The Curse and the Traveler's

[poohlive]

David grabbed Marissa, as the window slammed open before them. The lawn below looked more than well manicured, perfect in every way. Someone had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars making sure this place looked maintained all year around.

But, no pool. No water, no half lights illuminating those tiny waves that lapped against the side and sent light sparkling across the water. Nothing except rocks, trees, shrubs and hard ground below.

Two stories, twenty feet, and they both stared down.

David's momentum drew him back. He so wanted to just jump, but looking and seeing the hard ground he had to stop himself short. As he did, he pulled Marissa close to him as well. It was the only thing that saved her life.

The uzi fired half a dozen shots, most of them spinning at the air around them. One nicked her ear, making it bleed, another dug deep into her arm. Two more would have taken her head off if David didn't pull her to him, protecting her. They hissed into the empty air.

Three more landed in David's back, thump, thump, thump. He cried out, hushed in his own pain, his body lurching, trying for one desperate moment to cling at the pain in his back before he fell, with Marissa out the window.

They did not jump, they could not. There was no jump for this, it was a fall, a stumble, a simple slip as the pain worsened. David screamed, as the pain, at the fall, at everything and everyone that had brought him to this moment.

And then he felt broken wood. It danced all around him as he finally hit the ground. It was soft ground though, pliable ground. It bent to take him, accept him, like a loving woman and their first night of passion, all curves and giving.

They had landed on mats in the basement. There was one of those lift doors above his head that they had fallen through. The entrance was too high though. Even if he stood up he could not reach high enough to get out.

David looked, staring at the small piece of night sky, and the three lumpy shadows that came to the window, seeing that the would-be escapists had only trapped themselves in another part of the house.

"The basement... go," Another explosion, more gunfire. The world swam in a midst of calenar gray. All he could do was scream as he swam in his own pain, bathed in it.

"As you ok," David said, getting to this feet, forcing himself up, trying desperately to look around the room. He couldn't see much though, just boxes.

Lots of boxes, marked ARMY, and SURPLUS, and serial numbers with bar codes.

"Marissa," He looked for her, felt for her? Where was she? Was she with him? Did she make it outside? He hoped so, for her sake, he hoped she had rolled away and was running far from here.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Marissa and Serena

Marissa heard a voice shouting for her as explosions outside began erupting along with the gunshots. She brought her hand up and felt her head. “Fuck,” she muttered when she made contact with blood and tissue. She felt her stomach pitch and if it had been a sunny day in the cellar David would have seen a putrid green look on her face as she tried to not think of what her head looked like.

She moved to her hands and knees and called out quietly, “I'm over here,” She would have shouted by her head hurt to much. Finally she managed to get on her feet and she walked to his voice. Eventually she found him and as she did her foot kicked a box and long sticks rolled out. She bent down and picked one up.

There was barely any light coming in, but enough for her to make out the guns and ammo as well as other various means of anniliation that Wellington was being questioned about. Well, not anymore she thought, David had taken care of that. She held the stick up and noticed it was a flare, she popped it and the room lit up.

“Fuck,” she said holding tightly to the burning weapon. “Won't let this fucker go.”

She heard a sound from outside and pushed David against the wall with her. She looked at the concrete wall and jammed the flares end into the hard surface, and ground it until the flame was extinguished.

*****

Serena saw the two figures fall from the window and for a moment her heart stilled in her chest. It was David and that woman, the one that told her to keep to the fence. She scurried over to the pit that they'd fallen in. Her feet were sliced on the glass from the broken window, but she ignored it. David needed her and she had to get to him.

She bent down on her hands and knees and peered into the darkness where moments ago she was sure there was light.

“David,” she whispered. “David,” she called down again a little louder.

“Please be alive,” she said quietly, more to herself than anyone as she waited for whoever fell in the hole to call back to her or rise up and kill her.

 

[caela]

"I'm not really familiar with many types of drinks, perhaps you should order the first round?"

