Actually, there's not a lot of revision to be done--just cutting off the piece of part two that showed up here last week. Thank you, once again, for reading this series (yes, it IS a series...) of stories. I appreciate any and all feedback, and will EVENTUALLY (*sweat drop* sorry alys, lianne, bunny, and others who I never seem to reply to!) get back to you. Promise. All DISCLAIMERS apply. The villians are MINE in this story. ENJOY! The Four Lovers Air On A Cosmic String Part 1 I. "Let's talk..." Will you miss me, when I'm gone? Will you remember all the good times we've had? The hardest thing about leaving Is saying goodbye --"Only A Memory Away" The only thing that stirred Jade from his haze of sleep was the insistent ringing of a small bell right near his ear. He smacked at it in his dreams, for he was less than two inches from the dark flame that he'd been chasing all night. He could catch it, he could, he knew he could...except for that ACCURSED BELL that was ringing in the background! Finally, he dragged himself away and from his covers, hand reaching out to snag the phone, voice roughly demanding, "What?" "Hey Jade! Bad night?" He sighed. "No Nate--just good dreams. Until you called." There was soft laugh on the other end, despite the fact that he didn't think the situation AT ALL funny. "Well, I've got just the news to brighten your day." "Really? Do tell," he replied, trying to sound bored, but he was truly interested. Nate rarely tried to "brighten" his day, and if he had news THAT good, it was bound to pique Jade's curiosity. "Not now," Nate replied. "It's only about 9:00 in the morning, and I've still got to confirm the news." "9:00!?! It's only 9:00!!!! Nate, next time I see you, I'm going to beat you about the head and shoulders! What is your problem, calling me at NINE in the morning when you KNOW I was out for most of the night, considering YOU were THERE!!" he ranted into the phone. "Hey, Jade, calm down! I was just too excited about this! Besides, I don't want to see your face--along with the others--until past noon. I should have my confirmation by then." "Nate," he started. "Don't even try, Jared Gold! I checked the schedule, and NONE of you are working!" Nathan cooly replied, then hung up the phone. Jared slammed down the receiver and growled under his breath. He checked the clock, found it was truly on a little past nine, and grumbled some more. "And he lectures me about getting too excited!" he muttered as he tried to settle himself into the warm haven of his bed. It took a little tossing and turning, but he finally got comfortable, and soon was dreaming again, dreaming of a tiny purple flame that was just out of his reach... It wasn't until a little before 12:00 that the smells of cooking in the kitchen aroused him from sleep. Tiredly he padded into the kitchen to see Serena busily concentrated on the stove in front of her, trying to make eggs. "Oh Serena," he groaned, and she turned sheepishly from the stove. "Morning Jade!" she said as cheerfully as she could. "Want some breakfast?" "I don't prefer charcoal in the morning, thank you," he replied as he opened the fridge and rummaged for orange juice. "Jared! I'm not that bad a cook and you know it!" she said, stamping her foot. He grinned inside the fridge at her behavior before pulling out the orange juice and shooting her a look. She shot one right back before turning back to the stove, blue eyes crinkled as she stabbed at the eggs. Good humoredly he sidled past her, wacking her on the butt with the tip of his robe. She nearly smacked him with the spatula, but he ducked out of her way with a grin, eyes belying wide-eyed innocence. "That didn't work with your mother, and it doesn't work with me," she said in a harsh tone. "Now do you want any eggs, or should I burn some toast for you?" "Actually, I feel like a salad this morning," he joked. "I'll give you a salad," she murmured back, and grinning he took a seat at the small table. Now that his mother had remarried, he and Serena shared the house. Well, and... "Morning, all," Petal said as he dragged himself into the kitchen, hair pulled back in a knotted ponytail. "You look horrible," Serena admonished. "Want some eggs?" "I didn't sleep well, and sure," he replied, pulling up a chair next to Jade and slouching on the table. His delicate features were creased with lines, and Jade wondered what could've troubled his sleep so much. He didn't noticed Serena start at the stove, and the wave of sadness that washed over her face. A coupla minutes later Serena plopped down a plate of eggs in front of each, as well as one for her, and they sat down to eat. "So, Serena," Jared said, unconciously checking the clock----"what happened to you last night?" She suddenly seemed to choke on her eggs, and he stared at her strangely as she tried to clear her mouth. There was something strangely old about her eyes this morning, as if she'd watched a thousand deaths...it was just WEIRD. "Um...nothing much, Jade," she finally said. "Just came home and went to bed...that's all." "Serena," he asked, going on a hunch, "are you all