The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death

[ladydeathfaerie]

Title: The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death 
Chapter Nine: Truth And Consequences
Fandom: Anita Blake universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic sex and violence, language, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of LKH. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. the Sues are the sole property of their originators, Ginevra, Dazzledfirestar, Nanaea, SilverFoxChan and ladydeathfaerie. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from Dazzledfirestar. all beta work, plot bunny shooting and ass spanking is being done by Gin. 

The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death - Index Link 

Damian stared at Isis, his green eyes wide with disbelief. There was no way it was possible. What she was saying simply couldn't be true. As old as he was, he'd never had that kind of power. Would never have that kind of power. She had to be mistaken. He rose from the couch, pulling away from her as he paced across the room to stare out one of the windows. "Only a Master Vampire is able to call an animal. I am not strong enough to do such a thing," he told her quietly.

"But you called to me," she insisted. He could hear that she believed what she said. Perhaps he had. But none of it made sense. Heaving a frustrated sigh, he ran his hands through his hair. Perhaps he'd understand all of it better if he hadn't spent three nights locked in his coffin, unable to rise. Of course, he shouldn't have remained in his coffin as he had. He should have died with Anita. Nathaniel should have, as well. They were, had been, tied to her. Not just emotionally. They'd been tied on another level, something more metaphysical or spiritual. So perhaps her declaration wasn't so far-fetched after all.

"This shouldn't be possible, Isis. Once a vampire reaches his peak power, there is no more for him to gain," he explained quietly. He heard the rasp of her jeans against the couch's material as she gained her feet. Her steps were nearly silent as she padded across the floor to where he stood. The hand she slid up over his shoulder was warm and gentle.

"And yet," she smiled up at him when he turned to meet her gaze. "You called to me. You called to the pride."

"But you have a Rex already," he pointed out. She frowned at this. He could tell by the look on her face that she was sliding into thought, mulling over what he'd just said. Her head moved in a slow, almost hesitant nod.

"Yes, Haven took over as Rex. But he didn't..." she looked up at him, biting a lip in consternation. "I don't know. Its hard to explain. Maybe things feel like this because he isn't here? Auggie called him to Chicago for some kind of meeting. He was supposed to be back by now."

"When did he leave?"

"The day..." Isis stopped and drew a breath. "The day Anita died. He was only supposed to be gone for two days. He should have been back before I woke you."

Curious. Damian thought perhaps a talk with Jean Claude was in order. He was certain that the news of Anita's death had spread far and wide by now, which meant Auggie would know. Damian knew enough about the other vampire to know that this could prove to be problematic for Jean Claude. Anita had told him about her experiences with the visiting Master and he sounded to Damian like the worst kind of opportunist.

People all over the country, perhaps the world, would see this as a moment of weakness for Jean Claude. The council was sure to get word of it and there was no doubt in Damian's mind that they would be sending their own representatives to check up on him. Anita had been a good portion of his power base. They'd never liked or trusted her, either. So he felt they would see this as a good thing. The problem was, just about everyone else knew that she had been a cornerstone of Jean Claude's power base. Which meant that the vultures would start circling and they would start soon. This was becoming more and more worrisome with each thought he had.

"I see," he frowned. Taking her hand in his, he carefully drew her back toward the couch with him. When they were sitting, he turned to face her, hoping that he had his concerns and fears masked so that he didn't scare her. His mind went back to the conversation he'd had with Jean Claude the night Isis had woken him. If what the other vampire had told him was correct, Anita had found some way to pass her gifts on to other people. Jean Claude had assumed that they'd gone to the two women who'd been beside her at the time of her death. But now.... Damian wasn't so certain that this was the truth.

"Is something wrong?" Isis asked him, her voice cutting across his thoughts. He focused his attention on her.

"Tell me. When did you first start hearing my call?" he asked her, determined to have a better understanding of what was going on between them before he took his opinions to Jean Claude.

"It was the night Anita died. Right around sundown. I was in my office, reading over some briefs for work. One moment, everything was still. The next, there was a song racing through my blood and I felt this compulsion. It was less intensive during the day," she told him, her eyes unfocused as she allowed her thoughts to chase down the path of memory. "But it always grew stronger at night. When I saw that Anita had been killed, something told me that the call was because of that. So I went to both of her services. And then I went back to the house. Something told me to go, even though I didn't really know anyone."

