After coming up with three alternative endings, two of which weren't anywhere near as nice as this one, I've finally finished this oneshot. I'm quite relieved, actually. I'm suffering from major writer's block at the moment when it comes to All Good Things Come to an End, so I'm going to focus my attention on that for a while before I start writing a new fic. For those of you who have taken an interest in the story, I'm very grateful that you have favourited this story and/or left a review. They all put smiles on my faces.

I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint - enjoy!

"What about her?" Brandon lifted his brown eyes from the paper coffee cup in his hands to follow his friend's gaze. He spotted a girl with chestnut hair yakking down the phone to someone as she crossed the street.

"Too skinny."

"You said that about the last one!"

"Well sorry Sky, I didn't realise this was a you-can-only-use-a-description-once game!" Brandon huffed.

Sky could feel the eyes of other customers on his shoulders, probably staring at Brandon for the strange outburst. "Take it easy Bran," the blond told his friend. "I'm only trying to help."

"How long's Timmy been in the bathroom for?" Brandon asked off-topic. He didn't want Sky to give him another lecture on how he was doing what was best for him. How could he know what was best for anyone? If it wasn't for him asking to switch places, neither of them would be in this mess.

"Just over a minute?" Sky answered after checking his watch. He wanted to get out of this awkward situation just as much as Brandon did. They hadn't exactly been on good terms recently.

"Hey guys, I'm back!" Timmy announced cheerily as he pulled out a chair and sat himself down by the window.

"Good, I'm leaving." Brandon pushed back his own chair and exited the café without giving his friends any further explanation. The only reason he came out today, on his first day as a free man again, was because of Timmy, but as soon as he went to pee Brandon realised that he didn't have to be in Magix. He didn't have to hook up with someone right away. He didn't even have to pretend to be Prince Sky. He'd been a push-over, and he was sick of it.

"Why can't I be allowed to do things for myself?" Brandon mumbled to himself as he dawdled down the high street. It probably wasn't a good decision. All of the clothing stores reminded him of Stella.

"C'mon snookums!" Brandon's ears pricked up as if someone had called his own name, but when he looked over his shoulder, he was disappointed to find a girl with short, dark hair dragging her boyfriend into the nearest store, instead of seeing his Stella. Well she's not yours anymore is she, smart ass? You did a pretty good job of fucking that right up, Brandon reminded himself.

"Hello?"

"Tecna! It's Timmy," the carrot-haired Specialist grinned triumphantly as he had managed not to stammer.

"Hello Timmy, is something wrong?"

"We're not sure, Brandon's gone AWOL and we think he might be up to something stupid," Sky spoke hurriedly into the speaker.

"Something stupid? Like what?"

"He might try calling Stella and start saying things he doesn't mean," Timmy explained. "Could you just warn her not to answer her phone until we've found him?"

"I'm on it Timmy," Tecna smiled, feeling honoured that he'd called her instead of Stella herself.

"Great! Thanks Tecna, I owe you one!"

"I believe you owe me more than one," Tecna said flirtatiously before hanging up the phone. "Stella! Message from Timmy!"

"Timmy?" Stella's head popped out from her room. "Do me a favour Tec, tell him I'm flattered and everything but he's not really my type and it's too soon-"

"Not that you airhead! He told me to tell you not to answer your phone unless he says so."

Stella arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"It's hard to explain," Tecna blushed. She didn't want Stella getting too suspicious or she might do the exact opposite to what Timmy says, which could jeopardise her own chances with him if she can't get her friend to perform a simple task.

"Alrighty then," Stella shrugged. "It can't hurt to ignore my calls for a few hours."

"Hey have any of you girls seen Bloom?" Flora turned to Stella then Tecna, hoping either of them would have an answer.

"Nope," Stella shook her head. "Maybe she's with Musa."

"Hm, probably," Flora mused as she flicked through her latest copy of Magical Botany.

"I'll see if I can find her in the library, I need her notes for Wizgiz's quiz tomorrow," Stella informed them before leaving the room. Flora gave her a small wave as she left, and then turned back to her magazine.

"Do you think Stella's okay?" Flora looked up from her article on effectively getting rid of weeds to find Tecna leaning thoughtfully against the wall with her fingers tapping her chin.

"She seems fine," Flora replied carefully, knowing that Tecna would have some counter-argument. She always did.

"Exactly!" Or not. "She's just come out of a break-up – a rather dramatic one at that – and she seems perfectly fine. That's not the Stella we know."

"Maybe she never really liked Sky – sorry, Brandon to begin with," Flora suggested, hoping the pink-haired genius would leave it at that and allow her to carry on reading.

