Her heart leaped as he came into the light, but he didn't even look at her and it felt like she had been slapped in the face, he spoke to Kira, and sat, his shoulders hunched, withdrawn, shunning her.<br/><br/>Maddi turned, blindly to the dark, walking back towards the food store so that no-one could see the tears welling up in her eyes.  She should never have told him, how stupid could she be?  No man wanted her for anything other than fun, an interlude, a stop gap. She almost sobbed, her breath catching in her throat, and she swallowed hard, reaching in for a beer and held it tightly like a lifeline.<br/><br/>She took a deep breath, making her face a study in absolutely nothing at all and walked over to him, setting the beer beside him on the ground.  "Perhaps you can drink it this time," she said calmly, surprised that could actually make her voice sound so normal, "Help yourself to the food guys, it's all ready, I'm going to go for a walk, so save some for me."<br/><br/>And she walked into the night, because she couldn't do it, she actually couldn't.  Whatever resources she had were gone, she had to be alone with her pain, she couldn't say another word without crying, nor could she reassure Kira with even the smallest smile, there was nowhere to go other than the darkness, at least no-one could see her there and she would not have to see the pity in their eyes.<br/><br/>She walked fast, then setting her beer down she ran, ran in the silver light of the moon, her feet digging into the sand, the tears streamed down her checks and she ran harder, her wrap slipped off and she lengthened her stride.  She wished she could run until the world disappeared, she wished she could run until exhaustion gave her instant sleep, but more than anything she wished she could run away from the pain and leave it behind.<br/><br/>She came to a slithering halt as her foot came down hard on a sharp stone making her cry out with the pain.  She turned and limped toward the water's edge, sitting when she reached it in the shallow waves.  She curled her knees into her, hugging them tightly she laid her head on them and sobbed, sobbed like she was a child again, letting the ache and the fear and the pain go, her salt joining the sea.