***

The drowsy murmur of voices drew Darien up towards consciousness, the remnants of a most pleasant dream encouraging him to remain in that half-awake state where everything was bathed in a rose-colored haze of unreality. There was this odd feeling far in the background of his mind that he'd forgotten something, several somethings, in fact, but he was enjoying the drowsy warmth provided by the body he was curled about far too much to worry about it unduly.

Cracking one eye open, the light level suggesting it was late morning and that the storm had passed during the overnight hours, he was pleasantly surprised to find 'Chele lying next to him, her hair tickling his chin and her petite lithe body pressed back against his. It was damn nice to know the events of yesterday evening had been more than just a vivid dream conjured up by his overactive libido. Though they had indeed made it to bed quite early, they most certainly had not fallen to sleep for long hours, not until both of them had both been exhausted and completely sated.

He shifted his hand that rested on her hip upwards, along her stomach, and under her arm to caress the soft warm flesh there. This made her moan softly and shift back against him and inspiring a very natural reaction. Darien was seriously debating an attempt at waking her to find out if sex in the morning was as enjoyable as at night when there was a knock at his door an instant before it was flung open.

"Darien, get your lazy ass out of.... bed." The last word came out at a harsh whisper as Kevin's eyes widened in shock. "You son of a bitch," Kevin snarled, bolting from the room and leaving the door standing open.

"Ah crap." Darien practically flew out of the bed and scrambled to find his pants, zipping and buttoning them even as he ran out of his room. "Kevin. Kev. Kev, hold up there," he shouted as he bolted after his brother and caught up with him at the head of the stairs. He grabbed Kev by the upper arm and urged him into his bedroom, which was no easy task as Kevin was nearly as tall as Darien and built heavier. Kevin also had a full mad on and quite plainly did not want any part of a calm and rational discussion with his younger brother.

"Kev, it's not what it looks like," When Kevin glared at him Darien revised his statement. "Okay, so it's exactly what it looks like. What's the big deal?"

Kevin shook his head in anger. "Big deal? What the hell were you thinking? Oh, wait, my mistake. You weren't, as usual." he sneered, his face flushing in his rage.

Darien just stared at Kevin for a moment, dumbfounded. "Excuse me?"

"You have no idea what you've done, can't see anything beyond your personal wants and lusts," Kevin hissed as he stepped forward to poke Darien in the chest with a finger.

"My lusts?" Darien laughed harshly, knowing full well Michele had come to him last night and not the other way around. "You, as usual, have no freaking idea what you are talking about, bro." Darien took a step forward and loomed over Kevin. The tactic was effective and Kevin backed away, attempting to cover his discomfiture by adjusting his glasses.

"You are going to ruin her chances at a great career just to get laid. She can't afford entanglements, not now," Kevin explained coldly, his look dark. "Especially not with the likes of you."

"The likes of... You mean a thief?" Kevin nodded and Darien shook his head. Kevin was obviously wearing his blinders again, the ones which conveniently kept him from seeing things the way they really were. He had this tendency to place people in pigeonholes of his own creation and anything that occurred outside his own tightly held views were to be ignored as unimportant. So, although Darien had achieved top marks by the time he had graduated high school, Kevin still saw him as nothing more than a rebellious punk who was trying to do his best to embarrass the family name by taking up a life of crime to get his adrenaline rush. Kevin refused to see the budding philosopher who was hoping to share one of the things he loved with others some day. And that fact saddened Darien.

When Darien failed to comment as Kevin seemed to deem necessary, he continued his tirade. "For god's sake, Darien, what if Peter or Celia had walked in instead of me?" The muscles of Kevin's jaw clenched visibly and that vein running along his temple began to throb.

"Awww, jealous? Mad she picked me, the reprobate, over the Great Kevin Fawkes?" Darien was amazed at the deep dark red that suddenly flooded his brother's features and he knew he'd hit it dead on. "She's an adult, Kev, and can make her own choices. Even if it means picking me." Darien waved a hand at himself to emphasize his point. The quiet look of confidence that appeared on Kevin's face worried Darien, but only for a second.

"A good point. She is indeed an adult and you," That finger was back to poke Darien in the sternum, "are not."

