16.

Before I left the club, the human claims girl from before handed me a black bag. I looked inside. There were bottles. Holy water. My car was outside waiting for me. Had that little hellion drove it? I didn't drive off immediately. I hit my fist repeatedly on the steering wheel while I cried. Yeah, I was freaking out again. The bitch bit me! I wasn't sure how to handle that. I took a couple of deep breaths.

Okay, I needed to find someone who believed in the faith. That was my best bet, my only bet really. I searched my brain for people I knew. I had to think of someone fast before Sakura compelled me to run my car off a bridge or bite my fingers off. I didn't want to involve any more people at the mansion. I could go to a church, but they would probably think I was a mad woman and turn me away.

Only two people came to mind – a non-mutant acquaintance and Forge. My acquaintance was out of town, so that left Forge. Oh Goddess. I knew he believed, but did I want to face him? Did I have any other choice? Besides, even if I could apply this myself, I would still need someone. I heard getting a vampire's bite cleaned was not a pleasant experience.

I drove to my former lover's apartment, hoping that Mindy—Mandy, whatever her name was—wasn't there. He couldn't be serious about a woman like her. Ugh, what was I thinking? Forge and I weren't together anymore. He could date whomever he wanted, even bimbos with the name Mindy. It took another three breaths of courage for me to walk up the stairs to Forge's apartment.

Another two to knock on his door, and once I did that, I knew there was no turning back. I couldn't have run if I wanted to. I heard the locks turn and Forge peeked out the door. "Hello!" I said a little too loudly.

"Ororo?" he said, looking at me horrified.

"Yeah, I know. I look like the walking dead. Can I come in?" He opened the door wider and allowed me to enter. I stood in the middle of the living room, clutching my little black bag. "I need your help." I gave him the concise version of what happened. I left out all the usual goodies – Vega, the marks, Triage trying to get to Jean.

"You know this isn't supposed to be done at one time. It should be done over a period of a few days." He said taking the bag I offered to him. Forge knew a lot about what I did. He expressed an interest in it. When we were together, he devoured anything I had that he could get his hands on. He may even know more about it than me.

"I don't have a few days, Forge. I need this wound cleaned now before that… that… before Sakura gets any bright ideas." I said, choking on her name. It made me sick to even think about her. I was going to kill her.

"Ororo, if she's as powerful as you say she is, she may still be able to get to you, even if we clean the wound," he said. Told you he knew as much as I did.

"I know. I've never dealt with any vampire that strong, but I don't want to take any chances. I want it all done now." I said, walking toward his bathroom. Funny how familiar this all was.

I sat on the edge of the bathtub. I wasn't expecting a whole lot because I knew the rules of religion. I moved the collar of my shirt to reveal the bite. I heard Forge praying slightly. Please, let this work. This is my only chance. Forge opened the first bottle and poured a generous amount, and I cried out in agony. I fell backwards into the tub, bumping my head on the side. Goddess, my insides were burning away. I could feel my bones melting, my skin sizzling. It was consuming me inside out.

"I'm sorry." Forge said.

Tears streamed down my face as I waited for the pain to subside. I gritted my teeth, sitting up in the bathtub. It burned. So that meant it was working, right? "It's not your fault. Do it again." I told him.

"Ororo, I don't–"

"Do it again, Forge. I don't care how much I cry or fight. You have to keep doing it until it's clean." I said darkly.

Forge let out a resigned sigh, took off his belt, and handed it to me. "I don't want them to think I'm killing you in here." He said softly. I bit down on the tough leather and closed my eyes. He poured more onto the wound, and I felt my head spin from the pain. I tried to brace myself, but I lurched forward, spewing the contents of my stomach into the tub.

Another dash made me try to slap Forge. I didn't mean to try to hit him. My body just reacted. He dodged in the nick of time. After that, my body just went lethargic from the pain. I was soaked to the bone in water – water that burned nonetheless. I was shaking uncontrollably, and my teeth would have been chattering against one another if it hadn't been for the belt. I could see that Forge was reluctant to do anything more.

I tried to slow my breathing, but I couldn't. "Again." I said, placing the belt back in my mouth. Tears were running down my face in torrents, and a clap of thunder sounded outside. I had to finish this. I had to. When he did it again, I passed out. I couldn't take it anymore. In the darkness, all I felt was the burning. Bright Lady, it burned like fire.

When I opened my eyes again, I was on Forge's bed. He was sitting beside the bed putting a cool towel to my head. "Forge, I need you to put a cross to the wound." If it was clean, nothing would happen. If I was still tainted, I was going to have one nasty scar. Forge walked to his dresser, opening the top of it. In his hand, he held a small, silver chain with a crucifix on it. I remembered it. He used to wear it to church.

