Chapter Four:

Fallen

This heart has a mind of its own…

.

"Um, anyone noticed anything missing? Like our lead singer?!" Freddy was pacing the dressing room. The show was due to start in ten minutes, and Shane had yet to arrive.

"Calm down, Freddy, he'll be there," Greg soothed, shooting a look at Mick as if for help.

Mick shrugged. "Maybe he's just running late."

"It's not like him," Freddy insisted. "Shane never misses a gig, or even comes late."

"Well, uh, I'm sure he has a good reason…"

Beth pulled Mick aside to whisper to him. "Have you noticed who else isn't here? I hope that's a good sign…"

Everyone stared at the clock. It didn't stop, and Shane didn't walk through the door.

Finally, Silas spoke up. "Mick, you'll have to go on for him."

"What?!" Mick squeaked.

Silas thrust a guitar into his hands. "We don't have a choice; it's time to go on."

"I don't even know the songs!" he protested, feeling a bit panicky.

"We'll have to improvise. We need you."

"I'm gonna kill Shane."

XXX

"Did you change your mind?"

Shane snorted into Sara's neck and she giggled at the sensation. "You know better than to listen to idiots. You were right all along." He rose up to look her in the eye. "Never let anyone make you doubt yourself. Shane's wisdom." He winked at her.

"I'd be pissed off if I wasn't so well fucked," she said mildly.

He threw back his head and laughed. "I guess I'll have to keep you well fucked then, won't I?" he told her with a leer, sliding his hand around to squeeze her butt.

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed. "After the show we can—"

"Show!" he exclaimed, eyes darting to the clock radio on the night stand. "Holy shit, we're late for the show!"

They both jumped out of the bed, scrambling to grab clothing and throw it on. Sara gazed ruefully at the remains of her now ruined top, then tossed it over her shoulder and got another out of the drawer.

Shane finished dressing and went to check out his image, which turned out to be a bit fractured. "Uh – what happened to the mirror, babe?"

She spared it a glance before continuing to dress. "Well, what kind of self-respecting rock band would this be if a hotel room didn't get trashed?"

Shane nodded. "Good point. No problem, I'm sending the bill to Jay-Jay."

"Don't forget to add in the cost of my blouse and the door."

"Got it."

XXX

Mick ran out onto the stage with the other band members, taking his place front and center, willing the butterflies to subside and giving himself a pep talk. You can do this. You did this before. Think Micky Johns. Just because it's been THIRTY years, so what? It's like riding a bike… right? What's the worst that could happen?

The crowd could get ugly, if the chanting of "we want Shane" he'd heard backstage before the show was anything to go by. Only a couple of shows in and they were already turning into die-hard Shane fans. Or he could look like an idiot, freeze up and lose his voice…

Greg came over and slung a supportive arm around his shoulder. "Are you ready to rock, Los Angeles?!" He yelled into the mike. A chorus of 'yeahs' rang up through the audience. "Okay! Now before you decide you've had too much to drink, this is not Shane Alexander. Shane's running late, so our special guest, Micky Johns, has agreed to help us out with a few songs. Hit it boys!"

He moved away, and Mick was on his own. In deference to their stand in, they had decided last minute to use "American Band" as their opening number rather than the harder one Shane would have done. Mick took a deep breath… and dove in. Forgot about the audience and just let the music carry him along, the beat of the drums pulsing through his body, and allowing the heat of the spotlights to melt the years away until he was Micky Johns again.

So engrossed was he in the music that it was a surprise when, near the end of the song, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Shane singing with him.

"We're an American band, we're an American band, we're coming to your town we'll help you party it down; we're an American band…"

"Are you ready to rock the house down?!" Shane demanded into the mike when the song was over. The crowd cheered their affirmative. "Well, all right then!"

The lead guitar began the first notes of the next song, followed by the drums and bass. Shane leaned over the microphone and growled the lyrics, seducing the audience with his presence. "Like animals tonight we make it, you give an inch I'm gonna take it. I steal your love like a thief, to be as one is my belief…"

Mick joined in briefly, and then took the opportunity to make his escape, handing the guitar off to a roadie.

"Come with me and take my hand, it's in the fire we must stand. I'll take you down under my gun; our flesh and blood will be as one. Flesh and blood sacrifice, melts the heart like fire and ice. Flesh and blood like fire to ice, are you willing to sacrifice?"

