Here's the 3rd chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Warning: There is some drinking in this chapter. Some people don't like stories with that kind of thing in it, so I'm putting a warning. And there might be a slight bit of out-of-character behavior in this chapter. You'll find out why later if you want to keep reading it.

Later, I found John in the library and I sat beside him. Before I could say anything, he spoke.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't try to be so protective. I just don't want my best friend to be hurt."

"I know, and me being blind doesn't help your case much either."

"Do you want to come with us next time?"

"Yeah. Thanks for asking." I put my arm around him and he hugged me back. Near us, I could feel a large presence, but I ignored it. "This isn't really a house, is it?" I asked. John sighed.

"No."

"What is it then?"

"It's an FBI building."

"That's all you're going to tell me?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. I have a question."

"Shoot."

"What do Red and Abe and Liz look like?"

"Why don't you ask them? I'm sure they'd let you find out with touch…you know, the way you remember how I look."

"Yeah." I twiddled my thumbs. "Are there any Braille books here?"

"I'm not sure."

"Never mind then. I'll just reread mine." I stood. "I'll talk to you later, John."

"Okay." I left and headed back to my room. Before I could enter, I heard a strange scraping sound. It was quite loud and seemed to be coming from Red's room. I felt for his door, but it was open. I knocked, but he must not have heard me. "What are you doing?" I asked loudly.

"What does it look like?" he answered just as loudly, not stopping…whatever he was doing.

"If I could see, I wouldn't have asked." The metallic scraping stopped.

"Sorry. I thought you were someone else." I shrugged it off.

"What were you doing?"

"Filing."

"Filing what?"

"My, uh…my horns."

"You have horns?" I reached up to touch them since he had walked so close, but I stopped myself. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine. You can touch them." He bowed his head slightly since I'm not very tall. As he guided my hand, I could feel the smoothed edges of the sawed-off horns. They felt strange. I felt strange.

"Let me guess. You have a tail, too?"

"Yeah." He tapped me on the shoulder with it. "It's like another hand for me."

"Very prehensile, then…like a monkey's."

"Yep." I was quiet, but only until the room began to feel uncomfortable.

"I wish I knew what you guys look like."

"Well, I'm big and red."

"And you have horns and a tail."

"There's that. Abe is blue and amphibious." I laughed.

"That's really cool."

"And Liz looks like a normal person until she uses her fire."

"That's only basics. I still don't know features."

"Well, I'm not very good at descriptions."

"That's fine. I think I'll just go back to my room and read."

"I thought you were blind." I wiggled my fingers.

"I learned Braille to cope." I turned to go.

"Could you… Never mind."

"Could I what?"

"It's nothing."

"I've said that many a time and it was never nothing."

"I was just wondering if you…would read to me?"

"Why me?"

"I don't know."

"Have you asked anyone else?"

"No."

"I don't have that great a voice."

"It doesn't matter. Father used to read to me a lot. I just haven't been able to ask anyone to do it since he…" I was silent. "You don't have to. It was just a question."

"No, no, I'll read to you. It just surprised me is all." I left and returned with one of my favorites. He was sitting on his bed. "Have you heard Frankenstein?" I opened the book to the first page.

"Once, I think."

"Did you like it?"

"Yeah, but I didn't understand it all."

"I can explain parts if you want me to."

"Okay. Can you read in the dark?"

"Yeah. I read by touch now. Do you want me to turn off the lights?"

"If you don't mind." I nodded, found and flipped the light switch on the wall, and returned to my seat to begin reading. Red soon fell asleep and I stopped when I heard his breathing deepen. I left, headed back to my room, and went to sleep as well.

--

The next week or so passed in a similar manner. There were a couple of times we went out to stop 'evildoers,' I guess you could say. At night, I would read to Red until he fell asleep. That strange feeling came back more often and it startled me. Occasionally, if there was time, I asked Abe to read non-Braille books to me, which I recited to Red when my own books ran out. I like Abe's voice, but the strange feeling comes only when I'm around Red. I don't know why… So, I decided to talk to Abe about it and leave out names.

"Abe, may I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

"A different one." He laughed quietly.

"Fire away."

"What's it called when you can't stop thinking about someone and you get this tingly feeling when you're around him or her?"

"I would probably say that person is in love. Is there someone you feel that way around?"

"Kind of…"

"And who might this be?"

"I can't tell you."

"It's not Liz, is it?"

"NO! It's a guy!"

"Then whom?"

"You'll think I'm weird."

"Aren't we all?"

"Can I tell you later?" He sighed.

"I suppose."

"Thanks Abe. And thank you for reading to me."

"My pleasure." I left quickly to think. Love? Seriously? It couldn't be… And if it was, how would Red feel if I said something? Does he feel the same? Stop thinking Laura!

"Laura?" I turned sharply.

"Oh, hey John."

"I, uh, wanted to tell you something."

"What?"

"I've been reassigned to Antarctica."

"What?!"

"And I want you to either stay here or go back to your aunt and uncle's place. Okay?"

"All right. Why are you being reassigned?"

