okay im gonna make this chapter really long!! so beware.

Disclaimer: if I really owned this why would I be writing fan fiction? ... Oh that's right... I wouldn't...

R&R plzzzz!

Isabel POV

There was something shining in my face. I was slowly resurfacing from my sleep and I didn't like that at all. I turned around trying to fall back into unconsciousness. Of course, it was no use; Lorian's magnification of our powers didn't come without a price, and I was still too exhausted from last night's healing session to manage Lady Arabella's gift.

Just then, my stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday. Why did I have to skip dinner? I could have made a nice turkey and cheese sandwich and a cup of juice, and then I could've gotten an extra hour or two of much needed beauty sleep. Oh right... I had been worried sick for Matt. It was his first mission and he didn't even have his powers yet. My sixth sense was kicking into overdrive the whole time and I couldn't tell him anything because then he'd panic and it would be all the worse. I just had to put some faith in Ethan, when it was actually him who was injured.

I yawned hugely and stretched out in bed. I squinted at my window to see that the curtains were down. Note to self: get thicker curtains. I could do that later. Right now, I wasn't ready to wake up just yet. I pulled the thick comforter over my head. Unfortunately, I had had this cover for six years, which meant my feet were now exposed to the cold air of my bedroom. It wasn't really cold; we had heating, but it was just that the cover was much warmer. Note to self: get a bigger comforter and a nice pair of warm, soft socks; all my other pairs were sports socks and only came up to my ankles. At the rate I was going, I should probably invest in sticky notes; that way I wouldn't have to remember everything that needed fixing in my room. There were a lot of pleasanter thoughts that I would rather have.

I curled up my legs, bringing my knees to my chin and under the warm safety of the thick blanket. I sighed; much better. Just then, my stomach let loose a ferocious growl. Apparently, I was supposed to eat now. But that meant getting out of bed; just when I was getting comfortable.

I groaned, sounding like a whining five-year-old.I flipped the covers off me and opened my eyes. Bad move. It brought the glaring light of the sun right into my weak eyes, making them burn and water. I shut them tightly and covered them with my arm for good measure.

I heard a chuckle and my eyes shot open, my arms bringing me to sitting position. Now, the only light in the room came from the hallway, making it much easier for me to handle.

Ethan sat there in my green inflatable lounge, a PSP slowly disappearing from his hands; obviously and illusion. "Hello sleepy head." He was wearing a silly grin on his face.

"Morning," I said, rubbing my eyes. He laughed again.

"More like good after noon; you've been asleep for over twenty-four hours." He explained. He got up and sat beside me on the bed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked yawing.

"Well, it seems blue boy has a something-or-other with the Tribunal and won't be back till later, so he left me with explicit instructions to 'not let you out of my sight and pamper and spoil you, waiting on you hand and foot... or else.' So I guess you're stuck with me." He patted my head. I waved his arm away.

"Blue boy?" I arched an eyebrow. "That's new. You really don't have to do this. I'll take care of 'blue boy'." My eyes narrowed at the end. If 'blue boy' thought I needed baby sitting, then he didn't know what he had coming to him.

Ethan laughed again. Wasn't he bubbly today? "As much as I'd love to take you up on the offer and watch Arkarian squirm when he sees that look, I'd still have to feel his wrath; and, besides, you saved my life." He said, his eyes softening at the end. "I owe you." He kissed my forehead.

"What did you do to the sun?" I noted that there was absolutely no light coming from the window.

" I made your windows opaque," He said, grinning widely. What was he up to? "Now, it's time to get you some lunch."

He stood up and, without warning, flung me over his shoulder. "Gah!" He laughed at my exclamation. "Ethan! Put me down, NOW!" Oh he was so dead! "Ethan, so help me, if you don't put me down NOW, I'll make you feel MY wrath! Ethan!"

He didn't listen to me. He carried me downstairs and dumped me on the kitchen counter. I scowled fiercely. "I could've walked, you know."

"Really?" he said, raising his eyebrows in disbelief. "Go ahead then." He gestured for me to go on. "Walk to the table."

