Chapter Three

Author Notes: First and foremost I want to take the time to thank everyone of you for believing in me, poking me to get writing and then being so amazing to leave a review about it. These past few weeks have not been easy so thank you for being so patient deep down inside. I am writing for YOU don't worry! I had to go through a kidney procedure and that including fasting, and then I had holidays to attend to so with the help I did get to write, so a big shoutout to Nanowrimo sprints for that and for the stamina that I never knew that I had so I could get through this time. I can't believe I'm pulling through this story and coming with new improved ideas along the one. It's all your love, confidence in this writing that makes my world much easier to place on these sheets of paper!

At this point in time I had one of three options, I could:

a.) Pretend nothing happened, because clearly nothing happened!

b.) hide between my "invisible" fins and then introduce Willow as my...um..brother? Very- lost- not- from- around-here brother?

c.) Stop thinking about it and just run!

So I did option three and let me tell you it was working wonders so far I was maybe three thousands steps away and then a small stitch formed in my side and I had to pull to a stop. When I turned around I could see Willow throwing his hands up in dismay. Quince shook his head and then without looking anywhere else just walked away. I pulled my toes into the sand, maybe he would come back and talk it out with me.

But he didn't, an full hour passed me by as I watched the sun go towards the line of water before I felt someone in my presence.

"What do you want Willow?" I choked out.

"Can we at least talk? Willow asked as he faced me and forced me to look up at his tired eyes. I guess I had to give him that much, I could only imagine what he must have been going through to get instructions from my father and then have to leave everyone and everything that matter to go inland, it couldn't be a easy trip.

"Fine." I said with little voice left in my lungs.

"I just wanted to apologize for what happened, obviously that guy means a lot to you and I didn-" I placed my finger to his lip I didn't want to go through this especially since I didn't even know Willow. "Right, I got it." He said as I lowered my finger and rubbed my hand in an attempt to check for tear drops.

A few minutes of silence passed between us as we looked out into the sea waters.

"So why don't I know you? I mean obviously your a guard and..."

"Actually I'm not." He said as he dropped his gaze.

"Well then how are you? How do I?" My mind was wondering in a thousand different visions, conclusions, and my heart was pretty much beating out of control.

"About a week ago my parents had just come home from having dinner with your parents and.." He paused as if trying to pick his words very careful. "The thing is, I was kind of chosen to watch over you I don't have any training by any means but when we got back our house was up in flames."

Okay I'm going to stop right there, you might think flames under would be really impossible, but it's not. It's not when they mean it.

"Willow I had no idea, please tell me everything was...why?"

"Because we were powerful, we had money, my father and your father had become best friends the year that you left for the shoreline. The only person that would have been in the house would be my brother. I found him and I got him out..."

"Is he?"

"He will be. The house needs some repairs but your father thought it would be best to let my parents stay with them and since my brother is next in line and healing well, I'd be the next one targeted so they figured it was best to have me leave, but with a purpose."

There was nothing I could say or do that I THOUGHT would make him feel better, he was a hero in all aspects of the word. I gathered him up in my arms and just held on for dear life.

It must have gotten dark because when I pulled back the lights from the lighthouse were being turned on.

"Well hey now what?" I asked as if this had been some kind of mutual relationship.

"Oh right um..." He looked as if his eyes had a story to tell but he wasn't going to abandon ship and spill it.

"I should probably call Quince let him know what's up and that..."

"Just...um..."

"What, oh! Do you have any place to stay?"

"No and I'm not so sure Quince would like to hear about that."

"Oh it's fine, I got it covered. You can sleep on the floor in the living room and we'll just say your my brother or something?"

I almost laughed at my stupidity. But in some way it would work if daddy wanted me on watch, he would be less then two floors from my fins, and that was the end of that tail.

He followed behind me as I pulled out my cell phone praying Quince would pick up on the first ring. Five later he answered.

"What Lily?"

"Look we need to talk." Man where did I get this courage from? "IF you knew anything about me I would not back down, and I'm not going to have you think anything about me that isn't true and you KNOW that I wouldn't go off with another boy just..."

"Lily..."

"For another thing it's so extreamly rude of you to think that I could, or would just..."

"Lily..."

"Do that to you, Quince I've been through enough with you to stop loving you now..."

"LILY!"

"Yes?" I bit my lip, a hint of blush rising to my cheeks.

"I had to go to dentist appointment, I told you that!"

Crab, he did! Why had I forgotten about it? Maybe he hadn't noticed my...

"As for that guy that you were hanging out with Lily, who is he?"

Before I had time to blink, Willow had grabbed the cell phone out of my hand.

