*Alexia*

I awake to find Ricky once again already up and about.

"Good morning," my voice is a bit parched and it comes out in a croak.

He lifts his head up from the book on Venice he's been engrossed in and smiles. "Good morning."

I kick the thin blanket to the king-size bed onto the floor and stand up, stretching my tired limbs. "Did room service bring our breakfast yet, cause I'm famished?"

"They actually just informed me that they're low on staff at the moment and won't be doing room-serviced meals. Instead, they will be serving the meals in the dining area. Breakfast will be served between seven-thirty and ten-thirty."

I glance at the clock. Breakfast is still going to be served for the next hour and a half. "Ok, let me go quickly shower, and get dressed. Then we'll go to breakfast."

"Sure, just please hurry up. My stomach won't stop grumbling." His stomach grumbles on cue and he blushes, an action that is so absolutely adorable on his manly face.

Reluctantly, I peel my eyes away from his face and grab my outfit for the day before heading to the bathroom.

The refreshing water revives my sleepy body and once I step out of the bathroom dressed in the rusty orange maxi dress, makeup on fleek, and hair tied out of my face in a messy bun— I'm wide awake.

Ricky jumps to his feet when he notices that I'm out of the bathroom. "Ready to go?" He asks.

I grin, taking his large hand in mine. "I've never been more ready before."

Together we head downstairs to the dining area, our stomachs grumbling along the way.

***

I sit down at the two-person table, my plate piled with food. Hard-boiled eggs, vegetables, cubed roasted potatoes, and the best— crispy pastries. Ricky sits down in the seat across and places the cup of iced coffee before me.

"Thank you," I say as I bite into one of the pastries that has a delicious custard filling and then take a sip from the iced coffee, washing it down.

"You're very welcome." He smiles, starting to dig into his own meal.

I finish pretty much everything on my plate and then decide that I need one more of those scrumptious pastries.

"I'll be right back," I tell Ricky, standing up and heading for the pastry table.

I take a larger plate and begin to pile all the pastries that I can onto my plate— when I see her. The plate slips through my fingertips and clatters onto the table, pastries flying everywhere.

I quickly duck and make a dash for the ladies' room as several heads turn my way, including hers.

I enter the bathrooms relieved to find it empty and walk into one of the stalls, leaning my head against the locked door, as I struggle for breath.

How in the world did she find me? We've been so careful to leave no trace behind us, it's not possible that she's here.

"Alexia, I know you're in here. Please come out. We need to talk."

Feet come to a stop outside the stall I'm in and my heart begins to race more widely, if that's even possible.

"Alexia, please."

Oh, what the heck! I open the door and face her, my body overflowing with heat.

"How did you find me?" I demand, sparks shooting from my fingertips.

She takes a step back. Smart move. "Alexia, calm down before you cause some damage."

The nerve. "Before I cause some damage? Look who's talking. You're the one causing all the damage by being here. I told you not to come after me and look here you are, once again  disobeying my orders."

She looks down at the hideously green tiled floor, obviously intimidated. "You don't control me. You know that, right?"

I inhale deeply, before replying as calmly as I can, "Of course Eva. You're my friend, not my maid. But still, as a friend, you should be listening to what I ask of you. And what I asked is for you not to follow me, yet here you are. Now again, how did you find me?"

She still won't look at me and it's beginning to tick me off, flames circling my arms. "I might have implanted a tracker inside your compact mirror."

"You what?" I roar, sparks once again breaking loose.

One lands on her arm and she flicks it off before it can burn her. "Please, try to calm down. Someone might walk in and I don't think you want them to see you on fire."

I walk over to the door and lock it. "Now no one else will be entering," I say, turning back to Eva. "How dare you put a tracker on me?" My fire is extinguished as tears begin to roll down my cheeks. "I feel so betrayed."

With my fire out, she finally has the courage to walk over to me and place her delicate hand on my arm. I look at her, broken. "You disobey my words and you go and track me," I whisper. "What kind of friend does that?"

"A friend who obviously cares," she says. "When you ran off, I was so worried..."

"But when you called me, I told you everything was fine. I told you NOT to come after me."

"I know. But you, Alexia, know me. You know that I'll have to come to see for myself that you are truly ok."

"Well, here you are," I say, throwing my hands in the air for emphasis. "And you see that I'm perfectly fine on my own. I have Ricky. I don't need Mars to come back and haunt me. I just want my freedom; don't you see that?"

"But..."

I cut her off. "I know my father wants me to go back, but I can't go. Not now. I know that he doesn't approve of Ricky and that bothers me a lot. I can't live seeing all of that disapproval on his face every time he catches me together with the man I love." I'm now pulling her into a hug, burying my face in her shoulder. "That is why I need you to leave me here on earth. It's final that for now, I'm not going back."

