Brian watched Charlotte leave, and soon after left the Inn. He wandered about town for the better part of the day, absolutely clueless to anything around him. Before he knew it he was right back where he had started, in front of the Inn. Looking up to the sky a moment he recalled her words.

"How can you be so selfish!

"No matter how many times I tell you that you're everything that I ever wanted, you'll never believe me!"

"I can't believe you!"

Brian knew he hurt her, he knew it was a mistake to decide break it off without first voicing concerns with her. She was correct in every sense, he was selfish and was a fool. But given what was coming down the pipe, Brian did not want her harmed for beign close to him. So much had happened to her, so much more was going to happen. Brian needed to harden himself, and being married would not help that.. That's what he tried to tell himself.

In truth Brian was deeply afraid. He was afraid of what might happen, especially in regards to Lucy and Charlotte. Brian loved Charlotte, that was without a doubt a certified fact. He loved her enough to easily die for her, but to marry her.. He actually had to think about that. Their relationship was far from perfect, outside influences, fighting, helping others, and ignoring themselves. It easily took it's toll. Yet she was still there, and what she said rang true. Brian knew that he was everything she wanted in life, but did he truly believe that?

While confident and brash on the outside Brian was deeply insecure and when Darkin was stripped from him those emotions and feelings grew. His insecurity was very much becoming a problem, and he didn't believe he could make her happy. Not to mention his swings in mood and changes in attitude. It was not a good time for Brian, so was that a valid reason for him to do what he did? Hardly.. It was selfish as hell and he knew it, yet he did it anyways. Brian truly wasn't as smart in affairs of the heart as he was with a sword, that much was so obvious a blind man could see.

Brian thought back to what an information gatherer once told him.

"If ya have any doubts why bother?"

Which made sense, but was far from reliable advice. Brian was sure Charlotte had some doubts as well, yet there she was. She was far stronger than he was. This was also a first for each of them, as Brian was never truly engaged before and neither was Charlotte. Brian thought back to his change in work, and all the chaos in their lives. In truth it wasn't what Charlotte deserved, and Brian knew it was going to get worse for a time. He didn't want Charlotte involved, or close enough that she might be harmed instead of him. Things were hectic enough with Renna and Lucy, and since Brian and Katharine were planning a direct assault against whatever was left of Darkin within Lucy he knew hell was going to break loose, and Charlotte would be in the middle of it.

Selfish, exactly to point.

Still after all that she said she would be there.

"I'm an idiot..."

Then it hit him... Something tripped a ward in the Keep, in the olde Den that was to be Charlotte's new School.

Brian ran to the stables, and grabbed his horse and was soon off. He knew the workers had the day off, and weren't set to finish the dorms until the week's end, and then furniture would be delivered. Brian was about twenty minutes out of town, when he felt yet another ward trip. Bringing his horse to stop, Brian hopped off and used a Warp Cudgel instead and in moments was standing at the entrance to the keep. Leaving his horse, he made his way inside and headed towards the corridor.

Pulling a leather cord from his pocket, he slipped it through the ring and tied it around his neck. Then he followed the corridor for a time and came to the area where the graves were. He heard noises and what sounded like scratching, drawing his sword he cursed softly to himself, swearing that if it was "Boots" he could skin her alive. Slowly he made his way through the corridors towards the clearing. Instead what he found wasn't "Boots" at all, instead it was Charlotte impersonating a mole and doing one hell of a job at it. He deep down he had a feeling it might have been her, given the anger she harbored for Renna. Charlotte's anger was completely understandable, especially since Brian was off and running everytime something happened concerning Renna, Emma or Lucy. Given the atrocities commited by Renna, and the blind eye by Brian and that fact that in truth at one time he did love her. In truth much of that anger needed to be directed at Brian. After all, it was he who allowed Renna such access into their lives, it was he who went back time after time, and it was he who convinced he to take in Lucy. Brian sheathed his sword and watched her wordlessly. It killed him to see her this way, and to know mch of it was his fault. She truly deserved every bit of attention he had to offer, and hardly got her due by any means.

It was there, that Brian decided it needed to end. All the loose ties, all the running off at the first sign of trouble, the lack of attention and the fear and insecurity. Brian let it all run the show since his return, and allowed it to move into his personal life in a bad way. As far as Renna went, Brian was also getting tired of that as well and in truth the dealings with Lucy and her lack of control were getting out of hand as well. Those would have to be attended to at some point, but for now it was all kicked aside.
He didn't want anything else. Slowly, he made his way towards Charlotte and the graves. He didn't really know what to say, he just knew he &*^%ed up in a major way, and needed to make sure she knew exactly how he felt, and that he didn't want to lose her.

