DISCLAIMER: Guess what? Elaine and Aria are back. Like I said before, most of these characters ain't ours. Richie, Joe and that crowd belong to the HL people, even if they still are screwing them up. Neeki, Nat and them folks belong to the FK people and THEY AIN'T DEAD! At least, not yet. I have plans for that ep. Aria and every other Andraven belong to Kat. That's what she thinks, anyway. Aria may say otherwise. Elaine, her creep of a husband and the rest of her family (well, most of them, I can't claim them all, even if they'd have been better off with me) are mine. But don't tell Elaine that. It might make her mad. ;-)

This story is labeled ADULT for a very good reason. Richie's gonna get some, Aria's going to get some, and Elaine's gonna get Richie and Aria. In lots and lots of detail. If you're under eighteen, you shouldn't be here. Or at least, don't tell me about it.

Hell Hath No Fury Like Two Women Scorned

Richie got off his bike and walked around to untie the 'wine' case he had in back.

Over the years, he and Joe had worked out a system to keep track of Richie's girlfriends.

If Elaine was in town, she usually checked in with Joe first and Joe would call and arrange for Richie to pick up her supplies.

When Aria was here, Joe would again hear about it, from one Watcher or another, and again call Richie.

So far, the two women hadn't learned of each other's existence and he hoped to keep it that way. If they ever found out, they would probably kill each other. Or worse -- him.

He knew he should break it off with one of them, but he couldn't. He loved them both, though in different ways.

Aria was a blessing to him. He had never felt unconditional love before her and it was an amazing feeling. With her faith behind him, he felt like he could do anything, be anything, and it drove him to try to live up to that ideal. Aria loved him no matter what and could forgive him almost anything and he needed that. But Aria needed him just as strongly for the love, joy and friendship he brought into her life. She'd been alone in the world for too long after the Daughters had died out. He couldn't lose that unconditional love and leave her alone again.

And Elaine? The abusive pasts they had in common had given them a bond beyond the one of blood they now shared. Thanks to Duncan and Tessa, Richie had managed to escape his nightmare, but Elaine was still living hers. He knew why she kept going back to him, it wasn't her choice, but he never liked it. He'd seen the state she was in when she returned too many times to ever like it. Richie had the feeling that the only time she ever really relaxed was when she was with him. The worst part was he knew if he ever did break it off with her, she'd accept it without a word -- and then quietly go greet the dawn the next morning. He couldn't do that to her.

So he kept seeing them both, hoping the inevitable day would never arrive.

He had finished unpacking the crate and was halfway to the door with it when he felt it. Another Immortal.

Please, God, let it be Duncan or Methos or even someone after my head, he prayed. Anyone but Aria.

Richie balanced the box with one arm and very slowly opened the door.

Oh shit, he thought, as one half of his worst nightmare just came true.

Aria greeted him with a passionate kiss, her tongue tickling his teeth before flicking away. "Hello, love."

"Aria. I wasn't expecting...." Even to Richie, his voice sounded several octaves higher than normal.

Before he had a chance to stop her, Aria grabbed the box out of his hands and took out one of the bottles.

"Nice vintage. We'll have it with dinner."

Richie almost choked. That 'vintage' was at least half human blood. And 'vintage' was what Elaine always called it. How would Aria know, unless....

Relax, Ryan, he told himself. It's still daylight. There's no way Elaine could be here.

Richie swallowed hard. "Um, actually, I thought we might go out for dinner," he suggested, trying desperately to think of a way to get her out of there.

Aria smiled as she put down the box. "Now why in the world would I want to do that?" She reached up and started to undo her braid.

Oh God, not the hair. Anything but the hair! Not only was putting her hair down a reminder of exactly how much Aria trusted him, Richie also found it to be an incredible turn on. "Uh, well, it's just that Joe hired a new chef and I promised that I'd come down and see if the guy was any good," he stammered. Yeah, there we go. Joe got me into his and, damn it, he's gonna help me figure a way out of it!

Aria came up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "But I kinda had m'heart set on stayin' in tonight," she whispered as she nibbled on his ear.

Oh God. "Uh, um, uh, uh, but, but I'm sure Mac'll be there," Richie managed. He'll also be laughing his ass off at me if he ever finds out about this. "And Methos! Methos is in town and I know how much you enjoy spending time with Methos."

Aria worked his shirt out of his jeans and ran her hands in between the soft fabric and his back, a move that always sent chills down his spine. "Aye, I do enjoy splittin' a good beer with Methos. But I enjoy spendin' time with you more."

Just then, they heard a crash out in the hallway and Richie jumped about as high as that cat in the Warner Brothers' cartoons that always ended up hanging on the ceiling. He ran to the door and peeked out, relieved when he realized that one of their neighbors had just dropped something. Maybe if I offered Ari my head now, she'd do it quickly, he sighed mentally.

"Somethin' wrong, love?" Aria asked.

"Wrong, why would anything be wrong?" Richie replied as he shut the door. "I'm just feeling a little antsy, that's all." Oh God, it's getting dark!

Aria's face clouded with concern. "There isn't an Immortal after ya, is there?" she asked.

Richie shook his head, a little too hard. "Oh no, no, nothing like that," he answered. "It's just been one of those weeks." And about to get a hundred times worse if I don't get your gorgeous little ass out of here in a hurry.

She started towards him again. "In that case, where were we?"

"Chinese!" Richie exclaimed suddenly. "Why don't we go get Chinese, my treat?"

Aria raised an eyebrow. "You're actin' just a wee bit off here, love."

"I've just got an incredible craving for egg foo young, what's so odd about that?" Richie asked. "But we better get going if we want to get a good table."

"What's the matter, Richie?" she repeated, not buying any of it. "You act like you're hidin' a big secret or somethin'. You're not seein' someone else now, are ya?"

"Of course not," Richie stammered. "You know I would never --"

"My, it's sah nice tah heah that," a voice dripped ice behind him.

There it was, right on schedule, nightmare number two. He turned to face her.

Elaine's eyes were flickering back and forth between their normal blue and the red he'd come to recognize as homicidal rage. And she was playing with the knife she used to hide her kills. Neither one was a good sign.

"Elaine," he squeaked.

"Yah know, it was the funnayes' thin'. Ah wen' down tah the studios tah try 'n' save yah sahrah li'le ass an' guess who Ah should run intah with the same idea." Elaine very slowly and deliberately began walking towards him. No, not walking. Stalking.

Richie backed up until he bumped into Aria, who put her hands on his shoulders with a tight, "don't even think about movin'" grip.

"Yah should have tol' us," Elaine continued. "Ah think we both desahved at least that."

Now trapped between them, there was nowhere to go as Elaine slowly shoved the knife into his chest.

The first thing to return to Richie was his hearing.

"He's beginnin' tah wake up now. His haht's jus' stah'ed bea'in'."

"D'ya want me to turn it on now?"

"Be'ah not. He tends tah thrash abou' an' weh don' wan' this ovah too soon."

Wasn't that sweet? Elaine and Aria didn't wan--

Elaine and Aria? Oh fuck!

Richie came totally awake with a start. He was tied to the bed, still clothed. Whatever Aria and Elaine had in mind for him, he had a feeling it wasn't going to be pleasant.

He began struggling, hoping to break free.

"Ah wouldn' do that if Ah was yah," Elaine's voice came from by his left ear. "Open yah eyes an' take a look above yah."

He did. SHIT!

"That, mah deah two-timin' Immahtal, is a guillotine. Which, in case yah nevah made it that fah in high school, is what they used tah chop people's head's off dahrin' the French Revolution. Yah cn ask Aria abou' it la'ah. If yah live that lon'. Now, slowlay tahn yah head an' look ovah heah."

He did. Elaine was standing by a very large piece of equipment. She pointed to it with her still-bloody knife.

"This is a seismograph. Nahmallay, they'ah used tah measah ahthquakes. This one, though, is set tah measah yah. Oh, rathah, how much weh cn make yah squahm. Laike sah."

Her hand suddenly slammed down, breaking his collar bone. Richie jerked, stifling a scream. From somewhere beyond his head, a very loud ding went off.

