---

The landscape flew by in a blur as Laura drove her rented red Dodge Viper convertible down the highway, top down, wind whipping past her face and disturbing the few wisps of hair that had escaped from her ponytail. 80's songs played on the radio, and she tapped the steering wheel in tune to Duran Duran's "Wild Boys", humming along.

Her destination was only a few miles more down the road, and she had a big smile plastered on her face as she gunned the accelerator, anxious get there. She had the road to herself, and it had been that way for quite some time now. Ever since that last turn-off, which was hidden from the main highway, she'd been alone on the road. Luckily, hardly anyone knew about this place, and there were no cops -- at least no *real* ones, she grinned -- so she floored the accelerator, the speedometer climbing quickly as the V8 engine responded. The display soon read over 120 mph, and, as the surrounding fields and trees sped by, her heart raced, exhilarated by the speed. She had always wanted to open it up on the highway, but never had the opportunity before, at least not in a car like this. She felt safe here, because somehow the rules of the 'real' world didn't seem to apply here.

She had only been gone six days, but it seemed like ages since she'd set foot in Crowe's Tavern. It was amazing just how much she missed everyone in just that short time. And it was equally amazing how quickly she had grown to love everyone there.

Well, *almost* everyone, she noted, the smile fading from her face.

She sobered as she thought of Sid, and the reason she had left here in the first place. Six days of solitude and soul searching had led her to the conclusion that she had been so overwhelmed by the testosterone levels in the place that she hadn't stood a chance. Although normally very conservative, she had gotten caught up in the freewheeling atmosphere, and let her hormones get the better of her. And although Sid 6.7 was a jerk and a slime ball, he still shared the same eyes, the same body, the same overwhelming maleness of all the other incarnations of Russell Crowe. Although she was still kicking herself for letting herself get talked into sleeping with Sid, she had gotten over the guilt, realizing she was only human and could hardly be expected to think rationally when it came to Russell Crowe.

She just hoped Maximus would understand when she told him -- and she did intend to tell him. She was not about to let Sid hold that over her head for a minute longer than she had to.

She had decided that from now on, no matter what Sid said or did, she was not going near him again. While it was true that she still felt a certain attraction to him, she knew that she was just asking for major trouble if she continued to have any kind of contact with him. And it was certainly *not* worth screwing things up further with Maximus.

It was going to be tough, she knew, to control herself around Sid though. He *was* charming -- in a dangerous sort of way. And she had to admit also that she was fascinated by his darker side. But several more viewings of 'Virtuosity' had convinced her he was *much* too dark for comfort. And additional viewings of 'Mystery, Alaska', 'L. A. Confidential', 'The Quick and the Dead', 'The Insider', 'The Sum of Us', 'Breaking Up', 'Heaven's Burning' and 'Gladiator' had convinced her she very much needed to explore all the other options available in the CrowesNest.

/Willpower, Laura!// she reminded herself. /Willpower!//

Beginning to recognize familiar buildings and landmarks, she took her foot off the accelerator, slowing the car to 'normal' levels. There was the ice rink... and the stables... and the movie theatre... and Lachlan's air-strip... and Max's small plot of land that he was turning into a garden... and even the 9-hole golf course that was being built for Jeffrey.

She tapped the brake as she neared the quaint old Victorian-style building that was Crowes' Hotel... And there was Crowes' Tavern next to it! she noted with a smile. She could not wait to get out of the car and say hello to everyone!

She drove up to the front of the tavern, deciding that going to her room and unpacking could wait until later. Pulling into a parking spot, she noticed that it was nearly empty of other cars, and she wondered where everyone was, hoping the place wasn't deserted again.

She got out of the car, and, as she started up the steps, the door swung open abruptly, and Colin dashed out, literally running into her, almost knocking her off her feet.

"Whoa...!" Colin exclaimed, grabbing for Laura before she fell. He pulled her close. "Sorry about that... Cousin," he grinned as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a deep kiss. Her knees started to buckle when his tongue slid into her mouth.

Eventually he released her, stepping back, and she literally had to shake herself back to 'normal'. "I think I'm going to like being 'kissing cousins'!" She smiled warmly at Colin.