Flesh, blood, sacrifice. Good song for a vampire, Mick decided as he wiped the sweat off his face with the corner of his tank top, and joined Beth at the side of the stage.

XXX

As she felt Mick's arms go around her from behind, Beth leaned back into him. She decided she liked the temporary change from his typical Henley's and long coats, even if he did look the epitome of cool in them. She'd played seamstress to the band and taken scissors to a pair of jeans herself for the cause, making sure they were torn in all the right places. A borrowed, tight black tank top completed Mick's stage outfit and showed off all his muscles nicely. As far as she was concerned, Micky Johns could give Shane Alexander a run for his money any day.

"You could've stayed up there with them," she told him, a bit disappointed.

"Dipping your toe in the shallow part of the pool is one thing, diving straight into the deep shark-filled end…" he said into her ear over the music.

Beth inclined her head toward Sara, who was on the other side, face lit up and beaming from ear to ear. "She looks like a five year old on Christmas morning."

"Yeah, I get a feeling she opened up her presents all right."

She turned slightly towards him. "You can tell, right? I mean, you can get a glimpse of the recent past and see if anything happened."

"Are you asking me to spy on them?"

"You're a P.I.; you do it all the time with cheating spouses, don't you?"

"Um, sometimes, yeah," he admitted.

"Well then, c'mon. I'm dying of curiosity."

He sighed, resigned to giving in to her, as always. "I don't have to, I know already. I can smell Shane all over her. And sex. People never heard of showers?!" he muttered under his breath to himself.

Beth turned completely to face him. "Whoa. TMI, huh? Yeah, I never thought of it before, but I guess with that vamp sense of smell it wouldn't be a secret." She pondered that for a moment. "You mean that all the vampires can tell when you and I—"

Mick wondered if she'd be upset or embarrassed, but couldn't stop the possessive smile from hinting at his lips as he responded. "Oh yeah, they all know you belong to me."

She slipped her arm around him and stuck her hand in his back pocket, squeezing. "Mmm… I like that," she purred. "And it better work both ways."

XXX

Towards the end of the show, the music paused and the lights dimmed, and Shane pulled up a stool. "I'd like to take it down a notch right now. This is a song I just discovered, and I didn't want to, I fought it," he laughed a bit. "But I just… I had to cover it. I think maybe…" He glanced at a few people in turn, glittering eyes surprising those who knew him with their intensity. "Some of you will know why." He smiled and started the soft guitar notes, then the words poured out.

"Wasted days and wasted nights; I feel lonely. I walk these streets and wonder why I ever listened to them say you are not the one for me – they're all wrong," he gave an ironic grin at the words. "They don't see the things I see in you…"

He continued, his hauntingly soft yet rough voice conjuring the words into the air and weaving a spell of fragile passion.

"When everyone turns to go, I won't leave you, when everything new gets old, I won't listen when everyone says I'll be better alone; I say this heart has a mind of its own…"

He smiled at Sara across the stage. And suddenly it was apparent the audience had disappeared. In the dark, there were only two. Tears slipped down her cheeks, catching the spotlight and shining like jewels. They both wanted to look away, to deny the intensity, but it was futile.

"When I see you across the room time stands still girl, every time I undress you, my heart starts to fall, in my arms and lay with me a little while, let the world just fade away. You and me.

Let the world come crashing down; you can smile 'cause you know that I won't let you down. Let me be the only sound you can hear. Fall in my arms and lay with me a little while. Let the world just fade away. You and me.

When everyone turns to go, I won't leave you. When everything new gets old, I won't listen when everyone says I'll be better alone; I say this heart has a mind of its own." The guitar faded, echoing its last strains into the silent club.

"This heart has a mind of its own. I think that says it all. Thanks for listening."

The band left the stage amid wild applause.

XXX

"Oh my god, that was beautiful," Beth whispered, her own eyes suspiciously shiny as she watched the tears stream down Sara's face. Someone handed the girl a tissue. The audience began their obligatory chant for the encores.

Even Mick looked deeply moved by the song. "Yeah, it's a beautiful song," he told her with further meaning in the eyes that gazed at his wife adoringly. A moment later his lips were touching hers.

"Something happened here," she began when the kiss was over. "I mean, it felt almost magical…"

Mick nodded. "Love happened here." He took her in his arms, and kissed her more properly, ending the talking for quite some time, until the loud intrusion of the hard rocking encore song broke the spell for good.

