The Honeymoon is Over!

CHAPTER SEVEN

Donna heard Rachel yelling as she approached the door to her apartment. She had hoped Rachel was home already, since she had left her purse and cover-up in the limousine and didn’t have the key to get in.

“Dammit! I told you, I don’t know where she is! And you should be out there looking for her since this is all your fault,” Rachel accused. She narrowed her eyes at Lucas. “So typical of men to do this,” she mumbled under her breath. She heard a knock at the door.

“Rachel, let me in. I don’t have my key.”

“Donna?” Rachel rushed to open the door. “Donna, I was so worried about you. Where in the hell did you go?”

“I just went for a walk. I had to get away for a little while.”

“Donna, Lucas is . . .”

“I see him. Yes, I see you, Lucas. I really am not in the mood to talk to you right now. Rachel, did you get my purse and shirt from the limo?”

“Yeah, they’re on your bed.”

“Thanks, hun!” She hugged her roommate and kissed her cheek. “I’m going to bed now. Tell HIM to get lost.” She glared at Lucas, who had not moved from where he was standing. Donna headed off to her room.

“Donna! Please, wait!” Lucas was calling after her now. “Please, we need to talk.”

He sounded so pitiful that Donna stopped and turned around to face him. There was still a look of hurt in her eyes, but her face had anger in it as well now. “What?” she stated harshly.

Lucas caught up to where she was standing in the hall.

“Can we talk in private? Please?”

Donna absolutely hated when Lucas acted this way with her. The poor lost puppy dog kind of way. She had always thought he looked stupid when he did, since he was such a macho-looking guy. It just bothered her to no end. It was nothing like how Ares looked when he would pout. He would look sexy and she would give him his way. She just wanted to slap Lucas, especially now.

Without saying anything to Lucas, she turned and entered her bedroom, leaving her door open behind her as an indication for Lucas to follow. Lucas had never been in Donna’s room before and he paused in the doorway, unsure of her intentions.

“Well? Are you going to stand there all night or TALK?” Donna plopped herself down on her bed.

Lucas entered and closed the door behind him. He could not look Donna in the face due to the overwhelming guilt he felt.

“Donna, you don’t know how sorry I am. How very sorry I am. I don’t know what else I can say to you other than I was completely out of line. Dead wrong. I’m so sorry, Donna. Really.”

“I bet you are.”

“Yes, I am. I truly am. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you, Donna. You mean the world to me.”

“Could’a fooled me,” Donna mumbled under her breath.

“Really, Donna. I didn’t have any idea that would happen. I didn’t know the guys were bringing in a stripper.”

“She was doing a little bit more to you than just stripping, Lucas.”

“But, Donna, baby, it wasn’t my fault! She tied me up and I couldn’t do anything about it.”

Up until then, Donna’s facial expression was one of disconcert. But after Lucas had said that, her eyes flared up with raw anger and she stood abruptly.

“Oh please, Lucas! Spare me the sordid details, will you?”

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry.” Lucas reached for Donna. She quickly moved away.

“Don’t touch me! I don’t want you touching me after you were with that SLUT. And in front of a roomful of people, too, your supposed friends. Boy, they must think your wife-to-be is a stupid idiot. Either that, or a real bitch for interrupting your good time party.” Donna’s words came out with much contempt. She had turned away from Lucas, and was rubbing Ares’ necklace, looking at the pendant.

Lucas hung his head. He felt horrible and heartbroken. He knew Donna would never marry him now. After all this time, after finally finding her again, he had to go and screw it all up in one single night.

“Well, I just wanted you to know how very sorry I am for putting you through that. I hope, one day, you can you find it in your heart to forgive me? I’ll go now.” He turned and left the room. She didn’t bother to turn back around. She was furious and hurt and really confused. She had some thinking to do.


****************

Ares had invisibly materialized in the corner of Donna’s room before her and Lucas had even entered. He listened pleasurably to their entire conversation. He knew what had happened from probing Donna’s mind, but he had unfortunately missed the big event, although he would have loved to have been there. He couldn’t have been happier if he had planned it himself. But because he had not, it made the victory even sweeter! This had to be the event that he was told about. The event in Donna’s life that would send her back into his arms again, into his life and into his bed! His cock stiffened in anticipation as he imagined loving her, touching her. He felt a strange warmth spreading from deep within. He excused it as excitement and disappeared.


