-1That night Lia bit her lip in excitement and tried to sleep. She was going to the club, she was GOING to the club, with TRINITY even! Perhaps not WITH Trinity in that sense, but around him. Oh yes. She turned over, shivering, feelings mixed between excited and feeling stupid for being so eager for a simple trip to a little club. It was more than she had ever gotten to do, though. She clutched her blanket and tried to sleep. Half a second later she giggled like a child, and tried again. Man. She couldn’t WAIT!

“Good grief!” Brian covered his eyes and mockingly screamed. “My eyes! It burns! I-I cannot SEE!!” Nicole rolled her eyes and gave Lia’s hair one last pat.

“Oh shut up Brian. The shirt doesn’t even go up that high.”

“Excuse me?” Brian sputtered, peeking through the gaps between his fingers. “Do you SEE her bellybutton right there? Cause I do!”

“To be honest, you can,” said Trinity, coming in through the hall, “But-”

“Don’t look!” Brian dashed to block his view. “I forbid it!” Lia blushed, and tried to fold her arms over her torso.

“Hey now!” Nicole shook a brush at her brother. “Stop it! She looks FINE, Brian! Half the skanks you used to date dressed worse than this!” His eyes glazed as he mentally pieced the word ‘skank’ with his baby sister. While he was doing this, Trinity chuckled and moved inside to take a better look at Lia.

The shirt was alarmingly tighter and high cut than she normally wore, but only flashed her stomach occasionally, and the low rise jeans she wore accompanied the fancy shirt with a delicate butterfly belt that jangled softly when she walked. Her hair was done in slight curls cascading around her face, and in the end Trinity had to agree with Nicole. She didn’t look THAT much different.

“Nice.” he said, sending a little thrill through her stomach. Trinity said she looked nice! “Are we going or what?” Nicole pulled Brian along by his ear, ignoring his high keen of protest.

“But-! Guys will hit on her!”

“Don’t worry!” Trinity laughed, handing Lia her jacket as they headed out the front door. “I’ll watch over her!” For once Brian only grumbled, and reluctantly pulled out his keys.

“…Just not TOO closely, Trin.”

---

The car ride was heavy with laughter no one would let escape, for fear Brian would change his mind at the last second, and Lia’s raw excitement.

“Not one second, Trinity, you hear me? I don’t even care if you have to pee, you hold it and watch her!” Trinity fought back a smile, and stared out the window as Brian’s knuckles strained to strangle the wheel. “Lia don’t drink ANYTHING that you have taken your eyes off, even to blink, who knows what kind of-”

“Brian.” Nicole touched his knee softly. “Stop. It’ll be fine! This isn’t Vegas or some shady backwoods place, she will be fine. Trinity will take care of her. For heaven’s sakes, let her have a bit of fun.” Brian’s eyes met Lia’s in the rearview mirror, and she smiled at him faintly. He sighed a long sigh, and finally shifted gears.

“Allright. I’m stopping.” Good, cause they were there. Lia curled her toes in her shoes as they entered the parking lot, and locked their doors, the pavement wet from more rain, the neon lights reflected in wet gravel, making the ground itself seem lit up in gaudy array. She couldn’t help a small squeal and almost jumped when Trinity’s hand on her spine led her forward.

“Keep close,” he smiled. “People shove a lot going in.” Anything you say, she thought wildly, inching closer into the aroma of his cologne and the folds of his leather jacket. Nicole and Brian looped arms and hands around each other waists as they flashed their I.D’s to the front bouncers. They eyed Lia, but after a glance at her driver’s license, grunted and opened the doors, letting out the wild blast of music and shouts. Lia’s eyes opened wide, and she flashed a brilliant grin of thanks to Trinity. Lights bounced all over the club and dancers filled every inch, strobe lights and smoke curled around people’s feet, while black lights illuminated the bar, with ghostly bartenders flipping drinks for the wild party-goers. Brian touched her elbow, bringing her in close.

“Should I stick around? If any guys try anything, I could-”

“Brian, GO!” she yelled, barely audible, and bounced up and down as he hesitated. Beaten, he shrugged, shot Trinity a look, and let Nicole lead him off to the center of the floor.

“Media Orphan!” Trinity yelled, suddenly close to her ear, and she jumped, spinning, nearly hitting someone else at the shock of him so close to her ear, intimately close.

“What?”

“That’s the band!” he yelled back, laughing. “Media Orphan!” She strained for a glance, but couldn’t see much over the jumping, crazy hairdo’s, and shrugged.

