Okay, here's the next chapter! Thank you to all the reviewers of this so far! (In other words, I'm too lazy to trawl through my inbox to find all the names! Sorry!) This does have spelling mistakes in, (shudders)because the computer didn't work properly, and I very nearly lost the whole thing! This contains...well, it's either mild lemon, or strong lime, I'm not sure, could somebody kindly tell me in their review what they think it is? Thanks! Enjoy!
Ray leaned back and massaged his aching neck with one hand. Stretching and wincing as he felt a few joints crack, he stood up, quickly shutting the computer down and slinging his jacket on.

"Right, I'm off," he told the man next to him, who gave him a friendly wave goodbye and returned to furiously typing something out on his computer. "Have fun."

"Fun? What's that?" several voices muttered darkly. Ray laughed good-naturedly.

"It's what we get when we're not working." he replied amiably.

"Not working? Oh, you mean the times when I'm trying to sleep, eat, piss, the normal things? That's fun?" came the same voice, the tone acid. "It's all right for some, with their cushy managerial jobs-" His colleagues shushed him hastily, the wiser ones leaning over their computers to give the impression of having nothing to do with him. Ray's eyes flashed dark gold. He was tired, hot, and thirsty, all of which shortened his usually long fuse to a bare millimetre.

"If you're that unhappy with this job, then you can leave right now," he said coldly, his quiet voice loud in the sudden silence. "I'll write you a decent referral and you can go and get a job elsewhere." The man, forty-odd at least if his sagging jowls were anything to go by, bristled slightly at being addressed with such authority by a mere youngster, then backed down.

"I didn't mean it like that…" he muttered apologetically.

"Good." Ray's eyes were hard as he stared at the grovelling man. "You all knew that this job was going to be hard when you had your interview, and you all know that you can leave at any time if you so wish." He inclined his head towards the door. No one moved a muscle. "Does anyone else here think that I have a…cushy job?" Silence reigned. All the employees were very aware that their boss would often stay in hours longer than he needed to, working non-stop until a particular problem was solved. "Thank you. Now, everyone try get home before midnight, okay? I had the mother of all lectures when I got back at three in the morning last week, and you don't want that." He grinned at his workforce, who grinned back, relieved that the momentary crisis was over. "See you tomorrow." To the sound of numerous farewells, he shut the door and headed for home.

Checking his watch, he reached for his key and unlocked the front door. Seven o'clock. Positively early for him. Only a thirteen-hour day? Child's play! Chuckling softly, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.

"Hello?" he called quietly, remembering just in time that Rosie should be in bed.

"Daddy!" Lynette came flying down the hallway and hugged him tightly, squeezing his muscular body with all the strength in her slender arms. She looked up at him and put a finger to her lips in an exaggerated shushing motion. Ray bent down until their matching eyes were level.

"Why do we have to be quiet?" he whispered.

"'Cause Mummy and Rosie and Kai are all asleep." Lynette explained, giggling. Ray frowned.

"What do you mean, sweetie?" With an exasperated sigh, his eldest daughter grabbed his hand and tugged impatiently, dragging him through the house.

"Well, Mummy's got a headache, so Kai told her to go and lie down, and he's been playing with me and Rosie. " They reached the doorway to the lounge. "Look! They look so cute!" she squealed, pointing into the lounge. Giving his daughter a surprised look at her unusual usage of the word "cute", Ray peered into the lounge.

Kai was sitting against the wall, bare-chested, with a peacefully sleeping Rosa curled up on his lap, sucking her thumb contentedly. His eyes were closed and his expression was the most serene that Ray could ever remember seeing it. One arm was loosely curved around the youngest Kon. As Ray approached slowly, his eyes flickered open. They surveyed Ray blankly for a few seconds, before life slowly crept back into the dull amethyst. In a movement that Ray guessed had become habitual, he tilted his head one side, hiding his ravaged throat from sight.

"Hey, Ray." His voice was hoarse and weak. Ray raised a hand in greeting and moved away to sit on the sofa.

