I'm SO sorry guys, it's been AGES since I last updated, please forgive me! My stuff deleted so I had to RE-do it! *innocent contrite face* so anyway, I warn ya, this stories getting dark, but no worries! There are light moments in chapter 14. Also, please R&R it keeps me going! Get comfy; this is a long one, to make up for the time I took to update. ON WITH THE STORY! Xx

Chapter 14: Experiments

Oliver's POV:

"I love you"

The words leave my mouth before I can stop them, even if I'd wanted to. Oh well. Nothing left to do but face the music. However, a cold hand grasps my throat in a choke-hold that would have killed a human and knocked over most vampires. I remain on my knees for the time being, awaiting Lauren's reply as a vampire claws at my throat.

I don't care. Lauren's opinion is more important than some fight. But she's looking at the attacker, and shouts "Myrnin! What the..."

I begin to fight because, lets face it, pride? That trumps waiting any day. He looks at me with crimson eyes and comes at me again, but I avoid this by simply ducking. Who would've thought such a basic move worked on a vampire?

He begins to scream "Oliver! Don't you dare corrupt my daughter! I won't have it!" But then he's distracted as a vampire attaches itself to him. I decide to leave Myrnin and Claire in their passionate embrace and walk further into the house, into the kitchen, with a disgruntled Lauren a few steps behind - her curiosity had won out against whatever anger she had.

I take her in and a desire so powerful it tears at my soul engulfs me, spreading through my body like a fire, with only one way to put it out; Lauren. Her touch. Her laugh. Her smile. Her embrace. I'd fallen for her when she was 10; I just had an interest in her well being back then though, nothing sick. Like a brother. But seeing her nearly 10 years later confirmed those feelings, tainting them with lust in the process.

I want her. I need her. I love her.

And I will have her.

Claire's POV:

My dad's dead! And mum killed him! I find myself in strong, comforting arms but I can't stop shaking. Dead! Dead! He's dead! Incoherent thoughts. Flashes of memories; him pushing me on the swings, holding me as I cried because my goldfish, Coral, died, beaming as I got some results from school, just being there for me. Emotions too deep and scary to understand. So I just try to shut it off.

The vampire - it must be - picks me up and carries me downstairs, before dropping me unceremoniously on the couch and attacking Oliver. Oh. It was Myrnin, the resident cheat. He's protecting the slut, Lauren. But his words shock me. "Oliver! Don't you dare corrupt my daughter! I won't have it!"

My slow brain tries to process this. His daughter? So... He didn't cheat! I leap into his arms and kiss him with so much passion I finally comprehend what love is; salvation, the only thing that can bring you back from the edge, the reason to live. I can hear Lauren, who obviously isn't a slut, asking about her mother. I take a break from this - I was basically eating his face, he probably couldn't concentrate - to hear the conversation. Then Myrnin cries out a name I know too well.

Lauren's POV:

"I love you"

I'm dumbstruck. What the hell? This vampire, this murderer who killed my adoptive parents, leaving me alone in the world because I couldn't really love my new parents; they were just there to feed me, clothe me, and wash their hands of when I was old enough to live away from home. Sure, I still get birthday cards, and Christmas cards, but that's not parenting. They didn't even know I was in America.

My father attacks him before I can even utter a word of warning, though I probably wouldn't have. I can't deal with this! "Myrnin! What the..."

Oliver attacks Myrnin immediately, and I miss the next few seconds, hearing my father scream "Oliver! Don't you dare corrupt my daughter! I won't have it!" but then Oliver's looking at me again as Myrnin and Claire, is it? are... Ew. That's my father! I look towards Oliver who's walking into the kitchen. Fuck it! I follow him to get some answers. Oliver's staring at me with crimson eyes, but I'm not scared of that; far from it, that just pisses me off. So I ask the first question "Who is my mother?"

He blinks and says "Myrnin didn't tell you?" I shake my head "She... She's... Dead" oh God! Really? I'd only just began to entertain the possibility that I'd find her, and now... How do you grieve for someone you've never met?

I still didn't know her name. "Who is, was she?"

Oliver begins "A vampire who had you when she was human, and was then turned shortly after the birth, but died recently. She became insane. Her name was-"

But he's cut off as my father cries "Ada"

Myrnin's POV:

A cold body hits mine and I only just remember not to attack Claire, who's kissing me with feverish passion that I gladly return. Ah. She must have heard that Lauren is my daughter. Well good. She stops kissing me, so I pout, hoping to entice her with my puppy-dog eyes. Then I hear a description of Lauren's mother and a flash of memories; working together, side by side; kissing her; holding her in my arms; creating new life, which should have been impossible every time; the birth; turning her; and killing her. How could I have forgotten this life changing experience that we'd shared?