Darien snorted in amusement and swatted the offending hand away. "What? You gonna call the cops?" Darien lowered his voice and leaned closer, using his height over Kevin to his advantage. "Then who would be the one ruining her chances, hmmm?"

Kevin spluttered and swore while Darien straightened and smiled, knowing he'd easily won that round. "Damn you, Darien!"

"You ain't god yet, Kev." Darien turned away, tired of this and knowing that, no matter what he might try to say, Kevin would still do what he wanted and to hell with the consequences. Opening the door Darien made one last attempt, "Leave it alone. It's none of your business."

Kevin, however, had to make that one last push. "I'll tell Peter," he warned, his voice full of venom.

Darien paused with one hand resting on the door and looked back at his older brother. "Showing that vaunted maturity there, bro. Running to tattle on me, just like always." Before Kevin could react Darien was out the door and walking back to his room to break the news of his brother's discovery to 'Chele.

"'Chele, babe, we got a prob...lem." Much to his dismay, Michele was gone, the bed neatly made, the few pieces of clothing that had been scattered about put away, the evidence of their night wiped clean away leaving only subtle traces that only he an 'Chele would recognize, behind. Simple things like the clean blanket on the bed, the slight scent of musk in the air, the stray red hairs catching the light coming in through the now opened curtains. She'd even opened the window, allowing the fresh breeze in to try and steal the remaining olfactory clues from him.

"Perfect, Kev, thanks a lot." Fetching clean clothes, he quickly changed, finding the pants much more comfortable with underwear beneath the coarse material, as well as a lot safer for certain portions of his anatomy. The sharp teeth of a zipper meeting tender flesh was not something he ever wanted to experience.

Running a comb through his hair, the worry that had been hiding in that dark, dank corner of his mind surged forward into the light and forced him to examine it closely. What if she was regretting what happened between them? What if she didn't think he was really good enough for her, had used him simply because he was here and willing? What if, as Kevin had suggested, she thought a real relationship would ruin her plans for the future? A relationship with himself, anyway?

"And what if she simply wanted to keep me from getting yelled at by Pete?" Darien grumbled aloud to himself, trying to bolster his waning confidence. "No more second thoughts."

"Darien," Celia called from somewhere downstairs. "Can you come here, please?"

Darien's stomach balled into a hard knot of uncertainty and sank down to his feet, sure Kevin was as good as his weasely word and had told both Pete and Celia. "Coming." he responded. He wanted to go talk to 'Chele before facing the proverbial music with his aunt and uncle, wanted to know where they stood with each other before paying whatever price they would demand of him. With a sigh of resignation he left his room and headed downstairs.

He found Celia in the formal living room packing the photo's that lined the mantle into a box.

"Whatcha need?" Darien asked from the doorway. "We moving?"

"Oh, heavens no." Celia set the box on the floor. "We decided to repaint the room while both you boys were here." She turned about to look him over and Darien squirmed internally under her gaze, positive she'd see the evidence of what he and 'Chele had done splashed across his features like a theatre marquee promoting a new movie. "Think you can help me move the furniture?"

Darien contained a heartfelt sigh of relief. "Sure. You point and I'll hoist."

Celia laughed lightly. "Go get yourself something to eat while I clear away some of the smaller items."

His stomach spoke up then, agreeing with his aunt's suggestion of seeking sustenance and he ducked his head. He had burned up quite a few calories last night and was understandably starved. Shifting to lean against the doorframe he asked, "You seen 'Chele?"

"Hmmm? Oh, she said she was heading into town. Some errands, I think," Celia answered. "You two have some fun over the holiday?"

"Yeah, some," Darien answered feeling hurt that 'Chele had bolted not only from his bed, but the entire house in what appeared to be the sudden need to be away from him. "I'll be back in 15 minutes, okay?"

"That's fine, dear," Celia said, distractedly, once again placing smaller items in the box.

***

It wasn't until mid-afternoon that Darien finally got a chance to catch more than a glimpse of Michele. The living room was now mostly bare; the few remaining pieces of furniture covered with both sheets and heavy drop cloths. He'd left when Pete and Kevin pulled out slide rules to figure out how much paint they were going to need. Celia had already moved off to the kitchen to start dinner and, though Darien had offered to help as a way to avoid talking to 'Chele, Celia had politely refused, citing not only his assistance all day long, but his exemplary behavior while they had been out of town.

