He really didn't know what to do. Penny was his number one priority but Neila was his very dear friend and something was clearly wrong. He looked back and forth between the open door and Penny, a pained look on his face. "I'm sorry, Penny. If you're hungry, you can go to the kitchens. They'll fix you up nicely. I...I have to go but I'll be back shortly, I promise." He started out the doorway, not caring that he wasn't wearing a shirt and that his hair had a severe case of bed head. Neila was nowhere in sight so he went to the one place he knew he could always find her.
He pushed open the door to his study. Penny's eyes stared down at him from the wall, asking why wasn't he with her, why was he here? He shook his head miserably. He didn't know. He closed his eyes and felt his way to the back, to the door that led to a closet. It was already slightly ajar and he looked in, waiting for his eyes to adjust. She was curled in the corner, her head on her knees, her hair undone. He knelt at her side and wrapped his arms around her.
She pushed him away roughly. "Don't," she said fiercely, and then her face fell again. "Just please. Don't."
He looked at her with shock. Why on earth was she crying? And how was this his fault? She looked at him accusingly and he had no idea why. "Neila, what is wrong?"
She laughed bitterly. "Nothing. Everything. And isn't that the truth."
"You're not making any sense. You know how well I do with crying and...emotion stuff." He looked down and got knocked back on his butt by a furious Neila.
"Emotion! You don't do well with emotion? How 'bout me having to watch you be depressed for weeks after each girl didn't pan out or the obvious worry you felt every morning when you woke up and she had a bad dream. Or the times you were so happy and you spoke to me how you found your soul mate." She spit the last two words at him.
He was bewildered by this change in her behavior. She'd always seemed so supportive when he talked about finding Penny and genuinely sad each time it didn't pan out. But he certainly didn't like being attacked and he resented the implications that Penny was not his soul mate. Of that he was sure. It was like Neila was attacking Penny when she brought soul mates into the conversation. He stood up. "I expect you to be...not a mess when I next see you. You are not to speak to Penny about this and I want some stuffed animals delivered to the room. A really big bear would be nice too. Get something you'd like and I'm sure she'd like it as well. That will be all." He turned and coldly strode from the room, shutting the closet door behind him. He took the short walk to the kitchens to see if Penny had decided to eat something.
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