Crash And Burn
Crash And Burn
By Lady MoonHawke
When you feel all alone
And the world has turned its back on you
Give me a moment please
To tame your wild wild heart.
Savage Garden - Crash And Burn
RING!
A hand emerged from under the feather comforter to slap the bedside alarm clock, although it hadn’t been the author of the offending noise. The hand slithered back under the covers.
RING!
The hand emerged again and patted the top of the bedside table, moving gently around diet soda cans until it encountered the brangling telephone. The handset was lifted and pulled back under the covers. “‘Lo?” said a muffled voice. There was silence for a moment as the person on the other end spoke.
“No, thanks, Mark. I think I’ll pass this time. Yeah, bye.” The phone came snaking back out from under the blankets and was replaced in its cradle. There was peace and quiet for a few moments.
RING!
Aurora propped herself up on her elbows and tossed the blanket off her head. She stared at the phone in disbelief, daring it to ring again.
RING!
She snatched the handset off the cradle. “Yes?” she snapped, then listened. “No, Bill. Maybe next time. Yeah, thanks. Bye.” She dumped the receiver back into place and stared into space. Two offers for dates in less than five minutes. Aurora sighed. She had hoped when Steven rather impetuously wrapped his jacket around her shoulders a month ago, she would be able to escape the clamor of fellow students seeking her affections. However, this morning’s calls belied that wish. She stared at the clock, trying to decipher it’s message. 8:00 Friday morning, and no school today. Just a meeting for graduates to go over commencement procedures, and since Aurora wasn’t among the graduating class, it held no interest for her. She flopped down on the bed again and pulled the covers back over her head.
RING!
“AAAUUUGGGHHHHHhhh!” Aurora shouted, then grabbed the phone. “What?” she demanded. “No. No, no, no, no, no. Bye, Joe.” Make that three offers. Aurora sighed and crawled out of bed. She had no hopes of getting back to sleep now, so she may as well face the day. She pulled on clothing and went downstairs in search of food.
In the kitchen, she discovered Steven, her guardian-turned-boyfriend, putting away what she considered to be a disgusting quantity of eggs, bacon and toast. She snagged a triangle of the toast from his plate and helped herself to a cup of coffee from the pot. The memo board of the refrigerator was covered in her mother’s writing, leading Aurora to surmise that Carolyn was out for the day. That being the case, she set her cup down on the island counter-top, and surprised Steven by besieging him with a long, sensuous kiss. He indulged her for a moment, then broke free with ease.
“No, Aurora,” he said wearily. “You know better than that, and I don’t want to start in on it again.”
“Well, good morning to you, too. Anyway, it’s not like I’m down here naked giving you a lap dance. It was just a little greeting peck, that’s all.”
Steven sighed. They would never reach agreement on this issue, and he knew it. “So what dragged you out here so early?” he asked.
“Self-defense. My phone was ringing off the hook with offers to go out this weekend from some less than savory characters, and I got so irritated with it that I decided to get up.” She took a bite of toast and washed it down with a swig of coffee. “‘S Amy up yet?” she asked, crumbs clinging to her lips. Steven wiped them away with a finger for the pleasure of touching her.
“I dropped her at the office after she took her car into the shop. She’ll be back at noon, and wants to borrow your car to pick up her fiancé at the airport. She also wanted to know if you could do a last minute check on the guests who haven’t R.S.V.P.’d yet.”
It was Aurora’s turn to sigh. “Why doesn’t she handle these things herself rather than shove them off onto me?”
Steven shrugged. “Because you’re a sweet, loving little sister who wants her sister to have a wonderful, memorable wedding. Now tell me about these offers that dragged you out of bed so early.”
“Mark, Bill and Joe all wanted to know if I would go to an after-graduation party with them. I suppose their ulterior motive was to let me see Harry with whoever has had the misfortune to take up with him, Melinda, I think her name is. I’d warn her off, but it would seem too much like sour grapes.”
“Do you want me to do anything about it?” Steven asked, keeping his voice level with great effort. He’d warned Harry’s friends to leave Aurora alone, but they didn’t seem to be listening.
“Nah,” she said with a dismissive wave. “It’s annoying, not destructive. And if you want to get physical with someone, I can think of better ways to use it,” she finished with a sly smile.
“Aurora,” he began with a warning tone.
She held up her hand to stop him. “Now wait a minute. Just hear me out. Amy is going to be busy all weekend with Jim, Mom has a major deal coming off and has to spend all of her waking hours at the office, and we start serious training for All-State Monday morning. Then the wedding will be coming off, and we’ll have to spend every minute after that either training or at meets. This is our last free weekend for the whole summer practically. Do you really want to spend it staring at the TV?” she asked.
“You’re saying you want to go to the beach house, I take it?” he asked in response.
“You read my mind,” she answered with a flirtatious smile.
“It’s not that difficult a task at times.” He looked at her a moment, then gave up. “Okay. You get your calls made, and I’ll have a plane ready this afternoon. Do you want to go somewhere elegant for dinner?”
“No,” she said, leaning in until her lips barely brushed his. “I don’t want to go anywhere for dinner at all.” Before he could take advantage of her proximity, she pulled back, grabbed the guest list, and skipped out of the kitchen. Steven pursued, and caught her at the bottom of the stairs. He kissed her passionately, then released her.
“I’ll be seeing you later,” he said as she mounted the stairs.
“Promise or a threat?” she asked from the top of the stairs.
“Either way you want it,” he replied, and went back into the kitchen.
Just before noon, Aurora bounded down the stairs again, and nearly crashed into her sister as she came through the door. “Hi, Amy,” she said breezily, side-stepping her neatly and waving the now much annotated guest list. “I called all your lazy friends and found out who’s dying to come and who has other things to do,” she called, passing through the dining room to the now-deserted kitchen. “Huh,” she snorted, and retraced her steps to the entry, passing her sister again. She pressed the guest list into Amy’s hand as they crossed, then headed for the basement stairs. She opened the door, hopped down a couple of step, and hung precariously over the railing. “Steven!” she called. “Are you down here?”
“In the laundry room,” came the reply.
Aurora let her body slide over the railing, held on for a moment, then dropped the remaining couple of feet to the floor.
Steven came out of the laundry room as she landed. “That’s a stupid trick to try this close to All-State, and you know it,” he scolded. He knew that concerns for her own sake would fall on deaf ears. In certain things, Aurora was fearless, but she would let nothing interfere with her gymnastics eligibility.
