Beyond the Facade

Chapter Four, Relationships:

She looked in the mirror once more before plastering a smile
on her face and exiting the room for her twelfth birthday celebration.
Her long light blue dress was swishing behind her. As she entered the
ballroom, she kept that big friendly smile on her face.

Princess Raye approached her in a silky long red dress that
glimmered. \"Happy Birthday Serena,\" she said kindly.

\"Thank you,\" Princess Serena said gratefully. \"How are you
doing?\" she asked Raye in concern.

Raye shrugged her shoulders and pulled Serena over to the
left wall with her. \"This is Your day Serena...How are you?\" she
asked, smiling and changing the subject.

Serena smiled back. *Both of us are putting on that façade,*
she realized. She responded that she was doing really well, but she
tried to discreetly look over Raye\'s body. She did not see any
bruises, but the dress was long with long, shimmery sleeves. She felt
that was for a purpose.

If Raye noticed Serena looking over her body, she did not
comment. They continued to smile fakely and speak about the usual
boring, useless, necessary, unimportant subjects. Princess Amy walked
over to them with Princess Michelle. Princess Amy was wearing a dark
blue dress that went down a bit past her knees and a blue butterfly
clip in her now short hair. Serena gasped. *Her hair does look so
different but good,* she thought. Princess Michelle was wearing a
long shimmering silky black dress that went long past her feet.
Serena immediately began looking around the room. *I suppose Amara
must not have arrived yet.* However, Princess Amara was indeed over
in the back of the ballroom talking with Princess Hotaru and Princess
Trista. She looked in shock at Princess Michelle again. Then she
glanced at Raye. Raye also appeared surprised. \"Strange,\" she mumbled.
Serena nodded her head in agreement though they both plastered their
smiles back on their faces and greeted Michelle and Amy politely as
they approached nearer. They politely greeted the two back as
Princess Mina entered. \"Nice hair,\" Raye said to Amy.

Amy smiled. \"Thank you,\" she said in appreciation.

\"Yes, it is beautiful,\" Serena agreed.

\"Oh thank you Serena,\" she responded.

Princess Mina was late. Usually King Michael and Queen Miriam
came early to talk with her mother. *Is it actually possible they are
not getting along with my mother?* Serenity thought briefly in
confusion. *That cannot be possible. They are so close.* At least now
she knew why Mina had not come into her bedchamber to help her get
ready before the ball.

Princess Mina bounced over gracefully to the group and
smiled at them all brightly. \"How is everyone?\" she asked.

\"Fine,\" they all responded mechanically.

She nodded and began babbling. Serena and Raye and Amy sighed.
Michelle looked at them in surprise. They were used to this façade
with Mina, and they were all close enough to Mina to know it was a
façade though she had never directly said so. They were getting
a bit tired and frustrated with it. They all had façades too, but
none of them took it this far. Serena forced a smile on her face
though. So did Amy. Raye was not so successful. She barely managed
not to turn bright red from the urge to yell at Mina to stop faking
such constant sunshine happiness. *It is getting beyond irritating,*
Serena thought in exasperation.

They were saved from her constant chattering by Princess Lita
coming in. Serena did not say anything, but Princess Lita had been
coming to so many of the recent events late and was almost always
last besides the sometimes really late Princess Hotaru. She
wondered what caused this. She felt worried for Lita.

\"Hello Lita,\" Amy said politely.

\"Hello,\" she said shortly, obviously lost in her own world
and wanting to keep to herself. They all considerately did not
question her because they knew by now she preferred to be left
alone. Although Michelle did not know her as well, she was perceptive
enough to catch on and not say anything to Lita. They all smiled at
her some though, and Serena wished so much that she could hug her
close. Lita did not say anything, but she smiled back a few times to
show her appreciation for their concern. Serena looked up and down
her body as discreeetly as possible, but as with Raye, she saw
nothing. Lita was wearing a long light purple dress with sequins on
it and long sleeves.

Prince Darien walked up after awhile. \"Well hello. Happy
birthday Serena,\" he said shortly. \"I had to say that,\" he added
bitterly.

\"Well do not bother. You can lie to your mother and say you
told me that anytime. I will cover for you just for the happiness I
get from you being out of my sight,\" Serena said angrily, her eyes
flashing.

His small lips curved up into a mocking smile. \"Very well,\"
he bowed, once again mocking her.