“I love them!” Trinity led her to the bar, where he appeared to be invisible, a body-less apparition that offered her a sealed bottle of water. “No thanks!” she yelled, slightly flustered to yell in his ear. “I’m too excited!” He grinned and looked around, and Lia noticed with a pang of jealousy that about three girls were already making eyes at him, three tall, leggy things in hankerchiefs and bikini dresses. Inwardly, Lia fought the possessive feelings rising up, unaware that her face had fallen, obvious enough to Trinity, if not everyone else.

“Want to dance?” he yelled, taking her by surprise. Embarrassed she shook her head no, aware that the main type of dancing here was way too personal to be done with her brother’s roomate. Her roomate. Whom she had to see everyday. Egad. Maybe this was a terrible idea after all. Unable to leave her, and unable to dance with her, she had resigned Trinity to a night of sitting. Her face flushed as she realized how much of a babysitter Brian had still imposed on her.

“Trinity! Lia!” Who? Speechless, she gaped as a sweaty Matthias exploded between them, his eyes bright with merriment. “What are you doing here?”

“What are YOU doing here?” Trinity asked, and soon three others joined them, Gideon being one. He smiled at her, and waved an arm to the other two males, one a tall blonde who grinned broadly, and the other a man who had gray hair, but seemed the same age as them all.

“You haven’t met Thaniel and Quinn!” Lia frowned in puzzlement as she shook their hands.

“But-Aren’t those the names of-”

“Lia! You have to dance with us!” Matthias pulled her up from the chair, but she flushed harder than ever, and tried to pull away.

“Oh, I- I can’t dance, I don’t know how-”

“Oh do!” Thaniel chuckled, taking her other arm. Quinn simply grinned, looking to Trinity for approval.

“Trinity!” she squealed. “Brian will kill you!” He chuckled, and gently released her from their clutches.

“Cards, back off, Lia isn’t used to being flirted with. She is a shy flower!” Immediately she blushed.

“I’m not all THAT shy, Trinity!” Matthias took one of her hands and spun her quickly so she ended up in his arms, shocked.

“Yes you are!” Mustering her courage, but knowing she was insane, she stomped her foot.

“Fine! I’ll dance with you!” Thaniel whooped and pulled her away from the bar, Matthias grasping her other arm and Quinn following, leaving the bemused Trinity and Gideon at the bar. Oh hells, if Brian saw her dancing with three strange men named after dogs, with no babysitter in sight, he’d flip his mother-loving-wig. The beat changed so rapidly, it was like a heart attack, and it slowed to smooth melody that just begged for couples to accompany it. The shouting died down a bit with whistles, and couples did begin to split off.

“Well!” Matthias cackled evilly. “Sorry you two! This one is mine!”

“Hey!” Thaniel began to protest, but Quinn grabbed his hands and began waltzing with him away from the two of them, eliciting strange stares and laughter from the crowd.

“Um!” Lia blushed as her escort slid his hands around her and drew her close enough that she felt his five o’clock shadow tickle her forehead.

“So nice to see you again!” Matthias said loudly, able to not yell, but still not able to speak normally. “Trinity never brings over any ladies for us to meet!”

“Oh?” was all she could think to say, concentrating on where to place her feet, and whether her breath smelled like anything gross. Next to them, Thaniel yelped as he tried to escape Quinn’s mocking waltz. Lia couldn’t help but let out a snort, and felt herself relax somewhat. They were like big silly kids.

“Don’t mind Thaniel and Quinn. Thaniel is a genius but a bit retarded at times, and Quinn is mute, so he is very expressive when it comes to things.”

“Really?” she looked up at him, and gulped at the intense studying his eyes did of her own. Dark, they seemed to be endless. Faltering, she looked to the left. “Mute? I’m sorry…”

“Where is your brother? Trinity says great things about him, and we’d love to meet him!” Yeah right! Lia was NOT about to introduce the overly-affectionate Cards to her over-suspicious and over-protective sibling.

“I really have no idea!” she admitted, scanning the weaving heads. She had barely been searching for a second, when she saw someone staring at her avidly. She blinked, and shivered as she stared back at a young man with tousled brown hair, bags under his eyes like he hadn’t slept for weeks, and an expression of pure lust.

“Matthias…?” The tall man turned, and did a double take, narrowing his eyes. “How rude is-,” Immediately he dropped her hands, and moved away, a sharp whistle leaving his lips before he hissed at her, barely audible.

“Quinn. Stay.” Without missing a beat, the cheerful Quinn replaced Matthias out of nowhere, his eyes wide and pleasant as Thaniel joined the other in melting into the throng.

“What’s going-” Quinn cut her off by spinning her around, and swinging her into a dip that left her breathless. “Quuuiiinn!” she broke free, and looked around. “Take me back to Trinity, I feel nervous!” The man was gone, but the eye’s were burned in her memory, orbs that scared her. Quinn looked sad, but took her by the elbow and began making his way through the swaying people. After only a few minutes, they returned to the same section of bar, but Gideon and Trinity were gone.