She looked at him, dusting off her hands. “You’re right. Can’t afford so much as a bad ankle right now. Last one for a while. Amy’s home. When are we leaving?” she asked.
“Plane will be ready for us in three hours, and we should be at the airport by two so we can get through security, so, if you don’t mind, take this stuff up to my room, then get whatever you want for the weekend, and we will be out of here.” He handed her a basket of clothing. “And be sure to leave a note for your mom so she doesn’t worry.” He pecked her chastely on the cheek, then went back to the laundry room. Aurora went back up the stairs more conventionally than she had come down. She passed Amy again on the way, who was trying to decipher Aurora’s notes.
“What does all this mean?” she asked, following Aurora through the house and up to the second floor.
“‘C’ means coming, ‘N’ means not, and ‘D’ means don’t know. I told everyone who was still waffling that you had to know in time to give the caterers a count my Monday morning at the latest, and they mostly said they’d get back with you over the weekend.” She dropped the basket in Steven’s room, then went into her own and disappeared into the closet.
“So I still don’t have an actual count, right?” Amy asked.
“That’s about the size of it,” Aurora replied from the closet, her voice slightly muffled.
Amy sighed. “Okay. In that case, I need you to call all the don’t knows again Sunday and see which way they’re going.”
Aurora came back out of the closet with a carry-on bag in hand and clothing piled over her arm. “Sorry, Sis. No can do. Steven and I are going to California for the weekend, so you’ll have to worry about it. I am going to have one stress-free week-end before all hell breaks loose.” She piled the clothing into the bag and returned to the closet.
“But what am I supposed to do about these wedding guests?” Amy wailed.
“Call them,” Aurora called from the closet. “I’m sure they’re looking forward to congratulating you.” She returned and folded more clothing into the bag, then zipped it shut. “That should do,” she said to herself approvingly.
“Well, can I at least borrow your car for the weekend, not that I’m going to go anywhere now,” Amy griped.
“Amy, it took me three hours to reach all the people on your list, and I cleared out about three-quarters of them. It will take you less than an hour to call them all, and as you are so fond of reminding people, it is your wedding. As far as my car goes, help yourself.” She pulled her key chain out of her purse and split one ring off from the others, then handed it to Amy. “Be careful with it. The brakes are a little touchy right now. Just don’t slam on them, and it will be fine.” She hefted her bag and purse and went downstairs. She dropped the luggage by the door and went to the basement stairs. “Babe!” she called from the second step. “I’m packed and ready to go!”
“Good,” he replied, coming out of the laundry room and shutting the door. “Write that note for your mom, and don’t forget to eat,” he added.
“Steven,” she whined.
“Aurora,” he mimicked. “Let me make this clear. No eat, no plane trip, no beach house. Now!” he insisted, pointing past her.
Aurora gave up. She had already won what she really wanted that day. No sense in threatening it by getting difficult now. She waited for him at the top of the stairs, then walked through the living room with him. “You win,” she said as they entered the kitchen. “I’ll eat something while you pack,” she acquiesced.
“There’s my good girl,” he said, kissing her on the forehead.
“I’m not a girl,” she protested, “and I left good in the dust some time ago.”
“You don’t know how glad that makes me,” he said as he left.
When Steven returned to the kitchen, he saw Aurora putting an obviously used bowl into the dishwasher. He leaned against the doorframe as she puttered, back to him, putting the finishing touches on a bit of paper. He appreciated the view of her lean muscles as she pinned the note to the memo board, the tank top showing off strong shoulders and arms to perfection.
Aurora turned to see him watching her and smiled. “You waiting for the floor show to start?” she asked. She pulled the hem of her shirt out of her shorts and started to edge it up, baring her midriff. Steven merely watched, daring her with his eyes to go farther. Aurora hiked it up, displaying more lean muscle when Amyrya came into the room. Steven quickly pushed away from the doorframe and left, and Aurora let her shirt fall back over her abs.
Amy looked at through narrowed eyes. “That’s outside the bargain,” she said. “You know that you’re not supposed to act like Steven’s girlfriend while you’re here.”
“God, Amy, I wasn’t,” Aurora protested.
“Peeling your clothes off like a stripper isn’t trying to tempt him into bed?” Amy asked sarcastically. “Then what, pray tell, is it?”
“Just an inside joke,” Aurora replied lightly. She breezed past her sister and grabbed her purse from the dining room table. She followed Steven out the door as he carried the luggage to the car.
“Aurora, wait!” Amy called from the threshold. “How are we supposed to reach you?”
“I left a note in the kitchen. Tell Mom I’ll see her late Sunday, and say ‘hi’ to Jim for me,” Aurora said, sliding into Steven’s car. “Have a good weekend!” She waved gaily as the car pulled away from the curb.
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Aurora leaned on the deck railing, watching as the sun dropped slowly into the Pacific, turning sailboats into silhouettes. She pulled her jacket a little closer around her to ward off the breeze. Ocean winds turned chilly here at night without the sun to warm them. She smiled as Steven ran up from the surf, his board tucked under one arm, pushing wet hair back off his face. She met him at the top of the stairs with a kiss. “God, you’re cold,” she said, pulling back from his wet embrace. “Get in the shower before you freeze.” She followed him through the sliding door to the master bedroom, and sat on the bed as Steven entered the bathroom.
“So where to you want to eat?” he asked, stripping off the sodden wet-suit.
“I thought maybe Acapulco’s,” she replied, peeling excess nail polish from her fingertips.
“Mexican, huh,” he commented, stepping into the shower. He raised his voice over the rush of water. “So are you going to change?” he asked. “It’s going to be a cold one tonight.”
Aurora considered a moment, taking in the shorts and tank top she’d donned over her bikini when the breeze had kicked up. “I guess,” she capitulated. She slid off the bed and walked into the closet, sorting through what she had brought and the clothing that was purchased in LA. It occurred to her as she looked that a large percentage of what was designated to stay came from Victoria’s and Frederick’s. _Well, that won’t do,_ she thought, _at least, not for dinner._ She continued to examine and discard clothing, only slightly aware of Steven as he came in, found what he wanted, and exited.
Aurora finally settled on a long-sleeved bodysuit with jeans, and she threw a blazer over it, then stepped into a pair of well-worn loafers. As she was dressing, she heard the phone ring, and Steven leave the room to answer it. She moved from the closet to the bathroom and started work on her make-up.
