All characters that are from the TWILIGHT saga by Stephanie Meyer belong to Stephanie Meyer. All others belong to me. I do not receive profit for these stories except for the joyous enjoyment of reviews.

This story follows right after When I'm Gone: Third Installment to GONE Saga, so if you haven't read that one or the two before, please do.

The timeline of the story will coincide with Gabriel Michael Laskaris' growing up years, starting at Seth and Rosa's wedding day, April 12th and will progress from there.

AN: I tried keeping it short but couldn't cut off more than I did. When you get to the song part, look up the version of Cake -I Will Survive...that's the one their singing and the version I prefer the most. Also, this chapter is all Lian and Julie so if you're not a fan of them, feel free to skip the chapter and if you are a fan of Julie and Lian, then enjoy the new stage of their story...it's an interesting development, if I do say so myself.

Gaby -I love you! Lots and lots of love

Ses -I miscounted...this is ten! Oh, goodness, it's going to be great when I start getting your reviews. Hope all is well at home with friends, work and school.

Gianna, Lette, Chelsea -you three are wonderful, leaving me reviews, however small or big, with every chapter. It makes me very happy, really it does.

All my other reviewers -I love you when you review because I know you're reading...so if you read but don't review, drop a review...even a short one is much appreciated.

As always, enjoy as you read and review, review, REVIEW!

Chapter Fifteen

Hong Kong, China
January 5
th

Wiping the back of her hand over her wet cheek, she let out a soft sigh as she observed the view stretched out below her.

Natalie had set them up on one of the top floors of the Eaton Hotel, her room facing west where she could see the hot sun sinking into the Hong Kong skyline, turning the blue sky into a bleeding canvas of reds, golds, oranges and yellows.

Seth would have loved this view –the tall buildings made of glass and steel with the sky reflected off of them, the bright lights flashing neon colors as cars sped by on the streets below, looking like small toys from this height.

Sniffing as she wiped her hand over her face, she looked up at the sound of a knock on the door, "Come in."

"Hey," Lian opened the door, a hand on the frame as he leaned in, "I was wondering if…oh God. Are you crying?"

"I'm sorry," she couldn't help keeping the sarcasm from dripping off every word, "I'll make a better effort at keeping a smile on my face at all times."

Lian blinked, his mouth spreading into a smile as he stepped into the room, "Wow…didn't even need a stiff drink for that one, uh?"

Julie blushed, rubbing the back of her neck, the edges of her tied up hair tickling the back of her hand, "I'm sor –"

"Don't apologize for getting mad," Lian arched an eyebrow as he moved across the large room to stand before her, "To be honest, I've been waiting for you to move on to that stage of the grieving process."

Julie's eyebrows lowered as she crossed her arms over her chest –lately, the urge to move into his arms every time she saw him was shaking up her resolve to protect her heart at all costs, "The what?"

Lian reached up to tuck a loose strand into the hair tie holding her hair into a messy bun, his thumb brushing the sensitive skin behind her ear, "Denial. Grief. Anger. Bargaining. Then, finally, acceptance. Apparently, the stages also fit a situation when you lose something you hold very close to your heart."

"Do they go in that exact order," she looked away from his dark brown eyes, biting her lip as she remembered the humiliation of begging Seth to stay with her.

"No," Lian tilted his head to the side, seeing something in her eyes that let her know she was recalling some memory that probably involved his cousin, "But it's obvious from your songs you've yet to get past the grieving stage."

"Some people have a harder time," Julie took a deep breath, taking a step back as she turned away from the window, "Letting go of what I had thought was special and real isn't as easy as I thought it would be."

Lian watched as she moved around him, her shoulders hunched as waves of sadness rolled off of her, making his gut churn in that all too familiar anger that just added to the urge to bury his fist into Seth's face.

His cousin should have known –probably did know –what an amazing girl July was…and knowing she wasn't meant to be his, he should have kept his hands off her and her heart.

"I got an idea," Lian wrapped his long fingers around her wrist, grabbing the jacket she had tossed over the back of a chair as he pulled her towards the door.

"Where are you taking me," Julie barely had time to grab her key card from the table besides the door, following him down the hall and into the elevator, a giggle escaping her when he waggled his eyebrows at her, "You'll see."

He handed her the jacket as soon as they hit the lobby, the charcoal gray double knit sweater he wore just fine for him as they stepped out into the cool night air.

Lian let out a sharp whistle as he flagged down a cab, opening the back door and ushering her in as soon as it pulled up to the curb.

Handing the cabby some cash, he simply said, "Red Box, please."

