Hey again, semi-loyal fans. I just realized that some bits in chapter 4 were confusing to some people. The reference was supposed to be to Beauty and the Beast, with the West Wing being the place Belle wasn't supposed to go (but went anyway). That's why Pegasus called Megan "Belle", which means "Beautiful" in French, so that's where Megan's happy little comment came from. Thought I should clear that up. Enjoy the next chapter!

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Megan didn't come out of her room for the rest of the night. Dinner was sent to her room; she was too embarrassed to join Pegasus to eat.

Even though it had only been a few days, Pegasus found to his surprise that he missed talking to Megan over dinner. No, he corrected himself, he missed talking over dinner. Megan really had nothing to do with it, she was just someone to talk to…right?

Pegasus brought a book to the table, the way he used to when he ate alone. He sighed several times during that meal.

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Megan still didn't come out the next day. Pegasus started to worry a little-- what if he'd done something to upset her? But he made sure she was getting food sent, and spend the next afternoon the way he used to.

It had only been 4 days, but going back to the old routine wasn't easy. Pegasus found that he was very bored without Megan around. It was a business-free day for him, and he spent a good deal of it simply wandering around, still getting lost in his own home after all these years. He passed Megan's door more than once, and resisted the urge to knock and make her talk to him.

Ever a believer in old traditions, Pegasus sat down for an afternoon tea around three. Croquet served him, and easily noticed something wrong.

"What's the matter, sir?"

Pegasus chuckled. "I never could hide anything from you, my old friend."

"Never. Not when you were six and had chocolate all over your face—"

"I told you never to bring that up!" Pegasus said, but he laughed.

"—and not now," Croquet finished with a fond smile. "So what's the matter?"

Pegasus sighed, picked up his cup of tea and took a long sip. "I'm worried about her."

"Megan?"

"Any other 'her' at the castle that I should know about?" Pegasus asked in reply. "She hasn't come out since yesterday, I can't help worrying."

"What happened yesterday, sir?"

Pegasus coughed and turned his face to his cup, as if looking for an answer there. But he'd never kept anything back from his caretaker, and finally spit it out. "She kissed me."

"She's embarrassed now?"

"How should I know?" Pegasus asked, with a hint of a snap in his voice. "She's the one who practically tackled me when she got here. And what's so funny?" he added, seeing Croquet hide a smile behind his hand.

"Nothing sir," he said hurriedly. "It's…she's a good kid."

"Yes…but misguided." Pegasus agreed. He sighed. "I thought she'd be over this by now."

"Over what?"

"This…crush of hers. She doesn't really love me, I thought she'd know that by now."

Croquet was silent for a moment.

"What?" Pegasus asked, slightly annoyed.

"Sir…what if she really is?"

"What are you—you think she—" Pegasus sputtered, accidentally spitting tea across the tabletop.

"If she doesn't love you, I don't think she would have kissed you, sir."

"She can't love me," Pegasus said, then paused. Some part of his mind saw the truth in what Croquet was saying. 'What if she does? I don't love her, she'll be crushed.'

"Why not, sir?"

"You're really not giving up on this, are you?" Pegasus asked. "Usually you'd drop the subject by now."

"Now you're just stalling," Croquet replied with another fond smile. "Think about it, sir, please." He put a hand on Pegasus' shoulder. "Just think about it." Croquet left the room.

Pegasus concentrated on his tea, and reluctantly followed his mentor's advice.

'I guess she thinks she really does love me…but she can't for real. If it were real, I'd love her back.' There was a pause in his thoughts that he didn't want to explore. He forced a questioning voice into the back of his mind. 'I don't love her. I love Cecilia.'

He got up and walked to one of many portraits of her hung all around the castle. Here, she sat in a field of flowers, gathering several in her arms and laughing. Pegasus resisted the urge to trace her form, not wanting to smudge the paint. He didn't want to disrupt any memory of her. He'd already lost her once.

This painting in particular was bittersweet. That was the last painting he'd done before the news. The horrible, earth-shattering news that she was sick. Cancer…that hateful word. Pegasus looked at her painting for a long time. She was so happy. It was just the next day that the light had left her eyes.

The familiar heartache set in, thinking about her death. It had softened over time, now that he'd given up hope of her return. He reached into a pocket and drew out a thin gold ring. Cecilia had been buried with an identical one. Their wedding rings.

