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"What do you mean?" Daine asked with a shaking voice.
"Who are you?" Numair asked again as his brows nit together in confusion. He sat up in his bed, causing the silk cover to fall from his chest exposing him from the waist up. "And why am I naked?" He asked as a blush crept onto his cheeks.
"Numair... What's the last thing you remember?" Daine whispered as her balance gave way and she fell back into her seat. Numair blankly stared at her.
"I was in Ozorne's dungeons... Drugs were forced into me." Numair said with a shiver. "I shape shifted to escape and everything is black from there. Alanna! She must have found me!" Numair said as relief flooded his features. Daine gasped horrified at what she just heard. "Are you one of the healers under her?" Numair asked placidly. Daine shook her head and tried to keep her tears at bay.
"You don't remember me..." Daine said as if she was detached from herself. Numair shook his head confused.
"Should I?" He asked looking worried.
"You escaped from the dungeons seven and a half years ago." Daine said trying to look Numair in his eyes once more. Numair looked at her with shock and fear.
"You mean I've been out for that long?" He asked worried. "I was asleep for that long?" He asked again and Daine shook her head.
"No! You've only been asleep for a little over a week..." Daine stuttered.
"I want to speak to Alanna or Jon." Numair said suddenly. Daine looked up into his eyes and seen no emotion for her there.
'How are we going to explain this to him.' Daine thought madly. "I'll go get them." She said as tears began to flow. Numair looked up at her confused.
"I didn't mean to upset you miss." Numair said feeling guilty. 'What is going on?' Numair thought anxiously.
"I know you didn't." Daine said truthfully even though he still didn't understand her. "I'll just be a few moments." She managed to choke out. Numair nodded and Daine headed out the door as quickly as possible. Once the door was shut her tears flowed out in a great river, distorting her vision as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She absently followed the well-known path to the king's study, where he and Alanna would surely be. Once she got there she flung open the door and rushed in. Jon and Alanna jumped out of their skin when they saw her enter.
"What is wrong?" Jon asked when he looked over the obviously distraught Daine.
"It's Numair isn't it?" Alanna asked breathlessly and Daine nodded.
"What happened to him?" Jon asked quickly.
"He woke up." Daine choked out.
"That's great!" Alanna said, but reeled back when she looked into Daine's eyes. "What's wrong?" Alanna asked.
"He doesn't remember me!" Daine said as she crumbled to the floor in grief. Alanna lunged forward to help her friend.
"Come on!" Alanna said as she helped Daine to her feet.
"He wants to see you and Jon." Daine stuttered.
"What's the last thing he remembers?" Alanna asked confused.
"Being drugged in Ozorne's dungeons." Daine whispered and Alanna nodded.
"I think it would be best if just Jon and I went to see him. We'll talk to him. It may be too much for him if you're there." Alanna said regretfully and Jon nodded.
"You need to go back to rooms and settle down for a while. We will try and bring him up to date." Jon said.
"Why can't I be there?" Daine asked offended.
"Because this will be very hard for him... He'll need time for it to sink in. I've worked with these cases, you don't want to overload them with things they don't remember." Alanna said sorrowfully as Daine looked panic stricken.
"Will he ever remember?" Daine asked fearfully.
"Maybe, Maybe not." Was all Alanna could say.
"Tom, escort the wild mage to her rooms." Jon ordered one of the palace servants. Jon and Alanna watched, regretfully, as the servant escorted Daine away. "We will call for you as soon as he is ready to see you." Jon said as Daine left the room.
"Follow me!" Alanna said and Jon nodded as she took off towards Numair's chamber as fast as possible. Once there Alanna calmed herself and opened the door to find Numair sitting on the bed, naked from the waist up and looking intently at her.
"Alanna?" Numair asked looking her over as Jon walked in. "Jon?" Numair asked in confusion. "You both look so much older..." Numair whispered as Daine's words began to set in.
"Daine told us the last thing u remember is being drugged by Ozorne." Alanna said and Numair nodded.
"Was that the young woman who was with me?" He asked placidly. Alanna nodded.
"Don't you remember her?" Jon asked disparately.
"No, she asked me too... Should I know her?" Numair asked fearfully as his head began to swim with confusion. "How can I be missing seven years... She said I wasn't asleep the entire time. What's happening?" Numair asked disparately.
