A Bubblegum Crisis / Forever Knight crossover

Little Girl Lost
-------------------
By She-Hulk (brobinso@neocomm.net)

Part 2

	The sun was high when Priss awoke and she groaned at the bright light. She
really didn't function well during the day. Priss knocked lightly on
Linna's door. No answer. She opened the door and found an empty room, the
bed still made. Priss knocked on Nene's door and pushed it open. No one.
Priss remembered what Silia had told her and opened the closet door. Nene
and Linna were laying side by side in the closet. Priss frowned and
considered Nene's arm, which was wrapped around Linna's waist. <Well, I
guess this is an improvement. Yesterday she was sleeping in the closet and
wouldn't let anyone touch her, today she's still in the closet, but she's
not alone.> Priss shrugged and closed the door. <One step at a time>.


	Priss finished taping the bags of drugs to the underside of LaCroix' desk
and quickly left the building. The office had survived the fire and offered
Priss the perfect spot as the arson team hadn't been able to come out and
investigate yet. A brief conversation with the police and she was on her
way back to Silia's. She would almost miss LaCroix after they killed him,
she decided. She hadn't had this much fun in years. 


	Priss tossed her jacket on the couch and headed for the kitchen. It was
well after dinner and she was starved. She opened the refrigerator door and
stared blankly. Priss closed the door, drew a deep breath and opened it
again. They were still there. Bags and bags of blood filled the
refrigerator and Priss looked around making sure she was in the right
apartment. Priss wondered if she'd accidentally inhaled some of those
drugs. <I'll just go take a quick shower and then check again, if I'm still
seeing things then they're probably real and something very weird is going
on. If they're gone, then I'm high.> She nodded briskly and went to shower.

	Linna woke when Nene left the closet. She lay quietly, trying to remember
why she was in the closet to begin with. She gasped as memory returned and
her hand flew to her throat as she sat up. There were no wounds. Linna felt
an odd cramp of pain and realized she was starving. She got up unsteadily
and stepped into the bedroom. She gasped as the odd hunger continued to
grow. Linna started for the kitchen. 

	She passed by Silia's door and heard the shower running. Linna stopped.
Actually she could hear each drop of water as it hit the shower wall and
Linna wondered distantly how this was possible. A low thump reached her and
she felt herself focus intently on the sound. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. 

	Linna opened Silia's door and crossed to the bathroom. Thump, thump. She
was so hungry. Priss' body was a vague shadow behind the frosted glass and
Linna couldn't believe how loud the beating had become. Thump, thump. The
steady rhythm seemed to vibrate through her and she pulled the shower door
open, wanting to get closer to it. A tiny part of her was trying to tell
her this was dangerous, that she would hurt Priss, but the hunger was too
great and Linna stepped into the shower behind Priss.

	Priss didn't hear the door open, but she felt the hands that touched her
shoulders. She jumped and turned. "Linna! What the hell are you doing?
Trying to give me a heart attack?" She scowled at her. Linna's clothes were
soaked, but she didn't notice. She was beyond all thoughts. There was only
the hunger and the sound of a heart. She moved closer to Priss until the
other girl had backed into the wall.

	Priss felt the cool tiles at her back and a tremor of unease went through
her. Linna looked up at Priss and she gasped. Her eyes weren't human. Priss
tried jerked away from Linna, but she had caught her hands and forced them
against the wall on either side of her. 

	As Linna bent to her throat, her lips parted and Priss could see the sharp
fangs. "No!" Priss twisted wildly, trying to get away. Linna raised her
head and stared into Priss' eyes. A strange lassitude enveloped Priss and
she stopped struggling. Her head fell back against the tiles. Linna felt
the skin part under her lips and closed her eyes as blood filled her mouth.
Priss screamed at the pain, but she couldn't force her away. As she slipped
into the void she thought she saw Nene.