"Or maybe it's the direct opposite," Tecna thought out loud. "Maybe she still likes Brandon and is putting on a front."

Flora's brows furrowed together. Tecna was making an awful lot of sense; as the drama queen of their group Stella was taking this rather well. There was no way two days of crying and a tub of ice-cream could make her fine and dandy again. "Oh dear."

"Oh dear indeed," Tecna mumbled. "We should go after her, get her to open up."

"Good idea!" Flora sprang out of her chair and rushed into her room.

"Flora, you're going the wrong way…"

"Just getting my jacket!"

"Why?"

"Because she could be outside, and it looks chilly," Flora blushed.

Brandon checked the time on his phone and saw it was late afternoon. Timmy and Sky would have gone back to Red Fountain by now, if they had any sense. There was no use looking for Brandon if he didn't want to be found. He was sitting on a small bench opposite a shoe store around the corner of Transportus station. His only company were the greedy pigeons scavenging for scraps in the trash cans, and passers-by that didn't give him a second look. He'd never felt more lonely in his life.

A flash of red hair caught his attention. He averted his eyes at first, but it seemed so familiar. Adjusting his eyes, he was able to make out the figure of a girl around his age wheeling a suitcase behind her, heading for the station. And there was a grey bunny nestled in her arms…

"Bloom!" The roar of the traffic blocked out Brandon's yelling, but he tried again anyway. Bloom didn't even look up to see who was calling her name. He was about to cross the street to ask her where she was going when another girl dressed in tight crimson leather walked out of a store and snuck behind the redhead. She was closely followed by a girl in purple leather with long, brown hair and a third girl dressed in blue who had her silvery white hair in a ponytail. The Trix.

Brandon ran across the road, narrowly missing the bonnet of a vehicle and stumbled onto the sidewalk. Bloom and The Trix had disappeared around the corner but there was no doubt in his mind that he knew where they were going. Without hesitation, he broke out into a run and rounded the corner to see a sliver of Icy's white hair vanish in the swirl of a magic portal. They were gone.

Without weapons, back-up, or any clues as to where they could have gone, Brandon was at a loss. Then it hit him; he might not know where Bloom had gone, but someone might.

He pressed 1 on his phone and hit the call button. Thank the gods he hadn't removed the number from speed dial. The person picked up almost immediately.

"Hello?"

"Stella!" Brandon smiled, relieved she'd answered. Stella checked the caller ID on her phone and saw that the number wasn't recognised. She'd deleted the number yesterday, but she didn't need ID to know who had called her.

"What do you want Brandon?"

"I was in a café in Magix before with Sky and Timmy-"

"Timmy?"

"Yes Timmy, you know, strawberry blond hair, glasses, genius…"

"I know who Timmy is, Brandon." Stella answered as flatly as she could without giggling. "I promised him I wouldn't answer my phone! Listen, forget I picked up and-"

"No!" The people around the Specialist stopped and stared for a good few seconds before realising that the brunette wasn't talking to any of them. "This is important! Bloom's gone!"

"Bloom's gone? Gone where? Who with?"

"I saw her at Transportus Station, I'm here now. She was being tailed by The Trix, but I don't think she knows they were following her. I chased after her, but by the time I got to the station she was gone, and I have no idea where she went."

"You're at Transportus Station?"

"Yeah but Stell-"

"I'll be there in a minute." She hung up her phone and walked briskly out of the mall and headed towards the station, which was only down the street. She spotted Brandon before he saw her, and had to resist the urge to run up and hug him. Instead, she sashayed forward with a determined look on her face and thought of Bloom, how she could be in danger right now. Brandon was not important. But he looks so cute in that jumper…

"Stella!" Brandon's arms reached out towards her instinctively before remembering that they weren't allowed to do that anymore. He let them sway back again in an attempt to hide it.

"How long ago did she leave?" Stella asked sternly.

"About three minutes ago, but listen we really have to talk-"

"Did anyone inside the building see where she went?"

"No, I got here and the place was empty," Brandon frowned. He'd been hoping that she'd be a bit warmer than this, even if one of her best friends had gone missing.

"I need to call the girls," Stella sighed, flipping her phone open.

"I thought you couldn't use it?"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Stella huffed. Stupid Timmy.

"Calm down sweetie," Brandon smiled, then mentally slapped himself. Stop doing that!

"We need to get to Alfea, have you got your bike?"

"No, I got the bus with the guys, we could catch the next one if we hurry?"

Stella shook her head. "I just saw it leave, it'll take too long to wait for the next one. I'll have to walk."

