‘Withering Leaves on Autumn Trees;

Like the heart ‘twas torn apart.

How I wish for your caress, your tenderness;

Your love, your care,

Withered like leaves on Autumn Trees…’

Diary of Patrice Guerrero, Friday 8th July, 2005

I didn’t expect a surprise at the engagement party. My engagement party. A party which I DID NOT want to celebrate nor attend. Because…Damien Evans is a bastard! But I should have prepared myself for that night…I guess…what I’m trying to say is, I did receive quite a surprise…

As I wrote in my diary, I gazed at the handsome man that slept soundly beside me. His dark, jet black tresses fell into his pale features. If his eyes were open, you’d be entranced by his gorgeous emerald green eyes. I smiled and brushed a few strands of his soft, black hair away from his face. His nose scrunched up a bit and he moved closer to me, wrapping his strong arms around my waist. I love you…so much…

December 22nd 1898, Paris, France

“Corset…too tight…” I managed to gasp to the maid who was tying the damned thing around my waist.

“Oh, I’m sorry, milady,” she apologized. But instead of making it looser, she tightened it.

‘DAMNIT! CAN’T…BREATHE!’ my mind wailed since my lungs were obviously having enough difficulty trying to help me breathe. Oh well…looks like I had to survive the night not talking too much and not overeating either.

I held up my arms as she slipped on the beautiful periwinkle dress over my head. It fit just perfectly, accenting my growing curves. I was only fifteen and getting married to an eighteen year old bastard in a few months, damnit!

I carefully applied my make-up and did my hair, with some help from a few of my trusted maids.

Hello. My name is Patrice Guerrero. I’m just a normal fifteen year old girl, living in Paris, France. I was born into a wealthy Spanish/French family and have lived with riches and luxury all my life. I’m pretty plain. Dark hair, dark eyes, tanned olive coloured skin that was paler than pure bred Spanish but darker than pure bred French. I just WISH that something exciting would happen in my life. Just once! For fifteen years, my life consisted of sleeping early, waking early, eating, drinking, attending parties (which were NOT fun. When I say parties, I DON’T mean the fun parties that teenagers my age will host. I mean as in dancing, celebrations, corporation parties. Something I attended because of my father’s status in France).

I sighed and watched as a carriage came by to pick me, my mother, father, sister and brothers up for the engagement party. I THOUGHT that Damien was perfect. I was mistaken.

The journey didn’t take longer than forty-five minutes, in which I had managed to get scolded a few times from my perfectionist of a mother, who scorned me NOT to fiddle with the curls on my head.

We FINALLY arrived at Evans Manor. The place gave me the creeps. It was so unfortunate for me that this was my future home and in it…

A tall, flaxen haired man greeted me with an ‘unsatisfying’ kiss; his icy blue eyes seemed to be eying my sister instead of me.

‘Humph. Unfaithful milksop! There’s no way I’m giving you any children…’

In it lived my future husband…damn my parents for choosing him! Of all people too!

The Evans ballroom was packed. Only the wealthiest families from around France were invited. That included the Crown Prince…I looked forward to meeting him. I’ve only heard tales of his charm, his beauty, his intelligence, his suave attitude, just being himself extruded an air of royalty. Yes…I look forward to meeting him indeed…

First, we had the dancing. Dinner was to be served at around nine, then after that, we were left to either wander around the tables to socialize with all the noblemen and noblewomen or to move into the ballroom again and dance. The choice was ours and ours alone.

Mother had also declared it a masquerade ball. I LOVED masquerade! You never knew who you were dancing with! That’s the excitement of it! You can be who you want to be, make a fool of yourself, nobody will know…

I slipped on my mask, a beautiful glazed, white mask rimmed with diamonds, sapphires and rubies along with gold rimming the edges. It was quite flattering actually. Nothing like my sister’s. Feathers. All feathers. It was horrid! She looked like a purple bird! All purple! And I HAD to admit, my brothers DID look quite handsome tonight. It seemed that even they got their share of women. I laughed at this, since they were usually the quiet, reserved and respectable type of men. Nothing like Damien Evans. Nothing at all…

“Hear hear! May I please have your attention! Tonight’s ball is a celebration of my daughter’s engagement to Sir Damien Evans. May we send them our best wishes!” my mother declared. It was just after dinner had concluded, around ten-thirty (10:30). I made up my mind. I want to dance!

Rounds of applause sounded off into every corner of the room. Damien, who sat beside me at the front of the ballroom, took my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it delicately. I flushed. Not out of charm or embarrassment that he pulled that off in front of EVERYBODY but out of anger. How DARE he flirt with other women, even my sister, and then try to commit himself to me?! I understood what would happen should I marry him. My life would become a living hell. He would probably leave me alone every night to get drunk and the fuck some poor prostitute girl on the streets. I didn’t want a scumbag like him. He was filth. I knew it. Too bad everyone else didn’t…

“And now, may the dancing…BEGIN!” my mother announced, raising her mask to her face and slipping it on.

I sighed and Damien took my hand in his. He brought me to the centre of the ballroom. I took the moment to look around. For a scumbag, he sure did have money. The colossal, marble pillars were erected to the ceiling, drapes of white, violet and burgundy hung from pillar to pillar in a decorative manner.

The band set up and began to play. Violins, a soft drum beat, the piano, the flutes…and the beautiful vocals of a male. I glanced up to see the singer. He had messy jet black, shoulder length hair; his bangs just hung over his own black mask. I couldn’t exactly see his eyes through the mask but I’m SURE I saw a glimmer of green. Green eyes and black hair…hot...

His skin was a pale, creamy colour, slightly tanned but not dark. He was quite thin but through his unbuttoned shirt, I saw that he was well-developed. WAAIT A SECOND! A mask? So the singer was a guest. Perhaps, a wealthy man hired to sing a song for me?

His voice…it was baritone. Not too deep, not too high. The perfect pitch. It was heavenly.

As my thoughts remained on the singer’s voice, they were interrupted with Damien’s hand slowly, sneakily, slyly, cleverly…maneuvering to my…bottom.

‘FUCKING BASTARD!’

I gritted my teeth, trying not to punch his fugly face. Okay, he wasn’t fugly. He was, I sadly admit, the hottest guy in town. But sometimes I wish he was some poor, fat, fugly, untalented bastard that died on the streets. And sometimes, I wish he didn’t live here…damnit! Hold on, not sometimes. I ALWAYS wished that exactly all that had happened to him.

I decided to just let this one slip for the night. If he tried it again, I’ll throw him out the window and threaten to run off with that singer. The things I didn’t know…

Instead, I tried to concentrate once again on the voice of the singer. On the second song, his voice disappeared and a lady singer took his place. Damnit! Now I’ve got to listen to a lady sing. If not that, then Damien’s ever-so-irritating voice.

It was that dance again…damnit! Did I HAVE to remember all the names for these dances? Samba, salsa, river-dance, line-dance, tango, waltz…wango? Hehehe…

That dance where you kinda waltzed around the room with a partner and on different set intervals, swapped partners? Yeah, except this one was different. Once you swapped, you stayed with the last guy you’re with until midnight. Let’s hope that I didn’t end up in Damien’s arms again…

The lady began to sing and we began to dance. I started with Damien.

You, you might be the one

So let's not rush it, let's not jump the gun

Sometimes love is an illusion

Let's make it clear

Just so there's no confusion

THANK GOD we had to swap!! He hesitantly passed me onto one of my cousins. I smiled at my cousin, Gabriel. Charming guy, married, a daughter, two sons. I was passed on again, every time I was passed on, the guy would kiss my cheek.

It's just a crush I’m Feelin'

Walkin' on the ceilin'

My whole world's upside down

It's just a crush, I know it

Don't know where we're goin'

But I like it where we are right now

It's too soon to be too much

I'm not ready to call it love

It's just a crush

I was twirled into one of my brother’s arms. Patrick. He smiled and we waltzed around the room in that pattern that everyone followed. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Damien feeling up his partner’s thigh secretly. She smiled seductively at him and winked. I rolled my eyes in annoyance and Patrick passed me on. Kiss on the cheek as usual…

You, I like you a lot

But I’m not sure if it's meant to be or not

Yeah, you could say

Say were together

But no one's said a word

About the word forever

This time I was passed to my other brother, Joshua. He, like my other brother, Patrick, smiled and we waltzed around the room. For me this was usually a boring dance. But knowing that the mystery singer was somewhere here, it made my heart rush. The Mystery Guy…and…the Crown Prince of France were somewhere in here as well!

It's just a crush I’m Feelin'

Walkin' on the ceilin'

My whole world's upside down

It's just a crush, I know it

Don't know where we're goin'

But I like it where we are right now

It's too soon to be too much

I'm not ready to call it love

It's just a crush

Oh right! I was passed into that Mystery singer’s arms! Yes! My heart rate began to speed up as he smiled at me. His emerald eyes…so beautiful…so entrancing. I blushed and before I was passed on, I quickly asked.

“Good sir, what is your name?”

He smirked at me and whispered,

“Prince Terrence.”

You, you might the one

So let's not rush it, let's not jump the gun

I froze in my spot, before remembering that I had to dance. I was dancing with…the CROWN PRINCE?! I saw Damien again, passing the lady he was dancing with. Not before kissing her. Lips and all.

‘Fuc-king Bas-tard!’

I’m not sure whether I could see it or not, but Terrence’s eyebrow seemed to shoot up.

He placed a light kiss on my lips and whispered, “You have such a colourful array of language, milady…”

‘How did he…know?’

Then he passed me on.

