"We walked around the carnival. Stayed in the lights and
crowds." Scott looked into his coffee feeling the heat of it through
the glass cup the way he had felt Beryl's warm skin through her shirt.

"He's taking a different tack this time." Sean scowled. "Do you
think we should call Mike. He's all the backup we have until Kevin
and Paul get back."

"No," Scott shook his head. "We'll just be more alert."

"Well, like I said there's two of us now." Sean finished his
coffee. "I wonder what he's up to. When I saw them she didn't seem
all misty eyed like they get sometimes. To be honest Grey didn't look real happy about it either."

"Maybe she's fighting him." Scott smiled to himself.

"I hope so," Sean said. "She's a nice girl. I'd hate to see her
end up like some of the others."

Scott's jaw strained with the epithets he wanted to spew at the
mere thought of Grey harming Beryl.

The phone rang on Beryl's nightstand and she rolled over to eye
it irritably. Heaving a sigh as the third ring blared through the
room Beryl sat her hand on the receiver. "Hello."

"Hi Beryl." Scott's voice came over the line. A prickling
filled her mind and she scowled but had no recollection of why she
had been so upset earlier.

"Hi Scott. What's up?"

"Sean and I are going to the movies and I thought maybe you'd
like to come."

"Yeah, give me a few minutes." Beryl grabbed a pair of shorts
and a pink half shirt. Sliding her feet into a pair of sandals and
tossing her room key in her pocket she walked toward the elevator.
The deserted hallway seemed much more sinister than when she
and Scott Had said good-night and Beryl felt a shiver go up her
spine. The lift doors hissed open and she entered turning quickly so
not to leave her back open. As the doors closed a hand reached in to
halt them.

"Hi there." Gre y smiled and pushed the button for the lobby
which Beryl had already lit.

"Hi." Beryl said watching the light above the door as one often
does in an elevator with other people.

"Happy Fourth of July." Grey said.

"You too." Beryl glanced up with a smile. She looked back up as
the light jump0ed from 4 to 3 but she felt his gaze remain on her.
She felt awkward in the silence. "Who's your match with tomorrow?"

"Probably Sean." he replied. "House shows tend to stay on the
televised storyline."

Beryl fought the urge to actually say "duh". Sure he was quite
good looking but the last few days something told Beryl that she
should be careful around Grey Sanders. It was much the same feeling she'd had the previous afternoon while she and Scott were alone in his car but this sensation only intensified instead of retreating as it did around Scott.

The renewed silence grew stilted before the elevator reached< BR>its destination but Beryl no longer left compelled to speak to Grey.
When the doors opened it was to find Scott waiting for the elevator.
A look rather less than hospitable passed between the two men once
again. For a moment no one moved until Beryl stepped forward to stand
between them.

"What movie were you guys thinking of seeing?" she smiled.

"We haven't decided yet." Scott replied dismissing Grey without
a thought. He led Beryl out to the rental opening the glass door for
her as his fingers lightly touched at her back. "Do you care it Sean
goes with us to watch the fireworks?"

Beryl felt her heart sink a bit but the smile Scott had treated
her to since she'd gotten off the elevator wouldn't let her get too
bummed out. "No problem."

"Lunch or movie first?" Sean asked from the front of the rental.

"Movie." Scott said. "If we get hungry we can get some popcorn."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Beryl looked out the back window and
Sean turned on the radio as Scott started the car. Beryl felt eyes on
her but this time quite pleasant and she turned to look at Scott
watching her in the rear view mirror. He winked when he met her eyes and the butterflies began a dance in Beryl's stomach.
They watched an action movie and the three of them split two
buckets of popcorn and a box of Milk-Duds. Scott parked in front of
an Italian restaurant several blocks from the carnival. While they
were waiting for their meals Beryl excused herself.

"What is up with you?" Sean said. "You've had that smile since
we left the hotel."

Scott leaned forward a bit and lowering his voice in the crowded
dining room. "She is fighting him. He couldn't get in her head."

"Do you think he'll give up?"

"Maybe eventually but not yet most likely." Scott said his
concern returning. "He's gotten too used to being uncontested and he doesn't like not getting his way." He paused for a moment. "I've
never seen anyone ward him off so quickly."

"Maybe she already has a boyfriend." Sean said taking a drink of
iced tea and smiling at a pretty dark haired woman in a nearby
booth. "You know, someone who's already in her head."

Scott felt as though someone had slugged him in the stomach. She
would have said so wouldn't she? he thought. Why would she need to, an opposing voice said. Because you were flirting with her, because she hugged you for a moment when she was frightened. Scott didn't like that opposing voice, it talked too much.
Beryl returned just as their food arrived. Sean smiled brightly
but Scott seemed suddenly quite somber. The threesome sat in the
restaurant drinking lattes but as the shadows grew long and the
mercury began to reach more enjoyable levels they continued on,
walking to the fairgrounds.

The carnival was in full swing when they ar rived with probably
five times as many people as the previous night. Scott and Sean both
shortened stride to stay with her as she walked between them but
Beryl was disappointed to find that Scott didn't show the slight4est
inclination to put his arm around her as he had so often before. In
fact he seemed more than a little broody.

Scott kept looking sidelong at Beryl mostly she chatted with
Sean but several times he caught her glancing at him. Once she gave
him a troubled smile. He wondered if she was feeling the mental
intrusion again but he had no sense of any tampering. In fact he knew without much effort of will that Grey was no where in the vicinity.

Sean's words of earlier interplayed with the image that had
rooted in his mind of Beryl pressed against him. The feel of her in
his arms crossed with the maddening picture of her in someone-anyone-else's. He knew he shouldn't feel this way, he was supposed to be keeping an e ye on her not making designs of his own. But that didn't matter now, the voice returned. You do feel this way and you won't feel better about it until you ask her. There was no way he could ask Beryl anything with Sean around however.

As they walked a mischievous glitter lit Sean's eye. "I shall
win a prize for the lovely lady." he said. After several tries at
the ring toss Sean handed Beryl a cupie doll key chain.

"Kidd, let me show you how it's done." Scott gave a self
satisfied grin and they walked across the way to the dart booth where the same man as before eyed Scott with a doomed grimace. Even more quickly than the first time Scott had targeted three more cherries and the carny handed him a large white dolphin toy.
"Did you cheat?" Sean asked with a knowingly raised brow to which
Scott shrugged with a twisted smile. Beryl didn't see how Scott
possibly could have done so but at least now he wasn't ignoring her.

"I'll be r ight back, guys. I'm gonna get a soda." Sean walked
ahead.

Scott looked at the Ferris wheel behind them. The line was
short. "Wanna ride?" Scott asked.

Beryl sat her prizes down by the operator's folding chair as
Scott sat in the seat.

"The last time I rode one of these I was with a cute little
blond." Scott winked at Beryl who eyed him sharply. What a thing to
say to a girl!

"She's nine and calls me Daddy." Scott smirked. Beryl shook her
head and smiled. Scott laid his arm across the back of the car and
indicated the empty space next to him with an inviting hand. Beryl
quite gladly sat down and they were strapped in. The car swept
backward to halt once again.

Beryl waved her hand at a mosquito on her cheek and Scott's hand
gently touched her forearm as he smiled at the bracelet. Beryl
blushed. "It's not everyday a man gives me jewelry."

"Beryl can I ask you something?" Scott swallow ed. Just ask and
get it over with the voice urged.

A flip remark was squelched a the serious look on Scott's
face. "Go ahead." she said softly.

Scott sighed trying to decide how best to ask. "Is there
anyone?"

A pink tint lit Beryl's cheeks. "Wow. Now there's a loaded
question." The thoughts from this morning came to Beryl's
mind. "Which of the five of you is asking it?" She hadn't meant for it
to sound as harsh as it did but Beryl looked up into Scott's
greenish-brown eyes until he turned thoughtfully away.
It was a fair question Scott considered, but how was he to
answer it? Beryl already had plenty of evidence that Scott and the
others had discussed her at least twice. It was necessary that they
do so but there was no way he could tell her why.

"There are things we talk about and things we don't." Scott
turned back to Beryl who was watching his face while he spoke. They were at the top of the ride now as the last passenger got on.

"No Scott, there isn't anyone."
Her words were barely formed when Scott leaned down to brush his
lips against hers. His fingers lightly caressed her cheek and she lay
a hand against his chest. Scott pulled away first, still touching her
face. Their eyes remained locked for a moment. Beryl bit her lip not
sure what to say.

"I like your friends, Scott. They're great, its just...That
isn't a mistake I could stand to make again." Scott put his fingers under Beryl's chin and gently pulled her face to his. "We don't have to tell anyone anything if you don't want to."

The ride ended and the couple found Sean. Scott kept smiling at
Beryl but didn't make any moves.

"Hey cool." Sean said after they'd all made another circuit of
the carnival. "An old fashioned spook house. You guys wanna go?"
Scott shrugged and Beryl nodded.

"You go first. I'll send Beryl in second and go la st. In case
she gets scared." Scott said it in a tone of jest but gave Sean a
meaningful look while Beryl rolled her eyes. Sean was first in line
and handed the ride operator his ticket. Beryl mad to do the same but Scott touched her arm as though to hold her back. As soon as Sean disappeared through the thick black curtain Scott grabbed Beryl's hand and pulled her to the far side of the artificial stone façade nearer the exit.

Once they'd rounded the corner into the shadows Scott pulled
Beryl to him and closed his arms tightly as she stood on tip toe to
kiss him.

"Just thought I'd do something more to keep quiet about." Scott
said as he raised his head. Beryl smiled delightedly at the feel of
being wrapped in Scott's arms.

"If its worth doing its worth doing well." She said reaching up
to pull Scott into a deeper kiss. Beryl stepped into Scott as his
tongue flicked hotly across her lips.

"Come on, He' s gonna miss us in a minute." Scott said giving
Beryl one final soft kiss before they stepped toward the exit where
Sean stood looking around expectantly. He was facing away and Scott crept up on him. Just then Sean turned about with a vexed expression and came up short so not to bump into Scott.

Sean scowled at them questioningly. "Were you..." he pointed at
the exit door. "I didn't hear you behind me."

"You're right, Kidd." Scott said. "That was fun."

A smirk crossed Sean's face. "What did you think of the vampire?" he asked Beryl.

Beryl put a hand to her stomach to quiet the still swarming
butterflies. "I nearly wet myself." Behind Sean's head Scott lifted
an interested eyebrow.

Just then a whistling sounded from the nearby football field to
announce to the crowd that the fireworks would start soon. A trio of
young women walked by one of them giggling as she recognized Sean.

"Mmmm. Is everyth ing copasetic?" he asked Scott.

"Everything's cool." Scott smiled. "Enjoy the fireworks, man."

"See you back at the hotel." Sean winked and followed the bevy
of beauties like a cougar stalking sheep.

"Wanna watch from the bridge?" Scott asked taking Beryl by the
hand.

"Sure." she smiled.

They bought pops from a vendor on the edge of the midway and
walked up a slope to stand on the bridge over a swiftly moving stream that edged the fairgrounds. The pyro-technics began and Beryl sat the stuffed animal down. Scott nuzzled her ear as he held her from behind.

Beryl sighed as she relaxed back into Scott's warm embrace. The
safe feeling of trust returned and she couldn't reason why she'd been so concerned earlier. Sure she had been incredibly hurt but Scott had never done anything that would indicate any malicious intent. You're still gun shy is all, her own inner voice said. She let the worry vanish as her eye s watched the multi-colored sparks and
streamers light the sky, their reflected ghosts dancing in the
burbling creek below.

A feeling like sitting near a warmly crackling fireplace came
over Scott and he tightened his grip. His forearms folding across
Beryl's stomach he pressed her closer. "I could get used to this."

Beryl's head lay back against Scott's chest and she craned her
neck to look up at him. "Me too." she smiled almost dreamily.

The grand finale was going off but Scott noticed only the
sparks reflected in Beryl's eyes. The only pounding was the pulse of
her heartbeat that he felt and heard every time he touched her. It
was mesmerizing to sense the blood flowing through her veins, pulsing form her heart as it thundered open and closed. Scott looked quickly away, he couldn't remember this ever happening before.

Beryl looked up after what seemed a blissful eternity in Scott's
arms. She'd barely notice d the spectacular finish but now the crowd
had thinned to a fraction of its former number. The lights of a bank
clock several blocks from the now nearly deserted bridge read 11:19.

"Its getting late." Scott said relaxing his grip reluctantly.

Beryl saw a look in his face more troubled than what he'd worn all
afternoon but he held her hand as they walked the rest of the way
across the bridge and back to his car.

Beryl tried to stay awake on the drive home but the near
tangible air of security she experienced around Scott seemed to lull
her into slumber. Scott woke her with a soft touch on her cheek.
"Come on." he said with his charming smile. "I'll help you get
the zoo upstairs."
Beryl unlocked her door and took the dolphin from Scott
depositing it on the floor just inside. He rested his hands at her
waist, the feel on her again quickened his own pulse, startlingly so.

"There's nothing more I want than t o have a really big secret
to keep.' He said. "But I don't think I should yet."

Beryl smiled sweetly. "Good night, Scott." she lay a hand on his
chest and stretched up to kiss him quite passionately. Scott pulled
Beryl deeper into the kiss with a hand at the back of her neck before
stepping out of the doorway.

"Good night, Beryl."

"Sweet dreams, Scott." she still held his hand.

An almost wanton smile played over Scott's mouth as he moved
away. "That is certain."

Scott walked with a purpose into his hotel room. He caught up
the leather jacket and shrugged it on. Putting his key in one pocket
and a square of paper Gordy had left for him in the other he turned
back to the still open door. The perfume Beryl wore left its soft
enticing essence on the supple leather. Scott inhaled. Peach Musk.
With increased urgency he continued on his way.

Beryl woke to her 9 am wake up call and went down to grab s ome
breakfast. Scott, Sean and Gordy were sitting at the same table she
had occupied the morning before.

"Morning, " she greeted as they waved her over. Scott held her
eyes for a moment and she smiled. They ate a light breakfast then
went to pack since they'd be on the road after the show. Beryl
gathered her toiletries from the bathroom and was sitting Oliver and
Dallas (the dolphin) on the bed when the phone rang.

"Hey." Scott's voice said smoothly.

"Hi." Beryl tried not to squeal with delight. "I was just
thinking about you."

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you a better good morning." scott
said and Beryl blushed.
"One of these mornings." Beryl lay her bag on the bed and set a
stack of clothes she'd just brought back from the Laundromat next
door. "I'll see you at the arena, I'm going down to rent a car now
and avoid the swarm."

"See you there." Scott said.

Once the talent began to arri ve Beryl and Gordy were kept busy.
Four people had burned themselves at barbecues, Chris Jericho had
skinned his knee playing football at a family reunion, and Ivory had
stitches in the bottom of her foot where she'd stepped on a broken
bottle at the beach.

"It seems to me that we're kept busier on days back than when
they've worked a week straight." Gordy said as Beryl rubbed a cramp in her neck she'd gotten while pulling cactus barbs out of Steve Austin's palm. He'd tripped and fallen into some landscaping just outside the arena. Beryl extracted them, put salve on the red welts and wrapped it in gauze.

Beryl was sent to the ladies locker room to see about a cut on
Victoria's forearm. Returning to the Medical Room Beryl passed Gordy going into Shanej's makeshift office.

"Hey, kiddo," Gordy called. "Hold down the fort for a bit will
ya?"

"Sure thing." Beryl waved. She entered the Med Shed and opened
the cupboard to put the boxes of steri-strips and gauze back and took out a bottle of Ibuprofen. The door to the room slammed with a loud bang and Beryl turned with a gasp to find Scott sweeping her up in his arms.

"You couldn't expect me to go all day without seeing you."

"You saw me at breakfast." Beryl giggled as Scott's lips lightly
touched her earlobe.

"But the tastiest thing at the table was out of my reach just
then." He said as his hands slid over the seat of Beryl's jeans and
he pulled her to him.

"I don't mind your friends knowing we're a thing, they just
don't need to know how much of a thing. Besides you seem to have
gotten yourself quite a handful now. Beryl said leaning in to kiss
Scott's throat.

"Mmm," he again felt the pulsing of Beryl's heart and relaxed
into it's rhythm. "You could make a man forget himself doing things
like that."

Beryl looked up into Scott's face. "You could make a wo man
forget herself wearing outfits like that." She stepped back to eye
the ring attire Scott was in having just finished his match. "And in
case you didn't hear the ladies out there screaming, I'd say you
made quite the impression once again.

There was a knock at the door, it was official company procedure
that the doctors keep the doors closed when dealing with anyone.
Scott sat Beryl from him in a reluctant but hasty fashion and she
turned to the sink grabbing a dixie cup and filling it with water.

"Come in." she said clearing the blush from her voice with a
harrumph. Gordy entered and sat a clipboard on the exam table between him and Scott.

"Just take a couple-" in the moment of passion Beryl had
completely forgotten what she had taken from the cupboard and she
looked at the package quickly. "Ibuprofen and you'll be right as
rain." She came around the edge of the counter, handed Scott the cup of water and pink ed a bit to see his physical reaction had not calmed completely.

"And you may want to ice that." She tried to sound clinical.
Scott's eyes lowered and he replied under his breath. "I'd
prefer a moist heat." Beryl gave Scott a sharp look but her blush
betrayed her and she rolled her eyes smilingly.

Once the Med Room was cleared and everyone was patched up Beryl
and Gordy took to the road. Nearly everyone else had opted to stay
the night in Dallas and drive to Houston early in the morning. It
was three a.m. when Beryl got checked into her room and she kicked off her shoes falling into the bed.

Too soon her wake-up call came and Beryl rose bleary eyed to
jump into the shower. She was brushing her teeth when Scott knocked on her door.

"Good morning." he smiled when the door opened. Beryl smiled
around the handle of her purple toothbrush that still stuck from her
lips. She waved her hand for him to come in and went t o rinse.

"I just got in." Scott said leaning against the wall when Beryl returned. "Kevin and Paul pulled in just behind me. We're all
going out to breakfast. Wanna come?"

"Give me a few minutes to put my face on."

"I rather like this one." Scott reached out and ran his fingers
over Beryl's cheek. "Come on." He enticed kissing her softly. Beryl
smiled and let Scott lead her out the door.

Four floors up they stood waiting for the elevator talking in
low tones and laughing at the moment they were sharing. Like an
ellipse the hideously familiar veil of fear came over Beryl and she
shuddered, her head jerking toward the far end of the hall as if she
had seem the sensation fly like an arrow from the direction opposite
her own room.

Scott's eyes darkened as he stepped between Beryl and the end
of the hallway. He put an arm around Beryl to find she was shaking.
The elevator door opened and Scott urged B eryl quickly inside glad to see they were alone. He started the car on its descent then pushed the Stop button and turned to Beryl.

In a flash she was in his arms soaking the front of his shirt in
her tears. For a time Scott held Beryl silently as she cried.

"Are you all right?" He asked rubbing her arm to warm the
chilled skin.

"God, sometimes I feel just awful lately." she said in a rush. "I get these terrible feelings and thoughts. I've started having the most horrid dreams." Suppressing another shudder Beryl wiped at her cheek and looked embarrassed at the front of Scott's shirt. "I'm sorry, Scott. You must think I'm absolutely mental."

Scott scowled in concern. "What dreams? Can you wake up from
them?"

Beryl looked at Scott like a foreigner who'd found someone who
spoke her language. "Not at first, when they ended it felt more like
I'd been allowed to wake-up. I wouldn't remember them right away but I star ted seeing little bits of them while I was awake. That's what
makes me so scared.

"Now I can wake-up if I really try but its like any of my dreams can turn into them. God this all sounds so crazy."

Scott pulled Beryl into a secure embrace. "You're not going
crazy." He said simply. There was nothing more he could say to her,
he wasn't allowed to tell her what was truly going on but Scott set
his mind that it would stop.

"Come on." Scott let the elevator continue on it's way. "You'll feel better when you've had some sun." He didn't want to sound as though he were belittling Beryl's concerns but he needed to
get out of here and speak with Sean and Gordy.

"There you guys are." Paul called. "We were about ready to form
a search party."

"My dear." Kevin said flirtatiously. "You look white as a sheet.

Let's get you some sun, a cup of coffee and a bit of breakfast." He
patted Beryl's hand like a doting grandma and she smiled.
Gordy looked silently from Beryl's white pallor to Scott who
returned the look meaningfully. Gordy nodded. "Let's wait for Sean
and we can all go."

"Go where?" Sean asked coming from the check in carrying his
bag.

"Breakfast." Paul said.

Scott leaned closer to Beryl. "Go ahead with Paul and Kevin,
babe. I need to talk with Sean. I won't be long and you'll love the
place. We go there whenever we're in town."

"You want we should order?" Paul asked as Scott and Gordy
followed Sean to the elevator.

"Pancakes, ham and eggs." Scott said.

"Me too." Gordy said and Beryl smiled at the happily expectant
look on his usually somber face.

"Where we going? Brown's?" Sean asked. Paul nodded and a dopey
grin crossed Sean's face. "Cinnamon roll." he said dreamily.

"You have to see their cinnamon rolls." Kevin opened the door
for Beryl.

"You'll know y ou're in Texas when you see the size of it."
Paul said.

"What's up?" Gordy asked Scott when the three were in the
elevator.

"Kidd, you just pulled something vital." Scott told Sean.

"Owwie, I hope I'll be all right." Sean replied not feeling
remotely like disputing with the serious look on Scott's face.

"Ice pack and an extra day's rest you'll be fine." Gordy
smirked and turned back to Scott. "What's the deal?"

"I'm going to have to be a bit more hands on with our problem
child."

"What'd he do?" Sean asked.

"He's really starting to mess with Beryl and if she keeps
blocking him she could start to read him."

"Oh boy." Gordy went slightly pale. "If The Order finds out we
could be in for some deep shit."

"Why?" Sean scowled.

"The main purpose and function of The Order is to insure that
normal humans don't find out we exist."

"Me and-"

"The dreams?" Gordy went even more pale.

"Yeah, she's done a hell of a job warding them off but its
starting to freak her out."

"That's quite a lot for her to just tell anyone." Gordy said
expressionlessly.

"I thought I saw the two of you making moon eyes at the fair."

Scott eyed Sean. "And what the hell was that vampire comment
about?" he laughed and cuffed Sean in the arm.

"There wasn't a vampire in the spook house." Sean snirtled.

"You missed the mad house." Beryl said as Kevin, Paul and she
sat down and the waitress poured the first cups of coffee.

"It's usually plenty enough of a zoo at my house." Paul
smiled.

"Why?" Kevin asked. "What happened?"

"Everybody went crazy." Beryl said as Paul handed her the
creamer. "It was a war zone. They turned the ring into a landfill and
sent Randy to the hospital. Poor Gail's out for another week and she
may need surgery on her eye."

"You'll get used to it, rookie." Paul said pouring sugar into
his coffee as the waitress came to take their orders. Just as the food arrived so did the others, including Mike. "Figured you guys would be here." he said as he sat down on Scott's left. Beryl was on his right. "So." he leaned half into Scott and looked at the pair. "Have you two hooked up yet or what?"

Kevin and Paul arched brows as Beryl blushed and Scott
scratched behind his ear self consciously. Beryl looked up at Scott
and saw that he wasn't going to say anything one way or the other.

