A/N

Special thanks to all who reviewed! Specifically…

-inquiete (thanks!)

-SwifteForeverAndAlways (True, very true.)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN D I PROUDLY PRESENT TO YOU, KIND READERS, THE BALCONY SCENE! Well, my version of it anyway.

Disclaimer: Funny thing there, I seem to have misplaced my rights to the House of Night series and Romeo and Juliet. Oh, wait, that's right! I never had any in the first place!

~Smiley

Act 2, Scene 1

(curtain)

Rephaim had been following Stark, Nisroc, and the rest of his friends down the front steps when someone tapped him on the shoulder repeatedly.

"Excuse me?" the girl he had briefly met earlier, the one who had told Stevie Rae her mother was looking for her, the one who had told him her name was Zoey, asked as he turned around. "Hey, uh, what's your name?"

Rephaim thought fast. Would she freak out if she knew a Raven Mocker had come to her friend's party? "Who is asking?" he questioned.

Zoey gave him A Look. "Tell me your name first, and then I'll tell you who's asking."

"Very well. My name is Rephaim," he replied in a low voice.

Zoey's eyes widened, but she scream or alert everyone that he was there. However, it probably wouldn't have done much good if she had anyway, as Rephaim and his friends were just leaving. Zoey nodded at him and whispered, "Stevie Rae," before sprinting back up the steps.

She had been asking about him? She had been wondering who he was? Rephaim could have shouted his joy to the on looking stars above. Rephaim stared at his friends who were either still dancing or stumbling around after having one too many beers. They were all heading back home, but…but how could he walk away when his heart remained. He just had to see her again!

Rephaim turned and slipped away into the shadows, running to where he didn't know. But he trusted whoever was guiding his life knew where to take him, and he kept his feet moving.

Meanwhile, Stark and Nisroc, who were laughing hysterically at nothing and leaning on each other for support, turned around, ready to tell Rephaim something. Unfortunately, they couldn't find him, and, even though their vision was a little hazy, they still should have been able to see someone who had been right behind them a second ago.

"Rephaim!" Nisroc shouted. "Brother! Where did you go?" The question was a little slurred, but Nisroc's ears still worked perfectly fine. He could just make out the pounding of boots against the stone streets. "Rephaim!" Nisroc called again, turning around and sprinting in the direction of the sound of the footsteps, who he was willing to bet belonged to his brother.

Stark groaned but followed, and the rest of their group trailed along after them as well, laughing and clanking bottles and dancing.

Rephaim, however, could hear them coming, but he had run into a dead end of sorts. He knew the only thing between him and his heart was this stupid ivy-covered wall. He heard another shout followed by drunken laughter. Without letting his mind talk himself out of it, he grabbed the ivy and started to climb, up and up, until he was able to throw himself over the wall.

"You know," Stark said, stumbling after Nisroc. They had reached a dead end; they had run smack into the orchard wall. "You know, Rephaim-Rephaim's a smart boy. I bet he went home-he went home to bed."

"No. He ran this way and climbed over this stonewall. I'm sure of it," Nisroc insisted. "You call him too, Stark."

Stark didn't bother stifling his groan, but shouted, "Rephaim! C'mon! Rephaim! Come out come out wherever you are!"

"Rephaim! Brother!" Nisroc shouted.

Stark turned to Nisroc and said, "This isn't working. He doesn't hear us."

"Keep trying," Nisroc replied, and called for his brother again.

Stark gave a mock-contemplating look and shouted, "Rephaim! I summon you by the beauty of your fair Rosaline! I command you to appear by her red lips and her luscious locks and by all the parts of her I dare not shout! By all of these things, Rephaim, I summon you to us in your truest form!"

"If he hears you, he'll be angry," Nisroc warned.

"Nah," said Stark, "he'd be angry if I summoned some random guy for his Rosaline to have sex with. All I'm doing is using his love's name to lure him out of the darkness."

Nisroc sighed. "Oh, come on. Now he's just hiding from us. There's no point in looking for my brother when he doesn't want to be found."

"Yeah, okay, whatever," Stark said, and the two followed the rest of the group back home.

Rephaim, who had stolen refuge in the trees at the top of the wall, watched them leaving for moment. "You know, Stark, it's easy to joke about scars when you've never felt the wound."

Rephaim jumped down from the tree to take in his surroundings. He had scrambled up and over the orchard wall, but the garden before him was as beautiful as it was in the daylight, if not even more so. Small trees with loosely hanging branches were covered with white, delicate flowers that contrasted with the darkness of the night, making the flowers look like the bright stars in a moonless sky.