I was, unfortunately, back in Damien’s arms again. He smirked and I was instantly reminded of Prince Terrence. THE PRINCE! The PRINCE OF FRANCE KISSED ME!! I must be the luckiest girl in the entire world! Oh wait. I’m getting married to that wanker, Damien. No, I’m the…unluckiest girl in the world after my marriage. Then…my heart skipped a beat when Damien kissed me and passed me on. Yes! I wasn’t gonna spend the rest of the ball with him!

I finally realized WHY he passed me on so soon. My sister. My FUCKING SISTER! For GOD’S SAKE!

I felt kinda pissed until…

Until I realized whose arms I was in. The familiar feel of his arms around my waist. The Prince…

It's just a crush I’m Feelin'

Walkin' on the ceilin'

My whole world's upside down

It's just a crush, I know it

Don't know where we're goin'

But I like it where we are right now

It's too soon to be too much

I'm not ready to call it love

It's just a crush

Mother didn’t look too happy when she saw that I wasn’t going to be seated with Damien for the night. But…when she caught sight of the mask Prince Terrence wore, she immediately shut up. It MUST have been the royal mask. Good. I didn’t care anymore if Damien ended up with my sister. I have Terrence.

He smiled a genuine smile and I caught sight of a fang. Was it…my imagination? Or…

“Sorry I had to interrupt your dance with your fiancé. I wished to spend the rest of the night talking with you,” Prince Terrence admitted sheepishly.

It's just a crush…

My heart raced to my throat and I found it hard to breathe again. I slowly swallowed and tried to keep up with the dance. His hands rested respectfully on my waist and on my back and I laid my hands on his strong chest. His smell was hot. He was hot. I felt dizzy by just being near him.

‘I wanna…kiss…him…’

My mind whirled into oblivion as tingles of excitement raced through my veins. The song finally ended and he secretly pulled me behind a pillar. These pillars were huge and the drapes were large enough to hide the both of us.

He moved one hand behind my back and one hand to my chin. And…he pulled me towards him and brushed his soft pink lips against mine. It was light and soft at first. And then it became hard, passionate, hungry. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tried to deepen the kiss, feeling his lips, his tongue, probing against the warmth of my mouth.

“Ahem!” a voice cleared their throat.

Terrence and I broke apart to see an INFURIATED Damien.

“D-Damien?” I stuttered as he grabbed my wrist and pushed me into one of the separate rooms.

Terrence just glared coldly at Damien before turning swiftly on his heel and leaving.

The grip Damien possessed on my wrist was excruciatingly painful. His nails dug deep into my flesh, luckily far from a vein. In his blinded-by-rage state, he thrust me into one of the lounge chairs that was situated beside the cold, empty fireplace, the source of light was that of the moon that filtered through the thin, lacy curtains.

I held back the tears, trying my best to compose myself. That tingling sensation I had felt, when Terrence held me, was gone when Damien took hold of me. I looked up only to receive a sharp, stinging blow to my left cheek.

Finally, the tears that I held in, the barriers I held up, they all fell. Fell like the withering leaves from the autumn-seasoned trees.

“YOU FUCKING BITCH!” he yelled in his anger.

I doubled over, hunched low so that he wouldn’t see the trail of tears that came because of him.

“I’ll teach you a lesson, you whore. I lesson, you’ll never…EVER forget,” he spat, his words colder than ice. His words struck me to the bone. His words chilled the very skin that existed on me. His cold, harsh words froze every nerve in my body, immobilizing me. A very frightening chill ran up and down my spine as I listened to the ‘hiss’ of a zipper.

I raised my eyes without raising my head. And froze.

Damien was unzipping his pants!

More tears fell from my eyes as I tried desperately to push back the chair that I sat in, not caring if I fell backwards.

His evil face, the very face that I ‘HAD’ adored as a young child…it was the face of the devil himself. The face that burned into my memories. The face I will never forget, no matter HOW much I want it to be forgotten.

He dropped his pants shamelessly, revealing his black, silk boxers. He took a step towards me as I shook my head, trying to get away from him. He reached for the top of my periwinkle dress and pulled down the silk, ripping the precious fabric that guarded my body. I was left only in my corset and my undergarments, shivering, desperately wanting warmth, but not the warmth of this horrid man before me. That sadistic, twisted man, Damien Evans. A monster for sex, flirting. No, to me, he wasn’t that sex god all girls adored. He was a rapist. I knew who he truly was.

He cupped my face roughly and tried to kiss me, but I moved away and he ended up with my cheek. At first I thought that he would hurt me, but no, he went straight to my neck, his hands ravening, probing all the exposed parts of my body. More tears fell as he moved to my corset, untying it with haste. I was going to be raped. End of story.

I kicked his groin area in a desperate attempt, only to receive a heavy blow to the head. I collapsed on the carpeted floor, sobbing in pain. He stood over me and kicked my stomach hard. My ribs were still intact, but the pain was horrible as my lungs tried hard to recuperate from being suffocated in that deathtrap known as a corset.

I shut my eyes tightly, squeezing out the remaining tears. In my hopes, I pleaded that this was all just a nightmare. All a nightmare that formed somewhere in my mind. My bored mind that needed to feel excitement. But when I had hoped for something exciting, I didn’t mean…THIS!

I heard a grunt of pain and looked up to see Damien doubled over, clutching his stomach in his pain.

‘Bastard. You deserved that!’

Damien quickly slipped on his pants, tying it up frantically. I glanced at his opponent, who had removed his mask. His black mask.

“Prince…Terrence…” I breathed.

He sent me a smile before Damien rushed over to the sword case above the fireplace mantle. He smashed it open and reached into it, not caring if the shattered glass cut his flesh. He took out the long, sharp blade, glinting in the moonlight. The window curtains were pushed aside but the window was still closed.

Terrence glanced from me, to Damien, to me again and then back to the blade of the sword again.

“Well…Damien was it? Shall we dance?” Terrence asked mockingly.

Damien scowled and charged forward, trying to stab Terrence at every opportunity that was open to him but Terrence continuously dodged every attack that was launched at him. At last, as Damien managed to trip Terrence over, and I watched from side view as Damien thrust the silver blade right through Terrence’s chest, blood bursting from the wound that the sword had created.

My mouth hung agape on horror.

“OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! DAMIEN! THAT’S THE PRINCE!” I cried, covering my hands over mouth, the feeling of sickness and my dinner, it was rising in my throat, ready to spew out.

“I don’t CARE if he was the fucking queen! Nobody messes with me and gets away with it!” Damien snarled, raising the sword above his head, ready to bring it down on Terrence’s neck.

Terrence plunged his hand into his deep wound and took it out. I stared, horrified, at his hand. Blood. The crimson liquid seemed to ooze from him and from his hand dripped dark, scarlet blood.

Terrence had that smirk on his face.

‘How the HELL can he still be smirking?? He just got STABBED right through the heart with a sharp sword and he’s STILL smirking!?’ my mind cried. I was lost in thought. How could this be?

Terrence raised his blood coated hand to his lips and slowly licked off some of the dark, red body fluid.

“Mmm…my blood has never tasted so good. I wonder…” Terrence began, sending a sick looking and perverse grin to Damien, “how does your blood taste?”

My heart rate began to pump hard, the blood rushing through my veins, my arteries. The overwhelming feeling of dread settled in the pit of my stomach.

Shivering, I tried to collect my shaken composure and dressed myself in the remains of the torn dress that had clothed me for the night.

Terrence elevated his bloody hand and brought it down.

“BLADES OF THE BLOOD BARRON!” he shouted.

What seemed to be blades of crimson red flew through the air and struck Damien, ripping his clothes, his flesh, his bone.

The sight was sickening. What kind of person WAS Terrence? Sure, I had wanted excitement in my routinely life, BUT NOT SICK!!

Damien, hardly alive, collapsed in a bloody heap on the scarlet stained floor. My stomach lurched upwards and I HAD to turn away from the sight to empty out its contents. Gripping my stomach and wiping my mouth, I turned to see, to my utter shock and horror, that Terrence had attached himself to Damien and was draining away the very fluids that kept my ex-fiancé alive!

“T-TERRENCE! S-STOP IT! N-N-NOW!” I cried, grasping Terrence’s shoulder and pulling him away from his victim. The fangs that were sunken deep into a main vein in Damien’s neck were pulled out along with Terrence, thus ripping the skin and flesh.

I just had to vomit again. The heavy stench of blood hung in the room. That thick, putrid smell…like metal in a way.

I heard voices in the next room, an uproar of panic.

“WHERE’S MY DAUGHTER? WHERE IS DAMIEN? WHERE ARE THEY? AND THE PRINCE! HE HAS DISAPPEARED AS WELL! WE MUST FIND THEM AT ONCE!”

I cringed as I heard my father bellow at the people in the next room over. They were panicking because I had disappeared temporarily.

Terrence scooped down and grabbed Damien’s collar. With his vampire skills, strength and precise aim, he threw Damien’s body towards the closed window. The glass shattered as Damien’s near-dead body came in contact with it and out the window. He was going to be DEAD for sure. Five stories IS VERY high.

“I-I apologize, my Prince. I must return to the ballroom immediately.”

I bowed and gathered my skirts, making a bee-line for the door. But a strong hand gripped my arm.

“I cannot let you go…yet anyway,” came the smooth, baritone voice of Terrence.

“Wha-why?” I stuttered.

Terrence simply smirked.

“You-know-my-secret. I can’t let you go off that easily. Come on!”

And with that, he tugged my arm and pulled me towards him. He pulled me up onto the shattered windowsill, which Damien’s body had previously passed through. I dared to look down in horror and looked back into Terrence’s chest, which, to my surprise, was healing at an abnormal rate. The scene below us was disgusting. In other words, so disgusting that ‘disgusting’ was the only word I could manage to say other than ‘revolting’, ‘stomach-churning’, ‘horrifying’, ‘life-scarring’, ‘repulsive’, ‘sickening’, ‘ghastly’, ‘sordid’ and my favourite word for this situation, ‘nauseating’.

