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// UGH!! I had this whole thing typed up all nice and then my internet wonked on me and I lost everything. Ergh! Re-typing this, probably with less detail then what I had. Tired, sorry…. //



After the woman left, the two stood there in utter silence for a few very long moments. Finally, X moved back to his throne and sat down. He took another look back at Alcina, who hadn’t moved, then glanced back down at the Earth. ”Well? Say something or leave. That man could return at any moment. No need for you to be-”

”Is it true?” Alcina said quietly, still not looking at him.

”Is what tr-”

“Is that why you don’t bother with my affairs? Why you don’t give them a second glance unless I find someone better than you? Unless you think there’s a reason that I might not come back?” she said a bit louder. ”Because I wouldn’t know? Because you had other women just waiting for a chance to be alone with you?”

X turned back to her, but said nothing.

Alcina slowly turned towards him, her clearly furious eyes locked onto his. ”Answer me.” she demanded.

”…yes.” X replied, after a bit of a pause. ”I’ve ‘spent time’ with others….just as you have.”

”Trying to get your attention! The only time you pay attention to me is when I find someone who might be BETTER than you! The only time you LOOK at me is…” she said angrily, but apparently couldn‘t finish. ”Why do you get so upset when I find someone I like then? Why don’t you just-”

”Oh, don’t give me that.” X said with a bit of annoyance in his voice. ”You started your flings long before I ever gave those other women a second glance. You have no reason to be-”

”To be ANGRY?!” she snapped. ”I never went behind your back with any of-”

”Of course not. You can’t get enough attention. Why take it behind my back when you can make it public?”

Alcina stared at him furiously for a long quiet moment. He didn’t seem to be effected by this conversation at all. ”Am I simply not enough for you anymore?”

X was quiet for a moment. ”I’d been wanting to ask you that for quite some time myself.” he replied.

”Then why DIDN’T you?!”

X said nothing.

”Then why try to keep me? If you’re that bored with me…if I’m nothing more than property to you…" she said, her words beginning to tremble.

”Because you keep coming back. Even now, when you made it so clear that you were not coming back…here you stand.”

”Well don’t expect it to happen again.” she growled.

X sighed and leaned back in his chair. ”All this because you found out that you’re not the only one who likes to see other people. I can understand being surprised, but you really have no right to be angry.”

”I was trying to get your attention! And every one of them showed ten times more appreciation for me than you have since we were freed.”

”Considering your usual offer and attire, who wouldn’t show appre-” before he could finish his sentence, a sound echoed throughout the realm like a lightning crack. His face was now facing the side, and Alcina’s arm was crossed in front of her with her hand straight.
He paused a moment, a bit surprised, then sighed and turned his head back to face her. She stood there, staring down at him with furious glassy eyes. ”Funny. With all your flings and comments towards me, I don’t recall ever touching you.” he said, rubbing the side of his face a bit.

”Of course not. she hissed ”You don’t even look at me, let alone touch me.”

”Then go find someone who will. Like you usually do.”

Alcina stood and stared down at him for a long, long moment. Her eyes growing angrier and glassier. Then, without warning, simply vanished.

X sat there and starred at where she had been a moment, then sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
”Finally.” he muttered to himself.




EXIT Alcina to Home Sweet Home

A couple minutes later, the simple kiss on the cheek had turned into a bit more; Cantata now on X's lap with her arms around him.
After a moment, X broke the kiss. "You really should be heading back." he said.

"I should...but I think I have at least another minute..." Cantata replied, moving to kiss him again.

X turned away. "No, you don't. Thorne's energy is gone."

Cantata pulled back and looked at him a moment. "You sure he didn't just high tail it and hide?"

"He's gone." X said, looking back at her...apparently a tad unhappy again.

Cantata sighed and slid off his lap. "And now you're upset again. After I made you feel better." she said, then paused a moment. "Why don't you come with me? Terragon's place will be able to protect you as well."

"No. I'm not a coward. You've done nothing to deserve having your life threatened. I on the other hand..."

"Are a much better person than anyone gives you credit for." Cantata said as she bent down to kiss him on the cheek. "And if he's really gone, than wouldn't that mean you're safe? That Alcina's-"

"Knowing him, there's no promice of that. Better she doesn't know."

Both Cantata and X stopped and looked to where the voice seemed to have come from. X's face showed that the news wasn't anything he was expecting to hear. "What?"

X's physical reaction didn't change, but a muscle in his jaw immediately tightened, and his hands gripped the armrests.
Where was...New York. She was fine then. With another man yet again, but she was fine.
"I assume my 'other half' has been delt with then?" he asked.


Cantata simply stood in listened with a bit of surprise.

"Naturally." X muttered to himself, leaning back in his chair. His eyes turned back to Earth a moment, and he appeared to go into thought for a moment.

X was still for a moment. Hoshi had been killed...Balancer was supposedly dead...Thorne was now dead...
After a second, he turned his head towards her. "How nicely?" he whispered back.

Cantata stood and watched with her arms crossed. X had slowly turned closer to Zira, his hand moving to her cheek and gliding down it as he whispered something to her that Cantata didn't care to even try to hear.

She didn't mind sharing X, not at all. ...but she didn't like watching.