AN: Lydia is too much fun to write. I need to have mentally unbalanced characters more often... Enjoy. Feedback rocks my socks. inspiredthoughts@hotmail.com ************ Curiosity Killed... Chapter Twenty-Eight *************** I know other numbers you see, I like phone numbers. That can get me into trouble sometimes. Most of the time it just saves my life. I’m waiting impatiently when Brian finally gets back from the show, covered in sweat and tired. He pauses on the way to the shower to meet my eyes. "You really all right Cat?" "I need to make a phone call." Brian’s mouth tightens and he breaks away from my serious gaze. "I can’t Cat, you know the rules." I clasp my hands together. "Dammit Brian, the rules just changed, and you and I both know it." He sighs and runs a hand through his wet hair. "I don’t know Catherine..." "Brian, I can help. Just trust me, it’s not like my life’s on the line here too or anything." That coaxes a grin out of him. He takes a deep breath. "All right, one phone call, and whatever you do, don’t tell my cousin." "Yes sir!" Brian trusts me way more than Kevin. He lets me make my phone call in privacy when he goes to hop into the shower. Good Brian. Good smelly Brian. He tosses me his cell phone. I dial like a woman who knows her time might be limited because, well, it is. Life threatening situations have a way of shortening life expectancy. A butler answers on the third ring. "Von Berg residence, may I ask who’s calling?" I smile, despite the circumstances. "Hey Brucey boy. Is Ellis there?" Bruce McNeigh’s dry, accented voice doesn’t change a bit but I can feel his controlled amusement from an ocean away. "Hello Miss Roberts. It’s a pleasure to hear from you. I believe Ms. Berg is in and available. Please hold one moment." "Of course Brucey, no problem." I kick my shoes off and try to get comfortable on the bus’s small couch. I wait patiently in silence and listen to the water run from the shower. Finally, "Hello, Catherine dear, is that you?" Her voice sounds matronly and happily familiar. I like familiarity, even it comes in the form of a powerful Vampire. "Alive and breathing, at least for now. Lydia got out of her cage." "Oh dear, where is she?" I snort, "Currently having disgustingly kinky sex with Kevin Richardson, my currently 'boyfriend,' while I’m stuck out in the proverbial cold that is Brian’s bus." Ellis Von Berg clucks in disapproval but chuckles. "Don’t be crude Cat. You sound jealous." "Oh Ellis, don’t be catty. I just... Ellis, its Lydia! Can’t you, I don’t know, DO something..." I whine, not caring that I sound like a spoiled two-year old. This time she articulates her cultured laugh. My laugh is decidedly uncultured but then, I haven’t had centuries to improve it. Kevin likes my laugh though. Kevin is also probably having dirty, dirty sex with the Vamp Tramp right now. Kevin sucks. Stupid Mr. Dumb Pants. "Catling, really." "I can’t even kill her," I mutter grumpily. "Stupid first in a bloodline protection." Ellis Von Berg sighs, sounding pained but ready to cave. I totally love Ellis, even with the whole bloodsucker thing. "I can be there tomorrow evening. May I ask what city and hotel you will be at?" Yay cavage! The Backstreet Boys are going to skin me alive for this though. See Ellis Von Berg isn’t just a super cool Vampire, she’s also has a seat on the Council, one of the unspecified geographic seats, and is probably the sixth or seventh most powerful Vampire in the world. Not someone you want to tangle with, even if she does look like your grandmother. She’s also one of the only ones who can control Lydia- after all, she sired her. I’m smiling as I answer her smugly. Vampires aren’t the only ones who can spring unpleasant surprises. *********************************************************************** I’m halfway asleep on the couch I insisted on taking in Brian’s room. He must have been tired because he let me have it while he took the bed. I can hear his slight and even breathing in the background, and I roll over to my side, trying to get comfortable. It doesn’t help that I’m freezing, even in long sleeved and pants for pajamas and buried under every spare blanket in the room. My sleeplessness is in no way impacted by gross mental images that keep popping up involving Kevin and Lydia. No way at all. I sigh, grousing to myself silently as I will myself to sleep. I really, really, am tired. Although, in hindsight, insomnia can be a good thing. Especially when it saves your life because, suddenly, I can tell that there are more than two people in the hotel room. I freeze and listen, growing more and more alarmed with every stray rustle of fabric and slight catch of foreign breath. Well shit, Brian either has a stalker fan, which is rather unlikely thanks to his mighty mind powers, one of the Boys is playing a trick which I would suspect if I couldn’t identify them by sound alone, or something very, very unpleasant coming after me. I think I’m voting for option number three, though I’m not thrilled about it. A stray whiff of expensive perfume only confirms my suspicions. Well shit. I should have called Ellis like LAST week. Turns out I may not be alive by tomorrow night. The sad thing about being human is, even if you’re smart enough to know you’re in trouble, you’re not fast enough to get out of it. Damn super fast Vampire reflexes. One minute I’m going over my own options, the next there’s a clawed hand around my throat like a vice as Lydia looms over me, her blue eyes glowing white in the darkness as she considers my imminent demise. I can’t see her too well, especially since a distinct lack of oxygen is making my puny human vision go dark, but she’s grinning wide enough to show long, curved, fangs, and a slight pang of unease courses through me. Well, the slight pang of unease is on top the bed wetting worthy terror I’m already experiencing. I’m not a heroine, remember, just a Curiosity Seeker. Heroes die messy deaths in their beautiful primes. I was going more for a middle aged demise. Looks like I might not get my wish. Lydia crouches over me, her free hand coming up to stroke my cheek, and I can suddenly smell Kevin’s cologne interlaced with her perfume. Damned spineless man. I’ve had the Prince of Darkness trying to get into my pants for over two years, not to mention the Backstreet Boys, and I’ve resisted everyone. Kevin is sleeping with Lydia the first night she pops in for a visit. And he doesn’t even LIKE her. Bastard. Her crimson lips brush my ear. I’d shudder in disgust but again, lack of breath is affecting my ability to be conscious. "Hello Catherine..." she whispers softly, deadly, "I came here to kill you because you’re so annoying with your smart mouth saying such cruel things to me. That can’t be allowed you know. I’m special after all." Her caresses on my cheek turn painful as she uses her nails to rake scratches across my cheek instead. I manage to wince as I feel blood pool in the scratches. Lydia’s white eyes dilate with sudden interest. If she licks my cheek, so help me, I’ll find a way to come back and kill her myself because, eww, no licking! "But," she continues, nearly breathless with excitement, "I saw you sleeping here, all beautiful and helpless, and decided that it would be a waste to kill you for real. I could turn you, pretty, pretty girl. Could make you mine to play with forever. Wouldn’t you like that Catherine? Don’t you want me to drink your blood and let you drink mine in return? We could both be so pretty with red, red lips." Her fingers run through my bangs, playing with them as she considers turning me into a Vampire under HER control. Insane bloodsuckers can kiss my ass. I’m tired of shit like this. Oh guess what, I can have a panic attack while being strangled too. The too familiar feeling of dreaded helplessness fills me. I buck beneath her iron grip, fighting her hold, but also fighting nightmares that have haunted me for most of my life. My neck burns where she is strangling me, but also where invisible scars proclaim my secret terror. I gasp once, loudly, and surrender to the blackness of my mind as the sickening smell of perfume and cologne fills my flared nostrils. Any bets on if I wake up dead or alive?