I cry out and run to find my daughter, desperate to see the only thing left of my first love. I look at her and I see what I missed earlier; her dark hair and dark eyes, eyes like black diamonds, which somewhat resemble mine. She was another that had that glow, that light in her eyes that invited trouble. Exactly like Ada. Or even Claire, though Lauren seemed so sure of herself, something that Claire lacked. It suited her well. My daughter seemed self-assured, content, and slightly... Manic. "What?" She snaps at me.

Now was obviously the time to explain what she was.

Lauren's POV:

My father looks at me with manic intensity, as if searching for answers. I can't take it; he's looking at me like a scientific experiment, like I was a new discovery, and I needed to know what he saw "What?" I finally snap. He sighs and looks at Claire, who just walked into the kitchen and has her hand on his arm. She smiles and nods her head, as if to say go-ahead, tell her.

He takes in a deep breath and begins "Lauren, you are half-vampire, half-human. That means you have certain... Abilities, some of which cannot be unlocked whilst you are human. Some of these abilities have already made themselves know; how did you carry Eva alone?" Claire rolls her eyes at the wrong name.

"Your strength is unfathomable for a human, and even for younger vampires. You can definitely take care of yourself. As I am your father, and Ada" he hesitates over the name " was your mother, your intelligence is above average, to the extent of a vampire - you can access much more of your brain than any human, much in the same way vampires do. You have a certain... Power over people, much like a compulsion, and yet entirely unique. I will need to study this to discover the nature of this power. You can survive without blood, I assume," I roll my eyes at that "yet if you drank blood, you could access more of your abilities." Ew! Gross!

"If I changed you, then and only then could you access all of your abilities, and they would be much above any vampires, even mine. You may wonder how I know this. The answer is simple, my dear. I have experimented before."

Claire's POV:

He obviously wants to tell Lauren something, so I tap him on the arm in encouragement. I'll accept whatever it is because I love him. However, then he finished by saying "I have experimented before."

Stony silence. "What did you say?" Lauren asks, but I already know what he means. He has children, as in plural, as in more than one. Probably more than one woman. He probably couldn't remember all of their names.

Myrnin answers her, confirming my fears "I have... Five children, all by different women over time. Each died during childbirth except yours, and each child is also dead, except you, of course. Used against me by Bishop. Maybe it was six..." He ponders this and my fury peaks. He can't REMEMBER how many children he has? That's it. I can't do this. Anger clouds my vision red and I flip the kitchen table to get to Myrnin, the BASTARD THAT COULDN'T REMEMBER HIS CHILDREN!

Oliver's POV:

Well well well... Myrnin's been busy, hasn't he? And by the looks of it, Claire's ready to flip a table as Myrnin explains the situation. Then she does! What did I tell you? Great, you're talking to yourself! Now Claire's clawing at Myrnin, who just looks confused. Lauren jumps in, so of course I have to join in. Now Myrnin looks scared; he's basically outnumbered, three to one. Finally, the upper hand! I punch him in the nose, breaking it for the time being, as Lauren knees him (let's just say where the sun don't shine) and Claire stakes him in the arm with a table leg? Yes, the leg of a table. He cries out "Stop it! Leave me alone! You're all so mean! Why are you doing this?"

Claire mumbles "Bastard" as Lauren sighs and I say "Because Lauren was" Lauren looks at me with a mixture of humour and confusion, as if to say that's funny but I don't trust you. I'd take what I could get right now. She says "What did you expect dad? You can't remember how many children you have! That pissed Claire off to no end, and I'm not happy either."

Myrnin looks delighted at the use of the word 'dad', but his face falls into a mask of trustworthy contrition as he says "Please forgive me! I was insane! I would never do that now, unless I was really bored... Ouch! Claire!" He cries out as Claire stakes him again.

Serves him right. Lauren shakes her head and laughs, a sound that's oddly... Arousing. Hmm. How strange. I look at her again and sigh, a sense of peace filling my entire body. I love her so much, but maybe that's just one of her abilities. Maybe it wasn't real. No. I couldn't accept that. And anyway, it didn't matter; I loved her either way. And yet she couldn't return that love. No matter; she would, given time.

