Acceptance
         The Negaverse War - Chapter One
                 by Rick Federle
                        

     Mina sighed happily, tucking the feather duster she'd been using
under her left arm.   She looked around the bedroom one last time to
assure herself that she'd finished.  She felt very ordinary and domestic, not
like the superheroine that she was.
     Her eyes fell upon the trunk underneath the window, which held her
winter clothing.  Her dresser and mirror was to the right of the trunk with
each brush and comb precisely laid out.  She touched each one familiarly
before continuing her check of the room.  A picture of him stood in the
middle of the dresser, almost leaning against the mirror.  She touched her
lips with her fingertips and gently placed the kiss on the picture.
     His dresser and nightstand was only a step or two away, around the
corner and near the door, within arms reach of hers.  She touched the
dresser top lovingly before examining the items that he'd left out.  A brush
and a comb, plus a brush of hers that he'd used to brush her hair this
morning.  She smiled at the picture of her, taken last year during one of
their trips to the park, just in front of the mirror.  She carefully repositioned
it so he could see it better.
     She turned around and looked at the carefully made full sized bed
that they shared every night and the divan at the foot of it that Artemis
sometimes used.  She walked over to the head of the bed and straightened
out a wrinkle in the sheets.
     Behind her was the closet and the bathroom door.  She'd already
checked the bathroom and straightened out the clothes in the closet.  She
felt the gentle tug of his emotions, anticipation and weariness, and she
knew that he was in the apartment building.  A smile appeared on her lips
and she turned toward the doorway that lead to the rest of the apartment.
     She stepped through the doorway between the bedroom and the
dining room.  "Artemis, he'll be home in a minute."  She called to her long
time guardian and friend.  The radio in the other room decreased in volume
and the white cat appeared at the opening between the dining room and
living room.
     She stashed the feather duster in the small closet between the two
rooms and smiled at Artemis, turning to the doorway as the sound of his
footsteps reached her highly acute Venusian hearing.  She half walked, half
bounced across the dining room and into the foyer, opening the door in
time to greet the man she loved.
     He stepped into the apartment, every line of his body speaking
volumes to her of his weariness.  She closed the door behind him and
greeted him with a welcome kiss.  "You look tired."  She told him, feeling
his love for her.  "You feel tired."  She added as she hugged him close,
resting her head on his chest.
     "I am."  He told her quietly, placing a tender kiss on the top of her
head as he gathered her in his arms.  He rested his cheek on top of her
head.
     They held each other for a moment before Mina spoke again.  "I
cleaned the apartment while you were at the studio."
     "You didn't have to do that."
     "I know."  She agreed, lifting her head and smiling at him.  "But I
wanted to."  He rested his forehead against hers.  "There's no reason that
you should have to do the cleaning as well as the cooking."  She continued.
     "Thank you."  He leaned forward and kissed her in appreciation.
     "You're quite welcome."  She shared his tired smile.
     "Do you mind if we skip dinner tonight, I'm not hungry."
     "That's fine with me."  She brushed his left cheek with her
fingertips.  "We can turn in early if you like."  She offered after a moment. 
"I know how much the recordings take out of you."
     "I love you, Mina."
     "I love you, William."  She agreed.  "Let me feed Artemis and I'll
join you in the bedroom."  She stretched up on her tiptoes to kiss him again
then slipped from his arms to head into the kitchen.
     She heard William and Artemis talking for a moment as she
snagged some tuna fish from the refrigerator for Artemis.  She took a plate
from one of the cabinets and set the tuna on it for Artemis.  She carried the
plate back into the dining room, and bent down to set it onto the floor. 
She straightened up, exchanging a glance with her husband as Artemis
walked over to the full plate and began eating.
     She stepped over to her husband, slipping both arms around his
waist as she leaned against his side.  He smiled faintly at her, putting his
arm around her torso with his hand resting on her stomach.
     They walked together into the bedroom and he collapsed onto the
sheets, still fully dressed.  Mina lowered herself down next to him,
snuggling into his side with her head resting on his chest.
