A/N - Hello again! I know, what's wrong with me? I update so slowly! I thought I'd never do this chapter! Hehehe... anyways I am very sorry I deceived you all in the last chapter as there was neither sex nor violence... it was a song I was listening to at the time and I didn't know what else to call it. Anyways. we haven't heard from Eve in a while, have we...?

"A modelling contract?" Michael repeated, a frown creasing his angelic face. Eve's black lips spread into a very wide, very wild grin as she nodded rapidly.

"For alternative models!" she squeaked, clapping her hands together before taking the sheet of paper back from Shane, who was regarding it with a screwed up face. The residents of the Glass House now knew why Eve had been so bizarrely happy, why she had been bouncing around with joy. It was a weird image - a girl in full on goth get-up bouncing and squealing with joy. She was incredibly jittery, and couldn't stop jiggling her fishnet-clad legs.

"So… uh, how did you manage to get this again?" Michael asked, a look of concern covering him. It was understandable - hardly anything that came around in Morganville was legit. Eve grinned and shrugged.

"It sounds crazy, but so is everything else around here, right? I got approached when I went for the groceries. It was a goth couple. They said I'd be perfect.

"Did they, now." Shane retorted, his eyebrows raising at his friend and housemate.

"What?" Eve said, still cheerful. "It's not as if they came up to me and said outright, 'hey, goth chick, wanna do some naked photoshoots with us?' Seriously. I can fend for myself, y'know." Michael's face became even more worried at the mention of 'glamour' modelling.

"They're ah… they're not gonna make you strip or anything, right? Seriously, Eve. SO not a good idea." Eve giggled and shook her head.

"You should know me by now, Michael. I wouldn't let them near me if I was stripping, let alone with a camera." Michael and Shane still looked pretty apprehensive. But, they knew as well as anyone, that once Eve had her mind set on something, there was no taking her away from it.

"Well, at least I know Claire Bear's happy for me. Right, CB?" Eve smiled. When Claire didn't react, Eve's scarily sweet smile descended into a pout."You… you do support me, right, Claire?" Michael sighed and rose from his seat, gracefully walked over to Eve, and slid his arm around her.

"Eve, we're all supportive. We all know you'd make it - you're gorgeous. But… it's just… a little seedy is all." Eve let a little smidge of blush fight its way to freedom from her white makeup, but stayed pouting.

"I understand that, but dude, they aren't vamps. They're legit, honestly." Eve now rose from her chair, forcing Michael to let his arm flop to his side. "I'm gonna do it. If you guys don't come with me, someone else will. I'm sure they will. But seriously…. This is my chance." Those were Eve's last words before she left the room and ascended to her bedroom. The housemates looked at each other in silence, until Michael sighed."I'll go talk to her some more." he said, his tone dejected, as he pushed open the door to leave the room. Shane eyed Claire and shrugged."You don't… you don't think she'll actually go for it, do you?" Claire stammered. Shane raised his shoulders in another shrug."Who knows, Claire? No one can prise Eve from her dreams until they come crashing down for real." Claire nodded in agreement and sighed, resting her chin on her palms. Shane tilted his head slightly."Are you alright, Claire? Like, for sure? You've been a little… off… for a couple days." Claire raised her eyes to his and smiled weakly."I'm fine, Shane." she replied, rising from her seat and heading toward the door."It's just that Myrnin's been working me more than usual recently." Well, that's one way to put it… she thought to herself. Shane eyed her critically for a moment, then shrugged and stood to make some coffee."You want one?" he asked simply, indicating towards the filter. Claire shook her head and grinned."No. But thanks. I'm gonna go and take a nap, I think." Shane shrugged again and grinned."Your loss. I make a mean mocha." Claire laughed as she exited the room. For once, Shane was actually right about something. Even if it was just coffee.

As she entered her room and closed her door, her cell beeped. The only thing she saw on her screen were three words: 'You're dead, freak.'"Monica." Claire groaned, glaring at the message. Monica's threats weren't…. well, threatening, anymore. They'd gotten a little repetitive. She deleted the message without hesitation, and placed it on her bedside cabinet. She lay on her bed and stared at the roof. Myrnin was still coursing constantly through her mind, his cheeky smile, his playful eyes and his smooth, velvety-accented voice. But then she remembered.

"I can't imagine what I'd do if I killed yet another assistant…" he mumbled. Claire felt her heartbeat quicken, whilst Myrnin was blissfully unaware of how much that small statement hurt her. She didn't realise it fully until that particular moment, she had real feelings for him. She felt a little sick, and anger welled up from her stomach. It was then, she had to leave.

"Just another assistant…" Claire muttered to herself. Her head hurt, just thinking of him saying it. She actually felt for him. A vampire. A bloodsucker. He could kill her, she knew that. And Claire realised, he didn't love her back. How could he bring himself to love somebody after what he'd done to Ada? His one true love, whom he had murdered, kept alive in a goddamned machine, and had never gotten over after she destroyed herself. She choked back on a sob - she had only just noticed her eyes had filled up and spilled over a little."Christ, Myrnin…. I hate you so much right now." she whispered to herself. Anything, she thought to herself. I'll tell myself anything. Just make it false. I don't want to love him.

But, she had to face the inevitable. She DID want to love him. And even if she didn't…. well, that was just tough.

A FOCUS ON MYRNIN

Myrnin had been staring at the spot where he'd held sweet, not-so-innocent little Claire not so long ago, until she'd fled. He'd noticed the hurt and anger on her face as she left, but so far hadn't put his finger on why. Why she'd seemed so hurt. He could feel his eyes filling with tears, but blinked them back. He didn't want to seem any less predatory, even without anyone else with him. But he wasn't stupid - it finally clicked in his head."Does she… does she really think… that she's just my apprentice? Is she really that dimwitted?" he murmured to himself, a sly smile playing on his face. "Well, well, well. That just won't do, now, will it?" he uttered to himself, walking over to the couch again."We shall just have to set this right. When she is next here…. I will put it right. She will do no work, but accompany me." He already had the cogs of a plan grinding away in his very strange working mind. He would take Claire on a surprise 'date'. To cheer her up. To make her feel appreciated.

Little did he know, Claire wasn't going to turn up at his lab.

A/N - Awh :3 Sorry, couldn't resist! I'm only just getting over my writer's block, so it's still gonna suck for a while - sorry, folks! Anyways, just a little thank-you to Mik the Chibi Lover for reviewing EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER in what seems like one go! Thanks a lot! :D It's appreciated ^^ And thanks to everyone else who reviewed recently :) 'til next time, folks! (Which, knowing me, will be a while. Sorry!) xx