She was finishing up her mascara when Steven appeared suddenly in the doorway. “Honey, we’ve got to leave,” he said.
Aurora looked over at him. “What, did you make reservations for some time in the next 5 minutes?” she asked. “It’s not that fancy a place. I’m sure they’ll have something when we get there.”
Steven shook his head. “It’s not that. Your mother’s been frantic to find you. Something’s happened, and we need to get back to Montana now.” He took her hand and pulled her from the bathroom. “Don’t worry about any of your stuff. I’ll either have it sent or buy you another, but a taxi will be here in 5 minutes, and we have to get to the airport.” He grabbed her leather jacket on the way out of the bedroom and gave it to her. In the living room, he stopped to make a call, asking someone to come lock up the house, there was an emergency, and he would fill them in later on the details. Aurora sat fidgeting in a chair, not knowing what was happening. When the doorbell rang, she ran to open it.
“Someone call a cab, ma’am?” the man on the step asked.
“Just a minute,” she replied, closing the door slightly. “Steven, the taxi is here,” she called.
“I’ll call you later,” Steven finished and hung up the phone. He grabbed his own jacket and headed toward Aurora. “Let’s go.”
Once at the airport, Steven moved them quickly through ticketing, identifying himself as a platinum member of the airline’s mileage club. It certainly got the attendant’s attention, and they were almost instantly booked on the next flight to Salt Lake City, then a connecting flight to Billings. Tickets in hand, they moved swiftly and silently through security and down the long corridor to the gate. Once there and checked in, they sat side-by-side in the rows of molded plastic seats. There, Steven took her hand and told her as gently as possible what had happened.
“It was my lawyer who called first, saying your mother was in a state and had to reach us. I called her back, and she told me a little of what’s happened. Your sister was in an accident. Your mother said something about a drunk driver and brakes, but she’s still hysterical. The only thing that’s clear is that Amy didn’t make it.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close over the armrest. “I’m sorry, honey. Your sister is dead.”
Aurora dropped her head into her hands as silent sobs wracked her body.
She slid her wet hands down her face and took a shuddering breath as their flight was announced. Aurora accepted Steven’s assistance to rise, and moved with him into the pre-boarding line that was forming near the door. He slipped away from her for a moment, spoke to a stewardess, and came back to wrap an arm around her.
“What was that about?” she asked.
“Just making sure everything is set. We’re being met in Salt Lake and escorted to the connecting flight. There’s not much time between them and it’s the last flight on that route for the night. We do not want to miss it,” he replied. “How are you holding up?”
“Kind of numb,” she answered. “Ask me again in a couple hours.”
They settled into the wide leather seats of first class, and shortly after take-off, Aurora loosened her seatbelt and moved the armrest out of the way, then curled up against Steven to sleep. The stewardess brought a blanket at his request and he tucked it around her, then called Montana again.
Aurora woke to the hum of the landing gear lowering, disoriented slightly until she saw Steven sitting next to her. Then she relaxed and straightened up, peeling away the blanket and fastening her seatbelt. The stewardess picked up the blanket on her way by, and Aurora settled in for the landing.
“Did you find out anything else?” she asked as Steven replaced the phone in its holder.
“Some,” he replied. “I’ll fill you between flights. Just try not to think about it for a few minutes. Okay, Honey?”
“I can’t think of anything else right now,” she said, curling her fingers into the padded armrest until tendons strained against the skin.
Steven rubbed her arm, making the muscles loosen. “You have to relax, Aurora. Things probably won’t get better, but they can get a lot worse, and I don’t want to see that happen.” He helped her up from her seat as the plane rolled to a stop. “Come on. We have ten minutes to get to the next flight.” They were first off the plane and made their way quickly up the jetway and out into the bustling airport. A small motorized cart was waiting for them, and they were quickly whisked away from the other deplaning passengers.
“So?” she asked, tapping her heel nervously.
He pressed a hand on her knee, stilling her heel. “I talked to Jim, who seems to be bearing up quite well considering. They’ve actually had a couple more days to deal with it than we have, so it’s understandable. Best they know now is that she was in an accident on the way to the airport. Jim said she never arrived to pick him up. They haven’t started any kind of tests yet, but the police think that the brakes went out as she tried to stop to avoid a drunk driver. Apparently the other driver plowed right into her, and she died before they could get the car opened.” He looked at her. “Honey, are you all right?”
Aurora took in everything he said, holding her head in one hand, the other arm wrapped across her lower ribs. “I heard everything you said, but I just can’t get it into my head, I guess. It all seems just really unreal.” She massaged her temples and sighed. “That probably doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but then, nothing else does, at least to me.”
He pulled her over to lean against him. “I know. But now you’ll have some idea of what to expect when we get back.” The cart slowed to a stop, and they hopped off and quickly boarded the next plane. They settled into their seats as the plane pushed back from the gate, and Aurora promptly fell asleep against Steven’s shoulder.
He woke her as the plane taxied to the gate in Billings, and she stumbled off the plane with him and into the small terminal that was still an hour by car from home. He guided her quickly out to the long-term parking lot, a dry field past the paved day lot. He helped her into his black Stingray, then slid in and they raced away into the night.
The Stingray’s headlights swept across the front of the house, illuminating the white clapboards and turned porch banisters. He cut the engine, and the headlights dropped into line with the hood like weary eyes shutting for the night. Steven looked across at Aurora. “Are you ready?” he asked.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be ready for this.” she replied, “but I also don’t think that it will get any better if I sit here and wonder if it’s really happening.” She was silent for a moment, and as they watched, the door opened and light poured out, outlining a figure in the doorway. Aurora sighed. “May as well get it over with.” She slid out of the car before Steven could help her and went to the door. “Hey, Mom,” she said softly.
Carolyn’s eyes were cold and hard. “Well. I hope this family tragedy didn’t cut too deeply into your little vacation. I wouldn’t want you to be inconvenienced by something you take so trivially as your sister’s death. You never think, do you, Aurora? You just do, and devil take the hindmost. Well, now it’s cost me my daughter. Pretty expensive for a little fun, don’t you think?”
Aurora dropped her head, and tears began to form behind her eyes, but the harsh words from her mother stung enough that she couldn’t stand to be seen crying. She pushed past into the house and ran up the stairs to her room.
