Disclaimer: Power Rangers in Space and things related belong to Saban. The song is 'I Knew I Loved You,' by Savage Garden.

May I Have This Dance?

by Jennifer Collins

 

Cassie Chan was sitting on a park bench on Friday evening, softly strumming her guitar. She'd been trying to write a good song, one that would put teens everywhere in a state of awe after hearing it, but it just wasn't happening tonight.

Cassie blew a strand of hair out of her eyes in frustration. She set her guitar down next to her and pressed the 'play' button on her portable cd player. Maybe she would get some inspiration after hearing some of her favorite artists sing.

She listened to her favorite station for a few minutes. Unfortuanatley, all the songs that the DJ played were about how eternally happy the singers would be now that they've found their true loves. Cassie listened to the lyrics, lost in thought. None of these songs were true for her. Her only love was absent at the moment. She was probably forgotten already. Cassie began to cry. It just wasn't fair. Why couldn't he come back to her, even just to talk for awhile? At least then she'd get to know him better.

After several moments passed by, Cassie heard footsteps approaching her. She quickly wiped the tears from her face and turned around to see who it was. Her heart dropped down to her toes and sprang back up, then settled where it was supposed to be, pounding fast against her chest.

"Hello, Cassie," the familiar voice greeted.

"Phantom," she returned, her voice barely above a whisper. "Um, what are you doing here?" She hoped that he'd come back to her, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions in case she ended up with a broken heart. She knew she would never be able to handle it if she gave him her heart and he refused it.

"I came to speak to you, Cassie. But I can't talk to you like this." Slowly, and to Cassie's amazement, he raised his arms above his head and crossed his wrists in a gesture Cassie knew well. "Power down!" He commanded. He lightly tapped the Power Ruby that was set in the chest of his armor.

Cassie took a deep breath as she was blinded by a white and grey flash of light. His powers flickered, and left him looking like a young man in his late teens, maybe early twenties.

Cassie looked at him closely and curiously. His freckled face, curly light-brown hair, and icy blue eyes reminded her of a being she had once seen in a dream. Even though she felt as if she had already seen him before, his beauty took her breath away.

Phantom smiled a little at the dreamy expression on her face. "Hi," he said.

"Hi," she replied.

"Um, there's something I need to tell you."

"Okay. You can tell me anything." Cassie's heart raced faster. There was something she had to tell him too, but she couldn't dare to now.

"I know." He smiled, almost nervously. "Um........ I............ I had this all planned out before, but now I have no idea where to begin."

Cassie reached for his hand, wondering if she was overstepping an unspoken boundary.

Phantom gladly took her hand in his, intertwining his fingers with hers. The second their hands joined, he knew this was right. He could tell she knew too. Suddenly he wasn't so nervous anymore.

"Cassie," he said, looking straight into her eyes.

"Yes, Phantom?" God, she was beautiful.

Phantom swallowed slowly. "My name is Shadow," he said quietly. "Please call me Shadow."

"Okay. Shadow," she breathed.

Shadow closed his eyes briefly. "It sounds so sweet on your lips," he whispered.

Cassie blushed. There was silence for a moment. A slow, romantic song started to play on her radio.

Shadow opened his eyes. "Dance with me," he said softly, offering his arms to her.

"Okay," she answered, stepping into his embrace. She placed her hands uncertainly on his shoulders.

Shadow put his arms around her waist and pulled her against him, clearing up any doubt that might have been in her mind against his wanting this.

Maybe it's intuition

Some things you just don't question

Like in your eyes

I see my future in an instant

And there it goes

I think I've found my best friend

I know that it might sound more than

A little crazy, but I believe

Cassie looked up into Shadow's eyes. She felt as if he was looking right into her soul, and she was looking into his, and that was okay.

I knew I loved you before I met you

I think I dreamed you into life

I knew I loved you before I met you

I have been waiting all my life

Shadow held Cassie tighter, until they couldn't possibly get any closer, and the two moved gracefully as one.

