Chapter Two

Mindoir

Of all the things she learned brokering intel, Bimmy Taggit had now become the most important. He was a passport agent at the dock, but he was also dirty. The line to the passport desk moved quickly. When she caught Bimmy's eye she nodded to him.

"I'll take this one, Mark…see to Mr. Cruthers there," he said pointing to a balding man next to her.

She handed him her passport with a credit chit inside. She watched him scan it, knowing he was scanning the amount on the chit rather than her passport. He frowned.

"Ma'am, there seems to be a bit of a problem with your passport, please come with me."

She followed him to a back office.

"What name do you need it under?"

"Castaria Krios. I'm married."

"I'll be right back." He took her passport and left her alone in the office.

He returned quicker than she thought he would. He handed her both passports and looked at her pointedly.

She looked down at her new passport. Unlike her old one as a boy, under Cass Shepard, this one portrayed her as a woman. She wasn't sure when he'd taken her picture, but he'd done so. Impressive. It had holostamps of several planets, many of them resorts. It looked like a well used and loved passport. The man was a genius. She was glad she hadn't gotten around to busting him yet. She nodded her acceptance.

He opened the office door and led her out with a smile. "Everything appears to be in order, Mrs. Krios. I apologize for the delay."

She returned to the terminal and scanned the ships that were pulling out. If she couldn't find passage on the crew, she would stow away if she had to. A familiar name popped out at her. Mindoir. Rafe of Mindoir had created Reed's magnificent tattoo. A phoenix rising out of the ashes to a new life. Perhaps he had been right. Perhaps the phoenix was her totem too. She was going to Mindoir one way or another. She noticed several fancy dressed people milling about, talking quietly to each other outside the Whirlwind's airlock. She peeked out the window at the massive frigate. It was intricately designed, massive in scope, but armed to the teeth.

As she approached the airlock a mech stopped her. "This is the Royal Family vessel, kindly leave the vicinity."

Not happening. "Sir, I formally request to speak with someone regarding a tech position on the crew. I wish to go to Mindoir and am willing to work for passage, if you will not allow me to book passage."

"As I have stated, this is a Royal Family vessel. We do not hire just anyone - "

Nik's eyes fell on the golden angel. He'd seen a lot of beautiful women in his life, they tended to throw themselves at him…but she was a vision that eclipsed all others. He deeply regretted that they were about to leave. In fact, he was determined to delay said departure. It wasn't every day that a man met an angel.

A handsome, albeit massive, man approached. He had short, thick, black hair, a sculpted face and sparkling sapphire eyes. He had to be damn near a foot taller than her and well over a hundred pounds heavier. "CJ, is that any way to treat my friend?"

"My apologies, Highness. I was unaware of your relationship. She didn't mention that she knew you, she wished to book passage or hire on as a member of the crew."

"I was unaware you wished to go to Mindoir, Angel. Had I known, I would have cleared your passage." He gave her a broad smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry…Highness, I didn't wish burden you." Good frackin' crackin' lord. A goddamn royal? Could anything weirder happen?

"You could never be a burden, Angel. And I told you before not to call me that. It's Nik to you. CJ, she's with me." He pulled the bag from her shoulders and handed it to the mech. "Put her in the nicest suite in the family quarters."

CJ's mouth dropped open and then slammed shut. "Right away, Highness."

Castaria watched the mech and all the worldly possessions she had left disappear into the airlock. "Look, H-Nik…that really wasn't necessary. I can work for my passage. I'm licensed engineer. Granted, a combat engineer, but I'm still good at what I do."

His blue eyes twinkled. "Nonsense, Angel. Consider this a vacation cruise." When he saw her eyebrow arch up suspiciously, he smiled. "No…I'm not doing this because I'm hoping I will get something out of it. Not that I wouldn't welcome you in my bed…that is not why I'm doing it. My parents are always sending me out on diplomatic missions and they are boring as hell. You are the first ray of sunshine I've seen in I don't know how long. I'm not ready to give that up. I expect nothing and will ask for nothing more than you are willing to give, even if it is only to be graced with your friendship." He gave her a lopsided grin. "On my princely honor, I will be the perfect gentleman."

She pushed out her sight and studied his aura. It had blues and oranges swirling together. It was calm, playful, yet strong. No signs of deceit. In the end, there was little she could do. She had to get off Earth to protect the men she loved. When he offered her his arm, she drew her arm through his and let him lead her aboard the Whirlwind.

He took her arm when she stepped out of the airlock to steady her. The floor was soft and she had sunk into it.

"Do what I do. You'll get your soft legs quickly." He spread his legs a little and rolled from heel to toe for a couple of minutes. She copied his movements and I'll be damned if it didn't work.

He froze at her smile, completely mesmerized. Sweet god, that smile could take a grown man to his knees. He shook his head to clear it. "I'll explain the layout of the ship and then give you the grand tour."

The main floor consisted of crew quarters, work stations, two crew lounges, and a kitchen. At the front was the bridge. There were five floors in all. The top floor was the forward and aft batteries. The second floor was the family suites and the third for dignitaries and friends. The fourth floor was the main floor, dealing with ship operations and crew quarters and the fifth floor consisted of a pool on the starboard side and the hangar bay on the port side. The massive drive core sat astern. There were stasis pods on the family and crew floors as well as escape pods, so she would not have to worry about anything.

The Whirlwind, he explained, was a royal flagship built for any contingency. They had a 'skeleton' crew right now, which consisted of 20 people and 10 mechs, though the 10 mechs were always there whether berthed or in use. The people he had handpicked, both for ability and attitude. She was sure to see some of every major race. They even had a krogan, who was in charge of the batteries. He was tough as nails, but funny and easy to get along with. It didn't even phase him that there were turian and salarian crewmembers, he said with a chuckle. They were a tight knit bunch.

No matter how young, as he was growing up, he'd always managed to spend time down in the crew lounges getting to know everyone, especially since the crew had never been allowed onto the family floors unless invited. The elevators, he told her, wouldn't even open to the family floors unless identities were approved and confirmed. "When the airlock scanned you, your identity was programmed in to allow you admittance to the family floors."

She was stunned that he was showing her, a stranger, that amount of trust.

"Come with me," he said. "So we can see this girl off." He took her arm and headed to the bridge to give the pilot the go-ahead. The systems checks had been started as soon as it was reported that he had arrived at the spaceport. When he stepped into the cockpit he saw Dagan move to rise. "No need for that, Dagan. Take us out."

"Affirmative, Prince Captain."

"Prince Captain sounds ridiculous, Dagan," he said in exasperation.

"It is what it is, Highness," he said winking at him. Dagan's eyes were drawn towards the woman who had come in with the Captain.

"Keep your hands and eyes to yourself, Dagan. She's not available."

"So, that's the way it is," Dagan said with a heartfelt sigh.

"It is," Nik said coldly.

They pulled out of dock and were soon in FTL headed for the closest Mass Relay. She watched the stars streak by. She loved the beauty of space. She'd always looked up at the stars, when they could be seen, and wished she were out there.

"Has ETA changed?" Nik asked.

"No, Prince Captain. We're about a week and a half out. We need to jump two Relays before we FTL to Mindoir," he informed him.

"Roger that, Dagan. Well, open her up and let's see what this girl's got in her."

"My pleasure, Highness. Always fun to fly with you."

He laughed and left him to his fun. "Trust me when I tell you he means it. My parents are never in a hurry to get anywhere. Dagan is one of three pilots we have that rotate off in eight hour shifts. But Dagan is my favorite…even if he is a player. If he gives you any trouble, let me know."

He proceeded to show her the rest of his ship. The Whirlwind was a luxury liner. The interior was out of a fantasy. The thickly padded floors had taken her a bit to adjust to, but once she did it was like stepping onto a cloud. The walls and ceiling had been hand painted by some of the best artists in the galaxy. Rich, silk smooth woods almost anywhere you could touch and chandeliers on the ceiling. The frigate had every luxury you could imagine and then some. Besides the Captain's cabin, it had guest cabins, crew's quarters, a large dining hall, and several family and play rooms: A 3D immersion theatre, 2 fully stocked fitness rooms, a library, a billiards room with wet bar and even an arcade room. And if that didn't put it over the top, the full sized heated swimming pool in the belly of the beast did. It had a retractable permiglass covering that kept the water in place when not in use. He told her that it was constantly being upgraded with the latest technology and defenses. The ship oozed money and screamed wealth.

"I loved the Whirlwind as a child, but as I grew up I became more embarrassed by her. She is too blatant and in your face for my tastes. But, alas, I am but a prince and must obey the grand poobah's, who must coddle and protect their only baby."

She gave a light laugh. "You hardly look like a baby."

He flexed his muscles and gave her a dashing, debonair look, followed by a heavy sigh. "I know, right? But what's a guy to do?"

They rode the elevator to the second floor. They made an immediate left that T'd off. The left side went to billiards room that included a library with two sofas and three stuffed chairs and a wet bar along the back. The right doorway led to a large sitting room with a huge vid-screen and several overstuffed sofas and chairs. She followed the Prince through the sitting room and into the back room, which was a massive bedroom. There was a huge bed five could have comfortable slept in, two bed tables, two sofas, three separate terminal desks, and a huge flat screen. And as with the rest of the ship that she'd seen so far, the walls were intricately painted murals, though this time they depicted space; stars, nebulas and the like…A simply stunning, realistic display. "This is so beautiful," she said in awe.

"Yes," he said looking into her face, "so beautiful." He cleared his throat. "This is the corpulent captain's suite and if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your quarters. He led her back through the sitting room and the billiards room. A far door slid open. He waved his arm forward, placed his hand between her shoulder blades and ushered her into the room.

This room was far more feminine in nature. It held a large bed with flowing privacy drapes tied back with gold sashes, two sofas, a stuffed chair, a desk with a terminal, a vanity table with bench and mirror. A massive gilded mirror adorned one of the walls. Oh my…the things you could see with that mirror. The murals on the walls depicted snow covered mountains in the distance, fields of flowers and trees, a stream of water cutting through it ending in a small pond. Realist wildlife went about their lives. Her hand reached out to stroke the nose of a life sized fawn standing at its mother's side, staring out at the viewer with innocent eyes.

He couldn't count how many times he'd seen his mother do just that. His hands rested briefly on her shoulders and then he reached out with one of them to touch a butterfly dancing on a flower. "It's stunning, isn't it? My mother touches the nose of that fawn every time she walks into this room."

The golden rims of her brown eyes shimmered under a pool of unshed tears. It was all he could do not to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Come on, Nik…respectable gentleman…you can do this… but, how did anyone survive this woman?

"I – this is…these are to be my quarters?" The murals spanned every wall, placing her in the middle of a majestic wonderland.

"Yes," he said softly. She threw her arms around him and he had to bite back a groan at the feel of her soft curves against him. GENTLEMAN. His arms settled loosely around her, though they ached to hold her tight.

"It is the most beautiful room I've ever seen. Thank you." She felt his hardness against her belly and backed away. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. Forgive my impertinence."

"Forgive you for a hug? Never. Don't be silly, Angel. Everyone needs hugs."

"But you're a…I'm a…"

He tilted her chin up and looked down into her hauntingly beautiful face. "I'm a roguishly charming and handsome man and you are an adorably alluring and beautiful woman. See? We are not so different. Nikyrian Stanton," he said releasing her chin and holding out his hand.

"Castaria Krios," she said shaking his hand. "Can you do me a favor and tell me why every man I meet tilts my chin up?"

He threw his head back and gave a deep, hearty laugh. "Because we are helpless against your beauty and cannot resist getting a closer look." He smiled when he saw her blush. "Did you wish me to lie?"

"Of course not. Besides, I would know if you lied," she said bumping his arm with her shoulder.

"I will be sure to keep that in mind. Castaria is a beautiful name, but just so you know – you will always be Angel to me." He stepped away and slid his hand over a panel she hadn't even noticed. A door slid open. "This is your closet. And on the other side of the closet is your bathroom. Just walk towards the door and it will slide open. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to let me know. I will leave you to get settled. Come out when you're ready, we'll eat dinner and make some plans for the evening."

When he left she flipped on her OT and sent out a quick message to her brother. She bounced the signal and encrypted the message, but she didn't feel comfortable giving out any location details in this unsecured manner. She also sent a quick message to Cole, all earth contracts were to be forwarded to a new frequency and resulting payments into a new account she'd set up. Any Mindoir contracts were to be sent to her previous frequency and paid to her previous account.

-BREAK ONE-

Castiel had been pacing the apartment like a caged animal ever since he returned. The place felt so empty without her presence. For over an hour he had sat on the sofa and balled his head off like a little, lost boy. Though, he would never admit that to anyone. Finally, the need to do something forced him out the door. He drew on the ratty cap she always wore, mounted the glider and took to the street.

Market Street was bustling this time of day. He slipped in behind a vendor selling fruit, amped his biotics, grabbed a large bushel of apples and disappeared. In a similar fashion he made off with a large basket of assorted nuts. He put the basket of nuts in the underseat storage and tied the bushel of apples to the back of the bike with cord he'd found in the storage compartment. He pulled up outside the rec center and laid out his goodies. He wasn't sure if the people always showed up at lunch time or if they had some way of letting each other know the days his sister came for lunch, but it didn't take long for her urchins to find their way to him.

Some eyed him distrustfully, but most knew him. He'd come with his sister enough times that they were comfortable with him. The younger children accepted him with open arms and sticky fingers. He played with the children for a little bit and then bade his goodbyes. He tossed the empty baskets in the trash and then headed back to his equally empty apartment.

He sat down wearily on the sofa and flipped on the vidscreen. He put on a vid he'd seen too many times to count. What he would give to hear her voice, her laughter. Hell, a noogie would be nice about now. His OT flashed and he flipped it open.

= On a ship. Everything's fine. I am NightStar. Bed Cole Bravo Alpha 3190004289-537 India Lima Yankee.

Saliva went down the wrong pipe and he began to choke. Aria was NightStar? His help the needy, save the world sister was NightStar? Why hadn't he seen it? Why hadn't she told him? Her – NightStar? It was still hard to wrap his head around. He was so sure NightStar had been a man. She'd had a whole other life he hadn't even been aware of. It hurt that she hadn't trusted him enough to share it with him. Though, he understood. As much as he wanted to be angry with her, if he were NightStar he would have kept it from her too…to protect her.

He re-read her message. Bed Cole made no sense. Bravo Alpha was short for bank account. 537 was his number, hers was 573. Ending with I love you. So she set up a bank account for him. Why? He already had one. But what did Bed Cole mean?

He dragged himself off the sofa and went to her room. He flipped the light on and looked at her bed. On it laid a black suit, black lilies, knives and guns with silencers. She was wanting him to become NightStar? Of course she was, she wanted her people protected now that she wasn't here to do it. It looked like it fell to him to uphold the family tradition. Feed the urchins, protect the people and while he was at it rule the Reds. He was done being the Reds' bitch. He may not be able to protect his sister any longer, but he could protect what she loved.

He stripped off his clothes and slipped into the black suit. It was soft and molded to him like a glove. It had odd, tacky soles, but they would aid in gripping and prevent slipping. It was ingenious. He rolled the mask down over his face and slipped the gloves on. As soon as the gloves were on his OT flashed. He flipped on the screen.

"NightStar, I received your message about transferring the Earth contracts to this frequency and the new account information. Everything's a go on my end. Did you have any trouble with either of the assassins? I know you iced Razor – good job, by the way – didn't think even you would be able to take him out. But what of Thane Krios? Did he give you any trouble?"

Thane Krios – Aria's Thane was an assassin? Aria was an actual assassin? Damn me. He knew NightStar's reputation and he knew his sister. She would never accept a contract on anyone that wasn't proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to be evil. He wasn't sure what kind of man Thane was. But if he'd earned Aria's love and respect, that spoke volumes. And this must be Cole. "No, no problems with Thane Krios." His mouth fell open. That was not his voice. It was a tad higher and a lot huskier, but not feminine in any way. It was acceptable. It would prevent his voice from being recognized. Kudos, Aria. "Any contracts for me, Cole?" he held his breath hoping like hell he hadn't just fucked up.

"Just one in your neck of the woods. His name is Leto Haskins. He's - "

"One of the head honchos of the Reds. I'm familiar with him. I'll accept it."

Cole's eyebrows shot up. "You aren't even going to take time to research it or ask me who put the contract out on him?"

"Like I said, I'm familiar with the man and frankly I don't give a damn who wants him ghosted."

"Well, ok then – you're signed onto the contract. Happy hunting, NightStar."

Castiel flipped off his screen. He couldn't wait for darkfall. He was excited to start his new life. It was no replacement for his sister, he'd rather have her back than take over for her, but she did at least leave him meaningful projects to keep him busy. He knew she did it as much for him as for her people. He picked up the guns, one at a time, becoming familiar with the weight and balance of each. He snapped the sniper to his back and pulled it. He did it over and over again until it became second hand to him. He snapped the pistol and submachine gun to either side of his hips and practiced drawing them as well. Then he turned his attention to the pair of knives. There were sheathes on his thighs for them. He slid them into the sheaths and tried to withdraw them quickly. The kept getting hung up on something or another. Damn, he sucked handling knives. If someone were close enough to him he could gut them, but anything more than that would require a shit-ton more practice.

His eyes fell to the flowers. Hell no. Sorry, Aria. I'm not going to prance around in my tights sprinkling daisies. But he also knew she did not want anyone blamed for the kills she made, which was why NightStar left a calling card. Hot damn, yes! She had shown him a laser she got last week. Probably took it off one of her kills. Where the hell would she have put it? He tore through her room until he remembered she had a junk drawer. Well, shit on a shingle, he wished he'd have remembered that sooner. He pulled open the top drawer of her dresser and dug around until he found the small laser. Perfect. He would mark his kills. Even better than flowers, no risk of them blowing away. And a hell of a lot more manly.

He set about putting her room back in order, because if she did come home she'd surely kill him for leaving her room a mess. He took the suit off and hung it up in her closet. He moved the artillery in there as well. It was fitting that he would become NightStar in her room. It made him feel closer to her.

Time to get dinner started for the urchins.

He came home in a lighter mood. Children were so amazing. They were resilient, forgiving, compassionate and full of love and wonder. Too bad they didn't stay children forever. Sometimes he wanted to shoot every adult on sight. And speaking of shooting adults on sight, it was just about time for him to go out and play.

As darkness set in and the moon began to rise, Castiel slipped into the black – correction night suit was what Aria called it. He snapped on his guns, slid the knives into their sheaths and snapped the small laser to his magbelt. He kind of felt like Batman, sans cape. He knew he couldn't just walk out the front door of his apartment looking like this. He slid open Aria's window, raised himself out onto the awning, slid the window closed and lowered himself to the ground.

He had commed the base this afternoon and discovered Leto had become the new kingpin. Serendipity, if ever there was such a thing. With two Reds' leaders dead…hell, the elders might beg him to take up head honcho position; just so they weren't the next ones on NightStar's radar. Wouldn't that be a hoot? But whether they asked him or not, he was assuming control.

He stayed to the shadows and sprinted towards his objective. When he passed the Mastic Toe holosign he couldn't help but laugh…that never got old. The sound of an impact followed by grunts drew his attention. He darted behind a dumpster and made his way to the back of a dilapidated house. Five men were beating the shit out of another. He stepped out of the shadows to draw their attention. "Mind if I cut in?"

The men turned to face him, their twined W tattoos stood out stark against the blue glow of the street light.

"This is none of your affair, leave while you still have two legs to walk on." A bald, bearded man said threateningly. He blanched when he realized who he was talking to – the man who had just taken down their base single handedly. He backpedaled away from his previous stance. "We've got no beef with you, NightStar. Thanks to you our pack has thinned. This here asswipe agreed to join and now he's backing out."

"You are off your turf, this is Reds' territory."

"We followed him; he chose to come here...not us. We'll just take him and go."

