Disclaimer: I don't own "Mi Morena", even though I changed morena, which means 'dark-haired', to canuta, which means 'white-haired'.

Introversion

Mira and Sirius were loath to accept all that Antares told them, but there was no escaping the truth. And the truth was that Antares was changing in some way for the worse.

"But how is this even possible?" insisted Mira. "This can't be. There's no way this could be happening."

"Mom, if a winged reject of Hell can fly around scaring people and eating them, then it can change a human into one of its own," said Antares quietly. "I didn't want to accept it either, but that's the way it is. And we have to do something about it before it gets any worse. We may be too late now."

"No, don't say that," said Rigel, hugging his sister. "Whatever's going on, we're going to find out and stop it. We're not gonna let this thing take you like this, or any other way." Antares didn't respond, but she nodded. Darry, sensing her uncertainty, kissed her cheek. She looked up at him, surprised. He smiled lovingly at her.

"It's going to be all right," he said gently. "I promise. I'm gonna take care of you." Antares smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said softly. She sighed and stretched. "We should go back to the house. Mom, I think it would be best if you called Dr. Najmi and scheduled an MRI or something for me as soon as possible."

"Yes, of course honey," said Mira distantly, looking out over her daughter's head into the horizon.

"Mom?" asked Antares. "Mom, c'mon, I need you to hold it together." Trish remembered when she said those same words to Darry, so long ago, it seemed. Only she hadn't said them so gently. "Mom, snap out of it." Antares took her mother's arm and Mira looked down at her.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," she said. "It's just that…"

"I know," said Antares. "I'm scared too. But I need you to help me, OK? Let's go call the doctor." Mira nodded, and they all headed back up the beach to the house, Darius and Sirius carrying the blankets and everything.

"This Dr. Najmi guy's a good doctor?" Darry asked Antares quietly.

"Yeah," said Antares. "He's a total jackass with a superiority complex so great it's a wonder his head doesn't explode, but a good doctor. Darry smiled. Antares looked up at him. "Did you know your full name means 'rich' in Aramaic and 'preserver' in Persian?"

"No I didn't," replied Darry. "Never really thought about it."

"Few people do," said Antares. "I just have this fascination with names and their meanings. Your nickname means 'dark' in Gaelic, and 'wealthy' in Irish."

"So I'm a dark, wealthy preserver, is that it?" asked Darry with a grin. Antares laughed.

"I guess so," she agreed.

"What does your name mean?"

" 'Rival of Ares'."

"Ares, the god of war?"

"The one and only. It can also mean 'rival of Mars', since Mars is another name for Ares, but I think it makes more sense as 'rival of Ares' since the name 'Ares' is already in my name."

"Cool." Darry gazed at Antares for a moment. She was smiling, but there was still sadness in her eyes. Gently he slipped his arm around her waist. She looked up at him and smiled without a trace of sadness as she put her arm around him in return. As they walked, she leaned her head against his shoulder. Darry kissed the top of her head. "Everything's going to be all right," he promised. "I'm always going to be here for you."

"Amin mela lle," murmured Antares. Darry smiled.

"I love you too," he said. He kissed her head again. "I love you too."

"I don't give a damn how many other patients you have waiting for this procedure!" Mira snapped angrily into the phone. "My daughter has been infected with something that's mutating her metabolism in some unspeakable way, I want her examined TONIGHT!" She paused, for a moment, listening. "I understand that, Doctor…I do not care…Look, I'll explain to your other patients, I'm sure they'll understand a worried mother…Good…Good bye." Mira hung up the phone and sighed, looking into the living room where Antares, Caitlin, and Courtney sat with Darry and Rigel. "Hon, you're going to have to skip showering off for now. Najmi moved a few other appointments around so he could fit you in in twenty minutes. We gotta go. Go throw on some clothes, and I'll tell Daddy."

"OK." Antares rose and went into her bedroom. Darry watched her go, and stood up.

"Mrs. Starr?" he said. Mira looked up at him. "I wonder if I could go with you. It's just that I promised Ana I'd stay with her, and-"

"You don't have to explain, sweetheart," said Mira gently, smiling. "I was about to ask if you wanted to come. I know Ana wants you to." Darry smiled.

"Thank you." Mira returned the smile and hugged him lightly before turning to go look for her husband. Darry's parents sat down with him, as well as Rigel who had just emerged from his bedroom.

"Y'know, normally if a guy started dating my baby sister, I'd have to threaten his life and well-being if he ever hurt her in any way," commented Rigel casually. "Somehow I don't think that'll be necessary with you, Dare. You've been through enough already." Darry grinned.

"You know I'd never do anything to hurt Ana," he said. "I love her." Selene hugged Darry, smoothing his hair in a motherly fashion.

