That Which One Begins - Chapter Eight At Lillith's habitat Lillith settled gently to the ground before her habitat, touching down so lightly that she didn't make a sound. For a moment, she paused, cradling William in her arms before letting him stand. Without a word, she turned and, it appeared to William, floated effortlessly to the front opening of the smooth, white, curving structure where she lived. Waiting at the large, vertical oval that served as the entrance, she peered back over her shoulder at her attentive mate, the allure of her so very evident in the light of the moons. With the folding of her arm, her hand rose to her shoulder to beckon him with the simple curl of a slender finger. There was no hesitation for William. The darkness within kept William from going any further. The air held an aroma of a subtle perfume that still lingered after its use. He could not hear her nor see her and, for a brief instant, he thought that, perhaps, he was alone. Thin, precise, red beams flashed in fleeting pulses from a point somewhere in front of him. Wherever one of those sharp, linear pulses flashed, a small candle ignited--some to his left, some to his right. A dim, warm glow rose to reveal her silhouette not three feet from him--a comfort, he found, that she was still so close. His eyes moved to take in the world of her habitat. Along the curved walls were pictures and posters of Earth, memorabilia from a planet much too far away. He recognized the Chicago skyline and a number of other cities--Denver, Houston, Los Angeles. An old, bent road sign leaned against one side of the room that announced "Slippery when wet". Some humor, he thought, is indeed universal. In a plastic frame was an ancient poster for the final world tour of the Rolling Stones, 2003, an antique that would net a large fortune among investors or collectors back on Earth. William pointed to it and nodded with a smile of approval. "Kara," Lillith explained brightly. She looked very proud of what her genetic sister had given to her. Beneath the eclectic collections on the walls was a large, circular bed, covered with mounds of small, multicolored, satin pillows. Each one was embroidered with a different location and most had fringe around the perimeter of the square tourist item, usually of a completely mismatched color. They were gaudy and cheap, but were here by the hundreds--she was, obviously, a collector. William picked one up to examine, reading an embroidered script that said "San Antonio Fair, 2056, See, Sky, and San Antonio". The silk-screened cowboy with the space helmet was a nice touch, although it wasn't apparent just what the space cowboy was about to lasso. William returned the pillow back to the huge mound of them that covered the bed. "Holy shit, honey," he gasped, "you're a regular little Terraphile." "Terran'a," announced a proudly smiling Lillith. She held her hands behind her back and swayed her shoulders back and forth like a schoolgirl getting attention. The fact was, she was showing off her Terran stuff to a Terran and was tickled to see how much he liked it. A giggle escaped just as her widening grin scrunched her nose. "You like Terran stuff, don't you, baby?" quipped William. Lillith turned her head slightly, unsure of the Terran words, but one caught her ear. "Bah... Bee," she tried. William smiled. "Yes, Lillith, " he said, a little embarrassed, "I called you 'baby'." Lillith stepped closer to him to play her finger around his shirt button. She seemed intent on it as she murmured the word again. "Bah-bee." The button popped off his shirt and clattered away into the darkness of the floor. Lillith drew her mouth back and raised her eyebrows to signal "Uh-oh" just before she began to drop to the floor to retrieve it. William caught her by her shoulders and shook his head gently when she looked up at him. His warm smile made her abandon the rescue of the button and slowly rise back up to stand in his arms. "Don't worry about that, darling," he whispered to her. The sound of his voice drew her lips closer to his. "You didn't bring me here tonight to do that." He tenderly nuzzled the side of her nose with his, letting his lips slide lightly over her waiting mouth. Her breathing quickened when his hand slipped along the small of her back and their kiss evolved into a flickering series of the lightest nibbles, especially along her upper lip. She loved it. William finished one kiss and was about to begin another when Lillith gently pulled back, placing her right index finger on his lips. She acted as if she was trying to catch her breath and took a deep one before removing her finger from his lips. "Will'm?" she asked, somewhat sternly. "Yes, Lillith," replied