“Jesus, Sav, would you shut that damn thing off?” Phil said in frustration. “The rest of wanna watch something on the telly this break, okay?”

Sav sighed and headed for the CD player, punching the off button and sitting down in a chair to sulk. He’d just gotten Alexandra Ross’s new CD and the band was already complaining about how much he was playing it. Finally, Vivian said, “You know, if you’ve got it that bad for her, why don’t you just get Mal to try and arrange a meet with her?”

“Probably turn out to be another diva, if you ask me,” Rick said quietly.

“Bugger off, Rick,” Sav said crossly.

“Boy’s got it bad, that’s all I can say,” Joe chuckled. “Then again, she’s one hell of a looker!”

“Sod off, Joe,” Sac answered. “Just turn on the telly and shut up, please!”

The band was writing at Phil’s house in California before heading over to Joe’s studio in Ireland to start recording. That’s how Sav had even discovered the beautiful singer. He just couldn’t get her off his mind now. He really had considered having Malvin at least contact her, but decided against it because she was apparently pretty big in the States and probably would just laugh Malvin off. So instead, he sat and watched in silence as his band mates flipped through stations on the television.

Vivian landed on VH1 just as a commercial for that night’s show was coming on. Sav and Joe both sat up as they announced that the evenings show would be Alexandra Ross, live from Cleveland. Phil just chuckled and said, “Might as well wrap it up for the night, lads. We’ve lost our bass player.”

But Joe couldn’t take his eyes from the screen either. One look at him and Rick said, “You can forget the lead vocalist as well, gentlemen. Just look at him, he’s practically drooling!”

“Sod off, Rick,” Joe said quickly.

“Boy, they’re just the souls of friendly conversation tonight, aren’t they,” Vivian laughed as he, Rick and Phil headed out.

The VJ came on, telling exactly what was happening that evening. Alexandra was doing a show in her hometown area of Cleveland, at the Blossom Music Center. Neither man spoke as they panned over the crowd. Then they cut to the backstage area and caught Alexandra ready to get out onstage. She wore a pair of denim cutoff that showed off long legs and baby doll Hysteria t-shirt that practically popped two sets of eyes out of their sockets.

“Ready for this, Alexandra?” the VJ asked.

“Always! I love getting out there and performing!” she said in her sensual husky voice.

“I’ve heard that you’re trying out a new song tonight, is that true?”

“Well,” she said with a low laugh, “it’s new to us, but it’s several years old. I just wanted to do a cover of one of my favorite band’s songs.”

“Oh, who’s that?”

“Def Leppard,” she answered quietly. Sav and Joe stared at the screen open-mouthed. “The song was written by my three favorite song writers, so I hope I can do it justice.”

“You’re doing it for the cameras, right?”

“Yeah, it’s gonna be the last song for you guys!” she said with a brilliant smile.

“Okay, well, we’ll see you out on stage!” the VJ said with a smile. She continued to talk on camera as Alexandra headed for the stage. But Joe and Sav weren’t listening to her anymore.

“Well, which song do you think she’s gonna do, mate?” Joe asked quietly.

“Probably something off Hysteria,” Sav answered. “I doubt she’d do anything that wasn’t well known.”

“Guess we’ll see, huh?” Joe said as the camera went to her walking out onstage. The crowd went crazy as she tore into her first song. And Joe was stunned by her voice. She was a total powerhouse! The second song was a ballad that was number one on the charts at the moment and she went into it without a break. Then she stopped after it and said, “We’re gonna try something a little different tonight. This next song is by three of my favorite song writers, so here goes.”

“Yeah, favorite, that’s a good word for it, Alex,” one of her guitarist said into his mic. She shot him a look, but he said, “If you weren’t a singer yourself, you’d be one of their groupies!”

Still in shock, Joe and Sav turned to each other and started laughing. “Her? One of our groupies??” Sav chuckled. “I wish!”

“So, who’s her favorite songwriters among us, do you think?” Joe asked as the guitarist made a rather off color remark involving hotel rooms and rock bands. The other guys walked back into the room just in time to hear her reply.

“I’ll say this much,” Alexandra said, “Show me a hotel room with Rick Savage or Joe Elliott in it and I’m there!” The guitarists just laughed as two British jaws hit the floor. Then they heard a familiar throbbing drum beat.

“Holy shit!” Rick laughed. “She’d do either of you!”

“Shut up and listen to the damn song!” Joe said crossly. He knew that drum beat and the guitar riff coming in on top of it. He’d helped to write it! Then she walked to center stage and took the mic in both hands, closing her eyes. Then her low voice came over the speakers, “I'm caught in a dream -Sometimes it ain't what it seems -I'm all in a daze-Can't find my way out of this maze -I'm looking for clues -And wanting a change in the rules -I'm locked in a cage -Acting out on the wrong stage.”

“Ohmigawd! She’d doing Fractured Love! I don’t believe it!” Phil said in astonishment. Her voice was still soft and low as she looked dead into the camera and went on, “Don't want your sympathy -Don't need the third degree -Just got to break away and scream -I'm caught in a dream.” The music kept building behind her voice as she went into the next part. “I'm stood at the edge and I'm looking down -Caught in the danger zone -I feel like a king that has lost his crown -And now I stand here alone.” Sav was spellbound, listening to words and music he’d help do coming from her and her band. “Don't want your sympathy -Don't need the third degree -Just got to break away and scream -I'm caught in a dream.”

As soon as the chorus hit, she tore the mic from its stand and headed to the edge of the stage, screaming, “Fractured love, Fractured love -Iron fist in a velvet glove -Fractured Love, fractured love -Cracks in the mirror of this fractured love -I don't care if you pull down the sky -Angry passion is a friend of mine -Reach out for the sky above -It's just a fractured love!” Then she went down on hers knees as she sang, “I’m caught in a dream! Why don’t you sent me free?” Her head went down, nearly touching the stage during the guitar solo, only to come up slowing as she went back into the song softly, “Don't want your sympathy -Don't need the third degree -Just got to break,” her head threw back as she belted out, “BREAK, BREAK AWAY AND SCREAM!”

As the song close, three pairs of eyes went back and forth between Joe and Sav. No one knew quite what to say to either of them. Then, almost in unison, the two of them both got up and headed for the phone. Sav raced over and grabbed it before Joe could and started dialing Malvin’s number. But Joe hung the phone up and looked at Sav for a moment. Then he said, “If you’re gonna arrange a meeting with her, let’s do it this way. She meets the whole band. Then, if anything comes of it, she’s made her pick, okay?”

Sav sighed and raised an eyebrow at Joe, then said, “All right, that’s only fair.” So he redialed Malvin’s number. As it turned out, Malvin knew her tour manager, and said he could arrange a meeting very easily. He called back less then an hour later, with the news that she was going to be in California in a week. The guys could come backstage after the gig if they wanted to. So they had Malvin get them tickets to the show and then all they could do was wait.

The night of the show, Alexandra blew all five of them away. She even covered two of their songs, Fractured Love and Goodbye, which really threw Sav. Her voice was absolutely amazing! After the gig, it took them about forty five minutes to make it back stage and another fifteen to convince the roadie to go get her tour manager.

“Hello, gentlemen!” he said quickly. “Enjoy the show?”

“Hell, yes!” was the general consensus. He led them down the corridor and said, “Oh, Alex doesn’t know you’re coming, so she’s in for a pretty big surprise!” Then he opened the door. The first thing they saw was the television and Joe groaned inwardly. The Def Leppard Storytellers was playing and Demolition Man was on. Before the tour manager could say anything, Sav silenced him and they stood in the door way and watched Alexandra as she sat on the couch. Her back was to them as she bounced around in time to the music. She turned to the girl sitting on the couch and said, “Oh my God, this next part is sooo fucking funny!”

“Is this where he forgets the lyrics?” the girl asked.

“Yep and it’s so damn cool that he let them keep it in! Shows he’s got a hell of a sense of humor about it!” Alexandra said with a laugh. Phil elbowed Joe, who put a finger to his lips to keep him silent. Then Alexandra said, “I don’t know if I could be so cool about it!”

As Joe said onscreen, “I used to know the words, but now I’m just so old and decrepit...”, Alexandra muttered, “Give me an hour alone with him and I’ll leave him feeling old and decrepit!” The girl beside her giggled as Joe got elbowed again. Sav’s spirit fell a bit. She seemed awfully interested in Joe, maybe he should just leave, he thought. Then he heard himself talking to Joe about the song “Goodbye”, trying to come up with the right word for something. As they tried out co-former and co-dependant, she yelled, “God damn, guys, the word is co-founder!“ Then she fell into a fit of giggles. But as Sav started laughing on the television, Alexandra groaned, “Oh my God, Sav’s laugh just does me in every time! I love it!”

Now it was Sav’s turn to get the elbow to the ribs. He hushed Vivian down as they saw her reach for the remote to shut the VCR off. As soon as the tape stopped, Alexandra froze as she looked at the screen. “Talk about timing!”

VH1’s One Hundred Greatest Hard Rock Artist was playing and they were just running the Def Leppard segment. Sav came on screen, grinding his hips into his guitar from the Pour Some Sugar On Me video and Alexandra squealed, “Damn, I’d love to be that guitar!” She collapsed onto the couch and said, “Hey, Terri, can you get me a bottle of water?”

“Sure,” Terri said, jumping up off the couch. She saw the band standing in the doorway out of the corner of her eye and her head snapped around just as Alexandra moaned, “Oh, my God, Joe Elliott has got one of the finest asses on the planet!”

“Um, Alex?” Terri said quietly.

“Yeah?” Alex said, looking up at her. Then hands covered her eyes and she said, “Oh, what the hell? Tim? Is that you?”

“Not hardly, luv,” a masculine British voice said softly. As he released her eyes, she turned around and found herself staring into Joe Elliott’s green eyes. He smiled down at her and said, “Thanks for the compliments!”

Alexandra looked over his shoulder and saw Sav, Phil, Vivian and Rick staring down at her with laughing eyes. She grabbed a cushion from the couch and put it over her beet red face, not believing they were standing right behind her. She felt the couch go down on either side of her, but was afraid to look. The corner of her pillow pulled back and she looked up into Sav’s baby blue eyes. He smiled down at her and she closed her eyes, remembering the guitar comment of just a moment before. Then the other side came down and she turned her head, looking right into Joe’s eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to forget what she’d said about Joe’s backside. It wasn’t working.

“Alex, I’d like you to meet...” her tour manager started to say. But she cut him off, saying into the pillow, “Tim, I happen to know exactly who they are! Why the hell do you think I’m in hiding now!”

“Ah, but we can’t see that beautiful face if it stays buried in that pillow,” Sav said softly. Pulling the pillow away, Alexandra still kept her eyes tightly shut. Her hands flew to her damp dark curls hanging limply around her shoulders as her eyes ran over her sweats and t-shirt. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe I look this bad. Please, Tim, tell me you didn’t know they were coming here.”

Still standing in the doorway, Tim looked around guiltily and said nothing. “TIM? Did you?” she said accusingly.

“Um, yeah, why?” he asked.

“Oh, you are sooooo fired!” she hissed.

“Ah, cut him a break, luv!” Joe said with a laugh. “If he’d have told you, we wouldn’t know what you thought of us!”

“Exactly!” she growled. She turned angry eyes at Tim, who only laughed. “She fires me every other night, guys. Don’t worry, I’ll have a job come morning.”

“Good,” Sav said softly. “Now, are you gonna go out to dinner with us or make us eat alone?”

“You’d hardly be alone! There’s five of you!” Alex said, trying to put a ton of nasty thoughts out of her head. How many times had she thought of being right between these two men, and now she really was! But there was no way she was pursuing those fantasies.

“Oh, please?” Joe said quietly. “I’m stuck with these blokes all the time!”

“And we’re stuck with his mouth,” Sav said softly. Joe’s eyes glittered at the slam, but he said nothing. He just looked down at her and said, “Please?”

“Give me a few minutes to change and I’d love to,” she answered finally. She jumped up of the couch and grabbed a change of clothes, then headed for the bathroom. Joe looked over at Sav and said, “That was uncalled for, man.”

“Sorry, mate! Just kinda popped out without thinking about it,” Sav said apologetically.

“Can we stop this before it gets out of hand?” Joe asked quietly. “Hell, we’ve known each other twenty some odd years and a woman’s never done this to us before.”

“’Cept Chelsea,” Sav answered slowly.

“Yeah, I’m still sorry about that one, mate,” Joe answered. “But that was fifteen years ago!”

“You walked right in and took her away, didn’t you?” Sav said accusingly.

“Damn, man, how many times do I have to say sorry for that?” Joe said, anger starting to come into his voice.

“You know, I’m not sure!” Sav said as he got up. He walked over to the rest of the group as Phil rolled his eyes. Then Phil said quietly, “Please, tell me we’re not gonna go over the whole Chelsea thing again. I’ve heard enough about it!”

“You’re right, Phil,” Sav answered. “Sorry Joe, I shouldn‘t have even mentioned it.”

Joe looked at him sadly, wondering if his friend was ever going to forgive him for that one transgression. But all he said was, “Don’t worry about it, mate. I understand.”

Alexandra came out and heard five low whistles when they saw her clothes. She’d changed into a black leather crop top and mini skirt outfit that had Sav and Joe’s jaws hanging wide open. She smiled over at them as she headed for her makeup. Sav felt that smile like a stroke over his groin. Running a brush through her hair, she grabbed out her eyeliner and ran it quickly around her eyes. Then she turned back to them and said, “Okay, ready when you are!”

When she walked over to them, Sav took her hand and kissed it lightly, murmuring, “And I thought you were beautiful before!” Then he looked right into her eyes and left her speechless for a moment. Finally, she managed to get out, “Thank you, Mr. Savage.”

“Please, call me Sav or Rick,” he said as he gazed into her soft brown eyes.

“And call me Alex,” she said in a voice barely above a whisper. They stood there for what felt like forever as Sav held her hand. Joe finally cleared his throat and said, “Um, are we ready to go yet?”

“Yeah,” Alex whispered as she finally pulled her eyes away from Sav. “Where to?”

“I know this place that’s great for dinner, great vegetarian and pretty good regular food,” Vivian suggested.

“Then we’re there,” Alex said with a smile. “Do you guys have a car or should we take the limo?”

“Hmm, limo sounds good,” Joe said with a laugh. They walked out the door and piled into the limousine. Rick, Phil and Vivian took one seat, while Alexandra found herself once again between Sav and Joe. Rather than try to look at either of them, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Then Phil said, “I was rather surprised you decided to do Fractured Love? What made you pick that one?”

“Well,” she said, turning to face Phil, “Actually, I just love the song! And when I found out these two,” she put a hand on each of their legs, sending electric shocks through both of them. “Wrote it with Steve, I knew I had to do it!” She looked up into Joe’s eyes and was captivated for a moment. They were the loveliest shade of green. Then she turned to Sav with a smile. Her breath caught as he looked down at her and smiled. And inside a warning bell sounded. This could be a VERY dangerous situation and she wasn’t about to get between these two. They’d been together too long and a woman could easily pull their friendship apart. She wasn’t going to be that woman. So she closed her eyes against those probing blue orbs and put her head back again, taking a deep breath.

When they got to the restaurant, they were seated quickly. Alexandra sat between Joe and Sav again. Everyone was quiet as they decided what to order. When the waiter returned, Alexandra looked at the vegans among them and said, “Sorry, guys, I’m an unabashed meat eater!” Turning to the waiter, she said, “I’ll have the strip steak and a house salad. Medium rare on the steak.”

“Oh, Jesus, she’s gonna eat the bloody thing raw,” Rick groaned.

“Sorry, babe, but that’s the way I grew up!” she said apologetically. “My dad? You could wave a match under a cow and he was ready to eat it!”

“UGH,” Phil said in disgust.

Then Joe looked down and said, “How the hell do you eat that stuff and still stay as small as you are?”

“I don’t have any problems while I’m on tour,” she answered. “But come off the road and I’m on an immediate diet, cuz I pack on the pounds quick! The tabloids have a field day with it too!”

“God, do I know that feeling,” Joe said with a smile. Sav nodded as well, remembering having the same problem himself. “So,” Alexandra said quickly, “What are you guys doing in LA?”

“We’re writing up at Phil’s house,” Vivian answered.

“Oh, really!” Alexandra said excitedly. “How’s the new album coming, anyway?”

“Really good, actually,” Phil said. “We’ve got ten tracks already done and the last four are looking good.”

“Awesome!” Alexandra said enthusiastically.

“Hey, Alex, you can tell me to piss off if you don’t want to talk about it, but didn’t you used to date Dave Mustaine a long time ago?” Vivian asked quietly. Four heads snapped in her direction at that. They all knew Dave Mustaine, at least by reputation.

