Arriving at Ravenstead manor in near record time, Vivienne and her companions entered the giant home through the helicopter pad entrance.  Parting company from Casey and Sylvie, Vivienne carried Faye once more into their bedroom and quietly closed the door so it wouldn’t alert the rest of the manor to her re-arrival.  Setting Faye carefully on the bed, Vivienne stripped out of the clothing that made her look like ‘Marion’. 

Seeing her partner’s bare pale and creamy skin, Faye slipped off the bed and walked over to Vivienne, and ran her hands over the ancient vampire's shoulders to the tops of her breasts. “I see why that woman was enamored with you, love.”  Faye snorted and walked her fingers up to Vivienne’s cheeks. “I don’t think I will be able to use ‘my dear’ for quite some time.”  She perked an eyebrow, “Forgive me?”

Waves of relief mixed with excitement pulsed through Vivienne’s form as she felt the light touch that Faye possessed.  Nuzzling into the twin hands that cupped her face, Vivienne sighed and nodded. “I can certainly live without using the term.”  She purred lightly. “Just never stop doing things like this, mon amour.”

Faye pulled Vivienne into a quick but passionate kiss before taking a step back and looking around their huge room. “I am still not a fan of you exposing yourself to the world.”  Faye winked, “Just me.”  Turning so that the back of her dress faced Vivienne, Faye wiggled her hips. “Unzip me?”

“My pleasure.”  Vivienne reached for the tiny zipper and pulled it straight down without any hesitation. “I will mirror the sentiment, Faye.  I am not going to deal with you being exposed to the world either.”  Vivienne took a couple steps forward and ran her fingers over the huge round scar that indicated where the spear had gone through Faye’s chest. “Mon amour, you can use blood to remove this scar if you wish.”

Faye stepped out of her dress and pulled her undergarments free, tossing them to the floor.  Turning around to press herself into Vivienne, Faye peered lovingly into her partner’s warm blue eyes. “What about that long silky black hair of yours?  Can’t you do the same?”  Faye reached under Vivienne’s arms and pulled them tightly. “Will you love me any less with a wicked scar?”  Pressing lips against Vivienne’s long neck, Faye planted a small kiss before pulling back with her nose scrunched. “You smell..”  She paused and untangled herself. “...all chemically.”

“You read my mind again, Faye.”  Vivienne clasped Faye’s hand and pulled her to the right side of the room and opened the nearly hidden door to the bathroom.  Unlike the beach house and its separate shower and tub, this decadent room was designed almost futuristic.  The floors matched the rest of the house with the blue pearl granite, the sinks with a matching smooth rippled marble with faucets that activated without knobs.  Vivienne pointed to the glass walls and door of the steam-shower, its blue hued electronic panel glowing brightly. “It is a steam room, shower and a tub all built in with a touch screen to set the water and how you want it to caress you.”

“Does that hold three people?”  Faye stood and looked at the large glass box in awe. “Nevermind, let’s get in and you tell me all about what happened while we were captured.”  Faye pulled the door and stepped into the tub, pulling Vivienne with her.  Undeterred by the little blue computer panel, Faye ran through the menus and picked the settings for the shower and then turned her attention to Vivienne as the steamy hot water began to stream on the couple. 

Stepping back into the hot stream, Vivienne drenched her mangled hair and slicked it back just before she applied her shampoo to it. “What would you like to know, exactly?”  Massaging her scalp, Vivienne concentrated and funneled a touch of her blood so that her hair would regrow as they showered.

“Marion.  Explain the whole Marion thing.”  Faye stepped closer and kissed Vivienne with a sparkle in her green cat eyes.

Knowing what Faye wanted, Vivienne palmed more shampoo and carefully began washing Faye’s hair. “I love this bond.  I can still feel you like I did before I freed you.  It is comforting.  I can feel our bond.”

Faye murmured to herself and slowly turned around and pressed her back into Vivienne. “I know.  It has to be the soil.”  Faye lay her head back on Vivienne’s shoulder for a second, relaxing in her lover’s arms. “Don’t lose focus.  Tell me about the whole Marion thing.”

“Short story is that I did pose nude for that class.  When Denise showed me that in her little TV show, I knew that was true.”  Vivienne unhooked one of the shower wands and rinsed the rose colored bubbles from Faye’s hair. “Me going back for a week was true.  I did it on a whim.  I saw an ad asking for models for an art school.”  Satisfied that Faye’s hair was squeaky clean, Vivienne hung the wand back in place and cleared her own hair of shampoo. “The rest was frankly a delusion.  I never went to her house, I have not used any form of the name Marion, Marie, Mary in quite a long time.”

