The way the monsters had come in had been blocked and sealed up with reinforced steel, although that wasn't enough to impress Michael. I knew he wanted to have it out with me but I was wise to his ways and stuck closely to Francesca and Magda who interpreted this unusual behaviour as nervous insecurity that only a loving parent could comfort. Yeah, I felt lousy about deceiving them but they had no idea what Michael was really like. When bedtime came I made sure I went to bed twenty seconds before sun down. Sliding into my freshly made bed I only saw Michael for five seconds looming towards me before the sunset and my body shut down.

My dreams that night were mercifully vacant. There were no crazy dreams where I turned up in the hotel bar dressed as pirate and most thankfully there was no nightmares where I watched a group of people have their throats torn out.

When the sun did rise I woke up to an empty bedroom. There was a small note on my pillow that said in big angry capitals,

‘THIS ISN’T OVER.’

I quickly screwed it up and threw it across the room. I wasn’t going to be intimidated by a heartless, soulless monster. Getting up there was an angry hammering on my front door. I staggered in my pajams to the front door and opened the front door. Stephen and Sheldon were standing there holding an arm full of papers. Both of them quickly shouldered their way through into the loungue.

“Come on in, make yourself at home.” I muttered dryly after them, slamming the door shut.

I followed the boys into the apartment, they dumped their armfuls of paper on to my dining room table.

“Right,” Sheldon said clapping his hand, “These are maps of the dock, blue prints of the ship and details of how to get into the ship without being noticed. Keira has gone over these so you don’t need to mesmerize them, just make yourself familiar with them. Okay?”

I stared at the sea of paper and picked up a random map. The detail was overwhelming, there was no way I was going to remember this in two days. Putting down the paper I asked,

“Will the ship be heavily guarded?”

“Don’t worry about that, Keira has got an idea what to do.” Sheldon said confidently.

Well it looked like I was at the mercy of Keira because I had not a clue about breaking into government ships. Stephen and Sheldon stayed with me for the rest of the night teaching me useful bits of advice about slipping into the ship undetected. By the end of the night my brain was overloaded with information. Sheldon and Stephen quickly gathered their paper pieces and left before Michael came back. The evening had been so packed full of distractions I had nearly forgotten about Michael and his note. Shit. I couldn’t face him. Not without turning into a trembling wreck.

I needed an avoidance plan. Going into my room I pulled out a portable mp3 player speakers. Taking my i-pod and a fresh pair pyjamas I locked myself in the bathroom and put Nirvana on full blast. If Michael came in he would see I was having a relaxing soak to the sound of classic 90s grunge. I sat in the bath until the water went cold and fingers went wrinkly. The music was so loud I had no idea if Michael was in the apartment or not. I didn’t hear a door slam or my name being called. Magda and Francesca were out as usual they didn’t get back until after I had fallen asleep. Older vampires didn’t need as much sleep as baby vampires so the sunrise didn’t effect them.

The drum roll of ‘smells lit teen spirit’ filled the bathroom I heard a loud bang. Someone had slammed a door so hard the mirrored doors of the bathroom trembled and the still bath water rippled. I closed my eyes.

I’m in the bath and I can’t hear you.

The bathroom door shook as Michael pounded against it, “Lorna, get out here now!”

His voice was so loud and so angry it managed to cut through Kurt Cobain’s screaming chorus. I sank deeper into the bath. The door shook again, this time harder. Michael yelled,

“I know that water is freezing cold. Get out here or I’ll smash my way in.”

He voice was deadly seriously and there was no doubt in my mind if I didn’t open the bathroom door in the next ten seconds he would smash it down. Jumping out the bath I wrapped a towel round me and paused the song. Taking a deep breath I tried to not to freak out- just act normal, act normal. I kept repeating that over and over again like a mantra as I approached the bathroom door. Shakily I unlocked the door, Michael burst in I stumbled back and watched in horror as he slammed the door behind him locking it.

“You have five seconds to explain yourself.” He demanded angrily.

I gazed down to the floor and trying to think of an excuse, Michael sensed my hesistation and grabbed my shoulders. Startled I looked up at him and screamed. He was covered in blood. Bright angry streaks of red blood were smeared across his face and body. I jumped back with supernatural speed almost falling back into the bath tub. I steadied myself and looked but at Michael who was standing there completely stunned and completely blood stain free. Shit, my imagination was running riot. Michael stared at me,

“What’s matter? Why are you so jumpy?” He asked.

I shook my head muttering, “It’s nothing.”

Michael raised his hand and pressed his index finger to the corner of his lips, “Why..” he murmerred.

