---

Let me put you on a ship

On a long, long trip

Your lips close to my lips

All the islands in the ocean

All the heavens in motion

Let me show you the world in my eyes

("World in My Eyes", Depeche Mode)

The morning after the beach party, when Maximus had gone, Tina, Michelle and Wendy had shown up at Laura's hotel room, videotapes and DVD's in hand. They all tried valiantly to weasel information out of her about how things had gone with Maximus the night before, but Laura held firm to her promise to him, and she refused to discuss it. Disappointed, but understanding, they settled in to give Laura her 'education' on the finer points of Russell Crowe and his movies.

First they had watched 'Virtuosity', then 'Mystery, Alaska' and 'The Quick and the Dead.' After that, there wasn't enough time to watch the 2-1/2 hour long 'The Insider', so, in spite of Wendy's protests, they decided to save that for another day. Instead they had popped in "L.A. Confidential" -- which Laura had already seen -- fast-forwarding through it to see Bud's good scenes.

'Virtuosity' had been a stunning eye-opener; Laura couldn't believe that the smooth-talking stranger she had met in the bar had in reality been such a monster. But she was still having trouble reconciling her feelings, especially after seeing Sid's 'birth scene'. Maximus had an exceptional body... But, lord, so did Sid! She'd already seen Max 'up close and personal', but the sight of Sid's smooth, naked body on the screen had sent her hormones back into the stratosphere. They had slowed down the DVD at that point, watching it frame by frame, each of the women drooling over the firm ass, lean body and well-defined muscles of his magnificent male form -- not to mention the brief glimpse of something 'dangling' between his legs...

Sid was indeed as 'beautiful' as he claimed to be. In spite of Sid's homicidal ways, Laura couldn't help but continue to be attracted to him. And she also couldn't help but feel sympathy for Sid -- after all, he wasn't really human. Everything he was had been programmed into him -- and he knew only the basest, darkest emotions of humanity. As far as she knew, no attempt had ever been made to show him the other side of the coin. As Sid himself had said in one scene, "What I am, is not my fault. It's not even my choice." Sid seemed very much like a child trapped in a man's body, seeing the whole world as his playground.

Laura had enjoyed the rest of the movies, particularly 'Mystery, Alaska,' now that she knew everyone. But 'Virtuosity' seemed hardest to forget.

As Laura and Tina grabbed a quick bite to eat in the hotel restaurant, Tina confided to Laura that she and John also had been together the night before. Then the two had had quietly compared 'notes' about John and Maximus, in spite of their earlier promises to the men not to do just that. "What they don't know won't hurt them!" they giggled as they discussed the intimate details of the previous night's activities. They left the restaurant together, heading down to Crowes' Tavern, promising they'd email *all* the details to each other -- and the rest of the List -- when they got back to the 'real' world.

They found Maximus and John at a table together at the tavern, waiting for them. The women got their drinks at the bar, then went over to join the men. Laura felt a bit weak at the knees as she approached Maximus, remembering their night of passion together. Tina seemed to be in a similar state.

Giddy and light-headed at the sight of the handsome Maximus, who was back in his Roman uniform, Laura was tempted to throw herself at him as he rose to pull out her chair for her. But she stopped herself, having previously discovered that Max was not keen on 'public displays of affection'.

And neither was John, it seemed, judging by his reserved greeting of Tina. But Laura couldn't help but be a bit envious of the short but very loving kiss that John gave her before they sat down. Maximus did pull her close, however, kissing her softly on the cheek before guiding her into her chair. Then he too sat down, across the table from John.

Tina said, "I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long. We got a little carried away with our Russell Crowe film festival today!" she joked.

"No, we just sat down a few minutes ago," John said. "So, Tina, did you educate her about Sid and show her 'Virtuosity'?"

"Yes, she did." Laura shook her head. "Unbelievable. It's still hard for me to believe that was the same guy. I suppose I should be happy Sid didn't do anything worse than he did, besides just impersonate Bundy."

John shook his head. "Don't worry; won't happen -- not here. He'll never hurt you, not like *that*."

"How does that work?" Tina asked.

John paused and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure, to tell you the truth. All I know is he can't actually kill somebody here."

"That's good to know," Laura said. "But the funny thing is... I actually felt kinda sorry for Sid by the end. I mean, he was right. He didn't ask to be programmed that way. Even after the head games he played with *me*, I didn't think he deserved to have the plug pulled at the end of the movie." Then she shrugged. "Or maybe I'm just prejudiced because of this place and RC."

"You felt *sympathy* for Sid?" Maximus asked, sounding quite surprised. "After what he did last night?"

"Well... Yea. In the movie, I did. That doesn't excuse what he did to me, of course. But -- "

Tina interrupted her. "But you still feel sorry for him." Laura nodded, and Tina shook her head. "Laura, like I was trying to tell you earlier -- Don't get too sympathetic about deviants like Sid. It's human nature to try to find good in everyone, even someone like Hitler, but the good isn't always there. Serial killers and mass murderers love to give logical reasons for their actions, even attempt repentance. They accept no responsibility. It's everyone's fault but theirs: society, their parents, teachers, the Jews, whomever. They're misunderstood. The victim brought it on themselves -- Gacy was good at that. So was Louisville's serial killer Cleo Green: the victims were prostitutes or loose women; he was ridding society of them. Bundy blamed pornography."

"I understand all that," Laura said. "But Sid is a *machine*."

