• "Here." Slade handed me a cup of cocoa and sat aside of me. Lawrence snorted and looked up. "Whoa kids, back from your date?" he wiped his eyes. I nodded, face flushing. "It wasn't a date though." He shrugged. "Whatever." with this he stood and circled around to the kitchen counter. "Who left their cell here?" I turned. "What does it look like?" "Its white with little blue polka dots." "It's mine." I jumped up, setting my cocoa on the table and hurrying over to recieve the phone. i flipped it open. It read that i had two missed calls from my parents. I groaned. "No!" Slade turned. "What's wrong?" "Um, one second, one second." I rushed into another room. They must have called the cops a billion times! What if there was a search party?! I quickly dialed their number. They picked up on the first ring. "Hello?" "Hi, mom?" "Ann! Where are you? We were just about to call 911!" "you haven't already?" "72 hours have to pass- but ann, where are you?!" I took a breath. "I'm not exactly sure," i said quickly. "But I'll go to the closest town and look." "Are you with someone?" "alainna-" I came up with a quick lie then. "We just got away from these two freaks who tried to kidnap us." "oh, my god!" "I'll call you from town tomorrow. it'll be suspicious at night." "Okay dear. Call as soon as you can!" "Okay." I hung up the phone and turned. slade was standing in the doorway, jaw set, arms folded. "Slade-" he spun around and stormed away before I could say anything.

    "That was so fun Ian." I told him smiling while getting out of the car. "Yeah I know, and I can't believe I got pulled over by that cop," He said while laughing. When we got to the door way Slade suddenly burst out of the doorway. Ian, and I watched as he walked away angrily, and then turned back inside to see Lawrence lying on the coach watching TV, and Ann coming out of a doorway. "Well he must have gotten into a rotten mood somehow." "Yep I'd say so. Let's see if he broke a wall too." I said giggling. I looked at Ann and she kind of looked upset about something. I just let it go thinking she might not want to talk about it at the moment. So I went to sit on the arm of Lawrence's coach to see what he was doing. "So Lawrence what'd you do?" I asked while lifting an eyebrow. "Oh you know the usual. I ate, then watched TV, and fell asleep during my favorite show." He said while flipping through the channels. "I inspected all the rooms ma'am, and everything is in place," Ian said, as I turned to see him salute me to say Slade didn't brake anything that he could see. "Okey-dokey private you may go back to your cabin, and uhm well do whatever you were doing." I said smiling, and him sitting on the other arm.

    I cast a desperate look at Alainna before hurrying outside to find Slade. He was standing by the road, arms folded, glaring at the trees. I was kind of afraid that they would somehow burst into flame, but approached him. He didn't even glance at me as I took off his coat and held it out. "Do you want this back?" He shook his head slightly. I fingered the coat anxiously. "I didn't mean that. what I said on the phone." "You sounded like it." "I was just...my mom needed some kind of reason. And I kind of made the truth sound worse then it actually was. I don't hate you guys. You aren't freaks." Slade's eyes got tight as he turned to look at me. "That's not what I was angry about. It was only part of it." I frowned. "Then why are you mad?" He laughed darkly. "You just don't get it, do you?" I shook my head. "Not really." He shook his head with a disbelieving smirk, turning back to the road. "You're still leaving." He scowled. "I just pour out my heart and my soul to you, and now...you're leaving." I opened my mouth but he cut me off. "I was a fool to think that you could ever feel that way about me." "Slade, I have a family! I have to go back to them! It's not like I'm completely erasing you from my life-I still want to be friends with you!" "You can't have one foot in both worlds, Ann!" He turned and walked back towards the house, with a cold anger as over his shoulder he tossed, "Put on the coat before you freeze."

