KISS and the Battle of GOOD vs EVIL
Part 35-B by Demoness

"So you see," Gene was saying as him and Paul wrapped up their explanation to Gena, "I'm 
glad I have you handle things through the management.  Because for me, it has been two 
years since I last saw you.  I forgot all about inviting you until I saw you."

"Like you're expected to remember with everything else going on even if there wasn't those 
two years?" Gena remarked.  She gazed at Gene, biting her lip.  "Damn.  Shannon sucks."

Gene smiled.  It was not everyday he got to see a display of jealousy from her.  "It's not her 
fault," he told Gena.

"Still.  Time Traveler," she snorted.  "Why couldn't I have that power?  I'm jealous of her and 
you and Raven and Peter ..."  She stopped when she saw Gene's perplexed look.  Paul was 
laughing.  "What's wrong with you?" she asked Gene, then to Paul, "What do you find so 
funny?"

Gene shook his head.  "Miscommunication," he replied.

Paul burst out in more laughter.  "He thought you were jealous of Shannon because of him 
and Shannon."

Gena looked at him.  "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope," Paul said.  "Ask him."

When Gena looked at Gene, he muttered, "Forget it."

Gena's eyes widened and she joined Paul in laughter.  "I'm not the jealous one," she said, 
eyeing Gene. 

"Uh, Paul," Gene said amidst the laughter.  "Don't you think it's time we told her?"  Gene 
was clearly trying to change the topic.  He stared at Paul, his eyes expressive.  "About you 
know who."

Paul looked over at Gene.  He saw what Gene meant in his eyes and nodded his head, the 
laughter gone.  "Uh, there's one other thing you need to know," Paul said.

"What's that?" Gena asked.

"The mystery man who works for G.O.O.D. who came back to warn us," Paul said.  "He's not 
a mystery to us."

"We kept his identity to give you a chance to deal with it later rather than in the middle of 
everything we've told you so far," Gene added.

"Okay," Gena asked, She made herself comfortable on the bed, crossing her arms and looking 
from Gene to Paul.  "Who is this mystery man?"

Paul looked at Gene.  "Go ahead and tell her."

Gene placed his arm around Gena and hugged her.  "It's Eric Carr," he announced.  His smile 
got wider as the truth started to sink in for him.  "He's alive."  Gene braced himself for her 
reaction.  

She swayed, falling against him, looking up with wide eyes.  "Eric's alive?" she whispered.  
She looked from Gene's nod to Paul, not believing the good news.  "You've been hiding this 
all this time?"

"Not us," Paul said.  "Eric.  I just found out myself."

Gena shook her head.  "No way."

"He faked his death.  He had his reasons," Gene explained. "In fact, I haven't seen him yet.  
But I know he's around here somewhere."

"Well, he did a good job at it, didn't he?" Gena asked, tears in her eyes.  "He looked awfully 
dead in that open casket."

"I didn't ask too much of how he pulled that off," Paul sighed.

"Hopefully we'll get the details from him after this is over," Gene said.  "Matter of fact, I'd 
love a chance to see him."

Gena looked at Gene.  "Eric's alive!" she exclaimed happily, hugging Gene tightly.  She 
jumped up and hugged Paul.  She did a little happy dance, with a wide grin and tears of joy.

Paul and Gene looked at each other and smiled, their eyes also glistening.  They had dealt 
with so much lately, it felt good to be reminded of the things they should be thankful for.  

They went to gaze back at Gena, and did not see her.  Frowning, Gene looked at the door, 
thinking for a moment that she went running off to find Eric, while Paul stared at her luggage.

"Nah," Paul told Gene, his eyes turning to what Gene was staring at.  "We would have heard 
it if she left."

Gene nodded his head, then jumped when something landed on his shoulder.  "Meatball!" he 
cried out.

Paul's eyes went wide.  "Uh Gene, you have a bat on your shoulders."

