Sorry this is so late. I kept running into a wall with this story, and I don't know why. It just wasn't…coming…

Also I've been preoccupied with university. I'm a freshman and I joined too many clubs than I should have. Also, midterms are right now, and…well…getting used to this life and the increase in homework (I barely got any in my last school) and socializing and the many distractions LA has for a girl like me (coz I am in a school in LA)…well, lets just say I don't have much time to write anymore. Sorry! I'm trying, I really am.

~Danica~

My cheeks are red. I know it. These scandalous moves Aisha has me doing embarrass me, but it's for Zane. I want him to see that I am worthy, that I can accept his culture and him. That now that I have nowhere else to go, that I will live with him and his kind, and be happy. I can be happy here.

Also, Aisha is too dang scary for me to deny her rather aggressive requests and demands to see me dance.

I slowly made my way back into a standing position, the muscles in my legs screaming for some kind of release. I'm not accustomed to this kind of movements, despite the rigorous training Rei put me through. My eyes are still closed-I refuse to open them and see the Serpentine dancers sniggering at me. I think I may run away if I saw them looking at me with disgust and amusement on their faces. What was I thinking when Aisha put me on stage? I must be losing my mind.

It was only when I finally finished the dance Aisha taught me in five minutes flat, did I finally open my eyes slowly. I kept my gaze down, expecting to hear snorts of laughter, but after a sufficiently awkward silence, I looked up.

My jaw dropped.

All of the people in the Nest-men and women alike-had a shocked expression on their faces. When I met their eyes with mine, each face broke out with a huge grin and their applause filled the space. My face reddened even more, and I gave a sidelong look at Aisha. She had a smile on her face, but her eyes were still critical.

"You need some work, but not bad for your first time. For a bird, you can dance."

I flushed with pleasure and embarrassment. I didn't take her insult of me being a bird to heart; I know she didn't mean anything bad by it. She was just stating the facts. I started to make my way off the stage when suddenly there was a pair of hands around my waits, lifting me into the sky and spinning me around in circles. I threw my head back and laughed; I would know the feelings of Zane's hands anytime. I brought my hands behind his head and looked into his sparkling dark orbs. He had his half-smile on, and forgetting the decorum I was brought up with, I brought my lips to his and savored his taste. I heard a few cat-calls, but I ignored them in favor of relishing in the feeling of being in his arms and the warm glow of acceptance from a group I already held in high regard.

For once, I didn't feel heartbroken over my mother's choice. I felt hopeful.

Night-time in the Nest is unlike anything else I have experienced in my life. Usually, in polite Avian society, everyone is quiet and in bed by ten o'clock. Here, ten o'clock is when everything gets started.

The bonfire was kept alight throughout the day, keeping the temperature over hot so the dancers may feel more antsy and ready to move. During the day it served one purpose: heat. During the night, it takes on magical qualities.

The bonfire is the only source of light in the Nest at night, and not only does it serves to be a toe-warmer in the cool of the night, it also casts wonderful shadows all over the place. It made the place seem spooky, but nestled next to Zane, spooky was far from my mind. Magical and unreal were more accurate descriptions of what the flickering firelight did to the dancing shadows. If I squinted my eyes, I could almost picture the shadows to be dancers cut out of the dark of night.

I felt like a different person with the dancers. I felt freer, more able to express myself. Gone was the shy, reserved hawk. In her place was the new and improved me. And I liked the new me better.

The new me wasn't afraid to show affection for Zane in public. We had been attached at the hip since my dance ended, and even though we had not kissed since that last time we still held hands-something that would have been frowned upon back at my home. The new me wasn't afraid to show off the little bit of skin, like the top I was currently wearing that showed off my bared stomach and arms. If only my mother could see me now! She would have a heart attack. The new me wasn't afraid of showing emotion, instead of hoarding it inside. When a Serpentine dancer openly leered at me, I glared at him and he shot me an appreciative smirk in response. Before, I would have never done that.