"Elaine, I thought ya said we weren't goin' to hurt him," Aria said.

"No, Ah said weh wah goin' tah teach him a lesson," Elaine corrected. "Lessons don' wahk if they'ah painless. Espec'allay with Richay. He tends tah need tah lahn thin's the hahd way."

Richie silently groaned. He should have known it was Elaine's idea. She always was the more vicious of the two.

"Now, wheah was Ah?" she continued, tapping the knife against her cheek. "Oh yes, the bell. As Ah was sayin', the seismograph is attached tah the bed an' will registah yah ev'ry movemen'. Alsah attached tah the seismograph ah sev'ral strin's, which, incidentallay, ah what's keepin' the guillotine from slicin' through yah chea'in' neck. Ev'ry time the seismograph registahs a cahtin amoun' of movemen', a strin' will snap. An' the blade will come that much closah tah cu'in' yah mis'rable head off. Get the pichah?"

"You're forgettin' about the bell," Aria reminded her.

"Thanks. An' jus' sah yah don' miss anythin'," the blonde continued, "ev'ry time a strin' snaps, a bell will go off. Now is that ev'rythin', Ari love?"

"I think so," Aria answered.

"Then weh cn begin?" Elaine asked.

"Yup."

Begin? They'd tied him to a bed, shattered his collarbone, threatened him with a guillotine and they hadn't even begun yet?

"'Laine, Ari, I'm sorry...." he began.

"No yah not," Elaine cut him off. "Not sahrah enough, at any rate. But yah soon will beh." She very carefully sat down next to him on the bed.

Richie eyed the blade. It jiggled, but that was all.

Then it was Aria's turn to sit on the bed. Only she did it a lot more forcefully.

Ding! Went the bell.

Snap! Went a string.

Richie tried to get up, causing another bell to go off and another string to snap. "Look, this isn't funny."

Two pairs of hands pushed him back to the bed.

"No, it isn't," Aria replied. "An' neither was not tellin' us."

"Dammit, Richay," Elaine added. "Did it nevah occah tah yah that weh might actuallay like each othah?"

"Or that we'd be willin' ta share ya?"

Like? Share? Richie examined the two women. Aria had her hair down, though it was still pulled back, and Elaine's eyes were blue, not red. For the first time, he had the feeling he might live through this.

"That's why weh'ah sah annoyed at yah." Elaine's hand crept onto his chest, caressing him through his shirt. "Not because yah cheated on us, though that did haht, but because yah didn' trust us." Her fingers found the hole her knife had made and worked their way inside, creating small circles on his flesh.

Richie relaxed. If that was the way they were going to 'punish' him....

Elaine laughed. For once, it was not a pleasant sound. "He thinks weh'ah abou' tah go easay on him," she told Aria.

"Then we'll hafta show him, won't we?" Aria said.

"Definatelay." Elaine hooked a finger on each side of the knife hole and yanked, ripping his shirt open and exposing his chest.

Aria ran a finger down him. "Looks good enough to eat."

Elaine grinned toothily. "Ah always thaht sah."

"Then shall we?"

"Le's."

Together, Elaine and Aria bent down over him. They each found a nipple and began working on it.

Richie moaned, reveling in the contrast -- Aria's warm mouth and tongue on one side and Elaine's cooler mouth, tongue and fangs on the other.

He arched his back toward them, shifting his weight.

Ding!

Snap!

Richie's eyes flew open. He had forgotten about the guillotine!

Concentrate, Ryan, he told himself. Think about something else. Anything else. Think about.... Think about the laugh Duncan and Joe are going to get out of this when they hear the story. Think about Amanda's credit card bill. Kenny. The times Duncan tried to take your head. Tessa's death. Anything.

It wasn't working. He was growing harder by the second.

A pair of hands, again one warm, one cool, snaked down, working their way under the waistband of his jeans. They found what they were looking for, stroking him until he thought he was going to burst his jeans.

The bell announced another broken string.

Aria disengaged from his chest and moved to the bulge in his pants. Opening the flap, she undid the top button with her mouth.

Elaine nudged her before she could get to the second.

"That's mah job," she told the brunette. "Allow meh." She made quick work of the rest of them, biting through the threads and spitting out the buttons.

"You're awf'ly good at that," Aria commented.

"Fangs ah good fah moah then jus' bitin' necks, yah know," Elaine answered as another button went shooting across the room.

Now freed of its constraints, Richie's throbbing cock burst forth, begging for release.

Aria and Elaine ignored it. Instead, they attacked his jeans, pushing them down, licking and nibbling as each inch of flesh was revealed. When they reached his toes, they switched sides and slowly worked their way back up.

Three more strings were gone by the time they were done.

Elaine and Aria paused long enough for Richie to wonder what was happening. He very carefully raised his head to check on them. And groaned.

The two loves of his life had their heads together and were whispering back and forth. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but from the gestures they were making, he had a pretty good idea.

Careful, Ryan. Don't let them know what they're doing to you. Like they couldn't tell.

What they were doing to him was pure torture. Trying to ignore what they were doing to him only made him more aware of it. And every time he tried to forget about the guillotine and just give in to the sensations they were causing, the damn bell went off.

And that had been before. He didn't know what he was going to do if they --

They did.

Elaine took one of his balls in her mouth, gently sucking on it. The other one she wrapped her hand around, massaging it, switching between them as the mood took her.

Aria, meanwhile, concentrated on his erection, teasing it with her tongue until he thought he would explode.

Almost, but not quite. Elaine stopped her before he did.

They waited until Richie's breath had almost returned to normal. Then they traded places.

Oh God, please, no! He took back all the nice things he had been thinking about Elaine. What Aria had been doing was bad enough. Elaine liked to use her teeth.

She'd explained it to him once, how she couldn't help but bite. Most of the time, he found it kinky and enjoyed it, and she never hurt him, well, not really anyway. But she had never stuck him under a guillotine or broken his collarbone, either.

Taking him in her mouth, Elaine deep throated him. Carefully, she worked him in and out, caressing him with her tongue, gently scraping the tender flesh with her fangs, not even stopping to take a breath. Again, he was taken to the edge and held there, allowed to neither climax nor relax.

"Ari? 'Laine? Please?" he begged them.

Elaine paused long enough to growl at him. Richie shut up. She was angry enough at him as it was, he didn't want to make it worse. Not with her teeth around his dick. Death was one thing. Castration was another matter entirely.

The two women now took turns going down on him, their heads bobbing up and down as they alternated. And he still wasn't allowed to come. Every time he got close, they stopped until the need for release no longer was so urgent. Richie could feel it build and build until against his will he began thrusting, into the air, into their mouths, anywhere. The seismograph was going crazy. So was Richie. Finally, Elaine bit down, right at the base of his scrotum.

Richie came so hard it hit the ceiling.

Elaine slipped off the bed. She needed to cool off before she lost control completely.

Since meeting Richie, she'd had to learn to pace herself. Before, she'd never cared that much about the mortals she bedded. Sex was simply a way of getting the best flavor out of them and that was all.

But Richie was different. From the moment they'd met she'd wanted more than just a quick tumble and a delicious repast. The feeling frightened her so much she'd almost run away from it. Now she was glad she hadn't. It'd taken her a while, but she'd finally figured out what it was.

Richie was simply the first mortal she'd ever fallen in love with.

Aria was the second.

And right now, the combined scents of their arousals were almost enough to send her into a feeding frenzy.

She'd been seeing everything through the warm glow of Hunger for some time now, and her fangs were aching so badly with the need to bite, it was almost unbearable.

But she wanted some answers first.

Aria glanced at Elaine, who nodded. The warrior woman flashed Richie a wicked grin that half scared the shit out of him and half turned him on. Then she placed her lips on his body, kissing and licking every inch of his flesh while her hair trailed across him. He tried not to squirm, but Ari had always been very good at this. Between the warm tongue and the silken hair, he felt a definite stirring in his groin again.

