A/N: Sorry it's been so long. A lot of 'life-y' stuff has been happening. SO here's chapter ten. Enjoy, there is more to come!

Chapter 10

Lihn left the library the way she'd found it, save for Murdoc's lighter which was biting into her fist. She was angry. If the bassist was really a Satanist, as he claimed to be, then he should have known better than to be summoning things. Especially without telling everyone in the house so that they could be prepared! There was a child in the house, for crying out loud!

As she came to the bottom of the stairs, 2D came from the hallway to the right and almost went out the door without seeing Lihn. He stopped with his hand on the door and turned toward her smiling. "Morning, Lihn!"

Her expression softened for him, "Ohayou, Stuart. Going out?" She asked him. "Yea. Murdoc says we need to get out inna public eye. Says it'll make "Hollywood come to us". Or sum fink like 'at." he shrugged. "You wanna come? You ain't been out inna couple days."

Lihn managed to keep a smile on her face but inside she was furious. Murdoc was getting away! She could go with them, but she always felt like an outsider when they when out. She'd gotten used to isolation over the past years. Being mobbed by ecstatic fans was a bit out of her comfort zone at the moment. Besides, she didn't want to confront him about this in public. "No, arigato. I will stay and catch up on some reading."

The lanky man's face fell, "You sure? I can get them to wait if you need to get ready." he offered, hopefully. "Really, I am all right. Thank you." then a thought occurred to her, "Is Russel going with you?" she had not seen him since this morning when she'd slipped out of his room. 'D's smile got bigger, "Yea, and he's pretty angry! Murdoc bullied him out wif no breakfast." he laughed. "So, I'm sure we'll be stopping for sum fink to eat. Sure you won' come?" he tried again.

Lihn shook her head, feeling a bit disappointed at missing Russel. "Yes, I am sure. Have a nice time." 2-D shrugged and went out the door looking crest fallen but Lihn didn't notice being preoccupied with her own thoughts.

She headed down the hallway to the dining room to see what the cook had laid out for breakfast. Upon entering the room she wasn't surprised to find Murdoc's groupies. Don't these people have homes? she thought. Since the first day she'd seen them following Murdoc around they hadn't left the mansion. Or maybe they had and new ones had come in. Lihn really hadn't paid that much attention. Either way, here they were and these were the people that had been in the secret room with Murdoc…

No one seemed to take notice of her as she rounded the table to the buffet stand. She looked over the trays of eggs and bacon and was just reaching for a piece of fruit when a voice at her side startled her. "What's that you've got there?"

She jumped a bit wondering how he'd managed to creep up on her. "What?" She asked the little man. It was the midget she'd noticed earlier. She'd almost forgotten about the lighter she still clutched in her hand. She looked the guy over, she supposed 'midget' wasn't really the right word for him, though he was shorter than her. He had long hair and full beard, making it difficult to guess his age, and was dressed in what was supposed to look like hippy clothes but obviously came from a high priced store. Lihn didn't like the feel she was getting from this guy.

"I said, what's that you've got there?" his voice had a strange tone to it, but it quickly changed as if he noticed that it was bothering her. "I could hold your plate if you need a hand." he tried to amend.

Lihn immediately decided that she didn't like him. Quickly she threw an illusion and showed him a purple, knock-off Zippo with a panda on it. "Oh," she tried to sound absent minded, "I was going to have a cigarette but I was out, so I decided to have breakfast instead." she lied and flashed him a fabulous smile.

She could tell he was disappointed, but his demeanor quickly changed and pulled a pack of Camels out of his pocket. "You just should have asked, I'm happy to share." he handed her a cigarette and putting down her pear, she lit it and tucked the lighter in her bra. "You're Noodle's Mom aren't you?"

Lihn blew out a stream of smoke before answering, "Her aunt, Dr. NoriLihn." she said exaggerating her accent and put out her free hand.

He shook it limply and pulled his hand back quickly, "oh, yea. Her aunt. Of course." he chuckled, Lihn didn't know why but he was giving her the creeps. "I'm Jimmy. Come on, I'll introduce you to the gang." Lihn racked her brain for an excuse to leave, but wasn't quick enough. "Hey guys! This is Lihn, she's Noodle's aunt." He began pointing to people around the table, "This is Genny, Allen, Sugar, Kevin, the Kellys, that's Cindy, and Heather." individuals waved or nodded as they were pointed out. The uncomfortable woman didn't really catch any of the names but waved back just the same.

