Well, I'm back! Sorry about the break in the action, but I just couldn't get it together last week. Major mental block! But I'm on a roll again, so no worries. The usual disclaimer apply here. A big thanks to everyone who has written with their words of encouragement. Without you guys, I would've never have finished this. And a massive thanks to P-120 and Jade. You guys are great! Now on with the show! Love and Peace, Athena ************************************************************************** Serena sat stunned in her office. She couldn't believe that he kissed her! Her lips were still numb from it. Absentmindedly, she touched her lips and then recalled his emotional speech just before he kiss her, 'I will teach you to love again....you will be mine.' His. That really was a beautiful thought. She'd love to be his again, but how could she ever trust him again? She was startled out of her thoughts by a knock at her door. She looked up to see Marcus walk in with a big shit eating grin on his face, so she casually asked, "And what are you smirking about?" "Oh nothing. I must say, I certainly misjudge him! Not only am I impressed that he found you, but that little speech of his was brilliant." She gave him a dirty looked as he sat down in the chair that Darien had just vacated. "Oh you heard that, did you?" "Serena, the whole office heard. He practically screamed his declaration of love at you." "Shit!" she said, now totally disgusted. 'Damn,' she thought, 'why didn't I shut the door?' Marcus looked surprised by her anger and asked, "This upsets you? But I thought that you liked him? I mean the way you jumped all over us after our little scene in the park. I mean, I'll admit that I had my doubts when I brought him down here, but he quickly extinguished them." "Well, I'm glad to see that he managed to convince someone with that little speech of his." she said in the same chillingly soft tone that she had used on Darien. Marcus knew this tone of Serena's. This was her "don't fuck with me" tone which usually meant to stay clear of her. So it was with caution that he asked, "But I don't understand. You like him, right?" But Serena merely shrugged and said, "Actions speak louder than any words Marcus and I'll believe his words when I see them." Now she stood up and began putting files in her briefcase and basically cleaning up for the day while Marcus sat there shaking his head. But he knew that it was pointless to continue this discussion now with her. She was being too stubborn at the moment. Hell, her actions alone right now said that she had all but dimissed him. It wasn't until she went over and turned off her radio that he asked, "Are you actually leaving on time today?" At this she looked up and gave him a smug smile and said, "Yes, I have a date." Marcus was again surprised and said in disbelief, "With who?" "Jordan, the new guy in systems. We're going to dinner and then who knows what else." Marcus wasn't surprised by that. He had seen the two checking each other out when they thought that the other wasn't looking. Well he supposed that one of them finally got around to asking the other out. He couldn't say that he was entirely too pleased by this recent turn of events. So instead he asked, "What about your rule against dating people that you work with?" "Marcus, my rule is against sleeping with people that I work with, not going to dinner with them." she said a little exasperated. "But doesn't one usually lead to the other eventually?" he asked. "Only if I want it to and right now, I have no intensions of taking it that far." Just then there was a knock at the door and Jordan was standing there. "Hi!" he said, "Are you ready to go?" Serena smiled and grabbed her things and walked to the door. "Absolutely! Bye Marcus!" and left. *************************************************************************** ***************** Three hours later, Serena emerged from the restuarant with Jordan. They were laughing as he walked her over to her car. "Thanks Jordan! I had a really good time tonight." she said as she unlocked the door to her car. "Me too. Would you like to do it again some time?" he asked. Serena cocked her head to the side as if she were deliberating about it and then said, "Yeah, I think that I would." A huge smile broke out on Jordan's face as he said, "Great! Well then I'll talk to you tomorrow then." "O.K." Then there was an awkward moment of silence bewteen the two. Finally, Jordan leaned towards her. Serena met him half way and they shared a kiss. It was meant to be innocent enough, but that's not what happened. The moment that their lips touched, Serena felt a wave of cold energy wash over her and for some unexplainable reason, maybe because it was a new sensation for her (The cold energy, not being kissed), she leaned even more into his embrace, giving him unconscious permission to deepen the kiss. And deepen it he did. Serena felt his arms come around her with a crushing force as his mouth became more demanding. Serena felt her knees begin to buckle under the onslaught of his kiss and the ice cold energy that was coursing through her. Finally, she was able to push him away and break off the kiss. She was blushing intensly and he looked a little surprised by it all. Then he said with a little embarrassment, "Sorry, I guess that I got carried away. I'll see you later." Serena was still speechless, so all she did was nod. Slowly, she got in her car and drove away. Twenty minutes later she pulled into the driveway, well at least tried to, at her house. In the end she ended up parking up on the street. It seemed that all of the scouts and guards were over here tonight. 'Oh great!' she thought, 'I'm going to get questioned right and left.' With a huge sigh, she got out of the car and headed up the drive and into the house. "I'm home!" she bellowed. She heard voices coming from the back of the house, making a bunch of hushing noises, so she headed back in that direction wonder- ing what was going on. When she reached the kitchen, she saw all of the scouts and the guards seated around the kitchen table. Sitting in their midsts was Darien. 'Well, so that was what all the hushing was about.' she thought to herself. But instead she walked up to stand next to Jason, who was sitting across from Darien and said with extreme sarcasism, "Well Darien, I see that you've wasted no time on getting started with your little 'quest'." "I aim to please!" he shot back. The only response Serena had to that was another raised eyebrow. This action was starting to drive Darien crazy! He would much rather her yell at him or cry or something. 