Thane snapped on his guns and drew the cowl up over his head. He kissed the black lily and returned it to his pocket. He bowed his head for a quick prayer to Arashu to keep his NightStar safe, and then he sent a prayer to Amonkira. "Amonkira. Lord of Hunters. Grant that my hands be steady, my aim be true, and my feet swift. And should the worst come to pass, grant me forgiveness." He pulled the cowl over his head and slipped out the door into the night.

A familiar voice brought him to a stop. NightStar? Dare he hope that she had stayed? He opened himself to feel for her, but he felt nothing. Why couldn't he feel her anymore? He followed the sound of her husky voice.

When he slid around the side of the worn down house, he crouched at the corner studying the scene. He spotted one man on the ground, bloody and beaten, propped up against a sagging fence. The man looked up at him in surprise, pain and fear etched into his battered face. Thane shook his head and raised a finger to his lips. He peered around the corner of the house. The other men were facing away from him, towards NightStar. Only it wasn't NightStar. The body within the familiar suit was wrong. The way NightStar stood was wrong. The smell was wrong. The defined muscles were masculine not feminine. The voice was eerily the same, but the person in that suit was not his NightStar. If the imposter had hurt her, his death would be very slow and very painful. Kalahira could put him back together if she so chose.

Castiel laughed. "I don't think so. You see, it doesn't really matter to me where you are or where you are from. This megatropolis is mine and I will protect its denizens. I will not allow you to force anyone to join your gang."

The bald man looked back at the man they had beaten and then at his brother Wolves. All but one had fear in their eyes. They would not fight well and he had little doubt NightStar could easily take them all down. He did not want to die over that asshole. "Come on, boys. That shit isn't worth this."

"Smart man. But, make no mistake…this is your only warning from me. If I catch any one of you hurting someone else…or if I even hear that you have, I will kill you on sight...with pleasure." Castiel couldn't help but be disappointed. He'd hoped things would have gotten a little more exciting. He watched the men file out around the opposite side of the house. The last man brought his foot back to aim a kick at the downed man on his way past him. Castiel smiled coldly, whipped his pistol out and shot the foot before it could make contact. Little more than a whispered 'thhck' was heard. Until the man's piercing screams echoed into the night.

The other Wolves spun around in time to see their friend grab his foot, hop up and down and then fall on his ass, all the while screaming like a little girl. The bald man's head swung to NightStar who was twirling his gun before snapping back into place at his hip. "Fuck me!"

"Thank you for the thought, but you're not my type," Castiel said with a chuckle. "Are you going to take that trash home with you or are we going to have a problem? Honestly, I'm hoping we have a problem. I haven't met my quota yet tonight."

"Damn it, Miter! You trying to get us all whacked?" He pointed at two of his men. "Jimmy, Sam, help that dickweed to his feet," he said jerking a thumb at Miter. "If he doesn't shut up, knock him the fuck out and drag him home by his good leg." He walked off, not sparing another glance at his fellow Wolves.

Miter's screams faded to whimpers as the men drug him to his feet. With an arm around each of their shoulders, they followed after their leader.

Thane pulled back and sank deeper into the shadows as the men passed him, never realizing how close they were to the deadly assassin.

Castiel crouched down next to the injured man and gave him a dose of medigel. When he heard his sigh of relief he stood, offered the man his hand and pulled him to his feet.

"Thank you NightStar. I can't imagine how you showed up just when you did, but you surly saved my life. I won't forget what you did for me. The name is Trent Stevens," he said holding out his hand. "If you ever need any supplies, don't hesitate to find me. I'm a…procurement specialist."

"The house here is unoccupied. I know it needs some work, but you might consider relocating here," Castiel informed him.

"That's sage advice, I think I will." He gave the house a dubious frown. "Looks like I'll have my work cut out for me."

Castiel laughed. "No doubt. But, I have a friend in the Reds by the name of Castiel. I've no doubt he'd be willing to give you a hand with the house and getting you set up here. Just ask for him at their base. You might even consider joining up with the Reds. They look out for their own."

Trent shook his head. "Not too sure about that. I just got my ass pulled out of the fire, not in a hurry to jump back into the flames."

"That's understandable. But the Reds aren't like that. My friend will be taking over. Things will be different. I trust him implicitly. You'll be safe and he could use you."

"Tell you what, I'll drop in on him and talk to him. If we hit it off, I'll join."

Castiel nodded. "I wouldn't ask for anything more. I'll let him know to expect you. Why don't you hole up in the house for the night and get some sleep."

"I think I will. Thank you again, NightStar."

Castiel watched him disappear around the side of the house, only a slight limp to show what he'd been through. He hoped the man would drop by the base. But first he had to secure his take over.

Thane stepped out of the shadows to confront the imposter. "We need to talk."

Castiel was surprised the man had gotten the drop on him. "Do you know who I am?" he asked coldly.

"I know who you're not. You are not NightStar."

"Who are you?" The voice didn't sound quite human, it was deep and gravely.

"Who I am is unimportant. It is who you are that concerns me. If you have hurt her" –

Castiel quirked a brow. "You'd what? Kill me, I suppose?" he scoffed.

"Before you could blink. Killing is an art," he said moving a little to the left, never taking his eyes off the imposter. "And I am a master." His voice deadly soft.

"Cocky for someone facing me. Do you really think you can take down NightStar?"

"Were you she, then…no. I would never hurt NightStar. But I would kill anyone who did, very…slowly."

Realization of who this man must be dawned on him. "You must be Thane Krios."

Thane kept the surprise off his face and gave a slight head bow of acknowledgement. "Where is she?"

"I wish I knew. Something happened. My sister feared for my life and yours. She went offworld. I tried to stop her, but once she sets her mind to something, there is little anyone could do to change it."

Her brother. At least he knew she was no longer here. He would not have to waste any more time searching for her and could move on to the ships that departed. "Why are you dressed as NightStar?"

"Aria gave the suit to me. She left me with two tasks. Take care of her urchins, those that she feeds and cares for. I'm not a healer, like she is, but I can feed them. She also told me to protect her people, so I will," he said matter of fact.

Thane nodded. That sounded like his siha. "She shouldn't be out there alone. I intend to find her."

"I hope you do. Aria is so busy taking care of everyone else that she tends to neglect herself. Making sure that she takes care of herself has always been my job. And I think that is why she left me with so much to do. To keep me from…"

"From missing her too much? You must have been close." Thane said solemnly.

Castiel sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "We were more than close. She is my twin. We've had to rely on each other since we were nine years old. It was not easy to let her go."

Twins. Then their bond was stronger than he knew. "I spoke with the agent in charge, Shepard. His name is Reed Walker; you may wish to speak with him. He is an honorable sort. The federal agent she thought she killed was already dead before her arrival. She did not have to depart."

"Son of a bitch! Find her, Thane. Bring her back home."

Thane nodded. "It is not an easy path before me, but I will find her, no matter how long it takes. There were twenty ships that left port following the raid. Do you know which ship she left out on?"

"No," Castiel shook his head sadly. "I took her to the port, but she feared the authorities would be looking for me to find her, so I left to keep her safe."

It had been a smart move at the time, but disappointing nonetheless. "Has she contacted you?"

"Once. She said she was on a ship and safe. I could not reply to her. The signal had been bounced and there was no return frequency. She is very good at covering her tracks. I do not imagine your search will be an easy one." He admited, gritting his teeth. Her need to protect them had cost them all.

"Very seldom does something worth having come easy." Thane flipped on his OT and nodded for Shepard to do the same. He synced their OTs, so that they had each other's frequencies. "If she is in contact with you again, let me know."

"I will. I should go. There is someone I need to see. A contract I need to fulfill."

Thane laced his hands behind his back. "Do you wish for me to accompany you?"

Castiel shook his head. "Any other time and I would accept your generous offer. But this…it is personal. And you have someone to find." He paused for a moment. There was something else he said he'd do for Aria. "Thane? She told me to tell you she was sorry, that she loved you and would always belong to you."

Thane's heart squeezed painfully; he absently rubbed his chest. Nothing but finding her would ease the pain. "You have my thanks, Shepard" he said, barely able to get the words out. "But it is I who belong to her."

-BREAK TWO-

Castaria settled back into her soft bed, it felt like lying on a cloud. Dinner with Nik had been enjoyable and the food nearly exploded against her taste buds. She had never eaten anything like it and imagined it was ungodly expensive.

The next several days were an experience she would never forget, but she dreaded the night. With it came nightmares of what she had given up, what she had lost. But the days she treasured, hording the memories. The games, the library, the crew, the amazing fitness room, and the pool…my god the pool, kept her entertained and kept her mind cleared of her woes, at least during the waking hours. She even finally managed to talk the turians into braving the shallow end of the pool. But due to their hard carapace's and lack of fat stores, they had an innate fear of water. They had a tendency to sink like a stone. That being said, they came to enjoy tossing beach balls and weighted toys for her and the others to dive down to retrieve.

The krogan, Rutt, spent time with her in the arcade room if Nik was busy. He had a knack for games of destruction. If he could hit or destroy something, he was in heaven. And he was damned good at rubbing her nose in her losses. But those losses taught her to think faster on her feet, so she was never sore about losing. Losing taught you more than winning, and her drive to be the best at everything she did kept her from giving up, no matter the odds.

During a couple of evenings, Nik invited her down to the pool for a skinny-dipping party. It wasn't that she was modest, but the desire to be a part of it wasn't there. Everything she lost weighed so heavily upon her. She told Nik to go have fun, but he refused to leave her and they'd spent those evenings talking or watching vids.

She spent time everyday on the uneven bars, beam and trampoline; they brought back memories of her gymnastics classes she taken as a child. Her body fell right back into the routines like she'd never left. Though her muscles were quick to remind her just how long it had been. She gave pointers to any one of the crew that showed an interest. The asari were interested in learning how to use all three. The turians worked on their balance on the beam and eventually began to pole-spar atop the beam. She had wanted to learn to do that too, so they were teaching her the technique of pole-sparring. She'd never thought to do that on the beam. She couldn't wait to show Nik; maybe she'd get lucky and kick his ass at something for a change. He was a mountain of a man and she'd found out real quick how hard it was to take him down when they sparred. Everyone loved the trampoline, even the salarians took time out to frolic on it. That was a sight to see. With their bent legs, their jumping was comical. Though, she always did her best to keep a straight face. The only one not allowed on the equipment was Rutt. At close to 800 pounds, he would crush them, but he seemed to enjoy watching the antics of everyone else.

With their arrival to Mindoir close at hand she began to fret. She wasn't sure what she was going to do. A part of her hoped she could make a home there. She had made a lot of friends on the trip and would hate to have to say goodbye to them. But what would she do? Where would she go?

"Calm down, Angel. Everything will be fine. My parents will love you," Nik said encouragingly.

"Your parents? I'm to meet your parents?" What was he thinking? She was a nobody. They were…oh, god.

"Was I supposed to sneak you off the ship? They will surely be waiting at the airlock when we arrive."

"I'll just slip out with the crew," she said in desperation.

I don't think so. I'm not letting you get away that easily. "You'll do no damn such thing. Look, I know you don't have anywhere to go. I'm not just going to throw you out into the streets. My parents wouldn't either. You'll stay with us for now."

"But - "

"Angel – do I have to pull the Prince card with you?"

The Prince card? Shit. She was so screwed. She was on a planet under monarchy rule. She had to obey. "Look at me, Nik!" She held her hands out and turned around slowly, displaying her cheap attire.

He whistled. "I like what I'm seeing."

Castaria sighed. "I'm hardly dressed to meet anyone's parents, let alone royalty!"

"Relax, Angel. My parents aren't like that. They are not pretentious. They will not judge you. They will adore you as much as I do."

Castaria looked around the beautiful room. "Right…because I can tell by this ship that they are not pretentious in the least."

Castiel laughed. The ship did scream wealth. "Ok, I'll give you that. They like nice things. But it is not who they are. You'll see what I mean when you meet them. Besides, they're expecting you."

"Prince Captain, we are cleared for docking at the private bay. Their Highnesses have already arrived," Dagan informed them.

"See? Come on." He took her hand and pulled her towards the elevator.

"Wait, I need to gather my things."

"Your things will be brought to the house. Now, come on," he said giving her a slight tug.

He kept a tight hold on her as they exited the airlock.

Reena was wringing her hands together, knowing her son was just beyond the airlock door. She also knew he wouldn't be alone. He'd had CJ order a wardrobe full of clothes for a woman, though she knew nothing of the woman or what type of relationship they had. When it opened she squealed and threw her arms around her baby boy. She noticed he'd only given her a one armed hug and glanced over at the young woman standing by his side. She was stunningly beautiful with her thick, golden, wavy hair, and golden rimmed brown eyes. Her face was flushed and she looked like she'd rather be anywhere else. Her eyes fell to their hands. Her son had a tight grip on her as though he feared she'd bolt. She gave her son a knowing look and smiled.

"Move that delectable ass, Reena. I would like to welcome my son home." Kip said, placing his hands on her hips and moving her aside. He clapped an arm around his son's back and gave him a quick hug.

Nik was a bit embarrassed by all the parental doting. He loved his parents, but the time away had been a pleasant reprieve. "Mom, dad, I'd like to introduce you to Angel. She's new here and doesn't have any local friends or family."

"Then she'll stay with us," they both said simultaneously. They looked at each other and laughed. "Great minds think alike," they said together and laughed again.

"Reena Stanton, and please, call me Reena; Mrs. Stanton makes me feel like an old woman." she said and held out her hand.

"Castaria Krios, Highness." Castaria bowed and shook her hand.

"None of that now, we are not holding court and you will be staying with us, I think first names are more than appropriate, honey. Reena, remember? Castaria? That is a uniquely beautiful name. But I can see why you call her Angel, Nik. She's as breathtaking as an angel."

"That she is. Kip Stanton," he said holding out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Hi - "

"Nice to meet you, Kip," he admonished.

"Alrighty, then. I stand corrected," she said beaming them a smile. "Nice to meet you, Kip."

Nik saw his parents go still and laughed his ass off. "It has that effect on people."

"What does? Are you laughing at me?" Castaria asked confused and a little hurt.

Reena shook her head to clear it. "No, honey, he would never laugh at you. What do you want us to call you?"

"Anything but bitch is fine with me." Her face flamed and her hand flew to her mouth. She couldn't believe she'd said that to the King and Queen. She yanked at her hand, trying to get away, but Nik refused to let her go.

Reena and Kip laughed. "I like her, son," Kip said with a snort that turned into a full laugh.

"Ok, I'll refrain from calling you bitch, unless you really deserve it. I think Nikyrian has the right of it. Angel it is," she said with a satisfied nod. "Come on you two, the sky car is waiting."

"You don't have to take me in. I don't wish to be a burden, just point me to a hotel and I will get out of your hair."

"My hair would be most displeased, Angel. It likes having you in it," Nik said giving her hand a squeeze.

"Nonsense, Angel, you are no burden and it's already been decided. You'll stay with us." She caught the relieved look on her son's face and smiled. It looked as though her son's playboy ways had come to an end and she couldn't have been more pleased. She wanted nothing more than for him to marry and give them lots of grandbabies.

The skycar was opulent and the house was massive. The house was modest in comparison to the Whirlwind. It was tastefully furnished, rather than outlandishly so. The manor was four stories and had a separate wing used for guests. But it was silly to open up a whole wing for one person. She was instead placed in a bedroom between the Stanton's and Nik. She was floored when he showed her a closet stuffed full of clothes that had been tailored for her. It was obvious her staying with them had already been planned out, the little sneak. She had tried to pay him back, but he refused. So, she helped out around the house to earn her keep. At least it started out that way. But she enjoyed spending time in the kitchen with Reena. She was learning how to cook recipes she'd never dreamed of before.

She had thought staying with them would prove to be very uncomfortable. But it was actually the exact opposite. They were so at ease and comfortable that she found herself slipping right into their lives. Kip and Reena were the most amazing and outrageous people she'd ever met. She loved and missed her adopted parents very much, but they had been gone from her life for a very long time. The Andersons had been more conservative than the Stantons. Oh, she had always gotten tons of love and hugs from the Andersons and she always grew up seeing them hug and kiss each other in a modest fashion, but Kip and Reena took it a whole new level. The first time she saw them grope each other in front of her she'd nearly choked and spit her drink everywhere. There were no doubts to the extent of their love and desire for one another. The spoke to each other baldly, touched each other boldly, and made no secret of it if they were going to be 'busy' for awhile.

She had been like that with Thane. Unable to keep her hands off of him, it didn't really matter where they were. Damn, she missed him. She wished she could send him a message, so he knew she was okay. Had he been at the hotel, she would have synced their OTs. Then again, had he been there he probably wouldn't have accepted her leaving him behind. It was better this way. He was safer. Well, at least as safe as the life of an assassin could be.

She could at least let her brother know she was okay. She sent him out a quick message and fell back into her thoughts. Nik had taken her out to see the town; he brought her along almost every time he left the house, whether it was for fun or a royal duty. While they were out, she met a lot of new people; some of them she'd grown rather close to. Though they were awed by Nik at first, he was accepted into their group as if he'd always been there. She also spent time out with the crew, who considered Mindoir their home when they weren't aboard the ship. She'd grown especially close to a batarian couple that had been on the staff of the Whirlwind. Yarl and Litu. Batarians usually got a bad rap, and for good reason. They were well known for their horrific slaving raids. But she'd come to learn that batarians were not all that different from any other species. There were good and bad in every race. Neither of the two were actually raised in batarian space. Litu's parents had chosen to leave, to not be a part of that lifestyle. The planet they had chosen was eventually raided; her parents were killed and she never found her sister's body. Litu was lucky to escape with her life, though she hadn't always seen it that way. A rescue vessel arrived too late to save the colony, but they did recover her and she was taken in by a human family who couldn't have children of their own. Instead, they adopted several children of varying species. That is where Litu met Yarl. Yarl had been adopted as a baby and knew nothing of his birthparents. They fast became inseparable.

During the day Castaria volunteered her services at the local school, working with the small group of biotic children. The principal, Mr. Dean, had offered her a permanent position, but she wasn't sure how long she would be staying. Any hint that the law had found her and she would have to split. After a few weeks Mr. Dean began paying her for the days she showed up. She would have liked to have turned him down, but she'd had yet to be offered a single contract here on Mindoir. Even her intel broker skills were useless here. Mindoir was rich in natural resources and fertile land. Everyone worked hard and there was a plethora of food. So there were no starving urchins for her to look after. She'd gone out a few nights as NightStar, but there was little crime. The most she'd come across were a few teenage pranksters that she was pretty sure she'd scared straight. She just wasn't needed here.

There was a light knock on her door. She looked up expecting Nik to walk through the door and was surprised it was Reena. Reena sat down beside her on the bed. "I noticed something seemed to be bothering you today. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine, really. I'm just feeling a little useless I guess. Where I came from I had my urchins to care for. There were starving families and children; I fed them twice a day, sometimes lunch too. I taught those willing to read, write and do math. I wanted to give them the skills to make a future for themselves. I fought the gangs and protected my people. Everything I did had meaning. I'm just not needed here."

"Don't you believe that for a moment, young lady!" Reena huffed. "Those children you teach at the school? They need you. The teachers they had before you weren't biotics, they were trying to teach them from books they'd read. We had a biotics teacher once, but she retired. There's been no one to step in before you. Those people at the hospital? They need you. You donate your time every weekend to taking care of the sick and elderly, you brighten their lives. Some of them don't have any family and you are the only visitor they receive. And some of the sick get miraculously better after one of your visits," she said giving Castaria a knowing look.

"You may not have to feed the starving or fight gangs, but you are very much needed here. Are there places out there more in need? Absolutely, but there always will be. You can't help everyone, no matter how much you want to. Eventually, all those needy hands will suck the life out of you. I've seen it happen too many times." She placed her hand over Angel's and squeezed it. "Take time for yourself, Angel, learn to enjoy life again. Don't let your life slip away, grab what happiness you can, for it is all too fleeting. I don't want to see you burn out."