"I do realize that Sid was programmed, so the fault is initially his creator's. But there comes a time when Sid has to take responsibility for his actions," Tina said. Inwardly, she thought Laura felt *too* much sympathy for Sid, wondering if there wasn't another reason for it, but didn't want to bring it up in front of Maximus.

"She's right," John agreed. "Sid tends to hide behind that sometimes, claiming it's not his fault. You'd think if he's smart enough to realize that, he should be smart enough to change it... But people don't always see the obvious about themselves -- in that respect, Sid is more human than he admits to."

"Yes, I think he is," Laura agreed. "When I was watching the movie, I *did* see Sid in a different light. Maybe we shouldn't have been so hard on him last night."

"Well, I'm glad you said that," John said. "Because I heard that some of the guys -- Bud included -- felt sorry for him too. He told me they went back to the beach an hour or two after we left him there alone and helped Sid dig himself out of the sand pit."

Maximus' eyes widened. "What...!? No one told me."

"Well, we thought it was best." John laughed. "We know how much you enjoy each other's company."

"They should have left him there all night," Maximus said emphatically.

"Max, you just don't understand yet -- you're new here. Sid is one of us, like it or not. In a way, we're all brothers now."

Maximus snorted with disgust. "I have *nothing* in common with Sid."

"You have more in common than you think -- we all do. In time, you'll realize what I'm saying is true," John said.

"I'm actually glad to hear they dug him out. I was starting to feel guilty that we got too carried away," Laura said.

Tina looked at Laura, thinking to herself, /What the hell are you talking about? This little f--k did a number on you, and you think *we* went overboard!?// But what she said out loud was, "Well, *I* don't feel the least bit sorry for what we did. He definitely had it coming to him - it's about time - but..." She sighed. "Well... In spite of all that, I'm glad Sid didn't spend the *whole* night out there... But that's my soft side showing." John gave her a little pat on the hand, smiling. "So what happened, John? What did Sid do when they let him go?"

"Nothing apparently," John answered. "He wouldn't even take the dry clothes they brought him. He just put his wet purple suit back on and walked back to the tavern by himself. I heard he went to the bar for a drink, and started talking with Angelina... Don't know what happened after that. No one's seen him. Sid's probably upstairs sulking in his room -- which is pretty typical for him when he gets his ego bruised."

"You said *Angelina* was talking to him?" John nodded, and Laura smiled. "Maybe there's something else going on with Sid -- Angelina said she had 'plans' for him."

Tina smiled too. "Yea... I think Sid's in trouble."

"Why do you say that?" John asked.

Tina and Laura looked at each other. "I don't know," Laura said, hiding her grin behind her glass of beer. "Just a hunch."

"All of you would best be advised to stay away from Sid," Maximus said.

Tina laughed. "Tell that to Angie!"

Laura laughed too. "I think we ought to change the subject -- Angie might think we were making fun of her..." She looked at John. "I finally saw 'Mystery, Alaska' today."

John smiled. "I was wondering about that." He looked at Tina. "You said you were going to make sure she saw it."

"Well, she did -- and it was great!" Laura said. "I liked it a lot... In spite of the fact that I..." She paused, clearing her throat. "I don't like hockey." John looked askance. "Nothing personal, of course, John. I just never cared much for the sport. At least not the 'professional' variety. A friend of mine has a saying -- 'I went to a fight last night, and a hockey game broke out'."

"Well, that's not *real* hockey, you know. Not like the kind we play."

"Oh, I know, I know," Laura agreed. "I enjoyed the movie though, I really did." She looked at Tina. "She can attest to that." Tina nodded. "John, you were..." Laura and John looked each other, each blushing a bit. "Uh... Oh, god," she said, turning away, unable to look John in the eye. "Hell, I can't tell you what I thought of you in the movie... Not to your face...!"

John winced. "Is it THAT bad?"

"No, no! I don't mean it that way!" Laura protested. "I thought you were wonderful!" They all chuckled as John blushed. "That's why I can't say anything else -- I'll embarrass myself to death."

"I don't mind." John grinned.

"Well, I do!" She looked away and sighed. "I'll tell you later, just not right now... But I will say I enjoyed the movie. Lots of interesting characters; I really felt for all of them. Especially your situation, John." She looked at him sympathetically, and he nodded.

Tina took his hand. "We all do. You're a great guy, John."

"Yea, I'd pick you over old Chuckie-boy *any* day!" Laura laughed. "But then that's pretty much a no-brainer if it was a contest between the two of you...! That face, those blue eyes, and that sexy hair... Definitely no contest!" John blushed more -- and then so did Laura as she realized what she'd said. "Oh, god..." She looked at Tina, giggling. "Let's talk about something else. Like 'The Quick and the Dead', since Cort's not here!"

John laughed. "Fair enough... I know, it's a bit strange, isn't it -- talking about our movies with us, I mean. But I think eventually you'll get used to it."

"You may be right." Laura sighed. "Maybe I'll tell you *later* what I thought. I just feel too self-conscious doing it right now... Let's talk about 'The Quick and the Dead' instead."

"You had time to watch that too?" Maximus asked.

"Well, most of it," Laura said. "We actually fast-forwarded through a few parts. I don't think I missed much, from what I saw. I'm not a big fan of westerns. But what I thought of Cort is basically what Tina told me: 'Fast hands, spent the movie in chains'." They all laughed. "The movie itself was a bit boring... I zoned out during most of Sharon Stone's scenes. And poor Cort! I wish he had more to do than sit around in chains all day. Likeable guy though. I definitely felt for him, being forced back into being a gunslinger after having tried to turn his life around." She nodded her head. "Good guy; I just wish he'd had more to do. AND I wish they'd left the bordello scene in. Michelle had a little clip of that on her laptop that she showed me." She hit the tabletop lightly a couple of times. "Damn...! WHY they cut that, I'll never know!"

