"I was thinking more like a month," he confides.

I smile. "I can live with that."

I ask Mason to bring Chandler and JoJo to my house while I go get Leah from Mama Lynn's. With four of us together now, and me without any emotional baggage, I have high hopes we can locate the fifth vessel in record time.

But before I go to Mama Lynn's, I grab a piece of notebook paper and make a quick sketch on it. I walk over to George's house and knock on his door.

When he opens it, he's dressed in khaki's and a red flannel shirt.

"Jess!" He says, giving me a bear hug. "What brings you to my door this early in the morning?"

I hand George my drawing. "You still have that jigsaw right?"

"Yes," George says, looking down at the paper in his hands. "You want me to make this for you?"

I nod. "Yes."

"Looks simple enough. Just the four pieces?"

"Yeah. When do you think you can have it done for me?"

"I can knock this out for you this afternoon."

"Great," I smile, unable to contain my excitement.

"Mind me asking you what it's for?"

I tell George because I feel sure I will need his help in my surprise for Mason.

"You're the first person I've told so don't say anything to Faison or Mama Lynn until I get a chance to tell them."

"Ok, Jess," George says. "My lips are sealed. You just let me know when you need my help with things."

I leave George's house and go over to Mama Lynn's. Faison opens the door and I feel like I'm looking at the old Faison again. Her hair is fixed, make-up on and there's even a real smile on her face.

She grabs my arm and pulls me inside the house.

"I can't believe you had s.e.x last night and didn't tell me it was going to happen," she laments.

I quickly scan the area to make sure Leah is no where around.

"I really couldn't find the right time to tell you, Fai."

"Well?" Faison asks looking at me expectantly. "How was it?"

I feel my eye begin to tear up.

"Oh G.o.d," she says, "was he that bad? I thought for sure since he was so old he would have had enough practice by now to be good at it."

"No, Fai," I say indulgently. "It was that good. It was everything I could have hoped for and more."

A slow grin stretches Faison's lips. "Good. I'm glad he made it so special for you."

I wipe at the tears in my eyes.

"You look really good," I tell her.

Faison sighs. "I just realized John Austin wouldn't want me to mourn him, especially if his death was destined to be anyway. His life wasn't for nothing because we'll always remember him. Besides, Leah needs me. I can't be a big sister to her if all I do is mope around the house and cry my eyes out all the time. I need to set a better example for her. She's been through so much in her short life. She doesn't need more baggage and that's what I would be. So, I'm getting myself together and that's that."

I hug Faison, glad to have my sister back.

I see Leah bound down the steps from the second floor and almost don't recognize her. She has a new haircut which feathers the hair around her face accentuating its exotic beauty. Her clothes are brand new and more in line with someone her age. She has a little bit of make-up on but not enough to be overpowering.

"Hey Jess," she says coming to stand with me and Faison.

"Leah, you look beautiful. I love the hair!"

Leah looks bashful. "Thanks. Faison suggested it."

"It looks great," I rea.s.sure her.

Faison puts an arm around Leah's shoulders. "Yep, we'll have those boys at school eating out of the palm of your hand in no time."

"School?" Leah asks.

"Uh, yeah," Faison says. "You know, where you go to learn things."

Leah looks at me with panic in her eyes. "I've never been to school."

"Oh," Faison looks at me. "What do you think we should do?"

"Did Remy teach you things when you were moving around?"

"I know how to read and basic math," Leah says. "But other than that..."

"I'll talk to Mason. We might just get you a tutor or something. Don't worry. We'll figure it out."

"I would like to go to school one day," Leah says. "I've never been around a lot of other kids my age."

"Well, let's take it one step at a time," I tell her. "We need to get you up to speed on the history of this Earth in particular. It's a lot different from the one you know."

Leah nods. "Ok, Jess."

"I came over to get you," I tell Leah. "I thought the four of us should try connecting with the fifth vessel. Hopefully, it will be easier now with four of us."

"When do you think you'll be done?" Faison asks. "I thought I would take Leah to the mall so we can get some stuff to decorate her room with."

"I'm not sure how long we'll be but I wouldn't think more than an hour or two."

Faison's face brightens. "Cool! We can get some lunch while we're out then."

