Hello once again readers and time-wasters. Here is the 3rd chapter of my still unfinished-in-outline story. Not much to say except there are a few 'artistic liberties' here as there have been in past chapters and will be in future ones. Now get wit teh readin'!

Golden Days of Love

Chapter 3

Jenna brushed back a bang that had fallen over her face, at which the blue-eyed blonde walking beside her stared at her with a momentary daze in his eyes.

"What?" she said detecting his fleeting stare.

"Nothing, I just like it when you do that," he grinned. Jenna grinned back softly, a pink tinge appearing below her ruby red eyes.

They walked through the semi completed town of their home, New Vale. No one was working today however, for it was everyone's day off.

Jenna glanced around at the paused construction. Memories of the old Vale seeped into the forefront of her mind. She realized, like she had realized many times after returning from Prox, that the last time she had seen 'Old' Vale before its destruction was at the start of her journey. It almost didn't seem fair, to come home after such a perilous quest to save the world, only to find the home she once knew and loved, her village, had been dragged into the earth with the sinking of Mt. Aleph.

But then, she wasn't alone in this feeling; Kraden, Felix, Garet and Isaac must have felt the same way for it was their home as well. And even Ivan, Mia, Sheba and Piers shared in their disappointment. After hearing so many stories about Vale, they must have felt like they had known the place their whole lives and were rather crushed to see it…gone.

So, Jenna and her companions took relish in the fact that they all missed out on seeing Vale before its demise and felt less dismayed at that shared frustration. The 'foreigners' even decided to help in the rebuilding of Vale saying that if they couldn't see the old one, they'd help in recreating the new one and therefore quench their unfulfilled curiosity.

Jenna also realized that her parents and Mr. Robynson hadn't seen Vale for nearly 4 years and that also helped to ease her own feeling of loss for some reason. Her parents and Isaac's father didn't care so much about it however. No doubt they missed Old Vale and had said so on some occasions, but they were really more content just to be back amongst their family and friends.

The sun peeked out in between white puffy clouds of cotton that glided casually across the blue spring sky. A cool breeze tossed Jenna's hair like it does to strands of spider's web. For once, she had decided to let her hair be free and flowing; the mahogany red tresses falling to the small of her back, wagging and bouncing lightly with her every step.

Isaac entangled his fingers in hers gently as they walked. Even after 6 months together, Jenna still felt her heart flutter wildly when he did that. True, Isaac and Jenna acted as if they were only together to spite her elder brother, but they were deeply in love, and therefore had their fluttery, lovey-dovey moments as well.

She gazed upon him and smiled genuinely and Isaac mirrored the sincerity. Jenna loved that smile, that beam of contentment on his face that told her that they were perfect and meant to be.

Jenna looked forward and saw the picnic table that sat under a large maple on top of a flat, grassy hill where they were headed. Garet and Ivan were there laying down a table sheet and silverware.

"Hello there!" Isaac waved catching Ivan's attention.

"Hey!" Ivan called back. Garet looked up.

"It's about time you two showed up," Garet called out. "We're practically done setting the table, no thanks to you."

"Where's everyone else?" Jenna asked.

"Mia and Piers are bringing the food and will be here any minute," Ivan answered. "Felix and Sheba however…" he trailed rolling his eyes.

"Are probably necking like birds at the moment," Garet finished. "Love birds that is, heh."

"That sounds like them all right," Jenna said. "You think they'd be sick of making out by now. They've been caught so many times already. Just the other day, they were spotted in the forest by the lumbers."

"And last weekend, the baker caught them in his back storeroom," Garet said.

"And a few days before that, well," Ivan started. "I happen to stumble upon them in the inn's lounge necking like there was no tomorrow…at 2 in the morning! Man that was awkward…" Jenna giggled at that.

"Felix and Sheba," Isaac said. "They make quite the couple, don't they?" The other three nodded. "Oh, and look, here they come now." They all looked to the path that leads to the hill and saw the two love birds walking hand in hand toward them.

"Hey guys, is the food coming soon?" Sheba asked as soon as they came within comfortable earshot.