"I already know I do," Colin said with his thick Australian accent, chuckling. "So where've you been, love? Haven't seen much of you lately -- Maximus has looked a bit lonely the last few days."

"Well, I had to go back home for a while. As much as I'd like to stay here forever, I can't." She wondered what had happened while she had been gone. "Did I miss anything? Thing's been quiet around here?" She also wondered how long it would be before Sid opened his big mouth and blabbed their secret to everyone in sight.

"As a matter of fact, they have been quiet." He glanced at his watch, looking up at the hotel. "I'd stay and chat, love, but Peaches wanted me to help her out up at the hotel. I'm late already."

"Oh, sure, that's fine. I was just going to say hello to everyone at the bar."

"Well, there aren't many people to say hello to. The place is pretty empty this afternoon. I'm not sure where everyone went... Off in the country for a drive or something, I think."

Laura groaned. "Damn. Just my luck. I always seem to miss everybody... Is Sid with them?"

"Don't know. Could be -- I haven't seen him for a while either. Well, gotta run. See you later, love!" He gave her another kiss, not nearly as intense this time.

"Goodbye, Colin," she said, and went inside as Colin trotted off up the hill to the hotel.

The bar *was* nearly empty, she noted with dismay. Or at least there was no one she really knew. There were only two couples in the back, most likely Russell's characters that she didn't know yet, with female list members she had only met in passing. But no Max, John, Bud, Cort or Jeffrey. /Damn,// she thought to herself, waving to the others. /Why do I always get here when everyone's out?//

But at least this time she felt comfortable enough to go behind the bar and fix herself a drink -- non-alcoholic this time. She wandered around, looking up towards the second floor, wondering if she should go up and knock on a few doors, but then decided not to. Who could tell what she might 'disturb'?

She wound up in front of the jukebox, checking to see how extensive the selection was. She set her can of RC Cola on top of the machine and looked at the titles. As it turned out, there were many familiar groups and songs -- with TOFOG featured prominently, of course -- including many of her 80's favorites. She spotted one title in particular, and smiled broadly, whispering to herself. "Depeche Mode! 'The singles 86-98'! Awesome!" It was one of her favorite albums!

Including her favorite of all, "World in My Eyes". She selected the song, and watched as the CD slid into the player. A moment later it began...

Let me take you on a trip

Around the world and back

And you won't have to move

You just sit still

Now let your mind do the walking

And let my body do the talking

Let me show you the world in my eyes.

She had always loved this song, but now doubly so, as it was so *perfect* for Russell Crowe. She started swaying her hips to the sensual rhythm, singing along softly, listening to the low, erotic, breathy voice of the lead singer, Dave Gahan...

I'll take you to the highest mountain

To the depths of the deepest sea

And we won't need a map

Believe me

Now let my body do the moving

And let my hands do the soothing

Let me show you the world in my eyes.

That's all there is

Nothing more than you can feel now

That's all there is

Russell Crowe had captured her heart the first time she had seen 'Gladiator', with his quiet nobility, strength, courage and passion. Maximus was a true hero in every sense of the word. She had gone to the movie with low expectations, having never seen Russell before, assuming it was going to be some blood'n'guts action flick that would be forgotten by the next day. But the scope of it had overwhelmed her, the lead actor quickly grabbing her attention. He looked imposing and striking and gallant as he strode through his troops, with a regal fur cloak about his broad shoulders; then later astride his horse, galloping down the hillside, sword in hand.

But it was the bloodied, world-weary soldier, who answered Caesar's question of how he could reward Rome's greatest general, with a tired, heart-felt, "Let me go home...", who had captured her heart instantly.

She had read many books on Roman history, and knew that a man who could lead an army to victory could literally hold the world in his hands if he so choose... But Maximus' quiet refusals, his, honest "With all my heart... No" to Caesar's offer of the imperial throne itself, were quiet testaments to the honor and integrity of the man. From then on she had watched every frame with baited breath: heart-sick for him when he discovered his murdered family; cheering him on in the arena; holding her breath when he confronted Commodus; then crying as she mourned his passing after the final battle when he finally was at peace, rejoining his beloved family at last.