Was he kidding me? Did I look like a one-year-old? 'Walk to the table' he says. It was only five feet away! What sort of challenge was that? But I complied. Getting off the counter, my legs wobbled slightly, like they could hardly hold my weight. The room spun and blotched black and red. My knees buckled and I was going to hit the floor before Ethan caught me, his blue eyes flashing concern...and amusement. He set me down gently on a chair, giving me a look that clearly said 'I told you so'. I folded my hands on the table and laid my head over it, trying to get the room to stop spinning.

"You should really start listening to me, Isabel," He said kindly, "I was there the first time you had to test your limit, and I know what happens when you exhaust yourself."

I looked up at him. "Yes, and you saved my life that time, so now we're even. You don't have to be here; and you don't have to carry me around."

He looked away, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah... well... you can't send me away that easily, I still don't want to have to face Arkarian." He looked back to me and smile, "So, now that we've established that I'm not going anywhere, what would you like for lunch?"

That surprised me. "You can cook?"

He laughed, "When you live with a depressed mother and a catatonic father for thirteen years, you learn a few things."

"Okay..." I yawned... again. "But I need something fast." My stomach growled again. "Something filling too or I might just eat everything in the house."

"Yes ma'am. Do you wanna wash up a bit while I'm cooking?" He looked at me suggestively.

"Why? How bad do I look?" My eyes were starting to droop so I rubbed them to try and dispel the sleep that lingered.

"Look for yourself." He created an illusion of a mirror, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Oh ugh!" My hair was completely disheveled; it was tangled and sticking out in all directions. My general complexion looked pale and unhealthy; there was absolutely no color in my face. My eyes looked swollen, my eyelids struggling to stay opened. "I'm gonna go have a long hot shower," I looked up to see him biting his lips trying to suppress another of his goofy grins, "and when I come back I expect that stupid look off your face and a nice hot meal to be ready!"

He grinned anyway. "Demanding aren't you?"

"If you're gonna be here anyway, you might as well make yourself useful." I huffed. I got up slowly, holding on to the table for support. Worry crossed over Ethan's face and he stretched his arms toward me, ready to support or catch me, I wasn't sure. The room span but much less than before. I waited until I was sure the room was completely still then walked slowly toward the kitchen door, leaning slightly on the wall.

"Yell if you need anything okay?" I heard Ethan call after me.

"Okay," I called back, halfway up the stairs, "thanks for doing this Ethan." I heard a chuckle from the kitchen and a cupboard close. I smiled. Ethan practically lived here before the whole thing with Rochelle; he knew his way around the house.

I managed to get to my room without much difficulty. I could already feel my strength returning. The shower would help too.

I got my toiletries from my room along with a pair of jeans, a black Roxy long-sleeved shirt, and some underwear. I went to the bathroom I shared with my brother and decided against a bubble bath; I was just too hungry. Too bad, I thought; I loved bubble baths. I turned on the water, waiting for it to get hot. I stripped off my nightgown and went into the steamy bath.

The hot water helped wash away the stiffness in my muscles from sleeping too long in the same position, a stiffness I hadn't noticed until it went away. I tried to straighten through some of the bigger tangles, much to my success, before adding soap to my hair. The small bathroom filled with the smell of lavender. I washed through my hair twice, applying conditioner after that. I scrubbed my body down with my green loofa. My bust had finally decided to grow about a few months ago and I was glad to see it had not changed its mind. Some of my friends thought it would be funny to get me lingerie for my sixteenth birthday. 'Just so you're prepared' Haley'd said and then winked. The look on Matt's face was priceless; I wished I'd caught it on film. I, of course, had blushed three shades of red.

I rinsed and then enjoyed a few minutes under the steaming water until it started to go cold. Lucky Matt won't be home this evening or he'd kill me for using all the hot water. I tended to do that more often than he'd like. It wasn't my fault that staying outdoors got you dirty. I didn't like being dirty; it's just that dirt is associated with most of the activities I like to do. And just because most of the activities I like to do happen to be activities that most boys like to do doesn't mean I don't know how to be feminine, as most people I know would like to believe. I like shopping for clothes and I like things that are pink and fluffy or in any way cute. I just like other not-so-girly things more.