Her arms squeeze me tightly. "I wasn't expecting you to come back with me."

I pull away, looking at her in surprise. "You weren't?"

She laughs. "Do you seriously think I do not know what you are all about? Come on girl, you are the most stubborn person I have ever met. Of course, I knew you won't be returning to Mars and I believe your father had an inkling too, that's why he gave me this to give to you."

A small ring box appears in her hands. "He told me that it was your mother's and now he wants you to have it. A reminder that you'll always be the Princess of Mars."

My eyes glisten with tears. I've always wanted something that was my mother's besides for the fire that flows through my veins. And now my father has just gifted me with the thing that I've wanted most.

With shaking hands, I take the box from her, and flip the lid open, revealing a stunning, shining ruby set in a golden ring. The ring that I was told was given to my mother on her sixteenth birthday. The ring that once belonged to my grandmother, and her mother, and so on.

The ring of a fire wielder.

I try to steady my hands as I slip the ring onto my finger, the fit is perfect. I then look at Eva, who's been watching me quietly this whole time, and smile. "Thank you."

She takes my hand in hers. "I think the person you should be thanking is your father."

"I know," I say, unlocking the bathroom door. "And don't worry I will."

We head back to the dining area and all could think of is how the ring fits my finger perfectly as if it was designed for me.

The ring that is now mine. 

***

*Eva*

We decide to go on a double lunch date. Alexia found a cute-looking pizza parlor. We take a table with two booths and I snaffle the seat that faces the window. It's a glorious view.

Kent and Ricky don't take long to decide what they want.

"What are you getting?" Alexia peers at me from over her menu.

"I'm thinking of the Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe."

"Yum," she states, "I was thinking of getting the Lasagna Bolognese."

"That sounds good too," I reply, "Should we share?"

"Sure!"

A waitress comes moments later to take our order. Great. We chat comfortably as we wait for the food.

Kent's personalized pizza looks good. He sees me side-eying it and offers me a slice. I accept it with a thanks.

I take a bite and he comments, "Tastes authentic doesn't it?"

"Yeah and fresh."

I crack up as Ricky tries to steal a bite from Alexia's pasta, but she blocks his fork with hers.

"Let the poor guy try some of your food," I tell her.

"Fine," she says while rolling her eyes dramatically, but her wide smile can't be missed.

It's pretty incredible how we all ended up here like this, but it feels right. When Kent and Ricky first showed up on Mars, no one could have foreseen this. Happiness can sometimes be found in unlikely people, and in unlikely places.

I'm enjoying myself so much that the time flies by and almost too soon we are all walking out together.

***

As we sit in the hotel lobby, a phone rings. Everyone reaches for their own unsure of whose it is. It's Kent's.

"It's my father," he announces, "I have to take this." He walks off to a private corner of the large room.

I tune out whatever Ricky and Alexia are talking about as my mind is consumed with trying to figure out whatever Kent's father wants. It could be nothing, but I feel like it's something.

It turns out I'm right.

Kent's father wants him home. Said he's had enough of Kent traveling around and now that everyone is okay, it is time for him to fill his place. His role.

This revelation forces me to make an impossible decision. To either stay on earth with the person I have relied on and had a connection with for so long, or to go. I'll be a third wheel if I stay, but Alexia and I would still be together.

Or do I go to Pluto with my boyfriend and forge a new path?

The decision is mine and that almost makes it harder. In the end, I decide the only real way to tell if Kent is my future is to go back to Pluto with him.

That night I toss and turn far more than usual.

***

Ricky and Alexia come to see us off. I give Alexia a bone-crushing hug and even shed a couple of tears.

"It's time to go, I'm sorry," Kent says, but I stay rooted in place. "Eva?"

"I can't do this. I'm so sorry."

"What do you mean?" Kent looks legitimately confused.

"You're a prince, a prince who has been gone from that life for too long. You need to get back into that role and what that means. That is your destiny. I'm still trying to figure mine out. I like you; I really do. But right now, I don't think it makes sense to go with you. I know I said I would, but I can't go through with it." I pause, looking down at my cream-colored shoes. "It all happened so suddenly, and I'm not ready to change locations yet again. I need to figure myself out. You need to play your part and I need to figure out where I belong."

After my speech, everyone falls quiet. We all seem to feel the weight of this highly uncertain reality we find ourselves in.

"Are you sure?" Kent finally says his voice barely more than a whisper.

I just nod, not trusting myself to speak.

Kent takes my hands in his, "I'll miss you."

I bite my lip and turn away, "I'll miss you too. But I'll see you soon." I turn back to look into his eyes for a moment, before I move closer to give him a kiss on the cheek.

Then I watch him get onto the FC.

Until next time.