Companions of the Night (c) Vivian Vande Velde

A/N: Hello! It's been a while. But I'm editing this story and continuing it. I thought I've gotten so far already, all I need to do is finish. I'm doing major editing and changing quite a few things. I hope my writing has improved from the last time I wrote this three years ago!

Prologue

"Sixteen is a troublesome age." Of all things to say… troublesome… It couldn't be any more troublesome than it already was. Kerry Nowicki admitted to herself that she was part ecstatic part shocked when she saw Ethan's—no, Michel-slash-Michael's (she's not about to keep pronouncing the name in French—even in her head) familiar face. But it wasn't Michael. Because clearly, on his desk, the placard stated: Nicolas Dupont. Still, Kerry couldn't help but question it.

"Ah, you must be Ms. Kerry Nowicki!" The man stood from his desk and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I understand I'll be your mentor for this quarter?"

Kerry nodded, "yes, you will be. It's nice to meet you too." The similarities were uncanny. The eyes, the hair...the face barely changed. Nicolas offered her a seat and he sat across from her.

"So, tell me a little bit about yourself."

She was distracted. Did he not remember her? Ten years was a long time, but how could he forget the one who saved his life? It was an egotistic thought, but there it was.

"Ms. Nowicki?" He gently touched her shoulder and that brought her back to her sense. "Are you alright?"

Kerry chuckled nervously, "I'm okay. I'm—you just look incredibly familiar and I was wondering if we have met before."

"I don't believe we have," he smiled warmly. And that almost made Kerry burst out laughing. Warmly. How could Michael even begin to smile warmly?

"Oh," Kerry chastised herself for trying to make nothing into something. Then again… "So about myself then? I'm from Brockport, New York. Currently, I'm working on my masters. I was interested in becoming a professor, so I took up the chance to get an degree in education. Other than that… nothing else."

"Hobbies?"

She shrugged, "Television comes to mind. Though I can say I've dabbled in several things like the piano—I was horrid at it, mind you…"

"I see…" Nicolas nodded slowly, obviously she was boring him. "Let me tell you about myself then. I got my master's in English early on. The college was close, I thought I could teach—the rest is history."

"Hobbies?" Kerry chuckled nervously. And he smiled.

"Yes. Instruments, Television, Drinking."

"I hope drinking isn't a vice." Kerry's thoughts went back to Michael.

"It's not," he smiled a cheeky grin. I really hope it's not the drinking I'm thinking of. Kerry thought. Come to think of it, Kerry has only had two encounters with vampires. Regina and Michael. Who's to say that vampires don't have similar features and characteristics? If Nicolas Dupont was not Michael, then at the very least he could be one of them. It made enough sense to her. She made a list in her head. Nicolas was young, and he worked night hours at the college. Good looking. Get a grip. Kerry could laugh at herself. Young, graveyard shift, good looks did not equate to vampirism. Deep inside though, she knew what she was trying to do. She was rationalizing something that wasn't going to happen, all to bring back the Michael she had said no to. The Michael she kissed after a few days being with him. The Michael who made remarks of how her hair would look in the sunlight. The Michael who considered changing back.

But of course, Michael was a past figure. If he had really wanted her to be in his life, he might have forced her to say yes. Besides, spending a few days with a person then falling in love with them in that few days was insane. Insane and most probably confessed at the heat of the moment. So she took a deep breath, looked at Nicolas Dupont straight in the eye, smiled her most charming smile, and accepted that Michael was no more. Sixteen was a troublesome age, yes, but she was twenty six now, and she had to grow up.