Okay, Author's Note: I've been getting WAY too many bloody reviews about "why isn't there more action in this?" or "why isn't this story more like the first two?" For crying out loud, people, the genre on this story specifically states this is a "Humor/Romance." If there was going to be action in it, it would say action/adventure, not humor or romance. Yes, this story IS boring for those of you demanding action. I'm sorry if that's not your particular cup of tea, but it's not like I didn't warn people.

On a more soft note, if you are patient with this story (and it is almost over, believe me, I'M actually getting bored of it), the four-- Raz, Lara, Kain, and Rose-- all go to Nosgoth, and I promise that story's genre will be back to "Action/Adventure." This story (which ended up being a hell of a lot longer than I expected) was supposed to go into Rose's relationship with Kain, and it went . . . awry.

I promise, there WILL BE action later on in this story, and it WILL be taking place not in this chapter, but the chapter after it. This story will go out with a bang; a big one. New characters will be introduced to the story who will make conflict inevitable (but I'm not going to tell you who--- would give away too good of a surprise). So, if you have faith in me and continue keeping up with the reading, then thank you. But if you decide you've had enough of the story, well, it's a damn shame you're going to be missing it.

*DragonSeer*

"We're off to see the wizarddd, the wonderful wizard of Ozzzz . . ."

"Shut-up, Diana!" three voices shouted in tandem. Rose, who was driving, just laughed. Diana, who had called shotgun, looked into the back of the car and stuck her tongue out at the other three girls.

"Fine then." Diana fell silent a moment, then started singing, "This is the song that never ends . . . yes, it goes on and on my friendssss . . ."

"That's it!"

The song abruptly ended with shouts of protest and yelps of pain, and Rose could see a scuffle break out in the corner of her eye. A moment later, Becca was sitting shotgun and Diana had been shoved into the back. Kairan and Metowaka were both keeping her quiet by tickling her. Becca laughed at Diana's plight a moment before flipping open her map. Becca was the Holy Grail of drivers everywhere: she could read (and fold) a map. She just didn't often advertise the fact.

"Okay, so that nifty bar that Dane mentioned is about fifty miles north of here. There's supposedly a motel near it."

Rose shook her head, sighing. "You all are still planning on stopping at the pub?"

"Are you still planning on staying sober?" Kairan shot back, grinning.

"Hey, look!" Metowaka broke in. She pointed to the side of the road. Walking slowly along was a hitchhiker.

"Ooh, he's cute," Diana purred, Kairan and Metowaka distracted from tickling her. She glanced up at everyone.

"Road trip prank #12, anyone?!"

Kairan leaned forward into the front of the car, grinning. "Okay, Rose, we're going to pick him up. Then . . ."

After furious whispering, the young man had finally caught up to where they waited. He grinned his thanks to the girls as he settled into the car. Rose obligingly pulled back out into the road, and continued. She knew picking up hitchhikers could be dangerous to normal humans, but Rose figured if this guy tried to take a piece out of one of her friends, she'd simply take a piece out of him.

Eyes on the road, Rose was alerted of the moving plan by giggling coming from the back. She glanced into the rear-view mirror to see the girls were tugging at said cute hitchhiker's clothes. Rose shared a look with Becca, and the human girl grinned and indicated for Rose to quickly pull over. Laughing maniacally, the girls in the back quickly opened the door and shoved the guy out before swiftly slamming the door shut again.

"Drive!" Kairan called out. Rose twisted the wheel and slammed on the gas pedal, causing the car to go streaking away. The girls were all nearly collapsing in hysterical laughter.

"That was so mean," Rose managed out around her laughter.

"Yeah, it was, but even you have to admit it was funny!" Diana shot back.

In the background, the hitchhiker stood and crossed his arms over his chest, watching the car until it vanished around the corner. The male's form shifted and altered, growing taller and the shoulders broader, and Kain stood, shaking his head slightly. That certainly hadn't worked. It would seem he would have to try another course of action . . .

The girls were still snickering a good twenty miles down the line. It probably wouldn't have taken them that long, but whenever one of the girls looked at another, they started cracking up, which would inevitably end with all the girls laughing again.

"That was great," Kairan sighed happily.

"Ooh, even cuter," Metowaka suddenly stated, obviously sidetracked. Kairan, Becca and Diana all looked where she did, and nodded or gave other sounds of agreement.

