Lucian and I jump into the water together and the resounding splash earns us a bunch of screams from the children Spicans. They move away from us but Lucian appears to enjoy disturbing them. 

He splashes some water on the leader and this results in an all out water war with me trapped on the losing side. 

Water hits my face repeatedly as I splash at no where in particular and Lucian's laughter along with the kids fills the air. My chest fills with warmth and I feel full, not full from food but just content like someone just injected me with the life and love I've lost over the past few weeks. 

"Lucian, we are losing!" I cry out to the grown up Plutonian child next to me and pull him away with much difficulty. The kids roar in victory while we find a safe space to catch our breath. 

"You know I let them win, right?" Lucian wipes his face and I roll my eyes. Sure he did.

We both burst out laughing and I wish I could freeze this moment and stay here forever. The worst part is knowing that tomorrow will come and the reality that comes with it. 

We are in the middle of a war and right now Lazarus is winning.  

I don't want to think about it but the thoughts seep into my veins against my will like small rivulets of poison. Rosie, Cassandra, Jade, Josephine, Ron. They lost their lives just for us to go to Earth only to discover that we are already too late. 

I failed them and here I am enjoying myself. My entire being suddenly fills with guilt as I think about all the deaths that have followed in my trail. 

Do I even deserve to feel this happy?

"What's on your mind?" Lucian asks and I turn to see him leaning his head against a large rock. Water laps around our waists and I look down as I swing my arms back and forth, creating small ripples between us.

"I don't know. I feel guilty for having this much fun," I say in a small voice and he swims closer. 

"Why?" 

"You know, after everything that's happened," I trail off as my voice tethers dangerously close to cracking. 

I look up to see Lucian's eyes light up in understanding and I know he can already tell what I am thinking. He draws closer until our chests are almost touching and his face drowns out everything else.

The sound of water crashing against the rocks, children Spicans screaming at each other as they play and the leaves rustling in the wind. Everything tunes out into a blur as only Lucian comes into focus.

"It's not your fault," He says seriously and I wish I could believe him. 

I look down, unable to meet the sincerity in his gaze but he cups my chin gently and tilts my head up. 

"It's not your fault," He repeats and images of the destroyed rebel base flit through my mind. "You are a good person, Aria. You taught me that, remember?" 

His gaze bores into mine and memories of the Western border, of my conversation with Lucian, his nightmares and his guilt come rushing back to me. It was the first night he stopped having his night terrors. 

When I told him that he was a good person and meant it.

"I can't stop thinking about them," I whisper. 

"It would be abnormal if you didn't think about them. This is empathy, this is what makes you a good person," Lucian reinforces, his gaze is cautious and I remember him comforting me about Michael after I blamed myself for his death. 

I remember Lucian sitting at my feet, trying to make me feel better after Cassandra died. The earnest look in his eyes when he saw how broken I was.

My heart is filled with pain and regret but it is also consumed with love and warmth for this Plutonian. 

I cup his face in my hands, startling him slightly but he doesn't stop me. My fingers run through his wet hair and the feeling of him on my skin spreads like wild fire. It burns away the pain and the poisonous guilt lacing my blood..

Lucian sighs softly as I run my hands through his hair and then along his neck. 

Why does it feel like I've known him forever but I am touching him for the first time? 

I feel his strong arms circle my waist as my fingers traverse his broad shoulders. He looks down at me and his hands glide across my back, then up my neck and into my hair. 

We look at each other and I am soon entranced by the intensity of his gaze. 

This time I lean forward and close the gap between us. His lips are soft, wet and his kiss is hesitant at first but it soon becomes obvious that we have both been starving.

Our lips mould against each other and I feel his hands tighten their grip on my skin. I moan softly as I feel his tongue against mine, making me feel giddy from head to toe. My palms press against his firm chest and I can feel his beating heart in rhythm with my own. 

Our kisses are frantic, yet somehow calm as if we are making up for lost time and yet content with the time we have now. Blood thumps in my ears and my knees go weak when Lucian turns his head slightly and deepens the kiss, taking more of me with every passing second. My fingers run up his neck and then grip his hair desperately as he presses me against him. 

My stomach is doing flips, my mind blank and delirious and my heart beats rapidly against my rib cage, fuelling my desire for him further. 

We finally break away from each other after a long moment, both out of breath and cheeks flushed. 

Lucian sinks further into the water, till we are the same height and I lean my forehead against his. 

"Thank you," I reply not just for his words but for every time he has been my comfort and strength. 

He wraps his arms around me and envelopes me in a hug. My tears intermix with the water as I sink further into his embrace. It reminds me of the few happy moments I ever felt on Pluto. 

We stay like this for as long as we can and neither of us speak. I don't know what is on Lucian's mind but mine is filled with happy and sad memories and the fear of what's to come. 

Each passing minute is another one gone and soon dawn will come.

The thought of the next day only makes me think of Lazarus, the one person I hate and blame more than myself.

Silence fills the night air and I realise that the little miscreant children have left the waterfall. 

"We should head back before the sun rises," Lucian murmurs half heartedly and I nod against his chest. 

We swim to the edge and climb out. Lucian takes my hand in his and we walk towards the forest but he suddenly stops. 

I squeeze his hand in apprehension, wondering what he is looking at and turn to him when I don't see anything. 

"I know you're there. I saw your uniform glint in the moons light's for a second," Lucian says. 

"PG Lucian, we were just keeping an eye on you. With the current situation, you must understand that your safety is of the utmost importance," Altair says nervously and I squint only to see Lucian's squad crawling out of their hiding places among st the trees. 

"And you were kind of jumpy when you left us just now," Remulus adds. 

Were they watching us this entire time?

