Hey guys, sorry that is took so long for me to udate. I had my mothers bday that came up, and we had to get rid of my baby (a cat, just do you guys don't get confused.) then I had a vacay to go and see my family for the first time in two years, an eleven hour drive there and back from florida to VA. And THEN I had my bday that came up (I am officially 20, woot for me?) and then me and my fiance have to bomb the apartment we live in for four and a half hours at a time so that we can get rid of the fleas which was the main reason for getting rid of the cat. Sheesh, I hate those little buggers. Not to mention my computer decided it wanted to crash and I had to sort all of that out. And to top it off I just havent been into the story. I am sorry to be so behind, I will try to make sure to keep updating at least once a week. I will try to make this a longer chapter, enjoy please! Oh BTW, song today? I'm A Hoodie Ninja XD

Rebecca's POV

My head hurt.

I guess it happens when you spend a few hours with little kids, jumping, screaming, throwing . . . and god forbid crying. I was good with kids, but right now was just after nap time, and all of these kids were hyped up. Not to mention they always acted like this when I came in and my sister was still here. But once she left the room they all would quite down and surround me, and I would play something for them. It was something I loved, watching all of there faces light up and become captivated by the song I produced.

The songs were always sweet and lovely, with just a tinge of sadness and longing. I had learned my lesson from the first time I had played for them. I had unleashed my longing, my longing for children, for a family, for something to care for.

My sister had kicked me out when she had come in to find all of her children sobbing their eyes out.

Zach, one of the kids who I believed had the best musical potential, approached me, calm and quiet, and took a seat next to me. Me and him didn't look at each other, just looked at all of his classmates running around, destroying the room.

"It is nice to see you again," I started off, still not looking at him. Zach was an interesting child. He was smart as hell, but once you put your focus on him he seemed to lose his steam. As long as I didn't look at him he would sit and talk with me, but once I did he would lose his nerve and he would leave and go find a quiet corner to read one of the many books he always had. Books that were not of his age, but then again barley any of these children were on the intelligence level that they were supposed to be.

Out of a class of ten, five to six could have easily been bumped from pre-school to third grade, if not a little higher.

"I wasn't sure it was you, you smell different today." His voice was very low and composed, he had caramel hair that just touched his ears, and he had on thick glasses that only seemed to amplify his baby blue eyes. When standing he would come up to my waist, and I had never once seen him lose his composure.

His remark made me frown, but my sister stood before I could say anything in response.

My sister looked nothing like me, just like my brother, but she had a soft look to her features, showing the caring motherly figure underneath. She also had pitch black hair and green eyes that were like dull emeralds.

"Rebecca, I have to step out for a little while, one of the new teachers is having trouble with her students, do you mind if I go and help her out?"

Did I mind? Was she kidding?

"Course Becci don't mind." Lizzy, a little girl with pink cheeks and curly blond hair put into two pig tails said with a large smile. I smile at her in return and turned to answer my sister.

"No, I don't mind. They all behave well for me."

"Yeah, I know," my sister said dryly, before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Immediantly all of the kids quieted, but they weren't quiet done playing just yet, so it still left me alone with Zach.

"The kids always love it when you come to visit you know." he continued on conversationally, sounding more adult that anyone would ever dare give him credit for. He was four after all, no into themselves adult would ever admit to his intelligence level at least until he was six. Then it was okay to be a child prodigy.

"You always sound smarter and smarter every time I come around," I said with a smile.

"Intelligence is something I can handle easily, other things, not so much."

"Other things like people?"

"Of course."

"You speak with me."

"You are different, as your scent now justifies, and as your medical condition has always said so."

That made me pause, slowly turning so that I could look at him. He did not seem to take notice if he knew that my gaze was now on him, but I could feel a chill creeping up my spine.

"How do you know about my medical condition, Zach?"

"I am honestly surprised that you haven't figured it out yet, Rebecca, but then again, by the fact your smell has just recently changed, I am guessing the situation had just become clear to you, so I guess your ignorance is not your fault."