Back in Greece, he paced the floor. Now, how should he approach Donna? Ares’ head was swimming in possibilities. But one thought kept returning to his mind over and over. Don’t do anything. Do nothing. Don’t do anything.

“Don’t do anything?” he said aloud. “It might take her months to find me here. What do you mean, don’t do anything?” He wasn’t quite sure to whom he was talking, or maybe he was talking to himself, knowing damn well that he should let destiny happen in its own time. The same thought returned even stronger again. Don’t do anything . . . yet!

Yet? That was new. He smiled and decided to do nothing . . .yet!


*************

Donna got up to answer the door after the doorbell rang - again! She already knew who it was. It was the delivery guy from Victoria's Florists with another bouquet of long stemmed red roses. They were arriving every half hour since nine that morning. Each one with its corresponding note from Lucas, begging her to please meet with him. It was now 11:30 am, this was the sixth delivery.

"You know those aren't gonna stop coming until you call the man, Donna." Rachel called out from the kitchen.

"I know." She handed the pen back to the kid and took the flowers from him. "Thanks!"

"Yeah, right," he responded, waiving his hand like he was brushing off what she was saying. "I'll see you in thirty," he slipped in before walking away

Donna closed the door and found a place to set the flowers down. She pulled the note from it and read it. The simple note made tears welt up in her eyes. It read: I only love you and I'm sorry.

Rachel came out of the kitchen. She looked at Donna and stopped.

"Oh, Donna! What are you going to do? It's obvious that he really feels badly about this. And you do too, by the looks of it." Rachel reached out and drew Donna into a hug. She shed a few tears. The heavy sobs had quit coming sometime during the night as everything settled in.

"Rachel, this whole situation is so weird. I have already been through this once with him. He did the exact same thing last time. The flowers and notes. It's like déjà vu. Only were older now, and he wasn't just kissing another girl." She laughed to herself. "I'm going to go shower and get dressed. Can you get the noon delivery?"

"Sure, you go ahead."

"Thanks."

Donna took her time in the shower, trying to get rid of a raging headache she had. Last night was something of a turning point in her life and she had a serious decision to make about Lucas. She realized this morning that she was not really in love with Lucas. She had only been fooling herself, probably as an unconscious effort to prove to the smug God of War that he was wrong. Even now, as she thought about it, the idea appealed to her.

Boy, was she ever a contradiction of emotions when it came to Ares. Loving him one moment, hating him the next. Yes, she knew now that she did not really love Lucas. She just didn't want to be alone for the rest of her life. She knew it the moment her lips touched Rodrigo's. She desired another man! She couldn't love Lucas if she still desired another. She decided to go and meet with Lucas.


**************

An hour later she arrived at Lucas’ house. He looked like hell when he answered the door, completely taken by surprise at Donna's arrival. His buddy Robert was there, trying to give Lucas some support. He didn't feel much better about any of this since he was the one responsible for hiring the hooker to begin with. He didn't really know Donna that well, and hadn't thought about how she might feel about his little gift to the groom-to-be. Lucas let Donna in and Robert walked over to her pleading on his friend’s behalf.

"Donna, this is all my fault. Lucas didn't even know what was happening. I told her to tie him up and not to quit no matter what he said. Really, this is my fault entirely. Lucas would never have willingly participated if he hadn't of been forced into it."

"I know," Donna said, half smiling. She had forgiveness in her eyes. She did still care about Luke.

"You do?" Lucas responded questionably.

"Yes. I understand. I know you're a good man, Lucas. You deserve a good woman, too. And I'll always love you, no matter what."

Donna was setting him free, but Lucas, whose blood was wildly pumping through his body since Donna arrived on his doorstep, had misunderstood her intention. He thought she was accepting his apology and that she still loved him. He picked her up and twirled her around while hugging her.

"Oh, Donna. Thankyou thankyou thankyou! You don't know how happy I am that you forgive me. I'll never do anything to upset you again. I promise! Oh, baby, I love you so much."