"Take you to Red Box," the cabby said in heavily accented English as he nodded his head several times, driving out into traffic as soon as Lian closed the door behind him.

"What's Red Box," Julie gave him a slightly suspicious look, her knuckles white as she gripped the seat, the cabbie switching lanes –the drivers in Hong Kong were insane, more so than the ones in New York…probably because the ones here had no regard for traffic laws.

Lian looked at her face, laughing at the way her eyes widened as the cabbie took a left turn a little too sharply, "A karaoke bar."

"What," Julie's voice came out high pitched, Lian's arm across her chest keeping her from flying into the front seat as the cabbie slammed on the brakes, "Are you serious?"

"Yep."

"We here," the cabbie looked over his shoulder at them, his smile getting bigger as Lian handed him several more bills, nodding as they stepped out of the car, "I wait?"

"No," Lian shook his head, keeping Julie's hand in his as he closed the door, towing her along into the crowded bar, "Have you ever done karaoke?"

"I've never had too," she yelled over the noise as he led her towards the bar, not letting go of her hand as he signaled for the bartender, "I have an eidetic memory when it comes to music."

Lian laughed as he pulled her to stand next to him, sliding his arm around her back as the bartender placed two small glasses in front of them, "Here. Don't sniff it, just toss it back."

"What is it," Julie picked up the glass, eyeing the clear liquid before looking up at him, watching as he tossed his shot back, shaking his head as he let out a cough.

Leaning his head down, she shivered as his breath tickled her ear, his voice husky and slightly raspy, "Bai jiu (by-joe)…it tastes like vodka but the smell will make you gag. Go on, bottoms up."

Staring into his dark brown eyes, she chuckled after a few seconds, tossing the shot back, the liquor burning a path down her throat.

Coughing as she set the glass on the bar, she shook her head when the bartender refilled the glasses, "Oh God…Lian, I think I just burned my vocal chords."

He laughed, handing her the shot glass before picking his own up, his lips brushing her ear as he told her, "Second one goes down easier. Come on, July, drink up. You'll need your inner bitch for this to work."

Laughing, she tapped her glass against his, both of them tossing back the shots simultaneously, letting out a shuddering breath as the bartender poured them a third round, "Lian, I can't! It'll kill me!"

Lian laughed as he picked up his shot, his nose brushing the hair on her temple as he said with a smile, "Last one, sweetheart…before we get on stage."

She blinked in surprise at the endearment but didn't say anything, tossing back the shot as Lian set his empty glass on the counter, stopping the bartender from refilling it before pulling out several bills from his pocket and handing them over.

Leaving her empty shot glass behind, she let him lead her through the crowded club, laughing as she stumbled every few steps, not sure if whatever Lian had planned would actually work when she was far on the opposite side of sober.

Reaching the edge of the stage, he leaned over a table nearby to say something to the guy behind it, pulling a bill out of his pocket and sliding it across the surface.

The guy nodded as he took the bill, pointing at the stage where a Japanese guy was singing an Aerosmith song –quite out of key, mind you –saying something to Lian as he pointed at an empty chair by a small round table.

Moving to the chair, he sat down and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist as she unthinkingly draped an arm over his broad shoulders, "We'll be next after this guy."

"What are we singing," Julie leaned closer to ask, the smell of his subtle cologne making her more aware of the way it felt to have him hold her this way.

"It's a surprise," Lian said into her ear, his nose brushing her skin as he dipped his head to press a kiss to the side of her neck, her pulse leaping under his lips.

"Band's pretty good, uh?"

Julie nodded, swallowing hard before she cleared her throat, her usually smooth voice husky from the bai jiu (by-joe), "The guy sucks, though."

Lian laughed, his breath brushing over her throat as the people politely clapped at the end of the song, "You'd make a horrible music critic."

The guy behind the table waved them over, Lian laughing when he had to steady her as they stood up.

Giving her hip a squeeze, he bounded up onto the two foot high stage, leaning over to talk to the bass guitarist who gave him a few nods before handing him his guitar and stepping off the stage, the other band members nodding to whatever it was he was saying as the people in the crowd began buzzing, pointing at Lian and speaking to each other in excitement.

Julie laughed as he stepped up to the microphone, launching right into the song without introducing himself.

Recognizing the beginning notes of the guitar and drums long before he started singing, her heart thumped hard against her ribs as he smiled at her –dear God, but the boy had a beautiful smile!

Julie let out another laugh as he stretched out his arm, crooking his forefinger for her to join him on stage.

