5/30/04
Chapter One- intro to Sapphire
A young girl sat on a bench in a park, reading. Her glasses slipped down her nose as birds flew contentedly overhead. A light breeze blew through her ebony hair and she looked up from her book. The sky is so blue and cloudless, she thought. A couple passed holding hands. She smiled at them as they went by, then returned to her book. In the distance, she could hear children laughing and playing. A dog barked happily as she heard footsteps coming in her direction. She looked up o see a tall dark figure grinning down at her. "Ah, Slash," she greeted, grinning back at him. "May I sit with you?" Slash asked her politely. "Of course," she replied, "how have you been?" "Well, Sapphire m'dear, I have been very good lately." Slash began to look around quizzically, and then asked, "Where is your dear lover?" Sapphire laughed lightly and replied, "Oh, you know him. He went to visit an old friend from out of time." Slash smiled and nodded knowingly, "Of course." "And what of your love life?" She looked at him with interest. "Well," he began. "Yes? Tell me, Slash," she insisted, getting more interested by the second. "Well," he continued, "I have been seeing this person... they are pretty cool." Sapphire stared at him, waiting for more details. When he said nothing more, she said, "Oh, please! You got me all anticipating!" "I know," he replied, "I do it just to annoy you, love." Sapphire gave him a look of disgust. "You know I hate when you call me that, I'm not your love." He grinned mischievously, then when on, "Well, this person just may be the One." Sapphire jerked her head toward him. "No! Seriously?" She lost all resentment toward him and was once again transfixed. Slash nodded slowly. "How? Why do you...?" He stood up. "Walk with me. I'll explain over a cup o' coffee." Sapphire put her book in her bag and stood up. Even standing next to him, he seemed colossal compared to her. She laughed to herself at this observation and then began to walk. As they sat in a Starbuck's sipping a latte and cappuccino, Slash began to tell Sapphire of how he and the person met in a bookstore. They had had a conversation on the history of the Goths and why the civilization didn't last. He went on about how he and the person went out for lunch several times and ended up seeing each other nearly every night. "It's been nearly two and a half years now," he finished. Sapphire sat perplexed. "Wow, that's great," Sapphire replied, "and to think I've been with Dante for nearly four years and he still isn't sure if he's ready for that kind of commitment!" Slash laughed, "Yes, well, he never was one to rush into things!" Sapphire nodded in agreement, though she bore a look of sorrow. When Slash noticed the look, he enquired, "Something on your mind, Sapphire?" She shook her head, but began to stare at her latte to avoid his eye contact. Slash lifted her chin with his hand so that her eyes met his. She had tears in her eyes. Slash gave her a pat on the hand and got up. "Would you like to go to my place? We could talk there alone, if you're uncomfortable here," Slash offered concernedly. She nodded and left with him at her side. They arrived at Slash's house and she sat on his couch as he went to get them a few snacks. He knew just as well as anyone that once Sapphire got started, she would need lots of food and a good friend before she would recover from a rant. When he returned, Slash sat down next to her and said, "Okay, shoot." Sapphire looked at him then burst into tears, "Oh, Slash, he never talks about marriage! Whenever I mention it, he says he's 'not ready for it yet' or just changes the subject! He stopped being so romantic and he never says he loves me anymore! I'm just so worried that something's wrong, because he talked more about marriage two years ago then he does now, and I keep thinking maybe he's cheating, but then I figured he'd just leave me if that were the case, but I just don't know anymore!" Slash, thoroughly overwhelmed, tried to comfort her by holding her and talking to her, but to no avail. Finally, he resorted to putting a Twinkie in her mouth and she was silent. He breathed a sigh of relief, and tried to reason with her. "I told you, Dante doesn't like rushing into things, and the idea probably just scares him right now because you're so serious, and he's not ready to settle down quite yet." Sapphire swallowed the last of her Twinkie and looked at him. "Do you really think that's all it is?" He smiled as she began to stuff M&M's in her mouth. "I'm positive," he replied, suppressing a laugh. Sapphire stared at him, irritated, then asked, "What on Earth is so funny?" He considered telling her that she looked like a chipmunk with the way she was stuffing the candy into her cheeks, but reconsidered. She didn't need any more reasons to start ranting again. Instead, he shook his head and said that he had just thought of an old joke. She looked at him skeptically, but went on eating. After the ordeal, Slash walked Sapphire home and he began to leave. "Wait," Sapphire called. Slash turned to face her. "I... I just wanted to say thanks." "What are friends for, after all?" he replied. She smiled and stood in her doorway watching him depart. An hour later, Dante arrived in their beater of a truck and began to tell Sapphire all about what had been going on in his friend's time and how she should visit them with him sometime. He was in the middle of a sentence when Sapphire asked, "Do you love me?" He stared at her for a moment and then replied, "Of course I do. Why do you ask?" He sat down next to her and took her hand in his. A tear streamed down her face, but she controlled the urge to cry again. He looked at her in surprise and wiped the tear away with his hand. She looked into his eyed and saw the sincerity. She leaned forward and gave him a long kiss. He stared in to her blues eyes and asked, "Will you marry me?"
