This is kind of 10A. I was going to make this and the next part one big chapter, but I really want them to be chapters of their own. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one 3 :))

Part 10

"I'm telling you, we can't sleep in that bed again."

"Technically it wasn't my fault."

"Oh really? Well there are several broken springs and fresh holes in the wall that suggest otherwise." Anna said, while doing her best to keep a straight face and flat out failing.

"Oh, and you don't think that little show you put on had anything to do with it?" Dwayne said, pulling her tight against him. while taking the opportunity to grab her ass.

"What? I told you, I wanted to make up for the fact that you didn't get a stripper the night before the wedding." She said innocently.

"Where exactly did you learn to move like that?" He said, feeling himself get hard just at the thought. She'd chosen and hour before they were due to leave the cave to feed, to shove him into a chair and give him a lap dance. After the initial shock, he'd reached out for her while she writhed on his lap, but she'd immediately slapped them away. Eventually, when she relented, the bed got broken and the noises they made, probably sent every small animal in the vicinity running for cover.

"Just one of my many God given talents." She laughed.

"As long as you don't wanna take it up professionally."

"Don't worry, I only do private shows." She said, nipping, teasingly at his bottom lip.

"You know it's my birthday soon, right chica? I mean, I'm just saying." Paul jumped in.

"Pretty sure you've seen enough lately?" Dwayne said, turning Anna in his arms and pulling her back between his legs.

"I told you it was an accident."

"3 times?"

"How was I to know she was taking a bath at that exact moment? You believe me right Anna?"

"Of course." Anna said, trying not to giggle.

"FYI, it wouldn't have hurt to warn me you were in there with her last time. I'm never gonna be able to unsee that shit." Paul complained, and just as she was about to settle in for one of their extended bickering sessions, which she had to admit she always found endlessly entertaining, Laddie came charging towards them.

"Anna!" he began excitedly "Will you come shopping with me?" he said as Anna smiled down at him, somewhat confused by his request.

"Right now? What for sweetie?"

"I wanna get Lucy a birthday present. One of those necklaces they let you make yourself, I wanna get her one with her name on it."

"You know, I think she would love that, and maybe we can get pizza when these guys aren't looking." She told him as he began to bounce even higher than usual. She turned then to face Dwayne.

"Don't look at me like that. I'll be fine." She said, while placing little kisses on his lips then across his jaw line.

"Just don't like you being alone in this place. Don't trust any of these assholes." He said looking around at the crowds.

"I know but look, now I'm online too" she said, tapping her fingertips against his temples "You'll always know where I am right?"

"Girl, you really have a way of twisting me around you're little finger don't you? Ok, but if you're not back here in an hour I'm coming to find you."

"Yes daddy."

"And if you keep talking like that I'll take you home right now and remind you exactly who your daddy is."

"Give me an hour." She said, before taking Laddie by the hand and leaving her husband well and truly wound up.

…

When they got to the video store, Anna stood back so Laddie could have his moment. You'd have had to have a heart of stone not to melt a little at the look of pride on his face when he handed Lucy the necklace. Even more so when she gave him the biggest hug. Eventually, Lucy came over to embrace her and Max followed, kissing her on the cheek. Natalie, who worked alongside Lucy behind the counter had tossed a lack lustre "Hi" in Anna's direction. Apparently, this girl had had her eye on Dwayne for a long time, so wasn't exactly Anna's biggest fan.

"So, how much do you wanna bet now we're getting pizza, those 4 will suddenly show up?" Anna said, as they left the store.

"Paul and Marko always steal my fries." Laddie said.

"Well, if they do it tonight I'll flick their ears. Hard." She said and he laughed as he took her hand.

"Anna?" when she heard her name said so clearly in the masses she spun around. "Oh my God it is you." The young woman was on her, her arms wrapped around her, before Anna had chance to remove her heart from her mouth and pick her stomach up off the floor.

"Zoe? What…what are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm looking for you. We haven't seen you in 3 months. You've haven't been home, you didn't answer your phone and then it was disconnected…Oh it's so good to see you!" The buzzing in Anna's head was so loud that she couldn't really take in anything her 'friend' was saying. That's when she felt something at the top of her thigh and looked down to see Laddie had protectively clamped himself to it.