"I'll come with you!" Brandon stepped beside her on the sidewalk, resisting the temptation to slip his hand into hers. "You know, to explain what I saw to Faragonda."

"Okay," Stella smiled gratefully up at him. She knew it was just some lame excuse so they could spend time together, but she missed him just as much as he missed her, and let it slide. The girls would understand.

"Come on come on come on!" Sky pleaded with the ringing of Brandon's phone, hoping that somehow the little chant would magically make his friend answer his phone.

"Welcome to the Inter-Realm messaging service. I'm sorry but the person you're trying to call is unavailable-"

"Damn it!"

"Let me try," Timmy offered, prying the phone from Sky's hands before he smashed it on the floor. He pressed the call symbol over Brandon's name and let it ring three times. He was about to hang up when the dial tone stopped.

"Hello?"

"Brandon! Where are you?"

"On my way to Alfea, what about you guys?"

"Don't toy with us Brandon!" Sky yelled. "Turn your ass around and get back to Red Fountain!"

"He forgot to say please," a girl giggled on the other end of the line.

"Who's that?" Timmy and Sky asked simultaneously.

"Just Stella, we're-"

"Brandon, don't do this to yourself," Timmy sighed. "Just let her go, you've hurt her enough already."

Brandon felt a guilty pang hit his chest at his friend's words. "I am, I just want to be friends," he lied. Timmy could see right through it.

"Brandon, move on."

Shamefully, Brandon ignored his friends advice to stay away from Stella and put his phone back in the pocket of his jeans.

"Who was that, Brandon?"

"Timmy and Sky," the brunette sighed, scratching the nape of his neck awkwardly. He couldn't tell Stella what Timmy said.

"Did he say I can use my phone again?"

"Nope."

"Ugh, my feet are killing me!" Stella frowned, sliding one of her heels off her foot.

"Do you want me to carry you? Alfea's not too far away," Brandon offered, expecting her to say no. But Stella surprised him and jumped onto his back. He secured his hands on her legs and held her firmly so she sat comfortably on the small of his back with her arms wound loosely round his neck.

"Thank you," she murmured softly in his ear, making colour flush to his cheeks. Luckily she couldn't see.

"Anytime, princess."

"I appreciate your help here, Brandon. Professor Codatorta has sent Sky to come and collect you on a levibike."

"Thank you Miss Faragonda," Brandon bowed his head respectfully and turned to leave. He caught Stella's gaze, and held it for a good few seconds before exiting the headmistress' office, leaving the remaining members of the Winx Club behind.

Miss Faragonda directed her attention to the four girls before her. "I can't let you go. With your powers diminished it would be far too dangerous. It's out of the question!"

"But we're worried!" Flora whined.

"I understand, but I cannot give you permission to leave the school grounds under any circumstances. Please allow me to remind you," the woman adjusted her glasses, "you are on academic probation young ladies!" Griselda gave Stella a knowing look, which the blonde avoided at all costs. The headmistress may have been okay with Stella leaving the grounds unattended because of the circumstances, but the stern teacher was not as flippant, and vowed to keep a close eye on the Princess of Solaria.

"But Bloom needs us!" Musa argued.

"Miss Musa!" Griselda gasped. It always seemed that princesses were the most difficult.

"This discussion is over. Go back to your classrooms and let us deal with the situation." The girls slumped out of the room one by one, defeated. How were they going to help their friend if they were stuck in school?

"This sucks!" Sky stomped his foot on the break and swerved to the left, creating a cloud of dust behind them. Brandon tightened his grip on his friend, who lurched the bike forward once again. "Bloom's in danger and we don't know where she is?"

"Yeah, pretty bad right?"

"I'll say! This is bullshit!" Sky slowed the bike when he came to the gates of Red Fountain before bringing it to a complete stop so he would be able to guide it into the shed.

"Watch your language!" a senior scolded from the gates. Brandon recognised him – he was the guy who was talking about Stella with Bruce the night he went to apologise.

"Watch your back!" Sky snapped back. Brandon had to withhold a chuckle. He'd wanted to insult the guy himself, but he could settle for his prince doing it instead. Sky pushed his bike into the shed behind the dragon stables and locked it up next to Brandon's, ensuring that the lock wouldn't come loose.

"She's gonna be fine, Sky," Brandon assured his friend. Sky glared at him.

"Easy for you to say. You know where Stella is, she's safe at Alfea. Stella doesn't have The Trix coming after her. Why are you still after her Brandon? You got what you wanted, why can't you do what you've done with every other girl?" Sky was only insulting Brandon to let his anger out, and deep down he knew it, but he couldn't seem to stop. He wanted a reaction. "I still have a chance with Bloom. I have to get her back. If the roles were reversed it wouldn't matter, because you fucked up your chances with Stella anyway." That did it. Brandon punched the blond square in the face, making his nose crack and hot blood trickle down his face. "What the hell bro!"

