Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing of any importance except for my character.

In the Beginning

I followed James down the old dirt country roads. I was surprised he was leading me away from town. He did say dinner, didn't he? I recognized the house before he even pulled into the drive. It was my house.

I pulled up along side James and attempted to suppress the memories that had hit me like a tidal wave. He was instantly at my side and offered his hand. I took his hand slowly; curious to see what plan he had brewing in his mind.

"I thought you said we were going to dinner." I said casually bumping into him. "We are." He said smiling. He led me into the deserted house. Nothing had changed since I left it. It was the same exact house with everything in its place; he had changed nothing except the picture frame I left him was sitting on the kitchen counter.

I glanced at the picture frame; he had it paused on the picture of George, Winona and I. Now was as good of a time as ever to ask him about his past; I hoped he would let Temperance in, but I didn't know if he would or not.

"Who are these people?" I asked quietly as I motioned to the photograph. He smiled as he glanced at the photo. "That's my father, my mother, and Jolene." His voice caressed the word Jolene.

"This is Jo's house and the old motorcycle was hers too." He briefly said as he moved around the kitchen. "Oh, does she still live here?" I asked casually trying to hide the emotion I was feeling at how he said my old name.

"No, she's dead." He was trying to hide the pain and I knew it. After all I was just a stranger to him; a stranger that had Jo's eyes. He wasn't going to let me in yet, that was going to take time for him to trust me.

"I'm sorry." I whispered as I sat my hand on his shoulder. He turned around to look at me, and as his eyes met my own something sparked in between us. "Your eyes…" He started and I couldn't let him continue this train of thought, for I was in dangerous waters, so I did the most logical thing I stood up on my tip toes and kissed him.

Fireworks- they exploded in brilliant colors beneath my closed lids. It only took James a second to realize that I was kissing him before he was kissing me back. His soft lips were pressed hard into mine as he pulled my small frame into his chest. My hands went around his neck and one played with the hair at the nape of his neck and his fingers were trailing patterns along my lower back, we separated slowly.

"Are beautiful." He finished smiling at me. I sighed as my heart began to beat regularly. My skin tingled and shivers coursed up and down my spine as he brushed a curl out of my face.

His lips caressed my own again and as much as my body ached for more all I really needed was this innocent kiss.

"How does spaghetti sound?" He asked as we finished kissing again. "Mhmm, sounds perfect." I smiled as he pressed his lips to my forehead in a gentle kiss before he let me go from his arms.

"Do you live here?" I asked. He looked up from the boiling pot of water and responded. "No, Jo left me the house in her will, but I only come here when I can't stand being at home."

He was beginning to trust me, I could see it in his eyes but they also still contained a little bit of wariness. I couldn't blame him, his mother practically abandoned him, I died on him and his step-dad beat him. Trust wasn't something he could willingly give, it was something I was going to have to earn.

"What about you? Where do you live?" He asked as he strained the water out of the pot. "Oh, I live in the apartments over by the bar." He nodded his head as he realized where that was at.

He picked up two plates of spaghetti and carried them to the table. I followed him with my eyes, enjoying the perfect body that he had grown into. "Come eat, silly." He said laughing at me, his laughter filled the small kitchen and I couldn't help but to join in.

Once I sat down he took my plate away from me and said, "Hang on." I looked at him puzzled as he was winding up some noodles on his fork. "Close your eyes." He instructed and I complied. "Now open your mouth." I slowly opened my mouth and tasted the homemade spaghetti sauce that I had taught him to make when he was just a boy.

It was undeniably cute that he was feeding me food. "Delicious." I said as I slowly opened my eyes. "That was Jo's old recipe." He said smiling before he took a big bite of food. We ate most of the meal in silence.

--

As I looked into this strangers emerald eyes, I felt as though she couldn't be a stranger. I had to have known her from some place, sometime, or in some other life. I already felt close to her, it was like she knew the pains that I had lived through and wanted nothing more but to help me.

Oh and kissing her. It was indescribable. It was like I had never kissed another girl, or at least I have never kissed any girl and had this big of a reaction to it. I wanted to do more than just kiss her, I wanted to familiarize myself with every curve and contour of her body, but at the same time all I wanted was to hold her and tell her all of the pains and troubles I've suffered and have her comfort me.

I didn't have any clear thoughts when it came to Tempe, all I knew for sure was that I couldn't let her go.

--

"Stay the night with me." James whispered as he was watching me. "I'm not going to sleep with you." I said back evenly.

"I'm fine with that." He said smiling that ridiculous smile. "Are you really?" I asked just a bit skeptical, I knew about his womanizing yet I didn't know where they had ended.

"I don't want to sleep with you…tonight." He said evenly as he leaned over to kiss my forehead.

I raised my eyebrows. "Look I won't even touch you, unless if you want me to of course." He said as he leaned back keeping to his word.

"Why do you want me to stay then?" I asked hoping that he just wanted to get to know me better. "Promise to not laugh at me." He said quietly, all traces of cockiness gone.

"Promise." I reached across the table to take his hand. "I feel as though I already know you and can trust you, so I just wanted to get closer to you." He said his honesty was shocking, yet I couldn't let my guard down too much otherwise he would put two and two together, the eyes and this familiar feeling and everything would be blown.

"I understand what you are saying, I feel the same way." I said as I stroked my thumb across his hand. "Can I kiss you?" He asked staying a man to his word about the not touching me thing.

I stood up and went and sat in his lap. I nodded as his lips tenderly caressed my own. I stood up and he followed me, he held my hand and led me back to my old bedroom. He let go of my hand and sat down on the bed, the bed creaked under his weight.

I joined him and the bed creaked again as the weight shifted, "Tell me about yourself." He asked. I quickly began to weave my web of lies that would become Temperance Black's life. He listened intently and did nothing but trace is fingers up and down exposed flesh.

I was finally quiet and he was still was tracing designs on my skin. "Tell me about you, James."

"My father was a Star Fleet captain for twelve minutes, in those twelve minutes he saved me, my mother, Jo, and eight-hundred other people, but he died." I squeezed his hand and he continued.

"It was hard, growing up I mean, my mother was practically wasting away over a lost love and Jo was my mother. I know my mom disappeared when I was younger and came back married to Chris. I hate him, but Jo always protected me and was there for me until a little while after my tenth birthday, then she died and I was alone."

"I'm so sorry." I kissed the inside of his palms. He brought his palms to my face and stroked his thumbs across my cheek bones. "You know you're eyes look exactly like hers."

--

"Good afternoon, Tempe." James murmured into my hair. He pulled me tighter into his chest and kissed the exposed skin on my shoulder.

"Good afternoon, James." I twisted in around in his arms and was facing him. He kissed my forehead slowly and caressed my cheek.

"Let me get you home." He said as he let go of me and rolled on to his back. I stretched out on the bed and moved to stand up. I heard a few joints pop as I stood and he as he stood he popped his neck.

We walked outside, hand in hand, and got on his newest motorcycle. So much for school, I was already skipping the second day of my education. I gripped his waist as he sped off towards town.

I was still a little big groggy from the night before. We had stayed up all night long, just talking, I was surprised how fast he had let me in but at the same time happy about it. In some weird way he must've sensed I was a lot like his Jo.

The ride was too short, I was hoping the spell we were both under would never end, but I didn't know what the future held. All I knew was that I was going to have to fight to stay with him. He was damaged, even though I could tell he was trying, it was definitely going to be a tough road to cross.

He walked me up to apartment 4C. "Friends forever?" I asked, knowing that a relationship would have to wait. "Friends forever." He replied, as I stared longingly into those icy blue eyes.