"You have amnesia, it's a consequence of the blood loss." Alanna said bitting her lip.
"What blood loss?" Numair asked quickly.
"You were beaten very badly by an abductor." Alanna said looking into his confused brown eyes.
"Someone abducted me?" Numair asked in disbelief. Alanna nodded.
"I think we should tell you what happened over these past seven years... Maybe it'll jog your memory..." Alanna said bitterly. Numair nodded and looked intently at the Jon and Alanna.
"So what happened after I was drugged." Numair asked, starting the conversation.
"You were found by Onua and Daine, but you were trapped in your hawk form from the drugs." Alanna said and Numair nodded. "Luckily they ran into me and..."
"You got me out of the hawk form? How?" Numair interpreted. Alanna shook her head. "Then who did?" He asked confused.
"Daine did." Alanna said. Numair nodded. Alanna went on and explained everything that had happened between then and his ordeal with Kharnia. It took several hours and left Numair's mind in a confused and painful mess.
"Isn't anything coming back?" Daine asked from the door way. Alanna, Jon and Numair jumped to see Daine standing in the door way. "Daine, this is hard for him." Jon said, but Alanna seen the misery in the young woman's eyes.
"She needs to be here Jon." Alanna said firmly and gave Daine an encouraging wink.
"She can stay... She's my friend... Isn't she?" Numair asked unsure when he looked into Daine's eyes and seen unfathomable longing. He wasn't sure, but he also thought he saw love in her depths which confused and worried him further. Alanna smiled with a pang of grief for her friends as she realized how big of an unintentional blow Numair had just dealt to Daine. Alanna looked to Daine and saw a tear run down her face.
"Jon, I think we should go. There are things that Daine needs to explain to him." Alanna said and Jon nodded not willing to argue the point with her.
"Alright." Jon said as he and Alanna turned to leave.
"What things?" Numair asked as they shut the door. "I don't understand..." Numair said putting his face in his hands and making Daine's heart break.
"Everything will be alright." He heard her say as she came to his side and put a hand on his still bare shoulder. He looked up into her eyes and was sure he saw love in them. 'Could she be my wife?' Numair wondered. 'Of course not!' He scolded himself. 'Alanna wouldn't have left something like that out and there is no way such a beautiful young lady would want an old man like me.' Numair said remembering that he was now past thirty. Suddenly Numair truly felt as if life had passed him by and he would never be able to make up for his lost time and memories.
"I'm sorry, but what is it that you must explain to me. Who are you to me?" Numair asked knowing that she was only the student that Alanna spoke of and nothing more, but something inside him wanted more. He watched as Daine's face turned sorrowful and she fought to form the right words.
"I'm just a very good friend... That's all..." Daine said. 'I can't do this to him...' Daine thought. 'Not yet, they were right he's not ready to know that we were supposed to be married by now. I was stupid to even come here so soon.' She thought as a tear ran down her cheek. She couldn't stand being there any longer. Without warning she turned from Numair and rushed out of the room.
"Wait!" She heard Numair call out. Daine stopped just as she put her hand on the door handle. "Where are you going?" He asked confused.
"To get you some clothing." She lied and Numair nodded his head remembering his nakedness and blushing. Daine turned and left. Right outside the door stood Alanna and Jon.
"What did you tell him." Jon asked.
"That I'm a very good friend." Daine said in a forced voice. "Nothing more?" Alanna asked.
"You were right, Alanna. He can't take that news just yet. If he asks anyone, I'm just a friend." Daine said as tears began to pour from her eyes. "Someone needs to bring him clothes." Daine said before turning and running off to her rooms.
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THREE MONTHS LATER / DAY BEFORE WINTER SOLSTICE
"This can't go on Daine!" Alanna yelled. "He has to find out sometime!"
"Why? Only for him to confirm he's no longer the man I was engaged to?" Daine cried.
"You're living a lie and your forcing him to live it as well." Alanna warned. "I love you two far too much to see you like this." She begged and Daine cringed. As much as Daine didn't want to admit it she knew Alanna was right. She had been forcing Numair to live a lie since the very first time she had a chance to tell him otherwise. Alanna picked up Daine's hand and looked at where her engagement ring should have been. "To live a lie you have to believe the lie." Alanna said.