'What happened when you arrived at the house?"

"The call grew and became something more. When I took the time to concentrate, I could feel the source of the call under my feet. I felt a surge of power that turned out to be Aedan trying to wake you and I followed it down into the basement until I found you there. The moment I touched your coffin, I knew that the call came from you. I knew why I'd been hearing it. I was there to wake you up."

"You're sure that is exactly what happened?" he asked her softly, his mind turning all of it over. It would seem that Anita had found a way to do him one last favor and he felt sorrow prick at him. How she'd done it, how she'd given him a Master's abilities, was beyond him. But she had. She'd granted him more power and, with it, the ability to continue rising.

"Yes. I'm positive," Isis nodded. Then she frowned, her eyes searching his face. "Damian, what does this mean? What's going on?"

"I am not certain yet," he shook his head, offering her a smile. He slipped one arm around her and pressed her up against his body. "When I have it figured out, I promise I will let you know."

She stared at him for a moment or two before giving a nod of her head. There was a sense of some kind of anticipation swirling around her, but he couldn't tell what she might be anxious about. He stared at her, memorizing the shape of her face and the way she had her lips pursed. Her eyes were a dark, golden brown that were filled with things he couldn't put a name to. She'd pulled her hair back into a pony tail, the golden length of it cascading down over her shoulder to glint softly in the light of the bulbs. He lifted one hand to trail his fingers across the side of her face, following the line of her cheek bone to her lips.

They were rose petal soft against his finger tips. She pressed a brief kiss against his hand as it passed, traveling lower to glide over her chin and down the line of her throat. There was something about her that drew him, something that had nothing to do with the call that had brought her to him. Something more than the scent of wild cat that clung to her and, beneath it, the faintly metallic tang of blood. There was something about the woman she was that enticed him and demanded he be at her side.

His hand, which had roamed down along her shoulder and to her arm, slowly traced back up to her face. It followed the path it had taken but moved to curl against her jaw instead of gliding over her lips. His free hand joined it, holding her chin between his palms. Her skin was almost hot to the touch, warming the coolness of his own flesh as he simply held her. Through it all, she stared up into his eyes.

He leaned forward, felt her doing the same. Their lips met in a gentle collision and his hands slipped up from her jaw to thread into her hair. Her arms crept up around his neck and she inched closer to his body. She was both soft and hard against him, lean muscle hidden beneath the softness of a woman's flesh. Mouths lingered in a sweet, chaste kiss for several moments. Then she groaned and he lost himself in the feel of her.

His hands slid down her back, dragging her nearer to him until every inch of her was pressed up against him. Her lips opened under his own, the berry taste of her lips giving away to the moist, inner recesses of her mouth. She almost whimpered at the feel of his tongue dipping past her lips, plundering the moist interior with a sensual slowness that spread fire in its wake. When he drew his tongue back, his fangs nicked her lower lip and a shudder ran through her.

The taste of blood welled up and he sucked her bleeding lip into his mouth. It drew another shudder from her and she sighed. Then his tongue was dipping between her lips again and he was once more drowning in the taste of her.

The kiss felt as if it was going to last forever. But Isis broke from him, her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe again. Her eyes were wide with shock and lust. He could hear the blood in her veins singing with need, demanding he finish what he'd started. He was tempted, so deeply, but he knew that she wasn't ready for it yet. The relationship established between them was still young. It would be so easy to ruin it with one wrong move. Instead, he carefully set her from him and gained his feet. "Damian?" she frowned, her voice thick with desire and confusion. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course not, Isis. I would like nothing more than to continue this. But I believe we both need time to know one another before moving on to the next step. I don't wish this to be just sex between us and I do not wish to destroy anything that we have already built. We are still in the tender stages of a relationship. It would be so easy to destroy it. I have no desire to do such a thing."

He saw by the blush in her cheeks that she'd read into his words the things he hadn't dared give voice to. That he wanted to get to know her first. He didn't simply want her for a quick tumble. He wanted something more substantial and more lasting than that. If all he wanted was sex, he could find any number of willing women who would fill that need for him. No. There was more to Isis than a roll between the sheets and he wanted her to understand that. "But you're leaving," she said softly.