"Don't let me keep you awake." he apologised, a faint thread of amusement in his voice. Kai chuckled weakly. The sound caught in this throat and turned into a mild, quiet cough.

"I'm not sleeping," he explained croakily. "Just drugged up, that's all." Ray raised a questioning eyebrow. "One of my meds acts like a sedative. I normally don't take it for a few hours yet, but I…needed to, tonight." He didn't offer any more information on that statement, and Ray knew better than to ask. The Chinese man gestured to where his youngest child lay in Kai's lap.

"She trusts you." he commented quietly. Kai nodded slowly.

"Yeah," he agreed, surprise clear in his weary voice. "After seeing this," he gestured to his scarred upper body. "Heaven only knows why." His pessimistic sigh roughened into a hacking cough, and he covered his mouth with his hand. Taking it away, he sucked in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds. "So," he commented eventually. "How was work?" To his surprise, Ray found himself discussing in-depth what he did, how he'd done it, why he did it… What was even more surprising was that Kai actually seemed to understand - once he had woken up a little - and was able to make intelligent replies, occasionally even comment on what he thought could perhaps be improved.


"Gah, stupid boring adult talk…" Lynette grumbled after over half an hour of talking. "I'm going to go and see Mummy."

"Your Mummy's asleep, Lyn." Kai reminded her calmly, not even the faintest hint of reproach evident in his voice. Lynnette scowled, apparently hearing something that Ray hadn't.

"So?" she replied petulantly. "So's everybody!"

"What're we, the pattern on the wallpaper?" Ray joked. The little girl's lips twitched despite herself.

"Yeah!" she agreed defiantly, glaring up at her father. "You're just the pattern on the wallpaper!" Ray raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at the clock.

"It's bedtime for somebody, I think." he chided, scooping his eldest child up onto his lap. She scowled half-heatedly and buried her head in his chest, yawning softly against the fabric of his shirt. "No!" she mumbled fiercely. "I'm not going to bed yet!"

"Why not?" Kai asked coolly. "I am." Lynette blinked rapidly, both to stave off tiredness and to try and absorb this startling fact.

"You are?" she echoed in utter disbelief. "But…you're a grown-up!" Kai shrugged.

"So?" he asked, exactly mimicking her sulky demand from a few minutes earlier. Her elfin face worked furiously as she tried to figure out what was happening. Giving up with a tired sigh, she snuggled into her father's warm, reassuring arms.

"Okay Daddy, I'll go to bed now…" she mumbled, defeated. Stifling a smile, Ray hoisted her up in his arms and carried the sleepy girl up to her bedroom.

"Kai?" he called softly, mindful of the three sleeping-or-almost-sleeping females in the house. "Could you bring Rosie up for me?"

"Yeah, sure." Shifting the pink-haired girl's dead weight from his legs to his arms, he stood up unsteadily and began to follow his old friend's tracks out of the lounge. Rosa squirmed in his grip and let out a slightly puzzled mew. "Ssh, Rose. I'm not that bad, am I?" Almost as if she could hear him, the tiny child settled back down again, nuzzling into his chest. Looking at her in wonderment, his eyes widened as he realised what was attracting her, even in her sleep. Next to her soft brown cheek was the pendant of his precious necklace, the miniature silver and gold-decorated box containing his most prized possession. Well, what do you know? You've got good taste, he thought dryly, fighting down the instant urge to hide it away. There was caution, and then there was ridiculousness, bordering on the obsessive. He didn't want to start going down that route again. Never again…never again…

"Kai? You fallen asleep down there or something?" Ray called, amused. Jerked back to reality, Kai started up the stairs, colouring slightly in discomfiture. Handing Rosa over to her father, he muttered an apology. Ray regarded him with surprise. "Why do you need to apologise?" he questioned curiously. Kai shrugged. He blinked in shock as he felt a hand land on his shoulder gripping it firmly. The younger man looked at him, his eyes warm and yet serious at the same time. "I think it's time we caught up with each other, don't you?" Caught by surprise, Kai nodded without really registering what Ray had just said. "Lounge." Ray said, in a voice that brooked no argument.