her mate. "Sk'tu de't e'sqisit?" William had no idea what she just asked him, but as he peered down at her, she was looking pointedly back at him, her right eyebrow raised expectantly. She also seemed to be turning her head slightly to the side. Oh shit, she's asking me if I think she's beautiful or sexy or something, William thought frantically. "Yes, Lillith," he replied clearly, nodding his head. "I think you're gorgeous." That last statement was spoken with warm intensity. She didn't understand the words, but she could sense his meaning. Lillith was very pleased, bobbing on her toes slightly as her shoulders and smile rose together into a brief, pure display of 'gee'. She gathered each of his hands in hers and stepped slowly back until the two lovers were at arm's length. Her back arched as she stretched, drawing her body up to full length while turning slightly from side to side. "Will'm, ske'tu de't aloor?" she now asked of him, her voice filled with a more obvious sensual intent. Sexy, he immediately thought. She's asking if I think she's sexy. "Oh, yes, baby," he crooned, raising his arms to take her into them. Lillith giggled, bounding onto the bed to playfully burrow under the Pillow Mountain. William could only shake his head at the cute childishness of this woman. "Are you going to make me chase you?" he asked with a hint of play in his voice. He would if she wanted that. Lillith suddenly burst from the Pillow Mountain, her hands high overhead, as if she had just popped from a cake at a surprise birthday party. "Bah-bee!" she exclaimed. William laughed at her antics, but his laugh faded when he saw her arms lower toward him. Her head lowered too as her eyes gazed up at him and her fingers rolled in an unmistakable gesture. "Will'm," she beckoned with a sultry voice. "Koom." He didn't know a word of Velorian, but he understood that one. His job description as the mate of a Velorian Protector had just become crystal clear. Walking smoothly toward her, he unbuttoned what remained on his shirt and dropped it to the floor along the edge of the bed.   "Philanthropithitatus, calm yourself." The booming voice of Large Grey had little effect as the two Tetrites trundled hurriedly down the curving pathway. "I am sure that the William and the Mistress will refrain from..." "This simply will not do," interrupted a very perturbed Phil. "I see no reason why this situation needed to develop in the way that it did. I simply do not... " Phil had not stopped complaining since he had arrived at Large Grey's nest. "Philanthropithitatus, as I have repeatedly stated, I understand your concerns, " reconfirmed Large Grey calmly, "but the William and the Mistress are fully developed intellectually. I am sure they will heed our earlier warnings. Perhaps they simply desired a more personal venue in which to commune." "My concern is not with the existence of their interaction, but the extent to which the interaction could occur." "That has always been our primary concern for the William and the Mistress," sighed Large Grey, disliking having to point out the obvious. "Terran males are notoriously promiscuous." "That is also quite valid for their females," added Phil. "Indeed, but a reference to Terran females does not apply to the William." "Indeed," concurred Phil. Large Grey stopped, blocking Phil's way on the path. He glared down at the smaller Tetrite. "Yet, there remains the issue regarding your insufficient guardianship of the William and the Mistress," rumbled Large Grey. "My guardianship... I can assure..." Phil was on the spot. "Were you not tasked with remaining in their company until such time when their future could be assured?" Large Grey took on the tone of a prosecuting attorney. "Well, I..." stumbled Phil. "And was that not a simple task to perform," continued the Prosecution sternly, "the success of which depended solely upon your attentiveness?" "I endeavor to be attentive to both the William and to the Mistress, but..." "But WHAT, Philanthropithitatus?" demanded Large Grey. "What could possibly explain a behavior that could only be described as blatant inattentiveness?" "There was a song," Phil murmured. "A SONG?" exploded Large Grey. One of his massive legs folded back to deal with an itch while the silence between them remained. Finally, after a moment of contemplation of Phil's response, Large Grey stood again on eight legs and sighed a bit, his voice turned softer. "Was it a fine song?" "Oh, my, yes," confirmed Phil. "It was most wonderful." "Well," shrugged Large Grey, "that explains it. I see no fault here." The matter resolved, the pair of Tetrites continued on their way down the path.   