Claire takes the stake out of Myrnin's arm and smiles, a sad, knowing smile. Understandable; she'd seen Mrynin at his worst, at times when he'd been... Unreachable. She knew that he forgot things, but this knowledge had enraged her regardless. She'd forgiven him. She makes that apparent as she reaches over to stroke the healing skin lightly, as Myrnin closes his eyes and shudders.

This was way too personal for me to be a witness to. Lauren seems to agree by heading back into the living room. I follow her, keeping a reasonable distance between us, so as to not shock her. She is obviously not done looking for answers. She asks me the question I've dreaded. "What happened to my adoptive parents?"

How do I begin? I sigh and look at the floor as I begin "Do you know who Bishop is?" Her shudder is all the answer I need; I go on "Well, he has always hated Myrnin, and made it his mission to hurt those closest to him, especially since this would also affect Amelie in some way. So he began to kill Myrnin's offspring 50 years ago. He began with Spencer, the oldest, then Anna, then Paul, then Daniel, and most recently Amber. You were the only one left, so Bishop tried to kill you. He drained your parents and I came to save you. They were already dead by the time the fire started. Thankfully, he deemed you dead and you have been safe from then on. Now I was there because-" but I'm cut off as I loud moan reaches us from the kitchen, making Lauren uncomfortable, so I finish quickly "I was on a job for Amelie in Britain and found that Bishop was there, so I followed him for a year. This included that incident."

I finish the story and leave the house, because damn that couple were loud! Lauren follows me outside and says "Can I have a lift to my hotel?"

I oblige, happy to be in her presence. I pick her up and run to the hotel she directs me to. We're oddly comfortable with each other; she feels safe and knows that I won't hurt her, I'm just happy to carry her. I put her down gently in front of her room, which she unlocks. "Would you like to come in?" She asks, sounding confident. I feel elated, though she probably doesn't see the connection that I do, maybe she just needed... Someone. I could be that person! I walk in, confident that she doesn't care about me.

Oh how wrong I was.

Shane's POV:

Yet another job done, I realise that I went overboard with this one; she's dead. Oh well. I'll just dump her at the Glass House, get them into trouble. I pick up the body and up her in the boot of her car, deciding to drop her off and run before anyone can see me.

So much to do, so little time.

Myrnin's POV:

I barely suppress a moan as Claire strokes the sensitive, healing skin. Oh the pleasure that can be derived from a single touch! The room clears, leaving me and Claire alone. I open my eyes to see Claire remove my flamboyant Hawaiian shirt and begins to trace patterns on my chest, which sends me over the edge; I moan her name and begin to kiss her, a deep kiss that only strengthens with time.

I pick her up to get her closer to me and she wraps her legs around my waist whilst never breaking the kiss. I carry her into the living room and through a portal, to my lab. I waste no time reaching the bed; Claire giggles and I help her out of her clothing. Glorious. She rips off my remaining clothing and we kiss for a little while longer, the closeness this brings enough for now.

And then it isn't enough. I'm consumed with desire and we make love for the first time, which only strengthens our love for one another. It's gentle and just so right. We hold each other through the night and I cannot help but think, this is what heaven must be like.

Michael's POV:

I arrive to an empty Glass House. Eve isn't here yet. I sigh and sit in my favourite chair, getting out my guitar and playing for a couple of hours before putting it down, content to just sit there and wait for my fiancé.

Obviously Amelie was wrong; Eve doesn't come back. Then I have an idea; maybe she's already in bed! I go upstairs and find her there, soundly asleep. So peaceful. How did I miss the heartbeat? I stroke her hair, accidentally waking her. She looks at me and says, in a clear voice "Get out. We're over."

Stunned, I go downstairs and sit there, till the morning comes and goes. Over? That's it? I should fight for us, but how could I when it was my fault?

We're over.

Lauren's POV:

Don't ask me how it happened. It just did. I invited Oliver in for drinks, and one thing led to another, and... Yeah. As he leaves the next morning, a stupid grin on his face, I realise that I don't really care. Anything that I might have felt before was gone. Now I just wanted him to go, before someone saw him. I sigh and know that this will never happen again, I just don't care about him enough.

I get a taxi and head towards the Glass House, looking for my father. He isn't there. The only person there is Michael. He sees me and smiles brokenly, saying "Hey Lauren"

I'm hit with desire. What's happening to me lately? It's like I'm insatiable, just looking for another man as soon as one leaves my bed.

But in that second, I know that I will have Michael Glass.

