~ CLEZ: You are too sweet. Your stuff is far better, but I do appreciate the kind words. Ugh…and I am so late with this update. I feel like that rabbit in 'Alice in Wonderland'…the one that runs around saying…'I'm late, I'm late for a very important date…'! Very sorry this took so long. Thank you for keeping up with this story…you are one of my favorite reviewers =)
~GODDESS OF THE BLOODMOON: Another of my favorite reviewers…thank you much! Dorian…sexy? Licking him from head to toe…ugh…he, he (nervous laughter)…did I just write that? Anyway…back in reality…yes he is hand's down the most beautiful thing in that movie. I'm sure you saw yumminess in 'Queen of the Damned'. Jesus! I won't even go there! Let's just say that Lestat would have never made it outta that tub =) Majorly censored thoughts on that one! Thanks for the review. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
~ ENDURO: I wouldn't let Dorian kill Mina! I promise. Or maybe I should. Hmmm…no…I'll just let him torture her a bit. I think he would find more pleasure in torturing her =) Naughty man that he is! Of course, you know that you are definitely another one of my favorite reviewers. And I love getting emails from ya too. Talk later.
~ VESICA: Mina isn't bad and I really wanted to show that she is looking out for both sides! She actually does care about the other league members. And Dorian, yes, he is rather tiring and I believe that is why I am tiring of writing this story. There is only so far you can go with certain characters. I think I have reached the brink with all of them, especially Mr. Gray. Hmmm…Mina kicking butt was nice. Very nice. I believe I will lead her into more battles =) We woman have somewhat of an advantage over men in that we look sweet and innocent and horribly weak…and then we turn around and kick the crap outta them! And I think I just used 'and' in that run on sentence about a hundred times! Ugh…anyway…I shall email you about your story. I have read the first two chapters over and …hmmm…one word…SUPERB!!!
~TIFF: Swooning…good…that is what I wanted =) Thank you much for the review!
~ DRAKENA THE DESTROYER: I can't wait to see how she will get the beard…wait…ugh, I still have to figure that out. Walking up my spine to my brain to see what is going on up there…hm…my voice seems to echo in my skull! Gosh…nothing is in my head. Oh well, I am sure I will figure something out =) Yes, Mina was very sweet with Jekyll. I think they would do well as a pairing just because she is sort of hard core, kick butt and he is soft and sweet. The only problem being that she killed his son! Darn it. Damn you Mina! You just ruined a good relationship with a nice guy. Ugh…anyway…thanks for the review.
~COPALOLASHOW: This wasn't the last chapter. Actually I wish it were because I am having such writer's block. Anyway….thank you for being addicted…I now feel like a drug dealer =) And mucho thanks for the ''…wicked cool' comment. I don't get a lot of those!
Mina hastened down the hallway, her black boots thumping over the carpeted floor. This was her last job and then she could relax and enjoy the rest of the trip. Of course she would still have to keep an eye on Dorian. She wasn't exactly sure of what he was up to, but she knew it couldn't be good. And she knew that she would have to be the one to stop him.
Probably have to kill him again!
She cherished that thought. It would be nice to have an excuse to hurt him. Maybe she would torture him a bit. Show him what it felt like to be the victim.
Cut off his head and shove it up his…
Tom entered the hallway from his room, giving Mina a scolding look before he headed in the other direction.
She ignored him and walked on.
Finally she reached Nemo's door. She could see that the light was on. Some sort of instrumental music could be heard playing inside.
She knocked. Waited for a few moments and then knocked again.
"Come in." she heard from the other side of the door.
She hesitated for a moment, her guilt gnawing at the pit of her stomach. How could she do this to him? Wasn't she supposed to be his friend?
She walked into the room and was immediately surprised by how sloppy the area seemed to be. Everywhere she looked she could see clothes. They were scattered every place, even on the four statues that stood in each corner of the room.
The door closed behind her as she moved further into the mess.
Soon her eyes found Nemo and she stood stark still. He was undressing. Throwing clothes here and there. Mumbling something about the hazards of icebergs.