XXX

Beth met up with Sara in the ladies room after the show. She was trying her best to wash off the smeared make up and get herself presentable again. She seemed embarrassed to be caught getting emotional.

Beth smiled at her gently. "Remind me to introduce you to the joys of tear-proof make up." She touched Sara's shoulder. "Listen, I uh, I want to apologize to you. I think you were right: I didn't know you, or Shane."

"It's okay," she responded, staring at the paper towels in her hand. "Fucking bastard made me cry," she said under her breath after a moment, and Beth had the feeling she wished she could be mad about it.

Beth laughed and hugged her. "C'mon, let's go give the fucking bastard hell." She put her arm around Sara's shoulder and walked her out.

XXX

When the women entered the dressing room, the rest of the group was already there. As Beth joined Mick, he grabbed her hand and pulled her down onto his lap.

"You like pretending I'm a groupie or something?" she asked him as his arms tightened around her waist.

"I might have a fantasy or two about that," he admitted with a grin and suggestive eyebrow wiggle.

"Hmm… Keep this outfit on when we get home and we'll definitely negotiate," she told him.

Shane was slumped on the couch broodingly. Sara made her way over and joined him, but with about two feet of space between them. They looked like two people sitting next to each other on a couch -- trying to pretend they were just two people sitting next to each other on a couch.

The atmosphere in the room was strangely subdued. Josef seemed to be brooding too, Freddy only acted passingly interested in the groupie he'd brought backstage with him, Greg was studiously not looking at Shane or Sara, Silas was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed as if oblivious to everybody, Mick and Beth – well, Mick and Beth were distracted by certain rock star/groupie fantasies…

"We need some decent music in here," Shane declared, reaching over to turn on the radio, and tuning into a rock station. As he contemplated his dirty finger nails and tapped his foot absently to the beat of the music, he pondered the thought that vampires, especially ones his age, weren't supposed to have such complications in their lives. He stared over at Josef through narrowed eyes. Maybe Jay-Jay was right about the mid-vamplife crisis. Things had gotten out of control even faster than he'd expected. Odd, that he'd miscalculate that badly…

Suddenly they all noticed a commotion outside the door. A female could be heard insisting she knew the band, and from the sounds of it determined to be let into the dressing room. A few moments later, their bouncer, Bear, stuck his head into the room. Unfortunately, the woman used the advantage to push the door open far enough to scoot in.

"Sorry," Bear told them. "She says she was here last night and was invited back."

It was Bambi.

"Ah, thank god the comic relief has arrived," Josef snarked.

"S'okay," Silas told Bear, righting his chair and leaning forward, an odd look in his eyes – well, it wasn't odd to a vampire, it was one that said he obviously figured Bambi was up for grabs as she wouldn't be with Shane tonight.

Bambi made a beeline for the couch and sat down in between Shane and Sara, rudely ignoring her as she pushed her aside to get close to Shane. Both sets of eyebrows rose. Several pairs of eyes in the room were suddenly riveted to the tableau playing out before them.

"Who's got the popcorn?" Josef stage whispered. Mick shushed him.

Sara shook her head and tapped Bambi on the shoulder. "I'm afraid you're sitting on the wrong couch, chickie." When there was no response she tapped again, harder.

Bambi finally turned to her as if just noticing her. "Oh, you're a little thing, aren't you? Did you want something, dear?" she asked, her tone openly condescending.

"I have what I want, thank you."

"Fifty on Sara," Josef offered sub-vocally, for vamp ears only.

"Like anybody'd bet against her?" Silas met his volume. "She's gonna wipe the floor with Bambi."

"Oh, that's good," Bambi answered Sara absently, her attentions going unerringly back to Shane. "Is this your little sister?"

Shane's eyes widened dramatically, but he remained silent, waiting. It was no secret he enjoyed it when something stirred Sara up; he couldn't help wanting to see what would happen next. And god knows Josef was right again, they'd needed something to break the solemn mood.

Bambi of course, could have known better if she had more than half a brain, since she'd seen the concert. Or more likely she did know, and was just taunting Sara on purpose.

Of course that still meant she was stupid.

"Hey Bimb—I mean, Bambi!" Sara called loudly to get her attention. "Is there any part of your body that's actually real?"