Claire's POV:

Last night was incredible. The best night of my life. I'm finally in love with someone who can love me completely, no jealousy, no anger, nothing except love. And trust me, his experience pays off, if you know what I mean.

I wake up and sigh, content to lie here in his strong arms, before I realise that I have not fed for a while. Bloodlust clouds my peaceful mind and I whimper as my fangs snap into place. Myrnin nods from behind me and runs off, returning a second later with a blood bag.

I don't hesitate. I rip it open and drink greedily, until I've returned to my normal state. I smile at him as he removes the blood bag from my hands and wipes my cheek with his hand, causing a wave of desire to engulf me. Neither of us have any clothes on, and I just can't help myself; I pull him towards me and kiss him like my life depends on it.

Sometime later, we are both fully dressed and ready to go to the Glass House. I cannot stop smiling, and neither can he. We walk through the portal and see Lauren staring at a clueless Michael with hungry eyes. I decide to break the uncomfortable silence "Hi guys!" I say with real enthusiasm. Well, mostly real.

Lauren blinks at looks at me. "Hi Claire." Who knew it was so embarrassing to have been heard making out with someone's father? I begin to blush as she speaks "I slept with Oliver."

Oh shit. "Myrnin!" I cry, but he's already gone.

Oliver better start running.

Myrnin's POV:

"I slept with Oliver"

Rage. That's all I can feel. How dare he, with my daughter? I run outside and get to Common Grounds just as Oliver is opening up. No customers yet; we're alone. Good.

I grab him by the throat and ask "Why did you sleep with Lauren?" He laughs and replays "Because I could. She invited me in for drinks, and propositioned me. You hear me? She propositioned me!"

Claire arrives and puts a soothing hand on my arm. "Myrnin? It's Claire. Now, Lauren and Oliver are both adults, and I have been assured that he is not her first, though she suspects that she is his first. It was not forced, she assures me that it will never happen again." Funny how Claire always knows how to calm me down. I release Oliver and grab Claire's hand, leading her back to the Glass House, where Lauren is waiting.

And yet, little did I know, she decided not to wait.

Eve's POV:

I wake up at midday and think about my decision. Should I have broken up with Michael? I still loved him, but now... It hurt. He'd hurt me. I couldn't trust him.

And what's love without trust?

I take a quick shower, brush my teeth, and get dressed before heading downstairs, and what I see tells me that I made the right decision.

Lauren's POV:

"I slept with Oliver"

I know it's a mistake; as soon as I said it, my father ran out the front door as Claire cried "Myrnin!", trying to stop him. That meant one thing; he's gone to see Oliver.

Oops. Claire runs a hand through her hair and turns to me, before asking "Were you both willing? Was he your first? Ooh, were you his first? Will it happen again? Please answer truthfully; this is the only way to stop your father"

I take a deep breath and reply "He was not my first, I think I was his though" I cannot help but laugh; Claire looks like she's suppressing her own laugh. I go on "Nothing was forced, I was only a bit tipsy, and trust me, it will never happen again."

I can't stop myself from glancing briefly at Michael, who, thank God, is looking at his guitar. Claire sees it, though; she gives me a we'll-talk-later look and heads off at vampire speed to find Myrnin. It's a shame; they looked so happy when they came in. Oh well.

I look at Michael and realise just how sexy he is; he's like an angel, just sat there tuning his guitar. He begins to play a tune I don't recognise, and he sings along with it.

I'm bleeding out

So if the last thing that I do

Is to bring you down

I'll bleed out for you

So I bare my skin

And I count my sins

And I close my eyes

And I take it in

And I'm bleeding out

I'm bleeding out for you

For you.

The way he sings is breathtaking; he pours his heart out into each word, and it's like the he really understands the lyrics, like he's lived through the heartache in them. And I can't take it; I pounce on him and shut him up with my lips.

Michael's POV:

I pick up my guitar and sing a song that's just so fitting I fight back tears. Then my sadness changes into something I recognise all too well.

Lust. Bloodlust? Maybe, maybe not. But I look up from my guitar, at Lauren, who seems to have gotten closer to me, and I will her to kiss me. She does, and it's like nothing I've ever felt before; there's a passion I do not anticipate, and yet there's a gentle, questioning quality that invites trust and happiness.

I give myself over go the kiss, till my thought are in flashes and sensations are all that matter. The feeling of her lips on mine. The sound of her uneven heartbeat. The feeling of her body underneath mine. It was... Intoxicating.

