Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith.

Spoilers: None so far it is based on the Night World Series but I don't spoil any of the books, just the Night World concept really.

Part 6.

When Emma got up on Monday morning she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She hadn't seen any of the others since she'd found out about her and Midir and she wondered if there was anyway to tell if someone had found their soulmate. If there was any change in appearance that would give it away, something that would make someone stand up and say yes you've definitely found your soulmate. She examined her appearance minutely, she didn't seem to look and different from two days ago but who knew what a witch could see.

Emma pulled on her uniform and began to brush her hair. As she ran her brush through her hair she thought about what had happened over the past two days. She and Midir had talked for a while, for a long while, on Saturday and had agreed to keep what was going on a secret for the time being; well more like she had asked and he had agreed.

It wasn't that she wanted to deceive her friends or hide things from them but what choice did she have. They hated Midir and they wouldn't understand how she felt about him. She didn't hate him, she didn't love him either but maybe she was on her way to. She liked him a lot; he was intelligent and funny and quite sweet when he wanted to be and she had come to respect and admire him. There was no way her friends would understand that.

When Midir got on the bus he saw Emma sitting at the back with Stella and Hayden. He smiled at her and she smiled furtively back at him. He understood why she didn't want her friends to know about them if he was in her position he'd probably feel the same but it was still kind of upsetting. He grinned, Midir Boyce getting upset, he was sure a lot of people wouldn't believe that possible; most people wouldn't believe him capable of any emotion.

He glanced back at Emma trying to make sure no one saw him. He had felt so alone here until he discovered their connection. He'd felt like he didn't belong anywhere; the people of Glenalta didn't accept him and he couldn't and wouldn't return to his old life but now he had Emma and he belonged with her. He was falling for her and he thought that maybe the same was happening to her. He hoped so; he wanted her to love him, he needed her to love him; he needed to know he was capable of being loved.

Emma saw Midir looking at her and hoped the others didn't notice. He was sitting beside he window and sunlight was playing on his hair bringing out red highlights.

Stella grinned at her, "Earth to Emma, come in Emma."

"Huh," Emma said looking towards her.

Stella laughed, "You were miles away, what were you thinking about?"

Emma blushed beetroot, "Nothing, I wasn't thinking about anything."

Stella raised her eyebrows sceptically, "Sure."

Emma wished she could tell Stella the truth; tell her that she had been thinking about Midir but she couldn't. Stella was the one who distrusted Midir most; she was the one who would be most upset when she found out about it. None of her friends were going to be happy about it; they'd probably all hate her, which was why she wanted to keep it quiet at least until she knew better what was going on and how she felt about Midir.

So for the most part of the say she and Midir avoided each other as much as they could. Occasionally they would make eye contact or smile slightly but that was about it. Emma found herself longing for school to be over so they could talk, so she could spend some time with him. This soulmate thing sure worked fast, she was already beginning to miss him when he wasn't around, she was quickly reaching a point where she needed to have him around.

All day Midir did his best to hide his feelings for Emma. It was the least he could do; she was his soulmate, if she didn't feel ready to admit that to her friends who was he to argue with that. Okay, sure he felt a little hurt but he understood and Emma was already drowning in enough guilt without him adding to it. She felt guilty for deceiving her friends and for denying him. She hadn't told him this she didn't have to he could feel it. He wanted to comfort her to try and help ease that guilt a little but he never got a chance to be alone with her. That was until he found her in the empty accounting room waiting for the rest of the class and teacher to arrive.

"Hey," he greeted her softly.

"Hey," she replied with a slow, sad smile.

"You okay Emma?" he asked already knowing she wasn't.

She bit her lip and looked up at him, "No not really."

He put his arms around her and hugged her fiercely to him. Emma felt Midir's arms wrap around her, felt his solid, comforting warmth. She buried her face in his chest trying to fight back the tears she felt welling up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm so sorry. I wish I was someone your friends could like."

Emma had been wishing something similar just moments before but now in his arms, feeling his breath on her skin and the connection opening between them she didn't care about anything or anyone else.

He stroked the top of her head gently. "We'll work something out," he told her, "I don't know what or how but we will."

Emma looked up, "I'm not so sure but thanks." Then after a pause added, "I'd never have pegged you as an optimist."

