Part XIII

Within a few hours, Jae and Diana are sitting in the branches of the tree outside her bedroom window. Diana's working on another drawing.

Jae absent-mindedly strokes Diana's leg, which is braced against a strong limb of the tree as he softly asks, "Diana?"

"Yes, Jae?" she asks, pausing in her drawing and looking up.

"How old are these drawings?"

"Um...the ones at the beginning are two or three years old. Why do you ask?"

"I don't want to upset you, but Kunzite, Zoisite and I looked at your drawings. I apologize for the violation of your privacy.," his gaze drops.

Diana leans over and places a curled finger under his chin and gently tilts his head up to look into his eyes. "I forgive you, beloved." She then leans over and kisses him.

Jae kisses back and smiles gently. "As I was saying before," he continues softly, "how did you know what we all look like?"

Diana blinks. "Huh?"

"All your pictures look like they're all of us or my colleagues or all of us together."

Diana blinks and gives him a skeptical look and says, "No way, I mean...those are all from dreams or just sketches."

Jae can't help grinning. "Take a look then."

"Well, ok..." she turns back to the older drawings and freezes. First looking at the picture, then Jae and then back.

"Ok...I see your point," Diana sighs. "They were just from dreams, all of them! Well, except for this last one."

She flips to the drawing she's just finishing and hands the pad over to him.

What he sees brings tears to his stunning eyes.

The drawing shows himself and Diana leaping through splashing water on a sunlight-bathed beach, hand in hand, seemingly unaware of anything but each other. The sheer happiness and love shown in the drawing brings a smile to his face and tears to his eyes.

Diana watches his expression and smiles.

"I think I love you, Jadeite," she says softly, "and that picture is for you."

He looks at her. "I love you, too," he says softly, near tears.

"Jae, are you ok?" Diana asks softly, climbing over to him.

"I'm ok, can I just ...hold you?" Jae says softly, looking over at her with loving eyes.

"Of course you can."

"Let's go inside, ok?"

"Ok," with that, they both climb through the window and settle down onto one of the huge pillows.

Once they're settled, Jae plays with a lock of her hair, holding her close.

Diana sighs softly, resting her head on his chest, closing her eyes, a gentle smile on her lips.

"Thank you so much, Diana."

"Hmm? What for?"

"For letting me love you. For loving me. For this wonderful picture," he answers softly, amazed at the emotion flowing through him.

Diana opens her eyes and smiles at him.

"You're more than welcome. Thank you for, oh gods...it's more than I can put into words..."

"Then don't," he leans down and shares a kiss with her.

HLM giggles softly, deftly cutting the cucumber into slices.

"I don't think it's very likely, Mom. I mean, we just met on the street! I doubt we're going to ever see each other again."

The beautiful Japanese woman looks over at her blue-eyed daughter with a playful gleam in her almond shaped eyes.

"Well, hon, I wouldn't be so sure. Maxfield Stanton is rich and single. From those news shows he looks very attractive.

You're a very pretty girl, M-chan, I think you have a chance with him," she says, half-teasing.

"But don't you think he's to old for me?"

"Well, let's see...you're around seventeen, closer to eighteen, really, and he's what, in his early twenties? No, I don't think so.

Gives you two lots of time to give me a grandchild or two," she tells her with a wink, her lovely brown eyes just barely starting to show the signs of crows' feet.

"Mom!" HLM blushes bright red, causing her mom to fill the room with her music-like laughter.

"You know, I'm teasing you, Ellie," her mom tells her, putting the finished stir-fry on a plate.

HLM grins wickedly, mixing the salad. "Anyway, you'd have more of a chance with him than I would. I mean, just think of it, Mariko Maxfield."

HLM giggles at her mom's blush.

"Well, dinner's about ready, why don't you go ahead and set the table," Mariko says, changing the subject.

"Ok, mom. We can watch the news and see if my future step-dad's on it."

"Your future husband, you mean," Mariko shouts after her with a laugh.

Part XII
Part XIV
Beginnings and Endings Index