	Nene dropped the empty bag into the trash and picked out a couple for
Linna. The first hunger seemed to be the worst. The sound of Priss' scream
had her racing into the bathroom. Nene yanked open the shower door, ripping
it off of its track and sending it crashing against the wall. 

	Priss' expression was blank as Linna drank from her. Nene groaned and
tried to pull Linna away, but the other girl had no intention of releasing
her prey. She wrapped her arms tightly around Priss and refused to let go.
Nene quickly realized that she was not going to be able to stop her. She
sank to her knees beside them and waited. 

	Linna had been lost, but as her hunger was satisfied she became aware of
what she was doing. She let go of Priss and watched her fall away in
disbelief. "P....Priss?"

	"Move." Nene rested Priss' head in her lap. Linna was staring at them in
shock. As Nene  bit  her wrist, Linna jumped and she focused on what was
happening.

	"What are you doing?" 

	Nene explained as she held her wrist over Priss' mouth. "She's dying. It's
the only way I know to save her." Priss began to drink and a moan escaped
Nene at the incredible feeling. Linna watched Priss drink and then looked
at Nene. Her eyes were half closed, pleasure clouding her features. 

	Linna began to cry.

                                  + + + + +

	Silia sipped the incredibly old wine and studied the man sitting in front
of her. Nicholas deBrabant had ancient eyes and Silia wondered what he had
seen to age them so. "An excellent vintage. Are you sure you won't join me?"

	Nick smiled and shook his head. "I'm afraid that wine goes to my head and
I suspect that I will need all of my wits about me. You are a formidable
presence, Ms. Stingray."

	"Silia, please. You cast a rather long shadow as well, Mr. deBrabant." She
waved a hand to her surroundings. "You have become something of a legend in
the international stock market."

	Nick shrugged and filled her glass again. "Nick. I seem to have some small
talent, nothing more. You came to France to find someone, yes?"

	Silia set her glass on the cherry wood table beside her without drinking.
"Yes. I am searching for information on Lucian LaCroix." A startled gasp
had them both turning. A young woman was standing at the doorway. Nick rose
and went to her. The concern covering the woman's face was dispelled at his
approach and she smiled as he kissed her.

	"Hello, darling. I want you to meet someone. Silia Stingray, may I present
my wife, Natalie." Silia shook hands with Nick's wife and realized several
things. When Silia had appeared at Nick's door, he had immediately bowed
and greeted her in Japanese. His wife did not share his knowledge of
Japanese customs. There was a faint smell of antiseptic and Silia looked at
her hands. Strong and long-fingered, the hands of a doctor.

	They settled again and switched to French. Silia brought the conversation
back to LaCroix. "You seemed upset when I mentioned LaCroix. Do you know
him?" Silia wondered if this woman had been attacked as well. A shared
interest in a shell company had connected Nick with LaCroix and led her
here. Maybe there was something else.

	Natalie looked at Nick and he answered. "That would depend on why you were
looking for him."

	"Oh, I'm not looking for him. I know where he is. I'm just gathering
information now." Her voice was flat.

	"Why?" Silia stared into his eyes and felt something pulling her into
them. The temptation to follow was strong and she shook her head. The
feeling dissipated and she watched Nick sink back in his chair, faintly
disappointed.

	"Nice try. I'll overlook whatever that was and tell you anyway. I want to
know everything I can find out about this man. His financial status. His
assets. What and who he cares about." Silia met his gaze calmly and
continued. "When I have discovered all that he holds dear, I will destroy
it all. Then I will destroy him."

	Natalie shifted restlessly and frowned at Silia' cool statement. "Why?"

	Silia stood and walked to the fireplace. The flames were warm, but Silia
shivered. "He took someone from me, from her family."

	Nick closed his eyes. "I see."

	"Do you? Well maybe you can explain it to me. Nene has shut herself away
and won't speak to anyone! I have no idea what that monster has done to
her. I'm afraid to think of the possibilities."

	Nick scowled at her words. "You got her back? Safely?"