Elaine walked around and knelt by Richie's head. "Yah figahed it out, haven' yah?" she whispered into his ear. "Yah wan' tah respond, yah need tah respond, but yah can' respond. Yah don' daah. Becuz ev'ry time yah do, yah lose anothah strin'." She reached under the guillotine and pinched a nipple. "Oops. Theah goes anothah one. Yah reallay ought tah beh moah caahful -- theah ahn' that many lef'." A fang delicately pierced his ear, drawing a bead of blood. Her tongue flickered, lapping it up. "Ah cn tahn it off, yah know. Ah cn save yah ro'en neck. Jus' tell meh, why? How could yah jus' strin' us alon' like that? Didn' yah realize what yah wah doin'? Oh didn' yah caah?"

Aria stopped her actions. Elaine wasn't the only one who wanted answers.

Richie sighed. Since he was dead anyway, he figured he might as well tell them the truth. They both respected honesty, so maybe this way they'd at least give him a decent burial. "I don't know," he said. "I don't know why I lied to you both. I just know I'm sorry I did it and I wish to hell I could take it back."

He turned his head carefully so he could meet Elaine's eyes. "I've loved you for a long time, Elaine," he said. "But when you left, I didn't really know where we stood. I know you said that you didn't mind if I saw someone else while you were gone, but it still left me hanging. And I never suspected I'd meet someone who made me feel like Aria does. I'd already fallen in love at first sight with you, I didn't think it was possible for it to happen again."

Then he turned to looked at Aria. "Then you walked into the dojo and I fell hard," he continued. "You'd only been there for an hour and I felt like I'd known you my whole life. We were finishing each other's sentences. You'd look at me and I'd know exactly what was going on inside your head. It was incredible. But I figured it wasn't that big a deal 'cause there was no way you could feel the same way about me that I did about you. Then I walked you home that night and you opened up to me. You let me hold your sword, and somehow I just knew that you were starting to fall for me, too.

"But I was confused as hell, so I went to talk to Mac 'cause he's known you longer. I wanted to tell you about Elaine before we did anything so you'd know where I stood, but Mac talked me out of it. He convinced me that if I ever hoped of having any kind of a relationship with you, I'd keep my mouth shut. And I was so confused that I believed him instead of listening to my heart. Then he took that damn Dark Quickening and you took off to help him and I thought it was all over."

Richie leaned his head back on the pillow, sighing again. "I know now that you were looking for me and that you were worried about me, but at the time I thought Elaine was the only one who gave a damn 'cause she was the one who found me. So I went back to you, Elaine, because I needed you then and I didn't tell you about Ari because I didn't think it mattered. I figured she was either dead or finished with me, so what difference did a finished relationship make? But I was so wrong. I underestimated her. I went back to Seacouver and there was Ari, alive and well and ready to forgive me for all I'd done and to love me again. And she didn't just forgive me, she understood why I had done that. Nobody's ever done that to me before.

"By then, it was too late. I was hopelessly in love with both of you and I couldn't choose between you. I also couldn't tell you both about the other one because I'd been seeing you both for too long. I couldn't bring myself to hurt one of you by choosing the other and I didn't want to choose. So instead I screwed up just like I always screw up and I hurt you both and now I'm gonna lose you both."

He closed his eyes tight against the tears that were threatening to spill over. "Just, just make it quick, okay? I know the Andraven idea of justice is to force the person to live with the guilt, but I can't. I can't live with that I did to both of you. I can't live without both of you. But at least this way I can give Elaine my blood and Aria my Quickening and you can both have a little of me forever."

From the little tastes of blood she'd gotten as she nibbled on him, Elaine had already known he was sorry and how it had happened. But to actually hear him say it out loud.... No one had ever asked her forgiveness before. It had always been taken for granted or ignored entirely.

She glanced at Aria. From the tears in her eyes and the expression on her face, Aria felt the same way she did.

Fortunately, Richie still had his eyes closed and hadn't noticed. Elaine had already forgiven him, but she wasn't quite ready to let him know it.

She stood and kissed him. "Ah'll think abou' it."

Richie watched her walk back to Aria. He couldn't believe it. Half of him knew he deserved anything he got, but half of him still hoped they would forgive him. "Elaine, wait, you can't just --"

"Why not?" she almost innocently asked, turning back to him. "Like yah said, Ah get yah blood an' Aria gets yah Quickenin'. An' then Ah get Aria. Ah fail tah see the prahblem."

Unfortunately, Richie's latest panic broke the last of the strings. The blade dropped.

Richie screamed. "AAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Aria screamed. "Riiiiiiichiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elaine darted forward, shoving the guillotine out of the way. She landed half on top of Richie, half off. "Oh no, yah don'," she said. "Yah not ge'in' off that easilay. Yah goin' tah spend the res' of yah mis'rable bego'en life makin' it up tah us. An' if yah do a good enough job, maybeh, jus' maybeh, in a centuray oh sah, weh'll think abou' fahgivin' yah. Got that?"

The words were a bit harsh, but Richie recognized the tone in her voice. It was the one she used to hide her feelings from the world.

Her knife appeared in her hand, from wherever Elaine kept it when she wasn't using it. It flashed once, and his right hand was free. She couldn't reach his left, so she threw the blade instead. It landed exactly where she aimed, not quite hitting him, but severing the ropes enough for him to pull free.

"Nice shot!" Aria commented, impressed.

Elaine shrugged. This was an easy shot for her.

"Yah an idiot, yah know that? Ah nevah inteded fah the blade tah fall. But," Elaine added, suddenly serious, "if yah evah do anythin' like that again, yah might not get sah luckay. Beh glad Ah like Aria."

She carefully bit her tongue, then slowly kissed him, letting the blood that poured into their mouths say the words that she never could quite bring herself to speak out loud.

Richie slid a hand up her skirt, delighting in the soft moan he evoked from her as his fingers found her wetness. But when he tried to pull her the rest of the way on top of him, she stopped him.

"Yah fahge'in' abou' Aria," she explained.

Aria suddenly found herself being examined by two pairs of eyes, one blue, the other gold. She was used to Richie's, but the look on Elaine's face was so predatory, it made her a little nervous. Don't be daft, she told herself. You knew this was comin' the moment she kissed ya. And she had to admit, she had caught herself a time or two wondering what it would have been like if Elaine hadn't stopped when she did. It looked like she was about to find out.

Elaine rolled off Richie, allowing him to sit up. Together, they pulled Ari between them so she was facing Richie and slowly undressed her.

Her blouse was the first to go. Elaine reached around and undid the first few buttons, just enough to expose the top of her breasts. Richie dove in, thrusting his tongue between them. Aria moaned softly as Elaine cupped her breasts with her hands, rubbing her thumbs over Aria's nipples through her clothes.

Richie took care of the rest of the buttons, pausing as each one was opened to kiss the delicate morsel of flesh underneath.

Elaine gently drew the blouse down over Ari's shoulders and did some nibbling of her own, nicking the skin, then licking up the blood as each wound closed.

Aria was surprised. The bites hurt, a little, but nothing like what she had expected. And what came afterwards.... Great Mother, was it always like this? It was as if little bolts of lightning were shooting through her, almost like a mini-Quickening, but exciting her instead of knocking her out.

Behind her, Aria heard Elaine giggle. "Honay, yah ain' fel' nothin' yet."

Elaine's hands moved down to the waistband of Aria's jeans, ripping them open. Richie recognized the motion. It meant Elaine was getting impatient. She lifted Aria up long enough for Richie to pull off Aria's panties and the rest of the jeans, then impaled her on Richie's throbbing manhood. Aria wrapped her legs around Richie's waist, pulling herself tight against him. Richie moved his hands to her hips and started her rocking back and forth on him. Elaine climbed aboard behind her, one hand finding Ari's clit, the other left free to roam at will. Trapped between them, there was nothing for Aria to do but enjoy herself.

And enjoy herself she did. With Richie moving inside her and his mouth at her breasts, and Elaine's magic fingers taking care of the rest of her, it wasn't long before Aria came, screaming her head off.

That was the moment Elaine had been waiting for. Brushing Aria's hair to one side, she quickly sank her fangs into Aria's neck.

