The Hall.

((Continuing from the roof.))

Hector wandered into the hallway, surveying those around him. Only Vanessa and Russell were missing. All the others were here.

He wasn't quite sure who had hit the gong and summoned them all for dinner, but he also was rather unconcerned. What could go wrong? Well, what more could go wrong?

Ah, there they were. Hector turned just in time to hear rapid footsteps approach, and a hand grab his arm.

Bewildered, he turned, wondering why Russell and Vanessa looked quite so...ashen.

He raised an eyebrow, his face cold. He did not appreciate being grabbed by the arm. It invaded his personal space. The space he rather liked to remain personal. It was not to be grabbed by anyone.

Noticing the cold look, Russell quailed and glanced at Vanessa. Better he heard it from her.

As he already seemed to know by the tone of his features, Russell deduced, the apology would still be best from Vanessa.

Vanessa ran as fast as she could to catch Susanna and beg her not to tell Hector... At least not yet. Susanna and her weren't exactly what one would call close but they were relatively civil to each other. Surely she could reason with her. Even though it was her brother that she, Vanessa, was lying too.

But as she reached the Hall, it seemed like she came a little bit too late. Everyone was gathered - a seemingly somber expression on their features. Oh no...

"Oh Hector, I'm so sorry!" She said breathlessly. "I never wanted to hurt you, I swear it!"

At her words, Hector grew even more confused. But of course, he tried to hide that expression, replacing it with a neutral mask. What was going on? It was probably some sort of strange joke...Yes! It was probably all some ludicrous idea of Rory's, or Dick's or even his sister's. They would not get the satisfaction of a response.

Russell completely misinterpreted this as hidden hatred and pain. Arguably possible. "Hector, we didn't mean for any of this to happen!" He protested, slightly more quietly. Everyone seemed to be glaring, his paranoid brain informed him.

They clearly all knew. Maybe they were planning to throw them out, or just freeze them out of the group for such a betrayal. It wasn't as though they'd planned it! Russell's mind screamed.

Now even more suspicious, Hector jerked his arm out of Russell's grip and took a step back from the lunatic. Had he forgotten something? Glancing around out of the corner of his eyes, Hector couldn't quite discern the expressions of the others. His peripheral vision wasn't fantastic.

Again, he opted to say nothing, feeling less awkward now that his arm was free and there was space between them. He raised an eyebrow slightly, which was unfortunately ambiguous; it could be minor bemusement or intrigue, or cynicism.

Russell presumed it to be the latter - directed at his and Vanessa's statements - and visibly winced, which Hector thought was even more odd. What was wrong with him? And what was Vanessa apologising for? Should he just say it was fine? No. It depended what she'd done...he'd wait for some sort of clue.

"What's going on?" Rory whispered to Bruce nodding at the apparent scene before them. Bruce of course said nothing as to be expected. He rolled his eyes and stood by Dick. "What you reckon's going on?"

Susanna stood behind Hector. A triuphant smirk and a fake scowl were fighting for dominance in her features making her face look rather comical. But of course, no one appreciated the humour as they were all wondering what was going on. "What did I tell you Hector?" She said clicking her tongue. Of course, she was talking about how the curtains should be a different colour as they clashed with the new carpeting, but of course, Vanessa and Russell had no idea. "They're horrible."

"No, Hector please, I didn't - we didn't meant it to happen! I mean, I'm not even sure what's going on. We just snog really." Vanessa blurted out.

Dick glanced across briefly. "I'm not sure." At Vanessa's exclamation, his face visible paled with surprise. "...Or possibly that." He muttered out of the corner of his mouth. And there he was suspecting the wrong brother...

Too preoccupied with whatever it was he was meant to be hurt about, Hector nodded his head dismissively. His gaze fixed temporarily on the offending furnishings, over Vanessa's shoulder. Much to his irritation, his sister was correct. Damn foolish choice.
This anger flickered onto his face, although none could tell who it was intended for. "Perhaps you were right Susanna..." He sighed, not wanting to get engaged in a domestic battle in front of all those assembled. It was messy. And looked very unimpressive; one thing he abhorred.

Russell froze at the expression of anger showing on Hector's face. "Yes!" He mindlessly agreed, although also feeling slightly hurt at Vanessa's words. They talked too, but yes, that was basically it.

These sentences took a few moments to penetrate Hector's mind, and ego. Vanessa and...Russell? Snogging? It felt as though he had slipped into another universe where time was much slower, and he was encased in a vaguely soundproof bubble. This might have been why his voice was marginally louder than intended. "What?!" There was just shock in the tone.

It was obvious really. He just needed to hear her say it. Hector focused his gaze on Vanessa, leaving the question hanging in the air. He hoped it was a mistake, but how could it be? Damn strange way to break it to him, and that angered him. In front of all his friends... But oddly, his anger was more directed at that than at Vanessa's actions.

And he couldn't help feeling that response was wrong.

Dick remained on the sidelines, noticing the glee in Hector's sister's face. Odd, he noted, but put it down to intense sibling rivalry.

Vanessa didn't mean to sound so blunt and she feared she may have hurt Russell with what she said but with the audience and being so flustered she really couldn't compose herself properly.

Susanna was trying not to smile as she said, "Oh didn't you know Hector? Your fiancee and the boy are sneaking around your mansion for a snog."

The words made it real. Final. Indisputable. Hector was frozen, for a moment, in a state of utter shock.

It was like a blow to his gut, knocking the wind out of him, and with it, the capacity to think. He was left stunned and frozen, unsure what to do as his emotions swelled and buffeted him along like a leaf in the wind. The first thing he felt was pain. A sharp, stabbing pain in the back. Betrayal. The secrecy and lies, all on his own doorstep, under his own roof, made it worse. Infinitely worse. Betrayed by his fiancée and the boy he allowed to live only out of respect for Cookie. That hurt. And it showed briefly on his face.

A stony paralysis gnawed at his spine, the feeling of cold realisation to freeze affection for the two, sapping the affection out of their acquaintance, at least partially. Diminishing it at least. His face grew cold, dark and almost uncaring, and Russell took another step back. It wasn't often he saw Hector looking so...apathetic.

As the feelings raged, Hector couldn't help thinking back to all stories that contained the element of betrayal, and the reactions of others. Pain, betrayal, loss of affection, but surely, somewhere in there, anger should be forming? He felt a mild hurt and anger at them for betraying him, but not enough to go on a rampage flipping over tables or trying to kill them in a whirl of passion. Surely that was what he was meant to do? Meant to feel? Some sort of love turning to hate?

But he felt nothing. Even the feeling of betrayal was beginning to fade into a blend of minor stinging pain, coldness and apathy, the latter being dominant. Unsure of his own emotions, and thoroughly bemused that his reaction was wrong, was too weak, was too fading...

He didn't know what was wrong with him.

But he knew it was wrong.

Too conflicted to think straight, he simply chose a direction and began to walk, cutting past all the others and out of the hall. He needed to be alone. He needed peace, and a large volume on decoding emotional subtext, because they were clearly running riot.

Or not, which was the problem.

Frustration overcame him as the door to the hall swung shut behind him. What was the matter with him?! Why was nothing ever straight forward or simple?! Why were his emotions so backward?!

Why didn't it hurt enough? Why wasn't he in agony? Where did the heart-break metaphors come into play? Because heartbreak did not feel like this.