"Be quick." I said. I closed my eyes bracing myself. This would hurt far worse than the holy water. Far, far worse. I felt the cool metal touch my skin. No burning. No melting flesh. Nothing. I started crying again. I was clean. I wrapped my arms around Forge, planting kisses on his cheek. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

Then, I pulled back quickly. Goddess, what was I doing? Forge's face turned eight different shades of red. It's sad that we were such strangers to each other now. "You're welcome," he said sheepishly.

"I don't know why I don't just become a Christian or something. The stuff works. There has to be a reason for that, right?" I asked Forge. I was trying to cool the embarrassment, but I had a good point.

"I believe, Ororo, but what I'm about to tell you will probably make me sound like an unbeliever." Forge started. He took a deep breath. "I don't believe that Christian items work because they're God-powered. You wanted this to work. I wanted this to work. I believe they work because we believe so strongly in them."

"So, you think it's our own power that makes them work?"

"Yes, I do. To me, it's sort of like we're channeling our own inner strength into these. You know when I was growing up I was taught that everyone had a bit of old world magic left in them, but since the age of technology, we've lost touch with that power. I honestly believe that's all that's happening here. That power is transferred into faith."

He held the crucifix out to me. "Here, take it," he said. I took it from him, our fingers lingered together a moment too long. "Ororo, what happened? With us, I mean. What really happened with us?"

"You said I was too busy for you, that there were too many other priorities in my life." I said without batting an eyelash. He looked sad, and my heart reached out to him.

"I think there was more to it than that. Was it me? Was there something more I could have done to make it work?"

"No. It wasn't you. Don't ever think it was you. Some things just aren't meant to be, and maybe, we were one of those things. You treated me well. I wish it had worked, too, but we just have different goals in life. I will always cherish what we shared." And that was the honest to Goddess truth.

"I'm glad you came to me for help. It means a lot to me."

"I'm glad, too."

"Rest now. We can talk later." He turned off the lights in the room and started to exit the room.

"Will you call the mansion and let them know I'm okay?" I asked him before he closed the door.

"Yeah," he said and softly closed the door. I turned on my side, looking out the window of the bedroom to the night sky until I fell asleep.

I was dressed in a flowing, white dress. I knew this room. It was the one from the dream before, but the table was gone. "Come," I heard Vega's voice say, and I looked up to see him sitting on a throne. I swallowed hard and began shaking my head.

"You can't make me. This is my dream." I said.

He stood and held his arms out to me. "Come," he said. And I'll be damned if my body didn't betray me and start walking toward him. So much for this being my dream. The dress whispered around my feet and I held my hands out to him. I couldn't stop myself. Trust me, I was trying.

He made me hold the neckline of his shirt, cupping my hands with his own. He forced me to grip the soft material and used my hands to rip open his shirt. I nearly choked on my tongue. There was a tattoo, a snake, coiled around his torso, extending to his arm. Just as Sakura had showed me, he used a fingernail to draw blood.

He gripped my chin, bringing my face closer. I knew what was supposed to happen now. Oh hell no. I started flailing against him like a drowning woman. He gripped my chin tighter, and I tried to hit him with a fist. Didn't work. He caught my hand. I wanted to scream, but I was afraid I opened my mouth I would get a mouthful.

I brought a knee up, and he hissed. Vampires can feel pain, even though they can recover fast. He dropped me to the floor. Sakura's laugh filled the room, and I saw her standing in the background with a smug smile. She had that I-told-you-so look that children favored. I quickly turned my eyes back to Vega, and he looked at me.

"Vega. Please don't. Don't do this." I crab-crawled away from. He was stalking toward me. I couldn't find my footing fast enough. I kept tripping over the stupid dress. By the time I was standing, he was already on me, wrenching my wrists between his hands. He pulled me close, too close to kick him again. I couldn't move. I was suffocating.

His voice rolled over me, penetrating me fully. It made me weak. "Blood of my blood. Flesh of my flesh. Two hearts beat as one. Two minds think as one. Two souls united as one. So it is, so it shall always be." He said. Then, I felt it. I felt forever. It was as tangible as Vega's skin, and it scared the hell out of me.

"Vega! Stop! Stop! Vega! Goddess, protect me!" I howled in my dream. He was burying my face in his chest.

"Ororo! Ororo, wake up!" Forge was shaking my shoulders. I woke up swinging for my life. I don't know what I was expecting to hit. I opened my eyes to see Forge and Logan standing over me. Logan did not look happy at all. I guess Forge told him what happened.

"I had a nightmare." I said. I was just about sick of these dreams. Vega better pray to all that was sacred I didn't try to kill him. What if he hadn't been the one who sent the dream? It could be Sakura messing with my mind.

"We could tell." Forge said. "Who's Vega? You were calling out that name."

Logan and I exchanged a glance. "It's a long story, and unfortunately, I don't have time to tell you about it right now. I have to get back out there." I sat up quickly in the bed and my head started spinning.