Kai debated refusing and following up on his earlier declaration of going to bed, but decided against it. It was too much hassle.


Two hours later - and in Ray's case, a whole bottle of wine - Kai stood up. He had forbidden himself any alcohol, both because of his little...problem with it, and because he didn't want it to mix with any of his meds. Ray stood up as well. Decidedlyless steadythan Kai, he wobbled on his feet. Laughing sheepishly, he grabbed hold of the arm of the sofa and sat back down again with a bump.

"Sorry, Kai. I might be a little tipsy." he apologised. Kai smirked.

"A little?" he asked, his voice dripping sarcasm. The tips of Ray's ears coloured, a sure sign that he was embarrassed.

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" he protested. Kai sat back down, absentmidedly brushing a stray strand of grey hair out of his eyes.

"Of course not," he said patronisingly. "Although, you know what they say about denial..." Ray scowled and punched him lightly on the arm. Ignoring him, Kai twirled a strand of grey between his fingers. "Damn. I'm going to be completely grey by the time I'm thirty, Ray," he complained idly.

"Oh, I don't know. I think it suits you." Ray smiled a small, knowledgable smile. Kai watched him in silence for a few seconds, before bringing the conversation round to an angle that he liked.

"We were good together, you and I, weren't we?" he whispered, looking away despite himself. Even now, emotions were best avoided, especially the possibly hurtful ones that could follow this particular question. Hearing Ray's taken-aback splutters, he smirked. "It's just an observation, cub. There's no need to go all defensive on me." Ray attempted to pull himself together.

"Why cub?" he grumbled. His ears were brightscarlet.

"Why not? That's what you were, after all. A little cub." He smirked again at the offended look on Ray's face. "But now, I come back and am confronted by a fully-grown tiger and wildcat, with little a cub and kitten of their own. Haven't you changed?" He leaned back against the sofa with a sigh. "I always knew you were taken, you know." he said abruptly. Ray stared at him.

"How?" he demanded. Kai shrugged.

"It was just...obvious. I took what I could get - and enjoyed every second of it - nonetheless." Ray coloured again.

"I'm really sorry, you know that, don't you?" he asked anxiously. "I know I hurt you when we...broke up, but-"

"You knew where your true loyalties lay." Kai finished for him. "I'm over it." He chuckled quietly at his own comment, breaking into a muffled coughing fit. Ray watched him with concern.

"Do you have anything for that?" Kai shook his head, concentrating on breathing evenly.

"I take enough already for everything else. It's not going to get better, anyway."

"How do you know?"

"I asked about it at a therapy session a few days ago, then went to see the doctor who offers her services free for that place. It's chronic bronchitis, which means that it's only ever going to get slowly worse, and no doubt cause me even more problems in thirty, forty years time."

He gave a harsh, bitter laugh. "If I'm even alive in thirty to forty years time, I'll want to know what went wrong."

"Kai! Don't say that!"

"Why not?" Kai countered, his temper flaring up, pushing him closer towards that ever-present mental cliff. "I can't stand the idea of growing old. It makes me feel sick just thinking about it. Call me vain, call me bloody Peter Pan, but unless something inside me changes very rapidly, I'm going to commit suicide by time I reach about fifty, if not earlier." His face took on a dreamy appearance. "There's some kind of poetical justice in overdosing on antidepressants, don't you think?" he murmured. In his head, there was a pleasant feeling of fuzziness.

A sharp slap brought him back to the present with a jolt. He took one look at Ray's frozen, horrified face and went cold inside. "What did I say?" he asked hoarsely.

"Talking about commiting suicide...said you couldn't bear living past fifty at the latest." Ray recounted haltingly. Kai swore and reached out a hand to Ray, who pulled away, tears glittering in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Ray, I didn't know what I was saying, I promise! I get like that sometimes, it's the meds." Kai explained desperately. "I'm so, so sorry." Ray stared at him for a few seconds more.

"It's okay." he muttered eventually, forcing a smile. Kai looked at him helplessly.

