New York

As he shifted closer to her Aeron's heart got caught in her chest. There was something totally different here than there was the last time she had gone on a date. Everything felt right and natural. The last time things had made her nervous and fearful. Maybe it was the bond, maybe it was love. All Aeron cared about now was the warmth that washed over her as he moved closer to her.

"I-I'm glad.....It's been the best night of my life, too." Anthony whispered in her ear. There was something so sensual about his breath so close to her. It gave her goosebumps down her arms. She wasn't even cold any more. He was so close to her now, his lips hovering just above her own. She denied every urge inside her that wanted to pull him down to finish the connection. She waited in agony as he did. Finally his lips fell down on hers. As Anthony deepened the kiss she tightened his arms around his neck, falling helplessly into it. It was bliss. She had never felt closer to another person before. This kiss, her first, was the most amazing thing she had ever experienced.

Her mind filled with images she couldn't explain. It was a heightened world, she could see everything. But in the center of it all was her. Aeron barely recognized herself in the images. She was stunning, she almost seemed to glow with life. It moved her almost to tears for anyone to see her in that light, she realized that this was how Anthony saw her.

He pulled away and Aeron was jolted back to reality. With his hand cupping her face, she was staring at his yellow eyes in awe. She had never done that before. The most she ever was able to do was give short messages over a few miles, never had she been able to see inside someone's mind. It was a beautiful thing.

It didn't take him long to lean into her again, she met him half way, loosing herself in the kiss, her fingers found themselves in his brown hair, pulling him deeper into the embrace. This time she didn't get any images, just a feeling of happiness and a mix of some other emotions she couldn't quite place. When the kiss ended she found herself still holding on to him, afraid if she let go that she would be swept away from reality and into his mind.

“Woah...” She said breathless. She didn't know how to explain to him what had just happened, honestly she was a little afraid to. Would he feel violated. She decided honesty was the best policy. It would only be worse if she chose not to tell him. What if it got worse, what if eventually she saw things she wasn't supposed to.

“This is new to me...” She said slowly, trying to regain her composure. She was giddy, she couldn't stop smiling despite what she was trying to tell him. “I don't know if it was the bond or what... but I got flashes from you when we kissed,” She said trying to explain it. “I'm not sure what it was but for a second I could see through your eyes.”

“Sorry if that's invasive, I didn't do it on purpose,” She was blushing now. She could barely look him in the eye, instead she just nestled into his chest.

A few moments later her phone vibrated. Aeron sighed not wanting this night to be over, but it was getting quite late. Reluctantly, she pulled away and pulled her phone out of her bag. It was a text from the oldest sister. Brittany.

It's late. I know you have some freak thing going on, but you should probably get home before it gets serious thats all it said. Aeron allowed her face to go to stone, so she wouldn't alarm. Anthony.

“I hate to do this, I would stay here forever if I could, but I should probably drive you home.” She slowly untangled herself from him and stood offering him her hand.

Anthony chuckled at how cute she seemed; however, in truth, he was inexperienced as well, having never gotten this close with anyone before. As she explained the flashes she got from their kiss, he blinked slowly and let out a rather interested "huh..." he then thought about it, and it was his turn to blush deeply again. She had seen what she looked like through his eyes, hat he thought of her, what he saw. She saw the beauty that Anthony could see pouring from her body.

"N-no....it's fine. I don't mind it too much. I don't have much to hide in there anyway." He said softly to her, kissing her forehead. He then cleared his throat and sighed. "To be honest...I'm inexperienced with this whole....lovey-dovey stuff too...." He said, blushing and looking away from her in embarrassment. "That....was my first kiss." He admitted. As she nestled into his chest he blushed more and smiled softly as well. She would be able to hear his heartbeat, loud, slow, strong, and proud like a drum.

As Aeron's phone buzzed and she read the text, Anthony noticed the change in facial expression. He was about to ask her what was wrong before she suddenly started talking. He bit his bottom lip and sighed. "Well...why can't you stay forever?" He asked jokingly, not intending her to answer as he stood up with her, holding her hand in his and giving it a playful, yet gentle squeeze.

"I...do suppose I should go home, however....I'll give you directions once we're in your car." He said softly, his tone gentle, soothing, and honestly? a bit love-struck. Once Anthony and Aeron were in her car and driving, Anthony directed her towards a little apartment building not too far from Central Park. As Aeron stopped and parked the car, Anthony smiled and unbuckled his seat belt.

"Thanks....I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He didn't want to be separate from her for a second, and simply couldn't wait to be back with her again; to hold her in his arms, to just.....be himself around her.

It didn't take long to get back to the car. Aeron was able to just blink back to the parking lot her car was at. All Aeron could think of while they were driving was that she wished this emancipation stuff would have happened a bit sooner. They could be lounging on her couch right now, cuddled up but instead she was having to break her magical night to go home to her soul crushing family.

“That was my first kiss to,” Aeron said softly. The delay seemed silly to her, but she felt strange saying it. “I couldn't tell that it was yours. It was....” She looked for the word. She took her eyes off the road for a moment to look at him. “..perfect.”

She parked in his parking lot, not wanting to say goodbye. She wanted to go back to the woods. She wanted to go back to the diner. Even back to that stressful little coffee shop. Anywhere as long as she could take Anthony with her. The last place she wanted to go was home, without him.

"Thanks....I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked as he unbuckled his seat belt. Aeron leaned across the console and gave him another kiss, her hand on his face.

“Of course,” She whispered. “Oh! I don't know how far my connection goes just yet. I should probably give you my number.” She said suddenly and fumbled around in her bag for a pen. She found the little notebook she kept with her to keep up with all her appointments and ripped out a lightly pink tinted page. She jotted down her number and handed it to him.

“I have school tomorrow morning, and then a short shift at work. But I get off at eight if you want to do something,” For the first time in her life she wished she didn't have school or work. She just wanted to spend time with Anthony.

She gave Anthony another kiss goodbye before driving sadly driving off. Under normal circumstances, this close to being able to go to sleep she could just blink her car home. But she wasn't in any rush to get there. She drove slowly, wishing her passenger seat still had a certain sharp toothed, yellowed eyed person sitting in it.

The house was quiet when she came in, her parents probably already in their room. She closed the door quietly and walked along the carpeted hallway. She was almost to her room when Brittany stepped out of hers.

