She smiled as she took a seat on the bed as he took care of himself and laughed softly, "Perhaps next time I might advise you don't go for a Guardian? There are plenty of communes and clubs to choose from. You're less likely to suffer injury that way."

Kat would be lying if she said she hadn't fantasized about a man who would want only her, whom she would be the world to... but that was on her own time... her private time. Those were for the moments she could be herself and let go of the act but even then she knew they were just silly dreams. No couple ever worked the way they did in her books, no relationship was truly exclusive in a world of privilege. So, she took comfort in knowing that she and Rae could at least get along and have a good time together. She wasn't marrying someone she'd have to tolerate for the rest of her life, she enjoyed Rae's company... and she knew what to expect from him.

"So, learned your lesson about baiting Guardian girls yet," she teased him. "That bag of ice is hogging all my fun," she winked. "If this becomes a regular thing I might begin to feel neglected." She stretched like a cat and mussed his hair as he sat on he floor, then she rolled to her stomach and broke out her sketchpad. Rae's profile was as close to perfect as they came... and she'd take the distraction to get it on paper.

~*~

Seb laughed softly and tossed Serena a wink, "Anything for you, love."

He headed out the door and checked out Anna's usual spots. Still, it took him about fifteen minutes to find her and even from halfway across the track he could read something wrong in her aura... It was... Well, the closest he could describe it was a roiling thick storm cloud.... one that looked on the verge of a very nasty storm to say the least. He hesitated before calling out to her as she neared, "Anna!"

She didn't answer and she wasn't wearing her usual training clothes, she was in street clothes and the hair that had escaped her braid clung to her face... she was covered in sweat and face was flushed. Seb had no idea how long she'd been running like this but he had a feeling it had been too long. As she came close to passing him, he caught her arm and she yanked it easily away... anger flashing before she realized who it was. The anger faded, replaced by fear. "Seb, is something wrong with Serena? I'm sorry, my phone was turned off and I-"

"No, she's fine Anna... but we need to talk."

The life faded from her eyes again and she shook her head, "Busy Seb..."

She started to take off again and again he caught her arm, "Anna, what's wrong with you?"

She looked back at him, shrugged, "Nothing... I'm fine. You shouldn't keep Serena waiting."

He narrowed his eyes, "Ross, I'm not playing. Either you stop trying to run away from me or I'm GOING to compel you."

She went still, defiance flashing for a moment before it gave way to annoyed defeat. She wished she had a towel, suddenly the sweat on her skin felt cold... "What, Seb? I'm not really in the mood to talk right now, I want to train and focus on the shit that's important."

Seb frowned, "And your friends aren't important?"

She flinched, and that seemed to snap her out of it. She sank to the bench and placed her head in hands, "Shit Seb, I'm sorry... that isn't what I meant..."

Suddenly, she just really really wanted to cry and her body felt more sore than it had in ages... Probably because she'd been running nonstop for the past 30 or so minutes... probably more... she didn't know. What time was it? She felt sick, her hands were shaking, and other than the flush in her cheeks she was pale... "I've just had a really shitty... Well, a really shitty fucking year... several years." She shook her head, "Whose fault is that right?"

Seb sat down beside her, "It's not ALL on you Anna."

She laughed, "No just the majority... and Rae? What was I thinking? That boy is a fucking snake in the grass, I knew that... I just..."

Seb felt his spirits fall, "You found out?"

Anna looked up and gave a bitter smile, "Figures you'd know first..."

"I only just found out myself Anna, I mean... I suspected but I've never liked Rae. He seemed to... care for you in his own way."

She snorted, "If you mean he wanted in my pants... then sure."

"Did you-"

"No... I couldn't."

They sat in silence for a moment, "Come back to the room with me? We need to talk... Serena would be glad to see you." He decided to omit the fact Gunner would be there. There was no way in hell he'd be able to drag her there like this if she knew. He'd have to compel her to oblivion and he REALLY didn't like to use that on his friends... never really had.

"Fine... I could use some girl time..." She went to stand and her knees nearly gave out, she cursed. "Guess I went at it a little to hard... I'm going to be sore tomorrow."

Seb smiled, "Come on..."

~*~

Back at the room Seb opened the door and practically pushed Anna in first so he could get between her and the door in case she tried to bolt. She was on the edge... He knew it... but honestly she needed to let it out. The minute she laid eyes on Gunner, she froze solid and then immediately turned her eyes away before going to Serena.

"Hey..." She hugged her friend lightly, always terrified she was going to hurt the baby somehow, and let her go. "You smell like oranges, I guess that means you've been eating? Seb should have mentioned you had company," she shot him a look that could have killed. After what she'd just told him she couldn't believe she'd been tricked into a room with the one person that could send her off the ledge she was currently teetering on.

Seb rubbed the back of his neck and moved to Serena, "Let's get you some air..."

