A/N 1: As in the previous chapters – ideas for fic and character development, questions, plotbunnies, suggestions, flames, character pictures, corrections, additions, comments, and everything in between can be mailed to hack_heaven@usa.net
A/N 2: VivaGlam: Thank you for putting that nagging little fear of mine to rest - I was starting to doubt myself (and the future chapters) for a moment :P
Ageless: Talents? *g* You mean the nasty plotbunnies you sic on me via ICQ? Talents, indeed ^^. Oh, and remember that discussion we had about who was to blame for Prue's death? I used some of that wonderful monologue you posted. You'll know it when you see it *g*
Italics indicates thoughts/telepathy
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Ninth Interlude: Heartbeat
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Ryan heard the door close with a faint click, then looked at Diana. She stood in front of him; arms crossed defiantly, a gesture which - much to Ryan's frustration - only served to highlight the curves on her body. Probably on purpose, too, he realized.
Christ, what had he gotten himself into?
Diana sent him a pointed glare, silently daring him to say something. When it became obvious that Ryan had no intentions of speaking up - and most likely get himself into even deeper trouble - Diana decided to make the first move.
"Ryan-"
"No," Ryan interrupted, knowing all too well what she was about to say. "Not now. The more important thing first - what happened during the night?"
Diana faltered slightly, taking a moment to consider her words.
"How much did Kyle tell you?" she asked.
Ryan leaned against the wall, his face devoid of feelings, but behind the careful facade, Diana could sense a maelstrom of emotions - sadness, anger, grief, pain...hate? Diana looked at him sharply, not liking what she sensed, but Ryan continued before she could say anything.
"He told me the basics," he replied. "That he and West found Prue...dead, and Deirdre unconscious, and that they barely escaped the police. I hoped you could give me a clearer image of what's going on."
Diana sighed.
"I talked to Deirdre earlier, and she told me what happened. Apparently, Blade, Nike, and Melee were behind it...," Diana explained, then paused, biting her lower lip. "...Along with Jhonen."
Ryan's head snapped up, the emotionless facade gone in a heartbeat.
"Jhonen?" he demanded.
Diana nodded, forcing herself to push aside her anger towards their traitorous teammate. Ryan had enough to deal with without adding her fury to the list.
"He was there with them," she explained, almost managing to keep the anger out of her voice. "He...he lead them to 'Dre and Prue, and stopped 'Dre when she tried to help Prue."
Ryan shook his head slightly, the shock obvious on his face.
"God, Jhonen, what are you doing...?" he whispered, stunned by this sudden turn of events. Like Diana, he'd had a hard time believing that Jhonen would really turn on them - Jhonen was a good kid, he knew that.
Had been a good kid, he mentally corrected himself. This new development showed clearer than words ever could that the Jhonen they'd known was gone, probably for good.
It didn't take them long to corrupt him, Ryan noted with a certain bitterness. Even through the anger he felt, there was also the feeling of failure - he'd promised Jhonen to take care of him, that he would be safe with the Guardians. Jhonen had trusted Ryan to protect him, and in the end, Ryan couldn't even protect him from himself.
No...not himself. Ryan had failed to protect Jhonen from the Shadow Alliance...and Blade in specific. And he should have seen it coming, shouldn't he? This was a game to Blade, an amusing pastime when nothing more interesting turned up. And Jhonen, innocent, harmless Jhonen, had been the perfect thing to grab from the Guardians and turn into something dark and twisted.
But it had gone too far this time. Because of Blade, an innocent girl would never grow up, never fall in love, never get married, never know the joy of seeing her firstborn child for the very first time. Prue was dead, and nothing - *nothing* - would bring her back. And West...the boy would be traumatized for years to come.
Thing had gotten out of control, and something had to be done before anyone else lost their life.
You were wrong about me, Blade - I'm not some harmless, little kid, trying to play hero. It's time to end this game, and we'll end it *my* way, Ryan thought coldly.
Although Diana couldn't hear what Ryan was thinking, she *did* feel the sudden coldness that surrounded him, followed by a shiver down her spine.
