Hello, and welcome to my fan fiction. :]

This story includes content from both the Cirque Du Freak movie and book series, but it is set around the movie's plot line. However, it will mostly be made up of original content. Oh yes, and it will most usually be told in the POV of an OC, and occasionally Steve [and in third person, once and a while]. :]

Yes, it is a love story, and Steve is already a Vampaneze.

Please excuse any misspelling's, typo's, or errors that you may come across during your read. They have been missed during editing and are entirely my fault.

I do not own Cirque Du Freak or any characters relating to it.

PS: This is around the time before, in the movie, Darren realizes Steve has become a Vampaneze. So Murlough is not yet dead and the war hasn't begun.

Please enjoy and review;

-

Remembering to mark his prey this time had been Steve Leopard's greatest achievement in the last month or so. He'd marked a girl, a particular girl, who Mr. Tiny later revealed to be an important asset in the Vampaneze versus Vampire war. That girl's name was Annabelle Jennifer Clemons, although most addressed her by a shortened version of her middle name, being "Jen".

Her destiny, marked in stone, as Mr. Tiny stated, was to become a Vampaneze or die resisting.

And that was where Steve stepped in.

His job, although he wasn't interested in it, was to disguise himself as an average, every day sixteen-year-old student and latch himself onto Jen, gaining her trust. The tricky part of this project was making sure to channel his hunger while undercover. If he lashed out and killed anyone, that would be the end of the mission, and Jen would be lost until a new plan was devised.

Fortunately, Murlough, Steve's mentor, had been scolding him to control his hunger. Although he couldn't teach the young Vampaneze not to drink blood on impulse, mostly because he was worse than Steve at that trick, he could snarl at him every other moment as a harsh reminder.

After a fortnight or so worth of preparation, Mr. Tiny and the Vampaneze decided Steve was ready, and the mission began.

[Jennifer's POV]

"Annabelle J. Clemons?"

Hesitantly, I raised my hand and corrected Mr. James, our substitute in English for the next two weeks. "It's Jen, thank you," I said sweetly.

Nodding indifferently, Mr. James marked the adjustment down on the attendance sheet. I offered him one of my weaker smiles, exhausted from the all-nighter I had accomplished last night, and peered, with mild interest, down at my homework.

"Edgar Allen Poe was born in…"

"Excuse me?"

Not recognizing the sudden voice, I glanced up. I winced slightly when the face of a boy invaded my eyes. He was, admittedly, attractive, but his eyes were violent-looking, and colored a dark, sinister red-purple.

"Hi…" I murmured, unintentionally boring my pupils into his mysterious ones.

The boy smiled a bleak, mischievous smirk.

"My name's Steve. Steve Leopard. I'm new here." He extended his hand to shake, and I mindlessly accepted. His grasp was harsh, and noticeably firmer than mine.

"Nice to meet you…" I muttered. The boy, Steve, hadn't released my hand yet, so I forcibly pulled it away. "I'm Jennifer Clemons. But I'd rather you call me Jen."

Steve held his smirk steady, and I became a bit uneasy.

"So…err…what was it you needed?" I asked politely.

He hesitated, his eyes focused on the planes of my face, mostly on the three hardly noticeable scratch marks down my cheek.

"I just wanted to know what the homework was last night."

Slowly, I lifted my Edgar Allen Poe worksheet up and held it close to his face.

"You'll need to get this from Mr. James," I instructed.

Steve didn't seem to be even slightly interested, but he still nodded so ecstatically I thought I'd solved world hunger for a moment.

"Thank you. Oh yes, and I've got another…unrelated question," he said.

I leaned forward a little, until my behind was on the edge of my chair, then flipped my fiery hair out of my face and asked, "What is it?"

"Do you mind showing me around the school for today? Just so I can…you know…get used to the halls," he questioned eagerly.

Instantly, I opened my mouth to deny. I already had a load of homework to make up, because I'd been absent for nearly two weeks last month from illness, so I needed every moment of the school day I could clench my hands on.

But then again, refusing would be unimaginably rude, especially since this boy was new.

I heaved a sigh of exasperation after a moment of feeling skeptical, then said, "Sure…. I guess so."

Steve didn't seem to register my secret unwillingness, or perhaps he was just ignoring it. All I realized was that he seemed eager for me to accompany him. Almost frighteningly so.

-

Sorry the first chapter was boring. I'm getting the story off its feet. (:

Please review. :]