---

Late in the afternoon, Tina came down the second floor hallway of the hotel, pulling out her room key. She paused in front of her door, noticing the noise coming from across the hall in Laura's room. It sounded like the TV volume was turned up *very* loud; she wasn't sure, but it sounded like a scene from 'Virtuosity' was playing. She crossed to the other side of the hallway and knocked on the door. There was no response at first, so she knocked again, calling her friend's name. A few moments later, she heard the deadbolt turn, and the door opened.

"Hi, Tina," Laura said quietly, looking a bit dejected, and walked away from the door. She went back to the sofa where she'd obviously been sitting for a while. There was a beer can sitting on the coffee table in front of her, with several empty cans laying on the floor beside her. Tina looked at the TV, noting it was indeed 'Virtuosity' that was playing -- Laura was staring blankly at Sid's image on the screen during the scene in the MediaZone nightclub.

Tina was alarmed; this wasn't at all like her friend's normal behavior. Laura never drank alone, and definitely not *that* much. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Did something happen?"

"You could say that..."

"Why are you watching 'Virtuosity'? I didn't think you would want to see *that* again."

"You would think so." She took a sip out of the beer can. "I'm just trying to figure something out... Do you find Sid attractive? Is he sexy?"

"Is that a serious question?" Tina quipped. "This is Russell Crowe we're talking about; Sid's still got Russell's face and body. I think it's a different kind of sexy with Sid, though. Sort of... dark, I guess."

"I've been thinking the same thing..." She sighed heavily. "*Why* does he have to look like the rest of them?"

"Uh... They're all Russell's characters; you know that." She looked at Laura, knowing there was something terribly amiss here. Something she just wasn't getting. "Laura, what's going on?"

Laura took another sip, staring at the TV as Sid pulled out a gun and blew the head off the robot bartender. "You don't want to know... I can't believe it myself."

"Believe what?"

Laura sighed. "I don't really want to admit to this, but I gotta tell someone... And you're my closest friend." She shuddered slightly as Sid screamed at the crowd to get on its knees. "You're not gonna believe it... *I* don't believe it." She turned away, unable to look Tina in the eye. "I... I was with Sid."

Tina stared for a moment, not comprehending. Then her eyebrows climbed up her forehead. "What...? You mean, *with* Sid... As in 'slept with'?" Laura nodded. "Oh, my god." She was almost speechless. "When did this happen...? Where? Here?"

"No, no... We were, uhm, down in the storeroom... This morning."

"The storeroom?" This was already becoming unbelievable. "Huh?"

"I went down there to look for some new pictures," Laura began to explain, pointing to an empty spot on the wall. "I didn't like the one that was hanging there, and Peaches told me I could go down and look for a new one... I hadn't been down there long, maybe 3 minutes, when Sid showed up. He must have followed me."

"Oh, lord! That creep, did he -- did he force himself on you?" Tina asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"No... Maybe it would've been easier if he had." She laid her head against the arm of the sofa. "There was something that happened when Sid and I first met that I never told you or anyone else... Sid propositioned me, and I was *this* close to going for it." She held her hand up, her thumb and forefinger nearly touching. "You know how smooth he is, and I didn't know what kind of psycho he really was." She sighed. "I thought after I found out the truth about him, not to mention what happened at the beach, that that would be the end of it... But it wasn't. I watched 'Virtuosity', and even though it made me sick, I couldn't get *that* scene out of my head."

"When Sid is born," Tina said, knowing exactly what Laura was referring to.

"Yea." She took a deep breath. "So he came on to me again and was saying he knew I wanted him, and all kinds of shit. I didn't know what to do; he wouldn't leave me alone."

Tina shook her head in disgust. "That son of a bitch; I'll *kill* him."

Laura put up a hand. "No, it wasn't like that. He didn't lay a hand on me -- at least not right then." She sighed again. "I could have left, but I didn't. I swear, it was like I couldn't get my feet to move. It's those eyes; they're just... hypnotic or something." She picked up the beer and downed the rest of the contents. "He was right... God help me, he was right. I wanted him... And it happened."

Tina's mouth was hanging open. "YOU slept with Sid... Miss Straight Arrow... Slept with Sid the psycho."