So now Darien stood on the back porch gazing across the backyard at 'Chele, who lay on the grass, propped up on her right side, reading. The temperature was far more moderate today, with markedly less humidity dampening the air. She looked disgustingly calm and comfortable in the pair of cut-off shorts and flowing gauze shirt, which moved gently in the light breeze.

Hearing a sound behind him, Darien turned to see Celia standing in the doorway, drying her hands on a towel. "Did the two of you have a fight or something?"

Darien shrugged not quite able to meet her eyes. "Or something."

Celia pushed the door open, draping the towel over one shoulder and moved to stand before him. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

Darien tossed a look over at 'Chele before answering. "I don't know."

"Since I have no idea what happened, and I'm not going to ask, I will only say this: The two of you have been through a lot over the years and what few disagreements you've had you always worked it out. Why do you think this time will be any different?" Celia set a hand on his arm and encouraged Darien to turn about. She gestured at 'Chele who casually turned a page, still fully absorbed in her reading and oblivious to the discussion going on about her. "Just talk to her."

Celia patted him on the arm and then left him, the screen door thudding shut seconds later. Darien still didn't move right away, preferring the illusion that everything was perfectly fine between him and 'Chele and terrified to take the risk and find out it might not be.

Sucking a breath in between his teeth to gather up what little courage he could find he strode down the steps and across the lawn to flop down on the grass, mirroring her position with the book lying like a no-man's land between them.

He was completely stunned when she raised her head and planted a firm kiss on his lips without the slightest hint of shyness or hesitation. "Hey you. They finally turn you loose from manual labor?"

"You could say that," Darien responded. Picking up the book, he tilted it to read the title, fully expecting it to be some deep and dry scientific text only to find, "The Blue Sword?"

"Yeah. Horses, swords, magic, all the things us female-types are supposed to like," she explained as she took the book from him and set it aside. "Fantasy is a nice change of pace for me. 'Sides I've stumbled upon more than one idea that had practical applications in the lab."

Darien gave her a wan smile, not sure where to begin. "'Chele, where do we stand... with each other?"

"Well, since currently we're not standing..." She wore an amused smile, which faded as Darien frowned. "What's wrong, Darien?"

Darien dropped his eyes to his hand, which was plucking nervously at the carpet of grass lying between them, the few inches separating them suddenly seeming to be a gulf greater than the Pacific itself. "Do you regret what happened?"

'Chele laughed softly and Darien's head snapped up to stare at her. "Regret? Hell no. Feel incredibly stupid for forgetting they would be coming home, but that's all."

Darien shook his head in disbelief. "Then why avoid me all day?"

She looked disconcerted. "I didn't intend to. The screaming match between you and Kevin made me think it might be better to stay out of sight for few hours. That's all." She set her hand over his, stilling his efforts at removing all the grass within immediate reach. "I'm sorry if you got the wrong impression because of it."

Darien sighed in relief to know that at least one of his fears had no basis in reality. "Does that mean you'd like to, umm... do it again?" As he watched, she got this heated look in her eyes that told him everything that he needed to know.

"In a heartbeat." Her voice was hushed and her hand slid up along his arm, causing him to shiver. "But perhaps we should wait until we don't have an audience."

Turning his head Darien could see Kevin standing at the back door watching the two of them with this scowl on his face. Grabbing 'Chele's hand Darien kissed the back of it making her grin and then he waved at Kevin who stormed off leaving them alone.

"Damn, he is being such a jerk," 'Chele muttered.

"Huh?"

"Oh, he confronted me while I was doing laundry. Explaining why you would be an 'inappropriate companion for me.' I asked him why he was jealous," 'Chele explained, making Darien burst out laughing, glad to know he wasn't the only one to catch onto the reasons for his brother's sudden concern for Michele. "It's none of his business."

"Damn straight." He brushed a stray lock of hair back behind her ear while screwing up his courage to tackle the next topic. "You could've mentioned you were... umm... uh..." He suddenly found himself unsure how to say it aloud and could feel his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Inexperienced?" she supplied and he nodded. "I'm not that inexperienced, Dare."

