This is based on the scene where Christophe, Dru, Graves, Shanks and Dibs are running from the Satellite Schola. Basically it's after they've stayed with the wulfen but before they 'rescue' Ash.

None of this belongs to me. The lyrics, which are in italics, belong to Linkin Park (The song is called Leave Out All The Rest) and the characters and the main story line belong to Lili St. Crow, who is awesome by the way.

"I dreamed I was missing

You were so scared,

But no one would listen

'Cause no one else cared."

Graves sighed as he rolled the window up and stared through the glass. Trees and fields rolled past the window and even though he had just finished smoking he already craved more nicotine. Christophe turned the music up just a little as the advert for car insurance ended and the song began.

"After my dreaming

I woke with this fear,

What am I leaving

When I'm done here?"

Shanks was tapping his left foot in time with the music, even though his eyes were closed and he looked like he was asleep, while Dibs bounced up and down for about the tenth time in the past hour. Dru sighed and started humming along with the song, tapping her foot on the dashboard. God she was beautiful.

"So if you're asking me

I want you to know."

He wished he could tell her how he feels. He wished she knew. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so... in touch with anyone.

"When my time comes

Forget the wrong that I've done."

Why must he always be reminded of his past? Of being bullied and beaten? Memories swirled around inside his mind, memories he tried to push down and forget. He could never forget though. He still remembered the lash of the belt on his bare back, his mother's boyfriend knocking him to the floor and kicking him until he fell into unconsciousness; he was beaten for nothing.

"Help me leave behind some

Reasons to be missed."

But Dru changed all of that. When he was with her he could almost forget the pain that his past had caused him. He could almost forget being pushed from foster home to foster home. Almost. But not quite.

"And don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty,
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest."

He couldn't forget it though. He couldn't forget the obvious disregard his mother had for his safety. She insisted her boyfriends were under stress from work. How can you be stressed from work when you never get up off your fat ass all day? It infuriated him. But he could never tell his mother how he felt. If the boyfriend heard then it was a one way ticket to another beating. To more pain and misery.

"Don't be afraid
I've taken my beating
I've shared what I've made."

He had taken more than his own beating. He had taken a beating every night for 8 years. He ran away from home when he was 11. Got caught by Social Services. Sent to a foster home. Beaten there. Ran away. Caught. Beaten. This vicious cycle repeated itself for 2 years. Until he was 13. He changed it all then.

"I'm strong on the surface,
Not all the way through."

He had slept in doorways. Youth hostels. Bus stations. Anywhere he would be covered from the relentless snow and rain. He played pool to get money.

"I've never been perfect,
But neither have you."

He stole from people. Hey, they wouldnt notice if they were missing a dollar or two. He listened to conversations, heard that the old offices behind Macy's were gonna be bricked up as part of the big remodel. He knew he'd be able to find a way in. He would loft whatever he needed in through the ceiling; the door was bound to be blocked off.

"So if you're asking me
I want you to know."

He knew he shouldn't have done what he did. But he had to survive, and he had promised himself he would never depend on anyone.

"When my time comes,
Forget the wrong that I've done."

The 'Goth' thing was simply a cover. If they thought he was into all that, the cult shit, they would leave him alone. And it worked. They didn't bother him as much as they used to. But he still heard the snide comments.

'Fucking Goth freak. Who the fuck does he think he is?'

'Did you see him? God, he's so messed up.'

'No wonder his family don't want him.'

'Last I heard he was sleeping in a youth hostel.'

'Freak.'

'Loser.'

"Help me leave behind some

Reasons to be missed."

Then he met her. She was... well. She was perfect. Who cared if she wore grungy army surplus clothes? She looked amazing in it. She really was beautiful, and he didn't care what anyone else had to say about that. He heard what they said.

'Ugly little bitch.'

'She's a freak.'

'No wonder she's always on her own.'

'I heard she doesn't live with her mom.'

'I'm not surprised. Her mom probably ran when she saw what her daughter was like.'

'Probably gonna end up with someone like that Goth freak. Two losers together.'

"And don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty,
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest."

It took him 2 weeks to work up the courage to even say hi to her. But when he saw her walking away from the cafeteria on her own he was intrigued. Yeah, she was new. So surely someone had been assigned to look after her and show her around? He felt enraged with the way the school was treating her. She might be a nobody to them, but she already meant the world to him.