Drowning in a pool of his own crimson blood, Damien lay face up, his ligaments all thrown out in awkward and impossible angles. His clothing was bloody and torn and his now-matted-blonde hair was drenched to a dark red. But the thing that struck me the most was his blue eyes. His icy blue eyes staring soullessly back at me. But no matter how empty his eyes looked, the one word that struck out at me was…

‘Revenge…’

“Hold on tight,” he whispered into my ear.

His face remained expressionless as a pair of massive, midnight black wings protruded from his back. I reached out and touched them gently, feeling the soft, black feathers in my fingertips before Terrence moved them out of my grasp.

“Don’t touch them! EVER!” he hissed.

I remained silent at the sudden change in Terrence. He was sweet, respective and made me feel safe. Now I believe that he is the compete opposite. Aside from that, he was dangerous, no matter HOW much support he had backed up behind him from the rest of France.

‘That’s it! I’m never trusting this freak again! How DARE he do this to me! How DARE HE!’ my mind howled blasphemy, directed at him, but not once did the profanities leave my mouth.

“Sorry…” he mumbled.

I looked up again at him, staring into his emerald eyes. I could feel tears welling up in my brown ones.

“Why? Why Terrence? Why can’t you just leave me here?” I cried, tightening my grip on the black fabric of his shirt.

“You…you just need to understand. I can’t let you live with the rest of civilization anymore, Patrice,” he whispered, stroking my black hair affectionately.

I pushed him away but he only held me tighter to him.

“T-Terrence! My prince! Please just let me-”

I was gently silenced with his soft, pink lips pressing against mine again. I moaned into it, much to my disappointment.

“Come. When the time is right, I shall explain everything to you,” he murmured almost inaudibly.

He threw me over his shoulder and took off into the night sky, his black wings gliding along the wind currents.

On the journey to who knows where, I somehow, unfortunately, passed out, much to my dismay. That way, I was POSITIVE (in a sure way, not optimistic) I’d never find my way back to people. It didn’t matter if he was the prince. He wasn’t human. Not at all…

I managed to wake up just in time as Terrence flew towards an enormous, black, iron castle. The gates themselves were gigantic! He flew over the gates and circled around the castle once before stepping onto a large, wooden windowsill.

With his arms still around me, the windows opened by themselves. Terrence stepped into the room and set me down on the floor. My legs wobbled slightly, just adjusting to the floor beneath my feet. The room spun slightly so I grabbed onto Terrence who, delightfully, decided to help.

I sat down for a few moments before asking him the only existing question that needed to be asked.

“Why did you take me Terrence?”

I received no reply as Terrence continued to remain silent, his jet, black bangs falling into his youthful face. He looked to be only around eighteen or so but I couldn’t be sure. After all, he was immortal. I don’t know how long he’s been alive for, but that question would have to wait until later.

“I can’t have anyone find me out…besides…I need to look after you,” he barely whispered.

A frown crossed my face as I heard this.

“What do you mean, ‘you need to look after me’?” I grumbled, sinking deep into the comfortable, blood-red cushions of the seat.

Terrence heaved a sigh and massaged his temples to relieve his frustration.

“Look, I need to fix up some things with you, got that?” he snapped.

Feeling that feistiness in me, I couldn’t resist but to retort back at him.

“Fix things up with me? What about you? You’re the freak here, so don’t go accusing me of being strange!”

“I need you to learn to trust me, okay?” he cried, jumping up from his seat; soon after he began to pace on the floor.

‘Trust him? Am…I…am I really THAT bad?’ I thought sadly. ‘Hey, I’ve read in books that vampires were mind readers. I think that he’s done that already so it’s either he let that one slip or he heard it but chose to ignore it…’

An awkward silence filled the room as Terrence continued to pace. The silence was making me nervous and the fact that Terrence was pacing so frantically didn’t help either.

I scrutinized Terrence, watching his face carefully. He seemed to be having a battle with himself, fighting his own thoughts, his own heart.

“I’m your Guardian Angel…” he finally said.

I nodded at him and gazed out the window, before doing a double take and staring back at him.

“WHAT?” I cried, jumping up from my seat as well.

Terrence mumbled something that sounded like, “I knew I shouldn’t have told you…”

I grabbed Terrence by his shoulders but he only shook me off. I stepped back a bit, thinking back earlier to when Terrence revealed his black wings. Black…wings.

“Patrice, did your mother ever tell you stories about a guardian angel? That watched over you as you slept? That helped you through thick and thin? Well…I’m a special guardian, you see? I guard France and its people. But more importantly, I guard you. I’ve been watching you ever since you were born. Not only through magic, but by actually being there. I was the doctor that helped your mother when she was pregnant with you fifteen years ago. I was the lifeguard who watched over you when you went swimming. But other than that, I was also the Prince, which was the perfect position to also help me guard over France. Now you know, those stories your mother told you of a guardian angel, they were true.”

‘Holy…MY Guardian Angel? As in the angel I thought was a girl? With blonde hair and blue eyes? Wearing gowns of shimmering white with pure white wings? The guardian angel with a pretty halo levitating above her golden curls? As in the guardian angel my mother told me about? I don’t think Terrence CAN be my guardian angel…he seems…almost too evil…’

“Yeah…too evil…” he murmured, his eyes downcast as his hands gripped his black slacks tightly. I couldn’t make out his face, his eyes. His expression was blank; unreadable. And his eyes, those bangs I found to make him mysterious only hid the one thing I could find comfort and assuredness in.

I stayed speechless but finally finding my voice, I had to ask,

“Why are your wings black?”

Terrence’s emerald eyes flashed dangerously and seemed to darken as he finally looked up.

“I’m not in the mood to explain that now…”

“Oh…” was all I could say.

Terrence waved his hand lazily through the air and I was instantly dressed in a black, informal gown. It was a Victorian, satin black dress that had a low V, neck collar. The breast area was made of a thin, lacy fabric, which I was glad to have my undergarments for. The back was strapless and bare, tied at the waist and again at the neck. The length was very long, around floor-length because the beautiful fabric kissed the floor with every moment I made.

I blushed and moved to the balcony, leaning on the railing demurely.

“I’m sorry…for my impertinence, Prince Terrence…” I apologized, turning around only to be shocked to see that he was already beside me.

“Call me Terrence.”

His left arm snaked around my waist and pulled me towards him. I don’t know what it was, maybe it was the moonlight reflecting off his eyes, but that pale, green glimmer only entranced me. Without even realizing it, our lips had already touched. Just like our ‘second’ kiss behind the pillar, this one started off sweet and gentle, but more passion and yearning filled that empty void that Damien simply could not satisfy.

Terrence teased me with his tongue running along my upper lip but then he broke away from me and only embraced me.

“Mon cher, ne pas detesté c’est moi…s’il vous plait, mon cher…” he murmured, moving his smooth fingertips over the exposed skin of my back, making me shudder in excitement. The sudden innocence I possessed seemed to be draining away. I felt…hungrier for Terrence. I wanted to take him already…after only knowing him for one night, although we had truly known each other for the fifteen years of my life.

“Are you cold?” he whispered huskily. I felt that weird shifting movement and a feathery light object grazed my bare skin. His wings. He said not to touch…

But it seemed that his wings were doing the touching. The warm aerial supporters wrapped around me and pulled me into Terrence’s sweet embrace.

I closed my eyes, taking in the bliss of the moment. But suddenly, I felt the ice cold surround me. I opened my eyes, expecting to see myself awake in my bed. But no, I was still at Terrence’s balcony. I turned around, feeling slightly embarrassed, only to see Terrence sitting calmly in one of the chairs, chewing slowly on a…brownie?

“Hey! I’m hungry too ya know! Where’d ya get the brownie?” I complained.

Terrence looked at me as if I was the alien (feh, yeah right! Terrence is the strange one here!) and jerked his thumb in the direction of the bedside table. I thanked him and took one of the warm, freshly baked brownies and ate it hungrily.

Terrence simply chucked.

“Oh yeah, that’s right. You didn’t eat much at the party, now did you?” he asked.

I shook my head and stuffed another one into my mouth. Terrence bit into his one slowly and just chewed. Slowly…staring at me the entire time. I shifted uncomfortably but Terrence, although being a swift vampire, was quite slow to take the hint.

I picked up the last brownie and blushed, looking up at the still-staring Terrence. I finally decided what I was going to do with it.

I broke off a piece and he opened his mouth. I placed it in and he chewed. I was feeding him. --;; He liked this little ‘game’ I was playing with him as he opened his mouth again, expecting another piece of brownie. I broke off yet another piece and put it into his mouth, which he closed hesitantly. I bit the half brownie, just staring at him, alien like. He didn’t seem to mind though, he just stared back.

“Allow me…” he finally said, plucking the brownie from my hand and stuffing it into his mouth.

“H-hey!” I was about to complain when his lips crashed down on mine again. I could taste the chocolate in his mouth, sweet kisses. Perfect.

I broke away this time, knowing that kissing him here was probably morally wrong…for…some reasons. One of them was that no matter how much I wanted him, no matter how hot he was, we were in a bedroom with a VERY comfy looking bed. Why resist? I just had to…damnit!

He smirked and kissed my forehead, probably reading my thoughts again.

“Goodnight, mon cher. Sleep here for a while. I’ll be with you tomorrow night.”

And he opened the door and left me.

I slept soundly that night and woke up quite late. It was already around eight. But due to the exhaustion of yesterday, and the beating I had received, my body still needed a bit more time to fully recover.

The door handle turned and my heart skipped a beat, expecting it to be Terrence. But it wasn’t. A girl with mid-back length blonde hair and bright blue eyes stepped into the room. She only looked to be around six or seven years of age.