The song continued, and she hummed along...

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

That's all there is

Nothing more than you can feel now

That's all there is

After seeing 'Gladiator', she had walked out of the theatre totally blown away, happy and sad at the same time. Happy that Maximus was at peace, but sad that he had died. It was a very strange feeling, one which she had re-experienced each time she went back to see the movie. Curiosity over the handsome, wonderful actor named Russell Crowe had driven her to the Net, only to discover she had managed to miss every single one of his previous films, including the critically acclaimed 'L. A. Confidential'. A trip to Blockbuster had corrected that oversight, and she was so impressed with him as Bud White that she'd bought her own copy of the film. And it had also prompted her first visit to the CrowesNest when Tina had invited her to come.

Let me show you the world in my eyes...

On her last visit, the ladies had introduced her to many more of Russell's movies. Ever since then she had marveled at his ability to submerge himself in the character he was playing, to the point that each role was totally unique and separate from any other. Only the eyes seemed to remain the same... And yet they too changed from one man to the next -- you almost could see the souls of his characters in his eyes, not his own....

Let me show you the world in my eyes...

She closed her own eyes as the music washed over her, still swaying her hips in time with the sensual rhythm, imagining all the various incarnations of Russell Crowe that she had grown to know and love, thinking that perhaps the song lyrics should be "Let me show you the WORLDS in my eyes".

"You appear to need to let *my* body do the talking, cherie," a voice said, very close to her ear.

Laura managed not to jump, cursing herself for not paying attention to her surroundings, considering how good he seemed to be at popping up out of nowhere. She steeled herself, readying herself for the inevitable confrontation with him, and turned slowly to face Sid 6.7, meeting his ice blue eyes with her own. And she held his eyes, determined not to let him get the better of her in any respect. "I suppose your ego would lead you to assume that, wouldn't it?"

Sid chose not to respond to that, instead saying, "You disappeared on us, my dear. You didn't even say goodbye -- I was crushed," he said with mock dismay.

"I'll bet..." She looked him over, noticing he was wearing his purple suit again. She was surprised to see it looking clean, pressed and neat, almost like new. The last time she had seen him wearing it, it had been soaked through with ocean salt water and draped with seaweed. "I could have sworn that was ruined," she said, pointing to his suit.

"I have more than one," Sid said. "It's my favorite." He preened a bit, running his hands down the suit before straightening the collar. He moved closer, and she felt his hand in a very intimate spot. She didn't react, instead glancing around, hoping no one could see what was happening. As Sid smirked, she realized he had strategically placed himself so no one *could* see anything. "Move your hand." Her voice was low, but firm.

He moved his hand, from side to side, massaging the crotch of her jeans. She gasped slightly, then elbowed him in the ribs. "That's *not* what I meant. RE-move your hand."

His hand did leave her body, but he stood where he was, uncomfortably close, his eyes never wavering from hers. His smiled softly, sensuously running his tongue over his lips. She took a step back, folding her arms across her chest. "Don't start with me. It's over, Sid. I -- "

"It hasn't even *begun*." Sid grinned suggestively.

"It's over," she repeated. "I don't want to see you anymore. I --"

"You know that's not true." He started towards her again, this time she held her ground, staring him down. Or at least trying to, considering he was 5'11" and she only 5'5".

"Sid," Laura said tightly, her voice rising a bit. She caught herself, glancing at the other patrons, and lowered her voice so only he could hear. "Look, I don't want to continue this with you. It's over. I'm staying with Maximus -- and only Maximus -- so I can't see you anymore. I won't deny that I was attracted to you -- "

"Was?"

"All right, fine -- I *am* attracted to you. It would be foolish to say otherwise. But that doesn't mean I'm going to do anything about it anymore. It *was* a one-night-stand -- It was fun, I enjoyed it, but that's it. Sorry to burst your bubble, but one roll in the hay doesn't qualify as a lifetime commitment."

"Whoever said anything about *that*?" He grimaced, looking as though he'd just stepped in something disagreeable. Then he smiled again, oozing charm as he whispered, "But why does it have to be *one* roll in the hay? There are *so* many possibilities... And don't forget; I'm not a normal man --"

"You can say that again."

