----

"I hate to leave like this," Toad said when Aries had entered their shared bedroom. He had been throwing a few things into a small over night pack. His expression was one of worried apprehension. "Still, I'm glad you're staying here. Are you going to be alright alone?"

"Oh, I wont be alone." She said darkly, as she refused to make eye contact with him. She was still far too angry for those big green caring eyes to persuade her. "I'll have Pyro here to protect me." She added with a hint of sarcasm. She was the rebirthing of the Greek God of War and people seemed to think she still couldn't handle herself.

If Toad caught the hint, he didn't show it. He rounded the bed and looked at her.

"I'll be back before you know it." He lifted her chin to meet his.

He thinks I'm upset he's leaving. That thought only made her angrier.

"Why did you tell Magneto about my night…" she searched for the right word. "…problems?"

"Because I'm worried about you. Like it or not you need some help with this."

"I thought I had help, your help. Its not something that I want everyone knowing-the fact that I spazz out sometimes."

"Everyone doesn't know. And its more than just spazzing out. It's…" his voice trailed off.

"It's what? Please, enlighten me."

"It scares me." Toad looked at her, when she stared him down like that he couldn't argue with her, even if he was right. "Listen, we'll talk about it when I get back, yeah?" He slung his pack over his shoulder, and hently touched her chin.

"Yeah." She crossed her arms as he walked out.

---

They had left half an hour ago and she was still standing by the window. When had it all gone so wrong?

She saw Pyro's reflection in the glass.

"If you plan on telling me what to do you can just save it." she said turning away from the window to face him. "I have enough people in my life who think they know what's good for me."

No," Pyro said moving closer. "I know what's bad for you."

His lips met hers. They were right back where they had been earlier in the hall way-locked in together as though they always had been. The building tension finally being released as they found their way to Pyro's bed-candles lit around it as though he had been expecting her to return here.

As a lover he was inexperienced but he definitely made up for it in enthusiasm. His eyes intense as he entered her.

Once Pyro had finished on top of her, she felt her first twinge of guilt as the thought of Toad.

What was she doing? They were supposed to be getting married soon, and she was already cheating on him…

She sat up to leave.

"Where you going?" Pyro asked-sounding more like a boy than a man.

"I'm not going to stay here and spoon with you." She said coldly as she reached for her clothes.

"No. You cant just leave." Pyro reached up and grabbed her arm.

"I said Don't Tell Me What To Do!" She threw Pyro back with a force not her own.

He flew back off the bed hitting the far wall. He made it to his feet-still naked- and instinctively pulled the fire from the nearby candle.

Aries didn't look like herself. Her eyes were glowing-her cheekbones looked higher than normal-she was panting as though she had just ran a marathon.

"Aries?" he asked questioningly.

She snarled at him as though she was part beast. He was almost certain she was about to lunge at him when she cried out in pain and fell to the floor.

"Aries!" Pyro yelled as he ran around the bed toward her. She was cradling her head in her hands-her crying still loud though muffled by her arms.

"Go away." she said finally-

"Aries, this is my room. I'm not going anywhere." Pyro said.

Aries lifted her head up at him-and he realized why she had wanted to be left alone.

On her forehead-just peeking out from under her fringe were two hard lumps…she had grown horns.

Please Review!