She appreciated the kind words, it was just hard to let go. "I had a good life once, when I was a young child. My twin brother and I lived with a wonderful couple, our adopted parents. We had dance classes, gymnastics classes, self defense classes, archery, riflery. Hell, we even learned to ride horses. We looked out of our high-rise window, ignorant of what went on in streets below. When we were nine, our parents were murdered. We left that life behind because we didn't want to risk being separated. We somehow survived in a hell we never even knew existed. We learned what life was really like. The gangs, the hunger, the drugs, the prostitutes, the sex trade, the child abuse, the rape, the murder." Her shoulders slumped. "An endless cycle of misery just to eek out an existence. Ignored and unwanted."

"Angel," she said pushing a lock of the young woman's golden hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry for what you and your brother had to live through. But you have to know that what you lived through is not what real life is. It is a life some are forced to live, some live worse lives, but most people they live normal lives, somewhere between the two lives you lived. Life is unfair, it can be brutal and no one gets out of it alive. But it can also be beautiful and seductive…keep the danger in mind...be prepared for it. But, don't lose yourself to it, don't close your eyes to the beauty and seduction or you will find that you have lost far more than any relative safety you might have gained." She wrapped her hand around Castaria's and pulled her up when she stood. She put her arms around the young woman and hugged her.

Nik knocked softly and opened the door. "Angel – sorry, mom, didn't know you were here."

"Don't ever think you are not needed here, Angel. The children need you, the sick and elderly need you and we need you too. You've come to mean a lot to us. It would break our hearts if you left." She gave Castaria a brief peck on the lips. "Oh – We have a clothing drive coming up, the fall harvest and the harvest festival to prepare for; you are welcome to help me with planning, if you wish. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go sex Kip up." She ruffled her son's hair as she passed him.

Nik moved quickly to Castaria's side and took hold of her shoulders. "What did she mean by that? Are you wanting to leave us?"

"It wasn't that exactly. Everything I've done for years, it just isn't needed here. I just felt that maybe I should be somewhere that needed me more."

His heart twisted and wrenched in his chest. No. He wasn't ready for her to go. He was beginning to wonder if he could ever let her go. "I hope mom set you straight."

Her somber eyes rose to meet his. There was something in his eyes she couldn't quite read. It rolled just under the surface. She didn't need to know what was hidden there. Some things were better left alone. "Yes, she is a wonderful woman. I hope you know just how lucky you are to have them."

"I may gripe about being coddled like a baby all the time, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. Get dressed, Angel we're supposed to meet up with the guys tonight, if you recall." He kissed her forehead and left her to get dressed.

She chose a red, silky mini-dress that clung to her curves. It showed only a small amount to cleavage, playing provocatively over the swell of her breasts, but it draped very low in the back, displaying her down to the base of her spine. Red heels and a ruby and emerald necklace, from a woman she'd once saved, completed the look.

Nik swallowed his tongue and choked on it. A few hard thwacks to his back from her set him to rights. He wanted nothing more than to peel that dress off and make love to her. The way that dress hung on her was a sin. It clung to her tight nipples and dipped into the indent of her belly button. Dear god, what it did to her backside.

When the car dropped them off at Shelligan's, Nik helped her out. They moved through the dimly lit room, the music vibrating through them. Castaria had her earplugs in; she hated anything loud, but loved the thrum of the beat vibrating through her. She located their friends at a back table; Jensie was all but jumping up and down to get her attention. With breasts the size of Jensie's, bouncing up and down was getting her a lot of attention.

Castiara laughed her head off when she saw Briton grab Jensie by the hips to hold her still. All they needed was a fight to break out, because some butt-weasel wanted a piece of Jensie. It happened more times than she could count. Her own breasts weren't exactly small, but she felt dwarfed compared to Jensie.

Nik put his hand on her shoulder as much to guide her as to show possession. She was completely oblivious the stir she was creating. She seemed to have no clue how truly beautiful she was. His cold gaze raked the room. He knew his size as much as his rank caused most eyes to drop when he made contact with them.

Nik grabbed her hand and pulled her down in a chair next to his. She waved at Trina, one of her closest friends here on Mindoir. She noticed Carson eyeing Trina and wondered if perhaps something might be brewing on that front. She hoped so; they would make a wonderful couple. She was thankful that Nik usually accompanied her to these kinds of places. It seemed everyone was either a couple or just out to get laid. She did feel guilty, though. According to Jensie and Trina, Nik usually had a different girl on his arm each time he showed up and cat fights over him were not uncommon, much to his chagrin. As a gorgeous Prince, she imagined women were lining up to be with him. She was sure she'd have been one of those girls if she hadn't had a gaping hole in her heart. Maybe she was a shield for him as much as he was for her.

When Yarl and Litu showed up, the pub got noticeably quieter for a brief moment. It had taken a long time for the community to accept them as one of their own. She jumped up, ran to them and hugged them both. She took their hands and pulled them over to their table. She had Nik bump over so that she could sit next to the batarians.

They laughed, talked and drank. Reena had been right. It was these small moments of living that were revitalizing to the spirit. The only thing that dampened these moments was her wish that Castiel and Thane could be here to share them with her.

She was at the bar ordering another round of drinks when a sinfully gorgeous man approached her.

"I couldn't help but notice you. I'm Ripley Sinclair and I was hoping I could talk you into a dance." He held his hand out palm up.

She could feel his eyes drinking her in and her hands crossed protectively across her breasts. He was gorgeous, but something about him set her on edge. She held out her hand tentatively. "Castaria Krios."

He took her hand and brought it to his lips. His touch left her cold. She tried to withdraw her hand, but he held it firmly.

Nik saw right away what was happening. As much as he didn't like it, he didn't have the right to interfere if she was interested in the man. When he saw her try to remove her hand from the man's unsuccessfully, that was his cue. He would not let anyone force their attentions on her. He stood, walked up behind her and put is arms around her. "She's taken, back off."

Ripley released her hand and looked up at the giant undaunted. "Why don't we let the lady choose for herself?"

Castaria sighed in relief. She hadn't wanted to make a scene, but she'd been damned close to sending the man flying across the room. She leaned back against Nik's comforting presence. She reached one hand back and rested it against the outside of his thigh. Her other hand stole back behind his neck. She pulled him down and raised her face, her lips brushing against his.

Nik groaned. His hand splayed across her belly, his thumb brushing the underswell of her breast. When she gasped, he was helpless not to take advantage; he'd wanted her for too long. His tongue slid past her lips and into the heat of her mouth. He felt her go still for a moment before relaxing into him. He could feel her hand tighten on his thigh and her heartbeat quicken beneath his hand as the kiss grew more heated.

Sweet god, he knew it would be like this with her. He wasn't deluding himself, he knew this was only a show, but he also knew she wasn't immune to him and that made his heart sing.

Ripley's cold, calculated gaze watched the blatant display. So be it. She may not have chosen him, but he had chosen her. She would be seeing him again. Real soon. Things would just play out differently that he had originally hoped. He left the bar and hopped in his skycar. Plans already running through his mind.

Nik glanced up, noticed the man's departure and reluctantly broke the off the kiss. "It appears he got the message. I can't leave you alone for a minute, can I?" It took all of his strength not to rub his aching hard-on against her back. He knew she had to feel it, they were too close for her not to, but blatantly rubbing himself against her would definitely break the gentleman oath he'd given her. The kiss had been borderline, but she was the one that started it.

She turned around and hugged him. "Thank you for stepping in. I didn't really want to create a big scene and I was about to blast him to the other side of the room."

"Yeah," he said with a chuckle, "that probably wouldn't have gone over so well." A slow song began to play and he took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. Her arms slid around him and he smiled, kissing the top of her head as he pulled her tighter against him. Now, he had a legitimate reason to rub against her and it was exquisite torture.

The rest of the evening went well. She'd managed to pull Yarl, Carson, and Briton onto the dance floor, though most of her dances were with Nik. He didn't seem to mind that everyone thought they were a couple. Perhaps he was just tired of the games women played to get their hands on his title. She'd received more than a few cold glares from hostile, jealous women. But she didn't give a hot damn about what they thought. She played holodarts, shot a couple of games of billiards, practiced her routine on the mechanical bull and got a little more drunk than she'd expected. Towards the end, she'd even removed her heels; because she was she was too unsteady to walk in them. When Nik pulled her onto the dance floor, she'd had to stand on his feet to dance with him or they'd have both ended up on their asses.

Pair by pair her friends bugged out and headed home, until only they remained.

"Guess it's time to call it a night….Or perhaps a morning," Nik said reluctantly. He hated ending nights like these…nights where he could pretend she was his. He picked up the shoes she had forgotten about and put his arm around her to steady her while she walked. Her face was flushed with drink and her eyes sparkled. He loved seeing her like this. So often her eyes were haunted and sad. He couldn't change whatever past she had run from, but he did his best to fill her present with happiness, and if he were lucky, maybe her future as well.

As they moved across the lot outside of Shelligan's, a skycar screamed out of the night. Nik caught sight of it in time to shove Angel out of the way before it slammed into him and disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. The force of the hit sent him flying. He was hurled into the side of the building. His head hurt like a son of a bitch, but he was surprised that nothing else did. Until he realized he couldn't move his legs.

Castaria rose on her wobbly legs, still trying to make sense of what had just happened. The skycar…Nik! She looked around and spotted his crumpled form. She stumbled over to him and dropped down beside him. "Where do you hurt?"

He took her hand. "My head hurts, but I don't feel anything else." When he saw her reach for him he squeezed her hand. "Don't move me, Angel. Send for the medics, I think…I think my back is broken."

Dear god, No. Tears fell from her eyes and he gently wiped them away.

"There is something I need to tell you, in case…"

"No! There will be no 'in case'. So, don't even talk like that." She lay down beside him flat on her back.

"Angel, what are you doing? The medics -"

"Trust me, Nik. You need me right now." She'd never healed this type of injury before, but even drunk off her ass, common sense told her she'd heal faster if her back was in proper alignment. She kept a tight hold on his hand and merged their auras. A massive black spot and a few smaller ones made their way up her arm.

Nik felt the pain in his head begin to fade. He looked at Angel and saw her jaw clenched. He tried to remove his hand from her grasp, but she clung tighter. "Don't move, Nik, you'll only hurt me if you do."

What did she mean by that? What was she doing? He was starting to feel better. Was she healing him? Was that even possible? If so, did it hurt her to heal? "Angel, if you are hurting yourself for me, don't. I couldn't bear it."

"I'll be fine, Nik." When his aura shined, clean and healthy, she sighed and released her hold on him. Outside of the monstrous headache that had burned out the drunk haze, she thankfully felt little.

Nik tried to drag himself closer to her and realized he could feel the bite of the rocks and debris he was laying on. He sat up and moved closer to her. He tried to take her hand, but she moved it away.

"Don't touch me right now, Nik."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because my back is broken and because my body will leach energy from yours to heal. I don't want to hurt you. Please stay back. I will heal, just give me some time."

He could not be more horrified. "Your back is…what have you done, Angel? Why?" The last word no more than a strangled, guttural whisper.

She gave a weak smile. "It's what I do."

Nik was frantic, a deep pain settled around his heart like a vice. He couldn't believe what she'd done for him. He wanted to touch her, hold her, but was terrified of hurting her more. "I never would have let you hurt yourself for me."

"I know," she whispered.

There was something else…what had she said? Leaching? "What do you mean about the leaching?"

"When I'm injured my body will siphon the aural and life energy of whomever is close enough to me to heal itself. It's not something I have control of. That's why I need you to stay back."

What? He could help her and she didn't want him to? "Hell, no." He moved closer to her and a light hum of power wash through him. She began to glow faintly.

"Nik, please…"

"Angel, shut up. How does this work?" He frowned when she remained silent. He placed a hand against her belly and her glow intensified, the hum grew stronger. He took her hand. She tried to pull away, but he refused to let go. Her glow and the hum were intensified. "I see now, skin contact heals you faster." She still remained stubbornly silent. Fine. He let go of her hand and removed his shirt. He didn't need her to answer; he'd already discovered the truth she'd tried to hide.

The most skin she had available to him was her legs. He gently laid down on her legs, careful not to move her. He raised her skirt and laid the side of his face against her upper thighs. His ran his arms up her dress; his palms brushed over her breasts briefly and realized it wasn't appropriate to rest his hands there, even with the intent to heal her. He moved his hands to the side, his thumbs grazed the sides of her breasts and his hands wrapped around the sides of her. He rested most of his weight on his knees and elbows. It was the best he could do without risking injuring her further. But, damn. He was so close to where he'd dreamed of being that her scent was driving him to distraction.

She glowed like a blue and golden beacon. He shuddered as the hum and a pulling sensation coursed through him. He hadn't realized how pleasurable it would feel. He felt himself grow heavy with need, but forced his thoughts away from that direction.

"Nik," she sighed. "Please don't do this. I will heal on my own, just give me time. I don't want to hurt you." Why couldn't he understand? She hadn't taken his pain just to rob him of his life energy.

"This is my call, Angel. And you are in no condition to stop me, so deal with it." When he felt her fingers caressing his face and his hair, contentment welled up within him.

Her glow drew the last stragglers from the pub to their location. He gave them a cold glare. "Leave, now!" As Prince, they had to obey, whether they wanted to or not. There was some benefit to rank. But he held no illusions. He knew their 'embrace' would go viral before they even made it back home.

When she could feel the weight of him on her and the trembling of his body, she gave a hard push, adding a small wave of power to it, because of his size. She pulled her skirt down and rose shakily to her feet, using the building to keep her balance.

He rolled a couple of feet and came to a stop. "What the hell, Angel? Why did you do that?" He couldn't help but be hurt and a bit miffed that she'd just cast him aside like that. He stood up and wiped his hands off on his pants.

"Because I've stolen enough from you, you healed my back; I can live with the headache. You're beyond exhausted, Nik. If my wounds had been fatal, my body would have killed yours," she said in exasperation.

His eyes turned cold. "And if my injuries had been fatal, would healing me have killed you?" her silence told him all he needed to know. "Would you have healed me if my injuries were fatal?" he asked softly.

"Without a thought!" she said glaring at him. In truth, she didn't know if she could heal from a mortal wound.

He frowned at her declaration. "I see, so you are able to risk your life for me, but I am unable to do the same. That is not an answer that I am willing to accept, Angel!"

"Nik, your life is more important than mine." Why couldn't he see that?

He grabbed her shoulders and gave her a light shake. "Don't you ever say that! My god, Angel. I - "

She bit back a grimace at the pain that sliced through her head and placed a finger over his lips. When she began to siphon from him she backed away. "You are the sole heir…if anything were to happen to your parents your people will need you."

He shouldn't have shaken her. He could see the pain she was in and it ate at him. "I'm aware of that, Angel. But there is more to life than duty, and some of those things are worth dying for."

"Do not make me one of them," she told him resolutely. "Did you get the number on that skycar?"

It's far too late for that, my Angel. He wanted to tell her how he felt about her, but knew he couldn't push her, she was skittish and he didn't want her to run from him. It was enough to know that she was not immune to him, at least for now. He shook his head. "It was too dark and happened too fast."

He pulled his shirt on as they walked slowly towards the automated taxi. He had wanted to help her, but every time he approached, she moved away. He spotted her red heels and hooked his fingers under the straps. They appeared to have fared better than and the two of them.

Settled into the back of the taxi, he programmed in their destination and watched her head bob until exhaustion finally overtook her. Her body slumped against his, she began to glow softly and he smiled. He gently pulled her onto his lap and cradled her against him. His fingers slid through her golden waves as he smoothed the hair back from her face. He trembled with emotion. This woman meant more to him than life itself. "I love you, Castaria Krios. I won't let anything happen to you, my Angel."

-BREAK THREE-

An armed escort greeted the taxi. He held his hand up to silence them and then stood, with his cherished burden, and carried her into the house. He was glad their house was so massive; it meant that he was able to hold her longer as he maneuvered them up two flights of stairs.

His parents rushed out their rooms, belting up their robes. He carried her into her room, his mom close at his heels while his dad waited outside. "Help me get her into something more comfortable," he whispered. He had just managed to work the dress up over her hips, but with his arms full he could do no more. "Just pull the dress off, I've got it past the hips."

His mother gave him an appraising look before nodding her head.

As soon as the dress was pulled off, her nipples puckered immediately, he sucked in his breath as she snuggled against his chest for warmth. He clutched her to him tighter and let out a ragged groan. The feel of her breasts against him nearly swept common sense out the window.

"Nik, lay her in bed and leave, I will take it from here." His feelings for the girl were more than evident. Some things were beyond even a good man to bear. And she had a feeling that Angel was that for him.

"Mom - "

"Nikyrian, now," she said softly, but firmly.

Nik reluctantly let go of his Angel. He knew his mother was right. Right now his need to make love to her eclipsed everything else. He laid her down; he could not keep his eyes from feasting on her. He brushed his palm over the tight tip of her nipple; it was an accident, of course, as he reached for her cheek. He touched his lips softly to hers and rose. He gave her one last look before exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

Kip couldn't help but notice the very evident bulge in his son's pants. "You've got it bad, don't you, son?" He wasn't quite sure what Angel felt for his son, but it had been evident for some time what his son felt for the young woman.

Nik rubbed his hands against his face; it was hard to look at his father, his eyes kept returning to her door. "Yes," he said letting out ragged breath, "bad. I want to marry her."

Kip's eyebrows rose. He knew his son had a reputation for playing fast and loose with the ladies and he had to wonder if he just wanted to girl because he couldn't have her. "Have you and she…"

"No! Not that I wouldn't in a heartbeat, but…no."

"Perhaps, you should. Maybe you'll get her out of your system or maybe it will put things in perspective."

"Damn it, dad!" He lowered his voice after the outburst. "Don't you ever talk about her that way!" he hissed. "If you weren't my father, I'd lay you out for saying that…I still might."

"Calm down, I just wanted get an idea of what you felt for the girl," Kip said with his hands raised in surrender.

He raked a trembling hand through his dark hair. "Then you should have just asked. I love her. Got it?"

Kip nodded. He suspected as much. "I'm all for the marriage, your mother and I are very fond of Angel. Does she know how you feel?"

Nik shook his head. "No, she's very skittish; I don't want to scare her off." A soft smile lit his face. "I did find out tonight that she is not immune to my charm. That will do for now."

Reena joined them in the hall. "Your father and I found out that very thing just a little while ago." She smacked her son upside the head. "What were you thinking having oral sex with her outside of Shelligan's? I know we raised you better than that!"

Nik's mouth dropped open. "What? Damn me. While I would very much love to lick every inch of that girl's body until she screams out my name when she climaxes, I sure as hell wouldn't do it lying on the ground in a parking lot! Come with me, I'll explain what happened tonight." He took a seat on a sofa in the sitting area outside the bedrooms. His eyes kept returning to her door.

"I think she's out for the night, now tell us your tale." Reena shot him a pointed look.

He did. He explained first about the man, Ripley Sinclair, at the bar, how Angel had responded to his kiss. Then he explained about the skycar. How he had broke his back, either from the initial hit or slamming into Shelligan's wall. How she had healed him by taking his injuries into herself. How he had felt seeing her lie there with her back broken…for him. How he'd learned that skin contact allowed her to heal faster. That's what he had been doing when they were seen. He even told them that she said she'd die for him without a thought.

Reena dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around her son. "We could have lost you tonight? You could have - " Tears poured down her cheeks.

"I'm fine, mom. My Angel saved me. I wouldn't have let her if I'd known what she was doing or how it would have affected her. She means more to me than my own life." He hugged his mother to him. "I asked her why she did it. She said my life was more important than hers. That I was the sole heir and if anything happened to you my people would need me. I told her that some things were more important than duty. She said not to make her one of those. It's too late to stop that from happening, mom. It's far too late."

