Author's Note: This is supposed to take place after Rebel Angels. I haven't read the last book (Sweet Far Thing), so I am sorry if any of these had already taken place in the story. I didn't mean to copy it. I was just basing my knowledge on the first two books. I just thought I'd share this little story and hopefully I'll get some ideas for the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.

I was awakened by loud knocking at the door. I was going to ask Ann to answer the door but when I turned my head towards her bed, she was gone. Of course, she'd be gone. She never woke up later than me.

I forced myself to get up even though my head felt like a hundred pounds. My wild dreams had kept me from getting a decent sleep last night but I didn't care; for my dreams were about Kartik. We were in a deep, dark forest and the Rakshanas had surrounded us. Kartik was desperately trying to protect me from them, but it was no use. One of them had pulled him by his arms and held a dagger on his throat, threatening to kill him if I wouldn't give them the power to the realms. Kartik ordered me to enter the realms to save myself but I didn't want to leave him in their hands. When I didn't say anything, they pulled the dagger along his throat quickly, slashing deep. I screamed in horror and that's when I woke up panting in the middle of the night. I wasn't able to get back to sleep after that.

I was awake most of the night, wondering where Kartik might be. I hadn't seen him in three months. I was getting worried each day. What if the Rakshana caught him and punished him for betraying them? I wanted to find him, but I didn't know how or where to look. Somehow, I managed to fall asleep just as the sun started to rise. I guessed I'd only been sleeping for an hour or so before the knocking at the door woke me up.

I quickly slipped in my robe and opened the door. Mrs. Nightwing was standing in front of me. What trouble did I get into this time? I studied her facial expression, but she didn't seem angry. She looked completely relaxed.

"Good morning, Miss Doyle." She greeted.

"Good morning, Mrs. Nightwing." I replied in a cheerful tone, trying to cover the fact that I just woke up.

"Did I interrupt your sleep?"

"N-no, Mrs. Nightwing" I lied. She didn't need to know my sleeping troubles.

"Very well. You must get dressed, Miss Doyle. You have a visitor waiting downstairs."

Visitor? I wasn't expecting anyone. "Who that might be?"

"The viscount's son, Mr. Simon Middleton. He said he wanted to surprise you." She said with a smile.

I blushed. Simon… the beautiful Simon. What was he doing here? Just the thought of his face made my heart skip.

"Thank you, Mrs. Nightwing. I shall be downstairs in a moment."

"You're welcome," she said and closed the door.

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When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw a bunch of girls crowding the front door of the parlor. They all wanted a glimpse of my visitor. I heard Mrs. Nightwing's voice from the inside.

"Ladies, to the front lawn. Now."

The girls walked away slowly. They passed by me as I walked towards the parlor. I overheard some of their conversations. "That's the viscount's son!" "What is he doing here?" "Isn't he lovely?"

I finally stepped inside the parlor and gazed at Simon. He was thanking Mrs. Nightwing for allowing me to see him despite of the fact that his arrival was not expected. What kind of a girl wouldn't fall for him? He was a picture of a perfect gentleman. The bouquet of flowers in his right hand caught my eye.

He glanced my way and smiled. "Good morning Miss Doyle. How do you do?"

"H-how do you do, Mr. Middleton?" I replied.

Mrs. Nightwing excused herself, leaving the door open to make sure we wouldn't do anything inappropriate. If she only knew what had happened in the ball…

As soon as Mrs. Nightwing left, Simon walked towards me and handed me the flower. "For you, my lady."

I smiled and took it. "Thank you. Shall we have a seat?"

We sat across each other by the fireplace.

We were gazing at each other for a few seconds before Simon finally spoke. "I missed you, Gemma. I couldn't bear not seeing you in such a long time."

I saw the sincerity in his eyes. He traveled all the way to Spence because he missed me.

"I missed you too, Simon." I said truthfully. Before I could stop myself, I opened my mouth again. "I am so sorry—"

"Don't Gemma." He interrupted me, his eyes closed. "Let's forget about it. Let's be friends again, shall we?" He opened his eyes and smiled.

