Part 2

"You knew exactly what you had. You just never thought you would lose it."

Heavy huffing and creaking and the sensation of energy rushing through the cables around her. In the semi-darkness one could just make out that a girl was sitting with the heavy machinery surrounding her, her knees hugged against her chest. Her chin rested on her knee caps and her blood red hair covering her closed eyes. The scent of the ocean was here even stronger and a deep breath gave way that the girl was still alive. For a short moment electricity crackled around the girl before it went to the surrounding mechanics. These reacted with a heavy groan.
In reaction to the loud noise, eyelids shot up and dark brown looked tiredly at her grey surroundings. Her nose twitched and she slowly moved, her mouth opening to let a yawn escape. She blinked tiredly around her before some recognition settled in her eyes. A new yawn left her and she leaned back, against some of the machinery. Over the noises of her surroundings, she could still hear the movement of feet above her, or was it perhaps that she could feel the energies moving? She didn't know. She didn't really care.

"Duly noted. Iron does not sleep well," Will muttered as she sorely rubbed her butt and repositioned herself.

She blinked again and ruffled her hair. Last night had been dull and she hadn't been able to sleep at all. After dinner, which had been only slightly awkward with her mother questioning about both Matt and Nashter, while the latter had waited several other tables except theirs. They'd attended a ball to open the cruise. This was not what Will needed and left the festivities early, with Cornelia and William in tow. She had tried to let her friend stay there, but Cornelia didn't see the fun in it without her or Peter, so they'd played a few card games until her parents returned. William was already sleeping and when everyone readied themselves for bed, Will and Cornelia talked. Cornelia tried to cheer her up, but after their meeting with Nashter, Will wasn't paying attention. Her mind constantly switched from the alien boy on board to her boyfriend and back. Sometimes her thoughts regarding them were negative, while sometimes they were positive. She then continued to berate herself about her complaining about Matt and being happy Nashter was here.
It was easy to say her mind kept her busy, which had the unfortunate result to keep her out of her sleep. And so, after at least an hour twisting and turning in her bed while listening to Cornelia's calm breathing, did she decide to leave the warm confines of her bed. She dressed herself again and left the room, hoping the storm outside could calm her like it did before. As the heavy rain came down on her and lightning crashed down in the distance, did she wonder if Nashter had been right. If she'd been the cause of the storm. It would explain the infallible likeness the storm had to her state of mind, but a strike of stubbornness told her he was lying. She was better trained than to let her emotions take control of her powers.

So she stayed out, brooding over the two men who were making her crazy, before finally the gale that blew down upon her wet body made her remember it was a cold November. The shivers had run over her spine and her hands had been shaking, but back then, she didn't want to return to the cabin. Instead her messed up senses had lead her to a heavy iron door, on which 'Restricted area. Authorized personnel only' was written. Ignoring the sign she had pushed the door open. It had creaked loudly, but the storm was burying any sounds and Will had found herself in the machine room. Though she had seen a Chinese man in overall laying near the exit, his mouth half open as he snored loudly, she had moved along. The further she walked into the room, the more she felt the energy that made the motor run and the calmer she became. The sound of the storm was stifled by the heavy machinery and a different tranquillity filled her. And somehow, around the heavy moaning and creaking of the machines, had she fallen asleep, her problems temporarily dispelled by the noise around her.

Her brown eyes slowly turned sad as her hand had dived into her pocket, her former troubles returning to the present. The phone screen brightened, showing the time as well as the infuriating 'no signal' sign. A dark sigh passed her lips as she let her phone disappear back into her pocket. Once again she pulled her knees to her chest and let her chin rest upon them. She wondered if her parents were already awake. She would probably get an earful once they found her again. She really wasn't helping to make this vacation relaxing.

"This is certainly unexpected."

Her shoulders stiffened and her eyes quickly narrowed. She would have glared a hole in the hull of the ship if she had the powers to do so, her body completely alert to what could happen with him here in this confined space.

"You do know this is for authorized personnel only?"

His voice held a certain touch of humour in it, as if he thought she'd wandered here by accident. She scoffed and unclenched her shoulders, though she continued to avoid his gaze.

"Then what are you doing here?" she sneered.

"I am authorized personnel, Vandom."

She huffed and turned her gaze to him. Nashter was now just wearing a blue sweater and jeans, instead of the purple tuxedo he'd been wearing last night. Will figured he only worked at night, judging by the way he was dressed. He leaned against some other machines with a smug grin on his face, his grey eyes shining in the semi-darkness of the space.

"I know that," she growled. "Though I would believe you would do something else on your free morning."

He chuckled before patting the iron machine he leaned on. Sparks danced around his fingers but died out when he saw her raised eyebrow. He shook his head and heaved himself upon the machine.

"I like the power that surges here. It's calming," he answered with a shrug. "Something you already noticed, I see."

She pushed her lower lip out and turned her head away. She didn't need his smugness this early in the morning. Or acknowledge that he was right. She pulled her knees a little closer and huffed. She felt her face becoming warmer and grimaced. What was wrong with her anyway, to be embarrassed by his calm demeanour.

"It's nice," she finally muttered, with a lot of reluctance.

She heard him chuckle and a new blush formed, before she berated herself again. He was just a stupid guy - her enemy to be exact - so he shouldn't be toying with her like this. But, a treacherous voice in the back of her mind whispered, she did like his unwavering attention.