"Hello you must be Quince, I've heard all about you."

Oh what I wouldn't give to be back home in a not hot bath right now.

"Yes good things, maybe we can hang tomorrow afternoon."

Eating sushi, talking on the phone, frying it a bit.

"Right, see you then. Can't wait, bye."

Then putting on my favorite pair of pj bottoms, poppin in The Little Mermaid Dvd-wait what did Willow just do?

"WILLOW!"

As he turned around in the gleam of the moonlight, and boy did that boy look like a hot piece of crab cake I melted like butter over a lobster tail. Why he making my heart beat like crazy, I was dedicated to Quince that was the end of that, it was final...I think...Why was I flip flopping my own heart's desires?

"It was a tiny bit of magic. Like me being your long-lost brother made sense?"

"Well at least..."

"You would be lying to your boyfriend if you got away with it!"

"But...BUT! You did magic on a human being, do you know how bad that could turn out to be?"

Willow threw his arms up, so that his muscles was just about the only thing that were still lit in the dim light. Ugh! Curse Poseidon for giving him those muscles.

"Really I don't see a single bad thing that could happen."

I have expected the heavens to open and rain pour but not even one drip. I almost wished it had happened, but then from the drop of water Willow would turn into a merman flipping all over the sand.

I wonder what color his fins were...

I was NOT just thinking of that! Stop it Lily. Curses this was going to be a lot harder then it seemed.

"Well anyways I'm famished what's to eat around here?"

As I grabbed my cell phone from Willow's hand I noticed it was turning to 8:30 and I knew my Aunt would be calling soon and I rather not explain my current dilemma. I pointed the way towards the center of town as I gave my house a quick call saying that I would be late and not to stay up waiting for me.

I slummed into the chair ordering two waters as my hands picked up the menu.

"Ha-m-b-"

"Hamburger. It's meat."

"Right." Willow looked back down. oh man was he trying to make me feel bad. I knew exactly how he felt in his strange place but seriously there was another entire part of me that I HAD no idea how to react to because I too, had lost something or rather someone in my life.

"I lost my mother." I blurted out, the water was placed on our tables with cucumbers.

Willow broke his gaze from the menu his eyes glued to me perfectly. "Lily I had...I didn't...I..."

"What can I get you darlings?" The waitress asked, oh geez she thought we were on a date. Oh cuttlefish! I figured I'd throw him a bone and order something for him.

"Two big salads and dressing on the side please." I smiled at Willow who mouthed his thanks at me.

"It's fine Willow, I wanted to tell you." He nodded but got silent, I could understand if he wanted to talk about what happened to his family or if he hadn't accepted it yet. When our entrees arrived we chewed softly and talked so much that it made me feel something I hadn't felt in weeks, a sense of home.

"So they've been building a new library edition at the university..."

"Oh do you go there?" I was curious.

"Oh no, my brother does, I'm only in high school mind you but I pass by the..."

"Yeah you take Lillypad Road don't you?"

"Yeah..." We broke out in a shared laughter, we had no idea but it felt...nice. I could never share this with Quince, he just couldn't have any idea what we were talking about, because this...or that was our home.

The check arrived and before I could flip my fin, Willow grabbed it.

"No, no I have it besides..."

He double checked it and then pulled out a credit card, my gills turned blue.

"There is much more to learn about me princess."

My stomach did a outright somersault when he called me that, that was my nickname to Quince. Why was I feeling so under the weather, he was just a boy. Give or take.

We arrived home and I had to sneak up the stairs with is hand in my very sweaty one. I have no idea how we got to my room in safety, I have a feeling he may have used magic, but that's besides the point.

"You know you could get a hotel room, you have a credit card."

"Touché Princess...but I'm not leaving you now, I was sent here to watch over you now let me do my job."

He took off his shirt displaying his obvious six...sev...eight-pack...Good fish fins. He turned away and stuffed his shirt as a makeshift pillow and lay across the floor and was asleep just like that.

Around two in the morning I heatd something that sounded like gasps of breathe, I turned around to see Willow looking straight up at the ceiling.

"Willow?"

He sat straight up, throwing his shirt against his skin. "Did I wake you?"

"No." I lied. "What's up do you need anything?"

"I just..." He gathered his words very carefully. "I wanted to thank you for..."

"Listen Willow, since we're kind of stuck together just know it's fine."

"Right." He took a deep sigh and licked his lower lip. He leaned back getting comfortable. "Do you miss your mom Lily?"

"Yes." A single tear slid down my face before I could think what to do, his hand was on my cheek.

I was in deep fish stew.

;;End of Chapter Three;;