Disclaimer: I do not own. L.J. Smith does. Etc. etc...can we just get on with it now?

Chapter 7

GPOV

"K...Keller?"

That couldn't be Keller. Not his Keller.

The room was dark, but he could faintly see Keller's face. It was pale and flushed, her eyes were dark with bags under them, and she looked a lot skinnier.

"Keller?"

She looked up and her gaze brightened up.

"Galen," her words were slurred. She stumbled over, laughing the whole way, and hugged him.

He couldn't help but feel uncomfortable after everything he did to her, but he hugged her back anyway.

"H...hi, Keller."

"Galen?" Her voice was deathly quiet.

He swollowed, "yeah?"

"I've missed you." She hugged him tighter and he could see tears escape her closed eyes.

He felt like crying, too.

"Me too. I'm sorry, Keller." He rested his head on hers.

She looked up and pushed him away.

"Don't you see?" Keller said angrily, her eyes looking a bit to the side of his face. "I just want you to be happy! – " Hiccup " – I don't want you to be s...sorry or u...upset..." She was crying now. Full out crying.

And it hurt him so much that he had caused it.

"Keller – " he was about to put his hand on her shoulder, but she just turned away.

He tried again.

"Keller, do...do you really want me to...go away?" It was hard to say it, but he did it.

She shook her head. Then added, "but it'll make you h...happy. When you're away from m...me. You can...you can bring o...other girls to meet your parents. They don't like me much anyway." She laughed.

It was starting to resemble Quinn's Mad Hatter laugh.

"Raksha," it was the first time he used her first name in a long time.

Her eyes flashed angrily, "don't you ever call me that!"

He smiled sadly and said, "Keller, then. Keller, if you really want me to go..." he closed his eyes, "just say so."

He could feel her looking at him. He closed his eyes even tighter.

"I c...can't."

"Then I stay. You can't have it both ways, Keller."

Please don't. Please don't. Please don't, his mind chanted repeatedly.

"I'm sorry, Galen," she sniffed. "But can you...please go back to T...Thierry's mansion?"

Galen lost it.

"Keller, why can't you see I'm happy with you?"

"I'm s...sorry, Galen."

He was too upset – too hurt – to say anything. He just hugged her again and kissed her softly on the forehead.

"Galen..."

She brushed her lips against his.

And then she blacked out.

Galen – if he was in his normal state – would've laughed.

He picked her up and laid her on the bed, covering her with a blanket. He sat on the floor, rested his head on the bed and held her hand.

APOV

"I'm sorry, Ash," Mary Lynette – his Mary-Lynette (he could afford to brag now) – said sheepishly as they sat on the couch. "I honestly – " Pfft, when is Mary-Lynette not honest? " – thought that she was...your...ya' know?"

"Well, Keller is pretty hot, and Galen is pretty lucky," Ash agreed, laughing and winking at her and then whispered, "but you're number one for me."

Her cheeks reddened and he smiled.

"I still can't believe you didn't slap me," Ash said mockingly.

"Me neither," Mary-Lynette huffed under her breath.

"Hey, Mare. Can I ask you something?"

She looked at him skeptically and said, "you already did, but ask another one."

He missed the smart-ass retorts that only Mary-Lynette gave him. Screw that, he missed everything about her.

"Were you..." Ash lowered his voice into a dramatic whisper, "jealous?"

She looked at him...and then she laughed.

Ash frowned. She wasn't taking this seriously...or she really didn't care enough. His frown deepened...considerably.

"You really want to know, Ash?"

"Yeah." It was still quiet, but he didn't intend for it to be.

"You alright?" Her eyes were filled with concern. Of course she cares, idiot.

"Yeah. Just answer me, Mare."

"Then..." she hesistated, "yes, Ash, I guess I was."

Ash hugged her.

"Need...air...to...live..."

"Oh, sorry." He smiled apologetically.

And then he kissed her. Just the slightest touch.

I've missed you.

She smiled.

I missed you, too.

She yawned and then rested her head on his shoulder.

"Go to sleep, Mare."

"Way ahead of you." Pause. "Hey, Ash?"

"Yes, love?" his voice was muffled by a yawn. He could practically see her smile when he said 'love'.

"You're a nice pillow."

"You're a weird girl, Mare," he closed his eyes, "but you're my weird girl."

"You wouldn't have it any other way, would you?"

He laughed. "'Course not. 'Night, M'lyn."

QPOV

" – and I can't believe that you friggin' tied me to the bed! I mean, who does that?" Rashel paused for breath.

"And I can't believe you still haven't let it go yet." Quinn said under his breath.

"What was that?" Rashel's head whipped to his direction.

"Nothing, sweetheart."

"Whipped!" Blaise laughed.

Quinn glared at her.

"Stop being rude, John. Now would you care to explain why you did all those things?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"That's why she asked, dumbass!" Quinn came to the conclusion that Blaise had a very big mouth.

"Just answer me, Quinn." Rashel's eyes were narrowed dangerously.

"Because you said – and I quote – 'I'll go meet Ash by myself if I have to'" Quinn said, staring sadly at Rashel.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Aww...Quinn, were you jealous?" Blaise had a very big mouth. Iliana giggled while Nissa and Winnie just blankly ignored her.

"No...not much..."

"That's so sweet." Rashel smiled sweetly, hugging him. "I didn't know you cared that much, John Quinn."

"I don't care," he said blankly, hearing faint gasps from them. She let go hastily and looked away. He could see the tears gathering in Rashel's eyes, threatening to fall at any second. He pretended to not notice.

"I only care about you. I only started caring about others again because of you. You're my life now, Rashel. I wouldn't be able to live without you."

"Aww..." Iliana.

"That's so sweet." Winnie.

"Pfft. Whipped." Blaise.

Yawn. Nissa.

"I love you, Quinn."

"I love you, too. Kitty."

Smack!

"I told you not to call me that!"

Quinn laughed. Some things never changed.

"Whatever you say, kitten."

Rashel rolled her eyes.

"Goodnight, John Quinn."

"'Night, Rashel Jordan." But her name...now that was something that he intended to change.

KPOV

When Keller woke up the next morning, she found a piece of paper next to her.

Goodbye, Keller. I'll always love you.

There were tears smudging the words, but her own tears smudged the most important ones: love you.

So yeah...I'm gonna be updating faster now (I'm on holiday! xD) so pleeeeeease R + R! PLEEEEEEEASE!

Oh yeah, and this might not seem important, but it actually is. I'm expanding the FanFict so that it doesn't seem rushed. I've already thought of a new ending and everything.