"Yea, that's about what it boils down to." She banged her head against the wooden edge of the sofa. "God, somebody just shoot me."

They both sat quiet for a while. "So...?" Tina asked. "What happened?"

Laura raised her head. "You mean you want *details*?"

"No!" Tina said, quickly. Then she hesitated, adding, "Uhm, well, now that you mention it... Yea!" Laura groaned, looking embarrassed. "Come on; we tell each other *everything*, right...? Was he... Was he good?" she asked, a bit embarrassed herself.

Laura started to smile. "Uh-huh." She blushed, giggling a bit at the memory. "Oh, *man*, was he good! He knew all the right things; I was out of my head in no time -- I tried not to think about *how* he knew what he did, and after a while, I didn't care.... Not that Max isn't good too, but it was totally different with Sid."

"Different how? Like... kinky?" Tina was leaning close, hanging on her every word.

"No, believe it or not. At least not much anyway. I figured he'd be dragging out the handcuffs and leather, but no, it was... normal stuff. He would've liked me to talk dirty to him, but when I balked, he backed off. It just felt... dangerous, like forbidden fruit or something. Dark and a little sleazy." She stopped when she realized what she was saying. "God, will you listen to me? What is it about the guy that makes me so -- ?" She couldn't quite finish the sentence.

"Horny?"

Laura laughed softly. "Yea... I couldn't believe it was happening. It was like a dream or something. Or a nightmare. I haven't figured out which yet. Depends on Sid, I guess... Which is what scares me." Tina asked why. "Because I thought of it in terms of a one night stand. You know -- get it and him out of my system. But I don't think that's the way Sid sees it -- as he was leaving, he mentioned 'next time'."

"Oh, hell."

"Tell me about it." She sighed again, shaking her head, running her fingers through her hair nervously. "God, what am I gonna do? What do I tell Maximus? I have to tell him, sooner rather than later, because I don't trust Sid to keep his mouth shut like he said he would. But what if Max doesn't understand or forgive me? I wouldn't blame him if he didn't, but I don't want to lose him."

"Uh, well, Laura... You know --"

"If I didn't want to lose Max, I shouldn't have slept with Sid." Laura finished Tina's sentence for her. "I know, I know... But I couldn't help it. I had it so bad for him I couldn't stop myself." She hung her head in shame. "Aw, geez, how can I *possibly* tell Max!? Any suggestions...? Or should I just throw myself off a bridge *now* and get it over with?"

Tina paused briefly. "I vote for the bridge."

"Oh, hell... That little creep. Why did he have to corner me like that? I'd be fine if he'd just kept his distance. I might have thought about it, but he just kept bugging me... Damn those eyes. He's just so smooth - he has an answer to *everything*."

"Well, you remember what I told you about sociopaths."

"I *knew* all that, but... But when you're face to face with someone like Sid, and he's touching you... It's a whole different ball game. You stop thinking and start reacting."

Tina shook her head. "You realize this is gonna be a tough sell with Max, no matter what 'spin' you put on it. If it were Bud or Cort -- or John," she added somewhat hesitantly, " -- he probably wouldn't mind; the guys seem to be pretty... accommodating. But Sid..." She shook her head again. "After what he said to Max - and you - the other night... Max will have a *real* hard time with Sid."

"I know. I'll just have to make him understand. If not..." Laura sighed. "Hell, I did this to myself. Got nobody else to blame."

"You said it, I didn't..."

"Thanks a lot! Some friend you are," she said jokingly. She found herself skipping back through the DVD to Sid's 'birth' scene. They both watched it again, nearly drooling over the 'butt' shot. "See what I mean," Laura said, abruptly shutting off the movie after Sid said, 'I think I'm gonna like it here.' "You're doing it too. Now I really understand how those serial killers did it -- they're so smooth, you don't realize what's happening until its way, way too late. I guess I'll just have to throw myself on Max's mercy and hope to hell he understands." She sighed heavily, chewing on a fingernail. "But the thing that REALLY scares me is -- God help me -- It could happen again. If Sid gets me alone again somewhere, I swear, I don't trust myself not to go for it again. There's still a part of me that's... curious about 'the dark side' of Sid."