"I'm scared of what the truth means!" Daine cried. "He doesn't love me anymore. It'll just end in him telling me that was the old Numair, the one that I lost... The one that I can't let go." Daine cried. "It seems like an eternity ago... but it was only a little over three months ago when I accepted his proposal... three months ago when she took him away and my world collapsed." Daine said shakily.
"I know." Alanna said. "I agree, she the Numair we all remember the best died and he isn't coming back." She said sadly. "But you have to move on." Alanna pleaded. "And telling Numair the truth about your relationship with him is the only way to do it."
"I know you're right, but what if I lose what's left of his friendship over my deceit?" Daine said with a quivering voice. Alanna looked grimly at her.
"Then you brought it upon yourself." Alanna said. "I wish I had a better answer." She said as she looked away from Daine.
"So do I." Daine whispered. "I'll stop it now. This won't go on any longer." Daine said with false confidence as she looked back up at Alanna for reassurance. Daine received it in the sign of a nod.
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Daine stood outside his door frozen in her steps. 'I have brought this upon myself.' Daine thought as she forced her knuckles to rap against his chamber door.
"Come in." She heard the familiar warm voice say. The longing to run into his arms caused her heart to sink to the floor. Daine slowly opened the door and stepped in. She saw that his back was turned. He was hunched over a table writing something down on a long piece of parchment. As soon as he heard the door close he looked up to see Daine.
"Hello, what brings you here?" He asked as he got up from his work and walked over to greet her. He saw that she was struggling with something. "Is there something wrong?" He asked concerned.
"I've got to tell you something. Something that you will hate me for not telling you." Daine said as her stomach twisted. Numair looked at her puzzled.
"What could you possibly tell me that would make you hate me?" Numair asked comically.
"About the status of our relationship before your ordeal." Daine said and looked down at her feet.
"About our relationship? You already told me... I'm your teacher." Numair said as he studied her body posture looking for conformation, but she shook her head.
"We were engaged." She whispered and Numair felt as if a ton of bricks had fallen on him.
"What..." He stammered.
"I'm so sorry... You don't have to tell me... I know it's all over now." Daine said as she put her face in her hands and wept. Numair snapped out of his momentary confusion and began to try and calm his friend.
"It's ok.... I'm not mad." Numair tried to assure her, but failed.
"No, It's not ok!" She yelled looking up at him.
"My life died with the old Numair! You don't know what it's like..." Daine tried to explain, but hung her head in failure. Numair understood what she meant.
"You've been waiting for me to fall in love with you." He stated and felt worse for her. "I'm sorry... I've been finding that I'm not the person everyone remembers lately." Numair tried to explain and Daine felt as if the world was spinning around her before things went black. Numair was able to catch her and carry her to his sofa. He laid her on it and retrieved a particularly putrid smelling potion. He waved it under her nose to get her to come around.
"What is that?" Daine said as she gagged and coughed.
"Skunk urine." Numair said with a goofy smile, but Daine's face paled again as she remembered the events that had led up to her fainting episode. "Please, you have to understand that I no longer love you in that way... I know it must be hard." Numair pleaded gently. "Hard isn't the word for it.... The one person that I woke up for every day is gone." Daine said in a sad voice. Numair looked at her with eyes that expressed his empathetic feelings for her grief.
"How long were we engaged?" Numair asked out of curiosity.
"You asked me at the end of the immortal war, but I didn't except it till a month before Kharnia tried to kill you." Daine said without a hint of emotion for she was sick of the pain.
"When were we supposed to get married?" He asked calmly.
"Two days after I saved you from her." Daine said and she could see Numair cringe.
"I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do..." Numair said.
"There is something." Daine said, but looked away in shame at the thought.
"What?" Numair asked.
"It's wrong to ask...." She said and looked up into his pleading eyes. "Could I have one last kiss before I force myself to forget everything?"
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Muhahahaha.... Well... I wanted that to be the last, but it looks like I'll have one more chapter for this fic! And since Alyssa already leaked the info that I'm providing a sequel I guess I'll give you the official title: Love thy Enemy. So you all have much more to look forward too! Lol, you all better R & R or I might change my mind!