Anna shot him a look again, this one full of wide eyed accusation that said 'you are leaving me here with him?' He felt more than a little guilty but this was the only way he'd get Anna in a room with Gunner any time soon and if that meant she'd murder him later...

He wrapped his arms around Serena's shoulders, "I'll explain... For now, lets see if I can get one of the other Guards to walk with us? You could use the air anyway. It's been... three days?"

He guided her out the door after giving her time to speak to Anna and to get her footing. He kept a hawk eye on her aura this time, he wasn't letting her fall again and though they'd walked since then he still was leary to go far.

They hadn't gotten far when he spotted a fire Moroi student passing by and thought of a way to make sure the two would work it out... A way that would probably get his ass beat by both his friends and his wife... but hey... How else were they going to work this out if they kept running from each other?

~*~

Anna watched them go and felt trapped, obviously this was supposed to be some kind of intervention and she really didn't need this in her life right now... Gunner didn't want to be around her, her heart couldn't take anymore rejection, and she was THIS close to breaking down and burying herself under her sheets till the year ended. Yeah, drama queen... but it's how she felt. If he shoved her away again, pushed her further, she was GOING to BREAK... and it sucked... It sucked to be terrified around your BEST friend. It BLEW to know she couldn't collapse into him and cry it out... that she wouldn't ever feel those arms around her again... That he'd never want to hold her or tease her or even talk to her again...

Her eyes suddenly stung with tears, "Know what... this is screwed up. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here. I already know about Rae, so whatever speech they forced you in here to make... You don't need to. It's over, I should have known better, the end. Sorry they made you come here." She turned on her heel and grabbed the door knob and immediately let loose a string of expletives that could have made a sailor blush. "Shit, fuck, damn!!!!"

She yanked her now reddened, semi-raw hand back and shook it... gaping at the door. Had Seb REALLY just melted the door knob and lock all just to make sure she was stuck here with Gunner? Her heart rate sky-rocketed and the trapped feeling she felt earlier was nowhere near the anxiety that tore through her now. Out of desperation, she kicked the door savagely, thought she heard something splinter but wasn't sure if it was the door or her toe... She collapsed defeatedly into the chair by the door and buried her head in her hands.

"Fine... whatever..." She sat there for a moment but was afraid that when he spoke he'd blame her for what their friends were doing... Think she'd planned it to get him stuck alone with her so she could force her woes on him. She wasn't going to do that... She'd done enough to him. Still, she couldn't stay quiet either... She didn't want to give him a chance to be angry with her, she couldn't take it right now.

So, by way of placating him and keeping him from being able to yell at her or blame her for this she did what she always did when she was nervous... She rambled.

"I know I fucked up so if that's what you want to say you're wasting your time... I KNOW I fucked up. I've went over and over it in my head, wished I could go back and I tried... I tried to fix it..." She choked up a little remembering him telling her to stay away and her breathing hitched, "I WANTED to fix it... I can't fix it..." She yanked the bow from her hair, jerking her fingers through the braid to pull it out... anything to keep her shaking hands busy.

When she spoke again her voice broke, "I get it, you don't want me anymore... You hate me... whatever..." She shook her head miserably, "I told Seb you didn't want to hear any of this... I told him not to push... I swear I didn't do this." She took a shaking breath, "Just... get me out of this room... please? You don't have to say you hate me... I know you do... I know I broke us... I know you want nothing to do with me..."

The calm facade she'd been trying to play broke, and her eyes became pleading. "Just get me out of this room and you won't have to deal with me again... just please... you don't have to say it. I don't want you to..." She knew she was going to break down soon, everything she'd bottled up over Rae and him was threatening to force it's way to the forefront of her emotions and she didn't WANT Gunner to see that. 

"I can't deal with hearing you say it right now even if I deserve it," she whispered. Her voice wavered and cut off and the tears she'd been fighting finally escaped. She tried to wipe them away, turned her head so he wouldn't see them. Gunner knew she HATED to cry, she rarely EVER cried... more lately than usual but it was still something she almost NEVER did. She despised herself for it, could feel the storm threatening to overwhelm her. "I need out of here...." Her breathing was semi-frantic, she didn't feel like she was breathing at all... couldn't catch her breath... She recognized the side effects of an anxiety attack and she'd never thought herself one for claustrophobia but now she was most definitely having that issue. She looked up at him, eyes full of carefully guarded fear...

"Gunner, say SOMETHING..." she knew she'd been rambling but his silence was driving her crazy and even though she was terrified of what he'd say... he had to say SOMETHING or she was going to go over the edge anyway.

~*~

Sebastian looked guiltily at the melted door knob he'd had the kid practically weld. However, he'd known Anna's first instinct would be to run and she couldn't KEEP running... She'd never face the issue that way and Gunner would never get the truth out of her now that he wanted to know. He glanced at Serena, "I'm an asshole..."