Tina's eyes widened. "Oh, no!" She shook her head emphatically. "Do not go near this guy anymore. He's bad news; you're just asking for trouble, girlfriend!"

"I know, but like I said, can't help it. You know I have a weakness for 'bad boys'."

"Yes, I know. But I also know what happened to you the last time you fell for one of them." She looked at her, feeling sorry she had brought it up when she saw Laura's face pale. "You already know they're not worth it."

"Yea, I do. You'd think I'd learn after I got burned as bad as I did... Even if Max weren't in the picture, *that* would be reason enough to stay the hell away from Sid."

"Exactly... And you know, Max might forgive it once, but not *twice*."

"I know. I gotta be strong." She smiled, wiggling her eyebrows. "Maybe if I sneak into Max's bedroom every night, I'll be too tired to bother with Sid!"

"Now that's a good idea." Tina laughed. She shook her head, walking over to the DVD player, where she picked up the case for 'Virtuosity'. "Sid..." She shook her head again. "I still can't get over it. You and Sid..."

"Tell me about it..."

"Uh... I was wondering..." She looked at Laura, her face starting to redden with embarrassment. "No, forget it; I can't say it."

"What?"

"Well... Just out of curiosity... Uhm, well, we all know that Sid's made of that blue nano-goo... So I was wondering... Since he bleeds blue... What about... you know... his 'swimmers'...?" She raised an eyebrow. [**See Author's Note at end of story**]

It was Laura's turn to blush. "You mean -- ?" Tina nodded, giggling. "Oh, god..." Her mouth opened and closed a few times. "Hell, I can't say it either..." She ran her fingers through her hair, then stopped. "Wait..." Laura went into the bathroom, and came out a few moments later, carrying something behind her back. She came up to Tina, and, from behind her back, showed her a pair of white cotton panties, which were now stained a shade of pale blue. "Does *this* answer your question?"

Tina's eyes widened, and she clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, my god...!"

"I think I'm going to have to throw these away. I tried washing them, but the blue won't come out." She blushed a deeper shade of red. "Funny thing is, I didn't even notice it until after Sid left. I was straightening up the blankets we had been laying on when I noticed... well... I think you get the idea." She giggled self-consciously. "I took the blanket with me and ran upstairs to take a shower... Actually, I've taken *three* showers now... But at least I was wearing *blue* jeans..." She watched as Tina turned redder too. "Hey, you *asked*, you know!"

Tina put her hand over her eyes. "Geez, I'm sorry I did! Definitely TOO MUCH information!"

"Yea, you're probably right." She walked over to the trashcan and tossed in the panties.

Tina giggled, face still flushed with embarrassment, as was Laura's. "Uh, I think I oughta go to my room for a bit... And take a cold shower of my own." She headed for the door as Laura giggled too. "I'll be back... Unless I decide to give John a call," she said, smiling, as she opened the door and hurried across the hall.

Laura avoided the Boyz for the rest of the evening, especially Maximus, holed up in her room on the pretense of not feeling well, watching 'The Insider' and several other RC movies, trying to take her mind off Sid. She spent a restless night alone, unable to sleep, and was up at the crack of dawn the next morning. It was a glorious day, too wonderful to waste staying inside, so she put on her athletic shoes and went for a long walk down to the beach and back.

As she neared the hotel after walking a few miles, she had broken into a slow jog, needing to work off some of the nervous energy she still felt, and also to try to keep in shape while she was here. So when she finally reached the back door of the hotel, she was sweaty and out of breath. She stopped beside the back gate, pausing to catch her breath, then put her leg up on the fence, slowly stretching, cooling down her muscles from their workout. She bent down to touch her toes, spreading her feet wide apart, stretching her hamstrings. The stretching felt good, and she bobbed down a few times, touching her elbows to the ground as she bent down.

She slowly pulled her feet back together, stretching her arms upwards to finish things up. Then she turned around, heading for the back door of the hotel.

Only to pull up short as she found Sid 6.7 a few feet from the door, smiling appreciatively at her. "Don't stop on my account. You have a lovely body," he said, his eyes sweeping up and down her form. "Better without clothes, of course. But definitely very flexible. I didn't realize you were athletic."

She rolled her eyes. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you've been following me." She glared at him.

