And more utter insanity of Katey's behalf.

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I hurriedly un-bound him from the chair, and he stood up, pulling me up with him. He pulled me into a tight hug and kissed me.

Only…there wasn't that sizzle…or maybe the pain of my ankle was just driving that out of my mind, but that didn't matter, because I was finally here and everything was right.

"Fleur, now what is you plan to get out of this God-forsaken time?" he asked, drawing me away from him.

"Simple; a nice clean throat slit." I said with a smile.

"Very simple;" he agreed "you know where the knives are, then?"

"The drawer behind you to the left." I said, recalling from memory where they were.

He reached behind him to pull out the drawer and pull out one of the steak knives that hadn't been used in who knows how long.

I reached out to take it from him, but he held it back.

"Well?" I asked politely, but as soon as the words were out of my mouth his arm lashed out, and struck me with the back of his hand.

I stumbled backward, finally knocked to my senses.

What the hell had I been thinking for the past two hours?

"Oh, Lovely, François…I say to get some new material and you come up with a new plot to kill me." I said, steadying myself with one hand on the sink edge.

"Back to yourself again? Pity, you would have been so easy to manipulate if you were that little idiotic scrap of your true character."

"Pity you aren't dead." I retorted "But of course, I could totally change that if you'd prefer back in Hell where you belong."

"Nah, I'd much rather stay up here where there's so many more people to torture."

"Well aren't you just the sweetest thing under the sun?" I said sarcastically.

"If I didn't know myself then yes, I could consider myself into that category…after all, I charmed you again, didn't I?" he asked, and I felt a bubble of anger swell inside me, but I kept it in check.

"Lucky shot. It was my fault, really." I admitted carelessly.

"Ah, so you were pining for me." He said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Always thing with your ego first; no, it wasn't 'you' I missed, I've had enough of you to last for a thousand lifetimes, it was Paris that I missed."

"And I seemed to be the only one that could take you there."

"'Seemed' is the key word there, pal." I corrected, and he shrugged.

"So, Fleur, which would be the preferred way to go? Throat slit like I had, wrists sliced, or a stab in the stomach?" He asked, and I leaned comfortably against the counter, my arms crossed as though I was seriously considering the options.

"Option D; I somehow manage in the nick of time to turn the blade around and kill you. What say you?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with that." He said, and I frowned.

"Oh pooh, I always wanted to outsmart you and wind up actually killing you." I said, and he smiled.

"Shame that's just a wish, love."

"Yeah, but don't people who're going to die get one last wish?" I asked, stalling him.

"What, like going to Disney Land?" he mused, raising and eyebrow.

"Yeah, my last wish is to kill you, and you actually die! Now how cool would that be?" I said excitedly, and he laughed aloud.

"Nay, my good lady." He said formally, bowing a little "I'm disinclined to acquiesce your request."

"Ah, been watching Pirates of the Caribbean lately?" I asked, smiling with remembrance when Barbossa had said those very words to me.

"Nah, I just thought that sounded good."

"Well do I at least get to go to Disney Land I mean, I am the one who's dying…again. So actually, if I add up all the times I've died and not gotten a last wish…that would be like, four, including this one."

"Shame you won't be getting one…not unless you beg."

Oh boy, the old I'll-let-you-live-if-you-beg-but-wait-no-let's-just-have-you-die-for-the-fun-of-it bit.

"Oh come on, beg? Puh-leeze. This is Katey 'Fleur Delacour' Douglas speaking. I don't beg unless it involves getting money from my parents to go to the mall."

"Shame." He said simply, and thrust the knife toward me.

I ducked from my spot against the counter and backed around the table, hopefully going to pull off the crazy fake out thing you always see in the movies.

Only, unlike in the movies, his arm reach was enough to go over the small table.

I backed up, but tripped over the chair that he had previously occupied before I untied him like the brain dead retard I am.

I backed up on the ground, the way the people always do in moves (what is it with me and movies? I need to get a life…okay…needed) before they were killed off by the psycho that was stalking toward them.

I.e.: my current scenario, even though I vowed while watching one of them, I believe during the Scary Movie Marathon presented by Clair, that if a mad killer was after me and I fell backward, that I would get my butt up off the floor and run.

Well maybe I should just go back on that vow, because this was a little different, seeing as it would be a little hard for me to run when I had a freaking broken ankle.