“Finally home I see?” She said snootily. Aeron only nodded, not wanting to have a confrontation. She had had too good of a night to ruin it now.

“So what kind of Freaky little things were you doing 'Oh Goddess'” Her sister mocked her, gesturing to the dress. Aeron ignored her and went into her bedroom. There was no lock on her door or she would have locked it for good measure. Brittany followed her in.

“Don't want to talk about it? Fine. Just keep all of your creepiness away from the other girls okay? I don't want them to become infected." Brittany closed the door and left Aeron alone. Aeron sighed and thanked Hermes for small favors. She removed her dress and hung in her closet, and put on an oversized t-shirt. She crawled into bed. Even Brittany couldn't bother her tonight, she was high on life. Tomorrow evening couldn't come fast enough.

”I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm so glad I met you. Not to sound clingy or anything.” She added as an after thought. She thought about texting him, just to feel a bit of that safe feeling before she went to sleep but thought better of it. She didn't want to seem needy. She laid in bed for some time before dozing off, phone clutched in her hand.

Anthony blushed as he learned that it was Aeron's first kiss as well, and he sighed, half relief, half....he didn't know what; love, he supposed. For the rest of the ride his mind was racing of all the things that Aeron did that made him happy, even if he had known her for such a short while. He came to realize that the only thing she did that he didn't like was hide something from him. For now, however, he understood; he was something new that she would have to adjust to, but then, she seemed well enough adjusted by now.

As she leaned over the console and gave him a kiss, he kissed her right back, leaning his face into her hand like a purring kitten. He then took the slip of paper with her number on it and nodded, returning her next kiss before leaving the car and watching her drive off. After she left his sight he stood there, half wanting to follow her, half wanting to sleep. He decided that he should sleep; having not slept since Artemis unceremoniously woke him up at least four hours ago.

He walked up to his door and unlocked it, closing it and locking it behind him. He was greeted by the sight of Andrew passed out on the sofa, and Jack sitting at the dinner table with nothing but a form-fitting tank-top and sweats on. He raised his eyebrows and walked over into the fridge, pulling out a pitcher of filtered water and pouring himself a glass.

"Surprised to see you're awake, AJ." Jack said to him. Anthony looked to the female and smiled, chuckling. "Honestly, we'd thought you forgotten about us." Jack was sarcastic as Anthony put back the pitcher and took a drink.

"To tell you the truth, Jack, I sometimes think you two forget about me more than I sleep." Anthony chuckled as Jack stood up and faced Anthony. He'd known she harbored feelings for him because of his exotic look, but he never let her act upon them; knowing the bond was coming. "If you're thinking of doing something, Jack, stop. I'll explain everything to you in the morning, or...whenever I wake up tomorrow if you're around." He said, finishing the cup of water and washing it before heading to his room and locking his door.

He sighed and took off his clothes, tossing his shirt, jacket, pants, and shoes all into the same pile on a chair on the other side of his room, and pulling a pair of sweats on as well as a loose-fitting tank-top which showed off his toned muscular arms. He yawned and collapsed onto his bed, laying there for quite a while before suddenly: ”I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm so glad I met you. Not to sound clingy or anything.”

Anthony blinked and tensed up for a second before he recognized Aeron's voice and calmed down, smiling softly. "I can hear you loud and clear, and it was an absolute pleasure to meet you as well, Aeron. And don't worry about being clingy; like Artemis said....I'm an over grown kitten, remember?" he laughed softly to himself before turning onto his side and falling asleep.

Chris hid away his emotions as he saw he hurt Kat. 'This is for the best. This is for the best.' He repeated in his mind. He didn't want to hurt her, and feels that this the best thing for her. As she started to leave, he held down a outburst for her to stay. "Wait!" Chris said as he grabbed her arm. 'Damnnit!' Chris thought. "...Um...let me take you home. Or at least let me give you my number or something."

Chris went over to the counter and grabbed a pen. He opened up his Dune boxset, and took out the first book. Lucky he remembered to take that one with him. He opened it up, and wrote down his number on the top of the first page. "Here, call it a souvenir." Chris said as he gave her a gentle smile. 'Damnnit man! What's your problem?! You're giving her mixed signals!' Chris screamed in his mind.

"Come on, I'm taking you home." Chris said as he dragged her to his car. He opened the passenger door for her. "I'm not taking no for an answer. I can make your hair frizzy, and I'm not afraid to do it." Chris smirked, and he flashed her a charming smile. He hopped in on his side. "So where do you live? And is there any decent hotels near it?"

Kat was a little shocked by his sudden change of heart. Maybe she was reading to far into it, maybe she was just getting too far into him. She needed to slow down or she was going to come on way too strong and scare him away.

She clutched the book to her chest, glad to have it. She had wanted to read the series and now she had a copy, with his number in it. The realization of that hit her and she had to work hard to keep from showing it. She had gotten a boys number. Not just a boy but the muscular, beautiful chosen of Zeus's number.

“Thanks!” She said a little too excitedly. She transferred the number to her phone and sent him a text so he would have hers as well. She didn't understand what was going on with Chris, she wasn't sure of what was going on in general. If Kat didn't know any better she would say he was trying to get her to keep her distance.

"Come on, I'm taking you home. I'm not taking no for an answer. I can make your hair frizzy, and I'm not afraid to do it.". He gave her a rather charming grin. Kat smiled and blushed in return, chuckling at his joke.

“I don't think my hair needs any help being frizzy, It takes forever to get it to obey me,” She joked back. She got in the passenger seat of his car. She was a little nervous about him seeing her house. Her dad was pretty well off and she seemed to have the most stable home life out of any of the other Chosen. Also her car was a the coffee shop, but she decided to let him take her home. She would take a bus in the morning to pick up her vehicle. It gave her a little more time with Chris.

"So where do you live? And is there any decent hotels near it?" . Kat choked a little as he said that. When he first asked it felt like he was propositioning her, but she quickly realized that of course he was staying in a hotel. He didn't have anywhere else to go yet. The redness faded out of her cheeks as she cleared her throat.

“Oh I'm not too far. There's a pretty nice hotel a few streets down, but if you are wanting to be a little further away there is a Hampton Inn a few miles past that.” Kat said, trying to give him options. As thrilling as the idea was to have him close to her she didn't want to make him feel like she was trying to force herself on him. She gave him directions to her house.