Lucas was ecstatic! Donna saw the joy shining through his eyes and her heart sank. She couldn't tell him what she really meant now or he would be devastated. He really did love her and she cared about him too. She was having second thoughts about calling off the wedding. Everything was already done: she had her dress, the arrangements were handled, flowers ordered, everything. She could do worse! She smiled sadly at Lucas. He moved to kiss her, but she stopped him.

"I have to go now, Luke. I don't think we should see each other again until the wedding day. Okay? I think that will do us both good. I'm still hurt, Lucas, but I forgive you." How could she not? She would have done the same thing with Rodrigo if the God of War had not cursed her for life. “I still need some time to get over this,” she told him as she headed for the front door.


***************

Ares was blasting everything in his line of vision in an insane fit of anger. He had been looking in the viewing mirror and had just heard Donna telling her roommate that she had decided to go ahead with her and Lucas’ wedding plans. Ares’ rage erupted so quickly to her statement, that he did not see the apparent look of doubt in her eyes as she spoke. After there was nothing left in the temple to destroy, he finally began to calm down.

“I can’t believe that she is still going to marry that jerk – that mortal! Well, if she is going to be THAT stupid, after catching him red-handed, then she deserves him.” He was pacing the floor again, talking to no one in particular. He found himself doing this quite a bit since he had returned to Greece.

Ares was at his wits end. He had done everything over the past two and a half years to get Donna to comply with her destiny. He chased her half way around the world, kidnapped her, tortured her, and seduced her. He had used deception, blackmail, death threats, even kindness at times – still, nothing had worked. He sat down on his throne and put his head in his hands.

“That’s it, I can’t do this anymore. I give up! DO YOU HEAR ME? I GIVE UP!” He lifted his head and yelled at the ceiling. He felt empty . . . and lonely. He sat there thinking for a long time, finally coming to the conclusion that destroying the world sounded like a good way to keep himself busy for the next millennia. He rose and decided to go and build an army. An army of computer geeks. It was, after all, modern times now.


***************

Two weeks later, Donna stood with her father in the foyer of the church. Rachel and Michelle had already started down the aisle with the groom's party. She nervously rocked, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"How do I look, Dad? Is my veil on straight?"

Vern could tell how nervous she was from how quickly she was talking.

"Honey, you look radiant! You have never looked more beautiful, or more like your mother." He smiled and kissed his daughter's cheek.

She did look radiant. Her long flowing white wedding dress had a low cut bodice and was accented with lace and pearls. Her beautiful copper colored hair was loosely curled around her face and her simple makeup and French-manicured fingernails gave her a very natural appearance.

She heard the organist giving her the cue for her entry by the music. As "The Wedding Precession" echoed throughout the church, Donna and her father took the first steps down the aisle towards Lucas. All the guests stood as she walked towards the altar to join her new life long partner.

But even as much as this was her fairy tale come true, she still kicked around the thought of whether or not she was making the right choice. Each step closer to Lucas meant one more chance to change her mind had just passed. When she and her dad finally reached the altar, she sighed in relief, feeling that she almost didn't make it. Lucas looked at her funny, but then thought she was probably just having a case of the jitters.

The priest started the service. After a few prayers and introductory words, he asked, "Who is giving this woman today?"

Vern answered, "I am," and he put Donna's hand in Lucas' hand and gently patted his son-in-law to be on the back.

Donna and Lucas exchanged the traditional vows and Donna's voice cracked nearly the entire time she spoke. It was good luck for her that the priest said the vows first, and then the bride or groom repeats the words, because Donna would not have been able to recall them from memory at that point. Her mind was spinning, as she became more and more aware of the fact that this was a HUGE mistake. She should not be here. She didn't want to be here. But she couldn't walk out on Lucas. Not now, not here. Lucas put the ring on her finger and she did the same to his. Then the priest spoke again, following the usual wedding format.

"If there is anyone present, who knows why these two people should not be united in Holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace." The priest paused a moment and then continued.

"I now pronou . . ."

"I DO," a deep voice came from within the crowd of people in the pews. Almost everyone had the same reaction: they gasped in surprise.

"Did somebody say something?" the priest asked, searching the faces of the guests to see if he had heard correctly.

