Once hatchets are put aside and you learn more about the ‘enemy’, you realize that they aren’t the enemy after all.  And that’s when you let your guard down. 

        Dropping down beside her on the ground, he reacted on feelings alone, bending down to kiss her lips softly, lingeringly.  Drawing back, he watched her face, eyes closed as she delicately ran the tip of her tongue over her lips – lips he had just kissed and were now a darker pink for the sweetness that he’d taken from them.

        Siren blinked at him for a moment.  She honestly didn’t know what to say to him.  She didn’t want to ruin the moment with words – which lately she had been saying the wrong thing to him every time she opened her mouth, or so it seemed.  So, she just smiled gently at him and sighed.

PART ONE

        Siren rolled toward him to turn over onto her stomach and propped her head up on the back of her hands and bent her knees up behind her.  She glanced up at the scenery around her before coming back to Trevor.  Slowly though, she looked up at the sky and looked directly up into the sun.  Although it made her head pound, it was the warmth of it that made her feel extremely content.

        Finally though, she broke the gentle silence that had come over them.  Turning her head back to him, she said warmly, “Tell me about your family.  I mean, if you don’t mind talking about them.”  She saw the surprised look on his face and she shrugged.

        "You've met my family.  Xavier is the only family that I've ever had.  I… I don't know who my mom is… was…  I don't even know if she is still alive or not.  But," she turned over onto her side so that she could see him better and propped her head on her left hand letting the other rest on her hip.  "Whether or not I know who she is … or if she's still alive for that matter… it doesn't change who I am.  I'm still going to be the woman in that complex who wears a mask, making everyone wonder why.  The mysterious one who…" she smiled and cleared her throat of the giggle that threatened to come out.  "… who drank too much at a party the other evening; learned the Macarena (although she doesn't know how to dance); plays the piano for long hours at a time only to drive her father insane from the show tunes; goes to help out in the infant ward on Saturday afternoons to let mothers have a break from their hectic lives; listens to instrumental music; reads books to pass the time away on lazy Sunday afternoons; dreams of finding her long lost Teddy Bear, Maximillian; and who doesn't know when to shut up."  She finally gave him an embarrassed look as she brought her right hand up to cover her eyes to hide her embarrassment.

        As Siren talked, Trevor wiggled around to find a more comfortable sitting position, leaning back, braced on his hands.  Cocking his head to one side, he watched her; trying to picture in his mind her in each of the things she was telling him about.  And he couldn’t help but smile at the end of her description.

        "In a way, you sorta remind me of Ron, my younger brother," Trevor joked lightly with her.  " Ask him how he is and you'll get a ten minute monologue."  Seeing her grin at that told him that he was on safe ground so far. 

        "As for family, my mom and dad are both very much alive and still together."  A thought occurred to him and he added with a note of pride, "Their anniversary is in August."  He paused again then glanced at Siren to see real interest in her eyes.  "August 17th will be their thirty-fourth wedding anniversary." 

        Shifting around to stretch out on his stomach, almost parallel with Siren, he propped his head on one hand and went on.  "I only have one brother, Ron; he's younger by three years." 

“Any sisters?”

Trevor shook his head.  "Well, I had a sister," he told her.  "But... Rose died shortly after birth." He nodded without comment to the sympathy Siren offered.  "Mom said Rosie only lived twelve hours.  Anyway," he brightened his tone and attitude, and rolled over onto his back and closed his eyes.  "Ron and I were more than enough to keep mom and dad hopping."

Trevor thought for a moment then said, “I love the outdoors.  Have ever since I can remember.  I like to hunt and fish... when I get the chance, which isn't often. Music?" he smiled to himself, his eyes still closed.  "There's nothing like putting on some light, soft jazz, opening a bottle of wine... or a beer... and kicking back and get lost in it."

        “Jazz… that is the one of the types of music that I listen to when I meditate, or work out.  Although Xavier doesn't care for it, I drive him nutty with it.  So, I try to keep my door shut and listen to it in soft tones.  Mostly though... it's the instrumental music - to movies that I enjoy the most."

She looked up at the sky and saw one of the gulls fly over and smiled.  “Actually, I think that this might be some new music that I might enjoy right here.”

“What do you mean?” Trevor asked, turning his head to look at her.

Siren looked at him a bit surprised.  Crawling over the small space to him, she put her hand over his eyes but when he pulled her hand back down, she sighed softly.  “Trust me, Trevor.”

        Trevor hesitated only a fraction of a second at her request.  “Okay,” he said slowly and closed his eyes again.  He wasn’t sure what she had in mind, but so far this time was going more or less smoothly and he was game to try whatever it took to keep the road before them as smooth as possible.  So, he took a breath, let it out slowly and waited on her.

        Siren grinned at him and shook her head.  She placed her hand back over his eyes making sure that he wouldn’t open them and at the same time closed her own.  “Okay, now, just listen for a few minutes.  Forget about everything but the sounds around you.  The lull of the ocean, the sound of the wind in the trees and on the grass; the call of the gulls - just listen to it."  Siren then remained silent and listened as he did.  Slowly though, she took her hand away from his face and braced her head in her hands. 

