* * * * * **

 Zarbon yawned as he headed down the stairs for the kitchen for some breakfast.  He had just left Tonya's room and hadn't bothered to even change out of his PJ's.  The pager clipped to the waistband of his shorts was connected to the equipment in Tonya's room and would alert him if there was a problem.  He half wished Erin was still the housekeeper; he could really go for some bacon and eggs, or pancakes, or practically anything but cold cereal.  But the job Alec had gotten her on the police switchboard was better for her in many ways, including keeping her ignorant of the girls' late night activities.

 

 Suddenly the pager beeped and Zarbon froze.  Snatching it from his waistband he read the face, hoping it was just low on batteries.  Searching for a pulse. It beeped again, displaying the same message and he turned and ran back up the stairs.  The pager began to sound its alarm and Zarbon's heart leapt in fear as he dashed down the hall.  As he reached the door he could hear the  pulse machine's alarm as well, then both stopped as suddenly as they had started, and he paused.

 

 He opened the door slowly and saw Tonya sitting on the edge of the bed studying her arm.  "Good morning," he said shutting the door behind him.

 

 "Hello," she answered simply looking at him.  "Can you help me?  I was wanting to go to the bathroom, but didn't want company."  She looked at the machine with a frown.

 

 Zarbon sat down next to her and began to unwrap her arm.  She was watching him with an odd expression on her face and he wondered what was going through her head.  "I'm glad you're awake," he said smiling.  "I've missed you."

 

 "How long was I out?" she asked nodding absently.

 

 "You were in the kidnappers possession for three days and you've been unconscious here for about two and a half," he replied watching her face as he removed the needle from her arm.

 

 Tonya didn't seem bothered by the news or even slightly upset.  In fact, she didn't appear to have any kind of emotion at the moment.  "I'm going to the restroom now," she said flatly and stood up. 

 

 He watched her walk away, uncertain what to say to her.  She seemed distracted or bored or something Zarbon couldn't quite place.  Maybe the drug hasn't fully worn off yet, he thought.

 

 Tonya opened the door a few minutes later with a frown on her face.  "Zarbon, do you know why I'm not wearing underwear?"

 

 He blinked for a second then shook his head.  "Charlene and Dr. Mendoza dressed you after giving you a physical," was all he could say.  He expected a worried look or some kind of reaction at learning Electra had been present while she was undressed.  But Tonya just nodded absently and looked around the room.

 

 "I'm going to take a shower," she said glancing at him only briefly before moving to gather some clothes.  Then she walked back into the bathroom and after a moment he heard the shower turn on.

 

 Zarbon just sat on the bed for a while, then stood and straightened the bedding.  He flipped on the radio, keeping it low, and sat down on the bed again.  After about thirty minutes, the water stopped and he glanced at the door, but didn't bother to rise, as it could still be several minutes before she reappeared.  Yawning, he leaned back on his hands and looked up at the canopy above him.  The sound of her hairbrush hitting the floor was a familiar noise that usually brought a small smile to his lips.  She never could keep a hold of the silly thing and often dropped it several times in a row. 

 

 But something was different this time; he started to feel increasingly anxious when he didn't hear it fall again.  Swallowing, he turned to look at the door, torn between chalking this feeling up to overexcitement of her waking up and the feeling something was wrong. 

 

 Go.  The word was felt more than heard and he wondered if he'd imagined it.  Zarbon started to turn to locate a possible source when it was repeated more forcefully accompanied with a shove at his shoulder.  Go!

 

 He jumped off the bed, worry filling his heart and he knocked on the bathroom door.  "Tonya, you okay?" he asked glancing back towards the bed.  She didn't respond and he was about to repeat the question when he thought he heard the sound of her crying.  Hesitating only a second, he opened the door, stepped inside, and looked around quickly.