	Silia stared into the fire. "We took her back by force. He was holding her
at his estate, but she managed to contact us. She refuses to go to the
hospital and she won't let any of us near. I hope that you do not call this
man friend, Nicholas deBrabant. Because he is a dead man."

	Natalie looked at Nick in horror. "My god, Nick! Do you think he...?"

	Nick waved her to silence as Silia turned. "You know what he did to her,
don't you?"

	"Yes. Was there a another person there?"

	"If you count the body of a young boy, yes. He was dead when we arrived.
The police found no evidence of a body when they arrived and could prove
nothing. What happened to her?"

	"I can't think of an easy way to say this. LaCroix is a vampire."


	Silia watched the answering service pick up again and closed the video
link without leaving a message. She'd been trying to reach her apartment
for the last four hours, but no one was answering. Silia tapped the folder
in front of her. Something had gone wrong and she was afraid that she had
no team to return to. <What if Nene has...> Silia refused to consider what
she was thinking. She couldn't do anything about it from Paris. Silia
called the airport and arranged for a flight home. She prayed that there
was someone left to yell at.

                              + + + + +

	Priss jerked awake and sat up. She blinked rapidly and focused on the two
girls sitting in front of her. She frowned at them and realized that she
was in a closet. It was pitch black, but she had no trouble seeing them.
That disturbed her, but she was distracted by the memory of what had
happened. She glared at Linna. "You bit me!" Linna ducked her head and
Priss easily made out her chagrined expression in the dark. 

	Nene tossed her something and Priss' hand shot out caught it. The speed of
her reaction surprised her and she stared down at the blood bag absently.
The empty ache demanded attention and she automatically brought the bag to
her lips. Priss felt her fangs open the plastic and drank the cool liquid
inside. She crumbled the empty bag and tossed it aside. Nene threw her
another one and she finished it as well. The reality of what she had just
done hit her and she began to swear. "God damn it! What the hell have you
done to me?"

	She saw Linna look at Nene and Priss ran her tongue over her teeth again.
The sharp points were pretty obvious clues to what had happened. She
sighed. "Damn. He's a fucking vampire!" 

	Nene started to cry and Priss moved to her. "It's okay. There wasn't
anything you could have done against something like that." Priss reached
out and wiped the red tears away. She licked her fingertips and shook her
head. "Damn, what a rush!" Priss looked down at herself and saw that she
was still naked.  "I think we should move this discussion, don't you?"

                               + + + + +

	Nene tasted the blood and frowned at the bag. She reached for another one
and tasted it. <Interesting.> Nene emptied the contents of both bags into a
single wine bottle swirled the mixture. She sipped and a pleased smile
crossed her face.
	Priss had watched the whole process. "What the hell are
you doing?" Her voice was puzzled and amused. 

	She handed Priss the empty bags. "Taste both of these." Priss did and
shrugged. "So?" 

	Nene just grinned and poured some from the bottle into a glass for her.
"Try this."

	Priss drank and immediately noticed the difference. "Hmmm! How did you
figure that out?"

	"I noticed the different flavors at the blood bank, but I didn't exactly
have time to experiment." She jotted the formula down and began to mix more
bottles. 

	Priss laughed at her look of serious concentration and turned to yell,
"Hey Linna! You've got to come see this!"

	                        + + + + +

	Silia opened the front door and set her bags down in the entrance way. She
heard voices in the living room and knew she was going to have someone to
kill. She'd been extremely worried at the loss of contact with the others,
but apparently they were all right. She kicked off her shoes and padded
silently into the other room. She froze.

	Her three team mates were in the middle of a discussion and didn't notice
her arrival. Silia stared at the wine bottles and empty blood bags and
tried to make some sense of what she was seeing.

	"So the kid was your first victim." Priss was laying across a chair
staring at Nene. Smoke curled from her cigarette as she filled a wine glass
with blood. 