Carolyn stared hard at Steven as he came up the stairs. “I don’t hold you entirely blameless in this situation either.”
He looked at her evenly. “Right now, I don’t care how you hold me. I care about how she is. The living need your help now. Not the dead.” He turned and followed Aurora upstairs.
Aurora lay face-down across her bed, the heels of her hands pressed to her eyes, trying desperately to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill out. She breathed deeply, fighting to get through ten breaths smoothly; no gasping allowed. _If I can just get through them, I know I won’t cry. I won’t let her do this to me. She can’t reduce me to a sniveling child with a well-turned phrase._ Her breath threatened to hitch in her chest, and she held it until she could exhale slowly and steadily. She heard the door softly open and close, and somewhere deep in her bones, she could feel Steven’s reassuring presence. She felt the bed next to her dip and sag, and Steven’s warm hand came to rest on the back of her neck. It flashed through her mind how inane her struggle was, and Aurora gave up and let herself cry.
Steven felt his heart ache as she cried. Every tear Aurora shed was like a knife in his heart, and right now, she was shedding a lot of tears. He patted her on the back, not telling her to hush, not telling her not to cry. She had held it in all the way home, staying so strong and resolute in public that his heart near burst with pride. Even at the airport, when he first told her, not a single tear had fallen past the hands pressed to her face. Now the tears fell freely onto the bedspread, and she wailed like a member of the damned. He stroked her hair and back as she wept, letting it wash away the worst of her pain, spread evenly between grief for her sister and anguish from the harsh words of her mother. The memory of Carolyn’s words stung him as well; not what she had said to him, but how coldly she had treated her own daughter. Steven knew well that no daughter of his would ever hear anything half that cruel from his mouth. He felt Aurora calm under his touch, and was glad. When she exploded like this, it was huge and loud, but like all things that big, it burned itself out quickly, and didn’t leave many embers to catch again later.
“She hates me,” Aurora moaned, the first intelligible words he had heard since coming in.
“No, Baby, she doesn’t. She’s hurt and angry and scared, just like you. And she lashes out so other will know just how badly she hurts. You’re very much the same, wanting everyone to feel the things you feel.” _So help me God, Carolyn,_ Steven thought, _if you hurt her like this again, there will be hell to pay, and it will cost you another daughter. I won’t let this, or you, destroy her. I need her too badly._ “I’m going to go talk to her. Will you be okay?”
She sat up suddenly and reached for him. “Don’t leave me,” she begged, her eyes fire-red and puffy. “I can bear it when you’re here.”
“Honey, I won’t be far-” he began, but she assaulted his senses in a way that was hard to ignore. One hand stole into his hair, tangling there, and the other stole in between skin and shirt, nails just grazing his back. Her mouth was against his, her tongue making his delirious with desire.
He tore himself away with great effort. “Aurora, no. I swore-”
“I don’t care,” she whispered against his mouth. She peeled off her jacket one arm at a time, and pressed closer against him, kissing him again.
Steven groaned softly as the blood pounded throughout his body. He could see and feel every curve of her body as she pressed closer, the tips of her nails barely making contact across all the sensitive places on his back. For an instant, he regretted telling her how to please him, but it had been such a sweet torture, to lie face down and let her stoke the fire with the lightest of touches. He pulled back suddenly, forcing her fingers into firmer contact, breaking the skin and her spell at the same time. “No,” he said more firmly this time, pulling her away and holding her at arms length. “I love you, and it’s no secret between us that I want to make love to you right now, but I won’t. There are other things I have to do. I will be back to check on you later.” He kissed quickly and chastely on the forehead, and slipped out before she could stop him.
Aurora fell into her pillow and cried until sleep claimed her.
Steven entered the kitchen and found himself face-to-face with a dark-haired, dark-eyed young man wearing casual clothes and a numb expression. He looked different from the pictures Amyrya had shared. The light in his eyes was gone, and his self-confidence buried under a thick layer of grief. “Hey,” Steven said, sticking out a hand. “Steven Landon. You must be Jim.”
“Yeah,” Jim replied. His shake was firm but brief. “Quite a commotion,” he commented, nodding in the general direction of the door.
“It’s usually not that bad,” Steven said. “But they’re both hurting right now, and it brings out the worst in them. They’ll probably get over it.” _I hope,_ he thought.
“So you’re the watchdog, then? Amy mentioned you. Said Rorie actually smiled around you. She was a junior in high school when I left for Colorado; bright and sunny. All she wanted was an Olympic medal and the cover of Sports Illustrated. But something changed her, Amy said. Made her dark and gritty,” Jim recalled.
“I’ll admit it’s hard for me to imagine Aurora bright and sunny. Even when that part of her peeks through, I wonder what I’m seeing. I’m pretty sure what made her so cynical was Harry. Fortunately, he is on his way to Southern Florida as we speak, and good riddance. He left a lot of damage for me to repair,” Steven said darkly.
Jim put a small box in front of him. “Start with that,” he said.
Steven opened the box to reveal a gold engagement set with a sparkling diamond and glowing plain gold band. “For Amy?” he asked,
“Yeah,” Jim said. “I was getting the diamond sized for her. It kept slipping off, so I took it into Colorado Springs on my leave day. I was going to give it back to her at the airport, but-” he closed his eyes for a moment and grimaced. “Sorry,” he said when he recovered.
Steven chose not to notice. “It’s beautiful,” he said. “Why not let it go with her?”
“Didn’t quite make it to the altar,” he said stiffly.
“You told her you’d love her forever, didn’t you, and swore she was the only one? It doesn’t matter where you say the words or who else hears it. In your heart, she was your wife, and she should have these,” Steven stated, closing the box and sliding it back across the island. “Take it easy, man. I need to go check on Aurora.” He left the kitchen quietly.
Upstairs, he heard the shower running in the master suite, and decided that Carolyn was turning in for the night. Well, there would be time to talk to her sometime in the next few days. He’d promised Aurora he’d return, though, and he couldn’t let it go. He slipped softly into her room, seeing her asleep in her clothes, the covers twisted beneath her. He managed to slide her jeans off, the smooth material of the bodysuit helping. The pants were tight enough that it was a trick to remove them without waking her. Then he pulled the covers from under her and settled them above her. She’d hardly stirred as he manipulated her, and he wasn’t very surprised. They’d both been up til the small hours of the morning in California, and the shock and stress of returning had not helped at all. Now she lay curled in a tight ball, and it bothered him. Aurora didn’t sleep like that. She sprawled, arms and legs spread, or cuddled up to a heat source. Curling into a ball like a scared rabbit was not her style at all. He leaned down and stroked her hair. “I’m here, Baby. You don’t have to be scared now. I’ll stay with you.” He snapped off the light, and stretched out in a chair to wait for the dawn.
