It was raining the night that everything changed. The streets were dark from the early setting, winter sun and the street lights danced in the reflections in the puddles and windows. In one window particular, the light danced across the face of an old vampire as he looked out into the night.

'What you doin' now?' Tom, the young werewolf, asked. Wondering what bizarre act his new acquaintance was performing.

Silent for a moment, before speaking, the vampire stared across the road. 'I am memorising the bus schedule.' Tom raised an eyebrow in slight disbelief as he continued to watch him.

'You do know they have timetables already. We got one behind the counter.' Hal remained still, the droplets of rain water on the window casting small shadows on his face.

'I am aware. I found it earlier whilst I was organising the documents that are also there. It's what gave me the idea to do it, to memorise it.'

'Right. Can't we just play cards or somethin'? That's a bit too weird.' Hal turns away from the window and slowly moves to sit opposite Tom in the deserted café.

'Do you have playing cards?' He asked after a moment of expectant silence.

'Nah mate, was just an idea. We should get some though!' He gave a weak smile as he leaned his head on a closed fist and continued to watch his friend.

Hal sighed and looked at his watch; still an hour left to go until they could close up. He was getting jittery again, he needed something to focus his mind on before it started to wonder. As he thought this the door bell chimed. He looked up at the window in front of him to view the reflection of the person who just entered. It was young woman dressed in a skirt with those thick itchy looking tights and boots that hugged her calf. Hal could hear her teeth chattering and the drips of water falling off her onto the tiled floor. She was freezing cold. Tom, oblivious, jumped up to greet her;
'Alright, love, what can I get for ya?' Hal looked down at the table whilst subconsciously touching each of his fingers to his thumb to keep focus. Water always made smell stronger and subsequently the urge. He stood up slowly and walked through the doorway to the kitchen, leaving them both still in silence. 'Love, can I help ya?' Tom's voice sounded again.

'Oh, I'm sorry. I zoned out.' The girl said through chattering teeth. 'I, uh, don't have my purse with me so I can't buy anything. I just wanted to get out of the rain for a moment and thaw out slightly.' Her arms were crossed over her chest and her blond hair stuck to her face. Mascara smudging slightly around her green eyes. She looked at the ground before swearing lightly; 'Shit, I'm dripping on your floor, sorry.' Tom smiled at her and came back out from behind the counter.

'It's alright. Gives us somethin' to do. You can stay if you want. Warm up?' She smiled and thanked him. At that moment Hal re-appeared from the back with a clean tea towel and cup. He moved awkwardly towards the girl, not meeting her eyes. He held up the tea towel to her and it was only after she reached out to take it that he realised why she had her arms crossed the entire time; she was wearing a white t-shirt which had turned all but invisible with the rain, revealing a lace bra underneath. He quickly averted his eyes.

'Erm, thanks.' She said, not knowing what to do with it. Hal gestured to the fabric now in her hands;

'It's to help you dry off. We don't have a towel, that's the best we have. Here is a cup of tea, too, to warm you up. Just milk, let me know if you want any sugar. We have granulated, Demerara, soft brown,'

'Hal.' Tom Quickly interrupted. 'You, er, fancy gettin the mop?' Hals eyes, which were busy searching her own, quickly dropped to the floor to see a small puddle forming. He watched as more drips joined it and merged. He turned on his heel quickly and returned to the comfort and solitude of the back room. The two left in the room looked at the door he just left through.

'Is he ok?' She asked, taking a small sip from her cup whilst crunching her hair with the tea towel. Tom looked back to her to answer;

'Yeah, he's just a bit of a quiet one; Shy. There's a hand dryer in the bogs if you want?' She smiled at him before taking a larger sip of tea. 'You know, I think I might just take advantage of that. Sorry again about your floor. I can see you like to keep this place spotless.' She motioned to the room with its gleaming surfaces and millimetre precisely place condiments and menus.

'Listen, don't you worry about it. Now go get y'self dry, your making me feel cold.' He pointed to the toilets and she put the cup down on the nearest table and followed his direction. Hal's head appeared from the side of the doorway, looking round the room. Slowly he started to appear, mop in hand, before seeing she was gone and rushing to the water on the floor. Tom looked at him slightly worried.

'You ok mate? You seem a bit anxious.' Hal didn't stop mopping as he muttered his reply;

'It's the rain. It's like an amplifier. I can smell her in this water; sweet like hyacinths in spring.' Tom straightened up, noticing his friend's ill-ease.

