Stranger than Fiction
Author's Note: Warning!! There is sex in this chapter! Those of you who are easily offended, or who are too young (You know who you are, so please, don't get me in trouble by reading this!), please skip this chapter. Again, I didn't use graphic images, and they did nothing 'unconventional', so I think this chapter qualifies as R-rated, NOT NC-17. If you disagree, please e-mail me instead of reporting me, and I will clean things up a bit. I'd hate to have to do that, but I'd rather that than have my whole story booted off. For those (few) of you who are following this story, I apologize for my lack of updates…I now have the entire outline completed, I just need to find the time in my 40 hour workweek to write up the chapters. Well, anyways, on with the show!L
Chapter 16
Jo sat up with a gasp.
It was the night after Fangula had given her his ring, and she had been out of pain medication for two days. It wasn't as if her arm hurt that badly, but she couldn't seem to sleep the night through without the pills. Whenever she allowed herself to nod off, Vlad's face would loom up before her eyes and she would awaken just in time to keep herself from screaming.
Could he…would he dare to attack her in her room? Aside from the fact that she wore a crucifix, she didn't see why not. And even if she was safe from him, would he go after Fangula instead? She was a Beetleborg, but Fangula was only a vampire of low nobility. In the dream she had just awakened from, Vlad had broken Fangula's neck…only after he had had some fun torturing him first. Making him scream…
Was it just a dream?
Quietly, so as not to wake Kate, Jo picked up the phone. The numbers glowed green, so there was no need to turn on the lamp. Her hands were shaking so hard that she could barely punch in the correct numbers, and she had to hang up and start over twice. The phone rang once…twice…three times…
Come on, guys…
There was a click, and Flabber's cheerful voice filled her ear. "Hey, Jo, what's up?"
"How…how did you know it was me?" she asked, blinking.
The phasm snickered, and said, "Who else would be calling? Drew and Roland never call at three in the morning, and the monsters don't use the phone much. Who else could it be?"
"Oh. Sorry, I didn't realize it was that late."
"Ppbbbt, don't worry about it. There's always someone awake here." There was a rustling, creaking sound as the phasm sat back down on his bed, and switched the phone to his other hand. "So, what's on your mind?"
"I…jeez, I'm really sorry to be bothering you with this…" she trailed off.
"Will you stop apologizing? That's what friends are for; you can call here any time, day or night. Besides, I was just watching the reruns on Nick-at-Nite. How many times can you watch 'I Love Lucy' before you puke?"
She laughed weakly, "Not many. I…I called to see if Fangula was okay. I know it's silly, but I've been…having nightmares, and…" she swallowed hard, fighting back sudden tears, "and I saw Vlad k…kill him…he broke his neck, and I…I just wanted to make sure…" she sniffled, and wiped her eyes on her pillowcase.
"Aw, don't cry. He's fine. I'd have felt it if something happened." The phasm sat up, more than a little flustered, and continued, "Do you want me to put him on?"
"I…not if he's sleeping…"
"He's not. He's downstairs playing badminton in the parlor."
"Huh?"
"Don't ask…we're a kooky bunch." Flabber smirked. "Can you hold on for a minute?"
"Yeah."
* * *
"Frankie, give it back! Come on!" cried Mums, chasing after Frankenbeans, who had decided to play keep-away with the shuttlecock. "Gimme the damn birdie, will ya?" He swatted at Frankie's butt with his racquet, missed, and knocked over a lamp instead.
"Hey!" Fangula yelled, placing his left fist on his hip and gesticulating with his racquet arm, "What's the matter with you? That's an antique!"
"So are you!" Mums retorted, tossing his racquet aside and tackling Frankie, clinging to his back like a bandaged spider and giving him a power-noogie. "I'm not getting off until you drop it!"
"Arrh, areerharrhar arooh rahrrerrrarrrr!" growled Wolfgang, tossing his racquet onto the couch and sitting down right where he was on the floor.
"What?" asked Mums and Frankie in unison.
Fangula sighed. "He says, 'Hey, this could go on all night,' and I agree. I…" he was about to say 'I quit,' but Flabber suddenly materialized in front of them in his nightcap and pajamas.
"Hey guys, try to keep it down to a dull roar, okay?" Flabber intoned, as if he knew that it would do no good.
"He started it!" growled Mums, taking advantage of the distraction and snatching the shuttlecock from Frankenbeans. "Got it! Haa-haa!"
Flabber sighed and shook his head as the game was resumed, then he seemed to remember something. "Oh! Um, Fangula, can I borrow you for a minute?"