Steven awoke from a doze shortly before sunrise, and, seeing that Aurora was still asleep, he slipped quietly out and down to the yard to watch the sun rise. The pre-dawn air was chilly, and he briefly wished he’d remembered a jacket. Then the sun slid slowly over the horizon, and he could feel their warmth as the first rays washed over him. He watched as the burning sphere made it’s way above the hills, then returned inside, ready for the day. He found Carolyn in the kitchen, dressed in severe black. He helped himself to coffee and looked at her speculatively, waiting for another salvo of words. She was equally silent, and he finally grew tired of waiting.
“Nothing to say this morning?” he asked.
She looked at him. “I know Aurora hasn’t the restraint of a bird, but I really expected better of you than to haul her off to God knows where on a busy weekend. If she’d been here-”
“Nothing would be different,” Steven interrupted. “Amy would still have taken the Camero Friday night, and she would still have been hit. There’s no getting around it. As for Aurora, she received some disturbing phone calls Friday, and I felt that removing her from the influence of the callers was prudent. She and I are also trying to pursue a relationship, and I said it wouldn’t happen under your roof. She was also tired of doing things for Amy that Amy should have done for herself.” Carolyn only looked baffled. “‘Aurora, address these invitations. Aurora, call the caterers. Aurora call the guests and find out who’s coming.’ Aurora does have her own life.”
“How can you speak ill of the dead?” Carolyn asked in a half-whisper.
“It’s simply the truth. There’s no good or ill in it. Aurora wanted one free weekend before things turned chaotic, and I gave it to her. I told her to leave you a note explaining where we were. If she neglected to do that, I’ll take it up with her. Other than that, I have no problem with what she and I did.” He crossed his arms, waiting for her next attempt.
It was a good one. “Did you by chance proof-read the note Aurora left me?” she asked, pulling it from the memo board and offering it.
He accepted it calmly and read it.
“Mom-
Going to Cali for the weekend. No worries. Be back Sunday late,
AAS”
“It’s about the bare minimum of what I told her to write,” he said. “She and I will talk about this. She knows the number well enough to leave it for you at the very least.” He folded the paper and stuck it in a pocket.
“All right, then,” Carolyn said, slightly mollified. “Mass is at nine, and she needs to be ready,” she said, leaving the kitchen.
“Mass? But it’s Monday,” Steven protested.
“God doesn’t care what day it is. I arranged a Mass for my daughter’s soul today, and I expect Aurora to be there.” Carolyn opened the front door and left.
Before Steve could even reach the stairs, the door opened again, and he turned, expecting Carolyn to be back for another round. Instead he saw Jim come in, knees pumping, decked out as “Property of US Air Force Academy.” “What’s up?” Steven asked.
“Just 5 miles before morning chow. Nothing real different. I knocked at your door. Thought you might like to go, but...”
“I was sitting up with Aurora all night. She was pretty upset by everything,” he replied quickly.
Jim merely nodded and headed toward the kitchen. “Anything I need to know from Commander Stargazer this morning?” he asked.
“Huh?!” Steven choked. He didn’t think anyone knew about Carolyn’s husband.
“Carolyn,” Jim replied. “She sure runs this place like a battleship or something. Everything moving smoothly like a well-oiled machine.”
“Thought you were AF,” Steven jibed.
“Yeah, well, someone’s got to move the stuff over water, and you can’t ask for a better moving crew than the navy,” he joked.
“That’s probably true. Carolyn said Mass will be at nine. I didn’t think she could arrange a funeral so quickly...”
“It’s just Mass. Amy’s service isn’t for a few days yet. She’s supposed to be released to the funeral home today, I think. I was going to go over and talk to them...” He faltered.
Steven clapped him fondly on the shoulder. “Good idea. I have to see about Sleeping Beauty. She’s only got a couple of hours to get her act together.” He went upstairs as Jim went into the kitchen.
Aurora was still asleep when he slipped into the room. He went to the side of the bed and shook her shoulder gently. He would have kissed her like the fairy-tale suggested, but he doubted seriously that they would have wound up out of bed after something like that. He shook her again. “Come on, Baby. Time to get up and get going.”
She woke up enough to wave one arm in a futile gesture, then rolled over to go back to sleep.
“Aurora,” he said more firmly, “it’s time to get up. There are things that have to be done, and you have to do them.”
“Nobody give a damn about me,” she said, pulling the blankets up. “No one loves me.”
He stripped the blankets back. “Don’t you ever dare say that. I love you, and I will always love you. Now get your butt out of that bed and into the shower before I dump you into it myself.”
She got out of bed woodenly and moved toward that door. Before she left he stopped her.
“You have ten minutes before I come in after you and get you out, so no falling asleep in there or wandering into some Never-Never Land, do you hear me?”
She nodded and left.
He was on the verge of going to retrieve her when she came back, still moving stiffly, like a marionette with a novice controller. She stood just inside the door wrapped in a towel, lost in her own thoughts. He steered her gently to the closet. “Mass this morning. Find something appropriate to put on, get dressed, and come back out here.” He turned on the closet light and pulled the door almost shut.
Steven found himself actually afraid. Aurora continued to do what he said, but she did nothing more. He’d told her to eat, and she did, without a murmur. He’d told her to get ready to leave, and she obediently went upstairs and fixed her hair and make-up, but she seemed to have no will of her own, and no idea about what to do next. In the car, she’d been silent. Now, as they sat in the church, she made her responses softly, not really aware of what she was doing. She hadn’t even acknowledged her mother at all, and he could tell Carolyn was irritated. He planned to do something about that later. Right now, he had to keep Aurora moving, for fear she would lose herself completely. They moved outside to the churchyard, and still she was unresponsive, sitting where he said, unmindful of the wind blowing stray hairs across her face. He sat next to her, holding her cold hand, and praying to Whomever would listen that she snap out of it soon and find her way back.