“Um…” I began, not sure of what to say.

“Follow me. Lord Terrence wishes for your presence,” her monotonous voice stuck me hard. At such a young age, she sounded like an overlabored worker.

I scrabbled from the bed, fixing my dress and retying my hair. I glanced in the mirror before following the girl down a few corridors until we came upon a black door with a red cross on it.

She opened it locked me in the room. I turned around after hearing the soft ‘click’ of the lock and banged angrily on the door.

“HEY! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!” I cried, trying to get the door to open. But I felt that same chill I got when I was with Terrence and a hot, dizzying breath tickled my neck.

I turned around and found myself to be lost in mesmerizing, emerald eyes again.

“I need you to…sleep again…” he whispered, touching my forehead lightly. I felt my vision blur around the edges, my sight of Terrence was waning until I ended up in the darkness of sleep.

Without my knowing, Terrence pulled back the silky covers of his bed and tucked me in, placing his soft lips on my forehead before leaving the room, closing the door with a soft click.

(I think that we left off here Maria! )

I woke up and searched the room that I was now in. Boy…all I did was eat, sleep, eat, sleep and get a kiss in somewhere…

“You’re finally awake,” a monotone voice says.

I recognized the voice. That girl...

I turned to face the little blonde girl sitting beside me. She reached out and brushed back a few strands of my hair.

“W-Who are you?” I asked her, shivering under her cold touch.

“I’m you,” she replied, pulling back the sheets and going under the covers.

“Y-you don’t even look remotely like me!” I cried, picking up her blonde hair in my hand and showing the contrast in colour to my darker hair.

She snuggled against me and wrapped her tiny arms around my waist.

“I’m your…” she mumbled into my breast, “innocence…”

I just remained quiet.

‘My innocence? As in…’

“Yes. Innocence. I’m your light side,” she giggled.

“But…but I’m still a virgin!” I cried.

‘How can I lose my innocence if I’m still…untouched?’ I thought with confusion.

“Your thoughts…your innocent thoughts. It’s about time you lost them now. You live with Prince Terrence, Crown Prince of France…and, as respectable as he is, he’s a pretty kinky vampire…your innocence doesn’t need to interfere with what he wants…so we were separated…” she mumbled.

I blushed and closed my eyes, breathing her scent, I mean, my scent in. She smelt exactly like me. Her facial features were like mine, except her eyes were blue and her hair, blonde. Her skin was a fair, pale, creamy colour. She looked exactly like me…except she everything I wanted to be when I was younger. Light, blonde hair, blue eyes…Innocent. My ‘Guardian Angel’…

As if on cue, Terrence came into the room and placed the tray of Earl Gray tea in a teapot onto the varnished bedside table. There were three china teacups with little plates beneath them. A silver platter of freshly baked scones, a tub of margarine, a pot of strawberry jam and a jug of fresh, cold milk lined the sides of the tray.

He sat down beside…my innocence and twirled strands of her hair gently. My innocence giggled and she sat up, moving so that we could all sit on the bed.

“You both seem to get along just fine,” I giggled, glancing at my innocence as Terrence picked her up and sat her on his lap. He smiled and, with his right hand, pointed at the teapot.

“You like earl gray right?” he queried, the teapot floating in midair, tilting and it poured its contents evenly into the three teacups.

I nodded slowly, wondering how the hell he knew what my favourite tea was!

“Thought so,” he smirked, glancing down at my innocence for a second before concentrating on the tray of tea again.

‘So that’s how he seems to know me…he has my…‘innocence’, which IS me,’ I laughed inwardly at the thought of this. But…

“You do realize I can hear you,” Terrence drawled lazily. He picked up a scone and a bread knife, applying a bit of all the extra spreads.

I blushed heavily and accepted the scone that Terrence handed to me. It was nice and warm, the smell, the taste, it was heavenly.

‘Just like Terrence!’ my ‘annoying’ conscience piped up.

My innocence rolled her eyes.

“I’m starting to think that our conscience is kinkier than Mr. Sexy Vampire here,” she muttered wryly.

Terrence’s jaw dropped.

“H-hey! I thought you two were already separated!” he groaned, slouching slightly.

I smiled lightly, finishing my scone and reached for my cup of tea. Hot tea…delish!

My innocence took a scone, buttered it, jammed it and ate it! She seemed to be following my movements as well. I put down my half full cup of tea back onto the tray and poured some milk into it, swirling it around.

Terrence looked interested somehow. I finished half of my pure earl gray tea and then filled it up again with half of it being milk.

My innocence followed suit and Terrence didn’t look so surprised.

“We are separated. But we share the same thoughts, the same conscience…” my innocence trailed off.

Something was bothering me. I just had to ask,

“Hey, innocence, what’s your name?” I asked, the question was intriguing.

“Oh yeah…I didn’t even ask you either,” Terrence chuckled. “I just called you Patrice, presuming that you were her.”

My innocence giggled and replied.

“You can call me Patricia. It would be very confusing if you called me Patrice. Then there’d be a problem. Especially when you call for her, Terrence. Let’s say you needed her in your bedroom and-”

Terrence covered her mouth instantly with a pale, smooth hand. I noticed that his nails were painted a shiny black with a red cross painted on each fingernail, just like the pattern on his door.

“Eh…she doesn’t know what she’s saying. She’s too young,” he smiled.

Patricia rolled her eyes and flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the canopy of the red, silky, four-poster bed. I covered my mouth with another scone to prevent myself from laughing. I’ve seen the vampire’s power. He IS strong…

‘What am I thinking? I was kidnapped by a polite and respectable but kinky vampire-’

At the mention of this in my thoughts, Terrence’s sharp eyebrow shot up.

“You know…I’m not THAT kinky. Patricia just assumes that because of…never mind,” he muttered, sipping his tea slowly.

‘Aaaaannyways, back to my thoughts please! I was kidnapped by a ‘vampire’ who has separated me from my innocence just because he’s also a kinky vampire who wants me in the bedroom!’

Terrence finished his tea and sighed.

“Patrice, define kinky,” he ordered, a sly smirk playing on his thin lips.

I opened my mouth then closed it again, not able to come up with an answer without embarrassing myself. Terrence seemed pretty cool with it though.

“Um…it-it means…” I began. I turned to Patricia for help but she just lay there looking as clueless as me. She was my innocence. She didn’t think about that stuff. She didn’t dwell on it.

‘Not that you do…do you?’ my conscience asked.

‘SHUT THE HELL UP!’ I yelled back at my conscience.

‘I’d take that as a yes,’ my conscience retorted, and I could imagine a smirk on his face.

‘Waaaaiiiit…his? WHY THE HELL DOES MY CONSCIENCE SOUND LIKE A GUY??’

‘Maaaybe coz…I am, fuckwit!’

‘Oooh…you’re sly…’ I admitted.

Terrence seemed to be quite amused.

‘Damnit! He’s reading my mind again! Stay out stay out!!’

“You do realize that arguing with yourself is the first sign of insanity?” he chuckled.

I raised a brow.

“Really? I thought that talking to yourself was…” I said, more to myself than to him.

Terrence simply smirked and with the wave of his hand, the tray disappeared.

“It’s getting late. I need to feed. I’ll be back for you two later,” he snickered, eyeing the dress I was wearing again. With another wave of his hand, the dress disappeared and was replaced by a silky, white, mid-thigh nightgown.

I needed to ask him something again. As he stood up, I grabbed his arm and pulled him down.

“Yes?” he smirked.

‘Ooooh…he’s ALWAYS SMIRKING!! DAMNIT! WIPE THAT SMIRK OFF YOUR SEXY FACE! Oops…’

Terrence stuck out his tongue.

“You can be so immature sometimes!” I chided.

He simply laughed at this.

“Really? I think you’re mind is the immature one.”

I quickly dismissed that and asked him another question that I REALLY DESPERATELY NEED to know.

“If you’re the Crown Prince, how is it that you can stand out in sunlight AND be a vampire at the same time?” I asked out of curiosity.

“One, my father was a reverse vampire. And my mother, an angel. That’s why I have wings. That’s also why I can exist in mortal sunlight,” he explained, touching my cheek gently.

“But…” I began again.

‘WHY ARE HIS WINGS BLACK?!’

“Go to sleep,” he whispered, kissing my forehead softly. “I’ll wake you at dawn and show you your new bedroom.”

I simply smiled and crawled under the covers again, Patricia tried hard not to let out a giggle, but even that was too hard for the innocence.

“What’s so funny?” I queried.

“He kissed you goodnight,” Patricia giggled again.

“So? You’re point is??” I don’t know why, but I’ve NEVER asked so many damned questions in my entire life!

“He kissed you goodnight,” Patricia repeated firmly.

A very, VERY naughty thought crossed my mind but I dismissed it immediately, pulling a face. Patricia must have seen it as well because her childlike face scrunched up and her cheeks burned.

“I NEVER wanna grow up…” she mumbled into my stomach.

I smiled again and pulled the covers up.

‘Sleep…need sleep so badly…’

Hey, what could I do? I can’t help it if I get sleepy. For goodness sakes! I was at my engagement party, nearly raped, kissed by a kinky vampire, kidnapped, ate food, had tea, met my ‘innocence’, argued with my conscience and got kissed goodnight by the kinky vampire…ALL IN ONE NIGHT! I’m soooo wiped!

The smile of content on my face could mistake anyone. As happy as I was, living in this cute fairytale land with a hot vampire (who just so happens to be the prince!) and my cute innocence, I was far from calm. My heart had faced many shifts in one night.

‘What if father gets angry? And mother? What will she say? That I’ve shamed the family name? And poor Damien. As much as I despise him, he WAS my fiancé and he was thrown out of a five story building by a vampire who had just drained him of his life force! And…this world…that Terrence lives in…it’s too perfect…just too…perfect…’

That night, I fell into deep slumber, the warmth helped to keep me asleep. But I didn’t want to stay sleeping. As much as I needed it…the nightmares were too much to handle!

