Claire POV

"I do.", Shane said quietly.

"Claire Danvers, do you take Shane Collins as your– "

"If I were you I would not finish that sentence until you have received proper permission," Amelie stated calmly as she burst through the stained-glass doors at the back of the church. "Claire, you will wait until I decide you are ready. Do you understand that?"

"But- "

"This is not an argument. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

"And how about you Mr. Collins? Do you understand my request?"

"Well not really." Shane muttered under his breath. He was starting to get smart again. This is the last thing I needed.

"Shane, please. Just let it go for now. I know you wanted to get married on my birthday, but we can wait a little while, right? After all time doesn't matter. All that matters is that you and I get to stay together forever." By this time Shane was looking angry and confused, like he couldn't decide quite how to handle this. "Please Shane, for me? Please…"

"Fine, but I'm not waiting more than a month." He spat out stubbornly.

"Shane, I don't like it anymore than you do, but I have to do this, okay? Please just calm down." I turned my attention to Amelie. "Okay, why shouldn't we get married?"

"Oh Claire, that is not any of your concern. All you need to know is that I will tell you when you are ready. Now come along."

"Where are we going?"

"No, no. Just come. I will tell you when I feel it necessary."

"I can't just leave."

"Claire, you will do as I say." She turned to look at Shane,

"Mr. Collins, do go home and change out of that suit. I will need you to be ready to come when I call."

Shane opened his mouth to shoot back some smart remark, but I silenced him with a kiss. As we broke off, I whispered "Just do as she says, please?" He nodded quickly and motioned towards Michael and Eve to follow him. They walked out the door toward the car. I saw him get in the drivers seat, with Michael and Eve in the back, and speed off towards The Glass House.

"Okay, I'm ready." I said quietly, almost a whisper.

Amelie just said, "I know", and motioned for me to follow her.

I followed Amelie to her vampire car and she ordered me to sit in the front seat, which was odd. I was never allowed to sit in the front. She always had me sit in the back because "its safer for your kind" she always said. Apparently today is no concern for my safety.

***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***

Amelie drove out of the parking lot quickly, down one tunnel and back up another one. She was driving fast, faster than I thought save, even for a vampire. She pushed the car as fast as it would go.

When we came above ground, we arrived in front of city hall. The tunnel must have been the same one Monica and I had been in when Frank Collins had kidnapped us, when he was trying to hold Monica hostage.

As soon as I opened the door, I felt a hand grab my throat. I tried to yell for Amelie to save me but no sound came out. I saw her looking at me but she didn't do anything. She just stood there staring at me. She wasn't going to save me. I was going to die! I started thinking of all the people I would never see again. All the people I would miss. Shane, Eve, Michael, Shane, My parents, especially Shane. I would never see Shane again. I suddenly thought about the night Shane proposed to me.

Shane and Michael both walked down the stairs wearing suits. I was just wearing some dirty jeans and a t-shirt that I found in the closet upstairs. Eve had on her usual Goth attire, just getting home from work. When I agreed to go eat tonight, I didn't know it was going to be formal. With a glance at Eve, I guessed she didn't know either. Her mouth was in the shape of a little o, and she didn't take her eyes off Michael as he and Shane descended the stairs. Shane said it didn't matter what we wore, but Eve and I went upstairs to change.

***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***

We ate at a little Italian food restaurant in town that I had never heard of. I figured that wasn't abnormal considering I just moved here a year ago. The food was good but the "desert" was better. The guys had ordered us both a double chocolate cake with chocolate chips on top and chocolate syrup drizzling down the edges. I watched Eve cautiously eat hers as I savored my first bite. It was warm and moist. I took another bite and savored it, but when I took my third bite I bit down on something hard and plastic tasting. As I spit it out I noticed Eve spitting something out across the table from me. I looked down and Shane was taking the plastic off of a ring.

"Claire, will you marry me?"

"Do you really think I'm going to say no to that?"

"Well, I was hoping you wouldn't"

"Yes, I will marry you!"

Shane slipped the ring on my finger. It was gold with a big diamond in the middle, and seven little sapphires around the diamond. It was absolutely beautiful.

I twisted the ring around my finger, thinking about when Amelie would let us get married. Unfortunately, I had signed my life away to her in order to save my friends. It was worth it, but I can't do anything with out her permission. It totally sucked!

The hand around my throat just squeezed tighter when I tried to scream. I had to do something. I looked up to find out who my attacker was. I saw a familiar face, a head with blond hair. It couldn't be, no way it was…