"We're working on it." Beryl said her eyes flicking from Scott
to Mike and back.

"You hound." Kevin smiled widely at Scott who took Beryl's
admission as a cue to lay his arm across the back of the portion of
booth she occupied.

"You young things want to go to Murphey's tonight?" Paul asked.

"What's Murphey's?" Beryl asked and got three different
answers. Bar, club, and restaurant according to Sean, Kevin and

Scott.

"It's a bar that has the best seafood and hottest band in
southeast Texas." Mike clarified.

"We'll have fun." Scott urged and Beryl nodded.

The crowd was fairly large of a house show but they were more
subdued in the heat that didn't drop near so much as was hoped.
Beryl looked up from the clipboard she was filling out an order
form on to see Scott standing in the doorway wearing his gear.

"I thought you just had a run in tonight." she smiled.

"Sean pulled his abs working out yesterday. I'm taking his
match."

"With Grey?" Beryl scowled. "Be careful."

"Careful as the situation calls for." Scott pull ed Beryl close
to him.

Cheron poked her head around the corner. "You're up."

"I'll see you at the restaurant." Scott said.

"Make sure it isn't sooner." Beryl stretched up to kiss him.

Scott halted on purpose to make sure he didn't see Grey before
they both got to the ring and when "Marvelous Me" began to play he
made his way out.

Grey gave a nasty smirk as Scott stepped into the ring but Scott
responded with a bland grin.

Earl Hebner made at checking their pads and relayed the opening
moves. Scott nodded and for the first few minutes he stayed with the charade that this was a normal match. Scott and Grey had had dozens of matches before and Scott was waiting for a particular moment.

Grey, with his disdain for the authority Scott had been given by
The Order, was still afraid of doing anything to defy them directly.
Scott was well aware of that and meant to make use of it now. Grey
ha d let his guard down when he saw that Scott was staying on line and wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary when he had Scott in the corner. As Grey went to climb the ropes to keep Scott trapped
with several blows Scott brought a closed fist into Grey's stomach
knocking him back and winding him.

Grey gagged when Scott repeated the blow and fought himself
vomiting the black gorge. Scott put Grey into a sleeper so he could
say what he needed to.

"This is the very last warning you're going to get." Scott said
evenly.

"Still fore playing with your food?" Grey hissed through clenched
teeth and Scott jerked his head sharply.

"I can't stop you from feeding how you like but even you know
that you're going too far with these head games that you're playing.
If I find you going back you'll be getting a visit."

Scott released Grey to deliver a running clothesline from the
ropes and from then on the match had resumed. Grey had been given this match and Scott didn't stray from that part of the plan. For the remainder Grey said nothing but he watched Scott and Beryl darkly as they left the arena not long after.

"Oh, I'm not done yet." Grey said with a growling laugh. A fetid
smile crossed his face as his eyes darkened to black orbs of
hatred. "Not with either of you."

A hot wind whipped particles of sand through the crowded parking
lot as what seemed a mob of people made their way toward the front door of the rustic looking building. The Kliq were far from the only one who'd arrived at Murphey's. Nearly two dozen others had
accompanied the seven and as the small army approached the door a tall bouncer grinned more welcoming than his physical appearance
would have suggested. Kevin shook his hand and Beryl saw that if they were to be compared Kevin might well be the one found lacking.

"Hey, Tiny." Kevin grinned.

"I's wonderi n' if you boys was gonna stop by." the man spoke in
a perfect Texas twang. He opened the door and stood to the side as
the large group entered, nodding and giving a "Howdy, ma'am." to the ladies as they passed. Tiny followed and showed them to a smaller dining room half separated from the rest of the establishment.

"Have a seat, I'll have a waitress sent in." Scott led Beryl
toward a table in the far back corner and Sean and Mike followed.

"You'll love the seafood, babe." Scott said laying his arm over
Beryl's shoulder. "It was swimming in the Gulf this morning most
likely."

A woman with hair even redder than Beryl's came up to the
table. "Hey boys, what can I get ya'?" Beryl noticed that this
waitress was the only one yet in the room but she had passed all the
other tables to get here.

Mike and Sean got beers and Scott ordered beers for Paul and
Kevin but Diet Coke for himself and Beryl had the same. Across the
poorly lit room Beryl saw Tiny lead Kevin, Paul, Booker T and
Christian through a door marked "private".

"Hey," Scott nuzzled Beryl's ear bringing her attention to
him. "Wanna dance?" Beryl nodded and they found a small space on the crowded dance floor.

After the match Scott had changed into jeans and a Miami
Dolphins tee-shirt. His hair was clubbed back as it had been the
first time she'd seen him in Spokane.

"What?" Scott grinned at the look Beryl was giving him.

"Nothing." she smiled and leaned into Scott's arms. She was
wearing jeans, a tank top and a light blue shirt in case it was
cooler when they left as the weather report predicted. Scott's hands
roamed from Beryl's waist to the swell of her hips as he pulled her
closer brushing aside the tendrils that had escaped the loose knot of
her hair.

"Dinner is served." Sean grinned at them.

"Hold that thought." Scott whispered in Be ryl's ear from behind
as they followed Paul.

"I fully intend to pick up where we left off." Beryl replied
over her shoulder eying him suggestively.

Paul and Kevin had returned but several times Beryl would see
groups of two or three going through the door with Tiny. She was
starting to think that the waitresses, who were all young and
vibrantly beautiful, were serving more than drinks.

The food, a platter of shrimp, clam strips, scallops, and a
couple oysters, was excellent and Beryl listened to the guys talk
laughing about things they remembered. Gordy left once dinner was
through but the rest stayed. Beryl smiled as Scott put his arm around her once again and after a few minutes led her to the wooden floor in front of the stage.

The band was quite versatile and they went from a soft country
song to Doug Caulkins' "Watch Out Baby." and Scott's skill took
Beryl's breath away as he twirled her through the q uicker steps. When Foreigner's "Waiting For a Girl Like You" began Scott pulled Beryl against him again. He held her close in the circle of his arms.
Beryl's heart was thundering as the safe feeling she usually had
around him faded in just the right way the longer they danced.
Scott lowered to brush Beryl's lips. The kiss grew prolonged
until a "whoo" came from behind them. They turned to see Sean
laughing as he danced with a woman who had been standing at the bar.

Beryl stood on tip toes to breathe in Scott ear. "Let's go, its
too crowded here."

"You took the words right out of my mouth." Scott said.

Kevin, Mike and Paul remained at the table for several minutes
after they saw Scott and Beryl head for the door. They were
reminiscing about various events when a tinny buzz sounded just
barely audible above the band. Mike scowled as he fished his cell
phone out of his front pocket. His face blanched and he looked atKevin and Paul as a voice droned in his ear.

"We better go, guys." Mike said.

"I'll get Sean." Paul said finishing his beer as Kevin and Mike
stood. Sean was standing at the bar with the curvy blond. He was
leaned in speaking in low tones as his hand lowered stealthily from
her waist to her hip.

"Hey," Paul said from behind. "Mike just got a call."

"Sorry, babe." Sean paid for the young woman's drink. "I gotta
go."

Although he did it reluctantly. Sean turned and left without
another word. He and Paul met Kevin Mike in front of Murphey's.
"Come on." Mike said from the front seat of the SUV Kevin was
driving.

"If it's Order you better call Scott." Paul said he and Sean
strapped in the back.

"It's a little while before we get back to the hotel." Sean
said. "Give them a few minutes. He and Beryl looked pretty into it
before they left."

"No kidding?" Mike made a little nod. "I better call Gordy
though, this involves all of us and he's the closest thing we have to
a sixth right now." Sean was silent at the reference to one he would
just as soon have not thought about.

"If Beryl's fighting Grey, are you sure Scott can handle her."
Paul scowled.

Kevin grinned. "I imagine he's giving it his best shot right
about now."

The elevator doors had closed but Scott and Beryl were engaged
in a long kiss and neither had told the lift where to go. After
several impassioned minutes Scott smiled brightly. "We better get
upstairs before we get arrested."

"I'm on four." Beryl turned toward the panel. "Where are you?"

"Farther than that." Scott wrapped Beryl in his arms as she
pushed "4".

Without the faintest shadow of the misgivings she'd had at first
Beryl turned to Scott after she unlocked her door. His eyes played
over her in the dim entrance to the hotel room. Beryl backed into the doorway and kicked off her shoes while Scott stepped forward closing the door behind him.

The latch had barely clicked and Beryl was in his arms. Scott
pushed the outer shirt Beryl wore back off her arms as he pressed his mouth to hers. Her tongue darted against his lips and she pulled
Scott's tee-shirt from the waist band of his jeans lifting it over
his head.

Scott's cross winked against his chest in the small rays of light that leaked in around the curtains. Strong hands pulled Beryl back into a scorching kiss. The only barrier between Scott's furred chest and Beryl was a layer of pale lace and the ash gray tank top she still wore but he felt her heart thundering excitedly.

Beryl's slim fingers fumbled at the button of Scott's jeans as
one of his hands reached up and released the knot of her hair
letting it spill down her back. Scott stumbled against the wall as he
tried to kick off his shoes while he kissed Beryl and her hands
worked at his zipper.

"Whoa!" Scott gasped as Beryl ran her hand against him. "My
turn," he said and pulled her shirt over her head. Lithe fingers
unfastened the button of Beryl's blue jeans. As he lowered the zipper his other hand slid beneath the thick denim to squeeze her bottom before pushing the garment down to her knees. Scott hand's clasped at Beryl's waist and he kissed her abdomen standing when he felt her muscles tighten.

Beryl stepped out of her jeans and as she flexed her leg to kick
them out of the way Scott's hand slipped between her thighs and
kneaded sensitive flesh through the panel of light pink cotton.

"Oh, Jesus Scott!" she gasped.

"That's one." Scott pulled Beryl's mouth to his lifting her
completely off her feet with one arm and pressing her to the wall.
Scott moved his hips against Beryl who responded with equal
fervor, her leg wrapping against Scott's and her arms hel d to his
shoulders as his lips touched at her throat. His touch was a fire of
Ecstasy and she could hardly breathe.

The Peach Musk Beryl wore filled Scott's senses as he gave a
sucking kiss at the side of her neck. Suddenly he felt the blood
rushing in Beryl's throat just a skin's width from his lips. He
jerked his head up and gasped in the chilled air to clear his head.

Beryl opened her eyes to see Scott looking at her. He was
breathing heavily and a prurient look filled her own eyes as it hit
her that Scott had just stopped himself to prolong the night. She
couldn't see his expression exactly but it felt most definitely
predatory. In a flash he crossed the distance to the bed.

Without considering the wisdom of his actions Scott deposited
Beryl on the mattress and stood watching her for a moment. Scott's
jeans joined Beryl's in a pile by the bathroom door. Beryl drank in
Scott's form. The darker boxer-briefs he still wore contrasted with
his lightly tanned and heavily muscled thighs. A soft smile touched
Beryl's lips that apparently Scott was not planning to make this a
too hasty event.

Scott stretched forward over Beryl but pulled her to her side
and lay facing her. Again he pulled her leg to his waist to bring his
stiffness against her. Scott arranged his arm to lay beneath Beryl's
head to make the prolonged kisses more comfortable for them both.
Beryl sighed with pleasure as Scott moved, she rose slightly to
kiss his throat. Scott's eyes closed and he twined his fingers
through her hair.

"Chrysoberyl." he breathed as he felt her pulse softly through
every inch of skin he touched. He rolled forward pressing Beryl to
her back. Scott kissed Beryl forcefully and felt her move beneath
him. Again he pressed his lips to her throat.

Beryl almost purred at the sensation and he lifted his head to
look at her. Thin lin es of light pulsed at her throat where he had
just tasted her soft skin.

"Oh, God Scott" she said looking up into Scott's face. "You're
eyes look so incredible in the dark."

Scott's voice caught in his chest. How could he explain what she
was seeing? Before he could find the words Beryl reached up to touch his cheek. She thought it was just a trick of the light. Not daring to continue Scott began to push away.

A droning buzz sounded.

"Damn!" Beryl scowled. Of course someone had to be calling right
now.

Scott turned away from Beryl, from the maddening sight of her
veins flowing with her blood. He picked up his jeans and pulled the
cell phone from the pocket. There was no one there when he answered but that didn't surprise him given that the others knew he wasn't alone.

Beryl rolled to her side and watched Scott wishing he'd come
back to the bed. Flipping the phone closed Scott slipped it back int o
his pocket and stepped into his jeans.

"You're leaving?" Beryl said as Scott sat on the edge of the bed
with his back to her as he put his shoes on.

He released a breath, there was no good way to excuse himself.
Beryl sat up next to him and he turned to face her. "I'm sorry,
Beryl." he ran a knuckle over her cheek not daring to kiss her yet.
Even if he could stay he wouldn't just to insure that he didn't do
things he'd regret. "There's been trouble." He knew it was more than
he should have said.

"What's wrong?" Beryl asked. "Is everyone all right?"

Scott smiled at her instant concern. He gathered his shirt from
the floor. "Will you let me in if I come back?"

Beryl bit her lips that Scott would ask. "Yeah."

Scott kissed her quickly. "I'll be back if I can." He stood and
left before he could change his mind, not sure if he actually would.
Scott made his way to the elevator turning his h ead so a passing
couple couldn't see his face. As the doors closed Scott punched the
fake panel wall of the lift.

"Damn!" he swore bracing his hands against the wall. He'd never
come so close to losing control before. Why now? Why only with Beryl?

Scott inhaled deeply, Beryl's perfume was still thick here and he
could almost hear her pulse even now.

The elevator opened on the sixth floor and Scott turned to see
Gordy standing in the hallway with a younger man. Scott averted his
eyes but not before Gordy started.

"Shit." the balding doctor said recovering from the shock. "It's all right, Scott. He's a runner. I would have brought a bag with me but Mike said you were busy. How is Beryl?" he asked suddenly worried. He'd never seen Scott like this. The Order had given him position precisely because he had always displayed infinite control.

"She's safe." Scott answered gruffly.

"Come on." Gordy said as the third man got onto the elevator
and Scott stepped into the corridor. "I'll get you fixed up and we'll
head over to Mike's room."

Paul and Mike sat in the chairs at the small table. Kevin
stretched out casually on the bed with his hands folded behind his
head. Sean sat on the other side talking quietly with Gordy who
leaned against the wall half listening to the conversation and half
watching Scott.

Scott was standing by the window with his arm on the wall. He
leaned his forehead on his wrist and released a quiet breath. In
his head he heard only Beryl's pulse, saw only the lines of her veins.

"Scott!" He turned to see the others looking at him and Mike
holding his palm over the receiver of his phone. "Do you need to say
anything to Vonnegut?"

"No." he said and turned back toward the window. Kevin looked at
Gordy who had come in with Scott ten minutes earlier. Gordy shook his head. Kevin went to sta nd at the window with Scott.

"You all right, bra?" he asked in low tones while Mike finished
the phone call with Vonnegut, their immediate link with the main
counsel of The Order.

"Fine." Scott answered in the same bland tone he'd used with all
three words he'd spoken since he'd come in. Scott continued to stare out the window knowing without looking when Kevin moved away. He was aware of everyone's concern, these men who were brothers, but how could he ever express what had happened?"

"Here's the deal." Mike said rubbing his eyes and stretching his
shoulders. It was going on two in the morning and all he wanted was a few hours of solid, sound sleep. "The girl they found in Portland was no ordinary runaway. She was the oldest daughter of a Sacramento city councilwoman."

"Shit!" Paul rubbed his temple.

"Oh, it gets better. About thirty people saw her at the show but
that was about the last time anyone saw her be fore they found her
body in Oregon."

"Do they have any idea who did it?" Sean asked.

"Three big fucking guesses." Kevin spat as he say back on the
bed. "Now ask if I think he'll answer for it."

"What kind of spin's being put on this?" Paul looked at Mike.

"Well, the girl had been grounded and snuck out to go to the
show with her boyfriend. He says they had a fight and she got into a
dark sedan in the downtown area. They'll either blame the boyfriend
or say she was mistaken for a hooker and some nut sliced her up."
Mike replied with disgust.

A moment of silence filled the room. It had always rankled them
that The Order could have such callous disregard for human life.

"What are they expecting?" Scott asked still facing the narrow
part in the curtains.

Mike looked at Scott. "We have everyone accounted for every
minute from the 10th to the 12th. The Order's handling any questions fo r now so there's nothing we can do. But they will be in touch."

"Well, boys." Kevin stood. "It's getting late and we all have an
early day."

As soon as everyone stood Scott walked to the door and was gone
without another word. He got into the elevator without waiting for
the others like he normally would. As the doors slid closed Scott
looked at his watch. 1:56. He'd left Beryl's room over an hour ago.
He was feeling better now but his earlier reaction still had him
shaken. As much as he wanted to go back to Beryl he thought better of it. With a bit of temper he pushed the button for the sixth floor.

Beryl writhed beneath Scott as he filled her each gasping in
pleasure at the other's touch. He reached up to sweep her auburn hair away run the tip of his tongue along the column of her neck. Beryl's soft murmur became a plea for Scott to stop and then a pained cry. A horrid joy filled Scott as Beryl fought against him. He ignored her pleading to stop hurting her.

With a burst of panicked strength Beryl finally managed to push
Scott away and scramble to her feet on the far side of her bed. Blood flowed down her naked body from the wound on her throat. As though just coming to his senses, Scott tried to stand and rush to her side to staunch the flow that pulsed heavily from between Beryl's fingers but Scott couldn't move. He couldn't call for help. He could only watch as Beryl fell to her knees, the blood making a darker pool in the carpet. As she leaned back against the wall Scott felt himself try to scream at the way her dead eyes stared in mute accusation.

Scott had barely closed his eyes when he came awake in a cold
sweat and couldn't go back to sleep. He turned the television on but
barely heard it as he lay in the dark.

A thousand times his mind had shown his the image of Beryl's
veins softly glowing beneath her skin. He couldn't explain why it had
ha ppened so he couldn't be sure it wouldn't happen again or that next time he'd be able to stop himself.

Scott released his breath in the shaded room. He should never
have let it get so far in the first place. The first time he'd
touched Beryl's arm after sensing that Grey was reading her he knew
his reaction to her was stronger than normal. The very nature of what Scott was made him experience things differently than most people. He had a vague sense of nearly everyone's heartbeat but not the sensation of feeling the rush of their blood.

After a while Scott stood up and began to pace. He hated that he
seemed unable to think of anything else, hadn't even been able to
concentrate on his duties. He rubbed his neck, funny how the aches
and pains always hit you in the middle of the night, he chuckled
humorlessly.

Scott stretched, trying to find something to distract himself
from the inner turmoil. Finally it was time to go to t he airport. At
least he'd be busy for a little while. Carrying his bags, Scott
walked toward the elevator. A door opened on his left and Gordy
stepped into the corridor.

"I need to talk to you." the doctor said and held the door open.

"What is it?"

"I can't be at the arena the first hour or so. We have to make
sure no one goes and does anything foolish, but the big problem is
damage control. What do we do it Beryl hears more than is good for
her health?" Scott released his breath and looked up at the ceiling.
He'd been hoping to forget about his own problems with Beryl and now here was another one rearing its head.

"You need to be careful with how much you let her see." Gordy
said. "The Order's already concerned that she may know too much."

Scott looked at Gordy for a long moment. "You drew the short
straw? The lucky one who got to have this talk with me that I can't
tell her what's going on even if she wound up being in the middle of
it?"

"Something like that." Gordy said. "I also get to be the one
who does talk to Beryl. Put my ass on the line so none of you have
to. I'm her boss and as far as she's concerned this will just be a
matter of company policy."

The clock on the nightstand said 7:30 when a knock sounded at
the door and Gordy opened it. Kevin and Mike walked in.

"We're heading out, you coming or you gonna wait for Beryl?"
Kevin asked.

"I guess I better go with you guys." Scott shouldered his bag
and they all four walked to the elevator.

"See you guys at the airport." Gordy said as he turned into the
small dining area.

Sean joined Mike, Kevin and Scott as they climbed into the SUV
that Paul had idling at the entrance. No one said anything but Scott
felt each of them glance furtively in his direction. He supposed he
had been rather moody the night before and they we re concerned why.

He had always told these four men nearly everything, as they had him, but he couldn't bring himself to do so now. Still he wouldn't let a wedge grow here either.

Taking a breath he turned from looking out the back
window. "Gordy laid it all out, guys. You don't need to worry about
me."
"Are you all right?" Mike asked. "You seemed upset last night.
You know you can tell us."

I can't tell you this, he thought but aloud he said. "No, every
thing's fine."

Beryl swatted the phone receiver just enough to make it stop
ringing and pushed the blankets back. She'd managed to stay up until almost three waiting for Scott to return. Finally she'd fallen asleep watching a movie, coming awake briefly around five to turn the television off and crawl under the covers.

Stumbling into the bathroom she dressed, finished packing and
went down to get a cup of coffee for the drive to the airport.

"Morni ng, kiddo." Gordy said from a table in the corner. "You
all right?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she smiled at the odd question. It
was twenty minutes to eight and Beryl expected the place to be
crowded with all the wrestlers who were staying here but Gordy was
alone. "Where is everybody?"

"They just left." Gordy said. "We have a bit of a problem?"

"What?"

"I have some business to attend to when we get to St. Louis.
Vince gave me the day off officially but I don't think you're ready
to take the whole enchilada quite yet." Beryl looked at Gordy, she'd
been with the company for nearly a month now. She opened her mouth to reply that she'd never be ready if she was never given a chance but Gordy hushed her with a severe look.

"I've decided to get back on the clock as soon as I've finished
but I need to make it clear that there are aspects that you are not
to be involved in."

Beryl sighed. "I cho se to go into sports medicine, I know some
of the guys take the short cuts. I'll tell them they need to talk
with you just like I have been."

Gordy looked at his coffee cup. If only steroids were the only
thing he had to worry about. "Kiddo, this is more than that and I
don't want you involved." he said in quiet tones. "I can't say
anymore but for all our sakes you need to be careful tonight."
Beryl stared in puzzled awe for a few minutes. The groups of
people who met with Gordy behind closed doors, the room at the club marked private. She felt sick, was Scott or his friends, even the
corporation itself involved in something illegal? She had heard about
Scott's past but in the time she'd known him not once had he seemed even slightly intoxicated. "I will be careful." Beryl said through numb lips.

"Okay," Gordy smiled slightly. "We better go it we don't want
to walk to St. Louis."

Beryl drove to the airport silently imagining the worst. The
waiting area for NorthWest Flight 7916 to St. Louis was jam packed
with wrestlers, a few families and a ton of fans seeking autographs.
Beryl saw Scott but couldn't get close to him. After a few minutes he
looked in her direction with a distracted smile.

The five men arrived at the airport to find throngs of people
hanging around. Even at the gate they were swarmed and the going was slow. Some of the others saw the constant recognition as a bother from time to time but Scott had always enjoyed talking with his fans.

Today he only wished he had more time before the plane left.
The buzz of people was beginning to drone in Scott's head as
they pressed close. Imperceptibly at first but growing to a soft
thrum he heard the sound and a fond smile lit his eyes. He'd been so
worried at its constant presence that Scott hadn't realized how very
familiar Beryl's pulse had become. Like the sound to someone's voice o r tread of footsteps you know belong to a particular person without even seeing them.

