AJ immediately slid back on the bed, falling off with a low thud to the floor.

"Y-You're d-dead! I sn-snapped your neck! H-How…" Her eyes widened as Beckett followed her, leaning
over the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, about that…there's a little concept called a fake out. Like the magicians…illusions have to be seen to be believed."

"B-But I-I…"

"I won't hurt you this time. I promise. Heard you lost a friend, so you're…" Beckett paused, allowing AJ to relieve the memory from about two days ago, "Lonely."

He smiled at the hurt crossing her face; his words had hit their mark.

"What's it to you?"

"Now, no need to be so defensive…I'm only trying to comfort you," he explained, getting up to where she sat on the floor, picking her up despite her protests and setting her on the bed. Why wasn't she
fighting back? Was it possible she remembered?

"It's your last day alive…you want someone with you, don't you?"

"I…" she blinked as he set a finger against her lips, and then leaned in and kissed her neck, right where he'd turned her. Immediately memories came flooding back; and in turn the dark feelings – denial, sadness, loneliness. She knew she couldn't let herself be controlled again, but still she…was it wrong if she played into his game? If Amelia couldn't make it to her in time, she would die…and when people are about to die they often make stupid decisions.

Beckett looked at her, "If every female had your mindset, there'd be more vampires then humans in the world. Your loneliness has blinded you, and now you miss-" One of his hands caressed her cheek, involuntarily sending a shudder through her, causing her to bit her lip. "Simple actions like this."

His hand didn't move, but his pinkie drifted over her lips, making them tingle. Her entire body twitched at the shiver seemingly 'stuck' in her spine, but as she looked into Beckett's brown eyes she knew what she'd decided.

'I'm sorry…Lucian, Amelia….I'm sorry.'

And as if Beckett had read her mind, he smiled, his hand moving across her body, reaching for the straps of her tank top. Absentmindedly she returned his smile, blinking as he leaned down to kiss her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I swear to god, if this is another, 'Sorry Mario, the princess is in another castle' scene, I'm going to kill you, Jeff." Frank said semi-joking as the six headed towards Slane Castle, in county Meath.

"She's got to be in this one! It's Slane Castle, and seeing as we only have an hour to find her after switching the plans by going to Dublin and checking out all of those castles first, she better be here."

"Guys, calm down…I SEE THE CASTLE!" Amelia yelled, taking off at a run toward the large stone structure.

Sebastien sighed.

"And she tells us to calm down while she goes running off like a five year old to sit on Santa's lap."

Jeff and David looked at him, the three shaking their heads, a shared laugh between them.

"Girls."

Suddenly, Mikey's phone rang. As he answered it, he yelled at Seb, "Seb! Go grab Mimi before she does something stupid!"

Seb sprinted off after the excited demon and Mikey answered his phone.

"Hello?"

"Mikey? It's Bob," came the voice on the other end.

"Hey Bob, what's up?"

"Have you guys found the castle yet?"

"Yeah, I think we have. Why? What's going on?" Mikey asked as he walked away from the group so he could hear Bob over Amelia's shouting.

Bob was quiet, and for a second, Mikey almost thought that call was dropped.

"Just...be careful, man. Be careful," Bob said at last, and Mikey could hear a significant amount of fear and trepidation in the wizard's voice.

"I will."

"I mean it. Watch out for the one named Jon Walker. He's...he's a beast, man. If you aren't careful, he'll completely turn you against your friends. You won't even know what happened until it's too late."

"Thanks for the advice, Bob, but why are you telling me this now?" Mikey asked, growing worried.

Bob was the rock. He was like the glue that held everything together. To hear such worry in his normally stoic demeanor was unsettling for Mikey.

"I don't want you to make the same mistake I did, when dealing with Jon Walker."

"What happened?"

"He made me kill my wife, Laura," Bob said and Mikey stopped.

He didn't know that Bob used to be married.

"He manipulated my emotions, turned it into pure rage. I couldn't help it. Before I knew what had happened, Laura was dead. I used an Unforgivable Curse on her. Mikey, if you do one thing, promise me you'll be careful when you go up against Jon Walker. Please," Bob pleaded and his voice cracked with emotion.