Skye smiled up at Max and leaned into him enjoying the feel of his arm wrapped around her waist and the warmth of his body behind hers. She couldn't wait for the club to grow busier so she could drag him out onto a dance floor and feel him pressed tight to her. Glancing at Beatrix and noticing her talking to the bartender she smirked as she leaned in and nibbled lightly at his earlobe while whispering, "What you order should be determined by how you want to feel hun, are we talking mildly buzzed, warm and fuzzy, or drunk and horny?"

Grinning impishly up at him she turned back to the bartender before he answered and ordered two long islands and two tequila shots as well as asking her to bring Beatrix something fruity and light on the alcohol. She personally thought the Queen had had enough to drink for the moment but wasn't going to cut her off entirely.

When their drinks came she eyed Max specutively before reaching up and lightly tipping his head to the side exposing his neck to her, "Hold still," she murmured softly. Grabbing the salt shaker she leaned in and licked a line slowly up Max's neck then sprinkled salt on it. Reaching back for her shot she leaned in again and licked the salt from his neck before downing the shot and quickly grabbing her lime wedge and sucking on it.

"That is the best way to do a shot," she said and pushed his toward him, "Wanna try?"

(OOC: Sorry about the lack of posting! This round of clinicals has be out of town during the week so I'll have to play catch up on weekends. Only_more_so, feel free to move Skye during the week if you need to to keep the storyline going. I didn't realize I wouldn't have computer access during the week until too late or I'd have warned y'all earlier.)

 

[poohlive]

"Is that..."

A mass exodus of people rushed into the room, followed by a blaze of gunfire and a series of explosions upstairs. The rocketed the very foundation that David stood on, looking desperately for something to use, something to kill them all with.

There was nothing though, only the hard ground below as he fell, the pain ricocheting throughout his very bones.

"Get them over there, "Donald called out, turning lights on, grabbing up weapons, and screaming orders at various other goons. These were elite goons, with hard muscles and even harder heads. They held a few people from the party, at one point they might have been trying to rescue them... now they were merely hostages.

One of them ran over to where David had fallen, looking for something to help bar the door.

"Holy shit. Donald, it's him. It's that fucking assasin."

The man picked up David, and he was too weak to resist. He half walked half shuffled into the main part of the room, where David could see now who had come down to the basement.

6 guys in all. Donald, an obvious leader, Wellington's replacement with two guns and blood all over his face, not his own, stared down at David with an almost vicious sneer.

The rest were either helping to bar the one door that led up to the house, or standing guard over the hostages. Two female slaves, one naked the other wearing only leather straps, two gentlemen in suits, and one woman in an evening dress. She wore a mask with feathers, and seemed to be shaking in her skin.

"Is this the mother fucker that brought hell down upon us?"

The thug nodded, burrowing his foot down on David's back. He screamed, the pain unbearable.

"I saw him myself. He was fucking Rambo, came right up to Wellington and fucking popped him like it was nothing."

A gun bore down on David's head, and he could feel the hate behind it, feel it as the steel bit down into him.

"No..." it was the only thing that stopped the bullet from spreading his brains on the cold concrete floor.

"It's another hostage. Fix him up, make sure he looks nice and fine for when the cops wanna take a look at him. They're gonna be calling any time, asking for demands. I want as many as I can get."

Where was Marissa? She must be gone, hidden somewhere in the shadows. Good for her, stay hidden, stay out of sight, don't get caught. Please, not another woman as a hostage. The way those goons were looking at the poor female slaves already, the way their eyes glistened with hate and rage and power...

It was unberable to look at, unbearable to think.

"Hold up! It's gonna be a long night boys..."

The world tasted like copper, blood in his mouth. He hated everything.

 

[only_more_so]

Max shivered as Skye sucked the salt off his neck. He wasn't exactly sure what the idea of the shot was, but he liked how it felt. He looked down at Skye's throat and decided he wanted to try. He ran his tongue down the side of her neck and gently poured some salt onto it. Grasping the shot glass in one hand and the lime in the other he bent down and sucked the salt from her neck, then poured the shot into his mouth. Only after the potency of the liquor sank in did Max remember to suck on the lime. Max shivered for a moment. "While I liked the method of drinking, I don't think I want another of those."