 

 Tonya was sitting on the floor in a pool of water wearing nothing but a fluffy bath towel.  Her legs were folded back, while her arms crossed across her chest as she leaned against the cabinet.  Her long hair hung around her like a curtain and her normally fluffy tail was loosely draped up and across her chest and over her shoulder.  The towel was soaked and water continued to drip from her hair and tail as she sobbed.

 

 Zarbon dropped to his knees before her, afraid to touch her lest he make her problem worse unintentionally.  "Tonya?  What's wrong, Koi?" he asked softly.

 

 She looked up at him with eyes filled with fear, pain, and confusion.  "Is this real?" she asked as tears coursed down her cheeks.  "Am I still dreaming?  Trapped and about to die at my kidnappers' hands?"  Tonya glanced around the bathroom.  "The hallucinations and the dreams were so real.  How do I know I'm home and safe?"

 

 Zarbon's eyes filled with love and sympathy.  He moved closer and pulled her into his embrace and onto his lap; fully aware his pajamas were getting wet.  "Shh, it's okay," he whispered against her hair as her head rested against his chest.  She seemed to relax and felt his heart rate slow as he tried to figure out what to say. 

 

 "Your heart," she whispered softly. 

 

 "What about my heart?" he asked softly looking down at her.

 

 "I can hear it," she replied looking up at him.  "I didn't hear in any of my other dreams."

 

 "You're not dreaming, kitten," he answered softly with a smile as he brushed her wet bangs out of her face.

 

 She closed her eyes as his fingers brushed her skin, snuggling against his chest.  "And you're warm," she said opening her eyes.  "There was no warmth in the hugs from my dreams."  Tonya looked up at him and unconsciously wet her lips; a kiss might prove this was real.

 

 Zarbon smiled gently, his eyes half lidded, and slowly dipped to brush his lips against hers.  He felt a hand slip up to rest at the back of his neck and allowed himself to be pulled down for a deeper kiss.  Letting her have full control of the kiss, Zarbon responded to her tentative exploration of his mouth but didn't press her for anything deeper.  Breaking the kiss, she relaxed against his chest, playing with a lock of his hair.

 

 "And you kiss better in real life," she said with a soft smile as she wrapped the strands around her fingers.

 

 "Thank you," he replied chuckling and gave her a hug.  "Are you convinced now?" he asked adjusting the towel that was starting to gap.

 

 "I think so," Tonya replied smiling, rubbing her cheek against his chest.

 

 They sat there silently; Zarbon slowly becoming more aware how cold the tile could be if you were sitting on them in wet pajamas.  She shifted again and he sighed as the towel didn't quite shift with her.  He noticed she seemed to be looking at something, but he couldn't figure out what could be holding her attention.

 

 She smiled and was about to ask her what she saw when the object of her fascination became visible to him as well.  He froze at the site, staring at the man holding Tonya's hand.  His folded wings were white and his long silver hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail fastened with a metallic ring.  The man wore robes of white fringed with blue and snowflake like designs were scattered over the material.  Sandals were laced to his feet in the manner of the ancient Romans or Greeks and his dark blue eyes regarded Tonya with friendly warmth.

 

 "Take it easy today," the angel said.  "You still need a little time to recuperate and so do I."  He seemed to realize Zarbon could see him and he raised an eyebrow in pleasant surprise.  "Watch her and try to keep her out of trouble, okay?"

 

 "I will," Zarbon answered, his eyes watching the winged figure warily.

 

 "Good," the man answered with a nod and a smirk.  He stood and turned to go then paused.  "Dr. Mendoza just pulled up to the gate.  I would suggest getting dressed."  Then he was gone.

 

 "Who was that?" Zarbon asked quietly. 

 

 "Mortay," Tonya answered with a yawn.

 

 "Death," Zarbon translated, his voice soft.  She could feel him tremble and she looked up at him as he held her tighter to him.

 

 "That's what his name means," Tonya replied, "but not his job.  Mortay's my guardian angel.  I told you that."