        It was such a simple thing, but once Trevor quieted his thoughts, it all came back to him.  And he relaxed.  He folded his arms and rested his cheek on them.  The tang of the breeze coming in soft off the ocean, the low but shrill cries of the birds -- even the whispery sighs of the wind through the tree tops took him back to simpler, gentler times of his youth, and he gradually felt his body relaxing even more.  For several minutes it was just him and the sounds of the world whispering their lullaby.

        Siren opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Trevor.  She couldn’t help but smile at him.  He looked so totally relaxed.  Slowly, she stood up, as quietly as she could and moved away from him letting him just relax in the sun.

        Trevor had watched Siren through his lashes as she quietly moved away from him, though he did let himself drift for a few moments, but watching her exploring was better than anything to catch his attention in a long time.  He smiled to himself when she picked a couple of wild daisies then returned back to him.

        Not moving his head from his hands, he opened his eyes and watched her coming closer.  When she lifted one of the daisies to sniff at it, he said softly, “I was right.  You do look pretty with daisies close to you.”

        Hearing Trevor’s words, she smiled at him but said, “Go on.”  She sat back down beside him as Trevor got to his feet.  To her puzzled look, Trevor said, “Don’t worry, I’m not going far.  Just over there,” and pointed to the patch of daisies she’d been in a moment ago.

        Going to the daisies, Trevor gathered a good handful of them and returned to Siren, flopping down beside her.  Sitting Indian-style, Trevor laid the flowers beside him then took two of them and began working with the stems. 

        She was puzzled.  “What are you doing?”

        “Shh,” he said softly, “and watch.”

        Watching with fascination, Siren said softly, “Tell me more about your family.”

        “Family, huh?” Trevor thought for a moment as he selected another daisy. "Ron is the quintessential younger brother." To Siren's questioning look he grinned and said, "He was a royal pain in the neck when we were growing up.  And since 'becoming a man’..." Trevor said with a mock gruff voice, "that pain has shifted decidedly more south!"

        Listening to Siren giggling, he went on.  "He's a real joker but if you want to see him blush, ask him what he thinks of the movie, "Ghost".”  Trevor let her puzzle on that for a moment.  “He'll kill me if you ever tell him I told you, but at the end, he cries every time, and my little brother could play defensive end for any football team!"

        For the next half hour, Trevor told Siren bits and pieces about his family.  How his mother made the best blueberry pancakes in the world, and how his dad’s favorite pastime was crossword puzzles.  He also told her that his father had been one of Lothos' highest ranked security chiefs for almost thirty years. 

        Then, with one last twist and tuck of a stem, he held it up what he’d been working on for Siren to see.  The smile on her face as he draped the daisy necklace over her head and settled it around her neck was something he’d remember for a long time. 

        "I was right," he told her again, softly.  "You and daisies were meant for each other."

        “You are too sweet,” she told him softly then leaned forward and lightly placed a kiss on his cheek.  “Thank you, Trevor,” she told him lightly near his ear before she leaned back.

        Siren sat crossed legged as he did and looked down at the daisy necklace and lightly fingered the stem before looking back up at him.  She was not sure what else to say to him but finally asked, “Is there anything that you want to know about me?  I’ve kept you talking about your family for some time now.”

        Trevor studied Siren closely for a minute, thinking about her question.  Finally, he asked, “What made you decide to become a volunteer in the infant ward for working mothers?"  Pursing his lips slightly, he tried to picture Siren with a baby in her arms ...and found the picture in his mind surprisingly appealing. 

        Siren smiled at him.  “Well, you have to realize that I'm one of those few people who love kids.  When a friend, Sara Daniels, became pregnant about two years ago, I had told her that if she ever needed a babysitter to just give me a call.  Sure enough and true to her word... Sara called.  Actually, she called when the baby was only a few weeks old.  I thought that I was going to break her."  She smiled remembering.  "I had never held a baby before, and when she just about dumped Danessa into my arms, I barely got out, "Wait..." before she was already gone.  I had a crash course lesson in holding, carrying, and feeding a baby.  Everything." 

        Siren cradled her arms like she would if she was holding a baby, then looked down at her arms then shrugged.  "Plus, it gave me an opportunity to practice my lessons while I was holding the baby."  When she saw his puzzled look, Siren backed up.  "Singing lessons,” she said with a shrug.  "Those things were Xavier's doing."

        For several minutes after that they exchanged idle chatter, Trevor noticed Siren shiver.  Glancing up at the sky, he saw a couple dark clouds in the distance.  "Come on," he said, getting up and offering her his hand to help her up.  "We better get inside or we're gonna get wet." Trevor glanced up, nodding toward the clouds.  "Spring showers here come up quick and fast and dump a lot of rain.  And a head cold from being caught out in a shower is not fun."

        Siren continued sitting then glanced at his outstretched hand.  She looked up at the sky above her then said, “And I’ve never experienced neither.  So, what’s your point?” she asked with a grin.

        “Well let's at least get under the walkway canopy," Trevor conceded with a grin.  "The wind will blow the rain under there and you can get just as wet."  She finally agreed and they ran for the walkway.  But by the time they got there, the clouds had arrived faster than Trevor expected and they were both soaked.