“Um, yeah, for about a year,” she sighed. “Ended up in rehab with a hell of a coke problem after it as well. And no, I didn‘t see all the little demons everyone always talks about with him. He kept that out of the house.”

“Is it true he nearly killed a guy once?” Phil asked.

“Yeah, if I hadn’t been stoned as hell, I would have too,” she said softly.

“What happened, if I can ask?” Sav said quietly.

“Ah, fuck,” she whispered. “It went down like this. One of the roadies had it bad for me. I got really wasted and he and Dave took me up to our room. Only the bastard ‘forgot’ to lock our door and came back in later. I was halfway to passed out when he came back. Dave found him, um, well, on top of me and started kicking his ass. And there weren’t any charges filed on him, cuz Dave didn’t want what had happened to come out. So he got it handled and we both went into rehab. Only I stayed clean and Dave didn’t, so I ended it.” Five pairs of shocked eyes stared at her after her blunt confession. “But he was always as good to me as a junkie could be.”

“Damn, babe, I’m sorry to hear you went through something like that,” Joe said softly.

“Me? I’m fine now. I don’t even remember much about it,” she said with a smile. She looked around and realized everyone had finally finished their meals. So she said, “Listen, enough depressing shit, okay? You guys up to do anything else or are you ready for bed?”

Joe and Sav both cleared their throats at that. Each of them was definitely ready for bed, only not alone. Phil spoke up, “I think we’re up for just about anything, luv! How’s about hitting a club?”

“Sounds good to me!” she answered with a smile. So she grabbed up the tab before any of the guys could and paid the bill. Joe and Sav shot each other frustrated looks, but she led them out to the limo and they couldn’t say a word. Phil gave directions to his favorite club to the driver and they were off.

They took a seat at the back of the club and Alexandra took a seat against the wall so that she wouldn’t be recognized. Unfortunately, she’d forgotten who she was with and soon the table was surrounded by autograph seekers and well-wishers. It took nearly forty-five minutes before the crowd settled down and left them alone. Alexandra settled back on the wall and found Sav’s arm draped over her chair. She looked up at him and smiled, saying, “Shit, I haven’t been out in a long time! I’d forgot what it was like!”

“How long have you been doing this?” Sav asked quietly.

“Um, well, the first album that really took off was three years ago,” she answered. “Why, does it get easier after twenty?”

“Never has for me!” he said with a smile.

She started to wiggle along with the throbbing music of the DJ. She looked around and said, “I’m gonna hit the dance floor, I think.” She glanced up at Joe, then at Sav. Somehow, she just knew asking either of them to dance at that point was a mistake. So she turned to Rick and said, “Wanna go out with me?”

The men on either side of her stared at her in dismay as Rick said, “Sure, why not?” Scooting Joe’s chair in under him, she moved around and grabbed Rick’s arm, heading for the floor. Sav leaned back against the wall, watching her with narrowed eyes. Why on Earth did she chose Rick? Then he smiled as he thought about it. He had to seem safer to her than him or Joe. Rick was in a relationship, as were Phil and Vivian. He and Joe were single. He looked at Joe, who looked completely down as he stared at her. Sav just shook his head and turned to watch her with Rick.

Rick had his arm wrapped around Alexandra’s waist, holding her close as she moved to the music. Her hips ground slowly with the beat as she slipped her arms around his neck. Joe saw her smile up at him and knew a quick stab of jealousy. He wanted to be the one out there with her and he felt guilty about it. Sav wanted her, Joe knew that, but he couldn’t help it. He did too.

Sav’s emotions were churning. This woman was beautiful, intelligent, strong and straightforward. He was endlessly fascinated by her. And watching her with Rick was torture. She moved slowly, seductively, even though her face only showed the pleasure of dancing. Closing his eyes, Sav dreamed he was the one holding her. Then he heard the scrape as Joe pushed his chair back when the music changed. Sav’s eyes snapped open and he watched as Joe strode over to the dance floor. He tapped Rick on the shoulder and said, “Can I cut in?”

Rick looked down at Alexandra and said, “Do you mind?”

“No, that’s okay,” she said with a smile. “It’s been nice dancing with you, Rick.”

“The pleasure was all mine,” he said with a grin. He walked back to the table as Joe stepped in front of Alexandra. She looked all the way up his body and found her way to his eyes. She froze as he said, “Dance with me, luv?”

“Um, yeah, sure, why not?” she gulped. She started to move in time with the music, turning her back to him as she spun around. She could feel the heat of his body as he moved closer to her, putting his hands on her waist. Taking a deep breath, she turned and ended up face to face with him. His hands slid lower to her hips, pulling her into his body carefully. Her eyes locked with his and she couldn’t look away. Without thinking, she put her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer. They barely moved as they stared at each other. Joe’s head descended, trying to take a kiss he wanted desperately.

Sav closed his eyes, not wanting to see this anymore as their lips met. Jealousy tore threw him. He wanted to go over and pull her out of Joe’s arms. Then he heard Phil murmur, “Damn, that was short!”

Eyes flying open, Sav looked over and saw Alexandra pulling away from Joe and shaking her head. The stunned look on her face was a mix of frustration and lust. Joe looked completely baffled as she turned and headed back to the table. Slamming herself down in her chair, she looked almost ready to cry. Joe put a hand on her shoulder and said, “I’m sorry, luv. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“God, don’t apologize!” she said roughly. “It was wonderful!”

“Then what’s wrong?” he asked, totally puzzled by her behavior.

“Oh, never mind. It’s not worth talking about,” she mumbled. Confused, Joe sat down next to her, but kept his distance. Sav’s arm was draped over her chair still and for a moment she leaned back against him. The music slowed and Vivian said, “Alex, why don’t you come dance with me? I’ll behave, I promise!”

She nodded slowly and got up, putting a gentle hand on Joe’s shoulder before she walked away with Vivian. Joe shook his head and said, “I just don’t get it! Why’d she pull away like that?”

“Damn, Joe, she’s got the hots for both of you, can’t you see it?” Rick laughed. “But she can’t have you both, so she doesn’t know what to do!”

“And just how do you know this, psychic connections?” Joe said crossly.

“No, she told me, you moron!” Rick said quietly.

“Fuck,” Joe muttered. “Now what?”

“Um, that’s a damn good question,” Sav said softly.

“Um, this is a fairly radical solution, but you could both go out with her,” Phil said after a moment. “It’s not like you’re asking her to marry you or anything!”

Joe and Sav looked at each other. Then Rick said, “She doesn’t want to take a chance on breaking up the band, guys, so she’s not going to go out with one of you. Phil’s suggestion may be the only way either of you end up with her!”

“Shit,” Sav said softly. “Well, mate, don’t have much of a choice here, do we? Either I shut up and let you date her or I lose out on a chance with the most amazing woman I’ve met in a long time.” He let out a sigh and said, “I’ll go for it.”

“No fighting, right?” Joe said quietly.

“No fighting,” Sav answered, holding out his hand. They shook hands and sat back, watching her dance with Vivian. After a moment, Joe got up and headed out to the floor again. Vivian backed away from her without a word and left them on the floor. Looking up at him, she said, “I really don’t think this is a good idea, Joe.”

“You’re not going to come between us, Alex,” he answered. “We just talked about what you told Rick and, man, this shit is tough to say!” He ran his fingers through his long blond locks and said, “We both like you and we both want to get to know you. So, with your permission of course, we’d both like to take you out.”

“That’s not going to work and we all know it,” she sighed. She started away, but Joe stopped her and said, “Trust me, we’re both too protective of the band to let anything happen to it. We’ll keep our wits about us, but we’d both like to know you better.” Then he held his arms out and said, “Can we try that dance again?”

With a slow smile, she nodded and went back into his arms. He held her close as they swayed to the music, just enjoying the feeling of her body against his. He didn’t try to kiss her again, not wanting to scare her away. But when she laid her head on his chest, he let out a sigh of contentment. His hand ran over her hair as he started to sing softly to the music. She looked up at him and said, “You know, you’ve got one of the most amazing voices.”

“I can say the same for you,” he said with a smile. “Really blew me away tonight.” She took a deep breath and snuggled in against his neck just as the song ended. When he pulled back, he put his finger under her chin and lifted it, kissing her softly. Then he let her go back to the table where the others waited.

She slid back into her seat and smiled up at Sav, saying, “So, I hear I was the topic on conversation a few minutes ago.”

Suddenly shy, Sav said, “Well, um, ah, yeah, you were.”

“Can you do what Joe said?” she asked quietly.

“I was the first to agree to it,” he said with a bashful smile. “You’re an amazing woman, Alex, and if getting to know you means putting up with you dating Joe as well, so be it.” He smiled down at her and she found herself staring into his eyes again. Then she said softly, “Dance with me, Mr. Savage? I know you don’t do it, but it doesn’t take much to slow dance.”

Sav sighed and said, “I wish I could, but I’ve got two left feet when it comes to dancing.”

“Just pretend I’m a bass guitar and you’ll do fine,” she said as she stood up. Holding out her hand, she looked at him and said, “Please?”

One glance from those puppy dog brown eyes and Sav slumped in defeat. He stood up to the hoots and hollers of the others, including Joe, and shot them all a dirty look. Then Alexandra took his hand and led him out to the floor.

“What the hell am I doing?” Sav thought as the reached the other dancers. He came to a stop and said, “I can’t do this, luv. I’m not in the mood to make a fool of myself here!”

She ran a hand over his cheek and said, “Trust me, okay, Rick? You won’t even have to pick up your feet.”

“Good thing for you if I don’t!” he muttered. She stood in front of him and put her arms around his neck, then said, “Just put your arms around me and we’re off!”

He wrapped her in his arms and felt her start to sway to the song. Her movements were so slow, Sav just followed her lead. Looking around, he said, “Hmm, guess this isn’t that bad.”

Then he made the mistake of picking up his foot. It landed right on top of hers, causing her to let out a small yelp. He started to pull away in frustration, but she just laughed and said, “Don’t worry, I’ve had that foot stepped on by much bigger men than you. Just dance with me, Rick, please?”

He took a deep breath and tried to ignore the very foolish feeling building in his gut. She smiled up at him and he forgot all about it. Then she pulled his lips down to hers and said softly, “Just feel the music, don’t think about what you’re doing.” She kissed him and he didn’t even notice where he was anymore.

When the song ended, she let him show her off the floor and back to where the others waited. But Phil stood up and said, “Hey, everyone else has gotten a dance! Now it’s my turn!”

Before Alexandra could stop him, Phil pulled her back out. The music was throbbing again, the bass line tearing through Alexandra’s body. With Phil, there wasn’t the sexual tension she’d dealt with concerning Sav and Joe, so she just let herself move freely to the song. They moved together like a pair of old friends, just out for a good time. The song ended far too soon as far as Alexandra was concerned. But when they made it back to the table, Alexandra let out an unexpected yawn.

“Tired, luv?” Sav whispered into her ear. She nodded as Joe leaned over and said, “Ready to head back to your hotel?”

“Oh, I’m not staying in a hotel!” she yawned. “I’ve got a little place here in LA that I keep so I have a bit of a home base out here.”

“Oh, okay,” Joe said with a smile. They piled back into the car and headed for Alexandra’s address. Then she looked around and said, “Listen, why don’t you guys just crash here? There’s two double beds and a very comfy couch, so plenty of room!”

“I don’t know, are you sure?” Vivian asked.

“Otherwise Davy will have to take you back to your car and he’s looking pretty whooped right now,” she said as she saw the driver yawn.

“Fine with me, besides, we had a driver tonight as well and he’s been sent home!” Sav said quietly.

“Come on in then and welcome to my home away from home!” she said with a smile. She opened the door, revealing an open living room/kitchen set up. “There’s not much in the way of entertainment, but it’ll do for a crash pad.”

Sav looked over the cream colored walls and dark carpet with a smile. Functional, how did he know she wouldn’t be one for gaudy displays? The couch looked way to inviting to his tired body, so he walked around instead and looked at the photographs on the wall. And nearly choked when he got to an eight by ten hanging near the kitchen.

“Jesus, luv, why didn’t you mention you’d met us before?” he said, staring at the picture. The clothes the band were wearing in the photo pegged it for late eighties. And the gangly teenager standing in their midst could only be the beauty who walked up beside him. Joe came up behind her and put his arms around her waist as he said, “Damn, you grew up nice, luv!”

“Thank you sir!” she said as she smiled up at him. When Sav turned, he took one look at Joe and went stiff. Then she reached out a hand and took his with a gentle smile. He relaxed as she stared up at him with soft eyes. “Yeah, I met you guys at your Toledo gig in 1988. I was eighteen and drove four hours to get there!”

Leaning over to her ear, he whispered, “Did we live up to it?”

“More than that! I went home and started a band of my own three weeks later!” she laughed. “I used to imitate Joe so much that my friends started calling me Joey!” She heard a throaty laugh just behind her ear as Joe said, “Hmm, I’ve never been more flattered in my life!”

“But I did manage to get in a bit of Sav too,” she said, smiling up at him. Putting her hands under her bangs, she leaned her head down and picked them up, looking right into Sav’s eyes. He chuckled at that, then lifted her chin and kissed her. She felt Joe’s body go rigid at that, but she wanted to kiss Sav badly by that time.

Vivian interrupted them as he laughed and said, “Um, rather limited video collection, luv!”

“Why’s that?” Sav asked, looking up at him.

“Historia, Video Archive, In the Round In Your Face and a few of our bootlegs,” Vivian answered.

“Which bootlegs?” Sav asked curiously.

“Um, Bonn, Hollywood, Sheffield, and oh Jesus, not that one!” Vivian groaned. Alexandra laughed, saying, “Oh, that would be Tokyo, 1999, wouldn’t it, Vivian?”

“Shit, the one where you fell onstage?” Joe said as he turned around.

“Yeah,” Vivian mumbled.

“Gotta watch it!” Phil said with a laugh. He grabbed the tape from Vivian and stuck it in the VCR, then flopped down on the couch. Rick joined him a second later, though Vivian opted for the chair. Alexandra pulled away and said, “You guys go relax and I’ll be back. I need to change clothes and get more comfortable, okay?”

“Yeah, guess we’re stuck with what we’ve got on,” Joe sighed.

“Actually, my brother in law left some of his stuff here last time the visited,” she answered. “Maybe there’s something in there.” She waved them back to the bedroom and said, “Right there in that dresser.”

“Thanks, luv,” Joe said softly. She left them alone and headed into her room, changing into a long shirt. Wondering if she should bother with shorts, she decided not to wear any. Considering her dress hadn’t covered near as much as this shirt did, she figured she was safe. Heading out of her room, she ran into Sav in the hallway. He’d found a pair of sweats that fit, but opted to go without a shirt. He took one look at her pajamas and said, “Oh, my, very nice!”

“Thanks!” she said with a smile. He took a step towards her and she backed up against the door, suddenly afraid she was playing with the fire she saw in his eyes. He saw the fear in her eyes and said, “Don’t worry, luv, I don’t bite without permission!”

Giggling, she whispered, “What about Joe? He’s not gonna be happy if he finds out you’re back here with me.”

“Well, I got to be the lucky one, didn’t I?” he said with a smile.

“Sav, I’m very serious here!” she said urgently. “I’m not gonna let anything break up Def Leppard, especially not me!”

“Neither am I, Alex,” he whispered as he pulled her into his arms. “I’ll have to keep things in check when I know you’re with Joe and he’ll have to do the same. We’ll handle it, don’t worry!” Then he bent his head to hers and kissed her full on the lips. His tongue explored her mouth for the first time as she melted into him. Then Joe called from the living room, “Are you two gonna join us any time soon?”

“Yeah, we’ll be right there!” Alexandra called. Regretfully, she pulled away from Sav and headed in with the others. Joe sat on the couch with Phil and Rick, leaving only one chair. Alexandra motioned for Sav to take it, then grabbed a pillow and stretched out on the floor and listened to the guys crack on the performance they were watching. She was just starting to doze off when she felt an arm come around her body. Turning around, she found Joe grinning down at her. A slight smile crossed her face, then she remembered Sav. She looked up at him and saw his hurt expression. So she snuggled back against Joe and patted the floor in front of her, motioning for Sav to join them. He glanced at Joe, who only shrugged indifferently, then moved down and lay in front of her. She pulled him into her arms, burying her face in his hair, as Joe molded her body to his. Within a few minutes, Alexandra was sound asleep.

She woke up around five in the morning and tried to stretch out with her eyes still closed. Then she realized there were bodies on either side of her. For a moment, she was confused. Who the hell was she with? Then she opened her eyes and found herself staring at Sav’s sleeping face. Memories of the night before flooded back to her and she sighed softly, knowing just who lay behind her. But fear chased through her mind as well. Just what the hell was she doing? She really didn’t know and let out a slight groan of frustration. Sav stirred at that and she saw his eyes open.

