Chapter 28

His eyes opened slowly, his body stretching to remove the kinks he felt in his back. Groaning softly his head turned as he wondered exactly where he was and what weird sex he'd gotten up to the night before. As his head turned his eyes widened, Mic, it was Mic next to him, and he was fully clothed.

It was then the happenings of the night before flooded his brain, a nearly frantic Richie, a crazily happy Mic, and a glow that he saw through his fucking eyelids. They had glowed like a freaking lamp. Shaking his head as he processed the info he wondered why she of all people could cause that.

Sitting up he reached over, a calloused finger tracing her cheek lightly, the now familiar flash and sizzle rising to make his hair stand on end. He almost moaned at how exquisite it felt like. Touching her was unlike any other person he had tried to touch in months.

"Mic baby, wake up."

Mic stretched and yawned as the much eluded sleep finally left her body. Opening her eyes she felt a huge warm sensation across her cheek and wondered where she was for a minute, as her dreams had been filled with light brighter than the sun. She looked up and her eyes connected with another set of bright blue sedated eyes. She felt so complete again and balanced, not like she'd just drunk twenty cups of coffee. "Mmmm, what is it?" she asked sleepily.

"It's time to wake up baby. Sleeping on a couch is definitely not in my ideas of comfort." He chuckled before glancing at the bedroom door. "And admittedly I'd like to know who survived the night."

She sat up and stretched looking towards the door "Shit, what if he was too late?" she started to worry as the state Gia had been in when Richie had arrived was bad.

Jon's gaze flicked back to the door before focusing on Mic again. "If something happened to Gia, what would happen to Richie?"

Mic looked down "He'd eventually die, ...starved of what he couldn't find without her" she said sadly hoping that this wasn’t the case.

"Jesus," his breath whistled from him, "Would that happen to me too?"

Mic looked at him, wanting to be able to tell him no it wouldn’t, and he'd be ok, but he deserved to know the truth.
She nodded "I'm sorry, you'd just eventually tire and the energy that your life mate provided you is a unique one that cant be sourced anywhere else. You'd tire and try and feed and feed, till you couldn’t even pull energy from people anymore... and your life mate would, explode without you, well in a sense that too much positive energy would overload her," she gulped suddenly realizing the reality.

"Christ!" He stood and moved to the bedroom door, his hand shaking as he reached for the knob. "god do not let me find a dead anything in there. He closed his eyes a moment and took a deep breath. It was too much, Richie could die without Gia, that was bad enough but he could die without a life mate, and he hadn't found her yet. Thank God Mic had been able to help him, Thank god she'd been able to.. SHE'D been able too. He turned a moment and looked her way as memories of a glow brighter than the sun wrapped around them. Could she be? Shaking his head he turned back to the door.

He chanted softly to himself, "Please don’t let her be dead, don’t let him be dead, please oh please don’t let them be dead.."

Mic watched him, she needed to tell him but how, it was like telling someone they had an arranged marriage planned for them almost. "Jon, just open it, I need to know" she said closing her eyes

Jon slowly cracked the door open while holding his breath. With eyes closed he whispered back to Mic. "Are they dead?"

Richie's mind filled with a raspy whisper from the door as he turned his gaze to the door, hearing a Are they Dead? "No we're fuckin not, and we'd like some privacy if that’s too much to ask," he chuckled as he saw Jon standing there with his eyes firmly shut.

One blue eye cracked open and got a sight more than he bargained for. "Fuck you too King. See if I care if you're dead next time." The door was slammed as Jon huffed his way back to the couch. "They definitely ain't dead."

Mic giggled as he came back to the couch "They're doing it aren’t they?"

"Well he wasn't dancing the fandango that’s for fucking sure. "

"Awww, well that's sweet ain’t it?" she teased watching him push his long sandy hair back from his face. "Jon, I think there's something I need to tell you honey" she said nervously.

He flopped back onto the couch and groaned, "As long as it don't involve King Ass, or long legs wrapped around.. I can handle it."

Mic sighed "Well maybe you are gonna wish that it was after this" she said nervously eyeing him.

He turned his head to watch her, a gentle finger reaching up to trace her jaw line. "Well why dontcha try me baby."

"Well what we were talking about with Gia and Richie, is you and me essentially" she swallowed "I'm your life mate, I'm so sorry if I had known I wouldn’t have slept with you that night" she shook her head.

He sat back and processed what she told him. Well ok that made sense didn't it? She was different from all the other women he'd been with. She calmed him like nothing else. She was pretty, she was bright, and HEY she'd keep him alive. Most men didn’t get a fraction of that. "Okkk and this is supposed to be bad right? Cuz to look at you baby you'd think you got saddled with a true beast."

Mic laughed "Well, now that you mention it, all that hair and all.." she teased before continuing "That's not how I feel at all, I think despite how we hit it off, you're sweet and kind, a little rough around the edges, but you don't need this with all you have in life to look forward to"

She watched him take it all in, truth be known he wasn’t all that bad at all, his rugged good looks and his cocky attitude kinda was sexy.

Jon shook his head, "Yeah I gotta admit, I didn’t exactly plan my life around being a energy loving vampire, but Richie didn’t either. Life throws ya a ball you either play with it or your outta the game. I kinda like being in the game baby."

Mic smiled "Well, I do too, I fancy on living, but I dunno, just then when we were sleeping was kinda odd wasn’t it? Every time you touch me, I just about..." she blushed, muffled echoes from the next room floated into the room at the same time.

His glance flickered to the door, "Ya know if he couldn’t kill me I’d pound on the wall."

Mic laughed "Yeah not such a good idea" her thoughts started to run away with her.

He turned back to her and grinned, his smile silky and devious. Reaching out he trailed an index finger along her arm. "So this is something ya like then."

She shivered as his electricity shot through her heart. "I am thinking I should of never told you that" she stood up and moved nonchalantly to closer to her bedroom pretending to admire the magazine on the table.

He stood and walked over to her, his grin widening as he reached out with both hands and slid them along her arms. "Don't think you're gonna escape that easy."

Chapter 27

Richie chuckled "Because darlin, you're it. Your blood tastes the sweetest, your loving feels the best, and your touch drives me insane" he kissed her forehead.

A gentle smile escaped her as a shiver raced over her skin before a small wince flared in her eyes. "You're so young and vital, and have so many women to taste and be with, and I KNOW you'll need that, but I won't let you go again without knowing your coming back. I don't think Id survive it."

"I promise I will, I always will" he whispered as he closed his eyes and concentrated on her. She still wasn’t relaxed and her heart was beat was too labored, something still wasn’t right. It was almost as if her blood was having trouble flowing in her veins, it was thick or congested somehow. Instinct rose as his head dipped to her neck, his lips caressing that spot that he’d bitten no other woman on. Only Gia rated the pleasure of that one pulse point. His hands caressed her body gently as he kissed along her shoulder, sending shockwaves down his own body at the anticipation on what was about to come, what he had craved for so long.

By demand his fangs inched slowly from his mouth as they brushed against her silky surface teasing her before biting down and pinching the skin, her warm blood flowing into his mouth, and the taste of sweet honey once again tantalizing his taste buds. Her blood didn’t come as free this time, and was remarkably thicker than the last time he'd drank from her.

She gasped as she felt the pinch that spun her into pleasure, her hands tightening around him as her body arched against him. She felt him enter her in a way only he could as she felt the familiar give and take of his lips suckling at her neck. Pleasure began to roll through her system as her eyes fluttered closed.

He'd learned to give pleasure in amounts she'd never felt before, she'd not even felt the fangs enter. Groaning softly she moved in closer, her body unable to be still as he continued to sip.

He continued to drink from her fountain of desire quenching a formidable thirst of longing from the past months. A soft groan escaped his lips as he felt her body close around him offering herself freely.


Quiet moans slipped from her lips as the tightness in her chest lessened and her ability to breath unencumbered returned. Relief screamed through her system all courtesy of his lips and fangs. A slender leg moved up to wrap around his waist as silvery tears began to trace her cheeks. "Oh god, sweet Jesus, Richie..."

He let himself go as he felt his passion and desire flow into her through his gentle act of feeding. Feeling the tightness of her chest seep from her and her soul finally ease he pulled away both contented and relieved. Kissing her gently on the lips he lost himself in her feel as he started the slow descent down her body, shedding her clothes as they became useless to his purpose. His hands slipped under her back and lifted her up towards him as he captured one of her nipples in his mouth, teasing and licking the bud as it grew hard. His hands slid down her naked back drawing every ounce of desire from her.

Her hands twisted into his hair as her lips pressed into his chest softly, her body beginning to feel more alive than it had in weeks. A quick shiver raced over skin that was no longer cold, but blazingly hot. "I have missed you."


His head reached up to meet hers, the blaze evident in his eyes. "I've missed you too darlin, more than you know" his lips searched her flesh again trailing white hot kisses down the nape of her slender neck, his power over her had her arching into him, he could feel her body begin to beg. Warm sultry lips once again found the silky soft flesh of her breasts as he lost himself sucking on her petite nipples, hungrily.

Gentle fingers slid along rock hard muscles as she relearned each inch of his skin on her way to his hips. Kneading them slowly she angled her arm until she was feathering gentle swipes along his rock hard shaft until she grasped him in her hand, and began to move. The tip of her finger brushed over the tip before slowly moving along the length again as her lips sought the rock hardness of his nipple.

Her touch, lighter than a feather but deadlier than a viper rose over him, he let out a hiss as her hand found his shaft and felt her slowly pumping her. "God, Gia baby, feels... so.. good" he managed as his own awareness in her started to drown in a sea of rising pleasure. His own hands slid further across the dip in her belly and down to her awaiting womanhood that was ready to be brandished with his touch, his fingers slid easily into her, slick and warm her walls wrapped around his fingers as he began to pump her.

Her hips moved against his fingers the softest whimper escaping her lips as they moved over his chest. Her head tilted slightly as dazed eyes took in his face, the need and heat burning brightly in his eyes. "Please Baby, its been soooo long."