The feel of his kisses on her neck was heavenly and the tilt of her head grew to encourage even more. She could not and would not put her arms around him. Of that she had been warned repeatedly, warnings she took very seriously. She fought against her urge to encircle him, to take her lover in her arms, to hold him close, to love him with every part of her. Instead, she could only give of herself, giving away the tender freedom that she could not enjoy herself. So, she leaned back in his arms with hers safely, yet regrettably, idle at her sides to leave untouched the attentive lover that now lavished the most wonderful attention upon her. William cupped her beautiful head in one hand, kissing her neck passionately along the slender length of it until the glorious touch of his lips made Lillith close her eyes with pleasure. She tentatively caressed his forearm from his elbow to where it disappeared beneath her long, golden hair, but she dared to do no more, even though she could feel his other hand move in slow, rising circles along her taut waist.   William had never felt a woman like her before. Her skin had a richness that was so incredibly silky, so wonderfully smooth that he felt the need to be delicate, fearful that he might possibly mar her perfection. Yet, he also found that, by applying pressure with his hands on her body, her skin yielded only a few millimeters before he could go no further. Her entire body, he discovered, was solid steel encased in the finest silk. William also found that, try as he might, her breasts would not move. He simply couldn't budge them. As hard as he tried, and he tried very hard, they simply would not give under his touch.   Lillith was enjoying every minute of William's attention to her breasts. His light, feathery touch was so much nicer than the heavy handed boyfriends back on Velor so long ago; the young boys that couldn't seem to keep their hands to themselves. No, this Terran had a marvelous, delicate touch and she was becoming deliciously aroused.   William just couldn't figure this body out. He was beginning to get the impression that it was just impossible to do much of anything sensual, yet she did seem to enjoy what he was doing. Unable to bring her breasts together in his hands, William finally simply lavished his attention on one. His kisses turned into nibbles as he found her large, erect nipple with his mouth.   Lillith was breathing so fast now and she could feel herself falling into the most wondrous arousal. Her entire body shook when his mouth found her nipple and Lillith let out a bit of a moan. It was wonderful, so wonderful, and it couldn't hurt anything to run her hand through his hair. Just one hand, just one wouldn't hurt.   William was surprised at how firmly Lillith was holding his head to her breast. She was also twisting his hair a bit--that was uncomfortable--but it did show that she was enjoying his lovemaking. For that reason alone, William endured. William could smell an aroma of wildflowers and honey--a telltale sign of the release of Velorian pheromones--that had the most amazing, yet subtle effect on him. He could feel his own pulse pounding and his passion grew immense. William was succumbing to the most intense arousal that he had ever known.   She could sense his struggle with her body, how he was trying so hard to make love to a woman who was invulnerable to unimaginable power. Yet, the subtle, delicate sensations from a Terran lover brought her to the most unexpectedly delirious ecstasy. She so wanted him now, just to hold him, just once to feel him in her arms. Just once. What could that hurt? To hold her lover, just once. From her side, her remaining arm rose to let her slender fingers trace along his shoulder to his back and... "JEEZUSFRIGGINCHRISTAWMIGHTY- SONNAVABITCHINSHIT!!!" Phil and Large Grey stopped on the path to the habitat and looked at each other with curiosity. "Was that the William chanting?" asked Phil. "That was the William exclaiming," responded Large Grey. "We must hurry!" The two Tetrites trundled as quickly as they could across the remaining distance to the habitat, stumbling into the entrance to see William rising to a sitting position on the floor at the foot of the bed, holding his shoulder and obviously in pain. On the bed, a mountain of pillows hid most of the Protector although her butt was still exposed, sticking in the air from her kneeling position. Her head and shoulders were on the bed, buried beneath the pillows, and wailing sounds of sobbing came flooding out from the distraught Velorian within. William glanced up and waved franticly to Phil to come closer. "Phil, com'ere, man," William called out in his loudest whisper. "You gotta gateway for me NOW!" "You may