Me: My author's note is here. My laptop has been taken away because it was stuffing up, some random reason like that. So I don't know how I'm going to do this chapter but I am going to attempt it.

Dustfinger: (sarcastically) Don't be modest or anything...

Me: Dustfinger, I know you're dirty little secret.

Dustfinger: I don't really have one.

Me: Oh yes you do.

Dustfinger: What?

Me: ...(smiles evilly)

Dustfinger: (starting to get paranoid) No seriously what?

For what was only hours, seemed to tick by painfully slow. Perhaps just to torture them. Meggie paced the room, her body too wired up to just sit there. Dustfinger watched far away, eyes narrowed with concern as he muttered to himself, trying to work out the best sentence starter.

"I'm not going to break." He jumped, startled from her empty voice, hatred sweeping through occasionally. He looked up, and she was staring at him from across the room, now wringing her hands. As long as she was doing something, keeping herself busy...

"I'm not going to bleed everywhere, you don't have to step on tiptoes around me. What's done is done, there is no sugar coating it, no stepping around it. If you want to move on, face it head on right?"

Dustfinger stood up, walking over to her carefully. She remained still.

"It would be okay if you were broken, Meggie. Completely understandable. And as your..." he paused, not knowing what they were. Boyfriend seemed too immature, love perhaps?

"And as your love," he tested, shrugging before continuing, "I'll fix you." He reached out, but she moved away.

"You can fix me later, right now I need to be focused, he needs to die." Dustfinger could not blame her for the venom that dripped from her words. He had some pretty violent thoughts, longings about the man too, but his main focus was on Meggie, his sweet innocent Meggie who had had that taken away from her by this bastard.

That innocence she wouldn't get back, especially if she condemned herself on this path of, what she called it, justice, when really in the shadows it was revenge.

"Please Dustfinger," He looked up at her, to see tears spilling down her eyes. Immediately he went around to her side and engulfed her in such a hug, that he was surprised she could still speak.

"It hurts, it does but this is the only way."

"It's not Meggie. Revenge for the man-"

"Don't."

"Whatever you want to call it is not going to make you feel any better, relieved yes, but it's not going to bring your mum back."

"I just got her back," she mumbled, gripping his cloak tightly in shaking clenched fists. Dustfinger kissed her forehead, taking her face in a gentle, comforting hold as he used his thumbs to wipe away her tears.

"This will all be over, we can return, we can go home and put this behind us. I won't give up on you Meggie."

Home. The word sounded so nice, created such a lovely picture in her mind. Whenever they tried to find it though, it was pierced by ugliness and tragedy. She wanted it either in white or black, not in shades of gray.

"The old man is writing, how about we get some rest?" Dustfinger guarded her to the bed. Meggie lowered herself onto it, and curled into a ball, trying to stop the trembles. Dustfinger watched her for a moment, agonizing sorrow pricking through his veins and tickling every nerve in him. He twitched, fighting the urge to go kill that son of a bitch with his bare hands. But they were killing two things with one stone. Before he knew it, blackness relieved him from the weariness and pain he felt, and it took someplace warmer .

Meggie woke up in a sweat, and in blackness. She lay still for a moment, chest heaving as she struggled to breathe silently. She blinked and then turned, falling into a soft body.

"Dustfinger." She whispered, touching his face.

"What—hmm." He blinked open before snapping up, making Meggie jump.

"I hate being afraid of this." She whispered. Dustfinger took her in his arms.

"I'm here, wherever you go I'll follow." He said sweetly. The door burst open, and they both sprung up ready for the uninvited.

It was her father, the candle displaying the distress on his face.

"No." Meggie knew it was bad.

Mo nodded.

"Fenoglio is gone-dead."

Dustfinger sprang up, and Meggie started to follow. The two man halted at the same time when they noticed the girl following them. It was Dustfinger who spoke however.

"Meggie you stay here, do you understand me?" his words were gruff, sounding more like a guardian then a lover. Meggie scowled, but she didn't have time to promise as they were off. A click sounded, and Meggie's eyes shot open wide. She jiggled the doorknob, and tried to unlock it, only to come to the conclusion that it needed a key.

She kicked the door in frustration, letting out a yell.

Meggie leaned against the door, before slowly sliding down it. She ran a hand through her hair and bowed into herself, as if her small arms could keep protect her, but already she was fragile...and broken.

She could not stop the silent sobs that wracked through her body painfully, nor the rush of blinding tears as they dripped down her nose and into her mouth, giving her an even bitter taste. She stood up and made her way to the bathroom, flicking on the small lantern. She leant over the kitchen sink, and finally looked at herself in the mirror.

She did not like what she saw.

Her arm stretched back and her fist flew into the mirror, shattering it into pieces and leaving a bloody trail on her hand. She winced, and then sighed in content as the physical pain ebbed away the pain in heart. Without even thinking she grabbed a stray piece and guided it down her thigh.

She didn't care. She didn't care if anyone found out, she didn't care what they would say, she didn't care about anything. Physical scars were better than emotional ones, and physical pain was better than the pain she felt, her heart so heavily burdened, cracking, breaking under the weight.

By the time Dustfinger came back the mess was cleaned, and she was in the bed, feigning sleep.

"Don't worry Meggie, we're going to do it right next time. We won't get it wrong."

Why couldn't Meggie believe him?

Me: Too bad he doesn't know who returns in like the next chapter.

Dustfinger: Who!

Me: Meggie won't be happy. . . review readers! It'll be interesting. I hope you liked this chapter, yeah not my best but I've lost my notes on it thanks to my laptop being fixed. I like this story, I really do. I know sad right? Ah well.