This time, the bite was more what Aria had expected. It hurt. A lot. It was like two red-hot pokers suddenly thrust into her. Aria reached up and grabbed Elaine by the hair, intent on pulling her away. Then Elaine's voice came to her, through the pain, telling her to calm down, that it was all right and that she wouldn't be doing it if it weren't absolutely necessary. The voice carried with it a lot of warmth, a lot of affection and a lot of love and suddenly the pain was gone.

Instead, Aria found herself floating on a sea of Elaine's memories. Most of them went by too fast for her to see, but she did manage to hang on to a few of them.

The images flew past Aria, faster and faster, until she could no longer keep up with them. Still they came. Great Mother, how many men had Elaine slept with? Finally, the visions overwhelmed her and she slipped into darkness.

Elaine caught Aria's body as she fell back against her, dead. She carefully set Aria to one side, then turned back to Richie.

"Richay, guess what? Ah'm still Hungray."

Richie grabbed her, pulling her tight against him. She met him with a deep kiss, Aria's blood still on her lips. It wasn't the first time she'd come to him tasting of blood, but knowing it was Aria this time started things stirring again.

Elaine put her hands on his shoulders, intending to push him down. Normally, he would have let her, knowing why it was so very important to her to be in control, but not now. He had other plans.

It was payback time. What he was planning was going to be tricky. Too slow, and she was liable to fall asleep on him, she was that full. Too much and the vampire would wake up sooner than he wanted to. He just hoped she was sated enough from Aria that he could do this.

Tongues still entwining, Richie pulled Elaine forward until she was sitting on the edge of the bed with him on the floor, kneeling between her legs. Since she was the only one still wearing clothes, the obvious first step was to remove them. He slid a hand under her skirt. Just as he expected, stockings, a garter belt -- and no panties.

A quick fondle of her golden curls, just enough to elicit a small gasp of pleasure, then Richie unhooked the first stocking. He slowly slid the silken garment off her leg, making sure Elaine felt every inch. And when, as expected, she grew impatient and tried to help, he batted her hand away and growled at her.

Elaine's eyes grew wide form surprise, then narrowed in arousal. Normally, she was the one doing the growling, not Richie. As far as she could remember, this was the first time Richie had ever growled at her. She kinda liked it and began wondering what else he had planned. It had already been a wonderful evening for her and she had a feeling it was only half over.

She was right. First stocking off, Richie turned his attention to the other leg. It was the same movements as before, only this time he used his hand to only push her skirt up to her hips.

Richie leaned in, giving the tender flesh underneath her curls a kiss before attacking the second stocking. This time Elaine's gasp was a lot louder.

But not loud enough. Richie continued to remove the silken sheath with his tongue and teeth as he reached out with one hand to locate the center of her desires.

Having found it, Richie slipped a couple of fingers inside her, carefully checking her moisture. Judging by how wet his hand grew, she was very ready indeed. Temperature-wise, though, she was still a little on the cold side.

Elaine shifted her weight forward, pushing herself farther onto him. Richie was tempted to leave his fingers there, but decided against it. There would be time enough for that later. A disappointed whimper accompanied their removal. The disappointment changed when he switched to gently kneading a thigh as he continued working on the stocking.

Both of Elaine's legs now bare, Richie looked up at her while deciding what to do next. The blonde was leaning on her hands, watching him with glowing golden eyes and breathing heavily. There were still a few specks of blue, though, leading Richie to believe she wasn't quite as aroused as he wanted.

He thought briefly about having her lick the juices off his hand, then dismissed the notion. He knew full well the effect the taste of her own blood would have on Elaine and tonight he wanted to be in complete control of her. Down to when he would finally allow her to climax.

Because Richie didn't want her to come. Not yet, anyway. Tonight's game plan was to see how long and how far he could take her without causing an orgasm. He intended to pay her back for the torture she had caused him earlier. Torment for exquisite torment.

But not quite yet. There were more clothes to remove first. Richie used his free hand to reach around and unzip Elaine's skirt. The blonde obediently lifted her hips, allowing Richie to slide the garment to the floor. A quick movement of the fingers and her garter belt joined it.

This left Elaine bare from the waist down. Time to work on the upper half.

Richie reached up with his hands and slid them under Elaine's blouse. As always, her skin was cool to his touch. He ran his hands around to her back, pulling her torso towards him.

His mouth found her nipples, tonguing each one to rock hardness through her clothes.

"Richay?" Elaine moaned. "Yah takin' too lon'."

Richie response was to push Elaine down flat on the bed with her legs still dangling over the edge.

Then he left.

Not far, though. Just enough to retrieve the knife from where she had thrown it earlier.

Elaine propped herself up on one elbow to watch him, curious. Richie pushed her back down with the tip.

Okay, so he wanted her to play submissive tonight. Not her favorite, but she was both too aroused and too sated to care.

Richie ran the knife down Elaine's blouse, caught the tip in the fabric and ripped up, tearing the garment in two. A few more slices at the shoulders left her covered only by a bra and her usual neck ribbon.

Did he want to destroy her bra? It was one of his favorites, created after he had described one of his fantasies to her.

Besides, the hard-on he'd been getting since Elaine had told him she was still hungry was screaming to be taken care of now.

Richie climbed on the bed and knelt just above Elaine's head.

"Turn over," he told her.

She did, guessing immediately what he wanted, and reached for his cock.

Only to have the hand batted away. "No hands," he instructed. "And no teeth."

Elaine nodded and scooted forward. No hands was no problem, it was the no teeth that was going to be difficult. Her fangs were already beginning to itch, despite having just fed.

Still, orders were orders and Richie was calling the shots now.

Elaine's tongue flickered across the tip of Richie's penis, sending a shock wave through him.

A good start. Richie spread his knees apart, allowing Elaine more access to him.

She took the hint, tasting him here, licking him there, slowly working her way up to the delicate sacs at the base of his manhood.

Normally, she would have stayed there awhile, and continued to work on him, but two things prevented her.

For one thing, the angle was all wrong. Elaine preferred coming at Richie from a lower angle when doing this. Not that she couldn't. It was just more comfortable for her.

The other was that, judging from the sounds coming from him, Richie wasn't going to last much longer.

Not much longer was right. No sooner had she taken him full in her mouth than he came, sending riverettes of semen down her throat.

Good thing Elaine already had a bellyful of Aria. Contrary to popular belief, vampires could swallow liquids other than blood. But it never hurt to cushion the stomach first.

Elaine finally disobeyed Richie's instructions, using her hand to grab his hips and hold him steady as she continued to coax every last drop of fluid out of him.

Richie may have been satisfied, but Elaine wasn't. She was still Hungry.

And horny.

Which was exactly the way Richie wanted her. He put a hand in Elaine's hair, pulling her up for a kiss.

His tongue dove into her mouth, exploring the inside before settling on her teeth. He caressed her fangs, first one, then the other, wrapping around them, careful not to cut himself on the sharp points.

Richie's other hand was also on the move, this one on a journey across Elaine's skin. It started at the nape of her neck, removing the ribbon and spilling out 'I love you' with a fingertip. Then he moved down to her bra, unhooking it and slipping the straps off her shoulders. This let her back free for him to trace lacy designs on her flesh until he reached Elaine's tailbone.

Now Richie needed both hands. He needed them to grasp Elaine's butt, one cheek per hand, and lift her off the bed.

Elaine wrapped her legs around Richie's waist, unfortunately too high to do what she wanted, which was to impale herself on Richie's already re-hardening manhood.

But it wasn't too high for what Richie wanted. He slid his hands down to her thighs, kneading the undersides, before moving inwards. One hand found her clitoris and began massaging it. The other felt around until it discovered her cleft.

Richie thrust his fingers into Elaine, eliciting a cry of pleasure. At the same time, his tongue sliced across her fangs, allowing his blood to flow into her mouth.

Elaine put her arms around Richie's neck, unable to do anything more than hang on. Heavenly images filled the blonde's brain, replaying the day's events from Richie's eyes.

How glad he/she was to learn both Elaine and Aria forgave him/her and still wanted him/her -- and each other. He/She loved them both so much he/she didn't know what he'd/she'd do if they hadn't. They were so opposite each other, each completing different parts of him/her. Aria, strong and worldly, but just as familiar with the pain of loss and loneliness as he/she was. And Elaine, needing to be taken care of without seeming to be taken care of. There was so much he/she and Aria could teach her if she'd just let them.