“What’s going on?” Lia shivered despite the sweltering heat of many bodies, and spun around to look for them. “He is supposed to be watching me!” Quinn stayed close to her, and she was thankful for that at least, as she scanned the enormous building for any familiar face. Even Brian would be good right now, but she didn’t see him anywhere.

The music went back to loud, fast and deafening, so even if Quinn had said anything, she wouldn’t have been able to hear. Instead she felt slightly claustrophobic, as if the dancers were getting closer and closer, trying to squeeze her into their groups, cutting her off from her brother.

“Where is Brian and Nicole?” Quinn raised his chin to peer over the crowd, but after a few moments it was clear they weren’t going to find anyone that way, even as tall as he was. “Let’s go find them!” Lia knew Nicole liked to be by the speakers, since Brian would always come home whining about how deaf he was. The problem was, there were about fifteen sets of speakers all encircling the stage with the band, no real ‘front’ to start looking for the pair. Picking a direction at random, she headed towards the booming, vibrating stage, wincing as the dancers got more and more wild the closer she got. Finally someone knocked into her, nearly sending her sprawling, but Quinn came to her rescue, grabbing her hand and pulling her close. One glance up at him, and people parted for them, reluctantly squeezing together as they made their way around. For half a second there was blessed relief as the song ended, and in the deaf ringing, she could barely hear the lead singer joking about something over the crowds cheering. Still no Brian and Nicole, or even Trinity or the others. A light bulb practically flashed over her head as she remembered her cell phone, and yanked it out of her pocket.

“Oh DUH Lia,” she muttered, and texted Trinity, but he didn’t reply. Waiting a second, she texted Nicole, then Brian, who did answer. “Where are you?” Lia murmured to herself, and jumped when the music slammed back into the airspace it had vacated briefly.

In frnt of stge. Great. There WAS no front of the stage.

Where?

By yllw pole. She glanced up and noticed the pillars around the stage were all colored differently in neon lights, finally catching sight of the far pole that flashed a brilliant yellow color, and grinned in triumph.

“Come on Quinn!” she screamed, and pointed to the pillar for him to take her there. It took perhaps twenty minutes just to get there, but it only took a handful to spot Nicole and Brian. Nicole was, as always, screaming for the band, hands cupped in front of her mouth. Brian looked amused but pained, and waved to her, his face narrowing suspiciously when he saw Quinn. Oops!

“Brian!” she yelled, right in his ear. “This is Quinn, a friend of Trinity’s!” Brian’s eyes flashed a bit as he studied the smiling man, then glanced around as if to say, “And Trinity?” Lia thought fast.

“He went to go beat up a guy that was staring at me!”

“What?” Nicole interrupted, smiling at Quinn. “Who is this?”

“Trinity’s friend Quinn!” Lia yelled, her throat starting to hurt. The speakers were making her head throb, and she was beginning to think this wasn’t all that they had made it sound like when they came home. True it was better than sitting at home watching 3rd Rock from the Sun reruns, but she wasn’t exactly having the time of her life. As if summoned by his name, Trinity chose that moment to appear, pulling Quinn aside and saying something in his ear too softly for anyone else to hear. Quinn’s smile faltered, though, and he kissed the back of Lia’s hand and left after a nod to the rest of them.

“What the- what’s going on?” Lia pouted, aware that something was going on that they wouldn’t tell her. Trinity shook his head.

“Just an ex-friend of Gideon’s making some trouble, that’s all!” The band wound down again, and took a small break, and a DJ took over, to the cheers of the club attendants.

“You HAVE to dance Lia!” Nicole took her hands and did a silly move, then spun around laughing, and Lia couldn’t resist joining in.

“I’m not dancing with Trinity!” Brian shouted, sending them into more laughter. Abruptly Lia found herself abandoned next to Trinity, Nicole sliding into Brian’s arms they moved to the music. She felt awkward and stopped being silly, folding her arms over her stomach again as she turned to yell in his ear.

“I’m really sorry you have to babysit me, Trinity!” He chuckled and leaned to reply.

“It’s not so bad! In fact, there’s only one thing that could make it good!” She furrowed her eyebrows at this, asking without words, and with no warning whatsoever, he pulled on one of her hands, sending her into a sudden spin.

“Dance with me!” he yelled, and pulled her close. Oh by all the gods! Her heart was beating a thousand times a minute, pressed to his chest like a shirt three sizes too small, her fingertips resting lightly on his forearms, feeling the muscles under his skin move as he started to swing dance with her to some random disco song. She was awkward in her nervousness, and almost tripped on her own feet when he pulled her to his again.

“Relax!” he laughed, “Didn’t you come to dance?”