And then one thought broke through.

Eve.

Oliver's POV:

"Myrnin? It's Claire. Now, Lauren and Oliver are both adults, and I have been assured that he is not her first, though she suspects that she is his first. It was not forced, she assures me that it will never happen again." With that, they leave me to my thoughts.

Never again?

So, maybe she didn't care. Maybe I'd just fallen under her spell, like many before me, and I'd assumed that she cared. That this was the start of a future where, finally, I wasn't alone; I had someone to share eternity with, someone to love. But obviously that was not the case.

Never again? I couldn't process what we'd done, and how little she cared. Wait! Maybe she'd said that to shut Myrnin up! It must be! People just didn't have 'one-night stands', as they are called, for no reason. Surely she cared...

And with that thought, I make my way to the Glass House.

Eve's POV:

Is it cheating if you've already ended things? No? Well then, why did it hurt so much? Did it still not count if you still had the engagement ring? What about if you'd split up last night?

What if you still loved each other?

Michael looks up from the whore - she must be, to sleep with someone who's engaged - and sees me there. His face falls, but slut-face over there just pulls his face back down to hers, and I'm quickly forgotten. Bastard! I flip the coffee table over and it lands on Michael's back, but he doesn't even notice.

I run outside, trying to get away from the moans coming from Slag and Bastard, but I regret it.

There's a body on the doorstep.

Claire's POV:

I'm walking, hand in hand, with Myrnin down Lot Street when a bloodcurdling scream emits from nearby. I look at Myrnin and we start to run. We're just in time to see Eve collapse in front of a dead body. It's almost unrecognisable. Almost.

"It's Hannah" I say in a chocked whisper. Hannah Moses, the best cop I'd ever met, a sweet woman who'd always been there to fight our corner, and she'd never done anything wrong to anyone. Now she was dead.

Myrnin pulls me into his arms and rocks me gently back and forth as Michael and Lauren come outside, looking slightly annoyed. That is, until Michael sees Hannah. His eyes go wide and he drops down to take Eve in his arms and rock her gently, whispering "It's okay Eve. Ssh. It's going to be okay"

Eve looks at me and whispers "It was Shane."

Myrnin's POV:

"It was Shane."

Claire stiffens in my arms and begins to tremble. I'm dumbfounded; Shame? The human boy who loved Claire? Really?

Lauren looks confused, not saddened in particular. Wait. "Lauren? Can you come here please?" She nods and reaches me a few seconds later. I whisper, so that only she and Claire can hear "Is this your first experience with large quantities of blood?" She nods and I go on "Are you experiencing bloodlust Lauren?"

She gulps and nods. This is nothing odd; I had the disease, so much so that forgot about Lauren's mother, when I... Created her, so her vampiric qualities are heightened. I sigh and look towards Michael, then ask him to mind Claire so that I can escort Lauren back to her hotel. In reality, we are going to the lab.

I need to do some experiments.

Eve's POV:

He did the same thing to Hannah, but she didn't survive like I did. It should have been me lying there with blood streaming out of me, eyes glazed over, lifeless. Hannah didn't deserve this; I did. It was my fault she was dead.

I'm numb; nothing can reach me from this emotionless place, not even the way that Michael looks at Slag with lust, or the way that Claire trembles, or the progression of Hannah's blood. None of it. I just know that I have to warn them, before it happens again. It's the least I can do.

I can't face Bastard, aka Michael, so I look at Claire and whisper "It was Shane"

Bastard gasps at the same time as Claire. Myrnin says something, and Slag leaves with him as Claire comes towards us.

Bastard breaks the tense silence "How do you know it's Shane?"

I'm not speaking to him, so I hold Claire's gaze as I say "He did the same thing to me, except the knife in the heart. He raped me and hit me and kissed me and laughed at me and-" I don't want to remember! The memories flood back anyway, and I begin to cry as if my chest is being ripped open. Claire looks shocked, then angry, then devastated. She rushes forward and steals me from Bastard's embrace, beginning to rock me as I cry it out.

Bastard tries to take me back into his arms but I scream "GET AWAY FROM ME! YOU'RE THE SAME AS HIM!" Claire gives him an angry look and leads me back inside.

I pour my heart out to her. "Sh-sh-Bitch pretended to be in danger, and he screamed for help from upstairs. He hit me over the head and I woke up in the pantry's secret room. He tied me up and..." I cry and Claire holds me for a few minutes before I continue, my voice a weak whisper "Bitch moved me to a warehouse at the edge of town and released me. I walked back to the Glass House and that's when-"

"-I attacked you. I'm so sorry Eve. If I'd have known-"

"-Don't blame yourself CB! You didn't do anything-"

"-I broke his heart! And now, because of me-"

"-No CB! It's Bitch's fault!"