I shifted many times in my restless sleep, much to the annoyance of my other half, who simply adjusted herself so that she wouldn’t fall off the bed.

Little rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains that were changed overnight. The sunshine hit my face so I turned away from it, wanting to both wake up but stay asleep.

Later on, I felt two cold hands press against my thigh and I shot up, out of bed and nearly hit my head against the irritated vampire.

“Oops…sorry,” I apologized.

“You know, it’s considered pretty bad to give even a Vangel the creeps. I was trying to wake you up, but no amount of shaking would do so,” he grumbled, moving to the other side of the bed to wake up Patricia.

My thoughts brought me back to remember my dreams and a heavy blush fell over my face.

‘Does Patricia share my dreams?’ I wondered.

“No. She has her own mind but not her own heart. She can read your thoughts but not what you desire. She shares a conscience with you, but not the affection you can feel,” Terrence elucidated.

“And…what the HELL is a Vangel? It sounds like the other half of Neon Genesis Evangelion…” I muttered, stifling a yawn as I stretched up against the bedpost.

Terrence rolled his eyes.

“I’m a cross breed, damnit! A Vangel. A cross between a Vampire and an Angel. Same thing with a werewolf and an angel, it depends on who’s the father and who’s the mother. Male comes first, vampire, followed by female, angel. Get it?” he asked.

I stared at him for a moment with confusion written on my face.

“So you mean…if it was a cross between a male angel and a female werewolf it would be…um…an angewolf?” I asked uncertainly.

Terrence smirked again and my heart did that fluttering thingy.

“Yes. Precisely.”

“So…is THAT why your wings are black?” I asked curiously.

Terrence looked away at the window, his jaw tightening. I knew I hit a raw nerve.

“Oh…I’m sorry Terrence…just…never mind it okay?”

He nodded and turned to me,

“Yes. That’s why. I’m a crossbreed. A Dark Angel.”

“So, I’m sorry to ask so many questions! It’s just that I’ve lived in such a boring world all my life, all this fantasy it’s so foreign to me…” I murmured, twisting the sheets in my hands. “But I need to know…if you’re a dark angel, why did God allow you to be a guardian?”

Terrence put his feet up on the bed and rested his head against the mounds of soft pillows. He just looked up at the canopy above us and finally gave me an answer with a reason I simply could not argue against.

“My mother was a trusted angel for God. When she married my father, she was turned to a fallen, because marrying a creature of darkness was considered evil in heaven. Dracula was simply a human that made a deal with the devil to give him immortal life. So the devil did so. My father was a descendant of Dracula, not through vampire transfiguration, but through actual blood. I didn’t choose this life. I’d give anything to be normal, just like you. God sensed my sorrow and allowed me to become a guardian angel to a girl who wanted to be the opposite of human. I can’t enter heaven but I can pass my power onto you, so that I may finally die…” he explained.

I don’t know what was wrong with me, but I began to cry. Terrence was just…non-existent. He didn’t fear death, but instead he feared the immortality. He was like a rock on the riverbed, not moving as time flew by. He just existed, but never truly lived. His fear was himself. I don’t know how he could live with himself, it was pity I felt for him. A very strong human trait, pity, sympathy.

“Hell doesn’t want me because I’m part angel. Heaven doesn’t want me because I’m in the direct bloodline of a vampire who dealt with the devil. It’s worse than the fallen angel. I can’t take anything back because I’m who I am…I just want to die…” he hissed out through his gritted teeth, shutting his eyes tightly.

I clamped my hand over mouth, trying not to sob in front of Terrence, but strangled sobs managed to make their way out of my mouth.

“Why are you crying?” he asked, without looking at me, his eyes still shut.

I shook my head although I knew he couldn’t see me. I crawled over the sleeping Patricia and into Terrence’s lap, kneeling down in front of him. He felt my movements and opened his emerald eyes as I placed my hands on his muscular chest.

“I’m sorry…” I murmured, leaping into him, wrapping my arms around his neck and sobbing into his shirt. He stroked my hair again, shutting his eyes, trying to comfort the both of us.

“Stop acting all macho, Terrence. You don’t need to comfort me. Stop being so tough about everything! If you need to cry, then cry,” I sniffled, looking up into his face. His eyes were shut again and I stared at his soft, pink lips, pouting like a child.

I felt that giggly sensation in me as a leaned closer to him and pressed my lips against his again. For what seemed to be the sixth kiss in just three days, the party was already two nights ago, yet I didn’t realize it because I had slept so much!

Terrence didn’t open his eyes as I peeked to see if he was in any discomfort at all. No, instead he wrapped his arms around my waist and pushed me against his sturdy body, running his fingertips along the skin of my thigh. I shivered at his touch and opened my mouth to him.

“Ahem.”

Just like the interruption that Damien had caused, we were interrupted yet again. We glanced to my left/his right and blushed when we realized that Patricia had been watching us the entire time through her fingers.

“Get a room, you two!” she giggled, fully blocking her eyes this time.

Terrence smirked and said,

“Maybe sometime in the near future, right Patrice?”

I smiled and blushed, nodding my head in acceptance to Terrence’s offer.

I got up off him and stood up on the floor, stretching like a cat, raising my arms and yawning.

Terrence got up as well and, with the wave of his hand, I was changed yet again by him. This time I wore a dark red dress, with a scoop neck cut and a pink bow around the waist.

Patricia got up and was also changed into a light pink dress like mine except with a white bow around her waist.

Terrence picked her up with one arm and we linked arms with his left. He led us to a very pretty dining room, rich in colours. The windows were gothic cathedral style, stained glass as big as the walls themselves, standing from one metre off the floor and running to around one metre off the ceiling.

I stared in awe at the room; the entire castle itself was a masterpiece.

Servants came out from all corners of the room just to serve us. I was quite surprised. I thought that the only people in this castle were Terrence, Patricia and I.

We all got what we wanted, whether it was chocolate pudding, roast chicken, fried fish, or even stewed liver (for Terrence… yuck!). And I got a glass of my favourite wine, Merlot 6. I highly recommend it, very simple but very classy. I had thought that they served Patricia beer until she explained that it was just chilled apple juice. I glanced over to Terrence who was sipping his wine quite calmly. It looked to be red wine, thicker than usual wine. I became suspicious of it but asked if I could try some anyway.

Terrence smiled and said, “Mon cher, I don’t think you’d enjoy it.”

“I wanna try some anyway,” I grinned, accepting his glass that he handed to me. I took a cautious sip and shuddered. It tasted quite delicious. Metallic tasting in a way yet it had a sweet tinge to it.

“Do you…know what it is?” he asked carefully.

I shook my head, thinking it was ordinary wine.

“I had better not tell you,” he warned, plucking a strip of lettuce from his plate and dangling it in front of his face. He put it on his tongue and ate it. Weird…

“You can tell me,” I smiled. “I like the taste. It’s quite delicious.”

Terrence cocked an eyebrow up and smiled in surprise.

“Blood,” he simply replied, going back to eating his salad.

I felt that familiar lurching of my brunch in my stomach.

“Blood?” I repeated, my voice wavering.

Terrence nodded.

“And you enjoyed it, thinking it was wine. You said it was delicious,” he added, a smirk playing on his lips.

“I’M NOT A VAMPIRE!” I cried in my defense, my stomach settling again.

“I never said you are, and I’m not implying it either,” he said in that ‘smart-ass’ tone. He eyed me carefully and spoke again, “But what I AM implying is that I think you have a blood fetish running through you.”

“Is that…a disease?” I asked shakily.

Terrence shook his head, his messy locks following his movements.

“No. I mean, you ARE a blood fetish. You LIKE the taste of blood, no matter how sick it makes you feel.”

‘Uh-oh…’

Terrence smiled and pushed is plate away, relaxing in his chair.

“All the more better for you to trade places with me!”

I remained silent. If I was turned to a half vampire, I’d still need blood, but I’d be able to survive…right?

“Today. Just as long as you return me to my home first,” I whispered.

‘Are you sure you want this?’ my conscience asked.

‘Yes. If it means helping someone who saved me…then yes.’

‘Okay then…I’ll stick with you anyways,’ he replied.

A smile crossed my face again.

‘Thank you…’

Terrence nodded.

“Alright then. I’ll take you home and you exchange essence with me?” he suggested.

I nodded this time, a feeling of uncertainty drifted in my stomach.

“Yeah…” I whispered, standing up. Patricia looked quite sad, a few tears glided down from her baby blue eyes to her rosy cheeks.

“Patrice! PATRICE I’LL MISS YOU!” she cried, running around the table, behind Terrence to me. She threw herself against me, sobbing into the fabric of my dress on my stomach. I twirled her hair gently, stroking her small head in a motherly way.

Terrence smiled grimly. He knew my fate and his.

‘Am…I being selfish?’ he asked himself.

At last, Patricia said her last goodbyes, kissing my cheek before walking slowly and numbly to her room, not looking back once.

I sighed and took Terrence’s hand.

“Terrence? Are you okay?” I asked, searching his dazed eyes.

“I…I’m fine, Patrice. C’mon, let’s go…” he mumbled, averting his gaze from me. I ignored the feeling of avoidance and tightened my grip on Terrence as he opened the doors of the castle. I was going to miss them. I know NOTHING much happened so far. But still, this was like…a fairytale…without the fairies that is…

His black wings sprouted from his back again and he held me closer to him, flying off in the direction of my home. I noticed that the sky seemed to open up, letting Terrence and I fly through it. A portal…the world that Terrence lived in wasn’t the human world. I’ll probably never get to see him again since he seemed to need wings to fly.