"Your parents are looking for you."

Her head shot up and she looked at him. He waved her worry away with a small reassuring smile, one she had never seen upon his face.

"Don't worry. I told them I would send you to the dining room when I found you."

"And you knew I was here?"

The words had left her lips quicker than that she'd thought of them. She scowled, sure he used his magic to find her, but when he breathed a laugh and shook his head, did she raise an eyebrow.

"I had a hunch. Besides, miss Hale already said you weren't at the pool," he said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Oh," was all she could answer. A new blush crept up and Will made herself look to the ground, hoping her red hair would hide her embarrassing red face.

In the silence that followed, was she highly aware of Nashter. She'd peeked through the strands of cherry red hair, seeing him look at her in interest. It struck her as odd, for him to look like that. In the end, it was her fault that he was on the run, so she'd expected the same hostility from him as she was showing. Instead he only seemed to be trying to converse with her, which sometimes went more difficult due to their different beliefs. But he'd never been hostile. And even now, when they were alone, he didn't approach her anymore than necessary. What a strange boy.

"I've been thinking."

"Oh boy."

Will smirked, seeing Nashter glare at her over her interruption. It amused her how his neutral and smug features turned into a glare of annoyance whenever she crossed him. This time a small blush crept over his cheeks, unaware to himself, and Will finally made her smirk turn to a smug grin. This, however, had him grin as well and so her own grin quickly dilapidated.

"So the ice queen knows how to smile."

Her cheeks were again stained with red and she looked away as he chuckled. She pushed her lip out and crossed her arms. He sighed when he saw her look and leaned a bit forward on his knees, looking down on her.

"That smile suited you more," he then commented.

"You were thinking?" Will replied immediately, feeling a new blush creeping up. "I hope you didn't hurt yourself in the process."

For just a short moment did the corners of his mouth fall down, before he bit his lip. Will raised an eyebrow, terribly aware that the boy was showing the same trait as she did whenever she had to mention something she wasn't completely sure off.

"Well, what are the chances of us meeting here?" he finally said, his eyes pointedly avoiding hers. "I mean, neither of us planned to meet and yet..."

"I end up having rotten luck, so?"

His shoulders shot up and she even saw him bite the inner side of his cheeks. A shiver ran over her spine, becoming scared to notice the traits she showed as well. Her hands became a bit sweaty and she let her arms drop, while her hands rubbed her pants. Perhaps she should just go, because this wasn't going anywhere.

She moved, slowly letting her slide from the machine she'd been using as bed but looked up when she heard a heavy thump. Nashter, too had jumped off and looked at her with an intensity that made her blush. She looked away, cursing herself. She hadn't blushed this much in years and she hated to think it was because of him.

"I was just wondering," he finally said, grasping her attention. "You don't seem to be having a lot of fun and I know the ship. Perhaps I could give you a tour? My shift isn't until tonight, so…"

Her eyebrows raised as she looked at him. He looked at her, a small blush forming on his cheeks, but a stubbornness shined in his eyes. He was set on showing her the ship. She rubbed her arm, silently wondering what she should make of it. He was the enemy, but as he pointed out, this was just an unfortunate accident. And she could stay hostile towards him, but not only would he not reply with the same hostility, she would also ruin Cornelia's weekend and maybe even her parents'.

"Hanging with the enemy, huh?" she scoffed, deciding she didn't need him. "Yeah right."

She pushed passed him, intending to go to the dining room where her parents were waiting. Yet she halted when she heard him chuckle.

"Afraid of having some fun?"

She turned around abruptly and threw her darkest glare at him. He pocketed his hands and leaned against the machines, a mischievous sparkle twinkling in his stormy grey eyes and a smirk plastered on his face. Will balled her hands and pushed her lower lip out, sparking when he chuckled again.

"You know what?" she growled at him. "Fine! After breakfast you can show me and Cornelia around."

With that she turned around and stomped away, not believing she actually said yes. But then again, he was being a prick, even suggesting she didn't want to have some fun. Granted, she had wanted to have some fun with Matt, but that didn't mean she couldn't have fun without him! That a Runic, mister Killjoy himself, would even dare to utter those words had riled her up enough to want to prove him wrong. A tired sigh left her lips when she realized that she had once again had let her anger got the better of her. That boy made her rush through her emotions in a higher rate than what was good for her.
She pushed the door open, being welcomed by the storm. The rain hit her square in the face, only adding up to her annoyance. She decided it was perhaps better to take a shower first before meeting her family. It was still early, after all.

…

Cornelia couldn't believe it at first. Will had said it the moment she turned up for breakfast, after getting another lecture from her mother. She'd nodded before turning to Cornelia, telling her she had a plan for the day. If Cornelia had known Nashter would be the main plan, she would have said no. She'd planned to go to the spa, Will or no Will, but now she couldn't leave her friend alone with the alien who, obviously, had a major crush on her. And her redheaded friend was too dense to see it, only viewing any action he made to be hostile. Now was Cornelia's main concern to keep Nash away from Will, not because she worried for her, or the Earth's safety, but more because she was quite sure her friend saw nothing in the alien boy but trouble.

He'd waited for them to come out of the dining room, a smug grin on his face as Will's turned dark. Cornelia only raised an eyebrow, nodding to acknowledge him, to which he replied with a similar nod, yet his eyes remained on her friend.