We both cry for Hannah. We even cry of Bitch. I cry over Bastard. Claire cries over me. I have to continue "When I came back, Michael the Bastard told me he'd nearly raped someone. I couldn't take it. I told him we were over. Then I got up this morning, and he was there groping the Slag who left earlier. I flipped and stormed out. That's when I saw Ha-Hann-Hannah."

Claire's lips pull into a thin line and she says "Slag, as you so kindly call her, is Myrnin's daughter, Lauren. Her mother was Ada. She came to find out who her parents are. She just discovered vampires. She is being a bit promiscuous though; she slept with Oliver last night." We both giggle at this "She has discovered that she has certain... Abilities, and she has recently found a sense of bloodlust. She is confused, but she seems okay, especially since her father is insane." We laugh again; she was with said insane vampire father.

Speaking of which, I ask her the burning question "Have you and Myrnin... You know" I made a hand gesture and Claire blushes. "It's perfectly natural, CB. So... Have you?"

She looks around and stage-whispers "Yes" I squeal; this is big news. I ask "When? And how was it? I want details!"

She sighs and her eyes take on a dreamy quality. Damn her, making me wait! She finally speaks "Last night. It was incredible. Trust me, experience pays off" she winks at me and I gasp, shocked. "Anyway, he's such a... Gentleman. We just lay there for hours, happy to be near each other. I love him, Eve" she looks at me with eyes that hold a light I've never seen before; she's finally happy.

Speak of the devil "You do?" Myrnin asks from across the room as he emerges from an open portal.

Myrnin's POV:

I lead Lauren to the lab. When she sees the mess, she gasps. I chuckle and say "Claire and I..." I don't really want to elaborate to my daughter. She nods and blushes lightly. This has suddenly become awkward. I lead her to one of the few unbroken benches and sit her down in the armchair nearby, before thinking that Claire should see this.

I walk to a portal and step through silently. Claire and Shreve are sat on the couch, talking quietly. I wonder if I should make my presence known. I step back through to the lab and stand there with the portal still open.

"Have you and Myrnin... You know" Eva makes a weird hand gesture and Claire blushes. "It's perfectly natural, CB. So... Have you?"

Claire whispers "Yes" and Eve makes a weird noise. "When? And how was it? I want details!"

I feel bad for prying, but I'm genuinely curious. Claire's silent for a few moments and then she says "Last night. It was incredible. Trust me, experience pays off" oh really? "Anyway, he's such a... Gentleman. We just lay there for hours, happy to be near each other. I love him, Eve"

I walk through and say "You do?" I can't believe that my little bird, Claire, my second love, loved me! After all of the hesitation, after all of the obstacles, we'd finally reached this moment.

Pure euphoria filled me, leading me forward, towards her. She stands up and closes the distance between us. She looks deeply into my eyes and I admire hers, a beautiful chocolate brown that's so warm and loving. I hold my breath and she whispers "Yes" with a grin pulling at her lips.

I shock both of us with a kiss; I just can't stop myself from connecting our lips and setting off the fireworks of passion. She moans loudly against my lips and I hear Eva mumble "Is that the phone? I'll have to get that..." Before running upstairs. I thank her for the privacy silently and throw Claire on the couch. She giggles and pulls me down towards her, connecting ours lips once more. She runs her hands through my hair and I shudder in delight. She feels so close right now, and I whisper "I love you too"

She pulls back and looks into my eyes, like she is searching my soul. She makes a dash for the stairs and I catch up to her only as she throws herself on the bed and pats it. I run over and we stare into each others eyes for the longest of times, each trying to find something in the other. I make the first move, picking up where we left off downstairs. My hands roam her body and she gasps, pulling me closer to her. I can't stop myself from literally ripping off her clothes as she begins to remove mine.

Impatient, I assist her, and I quote her "'experience pays off', does it?". I think it's time for another experiment...

Oliver's POV:

I arrive at the Glass House much later, having been stopped by Amelie on the way to 'check on the situation' in her words. Really, it was to check up on me. She probably knew what had happened last night, and probably she wanted to know if it would be a more permanent situation. I hinted that it would, just to spite her. I stop at the front gate.

There's a body on the front steps.