    "Yeah so Ian you never really told me how you and Lawrence met exactly." I told him tilting my head watching Ann run outside to where Slade was. "Oh yeah well that's a kind of weird one to talk about." He said rubbing his neck, and glancing down at Lawrence. "Ian you should just tell her what happened," Lawrence said looking bored as ever listening to us. "Fine then," Ian said grimacing. "What's so bad about the story?" I asked seeming to be surprised at how he reacted. "Uhm well let's just say that Lawrence, and I were enemies when we met." Ian said frowning. "Oh well that's not embarrassing at all then if you were just enemies." I said smiling. "Yeah but I was supposed to infiltrate the werewolf's base, and he caught me, and put me in a, well. I can't say it!" Ian said suddenly sitting on the ground, and making pictures in the sand with his finger. "Oh come on I promise I won't laugh or anything." "Well ok then. Lawrence captured me, and then he well. Put me in a birdcage that I couldn't get out off." He told me while looking the other way so I could see his face. "Oh ok well I never really thought he would do that." I said putting my finger to my chin in a thinking manner. "Yeah well he's more creative than he looks." Ian told me, as we walked back inside. "Yep and werewolves also have a great sense of hmor too," I told him as he wrapped his arm around my waist, and back into the living room.

    "Slade." I sighed. He paused and turned. I watched him for a long while. Finally I stomped over to him, took his hand, and led him out of sight of the house, to a pine tree by the road. "What are you doing?" He growled. "We're going to have a decent conversation." "Why, so you can break my heart again?" "You're an over dramatic a*****e," I finally remarked. He smiled then. "Why, thank you. I would call you something as well, but alas, I'm a gentleman." I folded my arms. "No. You're just too wimpy to say anything." his eyes flashed. "Do you want a bet?" "I would totally take you on, but there could be kids somewhere hearing us, and their ears would be bursting into flame!" "Oh, who's the wimp now?" he demanded. "You are!" I laughed. "Come on, let's go inside." "Fine." We went inside then, and the room grew quiet until I sadly noted, "my hot cocoa is cold." Slade picked it up to go put it in the microwave as Ian grinned. "Hey ann, is that Slade's jacket?" "Yes," he called, "And she loves it 'cuz it smells like me." face flushing, i glared at Slade, who snickered mischeviously.

    "Hey Ann did you know Ian was in a birdcage once." I said smiling mischievously at her, then looking at Ian's bewildered face. "No I didn't, but I could totally imagine that since he has wings and all." Ann said glancing at Ian with a look like she was going to burst out laughing. That's when Ian started to chase me around the room yelling. "Alainna you said you wouldn’t tell anybody!" Ian whined still chasing me. I jump over the coach, and retorted what he just said. "Ian if I remember correctly I said I wouldn't laugh you totally just changed the rule." I said to see if he was still chasing me which he was not. "Yeah so it's really embarrassing for," Ian said back, while I was still trying to figure out where he went. "I think it's funny," Slade popped up saying. "Yeah, but you already knew." Ian told him. After he said that I felt a big whoosh of air, and then me being tackled to the ground, being tickled. "HA! Gotcha this will be your punishment for telling Ann." Ian said smiling while still tickling me. "N-No get o-off," I tried to say in-between laughing fits. "Say uncle then." "Uncle." I said quietly. "I didn’t hear you," Ian said, and started to tickle me more. "Uncle! Now get the hell off me!" I yelled back, and pushed him off to get back up. "Man for being so small you sure can hit hard," Ian said smiling while rubbing his cheek where I hit him to get off of me.

    I laughed at this and Slade smirked a bit as well. Ian glared at him mockingly. "Oh, you, stop...you think you're so wonderful but you're not!" "I think I am." Slade handed me his cup of cocoa and stood, looming over Ian threateningly. Ian moved to punch him in the gut but in a flash he was on the ground, Slade sitting on his back comfortably as he tried to stand. "Oh, so now you use your demon powers!" Ian objected loudly. "That is so not fair!" Alainna was on the ground dying of laughter at Ian's plight and I grinned stupidly, holding both things of cocoa. Lawrence was on the other couch, snoring already. Deciding to wake him up, I dumped my cup of cold cocoa on him. He let out a yelp and jumped up, and everyone laughed at him, as he cussed and smiled at the same time. Basically it was pretty random antics.

    After Ann's little performance of ruining one of Lawrence's shirts, he left to go change. I walked up to her, and she happened to notice the glint in my eye. "What are you thinking Alainna? I know it's probably something evil," She said with a quizzical look. "Oh I don't know I was just thinking you want to tag team them." I said grinning since Ian was still underneath Slade's butt. "Sure, but they'd probably win since they're not human," She said while stroking her chin like one of those "Wise Men". " Oh fine you win with your logic. I just thought it would have been fun though. Oh wait also what was the problem with you and Slade we didn't find anything broken, and then he left and you followed. You haven't told me something!" I declared while pointing a finger at her surprised face.