"Ray...I didn't mean it..." he whispered. The look of hurt and concern in Ray's eyes burnt like acid inside him. He began to reach forwards, to touch Ray's arm, try to convince him, but stopped almost as soon as he had started. Disgust bubbled up inside him from a source he had tried his best to keep sealed for years. Why would Ray believe him? Why would anyone believe him, a confirmed lunatic who had tried to commit suicide more times than he cared to remember?

Ray's hand landed on his arm.

"Is this what you wanted?" Ray asked cautiously. Kai stared stupidly at him. He gasped in shock as Ray leaned in and hugged him gently. "It's okay, Kai. The past is the past. You just have to try and forget." Kai hesitantly hugged the younger man back.

"I can't forget..." he mumbled, hating himself for the way his voice was cracking as he spoke. "That's the problem, Ray. I can't...I can't forget..." He scrabbled for his necklace and held it, so tightly that he could feel blood trickling over his fingers.

"What's this?" Ray asked softly, lightly brushing the tiny box with his fingertips. Kai jerked away reflexively, his hand closing around the box protectively. Suspicion flashed in his mind, in his eyes, and hebacked away until he was pressed against the far arm of the sofa, watching his old friend warily. "I apologise, Kai. I didn't realise that I wasn't allowed to touch that." Ray said quietly, calmingly. "Do you want to go to bed now? I'm going up now, so if you don't want to, goodnight."

"'Night," Kai replied mechanically, struggling to calm himself down. His eyes were flicking around the room so quickly that it made him feel slightly dizzy, his entire body coiled and ready for flight. Breathing heavily, a headache pounding at his temples, he stood up, forcing himself to look into the very corners of the room and see that there was no one there who could hurt him. Still staring around watchfully, he climbed the stairs and crawled into bed, fully clothed.


Ray slunk into his and Mariah's bedroom and stripped down to his boxers quickly, sliding into the deliciously warm bed. Still asleep, the young woman moved towards her newfound source of heat and sighed contentedly. Ray held her gently, dropping a tender kiss on her forehead. She stirred in his embrace, yawning and murmuring nonsense word as she slowly surfaced. Her beautiful amber eyes fluttered open, gazing sleepily up at him.

"Ray?" she whispered drowsily. "What's the time?" Struggling upright, she squinted at the clock. Yawning widely, her curiosity satisfied, she flopped back on the mattress again and nuzzled her head into his chest, her silky hair tickling his bare skin very slightly. Her arms closed round him, their bodies fitting together perfectly. "How were the girls when you got back? Sorry I wasn't there, I had an incredible headache, could barely see straight."

"Yeah, Lynette told me Kai'd sent you off to bed. Is it better now?" Mariah nodded, shivering with pleasure as Ray's lips brushed against her forehead, unerringly hitting the exact spot that had been throbbing with mind-numbing pain just a few hours later.

"All the better for having you here." She moved towards him and kissed him lightly on the mouth. He caught her head and held it there. Slowly, lovingly, they kissed again and again, each kiss longer and deeper than the last. They drew away in unison, resting their foreheads against the other's and gazing dreamily at each other. "So," Mariah began, slightly breathlessly. "What were Kai and the girls doing when you got back? Normally," Her face hardened a little. "I would never have let him near them on his own, but I was just so…woozy. He practically had to carry me up the stairs."

"Believe it or not, I came in and found Rosie asleep on Kai's lap." Mariah stared into Ray's honey-coloured eyes, which were dancing with amusement.

"You're kidding!" she exclaimed. Ray shook his head, sending his long ponytail flying over his shoulder. "I know she's become a lot more used to him, but...

"I swear, that's what I saw. And she would probably have stayed there quite happily for the rest of the night. He's given them his own version of their names, you know. Very simple; Lyn and Rose, but neither of them seem to mind." Silence fell, the couple simply enjoying their time together.

"He's really changed, hasn't he?" Mariah ventured eventually. Ray nodded, a shadow crossing his face.