"A wha..?" Gene started to exclaim, then started to giggle and squirm.

The bat was playfully nibbling on his neck.

"Hey, cut it out!" Gene laughed, trying gently to move the bat from his shoulders.  It nipped 
his finger.  "Ow!"  When he jerked his finger away, the bat started to nibble on his earlobe.

Oddly, Gene did not feel as if he was in danger.  In fact, he was starting to enjoy it.  He let out 
a moan.

Paul started to laugh.  "And there we have it – Gena Durrell's power.  She's batty."

The bat looked at Paul as Gene let out a complaint of the sudden stop of what it was doing to 
him.  It flew off Gene's shoulder and started to flap around before Paul's face.

"Hey," Paul laughed.  "It's true.  You are a bat," he said to the bat.

The bat left Paul to settle on Gene's lap.  Gene let out another groan as it made itself 
comfortable.  Suddenly the bat changed and Gena was sitting in Gene's lap, wearing a tiny 
red and black leather bathing suit type of outfit that did not cover much.

"Hey!  I love this!" she exclaimed, grabbing and kissing Gene.  

Hungrily, he returned the kiss, his hands exploring the curves of the woman sitting in his lap.

"Hey you two.  I'm still here," Paul said amused.

"So leave," Gena said through the kiss, her hand busy opening Gene's shirt.

"I'm not Bruce," Paul retorted.  "So I can't make like a tree and ..."

Gene and Gena groaned at the old joke that had long ago lost its charm.   Gene smiled at her.  
"Well, that's a neat trick," he told her.  "I like it."

Paul nodded in agreement.  "Yup.  Could come in handy.  Like the new look, by the way."

Gena looked over at Paul, and noticed the interest in his eyes.  It was not the first time she felt 
Paul interested in her.  But for the first time, while sitting in Gene's lap, she felt brave enough 
to tell him what she had always wanted to.  "You can look all you want, but only Gene is 
allowed to touch."

Gene's smile grew.  "Really?  Not even Ace?"

"Oh shoot.  I knew I forgot someone," she replied, then laughed when Gene frowned.  "And 
how many of my friends do you intend to keep seeing?" she asked him sweetly.  She blinked 
when Gene actually blushed.  "So the problem about Ace is?"

"No problem," Gene grumbled.

Paul laughed.  "For some reason he's always had a problem with that around you."

"Tell me about it," Gena sighed.  "Or better, tell the guys I was stupid enough to bring around 
Gene."

"You win," Gene grumbled.  Gena and Paul laughed.

Gena pretended she did not see the signs Gene was giving Paul to leave while they were 
talking.  Paul decided to be less subtle than Gene in finally getting the message.

"Oh, you want me to leave?" Paul asked Gene, then flashed a wicked grin at Gena.  "Don't 
you think you have enough marked?" he asked Gene.

"Sure leave me out again," Gena remarked, fiery eyes on Paul.  She wanted Paul to leave.  
She did feel sorry for him and understood why he chose to stay around while she got filled in 
on what was going on with KISS and her friends.  It gave him something to do and he was not 
alone.  Yet something shifted between her and Gene.  The time, ironically enough, was finally 
right.  She also realized another reason for Paul's staying.  He was playing chaperone.  She 
did not feel like having a babysitter.  After all that had happened since she left LA, all she 
wanted was for Gene to help take it all away for a short while.  From what Gene and Paul told 
her, this was a lull in the middle of chaos and nobody knew what they would all face in the 
near future.  They had best use the time they had before something else happened.  There was 
not even a guarantee of them not being interrupted.

Gena was willing to take the chance.

Paul stood up with a heavy sigh.  "All right.  Maybe there's still a straggler or two who are 
waiting for me to find her.  Or someone needs some help somewhere."  He started for the 
door.  "Have fun you two."

Gena stood up.  "Paul, wait," she called out.

Paul turned as she walked over to him.  Gena hugged him and kissed his cheek.  Paul returned 
the gesture.