He let out a low growl as he withdrew his fingers and lay her down against the pillows slightly raised. Rising above her he slid easily into her. "Fuck... so longgg" he confirmed as his cock slipped past her walls screaming for his release.
His lips settled again on hers teasing her bottom one in between his teeth gently as he began to roll deep within her.

Nails slipped up his back, dipping into each dip in his spine as she flexed and writhed beneath him. As her blood heated into liquid fire her hips arched, and she tilted her head teasing him with the racing of her pulse. Roaming hands slid into his hair as her lips parted, her tongue flickering out to wet her lips. Soft screams heated into unrestrained cries as each plunge took him deeper and deeper.

His hand leered down and his thumb searched out her clit as he began to tease it in time with his thrusts, his own pleasure rocketing him closer to the abyss as her nails raked his back. His mouth dropped to her neck where the sound of her pulse called to him like a ship in the night, his tongue licked down the prominent vain she had flexed.

She twisted her head lightly, her hands pulling his head down as hips met in a dance as old as time. "God please..."

"Giaaa" husky vocals called as he felt his own release come into her, her walls milking him, begging his release. His mind started to flutter with his imminent release, his fangs drew from the comfort of his mouth and sank into the satin folds of skin on her neck.

She screamed her release into the room, her body stiffening as she felt fang and shaft combine into a white hot moment that blinded her to anything outside of his arms. "Richie!"

A guttural moan slipped from his lips as his body exploded with the pleasure of his orgasm and the taste of her sweet honied blood once again, drawing what he needed from her, he pulled away and slowly drove her through her own moment.
"Gia," his breathing ragged as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

She held tight to him as their sweat mingled, their breath mixed and their souls collided. Closing her eyes she could see the ribbons that were dull glowing brightly as they wrapped tighter around them. Her arms wrapped tightly around him as a soft whimper raced over her lips and a smile began to glow in her eyes. "Welcome back.."

A soft chuckle vibrated on her neck."Its so good to be back and the best thing about all this is, we're here for a couple of weeks, if Jon wants to leave, I ain’t fuckin going with him."

Her arms tightened around him as she grew still and quiet. "You don't have to stay ya know. You can leave if you want. Things will be ok for a month or two. I don't want..." Her voice trailed off, she did want, wanted badly for him to be there, but she also knew he had more to learn, and a very public life to lead. "I want you to feel you can leave and not worry.. "

"Darlin, I ain’t going anywhere, I need a rest, I need to be in one place and I wanna be here if you'll have me" he softly said as he pulled her in close.

Her arms dropped as she slipped up to recline on the pillows, her deep emerald eyes studying him. "You still need what you need Richie."

"And right now that’s you, for two weeks, so no buts, end of story" he chuckled placing a kiss on her forehead.

She huffed lightly and reached up to brush his hair from his face. "That doesn't answer what I said. You have needs."

"I know I do, and I will deal with those, and right now you give me what I need, unless you don’t want to" he suddenly unaware he may of just assumed that.

Her palm brushed his cheek before flicking against his nose. "I'd be a fool to turn down your special brand of passion lover, but we both know you can't do that daily., well part of it you could.." she blushed from toes to nose. "But there are things you need you can't .." She sighed softly, even now she hated thinking of how he had to be with others.

Richie sighed "I know what you are saying, but don’t worry about it, I will deal with it, and in the meantime I am staying here with you, I wanna just be normal for a few days and you are what makes me that"

A bright smile flooded her eyes as she scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "You're more than welcome to stay. I have to work, but you're welcome to hang here. I don't think you wanna hang out where I work, you could, but trust me you WOULDN"T wanna."

Richie chuckled "We'll see, I wanna just hang, I don’t care where, no more traveling just time to be lazy," he smiled.

She started to laugh for the first time in weeks. "Lover I work in a Record Store."

Richie snorted "Yeah ok, you win, I don’t wanna come to work with you."

She punched his arm lightly, "I coulda gotten a bonus, Jovi to sign albums? I'd sell more in a day than they have all month. See how mean you are?" She winked and rolled on top of him, determined to see if he was a ticklish man.

Chapter 26

Richie sat nervously in the car as Jon drove, he could smell her, he could sense her and it was driving him mad. His hands gripped firmly to the seat as he barked directions at Jon. He had to get there, and see her, and hold her and nurse her back to life, before it was too late.

Jon kept one hand on the wheel and one hand on his friend's shoulder. He wasn't sure, but somehow he just knew that in pulling small amounts of energy off of Richie was keeping him from flying totally out of control. As he drove he remembered Mic's words of how a Upier always seemed to travel with one of his kind. Maybe this was why. Not that he had wanted this to happen to figure that out.

At the tersely barked order to turn left Jon turned and within minutes was pulling into a driveway.

Richie bolted out of the car even before it stopped moving and ran for the door pounding on it hard with all his might.

Mic looked up as the deafly beats on the door startled her. She looked at Gia and then the door, her head became clear and pain free all of a sudden. Nooooo. She raced towards the door and ripped it open to see who it was and almost couldn’t believe her eyes at who stood there.

"Richie!" she exclaimed happily as she threw her hands around his neck.

"Hey darlin, where is she?" Richie’s panic was evident, from the shaking of his hands to the wildness of his eyes.

"In her bedroom, Richie you're going to have to feed her and fast," Mic instructed as a surge shot through her. Looking behind Richie, who had now vanished into the bedroom at the speed of light, she saw Jon walking up to the door. He looked so different, so in command or something. "Hello stranger," she smiled.

He flashed a grin her way before yanking her into a hug. "Hello there yourself."

Mic closed her eyes savoring the small spark that left her body and into his. "You need to come inside. Thank you for coming," she whispered as she felt the transformation.

He slipped into the house, his arm still firmly around her. "Well it was find you or watch him go totally out of control."

"I know, he's right on time, damn, I am so glad you are here too, I've missed you" she said as she led him inside.

He brushed a feather soft kiss across her cheek. "Gia's that bad?"

She nodded "She's very weak, on the verge of losing consciousness," she pulled him down on the couch just content to lie with him while they waited. "Just stay here a sec I need you," as she honed on the small sparks of energy she so desperately needed to release to him.

He lay his head back on the couch and groaned as he felt himself leveling out suddenly. "God damn, what the hell?"

Mic chuckled "Its ok, you're supposed to feel as good as I do right now, I can explain later, I just need this first," she mumbled as she slipped her hand up his shirt to get closer to the warmth. She knew it would take awhile to release two months worth of energy but this was a good start.

He groaned as he felt the excess energy leave only to be replaced with a calming flow of newer energy. "Damn babe, that feels great." His eyes closed as he soaked in all she had to offer, his hand moving up lazily to brush over her cheek, giving to her in turn.

Richie found Gia in the bed, he knelt down beside her and gently placed a kiss on her forehead, all that spark and passion he remembered was missing from her face, she radiated nothing but fear and pain to him and that hit him hard in the chest. "Giaaa darlin, I'm here," he whispered over her pale lips.


A slight frown marred her face as a whisper called to her from the darkness. It wasn’t possible, he wouldn't be calling her. She shivered slightly as a soft mumble escaped her.

Richie inched closer to her earlobe. "Gia my love you got to wake, please wake for me baby" he whispered.

Eyelids fluttered and opened slowly at the request, while dazed emerald eyes looked up without seeing. "Too tired. hurts, lemme sleep ok?"

Richie shook his head, he knew he couldn’t let her sleep and he knew what had to be done. "Darlin, I know what I need to do and there will be no arguments," he turned his head and this time bit slowly down on his tongue once again, wincing at the small prick he felt, he leant into her and lavishly kissed her hard on the lips letting his tongue thrust through to tease her tongue.

This dream was better than the rest, maybe shed finally died and found some heaven that held her memories. A whispering gasp escaped her as heat began to work its way into her body, gentle hands rubbing her throat, that raspy tongue dancing with hers, precious strength seeming to build. She lifted her arms to slide around a neck that felt all to real as the kiss continued.

He continued to let the life she so desperately needed flow into her body as he slowly felt life return to her body. His hands ran down her body as he lay beside her now and pulled her in tightly never lifting his mouth from hers.

Her eyes opened slowly and began to focus. There were lips on hers, there was a man holding her, and not just any man. Richie. She inched closer to his body as a soft murmur left her. Pulling away from the kiss she smiled. "You came."
He smiled "Of course I did, I’ll always come when you need me, always" he promised. As he gently stroked her forehead relief began to shine in his eyes as the color slowly etching into her face again.

Her hand slipped to her chest, "Wanted you to have the freedom you needed. How'd you know? Did Mic call you?" she curled into his body, his heat sliding through her like a summer’s day. ""You're sooo warm."

"I can have freedom too, we can balance this, I can make it work, and no she didn’t call, when you fell, I saw it, I felt it Gia, I had never seen you like that before," he admitted. His body savored her touch against his skin, it was like coming home. Damn she felt so soft, so right against him.

She looked into his eyes and read the concern so deeply set within his brown gaze. "You did it twice, you fed me twice. The bond.. its.. Permanent now, I'm sorry." She winced as her heart thundered in her chest. "I'll try to not bother you that much." Even as she said the words her body curled tighter to his, his warmth his voice soothing away most of the aches and hurts. As her eyes closed she saw the ribbons of life that were him and her, wound together tightly and was unable to tell whose started where or whose ended where. It was if it were one single ribbon now. "Why's it still hurt?"

"Don't be sorry lovely, please, its ok, I owe you so much for letting me know who I am and what to do, so don't ever worry about that," he whispered as he felt so at ease and sedated with her now.

"I don't know why it still hurts darlin" he stood up for a second to see if Mic knew why it would still hurt, he walked into the living area only to see Jon asleep on the couch with Mic curled on top of him into his chest, soundly asleep but the oddest glow surrounded them both, brighter than a football stadium. He shook his head and walked back into the bedroom and kicked off his shoes and lay down beside her. "I just saw the oddest thing" his arms snaked back around her.

She snuggled closer again. "Oh?"

"Jon and Mic are asleep on the couch both zoned out but content, but the weirdest brightest glow is humming around them."

A smile crept onto her lips. "Well energy vamp and his storage unit.. gaawd what a way to say mate.. makes sense. They're probably leveling out. He's been a bear right?"