\"Ha, ha. Very funny. You should be a comedian. Everyone
would laugh at your face,\" she spat out at him.

\"I am not the one with the funny face,\" he commented darkly,
walking off.

The others looked at each other, eyebrows raised, as Serena
seethed with rage.

\"Someone likes someone,\" Mina teased. \"Believe me. I know
these things.\"

\"No way! You are crazy,\" Serena said, turning bright red.

\"I do not know. She has a point Serena,\" Lita agreed.

\"Yes, you are always turning bright red when we mention him,\"
Amy added.

\"Not you too,\" Serena groaned.

\"Count me in. There is some definite hidden chemistry between
you two,\" Raye said.

Serena scoffed at the idea.

The ceremony was long and torturous to them all, and when it
was over Serena was disappointed to see Lita leave immediately
thus preventing her from speaking to the brown haired princess. She
had asked Mina if she could stay after and talk though, and Mina said
she could. So, Serena first spoke to Raye. She also noticed that
Amara left immediately without even glancing at Michelle. Michelle
said nothing, but a sad look passed briefly over her face as she
watched Amara leave.

\"Raye, are you honestly all right?\"

\"Yes, my father only gave me a light beating last night
since I have not done anything wrong lately. Just as a warning to
prevent future troubles I might cause or get into.\"

\"Oh Raye, you do not deserve that.\" She embraced Raye gently,
and Raye closed her eyes and enjoyed the affectionate, kind display of
affection from the first person to show her a kind, safe, good touch.

\"You know my mother would fight to save you I am sure if you
just told her and I helped push it,\" Serena said honestly. \"We could
try at least?\" she asked pleadingly.

Raye looked in Serena\'s eyes, tears forming in her own eyes.
\"I cannot do that Serena. I am sorry,\" she said. \"Listen,\" she added,
changing the subject quickly. \"I am worried about Lita though. I saw
a bruise on her left arm. It was hard to see, but when her sleeve
went up at one point I saw it.\"

\"Oh no,\" Serena said. \"I was worried about her too, but she
has never told us about it. The rest of us have spoken some. Well,
except for Mina, who we know has spoken to my mother.\"

\"We need to get her to open up. I know how hard it is behind
that barrier. Even if only to us,\" Raye said passionately.

\"Yes,\" Serena agreed.

\"I have to go. Until next time,\" Raye said sadly. \"Take care
Serena.\"

Serena touched her shoulder gently. \"You too please Raye.\"

Raye nodded. \"I will try,\" she said, exiting.

Princess Serena walked into her bedchamber and sat down with
Princess Mina. \"Are you all right?\" she asked. \"Why did you parents
not bring you early?\"

Mina shook her head. \"I am not sure. I missed you so much. I
think that something happened among my parents and your mother, but
I do not know what. I heard my mother saying something about your
mother turning on her, and my father was consoling her.\"

\"Hmm...my mother has not said anything about this. She
usually talks to me about things.\" Then the thought struck her. Her
eyes opened wide in fear. \"Oh no, what if they continue this? How
will we see one another?\" Serena asked desperately.

\"I do not know,\" Mina said, but then she smiled. \"Oh well,
no matter. It will all work out. We will find a way. I am sure they
will make up anyway,\" she said, a huge bright smile covering her
face like a mask.

Serena sighed and averted her sad eyes.

\"What is it?\" Mina finally asked a few minutes later.

\"It is just...at the royal functions it is one thing, but to
do it around your close friends and then even when we are alone you
do it.\"

\"Do what?\" Mina asked innocently.

\"Your happy act,\" Serena said. \"You can be yourself with me.\"

Tears filled Mina\'s eyes before she could stop them. She hung
her head. \"I...oh Serena I should have known,\" she cried, hugging
Serena close. \"I am sorry. I just...I...it is still so hard. Why? It
is over. Why is it still so hard?\" She began to sob, moving away
from Serena when Serena moved closer to wrap her arms around Mina.

\"Oh Mina,\" Serena said softly. \"I wish I could...I do not
know what to say. I am so sorry. I just wish I knew how to make it
all better for you.\"

\"It never goes away,\" Mina screamed, tears flowing freely
from her eyes and sobs wracking her body. This time she allowed
Serena to hold her.