I dried myself off and thought of Matt as I dressed. He was off somewhere in another world. I just hoped this world isn't anything like the underworld; I wasn't sure he could handle that. I remember our last conversation, the one we'd had just a few hours ago, before he left. I knew he was coming back; the Guard needed him here to lead the Named, but I didn't if he was coming back himself... or someone completely different. I wonder if I shouldn't have told him that we weren't complete siblings; that my father, the man who had abused him for four long years, was not his father. But no, he had the right to know. He would have held it against me if I hadn't told him.

I dried my hair with the towel, ignoring the constant gurgling of my stomach, and then wiped off the mist from the mirror so I could comb it.

I had known Matt all my life, and I knew he would make a wonderful leader. Ever since we were little children, Matt had always had this aura about him, an aura that demanded respect. Mom would always believe Matt over me. She was right though; he'd never lied until he joined the Guard and deception became necessary for mom's own protection.

I hoped he would change in one way though; I hoped he would get over his insecurities. He just needed a little faith in himself and others; namely me. I wish he would trust me to do something right for once. It was all I ever wanted. I would never admit it to anyone, but that was one of the main reasons, if not the reason, I felt the need to constantly prove myself.

I squirted some watermelon-flavored toothpaste on my tooth brush and furiously scrubbed away my morning breath.

Ever since our-my father left, I was so afraid that it was my fault, that I hadn't been good enough for him to stay.

I wanted to prove him wrong.

I did everything I could think of; I joined the gymnastics team and won national championships, I joined the volleyball team, the athlete's team (I loved running), the soccer team, I learned to skateboard and to snowboard; I learned to ice-skate and even got second place in a figure skating competition. And it wasn't just sports; I learned to play the cello and the piano, and I used to work my little bum off, night and day, to maintain a 3.2 average (that's 16/20 or 80/100). All the while Matt was acting more like a father than a brother; and I started to worry that he might leave too. It was frightening to know how much I really needed him as a brother; I had had enough of fathers. So I went out to prove to him that I was worth it, or to myself that I didn't need him; I wasn't quite sure which one. Or maybe it was both. To prove to him that he should stay and to prepare myself should he leave.

It didn't do me any good; I was still worried that whatever he learns with his new mentor, it will affect him deeply and drive him away from me; from his family. My hands shook as I rinsed out my tooth brush and my vision blurred slightly as tears pooled in my eyes. I don't think I could handle his rejection.

I heard a knock on the door. "Isabel? Are you alright," I heard Ethan's voice from outside, "you've been half an hour."

"I'm fine Ethan," I was glad my voice sounded normal and not like someone who was about to cry, "I'll be out in a minute."

"Girls..." I heard him mutter. I laughed.

I looked at my reflection one more time and I saw a great improvement. My eyes were now fully open, my hair combed and flowing half way down my back in gentle waves. My skin looked much better; a slight pink on my cheeks from the hot air in the bathroom.

My stomach made itself known once again; I should really eat now. I pushed thoughts of Matt from my mind and concentrated on the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. I hopped down the stairs, now fully revived and bouncing; a little food, and my day would be complete. Okay... mabe a lot of food.

"Oh yum, Ethan, this smells great," I said plopping down at the kitchen table. "In fact, this smells so great, I'm gonna get you a chef hat to match that apron." I giggled at the red and white polka dotted apron with 'chocolate took on a whole new meaning baby' written across it in big black letters.

"Oh this?" he said looking down, "I think it's Jimmy's." I burst out laughing. I laughed until my ribs were sore and Ethan laughed along with me.

He took it off and put it back on the hook. He took out two plates and placed one in front of me; spooning me a very large helping of spaghetti with meatball sauce and a very large helping for himself. "Thanks so much Ethan," I said, preparing to dig in.

"You're very welcome, and besides I did it as much for me as for you," he said sitting down, "I actually learned something from this." I raised my eyebrows at him. He grinned stupidly. "Getting blown up makes me hungry, especially when I have to get a brand new stomach in the process," he patted his stomach area, "its gonna have to get used getting stuffed." I smiled, trying to suppress a laugh. It wouldn't be a very good idea to laugh right now considering my mouth was full of some very delicious spaghetti.