"Precisely." He smiled.

"I didn't mean it as a compliment."

"I know -- but I take it as one anyway. Why be boring and ordinary...? Why *have* boring and ordinary in your bed...? Let someone else 'take care' of Maximus. I'm sure he'll have no trouble replacing you, considering the number of ladies here... You'll be much better off with me; you know that, don't you?"

She rubbed the bridge of her nose, sighing, "Just how stupid do you think I am? Do you think I'll conveniently forget the fact that you told everybody in the bar the other day that you were out to prove that you could 'turn' a woman just like that?" She snapped her fingers. "That you could steal a woman from Maximus or anyone else whenever you felt like it?"

"But I can. And I have," Sid smirked. "You belong with *me*, not Maximus, or any of the others... I've decided that 'pairing off' can have its advantages."

She had to stop herself from gawking at him. THIS was a new twist. "Would you mind translating that for me please? Are you saying... that you want me for a ... a *girlfriend* or something...?"

He cocked his head to one side, looking away for a moment. "...Or something." His eyes turned back to her. "I thought it might be... interesting... to have a woman of my own too. Like the others do."

Laura rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "You sound like I'm nothing more than a trophy... That is SO flattering. I can't tell you how impressed I am that you find it 'interesting' to spend time with me." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

But he only smiled at that. "You've changed since the first time we met -- for the better I must say. I like your attitude -- much more like mine."

"I haven't changed at all. When I was here the first time, I was so overwhelmed by the place I couldn't deal with it. I've felt more at home here than I ever expected to, and my inhibitions just dropped."

"Nothing wrong with that."

She glared at him, ignoring him, and continued, "But I had a few days to let my head clear -- and my hormone levels --"

"Too bad."

"And now I see things a lot more clearly. I know what I want, and that's Maximus. And I don't want to be involved with you anymore. And that's final."

"But how can you possibly conclude that, if you don't even know how good it can be with us? The other morning..." He smiled and put his hand on her arm, trailing a finger down her bare skin. "Was just the tip of the iceberg. You have no idea what other kinds of pleasures are just waiting to be taken." His mouth moved next to her ear, and he whispered some of the 'pleasures' he had in mind.

Her cheeks flushed crimson at the graphic details, and she jerked away, so he wasn't touching her anymore. "Get this through your head -- I'm not interested." She pretended she had not heard anything of what he had said.

"Ah, Laura, why be so stubborn? Maximus will not go lonely, I assure you. There are plenty of others who would be more than happy to take your place, and you'll only be a distant memory to him."

It was getting very hard not to let him get to her, but she managed to hold her tongue, glaring at him. "I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer."

"But the two of us... We could make beautiful music together," he continued, once again ignoring what she'd said, and he turned towards the jukebox and started to make a selection. "You like Depeche Mode?" She nodded. "Perhaps you'll remember this then..." He pressed a few buttons on the jukebox, and a song began a few moments later.

She immediately recognized the opening music to 'It's No Good', which was off the same album as 'World in My Eyes'. She had always liked this particular song, and wondered why he had chosen this.

The reason became apparent when Sid began to sing softly along with the lead vocalist.

I'm going to take my time

I have all the time in the world

To make you mine

It is written in the stars above

The gods decree

You'll be right here by my side

Right next to me

You can run, but you cannot hide

Sid was staring into her eyes as he mouthed the words, and a chill began to travel down her spine. She had never thought of the lyrics as being anything more than just a simple love song, but with the connotation Sid was giving it, it began to sound sinister and obsessive... Like a stalker...

Don't say you want me

Don't say you need me

Don't say you love me

It's understood

Don't say you're happy

Out there without me

I know you can't be

'Cause it's no good

I'll be fine

I'll be waiting patiently

Till you see the signs

And come rushing to my open arms

When will you realize

Do we have to wait till our worlds collide

Open up your eyes

You can't turn back the tide

She interrupted him mid-way through the song. "Is there a point to this?" She was determined *not* to let him see that he had rattled her. Although he already had. In a lot of ways, she had never really taken Sid seriously, knowing that this place was out of the ordinary, and somehow 'safe', no matter what outrageous things came out of Sid's mouth. But now she was starting to wonder if she shouldn't be taking this *very* seriously. Could he really turn violent here? John said Sid could not hurt anyone... But come to think of it though, John had said Sid could not 'kill' anybody... That was a far cry from harassing and threatening her.