Queen Serenity walked in and caught her breath. Her eyes
filled with deep understanding. \"Oh Mina,\" she whispered sadly. She
sat down by them and held them both, rocking them back and forth,
back and forth comfortingly.

Queen Miriam\'s head poked through the doorway, but no one
saw her. The three of them continued to rock for several minutes as
Miriam silently stood, watching her daughter\'s deep neverending pain.
The pain she had never seen. The pain she had never stopped. Her
heart nearly stopped at this sight and those thoughts. Overwhelming
guilt overtook her body, and she fell to the floor sobbing. King
Michael walked in and gasped at the sight of both his daughter and
his wife sobbing hysterically. Serenity stopped rocking with them
as she looked at Miriam and then Michael silently. Serena looked at
them too, and Mina tried to be quiet as she looked down at the floor
silently.

Serenity\'s eyes locked with Miriam\'s. Miriam stood up
shakily and nodded at Serenity. \"You were right Serenity,\" she
gasped. \"You were so right,\" and she began sobbing.

Queen Serenity\'s eyes filled with compassion, but this time
she did not move towards her friend. She stayed with Mina, her arm
comfortingly around the child.

King Michael\'s eyes grew wide as he looked at his wife in
astonishment. \"What are you saying Miriam?\"

Miriam\'s tear-filled eyes turned to his. Desperation, regret,
and intense guilt filled her voice. \"We failed Michael. Do you hear
me??? We FAILED. WE FAILED.\"

Tears came to his eyes as he held her close. \"Honey, you do
not know what you are saying.\" He held her close and tried to soothe
her with his calm voice.

\"NO. STOP IT!\" she screamed.

Again his eyes grew wide in astonishment. \"Honey, you really
have to calm down. It is all right, all right,\" he said soothingly.

She backed away and folded her arms over her chest.
STOP IT!\" she screamed. He gasped. \"Stop making excuses. we have to
stop making so many freaking excuses. We have to stop trying to deny
or minimize what we did to her.\"

\"Honey, you are hysterical. We did not do anything. Those
guards are responsible.\"

\"Yes and no,\" Queen Serenity interrupted. \"But mostly no.\"

\"Stay out of this Serenity,\" he said angrily.

\"No,\" Miriam said. \"She knows. She is a good mother. I want
to hear what she has to say.\"

\"You are good mother too Miriam,\" Michael reassured her.

Miriam shook her head vigorously. \"No. I am not, and you are
not a good father.\"

\"Miriam stop this.\"

\"You stop. Listen to yourself Michael. Our daughter was in
deep pain for eleven years. Have you ever questioned where the heck
we were those years?\"

\"They did it, not us.\"

\"We may not have done it, but as parents we have a
responsibility. A responsibility to keep our child safe and
healthy.\"

\"And we met that responsibility. As soon as we found out
those jerks were fired and jailed for life.\"

\"So that took away your guilt?\" Miriam asked. \"You jailed
them, so your guilt went away right?\"

Michael paused. He looked away. \"No,\" he reluctantly
admitted. \"No...it did not.\"

Miram nodded her head. \"Exactly.\"

\"We could not have done anymore though Miriam.\"

\"That is where you are dead wrong,\" Serenity interrupted.

Miriam nodded her head. \"We could have. How did we not notice
signs? There were signs. I saw them. I am sure you did too. We denied
them, attributed them to other things, and so on, but we never
bothered to try to figure out where this came from. We never even
talked to our daughter about her quietness and her fears.\"

\"They could have been ordinary fears for all we knew. Children
fear so much sometimes,\" Michael said defensively.

\"Put down your defenses Michael,\" Miriam said. \"For our
daughter\'s sake put down your defenses as I have just done.
Realize that our daughter\'s life has been destroyed for eleven
years, and we never did anything about it.\"

\"The fears could have been ordinary,\" he said weakly.

Serenity interrupted again. \"Could being the operative word
here Michael. You never bothered to find out whether or not they
were.\"

\"We could not make her tell us.\"

\"No,\" Serenity agreed. \"You could have figured it out
possibly or at least tried. At least shown concern in your daughter\'s
actions, behaviors, and feelings. In her life. Have you not ever
questioned most of all why she could not come to you?\" Serenity
asked.

