Surviving Paradise (Full Draft Version)

CHAPTER 36

CHAPTER 36

Monochromatic eyes eventually took the place of those dark dilated ones both in the past, and in the present, jarring her from that night to this one.  Ashton raised his brows in silent inquiry.  The realization that she had been staring at Ashton was embarrassing, and she jerked her eyes back to the movie they were all watching. When she shifted, attempting to extract herself from the cracks between the couch cushions, Will pulled her closer, almost into his lap, and she settled against him.

The week had been a stressful one.  On that night so long ago, Ashton's attackers had not survived the fight with Hector.  More recently, Ashton's attackers, from the MOVE organization, had been charged legally.  Ashton had tried to drop charges, but Gabrielle was firm about an unprovoked attack on her species. 

When the criminals had broken out of the jail, during daylight with seemingly little effort, the finger had been pointed at Cassie, their leader.  Gabrielle did not have a theory on how a vampire would have gotten into the facility during the day to daze the guards, and it was more important now than ever to keep the sunblock's success a secret, less Ashton become a suspect in the jailbreak.

The credits on the movie rolled, and after a firm kiss, Will pulled her up from the couch.  “Breakfast anyone?”

“Mmh.”  Allisa smiled her agreement, loving what had become a tradition. 

Anytime they all found themselves up in the wee hours of the morning, whether it was from staying out late or staying up late, Will cooked.  Southwestern omelets, three cheese casadeas, cheese waffles with salsa, or just plain and simple scrambled eggs, all were five star meals when Will was the chef and she his souse.

Jane and Will disappeared into the kitchen, Jane trying all of her sisterly wiles to convince him to cook the specialty that she had a hunger for.  Allisa lingered clearing their mess from the movie, sweeping the empty coke cans, the beer bottles, and the microwave popcorn bags into a trash bag.

“Ally?”  Ashton was strumming his guitar, and he quietly stopped her when she headed for the swinging door.  “Everything okay these days?”

Because Ashton normally knew before she did, anything to do with the MOVE situation, in fact he had been the one to tell her that the guys had “most likely left town with their memories erased,” she knew he was speaking of other things.

“If you are asking because you analyzed my pulse or whatever, I was thinking about that night.”

“Why?”  Ashton's chords became harsher, and ignoring her sarcasm, he kept his gaze on his fretboard. 

Allisa shrugged.  “I think about it a lot.  It's not something I decide to do, it just happens.   Don't you?”

“I try not to.”

“Yeah, how does that work for you?”

“Not very well?”  Now he looked up, tipping a half smile, and she nodded her agreement.

“Actually, the truth is, tonight I guess it was on my mind because.  I have the pills.”

“The new ones?”

“Yeah.  The new ones,”  Reluctantly, she breathed the admission.

“You are nervous about them.”

“And you already know that is an understatement.”  Just because she turned away from his assessment, she knew that would not stop him from hearing her heart. 

"The CT scan?"  Ashton asked, prompting her for the results.  Several days ago, the two of them had slipped into radiology, and Allisa had powered up the scanner.  It was imperative to be certain that his heart had not atrophied from disuse, during this last year.