Meeting Jonathan was not only the best thing that every happened to her, it was also the only normal thing in her life. When the flashbulbs and boom mikes finished swirling their daily dance around her, there he was - pure and refreshing, a calm pool of reality. Their love was part fairy tale, part American Dream, but always completely honest, and she reveled in it. Unfortunately, all this was about to change...

Sasha sighed softly as she stared in the lit mirror of the studio make-up room. She absently brushed a stray lock of auburn curls from her pale face. Sasha had long since outgrown the little orphan Annie-appeal that made her so popular as a child, and had replaced it with a sweet Molly Ringwald style. She wasn't entirely beautiful, but her standard girl-next-door look was tinged with a haunting sadness that made her terribly desirable - at least, on television.

The make-up lady had an easy job this morning. After transforming half a dozen extras into fantastic alien creatures, the girl lounging in the swivel chair was a welcome relief. Nothing much to be done on this one. Too much make-up clouded the luminescence of her glassy skin, and her long curls were to be left down to frame her face. The woman finished quickly and sent Sasha on her way.

The girl wandered down the corridors of the studio that had felt more like home than anywhere else on earth, up until last month. She weaved past stage hands moving bulks of scenery, through small crowds of people milling around until the next scene was called, around lighting coordinators, rushing to the stage with a new filter to test out. All in all, quite the normal morning. As she reached the door of her dressing room, she couldn't help but glance up and smile as she turned the knob. Would it ever stop pleasing her to see those words emblazoned on the plaque hung delicately at eye level? SASHA WYNDHAM, it read in gold letters. She shook her head and entered the room.

It was dark and cool, usually a haven of contrast from the hot, bright lights of a long day's work. But this morning, it simply gave her a chill as she stripped out of street clothes and began pulling on her costume. She was in the process of zipping it up when her door flew open, a lean body rushing to her side and scooping her into its arms.

"Jon! Freakin' A, I almost had a heart attack!" she chastised, pushing away from him playfully.

He smiled, pushing the door shut behind him. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't wait to see you."

"You just saw me last night, you goof. We haven't been apart for more than an hour."

"But what an hour it's been. Wait'll you hear my news." Jon was grinning from ear to ear, his boyish face looking even younger in his elated state.

She smiled in return, lovingly running her fingers through his short brown hair. "What is it, darling?"

"My agent called..." Sasha waited expectantly as Jon stopped for a dramatic pause.

"And?"

"And... I got the part!"

"That's great, honey," she hugged him tightly, "Is it a big part?"

"Oh, yeah, it's huge. One of the leading guys. Of course, I think I die halfway through the movie... but that doesn't matter, right?"

"Oh, yeah, some of the best parts out there are dead guys," she deadpanned.

"Oh, you're gonna get it for that!" he cried, taking advantage of her unzipped outfit to attack her oh-so-ticklish sides.

She laughed and squirmed in his arms until he silenced her with a deep, passionate kiss. She closed her eyes and melted in his arms, returning his kiss. His hands slid up her sides to cup her breasts, causing her to gasp her warm breath into his mouth. Her jumpsuit slipped off her shoulders, sliding down her body, as their kisses came faster, more intense, until -

A knock sounded on the door. "Five minutes till the first scene! So hurry up and get some clothes on."

Jon mumbled a curse under his breath as Sasha broke from the embrace, pulling up her outfit and zipping it closed. She turned to the mirror, fixing her hair and blushing intensely. "My god, that was embarrassing."

"You'll get over it. Besides, we're teenagers in Hollywood. By most standards, we're pretty tame."

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Come on, you can wax philosophic when we're done, ok?"

"Alright, alright, but you owe me a celebration tonight."

"Deal," she said with a glint of mischief in her voice. She knew any celebration with Jon would be quite enjoyable for her as well.

Celebration in Tinseltown is never something to be overlooked. A good party could take over entire hotels and involve more drugs than Woodstock. It required beautiful people in various states of undress, loud music, and lots of alcohol. But most of all, it needed to be thrown by just the right people. Jon and Sasha were not those people. They were mildly successful actors, and although they were watched on millions of televisions across the country every week, an oft-ridiculed sci-fi drama isn't exactly a rocket to teen stardom. Beyond that, it just wasn't their style. "Hollywood's most clean-cut couple" Seventeen magazine had once called them. And so, keeping with their image, they opted for a quiet celebration of their own at a local nightclub.

The air was thick in the Snake Pit that evening. Smoke swirled around Sasha, tendrils clinging to her body. She waved her hand in front of her face, hoping for an inch of clean air. Jon was oblivious to it. He was in rare form that night, tight black jeans accentuating his long legs, a dark blue silk shirt open at the cuffs and collar. His brown eyes danced with joy and a hint of red wine. Sasha stared into her own glass, sighing. Neither was old enough to drink yet, but that meant nothing in this town. In spite of that, the couple rarely drank, and even when they did, it was only to the point of a light buzz. But she just wasn't in the mood for it tonight.

Sasha put down her glass and stood quickly, grabbing Jon by the arm, startling him. "Let's dance," she murmured seductively, and he obediently followed her.

They were soon lost in the thumping rhythm of the music. Sasha watched as Jon flowed with the beat, ignoring everything except the music, and her. She had always loved how Jon would dance anywhere, while most men refused to, even in the privacy of their own homes. She kept pace with him, her tight green velvet slipdress catching every small curve of her body as she moved. They danced close together, rubbing their bodies in a mating ritual old as time. As the song faded seamlessly into another, Sasha caught the eye of a boy across the room. He looked a few years older than her, and was amazingly handsome. He stared intently at the young couple, absently tossing his longer blonde hair from his face.

"I need a break," Sasha practically screamed into Jon's ear, dragging him off the floor. She attempted nonchalance as they made their way closer to the boy. Before she could think of an appropriate introduction ("Hi, I'm Sasha. What's your sign?" "Hey, I noticed you staring at us, you like what you see?" "Hi, can I kiss you?"), Jon opened his mouth. It was the best thing he ever did.

"Skye!" he cried, pushing his way over to the blonde. "Hey, I didn't expect to see you here."

Sasha stared at them incredulously. "You... know... him?"

Jon smiled. "Of course I do. This is Skye Ransom. Remember, we made a movie together a few years ago."

"Skye Ransom? The Skye Ransom. Oh, my god," she gasped. Even after two years of moderate fame, she was still caught star struck on occasion.

Skye just smiled at her as he greeted Jon with a warm hug. "It's been awhile, huh? You know, I watch your show every week."

"Oh, you do not, liar. You could care less about sci-fi."

"Now, that's not true at all. Besides, maybe I'm not watching it for the show." The look on Skye's face forced a blush to Sasha's. Jon didn't even notice.

"You know, you should really come over some time. We just got a new apartment, and it's really great," Jon rambled on.

"I'm sure Skye's much too busy for silly things like that, sweetheart."

"Actually, that sounds real nice. I'd love to see your place," Skye smiled catlike. "How about tonight?"

"Hmm, I dunno, we were celebrating tonight -" Jon started.

"Celebrating what, might I ask?"

"Oh, I just got one of the lead roles in this new film..."

"Hey, that's great! Congratulations," Skye held out his hand. "Gimme some skin."

Jon smiled, recognizing the line, and slid his palm along Skye's. "Anyway, we were celebrating tonight -"

"That's cool, I love celebrations."

"Well, yeah, but -"

"But we'd love to have you there!" It was Sasha's turn to interrupt. She had no idea what came over her, but the way Skye stared at Jon, she just knew she wanted him to come home with them that evening.

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