His kiss takes her completely by suprise, in front of his crew and all. Maybe he did it because he knows she wouldn't want to embarass him by pushing him away while his employees are looking on. But that's not why she doesn't push him away. She didn't want to answer him last night in their dream, when he asked if she misses him. She has worked hard at suppressing her feelings for him, but those feeling never died. Those dream kisses they shared last night were but fantasies, standing in his arms now, being once again pressed against him, tasting him, feeling him in the physical realm, is too much for her will to hold against. She loves him as much now as she ever did.

"Alison, my film isn't getting processed while you're standing here..All of you, get going," Byron says to his gawking crew.

"Byron, I don't like this project you're working on, I don't like those actresses," Serena starts to protest as she follows him down to his kitchen. "Serena, that's just the movie business...actors are never 'normal', I promise you. These two are just very 'in character', which means they'll do a great job, exactly what I need," he says in reply.

Serena still doesn't want to divulge her real fears to him, she knows too well if he knew he had the power to summon the Unseelie or even more terrifying spirit creatures unconsciously, he would only seek the means to do so on purpose. Serena has always loved Byron, but she's never blinded herself to his arrogance & wrong-headed determination to do exactly as he sees fit & damn the consequences. "Byron, it just feels wrong to me. Don't you trust me at all?" "Serena, I know you don't go to movies, you don't know what this is all about....you've never been comfortable with fantasy" he laughs, "For all your powers & abilitity to work magic, you can't come to terms with fiction. I've made dozens of movies with all kinds of strange characters & actors who were, I assure you, completely out of their minds. It's a very strange world I work in, but it isn't dangerous, I promise."

"Oh, Byron," she sighs, dropping her head onto his shoulder. She'll never get him to understand if she doesn't tell him everything. But she's not going to do that. He interlaces his fingers with hers, and starts to lead her in a slow dance. "Serena, if anything happens, you'll be with me, won't you?" Serena drops her hand out of his & ends their little swaying dance. "Byron, I promised to help you with this movie, to watch over you & it because I'm having bad feelings about it...I mean to do as I promised, but what use am I if you disregard eveything I say?"

His hand free of hers, he uses it to caress her cheek & draw her face in for another kiss. She doesn't resist it, she doesn't want to resist, but as he pulls away, she says, "Byron, this isn't right, rekindling what we left behind...it was hard enough the first time, to part company & go our seperate ways, if we continue like this during this movie...when it's over, it will be even harder to say goodbye..." "I don't understand, Serena, why we have to part at all. I went to film school, you trained in your craft, we've both matured & perform our 'jobs', such as they are. Surely there is time in our lives for each other? And it's not like we really ever parted in the first place: we may not have been lovers these many years, but you've always been with me, spiritually." Serena sighs & shakes her head, "I don't have a 'job' Byron, I serve..." "The Goddess, I know, Serena. So did your mother...and she loved your father very much, too, if I remember correctly." Serena looks down at the floor, unable to answer, "I have to go now," she says finally, rushing out of house while before she does anything rash.

NEXT