She woke, her head throbbing.  Without opening her eyes she knew she didn't know where she was.  She did know she wasn't bound and that she was laying on her back, her head supported by pillows and there was a breeze, soft, warm and scented blowing over her from somewhere.  She knew this wasn't Vegas.  She felt Ian in her mind and the awareness triggered the immediate need to reach back, to touch him through the link.  Only she couldn't bring herself to do it.  She couldn't even bring herself to try to do it and she didn't seem to care.

She set it aside to think about later and opened her eyes slowly, cautiously, afraid that seeing would accelerate the throbbing in her temples.  It was dim in the room, lit by a soft light somewhere behind her that fell on the chair angled off the bed and the man who sat there watching her. 

""Good, you're awake.  I apologize," he said, "for the headache.   He stood and moved over to the bed, looking down at her, taking her hand in his and raising it to his lips.  The brief touch was like an electric shock, opening her eyes wide and sending sensation down every vein, leaving heat in it's wake.  He smiled at her as if he knew what she was experiencing, what he'd made her feel.  "You'll be my guest here for a time, my love.  It will be my pleasure to ensure that you find your visit delightful in every way."

Betty Jo shivered at the tone gilding his words, at the sweep of his eyes over her body, a look that heated her skin as much as his kiss had heated the blood in her veins.  When his eyes returned to hers, capturing hers effortlessly, she wanted to drown in them.  And in the back of her mind, a single note of alarm sounded, making every other reaction that much more enthralling.

He bent down, still holding her hand and brushed his mouth across hers, murmuring "soon my love.  But now," he went on, brushing the hair back from her face,  "there are clothes for you in the closet.  And a bathroom behind the door over there.  While you're dressing for dinner I'll send someone up with some coffee, shall I?  Or would you prefer tea?"

"Tea," she whispered.

"Tea then.  And after, if you pull the bell someone will bring you to me." 

He said the last in a tone of promise that brought a flush to her skin, sent a renewed, shuddering wave of heat through her that left her weak, almost breathless and changed the faint note of alarm into a panicked clanging that she couldn't bring herself to care about anymore than she cared about the impulse to reach out and touch Ian, still waiting patiently in the background.

"I know, my love.  Soon, I promise," he said again and then left.

She followed him to the door with her eyes, staring at it long after he left, trying to understand what was happening.  The renewed throbbing in her temples made her give up and suffer the pain of getting up and moving in order to alleviate it with a shower.  She turned the water on hot and stepped under it and gave her self over to the warmth and the gently pounding stream of water that eased the pain in her head but did nothing for the ache pooled in her belly.

Then she dressed, picking a dress at random, the slide of the fabric over her skin making the ache grow.  Finally, wishing she wanted to understand what was going on, she pulled the bell and followed the maid to a living room, elegant and open to the sea breeze.  He was standing looking out as the sun set over the water and her relief that he was there was so strong her knees almost buckled, and for a second the alarm in her mind got her attention and she almost understood what it was trying to tell her.  But he turned and caught her eyes with his and it was lost in the look he swept over her, that lingered on her breasts, making her nipples tighten and ache, and the bodice of her dress feel too tight, like an unwanted confinement.

He smiled and lifted her hand to his lips, satisfaction curving them at the shiver the intimacy caused.  "You are lovely, my dear.  A vision that has stayed in mind since first I saw you."

She smiled back, an involuntary response, like every other reaction she had to him, like the way his voice alone could tighten her nerves to a breaking point and set her pulse skittering.  "Thank you," she said, soft and low.

"I must see to something that just came up, my love.  I'll only be a moment, I promise.  And then I'll fix you a drink and we can talk a bit before dinner."

She nodded, wordless, while her eyes followed him out of the room and his absence was like the loss of everything warm, reigniting the ache in her stomach.

She sensed something and turned toward it. Coalescing out of nothingness was Ian. "Darling, thank God you're safe. Come. Quickly," he ordered as he strode toward her when she didn't move to him.

She took a step backwards, a step she didn't want to take and then another, feeling trapped by something she couldn't escape.  And the errant thought came that this was how a rabbit felt, or a deer caught in the headlights.  Then she shook her head and the alarm became a clamor drowning out every thought.  But she was detached from it, floating somewhere else, and she could only acknowledge its message and wish it mattered.

He watched her back away from him a look of disbelief on his face. "Hurry, Betty Jo. Before someone comes. I'll take you home."

She began to tremble and clenched her hands into fists, wanting to fight something and she couldn't understand why or why she couldn't do it.  She opened her mouth to speak, to ask him what was wrong with her when the door opened and he was back, saying before she could speak,  "Not a good idea there, old man."

Ian whirled around to face him. "You," he said, his voice going hard.