"So, mister Fun," Will sneered over the storm. "What is the first you want to show us?"

He smiled friendly and started walking, forcing them to follow him. Cornelia stayed silent as her eyes darted to Will, who glared at the blonde boy while also trying to protect herself from the rain. But they quickly found a dry spot when they noticed he'd guided them back to the guest cabins. Will crossed her arms, looking expectantly at him, as Cornelia leaned back. Nashter turned and gestured them to go past him.

"I recommend you to get your swimming gear. Because I'll show you the most amazing swimming pool of this ship."

Will scoffed and moved past him, pushing her elbow against him as she did. Cornelia snorted while Nashter rubbed just below his chest, where Will had hit him in his solar plexus. There was always a disadvantage in height, she mused as she walked past him and gathered her swimming gear, just like Will.

They then followed him, in silence, to the same pool Cornelia had dragged Will to yesterday in her hopes of helping her friend from her depression. Annoyance bubbled up, seeing how Will suddenly took more interest in the chlorinated body of water than yesterday, but she also liked to see the happy twinkle return again.

"Come!" Nashter said, pulling Will along.

Cornelia, who barely had stepped out of the dressing room, was immediately snatched by Will and pulled along. Struggling didn't seem to help and she let her friend pull her along. But it didn't mean she started to use her full weight to free herself when she figured out where they were going. A slide, taller than she'd seen on the main land, towered above the pool and with one look, she could see both the challenge and excitement shine in Will's and Nashter's eyes. She didn't have the time to muse about the resemblance when she was hauled up the slide, with no chance of going back.

"This looks dangerous," she muttered as she looked down, blanching when she saw how steep it was.

"Hear that? Not getting scared yourself, huh?"

"You wish."

Cornelia looked back, seeing Will glare pointedly at Nashter, who smugly gestured her to go. To make a point, Will walked up to Cornelia, who moved out of the way. Her friend didn't look at her, but gave Nashter one last glare before turning her head to the slide. Cornelia was almost sure she would see Will pale when she looked down, but found the furrowed look of concentration her friend tended to have during missions. She quirked an eyebrow and looked at Nash, who was apparently hoping to see her pale and grinned amazed when Will went down the slide. It was interesting to see how he could get her serious with something so trivial. His grey eyes, which had followed Will down the slope, now travelled to her and a smirk formed on his lips she found oddly remnant of Irma. A smirk that usually meant nothing good.

"You might have gotten her crazy enough to go, but there is no way in hell I-" she started, before he pushed her lightly, causing her to lose her balance.

"Just go!" he yelled out with humour in his voice.

Adrenaline and fear shot through Cornelia as she raced down the slope, yelling her lungs out as she went, until the warm water swallowed her in her landing. She came up, taking heavy breaths in an attempt to regain her lost oxygen and glared daggers as the alien boy shot down, landing near her. He came up as well and grinned at her, or better said, at someone behind her. Only then did Cornelia realize she heard laughter and turned to see Will laugh at her. She returned with pushing her under water, a feat easily done because the pool was just deep enough to not touch the bottom. Will came up, taking a deep breath and glaring in return, to which Cornelia only batted her eyelashes.

"Up for another run?"

She turned around, Nashter still grinning at them and she found his smile to be infectious. She'd been afraid at first, but the slide turned out to be a lot of fun and when she saw Will's shining face, she knew that it would not stay at just one extra go.

But it didn't end there. After they'd enjoyed the pool for quite some time, lunch time came. Nashter, who was not allowed to eat with the guests, told them he would show them whatever they wanted after lunch. Cornelia had managed to convince him to show her where he'd found Will and so, after a lunch wherein Will seemed in a rather good mood, they went to the place her friend had been hiding in the night. When they left the dining room, Cornelia noticed the storm had calmed down and a pleasant November sun was shining, almost making it too warm for the jackets they were wearing. She'd slyly looked at Will, but found her friend in an animated conversation with Nash about the swimming team of Sheffield. She wondered if Will deliberately told him this information or if she was caught in her happy mood. It was nothing that could be disadvantageous if Nashter turned out to be evil, but it was also strangely amicable of Will to talk like this.

"And here we have the hiding place of the Guardian Leader."

Will replied with a scowl, a nudge in his side and hissing to him to not call her that, immediately losing the smile she'd been wearing. Nashter, however, only grinned and opened a door with 'Restricted area. Authorized personnel only' on it. The heavy iron door creaked and as it opened, Cornelia got a good look at what looked like to be the engine room. The heavy machinery creaked and she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in disgust as the iron boxes seemed to gleam with grease. She glanced at Will, who now deliberately was trying to avoid her gaze as a soft blush crept upon her cheeks.

"You've got to be…," she muttered.

"Nash! Boy!"

Cornelia was interrupted by a cry of joy by a short, middle-aged Chinese man, who's smiling wrinkles were edged deep in his face as he looked at Nashter, who had cringed at the sound of the man's call. An uncomfortable grin was formed on his lips as he looked awkwardly at the man.

"Hey… Zhu."

She could hear how he forced the words out, the name of his colleague sounding strange on his lips. As if he was unaccustomed to speaking one's Christian name without another title. Now that she'd thought of it, he usually evaded using Will's, or any of the other girls', names, mostly referring to them with their titles or last names.