     His breathing grew deeper and slower as he drifted off and Mina
contented herself with snuggling up with him, listening to his heartbeat and
watching him sleep.  She smiled contently, feeling the gentle tug of his
emotions on her consciousness.  Love and contentment drifted across the
link to her as he slept.
     Shortly after he drifted off, his arms tugged her closer, holding her
lovingly against him as he slept.  She snuggled against him more
comfortably, feeling his body mold up against hers.  She rested her
forehead against his, watching him sleep and sharing his warmth and love. 
After a while, she let herself drift off to sleep, savoring his closeness and
love.


     A sensation of pain brought her abruptly awake.  William was
holding her so tightly against himself that she was having trouble breathing. 
Each breath was forced and shallow.  Pain shot through her torso again as
she forced another breath.  She could feel that he was being tormented by
something and it was causing him to cling to her.
     "No, I won't let you . . . " His words ended and his eyes snapped
open.  Concern, then shame shot through him as he became aware of her
distress.  He released her quickly and laid still.
     Mina rolled off of him and onto her back, swallowing several deep
breaths.  She felt twinges of pain from her sides where his arms had been
pressed against her sides.
     "I'm sorry, Mina."  He whispered to her as she caught her breath. 
She felt the gentle pressure of his lips against her left temple and he
whispered into her ear.  "I didn't mean to hurt you.  I'm so sorry."
     She turned her head to look at him, seeing and feeling his shame
and helplessness.  "I forgive you."  She leaned forward and kissed him
reassuringly on the forehead.  "The nightmares again?"  She asked after a
moment of looking into his eyes.
     "Yes."  He squeezed his eyes tightly closed and a single tear, the
first that she'd ever seen from him, slid down his cheek toward the
pillowcase.  "If I'd only . . . "
     "William, let them go."  She reached over and wiped away the tear. 
"I need you to live with me now.  You can't keep blaming yourself for
things beyond your control.  You couldn't have stopped the Negaverse
from destroying the Moon Kingdom even if you'd been there."
     He reached for her hand and she took it in hers.  He squeezed her
hand tightly and she pulled his hand over to her.  She could feel his
hopelessness, his pain, his loss.  She kissed the back of his hand.  "I need
you."
     She gathered him in her arms as he began to sob like a baby,
accepting his loss.  The pain that he'd kept locked away for so many years
burst forth all at once.  She held his head against her chest, her arms
around his head.  She felt the knot of pain inside him slowly release as he
acknowledged his grief.  After a few moments, she found herself crying
with him, her face pressed into his hair.
     As the last of the pain faded away, he slowly stopped sobbing.  Out
of tears, he raised his face to look at hers.  "I love you, Mina."  He
whispered to her.  "I'll never stop loving you with less than everything that
I am."
     She brushed the hair off his forehead and back into place with a
gentle touch.  "I know."  She whispered back, resting her forehead against
his.  "I know."
     "I'll never be able to sing again."  He reminded her after a moment
of silence.
     "I don't care about that."  She told him.  "You are the center of my
life.  I want nothing less than everything you are."
     "And I am yours."  He declared.  "My love.  My life."
     "My heart."  She shared a love filled kiss with him.
     "How about tomorrow we take a picnic and maybe later in the
week we can head up to the mountains?"  He asked her, staring into her
eyes.
     She smiled at him as his love for her and joy to be with her filled the
link again.  "Whatever you desire, my love."
     "I want you to be happy."  He told her.
     "Being with you makes me happy."  She kissed him again.  "A
picnic lunch tomorrow and we can leave for the mountains tomorrow
night."
     She gave him a mischievous smile, feeling the warmth of his love
and the comfortable sensation of being snuggled up with him.  "Would you
check to see if I have any bruises?"
     "It would be my delight to serve Your Highness in any capacity that
she requires."  His eyes twinkled with amusement.
     "I've noticed that from time to time."  She smirked at him.  "Start
serving."
     "As you command, Highness."  He agreed, rolling over on his back
and tugging her on top for a kiss.