Chapter 12

Camera two

Russel was in deep conversation with Ike Turner about the music business. He still couldn't believe he was casually chatting with Ike Turner. He knew the guy had a bad rep, but that shit had happened years ago, and had nothing to do with his knowledge of music. Russel paid attention to everything the man said, soaking up the knowledge.

Del on the other hand was bored. He loved 'spittin' rhyme', but the business side of music was for other people, not him. He really wanted to come out and have some fun, but he knew Russel would be pissed if he interrupted this conversation.

It was kinda shit. Dell could produce a physical form, but the power he had to exert to do it was usually to much for Russel's consciousness to take. If he did it now, Rus'd probably pass out cold, not a convenient situation at most times. So he took advantage of his friend's fondness for naps, but it still sucked. They couldn't hang out together. They were always together but it wasn't the same. No more mock fist fights, no more fist pounds, no more bro-friendly hugs...

This train of thought was depressing.

Del looked around the yard looking for something to distract him. Look wasn't exactly the right word. He could see through his hosts eyes, but he could also use his senses to 'see' what was around them. There were groups of people dotting the yard, some were in the pool, some were around the small bar near the grill where someone was grilling kabobs for the guests. There were a few celebrities, there were a lot of non-celebrities hoping to 'catch a break', and there were quite a few people just looking for a good time. Is that Bruce Willis? Russel's eyes flicked in the direction Del was 'seeing'. It was Bruce Willis.

The radio suddenly came back on in the house, Brown Sugar by The Rolling Stones was spilling out of the open door. A group of younger women that had just gotten out of the pool started dancing in a circle on the patio. Now there was something that could keep ghost occupied. Wet, scantily clad, women bouncing and gyrating. mmhhmm.

He watched them for while but then there was a real distraction. The rapper turned ghost sensed something, it was subtle like a thread being pulled tight, almost to the breaking point, just a tiny twang in the frequency of weird. Then it was gone. He tried to focus on where it had come from. Then a thought occurred to him.

Yo, Rus-man, where's Lihn?

Russel didn't answer because he was listening to something Ike was saying, but he looked around at the groups of people chatting around him. He didn't see her and gave the mental equivalent of a shrug. She's a big girl. he thought. But something was making him uneasy. His eyes darted around seeking what he was missing, but still trying to pay attention to the conversation. Then it hit him.

Bro. he mentally spoke to Del. Where's Murdoc.

He no sooner said it than Noodle shoved her way out of the patio doors, nearly knocking over a blonde woman that didn't move out of her way quickly enough. "How rude!" the woman exclaimed. "Well, I'd be pretty pissed if my father had done that in front all these people." another girl standing there said to her.

Noodle turned and yelled in english, "He is NOT my father!" and stomped her way down the patio and made to pass by Russel and Ike. Her arms were crossed in front of her and it looked like she was crying.

" 'Scuse me, Mr. Turner," he interrupted their conversation. " Noodle." he grabbed her arm gently, "what's a'matter?"

She pulled her arm away and sobbed one word. "Murdoc." before moving on through the yard.

"What'd he do?" he demanded instantly pissed, but she just kept heading for a darker corner of the yard. "Noodle!"

"S'all right, Blood, I'll keep an eye on 'er." the blue haired singer had followed her out of the house and was on her trail.

"But what happened?" he called after them. I swear to God, if he laid a hand on her…

You don' really think he'd hit Noods, do ya?Del asked surprised.

Russel was trying to watch where she went but Ike nudged him and pointed to the large window beside the patio doors that looked into the great room. "Ain't that your girl?" Lihn was seated on a yellow couch looking up into Murdoc's face, smiling and holding his hand. They could see the half empty bottle of brandy on the coffee table beside the two. "Better take care o' that, Man."

"Yea, thanks." the big man's voice was steady as he shook his mentor's hand and walked away, but he could swear he felt steam coming out of his ears. I'll break his fuckin' nose again!

"I'll catch ya again, man." Mr. Turner promised as Russel stalked toward the open doors.