Quieting down, he collected himself and strengthened his resolve. Neither Renna, nor Lucy or that damned artifact would stop him. He played into their hands too many times, and this time he had to stop it. It was time to stop being weak, and letting everything else dictate what he would do. Of course that might have come to little to late. Still in any event, he waited.. And he decided then and there he would wait, for as long as it took. He truly did love her, enough to do anything for her. But if it came too little, too late and she no longer trusted in him and no longer wanted to be with him.. Well he couldn't blame her by any means. After all, this was his doing.

"Charlotte? Please stop this. It isn't her fault. I was wrong for what I said, and wasn't thinking. You were correct, I was selfish and I was scared. I'm still scared, but I know I love you and I do want to marry you. I'm sorry i hurt you with my words and actions.. Please just talk to me. Just you and I.. Please?"

Brian didn't know what else to say, but he was sure it would all come eventually. He knew however, that this woman was deeply special to him and she meant more to him than he could ever say.

Brian stood there in silence and listened to Charlotte intently. He knew he was in for it, and knew he deserved every bit of it. He wanted to respond so badly, to what what he felt. To let he know just how much it hurt him to see her this way, to know his words did that to her. Hardened eyes softened from the sight of her.

"This isn't the third grade. You can't just say sorry and make it all better. And what, you're not afraid anymore? That's bull."

The twisted smile apparent as her words hit home, Brian opened his mouth to try to reply, to try to say anything and was just as quickly cut off.

"How can you say you love me?! You don't! I hate you!"

Brian tried once more to speak, he wanted to let her know that he did love her. He said something foolish, and truth be told was deeply afraid. But his love for her was something that would never change. He had never said he didn't love her, and he didn't blame her one bit for her words.

She laughed... He really was at a loss at this reaction, in truth it wasn't what was expected. She stopped just short of him, he could see the rage so evident in her eyes. The pain that ran deep within her, and it cut him yet again deep inside. Then she spoke.

"Fuck off"

With that, she turned and vanished.

Brian stood there for a few moments, and just stared ahead lost in thought. He lost her... He had really done it this time.

"Sonuva bitch..."

He sighed and kicked at the dirt a bit, his hand rising to fiddle with the ring he had once given her. His eyes then panned to the disturbed grave, as he made his way towards her, and fell to his knees and began to set everything back as it was.

"Well I screwed this one up up something fierce."

After a few moments he was finished, yet he stayed there. He knew he needed to do one last thing before he left.

"Ya might as well come out, Ren. I know you're here and we need to talk about everything. So come on out, I have a fiance' I need to find."

Brian knew she was there all along, he also knew she had to know whay had occured and more. His eyes narrowed as he made note of the new creations. The feeling he recieved from them was familiar and frightful all the same. Pushing that aside he looked to Renna, as he rose to his feet.

"... This has nothing to do with me, why do you even bother to want to banter with me? I don't want you dragging me into your silly love life."

She had a point. Still he didn't intend to drag her into anything, as it stood it was always a tug o' war between the two, with everyone else caught in the middle.

"I know, but we need to talk none the less."

"What is it we need to talk about? The fact that you cannot keep your little life together? Do you know how much you have fucked this up? You have any idea how much I have lost for you men? Get out of my sight, Brian and chase the woman you love... Your sight sickens me."

"I intend to do just that, Ren. I am not coming back to the Den, I'll have the workers leave it as it is. As for Lucy she can remain at the Abbey. She is far too influenced by the gifts we left with her. I put many things in front of what was truly important, and I can't do it anymore. I know what you lost for men, and I know what men have lost for you. Just as I know what I did as well past and present. I know how much I messed this up and I know I should have walked away from this a long time ago. Still I am dealing with this now and with any luck I can get back what I lost. As far as Lucy goes, she is your daughter far more than she is ours. She craves your affection and needs more than I or Charlotte can rightfully give her. Especially in the reckless use of her powers. Anyways, I am tired and I am done. I know you didn't ask for this from me, I commited to doing whatever I did on my own. Still I am done and have to prioritize my life again.

"Anyways, I am tired of feeling incomplete. I need to find Char. Anything else is secondary."

He turned and made his way out of the clearing, and moments later left the keep. His next stop, the Inn.