"Indeed.  It's nice of you to drop by, old man.  Would you like to join us for dinner?  Or are you in a hurry?"

"Betty Jo, come with me," Ian said, turning away from Collins and returning his attention to his lover. "It will be all right."

She looked from him to Collins, her eyes huge, bewildered and pleading.

"I promise you it won't be 'all right,'" Collins said, studying his nails for a moment before looking at Ian again.   "I have so looked forward to her company  and, recalling how our time together was cut short the last time I enjoyed it, I've -- well, let us just say if she were to leave without my agreement she would end up somewhat the worse for it."

Ian frowned. "Whatever he's told you, Betty Jo, he's lying."

Collins smiled at Betty Jo.  "But I haven't said anything have I, my love?"  He lifted her hand in his and brushed his lips against the back of it before pressing a kiss into her palm, all the while holding her eyes with his.  Then he curled her hand over the kiss and slipped his arm around as he turned back to Ian.  "Honestly, old man, we've barely exchanged three sentences."

Betty Jo felt the trembling begin again, felt the impact of his touch wash over her again as she stood there, helpless to resist, wanting to want to resist and stifled the noise that rose in her throat at the feel of his hand at the small of her back, a sound of want that tangled with the sound of panic and made her breathless.

Ian blinked. Then zapped out.

"Ah, I'm sorry darling.  Apparently he won't be dining with us."  He smiled at her, his hand moving on her back.  "But no matter.  This way I have you all to myself.  Infinitely preferable, don't you agree?"

She felt herself nodding, her lips slightly parted, her breath shallow as his hand framed the curve of her hip and moved on over the small of her back and downwards.  The sound of a 'yes' filled the space between them, exhaled on a soft moaning sigh.

Jonah was looking out the door wall into the night time when Ian returned, the soft in-rushing of air that heralded his arrival spinning him around from the view and returning his attention to the room.  "What happened?"

Ian sank into a chair, running a hand through his thick hair, disheveling it, and closing his eyes for a second. "I found her. She wouldn't come away with me. Collins has her. He's.. enspelled her. Something. I couldn't tell what. Several layers of spells. Possibly something lethal in the mix."

"But she's there?" Libby said, her hands gripping each other hard.  "And she's not hurt?  You can get her out of there?"

Ian gathered himself and looked over at Libby. "Yes. She's there,  she's not physically hurt. In fact.. perhaps some sort of love spell. She seemed, at least at a physical level, to want to stay with him. She stepped away from me when I reached for her."

Jonah sat next to Libby and took her hand in his.  "We'll get her back.  I promise you, we'll get her back."  He said the last, his eyes on Ian's.

"Yes, Libby we will," Ian agreed. "But I need to try to understand what is going on and what Collins is after. My first thought is the plans he attempted to have stolen several months ago."

Marc frowned, thinking back. "From St Michael's? Professor Friday's?"

"The psi enhancer/damper thing?" Stephen echoed.

Ian nodded absently.

Dinah glanced at Marc and then said, her voice soft, "Is it possible that he doesn't want anything except to hurt you?"

Ian looked up at her then. He frowned. "I ... What would that gain him?"

"Satisfaction?  A sense of power or superiority or both?" Dinah said.  "I don't know, I don't know him or your relationship with him.  But this sounds like more than extortion.  It's sounds way more manipulative than that."

Bobbie looked over at her mother and then back at Ian.  "You and daddy, you both have a history with him."

"Jonah?" Libby said.

He patted her hand.  "It will be fine, she'll be fine."

"She'll be fine, Libby, so long as he thinks he's getting what he wants. I need to go back to London, to my workshop and try to figure out a way to undo the spell. If he contacts me I'll let you know."  Ian stood.

"Even so," Stephen offered, "is there merit in seeing if the plans will interest him?"

"They are hardly going to be offered up to anyone," Marc replied.

"Do we care?" Dinah snapped.  "Or was that just pro forma?"

Marc raised an eyebrow at Ian. "I can get them if we need them."

Ian nodded. "Let me try to consider the spells first. Then, if I don't hear from him, I'll call him.  Jonah, would you like to work with me on this?"

Jonah nodded.  "Yes."

"Libby, you and Betty's sisters are welcome to stay with me if you like as well," Ian added. "When we get her back she might need you."

Libby exchanged a look with her husband and then her daughter.  "Thank you," she said, looking back at Ian.  "I...we...she might.  Thank you for thinking of it.  As soon as Billie can leave."

"When Billie can leave," Bobbie repeated, her lips not quite straight.

"And what ever you need, Ian," Stephen said.  "Anything, just let us know."

"Right. Thank you Stephen, Marc, everyone." Ian and Jonah winked out.