Reena sat on the sofa beside her son and put her arm around him.

"We had the girl investigated, son," his dad said quietly.

"You did what?" He shrugged off his mom's arm and rose, glaring at his parents. He was furious on behalf of his Angel. "How dare you!"

"Nikyrian, she is living in our house, it was obvious you cared about her. Rest easy, we didn't find anything bad. In fact, we didn't find anything at all until she opened up to your mother and told her about her twin brother and how her adoptive parents were killed when they were nine. Her real name is Castaria Shepard-Anderson. Her brother's name is Castiel Shepard-Anderson. She'd been apparently living as a boy, a Cass Shepard, up until she met you. Probably to give her some protection against rape. She has a degree in combat engineering and she was working towards one in Biogenetics. I'm not sure how or why she changed her name, we could find nothing more on her. Her brother, apparently decided not to continue his schooling, but maybe he had to support them. In any event, he recently took over a local gang called the Tenth Streets Reds. Apparently, the crime rate has dropped since he assumed control and from what we can see he has taken to seeing after her urchins. He seems to be developing the reputation of being quite the asshole. But if being an asshole means turning a gang around and caring for your people, then the world needs more assholes."

"Why are you telling me all of that? It doesn't matter to me. Her past doesn't matter. I know who she is on a far deeper level than anything you've told me. She is the most giving, unselfish, caring woman I've ever met. She would do anything for anyone, no matter what it cost her."

"We know that, son. We love her too. But there is one thing you should know. She's only fourteen," Reena said gently.

"What? No! She does not act like a child. She doesn't look like one. She's not a child, regardless of what a piece of paper says. If she will have me, I intend to make her my wife." He would brook no arguments about it.

"If she will have you, then we will get you the special license. But until then, her age gives us the ability to adopt her. We want her to be a part of this family."

"You would make her my sister?" he asked in horror.

"I think we all know she would never be considered your sister and we would never refer to her as such, but she will be our daughter, one way or another."

"I working on it!," He said in exasperation. "Look, mom, she has a brother, I doubt she would ever let herself be adopted," he pointed out. He really wasn't thrilled by the whole adoption thing. He wanted her as part of his family, but he wanted her as his wife.

"We've already thought about that. We'll be adopting him too. If he wishes to come here and live, we would welcome him. If he doesn't, we will respect that. He seems to be doing good for his community. That can be difficult to walk away from. I know it still bothers Angel."

"They would both need to sign the contract, mother. You can't just adopt them without their consent." He paused for a minute. "Well, I guess you could, but you shouldn't."

Her mother flipped on her OT. Her fingers flew across the holokeyboard. "There. I'll be right back." She rushed into her room, grabbed a datapad and slipped into Angel's room. She returned to them with a big smile on her face. "All done. She's officially our daughter now, Kip. As far as Castiel goes, we'll forward his contract as soon as we find out where he lives. I suppose I could send a runner to the Red's base, but then again I might just pass it though without his signature. Either way, I consider them ours and I will set up an account for each of them."

He could see the joy written all over their faces. He knew they had wanted to have more children, but it hadn't worked out for them. He would love siblings…but, just not her. "Don't you think you should have asked them, mom? Don't they have the right to decide their own future? Their own name, for god's sake?"

She patted her son's arm. "I did ask her, honey. I told her what I wanted to happen, that I wanted her to belong to our family and she signed it of her own free will. Oh – his name is Castiel Shepard-Anderson-Stanton; hers is Castaria Angel Shepard-Anderson-Krios-Stanton. We didn't feel they should have to give up their names, it has been noted that they can use any name they choose. See? All good."

"Mom, she passed out from exhaustion, if she heard you at all, she probably didn't even know what you were saying or what she was signing." Did he really have to spell that out for her?

"It will all work out, Nik." Reena patted his arm. "You'll see."

"It had better. Because if you scare her off, so help me I will drop everything until I find her again."

Reena and Kip put their arms around each other and watched their son slip quietly into Angel's room.

"Do you think he will pick up the wooing pace now?"

"To get sister changed to wife?" Kip asked. "Absolutely."

"Good. Someone had to light a fire under his ass." She whispered something in her husband's ear and took off, Kip hot on her heels.

Nik pulled up a chair and sat next to her bed. He was still in awe over what she had done for him. He was just starting to nod off when he heard her thrashing about.

"No…Thane, I'm sorry…forgive meee." A sob tore out of her. "I left to protect you…don't go…don't leave me alone…I'm sorry…Nooo…nooo…" She began to sob quietly in her sleep.

Nik closed his eyes. The pain that gripped his heart was immense. But her pain tore at him as much as his own. He crawled into bed beside her and pulled her into his arms. "It will be okay, Angel. I won't leave you. You'll never be alone again."

She woke up sprawled over something warm and hard.

"Don't move!" he hissed. He had been making love to her in his dream and awoke with her atop him. He was so close to coming he could scream.

"What?" Her mind was still foggy from sleep and she couldn't quite get a grasp on what was happening. She tried to straighten herself out and something hard rubbed against her core, sending a bolt of pleasure through her.

"Oh, god, Angel." He cupped her ass and thrust against her as he came. He was powerless to stop until he was spent. He could feel the heat creep up in his cheeks as his head fell back against the pillow. He couldn't believe that happened. He was not some ignorant schoolboy. "I'm so sorry…and so mortified. Please…forgive me."

She blinked in confusion, none of this made much sense. "If I recall correctly, it is I that am on top of you, therefore I it is I that should be seeking forgiveness. Except, why are you here?"

"I only wanted to comfort you during your nightmare, but I apparently fell asleep. Let's just chalk this up to a mutual embarrassment and not talk about it again. I'm just sorry you didn't come." She slid off him and he rolled over on his side to see her better.

"Come where?"

"With me."

"Okay…come with you where?" she asked slowly.

He shook his head and chuckled. "I don't think you're quite awake yet, Angel." His hand slid down her belly, he moved aside the leg band of her panties and dipped his finger into her heat. He groaned. She was so wet and ready for him. He found the slightly roughed patch he was looking for and moved against it, his thumb caressed her clitoris. "Come, Angel…come."

It happened so quickly that she had been caught off guard. Her hips bucked against his hand and she cried out his name before moving away from him. "I can't," she said shakily. She felt guilty that her body had betrayed her heart. She watched him breath in the scent of her on his fingers. When he tasted them she grew wetter. "Why does that turn me on?" The heat of his eyes bore into her.

Oh god, did she have to ask that? "Because you want me to taste you as much as I need to taste you."

"Taste me? You can do that?" she asked breathlessly. She knew she'd done that for Thane, but she hadn't thought it could be done to her. They weren't exactly built the same. She felt so ignorant about this kind of stuff.

He groaned at her words. "You can't begin to know how much I need to taste you, Angel. If you will let me, I will move the heavens for you," he whispered into her ear. His tongue trailed the shell of her ear, his teeth grazed her lobe. He felt her shiver in response. His hand slid under her shirt to cup her breast. His thumb caressed the stiff peak. His mouth captured her nipple through her t-shirt. She arched against him. Her moans about did him in. "Will you let me taste you, Angel?" he asked softly. He knew the moment the words were out of his mouth that he'd lost her.

"I can't." She moved away from him and sat up.

He closed his eyes and took a deep, ragged breath. "I won't do anything you don't want me to, Angel. But can you tell me why not?"

"I have nothing to offer you, Nik. I pledged myself to another."

Ouch. His heart felt like it had been ripped to shreds. "Are you married?" He could barely get the words out.

She shook her head. "No, but I gave him my heart. I will always belong to him. I have nothing left to offer, I'm…I'm sorry, Nik."

"Thane?" he asked somberly.

She looked at him in surprise. "Yes. How did you know?"

"Your nightmare. You said his name. Did he leave you?"

She shook her head. "No. I left him and my brother…to protect them."

"From what?" What could be so bad that she had to leave behind the people she loved?

"I - " She sighed. "I guess you need to know. Back on Earth one of the gangs had a child sex slave ring. The agents were all stuck outside trying to come up with a plan, because the children had been taken hostage. I told the agent in charge that I was going in and that I would get the children out safely. I entered through a vent shaft on the roof and took out the gang members inside. If I could have saved the children without their deaths, I would have. But they didn't leave me a choice. Inside I discovered a datapad with an undercover federal agent's name and picture. She was among the dead. I'd killed her. It didn't matter that I didn't know, that the lead agent didn't know she was still there. I'd have been tried and executed the same day. I had to leave behind everything…everyone. Anyone caught aiding or housing me would have been shot on sight, as I would be."

"You're not on Earth anymore. You're safe now."

She just blinked. That statement was so far off the mark, it didn't even hit the side of the barn. She shook her head. "I will never be safe, Nik."

"But you are. My parents love you very much. When they found out your age, they adopted you…and your brother. You are the Princess of Mindoir now. You have diplomatic immunity."

She was floored. This couldn't be happening. No. She would not bring harm to these people. "Adopted us, but how? That doesn't make sense. Wouldn't they need our names? Our consent?"

"Believe me; I brought up the same thing. And technically, no. They are royalty. They can do what they want. But you did give her consent last night. You are a rightful heir now, Castaria Shepard-Anderson-Krios-Stanton."

"Oh my god." She put her hand to her head and rubbed it. The implications were overwhelming. "I'm your…sister?"

His heart clenched. For a moment he felt like he would throw up. "Absolutely and irrevocably, NO!" he said with a shudder. "You might be their daughter, but you will NEVER be my sister."

She shook her head, her eyes wide with fear. "I have to stop this." She gripped his arm tightly. "They need to know the truth. I can't be a part of your family. It's too dangerous."

"It's too late to stop it, Angel. It's already done. And they won't care. You're their daughter." Fear tore at him. It felt as though he was losing her. "Aren't you happy here?"

Her eyes swam with unshed tears. "Of course, I'm happy here. I love them...I love my friends."

His hand settled over hers. "Do you love me?" he asked holding his breath.

She turned away, unable to look at him. "I can't give you what you want, Nik. You deserve to have a woman that loves you with all her heart."

"Why don't you let me decide what I deserve, what I can live with? And you didn't answer my question." He took her chin and turned her face to his. "Do you love me, Angel?" He could see the anguish in her eyes. He knew she didn't want to love him, but he also knew that she did anyway.

"Don't make me answer that, Nik. I won't betray him."

His thumb skimmed her cheek. "I know you love me, Angel. I can see it in your eyes. I can feel it in your response to me. A heart is big enough to hold a lot of love, Angel." His thumb swept away a loan tear that slipped down her cheek. "Do you think you will ever see him again?"

"No. It's a big galaxy and he is but one man. He is probably looking for me; he said he would always come for me. But, eventually he will have to give up. He is good at disappearing. And no, I don't think I will ever see him again." Her shoulders straightened with resolve. "That is for the best. I will protect him." She knew she was hurting him and that tore at her. She wasn't sure if she was crying for what she lost or the pain she was causing him. Perhaps, both.

Nik wiped the tears from her cheek. "Could you be happy here with me?"

"Honestly? Probably. Yes. But that's not the point. That life is lost to me, Nik. I will never be able to marry…to have a family. Some dreams are not mine to have. Eventually, they will come here and I will be forced to run again. That is all that my life can be now."

He shook his head. "You have diplomatic immunity. You are safe."

"I might have it now, but I didn't then. I will never be safe. Can't you see that?" she implored him.

"No, Angel. You are Royalty now. You don't ever have to run. My parents, they will protect you."

"No! I will not let them go to war for me. I will not let anyone die for me. If they come, I will run. It's not up for debate."

"Do you think your running will stop them from protecting you? Stop me? It won't. They would go to war, if they had to, whether you were here or not. And so would I. We love you and we will protect you. That is just something you are going to have to accept."

"Damn it, Nik!" she said shoving at his broad chest. "How am I supposed to protect you if you won't let me?"

"You can't protect everyone, Angel! No one can. We love you, Angel. Deal with it." He paused for a moment. He loved her, but he would let her go if he had to. "Look, if you want to build a life with Thane, I will step aside. But, if you don't build a life with him, I want you to build one with me. I know I can make you happy, Angel…if you give me the chance."

"I never doubted that, Nik. But - "

He placed a finger against her lips. "I'm not looking for an answer right now. I'll wait as long as it takes. I love you, Angel. I won't hide that anymore. But I also won't let you run from it just because it scares you. If you run, I will follow. No more running, Angel. Whether you choose to be my wife or not you have a home here."

Fine. She wouldn't run then. She would not let him forsake his duty for her. If they show up, she'll turn herself in. She'll protect them one way or another. "Then I better see about making this place safer."

He couldn't help the smile that spread over his face. She was staying. The first obstacle had been dealt with. Let the wooing begin. "I hope you know, we have state of the art - " At her droll look he cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm a combat engineer, Nik. I know what I'm doing. Your defenses are lacking and you have no planet wide offensive measures."

"We're a farming planet, Angel. We're hardly in need of that kind of equipment. Who would give enough of a damn about us to attack us?" he pointed out.

"Well," she said haughtily, standing up. "I'm a Princess now and if we have the money to see to our people's safety, then I'm damn well going to do it." Then she frowned and looked back at him. "Do we? Have the money, that is?"

"Yes," he laughed. "We most certainly do, Princess. Protect our people to your heart's content." His parents won't know what hit them. He rolled out of her bed and swatted her on the ass. Well, it had been meant to be a swat, but ended up more a caress. She jumped all the same. "I need to go get cleaned up, then we'll get some breakfast…unless, you want to head down there now."

"I'll head down and see about cooking something up."

They ran into their parents on the way out of her room. Kip and Reena were slightly flushed and looking rather guilty, but managed to shoot the kids knowing looks anyway.

"Yes, she knows everything. And no, it's not what you think. She's still a virgin." Nik told them unceremoniously.

When she decked him in the arm, he rubbed the sore spot. "What? You know they were thinking it."

"Well, you can't blame a mom for wishful thinking. Welcome to the family, Angel." They both kissed and hugged her and then stood back looking at her and then their son and then back to her.

"I am most definitely still a virgin," she said flushing.

"Sure," Nik said rolling his eyes, "rub it in."

"No," Angel said impishly, "I think it is better if you wash it off." She laughed when Nik's jaw dropped and he flushed brighter red than her. Serves him right.

"Yes, ummm…I'll get right on that," he said before disappearing into his room.

Kip high-fived her. "Good show, Angel!"

"Speaking of shows, Kip…isn't there something you were going to show me?" Reena asked saucily.

"Yes, ummm. I'll get right on that."

"I do believe I will be getting right on that," Reena corrected. "We'll see you kids at lunch time!"

"Oh, you are so wicked," Kip said as he closed the door behind them.

Castaria couldn't help but laugh. As much as she would always love the Andersons, she couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like to grow up with such outrageously, lovable parents. She went down to the kitchen and began to whip up French toast.

-BREAK FOUR-

Castiel had been correct. When the second head of the Reds' fell, they had no problem with him stepping in to take control. He'd have assumed control either way, but it was better this way. A battle would have cost him a lot of men. This was his show now and he ruled them with an iron fist; he had to if he wanted to be taken seriously. The changes he began to implement were subtle at first.

Trent had shown up at the Reds' base, he had hoped he would. He made the man feel as comfortable as possible and he'd decided to join so long as Castiel remained in charge. Castiel and several other Reds joined together to give Trent's new home a much needed overhaul.

Trent Stevens and Marko Laden became his closest and most trusted allies. He explained to them the direction he was slowly manipulating the Reds into. Within a few months most of their illegal activities had been laid to rest. They began cleaning up their territory, collecting things that had been thrown away and using the parts to create working items they could sell or donate to those in need. They did not operate strictly above board; they stole from the corrupt and gave to the poor. Marko and Trent were joint keys to their success in that venture. They worked well together as a team. He sent out patrols day and night to protect their territory. The Reds' began to pitch in and help urchins in any way they could, from feeding them to housing them and even helping them find work if possible. If any Reds member was caught doing something reprehensible he or she was dealt with harshly.

At first Castiel spied on his own men at night, as NightStar, to make sure they were behaving in the manner that he saw fit for the Reds. When he weeded out those that refused to adhere to his terms he felt more comfortable branching out into the Wolves and Hounds territory. NightStar would always be needed there.

Women began throwing themselves at him since he took over and what the hell. They were a fun diversion. He was careful to always spray on protection. He didn't want an STD and he didn't need to populate his territory with bastards. He was just thankful the shit washed off in the shower. No fuss, no muss.

He still worried about his sister and missed her madly, but he had discovered a strength in himself, since she left, that he hadn't known he had. She had left everything in his lap and he had risen above it. He might miss her, She'd left a hole in his heart, but he no longer needed her. He could stand on his own feet now.

-BREAK FIVE-

A half hour later Nik joined her in the kitchen.

"Cooking for a small army, Angel?" he said noticing the heaps of food. "But, damn me it smells like heaven."

She handed him a plate and he looked down at the berry smiley face. "A smile good enough to eat."

She gave him a corny look. "Well, I hope so. I wanted you to eat it."

Nik's eyes fell to the apex of her thighs, he unconsciously licked his lips.

"Nik!" she admonished.

He looked up at her eyes and flushed. "You can't blame a man if his mind…wanders. I can't help it, you know? I want to eat you, Angel. I want to lick every inch of your body," he said waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Damn the man for making her want just that. "Eat the food on your plate, Nik…before you find yourself wearing it."

"Okay…okay….for now."

They were just cleaning up at the sink, having a hip bump fight when their mom came in. "I could smell that coming down the hall. It smells wonderful, Angel," she said giving them each a kiss.

Kip walked into the room and pulled his wife in for a scorching kiss of his own. He then pulled each of his children in for a hug.

Nik gave his parents a knowing look. "Angel said we weren't going to see you until lunch?"

The look his mom and dad gave each other would have melted ice. His dad smiled. "That was the plan…but we worked up an appetite that love alone couldn't satisfy." Their mom ran her hands down his back and squeezed his ass. "Woman, we need to eat or I won't have the energy to keep up with you."

"We can't have that. Then again," his mother said seductively," you can just lay there and I'll do all the work." His father groaned and whispered into her ear.

His mother moaned and arched into him. "Then by all means, let's eat first."

After breakfast their parents made a mad dash to their bedroom.

She and Nik looked at each other and laughed.

She took his hand and led him to the fitness room.

"You want to work out?" he asked incredulously.

"No, but I need to."

He helped her with her stretches and watched her as she began her routine over the uneven bars. He knew he should work out too, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her. It was seductive the way she flowed over the bars. When she spread her legs and jumped for the lower bar he swallowed his tongue.

He watched as she mounted the beam. Balanced atop the beam she raised the shirt and knotted it around her waist. Dear god, she was going to kill him. He dropped to the mat and put his hands under his thighs. He wanted nothing more than to pull her down and make love to her. But he respected her need to work out her feelings no matter what it did to him. He'd come to love watching her work out but it had always left him hard and aching. When she dismounted the beam, she unknotted her shirt, drew on microfoam guards and tossed him a set. "Show me your moves, big guy."

"I've been trying to show you my moves…"

"Those are not the moves I was referring to. Let's dance."

"Dancing in the sheets is much more fun, Angel," he said seductively.

At her chuckle he rushed her and the match began. Agility was her saving grace. Fast blows with even faster retreats were the only thing keeping her on her feet. He was a mountain of a man and tossing him to the mats was a monumental feat. Tossing her to the mats would be easy for him… if he could catch her. They were both getting winded, but she wasn't ready to give it up yet. She ran towards him, jumped and aimed a two footed kick at his chest, when it connected she pushed off his chest, sent him stumbling backwards, dropped down to her hands to flip away. She was stunned to be sans shirt when she was back on her feet. She had forgotten that she was not in her standard workout gear and the over sized shirt had slipped down when she was inverted. She eyed the shirt, debating if she would reach it before he did. Then her eyes went to Nik's; the heat of his gaze bore into her.