The feel of moving inside Aria and the pleasure he/she took from it. Vampires were one of the few life forms to experience sex from both sides and Elaine loved every minute of it.

Not enough! Not enough! The blood flow stopped, leaving Elaine yearning for more. She broke off the kiss, moving down to Richie's neck --

Richie pushed her away. Somehow, his hands had gone from her nether regions to her arms without her noticing and he now held her at arms length.

Elaine whimpered in protest. She didn't understand. Richie knew she needed blood, why was he keeping it from her?

"Did I say you could do that?" the Immortal scolded her.

Right. This was Richie's show tonight. "Richay, please," she pleaded. "Ah can'...."

"Hush," Richie told her. He turned around on the bed and laid Elaine on her back, carefully, so he wouldn't panic her.

Elaine forced herself to remain calm as her lover brought her arms above her head and held them in place with one hand. This was not going the way she liked, not at all. The vampire was too close to the surface. Deny it much longer and she was afraid she would end up hurting Richie, possibly permanently.

Richie's cock rubbed against the outside of her vagina, causing her to moan again. It felt soooooooooooo good. It would feel even better inside her.

Richie's voice came to her through her frustration.

"Elaine," she heard him say, "we need to talk."

Talk? This wasn't the time for talk. This was the time for screwing.

"Don' wanna talk. Wan' ooooooooooohhhhhhhh," she sang out as Richie pushed his cock a couple inches into her.

"The guillotine, it was your idea, wasn't it?" he asked, slowly pulling out of her.

Elaine tried to hold out, but it wasn't along before she admitted it.

"Yes!" she cried out, arching her back towards him.

Richie rewarded her with a slightly larger thrust. He waited until her breathing was somewhat calmer before continuing.

"That wasn't very nice, was it?"

Again he started to remove himself, and again Elaine gave in.

"No!" she agreed.

This time the thrust went much deeper, almost, but not quite filling her.

The next question was going to be the last, Richie knew. Elaine was too close to the edge, caught between the vampire and the desire not to harm the Immortal.

Besides, the blonde wasn't the only one having problems. Richie had long since learned to put off the actual penetration as long as possible because oftimes he couldn't help but come almost as soon as he did.

"Are you ever going to do it again?"

When Elaine hesitated, Richie upped the ante -- slowly moving inside her, not enough to make her climax, juuuuuust enough to complete the torture.

"NO!" she finally conceded.

The movements grew deeper. "Promise me," he grunted.

Oh God, please make her give in before I do, Richie prayed. He was so close. But losing it would ruin everything.

He won. "PROMISE!" Elaine shrieked.

Richie released her hands, thrusting his full length into her. Elaine's arms flew around him, pulling him down on top of her. This put his neck within reach and she sank her fangs into him, finally getting the blood she craved.

Their minds merged, becoming one through the blood link. It was as one entity that they climaxed, though the spasms shook both their bodies. It was as one that they explored their feelings, realized the hurt they had done to each other and Aria and how sorry they were about it.

Never again, they swore. Never again would Richie go around Elaine's and Aria's back. And never again would either Richie or Elaine use sex as a punishment. It was too precious for that.

Richie's thoughts separated from Elaine's, becoming faint as the life ebbed out of him. That was the one thing about the blood link she didn't like -- the ephemerally of it. The connection between them was the strongest she had ever experienced, short of the one with her Master, and that one was always full of dominating overtones. Richie and Elaine met on equal terms, not Master and convert. She hoped to have the same strength of relationship with Aria, but that would take time to develop. Maybe some day.

Elaine pushed Richie's dead body off of her. One hundred years as a vampire and she didn't like dealing with corpses any more than she had as a mortal.

An odd thought grabbed the blonde and she decided to go along with it. Elaine carefully arranged Richie and Aria so her lovers looked like they were sleeping. There. That ought to do it.

The next several minutes were spent trying to sort out the thoughts in her head. It was a rare occasion that Elaine had taken more than one lover in a night since she became a vampire and never in so short a time span.

Once things were settled, she moved over to the nightstand next to the bed and opened the drawer. Inside were two notebooks, one for each of the Immortals. Setting Richie's to one side, Elaine took out Aria's and got to work filling the pages.

Aria woke to find herself curled up next to Richie.

"Oh good, yah back," Elaine's voice came from the other side of Richie. When Aria looked over, the blonde was lying on her stomach, writing in a notebook. "Ah wasn' sure how lon' yah'd take tah wake up. Ah've go'en pahday good at judgin' Richay, but it'll take meh a bit tah get yah schedule." She capped her pen, put the book down, and gave her full attention to Aria. "Sah, any questions?"

"Does this happen every time?" Aria asked.

"The mem'rays?" Elaine guessed.

Aria nodded.

"Yup," Elaine answered. "But don' worrah, they'll fade in a few hours, unless weh do somethin' tah remembah them."

"Is that what ya're doin' with the book?"

"Uh huh. Caah tah take a look?" Elaine passed over her notebook.

Aria took it. On the cover, written in a very neat copperplate was her name. Inside, a lot messier but still in the same handwriting were a couple of pages of notes. Aria could make out only a few of the passages.

"Ah have one fah Richay, too," Elaine continued, "but Ah'm familiah with mos' of the images Ah get from him. Wan' tah play twentay questions while yah still know what tah ask? Yah cn staht."

"Okay," Aria agreed. "Who's the guy with the long teeth and the bad hair?"

"Mah Mastah." Elaine shifted uncomfortably. "Do yah mind if weh don' talk abou' him?"

"Why?" Aria asked.

"'Cause he knows when Ah'm thinkin' abou' him an' Ah reallay don' wan' him lookin' in right now," the blonde answered.

"Ah, good point," Aria agreed. "I definitely think I'll let it drop then. But I gotta tell ya, you guys have some rotten terminology. Master makes it sound like he owns yah or somethin'."

The blonde shrugged. "He does."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "I don't know whether to smack you for thinkin' that or him for makin' you think it in the first place.

"Ah'm serious," Elaine said. "Ah'm not sure if Ah cn explain it, but you know how yah cn saht of feel meh right now?"

Aria nodded.

"It's saht of like that, 'cept it's a lot strongah," the blonde continued. "An' if he wan's meh tah do somethin', Ah have tah."

"I don't buy it, but I'll save this argument for another time," Aria said, not wanting to cause an argument. "After all, you are m'first vampire."

Elaine giggled. "Don' beh too sure abou' that."

"Well, the first one I'm sure of," Aria laughed.

"True. Okay, mah tahn." Elaine licked her lips and very quietly asked, "What was it like havin' a mothah?"

Aria shrugged. "I don't know, I didn't have one," she answered. "I guess it was good, though. I loved Momma very much and we were really close. Losin' her was one of the hardest things I've ever been through."

"Must've been nice," Elaine said.

"Yeah ... yeah it was," Aria replied, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Momma was the greatest, too. When she was home, she'd come out and play with me and all m'friends. She read me stories, taught me how to hold m'first sword. All I ever wanted in life was to be just like her."

"Ah nevah had one," Elaine said, stretching. "She died when Ah was three."

"I was in m'late thirties, but I might as well have been three," Aria replied. "It doesn't matter what age you are, you always miss your mother."

"Ah know," Elaine agreed. "Ah think ... Ah think that was one of the reasons Ah stayed with Reese fah sah lon'. Ah couldn' abandon Jimmay the way mah Mama did meh."

"So that's why you stayed with the bashta," Aria said. "When I saw those memories of him hittin' you and then you threatin' him after he went after your son, I just couldn't make 'em fit. I couldn't figure out how someone so obviously strong as you would stay with a man like that."

"Mos'lay," Elaine agreed. "An' it wasn' that bad at fahst. Not until aftah Ah found out he was still alive."

"He?" Aria asked. "You mean the guy with the bad hair we're not supposed to talk about?"

Elaine nodded.

"So Reese was the jealous type, huh?" Aria guessed.