As security began to direct people away so boarding could be
called Scott glanced at Beryl with a smile and she waved.

"Sorry I left before I got to say good morning." Scott said as
they stood in line waiting to board.

"No problem." Beryl smiled.

"Come to think of it I'm sorry I left before I could say good
night." Scott tilted his head to the side. Face to face with Beryl in
the light of day he was sure everything would be fine.

"You can make it up to me later." Beryl smiled at the charming
look on Scott's face.

"Wanna to dinner some where not full of people?"

"I could stand that." Beryl said.
Scott was across the aisle from Beryl, who had upgraded but the
woman next to her switched seats with Scott and they say together.

"Hey." Paul leaned over the back of Beryl's seat.

"We'll be watching you two." Sean smirked.

"Yeah," Kevin leered as he turned in the seat ahead. "No
sneaking off to join the mile high club in the bathroom."
"Children." Mike said still looking at the magazine he was
reading. "Take your seats."

The pilot announced take-off and the others sat down.
"Sorry," Scott smirked. "Sometimes they just can't help
themselves. Not that it was a bad idea."

Beryl shook her head and looked at Scott with a smile. "Maybe
next trip."

Scott rose an eyebrow that Beryl's tone was not entirely
scoffing, she gave a innocent blink in reply.

The arena seemed rather subdued as Beryl stepped into the Med
Shed. Scott came in a few minutes later. He had ridden with the rest
of the Kliq in an SUV Mike had rented.
"Is Italian all right with you?" Scott asked as he came in
pulling Beryl up into his arms.

"I love Italian." Beryl stretched up to kiss him.

"There's a plac e on the other side of town. It isn't the greatest
but it's open late and its pretty close to the hotels."

"I'm sure we'll have a good time." Beryl smiled.
Scott saw Paul wave at him from the corner of his eye. "See you
after the show."

"Be careful." Beryl said as Scott kissed her and walked back
toward the locker rooms.

Beryl was running a check on the supplies when she winced and
grabbed her head. She nearly went to her knees at the stabbing pain
certain that her nose would start bleeding to relieve the pressure in
her skull. It was as though foul tempered snakes were slithering
around inside her head.

Images more vile than those forced into her dreams filled Beryl's
mind. What made them worse was that they first seemed intermixed with the memories of her moments alone with Scott before he'd had to leave so quickly.

A young woman screaming as something came after her. The
perspective was as the one who tormented and threatened the girl.
Like a cat playing cruelly with a frightened mouse Beryl felt glee at
her terror but also a driving hunger. She saw a hand not her own curl into a fist and strike the teen. A blur of motion as she fell upon
her prey and the taste of blood filled Beryl's mouth. The dark forest
was now the bright Med Room and the taste of blood was replaced with bile as Beryl rushed forward and vomited into the sink.

Gordy pulled his rented Contour into the outer parking lot behind
the arena. His business hadn't taken quite as long to clear up as
he'd thought. Opening his trunk and retrieving an unmarked box Gordy went inside.

The arena in St. Louis was laid out differently than most
stadiums. Usually the room devoted to patching people up was more in the center, here the dressing rooms were along one long corridor
with a T-junction at the end. Catering occupied one end of the
shorter hallway while an aqua- therapy room, several private
conference rooms and the Med Shed took up the other. The Med Shed itself was about as far from where the wrestlers left the ring area
as is could be which never made much sense to Gordy but did make the room more private which had its merits given some of the more unusual goings-on.

The box he toted inside wasn't heavy but its contents made it
unwieldy if it wasn't carried level. He was trying to balance the
thing as he came around a corner and nearly ran into Cheron.

"You have it." she said in relief. "Good. The natives were
getting restless with the rookie holding down the fort. Don't you
think it would just be easier to just let her in on it?"

"Tell that to the people upstairs." Gordy said. "You know how
paranoid they are right now."

"When are they not?" Cheron scoffed. "I'll be by if I get two
seconds."

Gordy was on his way toward the medical room when he became
awa re of someone standing opposite the door that stood slightly

ajar.

"What are you doing here?" Gordy narrowed his eyes as he
recognized Grey. The younger man looked at him with eyes darkened in a manner similar to what Scott's had been the night before only far more disturbing.

"Enjoying the show." Grey replied in a growling whisper. "I
think this time she felt it." A vile sneer played over his face. "She
fights it so hard, no wonder Scott likes her so much."

"Leave you son of a bitch!" Gordy spat.

"I got what I came for." Grey shrugged.

Gordy pushed the door open to find Beryl doubled up over the
counter running water into the chrome basin. He slung the box on the exam table and stood over his assistant patting her back. "Are you all right?" he asked pulling a dixie cup from the dispenser and
filling it.

Beryl looked at Gordy for a moment. She'd only told Scott about
the horrid dreams but sh e was reluctant to tell Gordy. It was never a
good idea to let your boss know you had come unhinged.

"Just a headache." she said trying to give a plausible
explanation but as soon as she found her voice she couldn't halt
it. "Blood-" she shivered and didn't see Gordy's eyes slide toward
the box. "I tasted blood in my mouth and I-" she looked into the sink
to make sure she'd rinsed it all away.

"Oh," Gordy said and Beryl was puzzled that he sounded
momentarily relieved. A scowl split his face and he straightened. "Come on, let's go get you a seat in Catering where you can rest for a few minutes."

A couple of people were mulling around as Gordy and Beryl
entered. He led her to the far back corner from the door and sat a
cup of coffee in front of her. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He
strode with a purpose out of the large overly bright dining area.
To Hell with The Order, Gordy thought and never mind what he'd
sa id earlier, this all needed to stop now. Beryl had begun to channel
when Grey read her, he'd as much as said so and The Order was
watching more closely than ever. It was time to tell Beryl before
Grey drove her insane with the filth he was pouring into her head,
but Gordy wasn't Kliq. Only one of them could be the one who told
without suffering severe repercussions and Scott was more closely
involved than anyone else. Gordy snorted, this morning he was
cautioning Scott not to say anything and now he was to entreat that
this was exactly what needed doing.

The door to the dressing room the five Kliq members occupied
opened as Gordy rose his knuckle to knock. Paul brought himself up
short so not to trample the man.

"I was going to come get you." Paul said then looked at Scott.

"He didn't contact." Gordy answered the unspoken question. "I
came here to talk with him."

"They found another body in Dallas." Mik e said. "Woman in her
twenties."

"At least he made sure this one was legal." Kevin sneered with
distaste.
"We'll get to that." Gordy broke in. "But I'm afraid he's given
us a bigger problem much closer at hand."

Beryl rubbed her temple. Why were these things happening? Six
weeks ago she had interviewed with Linda and Shane McMahon in New York and been so excited. Then she started her dream job and
everything got so weird. She felt safest around Scott and that in
itself was unusual, she had never needed anyone to make her feel
secure.

Beryl smiled in the midst of her pain and turmoil. In the ten
months since her last boyfriend had left she had found it incredibly
difficult to trust people but around Scott she felt okay. She was
looking into the empty coffee cup and didn't hear Grey approach untilhe pushed back a chair and sat down.

"I didn't mean to startle you." Grey said at the small jump
Beryl had mad e.

"It's all right." she replied. "Is something wrong?"
Grey looked away briefly. "I just wanted to say I was sorry."

"Sorry?" Beryl repeated wondering what Grey could have
done. "For what?"

"Hanging around all the time." he scratched behind his ear in a
self-conscious way. "I didn't realize you and Scott had gotten so
serious."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't mean to be pushy. I know you'd hung out some but I
didn't know until today that you guys were that involved."

A sinking feeling hit Beryl's stomach much worse than the
crawling sensation. "What have you heard?"

A rendition of events from the hotel room only Scott could have
divulged was told and Beryl felt like vomiting again. The sickly
feeling very quickly became a vast black swamp of anger.

A dark glint filled Scott's eyes as he made his way toward
Catering. Despite what the others had said Scott had figured he woul d at some point have to tell Beryl the truth. This was best done after a firm basis of trust had been established and he hated having his hand forced. Especially by Grey.

Everyone that saw Scott's purposeful stride gave him wide berth.
Everyone but the one who would have been best served by caution of Scott's anger. But Grey was not an overly cautious individual.

"Try talking your way out of this." He sneered stepping from the
dining area.

"What have you done to her?" Scott could see Beryl burying her
face in her hands.

"Its' more what you've done." Grey said. "As far as she knows."

Shoving past Grey Scott saw in Beryl's face that the topic of
conversation had been altered. Beryl stood and approached Scott with a look as dark as his mood in her eyes.

"Thank you, Scott." she said clenching her jaw. "For letting me
see what a complete asshole you are before I did something really
stupid." In her head she continued. Like telling you I love you.
Forcing herself not to run and not to cry, not in front of Scott,
Beryl stepped past him, he did not try to stop her.

"Excuse me." Beryl said to Gordy who stood in the doorway.

"Beryl, you need to lis-"

"Let her go, Gordy. Scott said, he hadn't turned around. Gordy
stepped aside.

"Scott, she needs to know."

"Maybe she's better off." Scott said in low tones.

Barely through the door, Beryl heard the exchange. Too hurt and
angry to yet wonder what they meant. She knew all she needed to know and she was better off. But knowing Scott had given such vivid
details when he had said he'd never do such a thing brought tears to
Beryl's eyes. Not ready to return to the Med Shed she stepped into
one of the empty conference rooms.

Scott walked down the corridor but halted when he heard Beryl's
heartbeat coming from behind a heavy steel door. He looked at the
door for a long moment; he could go into that room, lock the door
and tell Beryl everything.

How? the inner voice said. How would you make her believe the
unbelievable? By doing what you almost did last night? What you've
been thinking about all day whether you want to admit it or not?

"She's better off." Scott repeated and returned to the locker
room.

Beryl stepped into the crowded elevator and pushed the button
for the top floor. In ones and twos the other riders exited until
Beryl heard the last remaining passenger clear their throat. He
turned to see Mike.

"Beryl, I know you're mad but you have to hear me out." he said
quickly.

"Scott likes talking ,tell it to him." Beryl turned back around.

It had been just over a week since St. Louis. Gordy and the
others had tried to convince Scott to tell Beryl what was going on.
He was immovable on the subject and wouldn't say why.

Taking matters into his own hands Mike jumped at this unexpected
chance to try to get Beryl to listen to him. He didn't plan to tell
her himself but he hoped he could get her to give Scott a chance to
explain what had happened.

"Look, I don't know what it is you heard but Scott would never
talk about you like that."

"And I suppose there was someone else in the room." Beryl said
trying not to cry. It seemed like that's all she could do the last
few days.

"There's things going on here that you need to know about."
Beryl didn't want to hear any of what Mike might
say. "Congratulate him for me. The phone call-a genius cliffhanger
and I hate to be the buzz kill on all you guys' locker room bragging
sessions but there isn't going to be a chapter two." she wiped at the
hated tears that had begun to fall.

It was only Beryl's stubborn determination not to let Scott know
how much he'd really hurt her that made Beryl not tender her
resignation in St. Louis. Through Kansas City, Gary, Akron,
Springfield and Chicago she had stayed busy tending to a multitude of injuries. Now here in Baton Rouge was the first time any of them had tried to talk to her.

Mike saw she was unwilling to hear him so he exited on the 8th
floor and knocked on Kevin's door where the Kliq was meeting. "I hate to say it but having a woman that pissed off, better him than me."

Mike said. "I just saw her in the elevator."

"No luck?" Paul asked.

"That's one thing they have in common." Kevin said toweling his
hair. "They both use Pig-Head brand stubbornness. Shame they can't
get back together."

"Why can't you guys just drop this?" Scott said closing the door
behind him.

Mike turned to face him and decided that it was time to have it
all out. "Because Grey spent the last week gloating about breaking
you two up but if he goes back to his old tricks Beryl's dead and you
know it." Mike said in an uncommon show of temper.

"How am I supposed to tell her, Mike?" Scott said stepping
forward. "I've gone over it a hundred times and there's no real good
way to say it.

"'I didn't blab, Beryl honest. Grey knows every little detail
because he's a vampire and he read your mind. How do I know that?
Because I'm a vampire too. Sorry I didn't' mention it sooner but
there's this whole organization that I'm a part of and they told me
not to tell you. By the way they may cut your throat while you're
sleeping if they think you know too much.' Never mind that we can't
actually name Grey."
"We'll go to the main council and tell them that Beryl won't
talk." Gordy said handing Scott a bag. "She thinks the whole
company's part of an international drug cartel and she hasn't said
anything." he almost laughed.

"Well she falls under my watch and I've made up my m ind." Scott
drained the cup and Gordy retrieved another pouch from an unmarked box on the dresser.

Scott looked down into the cup filled once more. In the six
years since he'd been turned he had never fed in any way but the
supplies of blood that Gordy provided. Most of the two dozen vampires in the federation's employ did as well. Grey and a handful of others chose to hunt. "The natural method" they called it. To Scott they were worse that animals, especially Grey who flaunted it.
Is that why you're so upset? the inner voice asked. You felt the
urge to feed and you think that makes you as bad as Grey?
Scott went to the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the
minuscule balcony. Mike followed and closed the door.

"There's more to it than that." Mike said. "Isn't there?"

Scott sighed. They, none of them, were going to rest until he
told them. He braced his hands on the black railing and looked down to the distantly lit pool eight stories below.

"She's safer this way, Mike." Scott released a breath.

"I disagree." Mike said. "If she knows the whole picture maybe

Grey won-"

"Not from Grey," Scott said and though his voice was low Mike
heard it plain. "She's safer from me this way."

Mike's face paled. "Did you-?"

"No!" he shook his head thinking it should have been
obvious. "But Mike she was right there." Scott closed his eyes and
his senses filled with Beryl as she moved against him unaware of any
danger. "I kissed her and I felt the blood flowing beneath her skin.
God, I wanted to. I wanted to taste her more than I wanted to-" Scott
stopped himself from mentioning the things Beryl had so hoped he
wouldn't and although she thought already to blame Scott couldn't
bring himself to discuss her in such a way.

"If you hadn't called me just then, Mike, I could have killed
her." he gave a shudder as the dream image of Beryl's eyes staring in
death came to his mind.

Mike looked at Scott silently, unsure of what to say. Not even
certain he could speak given what he'd just heard. Scott still hadn't
faced Mike since he'd come onto the balcony and he seemed lost in
thought once again.

"I think maybe I should leave."

"No, Scott." Mike replied in urgent tones. "That is the last
thing you should do. We'll figure out why Beryl gets under your skin
so much but the balance we are supposed to keep is already off
without another member. It's hard enough keeping Grey and his ilk in check. If you left they'd have free reign of every city we go to."

"They already do." Scott said under his breath.

"More reason for you to stay on. Eventually we'll have another
member but right now you're it. Sucks, I know Scott but there it is.
Kevin and Paul are keeping their people in line. Sean and I get to
work the human rela tions angle and like it or not your watch has been compromised because we don't have a member from Grey's line that we can trust on board.

"So now it falls to all of us to see that this gets straightened
out. I know you like Beryl but you aren't protecting her by
protecting her. If you don't trust yourself alone with her that is,
I'm sorry to say, not as important as arming her with the truth.
She's a strong spirit no doubt given how well she began to repel him
but I don't think Grey's going to stop with splitting you guys up."
Mike stopped when Scott snorted in derision and thought, not for
the first time that this might be what pissed Scott off the
most. "Confucius say 'Sleeve bad place to carry heart, worse place to
hide it'."

"You're going to play Dear Abby now?" Scott sneered but
regretted his tone immediately. "I'm sorry Mike." he said. "But I
still don't think telling her is a good idea."

Beryl and Gordy drov e to Atlanta in what seemed like one long
thunderstorm. As they left Baton Rouge behind Beryl turned on the
radio to combat the silence.

"Reports this morning of a body found along the banks of the Red
River were confirmed by the Baton Rouge Chief of Police. Chief Walter Tisin said the victim's identity is being withheld pending
notification of next of kin. Martin Hastings who found the body early this morning said he thought that he'd found the victim of last
week's boating accident."

"Eeooh." Beryl shuddered turning the radio back off. "I swear
it's like there's a whack job in every city we go to."

"There's whack jobs everywhere these days, kiddo." Gordy
yawned. "Wake me when you want me to take over."

"I will." Beryl said. "Sweet dreams."

The long hours spent driving wore on Beryl's mind. That's when
she thought too much. About Scott, about her nightmares, about
whatever was going on at work. Alw ays these three in this order, back and forth.

The anger at having been no more than something for Scott to
crow about in the locker room. How it hurt to think that she'd
misjudged him so badly. The dreams she'd only told Scott about and
how they had gotten worse in the last week. The images of chasing a
young woman through a dark forest. Remembering how Gordy had started when she'd said she tasted blood. That he left her in the cafeteria to get Scott. Grey telling her what Scott had been saying. How moments before those very images had come to her mind inter played with the gleefully horrid scene just before Gordy had entered.

Beryl reached into her purse for some aspirin, swallowing them
with a mouthful of bottled water. Next time I'm renting a car with a
CD player, she thought. When Beryl reached the town nearest the
halfway point she pulled into the parking lot of a small restaurant
and woke Gordy.

After they got back on the road Gordy looked at Beryl but didn't
ask what she was thinking about. For some vampires it wasn't
necessary to read a person to get the general sense of what they
were thinking. He'd been hard pressed to keep Beryl busy enough not to think too much, sensing that for her the pieces were beginning to click even though she may not know it.

Four hours later Beryl stretched out on the mattress of another
hotel room. It was going on 17 hours since she'd slept but she
lay staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts plagued her without
reprieve. Anyone who'd treat a person so callously wasn't worth this
much turmoil but Scott was never far from her thoughts and that was her biggest trouble. She couldn't stop thinking about him so she
never stopped being reminded of how hurt she was.

To say she cried herself to sleep would only be correct if she
had truly slept. Instead the dreams returned as disturbingly vivid as
ever to destroy an y hope of rest she might have had.

The show in Atlanta went well overall, a few pulled muscles and
a small cut of Ric Flair's forehead he got juicing for his match that
didn't quit bleeding as quickly as it ought to have, but the crowd
was incredible and an energetic buzz suffused the atmosphere.

After the show Beryl went out with Lita and Randy Orton to a
restaurant where a bunch of the other wrestlers and staff were having dinner. The four of them sat at a table in the center of the crowded dining room. Randy was telling the ladies about a match he'd have during his training and Beryl laughed. She turned her head and her smiled faded when she saw Scott looking at her from the corner where he was leaning in his chair against the wall.

Kevin turned to see where Scott's gaze fell. It didn't surprise
him to see Beryl. "You really ought to tell her." Kevin said but
Scott seemed not to hear him.

The near deafening music peop le were dancing to was softly
underscored by the steady beat of Beryl's pulse. When it skipped was her eyes met his briefly was like ice in Scott's chest when he was
her smile vanish but Scott continued to watch her. He heard Kevin and felt the others looking at him. Finally he waved a waitress over.

"What can I get you?" she smiled.

"Do you have a pen?" Scott asked taking a napkin from the center
of the table. The woman handed Scott her pen and he looked at the
slightly crumpled surface. After a moment he wrote a short note on
the napkin. "I have to talk to you. Scott."

"I need you to take a Diet Coke to the red head in the green
shirt." Scott pointed to Beryl. "Give her this with it."

"You got it, hon."

None of the others said anything and Scott went back to quietly
watching Beryl. After a few minutes the blond waitress approached
Beryl with a tray.

"Miss?" she got Beryl's attention and she looked up from her
conversation. "The gentleman in the back asked me to bring this to
you."

Beryl followed where the woman pointed until her gaze met
Scott's once again. She ran her fingertips across her forehead as she
looked away and for a moment Scott was sure Beryl was going to
refuse. But she sighed and nodded. "Tell the gentleman thank you."
She said and the waitress sat the silver and red can on the table
next to the one Beryl had neatly finished.

Randy and Lita looked at Beryl quietly. The exchange with Scott
in the dining room better than a week ago had become a much
ballyhooed topic. Beryl eyed the can sourly for a moment before a
tense smile split her face.

"What ails your gender anyway?" she joked at Randy.

"Yours most often." A deep voice sounded from behind. The three
turned to see Grey standing beside Beryl. "Can I sit down?"

"Go ahead." Lita said. "We were leaving anyway."

"Night." Beryl said. "Take some Tylenol if your elbow still
hurts in the morning."

"Aye, aye, Doc." Lita grinned.

"You ever not on the clock?" Grey smiled as Beryl drained the
last of her first soda. She gave him a look that said she had little
use for humor at this moment. "You seem down lately." Grey leaned
slightly into her. "I can't help feeling a little responsible for
raining on your parade."

"Don't worry about it." she hoped he'd let it go.

"I know the guy's no saint but I honestly hadn't figured he'd
go ar-"

"Don't!" Beryl said abruptly, shocked at her reaction of
defense on Scott's behalf after what he'd done. "I don't want to talk
about it, Grey."

"Sorry." He said his eyes dropping just a bit and he reached
out to touch her arm knocking over the nearly full can of pop. A
foaming flood of brown liquid spread across the table. Grey picked up the napkin and began trying to mop it up. Soon the thing was a sodden mess that Beryl wouldn't have been able to read even if she had known there was a message on it.

Grabbing more napkins from the dispenser Grey knelt to dab at
the soda that had dripped. His eyes flickered over to where the Kliq
sat. "Nice try." he mouthed the words to Scott.

Scott stood with a murderous glint in his eye but Kevin and Paul
each grabbed a shoulder before he'd gotten more than a couple of
steps.

"Not here." Kevin said standing in front to block Scott. "We'll
deal with that asshole but we can't do it here." Every muscle in
Scott's body had tensed with the uniform purpose of getting his hands on Grey and Kevin found the object of stopping Scott more than a little difficult.

"Scott!" Mike said. "you can't deal with him in the open like
this. Think of Beryl." Finally Scott relented and sat back down.

"I'm sorry." Grey looked at Beryl who was busily mopping at the
cola flood.
"It's all right.' she replied. "I was just about finished
anyway."

"You going back to the hotel?"

"Yeah." Beryl paid for her meal.

"Can I get a ride with you?"

"Sure." she shrugged into her jacket. "I'm the tan Accura by the
lamppost."

"I'll meet you outside." Grey smiled and Beryl reminded of a fox
lurking over a rabbit warren.

"I'll be out in a minute, I have to see if Gordy needs a ride."

"Looks like their leaving." Sean said.

"Looks like their leaving together." Paul raised an eyebrow.
Several tables away Gordy looked up from his conversation with
Cheron to see Scott eying Beryl and Grey darkly. "I gotta go." Gordy
gulped the last of his beer and began walking toward Beryl when she
turned in his direction.

"I was just coming to find you." she said. "I'm heading back to
the hotel if you need a ride."

"Yeah." Gordy said. If s he's not careful she's going to end up
being fished out of a river, he thought as he followed Beryl to her
rental.

The next few days were pretty quiet. No one got hurt too bad but
it seemed to Beryl that a lot of people were visiting the Medical
Room. Coming back from taking a cold compress to Bill Goldberg Beryl met Scott and Kevin coming out.

"Hey," Scott said as he turned toward Beryl putting his hands in
his pockets and rocking forward on his feet slightly. Not long ago
she'd found it almost cute when he did so.