"I must speak with Jean Claude, Isis. There are important matters he must take into consideration immediately if he wishes to maintain his control of St. Louis without trouble," Damian frowned a moment, then his face cleared and he offered her a smile. "I will be back. If not tonight, then tomorrow night. I will call you. I promise."

She smiled in answer and he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He hadn't been aware of it, but he was pleased to know that she was just as interested in him as he was in her. Without another word, he slipped out the door, the latch closing with a loud click behind him. He waited until he heard the lock engage, then he disappeared into the night.

~*~*~*~*~

The front door clicked open silently, as if whoever was at it didn't want to disturb anyone. Nathaniel heard it well enough, though, and turned to watch as Aedan stepped through the entry way. Her clothes and hair were rumpled, telling him that she'd slept in what she was wearing. The frown on her face was such that he wondered what could possibly have happened to merit such an unpleasant expression. When she closed the door, it hit him that she was alone and he allowed his own frown to come at that. She was supposed to have someone with her at all times.

Turning away from him, she started for the hallway that led back to the bedrooms. He stood, ready to go after her if she didn't stop when he called her name. He took a deep breath, then frowned as he got a lungful of her scent mingled with several others. There was the faint, sharp tang of blood, a whiff of something musty he took to be rat and something else...... Another inhalation of air brought it deeper into his nose and he frowned. She smelled of Edward. What had she been doing with Edward? He opened his mouth to call her name.

"Aedan?" Minette's voice came from the other side of the room. She had come from the kitchen and there were a pair of coffee cups in her hands. She stared at her friend, a look of concern on her face. "Where are you going? I've been worried sick about you. You didn't come back last night. I left a couple of messages on your cell."

"Sorry, Minette. I didn't mean to worry you," Aedan turned to face them and Nathaniel could see that she looked as if she hadn't slept well the night before. "I was going to go shower and then catch some sleep. Last night was.... I'm tired."

Minette brought Nathaniel one of the cups and he inhaled the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee. She set her cup down on a coaster on the coffee table, then moved over to where the other woman stood. "Jesus, you look like hell. Come sit down and let me get you something to drink. What do you want?" Minette took Aedan's hand and pulled her toward the living room. For a moment, Nathaniel thought she was going to resist. Then she heaved a sigh and followed after her friend without saying anything.

Nathaniel frowned when she was settled into her chair. He'd seen that look before, a look of frustration and disbelief. Of anger and loss. It was obvious Dolph had called her the night before. "Bring her something to drink. There's a bottle under the counter. For emergency purposes. This qualifies, I think," Nathaniel instructed softly. He lifted his eyes to stare at Minette. Her own went wide when she understood the look he sent her and she hurried off to do as he'd instructed. He moved to kneel before Aedan. "How bad was it?"

She swallowed hard and he watched as the color fled her face. "It was.... horrible. There were children," she whispered quietly. He nodded and put a hand on one of hers, offering her his sympathies and understanding with the touch. She shifted her gaze to his, the color in her eyes gone to gray with her emotions. Tears swam in them. "How did she do it, Nathaniel? How did she keep going to one scene after another and..... "

She swallowed again, so hard that he knew she was fighting the urge to retch. He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. She didn't talk about them much. But I know they bothered her, too. As much as this one seems to have bothered you. It might not get better but I think it does get a little easier to distance yourself. It just takes time. This is new for you, so its going to be hard. Just remember that we're here to help."

She nodded at him, her face pale. He was sure she was seeing it all again. She'd probably spent the night dreaming about it, which would account for the way she looked. Minette joined them silently, a tumbler filled with two fingers of amber liquid. It smelled bitter and sharp to his sensitive nose, attesting to the alcoholic content of it. Aedan took it wordlessly and gulped it down in a single swallow. Her eyes slipped closed and she laid her head down on the back of the chair. "Do you want to talk about it?" Nathaniel asked softly. His eyes flicked to Minette when she mirrored him and took a seat on the floor in front of Aedan.

