Part V

Jae appears in Diana's room and looks around, blinking slightly at the decoration. He wasn't really able to look around the last time he was there.

A comic book catches his eye. The title suprises him somewhat. He always thought the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were childrens' cartoon characters.

He shrugs his gray clad shoulders and catches sight of Diana.

She's dozing, curled up on one of the oversized pillows placed around the small room. Noticing a tear rolling down her cheek, he reaches down and brushes it away.

She stirs slightly at his touch, and Jae jerks back in surprise.

"Don't let yourself fall in love with her," he remembers Kunzite saying.

"Fall in love with a pitiful human?" Jae remembers his disgusted reply.

Now looking down at this lovely sleeping young woman, he begins to feel the stirrings of doubt in those words.

He kneels down by her and takes off his gloves, remembering something Nephrite said about humans reacting more favorably to skin against skin contact.

Jae leans over and touches her soft, warm cheek, gently stroking it.

"Oh," she murmurs, still mostly asleep.

He leans over her and whispers softly into her ear, "Diana..."

"Wha'...? Who...?" Diana utters as her pretty green eyes blink open.

She jerks violently back into her pillow in surprise, not to mention fear, upon seeing whom it is.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Jae whispers soothingly.

Diana looks at him measuringly for a few moments before saying cautiously, "Then what do you want?"

Jae grins slightly at her skepticism. "Just to talk," he answers in a soft voice.

Diana raises a brow and motions to the pillow her sister was sitting on before and shifts slightly on her own, "Well, have a seat, your legs'll cramp up if you keep kneeling like that."

"Doomo," he settles down into the pillow and makes a face. "What is that SMELL?"

Diana can't help giggling at that. "My sister's perfume. She was sitting there earlier in the morning. I'm sorry, I've gotten so used to it, and I didn't think it would last this long. Perhaps some incense?"

"Ah," Jae says, at a loss for words, "incense...sounds like a good idea."

Diana smiles faintly as she smoothly stands with the grace of a life-long martial artist.

She sways on her feet, the pain suddenly coming back to her head.

Jae gets up and is suddenly in front of Diana, a hand steadying her.

"Are you all right?" he asks with concern.

"I...I'll be...fine," she says softly, looking up into his eyes.

There's awkward silence as they each notice just how close they are to each other. They look into each other's eyes, acutely aware of their bodies barely brushing. As if by gravity, they draw closer together.

"Uhm," Diana whispers, suddenly blushing and pulling back. "What sort of incense would you like?" she asks as she goes over to the box of incense she keeps.

"Ah," Jae says, feeling a blush come to his cheeks, "do you have any sandalwood?"

"Right here...last stick, actually," Diana says nervously as she lights the stick with a lighter and puts it in the holder by the tray of food on the low table.

"So, ah," Diana says after they're both sitting again, "who are you?"

"I am General Jadeite," he answers after a few moments.

Diana nods slightly, gingerly touching the bruise marring her beautiful face.

He watches her in silence as she watches him, both unsure of what to say.

"Diana," he says softly.

"Yes, Jadeite?"

"Don't you wonder how I know your name?"

"It has crossed my mind. I'm still wondering what exactly you want with me, and who the hell the rest of those people are," Diana winces, closing her eyes.

Jae frowns, "Are you all right?"

"I think I just need some ice or something."

"All right..he really hurt you," Jae says in a soft voice as Diana gets up and goes into her attached bathroom to get a towel and wet it down.

Diana blinks and turns, going over to Jae and kneeling in front of him, holding the towel to her face.

"He who?" she asks softly, eyes narrowed.

"Your father."

Diana looks into those sapphire eyes, stunned.

"How did you know," Diana trails off, the towel dropping from her hand to land on the floor.

"I've been keeping an eye on you," he says softly, picking up the towel and gently pressing it to her cheek.

She rests a hand over his, asking after a pause, "Why?"

"Because," he pretends to reach for the right words, "because I was worried that we hurt you."

Diana purses her lips and raises a brow at him.

"You don't believe me," he says softly, sighing at her headshake.

"I only attacked with those others because I was ordered to," he explains in a very soft voice, not removing his hand, "I really do care for you, Diana, and where I come from, that's one of the highest crimes that can ever be committed."

Diana's lovely green eyes widen, and Jae feels himself start to fall into them.

He gets ahold of his emotions, sternly telling himself that falling in love would only bring the two of them much unneeded pain.

"Where are you from?" Diana asks after a little bit, her voice soft, unsure.

"I'm...from the Dark Kingdom, not a nice place."

She smiles wryly at that.

"Diana, has your family always treated you that way?"

Diana sighs softly, "For as long as I can remember they have."

She gently pulls back and resumes her seat on her pillow with a sigh.

Jae frowns slightly. "Aren't they supposed to love you?"

Diana chuckles softly. "You're innocent in some ways, aren't you." She smiles a little at his dumbfounded expression. "I suppose parents are supposed to love their little ones, but..." Diana stops what she was going to say just as she turns on the radio, motioning for Jae to be quiet.

Suddenly there's a pounding on the door, this time from an obviously large fist.

Part IV
Part VI
Beginnings and Endings Index