"It should be here any minute," Ivan answered. Jenna and the others gave the pair nervous smiles feeling awkward for having just talked about the two neckers.

"Okay…" Sheba said not quite sure of what they were almost smiling about. "We're gonna go wait over here. Come on Felix!" Sheba pulled Felix to the other side of the hill and disappeared below the rim.

"Wa-oow! They're at it again!" Garet exclaimed. "They're like friggin' bunnies. Pretty soon we're gonna be hearing about children. Just you wait."

"Yeah, no kidding," Jenna said. "My mom actually caught them in bed together. They swore they were just cuddling, but I highly doubt that!" Jenna and the boys cracked up with laughter and then noticed Piers and Mia coming with the food.

"Hey," Piers called out. "Come help us carry the food!" A small, lidded cauldron dangled from the end of a thick pole which Piers balanced on his right shoulder. In his other hand was a basket of vegetables.

Ivan and Isaac dashed to the two Mercurians to help out. Ivan took the basket of vegetables from Piers so he could steady the pole with two hands instead of one. Isaac took the bread basket that Mia held allowing her to hold the apple pie with a better grasp.

"What's in the pot?" Isaac asked Piers as they set the food down on the table.

"Coney stew."

"This looks like it's gonna be a good lunch," Garet said eyeing the apple pie.

"Don't even think about it," Mia snapped and held the pie away from Garet, who went from drooling to looking like a beaten puppy.

"Where's Felix and Sheba?" Piers asked. "Are they coming?"

"My brother and soon to be sister are off over there doing Sol knows what," Jenna answered him pointing her thumb over her shoulder. "They'll come back eventually. Especially when Felix smells the apple pie; he'll drop Sheba like a rock and do to it what he does to her face."

"Ew," Mia said somewhat revolted. "Did not need to hear that…" Everyone chuckled, except for Mia. The food was set; the Adepts sat down in their usual seats: Mia and Piers on one side and Isaac, Jenna, Garet, and Ivan on the other. Mia and Garet were on an end facing each other while Piers sat across from Ivan with Jenna next to him and Isaac at the other end.

A few moments later, after everyone had begun digging into the bread and vegetables, Felix and Sheba trudged on back to the table. Felix looked as though he was in a stupor and Sheba wore a devious smile on her burning pink and flustered looking countenance.

"It's nice of you guys to start without telling us," Sheba said sarcastically.

"Well, we figured you guys were filling up on each other's faces and wouldn't mind if we started eating as well," Garet said with snide grin. Sheba blushed an even deeper pink and pursed her lips. Felix glared at Garet whose only difference in expression was a slight frown.

"Is that…apple pie?" Felix said his attention being averted by a whiff of the pie. His eyes widened when he laid eyes on it. He started to drool a bit, but Sheba jabbed him in the side with her fingers.

"Sit down, silly and have some lunch before the dessert." Felix's face returned to his usually dead-pan look as he sat on the end across from Isaac. Mia began pouring the stew into everyone's bowls. Ivan whispered something inaudible to Garet and then smiled widely laughing through their noses and eyeing at Sheba and Felix.

"What's so funny?!" Sheba demanded.

"Nothing, nothing…" Ivan trailed off. "Except that you two have already had dessert. HAHAhaha…!" He and Garet erupted with laughing hilarity. Sheba narrowed her eyes not finding that funny at all. Isaac and Jenna stifled their growing hilarity, but Sheba noticed them and gave them the same unpleasant look. That, combined with Garet and Ivan's infectious laughter caused Isaac and Jenna to lose control. A whole side of the picnic table was engulfed in a raving giggle-fest . Piers even chuckled a bit.

"I don't get it. Why's that so funny?" Mia asked dumbfounded. That only made Garet and Ivan laugh harder to the point where they fell off the bench-seat and had to hold their stomachs as the waves of laughter went through them. Tears of mirth streamed into their hair as they rolled around on their back-sides like turtles trying to upright themselves. Felix and Sheba stared at them venomously and entirely unamused. -__-

Isaac and Jenna had calmed down and tried to go on eating but, tiny giggles kept popping up making it unable for them to sip the stew from their wooden spoons.