"I shouldn't," she whispered, her head coming up so she could look at both of them. There was a distance in her eyes, her gaze clouded and unfocused. Minette opened her mouth to speak, but he caught the woman's hand with his own. It was a silent message to wait. He was sure, after the alcohol had time to work into Aedan's system and warm her up, that she'd start talking. He didn't think she could keep this inside for much longer. Several moments ticked by in pained silence before a soft sob tore from her throat. "Oh god! There were children."

Minette reached for Aedan's empty tumbler, intent on refilling it. Nathaniel shook his head at her, though, and motioned for her to wait. He could see the frustration on Minette's face. She wanted to help her friend, but there was really nothing she could do. Not for this. The memories were something Aedan was going to have to deal with on her own. And more alcohol wasn't going to do any good at all.

"There was a baby," she whispered, taking a deep breath before she swallowed and brought her hands up to scrub at her face. "I don't think it was more than eight months old. And there was so much blood. It covered everything. The floor was like an ocean and.... It was on the ceiling and the walls, the furniture. It was everywhere."

"What happened? Could you tell Dolph anything?" he prompted when she fell silent. She was far too pale, making him wonder if she wasn't going into shock. Her eyes opened and he could see that the color had slipped from gray back toward their normal color.

"It took out the entire family. Tore the front door off the hinges. The door was lined with metal. Either steel or lead, so it was heavy. And it was torn off the hinges like a person pulls a piece of paper from a notebook."

"So it was strong," Minette supplied. Aedan nodded and turned to look at her. "What else?"

"There were claw marks scored into the wood. By a large hand."

"What did you tell Dolph it was?" Minette took her hand and squeezed.

"Demon. Given the amount of blood, the way the bodies had been.... " she stopped and swallowed again. When she spoke, her voice was once more a whisper. "The bodies had been chewed on. There was power and.... Missing organs."

"Shit. Who the hell would call up a demon to do that?" Minette frowned. Aedan gave a quick shake of her head, eyes dropping closed another time. Minette squeezed her hand a second time for good measure. "You didn't let them see you like this, did you?"

"No. I waited until I made it upstairs before I tossed cookies," Aedan's smile came, but it was weak and only half-hearted. "Zerbrowski..... He said I did good. It took every ounce of will I possessed to keep from breaking down in front of him."

"So where have you been all night?" Minette asked her, her voice now holding an edge of concern to it.

"And where is your bodyguard?" Nathaniel questioned pointedly. "You came in alone. If Jean Claude finds out that you didn't have...."

"Jean Claude knows that the rat took a hike," she replied wearily. Her voice sounded more like her own, though. He took that to be a good sign. Both he and Minette cocked a curious brow at her, drawing her breath from her in a soft huff. "When I got back to Jason's car last night, the rat was in a deep conversation with Ted Forrester."

"Edward? What was he doing there?" Nathaniel frowned. He hadn't expected Death to stay on the sidelines now that Anita was gone, but he thought that the man was spending far too much time around Aedan. His scent had been all over the grounds around the house the other day.

"Official business, he told the rat. Then he called Jean Claude, happy as you please, and told him that he was going to take over watching over me for a short time. Said we had police business to discuss."

"Crap on toast," Minette muttered.

"I think my choice of phrasing was a little more colorful," Aedan admitted. She reached up and tugged at the coat she wore, shifting in the chair until she could pull it off. Then she started working on the shoulder holster.

"So?" Minette asked anxiously. "What did you do last night?"

"I fell asleep in my number five special," Aedan grumbled quietly. Nathaniel couldn't stop the smile that played at his lips and noticed that Minette was having the same problem. Aedan shot a glare at them. "Go on and laugh. Thanks alot for being so understanding."

"What did Edward do?" Minette managed to get the words out without laughter filling them.

Aedan frowned and slipped into consideration. "We got into his car and he took me to a diner. He told me point blank I looked like shit and that I should eat and take care of myself."

"He's right. You do and you should. You can't keep running around without a head on your shoulders," Minette chastised. Aedan glared at her.

"Excuse the shit out of me for being just a little freaked out by recent events."

