A/N: Thank you for the reviews!

Vera woke and found herself on a bed in a strange room. Her head hurt, her face was still sore from where Steven had hit her, and her split lip throbbed. She had no idea where she was, her mobile had been thrown into the road when Steven had discovered it. She still wasn't sure what it was that had tipped him off to the fact that her mobile was in her pocket, but she'd wound up with another backhand to the face for the subterfuge.

Blinking her eyes to clear them the rest of the way, she looked around the room and found herself staring at a wall full of pictures of Hellen and…her. Eyes widening in shock, she studied the pictures and realized Steven had been following her ever since the news story broke about her and Hellen's resemblance.

"Dear god," she whispered. She hadn't known.

How had she not known she was being followed?

She'd known Aiden and Shep were following her but they weren't always with her. These pictures she knew were taken the times she was by herself.

Was she losing her touch?

Should she start thinking about retirement?

She should have known.

She should have felt someone watching her.

Her mind had been…tired.

No rest of any sort had made her tired which had led to, well…she looked at the pictures of herself again…this.

Moving her arms about, she wondered why Steven hadn't tied her up. Did he think she wouldn't fight when he came back?

She rolled her eyes at herself.

Why wouldn't he think that?

He'd knocked her out easily enough.

And, because he thought she was Hellen…except, Hellen had fought back as best she could. The skin found under her nails was proof enough of that.

Shivering, Vera realized it was cold in the room. Looking around, she spotted a bottle of water across the room on the table under the pictures. She wasn't sure why the water was over there, but she was thirsty so she slid to the edge of the bed and looked down for her shoes and frowned.

"Where the bloody hell are me shoes?" she grumbled. Shaking her head, she took a bracing breath then placed her feet on the floor, cursing at the cold seeping into her. Steven must have thought she wouldn't try to run away without shoes.

"Shows how much he knows about me," she muttered. Of course, the man's mind thought she was Hellen, and Vera was sure Hellen hadn't been raised as she was. Vera herself had grown up wandering about the moors, any area her father might find a raptor's nest to raid, or a raptor to kill.

She remembered the story she'd told Joe about her father and her being stranded on the little island when she was seven. That was only one time out of more than she could count that she proved she could take care of herself. If Steven thought to keep her here, that taking her shoes away would keep her here, he was sorely mistaken.

She wasn't going to be another victim.

VS

Vera looked up when the door opened, her eyes falling to the garment Steven had in his hand. There was no way she could fit into that, it was Hellen's size not hers, and even if she could…the hell she would.

"I've brought this for you. I thought it would make our night together more special."

"There isn't going to be a night together. I'm not her, damn it all! I'm Vera! Can't you see that this body would never fit into that?"

Steven growled as he threw the garment at Vera. "Put it on! I bought it for you and I want to see you in it. If you can wear the things you did…" he pointed toward the pictures on the wall then continued, "…for him, then you can wear this for me."

"Except I can't!" Vera yelled back as she held the nearly transparent material against her. "I can't!" she yelled again as she showed Steven how it wouldn't work for her.

"You will! Why are you doing this? Didn't you enjoy our kisses? We could be so good together. I can give you so much more than he ever could." Steven moved toward her, cupping Vera's cheek before she could move away. "I'm younger. I can make love to you in ways he didn't even know. You're beautiful, you deserve to be made love to over and over and over."

Vera sighed, "But I'm not Hellen. You don't love me. You need someone younger, prettier. Someone that can keep up with you and make love all night long."

"But we will make love all night long. I can make you forget to eat. I know how to please a woman. I'd never cheat on you, not like he did. You deserve more than that."

"Steven, I'm hungry. I've not had anything to eat since the bit of toast I had at breakfast," she decided to try another tactic. Maybe if she distracted him with hunger of the food variety, she could buy herself more time to try and figure out what to do about the hunger he clearly had for her…for Hellen.

"I have our meal started, it will be done when you've bathed and changed. Come," he tugged on her hand, holding it tight enough that Vera couldn't help but follow.