“Hello, luv,” he whispered quietly.

“Hi,” she breathed softly. His hand ran over her hair, a gentle touch that sent a shiver chasing up her spine. “Sleep okay?”

“Actually, I think I’m getting to old to crash on the floor like this,” he answered. “I’m stiff as hell!”

“Well, there’s room for all three of us in my bed, it’s a king size,” she replied.

“Ah, can’t we leave him out here?” Sav sighed.

“No, I don’t think that’d be a good idea,” she said regretfully. “He’s older than you!”

“Yeah, getting up there, isn’t he,” Sav laughed.

“I heard that, Savage,” Joe mumbled.

“Fuck,” Sav chuckled. “Guess my luck just ran out, huh?”

“Looks like it,” Joe grumbled. “Now, can we hit that bed before my back decides it doesn’t want to move anymore?”

“I think there’s some BenGay in the medicine cabinet,” Alexandra said with a smile.

“Don’t laugh, I may need it!” Joe growled as he tried to get up. Alexandra stood up and reached down, holding out her hand. But Joe was far heavier than her and ended up pulling her down on top of himself. “Hmm,” Joe whispered into her ear. “I could get to like this!”

She thumped him on the chest and said, “Men! Only one damn thing on their minds!”

“Uh huh,” Joe murmured as he kissed her throat. She slipped away from him with a guilty look at Sav and said, “Can we please get back to sleep? I’ve got a driver coming for me in six hours!”

“Where are you tonight, luv?” Sav asked curiously.

“I’m not even sure, I just know it’s a four hour drive and they’re picking me up at eleven,” she sighed. “Guess I’ll find out when I get there, huh?”

“God, do I know that feeling!” Joe laughed, still laying flat on the floor. He rolled over and got to his knees, then let out a yelp of pain. “Ah, fuck! My back’s stiff as a board!”

“BenGay here we come,” Alexandra said softly, finally helping Joe to his feet. He grimaced and said, “No, I’ll be okay. I hate to use that shit!”

“Well, maybe I’ll come up with another idea, but let’s head for bed first, okay?” she said with a small smile.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Sav replied. Joe nodded and Alexandra led them back to her room. As the light flared on, Joe had to laugh. On the wall were posters of Def Leppard as well as Sav and Joe individually. Sav just shook his head as he looked up at himself. The poster was from the Hysteria tour, and he said softly, “Shit, I looked so different then.”

Alexandra stepped in front of him and said, “Oh, really? Maybe a little better, but still pretty much the same to me!” Running his hand down her face to her neck, he looked in her eyes and said, “Thanks for that, luv.”

“I mean it,” she whispered. He leaned down and kissed her gently, saying, “And I appreciate it, luv. It’s been a long time since anyone said something like that to me. At least, anyone who wasn’t a fan looking for an autograph or such.”

An old pain had crept into his voice with those words and Alexandra longed to take it away from him. She wrapped her arms around him and held on for a long time. Joe watched them together, and as much as he envied Sav at that moment, he knew Sav needed to hear what she’d said. Sav had never really believed any of them when they told him his looks had returned. Maybe Alexandra could finally make him see it.

Trying to lay down on the bed, Joe let out a groan that pulled Alexandra away from Sav. She looked over at him and said, “Can you make it down?”

“Yeah, I’m just stiff like I said,” Joe mumbled.

“Lay down on your stomach and I’ll be right back,” she answered. She headed into the bathroom as Joe managed his way down. Sav sat beside him and looked off in the distance. Joe could see he was lost in thought and let him go. Alexandra returned a moment later and sat something on the nightstand, then she said, “Okay, let’s see what I can do to help.”

Straddling his thighs, she grabbed the bottle she’d sat on the nightstand and poured something into her hand. Joe smelled the baby oil before she touched him and let out a sigh. Her hands went to the small of his back, working the sore muscles slowly. Soothing strokes kneading over his back, relaxing away the tension. Her hands moved up to his middle back, continuing her ministrations. Her touch was so gentle, so soft as she went higher, up to his broad shoulders. There was an undeniable strength behind her touch, a firmness that Joe could feel. His muscles were so relaxed, he was very nearly asleep by the time she finished.

“Damn, mate,” Sav said quietly, “Looks like that felt good!”

“God yes,” Joe sighed. “Luv, you’ve got wonderful hands, do you know that?”

“Thanks, Joe,” she answered. Her hands trailed down his back one last time, ending up on his firm backside. She gave it a squeeze and as he looked around at her, she giggled, “I’m sorry, but I’ve always wanted to do that!” Sav just chuckled. Patting his backside, she said, “So, old man, how’s that feel?”

“Old?” Joe said incredulously. “Did you just call me old?”

“Um, yeah, I did,” she laughed.

“What’s that make me?” Sav said as he picked his jaw up from the floor.

“Um, I’m pleading the fifth,” she said quickly. Unfortunately, not quickly enough. Sav grabbed her and pinned her down on the bed, tickling her mercilessly. Joe joined in and soon she was squealing for them to stop. “I’ll have you know, you’ve only got ten years til you hit forty one as well, luv,” Sav said as he loomed over her.

“But how old will you be then?” she giggled.

“Never mind,” Sav said in frustration.

“Hey, Joe’s the one who said he was old and decrepit, not me!” she laughed. “Gee, before you guys ganged up on me, I was gonna see if you wanted the same treatment Joe got, but not now!”

“Aww,” Sav said with a pout, “None for me, luv?” She rolled her eyes and said, “Well, maybe, if you ask very nicely...”

He leaned down and kissed her, saying, “Pretty please?”

“Hmm, that was quite nice,” she said, acting as though she had to think it over. “Okay, get over on your tummy.” Sav rolled over on his stomach while she reached once more for the oil. Joe propped himself up on his elbow to watch as she started at Sav’s lower back. Then he let out a chuckle as he caught the grin on Sav’s face. “Mate, you look like the cat that swallowed the bloody canary!”

“Um, this feels good, so sod off!” Sav mumbled.

She kneaded the muscles of his back with just as much attention as she’d shown Joe. Sav felt like her hands were just making his back melt into a puddle. Firm touches blend with her soft strokes to send him almost into slumber.

“This is hardly fair,” Joe said with a smile. “You’re giving us geezers all this attention and not getting any for yourself!”

“Oh, I’m fine,” she said nervously. There was something about the look in Joe’s eyes that suddenly had her afraid. An inner fire that she’d not seen before. She finished up on Sav’s shoulders and leaned back, rubbing her hand over his lower back as she said, “How’s that, Sav?”

“Um, wonderful doesn’t even begin to describe it!” Sav said in a near whisper. Alexandra almost jumped up off him and headed for the bathroom to wash her hands. Looking into the mirror, she whispered to herself, “You’re not even thinking about it!” She stared into her own eyes, thinking there was no way she was going to sleep with both of them. But what could it hurt to actually just sleep in the same bed?

Making her way back into the bedroom under two pairs of staring eyes, she headed for the light switch and said, “Well, goodnight, gentlemen.”

“Oh, no, now it’s your turn,” Joe said with a laugh.

“Um, can I take a raincheck on that?” she asked with a nervous laugh. The last thing she needed at that moment was to feel either of their hands on her body. Just being in the same bed was temptation enough to do things she knew she’d regret later.

“Please?” Joe pleaded. “Just a payback for the wonders you worked on my back, okay?” His green eyes begged her to reconsider and she let out a sigh for her foolishness as she made her way back to the bed. She slid in between them and laid on her stomach as Joe moved over her legs. He ran his hands over her t-shirt, then said, “This just won’t do, luv. It’s not going to do a thing for you if I’m rubbing your shirt.”

“Um, then maybe we should just forget it,” she said hopefully. “Some other time maybe.”

She looked over at Sav, who was leaning up to watch her. The fear was plain in her eyes. So he ran a hand over her shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, luv. He only bites when he’s asked to and I rarely bite at all.” Closing her eyes, she said quietly, “Okay, just pulled the shirt up.” Then she tried to forget that she’d felt a bit ornery earlier and thrown on throng underwear instead of her usual cotton panties.

Joe’s hands went under her shirt, just grazing her ass as he pulled the fabric up to her shoulders. Sav’s eyes went wide as he said with a laugh, “What the hell’s that, luv?”

His fingertips trailed over the markings on her lower back as she whispered, “It’s a tattoo, what does it look like?”

Joe stared at the tattoo on the right part of her back just above her ass. It was a howling wolf, standing on a block that enclosed the lettering “DLWolf” in script writing. The words sunk in and Joe said in surprise, “You’re DLWolf?”

“Um, yeah, that would be me,” she said as she buried her face in the pillow. The men just stared at each other. Before they’d shut down the old forum on the band’s website, they’d allowed the posting of fan fiction on it. And one writer had a major thing for doing menage a trois using Sav and Joe with a female character. DLWolf. The other guys had really given them a hard time over the stories, because they’d been especially steamy. In fact, they inadvertently been the cause of Joe’s break up with Bobbi. She’d caught him really getting into one of the stories and all hell broke loose. What started as a simple argument had ended with Bobbi throwing her things into a suitcase and heading for the States the next day.

DLWolf was also one of the most avid posters on the Leplusting section of the board. Some of the different comments she’d made had stuck with both men, because though they were completely lustful, they were often witty and humorous. The intelligence behind them, and the honesty, was apparent to the whole band and her comments had been discussed at length occasionally.

With Joe sitting across her legs, there was no way she could escape her embarrassment. So she grabbed a pillow and put it over her head, hoping she’d just smother rather than having to face them again. Sav pulled back a corner of the pillow and said, “Hmm, didn’t we just meet this way?”

She sealed her eyes tightly shut and refused to look at him. He tugged the pillow from her grasp and said, “What’s wrong, luv?”

“I feel like a complete idiot, okay?” she said through gritted teeth. “For the second time tonight, no less!”

“Why?” Joe asked quietly.

“Cuz, those stories and the shit I said and OH MY GOD, can I just die now?” she groaned into the sheets. She felt Joe’s hands start to run over her back, trying to calm her down with long, smooth strokes. He didn’t say a word, just let his hands work over her flesh. Up to her shoulders, then down to the top of her very brief underwear. Running along her sides and just brushing the skin of her breasts that peeked out from under her body. She shivered under his touch. Then she felt the bed shift as Sav moved closer to her, his breath hot against her skin. He kissed her shoulder, then laid his head down on her arm. Then she heard Joe say, “If you don’t relax, this is a lot of wasted effort, luv.”

She took a deep breath and let it out. Joe felt her muscles loosen a bit and finished working over her back. Then he laid down beside her with a smile. Almost as soon as he moved, she jumped up off the bed and said, “I’ll be right back.”

Heading into the bathroom, she locked the door and sat down on the floor. Tears of fear, anger and frustration burned from her eyes. She could hear the murmur of their conversation and wondered if they were talking about her. Probably commenting on what kind of whore got herself into this kind of situation, she thought. She started to sob quietly.

“Alex?” came a soft voice through the door. “You okay in there?”

“I’m fine,” she answered as she wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. The knob on the door jiggled and she heard Sav say, “Luv, can I come in?”

She reached up and unlocked it, trying to hide her tears as Sav opened it. But one look at her face told him at least part of the story. He knelt beside her and said, “What’s wrong, baby?”

“This whole situation!” she cried as he folded her into his arms.

“What’s wrong with it?” Sav asked quietly.

“God, I really don’t want to talk about it,” she murmured. “I’m gonna go sleep on the floor in the living room. I can’t trust myself in there with you two!” she blurted out.

“Why not?” Sav said patiently. He and Joe had just been discussing the situation and knew that they had to come to some kind of agreement about her. They both wanted her and neither one wanted to wait for it. So, if she was willing, they both wanted to be with her right then. If it meant putting up with the other one in the bed, they’d do it.

“Because, I want...” her voice trailed off into tears of frustration just as Joe came into the room. He leaned back against the wall and said, “Luv, come to bed with us, please?”

Closing her eyes, she shook her head and said, “I can’t!”

“Please,” Sav whispered softly into her ear. “We both want you to.”

Her eyes came open as she heard the undertone of his voice. There was some hidden message in those words, but she couldn’t be sure what it was. She finally made a decision. There would never be another night like this one and she knew she wanted both of them. So she looked up at Joe and said, “Okay, let’s go.” She’d take this one night for all it was worth.

Joe pulled her to her feet and she stood in front of him nervously at first. Then, testing her new found resolve, she reached up around his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers. He put his arms around her, pulling her into his body. Her tongue probed between his lips, finding his way easily. Surprised, Joe ran his fingers through her hair as Sav stood back and watched the two of them. A twinge of guilt ran through Sav. Were they pushing her into something she’d regret in the morning? He thought of leaving them alone, but she pulled away from Joe, turned around and leaned her back against him. Then she motioned for Sav to come over to her. He looked down at her and said, “Are you sure, luv?”

She nodded silently as Joe wrapped his arms around her waist. Leaning out, she reached for Sav and pulled him into her arms. He looked down into her eyes, wondering what she was thinking at that moment. Those eyes led him down to her mouth and before he knew what he was doing, his lips found hers. The kiss was soft and gentle, but there was a demanding urgency behind it. His hands came to her face, holding it gently as his lips moved carefully against hers. He was afraid of scaring her off again, so he went very slowly as his tongue started to explore those lips. But a moment later, she took over, her tongue going out to discover his mouth. Seconds later, the kiss ignited a growing fire between their bodies. Sav couldn’t wait any longer for the feel of her skin and slipped her nightshirt off over her head. Leaning her back into Joe’s body, he let his hands wander over her shoulders. Joe’s hands went up her stomach and cupped her full breasts. As he kneaded the soft flesh, Sav lowered his head and captured one of her nipples in his mouth, bringing a moan from deep in her body. Joe’s fingers pinched her other nipple and she ground her ass back into his groin. His body jerked against her, his cock rising and straining to be free from his sweats. She leaned her head back onto Joe’s shoulder, moving against him as Sav’s mouth continued over to her other side. Then Sav’s fingers slipped under the band of her panties, lowering them slowly as his tongue trailed down over her stomach.

Once Sav had removed the last bit of her clothing, Joe bent down and picked her up. He carried her back into the bedroom as Sav followed. He laid her on the bed, then stepped away to strip off his sweats. Looking up at him with hungry eyes, she couldn’t help but marvel at that “old and decrepit” body of his. Her eyes went down his chest, over the still firm muscles of his stomach, then went wide as she caught sight of his rock hard cock. He laid down on the bed and started at her ankles, letting his tongue run slowly up her legs until he reached her inner thigh. As soon as he lowered his head to her waiting mound, she gasped and grabbed the sheet, hanging on for dear life.

Sav sat down in a chair away from them. He was reluctant to even watch, much less join, what was happening on the bed. He closed his eyes, trying to will away the sight of them. But they opened again when he heard her throaty moan. He looked at Alexandra and found her staring directly at him, her lips parted as her breath came rapidly. Her eyes pleaded for him to come to her and he couldn’t resist her. He laid down beside her, his hand going over her stomach and up to her breast. Her hips were grinding down into Joe’s face as she kissed Sav roughly. Feeling a tug on his sweats, he started to look down then felt her hand slip inside them. It closed over his manhood, running slowly over his long, smooth shaft.

His kisses became harder, more insistent as she moved over him. Then her free hand tangled through Joe’s hair, pulling him into her as his tongue worked its way deeper into her slit. Joe moved up higher, his mouth closing over her clit as his fingers penetrated her body. Her back arched up as she sensed the beginnings of an orgasm going through her body. It tore through her, leaving her moaning against Sav’s mouth.

“Rick,” she whispered hoarsely, “I want to taste you! Please!” He closed his eyes and nodded, moving up so that his cock with even with her mouth. At the same time, Joe turned her over and said softly, “I can’t wait any longer, baby. I need you!”

“God, then take me damnit Joe!” she said roughly. The coarse hairs on Joe’s legs ran over her thighs as he got up behind her and placed his member at the opening of her channel. She tugged Sav’s sweats down off his hips and fell on his cock just as Joe buried himself inside her. The deep growl that came from her throat was something Sav had never felt before and he nearly exploded in that moment. She sucked on Sav hungrily, wanting to taste him like no man before. Not that she had long to wait for it. Sav’s cock hit the tightness of the back of her throat and she heard him groan, “Oh, fuck, baby, you’re making me cum! OH, DAMN, YES!!” Then came the hot wash of Sav’s cum, pouring into her throat as Joe pounded into her body.

Her head rested on Sav’s thigh as she moved back onto Joe. Soon she was slamming back onto him as hard as he was moving into her. She grabbed Sav’s hands, holding on tight as she was wracked by another orgasm. Sav’s body couldn’t help but respond to the erotic sight of his friend fucking her so hard. Then he heard a guttural growl as Joe said, “Oh, GOD, Alex! I’m cumming Alex, I’m cumming!”