"I know. I'm sorry. I know this week has been hard. But its only going to get harder and, if you don't take care of yourself, you'll make things worse," Minette reminded her. Aedan waved a hand dismissively, but she heaved a sigh and gave a weary nod of her head. "Edward," Minette prodded when her friend didn't continue right away.

"He took me to a diner and bought me breakfast," Aedan closed her eyes and exhaustion poured into her face. After chewing my ass for not taking care of myself, he grilled me about the crime scene. He wanted to know if it was anything to do with Anita's death."

Nathaniel watched as she shuddered, wrapping her arms tightly around her belly. There was something else she wasn't telling about their conversation. He could smell fear clinging to her, fear that had just spiked in the past few minutes. He wondered at it for a moment, then she was going on and his attention was brought back to her words. "We were halfway through the conversation when I fell asleep. Edward woke me up long enough to escort me to his car. I don't remember waking up when he stopped, so he must have carried me up to his hotel room because that's where I woke up this morning. In his bed."

Minette blinked in surprise at that. To be honest, Nathaniel was just as shocked as she was. Aedan laughed at the reaction and went on. "He was sitting in a chair across the room from me. I don't think he slept in the bed with me. He was wearing the same clothes he'd been wearing the night before and the only things he'd taken off me were my shoes, my coat and my holster. I gathered up my things and he brought me here."

"Did he hold your hand when you had nightmares?" Minette asked. Nathaniel thought there was a hint of joking in her voice, but there was something more. Aedan glared at her a moment before snorting and rising from the chair.

"I'm going to take a shower. Then I'm going to try and catch a nap before I have to go deal with depressed widows and money-hungry lawyers. That way, I won't be tempted to just shoot them instead of taking their money to raise their dead," she told them, her tone indicating that she hadn't cared for Minette's question. Nathaniel gained his feet, Minette following him until they both stood. When Aedan turned to walk away, she stopped short when she found herself face to face with Micah.

"We need to talk," Micah said, motioning toward the chair. "Have a seat."

Aedan frowned. "What did I do?"

"You haven't done anything, Aedan. We just need to talk," Nathaniel assured her. She turned to look at him, eyes wide with confusion. He motioned to the chair she'd just vacated. She glanced from him to Micah and then to Minette before heaving a sigh and dropping back into her seat. Nathaniel escorted Minette over to the couch, where the two of them settled side by side. Micah joined them, sitting on Minette's other side so that the woman was sandwiched between the two of them.

After several moments of uncomfortable silence, Aedan shifted in the chair and pinned them with a hard look. "Can we get on with this? I need some sleep or I'll be useless at work tonight."

"We need to discuss what happened last night," Micah told her. Her expression became shuttered and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Jean Claude explained it to me last night," she snapped, but there was no heat to her words. Just a sense of deep exhaustion and resentment. Nathaniel could well understand how trying the past week had been for her. She'd been thrown into a situation she couldn't possibly control or understand and it just kept getting worse. And there was more to come that he was sure would only confuse her more.

"He's worried that he didn't explain it well enough or that you didn't pay attention," Nathaniel told her. For a moment, it looked as if she were going to argue. But she merely heaved another sigh and sank even deeper into the chair. Her actions startled him a little. He honestly hadn't expected her to give in quite so easily. It took a couple of moments to gather his thoughts to him. "He asked me to make sure that you both know what you're dealing with."

"We have to sate some kind of lust," Aedan replied, surprising Nathaniel. A glance at Micah told him that the other man was in the same position.

"That's right. You and Minette both inherited Anita's arduer and that means feeding on someone's lust regularly," Nathaniel confirmed. "That means sex."

Aedan and Minette both looked at him.

"Lots of sex," Micah added. Nathaniel thought he did it just to be sure they understood what was at stake here. Aedan frowned while Minette's eyes got wide. "Anita had to feed the arduer everyday. She had a list of donors."

"Donors?" Minette squeaked softly.

"Donors. Men who were willing to sleep with Anita to feed her hunger," Nathaniel replied. "There were several of them. And at least one of them was with her at all times."

"Great. Just what I've always wanted. A fuck-a-thon."

"Aedan," Minette frowned at her friend. "This is serious. Do you have any idea just how close I came to hurting Jason last night? What if it had been some human guy off the street? What would have happened to me then?"