She rose an eyebrow as Zhu approached Nashter, smiling fondly, while Nashter seemed to shrink a bit. Zhu grabbed Nashter's hand and shook it, before turning to them, the smile probably being a permanent thing. He grabbed her hand with more force than she anticipated and shook it roughly, before taking Will's hand and doing the same.

"How nice of you to come here, with two lovely ladies no less!" he said.

Cornelia was still shaking her hand to get the pain out of it, though she smiled politely at the man. Will too was shaking her hand, her face more contorted and a blush was creeping up. A glare was sent her way when Cornelia let out a chuckle at her friend's expense.

"Did you know I met this guy three days before we left land?" Zhu told them with a grin. "Boy was hauled up, all in the back. I usually don't like it when people roam here, but I found him here. Sleeping. In his work clothing!"

Zhu took some time to laugh, wherein Cornelia once again stole a glance at Will and Nashter. Neither were looking at one another, both blushing. Cornelia felt a grin form, finding the occurrence of Nashter and Will sleeping in the same spot, on different days, mighty interesting.

"Of course I'd yelled at him, asking what he was doing here. You know what he said? He liked it here! The snoring of the machines, everything. He thought it to be relaxing. Well, I can tell you I never heard that in all my years as a mechanic, but I know what he means. That's why I became a mechanic after all. You see…"

Cornelia zoned out as Zhu talked on and on about his life, once again looking back at her friend and their supposed enemy. Will was looking at Zhu, the furrowed brow giving way that she was indeed trying to follow what was being said, but seemed to have trouble doing so. Nashter wasn't paying attention at all, looking into the engine room though Cornelia was almost sure his eyes wandered back to a certain redhead. She shook her head. She'd already had her suspicions, but now it was painfully clear. Yet, somehow, she didn't think it was wrong. Nashter had been nothing but a normal guy ever since he arrived on Earth. She was even prepared to believe he'd truly left his old ways.

"Oh, where are my manners? Would you kids care for some doushabao?"

Cornelia blinked surprised as Zhu held up a small tin with several buns. The scent was familiar and Cornelia smiled, being familiar with the dish thanks to her Chinese friend. She accepted one, just like Will, but Nashter remained dubious. He looked suspiciously at the food, his nose twitching as the scent wafted past him. Cornelia grinned as a playful smirk played on Will's lips. Zhu was ready to close the tin when Will's chuckle echoed over the noise of the machinery.

"What? Afraid?" she taunted him, before taking a bite from the bun.

Nashter immediately frowned and grabbed for a bun, glaring at Will as he brought it to his face.

"You wish," he muttered.

Cornelia raised an eyebrow as Nashter still hesitated with the bun in front of his mouth. His eyes wandered to Will, who took another bite, a smug grin on her face. Cornelia sighed as she saw the glare forming on Nashter's face. These two were more alike than either would admit.
Nashter took a bite from the bun, while enduring the snickers of both Zhu and Will. His face darkened and a grimace took place, before his eyes widened and he swallowed the bite, looking surprised at them.

"It… It's not bad," he finally muttered, his cheeks gaining a bit of colour as he silently ate the rest.

…

Will didn't want to admit it, but today had been a lot better than yesterday. She'd thought about Matt, but he hadn't been ruling her mind like he did yesterday. There wasn't any time to brood about him, with Nashter pulling her to the many festivities on the boat, while she pulled Cornelia along. After the showing of the engine room and seeing Nashter try something new, they'd gone through the small mall where she made a mental note to buy a sweater for Matt on the last day and then proceeded to the mini-golf course. She'd enjoyed the day far more than she'd thought, but still felt a sense of guilt when she thought about it. She'd been having fun with a guy other than Matt. That shouldn't bother her, but she didn't want to admit that Nashter gave her a strange vibe that caused her to feel the guilt bubble up.

So, during dinner she excused herself for some fresh air, leaving her staring once again at the screen of her phone. The 'no signal' sign was still shining stubbornly in the corner of her phone, while Matt's contact info took the rest of the screen as its own. Will's thumb was hovering above the call button, ready to press the moment the signal returned. A lone tear rolled down, her former worries returning, now with new problems accompanying them. Would Matt be angry when he found out Nashter had spent the day with her? Why should he be, she had every right to do so. After all, he hadn't been here.

She shook her head and sighed, pressing the button despite the 'no signal' sign and pressed the phone against her ear, only hearing the annoying high-pitched tone it was giving her the past days. She took it away and pressed the conversation away, a new sigh leaving her lips. She looked once again dreary at her phone, when the cold November wind blew past her. It sent chills down her spine and she let her cell phone fall in her pocket in favour of warming herself with her two hands. She tugged her red shawl closer around her neck and placed her hands in her sleeves, trying to repress her shivers.

"Hey, aren't you cold?"

She stiffened and slowly turned around, finding Nashter standing behind her in his work clothes. She pushed her lower lip out and pouted a bit, a frown forming on her brow.

"Maybe I am," she muttered, not willing to admit she liked his company right now. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

He avoided her gaze and scratched the back of his head. His cheeks were coloured, which Will reckoned to be from the icy wind. He then breathed a laugh and sent her a cheeky grin.

"Yeah, but I asked for ten minutes off," he admitted.