“Listen...” she said weakly after a moment. “I don't want you to feel any pressure here, with this whole bond thing.” She didn't know how to explain it better. She didn't want to say that he didn't have to date her because that would imply that she wanted him to date her. She didn't want to say that they could just be friends because she didn't want him to think thats what she wanted. All she knew was that she felt free around Chris and she didn't want that to go away. Any way he wanted to be a part of her life was okay with her.

“That sounds stupid. I don't know how to say it any better. Just know that you can be yourself too, you don't have to be anything just because of the bond.”

As the pulled up to her house she tucked a strand of her crimsion hair behind her ear. The two story white house stood before them. The balcony that loomed over the house was the door to Kat's bedroom. She hoped he couldn't see how messy it was from the windows.

“Well! It's been an exciting day,” Kat said through a nervous laugh. “I'm happy with how it went though. You are welcome by anytime, just so you know. Like I said I practically have the house to myself and the PS4 is still there so you know...” She ran her fingers through her hair nervously.

“Call me if you need directions or anything, I'm always happy to help you a newbie to the city,” She said with a smile. “Well I guess I'll see you soon?” She asked hopefully.

Anthony's voice was the last thing Aeron heard as she lost consciousness. She didn't have time to be amazed at the distance she had been able to get, let alone Anthony's response. They were miles away. It had to be the bond. Soon she was sleeping.

When she dreamed, she dreamed of Anthony, of his yellow eyes filling her with warmth and life as they sat amongst the stars. It was a sappy dream, but when she woke she felt so happy, she was humming as she started her day. She dressed a little more plainly today, but still wanted to look nice. She had Anthony to look forward too after school and work.

She pulled on a white skirt, the front was shorter, hitting just above her knee, the back almost hitting her ankles. On top of that she added a form fitting black top. She put gladiator style gold sandals that went up her calves. She brushed out her pink curls and did some light make up. Satisfied with how she looked, she was able to get out of the house before her sisters woke. She briefly considered skipping class and going to see Anthony, but thought better of it. She needed to stay focused on her studies now more than ever. She couldn't screw up, she was so close to getting her emancipation.

She drove herself to school resisting the urge to text Anthony. Even if he was an overgrown kitten, she didn't want to seem like she was some crazy stalker girl. Classes went by in a blur, Aeron was barely there, she took her notes and did her best to pay attention, but she found herself staring at the clock and wishing it was time to see Anthony. She broke down and texted him when she got out of school.

Hey! I would have just asked you the 'usual way' but I didn't want to startle you. What were you wanting to do today? Do you want to meet me at work or should I come pick you up?” she asked.

She refreshed her make up a bit in the car before she headed to work, eating a protein bar during the drive. She pulled into the Game Stop parking lot, grabbed her name tag out of the glove box and went into work.

She worked hard, trying to make sure she and the other worker could get out of there as early as possible. When eight hit she waved goodbye to her co-workers and went to her car, quickly fixing herself back up and then drove over to Anthony's house. With a deep breath to calm her nerves, she got out of the car, fixed her skirt and then walked up to his door and gave a knock.

Anthony's dreams were filled with visions of Aeron; whether they were purely dreams or visions of the future he didn't know, nor did he care; they were about Aeron. There were dreams of them out on a boat trip together, of them visiting natural wonders of the world together, just about everything.

These dreams kept Anthony in bed until suddenly he got a text from his cell phone, which sat on his night stand. He blinked a few times and groaned as he sat up and rubbed his head to get himself awake. "Who would text me at this ungodly hour?" He asked, even though it was about....3:00 in the afternoon. He saw who the text was from and he laughed, "Oh, that's right....she's got a normal sleeping schedule." he laughed, reading the text quickly before replying "Hey! I'm up for anything you are. But, since you showed me a good spot to hang out, I suppose I'll do the same for you."

With that he yawned and actually got out of his bed for once, unlocking his door and heading down the hall to the kitchen for some food. He sighed as he saw he had nothing and shook his head. He still had a bit of money from his job earlier that week, so he decided he'd get himself something to eat. With that he returned to his room, threw on a pair of pants and a fresh shirt, making sure he brought his phone and wallet along with him as he exited his room. He was about to exit when the door opened and Jack walked in, causing him to freeze to avoid slamming into the door and his female room mate.

"Oh my god, you're alive! And at this hour!" Jack teased, winking at him in a flirty manner, which caused Anthony to roll his eyes. With that the yellow eyed Chosen of Artemis walked to the garage and walked over to a plastic tarp that was draped over something. He grabbed it and tore it off of what it was covering: A beautiful Black 1978 Ford Mustang with Dark Green details. It
was truly a beauty.

With a quick check of everything, Anthony deemed her to be in running condition, and he entered it. He did have a drivers licence and was actually a great driver, but he didn't like to drive because of the gas prices. But he figured that since Aeron gave him a ride yesterday, he'd return the favor for such a beautiful girl.

The engine roared to life with a low rumble, and seemed to purr while in idle. Anthony drove out to one of his favorite cafes in town, and had himself a burger and fries before heading back to his home at about 5:00 that afternoon. He parked his car in the driveway, turned it off, and put the tarp back over it; he wanted to surprise Aeron.

A few hours later......

When Aeron knocked on the door, it was Jack who opened it, dressed in her form-fitting tank-top and sweats again with Andrew again passed out on the couch behind her. She had in her hand a soda and looked a bit confused. "Hi!" She said. "Can I help you? You lookin' for someone?" She asked, taking a drink of her soda. Anthony walked in from the background and looked at Aeron, and immediately began walking for the door.

"Aeron!" He cried out happily, slipping around Jack and hugging Aeron, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, I see....I'm not good enough for you, Anthony?" Jack growled.

"I was never in to you, Jack, I thought we went over this a year ago when I moved in." Anthony said. Jack was about to say something else before Anthony gave her the stink eye, which with his eyes was doubly if not triply intimidating, and it shut her up quick, making her close the door quick.

"Well, follow me...." He said, leading Aeron to the garage where his Mustang was.

As the girl answered the door Aeron was a little shocked. Did this girl, wearing so little live here with Anthony, or maybe she was one of his roommates girl friends. That would be better. Anthony greeted her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek and she was instantly in a better mood. It was quickly ruined.