He pulled off the foamguards and rushed her. She blinked, pulled her own off and ran towards him, when his arms went up she placed one hand on his arm, the other on his shoulder, pushed off, spread her legs, wrapped them around his neck and twisted her body as she fell. She gave a slight pull with her biotics, because she didn't want to break his neck. He flipped over, landing solidly on his back, her thighs still squeezing his neck.

"You cheated…you used your biotics."

"Would you rather have broken your neck?"

"Touché. Point taken. I never would have thought a small girl like you could take me down."

"Never underestimate your competition." Her hand stretched out reaching for her shirt, but it was too far away.

Nik turned his head, his mouth brushed her panties. Sweet god, she could throw him on his ass anytime. He turned his body, gripped her hips and breathed hot air against her, before his tongue ran along the interior leg band of her panties. Her thighs loosened their grip and she cried out something incoherent. His thumb slid the material aside and his tongue slipped through her damp folds to attack her swelling clitoris. Her hips moved against him as his tongue brought her closer to release. When he knew she'd passed the point of trying to escape he released her hip and slowly slid his finger into her wet heat. She was so tight. He groaned when he felt her muscles squeeze him. He found the spot quickly this time. He'd also discovered that her hymen was recessed farther than he'd anticipated. If he was careful, he could make love to her without taking her virginity. If she trusted him enough to let him.

Castaria's body was spinning out of control. She was beyond being able to think and she was terrified. She came up on her elbows and looked down at him. "Oh my god, why does it turn me on to watch you do that?" Nik's chuckle vibrated against her. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as her world started to spin again. "Nik! What's happening to me?"

Nik slipped the panties quickly down her legs, his mouth not leaving her, not giving her time to stop feeling what he was doing. With the panties off, his thumb replaced his mouth, increasing his movement against the swollen nub. "Just let go, Angel. Relax and let go. I'll catch you." He lowered his mouth back to her, wrapped his lips around her clitoris and suckled it gently. Her keening cries were music to his ears. When he felt her body stiffen, his tongue danced more aggressively against her. He felt her fingers run through his hair, before clamping onto his head, holding him tightly to her, a sweet prisoner. She cried out with the force of her release. He continued to move against her and within her, prolonging her orgasm. He felt his testicles begin to tighten and knew he was going to lose it again. When her thighs and arms fell open he lowered his shorts, kicked them off and licked and kissed his way up her body. His mouth closed over her puckered nipple. He grazed his teeth over it before suckling the tip. She groaned, her hips bucking against him. "Let me make love to you, Angel." He rubbed himself against her cleft, coating himself with her essence. He was so close to coming that he was shaking trying to hold it back.

Her body was thrumming with aftershocks, it rocked against him craving something more, but she couldn't give him her virginity. She wasn't ready, she might never be. "I'm sorry; I don't want to lose my virginity. I'm not ready for that."

"Don't ever be sorry for that, Angel. I would never take your virginity without you wanting me to. I can still make love to you without taking it, when you're ready."

"I can't make…promises," she gasped and continued to rock against him. She needed something, she didn't know what it was, but it was clawing at her. "Niiiik…" she cried out his name in desperation.

He couldn't know the future. If she would be his wife, if they'd be friends with benefits or if this was to be his only time with her, but he knew there could be no other outcome. He was finally going to make love to his Angel. "I'll take care of you, Angel. Please trust me."

He rocked against her until her moisture coated him completely. He slowly slid into her. Sweet god, he wanted to scream. She was so tight, so hot, so wet. He could feel her stretch around him, her muscles squeezing him. He came to a stop when he felt the tiny barrier. Every part of him wanted to bury himself deep, but he couldn't do that to her. He wrapped his hand around himself to keep from penetrating her too deeply. He moved slowly within her at first, giving her body time to adjust to him. When she started to move against him, he thrust into her harder and faster.

He suckled her breasts before he claimed her lips. His tongue swept into her mouth with playful flicks before the kiss turned more demanding. He felt her body begin to tense, her soft moans drove him wild. He grew thicker and heavier as his own release grew close. "Come for me, Angel," he said, gritting his teeth to keep from coming. When she stiffened her muscles grabbed him tight as any fist. "Oh, sweet god."

She locked her legs around him and yelled out with the force of her climax. She rode him so hard he thought he'd die. He tried to pull out, but her legs had imprisoned him. White hot pleasure tore through him as he came inside of her. He bucked against her releasing more and more of himself, until he was wrung dry. He released himself, cradled her face and claimed her mouth. She trailed her hands up his back and locked her arms around his neck. He moved within her gently, bumping against her barrier, but careful not to pierce it. He groaned at how good she felt, her sheath hugging him as tightly as her arms. He looked down at her, his hand stroking her face. No one had ever affected him the way she did. He was no stranger to sex, but he'd never felt anything like that before. "I love you. Sweet god, there is nothing I wouldn't do for you." He saw sadness in her eyes, but also love and contentment. When she opened her mouth he placed a finger against her lips. "It's okay, Angel. I know you love me, it is enough for now." He claimed her lips once more, in a tender kiss and then rolled them over so that she was on top of him.

She yelped when he grabbed her hips and pulled her up his chest. She sat up to try to gain some balance and he gave her a wicked grin. Another tug and she was straddling his face, his lips and tongue dancing over her heated flesh. She groaned as pleasure lit her nerve endings. "Oh, sweet mother of all gods…." His answering chuckle vibrated her core. He rubbed his stubble against her and then his tongue and lips resumed their deep strokes. His hands slid up her legs to her hips and pulled her tighter against his mouth. She cried out and her hips began to move. She rode his mouth as the pressure built up inside of her. "Oh god, Nik. I'm going to come." His mouth and tongue became more aggressive. She arched her back and screamed when she came. But he didn't let up. He dug into her hips and rocked her harder against him until she came again. "Are you trying to kill me?" she gasped.

"Just making damn sure you won't ever forget me. Ride me, Angel," his husky voice implored her. He needed her to make this move.

She lowered herself down his body, raised herself on her knees and sank down upon him until she came into contact with his hand. She began to move uncertainly. Something rubbed against her clitoris. She looked down and saw that he'd put his thumb out and every time she descended on him it rubbed her deliciously. God love the man, he was so bloody thoughtful.

He was so spellbound, watching her breasts sway as she rode him. His hips began to rock into her taking over the pace. She fell forward onto his chest, riding his thumb as he thrust into her with powerful strokes. She nipped his ribs and soothed the bite with her tongue. She trailed her tongue up to his nipple and flicked it. She drew the flat nipple into her mouth. He slammed into her harder as she suckled it. She put her hands on his chest and pushed herself back onto her knees, she looked down into his dark blue eyes as she came. He watched her face as she climaxed and felt her muscles tighten around him; it pushed him over the edge. He let out a hoarse cry as he emptied himself into her.

After lunch she hopped her glider to the hospital for her weekend rounds. She couldn't help but feel guilty about what she and Nik had shared. If her life could have been what she wanted, Thane would have been the one to teach her what her body needed, she'd have married him and grown old with him. But it didn't matter how much she loved him, she knew she would never see him again and that's the way it had to be. But what right did she have to give Nik less than he deserved, even if he thought he wanted it? It wasn't fair to him, it wasn't fair to her and it wasn't fair to Thane. It hadn't been fair to Thomas and Cora Anderson, or to any of those she hadn't been able to save. Life…it was fickle bitch, but it was never fair.

She slipped her helmet under the seat, patted her hair, straightened her wrinkled clothing and stepped through the hospital's front door with a bright, cheery smile. She helped feed and clean the patients; she healed a few minor wounds, turned in her scrubs and returned home. She and Reena were just about finished making dinner when Kip walked in with some news.

There was a classified emergency and the Alliance had reinstated Nik to active duty. In fact, they were sending him to Special Forces training. Where he was going was classified and contact would be infrequent, if at all… It could take up to two years to complete the training and mission he'd been assigned to. Two years without her best friend. After dinner she helped him pack up. He seemed to spend more time kissing her than packing. The silence sat heavy in the ride to the spaceport.

She stared out the giant windows of the spaceport while Reena and Kip made their goodbyes to their son. She closed her eyes when she felt his arms go around her and his head settle on top of hers. She turned around and buried her face in his chest. "I'm going to get your uniform all wet."

"Then it will be a part of you that I can take with me." He took her hand and slipped his academy ring on her thumb. "Don't worry, I'm not proposing yet. Though I would if you let me. I just want you to have a part of me to keep with you." He lifted her off her feet and crushed her to his chest. "Sweet god, I'm going to miss you." Her kiss was so tender it took everything out of him to pull away. He'd heard the final call, he had to go. And leaving her was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do.

She slid down his body. She ran her hand down the hard length of him and squeezed. He grunted in response. "I do love you, Nikyrian. I couldn't let you leave without…" her words trailed off.

He knew what it cost her to say those words and it made them even more precious to him. "And I love you, Angel. Always." He gave her a quick kiss, picked up his bag and walked out of her life.

She spent her days teaching the biotics kids, her evenings with her friends, her nights with her parents and then fell asleep exhausted.

-BREAK SIX-

Ripley had originally been furious when he'd seen both their bodies lying on the ground after he'd hit the big man with his skycar. The next day came and there were no reports of the attack. There was, however a rumor that the couple had been seen having oral sex outside Shelligan's. That didn't make a bit of sense, but she was still alive and that was all that mattered. That the man was still alive meant little, he'd been called back to active duty and she had been left alone. Time to put his plans into action. It wouldn't be long now.

Her new parents went over their business dealings, taught her everything they could about their businesses and royal ambassadorial procedures. They also saw to it that she got her captain's license. They needed her to take over Nik's duties while he was away. Angel also began implementing defense strategies for Mindoir. She discussed them thoroughly with her new parents. If they thought she was going overboard, they never so much as said a word. She wanted anti-aircraft defense turrets set up at key locations around the planet. Every home and business was to be given funding and required to build underground safe-rooms. The rooms were state of the art. They would be unscannable. Schools and businesses were also required to have basic self-defense courses. For this her parents reached out to Teiner tech. Now they were only waiting for parts to be brought.

She sent frequent encrypted messages to Castiel letting him know she was okay and missed him, but could say little else. She didn't want to endanger him or the life she was trying to build here. She slipped back into her nightsuit. It had been sometime since she had done so. There was little need here. But she did like to check in with Cole once in awhile.

"About time you checked in, NightStar. The Earth you is quite the character. I missed seeing your face – er, hearing your voice – ummm, your winning personality."

"Third time's the charm, Cole. How'd you know it wasn't me?"

"Earth you isn't anything like you. He takes contracts without investigating them, which, by the way, I've taken to investigating for him before offering them. I knew you wouldn't want him running off icing everybody in sight."

Relief flooded through her. "Thank you for that, Cole. No, I wouldn't want that. Glad you're taking care of him."

"Yeah, didn't take me long to realize Earth you and Mindoir you weren't the same NightStar. Earth you is a bit of A dick, to be honest. But, he gets the job done."

Her brother a dick? That didn't sound like him.

"Plus, he marks his kills differently. He puts a NS brand on their faces. A bit gruesome, but at least he's keeping up with your tradition. Now, for the reason I commed you. There's a contract on a rapist-murderer in your neck of the woods. His name is Roger Smith, but he is currently going by - "

"Ripley Sinclair. I've had the pleasure of meeting him."

"Pleasure in deed; it's a good thing you're a guy he only attacks women. No one he's attacked has survived thus far. He usually incapacitates the women before he takes them. Their bodies are found horribly mutilated. He probably could have stayed off the radar if he'd permanently disposed of the bodies, but he wanted them found. He's rather daring and doesn't much care who sees him. He mowed his last victim down in a skycar, before nabbing her, in plain sight of several people. I'm sending over the information I have on him."

"Thank you, Cole. And I'll be taking the contract. The asshole mowed down someone I know. I suspect he's after…a friend of mine. He confronted her at a bar. He's not what I expected for a killer, to be honest, though he did rub me the wrong way."

"He's a dashing and charming man when he's not a murdering psychopath. He is known for soliciting his victims first. If they agree to have sex with them, he doesn't kill them. He only targets the women that refuse his advances. As far as we can ascertain, no one has ever survived a refusal. So, if he's after your friend you better keep close tabs on her."

"Duly noted. Thanks for all the information. On him and the other me." Cole had always been there for her. She knew he cared about her, had since she was a child. But she also knew he'd never admit it. He didn't have to, she didn't need to hear the words. He had been there and guided her when she had no one else to turn to as a child. To NightStar, he was a father figure.

"Check in more often, NightStar." Her long periods of silence always worried him.

"I'll do that, Cole. Thanks again. NightStar out." She flipped off her OT. Damn it! Nik was attacked because of her. Taking out Roger/Ripley was going to be a pleasure. Hopefully, if he's after her, he won't be attacking any other women just yet. Finding him could be a bitch. The easiest way might be to make herself bait. He's cocky enough that he might just return to the scene of the crime looking for her. She slipped out of her suit and into a dress. Guess she'd be spending a lot more time at Shelligan's. She surprised her friends by hanging out at the pub with them every night. She knew all her friends believed she and Nik were an item and she'd done nothing to dispel the belief. Even with him gone, it made things easier for her. She was worried her new status might bring the vultures out of the woodwork, but it seemed very few wanted to risk Nik's wrath by messing with his girl.

She ignored the looks and catcalls as she made her way to the back of Shelligan's . She plopped down in a chair next to Trina. She noticed the possessive arm Carson had around her. "You finally managed to nab Carson?"

Trina blushed. "I think he nabbed me."

"About time you two!" she said, shooting them a big smile. Her friends just stared at her a moment before laughing.

Jensie leaned over past Carson so she didn't have to yell. "Have you heard from him since he left?"

She closed her eyes, fighting to keep the tears and the pain at bay. "No,' she said past the painful lump in her throat.

"But it's been…"

"I know…four months. Not a word. But at least we haven't received word that anything…happened," she said, absently twirling the ring around her thumb. That was a fear she and her parents lived with every day of their lives.

Trina grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry, Angel. I know how close the two of you were. Look, we're heading over to Raider's tonight; I think you ought to come with us."

She appreciated their concern and loved them for it, but she just wasn't up to going to a place like Raider's. It was definitely a place you did not go home alone from. Unless you went there with someone you were a prime pick-up target. "I'm not up to Raider's." She squeezed Trina's hand. "Don't you worry. When I am, I'll let you know," she said with a wink.

On her way out of Shelligan's a hand on her arm stopped her.

"Hey, Angel. How about a turn on the dance floor?" His other hand fell to her ass, pulling her into him.

"Let go of me, Rinks," she said coldly.

"Ah, come on. Be sweet to old Rinks…Angel."

His breath damn near gagged her. He was way too drunk and way too old. "I won't tell you again, Rinks."

Yarl, Briton and Carson rose from their chairs. The girls grabbed their arms and pulled them back down. They shook their heads and pointed at Angel.

When his hand squeezed her breast she lost it. She stomped down on his instep, causing him to stumble back and sent a wave of energy at him that tumbled him onto his ass. "When a girl tells you no, Rinks…she means NO."

She looked up when she heard clapping. Her friends were cheering her on. She waved at them and stepped out into the night. She made her way to Nik's glider. She looked at the two helmets nestled inside the seat and slid Nik's over her head. She needed to feel closer to him. She pulled on a pair of gloves to protect her hands. The handles on Nik's glider were larger than and not as smooth as her own handles and tended to chafe her skin.

A shot rang out, her hand grabbed for the dart in her shoulder and the world went black.

Her body processed through medications quickly, and she awoke to a gentle sway that rocked her body. As her mind came back into focus, she realized she was in the back of a skycar. Her hands were holocuffed behind her back, her feet holocuffed together and oddly her helmet was still on. Apparently, the bait thing worked a little too well. Though she hadn't expected to be caught off guard. Unfortunately, for him, she wasn't as helpless as he thought she'd be. She knew movement or amping her powers would alert him that she was awake, so she only had one chance to catch him unaware.

With her hands bound she was incapable of fine focus, so she needed something broad. She amped and released a Reave wave. He had swung his dart gun around before the wave hit him; the gun toppled from his fingers, his body folded in upon itself and then sprang open. A wave of protection came back at her. She amped her powers again, pulling in more and more energy until the cuffs winked out.

The car was falling fast, perhaps if she'd thought things through she'd have waiting until they landed before taking him on, but what was done was done. She raised her hand and moved the body into the passenger seat. She climbed into the driver's seat; her hands flew over the holocontrols and righted the car's trajectory. And not a moment too soon. She whipped it around the building and returned to Shelligan's. She parked behind the pub, because the parking lot still had too much activity. She reached back for her shoes and slipped out of the car on shaky legs. She used her power to put the man back in the driver's seat. She withdrew the film encased flower she'd hidden below her breasts ever since she decided she was to be bait and shook it out over the body. She left the door ajar and returned to her glider. She tossed her shoes into the seat storage and headed home. All in a day's work. It may not have gone as she'd planned, but the contract had been fulfilled and no other women would be tortured and killed for saying 'no'.

She flew the glider into the bay and trudged up the stairs to her room. She bounced a comm to Cole, slipped naked into bed until thoughts of her brother, Nik and Thane lulled her to sleep.

-BREAK SEVEN-

School training shut down for harvest season, so she was no longer needed to teach until it resumed. Timing couldn't have been better. For the past few weeks she'd been working with Talyn Nikyrian Teiner, known as Nik, the owner of Teiner Tech to set up the protective measures for Mindoir. She was surprised to see that he was a drell – as large as Nik and as baby blue as the sky.

At first Nik had been very proper, coldly businesslike and teaching the man to loosen up had become as much a priority as protecting Mindoir. She'd grown comfortable with her family's outgoing openness and his initial standoffish conservative behavior placed a bullseye on his chest. The man just needed to try to learn to find some enjoyment in his life.

The only downside was that a couple of weeks after he showed up her parents hopped the Whirlwind to shore up a shaky trade agreement. Another company was threatening to woo their client away and since she was busy on the defense system they chose to go instead. Thankfully, work kept her busy and his company kept her from getting lonely.

During their downtime, instead of letting him run off to his room she spent time with him just talking, playing games and vids, even pushed him into playing a few vid games with her. He eventually began to unwind and she enjoyed seeing him smile or laugh. She could tell he did not have much fun in his life. And helping him helped her. It got her mind off what she lost and gave her something to focus on.

Nikyrian had never known a family like the Stantons. He'd talked with them a few times, met with them a few times, but never spent time to really get to know them. Not like this. At first he felt like he was drowning in an atmosphere he hadn't been prepared for, but their outgoing, easy acceptance eventually began to take its toll on him. When her parents left he realized he would miss them and that surprised him. He also discovered that the only thing that changed was that Angel had more time to spend with him. Unlike him, she was obviously not used to being alone.

He enjoyed setting up the planet's defenses with her. She was a knowledgeable woman and knew what she wanted. But she was also willing to debate matters with him and if she found his reasoning acceptable, she would give into him. She was no spoiled princess, she was willing to look at things another way and admit if it she was wrong. If she wasn't a princess he would have asked her to come work for him.

Angel, herself, was more breathtaking than he could have imagined, but that wasn't what drew him to her. Perhaps, initially it had been her beauty, he would admit that to himself, but it was her quick-thinking, agile mind that made him see her in a different light. She had an inner strength and confidence combined with a warm and generous heart. He saw that in how she treated the townspeople whenever they had to go to Maplecrest.

He didn't want to care, he'd never cared about any woman…refused to let anyone get close to him. Not because he'd ever been hurt, he hadn't. But he knew women looked at him and saw his money. He wasn't interested in pretty lies from pretty lips. Angel, however, was not like that. She didn't need or care about his success and his wealth. She just wanted his companionship. Acceptance – not expectations.