"Me either!" Tina agreed.

"Cort is cute, though -- I love RC with long hair," she said, winking at John. He grinned back.

"And what about *short* hair?", Maximus grumbled.

"Aw, Max!" she said, leaning against him and putting her arm around him. "Of course I love RC in short hair too... I just plain love RC!" she laughed, hugging him.

"No," Maximus said, shaking his head. "I think you meant that. You prefer Russell with long hair." He was solemn as he turned to John. "Don't you agree?"

"Oh, yes, definitely," John said, equally serious, as he flipped his long brown locks out of his face. "Who wouldn't prefer him that way?"

"Obviously you've been spending time with the wrong character," Maximus continued, deadpan, as he looked at Laura, who looked back at him, bewildered. He turned to John again. "Sounds like she should be with you instead of me."

"You may be right, Max."

"Oh, no," Tina protested, hooking her arm tighter around John's arm, pulling him closer. "Sorry, guys, but he's spoken for already." She glanced at Laura. "I saw him first."

"Oh, come on, guys; stop it," Laura protested.

Maximus ignored her. "Well, if not you, John, maybe we should set her up with Cort."

"Only if you could get Peaches to give him up," Tina said. "And I don't think that's going to happen."

"You're probably right," Maximus said.

Laura looked between them all. "Max..."

"But who else is left?", he continued, still ignoring her.

"Well, there is Jeff, the one from 'The Sum of Us'. His hair's a bit long," John said.

"But he's gay, isn't he?" Tina asked.

Maximus nodded. "Not much of choice there then."

"Max...!" Laura protested. "Will you cut it out? I do *not* want Jeff or Cort or John -- " She stopped, glancing at John. "No offense."

"None taken," John said, a smile threatening to erupt on his face as he glanced at Maximus.

"I can't think of anyone else who qualifies. Looks like you're out of luck, Laura," Maximus said, sighing. "Unless we could persuade Bud to grow his hair out..."

Tina sputtered a bit, unable to hold back the laughter, and John turned away, hiding a smile too. Laura rolled her eyes. "Are you all through now?"

Maximus started to smile. "Or maybe I should grow *my* hair longer." Soon he was laughing quietly, flashing a toothy grin. "What do you think?"

Laura leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at them. "I think you're all full of it," she huffed.

John burst out laughing, Tina dissolved in a fit of giggles, and Maximus leaned his head back, chuckling loudly, a deep belly laugh that lit up his whole face and made his brilliant blue eyes sparkle like sapphires.

Laura still glared at them. "You think this is *funny*?" she said, not sounding at all pleased. Then she tucked her head against her chest, hiding her eyes, sounding hurt. "It's cruel."

The laughter faded, the smile disappearing from Maximus' face as he struggled to comprehend her reaction. "It's just a joke," he said in a light tone.

"Is that what my feelings are to you -- a joke? You must think I'm awfully shallow if all I care about is your hair." She glanced at him, a pout on her lips. "Maybe I *should* find someone else then..."

John and Tina looked at each other, smiles still on their faces. Their mutual, unspoken conclusion seemed to be that they weren't buying it. But Maximus was -- or perhaps had decided he couldn't afford *not* to take it seriously. "Laura..."

"I *will* go find Bud -- at least he knows how to treat a woman like a lady," she said. "Unlike *some* people." She breathed in, sniffling, and raised a hand to her face, as if wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

Tina was smiling, shaking her head as Maximus bent closer, taking Laura's hand. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't mean anything by it..."

Laura finally lost it, a smile spreading across her face as she failed to hold back a chuckle. Grinning like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary, she looked up at him and said, "Gotcha...!"

Maximus threw himself back in his chair as Tina and John laughed uproariously. "I *knew* it!" Maximus said. He glared at Laura, pointing a finger at her. "You're going to pay for that..."

She just laughed in reply. "I'll be looking forward to it," she said, wiggling an eyebrow at him as she picked up her beer and took a long drink.

Maximus' smile returned, and he shook his head, chuckling.

"That wasn't a bad bluff," John said. "Remind me to be careful of you if we ever play poker together."

Laura grinned.

At that moment, a new face appeared at the table. Laura turned towards him -- he was younger-looking than John, with short hair and rather outrageous 'Elvis' style sideburns. "Hello, mates!" He greeted them with a warm smile.

"Colin," John answered, nodding his head in acknowledgement and smiling. "I've been wondering if you'd be here tonight -- " He extended a hand towards Laura. "Here's the lady you've been wanting to meet. Colin, this is Laura -- Laura O'Brien."

Colin smiled broadly as Laura stood up. "Pleased to meet you, love -- I'm Colin O'Brien!" With that, he moved towards her, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her. Her eyes widened, and she glanced at Maximus. But Colin did not stop, kissing her deeply, and she began to kiss him back.

Pretty soon, Maximus stood up, clearing his throat.

Colin released her, and Laura practically sagged back into Maximus, a dreamy look on her face. "Haven't you ever heard of 'kissing cousins', mate?" he said in response to Maximus' disapproving glare.

"You two are *not* related, Colin," John said.

"Hey, you never know," Colin said. "Got any family down under, Laura?"

