Okay, hi people. I really hope you like this chapter!

A Normal Kind of Insane

Our falling into the ocean made for rich, hearty laughing and ridiculing from my coven, of course. As soon as we'd hit the water, I'd grabbed the brothers' hands and pulled them to shore. We'd all come out, irritated expressions on our faces, our drenched hair flopping into our eyes, and our dripping clothes clinging to our sodden bodies.

"Wow, Megan, is there any way you could get stupider?" Allan grumbled to me. "Hey, don't talk to her like that," Edgar growled. Allan simply rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Next time we're flying, don't stop to make out with my horny brother in mid-air."

Our moods completely switched gears once we'd made it to the concert hall, where Tim Capello was finishing his concert with the song "I Still Believe". "C'mon!" I hissed excitedly, pulling Edgar and Allan into the dancing crowd. Star and Laddie followed us, but the other vamps left- to hunt, I assumed.

The five of us started dancing and jumping to the beat, singing along at the top of our lungs. Heat and the raucous sounds of laughter and clapping and yelling, the bright light of the full moon and the stars and the refreshing sounds and smells rolling in from the ocean and the woods, filled my body with pure energy and happiness.

And during the last few sentences of the last verse, the five of us all looked at each other, because it so totally applied to us: "For people like us, in places like this, we need all the hope we can get." The total sense of unity that I felt at that moment filled me with a sense of belonging, and for the first time in weeks, I felt like I'd gained a family, instead of always having to abandon them. And it wasn't just with my closest friends/family- it was with everyone in the concert hall, everyone in Santa Carla, everyone and everything in the world.

For the first time, I felt like I could see a little bit farther, could see why and how the world turned the way it did. I could actually feel it turning. And the little ribbons of time that I'd held so dear tightened around me, wrapping me in a blanket of warmth and love. Because I was home. It didn't matter if my home was a cave/comic book store instead of a beach house, or that my family was a bunch of vampires and vampire slayers. It was my home and it was my family, and nothing could change that. Ever.

After the concert, Star grabbed Laddie's hand and rushed off, and for the first time I sensed the waves of chaotic emotions rolling off of her- fear, anguish, and also love and lust. What's up with her? I wondered to myself, but before I could follow the thought any further, Edgar and Allan bounced off, pulling me along with them.

We had a great time that night. We spent most of our time goofing off and playing games and riding all the amusement park rides like there was nothing wrong. That everything was normal and we weren't hard-wired like a bunch of maniacs. Instead we were a normal kind of insane. If you can dig it.

At about one in the morning, we all headed back to the comic book store, laughing and talking in loud, obnoxious, teenage voices. We closed up the comic store for the night, but we weren't ready to retire. In some part of my brain I mused over the fact that the Frog brothers might be acquiring my nocturnal schedule, but that was just a small part of my brain. The rest was trying to figure out how to work the brothers' jumbled old radio.

"Okay, how the hell do you work this fuckin thing," I muttered, trying to pull the lid to the CD player up but only succeeding in tearing it out. "Oh, nice going, genius," Allan retorted, grabbed a ring of duct tape and, after fixing the result of my effort at opening the CD player, I popped in my CD of INXS.

And it was like the concert all over again.

When "Good Times" started to play, we all jumped around and danced like someone was shooting at our feet. We even played the air guitar and the invisible drums, pretending we were the band. I bet if anyone else was watching us they'd have us tied up in chains and straight jackets and hauled off to the funny farm. I mean, we were crazy.

After the CD had played through twice, we all slumped against each other, listening to the last song, my favorite: "Laying Down the Law". Panting, I grinned at the Frog brothers and they grinned back. No words had to be exchanged- we all knew what the other was thinking and feeling in that moment. We were family. We were one.

After recovering from our strange "performance", Allan sighed. "Well, I'd better get started on that inventory. A new shipment of comics came today, apparently," he told us, nodding toward stacks of boxes marked in bold letters: COMICS. "Have fun," I told him as he shuffled off.

I silently headed into the bedroom, feeling Edgar trail after me. "Well, did you have fun tonight?" he asked me as we both sat down. I shivered with delight as he wrapped his arm around me and then traced a light, random pattern down my back with his fingertip. "Yeah," I murmured, leaning into him. He grinned. "Good."

With that he started burying his face in the crook of my neck. I laughed and tried to push him away. "What, you don't love me anymore?" he asked, donning a perfectly sad puppy-dog/pouty face. I giggled. "Yes, I do," I replied. He grinned and kissed my neck again. "But stop it!" I protested, trying to push him away again. "That tickles!" Edgar lifted his head and grinned mischievously at me. "Oh, really?" he asked and began to tickle me. I squeaked and tried to squirm away. "I didn't know vampires could be ticklish," he said smugly as I finally was able to grab his wrists and hold him at bay.

Staring into his eyes, I was suddenly overcome with my love for him, and my reply came out breathy: "Well, now you do." He smiled sweetly at me and stroked his thumb down my face.

I didn't have to ask for him to kiss me. There were no more concerns anymore. If I'd wanted his blood more than his lips, I could have easily had my way. But I loved him more than I lusted after him, and that meant more kisses. Yum. He kissed me fiercely, pressing me down into the mattress beneath him. My hands clutched at his back as his tongue explored my mouth, sending a stream of hot, sweet-tasting air into my mouth.

A strange, instinctive craving filled my being, spilling out from the depths of my heart, as Edgar gave a little moan of pleasure. I felt a strong, almost scarily overpowering feeling much like when I drank blood. But this was more…I'm not exactly sure, but I sure as hell know it was amazing.

The blood pounded through my body, and I could hear it surging through Edgar's veins, too. With a purr that sounded more like a growl, I tore the shirt off of Edgar's back, and he in turn slipped mine off, too.

"You are so amazing," he whispered as he kissed me fiercely. He had just been able to slip my bra off when a crash sounded from the main room of the store. We jumped apart, our hearts beating fast, and this time, not just with the passion of our love. Fear now colored our expressions.

"What the hell was that?" I hissed and Edgar only paused for a second. "Allan," he muttered and then threw me my bra and t-shirt. I dressed speedily, balancing my overwhelming feelings for Edgar with my fear at what that sound could have been.

And suddenly, my enhanced hearing was able to pick up more sounds: screaming, snarling, the sounds of fighting. "No! Allan!" I murmured and darted out the door, Edgar right behind me.

Okay, sorry that I had to leave you on a cliff-hanger, but it seemed appropriate...and plus, I'm supposed to be grounded from the computer and my "mom's-coming-and-you're-spidey-senses-are-tingling" are tingling. So for now, bye! R+R please, but no flames!