"Oh, I see....I'm not good enough for you, Anthony?" The girl growled. Aeron's heart sunk. Was this an ex girl friend? Was she there with Anthony? Her mind raced to a million absurd scenarios.

"I was never in to you, Jack, I thought we went over this a year ago when I moved in." Anthony said. Aeron barely noticed the display that happened with Anthony's death glare. Her mind was in a sort of shock.

'They live together and she has feelings for him....' was the only thing going through her mind. What was she supposed to even say about it. They had gone on one date, she couldn't just tell him that it made her uncomfortable. For now she would just have to deal with it. She allowed herself to be pulled away to a garage. Trying to keep the look of shock from her face.

“She seems....nice?” Aeron said uncertainly, when her voice started to work again.

Anthony didn't have to look at Aeron to know she felt uncomfortable, and he didn't, leading her into the garage and flipping on the light. "She's not." He said simply. "She hits on me whenever I'm awake, and doesn't seem to care that I don't like her." He explained with a sigh. He then turned and gently put his hand on Aeron's cheek; "Listen to me, I have never liked her further than a simple friend, and with you around, I never will." he said with a gentle smile and a wink.

He then pulled his hand back and put his hand on the tarp covering his car, yanking it off as he said. "Besides, I need to even the score between us..." by now, his black Mustang was unveiled, and he smiled. "I don't use it much, but it runs great, and well....it's my turn to drive you someplace." He smiled, patting her head playfully before opening the passenger door and letting her in, walking around the car to let himself in and start the engine, which growled to life and then purred like a cat in idle.

He smiled and shifted it into gear as the garage door opened, and he drove out of the garage to the driveway, and stopped to let traffic go by. "So, you wanna go eat someplace before I show you my favorite spot in the world? Or would you rather just go to my spot and cuddle all night?" He asked, winking to her as he continued to wait for traffic; damn New York City traffic.

If Aeron said food first, he'd drive her to a fifties styled diner that had old posters for coca-cola and what-not all over the walls, and he would order their largest vanilla milkshake to share between both him and Aeron.

If Aeron said cuddle first, Anthony would merely chuckle and start driving down the road quickly but carefully. After about an hour, they would arrive at a field outside of the city where they could lay on the hood of his car and gaze at the stars in the crisp, cool air.

But first, Aeron had to decide.

Meredith had never thought of herself as a thrill seeker, generally she lived her life playing it safe, yet sitting on the back of a motorcycle speeding through the city was causing her to feel a rush she had never felt before. As Jaime expertly guided the bike around other cars and took corners at speeds that would make most normal people fear for their lives Meredith felt more alive than she had in a long time. After spending so many years of her life trapped in a situation she hated she had almost forgotten what real freedom meant. She had had not been truthful with Jaime when she said she was fearless, in fact it was the opposite, Meredith was always afraid that something would force her back into her old life and as such she never felt truly free. But now on the back of the bike, things moving past so fast they were a blur and the wind rushing around she felt like she was flying. It was the most incredible thing she had ever felt and she realised she was laughing out loud in delight.

Considering the speed he drove at it was odd that she was unafraid, she hardly knew the huge biker and yet she felt so completely safe, she trusted him not to crash, just as she trusted him not to hurt her in general. She had never been one to trust easily and she wondered again if this was the bond. If the part of him now nestled in the back of her brain was bleeding into her own thoughts and changing her behaviour. Part of her wondered how far it would go, eventually would it become so that neither knew where one began and the ended? This thought should have disturbed her, the idea that she could lose her very self to this bond, and yet she found she didn't care. She was happy, happier than she had ever been and she wanted to grab that feeling with both hands and never let go. She realised she could very easily become addicted to this rush and that oddly it felt right being on a bike with Jaime as though it was meant to be.

All too soon the ride ended and he pulled up in front of a building, she felt almost a physical sense of loss as he removed her hands from around his waist. He lingered over her hands and she saw the apology in his eyes. She wanted to tell him not to apologise as she had felt the urge too but she wasn't willing to do so when they had company. She swung off the bike and removed her helmet she saw another enormous man standing by the doors. He was almost as big as Jaime and looked just as fierce, Meredith felt a small amount of fear for the first time, she felt safe with Jamie but clearly that did not extend to others. But in typical fashion for her she hid it behind false bravado, smiling confidently at him. She noticed him checking her out and had to fight the urge to step closer to Jaime. She resisted it though not wanting him to think she was clingy or needy. She usually wasn't that way either and didn't want to start now.

"Hi uncle." She said with a brightness she didn't feel.

She then walked to the door but hesitated in the doorway, this was completely out of her comfort zone and she was starting to wonder if she had made the right choice. But then she squared her shoulders, she liked Jaime a lot and it was important to him that she get to know those he saw as family. Besides she wasn't about to let fear rule her, now or ever. She heard the man prompt her to get moving and she hurried in after Jamie. She was hit with heat and noise as the door closed behind her and she was surrounded by music, and leather clad people. A heavy metal band played from somewhere pounding out a visceral melody that Meredith seemed to feel right down to her toes. An area set aside for dancing was full of people gyrating to the music but people danced anywhere there seemed to be space. She raised her eyebrows when she saw what were clearly strippers performing and felt a strong, and completely irrational, surge of jealousy. She had only just met the guy and she was already hating the idea that he preferred strippers to her! She pushed it aside scolding herself for being an idiot, she was not a possessive or jealous person and she was not about to become one.

She caught up to Jaime and rested a hand lightly on his arm, seeking permission with her eyes, as she didn't want to get lost in this crush. Though she found she was beginning to like the music, it was wild and again freeing in the same way the bike ride was. She laughed again as she realised she was actually enjoying herself which was obvious by the flush in her cheeks and the sparkel in her eyes.

Aeron forced down the jealousy she felt when she heard about Jack. She didn't want anyone hitting on Anthony, it didn't matter how not into her he was. Anthony didn't seem like the type that would try anything, in fact he seemed pretty loyal, but it didn't keep Aeron from feeling uneasy. As he pulled the tarp off his car she was stunned, it was a beautiful car, it put her little Toyota Camry to shame. She listened to her choices, but was more just in shock with the car.