"What can I say," Midir replied with a slight grin, "I have many hidden depths."

Emma smiled, "Thanks for cheering me up."

"Did I?" Midir asked brushing his fingers through her hair.

"Yip, you did."

"Good. What do I get in return though?"

Emma listened to see if she could hear someone coming then said, "This," and pressed her lips to his.

Midir was slightly worried as they kissed. It was so easy to lose themselves in each other, to lose track of time and forget where they were. That was why he tried to keep alert while they kissed, that was how he spotted the silhouette in the window. He broke the embrace quickly.

"Did you see that?" he asked Emma.

"What?" she inquired urgently, looking around.

"I thought I saw someone in the window, a shadow."

"Do you think the saw us?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if I saw someone."

"Then lets not worry about it," Emma replied squeezing his hand.

Midir hugged her again and then they separated as they heard the approach of the rest of their class.

Accounting was boring as usual, their teacher Mr. Kelly gave them a question to do and then left the room to do something or other. Emma finished the question quickly and then gazed into space, daydreaming. Mostly she daydreamed about Midir, she wondered if he'd really seen someone and if he had who was it and had they seen her and Midir together? Well if they had it would be all over the school by the end of next class but then at least she wouldn't have to tell the others but did she really want them to find out from someone else?

"Hey Emma," Truth yelled up the corridor as Emma was on her way from accounting to French. "Wait up."

"Hey Truth," Emma said as the girl caught up with her.

Emma felt a little strange having a normal conversation with Truth. She felt a little uncomfortable, a little sad and a lot guilty, if Truth had known what she'd been doing not long before, if she knew Emma had been kissing Midir would she want to talk to her. If she knew would she even want to be friends with Emma anymore.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Truth asked concerned.

"Nothing, nothing. I'm fine," Emma replied.

"Liar," Truth said lightly thought her lips twisted into a concerned line.

Emma could feel tears welling up in her eyes again. She hated this, she hated keeping things from her friends, she hated lying to them but what else could she do.

"Emma," Truth exclaimed, "Emma don't cry, please don't cry. What's wrong? Tell me."

Emma took a deep breath and fought back the tears clearing her vision.

"Nothing's wrong Truth. Really," she lied hating herself. "I'm just in one of those moods."

Truth's eyes were full of concern. "If you say so," she replied but her tone said I don't believe you but I'm not going to force you to tell me.

"So did you do the French homework?" Emma asked trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, I mean I tried to. I hate French comprehensions."

As she pulled her books from her locker at the end of school Emma found a note that had been shoved through the slit at the bottom. It was from Midir.

Emma, I'd like to see you, why don't you come to my house tonight.

He'd written directions to his house and that was it. Emma thought about it, she wanted to see him too and she wanted to see where he lived. He'd been to her house it was only fair that she should see his.

She shoved the note into her pocket and threw her bag over her back. Then she hurried outside afraid that she would miss her bus. She was heading out the door when Clea nabbed her.

"Hey Em, there you are. Some of us are going to Hern's, you want to come?"

"Not today Clea maybe tomorrow."

"Sure," Clea said smiling, "no prob."

Emma smiled too, she was glad that Clea hadn't demanded an explanation or been disappointed or anything but then Clea was pretty laid back that way.

Neither Stella nor Hayden was on the bus home so Emma sat with Aine, her neighbour. Emma liked the younger girl a lot, she was talkative and funny and always seemed to know everything that was going on around town. Today however Aine was quiet and cold towards Emma and she wondered what she'd done wrong.

"Aine is anything wrong? Have I done something?" She asked.

"Oh no," Aine replied, "you haven't done anything."

"But you're upset with me," Emma said softly.

"I'm not, really I'm not," Aine replied and proceeded to spend the rest of the journey regaling Emma with the gossip from the weekend.

It was when she got home that Emma began to consider the logistics of going to Midir's house, like how would she get there and how would she get home. She could walk there but that would probably mean having to walk home alone in the dark. She could walk there and get her parents to collect her but then they'd want to know what she'd been doing there and she wasn't exactly ready to explain Midir to them, so she had a dilemma.

After eating something and changing her clothes Emma decided to walk to Midir's and see how things went from there. Glad to have finally made a decision she changed out of her uniform and looked at the directions Midir had given her. She knew the house pretty well; it was on the outskirts of town about a 20-minute walk from her place maybe more.