He'd only gotten physical with Murdoc once before. It was when the band was first starting out. Before they'd found Noodle they'd had a different guitarist, Paula Cracker, who at the time, was 2-D's girl friend. But Russel had caught her and Murdoc playing 'hide the pickle' in the bathroom stalls. He'd given Murdoc a broken nose for the it and they kicked Paula out of the band.

Now, he'd done something to Noodle and he was trying to make off with Rus' new girl. The bassist would be lucky if he had any fingers left to play his instrument with when this angry man got done with him.

He walked through the patio doors and down the three steps into the sunken room. The room was full of noise, but he could barely hear the music or the myriad conversations over the blood pounding in his ears. He could see Murdoc and Lihn over the heads of the people in front of him. She was in his arms and laughing. Mother fucker. Del's voice sounded in his head. The big, angry man didn't have to push his way through the crowd, people gladly parted for him. He came round the end of the coffee table just in time to catch Lihn as she stumbled reaching for a glass. "I think maybe you've had enough." he said gruffly.

She turned to face him with a huge smile, "There you are!" she said brightly. As if he'd been the one who'd wandered off! But at the moment he was more concerned with what had happened to his young friend.

"What d'you say to Noodle?" he huffed angrily, pointing at the smaller man. "She come outside clearly upset and all she said was you're name."

"Don' fuckin' worry bout it." Muds answered cockily. He made to walk off but Russel reached around Lihn and grabbed him by the arm, stopping him.

"Watch it, Muds. Nood's ain't 'D, don't you be fuckin' wit her." he said threateningly.

Murdoc jerked his arm away and Russel seemed to blink slowly. When he opened his eyes he was staring into a pair of stern, un-naturally green eyes. She said one word to him. "Go." and his feet seemed to move of their own will carrying him toward the big hallway, Lihn close behind him. He cast Murdoc one last threatening glare before he was out of sight.

Dude! How'd she do that? Del asked incredulous.

Do what? Rus asked almost dis-interested in his angry state as he walked up the hallway toward the front of the house where it was somewhat quieter.

Unaware of the internal conversation, Lihn began speaking, "You may feel it is not my place to say so, but I believe you have jumped to a rather large conclusion. Murdoc did not do anything to Noodle-chan. He was only trying to protect her." she went on but Russel was trying to hear her and Del at the same time.

Stop his punch like 'at. I didn't even see her move. he sounded shocked. The ghost had told Lihn he wouldn't tell Russel what he knew about her, but he never said he wouldn't point out weird shit Rus should've noticed.

What? Russel was lost. Who?

You serious, Bro? You didn't see that?

"And she was upset because she feels that she is treated like a child, but she is still enough of a child that she cannot understand that certain situations may be over her head." the woman went on.

See what? this confusion was only adding to his irritation.

Lihn! If Del had been in physical form, he have thrown his hands up in exasperation. She totally stopped Murdoc's punch mid swing! How'd you fuckin' miss dat?

The big man had enough. He stopped in the middle of the hall and threw his hands up. "What in the Hell are you talkin' about?" he demanded out loud.

Lihn, who had been walking slightly behind him, stopped in shock at his outburst, looking a bit panic-y, "I am talking about you insulting Murdoc with your accusations."

Russel looked at her confused, "What? No! Wait, are you taking his side?"

"Delayne!" she accused, realizing that he hadn't been talking to her, or apparently listening, either.

"What?" he reiterated. But he didn't get an answer. Lihn held her small had up in front his face and small ripple of energy could barely be seen as it pulsed out. The confused man's head lolled forward as the misty substance that was Del coalesced beside him. "You were telling him about me!" she accused before he even finished materializing. "You promised!" she hissed.

"No I din't!" he said indignantly, "And how the fuck did you just do that?" He seemed to be pulling in on himself. "Damn that hurt! Don' feel shit fer years an the first thing I get is pain!"

The small woman's features softened and she looked a bit surprised. "Gomenasai! I did not realize that it would hurt you." her demeanor changed again, "But you were telling him! I thought I would be able to trust you, Del!"