"More than I ever imagined." he muttered sombrely. Mariah kissed him gently, hating the unhappy expression that marred his handsome features. She wasn't stupid; anything but. She knew that Ray and Kai would always have a peculiar bond between them, she had accepted that years ago, just as she had gradually come to terms with their one-time relationship. The vendetta she had held against him all this time had been purely personal; a preservation of the feeling that had swelled up in her chest as he had torn Galux from her all those years ago, and a stubborn determination to honour the vow she had made to herself and to Emily.

I'll never forgive you for this, Kai! Her thirteen year-old voice sounded loud in her ears, her memory of that terrible day untarnished by the passing of a full decade. Indecision lay heavy on her chest. On one hand, Kai had committed an unforgivable act. Even Tyson had once admitted that what their leader had doneduring his brief Jekyll and Hyde phase was inexcusable, and everyone was aware of the way that Tyson idolised the older boy.

Yet, on the other hand, he had changed. For the better in some ways, for the worse in others; like reliability. In the weeks since he had first turned up on their doorstep, she had learnt to continually expect the unexpected, learnt to summon up the right words to deflect a potentially dangerous mood swing. As he had said a week ago, in a way she understood better than Ray how he was now. She had only a ten year-old, nightmarish memory to remind her of his past personality, while Ray had three full year's worth of memories, some bad, most at least vaguely happy. All their memories were so different from how he was now, and Ray was struggling to adapt, struggling to re-make a picture that he had thought unalterable.

But…whether to forgive Kai or not…it was a virtually impossible decision. Certainly not one that she could make with any accuracy at the moment.


"Mariah?" Ray's whisper broke into her chaotic thoughts. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing imporant," she whispered back. Ray's hand slid down from her shoulders, travelling down her back to rub her thigh. "Why?" she returned teasingly. "What are you thinking about?"

"Just the most beautiful woman in the world," Ray murmured, before moving in and kissing her deeply. Their tongue touched. His mouth tasted like alcohol. Mariah felt a shiver of anticipation run through her as Ray slowly began to remove her pyjamas, the silk rustling sensuously against her smooth, tanned skin.

"What a sappy comment..." she chided, rubbing up against him mischeviously. She lowered her head and gave his collarbone a little lick, fitting her body flush with his. Giggling softly, she looked into eyes that were dark and glassy with lust. "Come on, tiger, you know you want me. It's all here," She touched the rapidly growing bump in his boxers, then took one of his hands and guided it down her naked body. "I'm doing all the work here, tiger. Shy?" she whispered. With characteristic suddeness, he shed his boxers and crushedhis mouth to hers. Kissing fiercely, they touched each other expertly, knowing exactly what to do to gain a state of arousal.

Mariah gasped, her mind hazy with desire, as Ray's hand slipped in between her legs, stroking her with little, light touches. She reached out and returned the favour, feeling him swell under her hand. With a soft grunt, Ray pushed her against him, closing the last of the distance they had put between themelves. She let out a stifled cry as he entered her, grinding her hips against his to urge him on.

They made love for a long time, before eventually stopping and gazing happily at each other.

"I'd better not be pregnant after this..." Mariah mumbled, nuzzling into his chest comfortably. "You only put a condom on the third time." Ray shrugged lazily, his eyes only half-open.

"You could always have an abortion." he replied, yawning widely. His eyes flew open in pain as Mariah dug her sharp nails into his arm. "What?" he demanded.

"I'm never having an abortion." she replied darkly, glaring up at him out the corner of one bright amber eye. Ray shrugged again, too tired to argue.

"Fine...you're on nappy duty..." he mumbled, before yawning again and dropping off to sleep. Mariah sighed in fond exasperation, cuddling up to his muscular body and closing her eyes.


"Kai!" Hearing Mariah's yell, Kai looked up from his book.

"What?" he called back, automatically checking that his neck was covered.

"Get in here!" Rubbing his temples where last night's headache had refused to budge, he stood up, swearing in Russian as he nearly stepped on Rosa. "Rose, what are you doing?" he demanded, looking sternly down at the five year-old. The little girl stared back defiantly. Over the weeks, she had completely banished her first fear of Kai, and now adored him, even if she did keep wondering why he had triangles on his face.