"Ryan?" she asked, torn between concern and uneasiness. She'd felt coldness like that before, but never in Ryan - in many ways, he'd been her pillar of support in a ruthless, confusing world. Always there for her; strong, supportive, warm, caring...not cold like this. Never, until now, and it unnerved her more than a bit.
Ryan looked at her, and suddenly realized that she'd sensed his angry emotions. Almost unconsciously he strengthened his mental shields, and Diana felt the coldness disappear behind his facade.
"I'll be fine," Ryan replied comforting. Diana opened her mouth to object, but Ryan stopped her before she could say anything. "What else happened?" he asked.
For a brief moment, Diana considered asking him about the sudden coldness, but decided to drop it. It could wait. Besides, she trusted Ryan - if it was important, he'd tell her, she knew that.
"I talked to Suzuka just before we came down here," Diana said. "It's bad. She doesn't hate Jhonen; it goes beyond that." The young empath hesitated for a moment, then continued. "She wants to kill him."
"Was she serious?" Ryan asked concerned. "She doesn't-"
"Oh, she was serious, alright," Diana replied with a sigh. "If she ever meet him again, she's going to kill him, Ryan, I don't doubt that."
"Damn!" Ryan muttered. "Is there anything we can do to talk her out of it?" he continued, a bit louder. "Anything at all?"
Diana shook her head. She didn't have to think about her reply - she had already twisted and turned every possible option in her head.
"No...you know her, Ryan. She hates traitors, and Jhonen took treachery to a whole new level. She won't give up until he's dead...or she is."
And if she goes after Jhonen alone and runs into the Shadow Alliance, it's most likely to end with the last option, she didn't add. She didn't have to - Ryan was thinking the very same thing.
"We can't let her be alone, not until she's calmed down a bit," Ryan decided. "Is Kyle with her now?"
"I think so - he's been pretty concerned about her, so I think he'll probably keep close to her."
Ryan nodded.
"Good. We can talk to him and Ben later, and make sure that she won't be left alone. I don't think she'll be stupid enough to go after Jhonen alone, but let's not take any chances," he said. "Anything else?"
"Just one more thing," Diana replied and smiled with deceptive innocence.
"What?" Ryan asked - and he should have seen her answer coming a mile away. Unfortunately, the painkillers made it hard to think straight, and his brain was working a lot slower than normal.
"I want an explanation, Ryan," Diana said and sent him a pointed look. "You kissed me last night, and all but told me that you were romantically interested in me. You're not getting out of this one - we need to sort this out. Now."
"Diana, I was barely conscious," Ryan replied tiredly, deliberately bending the truth a bit - he'd gone too far, he knew that, but with a little luck Diana would accept his explanation. "I didn't even know what I was doing."
"Liar," Diana accused in a low voice. "You were conscious enough to talk coherently. What's wrong? Is it me? Am I too ugly for you? Or is my hair the wrong color?"
Ryan sighed exasperatedly, and couldn't help but feeling that he was getting in way over his head. This wasn't how it should have gone - Diana should have accepted his explanation and left it at that. Things were confusing enough as it was; he didn't want to add their relationship to the list.
"No, it's not you, Diana, you're beautiful, and you know that. It's..." Ryan trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"What?" Diana asked. "What's wrong, Ryan?"
Ryan shook his head in a tired motion, thankful that the painkillers had already set in. It might not be a good idea to have a conversation like this when you weren't entirely clear in the head, but it was far better than having the argument while your entire body hurt.
"You're sixteen," Ryan tried to explain. "What you're feeling...it's not love, it's a crush, and I don't want to hurt you by taking advantage of that."
Diana glared at him, annoyed with the over-protectiveness he showed. She wasn't a little girl anymore - she could make her own decisions, and she was not going to be dissuaded by his ill timed sense of honor.
"You're not taking advantage of me - I'm not some immature girl, who doesn't know what she's getting into," Diana replied, with just a hint of anger. "I'm perfectly capable of making my own choices!"