"Hello," she said brushing past him. Scott leaned in the door frame as Gordy left with Kevin. Beryl
marked down the ice pack on the supply sheet trying to ignore Scott's presence. "How you been?"

"Busy." Beryl replied icily.

"Beryl we need to talk."
"No, Scott we don't." she lay the clipboard down noisily. "And I
don't think you'd really want to hear anything I'd want to say to
you."

Biting back harsh words Scott turned away. Mike had suggested he
start by saying he was sorry but Scott didn't want to apologize for
something he hadn't done. He wanted to just tell Beryl he hadn't
betrayed her trust but he understood that to her it must have
appeared so.

Beryl fumed for a few minutes trying not to start crying again,
she was so sick of her own tears. She wished she could just stop
thinking about Scott. It wasn't' so bad when she was angry it was the
other times, in the car, in her rooms at night, when she remembered
his charming smile, the thrill of his touch. Or the fact that
honestly she missed his a little.

"Stubborn woman." Scott fussed as he slammed the dressing room
door. "Hard headed little harpy."

Kevin smirked. "You have so little in common. Whatever did you
see in her?" Scott glared at Kevin peevishly.

"Come on," Sean said. "We gotta get ready for the match." Sean
and Scott were in a tag match with Grey and Chris Jericho (who was
currently a face) leading up to the PPV in two days. There was no
show the next day and most everybody that lived on the east coast
went home.

Beryl flew from Charlotte to Boston where the Pay-Per-View was
going to be. It was noon when she got checked into her hotel. She set her mind to staying occupied so not to think about any of the things that had been troubling her lately. There was a seafood place on the harbor that Beryl recognized from the Food Channel and she ordered a plate of shrimp Alfredo. Along with not thinking about Scott Beryl decided to forget her diet, she was taking the day off from all her worries.
From time to time throughout the day Beryl felt someone watching
her but she didn't' see anyone she recognized.

"Hey kiddo." Gordy said as Beryl entered the hotel after her day
out. "Seeing the sights?"

"Yeah," she said sitting a couple of bags dow n next to the table.

"Grab a cup of coffee. "

"I could use a sit down." Beryl smiled pouring a cup from the
pot kept going for the hotel's guests.

"The troops are going to be at the arena around four tomorrow so
I thought maybe we'd get there about two to get ready to do any
doctoring."

"I better get to sleep then." Beryl finished her coffee. "Goody
night." she took her bags and disappeared into the elevator. They
left for the arena after lunch and set out all the things they
figured they'd need. It wasn't as bad as they'd thought though. A
couple cases of bad sunburn, a bee sting and a nasty bruise where
Scott Steiner had been hit with a softball during a charity game
between WWE and a radio station in Detroit.

All the McMahons were in town for the PPV since it was a joint
presentation. After Vince said a few words dinner was served. Beryl
sat with Coachman and Al Snow who were going over som e dialog when Grey sat down next to Beryl.

"Were you at the mall yesterday?" he asked. He looked over
Beryl's shoulder briefly before continuing. "I was going to holler at
you but I would have felt like a real idiot if is wasn't you."

"I did some shopping, yeah." Beryl laughed.

"My mom used to tell my sisters that nothing helps a girl get
over it like a day at the mall."

Beryl looked away, hadn't she already told him she didn't want
to discuss the topic of Scott.

"You look nice today." Grey reached up to touch the braid Beryl
had put her long hair into. "You supposed to run out to the ring or
something?"

"Not officially." Beryl pulled the plait to the other side of
her head unconsciously making sure the ponytail holders were still in place. "But its always a possibility."

"True." Grey said. "Would you tape me before my match?"

"Yeah, if I'm not patching someone up."

Ac ross the room Scott, Gordy and Mike sat down with their trays.

"How'd it go yesterday?" Scott asked.

"We kept an eye out but he didn't make any moves." Gordy
said. "I think he was just giving us the runaround."

"You know how he likes to stalk." Mike said with distaste but
Scott's attention had been drawn to the very ones they were
discussing.

"Like now for instance." Gordy watched Grey flash the three of
them a leer as he sat next to Beryl.

Scott's eyes followed every second of their interaction. His
hands balled into fists when Grey reached up to stroke Beryl's
hair. "Hands to yourself, asshole." his jaw clenched.

Mike looked at Scott for a moment. "All you're doing is
torturing yourself. You need to go talk to her."

"I've tried." Scott stood leaving his plate barely
touched. "It's time everyone stopped telling me what I need."
As Scott pulled his trunks, pads and boots out of t heir case
his mind was an angry buzz and he knew that was a bad state to be in going to the ring. He was lacing up his boots when Sean
entered. "We're changing the plans tonight, Kidd."

"What you got in mind?"

In the fourth match Trish came off bad doing a super kick to
Victoria in their title bout. Afraid that she'd damaged her Achilles'
Tendon, Gordy and Beryl were tending to her in the medical room
waiting for the ambulance.

Scott and Sean's match was next and they came out first as had
been planned but that's where the plan was altered and dramatically
so.

Sean did a baseball slide under the bottom rope and caught
Jericho soundly in the mid-section. Jericho played little in The
Kliq's plans but Scott and Sean needed him out of the way while they
dealt with Grey.

Grey was onto the fix before Chris hit the mats. He entered the
ring but stayed in the corner watching Sean from the corner of hiseye. "Is this the visit I get for sniffing around inside your little
girlfriend's head?"

"No," Scott replied. "This is just because you pissed me off."

"Oh," Grey sneered. "Don't blame me for your lack of action.
It's your friends robbed you this time. From what I felt she was
ready to give as good as she got too."

Scott's jaw set firmly at Grey's crudely referring to Beryl in
such a manner.

"I think I'm starting to get to her." Grey correctly read Scott's expression. "Maybe if she lets me in I'll give you a play by play like the one she gave me unawares. I'd only be fair, right?"
If Grey was hoping to get a rise out of Scott he was woefully
successful in the attempt. Seeing little more than streaks of red in
his vision Scott came forward and caught Grey's head in the crook of his elbow while his right fist came up repeatedly into Grey's face.

"That doesn't look good." Beryl scowled nodding toward themonitor, Gordy turned.

"Oh, shit!" he said and that was before the blood could be seen.
Grey managed to push away from Scott by struggling in a wild
frenzy that accompanied being truly scared for the first of three
times in his life. As he slipped from Scott's grasp Grey fell
backward through the ring ropes hitting his head resoundingly on the steps. He was knocked senseless for a moment and found Scott looking at him with a raised brow and smirking manner that seemed to ask "what are you going to do now".

Grey reached up to wipe what felt like honey from his face and
looked at his hand covered in his own black blood. The look of shock didn't escape Scott who merely stood in the ring with a satisfied look on his face. He had done what he set out to do, let The Order sort it out now.

Looking at the monitor and growing more and more pale Gordy
turned to Beryl. Policy said as company physician he had to stay with
Trish until the ambulance arrived and there were too many McMahons running around to ignore that. If he were Kliq maybe that could be overlooked given the circumstances but not as it was.

"Shit!" he cursed. "Get out there and take security with you."
he barked at Beryl who was only waiting for the word. She grabbed a
med kit and ran to toward the entrance. Vince had sent two guys out
just ahead of her.

Grey was still sitting on the mats when Beryl came out. Jericho
had caught his breath and one of the security guards was helping him to his feet. The other was standing a couple of guards from Grey at a loss for what to do since Scott and Sean weren't continuing the
attack.

Beryl pulled a think cotton tad from the clear plastic case and
held it gently to Grey's nose and mouth. "Come on." she said trying
to smile comfortingly but only just succeeded in not wincing at the
blood coming out so thick it looked black to her. "Let's get you b ack
to your dressing room where I can take a look at that head."

Seeing Beryl turn such nurturing attention to Grey was a needle
in Scott's resolve to let the matter rest right here. Before
security, or Sean, could react Scott slid beneath the bottom rope
behind Beryl and grabbed her wrist forcing her to stand and face him.

"You'd be wise to take better care with he company you're
keeping lately." Scott said not realizing until just then that Beryl's palm was touching his bare chest as she braced to push him away.
Before he felt more than a single beat of her heart through the
contact Beryl rested her weight on one leg and shoved Scott back
outraged that he would chide her about anything. "Given the current
way of things, Scott, I'd say that the company I keep is none of your
damn business!"

Her ire fully inflamed Beryl was prepared for Scott to come at
her but not for him to turn away as though he were biting ba ck words.

It seemed to her that Scott was not used to not saying what he
thought, especially when he was angry and Scott appeared to be
extremely angry right now. Even so as he turned away his expression
became almost wounded and Beryl's heart lurched.

Scott returned to the dressing room well ahead of Sean, he
grabbed some clothes from his bag and slammed the door to one of the bathrooms without saying a word to Kevin, Paul or Mike who eyed him anxiously having witnessed the goings on out front.

You let him think he got the upper hand, the inner voice
berated. You didn't report to The Order like you should have when he forced the read. You thought your problems with Beryl would be solved if she stayed away. Did your feelings of losing control go away? Or get worse?

Fighting the urge to scream "shut up" Scott striped down and
stood under a torrent of hot water. Running a handful of suds through the dark hair that cover ed him.

Are you going to try and convince yourself you don't miss her?
Or the way she felt against you?

Leaning his head back to let the water wet his thick hair Scott
breathed in the hot steam and scrubbed at the black strands.

You're so ready to just give her up?

Mike was right he realized, he was torturing himself. He had no
intention of giving Beryl up, not to any of the depraved things Grey
could concoct, but he hadn't done nearly enough to get her back, or
even to keep her safe. That was at its end.

But he had to deal with his reaction to her and right now his
reaction was very strong indeed. Dressing quickly Scott hurried to
the Medical Room hoping, but not hoping, that Beryl was still tending to Grey.

"Boy," Beryl said as she pulled a third pad from Grey's
face. "He sure put the whammy on you. I've seen blood come out blue before but black's a new one on me."

Grey didn't say an ything but as Beryl leaned in to press a new
dressing to his lip Grey's hand came up to rest on her knee. She
delicately lifted his wrist and placed his hand on the pad. "Hold
that there." she eyed him pointedly and stood to check out the back
of his head. He wasn't bleeding from the site and fearing a closed
head injury Beryl sat back down in front of Grey.

"Look me in the eye." she instructed.

"A welcome invitation." Grey smiled but Beryl smirked at his
advance.

"Now up at the lights." His dilation was a bit uneven so Beryl
stood. "You sit tight. I'm going to have Gordy evaluate you, but I'm
pretty sure he'll send you out."

"Don't leave yet." Grey's hand came closed around Beryl's arm,
she looked at the tanned skin. The first two knuckles were a bit
knobbier than the others and a thin scar etched the back of his hand.

Beryl smiled at Grey though a sudden unease sprang to mind like
she should remember something important but couldn't. "I'll send
someone to sit with you Grey but we really need to get your head
looked at and only Gordy and authorize shipping you."

Gordy looked at Scott as he entered. Scott's irises had again
gone the empty jet color and he closed the door. Trish had just been
placed on the ambulance so Gordy was alone.

"Sit down," he said pulling a pint bag of blood from the box.
In a voice more gritty than normal Scott growled. "I can't even
think straight right now. Why do I hear her blood, Gordy? I hear her
heart whenever she's near. If I touch her I feel the flow of her
blood beneath the skin. Why is this happening? I've known other women and they didn't make me lose it like this. I know I should tell her the truth to keep that son of a bitch away from her but I can't." he drained one pint regaining a hold on himself.

"I've been a vampire a long time but I don't know everything and
any of t he ones who maybe could help you, you don't want to have
knowing that a human is effecting you like this."

In his frustration Scott pulled the second bag's tab harder than
he meant to causing the seam to rip spilling the blood into Scott's
face and down onto the counter and his shirt.

Concern for Grey's injuries made Beryl careless of the rules
even with Linda and Vince barely ten yards away.

"Gordy." she pushed the med room door open. "I need you- Oh my
God!"

Beryl reacted with her heart at the sight of Scott soaked in
blood. Gordy quickly pushed the bag into a bio-hazard receptacle and grabbed a handful of towels to cover the mess on the counter.
Before she could think how she would just as soon slap him for
having bragged about almost getting her into bed Beryl was standing
in front of Scott dabbing at the blood that had splashed into his
face.

Now that he'd ingested enough blood to stave off his craving
Scott appeared unaltered looking at Beryl with his hazel eyes. He
heard her tripping pulse but not her blood circulating.

"What happened?" Beryl asked feeling the sting of tears in her
eyes that Scott had been so badly hurt. Be okay, her mind pleaded. I
won't be mad anymore just be okay. But all he did when he knew it
would hurt...

"Just a nose bleed." Scott said stoically taking a small step
back. She was here, she was almost in his arms his heart raced at her nearness but he was still angry.

"The door was closed." Gordy said the harsh edge dulled at
seeing Beryl tend to Scott as though she'd never thought he betrayed
her.

Beryl faltered looking from Scott to Gordy. "I'm sorry." she
said, the events of the last hour coming back to her and she hid her
concern behind her own anger once again. "I think Grey may have a
concussion and I need you to check him."

Gordy looked at his assistan t for a long moment. "I'll look
after Scott." she said misreading his Gordy's scowl.

"I'll be back in a minute to finish up." Gordy exited carrying
his medical bag.

"Who did this?" Beryl asked Scott. He looked down at her seeing
that the wide-eyed concern had faded when Gordy had berated her. Here now was probably the best chance he'd get to talk to her while she couldn't leave, he thought trying to work up the nerve to do the near impossible.

"Was any of that necessary, Scott?" Beryl said her temper
flaring." You could have killed him."

Grey again, Scott thought. Could he have been telling the truth
that Beryl and he were getting close?

"If you knew half of what I know about Grey Sanders you
wouldn't be able to sleep long enough to have any nightmares." Scott pushed Beryl's hand away and stormed out the door.

Still in a foul temper Beryl sat on the far side of the
restaurant from Scott. Their eyes met once but they both turned awaywith a glower.

After a while Gordy came in with Rob Van Dam. He'd gone to the
hospital to get Grey, who went to sit with Beryl.

"Heard you got a week off." she said.

"Yeah but there aren't any flights to LA until tomorrow so I'm
stuck for the night." Grey said. "I'm staying with Rob unless I get
any better offers."

Beryl coughed slightly. "Good luck with that."

Grey tilted his head to the side and slid his eyes over Beryl's
face. "Isn't it standard procedure not to leave a concussion victim
alone for the first few hours." Again Grey's hand covered Beryl's
knee this time sliding rather familiarly up her thigh. "We could keep
each other company."

Beryl shoved Grey back outraged at his behavior. "The last thing
I need right now is company." She stood, lay a twenty on the table
and walked angrily toward the door.

Grey looked toward Scott and gave a mocking wave. Scott could
see Grey's eyes darken as the shorter man turned and started after
Beryl.

Coming from the men's room Sean saw as Beryl shoved the heavy
door open and a moment later glimpsed Grey coming through the crowd.

"How's the head?" he asked stepping in front of the door.
Grey shoved Sean aside with an inhuman growl just as Scott's
hand fell on his shoulder.

"It'd be the last thing you ever did." Scott said. "If you ever
touch her no doctor in the world will be able to save you and I don't
care who you're related to."

Full fangs were visible as Grey rounded on Scott.

"Are you sure you want to do that here?" Kevin said standing on
Scott's right as Sean was on his right.

The extended canines disappeared but Grey stepped close to
Scott. "You had better stop worrying about that little bitch and
start being concerned with your own neck."

"Anytime." Scott said the bl and smile showing on his face.

Beryl paced her room. "Men!" she spat, not for the first
time. "Why are they always so-"

"Difficult!" Scott said to the lamp on his nightstand. "That's
what she is. Difficult." Didn't she even sense the danger she was in?
Was she so angry that she had negated whatever gift she had blocking Grey?

Well it would serve her right. he continued his mental diatribe.
I told her I'd never talk about the things we do and the second Grey
tells her she hates me without so much as asking if it were true.

A swirl of images buzzed through Beryl's mind. The girl in the
woods. NO! don't think about that- you'll think about the blood.
Blood, there was so much blood on Scott's face. Don't you feel for
him!! Scott who had bragged so loud that even Grey who he seemed to loath had heard every detail.

That day in St. Louis she'd been thinking about that-no,
something had brought it to mind. Her hands came to her head as Beryl remembered the incredible pain. The moments with Scott had come vividly to mind but they flashed between bits of the girl being
chased through the woods. Like one image was being drawn out while the other was being poured in. The blood she tasted, was that someone else's memory?

Of course not! You must have bit your lip.
You've bitten your lip before and it didn't make you vomit, the
inner voice said. You know its more than that.

So what's going on? The image of her and Scott together, the
girl, the blood. Gordy had warned her to be careful while he was gone that day. Had she inadvertently stumbled into the very thing he'd warned her against.

Well, enough was enough! she determined. If she was in the thick
of it all anyway she had a right to know what It was.

Scott stormed until he was in a towering fury. A fury that
needed to be fed.

"Gordy," he said into the phone. "Is there a store house near
here?"

"The runner's here now." Gordy replied. "I'll be up in a
minute."

His darkened iris' scanned the room in what he always supposed
was a suppressed hunting instinct. He'd never much entertained the
thought of hunting for the blood. Only with Beryl had he ever even
felt the impulse. That impulse was fully on him now just thinking
about her.

A knock came to the door.

"It's open." he called out.

With a deep breath to again steady her resolve that had flagged
slightly now that she was here, Beryl pushed the door open the rest
of the way.

The lamp on the nightstand filled the room with a soft light as
Beryl entered. Scott was standing at the window with his forehead
resting against his wrist. He was bare to the waist as he leaned
against the wall. He shifted a bit and the muscles along his back
flexed beneath the skin.

"Oh no you don't!" Beryl's resolve shouted a nd swallowing back all
the tender thoughts she had Beryl took another breath and stepped
well into the room.

"If you want to talk you can start by telling me what's going
on. And don't tell me to go talk to G-"

Beryl's voice died in her throat as Scott turned and she saw his
face. Scott's eyes were black orbs and his lips parted to reveal
needle sharp teeth.

Beryl turned to run but found Scott behind her impossibly fast.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back closing the door. Scott
heard Beryl's rapid intake of breath and covered her mouth to keep
her from screaming as he pushed her to the closed door only firmly
enough to insure she not get away.

Mentally Scott berated himself, if he hadn't been so distracted
he would have picked up on Beryl's heartbeat. But he hadn't and now she'd seen him in the full throes of his vampirism. The room wasn't dark as it had been when she thought the sight of his eyes w as a mere trick of the light. When he had felt the flow of her blood in her veins.

Scott's eyes slid from Beryl's face to her throat. Again he saw
the faint red illumination from her carotid artery. He could almost
hear her blood singing to him. He'd given a passionate kiss to the
side of her slender neck that night. What if he did so now, went
farther, tasted her blood? A covetous sigh escaped him and he looked back into Beryl's eyes. Frightened tears poured down her cheeks and touched Scott's hand.

Seeing that frozen terror in Beryl's soft blue-gray eyes broke
Scott's heart and he pushed her away. She stumbled from the force and fell to the carpet scrambling into the corner as far away from Scott as she could manage to get. Too scared even to yell for help Beryl sobbed but couldn't take her eyes from Scott's face.

Scott looked at Beryl's trembling body, her hands balled into
fists held at her mouth as she peeked over her knee s that she'd
pulled tightly to her chest. One sobering thought pierced Scott's
animal desires; Beryl could only be allowed to leave this room one of two ways. Convinced to keep quiet or unable to speak.

"Shit!" he cursed. She hadn't shown much inclination to listen
to anything approaching reason and there was no way he was going to let anyone harm her. "Why'd you have to come here now, Beryl?"

Beryl sat shivering for a long moment before she spoke. "I came
to find out what's going on." she trembled through numb lips.

"This, Beryl!" Scott said gruffly indicating his face. "This is
what's going on."

Why did this woman always seem to get herself into the most
dangerous circumstances? Why did he even care anymore?
More than what was expected of him, he did care. Her
compassion, her strength. Most people would have gone insane from
half of what Grey had done to this woman. He'd seen it happen more
than once and more than once the very thought of him doing that to
Beryl had driven Scott to the edge of violence. Beyond.
So often he had held her when she was shaking and scared.
Looking down at Beryl's tear stained cheeks Scott felt that
tenderness returning.

"It's all right." Scott sighed talking in low gentle tones. "I
won't hurt you, baby. I don't think I could if I wanted to."
Are you sure about that? the inner voice taunted. He wished it
could be more constructive but now that he had Beryl here Scott was determined to have his say.

"I never betrayed you, Beryl. I swear. It's hard to explain what
happened. It's called Reading, I suppose it's like a telepathy thing
some vampires can do.

"There's so much you have to know but I'm not sure how to say
it. Gordy will be here in a minute, maybe he can."

Beryl looked at Scott as he sat on the edge of the bed not
attempting to come closer. Had he really said 'vampires '?
Scott let Gordy in and quickly closed the door once more. The
middle aged doctor nearly dropped the two bags when he saw Beryl
huddling in the corner.

"She just got here." Scott tried to explain. "I thought it was
you when she knocked."

"Oh, shit." Gordy said opening one of the bags himself. No point
hiding it now, but when Beryl saw Gordy imbibe she made a small
squeak.

An island of sanity had arrived when Gordy came in the door.
Now here was Scott with eyes like empty holes and Gordy who'd always been so stoic-seeming tearing open and drinking from what looked the world like a blood-bag. This had to be a joke or she'd hit her head or this was another of the terrible dreams.

Seeing Beryl's eyes flash with panic, Gordy sat the bag on the
television stand. Scott had gone around the corner into the bathroom to feed.

"Have you called Mike?"

"There wasn't time." Scott said, the urge sated enou gh so he
took on a more normal appearance. "She was starting to freak. I had
to try to calm her down."

"Okay, good, but call him now."

"Hey, kiddo." Gordy continued speaking in gentle tones to
Beryl. "You're probably sort of confused by all this, huh? I know
it's pretty freaky but no one's going to hurt you. Believe me, we've
all spent a lot of time and energy making sure you stay safe."

Mike was at the door in minutes. "What happened?" Scott had
only said they had a problem involving Beryl and needed him right
away. "How much did she see?"

"I was pretty vamped out when she got here."

Mike slowly approached Beryl where she sat her eyes somewhat
glazed. "Beryl?" he spoke softly. "Beryl I need you to look at me."
When she didn't respond Scott stepped toward Beryl who pressed
against the wall.

"Should I get Sean?"

"No," Mike gave Scott and Gordy a sharp look but kept his tone
even. "The last thing she needs is a ton of people gawking at her.
You're lucky she didn't try going through one of you two or the
situation would have been unsalvageable. It's up to her really if any
of us get out of this so you two stand over there while I see what I
can do."

"Beryl?" Mike said moving into her line of vision and crouching
down. Beryl's eyes focused on Mike's face. "Hey, how you doing?"

Beryl's reply was a hissing whimper but Mike continued as
though he understood perfectly. "Yeah, I know. Kind of caught you
flatfooted didn't it?" Another unintelligible squawk. "Its pretty
complicated Beryl but I know you can understand it you just listen to what we have to say. Will you do that?" She gave a high pitched tweet but it was accompanied by a nodding of her head. "Good, I knew you'd be reasonable." Mike smiled and ventured to pat Beryl on the shoulder. "Let's go sit at the table though. My knees ain't as young as they used to be."