At first I was afraid
I was petrified
I kept thinking I could never live without you
By my side

She was rather impressed with herself, being able to get to the stage as well as on it without falling over, placing a hand on the electric guitarist's arm, "Wǒ néng jiè nǐ de jítā?" *Can I borrow your guitar?*

But then I spent so many nights
Just thinking how you've done me wrong
I grew strong
I learned how to get along

The guy nodded with a grin, lifting the strap over his head before handing it to her as Lian continued to sing, his eyes on her the entire time.

Stepping onto the other side of the microphone he was using, she seamlessly –almost as if they've been singing together for years –joined him as she played the well tuned guitar:

And so you're back
From outer space
I just walked in to find you
Here without that look upon your face

The people in the club were going crazy, the clapping and cheering almost drowning them but the sound tech raised the volume as they continued singing, their eyes never leaving each other:

I should have changed that fucking lock
I should have made you leave your key
If I had known for just one second
You'd be back to bother me

Oh now go
Walk out the door
Just turn around now
You're not welcome anymore

Weren't you the one
Who tried to break me with desire?
Did you think I'd crumble?
Did you think I'd lay down and die?

Oh not I
I will survive
Yeah, as long as I know how to love
I know I'll be alive

I've got all my life to live
I've got all my love to give
I will survive

I will survive
Yeah, yeah…

Julie's smile grew as her long fingers jumped from chord to chord, the electric guitar solo sounding amazing as she drew out the treble.

Lian watched her with a grin, enjoying the obvious enthusiasm on her face, thinking how beautiful she looked as she finished the solo, stepping forward as they both picked up the lyrics, his baritone easily complimented by her contralto.

It took all the strength I had
Just not to fall apart

I'm trying hard to mend the pieces
Of my broken heart
And I spent oh so many nights
Just feeling sorry for myself

I used to cry
But now I hold my head up high

And you see me
With somebody new
I'm not that stupid little person
Still in love with you

And so
You thought you'd just drop by
And you expect me to be free
But now I'm saving all my lovin'
for someone whose lovin' me…


3:45AM

They stumbled out of the elevator onto the hallway, their attempts at keeping the laughter hushed failing as Lian held on to her waist to keep her from falling over her own two feet.

"The floor's actually moving on me," Julie said with a giggle as she headed down the hallway towards her room.

"Hey, I only bought you the first three drinks," Lian tugged her around, his arms closing around her as she stumbled into him, "And your room is at the other end of the hallway."

Julie laughed, gripping his forearm to keep herself steady on her feet, "Are you sure?"

"How many sa-kes did you have," he asked with a laugh, his hand reaching out to lay flat against the wall to break their fall as she tripped over his feet.

"I lost count…they just kept buying me drinks," Julie squinted her eyes as he stopped before a door, reaching up to point at the number on the door, "This is my room?"

"Yes," Lian placed his hands on either side of the door frame, needing to hold on to something stable considering the floor wasn't any steadier for him, "You didn't have to accept, you know."

Julie gave him a wide-eyed look of shock as she leaned against the door to keep from swaying, "That would have been culturally insulting!"

"So will the hangover you'll have when you wake up."

"I don't get hangovers," Julie slipped her hands into the pockets of her jacket, searching for the key card, "And I can't find my key."

"Oh, baby, believe me," Lian leaned in closer, the tip of his nose brushing against her temple as he slid his right hand over her hip and into the back pocket of her jeans, his smiling lips tickling her ear, "After all you've drank, you'll be getting a hangover."

Julie's breath hitched as she looked up at him, wide eyes showing surprise to find his face so close to hers, her body flushing as he pulled her closer, the large hand inside her back pocket giving her bottom a gentle squeeze.

"Lian…"

"Mhm," he hummed as he slid his nose over her cheekbone, his lips following, her breath stirring the short hairs at the back of his neck as he moved his mouth down her throat.

A moan escaped her as she placed her hands against his broad chest, her fingers fisting into the fine wool of his sweater.

Pulling her body flush against his, he moved his head back to look into her nearly black eyes, "Why are you shaking?"

Julie tried to take a deep breath but her lungs weren't capable of it as she bit her lip, unable to stop her body from shaking against his, "It's…it's been too long…since…since I've been touched…a-and held."

He dipped his head to claim her mouth, their tongues dueling for control as he pushed her up against the door, his desire for her hard against her stomach as he wedged a thigh between her legs, a hand moving down her back to slide under the cashmere sweater she was wearing.

