Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Except the plot. Everything else belongs to the wonderful Tamora Pierce.

A/N: I am not longer a spinster! And yes, FanFictionFantom, he is hot. Not that I'm like… boasting…. Or anything… and he looks like Kurt Cobain. Which is absolutely amazing.

Anyway, I know some people were pretty annoyed because of the last chapter and the shortness of it, and the nastiness of it, and… blah, blah, blah….

So on and so forth.

So I hope to relinquish your love with this chapter. I hope. Oh yes, and someone said something about the 'don't kill me thing' at the bottom of the last chapter. They said I was already dead. But I thought someone had brought me back to life? Ah, well. Never mind. Oh yes, and I hope everyone had a good Christmas! And a Happy New Year to everyone!

To every broken heart in here
Love was once a part, but now it's disappeared
She told me that it's all a part of the choices that your making
Even when you think you're right
You have to give to take

But there's still tomorrow
Forget the sorrow
And I can be on the last train home
Watch it pass the day
As it fades away
No more time to care
No more time, today

Lost Prophets, Last Train Home

Midnight Unusualities

Heart-shaped Box

She groaned and raised a hand to her aching head. It hurt so much! Why though?

Something must have happened.

Maybe it was him.

Maybe he had come in at the middle of the night, fuelled with a vicious anger, raised something large and heavy, and brought it down swiftly on her head…

She'd been spending too much time with Neal. He was rubbing off on her.

She rubbed her head again, and climbed out of the bed, groaning with the pressure exerted on her head from this minimal task.

So this was when she felt her weakest.

Apart from when she was with Dom. When she was with him, she felt vulnerable, like all her skin was being peeled away to reveal the real her, and she could do nothing about it.

That's why she felt vulnerable. Because he was being able to see a part of her that no one had ever seen before. A part of her that she normally hid. And she didn't like that.

Because the last time she had allowed him to see being the mask, underneath the skin, he had hurt her. He had hurt her so much.

And there was noting anyone could do to take away that pain.

It was the sort that attacked you from the inside, eating outwards, until all that was left was a shell, a shadow of your former self.

So she could never properly trust him again.

He had broken her confidence. And with that he had taken her heart.

She sighed and pulled a pair of breeched off the dresser in front of her. She could at least look half decent when she went for breakfast. She could at least try and look like noting was wrong.

Great chance she had of that.

With a groan, she dressed and quickly pulled a brush through her hair.

Wandering aimlessly through to the washroom, Kel stared at herself diligently in the mirror. She looked a mess.

Her hair was still rumpled and unwashed, no matter what she did to it. She had large, dark bags underneath bother of her eyes, reminders of what little sleep she was getting at the moment.

She ran a scarred hand through her hair and strode out of her room. What was the point in making an effort? They would know something was wrong anyway.

---- ---- ----

"Kel?" Neal prodded her with his words anxiously. "You've barely touched your food. What's wrong? Tell me. You can tell me, you know. I am your best friend after all. Kelly? Little Kelly…"

"Just shut up, Neal, would you?" Kel snapped at the man sat next to her. She raised her head so she could glare angrily at him. "I am really not in the mood this morning. So just… leave it."

She diverted her eyes to her food again and raised her spoon. She dipped it into the porridge and swirled it round. Picking up a tiny mouthful with the edge of the spoon, she lifted it tentatively into her mouth.

Making a face, she swallowed the food. She didn't feel like eating this morning.

Screwing up her face again, she placed the spoon back into the bowl.

With a jolt, she realised someone had come to sit in the seat near her.

Next to Yuki.

There was only one person that wasn't sat on the table that usually was.

Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

He raised an eyebrow at her from across the table.

She blushed.

She didn't know why she was blushing.

She had absolutely nothing to blush about. Nothing at all. Anyway, how could he even look at her like that? After what he'd done? After he'd walked out on her when she'd forgiven him.

She scowled in return to his smile.

She saw the happiness on his face crumble and turn to dust. She had done that. And she felt good for it.

She wanted to laugh and spit in his face. But she wouldn't do that. Because she was in company.

"Kel…?" Neal had obviously noticed her silence and the stony look on her face. "Kel… do you want to go for a ride?"

She nodded. She would have done anything to get away from that smile and those entrancing blue eyes.

She stood, grabbing hold of Neal's arm, dragging him towards the door of the mess hall. Away from everyone.

Away from those eyes.

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A/N: Well I hope that was okay for everyone. I've been really busy with school work at the moment because I have my SATS coming up soon so I'm sorry if it has taken me a while to update.

Free cookies for everyone!