	Nene nodded as she drained her own. She opened another bag and refilled
her glass, then poured the rest into an almost full bottle. She corked the
last bottle and sipped from her glass. It was rather like eating potato
chips. "Yes. I was terrified, but I couldn't stop myself. I was so glad
when you guys burst in, but I didn't know what to tell you. All I knew was
that it would be daylight soon and that I needed a place to hide. So I
locked myself in the closet and hoped I'd survive." She sighed and looked
at Linna. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Linna. I was going hunting when you
stopped me and I didn't know what to do. I couldn't very well say, 'Gee
Linna, I really would like to stay and chat, but I've got to go hunting for
blood.' I was afraid of what you might do." 

	Linna was indignant. "What I might do? Nene Romanova! You don't mean to
sit there and tell me that you thought I'd kill you?" She tossed a pillow
at Nene. It flashed across the room at an incredible speed, but Nene
blocked it easily. "Just grab a stake and spike my best friend?" Linna
crossed her arms and sank into the couch with a huff.

	Priss snorted and tossed her the bottle. "Why not? You sure as hell didn't
hesitate to climb into that shower and take me out. You'd have thought I
was an all-you-can-eat buffet. You can be rather ruthless, Linna. I don't
blame Nene for not telling you or anyone else for that matter." Priss had
smelled Silia's perfume and had heard her heartbeat when she'd entered, but
she didn't draw attention to her. She was pretty sure that the others
already knew. Letting Silia overhear them might be easier than trying to
explain it to her directly. Silia could be rather unnerving at times. 

	"Sorry. The hunger caught me by surprise." Linna sipped at the blood and
wished Silia would say something. It never occurred to her that she might
hurt them. Silia would find to much use in this new development. 

	Nene turned in her chair and faced Silia. "Hi. You gonna stand there all
night or do want to join us?"

	Silia sank onto the couch beside Linna and stared at each of her friends.
"LaCroix is a vampire."

	Priss laughed and her fangs flashed. "What was your first clue?"
	
	Linna frowned at her. "Cut it out, Priss. That's not funny."

	Silia opened her briefcase and pulled out a thin folder. "I met with one
of his 'children' in Paris. Nicholas deBrabant. He and his wife are
vampires. They've been trying to find LaCroix since he disappeared over a
year ago. They don't really want him around, but they figured that knowing
where he was safer than not knowing." 

	Silia flipped through the small amount of information Nick had given her.
It wasn't about LaCroix, but about how to survive as a vampire. She had
known after talking to Nick that LaCroix had brought Nene over. She just
hadn't expected Nene to take the rest of the team in her absence. "LaCroix
has a weakness for innocence. He's drawn to it and feels compelled to
corrupt it. Mr. deBrabant was a crusader, several hundred years ago.
LaCroix brought him over against his will."

	"Damn! Nene must have been irresistible." Priss drained her glass and
wished she could have five minutes alone with the bastard.

	Silia passed the folder to Nene. She read silently for a few minutes, then
looked up at Silia in confusion. "I don't understand."

	"After I found out about LaCroix, I realized what had happened to you. I
knew that there were things you'd need to know to survive, but that LaCroix
wouldn't be likely to tell you now." Silia looked at the others in
exasperation. "Imagine my surprise. If you'd answered my calls, all of this
could have been avoided." 

	Linna winced and raised a slow hand. "I turned the audio off so it
wouldn't disturb Nene."

	Silia shook her head. Too late now. She remembered the other things that
Nick had told her. Extraordinary strength. Acute hearing. Increased
reflexes and speed. Eternal life. Silia considered these to be definite
pluses. The blood lust and dangers of the sun were small prices to pay. 

	"I'm afraid there is no known cure for vampirism." She pulled her blazer
off and laid it over the arm of the couch. "I intend to begin research
immediately, of course. It's ironic. I had briefly wondered what would
happen if Nene brought the rest of the team over, but I never thought it
would actually happen." Silia began to unbutton her blouse. She shrugged
out of the garment and tossed the silk aside. "Nene brought you two
across." She stared at Nene. "I think it's only fitting that you bring me
across as well."