Will raised an eyebrow as she took her hands out of her sleeves and placed them on her hips. He looked back at the dining hall he just obviously had left, his composure relaxed as his elbows rested on the handrail of the boat. The wind was playing with his hair and even in the darkness of the night, she could see a twinkle in his eyes.

"And why is that?" she asked, taking the bait.

"Oh. I just told them I had something important to do," he replied, his eyes turning lazily to her.

She rolled her eyes and blew a few strands out of her face, leaning against the handrail as well.

"Really? And what's that?" she sneered, not really bothering with his games.

He grinned and pushed himself from the railing, slowly walking away. She raised an eyebrow and pushed herself off from the handrail herself, crossing her arms. He looked back at her, the annoying twinkle still there.

"If you want to know, follow me."

With that he took a short sprint. Her own curiosity getting the better of her, Will growled and followed him. She muttered darkly under her breath, this was exactly how cats got killed. Curiosity was really not a healthy thing for her to have, but now it drove her through the icy wind and after the alien boy. He took a sharp turn and as she did so as well, she had to halt abruptly or else she would collide into him. He was now leaning against the steel wall of the ship and grinned broadly at her. This caused another roll of her eyes and a sigh. Yet, before she could ask him why he had to be so mysterious, he pointed upwards. She followed his finger and found they were standing near the large chimney. A sturdy iron ladder ran up and she looked at him, an eyebrow up in question of his gesture. He didn't speak, merely grinning at her and a challenging twinkle glistening in his eyes. She bit her lip, looking up again before looking back at him. The smug look was becoming unbearable and she gritted her teeth, grabbing the ladder and climbing up, with Nashter right behind her.

"Why am I doing this?" she asked herself out loud, silently berating her actions.

"We're almost there!" Nashter yelled at her, as if he'd heard her.

Will blew a pluck away, hoisting herself up as she arrived at the end of the ladder. Though once she stood on what seemed to be the crow's nest, her breath stopped in her throat. A smile formed on her lips as the cold wind, icy on the deck, blew past her in an invigorating way. The waves, unruly and wild, spread out before her like a large blanket that fused with the darkness of the night.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Yeah."

She turned around, having forgotten Nashter had been with her, and saw him looking at her with a grin of his own. A blush started to creep up her cheeks, which she hid by turning her head away. Why was this boy, who didn't know anything about life on Earth, being more charming than her own boyfriend?

"Well, what was so important for you to take a break?" she muttered to him, her eyes to the sea.

"A frown is so ugly, don't you think? And I doubt we'd like that storm back."

She turned to him, a glare especially for him on her face. Yet he smiled fondly at her and his eyes sparkled.

"Besides, after seeing your smile, I don't think anything else fits you better."

A blush crept up and she caught a strand of hair that flew past her, her eyes no longer directed at him.

"Nashter, you've been magnificent today, really," she said, complimenting him for the first time. "But I'm still with Matt. You know that, right?"

Nashter's face darkened for a short moment, before he covered it up with a smile. She'd seen the short moment of darkness, but brightened at his smile. He scratched the back of his head and took a step away.

"I-I know," he said, perhaps a bit roughly. "But that doesn't mean I can't see you smile again."

A small smile formed on her lips and she looked at him, seeing a blush staining his cheeks as well.

"Well, thanks," she said, her smile getting bigger. "You really cheered me up."

"You're welcome Guardian."

She gave him a sideway glare, but it couldn't repress her smile. It was her way of thanking him, allowing him to call her by her title. Just this once. Besides, the night and sight were too beautiful to ruin now.
She felt his energy hum pleasantly close to her and took a step closer to him, leaning into the warmth his presence was providing. They didn't touch, but his energy was pushing against hers and warming her nonetheless. A new smile formed on her lips and breathed out in happiness. He did so as well and together they stood there, longer than she bothered to count. Only when a colleague of Nashter called him, telling him his break ended twenty minutes ago. It reminded her of her family back at the dinner table and they walked back, not looking or speaking with one another.

As she arrived at the table, she could see Cornelia's raised eyebrow as her eyes temporarily followed Nashter who was about to get chewed out by his supervisor. The steel blue eyes of her friend found her and a small smile played on the pink lips. Will turned her eyes away, suppressing her blush and trying to strike up a conversation with her step-father, who seemed to be sulking about his sweaters. Yet, as she listened to him talking about the ordeal he'd gone through to get new sweaters, her eyes sometimes wandered back to the alien boy. Perhaps he was no enemy after all.

The night passed without any contact with the alien boy and Sunday rolled on quickly. Nashter wasn't seen on that day, mostly because Will and Cornelia were too busy packing their stuff. The ship would arrive in Heatherfield again by midday and while the repacking was in the familiar Vandom fashion of chaos, Will did manage to sneak off in the midst of said chaos and bought the sweater she'd seen yesterday. Her anger with Matt had melted away over the night and she'd hoped the sweater would work as a sign of reconciliation.

So after returning, getting chewed out by both her mother and Cornelia, Will packed the last of her things and went to stand at the rim with her family as the coast came near. Leaning forward her eyes skimmed the docks, roaming through the waiting crowd in the hopes of seeing her boyfriend waiting for her.

She found her friends waiting for her, but her heart fell a bit when Matt's presence seemed to be missing. A soft sigh left her lips and she looked when a hand touched her shoulder. She looked up to see Cornelia smiling encouragingly at her. She returned the gesture, though couldn't help but wonder what the reason was for the lack of her boyfriend's presence.