“Uhh...well I haven't eaten since I was on the way to work, but the second options sounds so nice,” She said with a flirtatious grin. “Although I wont be any good for cuddling if I pass out on you,” She teased. “So I suppose my choice is dinner. But pick somewhere I can afford this time, I can't have you paying for everything.” Aeron said with a touch of embarrassment.

“I know this sounds silly since I just saw you last night, but I'm really happy to see you. It feels...strange to not be with you honestly. Do you think that's the bond?”

Anthony smiled at her reaction to seeing his car, and he felt a bit more at ease. As they drove out, he smiled and nodded. "Food it is, then! And don't worry, I know a good, but cheap place for tonight." He said. He'd then pull into the parking lot of the old fifties diner that served breakfast lunch and dinner no matter what time of day. He got out of his car and opened the door of Aeron, giving her his hand to both help get out of the car, and to hold as they then walked into the bar.

There was a window from the diner to the kitchen as there was in many small diners like this. From inside the cook waved to Anthony and he waved back, leading Aeron to a simple booth built for two people to sit across from one another. "We'll eat here first, and then head out, that okay with you, Aeron?" Anthony asked as the Waitress brought them their menus and asked for what they wanted to drink.

Anthony would put a finger to Aeron's lips to stop her from ordering and winked at her before saying. "We would like a large milkshake to share, please." He said winking back to Aeron before removing his finger from her lips, playfully booping her nose with his fingertip before pulling his hand back and winking yet again at Aeron as the Waitress walked off.

"Their milkshakes are huge here; I've never been able to finish one." He chuckled. "I think you won't protest too much after you taste it,too. It's amazing." He said, using his hands to emphasize his point while he spoke.

A few minutes the huge Milkshake was brought to their table and it took up half the entire table, and was mouthwateringly pretty to look at. "You two ready to order?" The waitress asked with a hint of teasing towards the newly formed couple.

Anthony chuckled and nodded. "I am, but let's that pretty lady over there order first." He said, gesturing to Aeron on the other side of the milkshake. Everything here was relatively cheep; nothing over fifteen dollars, but it all had high ratings from everyone who ate there. After Aeron ordered, Anthony would order a large hamburger and fries again. Hey! This was the second date, and they were at a fifties Diner; one would think that Anthony could afford to be more casual in his meal choices this time.

And now the waiting for the food began....

As Chris looked at her house, he couldn't help but realize how different he his from her. The nicest place he's lived at is the rundown two-bedroom apartment he shared with Jack back in Boston. He hasn't had a yard since he was five years old, and now he's basically homeless. "Uh, sure. I'll see you tomorrow." Chris said, somewhat unsure. "How about I pick you up, and take you to school in the morning?" Chris offered with a caring smile. "Unless you'd be embarrassed for your bondmate to take you to school." Chris said with his smile turning to a sly grin.

Chris got out of the car, and opened Kat's door. "So, um....what's the proper protocol for this kind of thing? Do I walk you to the front door and give you a kiss goodnight?" Chris asked sarcastically, and gave a slight chuckle. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then." Chris gave her a nod, and got back into Denise. "I'll try not to bother you if I get lost." Chris said as he started Denise back up. "Good night Kitten." Chris said as he drove off. That felt a little awkward.

Chris sighed. "What the hell man? I thought you were going to keep your distance? You're only going to hurt her.....you're only going to hurt her." Chris then looked at the rearview mirror to see the Dune bookset that she got him. Chris quickly shook his head. "You'd only hurt her."

Aeron ordered her food and sat with Anthony, enjoying their time together. She sipped the milkshake, and wasn't disappointed. Anthony had been so open with her she felt like she owed him to be more open about her home life. However, Aeron didn't want to get him involved. All she needed was for Anthony to loose his temper on her less than loving family. They were still her family, she didn't want them to get hurt.

“This is delicious,” She complimented him. “So....have you known Jack long?” Aeron didn't really want to keep coming to that but it was hard to push it out of his head. She waited for Anthony to reply. She needed to get over this whole Jack situation, it wasn't like she could ask Anthony to move somewhere else. She barely knew the guy.

That wasn't entirely true though. She knew him pretty well for only knowing him since yesterday. She felt a sort of one-ness with him that she didn't feel with anyone else. Connected. Bonded.

“Listen,” she said with a sigh. “I have some big things coming up this week you should know about. I'm going to have to go to court for my emancipation in a couple of days. I just wanted to let you know in case I'm a little more distant getting close to it. There is a lot to prepare.” She wanted to stop there, she didn't want to give Anthony any reason to investigate her family but he had been so open, he deserved the same.

“Also, my parent's don't know the court case is coming up, so things may get complicated.” Aeron admitted.

Anthony sensed how happy Aeron was around him, how complete she seemed to feel; and truth be told he felt the same around her, and he smiled nice and wide, taking a sip of the milkshake and then proceeding to gaze at her beauty with almost dreamy eyes; just admiring it all for what felt was the first time, but was really the fifth or sixth.

As soon as Jack was brought up, however, his smile vanished instantly, and with the blink of an eye, his dreamy look was replaced by an annoyed one as he looked away from Aeron. "Unfortunately, yes. I've known her for about a year now." He said. "All she does is hit on me, tempt me sexually, and I want none of it with her. She doesn't understand it." He shakes his head, and with a spark of flame around his throat, let out a low growl that sounded as though it came from a tiger.

Soon after, their food was brought to them, and Anthony stared at it for a second before digging into it. Whether he was staring to decide where to eat first, or because he was sour from the mere mention of Jack, Aeron wouldn't know, but to be truthful, Anthony hated Jack; hated to be in her presence, hated the name, hated the woman, hated the mere mention of her or the name.

After he took his first bite of his hamburger though, his mood brightened up, and he looked back to Aeron as she spoke again. He sensed her uneasiness about the topic, and slowly reached his hand over to hers, gripping it as he swallowed his food before speaking. "I want you to know that I'll be here for you every step of the way. Heck, if need be, I'll go to court with you so you have someone to support you during the process." He took another bite of his burger before reaching up and cupping Aeron's face with his hand gently, rubbing her cheek with his thumb gently.

"I would gladly go to hell and come back a thousand times for you. That I promise."