I glanced at my reflection in the opposite mirror and immeaditly saw what he was pointing at. My fangs had popped out. The sight of imaginary blood had caused them to retract down. I clamped my hand over my mouth even though Michael had already seen my teeth. I pushed past him unlocking the door and heading towards my bedroom. Air rushed past me and Michael was blocking my bedroom door.

“What did you see back there?” Michael asked.

I shook my head unable to speak. I was terrified what he would do to me when he realized I knew about Cumbria. When I looked back up at Michael he was still staring at my fangs. Closing my eyes I willed them to go away. Suddenly felt Michael fingertips framing my face, even in the revalation of all these horrors my treachourous body still reacted to his touch. Gliding over my lips he pulled my lip down to reveal the sharp fangs still protracted down.

“You saw blood, didn’t you.” He demanded.

I shook my head almost crying. His eyes blackened, “Whose blood was it? Have you been drinking from that Sheldon kid or has Sasha finally got to you?” He snapped.

“What?!” I blurted out.

“Come on Lorna, why the hell else would you want to stay in this hotel for?” Michael said stepping away running his fingers through his hair. Pinching the bridge of his nose he snapped, “I knew this would happen! You’re alone all the goddamn time!”

I didn’t know what to say- an affair would be a better excuse than revealing the truth but I didn’t want any bad reprecussions to fall on Sheldon or Sasha… well maybe not Sasha.

“It’s not what you think.” I said.

But Michael wasn’t listening, he grabbed his coat and stormed out the apartment for the second time in two days. I wanted to run after him but I could feel the sun rising above. I had no choice but to go to bed and try and smooth things over on the next rising.

I woke to an empty bed again. There was no note and no sign Michael had slept next to me. Wearily I got up and went out into the lounge where Magda was folding up a blanket,

“Michael slept on the couch last night. Did you two have a fight?” She asked.

“Maybe.” I said slumping down on a chair.

Magda didn’t pry, instead she made me my vampire kiddie cup of blood and her and Francesca left me to wallow in my own doom. Tomorrow was D-Day after all. This time tomorrow I would be heading to Portsmouth with Keira to break into the boat. A chill crept up my spine. I hope the ship wouldn’t be heavily guarded. Sheldon and Stephen were going to hack into the cctv system so Keira and I wouldn’t have to worry about any tape evidence but there was still a nagging doubt what if…

I got up and put on dress. I needed to speak to Keira and find out the plans for tomorrow. I headed up into the hotel foyer. As I walked out of the elevator I noticed about ten slayer agents walking around the foyer in cillvian clothes. They stopped and turned their heads in my direction as some one in their ear pieces announced my arrival. Ignoring them I glided through the crowd into the bar. Keira was in her usual spot with some drunk slumped against her. I approached her and she smiled,

“Good, I’m glad you’re here, I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me to a pretty little opera tomorrow night.”

I blinked. Opera? Tomorrow we are supposed to be breaking into a ship not going to watch some woman screeching away in foreign language! I opened my mouth to protest but Keira grabbed my hand and glanced side ways- another agent was sitting a few stools down the bar listening in on our conversation.

Smiling graciously I nodded, “Delightful idea, we should run it past Michael.”

“I tried to convince him earlier on but he wasn’t ..um.. open to the idea. Perhaps if we both went we could persuade him.” Keira said.

I nodded. Seconds later we were outside the temporary slayer hub/storage room of the hotel. Michael listened to Keira proposition again. We would go to the opera with vampire guards and then go clubbing afterwards and return home. The whole shebang  was a setup designed to slip out under the noses of the slayers.

“We will be chaperoned by our own staff.” Keira said cordially.

Michael flexed his jaw muscles and stared at me silently willing me to protest. Coolly I patted Michael’s shoulder and said,

“Michael please, I just want to feel normal for one evening.” I said.

His features softened as I widen my eyes into a classic puppy dog look. His will iron was beginning to weaken. Scratching his jaw he asked,

“How far is the play house?”

“Not that far from Covent Garden. We will be in the middle of tourist land, no monster has ever ventured into the beating heart of London. Far too public, don’t you think?”

“I don’t like it.” Michael stated starkly.

I grabbed Michael’s shirt and said desperately, “Please, otherwise I’ll have to spend another night with Sheldon.”

Jealously flashed across Michael face and finally he caved in.

“Fine, but I want a brief with your security team and annual fifteen minute reports while you are gone.”

“That can be arranged.” Keira smiled.

“Well arrange it.” Michael said dryly.

In that moment the plan had come into play and tomorrow we would break into the boat.