"What the hell do you mean by that?!" Bambi finally turned fully to her.

Sara smiled sweetly. "It means you're out of luck. In fact, if you were the last female on earth, Shane would learn to take it up the ass."

Bambi sputtered amid the whoops and gasps and hoots of the 'crowd'. "How dare you!" She put her hand on Shane's arm. "Are you gonna let her talk to me like that?!"

He pretended to think about it for a moment, as he caught Sara's eye. She responded to his silent message. Smiling, she stepped around Bambi and sat herself down in Shane's lap.

"Well, see," he began, arm automatically going around Sara's waist, "the family that plays together stays together, ain't that right, Josef? And my little sis here gives head better than you do."

"You people are disgusting!" Bambi muttered, jumping up off the couch and storming over to the door.

"Wow, that's a compliment, coming from Bambi," Sara noted.

"I'm honored," Shane agreed.

"Fuck you all!" was her parting shot as she slammed the door behind her.

"I thought she'd never leave," Sara said after a moment.

"Hey, um, I might've wanted some of that," Silas complained, disappointed.

Now that Sara was closer, the weight of her solid presence on his body, Shane found himself fixating on the sight of the sweat pooling in the crevices of her neck and adding a light sheen to her skin. The smell of him on her, and sex, was a heady combination. The lingering exhilaration from the show magnified the effect. The need swamped him.

Sara was aware of his scrutiny as she wiped the perspiration off her face. Never one to just sit still and watch a concert, she always felt that if the band expanded their energy to put on a show for the audience, the least she could do was give her all too. She shared the experience with the band, so she was now also hopped up on adrenalin, sweaty, hoarse, and exhausted. She grabbed the wet paper towel she'd brought from the ladies room and started wiping her neck.

A softly spoken, "don't" floated to her ears. Intrigued, she stopped, handing the towel to Shane instead. Catching her gaze with his own, he used it to wipe his own neck. She abruptly remembered her recent fantasy: the heat making them sweat, the ripping of her blouse, thrilled to realize several parts of it had actually invaded reality.

Beth unknowingly interrupted the mutual daydreaming. "Okay, I just have to ask you something," she told Shane. "You almost seem like two different people sometimes. I mean, if I read my innuendo right, you were with this Bambi the other night. She was good enough for you then – now you're treating her like this? Can you explain that to me?"

"How did I treat her?" he asked, curious. "She pushed her way in here, being rude and condescending, making veiled comments just to be mean. If she had behaved decently, you would have seen me doing the same. Actually, I made a point to stay out of it as much as I could."

"Okay," Beth conceded. "But that doesn't explain why you'd want to be with someone like that in the first place."

The other band members snorted their opinion of her question, but Shane smiled at her.

"That would be your fault," he told her, including Mick in his gaze as well. If they hadn't pulled Shane and Sara away from each other after the show, Bambi would have undoubtedly ended up with one of the others instead.

"Mine?!"

Shane didn't elaborate, leaving Beth to figure it out for herself. "Well, if you'll excuse me, it's too hot in here, I'm gonna need to go get a breath of fresh air."

Sara let him up, and he left the room. No more than thirty-five seconds later, Sara was also rising. "If I'm not back when my big brother gets back," she said to Greg, "tell him I just went to the ladies room to freshen up."

Greg rolled his eyes behind her back. "Do I look stupid to anybody here?" he murmured rhetorically.

Sara was at the door when Freddy added his opinion. "What do ya wanna bet, Shane went off to go find Bambi?" he taunted.

Her laughter floated back into the room as she left.

"Wow," Josef commented. "No, you don't look stupid, Greg."

XXX

As Sara pushed open the back door leading to the alley, a wave of cool nighttime air hit her welcomingly. The door slid shut behind her, muting the music from the club and delivering her into darkness that her eyes weren't adjusted to. There was a light above the door, but its bulb was dark, burnt out or broken.

"Shay?" she called, the chill after being overheated making her shiver slightly. "Shane?"

The lack of response was just starting to spook her when arms went around her from behind and a hand over her mouth muffled her squeak of surprise. "Right here."

The next moment she was pressed against the brick wall of the building and they were kissing.

"You're driving me crazy, babe," he told her.

"I'm glad the sweating like a pig wasn't a turn off."

"It's like a red flag to a bull," he said, kissing a trail around the side of her neck.