He meant that, too. His eyes, blazing with seriousness, stared into Aeron's with the intensity of a hunter about to kill its prey. But he was so gentle with her. His frame wasn't one that really supported muscle very well, hence why he looked so unassuming. And truth be told, he wasn't very physically strong, either. He was only able to lift the average amount of weight an untrained person could be expected to carry with some minor difficulty. He lifted most things with the aid of his powers, which made everything easy for him.

Here he was, an unassuming man that could smash a 300 pound body builder through a carbon fiber wall with ease with his temper gone, gently caressing the skin of a lovely girl, without the slightest thought of violence in his head, or his heart. So gently it was that he touched her skin that it was almost as if he weren't touching her at all, and the only reason Aeron knew he was touching her was the warmth of his skin against hers.

He smiled again, and leaned forward slowly, kissing her lips gently. "After all.....I'm starting to believe that I love you." he whispered to her.

She loved the way it felt to have her hand in his. She loved the way he spoke to her, how he cared about her. And when he offered to go with her to court with her she was moved in a way she couldn't explain. Everything about this boy made her feel better than she had in her entire life. The sincerity in which he spoke to her, about protecting her gave her chills. She couldn't explain liking someone as quickly as she had Anthony, but she did.

"After all.....I'm starting to believe that I love you." Aeron choked on her burger and coughed for several seconds, unsure how to respond. She searched for words but his kept echoing in her head. Love. Did she love him? Aeron wasn't sure. She wasn't even sure what love was. She obviously felt strongly for Anthony, but was that love? Was it the bond, where they one in the same?

Aeron started to stammer, unsure of how to proceed. If she didn't say it back she could really upset him, but saying it back and being unsure was worse. She had never been in love before, so she wasn't sure if she was, but if she wasn't sure wasn't that enough to know that she wasn't in love. At least yet? Wasn't love supposed to be something she knew for certain?

Suddenly Aeron's phone rang. With a jolt she looked at the screen. It was a number she didn't recognize, worried it was someone from work she gave an apologetic look to Anthony.

“Hold that thought for just a second, this may be from work,” She walked away from the table to answer, secretly a little thankful she had a second to think the situation over. She slid her finger across the touch screen and answered the call.

“Hello?” There was no reply only a light static that meant there was someone on the other line.

“Hello?” Aeron asked again. There was no response but after a few second the phone clicked, showing the person had hung up. Aeron stared at her screen for a moment puzzled, perhaps it was just a wrong number. With a deep breath she came back to the table.

“Anthony, I don't want you to take this personally, I obviously like you a lot. Like more than I've ever liked someone, and there is absolutely something here. But I'm not sure what love is exactly, and I don't want to say it until I'm sure. I hope that doesn't upset you.” A sadness clung to Aeron's eyes.

“Not that I dont, I'm just not 100 percent sure I do and I dont want to say it prematurely. But If I have ever felt anything close to love...it's with you.” She reached for his hand, hopping she hadn't upset him.

JAMIE SOUTHSIDE

Ya see this Ares, this is a party Jamie thought with a wolfish girn as he took in the atmosphere inside the clubhouse of the Southside Demons. This was the home and headquarters of the Mother Chapter of the MC. And the place reflected it, in much the same way a throne room would reflect the glory of a King.

Here the power and majesty of a life lived truly free was here for all to see. The tattoed members indulging in all their hearts desires. The music, the strippers, even the copious amounts of alcohol all of it was the icing on the cake. But it was the family of his brothers and sisters in arms that truly let Jamie live through the bloodshed and combat his scars represented. For an orphan it was the greatest prize of all. He valued the ties of battle far more then any bloodline could offer.

Don't blame me skreb, the other prudes must've thought tits and ass would've shocked the poor sensibilities of their babies. Ya know how much of prude that bitch Hera can be. Honestly the woman has it out for bastards ya know. She honestly expects every bastard born to fall on their swords.

Tell the bitch born whore this bastard has no intention of dying just to please her. I'll go to Hades with a tit in one hand and a bloody sword in the other.

Ya I'll do that the same day ya learn to humble ya self in my presence.

So that's a no then. The Vice President thought with another laugh as he shoved a few of his fellow Southside Demons aside good naturedly. Then he came upon the throne itself as it were. A raised platform it sported several poles with dancers of both sexes doing their thing around them. Alongside that a three piece couch of black leather embroidered with the colors of the MC took pride of place. Sitting behind that was a series of pictures of men and women in uniforms dating back to the Vietnam war. Taking pride of place in the centre of all that was a blown up snapshot of a M1A2SEP tank with a smiling Jamie atop the turret, no scars marred his face in the photo. He was a few years younger in the pic, the uniform fitting him as if he was born to it. Arranged around the tank was the dark haired man sitting in the couch and the blonde and voluptuous woman beside him. The dark haired man was sitting on the turret with the woman standing on the ground wearing the uniform of a tank commander. Standing beside the woman was a tall and obviously eastern European male, his dark red hair worn in a slightly out of regulation style.

" So Sean ya pining for the days of our glory. " Jamie said with a disapproved frown pointing at the pic. He still remembered the day after that picture was taken.Every look in a mirror reminded him, every time the razor caught on a scar when he shaved drove the memory to the forefront.

" Your glory Jamie, me and Delphos would have never made it out of there if anyone else had been sitting behind that gun." The dark haired man now revealed as Sean retorted with a quick frown of his own.

" Ivan didn't make it, ya saying I saved you all." Jamie replied with a sort of bitterness. He didn't like remembering his shortcomings.

" Ivan never stood a chance Jamie. That RPG-29 puched a hole clean through his hatch. He was dead before we even knew we were under attack. " The woman known as Delphos added with a diplomatic tone. " The fault is just as much mine as anyone's else. I was your commanding officer after all."

Before Jamie could develop a suitable reply to Delphos's claim to total blame he felt a slight pressure on his arm. Even without looking away from Sean and Delphos the Beserker knew it was Meredith's touch he felt. The biker seemed hyper aware of his bond mates presence. As if they were not two people but extensions of each other. He also felt that fleeting touch with more awareness then he even thought possible.

Also the awareness that she didn't care to highly of the bared flesh around her made Jamie laugh aloud as he nodded to the question in Meredith's eyes. Truth be told he didn't care for the easy fruit either. But like the leather and bloodshed he viewed it simply as the trappings of his chosen path. Really everything but the freedom of a warrior's life was just background to him.