"Come sit over here!" one of the Kellys spoke up excitedly. Lihn reluctantly made her way round the table and took a seat next to the bubbly, brown-haired, young woman. "It must be so exciting living with rock stars all the time!" she gushed.

"Do you get to travel everywhere with them?" the other Kelly asked placing a well manicured hand on her arm.

"Forget that," the dark-skinned girl called Sugar said, "how many of them have you screwed?" she asked with an impish grin.

"Sugar!" Jimmy butted in. "That's not very polite."

She waved her hand at him dismissively, "Aw, chill out, Jimmy, inquiring minds want to know." she laughed.

The Japanese woman's skin took on a pinkish hue, "Uh, I haven't lived with them long, we just met, actually." she took a drag off her cigarette and glanced around looking for a way to change the subject. "Is there any coffee?" The blonde haired, tall boy stood up. "Yea, I'll get you some." he said eagerly. "Cream and sugar?" he asked as he moved toward the side board.

"Hai, Origato ." she nodded. "Wow." said a blonde haired girl wearing too much make-up and a tube top, "Like, where are you from?" she asked.

"Fukushima." Lihn replied without hesitation. "Now, why did I say that? I could have made anything up." She internally scolded herself as the others giggled at the pronunciation of the foreign word.

"That's in Japan, Heather." Jimmy said in response to the blonde girl's confused expression. The Japanese woman eyed him curiously as she accepted the cup of coffee from the tanned young man. Fukushima wasn't un-heard of but it wasn't really a tourist-y area either. "Have you been, Jimmy?"

"No, just keeping up on interests." He answered without explaining anything. He smiled eerily at her.

There was something odd about this fellow and Lihn didn't like it. She stood, "Well, I think I will get on with my day, nice having met you all."

She took her cup and turned to go but the first Kelly took her by the arm, "Don't go! We're all going down the hall, Jimmy's promised to play his guitar for us."

"Yes!" The second Kelly appeared at her other side, "You should come with us. It'll be fun!" There was a chorus of agreement and Lihn found herself being swept down the hall toward the great room.

She found herself nestled on a red, vinyl couch between the two Kellys, who seemed to have taken a fondness to her. The others settled themselves on couches and over-stuffed ottomans while Jimmy tuned his acoustic guitar.

The uncomfortable woman was seriously wishing she'd taken 2-D up on his offer and gone with him. It only got worse when Jimmy began singing as he played. It was like a karaoke version of a Donovan song. Lihn was careful to keep a straight face, but found it comical that these people thought so highly of his skill. How could they be around such accomplished musicians and still find this appealing?

The answer came round soon enough, on a small mirror. And then again in a pipe. And then in several bottles. Lihn turned it down each time it was offered. She had no opposition to drug or alcohol use, hell if people wanted to screw themselves up that was their business, but she tried to avoid using in the company of people she wasn't comfortable with. She tended to let things slip when under the influence and she didn't trust these people.

Sure, they seemed friendly enough, but this was Murdoc's crowd. It was just this morning that he'd threatened to 'find her out'. For all she knew, he'd set them up to keep an eye on her. She'd have to keep on her toes around them, especially that Jimmy.

There was something odd about him. Her senses all told her that he was human, but that didn't mean he couldn't be dangerous, especially if he was messing around with the occult. He'd finished another awful song and was putting his guitar down to a chorus of protests.

"Now, now," he placated, "I don't want to be rude to our new friend. Let's get know her a bit." He smiled at her but it didn't seem to reach his eyes. "You play a bit, don't you?" he gestured toward the spindly legged piano in the room, "Perhaps you could play something for us."

"Oh, no…" Lihn, protested, wondering how he'd known, "I am very out of practice. It would be embarrassing." she couldn't figure out what his agenda was. Or if he even had one…

"Oh, please!" the Kelly to her left pleaded "we'd love to hear you play."

The slight woman glanced at the eager faces around her and sighed. She did enjoy playing, and it had been quite a while since she had. She scooted herself to the edge of the couch and Jimmy offered her a hand up. She took it hesitantly.

The moment she did, dark images flashed in her mind. She couldn't really make out what they were. Dark faces and sharp teeth flashed before her lit by flickering flames. Lihn snatched her hand back quickly.

"I'm sorry." The little man said, not sounding sorry at all. "I must have shocked you. Sandals on the carpet and all."