Mike helped Beryl to her feet as Scott looked on anxiously. He
wanted so much to tell her he was sorry that he'd frightened her but
didn't want to backtrack over the success Mike was having in
defusing the situation. He pulled out one of the chairs and backed
away.

Mike sat and heaved an exhausted sigh. Where to start, he
thought, thinking Scott had been correct in saying there was no good way to say this. "I know you're strong, Beryl. Otherwise you wouldn't have lasted as long as you have. So I'll just lay it all out. Yes, Scott and Gordy are vampires."

That word again, Beryl thought. Her mind reeled at the sudden
topsy-turviness that reality had taken. But losing her parents at
eleven, Beryl had experienced topsy-turvy before and one never
forgets that. Or that things do right themselves if you give them
time.

"Are you?" a small voice passed through Beryl's lips and Mike
paused to study her face. Her eyes still looked glazed and over
bright but this was a good sign. Mike know he had to tread delicately but if she was asking questions then her mind was functioning and there was hope.

"No," Mike replied. "Grade A certified human."

"How do you know about them?" Beryl asked, her eyes sliding
toward Scott and Gordy without looking directly at them.

Mike touched the cross at his neck. "I'm in with the good guys.
I've survived the bad guys more than once. All of us have."

Beryl scowled thinking about the gold crucifix Scott was
wearing. Guessing at her thoughts Mike continued. "It's not a
good/evil thing. Vampires are just like us humans." Mike waved a
restraining hand. "Many of them consider themselves to be human,

Just a bit-different."

"But before we go into any of that," Mike emphasized his words
by putting a hand on Beryl's forearm across the table. "I really
can't begin to tell you how vital it is that you not tell anyone what
you've seen and heard here tonight. I won't sugar coat this, you are
in danger just for knowing."

Beryl's face was pale and she opened her mouth to speak but
Mike stopped her. "We can't really go over the who right now, but
things will go much smoother-"

A harsh pounding came to the door and they all started. Scott
and Mike's eyes met briefly and Beryl saw them freeze for a moment.

Get moving, girl! the inner voice ordered. They've put their
trust in you now prove you're worth it.

Beryl stood and the three men looked at her, wary of what she
might do. Mike had been quite correct to say that is was up to Beryl
if any of them made it out of this.

With a deep breath Beryl straightened and held her head high.
She stepped away from the table, her mind thrumming quickly over how to handle this volatile situation.

"You!" Beryl picked up the bag of blo od that Gordy had sat down
and handed it to Scott releasing the item as quickly as Scott's
fingers closed around it. "Finish this up and leave just a little on
your lips." She looked at Gordy. "Take his pulse or something. You,
look vaguely worried." she added to Mike who already did really.
"One minute." Beryl called when the knock repeated. Scott had
finished the blood and Beryl shuddered seeing a red foam on his
lips. "Lay down." she said before her resolve could flag too much.
Beryl took the bag from Scott, deposited it in the bathroom trash and looked quickly in the mirror. Straightening her hair and wiped any remaining tears from her cheeks. Her eyes were red but it was going on three in the morning so she figured it could be expected.

"Who is it?" Beryl called through the door.

"Night manager." a deep voice answered. "I've had complaints. I
need to come in." Beryl eyed the others who each returned the look
grimly. Why was he here in person instead of calling first?

Beryl grabbed her stomach and made a pained expression. Scott
caught on and lay back holding his abdomen. He rose an eyebrow at
Gordy who stood over him. Was this the same woman who was cowering the corner not long ago? Hadn't he already decided her strength was one of the things he loved about her?

Love? the inner voice smirked at him but Scott thought the
analysis was best saved for a later time.

Taking another steadying breath Beryl opened the door just
slightly.

"I got some complaints of raised voices." a short, pudgy man
said. Beryl scowled, even when Scott had spoken gruffly it wouldn't
have been loud enough to be heard through the walls.

"I have a sick man in here." Beryl said as the night manager
pushed past her.

"There's a lot of people in here."

"Excuse me, Mr-"

Atherton. And you are?"

"Chrysoberyl Pemberton. I and Dr. Piron are the Medical staff
for WWE. We asked Mr. Michaels to help us get Mr Hall into a car so
we could get him to the hospital."

The pear shaped man covered his mouth. "Is he contagious?
Should I call an ambulance?"

"He's not contagious. He's injured."

"I'm calling an ambulance."

Beryl took and exasperated sigh and put her fingertips to her
forehead. "Let's do each other a favor, Mr. Atherton." She put her
hand on the man's shoulder and turned him back toward the door. "If you call an ambulance the EMT's are going to have to sign privacy
wavers and that means I'll have to call Mr. McMahon's private
attorney. She'll call Mr. McMahon and he'll be-oh don't get me
started. I can only imagine that he'll reconsider having his people
stay here.

"There's what fifty, sixty of our people here? At fifty bucks a
night and most of us have been here two days." Beryl looked at
Mike. "We play Bos ton what three, four times a year?"

"At least." Mike nodded earnestly.

"Wow, that's like twenty-five thousand dollars in business
you'll have to explain to your boss how you lost. And maybe Mr.
McMahon will decide never to do business with any other franchise
either. To put it mildly we'd both be out jobs. Or you can accept our
apology about the noise, go back to the front desk and let us get
this man to the emergency room."

The man, who'd blanched at the word 'attorney', looked to each
of the four in turn seeming incapable of action.

"Look!" Beryl grabbed his lapel. "I don't have to dick around
with you with blood seeps into this man's abdomen. Now toddle
yourself back downstairs and let me get him some help or I will make damn sure when the whole flock of lawyers get started on the lawsuit they know exactly who kept us from seeing he got emergency medical care in time to save him."

Almost to emphasiz e the point Scott gave an agonized groan.

"Go." the man sniveled and Beryl escorted him roughly to the
door. "Sorry." he popped his head back inside. "I'm a big fan."

Beryl closed the door, leaned against it and sighed covering
her face in her hands.

"Damn!" the three men said in unison as they eyed her
incredulously.

The relief of having dodged the bullet was short lived.

"If he's working for the council we had better be on out way in
case there's more coming." Mike said.

"More of who?" Beryl asked from the door.

Scott stood and approached Beryl who stepped away from him
quickly. He held up his hands to show he wasn't going to hurt
her. "We'll explain as best we can later but we have to leave now."

"You two get Scott packed, I'll go with Beryl to get her things
and come back here so Gordy and I can pack." Mike said back to
directing traffic. "Kevin's already gone home so call Sean, he's the
only one whose had enough sleep to make the drive to Concord."

Mike turned to Beryl. "Come on, we have to hurry."

Beryl's room was on the floor above at the opposite end. Not a
vast distance but she couldn't remember ever having taken a longer
walk than this. Mike walked behind Beryl at guard for signs of anyone approaching. They reached the empty elevator and Mike stood in front.

When the door opened he stepped out and quickly scanned the hallway before waving Beryl out. They were at her door when the lift doors opened again. Mike stepped next to Beryl as a woman and two men entered the corridor. One man looked at them for a moment before they walked in the opposite direction.

Beryl opened the door of her room and she and Mike
entered. "You'll have to come with us in the minivan." He said hoping she wouldn't balk.

Beryl was still too bewildered by the night's events to offer
any protests. She call ed the rental company and told them the car
she'd rented wouldn't start and she'd leave the keys with the clerk
because she didn't have time to wait around for anyone.

Mike looked through the curtain into the back parking lot. A pair
of dark sedans occupied the end spaces nearest the exit. He watched
them while Beryl packed her bags but couldn't see any movement from inside the vehicles.

"We'll go back to Scott's room." Mike said and having seen Beryl
flinch away from Scott he added. "I know you're a bit thrown but it's
probably the safest place for you."

She'd been told that they would explain and Beryl was thinking
to herself that someone had damn well better.

Once back in Scott's room Mike gathered everyone's room keys to
check them out. After Mike and Gordy left the silence between Scott
and Beryl was nearly tangible. They had a hundred things they wanted to say to each other but didn't know where to begi n. Scott wanted to tell Beryl once again, now that she was more cognizant, that he hadn't kissed and told.

Scott had called the ability to enter another's mind Reading
and Beryl thought about that aspect for several minutes. Hadn't one
of the ideas she'd had before coming here been that someone had seen her memories and given her some of theirs. And now a question entered Beryl's mind.

"My," she began and her voice so abruptly it seemed almost
deafening. "The way I felt for you." she emphasized the past tense a
little. "Did you put that in my head?"

Scott was torn between glad Beryl was speaking to him and
wounded she could think him capable of such a violation. "I have the ability to Read but I rarely use it. I think it's too much like ra-
other things I would never do. I've never been in your head, Beryl."

She turned away. Guess again, she thought. You've barely been
out of it for weeks.

"Besides," Scot t continued, pulling a tee-shirt on. "You have
the ability to block."

Beryl turned back to Scott. "What do you mean?"

Scott sat on the edge of the bed and watched the way the light
shone softly on Beryl's hair. "When I first found out you were being
Read I blocked it but you started blocking yourself."

"How?"

Scott smiled. "I don't know. No one really does. Few people can
do it and I don't think I've ever heard of anyone doing it so
quickly."

"But who w-?"

Scott stopped her. "I can't tell you who it is. We're going
against the rules telling you as much as we have, but the council
will understand our reasoning when we get a chance to explain. We've tried to make sure you stay safe from --him but naming names is inexcusable and I doubt any of us would be spared."

Beryl leaned against the wall and looked at Scott. A secret
population of vampires, a governing organization that apparentl y
spied on its members and now possible execution for simply knowing they exist. She felt her legs tremble and side stepped into the chair she'd occupied before the situation had gone from weird to worse.

"Hey," Scott came to kneel beside her, he didn't move to touch
her knowing she'd likely flinch away from him but he rested his hands on the arms of the chair. "We'll make it out of this. Mike will call our contact and we'll explain why we had to do this. The guys have been after me to tell you for weeks to tell you anyway."

Mike stuffed his bags full and went to turn in all the keys.
Keeping with the charade Beryl had begun was vital and Mike explained to the woman behind the counter why he had all the keys. He gave the woman Beryl's car keys and while she scribbled a note for the shift that would take over in just about an hour Mike ventured a question. "Does a Mr. Atherton still work here? Last time I stayed he was the night manager I believe, we went to school together back in the day."

"No," the heavy set woman replied. "I've worked her since they
built the place and I don't think we've ever had a Mr. Atherton."

"Must be another town." Mike said. "Sometimes they all run
together."

"I imagine." the clerk nodded sympathetically. "You take care
now. You'll do yourself a mischief if you're not careful."

"Mischief's my middle name." Mike winked and gave the woman
such a devilishly charming smile that she blushed and giggled.

Scott stood from comforting Beryl and when he opened the door
he was startled to see how pale Mike's face had become.

"The clerk's never heard of our good Mr. Atherton." He handed
Beryl the keys to the minivan. "You'll go in front. When we get to
the car unlock the sliding door so we can get Scott inside and hand
the keys to Sean. You'll ride in the middle, Sean drives and I ride
shotgun. Let's move."

The quintet made their way across the parking lot. Sean and
Mike flanked Scott who hunched as though trying to bend double from pain in the mid-section. When they reached the vehicle Beryl unlocked the door and as she stepped aside her eyes darted to a curtain being pulled open several floors up. It was her room she realized and the voyeur had a physique similar the man who had questioned them. Beryl looked away from the window, her heart lurching in fear. Her eyes were inching up the wall when Scott stepped forward with Mike's "assistance".

"Don't look back." he whispered softly. "We see him."
As they rolled past the two dark cars Mike took his cell phone
from his jacket pocket and dialed Vonnegut's number. If any of them would feel safe to sleep ever again this problem needed to be sorted out now. If Mike was concerned about waking Vonnegut he needn't have been as the contact answered on the first ring.

"Her resourcefulness has saved you all. Tell your vampire to
take greater care in the future." The line went dead after that and
Mike folded the phone giving Scott a look.

"He's not happy with you but it's cool."

"How do you know for sure?" Beryl asked.

Scott snorted derisively. "The council is too convinced of their
own power to lie."

Beryl rolled her eyes. The cloak and dagger was wearing
thin. "Council of what?"

"The Order." Mike said. "The inner circle you might say. There
are other things besides vampires and The Order tries to keep things
running smoothly between us and all of them. The council decides how best to do that."

"There has to be a balance and there are cells of people who
observe and make sure that gets done." Scott sighed. "We are the ones who do that here, but we've been off lately. There's supposed to be a sixth but she left."

Sean made a noise but didn't speak.

"I'm sorry, Beryl." Scott resumed. "T he dreams, the feeling that
you were being followed, all of it's my fault. I came back to the
company to try and help restore the balance but I haven't been able
to. Certain elements have proven harder to control than I thought and you got caught in the middle."

Beryl contemplated their words for a long while. A question
occurred her but when she turned toward Scott and Gordy she say they had both dozed off. Realizing that it had been a long time since she herself had slept and weeks since she'd slept well Beryl lay her head on the duffel next to the window. She curled her legs onto the seat and stretched out.

Scott leaned forward over the middle seat and quietly watched
Beryl sleeping. Gordy was snoring loudly next to him and Mike dozed in the front. Scott released a breath, for weeks he'd dreaded telling her but with it all said and done he did feel a bit better. He wished he could be certain that they could get back together but for now he was content that she knew he hadn't done anything as deplorable as Grey had said.

Scott reached out and brushed a strand of Beryl's auburn hair
from her face. She blinked awake. "Thanks." Beryl said stiffly seeing
Scott's jacket laying over her. She handed it over the seat as she
sat up.

"We're almost to Concord." Scott said "We're getting checked
into the hotel then going out to breakfast if you want to come with
us."

"I think I'll stay at the hotel." Beryl replied quickly but when
Scott tried to hide a hurt expression she smiled tightly. "I need a
hot shower and a couple more hours of sleep before I face the world."

"So at least she knows now." Sean said. They hadn't had a
chance to tell him anything. It had shocked him, to say the least,
when they called him in the middle of the night and told him that
they all had to leave immediately. Once they'd gotten to the
restaurant they took a booth away from th e other customers and told Sean everything up until they'd called him.

"Maybe now things will get back to normal." Gordy said. "As
normal as they ever get around here anyway."

Scott didn't say anything but knew that with the situation
involving Beryl at least partly resolved he'd better concentrate on
keeping his charges in check. For the next week that would be easier
since Grey was out of commission. But eventually he'd be back.

Sean apologized to Chris Jericho, who was not aware of the more
unusual denizens of the company, saying that he'd misjudged the slide and that they had changed the match because Scott was mad at Grey for lying to Beryl about what he said. Jericho took it well sitting with Scott and Sean at dinner before he had to get ready for the first match.

Scott noticed when Beryl came in because she came in late and
sat at an empty table away from everyone else her eyes darted to
those closest and Scott saw that she hadn't eaten any of her meal
before she left barely fifteen minutes after she'd sat down.

"How's she doing?" he asked Gordy.

"Trying to keep busy enough not to think about it." Gordy
replied. "Its something she'll have to work through for herself."

"I know." Scott said softly.

Beryl busied herself with running an inventory of the medical
supplies, needing a diversion from her thoughts. These people she had bandaged, talked and joked with as they ate meals together. Now whenever she saw anyone her mind crawled with images of what they might be.

Scott watched from the doorway as Beryl pulled various boxes
form the cupboard, counted their contents and made a mark on a
clipboard. With her mind occupied Beryl looked more serene than she had at dinner and Scott was glad she had found a moment's peace.

Beryl was checking her counts against the usage report and
didn't hear Scott approach from behind even though her had cleared his throat to warn her he was there. Scott reached up and lay hishand on Beryl's shoulder.

Stifling a shout Beryl whipped around causing the clipboard to
hit the linoleum with a clatter. A look of fear more intense than the
one she'd worn at the carnival nearly a month earlier flashed in the
moment her eyes met Scott's. Backing as far as she could into the
counter, Beryl's hand came up to her throat while she caught her
breath.

Scott stepped back form Beryl looking at her as thought seeing
her clearly for the first time. The blue cast of the florescent bulbs
shone down and Scott thought they made Beryl seem small and fragile.

He reached up to touch her hair softly. He had been so sure that if
she knew the truth things would be different but he hadn't expected
that they would get worse. Instead of angry she was terrified of him.
Scott studied Beryl's face, if this was the last time he wou ld be
this close he wanted to remember as much as he could. His fingertips caressed the smooth skin of her cheek. "I would
never have hurt you, Beryl." he said gently and turned toward the
door.

Beryl's breath caught in her throat as Scott made to leave. She
had spent three hour in her hotel this morning alone with her
thoughts, which made the room quite crowded indeed.

Scott was a vampire, she had seen enough of his face when she'd
surprised him in his room to find it plausible. The depthlessness of
his eyes had chilled her in the light but had awed her when she'd
seen them in the dark. If he had been in full grip of his drives last
night he could easily have killed her but he hadn't. And she would
have been far more vulnerable while she had lain in his arms.
Obviously he didn't mean to harm her.

Whatever else this man was, he was Scott. The same Scott she
had trusted more than anyone else in all her adult l ife.

Now Beryl's heart lurched that he was leaving with the
impression that the opposite were true.

"It isn't you, Scott." Beryl said, quickly touching his arm
hoping to halt him. He looked at her over his shoulder. "You said you can't tell me who made me see those horrid things and I accept that, Scott but that means he's still out there.

"I've likely been alone in a locker room with someone who raped
and killed a girl and wanted me to see it." A shudder of revulsion
mixed with fear stole up Beryl's spine. She didn't want to cry but
found herself unable to blink back the tears.

Scott came back to stand in front of Beryl. He wiped her tears
away with his thumbs as he cradled her face. "If you think I'd let
anyone harm you while there's breath in my body you haven't been
paying attention."

Beryl couldn't restrain herself, she threw her arms around
Scott's neck and kissed him deeply. The moment of sho ck that Scott
experienced was short-lived and suddenly it was almost as if they had barely come up for air from their last kiss.

"We never did have that meal, did we?" Scott said pulling Beryl
back into his arms.

"No, we didn't." Beryl lifted her head and smiled. Twenty-four
hours ago they had been in another Med Room in a very different mood.

"I know this great restaurant just down the street. I don't
think the others go there much. It's quiet, sort of dark and the
food's top shelf."

"I was convinced when you said meal." Beryl laughed at Scott's
attempts to entice. "I'm starved."

"I noticed you didn't eat earlier." Scott said.
Beryl's head straightened. "Have you eaten?"

"I didn't clean my plate completely but I got enough." Scott
teased, knowing without Beryl's smirk that that wasn't what she'd
meant. "No, I came hoping to find Gordy."

"He's in with Shane." Beryl threw her head bac k and laughed
almost hysterically.

"What?"

"All this time I though you guys were coming to Gordy for
steroids."

"That's what everyone's supposed to think. It's easier that
way." Scott said and cut open the unmarked box. Beryl had never
opened the boxed Gordy brought in because he had a strict policy that he himself do all the initial counts on new supplies and now Beryl knew why.

Scott pulled out a bag and Beryl turned to face the wall. In her
typical habit Beryl fastened onto the analytical approach as it
concerned Scott's vampirism. Her years in nursing and med school made her ask questions.

"May I ask you something?" Beryl began hoping not to hear any
weird sounds as Scott fed. "If you can't answer just say so."

"Go ahead." Scott said in a deep raspy voice that made Beryl
jump slightly.

"Do you eat-other food-out of habit or do you still need to?"

"We need food same as any human." Scott said. "We also need
blood but it serves a different purpose."

"Sorry." Beryl swallowed hard at Scott's tone.

Scott stepped around until Beryl could see he'd finished. "I
consider myself human." his tone was softer.

Beryl looked up at Scott's face. Again her inner voice repeated.
Whatever he was, he was Scott. "So do I." she said.

Scott's brushed his knuckle softly across Beryl's cheek. "I have
to go get ready for my run-in. I'll meet you back here after the
show." Beryl nodded and Scott smiled to hear her heart flutter.

"You're feeling better, I see." Gordy said as he came in several
minutes later to find Beryl humming to herself as she watched the
monitor.

"Much better."

It's about time the two of you came to your senses, Gordy
thought. He'd passed Scott in the corridor. Most of the time Scott
kept his thoughts in check so those of him line couldn't connect
unless he wanted them to but as he passed by Beryl's face filled
Gordy's mind. Kids, he'd thought shaking his head.

The run-in went smoothly but Batista skinned his elbow in the
ring steps during the main event and Beryl was wrapping it in gauze
when Scott knocked.

"Thanks, Doc." Batista said as he opened the door and side
stepped Scott.

"You ready?" Scott leaned in the door frame. He'd changed into
jeans and a blue chambray shirt. He must have just stepped out of the shower because his hair was still damp when he'd clubbed it back.
Beryl smiled-damn he looked hot.

Scott had described the restaurant accurately Beryl saw. Candles
lit every table with dancing light and music, comprised mainly of
soft violins lilted through the air.

"You look really nice." Scott said.

Beryl smiled at him. "I'm a wreck, but thank you."

Scott reached across the table to lay his hand over Beryl's.
Beryl l iked the feel of her hand in Scott's but her mind was suddenly
troubled. The gloom-and-doom feeling was getting tiring and yet Beryl couldn't shake it.

"What is it?" Scott's grip tightened.

"You already told me who it is." Beryl looked at Scott's hand.
Her mind went back to the day before when Grey had grabbed her wrist.
The scar of a scratch on the back of a tanned hand that she'd seen
ball into a fist and draw blood from the mouth and nose of that poor terrified child in the vision Beryl had been forced to relive so
often. A chill went up her spine that she really had been alone with
the one who'd come so close to driving her mad. The words Scott had said to her just moments later came to her.

"We can't talk here." Scott stood and pulled Beryl up with him.
He approached the counter and paid for their coffees, which were
nearly untouched.

Scott was silent so long on the drive to the hotel that Beryl
was sure he was angry with her. A buzz did fill Scott's head but it
was more a jumble of where he should start in his explanation. He was glad she was figuring out so much, it made telling her the truth
easier. He'd wanted this opportunity and now The Order couldn't touch her. Vonnegut had said so and something truly drastic would have to occur for him to change his mind.

With an arm draped over Beryl's shoulder Scott led her to his
room. As soon as they entered Scoot went into the bathroom, the sink was still running when he returned with a small towel. "I can't tell you if you're right or wrong but I can show you something. I have to call Gordy and hook up first because this isn't easy." Scott nodded toward the bed as he picked up the hotel phone. "Sit down." Gordy had just gotten a shipment from a runner and brought two to Scott's room.

Scott thanked him but didn't offer the explanation he senses Gordy
was expecting before closing the door quickly.

Scott sat the bags on the nightstand next to Beryl who swallowed
hard at the fact that Scott would actually be drinking it soon.

"This isn't going to be easy to watch." Scott looked Beryl in
the eyes. "You can leave if you want but I think you need to hear
what I have to say."

"I'll stay." Beryl said. Truth be told she was more than a little curious. Believing Mike's assertion that vampirism had nothing
to do with good or evil Beryl decided it must be a medical condition
and she wanted to know the facts.