I swallowed heavily at his words, my tongue suddenly seeming to take up too much space in my mouth and my mouth and throat too dry to even grate words passed them. My eyes had to be the size of saucers, and I could not even compose myself when, to my ever growing surprise, Zach actually turned his beautiful amber eyes towards me, sparkling with interest and amusement, it was out of character for Zach.

"Is it clicking for you?" he asked softly, and it did.

He was a freaking Thorian. How could I have not noticed this before? He looked no different from all of the other children, and he could act no different at times. It was only his calm demeanor that set his apart at times.

How old was he really? Did he know I was paired to his king (or was Kalin still a prince?)?

"How long have you known?" I finally managed to gasp, sounding like I had just drank a cup of acid and was trying to forced my shredded body to work. I felt like I had been slapped in the face with a nailed two by four. How could I have been around this kid and not noticed anything? I mean, sure, I didn't even know that Thorian's existed up until a few months ago, but surely there was some warning signs, something that indicated that he was not a normal child? His intelligence? No, child geniuses were becoming more and more common. Maybe his speech patterns? No. He ate lunch with all the other kids, he took naps when all of the other kids did, and he didn't going around biting anyone or something funky like that.

"I knew you were a Thorian bride from the moment you walked into this classroom. It is a certain trait of mine, a talent, my mother used to say. Thorian bride's not only produce too much blood but they also exert a certain scent. Granted, I also knew you were going to be out queen when I heard you mention to your sister that your monthly visits for having your blood drawn has been going well."

"I don't understand, you just said that producing too much blood is a normal thing. So how did that set me apart?"

His eyes focused on my completely, and he then smiled at me, a rarity.

"Come on, surely you do not think that every bride must have her blood drawn every month? Some don't even have a problem until they run into their Thorian mate. But no, it takes a good two months or more in order for them to build up an excess of blood like that. And sometimes it will go unnoticed. The slip, cut themselves, bleed a little more than normal people. They get sick, some of their blood cells die, their body must replace them. No," he said the last word with humor in his voice, "having your blood taken once a month is not normal for a unmated Thorian bride."

He was silent for awhile, allowing his words to sink into me. Then something he said really did hit home, making blink, my whole body going tense.

"Are you okay?" he asked, noting the tension.

"You just said I was going to be your queen." I was barley on girlfriend terms with Kalin and already this little kid wanted me to be his queen? He was kidding right?

"Surely Prince Kalin has already explained the trials and stuff that is expected of your?"he sounded surprised that I was surprised.

"No, why?" I asked with an urgency. I hated being left in the dark. What was waiting for me if I was with Kalin? Was it bad? Would it be something hard? Why else would Kalin fail to mention it?

You haven't been on speaking terms, remember? My brain spoke up, and I felt all of the tension leave me in a whoosh. That was right, we hadn't really spoken just yet, so maybe he just had not had the chance. God, I was a wound string.

"I see the little ones even take to you." Kalin's voice was low but filled with humor, and I spun around where I sat, going from facing Zach to facing Kalin. He was standing in front of the teachers desk, arms crossed over his chest, a huge smile lighting his face, humor sparkling in his eyes. He wore new jeans and a blue shirt that clung to him, the jeans slinging low on his hips, and with his stance straightening his back, I could see just a hint of skin on his hip bone.

Damn mouth, it shouldn't water from that.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, meaning to sound surprised, but instead I sounded dazed, still unable to tear my eyes away from his skin.

"Well, we agreed to go out."

"Yeah," I said, finally looking away. "At five."

"It is five," he said, looking away from me. I raised my eye brows, looking at the clock on the wall.

"Kalin, it is not even two thirty yet."

"Okay, fine, I couldn't wait."

That brought a smile to my face, hating to admit that I didn't really to wait either. I opened my mouth to tell him so, but suddenly a small voice spoke over mine.