"I've done nothing of the kind," he said innocently. "I merely saw you leave earlier. But, yes, I *did* wait for you to come back." He came forward, pulling a single rose from behind his back. "This is but a small token of my affection, my sweet -- To truly celebrate the consummation of our passion would require filling your room with roses, but that seemed a bit ostentatious... And it would have attracted too much attention. We don't want to 'arouse' suspicious, now do we?" he said in his usual smooth, honeyed voice.

"Sid, I don't have time for this," she said, trying to push past him, refusing to take the rose. Looking at him now made her wonder what in the hell had possessed her yesterday; it almost seemed liked she'd dreamed being with him down in the cellar.

He caught her arm as she passed, gently but firmly pulling her to him. "You don't have to go just yet."

She managed not to panic, staring back at him with a cool gaze. She was determined *not* to lose it in front of him again. "I don't want to talk to you," she said, pulling free. Thankfully, he let her go without a struggle.

"I've been thinking... Come back to my room, and we'll pick up where we left off. We did things your way; now I'll show you *my* way." The smile he gave her sent shivers down her spine, this time a mixture of desire -- and fear.

Determined not to let him get to her anymore, Laura glared at him. "I'm not interested -- and I'm busy."

"That's not true. You are interested -- you know you are."

"Yesterday was a mistake. I let my guard down, and I let this place get to me. It shouldn't have happened. Max --"

"Is a fool," Sid interrupted.

"Maximus is the only one I want. Kindly leave me alone from now on."

Sid took her hand, bringing it to his lips, dropping the rose. "If he was the only one you wanted, you wouldn't have been with me."

In spite of herself, her body responded to his touch. He drew her closer, and she looked around. Anyone could see them here. "Sid -"

"No one's here but us." He touched her intimately, hand rubbing her between her legs. "You know you want me." He leaned in, lowering his head to nuzzle the shell of her ear and then her neck, kissing her in just the exact spot that was guaranteed to send shivers over her whole body and make her go weak at the knees, drawing a soft moan from her lips. /Damn the man's perfect memory!// she thought as her resolve began to weaken under the assault of her body's insistent demands.

She remembered how wonderful he had made her feel yesterday, his hands now touching her again in many of her most sensitive spots. And he was wearing her favorite men's cologne too, 'Polo', which was guaranteed to put her hormones in orbit. A lusty haze descended on her brain as Sid's hands and lips worked their magic on her body, and she began to consider the possibility of taking him up on his offer and following him to his room...

But something Sid had said yesterday forced itself into her brain, the alarm bells sounding in her head. 'I've always enjoyed doing this the first time I bed a woman... I like learning her; what turns her on, how to make her body follow my lead... How to make her beg for me... It's like learning to play an instrument...' The tone of his voice made her go cold now, just as it had then.

Sid was using what he had learned yesterday to 'play' her now...

She summoned her strength, saying to herself. /Control! Stay in control!// She forced her thoughts away from Sid, calling up the image of Maximus, and what his face would look like if he were to find her like this. This time, it was enough to put the steel back in her spine, and she pulled away, pushing him back to arm's length.

"No. Do NOT touch me again," she said firmly, shying away when he reached for her once more.

"Why do you insist on fighting against the inevitable?" He took a step towards her, and she backed away. He stopped this time, but the onslaught of words continued. "I can satisfy your desires in ways Maximus would never even dream of." The seductive grin was back. "There are ways of pleasuring each other that would -- "

"Turn my stomach?" she interrupted, desperate to shut him up.

But it didn't phase him in the least. "Or turn you on... Consider the possibilities. Think of all the lurid little fantasies you've had, the ones you've never told another living soul... And imagine them coming true... With *me*. I think you already know I'm game for *anything*..."

She realized that it was pointless to argue with him -- and that it only served to encourage him further. She had to leave, and leave *now*. She glared at him, hands on her hips. "That's it. I've had it. I am NOT going to discuss this any further, now or ever." She marched past him, and when he tried to grab her arm again, she quickly twisted free. "I'm not playing the game anymore, Sid. Take your toys and go home." She marched past him, and this time, he didn't stop her.