"I want to touch you," Lian whispered against her mouth, tugging at her bottom lip with his teeth as he slid his other hand out of her back pocket, the key card between his fingers, "All over…again and again…I want to feel your skin against mine…to taste you…drown myself in you…"

Julie groaned, tilting her head back as he moved his mouth over her jaw and down her throat, his hand under her sweater moving up her smooth back, the calluses on his fingertips catching on the silk of her camisole as a trail of goosebumps popped up along her spine.

Holding her tight against the door, he slid the key into the slot, their lips locked as their tongues stroked each other, his fast reflexes –despite the alcohol in his system –saving them from ending up on the floor.

"Lian," she moaned his name into his mouth as he tossed the key towards the table, not caring where it landed as the door swung shut behind them.

Pulling her jacket off her shoulders and down her arms, he placed sweet little kisses all over her face, tracing her hairline with his lips as he tossed the jacket aside, his hands gripping her hips and pulling her into him.

"I like the way you say my name," he whispered into her ear as he slid his fingers into the waistband of her tight jeans, teeth scraping the edge of her ear before he kissed the soft skin behind it, "But just for the record…it's Julian."

She sucked in a sharp breath, his name so damn sexy she was getting wet enough to soak right through her jeans.

"Julian…" his whispered name was soft against his neck as he nudged the wide collar of her sweater aside, his teeth grazing the soft skin over her shoulder.

She was needy –he could hear it in her voice, could feel it in the way she moved in his arms, her hands sliding over his shoulders and around his neck to tug at his hair.

She was needy, alright, and so was he.

He needed to hear her say his name again, to feel her body vibrate until it sang for him and him alone.

Moving them across the floor towards the big king sized bed, he lifted his head to kiss her swollen lips, his teeth nipping the tender flesh at the corners, "Say it again."

She didn't need to ask what he meant, she already knew and as he slid his fingers to the snap of her jeans, she was more than happy to comply.

"Julian…

"Julian…

"Julian…"


10:45AM

Julie groaned as she rolled over, the pounding in her head making her feel nauseous as she cracked her eyes open, shutting them quickly when the light coming through the open window pierced right into her pounding brain, a blinding flash of pain having her groan again.

A soft chuckle sounded in the room, her lungs seizing as the events of the night before crashed over her –oh God, what had she done?

Had she been so damned soused she actually went to bed with Lian 'Asshole Extraordinaire' Young?

Opening her eyes slowly, she could make out the blurry outline of someone sitting on the chair facing the window, bare feet on the ottoman as he drank a cup of coffee, the strong aroma making her swallow back the urge to throw up.

Moving slowly to keep the motion sickness to a minimum, she moved her hands under the bedsheet, feeling confused when she felt the silk of the camisole she had worn under her sweater, her jeans undone but still very much on her –as were her underwear.

"What –" she swallowed in an attempt to wet her dry mouth, pushing herself up onto her elbows, her long hair spilling in tangled curls over her shoulders, "What happened last night?"

"Nothing," Lian said in a low voice, setting his coffee cup on the small table beside the chair as he lowered his feet unto the ground, getting up with such grace it made Julie's breath hitch, "I'm not the kind of guy that takes advantage of a girl when she's soused."

"Oh God," Julie blushed, reaching up to touch her long fingers against her aching head, "Did I say that out loud?"

Lian smiled as he sat at the side of the bed, leaning over her while placing a hand on the mattress next to her other hip, holding out his hand, "I thought you'd sleep better with your jeans undone. Here, take these."

"What are they," she asked as she held out her open hand, two blue and white pills tumbling onto her palm before he reached for a glass on the bedside table, "Advil. And this is water…from a bottle."

She gave him a small smile, placing the pills on her tongue before taking the cool glass from him, an electric shock running up her arm as their fingers touched.

Drinking half of the water, she let out a soft breath as he reached up to smooth his thumb over her bottom lip, wiping away at a drop, "Drink it all down –your body's seriously dehydrated right now."

"Okay," her capitulation came out in a soft whisper before she tipped the glass back.

Setting the empty glass on the bedside table, her face flushed as she realized he was within kissing distance, "I have horrible morning breath."

"Mhm," he hummed in agreement, "You smell like a distillery."

Despite his acquiesce he moved his lips over hers, his tongue touching her bottom lip before sliding into her mouth, gently teasing hers before pulling back to smile at her, "And taste like one too."

She blushed as her lips spread into a shy smile, "You taste like my toothpaste…did you use my toothbrush?"

He grinned, placing a kiss on her forehead before standing up, "I'm going to my room to take a shower. I'll order you some lunch from room service."

Julie groaned at the thought of food.