With one last hard thrust, he slumped down over her body. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her over onto his chest as he lay back on the bed. Sav laid down behind her, trying to hide his obvious hard on. But Alex reached around behind herself and pulled his arms around her, his groin against her back. She turned and smiled up at him, whispering, “Problems, Mr. Savage?”

“Um, yeah, you could say that,” he mumbled. Pulling her hips back against his, his cock ground into her backside and brought a groan from her. His tongue flicked out, going lightly over her ear. She felt his manhood probing for entrance into her body and moved back into him. The tip of it ran over her anal opening, sending a shudder through her body. Feeling that reaction, Sav pushed at the opening a bit and heard another moan come from her.

Joe turned over, watching her eyes close as Sav slowly started to enter her rear passage. Laying up on his side, he pulled her leg up over his hips and gave Sav better access to her body. Joe’s hand went between them, massaging her once again hard clit. She bit her lip at the exquisite stretching of the tight anal muscles. Sav’s movements were slow, careful, as he fit himself inside her. When his hips met hers, he whispered, “Okay, luv?”

“Wonderful,” she murmured.

Now it was Joe’s turn to watch as Sav made love to her slowly, afraid he might hurt her. “Oh, God, Sav, it feels so good!” she whispered. Then Joe kissed her as Sav bit lightly at her shoulder. After a couple of minutes of this, Joe’s body was ready to go again, much to his surprise. He moved lower on the bed and wrapped her leg firmly around his waist before he pushed his way back into her.

At first, it seemed like the two men were warring over her with their conflicting rhythms. But, after years of playing in a band together, it took them very little time to set a tempo they all three started to enjoy. It didn’t take much of this overloading attention to send Alexandra careening over the brink once more. Her body clamped down on both of them as she gasped, “OH GOD, JOE, SAV, OMIGAWD, I’M GONNA, GONNA, OHHHHHHHH!”

The tightness surrounding them sent Joe and Sav crashing over the edge as well, both moaning her name as their bodies released into her. They all three collapsed together, bodies worn out from all the night’s activities, just as the clock struck seven.

Three hours later, Sav woke up to the sound of Alexandra packing her stuff up to leave. He looked up at her with a smile and said, “Good morning, luv!”

“Oh, hi,” she said softly, though she didn’t even look at him. Puzzled, Sav got up and pulled on his sweats then walked up behind her. He slipped his arms around her waist and felt her body stiffen at his touch. A gentle kiss on the neck was met with the same response, so he turned her around and said, “What’s wrong, Alex?”

“Nothing,” she said evasively, but she refused to look into his eyes.

“Yeah, right,” Sav said softly. “That’s why you act like I’m a complete stranger, isn’t it?”

“I’ve just got a lot on my mind,” she said as she tried to turn away from him. But he wouldn’t let her go. Joe woke up as Sav said, “Come on, Alex! Tell me what’s ‘on your mind‘!”

“Hmm, well, guess it’s been nice knowing you,” she answered. “And I think this is where the two of you run for the hills, right?”

“Why the hell would we do that?” Joe mumbled in confusion.

“Oh, like either one of you is going to want anything to do with the whore you found yourselves in bed with last night,” she said harshly as tears started to run down her face. Then she grabbed her case and ran for the door before Sav could catch her. She nearly ran head on with Phil in the hallway. “Morning, luv,” Phil said with a bright smile. Then he saw the look on her face and said, “You okay?”

“I’m fine, Phil, thanks for asking,” she mumbled. “It was really great meeting you guys last night. Maybe I’ll run into you again someday.” Then, taking off for the phone in the kitchen, she left a very concerned Phil standing open mouthed in the hall. About a minute later, Sav and Joe both came boiling out of the bedroom. All Phil could do was point to the kitchen where Alexandra was waiting. As they came around the corner, they heard her say, “Just get the damn car here, okay? I need to leave right now!” As she slammed the phone back into the cradle, her tears came hot and fast. There was no reason for her to hold them back, because she figured there was no way either of them would come after her. So when she felt herself being folded into strong arms, she nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned and found herself staring into Sav’s worried eyes and had to look away. Maybe he was just more considerate to the women he slept with than most men, but she couldn’t stand the thought of him touching her out of pity.

When Joe sat down directly in front of her with the same expression on his face, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then he reached across the table and took her hand, asking, “Baby, please, tell us what’s going on?”

Trying to pull away from Sav with no success, she finally looked at them both and said, “Oh, please! I know what I acted like last night! Not exactly the kind of girl guys wanna keep around!”

“And we didn’t persuade you in anyway, did we?” Joe asked quietly. “Listen, neither of us wanted to let you go, so I guess we may have pushed things a little to far for you. We didn’t mean to hurt you in anyway.”

“You didn’t hurt me, just made me see myself for what I was,” she whispered.

“And what’s that?” Sav asked softly.

“A fucking slut, that’s what!” she said angrily.

Sav pulled back in surprise, staring down at her. Then he said quietly, “I don’t think you’re that at all.”

“Neither do I, and trust me, we’ve met plenty of sluts in our day,” Joe said at almost the same moment. “A slut would have been all over us before we got out of the car, even with the other guys around!”

“And a slut wouldn’t have tried to stop herself from doing what she wanted, like you did in the bathroom last night,” Sav continued softly. “It takes a lot to be able to fight against your own dreams and desires.” She looked up at them uncertainly as Joe said, “We’ve both read the stories you’ve written, so we feel like we know a little bit about what you seem to want, we hope.”

“God, you’re not the first perfectly normal woman to think about being with two men,” Sav chuckled. “Kinda like how many men have thought about being with two women.”

“But would you actually do it?” she asked in a tiny voice.

Sav and Joe just looked at each other for a moment, then started laughing. Then Sav leaned into her ear and whispered, “I’ve done more than that and so has he! One of the perks of rock stardom.” Her eyes were still full of doubt as they heard a car’s horn blowing outside. She looked at each of them and said, “Well, it’s time for me to go. Maybe I’ll see you around?”

“I’m sure you will, luv,” Sav said with a smile. “And probably a lot sooner than you expect.” He kissed her quickly and moved back to let Joe kiss her as well. She looked at them and they could still see the fear and doubt in her eyes as she said, “Well, when you’re ready to leave, just lock the door behind you, okay?”

Joe nodded quietly, but Sav grabbed her and kissed her one long last lingering time. She saw the fire flaring again in his eyes as he whispered, “I’ll see you soon.” Looking up at him hopefully, she reached out and squeezed his hand, then grabbed her bags and headed out the door. Sav was on the phone with Malvin before her car had cleared the driveway.

In the limousine, Alexandra laid her head back and wondered just what the hell she was going to do now. The previous night had surpassed any dream she’d ever had of them, but there was no way they’d let it happen again. And she didn’t know if she could do it a second time. But if someone had asked her to choose between them, she wouldn’t have been able to. Joe was so sexual, so dominating! And Sav. She sighed. He was so sweet and tender, but very passionate. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep dreaming of them both.

When she reached the venue, her doubts resurfaced. Maybe they really were just more courteous than other men she’d met. They had to think very little of her at that moment. But she shut it out of her mind as best she could and went into her sound check. But her heart just wasn’t in it and about half way through she threw down the mic and said, “Okay, you guys can finish this shit without me. I’m done til show time!”

She stormed offstage, chased by her own private demons, and headed for the dressing room. She fell down on the couch and stared at the ceiling as she finally fell back to sleep. Nightmares haunted her as she napped. First Sav leaned over her, saying what a whore she was. Then it was Joe, telling her she wasn’t even any good at it. They taunted her all through her supposed rest. By the time Tim woke her, she was even more frazzled than she’d been before she fell asleep.

She looked around and announced a change in the set list, then threw on her stage clothes. Running a brush through her long brown hair, she threw on her makeup and headed for the stage. She jumped up on the speaker stack before the lights came on, then screamed, “Welcome to my show!” Then the band tore into Stagefright, one of her favorite Leppard tunes to perform. She finally managed to shut the two men she’d spent the night with out of her mind and concentrate on her show.

Coming off the stage dripping sweat after her encore, she headed for the shower. After she got out, she slipped into a robe and grabbed the first hard drink she’d had in months. Throwing on her headphones, she laid back on the couch and tried to relax. But as soon as she fell asleep, the nightmares returned with a vengeance. First Sav, then Joe would wake her and tell her how horrible a person she was for what she’d done. They taunted her, calling her name over and over again.

“Alex, luv, wake up,” came a soft voice through it all. Tears started to stream down her face as she saw Sav leaning over her. She waited for the insults to come, but there was only a puzzled expression on his face as he asked softly, “What’s wrong, luv? Why are you crying?”

Finally, she realized she was really awake this time and let out a sigh of relief. “Just nightmares,” she said evasively. “Nothing to worry about.”

Feeling the couch depress by her legs, her eyes broke away from Sav and found Joe sitting beside her. He ran his hand gently over her thigh as he asked, “Want to talk about it?”

“NO!” she said emphatically. Sitting up, she looked around and said, “Aren’t the two of you supposed to be in a studio writing right now?”

“We took a day off, cuz you were so upset this morning,” Sav answered quietly. “We couldn’t leave you that way.”

“Besides, we missed you already,” Joe said with a smile. Sav sat down behind her and she leaned back against his body, letting him put his arms around her. Joe leaned over and kissed her gently, then said, “Miss us?”

“God, yes,” she whispered hoarsely. Tim came in at just that moment and his eyes went wide as he saw both Joe and Sav snuggled up to his boss. But he didn’t say a thing about it, just, “Alex, it’s time to get on the road again. If we hurry, we’ll make it to a proper hotel in three hours.”

“Okay, let’s hit it then,” she sighed. “Are you two coming along?”

“Got our bags already packed!” Joe laughed as Sav pointed to their cases. Joe pulled her up off the couch and into his arms for another kiss before letting Sav have her for a moment. Then they headed for the bus she was traveling on. Once inside, both men looked around and whistled.

“Damn, luv, this is much better than ours! A lot more space!” Joe laughed.

“The perks of being a solo act, I get a whole bus to myself!” Alex said with a smile. “And, lucky for you two, a big bed in back. Otherwise, we’d be in little bunks for the night!”

“You were sleeping pretty sound on the couch. Are you ready to head back to bed already?” Sav asked as he put his arms around her from behind.

“Yes, but to be honest, I’m ready to sleep!” she said softly.

“That’s fine, baby,” Sav whispered into her ear. “I’ve been just as tired after a show before, so I can understand it. Mind if I, I mean we, join you?”

“Fine with me,” she answered.

“Hmm, I’m gonna stay up for a bit,” Joe said quickly. “I’m not quite ready for the sack yet.”

Sav raised an eyebrow at Joe, but said nothing that could spoil his good fortune. Joe was actually letting him have time alone with Alex, which Sav never thought he’d do. He saw Alex smile at Joe, then felt her take his hand and lead him back to her bed with a quiet, “Goodnight” for Joe.

As soon as she closed the door, she stripped out of her clothes and climbed under the blankets, saying, “Guess it’s nothing you two haven’t already seen, huh?”

“But it’s definitely something I’d like to see more of,” Sav said softly. He took off his own clothes and crawled in behind her, taking her body into his arms. His hand ran gently over her side as she curled back into his body and he couldn’t help the tightening in his groin as she moved closer. He tried to take his mind off sex by asking, “So, how much longer are you on the road?”

“Um, three weeks, actually,” she answered quickly. “Then I’m doing a charity gig for an LA radio station as my last show. After that, it’s back into the studio.”

“Oh, we’re doing the same gig, I’ll bet,” Sav said quietly. “The one for the children’s group?”

“Yeah, that’s it,” she said with a yawn. Then she turned in his arms and snuggled her nose into his throat. He groaned involuntarily as her body fit into his. He could feel her lips teasing the flesh of his neck as she reached between them and whispered, “Looks like you’ve got a problem again, baby.”

“Uh huh,” he murmured as her mouth moved up his throat to his ear, nibbling at it gently. “This is no way to go to sleep,” Sav said quietly.

“Oh well,” she whispered as she pulled him over on top of her. “Maybe a little delay in getting to sleep won’t hurt.”

He looked down at her as his hips slid between her waiting thighs. Her soft smile, so tender and loving, was a surprise as he watched her. He’d never expected her to look at him that way after the previous night, as disappointing as that thought was. Somehow he thought she’d never see him as anything more than a sex partner that she enjoyed. Yet there was emotion behind those eyes as he bent to kiss her.

Inside, Alex was feeling the same things as Sav. The way those blue eyes shone, there was so much more than lust there. His kiss burned into her, making her his for that moment in time as if Joe had never existed. He held her close as he entered her body gently, taking far more time and care than they had that morning. His kisses left her breathless, his body set hers on fire. Instead of the pure sex that they’d shared the night before, this was truly making love. He moved slowly as they built together towards that final goal. There was no rush, no competition, just them.

Unlike the harsh orgasms that had claimed her body before, she felt soft waves carrying her body up with her climax. Whispering gently against his neck, she said, “Oh, God, Sav! I’m cumming baby, OH please, cum with me, Sav!”

The soft pleading in her voice drove him over the edge as he said, “I am, baby, I’m with you, luv! Oh, God, ALEX!” He thrust into her again, his body pouring its release into her as he shuddered with his climax. His body fell down on top of hers as she pulled him into her arms. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him gently as the two of them curled together to go to sleep.

Joe came in a few minutes later and laid down on the opposite side of her from Sav after he’d undressed. He curled up against her back and drifted off to sleep with thoughts of her chasing through his mind.

“ALEX! WE’RE AT THE HOTEL! WAKE UP!” Tim’s voice called through the door. Normally, he’d have just gone in and woke her up, but he really didn’t want to know what was going on in there at the moment..

Alex came around and called back, “Okay, we’ll be out in a minute!” Then she looked down at her sleeping lovers and woke them each with a gentle kiss. “Come on, boys, time to head into the hotel.”

“Mmm? Oh, okay,” Joe mumbled as Sav swung out of bed and started pulling his clothes back on. All three of them got dressed and headed for the hotel, never seeing the photographer hiding just off the sidewalk.

When they made it upstairs, all three of them were so tired that they just crawled right into bed and fell asleep with barely a word.

Alex woke first the next morning and slid out from between their bodies, heading into the shower. She was just stepping under the spray when she heard the door open. Peeking around the curtain, she saw Joe relieving himself and looked away quickly. Then a second later, the curtain pulled back a bit and Joe said, “Room enough for two in there?”

“Um, yeah, I believe there is,” she laughed. Her eyes were closed as she washed her hair when he stepped in. He waited for her to finish rinsing her hair before he pulled her into his arms and kissed her roughly. Her arms wound around his neck, surrendering to the onslaught of his sudden attentions without a thought. She felt so small against him, so out of control as he pinned her body to the wall. His kiss was hard and heavy as his hands moved down her slight frame and wrapped her leg around his hips. His first thrust lifted her from her feet as he entered her, so she wrapped both legs around him and held on as he pounded into her body. His fevered lips trailed down her throat, biting her flesh as her body started to tense. The climax hit her hard as she begged, “OH GOD, FUCK ME, JOE, FUCK ME!”

“Oh, FUCK, baby, I’m gonna cum, oh FUCK YEAH!” he gasped. His cum spilled into her body as he bit down on her shoulder to keep from crying out. She let out a whimper as he pulled away from her and whispered, “Good morning, luv!”

“Morning to you as well,” she laughed softly. They finished their shower and dried off quickly, then headed into the room to change clothes for the day. Sav was sitting up in bed, staring blankly at the TV screen and suddenly wishing he were anywhere but in that room. He took a drag off his cigarette, then finally turned to look at Alex. She could see the hurt in his eyes and knew that right then there was nothing she could do about it. Fighting her own unexpected tears, she crawled into his arms and said softly, “Good morning, baby.”

Holding her against his chest, he whispered, “Morning, luv.” He kept his voice neutral, not wanting to let her know what he was feeling at that moment. They gotten her into this mess, so it wasn’t fair to blame her for it. So, trying to put the pain behind him, he said with forced cheer, “Have a nice shower?”

“Yeah,” she whispered quietly. “When do you have to go back?”

“Today,” Sav said quietly.

“Oh,” she said softly as Joe climbed into bed beside them. He ran a hand over her arm and asked, “Gonna miss us, luv?”

“No, I thought I’d go out and find a couple more rock stars to bang,” she laughed. Sav forced a smile as Joe chuckled, “You’ll not find better, I guarantee it!”

Taking Joe’s hand, she said, “Probably not!” Then she pulled away from both of them and finished dressing just as there was a knock on the door. “Alex? Time for breakfast! Wake up!”