Richie nodded "Hell yea when he wasn’t on stage he was, and always complaining about headaches, and now wait a minute, you're telling me she's his mate? Well I'll be damned"

She nodded slowly, "Looks like it considering what you saw." She closed her eyes a moment and winced. "Sorta makes sense, she was all over the place since he left." She tilted her head, her emerald gaze centering on his. "How did you fair? I mean, learn much?" The thought of him with a lot of girls, of learning of feeding intensified the ache, but she needed to know if he had been successful.

Richie secretly wondered how Jon would take that news, but dismissed it for now.
"I did, I perfected my prey, I guess, but learnt a lot in the process, that some blood tastes so different, some bitter, some sweet, some sour, its odd really," he trailed off remembering, he sensed why she had asked the question. "I slept with a lot of woman looking to fill my void, but I could never find it, and I know now I won't ever find it in other women for sure"

"Why is that Richie?" Her hand slid down along his arm to his chest, her slender fingers undoing the couple of fastened buttons before moving in to brush over his cute patches of fur. "Why wont you find what fills the void?"

Chapter 25

Richie slipped from the bed in the early hours of the morning, quickly pulling on his jeans he glanced back at the girl lying limply in the bed. Another one down, another girl in another town who gave in to his thrall. He licked his lips slowly, cringing at the taste of this one. This feeding hadn’t gone as well as he’d planned and the girl had been a little scared, so the blood had tasted sour. Richie had learned that emotions effected the blood, countless feeds and countless woman now told him that fear was a more like vinegar taste and emotions such as desire, lust and passion brought out blood that tasted like dark chocolate and honey. But none was in comparison to the blood he drank in San Diego, none, hers held precedence to all he had devoured over the last few weeks, like sweet honey hers tastes in contrast to all the others, and it was that he craved, even the sweetest blood he had tasted still left him longing for more, he was never fully satisfied and contented like with Gia.

It had taken some time to perfect, this whole lifestyle, but luckily Richie was in a position where there was no shortage of woman throwing themselves at him every night, disguising it in sex often was the way it worked, his band mates apart from Jon were none the wiser that he was sleeping around, even more so that David had nicknamed him the King of Swing, sometimes even taking in more than one girl at night, as he searched for that right mix that right taste that always eluded his lips. He’d perfected the act of sex with a bit in the climax always choosing his places to bite, and always avoiding that one place on the bottom of the neck that he fed from Gia, he could never bring himself to bite anyone else in the same place.

The nights he didn’t feed were filled of dreams and ethereal visions of a girl with fog that had somehow managed to stay firmly etched in his soul, dreams filled of erotic acts of pleasure from love makings to feeding, he could always feel her and smell her and sense her near in his dreams, Richie always woke with the void firmly in his chest the next morning. In his dreams he longed for her, he needed her and he completed her.

As the days grew longer, the nights more frantic for feeds and fucks, Richie felt himself becoming less complete and losing his desire to feed for pleasure, some nights he bit the girl and didn’t sleep with her as his heart just wasn’t in it for some reason. He missed Gia, he knew he did, but some times as a new groupie caught his eye off stage that niggling feeling was dismissed. Now that the tour was breaking he had no idea how he would fill in the days, a sharp pain ripped through his chest and a loud scream sent his soul reeling as he gripped onto the couch stumbling, his chest grew tighter and then as never before a vision flashed through his mind of a gangly woman weak lying on the floor, motionless Gia!
“Noooooooooo” he screamed in a pain that ripped his heart out.


~~~~

Jon winced at the unearthly yell. Rolling from the bed he stumbled to the living room while pushing a pair of shades on his eyes. AS he reached the room he saw Richie on his knees. Fuck that wasn't good, nothing took the man down these days. He moved to his friend and knelt. "What the fuck is going on? Bro? you ok?"

Richie gasped "It's Gia, some thing’s wrong, something’s fuckin wrong Kidd, I can feel it," he panicked as he winced as the pain still shot through him.
"Man you haven’t even mentioned the gypsy girl in weeks. What's so different now?" He watched as Richie grabbed his chest. "Tell me man, What now?"

"She's weak, she's lying on the floor, I can see her, feel her, I have never been able to shake her, I just haven’t mentioned her, she haunts my dreams and she's all I god damn can think about" Richie stood back up as he shook himself and tried to clear the raging panic that was taking him over.

Jon winced as some of Richie's pained energy filtered through to him. "So what you gonna do man?"

"We gotta go there, you gotta help me find her, I need to see if she's ok, maybe she needs me, Mic said ages ago that we could be bound by something, maybe this is part of all that, there has to be something" he winced again "Jesus fuckin Christ!"

Jon nodded and moved to the table and grabbed his keys. "Well let’s get moving. San Diego or bust right man?" He managed a smile as he walked to the door. He'd never seen his friend lose his cool and he didn't wanna start now, no telling how a vamp like him would handle that loss. "Come on man."

Richie stumbled out and followed Jon to the car. He only hoped they weren’t too late, and that he could help somehow, but Mic would know she knew everything.

~~~

Mic arrived home, it was one of those days, the headache seemed worse tonight, as she fumbled with her keys she stumbled inside and flicked on the light, the sight that she saw her nearly broke her heart. "Gia!!!" she exclaimed dropping everything and rushing to her side. She shook her and there was no response barely a whisper.

"Shit don’t do this to me, I don’t know how to fix this" she panicked as she picked her up with a little difficulty and carried her to her bedroom and put her in bed.
"Gia? can you hear me?" she asked stroking her forehead. Shit, this was not good.

Dull emerald eyes fluttered open and tried to register the face. It had to be Mic, only one it could be. She tried to smile and failed. Her soft voice whispered, "just sleepy." as her eyes fluttered closed. God yes I just wanna sleep and dream.

Mic stroked her head again "I am going to try and get help somehow" God knows how she thought as the only way she knew was not even close.

She shook her head barely, "nothing to do. Just lemme sleep ok?"
"No please don’t, just fight it babe, please just till I figure out something," she took her hand.

"Too tired Mic, I.. I..m sorry."

Mic's heart filled with panic "Please don’t, hang on for me, hang on for Richie, you gotta" she whispered.

A sweet smile whispered onto her lips. "He’s ok.. didn't need us again, he's learned what he needs." She took a deep breath as her hand fisted on her chest. "Just gonna sleep a lil while."

"What about what we need? In case you hadn’t noticed both of us are royally fucked without them here? Have you noticed that?!" Mic vented finally letting out.

Gia's eyes fluttered open slowly and tried to focus. "Find Jon, you'll be ok.." Her voice faded out and in as her breaths turned ragged "he needed his youth, didn't need a girl to slow him down."

"Don’t skip around what you know is true Gia, we're it, we're their damn life mates, deny it all you want but you know as well as I do," Mic squinted as a blinding force ripped through her head "Shit, its worse for some reason"

Her eyes closed as she faded closer to sleep. "Never denied it, just chose to let him go. He can survive without me."

"Yes but you cant without him Gia, shit, this is my fault I never should of told him to give you his blood, never"

"NOT your fault. The...bond.. isn’t cemented yet." she sighed slightly and shivered. "not your fault."

Mic didn’t reply lost in thought she started to think how she could get hold of Richie and get him here as soon as possible but she had no idea what their schedule entailed or where to start.

Chapter 24

His nerves jangled as he moved from song to song, his mind wandering yet again over months of intense concentration as he learned which triggers worked. A certain wink, a certain smile and he could have girls nearly cumming while standing watching, and god help him if he shook his ass he’d damn near overload from the pure emotion flowing from the women in the crowd. It was a high better than any thing he’d ever felt, except for that one night in San Diego. That night haunted him, the flash and sizzle of two people exchanging all they were. He missed that feeling and searched for it nightly in each girl he had.

He was good at it now, a simple brush over the skin could send a girl into a close orgasm as he pulled the little he wanted from her. None of it satisfied him but it kept him moving as they went from town to town, concert to concert, venue to venue. Shaking his head he glanced at Richie and gave him a wink. Time to get this party started.

He reached for the crowd, his hand spread as he poured his heart into the song. It was so easy now. The months had slowly through trial and error shown him how to give and get what he so desperately needed from the audience. If he reached out and gave to them what they needed their screams would fill his soul. He could run faster, twirl quicker and scream any note higher, which in turn had them screaming and clapping, so he went to work, winking, shaking, shimmying and fairly screaming his songs to make it through yet one more night.

As the concert ended and the screams faded away his body nearly folded into itself as he drug to the showers. The headaches always returned at the end of night, damn near blinding him with their intenseness. Sometimes a girl helped sometimes they didn’t, and he could tell this night that nothing would help. NOTHING was going to help. They had two weeks off, no concert on schedule for weeks, and he KNEW he was going to be miserable. He’d have to fuck like crazy just to keep his sanity, unless he could find a better way.

