The dress was dark blue, with bare shoulders, but long arms. It reached her to her feet, where she had short, dark blue open toes. And while it was hugging her torso, it widened by her legs and spun out if she span around.

"You look lovely."

Mina was surprised to suddenly find Lochan by her arm, instead of Speedy.

"Arsenal found someone he needed to talk to, something about special made arrows."

"His energy arrows?"

"Yeah, well he wanted me to be your escort while he was away. I hope that's okay."

She looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

"What you don't trust me?"

"Not on your life, but I trust him."

She grabbed his arm, and let him lead here down the stairs. She hated these things, but she had her usual plastered smile. After mingling a bit, Mina walked over to their assigned table, and Lochan willingly followed. She sat down and sighed.

"I hate these things."

"Why?"

"It's so fake. These events. It's just so they can go home and brag to their friends that they talked to that person or that person."

He was about to open his mouth, but was interrupted by the mayor's daughter. A young, blond, beautiful girl, who came over and asked him to dance. After some pressure from her, and reassurance from Mina that she would be okay alone, Lochan couldn't say no, and followed the young girl on to the dance floor.

A few minutes later Speedy sat down next to her. He was smiling, and carrying a long box.

"Where's Lochan."

Mina pointed to the boy on the dance floor, and Speedy swore under his breath.

"I told him to keep you company."

"It's okay Roy. I'm a big girl. Besides, I wanted him to dance with the girl. He should enjoy himself, instead of being my babysitter."

Speedy looked at her for a moment, but shrugged it of. He gave her the box. She opened it, and a smile formed on her lips, making her entire face light up.

"Their not a toy."

"I know."

She was so happy she got to her feet and hugged the man. He was a bit taken back at first, but soon hugged her back.

"You deserve it, you have worked very hard."

"Thank you. It's just because you're such a wonderful teacher."

"You have talent Mina, I have nothing to do with that."

He placed a loose strain behind her ear.

"I'm just lucky I can help you develop you talent."

She looked down at the package again. Her very own pack of energy arrows. She couldn't stop smiling. Suddenly Lochan sat down next to Speedy and hid.

"Pleas help me."

The mayor's daughter came over, apparently looking for someone.

"Can we help you with anything Kat?"

"I was just wondering if you had seen Locy, you know the boy you where with Arsenal?"

Speedy looked at Mina to see if they should expose their friend, but she shook her head ever so slightly.

"No. Sorry Kat. If we find him we'll tell him you are looking for him."

"Do that."

Kat sent Mina a look before turning on her heals and walked away. Lochan peeped up from under the table.

"Is she gone?"

"Yes she is Locy."

"That's not funny Mina."

Mina and Speedy couldn't stop laughing as Lochan sat up, quite red.

"Why Lochan, red really is a nice look for you."

"Again, not funny. Man, I never thought I would get away from her. I have never met a more spoiled princess in my life."

"Locy there you are."

Lochan let out a yelp as Kat came over and grabbed his hand and dragged him on to the floor. Speedy looked from the couple to Mina, but she only looked at her plate with food.

"Shouldn't we help him?"

"He's a big boy. He can take care of himself."

A scream from the dance floor forced Mina and Speedy to look their way.

"Okay, ten minutes."

After talking a bit she got to her feet.

"Were are you going?"

"I need some fresh air. I'll just be fifteen minutes. You can save hormone boy now if you want to."

"I'll do that."

He got to his feet and she went quickly out of the room. She felt the usual claustrophobic feeling come over her. She always felt like she couldn't breathe when she was surrounded by a lot of people.

She stepped out on an empty balcony and took a big breath. She looked up at the black sky. She hated the fact that she couldn't see the starts because of the light pollution.

"To bad we can't see the stars, isn't it?"

Mina turned in surprise, and looked at the boy behind her. He was a few years older than her with long white hair and warm blue eyes.

"Yes. I thought nobody was out here."

"I will leave."

"No, don't."

She didn't know why, but she liked him. She felt comfortable around him.

