"What the hell do you mean there's nothing you can do? He threatened her, for

God's sake!" Rob said angrily, his face red. It wasn't often Rob Van Dam became mad, but this was certainly warranted, especially since the security guards the hotel provided were being useless.

"There's no message, sir. There's not a whole lot we can do about it. Maybe if the message was saved…" the guard trailed off sympathetically.

"How the hell was she supposed to know the machine automatically deletes

messages after five minutes? Huh? We weren't notified of that!" Rob exclaimed.

"Rob, calm down," Lilian said softly, resting a hand on his elbow. Rob glanced at her, seeing her shaking form on the bed, the frightened look in her eyes. He immediately felt guilty for being so loud, knowing the noise had to be part of the reason she was frightened.

Rob took a breath, turning to the hotel security guards. "So there's nothing you can do without a message?" he confirmed tensely, crossing his arms.

"That is correct, sir," the guard said. "I don't doubt Ms. Garcia's claims at

all, but unfortunately our hands are tied."

Rob nodded, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Okay. Thank you," he said.

Rob guided them to the door, letting them out before turning to Lilian. "Pack up your stuff."

"Excuse me?" Lilian asked, confused.

"Pack up your things. You're not staying alone tonight."

Lilian chuckled softly, crossing her legs nervously. "Rob, I'll be fine," she

began, only to be cut off by him.

"Lilian, I'm sure you'll be okay, but I don't want you to be alone, and I'm sure behind that stubborn head of yours you don't want to be alone either. So why don't you spend the night with me, in my room. I have a couch that folds out into a bed, so you'll be able to sleep peacefully. Plus, I'd feel better if you were with me," Rob explained.

Lilian thought for a second, then protested, "I don't want to inconvenience you, Rob. I feel like a nuisance as it is."

"Hey," Rob chastised gently, kneeling in front of her yet keeping a respectful distance. "I don't know what John told you, but you're not a nuisance nor have you ever been. Except when you stole my weed." Lilian laughed softly at the comment, and Rob continued, "So, for both of our sakes, please, stay with me tonight. I'll arrange for us to room together as well." Lilian was quiet for a moment, and Rob added, "If you refuse, I'll knock on your door every five minutes to make sure you're okay."

Lilian giggled, slapping him playfully on the shoulder. "You're such a pain,"

she said, though her tone was affectionate.

"Yeah, but you love me." Rob stood, extending a hand to help Lilian up. She

accepted the gesture, smiling at him before turning to pack up her clothes.

"Now this is room service," Lilian said with a sigh, looking at the remains of a huge ice cream sundae a chef had made for them. Rob and Lilian had devoured the ice cream, leaving only a couple spoonfuls of melted ice cream and fudge in the bottom of the silver bowl. She yawned slightly, glancing at her watch, surprised to see it was after one in the morning. "I don't know about you, but sugar has a reverse effect on me. It makes me tired," Lilian told Rob.

"Dude, no way! I've only met a few other people who are immune to sugar," Rob

exclaimed. "That's nuts!"

"On that note, I think it's time for bed," Lilian proclaimed.

"I agree," Rob said, stifling a yawn. He stood up, stripping off his t-shirt to climb onto the conversion couch. Rob settled down on the couch, noticing Lilian looking at him. "What's up, doll?" he asked her.

"This is going to sound totally off the wall, but…"

"What's wrong?" he repeated, concerned.

"It's just… I feel vulnerable sleeping alone. Would you… would you mind sleeping next to me? I'd feel safer," Lilian stammered shyly. "If you don't want to, I totally understand why-"

"It's totally cool, Lil," Rob shrugged, standing up to walk back over to her. He laid next to her carefully, on top of the covers.

"You know, Rob, I don't bite," Lilian said with a small smile.

Rob blushed, then replied, "I usually get hot during the night. Not in that

way!" he exclaimed when Lilian blushed. "I have warm blood," he explained. "I

sweat a lot so I'll stay above the covers."

"Oh."

"Hey, I usually don't have to make the bed," Rob pointed out, and Lilian smiled to herself.

She turned, laying on her side so her back was facing him, snuggling under the covers. "Good night, Rob," she said softly. "Thank you for everything."

"No problem, doll. Sleep tight."

With that, they fell asleep.

End Part 7