Following as best she could without stumbling, Vera's eyes widened when she was led into a bathroom where a tub full of steaming water and bubbles sat waiting for her. There were candles lit about the room and she felt herself start to panic a bit at the thought that Steven might be planning to join her, but then she calmed when she remembered that he'd only mentioned her bathing, not them.

"It's your favorite bubbles."

Vera nodded, not wanting to argue that she much preferred no bubbles or a shower. "Thank you," she finally decided on.

"I want you to have the things you like." Steven whispered then let go of her hand and left the room, the sound of the lock turning echoing in his wake.

"So much for trust." Vera mumbled then shrugged her shoulders. At least he was leaving her with her own clothes. Walking over to the tub, she stuck a finger in the water to test the temp and found it to be just about right. "Another thing Hellen and I had in common," she whispered before deciding she might as well take the bath since she'd been here now for she was sure was more than a day and possibly longer.

"Just how the bloody hell are you going to get yourself out of wearing this?" she asked her reflection in the mirror before looking at the offending garment in her hand.

As she stripped and climbed into the tub, she repeated her mantra.

"I will not be another victim."

VS

Vera was dressed and sitting on the side of the tub when she heard the lock turn and the door open. Seeing the scowl on Steven's face, she knew she was in for another fight, but she couldn't, and wouldn't, wear the garment…negligee, her mind supplied as if taunting her…he'd provided.

"Why aren't you dressed?"

"I am."

"You're not wearing what I told you I wanted you to wear."

"Because, as I told you, it won't fit me. I'm not Hellen."

"Put it on."

"No."

Stalking over to her, Steven grabbed her around the throat, grunting when Vera stomped on his toes with the heel of her foot. Tightening his grip, his ice blue eyes bore into hers. "Put it on, or I will."

Vera struggled, clawing at his hand before kicking him in the shin, wishing all the while she had her shoes to give her kicks more impact. Doing her best not to show her fear, she held Steven's cold stare, her mind repeating, I will not be a victim, over and over.

Keeping his hand around her throat, Steven used his free hand to unbutton Vera's shirt. Getting half of the buttons undone, his gaze drifted down to her chest, desire merging with the madness at the sight of her cleavage. Caressing his fingers over the soft skin of her chest, he looked back up just in time for Vera to break free.

Vera had felt the hand around her neck loosen when Steven's attention was drawn to her breasts, or rather, the bit of them he'd exposed when he'd unbuttoned part of the buttons on her shirt. She felt her skin crawl with the look in his eyes and the feel of his hand touching her, but she'd had worse and wasn't about to let the opportunity to try and break free pass her by. Jerking as hard as she could, she freed her neck, stomped his foot then shoved him, knocking him off balance enough that she was able to get around him and run. Going as fast as she could, she was almost to the front door when she felt him grab her, the arm around her neck suddenly taking her mind to the images she'd seen in the haunting.

"No more thinking of it, Love. Only think about now, about us right now."

Hellen sat up and smiled as she pushed against Martin to make him lay back against the pillows. Holding his gaze, she began to move over him again, smiling at the groan that slipped from his lips.

"Yes, Love. Just like that." Martin moaned.

"Marty," she breathed.

"Hellen." Martin whispered her name as he reached up to cup a breast, teasing the taut nipple and making her whimper.

"Ooh." Hellen threw her head back, arching her back and pushing her breast further into his kneading hand.

An arm around her neck caused Hellen to gasp and stop moving, her hands frantically tugging, fingers clawing at the flesh she uncovered.

"Hellen! What the hell?!" Martin yelled, trying but failing to move, his legs pinned from Hellen's position and the way their attacker was holding her. He squirmed, but stopped when he saw the face staring at him from over Hellen's shoulder. "Michael," he breathed. "Let her go."

"Let me go!" Vera managed a strangled yell as she fought against Steven, having more freedom to move than Hellen and Martin had, but still struggling. The man was strong, and much larger than she was, but she wasn't giving in. She'd fight with every ounce of her strength until she had nothing left.

She was not going to be another victim.