The Kitchens

Darien made no comment.

"What brought you down here then?" He tried to change the subject.

"I thought I could use some thing to eat." Diana said. And as she said it, a bowl of ice cream appeared.

"Thank you!" She called out to the house-elf.

"Nick was in a really foul mood." She said taking a bite.

Darien's annoyance grew.

"What did he say to you?"

"Nothing I'd care to repeat." Diana sighed and ate another bite.

"It went along the lines of the Vaight were the scum of the earth, that sort of thing."

Darien glared at the floor.

"Well he's not a saint is he?" The words came out with more anger than he intended.

Diana blinked, annoyed at Darien's tone. "His mother is in the hospital and so is his father. I think he has the right not to be saintly."

Darien shrugged, though there was an odd anger about the gesture. "He doesn't have a right to take it out on innocents though."

"He didn't take it out on innocents." Diana defended. She didn't really know why she was defending Nick. He'd made her cry. But she felt sorry for him. And some of his accusations rang in her mind.

Heartless

Unworthy

Traitor

Half-blood

Darien frowned in disbelief, anger overwhelming his mind.

"Why the hell are you defending him?!" Darien snapped, almost shouting.

A group of house elves nearby jumped and began to edge away.

Darien was glaring now, taking this defence of Nick as a betrayal of him.

Diana blinked at the unexpected outburst and her annoyance grew. Why was he angry?

She stood her ground and answered him. "Why shouldn't I? He's family. His father and mother are in the hospital, thanks to your family by the way, so give him some slack!"

"My family's fault?! It was an accident!" Darien half-shouted.

He didn't really believe that...But for some reason, he was suddenly determined to.

"We both think that's bull." Diana said folding her arms and glaring at Darien.

"We being the horse and his boy!" Darien snarled.

"We being me and you!" Diana lost her tempter. "Why do you always think I'm talking about Nicolas?"

"Because you always side with him! No matter what, it's always Nick who's the victim!" Darien's own temper flew out of the window.

"That's not true and you know it!" Diana said defensively. "I'm still with you aren't I?"

"Do I?" Darien folded his arms.

"Well sometimes I doubt you want to be." He snapped.

"You doubt me?" Diana said incredulous... and angry. She was going through the silent treatment from her grandfather because she was with him and HE doubted her?! "When have I ever given you a reason to doubt me?"

"When have I ever given you reason to go with Nick on everything? Am I always wrong, just because of my family?!" Darien avoided the question.

"You didn't answer my question!" Diana said hotly.

"You haven't answered mine!" Darien snapped back.

This was the last thing Diana needed at that very moment. She'd just been shouted at my her... well Nick. Called a traitor. Called whatever else. It just wasn't even worth it right now.

"You know what? You're right. Sometimes, I don't want to be with you... like right now."

Darien felt as though he'd been hit round the face.

"Well maybe we should take a break, because I'm not that sure I want to be with you either!"

The moment the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to take them back. She was just really angry. She hadn't meant it. What she really wanted was to hug him.

But then his reply shot arrows to her heart.

"No..." She said as an undertone. Low enough so it could have been a sigh.

Well... she couldn't weaken. Casillas' weren't weak.

"Fine." She said.

"Fine," she said louder. "Who'd want to be with a Vaight anyway?"

Darien's brain processed what he'd just said. An instinctive reaction.

A stupid one.

What have I done?!

But...if she was fine...he couldn't...she...His thoughts were too disjointed.

"I can't imagine!" He shouted, wrenching open the door to leave the kitchen, disappearing back into the corridors.