"And now, you are completely under my control." He mocked, his grip on the knife slack as he walked closer to me.

Damn…wall behind me…I knew I should have backed up in the direction of the door, not the wall.

"Lovely technique…so how are you going to escape this time, or are you just going to blubber and cry because I'm not who you thought I was like last time?"

"Oh shut up you bastard. I was only thirteen, and you had given me my first kiss. Of course I would have thought I was in love!" I spat, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Ah, true loves first kiss, how sweet." He said, not making it sound sweet at all.

"It was your fault, might I remind you. You're the one who kissed me at midnight." I said, remembering the Masquerade.

"Ah, but you're the one who permitted a man whom you had just met kiss you." He retorted.

I remained silent for a second.

"You still started it." I said, running out of things to say.

"Ah, now we sound like siblings." He said, and I realized that we sounded like Christi and her younger brother when they argued. "Now come, even though be both know you must die, let's at least meet each other face to face like civilized people."

"What, you mean civilized like me?" I said tauntingly, but he ignored it, pulling me to my feet, and then doing something unexpected.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into him, stooping his neck to reach my mouth, kissing me exactly as we had at the Masquerade.

Shame I still didn't feel the same tingles and total lose-yourself-in-his-arms reaction.

I started to pull away, but his body seemed to fall onto me, pushing me back against the wall. I slid my arms off of his shoulders, and he crumbled to the floor.

I stared at him open mouthed. What, were my lips poisonous now?

"Katey…"

I looked up from the limp body of François to see Ethan standing before me, and gave him a curious look, seeing as he possessed no 'weapon.'

"Pressure points; given enough force, they can kill you instantly. I'm surprised you didn't remember that from science."

I smiled, but mentally scolded myself for not thinking of that.

"So…" he said slowly, looking down at François "Have a good kiss?"

My cheeks flamed red. I guess he noticed…

I opened my mouth to explain, but he shook his head. "Don't bother. One: I won't be able to understand you, and two: it's perfectly all right for you to be in love with the guy that had tried to kill you."

I knew he was trying to make light of the situation, but behind it I had the feeling that he really meant it.

I guiltily looked back down at François who seemed quite dead, or if not dead, unconscious.

Why hadn't I shoved him off sooner? I mean, the dude was probably about to stab me in the back, but I hadn't done anything but wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer.

Yeah, smooth. That's exactly what you want to do to the guy who ruined your life and was about to kill you: wrap your arms around his neck and kiss him back.

"Katey, come on, you'd better get back to bed." He said, helping lift me over François.

I silently put my arm around his shoulder as he put his arm around my waist, and allowed myself to be helped out of the kitchen.

I wanted to say something…but I didn't know what, and I didn't know how I could get it across to him what I meant even if I did find something, but just as I was pondering this, he stopped suddenly.

"Katey," he asked tentatively, "You didn't really…want…to kiss him, right?"

I shook my head vigorously. Like hell I did.

"Good." He said, and he faced me, wrapping his arms around me, and kissed me.

Even though the room had been dark, it now seemed to be full of bright light and sparks, and I felt that weird dizzy thing, as though Ethan was the only thing that would be able to keep me from falling down dead from the electric current that flowed between us.

His lips had been soft at first, but the kiss had deepened, and he pressed his against mine fiercer, as if he couldn't get enough of me. My stomach was a mass of butterflies and jitters, and it was all I could do to stop my self from going any further.

After what could have easily been an eternity he pulled away, and the first think that came out of my mouth was "I think that one completely ousted Christine and Raoul's kiss on the rooftop."

Ethan smiled and kissed me again. "I guess you can speak English again."

I paused for a moment, and then realization sank in.

"Ohmigosh! You're right! I am! Oh thank God! Do know how annoying it is to talk and no one understands you?"

"Coming from you it must be, seeing as you never shut up." He said jokingly, and I smiled, leaning my head against his chest.

I guess I wasn't sleeping next to Clair and Abby again…

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Awwww! What a sweet ending! And no, I didn't mean anything 'dirty' so don't even go there.

And I'm not saying this is the end…I think I might want to write about the month before the Wedding that is sure to come in another story.

That'll be fun!

Please leave lots of reviews!

Epilogue is the next chapter, by the way…