We landed in the massive backyard, behind the beautiful chestnut tree. It was quite large, hiding the both of us from view.

There was an ambulance parked outside my home. My mother was outside, sobbing as my sister and brothers comforted her.

“Oh! God! Why did you have to take him away?!” my mother’s cries still lingered in the air. I finally realized WHY she was crying. And when I had found out, I stayed put behind the safety of the chestnut tree beside Terrence.

My father. On a search for me around France, he had caught a deadly fever as well as influenza. He had died looking for ME. I shook my head, trying to deny it.

“I…I don’t believe it! NO!” I cried, running to the awaiting arms of Terrence.

“We don’t have much time, Patrice…you have to change now, or never again…” he whispered, pushing my black tresses behind my ear. I nodded and stepped back from him a bit.

“Well…here it goes…” he murmured. He closed his eyes as I just stared on in confusion. The wings behind his back seemed to shimmer a white colour and bright lights of every colour, mostly white had erupted from his body, dispelling dark auras into the air. Then the bright lights around us stopped. I STARED in awe as the black colour in his wings drained away, leaving a soft, feathery, pure white colour. His hair and eyes remained the same but his skin became a tanner colour, darker than his pale self. He smiled and I noticed that his fangs were no longer there. He handed me a dark, palpitating orb of (dark) light, which I, shakily, accepted. I held it to my chest and pushed it in, my body immediately regretting it. The pain was excruciating! I fell to the floor in pain, sobbing as the throbbing orb took place in my heart, pushing out a light pink orb. It wasn’t my heart. It was my humanity. I held the fragile thing in my hands for a few seconds before handing it to the startled looking Terrence. He accepted it and pushed it into his chest, not collapsing to the floor like I had, but instead, a pained expression took over his face. He became a half human, half angel. A true guardian angel. I, instead, became half human, half vampire. My body changed, my waist thinned, my curves grew. Instead of my usual ‘canine’ fangs, I had vampire fangs. The sudden lust for human blood became unbearable as I leapt at Terrence, who jumped out of the way.

Then…we stopped. Time seemed to stand still as I just stood there, staring at Terrence. He looked at me in confusion before finally realizing what had happened.

“Huh? Why am I NOT dead?” he asked dryly.

“Terrence…” I spat out, glaring at him wearily, waving my hand in the air, signalling for him to look around us.

“What the…” he murmured, looking around in shock. His wings resized and went back into his back.

I stared at the foreign houses around us, bright skies, grass, fences? Weird contraptions zoomed around on what seemed to be a black, tarmac road. Weird contraptions in many different colours.

People who dressed oddly just stared at us. They sent us looks as if the both of us were aliens. I stared at Terrence, he stared at me.

“HEY IDIOTS! IT ISN’T THE 18TH CENTURY YA KNOW! AND IT ISN’T FUCKING HALLOWEEN EITHER!” some bastard of a guy yelled.

My eyes flashed red but I chose to ignore the stupid mortal. My target was now on Terrence.

“TERRENCE! WHERE THE HELL ARE WE?!” I roared, the patience I had was gone, instead, replaced with the impatience of a vampire.

The door to the odd house opened and a little girl stepped out. She had light blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked EXACTLY like me, the Patricia, my innocence.

“P-Patricia?” I cried, running to the younger girl. Her eyes grew in fright as she ran back into the house screaming,

“MOMMY! MOOOOMMY!! THERE ARE WEIRDO PEOPLE IN OUR BACKYARD! MAAAAAAMMAAAAAA!!” she shrieked shrilly. I covered my ears and glared at Terrence who smiled at me innocently, sitting on a strange swing-like object attached with ropes to a tree.

A middle-aged lady stepped out; her light blonde hair with graying ends was tied up in a messy bun. She looked like an older version of Patricia, from my time. But no matter how old she looked, her bright blue eyes shone brightly at us.

“Come in, you poor things! Come! Have some tea!” she smiled, ushering us in. She must have noticed that our clothing had become torn in the process of change.

She sat us down and seated the little girl on her lap.

“Who are you, poor children?” she asked. I scoffed slightly, but only received a nudge from Terrence, who I glared daggers at.

‘Poor? Yeah right!’

“My name is Terrence de…just…Terrence,” he replied. I cast a suspicious glance at him and then remembered!

‘We MUST have been sent into the future when we swapped essence! Damnit! And Prince Terrence de Reign was the Prince of France! If we told this lady, she might get suspicious!’

“And you dear?” she asked kindly.

I couldn’t help but let my human side take over. I smiled politely and replied.

“My name is Patrice Guerrero. Can you…possibly help us?”

“Oh! My grandmother knew a Patrice Guerrero when she was a young girl! But you might just be a descendant!” the lady chuckled. “And of course I can help you!”

I grinned at the sulking half angel beside me. He rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair.

I took a deep breath and began explaining EVERYTHING to the lady. I felt like I could truly trust her for some odd reason.

The lady’s eyes widened when she heard that I was separated from my innocence, a girl named Patricia who was around six years of age in 1898.

“You…that MUST be my grandmother!” she cried, standing up, her eyes wavering with tears.

“Mama…I’m hungry…” the girl complained, tugging her mother’s sleeve and smiling at me.

“Allow me to help,” I spoke up, following the lady to the kitchen. She nodded her head and we headed for the kitchen, Terrence in tow.

We decided to make scones for the little girl.

“So, how did you know that my daughter’s name was Patricia?” the lady questioned. “Oh, and pardon me for my rudeness, I never told you my name! My name is also Patricia, but Patricia the third (III). My daughter is Patricia the fourth (IV).”

I shrugged my shoulders, mixing the batter carefully.

“Um…well…like I told you, my innocence’s name was Patricia, so that we wouldn’t be confused when Terrence called me to…um…help him,” I finished the sentence quite awkwardly, not wanting to talk about the ex-vampire’s kinky needs. The now angel Terrence smiled and buttered the baking tray carefully.

“Yes. I need her help an awful lot,” Terrence grinned, washing the second tray and buttering it.

Patricia III took the batter and spooned them evenly into the buttered cups of the tray. Patricia IV smiled as she took the filled tray from her mother and handed it to me, who placed the tray in the oven. I took the second tray and put it in the oven beside the first tray, closing the oven door and dusting my hands.

“Terrence, dear, help me with this apron, won’t you?” I asked sweetly. Terrence sent me a glare but untied the apron anyway, hanging it up on the kitchen rack.

Patricia III sat down at the table, signaling for us, with her hands, to sit down. She sat down at the head of the table with Patricia IV to her right and me to her left. Terrence sat beside me, on my left side.

“So…” Patricia III began. “You, Patrice, were fifteen in 1898 and Terrence was 122. I see, I see…”

‘She seems to be taking this information quite calmly and casually...She MUST be a descendant of your innocence, Patrice! I mean...she even LOOKS a lot like you!’

‘It…can’t be possible…can it? Well…the ages, the dates, the generations…it all fits in. There must have been two entire generations before Patricia III.’

“Patricia, can you please tell me what year it is?” I asked, hoping I wouldn’t hear what I feared I would hear.

“Hmm? Oh yes. It’s 2004.”

I froze in my seat and insecurity took over me. Terrence patted my shoulder lightly before the both of us stood up to get the freshly, baked scones. I flinched slightly, scalding my finger on the hot tray. Terrence shook his head and took my finger into his mouth. I blushed as he sucked on the burnt skin before he gave it back. I stared at my fully healed finger.

‘Angel powers…of course!’

Patricia III went to make tea and came back with butter, jam, cream, sugar, milk and Earl Gray tea.

‘Gee…what a coincidence!’

Terrence snickered when he saw what Patricia III had brought out. It was exactly the same as the tea that we had eaten when I was told to describe what kinky meant. Looks like he isn’t kinky anymore…

I smiled sadly, remembering the events of that night. And the night before when we shared the brownies. Terrence had changed. I was darkness, he was light. If we loved each other, all this essence swapping would be only in vein. The perfect guy…what a shame…

“Are you okay dear?” Patricia III asked, touching my forehead lightly. “You seem quite red.”

I opened my mouth to deny it but what could I do? I knew my feelings for Terrence. It had only been for less than a week of true acknowledgement. But that paled in comparison to the fifteen years he had spent, watching over me everyday.

“I’m fine,” I mumbled. Terrence handed me a scone that he had already prepared. Without using his vampire powers for he had no such thing anymore.

I blushed, accepting the warm cake. I bit into it gently, savouring the delicious taste and the spongy texture.

“So…there have been tales passed down from my grandmother. I listened to her as a young child. And I still tell the tale to my daughter. About, suddenly appearing of nowhere when she was around six years of age. She met a very beautiful girl, who was also herself. That girl, known to our family as Patrice, treated my grandmother like she was her own child. Mothered her for the few days that she lived there. And she also spoke of a ‘vangel’. A half vampire, half angel. She said that in her shared thoughts with Patrice, she could see that vampire and Patrice together, inseparable. My grandmother said that they were a very cute couple. When I was around seven or eight, I announced it my life long mission to seek both the vampire and Patrice, dead or alive. Now, I believe that I have, indeed, found you. Or rather, you have found me,” Patricia III chuckled.

My cheeks burned red when Patricia III said my thoughts of the past out loud. Terrence just smiled and continued to eat his scone.

‘What is WRONG with him? Ever since he became a half angel, he’s been acting all goody-goody, angelic, sugarcoated, sweetness, the little #&!’

Terrence looked slightly hurt after I had thought of this, and he looked away, his eyes showing slight tears.

“And you, child! Are you okay?” Patricia III asked, directing the question to Terrence. Terrence closed his eyes and nodded.

‘I’m not a baby,’ a voice said to me.