As he slumped on the couch a thought occurred to him, one that seemed relatively easy. He’d just go to San Diego. He’d find Mic and ask her how he could get out of this dump of energy he was in, IF he could drag himself from the damned couch to get there.

~~~~

Day after day passed in some grey foggy state of existence. Get up, go to work, come home and watch Mic struggle to make it till eight o'clock at night. She made it through the days just to get to the nights. It was the nights when she could feel a bit of freedom from the constant ache that lived inside her chest now. At night she could sleep and when she slept she began to dream. As the days had shifted to weeks then slowly into months her dreams had become more vivid than her reality. She could close her eyes and he was there, touching her, loving her, needing her. Unfortunately each dream was always followed by a morning, a morning that led to yet another day of grey grey life.

Dragging herself from her bed she took a deep breath and rubbed her chest. She was doing that more and more she knew, but it hurt to even move now. Shambling to the bathroom she glanced longingly at the mirror, wishing for just a glimpse of what she’d seen there so many months before only to see her own haggard pale face staring back at her. Showering quickly she moved into the bedroom and slipped into a pair of sweats and a thick cable knit sweater. Even in the heat of the California days she was cold. Nothing seemed to keep her warm now, no matter how thick the cloth.

Grabbing her purse she stumbled into the kitchen and said a quick prayer of thanks that Mic hadn’t made it into the kitchen yet. Grabbing her keys she shuffled out the door and into her car. Another day, another dollar, she had bills to pay. Entering the store she set up for the day and flipped MTV on, plastered a fake smile on her face and prepared to deal with the customers of the day.

She watched the clock as hour six at work slowly moved into hour seven. Just one more hour and she could go home and fall back into bed. Just one more hour and she could hear Mic bitch about how she needed to eat. Mic didn’t get it though, she didn’t feel like eating, hell she didn’t feel like breathing these days either, or much of anything at all. She wanted to lie in bed and let the days wash past without color or form.

It was all grey anyways. The days started being grey the day she’d walked from that hotel. It had been months and neither man had contacted them so they obviously were fairing well, at least she’d heard no news of either of them being arrested. As hour eight finally came to and end she sighed in relief and closed up the store. As she walked to the car she blinked away the fog as her heart began to beat in triple time.

Shaking her head to remove the fog she slipped behind the wheel and slowly drove home. Stepping from the car she struggled to her front door as the world began to slip and sway erratically. Redoubling her efforts she focused on the door and finally made it inside. As she stepped into the living room her heart twisted and the room began to dim. She slipped to her knees as her soul began to scream and Gia knew no more.

Mic sat at her desk in the study tapping her pen frantically on the oak surface, thinking over the last few months, she’d been so busy keeping herself occupied studying trying to find out more information about the boys types of Upier since all the Romany documentation wasn’t quite correct as they had discovered. Her life had just been turned upside down since she left Jon that day, the first week was ok but gradually over time she had become drained of all energy and the damn headaches that returned at night sometimes blinding, sometimes light, but they always niggled away at her brain.

She’d read that Jon’s life mate would be like this if they couldn’t have their energy fed off by him, it was all about positive and negative energy, she provided him with the positive energy that he needed and he provided her with the negative energy she needed. And without that they would be completely off balance, and she was. She had to wonder if he had any effects to this and how he was coping with his new way of life. She had wanted to sleep for weeks, she just had needed to, so drained and lost, she’d tried everything but nothing seemed to work.

Her thoughts turned to Gia, who was growing so weak and lethargic without Richie, days spent in depressive slumps had dragged past. Mic had tried everything she knew from elixirs to potions she knew where to purchase but to no avail. She had done more research and found that that this exactly was the behavior of an intended life mate of Richie’s would be on withdrawal. She had tried to avoid the subject with Gia as she didn’t want to talk about it but seeing her in pain, seeing her constantly rubbing her chest was ripping Mic apart.

Her undeniable pull to Jon was what dogged her the most. Every day she’d spent apart from him she couldn’t stop thinking of him. she knew she was being ridiculous as by now he would have devoured handfuls of groupies and maybe forgotten anything about her outside of her revealing to him his new way of life.

What intrigued her most was her I wish magic that had appeared, she hadn’t really had a chance to use it since, well the times she had it didn’t work. It seemed to only work in certain times, with Jon silencing and the scrolls and proving to him that she was in fact right about them being Vampires. She’d once again consulted ancient scripts that had revealed that “I wish “magic often came in many forms for a purpose, one was love, but the user had to be in love, and she wasn’t in love with Jon, bond or no bond, her affection had certainly grown for him on her departure from him, but love was a huge stretch. She sighed softly as the sun began its descent in the evening sky. Another night to come, another long lonely night as once again sleep wasn’t on the cards but a date with a blinding headache.

Chapter 23

Richie felt a slow pull at his chest, it had always occurred to him that he would have to drink other people's but the thought of it, gave him a dull ache in his chest. "Ah well none yet but I just know yours will be sweetest," he grinned.

Mic just raised her eyebrow at Gia.

Gia shivered then glanced at Mic with a huh look. "Well Richie, you'll have plenty of time to test the sweetness theory. You all go to Costa Mesa tomorrow right?"

Richie nodded, he didn’t want to leave them. "Yeah we do, I, dunno if I can leave you both," he admitted. He was a little scared to face this alone without someone that understood exactly what they were.

She pulled the sheet around her and slid from the bed, giving everyone a flash of thigh. "Use your wit, your humor, your looks and your charm. You can make it feel good for them, that much you already know. You'll do fine, you'll survive without us." She knew she meant he'd survive without her and that rattled her heart more than she'd admit.

She hurried to the bathroom scooping her clothes up as she went. She had to break things now or he'd never learn to stand on his own, and he needed too. In order to survive and be able to seem normal he HAD to do this alone, for as long as it took for him to learn.

Richie watched her leave the room his eyes filled with intense longing. He looked up at Jon trying to read him, and saw he felt just as confused as he did, unsure of what the future would bring them.

Gia slipped from the bathroom fully clothed and stepped to the bed. Leaning over she pressed a gentle kiss to Richie’s forehead. "You'll see, you'll be ok." She turned and moved to the door and slipped out quickly, her hand moving to her chest as she walked away. He'd be fine. She only hoped she would be.

Richie sighed as she left, knowing that she was right, hell he was too young to be worried about being tied down, but he had a strange connection to her, maybe he always would as she had helped him understand who he was. Eyeing Mic and Jon, he thought he'd give them a few minutes privacy as they needed to get some sleep since tomorrow the tour continued. Richie couldn’t help feel like he'd be leaving a piece of him behind. He stood up. "I'm gonna go and grab us some burgers bro, I'll be right back" he smiled.


Jon nodded a quizzical look in his eyes. "You still eat food?"

"Yeah I do bro, thank the fuckin’ Lord." He shook his head and walked from the room contemplating just exactly how his life would be changing.
"Well ok, double pickles on mine dude." His gaze moved back to Mic. "So, what else do I need to know ?”

She looked into his blue eyes that were still full of questions. "That’s the basics Jon, you just need to know if you are tired you will need to feed, and you can do that but concentrating and choosing carefully, not the weak ones" she teased.
"If you or Richie do need help, anything, don’t hesitate to ring me ya know" she scrawled their number down on a piece of paper.

Mic didn’t really want to tell him but she did, an odd feeling nearly stopped her "Sex is a good way of doing that discretely as well, I am sure you will have that opportunity or three."

Jon rolled his eyes. "Life of a rock n roll musician baby." He leaned back against the wall his eyes steady on hers. "So you think we'll be ok?"

She nodded "You just need to be careful, both of you, there are people out there that don’t take kind to your way of life, I am studying more about this though, so when I know more I will find you somehow"

"Well I'll be careful. I'm sure Richie will, he sorta loves life."

Mic smiled she got up and dusted herself off. "I better go Jon and make sure Gia is ok"

Jon nodded. "Ok babe. " He flashed a mega watt smile her way. "Keep us in your prayers I think we're gonna need it."

"I will, you will be fine" she went to turn to leave and cursed herself silently before turning back to him, she reached over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "And by the way, I admit it, you didn’t force me, and yes I enjoyed it," she winked before she slipped out the door.

A grin settled on his lips as he watched the door close. "Damned straight ya did babe. So did I.. "

Chapter 22

"Holy shit." Jon took a step towards the bed then stopped. His eyes swept over Richie and the girl beneath him, before turning to Mic. "This isn't possible."

Mic put her arm on Jon "It is, its nothing to be scared about though, its not like the movies or anything" she said quietly.

He stepped to his bed and sat, his blue eyes on Richie. "How?"

Richie wiped his mouth and pulled the covers up around Gia."I just found out bro, its been a shock for me too," he admitted "The girls figured it all out, everything" he explained.

Gia glanced at Jon her eyes shining with dazed passion. "You are such a in the moment kind of man. Work hard play hard but never in the middle. Anything outside your little circle is hard to grasp huh?" She sighed softly and pushed upwards to sit against the headboard. "You think we're crazy, your seeing things, but before you write it all off, do me one favor Jon."

Jon looked across to Gia and shrugged, "What's that?"

Gia smiled. "Touch your friend's shoulder."

Jon shook his head and snorted. How would touching his rather naked friend help matter's any? Oh well not like it would hurt. He reached over quickly and put a hand on Richie's shoulder, his eyes going round as streams of unadulterated energy flowed through his fingers straight into his head. "FUCK!" Jon pulled back shaking his hand.

Richie winced and let out a loud growl as he felt Jon zap his energy from him. He felt his friend's frustration, his force and uncertainty of what to do with it; even worse he realized exactly what Gia had felt when Jon had brushed against her. He couldn’t hold off anymore that one touch had his need raging nearly out of control, he had to feed especially now that he'd just been sucked of energy. "Sorry" was all he said before burying his fangs back into her neck slowly desperate for the blood, as he began to pump her vein slowly with his tongue.

Jon watched as Gia's hand slipped around Richie's neck seeming to anchor him too her. She was whimpering like she was in the middle of some damn good sex, but Richie was behind her with no action to be had other than his lips on her neck. "Holy fucking god." He had a freaking honest to god living breathing vampire in Bon Jovi? No fucking wonder he played so fucking fast. He didn't want to believe, shit it was impossible to believe, but the evidence was right there in front of him.

Turning to Mic he growled, "and you called me a what? and WHY did you call me that?"

Mic stared at him almost shaking at how angry he was. She tried to hone in on him and use her own energy to calm him down. "You're a vampire Jon, but you don't need blood to survive, you need energy." she tried t explain. "Remember earlier at the bar? You were bouncing and Gia was collapsing, you were feeding from her and didn’t even know you were."
Jon shook his head, "Oh come on, I mean Jesus Mic, that’s just too much, I wouldn’t hurt anyone. I can't take shit off anyone, I don’t have fangs,” he looked up horror in his eyes, “.. do I?" His hand reached up to feel his teeth. "Nope, same old pearly whites I've had all my life."
Mic smiled "You don’t have fangs Jon, you're completely different, I can explain it to you, remember when we had sex? Anything different for you? Afterwards the headaches? It was all connected" Mic pointed out to him.

Gia glanced at Jon and read the confusion in his gaze. She pulled her scattered wits around her, damn thinking was so hard when Richie was doing what he was doing but she had to try. "It's hard to believe Jon, I know, but you feed on the energy of others. Think about it, when your in concert how do you feel? Like your flying right? All those people sending you love and you lap it up and spit it back at them right? You barely feel tired afterwards, takes you hours to come back to earth? That's what being you is. its not a bad thing and best I can tell you've actually used it to your advantage." Gia leaned back against Richie, suddenly a bit tired. "Just Listen to Mic, she'll help."