"Not that I know of. My family's all in America." Then she smiled. "But seeing as how my grandfather was from the old country, and since my family never was 'lace curtain' Irish... Well, it's entirely possible some distant cousin got shipped off to the penal colonies in Australia!" She laughed. "So we *could* be related!"

"Good enough for me," Colin said, putting his arm around her again. He looked at John and Maximus. "You two been taking good care of my 'cousin'? I hear Sid was a royal pain in the ass last night."

"Yes, he was," Laura answered, "but everyone's been taking care of me since then." She slipped away from Colin, and moved back to Maximus. "VERY good care!" she said as Max pulled her close.

"I can see that," Colin said, almost sounding jealous for a moment. "Well, don't want to interrupt you. I've got plans of my own anyway. I talked Lachlan into watching the bar tonight so Liz can have a break." He smiled broadly. "With me, of course!"

"I'm sure she'll enjoy that," Tina said.

Tina, Laura, Maximus and John made small talk for a while after Colin left. Soon after, Tina and John excused themselves to go take a walk together alone. Maximus and Laura stayed in the bar, joining Bud and Michelle for most of the night, laughing, drinking and telling stories. Wendy and Jeffrey joined them for a time, and later Peaches and Cort. Some of the other Crowes' Tavern residents -- Lachlan, Alex, Jeff and East -- stopped by to introduce themselves too. There were other guests there as well -- Theresa, Emma, Loria, Jen, and a few others who lurked in the back corners of the bar.

No one saw a sign of Sid or Angelina however.

When it got late, and things started to break up, Maximus decided it was best that they call it a night. He walked her to the hotel, but left her there, by mutual agreement, sharing a long goodbye kiss before parting...

Laura opened up the curtains in her hotel room, letting the bright morning sunlight flood in. She looked around at the cheery room, thinking how wonderfully decorated it was, with movie posters from 'Gladiator' and 'Mystery, Alaska', along with other pictures. But... there was one picture she really didn't care for. It was modern-style art, one which didn't seem to quite match the rest of the decor. She remembered that Peaches had said that she should make herself at home here -- and she definitely planned on staying a long time at Crowes' Hotel -- so she decided to replace the picture, and maybe bring something from home later for a more personal touch.

She took it off the wall and headed out the door with it, intent on giving it to Peaches before getting something to eat in the restaurant. She bounded down the steps, feeling better than she had in ages, and went to the desk, greeting Peaches warmly.

"Morning, Laura. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering what to do with this." She explained briefly what her plans were. "Is there somewhere I can put this?"

"Down in the storeroom, I guess. There are other pictures down there -- see if anything else appeals to you. It's down in the basement -- go down the stairs, take a left, then the first door on your right."

"Okay, I'll do that."

As Laura turned to leave, Peaches asked, "I meant to ask you this last night. How'd you like the little RC-fest yesterday?"

"God, I can't believe I missed all those movies." She smiled. "It was heaven! I already feel like I've known these guys for years!"

"Yea, me too. Don't know what I'd do without them. This is a great place. The boys are wonderful."

"They certainly are!" Laura agreed.

"What about 'Virtuosity'?"

"I wonder why everyone keeps asking me that," Laura joked, shaking her head. "That was... something else. The movie itself was lousy, but Sid..." She shook her head again. "He's certainly a twisted SOB. But charming somehow... I know that doesn't make much sense." She chuckled.

"No, it doesn't. But I understand what you mean. Sid is unique." Peaches glanced at the clock -- and gasped slightly. "Oh, no. Is it that late? I asked Cort to help with something out back. Sorry, but I have to go." She put out a sign on the desk that said: 'Back in an Hour' "See you later, Laura."

Peaches left, and Laura headed down to the basement with the picture.

A few moments later, Sid 6.7 melted out of the shadows of the hallway leading to the restaurant kitchen, smiling to himself. Checking first to make sure no one else was around, he quietly followed Laura down the basement stairs.

Laura hunted through a large box in the cluttered storeroom, wondering what treasures might lie here somewhere. So far, though, nothing had struck her fancy, but there were many boxes to go through -- this was only the first she'd opened. She was closing it back up when she heard the door creak behind her.

"Hello. Lovely morning, isn't it?"

The sound of THAT voice made her blood run cold. She froze for a minute, then turned around. Sid 6.7 was there in the doorway, in a green suit with a black tie and a white shirt, walking slowly into the room. Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach as he shut the door behind him. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, mustering as much courage as she could, but inside, she was shaking.

"I came to see you, Laura... You haven't been back to see me."

She stared at him, a bit incredulous. "The last time I saw you, you were up to your eyeballs in sand. Literally. And if I had anything to say about it, you'd STILL be there! I don't want to have anything to do with you, not after what you did to me."

"Ah, mon cher. Let's just forget that unfortunate -- incident..." He said with a measure of distaste. "The others put you up to it, I could see that. But as far as not wanting anything to do with me... Well, we both know that's not true, don't we?" He started towards her.

"Stay away from me!" She backed away.

He stopped. "Why would I want to do that?" He cocked his head. "I've been thinking about us. About how it was between us that afternoon when we first met." His voice was low and sensual. She remembered *that* voice from 'Virtuosity', during the scene where he shared VR with Sheila. His eyes met hers. "Haven't you thought about it too...? About what might have happened if we hadn't been interrupted...?"

"No."

He shook his head, clucking his tongue. "You know that's not true either. You *have* thought about it -- many times in fact... Why lie to me? I saw your eyes that day -- I know you wanted me as much as I wanted you. Why are you denying it now?"