	Priss laughed suddenly. "I knew it. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist
the power."

	Nene frowned. "Are you sure about this?"

	Silia's voice was calm, rational. "Yes. I know exactly what I'm doing.
LaCroix will come for you, Nene. We need every advantage when that happens." 

	Priss laughed again and motioned for Linna to move aside. "Right. Very
noble of you, Silia, to make such a sacrifice. Too bad that you have to
take all of the 'extras' along with it." She was genuinely amused by
Silia's decision. It was so like her. 

	Silia looked at the others and suddenly smiled. "Let's just say that I
don't think I'd like to be the prey in a group of predators." Linna seemed
truly upset at the idea, but Priss just stared at her. Priss' eyes shifted
and  her fangs descended. Silia spoke quietly. "Unless you have other ideas?"

	Nene smacked Priss on the top of the head and growled, "Enough! This isn't
a game!" Priss pulled herself back under control and scowled at Nene. "It
was just a joke!"

	 Nene ignored her as she knelt on the couch next to Silia, her expression
serious. "Last chance, Silia."

	Silia saw Nene's eyes change and a tremor shook her. It wasn't fear. She
laid back against the couch and raised her chin, exposing her throat. Nene
touched the side of her throat with soft fingers, then lowered her head.
Silia was lost.

                                + + + + +

	Nene felt the strong pull of Silia's lips on her wrist and gasped at the
surging heat that coursed through her. It was so wonderful! She was growing
weaker and she forced herself to stop Silia. Only she couldn't. Silia
wouldn't let go. Nene tugged on the hands that were gripping her wrist, but
she couldn't move them. "Uhhh! P-Priss! Help me! She won't let go." It took
all three of them to break Silia's hold. Nene stumbled away from her,
shocked at her strength.

	Linna caught her as she fell and carried her to a chair. She held a glass
to Nene's lips. Nene drank the blood quickly, staring at Silia's
unconscious form. "How is she so strong?"

	Priss refilled her glass and shook her head. "I don't know."

	Silia opened her eyes and stared at the closet shelf. The rustle of
movement beside her caught her attention. Nene and Linna were asleep on one
side of the closet and Priss was lying next to Silia. <Why are we in a
closet?> She sat up and ran a hand through her hair. <This is ridiculous!>

	"This is ridiculous!" Nene jumped at the sound of her voice and stared at
her groggily.

	"Silia?" Nene watched Silia step over her and Linna as she left the closet. 

	"I'm sure you've got a reasonable explanation for why we're jammed into
this closet, Nene. Why don't you join me outside and let me hear it." Nene
winced at her tone. 

	Priss rolled over and groaned. "Oh god. That hasn't changed, I see." She
grinned at Nene. "Nene's in trouble! Nene's in trouble!" She ducked the
pillow that came flying at her and laughed. "Good grief! You still can't
hit the side of a C-class boomer!"

	Linna burst out laughing at that and Nene tossed her hair in a gesture of
dismissal. "Fine. Act like children!" She stormed out and slammed the door
behind her.

	The two women stopped and looked at each other. Laughter echoed through
the closet again.

Nene found Silia in the living room. Three empty wine bottles sat on the
coffee table. Silia opened a fourth and filled two glasses. Nene accepted
the glass she handed her and curled up on the couch, preparing for a
lecture. Silia stood in front of the huge windows, staring at the city
around them. Her voice was soft. "There's a great deal to learn now, isn't
there?"

	Nene sighed and tried to explain. "LaCroix told me that the sun was deadly
to vampires. I didn't know where else to hide at first. I didn't expect to
be sharing the space with three other people." Nene frowned and stared at
the ruby sheen coating her glass. "Besides, I didn't want to leave the
others alone. It seemed safer to keep them near, you know what I mean?"