" Sean and Delphos meet Meredith. Sean's the President of the MC and head of all the Southside Demons chapters out. He gives an order we better listen to it. Delphos is his wife and the Alpha Female around here. I don't answer to her anymore, not since the honourable discharge anyways. But I'd step wide of her if I was ya sweet thing."

" Don't listen to him honey, he's just trying to scare you. We don't eat the new prospects anymore. The bloodstains were becoming a bitch to get out of the carpeting." Delphos said with a smile that could either be interpreted as serious or joking depending on your point of view.

Jamie for his part laughed some more while trying to moderate the thoughts in his head. He hoped Meredith would come to enjoy the life of a Southside Demon. But judging from the look on her face the Vice President was put at ease. He also was wondering if they'd get some time to hash out this whole bonded thing.

Anthony saw her hesitation at answering his declaration of love, and his eyes widened slightly. Had he said it too soon? was she not ready to hear it? Did she .....did she know what love felt like? He opened his mouth to speak again, but her phone ran and he closed his mouth, nodding to her in an understanding way. He leaned back and let out a deep breath.

Absolute truth be told, Anthony hadn't been in love before either, but he knew what love was. He felt it when he was around Artemis; he felt the kind of love a son has for his mother, and so he knew at least what a little bit of love felt like. While Aeron was away, he recalled the times when Artemis took him from his cage, and brought him to Olympus to be free, for only a short amount of time.

The other gods teased Artemis, saying that she'd brought her pet home, and she merely laughed, and taught Anthony how to use his powers while also taking care of him while his parents would leave for weeks and not return to feed him. Anthony would sit with Artemis, eat with her, work with her, hunt with her, and sleep with her in the same bed. She truly was the mother he always wanted; hence why she refers to him as a kitten. Her nurturing turned him into a kitten fit for any gentle female, Mortal or otherwise.

As Aeron came back, he rushed his mind back to reality and looked at her. He listened to her words and sighed, his head drooping and his hand closing around hers. He was silent for a good minute or so before looking up, a small smile on his face. "That's okay.....If I truly love you, I will find out in the future....and you will figure out if you love me or not." He said, giving her hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." He added softly, patting her hand.

The rest of their meals went by without too much of anything, and after splitting the bill, Anthony took Aeron back to his car. "Come on then....let's move on to part two of our date." He said playfully, opening her door for her and closing it when she got in before getting in himself, sitting down and starting the car. He then drove way out of the city to an empty field. He got out and motioned for Aeron to close her eyes as he opened her door and led her out of the car. He then had her lay on the hood of his car and he laid next to her.

"Alright...open your eyes." He said. Above them was an array of stars somehow just as beautiful if not more beautiful than the array that they had seen from Aeron's tree-house in the forest. "I love coming out here....it's not the forest, but...it's as close as I can get." He said, looking to Aeron by turning his head, a smile on his face again.

Aeron was relieved for Anthony to take what she said so well. She was afraid of upsetting Anthony, of hurting his feelings. But Artemis was right, he was an overgrown kitten. He was so gentle and understanding and wonderful.
As they drove, Aeron tried not to dread the untimely point when this day was going to have to end. They had gotten such a late start since she had to work. Instead she just enjoyed the drive, and having him near. The field was beautiful, and with Anthony with her she felt at home. She realized that she only felt this way around him, and felt less at home when she had to go to her actual home.
“This is all really beautiful,” she said softly. She embraced him, wrapping her arms around his chest and laying her head on his chest. He was much taller than her, but it made everything cozy. Her head tucked nicely under his chin and she could listen to his heartbeat, the way his lungs filled with air. The way when she moved closer to him his pace quickened. She felt honored to have that kind of effect on him. She gave him a mischievous grin, looking up into his cat-like eyes.
“I can hear your heart beat,” She said, not really explaining herself. She put one hand on his heart and then, hesitantly at first, pushed up on her toes. Her lips were almost touching him, his heart accelerated slightly, but she didn't kiss him. Instead, she acted like she was about to and then nuzzled into the side of his neck, a smile on her face. It was enjoyable to tease him a bit and see his reaction.

As Aeron looked into his eyes and acted as though she would kiss him, his heart rate did in fact accelerate, and as she nuzzled his neck playfully, he nuzzled her right back, his heart rate keeping a moderately high pace at the moment before slowing down again. He didn't try and kiss her; he wanted her to take action now. He just nuzzled her with his cheek, his head, almost every part of his body above his neck.

He loved the feeling of her body against his, of her skin against his; he couldn't get enough of it. He nuzzled into her neck now, scooting himself down, and while he did, he masked a large inhale from his nose; getting used to her scent so he'd be able to track her if need be. He sensed something was still wrong with her personal life, and he wanted to make sure he could be there for her in the future if she needed help.

Anthony's phone buzzed in his pocket, and he took it out, glancing at it. "Get your ass home. -Jack it read. He growled again and turned off his phone, putting it back in his pocket. Aeron was infinitely more important to him right now, and he proved it by nuzzling her again, resting his forehead on hers, trying to connect their thoughts without the help of Aeron's powers in a cute way. He leaned in just a tad, and their noses touched as well, but he didn't kiss her. It was his turn to tease her, and he did it as if he were a cat playing with its food; giving her the notion that the kiss, representing freedom, was so close, yet also so far away.

"I could stay out here with you forever, and just look at these stars, and at you." he whispered to her softly, not moving from his position, his lips less than half an inch from hers, yet it was that half inch that would make it unbearable. He wanted to see Aeron try for a kiss, not just give her one.

Meredith spent a moment looking at the pictures behind the leather sofa, seeing Jaime with Sean and Delphos in the picture went a long way to explaining why they were so close. Especially since they had clearly lost someone close to them during that time, she felt for them as she knew what loss was like. Even with her powerful healing abilities there had been those brought to her that had been too far gone for even her to heal. Meredith still felt the loss keenly of each one she had failed to heal over the years regardless of how many times she reminded herself that they had been too far gone.