"Does there have to be?" Sid answered during a break in the lyrics, then went right on singing the chorus again along with the vocalist until the song ended.

"If you're trying to scare me into staying with you, it won't work."

"Scare you?" He seemed genuinely puzzled. As if he were truly unaware of the connotations of his actions. She did not see how Sid could be oblivious to his thinly veiled threat. But Sid was not quite playing with a full deck, was he? Could he be mistaking sex and obsession for intimacy? He had said he had been interested in 'having a woman around', just like the rest of the Boyz from the CrowesNest. Was Sid jealous of the attention they were getting and wanted it himself just to 'fit in'?

As she heard the tavern's front door open, she shook her head, wondering why she was trying to rationalize this. It didn't matter what Sid meant. The fact was, he was giving her a major headache -- and giving her the willies big time. "Yes, you're scaring me.... Don't threaten me, Sid. That's hardly a way to get me, or any woman, to 'cooperate'."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw John Biebe come in, heading for the staircase to go up to the second floor. But he slowed to stop before he started up the stairs, perhaps overhearing what she had said. But he definitely had to notice her defensive stance and the way Sid was leaning in on her.

If Sid noticed John, he didn't show it -- after all, he did have his back to John. But she knew he had heard the footsteps when he answered, backing off slightly, "You've misunderstood me, Laura. I meant nothing of the kind."

John caught her eye, giving her a look that asked her if she needed help. She turned confidently back to Sid, letting John know she was ok -- for the moment. John stayed where he was, watching, as she responded to Sid, "You could have fooled me."

"I've never needed to resort to measures like that here. You can ask several of your other lady friends," he said with a smirk. "They might not choose to admit it, but they have more than just a... casual knowledge of me as well." There was a telling glint in his eye, but she refused to take the bait and ask just exactly whom he was referring to. "They've had nothing to fear from me, and neither do you."

She wasn't buying it, not one bit, but decided it was pointless to argue with him. She just wanted him to go away, and go away *now*, before she lost her nerve and showed her fear to him -- or before she lost her temper. "I don't give a rat's ass *what* you meant. I don't have anything further to say to you, so just get the hell out of my face," she said firmly.

At that, John stepped forward. "You heard her, Sid -- leave *now*."

Sid slowly turned and glared at John. "No one asked *you*. Mind your own business, Biebe."

"Whatever goes on around here *is* my business." He moved to stand in front of Sid, folding his arms across his chest. "And if she doesn't want to talk to you, I expect you to leave... Got it?"

Sid stood his ground. "Don't tell me what to do. *I* live here too."

"When the ladies are here, they're our *guests*." He looked at Laura. "Is he bothering you?" She nodded, and John looked back at Sid. "You don't bother our guests. Since you can't play 'nice', I'm sending you to your room."

Sid scowled. "How witty." He turned his attention back to Laura, cranking up the charm again. "Very well then..." He tried to take her hand, but she pulled away. "Until *next* time, mon cher." He smiled one of his 'beautiful' smiles and stepped away, heading for the stairs. He paused at the first step and winked at her suggestively. Then he climbed the stairs and disappeared up into his room.

Laura let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank God! Does the man *ever* shut up?"

John chuckled. "I don't think so." He came over and hugged her. "Welcome back, Laura. We missed you." He kissed her affectionately on the cheek.

She hugged him back. "I missed you too."

"When did you get back?"

"About a half hour ago."

"And Sid was the only one around?"

Laura nodded. "Just my luck -- again. Bad karma, I guess."

John smiled. "*Very* bad.... So where did you run off to anyway? You just up and disappeared on us that morning. What's it been now -- six days?"

"Yea.... Uh, like I told Maximus, I had business to take care of back home. Just one of those last minute things."

