AN: Some AJ bonding because, well, I love AJ. Despite my new found appreciation of Kevin, which I entirely blame Em for. Fun though it may be. LOL *********************** Curiosity Killed... Chapter Ten ********************** "Okay, so why did Kevin let you take me shopping again?" I ask AJ as I discreetly place the clothes rack between him and me. I'm not afraid, really, I'm not, just a tiny bit rattled. Miniscule really. AJ shrugs as he holds up a shirt and wrinkles his nose in cute disdain. Dammit, I still think he's hot as sin and just as yummy. "Because Kevin hates shopping with a passion. Or, he hates shopping for others. He's fine buying himself pretty things, as long as he gets to do it on his own pace. I love to shop and besides, I'm the only one he somewhat trusts you around." "Because he thinks I'm afraid of you?" AJ McLean pauses for a moment and lowers trademark sunglasses, brown gaze curious, "Aren't you?" I shrug as I skim the sale rack; looking for deals in the uptown boutiques AJ keeps dragging me into despite protestations that I prefer Wal-Mart. "Edgy more than afraid..." "I see," AJ replied dryly, "and if I snuck up behind you and yelled boo?" "I'd stake you before I blinked." His tan pales considerably. "Remind me to save the practical jokes for Nick then," he replies shakily. I smile sadly because I don't want Alex to be afraid of me, don't want to have to be afraid of him, but that's the way things are sometimes, and hold up a blue silk, sleeveless top, "What do you think of this?" ********************************************************************************** "Come on Cat, let me see," he whines. I glare at the grubby, sneakered feet outside my dressing room. "I'm not wearing any of this crap. I... this stuff isn't me AJ. I'm a jeans and t-shirt girl. I wear my hair in a ponytail and most my dress clothes involve some form of denim." "Cat..." he starts patiently, or not so patiently, and I groan. "No using the mommy voice on me until you've known me at least a year. I'm not a model. I'm not even a girlfriend. I'm just playing a part to maybe save some lives, my own included. If Kevin wanted someone to dress up as Ken and Barbie with he should have gotten for a different pawn." "If I let you walk back without some decent clothes Kevin will skin me and, due to certain, ahem, side effects, that won't kill like it used to." I snicker and hold a glittery top up with a frown. "Okay, I hate to break it to you Aje, but I have way too much in the bust department to pull most of these tops off." "Let me see!" "AJ," I growl as I try to stop him from entering but hay, superhuman strength has its advantages, like breaking intro dressing rooms. I glare as he busts in with a careless grin. "Aw shucks you aren't wearing, or, umm, overflowing in it." I roll my eyes. "Again McLean, models are tall, thin, and have no breasts as I'm sure you known from collecting dozens of them. I'm short, round, and, well..." "Have breasts?" AJ adds hopefully. "Yes," I reply, deadpan, humoring him because he's AJ and he's pretty and smells nice, even with the whole attempted biting thing, "because I have basketball breasts." It's his turn to snicker. "That's the funniest thing I've ever heard. Basketball breasts..." I roll my eyes again. "Can't we go to Old Navy or something?" I whine pathetically. AJ studies me critically, suddenly all business, and reexamines the meager shopping bags we've already accumulated from specialty stores. "Nope," he replies seriously, "Limited, Gap, and Victoria's Secret in that order. If we have time before we have to get back I'll let you bum at Old Navy but not before." "Slave driver," I mutter darkly as I gather up the tops and pants that don't fit and hang them outside the dressing rooms. He grins cheekily and picks up the purchases I'd be more than happy to 'accidentally' leave behind. After all, Kevin can't skin me. I'm still very, very mortal. "Hay Cat..." he asks conversationally as we exit the store and continue our way down the mall. I know he won't be recognized thanks to yet another baseball cap and some Vampire mind tricks. "Ever wonder what Victoria's secret IS?" "How she manages to find so many anorexic models under the age of twelve?" I ask sweetly. AJ's laughter rings through the mall and its getting harder and harder for me to remember why I have to keep my distance. I'm kinda thick in the head sometimes. I don't always learn my lessons the first time around. Hopefully AJ doesn't get hungry between now and