Aedan said nothing, but there was a look in her eyes that told Nathaniel she was giving deep thought to what Minette had said. After a long moment of silence, she sighed and shook her head. One hand lifted to make a motion he took to mean that he could continue. "Minette's right. This is serious. If you're not careful, people can get hurt. Minette could kill someone before she got herself under control."

A look almost like panic flittered across her face and he could hear her heart pounding in her chest a moment. Aedan stared at Minette as if she were afraid someone would come take her away. The look passed and she shifted deeper into her chair, but he could see that what they'd said had gotten through to her. He was fairly certain that she wouldn't interrupt again and she might even listen to what he had to say.

"Obviously, her other nature poses some risks that you don't really need to worry about. She's stronger and faster than you are. But that doesn't mean that you won't be a threat to anyone who happened to cross your path at the wrong time. You both need to be careful and you both need to have someone with you at all times. Someone you'll be willing to feed off of. You need to make a list of acceptable donors," Nathaniel explained patiently.

"A list?" Minette gaped at him. "You're telling me I need to come up with a list of men I want to sleep with? Right now?"

"It would be a good idea to have it all smoothed out now. Before you have to feed again," Micah nodded. Minette's cheeks flamed red.

"I don't know if I can do that," she stammered. "I mean, I... A list? Are you sure?"

"You could always make a list of those men you don't want to sleep with. Because, trust me. If you don't pick, the arduer will pick for you. And you might not like who you end up in bed with," Micah replied. When Minette continued to simply stare, the look on his face softened and he took one of her hands in his. "Trust me. You want to pick men that you won't mind having around. They'll be spending a lot of time with you."

"You need a list, too," Nathaniel turned to Aedan. She watched him for a moment, then sighed and shook her head. "Don't be stubborn about this. It has to be done. Its for your safety as much as anyone else's. You need at least four men on there that you can rotate. Some for the daytime and some for the night. Minette will need probably twice as many because she's going to need an extra set of eyes to make sure she doesn't lose control. She does that, then claws and fangs could come out."

Minette sucked in a breath at that. "More than one? Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure," Nathaniel nodded.

"So who's it going to be, Aedan? Who are you going to pick?" Micah asked her quietly.

"I don't know anyone in town. Pick someone for me. I don't have the time," she replied in such a tone that Nathaniel wondered what she was trying to prove.

"Aedan!" Minette choked out.

"I don't really give a shit who it is, Minette. So long as they don't get in my way. They do that, I'll shoot them on the spot. I don't care how hot they are."

"Oh my God! Can you be anymore crass and vulgar?" Minette sounded embarrassed. A glance at her confirmed for Nathaniel that her cheeks had gone bright pink.

"Sure I could. Want me to?" she replied, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Ladies, this isn't the time or the place," Micah reminded them. "This is, actually, a very serious matter. People's lives could be at risk if either one of you isn't careful. Yours included. Please. You really need to have at least one person with you at all times."

"Okay. I understand. Always have a sexual snack on hand," Aedan finally sighed. Then she frowned as a thought came to her. "Is this on top of the bodyguard?"

"You know, I'm not sure," Nathaniel shook his head. "That's probably something you'll need to take up with Jean Claude."

"Trust me. I will," she muttered under her breath. Then she turned to look at them. "Are we done? I really need a shower and sleep. Hopefully, I can get a few hours in before I have to be to work tonight."

Micah looked at Nathaniel and the two simply stared for a few moments before Micah gave a shrug. It was enough to let Nathaniel know that the other man didn't have anything else he wanted to add. Nathaniel turned to Aedan and nodded at her. "That's all. Just keep in mind that you're going to have at least one of us following you around all the time until you learn some control. Don't get pissed off about that. Shooting us won't do you any good and it isn't going to make any one of us happy."

For a moment, it looked like Aedan was going to reply with another one of her sarcastic comments. But she only sighed and reached up to rub at her eyes. "Okay. I understand. So long as you guys stay out of my way when I'm working. Fair?"

"Its the best I can hope for. Go get some sleep," Nathaniel motioned with one hand for the hallway. "You look like you came from an all night beer party at the local frat house." Aedan smiled at that, then rose from the chair. Nathaniel watched her go before turning back to Minette. "Now. Who are we putting on your list?"