Tears formed in Michael\'s eyes. \"Why?\" he asked Mina quietly,
desperation lining his voice

Mina looked away. \"Oh Mina, I am so sorry. I failed you as a
mother. You deserve so much better. Please give me another chance,\"
Miriam begged, down on her knees. \"I will put you first from now on.
You are my child, and you can come to me with anything. You are so
wonderful. I am so sorry I let you down.\"

Mina looked at her, tears in her eyes.

Serenity shook her head. \"No Miriam. That is not for her to
decide now.\"

\"What?\" Miriam asked, her watery, confused eyes looking into
Serenity\'s wise, understanding eyes.

\"She cannot decide as a child. Let her make that decision
when she is old enough to have some more experience in life and a
deeper understanding of what this all means. She deserves to be able
to make the best decision for her.\"

\"Until then?\" Miriam asked.

\"Until then be that mother you just described. The mother
all children deserve. The mother you should have always been.\"

Miriam nodded sadly. \"Yes, you are right Serenity.\" She
looked sadly at her husband. \"Will you be that father?\" she asked
in a pleading voice.

Michael looked at her. \"I do not know. I am not sure I
completely understand this or what kind of father to be or how to
be that kind of father.\"

\"I will help you. Serenity will help us.\"

Serenity nodded. \"I will.\"

\"Do you understand that we failed our child? A person\'s
life has been forever destroyed. Nothing we can do can ever take
it back though. We must live with the fact that we could have
probably prevented it or stopped it much much sooner for the rest
of our lives,\" Miriam explained passionately.

Michael nodded his head sadly. \"I understand. Mina, I am
so sorry,\" he said.

\"Please, it is my fault,\" Mina said quietly.

\"Oh no precious,\" Serenity said.

Miriam sat beside her and reached out her arms as Mina
fell into them and was rocked back and forth. \"I am so sorry. I
am here for you. I am so sorry. I wish I could go back in time
and be the mother to you that you deserve.\" She smoothed Mina\'s
hair gently and smiled a bit at her. \"You deserve so much better
parents. We are here for you now though. Always you are safe now,
and if you ever are not, you can always come to us. You are our
first priority.\"

\"That is right,\" Michael agreed, wisely keeping his
distance to give his frightened daughter space.

Mina snuggled into her mother\'s embrace and closed her
eyes.
Amy closed her eyes briefly and opened them again,
yawning. She was very tired. Never enough time in the day, and
consequently much of her reading took place at night. Thus the
lack of sleep and the subsequent tired body and mind. Thus the
yawn. She stood up and stretched for her half hour break from
the day\'s lessons. She looked outside at the beautiful sky. One
of the few days it was not so dreary and grey outside. She should
be enjoying it, but no she was stuck inside learning her lessons.
She walked outside, filled with the awe of nature. Amy did not
feel much anymore. She was not really present in this world. She
existed in her world of books, but every once in awhile when she
went outside like this, she would look around at all of nature
and the bright sunshine and feel this sense of fullness and awe
inside. It amazed her. The way nature could go on looking so
beautiful while people on this planet and so many other planets
were continually suffering. She began to spin around, the colors
blurring around her. She smiled and tilted her head towards
the sky, spinning faster and faster.

She screamed as she was thrown on the ground. Her
father pulled her back up by the collar of her dress which was
now torn up. \"LOOK AT THIS DRESS!\" he screamed angrily. \"IT IS
FILTHY. FILTHY JUST LIKE YOU.\" He spat in her face. She moved
her hand to wipe the spit out of her face. \"You ungrateful brat,\"
he sneered. \"How dare you defy me like that.\" He spun her around
so her back was facing him, and he pinned her arms behind her
back with one of his large arms as he threw her back down on the
ground on her face. He got down on top of her. She did not
struggle. She knew it was useless. He forced her to turn around
and spat in her face again. Her arms pinned underneath her body
so that she could not wipe it off her face again. \"That will
teach you to go against your own father,\" he told her, smiling
in satisfaction. He got up and left her alone on the ground to
cry. She was empty of tears though as she stared blankly at the
floor and wished for death to take her away from this life.