proceed, sir." Phil wasn't clear on what was happening. "Lillith? Lillith, listen to me," William said to the sobbing Pillow Mountain. "Honey, please..." "No!" a miserable female voice replied somewhat muffled. "No, go away. I'm a monster!" "No, honey, you're not a monster." "I AM!" she insisted. "I'm no good for you. I'm a monster!" William turned to Phil. "Phil, tell her she's not a monster." "Well, sir, that is rather subjective. To some of the smallest species on the planet she is considered rather grotesque and..." A small lavender pillow hit Phil squarely in his fuzzy face just as Lillith let out a long, loud wail. "Not helping!" William hissed in an angry whisper at Phil before he turned back to the Pillow Mountain to try a different style. "Look, Lillith," he began, his voice tender and sincere, "it was just a little accident. I'm alright. My shoulder is just a little tender still from the crash, you know?" William reached up to caress her exposed behind, but when his hand touched her skin, that part of her was immediately retracted into the Pillow Mountain accompanied by a quick whine of protest. William sighed. "Oh, honey, please, it's alright." "It's not alright!" she countered. "It's terrible! I'm terrible! I could have hurt you badly. I don't ever want to do that. EVER!" The Pillow Mountain settled a bit, showing signs of consolidating positions within it. "Mistress," Large Grey intoned sternly, "the Protector of Tetra cannot remain beneath a pile of pillows." "Call me if you need me," she informed. "I'll come out if there's trouble." "No, Lillith," William corrected, "you will come out now." "No!" came the pointed response. "Lillith?" "No!" "Alright, fine," sighed William, getting to his feet. "When you're done sulking..." "I am not sulking," she corrected. "Fine. When you're done doing whatever you're doing..." "Thinking." "When you're done thinking, then maybe we can get things back to normal around here." "Okay," she muttered. "Okay," he agreed. William turned from the Pillow Mountain to talk with Large Grey. "She's a bit embarrassed right now, Grey. We, uh, had a little accident. Sort of a..." "The Mistress encircled you," rumbled a rather annoyed Large Grey. "Well... Yeah... There was a little bit of that going on, but she didn't mean to hurt me like that. I mean, my shoulder is still a bit tender from the crash..." "So the William explained," informed Large Grey dryly. "Yeah, well... It was just an accident. Won't happen again." Time to change the subject. "You know, what we need is some way to let us encircle each other safely. Something that will let me take the force of her hugs, Grey. There's got to be a way." "I believe you are speaking of 'The Enhancement'," pointed out Large Grey. "The what?" William asked. The Pillow Mountain stirred a bit. "Perhaps it would be prudent to provide the William with the information he requires," mumbled Large Grey to a nodding Phil before he spoke directly to William again. "Would the William converse with us regarding this subject? I believe that the William requires information." "Yes, Grey," said William pointedly. "I believe I do need to 'converse' about this. I mean, shit, man, I don't..." "Would the William care to join us outside the habitat?" Large Grey interrupted pleasantly. "It is quite a wonderful evening and we could converse while enjoying the breeze." "What..." William glanced at Phil who only blinked once in return. "Yeah," William nodded. "Yeah, okay, fine. Let's go outside." William and Phil proceeded to the doorway of the habitat, but there was no movement from the Pillow Mountain. Large Grey rotated his giant head a bit to inspect one side of the mound without seeing any sign of an emerging Velorian. "Would the Mistress care to join us?" he asked. "I can hear," a very disgruntled female voice moaned. "Indeed," concurred Large Grey, very well aware of her superior ability to hear sounds at great distances. Clearing his throat, more as a sign of his minor irritation with her nonparticipation than any minor irritation of his throat, Large Grey trundled from the habitat into the pleasant Tetritian night. "Now what's all this 'Enhancement' stuff, Grey?" demanded William. "Do I have to sign up for something here?" "In a manner of speaking, sir," offered Phil. William looked at Phil curiously. "Like what, Phil?" "The William requires information," answered Large Grey, "the possession of which may alter his relationship with the Mistress. Does the William wish to possess the information?" "Will it alter the relationship for good or bad, Grey?" asked William. "That is not foreseeable," Large Grey replied calmly. "It is a choice that cannot be made based upon what may happen, only