right?" She seemed to choke again, then painfully pushed the food down her throat and said, "Yea. I...we...all of us need to get together. I need to talk." Her eyes, usually bright and cheery and wonderful, avoided his completely; the glimpses he caught of them were like looking into a raw, blue wound, and emptiness surged into him. He shivered unconciously. "About what, Serena?" asked Petal, eyes curiously worried. Although it had been just him and Serena at first, the death of Petals's father had driven his mother into a deep depression, and he'd come here seeking refuge. Which was perfectly all right, because three paychecks paying the bills worked much better than two, and Petal and Serena had always gotten along. "You'll see, Zach," she replied, a bit of life coming into her voice. She stirred the contents of her plate for a minute before asking, "So, how'd your night go?" The two men exchanged smiles, and then Jared calmly said, "It was the usual. Four lonely men trying to pick up cute, lonely woman...." "And failing?" she suddenly piped up, in a voice more worried than teasing. "Not fair, Serena, you always spoil the ending!" Petal protested. "My job, Zach," she replied, smiling. "Yea, but...anyways, you should've seen the moves Nate tried to put on this one woman last night. She was this lovely creature, aqua-ish hair, who seemed so el..." "NATE! Duh, I forgot!" Jared suddenly exclaimed, slamming his near full glass of orange juice on the table. The other two watched as the juice threatened to slosh over the edge, and looked up at him when it didn't. "Lucky," Petal whistled. "What's up with Nate? Other than the fact that he's hitting on other women?" Serena asked. "He's invitied us over today," he said. "To reveal...something or other." "Hmmm...sounds like Nate," Serena said. "Always keepin' secrets." "That's our business, Serena," Petal gently replied, smiling. The five of them had worked for Nate's dad in high school, and continued on now that they were out of high school while applying for aid for college. The four had slowly worked their way higher, and Serena had traveled with them as a sort of assistant/secretary to all of them, her skills in organization a valuable asset. (Though, secretly, she often wondered where they'd suddenly come from.) She also had done some designing for the company, a logo or two, a roughly sketched layout, and had been rewarded for those skills. Her drawing skills were her little secret; only the two of them had really seen what she could do. They were all lovely, and all so sad as well. She rolled her eyes at him, and he broke in again. "Well, anyways, he wants us to be there sometime after 12:00; knowing Nate, probably between one and one- thirty." "Sounds about right," Serena said, then rose. "Off to shower then. Zach, you have the dishes." He nodded, and she left, hair wafting behind her. Quickly Petal moved in by him, whispering, "Was it just me, or was she not with it this morning?" "What do you mean?" "Well, bluntly, she looked like she was hiding something." He nodded. "Like when I asked her about her night, and she nearly choked?" Petal nodded. "Or her eyes...and what she said about Nate! It was..." he suddenly stopped, eyes raising. Serena looked down at them, face tilted, eyes cool and crammed with emotion. "I forgot..." she whispered, then grabbed something off the stove and took off out of the room. They sat there for a moment, watching her disappear. Finally, in a choked voice, Jade said, "Something is DEFINETELY wrong here." The trip over to Nate's was uneventful and legal (mostly due to Serena's driving), and they arrived between 1:10 and 1:15. To their surprise, they were the first ones to arrive; not even Nate was home, as the nicely uniformed lady (pin: "S. Charon") informed them. She offered to show them upstairs, and even though they declined, promised a tray in five minutes. "Nice lady," Petal murmured as they started up the stairs. The room was two carpeted flights up. "She's paid well," Serena said softly. "Feeling jaded today, Serena?" Jared asked teasingly. To his surprise, her figure hunched, and she accelerated up the stairs. "Ever hear of tact, Jade?" Petal murmured to him. "Don't joke, Petal...something's REALLY wrong," he replied. Both had stopped on the stairs, and he stared up after the trail of blond hair that breezed after her. "We've established that," he replied. "I know, Petal, but its...its just...well," he started, but then a warm hand fell on his shoulder. "I know, Jade. I can feel it, too." His eyes stared after her. "I just hope she hasn't been to the doctor lately." "Don't scare me, Petal. You know I have an overactive imagination," Jade replied, starting up the stairs again. "Hah. Scare you? I'd have a better chance of scaring...oh...a mouse!" "Oh really? I seem to recall a ninth grade fear of the locker room..." They bantered back and forth up the stairs, finally arriving in the study in good spirits. Once again, Jared wondered if he should've accepted his mom's offer to move in with her and Tim. Then, he'd thought she was trying to delay him