Scott looked as though he wanted to say something else but after
a moment he reached into this pocket and pulled out the small knife
he'd opened the box with earlier. He sat it on the table and rolled
up his sleeve.

"What are you going to do?" Beryl looked up at Scott nervously.
Without responding Scott set his face in a grim expression and drew
the blade across his inner arm just below the elbo w. "Scott!" she
gasped in horror and saw not the streams of crimson but a thick mass of black matter.

"Because I can't say who it is I'll let you think back to where
you've seen this before." Scott said as Beryl remembered trying to
staunch Grey's bleeding. "Our blood changes, no one knows why.
Hundreds of years ago people thought it was because we were dead and it was decaying but obviously that isn't true."

"Hundreds of years?" Beryl repeated. "How-"

"I'm forty-five." Scott almost laughed as he held the towel to
his arm. He sat down on the bed next to Beryl whose brains was
bursting with questions. Scott opened the first bag and drained it
drinking a bottle of water afterward.

"Have you always been a vampire?"

Scott sighed, this was probably the most difficult question to
answer because it concerned the aspect of his life he was least proud of. He had long ago learned to be honest with himself about it
however and he would give Beryl no less.

"I was turned six years ago. I don't remember it really." Scott
lowered his eyes slightly. "I wasn't in a stable frame of mind, I'm
sure my reputation precedes me. It often does."

Beryl put her hand on top of Scott's. "I have heard lots of
things, but I didn't hear them from you. I'm sorry, Scott." her eyes
held his without looking away though she felt ashamed. "My uncle gave me some advice once that I should have remembered. He told me that when someone tells you that another person is up to no good you need to ask yourself why. What's in it for them. I was so hurt that Grey had known something only you and I shared I was too angry to consider reason."

Scott ran his knuckle along Beryl's cheek. "Next time you'll
know better."

"I don't want there to be a next time." Beryl replied, close to
tears. "I should have asked you if it was true."

Scott wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close. "Let's both
do that. I'll never lie to you and if you want to know anything at
all just ask me. I promise to do the same."

The pulsing of Beryl's heart quickened and she gave him a kiss
that became quite passionate. Scott's hands roamed to Beryl's waist
and she seemed more than compliant with them, but a flash of the
things he'd seen made him pull away a bit.

"There's something you should know." Scott kept Beryl at arm's
length as he stood. "You do something to me."

"What?" Beryl asked.

"I've never hunted for blood, I want you to know that." Scott
began. "But when we...in you room that night...I wanted to. I'd never
want to hurt you, not in a million years but I don't know if I could
stop myself." Scott looked away.

"Hey." Beryl said softly, pulling Scott's face to her again. "I
trust you. If you were going to hurt me you could have any number of times but you didn't e ven try to." She tilted her head to the side
and smiled crookedly. "Besides, you just lost a lot of blood, if you
try anything too wild I'd slap ya'."

Scott couldn't help but grin and held Beryl in his arms looking
down into her eyes. "I can be quite a handful from time to time."

"Is that a suggestion?" Beryl arched a wicked brow.

Scott paused as though considering. "I don't think I need any
help getting going."

"Yes, I know." Beryl's eyes glittered as she pressed her body
fully against him to stretch up and kiss Scott who pulled her shirt
from the waist band of her jeans.

"Neither do you it seems." Scott smiled as Beryl worked at his
buttons.

"If I did, I'd let you know." Beryl pushed the shirt back off
Scott's arms pinning them briefly behind him and planting her mouth at the base of his throat licking his salty skin with the tip of her tongue.

"I would most willingly oblige." He freed his arms one by one
to wrap them around Beryl, his palms resting at the bare skin in the
middle of her back. His lips caressed her neck just under her ear and if Beryl had any remaining qualms they were silenced when Scott guided her down to the bed breaking the momentum with one hand as he covered her.

Scott held his weight on his elbows, his body responding to the
feel of Beryl beneath him as her hands touched him softly at his ribs
while her mouth caressed his shoulder.

Beryl gave a soft laugh as Scott's lips tickled along her neck
before he stood to unfasten his jeans. Beryl wriggled out of hers
while Scott turned off the lamp. When he lay back down Beryl reached her hands upward around his waist and pushed her fingers beneath the elastic of his briefs, raking her nails lightly against his hips as they moved slowly against each other, hands and mouths exploring.

Scott's head came up from kissing Beryl's breasts and he looked down on her form a moment before turning quickly and pulling her on top of him.

Scott nuzzled Beryl's ear looking along her back to where his
hands worked at the eye-and-hook fasteners. They came apart and the article found its way to the carpet. Beryl swept her hair to the side and kissed the front of Scott's throat as she lay against him, the
crisping of dark hair that covered his chest tickling deliciously.

The feel of Beryl's light weight atop him was splendid to Scott
and he kissed the tender skin of her throat. Having just fed he was
able to relax at the way her pulse felt against his lips, letting him
consider all the intriguing what-ifs. Scott ran his palms down to the
swell of Beryl's hips and with urgent pressure he pushed against her.
Beryl caught her breath as the outline of Scott's firm penis pressed
at the yellow cotton her panties.

"Oh God Scott." Beryl arched her hips into his in absolute
readin ess.

In quick fashion Scott divested Beryl of her last remaining
garment and covered her once again, firm hands pulled Beryl's leg
upward from the knee. A soft moan escaped her as Scott filled her so exquisitely continuing with a steady momentum of his hips.
Scott smiled pruriently down into Beryl's face meeting the eyes
that glittered desirously up at him. He claimed her lips, his tongue
tasting the sweetness of her mouth as he moved within her. The
approaching climax began to throb through Scott as he lifted his head as his strokes became more forceful. Beryl kissed his throat, his jaw, twined her fingers in the forest of his hair pulling his lips to
meet hers once more as they moved against each other.

Even in the spellbound aftermath Scott refused to let Beryl out
of his arms as they lay facing each other. Their eyes met in the soft
light.

"I love you." they both began and laughed.

Scott smiled. "Well that s olves the awkward moment of wondering
if one of us said it because the other one did." his eyes crinkled
and he rolled to his back. Beryl snuggled against him beneath the
crisp white sheets and blue bedspread.

For a month Beryl had suffered terrible nightmares, days on end
of hair raising fear and sickening visions. Now she released a
peaceful sigh as she lay her head on Scott's chest and listened to
his heart. In fact only one thought intruded into this blissful
reverie.

The last thing Beryl had been able to eat was the dinner she had
angrily walked away from because of Grey's unwelcome proposition.
According to the red read-out of the clock on the nightstand that was about twenty-six hours ago and suddenly Beryl's stomach felt every single one of them.

Kissing the furred space about Scott's heart Beryl tried to pull
away but Scott wrapped his iron thawed arm around her. "Don't go." He breathed into her hair.

Beryl smiled. "I'll be back in a few minutes, Scott. I'm just
going to run downstairs for something to eat."

He released his grip but sat up when she stood. "I just got you
back." He reached for his clothing. "I'm not going to lose you to
ptomaine-poisoning from a vending machine sandwich."

Beryl shook her head and laughed as she pulled on her jeans.

"I tell you what." Scott stood. "There's a place on the other
side of town, they close in about 45 minutes but if we book we can
make it. We'll get some stuff to go, come back here and you can ask
me the million of questions I can hear the gears grinding over."

"I thought you didn't read minds." Beryl smirked prettily.
Scott's mouth twisted into a playful smile. "You're not real
hard to figure out."

"You haven't figured me out yet." Beryl looked around for her
shirt.

"I'm sure I'll have fun trying though." Scott tossed her the
article. "Sound good?"

"Sounds good." Beryl tied her shoes.

They managed to get to the restaurant in time to order and took
the meals back to the hotel, sitting on the bed cross-legged as
though they were on a picnic.

"Okay, begin you interview with the vampire." Scott teased.

"Ha-ha." Beryl smirked and opened her mouth to ask a question.

"No, I can't turn into a bat." Scott said cutting his t-bone.

"I wasn't going to ask that." Beryl laughed.

"I'm sorry, babe." Scott patted Beryl's knee. "Go ahead."

"Well, sunlight and crosses don't hurt you, but is there
anything that harms you?"

"I'd probably die if you hammered a stake into my chest."

"Well, duh." Beryl eyed Scott dubiously. He smiled innocently
and handed her a cheesy biscuit.

"Actually we're rather resilient." Scott said thoughtfully
chewing a bite of lobster while he considered his words. "Things thatdo severe damage to normal people we can usually bounce back from fairly quickly."

"So you're pretty much invulnerable?"

"Not really. If we take a bad enough hit we die like anyone
else. Damage to the spinal cord can still paralyze us, but normal
tissue is regenerated more quickly."

"So you really could have killed Grey?"

Scott shrugged. "I wouldn't want to kill even a sad son-of-a-
bitch like him, not that I'd miss him much. I just needed to deliver
a message."

"What?"

"To leave you alone." Scott looked Beryl dead in the eye. She
swallowed hard at the realization that Scott had protected her when
she was so angry. "There are also wards but they're different for
each of us. There's something about garlic that can be unpleasant. No wait, that's bad breath."

"Scott!" Beryl giggled.

"Certain of us are more sensitive to it than others." He said
more seriously. Grey's line is highly allergic, mine not so much."
"Line?"

"Sort of like a family. A vampire can be born or turned." Scott
explained. "The vampire that turned me was born into it. That's
really all I know about her, but either way I'm part of her line,
which includes Gordy."

"Are there many lines?"

"A dozen, maybe less."

"There can't be many of you then."

"More than you'd think." Scott said.

Beryl was quiet for a moment considering Scott's words as she
watched him eat. "You said the blood served a purpose, what does it
do?"

Scott looked at Beryl thinking about her reactions; whenever he'd
fed in front of her she had looked away or tried to hide an
involuntary shudder. "Control." he said. "Whether we hunt or get our supply from a store house, we have to feed at least once a day, more if we use a lot of energy."

Beryl's brow crimped and Scott tried not to smile, but he found
it really sort of cute. "Like working out or something?"

"No," Scott said stretching out on his bed. "Certain of the
things we do use lots of energy. Reading takes a lot if you're not
used to it. So does Zipping."

"Zipping?"

"That's just what I call it." Scott smiled. "I don't know if
that the right word."

"What is it?" Beryl asked as she sat in the middle of Scott's
bed looking at him. She was trying to stay on the topic but Scott
looked so good laying half on his side with one ankle crossed over
the other. He had unbuttoned his shirt part way and Beryl was
fighting to keep her concentration.

Scott looked at Beryl warmly then his eyes slid toward the
dresser. "Your bags about to fall." He said. Beryl turned her head to
look and was shocked to Scott pushing it away from the edge of the
dresser. "I got it."

Sure she couldn't be seeing Scott in both places Beryl looked
back around. Scott winked at her from the window.

"How'd-" Beryl half turned to look toward the bag and now Scott
was leaning over her. In a shocked reflex Beryl scrambled away from
him, nearly upsetting her Styrofoam dinner container. Teetering on
the edge of the bed Beryl found herself being pulled firmly against
Scott's chest.

"How's that for showing off?"

"Scott, that's freaky."

"Yeah, but I'm liking the outcome." he said cradling Beryl to
him as he held her easily under her knees and back.

"I guess I can't complain myself." Beryl wrapped her arms around
Scott neck as he shifted her in his arms and kissed her deeply. When
Scott lifted his head he again saw the outline of Beryl's veins
beneath her skin.

Beryl studied Scott's eyes as he released her knees, deciding
they weren't so much empty as a velvety blackness. Yet as she watched the darkness deepened until she felt herself falling into them. Beryl lay her pa lms on Scott's chest and stretched up to kiss him. Scott held her away slightly with a hand on her shoulders. He hadn't meant to start Reading her and only the memory of what he'd done to her in his dream forced him to recede. Still he heard the flow of Beryl's blood and his growing hunger was a drive unconquerable, he was not surprised to find himself erect.

A smile almost cruel in its wantonness played across Scott's
parted lips making the fangs visible to Beryl. This broke the
mesmerized state of her mind and she turned away from him but Scott grabbed her arms pulling her back.

"You're wondering how it would feel." Scott breathed in the
guttural growl. "It would hurt," he ground his hips into Beryl. "But
I would do things that would make you love it." He lowered his head
and ran the tip of his tongue along the side of her neck. Beryl's
heart tripped. This made him stop and Scott pushed Beryl to arm's
length. "Go get a shower starte d. I'll be there in a minute." He was
tempted to tell her to lock the door against him as well.

Beryl pressed her back against the all-too-flimsy planking and
shook her head to clear it. For one moment all the world had been
Scott's eyes that swallowed her up, his voice that enticed her to
want a touch so far from loving.

Scott watched as Beryl closed the door behind her seeing by the
shadows that she hadn't moved away. Still her heart hammered in her chest torn between a survival instinct and a desire so very dark.
Scott opened the remaining bag and let the blood sate him.

Beryl looked at Scott's phone laying on the counter next to the
sink still running with water. If he used up all the hot water I'll
ring his neck. Beryl almost laughed that so normal a thought could
enter her mind after so abnormal an occurrence. But that was how
Beryl dealt with such situations. Who could truly define normal
anyway?

A week ago normal had meant the world played by a certain set of
rules. Barely twenty-four hour ago those rules had been drastically
altered. Suddenly monsters were real, but along with that knowledge
came one sure thought. Scott was no monster. No matter what he needed to do or how dark his nature while he did it.

Beryl stepped out of the shower, realizing her bag was still in
the other room. She bit her lip and listened but didn't hear anything
from the bedroom to discourage her going to retrieve the article.
Deciding that given Scott's nature, she'd likely know when she saw
his face if it was all right to approach him. Wrapping one of the
large towels around herself, Beryl slowly opened the door.

The lamp next to the bed was still on but Scott wasn't here. She
grabbed her bag from the dresser and turned back when the key rattled in the lock.

"You all right?" Beryl asked as Scott came in carrying two more
bags in a pape r sack.

"Better." he said.

"You're going to pack those on ice aren't you?" Beryl rose an
eyebrow.

"Yeah, why?" Scott grabbed the ice bucket.
Beryl smirked. "I just got you back. I don't want to lose you to
a blood-borne pathogen you got from not keeping your supply at a safe temperature."

Scott smiled but the mention of the blood reminded him of his
actions when he'd been vamped. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you earlier."

Scott's eyes were again the dreamy hazel Beryl had become so
fond of. He hadn't buttoned his shirt before he'd left and Beryl
noticed that however much time had passed it hadn't completely erased his desire.

"I'd have to say it wasn't entirely your lust for blood
talking." Beryl tilted her head to the side.

"I was fine until I saw you all wet and wrapped in a towel."

"You want I should take it off?"

"Do you think that will resolve the situati on?" Scott's eyes
glittered with mirth.

"Maybe not right away." Beryl smiled letting the towel drop just
slightly. "But I think it could lead to some interesting things."

"I could almost guarantee that." Scott's eyes followed the line
of the towel as it sagged against Beryl's breasts.

He knew now that he would have to feed whenever he made love to
her but at least it was a solution. If there was another he would
find it but the fact that he had become so drained after so little a
thing as moving across the room made Scott see he would need to
become more adept with his abilities. Those things were issues for
later however as Beryl stood so temptingly before him.

Scott stripped to his briefs while Beryl watched appreciatively.
He stepped forward to close the distance between them and swept Beryl up into his arms. "Isn't this where we left off?"

"I believe it was." Beryl again wrapped her arms around Scott's
neck while he cradled her. Scott moved to the bed and lay her down. She met his eyes and saw that although they were still normal looking they held a glimmer of predatory want. He leaned forward crawling along Beryl's body until he hovered above her. Scott claimed a kiss as Beryl moved beneath him arching up slightly.
Scott's mouth trailed down to Beryl's throat and continued to
the edge of the towel. He rose and unfolded the corner that held it
closed. Beryl gasped as Scott's mouth closed over her bare peak.

"Scott," she murmured softly. His lips brushed against hers, his
hand sliding down Beryl's side to rest at her waist. Beryl's eyes
fluttered closed as she relaxed into the feel of Scott's passionate
maneuvering. Scott's weight was lifted away and Beryl felt his lips
return to touch her stomach, his hands caressing her as he slid lower.

Beryl was utterly besotted with the ecstasy Scott inspired as
his mouth torched t he skin of her inner thigh. His name moaned past her lips with pleasured shock while Scott's tongue scorched at her flesh. Scott held her in such a way that Beryl couldn't refuse him as the sensation grew so unbelievably intense that it seemed the very
walls would burst into flame it he continued much longer.

Scott pulled back and entered Beryl so full her hands came up in
a reflex to push away from him. It would hurt, but I would make you
love it; his words repeated in Beryl's head.

Scott moved from his knees, burying Beryl's climax in the
beginning of another. Wrapping her tanned legs about Scott and
arching with his insistent hips, Beryl looked up into Scott's face.
He leaned forward planting his palms on either side of Beryl for
leverage as he rocked into her. Beryl dug passion-thoughtless nails
into his arms but he hardly felt it as his gaze met and held hers.
After a moment Scott grabbed both edges of the towel and sitting
back he pulled Beryl up until she was straddling him as he knelt on
the mattress. His arms wound about her pressing her firmly to his
solid chest as he came up on his knees with each thrust.

"Chrysoberyl." he growled against her throat. When she was
younger Beryl hadn't much liked having so unusual a name but she
loved the way Scott said it.

Interlocking Beryl's fingers in his Scott leaned forward
trapping her beneath him holding her hands above her head as he dealt the final rough strokes.

They came together floating in blissful currents back to earth
to nestle in each other's arms. Scott kissed Beryl's temple as she
lay a drowsy head on his shoulder.

Sunlight stole across the bed shining against the red highlights
in Beryl's hair. She lay on her stomach still partaking of the
soundest sleep she'd had in a month. If she'd been asked if she
thought it was a reprieve from the dreams that had plagued her or the vigor expended that lent to her slumber Beryl would likely had
answered with a smiling blush.

It was a warm smile that spread across Scott's face as he sat on
the edge of the bed next to her. He leaned over and kissed the nape
of Beryl's neck. "Good morning, babe." He returned her sleepy grin as she swept her hair out of her face, sat up and slid back against the headboard. Scott pressed a Styrofoam cup of warm coffee into her hands.

Beryl sniffed the gently steaming beverage. "Mmm, I can't decide
if you're better at getting me to sleep or waking me up."

"This is just coffee, babe. Otherwise it'd be me covering you
instead of the sheet." Scott winked and bent forward to kiss
her. "You going home today?"

"Yeah," Beryl replied her eyes sliding toward her bag that still
sat on the dresser since her trip to retrieve it had been
detoured . "I ought to. My aunt calls every Wednesday and I wasn't
there the last few times. She'll get all worried."

"I thought you lived with your aunt." Scott took a sip of his
coffee.

"I stay in her house." Beryl said. "She's a travel nurse, she's
in Kenya right now. I was going to go with them but I decided to run
off with the circus instead." Beryl leaned forward to kiss Scott.

"Well, I'm glad you did." Scott smiled. "Any plans after that?"

"No, not really."

"Want some?"

"What you got in mind?" Beryl asked twisting to sit at the edge
of the bed.

"Wanna come over and play at my house?" Scott wiggled his
eyebrows. "Dana's got the kids until school starts so otherwise I'd
just veg-out all week."

"Well, if it would keep you from being lonely." Beryl
grinned. "I can probably get a flight down tomorrow night."

"I'll meet you at the airport then."

After a rather steamy shower that lasted so long Beryl only had
time to cram her clothe s hurriedly into her bags, they drove to the
airport where they kissed good-bye before Beryl had to race up the
terminal to make her flight.

Scott sat on the back deck of his house as the sun set over the
lake. He'd gotten home in the mid-afternoon, after visiting a store
house in Orlando. He needed a good supply because he spent the day practicing at the things he knew he could do. All except Reading, he still found the idea of invading another's thought repulsive. He
often used a lesser ability called Scanning. It was a way to get a
general sense of someone's mood or motive, like watching a preview
instead of the whole movie. Within one's line you had to concentrate
so not to remain open to others, which Scott hated; or so you didn't
receive an unending buzz of what the others were thinking, which
Scott hated even more.

He had needed two bags to stave off the fatigue from just four
hours of zipping, and focusing his strengt h, as he'd done with the
dart game (a guilty smile crossed his face as he remembered showing off so openly for Beryl). Once Vonnegut had suggested that it my be Scott's inexperience and ill use of the abilities that caused Grey to disrespect his position. Scott had wanted to say that Grey was power-hungry because it ran in his line, but guessed that Vonnegut would take umbrage to such an observation of his nephew's character.

Scott planned to do the same tomorrow, until time to get Beryl
from the airport. An image of her face filled Scott's mind as the sky
was painted in streaks of orange and peach. Sunset was three hours
away for Beryl but Scott hoped it would be as beautiful for her when
it arrived.

Actually by the time Beryl got home she was too tired to watch
anything but the back of her eyelids. The two-and-a-half hour flight
from Concord to Chicago was followed by an almost two hour layover when the plane was delayed by heavy rains in The Rockies. The same storm delayed her arrival in Spokane as well and made the driving conditions atrocious once she'd rented a car and tried to make her way home to north Idaho. A brilliant thunderstorm in the mountains covered the sun's sinking but Beryl was already asleep.
Without Scott's warmth near to comfort her Beryl's sleep wasn't
as restful as the previous evening's and by sunrise Beryl was
awakened by an uneasy crawling in her stomach. Not since the carnival had Beryl been so frightened by the sensation of being watched. To avoid the rising fear Beryl attributed it to being alone in the large house after weeks of crowded hotels.

The hither and yon travel schedule had begun to lend a sort of
timelessness to her days. Day was when you were awake, night was when you slept. Sun-up or sundown was a whole other matter. The hours other people kept was either immaterial or inconvenient, depending on what you needed to do.

She was starti ng to think about breakfast when Aunt Jane called.
When they were done Beryl called Scott to tell him she'd be there
earlier that she had thought. Shouldering her bag packed full of
clothes selected more for her days with Scott than for work, Beryl
stepped outside her door sliding the key into the dead bolt lock.

With a jolt Beryl turned, for an instant certain that someone
had been standing behind her. The bottom dropped out of her stomach as she scanned the short distance between the side door and the garage. Beryl again felt the creeping gaze of inimical intent. She almost wet herself when the rusty squall of a screen door sounded from the house next door and a woman stepped out.

"Good morning, Barrel." the woman said in the pruny voice the
woman had always used when speaking with her.

"Good morning, Mrs. Sears." Beryl replied, this once glad of the
old biddy's presence.

Like the clouds parting to reveal bright sunshine, the shadow of
fear fled and Beryl hurried to the locked garage.

The flight seemed twice it's five hours as Beryl anticipated her
time with Scott. She was gathering her bags when a pair of Strong
arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Hey, beautiful." Scott breathed in her ear sending little
shivers of delight up her spine as he lifted her off her feet quickly.

"Mmm," Beryl smiled and turned once Scott had sat her down. "Hey
back."

Scott held her firmly while he kissed her. Beryl got her last
bag and followed Scott outside. She opened the doors for him since
he'd hoisted her larger bag.

It wasn't a long drive and Scott explained to Beryl what he was
trying to do. "I really should have practiced when I was first
turned. I've needed four pints just today."

"What happens if you don't get blood?"

