A/N- Thanks for all the reviews! Here's the next chapter!

Chapter 6- The Pain It Caused

Gosalyn leaned over her bed and pulled her suitcase out from beneath it. Laying it beside her, she popped the locks and peered inside.

On top of her clothes was her stuffed bear--named Mr. Snookums, oddly enough. She had had this animal with her ever since she had been put into the orphanage. No, even longer. Her biological grandfather had given it to her. Even as a very young girl, she had never cared for stuffed animals. But this one, she had kept. Now, around the neck of the bear, was something that someone else she had lost had given her.

Launchpad's scarf. She removed it now and wrapped it slowly about her neck, as if it were some holy ornamentation. She could feel the tears in her eyes again. She hugged the bear close to her--something she had not done in years--and began to cry, silently. Then, all of a sudden, she stopped.

For all that Negaduck had taken from her, she still had no right to do what she had just done to him. He had just confessed something that he had been harboring within himself for years. She had honestly hurt him. Years ago, at Launchpad's funeral, hurting Negaduck was what she had prayed for. However, now, it bothered her.

She put the scarf back on the bear and replaced the animal in her suitcase. She then stood, brushed herself off, and left her room.

She paused at Negaduck's door just outside in the hall. Then, slowly, she knocked.

…………………

Negaduck was sitting with his back to the door, thinking. That was all--nothing more, nothing less; for he was incapable of doing anything else at the moment. However, his thoughts were painful. Did she not know? Did she not know how much he had hated hurting her then… now? Did she not know of his wish to die for what he had done… and what Morgana had done to him instead?

There was a knock on his door. He didn't reply to it. He just sat and continued to stare at the wall in thought. Then, the door simply opened.

"You should be invited to enter before you enter," he said scathingly.

"Sorry," came Gosalyn's timid voice.

The former Mallard Menace turned swiftly. She was staring at him with those wide eyes of hers. They were now red-rimmed and sunken. She had been crying. That much was obvious.

"No, Gosalyn, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you," he said, standing.

"Look, Negaduck, we need to talk," Gosalyn said, timidly taking a seat at the foot of his bed.

He didn't sit. He knew just being in the same room now must make her uncomfortable, let alone sitting on the same bed. He nodded in reply to her and leaned against the dismal wall.

"Well… um… I know that, for you to admit what you admitted, must've been hard. I'm sorry I ran out on you like that," Gosalyn said.

This shocked him thoroughly. Why was she being so kind to him? No one else ever was. And Lord knows, he didn't deserve it.

"There's no need for you to apologize, Gosalyn. I never… ever wanted you to find out about how I felt about you… or, at the very least, in that way. If I had known that the crystal ball would've shown you that, I would've stopped you," he said.

Honesty hurt. That's why he had never used it back in his villainous days.

Gosalyn stood. "Nevertheless, I'm sorry. Can't we forget this? I mean, can't we still be friends?"

He didn't answer. This would mean going back to being so close to her… yet so far away. Wanting to hold her, charm her, comfort her… but never being able to. However, if this is what she wanted…

"I'm sorry. I know me asking you to do this must hurt, but we can't… I mean, my dad, he'll… Well," Gosalyn explained--or at least tried to.

"Look, Gos, your father will be here in two days to get you anyhow. I can pretend this never happened… for your sake," Negaduck said.

She smiled, albeit sadly.

"Thank you," she said, almost inaudibly.

He nodded. She turned and, with a quick look over her shoulder at him, left.

End Notes: So, did you like? Sorry for the long wait. Had many types of writer's block happen. Ever have this moment, where you know what's going to happen next in a story, but you have never really thought about it? Well, that's what sort of happened with this story and Where's Negs?. Please R R! Bye!