Little by little, as the weeks passed, she slid under his skin and into his heart. It wasn't even something he could fight. He hadn't known it was happening until it was too late. He wanted her, but not in a love her and leave her sort of way. And that's when he decided to start wooing her, finding reasons to see her, be near her. Accidental touches became friendly touches. Friendly banter became lightly flirting. If he started to sweat, he'd remove his shirt while he worked. It warmed his heart when he caught her looks. Looks that told him she wasn't immune to him. He didn't want her to think she was just another woman to him, so he was taking his time. He wanted her to want him as badly as he wanted her.

A spray of leaves showered him, breaking his train of thought. The clean yard they'd been raking now littered with leaves once more. Angel's head peeked out from the pile of leaves with a wicked grin. "You realize we now have to rake some more?" he asked biting back his own grin.

"And that's precisely what makes it irresistible to me…because I shouldn't do it." She rose from the pile and shook the leaves off of her. "It's like seeing a big red button and knowing you shouldn't push it, but also knowing you will anyway and you'll deal with the consequences later."

He chuckled. "Remind me not to let you into my lab."

"Oh, hush. You know that I know what I'm doing." she said, swatting his chest. She watched her fingers slide over his muscles and froze, her breath catching in her throat.

His heart started slamming in his chest at her touch. She was a woman that liked to touch as much as he liked to feel it. Usually her touches would graze his hands, his arms or his back, just as his had. The last couple of weeks he touched her at the slightest opportunity. It might have started off as intentional; to woo her into desiring his touch, but now it was natural. This was, however, the first time she'd touched his bare chest of her own accord. He took a step closer and plucked a few leaves from her hair. "You missed some," he said, his voice huskier than he'd intended. He was helpless to stop his body from responding to her pheromones.

His deep, gravely voice sent shivers down her spine. Her other hand rose to his chest, her fingertips caressing the texture of his skin. She blinked, unaware that she'd been doing that, and then grinned. Her foot snaked behind his and she gave a hard shove to topple him back into the pile of leaves. She gave a yelp when he grabbed her and they both tumbled into the pile. With a quick turn she was pinned beneath him. She could feel the warmth of his breath fanning across her lips. Her gaze lowered to his parted lips. A part of her wanted to push that red button. But she couldn't. He'd be gone from her life just like everyone else. Gone, but safe.

The soft press of her curves ignited him and for once he was glad for his height. His arousal was buried in leaves instead of against her heat. He waited a moment to see if she would encourage him to kiss or even take the next step herself, but her gaze only lingered on his lips. He sighed. Soon. "Did you learn your lesson?" he teased.

"Never!" She taunted with a grin, relieved that he'd broken the tension between them.

He smiled back. "You will." He rose from the pile and helped her up. Her breasts brushed against his chest and he released a breath. He cleared his throat and then grabbed the rakes, pointedly handing one to her. When they were done he leaned on the rake. "Do you intend to demolish that pile again?"

"Maybe later," she said with a grin.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe later, I'll help you with that."

She laughed. "Deal!"

He liked to hear her laugh. "Let's go out for dinner tonight, get away from the house for awhile."

Her golden brows rose in surprise. "Oh, yes! Italian! Angelino's is at the mall – if you like Italian? And then maybe Raiders?" She'd not been able to bring herself to go back to Shelligan's.

He'd be willing to eat at a slop house if that would make her happy. But, thankfully, he'd learned to appreciate Italian. "I've developed a taste for Italian. But I don't know what Raiders is."

She frowned. "It's one of the clubs, I sometimes go to with my friends. Dancing, darts, drinks, and a mechanical bull. You..uhh – it's not really the type of place you'd be caught going to."

He tilted his head. "Why, because it's not the Blue Diamond? I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, Angel. Angelino's then Raiders. "

"Yay!" she said, excitement sparkling in her gold rimmed brown eyes. She would make sure to let her friends know so they could meet up. She jumped up to hug him. When he caught her she locked her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She rubbed her cheek against the soft folds of his. "Thank you," she murmured. She pulled back to graze her lips over his and froze. Her eyes dropped to his mouth. "Nik…" she said softly in little more than a breath.

His arms tightened around her. She was scenting again and it was all he could do to keep from kissing her. If he did, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop - and he wanted this night with her. "Angel…" he answered in a strangled voice, as he tried desperately to tighten his throat and stop the notes that slipped out.

"Ki-" she stilled when she felt the soft vibrations. Her hand rose to the spines on his head and applied gentle pressure to turn it. Since there wasn't room for her cheek, she placed her lips against the soft folds of his throat to feel the vibrations. Her fingertips played along the ridges of his head.

He could feel the pounding of her heart, the soft mounds of her breasts against him, her warm breath fanning his neck and the caress of her fingers – all within a cloud of pheromones that was about to drop him to his knees. She couldn't possibly know what she was doing to him. "We need to get ready," he reminded her, before he gave in to the need that was consuming him.

"I know," she murmured against his throat. She released her legs so he could lower her to the ground. She blushed when her legs nearly gave out and he had to steady her. "I must have pinched a nerve."

"Yeah, the same one I pinched," he teased, feeling none too steady himself. He watched her go into the house and released a ragged breath. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. He picked up the rakes, leaned them against the house and hurried up the stairs to take a shower.

Clean and refreshed he looked over what he'd brought and chose a dark peach colored shirt, cut down low in the front and pair of black slacks. While he waited in the entertainment room he poured himself a drink. He set his glass down and rose from the sofa when she appeared. He thought she was breathtaking before, but he'd never seen her dressed up like this before. She wore a burgundy pantsuit; the blouse had small spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline past her navel where it hung in soft folds, at the top of her pants. Her slacks molded to her hips down to mid thigh where the fabric became sheer, with a slit all the way down. She wore two-inch platform shoes with five inch heels. Her hair was pulled back at the sides, but fell in long waves at her back. Her jewelry was simple, dangling filigree gold caged diamonds on her lobes and cascading down from her throat. The only other jewelry was a gold toned ring on her thumb that he'd never seen her remove. "You take my breath away," he admitted.

She picked his half empty drink up and finished it. "And you are as beautiful as ever, Teiner." She set the empty glass back down. "Ready?"

With a grin he scooped her up in his arms and carried her down the two flights of stairs to the parking bay.

"I can walk down stairs in these, you know," she teased.

He glanced down and saw that one breast had nearly slipped free; he could see the dusky edge of her nipple. With a groan he lowered her to the floor. He tilted her chin up and brushed his lips against hers. "And I can make sure you get down safely." He held out his arm and escorted her to the side of his skycar. His skycar had a higher than average ceiling and leg room to account for his height. He joined her in the cab and chose to use the auto-pilot since he wasn't sure where these places were. "Angelino's" he stated once they were clear of the bay.

He sat up the arm rest between them and lifted his arm. When she curled up against him he settled his arm around her shoulders. He'd become used to her curled up next to him watching vids. There were times when she'd even fallen asleep with her head on his thigh. She was completely comfortable with him in a way he hadn't experienced before.

They had an enjoyable dinner and he got a laugh out of the Royal Flush. The Royal family stopped by often enough that they'd built bathrooms for just the Royal family. Which he had been able to use since he was a Royal family guest.

The trip to Raiders didn't take as long. He could already hear the music before his skycar even touched down. He helped her out of the car and saw her slip in a pair of earplugs before taking his hand. She led him through a throng of people until she excitedly pointed out a small group of people sitting at a large table.

She introduced him simply as Nik and he was okay with that. He was surprised to see the batarians, Yarl and Litu, but quickly discovered they were not like any batarians he'd ever met or heard about. Angel had a way of drawing the best of people to her. He also noticed more than a few men staring at her, but one look from him and they turned away. In this way, too, his size was a benefit – it helped dissuade senseless fights.

She had talked him into a game of darts and was surprised to discover that his accuracy was as precise as hers. They ended up calling a tie. That was a first time for her, but it didn't bother her in the slightest. With some encouragement from the crowd and her pesky friends she was finally persuaded to get up on stage to sing a couple of songs. After the second she pointed to Briton and called him up on stage to join her in a duet.

Briton grinned and vaulted up on the stage. "Thought you forgot about me tonight," he said as he gave her a hug and grabbed another mic.

"You wish," she teased and turned to the audience. "We'll sing two tonight – the first one's just for fun." She leaned over and whispered in his ear.

Briton laughed. "I'm game."

The music was a light, whimsical beat.

She walked slowly behind him and drew her fingertips across his shoulders and then leaned against his side.
I keep trying to impress
to fill him with desire.
But every time I speak to him
I seem to douse his fire.

She turned away, heartbroken.

He turned her back to face him and skimmed his fingertips down her cheek.
I long to make her heart beat
astound her with a macho skill.
I'd sweep her off her feet
if only I had looks that kill.

His hand fell away, his expression forlorn.
Ahhh…If I were a stud...
The kind of guy she'd love.

She sighed…
Ahh…If I were a babe...
The kind of girl, he'd crave.

Her hands rose to cup her breasts.
My breasts would be rounder.

He flexed hulk style.
My pecs would astound her.

She drew her leg out and skimmed her fingers up to mid-thigh, ignoring the whistles from the crowd.
My legs would be longer.

He lifted his arms and flexed.
My arms would be stronger.

She whipped her hair back dramatically.
My locks would be flowing.

He popped the snaps on his shirt to expose his chest and the crowd went wild.
My chest hair would be showing.

She shimmied her hands down her hips.
My hips would be slimmer.

He turned to the crowd and shook his ass.
My butt would make her simmer.

They turned away and rested their backs against each other, their heads down with dejection.
Ahhhh

She straightened with a broad smile and a shake of her hips.
Tonight I will seduce him!

He grinned and thrust his hips.
She'll be begging me for more!

She turned to him and skimmed her hand up his chest to the back of his neck.
Yes, tonight I'm gonna choose him.

He pumped his fist.
Tonight I'm gonna score!

His fingers skimmed her jaw.
I'll be a stud she'll love.

She leaned against him.
I'll be a babe he'll crave.

They turned away and rested their backs against each other, their heads down with dejection.
Ahhhh

They faced each other in uncertainty.

I admit that I am not a stud.

As you can see I'm not a babe.

I'm not a guy that you'll love.

And I'm not a girl that you'll crave.

Really?

Yes! I'm awkward and whiney.

My biceps are so tiny.

I'm not very athletic.

My clothing is synthetic.

I'm as round as a mastodon.

My hair is badly glued on.

My teeth are yellow and chipped.

And I'm scrawny – not ripped!

I'm afraid you'll find me boring.

Every night you'll hear me snoring.

They turned away and rested their backs against each other, their heads down with dejection.
Ahhhh

They turned to face each other, a soft smile on their lips.

You don't need to be a stud….

You don't need to be a babe…

You're all the man I'll need…

You're the only girl for me…

They sang the last two lines together.
Will you maaarry meeee?
Yes! So let's go home and fuck.

The crowd roared and cheered. All they could do was laugh. Briton put his arm around her waist and kissed her temple. "I needed that. Thanks. Round as a mastodon!" he said with a chuckle. They'd made a lot of it up as they went along, playing off each other. He pulled her in and whispered in her ear.

Nikyrian wasn't sure what he'd thought of the skit. I would have been ironically funny if it hadn't been Angel up there…but he didn't want her touching Briton, he wanted her touching him.

"Beautiful," she told Briton with a grin. "Thank you. This last one is Forever Tonight, so pull your lover into your arms." A soft, tender melody surrounded her.

Feel your breath on my shoulder
And I know we couldn't get any closer
I don't wanna act tough, I just wanna fall in love
As we move into the night I get crazy
Thinking how it's gonna be with you, baby
I don't wanna play rough, I've been loving you enough, oh baby

Wanna take forever tonight
Wanna stay in this moment forever
I wanna give you all the love that I've got
I wanna take forever tonight
Fill you up, fill you up, give you all my love tonight
When we close the door, all I need is in your eyes
I wanna take forever tonight

Touch my lips, I'm on fire
You're the only one I'll ever desire
Turn the lights down low, make the world go slow
When I'm holding you tonight, it's so easy
Nothing moves me like you do when you tease me
And to rush would be a crime
I just wanna spend some time with you, baby

Wanna take forever tonight
Wanna stay in this moment forever
I wanna give you all the love that I've got
I wanna take forever tonight
Fill you up, fill you up, give you all my love tonight
When we close the door, all I need is in your eyes
I wanna take forever tonight

And when I'm here beside you
I wanna see what drives you out of your mind
I never wanna leave, I only wanna be with you
'Cause I love how you feel your love is so real

I wanna take forever tonight
Wanna stay in this moment forever
I wanna give you all the love that I've got
I wanna take forever tonight
Wanna stay in this moment forever
I wanna give you all the love that I've got
'Cause I can't live without you

She focused on Bri while she sang, though she knew her eyes strayed a couple of times. When the song ended she hugged him and bowed to the applause. She winked at him and took their mics over to the side table. The band was already starting its next song. When she turned around she saw Nik standing at the front of the stage looking up. As she approached he held his arms up. She shot him a wicked grin and jumped.

He caught her, held her for a moment and then lowered her to her feet. He looked up when he heard a chant.

"Bull! Bull! Bull!"

This was starting to feel like she was at Shelligan's. She looked out over the crowd and spotted quite a few familiar faces. That would explain it. "I'm not dressed for it!"

"Bull? " He knew she'd mentioned a mechanical bull, but he had no idea of the purpose of such a thing.

She pointed over to a padded area that had a furred animal with horns in the middle of it. Some man was whipping around with his hand in the air. People liked that sort of thing? "I honestly do not see the appeal. You will never see me get on something like that."

"I see, you will need to look at it another way." She grinned and pulled him over towards the mats. The man had just given her a challenge. The bull slowed as she approached and the man jumped off.

"Show us what you've got, Angel," Zack teased.

"I'll be showing more than I care to if I'm not careful, Zack" she teased back.

Zack grinned. "I'm okay with that."

"I'm not," Nikyrian said coldly.

"I have no intension of having a wardrobe malfunction. Anyone got a pin I can borrow?" A small pin was tossed to her and she used it to pin her top between her breasts. She tucked her shirt in to try to keep the neckline tight and carefully rolled up the sheer material of her pants and tucked it into the snug material at her thighs. She slipped her shoes off as set them next to the mat. With a wink at Nick she jumped up on the mats and settled on the bull. She tucked her hand under the rope and gave a nod to the operator.

The bull started off slow and easy. She closed her eyes to gain the feel of it. It had slight cant to it and she rolled her hips to make up for it. When she knew the rhythm she nodded again and the pull picked up its pace.

Nikyrian had to admit she was far more enticing to watch than the man had been. Perhaps, too much so. He also held a great appreciate for the pin. Her arm came up for balance as the bull picked up more speed. There were cheers when she apparently reached the bull's max speed. He was tense, afraid she'd go flying off at any moment. He couldn't even imagine how sore her breasts must be with all the bouncing.

"Half-mast!" she yelled. When the bull slowed to half speed she released the rope and placed her hands palms down against the bulls back. She exhaled, straightened her arms and pulled herself up into hand stand. She lowered one foot and then the other and rose to a stand, her body moving with the dip and sway of bull. She backed up to the bull's ass and turned around, her feet gripping the back. She slowly bent over backwards and placed her hands in the middle of the bull's back. She slowly brought up one leg, then the second, until she was once again on her hands. She spread her legs and pointed her toes, then lowered one leg, followed by the second and pulled herself back up to a stand.

She ignored the cheers and focused on her routine. Each hand and foot placement practiced and precise. She bent over backwards and grasped the bull by the horns and rose up onto her hands. When the bull's head came down she used the momentum to drop over the bulls head and her feet touched the ground. As the bulls head came back up, a sharp edge on its nose ring tore the pin from her blouse. She ignored it, already rising in the air and into a handstand.

Nikyrian saw the flash of silver, stepped out of his shoes and vaulted onto the bull's back. He held his arms out for a moment to catch his balance and then relaxed his knees as she came down. His body shielded hers as she rose to a stand. His finger brushed against the tight peak of her nipple as he pulled the material back into place. He caught sight of a small drop of blood from where the pin had nicked her; he lowered his head and drew his tongue between her breasts to catch the drop. He raised his head, his eyes boring into hers as their bodies moved together…a delicious friction that set his nerve endings on fire.

A ragged breath slipped from her lips. "I thought you'd never deign to get on the bull," she teased breathlessly and admittedly very impressed with his prowess.

He ignored the whistles of the crowd. "The show was about to get too revealing, sometimes a man has to do the unexpected," he murmured. He scooped her up in his arms and cradled her against him. When the bull swung in the direction he needed he leapt off its back, his knees bending with the impact of the ground and then he rose and carried her off the mat.

He lowered her to her feet and slowly rolled the sheer fabric back down her legs, his fingertips grazing down her legs. He helped her back into her shoes and then stepped back into his. He led her back to the table and ordered them another drink. By the time the drinks were drained their bodies had cooled and he led her onto the dance floor to take advantage of the romantic music. Thanks to her heels she was tall enough to slip her arms around his neck and he enjoyed the lazy sway of their bodies.

When the next song hit the tempo was fast and flirty. She gave him a wicked grin. Her hand trailed along his chest to his shoulder as she slowly moved around him. She skimmed across the back of his neck to his other shoulder and down his arm.

After she reached his hand he spun her back to press her against him and her leg slid up his thigh, when it reached his hip his hand slid down her thigh as he slowly lowered her. He raised her back up and her leg slid back down his. He began to move them, slowly, seductively, their bodies flowing around each other, their legs intertwining with small kicks. She kicked her legs out when he picked her up and twirled her, he brought her in to his body and she hooked a knee around his waist and he bent her low. She spun out low to the ground, her leg pointing outward. As he pulled her back up the tempo increased so did their movements. He spun her around the dance floor, her body attune to his every movement, responding to the slightest pressure of his hands and legs. He brought her up against him; his breath fanned her face, their lips nearly touching. He knew she could feel his hard length pressed against her belly and he smiled. He spun her around so that her back was to him. His hands skimmed down the sides of her breasts to her waist. He picked her up, swinging her out to the side, her legs kicked up and he used the momentum to roll her body over his shoulders. He followed through and she hooked arm around his neck and slid down his body. One hand slid to her thigh to hold it up while he bent them low. She went limp in his arms, head back and her arm trailing out to touch the floor as the music faded.

He slowly lowered her leg, his hand sliding up her thigh and over the curve of her ass as he raised her flush to his body, their hearts thundering as one – the applause all but ignored. He grazed his lips over hers as the song melted back into something slower.

After a couple of more dances they returned to the table. She had another drink with her friends, who were also worn out from all the dancing. She hugged them goodbye and let him lead her from the club. She settled into her seat, pulled off her shoes with a sigh of relief and curled up next to him. "Thank you for tonight. Raiders isn't the place to go to alone and it was the most exciting night I've had in a long time."

He brought his lips down to the top of her head as he fingers drew soft patterns against her arm. "I've never had a night like this – I'm not ready for it to end." He closed his eyes. He knew he cared for her, he knew she was different. He knew that he had feelings he'd never felt before. But tonight – tonight he knew there was no saving his heart. He knew what he was up against. She'd told him about her past, about Thane and the Prince. But he'd never shied away from a difficult fight – he wasn't about to start now. And while he knew the ghosts of her past still haunted her sometimes at night, maybe he could give her a future free of them.

He was standing at a precipice looking down and he knew he was going to jump; it was too late to do anything else. He was going to push that red button and damn the consequences. And if she refused him, it would shatter him, but he'd never regret the memories.

"I was going to shower and then watch a bed –" she bushed. "I mean watch a vid before I go to bed. You can stay up with me, if you like." She started to giggle. "Watch a bed?"

His chest rumbled with his deep laugh. "We can watch a bed, if you like, though I'd rather lay on it and watch a vid."

