Summary: What should have happened in the barn, Rava vs Mava one shot.

Rating: PG-13 Because of one bad swear word.

Disclaimer: All of the characters are the property of Mr. Thomas, Cloud 9 etc.

What Should Have Been

By Ebony Angel

Java let out a slow moan as she felt herself stirring from sleep, she knew that within a few moments she would loose those precious moments of tranquillity which only came to her as she slept and would once again be divided between what she longed for, and what she needed to survive.

As she moved slightly she noticed the there was something poking her skin slightly, it felt like straw.

"Don't be stupid", Java chilled herself slightly, "it is probably just where Mega tossed your bra last night". She smiled as she felt Mega's form breathing slightly beneath her arm, his soft stomach keeping her hands warm.

Java's eyes shot open. Mega did not have a soft stomach, he was all rock hard abs and bones, with a flash of horror she realised that it was Ram laying with her. Desperate to prove to herself that she was just dreaming she looked behind herself to look for her bra but saw only straw.

"Oh no", Java gasped, her eyes wide with terror, "What have I done?" Without waiting for another thought to enter her head she began to scramble around looking for her clothes to cover her naked form.

"What's wrong hunny", a voice came form behind her causing her to spin around her breathing ragged, as she saw a tousle haired Ram staring up at her from where he was still laying on the leaky barn's floor.

"What's wrong? How can you ask me that, do you not remember what we did last night?" Java looked at him in wonderment.

Ram frowned slightly, that was not what he had been hoping to hear although he supposed that there was probably no other way that she could have reacted, but it was hardly good for the ego.

"Yes I remember, how could I forget, it was the best night of my life", Ram declared honestly, rising to his feet, making no effort to cover himself up as he moved to her side.

"Look Javie, I know that this must seem strange to you, you haven't seen me in months and then I come back from the dead and we have the chance to start a life together and …"

Ram attempted to wrap his arms around her, but was cut off.

"I can't do it, I just can't do it. Not again". Her voice quivered with fear as she spoke, terror gripping her, she could be throwing away the best thing that she ever by had by what she was about to do, or she might have already done it by leaving Mega for the night.

"Do you know what it is like Ram? To love someone more than you can imagine and for them to look at you, with admiration, respect, love", she paused for a moment to compose herself and looked into his eyes, "To give them everything that you have and to swear that you will devote your life to making them happy in front of your tribe as they slip the ring on your finger."

"And then", her tone changed, "to see their eyes wandering across your sister's body before you have finished your sentence?" She shook with rage, "Do you?" She screamed.

"Javie", Ram tried to hold her to calm her down. It broke his heart to see her hurting and even worse to know that he was the one that had caused her sweet heart to ache that way.

"No Ram. You have no idea what you put me through. You could not understand that kind of pain. I saw you looking at Siva; I saw the way that your eyes lit up when she walked into the room and how you fawned over her ignoring me. But you know what? I did not mind", a derisory laugh escaped her lips, as she reflected on her own stupidity.

"I thought that if she was what you needed to get better then I would let her near you, I would never have denied you anything that you wanted. But you kept everything that I wanted away from me".

That was too much. Ram knew that she was hurting and wanted to help her but he was not going to listen to how badly he had hurt her when he knew that she was screwing Mega behind his back, "Oh I am sorry. Did I not give you my permission to fuck Mega behind my back?" He spat.

Smack!

The sound reverberated around the barn. "How dare you." Java's tone growled, "You drove me to that. Do you really think that I would have cheated on you if I had thought that you would have ever looked at me? Yes, I admit that I began to think more and more about Jay and even seduced him but the second that he touched me I knew that it was wrong and sent him away, and then the very next day you announce that you are going to marry Ebony. So don't even try to blame this on me!"

Her fists clenched, "You think that I hurt you Ram, by going sleeping with someone else? Then just imagine what it feels like when it is done right in front of you and you are willing to do anything to help the person. Well guess what, I am not someone who is just going to lie down and take you treating me like that, I never was."

Calming down a little she sank down onto a bail of hay, "That was when I started sleeping with Mega. He wasn't nice. He wasn't sweet. But he did something that you never did, he appreciated me."

Java looked up into Ram's eyes and wrapped her arms around herself as if to ward off the cold, "When I plotted he smirked. When I yelled he reacted. He believed that there was something in me that he could use."

A knot formed in Ram's throat as he heard all of this, he could hardly believe that he had been bad enough that such smile tricks as had won her over.

"Don't look at me like that Ram; I know what you are thinking. I know that he did not love me and does not now but guess what? I don't need love. I don't need some berk dribbling their infantile prose of love and dreams. So I helped take you down, and I would do it again because you caused me pain that you cannot even comprehend." Bitterness flooded her tone as her eyes surveyed him with scorn.

Ram grabbed her tightly by the upper arms, "Damn it Java listen to me. I know that I did not treat you as well as I should have but don't talk to me about pain."

Tears welled up in his eyes, "I know the pain well enough. I know the pain of seeing the most beautiful creature in the world and having her, owning her …" His grip tightened, " … And not being able to touch her. I know what it feels like when you very blood smoulders and catches on fire with desire. Everything in you yearning to touch, to feel, to taste yet I could see the plague crawling across my skin. Even the thought of touching you and I could see with plague tearing the very beauty from your cheeks. That was why I pretended to love Siva. To put a bar between us so that I would not hurt you", he explained.

"And I needed Ebony. It was all for you Java." Ram swore, "I needed to Ebony to control the city so that you could join me in paradise, I could have made you happy Java, I know that I could."

Java looked down and then up at him, "Why should I believe you? How I am I meant to know that if I gave you my heart this very moment that you wouldn't turn around and fall for someone else?"

"You just have to trust that I love you too much …" Ram started.

Java's heart thumped in her chest as she realised that this was the moment that she never thought would come. Finally, she had the chance to make a choice about her life rather than just being pushed around by greater powers. On the one hand she loved Ram just as much as she ever had but on the other hand Mega was also a part of her life and she did not want to loose him.

The image of Mega's eyes blazed in her mine and Ram's honeyed words swirled around her. She knew that it was wrong. She knew that she would end up hurt but she was tried of being strong. She was tired on waking up and never knowing if she was doing the right thing.

She surrendered.

Mega watched the scene in the barn unfold before his fixed gaze on his computer screen. His grip tightened as he watched Java's reaction, internally begging her to choose him although he would never show that, not even to the empty room.

He hated that he had allowed himself to develop feelings for her and knew that it would be best for her to choose Ram and leave him alone yet he could not help to wish that she remained hers.

A slow sadistic smile touched his lips as he saw her fall into Ram's arms …

Mega leaned back in his chair as the couple on the scene kissed and caressed, oblivious to everything around them including Mega's camera.

"Let her have her fun, let her be happy with him but when the time is right I will claim his life and have her back. You will always be mine Java", his hollow, cold voice declared as the couple's lips caressed, for the first time completing them both.