Rephaim allowed himself to wander through the garden a little more, stopping by the rose bushes. The plants were arranged in an effortless pattern, going back and forth between red roses and white. Rephaim smiled as he thought about roses and their meanings, and he picked two off, one red and one white, and put them in his large pocket.

Finally, Rephaim came to the end of the gorgeous garden that held more wondrous beauty than he could describe. Instead of the countless flowers, Rephaim found himself staring at a lot of ivy, and he followed the plant up to a large balcony. The glass sliding doors were open, and the golden, see-through curtains were covering the opening, guarding the majority of the contents of the room. However, Rephaim could just about see the silhouette of a beautiful girl, one Rephaim was sure he had seen not too long ago.

"Come out, dear sun, and kill the envious moon," Rephaim whispered to himself. The wind hadn't carried his words to her, but she stepped out into the cool night air anyway. Walking to the edge of the balcony, she leaned against the structured concrete wall and sighed. "Stevie Rae!" Rephaim breathed, his heart leaping. "Oh, I wish you knew how much I loved you. Oh, you're eyes shine brighter than the brightest of stars. Oh, look how she leans her hand upon her cheek! Oh, I wish I were a glove upon that hand, so I may touch that cheek!"

And then Rephaim realized how incredibly corny he sounded, and was quite grateful she hadn't heard anything he had said.

Meanwhile, up on the balcony, Stevie Rae had no idea that Rephaim was even in the shadows of the trees, much less hear every word she said. Perhaps it was the thought that she was alone that made her speak her thoughts aloud.

"Oh, goodness, Rephaim, why do you hafta be Rephaim? Why do you hafta be a Raven Mocker?" She sighed, looking up at the stars as if they held the answer in their white depts. "Forget about your daddy and change your name."

While she paced along the length of the balcony, trailing her hand on the stone railing, Rephaim thought, Could I betray my father like that? Could I change my name and just no longer be my father's son? Is it that simple? But then he thought, Would I want change myself for a love that required me to change? He did not believe that was something true love should demand.

Stevie Rae stopped suddenly. "Or, if you don't wanna change your name, just swear your love to me and I'll stop being a Johnson."

And that was when Rephaim knew, without a doubt, that he was truly and undeniably in love and loved in return. If you love someone enough to even consider changing for them, then that's great, but when they love you enough to change for you, that's when you know you've found someone. And when both of you are willing to change, no one will need to.

Rephaim whispered, too quietly for his love to hear, "Should I listen to her more, or should I speak at this?"

"I mean," Stevie Rae continued, "it's only your name that's my enemy. You'd still be you even if you weren't a Raven Mocker. What's a Raven Mocker anyway? It isn't a hand or foot or arm or face or any other part of a man. Oh, be some other name!" Stevie Rae took a deep breath. "Oh, what's in a name anyway. A rose would still smell as sweet if we called it by any other name. Rephaim would be just as perfect if he wasn't called Rephaim. Oh, Rephaim, lose your name. Trade in your name—which will change nothing about you—and take all of me in exchange." Stevie Rae wrapped her arms around herself and sank back down so she was leaning against the balcony again.

"I trust what you say. Just call me your love, and I'll never be Rephaim again!" Rephaim blurted before he could stop himself. This time, he had spoken too loudly, and his words had been carried up to his heart.

Stevie Rae's eyes widened as she took scrambled steps back from the edge of the balcony. "Who's there? Why are you hidin' and listen' to my private thoughts!"

"I don't know how to tell you who I am by name, dear saint. I hate my name simply for being your enemy!" he called up to her.

"I know I haven't known your voice for too long, but I swear I recognize it. Aren't you Rephaim? And a Raven Mocker?"

"I am neither of those things if you dislike them."

"How in Sam Hill did you get in here? The walls are high, and they're hard to climb over. And, and…And if any of my family finds you here, they'd kill you dead in a minute!"

"Stone walls cannot keep love out, so I flew over them on love's wings. Whatever a man in love can possibly do, his love will make him try to do it. That is why your relatives are no obstacle."

"If they see you, they'll murder you!" Stevie Rae shouted quietly.

"Perhaps, but one angry look from you would be worse than twenty of your kinsmen with swords. Just look at me kindly, and I'll be invincible against their hatred," Rephaim said.

"I'd give anything to keep them from seein' you here."