"Ororo, you're going to kill yourself at this rate. You need to go back to the mansion." Forge said.

"'Ro, you need to rest." Logan said.

"Right." I said standing carefully. They shared a look that said, 'she's being stubborn'. I walked into the living room. Time to start putting things in forward motion. I dialed the number of a newspaper reporter I knew. I know reporters equal bad, but while this one was probably equally as bad, I needed his help.

I knew he would be at work this late because he worked hard. They say I'm dedicated to what I do, not nearly as much as he is. "Robert Garcia," a voice said after the second ring.

"Robert, it's Ororo." I said.

"What do you want?" he asked bluntly. His smooth voice was edged with suspicion.

"You act like I never call unless I want something." I said, shifting from my weight from foot to foot.

"You don't!" He said. Good old Robert. There wasn't a tactful bone in his body.

"Well, I guess this is no exception, then. I need you to set up a meeting between me and the rat king." I said. That's right. Robert was a were. Not a wererat, but he could get in touch with them.

Robert didn't say anything on the other end. After a few minutes, I thought he had hung up on me. "Why?" He finally asked, lowering his voice.

"I can't tell you."

"You want my help, but you don't want to give me the scoop." Despite being a were, he was still a nosy reporter who'd do anything he could to get the story. This was one story that he wasn't going to get, though.

"You're getting the gist of it now." I replied.

"Why should I help you?" he asked. I could hear smugness creeping into his voice. He thought he was going to be able to bribe me to give him the story. Well, he had another think coming.

"Robert, don't start that tonight. I'm the one who helped you land your first front page story. You're either going to help me or you're not. And if you're not, you need to let me know so I can quit wasting my time."

"Touchy."

"Can you set up a meeting with the wererats or not?" I demanded.

"Maybe. It depends on what you want." He said slowly. Still trying, I almost had to admire Robert's tenacity.

"Well, look, I'm going to give you a message. The king will understand it. Ready?"

"Yeah."

"Tell him that I resisted the vampires, and I'm still breathing." I said.

"Sounds like front page material to me. Are you sure–"

"Robert, this could be bad for everyone." I said before he could get the question out of his mouth. He really didn't want to piss off Sakura, right now. As conniving as Robert could be, I didn't want to read about his death in the newspaper.

He was silent again. I guess he was mulling over that. "Do you have your pager on you?"

"Always."

"Good, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, Robert."

"Just take care. Without you, how am I supposed to get front page news?"

"Goodbye, Robert."

Logan and Forge were floating over me again after I got off the phone. They hummed and hawed over me like a couple of mother hens until I finally said I would go straight to the mansion. I never said anything about staying there all night, though. Too bad things never go as planned anyway. Before we left Forge's apartment, my pager went off. I thought it was Robert, and I was almost surprised that he got me a meeting that quick, but when I looked at the number, it was Edmond.

I called him back and he answered the phone calling my name. "Ororo, is this you?" He asked when he picked up the phone. What a way to answer the phone.

"Yeah, it's me." I said.

"We need you. Benedict is going to do it. He wants us to do it." He said excitedly.

"What?" That was disbelief.

John Benedict had his daughter animated some ten years ago. At first, no one was sure why. It was later revealed that he abused the girl horribly and wanted her forgiveness. Of course, she died with this fear of him, and that fear would always stay with her. She wouldn't forgive him. As punishment, he would let anyone lay the girl back to rest.

"He wants you to do it."

"You know I don't–"

"He won't let anyone else do it. It has to be you, and it has to be tonight. He's afraid he'll change his mind otherwise." Edmond said.

"But I–"

"Are you going to do it, Ororo? You'll be a hero." I could hear the urgency in his voice, and I couldn't refuse. Who knows what kind of horror this girl has been going through?

"Tell me where to go."

"You're a bleeding heart, Ororo. I knew you wouldn't say no." He said, giving me the address. He said everything I needed would already be waiting for me at the site.

"How much is he paying you?" You know with Edmond this ultimately led up to money. He must be getting a pretty nice sum for this, and this could bring in more business once others heard about it.

"Thirty thousand. Half of it has already been put into the account." He was giddy like a kid at Christmas. I just didn't understand greed sometimes. It had the ability to turn grown men into blubbering fools. Point in case, Edmond.

"You are so bad, Edmond." I said.

"And well paid for it, too." He said. The man had no integrity, especially where money was involved. I shook my head and hung up. I sat down on Forge's sofa. I rested my head in my hands.

"What now?" Logan asked.

I looked up at him. "I have to go lay a corpse to rest before I go back to the mansion." I explained the situation with Benedict and his daughter to Forge and Logan. Forge allowed me take one of his shirts to make up for my ruined one. I cleaned up the best I could in his bathroom. I didn't have to look like a beauty queen to lay the dead to rest.

- - -

Author's Notes: Just a short chapter to get from point A to point B.