"Playing." she replied promptly.

"Right next to my chair?" She nodded earnestly, messing up her neatly brushed hair. "Well, would you possible mind not doing it quite so close next time? Otherwise I might accidentally step on you. I'm certain Mummy wouldn't want a Rose-pancake for a daughter." Rosa laughed shrilly.

"I'm a pancake!" she exclaimed, lying flat on her back, arms and legs spread-eagled. "Look, Kai! It's a Rose-pancake!" She dissolved into giggles.

"Kai, are you deaf or something?" Mariah demanded, poking her head round the lounge door. Her perfectly shaped eyebrows rose as she took in the scene in front of her. "Rosie, what are you doing, sweetheart?"

"I'm a Rose-pancake, Mummy!" the five year-old shouted excitedly, waving her arms in the air. Mariah grinned.

"Oh, are you?" She prowled over to her youngest daughter and crouched down beside her, forming one hand into a scissor shape. "You know what happens to pancakes?" Rosa shook her head furiously, staring wide-eyed at her Mummy and her weird hand. "They get cut up..." Mariah made snipping motions over Rosa's body, which was shaking with giggles. "and then they get eaten!" She bent down and closed her teeth lightly, ever so lightly, around the little girl's slender brown arm. Giggles progressed to hysterical laughter.

"Mummy's eating me! Mummy's eating me!" Rosa shrieked. "Help, Kai!"

"I'd say you're doing fine as you are, Rose." The weariness in Kai's voice was so apparent that both Kon females stopped their antics and stared at him. He was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, rubbing his left temple. Sensing their scrutiny, he half-opened his eyes and met the two identical amber-gold stares. "What?" he demanded, his voice strained as it tried to sound normal. Grumbling mentally at the concern she felt for him, Mariah stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"Do you want something for that?" she asked curtly. Kai shook his head, wincing.

"I've taken something." he replied equally curtly. Mariah narrowed her eyes. Yes, but was it a painkiller, or just one of your pills? she asked silently.

"I know you have to be careful with the amount of drugs you take, but surely you can afford to have a painkiller?" she asked out loud.

"Not this soon afterwards, no. Give me a few hours, then you can nag all you want." He smirked at her. "Now, what did you want me for?"

"Oh yes, I forgot about that." Mariah blushed faintly in embarrassment. "Ray's just phoned me to say that he's organised dinner with some very important people," She fairly glowed with pride. "So, I want to know what you'll be doing. Are you going to eat with us?" Kai's gaze unfocused as he weighed up the options.

On the bad side, evenings were always a bad time for him mentally. The paranoia medication took up to an hour to work and he generally spent that hour locked in his room with the curtains drawn. He honestly had no clue about how he would cope with having to interact with people who he didn't know.

On the plus side, every psychiatrist he had ever spoken to had been adamant that he only way he would learn to cope with new faces and surroundings was by experiencing them. And if the worst came to the worst, he knew all the signs, he could just excuse himself from the room and go lock himself in his bedroom.

"I'll start off eating with you, as long as I'm allowed to leave at any time." he replied carefully, beginning to plan his schedule around the dinner. Mariah's eyes flashed irritation for a split second, then calmed again.

"All right." she replied placidly.

"What are you cooking, anyway?"

"It's a little dish that Ray and I made up together. Rice, lamb, lots of different spices and herbs and a peach sauce. Any problems with that?"

"No. You know I'll eat most things." Kai sat back down again, ignoring her.

Yes, I know you will, Kai, Mariah thought sadly. You eat anything and everything that's put down in front of you, but you don't enjoy it. You barely even notice it. You know you have to eat it, so you do, that's all there is to it.

"Mariah, kindly stop pitying me." Kai said, politely enough, but with an undertone of annoyance.

"Who said I was?" she snapped back.

"Your face."

"You're not even looking at me!"

"How do you know that?"

"Because you're looking at your book!"

