Well, I'm new to the Morganville Vampires Archive but I love the books and earlier on yesterday I was listening to Lily Allen's song "Not Fair" - which I'm not sure is released in the states, but probably is. If not it's a good song. Anyway, as I was listening to it I thought of Shane. lol and then the story began to form in my head. It's just a short story that won't continue beyond this chapter but I wanted to post it anyway. For those who haven't read Carpe Corpus it contains quite a few spoilers, so if you read it then sorry but I did warn you.

Anyway, hope you enjoy it.

Laura. x

Claire pushed open the door to the kitchen, yawning. The new Morganville was having its toll on her. As well as having to study for all her classes at TPU she was working flat out with Myrnin nearly every day as well. Well, not so much Myrnin as Ada, the computer thing Myrnin had created from his own blood and equipment...and the scary part; a human being. Ada had been one of Myrnin's former assistants; his first assistant as it were. And as Claire knew only too well, all Myrnin's former assistants only became former because he'd killed them.

So all in all, Claire was beat.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Shane greeted her as she got herself a cup of freshly made coffee and sat down to join him and Michael and Eve at the table. Shane leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Claire couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips. This was always the best aspect of the new life in Morganville; Shane. Their relationship had changed too; it had taken a better turn on the passionate side. It was new and amazing and more than that, Claire was surprised at how much more her love for Shane could grow and that in itself was saying something.

He was also the other reason as to why she was so tired; he'd been keeping her up nights.

Eve smiled at her knowingly and Michael's angelic grin was full of mischief. Oh no, Claire thought as she sipped her coffee, please not now, not now.

"Tired?" Eve asked her. Claire shot her a look, but Eve just giggled.

"Shane man, you keeping her up late again?" Michael asked with fake shock and waggled his eyebrows cheekily at Claire. "Dude, that's bound to be the third night in a row. No wonder she's been sleeping in so late."

Claire concentrated on listening to the radio on the counter, to prevent her cheeks heating up. It didn't work. Beside her Shane was grinning broadly. His shoulders were shaking as he tried to hold in his own laughter. Was she the only one who found this embarrassing?

"Well, you know," Shane plucked at his shirt collar casually. "What can I say?"

Claire looked up at him wounded. He did not just do that, Claire thought to herself. Then something on the radio caught her attention. The DJ was currently announcing the next song. She jumped to her feet, ignoring the surprised stares the others were giving her, including Shane; he looked kind of guilty. She hurried round to the radio and quickly turned it up. She tried to hide her smile as she turned round.

"And here's Lilly Allen with her new single, 'Not Fair'...."

"Have any of you heard it?" Claire asked them, as the music started. They all shook their heads, staring at her with a mixture of surprise and suspicion. "It's really good; I heard it yesterday for the first time. It reminded me of you Shane,"

Shane smiled weakly at her, not sure what was going on. Claire saw enlightenment dawn on Eve's face slightly as she listened to the start of the song. Then the singing started.

"Oh, he treats me with respect,
He says he loves me all the time,
He calls me 15 times a day,
He likes to make sure that im fine..."

"Hang on..."Eve said, clicking her fingers. "I have heard this...wait..." Her lips formed an O shape, and then she looked at Claire before stuffing her fist in her mouth as she tried to control her giggles.

Shane and Michael looked at Eve with blank expressions; obvious they weren't sure how to take it. Shane was still smiling slightly but he was more suspicious now, as was Michael, but at Eve's outburst he began to grin.

"..You know I've never met a man,
Whose made me feel quite so secure,
He's not like all them other boys,
They're all so dumb and immature..."

"Wait for it," Claire broke in quickly before the verse had ended, smiling wickedly at Shane.

"...There's just one thing,
That's getting in the way,
When we go up to bed your just no good,
its such a shame!
I look into your eyes,
I want to get to know you,
And then you make this noise,
and its apparently its all over."