"Crap on toast," she muttered.

~*~*~*~*~

The bathroom was quiet and peaceful, a soothing balm to Aedan's frayed nerves. She methodically stripped her clothing from her body, carefully folding them up to lay on the vanity around the sink. Her eyes were drawn to the small, brown stain that marred the edge of her blouse's collar. She frowned at it, recalling how both Zerbrowski and Edward had noticed the little mark and then commented on it. She stepped before the mirror for a moment and stared at her neck. Requiem's bite was almost invisible against her throat, which told her he'd been in control of himself when he'd taken her blood. A small amount of redness marked the bite wound's position on her flesh. Damn it, she didn't need this complication.

Steam filled the enclosed space and she stepped into the shower. Door shut behind her, she allowed the spray to pound down against her shoulders. Her motions were efficient and mechanical. Wet her hair, shampoo it, rinse the soap then condition. Scrub at her skin with the shower puff, a fragrant and gentle scented body wash bubbling up against her flesh. Use an apricot scrub and a loofah on her face. Honestly, getting cleaned up didn't take long.

It was only after she'd washed and rinsed and scrubbed that she allowed her mind to shift away from the task of getting clean. When she did, the memories and images came flooding into her head like water rushing down the mountains after the spring thaw. The sight of that family, mangled and bloodied, rose up and choked the breath from her. Aedan sank to her knees under the spray, the first sob tearing its way out of her chest.

How was she supposed to do this? She had spent the entire night reliving that crime scene, waking up constantly with dry screams grating out of her raw throat. And each time, she'd found Edward there, watching her with an empty face. That had scared her even more.

This wasn't like the last time. This wasn't anything like being stuck in the body of a girl who'd barely become an adult. A girl who'd been confused and clueless. She almost wished she was back in that universe. At least that had been a reality she'd been able to handle. Sort of. This was so much more dangerous and intense. And there were people here who wouldn't hesitate to kill her if they could. That thought sent panic through her again. If their Sues died, would they die here as well? Or would they go back home? She didn't want any of her friends left here to die. Which meant she was going to have to do whatever she could to protect them.

Another image of the crime scene filled her head and she found herself bent over, arms wrapped around her belly. Her head was almost touching the floor of the bathtub. It had been bad enough that she'd had to see that atrocity. But then she'd had to deal with Edward after the fact.

She'd been surprised to see him leaning up against Jason's car, using his 'good old boy' routine on the rat who'd been assigned as her bodyguard. The two of them had straightened, then the rat had left and Edward had called Jean Claude to tell the vampire that he was going to be watching Aedan. The smile that had spread over Death's face had been chilling and so frightening that she'd considered running back to Zerbrowski. But she had no rational explanation for her fear of the man. So they'd gone to the diner. And Edward had talked.

First, he'd grilled her about the crime scene they'd just come from. He'd wondered if it had had anything to do with Anita's death. Aedan had been forced to tell him everything about what she'd seen before he'd been satisfied that the two weren't related. She'd thought that was bad enough. But then he'd started talking about Minette. And Janika. And Rhiannon. And Isis. And that had scared her even more.

"Its funny that you've gotten close to these three women that I know you'd never met before. Not until Anita's funeral. Even funnier that Janika was at the Circus the same night you and Minette were. Why were you there, Aedan? I got the distinct impression that you didn't like Jean Claude."

She'd considered making something up, anything at all that would get him off her back. But he'd spoken before she'd had the chance.

"Why is there blood on your collar? Have you been getting chummy with the vampires already?"

She'd had to tell him then about the arduer and Requiem. He'd stared at her the whole time with a blank expression on his face, nothing in his eyes. She'd done her best not to stumble over the words, tried not to sound like she was guilty of conspiring with the enemy. He'd demanded to see the bite marks, forcing her to tug at her collar until he could see the puncture wounds on her neck. He'd muttered something under his breath she'd taken to be a swear word, telling her he wasn't happy with the events at all.

"I had a phone call today, Aedan. Your family is worried about you. They want to know where you are and how you're doing. They thought I might know something. Do you suppose I should call back and tell them that you're doing just fine and have already started fucking the undead?"

