Can you walk? I don't know. I will try. He helps me down off of the vanity. I walk a little ways. I am slow but I can do it. He offers me his arm and I gladly accept. "Aris," I stop and look him in the eyes, tears threatening to escape again, "thank you." "You do not have to thank me, but you are welcome all the same." He picks up my backpack and his duffel bag and gestures towards the bedroom door. We slowly walk down the hallway, "the guys have a surprise for you." "For me? What is it?" I get excited. "Just wait. We are almost there."

We reach the hallway door and enter into the living room. They are all sitting quietly, waiting. They all look up at me, hopeful. No one says anything. Unable to contain my excitement, "Aris says you have a surprise for me." Theo holds up a Hershey bar, "we have chocolate." Ripley holds up a pack of Marlboro Smooths, "and we have smokes." "We can stop for apple pies on the way if you want," Kale interjects. "You choose what you want first," Antony explains, "we took bets on what you would pick." I smiled, "you guys are the best. How did you know about the cigarettes?" "Yaris likes to creep around in your head," Theo explained. I looked up at Aris, "right."

"Well, I think that I would like the cigarette first," I chose. "We will have to go out to the patio. It is no smoking in here," Aris explained. "That's fine. I don't smoke indoors." We slowly, but surely, make our way out to the patio. Ripley appears with a blanket that he hands to Aris, who wraps me up snugly and helps me sit in a lawn chair. Ripley lights up a cigarette and hands it to me, then lights one for himself and passes the pack around. Everyone smokes one. I take a long draw from mine. "How did you know my brand? Are you all smokers?" "This is the brand we usually smoke," Ripley answers, "We are all occasional smokers." "Same here."

"Jade I am really sorry I lost you," Ripley apologizes, "if you do not want me as your guardian anymore I will completely understand." "I don't blame you," I stop him, "I'm the one that got lost in the music and didn't pay attention to my surroundings." "It was my job to watch over you. To keep you safe. I do not know what happened. I was watching you dance. Then I was stunned. It was like I could not move. When I came out of it, you were gone and I could not find you. I feel sick about it, about what almost happened to you. I am so sorry." "It's okay Ripley. I honestly don't blame you. I would be honored if you would stay as my guardian." He stopped whatever he was going to say, and then, after a brief pause, "The honor is mine. I will not let it happen again." I took another draw off of my cigarette, "I won't either."

"Was everyone 'stunned' by Jade's dancing?" Aris asked. They all answered in the affirmative. "When she dances, in the future, do not watch." "But she dances so beautifully," Antony objected. "Hypnotically beautiful," Aris interrupted, "it is a weapon." Everyone went silent. I took another draw off of my cigarette, stunned. I have weapons.

Theo cleared his throat, "are there other weapons we should know about?" "Not yet," Aris replied, "you will know when it is time." I have special weapons. I wait for this knowledge to sink in.

"I will work on Jade's back on the jet. Then I will be taking her to one of our many cabins for rest and training," Aris announces, "I will let you know which cabin when the time is right." Ripley stepped forward, "I should come with you." "Not at first. Some things that I need to teach her are just for her. I will send for you when it is time." Ripley looked like he was about to object, but thought better of it and remained silent. "I want all of you to go to headquarters and prepare for a fight. I am sure that there will be one." I put my cigarette out in an ashtray on the table next to me, suddenly growing very tired. The others followed suit.

"Jade, can you walk?" "I don't know. I am really groggy." "That is just the pain relief kicking in," Aris stated, "I will carry you." He didn't give me any pain relievers. What is he talking about. My pain relief. I give it to you, if needed, when I touch you. He picked me up out of the chair. Ripley opened doors for us while the others followed. We took the service elevator down to the back entrance where a limousine was waiting. The chauffeur opened the back driver's side door. Kale got in first, then Theo. They sat on the bench seat facing the back. Aris helped me in and I slowly and gingerly scooted to the middle of the bench seat facing the front. He got in and sat next to me. Antony got in on the passenger side and sat by Kale. Ripley got in and sat next to me. I felt the car start to move. I leaned against Aris, who put his arm around me, and started to doze.

"Is she going to be alright?" I heard someone, I am not sure who, ask. "She will be fine. She just needs time to recover," Aris answered. "How did you do that with her face?" someone asked. "He kissed it," I mumbled. "Did she just say......" "Do not worry about it," he cut them off, "hope that I never have to fix a broken jaw for you." So it was broken. I remember hearing a snap. "How bad is her back?" "It will take some time. I am not sure if the jet ride will be long enough." I just got too tired. I felt myself falling asleep, but not before I heard Ripley ask, "are you sure you do not want me to come?" "I am sure. For safety, I will only let Ripley know where we are staying, for emergencies," Aris answered, "Ripley, I will let you know as soon as I decide." Then I fell asleep.