"What for?" Fang asked, hitting the birdie over the net.
"You have a phone call." Flabber replied.
"Ooh!" Mums lunged for the birdie, and never missing a beat he said, "I'll bet it's your little girl friend! Give her a kiss for me, mwah!" he made a kissing sound and wound up on the floor, with his head poking through the netting of Fangula's now-broken racquet as the vampire left the room. "Was it something I said? Oy…"
* * *
"Who's on the phone?" Fangula asked as he followed Flabber up the stairs. He didn't really know if it was Jo or not, but he was getting sick of the mummy's crass jokes about the two of them getting it on.
"I'll tell you when we get upstairs," the phasm turned to him, and his clothing morphed into a moth-eaten old parlor jacket as he whispered in a husky voice, "These walls have ears, you know…"
Fangula hardly batted an eye when a pair of ears formed on the ancient wall paper. The phasm's shenanigans were pretty commonplace by now, and he figured that if he was making jokes then things couldn't be too bad with his mystery caller. Well, not so much a mystery caller as a mystery reason for her calling; he knew it had to be Jo. His mother was staying with them at Hillhurst, so it couldn't be her.
Fangula followed Flabber into the phasm's bedroom, and repeated his question. "So, who is it?"
"It's Jo. She had a nightmare, and…well, I'll leave you to it. Call me when you're done." And he departed in a cloud of blue smoke.
Fangula picked up the receiver, fumbled and almost dropped it, and put it to his ear and spoke into the mouthpiece. "Hello?"
"Fangula?" Jo asked, sounding so worried that for a moment he was afraid something really had happened.
"Jo, are you all right?" he asked, sitting down on the edge of the phasm's green armchair.
* * *
"Jo, are you all right?" she heard him ask, and she could feel herself losing control.
"I…" she gulped, "Yeah, I…"
"Jo?"
She held her breath, trying to control herself. She heard him moving, and it sounded like he was trying to pace, but was finding it difficult because of the phone cord.
"Jo? Talk to me! What happened?"
He was becoming afraid for her, she could tell by the sound of his voice. "I'm fine," she forced herself to speak evenly, "I just…I dreamed he…he came, and…"
"Slow down. Take a breath. Now, what happened?"
She took a deep breath, and let it out. "I wanted to make sure you were okay. I…I dreamed he came for you and…I just wanted to make sure…"
"I'm fine. We haven't seen or heard anything of him since that night. He's afraid of the crucifix, and I think he figures it took me out when he left. He won't be coming back any time soon. Trust me."
"But when he does…shit…I'm sorry I bothered you with this…" she sat up and leaned back against the headboard.
"No, don't apologize. I'm glad you called. He's no laughing matter. He…" Fangula stopped speaking. What he had been about to say would only upset her further.
"He what?" Jo pressed, unwilling to let the matter drop if it concerned their safety. "Tell me."
The vampire sighed, and said, "Well, he did try to kill you twice. I shouldn't be saying that, though…"
"Why not? It's true, and I already knew about it." She replied.
"Yes, well…I guess so. Do you want me to come over?" he asked.
"Are you sure it's safe? I mean, if he does come?"
"He knows where I live, so I'll be just as safe at Hillhurst as I'd be away from Hillhurst. Do you want me to come over?"
Jo looked over at the clock, and saw that it was almost three-thirty. "Well, my room mate's here, and I don't want to wake her up. Do you want to meet me somewhere?"
"Sure. I know a place we can go; it's safe, and I've never told the others about it. How about I meet you outside the dorms, and I'll take you there. We'll be safe from just about anything then."
"Okay."
"I love you."
She smiled. "I love you, too." She hung up the phone, and was in the process of tip-toeing over to the dresser when she was blinded by a sudden light. Kate had switched on her bedside lamp and was sitting up in bed with her arms folded.
"And where might you be going?" Kate asked with a smirk.
"I…um, I…well…" Jo stammered, and Kate's smirk deepened.
"I thought so. That pale guy was your boyfriend, wasn't he? Or, judging by that rock on your finger, maybe he's something more?"
Jo sighed. There would be no winning this argument. "He's my fiancée, and I'm going to see him. I know we're not supposed to be out past midnight, but…"
"You want me to cover for you, right?" Kate asked. Jo could only nod. "Do you have any classes tomorrow?" She asked, and when Jo shook her head Kate's smirk turned into a genuine smile, and she winked and said, "Have fun."
"You're serious? You'll really cover for me?" Jo was incredulous.