"Forgetting all the hurt inside
You've learned to hide so well."

He ran after her. Called her name. His throat was closing up. It didn't look like she had heard him. He called again. She whirled around, her pale blue eyes shining as her head came up. Curls slipped out from under her hood and fell in her eyes. She looked stunning. He could see a flicker of recognition in her eyes. What did she know him as? That Goth Kid? The guy from American History class? Or just some creep?

"Pretending someone else can come
And save me from myself."

He watched as she looked him up and down, trying to get his breath back so he could talk to her. What would he say? It felt like his heart was in his throat as he said the first thing he could think of.

"You want a cigarette?"

"No." She was obviously disgusted.

He dug around in his pocket for the crumpled packet of Winstons he had stolen just that morning. Hey, the guy had 3 packets. He wouldnt miss this one.

"I can't be who you are."

He couldn't think of anything else to say. The silence was starting to get long and awkward as she looked him over once more. He caught the flash of approval as she eyed his boots.

He held the pack out to her.

"You want one?" God he was an idiot. She said she doesn't want one!

"No thanks," she said. At least she was being polite. "Sorry about Bletchley."

He shrugged. He was used to being picked on, and he'd found out a long time ago that adults were far more cruel than any kid he knew.

"When my time comes,
Forget the wrong that I've done."

He took a cigarette from the packet, lit it with a shiny silver Zippo he had taken from a woman on the bus, inhaled and immediately started coughing. Shit, he thought. She must think I'm such a freak.

But he knew even then that she would never ridicule him the way others did. She was different.

"It's okay," He said. "She's a bitch. She does that all the time." Along with every other Goddamn person he knew.

She shrugged. She obviously didn't care. "See you." She turned and walked away.

"Help me leave behind some

Reasons to be missed."

He fell into step beside her. He wanted to know more about this incredible girl. He didn't care if it meant skipping. He would do it for her. In that moment he knew he would do anything for her.

"Are you skipping?" He asked. "Off to a good start."

"I don't want to deal with it today." Her dismissive tone made him wonder. What kinda secrets was this girl hiding?

"And don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty,
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest."

"Okay. I know a place to go," he said. "You shoot pool?" He took another drag on his cigarette. He knew it was bad for him, but it was habit. Just like the way his stepfathers used to beat him. Torment him.

What could he say next? Tell her his name perhaps? I'm Edgar by the way. No. That was terrible. Graves. Yeah. That made sense. Suited the whole 'Goth' thing too. She wouldnt ask about his first name. She wasnt the inquisitive type.

"Forgetting all the hurt inside
You've learned to hide so well."

"I'm Graves."

"I know," she said. "Dru."

"Dru," he repeated, wondering what it's short for. Best not to ask. She obviously didn't want him to know. "You're new. Couple of weeks, right?" He knew how long she had been there. Exactly 2 weeks and 4 days. She had lit up his world the moment he saw her step off the bus. "Welcome to Foley."

She didn't answer, just made a small noise of assent. He had to shorten his strides so that she wouldnt fall behind. They walked across the football fields together, and he longed to reach out and hold her hand.

"Pretending someone else can come
And save me from myself."

"Where you from?"

"Florida."

"Yeah, you sounded a bit down-South. Big change for you, huh? It's going to snow." Immediately he felt like an idiot. Of course she knew it was gonna snow. That's pretty much all it does here. She was probably freezing. He wanted to hold her and keep her warm. He wanted to kiss her in the rain and let her know she's not alone.

"Thanks for the warning," she said, the sarcasm clear in every word. He felt like such an idiot. He had just met this girl and already it felt like they were off to the wrong start.

"I can't be who you are."

"Hey, no problem," he said. "First one's free."

He smiled at her, and she smiled back. He needed this girl. And in time she would realise she needed him.

"Graves. Hey, Graves. You wanna stop soon? Hey. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, Dru. Just thinking it might rain."

"Oh. Thanks. I'll bear that in mind the next time the vampires come to kill me. Remind me to put my raincoat on before I'm murdered, willya?"

"No problem. First one's free."

He loved this girl, and he knew she loved him too. But he would never be good enough for her. He was a loner. A reject. A freak. But despite all this, he loved her.

"I can't be who you are."