It's Hannah Moses. She would be missed by many, even me, remotely. I pick her up and run with her to the cemetery, unceremoniously dropping her on her great-grandmothers grave. That'll have to do.

I head back to the Glass House and venture inside, where Michael and Eve are having a heated discussion. In a bored tone, I enquired "Where is Lauren?" They both say "Lab" in unison and I leave them to it. I do not care about their petty squabble.

I need Lauren, it's like a pain in my chest. I go inside and see her sat in an armchair, asleep. I sigh and watch her for some time, until Myrnin and Claire come through a portal, hand in hand.

Myrnin sneers at me and I laugh quietly. Claire shushes us both and grabs a quilt to throw over Lauren before whispering "I'm going for a shower" she kisses Myrnin lingeringly on the lips and I look away from the obvious love there. I never thought I'd be jealous of Myrnin, but here I was, all love-sick.

"I'm leaving. I'll be back later." And with that, I leave to... Do what exactly? Normal life is mundane, and there is nothing to do! I walk around for hours before I return to Common Grounds and open up. I realise something.

Life is so boring without Lauren.

Eve's POV:

I can hear them through the walls! That's just... Disgusting. I run downstairs to get away and see Michael staring at nothing in particular. It's time to talk. I begin "Michael. I want you to know that you hurt me. You betrayed my trust in the most awful way; you weren't there for me when I needed you, and you nearly cheated on me by raping someone. It's obvious that you've moved on, so here." I hand by the engagement ring, and hold back tears as he accepts it.

He's obviously not taking this well; he's shaking as he drops to his knees and then he begins to speak in a voice full of anger "That's wasn't the real me Eve; this is, the one here on his knees begging for you to forgive me! Please Eve! I can't do this without-"

Oliver walks in, looking for Lauren. We assume the lab, and direct him there. I draw in a shaky breath and say "Michael! Get up! It's too little, too late! We're over!" I run upstairs and lay on my bed until I know the house is empty, then I cry my heart out, alone and broken.

Myrnin's POV:

Claire looks so tantalising as she says "I'm going for a shower", and that kiss... I nearly follow her, but I don't. Focus Myrnin! I slap my forehead and Oliver leaves, leaving me alone with my daughter. I walk over to her and wake her up gently, needing to start my investigation before I joined Claire in the shower and never returned to work again.

She yawns and wakes up smiling. I stroke her hair and she blinks rapidly before sitting up and stretching; she's like a cat waking from a nap! She looks at me and asks "Why am I here? What can you find out about me?"

Perceptive. I say "There are certain... Experiments that I can do, to define your current abilities and predict your future abilities. We should wait for Claire, but in the mean time... A blood sample would be a great start"

She looks unsure, but I give her a dose of my puppy-dog eyes, and finally she sighs and agrees. I go to find a syringe and a refreshed-looking Claire enters the room. She smiles at Lauren and her eyes roam over my body, as if she is mentally undressing me. It's difficult, but I stop myself from walking over and taking her, there and then. Instead, I take a blood sample from Lauren and place a drop of her blood on a slide.

Examining it under one of Claire's microscopes, I motion for Claire to join me. She looks at the slide and I know that she sees what I saw; blood so similar to vampire blood that only a genius could see the human qualities. Luckily I am a genius.

Claire says "Interesting. On a few human blood cells" it seems that Claire has lived up to my expectations. I nod and she goes on "So... She could survive on either human food or blood, but by the low oxyhemoglobin levels, she needs to decide soon, after trying some blood. She should stabilise after that."

I shake my head and Claire frowns "No? So... Ah. She will need blood either way, she cannot survive with such little oxygen in her system. Maybe blood is the best overall choice."

Lauren has listened to Claire's analysis with slowly widening eyes. She looks terrified as she asks "I have to drink blood? Definitely?"

I hate to do this, but I sigh and nod. Claire looks sympathetic as she looks up from the microscope before quickly grabbing a sample of human blood and mixing them. Her eyes widen and I gently push her aside to look at the result. The blood has stabilised, and now appears to be completely vampiric, with only a small variation. "Your blood will still be vaguely human, but you will not require human food. So a blood-only diet is really the only option. I'm sorry dear." And I really am. This cannot be easy for her.

She gulps and nods, resigned to her fate. I hold the blood sample up to a beam of sunlight and wait for a reaction. None occurs "You will not have to shield yourself from the sun, and..." I sniff the blood "your blood will smell human from afar, but taste vampiric. I'm afraid that this is for the best."

