I have 72 reviews for just 5 chapters. I'm…proud? Yes, proud. Brimming with arrogance. Hopefully, by the time I finish this, I'll be well over a hundred…this is by far what I think is my best fic. Or maybe Entwined Destinies, but that's only 'cause that plot is original…oh well, who cares?

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The note shook Neal to the core. From the grim but otherwise impassive expressions on Kel and Joren's faces, he figured it shook them too. Domitan had tactfully left them alone, with a quiet promise from his cousin that all would be explained later, and until then not to breathe a word of the incident.

"Looks like Mister Stalker means business," Joren told his charge coldly. Her only reply was a curt nod. Her features were set into a bland mask, but he noticed her complexion was white and her lips were pinched.

"What a possessive maniac," Neal muttered. He lay a warm hand on his best friend's shoulder.

Kel patted it absently, taking comfort in the familiarity of it.

"Such a pity it's in block letters," Joren murmured. "If it was in handwriting, I could recognize it." He crumpled it into a ball and tossed it over his shoulder. "Worthless, then."

"Hey! Stop it! We could have gotten fingerprints from it!"

The blond had the rude gall to laugh in her face. "Spare me. Those crime ingrates couldn't find their way out of a room with only one door. What makes you think they could find someone based on their fingerprints? Especially – and this is what I think – if they were a first time offender? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out their value."

Kel glared at him. "Have you a grudge against the crime investigators, then?" she asked tersely. "Because only a fool would believe that tirade of yours."

Those pale eyes became two chips of blue ice as he leaned toward her. "Stick to ground you know, Mindelan. Leave the transgressions to me."

To his immense surprise, those foolishly long lashes brushed against him when she blinked. Either he was closer than he thought he was, or her eyelashes were in desperate need of a trim. Joren straightened, gave her one final threatening glare, and began to rummage around in his duffel bags.

Neal's voice was soft and teasing in her ear. "He looked close enough to kiss you." His grin was wide and jaw aching when she gagged. It only intensified when Joren shot them a look.

"Don't insult me," she hissed sternly, but her eyes smiled at him.

"Yes, Mother," Neal agreed amiably.

"Don't call me Mother."

"Yes, milady," he said, using his childhood nickname for her.

"Don't call me that either."

"Yes, ma'am."

"NEAL!"

Joren twitched. "Will you shut up?"

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"What's your occupation?"

Kel blinked, startled, and turned to look at Joren from where she sat on the couch with Neal. It was the first time he had spoken to her since earlier that day, with the note. His abrupt interest in her put her on immediate guard.

"I'm a waitress at the Dancing Dove, and a part-time instructor at the gym." She eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because people will be wondering how I ended up with someone like you."

Before her easygoing temper could flare, Neal twisted around to scowl at Joren. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"Use your imagination," the man said coolly before settling his gaze back on Kel. "Is it that woman's gym downtown you work in? And how the hell did you get there?"

"No," Kel said, annoyed. "It's the Knights Gym."

Joren raised his wheat-colored eyebrows. The gyms in Corus were specifically designed to train men for the yearly competitions with other countries. It was a sport for the male species, until that little tart Alanna decided she wanted to participate in the games. Joren shuddered just thinking about it. He himself had been watching the events when that redheaded bitch, disguised as her brother Alan, bounced out onto the basketball court. A little tussle with another player and there she was, male no longer, uniform wide open to reveal – ugh – a woman's chest. Since Alanna, as her name turned out to be, was close friends with President Jonathan Conte, he opened a different gym for women.

"How'd you get into the men's gym?" he asked scornfully.

"The Lady Knights Gym is not as challenging," Kel replied, frowning at him. "I voiced my complaints to both gyms, and so they made me a Knight."

"I'm surprised you haven't heard of her," Neal said, thrusting a handful of popcorn in his mouth. "Almost everybody has." He shot her a sly look. "Everyone knows how much Alanna favors her."

The tips of Kel's ears turned pink. "Shut up."

"As you wish, milady."

Her eye twitched. "I am not in the mood for this."

Joren thought for a moment. After he learned of the newly built Lady Knights, he stopped listening for news about them completely. In his way of thinking, it was strictly a man's sport, and no amount of femininity would change that.

"Is that how you two met?" he asked.

Neal nodded enthusiastically. "I showed her the ropes, and before long she had put every boy to shame."

That would explain her muscular structure. "And you retired?"

"I wasn't about to continue, gods help me, and I knew I couldn't live in this cruel world on my own…"

"So you pulled me out along with you."

Joren stifled an exaggerated sigh. He asked a simple question and got their whole life story. Damn progressives.

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"Have fun," Neal sang, before taking Jump with him inside his room and shutting the door with a suggestive wink.

Kel bared her teeth at her roommate's door, pointedly not looking at Joren. For the first time that day he felt like smiling, especially at the sight of her pink face and indirect gaze.

"Well…looks like we get to go to bed," she said stupidly.

"I suppose so."

"Yeah."

"Mm-hm."

The sighed in unison, glanced at each other, and looked away quickly. After a short pause they filed into Kel's room, Joren shouldering a large duffel bag.

In the small bathroom they would now share they brushed their teeth, shooting furtive glances at each other and irritably elbowing each other when they got in the way. Kel spat a huge glob of toothpaste in the sink and watched Joren do the same. For a moment they stared at each other, then marched back out into her room. Joren grabbed clothes from his bag, shot a quick glance at Kel, and practically ran back into the bathroom, slamming the door. Neal pounded on the wall and yelled at them to "kindly keep the volume down."

While Joren changed, Kel snatched at a tank top and drawstring pants, literally leaping into them in her frantic haste to be clothed before he came out. He gave her a little time before cautiously peering out.

Kel rubbed her bare arms self-consciously, while Joren twiddled his thumbs idly, pretending to be totally unaware of his bare chest. Both did their best to stare at everything except the other or the bed, but their gazes were always drawn to either one. Finally Kel sighed and edged toward the bed. Joren followed her on the other side. Both of them noticed how small the bed was, although it seemed fairly big when they first entered the room.

"So…" Joren drawled in an attempt to keep his anxiety at bay. It didn't work.

"Want to sleep?"

"I guess."

The conversation sounded ludicrous even to them. Kel decided to make it easier to point out, "We need to act casual so that the stalker gets the right idea, in case he's…he's watching."

That snapped Joren back on track. "Right." With amazing and rather irksome intimacy he leaped on the bed, slipping under the covers comfortably before looking expectantly at Kel. She edged closer to it, before sitting delicately on the side, and then stiffly laying back.

She got back up.

Joren blinked. "What?"

"You're on the wrong side."

Joren blinked again. "I beg your pardon?"

"I need to sleep on the right side."

"You will be."

"I mean facing the door. When you stand up and face the bed, you're on the left. But sleeping, I'm on the left."

"What the hell does it matter," the blond managed through gritted teeth. "It's just a bed."

"But it's my bed," Kel interjected.

"Fine," Joren shouted, and rolled over.

"Thank you."

He grunted as she crawled over him and landed with a thump on the right side. Almost immediately she gathered the covers up against her. Joren twitched and grabbed them, pulling them back over him. He heard her let out a small frustrated noise, and the covers were jerked back toward her.

Joren sighed. This was going to be a long night.

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Wow. This is a long update for me. Muaha. R/R!!