"I'd make what you saw two nights ago look like a fuzzy little
kitten." Scott sa id in a tone that spooked Beryl just a bit. "It's
called a revenant. It goes back to the earliest myths but it's more
complicated than Renfield and Dracula and all that."

"You mean sort of like a Zombie or something?"

"Zombies do what they're told, but a revenant serves only its
hunger and they're a danger to everyone. The Order doesn't tolerate
them and has them destroyed as soon as they find one."

"Destroyed?" Beryl swallowed, not liking the sound of that.

Scott replied with a meaningful look.

"Has it occurred to you that the people you guys work for aren't very nice?"

"It's dawned on us once or twice." Scott smirked grimly. "We
don't exactly share their philosophy but they do what they do for a
reason. The old legends of vampires mostly come from revenants,
because that's when we can't control ourselves. A revenant has all a
vampire's abilities, none of the control and a hunger it would killits own mother to satisfy."

As Scott pulled into his garage Beryl sat listening to him
explain, neither moving. "A vampire is turned when one drinks the
blood of a human and that human is given the vampire's blood. It
can't be an accident like in the movies because..."
Scott turned to make sure his garage door had closed. "Look." he
said and Beryl saw that's Scott's fangs were bared once again but a
set was visible on the lower jaw as well. Beryl jumped slightly but
saw that Scott's eyes had not darkened.

"The bottom set injects, well I hate to say virus or poison but
its along those lines and that's what spreads the vampirism. If the
human isn't given the vampire's blood, they become a revenant.
There's no guarantee that they won't become one anyway. That's why the council takes a rather limited view of those few vampires who proliferate. The same thing happens to us when we don't feed. We revert to a mindless state. Most often it's temporary but once in a while it's permanent and the council deals with it in typical
fashion. We don't see eye-to-eye with the council often but when a
revenant runs loose they threaten the balance."

"That must be awful," Beryl shuddered. "To be so mindless."
Scott squeezed her shoulder. So often her wits had saved her lately.
Hell, it was only her fast thinking that had saved them all when he'd
bumbled into revealing himself to her. Beryl's mind traced over that
evening as well but instead of the awe Scott felt at her quick-
wittedness, Beryl's mind caught on something Mike had said.
"What other things are there?" A look of a child frightened of
the dark passed over Beryl's face as Scott unlocked the door to the
breezeway between his house and garage. "Mike said The Order keeps the balance between humans, vampires, and the other things."
Scott turned toward Beryl and looked at her for a long moment
wondering if anyon e had ever warned her what curiosity did to cats.

Beryl bit her lip and eyed Scott lustily as he handed her a
glass of soda. They had spent the afternoon in Scott's hot tub
talking, kissing and watching a mated pair of swans glide across the
lake with their four cygnets. They had dried off before dinner an
now were sitting on the redwood deck watching the sunset.
Scott had changed from his blue trunks to a pair of denim shorts
and a gray polo shirt. Beryl was wearing a pink off-the-shoulder sun
dress that showed off vast amounts of her trim legs and Scott seemed to approve. After sitting the glasses on the table he reached inside and turned off the lights.

The dying sun cast a crimson hue over everything and Scott lay
his arm over Beryl's shoulder. A star began to twinkle above and
Beryl leaned close to Scott's ear.

"Make a wish." she breathed.

"Don't need to." Scott ran his thumb across Beryl's lower
lip. "Yo u're already here."

"Mmm, you hopeless romantic." Beryl stood.

"What are you doing?" Scott's eyes swept her form as she pulled
at the fuchsia cord that tied the front of her dress closed over a
panel of white eyelet lace to reveal a set of red strapless lingerie.
Beryl's pulse was quickening as Scott watched the garment skim past
her waist and hips fluttering to the slats of the deck.
Beryl stepped out of the circle of fabric and knelt before
Scott. "Just because you're the vampire doesn't mean you always have to be the aggressor, does it?" She ran her palms up Scott's long
muscular thighs, a sweet smile curving her lips.

"I'm equal opportunity, honey." Scott replied watching her every
movement with a darkly lustful glower as he parted his knees to
accommodate her.

Beryl pulled Scott's shirt over his head coming back to kiss him
passionately, his hands pushing at her back. Pressed full against him
Beryl moved downward nuzzling his throat and stitching kisses down through the dark hair that covered him.
Scott's hands came up to assist Beryl with his zipper but she
brushed them aside. She pulled him into an incredibly passionate kiss before she pushed him firmly backward until he was leaning into the railing of the deck.

"Relax, baby." she said wickedly. "I got this."

"I resign myself to your tender mercies." Scott growled as Beryl's hands freed him. He leaned his head back gasping while Beryl
ran her tongue up his length nipping softly when she reached his tip.
Scott's head swam with desire when Beryl used the small amount
of cum he'd ejaculated to lubricate the movement of her hand while
her incredible mouth worked at his head. He twined his fingers
through her hair drawing her deeper into the act as he felt the outer
image of his vampirism come forth. Scott's tongue moved over his lips feeling the razor sharp points of his fangs while his mind raced over myriad visions of sinking them into Beryl's slender column of neck as he did those promised things to make her love the experience. In the still watches of the night it was this image that would play through him mind.

Having become lost in those dark thoughts Scott didn't notice
Beryl look up at him but somehow knew the lurch of her pulse was not one of fear and his desire raced with hers as he felt the mounting pressure of release.

Scott gave a guttural moan, arching his hips upward as his lust
spilled onto Beryl's welcoming mouth. The slick salinity of him
filled her throat as Beryl's eyes fixed on the image of Scott's lips
parted to show the fangs that just now thrilled her to the core.
Without fear or revulsion she looked at Scott's mouth, he had
not begun to Read her but somehow to see her regarding him so openly sent a jolt through him. Beryl reached up and touched Scott's lips and gazed at him with a loo k so loving Scott was petrified for a
moment.

Heaving himself to his feet Scott disappeared into his house
while Beryl gathered their clothes. She sat down on the bench for a
few minutes before entering, sure that she had done something wrong to make Scott leave so quickly.

Scott saw on his bed, opening a second bag of blood, at a total
loss for what to say to Beryl when he returned downstairs. Aside from the passion he felt for Beryl was the love that had blossomed here. Why then did he keep having the desire to turn her? He didn't want to cause her pain but the thought of her blood could drive him mad. This was twice in four days that he'd felt the will to turn her. She had expressed a distaste at the thought of becoming a revenant and there was no way to insure that she wouldn't become that very thing if he attempted to do the forbidden.

What then? Would he always feel this torment? Would he one day
not be able to stop himself?

If Beryl was turned she might hate him for damning her to the
life of constantly craving human blood. If she became a revenant she
would be destroyed. The thought that he could doom the woman he loved sent jagged slivers of ice into Scott's veins.

Beryl sat at the table in Scott's kitchen nursing a cup of
coffee. She stared down into the creamy liquid trying to decide what
she should do. She heard Scott moving around upstairs, as he had been for over an hour now. The sky had darkened from navy to ebony but still Scott stayed in his room.

Beryl stood and approached the bottom of the stairs when his
footsteps began to descend. Both unsure what to say to the other, a
silence loomed until Scott wrapped his arms about Beryl softly,
releasing a ragged breath.

Having promised to be honest Scott didn't want to dodge the
issue. "I'm afraid I'm going to hurt you someday."

Beryl looked up into Scott's hazel eyes a nd put her hand on his
stubbly cheek. "I'm not."

Scott leaned forward until their foreheads touched. "I love
you." he said.

It took three-and-a-half hours to drive to Miami. Scott and
Beryl left just after breakfast when they found out that Mike and
Sean had flown in that morning. Paul was still on vacation with
Stephanie and Kevin would be meeting them in Montgomery.
As soon as they reached the arena Scott went to have a talk with
those The Order had given him charge of.

Of the two dozen vampires that worked for the company, nineteen
worked on RAW. Seven were wrestlers (including Scott), seven were
security, three were on the production staff, one was on the road
crew and Gordy, who'd left Beryl in charge of the med room for awhile.

Scott's assertion of his authority was met with mixed reactions,
most of the dissenters being from Grey's line. Being that Scott still
had Vonnegut's backing none of them s aid so very loudly.

"When you find another member of their line they'll be easier to
reach." Gordy tried to grin reassuringly at Scott as they walked back
to the medical room.

"Finding one of them I can trust is like trying to find a
vegetarian crocodile." Scott scoffed. He hadn't even needed to Scan
them to know they were unhappy with him. There were three members of Grey's line presented that hunted and they all had little liking of being told how to conduct their affairs.

"They're not all of Grey's ilk." Gordy counseled. "A good many
of our line hunt and don't forget the one who turned you didn't
exactly ask your permission first."

Scott was silent, he had never liked discussing the beginnings
of this strange voyage he was on. In fact, Beryl was the only person
outside of The Kliq he'd ever told. Gordy knew because he'd come
across Scott before Scott had learned to block form his own line. It
was Gordy who'd taught him how actually.

The pair turned into the medical room. "It went that well, did
it?" Beryl asked seeing the expression on Scott's face. She handed
him a bag from the unmarked box.

"I'm taking you on the run tomorrow," Gordy smirked. "You ought
to know where the Orlando storehouse is."

Even though he wasn't Kliq, Gordy was connected in The Order
being the go-to guy for those that chose to have their blood
supplied. That meant he had specific procedures to follow and now
that Beryl was in on the big secret, most of it anyway, Gordy spent
the next hour explaining what those procedures were.

"It's true," Beryl said pulling an expression of incredulity at
the long winded protocol they had to follow in the acquisition of
blood. "There's a bureaucracy for everything."

Gordy gave Beryl a sharp look, hoping she was taking this
seriously because if the policies weren't adhered to they wouldlikely both get a visit.

That was the quietest moment of the evening. The last night of a
full moon, the crowd was again rather loopy and two security guards
were injured. Ivory twisted her ankle, Molly Holly pulled a muscle in
her abdomen and Bubba Ray Dudley hurt his back lifting Rob Van Dam over the rope to drop him on hate table.
Mike's wife, Rebecca had come with him and they were staying in
a hotel near the arena but Sean rode with Scott and Beryl back to
Orlando.

Despite the late hour Scott and Beryl were packing their bags so
they could sleep-in in the morning. They were all flying to
Montgomery as soon as the Orlando show was over.

Scott was taking the larger bags to the car and Beryl stepped
into the glass block shower. She didn't linger as she would have if
Scott had joined her and she was toweling her hair when he came back in.

"Have you seen my black nightie?" Beryl asked as she rummaged
through the over night bag that still sat on Scott's bed.

"And how." he said surveying the view of Beryl's thighs beneath
the rich green bath towel. She looked at him with a pretty sidelong
smirk. "You packed it." he said.

"Darn."

"I figured you just weren't planning on wearing one." Scott
smiled devilishly, before opening a drawer in his dresser. "Here," he
tossed Beryl a blue pajama top.

She bit her lip smilingly at the familiar gesture and wrapped
herself in the luxurious silken article. After packing his bag Scott
dressed in the matching bottoms. Beryl stepped forward and sat her
bag at the foot of the bed as Scott did the same and they turned down the blankets. In only five days they were already adapting to a
common ritual.

"Time for bed." Scott looked in Beryl's smiling eyes. Her pulse
skipped a bit when he swept a damp strand of her hair behind her ear.

A swarm of butterflies took flight in Beryl's stomach at the way
Scott tilted his head to the side when he looked at her like this.
The blue-gray of Beryl's eyes was softly illuminated by the lamp
at the bedside table and Scott thought he could drown in them with
little complaint. Pulling her down to the combed cotton sheets Scott
held Beryl firmly to him.

A peaceful sigh escaped Beryl's lips. "You're going to spoil me."

"Rats." Scott laughed. "You're onto me."

"Is that a suggestion?" she squeezed his thigh.

"Every time I think I can spend the night just holding you I
find I need to do more."

"Whatever could cause you to feel that way." a wicked tone
suffused Beryl's voice as her hand continued its journey upward.

"I wonder." Scott said adjusting his pajama bottoms and pulling
Beryl on top of him. A seductive smile lit his face in the
moonlight. "I doubt Sean's asleep yet, he was still on the phone a
few minutes a go."

"Then don't moan so loud." Beryl teased bracing her palms in the
crisping of dark hair that covered Scott's torso as she moved against
him.

Gordy joined Scott, Beryl, Sean, Mike and Rebecca for a late
lunch down the street from the arena in Orlando. Just after the
waitress brought their food Scott, Sean and Mike all received a call
on their cell phones simultaneously, which usually meant it was The
Order calling them to a meeting with their contact.

The three of them stood. "C'mon." Mike said to Gordy. "We're
inviting you."

"You guys get the call?" a voice asked. Scott turned to see
Paul and Stephanie walking in.

"Yeah."

"Sorry, babe." Paul kissed Stephanie and she sat in the chair
Gordy had just vacated.

"That's all right." Stephanie smiled

"This town's full of malls," Rebecca sipped her coffee. "I'm
sure we'll find something to do."

"You be all right?" Scott asked kissing Beryl deeply. Stephanie
and Paul exchanged surprised looks.

"I should think so." Beryl said. "Be careful."

"Careful as the situation calls for." Scott said close to her
ear.

"I'll see she gets to work." Stephanie smiled.
The five men exited and Stephanie leaned over the table with
a "let's dish" look on her face. "I thought you two were on the outs."

"It was a misunderstanding." Beryl said, unsure of how much
these women knew.

"Thought you guys were gone a few more days." Sean said to Paul
as the men climbed into the mini-van.

"I was taking my sabbatical. As soon as I came to I got word
that we might be taking a meeting soon." Paul turned to
Scott. "What's with the lovey-dovey, bra?" he grinned. "The last time
I saw you two together you were ready to clean each other's clocks."

Scott grinned self-consciously. "She knows."

"You told her?" Paul raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"Didn't have much choice, she saw me."

Paul shook his head. "Last month we come back to find you're
sweet on her, now it's full-fledged lip locks. What am I going to
find next time, a wedding invitation? I may be a canine, brother but
you're a dog."

Scott's phone rang again as they neared the store house. It was
a staticy squall but he heard enough to tell it was Kevin and his
plane was delayed. He conveyed the message.

"We can fill him in tonight." Paul said.

Anyone driving by a storehouse, and there would be little reason
to do so, would see only a large deserted-seeming warehouse of
neutral color set back from the street. It would lay across a vast
parking lot that appeared to have once accommodated hundreds of cars but now only occupied by the tall scattered weeds that grew up in wide cracks in the concrete. Most of the places were surrounded by chain link fence complete with guar d station at the mechanical gate.

The gate was never closed, the guard station never manned because
presumably there was nothing here to guard. Often a sign hung on the fence that read 'for sale' in paint so faded it was barely legible.
Even the wayward driver looking for a place to turn around would
see the broken glass of the guard station windows and decide that a U-turn was more advisable. From time-to-time unmarked trucks would drive up, or a car would pull into the lot and but they would park behind the building and no one would see the occupants.

The two vehicles pulled into the derelict parking lot. One a
dark sedan that people tended to look away from if it came into their vision and the other a maroon Chevy Astra carrying five men who were so much more than they seemed, some vastly so.

"Sit down." a voice instructed as Scott, Paul, Mike, Sean and
Gordy entered a room deep in the bowels of the large warehouse. They turned to see where the voice came from and saw Vonnegut sitting at a long table.

The spaces nearest the dour looking man were empty but five
chairs at the opposite end had been pulled out. Vonnegut didn't repeat himself but waited expectantly for the men to comply.
Vonnegut was not one with whom it was difficult to tell where
you stood. Two of the places were lade with the type of ornate
chalices Vonnegut thought it was a vampire's inherent right to drink
from. The others were somewhat less spectacular. One of the chalices sat at the opposite end of the table from Vonnegut and this is where Scott sat. Thought he had summoned all of The Kliq, it was

Scott with whom he would speak. Scott looked at the blood inside his goblet. He wouldn't partake of anything given in the spirit that these other men were less than he. None of the others paid much attention to the things placed before them.

Vonnegut quietly noted the refusal of his hospitality. " I
haven't the time to dally today so I'll get right to the point." He
began. "Grey never got off the plane six days ago."
Scott and Gordy didn't look at each other as they connected
quickly.

"He was accounted for until her boarded the plane." Scott
informed Vonnegut who looked Scott dead in the eye. Outwardly Scott appeared to be giving Vonnegut his undivided attention but from the moment they'd entered the warehouse he'd put to use one of the abilities he'd been using since he was turned. A kind of echo
location. As a single parent it was useful to know every cough and
murmur made in the night by his children. That same sharpened sense of hearing gave Scott the whereabouts of four others hiding in the dark corners of the room.

"He was not accounted for getting off the plane. You and he were
at odds, threats were made."

Scott leaned back in his chair with an almost bored
expression. "He was Reading a human who was bloc king. I warned him of the dangers and he began to target her."

"This same girl you told of your and our existence?"

"She channeled Grey." Gordy interjected. "She would have figured
out that he was responsible for at least one death."

Scott remained silent as Vonnegut's eyes slid toward Gordy but
he didn't respond.

Vonnegut lifted his hand and waved to fingers beckoning someone
forward. A tall woman with dark hair approached and sat a file in
front of the elder vampire. She stood back from his chair but did not retreat into the shadows. The elder opened the file with the tip of his left index finger.

"Chrysoberyl Therese Pemberton. Aged 28. Born in Lafayette,
Louisiana. We've had our eye on this one for a long time. Her mother had pronounced telekinesis, much like Mr. Hickenbottom only not quite as adept."

"And your nephew read her on at least five occasions." Scott
said, not liking the connotation of Beryl being watched by anyone but him.

"I know the faults of those in my house." Vonnegut said his jaw
tight.

"You merely chose to ignore them." Scott stood. The others
followed suit. "I should think you've got your hands full with a
rogue vampire running loose. We won't take up anymore of your time."

As a unit the five men approached the door. None of Vonnegut's
associates tried to stop them.

Mike looked side long at Scott as they neared the van. "You
think pissing him off is a really good idea right now."

"He has bigger fish to fry, especially if Grey goes on a spree."
Scott said.

"And where do you suppose he is." Mike said and all of them
paused.

Paul pulled out his cell phone and hit a programmed
number. "Stephanie, get all three of you to the arena right now."

When The Kliq arrived at the arena the three women were sitting
in the cafeteria drinking coffee. Scot t lay a hand on Beryl's
shoulder as he approached, squeezing softly.

"How was your afternoon out with the girls?" he winked, but
Beryl thought he looked a bit troubled. Stephanie had been in a
dressing room at the mall when Paul's call came through and she
hadn't told Beryl or Rebecca how urgent he sounded.

"Is everything all right?" Beryl asked Scott as he leaned
forward to kiss her.

"Can't talk now." he replied next to her ear.

"Love birds." Stephanie smirked laughingly. "You guys going out
after the show."

"I don't think any of will have much of a chance today." Paul
said. They hadn't even been able to check into a hotel yet.

"Come on, kiddo." Gordy said from the doorway. "The troops are
coming in."

"See you guys later." Beryl stood and Scott kissed her again and
smiled as she followed Gordy to the medical room.

"You were right, sweetheart," Rebecca smiled at Mike. " He is
head-over-heels."

Scott smirked at the two couples who were smiling at him. "Yeah,
so?"

Though Beryl asked Gordy more subtly he was no more forthcoming
with details of the situation than Scott had been. Gordy went to give
Randy Orton on ice pack for a hyper-extended wrist and Scott entered closing the door behind him.

Knowing she wasn't going to get any answers until Scott was
good and ready Beryl stretched up to kiss him. Scott held her gently
looking into her eyes.

"Don't go anywhere alone. okay?" he said at last.

"That sounds just a touch ominous." Beryl scowled.

"I'll tell you when I can, but there's too many people here with
unknown allegiances."

"Then you need to be careful, too."

Scott grinned with bravado. "I'm a big boy, I can handle myself."

"You were a big boy when you were turned too." Beryl scowled at
Scott's seeming unconcern for his own safety.< BR>

"I'll be cautious." Scott replied smoothly at her worry. "I plan
to be around a long time putting that vexed look on your face."

"Make sure you do." Beryl lay her cheek against Scott's chest
trying to contain the quake in her voice.

"Baby, don't worry." Scott whispered softly, holding Beryl to
him. Again he relaxed into her heartbeat, feeling the heat of her
through the fabric of her shirt. He nuzzled her hair breathing in her
perfume. Beryl held Scott around his chest beneath the leather jacket and closed her eyes as his own pulse could be heard as she leaned against him.

"I gotta go, babe." Scott pulled away from Beryl. "Don't go
anywhere alone?" he repeated.

"I won't." Beryl said as Scott kissed her forehead. Scott
caressed Beryl's cheek tenderly and left to get ready for another
match with Rene DuPres.

Quickly wrapping a towel around his waist Scott stepped from the
shower to grab his cel l phone. "Hello."

"Hey, its me." Kevin replied. "I just got in. What was the hub-
bub?"

"I'll tell you when I see you." Scott said. "There's no sense
heading here. Rob didn't make it either." Referring to the match
Kevin and Rob Van Dam were scheduled to have.

"Where you guys staying?"

"Don't have a place yet, give me a call when you get checked in
some place and we'll head over there."

The main event hadn't been decided yet and only two people had
been injured, both lightly. Beryl and Gordy waited in the wings
watching the match (Sean and Paul against The Dudley's). It ended
well and after Sean and Paul had showered and changed they met the
others out by the cars, which were parked together.

Both vehicles were pulling into traffic when Scott's phone
rang. "Kevin's at Red Roof."

The eight of them checked into five rooms after stopping at a
Wendy's drive-thru for dinner. Scott and Beryl had a corner room on the third floor.

They sat on the bed cross legged once again.

"How's your arm?" Beryl asked noticing that Scott was rubbing
his right elbow next to an old surgical scar.

"Just a little stiff." he shrugged.

Beryl sighed. "So why didn't you come to get it looked at?"

"I'll be fine. It does this every now and then."

Beryl sat her remaining French fries aside and came to her knees
kneeling next to Scott who released a soft sigh and resigned himself
to the examination letting her carefully flex his arm, asking when it
hurt or became difficult to move.

"It's a little inflamed." Beryl stood and grabbed the ice
bucket. "We should pack that."

"You're not going alone." Scott eyed her meaningfully.

"Scott," Beryl rolled her eyes when Scott took hold of her
hand. "The ice machine's right down the hall."

Scott pulled her back. "I prefer a ho t pack."

"A moist heat as I recall." Beryl smirked as Scott's arm wound
around her. "You're trying to change the subject." she giggled as
Scott nuzzled her throat.

"No, I'm not." Scott said between kisses. "Is it working?"

"No," Beryl smiled letting Scott lead her to the mattress.

"That's a shame." he said unbuttoning Beryl's jeans. "I had such
hopes."

"Hate to disappoint." Beryl said wrapping her arms about Scott's
neck.

"I'll try to contain my misery." Scott slid his hand under
Beryl's tee shirt.

Kevin opened the door as Mike and Sean entered.

"Paul and Scott aren't here yet, we should wait for them." Mike
said sitting at the table as a tapping on the wall began.

"Damn!" Kevin running a towel threw his hair. "Whatever that
guy's eating I need some. This is twice now."

"Well it has been nine whole hours." Sean rolled his eyes as
Mike let Paul in. "Scott's next door." He answered Kevin's puzzled
look.