"You need to eat something, July," he reached down to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing over her cheek as he smiled at her, "At least some toast. It'll help settle your stomach."

"Will you join me…for lunch," she blurted out, her heart beating hard against her ribs as she looked up at him.

A few seconds passed before he gave her that gorgeous smile of his, "Sure."


She was vigorously rubbing a towel over her wet hair when a knock on the door sounded, "Room service."

Wrapping the towel around the ends, she moved across the room, opening the door to find a bellboy at the other side of the door, "You can just put it on the table over there."

"Yes ma'am," he nodded politely as he moved the cart into the room, quickly and efficiently placing several plates onto the table, Julie wondering how much food Lian had ordered for just the two of them as she took her wallet from the desk drawer, "Here's a tip."

"No, no," he shook his head as he set the cart out of the way, giving her a polite smile as a knock sounded on the door again, "Tip has already been paid. Enjoy your meal."

He opened the door, stepping back to let Lian in as he gave him a polite bow before walking out, quietly closing the door behind him.

"I wasn't entirely sure what you would like for lunch so I ordered a sample of everything," Lian's eyes moved over her, enjoying the way those red skinny jeans looked on her, the turquoise off the shoulder top she wore over a spaghetti strap top the same shade of red as her jeans giving her skin a lustrous sheen.

"I'm not even sure I'll be able to keep down toast," Julie rubbed the ends of her long hair, tossing the wet towel into the hamper in the bathroom before walking out with a hairbrush in one hand, the other trying to undo some nasty tangles, "I love Hong Kong but the water here is horrible for my hair."

Lian chuckled as he moved across the room to sit on the foot of the bed, sliding back as he patted the mattress between his legs, "Sit down and I'll take care of those tangles."

Biting the inside of her cheek, she studied him for a few seconds before moving to sit cross-legged on the bed between his legs, handing him the brush, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Lian gently divided her hair in half, his fingers tugging at the tangles before dividing the halves in half.

"How do you know so many 'go to hell, I'm better off without you' songs?"

Lian laughed softly as he started with the ends of her hair, slowly making his way up as he used the brush and his fingers to work out the knots, "Don't forget I've gone through the grieving stages too."

Julie hummed, closing her eyes as Lian moved the now smooth section of hair over her shoulder before moving on to the next one, a slight tinge of self-deprecation in his voice as he continued, "…after Camille left me, I wrote my fair share of bleeding heart songs but instead of making me feel better, I got more depressed…until one day, I woke up and realized I was so fucking pissed at her. I wrote a good amount of fuck off, hope you die songs after that but nothing as cathartic as last night's song list."

Julie laughed, a shiver running down her spine as he ran his fingers through her hair, his thumb brushing the back of her neck as he patiently worked through the knots of the third section, "Natalie is going to kill us for giving away a free concert."

"We didn't sing any of our own songs," Lian patiently worked on a particularly nasty tangle, his knuckles brushing against the back of her neck with every move, "So there's no breach of contract…and had we refused, the people would have rioted. How do you think that would make Natalie and the label look?"

Julie laughed, feeling the tug of his fingers as well as the brush but no pain, "You're pretty good at brushing a girl's hair."

She couldn't see him but knew he was smiling as he explained, "My older sister has always had long hair and I loved playing with it when I was a kid. I used to make such a tangled mess of it, she taught me how to brush and braid it."

She smiled at the image of Lian as a little boy, small fingers working diligently at completing a simple braid, "I can get a hair tie if you want."

Without thinking, he leaned forward and pressed a smiling kiss against the back of her neck, pulling back to gently run the brush through the last section of hair, "Let me finish this and you can get one."

A few minutes of comfortable silence passed by, Julie closing her eyes as she let out a sigh of contentment, Lian's fingers sliding through her long hair with every other brushstroke.

"There," giving her hair one last stroke with the brush, he set it aside then gave her thigh a gentle pat, "Go get a hair tie and I'll braid your hair."

Hopping off the bed, she moved towards the luggage rack that held her open suitcase, finding the small bag where she kept her hair accessories.

"Why are you packed," Lian watched as she zipped the bag close, taking the red elastic when she handed it to him, his fingers sliding though her long hair as soon as she returned to her spot, "We're not flying out until the sixteenth."

She bit her lip, wondering if she should share her plans with him, letting out a sigh before saying softly, "I asked Natalie for a few extra days between the concert here and the one in Tokyo because I have somewhere to go."

"In China?"