Chapter One- intro to Sapphire
A young girl sat on a bench in a park, reading. Her glasses slipped down her nose as birds flew contentedly overhead. A light breeze blew through her ebony hair and she looked up from her book. The sky is so blue and cloudless, she thought. A couple passed holding hands. She smiled at them as they went by, then returned to her book. In the distance, she could hear children laughing and playing. A dog barked happily as she heard footsteps coming in her direction. She looked up o see a tall dark figure grinning down at her. "Ah, Slash," she greeted, grinning back at him. "May I sit with you?" Slash asked her politely. "Of course," she replied, "how have you been?" "Well, Sapphire m'dear, I have been very good lately." Slash began to look around quizzically, and then asked, "Where is your dear lover?" Sapphire laughed lightly and replied, "Oh, you know him. He went to visit an old friend from out of time." Slash smiled and nodded knowingly, "Of course." "And what of your love life?" She looked at him with interest. "Well," he began. "Yes? Tell me, Slash," she insisted, getting more interested by the second. "Well," he continued, "I have been seeing this person... they are pretty cool." Sapphire stared at him, waiting for more details. When he said nothing more, she said, "Oh, please! You got me all anticipating!" "I know," he replied, "I do it just to annoy you, love." Sapphire gave him a look of disgust. "You know I hate when you call me that, I'm not your love." He grinned mischievously, then when on, "Well, this person just may be the One." Sapphire jerked her head toward him. "No! Seriously?" She lost all resentment toward him and was once again transfixed. Slash nodded slowly. "How? Why do you...?" He stood up. "Walk with me. I'll explain over a cup o' coffee." Sapphire put her book in her bag and stood up. Even standing next to him, he seemed colossal compared to her. She laughed to herself at this observation and then began to walk. As they sat in a Starbuck's sipping a latte and cappuccino, Slash began to tell Sapphire of how he and the person met in a bookstore. They had had a conversation on the history of the Goths and why the civilization didn't last. He went on about how he and the person went out for lunch several times and ended up seeing each other nearly every night. "It's been nearly two and a half years now," he finished. Sapphire sat perplexed. "Wow, that's great," Sapphire replied, "and to think I've been with Dante for nearly four years and he still isn't sure if he's ready for that kind of commitment!" Slash laughed, "Yes, well, he never was one to rush into things!" Sapphire nodded in agreement, though she bore a look of sorrow. When Slash noticed the look, he enquired, "Something on your mind, Sapphire?" She shook her head, but began to stare at her latte to avoid his eye contact. Slash lifted her chin with his hand so that her eyes met his. She had tears in her eyes. Slash gave her a pat on the hand and got up. "Would you like to go to my place? We could talk there alone, if you're uncomfortable here," Slash offered concernedly. She nodded and left with him at her side. They arrived at Slash's house and she sat on his couch as he went to get them a few snacks. He knew just as well as anyone that once Sapphire got started, she would need lots of food and a good friend before she would recover from a rant. When he returned, Slash sat down next to her and said, "Okay, shoot." Sapphire looked at him then burst into tears, "Oh, Slash, he never talks about marriage! Whenever I mention it, he says he's 'not ready for it yet' or just changes the subject! He stopped being so romantic and he never says he loves me anymore! I'm just so worried that something's wrong, because he talked more about marriage two years ago then he does now, and I keep thinking maybe he's cheating, but then I figured he'd just leave me if that were the case, but I just don't know anymore!" Slash, thoroughly overwhelmed, tried to comfort her by holding her and talking to her, but to no avail. Finally, he resorted to putting a Twinkie in her mouth and she was silent. He breathed a sigh of relief, and tried to reason with her. "I told you, Dante doesn't like rushing into things, and the idea probably just scares him right now because you're so serious, and he's not ready to settle down quite yet." Sapphire swallowed the last of her Twinkie and looked at him. "Do you really think that's all it is?" He smiled as she began to stuff M&M's in her mouth. "I'm positive," he replied, suppressing a laugh. Sapphire stared at him, irritated, then asked, "What on Earth is so funny?" He considered telling her that she looked like a chipmunk with the way she was stuffing the candy into her cheeks, but reconsidered. She didn't need any more reasons to start ranting again. Instead, he shook his head and said that he had just thought of an old joke. She looked at him skeptically, but went on eating. After the ordeal, Slash walked Sapphire home and he began to leave. "Wait," Sapphire called. Slash turned to face her. "I... I just wanted to say thanks." "What are friends for, after all?" he replied. She smiled and stood in her doorway watching him depart. An hour later, Dante arrived in their beater of a truck and began to tell Sapphire all about what had been going on in his friend's time and how she should visit them with him sometime. He was in the middle of a sentence when Sapphire asked, "Do you love me?" He stared at her for a moment and then replied, "Of course I do. Why do you ask?" He sat down next to her and took her hand in his. A tear streamed down her face, but she controlled the urge to cry again. He looked at her in surprise and wiped the tear away with his hand. She looked into his eyed and saw the sincerity. She leaned forward and gave him a long kiss. He stared in to her blues eyes and asked, "Will you marry me?"