not Neal?"
Fhire shrugged. "He's weird, you're actually insane."
Kel laughed.
A few minutes later, they went back outside, and Kel slightly better. She looked at all the people around her, and she didn't feel like she should be somewhere else. She felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
* * * * *
The next few days got better and better for Kel. She found it easier and easier to be with her friends, but she still avoided being alone with any one of them. She was quite sure that Dom wasn't very happy about it. She had barely spent any time with him. Every time they had a chance to be alone, Kel had to come up with something new to get out of it. She wasn't ready for it yet. Finally, after almost two weeks, Kel thought she was okay with being alone with him.
The only problem was, she still didn't want to tell him why she'd been avoiding him. She decided to just talk to him, and not bring up why she hadn't before.
She caught up with him that night, after dinner.
"Dom!" She called out to him, across the square.
He turned around slowly, but didn't move towards her. Puzzled, Kel ran over to him. "Dom, do you want to do something?"
He looked away, then back to her. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" He asked, not looking her in the eye.
Kel frowned. "What are you talking about?"
He shrugged. "Doesn't matter, I'm sure you'll have something to do, I'll see you tomorrow."
He walked away, leaving Kel, standing alone, in the middle of the square.
She stood there for a minute, thinking. After that, she sprinted to his room. She knocked on the door. There was no answer, but she could see a candle on, so she knew that he was there. She knocked again. Nothing.
"Dom, please open the door." He didn't answer.
Kel felt like she was about to cry. "Please open the door, Dom. I can't fix anything if you don't tell me what's wrong."
She was just about to knock again, when the door opened. Dom was standing there. He stepped back and let her in.
She sat down on the bed. "What's wrong?"
He sighed and sat down beside her. "You've been avoiding me."
Kel frowned. "No I haven't." She took a deep breath. "I've been avoiding everyone."
Dom looked puzzled. "I don't understand."
Kel stood up and started pacing. "Fhire said I was in shock from my little trip to Scanra." She explained everything to him, and when she was done, he looked at her skeptically.
"Kel, I'm not sure about this. Why didn't you tell me?"
Kel shrugged. "I didn't tell anyone, well except Fhire, but she's a smart girl, she figured it out herself. I just wasn't comfortable with it."
Dom nodded, and smiled slightly. "I think I can accept that."
Kel grinned and sat down beside him. "I love you." She hugged him.
Dom smiled back at her, and Kel felt such warmth that she could barely sit still. Suddenly, Dom pulled back slightly. "I want to know. . ." He paused. "I've always been there for you, right? I've always listened to your problems, and tried to help, right?"
Kel nodded. "Of course!"
"Can I count on you for the same thing?" Kel looked at him. He was serious.
Kel gave him a hug. "Absolutely."
Dom smiled. "Good to know." He kissed her forehead.
Almost an hour later, Kel dragged herself away. "I'm sorry, but I actually have to go. It's late, and I have to be up early to help Fhire with her glaive work."
Dom kissed her, and she seriously reconsidered leaving, but she finally left. She jogged back to her room, only to be woken up almost six hours later by a warning horn.
New Hope was under attack.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am so evil! And I'm having so much fun! I realized that Kel went back because New Hope was getting attacked so much. And I needed some action, this chapter was SERIOUSLY lacking. I'm sorry to anyone who was bored out of their minds!
Valese: I'm glad you like it, and you don't know how much that means to me! I strive to write like TP, but I always suck at it. no one's ever told me that before!
AJ 4EVA: glad you enjoyed it.
Fhire:WAH!!!!! Evil people! hate them so much! My neighbors kitty got hit by a car, but he's okay. . . but my other neighbors cat got hit by a car and died! It was so sad, because I was at camp, and I came home, and my mom told me! Random facts about my life. . . heehee
Treanz-alyce: absopositivilutely! That's pronounced abso-positivi-lutely. Mix of the two words. I definitely give you something to gossip about!
Lady Bee: I'm really sorry I took so long to update. . . I've been busy.
Kelly Masbolle: OOH! You're the person who's story I read last year and it was really good but it didn't end. . . but I just looked it up, and it's not there! Did you get rid of a story? I'm sure it was you. Anyway, I'm horrible, I always notice that it's bland too, and I'm trying, really I am. I've gotten the hang of it with my HP stories, I think. It's getting better, less talking, more writing. Fun!
Rora Kuusou: IC instead of OOC? Am I supposed to know what that means? I thought about book titles, but I'm drawing a blank, I haven't read any in such a long time. Please explain! Anyway, sorry I took so long.
Fireangel: glad you enjoyed yourself.
Wake-robin: again, glad you liked it, and sorry I took so long.
Well, that's about it. I want to thank you people for giving me 25 more reviews than my next highest reviewed story! (as of this point) it makes me so happy! Well, to you people, not my readers of my other stories. . . grumble. . .
Happy reading!
-unolimbo