** You Can't Bring Back The Dead **

Kayla 
******

She knew if she waited in the dining hall long enough he would show up.
She'd been waiting all day to see him again and for the first time in months
she hadn't felt like breaking down and crying. 

She knew it was because of him. It was like she had been given a second
chance at finding love. She was even eating again. Something R'ven had
commented on recently. But now things were different. 

He walked in and saw her. She smiled and saw something come into his eyes
that she didn't understand, but it was gone so fast she thought she had
imagined it when he waved to her and pointed at the food tables. 

She felt giddy as she waited for him to get his food and join her. Wished
she had a mirror to check to see if she looked okay, but decided it was to
late to do anything about it anyway.

Then he joined her. 

"I've been waiting for you," she told him and saw his lips turn up in a sad
smile. Probably just tired, she thought. 

"You shouldn't have," he told her. "I almost didn't come by tonight."

"But you did," she grinned, thinking he had done so just to see her. Her
smile grew even bigger. "So tell me how was your day?"

They talked for a while as they ate then he asked her to go for a walk with
him, and she just knew he was going to tell her that he'd been thinking
about her all day just as she had been thinking about him. 

Ari was like that... she thought without thinking.

"Sure a walk sounds nice," she agreed quickly and couldn't wait to get
outside away from others and be alone with him. 

Without thinking she placed her hand on his arm and didn't feel him stiffen
at the touch, so caught up in her dream as she was. 

He was quiet, but she put that off to him trying to find the words to tell
her how much he had come to care for her, and as soon as they had gone far
enough to be away from others she turned to him and lifted her lips up for
his kiss. 

When it didn't come she opened her eyes and stared up at him. 

"We need to talk," he told her and led her to bench near by. 

"You don't need to say anything," she told him shyly. "I feel the same way."

She saw him look away and was slightly puzzled by it.

"I know you might think it's a bit soon to talk about it... but it's not,"
she told him trying to make him see. "I mean I care a great deal..."

"But it's not me you care about Kayla," he turned back to face her, his tone
gentle. "I'm not who you think about at night when you go to bed. I'm not
the man you love."

"But it's not that..." she started to say then stopped and tried something
else. "I know you're not ... Ari... but I do care for you. I do!"

He lifted his eyes to stare into hers and slowly so as not to spook her, he
lifted his hand up to cup the side of her face.

Her heart jumped at his touch. He was going to kiss her and she wanted him
too. It had been so long since she had felt a man's touch. So long since Ari
had held her like this..... Made love to her. 

She looked into the eyes she knew so well and silently begging him to go on.
Reality faded into dreams and once again she was with the man she loved. 

"Please Ari... Kiss me." She begged without thinking and her eyes closed as
she waited for his lips to cover hers, so she didn't see the hurt that came
into his. 

Lips covered hers, and she sighed. It was so nice... but why didn't he kiss
her like he used too... She lifted her hands up to wrap around his neck,
meaning to deepen the kiss and let him know what she wanted. 

He obliged her silent request, but it still felt wrong. It wasn't the same.
Something was missing. 

Slowly she moved away and opened her eyes to stare up at him. 

"You're not Ari," she said, and saw the sadness was back in his eyes. 

[[Tag Peter... let her down easy huh??]]

***Submitted by: *****

Kayla & Allesha
Daere Warren

Aka
Barbara