"And now with the fun testing!" I'm excited to see her actual abilities, not just her blood requirement and qualities. I leap over to Lauren and lead her to a lab table. I look at her and say "Pick it up!"

She looks confused but obeys, after looking at Claire for confirmation. She was learning to trust Claire's judgement! Good! She picks up the table with ease. Something heavier... Aha! I run over to my bedroom with Lauren following and I reach the bed. "Pick it up!"

She looks slightly distressed, but shrugs and does as I ask. She picks it up and with only a slight swaying lifts it above her head. I grow tired of this aspect. "Claire! Grab a pen and paper! Record all of the results, including the one with her blood!" Claire sighs but goes to look for them. I say in an official-sounding voice "The patient can go to three quarters of a vampires strength at a push."

I lead Lauren outside and say "Race me?" She nods and grins; finally, a smile from my daughter! And the expression suits her.

"Three, two, one... Go!" We race to the end of the alleyway; she barely loses! In fact, "I want I rematch!"

This time, she wins. Wow, this had obviously been a talent of hers, which would develop with my help. I take her back inside and say to the waiting Claire "Vampire speed."

Now this test will be funny. "Claire, can you fetch Michael for me?" She looks confused but nods, creating a portal and going through. She returns five minutes later with an unhappy Michael.

I whisper to Lauren "This test may be awkward. I need to understand your mental power. I need you to command Michael to do something. Anything. But take this seriously; I need to know." She looks uncomfortable but turns to Michael and looks deeply into his eyes. Her eyes take on a red tint. That's new. I see Claire taking notes with a bemused expression as Lauren whispers "Raise your left arm"

He does with a blank face and Lauren breaks the connection by squealing and jumping up and down. Michael shakes his head and looks confused. I whisper "Good job. Now, an even more awkward request, but I need to know if you possess the most coveted of gifts. Make him feel something; no words, just feel an emotion and imagine yourself sending it to him." That's how the power worked for me. Projecting emotions. She looks at Michael again and her eyes turn a shocking scarlet. Michael's face goes blank, and then it animates.

Out of nowhere, Michael lunges for Lauren and begins to kiss her, with a feverish passion. I feel my eyes widen but Claire just rolls hers. Oh no. Lauren is definitely projecting. Claire is looking at me with dark eyes and I knock us both over with a kiss.

I know there's something I need to do, but what exactly? Then I remember. I roar "Lauren! Cool it down!" As Claire begins to rip my shirt off. Oh how I wish I could give myself over to the passion! Instead, I grab Lauren and shake her, shouting "Lauren! Stop this!"

She blinks and finally both Claire and Michael stop with their mission to undress myself and Lauren. I say in the same tone as before "The patient is a projector. And a very powerful one at that. Michael, you may leave."

And with that, I pick Claire up and carry her to the bedroom.

Lauren's POV:

I can't believe I have to drink blood! The other tests are fun, especially the last one. But wow, it's awkward now. Apparently my father doesn't mind. He says "The patient is a projector. And a very powerful one at that. Michael, you may leave." Before picking Claire up and going to the bedroom. That's just weird. I can't look at Michael. It's just too awkward. Finally, when we hear... Noises, lets just call them, from the bedroom, Michael clears his throat and says "Can we go for a walk?"

I nod in earnest and follow Michael outside. It's still awkward. He begins "Lauren, what the hell was that?"

I sigh and tell him about my abilities. He looks hurt, randomly. "So none of these feelings were real?"

I shake my head violently "They are! I know they are! This time felt... Different." And it did. It felt more... Unstoppable this time, more out of my control, though in reality I knew it was the opposite. I was in control. And I was definitely tempted to do it again.

Michael realises that it's true and sighs. "Lauren. I just broke up with my fiancé. I shouldn't be feeling so... Passionate about someone else! Not so soon after... Everything! God this is such a mess! I shouldn't love-" he covers his mouth and I gasp. It had to be a mistake. Didn't it?

"I shouldn't love someone else so soon."

I waffle for your pleasure reviewers! So that's that. OMG that was nearly eight thousand words! I hope you liked it! The song's from Imagine Dragons, Bleeding Out. Check it out, I love em! Is it just me or is Michael moving on too fast? Poor Olliepop! Aww! And poor Hannah! I really didn't want to kill her off, but oh well. R&R for another update! I know where the stories going, but I'd love to hear your guesses! Oh and I might change my ideas if you convince me! Please review! Xx