"Yes," he said without turning, "we'll have to be careful of those from now on."
Mina was still speechless as Nemo shed more and more clothes. Finally, he stood naked before her, his back still to her.
"I have a lot of clothes this time, Jaques. As you can see most of them are scattered about." He turned, his hands full of his clothing, "Dear God!" he exclaimed upon seeing Mina standing in the middle of his bedroom.
She cleared her throat, her blue eyes avoiding the lower regions of the Indian's body, "My apologies, but you did invite me in." she bowed to him and turned her back, "I'll wait outside."
A few moments later, Nemo opened the door and ushered her back into his room. He had tidied up a bit, but the statues still had clothing resting here and there about their solid forms. She brushed past him and seated herself in a chair by his fireplace.
"Tea?" he asked as he poured himself a cup, adding a bit of liquor to it as he did so, "I am greatly sorry that you had to see that, Mrs. Harker. It's just that I was expecting one of my servants to be in to pick up my wash. Never in a million years would I have expected you."
Mina declined on the tea, "I've seen men naked, Nemo, it's nothing to shame yourself about."
"Right." He said, but still chugged down his tea laden with alcohol.
"I was wondering how Skinner and Jekyll are fairing." She said, her eyes on the teacup in Nemo's hand. It looked out of place in such heavy fingers, "Are they okay?"
Nemo refilled his cup, but skipped on the liquor this time. Now he seated himself on his bed, slowly sipping at the hot liquid, "Fine. I checked them only an hour ago and they were both sleeping like babies." He eyed her, "I suppose we don't have to worry about Skinner turning into a vampire, right?"
At first Mina thought Nemo was joking with her and she smiled lightly. But he didn't smile back.
"That isn't how a vampire is made." She scoffed, but stiffened her back as if that would subside the anger rising in her, "I try to be careful as to how I use my curse."
Nemo patted his beard lightly, "I didn't mean to offend you, Mrs. Harker, but we know nothing of…" he paused, cleared his throat, "your kind."
"I'll ignore that last remark." She said sternly, her blue eyes on his worn face.
"And I'll pretend I never said it." He pushed himself off the bed and poured himself more tea, "I'm a bit nervous." He said as he lifted the cup to his lips, "It has been quite sometime since I have had a woman in my bedroom."
She scanned his attire, noticing that he had slipped on gold satin slippers at some point as they were talking. She hadn't noticed. And now she sat wondering what else he might have done while she wasn't paying attention.
"Could be the beard." She said as she moved further into the seat, gently shifting her chest out a bit, "The beard hides who you are, Nemo." She crossed her long legs, "I could trim it for you."
"My beard?" he asked in bewilderment. He looked as if she had just asked if she could cut off his head.
"Just a trim, Nemo, that is all." She was trying not to sound too desperate.
He stood in front of a long mirror, his hands pulling and shaping his beard, "I don't know." He said softly.
"It will grow back." She said as she got up from the chair. Now she stood behind him.
"A trim and that is all." He said rather gruffly, "I suppose I could use a new look now that we will be in Africa soon." He grabbed the bottle of brandy from the tea tray, "To soothe my nerves." He said as he drank right from the bottle.
Mina smiled lightly and began her work.
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Dorian got out of bed sometime that evening, disappearing into the bathroom as soon as his feet hit the cold floor. He bathed and then reentered the room nude. He wasn't about to put on the clothes he had worn to bed. That clothing was ruffled and dirty. Only the cleanest items were allowed on his glowing flesh.
He grinned at Basil as the man peered at him from over his easel, "I really wish you wouldn't do that." Basil moaned, "With all the clothing you have you shouldn't have to walk out of the bathroom nude."
"Mina never complains." Dorian said, knowing that the mention of her name would spark an argument. He leaned into his closet, pulling aside each item as he tried to decide which garment to put on for the night, "Your silence means that you are working on that awful painting again."
"You promised her undoing to me, remember? You get what you want and I get what I want." Basil said.
