Thank you for the reviews, here's chapter 22. This may hint a romance scene around the rating PG-16. You can guess on the couple, but it's quite obvious. Enjoy!

Chapter 22: Sweet Dream Entice

It was the middle of noon on the following day. Rose was playing a friendly game of hide and seek with Gill (in human form) and Señor Senior Junior. There were not many known hiding places in the courtyard swimming area, but the stakes were upped for the opportunity of hiding in the rooms of the hotel as long they weren't messed up. They were lucky that their key-cards gave access to every room including the suites.

"We're the only ones in the hotel, right?" Rose asked, knowing that the hotel was only made for the villain's private conventions.

"Of course," Junior agreed. "It was my father's idea to built a private hotel just for us villains, I was just out of childhood when the hotel first opened up. We're not that far away from Las Vegas, since this location is in the state of Nevada."

"Come on, Junior." Gill said impatiently. "She don't wanna hear that! Now let's play hide & seek before we get in trouble playing the game in the first place."

Rose laughed. "Not it!"

"Not it!" Gill followed, turning to Junior. "Ha ha! You're it!"

"But I don't wanna be it!" Junior whined childishly. "That's not fare!"

"All's fare in love and war." Rose smirked proudly. "You go count to thirty and don't peek. Gill and I will hide, only limits on this floor in any room."

The game began. Junior started to count while Rose and Gill ran out of the suite (that Junior, his father, and now Gill share) and down the hallway in search of a room to hide in.

Gill went farther down the hallway, but Rose stopped in front of one door and took out her key-card.

"I'll hide in here," Rose said as she placed the key-card in the slot and pulled it back out. A little buzzing sound went off and the door unlocked, she pushed it open, hoping that the room was empty.

Rose took off her high-heeled black sandals with straps that wrapped up to her knees. Not really dressed properly for a game of hide and seek; she wore a long silver skirt with blue stars and a silvery-dark blue off-shoulder top with bell sleeves. Her hair was let down and cascaded her back in elegant curls, which brought out her sapphire blue eyes.

She walked away from the main-doorway and into the living room, surprised to find Monkey Fist sitting on the floor cross-legged and meditating.

"Hello Monty, hope I'm not disturbing your meditation." Rose said, embarrassed that she didn't know that the suite belonged to (Drakken, Monkey Fist, and Killigan).

Monkey Fist opened his eyes, deeply disturbed and annoyed from his meditation. Though his expression softened when he saw the young adolescent redhead beauty standing in the entrance of the living room.

"Not at all, Miss Rosalind. Is something troubling you, my dear?"

"Well, I'm... I may sound childish... But I'm playing hide and seek with Señor Junior and Gill... I need a place to hide so I don't get caught."

The English Lord chuckled (not even close to the high pitched monkey laugh), his eyes gleamed a simple tease to the rosy-cheeked redhead beauty. "I suppose you can stay. There are plenty of hiding places in here...just off limits to Drakkens' room and Killigan's also."

"But then that leaves your room..." Rose said, her cheeks stained even rosier. She was scared at the idea, but Junior and Gill would be nowhere near to approach inside the bedroom if they were caught by Monkey Fist in the living room.

"Precisely, Miss Rosalind." The English Lord grins evilly. He stood up and approached the young adolescent. "You don't think I was taught better than to not respect women?"

"Oh... I'm really not accusing..." Rose blushed and was lost for words. She thought the man was deadly handsome up-close and yet so far away, too. Not that she wanted to admit to anyone, though she had told Shego yesterday...

Monkey Fist had noticed something over Rose's shoulder, the door opened and someone walked in... it was Gill.

Rose turned her head to see whom was behind her, though it was too late as she was pushed with full force. Money Fist jumped out of the way, his arms had missed to catch the falling girl.

Rose fell to the floor and hit her head, knocking her out unconscious (twice in one week, I must really hate myself).

"FOOL!" Monkey Fist screamed. "Look what you've DONE?"

"I didn't mean to." Gill said, very guilty seeing his friend unconscious. "It was only for this game, I guess I don't know my own strength."

"Get out before I kill you." Monkey Fist warned, his expression softened when he picked up the unconscious girl. What he did next really surprised himself, he kissed her on her forehead and cradled her like a child (Aww!). Then he turned and saw Gill watching in shock. "Don't just stand there, get out!"

"Should I tell the others?" Gill asked, opening the door.

"Just GO!"

Gill ran out and down the hallway, not even thinking of returning without others attending.