Jon listened to Gia and sighed. Everything she said was true, but what did this mean for his life? Turning to Mic he shrugged, "Ok tell me more."

Mic sat down beside him "My knowledge is a little sketchy but the way you are using this now is kind of right, but what you have to be careful of is taking it from people in big amounts like you did with Gia, um, you also will have a life mate, one that can take your excess energy from you, and also feed it back when you need it, kinda like a storage unit so to speak. Once you are bound with them, if you are apart from them you will still be able to feed off the crowds and people around you, but if she's not around, she might grow hyperactive without you, as her energy wont be able to be taken," she tried to explain.

"Well if all that's true then how do I control it huh? How do I keep from hurting someone?" He glanced over to Gia a moment, "I don't think I'm responsible for HER looking that pale dammit, I didn't do that."

Mic watched Gia "Well no, you didn’t cause her paleness, you took her energy dangerously low though. You have to learn to concentrate and control it. You will know and learn and sense who you can take it off, it will just take practice. Like me, I don’t seem to get sucked that dry when you touch me, I can feel it but it doesn’t seem to hurt me like it did Gia," she explained.

Jon's brow lifted. "Oh really?" He reached out and ran a finger along Mic's arm and again felt the flash and sizzle that seemed to flood through him. "I didn't hurt her though, and you don't seem to be hurting, so maybe it’s not such a bad thing."

"Oh I am not hurting, not at all, and no it doesn’t hurt, and neither does what Richie does, well unless he wants it too, you will find that a vampires bite, or touch is in fact very pleasurable to the person they are feeding from," she smirked. The familiar sizzle of his touch hitting her was making her shiver all over.

His fingers slid up to brush over her lips, his mind centering his need into the simple touch. "So just concentrating on doing it or not will help?"

"That helps, and if you need it, if you are tired you can pull it from someone, but for what ever reason, I can tell when you need it and when you don’t need it right, you're fully charged, so of course your touch will feel different than if you need energy," she smiled.

Jon nodded. "What about him?" He pointed to Richie. "How's them teeth gonna .. well.. " He shook his head, "Damn my life just took a trip to the twilight zone."

Mic chuckled "Same thing, he will learn to control them. He can make them show or not depending on his want, not just when he needs to feed. Having your support will be vital Jon, he's got a harder way of surviving than you, I know its a hella lot to take in babe, I do but I will be here if you need me to help, we both will"

Gia shook her heard. "Look at the bright side, it seems to make you both very alluring, it will help you sell tickets." She appealed to his more mercenary side casually giving him a moment to consider things completely. "Test it out at your next concert. Well except for fangs on stage that is."

Richie laughed "Oh I could see that as a neat party trick, hey Sambora show us your fangs!"

He shook his head "Its just so much to take in, how ironic that we both have these, I dunno powers but also that we met both of you, its such a coincidence" Richie pondered.

Jon snorted, "Hardly a coincidence, they were standing side by side at the concert man."

He frowned "Noo I mean that they knew all this and all this happened at the same time we found out we were, well this. You got the better deal man, although some people's blood tastes like the sweetest honey," he said winking at Gia.

Gia gave a rather unladylike snort, "And just how many other's have you tasted to decide that Richie?"

Chapter 21

Mic watched as Richie led Gia out, she breathed a sigh of relief to finally get her friend away from Jon, who didn’t know what he was doing. She knew she would have to attempt to tell him as he was going to become too dangerous otherwise without knowing. Damn it, why did she have to sleep with him and start this all, this was all her fault. She turned to Jon who still had his arms around her firmly. She looked up and forced a smile. "We need to talk Jon, somewhere private" Jon pressed a kiss to her lips, his eyes sparkling with his rising need. "Well lead the way baby and we'll talk, yeah we'll talk long slow and good." His lips tingled her senses as she pulled away, the energy in his eyes being swayed by the lust she saw rising in them. "Come on" she said taking his hand and pulling him outside. "We'll walk home, get some air," she suggested as she hooked her arm into his. Her mind feeling calm and steady at his presence, she could feel his energies leveling out slowly. His brow arched slightly, "You want us to walk two miles through San Diego to the hotel when I have a car in the parking lot?" Mic shrugged "Sorry I wasn’t thinking, I just know my cars gone, I didn’t think you'd have one," she admitted. "Lead the way," she smiled watching him and evaluating her feeling towards him, even if she did think he was attractive and had a cute boyish charm that oozed with charisma she couldn’t go down this path with him, she just couldn’t. He laced his fingers through hers and walked her to the rental car. Opening the passenger door he stood back so she could sit. "I have a feeling my hotel room is busy so why don't we take a drive along the shore first? You can do your talking." "Sounds good Jon" she strapped herself in and took a deep breath, how did you even beginto explain this to someone that had no idea, at least Richie had a slight inkling with his dreams of Gia and his fangs. Jon slid into the driver's seat and cranked the car before shifting into drive. As he pulled out of the parking lot he reached for the radio and turned it on full blast. "So something's got that pretty head of yours in a twist, what is it ? worried about your little friend off with the big bad rock star?" Mic grimaced "Yeah maybe." She pulled the window down to let some air in. "If you only knew," she muttered staring out at the bright lights that started to whiz by. He turned off onto a side road that led to the shoreline and within minutes had parked close to the beach. "So why don’t you tell me babe?" She closed her eyes and started to tremble a little knowing she was about to change his life. "Jon, you need to know that Gia and I are not just normal girls, we're gypsies, Romany gypsies," she tried to explain. "Well that just scares me silly." Jon snorted lightly, "I'm Italian, so?" Mic undid her belt and turned towards him. "It means a little more than that, we are descendants of the Romany people, we possess certain qualities that you might call magic" Jon rolled his eyes and started laughing. "Oh so your a witch.. gonna cast a spell on me lovely lady?" He shook his head. Well hell not only had he scored the snarly one but she was crazy to boot. Mic tried to remain calm, she had to figure someone like him was going to react this way. "Look, no I'm not a witch I don’t even know what my powers are, Gia has visions and she can scan people, I just haven’t developed mine, till just recently anyway...but Jon that's not the point, there's something else, I think you're..." she trailed off, he thought she was crazy she knew it. "You're an energy sucking vampire Jon" He looked at Mic his eyes wide with shock. "Lady you're crazy. There’s no such fucking things as vampires. You been watching too many horror movies." "I knew you would say that, and I don't blame ya, but they exist, Richie is one, but he's different from you, he has fangs, he's only just discovered it, and god Gia is, I think, his life mate, and I think I'm," she paused. What was the use in telling him that, he didn’t believe her. "Lady your fucking nuts." Jon reached for the ignition ready to drop her off at the first available corner. "You're a pretty girl, you don't need fantastical stories to get a guys attention." "Who said I wanted your attention that way, I just wish you'd shut up and listen to me Jon," she spat her anger flashing through her eyes. He opened his mouth to let her have it only to find his lips wouldn't work, they were effectively fused together. What the holy hell? He tried again only to fail miserably in the attempt. Blue eyes went wide with horror as he twisted in his seat, anger beginning to flare. He couldn't fucking talk. What had this gypsy girl done? Mic's eyes widened as she watched him try and talk, she'd done that, holy shit, how the hell did that happen? I wish magic? Noooo. His fingers began to tap against the steering wheel as he watched her warily. What drug? What mind control had she used? Was she someone who wanted to destroy his group and him for some reason? Why? Anger continued to build as he sat there silent wishing silently she'd open her damned mouth and SAY something. She decided to try it one more time as she watched him clearly brood over this."Jon I wish you would talk to me," she said calmly as she waited to see what happened. "You fucking hussy, what the shit are you playing at? First its not talk then its talk. your worse than a critic. I tell you what, You’re crazy, your insane and I’m taking you someplace safe, like a fucking sanatorium. What kinda drugs did you slip into my drink huh? What are you aiming for?" He paused and took a deep breath his fear and anger firing his very being. "I can't believe you'd even THINK I'd fall for this shit. You wanna believe in fairy tales go on.. but my heads firmly connected and its gonna stay that way!" Mic snapped as his fire ignited her own "Don't you dare talk to me like this, I know that it’s a lot to take in, I do, but I'm not lying, honestly I am not, I didn’t drug you, but hell I should of known your narrow minded the world is all about me attitude couldn’t take this" she snapped His voice grew dangerously soft and silky. "Naah the world isn’t all about me, It's all about ME, Richie, Teek, Dave and Alec, and baby you're fucking with me and my guys. That means your pretty little room mate is probably trying to trap Richie into something too. Well you'll see it won't happen. Not in a month of Sundays!" Mic felt his anger, and knew if he touched her she'd flip a switch. She understood that he was confused and this was alot to take. She sighed "We're not trying to fuck with you guys, we'd never do that and Gia and Richie is something deeper than you probably realize right now, I don't want to hurt you I just want to help, I wish you'd understand that" "What you wanna help me into a crazy place? Lady my life is stressful enough, I don't NEED fanciful stories." He cranked the car and pulled back onto the road. "I'll just swing by the hotel and grab your pretty little friend and you can both just go home. Thank god we're leaving San Diego in the morning." He kept sliding glances her way as he drove. Magic and vampires, energy sucking and different, he couldn’t help but wonder what type of drugs she was on. He shook his head and prayed he got to Richie in time before the other nut got pregnant or worse. Pulling into the hotel lot he quickly parked and shut the car off. Even though she was crazy his upbrining had him sliding around to open her door for her. Taking her arm he walked swiftly to his door and slipped the key in the lock. Opening the door he flipped the light switch on as his eyes went wide. What the hell? Richie had just sank his fangs into her neck and was again tasting the sweet nectar that flowed from her into his thirsting mouth when the light blinded his eyes. "What the fuck?" he pulled away and looked around to the doorway where Mic was standing with a very wide eyed Jon, whose color had drained from his face.

Chapter 20

She slipped from beneath him, strength beginning to race through her veins. Standing she moved to the mirror and looked and sure enough saw a matching reddish tinge on her lips. "I can't BELIEVE you!"

Richie watched her "Wha? I had to do it darlin, you were half dead, mic said..." he trailed off as he detected her anger was about to jump off the scale.

She wiped a hand over her lips and turned. "Mic said, God, You did this based on a best friend's worry?"

Richie jumped back "It wasn’t a worry she was genuinely concerned for you as was I darlin, she knew this would help and it appears she was right" as he watched her fire start re burn from her soul.

She sighed as she watched him. "You're so new to this Richie, you don’t know the ramifications of doing something like this, NONE of us do. I just.. " She stood watching him, and couldn't be angry. "You're too sweet, you care too deeply, but what if you've screwed something up in your life?"

"Gia, if we don’t know what I have screwed up then we don’t know that I have, I had to, something deep inside me drove it, I coudn’t stop it. I don’t care what the consequences are, we will get through them, no matter what" he said softly as he licked his lips dry.

How could you fight with logic like that? And they called him evil. Well the Rom were stupid. He cared more for her well being than his own. There was nothing evil in that. Shaking her head a grin began to play on her lips. "What the hell am I gonna do with you Rockstar?"

A loose grin slipped on his lips. "Bite me?" he teased.

"Don't tempt me big guy I don’t have sharp fangs, it might hurt."

He moved himself closer to her, seeing her color restoring to her face and feeling that familiar warmness of her being returning to her. "Do you feel better now baby?" he asked as his hands slid down her arms and rested at her hips.

She wrapped her arms around him while laying her head on his chest, the sound of his heartbeat a simple song of reassurance. "Yes damn you, I'm still angry at you though."

He chuckled as he held her close, relishing her warm mould against his own, bringing him some form of comfort. "I know you are, but I have a way to make that better" he lifted her chin and kissed her on the lips, this time with a dangerous urgency as he scooped her back up in his arms and walked towards the bed.

She pressed a kiss to his chest as she murmured, "Why do I think you're gonna be hell on wheels once you get a handle on your abilities?? You're already deadly."