"Reese marrahed meh thinkin' Jimmay's fathah was dead," Elaine explained. "He wan'ed a kid he could raise as his own. An' when he showed up, that jus' changed ev'rythin'. Especiallay when Ah realized Ah was still in love with him." She sighed and stretched again. "Still am."

Aria shook her head. "And I thought I used to have bad luck with men," she sighed.

"It's not sah bad. Mos' of the time he leaves meh alone," the blonde said. "It's onlay when Neeki does something real dumb that he sends fah meh."

"I hate to make this sound like I'm puttin' ya down or anythin'," Aria said. "It's just that this is kind of an alien concept for me so I can't quite get m'mind around it. Know what I mean?"

"Thin's wah diff'ren' back then," Elaine reminded her. "Yah wah theah, yah should remembah. Theah wasn' any way Ah could leave Reese without losin' Jimmay. An' aftah a while, Jimmay was all Ah had."

"I know and I can understand your not wantin' to lose your son. But you have to remember that I used to make a livin' killin' guys like him," Aria told her.

"Ah thought abou' that. Believe meh," Elaine said. "But if anythin' had happened tah Reese, Ah'd've been the fahst suspect. The town hated meh enough as it was. Espec'allay aftah Ah made a rathah public display of mahself one night."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"It was ah fifth weddin' annivahsaray, an' Reese took us tah suppah in the town hotel," Elaine explained. "And then the wahs' thin' pahsible happened. He retahned. An' the momen' Ah saw him, it was like Ah was twentay-one again, with no kid an' no husband." She broke off, frowning. "An' a'cahse it had tah beh right in fron' of the town gossip."

"Ain't that always the way?" Aria let out a deep sigh. "It's too bad we didn't know each other back then. I know an herb combination that could have made the whole thing look like a heart attack." She tucked the same strand of hair behind her hear. "Um, so, why did they hate you, anyway?"

"Reese was the most eligible bach'lah in the terrahtahrah," Elaine answered. "Rich, handsome an' with no heiahs. An' then one day, he shows up with a bran' new wife an' a son that verrah obviouslay wan' his. Yah cn imagine how the women took that."

"I don't have to imagine, I knew women like that," Aria replied.

"Thin's had jus' go'en sah women didn' cross the street when they saw meh comin' when he showed up," Elaine sighed. "An' Ah was right back wheah Ah stahted. No, wahse, cause Ah was now labeled an adul'tress, even though Ah wasn'. Not then, anyway."

"We never had problems like that among the Andravens," Aria said. "Mostly because it wasn't considered adultery if you were sleeping with a man just to get knocked up, but that's another story."

"Oh?" Now that was interesting.

"I came from a culture full of women," Aria explained. "I'm considered the oddball 'cause until you, I was completely straight. So when you've got two bonded, or married, as you'd understand it, women, one of them has to go find a guy if they want to have a baby. Shoot, sometimes they'd even end up in a variation of what we've got goin' now. That's why I didn't mind the sharin' idea too much."

"Ah've nevah had much of a choice in the ma'ah," Elaine said. "Aftah Reese found out how fah Ah was willin' tah go tah keep Jimmay, well, le's jus' say it allowed him tah indulge in a few fantasays. An' fah vampiahs, even when yah in love with anothah vampiah, yah still got tah eat. But it's nice jus' havin' the two of yah."

Aria grinned. "Yeah, I could definitely get used to this," she agreed. "Although I would have appreciated a bit of warnin' before the bitin' started."

"Sahrah," Elaine apologized. "Ah didn' wan' tah scaah yah off. Oh make yah tense up. Do you know how hahd it is fah fangs tah bite tensed muscle?"

"Uh, no, I don't, actually," Aria answered. "Never had fangs. Although I was a biter when I was little."

"Ah've always been a bi'ah," Elaine smiled toothily. "Even when Ah wasn' a vampiah."

Aria laughed. "Why don't I doubt that?"

"Ah figah it was ahlay practice," Elaine said, returning the laugh. "Though Ah had been bi'en right befoah Ah had sex the fahst time."

"Yeah, I, uh, I saw that one." Aria started to fidget nervously. "And I know how that feels."

"Huh?" Elaine asked. "Oh, not that one. Ah mean' with Jimmay's fathah. That one ... yah wah raped, too, wahn' yah?"

Aria nodded. "A couple of times here and there," she answered, trying to laugh it off. "Comes with the territory when you're a female warrior, after all."

"Oh even jus' bein' the wron' sex in a wah zone," Elaine added. "Damn Yanks."

"Now, now," Aria chastised. "Just 'cause some of the soldiers were a bunch of dickheads doesn't mean the cause was bad."

"Those bastahds came in an' destroyed mah town," Elaine said.

"That's why I never joined an army," Aria said. "Too many idiotic assholes ready to destroy anythin' they can get their hands on. I much preferred the bodyguard gig."

"Elaine didn't appear to hear her. "Jus' came in, killed mah friends 'n' relatives. Do you know Papa 'n' Ah wah the onlay two of that side of the fam'lay tah sahvive the bahnin' of A'lan'a? That was onlay because weh wah with Gen'ral Lee at the time. An' no one evah saw Mammay aftah that."

"Elaine, believe me, I understand," Aria cut her off. "I'm the last of m'kind, remember?"

"Sahrah. Ah guess Ah'm still a li'le bi'ah ovah it." Elaine paused and said slowly, "Yah wah fifteen the fahst time it happened tah yah, wahn' yah?"

Aria paled suddenly. "Yeah, I was," she answered quietly. "You ... you saw that?"

Elaine nodded. "A lot of the images weh see ah thin's weh cn relate tah."

"Nobody ... nobody knows about that," Aria said. "I never told anyone."

"Yah don' have tah talk abou' it if yah don' wan' tah," Elaine told her. "But sometimes it helps. Espec'allay talkin' tah someone who's been theah."

Aria took a deep breath. "It wasn't the rape itself. I mean, we're taught from a very early age that rape is something we may have to face and know that it's not our fault. But the whole thing made me feel so bloody stupid. I was fifteen, full of m'self, and convinced I could take on the world. Momma ... Momma didn't think I was ready yet, but I assured her I was and I headed out into the great, wide world. Then my first time out in the world on m'own and that happened. I can't believe I was so stupid and so naive."

Elaine very softly put a hand on Ari's wrist. "Yah couldn' have known. An' he was a lot biggah then yah. At least yah killed him. That's onlay thin' tah do with rapists."

"But I'm an Andraven warrior, we're taught almost from birth how to handle men that are bigger than us so our size won't be a disadvantage on the battlefield." Aria sighed. "I take it that means you handled yours in a similar manner?"

Elaine nodded. "Ah don' remembah much of it, but apparentlay, Ah grabbed a knife an' stabbed the creep. Some of the men in ah camp found meh la'ah, backed up agains' a tree, covahed in blood. Still have the knife."

"That the one you used ta free Richie with?" Aria asked, even though she knew the answer.

"Yup," Elaine nodded again. "Nevah without it. It's come in quite handay ovah the yeahs."

"I remember every detail of mine," Aria said. "It ... it was also the first time I killed anything other than squirrel, rabbit, fish, or deer."

"It changes yah, doesn' it?" Elaine noted.

Aria nodded. "Yeah, yeah it does," she agreed. "I had expected to do it eventually. I am a warrior after all. But the intellectual was nothing like the reality." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Can we change the subject? This is startin' to get to me."

Elaine smiled. "Fine by meh. Ah was noticin', yah Quickenin' seems diff'ren' from Richay's."

"How so?" Aria asked. "The Quickening itself or the fact that it knocked me flat on m'bum afterwards?"

"The bit aftahwahds."

Aria shrugged. "I don't know why, but I've never really reacted well to Quickenin's. For some odd reason, as soon as it lets go of me, it knocks me out for awhile. And after I come to, I feel drunk or high or somethin' for like hours afterwards. Unless Richie's around and I end up feelin' horny sometimes, too."

Elaine smiled. "Richay tends tah get hahnay, too. Rathah fun."

"You shoulda seen the first time we made love," Aria said. "Both of us had a fresh Quickenin' in us. It was quite an interestin' night."