"I don't know, but it's my job and I must go. I hope to see you soon."

"Yeah." We hugged. "When are you leaving?"

"Tonight. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, and it's not your fault."

"Will you be fine?"

"Yeah."

"Good." One last hug and he was gone. I went towards my room, but ended up at Red's. I felt two presences, one Red and the other Liz, and they were bent towards each other. I left as quickly and quietly as possible, hoping neither had seen or heard me.

I was wrong. I sat against the other side of my bed, facing the window. There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I called as calmly and clearly as I could.

"It's me, Red." I didn't say anything, wanting to tell him to go away, but not having the heart. "May I come in?"

"Sure, why not?" I said sarcastically. I didn't move as he entered, switched on the light, and walked towards me.

"Here," he held something out to me, but I didn't take it yet.

"What is it?"

"Beer."

"I don't drink that stuff."

"You do tonight." He placed it in my hand and opened it with his tail. "Drink up." I took a sip and made a face.

"Nasty stuff." Then I took a drink. "It's truly disgusting." I drank deeper.

"If you think it's disgusting, why are you still drinking it?" He sat beside me and opened one for himself.

"I want to see what my alcoholic threshold is."

"What?"

"I know people who can just smell beer and get drunk. And then there are those who can drink a whole case and be fine, almost sober." I drank some more. "I want to see who I am." I downed the rest of the can. Then I crushed it between my hands and set it beside me. "There's one. I don't feel drunk yet and my speech isn't slurred." I held my hand out and Red placed another beer in my hand. He crushed his first can and placed it next to mine.

"So…what's wrong?" I nearly spit out my drink.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"You were outside my door…and you weren't the quietest thing…"

"Damn. I thought I was quiet."

"What did you see?"

"Nothing. I'm blind, remember?"

"Sorry, but I know you use your senses to see…" I didn't answer. "Is that what's wrong?" My second can was soon crushed and behind my first. He followed suit.

"Do you really want to know?" I opened my third.

"Hang on." He stood and went to the door. All of a sudden, I heard: "I love her!" He came back and handed me a six-pack. "A six-pack for you, and a six-pack for me." He sat back down. "Continue."

"Never mind." The third can was already crushed and I was on my fourth. "My threshold is obviously three cans. You hear? I'm beginning to slur." And I was. Not bad, but noticeably.

"Hmm." He didn't seem to be slurring yet.

"You know, these don't taste so bad when you've had a few."

"Yep."

"That may be why I'm ahead of you now." There were four cans in my line now and he had only just put down his third.

"I don't want to get drunk yet. I want you to tell me what's wrong." I stood and opened the window. Thankfully, a breeze was blowing. As I heard him stand, I sat in my chair directly in front of the window.

"I was talking to John."

"What about?"

"He's leaving for Antarctica." I felt Red pause, then stand beside me.

"Is that all?"

"No. I was talking to Abe, too."

"He's not leaving, is he?"

"No. I just asked him what he thought might be happening to me."

"What's happening?"

"There's this person I can't get out of my head and feel all tingly when I'm around 'em. He said I was in love."

"With who?"

"Whom," I corrected. "I didn't tell him."

"Will you tell me?"

"You would think I was weird. That's why I didn't tell Abe either."

"Is it Myers?"

"No."

"Please tell me it's not Manning!" Manning is their 'boss'.

"No! Are you crazy?!"

"Well, that pretty much leaves Abe, me, or one of the numerous agents around here."

"I know."

"Who is it?"

"Why do you care, anyway?"

"Just tell me."

"You'll think—"

"I won't think you're weird. I promise." I sighed and put my head in my hands.

"I've almost had a whole six-pack. This is number five and it's gone." I crushed it, dropped it, and put my head in my hands again.

"Who, Laura?" He was quiet and had placed his left hand on my shoulder. I stood and was moving away, but he stopped me with his tail.

"It's you, okay? But I know nothing will happen because—" A gasp cut off my words as he wrapped his tail around my waist and pulled me close.

"You talk too much." And he kissed me. I pulled away. Stupid idiot! I told myself, but I'm not.

"No! I won't let you do this to Liz! No matter…no matter what I feel." He just stood there, so I turned back to the window, pulling away from him as I did so. I didn't want him to see the tears.

"Think of it as a thanks for reading to me."

"Please leave." He left without another word.

Later, while I was pondering, I heard a meow and realized that Buster had come back again. I felt the slight disturbance as he jumped on the bed.

"Hello Buster." He purred. "Do you know what happened?" He gave a small meow. "Me either. Now that my head is clearing, I can think." He purred loudly and curled beside me as think I did. I thought about how I would most likely never drink again. And that Red had kissed me, not the other way around. It had been…fiery, to put it in a word. That must be why he and Liz are good together. Fire and fire…unlike me. I just couldn't get burned…physically. Emotionally is a different story. I'll just talk to Liz tomorrow. And I fell asleep thinking of other things.

TBC

What will Liz say?

Is Laura too honest for her own good?

Will she be burned for the first time, ever?

Find out in the next chapter!

(Please review)