"Because it makes me sick to think about it! You treated me like some plaything, to be used and tossed away like yesterday's trash. I never even want to lay eyes on you again, and if you don't get away from me, I'm going to scream bloody murder," she threatened, but couldn't help but wonder if anyone would hear her if she did. Peaches would be gone for a while, and it seemed like they were the only two people in the hotel.

He held up his hands, palms out and open. "I'm not a threat. The door isn't locked -- you can walk out any time you like." He took a step closer.

"Stay away from me," she repeated, backing away again, breathing hard as the adrenaline surged through her.

He tucked his hands behind his back, taking another step. As she retreated again, he whispered, "I'm not going to hurt you. I won't touch you -- not unless you want me to." The ice blue eyes locked with hers. "But you DO want me to, don't you? I can see it in your eyes now, the same way I could see it when I asked you to come to my room."

"You're crazy," she said, breathing hard.

"Quite possibly," he said with a quick grin. Then it faded, the intensity returning to the brilliant blue eyes. "But not about this." He moved closer.

This time when she stepped back, her backside came up against the wall. Trembling, she said, "Please don't do this."

"Do what? I told you, you're free to go anytime." He stepped back slightly, extending his arm towards the door. "Go on. I won't stop you..." When she didn't move, standing there, staring at him, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming semi, he inched closer. "Seems like I was right," he whispered. Another step, and now he was right up next to her, nearly nose to nose.

Shaking, breathing hard, she squeezed her eyes shut. "Don't do this to me... please," she pleaded.

"Do what?", he asked again. "I'm not forcing you into anything. I have no weapons... And I won't hold you against your will." She could feel his warm breath on her face, smelling his cologne, and she trembled. He moved his lips close to her ear, but not touching. None of his body touched her, although he was very close. "What are you afraid of...? Me...? Or yourself...?" He pulled back, those hypnotic eyes drawing her in again. "You want me to touch you... Don't you...? Like this...?" His hand moved slowly, lightly touching hers and she jumped slightly. "It's all right" he cooed, whispering in her ear again, his warm breath caressing her skin. "I won't hurt you... remember that... You can walk away whenever you want..." His fingertips lightly traced along her bare arm, travelling upwards slowly.

Swallowing hard, she stood there, frozen, unable to move, unable to break free of those eyes. A chill went down her spine at the touch of his hand. She couldn't stop shaking, couldn't stop panting, couldn't stop *him* as his hand went to her face now, fingertips tracing the line of her jaw before touching her lips. "Please... don't..." she breathed, knowing just how stupid that sounded. Why couldn't she move? It made no sense that after everything he'd done to her, she STILL wanted him. And wanted him so badly in fact, that every nerve in her body was screaming for her to reach out and touch HIM.

And it certainly didn't help that she'd seen 'Virtuosity' yesterday -- the image of his 'birth' into the real world was seared into her brain. His body was magnificent.

"Leave if you want," he repeated in that low, honeyed voice, as he brushed his soft lips against her ear and side of her face for a moment. Her breath caught in her throat, but still she couldn't move. "Why don't you leave, Laura...? Tell me..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her fists as she pressed herself back against the wall. "Leave me alone," she pleaded. "I can't do this..."

"Yes you can." His hand wandered down the front of her shirt. "Just let yourself go. Don't fight it..."

His fingertips found a raised nipple beneath her bra and shirt, and he lightly brushed across it. She moaned sharply, involuntarily, and opened her eyes in time to see the wolfish, triumphant grin on his face. It faded again into an intense, sexually charged gaze. "You can't tell me *now* that you don't want me... Admit it..." He lightly stroked her breast, and her legs felt as though they were going to buckle under her.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she said as she struggled to maintain some control. "Haven't you done enough already...?"

"Oh, no... Not nearly enough...." He leaned in, mouth opening to cover hers. Her lips opened willingly to his tongue, and he pressed against her, delivering what could only be described as a devastating kiss. His tongue dove deep, quickly subduing hers before he sucked her tongue into his own mouth for a bit. His hands went to her hips, slowly caressing upwards until they reached her breasts. He fondled her through the thin T-shirt, arousing her quickly, as his mouth began to conquer hers, his kisses hungry and passionate. She began to lose herself in the sensations racing through her body, and she struggled to retain her grip on reality.

But, abruptly, he pulled back a few inches, his blue eyes filling her field of vision for a long minute, appearing as though they were about to swallow her whole. Then Sid stepped back, moving several feet away to the support column in the middle of the room. She looked at him, bewildered.

"You've seen my movie now, haven't you?" She stared blankly, trying to clear the fuzziness left in her brain from his kisses. "'Virtuosity'." She reacted slightly, and he smiled. "I knew they'd make sure you saw it, so you could see how 'terrible' I am... But they can't just show you the 'bad' parts... They have to show you *all* of it. So now you know just how 'beautiful' I am." She watched as he slowly took off the green jacket, hanging it on a nail on the column behind him. "But that's just a picture on a TV screen." He untied his tie, and started unbuttoning the crisply pressed white shirt. "The real thing is much more impressive, I assure you." He made quite a show of removing his shirt; his movements were slow and deliberate, and he flexed his muscles, letting her see them ripple beneath the smooth, unblemished skin.

