A/N- Just a linking chapter, I still dont own any of the characters

It was late afternoon by the time our plane touched down in Vegas. As I'd assumed, the limo had taken us to the closest private airport, at which point we'd boarded a charted jet and flown. There'd been human entertainments set up in the plane, DVD players and music and I'd forced myself to watch a nice period romance, though my thoughts had flown elsewhere once I'd realised the main hero and heroine were both long haired blondes. Some part of me hoped that it was a surreptitious (I'd brought myself a Word-A-Day calendar last Christmas, certain that Arlene had no intentions of upholding her annual tradition) message from Eric to reassure me that he would come to rescue me, as the hero himself was doing in the movie. I doubted it though, even Eric wouldn't have had time to discover and counteract the king's plan, and I wasn't one hundred percent sure he'd want to, not after the mess I'd made of his present one day prior.

Boy did I regret potentially pissing him off right now.

Another limo, it couldn't possibly be the same one, was waiting for us on the runway. Along with two burly bikers that I knew instantly were were-wolves. I hesitated at the bottom of the stairs and looked behind me to where Mr Cataliades and Diantha stood. I could tell from Diantha's expression that she hadn't known about the addition to the entourage, which made me feel very vulnerable all of a sudden. Though, I reasoned logically, Victor Madden and Felipe de Castro wouldn't bring me all the way to Nevada just to kill me on a runway, not when they could have done the same with a few bullets and saved themselves the costly expense of two limos and a jet ride.

I then recalled the long list Eric had given me of people who liked me in my current state of living and breathing and this made me feel slightly better. Especially when one of those people and his niece took protective stances in front of me as we moved closer to the open vehicle,

"We're extra guards for the woman" Bikie One grunted, he was the taller of the two with a long mane of scruffy black hair, as opposed to the shorter red haired mullet man.

"Of course" exclaimed the diplomatic Mr Cataliades, "How kind of His Majesty to consider such protection! If you would care to take the front of the vehicle while Diantha and I seat in the back with Miss Stackhouse, we'll be on our way"

Bikie One and Bikie Two simply grunted their assent, giving me a once over and clearly thinking I wouldn't be any great threat. They slouched to the front of the vehicle and gave the driver- a human- the scare of his life when they piled in with him, while Diantha packed my suitcase into the trunk and Mr Cataliades bundled me into the back. He patted my hand reassuringly,
"Rest assured dear, they won't get near you"
I throw him a quick smile and then sink into the upholstery.

Despite everything, or perhaps because of it, I must have dozed. But I started awake the moment we reached the heart of Vegas, cause even through tinted and double glazed windows the lights from the buildings and the noise of the traffic filtered through. It was my first time in Vegas and even I wasn't immune to the amazing scenery. I saw pyramids, the Eiffel tower, the Colosseum, hundreds of wonders and thousands of tourists.

In the very heart of the city we pulled into a circular drive, a circular drive of a large round tower. As Mr Cataliades helped me from the car, I looked up, craning my neck to see to the very top.
It was a silver hotel, obviously not real silver otherwise vamps wouldn't go near it and at the very top level, a round balcony with large curved spikes jutting out at equal gaps.
When I stand directly under it I realise that it's a sun.
A silver casino with a sun at the very top.
Felipe de Castro was laughing at the world.
Had Eric done something like that I would have found it brave and funny.

For a moment I imagine myself standing on the sun balcony in the evening, looking down on the world of flashing lights. Eric steps from the bedroom to stand by my side; he's wearing a golden crown and reaches out to me. For a moment I start back, look at his wrapped parcel and worried that it's a matching crown, however I see immediately that it's too small, and it's moving.
Curious I step forward and remove the first fold of the black velvet. Gasping as the package moves, frantic now I rip the velvet away and stare in shock,
A baby lying wrapped in gold satin, sleeping peacefully.

I come back to earth when Diantha stomps past me carrying my bags; closing my eyes for an instant in regret I follow them into the building.