'Mate, we've talked about this, don't make me get that stake from the kitchen.' Hal stopped, happy with his work and went to put the mop away, returning with a wet floor sign.

'I'm alright. Just taken off guard.' He placed the sign on the floor, making sure it was level and in line with the pattern of the tiled floor.

'You can't ever be off guard, mate. 'Specially not in 'ere.' Hal stood staring at the floor where she stood. Tom sighed, 'Right, hang on.' He disappeared into the back room before returning with a bag of chocolate M&M's. 'Been saving these; just for you.' Hal looked up at him, confused. Tom pulled out a bowl and emptied the bag into it before placing 5 cups next to it. Hal understood now and rushed forward with a small smile. 'One by one, yeah? Not a handful.'

'Thank you, Tom.' Tom smiled back at him and reached in for a chocolate and flipped it in the air, catching it in his mouth.

'No problem.' Hal started to take them out one by one and place them in the cups in colour order. The girl emerged from the bathroom, her tights balled up in one hand. Hal paused for a moment to look at her; her skirt came down to her mid thigh, covering only a small amount of her slim, toned legs. Her boots were undone and the material was loose, revealing more leg. Her t-shirt was now dry enough that her bra couldn't be seen any longer and her hair was still damp but close to being dry. She walked over to pick up her tea before joining the boys at the counter.

'Thank you so much. I thought I was going to catch hypothermia. Oh! M&M's! They are my favourite! You ever tried the crispy ones? They are amazing.' She stopped, noticing that both the boys were watching her. The shy one quickly looked away and continued to separate them into different colours. 'You that bored, huh?' She asked him. He continued separating, pausing only to look back up at her as he said;

'Not anymore.' He caught her eyes, so green. He looked down at the colour he was holding; green. He quickly threw it into its designated cup.

'So!' Tom tried to break the awkwardness. 'What brought you to our door, dripping wet, then?'

'I would like to sound mysterious and say it was a long story but it's pretty short and boring really. My friend kicked me out of the house, it started raining and here I am.' She smiled weakly at them. 'The name's Mia by the way.' Tom smiled back sympathetically.

'That sounds a bit rubbish. I'm Tom, this is Hal. Nice to meet ya.' Tom noticed that Hal had paused in his ordering.

'Mia.' Hal muttered, 'That a lovely name.' He carried on colour coding.

'Thanks' She smiled, looking at Tom questioningly out of the corner of her eye as to Hals behaviour. 'It is short for Amelia. Well, actually Amelia Rose but I hardly use that. Bit too formal.'

'I think it's nice. Better than boring old Tom anyway.' Tom said, Hal put the last M&M into its allocated cup and stood upright. He picked up a cup and held it out to Mia;

'Would you like one?' She smiled, and took the cup.

'Thanks, green are my favourite.' Hal looked down at the rest of the cups. He had given her the green ones subconsciously. Why was this girl affecting him so much? He wanted to find out.

'You mentioned your friend had thrown you out. Do you have anywhere to stay?' Tom stayed quiet but watched his friend, trying to work out what he was doing. Hal could see her relax more as he was talking to her, being friendly. His behaviour must have made her feel uneasy.

'I don't really, no. Hence the walking around getting soaking wet and frozen. Not entirely sure what I'm going to do. My purse is in the flat so I can't even get a room for the night.' She stared into the cup of sweets, lost in her thoughts for a moment. Hal looked at his friend behind the counter, He was wide eyed and shooting him a warning look as if to say 'Don't you dare'. Hal turned back to Mia.

'Why don't you stay with us? We live in an old B&B so we have plenty of spare rooms if you wanted shelter for the night?' She looked warily between the two boys. One of which had just face palmed.

'I don't want to sound ungrateful for helping me and offering me shelter but I don't know you.' She paused. 'I think I should go now, I've outstayed my welcome.' She rushed to the door before the boys to say anything. She muttered a thanks as she headed out the door and into the rain once again. Hal watched her until she disappeared into the darkness. He turned to see Tom looking at him with an eyebrow raised.

'What the bloody hell was that about, Hal?' Tom asked. He was annoyed and a bit disappointed.

'There was something different about her. She intrigued me.' Tom threw his hands up in the air.

'She isn't one of your bloody Sudoku puzzles! You can't do that Hal. Imagine what Annie would have said if you turned up with a human.' Hal took offense.

'She would probably have said that I was being very kind and gentlemanly to offer a girl in distress a shelter for the night.' He was kidding himself. She would have been pissed.