Author's Notes: Oh my god! I promised myself I wasn't going to stay up late tonight...that totally didn't happen. Instead I got struck by inspiration as I was telling myself it was bed time. So I stayed up to write this thing. I'm really shocked I got this one up and running. There really wasn't that great of a response to it though I do appreciate the responses I did get immensely. We'll just have to see what happens next time yeah? And besides maybe this one not being as rushed since it's fully fleshed out will be a better read. I hope it will anyways. I appreciate responses you know just like any other author. It truly does help keep the motivation going. I almost lost it on this piece tonight but I figured what the hell? Let's try it and see what happens. This came out. Give me some responses on it yeah? It is appreciated and used depending on what's going on.

Chapter 2:

Livia was standing at the door waiting for Alex to come in. She smiled when the door opened and Alex walked into the foyer. "Hey what are you doing waiting by the door?" Alex asked as she set her briefcase down.

Livia shrugged, "I was doing some work around the house and I looked at the time and figured I'd come greet you."

Alex shrugged out of her coat smiling as Livia reached out and grabbed the wool coat taking it to the coat closet and hanging it up.

Livia turned watching as Alex stepped past her and into the living room. "How was work?" She asked as she closed the closet door and followed Alex.

Alex turned in the hallway that led to their bedroom and smiled at her. "Lots of work and dealing with Petrovosky wasn't at the top of my list of things to do."

Livia giggled, she'd heard about Lena Petrovosky and her epic fights with her Mistress. She'd even heard Alex call the woman the Dragon Lady and said it was her nickname around the office. "Well did she at least rule in your favor?"

"Not without some choice remarks to my character and my case."

Livia frowned, "I'm sorry. That's horrible."

Alex shrugged as she turned going into the bedroom, "It's something I come to expect from the Dragon Lady." She pulled off her suit jacket and blouse and then tugged her skirt off leaving her in nothing but her high heels until she kicked those off too. Livia ran behind her picking up her clothes and depositing them in the laundry though Alex never asked her to do this. Alex tugged on a baby doll t-shirt and a pair of yoga pants before she walked into the bathroom and ran her fingers through her hair fixing it from it's perfectly fixed style. She turned smiling at Livia who had sat down on the bed.

"I wanted to ask you something." Livia started. She hadn't mentioned the masquerade while Alice and Mitsuru had been there figuring she would talk to Alex herself. Last night they had been occupied so there was no way she could ask Alex about the masquerade.

Alex peered around the bathroom door looking at her beautiful lover. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Livia shook her head smiling, "Nothing it's just Mitsuru and Alice wondered if we'd like to go to a party."

"What sort of party?" Alex asked as she stepped into the bedroom. It was definitely the first time she'd ever heard Livia ask her to take her to some sort of party. She'd of course taken Livia to the Stabler's for holidays and such and Livia had always seemed to enjoy going but that was something Alex had chosen to do.

"Well it's a masquerade. "

"Like a formal masquerade?" Alex asked.

"Yes. Mitsuru said it was. I thought it would be fun."

Alex arched a brow, "Well if you want to go."

"I do but I should tell you the rest. It's a fetish masquerade."

"Like a fetish ball?"

Livia nodded waiting patiently as Alex bit her lip and shifted slightly from one foot the other. "I don't know Livia. I mean a fetish ball?"

"I thought it would do me some good." Livia looked down folding her hands in her lap, "But I understand if you don't want to go."

"It's not that sweetie it's just I'm worried. I mean I've never been to one of those events before and I don't know what we'd be getting ourselves into." Alex walked over to the bed and sat down. She reached out gently laying her hand on top of Livia's folded ones.

"I understand. I can tell Mitsuru we aren't going to go." Livia promised.

Alex paused thinking before smiling, "Do you really want to go?"

"I do but I won't make you go. I thought it would help me. You know? Be around people who are in my position."

"Okay. We'll go." Alex smiled.

Two weeks later found Livia and Alex standing in a large ballroom of an old antique hotel in Upper Manhattan. It was a beautifully done hall, gilded mirrors and chairs, marble floors, beautiful chandeliers. It was strange to think something so fine was going to be home to this fetish ball. Alex had chosen to dress Livia in a deep purple dress. It was low cut showing off her ample cleavage and her beautiful collar. She'd even had a set of matching wrist cuffs made since they were informed it was a part of the dress code. Livia's mask was a simple affair as well. It was solid purple just across her eyes, nothing incredibly fancy.

Alex had chosen to match the purple with red. Her dress wrapped around her slender throat but cut a striking low line in the back revealing her milky white skin. Her red mask was a bit more adorned than Livia's but it was still fairly simple compared to some of the ones she had seen present at the ball. She was quite pleased with the level of discretion these people had taken. No names were to be used and those that were were to be somehow related to the color of their outfits. It was interesting, almost like a game of Clue Alex mused. She had attached a small leash to Livia's collar and held it delicately in her gloved hand while sipping from a flute of very fine champagne with the other. She was talking quietly with a few other women that like her had from what she could see anyway very beautiful female submissives.

Alex turned slightly when she felt a hand on her arm and glanced over to see Mitsuru standing before her. The pretty girl was wearing a beautiful blue dress with a simple blue mask much like Livia's though hers had a bit of embellishment around the eyes. She smiled when she saw her excusing herself from the conversation.

"Hello Miss Scarlett." Mitsuru greeted with a smile.

"Good evening." Alex greeted with a smile.