        But by the look on Siren’s face as he turned to her once they were under the canopy was another he’d keep in his memory.  She watched the rain, fascinated by the sound of it hitting the ground, as well as the thunder and the lightning flashes.  No hypnotist could weave a better spell that this spring shower had for Siren.  But the best of all was when as the shower tapered off that he heard her gasp, watching as she pointed up and toward the far high perimeter fence.  “Look at that!  Isn’t it beautiful?”

        The rainbow was just as beautiful as always.  But his eyes were on Siren as he replied, "Definitely." Trevor looked up at the rainbow before he was caught with a certain look in his eyes.

        The rainbow that she saw was the most beautiful thing that she’d ever seen and when she tugged on Trevor’s wet sleeve, she looked back up at it again and smiled broadly.  Slowly, the rainbow faded.  It was then that she looked down at how her T-shirt was clinging to her body.  Clearing her throat and trying not to call too much attention to it, she just turned back to Trevor and said, “I really ought to check in with Xavier.  Sometimes the girls in the infant ward have a problem on Saturday’s with ‘Little Sparrow’ and he doesn’t like to be quiet for long periods.  Do you mind?” she asked softly.

"No, I don't mind," he replied.  He turned and headed for the double doors, Siren quiet beside him.  At the door, he swiped his card and waited for the guards inside to open it.  Glancing sideways, he noticed Siren shivering as a breath of air touched her, bringing goose bumps up on her arms.  The doors opened just then and they walked inside.

        "Looks like a pair of drowned rats, don't they Tommy?" Jim kidded with his partner.

        "Well, if these rats are left outside, there might be a guard pulling duty of a different sort in a very un-nice location," Trevor ragged him back.  When he heard a soft chattering of teeth and glanced at Siren, he saw that she was not trying to make the best out of the situation.  She honestly was cold. 

        "Come on," he said putting his arm around her shoulders as they headed for the elevator.  "If you catch pneumonia, I'll catch hell."

        “I won't catch pneumonia," she said through the chattering of her teeth and shivered slightly even cradled within the warmth of his arm.  "I'll... I'll be just... fine," she said moving closer to him.

        Once the elevator doors closed and it started to descend, Trevor pulled Siren around to face him and gathered her against him, her arms close around her body.  She started to push away but...

        "Be still," he chided her softly as he rubbed his hands over her back.  "I'm just trying to help you get a little warmer."  And, amazingly, she relaxed against him.

        She nestled her head against his shoulder and smiled as she relaxed.  "Thank you, again.  Such a knight in shining armor."

        Chuckling, Trevor asked softly, "Have you been talking to Allen?"

        “Nuh huh.  Why?”

        It was then that he told her about how Allen had always been doing the  ‘Sir Knight' shtick with him.  By the time the elevator doors opened a couple of minutes later, she was not only not shivering as much, but she was laughing.  Really laughing like she was enjoying being alive. 

When the elevator doors opened, she was still laughing at the last part that he was telling her about and noticed that they were back on the bachelor’s quarters.  Glancing up at him, she asked, "So, why are we back here?" she finally asked once she got over the giggles as they stepped out and passed a couple of guys who rolled their eyes and grinned at Trevor.

        Seeing Danny and Hal first thing when the elevator doors opened on the bachelor’s level, he gave them a warning look, but… ‘You bums!’ he thought as they rolled their eyes at him.  ‘They are gonna drive me nuts about this later,’ he thought.

        Going to his door, he unlocked it as Siren asked why they were at his quarters.  "Well, primarily so you can get your shoes and socks," he told her, flipping the light on.  "And maybe one of my flannel shirts for you to wear so you don't catch a chill."  He saw her open her mouth and he reached out to put a finger under her chin, closing it again.  "Just put it on over what you're wearing till you get back to your quarters," he told her with a grin.  "It's just a shirt.  That's all."  When she grinned at the explanation, Trevor pulled the tail of his soggy shirt out of his pants.  "Now, if you'll excuse me a minute, I'm gonna change real quick."  Not waiting for her to reply, he turned toward the bedroom, stripped the wet shirt off and tossed it at the kitchen sink.

        Shaking her head, Siren stood there dripping on his carpet.  By the time that he came back, she was shivering again. She turned toward the door and sneezed.  Smiling at him, she waved a hand at the look that he gave her.  “I’m not going to be sick.  I won’t allow myself,” she told him plainly.

        With a look, Trevor turned back around and headed back into the bedroom.  In the closet, he grabbed one of his flannel shirts and took it back to her.  “Come on!” he spoke loudly over her protests as he held the shirt open for her.  “For once, don't argue, just put the shirt on, because right now your lips are a lovely shade of blue.  And I don't want Xavier turning my hide the same shade because I didn't do what I could to keep you from getting any sicker."

        Siren rolled her eyes at him and without hesitation; she grabbed the bottom of her T-shirt and stripped it from her body.  Tossing it toward his kitchen sink as well, she turned her back to him to let him help her into it.

Putting her arms into the sleeves that were being held out for her, she sniffled and began to button up the shirt.  "How many times am I going to have to thank you today for all the things that you have done," she asked as she reached down on the floor and put the necklace back around her neck.