"How was I supposed to know he wouldn't see dat? I could see it, why couldn't he? What'd you do at him?" he accused back.

People were starting to stare from the other end of the hall, where most of the party goers were, and a couple of giggling girls could be heard coming down the stairs. "People are taking notice." Lihn said looking for the closest escape.

"They can't see me, just answer the question." he demanded.

"So they just see me talking to the air? Please explain how this is better?" They were only a few feet from Murdoc's office which had a door they could close. "Take his arm." she told Del as she took hold of one of Russel's limp arms.

"What?" the ghost asked, thrown off by the change of subject.

She nodded her dark haired head toward the people at the other end of the hall who were already starting to whisper to each other. "Take his arm." she repeated. He glanced down the hall and took Russel's arm. To his surprise, the prone form began to walk in the direction of Murdoc's office.

Once inside, they sat him on the comfortable looking leather couch that sat along the wall facing the window. Then Lihn moved back to the door to shut it.

"So what'd you do him?" Del jumped right back on subject.

She sighed, "I did nothing to him. I actually stopped time for a few seconds. Only Murdoc and I were moving." she looked thoughtfully at him, "I don't know why it did not affect you. Although, I admit, I have never met a spirit like you before." she moved back to the couch and took the pack of cigarettes from the unconscious bald man's pocket. She slipped one out of the pack and returned them.

"You stopped time…" it wasn't a question, more like a confirmation, as if he must have mis-heard her.

She nodded lighting the cigarette with a lighter that seemed to have appeared out of no where. She moved to the desk and pulled herself up onto it. Her high heel clad feet swung as she puffed. "I should never have accepted that cigarette from Murdoc, earlier." she said blowing smoke, "It took me hundreds of years to quit. I swear, nicotine is the most addictive substance in the universe." she said as if it were the most normal thing a person could say.

"Hundreds of years." again the monotone repetition. "Who the fuck are you?" the bluish form asked incredulously. "And you know what? Don' gimme dat bullshit from dis morning' bout 'people dyin', cos I'm already dead!"

She puffed her cigarette. The look in her eyes said she was debating with herself.

"You said you wanted to trust me, but how'm I supposed ta trust you?" he asked her.

"I just…" she began, "See, it is hard to…" she tried again. She took a deep a breath. "You will not trust me, even if I do tell you." she said sadly. "No one ever does." She stubbed the half smoked cigarette in the ash try on the desk. "I believe I made a mistake coming here. I should have left as soon as I realized where I was."

"What?" Del wasn't sure if she was talking to him or herself and didn't find out.

Just as he spoke they heard a blood curdling scream and a commotion outside the door. Lihn jumped from her perch and yanked the door open and sped from the room. The ghostly man stood at the door and watched as people rushed from the back of the house toward the foyer. He couldn't see around the crowd of people in front of the stair case but he could surmise from the shouts and conversations that some one had fallen down them. He sighed in irritation and pushed the door shut.

He should have told Russel already. They didn't know anything about this chick except that she was hot. She was obviously lying about who she was, he was pretty sure that she wasn't even human. And she was somehow tied to Noodle, her 'vibe' told him that.

And she said she wasn't dangerous, but like she would really tell him if she was. She could phase through walls, she could stop time, who knew what else she could do? For all he knew she could have made someone fall down the stairs just to get out of the conversation. He forced himself to pause. Maybe he was jumping to conclusions, she hadn't done anything to make him think she was malicious. But she wasn't telling the truth.

He glanced at Rus, his friend really liked the girl. He was going to be so disappointed when he found out she hadn't been truthful with him. And he was going to be even madder if he found out that Del knew and didn't tell him. He wanted to give Lihn the chance to tell him herself, he actually found himself liking her despite the mis-trust, but it didn't seem she was going to be telling anyone her truths yet, if ever. And he certainly wasn't going to lie for her.

No. He'd decided. As soon as Russel regained consciousness he was going to want to know what happened and Del was going to tell him.