"Don't talk to me." Brandon picked up his helmet and stalked out of the shed. "I feel for you Sky, I really do, but there was no need. I tried to help you by being Prince Sky, and I tried to help you by looking for Bloom, and this is what I get? I'm sick of it! I'm sick of you!"

"Brandon I'm so-"

"Don't bother," Brandon snapped. He saw Bruce's friend sniggering some distance away, but knew he wouldn't be doing himself any favours if he hit two guys in one day. Or night, for that matter. It looked like the sun was just setting.

"Hey-"

"Psst!" A loud hissing sound issued out of the speaker, making Brandon hold his phone further from his ear, only to draw it back again when he heard a faint whisper. "It's me."

"I was hoping you'd call," Brandon grinned foolishly before mentally slapping himself for what was probably the hundredth time that day. "What's up?"

"I need a small favour," Stella whispered.

"Okay, why are you whispering?"

"Because Musa's right outside my room and she has super sonar ears, like a bat!"

"Right," Brandon chuckled. "What's the favour?"

"Could you maybe come to Alfea on your bike and take me to Magix?"

"Magix?" Brandon sat up in bed, trying to balance the phone between his shoulder and ear as he pulled on a pair of sweat pants.

"Please Brandon? It's really important."

"Stell, sleep's more important than a sale," Brandon joked.

"It's not a sale, I'm going to get Bloom!"

"You know where she is?"

"Faragonda tracked her down and she's in Gardenia. I'm low on Winx so I'll have to go to Transportus Station, and once I find her I'll bring her back with my sceptre!"

"Good plan," Brandon nodded. "But what about Griselda?"

"She'll never know I'm gone," Stella replied sweetly. "So will you help me?"

"I'm on my way." Brandon grabbed his jacket and keys then headed down the corridor, past the dorms of snoring Specialists and made his way to the shed to fetch his levibike. If Sky woke up when he got back, he wasn't going to tell him that he'd done him more favours by going to rescue Bloom. Although it'd look suspicious if he helped Stella and it wasn't for Sky's sake. What was a squire to do?

Brandon could see Stella climbing carefully onto a nearby tree branch from the railing of her balcony. He knew that she had a fear of heights, so for her to do this for a friend was a major breakthrough.

"Are you okay Stella?"

"Peachy," she lied, clutching onto the branch for dear life. Don't look down, don't look down…

"Remember, just don't look down!"

"Thank for the advice," she mumbled, edging her way closer towards the trunk.

Carefully, she placed one foot on a dense branch beneath her, and after testing its hold she jumped onto it, then jumped onto a sturdier one directly below. She carried on like this until she was close enough to the bottom to let go and still manage to find her feet. Brandon caught her before she could prepare to land properly, and her arms wound instinctively round his shoulders, and her hair nuzzled his neck.

"You're so brave," Brandon smiled. Stella looked into his gentle brown eyes, so full of love and kindness, the eyes she fell in love with.

"Brandon," she breathed, allowing her left hand to cup the side of his face. Brandon got the message loud and clear, and dipped his head down so his lips could meet hers…

"You!" The couple broke apart, and Brandon almost dropped the blonde in his arms. Griselda was standing in the alcove, tapping her foot impatiently at a sophomore who was out of bed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Sorry about that," Stella whispered apologetically, though really she wasn't sorry at all, nor was Brandon.

"We should go," he whispered in her ear as he lowered her to the ground. "My bike's outside, I brought a spare helmet this time."

"Good, my hair got all messy the last time I rode that thing without protection," Stella pouted. Brandon laughed.

"You'll be fine! Now come on," he grabbed her hand and pulled her forward, "we have to get to Magix!"

"I'll be waiting right here for you, please hurry," Brandon begged before Stella stepped into the shimmering white portal.

"I'll be as fast as I can, this portal should take me straight to Bloom's house in Gardenia."

"Stella?" The blonde locked her honey eyes with his, looking kind and hopeful. "Be careful."

"Oh," she sighed disappointedly. "I will."

I was supposed to say "I love you", because so help me, I did.

It had been five minutes. Five minutes too long. Brandon was pacing back and forth impatiently around the empty station. The streets were deserted, not a person in sight, and he was beginning to worry. What if she got stuck? What if Bloom wasn't there? What if both girls were ambushed? He was about to ask for a portal to Gardenia himself when a brilliant white light flashed in the corner of the room, and two girls stepped out.