        ‘A lot of guys would be rolling their eyes at me because of how I'm not reacting to Siren stripping off her wet T-shirt.  But then, she and I have been naked in each other's presence at one time or another in the last few days,’ he thought.  Trevor wasn’t embarrassed by it, and from her attitude as she slipped her arms into the shirtsleeves, neither was she.  Her question about the ‘thank yous’ just proved it.  “Tell you what,” he said, going to drop down on the couch and putting on his socks and sneakers.  “You keep count through the day and then say one big ‘thank you’ just before we go to sleep, and we’ll call it even.  Deal?”

        "Deal."

        When Trevor stood again, she ran her hands up and down her arms.  "Are you sure that you don't mind about going to the infant ward?  It can get very noisy down there, especially if Sparrow is acting up.  He gets everyone going."

        "Hey," he told her as he stood up, watching her still rubbing her hands over her now flannel covered arms. "It's the least I can do after dragging you into the big, cold and very wet world."  He nodded toward the door.  "Don't you think you should put your shoes and socks on?  Unless you like cold feet, that is."

PART TWO

        A few minutes later they were in the elevator, and at the front door of her and Xavier's quarters almost before they realized it.  Trevor followed her inside without comment.  He barely acknowledged Xavier who was stretched out on the couch, watching something on television.

        Even as they entered, Siren smiled at Trevor before she sneezed twice.  Sniffling, she hurried to her bedroom and quickly changed into some dry pants.  Leaving Trevor’s flannel shirt on, she ran her hand over it then brought her arm up to her nose.  She could smell a light fragrance of his cologne on it and she couldn’t help but smile.  So far this day after this morning had gone off with ease.  If only it could stay that way.

        Siren quickly ran a brush through her hair then appeared in the doorway to see Trevor and her father watching television.  “Dad, did Kimberly call while I was topside getting drenched?” she asked pushing her hair back behind her ear as she looked from Trevor to her father with a grin.

        Xavier had seen many things in his lifetime, but seeing Siren coming into the apartment soaking wet and missing her T-shirt, but also wearing one of Mr. Conroy’s shirts, he could only guess what happened.  But Siren’s question explained everything… a thundershower.  Now, it made sense.

        “Yes, she did and yes he is.  Sparrow is acting up.  Better go quiet him so he can sleep and give them some peace,” he told her not glancing away from the television.

        "You know, I think he does it just to make me show up every Saturday.  The little turkey."  Siren came up beside Trevor and placed her hand on his arm.  "Come on, let's go."

        Trevor nodded and they started out the door.  On the way to the elevator, Trevor asked why they kept calling the baby “Little Sparrow”.  Smiling, she began, “Well, his name is Parker Sparrowmen.”  They stepped inside the opened elevator.  “And he is just the cutest little guy in the ward.  He was a preemie; four weeks early, but you can't tell that now."  As the elevator ascended to the sixth floor, Siren grinned at him.  "He's eight months old and has a temper about the size of Mt. Saint Helens but he constantly explodes when he doesn't get his way."   The elevator doors opened quickly and they stepped out and headed toward the infant ward.  Siren could already hear Sparrow screaming from the elevator, and she shook her head.   "He's been a problem since he started coming on Saturday's.  He's a toot.  You hear the one with the shrill scream?  That's him."

        As they entered the ward, Siren physically saw Trevor cringe.  There were three women in the room, eight children and one man - him.  She couldn’t help but lightly giggle and turned to look at the kids in the room.  All but three of the kids were crying.  She laid a hand on Trevor’s arm.  "It's not that bad." 

        Siren barely got across the room before Danessa come running over to her.  When the little girl wrapped her arms around her legs, Siren squealed, “ “Danessa! You silly thing you... how are you doing today?" she asked her bending down to give her a real hug. 

"I be good today!” Danessa laughed.

        Siren lightly tapped her cheek.  “Is Sparrow being a toot today?  He sounds like he’s really upset.  You think he’s just tired?” Siren asked Danessa since she was the oldest one here that might know about the others in the room. 

        “Uh huh,” Danessa nodded her head vigorously.  “Toot, toot, toot,” Danessa recited and sang as she marched around Siren.  “All the time… toot, toot, toot!”

        Siren giggled at her then turned to look at Trevor as she was laughing.  Turning back to Danessa, she lightly pulled Danessa toward her and whispered in her ear, “You see that guy over there?” 

Danessa’s head bobbed up and down.  “Could you do Ms. Reenee a big favor?  Could you keep him company for me?  Play with him?” Siren said simply for her to understand.  “So I can take care of Toot Toot?”

        "Okie dokie," Danessa nodded. It took Danessa a few minutes to get up the courage, but she went over to him and slowly looked up his long body.  Then, swallowing, she grabbed at his pants leg and tugged, like she did at her mother’s skirt.  When the man looked down at her, she stared up at him.  “Miss Reenee says for us to play so she can make Toot-Toot be quiet.”

        Trevor couldn’t remember the last time he was around little kids.  The din in the room was enough to deafen a post and now Siren had turned loose a cookie-sized kidlet on him.  He looked down when she tugged then turned his head to give Siren a sidelong look that said, 'I’ll get you for this!'