"When you decide to come to your senses -- you know where to find me." His voice was gloating, supremely confident that it was only a matter of time that she succumbed to his invitation. She didn't even look back, opening the back door to the hotel and hurrying inside. Sid thankfully did not follow, and she rushed upstairs to her room.

She slowed as she heard voices from the hallway, and sighed with relief as she spotted Bud at the far end with a woman she didn't recognize. Sid would not want to deal with Bud, assuming he did try to follow her after all.

"Morning, Bud," she greeted, managing a smile.

Bud turned, smiling back. "Good morning, Laura."

She looked past him at the woman with a suitcase. "Who's your friend, Bud? I don't think we've met yet."

"Probably not directly," Bud said, putting his arm around the woman and walking towards Laura. "Laura, this is Tammy. Tammy, this is Laura."

"Tammy!" "Laura!" came the greetings in unison.

The girls moved forward to hug each other as Bud grinned, "Guess you *do* know each other."

"Hey, you made it!" Laura said. "Welcome to Crowes Hotel and Tavern! Did you just get here?"

"Yep, just arrived," Tammy said with a big smile on her face as she put her arm around Bud's waist. "Lucky for me, this handsome guy was in the lobby. He offered to see me to my room."

"Well, you're in good hands with Officer White. Definitely knows how to treat a woman like a lady -- Don't you, Bud?"

"Well, I -- " Bud stammered a bit, obviously embarrassed.

"Oh, I'm sure he does," Tammy said, pulling Bud closer. "You were right about this place," she said to Laura, sighing slightly as she glanced at Bud. "It's definitely very... special."

"Oh, it's most definitely that!" Laura laughed. "Well, I'm sure you want to unpack after your trip. Come by later, when you're settled, and we'll talk, okay?"

"Sure thing," Tammy said as she and Bud went back towards her room. "It's great to finally meet you in person, Laura."

"You too, Tammy." She watched as Bud opened the door for Tammy, and the two disappeared into her room.

Just before the door closed, she heard Tammy say, "Bud, why don't you stay for a bit and help me... unpack...?"

Laura chuckled as she went into her own room, quickly shutting and locking the door behind her. Her smile faded as she walked over to the window, staring out towards the tavern, her mind obsessing over her conversation with Sid.

She rubbed the side of her neck absently, still feeling the lingering affects of Sid's kiss... Truth be told, her whole body was feeling the affects of Sid's appearance. He was right about one thing -- she was still very much turned on by him. In spite of his sleazy ways -- or perhaps because of them -- she could not get the thought of him out of her head.

She closed her eyes, remembering how incredible he had made her feel yesterday. Before he had even touched her, she had been so turned on that it became impossible to fight the urge to be with him. And he still turned her on, with his seductive voice, incredible eyes, incredible body... No matter what her common sense told her about staying away from him, she still craved his touch, his caress... the lips that left scorching trails across her skin... the hands that made her body come alive... the hips that --

Her eyes snapped open. "Oh, god..." she muttered, shaking her head vigorously to clear the images from her mind. But they wouldn't go away, no matter how hard she tried. His voice seemed to echo in her head. 'I'm game for anything..' No matter how much she thought of Maximus, remembering the gentle but intense passion of the nights she'd spent in his arms, Sid inevitably crept into her fantasies.

She found herself staring at the tavern, mentally counting the windows, wondering which one belonged to Sid... Wondering how she could sneak into his room without anyone noticing.

She pulled away from the window with a groan. "Damn it, get out of my head, Sid!" she said to herself. She knew Sid wasn't worth the risk of screwing things up with Maximus. But she couldn't keep Sid's voice out of her head either. 'Imagine them coming true with me...' It seemed to echo in her skull until she growled, "Stop it...! Stop it, stop it, stop it...!"

The walls were closing in on her and, suddenly, she felt the urge to flee -- but not into Sid's arms. She had to get the hell away from here, away from Sid and the enormous temptation before she compounded one mistake with another. Tina had been right -- Maximus might forgive a momentary weakness, but *not* a repeat performance.