 

 Zarbon blinked and then hung his head as a light blush crossed his cheeks.  "II forgot," he admitted.  Suddenly he looked towards the door.  "He said the Doctor was at the gate."  Zarbon stood with Tonya still in his arms.  "Get dried and dressed and I'll do your hair," Zarbon offered sitting her on her feet.

 

 She grabbed the towel as it started to slip.  "Okay," she replied.  "I'll be out in a minute."

 

 Zarbon gave her a quick kiss, then goosed her and ran for the door.  Tonya yelped more in surprise than pain and snapped a towel at him just as the door shut.  Zarbon stopped on the other side laughing, then paused.  He'd only noticed one towel within her range and she'd been wearing it.  What had she snapped at him with?  The thought was pushed aside to think about later and he hurried to get out of his wet pajamas.

 

 By the time Electra Mendoza had made it up to Tonya's room, both of them were fully dressed and mostly dry.  Zarbon was gently brushing Tonya's hair while she worked on straightening the fur on her tail.  Tonya paused at the sight of her friend, but Electra just smiled.

 

 "How are you feeling Tonya?" she asked.

 

 "Better," Tonya said as she resumed her task.  "Things are still a little off, but it's getting better."

 

 The doctor checked her pulse and blood pressure, then declared the drug had run its course.  While she might have some lingering side effects, the drug had been mostly metabolized and she was the picture of health.  Electra left after informing Tonya she wasn't to come to work for the next seven days, but going to school would be okay. 

 

 "Ready for breakfast?" Zarbon asked as he finished braiding Tonya's hair.

 

 "Yeah," she answered with a smile.  "For some reason I'm really, really hungry."

 

 He rolled his eyes and they walked down to the kitchen.  It seemed everyone was in the kitchen this morning and Tonya looked around in surprise.

 

 "Where's Erin?" she asked sitting down at the island.

 

 "She's working at the police station now, remember," Sally said.

 

 "Oh yeah.  That's right.  I forgot," Tonya said.

 

 "Chai tea, love?" Zarbon asked pulling a couple of mugs from the cupboard.

 

 "That would be great," Tonya said smiling.  "Hello, Alec." 

 

 Alec paused as he came in the door then smiled as he noticed Tonya.  "Finally decided to wake up?"

 

 "Yeah.  How's it going?" she asked accepting the warm mug from Zarbon. 

 

 "Well, two of your kidnappers are in jail and the third should be released from the hospital in a couple days," Alec reported.

 

 Tonya frowned and looked at her mug.  "Oh?"

 

 Alec pulled up a chair and sat down next to her.  "The man Seth shot in the arm was released yesterday.  The man from the basement had three broken ribs, a concussion, and a fractured skull.  You must have hit him pretty hard."

 

 "I don't really remember," Tonya said, shifting uncomfortably.  "It's all a bit blurry."

 

 "How many men were there, Tonya?" Alec asked gently.

 

 "Three of course," Sebastian answered as Tonya stared at her mug intently.  "And all were apprehended."

 

 Alec shot him a look and Sebastian fell silent.  "Tonya, do you know how many there were?"

 

 She sat the mug down and stood suddenly, face pale.  Turning from the table, she ran outside and dropped to her knees in the grass.  Zarbon started to follow her but Alec stopped him.  The two men had a brief staring contest before Zarbon stepped back and let Alec go ahead of him.  Not to be deterred, he followed, though he did stay back a few paces when Alec reached the girl.

 

 "Tonya?" Alec asked softly, then crouched down.  "Tonya, are you okay?"

 

 She looked up with a sad smile, her face slightly flushed.  "Yeah, sorry.  The memory was a little overwhelming and I had to get outside."  She took and deep breath and sat back on her heels looking up at the sky.  "There were four of them.  The leader wasn't at the house when you came," Tonya said confidently.  "I don't know if he was there anytime but the first time I regained consciousness.  He was talking about splitting the four million dollars ransom."  She paused and swallowed hard.  "He threatened on of the men.  The one who had the concussion."