"Ever heard of something called peripheral vision?"

"No-one's vision is that good!"

"You want to bet on that?" Rosa scowled.

"Stop arguing!" she yelled, glaring up at the two adults. Embarrassed at being caught bickering by a child, they obediently shut up. Satisfied, Rosa curled up by Kai's feet and continued her long, complicated daydream about an invading army of carpet bugs coming to eat the floor, and being stopped by the one, the only, Super-Rosie and her can of that smelly white bug-killing stuff that Mummy used to get rid of wasps and yucky, crawly ants.


Warned by Mariah that he only had an hour and a half until Ray and the guests arrived, Kai was upstairs, having taken his pill half an hour ago, and searching through his bagfor something decent to wear. Eventually, he pulled out a light-grey, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of relatively new black trousers. Stripping to down his boxers, he reached out to put on the shirt. His hand faltered in mid-air as an overwhelming wave of exhaustion flowed over him, the sedating effects of the pill finally kicking in

"Damn..." he mumbled weakly, stumbling over to the bed and collapsing onto it, still shirtless. Closing his eyes, he slid into sleep.

Mariah peered round the door, wondering why Kai hadn't responded to any of her calls.

She gasped, both hands flying to her mouth as she saw the state of his torso. And that neck... She shivered, unable to tear her eyes away from the gruesome sight. Cautiously, she took a few steps into the room. As if he could hear her even in his sleep, Kai stirred, his eyes slowly opening. She couldn't meet his gaze, couldn't look away from the mutilations that covered him.

"You're the last to see these." he murmured, a slight smile on his drawn face. "Took your time, didn't you?"

"How?" she whispered, shaking her head slowly from side to side. "How did you...do it?"

"With a sharp thing," Kai replied in a flippant mumble. His expression sobered. "It's a long story, Mariah, and not one I'm inclined to tell. Now," He rolled back over. "Leave me to sleep this off, or I'll be falling asleep in my plate." Silently, in shock, Mariah left the room and went to make herself presentable.


Half an hour later came Ray's distinctive triple-knock on the front door. Opening the door and exchanging a quick, how-are-you kiss with Ray, she fixed her bright, welcoming hostess smile in place and turned to their visitors. The only woman of the small group of three stepped forwards and extended a hand for Mariah to shake. Mariah put her at late thirties, early forties, long curly black hair showing strands of grey, clear blue eyes warm and friendly. She shook hands readily, and ducked her head respectfully to the two men.

"It is an honour," she murmured politely, the Mandarin strange and awkward on her tongue.

"The honour is all ours, Mrs Kon." the taller man said smoothly, his dark brown eyes glittering in his tanned face. A faint tinge of pink crept across Mariah's cheeks, the young woman unable to resist the charm radiating off the man.

"Come in, please." She stepped back into the house. "Make yourselves at home." The three business tycoons filed in, looking around the house with obvious approval. She jumped as she felt an arm encircle her slim waist.

"You look beautiful." Ray whispered, his eyes bright with excitement and apprehension. "I suppose I'd better go and make myself presentable." Mariah smiled up at him. "Is Kai eating with us?" Mariah nodded.

"Could you check whether he still is? He's had a headache all day." she explained. Ray's face registered fleeting amusement at her unusual concern, before he nodded and headed upstairs. Halfway up, he was forced to grab hold of the banister as Lynette, with her hair still tied up in school-regulation bunches, came running down the stairsand cannonballed into him. Ruffling his eldest daughter's hair affectionately, Ray carried on up the stairs.


Well? What did you think? I was originally going to include the dinner in this chapter, but I have a very...interesting idea for it - smiles evilly - plus, this chapter was long enough already. Depending on how things turn out, there probably won't be more than two or three more chapters, we shall see!

Does anybody want to hazard a guess as to what's wrong with Kai? As in; why did he have that headache? If anybody guesses correctly, they will be praised to high heaven in the next chapter!

Okay, so please review. Also, I would love some opinions on the Ray/Mariah scene. That's all from me for now! Bye bye!