growing up; now, he realized what a pain in the butt it was to pay for utilities. After all, Nate still lived with his parents, and he was doing fine. he thought, internally sighing. He and Zach took up places on the floor; Serena was curled up in a nearby overstuff chair, a hand absentmindedly twisting her hair. he thought as he glanced at her. His bond with his "sister" had grown steadily over the years, and now she was as much of a comfort to him as he'd been to her. Sometimes, a part of him would wish for more from her, more than to know she loved him as a brother. he recollected, He wistfully withdrew his eyes from her, closing them and leaning his head back. He hadn't suceeded...in his dreams...of catching the dark purple flame. It had always remained just THAT much out of reach, though it grew closer each night. Still, something inside him ached to know what he was chasing, and why, and where it was going to lead him. It was important--that much he'd figured out. his frustrated mind spat out. His ruminations probably would've continued on, except for the suddenly opening of the door to admit "S. Charon" and Kevin, each carrying a tray. Kevin wore his usual black and gray, yet his face seemed strangely un- Kevin, like he had something to say. "Hey Kev," Petal called, patting a place next to him. Serena opened her eyes and smiled upon him; he returned it with a nod. Despite the general closeness within the group, those two had never grown as intertwined as, say, he and Petal had. In fact, sometimes he looked at her in a pained way, as if she brought a memory to the surface he'd rather forget. "Is Nathan here yet?" he asked, voice a touch excited. Jared's hackles raised immediatley; "Nope," he replied, and Kev's face twisted. He set down the tray in front of him and Petal, and Miss Charon set down the other in front of him before scurrying away; it was only then that Kev sat down. "Did you hear from him this morning?" Petal asked delicately. "Yea. He called me about 9:30 this morning, incredibly excited, and starting spouting off about some important news." He sighed in frustration. "But when I asked him about it, he couldn't tell me anything--he hadn't checked his facts yet. I started to berate him..." "...as you do when any of us aren't organized," Jade jumped in. "Hmph. Anyways, he stopped me mid-sentance with the time to be hear, then hung up the phone," Kev finished. "That doesn't sound like Nate," Serena said softly. "I know," Petal said, eyeing me. "Sounds more like Jade here." "Hey!" he protested. "I didn't get up until Nate CALLED me!" "Uh-huh, sure," Kevin retorted. "If this is one of your practical jokes I'll.." "Nice to see you all here!" Nathan burst in, voice and eyes and face full of uncharacteristic exhuberance. True, he'd loosened up over the years, but had still retained some of the calmer aspects of his personality. Now, though, he was just acting odd. "Nate, did you call us this morning?" Kevin asked. "Say yes, Nate, before they lynch me!" Jade quickly added. He nodded, then plopped down on the floor next to Jade. "Pass the grapes," he said. "Well...what's up?" Petal asked as Jade handed him the bowl. "Wait," Serena said, standing suddenly. "I'd like to say something first, if you don't mind." "The floor is yours, Princess," Nate acquiesed, and Serena walked through their little square to stand a little ways away. The four of them silently admired her as she glanced them over once again, filling her eyes with a sight she was afraid she wouldn't see for a long time. "Generals," she began, and they immediately sat up. A prickle of curiosity ran up Jade's spine--this was the FORMAL address, and she'd only use it if something REALLY important was about to happen. Strangely, he felt excited and scared about this all at once. "Friends," she continued. "Brothers." A small smile formed on her lips briefly before she plunged ahead. "Nathan has called you here today for whatever piece of news he has to give you, and since he's fairly excited about it, I assume its something important. But what I have to say is important also." A halted breath. Looks between Kev and Jade, Jade shaking his head. "Last night, I had a strange dream, a dream of my home, my friends, and others I'd left behind." Strangeness on the faces of the men, Jade feeling an unfriendly chill. "And they were all in danger." "What?" Petal asked. "Serena, what do you mean?" Jared asked quickly. "I don't know what it is, or what plagues them...but I do know one thing. If I don't get there soon, some of the people I love most of all are going to die." Her eyes turned glossy, glassy, and hard. "And I CAN'T let that happen! I WON'T let that happen!" "Serena..." Kevin began, but Nate looked like he'd just eaten a cherry pie. She smiled. "I know I'm beating around the bush, but there's just so much I have to say...before I go home." Silence. Three of the boys looked at each other, then to her, and to each other again. Their eyes seemed to say, and ruminate on their fate without her. Yet Nate, calm, normally cool and composed Nate, threw his head back and laughed.