After another minute or so, Jenna was finally able to dip her spoon into the stew and take a hearty sip. The warm, sappy liquid delighted her taste buds with salt and herbs and bits of tasty coney meat; a decent meal.

"Piers, this is delicious," she said still red from laughing.

"This is good," Felix agreed somberly.

"Yes, this is really good, Piers," Sheba added. Garet and Ivan's giggle-fest died down and they returned to their seats to try the stew. "You've out done yourself once again." Piers smiled, but shook his head and hands.

"Thank you, but Mia did most of the work. I actually sat back for most of the cooking process." All eyes turned to Mia, who blushed with admiration.

"Well, this is outstanding, Mia," Garet said. "I think you've gotten even better since our journey days.

"Thank you guys, but it was nothing," she said. "All I did was cook the stew."

"...And picked and prepared the vegetables, and made sure the baker had the bread made fresh and on time, and picked up the apple pie from Mrs. Jerrason." Piers made sure to note. "Don't be so modest Mia, you really did a lot and it all turned out great; this stew really is scrumptious." She smiled at him with timid admiration in her icy blue eyes.

"I just want to be useful…" she said meekly.

"You most definitely are," Jenna remarked. "I recall when oh so many of us have been injured during this construction and you were there to heal us completely without scarring or letting us be maimed."

"Not to mention all the great food you cook with Piers," Garet added. "And all the time you spend with the children of Vale, like telling them bed time stories and entertaining them. You definitely do your fair share of 'usefulness' around here." Mia smiled with rosy cheeks. It felt good to Jenna to compliment her friends, especially when they had a somewhat low self-esteem and petite personality, like Mia did.

Jenna noticed something though. Garet is looking at Mia the same way that Isaac looks at me when he's really happy. Either, he really enjoys complimenting or…! He likes Mia! Jenna did a little victory dance in her head for figuring out what she thought was skillful detective work and a juicy piece of gossip.

Yup, you're right.

Who- Ivan? What are you-

Jenna, I'm right next to you and Garet. I know what both of you are thinking. Jenna noticed Sheba giving them both a funny look. Ivan broke the telepathic link.

"So, what were you two talking about?" Sheba asked shrewdly. Everyone stared at Jenna and Ivan.

"N-nothing," Jenna replied nervously.

"Oh really?" Sheba said frankly. She looked at Ivan. "Are you sure you guys weren't sharing mental kissies?" She asked with joking tone, but Jenna knew she was getting Ivan back for what just happened a moment ago. Although, Jenna didn't know what 'mental kissies' were.

"What? No! Of course not," Jenna responded. "What are those anyway?"

"Why would we being doing that?" Ivan said a little too loudly and too quickly, his face going red. Sheba smiled like a cat. "Hey, who's that?" Ivan pointed out to the path trying to avert his embarrassment. Everyone looked. There was a girl walking up the path. Jenna couldn't tell who it was. She didn't look like anyone from around here.

"Feizhi?" Isaac mumbled. He stood up. "Feizhi, is that you?" he said incredulously. The girl stopped and smiled brightly a few feet from the table.

"Feizhi…?" Jenna racked her brain for a memory; she knew she heard that name before. And then she got one: When Felix led them to Champa they had met a girl named Feizhi from Xian. She had been searching for Isaac and wished to give him something. Kraden then guessed rather accurately that she had a crush on him.

Jenna remembered feeling then exactly what she was feeling now: unexplainable paranoia.

Oh-noes, Jenna no likey Feizhi showin up. And, oh! what's this? Garet likey Mia. Or is Jenna on drugs and Ivan a maniacal liar? Hahaha...no, no most likely not, no.

So, anyway, with this chapter I tried to add some more depth to the kind of friendships the Adepts share with one another. And of course, add a teaspoon of plot at the end.

Now get wit teh reviewin'! And expect the next chapter (maybe) around a week from now.

-TLotW