He murmured as he placed her down and bent down kissing up her arms, his fangs already prevalent so he slowly tickled down her arms with them.

She moaned softly at the scratchy feel of fang sliding along her arms so tenderly, her body slowly beginning to writhe beneath him. "Have mercy.."

"Only if you beg he huskily whispered as his kisses scathed around the nape of her neck and then down her chest pulling her top up to reveal her bare skin. His lips honed in and made their way to her breasts, as he lavishing licked and teased the flesh around them before preying on her pink rosy nub, carefully lifting it into his mouth he sucked contently

Her back arched as a whimper left her. "You're being naughty."

Richie groaned as his hardness was starting to become evident below his denim.
"I'm always naughty" he whispered switching to her other breast and paying it the same respect.

His hand slid down her body and her own jeans, finding the fly he unzipped it letting his hand flow freely inside, her need was slick and aching for his touch.

Slender hands couldn't be still as they roamed up under his shirt, pushing it up as she kissed the skin being revealed. "I like naughty."

Richie finally pulled away "We're wearing far too much clothing here darlin" he wrestled his shirt off and shucked his jeans away before sliding her own off and assisting her top to be discarded to the floor.
"That's better" his mouth found its guilty pleasure roaming her skin once more as he ignited kisses all the way up to her mouth.

One slender leg rubbed against his side before curling over his waist, her lips pressing to his. "Definitely better." Her hands slid through his long brown locks and held tight as she bucked up against him urgently.


He slid inside her with ease as his arms rang across her body spreading his feeling across her. "Giaaaa" he hauntingly called as his thrusts rolled into her.

She rose to meet his length, the fire inside of her beginning to rage out of control as her hands urgently slid along his sweaty skin. Full lips slid over his chest as she gathered his salty taste on her tongue, a soft growl of need vibrating in her throat.

His hand slid down as his thumb feathered against her clit gently, his tongue sliding along her body tasting every available inch. His hardness pressed into her hip teasingly as his raging need for her broke down the steel walls of control he had worked so hard at achieving. "Goddd darlin, you drive me insane."

She flexed against him, her inner walls clamping down around his hardness as a soft cry flew from her lips. "Richieee.. please."

"Soon, darlin, soon, " his rich and raspy voice promised heaven as his cock was milked by her satin walls, taking every inch from him. "Damn girl, fuck," he spluttered as her lust and desire washed upon his soul to mix with his own sending him reeling into unbridled pleasure as he spilled inside her. "Giiiiiiiiiaaaaaaa" his mating call sounded.

She held tight to his shoulders as he seated himself deep inside of her, his hot seed spilling into her and sending her over the edge of reason. The slightest brush of his thumb over her core had her screaming as her body pulsed in time with his. "Richieee.. yesss."

Pleasure kicked his instinct into overdrive in as he slowly bent down to her neck and lathed his tongue across his favorite spot on her body. He gently began to tease and torment the pulsing vein before sliding lower along her shoulders.

Chapter 19

Jon walked by Gia to set up his first shot. As he leaned over the table he lightly brushed against her arm. Making the shot he stood and grinned as he sank two balls on the first shot. "Beat that!"

Gia closed her eyes and paled slightly, ok standing here had been a bad idea. She took a deep breath and counted to ten before opening her eyes. She'd move as soon as her head quit swimming. Hell as soon as her brain started working she was telling Mic to get Mr. Lethal some control.

Jon bounced over to the side of the table to set up his next shot. Damn he felt good, buzzed almost and he hadn’t even finished a beer yet. Lining up his shot he sank another ball and flicked a victory symbol up. "Yeah I'm on fire tonight!"

Mic's eyes grew as round and saucers as she witnessed exactly what was happening. Jon was feeding off Gia, siphoning the deep soul energy right from her, and he didn’t even know. Holy fuck, he was sucking her dry of everything. She recognized the look Gia was sending, get him to stop it.

Mic walked around in between where Jon and Gia were and grabbed Jon's arms as the shockwaves bolted through her body, shit he was hot to touch even."Jon, I really wish I had a diet coke about now babe" she smiled hoping he'd get the hint.

He glanced at the table then at Mic, damn his mama always taught him to be polite. "Don't let anyone fuck the table ok babe?" He turned to Gia and tapped her on the shoulder, "You need anything?"

Gia shook her head as her knees started to wobble. "Ahh no thanks."


Jon shrugged and called out a be right back as he nearly bounced to the bar.

Richie watched as Jon raced off to the bar. "Gia baby? What's happening here? " he said as he grabbed her to hold her steady.

Mic came over "Jesus, you need to get her away, Jon's taking energy off her without knowing and sucking her dry, I need to stop this, I think he can feed from me and it wont have the same effect, if I am right. Richie I need you to take her to the car, and shit Richie, I need you to give her your blood, pierce your wrist and make her drink it."

Richie's eyes widened "You have got to be kidding me?, Are you serious?" he asked flabbergasted.

"It’s the last resort here Richie, I am serious you need to do it. Take her to the car, more privacy, blue Toyota" she said handing the keys to Richie.

Gia shook her head, "I'll be ok, Mic don't ask him to do that.. don’t make him do that." She closed her eyes and tried to breathe. That would finalize things, she knew that would cement the bond and she wouldn't do it to Richie, not for all the gold in the world. "Its ok."

"Gia he has to, look at you, you don’t know his pull, Richie can take your blood, but Jon's taking your soul energy, and that’s harder to get back. You know its already set, deep down you know Gia" Mic reasoned.

She shook her head no, "Me knowing and him knowing and accepting.. its different Mic." She pushed off the wall and straightened, or tried to. "It will be ok."

Richie looked at the girls. "Look I will do it if I have to, is it paramount she has it?" Richie asked Mic.
Jon bounced up and handed Mic her coke. "Here ya go baby." He whirled and took Gia's hand and stuck a coke in it. "Brought ya one anyhows good looking."

Gia blinked and faded back against the wall. "Thanks," was the whispered reply.

"Fuck" Mic muttered as she watched Jon again feed off her friend, now more than ever this had to be done.

She took a deep breath and pulled Jon in for a long kiss, the shock waves sent down her body were explosive but she knew if she was right she could take it and she did to calm him down a few notches.

Jon’s arms went around Mic's body as he pulled her closer. Damn if he'd argue a pretty girl giving him a kiss. His tongue slid along her lower lip then in to tease her tongue with flickers of brilliance.

She pulled away shaking as the energy flowed through her. Shit, she took it, and she was still standing. "Jon, we're going to need to talk later, there’s something you gotta know"

He wrapped his arm around her and gave her a lazy grin. "Sure thing babe, but uhh this time you’re saying you agree to start with."

Gia's hand's fisted as she drew ragged breaths in to stay on her feet. This was insane.. what did she have a glowing neon sign for vamps over her head saying *EAT HERE?* She knew if she tried to move she'd be on the floor, so she kept her eyes closed and prayed for strength to return. At least hungry boy was occupied with Mic.

Mic watched Gia and turned to Jon "Sure thing, I agree, to anything I promise, I was a bitch last night and I apologize" she rambled off, anything to shut him up.

Richie drew Gia in closer to him, Mic nodded at him, he had to do this. "Gia, I don’t mind doing this darlin, I am going to take you to the car" he whispered in her ear as her limp body seeped into his arms.

She whispered softly as her arms slowly moved to anchor around his neck. "you don’t have too ok? you don’t.."

Jon's brow winged into his hairline as Richie scooped Gia up and began to move off. Well hell be rude why don’t he? Shrugging he turned his attention back to Mic, at the moment she was a damned sight more preferable.

"She's just not feeling the best, Richie's just taking her to the car for a minute, so I guess you're stuck with me for the minute" she wrapped her slender arms around his waist feeling the brilliance of his force flow thorugh her, this time it was easier to take.

Richie carried her out to the car and soon found it the way Mic had described it, lifting her gently into the backseat he climbed in beside her and closed and locked the door.

Shit, now what? He knew the only way his fangs came out was when he was near her neck. Cradling her ever so gently he kissed her on the lips and flicked his tongue along her cheek then down to that pulsing point of life that drew him in.

She whimpered as his lips touched hers in a gentle kiss that sent shivers racing along her arms. She pulled away and leaned back against the seat. "Dunno what Mic said to you, but you don’t have to do this."

He could hardly move the back seat was cramped as his legs couldn’t fit it. He was going to have to take her back to the hotel.

"I do have to, arguing it wont change it darlin. Its too late Gia, I am going to drive to the hotel and we will get you sorted, I don't mind at all, no arguments" Richie's could feel her fear, damn he could just about taste it. He knew she was weak, he could feel it radiate from her. He got into the front seat and drove back to the hotel as fast as he could.

Once there he carefully lifted her out of the car and carried her into the room he shared with Jon. Placing her neatly on the bed, he was starting to panic at how lifeless she was, he wished Mic was here he had no idea how to do this, he get his fangs out and fast. He lay over her and brushed back her hair and kissed her forehead.

She looked up at him and saw the worry and fear in his eyes. A weak smile slid onto her lips. "Hey big guy, not so worried ok? I'll be right as rain with a little sleep. really..

Richie watched her and his mind started to penetrate her own, he was inside a chasm of fear and exhaustion that he could feel to his very own core. She wasn’t alright, she needed this, Mic was right.

Richie bared his teeth but nothing happened, Shit, is there a magic word or something when you're not horny? Fuck.

Richie bent down beside the bed and gazed at her. There had to be a way to do this just had to be, He closed his eyes and centered himself around her, Gia beautiful Gia, Taking a deep breath he concentrated on her beautiful body and soul and let his need rise. As his need began to flare his fangs began to descend slowly.

She slid back, angling her head and body away from his. "NO RIchie, I'll be ok." She tried to move, but it was damn near impossible with his body hovering over hers. "You don't get it, you can't.. I won't let ya."

Richie leaned forward and his lips brushed against her ear. "You're weak, I can feel it baby, I won't let you fade, I just wont" his voice laced with husk.

She struggled for a breath and tried for a reassuring voice. "I just need some sleep. It's not your responsibility to fix all my problems."

Richie kissed her neck lovingly, the brash feeling his fangs sweeping across her supple skin "I know its not but I want to." Richie brought his wrist to his mouth.

She forced her hand to rise and grabbed his wrist. "NO Richie." She couldn't let this continue, she had to stop him, he just didn't understand, hell she didn't either. It was too fast, too soon. He had too much living to do as a man to cement a bond so blithely. "NO."

"I have to do it Gia, you know I do, I don’t care what the circumstances are"
Richie's priority was to bring her back, he could feel her slipping somewhere but didn’t know where and what it meant.

She shook her head, the worry over what a bond meant zigzagging through her mind like a hot knife. A soft whimpered sob broke over her lips. "You're already forming a connection with me, what if I'm not the one you should do that too? I can't let you risk it." Her mouth closed as her eyes fluttered shut. No matter what it meant to her she couldn't risk it.

Richie’s voice was low and soothing, "So we will have a bond, it wont be that bad, really Gia, there are worse people I could be bonded with ya know, its not a big deal, I promise you" Richie could see she wasn’t going to take his blood willingly so he'd have to try something else. He bit down on his tongue with his left fang, slightly wincing as he felt the warm sensation of blood fill his mouth.

She was so tired, she wanted to just sleep, a good year or two would be a nice start. Shaking her head her eyes stayed shut as she tried to reinforce her decision.

Richie leaned over her as soft as a feather his lips brushed hers "Ok darlin I will let you rest" as his lips connected with hers and his tongue plummeted into her mouth as the warm life from his own body flowed into hers. His tongue swirling gently around her own to mix his life’s blood with her mouth’s moistness.

She groaned softly as his tongue teased hers, the glory of his kiss giving her strength to wrap her arms around his neck. His kiss was different this time, the taste of feel of him had changed. As his hand reached up to rub her throat she felt her throat contract and swallow and her eyes opened, only to catch a satisfied grin playing in his eyes.

As he deepened the kiss she whimpered, the coppery taste waking up her senses quickly causing her to pull away from the kiss as she watched him reach up to wipe his lip of the offending red tinge. "You sneaky son of a....."

Chapter 18