Altair, Deneb, Remulus, Sirius and Pollux walk up to us hesitantly and I hope the darkness can hide the embarrassment on my face.

"There's such a thing as privacy, you know," Lucian snaps but his tone is different when he speaks to his squad. Some how more endearing than if he were addressing other officers and the people who worked for him. 

"We didn't see anything," Deneb puts his hands up in surrender, his eyes wide but then everyone notices our interlinked hands. 

Lucian pulls me forward, not bothering to let go. "Let's just head back." He mutters and we follow him through the forest. 

"Weren't you supposed to keep an eye on PG Luna?" I ask Pollux who is walking next to me and he stiffens ever so slightly. 

"She told me to go away," He says in a dejected voice. 

"Can you blame her? You're like a dog on a leash. Girls like PG Luna want guys who take charge, not someone who's always seeking approval," Remulus states and I can already see the scowl on Pollux's face once we've exited the forest. 

"Umm excuse me but I don't recall asking for advice and even if I did you would be the last person in the universe for that," Pollux says and Remulus's eyes glint mischievously. 

I think he loves angering Pollux almost as much as he loves women. 

"All you need is confidence. March up to her and kiss the stars out of her. Trust me, she'll forget the words 'go away' immediately," Remulus carries on while Pollux jabs his fingers in his ears to block him out. 

"Excuse me, that's my childhood friend you're talking about," Lucian says in playful warning. He turns to Pollux and winks at him. "Pollux, you have my blessings though, anyone but Remulus." 

"PG!" Remulus stutters looking offended and I laugh. "Why not I?"

Lucian smiles at him and pats him on the back. "We all know that you can't be tied down, right?"

"Fair point. Too many beautiful females out there in the universe and only one of me, sadly," Remulus agrees and his squad members take turns to hit him on the back playfully. 

I get on our glider and we head home in silence. I lean against Lucian's back as we zoom further away from the rest. We reach the door to my nature home and a part of me doesn't want to go in. I want to stay with Lucian, in this moment of ours that will never come back. 

It seems like he feels the same way too. We both shift on our feet as we stand outside and he chuckles to himself suddenly. 

"What's so funny?" 

He takes my hands in his and rubs his thumbs against my palms. "This reminds me of some of the romantic movies Luna used to force us to watch on rare occasions. The guy and girl would go out together, have a great time and then he drops her to her doorstep. They call it 'a date' on Earth."

I smile and take a step closer. "A date?"

"Yes," Lucian says and his eyes gleam under the moons light's. 

"So what happens now?" I ask. "If this were a date?"

"Well the guy usually kisses the girl for the first time."

We both blush because we've gone past that stage already, many times. I look up at him and he is just so handsome right now and I can't resist leaning on my tippy toes to peck him on the lips. 

Lucian smiles at me as I walk to the door and head inside and then I hear the soft thrumming of his glider as he leaves.

I wash up quietly since Luna is fast asleep and lie down to rest. I should be exhausted but my thoughts are swimming with images of Lucian. 

I eventually succumb to sleep but my dreams are filled with death and carnage. I'm trapped in a sea of black, my arms reaching for the surface where I see Lucian and the light he brings me. He extends his arms out to me and I am so close but the darkness pulls at my ankles dragging me further into the abyss. 

I look down and see Lazarus smiling up at me, his eyes twinkling with satisfaction as the hatred in me grows. The more pain and hatred I feel, the further away I grow from Lucian and soon all I see is darkness as Lazarus's laughter echoes in my ears like death itself.

My exhaustion only sinks in after breakfast but the good news comes as a surprise to everyone. Leader Mori has agreed to fight with us and so have the Amazonians. Apparently, Lucian's squad weren't the only people spying on us last night.

Mori had his men watch us as well and although I should be annoyed with this breach in privacy, it was our interactions that finally convinced him to fight with us. Leader Mori didn't believe that a Plutonian could genuinely care for another species but after seeing how Lucian was with me, he knew which side he needed to fight for. 

I yawn loudly as we gather in the prayer room to discuss our next steps. 

Lucian looks fresh despite our late night and he discusses new possible alliances passionately. I stare at him in admiration, falling in love with him more and more each second. 

It feels right fighting on the same side and I listen on intently, hoping there is someway I can help. 

The discussion about alliances is over and leader Mori brings up a point that has dampened the mood in the room considerably. 

"The fact that we are outnumbered isn't the only problem. In fact that isn't even the main problem. The biggest issue is Central Command, the all seeing eye of the universe. One wrong move and our coordinates are detected," He says and everyone agrees quietly. "As long as that machine still works, we will always be on the defence and never on the offence." 

A few people nod in agreement and there are a few mutters of disdain. Everyone looks so hopeless and it only makes me think of Lazarus and his sickening smile when he held up my friends heads for me to see. 

My body trembles with an immense amount of loathing as I think of him. 

"So then we destroy it," I say and the room is so quiet that my voice carries easily. 

A few chuckle at the absurdity of my words but most of them stare at me in curiosity. 

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Commander Rigel asks. 

"I'll do it. Send me in as the captured prisoner and I'll do it," I say plainly. Some look like they want to laugh, even Luna looks at me like I am making a joke but not Lucian. 

His eyes are dark and if looks could kill I would be buried in the ground by now because he knows I'm driven by hatred and he knows that I'm being serious.

"No, Lazarus wouldn't let you anywhere near Central Command. It would be futile," He replies angrily. 

The room falls silent once again and a few eyes are still on me, including General Lyra's. 

"What if she didn't have to be anywhere near the Command Centre?" She says and suddenly all eyes are on her. "I know this sounds crazy but officer Aria might be on to something." 

Ahhh crazy mission about to start. Are you guys ready?? Also they finally reconnected, hope you guys enjoyed :) :) :)