"The fahst time Ah saw a Quickenin', Ah had been locked in a cage 'n' stahved fah three days," Elaine said. "Richay 'n' Ah practicallay attacked each othah. Ah ended up havin' tah fly us back home, because ah clothin' was in ta'ahs."

"Okay, maybe you had the more interestin' night," Aria laughed.

"An that reminds meh," Elaine added. "Ah have got tah get yah a new wahdrobe."

"What's wrong with m'clothes?" Aria asked.

"Nothin'," Elaine assured her. "Ah jus' can' le' yah beh seen in jeans."

"But ya can' fight in a bloody dress," Aria objected.

"Depends on the dress," Elaine corrected. "Ah'm sure Mahcus cn figah out somethin' fah yah."

Aria rolled her eyes. "Why am I havin' all these flashes of Emma?" she asked.

"Who?"

"Emma Sullivan, m'housekeeper. Lovely lady, but she tends to forget that I've got at least three hundred years on her and treats me like I'm one of her own," Aria explained.

Elaine laughed. "Sounds like mah Nat."

"Nat?" Aria asked. "Wait a bloody second, one of your memories was of her. She's your great-great-granddaughter, isn't she?'

"Yup," Elaine smiled. "Ah met hah a couple of yeahs ago. She's the head coronah in Torontah. Absolutelay brilliant. Ah'll have tah introduce yah sometime."

"I'd like that." Aria pursed her lips thoughtfully. "What was it like? Havin' a baby, I mean."

The blonde beamed. "Absolutelay wondahful. Ah mean, it haht givin' bahth, but aftah that it's the bes' thin' in the wahld. Weahd thin' was, Ah stahted out ha'in' the babay."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Yah have tah undahstahd, ge'in' pregnant fah meh was an accident," Elaine explained. "Ah had jus' seen the love of mah life ge'in' crushed unah a bahnin' buildin'. An' Nicholah convinced meh he was dead, even though he wasn'. Ah was totallay devastated an' ended up doin' somethin' Ah shouldn' have. Then Ah retahned home an' tried tah fahget the whole thin' evah happened. Might've wahked excep' Ah stahted thowin' up ev'ry mahnin'. A nice li'le remindah of ev'rythin' that happened."

"What changed your mind?" Aria asked.

"He kicked," Elaine smiled. "An' then Ah realized that even though Ah was stuck in a marriage Ah didn' wan', Ah still had somethin' Ah could call mah own. Jimmay became mah whole life. Well, as much of it as Reese would allow, anyway.

"It must have been real hard on ya to have to leave him and to then end up outlivin' him," Aria said quietly.

"Ah hated it." Red tears appeared in Elaine's eyes. "The onlay reason Ah managed it as because Ah knew if Ah didn', Ah'd kill him. Ah still say theah should have been a be'ah way. Ah jus' can' think of it."

"I'm sorry," Aria replied. "I wouldn't have brought it up, but.... I've been around babies before and even delivered a few. But I'd give anythin' to have one of m'own." She tried to laugh it off. "But I guess that's the price for bein' the Blessed Warrior and last hope for m'entire way of life."

Aria could have sworn she saw gears turning in Elaine's head. "Would yah like one?"

"I ... I don't know," the warrior answered. "I do, but I'm afraid. My lifestyle ain't exactly inductive to children." A faint smile touched her lips. "But it would be nice to have a wee one, to be Momma for once instead of 'Auntie Aria'."

"It is." Elaine sighed, deciding it was time to change the topic again. "This is goin' tah sound reallay strange, but what's it like when yah die?"

Aria shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the thoughts currently running through it. "You mean the first time or every time after that?"

"It's diff'ren'?" the blonde asked.

"For me it is," Aria answered. "I don't know about Richie or the others, Duncan doesn't like to talk about it and I've never thought to ask Richie."

"Oh. Both, then."

"Well, the first time I kinda went into shock, 'cause I hadn't been expectin' it. M'blood just sort of poured out until I blacked out and then suddenly I just felt so at peace with everythin', ya know? Then I started floatin' up through total darkness and I kind of remember thinkin' 'This is it, the Great Mother's callin' me.' Then I heard this voice, it sounded like a mother, that's the only way I can describe it. Just warmth and love and strength and everythin' maternal. And it told me that my destiny had just begun and that it wasn't m'time yet. Next thing I knew, I was slammin' back into m'body and the wound was completely gone," Aria explained. "Now it's more like being stuck on a complete sensory hold for awhile. I'm not really aware of anythin' until I wake up in one piece again."

"That's it?" Elaine asked. "No bright light oh guahdian tellin' yah yah have a choice?"

Aria shook her head. "No. Why, is that what happened to you?"

Elaine nodded. "Meh 'n' ev'ry othah vampiah Ah've talked tah. Fah meh, it happened dahrin' one of Reese 'n' mah fights. Reese hit meh, onlay this time Ah fell agains' the fiahplace 'n' blacked out. Then Ah woke up in a ba'lefield full of dead 'n' dyin' soldiahs, onlay at one end of the field was this doahway with an almos' blindin' light inside. An' theah was this figah all in black that tol' meh that since Ah was alreaday pahtlay a vampiah, Ah had a choice of eithah goin' through the doah tah the light oh retahnin' tah the wahld."

"So what'd ya do?" Aria asked.

"Tol' him tah take a hike, Ah had a son tah take caah of," the blonde answered. "Fahtunatelay, by that time, he had arrived, sah comin' back was a lot easayah then it could've been. Shoah didn' prepaah meh fah the Hungah, though."

"Well, it could have somethin' to do with the fact that we're different kinds of immortal bein's," Aria replied. "Or it could be somethin' completely different and I'm totally off base with this.

"Too bad weh can' compaah it tah a nahmal mahtal," Elaine said. "But usuallay by the time Ah'm done with them, it's too late tah ask."

"Yeah, it is a wee bit hard unless you're one of the lucky ones who gets to see ghosts," Aria agreed.

"Ah've hah it happenin'," Elaine said, "but Ah've nevah seen any."

"Andravens are real big on ghosts and visions," Aria told her. "I've had a few visions here and there, but I've never actually seen a ghost. Sometimes I can feel their presence, like when I'm at m'estate. I can feel Momma there stronger than anywhere else. But I'd love to be able to see her again and talk to her."

"Yah the onlay vision Ah've seen," Elaine noted. "But Ah think Ah've figahed out what it reallay was."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "You saw me?"

"Yup," the blonde nodded. "In mah dreams. It wasn' reallay a vision, though. It was just a carrahovah from Richay. But yah cn imagine what Ah thought when Ah fahst saw yah fah real. Frightened the hell out of meh."

Aria smiled. "It must have been one hell of a shock," she laughed. But at least you had warnin'. I'm standin' there, doin' m'best warrior act, which never did work on receptionists, but I gotta try, ya know? Anyway, in walks this gorgeous blonde vision and she says she knows Richie. M'heart just about dropped to m'feet."

"Oh this brunette, who has Richay's scent all ovah hah, that Ah was instantlay attracted tah an' Ah couldn' tell whethah what Ah was feelin' was from meh oh from Richay," Elaine agreed.

"Yeah, we sure didn't make the world's greatest first impressions on each other, did we?" Aria asked. "And I do wanna apologize for what I said in the elevator. I didn't mean it and it was totally outta line. I've just never been with someone like Richie and thinkin' I had you for competition kinda made me lose it."

"Ah know," Elaine said. "An' Ah shouldn' have gone on the attack the way Ah did aithah."

"But at least we got to have fun kissin' and makin' up," Aria replied, grinning. "Although, considerin' m'beliefs, it's kind of interestin', you bein' what you are."

"Why?"

"Blood is a big deal for Andravens," Aria answered. "We use blood in all our ceremonies, consider a blood oath to be the most binding thing possible. And when an Andraven drinks someone's blood, we believe that you're mixing their soul with yours, linking you."

"Sah, if Ah was tah do this." Elaine bit into her wrist, ripping it open. "An' offahed yah a drink...."

"We'd be combinin' our souls, since you already drank from me." Aria took the other woman's wrist and drank. "Roses? I'll be damned, you taste like roses. I thought the taste only came in after adding the sacred herbs to the mix."