"So," I said while we ate, "what exactly did Arkarian threaten to do if you didn't come here to baby sit me?" I couldn't imagine Arkarian threatening someone. Those violet eyes could never be menacing enough to intimidate, at least not to me. He didn't need to be intimidating though; he could ask for my heart and I'd rip it right out of my chest for him, right then and there, anesthetic be damned.

"I can see where you would think Arkarian was some sort of faultless angel, what with all the sweat talking he uses on you- ouch!" I stepped on his foot for that last comment, hard enough for it to be sore for the next few days, "ow... jeez! God damn it Isabel!" He was glaring at me and wincing in pain at the same time. It looked comical. I felt a tinge of guilt. But only a tinge.

"I'll heal it if you behave," I said, jutting my chin out indignantly.

"Fine!" he was still glaring/wincing, "anyway, he said that if anything happened to you, he'll hold me personally responsible and get Lorian to take away my wings."

I frowned in puzzlement, getting up for a second helping, leaving some for Ethan, in case he needed more. I sat back down getting two sodas on the way. "Why would anything happen to me?" I asked passing him the can.

"Actually, its pretty obvious," he said, opening the can and taking a drink, "Matt went to la-la-land and Jimmy has work; you're completely alone and weak from an extensive healing session, hardly able to stand, Marduke knows who you are and would, most probably, take advantage of the situation to get rid of one of the key members of the named; a powerful healer with a developing second sight who saved the lives of more than half the Named. It would be like a dream come true for him, if that creep can even dream," contempt seeped through his last words in obvious hatred.

Marduke almost killed me once; trying to finish the job while I was tired and vulnerable was beyond horrible. I was suddenly glad of Ethan's presence.

I shook my head and took another mouthful of the now cooling spaghetti. "I really didn't think about it like that."

"Anyway," he smiled casually, "your life is more important than my wings so this way I get to make sure you're safe and I get to keep my wings." He was grinning wildly at the end. I laughed at his expression.

After his second helping, I washed the dishes and he rinsed and dried. We laughed and played with the soapy water until we were both wet and breathless from laughing so much. It felt...normal. The sort of things all teenagers do. It felt nice to be normal; even for a few minutes.

I went upstairs and changed, putting my wet clothes in the hamper. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Well, tomorrow I start officially training Neriah so this is probably my last carefree day for a long time, and you'll be too busy sucking fa-" he stopped when he saw my facial expression; I might as well have written 'go there and die' in blinking lights. So he (wisely) backtracked. "I mean spend a lot of time with Arkarian"-much better-"now that school's out and Matt's not here to restrain-I mean hang over you. So why don't we do something fun. We could go to the mall, watch a movie, play a little arcade... you know, hang." I liked that idea. I liked that idea a lot.

We stopped by his house first so he could change into dry clothes; his were still soapy. We ended up watching 'Prom Night'. It was supposed to be a horror movie, but when you live through ten days of true horror in the underworld, it just gives you a slight scare. We each got a huge bucket of caramel popcorn and a strawberry slushy. We laughed every time someone screamed for something silly like a stalker/murderer suddenly appearing out of nowhere. It was a blast.

I buried him in every game we played at the arcade. At the end, we joined tickets, which came out to quite a large sum, and bought a little for each of us. We got two glow-in-the-dark stick, one for me one for Ethan, and two crazy balls, the ones that bounce all over the place. I got a butterfly hair clip, a big pen with fluffy feathers at the end that lights as you write, a toe ring and matching ankle bracelet. Ethan got a foam model airplane, dog tags, and a charm bracelet for his mother. We had dinner and then walked around the mall a bit, making pit stops at stores that we like, but never actually buying anything. I even tried on a dress. It was long and pale red, strapless but tied around my neck by a piece of the same soft fabric. It was elegant, yet it gave off a sense of casualness as the material moved with my body.

Ethan said it looked wonderful and that Arkarian would probably have a stroke if he saw me in it. I blushed... and bought it. It had a fifty percent discount and another twenty five percent since it was the last piece, so all in all it was a very good deal.

