I offer many thanks to Sleeping Moon who helped give me some ideas for this :3

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GRAY'S POV

I absentmindedly took the papers before me shuffling them into a sloppy mess. What is wrong with me? Jackie...Jackie was hurt and then she saw me kill someone. Alice nearly fainted when she found out and now Jackie... my clock ticked furiously, aching painfully as the full magnitude of what occurred crashed over me like an unforgiving tsunami.

I just frightened the foreigner out of her little mind.

Foreigners are fragile and must be handled with the utmost care. But... but when I saw her I snapped. I told her not to walk around on her injury and yet she directly defied me. Perhaps I was merely too hyped up on adrenaline to stop my greedy deeds. I shakily breathed out still feeling her gently pulsing heart beneath my fingertips. It was so...delicate. Like a tiny bundle of warmth which nearly shattered under my cold blooded hand. Nothing hard and precise like a clock. And then...

And then I went ahead and crushed it.

I saw it in her eyes; her large, wide, beautiful eyes...she was absolutely horrified at my actions and yet I continued. I knew it...I knew she was there when Ace arrived, watching my every movement. So why didn't I stop myself?

Do I...actually want her to leave? I...my clock ached with the undeniable truth. I want her to leave. It's her fault. It's all her fault that I haven't been right in the head. No ... this problem lies with me. I flushed at my own childishness but was unable to deny it. I went ahead and scared her away so that I would not have the chance to fall for her. Everyone falls for the foreigner and I do not want it to occur to me again. Alice... sweet, sweet Alice ... was too much for my clock to handle. Was it love which I held for her? No. And yet I cannot deny the reality. I was terribly hurt when she chose that Hatter over me.

A coward...I am nothing but a coward who is afraid of his own shadow -!

JACKIE'S POV

"That stupid headed idiot -!" I fumed as I painfully stomped down the cobblestone path to Clover Tower. How dare he...he's so stupid! Why in the world would he do that to me? I was only there to apologize!

"Ah, Miss Jackie please be careful!" The woman begged fearing that my condition would worsen.

I'm done. My fear from before is now fueling my insatiable rage. How dare he make me look like a weakling! I saw it; he wants me to go cry like a little baby and admit to my weakness. He wants to see me break down like Alice and cry and blubber for protection. See him...when I see him I'm going to knock his head clean off for making me feel so pathetic!

I angrily gritted my teeth as I prowled the hallway baring my fangs at anyone who dared to get too close to me. My scanning eyes found no trace of my prey. Is that jerk not here? Ah; he might be in with Nightmare.

"GRAY YOU SON OF A -!" I shouted angrily kicking open Nightmare's doors. I ignored the pain and inevitable swelling in my foot; when I find Gray he's in for a lot more pain than this -! I angrily searched the room spying the tail end of Nightmare's suit hanging in between the closed doors.

"Nightmare!" I hissed throwing back the cupboards. Nightmare's face was paler than ever as he beheld my irate state, trembling into the corner of the spacious closet. His eye was wide as he struggled to maintain a sane face.

"Ah...h-h-h-hello Jackie. I-I-I finished m-my work and Gray is out collecting more co-coffee...," he pathetically trailed off sinking deeper into the closet. Not here? That jerk must have seen me coming! I slammed the doors shut marching right back to the hall. I'll hunt that jerk down if I have to screwed up foot or not!

"Ah, Mr. Ringmarc welcome back." A faint voice from the hallway trilled. My eyes flashed as I listened intently to their conversation. "Did you find the coffee beans?"

"Why yes, thank you for pointing out the store. It's very nice." Gray's honey sweet voice returned. My heart tightened in my chest. What? He's fine nearly severing my limbs and then acts like everything is hunky-dory with a worker? What a joke...

"Ah, goodbye Mr. Ringmarc."

"I as well." He answered sounding closer than before. I deftly hobbled behind the door positioning myself perfectly. My heart pounded as his footsteps grew louder. He surprised me pretty harshly so why don't I return in kind?

"Master Nightmare?" His voice called as he knocked on the door. I swung back, quietly exhaling as I slid my right foot back. Oh this is going to hurt me... Gray pushed open the door looking straight ahead to Nightmare's desk. The second I saw those loathsome yet dashing topaz eyes I swung my body around.

"GRAY -!" I vehemently shouted drawing his attention as my foot connected to his head. Searing agony shot through my foot as I withdrew it hopping back as he lowered his defensive block. He blocked... dang it. But that has got to leave a bruise!

"Jackie?!" He cried, started yet terrified at once.

"You're such a jerk!" I snarled painfully dancing back on my foot placing most of my weight onto my uninjured one. His eyes immediately flashed to my foot with concern written all over his face.

"Jackie, your foot -!" He began reaching forward to tend to it. My eyes flashed as my fingers curled into a fist punching him right in the face. He barely dodged the attack and leapt back with amazing grace, eyes wide with shock. I stumbled forward catching myself on my hand at least. Oh I must look pathetic right now...

"Screw my foot! I go to apologize to you and then you go and stupidly so something like that to me?" I fiercely demanded. His face slighlty flushed as his eyes grew wide, completely bewildered.

"A-Apologize?" He asked, dumbfounded with my words. My seething rage was enough to be seen from a mile as I glared over the idiot. He didn't even give me a chance to explain myself! "Jackie, placing that aside you need help and -"

"I'll kick you again if you come any closer." I hissed readying myself once more as he took a step forward. He jerked back, startled by my fierce aggression.

"Jackie, please your foot -,"

"I'm sick of you treating me like a little kid! I am not Alice, Gray." I snarled as my foot throbbed painfully. His eyes widened slightly. My heart squeezed. I was right.

"Ah...I see. You think I'm comparing you to Alice." He purred as his eyes took a defensive yet cool stance. My eye brows furrowed trying to figure out what his next move was. What? Now he's going to try and act like the adult and play it all cool while I'm here with steam shooting out of my ears? What a joke. "Jackie, I'm not comparing you to Alice -,"

"Liar." Nightmare coughed peeking his head out of the closet. I glanced over to him just as his eyes grew wide with a knife sticking out of the wood an inch from his face. My sights darted back to Gray as he withdrew back into a friendlier pose before flying back over Nightmare's frightened face. His complexion paled as he slowly withdrew back into the closet clicking it shut.

"Anyway, Jackie -,"

"I don't want to hear excuses. I'm going out to find someplace else to live." I finalized. There's no way I'm going to stay here with this two faced jerk. Nice to me one moment and then tries to kill me the next? No way. His eyes widened as his mouth slightly parted.

"But Jackie -!"

"No buts. Goodbye Gray. Nightmare." My heart squeezed painfully as I shut the door, limping out of the hall. I literally have nothing. All I have are the clothes on my back and my wrench - my heart fell once more as the urge to cry tore up my eyes. T-That's right...my wrench is gone too. Man...

This just plain sucks!

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Uh oh~ where is Jackie going to live now? PM or REVIEW and give me some ideas~ ah, and any good ideas for a love interest? Personally I was thinking either Ace or Elliot. Thoughts? 10 REVIEWS for the next~