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"What do you mean?" Daine asked with a shaking voice.
"Who are you?" Numair asked again as his brows nit together in confusion. He sat up in his bed, causing the silk cover to fall from his chest exposing him from the waist up. "And why am I naked?" He asked as a blush crept onto his cheeks.
"Numair... What's the last thing you remember?" Daine whispered as her balance gave way and she fell back into her seat. Numair blankly stared at her.
"I was in Ozorne's dungeons... Drugs were forced into me." Numair said with a shiver. "I shape shifted to escape and everything is black from there. Alanna! She must have found me!" Numair said as relief flooded his features. Daine gasped horrified at what she just heard. "Are you one of the healers under her?" Numair asked placidly. Daine shook her head and tried to keep her tears at bay.
"You don't remember me..." Daine said as if she was detached from herself. Numair shook his head confused.
"Should I?" He asked looking worried.
"You escaped from the dungeons seven and a half years ago." Daine said trying to look Numair in his eyes once more. Numair looked at her with shock and fear.
"You mean I've been out for that long?" He asked worried. "I was asleep for that long?" He asked again and Daine shook her head.
"No! You've only been asleep for a little over a week..." Daine stuttered.
"I want to speak to Alanna or Jon." Numair said suddenly. Daine looked up into his eyes and seen no emotion for her there.
'How are we going to explain this to him.' Daine thought madly. "I'll go get them." She said as tears began to flow. Numair looked up at her confused.
"I didn't mean to upset you miss." Numair said feeling guilty. 'What is going on?' Numair thought anxiously.
"I know you didn't." Daine said truthfully even though he still didn't understand her. "I'll just be a few moments." She managed to choke out. Numair nodded and Daine headed out the door as quickly as possible. Once the door was shut her tears flowed out in a great river, distorting her vision as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She absently followed the well-known path to the king's study, where he and Alanna would surely be. Once she got there she flung open the door and rushed in. Jon and Alanna jumped out of their skin when they saw her enter.
"What is wrong?" Jon asked when he looked over the obviously distraught Daine.
"It's Numair isn't it?" Alanna asked breathlessly and Daine nodded.
"What happened to him?" Jon asked quickly.
"He woke up." Daine choked out.
"That's great!" Alanna said, but reeled back when she looked into Daine's eyes. "What's wrong?" Alanna asked.
"He doesn't remember me!" Daine said as she crumbled to the floor in grief. Alanna lunged forward to help her friend.
"Come on!" Alanna said as she helped Daine to her feet.
"He wants to see you and Jon." Daine stuttered.
"What's the last thing he remembers?" Alanna asked confused.
"Being drugged in Ozorne's dungeons." Daine whispered and Alanna nodded.
"I think it would be best if just Jon and I went to see him. We'll talk to him. It may be too much for him if you're there." Alanna said regretfully and Jon nodded.
"You need to go back to rooms and settle down for a while. We will try and bring him up to date." Jon said.
"Why can't I be there?" Daine asked offended.
"Because this will be very hard for him... He'll need time for it to sink in. I've worked with these cases, you don't want to overload them with things they don't remember." Alanna said sorrowfully as Daine looked panic stricken.
"Will he ever remember?" Daine asked fearfully.
"Maybe, Maybe not." Was all Alanna could say.
"Tom, escort the wild mage to her rooms." Jon ordered one of the palace servants. Jon and Alanna watched, regretfully, as the servant escorted Daine away. "We will call for you as soon as he is ready to see you." Jon said as Daine left the room.
"Follow me!" Alanna said and Jon nodded as she took off towards Numair's chamber as fast as possible. Once there Alanna calmed herself and opened the door to find Numair sitting on the bed, naked from the waist up and looking intently at her.
"Alanna?" Numair asked looking her over as Jon walked in. "Jon?" Numair asked in confusion. "You both look so much older..." Numair whispered as Daine's words began to set in.
"Daine told us the last thing u remember is being drugged by Ozorne." Alanna said and Numair nodded.
"Was that the young woman who was with me?" He asked placidly. Alanna nodded.
"Don't you remember her?" Jon asked disparately.
"No, she asked me too... Should I know her?" Numair asked fearfully as his head began to swim with confusion. "How can I be missing seven years... She said I wasn't asleep the entire time. What's happening?" Numair asked disparately.