Cassie sighed happily, resting her head against his shoulder. It felt so good to finally be in his arms, better than it ever had in all of her dreams. In that moment, she was so glad that she hadn't given up hope like her friends had said she should. They just didn't understand. In fact, she wasn't even sure she understood this herself. She only knew that this was the way it should always be, just her and Shadow.

There's just no rhyme or reason

Only a sense of completion

And in your eyes

I see the missing pieces

I'm searching for

I think I've found my way home

I know that it might sound more than

A little crazy, but I believe

"I feel like my dreams are finally coming true," she whispered in his ear.

"Really? That's good," he whispered back. "Because I do too."

Cassie smiled a sweet smile that was meant only for her Shadow.

I knew I loved you before I met you

I think I dreamed you into life

I knew I loved you before I met you

I have been waiting all my life

Shadow breathed in the scent of her hair. This moment was so perfect, he never wanted it to end. Cassie turned her big brown eyes to him. Shadow fixed his blue eyes on hers, and Cassie thought she might melt. Shadow moved a hand up to her face, caressing her cheek gently. Cassie closed her eyes. Shadow leaned down. It was either now or never. Slowly, his lips found hers, and he also closed his eyes, wanting to savor the taste of her mouth forever.

Cassie didn't hesitate to express her longing as she kissed back, reveling in the feeling his soft lips brought to her.

A thousand angels dance around you

I am complete now that I've found you

"I love you, Cassie," Shadow whispered against her mouth.

Even as he said it, she felt it in her heart, and with a smile she replied, "I love you too, Shadow."

Shadow pressed his lips to her temple.

"Shadow," Cassie murmured.

"Hmmm?"

"I- um......."

"What is it, my love?" Shadow looked closely at her, as if he was searching for an answer on her face.

Cassie drew in a deep breath. "I want to be with you," she confessed. "That's all. Just be with you."

Shadow awarded her with a soft gaze. "I'd like that too," he said quietly.

"Oh, Shadow," she sighed, relaxing into his embrace.

"I mean it," he said. "From now on, you are my first priority. There is nothing that will ever come before the woman I love."

Cassie shivered at his words. She believed him, and now with a complete heart, she realized that she had found her soulmate, and he had found her. They'd both waited over a lifetime for this chance at happiness, and they both knew that they'd never let it go.

I knew I loved you before I met you

I think I dreamed you into life

I knew I loved you before I met you

I have been waiting all my life

As the closing chords of the song faded out, it dawned on Shadow that the pretty lyrics described perfectly his present situation with Cassie. And another example of how perfect the two were for each other was that Cassie was thinking the exact same thing at the exact same time. From that day forth, 'I Knew I Loved You' by Savage Garden was "their song."

When the song was completely finished, Cassie reached over and turned the cd player off, knowing that there could never be another song that could take its place. She sat down on the bench and picked up her guitar.

"What's that about?" Shadow asked, nodding to the instrument.

"This? Oh, um......... I was sort of trying to write a song, but I'm kind of stuck."

"Oh." Shadow kneeled down in the grass in front of Cassie, folding his arms on her knees and resting his chin on his arms. "Well, maybe I can help. Let's hear what you've got."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." Cassie held the guitar tighter and slowly began to play a peaceful melody. She began to sing softly. "Angel of mine, Saviour of my soul/ I look at you, and I see my whole world/ Though words can never say how much you mean to me/ Promises I'll make, and promises I'll keep/ For the rest of my life, I love you always."

She looked down into his eyes. "That's all I have," she said, brushing a lock of hair off his face.

"That's really nice," he said, still trying to get over the shock of the realization that the song was meant for him.

He pulled himself up off the ground and sat down beside her on the bench. "May I?" He asked.

Cassie nodded, handing him her guitar. Shadow continued to strum the melody she had started, deep in thought. Finally the right words to complete the song came to him, and he sang, "You're all I need, you're all I want/ Forever and always, 'til the end of time/ I love with every breath of my soul, every beat of my heart/ I promise to you, I'll always be true, if it means an eternity with you."

Cassie's eyes were wide. "That was beautiful," she breathed.

"Like you," Shadow whispered back.

The next sounds that came from either of their lips was the perfect harmonizing of the song the two of them had written together, for each other.