She set out humming happily and caught herself. Why should she be so happy just going to see Midir? The truth dawned on her slowly she had it bad. Midir was a really nice guy and even without the soulmate connection she would have liked him if she'd ever gotten to know him properly, which was highly unlikely.

It was because of the soulmate link she had gotten to know him, to see him as he really was, it was because of the soulmate link she cared so much about him. She worried about that, that maybe the feelings were artificial, created by the link. She didn't think that was it though, the link was there because they had such feelings for each other, it was always going to happen, it had been destined since the day they were born if they met each other they were supposed to love each other, the fates had deemed it so. She was glad they had met that they were two of the few lucky ones who did. She was happy to be with him, happy he was hers and she was his.

When she got to the door for the first time in days she wasn't confused or conflicted. She just felt happy and at peace with herself and the universe. Midir opened the door and smile at her.

"Hey, I though it was you. Well then it could hardly be anyone else."

Emma felt bad for him, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he said with a half smile.

Emma still felt bad for him so she threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. He closed his arms around her and held her tightly to him. He held her so close she could hear his heartbeat. She put her fingers to his soft cotton shirt feeling the flutter of movement deep in his chest.

"So you do have a heart," she said softly.

"It would appear so," he said into her hair.

She smiled up at him and he bent his head and brushed his lips against hers. Emma wound her arms around his neck kissing back and found herself lost within the golden haze for a while.

"Maybe you should come inside," Midir said eventually, "anyone could see us, plus it's a little cold."

"You're a vampire you don't feel the cold," she said smiling.

"But you do Em," he said using the affectionate shortening of her name for the first time surprising and delighting her.

He took her hand and led her into the living room

"Welcome to my humble abode," he said softly.

Emma's jaw almost hit the floor when she saw the room; humble was certainly not the word. The house itself was large but the room was massive with a wooden floor and light green walls. He had every electronic entertainment device she could think of and more.

"You're trying to impress me with your ill-gotten gains," she said.

"Is it working? Are you impressed? Do you like?" he asked with a shy, sweet smile.

"Yes it's nice," she said slowly.

"But?" he asked softly.

"It's nothing," Emma replied looking away.

"It's something," he said a sad look creeping over his face. "I know what it is and it's okay."

"You know," she said sceptically.

"Yeah, it's cause you know where the money for all this came from," he said softly turning away.

"You were very good a what you did," Emma said.

"Yes," he replied gruffly.

Emma could sense how upset he was; she could feel it washing over her in waves. It made her want to comfort him so much.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

Emma moved towards him and wrapped her arms around him.

"You always seem to be apologising to me," she said, "and you don't need to. It is okay, it really is. You've changed, you're not like that anymore."

"Have I? Sometimes I'm not so sure."

"Midir," she said sternly, "you're the one who's supposed to be convincing me you've changed not."

He smiled wryly in reply, "I know it's just sometimes I feel bad about using the ill-gotten gains."

"Then don't use them," Emma said exasperatedly, "look either you keep the stuff and the money or you don't, I don't care. You did what you did, you got paid for it nothing will change that but it doesn't matter to me; I care about what you're doing now and who you are now."

"But what I did that will always be a part of who I am. Are you sure you can accept that?"

Emma threw her hands in the air, "How many times do I have to say it? I want to be with you, I care about you and I accept you for who you are. Is that why you asked me here? For some kind of validation session?"

Midir's lips curled upwards in a way that produced butterflies in Emma's stomach.

"Oh no," he said in a soft seductive voice, "this is what I invited you here for."

His bottom lip brushed gently against hers then he pulled her close to him, his lips descending on hers with a passion and intensity she'd never thought possible and all the time the soulmate connection hummed between them. Emma was swept up in a tide of emotion and sensation that spiralled higher and higher taking her with it. Desire and longing filled her, some of it her own and some his; they were bound so closely she found it hard to distinguish between her emotions and his.

"I love you Em," Midir murmured against her lips.

"I love you too," she replied automatically.

Then she realised it was true, she loved him. It didn't matter that they'd just meet or that her friends considered him dangerous, all that mattered was what she knew about him and how she felt about him.

"Really?" he asked.

"Truly," she replied.