ghost-town

How'd you get to be so good at this?""I had a good teacher.""Better not have been Myrnin or I'll have to kick his predatory ass.""I mean you, dummy.""Oh.

Yeah, I get it; you're a vampire," she said. "Creepy. And okay, a little hot, I admit." "You don't mean that." "Come on. I still like you, you know, even if you... crave plasma." Michael blinked and looked at her as if he had never seen her before."You what?""Like. You." Eve enunciated slowly, as if Michael might not know the words. "Idiot. I always have. What, you didn't know?" Eve sounded cool and grown-up about it, but Claire saw the hectic color in her cheeks, under the makeup. "How clueless are you? Does it come with the fangs?" "I guess I... I just thought... Hell. I just didn't think... You're kind of intimidating, you know." "I'm intimidating? Me? I run like a rabbit from trouble, mostly," Eve said."It's all show and makeup. You're the one who's intimidating. I mean, come on. All that talent, and you look... Well, you know how you look." " How do I look?" He sounded fascinated now, and he'd actually moved a little closer to Eve on the couch. She laughed. "Oh come on. You're a total model-babe." "You're kidding.""You don't think you are?"He shook his head. "Then you're kind of an idiot, Glass. Smart, but and idiot." Eve crossed her arms.__o? What exactly do you think about me, except that I__ intimidating?___ think you__e_you__e_ah, interesting?_ Michael was amazingly bad at this, Claire thought, but then he saved it by looking away and continuing. __ think you__e beautiful. And really, really strange.__ve smiled and looked down, and that looked like a real blush, under the rice powder. __hanks for that, _ she said, __ never thought you knew I existed, or if you did, that you thought I was anything but Shane__ bratty freak friend.___ell, to be fair, you are Shane__ bratty freak friend.___ey!___ou can be bratty and beautiful,_ Michael said. __ think it__ interesting.

Shane, in case we don__ _ don__ come out of this, I wanted to say__e glanced over at her, and she felt her whole body warm from it. She remembered that look. It made her feel naked inside and out, but not in a creepy kind of way. In a way that felt_. Free. __f what you say is true, and I guess it has to be, I think I know why we__e _ together,_ he said. __ think I__ fall for you no matter what, Claire. You__e kind of awesome.

He started to touch the mechanism under the keyboard, then pulled his hand back with a snap."Ah," he said. "Must deactivate the security....Turn around, please.""What?""Turn around, Claire. It's a secure password!""You have GOT to be kidding.""Why ever would I joke about that? Please turn.

Bite me, Goth princess,_ Shane called from the back. __ot literally or anything.___aybe you should say that to Michael.___ot funny, Eve,_ Michael said.Eve raised her eyebrows and held her fingers up, measuring off about an inch. __ittle bit,_ she said.

Promise me, Amelie, that you__l crucify me with silver before you allow me to fall in love.___ hardly think there__ any chance of that,_ Amelie said. "I doubt you have the capacity.

Oliver laughed - actually laughed."I like this new Claire," he said. "You should work her this hard all the time, Myrnin. She's interesting when she's forthright."Claire, possessed by the spirit of Eve, shot him the finger. Which made him laugh again, shake his head, and walk up the steps.

Myrnin turned away to pick up his Ben Franklin spectacles, balanced them on his nose, and looked over them to say, "Don't do drugs. I feel I ought to say that.

Here," Myrnin said, his voice still gentle and low. "Amelie said you had to work. No one said you had to work alone." He picked up the next part and slotted it in, took the screwdriver from Claire's numbed fingers, and fastened it with a couple of deft, fast movements. "I'll be your hands."She wanted to cry, because it was so sweet, but it wouldn't do any good.

You okay?""Fine.""Your heart's beating really fast.""Gee, thanks. That's very comforting that you can hear it."He smiled, and it was the old Michael, the one she'd first met before all the vamp stuff."Yeah, I know it is. Sorry. Just stay behind me if there's trouble.""You sound like Shane.""Well, he did say he'd kill me if I got you hurt. I'm just looking after my own neck.""Liar.

She can go with us to the lab and keep Myrnin pinned down while we pull the plug, if he's not... you know, better.""Define BETTER with that guy.""Not all fangs and raaaaar.

Myrnin, who hadn't said much, suddenly reached out and wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened, shocked, and for a panicked second wondered whether he'd suddenly decided to snack on her neck... but it was just a hug. His body felt cold against hers, and way too close, but then he let go and stepped back. "You've done very well. I'm extremely proud of you," he said. There was a touch of color high in his pale cheeks. "Do go home now. And shower. You reek like the dead."Which, coming from a vampire, was pretty rich.

You humans, always eating. I'll make you soup. You can eat it while you keep working." Myrnin set aside his book and walked into the back of the lab."Don't use the same beaker you used for poisons!" Claire yelled after him. He waved a pale hand. "I mean it!

He's not doing anything he shouldn't be doing, right?" "Like what?""Like hitting on you.""Ew. No, of course not. He doesn't see me that way." Michael shook his head and went back to his coffee."What? You think he does?""Sometimes he looks at you a little... oddly, that's all. Maybe you're right. Maybe he just wants you for your blood.""Again, Ew! What's with you this morning?""Not enough coffee.

Amelie said, __ won__ be your servant in Morganville. Nor should you be mine. Equals._ She offered her hand to him, and he looked down at it, clearly taken aback. But he took it. __ow defend what is ours, my partner.__e grinned _ grinned! _ and whirled to meet Myrnin in midleap as Myrnin attacked.

I never meant it," he was saying. "Never meant it to happen. Can't stand it,seeing her suffer. Must do something, do something... What do I do? What can I do...?

Well, friend, I don__ know about your tastes, but I tend to like it very bloody,_ Myrnin said. He shifted position, dragging Claire along like a rag doll without any effort at all. __ave we been introduced?___robably not. Why, are you asking me out, sweetheart?___ou__e not my type, darling. Is this one yours?___o,_ Frank said, and looked at Shane, just in a quick flicker. __et__ say she__ a friend of the family.

Claire said. __ might be able to get him to stop._ __ho, crazy dude? Maybe. Or he might pull your head off,_ Shane said. __ kind of worry.__he couldn__ help but smile. __eah?___ little bit.___hat__ _nice.__e studied her, and returned the smile. __eah,_ he said. __ind of is, actually.