Beatrix said, "That looks like fun. Too bad there is no one to hold the salt for me." She gave a pretty little pout. She drank the blue concoction that the bartender had made, and stopped pouting to compliment her on the drink.

They each sipped there drinks for a few moments, and Max started absently rubbing his shoulder. He held Skye a little closer as he felt a bit uneasy but was unable to explain why.

Before Beatrix's drink was done, the bartender brought over another drink and said, "It's from the gentleman over there," pointing to a young looking man wearing entirely too many gold necklaces. Beatrix smiled her appreciation and took a sip of the drink, encouraging the man to walk over.

Max was too distracted to realize the man, no boy, was hitting on his mother until he heard his mother reply, "Silly man, I'm not really a princess, I'm the queen." Beatrix giggled at her joke, and so did the young man with the gold chains. Max looked over in time to see the man reach to stroke Beatrix's belly, where the thin cover hid her navel. Before Max could warn the boy the Queen's hand snaked out and impacted his chin. As the boy slid to the ground, Beatrix calmly asked Skye, "are all the men here so ill-mannered?"

Meanwhile the bartender was trying to surpress a giggle. She waved over the bouncer who soon arrived to carry the young man out of the bar. The bartender poured two shots of rum, handed one to Beatrix and said, "That's on the house, I've been dying to see someone do that to that creep!" They clinked glasses and the bartender joined Beatrix in a shot.

 

[caela]

Skye looked up at Max concerned as she felt him pull her closer and saw him rubbing at his shoulder. She could tell from the look on his face that something was bothering him and she leaned into him offering him her support and the warm comfort of her body against his.

"Is everything alright Max?" she asked quietly so only he would hear while noticing a man coming up to Beatrix out of the corner of her eyes. Before he got the chance to answer she heard the man grunt and saw him fall to the floor. Seeing Beatrix shaking her hand lightly she realized the Queen had punched the man!

"Are all the men here so ill-mannered?"

Skye just stared at the Queen dumbfounded and shook her head slowly, "No not all. A good many however, especially when they've been drinking. After that punch though I think you'll find that any man who approaches you in here will be more respectful than that one."

Leaning back into Max she rested her hands on top of his where they met around her waist and laid her head on his shoulder while Beatrix made friends with the bouncer and bartender. Looking up at him her eyes were once more filled with concern at the faraway look on his face, "What's wrong love?"

 

[only_more_so]

"No not all. A good many however, especially when they've been drinking. After that punch though I think you'll find that any man who approaches you in here will be more respectful than that one."

"Well, I should hope so! Did you see where he tried to touch me?" When beatrix said that Max was worried for a moment that people might think she was a little soft in the head. First the queen comment and then acting weird about her navel.

The bartender was intrigued however, "I've never seen a woman react to having a guy touch her belly before. Is that why you wear that fabric? I thought it was some strange fashion thing. I have to say it looks hot on you, like you have a little secret. Does it hide a piercing?"

The queen actually blushed at the thought. "Do people really do that? Max told me they did, but I didn't believe him." She paused a minute and said, "This is my first time to Vegas, even this... country. I'm from a small castle, er... city in switzerland." The Queen winked over at Max and Skye."

The bartender grinned at Beatrix and raised her shirt, revealing the elaborate jewelry pierced through her belly button. She quickly lowered her shirt back and said, "I'm on the day shift, so my shift is over in an hour or so. I would love to show you a few things the city has to offer."

Recovering quickly from the unexpected flashing, Beatrix said, "I think we were planning on going to the club across the street, I am sure Max and Skye wouldn't mind if you joined us, right dears?"

* * *

"What's wrong love?"

"Huhn?" Max was caught off guard by the question. He realized he was rubbing his shoulder again and couldn't understand why. He vaguely thought it hurt, but he couldn't think why. Actually he was getting sore all over. The man in the seat next to Skye left and Max collapsed onto the stool.

"It must be the past couple of days catching up with me." Max shook his head and the feeling started to fade.