He slipped the ring onto his finger. It still fit, but not as perfectly as it once had. He'd taken it off after she died, promising himself that once he had her back they'd be married again, for real. The ceremony in the hospital didn't really count as a wedding. In his mind, he'd promised her flowers, jewels, friends and family, the most beautiful dress in the world, and all she'd gotten was a thin gold ring.

Pegasus wiped away a tear threatening to escape from his good eye. It wasn't over, it didn't feel over. He'd never really said good-bye. He still loved her. There was no way these feelings could ever transfer to someone else.

'If Megan truly loved me, I'd love her. She'll get over it, sooner or later.'

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The previous night, Megan had sulked by herself until she fell asleep. When she woke that morning, breakfast was already cold at her door, and Megan was glad that she didn't have to leave her room yet.

She replayed last night's scene in her head over and over.

'Why do I have to be such a moron?' She hid her face even from herself, burying it in books and blankets and avoiding any kind of real work.

But even as she kicked herself for doing it, she was immensely happy that she had kissed him.

She smiled and flushed. 'My first kiss…I was saving it for him. Even if I don't even see him again before I leave, I got my kiss.'

Eventually though, the boredom of being alone in her room took over. Megan restlessly moved around her room, ending up right in front of the door. Several pairs of footsteps passed her door, all different. Some hurried, some calm. A maid maybe, stopping every few feet to clean something. And one pair that seemed to keep coming back, stopping right in front of her before leaving again.

Almost bored out of her mind by lunchtime, Megan took out her cell phone and called Stephanie.

"Hey Megan! How are you? What's happened?" Stephanie's voice came clearly over the phone, and Megan smiled to hear her friend.

"A lot happened…" Megan launched into a long, thorough explanation of everything that had happened between herself and Pegasus since she'd arrived at the castle.

"You WHAT!?" Megan had to move the phone away from her ear as Stephanie yelled. "You KISSED him!? Megan, honey, why?"

"I…I don't really know…but I liked it."

Stephanie sighed. "I don't know what to do with you, Megan."

"Look, I know it was stupid."

"Yeah, it really was. You know it's not gonna work out, right dear?"

"…Yeah….i know." Megan forced herself to admit it. "But I'll only be here for another few days. I just…I just wish it wasn't so awkward now."

"So what happened today, then? You said this was last night."

"Nothing happened today…I, uh, I haven't left my room yet." Megan smiled a little too widely to be believed, and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Megan, you have to talk to him. Don't do this to yourself, at least enjoy your vacation, okay?" Stephanie pleaded.

"Okay Steph," Megan agreed. "I'll see you Monday." They both hung up.

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It was very late in the afternoon when Megan finally left her room. She stalled for as long as she could in the hall, but that didn't turn out to be too long. Pegasus walked by for the 7th or 8th time that day, and stopped just after the turn to Megan's hallway.

"Oh, you're out of your room."

"Yeah, I am," Megan said, looking at her shoes. They were nice shoes. New, white sneakers. She'd bought them just for the trip.

"Walk with me." He started to offer her his arm, but thought better of the idea. "I wanted to talk to you."

Megan hesitated, smiled and grabbed his arm anyway. "Sure. Me too."

Pegasus couldn't bring himself to push her arm away.

They walked for a while in silence, ending up outside in the courtyard.

"It's so beautiful out here, I wish I didn't have to leave," Megan said.

"Well, not all wishes should be granted," Pegasus said softly.

Megan blushed and let go of his arm. She didn't meet Pegasus' eyes as she spoke. "Look, I…well, I mean…I'm sorry about last night," Megan finished almost inaudibly.

"Don't worry," he said, putting a rather awkward hand on her shoulder. She put her own hand on top of his. "Chalk it up to heat of the moment?"

She smiled. "Sure. So…it's not gonna get weird or anything, right?"

He laughed. "Only a few more days, anyway. Water under the bridge." He gave her shoulder a tiny squeeze and removed his hand. "Join me for dinner? I missed you last night."

"Just a minute," she answered. Pegasus left and she sat on the low brick wall of a flower display.

'I held his hand…' She thought happily. 'I kissed him and I held his hand.' Giving her shoulder the same little squeeze, Megan stood up smiling and practically skipped off to dinner.