"You have amnesia, it's a consequence of the blood loss." Alanna said bitting her lip.
"What blood loss?" Numair asked quickly.
"You were beaten very badly by an abductor." Alanna said looking into his confused brown eyes.
"Someone abducted me?" Numair asked in disbelief. Alanna nodded.
"I think we should tell you what happened over these past seven years... Maybe it'll jog your memory..." Alanna said bitterly. Numair nodded and looked intently at the Jon and Alanna.
"So what happened after I was drugged." Numair asked, starting the conversation.
"You were found by Onua and Daine, but you were trapped in your hawk form from the drugs." Alanna said and Numair nodded. "Luckily they ran into me and..."
"You got me out of the hawk form? How?" Numair interpreted. Alanna shook her head. "Then who did?" He asked confused.
"Daine did." Alanna said. Numair nodded. Alanna went on and explained everything that had happened between then and his ordeal with Kharnia. It took several hours and left Numair's mind in a confused and painful mess.
"Isn't anything coming back?" Daine asked from the door way. Alanna, Jon and Numair jumped to see Daine standing in the door way. "Daine, this is hard for him." Jon said, but Alanna seen the misery in the young woman's eyes.
"She needs to be here Jon." Alanna said firmly and gave Daine an encouraging wink.
"She can stay... She's my friend... Isn't she?" Numair asked unsure when he looked into Daine's eyes and seen unfathomable longing. He wasn't sure, but he also thought he saw love in her depths which confused and worried him further. Alanna smiled with a pang of grief for her friends as she realized how big of an unintentional blow Numair had just dealt to Daine. Alanna looked to Daine and saw a tear run down her face.
"Jon, I think we should go. There are things that Daine needs to explain to him." Alanna said and Jon nodded not willing to argue the point with her.
"Alright." Jon said as he and Alanna turned to leave.
"What things?" Numair asked as they shut the door. "I don't understand..." Numair said putting his face in his hands and making Daine's heart break.
"Everything will be alright." He heard her say as she came to his side and put a hand on his still bare shoulder. He looked up into her eyes and was sure he saw love in them. 'Could she be my wife?' Numair wondered. 'Of course not!' He scolded himself. 'Alanna wouldn't have left something like that out and there is no way such a beautiful young lady would want an old man like me.' Numair said remembering that he was now past thirty. Suddenly Numair truly felt as if life had passed him by and he would never be able to make up for his lost time and memories.
"I'm sorry, but what is it that you must explain to me. Who are you to me?" Numair asked knowing that she was only the student that Alanna spoke of and nothing more, but something inside him wanted more. He watched as Daine's face turned sorrowful and she fought to form the right words.
"I'm just a very good friend... That's all..." Daine said. 'I can't do this to him...' Daine thought. 'Not yet, they were right he's not ready to know that we were supposed to be married by now. I was stupid to even come here so soon.' She thought as a tear ran down her cheek. She couldn't stand being there any longer. Without warning she turned from Numair and rushed out of the room.
"Wait!" She heard Numair call out. Daine stopped just as she put her hand on the door handle. "Where are you going?" He asked confused.
"To get you some clothing." She lied and Numair nodded his head remembering his nakedness and blushing. Daine turned and left. Right outside the door stood Alanna and Jon.
"What did you tell him." Jon asked.
"That I'm a very good friend." Daine said in a forced voice. "Nothing more?" Alanna asked.
"You were right, Alanna. He can't take that news just yet. If he asks anyone, I'm just a friend." Daine said as tears began to pour from her eyes. "Someone needs to bring him clothes." Daine said before turning and running off to her rooms.
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THREE MONTHS LATER / DAY BEFORE WINTER SOLSTICE
"This can't go on Daine!" Alanna yelled. "He has to find out sometime!"
"Why? Only for him to confirm he's no longer the man I was engaged to?" Daine cried.
"You're living a lie and your forcing him to live it as well." Alanna warned. "I love you two far too much to see you like this." She begged and Daine cringed. As much as Daine didn't want to admit it she knew Alanna was right. She had been forcing Numair to live a lie since the very first time she had a chance to tell him otherwise. Alanna picked up Daine's hand and looked at where her engagement ring should have been. "To live a lie you have to believe the lie." Alanna said.
