I own nothing

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Ugh" moaned Claire as she rolled over to hit the snooze bottom on her new alarm. Glancing at the time she cured. It said 4:00 am. Myrnin, a vampire who is an ancient alchemist and Claire's teacher, had asked her come to his lab odd times. He claimed he needed Claire to work on the "boring stuff" while he made change to Morganville's new computerized defense system.

"What the hell," said a sleepy Shane," dam clock is broken."

Since Claire had been allowed to move back in to the glass house Shane had become very fond of sleeping in Claire's room.

"The clock is not broken just a certain vamp who happens to be my boss." Mumbled Claire.

"Shit Claire, if the dude were not nuts I would have staked him long ago." Said Shane.

"Well he is, and if I don't get to his lab in time he may just decide to come get me." Said Claire as she slipped out of bed and walked to the bathroom.

Claire hopped in the shower first to try to wake up, that having failed she turned off the water and proceeded with getting ready for whatever Myrnin had in mind for her to day. Walking back to her room she glanced at the bed to see that Shane had fallen back asleep. Quietly moving to the closet Claire picked out an old pair of jeans that would not matter if something questionable spilled on them, and an old T-shirt.

Once dressed Claire grabbed her per-packed survival bag/backpack, and headed down the stairs. As she got to the bottom Michael and Eve were headed up.

"Night, CB" said Eve who looked like she was about to fall asleep right there. She and Michael, her vampire boy friend must have spent the night talking. Their relationship was not the greatest at the moment.

"Do you need me to walk you to work today Claire?" asked Michael, ever the guardian of the group.

"No, I think I will take the portal today," answered Claire.

Michael nodded as he carried an almost asleep Eve up to her room.

Claire stepped up to the wall and placed her palm on it, "to the lab" she commanded. The touch and voice activation had been Claire's idea to give the portals some sense of normalcy. The portal opened up like a door way straight in to Myrnin's lab.

Inside Myrnin was looking at his pocket watch, "just in time, wanted you to be here when I tested the laser."

"THE WHAT?" shouted Claire as Myrnin pointed the laser gun at the ceiling and fired.