A tall, well built man dressed in a white tuxedo with a black tie stood up to make his presence known. His shoulder-length, curly, dark brown hair shined as beautifully as the sun did through the stained glass windows and his dark eyes immediately found Donna’s, locking their gaze to her.

"I said I DO!" Ares moved towards the center aisle, stepping past the people sitting in his row.

Lucas looked confused. Just who in the hell is this? He thought he knew all of Donna's friends, and this was definitely someone he had not met.

Donna was frozen in place, staring at the God with her mouth dropped open in shock. The last thing she expected was to see Ares, but then she wondered why she was so surprised. This was Ares, God of War. That sexy, obsessed, sexy, heartless, sexy lunatic who had caused her so much (sexy, sigh) grief in the recent past. Damn, if he didn't look sexy, too! As Ares approached them, his eyes never left Donna's. Her heart beat heavily in her chest and she hadn’t realized a small smile was curving from the corners of her mouth.

"Who is he? Who are you, sir?" the priest asked.

"That is not important. What is important is that Ms. Clark, here, has not been honest with her fiancée."

"What? What's he talking about, Donna? How does he know you?" Lucas was talking to Donna, but he didn't break the glare he was giving this stranger.

“Go on, Donna. Tell him the truth about how you really feel. Tell him about the love in your heart,” he said smugly. Ares always did enjoy playing the antagonist.

Donna looked at Lucas, and then to Ares. She dropped her head and was silent.

"Donna? Tell me what's going on," Lucas pleaded. “Who is HE?”

She still didn't say anything, nor did she look up. She could feel Ares' eyes burn across her skin, warming her soul. He was silently calling to her, to her heart, mind, body and soul. She knew it was with him that she belonged. And even if she had not been destined to him, she wanted to go with him anyway. She loved him, not Lucas. She always did, but she let her stupid independence and stubbornness tell her otherwise. Now she was stuck in this mess of a situation and she felt awful that it had gone as far as it did.

Ares grew impatient. Breaking his gaze from Donna, he looked to Lucas and shrugged.

"Maybe I was mistaken. Sorry to have interrupted."

He turned and started walking towards the door. The entire church watched him, astounded that someone actually had the audacity to speak up like he just had.

Donna suddenly felt cold and empty as soon as Ares had stopped looking at her and began to leave. With her head still down, she looked at the ring Lucas had just placed on her finger a moment ago and removed it. She looked up to him, and with tears forming in her eyes; she took his hand and placed the ring in his palm.

"I'm sorry, Lucas. He’s right. I can't go through with this. I don't love you that way. I am sorry." She glanced down the center row looking for Ares, but he had already reached the door and walked out of the church. She grabbed the skirt of her dress with both hands and started running down the aisle after him.

"Donna? Donna, WAIT," Lucas reached for her, but she was already too far away. She got to the door and stopped just outside of it, frantically searching the grounds for Ares. He was nowhere in sight. Thinking he must have made himself disappear, her heart sank and her shoulders slumped forward. A sullen look of disappointment found her face. She was sure he was gone now - this time for good.

A familiar, deep voice came from almost directly behind her, startling her to the point where she let out a tiny scream. Her entire body shook with arousal at the sound.

"It's about time you got here!" Ares said, with a huge shit-eating grin on his face. He was back in his black leathers and was casually leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and one foot crossed over the other. “Do you realize how long you have made me wait?”

She looked shyly at him, unable to hold back a smile of utter delight. She was so relieved to see him and glad that he had not left her behind.

"You really had me going there for a while, Donna. I thought you were actually going to go through with it. You would have, too, if I hadn't of shown up when I did. Talk about good timing, huh?" he teased her. He let his eyes drop down her body and then back up again with a seductive smirk. “My, my, Donna. You do look delicious!”

She blushed, suddenly becoming very aware of her building desire for him. "You're impossible, Ares!" She smiled at him, tilting her head slightly to the side and partially closing one eye.

"I know! And you love it!"

"No. But I love you." The smile was gone from her face and was replaced by a sweet and sexy seriousness in her eyes.

Ares looked back with the same seriousness. He could no longer fight the burning need to touch her. He stepped forward and took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, possessively. They disappeared.

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