Crocodile Tears: Insincere crying based on the belief that crocodiles shed tears while eating its prey.

Her tears looked so real.

Teardrops rolled down her cheeks, gliding over her porcelain skin. They looked genuine enough for you to almost blurt out, "Mother, is anything the matter?"

You betray some concern that makes your mother wipe away her tears and glare at you. "Wipe that foolish look off your face. Don't stare at me with your mouth open like a codfish," she snaps.

There was no sadness etched upon her face now, only disapproval. You sigh and change your face into a mask of no emotion, and your mother nods.

"Good. Crying is a tool you'll need, Natalie. You need to learn how to shed fake tears."

Though you have no idea why it is so important, you learn how shed crocodile tears. Your mother knows best.

Crocodile tears. They came so easily for you and your mother.

It must be genetics.

.: :.

"Have you learned nothing from me? Didn't you see how I was giving you a chance to come back to me?" Her eyes glistened with tears.

Au contraire, you have learned something. You learned that Isabel Kabra doesn't cry, she only sheds crocodile tears. And you now know for sure that they were fake, because not long after, she shot you in the foot.

.: :.

In the hospital, everyone gives you sympathy, the "poor little girl with the mother who shot her in the foot".

You bury your head in your scratchy hospital pillow, not letting anyone see your tears.

But they weren't crocodile tears.

.: :.

There came a time when you finally found a use for crocodile tears.

"Ian, I want a pair of shoes. I need a pair of shoes. If I don't, I'll…" you burst into tears to prove your point and your older brother observes you carefully.

"You're going to turn out just like Mum."

"Mum?" you echo.

"Exactly like her. She never really cries. She just does because she can act it. She's a fake."

A fake. You open your mouth to protest, but he has already closed his bedroom door behind him. You know that he knows the two of you better than anyone else, and that he was right.

After all, crocodile tears are insincere.

.: :.

You're not going to be like her.

You're going to prove to Ian that you will not turn out to be like her.

Because there will be no more crocodile tears.

Fin

A/N: I had 2 days(well, 1 actually, but the international dateline!)on the plane and various airports to pen this down, and after many re-writes, this is the end result.

The second part where Isabel says, "Have you learned nothing from me?" blah blah blah, is from Into the Gauntlet. I would have done something to it, but I'll just leave as it is.

So anyways, please R&R!

xoxo, Valery