My body froze. Could he…?

‘Yes. I CAN still read minds. It’s an angel trait. And I can talk to you telepathically.’

‘I’m sorry…’ I mumbled through our strong link.

‘It’s…okay. I forgive you.’

Whoa…did he just say…forgive me? Well, heh…since he WAS previously a vampire, I guess it’s a bit weird hearing it from him.

“Do you…know how to get us back?” I asked, afraid of the answer.

“I’m afraid I don’t know how. You’ll just have to exist here until we can work out how to get you two back. In the meantime, the both of you can start at the nearby school. You two should be seniors, disregarding the age, I’m sure they’ll put you two in the same classes. There’ll be a prom for the start of the school year in a few days. School starts tomorrow. I hope you find Australia suitable,” Patricia III explained.

For the third or fourth time that day, I froze yet again.

‘School? Australia? I have to go to school? I thought I live in FRANCE!!’

“Uh…” Terrence began. “I might not be able to make if for the first few days or weeks. I have some business to attend to as well as finding a job to support you for taking us in.”

“Oh! No dear! It’s quite alright! You don’t need to-” Patricia III started but Terrence interjected.

“It’s becoming really complicated. Finding a job or not, I don’t think I can make it. I have a meeting with…someone.”

I cocked an eyebrow.

‘Someone?’

Terrence didn’t acknowledge me and he stood up, shook Patricia III’s hand and gave Patricia IV a tight hug. I followed him out the door.

“Terrence! Answer me! Where are you going?” I scowled.

“I have a meeting to attend,” he snapped.

“God!”

Terrence nodded and turned to me.

“You have a meeting with God?” I asked, confused.

“You said it yourself,” he muttered, taking my hands into his.

“No…I said GOD as in, oh my GOD Terrence what in the heavens is wrong with you!” I admitted.

Terrence smiled. It was a new humor to him, accepting things.

“I’ll be back for you. In the meantime, stay safe.”

His wings shot out from his back, the pure white instead of the midnight black I was used to seeing.

A tear trickled down my cheek and Terrence wiped it away gently with his thumb.

“I promise. I’ll be back. It’s an…angel’s kiss for a promise,” he announced, lowing his head to mine. My eyes widened, realizing that his title might be at stake if he did kiss me.

“Terrence…you can’t…” I whispered, averting my head.

Terrence shook his head and cupped my chin in his warm hand. I no longer felt the cold from his body. Instead, I was the cold.

“I can. To seal my promise, with an angel’s kiss…” he murmured, capturing my lips in his. I tilted my head to adjust to him and deepened it, wrapping my arms around his neck.

We broke away, feeling slightly saddened.

“Just for a few days, mon cher. I’ll be back.”

And with that, he took off, shooting into the clouds. I noted that the skies seemed to part as he made his way into the Kingdom of Heaven.

A giggle interrupted my thoughts and I turned to see both Patricia’s standing by the doorway.

“Um…” I shifted uneasily where I stood.

“You seem to be quite close to the…angel,” Patricia III smiled.

I nodded.

‘More than I thought I knew…’

That night when I slept, it didn’t feel right. I was a ‘121’ year old girl living in a time that I didn’t belong in. Yesterday, I was fifteen…now I’m a hundred and twenty one? And no longer did I live in France, but Australia. No longer was I a full human, but a half vampire instead. And no longer was Terrence by my side…

I shifted and turned in my sleep, unable to find true rest.

Until…dawn arrived.

Patricia III allowed me to borrow some of her clothing until we bought me new clothes. I found her outfits to be quite pretty but…

As soon as Patricia III dropped me off at the school I was to attend in the eccentric blue contraption that I learnt to be a ‘car’, girls yelled at me for wearing ‘daggy’ clothing and the boys weren’t very polite either. They either jeered and insulted me, or didn’t talk to me at all. Completely ignored me! Well…I was sure that I wasn’t exactly starting off on the right foot here.

‘Those fools. Anger me one more time and I’ll drain you dry…’

‘Settle there…’ my conscience warned. ‘You don’t want people getting suspicious now do you?’

“Just ignore them, Patrice,” Patricia III warned. She asked me to follow her, and I did. I didn’t want to get lost in this odd building. It wasn’t very big compared to the house that I lived in France, but it was packed with rooms and people. I definitely didn’t want to get lost here.

I was led to a room called ‘the office’. There was an aging, smiling old lady seated behind a…a…I don’t know WHAT to call it. I jumped when this weird, ‘dong-ding’ sound came from the object but calmed down when Patricia held my hand and brought me to the principal’s ‘office’.

The principal was an elderly man, in around his late fifties or early sixties.

Hey, at least I didn’t look old…I’m more than twice their age and I still go to school! .

“G’day, Ms. Guerrero. I hope you find Erina High to your liking,” the principal said after a few minutes of testing.

“Oh and Mrs. Ramano, may I please talk to you for a moment?” the principal requested for Patricia III to talk to him and then she left, hugging me goodbye.

“This is your lunch okay? You eat it. There’s a scone in there. But I’m afraid I can’t put any butter, jam or cream in there or else it might go off,” Patricia III elucidated. And with that, she was gone, driving off in her blue ‘car’. I pushed my mid-back, black hair to my right shoulder, letting the slightly curly locks fall loosely.

(The following will now be told in diary format…well…sort of anyway)

Day 1 without Terrence - Monday -

During that first day of school, I found it to be quite odd. What was science? And mathematics?

Ate recess alone.

The children’s accents here were quite foreign to me as well. I managed to make friends with one girl and two boys.

The girl’s name was Jennifer Acacia (Ah-ka-see-ah) and the boys’ were…ironically…Patrick and Joshua Warburg, they were twin brothers, surprise surprise! They told me, quite politely and kindly, that the clothes that I wore shouldn’t be seen around school or else I would have been totally rejected. But I loved this clothing so they accepted me anyway. I told them that I was a transfer student from France, which they bought because of my heavy French accent (which I falsely applied).

Ate lunch with Jenny, Pat and Josh.

I soon learnt that the school prom would be next ‘Monday’. ‘Twas a good thing I’m a fast learner for if I wasn’t, I would surely be in trouble. Well…it looks like I’ll have to put up with wearing these clothes until Terrence came. Also, I was worried about what to wear to the prom.

Day 2 without Terrence - Tuesday -

Jennifer gave me a full tour of the school. Patrick and Joshua decided to tag along but then they had PE classes. I was also given my new timetable today, with all the subjects I had preferred.

Music, Literature, Advanced English, Dance, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and cooking. These were basically all the things I had exceeded in, therefore, all the things I decided to do.

Just found out that I had to do mathematics. At first, I was amazed by this subject, now I think its absolute torture.

Day 3 without Terrence - Wednesday -

Terrence hadn’t crossed my mind until today. What was he doing in heaven anyways? Registering to become a fairy godfather or something? I kinda felt a little sore when couples walked around me everyday. Nothing was on my mind except Terrence, Terrence, Terrence.

Just found out that the Warburg’s are a very wealthy and prosperous family. Pat and Josh decided to take Jenny and me shopping! I loved to shop! For gowns that is…but none of the gowns that Pat and Josh offered to buy manage to suit me. None of them…were like those dresses I wore in the ‘past’.

Day 4 without Terrence - Thursday -

School was sooooo boring today! I didn’t think much of Terrence because of all the homework I was piled with! What are these teachers anyway? Monsters? The amount was ABSOLUTELY atrocious! Until the end of the day, I didn’t realize that people were staring at my sudden change. Instead of the usual sweater and skirt that Patricia III had loaned to me, I was dressed in the next thing comfortable. Jeans and a tee-shirt. Sure, I didn’t attract THAT much attention, but at least I didn’t get the WRONG sort of attention.

Did all my homework after school. Dead tired. Went to bed at 11:45 pm.

Day 5 without Terrence - Friday -

Woo-hoo! No homework! I’m getting used to this world of the future. I didn’t think that being a vampire would stop me from being able to live here. I WAS, after all, a human before and still am! Well…half anyway…

Got into a fight with this HORRIBLE bitch Alicia Amends. She wasn’t a forgiving person nor was she the type of person to say sorry either, so her name was the total opposite of her.

Day 6 without Terrence - Saturday -

Oh GOD! Feel so weak…Jenny, Pat and Josh took me shopping again. No, I wasn’t weak because of the shopping. No. It was just as I had feared. I needed blood. Not just ANY blood, but the blood of a mortal being. Dressed in a…white miniskirt with a black tank top. Went to party. Acted like a seductress and managed to get my first prey. A young guy around twenty or so. Drained the horrible pervert of half his life fluids. Served him right.

Day 7 without Terrence - Sunday -

Had to attend church. It was the Catholic thing to do. Patricia III, who was also a very firm believer took Patricia IV and me to church. Went out for breakfast. Tomorrow was the prom. I was so psyched on going but I don’t have anything to wear…oh well…guess I’ll have to pass then…

Had lunch at home. Patricia III made brownies…oh god…I miss Terrence SOOOOOO much! I can’t sleep now.

Dinner was roasted chicken with gravy, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. I just stared at the food, not out of disgust, but because of the memories I had with Patricia, my innocence, and Terrence.

Day 8 without Terrence (or…so I thought…) - Monday again - Prom night -

That day at school was probably the most torture I’ve had. Just over a week without Terrence and I’ve been totally ‘down in the dumps’.

Jenny wanted to know what was wrong with me. Told her I just missed a really close friend. She smiled and asked,

“Is he your boooooyfriend?”

I blushed but shrugged.

“I hope so…”

And that was the most I had wanted to hear of Terrence until he arrived. If I kept thinking about him, my composure would surely falter.

Later that day, I came home totally shitty about everything. I had learnt about the 2004 teenage terms. Shitty was another way of saying ‘down in the dumps’, ‘feeling bad’ or sad.