 

 "Why?" Alec asked when she didn't continue and Zarbon came to kneel by her side.

 

 "The man wanted to...to...," she shivered with repulsion and leaned against Zarbon.  "The leader told him if he wanted his share of the money, he would have to wait.  When the cash came, he could do what ever he wanted with me."  She snuggled into Zarbon's embrace and he looked at Alec, wanting the questioning to end for now.

 

 "Then the men were telling the truth," Alec said.  "There was a fourth man and they had no idea the asked for sum was eight million instead of four."  He stood and dusted off his pants.  "Thank you, Tonya.  Sorry for bringing up such painful, recent memories."

 

 "I know him."

 

 Zarbon looked down at his angel then at Alec, uncertain.  Alec met his gaze then looked at the girl again.  "Of course you do," Zarbon said gently.  "It's Alec."

 

 Tonya pushed away from him shaking her head.  "No, the leader."  She looked from Alec to Zarbon, fear plain in her eyes.  "I don't remember where I met him or why, but I know that man."  She shivered again.  "And I don't think it was on good terms either."

 

 "Great," Alec replied.  "Could this case get any more weird or difficult?"

 

 "I could dress in drag and do the hula," Tonya offered.

 

 "That would be normal," Zarbon chided.

 

 "Oh." Tonya looked thoughtful.  "Did I tell you I had a really weird dream?" she asked looking at them.  "You were a shape shifting cat called a Neko," she said indicating Zarbon as he helped her up.  "And you were a black werewolf, Alec."

 

 "Oh?" he asked looking over her head at Zarbon.

 

 "What was Poopsie?" Zarbon asked as they entered the house, trying to change the subject.

 

 "She was a full elf and a princess," Tonya answered, then grinned.  "And for some odd reason, she was at least two inches taller than me."

 

 "Moving up in the world, eh?" Sally asked Poopsie and the elven maiden glared at her.

 

 "What are you talking about?" Jessica asked and Tonya proceeded to tell them about the dream.

 

- - - -- - - - - --  -

 

 Zarbon loosened his tie and watched the numbers light up as the elevator rose thinking about his day.  Usually his projects were finished weeks before their deadlines and he just faxed his report to his colleague, John Schmitt.  Then John would report the findings to the committee and the members would do what ever the committee was supposed to do.  A few weeks later, the next experiment would come over the fax machine and the process would start all over again.

 

 Thanks to Tonya's kidnapping and Zarbon's resulting lack of concentration, the project had been completed just two days before the deadline.  The report was written within hours of its completion, but due to the late date, it meant Zarbon would have to give the report himself.  He hated trying to explain the project and the results to the committee and often wondered if being brain dead was a requirement for such offices.  If Tonya didn't help him put the report in the very simplest of terms, he would surely have gone mad from trying to have an intelligence conversation with the group.

 

 After the exhausting meeting, he'd had to dodge the numerous "working" women who waited just outside the building.  All were more than ready to help him relax and get a good night sleep for a reasonable fee, but none of them seemed able to take "no" for an answer.  They mobbed him as he tried to get a cab, and he decided to brave the streets rather than trying to deal with the plastically enhanced ladies of the night.  His temper had been quite short when the punk with a knife tried to mug him, and Zarbon wondered if the young man had yet to dig himself out of the dumpster he'd landed in.

 

 Finally the elevator doors opened and Zarbon walked to his room.  He fumbled with the key card for a moment before opening the door and going inside.  Flipping on the light, he surveyed the room with the same unhappy expression he'd worn that morning.  Tonya had made sure he had a good room at a nice hotel, but he always hated sleeping in a strange place.

