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.. "