"Definitely."

"Very cute."

"Yummy."

"What?" Rose inquired, then dared a glance over at the side of the road. Meandering slowly along was a young man about their age, a guitar case over his shoulder. He had long strands of white hair, the snowy color that bleaching and then dyeing hair brought.

"Can we stop and pick him up, Rose?" Metowaka asked, leaning forward up to be level with the driver.

"Only if we aren't going to play a mean trick on this one."

"Not on this one," Diana protested. "He's way too cute."

"All right then."

She easily slowed and stopped next to the young man, and Becca rolled the window down.

"Wanna lift?" she inquired easily. He looked up and grinned.

"That would be great!"

He climbed into the car and Rose set the car back to rolling across the road smoothly.

"Does anyone else want to drive?" she inquired wearily. A chorus of "No!"s were he answer, and she sighed deeply.

'Yes,' Rose grumbled to herself mentally, 'they'd rather stare at the new boy toy.'

Becca leaned around in her seat and looked back at their new guest.

"And who might you be?"

He smiled dazzlingly at her. "The name's Magnus. Magnus Williams."

"And what do you do, Magnus?" Diana inquired. In the driver's seat, Rose groaned silently and her fingers shifted and tightened around the steering wheel. Small talk. She hated small talk.

Magnus, in answer to the question, pulled around his guitar and strummed a few chords on it, smiling quietly.

"Where are you headed?" Kairan popped in.

"California."

"Why is that?"

"Because I've heard how beautiful the beaches were. I was walking, as I currently possess no car."

The girls continued asking other little small questions, learning a little bit about his motivations, but he was amazingly careful about giving them anything solid. Finally, Metowaka broached a new line of questions.

"Can I make a request?" Metowaka threw in.

"Of course."

"Would you play something?"

He chuckled deeply. "I have the guitar out, don't I?" He closed his eyes slightly and let his fingers drift down to the chords, then began a few small tunes of popular songs around the area. He even began to sing a few of them, and the girls stared at him with wide eyes; he had a gorgeous voice.

"Wonderful," Becca complimented when he was done, "but do you know anything . . . different? Like, more exotic?" He thought a moment, then smiled again.

"Yes, I do."

His fingers moved across the strings slowly, coaxing a mournful tune from the instrument, the sounds seeming to cry out in gentle pain. Rose recognized it instantly; it was a Nosogthic song. She glanced up into the rear-view mirror sharply and the young man lifted his eyes to meet hers through the mirror. For just a moment, his amber-brown eyes shifted to that of a fierce golden. She shook her head and focused back on the road, but the music filled her ears. She could hear the moment coming where someone would have started singing, and when "Magnus" threw his voice into the song, Rose's was next to his.

"The sun at last

Has moved far past,

And loving stars sing out

But night's fair breeze

Warns through the eves

That life's blood is in doubt

Tread soft, love dear

Night holdst thee fear

And smiles with dark maw

Breathe care, fair maid

From the vampire's raid

As the stars whereupon withdraw."

The girls looked at Rose curiously, expressions of confusion written on their face.

"How'd you know the words, Rose?" Kairan finally asked.

"Ah . . . it's a lullaby my father used to sing to me," she answered slowly. She had never really given the tune much consideration before.

With Rose lost in thought, the other girls kept requesting songs from Magnus. In a much shorter time than they would have expected, the girls had arrived in front of the little bar Becca had been talking about. Magnus graciously thanked them, but decided it was best if he headed out toward the motel. He had to split off from the girls and head a different way. The girls moaned their disappointment after he had left their sight.

"Hey was cute, too," Metowaka sighed from the barstool she sat at. Becca laughed.

"Yeah, he was. But oh well. Barkeep!"

As Becca ordered her drink, Rose heard the door creak open behind them. It was a bar, so that wasn't too strange, but the same instinct that had made her turn to see Kain in England screamed for her to look. She glanced over her shoulder to see four men dressed in tight leather, an almost visible sign of 'bad-ass, do not mess with me' above them. The lead man pulled out a pistol and shot it up into the air once, and it was met with confused curses and little screams of protest.

"Good-evening, ladies and gentlemen," he stated once silence had stated. "You will be joining us for drinks tonight as our hostages."

"Ah shit," Rose swore softly to herself.