"You sure you feel ok?" Mic asked as she pulled away from the house. Gia hadn’t been feeling too well all afternoon. Mic knew why but also didn’t say too much. She knew how Gia felt about being too young for relationships, and especially this one.

She slid the sunglasses back up her nose and nodded. "Just a bit weak still Mic. I'll be fine." She closed her eyes behind the shades and fought the urge to rub at her chest. No need to give Mic more ammo in her *Richies' your soul mate* argument. "Shouldn't take too long to get to Danny's."

"God I hope not, this headache is going to drive me insane. I swear to god if he's all arrogant tonight god help him" she glanced over at Gia and shook her head. She'd learn in time.

She watched as the car ate up the few miles to Danny's and almost whimpered in relief as they pulled into the lot. "Well Mic, lets so see if they actually show."

Mic pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car the place seemed packed already. She straightened herself up fluffing her hair over her shoulder. "Well come on you, lets go see if fangalicious and spandex boy is there"

Gia slid from the car. "Don't call him that , Jesus what if you forget and say it in front of someone?" She laughed and sauntered towards the front door, feeling almost perky for some reason.

Richie brought a round of drinks over to Jon and company and placed them on the table. Richie's own mood had perked up and he felt like they were near, he could sense her, her being, his Gia. Fuck why was he thinking of her as his? Shaking his head he glanced at Jon."How's the head man?"

Jon glanced up from the beer he'd been nursing since they'd arrived. "It's easing off finally. I might actually be able to shoot pool."

"Yeah maybe you might be half decent for once," Richie jested

Jon shook his head, "I beat you every time man, don’t get cocky." He glanced up just in time to see two girls enter the place, One lithe and sandy blonde and one with hair the color of the brightest sun's rays. "Man the chicks have arrived."

Richie looked up and in a second he was behind Gia, his hands slipping around her waist as his lips met her ear "Good evening darlin'."

"I guess they'll...." Jon's voice trailed off as Richie had just vanished into thin air. "Fuck, where'd he.." He glanced over to the door and the girls and saw Richie's long body wrapping around the tiny sandy haired girl, "How'd he get over there so fast?"

Gia jumped slightly as arms went around her waist. Glancing up, expecting some odd drunk pervert she laughed suddenly when she saw who it was, "Shit warn me next time."

"Couldn’t resist," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at them both.
He placed a kiss on her lips longingly as the heat and need began to swirl in the pit of his belly.

She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as her lips slid over his, the tightness in her chest relaxing for the first time all day. "It's good to see you too Richie."

"You too Gia, you too" he sighed into her hair as his own strength and sense of well-being came flooding back.

Mic watched them both and saw their soul's damn near refresh each other, this was bad. She went to squint into the bar but she realized her headache had subsided as she cast her gaze onto Jon. Watching him hold the pool cue she felt herself calm instantly as the three of them walked over.

Gia studied the one that flipped all of Mic's switches. She grew still as she felt all that the man was flooding into her awareness. He was a force of nature, wild and untamed yet had a firm grasp and control of himself and his surroundings. He had talent and knew it but bristled at how he was seen.

She inhaled deeply as it hit her, he knew his charm, he knew how to work it, he KNEW he fed off the energy of the people. He'd put it down to talent and working a crowd, he didn’t realize what it really meant, but he KNEW and he used it to get girls and give a good show. Flying fuck he instinctively knew.

Her eyes flew open and she nearly took a step back, stopped only by the band of steel around her waist. "So umm, hi Jon. Fancy seeing you here."

Jon nodded Gia's way and smiled. "Yeah really, who woulda thought it eh?" He glanced over at Mic and nodded casually, his eyes moving back to the one who had Richie’s arms firmly wrapped around her. What was it about this Gia chick??? She made his hair stand on end, it was if she could see straight through him. Clearing his throat he smiled. . "So, what you ladies up to?"

Mic smiled taking him all in, but the heat of his body was radiating out to her making her skin tighten. It was almost like being on fire as she stood less than a foot away from him. There was something so strange and yet inviting about him this time around, her need to be repulsed by him was simply gone. His guard was still up though she could feel his caution, his wariness. "We're here to play pool I believe and kick some ass."

Jon glanced over at Richie and Gia, His friend damn near wrapped around the lil blonde. "Well I’m ready to kick some ass in pool, but I don’t think that what those two are planning." He stood and moved past Richie to offer his hand to Mic, "Wanna play?"

She chuckled "Sure why not, can’t hurt." She reached out her hand to his and in that instant it was like a thunderbolt had hit them she snapped away her hand in fright staring into fired blue eyes.

Jon shook his head to clear it and nodded to the table. "This umm, way. Yeah, this way." He quickly moved to a free table and started racking the balls, anything to keep his mind off the pure stream of energy that had rattled his very soul.

Mic's heart pounded in her chest. This couldn’t be. She had to ask, she had to know. "Jon did you have a headache today by any chance?"

Jon glanced up from the pool table a quizzical look in his azure eyes. "Yeah killer headache, took all day to get rid of too. Why?"

Mic let out a soft whimper. She nodded "I did too, a killer one, I just thought it coulda been something from last night that’s all."

Jon nodded, "Probably all the booze baby, tends to do it all the time." He glanced over at Richie and grinned, "So you two gonna fuck right there or are we gonna shoot some pool?"

Gia pulled away from Richie as her cheeks flamed scarlet. All he'd been doing was kissing along her neck, why'd he’d have to yell that? She took a deep breath and walked to the table barely brushing by Jon as she went. "Rude much asshole?" Her voice was soft as she leaned against the wall, her eyes closing as she tried to pull her suddenly scattered senses back around her.

"You ok darlin?" He glanced at Gia as she tried to hold up the wall, a small flicker of worry sparkling in his dark brown gaze. His concern was evident as looked back at Jon glaring. "Was that necessary?" he asked Jon rolling his eyes.

Jon shrugged, "What?? Shit Bro, where's that sense of humor of yours?"

Gia tried to take a breath and trembled, there was no doubt about it now, she'd felt the effect, he was definitely what they thought. Looking up at Richie she managed a smile and lied her ass off. "I'm fine really."

Richie let it go but wasn’t convinced, he knew she was lying what the hell had happened, she'd brushed past Jon but that was it?

Mic watched quietly. Shit, it was true, he was a PSI god damn it. She knew she couldn’t leave this issue too long. Jon needed to know what he now was before major damage was done, before HE did major damage to someone unaware. She gave Richie a reassuring nod to let him know she knew exactly what was going on and she’d explain later.

Chapter 17

Mic watched as Richie left with the promise of seeing them tonight. Just great she thought, just who she wanted to see so soon. She rubbed her temples as her damn headache was still running rampant in her skull. She looked up at Gia exasperation in her gaze. "Holy shit."

"I couldn't have said it better myself Mic." Gia wandered into the living room and turned the stereo on and yelled into the kitchen as she flopped down on the couch, "Gonna tell me all the parts you left out now?"

Mic raised an eyebrow at her as she followed her and sat in the opposite armchair. "Why would you think I did that?"

"Because I've known you all my life? OR maybe its because I happen to be a seer and can TELL when someone's holding back?" Gia shook her head and laughed, "I Shoulda gotten a job as a lie detector; seriously who has ever been able to lie to me girl?"

Mic smiled "Yeah all of those reasons are good ones, damn. Well Gia, I hate to tell you this, but I seriously think you're his life mate, I dunno I just this feeling as well as the fact he bit you, and I’m picking a vibe up from you there's something else"

Gia reached for a magazine and flipped through the pages a study in nonchalance. "Oh really, what vibe is that?"

"That you already know this, how do you know?" she asked watching her intently.

Gia tossed the magazine back onto the coffee table with a sigh, "I don't know a thing, sometimes the things I see or feel don't mean what they seem to mean. I doubt seriously a one night stand could be anything other than a one night stand. Jesus Mic, he’s a fucking rock star, and Upier to boot, a nice one no doubt, but still, his life style isn't conducive to long term relationships."

"Gia he may not realize it now but he will in the future. He has no choice in the matter, plus he likes you I can tell. At least you get a nice one," she grumbled.

Her brow arched as her voice went silky smooth, "What is little Michaela not telling her friend?"

Mic leant back in her chair and closed her eyes. "I think I just fucked up big time, I can't be sure, but how the hell do you explain I can suddenly make shit appear out of thin air since last night, and that oh god, when we were, well you know.. it was electric, so much energy god dammit"

Gia's eyes widened, "Holy hell, you don't think?"

"What that I'm his life mate? Yeah that's exactly what I think, but I'm hoping I'm wrong, I really am, but my head, shit it hurts, and don’t you think its a little odd that we both meet two guys on the same night ... Jesus Christ, Gia I can't stand him, he makes my skin crawl. I mean he's hot but he infuriates me."

Gia leaned back and closed her eyes again, the urge to either run or hit something overwhelming her. She'd seen a piece of herself inside of him, she felt its absence even now. Rubbing her chest she sighed, "It's the damnedest coincidence ever created that’s for sure. Mic we can't let the elders find out. They'd try to kill them you KNOW it."

"God no, they'd probably prosecute us for finding this shit out. And we're not sure yet. We need to see what happens and then decide what to do, but I ain’t looking forward to that at all. Noo way"

"To say the least it will keep him safe. He's not evil Mic, not one inch of him is. Why would the Rom lie? Why would they suddenly stop a relationship that had went on for centuries?? I just don’t get it." Gia shook her head as she worried over the thoughts, her hand still absently rubbing the ache she couldn't reach. "Do your parchments explain that?"

Mic nodded "It appears, as I explained earlier, we had a good relationship with the Upier. Something happened, not sure what, But a Romany's Upier was captured along with one of our people. What it came down to was that she chose for her life mate to live which caused the deaths of some Romany. From that point on they were considered off limits and evil..." Mic explained.

“Seems unreasonable to ostracize all of them over one situation, but then when have the Rom ever been anything other than hot headed? OK so what else Mic, don’t leave anything out."

Mic sat back "That's essentially the facts, I just need to research more around the PSI stuff and also I need to see what will happen of you and Richie don't stay together. Shit, its just a nightmare of scenarios to consider and Jon, god, Jon, I mean what if its really him? He might not understand, he has no idea" she rambled.

She didn’t want to examine the implications of her and Richie. It had to have been just just a one night stand. She'd done what she was supposed to, she'd guided him into understanding. That was all she usually did, so dammit why'd it hurt and why god why was she still visualizing that flickering flame in the center of his soul? She took a deep breath and managed to smile.

“He's not that bad, you're just mad cuz you gave in Mic. Don't damn him before ya know him eh?"

Mic sighed "I know, I am angry more at myself and now that I realize it, if this was him, I was completely aware of what happened, I can remember it all now dammit, so he didn’t take advantage of me." She sat back and scanned her mind and looked at Gia.

"I'm not convinced you're telling me the truth, you're hiding something from me, tell me"

She stood and fiddled with the channels of the stereo, "what could I be hiding Mic? Hell its not like you didn't walk in on us. I can't say it didn’t happen and act innocent."

"You saw something in him, you gotta tell me, it will help me work out all this shit" she pleaded.

Gia's eyes wandered the room before settling on her friend. "I saw strength, kindness, humor. I saw a decent guy who wasn't evil. I saw confusion, talent desire, charisma, shit he’s got that oozing from his pores." She stopped a moment and considered her next words. "I saw a thirst for knowledge for, I dunno what."

Mic nodded "AND what about you.. you saw something in him to do with you didn't you? Gia tell me dammit!"

Gia shook her head, "It had to be a visual, not real ya know? It couldn't be what it seemed to be it couldn't!" She rubbed at her chest distractedly. "It's not possible, really, its not." She glanced up at Mic, her eyes shadowed with doubt, "I saw my soul inside of his.. well a piece of it, like a flame. It's not possible, it's just not."

Mic gasped "You didn’t, oh god Gia, and look at you, you've rubbed your chest ever since he god damn left, Holy shit!" Mic had read about this, there was no doubt now in Mic's mind that she was his life mate, hell not just life mate, there was soul involved too. There was no doubt in her mind now.

"It's just an itch or something Mic." Gia refused to believe it was anything important. It just couldn't be. Her thoughts began to tumble as the worry grew. She was too young, he was too, it just wasn't possible.