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Aurora found herself drifting up from sleep as sunlight streamed in her window. She spent several minute pondering it, trying to gauge the time of day, and finally settled on late afternoon, since it was a west-facing window. She listened carefully for signs of life from downstairs, but there was nothing. She climbed out of bed and headed for the door. As she passed the mirror, an apparition caught her eye and made her jump, then, as she looked closer, she wanted to cry. Her skin looked like chalk, and felt like sandpaper, and the dark rings around her eyes were the rival of any raccoon’s. And her hair. It was her pride and joy, black as night and smooth as silk. Now, it was clumped and matted, and felt like it had been dipped in a frying vat. “Enough of this,” she whispered, and she was astounded by the rough note in it. What had happened to her? She searched her memory frantically, looking for a cause. She could recall well enough going to Malibu, and the frantic race home, as well as the knife-edged words her mother had greeted her with. But after that, things became blurry. She knew she’d been out of bed, but the exact instances were unreachable. She’s been...somewhere...where people made noise, and her eyes had burned. Steven had held her hand.... Steven! She looked around frantically, though there was no place to hide in the room. He’d been here. That stood out in perfect clarity. Night after night, when she was closest to awake, he had been there, holding her hand, talking to her, just being near enough to feel in some small, half-dormant part of her brain.
She moved with deliberation to the door, ready to search for him, then looked down at herself: Smelly, dirty, hair a rat’s nest. “Not like this,” she murmured, ignoring the dry feeling in her throat. “Not yet.” She left the room and headed for the shower and some soap. Lots of soap.
Half an hour later, Aurora returned to her room. The disgusting feeling was gone from her hair, and although her face still looked thin and tired, there was color in it again. She pulled on some comfortable clothes and looked for some sign of habitation below.
In the kitchen, she found a clue to someone’s location, at least. A note with her mother’s distinguished writing was on the memo board.
“Steven,
I took Jim to catch his flight back. Aurora was still asleep when I left.
Something has to be done. This cannot continue.
Carolyn.”
Aurora pinned back to the board, and wondered just how many days she’d been out of circulation. She studied the calendar on the board, trying to find some point of reference. She found the Friday marked “Pick up Jim” easily enough. From there, she traced forward, passing quickly through the weekend to Monday. What had happened Monday? “Mass,” was the only notation. Aurora strained for some memory of that day. “I will always love you!” floated like a ghostly echo. Steven had shouted at her. Well, that was nothing big. She shouted at him on occasion as well. Tuesday was labeled “Visit.,” but she could only drag murmuring from her jumbled head for that. “Funeral” covered Wednesday, and Aurora was sure the burning of her eyes was related to that. She seldom went to Mass anymore because the priest loved the old ways, and incense was one of the very oldest. Thursday and Friday were blank. It could be one of those, but she kept going, anyway. She found her answer on Saturday. “Jim home,” it read. God, Jim had been here, and she couldn’t remember saying two words to him, and he’d always been a really great guy. Aurora let her hand drop from the calendar. More than a week since Amy’s death, and she’d spent most of it in some dark fog. She turned to leave the kitchen and a basket of fruit caught her eye. Suddenly, her stomach rumbled, and she realized she probably hadn’t eaten more than a bite in the last few days. She snagged a banana and pushed through the swinging door. She stopped in the bay window of the dining room and knelt on the window seat. The sun had set on the other side of the house, and night was falling fast. In the gleam of the streetlight, she could see Amy’s silver Riviera parked at the curb, and an idea hit her suddenly, and wouldn’t let go. She dropped the banana peel on the immaculate table and ran upstairs. Within five minutes she was rushing out the door, and sped away in the luxury car.
The house sat empty and quiet for ten minutes, then the door opened again, and Steven came in. He immediately sensed the emptiness, and knew something was wrong. He found the note in the kitchen and cursed. “Damn it! I told you not to leave her alone! Shit!” He stormed out of the kitchen, and saw the peel on the table. He snorted. “First time she remembers to eat something for herself.” He threw it away on his way out. Upstairs, her room was empty, as he had feared, and he could smell her shampoo in the still-moist air. “Damn, it, Aurora,” he said, “Why did you have to come back to your senses the moment I let my guard down?” He looked around the empty room, clothing scattered everywhere. “Where the hell have you gone?” He sorted though the clothing, looking for some sign of what she was wearing; some small clue to work with. However, the size of her wardrobe and the fact that several of her favorite pieces were in California hindered his efforts considerably. Unconsciously, he set aside a pair of neon-orange spandex pants, knowing they belonged to Gina Getraire. He looked back at them a few minutes later, and inspiration hit him. Gina was an unrelenting gossip. If anyone knew where Aurora was, it would be Gina. Hell, with any luck, Aurora was at Gina’s house. He snagged Aurora’s telephone and dialed frantically. It rang twice, then was answered.
“Getraire residence. This is the Chief.”
Steven cursed mentally. Chief of Police Getraire was a talker, and he interrupted frequently. “Good evening, sir,” he said. “This is Steven. Is Gina at home?”
“How you doin’, boy? Sad business last week. I hate drunk drivers. Like to lock them all up and throw away the key. Did you hear that the other driver had a concussion and a bump on the head? Damn shame, when poor Amyrya ended up dead.” The chief had peculiarities where drunk drivers were concerned.
“That’s shocking,” Steven said neutrally. “Could I speak to Gina?”
“Is Mrs. Stargazer all right?” Getraire asked, completely ignoring Steven. “Damn shame, losing her daughter like that, and Amy just about to get married. That Jim, he’s a good man. Terrible loss for everyone. I can’t think of anything bad enough to do to that no good, rotten, misbegotten son of a bitch who was out driving in that kind of condition. BAC exceeded .20, did you hear? Ought to be a way to stop people like that. Something more than catching them after the fact. Doesn’t do the victim’s family any good.”
“No, sir, I don’t suppose it does. I really need to speak to Gina, sir,” Steven insisted.
“What? Gina? She’s not in, boy. Went to some graduation party with that Lyon’s fellow. Think I’ll have to be keeping an eye on him. May have to be asking him his intentions pretty soon, if you catch my drift,” Getraire said conspiratorially.
“Well, good luck, sir. I like Geoff, for what it’s worth. He took quite a beating for Aurora, and that’s a lot in my book. Do you happen to know where this party is?” Steven asked on the spur of the moment.