I didn’t have any homework because of the prom. But what I didn’t have was what worried me. I didn’t have a dress. The Ramano's had to go to visit a friend in hospital, who was supposedly going into labour today and was expected to give birth to a baby boy.

So…I just…broke down. After they left. There was only an hour until the prom. But there was nothing I could do. No dress, no prom. And no Terrence…

I cried and cried until I heard a distinctive,

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” coming from the sky.

A black haired boy fell from the heavens and landed on the grassy backyard with a painful ‘THUD’.

I checked to see if he was alright. And…threw my arms around him, sobbing into his chest.

“T-TERRENCE! OH GOD TERRENCE! WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?” I cried, and boy, did I cry hard.

Terrence patted my head sympathetically.

“Hey baby, don’t cry. I just had to pass a test for God. I’m a full time guardian angel now! Isn’t that great?” he laughed.

I simply smiled and nodded.

“Also…you might find this…odd but I’m a part fairy as well. I can go to LaLa Land, Heaven AND Earth! Yay!”

At this news I froze and faced him with a look of incredulity on my face.

“You’re a…what?”

“I’m a fairy. I’m your fairy god-dude,” Terrence beamed proudly.

“Fairies are gay…” I muttered, turning my back on him. I discreetly smiled, imagining Terrence with little fairy wings.

“No. I don’t have fairy wings. I’m a half angel, quarter fairy and quarter human now,” he grinned.

‘Yea…you only need to become quarter demon to go to hell as well…’ my mind snickered.

Terrence glared at me half-heartedly and pouted. Irresistible…

I just rolled my eyes and threw my arms around him.

“Oh god Terrence! I can’t go to the prom!” I cried, searching his green eyes for comfort.

“Yes, baby, you can,” he cooed softly, running his slender fingers though my black locks.

“I can’t.”

“You can,” he repeated firmly. “Make a wish.”

I took a deep breath and wiiiiished fooooooooor:

“1. A dress to go to the prom with

2. A hot guy to go to the prom with

3. A great fashion sense

4. Cool shoes to wear to the prom

5. AND A LIMO TO ARRIVE TO THE PROM IN!”

Terrence cocked an eyebrow then he grinned.

“No problem.”

He took out a weird…wand…with a T on the end.

“By the way…my fairy name is 6.3427879573.”

I stared at him in a bored way, my mind hurting from all the numbers.

“I’m not in a FUCKING MATHS CLASS SO CUT OUT ALL THE PI NUMBERS AND JUST REMEMBER YOUR NAME IS TERRENCE!” I shouted.

Terrence looked slightly hurt but then he sighed, waved his wand and in a flash of…pink light, I was dressed in…

“Tada!” Terrence cheered.

I blushed looking at the beautiful outfit he had given me. It was…that same Victorian style dress that I wore to my engagement party to Damien! Except the colour was a cute lilac shade with a blush rim for the V cut neckline.

Terrence had also added in a few of his own nick-nacks. A really cute golden necklace with a ruby imbued in the centre and matching earrings. My hair was pulled into a straight ponytail with obvious curls cascading down from the clip to my shoulder blades. A few strands of straightened hair fell on the sides of my face. I looked at myself in the mirror and noticed the light pink high-heels that Terrence had picked out for me.

“Um…Terrence…you forgot two tiny details…one, the limo and two, a hot escort!” I cried, pouting at him.

He smirked and chuckled, saying,

“That vampire side of you SURE has many desires!”

“I WANT A HOT DATE!” I whined, rocking from side to side.

Terrence shook his head and in a sparkling light, his clothing changed from his white angelic slacks and muscle shirt to a very suave tuxedo.

“You’re the hot date?” I teased.

Terrence smirked again with a,

“You bet.”

He pulled out a cell phone, which I had learnt to be, ‘mobile phones’, and swiftly dialed a number.

My mouth gaped when I saw it.

“You have a cell phone?”

Terrence signaled for me to be quiet for a few moments as he gave instructions to the person on the other line.

“Yes, no Mick. I mean, RIGHT NOW!” he ordered.

Terrence smiled in content as he shut the phone and slipped in into his pocket.

“Terrence? Who was that?”

Terrence chuckled lightly and walked to the front yard.

“That…was my personal chauffeur,” he answered nonchalantly, standing by the gates. Within five minutes of the call, sure enough, a white limousine came around the bend.

I totally enjoyed the look of horror on Alicia’s face when Terrence stepped out of the limo and held out a hand for me to help me out.

I totally enjoyed the look of jealousy on Alicia’s face when she saw Terrence for the first time, when she saw the limo…when she saw me. I carefully remembered what Terrence had told me in the limo on the way there.

“We have until midnight. Then your clothes will go back to normal,” he had warned.

The prom was great. Didn’t feel like dancing to the modern music but when it came to the classics like the waltz and tango, the floor belonged to Terrence and I. Finally there was that, ‘Choose a Song, choose the dancer’ part. The school would select a couple to dance to a song of their (the school’s) choice. It was around ten to midnight when the light shone down on us. Terrence choked on his salad which I helped him to swallow.

Apparently, the school was impressed by our dancing and asked us to do…a ten minute series of dancing. It began with the waltz, then in two spins, became a tango. After that, it the music would turn into a hot, Spanish type of dance and we had to do the salsa followed by the samba. These were all my specialty and so dancing all these one after the other wasn’t much of a worry. It was the time that caused me to panic. But relaxing and taking in deep breaths, Terrence led me onto the dance floor.

We started with the waltz, moving swiftly through the floor. I heard the wolf whistles from some of the guys situated around the gymnasium. I could really feel Terrence’s grip tighten around my waist as we glided along the polished floorboards. I was really entranced in Terrence’s smooth movements but then music picked up the pace slightly and we proceed to move into the tango. There was around five minutes left. Five minutes until this dance ended. Five minutes until the prom ended. Five minutes until Terrence’s fairy magic wore off. Five minutes until my dress would change back into my normal clothes!

The music beat was hinted with a Spanish rumba and the pace quickened to the upbeat sound that I loved as a child. Terrence came up close to me, not grinding, but just like the traditional dance. Finally we moved onto the samba, quick paced and many steps.

“Forty seconds…” Terrence whispered.

Thirty…………

At that, we didn’t bother bowing or anything. We RAN straight through the gym doors. There was a sudden uproar as Jenny chased us out of the gym. Behind us, we left a trail of sparkling glitter that faded as every second passed. The limo came as if on cue and we opened the door, jumping in and shutting it behind us.

“Mick, step on it! To the mansion!” Terrence barked his order to Mick, the chauffeur.

“Mansion?” I repeated to Terrence.

Terrence winked at me and kissed my cheek lightly.

“I got a job.”

“As?”

Terrence didn’t answer as Mick arrived at the destination.

“Terrence! Answer me!” I demanded.

“No. It’s a surprise.”

“DID YOU STEAL THIS MANSION?” I cried in shock.

Terrence sent me that, ‘are-you-out-of-your-mind?’ look and snapped back.

“Heavens no! I earned this!”

Doubt took me over and I retorted.

“YOU EARNED A MANSION IN ONE WEEK?”

“NO! I bought it yesterday,” he growled, paying Mick, who drove into the garage. The mansion was huge. It was painted white with a black roof on top. There had to be at least five or six stories, just like the Evans’ Manor…

I couldn’t argue with Terrence. He was still part angel, so he wouldn’t lie. Not much I could change in that department.

Terrence grinned slyly and scooped up into his arms, carrying me bridal style.

“Terrence!” I giggled.

“Hush, mon cher. I’m sleepy. Surely, you’ll accompany me?”

I giggled and nodded.

That night, I slept soundly and safely in Terrence’s arms. We exchanged a few kisses but nothing to…intense.

The next morning I awoke without Terrence beside me. But I also awoke to the smell of breakfast. A very…delicious smelling breakfast.

I showered and changed into my new clothes that Terrence had…somehow, installed into my wardrobe. I wore white Capri pants with a black halter top and a white leather jacket. I walked down into the kitchen only to be surprised to see Terrence cooking a very yummy looking breakfast. What surprised me even more…

He wore black leather pants, a white singlet top and a black leather jacket.

“LOVER’S WEAR!” he cheered, rushing forwards and taking me into his embrace. I breathed in Terrence’s scent, memorizing him entirely.

I giggled and ate breakfast with him, thanking him as well.

“Patrice…I hope you don’t mind. I’ll be gone-”

“For a few days…” I finished sadly.

“No…for a few hours. I won’t be back till late. Don’t wait up for me, okay, baby?” he asked, looking in my eyes for assurance.

I nodded, allowing him to continue with his routine. It was pretty early. Terrence dropped me off at school and I watched with hearts in my eyes as Terrence drove off.

There was a wide spreading commotion around the school. About me, and Terrence. And my new found fashion sense. Jenny was totally dumping questions on me every opportunity she could and I could only answer her with,

“It’s that guy…the guy I missed. He came back.”

And Alicia’s face! Oh god! That was the funniest part of all. She was starting to suck up to me but I simply ignored her and walked away. Alicia wasn’t the only thing I ignored as I walked into the school grounds. The entire male population was anticipating my arrival. I ignored them as well, Pat and Josh standing loyally on either side of me but Jenny had her arm laced around my left arm.

Such great friends, protecting me from these horrible…perverts…

I seated myself at my table in homeroom. Alicia still hung around but as the bell rang she quickly departed to her seat. There was a space beside me, I heard that it was reserved for another student when I started. I wonder WHAT the principal was talking to Patricia III for…

The teacher walked into class, setting her books and pencil case on her desk.

“Class! Settle down. We have…another transfer student,” she announced. “Please let Terrence de Reign feel welcome.”