when we're back in the relative safety of the rest of the boys. ********************************************************************************** I laugh to myself as I watch AJ plow through a McDonald's burger with gusto, remembering my earlier thoughts about, umm, hunger. "You know," I remark dryly as I absently eat a small fry, "you'd almost think that you were actually hungry." "Just because I don't need it, doesn't mean I'm gonna abandon my Mickie D's." The laugh turns into a giggle despite myself as he talks around his half chewed food. "Besides, you eat enough for an army." I glance down at my three double hamburgers and wrinkle my nose as I grab another fry. "I like food." AJ winks. "That's my kind of girl. Gotta bless fast metabolisms. Stop stealing my fries though and get your own." "I had my own," I say as I snatch another one, "but I ate them all." He shakes his head and I watch, apprehensively, as his face suddenly turns serious. "Can I ask you a question?" I shrug and study my chewed nails with feigned interest. "Go ahead." "What's a girl like you doing in a situation like this?" My eyes snap up and I blink under AJ's concern, warm, very human gaze. His sunglasses are off, treating me to AJ McLean at his finest, all concerned and considerate and stuff. This is the look that makes grown women swoon. Hell, even I'm feeling a bit lightheaded. "I..." "I mean how the hell did you manage to get yourself this far into stuff? Sure you dated a werewolf, honest mistake, wanted to meet a Vampire, another honest if somewhat stupid mistake, but why keep on poking and prodding and pissing people off? You're the only human in the world that knows of the inner workings of the Council. Half the Vampires don't know what the Council is- never mind their ranks and phone numbers. "You're Dracula's charge and darling of the decade and have some interesting scars hidden under those oh so comfortable clothes of yours. Why did you sneak into our hotel room, couldn't you have just left well enough alone? I mean, was it worth it, knowing for sure what you already guessed? Was it worth getting stuck between a power play to keep us alive and our enemies at bay? Was it worth risking Dracula's protection and your relationship with your fiancé? I mean, you've only been with us one night and you already almost got attacked, by me no less, and I LIKE you. What will Nick and Kev do?" I swallow as I try to unclench my hands. Stupid uncooperative hands. One finger reaches up to twirl a length of ash blonde hair as I avoid AJ's earnest stare. "I never wanted this for my life. I'd love to have been normal but things just didn't work out that way." I smile sadly and fight back sudden, unexpected tears. Of all the dumb places to get emotional, a McDonalds in a mall food court is definitely one of the dumbest, and most humiliating. Never mind the super perceptive, oh so kind, Vampire, that I sort of have a crush on, despite my fear- who's sitting across the too small table from me. "Cat..." "No AJ," I say firmly as I shake my head and stand up, quickly gathering my trash, "I don't want to have this conversation." His gentle hand stops me and I tense despite myself, counting to ten. "Don't want to have it, or don't want to have it with me?" I smile tightly and not so gently pry his fingers from my wrist with my free hand. "Don't want to have it with anyone. In case you haven't noticed I'm not exactly a 'sharing' girl." "No shit Sherlock," he mutters darkly as he follows behind me, bags in tow. We spend the rest of the cab ride back to the hotel in silence, with AJ sulking over my trust issues and me trying not to remember the long and painful road I took which dumped me oh so nicely at the Backstreet Boys' doorstep. I really try not to remember how I got my oh so wonderful scars. It's nice not to have nightmares at night. Speaking of which, where the hell am I going to sleep tonight? I can't stay permanently at Brian's, not if I'm 'officially' Kevin's girlfriend. Oh great. This is going to be fun. I can see the verbal abuse coming my way already but first, first I have to survive my first Backstreet concert. Ever. Does it make me teeny to admit that I'm excited? Even if they're blood suckers, I'm still a fan. You might have to ask me again if they kill me though. Death tends to change a person's perception on things like that, especially if her idols become her murders. Cats may not be elephants but we don't do too shabby in the grudge department. Its almost a specialty really.