    Slade looked up sharply at hearing this, watching me warily. I led Alainna to another room and told her how my parents had called, and I had agreed to go to town to meet them, before they sent the cops searching for us. She watched the whole thing with eyebrows raised. "Wait, so we have to leave?" "Well..." I fumbled for an answer. "Basically yes," a voice chimed. We turned. Both Ian and Slade were standing in the doorway, Ian looking sadly at Alainna, Slade trying not to look any more then aloof. "We can always sneak back though," alainna beamed. "Ann, let's give them our addresses so that they can fly -" she glanced at slade. "Run over and get us!" i nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good." Slade grinned. "Can't believe I didn't think of that." Ian beamed. "so you don't have to leave forever?" I shook my head and he sat there grinning like a happy five year old.

    "Yeah I hope you can visit really soon Ian." I told him looking up to see his happy face. "Yep we will visit as much as possible," Ian told me looking down, and then back at Slade. "Oh wait Ann how are suppose to get back?" I sadi because I just remembered how we got here becasue it'd seem kinda wierd if our parents saw being ran, and flown in by Sldae, and Ian. "Oh uhm I don't really know," She said glancing back. "We could give you a ride in one of our cars so it's not so suspicious to your parents if that's wha your thinking Alainna," Slade said while twirling some keys around his fingers.

    "Dude, I told them that two pyscho maniacs kindapped us," I sighed. "Won't it look suspicious if they just drop us off in town, all hunky dory, and wave goodbye?" Slade pursed his lips, still twirling the keys. "That would be suspicious. We'll just drop you off a bit earlier. What time are you meeting them?" "Noon tomorrow." "Oh." Slade set down the keys. "You two should get some sleep then." "i'm not even tired," I pouted. "Don't be a baby." Slade set his hand on my back and started leading me towards the bedroom. "You can sleep here. Alainna, you can sleep right across the hall," he called. "Okay," she called back. I yawned and looked up at Slade, handing him the handwritten address. "Goodnight." "Goodnight." He took the paper and left the room, returning to the kitchen. I closed the door and locked it, before crawling under my comforter and going to bed.

    "Man to bad Annhad to point that out," I said while opening my door to go to bed. "Well she's right Alainna," Ian said. "Yeah I know. I'm gonna go to bed now," I said while walking over to the bed, whenI heard Ian say goodnight. Once I put my head on the pillow I was out like a lightbulb, and the last thing I remebered was the full moon outside.


    I got up early the next morning and walked into the kitchen, rubbing my eyes. Slade looked up from where he was cooking blueberry pancakes on the stove, and gave a little half wave. "Morning." "Morning," I yawned. "So you're a demon who can cook. Whoa." "Do not question my interests," he laughed. "Too late." He set some pancakes on a plate for me and handed them over. They were actually delicious, not the disgusing dirt I expected from a male! I finished them in seconds and soon recieved another plate. "Wow. You hungry?" he asked sarcastically. "Yes!!" He moved to take my plate away, but I gave him a look that said *i will bite off your hand if you try it*. He slowly backed away as the door opened and Alainna walked in.

    "Uhm not really. Is there something wrong with me because your staring?" I said while pointing it out to him. "Oh well your hairs all crazy is all." Slade
    mentioned while my face went all weird, and I started to mumble about stupid
    morning hair. "Ok so do you have cereal?" I asked since I was in the mood for
    some cereal. "Yep there is some. Here ya go Alainna!" Ian said popping out of no where, and handing me a box of Trix, and milk. "Oh thanks I don'y need the milk though." I said setting it in the fridge. "Oh but we want your bones to be all healthy and strong now don't we?" Ian said while smiling and raising his eyebrows up and down. "Yes, but I have an allergy to it. Thanks, I'll just eat it dry." I mentioned to him then added. "but thanks for being thoughtful
    too."

    I sighed and clasped my hands. "Awwwwwwwww, that's so cute!!!!!" Alainna made a move to strangle me, but I grabbed Slade and pulled him in the way. He glanced at me, unamused. "What are you doing?" "Using you as a human shield. Duh." He rolled his eyes and moved out of the way. Alainna shot me a death glare and proceeded to eat her cereal as I ate another eight pancakes in happy silence.