~*Dream Sequence*~

The dream began as if it were happening all over again. A sweet melody playing in the background of a ballroom of masked dancers.

Rose emerged from behind one of the marble pillars, treading slowly toward the inner circle of the room. The mirrors on either side of her reflected her image as she moved through the crowd of people who parted around her, like water around a stone.

The dress she wore was similar in color to the one she'd found herself in before. It accentuated the curves of her body from the tight bodice to the angling of the fabric at her waist, to the skirt flowing gracefully about her legs. Her hair was down, not put up like it had been before. White flowers were threaded through her dark tresses, which hung in loose curls over her shoulders. Red as cherries against the brightness of her skin.

And as she wondered, that shining, golden memory returned to the edge of her understanding, almost within her grasp; so close that she can almost feel long fingers grasping her waist, the softness of whispered words against her cheek.

A fleeting figure caught her attention, moving through the crowd, cloaked in a midnight black coat. Rose turned, eyes scanning the sea of hidden faces. She pushed through the crowd of dancers, feeling their leers and grins on her as she searched for that familiar face. She stood at the edge of the dancers, gazing into the mirrors, watching the reflection of the flames of the strategically placed candelabras.

Just then, Rose's eyes spotted someone in the reflection of the mirror. This someone was whom she had known since two weeks ago, she still kept him mysterious even if she knew him too well this week at the villain convention.

A strong arm slipped suddenly around her waist, turning her around and guiding her away from the mirrors.

A slender monkey mask adorned his face, hiding it from her view. Rose's first thought and action was to move herself away from him, and she tried to do so, only to meet with defeat.

"Can you not set yourself free, even in a dream..." He whispered, breath warm against her ear.

Rose was led toward the middle of the room in the arms of her mysterious prince. The all-to-familiar dream from three weeks ago came back to her memory.

Her slender hand rose and pulled the mask from his face. The aquiline features gazed down at her, still beautiful and exotic as before. Black sleeked hair spiked out from his forehead (above his monkey-ish ears), and black rimmed blue eyes that did not did not dull their intense un-mysteried gaze, but added to their feel of mystery and power. The proverbial mocking smile played at the corners of his lips as he gazed down at the young girl held in his arms.

He was dressed in a tight fitting black velvet jacket embroided with sparkling black-onyx stones, an ivory silk shirt with ruffles at the neck and sleeves, tight fitting cream colored pants tucked into high black boots, and black silk gloves protecting his hands.

Rose had almost forgotten how utterly devastating his presence was. His powerful aura reached out to her and wrapped her in a cocoon of magic and desire. He was a perfect figure of a man, too perfect to be real, beautiful and terrifying all at once, and Rose was suddenly scared to death.

Rose glanced about suddenly noting that the other dancers had disappeared, leaving their elegant and strange masks lying scattered about on the floor. The ballroom was empty and sparkling, only he and Rose remained. The lights had dimmed all at once, the flames of the tapers shrinking low. The sweet music was quietly playing in the background, slowly fading in, completing the scene. It was perfect, just beauty, and made the ballroom more mystical.

The dance still continued, Rose was lead deeper into the depths of the room, she was held very close to her prince, never loosening.

The man looked away for a second, and by the time he had looked back, his face was a mask. But his eyes still glittered.

"Now Rosalind, its time." He whispered.

"Oh..." Rose gasped and was stopped by a sudden look in his eyes.

He looked down at her with a burning gaze that made her knees go weak. He moved his face closer towards her, and she couldn't help but do the same.

"Ask me." he said quietly, simply.

"What?" she asked, knowing very well what he meant, her voice shaking

noticeably, her breath short and weak.

"Ask me to kiss you, Rosalind."

"I..."

Rose was finding it hard to breathe. Her head was light and dizziness consumed her. His close proximity made her body weak and she was glad of his arms supporting her. The room was spinning like a glittering crystal

Rose kept her eyes closed, though she didn't fight against her lids to re-open them and look at her handsome prince once more... She now found herself drifting off into oblivion.

Everything around her faded into complete darkness. The dreamland departing and reality approaching.

Another dream similar to the first, Rose would never forget such a sweet memory engraved on her mind and heart... Yet she wondered why she had a very odd feeling that this dream was somewhat real than the one two weeks ago.

A simple dream of falling hallucination, yet clos to a nightmare of danger untold.

~*End Dream Sequence*~

§To Be Continued§

This chapter is extended farther in detail than chapter 12, and you probably have an idea who the couple in this new dream sequence is.