"Yes," Julie kept her head from moving, the tingling on her scalp moving down her body like warm syrup as he slid his fingers through her hair, the gentle tugging and pulling having her bite her lip to stifle a moan before she continued, "My mother asked me to go to Weihai…my grandparents were born there and she's never been –"

"You're Asian," Lian interrupted in surprise, his fingers stilling in her hair as he leaned over her shoulder to look at her face.

"No need to say it that way," Julie teased as she looked at him out of the corner of her eyes, a smile tugging at her full lips, "Have I ever exclaimed in shock that you're Native American?"

"How do you know I'm Native American," Lian slid his fingers under the section of hair he was holding in his right hand, pulling a thin strand over it and under the second one.

"Your facial characteristics," Julie let out a sigh, drawing her knees up to wrap her arms around them, feeling oddly…cherished as he crossed his ankles and moved them under her bare feet, "The cheekbones and straight nose, not to mention the dark hair and copper skin…wouldn't shock me if you showed up wearing a headband and loincloth."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you," he teased, grinning as she laughed, his breath brushing the sensitive skin behind her ear, causing her to shiver, "So where exactly is Meihei?"

"Weihai," she corrected him as his knuckles brushed down her back, her arms tightening around her drawn up legs, "It's up by Germany…I'm flying into Shanghai tomorrow morning –I have an hour layover before I fly into Jinan where I'll take the train to Weihai. My grandfather's sister is expecting me to arrive sometime late at night."

"That should be an interesting trip," he tide off the end of the fishtail braid, giving it a tug to tilt her head back and kiss her cheek, "All done."

Reaching back to touch the braid, her fingers tripped lightly over the intricate braiding, "You're going to make some little girl a real good daddy."

He laughed but didn't comment, simply asking, "What are your plans for today?"

"Nothing, really," she smiled as she looked over at the table, "Try to eat something…maybe a pay per view movie."

Lian wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder, his cheek pressed against hers, "You asked me to join you for lunch…can I join you for that movie too?"

A smile spread slowly across her face as she turned the few inches to look into his dark brown eyes, "What would you like to watch?"

They spend a few minutes debating movie options before settling on Ocean's Eleven, Julie ordering the movie over the phone while Lian placed all the plates back on the cart and moved it to the side of the bed.

"We're eating in bed," Julie asked in surprise as she hung up the phone, laughing as Lian tugged off his boots before getting into bed, ushering her to scoot over until they were both in the middle, pillows piled behind their backs as they stretched out their long legs.

"That's where the TV's facing," Lian handed her a plate with a whole-grain waffle before placing his plate of sushi and white rice on his lap, "Besides, there's nothing more indulging than eating in bed while watching a movie."

Julie laughed, reaching across him for the syrup, pouring a liberal amount of it on her waffle before returning it, taking the fork and knife he handed her, "I can think of a few things more indulgent than this."

"Like what," Lian picked up a tuna roll with his chopsticks, slipping it whole into his mouth as he watched her cut her waffles into small bite size pieces.

"Well, there's chocolate covered strawberries and champagne while having a bubble bath."

"That's a girly indulgence," Lian expertly shoveled a few bites of rice into his mouth with his chopsticks as Julie pointed at a glass of orange juice; "It would be torture for a guy…unless it includes a naked girl in the tub."

Julie laughed as she took the orange juice from him, taking a sip before tucking it between her knees, "How about…a five hour jam session with friends for no reason other than to make music?"

"Ah, now you're talking," Julian picked up a glass of water, taking a swallow before placing it back, "Movie's starting…you don't talk during a movie, do you?"

"What if I do?"

Lian looked at her with narrowed eyes before giving her a slow devastating smile, "I'll have to find a way to keep you quiet."

She laughed at that, turning her attention back to the waffle as they watched the movie unfold, neither saying anything while they ate.

Feeling full after finishing half of her waffle, she set the plate on the bedside table, picking up her orange juice and taking a few swallows before it joined the plate.

Snuggling into the pillows, she let out a contented sigh as she watched George Clooney's character observing Matt Damon's character in the Chicago subway.

Setting his empty plate back on the cart, he picked up his water glass and emptied it, returning it to the cart before stretching his arms over his head.

Julie bit back a smile as he draped an arm around her shoulders, scooting closer when he pulled her into his side, her head resting on his chest as she stretched an arm over his stomach, her bent knee on his hard thigh.

Three-fourths into the movie, she softly whispered his name, "Julian."

His lips spread into a smile as he looked down at her, nudging her chin up to press a soft kiss on her lips, the tip of his nose brushing over hers, "Yes July."