"Diana, listen to me," Ryan said, putting as much weight behind his words as he could in his current state. "I'm seven years older than you...that alone should make you stop and think about what you're getting into. Take my advice - find yourself a nice guy your own age, and not someone with the emotional luggage that I have. For your own sake, Diana...I don't want to see you hurt."
Diana raised her head defiantly, refusing to back down, and met Ryan's serious look without blinking.
"No."
The reply was simple, but delivered with the challenging tone that only rebellious teenagers truly mastered - and after a yearlong crush on Ryan, Diana's frustration with him put more than a bit of strength behind her words.
"Damnit, Diana!" Ryan cursed softly, but there was no anger in his words, only tired resignation. "Why can't you do as I tell you to just this once?"
"Because you're making a mistake," Diana replied softly voice. "Stop being afraid, Ryan. You won't hurt me, and you're not taking advantage of me."
Ryan didn't respond, and encouraged by the uncertainty in his eyes, Diana took a step closer, deciding that it was time to sort their relationship out once and for all. Maybe he'd reject her, maybe he wouldn't - either way Diana wanted to know. She wanted certainty, even if Ryan's decision might hurt her.
Diana reached up and put her arms around Ryan's neck, deliberately pressing herself closer to him.
"I'm not a little girl, Ryan, not anymore" she whispered, and their sudden closeness only served to emphasize her point.
No, the female body Ryan now found himself pressed against was definitely not the body of a young girl, and it didn't help the least on his uncertainty. Physically speaking, she was a well-developed young woman. Mentally speaking...Christ, she was just a teenager - this was a *crush*, nothing else. Ryan sighed, unconsciously resting his hands on her hips, and tried to figure out what to say.
"Diana-"
"No," Diana replied and shook her head. "I don't want to wait forever, Ryan. All I want is an answer...don't you think you owe me that, at least?"
Diana...please...
Ryan wanted to tell again her that it would never work out, that she should pick someone her own age, but found that he couldn't. Her body fit so perfectly with his, pressed close together as they were. Nobody knew him as well as she did - not even Kyle - and more than once she'd been his pillar of support when times had been difficult. It would be so easy...
No.
He couldn't do this to her. She deserved someone her own age, someone who had yet to become jaded and cynical. It might hurt her now, but it would be better in the long run. He had morals and a conscience, and he wasn't going to take advantage of a young girl's crush.
"Diana..." he began quietly. "I love you as a friend and confidant, you know that, but this...it wouldn't work out. I'm sorry."
He'd expected anger or disappointed from the girl in his arms - disbelief, even - but there was none of that. There was only the faintest of smiles on her lips, like she knew a secret that he didn't.
"Liar," she whispered. "If you hadn't been attracted to me, you would have let go of me by now."
It took a moment for Ryan to realize that he was still touching her hips, unconsciously keeping her close to him. Mortified, he let go, but Diana had already made her point. Acting on instincts, she raised her head slightly and kissed him gently. She waited for a moment, then drew away again.
"Go on - tell me you didn't like that," she challenged.
Don't do this to me, Ryan pleaded silently. I don't want to hurt you.
You won't, Diana replied, and he could feel the smile the accompanied the words. Trust me, Ryan. Please.
She kissed him again, and Ryan could feel the last of his objections disappear as her lips touched his. He'd tried the best he could to dissuade her, but it hadn't worked. And what could he do? He was still very much a male, and there was a limit to how long he could resist the gorgeous, young woman who was all but throwing herself at him.
Diana...
His resistance was all but gone, and they both knew it.
Trust me..., Diana whispered, and finally Ryan gave in. He deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist, and felt Diana respond to his touch. A wave of emotions radiated from her - love, care, hope, satisfaction - but beneath it all was a trust so complete that it almost scared him. And this was wrong, his conscience told him that, but at that moment Ryan didn't care - the only thing that mattered was the girl in his arms and the softness of her lips.
Slowly, reluctantly, they broke the kiss, and Diana smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying his closeness. It felt...right. Perfect. Ryan returned the smile, watching her silently, and felt some of the weight disappear from his shoulders.
And for the briefest of moments, everything was perfect.
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