"I understand how it goes. Tina's not here -- she's busy working too." But then he looked at her closely. "Look... Forgive me for being nosy, but... Did Sid have anything to do with you leaving the way you did?"

Laura looked away, chewing on her lower lip. Suddenly deciding that she needed some advice on how to approach Maximus with her little secret -- and how to deal with Sid -- she answered, "Yea... A *lot* to do with it." She sighed heavily. "Do you have time to talk? I *really* need some advice."

"Actually, I've got the whole rest of the day -- I decided to bow out of the road trip this time. Too much 'togetherness' gets on my nerves sometimes," he grinned.

She smiled back. "Well, in this case, their loss is my gain."

John moved towards a booth. "This okay?" She nodded, following. Before they sat, he asked, "Can I get you something?"

She nodded strongly. "I could really use a drink right now. Beer's fine."

"Coming up." John went to the bar as she sat down, and he returned a few minutes later with two full mugs of beer. He took the seat across from her, watching her as she took a sip of her drink. When she didn't say anything, he eventually asked, "You said you needed advice?"

She sighed. "Yea -- sorry. I'm procrastinating. I guess I just don't want to say what I have to say."

She paused again, and John asked, "What did Sid do this time?"

"It -- it's not what Sid did that's the problem. It's what I did *with* Sid." She rubbed her forehead. "I don't know how to say it other than to be blunt... I -- I slept with Sid." John's eyebrows rose slightly, but he didn't say anything. "You don't seem surprised. Did Tina tell you?"

"No, she didn't say a word to me. Although I knew she was upset about you leaving so suddenly, but she wouldn't tell me why... But when I saw you just now, with him... The body language was different. More... intimate."

"Oh, great," Laura muttered. "I was hoping it wasn't obvious..." She looked away, then turned back. "Okay, so you're not surprised. But you probably think it's pretty strange considering how angry I was with Sid when I first met him."

"Well... Yea, it does seem a little odd under the circumstances," John admitted. "But I do understand that you ladies find *all* of us attractive, Sid included."

She sighed. "Yes, I do. But it wasn't like I set out to sleep with Sid. He found me alone one day, when no one was around... And it just... happened. He *is* attractive."

"You don't have to justify it to me."

"Maybe I'm just trying to justify it to myself... I regretted it as soon as it happened. I didn't know how to deal with it, or what to say to Max, so I took the easy way out and -- and I just took off back home," she admitted.

"Tina was worried about you, you know. You didn't even say anything to her before you left."

"Well, I ran into Sid again, and.... Well... I was afraid 'it' might happen again if I stuck around." She hung her head. "I felt like the walls were closing in -- I was afraid I'd be weak again and let my hormones get the better of me. So I just left before anything could happen..."

He nodded to himself. "Well, I'm just glad to know you're okay... Tina asked me to keep an eye on you when you got back if she wasn't here, to make sure you're all right." He smiled softly. "I'm glad Tina has a friend like you."

"I'm glad I have her as a friend too. I don't know what I'd do without her. But I feel bad about not telling her before I left, but there just wasn't time. I had to get away from Sid." She sighed. "And I was a little embarrassed about the whole thing, because she *did* warn me about him, but I wouldn't listen... But now I really regret sleeping with him, because Sid won't leave me alone. He seems to think we're an item now or something. And today, just now... frankly, he's starting to *scare* me."

John's eyes narrowed. "Scare you how?"

Laura explained what Sid had said to her, and about the song he had played and sung for her. "I know I brought this on myself," she said after she had finished her story. "But he crossed way over the line today, and I don't know what to do. You know Sid better than I do -- could he do something like that? Attack me, I mean?"

John shook his head, rubbing his beard. "Just when I think I've seen everything from him..." He let out a long sigh. "My gut instinct is no, he won't hurt you like that. But exactly where the line *is* with Sid... I honestly don't know anymore. Ever since 'Gladiator' opened and Maximus arrived, Sid's been acting very strange -- even for him. He just doesn't know how to deal with Max's popularity, and he's reacting in odd ways." He shook his head again, absently stroking his long auburn hair. "He actually *said* he was interested in having a girlfriend too, like the rest of us?" She nodded. "That's definitely a new one. If I didn't know better, I'd say Sid's feeling *lonely*."