He heard Beatrix ask, "... Right dears?" and he nodded, unsure what he was agreeing to. Turning to the bartender he said, "Give me a double shot of bourbon, the strongest you've got." He downed it almost as quickly as it was set in front of him, and he gestured for another, which quickly followed the first.

Max could feel Skye's concern like a tangible force. He cupped her cheek in his hand and gently stroked her cheek. He sent the thought to her, I am just worried about my brother. Probably because I'm tired. He could feel her surprise as his thoughts entered her mind and said out loud, "There is a very small amount of magic in this world, and you can use a bit of it if you believe strongly enough or if your need is strong enough."

Max didn't worry about people overhearing him speak of magic. Most people just chalked it up to a romantic notion. He could feel his mother's eyes on him however and wondered if she had known small magics could work here.

 

[caela]

"I think we were planning on going to the club across the street, I am sure Max and Skye wouldn't mind if you joined us, right dears?"

Skye nodded absently, she was more concerned with Max than with Beatrix new friend and didn't care at all if the bartender joined them at the club. Watching him take two double shots of bourban didn't help to ease her worry any either. Something was bothering him and she didn't know how to help, she hated that.

I am just worried about my brother. Probably because I'm tired. He could feel her surprise as his thoughts entered her mind and said out loud, "There is a very small amount of magic in this world, and you can use a bit of it if you believe strongly enough or if your need is strong enough."

Skye had blinked in shock at the sound of Max's voice in her head. She'd also tipped her head slightly as if leaning into a gentle caress. She did love the feel of his mind touching hers! Reaching out however she simply drew him into a gentle embrace, "We'll find David and Serena darling. If you're tired perhaps we should skip the club."

Her concern for him shimmered in her eyes as she spoke. If he was feeling this upset perhaps it would be best to simply return to the hotel. If Beatrix really wanted to go to the club surely she couldn't come to any harm with the bartender.

 

[only_more_so]

Max smiled at Skye. He was touched by her concern, he just wished it was something a good night sleep would fix. He was starting to believe it wasn't just being tired, but he didn't know what else it could be.

"No Skye, I'll be alright. I just need to shake myself of these morbid feelings. Also I don't want to worry my mother, I haven't seen her enjoy herself this much in a long time."

Max looked over at his mother who was quickly making friends with everyone at the bar. It was truly amazing to Max. Skye's world was much more open than his, if not quite as open as his mother's, and his Mother was quickly spreading her wings again. He even noticed a number of women asking his mother about the cover, although they were all very careful not to touch.

"Besides, a night out dancing with you, would do my spirits more good than a night lying in bed, even if I were lying in bed with you. There are just too many thoughts lying in bed at night. Now, would you care to join me in a drink?"

Max turned to the bartender and asked what specialty shot she had, and that he wanted three, no he corrected, she should join them so make it four.

"It's called a Tongue in my Panties." the bartender said as she mixed and set out for shots, before giving a quick wink.

 

[caela]

"Besides, a night out dancing with you, would do my spirits more good than a night lying in bed, even if I were lying in bed with you. There are just too many thoughts lying in bed at night. Now, would you care to join me in a drink?"

Skye smiled and pressed closer with her arms still wrapped around his waist, "Of course I'll join you in a drink." Resting her head on his shoulder a part of her was glad that he still wanted to go out though she was also still worried. She could remember hearing stories of twins being able to feel each others pain or to know when something good/bad had happened to each other. She wondered if something like that might be happening to Max but thought he would know better than her if he was sensing David.

"It's called a Tongue in my Panties."

Glancing at the bartender and realizing this wasn't the same one that had been making friends with Beatrix, Skye's eyes narrowed slightly for a moment but she shook her head gently and laughed at the name of the drink. She wasn't going to be stupid and get jealous over a bartender doing her job and flirting a bit for a tip.

Downing her drink she glanced out across the street and saw a line starting to form at the club. It looked like things were picking up.

"We should head across the street before it gets too busy. Hey Beatrix! Can we tear you away from your new friends to go dance?" she called to the Queen with a laugh and a grin.

 

[only_more_so]

"We should head across the street before it gets too busy. Hey Beatrix! Can we tear you away from your new friends to go dance?"