She opened the door to Tim’s surprise. He hadn’t thought she was awake yet. Of course, with two men to wear her out, who would have thought she’d be up and dressed? She looked at Tim’s shocked face and said, “We’ll be down in just a minute, okay?”

“That’s fine,” Tim stammered. “We’ll save you three a table.” Then he turned and walked away, shaking his head.

As soon as Sav was ready, they headed down to the restaurant. She took Sav’s hand as they walked, bringing a genuine smile back to his face for the first time that day. Then she grabbed Joe’s hand and had them both skipping down the hallway with her like children. By the time they reached the elevator, they were giggling their heads off and all the tension between them was gone.

Once breakfast was over, Sav head to the hotel counter to get a rental car for their return to Phil’s house in LA. Joe stayed with Alex and put his arm over her shoulder, saying, “I wish we didn’t have to go back yet.”

“So do I,” Alex whispered. “But hey, that’s what all of our lives are like, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, guess so,” he said as he bent and kissed her. The kiss ended just as Sav walked up and cleared his throat. “It’s time for us to go, Joe,” he said quietly.

“Damn,” Joe cursed softly, letting her move out of his arms and into Sav’s. She ran her hand over Sav’s hair and said, “I’m gonna miss you guys.”

“We’ll miss you too, luv,” Sav said slowly. He pulled her close and whispered, “I’ll try to get out and see you again before the charity gig, okay?”

“I’d like that,” she answered softly. Then she kissed him gently before pulling away and saying, “I’ll see you in LA if nothing else.”

“That’s a promise,” Sav and Joe answered in unison. She gave them each one last kiss, then stood and watched as they walked out the door. Not once did any of them hear the soft whirring of a shutter being snapped.

Alex quickly fell back into her routine on tour, though she couldn’t keep her mind off the two men who’d stormed into her life. The more she thought about them, the more she realized that Sav was completely invading her thoughts. Joe was there too, but Sav was the first thing she thought about every morning and the last thing every night. While Joe awoke every lustful urge in her body, there was something different with Sav. A deeper connection, even though they hadn’t known each other very long. Realizing she was treading on dangerous territory, she tried to shake off the feelings that were starting to surface regarding Sav. But, for some reason, they were just something she couldn’t control.

Both of them called her every day on over the next week, catching her just after her sound check usually. It was during one of these conversations she got the news from Sav.

“Luv, have you seen any of the tabloids today?” he asked quietly.

“No, what’s in them this time?” she asked slowly.

“Us, luv,” he answered. “Pictures of the three of us in the hotel.”

“Doing what?” she asked, afraid to hear the answer.

“You, kissing both of us,” he said after a moment. “And they’ve got some kind of interview with a source close to you, saying you were with both of us.”

“Fuck,” she said quietly, slumping down into her chair. “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know, baby,” he replied and she could hear him lighting a cigarette in the background. “Guess we just try to ride it out and let it blow over.”

He could hear the tears in Alex’s voice and said, “Listen, luv, I’m on my way. You don’t need to go through this alone.”

“Won’t that just make it worse?” she cried.

“I don’t fucking care about the tabloids, I care about YOU,” he answered. “I’ll see you tonight, after the show, okay?”

“Thanks, Rick,” she said softly.

“I...I’ll see you then,” he said quickly. They rang off and Alex collapsed into tears on the couch. Tim came in and said, “You okay, kiddo?”

“No, Tim, I’m not!” she yelled. “Someone here decided to talk to the tabloids about Joe and Sav being here, now it’s all over the news stands!”

Tim crossed the room and said, “I’m sorry, babe. I tried to keep that quiet, but there were a few people that knew about it.”

“Find out who the fuck it was, NOW!” she hissed.

“I will,” Tim answered.

“Sav’s coming in after the show, so try to make sure he gets in here without any problems,” she said as she laid back down. “And wake me up in an hour.”

“Okay, babe,” Tim said as he headed out the door.

By show time, Alex had calmed down enough to perform, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her more than usual. A harder stare, coming from the audience. By the time she came off stage, she was shaking like a leaf. She hit the dressing room and nearly collapsed. Rather than hitting the shower, she laid on the couch and cried.

A gentle hand ran over her shoulder and she turned to see Sav and Joe staring down at her. Without a word, she flew into their arms and let her sobs go. “How could anyone do this?” she cried.

“I don’t know, baby,” Joe whispered softly. “Listen, we’ll be right here for you, so go get cleaned up and let’s get out of here, okay?”

She nodded quietly and headed into the shower. While she was in there, Joe decided to walk around and see if he could figure things out while Sav waited for her. Joe was walking down the hallway when he heard someone saying, “Yeah, Elliott and Savage just showed up! Right, both of them are here with her, in the dressing room. So, what’s the payday this time? Damn, sounds good! I’ll keep you posted!”

Before the man knew what was going on, Joe spun him around and connected a hard fist to his jaw. The guy sprawled out on the concrete and looked up at him, saying, “What was that fucking for?”

Without a word, Joe grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him into the dressing room. He slammed the man into the wall as Sav stared up at him. A gut punch doubled the guy over just as Tim walked into the room and yelled, “What the hell is going on?”

“I heard the bloody bastard on the phone, telling someone we were here!” Joe growled. Tim walked up and said, “Tony? Why would you do that to Alex?”

“What’s the bitch ever done for me but treated me like a fucking slave?” Tony hissed.

“Fuck you, she’s been damn good to you!” Tim said, moving in front of Joe and grabbing Tony by the collar. Tony didn’t see Tim’s fist until it knocked him to the ground again. Then he felt kick after kick land on his rib cage. Sav headed into the shower to keep Alex out of the room as Joe locked the dressing room door. Then Joe and Tim proceeded to beat Tony mercilessly, until the man was unconscious.

When Alex and Sav came back into the room, she looked at Tony’s limp form and said, “What are we going to do about him now?”

“Hang on,” Sav said, grabbing a bottle of vodka and heading for Tony. Grabbing him by the hair, they managed to get him to down a good bit of the liquor as he sputtered on it. By the time they were done, they’d gotten a third of the bottle down the man’s throat. Then Tim looked around and said, “I’ll take care of him from here, you guys get her out on the bus.”

“Thanks, mate,” Sav answered quietly, bundling Alex up in his arms. He and Joe led her out of the arena and towards the bus, only to be stopped by several fans outside. Alex signed a few autographs, then looked around. One man was standing off to the side, staring daggers at Sav and Joe. He finally walked up to Joe and said, “Why don’t you sorry old bastards leave Alex alone?”

“What? I think that’s up to Alex, isn’t it?” Joe said in a baffled voice.

“I know you’ve done something to her! She wouldn’t act like this!” the man said angrily.

“She’s not ‘acting’ anyway, mate!” Joe said absently. “We’re just friends, okay?”

“Bullshit, you two are turning her into a whore!” the man said, then swung his fist at Joe. It connected with the side of Joe’s face and sent him to the ground. He came back up swinging at the man, knocking him to the ground as Joe yelled, “Get her the hell out of here!”

Sav grabbed Alex and ran for the bus with Joe hot on their heels. The man Joe had hit just stared after them, murder in his eyes, as all three of them boarded the bus. They collapsed on the couch as Alex stared to cry again. She fell into Joe’s arms and sobbed until Joe finally carried her back to the bed and held her until she fell asleep. Sav crawled into the bed behind her and she finally slept in the safety of both their arms.

The guys stayed with her for the next week as they went into a siege mentality. Every stop, the press caught them and started asking pointed questions about their relationship. Finally, one night, Alex said, “Maybe you two should head back to Phil’s. This is getting too much for all of us.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone,” Sav answered softly.

“I’ll be okay, but you two don’t have to deal with it,” she said quietly. “I want you to go. Maybe they’ll back off a bit if you’re not here.”

“You sure, luv?” Joe asked quietly. “We really don’t want you to go through this by yourself.”

“Listen, Joe, we all know, no fuel, no fire,” she replied. “It’ll die down if they don’t see us together all the time.”

“If you want us to leave, we will,” Sav answered sadly.

She turned to him and ran a hand over his face, saying, “I don’t WANT you to go, but I think you have to. I’ll see you in LA, I promise!” Sav nodded and pulled her into his arms, whispering, “I’ll see you there.”

“So will I,” Joe said quietly, running his hand over her back. She pulled away and found Tim, saying, “Can you book them a flight out? As soon as possible?”

“You sure you want me to do that?” Tim asked, knowing that the two of them had really kept her going the past few days.

“Yeah, Tim, they’ve got to go. The press is in a feeding frenzy right now and I can’t get out of the lime light while I’m on tour,” she answered. Tim pulled out his cell phone and booked their flight right away, then turned to her and said, “Okay, if they leave now, they should be able to make the flight in an hour.”

She nodded sadly, then turned to them and said, “I’m gonna miss both of you. But we’ve got to do this for now.”

Both men just looked up at her with regret in their eyes. Unshed tears stood in Sav’s eyes as he said, “We’ll get our shit together then.”

She walked out to the bus with them and sat on the couch as they packed quickly. Tim pulled a car right to the door of the bus, giving them a last few seconds of privacy to say goodbye. Alex fought back her tears, not wanting them to see it as they left. Joe kissed her quickly and headed for the car, leaving Alex and Sav staring at each other. They stood there for a minute, a thousand unspoken words running between them. Then Sav pulled her into his arms and said quietly, “Take care of yourself, luv.”

“You too,” she whispered. Then, with one final kiss, he headed out for the car. Alex went back to her bed and cried herself to sleep again, wishing they were still there.

Over the next few nights, Alex, Sav and Joe ran up huge cell phone bills as the guys called to check on her. She was talking to Joe as she walked out of a venue one night as she looked around at the crowd. Then she saw something that had her worried, though she said nothing to Joe at the time. The same dark haired man who’d accosted Joe a week before stood there, once again just watching her. She shook it off and headed for her bus.

But for the rest of her tour, she saw him outside every night. It started to freak her out, but Sav and Joe were worried enough without hearing that she may have suddenly developed a stalker. So she kept quiet and had Tim escort her to the bus every night. And she thanked God when she finally finished the last date of the tour.

Flying in to LAX the next morning, Alex was relieved to find Joe and Sav waiting on her at the airport along with the rest of the band. After a very quick and subdued reunion, in case cameras were watching, they piled into a rented SUV and headed back to Phil’s place. In the privacy of his home, they were finally able to relax enough to actually say hello properly. Alex nearly ran into Sav’s arms as soon as the door closed behind her, kissing him hard as he took her in his arms. After a moment, Joe walked up and put his arms around her from behind, kissing her neck. The rest of the band disappeared as Alex said, “Damn, that was rough!”

“What, luv?” Joe asked quietly.

“Being alone,” she answered softly.

“Well, you don’t have to be now, luv,” Sav purred into her ear.

“Thank God!” she said with a strained laugh. “Did you guys decide I was staying here then?”

“Yeah, we didn’t want you to go back to your place just yet,” Joe answered. “You can just ride with us to tomorrow’s gig.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she said with a smile.

“Wonder if you’ll like my other plan,” Joe said with a throaty laugh, picking her up out of Sav’s arms.

“What’s that?” she said quietly.

“Making love to you til you can’t walk right,” he whispered into her ear.

“Hmm, well, I do still have one more show to do,” she said as she pretended to consider what he said.

“Promise, we’ll leave you in one piece, at least til tomorrow night,” Sav whispered into her other ear.

“Sounds wonderful then,” she sighed, letting Joe carry her up to his room. Sav grabbed her bags and followed right behind them. Joe laid her down gently on his bed as Sav crawled in behind her. She felt hands everywhere it seemed as the two men touched her impatiently. Alex let go off her emotions and let lust override her senses as they removed her clothing. She shivered for a moment in the air conditioned chill of the room before they covered her with their own bodies.

Sav lay on her right side, his mouth tormenting the soft flesh of her throat as his rough fingers worked gently over her nipple. There was no subtlety in what Joe wanted as he latched onto her nipple with firm hot lips. His hand was already moving carefully between her thighs, teasing her clit with short sure strokes. Alex let out a moan as his fingers penetrated her heat, making her hips buck up into his hand. Sav brought his head up, looking down into her eyes as he kissed her again. His tongue invaded her welcoming mouth while her fingers tangled in his hair, holding him close to her.

Joe moved upwards, his mouth trailing along her throat and up her jaw line until the men’s faces were nearly touching. Her free hand went to the back of Joe’s neck as she turned slightly and kissed him as well. She could feel their bodies all along her sides, but she wanted more. Had to have more. So she turned to Joe and whispered, “Please! I can‘t take anymore of this!”

It didn’t take another word for Joe to move carefully between her thighs and wrap her legs around his waist. Her nails dug into both their backs as he thrust into her with one quick motion. Sav went back to the hollow of her throat, biting roughly at her skin as Joe pounded into her. Then Joe rolled them both over, leaving her on top. Her hands reached for Sav almost immediately as she ground down onto Joe. Sav went into her arms without a thought. Her hand reached for his throbbing member, running over its length as she positioned herself to take him into her throat. Both men watched hungrily as she swallow all of him without effort. Grabbing her shoulders, Sav threw his head back and let the sensations wash over him. Closing his eyes, he focused on her mouth as Joe drove himself up into her sex.

She could feel how close to the brink Sav was, but a deeper need rose up in her and made her stop her ministrations to his body. Looking down at her in surprise as she pulled away, he felt her hands tugging him closer to her. His hands rested on her hips, guiding her down onto Joe as she whispered into his ear, “I want you, Sav. Please, I need you too baby!”

“You sure, luv?” he whispered uncertainly.

“Yes, please!” she begged. Then, softer than before, she said, “I need *you* so bad, Rick, please!”

He moved slowly behind her as she leaned down and kissed Joe, her tongue warring with his. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she felt Sav start to enter her body as well. Joe heard the growl coming from her throat and knew what had happened. Then he felt Sav moving inside her as he pushed deeper in. Her head went back, her lips parted as she breathed in rapid pants. He watched as her eyes closed and she bit down on her lip, struggling with the pain and pleasure shooting through her. Before Sav could get halfway in, she pushed back onto him and took him all in one move. She shot up quickly, her back slamming into Sav’s chest as she fought to get used to the sensation. Sav held her up, forcing Joe’s legs further apart so that he could stay inside her.

Her body melted back into Sav’s as she moved over both men, taking each of them fully into her. She laid her head back on Sav’s shoulder and pulled him in closer to her, feeling for a the world like they were becoming one for that moment. Sav couldn’t believe how good she felt against him, like she belonged right where she was.

Joe could feel every movement both of them made and it didn’t take long for it to send him spirally over the edge just as she hit her first climax. Her body clamped down on his, milking every last drop of fluid from him. She reached out and took his hands, holding on as they both rode the waves of orgasm. Joe’s cock slipped from her body as she pushed herself back on to Sav. Joe watched her face as Sav met her every backwards thrust, the look of intense pleasure coming over her. He saw Sav’s hand go down between her thighs, rubbing her clit roughly. When her climax overtook her, she fell back into Sav’s arms just as he moaned, “Oh, God, baby, I’m cumming, luv.”

She twisted slightly in his arms, about to say something until she thought better of it and kissed him instead. When they finally pulled apart, Alex fell down across Joe’s body and lay there too weak to move. Sav laid down close to them, too spent to do much else.

Alex fell asleep almost immediately, her emotional exhaustion finally releasing in the one place she felt really safe. Sav put his arms over the two of them and slept as well. Even Joe managed to finally fall into a light slumber after their activities.

When Alex woke up, she was laying in Sav’s arms and Joe was nowhere to be found. He came in a few minutes later with a tray full of food and set it on a nearby table when he saw Alex was awake. He sat on the edge of the bed and said quietly, “I thought you guys might be hungry.”

“Uh huh,” she answered, waking Sav with a gentle shake. They both sat up as Joe brought the tray over, sitting it across her lap. “It’s not much, just some sandwiches, but Phil had to go to the grocery again sometime soon and I can’t cook worth shit,” Joe said with a small smile.

“It’s fine, Joe,” she said quickly as she and Sav fell on the food like they were ravenous. It was gone in just a few minutes, then she leaned back against Sav with a satisfied smile.

“Boy, a girl could used to this treatment!” she laughed. Looking up at Sav, she said, “I feel like a queen!”

“No, you’re not a queen, luv,” Sav whispered as he lowered his lips to hers. “You’re a bloody goddess!” His fevered kiss left no awareness of her surroundings, not even of Joe’s stunned expression at Sav’s words. His eyes were wide as realization hit him. Sav was in love with her! That made things rather complicated, now didn’t it? He wondered how she felt. If she returned Sav’s feelings, he had no problem with just backing gracefully out of the situation rather than stand between them.