"Who's this?" Zoe suddenly asked in much more clipped tone which helped to begin to clear Anna's head.

"This is Laddie. My little brother." She said without feeling the need to think twice about it.

"What? You don't have a brother." Zoe said, while looking directly at Laddie. That familiar condescending tone, which always stuck in Anna's throat.

"Everything alright baby?" on hearing his voice and his hands at her waist, Anna felt herself release a breath she had no idea she'd been holding.

"I'm ok." She said, turning to look up at him, with a little unsure smile and he kissed her forehead in response.

"I'm guessing this one isn't your brother?"

"This is…"

"Not exactly. I'm her husband." Dwayne said and Anna saw Zoe's jaw drop.

"I'm her brother!" Paul said, she hadn't seen them arrive but of course she knew they'd be there.

"Me too!" Marko followed up.

"Oh, and him." Paul said, pointing to David who gave her a quick, sarcastic wave. Anna saw Zoe take a breath and attempt to gather herself.

"Okay. Well I don't know what 'this' is but maybe me and you could go somewhere and talk for a while…Anna?" to which Anna felt Dwayne's body immediately stiffen.

"Not right now. But we'll work something out ok, soon." Anna saw Zoe's eyes move to somewhere behind her.

"Chris! Will you get here!" she hissed, before who Anna could only assume was Chris appeared at her side like an obedient puppy. "Anna, you remember Chris?"

"No." Anna replied flatly, followed closely by snickers from the boys.

"It's ok. I get it." Zoe began, apparently choosing (outwardly at least) to ignore Anna's reaction "You read about these things, but it's ok it's over now, you can just come with me."

"Wait. What are you talking about?" Anna asked.

"Look, with all these people around, they can't hurt you." And this time, when Anna was too dumbfounded to respond, Zoe resorted to plan B.

"Chris?" and with that 'Chris' began to move towards Anna. His hands out to not so subtly grab her. And if she thought she'd seen Dwayne move quick before. She was behind him before she had time to even register it.

"What the fuck do you think you're doin!" Dwayne growled, he didn't raise his voice, but by the expression on the other man's face, there was no need.

"Look man, we don't want trouble, we just wanna take the girl home."

"One more step in her direction and they're gonna be finding parts of you all over this fucking town. You get it?" he threatened and Chris didn't need telling twice, as he rapidly scampered back to Zoe's side. Well, more behind her.

"Zoe, go home, I don't need to be rescued. It already happened." Anna said as calmly as she could and Dwayne turned to her, his face immediately softening into a smile.

"Let's go." David said, subtly stepping in, while Paul and Marko hung back glaring at Zoe and her idiot, their expressions that of two hyenas ready to feed. Dwayne, though, didn't look back, and he didn't let Anna either. If he had to hear one more thing from either of them tonight, the tiniest bit of self-control he hung onto would surely be gone.

….

Dwayne road home with Anna in front of him on the bike. He wanted to get home as fast as possible, but at that moment he feared the thought of not having her where he could see her. Even the back of the bike didn't feel like it was enough.

Once they were all inside the cave, David took Anna to one side. "Might be a good idea to take him to his room." He said, gesturing towards Laddie, as Dwayne ripped his jacket off his back and pitched it across the length of the room.

"I think you're right." She said and David nodded, then watched as she cast a worried look in Dwayne's direction

"It'll be ok." He said, trying to reassure her, she gave him a small smile before taking Laddie by the hand and leading him off to his room.

By now, Dwayne had climbed up onto the edge of the fountain and was stalking back and forth like a caged animal. "Where is she!" he said, stopping dead when he didn't see Anna in the room anymore.

"Dwayne. Chill." David said, dropping down into his chair "she's putting Laddie to bed."

"Chill? Are you fucking serious? Do you honestly think what happened tonight an accident? All this time and not one person comes looking for her, now suddenly these pricks turn up wanting to stage a fucking intervention!"

"Of course, it wasn't an accident. Someone got to them, I don't know who but.."

"Oh, you don't know? Well fucking know. I know exactly who it is! It's Max's new prodigal son!"