I admit, the new me slightly scared me.

I didn't know what caused me to change so drastically and quickly, and I was even more dismayed at how restricted I felt under the Avian's way of life. I didn't even know how repressed I felt until I was given free leave to be who I want to be. I am no longer the heir to the Tuuli Thea, a responsibility I never wanted, but now I am just Danica. And Just Danica can be whoever she wants to be. The freedom was exhilarating yet scary at the same time. In a world where I had so many limitations, I didn't know what I could do with my newfound freedom. Or more accurately, what I can't do with it.

While I lay there pondering these thoughts, Zane was absentmindedly tracing circles on my back. I was lying down next to him, my cheek lying atop his chest and I was listening to his heartbeat, and my eyes were trained on the scene in front of me.

The dancers were dancing sinuously around the fire in an almost tribal way. Their movements were smooth and seductive, and spoke of liberation and sex and pleasure. The firelight gleamed off of their sweaty skin, but none seemed to notice the heat. In fact, it seemed as if they reveled in it. And when one of them got tired, there would be another to take his or her place. It was a never-ending parade of dancers, all with their own style of dance, all beautiful.

"What's on your mind?" Zane's whisper tickled my ear and I suppressed the urge t giggle.

"Just how wonderful this is." I answered, my voice genuine.

Zane pulled away so he may see my face. Hs expression was incredulous. "Really?"

I nodded my head fervently. "Yes. I love it here, it's so freeing. Liberating. I feel as if I can take a deep breath of air and shout at the top of my lungs without being reprimanded."

"Yes, but people would think you are crazy."

I snuggled closer to him. "Crazy in love, maybe."

His arm tightened around me, and his other hand tilted my chin up so I may look him in the eyes. "You're not alone on that." He murmured, and he gently brushed his lips against mine. I closed my eyes in the contact, wanting more, but he chuckled and pulled away. "Not tonight, my pretty Danica. We've had a long day, and we should rest."

I gave a pointed look at the dancers. "What about them?"

"They can keep this up all night if they want. We, however, cannot. We are normal people with normal needs."

"So…where do we go to sleep?"

Zane gave me a bemused look. "Right here."

I gaped at him. "As in, on the floor?"

He nodded, the traces of amusement evident at the corner of his lips. "Aren't you comfortable here?" He asked, gesturing towards the cushions and mats we were currently lying on.

"Yes, but what about separate sleeping areas?"

Zane laughed, and shook his head at my question. "We Serpentine sleep together as a group until we are thirteen, and only then do we separate into different sleeping areas. But the dancers ignore that and just sleep where they fall."

I gave him an incredulous look. "Seriously?"

He nodded his head, his lips twitching with delight. I looked around us. "So…right here? Right now?"

"Yup."

I lay back cautiously and used Zane's arm as a pillow. I gave him an uncertain look. "Like this?"

He laughed and kissed the tip of my nose. "Just sleep, Danica."

I frowned, unsure how I was supposed to go around doing that. Instead, I curled on my side, and put my face on Zane's chest. I closed my eyes, and before I knew it, I was asleep.

We were awaken the next morning by vigorous shaking. I blearily opened my eyes to find my arm draped across Zane's chest and my head pillowed on his arm. In return, his arm was thrown over my stomach.

"Zane." I looked up to see a rather nondescript boy shaking Zane. So that's why I woke up. At the same time, Zane opened his eyes and looked up at the boy. Satisfied the Arami was awake, the boy rattled off his message, a message that froze my blood and caused it to pound in my head.

"Your mother wants to meet the hawk."

Ok, yes this was a filler chapter, mostly just to satisfy you guys (so you won't kill me in my sleep) and so I don't feel so bad for not updating for two months. I'm sure I mentioned this, but this isn't the easiest story for me to write.

Any thoughts? Comments? Criticisms? Like it? Hate it? Love it?

r.e.v.i.e.w.

please?

;]