When he had removed the shirt, he hung it and his tie on the nail too. The motions were fluid and graceful, and she swallowed hard, truly overwhelmed by Sid's beauty. It was a different kind of attraction than what she felt for Maximus' strong, masculine form. She felt the same animal magnetism from Sid now that she had experienced the first time they met, a raw sexuality that made her heart pound in her chest, her body reacting to his charismatic presence.

"It's yours for the taking; all you have to do... Is walk over here... and take it, Laura." She stared, fighting against the instinctive reaction to his invitation. He kept smiling, and raised his hand, motioning with his finger for her to come closer... The same way he had in the movie when his 'virtual' self had summoned Daryl.

She swallowed hard, knowing she should leave now and walk out the door instead of going to him... But now, just as when she was in the bar, her feet had a mind of their own, and she found herself standing in front of him.

"I knew you couldn't resist." His arms encircled her, pulling her close and into another kiss. She began to kiss him back, pulling herself against him. They kissed hungrily, almost pawing at each other, and his hands returned to fondling her breasts, drawing a low moan from her. "Tell me you want me," he whispered. When she didn't respond, he repeated the question in a more forceful, demanding tone. "Tell me..."

She drew a shuddering breath, her heart pounding in her chest, every fiber of her being crying out for him, and she finally succumbed.

"Yes, I want you. God help me... I want you, Sid."

He smiled in triumph. "There now -- that wasn't so hard, was it?"

She paused and hung her head, leaning against his chest. "Oh, yes it was," she said quietly. "More than you'll ever know." Her hands came up to his waist, feeling the firm, lean muscles beneath the incredibly smooth skin and, almost against her will, her hands began to caress him.

His hands settled over her buttocks, pulling her against him. He turned slowly until she had her back against the column, and he leaned against her, pressing his hips against hers, letting her feel his arousal. "See what you do to me?", he whispered as he nibbled on her neck below the ear, his tongue licking the side of her neck once or twice. They entwined themselves around each other, the kiss deepening. When her hips began to move rather insistently against his, he pulled back, whispering, "Not so fast... I like to savor my victories." He ran a finger down her face. "I want you to tell me what you want, otherwise you can't have it... I love it when you talk dirty," he said, fondling her through her shirt.

He stopped when she stiffened again. Her dignity made one final stand as she stared back at him. "Isn't it enough that you won? You don't have to humiliate me."

Sid pondered that, and she could almost see his dark side battling with his intellect. "Fair enough," he finally said, "but with a few conditions... You still have to let me know what you want. And don't fight me anymore."

"But I thought you got off on that," she shot back, her wits starting to come back a little now that the internal tug-of-war had ended.

The evil smirk put in an appearance for a moment. "Sometimes..." Then he sobered. "But not always... not now," he said, turning his head to nibble on her earlobe, his tongue sweeping around the curves and insinuating itself into the ear canal. "I want you to give yourself to me completely." The sound of his breath thundered through her, and she moaned, relaxing against him.

As Sid freed her long brown locks from their ponytail, running his fingers through her hair, she stared over his shoulder, eyes half closed, not really seeing anything. But eventually she realized that although the door was shut, it was unlocked. "What about the door...?" she murmured as his hand pulled her shirt out of her jeans and slid up underneath it.

Casting a quick glance behind him, Sid continued his caresses, his hand reaching her breast. "The hell with it... Nobody's home."

"Sid," she said, "if you're setting me up for another little 'surprise'... " She stopped kissing him, looking him dead in the eye. "So help me, I'll go get Bud's .38 and put a bullet in your head."

Realizing she meant it, Sid stopped, pulling his hand out from her shirt. He let go of her, then strode quickly to the door, locking it and wedging a chair under the handle. "Happy now?" he said as he came back to her, sliding into her arms. "That's *not* what this is about this time."

"Better not be," she said as he pulled her shirt up, quickly undoing the clasp on the back of her bra. He pulled her against him again, hiking her leg up to wrap around his hip as he kissed her, all the while fondling her now bare breasts. Eventually her shirt and bra disappeared entirely, stripped off easily by Sid's practiced hands, and she moaned into this mouth as his hands teased and aroused her full breasts. He was finding all the right spots, quicker than any man she'd ever been with, leaving her breathless. They exchanged long, wet kisses all the while -- Sid seemed determined to reach her tonsils with the tip of his tongue.

She trembled with anticipation as his hand went to the front of her blue jeans, fingers deftly undoing the button and zipper. His hand slipped inside, down between the jeans and her panties, moving to cup her between her legs.

He smiled as he kissed her. "Ah, cherie.... You haven't been honest with me, have you...? I knew you were lying... I must have made you wet the minute I walked into the room." He kissed her hungrily, his hand moving against the dampness and she gasped with pleasure. Losing herself to the sensations racing through her body, she almost didn't hear his next question. "Do I make you wet, my dear...?" he purred in her ear, tongue licking the side of her neck. "Is that true?"

It took a while to find her voice again, and between kisses, she answered, "You know you do..."

His kisses became more insistent as he pushed the jeans down off her hips, and she wiggled out of them with his assistance. Past the point of rational thought, she pressed her nearly naked body against his as they kissed with abandon now. She could feel his strong arousal through the thin fabrics of her panties and his trousers as he pressed her against the column. By some unspoken, mutual consent, they abruptly moved away from the column, Laura fumbling with Sid's belt buckle as they moved towards a pile of old blankets that were off in a corner. His pants were sliding down to his ankles by the time they pulled each other down onto the blankets, and it didn't surprise her at all that he wasn't wearing any underwear. He kicked free of his shoes and pants, then his socks, until he was naked. Pausing briefly to rid her of her panties, Sid crawled on top of her, pinning her beneath him as they pawed at each other like animals, his hard erection poking into her belly.