        Siren watched as she tried to hide the smile that came as Danessa tugged on his leg.  It was just too precious for words.  Seeing the look that Trevor gave her, she giggled then turned away.  “Kimberly, where is little Toot-toot as Danessa calls him.” 

        When Kimberly turned and pointed toward the crib a few feet away, Siren smiled.  Pulling her hair back away from her right shoulder, she went over to the crib and smiled down at the little boy crying so angrily in the crib.  "Oh, Sparrow, come on now.  It's me.  I'm here.  Come on honey."   She picked him up and held him to her shoulder.  "It's okay honey... shhhh..." she looked over at Kimberly and asked, "Have you tried the song?" 

        “The song?  Are you nuts?  I can’t even sing… can’t carry a tune.”  It was then that Kimberly saw the man lingering in the doorway who had Danessa’s attention.  ‘Whoa momma… what a hunk.  And… he’s taken… at least with Siren,’ she blew out a breath and shook her head. 

        Trevor was watching Siren with the little screamer when he felt another tugging.  ‘Thank God Allen’s not here,’ he thought as he again looked down at the diminutive feminine face staring up at him.

         “Let’s play… Ms. Reenee says to play.”  She tugged again at his left leg then reached up like she did with her mother and grabbed his hand and started to swing it back and forth.  Staring up into his face, she gave him a wonderfully pity filled look, “Please?”

        “What do you want to play?” he said the first thing that came to mind. 

        “Horsie!” Danessa laughed and squealed.  “Horsie, horsie!” When he didn’t come down to let her climb on his back, she looked back up again at him.  “Please?”

        Siren heard the squeal and quickly moved over to Danessa.  Danessa knew better than to yell in the infant ward when the kids were trying to sleep.  She leaned down with Sparrow still screaming loudly.  “All right now, Danessa.  If I hear anymore of that hollering, I’ll swat that cute little hiney of yours.  You know better.”

        Siren looked back up at Trevor from Danessa’s perspective and smiled up at him.  “Trevor, how about you and Danessa sit down right here and play with these blocks…” she looked back at the little girl.  “… quietly.”  

        Danessa ducked her head.  “I sowee,” she whispered looking up at her earnestly.  Hearing that she could play blocks, she said, “Okay,” then plopped down beside the man beside her.  Tugging on his pant leg once more, she said, “Sit down or Ms. Reenee wills swat your hiney.”  

        The little girl’s words made Trevor slide a sideways look at Siren.  “Can’t have that, now can we?”

        Siren quirked an eyebrow at him as she watched as he slowly sat down on the floor.  She shook her head and turned her attention to the little boy in her arms, still screaming.

        "Okay... okay."  Siren lightly bounced Sparrow in her arms and shushed him softly.  "Okay."  Softly, she began to sing and almost as soon as she started, she felt the little thing relaxing in her arms.  He  slowly stopped the crying, and hiccupping softly.

By the time that she had finished singing the song, she had walked around the room several times, lightly rubbing his back checking on the other children in the room that had also quietened.

        Slowly, Siren went and laid him down on his tummy and patted his back.  She leaned down into the crib and kissed his cheek and smiled back at him, before turning around.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

While the little girl, Danessa, was chattering softly, 'instructing' him on how to build with the blocks, Trevor’s eyes follow Siren around the room, listening to her singing.  By the time she was finished with the song, the screamer was asleep.

        "You put one on top like this," Danessa told the man, then looked up at him, only to see him looking at Miss Reenee.... again.  Standing up, Danessa tiptoed to him, and reached to put her hands on his face to make him look at her.  "We have to play," she said to him like mama said to her.  "Now," she said when he looked at her. 

        Looking into the blue eyes determined to make him pay attention to her, Trevor asked with a soft growl, “Did anyone ever tell you you’re bossy?”

        Giggling Danessa threw her arms around his neck and hugged hard.  “Mama says my shoes are bossy,” she told him.

        Siren shook her head as she approached the duo.  “It’s time for you to lay down too, Danessa.”

        “Do I have to?” Danessa whined softly.

        Siren nodded her head. 

        Danessa smirked her lips then turned toward Trevor and kissed his cheek.  “Night, night, Trevwor,” she whispered to him then turned back to Siren.

        Siren took Danessa to the small bed that was in the corner and tucked her into the bed.  Giving her what Danessa called 'kissins and a skudge,' Siren headed back over to Trevor who was still sitting on the floor.  “Come on, Trevwor,” she mimicked Danessa.  Everyone is down now… and the girls can handle it from here.”

        Trevor grinned. “Is it time for me to go ‘night-night’?” he asked her with a gleam in his eye and a bit of a grin.

        Siren grinned at him and looked around the room for a moment to see an empty bed.  “We do have a spare bed over there in the corner for one more sleepy little boy,” she said softly with a kid-like voice.  Lowering her voice even more as she had when talking to Danessa earlier, she said, “Does little Trev want to go night-night?”

        Looking up at Siren, Trevor felt his smile broadening as he answered softly, just loud enough for her to hear, “Only if Miss Reenee will hold me and sing to me like she did to Toot-Toot.”  Now, he imitated Danessa and held his arms up to her.  “Hold me, Miss Reenee?” he used a little kid’s whispery voice, but the look in his eyes, to say nothing of the pictures in his mind, were anything but childlike.