"Are you my bull?" she asked, grabbing him through his pants.

"Oh yeah," he growled into her ear, making her shiver, for a different reason this time.

He pressed his body into her harder, licking the sweat from her neck. One hand stroked her thigh, sliding slowly up the short skirt she was wearing, savoring the trip to its goal.

Her hand was squeezing the bulge in his pants. "You know, I probably should prove that what you told Bambi about me is true."

His eyes glazed over, but he shook his head. "Not now. Need to be inside you."

"Oh, yes…" she agreed, her breath hitching at his words. When he reached her bikini briefs, she had the presence of mind to cover his hand with her own. "Don't rip them unless you want me walking around here in this skirt and no underwear."

The idea of her without underwear made him even hotter, but that was a fantasy he didn't want to be sharing with the rest of the world, it would have to wait for a slightly longer skirt. He went to his knees to push the bikinis down and off her legs, stuffing them into his pocket. While he was down there, he couldn't resist burying his face in her center, tongue teasing her roughly. She cried out, hands reaching back scramble for purchase against the wall.

Shane stood up and undid his pants, freeing his hard on. He lifted her easily and held her against the wall. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he lowered her down onto him. Hands went to his shoulders and held tight as he pumped into her.

It was messy, semi-public, raunchy down-and-dirty-sex that was exhilarating like a hard tear- the –house- down concert. Better of course, because no show ever wrenched the pleasure from her like this, leaving her panting and crying for more, spiraling ever higher with each thrust. Higher, higher, like the top of the world or maybe the top of the Hollywood sign. The world was theirs. They were wild and free and rushing through space so fast the air hitting skin felt like little needles. She never wanted it to end…

She slammed back to earth with the shattering force of hitting the ground after jumping from a plane with no parachute. The world was quiet again, still. His arms were the only parachute she needed; he held her tightly his face resting against hers.

Shane," was all she could manage.

"I…" She could feel his lashes against her skin, felt his eyes close and then finally open again. His lips kissed her cheek almost chastely. "I am in so much fucking trouble." He set her back on her feet and handed over her underwear, tucking himself back into his jeans as she put them back on.

"What a wild ride," she said. "Can I go on that ride again?"

"You have an unlimited VIP pass, baby," he told her. "Don't even have to wait in any long lines."

"Cool."

"One thing about that though," he began, running a hand through his hair. "We already totally blew it here, but uh, it might be best if we kept this quiet for awhile, back home."

"Well, not totally, Freddy thinks you went off to find Bambi," she told him with amusement.

"Freddy's stoned."

"So you want to sneak around, meet for clandestine encounters in shadowy, secret places, grabbing gropes in dark alleys and quickies in out-of-the-way motel rooms?"

"Uh, yeah?"

She slipped her arms around him and gave him a squeeze. "That sounds so exciting. Sexy. Reeely hot."

He grinned. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Tell you what," she began, "I'll go back first. You wait a few minutes and then follow."

"Oh yeah, that'll fool 'em," he murmured with fond sarcasm as she untangled herself from him and opened the door. "Do me a favor, hit the bathroom first and try to get cleaned up as best as possible. I'll do the same."

She paused at the door. "Why?" she asked, puzzled.

Well, it wasn't exactly an intentional vampire question (he was still waiting for those), but it was a question. "Because I'm not the only vampire in the room and we have really good noses," he whispered into her ear, and then gave her a swat on her rear to send her on her way.

XXX

Mick watched Sara slip back into the room, taking her former place on the couch in the corner. He heaved a huge sigh and shook his head.

Beth's eyes widened at the meaning in his expression. Again? "You're kidding?!"

He shook his head again.

.

End of Chapter Four: Fallen

.

Notes:

1. American Band, Don Brewer; Grand Funk Railroad (also covered by, you guessed it, Poison)

2. Flesh and Blood Sacrifice, Poison

3. Shane's song to Sara is an amazingly beautiful piano piece that can be heard on Bret Michael's MySpace page. If you're so inclined, do yourself a favor and check it out: /bretmichaelsofpoison

(Shane didn't want to do this song in the show, but as soon as I heard it – the day after I posted their first love scene, he knew he had no choice.)

Bear the bouncer is dedicated to our Bear, a great guy who was the tour bus driver for Kiss in the mid-80's. He drove the gorgeous "Hotel California" tour bus.