"Well, personally, I don't give a damn *what* Sid's feeling. I've wasted far too much time already trying to rationalize his behavior -- that's what got me into this mess in the first place. What I need to know right now is whether or not I need to take his innuendo seriously."

John sighed. "Well, I hate to say this... But I don't think we can afford *not* to take him seriously."

"We?"

"*We*. I'm not about to sit back and let Sid do whatever he pleases. And I think I can speak for just about everyone of the other guys here -- we'll protect you from Sid."

"If you can."

He nodded firmly. "We'll take care of him -- don't worry." He smiled.

Laura sighed inwardly, noting that John's smiles were just as dazzling as Max's. And Bud's. And Cort's. And Jeffrey's. And Colin's! This place could be very dangerous to a girl's blood pressure! "Thanks, I appreciate it," she told John, smiling back at him. "But -- " Her smile faded. "John... There's something else I need your advice about more than anything... Maximus."

She saw John's eyebrows raise a bit as he took a deep breath, pushing the hair out of his eyes as it fell forward. "Do you intend to tell him about you and Sid?"

"Yes -- I have to. It's just a matter of time before Sid tells him himself. If he hasn't already." She paused. "Do you think he might have?"

He shook his head. "I'm sure I'd know about it if he had. You'd probably be able to hear the explosion all the way back into the 'real' world." He smiled briefly, then sobered again. "I'm glad you've decided to tell him, but, honestly, it's *not* going to be easy, Laura. There is so much bad blood between those two now."

"I know -- and a lot of that's *my* fault." She put a hand on her forehead, rubbing her temple. "He's going to be furious, and I can't say as I'd blame him. Here he tries to defend me and protect me from Sid after the psycho scares the crap out of me, and what do I do...?" She shook her head. "God, how could I be so stupid as to let this happen?" She turned to him with a forlorn look. "How can I explain this to him, John?"

John let out a heavy sigh. "Maybe you ought to explain to me exactly what happened."

"In detail?"

"Uh, as much as is relevant. I don't care to know *that* much about Sid's sex life."

"All right; here goes..." Laura took a deep breath. "The day before I left, I had gone down into the storeroom in the basement of the hotel. No one was around, not even Peaches. But Sid was, unbeknownst to me, and he followed me down... He started coming on to me as soon as he walked in the door, and he propositioned me again."

"Again?"

She breathed another sigh. "I never did tell anyone this at the time, but that first day when I met Sid, he asked me to come to his room with him... and I almost went for it then. And he knew it.... Well, in the basement, he picked up where he left off. He wouldn't leave me alone. But -- " she added as John started to react, "He did NOT force me into anything. If anything, Sid went out of his way to make sure I knew I had a choice to walk out if I wanted... But I didn't. I don't know what happened... Ah, hell, I DO know what happened. I..." She swallowed hard, an embarrassed flush creeping into her cheeks. "I wanted him so bad I couldn't see straight, and I went for it. I didn't think about the consequences, or what Max might think, or how Sid would feel about it. I just did it 'cause it felt good and I wanted to have some fun... Max told me once that you guys didn't really get jealous of each other that much, that you understood if we were attracted to others. He even said that he understood that I was attracted to Sid. I used that to rationalize what I was doing, but in retrospect, I should have realized that to Max, feeling that way and doing something about it are two entirely different things." She shook her head. "You probably think I'm terrible - or a slut."

John grimaced. "No, I do *not* think that."

"Thanks," Laura said, sighing with relief. "But honestly, John, I am NOT the type of woman who sleeps around. I've never done anything like this before -- I'm usually very conservative. But this place..." She swirled the beer around in her mug. "I guess I just didn't take it all seriously. It was like a game... But I'm only now beginning to realize that it's *very* real for all of you guys, and that I just can't treat your feelings so cavalierly like I was. Like I have with Max -- I was taking him for granted. And now I'm going to hurt him when I tell him, and I'm just sick about it. If I could take back what I did, I would. But I can't... God, I am *so* screwed," she muttered, twisting a paper napkin in her hand and pulling it into shreds. "I'd love to blame Sid for this, but I can't. It's MY fault, plain and simple...." She finally stopped, looking back at John. "So can you help me? Or is it hopeless with Max?"