        Siren licked at her lips as she looked down at him and grinned at him with a shake of her head as she held out her hand for him to stand.  As his hand slid into hers, she told him softly, “Miss Reenee will hold you if you are a good little boy, and only then, Trevor."

        Taking Siren’s hand he got to his feet but didn’t let go immediately.  Dropping his voice to a whisper, he said, “I’m going to… hold you to that promise… Ms. Reenee.”  Then he let go of her hands and stepped back a pace.  He could almost feel the eyes of the other women boring into his back.

        Siren knew that she was going to get questions galore by the time that she came in the next weekend.  “Kimberly, Miranda, if you need me, just holler, okay?”

        They nodded at her and she turned back around and looked up at Trevor with a small grin as they walked out.  Once they got out in the hallway, she turned to him and asked, "How did you like Danessa?" she asked trying to steer their conversation quickly away from what they were just talking about.

        “Danessa?” he said thoughtfully.  “Well… when she’s older, she’s going to be a real handful for some guy.  But with those blue eyes, the poor sucker won’t stand a chance.”

        "They are quite mesmerizing aren't they?  You should see her when she's crying.  Oh, my... you just want to give in to those tears.  I know it's my downfall."  She turned to him and saw still the mischievous grin on his face.  "What are you grinning about?"

        "Nothing," he answered her, the grin still very much in place. He wasn’t going to let her know how closely she compared to the munchkin with blue eyes.  ‘That’s one secret you don’t get to know about… Miss Reenee,’ Trevor thought to himself.

        "Okay, where to now?" Trevor asked his own misdirection question, turning on his own brand of mesmerizing with his eyes.  ‘Mom always says when I 'turn up the volume' with my eyes that it's hard to resist me, too.’

        When Trevor’s gaze looked intently at her, she blinked and turned away from him.  “Ah,” she looked down at her watch then back up at him only to turn away quickly to sneeze twice. 

        Trevor raised his eyebrows and looked at her consideringly.

“Gees,” she said softly before turning back to him.  “I’ve never sneezed so much in my life.  However, since it’s about noon, why not some lunch?” she suggested.

“Okay… on one condition.”  To her narrow-eyed unspoken question, he replied, “On the condition that afterward we go back to your quarters and you go to bed.  You are coming down with a cold... whether you want to believe it or not."  He waited for the inevitable argument.

        Hearing Trevor’s condition, Siren bit her tongue.  She didn’t want to argue with him.  She quickly realized that he was being considerate of her feelings and health.  Slowly, she said, “Okay, but if I have to lie down and rest, then you have to as well.”

"Okay," he agreed quietly.  He was not about to upset this applecart with a smart-ass answer. 

        By the time lunch was finished, it was even plainer that the drenching Siren got was starting to get to her.  She didn't eat much of her food and her cheeks were flushed a soft pink.

        "Come on," he told her, pushing his empty plate aside.  "You need to get in bed, and the sooner the better," he said, keeping his voice pitched only for her ears.

        Siren shivered slightly then nodded at his suggestion.  Looking up at him a bit blandly, she blinked at him.  “Thank you for your shirt again,” she said softly as he came to her side.  “It’s warmer than anything that I have in my closet.”

        "My shirt is proud to have kept you warm," he told her with a little grin, steering her out of the cafeteria.  As Trevor walked beside her, he thought, ‘I'd bet a day's pay that she's got some fever; she's shivering... even wearing my flannel shirt.’

        By the time they were back at Xavier's quarters, she was quiet.  Inside the quarters, Trevor told her, "You go get in bed and I'll get you some aspirin."  Again, Siren didn't discuss it, just did what Trevor asked her to do.  Even Xavier noticed but didn't say anything until Siren had gone down the hall and into her room.

        “What's wrong with her?"

        "I think she's coming down with a fast onset cold," Trevor answered him.  "She's been sneezing since we left here, and she barely ate anything at lunch."  Finding the aspirin in the bathroom, he drew a glass of water and headed for the bedroom.

        Siren had already stripped off her pants and was in the bed by the time that Trevor came into the room.  “Ok… I’m getting sick,” she finally admitted to him.  Taking the medicine and the glass of water from him, she took the tablets.  “But... even if I feel worse, you're... we're making that dinner date with your mom and dad tonight.  You shouldn't...." 

        “You don’t think much of my life, do you?” To her plainly puzzled expression, Trevor said, “If I bring you into my mother’s home like you are, Lothos won’t have a chance at me… she’ll kill me on the spot!”

        Siren started to protest still, but Trevor decided to put an end to it quickly.  Going around the bed, he got on it and stretched out behind her, turned on his side toward her and put his arm over her waist then held her against him.  “Now,” he told her.  “You aren’t getting out of this bed until after you’ve had a good long nap.  And… and!” he spoke over her protests… such as they were… “… and if you’re feeling and looking better, then we’ll talk about tonight.”

        Although Siren wanted to gripe about a nap, she decided against it then moved away from him only to turn over and snuggle up against him resting her head on his chest.  She smelled his cologne and she rubbed her cheek against his shirt then closed her eyes.  If she had to take a nap, at least she could be comfy with him.  “I’ll take a nap… but only for you,” she mumbled softly.