Max turned to gather his mother and realized just how many people she was talking with. Beatrix also turned when Skye addressed her and said, "Alright. But you promise it is fun dancing and not stuffy castle dancing?"

Max grinned, signed the tab, hooked his arm into his mother's and with his other arm around Skye's waist and headed for the door. They weren't quite out the door when the bartender, named Viv caught up with them. It was a good thing too, since she knew the bouncer and got the four of them past the line with no waiting, and only a few dollars more than the cover would have been. Hearing the music and the press of people, he told his mother if they got separated he would be at the door each hour, indicating the time on the watch he was suddenly glad he had made her wear.

Inside the club it was dim and very loud. The lights were strobing, and for a moment Max got a bit dizzy. There was a long bar wrapped around the back of the club and a few booths around the perimeter. The center of the floor was terraced in various steps with people dancing and grinding to the music. On a couple of platforms throughout the bar there were men and women wearing only thongs and glowing bodypaint, showing off their dancing skills.

Before Max knew what was going on, his mother had made a beeline for the center of the dance floor and was already moving to the music. He could see her bright pink shirt through the crowd and then she seemed to vanish in the press of bodies.

Max leaned into Skye and said, "Why do I feel like I should be chaperoning her instead of vice-versa?" He then wrapped his arms tightly around her, kissed her full on the lips and said, "Now show me how they dance in your world."

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Serena/Marissa

Serena jumped back against the wall when the noise from the cellar increased ten-fold. David was down there she was sure of it, but now so were several others. Her mind raced and terror threatened to consume her again. She bit her lip and took several breaths of air. She didn’t know what to do. The iron fence seemed to call her and she wondered if she should have stayed there, but she couldn’t the officers had pulled her away and she had to get to David and that woman now. They were her life line, to lose them, she would never make it home. David was home. She couldn’t lose him again.

“Think Serena,” she muttered under her breath. Her eyes darted around and she fought the nausea that threatened to rise up from her stomach and spill along the floor. She was still wrapped in a blanket and if she were an observer she would have laughed at the situation. But she wasn’t, she was in it and sadly she was not feeling very good about it either.

Suddenly there seemed to be a deathly silence and she looked over the brush she’d been hiding behind. She looked down the hole where she believed David to be and wondered how she could get in to help. Lights filled the darkness and Serena took a deep breath to calm herself. A voice screamed out and she cowered against the wall of the mansion. As the voice demanded for the people inside to give up.

*****

Marissa’s head pounded and her stomach felt like someone punched her in the gut. The woman was above ground. She was rolling her eyes to the dark basement ceiling wondering why these two didn’t listen. The girl, Serena was as stubborn it seemed as the man David. She’d been told to stay with the fence and now she was hovering above them.

The darkness consumed the officer as she huddled in a corner wondering what to do next. David was caught along with several others and if she so much as moved she’d be in trouble too. Her first thoughts had been to open fire and just mow people down and hope for the best, but realistically she knew she couldn’t do that. Not all of the folks that were now hostages were bad folks, some didn’t want to be there any more then she did.

Her fingers slowly moved toward a box that rested a few feet from her side. Ever so slowly she scooted toward the crate. She’d read the words grenades on it, before the flare was extinguished. Now if she could reach one and disrupt a few things down here, perhaps then David could get a few people out and that silly girl outside would take her boyfriend home.

 

[only_more_so]

OOC: I will be away from my computer until Sunday, so it sounds like Skye and Max won't be making much progress. The other half of the thread seems to have a lot happening, so hopefully it won't crimp the story.

 

[caela]

He then wrapped his arms tightly around her, kissed her full on the lips and said, "Now show me how they dance in your world."

Purring at the press of his lips to hers she didn't want him to ever seperate from her and sighed when he did. Still his request to see how they danced in her world made her smile. She didn't know if he was used to dancing in other worlds but he was certainly in for something different from how they danced on his own.