Unbidden a memory of a young woman lying on the floor of her father's church, blood pooling all around her and seeping into the carpet. Her unseeing eyes seemed to stare straight Meredith accusingly and her fifteen year old self huddled in on herself trying to escape that dead stare. Around her, her father continued to preach at how the dead woman had clearly not been worthy of saving and how it had been gods will that she die, and the crowd gathered cheered him on. Growing more passionate with each fervent sentence her father spoke. As the crowd gathered grew louder and louder, all Meredith could see was the blood soaking the carpet. She knew that after church had finished for the day she would be on her hands and knees scrubbing the carpet to try and get rid of the stains.

The woman's voice talking to her pulled her from the unpleasant memory and she dragged her gaze away from the picture, focussing on her voice. She made a conscious effort to regain her composure blinking rapidly to stop the tears from falling, she didn't cry ever and she certainly wasn't going to cry in front of these people. She fought to pull herself together, literally pulling her confident demeanour back around her piece by piece. In a matter of moments other than the shadowed look in her eyes you would not know that she had almost broken down. It occurred to her that Jaime had probably felt her emotions and knew full well that the confident, relaxed posture she portrayed was a lie, but there was nothing she could do about that.

They had not really had much time yet to talk about the bond and what it meant for them, given how they could literally feel each other. Nor had they discussed what it meant for them in the future. Hell they hadn't really done much talking at all and Meredith still had no real idea what Jaime really thought about her. Only time would tell.

"Salt is good for getting rid of bloodstains." Meredith said wryly. "Trust me it works, oh and you can call me Mack. Most people do."

Kat was deliriously happy as Chris offered to take her to school. He wanted to see her again, even if it wasn't as badly as she wanted to see him it was a start. She smiled really big.

”I for one would be more than happy to have my bondmate take me to school,” She said with what she hoped was a flirtatious smile. ”If you get here about 8:15 tomorrow I shouldn't be late,”

As Chris let her out of the car she turned a deep crimson color. She chose not to tell him that she would probably adore for him to give her a kiss goodnight, since she had never kissed anyone before. Chris was not a bad choice for a first kiss either.

“Oh...I...Uh...” she stammered. “I suppose...er...I mean...I'm not sure what the proper protocol is for this either. I'll see you tomorrow” She smiled ,still blushing like mad.

"I'll try not to bother you if I get lost." Chris said.

”No! You aren't a bother at all, Seriously, call me anytime.” she said a little too firmly.

'way to sound desperate' she mentally chided herself. She waved goodbye to him as she drove off and gave a sigh. She was sad to see him go, but as far as social encounters went, her's was pretty successful. She went upstairs and spent a good portion of her night cleaning her room. Just in case. She showered, and dressed in her pajamas, a pair of cotton shorts and a black tank top. Kat played an hour or two of Mario Kart to calm her nerves and finally drifted off to sleep. Setting two alarms so she wouldn't keep Chris waiting.

She didn't visit her mother that night, she didn't visit anyone, instead she just slept, trying to make the time between now and seeing Chris as short as possible. When her alarm woke her up she jumped out of bed and got dressed. She was debating what to wear, she wanted to look nice since she was seeing Chris, but the whole purple evening gown wasn't really her style.

'Be yourself,' Chris' words reminded her. She grabbed a pair of black skinny jeans and tucked them into her Deadpool custom converse. She pulled on a form fitting tank top and a black and red flannel over shirt, unbuttoned. She took the time to tame her mess of red hair and had it straightened, hanging over one of her shoulders. She even took the time to put on some light eyeliner and mascara. Happy with how she looked she came down the stairs in almost a skip.

“What has you so happy?” her dad asked as she came downstairs.

“We will have to talk soon but I'm on my way to school,” She said grabbing the money he left her on the table for lunch and giving him a kiss on the cheek. She started for the door.

“But where is your car?” He called after her.

“I'll bring it home!” She called back, already out on the porch. She sent Anthony a quick text telling him that they should take some time to catch up when they got the chance and then sat down on the porch swing and waited for Chris.

Aeron couldn't resist with Anthony so close. She pulled down on his neck, causing him to kiss her. Her hands in his hair, enjoying the feeling, allowing it consume her. The flashes came back but Aeron, this time tried to let them pass over her, just wanting to enjoy the feeling of their embrace. When she pulled back she had a big smile on her face. She let out a giggle and looked up at him.

“I guess my plan backfired huh?” She asked with a wink. She sat down on the grass and enjoyed the scenery. With a tired sigh, she flopped back, lying in the grass and stretched. It felt good against her skin, even if it was a bit chilly.

“It's nice out here,” She told him. “I didn't get the time to show you last time. But I have some cool stuff at my tree house. I keep a sleeping bag out there and some food and stuff. Sometimes I spend my free days out there entirely. We could go camping sometime if you want...” She trailed off, the thought of actually sleeping with Anthony close to her brought a bright blush to her cheek. Her phone vibrated. She looked at it, it was her dad calling. She sighed and ignored it. She was not about to let Anthony hear her dad screaming at her.

Anthony smiled and blushed softly at the same time as she pulled him down and kissed him. He wasn't quite used to having the feeling of hands in his hair, but he got used to it quickly, and deepened the kiss a bit before they both pulled back. He noticed the smile on her face, and his face lightened up with its own smile.

As she winked, he winked back at her, laying next to her and putting his arm around her, his shoulder under her head. "I guess it did...." He teased her, kissing her again softy.

He then occupied himself with listening to Aeron's words while looking up at the stars. "Hmm.....if you would take me, I would gladly go camping with you." He said, the thought of getting away from Jack for more than 8 hours per day making him excited. Then the thought of sleeping with Aeron close to him hit, and he was instantly blushing again. In fact, thoughts were racing through his head so much that he didn't even notice Aeron's phone.

With a content sigh, Anthony pulled Aeron's body closer to his so that they couched, and he kissed her cheek, closing his eyes and just snuggling into her. It was so calm out here, and aside from his accelerated heartbeat, he was absolutely relaxed. With his hand around Aeron's shoulders, and his arms being so long, he was able to rest his hand on her upper chest, and therefore feel her heartbeat as well.

He could tell that it was just as if not doubly accelerated than his, and he reveled in the fact that he could do that to such a beautiful girl. But then again, he was a kitten, and girls loved kittens....right? Especially over grown humanoid kittens? He felt he was about to find out with Aeron. In the coming days, or weeks, or even months, she would be able to decide whether or not she loved him, and he would be able to decide if he truly loved her.

He only hoped that the feelings were mutual at the end....