Scenario 7- ''I'm Ending This.''

''Kel...''

He used to say her name with so much love, so much tenderness, and now... He was saying it with anger and impatience.

What were they even fighting about this time?

The worst part was that Kel didn't even know. They were just fighting, as usual.

What happened to the best friend who understood her more than anything, instead of getting angry that he didn't? The lover that made her feel like she could touch the sky, instead of making her feel like she would only crash? The man who instantly brought a smile to her face, instead of a frown?

The perfect love, instead of this screwed-up heartache?

She didn't know the answer to those questions, either.

''What, Neal?''

She said his name not they way she normally would (the way that he said hers), but with exasperation and surrender at yet another one of their exhausting arguments. At their whole daunting relationship.

Her tone filled him with surprise and guilt. Kel never gave up, despite how daunting or challenging( mentally or physically) something was, was giving up on this argument. Because it was too daunting for even her to have to carry the burden of his foolish anger.

''I'm sorry...'' he began, reaching out for her.

She turned away from him.
''Yeah and we didn't just fight.''

Her words were bitingly sarcastic and it hurt him. She must have learned that move from him, for he pulled it off on her too many times to count.

Just then he felt like she was somewhere thousands of miles away, even though she was right in front of him.

He had an aching, burning desire for them to be the lovers they used to be, instead of what they were now.

He put a hand on her shoulder, but she did nothing. Just look at the wall with that damn Yamani mask on her face.

''I'm sorry,'' he said again.

''Shut up, Neal,'' she said, the bitterness and anger strong in her tone.

''Dammit, Kel! What...''

''I said shut up Neal!'' she exclaimed, almost screaming, ''shut up!''

Such a reaction from Kel, calm-cool-and-collected Kel, the Lump, was something he had never seen before. It revealed just how much this relationship was tearing her up. It was tearing him up, too.

It was then they reached the point where they both had enough. When they both realized that it was never going to work out, that it was only going to ever be like this.

They both looked at each other with the same realization on their faces.

''I'm ending this,'' she whispered.
Despite this realization in him, the realization that imbedded into his mind and heart, part of him still wanted to deny that. Part of him wanted to beg her to stay, to give their relationship a second chance.

That part was screaming inside of him, but he managed a tight nod.

She walked out quickly, being careful not to reveal her tear-stained face.

The door clicked when she shut it, and that click echoed painfully in her ripped-up heart.

The click echoed in Neal's heart, too. That click, that part of himself, the realization and all the memories of their love swirled together, slowly and painfully ripping his heart into shreds.

For about a month after their breakup, all they could think about was each other, and the memories of their relationship.

The memories either burned or soothed their aching hearts. The bad memories and the good memories hurt just as much during the daytime but at night... It made it easier for the good memories to come, and reliving made them harder to remember the bad memories and the gaping hole of the other person.

They were both walking dead for this time, and their friends were concerned for the both of them then. Raoul was ready to go up to Neal and teach him a lesson.

The ache over the loss of the relationship dulled over time, even though it seemed at the time like it never would.

And then they met their true loves.

For Neal, it was a Yamani blossom named Yuki.

She saw him crying over Kel on the stairwell. Despite all the Yamani teachings that emotion( especially emotion as profuse as his) was a weakness, Yuki was very sympathetic.

She listened to him and wiped the tears from his eyes, telling him that it wasn't his fault. That sometimes when a relationship ended, it was nobody's fault. Sometimes it just didn't work out and when that happened, it was just best to move on.

After that, he couldn't get her off of his mind and a month later, they began a relationship.

For Kel, it was Deagan. They had been placed on an assignment together, and they had instantly clicked.

He was like her in a lot of ways- loyal, kind, determined, a hard fighter, a believer in equal rights for all including commoners.

They were talking about something, both would forget when started to kiss her.

She had never experienced a kiss like his. It was fierce and gentle at the same time, passionate and loving. It ignited and awakened everything within her, turning her veins into fire and her heart into lightening. Not knowing how she felt it was a question but then it became an exclamation.

And from it she just knew it was right, and that she was never so sure about anything else before. It settled the doubts and the memories of Neal that prevented her from kissing him first.

It was a year later when they saw each other again. They were assigned on the same mission, after just taking leave for both of their weddings.

''Neal, is that you?'' she went up to him and asked, unsure that it was really him.

''Kel?'' he asked in response. He thought it was her but was hesitant to go up to her.

''I can't believe I'm seeing you again.''

''I know, especially after...'' He took a pause, not wanting to bring up the last time he had seen her when he was just seeing her again.

''Me, too,'' she said, not wanting to think about it.

''I'm glad I have found you, though,'' he said.

She smiled. ''Me, too. I'm sorry for...''

''I'm sorry, too.''

She hugged him, and he hugged back. For once the feelings that flowed between them were friendly, not angry or romantic.

This made them both realize how much they missed their best friend, and how long they both missed simply that. It also made them realize just how big a mistake becoming lovers was.

''Can we go back to just being friends?'' Neal asked, ''I think we were better that way.''

Kel nodded. ''Of course,'' she answered.

''And as my friend I'd like to invite you to my wedding this fall,'' he said.

''You're getting married?''

''Yes to the most beautiful Yamani blossom...''

Kel smiled. ''What's her name?''

''Yukimi. Yuki for short.''

''Oh I knew a Yuki back in the Yamani Islands. She was one of my best friends.''

''Really?''

Kel nodded.

''You haven't said whether you were coming or not,'' Neal realized.

''Oh I'll come,'' she said, ''on one condition.''

''What?''

''You come to mine.''

Neal smiled. ''Someone has tamed Kel....''

Kel smiled, too. ''Guess so, and somebody tamed Neal, too.''

Neal's smile grew. ''I'm glad we're friends again.''

A new perspective in Telling Neal… I hoped you liked it. Personally I think Kel/Neal would have made a pretty good match, but I decided to explore if they weren't. Now normally I would have published the next chapter of my other story along with this one, however I got so caught up with this story that I only wrote about a page of the other one. Anyway, I'm not sure which scenario to write next. I'm debating on two. ''I Like Girls Like You Do'' which is about Kel admitting to Neal that she's a lesbian(I got this idea off of Mrs. Dom Masbolle's website), or ''I've Never Felt Like This in My Life'' which is about Kel telling Neal how out of all her relationships, the one with him feels the best and truest. If I get no input on this I will write ''I Like Girls Like You Do'' simply because I was originally planning to write it next. Long author's note, sorry. Just tell me what you think.