A/N: Haha, still in the mood for breakups! Come whack me for breaking the couples apart!

"You've gone too far with your experiments! Are they more important than me?"

Daine and Numair:

"Not another experiment with animals again, love? Surely not…" Daine whispered as she glanced at Numair at the worktable. "Please, Daine. I'm on the edge of a scientific breakthrough!" Numair hissed impatiently, "Walahhh! It's complete!" he pumped his hands triumphantly into the air. Daine peeked over his shoulder at the desk, upon seeing the tiny, unmoving body of the little bird she had saved not to long ago, she shrieked, "NUMAIR! HOW COULD YOU? You knew that the bird wasn't fully recovered yet! I can't believe you just had to use it for your magic and whatnot."

Numair shot back, "Just because you don't understand the wonders of the Gift and magic doesn't mean it isn't a good cause for sacrifice! Sometimes you just have to give up something for it!" Daine gave him a glare that bore through him, and stormed out of the room.

Numair sighed, "Sometimes, we're just too different…"

When Daine had calmed down reasonably, she went to the dining hall for dinner. Upon seeing Numair, she scooted to another chair. Conveniently placing herself next to Sir Raoul. Such that if Numair was going to try and reach over, he'd have to reach past Raoul that he'd probably pull his arm muscle.

All through the meal, Numair tried to get Daine to talk to him. Daine wasn't quiet during dinner, in fact, she was talking as usual. But she didn't answer anything that Numair asked her or anything that had something to do with her and Numair. She was giving off the vibe that she didn't want to talk to Numair and she'd kill any person who tried to get her to talk to him.

By the end of the meal, everyone at the same table had noticed Daine's strange behavior. Alanna's eyebrows looked as though they were scotch-taped high above her eyes. Owen (Nevermind if he doesn't sit with her usually, just pretend he does) looked itching to ask her what had happened. If not for Kel's sharp stares she kept giving him every time he opened his mouth, he'd have blabbed the question out on the spot.

When Daine had reached back to the room, she saw that Numair had laid out a gorgeous gown for her. When he came into the room, he saw her touching the gown, touching the soft silk that winked with sequins. He offered his hand, suggesting a walk.

When they'd reached the practice courts, they slowly sank into a long, passionate kiss. Embracing the other as though it was their last time together. "Don't ever leave me, Numair… I'm sorry." Numair patted her back, reassuring her.

Suddenly, a page came crashing through the doors. Piercing the quiet of the practice courts. "Numair, Sir! You're needed with the other mages now! They're on the brink of discovery!"

Numair instantly drew back his arms from Daine, and tossed a tip to the page. The page instantly scuttled away from the practice courts. When he looked at Daine, he saw the look in her eyes, begging him to stay for once and leave work for another time. He knew how much this meant to her, but she should know how much this new discovery would mean to him too… He mouthed the words, "I'm sorry, but I must go." And hurried off.

Daine looked shocked and tears instantly formed in her eyes. Running back to their rooms, she bolted the door shut and cried herself to sleep. When Numair had returned from the meeting with the other mages, he hurriedly tried to think of some explanation to give her. But Daine was sitting at the dressing table, eyes boring through him as though she knew he was thinking of an excuse.

Daine: No more excuses, Numair. I can't stand them anymore. First, using animals as test objects and now you're giving up time with me for magic. Perhaps we weren't meant to be.

Numair: Magelet, don't be unreasonable. I was just excited over their breakthrough! Certainly you understand.

Daine: But you could have waited until later. Why THEN?

Numair: Daine, if you did understand me, you'd know how much that meant to me.

Daine: You've gone too far with your experiments! Are they more important than me?

She slammed the door behind her, summoning birds to ward him off if he tried to follow her.

A/N: Okies, that's the end of it. I almost forgot I had to break them up at the end cause I was watching some romance show. Haha. I nearly made them forgive each other again when I remembered the point of the whole thing. Come flame me for being so terrible to the couples.