Dorian pulled a light green sheer shirt from its hanger and slid his arms into the sleeves. The fabric felt wonderful against his freshly cleaned skin. A few moments later he was slipping into some light brown slacks. He looked very comfortable.
"Yes, but that undoing is horrible." He was now perched beside Basil, his eyes on the painting that Basil was gently stroking with his brush, "Ripping the flesh off of someone isn't my idea of torture." He eyed Basil, brushing past him deliberately, "Just make sure I am not around to hear her cries of pain."
"You won't be." Basil said lightly as he finished the blue in Mina's left eye, "You'll be too busy with those in the painting."
Both men smiled.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Mina entered her room, pulling a hefty amount of beard out of her pocket, "This ends my part of the deal. You now have all that you asked for, correct?"
Basil draped a cloth over his painting and seated himself at the piano. He didn't play. He just sat on the bench and watched Dorian and Mina.
"So it does." Dorian said as he wadded up the hair and stuffed it into a small box on the mantle of the fireplace, "I guess you are free now, my love."
"Well, I suppose this is goodbye then, hm?" she asked as she let her eyes linger over to Basil, "Nemo says tomorrow we dock."
"Wonderful." Dorian purred as he drummed his fingers on the mantle, "Would you like one more quick slam before we part ways?"
Mina turned her gaze back to Dorian, the light in her blue eyes fading, "I hope to never see you again, Mr. Gray." She said softly, "This is the end."
Dorian looked to Basil and grinned lightly, "You're always so dramatic when we part ways, but you fall right back into my arms when our ways merge again. I know you Mina. I own you." He walked toward her, stopping with his mouth almost touching hers, "This is our twelfth parting or did you forget how many times we have deceived each other?"
She stared into his eyes, "You deceived me every time." She hissed, "But this time I am leaving you before you can hurt me."
"Um…" he purred, gently leaning in to kiss her mouth, "I'll find you again."
She moved away from him, "This is the end." She said again and then she walked out the door.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Dorian stared after her, a frown working its way onto his lips. Slowly he turned to look at Basil, "Get the painting." He said softly, "It is time to end the league."
"Mina was right." Basil said as he moved a few items in the room, "This is the end. Especially for her." He grinned, "You get the picture as soon as I get the stake."
Dorian moved toward the bed, his eyes sliding over the covers. How many times had he stabbed her, always knowing that he hadn't ever gotten it into the heart. It was their game. They both knew the boundaries and neither of them had ever stepped over them. Could he actually hand her life over to Basil? Did he actually love Mina?
He scoffed at himself, now lifting the mattress in order to grab the stake. It felt horribly rough in his hand. Almost as if it knew what Dorian was about to do.
He turned to Basil, "Aim for the heart." He said as he handed the stake to him, "Have no pity on her." He grabbed his painting from the man, "But make it quick!"
He turned away from Basil quickly and threw the painting on the bed.
"I'll leave you to it." Basil said from somewhere behind Dorian, "You do remember how to do it, right?"
Dorian didn't turn as he answered with a 'yes'.
The door opened and closed, leaving Dorian alone with the silence of the room.
For a long time he stood there thinking of Mina.
Hadn't he once given her a locket that read, 'You're the only air that I breathe.'
Yes, he had given that to her. Back when he had been younger and incredibly sappy.
And it was true. She was always there for him no matter how rotten he treated her.
Slowly he pulled the crumpled picture that Jekyll had drawn of her out of his pocket.
"Your feeling guilty, Mr. Gray." The drawing seemed to be saying to him.
He looked toward the bed. All of a sudden it was clear to him that it was either the league and Mina who had to die or he would have to kill Basil. He had to choose.
Slowly he crumpled the paper back into his pocket, "I think you saw my weakness and I saw yours as well. Both our long existences wrapped in flames of hell." He whispered as he walked over to the bed, "I think the devil sang our song, but didn't know the tune." He covered the painting with the bedspread, "And now were locked in silence here and death can't come too soon."
He had made his decision.
