*Sorry for the LONG interlude. Work and school and men...ugh. Beware of lemons ahead*

Chapter 7

Eve got to her room and collapsed onto her bed. She stared up at the canopy and held her head in her hands. You can't do this again. You can't do it to him…Or yourself. Eve closed her eyes as she painfully remembered the last time she had loved a man.

"Ο Ηρακλής , σας παρακαλώ να μην αφήσει . Έχω προβλεφθεί τα πάντα . Δεν θα επιβιώσουν." [Herakles, I'm begging you not to leave. I have foreseen the tragedy. You will not survive.]

Herakles took his lover's face in his hands and kissed her black lips passionately.

"Δημήτρια , αγάπη μου , μην ανησυχείτε . Είμαι ο γιος ενός θεού . Θα επανέλθω. Σας υπόσχομαι ότι . Και τότε μπορούμε να είμαστε για πάντα μαζί ." [Demetria, my love, worry not. I am the son of a god. I WILL return. I promise you that. And then we can be together forever.]

He picked up his shield and grabbed his sword from the wooden table before leaving their secluded home on the mountain.

Demetria watched him from the doorway, her onyx eyes glassy. She whispered mournfully, "Το σώμα σας θα επιστρέψει , αγάπη μου , αλλά εγώ ποτέ δεν θα φιλήσει και πάλι τον Ηρακλή μου." [Your body will return, my love...but I will never kiss my Herakles again.] Her tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving charcoal stains as they flowed.

It was now late afternoon and Logan hadn't been able to find Eve all day. He desperately wanted to talk to her about earlier. He found Jean and Storm eating salmon salads on the veranda.

"Where's Eve?" he asked, walking over to them.

"Not here, I'm afraid," said Ororo. "She asked me to cover her class this morning as she wasn't feeling well." Ororo looked over at Jean and said, "Didn't think she could get sick with a mutation like hers. I hope she is still coming out tonight…"

Logan scowled and tramped away. Damn women. There's always something in the way of them and me.

Everyone started to gather in the front hall before going out. Ororo and Jean were talking with Hank and Scott, looking fabulous. Remy was attempting to flirt with Rogue until Piotr walked up and wrapped his arm possessively around her waist. Meanwhile, Jubilee was talking animatedly about all the different ways she had thought about styling her hair to match her dress, which admittedly did look great with her hair slicked back like that. Logan was leaning against the wall, glancing frequently up the stairs toward the hallway that led to Eve's room.

"Who are we still waiting on? Let's go!" cried Jubilee, obviously anxious to start the festivities.

"Oh, Eve's not down yet, though" said Ororo. "Someone should go check on her…"

Logan started up the stairs, waving off Ororo who had begun to walk in that direction. "I'm on it. Be right back."

Logan walked quickly, unsure of what he was going to say to her. If she wasn't going to come out, then he wasn't gonna go. She was the only reason he had agreed in the first place. He was about to pound on the door and then thought better of it. He knocked softly and spoke strong but kind words, "Eve…it's Logan. Please come out. I'm sorry if I upset you earlier, but I...the group...and I would really like for you to join us." Logan groaned. He'd never apologized like that to anyone. It sounded so awkward coming out of his mouth.

A few seconds passed and then Logan heard someone cross over to the door. Eve opened the mahogany frame and Logan's frustration melted. She was wearing a flowing black skirt that started at her soft waist and touched the floor, with a slit that rose nearly up the entire length of her golden leg. Logan caught the flash of a gold ankle bracelet that hung above strappy black stiletto heels. Above the waist of the skirt was a few inches of bare midriff skin that showed the hard-earned results of Eve's recent training with Logan. She wore a black balconette top that hugged her breasts snugly, the necklace now pressed, hidden between her breasts. The shoulder straps wrapped up in the back towards her neck so that her back was bare and her spine curved elegantly down the back of the skirt. She had fixed her hair to be loose, simple, and wavy. Her black eyes further accentuated with sparkly kohl. And a delicate gold bracelet hung on her wrist.

Eve's cheeks flushed shimmery peach as Logan continued to stare in silence. "Stop that. You'll make me too nervous to go out."

Logan smirked at Eve's admittance that he made her nervous. "Apologies. You look absolutely perfect." Logan was now glad that he had thought enough to put on a clean button up shirt on top of his dark jeans. "Come on, everyone's waiting." He placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked down the hallway, excited by the bare skin. He heard her heart skip a beat and her felt her spine shiver as he touched her.

They walked together in silence and met the others in the front hall.

"Damn, Pharaoh," sighed Jubilee. "You look so hot." The other ladies murmured similar sentiments, trying to comfort Eve. Remy didn't say anything as Rogue was nearby, but his eyebrow rose when he saw just how high the slit on her skirt crept.

As everyone walked out the door to the cars, Eve hesitated a brief moment. Logan grabbed her waist and leaned close to her ear. "We can leave whenever you want," he whispered. Eve nodded and took a deep breath, comforted by the same man who had made her so anxious earlier in the day.