"Thank you," she said.  "For rescuing me.  And for ...well, you know," she indicated with her 
eyes that she mean bringing her to Gene.

Paul laughed.  "Where else should I take you?" he replied.  "Take care of him.  He's still 
fragile from ...."  Paul could not finish the statement.

"So are you," she observed.  "But if you don't want to be alone, I find it impossible that you 
will be.  There's more than enough women out there who are willing to keep you company."

"All we need to do is have Shandi broadcast that you're feeling lonely and upset," Gene 
suggested with a chuckle.

Gena looked back at Gene, while she still hugged Paul.  "Gene, please.  There is such a thing 
as comfort overload.  Not to mention more damage in the stampede to Paul."

Paul laughed.  "Point taken," he said and kissed her lips briefly.  "I'll see you later.  Just don't 
let Gene forget the meet and greet or you will be interrupted.  I can guarantee that."

"Out," Gena said teasingly, pushing Paul toward the door.  She closed the door then turned to 
face Gene.  He was leering openly at her.

"You like the outfit," she asked with a grin of her own.

Gene nodded.  She started to move across the room.  Gene got up and met her halfway.  "No 
more playing games," he said, taking her into his arms and claiming her lips once again.  As 
they kissed, Gene guided them to the bed, where he pushed her backward onto it.  As she 
went down, Gena grabbed onto Gene, pulling him along with her until he was covering her.  
Her hands ran across his body, wishing she was able to get his shirt off.  It was unfair, she 
thought, feeling his hands caress her flesh.  He did something that made her squeal, then sigh.

Without warning, Gene pulled away, breaking the kiss with a heavy sigh.  He sat up on the 
bed, looking down at her.

"Gene, what's wrong?" Gena asked.

"I can't," he replied.  "I can't force you into this."

She looked at him in surprise, then down at herself.  She gazed back to Gene, her eyes 
meeting his.  "I wasn't aware I was being forced into anything," she stated seriously.

"You'll be marked," Gene warned her.

She glanced down to the left side of her chest, and pointed.  "I think that's too late.  It was 
happening while I was on the plane."

"Which makes this more dangerous."

"Gene, there's no claims anymore.  I can deal with the rest.  We're linked anyway, with my 
being an acolyte."  She dropped her head, but lifted her eyes to him, peering up through her 
dark long bangs.  "I've always felt there was something between us anyway," she admitted.

Gene nodded.  "I know.  I always felt it too.  But I can't explain why."

"I don't think I want to know anyway," Gena replied.  "There's some questions you just don't 
ask.  I just want to us to have some fun for once."  She looked at his face.  "Of course I 
always have fun with you.  But I mean this way.  And that's all I'm expecting, fun."

Gene shook his head.  "You think it's going to be that easy.  Geez, just from the sexual 
tension between us alone after all these years."

"I'm looking forward to the fireworks from that big bang," she laughed, reaching out to run 
her hand along his shoulder.  "Look, as long as I don't have to worry about being your slave, I 
can deal with everything else.  And I want it."

"The link between us will be stronger," he warned.  "It'll also mean you can't walk away 
from this fight until it's over."

"Fine.  If it means I can do whatever I can to keep you, and everyone else safe, there's no way 
I want to walk away.  I'm glad I'm being given the chance.  I don't know what I would do if I 
was sitting nice and safe in the Meridien and got word of you being in danger.  At least I can 
fight with you.  Give me that chance.  That's all I'm going to ask of you afterward."  She 
smiled up at him.

Gene shook his head.  "Just when I think I got you figured out, you throw me another 
curveball."

"Welcome to my world," Gena laughed.  She grabbed him with her other hand and pulled him 
to her.  "Now let me see what those 3000+ woman got to have that I haven't yet."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Gene laughed, as he grabbed onto her, tumbling them both 
down onto the bed.


To be continued in Part C.