When she pulled back away from Sav, she looked into his eyes for the longest time, as if she had something she wanted to tell him. Then she looked up at Joe and he saw a trace of guilt in her expression as she said, “Thanks for dinner, baby.”

“You’re welcome,” he answered. He thought for a moment, then said, “Hope you two don’t mind if I go try to get some work done? If being alone isn’t a problem for you?”

Sav gave Joe a board grin and said, “I think I can keep her entertained, unless you need me downstairs as well?”

“Hell, no,” Joe laughed. “Just got idea I want to throw around a little, that’s all. I’ll be back up later.”

“Okay,” Alex said quietly, looking back up at Sav. Joe came over and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and whispered, “I’ll see you later, luv.”

“Yeah,” she answered, then looked up into Joe’s eyes. She couldn’t quite read the emotions she found there. A touch of laughter, a little regret. What was going through his mind as he walked out that door? She stared at the door for a moment before turning back to Sav, who was watching her silently. Without a word, she laid down and pulled him with her, laying her head on his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him and lay there for a long while without saying anything. Then he asked curiously, “So, where are you in the order at tomorrow’s show?”

“I’m number nine, which is rough cuz it puts me right between you guys and Metallica!” she laughed. “I’m gonna get so much shit from Metallica fans who want to get them on stage!”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll do fine,” he said with a smile. He kissed her forehead and pulled her in close. Running her hand over his chest, she said, “I think I’m gonna go soak in the tub before my muscles start protesting.”

“Mind if I join you?” he asked softly.

“Not at all,” she said with a smile. She got up out of the bed and pulled him along with her into the bathroom. Standing back, he watched as she filled the large tub full of steamy hot water and stepped in. She waved him over and said, “Come on, baby, hop in!”

He smiled and slid in behind her, putting his long legs off to either side of her body. Leaning back into his arms, she grinned and let her body relax. He reached for the soap and brought it up to a nice lather, then started at her shoulders, massaging her skin with firm hands. Sighing, she laid her head back against his shoulder and let his hands work over her flesh. She shivered as his fingers went lightly over her breasts, pausing for only a second at her nipples. Then he pushed her forward, running his hands over her back with long strokes.

“Stand up, luv,” he whispered into her ear. “I can’t get your lower body in all this water.”

Pulling herself up out of the water, she turned and faced him. He ran his soapy hands over her long legs, not missing a spot. Then he lifted her foot up to the edge of the tub and washed her inner thighs, working slowly to the v between them. His fingers ran over her mound and slipped into her slit as he looked up at her, seeing her eyes close at his touch. But he wasn’t ready to push this to a sexual thing yet. He finished washing her front and had her turn around, running his hand over the firm mound of her ass. Unable to resist, his fingers dipping into the valley between her cheeks and ran lightly over her tiny puckered opening. His cock stiffened involuntarily as he remember the tightness of being inside her again. With a groan, he took his hand away and said, “Okay, rinse off, luv.”

Sitting down in the water, she splashed it up over her body and removed the suds still clinging to her. Then she said, “Your turn, Rick.”

She took the soap from his hands and started on his chest, running her hands slowly over every inch of it. Getting back up on her knees, she washed his shoulders carefully massaging as she went. Then she pulled him forward and ran her soapy hands over his back. Cupping her hands, she poured water over his chest and back to remove the soap, then said, “Now you have to stand up, baby.”

He did as she asked, leaving her kneeling in front of him. Her hands went over his muscular calves and up to his thighs, then around to the back of him over his ass. Turning her attention to his groin, she rubbed the soap between her hands to get more lather. Then her hands closed over his manhood, going very slowly over its hard length. A moan tore through his body as she washed his balls carefully, still moving slowly along his cock. He felt the warm water running over his crotch as she rinsed him carefully, then felt the heat of her mouth close over him. Her tongue washed him all over again, going over his hot shaft with loving attention. His fingers tangled through her hair as he threw his head back and moaned. Her hands rested on his thighs, pulling him deeper into her throat. But he didn’t want to cum yet and pulled back away from her despite her puzzled stare. He slipped back into the tub and pulled her into his arms, holding her against his body.

Sav closed his eyes as she nibbled along the right side of his jaw, still self conscious after all this time about his face. But she wasn’t having it and continued up over his cheek to the right side of his mouth. Her soft butterfly kisses made him forget that his face was different than it had been as he turned into her body and kissed her full on the mouth. He pulled her up and settled her straddling his lap. Shifting, she moved slowly down on to him and he felt her body close over his.

Riding him slowly, her kisses burned right through him. His hand went to her neck, keeping her from pulling away from his mouth as his fingers went between their bodies. Her body jerk as he pinched her clit very lightly, an electric shock running through her. She shuddered as a climax tore into her body, then collapsed down into his arms. Lifting her without ever leaving her body, Sav moved on top of her and settled her down into the tub. Then he poured himself into every movement, wanting her to feel something more than just the physical. His kisses were so passionate and she returned them with the same fervor. She could feel her body tensing again, ready for another climax, so she begged him, “Cum with me, Rick, please, baby!”

The pleading in her voice and the renewed tightness on his cock was too much for Sav to take any longer. Burying himself into her one last time, he moaned, “I am, luv! Oh, God, I am!” She could sense the shudder that ran through him as his release poured into her. His arms went weak on him and he fell against her body, his head landing on her chest. Moving around, she put more hot water into the tub and laid back on him, letting the heat soothe away the tension from both their tired muscles.

As the water started to chill, Sav got her out of the tub and dried her off with a big fluffy white towel before taking her back into the bedroom. She laid her head back down on his shoulder and the two of them drifted off to sleep within seconds of each other.

They woke the next morning when Joe pounded on the door and walked in. “Sorry, guys, time to get up and moving!”

“Joe?” Alex said groggily. “Didn’t you go to bed last night?”

“Oh, yeah, I slept in Sav’s room,” he said with a smile. “The two of you looked too comfortable to disturb.”

“Um, thanks, mate,” Sav said quietly.

“Very welcome, now get off your asses and get downstairs!” Joe laughed as he headed back out the door.

“What was that about?” Alex asked Sav curiously as she turned into his arms again.

“I have no idea, but I don’t mind it one bit,” he said as he kissed her good morning. “Now, it’s time to get going!” He jumped out of bed and grabbed his jeans, pulling them on quickly. Then he pulled her up and swatted her on the ass to get her moving. He headed down to his own room and got his clothes on for the gig later that day. Alex took one look at him in his jeans and black dress shirt and gave a low whistle, saying, “My God, it’s the return of denim!”

“Yeah, well, look at you!” he exclaimed quickly, looking over her cutoffs and crop top. “You look wonderful, baby!”

“Thank you, sir!” she said with a laugh. Then they heard Joe hollering up the stairs for them to get down there and headed down hand in hand.

The whole day seemed to go by in a blur of interviews and photographs. Just before Leppard took the stage, Joe grabbed Alex and said, “Listen, luv, can I talk to you for a second?“

“Sure, what’s up?“ she asked, looking around guiltily. For some reason, she didn’t want Sav to see her with Joe at that moment. She knew she had to tell Joe that her feelings had changed, but just couldn’t find the words. But she just couldn’t stay involved with him, knowing how she felt about Sav.

“Listen, luv,” Joe said, pulling her into a hidden alcove. “I’ve had a lot of fun with you, but I don’t really think it’s a good idea to, well, keep, um, you know?”

“What are you trying to say, Joe?” she said quickly.

“Fuck! Listen, you’re a great person and another time and situation, well, maybe we could have worked out differently,” Joe said softly. “But I kinda feel like a fifth wheel with you and Sav. Sort of in the way of something you two have going.”

She closed her eyes, wondering how Joe had read her mind so easily. Then she found out as he said, “I can see it when he looks at you, I’ve known him too long. He’s got a lot of feelings involved with you, feelings I just don’t have, you know?”

She nodded quietly as she realized Joe was walking away from their little relationship. “Joe, you’re a real sweetheart, but....”

“I know, luv,” Joe answered as he lifted her chin to look at him. “I’m not the one for you, he is.” Then he smiled at her.

“You’re not hurt by it?” she asked incredulously.

“Not at all, Alex,” he answered. “We had fun, but I’m not stupid enough to stay where I’m not really wanted. Now, go over and give him a kiss for luck so we can kick this crowd’s ass!”

She jumped up and gave Joe a quick kiss on the cheek, then headed for Sav. He’d been standing off to the side, watching her and Joe with guarded eyes. When she came up, he said, “Hello, luv. Have a nice chat with Joe?”

But instead of answering right off, she kissed him hard on the mouth and said, “Lovely talk, actually. First time someone’s ever broken off with me that I really didn’t mind!”

“Joe and you? It’s over?” he asked softly, not really believing what he was hearing.

“Yeah, something about feeling a bit left out and not wanting to interfere,” she replied. Sav looked at Joe over her head and saw the broad grin on Joe’s face as he winked and turned towards the stage. Sav wrapped his arms around her and said, “So, it’s just you and me then, huh?”

“Yeah,” she said quietly.

“Remind me to thank Joe after the show,” Sav said softly as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. Then they heard Malvin announce that it was show time. Sav gave her one last, lingering kiss, then headed for the stage. Alex sat down on his side in the wings, ready to float away as she watched them start to perform.

Their half hour set went well until the end. Just as they were finishing “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, Alex saw a blur as a fan made it up on stage. She let out a scream of warning as she recognized the man who’d been following her on tour. Sav turned towards her as the man ran at him with security guards hot on his heels. Then she saw the flash of metal in the man’s hand and took off running for Sav herself.

“You made her a fucking whore and now you’re going to pay for it!” the guy screamed as the knife flashed out. Sav was too stunned to move as the blade scrapped over the top of his guitar and sunk into his ribcage. Alex caught him just as he was collapsing down onto the stage. The security people tackled the man just as he lunged for Joe as well.

Alex cradled an unconscious Sav against her as paramedics rushed over to them. Tears ran down her face as she stopped Joe from trying to move him until the medics got there. He didn’t open his eyes at all, just laid in her arms as she cried and said, “Don’t you fucking die on me, Rick! You can’t damn well die, baby! God, I love you, Rick, don’t die!”

Putting her hands over the wound, she tried to push down on it unsuccessfully to stop the bleeding as she saw the medics making their way through the crowd. Joe put his hands over hers, trying to help her put pressure on the wound as he said, “Come on, damn it Sav! Don’t you let go on us!”

“Please, God, Rick, don’t die baby!” Alex cried. “Please, Sav, I love you, don’t die!”

An EMT pulled Joe back away from and looked over the gash in Sav’s side, then grabbed a towel to try to slow the bleeding. They loaded Sav onto a gurney as the medic kept pressure on his side while the security guys continued to wrestle with his attacker, trying to get him offstage. The crowd roared in rage and a few fans ran up onstage to help the guards as police flocked to the fray. Joe made his way furiously over just as they finally pulled the man to the ground and knocked him out with one swift kick to the head. Before he could do anything else, Phil grabbed him and dragged him offstage. Alex sat there, still in shock and covered with Sav’s blood as they started to wheel him away. Tears streamed down her face as cameras flashed. She put her blood-covered hands over her eyes and willed this nightmare away. Then she felt strong arms as Joe picked her up and carried her into the wings.

Vivian grabbed the nearest police officer who wasn’t taking Sav’s assailant away and said, “We’ve got to get to the hospital now, mate!”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Campbell! We’ll get you there,” he said quickly.

Alex clung to Joe, sobbing enough to break his heart. He heart went out to her even as he worried about Sav. “He’s gonna be okay, Alex, I just know it,” Joe whispered. Then he carried her through the crowded backstage area, following the rest of the group out to a police van. Joe held onto to Alex as she started to mumble incoherently, the shock settling over her. She shook her head back and forth, trying to deny what had just happened.

They followed just behind the ambulance, sirens blaring on both vehicles. As soon as they pulled into the emergency room parking lot, Alex bolted from Joe’s arms unexpectedly and ran for the ambulance where they were unloading Sav’s gurney. They ran into the building before Alex could make it to them and Joe grabbed her just before she followed them in.

“ALEX, you can’t help him right now!” Joe yelled, trying to cut through her bewildered mind and talk some sense into her. But she broke away from him and ran through the doors anyway. Joe followed her, trying to keep her out of the ER just as they heard a code blue announced over the speakers. She let out a scream as she saw the nurses and doctors crowding around Sav, but Joe caught her and dragged her back out into the parking lot.

“JOE, HE’S DYING! THAT’S WHAT A FUCKING CODE BLUE IS, DON’T YOU KNOW THAT!” she screamed at him. “I’ve got to get in there!”

“ALEX!” Joe said roughly as tears streamed down his own face. “You’ve got to let them do their fucking job! If you get back there, you’re just going to be in the way! Let them do what they have to do!”

The rest of the band gathered around as Alex collapsed back into Joe’s arms. He picked her up and turned to them, saying, “We’ll have to get into the waiting room, they’ll be looking for us if....” Then he walked into the waiting area entrance, followed by three teary eyed men.

Alex went between laying weakly on Joe’s lap and trying to break her way into the ER to be with Sav. She would take off from Joe, running for the treatment room and Joe would grab her and pull her back to the chairs. He considered having them sedate her, but knew she might need her wits about her if Sav pulled through. Then it hit him. Sav. He was in there, maybe dying even now. He pulled Alex closer to him and cried into her shoulder, not caring who saw him at that moment.

Rick stared off into the distance, his face a mask as he looked through everything in front of him. Phil had his head in his hands, crying. And Vivian was pacing the room, praying that the longer it took them to find something out, the better the news would be. He’d just turned towards the doors when he noticed a flock of reporters coming in. Turning back to the group, he said, “We’ve got to get out of here!”

Alex shook her head angrily, saying, “I’m not leaving til I know he’s okay!”

“I’ll stay with her, you guys try to find us some place where we can wait in peace, okay?” Joe said just as the first photographer made it around the corner. He managed to get off a few shots before Phil got in his face and yelled, “Can’t you fucking vultures just leave us alone?”

A female reporter came in next and said, “Has there been any word on Mr. Savage’s condition?”

“No, there hasn’t, now can you please fucking leave?” Phil asked roughly. A second, more persistent photographer came in and completely ignored Phil and Rick, zooming in on Alex laying in Joe’s arms. He got off three shots before Rick made it off the couch and grabbed him by the throat and said, “Leave her the fuck alone, asshole!”

“Sorry, Mr. Allen, but in view of their supposed relationship...” was all the guy got off before Rick pushed him halfway across the room. Then Rick really lost his temper and went after a second photographer, smashing his camera into little pieces before roughly shoving the man out of the ER.

Vivian came in a moment later, ushering them into a private waiting area away from the reporters. Joe still had to carry Alex in, her body just wasn’t responding the way it needed to to walk. They all sat down and waited for word from the doctor who was working on Sav.

“Joe?” Alex said weakly.

“Yeah, luv?” he answered.

“He just can’t die, can he?” she whispered.

“God, I hope not, baby,” Joe said softly. He pulled her tightly against his body as she sat staring off into space, whispering, “I never got to say it.”

“What’s that, luv?” Joe asked.

“I never got to tell him I loved him,” she said absently.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get to,” Joe answered quietly. Then he held on to her as another wave of tears came tearing from her body. Rick walked over and put his hand on her shoulder, feeling like she was shedding tears that he couldn’t at that moment. His arms went around her shoulder as he whispered, “He’ll make it, he’s a tough bastard when he wants to be.”

The door opened quietly and they all froze as a grim faced doctor walked in and looked around. “Are you the people waiting for Rick Savage?”

Alex jumped up from Joe’s lap and said, “Yes! How is he?”

“It’s not good, ma’am,” the doctor said quietly. “He’s alive, but just barely. He lost a lot of blood before they got him here and his left lung collapsed from the puncture in it.”

“But he’s still alive, right?” Rick said cautiously.

“At the moment, yes,” the doctor answered. “But I’ll be very honest with you. He’s already gone into cardiac arrest once and it could happen again.”

Alex started to cry, but she looked at the doctor and said, “Can we see him, please?”

“We’re moving him up to intensive care right now, so it’ll be a little while before anyone can see him,” the doctor answered. “Probably about a half an hour or so, as long as he doesn’t run into any other problems. You’ll only be able to go in two at a time, for short periods.”

“Please, let us know when we can see him,” Joe said quietly. “We’ll move up to the ICU waiting area, so that we’re close by.”

“That’ll be fine. We’ll keep you posted,” the doctor said as he turned and left the room.

