Ariadne came home to find a gift left in front of her door. Two-dozen fully bloomed red roses lay perfect as any flower.

Ariadne,

I'm very sorry. Get better soon.

Love Jean

She sighed and brought them inside. In no mood to put them in a vase, Ariadne tossed them aside and sat down. In an hour she's have to go to the theater but she was very tired. She turned over and lay on the couch ready to relax for a moment.

The peace was killed almost immediately when her phone went off.

"Hello?"

"Bonjour Cherie." Said Jean.

"Hey." Her tone was like a flame burning out into air. "How are you?"

"Did you go to your apartment yet?"

"Yes, I'm there right now. Thanks for the roses, that was nice of you."

"I feel really guilty about it still." He said. "I want to give myself a black eye."

Ariadne shook her head. "No, don't do that. There's no need to worry because everyone thinks it was caused by a careless construction move."

"That's a relief. I wouldn't want anyone thinking I was hurting you."

"Your a little too late." She told him. "Jules questioned me today. She thinks it'll get worse."

"The girl I see around you with 'de red hair?"

"She thinks I'm in trouble."

Jean laughed over the phone. "At least she show's concern for you. That mean's she cares."

"But she was making such a big deal out of it, I mean it was an accident and she doesn't know that you did it but she's acting like a bodyguard."

"Don't worry about her." Said Jean. "She'll calm down once your eye heals."

"Here's hoping." Said Ariadne. "I need to rest. I have to build a sculpture in a bit."

"I love you."

"What?" The three words hit her like a nuclear missile.

"I'm sorry, was that too soon?"

She was afraid to hurt his feelings. "No. Two weeks isn't too soon. I'll see you later." Ariadne hung up and tossed the phone away. Why didn't she say the same thing? Did she hurt him by hanging up? The stress levels were rising like temperatures in Arizona.

Jules left Miles's lecture hall and proceeded through the building to walk to class. She checked her phone to see if Ariadne sent her anything and was disgusted when she didn't.

"Hey Red!"

Jules turned around like an angry bull to see Jean himself standing there.

"It's you." Jules rolled her eyes. "Actually, I need to talk to you."

"That's funny; I need to talk to you." Jean slithered over to her like a serial killer ready to pounce.

"Then it's a good thing we've found each other." Jules was happy to show how sarcastic she was.

"I'll get to the point since it look's like you have to be somewhere." Jean's tongue hustled. "You can't see Ariadne again."

"Excuse me?" Jules spat calmly.

"She's mine now. I'm 'de only family she has."

Jules pushed her hair behind her ear and laughed. "I've known her for twenty years. I'm not letting her go just because she's been with you for two weeks. Now explain her black eye to me."

"She has a black eye?" Jean asked dramatically. "Of dear, no! That's terrible!"

"You're the one who did it!" Jules snapped.

"And what proof do you have?" Jean questioned confidently.

"The fact that she's denying it." The Ginger sneered. "She's defending you because she's scared of you!"

"She is not scared of me."

"You call her fifty times a day telling her how perfect she is! It's creeping her out and making her nervous."

"She didn't tell me that." Said Jean defensively.

"Because she's scared!" Jules exclaimed again. "I know because I've seen other people go through it!"

"Well I have no intention of scarring her." Said Jean picking at a hangnail. "Since you told me, I won't text her as much."

"I don't want you talking to her. At all."

"That would be very hard to do." He said. "I can't have a girlfriend I can't talk to."

"Believe me, she will not be your girlfriend much longer." Jules snorted. "And if she goes back to drugs and cutting and being Goth, I'm not going to blame her. I'm going to blame you. If I see another dent on her and I'll put you through a meat grinder!" With that, the chief trotted off. A distance away, she stuck up her hand and flipped him off.

"Bitch." He muttered.

Alone but surrounded by a lot of people, Ariadne was backstage at the theater making last minute changes to a statue. It was for the garden set where Meg sang her famous song and Aphrodite was the appropriate god to display on stage. She was clipping a few bumps off her dress when someone walked in.

"You know, a statue of the Goddess Ariadne would be nicer." Jean put his arms around her waist and leaned his chin into her shoulder.

"I thought you weren't working today." She said, continuing to adjust the statue.

"I'm not." Jean kissed her shoulder. "I'm here to see you."

"Isn't there a rule that if you don't have a job to do then don't show up?" Ariadne knew that at a lot of theaters had that role and the one she was in would most likely too.

"No one knows I'm here." Said Jean. "I'm like a ninja." He jumped into a corny ninja pose.

"Yeah, a ninja with a Spongebob scarf, a turtleneck and tight pants." Ariadne chuckled.

"Are you almost finished?" he asked looking at the sculpture.

"I'll be done by the end of the day." Said Ariadne. "And then I have to go home to study. Why?"

"I was hoping we could do something." He said. "You must have some free time."

"I'm afraid I don't." Ariadne sighed. "I have a lot of homework and the doctor says I need to go to bed sooner. I've been having a little trouble falling asleep."

"Then I'll do this now." Before she had time to react, he spun her around and threw her sunglasses across the room.

"Jean, what the hell-" the actor mashed his lips into the architects blowing in his aftertaste of coffee into her throat. Her reaction was immediately to push him off and run but his grip on her was stronger than before. Ariadne had the opportunity for one second to yell 'Stop!' and she did with such fierceness that Jean pulled back with a surprised look on his face.

"What did you say?" his voice was angry.

"I am not ready for that and I've told you so many times before to take things slow! I'm already stressed out enough!"

Jean looked forward at her trying to hide the light color in his cheeks.

"Maybe no one had told you 'dis." He started. "But Jean always get's 'is way."

"Well not this time!" Ariadne snapped. "I'm done."

"That's not how the game is played Cherie." He purred.

"Well I'm going to cheat!" Ariadne shot back. "Don't call me anymore, don't text me, don't talk to me!"

Jean breathed heavily as Ariadne starred him down venomously. His action drastically surprised her, hitting her like a bullet. Ariadne fell to the floor when he pounded his knuckles onto her nose. Her nasal bone snapped to the left as blood snuck out. A loud clash was heard and when she looked up, Jean was gone. The Aphrodite statue was scattered on the floor.