“Oh, they went up to that mountain to yell and scream and throw their fits. Plenty of the kids hung around for Amy’s service, you know. She was quite a popular girl before she graduated, and what with working in the office and all, everyone knew her. It’s not a big school, but it’s good. And close knit. Sometimes a little too close knit, with no one wanting to name names and all, but most of that element graduated this term, so I think things will settle down considerable now.”
Steven had what he needed now. “Thank you, Chief. I’ll tell Carolyn what you said.” He hung up quickly, before the chief could get started again. He dashed into his room, quickly changed into jeans and a T-shirt and ran out to his car. He paused for a brief instant, debating about leaving a note for Carolyn, then decided against it. There was no time. Steven gunned the cars engine, then raced toward the mountains, praying that Aurora was there.
Aurora stood between the rumbling cars, waiting for the drivers’ signals. When they were ready, she pulled off her jacket and handed it to Gina, then went to stand in front of the cars. She peeled off her top, and there was a collective groan. A white tube-top concealed what everyone was hoping to see. “Tough shit,” she shouted at them, laughing, then she checked again with the drivers. They both nodded, and she raised her arms overhead. She held up three fingers with her free hand, and mouthed “three” to both drivers. They nodded in comprehension.
Aurora rotated her wrist, setting the blouse rippling through the air, and at the end of the third turn, brought it down like a whip. The cars leaped past her, and she turned to watch their taillights waver across the mesa toward to cliff. People streamed past her, wanting a better view in the dark of the race. Aurora watched them go, them dragged the blouse back over her head, and went back over to the clutter of parked cars. People were gathered here too, drinking and dancing crazily in the glow of multiple sets of headlights. Some of the cars bounced suggestively, indicating celebrating of a different kind going on. Aurora sat on the hood of her sister’s Riviera and watched the party through dispassionate eyes. She’d come up here to feel alive again, but it wasn’t working. She briefly considered running the Riviera around the track, but she didn’t trust its handling enough to tackle Devil's Turn. “God, I want my Camero,” she said to the world at large.
“If wishes were horses,” came Gina’s voice. Aurora saw her coming near with two beers. She offered one to Aurora, and dropped Aurora’s jacket on the car.
“You have got to be kidding,” Aurora replied. “The stuff tastes like piss, and my sister just died in a DUI accident. I am not drinking that shit.”
“Did I say drink it? Just open it and pour half out so if anyone offers you anything else, you can say you don’t want to mix your drinking.” She pushed the can into Aurora’s hand. “So where’s Steven? Everyone is saying you guys broke up, and now you’re head-hunting again.”
“I can honestly say I have no idea where he is, but we did not break up. We spent last weekend in Malibu playing you Tarzan, me Jane. We left Friday afternoon, before Amy-” She stopped abruptly.
“Hey, it’s okay. There’s no way you could have known. So, who did the swinging from the chandelier?” Gina asked.
“Sorry. I told you before, I’ll say when and where, but not what.” Gina looked crushed for all of about two seconds.
“Well, do you have any souvenirs I can bandy about? It’ll help kill the rumors about the break-up,” she suggested.
“None where I can show you,” Aurora laughed. “Wait a sec.” She pulled her hair aside to reveal a healing set of teeth-marks imprinted on the back of her neck. “Good enough?” she asked.
“I can work with that,” said Gina critically. “What excuse do you want for his absence tonight?”
“Wasn’t home when I left should do. If he figures out where I am, there may be fireworks, though. I didn’t leave a note.”
“Well, be sure you kiss and make up, or all my work will be for nothing.” Gina headed toward a knot of people and started the gossip mill working.
Aurora saw twin sets of headlights heading in from the race track, and hopped off the car to declare a winner, shrugging into her jacket on the way. The lucky driver was rewarded with a peck on the cheek, then, duties as starter done, she returned to the carousing and cavorting in the ring of cars. A hand grabbed her elbow, and she turned to see Harry looking at her.
“Pretty fast work, Rora,” he sneered. “Really didn’t expect you to be boffing some guy while your sister was dying. And in your car, too. What, did she look wrong at the boy-toy?”
“Harry, you are an ass. You have always been an ass, and you will always be an ass, and I am thrilled to be able to tell you to get the hell away from me.” She saw a pouty blond approaching them with smoldering eyes. “Now look what you’ve done, ‘Boy-Toy.’ You made your bitch jealous.” She studied the blond who draped herself across Harry’s back. “Try a different concealer, Mel. I can see the black eye through that cheap crap.” She turned and walked away as Melinda whined in his ear.
Harry shook her off and grabbed Aurora again. “You don’t talk that way to my girl, you slut.”
Aurora grabbed his throat, pinching off the blood flow to his head. Spots swam before his eyes, but he could hear her voice clearly. “Don’t touch me, and don't talk to me. Ever. Again.” She squeezed tighter for a moment, then let him drop, and walked away through the applauding crowd. Harry merely wheezed on the ground behind her, and Melinda cooed over him.
As Aurora approached the Riviera, her heart froze for an instant. Steven had managed to deduce her location, and was leaning against it, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Aurora plastered on a smile, and went to hug him. He was stiff as a board, so she whispered, ”Appearances.”
He snorted and whispered back, “We are not done with this,” then wrapped her up and lifted her from the ground. When he put her down, he pinned her head and kissed her passionately.
When Aurora could breath again, she smiled. “I should run out on you more often. It puts a wonderful spin on the reunion.”
He flicked the end of her nose. “Silly chit. I’ve been half out of my head for days, and you wake up and decide to run wild. And no note or anything. What is wrong with you?”
Tears stood out in the corners of her eyes. “I don’t know. I just needed to be away from the house. It’s like everywhere I look, I see something else that makes me hurt. I just had to be away for a while. I had to find something.” She leaned her head on his shoulder, glad for the warmth and support he provided.
He wrapped his arms around her. “Baby, I don’t know how to help you. It’ll get better in time, but you just have to wait. What are you looking for?” He could feel her shake her head.
“I don’t know. I guess I just wanted my old life back; for Amy to be harping at me, for my mother to love me. I want things the way they were.”
“It’s not going to happen, honey. You aren’t going to have your sister back. However, your mother does still love you. She’s just hurting too bad to say it now.” He rubbed her back. “Come on. Let’s get you home now. Enough partying with this crowd.” He pulled her back and saw the beer still in her hand. “Oh, shit. Do not tell me you have been drinking this crap.” He looked at her sternly.