She stared into his dark brown eyes, realizing for the first time they were the exact shade of dark chocolate.

He arched an eyebrow at her as his thumb stroked over her cheek, "You were going to ask me something?"

She nodded, scared out of her mind at what she was going to ask but she couldn't keep the words in –not when they were practically burning in her mouth.

"Would you like to go with me tomorrow?"


January 7th
3:45PM

The sound was lulling in its steady clack-clack motion as steel met steel, the sleek locomotive eating up the miles of track with every turn of its wheels.

The blurring scenery out of their wide window in the private compartment they were in fascinated him as it changed every few minutes –buildings, streets, hills, rice paddies then back to buildings.

Lifting his ankle onto his knee, he pulled out a journal he had tucked into the bench beside his thigh, pulling out a pen from his jacket pocket, all the while keeping his right shoulder still.

Looking to the side, he smiled at the sight of July's sleeping face, her head pillowed on his shoulder, a long fingered hand on his thigh, the other resting on her lap.

Watching her for a few quiet minutes, he let out a sigh, placing a soft kiss at the top of her head before looking down at his journal, clicking his pen as he opened the well-used book.

It had been so long since he'd had this urge to compose –it was like a beast clawing at him to get out…one he hadn't felt for so long.

At eighteen, he had been gun-ho at making it in the music business, wanting to be the kind of musician that performed his own compositions.

And for the first few years, he did just that.

He found inspiration in everything –even the hell that Camille had put him through brought forth several songs that had hit the top charts and had won him a Grammy here and there.

But in the past two years, every time he tried to write, he came up empty.

It had taken him weeks to be able to put together the song for Seth's wedding, most of his inspiration coming from having gotten to know Rose those two years she had been without Seth –quite frankly, the whole creative process had been very painful.

Now his latest hit –that one had come quite easy, the notes and lyrics flowing as thoughts of July filled his head.

And now here he was, music spinning and unraveling in his brain, his fingertips tingling with the urge to pluck the notes out of his guitar.

All he had to do was put pen to paper and lyrics to harmony, possibly even throw in some melody…

She let out a soft sigh, rubbing her cheek against the suede fabric of his tanned jacket before settling into sleep again, the hand on his thigh curling into a fist before relaxing.

Running a finger over her knuckles, he marveled at how beautiful her hand was, delicate and graceful…then again, everything about her was beautiful –that which he had seen and even what he had yet to see.

Gently lifting her hand off his thigh, he placed a warm kiss against the back before returning it to where it was, turning his attention back to his journal.

The silence was peaceful as he wrote, notes accompanying words, scratching out one thought to replace it with another, time flying by as he completely immersed himself in the music he had in his head while July slept beside him.


Weihai, China
Close to midnight

"So you've never met any of these family members before, have you," Lian kept his arm across her stomach to keep her from falling out of the pedi-cab as the driver hit a rut, jostling the whole thing but it miraculously stayed upright.

"Yéye told me he wrote to his sister," Julie held on to her bag, having only brought a couple of change of clothes, the rest of her luggage in the Eaton Hotel room back in Hong Kong, "Let her know I was coming for a visit –he would tell us stories of him and his sister –she's older than him."

They hit another rut, Lian sure the wheels of the buggy had actually left the dirt path for a second.

"This is the side of the family that has ancestral mermaids, correct?"

She couldn't make out much of his features in the darkness but could hear the disbelieving tone in his teasing words.

With Seth, she had always been careful –despite having revealed herself in her true form that Halloween night –because there had been a part of him that actually believed.

Probably because he too had an unbelievable secret of his own, one she wouldn't have been shocked to learn because she had already known.

But with Lian, it was different.

He didn't believe her and no matter what she told him, he wasn't going to believe her.

Somehow knowing that gave her a feeling of…freedom and recklessness over a secret she had been raised to guard militantly.

"Yes," she called out something in Chinese, the pedi-cabbie slowing down a bit, "Weihai legend is that centuries ago, a group of women began what is now a successful pearl diving industry. The rumors were that these women were mermaids –daughters of the ocean who were intrigued by the life on land."

"People actually believed that," Lian grabbed the edge of the seat as the pedi-cab turned a corner, the buggy jostling as it hit a rut, "That these divers were mermaids?"

"Yes," Julie reached up to pull a curl from her mouth, looking up at the dark sky, the sight of the bright stars taking her breath away, "Apparently, my mother's grandmother's grandmother was able to come onto land indefinitely, which is how we have a family tree and not a family pod."

Lian laughed at that, taking her bag as the pedi-cabbie began to slow down, "Why was she able to come onto land indefinitely?"