"I'll give ya that one. Though where you find the time..." He grinned as she blushed bright red.

"Unlike certain geniuses around here, I do not spend my life in a lab. I love my work, but it is not all my life is about." She poked Darien lightly in the chest. "Big difference between being alive and living. And I plan on enjoying my life to the fullest."

"Good." He waffled for a few seconds, the silence surprisingly easy between them. "I... I'm kinda wondering, why me?"

"Why not you?" she countered in all seriousness.

"'Chele, it just doesn't make sense to me, I guess. You've obviously gotten pretty serious with guys at college and yet you come to me for... that. Was I just convenient or something?" He tried to keep the hurt out of his voice, but based on the look that crossed her features he wasn't very successful.

"Darien, it's really very simple. I trust you." 'Chele shifted and sat up her knees drawn up to her chest and sighed. "Those guys were nice enough and fun to mess around with, but I didn't trust them that far."

"Trust. That's it?" Darien rolled onto his stomach and took a moment to go boneless and close his eyes, the sunlight turning the inside of his eyelids red.

"No, that's not 'it.' But was it a major factor? Yes." She ran a hand through his hair and he let himself relax a bit more, basking in the sensation. "There's lots of cute guys out there, but I kinda like a bit more depth, ya know?"

Darien snorted softly catching the double entendre. Her next words, however made his heart stop for an instant.

"I'm not expecting any sort of commitment from you, if that's what you're worried about."

His throat tightened, one worry kicking him in the side of the head to remind him of its existence. "So, what, I'm good for a summer fling and that's it?"

"No!" she snapped far louder than he expected; his eyes flying open in surprise. "No, but I am trying to be realistic, here. You're heading to college and trust me when I say it's like nothing you've experienced before. I am not gonna hold you to some long distance relationship. It wouldn't be fair to you." Darien shifted and sat up so he could see her easily. "Six months from now you might meet the girl of your dreams, I refuse to keep you from something like that."

Darien was tempted to say that he already had, but refrained as it was obvious she didn't want to hear anything like that. "'Chele, that's not likely to happen."

"Perhaps not, but it might," she countered. "You don't know the future any more than I do."

"Then why? You said it's not a 'summer fling'." Darien found himself becoming more and more confused.

"I think that right now, right at this moment in our lives, this is where we're supposed to be, and what we're supposed to be doing." She shook her head making the curls bounce about her face. "Make any sense?"

He took a couple minutes to really think about what she had said and, while part of him wanted to grab her and hold on forever, the more rational side agreed with her. They'd been heading for this for years, this he knew with a certainty he could feel in his soul, but what he wasn't sure of was for how long it would or should last. "Makes lots of sense. I just... I guess I'm afraid this is going to change things between us too much."

"We're friends first, right? Thick and thin. Good times or bad," she said, reminding him of the, at the time, goofy vow they'd made to each other and realizing she'd taken it quite seriously.

"Always," Darien agreed. "But I kinda like being more."

'Chele grinned. "Me too, and right now it works for us, but it may not always. You're 17, Darien, there are lots of things you are going to want to do in your life. I'd like to see you do them." When he frowned slightly she added, "Tell you what, how about we agree to get together every year around your birthday, for a day or a week, however long we can and it'll be just for us. Whatever happens during that time happens. That way even if our lives get too busy for our weekly chats we have a chance to catch up."

Darien brightened at the idea, liking it immensely, although the thought of them no longer having their weekly phone conversations saddened him a bit. "Sounds like a plan to me."

"Good. Now, you need to screw up your courage and talk to Peter." 'Chele motioned towards the porch where Darien's uncle was standing waiting patiently for a natural break in the conversation.

Darien groaned, not wanting to have to deal with the discussion he knew was to come. He was tired of lectures and reprimands. And this time it involved Michele. "Shit."

"Darien, he's not your enemy." Darien snorted in disbelief. "Come on Dare, if he was overly upset about us, do you think I'd still be welcome here?"

Darien felt a small shock run through him. She did have a point, a very good one. "I'll keep it in mind." Leaning over he gave her a quick kiss and got to his feet.

"Darien, can I talk to you for a minute?" Peter asked, his voice perfectly normal and not that controlled calm that signaled he was angry.

"Sure," Darien answered and followed him into the house.