Joe took Alex’s hand and led her upstairs behind the others. She still looked near to falling over and Joe was getting more worried about her by the minute. When they got upstairs, she slipped away from Joe and walked down the hallway. The nurse stopped her before she made it to Sav’s room, but she talked to her for a moment and the woman let her look in at him through the glass partition. There was a mass of tubes and bottles running every where and his mouth was covered with tape from the respirator they had him on. She stared in at him, waiting to just at least be beside him instead of outside the room.

His doctor walked up and saw her looking forlornly into his room. He couldn’t help be feel sorry for her, so he came up beside her and said quietly, “IF you can keep from disturbing him, you can go in for just a couple of minutes.”

“I promise,” she whispered. The doctor followed her in and watched as she took his hand gently, sitting down beside the bed.

“You can talk to him, but keep it low,” the doctor said softly.

Her eyes wide, she nodded and leaned over the bed. “Sav? Baby, I’m here! You’ve got to pull through this, honey. I love you, Rick.” She kissed his forehead as the doctor said, “I’ll leave you alone for a moment.” He stepped out and she leaned close to his ear, whispering, “I love you Rick! Please, I don’t know how you feel about me, but I do know what I’m feeling now. You’ve got to come around so I can at least tell you that once!”

“Miss, you’re going to have to leave now,” the nurse said gently.

She leaned down and kissed him again, then walked slowly out into the hall. Making her way back to the others, she said, “They let me see him for just a minute. God, Joe, he looks awful! There’s all these tubes and he’s not breathing on his own and...”

Joe pulled her close and said, “Shh, luv, it’s gonna be okay. He’ll do it! I know he will.” He held her for a bit, then talked her into laying down on the couch to try to sleep.

Over the next few hours, while Alex laid sleeping on the couch, the guys each went back and saw him for a few minutes. But Joe was gone for a long time as they heard warnings sound in the ICU. When he finally came back, his face was drawn and haggard and there were tears in his eyes. He threw himself down into a chair away from everyone and let tears come.

“What’s going on?” Phil asked quickly. Joe sat mute as Vivian said, “Joe, what the fuck happened back there?”

Alex woke up and took one look at Joe, then raced down the hall as Joe said, “It was his heart again, mates.”

“What do you mean, was?” Rick asked roughly.

“He went into cardiac arrest again,” Joe said slowly. “They were still working on him, but he was dead.” Then Joe collapsed into tears that no one could stop.

Alex pushed her way into the room as the doctor said, “Damn it, time of death?”

“10:12pm,” a nurse said softly.

“NOOOO!” Alex screamed. She pushed her way past them and threw herself down on Sav’s body, still screaming incoherently. Then she started pummeling his body with her fists, saying, “Damn you, Rick! You can’t do this to me! Please, Rick! Wake up!”

The nurse was just about to turn off the monitor when she saw a faint blip on the screen. “Doctor! Look at this!” There was a second blip, then a third.

“Shit, he’s still alive!” the doctor said quickly. “Please, miss, you’ve got to step out of here!”

“No, damn you! I’ll stay out of your way, but I’m not fucking leaving him again!” Alex hissed. She turned back to Sav and said, “Come on, baby, keep it up! You’re a fucking bass player, I know you can find this rhythm!”

It seemed that his heartbeat got stronger with every word she said, until it was back to beating in a normal pattern again. The doctor stayed in the room for a good while longer, then left her alone with Sav. She kissed him quickly and whispered, “I’ve got to tell the guys you’re okay, but I’ll be right back. Don’t you fucking think about pulling that shit on me again!”

She walked down the hall and found all four of Sav’s band mates sitting in the waiting area with tears in their eyes. Joe looked up at her, expecting the worst possible news. She smiled down at him and said, “He’s pulling through again. They were just about to give up when his heart started up on it’s own.”

Joe jumped up and spun her around with a whoop.

“I’ve got to go back in, I promised him I would,” she said when Joe put her down. “But I thought you should know about it.”

“Thanks, luv. I’m gonna walk back with you, if you don’t mind,” Joe answered.

“That’s fine with me,” she said softly. She took his hand as they walked back to Sav’s room. Walking to his side, she whispered, “I’m back, baby. Now, you get better!”

Joe sat down across from Alex on Sav’s other side and said, “Thanks for coming back to let us know, luv. I really thought he was gone this time.”

“No, he’s not going anywhere,” Alex said confidently. Scooting her chair closer, she put a hand on his shoulder and laid her head down on the rail.

“You really love him, don’t you?” Joe asked quietly. All Alex could do was nod as she stared down at him.

“I doubt he feels the same way, Joe,” she said quietly, but he stopped her and said, “I don’t. I can see it in the way he looks at you and I really didn’t want to interfere. You’re good for him, Alex, and I couldn’t have taken that away. Especially now.”

“Thank you, Joe,” she said softly. “I just didn’t know what to say to you...”

“It’s okay, luv,” Joe answered. “You two have a ton of emotions going on that I didn’t have in the situation. I care a good bit about you, but I’m not in love with you. He is.”

Shaking her head, she whispered, “We’ll see about that. If not for me, he wouldn’t even be here now. He may not forgive me for that...”

“It’s probably never even crossed his mind,” Joe replied quickly.

“Well, it’s crossed mine,” she whispered. Joe heard something in her voice then, a warning of things to come perhaps. She’d been torn by guilt from the beginning of their unusual relationship and now it was crashing back in on her. Joe crossed the room and ran his hand over her shoulder, at a loss for words. He finally left her alone to sit with Sav while he went back into the waiting area. He heard her crying as he walked away.

Alex refused to leave him for the next two days. He still hadn’t regained consciousness, leaving her far too much time to think about what had happened. She was certain now this was her fault, so she made a decision to leave once he was out of danger. Mentally, she stored up images of his face for the time when he wasn’t in her life anymore.

The second day, the doctor took him off the respirator and found him breathing easily on his own. They kept large doses of antibiotics in his system to ward off infection, but as for him coming to, all they could do was wait and see.

By the third day, the doctor said he could come around at any moment. Alex held on to his hand all day, hoping to see those blue eyes looking back up at her again one last time. But Joe did finally persuaded her to go back to her apartment and change out of the clothes that were still stained with Sav’s blood. When she got home, she collapsed on the bed and decided then and there not to go back. He was out of danger, that she was sure of. So it seemed best if she left him now, so that it would hurt him less. He probably wouldn’t even miss her if she wasn’t there when he woke up. So she curled up in the bed without changing clothes and cried herself to sleep.

Joe started to get worried about Alex when she’d been gone for several hours. They’d talked about moving Sav out of ICU once he regained consciousness and he knew she’d want to be there for that. So Joe sat in her place by the bed and waited for her to return. He was staring out the window when he heard a soft groan from the bed, then Sav whispered hoarsely, “Alex.”

He spun around to the bed and saw Sav staring back up at him. “Thank God, mate!” Joe gasped as he ran over to the bedside. “We’ve all been waiting for you to wake your ass up!”

“Where’s Alex?” Sav asked softly.

“She’ll be back, mate,” Joe answered, though in truth he didn’t know what was going through her head at that moment. What was taking so long? Joe reached for the nurses’ call button as he said, “I sent her home to get cleaned up, cuz she hasn’t left you since you’ve been here.”

“Could hear her,” Sav mumbled.

“I’m sure she’ll be glad to know that, mate,” Joe said with a smile as the nurse walked in. She took one look at Sav and walked out in the hallway to call for his doctor, then she shooed Joe out of the room. Joe headed for the payphone and called Alex’s house. It rang several times before Alex’s groggy voice came on the line.

“Where the hell are you?” Joe asked quickly.

“I’m not coming back, Joe,” she whispered.

“Oh, FUCK, yes you are!” Joe said hurriedly into the phone.

“It’s my fault he’s in there and he won’t even miss me when he wakes up,” she said sadly.

“Get over here NOW, Alex,” Joe said in a low voice.

“No, Joe, I can’t,” she answered, then Joe heard a dial tone replace her voice. Joe pounded his fist into the wall and said roughly, “FUCK!”

He swung by the waiting room and told the others Sav had woken up, then grabbed the keys to Phil’s car and said, “I’ve got to go get Alex. He’s asking for her already.”

Met by confused nods all around, Joe took off without another word. He nearly flew across LA to her apartment and pounded loudly at the door. It took several minutes for Alex to finally open the door. One look at her bedraggled appearance and Joe knew she’d fallen into a pit of guilt as soon as she was alone. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the bathroom, then said, “Get cleaned up. He needs you back there, Alex.”

“I’m the worst possible person to be there, Joe,” she murmured. “I did this to him.”

“I don’t think he fucking cares how it happened, luv! The first word he said when he came to was your name, so you WILL get your ass back over there for him!” Joe said emphatically. “Deal with your personal problems later and worry about him right now!”

“He’s awake?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, and he’s asking for you, so you will damn well be there!” Joe said angrily.

Nodding slowly, she stripped out of her clothes and got into the shower under Joe’s watchful eyes. When she got out, Joe already had clean clothes waiting for her to speed up the process. He kept an eye on her as she ran a brush through her hair, then took her hand and got her out into the car.

The drive back to the hospital was silent. Joe wasn’t sure what to say and Alex just couldn’t find any words. He took her back up to ICU and flew past the waiting area straight to Sav’s room. He was sleeping again, but Joe looked at Alex and said, “Stay right here. Talk to him. He heard you before, so I’m sure he’ll hear you now.” Then Joe left her alone with him.

She stared down at him, her eyes looking hungrily over his form. Screwing her courage into place, she walked over and took his hand gently and said, “I’m sorry this happened, Sav. God, I’ll never forgive myself for what he did to you!” Then she laid her head down on the side of the bed and started to cry.

“Not your fault,” Sav murmured.

Her head snapped up and she found herself staring into his half closed eyes. “It was, Rick. He wouldn’t have done this if not for me!”

“No, luv, don’t blame yourself,” he murmured weakly. He squeezed her hand as tightly as he could and closed his eyes. For a moment, she thought he’d fallen back to sleep. Then, without opening his eyes, he whispered, “Love you, Alex. Don’t leave me!”

Tears sprang into her eyes as she said softly, “I won’t, Rick. I love you, too!” She ran her hand gently over his hair, then kissed him on the forehead. Pulling back, she lowered the rail between them and took his hand again as she laid her head on his shoulder. She could hear his breathing even out as he drifted back to sleep again and let herself relax against him, sleeping in moments herself.

Later that afternoon, they moved him down to a regular room, but still tried to restrict his visitors. The guys stopped by a couple at a time, but most of the time only got to watch as he slept. Alex sat with him, catching quick naps between nurse visits.

Joe brought her in dinner later that night, waking her gently so as not to disturb Sav. “How’s he doing?”

“Good,” she answered around mouthfuls of food. “He was awake for a little while, but he went right back to sleep.”

“He probably needs it,” Joe said softly, pulling up a chair next to her. He looked down at Sav and said, “I think his color is getting better.”

“It is,” she replied. “He’s gonna make it, Joe.”

“Good, luv,” Joe said softly. They heard Sav turn, then groan from the pain of moving. His eyes came open, searching Alex out immediately. He gave her a small smile and whispered, “Hi, baby.”

She smiled down at him and said, “Hello, sir!”

Joe leaned forward and said, “Hell of a way for a vacation, mate!”

“Um, don’t want a vacation as long as she’s here,” Sav mumbled. She kissed his cheek quickly as Sav said, “Anybody else get hurt?”

“No, only the guy who attacked you,” Alex said, pointing over at Joe. “Soccer came in handy with Joe around.”

“Huh?” Sav asked in confusion.

“The guy took one hell of a boot in the head from Joe when they got him on the ground,” Alex laughed.

“Oh,” Sav said softly. He tugged lightly at her hand, pulling her close to him again. Wrapping her arms around him, she said, “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Lay down with me, please?” he whispered.

She thought about it for a minute, then turned to Joe and said, “Help me move him over a little, please?”

“Sure, luv,” Joe said, rising to his feet. He went to Sav’s opposite side and lifted him carefully, avoiding the wound in his side. They slid him over gently, leaving just enough room for Alex to slip into the bed with him. Then Joe ran his hand over her cheek and whispered, “Take care of him, Alex. We’ll be in tomorrow morning to see him.”

“I will,” she said softly. “Go rest, Joe. I’ll call you if anything happens, okay?”

Joe nodded then said, “Take it easy, Sav. No fooling around in the hospital, okay?”

“Like I could,” Sav murmured as Joe walked away. He settled Alex in against his shoulder and laid his head down on top of hers. But all the movement had exhausted him and he was snoring softly within a few minutes. She held him for hours, just listening to his heartbeat and the soft sounds of his breath before she finally went back to sleep as well.

“Mr. Savage? You’ve got some visitors,” the nurse said quietly. Sav woke with a start, then smiled as he saw his mother and brothers walk into the room. “Hi, Mum,” he said hoarsely.

“Richard? How do you feel, luv?” she asked softly.

“Better than two days ago,” he mumbled. “Mum, this is Alex. Alex, this is my mum, Sally. The two ugly guys in the back are my brothers, John and Brian.”

Sally held out her hand, shaking Alex’s with a friendly smile. Brian took her hand as well, saying, “I’ve heard your CD, luv! You’ve got a fantastic voice. Don’t know what our pretty boy did to deserve you!”

“Share her with Elliott, you mean,” John said angrily. “Can’t you just leave him alone?”

“John!” her mother admonished. “Quit being so rude!”

“You’ve read the papers, Mum!” John insisted. “That maniac was one of her bloody fans! Gone psycho because of her ‘relationship’ with my brother and Joe Elliott! If she’d have stayed out of his life, he wouldn’t be in this mess!”

‘Shut up, John,” Sav said quietly as Alex started to pull away from him. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He saw the tears going down Alex’s cheeks and tried weakly to wipe them away. But she was off the bed too quickly for him to catch her. She looked at Sav’s mother and said, “I’m so sorry, ma’am. I never meant for anything to happen to Rick.”

“That’s the way with you little sluts, isn’t it,” John continued. Alex’s mouth worked wordlessly as Sav said, “Don’t do this to yourself, baby!”

“He’s right, Sav. I told you that last night, didn’t I?” she cried. “I’m sorry, Rick!” Then she took off into the hallway and was gone.

“Bloody bastard,” Sav said angrily as he turned to his brother. “If she leaves me over this...”

“You’ll damn well be better off!” John interrupted quickly. “Let her run off to Elliott and leave you alone!”

“She’s not with Joe anymore,” Sav mumbled, turning away from them all. “She’s just with me, or at least she was, until you opened your mouth.”

“You don’t need that kind of trollop in your life, Richard,” John insisted. “She’s nothing but...” Then he looked up at Sav’s heart monitor and saw the erratic pulse. He called for a nurse who came running quickly. Their mother grabbed John by the arm and said, “Get gone, boy, or I’ll have your skin for this! This is no the time to be yelling about his choice of women! Your wife wasn’t exactly my first choice for you, now was she?” She dragged John out into the hallway and continued to berate him as the doctor worked frantically to get his heart back under control again.

Joe saw Alex run by and took off after her, catching her just before she got on the elevator. She pulled back away from him and slumped down against the wall, sobbing. Joe knelt down in front of her and asked, “Luv, what happened?”

“His brother, he said...” but she couldn’t go on. “I have to leave, Joe! All I’m gonna do is hurt him!”

“Jesus, luv, you’ve fucking kept him going through this!” Joe answered in frustration. “John is a bloody idiot if he thinks Sav would be alive without you.”

Alex stumbled back to her feet and said, “I’m leaving, that’s all there is to it.”

“No, luv, you’re not!” Joe insisted. “That’s the worst thing you could do to him!” She tried to head for the elevator again, but Joe grabbed her by the waist and said, “I’m not fucking chasing you all over the country, Alex. You’re staying and that’s it!” Then he picked her up and carried her over his shoulder back to the waiting room despite her protests.

Joe sat her down just as Rick called, “JOE! His heart’s giving him problems again!”

“FUCK! Come back with me, Alex!” Joe said quickly. But she shook her head and said, “I can’t.”

“Bloody hell! Rick, keep her here while I find out what’s going on!” Joe said quickly, then headed back to Sav’s room. Phil, Vivian and Sav’s family stood in the hall as the doctor’s worked on him. Joe turned to Mrs. Savage and said, “Ma’am, what happened?”

“John bloody well tried to kill Richard,” Sally said angrily. “He tore into Richard’s girlfriend about those news articles and Richard got very upset when she left. Where is she?”

“Trying to leave the fu... bloody hospital,” Joe answered quickly. “I couldn’t get her to come back in here again.”

“He needs her, no matter what my idiot of an elder son thinks,” she said quietly.

“I’ll get her back here again, but all he did was reinforce the problems the poor girl already had,” Joe answered, a tinge of anger still evident in his voice. John just looked at him and said, “Yeah, my timing was bad, but he needs to see her for what she really is.”

“And what’s that, John,” Joe said flatly.