Drawing him out onto the dance floor she spun so her back was to him and drew him close, resting his hands on her hips and smiling up at him over her shoulder. Pausing for just a moment to find the rhythem of the music she started to sway with it. Getting caught up in the music and the way it seemed to pulse through her body she let her head fall back against his shoulder while her body moved sensually against his.

There on a crowded dance floor with the press of other bodies around them Skye forgot everything but the feel of his body pressing to hers and the music wrapping around them. Nothing else mattered but having him holding her close while she practically made love to him with their clothes on.

 

[only_more_so]

Max quickly got into the rythym of the music and was swaying and moving with Skye. It wasn't so different from how they danced on the more socially progressive worlds. As they ground together on the dancefloor Max grew more excited, and soon thoughts of other worlds fled from his mind, replaced with a simple world where he and Skye lived together, with nary a care.

As they ground their hips together, Max knew Skye could feel his growing excitement. He bent his head down and gathered her earlobe into his mouth, sucking on it gently.

* * *

Beatrix was having a grand time. She soon lost herself in the thumping music and was soon twirling around the center of the dance floor. In her world she had been a good dancer, but never great. But while her world was stuck in a pre-industrial technilogical morass, their art was second to none. Soon Beatrix's languid movements and improbable contortions brought her an audience. She danced in the center of a growing circle. Her movements drew the eyes of the crowd like moths to a flame. Occasionally an onlooked would get pulled into her dance, and she would meet them for a few brief moments, suiting her dancing to their movements and making both more exciting to watch. Men and women both joined her briefly for a few gyrations before being spit back out of the circle.

The DJ saw the dervish spinning in the middle of the floor and changed to a more exotic music, with a faster more intricate tempo. As the music grew faster, so did Beatrix. She seemed to be floating in the air, like a piece of down caught in whirlwind.

 

[poohlive]

The rest of the cops took over the house, getting everyone out that they could. Then they took the surroundings, grabbing up all the people. The cops wanted them all in one place, for questioning later, to see which were victims and which were foe. With this kind of party, it was never clear knowing who was who.

The basement was the only place left. The one door down had been barricaded. They could not get through. The only place to talk to them was through one single solitary hole that had been punched into the side.

As the Swat were taking away one girl, small, crying, huddling against the side of the house, they saw one of the kidnappers in a mask, holding a man in front of him.

"Don't shoot," David said, as he held his hands up, the man behind him held a gun to his head.

"We want to talk to the person in charge. We'll negotiate for the hostages. If we do not see someone here in 15 minutes, this man will die."

They then moved back into the darkness.

The SWAT bit his lower lip, calling for the captain.

This had turned from a simple search and seizure into one of those long ass fucking hostage situations real fast, and it pissed him off.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Serena was pulled away, her eyes never leaving the cellar until it was gone from her view. She struggled against the officers, but eventually in her weakened state she was once again forced from David’s side, though he had not know she was there.

She was given a pair of pants and a shirt, which another female helped her into. Her eyes continued to try and look around people, but it was pointless. She was ushered to a black van and loaded inside. She found herself tucked tightly among other women similar to her and her eyes sought out theirs. They refused to look at her and so Serena lowered her head and kept her eyes on her knees.

Her thoughts were centered on David and all that had happened. When the vehicle started, she jumped and when the sirens were flicked on she screamed and tried to run to the doors. She remembered the police and the first time she was with them and Skye. She feared them and prayed for freedom.

An officer that was riding in the back of the van with the women, jumped up and hauled Serena back to her seat. She cursed at her and Serena found herself screaming back. Eventually Serena stopped her shouting sat down and waited. The woman said that David would be brought to her as soon as the things in the mansion were settled.

Serena felt a sense of dread run over her and she wondered what the officer wasn’t telling her. She waited for what seemed like forever, till the van stopped. When it did she again tried to run away, but again was stopped. This time she was forced into a room with the other women and told to strip. A man with a camera approached them and the girls were led one by one into a room, with the photographer and two female officers.

 

[poohlive]

David felt like a rag doll for all they did to him, pulling him back and forth. He was their liason, their one guy with which they all used a shield behind. They had to use him, because they thought he was a part of them for some reason.