To avoid Cornelia from worrying too much, she walked to her parents, making sure that everything was packed and that her baby brother was behaving. Perhaps she sometimes scanned the deck for the silhouette of the alien boy who'd been entertaining her this weekend, but even that seemed to be false hope.

They finally moored and as they left the ship, Will and Cornelia were immediately greeted by the other girls.

"Welcome back!" Hay Lin said, running at them and forcing Will into a bone-crushing hug. "We missed you!"

"How much money did you spend?"

Will rolled her eyes and flashed a grin at Irma, not surprised that it was her first question. She grinned even more when Cornelia took out a bag and grinned at her.

"A lot," she said. "But I've got something for you too, so don't complain."

Irma looked first dumbstruck, her mouth wide open as Cornelia pulled a pink shirt with flowers on it out of the bag. Her lips formed a big smile when Cornelia presented it to her and hugged her in response.

"Thanks! I guess I'm about to see pigs fly soon?" she said.

This got a round of snickers from the group, with Cornelia flicking her hair and pouting a bit.
"Well, if you don't like it…"

"No chance Corny, this is what you get for being nice."

As this exchange was taking place, Will only listened half. Instead her eyes were still searching the crowd, hoping to see Matt appear despite the feeling in her stomach. Her hand clutched the bag that held his sweater. He had to come.

"He's not here."

Her eyes were pulled to Taranee. Her sudden declaration caught the attention of the whole group, even pulling Cornelia and Irma out their argument about nicknames. Will looked at her, hoping for more information. Taranee's chocolate eyes looked sadly at her, her mouth corners pulled down. She was playing with her hands, and looked almost guiltily at her. She took a deep breath and grimaced.

"He told me, to tell you, that he had to work and could not come. He's very sorry and wants to meet you tonight at the park."

Taranee said it calmly, but to Will it felt like a blow. She knew she didn't have any signal on the boat, but why didn't he text her? She would have received it the moment she had signal again. Why wouldn't he talk to her?

"Will, please. Don't be upset," Cornelia said.

But she wanted to. She wanted to yell and scream. Maybe even cry. Not out of sadness, but frustration with having a boyfriend who was just impossible. Then again, maybe he had his reasons. Perhaps he no longer had any credit for his phone and couldn't call her. Maybe she should give him a chance. Another one. Like always.
A smile formed on her lips. Okay, she would wait. She was sure he would clear any doubts tonight.

"Why should I be upset?" she heard herself say. "It happens. I just can't wait to see him tonight."

She saw the others smile at her, which she replied gently. They knew things would be alright. So why did she feel so uneasy for tonight? She found herself scanning the mob again, only finding that her gaze wandered to the boat ever so slightly. She thought she saw a blonde alien boy walk away, but it could as well has been her imagination, with all the passengers getting off. Her attention was called when Taranee questioned about the weekend. She winced when all eyes fell upon her when Cornelia told them about Nashter. It was a distraction she needed.

…

The cold air brushed past her and Will pulled her favourite grey vest tighter as she sat on the bench in the park. Perhaps she should have worn a jacket after all. She pressed her legs together, glad to be wearing jeans tonight. She never got how Cornelia could so easily wear a skirt when it was this cold. She shivered a bit, her hands shortly leaving the package on her legs to warm her arms. He will come, she just had to be patient a little while longer.

Nashter didn't make me wait this long.

She shook her head, hoping to get the treacherous voice out of her head. It was a lie anyway and besides, Matt would probably have a great reason to be a little later.

As if she was heard, a figure approached her. The streetlights illuminated him and it was indeed Matt coming towards her, his hands stuffed in one of his baggy sweaters. A smile graced her lips. She'd really missed him.

"Sorry Will, I had to work late."

The sentence was both sincere and full of guilt, but somehow it struck a chord within Will. Her thoughts brought her involuntarily back to Nashter, who interrupted his work to see her.
She shook her head, both clearing her thoughts as indicating she wasn't bothered. The last was perhaps a lie, but she was way too glad he was here. They could finally talk things out.

"Hey, no problem, really."

Matt smiled, reassured by her utterance, and took her in his arms. They were warm and as she was pressed against his chest, she could smell the scent of old frying oil coming from him.
The hug ended as quick as it happened and Will looked away, a blush staining her cheeks. Was it okay to hug like this after their fight, or was it an unanimous consent between the two of them that that argument never happened? She wouldn't want that. That argument raised to many questions she wanted an answer to.
She looked at him and saw him staring at the package that was still in her hands. She looked down and fumbled a bit, almost unnoticeably biting her lip. She raised the package and pressed it against him, before looking up and into his murky brown eyes.

"I bought you a present."

Because you forgot to actually come.
Once again, a treacherous thought made it true and this time, she couldn't help but agree with it. Because if Matt hadn't forgotten, he would have been with her when she bought it.
She looked at him. The moment she'd spoken she could see something flash behind his eyes and his face darkened only temporarily, before his hands went for the package. She watched him as he opened it and saw a small smile play on his lips as he held up the clothing article.

"Thanks."