Dinah eyed Marc as she stripped off her clothes with greater efficiency than usual, watching him watch her.  "So uhm, there's something I'm wondering about," she said as she slipped into bed.  "Do you want to talk before or after?"

He sighed. "We might as well get it off your chest. I want your complete attention."

She pouted.  "You always have my complete attention."

"Do I?" he asked as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in closer. I don't have to be jealous of Hell and Spawn?"

"Nope," she said fitting herself to him with the ease of long practice.  "Are you?"

"No," he said with a grin. "So long as you don't want them in bed between us. I find parents who do that to be deeply creepy."

She shuddered.  "Me too.  What's that about anyway?"

"No idea. All right, so now what is going on that bright little mind of yours? Besides worry about Betty Jo?"

"Well, I was wondering, knowing you and knowing Stephen, what you're doing about Roz?  And if it has anything to do with the reason Anja's spending less time with Laz and more with me?"

"Hmmm. Well first we get Betty Jo back then we worry about Roz."

She grinned, letting her fingers play over his chest.  "Thanks, now answer the question."

He eyed her from under his lashes. "You just keep on don't you. Don't know when to give it a rest. Can't say I give up. Can't stand to just accept and behave."

She leaned over and kissed him.  "Oh baby you ain't seen nothing yet.  And see, you're shooting yourself in the foot.  Hoisting yourself on your own petard as they say.  Because you only get evasive like this when it's worth keeping on about.  What is it you're afraid I'm not going to behave about?  Or no, wait...let me rephrase...not behave but not do what you want me to do; behave being the word you use when..."  She stopped abruptly and lifted herself up on an elbow to see his face.  "When there's something that's got you worried about me being safe," she finished, the humor leeching from her face.

He hugged her more tightly. "I keep seeing my own nightmares when you were gone, and see the same lost look in Ian's eyes."

She relaxed against him, yielding to his need.  "I'm not going anywhere.  There's no time off for good behavior, either."

"Hmm. I'll struggle to live with that. So, do you really think it's about hurting Ian? It does seem very personal."

She nodded.  "Yes.  Way personal.  Too orchestrated towards him not to be."

"But that doesn't mean Collins isn't after the plans too. I wonder what past Collins and Jonah have. Do you know? I confess to not having paid too much attention to Earthly squabbles not involving me."

"Not the first clue.  He's pretty closed-mouthed about his past, isn't he?"

"Jonah?  Well, we haven't really asked him either. At least I haven't. I'd like to know what's between him and Ian though."

She nodded, back to toying with his chest hair.  "I'm so glad you're not bald," she told him absently.

"You don't twiddle my head hair," he commented with a grin. "Besides, a lot of men go bald but still have chest hair."

"Hmm, true," she said.  "That is reassuring.  Still it's very thoughtful of you to provide such a nice crop of chest hair for me."

"You know, you're not being all that sly. You always start talking about something totally unimportant when you're working up to saying something you know I'm not going to like."

"Actually, I'm wondering why we're talking, wasting all this time, when we could be driving each other insane with sexual pleasure."

"Good point." He set about pleasuring her with a will then, and it was an hour before either of them had a coherent thought again.

The sheets balled on the floor, the two of them lay, spent in each others arms.  He kissed the top of her head. "It's good to be home, even if the circumstances aren't that great. But we do have the dragon mating to look forward to."

"You have plans for that, do you?" she asked, blissful content underlying every note in her voice.

"Oh indeed I do," he replied, his fingers combing through her hair. "So keep your calendar open."

"It's all yours, cutie.  Every second you want.  For that and for when you get ready to tell me what ever it is you're not telling me about Roz."

He groaned. "See, never give it up."

She pouted again.  "When it's sex you like that I'm that way.  You can't have one without the other."

"And I wouldn't want to change a thing about you, even the bits that make me crazy. How dumb is that? No, don't answer," he said with a laugh, putting his lips over hers.  When the kiss broke he said, "Roz threatened you and Doni. Please don't go anywhere without Anja."

She nestled closer.  "I won't," she said.  "But she can't threaten me without threatening you so please, be careful."

"I will be. I promise."

"Thank you.  I guess I can't tell you to not go anywhere without Laz, huh?"

He laughed. "Well, Laz is a bit out of sorts without Anja around so much. Maybe I will drag him around with me. He'd hate it and it would give him something to bitch about and keep his mind occupied elsewhere."

"Thank you.  I appreciate it and I know you'll hate it, so if there's a way to make it up to you...well just let me know," she said threading her fingers over his chest.  "God, I love your body."

"Scars and all?" he asked.

"Scars and all," she said.  "Want me to prove it?" she asked, her hand drifting downward towards them.

"I think you have numerous times, but I'm not averse to you proving it all over again.  Unless, of course, you're tired."

She laughed softly and eschewed words for action.