“Not with you!” she sputtered nervously, trying not to make a fool of herself. He raised his eyebrows at the implied insult. “No, I mean-!”

“I could call Matthias back over if you like,” he said after a moment, his eyes glancing over the crowd as if to summon them right there and then, and she could have kicked herself. Trinity was only with her tonight, and she tells him she doesn’t want to dance with him!

“I didn’t mean it that way!” she yelled back, wishing the floor could just disappear and swallow her up. “I meant-well-I don’t know!”

“Then just dance!” he yelled, the amused glint back in his eyes. Swallowing down her thumping heart, she tried. When he dipped her, she tried not to blush, and when he pulled her close, she told herself to keep breathing.

“Tear up the floor!” yelled Nicole happily during one fast song, and they switched partners for a second, Brian pretending to be offended that he had to touch his own flesh and blood. Lia made a face at him, and they switched back after a moment to keep with the beat. It was in the midst of this happiness that the girl came. Lia was suddenly staring at the back of a ebony braided head, and stepped back. The girl had cut in, and flashed a small tight smile at Lia as she circled the roomate.

Lia’s heart did a slow descent. The girl was hot. Maybe as hot as Nicole, but asian, incredibly slim and tanned, with a river of black hair done up in braids, and a black miniskirt and boots, and a slinky silvery metallic shirt that flashed in the strobing lights. Trinity’s eyes tracked her as she moved around him, dancing the opposite direction of Lia, slowly and effectively moving him away from her. The plummet of her spirits continued, and without even thinking of saying anything, she turned and wove her way through the bodies as fast as possible, her face burning in shame. She didn’t know why it hurt her so bad, but it did. True, she wasn’t the goddess of sex and beauty, but she hadn’t thought his attention could be gotten so easily.

He is a guy, she thought to herself bitterly. What else could I expect? She pushed her way to the bar, fighting the urge to cry like an infant, and slid into the seat, placing her burning face on her forearms. Now she just wanted to go home. She had been having such fun! Why were women such wenches? They just had to come slither inside her bubble of happiness, didn’t they?

“You don’t look happy.” a voice said loudly into her ear, and she jumped. The voice sounded very familiar, but there were too many noises for her to think very well, especially as flustered as she already was. When she saw who it was, her mouth went instantly dry. It was the guy with empty eyes, the one who had been staring at her, Gideon’s ex-friend?

“I don’t really want company, thank you though,” she said stiffly, eyes flicking back to the dance floor to spot her brother or Trinity. He laughed and slid into the seat next to her.

“I didn’t ask you, did I?” The rudeness was appalling, and so familiar, she felt a tingle go down her spine, and got up to go.

“Goodbye.” Her elbow was snatched in a split second, and roughly he pulled her back to the chair.

“Sit down!”

“Hey!” she snapped, and pulled away defensively, “Let go!”

“Is there a problem?” Saved by the bartender!

“No!” snapped the guy, smiling. “She’s just had too much to drink, is all.” The bartender gave her a dubious glance, tossing a rag over his shoulder.

“Is that true? Do you need any help?” She was about to nod, when her waist was encircled by a strong arm.

“No, we can handle it, thank you.” Gideon thanked the bartender, giving him an honest and thankful smile that worked it magic instantly. The man nodded once, shot the offender a glare, and went back to his duties without another word. “Christoffer, really. Manhandling women now?”

“He-”

“I know.” Gideon interrupted smoothly, his arm dropping from her body, only to be replaced by Matthias’s. The black-haired man held her possessively in a way that felt too intimate for such a short time as she had known him. On the dance floor it seemed fine, but right here, with Quinn flanking Gideon on her other side, it seemed way too personal. Still, she didn’t move, not liking the tension she could feel in Matthias’s body and in the air. You could practically taste it.

“Why are you making it your business, Mock-Leader of the pack of Cards?”

“I AM their leader,” Gideon snapped. “As you well know. And as you also know, it is against the rules to badger females.”

“Badger?” She shuddered when he threw a wink at her, as if they were sharing a personal joke. “We were just getting to know one another.”

“Jerk!” she hissed, and felt Matthias tighten his hold on her.

“Is there a problem?” Someone asked again, but this time Trinity, dark invisible Trinity melted out of the shadowy smoke behind Christoffer. She couldn’t explain it, but she almost felt as if Gideon frowned, but the feeling was gone again in an instant, to be replaced by relief as Christoffer scowled.

“She isn’t even that pretty.” he hissed and stalked away, glaring at them once more before being swallowed by the crowd.

“Are you allright?” Trinity asked, but she turned her shoulder on him, stung by the comment, and the fact that she believed it. Didn’t Trinity himself turn away from her to flirt with that slut? Face burning, she moved out of Mathias’s grasp.

“Would one of you take me to my brother? I want to go home.”