	Silia turned to her and smiled. "I know. You were protecting your children." 

	Priss strolled in and leapt over the back of the couch, landing neatly
next to Nene. She laid her head on Nene's shoulder and looked up at her
with puppy dog eyes. "Gee, Mom, can I borrow the car?" Nene shoved her away
and laughed. She looked back at Silia. "I don't feel the same protective
urge with you, why is that?"

	Silia shrugged. Linna handed Priss a glass and shot Silia a look.
"Probably for the same reason it took all three of us to pull her off of
you." Silia frowned at them. She didn't remember. 

	Silia crossed to a painting that was hanging near the windows and pulled
it away from the wall. It swung silently on it's hinges and revealed a
control panel of some kind. She punched in a code and a low, faint rumble
filled the room. Nene and the others watched in amazement as huge metal
shudders slid down over the windows. "I designed this building to withstand
all manner of disasters and calamities. I think we can come out of the
closet now, don't you?"

	Nene sank low in her seat and didn't look at the others. Linna stared at
the shudders as Priss began to laugh heartily. "Now that's Silia for you!
Always stacking the deck in your favor, aren't you?"

	Silia raised her glass and the others joined her. "It pays to be
prepared." A slight frown touched her features and was gone. "We have a lot
of ground to cover. We have to organize our old lives to mesh with our new.
Mr. deBrabant said that a clean break was usually best, but I disagree. I'm
not prepared to give up everything we've achieved." She expected the others
to agree and wasn't disappointed. "We now have a distinct advantage and I
wish to use it to it's fullest."

	Priss laughed again and pointed a finger at Silia. "You think we can
tumble Genom now."

	Silia smiled, but didn't answer. She didn't have to.

                                 + + + + +

	LaCroix re-read the newspaper article and smiled. The blood bank had been
robbed. At least his daughter was keeping herself well fed. The article
said that over half of the stock had disappeared. A wild thought occurred
to him and he paused. "Could she have?"

	The amount of blood missing was enough to feed even a new vampire for
several months. Surely she had overestimated her need? Once born the
thought would not dissipate until he was forced to concede that it was
entirely possible. Nene could have brought someone across.

	He laughed suddenly and thought of the white armored leader of the Knight
Sabers. "Have you found that you are nurturing a young cobra at your
breast? Has my little predator fallen upon her 'family' and devoured them?"
LaCroix wondered at the delicious irony.

                              + + + + +

	Silia watched the levels of the readout rise and called out to Priss.
"That's good, Priss. Can you push any harder?"

	Priss glanced over her shoulder and shot Silia a 'get real' look. "I could
probably shove this thing through wall and well into the next room. The
question is, do you want me to break your toy?"

	Silia laughed and shook her head. "I don't think that will be necessary.
You can stop now." She made a note on her chart and checked the level Nene
was fighting at. Silia did a double take and waved Linna over to watch. 

	If not for their vampiric sight, they would have been unable to see
anything, but a blur. Nene's blows rained down on the hapless hologram and
the level bells rang out in a steady rhythm. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen.
Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. The control panel in front of Silia
sparked and they jumped. The computer surrendered the field to Nene with a
defeated hiss.

	Nene watched the training pod dissolve and punched the air with her fist.
"YES!" She danced around the training room and laughed in delight. As she
jumped into the air, Silia noticed the way she drifted back down. She spoke
to Nene over the intercom, but it was merely a habit. Nene could hear her
through the thick glass easily. "Nene that was excellent. I want you to try
that jump again, but this time see if you can consciously make yourself
stay up, okay?" Nene grinned and complied.

	It took several hours of hard work, but eventually they managed to master
the rudiments of flight. Linna seemed to grasp the ability more easily than
the others and Silia wondered if anything from her human form had
influenced her vampire form.  Priss seemed to be the strongest of the
group, while Nene's speed was unrecordable. The differences were minute in
actuality, but it was curious none the less. She made a mental note to call
Nick and ask him.

