((THE ONES YOU LEAST EXPECT))
CHAPTER SIX: CHOICES
Hey everyone! Thanks so much for your wonderful reviews! Sure, I had to threaten you with the discontinuation of the story, but you all really did me a favour. I was going to ditch this story cos I thought it wasn't going anywhere, but you guys kinda convinced me I was just talking myself out of it.
This chapter may be the last of this story, but there will definitely be an epilogue, after al, Kel and Neal still haven't gotten together!!! How irritating!!! Poor old Neal, I really have put him through a lot in this fic, which make me feel bad, since I consider him to be the perfect guy. I'd also like to apologise for this stories lack of fluff, however if you like Kel/Neal fluff you can check out 'Here and Now' which is a one shot I wrote on the weekend. It's the fluffiest thing I've ever written, but ppl seem to like it.
I am also considering a sequel to come after the epilogue, but more on that when I post up the epilogue.
Disclaimer: I am not Tamora Pierce. Please do not steal my lousy plot.
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I've been searching deep down in my soul,
Word sthat I'm hearing are staring to get old,
Feels like I'm starting all over again,
The last three years were just pretend,
And I said,
Goodbye to you,
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew,
You were the one I loved,
The one thing that I tried to hold on to
Michelle Branch – Goodbye to You
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Even before Neal had married Yuki he had always wondered whether he was her first love. There had always been that aura about her that she'd lost something important, and wasn't quite sure what to do about it. But the thought had never crossed his mind that she could have married him on the rebound. And yet, thinking about it later he couldn't for the life of him understand how he had never seen it before. It fitted together so nicely: her insecurity, her lack of real emotion, her unwillingness to commit. Things he had passed of as con-incidence before but now shone out of her character blindingly. Yet if it had been obvious before, that morning, as he stumbled in and saw her standing next to Junak, it was undeniable. Watching her hold his arm, stare up at his face...despite the tears in her eyes it was obvious she wanted no-one else, and that she never had.
Neal would cry for Yuki later, but not that morning, and not for the right reasons.
For now, he just knew that his everything he said, everything he did, would shape, if not define, how he would live for the rest of his life.
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For a second Junak regarded the man in front of him 'So this is the famous sir Nealan' he thought to himself. His hair was tussled, his eyes were sharp, and Junak felt sure that, even if he was a good husband, he had betrayed Yuki last night. Just the way he looked at the woman Yuki had called Kel told Junak that he wanted her, and after spending the night in her rooms there was little doubt that Neal had got his wish.
And it made Junak so mad that he could hardly breathe.
"I am assuming that you are my Yukimi's husband?" he asked as calmly as he could. As a Yamani he had been taught not to show emotions, and he had always been good at his lessons.
"I am" he replied steadily "Who are you?" his voice lacked any emotion. Yuki had warned him that her husband may get emotional, but this man didn't seem to feel anything. Let alone love for her. Junak's face grew hot with rage. He couldn't let his love be used like this.
"Nealan of Queenscove, I challenge you to a dual in unarmed combat. You will report to the training courts at dawn. You fight for your honor, and your wife"
And then he stormed from the room.
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Yuki stared after Junak, uncertain. Debating a minor gesture that could reshape her whole life. She felt cold tears burn her hot skin as her mind added up pros and cons. She had left her family to marry Neal, she had been that sure that he would be a good replacement for Junak, that sure that she loved him enough to forget the past...
But then she had met Junak again, and in an instant she had known her mistake. She wouldn't die for Neal. She wouldn't put herself through torture for Neal. She didn't want to have children with Neal. She wanted to kiss Neal, touch Neal, let him charm her. She felt lust for Neal. She didn't love him. She never really had.
But Junak, Junak was different. She had been through hell over him, and she'd go through it a thousand times more if it meant she could be with him. She would go through the shame of the divorce. She would do something with the baby, because when she was with Junak she felt loved. And what more could a woman want really?
NO! her brain argued what about Neal! You have a whole life here! You can't just walk out on your whole life!
And yet, she did.
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Kel could not have felt worse if she'd beat herself over the head with her glaive. She watched as Yuki stood in the doorway; saw Neal's eyes watching her. Taking in every tear, every worried glance in Junak's direction. She saw the hurt in Neal's eyes as Yuki ran out the door after Junak.
After she had pushed him away last night, put her own feelings first, when he had probably just wanted to talk to her. She was meant to be his best friend! How could she...
Kel pushed guilt out of her mind. She couldn't think about that now. There was no way Neal could fight Junak in unarmed combat. Perhaps with swords...but Junak was a Yamani! He would have been trained in unarmed combat since the day he had been born. Neal could lose his life, or worse. She couldn't let him go through with this.
Kel watched Neal walk to the door of her rooms. She felt the need to go after him, but knew that he would have to shed his tears before he would talk sense. Kel had never seen Neal cry, but she had seen his love for Yuki, and such a loss would constitute tears.
Kel sighed and made up her mind go down to the practice courts. She felt a sudden urge to hit something.
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Ok, just to reassure you that most definitely wasn't the last chapter. Have re-evaluated. There will be several more and an epilogue. Keep the reviews coming guys! Sorry I take so long to update. AARRRGGHHHH!!! Wish I could get them together already, stoopid plot...