        Hearing the words that she muttered only made Trevor’s ego boost, but it also put a touch of salve on their relationship.  She was already asleep when he put his arm over her waist and held her a bit closer after pulling the blankets over her shoulder.  For a moment, he craned his head down a bit so he could see her face.  Then ever so softly so she wouldn’t react, he touched a kiss to her temple.

        “That’s my girl,” he murmured so softly he wondered if he heard the words across his lips.  ‘Now, when did I start thinking of you as my girl?’ he thought, but it didn’t stick around as he yawned and found his own eyes a bit heavy.  He didn’t even remember falling asleep.  The last thing he did remember was the warm feminine form cuddled close to his heart.

PART THREE

        When Siren’s eyes finally opened, she lightly grinned as she heard Trevor’s heartbeat under her ear.  She continued to just lay there silently listening to his heart and feeling his chest move up and down rhythmically.

        Slowly though, Siren picked up her head and just looked at him.  He was still asleep, but the movement that she had made stirred him awake.   

        When Trevor opened his eyes, she blinked at him.  ‘He's so handsome. If only there was a chance that I could wake up in his arms everyday...’ Siren let the thought fade when his hand came up to her forehead checking for a temperature.  She rolled her eyes and pushed his hand away.  "Will you stop? I'm fine..."

        A small smile touched his lips.  “Old habits die hard,” he told her.  "Besides, in a way it's mom's payback for all the times I said the same thing to her when I was sick.  Now humor me....” Siren was still for all of about thirty seconds.  "Okay, you're not as warm as you were when you laid down."

        It was quiet between the two of them for a long moment. 

        ‘Why do the most serene moments between us have to happen in situations that are nothing more than dynamite with a short fuse and a fire nut hovering around with a match?’ Trevor thought.

        "If you're still... cool by six o'clock," he handed down his decision, "we'll go.  Otherwise, I'll incur my female parent's wrath and cancel.  Ah, ah!" he warned her.  "It's that or nothing."

        Siren couldn’t help but smile at him.  “Okay,” she said softly before she dipped her head back down to lay it back on his shoulder.  Before she could stop the words coming out, she asked, “Why is it that your shoulder is so comfy?”

        Trevor didn’t dare look at her face to answer.  “Beats me,” he replied just as softly.  “But…” he glanced down at her.  “If it fits…” he hesitated when her eyes lifted to meet his.  “Use it whenever you like.”  The moment was tenuous at best, so he decided to let Siren decide what was going to happen.

        Siren didn’t know what would be best to do. She knew that she could kiss him, which was what she would love to feel – his hands around her body; his lips pressed against hers; his tongue darting around her own… but even as she looked… she wondered if it was the best thing to do.

        No matter how it seemed, her emotions took over.  Slowly, she rose up and placed her hand against his cheek before leaning forward to brush her lips lightly against his.  Without leaning away from him, she whispered against his lips, “What a generous offer you give.”       

        "For you," Trevor whispered against Siren's warm lips, "any time...any where." Trevor kissed her lightly in return.  "All you have to do is ask."

        Siren didn’t pull back.  In fact, she pressed closer against Trevor, her lips parting a little, but still he was not going to be the aggressor.  He wanted her.  ‘There, I admit it,’ he thought.  But no matter what his emotions and hormones wanted him to do, he pushed them back and let Siren lead the way.  ‘I’ll wait as long as it takes for her to be sure, because I want her to be as sure as I am.  Only then, when I know when she comes into my arms... into my bed... because she wants to be there will I become the male pursuing the one he loves,’ he thought as the kiss continued. 

        Siren kissed his lips, first the top one, then the bottom, and then felt his tongue meeting hers; his tongue sweet and the kiss even more so.  Siren didn’t want to stop kissing him, but she slowed down the hunger of her kiss and slowly moved back to look at him.  She honestly didn’t know what to say to him but the rampant feelings that were still going on inside of her; she didn’t want to deny them.  She lightly licked at her lips as she looked at him.

        Seeing him looking at her lips as well, she noticed that he wasn’t trying to pull her back down.  She blinked then looked away from him as she slowly moved away.  ‘I’ve done something wrong, or he doesn’t want to kiss me and he’s just being nice to return the kiss that I gave,’ she thought.  But she remembered her promise – no knives. 

        She turned to look at the clock.  It was four o’clock.  They had slept for over three hours.  Moving completely away from him, she sat up on the bed and stretched as she raised her hands up over her head.  When she turned back around, she noticed how he was lying, his hands behind his head, just watching her.

        Moving back over to him, she once again nestled her head on his chest rubbing her cheek against his shirt again.  She draped her left arm over his abdomen and let her fingers curl lightly at his side holding onto his shirt. 

        She thought about the last couple of days.  Ever since she had met him, he had turned her life into a tailspin.  He had turned her upside down and inside out; either with a kiss, a touch, or even his temper.  She smiled lightly as she listened to his heartbeat and wondered if there was anything that could be more serene.  She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly.  At the moment, all she wanted to do was stay right where she was beside him, for as long as he’d let her.  She knew that when it came down to it, that Trevor was not going to be in her life forever… only until their punishment was over… and then he’d be gone. 