"Who?" Kevin scowled for a moment. "Not Beryl. They were ready
to throw down last week."

"That's what I thought until I saw them at lunch." Paul grinned.

"So what happened?"

"Chapter two." Mike smiled. He hadn't told the others exactly
what he'd seen when he met Beryl or when Scott and Beryl shook hands in the med room at Spokane Arena. Explaining the intricacies of visual auras was much more complicated than telling someone that vampires and werewolves existed. But after Scott told him how Beryl effected him Mike began to develop a theory of why Scott had reacted to strongly to Beryl.

"Well they wrote a couple of chapters this morning." Sean said
picking up the hotel phone.

"Scott already knows what's going on." Mike said scowling at Sean
who put the phone back down.

"So who's going to let me in on it?" Kevin smirked.

"Your favorite a sshole and mine." Sean replied.

"What about him?"

"He's unaccounted for." Mike answered. Gordy saw him get onto the
plane but he didn't get off in LA. Vonnegut has people questioning
the one who were supposed to watch in Kansas City but no word yet on what they found out."

Kevin looked at Mike for a moment. "The last time we saw him he
was about to go after Beryl. Did anyone tell her?"

"Scott warned her to be careful, but couldn't give her details."
Sean said.

"Maybe I shouldn't be the only one hearing this then." Kevin
said. "How much does she know?"

"She saw Scott the other night. It was pretty hairy for a while
but thanks to her we made it out." Mike replied. "Turns out she might be a repressing TK agent."

"Well, she did block pretty quickly and she channeled in barely
six weeks." Kevin said. "But maybe she'll be more comfortable with
getting the rest of the story if she had comp any." he suggested.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mike raised an eyebrow.

"I can't answer of Paul but I say if we're bringing her in we do
it all the way." Kevin looked at HHH.

"I think it's probably best under the circumstances." Paul said
taking out his cell phone and dialing his room number.

Scott called Mike on the hotel phone.
"Hello," Scott answered on the third ring.

"It's Mike."

"Kevin ready?"

"Actually we decided that the both of you better come."

"Both of us?" Scott turned to Beryl who was standing in the
doorway of the bathroom and she scowled.

"Paul and Kevin figure we might as well pull out all the stops."
Mike smiled to himself, he hadn't told Scott his theory. "Oh
yeah, I think so."

"Give us a couple of minutes." Scott sat the receiver in its
cradle.

"What?" Beryl asked.

"You'll find out." Scott said adjusting the w ater temperature in
the shower. He looked at Beryl, hoping it wouldn't all prove too much for her. She'd gone through so much already.

She'll be fine, the inner voice said. She's strong.

Much like the reality of vampires, Beryl learned that night that
the lore of lycanthropes was often off the mark.

Beryl and Scott entered the room next door to find not only the
guys waiting for them but Stephanie and Rebecca too. Rebecca handed Beryl a cup of coffee.

"You're going to need that." Mike said. "First of all, we know
Scott couldn't really say earlier why it is we were called to a
meeting with a council member and I suppose we ought to start there.

"Our contact informed us that Grey isn't where he was expected
to be and has been missing for the last six days."

Beryl looked at Mike for a long moment. She could feel that
everyone was waiting to see her reaction. "Are you expecting tears?"
she said thro ugh clenched teeth. Some of them appeared a bit shocked at her bitter tone, Scott was not among them. "I spent the last month and a half seeing what that sick bastard is capable of and feeling how much he enjoyed the fear of that girl. If he's gone I say 'good riddance'."

Kevin snorted. "I'd agree with you, but we didn't say he was
gone. No one knows where Grey is."

"The council mandates that all hunter-vampires be accounted for
at all times," Gordy explained. "Somehow he slipped through."

Beryl turned to face this man who had come to see her almost as
a niece. "And they just told you this morning?"

Mike and Scott exchanged looks, she had voiced a concern they
all had.

"Be that as it may," Mike interjected. "We thought you should
know so you can take care."

"I'll grow eyes in the back of my head and learn to sleep with
all of them open." Beryl stepped a bit closer to Scott.

"Well," Paul s aid standing. He nodded to Stephanie and she did
the same. Kevin was already on his feet and the three of them stood
in the middle of the room. "That's another thing we wanted to tell
you, that you don't have to do that because you're not alone."
The legends of werewolves say that they can change on the full
moon. In fact, they can transform at anytime but the full moon forces them to. It was a voluntary change that Beryl witnessed these three endure and the process was accompanied but Mike trying to explain as Beryl stood half terrified and half transfixed.

"Its more violent at the moon." he said. "They take sedatives
and sleep during the worst of it. Otherwise they'd be almost totally
savage."

"When people say I'm the biggest bitch in the business, honey,
they ain't kidding." Stephanie winked as she reverted to her human
form.

Beryl watched as Paul did the same but Kevin stayed canine for
another moment eying Bery l closely.

"Um," she said feeling like a special on lamb chops. "Scott."

"You're all right, babe." Scott said, the oddness had long ago
worn off for him. "He won't hurt you."

"What did you think I meant when I said that we'd all spent a
lot of time and energy making sure you stay safe?" Gordy said.

"When we saw that Grey had picked you, and it didn't take him long to do so, we began an almost ceaseless watch."

"Of course now Scott does it nearly all by himself." Sean
smirked.

Kevin stretched as he took on the more familiar aspect once
again. "We'll continue that until Grey is found and dealt with."

"Which I dare say is not as harshly as he deserves." Paul said.

"I don't know," Scott said. "He's always been unruly to say the
least but now he's making Vonnegut lose face. Not to mention that
he's bringing in unwelcome attention."

"Rogue vampire." Mike said. "After the under age girl in
California, he'll have a hard time of it at least."

Kevin winked at Beryl. "Werewolves and vampires and bears, oh
my."

RAW was in Montgomery, Alabama according to the map but it felt
like they were broadcasting from the pits of Hell. An ongoing drought and heat wave made the atmosphere rather unpleasant and it seemed as though every time Gordy and Beryl tried to catch their breath someone else needed doctoring up.

Eddie Guerreau and Spike Dudley made an unplanned dive into the
front row and a little boy was accidentally kicked in the face
causing a horrible now bleed. Gordy wouldn't let Beryl go into the
crowd given the current danger but soon she was busy with a cut on
Brock Lesner's shoulder where he'd smacked into the ring steps.
Six pulled muscles, a strained back and one broken wrist later
all nine of them sat to a late dinner before some caught flights home
and the others returned to the hotel.

"You guys coming out?" Kevin asked Scott.

"I haven't had a chance to ask." Scott turned to Beryl. "The
annual convention's this week, wanna come?"

"Convention?"

"If you're up to it, we're all meeting at my house Wednesday.
It's easier to talk there, no prying eyes and ears."

"None but ours watching over you." Scott smiled in the lopsided
way Beryl had grown so fond of.

"Sounds like fun."

"The annual Children of the Night Retreat." Sean smirked. "It's
a hoot."

"Don't you mean a howl?" Stephanie grinned.

"When's you guys' flight?" Rebecca asked.

"1:06." Beryl replied looking at her watch.

"WE better go." Scott said. It was a non-stop flight and they
slept most of the way.

"You showed me your baby." Beryl said as they made their way
across the long term parking lot. "This is mine." A black Mustang
convertible stood in the tinted glow of the soda lights. It was just
after four in the morning Pacific Time and the sun was staining the
late August sky.

Having gotten a fair amount of sleep on the plane Scott and
Beryl were ready for the day and by the time they reached her house
the sun was high.

They walked down a path that wound through a copse of trees
before continuing down the eastern side of a valley to a meadow
surrounding a small lake. Beryl and Scott carried a cooler between
them and a pair of fishing poles.

"Whoa!" Scott paused as the path opened to the view of the
mountains and fragrant pine trees.

Beryl smiled fondly at Scott's reaction. "Come on, city boy.
There's a whole lake full of Trout waiting for us."

They spent the early afternoon doing almost as much fishing as
kissing, then sat to the sandwiches and fruit Beryl had packed when
neither of them had gotten any bites.

As the shadows lengthened Scott and Ber yl sat in the tall grass
at the edge of the water watching butterflies make busy circles among the wild flowers that dotted the meadow. Scott lay back and Beryl rested her head on his shoulder and they made pictures of clouds.

Once or twice they heard the distant whine of dirt bikes but
otherwise the universe existed for them alone.

Scott shifted to put his arm under Beryl's head. She lay her leg
over Scott's and he held her right hand in his across his stomach
with fingers entwined. His thumb stroked hers absently.

"If you could invite five people to dinner, who would they be
and what would you serve?" Scott asked. Beryl smiled at the getting-
to-know-you question but she didn't hesitate answering it.

"You, your kids and my parents." she said. "I don't care what
we eat."

"God, I'm sorry." Scott scowled, turning to his side. "I didn't
mean to be-"

"It was a fair question." Beryl put her finge rtips to Scott's
lips. "And that's my answer to it." She looked up into Scott's eyes,
her heart began to race as Scott's gaze became downright wolfish.

"Mmm." Scott looked at Beryl as she lay beside him in the
aftermath. "Did you know you make love in rhythm with your heart?" he whispered hotly in her ear.

"You can hear people's hearts?"

"Just yours." he kissed her forehead.

"Scott that is so sweet." Beryl cooed.

"It sort of freaked me out at first, actually. Then it nearly
drove me mad."

"I think my heart stopped when I first saw you." She softly
touched the stubble on his chin.

Scott smiled, pulling Beryl close against him. "I couldn't hear
it right away."

Beryl shifted until she was resting her head on her arms across
Scott's chest. "When did you first hear it?" she asked looking into
his face.

"The first night of the carnival I felt it when we touched.

After the fireworks I heard it whenever we were next to each other
but now I hear it most of the time. Not while you're in another
state or anything but if you're in the same room." Scott lay his hand
lightly on Beryl's back.

"What does it sound like?"

"There's a bit of a murmur that worries me a little." Scott ran
his thumb over Beryl's lip. "Did you have that before I stopped your
heart?" he laughed fondly.

"Don't tease." Beryl brought her palm softly down on Scott's
chest. "You were my favorite wrestler before we met. I was petrified."

"And who was your favorite before that?" Scott said feigning
insult.

"There was this one guy-I can't remember his name but he had
such a nice ass."

"Really?" Scott smirked almost wondering if he'd heard her
right.

"What was his name?" Beryl eyed Scott mischievously. "Pins?
Needles?"

"Razor Ramon?" Scott said in the thick accent tha t had been part
of that persona.

"No, that wasn't it." Beryl nuzzled Scott's chest playfully.

Scott gave a crooked smile and swatted Beryl's bottom. "Brat."

Lost in the bliss of each other's company Scott and Beryl became
aware at the same time that something was amiss. Scott's head came up as they broke a deep kiss and he listened tensely.

The birds that had been serenading them and insects that trilled
in the woods had all fallen silent. "Stay down." Scott instructed in
a gentle but firm tone as he crouched to see just above the top of
the tall foliage. For a fleeting moment Scott was sure he had seen a
figure moving among the trees back the way they had come.

"Is there another way back to your house?" he asked quietly.

"Old logging road on the other side of the lake." Beryl answered.

"Let's go." Scott helped Beryl to her feet. "If we get separated
try to make it to your house. Call Kev in and stay there until the
guys come to get you." The color was fading from Beryl's cheeks that had been flushed from Scott's fervent kisses a moment before.
Scott followed Beryl closely as she headed toward the dirt lane.
Stepping onto the dusty track Beryl came up short bumping into Scott as a green SUV screamed on its brakes. Scott shoved Beryl behind him not deferring to the marking that identified this as a police vehicle.

"Barrel?" a middle-aged man in dark glasses said as the window
slid down on its track.

"Howard?" Beryl peeked around Scott's arm since he still stood
in front of her holding her in place.

"You all right?" The man eyed Scott with open suspicion.

"Yeah, Howard." Beryl pushed past Scott squeezing his hand
reassuringly. "This is Scott."

The officer nodded quickly. "Mrs. Sears said you weren't alone.
I was looking for you in the woods. You shouldn't be traipsing about
with all the t rouble lately."

"What trouble?" Beryl asked.

"State boys found a body just over Painter's Peak." Howard
pointed to the mountain behind them. "Girl missing from Kansas City."

"I hadn't heard." Beryl swallowed but tried not to look
abnormally shaken by the news.

"Hop in. I'll give you folks a lift back to your aunt's house."

"That's a good idea, babe." Scott said steering Beryl toward the
rear door with a hand at the small of her back.

"Place has been a madhouse the last couple of days." Howard said
as he continued toward a turnaround. "Once they ID'd the body the
feds started swarming about and the press wasn't far behind."

"When did they find her?" Beryl asked.

"Last Wednesday at Rider Creek Flats." the deputy replied. "You
remember that place?"

Beryl scratched behind her ear self-consciously. "I remember you
marching me home from there at One o'clock in the morning and being grounded from everything but breathing for the next two months."

Scott looked at Beryl with a raised brow but at the moment they
had more important things to consider. Beryl was thinking along the
same lines. The girl was missing from the place Grey was most likely
at when he slipped away from him watchers and her body turns up
practically in Beryl's back yard.

"What happened?" Beryl asked trying to keep the tone of
concerned but uninvolved citizen although inwardly she shaken.
Wednesday was when she had sensed the all-too-familiar sensation of being watched. She had convinced herself it was nerves at the time but now she wondered.

"Some kids came tearing down the hill and got stopped by a state
trooper."

Beryl grabbed Scott's hand. "Did they see who did it?"

"Now that's where the thing gets sketchy." Howard's brow
crinkled.

Howard Silvers had been a friend of Beryl's Uncle Charles and
Beryl knew when he said "sketchy" he meant that things had parted
with well defined normality.

"According to what they were ranting when they were-well, you
know what goes on up there." Howard gave Beryl a hard look. "Girl
gets nervous, the young man decides it's time to go, the headlights
catch something up a path. They gave the trooper a rambling
description but when he got them to the station they both denied
seeing who did it. They remember seeing the girl's body but not the
guy.

"What you think, Barrel?" Howard asked mispronouncing her name
as he and most people did but sincerely seeking her medical
opinion. "Can they both suffer traumatic mental repression?"

Beryl was at a loss. Of course she couldn't tell him what she
thought had happened. Scott looked at her.

"More likely they saw her body and their imaginations got the
better of them."

Howard didn't say anything more until he wished them a good
afternoon and reminded Beryl to lock her doors.

As soon as the front door closed behind them Scott was dialing
his phone. Beryl took a step toward the kitchen but Scott grabbed her arm.

"Stay put."

"Okay," Tamara Nash's voice said from the other end of the
line. "but supper will burn if I can't get it out of the oven." she
sniffed.

"Sorry," Scott smiled. "You can move. I know how grumpy the big
guy gets if he doesn't get fed."

Tamara chuckled. "He's watching the game if you need to talk
with him, Scott."

"Please." While Tamara took the phone to Kevin Scott turned to
Beryl. "I'd rather you let me check the house out first." Beryl
nodded.

"Hey, what's up?" Kevin asked.

"I think he was here." Scott said and told Kevin about the
girl's body.

"You're already booked for tomorrow." Kevin said. "Take that
flight but call before you take off. If a nything else happens get
yourselves to a safe house. One off the network."

Scott insisted that Beryl remained locked her bathroom when he
went to search her attic rooms. It was a ten-minute eternity where
every sound was amplified in the windowless darkness.

When Scott finally returned Beryl busied herself with making
dinner and playing spades with Scott when she wasn't' stirring or
draining. Scott helped her peel potatoes and prepared a homemade
barbecue sauce from things in the pantry.

After dinner, Beryl stretched out on her bed in the finished
attic suite.

"It's been ten years since I had a guy up here." she winked.

"Were you still grounded at the time?" Scott teased.

Scott called Kevin just before the doors of the plane closed and
the pilot asked all passengers to turn off their cell phones. Kevin
met them two and a half hours later in Phoenix.

Sean pulled into Kevin's driveway ahead of them, so they were
all there. Kevin pulled the large Suburban past his garage, down a
dirt track and through a row of trees.

"I got you guys, Mike and Becka in the guest house." Kevin
said. "We'll drop your stuff off and head back up to the big house
for supper."

"Hey, guys." Paul waved as Scott, Beryl, and Kevin came out onto
the large redwood deck.

"You bring a bathing suit, Beryl?" Stephanie asked. "Likely us
ladies will be left to wallow in misery around the pool while the
guys talk shop."

"Speaking of that," Kevin said. "We probably better have a short
chat."

"That's our cue," Stephanie stood. "Lets go see if Tam and Becka
need help with dinner."

Beryl followed her into the house. "Need a hand?" she asked.

"Yeah," Tamara smiled wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Becka
and I were going to play spades. Now we can play teams."
"Coffee?" Rebecca asked.

" Please." Beryl smiled.

"Life's short. Eat dessert first." Tamara said taking a dish of
lemon meringue out of the fridge.

"I hear that." Stephanie grabbed four saucers. "What happened
anyway? We heard Grey might be up to no good."

"Sounds like his handiwork." Beryl shuddered.

"Let the guys worry about such unpleasantness." Tamara said
dishing up the pie.

"Don't think about all that." Rebecca carried a try of demitasse
cups to a small table that stood in an alcove off the kitchen. The
four women sat to a game of spades; stirring pans of sauce, basting
chicken or checking a kettle of potatoes between hands. In the last
hand both teams (Tamara and Rebecca against Beryl and Stephanie) were tied at eight points and they both bid six tricks.

The sliding glass doors to the deck scraped along its track,
Kevin and Scott entered.

"Spades?" Kevin arched an interested brow, kissing Tamara on the
temple. As he straightened he pulled a card from her hand and tossed it into play.

"No help from the peanut gallery!" Stephanie scowled, that card
gave Tamara and Rebecca their sixth trick. She and Beryl only had
four and it looked like they might get set. "You watch out, Beryl.

These two only play cutthroat, when we let them play."
Scott leaned into Beryl's ear, tickling her neck with his
breath. "Play the jack, see what draws." he suggested in a whisper.
The earlier tricks had mostly gone off-suit and if Tamara or
Rebecca were holding higher spades, they were holding them back
because Beryl took the trick and Stephanie nearly came out of her
chair with a whoop.

"They were killing me with off-suit." she said laying down the
ace and queen.

"King must be buried." Rebecca said as Beryl marked the two
points to win the game.

"Either way, dinner needs tending to." Tamara said.

"Need a h and?" Kevin asked, holding her by the waist as they and
Rebecca went into the kitchen.

"Those are heavy." Scott said to Stephanie who was hoisting a
tall stack of plates. "Give 'em here." Beryl followed Scott outside
with handfuls of silverware.

"What's everyone drinking?" Stephanie asked entering the kitchen
where Kevin was lifting a large roaster pan from the oven for Tamara.

"Go ask Beryl if she wants a soda or a beer." Kevin said to Sean.

"Just get her a soda." Tamara said.

"Why?"

Tamara fixed her husband with an I-know-you-aren't-that-naive
look. "Because Scott might be using it later."

"They don't do that." Kevin scoffed, blushing slightly.

"And you know how they get down do you?" Tamara's expression
hardened into the one that had always more than negated Kevin's
greater height.

He took a can from the chiller and handed it to Sean. "Soda it
is."

T he nine companions laughed and talked as they sat to their
dinner, passing platters of chicken and bowls of vegetables among
themselves. A casual gathering peopled in a slight majority by men
meant several times the biscuits got pitched rather than passed.

"Quit it!" Tamara scowled giving Sean a tap on the back of the
head after he'd tossed a roll to Stephanie, who'd caught it deftly.
Talk of such common things as how the kids were doing over
vacation, the score of the baseball game last weekend or how much the gas mileage of a vehicle had improved since the guys had tinkered with it made Beryl soon forget the fact that she was the target of a homicidal maniac on the loose. With good company and Scott's arm around her all was right with the world.

"This is the best part." Rebecca smiled as the guys stood.
Scott picked up his and Beryl's plates and disappeared into the
house with the other men.

"About half a dozen times a year Kevin does this." Tamara said
watching Kevin's backside. Beryl smiled as she and Stephanie's eyes
met. Beryl didn't have any siblings and her aunt and uncle had never
had children of their own. This was the first time she'd felt like
part of a large family and all she'd done is walked in the front door.
The guys came back carrying strawberry short cake and served it
to their ladies. Sean poured them coffee and then they returned with
their own plates.

Dishes were an assembly-line affair. Kevin, Scott and Sean
cleared the table, Mike, Paul and Stephanie washed while Rebecca,
Tamara and Beryl dried and put them away. Afterward Sean, Paul,
Kevin and Scott played two-on-two basketball in the driveway. Scott
and Paul played skins and Beryl had a hard time keeping up with the
conversation as the ladies and Mike sat on the front porch watching.
Noticing Beryl watching him with a desirous smile, Scott aped a
Hulk-Hogan-like mu scle flex. Beryl laughed.

"Whoo-hoo, baby," Stephanie joked.

While Scott was mugging Sean was charging up toward the hoop
with Paul hot on his trail. Sean smashed into Scott they were both
sent sprawling, Sean's elbow connecting painfully with the concrete.
Beryl was down the steps, hurrying to Scott's side. "I'm fine."
he said. "Check Sean."

Beryl looked at the scraped up hide on Sean's arm after
escorting him into the house. Tamara pulled open the mirror, sat a
bottle of peroxide and box of gauze on the table where Sean sat.
"Good thing we finally got a medic on the team, huh?" Tamara
joked to Sean not noticing when Beryl looked at her. "If you hook up
with a lawyer the ten of us will be able to start society over again
if the Apocalypse comes." She winked like a teasing big sister.

"Yeah, and if chicks dig scars, this should help out." Beryl
smiled as Scott's arms circled her from behind.

" You all right, Kidd?" he asked.

Sean winced as Beryl cleaned the deep scrape with peroxide. "I
suppose."

"How are you?" Beryl asked over her shoulder.

"I'll let you check me out later." Scott smiled wickedly as
Beryl turned her head and kissed him on the jaw.

"Sure," Sean said. "I get the owwie and he gets the kiss."

"All right," Scott smirked. "But be quick, she gets jealous."
Sean gave Scott a mockingly horrified look.

"Go on, you." Beryl swatted Scott's butt. "Quit upsetting my
patients."

"Wanna play spades with Kev and Tamara?" Scott asked. "Everyone
else is going out."

"Sure. Partners?"

"Always." Scott kissed Beryl's hair as she began wrapping Sean's
arm.

"You making a run tonight?" Sean asked Scott.

"In the morning." Scott answered. He'd fed this morning after
visiting the store house in Spokane.

Once Sean's arm was bandaged he to ok a couple of Tylenol with
the others.

Kevin and Tamara won the game resoundingly.

"Ah good." Kevin wrapped his arms around Tamara as she gathered
the cards. "Now I can take the queen upstairs and see what tricks she has in store."

Tamara giggled. "Good night, guys." she said as Scott took
Beryl's hand and led her out the back door.

A half moon tinted the deck fading into blackness toward the
trees as Beryl looked at their surroundings.

"Tired?" Scott asked. It was just after one and Scott knew that
Beryl was often awake much later than this.

"Not really, but I don't want to disturb anyone."

"Let's take the long way to the cabin then." Scott pulled Beryl
close and they started down the steps.