"Sure, why not? Besides, you can owe me one the next time I want to sneak out." She winked again to indicate that she was kidding.
* * *
Even though Fangula could fly in his bat form, Jo couldn't fly at all while she wasn't in her Beetleborg armor and would need transportation. Eleven years ago, Les Fortunes had left his old pickup truck at Hillhurst when he had posed as 'the junkman' and had come to trade some bugs for the Astral Sword and Coins. The truck had later become a project for the monsters; they spent a good amount of time restoring it, and now it looked like something a vintage car collector would sell his soul for. The wooden slats were gone, and the whole thing had been given a new, jet-black paint job. This was what he would use to pick up Jo. The monsters had given him a rousing send-off, the loudest of which was Mums, who yelled, "Go get 'em, Tiger!" at the top of his lungs. Rosamund had been out hunting, so he was spared that humiliation at least.
Jo was waiting under one of the trees, using the shadow to her advantage, and he would have driven right past her if she hadn't stepped forward. He started to get out of the truck, but she waved him back in and said, "Someone might see me leaving. As it is, Kate knows I'm sneaking out."
He unlocked the passenger side door and laughingly returned, "So get in, already!"
* * *
"So, where's this place you're taking me to?" she asked him when they had been driving for some time. She didn't even recognize this part of Charterville; it was more country-looking.
"You'll just have to trust me." he said, brushing her cheek with his gloved fingers without taking his eyes off the road. "We're nearly there." After a while, he spoke again. "We're coming to the river. You ever wonder where I go when I'm not at Hillhurst and when I'm not hunting my supper?"
"Where?" she asked.
"There's the waterfall." Was all he said in answer, and in less than a minute, she could actually see the waterfall. He stopped the truck and took her hand. "Are you ready?"
"I…think so."
"Don't be afraid." He told her.
"I'm not."
"Then let's go."
He got out of the truck, and she opened her door before he could do it for her. "Oh, there's one thing I forgot…" He came out with an umbrella, and she got an idea of what he had in mind.
While they were walking towards the waterfall, he told her about his secret place. "Okay. Now, this is one of the few places I have picked out for when the sun catches me. The sun doesn't bother us as much as you might think, but if we are to avoid serious discomfort we must hide from it. If I can't make it back to Hillhurst in time, I head for the closest secret place and hide there. All vampires have secret places, and sometimes we even have to use them to hide from other vampires."
They were nearing the waterfall, and he put up the umbrella and wrapped an arm around her shoulders so that he could hold it over her as well. "In case you haven't figured it out, it's under the falls."
They stepped into the water, and they were in up to their knees by the time they reached what turned out to be the entrance to a secret cave. He guided her by gentle pressure on her shoulders, and they continued to slosh forward until the ground sloped up, and the water gave way to damp and then dry rock. They went a little further and a little to their left, and there was a 'tak' sound as Fangula set down the umbrella to dry. "Wait there…trust me." he let go of her, and she clutched the crucifix as he flicked a Bic lighter and lit a few candles.
Her mouth sagged open in wonder at the sight of the room. There was a covered mattress on the floor (how he got that in she couldn't figure out), a small metal waste basket next to it, and a stack of blankets nearby. The mattress was actually on a fairly new-looking oriental rug, which covered the small cavern wall to wall. A few empty mouse traps littered the floor near the walls, and there was a can of cinnamon air freshener next to the mattress. He picked this up, and gave the air a spritz. "It gets kinda musty in here." He mumbled. "Not exactly the Ritz, but it's okay in a pinch. You'll be safe here, though you'd be just as safe in your room."
Jo looked down, embarrassed, and Fangula quickly corrected himself. "I didn't mean anything by that, I just…"
"I know. I was just being silly." Jo frowned, sitting down cross-legged on the low mattress, and he sat down beside her.
"No, you weren't. If something bothers you it bothers me. And we are safe here." He ran the tip of his finger down the gentle slope of her nose, and she gave a small laugh.
"Tickles," she mumbled, resting her head on his shoulder. He hadn't expected that, and he swallowed so quickly that it almost went down the wrong pipe.
It was agonizing to have her so close, to have the sweet scent of her hair fill his nostrils, but he breathed it in anyway, unable to keep from breathing in. He wasn't sure if she noticed or not, but he hoped she wouldn't; at the same time, he hoped she would. It suddenly occurred to him that they were alone in a secluded spot, with a bed, and with no chance of their being discovered. Oh, the agony of temptation! He was about to lean away when she began kissing his neck. He gasped sharply; for a vampire the neck was a very sensitive spot, almost as sensitive as their nether regions. He wasn't sure why, but he guessed that it was because many vampires started out as humans, and the neck was where they were usually bitten. A jolt of electric warmth spread from his neck to his shoulders, and he shivered.