Turning abruptly, she strode to the closet, pulled out her suitcase, and began throwing her clothes into it. "Damn it, Sid," she muttered to herself. "You win -- for now. You wanted to chase me away from Max... Now you've got your wish..." She gathered her things in a hurry, leaving everything in a jumbled heap in the suitcase, then forced it shut. "Max, forgive me," she muttered, "but I cannot stay here a minute longer. If I do, I'll end up in Sid's bed, and I won't have a prayer of explaining it to you -- or myself." She grabbed her purse and rental car keys, then picked up the suitcase and went out into the hallway.

She lugged her suitcase down the stairs, and was heading for the front door when she heard Peaches call out, "Laura...! Are you leaving...!?"

Laura stopped, taking a deep breath before turning around. She set down the suitcase and walked back to the desk. "Yea, I am -- but just temporarily. I need to take care of a few things back in the 'real' world... But I should be back in a few days... I think." She forced herself to sound normal, but inside, she was frantic to get away before Sid had a chance to stop her.

"Oh, well that's too bad, but I understand. We'll miss you around here -- I know Maximus will, but I'm sure he's told you that already himself."

Laura looked away for a minute. "Actually... I haven't had a chance to tell him. This was a last minute decision, and I need to get going right away." There was no way she could talk to him face to face right now. "So could you tell Max for me when you see him?"

"Tell me what?" Maximus said, startling her as he came into the lobby. She jumped rather noticeably.

"Take it easy -- it's only me," he said, smiling as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry -- I didn't hear you come in." She took another a deep breath, pasting a neutral look on her face.

He looked over at the suitcase. "Going somewhere?"

"Yea -- like I was just telling Peaches, I have to leave for a while. Maybe a couple of days. Something came up at the office, and I really have to go back and deal with it... Reality is such a pain," she joked, trying to appear 'normal'. "I wish I could stay here all the time, but, hey, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?"

"I'm sorry to hear that -- I was looking forward to having breakfast together now."

Damn! She had forgotten all about that; Sid had her so rattled lately. "Oh, so was I. I'm sorry, but I just can't stay."

"That's all right -- I understand," he said. "Are you leaving right now?" She nodded. "Well, let me help you to the car." Laura said goodbye to Peaches, and he picked up the suitcase and walked with her out to the parking lot. "When do you think you'll be back?"

She hesitated. She needed a few days to get her head together, but wasn't sure exactly how long it would take to be able to sort things out. "Uhm, I really don't know for sure. Two, three days... maybe a week," she shrugged.

Those warm blue-green eyes studied her face. "Everything okay?"

Damn him, he noticed everything. "It's nothing," she said, "Just... office politics. Nothing like Imperial politics," she joked, smiling slightly, "but it's still enough to drive me crazy sometimes."

Maximus opened his mouth to say something else... But then stopped. She could tell he knew something was up, but respected her privacy enough not to ask. Damn, why did he have to be so wonderful? It just made her feel guiltier. "We'll all miss you; hurry back," he said, interrupting her thoughts. He looked around, noting that they were alone, and pulled her close. "Don't forget us," he said as he kissed her, slowly and intimately. She clung tightly to him, kissing him back with equal fervor. She didn't know how long it would be before he held her in his arms like this again, and she wanted to memorize every detail.

They separated reluctantly, and Maximus stepped away and opened the car door, putting the suitcase inside.

"I don't think there's much chance of me ever forgetting this place," she smiled, wanting nothing more than to melt into his strong arms again. But she felt terrible about what had happened with Sid, and she wondered if Maximus would understand.

But she didn't have the courage to admit the truth to him right now. /Coward!// she thought to herself, but said out loud, "I, uh... really need to get going." She climbed behind the wheel, and he shut the door for her. She rolled down the window, and he leaned on the frame.

"Drive carefully -- we want you back in one piece," he smiled. He kissed her briefly once more, then backed away as she started the engine.

"Thanks -- I will." She let it warm up for a minute, then put it in reverse. "Bye, Max. Tell the rest of the guys I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to say goodbye, but I couldn't wait."

"I will," Maximus said, then watched as she backed up the red Dodge Viper convertible. She peeled out of the parking lot, sending up a cloud of dust in her wake, heading home.

[** Author's Note:

For this, you can 'blame' Loria and Michelle for asking me whether Sid's 'swimmers' were blue or not...! I decided to give them an answer...! It's all your fault, ladies!]

On to Part Six

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