She turned her head and stuck her tongue out at him. "You know what I meant."

He set the skycar down and helped her out. He glanced down and noticed she'd forgotten her shoes. He hooked his fingers under the straps and hurried into the palace. He set them on the coffee table in the entertainment room and went straight to his room for a shower.

The cool water felt like a blessing against his heated skin. When he finally stepped out of the shower he felt refreshed. He wrapped a towel around his waist and slipped out into the entertainment room to poor himself a drink. He downed half and started to top it off when he heard a loud thump. Concerned she'd been hurt he hurried to her room.

She glared at the drained toy and began to pace. She needed bob and he'd failed her.

He sucked in his breath when he saw her pacing, gloriously naked. "Are you all right?" he asked, his voice husky and tight.

"No!" she growled.

He couldn't stop his feet from moving towards her. He swallowed hard. "What happened?"

"It's drained," she hissed, pointing to the toy on the floor. Her mouth fell open in shock. Oh sweet mother, she had not just told him that. She covered her face and turned her back to him. Perhaps the floor would open up and let her drop through.

He bent down to pick up what she'd motioned to and realized just what it was and what it meant. It meant that she was as sexually frustrated as he was. She must have thrown it against the wall. A harsh breath slipped from his lips. He could smell her on it and his mouth began to water. He placed it on her desk on his way to her.

She squared her shoulders; she had to face him sooner or later. She tried to tell herself that it was silly to be embarrassed by something so natural, but it didn't help much. She took a deep breath and turned around. "Look, I-" her exhaled finished in giggles.

He blinked when noticed where she was looking. But why would that cause her to laugh? He glanced down to see the ridiculous tenting of the towel. That would be why. With a flick of his wrist the towel pooled to the floor and her laughter became a sharp intake of breath.

Her heart slammed painfully in her chest, her breath coming in small pants. She couldn't take her eyes off him. When he thickened under her gaze her core clenched and she could feel the dampness between her legs.

He closed his eyes, their combined pheromones was an intoxicating cloud that bathed him. He drew them into his mouth and groaned when they hit his bloodstream. He moved towards her, drawn by the scent of her desire. He tilted her chin up to draw her hot gaze from his aching arousal. When he lowered his head she slipped her arms around his neck and he picked her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist. His hands skimmed down her back and gripped her soft mounds, his fingertips brushing against her silky, damp folds. With a groan he lowered them to the bed.

He made love to every inch of her body with his hands, his lips and his tongue, but this was far sweeter than any of his imaginings had been. Her body was a live wire in his hands and her taste like ambrosia against his tongue. He'd had a lot of women and they'd left his bed well satisfied – but this…this one act he'd denied them. Not only did he consider the act more intimate than he cared to get with them, he didn't want his mouth where countless others had been. He was glad he had this first to give her. He thickened from the sounds of her throaty moans and he groaned when he felt the sting of her nails curl into his shoulders as her body stiffened. She shattered against him with a hoarse shout of his name.

He trailed hot, sensual kisses up her body and then captured her mouth with a hunger he hadn't known before. He supported his weight on his elbow as he rocked against her to coat himself in her wet heat. A soft cry escaped his lips as the tip of his arousal slid into her. She was so tight he thought he'd scream at the slow decent. He could feel her stretch around him and felt the tensing of her body. He usually took a woman before he became too engorged, but his body had never reacted this strongly before. He tore through a barrier he'd not expected to find and dropped his forehead to hers when he was fully sheathed in her pulsing heat. Her legs tightened around him to hold him still, but the tension of her body told of her discomfort. A virgin. He'd never taken a virgin; he wanted that to go to someone special – not him. But he didn't feel that way with her. The thought of being her first warmed his heart. Her tiny muscles quivered in protest around him heightening his pleasure. A soft, seductive cadence slipped from his throat. He'd never been moved to release notes to any woman, but he was powerless to stop the serenade.

His girth had caught her off guard and so had the pain. She'd never told him she was a virgin or that she'd wanted to wait. Had the drinks tonight muddle her, had he ripened her body through a slow seduction to where she just had to make love to him or was she just sexually frustrated and tired of waiting? No, the why of it didn't matter, it was done. She tried to force herself to relax but her muscles quivered at the unaccustomed stretching. She felt an odd, tantalizing vibration deep within her and her core clenched in pleasure. That's when she felt melodic vibrations coming from her lover. She shivered and moaned, moving against him, needing more. She hummed back to him, trying to render the vibrations into notes.

Her hummed notes mimicked his own close enough that his body responded to the call of his mate. He drove into her with powerful thrusts. His soft cries grew louder as pleasure cascaded through him building to the breaking point. When her muscles clamped down on him, he erupted with a shout, releasing more of himself with each wild thrust of his hips until he had nothing left to give. He captured her lips as tender notes slipped from his throat. His heart swelled when he heard her soft humming. He pulled back to look into her eyes. "Do you know what it means?" he asked softly.

Her fingertips skimmed up and down his back, enjoying the feel of his textured skin beneath them. "No…I can't even hear it – I feel the vibrations and try to match notes to it."

That was incredibly impressive. "My body…my mind did not know the difference. I responded to you without thought as if you were my mate. While we were making love I was so overwhelmed with passion and need that the notes slipped out. They were seductive in nature. I suppose I instinctively wanted you to need me as much as I needed you," he admitted, his cheeks warming.

She raised her head to brush her lips against his. "I did. Sweet stars, I did. I do," she corrected. "I think I probably overheated bob." She blushed. "I wasn't even really sure until today that you even wanted me. But you held back, so I thought maybe you didn't want to be with me, bob was all I had left to try to – to lessen the ache inside." Her cheeks burned with heat and she buried her face in his neck to hide her embarrassment.

He did not want her to think she was alone. He wanted her to know that he had been just as desperate for her. "Angel I needed you so badly it was hard for me to focus on anything else. I cannot tell you how many showers I've taken over the past couple of weeks. But no matter how many times I – I took matters into my own hand…nothing worked. It wasn't you. And I had to hold back because I knew if I kissed you I would be lost."

One corner of her lips pulled up. "Thank you for sharing that with me. It makes it easier to bear my embarrassment knowing I wasn't alone. And I should have told you that I was a virgin, but I wasn't thinking – I was feeling…."

He lowered his forehead to hers. "I've always avoided inexperienced women. I wanted their first time to be with someone special. Not me. But even had I known you were a virgin, I would have made love to you anyway. I could never walk away from you." His thumb caressed her cheek. "The gift that you gave me is priceless. If I'd known you were coming, I'd have waited…given you my innocence. I've never had a someone special until you. I don't want you to think I take what is happening between us lightly. I don't." He brushed his lips against hers. "The second cadence I emitted was from feelings that overwhelmed me. I'm in love with you, Angel… You are the only woman I've ever loved, the only woman I've ever vocalized to, the only woman I've ever tasted and the only woman I've ever made love to. I never realized love could make that kind of difference. The pleasure – the passion, it was like a blind man seeing color for the first time." He cheeks grew warm. "Sorry…" he murmured.

"Don't be," she said softly. "It was beautiful. Someone once told me that the heart can hold a lot of love. At the time I didn't want to believe it, but he was right. The heart can hold a lot of love. I love you, Talyn Nikyrian Teiner." Thane was the love of her life, there was no denying that. But he was gone from her life…he wasn't coming back. She couldn't even find him if she wanted to. He lived off the grid. Her other Nik, was he even still alive? She didn't know. It had been so long without a hint of contact. What would she do if he returned some day? Did she dare to even try to settle down with anyone? She was a wanted woman. "But my heart is…troubled."

His lips claimed her in a heated kiss as he began to make tender love to her. "I don't need to possess your entire heart – to know that I have a place in it…to have your love…it is enough," he murmured against her lips and then proceeded to love her until they fell into an exhausted sleep.

She stirred in her sleep, not wanting to leave the warmth that enveloped her. Her eyes slowly opened as she tried to shake a dream she couldn't quite remember. She was curled into a massive chest, strong blue arms held her close, her head tucked beneath his. The darkness of her room told her it was not yet dawn. She grinned and slid her hand down the muscles of his abdomen, surprised to him fully aroused. She grazed her teeth over his nipple and then flicked it with her tongue. "You're awake," she murmured in a sultry voice as she stroked him.

Indeed he was. He was used to sleeping alone. He'd never spent the night with a woman, never wanted to…and now he didn't want to get out of bed. Her dream had woken him or at least the movement of her body against his had. He groaned as her hand caressed him. "I had a hard time getting back to sleep."

"So I see." She slowly slid down his body, trailing hot kisses and gentle nips. His shaft was the same attractive dark teal color of his cheek folds. "Beautiful," she said, knowing her warm breath would fan across his sensitive skin. She could feel his muscles quivering beneath her. She gently rolled his testicles, her fingertip grazing the sensitive skin behind them as her tongue flicked over the equally sensitive veins that formed the ribbing of his shaft. His trembling body and cries of pleasure warmed her heart and sent spirals of heat to her core. She drew her tongue over the small slit to collect the pearl of excitement and then lowered her head to slide him past her lips and into the heat of her mouth.

He wasn't going to last, he knew it. He had already been heavy for her before she touched him. His hands slid through her silky, golden hair to move it so he could watch her make love to him. He felt himself thicken as the suction and the teasing of her tongue brought him to the edge. "Angel…"he warned when he felt his testicles tighten. Her suction and increased movements brought him over with a hoarse cry of pleasure. When he was spent he pulled her up his body. She fell forward onto her hands with a yelp, her thighs straddling his head. His breath was warm against her sensitive skin. She rose to her knees, her breath caught in her throat – she was drowning in the heat of his light blue eyes. A ragged moan fell from her lips when the liquid warmth of his tongue found her.

Her fingertips played along the spines and ridges his head, his cheek fringe moving erotically against the silky skin of her thighs. His hands gripped her hips to pull her tighter against his mouth. Sweet god, what that mouth was capable of. Her hands skimmed down his arms and then moved behind her to his chest. She flattened her palms against his chest and arched back, her body trembling from the pleasure that overwhelmed it.

Her soft hair tickled the flat of his belly and his heart thundered against the palm of her hand. Her body was thrumming in his hands, alive with the pleasure he was giving her. He thickened from the sounds of her throaty moans and he groaned when he felt the bite of her nails curl into his skin as her body stiffened. Her cry of pleasure was the sweetest of music. He was about to slide his tongue into her heat to sip her honey, but her seductive humming drove his body into a need to mate.

He pulled her down his body and slid into her tight, still pulsing, heat with a growl. His hands skimmed over her thighs, her hips, her breasts as she rode him mercilessly into a pleasure he thought he'd gladly die from. When her muscles clamped down around him he gripped her hips and arched into each driving thrust until he followed her into ecstasy. She fell bonelessly against him and he held her tight, their hearts thundering in tandem. When sleep claimed them once more, he was still hilted in her silky heat.

Light coming through the window woke them both up. "I'm usually up at dawn," he teased with a grin as his fingers brushed the hair from her face. His heart stilled for a moment before resuming its pace. This is what mornings should be like. He'd just discovered a simple truth. He didn't want to wake up alone anymore. In the last few weeks she had managed to change everything he thought he knew about who he was.

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks. "Sorry about that." She blinked and grinned. "No, I'm not – I enjoyed myself too much to be sorry." She looked at him impishly. "I guess you won't be getting much rest if you intend to sleep with me again."

He chuckled and cupped the side of her face, his thumb caressing her cheek. "Oh, I intend…and sleep is highly overrated. I would much rather make love to you," he said in a voice deepening with desire. He then proceeded to show her just how true that was.

When they finally rolled out of bed they had a pleasurable shower, dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. If CC had an opinion about how close they'd gotten, she did not broach it. She merely greeted them pleasantly and served them breakfast. Afterwards, they returned upstairs to the entertainment center and she curled up next to him as they took care of what business they could on their datapads. By the time they finished, breakfast had settled and they went downstairs to workout. After another shower, they took a Royal shuttle to check out the more distant planetary defense systems. For the next several weeks that was how they spent their days. Evenings consisted of dinner and vids if it was just the two of them or dinner and Raider's if it was with her friends. The nights belonged to them.

She kept her parents updated on the progress and they let her know that they were going to make a couple of more stops while they were out before returning. They wanted to get as much done as possible before the fall harvest.

Everything had come together nicely. Planetary defenses were now online. The majority of what remained was the construction of the safe-rooms, which Nik had supplied. Originally, he hadn't intended to stay for anything other than the hub and Royal safe-room installations; he knew Angel could handle the rest, but he found that he was not in a hurry to leave and began getting involved with the local safe-room installations.

He stared absently at the vid trying to work out how he would propose to her. He wanted everything to be perfect. He knew it was fast, they'd only known each other a few months, but he also knew he wanted her at his side until he drew his last breath. He blinked when he felt something land on his chest. He looked down to discover a piece of popcorn and popped it into his mouth. Another hit him on the cheek. He darted a look to his left and saw the smile that lit up Angel's face. His breath caught in his throat until a piece of pop corn bounced off his nose. He reached into the bowl and threw one back at her. Before long there was more popcorn on the floor than in their bellies.

She yelped when a kernel, wet with butter, dropped between her breasts. Before she could retrieve it she felt the warmth of his tongue against her skin. With a moan she slipped her arms around his neck and swung her leg across his lap to straddle him. She grew wet when she felt the drag of his hands up her thighs and the dig of his fingers into her posterior. When he parted his lips to take in her pheromones, she only gave him a moment before mating her mouth to his in hungry need. She shivered at his growl when his finger slipped between the backs of her thighs and under the leg band of her panties to part her drenched folds.

Gods, she was so wet for him. His body was trembling by the time her hand slid down his chest. He sucked in when she reached the band of his pants and felt relief from the restriction when she released the fastenings. A groan slipped from his lips when she stroked his aching arousal, but he needed more. As his lips trailed down the column of her neck he moved the band of her panties to the side and pulled her against him. He nipped the top of her shoulder as she descended down his length. She stiffened for a moment until the teasing of his tongue and his suction on the accidental wound wrenched a cry of pleasure from her lips. He felt the press of her hands against his head, holding him tight to her.

He felt a slight disorientation as feelings and sensations cascaded into him. It took him a moment to realize he was feeling everything she felt, from the feel of him inside her to the suction on her neck. By the Gods, he wasn't sure how he'd survive the pleasure that was overwhelming him. When they hurtled over the edge, his bellow drowned out her harsh cry of release. He crushed her to him, their hearts thundering as one while they reveled in the dual pleasure of her aftershocks and his vibrations.

After their bodies cooled, he felt the shock of their separation and groaned. He pulled out of her and swung her up in his arms as he rose. "Whatever you did…I need more of that," he murmured as he carried her to her room.

A few days later he received a com that shattered his peace and contentment. There was an emergency at his Illium Tower. She walked him down to the garage bay and he pulled her into his arms in front of his skycar. He didn't want to leave and asking her to come with was on the tip of his tongue, but with her parents away – Mindoir was her responsibility. Her cheeks were as wet as his own. He captured her lips and poured his love into the kiss. He felt the love returned in her response and knew it was a kiss he would never be able to forget. "I love you, Angel. I'll be back as soon as I can.

She caressed the soft folds of his dark teal cheek. "I love you too, Nik. Don't keep me waiting."

He grazed his lips over hers and slid into his skycar. Leaving her behind was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do.

She watched his skycar until the garage bay door slid closed and returned to her empty home. Alone for the first time in her life. She buried herself in work; there were still a few safe-rooms that needed built and spent time with her friends. He commed her several times a day, even after her parents finally returned home – if they suspected anything, they never mentioned it. Once he reached Illium, his coms fell silent. She knew whatever happened was taking all of his attention.

Her heart was in turmoil. She had no right to love anyone and yet her traitorous heart loved three men. One she would never see again, a man she felt a deep need to protect with her last breath…a man who was lost to her – and two beautiful Niks'….one of which may already be beyond her reach. Ah, Niki – are you even alive? She just didn't know. What she did know was that Niki would die for her without thought and if he did, it would devastate her family. She couldn't bear that…never that. No, he was safer without her. He'd eventually have to find someone, even if only to produce an heir. She released a harsh breath. That had no right to hurt. That left only Nik – and he was no consolation prize. She loved him. But did she even have the right to try to have a life with him? She knew he didn't care about her past; she'd already talked to him about it. He'd told her he was a man used to having contracts on his life, someone would always want what he had and it didn't faze him. Even so, what right did she have to white picket fences?

He'd admitted to her after he'd left that he'd wanted to ask her to come with him, that her duties were the only thing that left the words unsaid. She'd told him she would have gone with him because Mindoir didn't need a butt to always warm the throne; they just weren't that kind of planet. And damn her selfish heart, she knew that if he asked her to marry him she'd accept. She wanted a life she had no right to have. She wiped her eyes, squared her shoulders and poured herself back into work.

Once the safe-rooms were completed, she returned to her work at the hospital. She needed to keep busy. Two weeks later her parents told her about another trip that was needed.

-BREAK EIGHT-

She flew downstairs at first light; her mom was already making breakfast. "Beat me to it, eh? Smells fabulous, mom." Reena gave her a blinding smile. She knew how much being called 'mom' meant to Reena and there was certainly room in her heart for more than one set of parents. She poured herself a cup of coffee added three creamers and two sugars and plopped down at the table. Her mom gave her a heaping plate and a quick peck on the lips.

She stuffed some eggs in her mouth. "Damn, you're a good cook."

"That's the pot calling the kettle black. I think you're probably a better cook than I am, Angel."

"What can I say, I learned from the best," she said, winking at her mother.

Reena poo-pooed her and flushed with the compliment, patting her hair to hide her embarrassment.

Her mom sashayed over to her and rained kisses all over her face. "You are the sweetest thing, Angel."

"Thanks, mom," she groused, embarrassed.

"Anytime, Angel," Reena said, ruffling the top of her daughter's hair. She was so thankful to have this young woman in her life. Especially with Nik gone. It made his loss a little easier to bear. Gave her someone to focus her mother-smother on. She honestly didn't know what she'd do without her. She'd come to love her so much.

"Your father is already at the office. Are you sure you're okay with cementing the Kahje trade-route solo? You know harvest season is upon us. Your father and I can't possibly leave again."

"And I don't expect you to. I'm a big girl, mom. I can wipe my own ass and everything."

"Oh…shush. I'm a mom and I have the right to worry."

"Damn me…I worry enough about everyone as it is…if mom-mode makes it worse, if I ever have kids they are so screwed."

Reena gave a very unladylike snort and then burst out laughing. She booped her daughter's nose. "On that we can agree. But I think you'll make a great mom. And I can't wait to have a house full of grandbabies."

She rolled her eyes. "Fourteen and I'm to be a broodmare. Thanks, mom."

"You are such a goose! Oh, by the way, you're taking the Whirlwind and a squad with you."

"Are you joking, mom? Do you know how ostentatious that is? And no, I will not have a squad of soldiers following me around. I can probably outfight, outgun and definitely outbiotic any of them. I will take a mech, if need be."

"The Whirlwind, Angel. I'll give on the squad…but only because I know you're right. However, you will take CJ. I'll even let you pick your own crew. There, compromise settled," Reena said matter of fact.

Angel knew her mom would give no more quarter. "Fine, deal. I'll send a comm out to the crew and put them on standby. Is skeleton okay?"

"That's probably for the best. We need as many hands as we can get on the ground. Hope you'll be back in time for the Harvest Festival."

"Whatever will they do without their Princess?"

"My thoughts exactly. We're already minus a Prince," Reena said solemnly.

"I'll try, mom. But Kahje is not exactly next door."

"I know, baby. Now, help me with these dishes and then go have some fun before you have to leave."