"You okay?" Jo asked, sounding like she was surfacing for air.
"Jo, you have to stop, or…"
"Or what?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow and nipping his earlobe. He wasn't the only one to be influenced by their closeness! She felt it too, felt it much more strongly than she had in the park on the night of their first kiss, or in the shower when she had seen him naked. God, how she wanted this to happen!
"You know what will happen if you keep this up," he said breathlessly, "There won't be any turning back this time! I love you too much to corrupt you."
She smiled against his neck, and replied, "We're engaged, aren't we?"
"Yes…"
"These days it's much more acceptable for engaged couples to do this before they're married. People almost expect it. I'm not a child, Fangula. I'm a grown woman, capable of making her own choices. I'm choosing to let this happen. You don't know how much I appreciate your not wanting to force me, and I don't want to force you into anything either…but if you want to do this now, I won't stop you." She leaned away, but he pulled her back with a growl and kissed her. She kissed him back, and her teeth nipped at his lips.
"Mmm!" he gasped out between kisses, "Don't…if you make me bleed…and drink any of my blood, you'll…become…like me."
She hadn't even realized it, but when she did she kissed him more gently. She felt the tips of his fangs graze her lips as he sought to kiss her more deeply, and she allowed him to penetrate her mouth with his tongue. A slow, blossoming heat was throbbing steadily at her center, and she knew she had to have more. She needed him. Now. Her heart was aching with the force of her love, and another sort of ache was beginning to control her actions. She trailed her hand down Fangula's chest and timidly reached between his legs, and her hand encountered his rock-hard sex; he moaned, and kneaded her breasts with his palms while she undid his belt…and this time he let her. This was it…it would happen tonight.
In less than a minute they had removed each other's clothing, and he pushed her gently back on the mattress and sat back. "Wait a minute." He rummaged around in one of the pockets of his discarded clothing, and came out with a wallet from which he withdrew a foil-wrapped condom. "Just in case," he explained, and she nodded.
"Um, you know…" he went on as he unwrapped the rubber, "If this is your first time, it'll probably hurt. Are you sure you want to…"
"I'm sure. I'm ready." She said, fighting the urge to cover herself with a blanket; she was more nervous than she was letting on, but she didn't want him to know that.
"I just don't want to hurt you…" he hesitated.
She swallowed, and said, "Just go slow, let me get used to it. I've heard it gets better pretty quick."
He nodded once; he had heard that too, but since he was male he could only guess at how it really was.
"What's the matter?" she asked when he had been staring at the rubber for a moment.
"I…Don't laugh, but I've never actually used these things before…and I kinda forgot to read the directions." He avoided eye contact, and that was a good thing; she had to take a moment to keep her mirth in check. It wouldn't be funny to him. It wasn't really funny to her, just a little surprising. "Wait, I got it now." he said, and it went on with no problem. She kissed him, and he gently pushed her back onto the mattress again. He was nervous too; what if he finished too quickly? Or not quickly enough? He felt her hand close around his penis, and he drew a shuddering breath.
"You okay?" she asked, having noted his hesitation…and his reaction.
"M—more than okay." he smiled, positioning himself over her. "Are you sure?" he asked, and in answer she grabbed him around the waist and pulled him forward and inside.
"Ssssss!" she gasped through her teeth. He was right; it did hurt, and it hurt like hell! He stayed frozen in place, ready to pull back even though it would almost kill him to do so. She stared up at him, concentrating on his face, and he almost looked like he was ready to cry.
"I'm sorry…" he whispered, but she cut him off by putting her fingers to his lips.
"It's okay, it's not that bad." She was lying, but the pain was receding. She'd be damn sore in the morning, but right now…now the pain was almost gone. And the heat was back…
She moved beneath him, and he took the hint. He was tentative and slow at first, watching her face for signs of pain, but after a few minutes her breath quickened and she wrapped her legs around him. That was all he needed to know. He propped his weight on his left arm as he cupped a breast with his right hand, and he kissed her as his pace quickened.
Neither of them lasted very long; she suddenly trembled and cried out, and that sent him over the edge. He rolled over and discreetly disposed of the rubber, then unfolded one of his blankets and spread it over them.
"Wow…" she whispered. He could only agree.