Birthday

[Princess Diaspro]

"Oh, please," Diaspro said, shaking her head. "You love him, he obviously loves you, so what you need to do is fight for him - knock some sense into him. Do something. Just don't back down, because take it from a neutral source, you do have a chance - more than a chance - with him." Casually adjusting her sleeves, Diaspro finished, "Besides, you have me as an ally now - and I have a way of, oh . . . making things happen."

[Chris Strongheart]

"Thank you," Christine said. She gave Diaspro a small smile. "But right now, I better go find him and yell at him for disappearing on his guests. Such a breach of ettiquette." She brushed her bangs off her face. "Wish me luck."

With that, Christine quickly headed down the stairs and found Sky sitting on the floor on the ground level. "You do know it's rude to run out on your party without saying a word to your guests," she lightly reprimanded as she knelt down in front of him.

[Sky]

Unable to meet her gaze, Sky nodded as he replied quietly, "Yeah. I know. Sorry about that." Idly clasping and unclasping his hands, he added, "It's not because your party was a bore or anything, you know. I just . . . dammit." Lifting his eyes to meet hers, Sky said with a dry laugh, "I don't even know why I'm pretending that I didn't say what I said on the balcony. I know you heard me." Pushing himself to his feet, Sky continued as he held his hands up almost as though he had been defeated, "So you know what? Screw it. Diaspro was right. I love you. There. You happy? Go ahead and rub it in that I've been fooling myself all this time."

[Chris Strongheart]

"You know, you could make it up to me," she said, pushing his hands down. "You can do it by shutting up and kissing me." To hell with being demure right now. This was her moment - her one chance, and she was going to take advantage of it.

[Sky]

Sky hesitated for a moment, feeling absolutely torn. He didn't have a doubt in his mind that he wanted to kiss her . . . but he didn't want it to be like this. He didn't want her to be branded 'the other woman.'

Shaking his head, Sky instead took Christine's hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing it gently. Softly he replied, "No, Christine. No, I will not kiss you in that way. Not until I . . . not until I end things with Bloom."

[Chris Strongheart]

Christine nodded and gently kissed his cheek. "I've waited this long, I think I can wait a bit longer." She blushed prettily. "Well, it's still your party and I think there's music playing so... with that in mind... Care to dance?"

[Sky]

Sky nodded as he replied with a warm smile that reached his eyes, "It would be my pleasure, Lady Strongheart."

Internally, however, Sky could already sense his mind second-guessing himself. As much as he loved Christine, somehow he knew that it was going to be difficult to separate himself from Bloom. Bloom had been a part of him for over a year - the longest relationship he had ever been in. Bloom: the girl he had once loved and had seen himself marrying. A person couldn't just let that go very easily. Not when there were still fresh feelings involved. Sky couldn't deny it. He loved both Christine and Bloom. It was just a question of who he loved more. He had thought that that girl had been Bloom . . . but now . . . now there was Christine.

Sighing to himself, Sky wondered why love had to be so difficult and stressful.

[Chris Strongheart]

Christine blushed at the use of her title. She never could get used to all the formality. She shyly stepped close to Sky and placed one of his hands on her waist and the other on her shoulder, before placing her hands in the opposite positions. She smiled at him as he lead the pair in a waltz.

She had the urge to rest her head against him, but decided against it. She'd save that for when they were allowed to be seen as a couple... if that day ever came. She didn't need a vision to tell her that he was reluctant to end things with Bloom. She waited this long, she mentally told herself, she could wait a little longer.

"Just promise me one thing... Be gentle.."

[Demeter]

"Layla?" Flora asked, biting her lower lip. "About what you said earlier... If I wasn't an Alfea student... he wouldn't have problems with me, right?"

[Layla]

With a sympathetic smile, Layla replied, "I'm afraid you've already had that train of thought, Flora - and it, well, fell through." Taking a sip of water, she continued, "You see, at the beginning of the year after that whole mess with the Professor, you wanted to leave Alfea - and you did. Temporarily. But obviously, you came back, mainly because neither Ms. Faragonda nor Professor Palladium thought you should discontinue your studies just because of a little scandal. They - well, mostly, Ms. Faragonda - knew that the thing between you and him would blow over with time if everyone just acted normal." Shrugging, Layla finished, "I think they were pretty much right. I mean, I haven't heard any gossip about the two of you in forever."

[Demeter]

Flora nodded. "I.. I just wish things had turned out different, you know what I mean..?" she asked. "Maybe if I had been with Helia... none of this would have happened.."

[tashii]

"I know this is none of my business but hind sight is twenty- twenty. I don't know the situation but you were not with this Helia person for a reason. You and your good professor where trying to sort things out, so don't give up on what you can't remember just yet. Everyone just needs an adjusting period or a chance to start over." Tash interrupted the conversation between Layla and Flora, heavens knew she was not one for tact.

[Demeter]

"I hope you're right," Flora said quietly, offering the other girl the faintest of smiles. She hoped she and the Professor could start fresh.

[tashii]

"He's male and about to break a long standing tradition. It might take him some time to come to terms about it. But he will come to terms with it." Tash said trying to be comforting but not sure if it actually appeared that way.

[Demeter]

"I hope so," Flora said, settling down to make ice packs. "So... do you think Bloom and Diaspro have killed each other yet?"