"I'm scared of what the truth means!" Daine cried. "He doesn't love me anymore. It'll just end in him telling me that was the old Numair, the one that I lost... The one that I can't let go." Daine cried. "It seems like an eternity ago... but it was only a little over three months ago when I accepted his proposal... three months ago when she took him away and my world collapsed." Daine said shakily.
"I know." Alanna said. "I agree, she the Numair we all remember the best died and he isn't coming back." She said sadly. "But you have to move on." Alanna pleaded. "And telling Numair the truth about your relationship with him is the only way to do it."
"I know you're right, but what if I lose what's left of his friendship over my deceit?" Daine said with a quivering voice. Alanna looked grimly at her.
"Then you brought it upon yourself." Alanna said. "I wish I had a better answer." She said as she looked away from Daine.
"So do I." Daine whispered. "I'll stop it now. This won't go on any longer." Daine said with false confidence as she looked back up at Alanna for reassurance. Daine received it in the sign of a nod.
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Daine stood outside his door frozen in her steps. 'I have brought this upon myself.' Daine thought as she forced her knuckles to rap against his chamber door.
"Come in." She heard the familiar warm voice say. The longing to run into his arms caused her heart to sink to the floor. Daine slowly opened the door and stepped in. She saw that his back was turned. He was hunched over a table writing something down on a long piece of parchment. As soon as he heard the door close he looked up to see Daine.
"Hello, what brings you here?" He asked as he got up from his work and walked over to greet her. He saw that she was struggling with something. "Is there something wrong?" He asked concerned.
"I've got to tell you something. Something that you will hate me for not telling you." Daine said as her stomach twisted. Numair looked at her puzzled.
"What could you possibly tell me that would make you hate me?" Numair asked comically.
"About the status of our relationship before your ordeal." Daine said and looked down at her feet.
"About our relationship? You already told me... I'm your teacher." Numair said as he studied her body posture looking for conformation, but she shook her head.
"We were engaged." She whispered and Numair felt as if a ton of bricks had fallen on him.
"What..." He stammered.
"I'm so sorry... You don't have to tell me... I know it's all over now." Daine said as she put her face in her hands and wept. Numair snapped out of his momentary confusion and began to try and calm his friend.
"It's ok.... I'm not mad." Numair tried to assure her, but failed.
"No, It's not ok!" She yelled looking up at him.
"My life died with the old Numair! You don't know what it's like..." Daine tried to explain, but hung her head in failure. Numair understood what she meant.
"You've been waiting for me to fall in love with you." He stated and felt worse for her. "I'm sorry... I've been finding that I'm not the person everyone remembers lately." Numair tried to explain and Daine felt as if the world was spinning around her before things went black. Numair was able to catch her and carry her to his sofa. He laid her on it and retrieved a particularly putrid smelling potion. He waved it under her nose to get her to come around.
"What is that?" Daine said as she gagged and coughed.
"Skunk urine." Numair said with a goofy smile, but Daine's face paled again as she remembered the events that had led up to her fainting episode. "Please, you have to understand that I no longer love you in that way... I know it must be hard." Numair pleaded gently. "Hard isn't the word for it.... The one person that I woke up for every day is gone." Daine said in a sad voice. Numair looked at her with eyes that expressed his empathetic feelings for her grief.
"How long were we engaged?" Numair asked out of curiosity.
"You asked me at the end of the immortal war, but I didn't except it till a month before Kharnia tried to kill you." Daine said without a hint of emotion for she was sick of the pain.
"When were we supposed to get married?" He asked calmly.
"Two days after I saved you from her." Daine said and she could see Numair cringe.
"I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do..." Numair said.
"There is something." Daine said, but looked away in shame at the thought.
"What?" Numair asked.
"It's wrong to ask...." She said and looked up into his pleading eyes. "Could I have one last kiss before I force myself to forget everything?"
**************************************************
Muhahahaha.... Well... I wanted that to be the last, but it looks like I'll have one more chapter for this fic! And since Alyssa already leaked the info that I'm providing a sequel I guess I'll give you the official title: Love thy Enemy. So you all have much more to look forward too! Lol, you all better R & R or I might change my mind!