He had to be, he was the one who killed the boss.

David didn't contradict them. It was one of the few things keeping him alive. If they wanted to think he was a cop, let them think it. Let them think whatever they wanted. He would stay alive, no one else would get hurt, and in the end, he could go back and see his Serena once more.

They wanted cash, low bills, untracable. They wanted a couple of unmarked vans to get away, and they wanted immunity to another country, one which they didn't specify.

The police were working on it. That was the best they could do, working on it. That meant they were stalling for time, trying to find a way inside, or a way to trap them. The kidnappers knew it, the police knew it, but they had to go through this song and dance, didn't they?

Yes, for a while they did.

David hoped it would end soon.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Serena closed her eyes as she relived the touches of a stranger upon her skin. This time though they kept apologizing to her every time they touched her and invaded her space. They had taken pictures of her bruises and her scraps. They had told her to give her name, birthday and all other private information. She told them lies. She knew they would not believe her. She was learning, slowly, but she was learning that she could not be Serena . . .she would never be Serena again. She was a beaten and bruised woman who had led her Prince, her friend, the man she knew she loved into danger. She closed her eyes and begged for him to be okay, and for him to live.

After the pictures were taken she was given a robe. It was blue and tied with a thick sash. She thought of David and his robe and she actually chuckled. It was the first time she’d remembered chuckling in so long she immediately stopped. The sound seemed foreign and wrong to her and so she refused to make it again.

A doctor and a nurse came in and took the women to another room, where they were taken two at a time and examined. She again was placed on a table and again ordered to have herself examined. She had at first refused, but wanting to just get the process over with she succumbed to the pressure put upon her.

Finally Serena was allowed to dress and they gave her pants, underwear, a shirt and a bra. She put them all on after watching the other women dress. She was given socks and shoes, then she was taken to an office where an officer sat across from her.

“Tell me,” the officer paused and looked down at her papers. “Where do you live again and who can we call to come and find you?”

Serena’s eyes grew wide. She knew of no one, she knew of no place. The only person she had was David. She looked at the woman. “My friend. . .my friend David is still in that place. . . he is in the cellar. He is my friend. He is all I have.”

 

[caela]

As they ground their hips together, Max knew Skye could feel his growing excitement. He bent his head down and gathered her earlobe into his mouth, sucking on it gently.

Skye's low groan as Max drew her earlobe between his lips, was lost in the throbbing beat of the music. She could feel his excitement and it only fueled her own need for him. Reaching down she laced her fingers through his and tightened the grip of his arms around her body, pressing herself tighter against him. Any thought of Beatrix and how she might be doing was gone, all that filled her mind was Max and her desperate need for him.

Twisting her head slightly she tilted it back against his shoulder to murmur low in his ear, "I need you Max, more even than I did last night."

 

[only_more_so]

Although it felt like they had been there for mere minutes, Max realized that they had been dancing and grinding for nearly an hour. He pulled a reluctant Skye from the dancefloor and walked toward the entrance to check if his mother was ready to leave. He scanned the area but didn't spot her. "I hope she's having a good time. We'll try again in another hour, how about a drink, dancing is thirsty work?" Max said to Skye as he walked her toward the bar area of the club.

He saw the crowd in the center of the dance floor growing in circles and saw that the go-go dancers were also facing inward. Must be some celebrity Max thought. When they got to the bar Max ordered them a couple of drinks and he sat on a stool pulling Skye to sit on his lap.

* * *

As she spun and cavorted on the dancefloor Beatrix felt more free than she had in a long time. She felt like she was floating. At some point she realized that her feet weren't always making it back down to the ground between her jumps and twirls. She realized that she had been pulling the magic from the people surrounding her, leaching a small bit of life-force from them to feed her frenzied dance. She hadn't know that was possible, but perhaps since they were caught up in the moment they were giving it as much as she was taking it. There were rumors of such frenzied dances in her world, but they were rare things, more rumor than fact.

She caught the DJ's eye and let him know that this was the end of her dance. The song faded and the club was nearly silent for a moment as she stopped her dance. There was brief applause as she walked towards the bar, a faint sheen of persperation covering her exposed flesh. But soon the music was thumping loudly again and the crowd went back to dancing.

