A/N - I'm fine, the men in white coats were gentle. The padded room isn't so bad, I still have Internet connection. Which means I can update! Yay! Sorry, the sedative hasn't kicked in yet. So I have about 10 minutes to write the next chapter before I go back to rocking in the corner and singing nursery rhymes. Thank you to:

Cami of Queenscove: No they're not going to fall asleep in each other's arms! Ewww! Someone say "corny!" No, they're not going to have sex either, sorry. Kel may be on the rebound, but she's not that desperate.

Arimel - thank you for the encouragement. You have arguments with the voices in your head too? The doctors say that we're the only ones who do, and that the little pills they keep feeding us will make us go away.

Rainne- I hope the men in white coats don't get you too, and yes, poor Joren, he should have some of the pills they keep giving me.

Angel of the Storms - I never tried bouncing off the padded walls! Thanks! I tried, but the men in white coats keep pulling me down. Party poopers.

Thanks also to: Evilstrawberry, Cytosine(I'll try more detail, I get so lost in getting the story done I forget the little things), Keita, Tbiris, Shaz, and Bblond07 and now onto the story.

Italics are Joren's thoughts, bold are Kel's

Ch.7

"What do you want, Joren?" Kel asked suspiciously.

"Are you going to make me say it in the hall?" he replied impatiently.

"Why? Something no one else can hear?" Without responding, Joren brushed past Kel into the room, closing the door behind him. Kel was about to protest, when he interuppted her.

"Kel, I don't hate you." Stupid! Dumbass! What the hell was that? "I don't hate you?" Joren, you loser!

"Oh really? And I suppose all the insults and the fighting was your way of showing me your deep fondness?" Goddess, what is he doing here?

"No, that was a way of hiding my insecurity and how threatened I was by you." Real smooth, Joren, real smooth.

"Then why are you telling me this now? After 4 years of torture, you've suddenly realized you don't hate me?" Why am I so nervous?

"I've always known," he replied simply.

"Known what?"

"That you belonged here. That you were a good page, would make a good knight." Please believe me, please believe me. "And…I'm…sorry."

An awkward silence settled in the room. Jump sat on the bed, patiently watching the two humans. "You're such a liar, Joren. You honestly expect me to believe you're sorry? After 4 years, you've suddenly realized your huge, resounding mistake? You've pulled this routine before, as I recall. It was crap then and it's crap now. Get out of my room before you get me in trouble." It is crap, isn't it? Of course it is! What on Earth would his motivation be other than to try and get me to fall for this "I'm a changed person" line again and then turn around and pull some cruel stunt? Oh, and this is low. For a second there, I actually allowed myself to believe he could change.

No! I'm not going to let her continue thinking of me this way. I can change!

"I've changed, Kel, whether you choose to believe it or not." He said opening the door.

"I don't choose to believe anything. I believe what is true. You've changed? Prove it."

"I will, Kel. You'll see, I promise. I'll make it up to you, and to everyone. I'll be good enough for you, one day." Joren heard no reply but the closing of the door. I will prove it to her. One day, Kel will be mine.

Good enough for me? What does that mean? Surely he can't think we could ever be….a couple? Me and Joren? Kel shook the thought off. She must be tired. He's changed? Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it.

A/N - Well, not much accomplished in that chapter. These padded walls must be starting to close in on me. Tune in next time, to find out how Joren will prove himself to Kel, and if he does, will she ever be able to trust him? Dun dun dun! Oh, the suspense! Back to the corner for us!