"Night's darkness cloaks me. And if you don't love me, let them find me. I would rather be killed by their hatred than live without your love."

"Who told ya how to get here, below my bedroom?" Stevie Rae asked.

Rephaim chuckled. "I would like to believe love showed me the way."

Stevie Rae smiled down at him, and then took a shaky breath. "I'd like to keep up good manners and deny the things I said, but forget good manners. Do you love me?"

Rephaim opened his mouth to answer, but she kept talking. "I know you'll say yes, and I'll believe you. But if you swear you love me, you might turn out to be lying. So, if you love me, say it truly. Honestly, Rephaim, I like you too much, so you might think I'm too free with my heart. I really should've been a little bit more standoffish, but you overheard me talking about the love in my heart when I didn't know ya were there. So, forgive me, and please don't think that because you won my heart so easily that my love isn't serious."

"My fair lady," Rephaim said, "I swear by the silver moon—"

"Oh, please, don't swear by the ever-changing moon. I don't want you to be inconsistent too."

"Then what should I swear by?"

"Don't swear at all. But if you have to swear, swear by your wonderful self, and then I'll believe you."

"Of my heart's dear love—"

"Wait, don't swear. Although you make me very happy, I can't be happy with the exchange of promises tonight. It's too crazy and sudden, and we haven't done enough thinkin'. Our love, which is like a rosebud in the summer, may turn out to be a beautiful flower the next time we meet. I hope you enjoy the same peace and rest I feel in my heart. Good night!" She turned to dash inside.

"Would you leave me here so unsatisfied?" Rephaim called, halting her.

"What satisfaction could you possibly have tonight?" she asked.

"I would be satisfied if we made each other true promises of love."

"I pledged my love to you before you asked me to. I almost wish I could take the promise back, so I had it to give again."

"You would take it back? Why would you do that, my love?"

"Only so I could give it to you again!" Stevie Rae replied. "Oh, Rephaim, I hear a noise inside." She threw her head over her shoulder and called, "Just a minute, Z!" Then turning back to him, she said, "Oh, Rephaim, stay here for a moment. I'll be right back."

She hurried inside but returned almost as quickly as she had left. "Okay, one thing real quick, Rephaim, then it's good bye for real. If your intentions are honorable and you do wanna marry me, send word tomorrow. I'll send a messenger to you, and then you can tell her when and where we'll be married. I'll lay everything I have at my feet, my love, and follow you all over the world."

"Stevie Rae!" someone called from inside.

"I'll be right there!" she called to them, but then turned to him and said, "But if you don't have honorable intentions, I beg you—"

"Stevie Rae!"

"I'm coming! But I beg you, stop trying for me, and leave me to my sadness. I'll send word tomorrow."

"My soul depends on it—"

"Good night!" Then she hurried inside.

Rephaim stared after her for a moment, and then finally turned to leave. However, Stevie Rae had just run back out onto the balcony, calling for him. Rephaim immediately turned back around.

"What time should I send the messenger tomorrow?"

"By nine o'clock," he answered.

"Okay," she stared dreamily at him for a minute. "I forgot why I called you back."

"Then allow me to do something while you remember the reason," Rephaim said, using the ivy and a nearby tree to climb up onto the balcony.

"I must confess I took these from your garden," Rephaim said, pulling out the roses he had picked, "but I think you'll forgive me when you hear me out. The white rose is said to symbolize purity and worthiness. I know you are the purest and most beautiful woman in the world, but I am not sure if I am worthy of you. Be I or be I not, I swear I will never take you for granted as long as I shall live. The red rose has always been used to say, 'I love you,' and the thorn-less rose is 'love at first sight.' When given together, the white and red roses symbolize unity, as I hope there to be between us. And when to roses are entwined together," Rephaim twisted the stems together as he spoke, and then dropped to one knee, "is supposed to communicate 'Marry me.'"

Stevie Rae threw her arms around him, and he responded by picking her up and spinning her around. "You already know my answer is yes," she whispered, and he kissed her then, long and slow and filled with all the love he had for her.

The two broke apart, and Rephaim started to climb back down. "Oh, good night," Stevie Rae said, catching his hand.

"Good night, dear saint," Rephaim said, leaving the roses in her hand as he dropped down to the earth. "You will hear from me tomorrow."

Stevie Rae smiled and slowly went back inside, looking over her shoulder at him as she did so.

"Sweet dreams," Rephaim whispered.

(and scene)

A/N

Review please! You just got a whole lot of fluff, so reviews would be much appreciated!

~Smiley