~~~~

Richie arrived at the hotel and unlocked the door only to find pitch blackness."Kidd? are you in here man?" Richie fumbled around for the light switch and flicked it on.

An arm flung itself over his eyes. "Cut the fucking light out man."

Richie turned off the light "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked throwing the key on the table.

Jon groaned at how loud his friend seemed, "I'd call it a hangover but I didn't get that fucking drunk. Just a killer headache man."

Richie chuckled casting his mind back to Mic who kept rubbing her temples all morning. "Well if it helps ya, Mic's feeling the same way, remember her?"

Jon nearly growled, "I remember you got the better end of the deal. I bet your fuck of the night didn't accuse you of doing her without her consent."

"Hey she wasn’t just my fuck of the night, she's a nice girl too ya know, and so is Mic if you took five minutes to get to know her. Besides, I told her you wouldn’t take advantage of her." Richie growled not intending too but the need to defend Gia roared within him.

Jon snorted then started to laugh, "Hell all the groupies are nice, nice and juicy, nice and easy. Fuck of the day man. Jesus don’t grow morals on me now." He rolled over and threw his head under the pillow. "Fucking headache, had it since that girl left."

Richie felt his fist tighten and his blood slowly boil, Jon was right, it had always been this way, that was the deal, why did he feel so strongly now. He sat down in the dark on the bed as he felt a little light headed and lay back. "I know what they are, but she's a nice girl, they are different Kidd, she was amazing last night," his mind twisted off.

Jon turned over and looked in the direction of his friend’s voice. "You sound a bit unsure man. God she musta been a really good fuck. What'd she do, give you head?" A weak grin coasted onto his lips, he knew not many girls even attempted that one on his friend.

Richie watched the smirk on his friends lips, woah he could SEE that smirk even in the dark? "Fuckin cut that out Kidd, no she didn’t for that matter." Anger began a slow build inside of him and he was glad it was dark when the tingle of extending fangs became evident. Richie forced his anger into submission he wasn’t ready to tell Jon what he was, not yet and especially with the mood he was in.

Jon stood and shambled towards the bathroom and his travel bag. "I gotta have some damned aspirin in here." He looked into the mirror bleary eyed, If Richie wanted to get in a twist over a chick that was his call, they'd be leaving town tomorrow as it was. Finding the aspirin he swallowed a couple quickly and went back to his bed. "Wake me up tomorrow man."

"We're going out tonight with the guys, remember? I invited the girls along, they're both coming , even Mic, don’t ya wanna see her again?" Richie teased his friend, hoping to get a rise from him.

Jon groaned, he had forgotten all about tonight. "Fuck, I forgot. and I couldn't care less if I saw that groupie again, or her cute little sidekick. She’s got attitude."

Richie laughed, he agreed Mic did have attitude but she was so Jon's match, he thought for a second before speaking, "Yeah she has, she told me you wouldn’t come if you knew she was, said your ego would be too bruised" Richie lied but knew Jon would never leave it at that.

"Oh did she? We'll I'll be there and we'll just see whose fucking ego gets bruised. Til then I’m sleeping off my headache man."

Richie grinned, he knew it. He lay back feeling suddenly like his body was parched for something itself, his mind closed around the sandy blond that had haunted his dreams and now haunted his reality. Richie couldn’t put his finger on it, but she was different, and he was so oddly drawn to her more than most woman he's been with before. He took his mind back to Mic's statement about the PSI Upier and had to wonder if there was a connection there. Tonight was shaping up to be very interesting indeed.

Rubbing his chest, his thoughts suddenly zapped miles away as he felt a disturbance in the pit of his soul, a disturbance that brougth emerald green eyes and a sweet smile floating into his memory.