Mom would be proud; she'd been trying to get me to wear a dress, or a skirt even, since I was five years old. Up until now, dresses and skirts were simply a nuisance; how was I supposed to climb a tree when my panties were on display? But now, they actually had a purpose.

It was surprising how... sexy and beautiful I felt. I can't believe I just said that, but if I was honest with myself, I did; I felt sexy in that dress that hung loosely on my body, that swayed majestically with my every move.

I hadn't changed. I was still the tree-climbing, adventurous, always-getting-herself-into-trouble, tomboy Isabel. What had changed is that now, I had someone to be beautiful for. And I wanted to be beautiful for him. He deserved someone beautiful and sexy.

I was so unused to the word.

Sexy.

I was such a virgin. And I had a prude for a boyfriend.

We stopped at a record store. I bought Matt a CD he'd wanted and Ethan picked out some albums. We've fallen behind on everything, including music, since saving the world took out so much of our time and energy; it was nice to catch up.

We even met Dillon and some other boys from school. "Hey Ethan! Wanna join us? And...uh... you can too if you want," someone from the group yelled. Whoever this boy is, he wasn't going to stay a boy for long if he kept eyeing me like that.

"We could just go home and watch TV," Ethan suggested, "We don't have to hang out with these freaks."

I smiled at him. He was so considerate. "No, it's fine. Go, get your share of male bonding. Arkarian's probably back and I don't want to get home too late and scare my mom again. She deserves a little break."

He looked unsure, "Are you sure you don't want me to take you back?"

"I'll be fine Ethan, I'm fine now; I can deal with the boogieman." He laughed. I gave him a hug.

"Bye Belsy."

"Belsy? What sort of nick name is that?!" He just laughed. I punched his arm and laughed with him. "Bye Ethan." He waved and walked off to greet his friends. I went in the opposite direction and took the bus home.

I put my bags in my room and took a little bathroom break to wash my face. It was still six thirty but I wrote my mom a note just in case.

Mom,

Went to the mall with friends

Be back before nine

Love Isabel

I locked the door behind me and walked to Arkarian's chambers. I was a little tired as I got to the mountain. I yawned hugely, just as Arkarian opened the door for me. He smiled at me, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "And here I thought you'd be excited to see me," he shook his head in mock disappointment, "I guess I was wrong."

I threw myself at him, locking my arms around his waist. "I missed you so much today," I said into his chest.

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through his torso. He put his hand on my head and stroked my hair gently. "And I you." He whispered back to me.

He kissed the top of my head, his lips sending shivers down my back. I turned my head up and stood on my tiptoes to reach his lips. He snaked his strong arms around my waist, lifting me easily for better access. I moved my arms to around his neck, locking our lips together. It was a sweet, passionate kiss; a physical expression of our love. I pulled back and smiled at him. I leaned back down and pressed my lips lightly against his; once, twice. The third one lasted for about five seconds before I could pull away again. He set me down and led me to a room.

He opened the door to what looked like a sitting room and pulled me inside. There was a wide, comfy looking couch and a table. At the front was a small fire place, already lit and burning, casting flickering shadows around the room. The only light came from the fire, which suited me fine. But why would Arkarian have this room if he doesn't live here?

"Some of these rooms change according to what you need," he explained, reading my thoughts, "If I should need a refuge, one of the rooms will change into a bedroom. Right now, I needed a warm and comfortable seating and so it changed accordingly." He gestured to the room.

"Ah." I sat down on the couch and leaned back. It was even more comfy than it looked. I sighed. My feet hurt slightly from all the walking we did; and I don't have the energy to heal it.

Arkarian walked over and sat next to me, hugging me close. I snuggled into his warm chest and wondered at how good he felt against me. He laughed lightly. "Isabel," his voice was reprimanding, "You should really learn to block your thoughts."

"I have nothing to hide from you," I whispered to him. The heat from the fire and the warmth of his body was making me drowsy. My eyes drooped closed.

I heard him sigh, felt a warm hand on the back of my head, loving lips on my forehead. "And so it should be," were his last gentle words before I drifted off to sleep.

okay im gonna end this here cuase it 1 in the morning and my fingers are going to drop off any second.