Pure panic had lanced through her, mingled with a terror she couldn't explain. She'd been so incoherent when she'd begged him not to tell them where she was that she wasn't sure Edward had understood her. He'd smiled at her, then. That cold, calculating smile of his and it had increased the terror two fold. She didn't know why, but she didn't want her family to know where she was. He hadn't said if he would return the call or not, had left her hanging over the pit of ruin on that.

"You keep interesting company, Aedan. I've been doing a little research into your new friends. Very good stuff to be found. Perhaps I should start talking to them? Find out what kind of ties they have to you and to Anita's death. Its too much of a coincidence that they all attended her funeral and then suddenly became your friend. There has to be more to it."

Her heart had been pounding in her chest. She'd known that he'd talk to them if she protested too much. But if she didn't protest enough, he'd wonder what she was hiding from him and talk to them anyway. Either way, chances were good they'd be in deep trouble. She knew that he had no problems doing whatever it took to get the information he wanted. And it wouldn't matter that they were women. She'd tried to ask him to leave her friends alone, but it had been so hard to get the words out without gibbering at him like a monkey on crack. And he'd smiled at her the whole time. As if he'd been getting off on her fear.

The talk had eventually slowed and Edward had made a point of getting her to eat. Once the food had filled her belly, she'd found herself drained and sleepy. And she'd literally almost fallen asleep with her face in her plate. And, oddly, she could swear that she'd seen concern on Edward's face just before she'd dropped off.

The water cascading over her back had gone cold and she shivered under the spray. But she didn't move. She was in deep and she didn't know how she was going to get her head up above water any time soon. Edward scared her. Jean Claude scared her. And she was supposed to deal with both of them. She couldn't do it. She just couldn't do it. If she fucked up here, it could cost someone their life. Possibly even hers.

"Aedan?" Minette's voice came through the door, full of concern. There was a soft knocking sound on the wooden panel. "Aedan, are you okay? You've been in there for a long time." When she didn't answer right away, Minette knocked again. "Aedan? Answer me, Aedan. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Aedan croaked, lifting her head up off the floor of the tub. She wasn't fine, but she wasn't going to tell Minette that. There was no need to worry her friend. The water was freezing and shivers raced up and down her body. Her hands could barely hold the knobs so she could turn the water off and it took two attempts to step out of the tub. She barely had the towel wrapped around her when the door opened. Minette stood in the doorway, her face a mask of concern.

"You're not fine, damn it," the shorter woman shook her head, then found a towel to use on Aedan's hair. "Your lips are blue. And your skin is cold to the touch. You can't fall apart on me. Not now. I need you. So do the others."

"I'm sorry. Its been a bad night," Aedan muttered, shivering slightly against the cool air that brushed her bare shoulders.

"Come on. Let's get you in bed." Minette wrapped an arm around the other woman and urged her toward the opened portal. The going was slow, Aedan's limbs stiff with a combination of lethargy and cold. The trip down the hall to the room she was using was short and, once Minette had helped her inside, she motioned toward the bed. "Lay down and take a nap. I'll come wake you up when dinner's ready."

Aedan could only nod her head, too tired to bother trying to protest. Minette gave her a squeeze, then hurried from the room. The door closed with a gentle thud and Aedan was left to the silence and semi-darkness of the room. The towel dropped without thought and she turned toward the bed.

"What the hell?" she managed, staring at the naked body stretched out on her bed. Blue eyes and blonde curly hair. Not Stephen. There was a subtle difference between him and the man she was staring at. His brother, then. Gregory. His blue eyes swept over her body and he offered her a smile. Then he patted the bed beside him.

"Come on, Aedan. You need to warm up and I'm the pick of the litter," he winked. She debated kicking him out. But his choice of words led her to believe that Micah and Nathaniel had sent him up. Which meant she was stuck with him. And she was too damned tired to bother. She moved over to climb into the bed with him.

When she was settled beside him, he drew the covers up over them both and pulled her up against his body. He was warm against her cold flesh and she found herself snuggling into him further. He held her close, giving her a chance to feel every last inch of his muscular form. It actually felt nice.

Hell's bells. It was a damn shame she was too tired to take him for a test drive.