Julie gave him a smile as the pedi-cabbie stopped in front of a large sprawling house, the sound of crashing waves nearby as lights blinked on inside the house, the massive front doors swinging open before a small woman in a red and gold kimono walked out, her dark hair wrapped up in a chignon at the back of her head.

Stepping out of the buggy with Lian following close behind her, she handed some bills to the pedi-cabbie, thanking him in Chinese.

"Zhū lì," the small woman exclaimed in joy as she rushed across the graveled driveway, reaching up to cup her grand-niece's face as she continued in Chinese, "It's so good to finally meet you! Your grandfather has told me so much about you and your sister! He's so proud of you two."

Lian watched Julie smile as she bowed her head, her smooth voice flowing naturally as she responded in kind, "I've heard much of you too, Aunt Xiaozhi. Yéye talks of you all the time…he misses you very much."

"Oh, I miss him much too," she smiled up at Julie before looking over at Lian, who had stood quietly holding both his bag and Julie's, "Is this your husband?"

"Oh," Julie looked over her shoulder, shaking her head before looking down into her aunt's dark brown eyes, "No. He's just a friend. I'm not married. I've yet…"

She gave her a smile as she reached out to take her hand, holding it between her two smaller ones, "That's why you're here…to see your Aunt Mingzhu. She'll be able to tell you what you need to know. Come, come. I will show you to your rooms. Tomorrow, you meet the rest of the family."

Julie smiled down at her before turning to Lian, "This is my Aunt Xiaozhi. She's grandfather's sister."

Turning to look at her aunt, she gave her a little bow before saying, "My friend Lian and I are much honored to be here…thank you for letting us into your home."

"Of course, of course," she smiled at Lian, giving him a bow before gesturing for the two of them to follow her, "Tell me, how is my niece Jiao? Has she married?"

Julie chuckled as she followed the smaller woman into the house, Lian staying close behind her, "Mother is fine and no, she hasn't married. She just got her nursing license and is working at a hospital as a nurse for children."

Xiaozhi shook her head as she opened a door, ushering Lian through it, "She needs to find herself a husband. It's not good for a woman to raise children alone. This will be his room."

Julie smiled over at Lian, "Your room," then turned to give her aunt a smile as well, "Mother has done fine raising us alone. Madelyn is in medical school –"

"Yes, your grandfather told me. He's so proud of her, says she's getting married to a doctor. He says its true love and that is good."

Julie nodded as she followed behind her aunt towards the room that was to be hers, Lian standing in the doorway watching as the smaller woman stopped two doors down and across the hall, "This is your room, Zhū lì. Tomorrow, I will send a message to your aunt Mingzhu…she will be so happy to see you. She misses her sister very much and will have many questions to ask you…and have answers for your questions too."

Julie nodded as she looked around the large room, a full size mattress on a two foot high platform in the middle, a beautiful silk screen standing on one corner with large planters holding flourishing plum blossoms on either side of the closed terrace doors, white sheer fabric letting in the moon's light to spill across a light wood floor.

Turning, she gave her aunt a small bow with a smile, "I will be happy to meet aunt Mingzhu… Nǎinai has told me much about her."

She smiled up at her, patting her hand before moving towards the door, giving her a graceful bow before exiting, the door closing softly behind her.

Letting out a sigh, she moved across the room, spreading the curtains apart to open the terrace doors, a long breath escaping her at the sight of the crashing waves below…her aunt had given her the one room that had easy diving access into the ocean.

Despite not being a mermaid herself, Aunt Xiaozhi had understood her brother's choice of a wife, even becoming close friends with her grandmother before they had left China to head to the States.

It was sweet of her to realize that at this point in her life, Julie's greatest comfort was to be close to the sea…to an escape route if ever needed.

A soft knock broke her musings.

Moving across the room, she opened the door to find Lian at the other side with her bag, "Oh, I had forgotten about that."

"That would have meant sleeping with no pajamas," Lian winked at her, grinning as she stifled a laugh behind her hand, taking the bag with her other, "Well…have a good night."

She smiled at him, moving to watch him head down the hall towards his bedroom, "You too."

Stopping at his door, he turned to look over his shoulder at her, "July."

"Yes."

"Why was your great, great, great grandmother able to stay on land indefinitely?"

Julie stared into his dark eyes, taking in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, "She found the one thing every mermaid needs to be able to have a fulfilling life on land."

"Which is?"

Blinking, she reached for the door to close it but not before answering, her voice soft yet heavy.

"True love."