Faye reached for a washcloth and the rain scented liquid shower soap, and began washing Vivienne starting with her lover’s slender hands. “I caught parts of the television.  I wanted to stay still and not let her know I was faking.  So I heard it all.”  Faye crested Vivienne’s shoulder and stopped at the curve of her neck. “So, you didn’t spend any time with her at all?”  Faye asked with a touch of uncertainty.

“Mon amour…”  Vivienne took Faye’s sudsy hand into her own, “No.  I told you before, this…” She tapped on Faye’s chest, “..is the first time I have been in love.”  Vivienne’s blue eyes began tearing up with a hint of red. “While it's only been a few days, Nothing I have experienced has matched how I feel with you.”  Vivienne sighed and pressed a light kiss on her girlfriend. “I am yours.”  Vivienne slowly choked out while the red tear slid down her face.

Faye wiped the single tear from Vivienne’s ivory cheeks. “I..I know.  Somehow I know.”  She clutched Vivienne’s hand that was pressed to her chest. “I love you, Vivienne.”

“First sigh…sight.”  Vivienne choked lightly on the words. “I love you, Faye.” Vivienne’s blue eyes glimmered with delight, “The faster we finish in the shower…”  Vivienne sighed and placed Faye’s soapy hand on her breast, “The faster we can enjoy each other.”  

Feeling the rush of the moment pulsing in her veins, Faye stumbled and fell into Vivienne’s arms. “You still make me wobble.”  Faye chuckled and found strength in her legs, “Distract me, while I get this horrible smell off you.”

Vivienne helped Faye regain her balance and opened herself up to being washed. “I promised not to be obtuse and ignore your wishes.”  Vivienne winked, “With that spirit in mind, I will continue.”

“Please do.” Faye laughed and sensually rubbed the soap laden cloth over Vivienne’s body.

Purring softly as her lover kept washing every square inch of her body, Vivienne resumed what she’d learned. “You know most of it.  She masterminded everything to bring ‘Marion’ back as well as keep her energy levels up so she could extend her life.”  Vivienne shrugged, “Killing vampires?  She did that because she could see the past and knew what I used to do.”

“So she was doing your job to bring you home faster.”  Faye mentioned flatly.

Vivienne nodded and turned around so Faye could wash her back. “She gained followers, killed them for power.  She used our brethren as the catalyst to bring her a flock.”  Vivienne sighed, “They loved her for it.”

“I sense there is more to this.”  Faye shivered unexpectedly. 

Looking over her shoulder, Vivienne nodded slowly. “Sebastian.”  Vivienne paused. “Brother by the same creator.  I think he was the one that made the quartz on the jeweled band you destroyed.”  Vivienne turned back and rubbed her face with her hands, “You would know the moniker that he took on.”

Faye blinked her green eyes in disbelief, “You can’t be serious.”  Faye felt an icy chill go down the length of her spine.

Nodding slowly and turning to face her lover, Vivienne slowly completed her thought. “Yes.  The world’s most known vampire.  Count Dracula.”  Breathing deeply, Vivienne continued. “He isn’t really the Count that the books proclaim, nor is he Vlad the Impaler.”  Vivienne pulled Faye back into her arms and smiled. “We can deal with him later.  I thought I killed him, apparently I didn’t complete the job..”  Vivienne brushed a pink strand of hair from Faye’s eyes. “...I will have to remedy that at some point.  He didn’t like me before I nearly killed him.”

“How..how..” Faye asked quietly, “You don’t lose, right?”

Reassuring her partner, Vivienne took the washcloth and filled it once more with soap. “Typically, no.  He’s been a little thorn in my side for a few hundred years now.  Very talented with crystals and their inherent abilities.”  Washing her lover’s neck gently, Vivienne leaned close to Faye’s ear. “Let’s not worry about him now.  We have lots of time to figure out his plan.”  She paused and blew steamy air across Faye’s ear. “I think we need to see if we can stay here in Ravenstead Manor.”  Vivienne pulled back far enough to slide the cotton cloth around Faye’s butt. “We could easily travel to France.”

“That sounds like a great idea, no matter what is going on out there.”  Faye cooed softly. “You promised to teach me French, right?”

Smiling widely, Vivienne nodded and swished her regrown long hair. “Indeed, Mon amour.”