She smiled at him, before the two of them fell into a silence. It was unbearable and she often turned her head ever so slightly to see what Matt was doing. He had taken the liberty to sit next to her on the bench and was facing the other direction. What was he thinking and why hadn't he spoken up yet? He had to explain himself. He had to tell her he was an idiot for forgetting about the cruise and that he was sorry for what he had done.
She wanted to know why he wasn't on time Friday, why he had the audacity to tell her that them growing apart was just as much her fault as his and, even though he had to work, he didn't tell it to her personally. Why had he told Taranee to tell her he couldn't make it?

"Honestly."

The word left her lips more frustrated than she intended. She coughed a little and sat straighter, hoping to undo the damage the word had done.

"Why didn't you come to the harbour today?"

This sounded a lot gentler and she watched how Matt turned his head away. Annoyance filled her, causing her to grit her teeth. Her eyes narrowed as he finally spoke, but it wasn't in his favour.

"I said I'm sorry, I had to work and I told Taranee..."

"You should have told me!"

She'd gotten up and glared him down. His eyes turned darker as he looked up, only a shine of helplessness in them while his lips formed a thin line. His face told her to stop. That she wasn't understanding him and shouldn't judge. It didn't matter to her what he wanted, for he was constantly missing what she wanted.

"This time it's the job! Other times it's your friends or matches or training! You always find something you think is more important than me, Matt!"

His fists tightened on his knees and he breathed loudly as she spoke. His eyes never left her and she saw him grit his teeth before trying to talk himself out of it.

"It's not like that!" he said. "I already told you, you're what's most important to me!"

Then why does it feel like you're lying? Why can't I feel your heart?

Will turned away, no longer willing to hear his excuses. She didn't come here for excuses, but for him to take the blame. He was now merely trying to weasel himself out of it. This wasn't a way to show love. He had the time, he just chose not to spend it with her.

"If I'm really that important, then you should show it!" she said. "Every day!"

He didn't yell at her like she expected him to. He wasn't fighting to prove her wrong. He just sighed and remained seated. He was slumped in the bench and looked even remorsefully to the ground. He suddenly looked years older.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I've tried to, but I haven't managed to..."

"Nashter managed!"

Her hands flew to her lips as Matt's eyes flashed angrily while looking at her. Now it was her time to look away. She never wanted to tell him this. Matt had been irrationally jealous when she and Nashter had hugged and mentioning him now would not make things better. This was proven right when he got up, now looking down upon her. This was meant to be intimidating, but something in Will flared up that made her stand tall and look straight back at Matt.

"What's he got to do with all this?"

Matt's voice was dangerously low, as if he was expecting her to tell him she cheated. The thought alone of him thinking that, angered her even more and she crossed her arms, turning her head away from him.

"I met him on the ship. He cheered me up, nothing more. But at least he made time to do so!"

At least he was there.

She didn't have to say it, for it was already hanging in the air. The accusation just dripped through her words and left a bitter taste in her mouth. It was true that Nashter had been nothing but a gentleman, but for the alien boy, an enemy of Kandrakar, to have entertained her this much, was both unsettling as suspicious. The thing that bothered her the most was that he had behaved more like a boyfriend than Matt had been.

Matt too, noticed the bitter words between her sentences. His lips were twisted into a grimace and he snorted loudly.

"Well, if he's so fun, who don't you just go be with him instead!"

"Don't you PMS on me!" Will retorted. "He has nothing to do with this!"

It was obvious that her choice of words was not exactly the right kind, but she couldn't help herself. She was just angry. Angry at Matt for acting like this. He was acting like a woman, a very jealous one. She was also angry at Nashter, for being the cause of this argument. And she was angry at herself, for actually being so tactless that even Hay Lin would shake her head.

"He has everything to do with this, Will," Matt said, turning to her. "Ever since you met him, things went bad between us!"

"Things were going bad before!" Will said. "You became distant ever since... Ever since these new powers!"

As if to emphasize her statement, did the lights around her flicker heavily. She took a deep breath, stabilizing herself and glaring at Matt. They weren't supposed to argue, yet he was being so difficult.

"That's nonsense!" he said.

"Oh yeah?"she said, her eyes completely focussed on him. "Tell me when I'm wrong. First you return from your tour with Karmilla and it's like I'm hugging a figure of ice. Then you show up, right after we gain new powers, claiming you knew this and was also longer informed about us being Guardians. You tell me you knew all my secrets before I knew them and still acted like you did not. Then, when Kandor appears, you turn out to be a general or captain for Kandrakar! And you never bothered to explain! You hold millions of secrets, while you expect me to tell you everything! And even now, even though you know everything about me, you still find the power to suspect me!"

"I do not suspect you of anything!" Matt cried out. "You haven't been noticing it, but I am. You're slowly turning away from me, Will, not the other way around!"

A laugh left her lips, hollow and angry, just like she felt.
"I've been trying to keep you close, you've been turning me away!"

"And I bet Nashter would not do that!"

"Would you stop being such a girl! I told you he has nothing to do with it!"

Matt turned around, his shoulders pulled up and his hands in his pocket, the sweater carelessly hanging around his arm.

"Maybe not," he said as he walked away. "But it's clear I can no longer make you happy."

Her heart stopped, her eyes fixed on his back. Her anger sank, but her feet were rooted at the spot, seeing him retreat further and further. Did he just... No, she heard that wrong. It wasn't what she was thinking. This wasn't supposed to happen tonight. He was supposed to hold her and be sweet to her, like he used to be.

"You're leaving?"

He halted, even though he did not look back. Instead, he looked upwards to the sky and she could see his shoulders slowly drop.

