What Price Pleasure
Uh, oh. Now What!

BY: Cassy

Disclaimer: See chapter one. *thhhhppppppptttttttttttt*

Late that day, shortly before sunset, Tamara and Lyza were discussing the recent turn of events online. Lyza had used one of Crystal's portals to return to her apartment in St. Louis.

"Uh oh," Lyza suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" Tam asked.

"Damien just ran into Anita at the Circus," Lyza told her. "She's looking for JC. Nobody's seen him all afternoon, and he's apparently blocking the marks."

"Well, I know Asher talked to him earlier, shortly after you left," Tam replied. "But we haven't seen him here...I hope he's not too upset about this. Shit, you don't think he'll demand I abort if it turns out to be his do you?"

"I don't know...," Lyza answered truthfully.

"Lyza, is your link with Damien still open?" Tamara asked.

"Yeah."

"Could you have him relay this to Anita? Asher and I agreed that we should try to keep this as quiet as possible until the Council business is out of the way," Tamara said. "But I'd rather Anita know *now* than think later I was keeping secrets from her. Jean-Claude does that to her often enough. If he's not the father, then no harm done. If it *is* his child, then...."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Lyza questioned. "I'm still not so sure Asher should have told JC until you guys were sure who's the dad."

"Well," Tam said, "I'd rather her find out now than later."

"All right," Lyza reluctantly agreed. "I'll let Damien know and ask him to tell Anita...hold on." A couple of minutes passed. "Even he's wondering if it's a good idea, but he said he'd tell her. I think he just doesn't like to be the one to do so...you know how much he hates to get mixed up in other people's business."

"Tell him I said thanks," Tam said. "If Jean's not at the Circus, I wonder where he is...."

The sound of two male voices, one shouting in agitation, reached Tamara.

"Where is she?" That sounded like Jean-Claude.

"Mon ami...," Asher's voice came soothing, attempting to calm the other master vampire.

"Oh shit!" Tam told Lyza hurriedly, tears of fright brimming. "Jean's *here*...and he sounds pissed."

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Jean-Claude shouted, bursting into the computer room. Tamara turned to face him, shaking with fear for the child she'd only learned about that day. The Master of St. Louis stared at her intensely. "You! Is it true that you claim to be bearing my child?" he demanded.

Tam tried to shrink in on herself.

Asher followed into the room. "You are frightening her, Jean," he spoke softly.

"We don't know yet," Tamara found her voice...at least there was only a slight tremor to it. "All Asher could tell was that the father is a vampire. So it can only be one of the two of you." The tears finally spilled over.

Back in St. Louis, Lyza was becoming frantic that her friend was not answering her anymore. Concentrating, she found herself thinking, 'JC, please don't do anything to hurt Tam.'

In Orlando, Jean-Claude froze, his face going death still, confusion hidden behind his eyes. 'Mademoiselle Lyza?' he questioned mentally.

Lyza realized that he'd actually 'heard' her. Panicking, she slammed down her shields tightly.

Carefully, so as not to frighten her further, Jean-Claude approached his old lover's human servant.

Tamara watched him glide towards her with trepidation...afraid of what he might do. The sudden disappearance of his earlier anger only scared her more. "Believe me Jean," she shook her head. "I didn't plan this. I honestly didn't think I *needed* to use birth control. Never used any during all my time with Derik, and nothing ever came of it." She flinched as he knelt by her chair.

Gently, Jean-Claude took her hand, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and wiping a tear from her cheek.