"Yah usin' mah taste buds right now," Elaine explained. "Tah us, ev'rybody tastes diff'rentlay. An' smells. That's how Ah knew yah wah seein' Richay. Yah had his scent all ovah yah."

"Really?" Aria asked, intrigued. "What's he smell like?"

"Leathah. An' sweat." The blonde wrinkled her nose. "An' grease. Which is a real trick, since Ah have no idea what grease smells like."

"I'd say so. Although I like the way he smells when he sweats," Aria replied. "I like the way he looks when he sweats, too. So what do I smell like?"

Elaine closed her eyes, savoring the memory. "Like a fahres' aftah a rainstahm. An' theah's somethin' else theah, too. Saht of an incense-y kind of scent. Got it. Rosewood."

"No kiddin'?" Aria remarked. "That's kind of neat, especially since Andravens use rosewood in some ceremonies, too."

"Figahs," Elaine reasoned. "Mos' of the time, a pahson's scent says somethin' abou' who they ah."

"Must make it easier to figure out who to avoid," Aria said.

"An' easayah when yah lookin' fah a specific kill," Elaine added.

"What about the others?" Aria asked. "Joe and Duncan?"

"Duncan smells like sandlewood, don' ask meh why," Elaine answered. "An' Joe smells like tobaccah, whiskey an' Ol' Spice, jus' like his bah. The funnay one was Methos."

"Methos?" Aria repeated. "You've been close enough to him to smell him, have ya?"

"Once, yeah," Elaine nodded. "Dahrin' the time Duncan flipped out. Couldn' figah out why he smelled like ol' books until he tol' meh he was five thousand yeahs old."

The look on Aria's face was unreadable. "Methos met ya in Paris after Duncan's Dark Quickenin', did he?"

"Joe sen' him tah pick up Duncan," the blonde nodded. "Duncan had trashed mah friend's club the night befoah an' Ah had him tied up in the basemen'. Why? Wah yah theah?"

Aria nodded. "Oh yeah, I was there, all right," she answered. "Riskin' m'neck and m'love life to help that old geezer out as we went after Duncan and the blasted twit never mentioned you to me once."

"Yah mean weh came that close tah mee'in' each othah?" Elaine asked.

"Mm-hmm."

"Well, Ah can saht of undahstand us missin' each othah," the blonde said. "Ah lef' not lon' aftah tah join Richay."

"And I spent the next few months in the barge, depressed as hell and wonderin' if Richie was even still alive," Aria said.

"An' Ah had tah leave righ' befoah weh got back tah Seacouvah because of fam'lay prahblems," Elaine continued.

"Hilarious how that worked out, isn't it?" Aria asked.

"No wondah he was able tah keep us apaht. Weh did half the wahk fah him," Elaine laughed.

Aria started laughing, too. "Yeah, I guess we did, didn't we?"

"Yah know, Ah still owe Duncan fah Paris," Elaine mused. "Recompense fah damages, if nothin' else. Yah tried tah kill him once, didn' yah?"

"Yeah, that's how we met, actually," Aria said. "I was hired by one Lord Martok to kill Duncan."

"Why didn' yah?"

Aria was a little shocked by how cold-blooded Elaine suddenly sounded, but decided she was better off ignoring the other woman's tone for now. "Well, the short of it is he beat me to it, launching me into Immortality," she answered. "And the long of it was the Duncan turned out to not be the guy I was looking for and I can't kill an innocent man."

"What was he accused of?" Elaine's eyes gleamed, almost as if she was looking for anything bad about MacLeod.

"Rapin' Martok's daughter and getting her pregnant," Aria answered. "Duncan and the girl were just friends and Duncan had actually never touched her. Not to mention he couldn't have gotten her pregnant if he had. Once he showed me that the hard way by makin' me like him, I went after the real guy."

"That's true," Elaine acknowledged. "Duncan may beh a hypocritical bastahd, but he's no rapis'. Ah take it yah got the real one?"

Aria nodded. "Yup," she answered. "And I did enjoy seein' Martock's head flyin' through the air."

"Good," Elaine smiled grimly. "Wait a minute. Martok raped his own daughtah?"

"Yep," Aria answered. "He was one of those bastahs that felt his wife was his property and when she died before he was finished with her, he took what he felt he was 'owed' out of Danielle, his daughter."

Elaine shuddered. "That's one of the few thin's that's nevah happened tah meh an' thank heaven fah that. Is that when Duncan became yah sistah?"

"Uh, no, that happened a few years later," Aria answered. "And he's not m'sister. There just isn't an Andraven word for brother."

"That's too bad. It would've been fun tah tease him abou' that." Elaine's voice implied that teasing was not exactly what she meant.

"Let me guess, you don't get along very well with Duncan, do ya?" Aria asked.

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Yah mean besides, tryin' tah kill meh, poisonon' mah bes' friend an' the gen'rallay lousay way he treats Richay an' Joe?" Elaine shrugged. "Ah don' know, Ah guess he reminds meh of mah brothah."

Aria sighed. "I swear, Duncan never used to be like this," she replied. "I have no idea what in the hell happened to him, either. My guess is that it was losing Tessa, but even that doesn't cover all of it."

"Ah'll have tah take yah wahd fah it," Elaine said. "What he reallay needs tah do is ligh'en up."

"Tell me about it," Aria agreed. "And I'd really like to know why he lied to Richie about telling me about you in the first place. He knows full damn well I'd rather know the truth than have Richie keep me in the dark."

"Ah wouldn' put anythin' pas' Duncan as fah as Ah'm concahned," Elaine answered. "Duncan likes meh jus' abou' as much as Ah like him. What gets meh is Joe had tah have known abou' us. An' he was supposed tah beh mah friend. Wahse, Ah trusted him." A low growl escaped the blonde's throat.

"When I get m'hands on the two of them...." Aria's growl was louder than Elaine's, but no less fierce.

"Sah what ah weh goin' tah do abou' them?" Elaine asked.

"They're goin' to have to pay for it, it's as simple as that," Aria answered.

"Le' meh kill Duncan, please?" Elaine suddenly looked so much like a little girl expecting a present that Aria had to laugh.

"Just not permanently, alright?" Aria grinned.

"If Ah did it pahmanentlay, Ah'd onlay beh able tah do it once," Elaine smiled wickedly.

Aria laughed even harder. "I do like the way ya think, 'Laine."

"Ah know." Elaine giggled, then yawned. "Sun's comin' up."

"Anythin' I should be worried about while it's up?" Aria asked.

"Not as lon' as yah keep the cahtins closed," the blonde answered.

"I kinda gathered that one," Aria said. "I just didn't want to have to explain the corpse in m'bed in case Maggie decided to drop by."

"Who's Maggay?" Elaine asked.

"M'Watcher."

"Damn busaybodays," the blonde grumbled. "Do yah think she was in on it, too?"

"Not a chance," Aria assured her. "I've known Maggie since the day she was born, her mother and brother still take care of m'estate for me. Not to mention the simple fact that Maggie knows what I would do to her if she had been a part of all this."

"Not half as much as Ah intend tah do tah Duncan 'n' Joe. What ah weh goin' tah do with Duncan an' Joe?" Elaine paused. "Richay's wakin' up."

Aria brushed her fingers across his hairline. "This was a lot more fun back when he had curls," she sighed.

"Ah know," Elaine agreed. "Maybeh weh cn convince him tah let them grow back."

"Darlin', between the two of us, I think we could convince him to walk down Main Street in a pink tutu and a feather boa," Aria laughed.

Elaine's eyes twinkled, thinking of the image.

Aria shook her head. "Oh Goddess, what have I gone and done now?" she snickered.

"Weh'll save that fah the nex' time he does somethin' stupid," Elaine said.

Richie opened his eyes. "What have you two been up to?"

Aria flashed him an innocent smile. "Not a thing, love."

Elaine matched Aria's smile. "Absolutelay nothin'."

Richie groaned. "All right, how much is this going to hurt?"

"It depends."

"On what weh decide tah do tah Duncan 'n' Joe."

THE END