As Leah and I walk to my house, I decide to see how she feels about being Faison's new pet project.

"She needs me," Leah says, mirroring Faison's words. "We talked a lot last night about our lives. Her heart's still broken over John Austin, but helping me seems to help her push through the pain."

"So you don't mind all the attention?"

"No because I need her too," Leah admits. "I think together we can get through our sadness and come out ok."

I take one of Leah's hands in mine and squeeze it, wanting her to know Faison isn't the only one she can rely on.

When we get to my house, I encounter a strange scene. Both Chandler and JoJo seem to be having conversations with themselves in my living room. It doesn't take me long to realize what they're actually doing: speaking with their archangels. It instantly makes me feel guilty. I haven't spoken with Michael since my flying lesson.

"What are they doing?" Leah asks in a low voice out the side of her mouth, apparently thinking Chandler and JoJo have completely lost their minds.

"Talking to their archangels. Don't worry. They're not crazy."

When Chandler and JoJo see us, they walk over and give us hugs.

"And how was you're evening?" Chandler asks me with a sly grin.

I see Mason step out from the kitchen and lean against the opening obviously interested in the answer as well.

"It was great," I tell him and JoJo, not really wanting to go into any details in front of Leah. "But enough about me, lets get to work."

When I pa.s.s by Mason, he's smiling at me.

"Be right with you guys," I say, taking a detour and grabbing Mason by the arm, pushing him up against the other side of the wall in the kitchen.

"Am I in trouble again?" He asks anxiously, happiness setting his eyes on fire.

"What am I going to do with you," I say, shaking my head at him. "You just seem determined to keep smiling at me."

His smile grows wider as he gathers me up in his arms.

"I can think of a few things you can do with me," he murmurs for my ears only.

I feel a hunger build deep within my body and spread like wildfire.

I push away from Mason, my heart beating so fast in my chest I'm having trouble catching my breath.

"I need you to build me a fire," I tell him.

He roughly pulls me back to him. "I thought I was doing that already."

I push away again. "That particular fire is lit and burning fiercely," I tell him, taking in a deep breath to get my mind back on track. "We need to locate the fifth vessel and I need my fire."

Mason pouts, which is like throwing gas on the inferno already burning every inch of my body.

I lean out and tell the group, "Mason and I need to go get some matches to make the fire. We'll be right back."

I look back to Mason. "Beach house. Now."

He doesn't argue. Time is of the essence.

When we get there we fall on the bed and into each other. I'm not sure you can call what we did making love. But, it was fierce, fast and extremely satisfying.

Mason lay on top of me afterwards attempting to catch his breath. He doesn't withdraw from me immediately and I revel in the feel of him still inside me, connecting us.

He takes a deep breath and I feel his body shudder against me.

"Please, don't ever leave me," he says. The sadness I hear in his voice literally breaks my heart.

I tighten my arms around him. "Where did that come from? Why would you even think about that right now?"

Mason lifts up and looks down at me. I see his eyes are wet with unshed tears.

"Because I can't live without you. Just the thought of a life without you in it scares me."

"I'm never leaving you," I promise him putting every ounce of conviction I can in my words. "I think I've told you this before."

He's quiet for a moment and I can tell he's debating on whether or not to say what's really on his mind.

Finally he asks, "Then why don't you want to marry me?"

I feel caught off guard by the question.

"It's not because I want to leave the door open so I can leave you sometime down the road. Is that what you think?"

Mason doesn't answer me and I know that's exactly what he's thinking.

"I'm never leaving you," I say to him again. "Never."

Mason nods but not convincingly. I can still see the hurt in his eyes and want nothing more than to wipe it away.

I pull his face down to mine and kiss his lips wanting him to feel through my touch just how much he means to me. How much I need him too.

Mason soon becomes more fervent and demanding of the kiss as if wanting to leave his brand on me, proving to the world that I'm his, even if I don't have a ring on my finger symbolizing a formal commitment. I feel him grow large inside me again, filling me, making me feel whole as he lays possession of me once again.

Chapter 12.

As we're readjusting our clothes before phasing back to my house, I ask, "Could you give me Malcolm's number?"