--I don't know what you want from me!-- Dana broke her silence in a strangely tired voice. But there was something menacing about it too, as the baby panther is menacing, even in its smile.

--I want peace, -- Jake's voice was to match her own. To listen to them, one would think they carried the weight of the world. Dana squinted in disbelief. She no longer held back. --You want peace? YOU? I give you all you want and more! I cook, I..

--And I wash the dishes! What's the big fucking deal? You wanted it this way! You haven't washed a goddamned dish in months! Well, I'm sick of it! Sick of it, sick of it!-- in two strides he was at the table. He grabbed the plate closest to him, and threw it on the floor.

The noise was deafening, and the little pieces-- brilliant. They caught the light off of the chandalier, which was now swinging terribly wide, thanks to the momentum bestowed on it by Jake in his mad dash. Dana looked at the pieces.