"I'm Mina."

"Mina? What a weird name."

Mina had never felt ashamed of her nickname before, but when he looked down at her she was.

"It's short for Minerva."

"Minerva, the goddess of knowledge. Now that is a name. I hope you do her justice."

He grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"I do hope so. But probably not."

"Honest. A trait rarely found now a days."

She smiled, and bit her lower lip.

"I'm Malchior."

The name rang a bell, but Mina couldn't place it anywhere. She was about to ask him were she might have heard it, when music suddenly surrounded the couple.

"Do you know the waltz Minerva?"

"Poorly, I'm afraid."

He grabbed her hand, and she found it almost disturbingly easy to follow him. She didn't know how long they where dancing, but suddenly she was overwhelmed by an odd jealousy. She stopped.

"What is it?"

She turned and looked at Lochan standing in the doorway. His arms were crossed, and he was just looking at them. At least she thought he was looking at them, but it was impossible to tell with his sunglasses on.

"Lochan?"

"Arsenal asked me to get you. It's time to go home."

"Okay. Thank you for the dance Malchior."

He bent down and kissed her cheek.

"The pleasure is all mine Minerva."

"Mina."

Mina turned and followed Lochan, but she couldn't help herself from casting glances over her head back at him.

Lochan didn't talk to her on the entire ride home. She didn't mind, she was thinking about Malchior.

But when he had walked her to her room, and was just looking at her. He took of his glasses, but didn't say a word. Just looked at her. She got feed up.

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you, or should I just guess?"

"I didn't like seeing you with that guy."

Mina just looked at him, a bit shocked, and then she started to laugh.

"Don't tell me you're jealous."

She looked at him, but stopped laughing when she saw how hurt he looked at her.

"You are jealous. Come on Lochan. It's just your hormones telling you to be protective, you can't…"

She was silenced by a kiss. It was just like the first time.

Her heart started to beat faster as his taste, his smell, his touch, and his warmth. They all came flooding back.

She placed her hands around his neck as he pushed her against the wall. As he heisted her up she wrapped her legs around his waist. Everything inside her was on fire. This felt so right.

His hand started to wonder up inside her dress, following her bare, white thigh. She let him. She wanted him to touch her there. All her instincts told her to do it. That this was right. This was the way it should be.

A part of her knew it was just hormones. But at that moment she didn't care. It felt right, and that was the only thing she cared about.

A cough. The couple froze, and Mina looked over Lochan's shoulder very carefully. She unwrapped her legs, and bit her lower lip as she saw Speedy stand behind him.

Then she smiled, and looked up at Lochan, who was very red.

"As I said, just hormones."

She bent down, under his arm, kissed Speedy on the cheek like she would have her father or uncles and went to take a shower.

She was actually smiling as she stood in the shower. Suddenly a series of quick rap could be heard.

"Just I minute."

"Mina you need to come out now."

She almost fell over as she heard Cyborg's voice. She quickly turned of the water and rapped a towel around herself. She opened the door, and saw him looking down at her.

"What are you doing here?"

"It's your mother Mina. She's in the hospital. There are some complications about with children."

He continued talking, but all she could hear was her own heartbeat. She had problem breathing, and her knees got weak. She would have fallen over if Cyborg hadn't caught her.

"We need to go."

"Yes of course."

Mina started to walk down the hall.

"You probably should change first."

Mina suddenly realised what she was wearing, and ran back to her room. She was shaking as she pulled on her clothes, blue sweeter and green pants, and when she was fully dressed she had to sit down.

"Mina?"

She looked up with teary eyes at and hugged Lochan.

"What is it Mina?"

"My mother, she's in the hospital."

She was shaking and crying, but Lochan just held here.

"So that's why that cyborg is here?"

"Cyborg. I need to go. He's waiting for me. They are all waiting for me."

She let go and ran out of the room.

"Let's go."

Cyborg looked at her, his distress in plain view, but he did give her a smile.

"Okay."

She followed him to the t-ship.