Mikey swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and took a deep breath.

"I promise, man. I'll be careful."

"Thanks, Mikey. Call us before you come home."

"I will," Mikey said as he hung up.

"What was that about?" Jeff asked as Mikey went to rejoin the group.

"Bob just wanted to wish us good luck," Mikey replied, not wanting to scare everyone with what Bob had actually told him.

"Hm…" AJ sighed contentedly as Beckett rested his forehead against hers, both breathing heavily. He searched her hazel eyes for any sign of discomfort, but all he saw was the hybrid's lust dissipating.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing….I just…" he could tell she was struggling for words, and the thought of her confused made him smile.

"Missed being wrapped in your arms, that's all." She concluded, lifting her head to kiss his chest. Sure, after five years you'd think she would have moved on, forgot what he'd done to her, how she'd been used. But that memory, like his venom in her bloodstream, never truly faded.

"I'd imagine so…so tell me, how were Brendon and Mike treating you before my arrival?"

"Uh…Mike kept calling me a mutt…I'm not a mutt, though. Am I?" She asked innocently, one hand reaching up to run through his hair.

AJ noticed it was shorter, and she thought he looked more…of the era. Younger was the easier way to put it, because instead of being born in 1712 like she knew was, it looked like he'd been but a twenty-something in the 1950's or 60's.

Beckett smiled, revealing his fangs, tips stained from her blood, "No, my love. You'll never be a mutt in my eyes…"

She paused, tilting her head, "Wait…I don't…I'm not under your control again am I? I don't think I love you…"

He laughed, "No, you're not…I just remember you as such, I suppose. But you can't deny yourself that you like how I'm addressing you."

She nodded, "It's nice, I just wish Michael was still al-…It was you! You're the one that put Brendon and Carden up to killing him!" She yelled, realization washing over her. Why hadn't she realized that in the first place?

Beckett's smile turned to a smirk as his grip tightened around her.

"How long did that take you to figure that out? It's a shame he had to die, but darling, I need my revenge. It's why I'm here actually. See, Mike wants to be the one to kill you; he doesn't realize I know that he resents me for siring you. I know he thinks it should have been him. That's where I come in. Instead of killing you right when those hours are up, I'm going to wait until your little 'rescue party' arrives, and make them watch." He explained.

AJ gulped. That was the last thing she needed.

"But don't worry," Beckett soothed, kissing her nose, "We've still got all morning to be together. Mike and the boys have been told not to attack should your friends arrive. We'll wait, until they see us together, and then…well, I trust you know your death is imminent?"

AJ wasn't listening, she was praying Amelia would find her and get her the hell out of Dodge. She'd play his little game, but the minute Amelia found her, it was time for action.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Amelia, Seb, David, Jeff, Mikey and Frank approached the great wooden doors to the castle, surprised to find them already open. Suddenly it hit Amelia why this castle was so important.

U2 had played here in 2001, filming a concert, partly because the land surrounding the castle created a natural amphitheater.

The group walked inside, surprised that Brendon, Carden and the others weren't nearby. Were they sleeping? What got to her and startled her, was that she could hear voices from the kitchen.

"Did you know U2 played here a few years ago?" It sounded like AJ.

"Really? That must have been quite the concert to attend."

There was no way Amelia could mistake that voice. She walked slowly, trying to hear the rest of their conversation.

"Do you think this whole blood pudding will work? I don't think it'll thicken since I haven't added anything to-"

"Well, if it doesn't, there's always these." Amelia's eyes widened as she saw the blood bag being held in the air, Beckett was holding it above his head.

She moved closer, not expecting what she saw. Beckett was smiling, did this mean AJ was under his control again?

AJ leaned back against him and reached for the bag, one of his arms around her waist.

"William! Give me that, I'm thir-"

"Adeline Jeanette, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Amelia yelled, finally exposing herself, Seb and the others behind her.

"Oh? Uh…." AJ's face got even paler as she realized how bad the situation looked. "H-hi Rae!"