He wouldn't show it, but I know I had hurt him the day I left London. I rejected his courtship. I returned the brooch that he gave me and left without a word. I felt horrible. Simon loved me and even though he did not say it, he implied that he wanted to marry me. I wasn't ready to make any decisions at the time; not when I was too preoccupied with finding the Temple, binding the magic and defeating Circe. Now that it was all over, I still wasn't sure about marriage. I liked Simon. There was no question about that. I'd be incredibly stupid if I wouldn't marry him. He was one of the most sought-after bachelors of London and all the single women of London would be more than happy to be his wife.

He's got everything a girl would want, yet something was missing…

I returned his smile and nodded. I was glad he didn't want to talk about it, for I didn't know how to explain what I did.

I decided to open another topic. "How is the Lady Denby doing?"

"She's fine. She's sending her regards. You really won her over, Gemma. She says she can't wait to call you her daughter…" he trailed off, his smile disappeared.

I felt stabbed in the heart. Lady Denby was very kind to me and my family. I was glad that I won her affection. It was more than I deserved. Despite of all that, I broke her son's heart…

To my surprise, Simon came towards me and kneeled in front of me.

"Gemma…" he whispered, looking down as if he was talking to the floor.

"Simon?" I said in pure shock at his bold move.

He looked up and I finally saw the pain in his eyes. The pain that I didn't want to see…

"Gemma… I know this will sound absurd and pathetic but…" he paused, "I'd like to ask for a second chance."

Before I could muster a word, he held a box in front of me.

"Gemma, once again, I'd like you to have this brooch." He opened it, and it revealed the same pearl brooch that he gave me before. The one that I returned. The one that the women in his family wore for over a hundred years. I didn't know what to say. He pinned it to my dress.

"Simon, what are you doing?"

"I want you to have it, Gemma. Please don't ever return this to me again. I ask you to give me another chance and think about us again. You don't have to rush into any decisions right now. I can wait. Whatever your decision is, I still want you to keep it. It's yours."

I stared at the beautiful brooch that reminded me of the promise it symbolized. "W-why do you want me to have it?"

He sighed. "You're just different, Gemma. I don't understand, but there's something about you that makes me want to get to know you more. Even if you don't pick me, I'd still want you to have it. It's never going to change. That brooch is yours to keep."

It was a revelation I wasn't ready to handle.

It was hard to object when he was looking like this. Simon was very good to me, and I couldn't bear hurting him again. If he wanted me to have this brooch, I'd accept it. I didn't know what he saw in me that made me different. I knew I wasn't a great beauty like Pippa, and I wasn't interesting like Felicity. But somehow, he thought I was special. It was a mystery to me.

I placed my hand on top of his and smiled. He smiled back.

"Simon, you are very kind. I can't be anymore honored to have this brooch that is very valuable to you. I'll keep it, if that's your wish. I'll take care of it with all my heart. If I was only—"normal, I'd like to say. "—sure about myself, you wouldn't have to ask me twice. I like you a lot, Simon. It's not you I'm not sure of… It's myself I'm worried about."

He nodded. "I understand."

"Thank you for your patience with me, Simon."

"Whatever it takes." He kissed my hand and stood up. "I have to go."

I stood up. "Have a safe journey, Simon. It's great to see you again." I gave him a hug.

"I'll wait no matter how long," he whispered and pulled back. "Thank you, Gemma."

I wasn't sure why he thanked me. I nodded anyway, and then he left.

I rubbed the ring on my finger.

"If I can only tell you who I really am, Simon…"

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I went back upstairs to our room, hoping to find Ann there. I wanted to tell her what happened but she wasn't there. I was about to leave the room when a piece of folded paper on the top of my pillow caught my eye. My heart stopped.

I walked over to my bed to retrieve it. My hands were shaking as I open it.

"Meet me tonight at the church.

I have something important to tell you."

I didn't need to read the signature below to know who it was from. I knew that handwriting by heart.

I looked out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but he wasn't anywhere.

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That night, I made sure that everyone was asleep before making my move. I got dressed, took the lamp and walked quietly towards the door. Ann was snoring loudly, so it was a relief. I told Felicity and Ann what happened today with Simon Middleton, but I didn't tell them about the letter. I wanted to see him alone.

Sneaking out of Spence was incredibly easy. The air outside was cold, but I didn't care. I wanted to see him so bad. I had a lot of questions. And I missed him.