She looked down at it, having forgotten its existence for a moment. “Oh, no. Gina gave it to me as a defense mechanism. If I have one, no one will bring me one and expect me to drink it.”
He shook the can gingerly. “It’s half-empty. Where’s the rest?”
She looked confused. “You have to dump some to make it look like you’ve been drinking,” she explained. He only looked skeptical, so she kissed him. “There,” she said, pulling away. “Have I been drinking?”
He looked sheepish. “No. Okay, get in that land yacht and get headed home. I’ll meet you there.” She got into the car obediently, but the blank expression hadn’t returned, so Steven went on about his business.
When Steven returned home, he had collected four versions of Aurora’s encounter with Harry, ranging from her punching him to “some weird ninja-shit. He may never talk again.” He smiled to himself. It was the most spirit she’d ever shown in dealing with Harry, and it gave him hope that she would recover.
However, when he went inside, he found that spirit in danger of being squashed by a severe chewing-out. Carolyn was pacing around the living room, ranting at Aurora, who was curled up on the couch.
“Of all the irresponsible, unthinking, uncaring things you have ever done! How could you disappear like that, with no concern for anyone. You didn’t so much as leave a word as to your location. You know I’m at my wit’s end now, and for you to just run off without any feeling for me, for how worried I must have been. Aurora how could you do this to me? Again?”
Steven was afraid she had retreated to whatever place had trapped her earlier that week, but this time, her head snapped up and her eyes blazed. “How can I do this to you? How can I do this to you?! How can you do this to me? You don’t say a word to me except to criticize anymore, or tell me how something is all my fault! Well, I’m sorry. I’m sorry Amy died! I’m sorry it was in my car, but I told her! I told her about the brakes. And I know there’s nothing else she could have done. It’s just one of those things that happen. It’s not fair, and it’s not right, but it’s reality. And I’m sorry I’m not her carbon copy so you can dress me up in power suits and groom me to take your place, or her place, or whomever’s place you want me in! I’m not you, and I’m not Amy, and I’m never going to be that kind of person, so just lay off!”
“I don’t want you to be Amy!” Carolyn shouted. “I just want you to have a little more common sense! You do things without even considering the consequences. You could have been hurt or killed, and I never would have known.” She whirled on Steven. “I though you were going to keep an eye on her!”
Steven leaned against the wall, trying not to get involved. This was something that needed to happen. “You knew I had to go out,” he replied evenly, “and I did suggest that you not leave her here alone, and neither of you were here when I got back, so...”
“So it’s my fault, I suppose?” Carolyn snapped. “Jim had to catch his flight back to Colorado. There was nothing more for him to do here.”
“And I don’t suppose it occurred to you to make Aurora get up and go with you?” he asked pointedly. “So, she woke up to an empty house, and thought you didn’t love her, so she went to find people who did love her, or at least admired her, which can be a nice substitute.” He looked over at her. “Am I right?”
Aurora nodded, wiping back tears from her eyes. “I just wanted to be with the living for a while,” she said, sniffling. “It’s like a tomb here. I can’t stand it.”
Steven came and sat down next to her, holding her hand. He looked at Carolyn. “You may as well sit, Mom,” he said. “We’ve got a lot to work out.”
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Aurora awoke as the car began to follow a tortuous, twisted path. She opened her eyes to see pine trees everywhere, and no signs of civilization. “Where are we?” she asked.
“My home,” replied Steven. “Well, almost. It is my land, but I don’t live out in a cave like some hermit. I think you’ll find the house to be comfortable enough, but it’s not as large as some other’s I could think of,” he said, mentally comparing it to Buckingham Palace and the Taj Mahal.
“I’m sure it will be nice to live cozy for a while,” she said, looking forward to some peace and quiet. “What else is out here?” she asked.
“More trees,” he replied, smiling. “Plenty of hills, and a played out gold mine or two. Nothing really exciting.”
“No. I mean, are there any neighbors?”
“The nearest would be the city of Colorado Springs, twenty minutes from the house. I think the Air Force owns some land nearby, but they just like to own everything near any installation. The military is funny that way. They like themselves for neighbors, strangely enough. Makes sense, though. No one else does.” He was relieved when Aurora chuckled. This was a desperate gamble, and if it didn’t pay off, she would hurt forever. “So, do you like it?” he asked as the house came into view.
Aurora’s jaw dropped. It was huge, there was no other word for it. Gray fieldstone made up the three wings, each with three floors. “How many people live here?” she asked.
“Well, there’s a full compliment of servants since we’re here, but no one else, really. My parents are...dead, and I’ve lost touch with my half-brothers for the most part. So aside from people to do anything you want, it’ll just be us.” He pulled into the circular gravel drive and got out, leaving the keys in the ignition. A man in a suit opened Aurora’s door, and she stepped out with his assistance.
“Good day, madam, sir,” he said, nodding to them. “Everything has been arranged as you asked, sir. Will there be anything else?”
Steven came around the car to take Aurora’s hand. “Just have the luggage brought up and see that the car is put away. If we need it later, I’ll let you know. And thanks, Bernard. I know it was short notice.”
“Think nothing of it, sir. I enjoyed the challenge.” He nodded again. “Madam.”
Aurora could only nod in response. “Who was that?” she asked as they walked toward the door.
“Bernard. He’s been with my family forever, it seems. Sort of a butler and valet and concierge all rolled into one.” He opened the huge double doors and they walked in. Aurora was amazed all over again at the beauty of the house. Black and white tiles covered the floor, and columns soared to the second-story ceiling, flanking a wide staircase leading to the second floor. “Do you like it?” he asked, his voice twinged with concern.
She sighed. “I love it,” she said. “I think I could be really happy here.” She wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned against him, ready to begin her healing.
*THE END*
SilverHawks, Narnia characters, Labyrinth characters, Beauty and the Beast characters and Gargoyles characters are the properties of their respective owners, and are used without permission. These stories are not for sale, and no money is being made from them. Original stories are the property of Lady Moonhawke, as are any original characters. Krysten Barter (AKA Krysten Merino / Skyedansuer) is the property of Lady Razorsharp, and is used with permission.
Send comments to: Lady MoonHawke
Back to the Shadowspace
Back to the Silverhawks Fanfiction Homepage
Back to the Aurora Chronicles