The corridor fell silent. The footsteps of servants went still, conversations stopped, everything was quiet.

"What?" Bane whispered, his hold on her tightening as he spoke the question into her ear.

"It was me," Gina repeated, fervently this time, then shoving away from her husband she stood and faced them all, "I did this - can't you see?"

"Gina you're not making any sense -" Harry said harshly, gritting his teeth in annoyance at her.

"You're over tired, " Blair tried to explain gently.

"What in the name of the Saints -" Malcolm was swearing again, looking befuddled.

"George..." Bane murmured in a warning tone. Gina met his eye and shook her head, the smell of perfumed smoke coming loose like a cloud around her as she did so.

"It was me, Bane - you know it!" she cried passionately, tears springing to her eyes and stinging as they cleared the smoke from them just before falling onto her sooty gray face, "I'm going mad - just like my brother... it's been me all this time, won't you see that?"

"We don't know that George - nothing can be done tonight - just come to bed and we'll talk about this -" he said it calmly, tiredly, stretching out his hand to her as he made the offer.

That was when Gina knew what she had to do. She sobbed aloud as the realization hit her, and grabbed at her middle reflexively because it felt like a very physical pain was already descending on her before the words were out of her mouth.

"I want the annulment, Bane," she said it in a deadly serious tone. Bane froze where he stood, he'd made two steps towards her when she'd doubled over in pain. He was like that - always out to protect her, to fix her... and she would kill him if she stayed much longer. And Blair and the children and Harry and his grandmother and everyone else he cared about. She would destroy them all.

"George, this is not the answer -" he began gently, his face full of pity. Gina knew she'd have to do better if she was going to convince him.

"Give me the annulment Brisbane - in the name of the Saint -" she swore, anger coloring her voice now as she worked hard to get out the next words, "I cannot stand you -" she spat, watching him flinch under her gaze, "I cannot stomach the very sight of you..." she whispered harshly, but it was still enough that everyone heard. Blair gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.

"Stop it George!" Bane commanded, and she saw his own anger as it began to bubble up. But that wouldn't do. He could best her in a battle of rage - but she knew that just behind that anger was a deep, dark fear. He feared that she would hate him, just as Cora had.

"Give me the annulment, you horrible Beast!" Gina shouted back, "Or I will throw myself down these stairs just to be rid of you!" This last bit came out in a sob, but Gina pressed on as if it hadn't.

"Saint's name, Gina," Harry cried indignantly, but Gina refused to look at any of them. Instead she kept her gaze fixed on Bane. He had to believe her, even if no one else wanted to.

"George..." he whispered her name and it felt like her chest was splitting open the way he looked at her now, "Please, don't do this," the Beast of the North begged and Gina realized that Bane, the terrifying Bane, was weeping as he stared at her. It broke her heart, and she realized instantly that he would never grant her the annulment. He would never let her go.

"Fine!" she breathed out, fists clenching at her sides, tears streaming in rivers through the soot on her face as she gathered the very last bit of courage she had, "If you won't protect yourself, then I will."

"No!" someone shouted, but it was too late. Gina threw herself at the stone staircase, and closed her eyes tight, waiting for the impact.

It came sooner than she expected. And it came like a heavy body, falling into her. Then the stairs, as whoever had hold of her took half of the blows, they rolled together, hitting every other one. Gina cried out as her ribs cracked, her shoulder was smashed and her head snapped backwards - but still they fell. Until at last they rolled to the bottom of the great stone staircase and stopped.

"You're an idiot!" Malcolm bellowed in her ear, unwinding his arms from around her and wincing in pain as he clutched his own ribs. Gina's vision went tunnel like as she stared up at him in furious wonderment, just before the rush of voices began... then everything was dark.