When she got to the bar she saw Skye and Max cuddled up a few yards away, but decided not to interrupt. She was about to order a drink when the bartender placed a glass in front of her, along with a few others, each different, and as the bartender explaine, each from a different gentleman or lady. She sampled each in turn and made small talk with the various people.

Ever since she was queen she had been the center of attention, but that was attention aimed at an image more than the person. She loved the feeling of being appreciated for herself, but she was also getting tired of having so many people around her. She had gotten used to a certain distance and space.

 

[caela]

Skye groaned when Max pulled back from her and led her off the floor. She didn't want her body seperated from his! Still she followed him from the floor to check the door and then toward the bar. Like Max she wondered at the circle that had formed on the dance floor but wasn't entirely surprised by it. Someone must be in impressive dancer out there.

"I hope she's having a good time. We'll try again in another hour, how about a drink, dancing is thirsty work?"

Smiling she nodded and followed him to the bar, a soft laugh filling her throat as he drew her to his lap. Snuggling in close against him she wrapped her arms around his neck and gently nipped at his ear before ordering a long island ice tea from the bartender.

While she sipped her drink and nuzzled Max she also kept an eye out for Beatrix and saw her come off the floor and head toward the bar. She would have waved the other woman over but saw her veer away and welcomed the privacy it gave her to be with Max. She appreciated that the Queen seemed to understand that she needed time with him as well.

 

[only_more_so]

Max drank with Skye at the bar, going through a number of drinks without realizing how many, or caring. They talked and kissed, and just touched each other, completely oblivious to the bar around them.

Suddenly Max felt an extra arm wrap around him and realized it was his mother. "Maximillian! I'm having such a wuunderful time. They are sooo nice, and keep buying me these yummy drinks." She draped an arm around Skye and said, "and you were soooo right. They actually can dance and enjoy it here. Not stuffy at all. You should have seen me, I was floating and everyone was watching me."

Beatrix's eyes rolled around a bit and she said, "But I think, I've had enough for one night. Can we go back to the hotel?"

 

[caela]

Beatrix's eyes rolled around a bit and she said, "But I think, I've had enough for one night. Can we go back to the hotel?"

Skye laughed gently at the sight of Beatrix. The poor woman was obviously drunk and Skye didn't envy her the headache she was likely to have in the morning. Pressing a last, swift, kiss to Max's lips she slid from his lap and wrapped one arm around Beatrix waist.

"Of course we can go back to the hotel Beatrix."

Half holding the woman upright she helped guide the woman out of the club and out into the night air. Praying desperatly that Beatrix wouldn't be sick she guided her toward the hotel and up to the room that she'd ordered for the Queen. She made the Queen take an ibuprofin and drink a full glass of water before tucking the other woman into bed. She hoped the pill and the water would at least curb the older woman's hangover.

Slipping out into the hallway she smiled softly up at Max suddenly feeling slightly shy, "So then, do you want me to stay with your mother or with you tonight Max?" she asked in a voice that barely reached his ears and trembled with her desire for him.

 

[poohlive]

It took hours before the hostages were released. The men put up one hell of a fight, and when they found out that the Swat outside was just stalling for time started to use what was in the basement to help their means. Guns, rocket launchers, even grenades.

A few well placed smoke bombs, some concussion grenades and some of the finest flank fleeting Europe had even seen took them down with only a few casualties.

David emerged from the house, tears welling in his eyes, and limping heavilly on his right leg. He was being helped by Marissa. The standoff over, finally after all this time.

Camera's came up, people shooting live all over the world getting a shot of him as he finally walked down to the police makeshift headquarters. He only shook his head, shying them away.

"Where's Serena?" His voice sounded cold, off, like he hadn't used his throat in years. He hoped Marissa would know, or at least understand where to get that information.

They had taken him into a small tent, where cops were asking him the same questions the reporters had done walking all the way up here. He kept his tongue, answering as much as possible, but only wanting Serena.

"Is she ok?"