	The sun was rising as they settled down for the day. Silia was setting the
computer up to analyze the data they'd collected when she heard a human
heartbeat. She turned to find Mackie standing behind her. "Mackie!"

	He set his bag down and hugged her. "Surprise!" She pulled back and
frowned at him. He laughed at her fierce expression. "I thought I'd come
home for a visit. Germany is nice, but I missed home. I noticed that Priss
has taken up residence in my apartment. Something happen to her trailer?"

	For the first time in her life, Silia was speechless. How was she going to
tell him? She had thought she would have more time. In the end, Mackie
provided the opening. He was frowning at the metal shutters over the
windows. As he went to the control panel, Silia realized what he was doing.
She was across the room in a heartbeat and caught his arm as he opened the
picture. "No! You can't raise the shutters, Mackie."

	He stared at her in concern and put his hand over hers. "What's wrong?"

	"A lot has happened since the last time you visited. I guess I'd better
start at the beginning."

	Mackie stared at his sister in disbelief. "What?"

	Silia patted his knee and nodded. "It's true. It's all true, Mackie. Nene
brought Priss over after that." She knew there was no good way to break
this next part to him, so she just said it. "I asked Nene to bring me
over." He started to protest, but she held up a hand to stop him. "It's
already been done, Mackie. I'm a vampire now, just like the others."

	"Why? Why would you choose this?" His voice was low and he was looking at
her like he'd never seen her before. Maybe he hadn't.

	Silia sighed and felt the pull of sleep. "It's not something I can put
into words. I know that there must be a way to reverse this, but I need
time. I've started analysis of our blood, trying to find a cure, but it may
take years. Decades even. If I died before the others got help, then I'm
afraid that they would never find a way back." She laughed without humor.
"The others think that I did this to gain the power and maybe part of that
is true, but I couldn't let them face this alone. Please try and understand."

	Mackie shook his head as if to clear it and wondered if he was lucky
enough for this to be a nightmare. "I guess I need to think about this."
She stood and brushed the hair away from his forehead. "I need to sleep. We
can talk again after dark. Remember, leave the shutters down on the others
sections. You can raise them in here and in the gym." Silia hated to leave
him alone with this, but she could barely manage to stand.

	 Mackie saw her sway and looped her arm around his shoulder. As he helped
her into bed she saw the fear in his eyes. "I'm all right, Mackie, I just
need to rest."

	He said nothing and she drifted into sleep watching him watch her.

	Priss slid back into bed and thought about what she'd overhead. She had
misjudged Silia. Priss smiled wryly. But not by much.

                                 + + + + +

	Nene burst into tears when she saw Mackie and hugged him fiercely. Mackie
let out a little yelp as she squeezed too hard and she pulled back in
alarm. "Oh Mackie, I'm sorry!" He touched her cheek and stared at his
bloody fingers. Nene ducked her head and stammered an apology. "I-I'm sorry
Mackie. It just happened." He smiled and hugged her this time.

	"I'm just glad you're all safe." He turned to the others. "Silia tells me
that you've managed to surpass every testing machine we have. I guess I'll
have to get busy building tougher equipment."

	Silia frowned at his words and shook her head. "I don't think you should
stay here, Mackie. It's not safe. LaCroix will come after Nene and you'll
be in great danger when that happens."

	"I'm staying, Silia. I've thought about it and my place is with the team."
Silia raised a brow in question and he blushed. "No. I don't want to join
you. I don't agree with what you've done, but I'll help you anyway  that I
can."

                              + + + + +

	LaCroix stood over the bodies of the two police officers that had tried to
arrest him and cursed roundly. Those witches had struck again and he was
beginning to become irritated. Now he was wanted by the police. LaCroix had
not been able to focus on Nene since she'd left him. He had been forced to
rely on his human and vampire network which hadn't found anything. He
silently rose to the roof as another police car arrived.