\"WORLD SHAKING!!!\" she screamed as the golden light shot
out of her hand and decimated all the nearby trees. She sat down
in exhaustion and smiled in relief and satisfaction. She had
been out here practicing for quite a long time now. Similar to
the relief she felt from exerting herself to the point of
exhaustion while running, she got relief from pouring all her
pains, anxiety, fear, and anger into her powers thus destroying
everything in the way. It gave her immense relief and
satisfaction. She needed that desperately right now. She
closed her eyes as she lay down in the grass, gasping to catch
her breath. She had forced herself not to think about Michelle
all these months, but now Michelle\'s sweet voice, wavy hair,
deep eyes, and curvy body all stood out in her mind taunting
her. She sighed. *I do not feel anything more than friendship
for her,* she reassured herself silently. *Right,* another part
of her said. *The same way you feel friendship for Trista,
Hotaru, and the other princesses.* She sighed. *All right so we
had a closer friendship. We were best friends,* she admitted to
herself. *Think of the last time you remember feeling even
close to as attracted to a male as you feel to Michelle.* She
was silent even inside. She could not think of such a time.

She followed her mother silently around the palace as
her mother went around attempting to get her duties of the day
done. She tried to keep to herself and not disturb her mother,
but she was feeling very alone as always and really needed
some attention. Not to mention feeling the hollow pit in her
stomach from not eating in three days. Her throat was scratchy
and dry. She could not remember the last time she had a glass
to drink, but it had been at least a day. She quietly pulled
just a little on her mother\'s long green dress. She looked up
so much to her mother. She wished her mother wanted to be
around her sometimes. She would try harder she promised herself
for the thousandeth time that day. If she tried harder, her
mother would love her. She just was not good enough yet. She
pulled a bit more insisently on her mother\'s velvet green
dress. Her mother gave a loud, overdramatic sigh and turned to
her daughter. \"Hotaru please leave me alone. I am trying
to get work done, and as usual you are in the way. Go find
something to do.\" Hotaru hung her head and walked off in
dejection.

\"PRINCE DARIEN, GET IN HERE!\" his mother screamed
angrily. Prince Darien sighed and stopped petting his favorite
horse as he ran to the gate of the palace where his mother was
standing. She was clearly very upset. \"What are you doing?\"
she asked sharply.

\"Nothing,\" he mumbled.

She sighed loudly. \"That is the problem. Absolutely
nothing.\" He kept his face a complete mask. *I was just
enjoying nature and petting my wonderful horse, but I guess
you would not know anything about kindness or friendship or
the beauty of nature would you mother?* he thought bitterly.
\"You need to be training.\" *Little do you know the time I
do spend training wih swords and various weapons for combat,*
he thought to himself. \"You are the most difficult child.\"
She sighed as though to emphasize how much energy he drained
out of her. \"I swear, your father and I do the best we can
with you Darien. Now you need to take responsibility for your
actions and act more properly as the Prince of Earth. We
cannot have you ruining our image.\" He nodded mutely. *Oh,
no cannot have your image ruined,* he thought bitterly. *How
about family and the love of your child? I guess image is all
that is important to you mother and father.*

She sat outside alone, her bare feet dangling
carelessly in the cool stream. She sighed and closed her eyes
to feel the cool tingling sensation of the smooth running
water. She had barely managed to outwit Luna. She knew Luna
meant well, but she never gave her a moment alone. The
constant nagging, constant lectures, and constant instruction
from the cat was wearing on her nerves. She never seemed to
get a moment to herself anymore, and she desperately needed
one. She clung onto this moment desperately, knowing the cat
would find her at any moment. She was right. \"Princess
Serena!\" Luna exclaimed upon finding her. \"I have been
searching everywhere for you.\"

Serena sighed. \"I know.\"

\"Were you trying to hide from me again? You know you
have princess...\"

Serena interrupted her. \"I know princess duties and
obligations.\"

\"That is right,\" Luna said, nodding her head in
agreement.

\"Yes, I know,\" Serena said tiredly. She stood up and
walked back to the palace with Luna reluctantly.

She was painting absent-mindedly as she stared at the
wall next to her. It was not that long ago that she would
have been training to get her destructive sea powers under
control yet more powerful. She sighed in sorrow. *How can I
practice with my power any longer knowing that I will never
again practice with you my love?* she wondered sadly. She
looked over to the sketch she had drawn while looking
away. A crude drawing of Amara\'s face and wind-blown hair
stared back at her. Tears filled her eyes as she desperately
rolled it into a ball and then began tearing it up. *I
promised myself no more crying,* she thought desperately,
but she failed as the tears streamed down her face once
again for perhaps the twentieth time that week.