        Her mind wondered more.  She never would have considered herself a lonely person, but the more that she thought about it… she was.  Her emotions began to war within her and her fingers tightened on his shirt as she balled up her fist.

        “Is everything okay?”

        She nodded against his chest.  She felt Trevor shift slightly under her as she put his arms back around her.  Siren began to battle with herself over what she should or shouldn’t do.  She pressed against him, her leg draping over his left leg. 

‘Okay, Siren,’ she told herself as she felt his arm close on her right hand that was lying against his side.  She lightly caressed his arm in deep thought.  ‘Your body is telling him things that your mind isn't sure that you should do or not... so make up your damn mind.  Which is it going to be?  Are you going to keep him guessing... or are you going to show him just how much you love him?’  Even she couldn’t believe her own thought processes.  ‘Do I love him?’ she wondered as she looked up at him; looking deep into his aquamarine blue eyes and drank in his features and then, she answered her own question.  ‘Yes.’

        She moved lightly in his embrace so that she could look down at him, but since she was so close, she was practically on top of him.  It was then that she leaned up once more and brushed her lips against his – tender at first, then it grew more adamantly, more wanton with desire as their tongues once again met.  Her left hand that had been resting at his side, moved up from his abdomen and up to his chest, to his neck and she lightly cupped his cheek as they kissed.          Lightly, she turned her head away from his kiss as she began to trail kisses along his jaw and back toward his ear. 

        “Oh… God,” Trevor half-groaned, half-whispered when she broke the second kiss and trailed a fine line of heat along his jaw, the tip of her tongue teasing his skin almost beyond endurance.

“Trevor,” she whispered softly by his ear. 

        Licking his lips, he closed his eyes, forcing himself to slow down his breath that was coming faster.  “Ohhh… yes,” he whispered when Siren’s lips touched with delicate teasing under his left ear.  And wherever her hand touched him – his chest then his abdomen – it sparked a flame of desire, the heart of that need spreading out from the touch point.  

        There was no stopping the low groan in his throat, or stop his arm from curving over her waist, pulling her harder against him.  The blood was singing in his ears, his pulse throbbing, when her hand continued to skim over his chest, her lips maddeningly sweet and sensuous in their teasing.  Her hand started to stray downward, tracing along the edge of the waistband of his jeans, touching, not touching his skin and he couldn’t stand it anymore.

        Catching her hand in his, barely able to breathe evenly, he opened his eyes and with a squeeze of his fingers against her waist… her bare waist... since she only wore his shirt and her underwear to nap in… forced her to meet his gaze.  He didn’t hide or try to temper the desire he knew was bright in his eyes.

        ‘Dammit all to hell,’ he thought as the bedroom door opened. 

But even though Xavier was standing in the doorway, a knowing smile on his lips, Siren still hadn’t slowed down by so much as a heartbeat; at least not until Xavier cleared his throat.

        Siren glanced in his direction and slowly turned toward him, her eyes bright, shining and her cheeks flushed.  The bright color in her face wasn’t the heat from a fever of a cold; it was from the heat of passion.  Breathing hard, she just looked at him, not sure of what to tell him.  All she knew was that she wanted the man underneath her.  She wanted him to be with her and only her.

        Turning back to Trevor, she leaned down and lightly kissed his lips before moving off of him.  It was damn hard to control the yearning that was building up inside of her, but she sat up on the bed, looking at her father.

        Xavier knew as he looked at her that she was never more ready to be known by a man than his daughter was at that moment.  If it were possible, he’d swear that he heard the frustrated whimper of her body as she moved away from him.  It was to her that he spoke.  With his hand still on the doorknob, he asked, his voice clear and calm, “Should I go out for awhile, Siren?”   He watched the blood rushing up into her face either from embarrassment or the yearning that was plain that she was finding most difficult to rein in.  Yet, he waited.  Not letting her gaze drop from his, he said softly, “Your choice, my dear.”

        Siren met her father’s eyes and heard the question but couldn’t believe what he had just asked.  She was having a hard time reining in her emotions that were running rampant, especially when she felt Trevor sit up behind her, placing his hand on her back. 

        “Perhaps it might be best if you did father,” she told him breathlessly knowing how that sounded to him… but at the moment, she honestly didn’t care what her father thought.  All she wanted was Trevor… and to experience something between the two of them that she would treasure for the rest of her life.

        Xavier felt the smile on his face take on a different quality, and understanding of where his daughter was venturing.  “All right,” he told her.  “I’ve got some research to do for a special project,” he said evenly as he stepped back and start to close the door.  Just before the latch clicked, he said loudly enough for them to hear, “I’ll lock the front door on my way out.”

        He didn’t pause for any reason.  He turned off the television on his way to the front door.  Walking thoughtfully down the hall, he knew that all he’d ever know of what happened in Siren’s room would be what his imagination created, but it didn’t matter.

        As the elevator doors opened before him, he stepped inside, and only because he was alone, knowing that Lothos heard him, he murmured softly, “Be gentle, Mr. Conroy.  Be gentle.”  

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