She scowled at him, "Yes. The carpet." He knew very well that he hadn't shocked her. What was he playing at?

"Please." he gestured toward the piano again. "Play for us."

She felt a bit like a trapped animal. Glancing around at the others, she moved toward the piano. The blank expressions on their faces made her believe that they had no idea what had just transpired. Were they 'in' on whatever was going on, or were they just blind followers?

She lay her small hands on the piano keys. The smooth surface was comforting. There was something about music that was a power all it's own. Slowly she plunked a few notes, familiarizing herself with the instrument. Then she moved into an old traditional Japanese tune. She remembered hearing it some years ago, when she was Dr. Lihn, the scientist.

The boss had insisted that she take a short holiday, that she was under a lot of stress and needed to relax. Ha! Of course, now she knew the real reason he'd wanted her gone, but she'd gone to one of the smaller villages on the island, where the old ways were still held in high regard. It was during some festival or other and the song had been played on a string instrument and a flute, but it worked well on the piano. She could almost smell the night air and see the lanterns floating on the water.

She glanced up at her audience, humming with the music she played. They seemed to be entranced as they listened, as if they too could see her vision. All except for Jimmy. He was watching her with a disappointed look. Like a child who was expecting ice cream and got a lollipop instead. Had he wanted her to embarrass herself? Or had he been expecting something else?

If Murdoc really had set them to watch her, perhaps he'd been hoping to catch her using her Talent, but she didn't need it to play piano. That was something she'd actually learned to do on her own. There were quite a few things she'd learned over the years. Long life was nice, but it could get boring at times so she'd started learning things. Thus, she could play a variety of instruments, knit, embroider, sew… she was a fair blacksmith, carpenter, and upholsterer. She was an excellent cook and had mastered many other skills. He'd have to try harder if he wanted to catch her slipping. Besides, he probably wasn't even sure what he was looking for.

She finished her song and he was the first to applaud. The others joined him slowly as they woke from their collective reverie. "Lovely." Jimmy said through his fake smile. "I see where Miss Noodle gets her talent." There were nods of agreement and murmurs of approval from around the room. "How old is Noodle?" Jimmy asked.

The curious woman was taken a bit off guard by the question. "Juu ichi, er, eleven, I think." She caught herself. The Japanese was still coming easier than the English. She supposed it would take a while to get used to speaking it as her main language again.

He looked thoughtful, "So, young. It must be difficult for her."

"Difficult, why?" Lihn was utterly confused by the change in topic. She stood and came round to lean on the front of the piano.

"Well, you know? The life of a professional musician is rough." he explained. "Hours of practice, long hours writing and recording. Then there's the traveling. Being cooped up on tour buses and planes. Not to mention trying to squeeze in schooling." He shook his hairy head. "When does she find time to be a child and have friends?"

Lihn wasn't sure what to say. "She seems to be coping quite well."

He nodded his head, "Sure, sure. But they always do, don't they? Then one day you open the door to find an empty bottle of pills and a…" He looked at Lihn quickly, "Of course, I don't mean that will happen to her!"

She raised an eyebrow, "But your saying it's a possibility?"

"I'm saying, no one would blame you if you decided she should leave the band." he looked to the others for support and they all murmured agreement as if on cue.

"He is trying to get rid of Noodle?" She stepped away from the piano saying, "Thank you for your concern, but I am certain Noodle is quite happy where she is." she looked around at each of their faces, "Excuse me, There are things I must be getting to."

The small man stepped in her path looking as intimidating as he could muster. "You really should consider it. There's no telling when something unfortunate might befall her." He said threateningly. A chorus of "You should consider it." echoed behind her. The eight others had formed a semi-circle around her, their expressions blank as they echoed their ring leader.

Rage flashed in the fake human's eyes. He was threatening her?! She turned her glare back to the short man. "You have no idea whom you are talking to." she hissed. "I suggest you tread carefully, lest something unfortunate befall you." She stepped around him fighting the urge to fry him, leaving nothing but a greasy spot on the carpet and the smell of burnt hair.

She stormed out of the room and up the hall toward the stairway. As she came round the back of the stairwell, the front door opened and Noodle, 2-D and Russel jostled into the foyer dripping rain water. "Didn't even check the damn weather…" Russel was grousing. His expression brightened when he saw Lihn heading toward him, but fell when he sensed her mood. "What's up, Girl?" he touched her trembling arm.