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I opened the church door slowly, careful not to make any noise. I stepped inside, allowing the lamp to light my path. It was so creepy. I wanted to turn around and leave when suddenly, a dark figure moved at the corner of my eye.

I gasped.

"Gemma, it's me."

He slowly stepped in front of me.

"Kartik!" I ran towards him and hugged him. I was happy and relieved to see him alive and whole.

His scent calmed me down; the mixture of pine needles, cinnamon, the wind…

Oh, I missed Kartik!

I pulled back to take a good look at him.

He seemed fine. His long eyelashes, his full lips, his magnificent brown eyes, his messy hair… He was still my Kartik.

"Are you alright, Miss Doyle?" he asked, perplexed by my unlady-like behavior.

When I realized what I'd done, I stepped back and blushed. "I'm alright."

He smiled. "I'm glad you came."

He held out his hand in front of me. "Shall we take a walk outside? I don't think you like this place very much."

I took his hand and walked with him.

"No, I don't."

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We ended up sitting at the base of the tree near the lake.

"I haven't seen you in so long. I thought the Rakshana captured you." I said.

"No. They wouldn't bother going after me. You're the one that they want, Miss Doyle. And they won't stop until they get to you."

I wasn't concerned about that. I was more concerned about him.

"Where have you been all this time?" I asked.

It took him a moment to respond. "I was trying to stop them from getting to you. I kept telling them that the Rakshana's job is to protect the order, not destroy them. That if my brother was still alive, this is not what he would've wanted. They don't believe that. They think my brother would've taken their side, as if they know him more than I do." he paused. "The entire brotherhood despises me. The only thing that stops them from killing me is their huge respect for my brother."

I looked at him in awe. He was once ordered to watch me to make sure I was getting things done according to the desires of Rakshana, and now, he was risking his life to stop them.

I shook my head. "I don't understand…"

His eyes burned. "They want the control of the realms, Gemma. They want you to—"

"I'm not referring to them." I cut him. "It's you that I don't understand."

He stared at me in confusion.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me? Why did you turn your back to the brotherhood that you once dedicated your life to?"

He gazed into the distance and shrugged. "Perhaps I was destined to do that. To help you."

His answer didn't make sense, but I let it go.

"So why are you here now? What is that important thing that you need to tell me?"

He fell silent for a moment. When I turned my head to face him, I caught him looking at something on my chest. I followed his gaze and saw the sparkling pearl brooch on it. I looked at him again, confused. He met my gaze for a moment and looked away.

"Kartik?"

"I see you have an understanding with Mr. Middleton," he said flatly.

I was surprised with his response. I didn't expect him to bring it up.

"No, it's not like that."

He scoffed. "Isn't it, Miss Doyle?"

He said this in a mocking tone. Whatever was with him?

"My relationship with Mr. Middleton is nothing of that sort. He simply gave me back the brooch that I refused before. He wanted me to keep it, whether I change my mind about marrying him, or not."

Kartik laughed at this. As much as it confused me, his laugh made him look lovelier. I always loved the sound of his laughter. It was music to my ears.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"I haven't heard of such story before. What made him ask you twice? Isn't one rejection enough? Aren't there enough ladies in London?"

I was offended by this. "Are you saying I'm not worthy of such devotion, Kartik?"

He didn't reply. That got me annoyed.

"I know I'm not an ordinary girl but that doesn't make me undesirable. That doesn't mean I will never find someone who will understand me. Someday, I will explain everything to Simon. He might think I'm crazy at first but I will make him understand and he will accept me for who I am."

Again, he didn't respond.

I sighed. "Very well, if you have nothing more to say, I am going to rest. Good night, Kartik."

I stood up from the ground when all of a sudden, Kartik pulled me, pinned me against the tree and kissed me roughly and passionately. I was too shocked to react. My body froze, until his kisses got softer and gentler. My eyes closed, feeling the sensation that had traveled all over my body. I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck, moving up to his hair, and on his back. His hands rested on my waist, his body leaned against mine. I wanted this. I've always dreamed about this.

He stopped to catch his breath and looked me in the eyes.

"He's not the man for you, Miss Doyle."

He kissed me again sweetly and spoke.

"I am."