"Kalin?" the voice was female, and I looked over in surprise, to see a small little girl, named Elizabeth had stopped playing with her classmate and was staring at Kalin with shock and delight. So was Zach, now that I noticed.

"Hello, Liz." he said with a warm smile at the little girl.

"KALIN!" She screamed with a laugh and launched herself at him, her little pink dress swirling with the force of her actions. She clung to his legs, tugging on them, looking up at him.

"Kalin! You have been gone soooooo long!"she whined, and Kalin laughed, rubbing the top of her head.

"I am sorry, I didn't anticipate being gone so long." he keeled down, so he was on her level, putting his hands on her sides, her hands on his arms. She looked at him not like a child would to a big brother, but like a grown woman would to a long time friend.

"You finally came back because of Rebecca, right?"

"That is right. How old are you now?"

"I just turned three hundred and fifty last month."

Say whaaat? I barley managed to keep my jaw from dropping. I jumped when Zach moved past me, and Kalin turned to acknowledge him as well, smiling brightly.

"You have grown." he said, ruffling the boys hair with affection. Zach actually laughed, and it made me give an amazed smile of my own, my heart melting. He was good with children, who would have guessed that.

"I am guessing your father finally decided you were old enough to join the other children in school."

"Yes, though he wished to keep homeschooling me for as long as possible, he knew that it was important that we merge with the human society and develop our own identity for when we go out into the world when we are older and choose our professions and look for our brides."

"Yeah, well, I didn't have to go you know."

"Yeah, but only because when you were a child they didn't even have schools yet."

"Good point." they all laughed.

God, this was a sight I though I would never see.

"So why did you choose this place?" Kalin asked in curiosity when they sat down in the booth of an older resturant. It was calm but busy, and gave off a homey air.

"I like this place," she said in a mumbled voice, he face heating for some reason. Kalin raised his eyes brows with a smile, but said nothing to push her.

"So," she said in a normal tone, starting up the conversation while they waited for the waitress. "I thought that Thorian's only gave birth to male children."

"They do." Kalin responded, the words slightly clipped, and his whole face becoming a mask of sadness and pain. She paused, but before she could question him about his sudden change in mood, he spoke. "Elizabeth is a genetic experiment."

"You guys are trying to find other ways to have female children." she verified.

"Yes, we must, otherwise our race will never expand, only continue to slowly decrees as some of our people die before they can even find their brides."

"But," she said softly, suddenly thinking of something. "Isn't Elizabeth ill?" she was sure she was. She had seen her file and saw that she had a condition, but hadn't taken the time to look at it fully, feeling like she was intruding. On some days the little girl would not come into class, but she always seemed to be full of energy and good natured. She found delight in small things and was kind to everyone, even when they were not kind towards her.

Kalin's posture became ridged, and he swallowed heavily, refusing to look Rebecca in the face. She felt her heart sink. Whatever that little girl had, it wasn't good, and considering how advanced she believed Thorian medicine to be, if they couldn't fix it, it was beyond serious.

"What does she have?" she pushed, wanting to soothe him, wanting to know what pained him. When he didn't answer, she pushed again. "Kalin, if what Zach said is true, I need to know."

He blinked over at her.

"Are you pulling the queen authority card on me?" he still looked sad, but his lip twitched.

"And if I am?" she said with light humor.

"Then you will make a wonderful queen." he then sighed, meeting her gaze dead on, serious as he could possible be at this moment. "Liz had cell death."

"I thought that was already something humans doctors had discovered." she asked, confused.

"Yes, but not the way she is suffering it. He cells are litterly just loosing life, because the fusion of cells that we used to create her and not meshing the way they should to allow her to grow and mature." The last words were choked, and he knew he was fighting tears just as she was.

"You are telling me that little girl is dying?"

"Yes, she is dying. The fact that she made is to three fifty is a miracle. She has started schoold before all other children, because we want her to have as much happiness in her life as she can."

"How much time does she have?"

"Hoenstly? Not much."