"Bloom!" The redhead turned her head slowly to see Brandon, but she looked uninterested. Tired. Defeated. "Is everything okay?"

Stella shook her head. "The Trix cornered Bloom, and they took the Dragon Fire!"

"Oh no," Brandon gasped. He actually had no idea what the Dragon Fire was or why it was important, but the girls looked upset so it couldn't be a good thing. "We should get the two of you back to Alfea before anyone notices Stella's missing."

"Actually, we're using my sceptre to get us back to Alfea," Stella shuffled her feet uneasily. "It's easier than you driving all three of us."

"Oh, well I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"I don't think so Brandon."

"The day after?"

Bloom gave the Specialist a hard look. "Not ever! Look at what you've caused! If Sky hadn't lied I never would have gone back, and I'd still have the Dragon Fire! And I wouldn't be this heartbroken over a two-timing prince!" Brandon looked at Stella, hoping she'd defend him after all he'd done for her, but the blonde stood their quietly, avoiding his gaze. "C'mon Stell."

And with a wave of the sceptre, the girls were gone.

Stella and Bloom had arrived in the forest outside of Alfea in the dead of night, as Stella had run out of Winx. The girls got to their dorm room at 6am and were greeted by Flora, Musa and Tecna, who all welcomed Bloom back with open arms. On their way to Alfea, Bloom had managed to persuade Stella to see sense, that Sky and Brandon were liars who shouldn't be trusted. With this in mind, Stella went back to her dorm whilst Bloom poured her heart out to Flora in her own dorm room. It was time to end things once and for all.

During lunch after an intense multi-terrain work-out, Brandon was given a letter. It was printed on pale green paper and smelt faintly of vanilla. He practically tore open the envelope over his meal to take a read.

Brandon,

For the past year and a half I've known you as Prince Sky of Eraklyon, which I now know was all a lie. I understand that your duty was to your prince, and that it was difficult for you to keep a secret like that from so many people, but I thought you would have cared about me enough to tell me the truth. The flirting, the phone calls, the walks in the park, I thought that meant something to both of us. To me, it felt real. But I guess it wasn't if you couldn't even tell me who you really were.

I'm beginning to understand that now, how hard it is to open up to someone. I opened up to you in so many ways. I told you things that I've never told anyone before. I trusted you, and you abused that trust by lying to me. I understand now. The truth hurts. Now I see that you never really cared for me that way.

Sky left Bloom a message last night to apologise for everything that's happened, and he said "Brandon's taking his failed challenge a little hard, he's even stopped talking to me." Challenge? Is that all I was? A challenge? A piece in your own personal game? It's nice to see that I meant so much to you.

Stella.

PS. I was never completely honest with you either. That night you came to apologise and you told me you loved me, which I'm sure was also a lie, I was too scared to tell you something in return. I loved you too. And damn it, I still do.

"Brandon? Is everything okay?" Timmy asked cautiously from across the table. Unable to form words due to the lump lodged in his throat, Brandon shook his head and wiped away the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Should I…"

"No," Sky shook his head gently. "I tried calling Bloom, and Stella answered the phone. By the looks of things they don't want to talk to either of us."

Timmy set down his cutlery to look his friend in the eye. "Maybe you should move on, Brandon. What makes Stella so different to all of the other girls you've dated?"

"Because she's the one," Brandon answered truthfully.

It dawned on him that Stella was right. The truth hurts. The truth was that in the beginning she was a challenge for him. He'd wanted her. But when he had her, he realised he needed her. He loved her. And now she loved him too. And that love was not a lie; that was the most honest thing about their relationship. And if she still loved him, then there was still a chance that he could win her back.

Or was it already too late?

I think I'll leave this story on this nice little cliff-hanger, as we all know that Stella and Brandon do get back together despite these complications. I know I changed the whole part about Icy, Darcy and Stormy going after Bloom right away, because I thought it fitted better with the story and where I wanted it to go.

Wow! A one chapter oneshot which turned into three! Special thanks to Everlasting Glory, Orange Starbursts, SabrinaMarie, katielovesbtr25, Black Angel of Darkness, ShiningSunray, mf2595, Ashley3r3 and yoochuncassie22 for taking an interest in this story. I hope this last chapter didn't disappoint, but I don't think I'll add any more to this as I only wanted to fill in the gaps of what happened between The Day of the Royals and the battle on Sparx, and Stella and the rest of the girls are away for the rest of the episodes.

Anyhow, I hope you all enjoyed reading The Truth Hurts, as I certainly enjoyed writing it.

-Ryan.