"Oh Darry, I'm so glad to have you back," she said, kissing his cheek. For once Darry didn't pull away with a protest. Instead, he hugged his mother. "We were so shocked when Trisha told us what happened. We couldn't believe it, but when the policemen told us it was true, I just…I just…"

"Mom, it's OK now," said Darry gently. "I'm OK."

"But that poor girl, Antares, she isn't," said Darius.

"She's gonna be OK," Rigel assured them all. "She's stronger than most people think. She'll pull through this; you'll see." Antares came out of her room, dressed now in a black tank top, khaki shorts, and black flip-flops. Her wet hair was brushed and pulled back in a ponytail. Trish came out behind her, dressed and dried.

"What are we talking about?" she inquired.

"This and that," said Rigel vaguely. Antares laughed.

"That means you're talking about me," she said, grinning. She sat down on the futon and Trish sat with her. Antares looked and Trish and smiled. "My hair used to be longer than yours, not long ago."

"Really?" asked Trish.

"Twenty-five inches exactly," said Antares nodding.

"Why'd you cut it?" asked Darry curiously.

"When I ran away from that monster the first time, he caught me because my long hair had gotten caught in a thorn bush," explained Antares. "I cut it off before I tried to run again. What I cut off I actually donated to Locks of Love, y'know, that organization that makes wigs for kids who have to get chemotherapy."

"Oh yeah, I've donated to them before," said Trish, remembering. Antares nodded.

"I promised myself that I would someday, after a lot of people started telling me what beautiful hair I had," she said. "I figured, if I can't enjoy having long hair, at least someone who needs it will. 'Sides, I can always grow more; these kids can't."

"You did a wonderful thing," said Selene. She would've said more, but Mira and Sirius had appeared in the kitchen again.

"Time to go honey," Mira said to Antares. Looking at the Jenners, she added, "I'm sorry to dash out like this, but-"

"There's no need to explain," interrupted Selene with a gentle smile. "If it were one of my children, I'd do the same thing. You do what you have to." Mira smiled.

"We'll be home in a few hours," she said. "In the meantime, make yourselves at home, help yourselves to anything you need." Antares rose up off the futon. Trish smiled up at her.

"Good luck," she said. Antares smiled back.

"Thanks Trish," she said.

Antares was quiet on the ride to the hospital, even though she was sitting next to Darry. He noticed her silence, and correctly interpreted it as meaning there was something heavy weighing on her mind. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. She gave him a weak, almost-smile, and didn't look up at him. Darry frowned; this wasn't like her. A song tugged at the back of his mind, one he had heard Trish playing during her Josh Groban music phase. Antares had several Josh Groban CDs in her small collection; Trish had told him so. Smiling as he mentally altered a few words and made a silent apology to his high school Spanish teacher, Darry began to sing gently:

"And so, my love
From my window I can see
A beautiful vision
And when the music plays
Your body rises like a bird of grace

Mi canuta
I saw you dancing in the rain
Holy water
Shining like a silver flame
Come like a ghost
I will watch you dance alone
Mi canuta
You're the light within my soul

And so, my love
The way you're moving in your dress
To a nylon guitar
On wings of silk and lace
You lift upon the notes and slip away

Mi canuta
I saw you dancing in the rain
Holy water
Shining like a silver flame
Come like a ghost
I will watch you dance alone
Mi canuta
You're the light within my soul

Take this cross of feathers and bone
Take this heart I've carved in stone
In your name

And where the setting sun surrenders to the moon
Mi querida
I wait for you

Mi canuta
I saw you dancing in the rain
Holy water
Shining like a silver flame
Come like a ghost
I will watch you dance alone
Mi canuta
You're the light within my soul

Mi canuta
Hold your hands out to the night
Be my lover
I will fall into your eyes
Sweet fire of love
For you I'd steal the stars
'Cus I adore you
Oh, my canuta…"

Antares smiled at Darry and snuggled against him. They sat thus in silence for the remainder of the drive. The doctor railed at Mira for a few minutes, asking Antares questions about how she was feeling in between rants. Finally Najmi admitted that Antares's "case" needed examination and showed them to the MRI chamber. For half an hour Antares lay in a big tube, unable to move her head because of the brace it was in, listening to machinery banging all around her while it took pictures of her insides. When she was taken out, her doctor's face had lost all colour.

"What is it?" she asked nervously. Dr. Najmi didn't answer; he just stared at her. "Dr. Najmi? Tell me what you saw!"

A/N: Haha, cliffie! I'm sorry it took so long to update, but I've had a case of Writer's Block, and another fic that needs a new chapter stat (stat? whatever)so I'll keep working on it, OK?