"I was wondering if I could borrow her." Mitsuru made a motion to Livia. "Miss White is over near the band if you'd like to speak to her." She motioned knowing Alex would know Alice had worn white to the event.

Alex gave a small nod, "Of course. Where are you two going?"

"Just outside to get a little air. A show is about to start and I'm not sure we're quite ready for it."

"Of course. You're welcome to go get some air." Alex agreed readily realizing Mitsuru was trying to save Livia from getting upset.

"Thank you for rescuing me." Livia said softly to her sister once they were outside.

"It's okay. I really didn't think either of us were ready for that." Mitsuru leaned against the balcony that overlooked a beautiful indoor garden. "It's lovely out here. I want to come back when the ball isn't going on."

"Me too. Maybe we should do that this week if you have some time."

"I do. We'll figure out a good time and make an outing of it. It will be fun to just be with you like before."

Livia nodded understanding what Mitsuru meant. She laid her hands on the stone of the balcony sighing. Thankfully it was quite warm for October and everything hadn't quite died down yet for the winter. It was a pretty night, the moon was mostly full casting everything in a silvery shadow. She turned her head slightly trying to catch sight of a pretty plant when a familiar smell hit her nose. She gasped and twisted staring at the sight before her.

A woman with long cascading gold hair had her back turned to her. Her long hair was pinned in a high ponytail affording Livia a view of her corset styled jade green dress. It was strapless and when the woman shifted she caught sight of something that made her blood run cold. Upon the woman's left shoulder was a very familiar tattoo. A red rose with a wrapped thorn stalk. She knew that tattoo. She'd always known it ever since the first time she'd seen the woman with a tank top on.

The woman laughed obviously speaking to the two men standing near her.

"You are quite fun Lady Jade." The man wearing a black tuxedo with a turquoise colored tie and vest said with a laugh.

"Well I know my audience." A familiar voice spoke, it was the voice she'd dreamed of for the first ten months she'd been Alex's.

"It is a pity though. That you have come with no pet. Surely one as lovely as you would have no trouble finding a perfect match." The other man that was dressed in a black tuxedo with a silver tie and vest spoke.

"Well let's just say it's hard to find one that meets up to my expectations." They all laughed and Livia thought she'd be sick.

Mitsuru was as frozen as she was she noticed. They were both completely shocked. What was she doing here? She shouldn't be here, was the first coherent thought that ran through both women's mind. But here she was and she certainly wasn't a mirage or a shade.

"Well we'd best be heading back inside. It was lovely speaking to you Lady Jade."

"And you gentleman." She watched both men leave before she spoke.

"I know you're there Mitsuru…Livia." She turned to face them both women trapped in her beautiful green eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Mitsuru was the first to recover her speech pattern.

"So I'm not allowed to be here?" Jocelyn asked stepping towards them which cause Mitsuru to draw back but poor Livia remained rooted to her spot unable to keep her eyes away from the woman that had haunted her dreams for so long.

"I didn't say that, I merely…"

"You didn't want me to be here so you asked me rather rudely what I was doing here. And to answer your rather ill-mannered question I'm here because I helped set this little gala up." Jocelyn folded her arms but she was still watching Mitsuru with affectionate eyes despite her harsh words.

"How have my beautiful girls been?" She asked, "You know you're the only two that didn't return to the manor when the dust was finally settled."

"Everyone went back?" Mitsuru asked shocked.

Jocelyn shrugged a white shoulder, "What can I say? Tristan came first and the others quickly followed. I wasn't shocked that you two didn't show. I knew why Livia didn't. And I knew despite your mutual…ill will towards each other you two would stay together if only to give comfort to one another."

Mitsuru frowned staring at her. "Come on Livia, let's go."

Jocelyn watched as Mitsuru tried to coax her former pet away and failed to do so. Livia remained still as a statue just staring at her.

"Livia? Livia? What have you done to her?" Mitsuru turned fierce brown eyes to green ones.

Jocelyn stepped forward her brow knitting though it was hard to tell behind her mask. Gently she reached out lifting Livia's chin and looking into her eyes. "Livia, your friend wishes for you to leave with her. And I can't say it wouldn't be a bad idea. Why don't you two go back and enjoy the party? I'll not bother you for the rest of the evening."

Livia shook her head staring at her, "No. No. You're not here." She murmured.

Jocelyn sighed softly, "I am. I'm as real as you are Livia, flesh and bone. Not a memory or apart of your vivid imagination. I'm sorry I shouldn't have spoken to you. Have a good evening and let your Mistress know she's done a wonderful job with you." Jocelyn turned and took a step away before she could make another she felt a hand grab her thin wrist.

Mitsuru was staring at Livia's hand in disbelief since it was now wrapped around Jocelyn's slender wrist. "Don't go." She heard and she shot towards the doors knowing she needed to get Alex.

"Where would you have me go little one?" Jocelyn asked suddenly sounding quite tired.

Livia took a step towards her as Jocelyn turned away and for the first time Livia caught sight of the red rose tattoo up close for the first time in almost four years. It hadn't changed but there was a new addition. Sitting near the end of the stalk was a beautifully elaborately curved word as she stepped closer she realized it wasn't a word it was a name and not only any name…it was hers. Livia

Author's Notes: DON'T KILL ME! *hides behind a large boulder and peers out* I had to bring her back...otherwise there is no story...and really what's the fun of this whole series without Jocelyn there shaking things up?