"You mean Michael?" David asked but Dwayne didn't answer "Dwayne. What are you not telling me?" To which, Dwayne took a deep breath and looked at his brother.

"The night I turned her. He showed up here with Star. All I remember is him trying to get at Anna, next thing I know, Star's screaming at me not to crush his wind pipe." Instantly, this brought a smile to David's face. He couldn't hep wish he'd could have been around to see that.

"Well it's too late now, but tomorrow. I think we should check in with Michael."

"Hell yeah man! I like that!" Paul said, suddenly appearing with a full bottle of tequila he'd pulled from somewhere.

David looked back to Dwayne then. He'd calmed some, but there was still a hit of murder in his dark eyes.

"Hey, no matter how deep this goes, we'll work it out. I care about her too." David said, and Dwayne managed the tiniest smile. That was as close as anyone was ever going to get to hearing David utter the L word.

"Well I love her more than all ya'll. She'll come around!" Paul announced.

"Hey numb nuts, gimmie a drink!" Marko said, snatching the bottle out of Paul's hand and instantly earning himself a shit eating grin.

"It's alright man, I wasn't gonna say a word about that dream you had. You know, the one where you woke up and she was suck…" Marko didn't give him a chance to finish the sentence before he threw himself at Paul, poleaxing him to the ground.

"And to think, they only just started drinking." David said, with zero enthusiasm, drawing a chuckle out of Dwayne "I'll take care of the little ones" he said, giving a sharp nod of his head towards the other two, who were now going full WWE on the floor "Go to her. She needs you." Dwayne didn't answer back, just headed off towards his room, but not before giving his brother a firm tap on the shoulder as he passed. That was all the response David needed.

…

Dwayne knew what David had meant when he said that she needed him. Now she'd turned, they were all linked and he knew that his brother would have begun to get the uncomfortable feeling in his chest at the same time he did. And now, the closer he got to their room, the more the feeling intensified. So, when he got to the doorway and saw her sat in the middle of their near enough useless bed, tear stains streaking her down her cheeks and her pretty eyes all puffy and red, it didn't take a genius to work out where it was coming from.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to cry. I hate that I'm crying but…"

"Hey, hey, hey come on." He said quickly moving across the room and climbing onto the bed before pulling her into his arms "Talk to me." He said, as she looked up at him.

"I'm not scared. I'm never scared when I'm with you. But they wanted to take you away from me tonight. I mean, just the thought has always been unbearable, ever since you saved me from that douche bag at the bar. But it's always just been a thought that creeps in when I'm not looking. But tonight, somebody tried to make it happen and…I hate them. God Dwayne, I hate them so much, I can feel it, in my body…on my skin." She said, exasperated with herself.

"You remember the night before we were gonna tell Max about us? You asked me what if he said no and I told you I'd die before I let anyone split us up? This is exactly what I meant. I'm not afraid of dying. But the thought of living without you scares the shit out of me." he said, and whatever Anna had in her head as a response, was denied by the lump in her throat, swelling at an alarming rate. So, she pushed herself up onto her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him like she couldn't get close enough "You're my heart." He said into her hair and she pulled back, rewarding him with a kiss that told him everything she wanted him to know.

"I was thinking, we should probably make love right now." She said breathlessly and Dwayne smiled.

"Just let me think about that for a seco…No you're right." He said, making her giggle as he began to lower her onto her back, only to come to an abrupt stop. "Wait…on the bed?" he said, and they both looked down at the bed that now existed on three legs and virtually no springs.

"You think you can control yourself a little this time?" she asked with a smile, already fully aware of the answer.

"The floor it is."

…

Michael lay in the dark as he listened to Sam lock his bedroom door from the outside, just like he'd asked him too. Something was happening to him, yet he had no idea what the fuck it was, and even though he had the unnerving feeling that a lot of the people around him did, they weren't talking. All he did know was after what had happened, well almost happened tonight with Sam, he didn't trust himself. The pain killers were just beginning to work, taking the edge off the throb where Nanook had left his mark, and finally, he felt himself begin to drift.

"Sleep tight, Michael." He brushed off the all to clear sound of David's voice in his head as just his over tired brain messing with him. Yeah, that's all it was…