As she settled beneath him, getting used to his weight, she felt the fear resurface as she wondered what he would be like 'unleashed'. But he actually seemed to noticed her reticence, and completely surprised her when he lowered his head to give her a decidedly compassionate, gentle kiss on the lips. "I know what you're thinking... but don't... I won't force you into anything."

He spread her legs apart with his knees, and she moaned softly, trembling with anticipation now, staring up into those cool aquamarine eyes. He shifted, and she felt him press against the edges of her folds. "Do you want me inside of you?", he whispered, brushing his lips across hers. "Say it..."

"Sid..." she protested.

"Say it," he repeated.

"Yes, I want you inside me," she whispered as she kissed him, sliding her hands up grab his buttocks. Moaning as he slowly entered her, she gasped a little at his girth, tensing. So he stopped, again totally surprising her, waiting for her to relax beneath him. "Better... much better," he whispered as they began to rock together.

They both lost themselves to their union, beyond thought and reason, existing as one for those moments. And it seemed to go on for hours, she thought, as he rode her, thrusting in and out with long, fluid strokes. She had her legs wrapped around his waist, hanging on for dear life as they coupled. Her body gave itself to him over and over, until she thought there was nothing left to give. But her passion was not easily quenched either, and she managed to keep up with him far longer than she thought she could. He possessed extraordinary stamina, however, and kept going long after she thought possible for a man. Eventually he too reached his peak, stifling what surely would have been a howling cry if he had given it voice, as he spent himself within her.

Finally his sweaty body stilled, and he lay atop her, panting as he slowly regained control of himself and his body. Sleepy, his eyelids drooped a bit, and for once those blue eyes actually looked normal. Stretching languidly, he brought a hand to her face, pushing the hair out of her eyes. "So is that what you wanted?" He kissed her slowly, deliberately, and she kissed him back.

"...Yes," she admitted after a long pause. She had no choice but to keep staring up into his eyes, as he had not moved, still lying atop her, his full weight pinning her against the blankets and concrete floor beneath. Eventually she shifted, saying, "I can't breathe..."

He moved, but only slightly. His eyes had turned ice blue again as he smiled down at her. "I like it here; don't you?"

She decided it was best not to answer him. Already she was beginning to feel remorse for what had happened here, now that the fog of lust was lifting from her brain. She turned her head, wrenching her eyes away from his. "Let me up."

"Uh-uh." He shook his head briefly as he lowered his head, nuzzling her neck. He lifted off her, slipping to her right side, but not enough to allow her to get up. His leg lay heavily across hers, pressing down, and his arm was across her torso as his hand moved to one breast. "I hadn't actually finished yet," he said as his mouth moved back to hers, kissing her passionately.

"Don't," she said, making a feeble attempt to push him away.

"Let's not start all that again," he muttered as his hand fondled her breast. "I want you to enjoy this, and realize what a mistake you made by not taking me up on my offer sooner."

Before she could respond, he leaned down and kissed her once again; deep, leisurely, wet and hot. At the same time, his hand slid down between her legs, massaging her intimately. Her "Oh, god..." came out as an incoherent moan as her whole body responded to the sensations radiating from the expert touch of his hand. Whatever doubts she'd had were erased from her brain as her libido took over again, and she spread her thighs wide apart, the muscles in her abdomen contracting in anticipation of what would soon follow. Breathing heavily, she pushed against his hand, craving deeper, more intimate contact.

Abandoning her mouth, his lips moved down as he shifted to lay claim to her breasts. Covering one nipple, he drew her into his hot mouth, tongue picking up where his fingers had left off. Teasing the tips, he tasted her sweetness, the suction of his mouth drawing her deep. Her body responded from deep within as well, moaning loudly as the rhythm of his mouth began to match the rhythm of the hand between her legs. She trembled beneath him, panting. "Oh, god..." she muttered. "...Sid..."

"I'd ask if you enjoy this," he remarked, momentarily raising his head. "But I believe the question would be superfluous." His mouth returned to her heaving breasts, and this time, his teeth closed around the areola, nipping lightly. She groaned louder, her body nearly writhing beneath his now.

His massaging was becoming torture as the tension built inside her. It soon became obvious that he was playing with her -- he seemed to enjoy bringing her close to an orgasm only to ease off at the last moment. Her head thrashed from side to side as she clutched at the blankets beneath, whispering, "Sid... Please...!"

"Please what?", he asked, feigning ignorance of her plight. "You'll have to tell me."

She hesitated. "I thought we agreed... Don't make me beg."

"Under the circumstances, I don't think that's really too much to ask," he whispered. He rubbed a little harder, and she arched up towards him with a sharp groan.

When her breath came back, she looked at him, using her free hand to bring his mouth back to hers, kissing him passionately. "Make me come, Sid... Please..." She wasn't sure that would be enough to pacify him, and she waited for his answer.

Fortunately, Sid was being unusually magnanimous today, for he only smiled and said, "All you had to do was ask..." His fingers probed the delicate folds, sinking down into the warm, slick channel. She nearly went over the edge again at that moment, moaning very loudly. "You see," he said as she relaxed again beneath his sensual touch. "I'm not the monster everyone seems to think I am."

"I wonder about that," she said, but Sid just grinned.