 

 Toeing off his shoes, he hung his jacket on a hanger in the closet, and then sat down on the bed.  He pulled his cell phone from the pocket of his slacks, checked for messages, and was surprised to find only one from Tonya.  The text message simply said "you have mail  @~~~~{~~~~."  Yawning, he got up, set up his laptop, and reclined back onto the bed.  Opening his email account, he briefly wondered what his lover had sent him.  Clicking on the first one, he realized she'd spammed him with greeting cards from Smilepop.com.  He clicked on the provided link and waited for the animation to load.

 

 "Someone has sent you a Hot Stuffed Weenie.  Click here?" he read aloud in disbelief.  Hesitating a moment, he clicked where it was indicated and his eyes widened as a singing, dancing hot dog popped up on the screen.  He chuckled and shook his head at the little video and wondered what the others she'd sent were.  "Thought you might need a laugh after your meeting.  See you tomorrow. ;-D " was the brief message at the end and he opened the next one.

 

 The next several were of a bug singing love songs like "I just called to say I bug ya," "Buggin' you," and so on.  The last animation was simply titled "Fruit Love" and sappy little, fruit related phrases appeared on various fruits in a fruit bowl.  Zarbon smiled softly and chuckled at the message, "Well, I thought to was cute!  ;-P"

 

 Zarbon glanced at the clock, noting it was already ten o'clock here but would be about nine in Kansas.  He logged onto his AOL instant messenger and checked his buddy list.  As usual Fernel0578 (Poopsie) was logged on, but the chances she was actually at her computerLet's just say they were remote.  MrWizard (Techno) was online, as well as Cubs2281 (Jessica) and Lovehunter (Sebastian).  yllas (Sally), blkwlf (Alec), and DanielL (Daniel) weren't.  Then he spotted the name he was looking for:  Mzzarbon.

 

 Blue Blaze:   Hello Koi
 Mzzarbon:   Oh hey!  :-D What's up?
 Blue Blaze: Just got your email.
 Mzzarbon:   And?
 Blue Blaze: Cute.
 Mzzarbon:   *bats eyelashes* I know I am.
 Blue Blaze: *Rolls eyes*
 Mzzarbon:   *Rolls them back* Might need those.
 Blue Blaze: *raises eyebrow* Why? 
 Mzzarbon:   So you don't walk into things
 Blue Blaze: LOL
 Blue Blaze: You still do
 Mzzarbon:   >:-O
 Blue Blaze: 0 :-)
 Blue Blaze: @~~~~{~~~~
 Mzzarbon:   You thin a flower's going to help?
 Mzzarbon:   Think
 Blue Blaze: *shrugs* I don't know how to make a cheese smiley
 Blue Blaze: *yawns*  By the gods, I'm tired
 Mzzarbon:   Maybe you should go to bed then
 Mzzarbon:   What time do you have to be up tomorrow
 Mzzarbon:   ???
 Blue Blaze: Tomorrow.  I am due to appear before the committee at 8 am
 Blue Blaze: Someone just knocked on my door
 Mzzarbon:   Oh?
 Mzzarbon:   A rap, tap tapping at your chamber door?
 Blue Blaze: Yes, Lenore, a rap tap tapping at my chamber door
 Mzzarbon:   *muses* Perhaps a raven?
 Blue Blaze: *looks doubtful* Perhaps. brb

 

 Zarbon rose from the bed, went to the door, and looked out the peephole.  There stood an attractive young woman in a business suit with curly red hair that framed her face and hide her neck..  Without unchaining the door, he opened it slowly and raised an eyebrow at the woman.

 

 "Can I help you, ma'am?" he asked.

 

 "No, but I can help you," she purred.  "I'll help you get a good night's sleep for only fifty bucks an hour."  She smiled charmingly.  "I'm disease free and have had all my shots," she added in a sultry tone, pulling a leash from her pocket.  Brushing back her hair to reveal a leather collar, she clipped the lead to it.  "Need a little sex kitten to keep you company?"