upon what is." William thought a moment. "You're a pain in the ass, Grey," he finally said. "The William is too kind," acknowledged Large Grey with a slight bow. "Alright," William finally agreed to terms with a nod, "let's hear it." "As you may or may not already be aware, sir," began Phil, "the Mistress is of the species Homo Supremis, a genetically altered species with roots traceable back to your own, Homo Sapiens." "I didn't know we were related, Phil," said William. "So, she's a Velorian. I already knew that part." "Indeed, sir," continued Phil, "yet she also possesses the Protector, or P-1, genetics which endows the Mistress and others like her with unusual powers, such as flight and strength." "Yeah, I knew..." "It is her strength that is the basis for the incompatibilities, sir." "We'll work it out, Phil. Tonight was just an accident." "She is well over 5000 times your own strength, sir. The Mistress is, in fact, one of the most powerful creatures in existence" William couldn't help but look into the habitat where he saw "one of the most powerful creatures in existence" bobble a pillow pinched between her toes at the end of a shapely leg that extended from the Pillow Mountain and out over the end of the bed. The powerful creature, it appeared, was bored. "What do we do, gentlemen?" asked William with a sigh. "If the William wishes to remain with the Mistress, he must experience 'The Enhancement'," rumbled Large Grey. "There is no other way." "And just what is this 'Enhancement' thing?" asked William. "Well, sir," said Phil brightly, "it is the simple introduction of an active mutagenic agent into your body to allow it to modify your genetic DNA sequence to more closely approximate that of the Mistress, eliminating many of the incompatibilities that now complicate and confound the mating process. It is all quite fascinating and I have information that you may even develop an additional internal organ. Isn't that fascinating, sir?" William stared in a moment of silence. "You clowns are nuts!" William bellowed, throwing his hands in the air. "You want to inject me with some kind of rampaging bug that's going to rewrite my genetic code? You're nuts!" "I can understand the William's hesitancy," offered a somewhat confused Large Grey, "but the procedure does have a 97.3 percent success rate and..." "We're not talking about fixing myopia with a laser, guys, we're talking about changing me, all of me!" William paced once before flinging his arms from his sides. "What about that?" "It is the only way for the William to remain with the Mistress," informed Large Grey with a firm finality in his voice. The statement stopped William cold. He looked down at the ground and let out a long, tired sigh. In the silence that followed, William looked back into the habitat to see two female legs extending up from the Pillow Mountain, holding a pillow between their feet as they swayed left to right and back again. She was humming to herself. He smiled and sighed again before turning back to Large Grey. "That's not fair, Grey," William said quietly. "You know damn well I want to stay with her. That's not fair at all." "No," agreed Large Grey, his deep voice smooth and gentle. "No, it is not fair, but it is true." Large Grey placed the tip of his leg on William's shoulder like the gentle hand of a friend. "The William should know, the Mistress wishes you to stay, we all wish you to stay, but the only way open to you is 'The Enhancement'. To endure it, you must give up what you are. The William of before will cease to exist and you will become incompatible with your own species. To coexist with them again will be impossible for you without endangering them to the same extent that the Mistress now endangers you. And, the William must clearly understand that 'The Enhancement' is irreversible. What you decide today will decide the rest of your life." William was listening to Large Grey, but he had been looking back at the Pillow Mountain, into two, large, blue eyes. They were partially covered in blond hair and peered from the pillows into his own with a tenderness that William had never seen before. Large Grey waited in silence for William's decision, as did Phil. The eyes, those beautiful eyes, they weren't pleading with him, they were simply telling him that she loved him, that she wanted him to be with her forever, that even if he said 'no' and returned to Earth, that even in spite of that, she would never stop loving him. He knew that, he knew all of that just by seeing those eyes, those beautiful, emotional eyes. "Alright," William firmly decided. "Let's do it." Large Grey grinned agreeably while a bright giggle came from beneath the Pillow Mountain. "A