She gritted her teeth a moment later, fighting back a lusty cry as his fingers went deep. "More..." she whispered, "Please..." She was begging for it now, but no longer cared. She panted, short, quick breaths, then alternately moaning as the rhythm of his hand and mouth began to match that of her body, and the tension built to explosive proportions. His fingers found just the right spot, and the world turned inside out for a minute as she came again, fighting back the urge to scream at the exquisite pleasure he was causing. She curled in on herself, grabbing at him, digging her nails into his shoulder blades as the muscles contracted around his hand.

When the orgasm had faded, she slumped back onto the blankets. Thankfully, Sid left her alone for a while, allowing her to drift back to him naturally. When she finally opened her eyes again, he was tracing geometric patterns across her belly. "I've always enjoyed doing this the first time I bed a woman," he said, almost to himself. "I like learning her; what turns her on, how to make her body follow my lead... How to make her beg for me." He looked at her with an odd smile. "It's like learning to play an instrument."

She went cold at that, recalling Sid's perverted 'orchestra' in 'Virtuosity'... It made her ashamed for what she'd just let him do to her -- a man who could kill with no more concern than turning out a light WAS a monster.

He kissed her again, caressing her, before slowly disengaging. Finally, he rolled onto his back, then sat up. "I think it's time we got out of here. Someone's going to miss us soon..." Then he smiled to himself, chuckling. "Actually, it's *you* they'll miss. If *I* disappeared -- they'd probably throw a party."

"I'm sure they would."

He stood up, and she stared up at him, almost gawking; he was so stunningly handsome, his body so well built. He caught her staring, and smiled broadly. "Do you think I'm beautiful?" he asked, looking extraordinarily pleased with himself.

She sighed, then admitted, "Yes, I do. You ARE beautiful."

"Of course," he grinned. "What do you think I've been telling you...? But you act like you'd never seen me before now. The other night you ladies had me stripped down to my shorts," he grumbled. "Surely you noticed *that*."

"Actually, no I didn't. At least not enough to take a real good look." She looked away, remembering how angry and hurt she had been that night, and WHY. She could hardly look at him. "I was so angry I couldn't see straight. What you did to me..." She couldn't finish, wondering how she could possibly have slept with him after all that.

"You think too much." He picked up his pants, and began to get dressed.

"No, I don't think *enough*," she countered, pulling the blankets over her nude body, suddenly feeling exposed in front of his piercing stare.

"Well, don't forget," he said as he buckled the belt around his waist. "You did get your 'revenge' on me that night..." She saw him wince just at the memory of the blow to his groin. "That HURT."

"Served you right," she countered, and he drew back, almost offended. Assuming it was possible for Sid to BE offended. "It was pay-back for what you did to me. Consider us even."

"I'd hardly consider it even, considering you also ruined my clothes," he huffed. "AND nearly drowned me... AND buried me in the damn sand."

She stifled a smile as she started looking for her own clothes. Most of them were over by the column, laying at Sid's feet, but he made no attempt to help her, instead smirking as he watched her wrap up in a blanket as she walked over and retrieved her jeans, bra, shirt, socks and shoes.

"That's rather unnecessary, don't you think?" he said, giggling softly at her sudden modesty as she turned her back to him to finish dressing. She ignored him, and they both dressed in silence. Finishing quickly, she watched as Sid tied his tie, noticing that his hair, which she had managed to muss pretty well while they made love, was back in place, perfect as could be. She wondered how he managed that, then decided she didn't really want to know what the full capabilities of a cyber-psycho were.

She looked over at the door, sobering as she realized she'd have to return to the 'real' world in a moment, wondering what she was going to do. What in the hell was she going to tell Tina? *Should* she tell Tina? She was her oldest friend after all, but still... This was SID she was talking about...! And Maximus... Dear god, what was she going to do about *that*? Would he possibly understand?

Probably not, she noted with a sigh. Sid heard her and looked over at her. "Problem?"

She nodded. "I want you to do me a favor," she began, not knowing how to say this without making things much worse. "I'm asking you not to say anything to anybody about this."

"Especially Maximus," he finished for her. She nodded. He paused, then shrugged. "No reason for me to say anything to anybody, not even to piss them off." The smirk on his face grew to a grin as he added, "Might even be fun to sneak around behind the fool's back." She looked confused, then appalled, and he added, "You DID know this wasn't just a one night stand, mon cher..."

"I - I can't do this again," she stammered.

"That's what you said before." He came up to her, drawing her into a lusty kiss. "Don't tell me you *never* want me to fuck you again... Cause we both know you'd be lying."

He was making her hot again, the way he touched her, the way he kissed her. She looked up into his eyes. "I can't fool around behind his back... I won't. Besides, I'm a lousy liar; I'd get caught in no time."

"He's so stupid, he'll never catch on. Not if we're smart." He kissed her again. "Ordinarily, I'd say invite him along next time... But he isn't my type." He chuckled that maniacal little laugh. "And I sure as hell ain't his!"

"Sid..." She paused, searching for the words that might get through to him. "This won't work," she said, sighing, realizing *nothing* would get through to Sid once he made up his mind. He ignored her, and she watched as he went to the door, unblocking it and turning the lock. "Wait..."

"Sorry, gotta go. Places to go, people to see." He came back over to her and swept her into his arms, bending her back into a deep, sloppy kiss. "Until next time, cherie..." With that, he let her go, practically dropping her to the floor as sailed out the door.

She stood there for several minutes, dumbfounded, then sat down on a crate, burying her face in her hands. "Why do I feel like I just made a deal with the devil?" she muttered to herself.

On to Part Five

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