***

Peter led the way to his office and waved for Darien to sit, which he did, if somewhat reluctantly. Peter didn't sit, instead going to the mantle and looking over the pictures there, some of which included Michele over the years, most often with Darien. "So, Kevin tells me he found you and Michele in bed together. Can I assume you didn't actually sleep much?"

The almost bored tone of voice shocked Darien and though part of him was sorely tempted to lie and deny the truth, but 'Chele's comment about Peter not being the enemy gave him the courage to answer truthfully. "Yeah, that'd be accurate." Darien half expected disappointment or anger from Peter and was therefore stunned when he did nothing more than shake his head and chuckle softly.

"Can't say I'm all that surprised. Though it did take you two longer than I imagined it would. I expected something like this a year ago." Peter pushed away from the fireplace and to the chair on the far side of the desk and sat down. "How long have you been sexually active?"

Darien blushed in embarrassment and sputtered for a few moments while Peter calmly waited for a real answer. "About a year," Darien finally mumbled, then clearer in defense of Michele, "Not with 'Chele."

"I figured," Peter responded dryly. "Were you at least intelligent enough to use protection?" He gave Darien a stern look that demanded an honest and immediate response.

"Yeah, of course," Darien answered, though there was this sudden sense of having forgotten something of great importance. That same something that had tickled the back of his mind this morning before Kevin had made his entrance. He searched his mind for it, going over the evening step by step until he stumbled across what it was and paled in reaction. "Oh. Crap."

"Except with Michele," Peter filled in with a headshake.

"I didn't... I mean.... It wasn't on purpose," Darien practically wailed, feeling guilty and incredibly stupid to forget something so basic. He was also consumed with a sudden concern for Michele, fearing that he might have screwed up her life just as Kevin had accused.

"Darien, calm down. As usual, when it's really important your luck has kicked in." The irony of the situation was heavy in Peter's words.

"Huh?" Darien was utterly confused. He'd screwed up royally and his uncle was saying it was okay? "Umm, could you explain that one?

Peter smiled wryly. "For reasons I won't go into, Michele has been on birth control for several years. It could be... dangerous for her to get pregnant." He got back to his feet and walked to the window, looking out at the street.

Darien let those words soak in before commenting. "Does it have to do with whatever is wrong with her?"

Peter actually looked shocked for an instant. "Yes, it does. If she is willing to talk about it, let her, but don't push her on it. All right?"

Darien nodded. He'd been kind of upset to learn she was sick and had never told him, but had believed her when she'd assured him it was nothing serious. They had talked a bit, but not really about anything specific. "Whatever she needs."

"Good. Because what she needs is someone she can count on, someone she can trust." Peter moved to sit on the edge of the desk before Darien. "You two have been very good for each other over the years. I would like to see it continue."

Darien shifted back into the chair, relaxing a bit with how easily this conversation had gone. While not entirely comfortable, it also had not been the trial that he'd expected it to be. "So, are you gonna tell me to stay away from her?"

"No. Not that it would do any good if I did. Just be discreet. No need to worry Celia," Peter told him. The he asked the one question Darien never expected. "Do you love her?"

"Yes." Leapt from Darien before he'd even fully absorbed the ramifications of the question.

Peter chuckled. "Yes, I suppose that should have been obvious by now. Now, the real question is: are you in love with her?" He raised a hand to forestall the automatic answer Darien was about to give. "Think before you say anything."

Darien bit down on the instantaneous 'yes' that tried to escape and did as he was asked. Actually examining his feelings for Michele. He'd cared about her for years, hell he'd loved her for years, if only as a friend. Had come to rely on her wisdom to keep him going when things with his family were crumbling about him. Had shared both sorrows and triumphs, joy and pain over the years and she'd always been there for him. Yeah, he loved her, but, in the last year, it had become something more. The desire, the wanting, the sudden need to touch her for more than just comfort even though she was hundreds of miles away. The fantasies, the dreams, the wet dreams had all led up to the events of last nigh. But was he in love with her?

Peter waited patiently for Darien to gather his thoughts. "Well?" he prompted.

"I don't know."

Peter nodded in satisfaction. "Honest anyway. What you need to figure out is which is more important to you. Loving her as a friend or being in love with her."