wise choice, sir," commented a very pleased Phil. "Yeah, okay, so where do we get some of that mutagenic stuff?" asked William, ready to get down to business. "The Mistress, sir." "She keeps it handy?" "In a manner of speaking, sir," answered Phil. "She excretes it." "She does what?" William distorted face showed his disbelief. "She excretes it, sir," responded Phil. "Isn't that interesting?" "Oh, yeah, thrilling," muttered William. "So just how does she do that?" Phil looked to Large Grey. Large Grey looked to Phil. Neither of them appeared to want to volunteer the information. Finally, Large Grey simply chose to inform. "Vaginally." "WHAT?" shouted William. "WHAT?" shouted Lillith. Following the brief and rather rapid sounds of bare feet along a hard floor, Large Grey now had two upset humanoids, side by side, facing him. "Grey," demanded William, "are you saying she gives this stuff off through her... Her... " William glanced to his right and saw an angry Velorian. "Lillith, did you know about this?" "No!" she declared. "Not this part. I knew about Enhancements, but not this stuff. They never tell you anything!" Large Grey was looking more uncomfortable by the minute, so William tried to get things settled a bit. "Okay, okay, Grey," William urged. "So we have to collect some of this stuff from Lillith's... Um... Private parts, whatever. Once we do that, then what?" "Oh, sir," chimed in Phil cheerfully. "It isn't quite that simple. You see, the gland that excretes the material is very small, so it can only produce a very small amount of the material at any one time. In addition, the material can remain active for no longer than a few seconds, so time is of the essence, if I may say so." "Okay, so there isn't much of it and it doesn't last. What else?" Lillith was hunched over, looking at herself. She didn't see anything like that. "The gland produces the material during sexual arousal," Phil added, "and discharges completely upon orgasm." "You have got to be kidding!" demanded William. "Who the hell came up with that one?" "Genetic Engineers, sir," offered Phil. "It is indeed an appropriate moment to release such material. I cannot imagine a scenario where an enemy could acquire such a thing. It is quite sound engineering." "Oh, yeah," groaned William. "I bet they won first prize for that one." Lillith was feeling a bit self-conscious and slid slightly back behind the wall of the habitat. Her ears were a bright red. "Alright, now," William sighed as he clasped his hands together once, obviously fighting against the strangeness of the situation. "Let's review here. We collect a tiny bit of stuff that's going to completely change me from Lillith's vagina just at the moment she orgasms, except there's nobody here capable of surviving making love to her, so she'll have to take care of that herself. Is that about right?" "Well done, sir," approved Phil brightly. Lillith was resting her forehead against the habitat wall with her eyes closed. She wasn't dealing well with any of this. "And then what?" asked William with a shrug. "We inject it into me?" "There is no time for injection," corrected Large Grey, with the tone of a clinician. "The material must be administered as quickly as possible through the skin. I would suggest that it be taken orally so that it may be absorbed rapidly under the tongue." William and Lillith had the same stunned, incredulous expression on their faces. Both of their mouths were agape, their faces distorted with disbelief. They both continued to stare for long seconds before each slowly turned to look at each other with the same strange look. Both spoke up at the same time. "No..." said William firmly. "No..." said Lillith just as firmly. "No," repeated William over and over, shaking his head, just as Lillith was shaking her head and repeating "no" again and again. Lillith continued her mantra of "no" as she slumped back under the Pillow Mountain. This was all just too weird. William walked a few steps away from the habitat before he stopped saying "no". Then he could only shake his head. Large Grey became concerned that 'The Enhancement' might not occur after all. "Is there a problem?" Large Grey asked, very concerned indeed. "Oh, no, no," declared William sarcastically. "You just want me to have oral sex with a woman who can grind me into dust and who I'm just getting to know and who just might not want me rummaging around down there. Have you two thought about that one?" "She loves the William," reminded Large Grey. "I know that!" snapped William. "You know that," agreed Large Grey, "but the William does not understand that. It is that love that will keep you safe. She would do anything to keep you from harm, even from