She jumped as she heard creaks coming up the stairs,
but the sounds continued past her door and down the hall.
She exhaled and lay back down in bed. It had been a few
years since her mother had come into her room, but she still
was on high alert at night. *I guess mother
is not interested in me now that I am older,* she thought
bitterly. Her whole body froze then shivered from the
memories of that terror that had begun at such a young age.
She could not even remember how old she was the first time
her mother had quietly entered her room, shut the door, and
locked the door. She lay down beside her daughter in bed
and rubbed her hands up and down her daughter\'s body. She
rubbed her head under Trista\'s neck. \"How is that darling?\"
she asked quietly, whispering into her daughter\'s ear.
Trista\'s whole body would tense up. \"Shh, it is
all right. Relax. Let me do this. It feels good. I promise,\"
her mother lied as her hand went up Trista\'s nightgown and
she began putting her fingers in her daughter\'s body.
Trista whimpered. \"It is all right. Shhh,\" her mother said
quietly then kept putting more and more fingers inside.
Trista squirmed but her mother\'s hand was in front of her
chest, stopping her. She then put her finger in Trista\'s
butt. Tears came out of Trista\'s eyes. \"Shh...you will
learn to like it,\" her mother promised. She pulled Trista\'s
nightgown off and began licking her chest. \"You will have
breasts there someday just like me,\" her mother promised.
\"Want to see?\" she asked. \"Want to see?\" she asked again
louder and with more force. Trista nodded mutely so as
not to upset her already terrifying mother. She put her
breasts in Trista\'s mouth. Trista sucked on them as her
mother instructed her to do, but she left her body and
escaped to that world that she began creating. Thus the
terror began and her world was created. Trista escaped to
that world now. It was the only way she would ever be able
to fall asleep. She never slept much at night. The night
reminded her too much of those nights with her mother. She
felt so tired during the day, and she wished she could sleep
then. But that was against protocol of course.

\"Come here sweetheart,\" he said softly, a smile on
his face. She walked to him slowly, fear gripping her
small body. \"It is all right. I will not hurt you,\" he
lied. She came up to him, and he picked her up and placed
her on his lap. You have the most beautiful blonde hair,\"
he said, his breath hot against her ear. She squirmed, but
he held her tighter and kissed her cheek. Then his mouth
was on hers as his tongue found its way deep into her
mouth. She whimpered, and he was kissing her neck with ragged
breaths. He laid her down on the couch as he unbuttoned his
pants. \"You know what this is?\" he asked. She shook her
head, trembling from fear. He told her to open her mouth,
and she obeyed silently as he stuck it in her mouth. She
began to choke, but he just pushed it in her mouth deeper.
\"Suck on it,\" he ordered. He was sitting on her chest and
she could barely breathe, but if she squirmed he would
smile in that way of his and tell her how much it
turned him on. She woke up screaming, sweat pouring down her
body. \"NOOOO!\" she screamed, shaking from the fear and
terror. Artemis jumped up on her bed and purred softly as
he tried to comfort her. Her dull eyes began to see again,
and her gasping breath was calmed as she took deep breaths
at the request of Artemis. He sat down beside her. \"I am
right here. No one can hurt you,\" he promised, his eyes
shining with love and protectiveness for her. She nodded
and silently lay back down as she petted him.

She stared blankly at the wall as she heard the
loud sounds begin yet again. She cringed in her bed. She
hated these sounds. \"You good for nothing bitch!\" King
Lester yelled at Queen Lily. \"I swear you are the most
worthless piece of junk. Why did I ever marry you?\" he
asked. \"Answer me??\" She could imagine his hand around
her mother\'s neck, choking her mother. She cringed again
as she stared at the wall, her breath caught in her throat
as a whimper escaped her small mouth.

\"Please I am sorry,\" Lily said quietly. All was
silent for awhile then Lita heard her mother scream and the
loud impact of something hitting her mother. She heard all
the banging as her father was probably throwing her into
things and/or throwing things at her. Lita lay in
bed very still and put her hands over her ears desperately,
tears streaming from her eyes. *Stop hurting mommy. Stop
hurting mommy,* she begged in her mind as she tossed and
turned in bed, her hands over her ears. *I cannot stand
the sound anymore...* she thought desperately.

To Be Continued...