Well, sort of asleep. For some reason I can still hear everything they say. I just can't wake up to talk.
"Is she asleep now?" someone asks. "Yes," Aris responds.

"Yaris, that was too close for comfort. If he had succeeded in raping her, she would have been mated to him and there would have been nothing we could do about it." "I know," Aris responds, "I will be training her in self defense and how to use her gifts." "She needs to be mated." "I will not force her. I am giving her time. Her first kiss was me fixing her wounds in her mouth." They fell silent for a minute. "She is a virgin?" Someone broke the silence. "Yes," Aris answered. "If they find out," Ripley sounding upset. "I know," Aris responded, "we need to keep that between us." "They will find out sometime. Do not wait too long." "I am waiting for the right time." I squirmed a little trying to get more comfortable. They all went silent. Aris gently lowered my head to his lap and Ripley raised my feet up onto his. The rest of the car ride was mostly silence, save for the occasional strategy discussion.

Jade, it is time to wake up. I sat up and looked around. Theo, Kale and Antony had already exited the limousine. I put my feet down and Ripley got out. Aris stood up, outside, and helped me out. He immediately picked me up. He carried me to a waiting jet. He expertly navigated the steps, carried me inside and deposited me in a very comfortable green and white chair. Wait here. I will be right back. Okay. He went back outside. I slumped back into the chair. A motor, of some kind, kicked in and started to recline me as it raised my feet up. Wow fancy! What? This chair that I'm sitting in. You are sitting in my chair. My chair now.

I decided I would put my time to good use and take in my surroundings. The chair I am sitting in is right next to the window, but furthest from the door. There is another seat just like it to my right and two rows of these seats between me and the door. On the far wall there is a green sofa. Next to the sofa is a white mini fridge. It all sits on plush white carpet that my feet ache to touch. There is a door on the wall directly in front of me. I am guessing that it leads to the cockpit. The wall behind the seats also contains a door. I wonder what's there. I start to get up to go look. Wait for me. I look out the window. They are all outside having, what looks like, a very heated argument. It is heated. Do not worry. I will get my way. What are you arguing about? They all want to come with us. They don't want to fly coach, huh? I don't blame them. That is not what we are arguing about. I know. I was joking. I am glad that you are feeling better. Compromise with them. I will as soon as they calm down. Right now they are talking over each other. I would rather talk to you than compete to get a word in with them. I'm flattered. So what do you think of the jet? I like it. Are all of these chairs this comfortable? I do not know. I have only sat in the one that you are currently occupying. What's behind the mystery door at the back? I will show you in a few minutes. Can I take my shoes off and walk on this carpet? I do not want you to walk unattended. Wait for me. I suddenly feel really tired and sit back. The seat starts to recline. I think that I might take a nap while I wait on you. That is fine. Go to sleep. The lights dim as if on cue. I wonder who did that.

I close my eyes and doze for a little while. I start to dream. Aris and I are riding in the back seat of a dark gray sedan with darkly tinted windows. He is seated on the driver's side and I am laying with my head in his lap. Ripley is in the front seat driving. We are all having an animated conversation about what I don't know. Then the conversation changes. Ripley, directly, tells me that if I were mated, the attack in the alley wouldn't have happened. He tells me that I need to be marked. I tell him that I don't know what he means when he says that I need to be mated and marked. He just replies that I need to have that conversation with Yaris. Then the conversation goes back to light-hearted and happy. Something about what the best kind of dog is.

The dream changes. Ripley is still in the front of the car driving. Aris and I are still in the back seat. We are traveling through a harsh storm. I can see debris flying by through the windows of the car. I see a tractor blow by on my right. I sit up and turn to Aris and ask why we aren't seeking shelter from the storm. He states that this is our shelter. We are almost there. We will be fine. I look ahead and see a red compact car flying through the air destined to crash into the front of our car. I snuggle into Aris' side frightened by what I see. He tells me to have a little faith in him and watch what happens. I look out the front window. The flying car comes within a few feet of our car, stops and slides over us as if there is some sort of invisible barrier. I turn and watch it fall behind us out of the back window. I look up at Aris, speechless. In my head I ask, "how?" because I can't get the word out. "There is so much more that I want to show you," is his answer. The dream abruptly ends and I wake up with a start.

Would you like a cigarette before we leave? It will be a while before we land. Yes, please. I will be right there.