her. And know that it is your trust in her--that she will keep you safe--that allows you the will to place yourself in such an intimate and dangerous position. The action says much of both of you, does it not?" Phil stood on six of his legs as he fidgeted nervously with his two front legs. They came together just under his chin and he forced a theatrical, toothy smile for William's benefit, hoping to instill a bit of confidence. "Engineers," Phil commented, unable to think of anything more inspiring to say. "God bless their little pointed heads," quipped William softly, with a smile. "Alright, you guys, I'll do what I can. Let me talk with her. Maybe we can work something out." "I have every confidence, sir," confirmed Phil. As William walked slowly back into the habitat, Large Grey tapped Phil once to get his attention. "Philanthropithitatus, see to them and remain within the habitat. I will see to the preparations." "I have already installed an appropriate rock within the habitat," Phil said. "I will not leave them." "Yes," rumbled Large Grey, with only a hint of skepticism, much too little for Phil to notice. He eagerly trundled into the habitat while Large Grey lumbered down the path.   William knelt before the Pillow Mountain. "Lillith?" he murmured softly. A foot peeked out at him, just as her voice came from the other side of the mountain. "Hm?" she muttered with a noticeable disinterest. William stood and moved around the mountain to see Lillith lying on her back, mostly buried under the pillows with only her head and shoulders exposed. She was fidgeting a bit with the fringe of one of the pillows. She did not look happy. "Honey," William said gently, "you understand what they want us to do?" "Mm," she confirmed without looking at him. "You think we can do that?" Lillith scrunched her nose and gave her head a quick shake of disapproval. William nodded silently. "Alright, honey." William knelt beside her to gently stroke her arm with his fingers. "I understand." "It's not very, you know... Romantic," murmured Lillith before her eyes turned up to him. "I want us to be romantic." "I know, honey," agreed William with a slight nod. "I want that too." "I mean, I want to make love and all, it's just..." "It's just that there's more to it than that," he offered, finishing her thought. "Yes," she whispered, searching his eyes for understanding and finding it. "There is a lot more to it, Lillith." William shifted around a bit and looked deeply into her eyes. "You see, I've fallen in love with you. I know that now. I never really believed that I'd be able to honestly love anyone anymore, but you showed me something within myself." William hesitated, looking down a moment before his eyes returned to hers. "I know your heart, Lillith. How can I not love you after that? To see you, to be touched inside the way you've touched me, to know what I know about you only leaves me longing to feel your presence for the rest of my life. I love you with everything that I am, Lillith. That is all I can do, but I will. No matter what kind of 'incompatibilities' we have between us, I will." William tenderly kissed her lips and whispered his sincerity in the words, "I love you." Lillith's face was a sea of emotion, a single tear collected enough of itself to climb onto her high cheek only to pause before choosing a clear path to her chin. There it found nowhere to go, unable to continue ahead or to retrace the way back. In that tear, William saw everything and, with a simple kiss, gave it a new existence. "Stay with me tonight, Will'm," she whispered, her words barely audible through her tears. William nodded and settled onto the bed next to her, resting his head beside hers. Lillith snuggled as lightly as she could into him, a contented smile on her lips. "What about all these candles, Lillith?" asked William, preparing to rise from the bed to take care of them. Lillith turned her head upward and with a single, amazingly powerful puff, every candle was instantly snuffed out. "You are one handy gal," quipped William. "Yeah," she cooed in the dark. Something bumped a table at the far end of the room. Lillith raised her head and a thin red line of energy blinked from her eyes, igniting a small candle in the general area where the bumping had occurred. "I am most appreciative, Mistress," commented Phil, obviously left in the wrong place when the lights went out. He clambered up onto his rock without any further difficulty and signaled his readiness to face the night. "The warmest of good evenings to you both." A single puff and the light was gone. They were soon all asleep--it had been a very busy day. Next Chapter That Which One Begins, Copyright © 2001 by S.T.MAC