Shane's mouth dropped open but Claire could make out the humour in his eyes. Michael was doubled over with laughter and Eve had to get up and lean against the wall, her arms wrapped around her stomach as tears streamed down her face. Claire made a face at Shane as he stood up and started to walk towards her, a smile threatening to pull at the corner of his lips as he did so. But she edged around the kitchen towards the door to the living room as the quick paced song went on.

"Its not fair,
And i think your really mean,
I think your really mean,
I think your really mean."

"Oh really?" Shane said, eyeing her in a way that made her heat up, all the way from her toes. She gulped. Don't give into him Claire, she told her herself, don't. "You think I'm mean? Huh?"

She nodded as she backed out through the kitchen door, biting her lip. Shane continued to follow her, his eyes intent on hers. The humour was still there, Claire could see it, but the way he was advancing on her made her slightly nervous.

Michael could still be heard laughing from the kitchen. His loud laugh so was infectious Claire had to swallow nervously so as not to do so herself. The kitchen door swung close behind Shane. The radio had been turned up to the point that the two of them could hear the lyrics clearly. Crystal. Eve's doing Claire guessed.

The song had run on a bit in the seconds that it took Claire and Shane to move into the living room but the chorus Claire had been waiting most to see Shane's reaction to had started.

"Oh your supposed to care,
But you never make me scream,
You never make me scream,"

A loud bark from the kitchen told Claire that Michael thought it still hilarious. Shane's eyes widened and Claire held her breath. She continued to back up, keeping her eyes on Shane and nearly tripped over the couch. She straightened herself and then tried to move around it but soon found she couldn't move any farther because of the wall behind her.

Shane moved quickly then, so much so that she didn't see him coming until he had her pinned against the wall. He'd taken her wrists in his hands and held them up against the wall on either side of her. Claire gasped at his sudden closeness. She immediately felt light headed as she breathed in his smell; pure Shane.

"I don't make you scream?" Shane whispered in her ear. Claire's chest tightened as his breath tickled her ear and he leaned up against her. She could feel every line of his body and she had to count in order to make sure she kept breathing. Don't give in Claire, don't...oh what the hell. She felt her body relax against his and she watched as he closed his eyes for just a second. Her heart was bounding and every part of her body was tingling. She wanted him so bad. No, wanted wasn't the word. Needed. That was more like it.

"Well, if I remember correctly," He continued, he let go of one of her wrists and trailed his fingers lightly down her arm as it was against the wall then across her cheek and down her neck and down...down... "Last night...you did,"

Claire nearly collapsed under his touch. It was dangerous how he could make her feel. She gulped.

"Well...I...uh...I...Shane-" She moaned as Shane bent down and captured her lips with his in a passionate kiss that clearly said he could make her scream any time he wanted.

Claire could hear the tune of the song go on and finally come to an end, but she was so wrapped up in everything Shane she couldn't make out the rest of the words or hear the kitchen door swing open and a bemused voice saying, "Get a room,".

She shivered as Shane brushed his tongue along her bottom lip in invitation. Claire opened her mouth with a slow gasp and now it was Shane's turn to moan. He cupped the back of Claire's neck and let go of her other wrist so as to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her still closer. As their tongues entwined, Claire brought her arms around his neck and ran her hands through his soft brown hair.

It was a long Kiss that threatened to go on much longer but Claire broke away first as in her clogged mind something managed to dawn on her. She looked up into Shane's eyes which were full of excitement and love. He looked a little smug too, Claire noticed.

Shane leant his forehead against hers and breathed slowly. Claire inhaled as his breath fanned her face.

"We missed the best line," Claire told him.

"Oh we did, did we?" Shane raised an eyebrow. He stroked her face.

"Yup," Claire smiled.

"Do I want to know? Or is it definitely going to wound my ego this time?"

"No, I don't think so," Claire replied, she reached up on her tip toes and kissed him for another long moment. Then she pulled back, licked her damp lips and said,

"You're the one for me,"

There was a pause as Shane thought about that. Claire wasn't worried that he'd freak out because again his eyes told the story.

"Mmm, I like that line," He said finally. He held her face in his large hands. "I love you,"

Then as he kissed her he picked her up and carried her towards the stairs.