Thane had been across the galaxy now more times than he could count. He boarded eleven vessels so far, sneaking in and out at every port they'd stopped at. He'd been unable to feel the presence of her anywhere. His communications with Shepard didn't give him a whole lot to go on, but at least he knew she was still alive. That alone kept him going. Unfortunately, he'd just received a comm from the Primacy. He was being called back to Kahje to fulfill a contract. While he was still under the compact he could not refuse them. It tore at his heart to prolong his search, but there was little he could do about it.

She sat down in front of her terminal. It lit up when she swiped her hand over the holo keyboard. She she knew next to nothing about. Kahje. She hit up the extranet. A planet 90% water, inhabited by hanar and some drell refugees. Why would she be establishing a trade route to Kahje? She understood their need for Mindoir's produce, dairy and meat, but what did Kahje have to offer Mindoir? It didn't matter. Her parents wanted it and would see that it was done. She'd have a lot of time to read up on the contract before arriving at Kahje.

There was something she'd wanted to do since she arrived on Mindoir. She mounted her glider and moved into the traffic. She set the destination and followed the course. She pulled up outside the small shop. She shut off the glider and looked at the intricately painted windows. Rafe's was an elite body art parlor. But she wasn't there for just a tattoo. She slipped through the front door.

A man in a tux greeted her. "Princess, you did not have a reservation for today, we were not expecting you." He kissed her hand and bowed over it. Then he stood and clapped his hands. A team of employees filed out. When they saw their guest they took a knee and bowed their heads.

She flushed. "Please rise. I'm sorry to inconvenience you; do you wish me to make a reservation?"

He looked at her aghast. "Never, my lady. You are always welcome here. What can we do for you today, Highness?" He snapped his fingers and a young man appeared before her bearing a tray containing a flute of something very delicious looking.

"Asari Honeymead. It is your favorite, I believe?"

She glanced at the man in the tux and then at his name tag. "Why yes, Douglas, it is. It is kind of you to know."

She looked at the top of the blonde head of the young man before her. He picked up the flute and held it out to her. He still did not look at her.

"It is considered polite to look at someone you are interacting with," she told him politely.

"I am not worthy to gaze upon your beauty, Princess."

She sighed and took the flute and angled her head just enough so that she could make out his name tag. "As long as you strive to do your best at everything you do, then you are worthy of anything. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Jethro, I'm just a woman. I may not even be all that pretty. You won't know unless you look." She tilted his chin up and met his startling green eyes. She smiled at him. His mouth fell open and she gently closed it.

"You are more breathtaking than your photos, Princess." He lowered his eyes once more, though didn't move away from her touch.

"Jethro." When he raised his green eyes she dropped her hand. "You have beautiful eyes, Jethro. It honors me to look at them."

"Thank you, Princess. I will not forget your kindness." He bowed and returned to the back room.

The parade of his employees drew him to the front. "Ah, Princess. I am pleased that you have chosen to grace my establishment!" Rafe arched a dark brow at Douglas. "You should have told me the moment she arrived."

"But – yes, sir. It won't happen again."

Rafe took her hand gently and kissed it. His lips lingered a moment as he looked up at her. He gave her fingers a squeeze and released them. "What can I do for you, Princess?"

"I'm looking to get a couple of tattoos and a belly ring, Rafe. Then I'll be out of your hair," she assured him. She took another sip. God it was ambrosia.

"My hair is very honored by your presence, Highness. It shall morn your loss when you are gone," he said, flashing a dimple and giving her a wink.

Oh stars, really? The man knew he was beautiful and damned if he wasn't playing it up. "Do you have the time?"

His eyes traveled down to her navel and then back up. "I will always have time for you, Highness. Please," he held out his hand, "come this way." He took her hand and led her to one of the back rooms and a large, over stuffed body chair. He sprayed microfilm over his hands and gathered what he needed. "Do you know what you want?"

"Yes. I want a lifelike tat of a Phoenix rising from the flames on my lower back, tramp-stamp area. Wings spread up, mouth open and tail curling on the upper portion of my lower cheeks. Finally, I want a belly ring…an emerald. But, also one of each to go. Sorry to buy out your stock, Rafe. But a girl wants what a girl wants."

Rafe raked his eyes over her. "The same could be said for men, Highness," he said leering at her and waggling his eyebrows.

She chuckled and shook her head. He was such a ham…a drama queen.

"I'll need you to remove your clothing – you may keep your undergarments on. Do you require a modesty drape?"

"I'm not very modest."

"That is good to hear, for I am not modest either," he said with a smile that flashed his dimples. "We'll do your belly ring first; your back will be a little too painful to lie on for awhile. You can keep your panties on for this part…unless you really want to remove them," he said suggestively.

She stripped down to her panties and hopped up on the chair. He lowered the back of the chair until she was flat on her back. He ran his finger down her belly, watching the muscles flex. The blood pooled to his groin. "You are very fit, Highness," he said, his voice deep and husky. He couldn't keep his eyes from straying to her lace covered breasts. They were quite magnificent. What he would give to have a night with her. But pissing off the royal family was not the smartest move to make. He cleared his throat and focused on the task at hand. He sanitized and numbed her navel. "You'll feel a slight pinch and it will be over. I'll place it on the count of three. One…two," he released the mechanism and the ring was placed. "Three."

She chuckled. "That was pretty devious." Something she would do. In fact, what she had done with Reed.

"Perhaps, but I find that method works the best. Most people tighten up at 'three' and then it hurts worse. Better to catch them relaxed and off guard."

"A good rule of thumb, Rafe. I'll be sure to remember it."

Rafe cleared his throat. He would have to thank Walker for the reference. He hadn't enjoyed a body - umm, doing a work of art this much in a long time. He washed off the film on his hands and sprayed new film over them. When he turned around she was stripping off her panties and crawling back onto the stuffed, chair, laying on her belly. Oh damn. Most women he'd worked on had their hair removed. Her golden floss made his mouth water.

He sanitized and numbed the area the art would be located. He found that he was spreading the numbing gel rather slowly across her ass. Whoever had her heart, he was a hell of a lucky man.

Rafe didn't use a rendering machine to create his works of art. It was all tooled by hand. It took almost four hours to complete the work. He let her stand up and stretch every half hour or so, which she was immensely grateful for.

Normally, his clients were allowed up once an hour, but the chance to see her walk around in all her glory was not something he could pass up, no matter painfully how hard he was. When his work was complete he spread a cooling balm over her. His hand rested briefly on her ass, his thumb caressing the tail. "It's beautiful." His art work was, of course, but it was not the artwork he was referring to. He scanned a copy of the artwork and helped her down off the flattened chair. He pulled the scan up on his vidscreen so that she could see it.

The Phoenix looked so real she wanted to touch it. It looked like it was taking flight right off her skin. Rafe was simply amazing. "Oh my god, Rafe…that's stunning! You have magic hands!"

Ah, Princess…I would show you the real magic if you'd let me. "There might be some swelling tonight or tomorrow. Medigel should take care of it if it happens. But please don't hesitate to comm me if you have any problems or concerns…or for any other reason," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

She laughed and shot him a smile. "Thank you, Rafe. I'll keep that in mind." She knotted her shirt below her breasts and pulled on her underwear and pants. She rolled the band of her pants down to her pubic line to keep it from touching as much of the tattoo as she could.

He stared at her a moment, then put his hand over his heart. "You have stolen my heart, Princess."

She laughed again. "And you are a shameless flirt, Rafe."

Do not be so sure about that, Princess. He wished he had the right to touch her… but he didn't. His eyes slid back down to her navel. "It looks good on you."

She looked down at the emerald and moved her hips so that the dangling gem danced in her navel. "I like it!"

Rafe's groin jerked in response. I like it more than you know, Princess. "Come see me any time, Princess."

"I'm going offworld for awhile. But stop by Shelligan's sometime…I'll save you a dance."

"Count on it, Princess," he said flashing his dimples. "Stay safe out there."

She left the shop in high spirits. She straddled the seat of the glider, flipped on her omni-tool and commed Jensie. "I'm in a great mood right now, Jens. I just got a belly ring…it's so sexy. I want to show it off. Why don't we do Raider's tonight?"

Jensie's mouth fell open, she hadn't joined them at Raider's since the drell left. "Yes! About damn time, Angel. Meet outside Raider's at 9?"

"Sounds great. See you there." Okay, now she's committed, no turning back. But damn, she didn't want to face Raider's alone. She wished Nik was here. She signed and looked back at the shop. It didn't hurt to try. She entered the shop.

Douglas stood up quickly and opened the comm. "Princess. Good to see you again. Is there something more we can do for you?"

"Would you mind asking Rafe if he'd be interested in a platonic night out at Raider's tonight?"

"Platonic? Rafe? Okay, I guess I can - " he said flustered.

"No guessing required, Douglas. Did you require an escort, Princess?" He knew well the reputation of Raider's and he didn't blame her a bit for not wanting to go it alone. But he was surprised that she was asking him.

"My friends have been trying to talk me into Raider's for some time. I finally agreed. I enjoyed your company…you made me laugh. Not something I've done a lot of lately. If you have nothing better to do, an escort would be grand."

He put his hand over his heart. "I'd drop all my plans in a heartbeat to have a night with you gracing my arm, Princess."

She chuckled and shook her head. "We're meeting up outside Raider's at 9…Oh, and no Princess tonight. I don't care to draw too much attention to myself. It's Angel, okay or Castaria?"

"I can do that...Angel," he said seductively and flashed his dimples.

She laughed. "You are such a ham, Rafe. See you tonight."

As she walked out the door, Rafe put a hand over his heart and sighed.

Douglas raised an eyebrow at the theatrics. "You look like a love-sick fool…boss."

Rafe lifted one corner of his mouth. "I think maybe I am."

"But platonic, boss?"

Rafe shot him a hard look. "She's worth it." He returned to the back room, his head in the clouds, to tidy up the room they'd been in.

She parked the glider, dashed up the stairs and tore through her closet. She pulled out a glittering dark green dress and smiled. It would look great with her new belly ring. She commed CC, the cooking-cleaning mech, and left instructions on the tailoring of her clothing. In particular the dress that needed to be altered by 8pm.

She ran down the stairs to show her parents her new adornment. She walked into the family room and stood in front of her parents. When they looked up she shook her hips to make the belly ring dance and then spun around to show off her artwork. "I went to Rafe's this afternoon. What do you think?"

"Wow," her mom said. "That is sexy as hell. And the tattoo is stunning. Our Niki won't be able to take his hands off you!" Then she laughed. "What am I saying? That boy couldn't keep his hands off you if you were in overalls 3 sizes too big and covered in mud." Reena looked at her husband. "I think maybe I need to get one of those belly rings."

Kip put his hand over his heart. "Are you wanting to kill me? I already can't get enough of you, woman. You'll put me in the hospital."

Reena sighed. "Well, we can't have that can we…old man."

"Old man?" Kip sputtered and lunged for his wife. Reena yelped and jumped up from the sofa. "I'll show you, old man…come here woman!"

"I'll come as soon as you catch me…old man. If you think you have it in you to make me come." Reena dodged his hands and made a mad dash for their bedroom.

Angel heard her mother yelp and a thud as they hit the wall. There was a laugh followed by a moan, then the swish of the door closing behind them. She'd give anything to have what they had; she just feared it was as unobtainable as a mirage.

She commed her friends. She explained where she was going and told them they were welcome to join her, if their parents would let them skip out on the harvest. They'd be taking the Whirlwind if they were able to come. That, of course, was followed by shrieks…at least from the girls. Though she was pretty sure one of those shrieks was a little too deep to belong to Trina, Litu or Jensie.

Her parents were busy making arrangements for her departure when she came down for dinner. Stars, she'd really wanted to do that herself. But they knew her too well. They knew she'd forego her title and live like a pauper and they were going to make sure that didn't happen. Hard to stay mad at people who did things for you out of love and concern, but it sure was a pain in the ass at times. Her parents had even talked her friends' parents into letting them go. They probably felt she'd be safer if she wasn't alone. In actuality, all her mom did was ask their parents. No one said no to the queen, there was certainly benefit to rank.

So, Jensie, Briton, Trina and Carson would be joining her. Yarl and Litu signed on to the crew. As a married couple they needed the money. Once aboard she would correct the cabin assignment. Until they returned to Mindoir all three couples would be cleared for cabins on the second floor in the family quarters. It would be weird not having Nik here. He'd always kept her from feeling like a fifth wheel when she was out with the couples. Plus, she'd not been aboard the Whirlwind since their trip to Mindoir together.

When her parents retired to their bedroom she plopped down on a sofa in the sitting room and flipped through the vids and chose an old Earth flick called Beetlejuice. It was corny and funny and she needed that right now. When she finished her dinner, she put the plate on the coffee table and stretched out to get more comfortable.

Her dad came in and sat down on the sofa beside her. He had something in his hands, so she paused the vid.

"I've got a surprise for you. Here."

She sat up, opened the box and then looked at him curiously. "I already have an OT."

Kip took his daughter's hand and removed her OT. When he placed the new one around her wrist it sealed. "This one cannot be removed, it has a lot more features and most importantly it cannot be seen."

She quirked a brow. "Um, did you drink too much, dad? I see it fine."

"Goose. Push the button on the right."

She pushed the button he pointed to and it camouflaged. "Oh stars, it really can't be seen. That's amazing!" She ran her hand over her wrist, but unless you knew it was there, you could barely feel it.

"This way no one has to know you don't have implants."

"Can you send one to Castiel?" she asked hopefully.

"We already did, honey."

"I miss Nik so much, dad." She frowned. She missed both Niks.

"I know, honey. That you're here with us is the only thing keeping us sane. You realize that boy is going to have a serious case of blue-balls by the time he returns."

Angel laughed her ass off. "Why do you say that?"

"Ever since he laid eyes on you, no one else has existed for him. He's a one woman man now. Even if you ran off with some Tom, Dick or Harry. He would wait forever for you to return to him."

"That's a horrible thought, dad. I'd want him to move on and find someone to make him happy."

Kip looked at her sadly. "I don't think that's in the cards for him, Angel. We knew it the first time we saw him look at you, that's why we hoped you'd eventually find your way to each other. But even if you don't, that is for him to deal with not you."

The thought of Nik unable to move on tore at her and she had to move her thoughts in a different direction. "Dad? If I ever run off with someone named Dick or Harry…or god forbid, Harry Dick…please shoot me."

Kip chuckled. "I'm not a very good shot, Angel."

"Then hang me and put me out of my misery. Ew…Just, ew."

"How about I just hang Harry Dick? That way my own son won't kill me."

"Sounds like a deal, dad. Harry Dick can swing in the wind."

He groaned at the image that created. "Thanks, honey. I'm just going to go see if your mom can remove that picture from my head," he said with a shudder.

"I'm sure she will, dad."

"Me too," he said with a wink, and disappeared into their bedroom.

She sighed and laid back down.

Shit! She had nearly forgotten about Raider's. She sighed, rolled off the sofa and went to her room. The dress was lying on her bed. A large, hand-sized diamond had been cut out of the dress for her belly ring. There was a matching diamond cut out on the backside that dipped almost immodestly low. The tailoring was perfect. Bless you CC. She slipped into the dress. It was strapless with a bustier that pushed her breasts out and closer together. It ran tight to her waist and flared, flowing to just past mid-thigh. She slipped on matching green pumps, dangling emerald earrings and a gold necklace that looped through itself with three emeralds that dangled, one below the other, the last one just above her cleavage. She added a touch of makeup to her eyes and lips.

She commed CC. "If my parents come out of their room tonight, let them know I went to Raider's with my friends and that I took CJ. Tell CJ to meet me at the skycar."

"Will do, Princess."

When she stepped out of the car, she turned to CJ "You may either stay here or return for me at midnight."

"I will stay here, Princess." He glanced at the dubious establishment. "Comm me if there is a problem."

When she turned around she saw Rafe approaching her. He had a loose white shirt tucked into skin tight leather pants. His wavy brown hair framed his classically handsome face. His dark eyes looked her over. "You are breathtaking, Pri – Angel."

"And you are handsome as sin, Rafe."

He couldn't help but feel pleased she saw him as handsome. It filled him with warmth. He cleared his throat and looked around, not sure who he was looking for. "Are your friends here yet?"

"I don't know… I don't see – Oh, wait. There they are," she said pointing at a group of people. When he held out his arm, she slipped hers through it and led him over to her friends. She gave them each a hug and kiss.

"You know, you could have greeted me that way," he said with a pout, more real than faux.

"Sorry, Rafe. Let me correct that grievance error on my part." She pulled him in for a hug and brushed her lips against his. "Better?"

He placed a hand over her heart dramatically. "Much. My heart sings from your touch."

Angel shook her head and laughed. Then she introduced Rafe to her friends. She slipped in her earplugs, laced her arm through Rafe's and followed her friends into Raider's. They danced, laughed and drank. She was having a better time than she thought she would. The beat thrummed through her, making her body feel alive.

When a fast song slipped into a slow song, Rafe pulled her into his arms. One hand was at her back, caressing the skin exposed from the diamond, the other hand rested at the top of her butt cheek. She had her arms looped around his neck, her head resting against him. Their bodies swayed to the music. There was no hiding how hard he was, but she ignored it. Her thoughts returned to her past. She never had the chance to dance with Thane.

"Is something wrong?" he asked quietly when he saw a slight frown form.

"No, Rafe. Not really. I've enjoyed spending tonight with you. My past just catches up with me every now and again," she admitted honestly.

So her heart had been broken. "Does your past have a name?"

"Thane," she said with a sigh. She didn't really want to talk about what happened.

He realized he truly did have feelings for her when his heart ached over her love for another. He did not push her to say more, he didn't want to ruin a beautiful evening for either of them. He rubbed his cheek against her silky hair. "I'm glad you asked me to come."

She smiled softly. She was glad too. He was good company and far better behaved than his reputation would have had her believe. For which she was thankful. "Thank you for keeping the hounds at bay."

"It's been my pleasure, Angel. I'll always be there if you need me."

"Be careful what you say, Rafe. I may just take you up on that."

He chuckled. "Anytime, love, anytime. Give the word and I'm all yours." The words may have been said lightly, but that was not how he felt them. How could any man want another once he'd been touched by an Angel?

She laughed. "Yeah, me and a hundred other women."

He gave her a mock look of horror. "You wound me, love. No one can take your place in my heart."

She shook her head and smiled. "You are incorrigible…and shameless…and charming as hell."

"Don't forget immodest."

Laughter bubbled out of her. "You're the best, Rafe." Her OT chimed. "Gig's up. It's time for Cinderella to leave the ball. Will you escort me out, Prince Charming?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way, love."

"Let's go find the others so I can let them know I'm leaving." When she finally managed to track them down she hugged and kissed them goodbye and said she'd comm them soon.

When they reached her car, she turned to him. "Thank you, Rafe. I had a wonderful time.'

"As did I, love."

She pulled him in for a hug and brushed her lips against his. His hand cupped the back of her head and his lips moved sensually over hers, when she gasped his tongue slipped between her parted lips and expertly coaxed a response from her, but he pulled back and pushed for no more.

He was definitely a talented kisser, but she expected no less from him. For such a renowned playboy, he'd kept his hand at her waist and didn't, thankfully, try to take things further. She had a lover, what she needed his friendship. "Why, Rafe, you are a gentleman."

He looked around the parking lot with mock worry. "Shhh. Don't tell anyone, it will ruin my reputation."

"Drama queen," she said with a chuckle.

"Heart thief." When he saw her cocked eyebrow, he flashed her his dimples and covered his heart with his hand. "You have stolen my heart and are taking it with you. I shall weep bitter tears and morn your absence, until you grace my eyes with your beauty once more."

She cupped his cheek. "Don't ever change, Rafe."

"Never," he said softly. He kissed her palm and released her hand. He watched as her skycar disappeared into the night. He sighed. Damn if he didn't fall in love with a Princess tonight. He'd poured his heart out to her and she didn't even know. He only spoke a single word of untruth to her. He had changed.