"No, I'll never leave. I still have my mission," he said. "But. I won't remain your boyfriend."

With that he left and as he went, Will felt a knot in the bottom of her stomach. She wanted to run after him, hold him and tell him she'd been stupid. But the treacherous voice of tonight was still lingering in the depths of her mind. It told her she had nothing to apologize for. Matt was being irrational. He was jealous about nothing. Nashter was nothing. It was even Nashter's fault this all happened. Matt was just too stupid to see this.

Tears slowly fell down her cheeks and it took her a while to realize she was crying. She bit her lips and balled her fists, before taking a sharp turn. No, she wouldn't cry. She wouldn't miss him.
She was lying to herself. She knew she would miss him and that her heart would ache every time she saw him. She gritted her teeth. It was all Nashter's fault, everything was.

...

Cornelia sighed as she looked at the closed door. This was the third time this week she was standing here. The first time had been when she'd heard about Will's break-up. The second was because the other girls thought Will needed a cheer-up squad. She still cringed at the idea, for she knew how useless it was. She was even surprised Will hadn't been chucking lightning bolts at them. She would if she knew that the others wanted to talk Matt into talking to her. Yeah, if they wanted to see a natural disaster happening from close-by, then they had her blessing. But it was painfully obvious to her that this was a relationship that could no longer be mended.
And so, with a deep sigh, did she knock the door to Will's bedroom. Her mother had been so good to not try and force her to school, not when Will looked like she could just as well walk under a bus. This was proven when Cornelia opened the door and looked inside.

"Can I enter?"

It was an unnecessary question, as she had already entered, but even so Will stared at her as if she was on the verge of saying no. Her eyes, large and puffy, squinted into two lines and her hands balled.

"Is this another attempt for having fun?"

She sneered and Cornelia repressed a shudder. Will rarely spoke like this, but the warning was clear and she shook her head slowly, not moving from her spot until Will relaxed.

"I just wanted to talk," she said. "I'm not sure if it will help, but it's worth a shot."

Will looked at her, passively. She made no gesture for Cornelia to continue, other than keeping her attention on Cornelia. This wasn't exactly encouraging, but Cornelia tried anyway. She took a few steps forward and found Will moving slowly, making way for her on the bed. Cornelia accepted and sat down, looking at Will who was still waiting for her.

"I... I want to tell you how I felt when Caleb and I broke up."

A snort came from Will and Cornelia only raised an eyebrow as to question her, yet Will remained silent. She frowned, but continued as if she hadn't been interrupted.

"I was convinced that Caleb was my perfect half, because he was in my dreams, you know? I think I could leave everything behind to stay with him, but he decided he didn't want it to happen. And so he left me."

A new snort left Will and this time Cornelia looked at her, annoyance clearly written in her face. Will, too, was looking considerably irritated and she lifted her face from her knees.

"I'm sorry Corny, but you and Caleb knew each other for a month? Maybe two? Besides, you were fourteen. Matt and I... We have three years together. I think that's something different than your one-month boyfriend."

It was almost spiteful and Cornelia grimaced a bit. She felt mocked, but as she looked at Will, whose eyes were shining with anger, she suddenly started to laugh. This caused her redheaded friend to frown at her.

"What I said was apparently hilarious. Sorry I can't see the humour in it," Will said deadpanned.

Cornelia shook her head and coughed, trying to regain composure. She then smiled at Will, who was understandably irritated by it.

"I'm sorry. You're right, my relationship with Caleb was nothing compared to what you had with Matt. But what I wanted to tell you, was that even though it was one month, I was still depressed, much like you are now. But Will, life goes on and hearts will heal. Hearts will love. And I bet yours will do so as well."

I bet yours is doing it right now, even though it's being drowned out by your grief over Matt.
She looked at Will, who was now stubbornly looking away, her shoulders pulled up and her nose hidden behind her knees. A sulking Will had always been a funny thing to see, despite the circumstances. It always reminded Cornelia of her little sister whenever she couldn't get something she wanted. And now, Cornelia was sure Will was more annoyed about the fact that she wasn't arguing with her about the painful remark and that she was most probably right. She could see how it was irking her friend and a small smile played on her lips.

When Will turned back to her, Cornelia found that her anger had disappeared and had been replaced by grief. Cornelia scooted closer and placed a hand on her knee.

"You know what they say right?" She said, pointing upwards as to indicate Kandrakar. "Trust the heart. Listen to it."

She had hoped to see a small smile on Will's face, with Will telling her that she was being a hypocrite, seeing that Cornelia had never believed that the Heart of Kandrakar had actually been in contact with Will. Instead she saw the corners of Will's mouth tremble, as if she were trying to smile, only for them to fall down.

"Right now it bears only one word,"

Cornelia opened her arms and took the redhead in a hug, knowing which word was filling her friend's heart. She only hoped Will would soon enough see that some relationships were not meant to last. And some were to blossom from the ashes of these failed experiments in love.

[A/N] Well, end of the issue. I hope you enjoyed it better than the original comic, because it honestly annoyed me terribly. I also think that the comic is really going from bad to worse, has been for quite a while, but now it's just noticeable. Oh well, that's why fanfic was invented!
Also, I am planning to continue on this, but will do so after I finished "Howling for fortune". The story will most likely be called "When energies collide".
Review and tell me what you think!