'But then again,' he thought, 'she did acknowledge my presence this time, so maybe I am making progress.' "So which one of you told him where we lived, huh?" She said with cynicism this time as she eyed each member at the table. All of them looked away from her stare when Jason finally said, 'Well, Serena, you did say that you didn't want us to interfere between you and Darien anymore, so...." but a bunch of snickers made him stop speaking and Serena glared evilly at him as Darien said with equal sarcasism, "Oh, I see, you told them not to interfere, huh? So maybe you are still feeling something for me." But Serena refused to answer. Instead she said, "Why Jason! It's so nice to see you again! I wasn't sure that you lived here anymore." At this Jason turned bright red and began to mumble something under his breath about being sorry about speading so much time at Raye's. Then Raye seething, smacked Jason and started to yell, "Jason! Serena, I always knew that you were jealous!" But Marcus cut them both off before the scene could turn real ugly. It was obvious that Serena was itching for a fight tonight and he wasn't going to let anyone accomodate her. "That's enough! So Serena, how was your date?" At this she perked up and said with a huge smile making sure to look straight at Darien for his reaction, "It was good, but not nearly as good as the kiss that he laid on me! Damn! I thought that my thighs were going to explode!" At this Darien turned a dark red color and everyone else groaned inwardly. Serena was out for blood tonight! And her victim was Darien. Again Marcus decided to waylay Serena in her quest for vengence with, "O.k. Serena, I think that's enough for tonight!" "Well I don't!" she spat back bitterly, feeling to cold energy begin to leave her finally. All of a sudden, she felt weak and disoriented. She looked around the room in a confused state, 'How did I get home?' she thought to herself. But no one else was paying any attention to her, they were all looking at Marcus, who had stood up and was stalking over to face Serena. Agitiated he said, "Yes, Serena. That is enough! I'm not in the mood for one of your temper tantrums." he was in front of her now, bearing down on her. But Serena only stood there. Then she peered up at him as if in a daze and swaying on her feet she brought her hand to her head. Marcus's attitude went from annoyed to concern in a space of a heartbeat. "Serena?" he asked, but she didn't hear him. Instead, she collapsed into his arms. Everyone started yelling at once. Marcus held the unconscious Serena in his arms, stunned at what just happened. Then Darien was at his side taking Serena from his grasp and asked where her room was. When Marcus just stood there Darien snapped at him, "General Malachite!" At this, Marcus's head swung around to meet Darien's face and he looked at him questioningly. "Her room?" Marcus nodded and lead Darien to Serena's room. Once there, he laid Serena on her bed and Amy stepped forward and began to assess Serena. Everyone was crowded in her room, waiting for Amy's assessment. Finally, Amy looked up and said, "I don't understand it, but she's had an energy drain." Again everyone began to talk at once, but then Jason hushed everyone else and demanded, "Can you figure how or what could have caused it?" Amy was typing at her Mercury computer, and then shook her head. "No, I can't detect it. Maybe she can tell us when she waked up." That's when Darien's eyes finally met hers and he asked quietly, "But she will wake up right?" Amy smiled tenderly at him and nodded. Then everyone but Darien left the room. Darien stood there, staring at the sleeping form of Serena with tears shining in his eyes. Slowly he began to remove her shoes and then he covered her with a blanket. Then he sat down beside her a with a shaking hand reached out to stroke her face. At his touch Serena jerked in her sleep and sighed. His tears now flowing freely he whispered to her, "I'm so sorry, Serena! Please forgive me, I was wrong!" But he got no response from her. Finally he wiped his tears away and gently kissed her and left. ************************************************************************** Meanwhile across town, Jordan entered his dark apartment. As soon as he was sure that the door was locked. The facade of a living quickly melted into a portal opening. Jordan stepped through the portal and emerged on the other side of the portal as King Ares. Draco stepped forward at the arrival of his king and said, "Welcome back, your highness. How was your...'date' with the Princess?" At the mention of the Princess's name, a sinister smile spread across Ares face and he said, "Fabulous! Absolutely fabulous!" Draco raised an appreciative eyebrow at his leige lord and said, "Anything unusal happen?" Ares gave him a sharp look as a serving girl handed him a golden cup full of Dark Planet wine, then slowly he said, "Why yes, Draco, something did happen. We kissed." He trailed off briefly here and then he eploded, "It was incredible!!! I could feel my energy flow to her and she accepted it fully and completely!! I think that she was over- whelmed by it at first, but then she just seemed to take it on..completely. It was the most fantastic rush of pure energy that I've ever had. Make no doubts, Draco, we are a perfect match." Then he downed the contents of his glass in one swallow and held his cup out for more. Meanwhile Draco was slowly pacing back and forth in front of him, appearing as if in deep thought. Finally, Ares yelled at him, "Oh quick that damned pacing of yours! I swear that one day, I will kill you for it." Draco immediately stopped his pacing, but his eyes showed no fear at the threat that was just thrown at him and said, "Forgive me, my lord, but I was just thinking..." "Yes?" "The way that the princess absorbed your dark enery, it may actually become useful once she realizes who you really are." "What do you mean?" "Well, forgive me my lord, but you are charming her as "Jordan" the human. It comes to my attentiont that once she realizes that you are from the Negaverse, that she will no longer find you appealing in any form." "Ahh, I see. So if this does happen, then I just pump the Princess full of dark energy to gain her cooperation." Draco bowed his head and said, "Exactly." Ares appeared to be lost in thought for a moment and then stood up and headed toward the door that lead to his private chambers. "Well done, Draco. I like that all the more. Yes, that is what we will do. We will just fill the Princess with dark energy and win her over." He stopped when he reached the door and he turned back as Draco said, "What do you mean? You are not going to continue courting her?" "No. This plan is much better. Besides, that damn Prince Endymion has been sniffing around her again. He came to see her today and declared that he would win her back, so we must move quickly on this." "Yes, my lord." And Ares disappeared behind his bedroom door leaving Draco standing there to plan their next course of action.