“A common whore,” John answered. Joe started after him, but Phil and Vivian held him back and said, “Not now, mate! Worry about Sav for now!”

“You’re right,” Joe said, reigning in his temper. “But I think you need to leave, John.”

“I’ll get him out of here,” Mrs. Savage said quietly. “Apologize to her for me, please?”

“I will, ma’am,” Joe answered with a small smile.

“And let her know that John didn’t speak for any of the rest of us,” she went on. “Whatever makes Richard happy has always been what I’ve wanted for him.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Joe said quietly. Mrs. Savage grabbed John by the arm and pushed him down the hallway, followed closely by Brian. The three men watched in Sav’s room as the doctor gave a satisfied smile and walked into the hall.

“He’ll pull through again,” the doctor said quietly. “This wasn’t near as serious as it looked.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Phil said quietly. “Can we see him now?”

“Certainly, go right in.”

They filed into Sav’s room and surrounded the bed as Sav looked around for Alex. His eyes found Joe, who could only shake his head and said, “She tried to leave after what John said. I dragged her back to the waiting room and Rick’s keeping her there. But she won’t come back again.”

Sav closed his eyes and laid back on the bed, mentally cursing his brother. But he was too tired to even say a word. They watched as he fell back to sleep again within minutes, then they headed back to the waiting area. Alex was curled in a ball in a corner chair, still sobbing. Rick looked up and said, “Okay, who gets to be goalie when she bolts for the door next time?”

“I’ll keep her here,” Joe answered. “Thanks, mate.” He crossed the room and knelt back down in front of her, putting his hands on her legs as he said, “Luv, I’m sorry about what John said. He doesn’t know anything...”

“Oh, really? Well he knows a whore when he sees one, doesn’t he?” she cried. “Let me leave, Joe!”

“No, luv, I won’t,” Joe answered. “Sav needs you too much for that.”

She turned and stared out the window without saying another word. For hours, she just sat there, not moving a muscle. Phil brought up lunch, but she just looked away and refused to eat. The same thing happened when Vivian brought them dinner. As night fell, Joe pulled Alex over onto the couch with him and held her as he fell asleep. She just laid there and stared off into nothing as the men slept all around her.

It was about three am when she saw a figure slumping in the doorway. She couldn’t see who it was, but heard Sav’s voice say weakly, “Alex? Are you still here?” Then he collapsed down onto the floor. She took off from Joe’s arms and Joe thought she was trying to get away until he saw Sav laying on the floor in Alex’s arms.

Joe ran for the nurse as Alex held on to him and whispered, “I’m here, baby!”

“Don’t leave me,” Sav whispered. He slipped into unconsciousness before she could say anything to him. So she wrapped her arms around him and cried as Joe returned with the nurse and a wheelchair. Joe and Phil lifted Sav’s body into the chair and helped get him back to his room as Vivian berated the nurse, saying, “How could you not see him get out of bed?”

“Sir, we had a bit of an emergency in another room,” she said quietly. “He slipped away while we were in with that patient. He’s been so weak that we didn’t think he’d even try to get out of bed.”

“He came after me,” Alex whispered softly as they reached his room. The nurse helped Joe and Phil lift him back into bed, then checked him over thoroughly. There was a bit of seepage from his wound, as though his stitches had ripped open. She called for a doctor, then shooed everyone from the room.

Alex sat down on the floor outside his room and put her head in her hands, whispering, “I shouldn’t have left him, God, I was so fucking stupid!”

“Well, it wasn’t your brightest moment, honestly luv,” Joe said quietly. “But he’ll be fine, don’t worry. It’s just his stitches, nothing major.”

“Okay, he’s settled in and awake again,” the doctor said quietly. “He’s asking for Alex.”

Joe helped her to her feet and gave her a quick hug before saying, “Keep him in bed this time, luv.”

“I will,” she answered as she walked slowly into the room. Making her way slowly over to Sav, she saw his eyes were closed and started to sit down. But as she took his hand, his eyes opened and he whispered, “You said you wouldn’t leave me.”

“I’m sorry, baby,” she said as the tears started again. “I just couldn’t listen to what John was saying, cuz I’m afraid he’s right.”

“He’s not, luv,” Sav answered softly. Then he pulled her arm, trying to get her to climb up on the bed again. Helping him over, she got in beside him and snuggled down against his body. His unexpected trip down the hall wore Sav completely out as he pulled her close to him and said, “I love you, Alex.”

“I love you too, Rick,” she said. But when she looked up into his eyes, he was already falling back to sleep. So she laid her head back against his chest, put her arms around him and let herself slip away in the safety of his arms.

She woke the next morning when the doctor came in to check on Sav. She ran her hand over Sav’s stomach to try to wake him, but something didn’t feel right. It was rock hard, far harder than his normal muscle tone. She looked up at his face and realized he hadn’t heard her. “Rick? Baby, the doctor’s here! Sav?”

“Damn,” the doctor hissed as she mentioned the problem with his stomach. “He’s bleeding into his belly! I’m going to have to ask you to step out, Alex.”

She moved back away from the bed and stayed in the corner, watching as the doctor hollered out orders. They brought in a gurney and wheeled Sav out of the room just as Joe was about to come in. Alex laid down on his bed and pulled his pillow against her body, holding it as she’d held him only a few minutes before. Joe ran his hand over her back as he asked, “What’s going on?”

“He’s bleeding into his stomach,” she whispered. “He did more than pull out stitches last night, Joe.”

“Shit, so they’re taking him back into surgery, I assume?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah, I guess,” she mumbled.

“Come with me, we can wait together while I call his mum,” he said softly.

“No, I’m not leaving until they bring him back to his bed this time,” she murmured. “I’ve left to many times already.” Joe nodded sadly as he left her curled up on the bed. He had to give the bad news to the others.

Alex fell back to sleep breathing in Sav’s scent from his pillow. Dream after dream, they were so close to getting together, only to be ripped apart again. The pillow was wet with her tears by the time the nurse came in and said, “Ma’am, they’re bringing him back up now, you’ll have to move.”

She stumbled out of the bed and stood near the window as they wheeled him back in. The doctor turned to her and said roughly, “Don’t make him go look for you again! We almost lost him on the table down there.”

“I won’t,” she whispered, moving over to Sav’s side again. Her fingers ran over the new larger bandage before she turned to the phone and called the waiting room.

“Joe?” she said slowly. “He’s back.”

“I’ll be right there,” Joe answered, then hung up the phone. He and the others were in the room a few minutes later, looking down at Sav’s unconscious form on the bed. Joe finally looked at her and said, “Don’t even think of leaving him again, luv. He can’t take it.”

“I won’t, Joe, doctor’s orders,” she said quietly. They talked for a few minutes as everyone started to realize he was safe again, then went back to the waiting room. Joe brought her lunch to her in Sav’s room just as Mrs. Savage and Brian made their way in. Mrs. Savage put a hand on Alex’s shoulder and said, “Please, stay with him. He wants you here.”

“I will, ma’am,” Alex answered. His mother and brother stayed for nearly an hour before they went back down to the room with the others. Alex laid her head down on the bed next to his and cried for all the pain she’d put him through, her hand resting on his stomach. She fell into an emotionally exhausted sleep about twenty minutes later.

Waking, but still groggy from the anesthesia, Sav looked down at her with bleary eyes. He wanted to run his hand over her hair, to let her know he was okay, but he just couldn’t move yet. He tried to speak to her, but his mouth just wouldn’t form words. He managed to move his hand over hers before he went back to sleep again.

Alex woke and looked up at him, then felt his hand holding hers. She squeezed it lightly and saw his eyes open again, looking down at her sleepily. Then a slow smile crossed his face. “Hello, luv,” he whispered softly.

She brushed the hair back from his face and said, “I’m glad to see those beautiful eyes open again, baby.”

“Those eyes are glad to see you,” he said hoarsely. “Missed you yesterday!”

“I’m sorry,” she answered.

“Get back up here, and don’t you leave this time,” Sav said as he tried to move over.

“Just wait a bit, baby,” she said softly. “I’m still pretty worried about you moving too much.” When he realized she wasn’t going to help him, he laid back and said, “Okay, I’ll wait.”

The doctor came in to look him over and said, “NO MORE WALKS, Rick. Last night was stupid and it almost cost you your life!”

“I’ll stay put as long as I know where she is,” Sav mumbled. “Tie her to my bed and I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Sav,” she answered quietly.

“You’d best not,” the doctor said crossly. “After last night, he’s not going to be up for at least a few days. We‘ll try having him sit up tomorrow, just to see how it goes.” Alex nodded without taking her eyes from Sav. His own nod was a good bit slower, thinking of the pain he’d been through just trying to scoot over. Then he looked at the doctor and said, “Can she get back in bed with me? It would help me a lot.”

The doctor sighed and said, “I don’t recommend it, but something tells me that doesn’t mean as much to you, does it?”

“No, it doesn’t,” Sav whispered as he looked back up at the doctor. Alex helped the doctor slid Sav over in the bed and got in next to him, running her hand over his chest as the doctor shook his head. “Rick,” he said finally, “try not to move around too much, for your own good.”

“I won’t let him,” Alex answered.

“Good, now rest Rick. It’s the only way you’ll get any better,” the doctor replied as he left the room.

“I’ll rest better now,” Sav said softly as he put his arm around Alex’s shoulder. They settled in together and Sav went back to sleep as Alex watched over him.

At dinner time, Alex helped get him settled in with his tray just as Joe brought in Alex’s food to her. The entire band came in to see how he was doing and bitch at him for even thinking of getting out of bed the previous night. He ignored them and dug in to his first meal in the past few days. They sat and talked as Sav dozed on and off. Every time Alex moved, Sav woke up and made sure she wasn’t going anywhere. He panicked when he woke up while she was in the bathroom, looking around and wondering where she was. When she came back out, she sat back down with him and calmed him down again. The doctor had mentioned the possible emotional effects of the trauma and the drugs, so Alex was ready it when he got a scared. She held him through his tears and soothed him back to sleep, vowing not to leave again without telling him first next time.

The following morning, the nurse came in and said, “Mr. Savage, the doctor wants you to try to sit up today as much as possible.”

Sav sighed and nodded silently. Alex got up and moved to his side of the bed, whispering, “You can do it, Rick. You made it clear to the waiting room the other night, this should be a breeze.”

The look on his face said it was going to be anything but easy. He grimaced as he turned over while the nurse lowered his rail. She started to move into help him sit up, but Alex stepped in and said, “I’ll do it.”

Standing in front of Sav, she took both his hands in her and said, “Pull up on me, okay baby?”

Biting his lower lip, Sav tugged against her and moved up into a sitting position. Then the nurse said, “Let’s try to get to the chair, sir.”

His head went forward as he concentrated on making his legs move again. Alex slipped his arm over her shoulder, letting him lean on her as he shuffled across the room. Then she eased him down into the chair, ever mindful of his stitches. He sat up as Joe and the others came in to see him, chatting as though nothing was even wrong. But soon enough he was tired and Joe and Alex helped him back into bed. The guys left as she got in with him, settling him in to sleep once more.

Over the next few days, Sav’s time out of bed got longer and they started making him walk around. Within two weeks, the doctor declared him well enough to take home, so long as he rested. Joe had Malvin make arrangements for the band to head back to Ireland while Alex had to go back home. Everyone headed straight to the airport from the hospital, band members to Joe’s place to start recording while Sav regained his strength and Alex back to her house in Ohio. Sav tried to talk her into coming to Ireland with him, but she had commitments that she’d ignored during Sav’s hospital stay. They said a tearful goodbye as Alex boarded her plane. When she sat down, all she could do was stare out the window and wish she could be going with him instead.

Over the next month, Alex made a couple of public appearances on the arm of young men selected by her managers, trying to put out the fire ignited by the tabloids. But Sav hated the idea, so after three “dates”, she told her managers no more. He wanted to be there with her, but was still too weak to travel all over the country. So she went out by herself as the media hype died down. Eventually, Sav’s theory about ignoring the whole mess proved true and the gossip mongers moved on to other pastures.

Alex tried to call Sav every day, no matter where she was. But often, it was too late in Ireland by the time she called, so she only got in a quick hello before he was ready to go to sleep.

When she headed home, her sister Casey was there to help out around the house. Within two days, they had the house aired out and ready for her to stay in. But the second night, Casey shipped her off to bed with a broad grin. Alex wondered just what was going on, but Casey only said that she looked incredibly tired and needed to rest.

Alex was sleeping when she heard a slight cough from the doorway. She looked up and saw a tall, lean figure leaning against the frame. Thinking she had to be dreaming, she turned on the bedroom light and found Sav staring down at her with a smile on his face. She shot up out of the bed and across the room into his arms as he laughed.

“Miss me?” he whispered into her hair.

“More than you’ll ever know,” she answered, then kissed him hard on the lips. Her tongue met his within a second, dancing in his mouth as she moved closer to him. She felt him flinch away, then remembered how tender his side must still be. Pulling back, she ran a hand over his chest and said, “God, I’m so sorry baby!”

“Don’t be, it was worth it,” he laughed, though she could still see a trace of pain in his eyes. “Mind if I join you in that bed, luv? I seem to have forgotten just how long the trip from Ireland was!”

“No, come on,” she said softly. Taking her pajamas off, she climbed under the covers and held them up for Sav to get in. He took one look at her and said, “Now that’s a hell of an invitation, luv.”

Smiling, she patted the bed and said, “Well, take it then!”

“I believe I will,” he smiled. He stripped out his clothes and saw Alex flinch when she saw the healing stitches in his side. “It’s not as bad as it looks, luv. Only when I get tackled!”

“I’m sorry about that,” she said quickly as he got under the covers. “I completely forgot about it.”

He took her in his arms and said, “Good, I’m glad! Now, mind if we catch some sleep? I really am tired.”

“Oh, I see how you are! Show up and fall into my bed like you belong there or something!” she said with a mocking scowl.

“Hmm, want me to leave?” he said as he reached a hand up and tweaked her nipple. With a groan, she whispered, “Hell no!”

“Good,” he said as he kissed her forehead. “Now, go to sleep!”

“Yes sir!” she laughed and laid her head down on his chest. His hands ran lazily over her back as she heard his breathing slow. She laid there, close to him and not believing he was actually there, for a very long time. Her hand ran gently over his chest and down his stomach, wanting to touch all of him again not matter what he said. But she held back and made herself finally go to sleep so he could rest.

A warm hard body pulled her close as she dreamt. Hot breath flowed over her cheek, replaced a moment later by soft, gentle lips. She snuggled into the warmth, wanting to feel the heat even in her sleep. Her hands found hot skin and she pulled it closer. Hard heat pressed into her thigh. Then she heard his voice in her dream, “I love you, Alex...”

“Love you Sav,” she whispered aloud. She floated up through the layers of consciousness as his mouth closed over hers, a passionate kiss that left no doubt what he was thinking. His tongue invaded her mouth with a fervor she’d never felt before. Her arms curled around his neck as his mouth went lower, sucking at the flesh of her throat. But as he tried to move over on top of her, she heard a groan of pain tear from his throat. Her eyes snapped open as he muttered, “Oh, fuck, remind me not to move like that again!”

“Then don’t move, baby,” she whispered into his ear, pushing him gently back into the bed. She moved gingerly over him and straddled his body easily. He moaned as she lowered herself onto him, moving carefully so she didn’t jar his side. She leaned down and kissed him softly as she ground down onto his hard manhood.

“Mmm, God, baby, fuck me, please!” Sav begged. His hand slid between them, rubbing roughly over her sensitive clit as she ran her hands over his chest. Her hips moved in slow circles as she threw her head back. Her lips part and her breathing got ragged as his fingers worked on her hard nub. His free hand clutched at her hip and his hips came up off the bed, driving into her as she felt the first wave of climax hit her. Leaning up, he whispered roughly, “Help me! I need to feel you under me, luv.”

Nodding, she lay down on him and got him rolled over on top of her. He leaned up on his elbows as he started to thrust slowly into her waiting body. Looking up into his eyes, she whispered softly, “You know I love you, don’t you Rick?”

“Yeah, baby, I do,” he murmured as he lowered his lips to hers. His kiss was sweet and hot as he continued to move into her body, taking her for his own with every movement. Her hands went to his face, forcing him to look into her eyes as she felt his body shudder in orgasm. She bit her lip as she felt him release deep inside her. Exhausted, he fell down on to her with a soft moan, folding her into his arms as he said, “I love you, baby!”

She kissed his forehead and whispered, “I love you, too.”

As they rearranged themselves to go back to sleep, Sav looked down at her and said quietly, “Come back to Ireland with me, luv. I don’t ever want to have to be without you again!”

Staring deep into the blue of his eyes, she nodded and said quietly, “You won’t ever have to again. I promise.”