"It's never hopeless," John said, sighing. He paused for a minute or two, taking a slow drink from the beer mug, collecting his thoughts before continuing, "But as I said, it won't be easy. There's one main thing you have to remember when you talk to Maximus -- be honest. No head games, no excuses, no lies, no tricks -- be straight with him, and tell him the truth. He may not understand right away, but at least he'll respect you for *that*."

Laura sighed. "But probably not much else..."

"You don't know that. But you should be prepared for the worst. I don't want to sugar coat this; he *is* going to be upset, I know that already. He hasn't settled in completely yet, and he just doesn't understand about Sid. He doesn't want to admit that he has a lot in common with all of us, including Sid. And he doesn't really know how different this place is from the normal world for the gals... And you may not be able to make him understand either. It'll be something he has to work through for himself. In the meantime..." He shrugged. "It won't be pretty..."

"That's comforting." She grimaced.

"Uh, you wanted my advice," he reminded her.

"I know -- and I'm not trying to 'kill the messenger'. I screwed up, and now I have to pay the piper." She sighed again, taking a long drink of beer, draining the glass. "I feel like getting wasted right about now..."

"I'd offer to get you another one, but I think you ought to take it easy. When are you planning on telling Max?"

"The sooner the better. I cannot take the chance that Sid might say something before I do... Where is Max anyway? Some kind of drive in the country?"

"Yea; it's him, Bud, Cort, Jeffrey, Wendy, Michelle, Peaches and Loria. I think they were going up into the mountains. They won't be back for hours, maybe not until around midnight."

"Damn." She scowled. "Guess I'll have to wait until morning... Not that I'm in any big hurry to get my head taken off, but I know I have to do this."

"Good idea. The longer you wait, the worse it'll be."

"I know -- best to get it over with, right?"

"Exactly." He reached over and took her hand. "I wish I could be more encouraging, but as you've already realized, Max can be a bit stubborn about some things."

"And he's a very moral, honorable man. He's going to have a hard time accepting the fact that I could find someone as amoral and dishonorable as Sid attractive enough to sleep with." Laura shook her head. "When I look at it that way, I wonder about it myself."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You're human like the rest of us. And I know you and Tina and the others come here as an escape from the real world. It's somewhere you can relax and be yourselves." He lowered his voice. "I know she already told you this but... When she spent her first night here, it wasn't with me -- It was with Max. We both understood how difficult it was for her, and how unique this place is... But Max knows she's been with me since then. And he also knows I'm not jealous of him. Max was the one who drew her here in the first place, so I have no problem with them having been together.... And then there's what happened the *third* night she was here..." He raised an eyebrow, and she nodded in understanding.

"She did tell me all about it," she said quietly. "But I would never bring that up and embarrass you or Tina or Max."

"I appreciate that. But when Max calms down after the initial shock, he should remember all of that and realize this place *is* unique. The rules are different here, as he knows all too well..."

"I can only hope..." Laura sat quietly for a while, then glanced at her watch when her stomach rumbled. It was nearly 5:00 p.m. "You doing anything for dinner?"

"No, I'm not." He smiled, aquamarine eyes twinkling. "Is that an invitation?"

"Of course it is," she smiled back. "I'm buying -- consider it a thank you for listening to my tale of woe."

"You don't have to do that. You're important to Tina, so that makes you important to me too. And Maximus is important to all of us. I want to see you both happy."

"As happy as you and Tina?" she smiled warmly, patting his hand.

John blushed. "Something like that."

"I insist, John -- I'm buying."

"All right -- my mother told me never to argue with a lady," he grinned.

"And I promise, I won't bend your ear about this all night. I'm sure there are plenty of other things to talk about."

"There definitely are. Do you want to go now?"

"Yea, I had an early lunch, and I'm starved. You?"

"Sure, now's fine. I'm always hungry, to be honest," he admitted.

"But you're just a growing boy, aren't you, John?" Laura teased as he finished his beer...

On to Part Seven

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