 

 "No thank you," Zarbon replied.  "I already have one."

 

"Not like me, buddy," the woman purred, unbuttoning the top four buttons of her blouse to reveal her great abyss of sadness.

 

Zarbon blinked in surprise, then blushed and looked away, chuckling.  "No, hers are real.  Thank you for the offer, but I'll stay with my girlfriend.  Especially with her being an excellent marksman.  It's safer that way."  He smiled at the woman.  "Have a good night.  Better button up your shirt or you might catch a cold."  Shutting the door, he dead bolted it, then return to the bed.

 

 Blue Blaze: Twas no raven, Twas a whore
 Mzzarbon:   A whore rap tap tapping on your chamber door?
 Blue Blaze: Yes, and nothing more
 Mzzarbon:   <---is shocked and surprised
 Blue Blaze: I was as well
 Mzzarbon:   What did you do?
Blue Blaze: I told her I didn't need her services, she showed me her breasts, and I told her to leave then shut the door.
 Mzzarbon:   Your kidding!
 Blue Blaze: No
 Mzzarbon:   She flashed you!
 Blue Blaze: More of a display than a flash
 Mzzarbon:   And you looked?
 Blue Blaze: Uh, kind of. 
 Blue Blaze: I didn't realize what she was doing until they were uncovered.
 Mzzarbon:   LOL  Poor Zar-chan, got flashed by a whore
 Mzzarbon:   ROFLMAO
 Mzzarbon:   Most men would have to pay for that!
 Blue Blaze: I'm glad you're amused.  I found it disturbing.
 Mzzarbon:   What did she think of your pj's?
 Blue Blaze: I haven't put them on yet.  I'm still in slacks and a dress shirt
 Mzzarbon:   You should put them on
 Blue Blaze: I can just sleep in this
 Mzzarbon:   Pwease?
 Mzzarbon:   *big puppy dog eyes*  Pwease?
 Blue Blaze: And hook up my web cam I suppose?
 Mzzarbon:   *nodds enthusiastically*
 Blue Blaze: Give me a moment

 

 Zarbon once again slid off the bed and walked over to his suitcase.  Tonya had found the Pj's online, bought them, and wanted him to wear them, much to Zarbon's dismay.  He hadn't seen them outside of the opaque package, but the model on the front had little hearts all over the bottoms and a heart in the middle of his A-shirt.  Taking a deep breath, he opened his suit case and noticed two things, the first of which being Share Bear resting on top of his clothes. 

 

The second was that his pajamas were nothing like what the model wore.  The bottoms of his pajamas were royal blue, silky, and had had no pattern except the light playing on the texture of the fabric.  The A-shirt had a blue lightening bolt stitched on it so that it resting over the heart of its wearer.  He changed quickly, picked up the bear, and pulled the web cam from the laptop bag.  Hooking it up, he unbraided his hair while he waited for it to connect and her to start viewing it.

 

 Mzzarbon:   Looks very nice
 Mzzarbon:   How do they fit?
 Blue Blaze: Good
 Blue Blaze: Very comfortable.  I like them
 Mzzarbon:   I hoped so
 Blue Blaze: And I noticed I have a visitor
 Mzzarbon:   :-) 
 Mzzarbon:   I know how you hate to sleep in hotel rooms
 Mzzarbon:   I thought she might help
 Blue Blaze: LOL
 Blue Blaze: I never realized my kitten was a Teddy bear pimp
 Mzzarbon:   *blinks*
 Mzzarbon:   OH MY GOSH!  I AM!
 Mzzarbon:   LOL
 Blue Blaze: Well, I have to get to bed, luv
 Blue Blaze: See you tomorrow
 Mzzarbon:   I be waiting at the airport
 Mzzarbon:   I'll
 Mzzarbon:   *Blows kiss* Night Koi, sweet dreams
Blue Blaze: *catches kiss and blows one back* And may yours be sweet as well Koibito.