The incensed woman glanced toward the door. "Where is Mr. Niccals?" she demanded. "I must have a word with him concerning the company he keeps." her eyes flashed.

"He's parking the car in the garage." Russel's eyes suddenly turned angry as well, "Somebody try somethin' with you?"

She shook her head, "I will explain later." she turned to her adopted niece, "Noodle, you would do well to avoid strangers in this house." Looking at 2-D and back to Russel, she said, "Keep an eye on her, please."

"You talkin' bout those weirdo's whot been hanging out wiff Murdoc?" the lanky man asked, but Lihn didn't answer. She turned back the way she'd come, but headed for the kitchen which led to the garage.

As she stepped in the kitchen, she nearly stopped in her tracks. There he was, flirting with one of the kitchen staff when she entered the room. The girl was leaning back against the counter and both hands behind her, gripping the edges. He was leaning over her, supporting himself by one hand on the counter behind the girl. His Wet hair hung about his face, framing his oddly mis-matched eyes, one red the other such a dark grey, it was almost black. "Damn, he is good-looking! Too bad he's such a dick…" Even soaking wet, he managed to look dashing and the young woman he'd been chatting up looked very disappointed when Lihn interrupted them. "Excuse me, Mr. Niccals. A word?"

"Rude. There's a word for you." He looked at her in irritation but said to the girl, "Catch ya lata', Sunshine? Gotta take care of 'is." he winked at her and she giggled before scurrying away. He ran a hand through his wet locks as he turned to fiery woman. "So whot's got yer knickers in a twist, butler tell ya at change the sheets again?"

"It's about one of your guests." she said ignoring his jibes.

"Yea? Which one?" he pulled a squashed pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket and put one to his lips.

"The short one, with the beard, Jimmy." she spat.

"Wee Jimmy Manson? He's alright." he was patting his pockets looking for a light.

Lihn pulled his Zippo from her bra, "Looking for this?"

He reached for it, "Yea, tha…" he stopped mid 'thank you' as he remembered where he'd left it and where he'd run into her that morning. His eyes narrowed as his fingers wrapped around the lighter and her hand. He glanced around at the busy kitchen and said, "Come to my office." He slipped the lighter from her fingers and lit his cigarette as he left the kitchen followed by small, Japanese woman.

His office was at the front of the house, opposite the sitting room. It was occupied by rich, leather chairs a matching couch, and a heavy, dark stained desk. He shut the door behind them and crossed the room to lean on the front of the desk. Lihn crossed her arms and waited impatiently as he squashed his cigarette butt in an ash tray and pulled another from the pack. "want one?" he offered.

She seemed to consider for a moment. "Yes. Thank you." she said shortly. He held the lighter while she lit one then lit his own. He exhaled noisily before asking, "So you found us out, eh?"

"What ever you are doing in there you need to stop." she referred to the secret room she'd found earlier that morning. "What ever you let out is probably dangerous and you need to put it back." she began, "And you need to put that Jimmy out of the house and never let him back!"

The middle-aged man took a step forward, "Hold it, Sister. First off, It's my house, I don' take orders." he took another drag, "Second, Don' you concern yourself with what goes on 'in there'." he nodded in the direction of the library. "I told you I'm a Satanist, it ain't no secret. I didn't get 'is band by accident and I ain't gonna lose it that way either. So, you just tend to your own business. And third," he took another drag, and his demeanor changed from intimidating to conversational. "What did Jimmy do?"

Lihn was exasperated but answered him, "I do not know why, but he seems to want Noodle out of your band." she crossed to the desk and smashed her cigarette in the ash tray. "He suggested that I insist on her leaving or 'unfortunate' things might happen to her."

Murdoc snorted, "Little Jimmy Manson?" he asked incredulously. "He must have been kiddin' round."

"He was not!" she insisted. "He was quite serious. And if you do not take care of it, I will."

The bemused man raised his hands in defeat, "All right, calm down, I'll 'ave a chat with him, find out whot's up." he put an arm round her shoulders and steered her toward the door. "Now why don' you go on up to your room and pick out somethin' pretty, we're havin' company this evening. Girls like a lot of time to get ready, right?" he opened the door and patted her bottom as he passed through it, "There's a good girl." and with that, he moved down the hall, leaving an angry Lihn with her jaw hanging open in shock.