My first Companions of the Night fanfic. I'll try to update soon. Obviously, I don't own anything but plot line and any characters I make up. Oh, and thisi s a work in progress so try to bear with me, I don't know how it'll end up and I'm working on a Beka Cooper fanfic too.

The harsh winter wind brushed against her frozen cheeks as she tightened her jacket around her. Kerry forced herself to expose her hand to the frigid air as she dug into her mailbox. For the last few months, she had been bringing in the mail. After all, half of them were address to her by an unknown amount of colleges who sent their recruitment ads to students listed on their registry. Didn't they know she had finished applying?

But it wasn't a college letter that she was hoping for.

Grabbing the handful of letters, she returned inside, stomping the snow out of her boots as she entered the front door. She dumped the contents on the kitchen table as she dug into the fridge. She placed sandwich making materials onto the counter, and with a slight pause, she took out the hot chocolate mix as well. It was the beginning of winter break and she didn't have work on Wednesdays.

Ian's school bus would drop him home in half an hour and she wanted to have his lunch out. After boiling some hot water, she fixed up a grilled cheese-tomato sandwich and cut it into four triangles. When the teapot sounded, she took out two mugs and filled them half way before adding the coco mix and cream. Years ago, her mother had taught her how water made it taste better without making it seem like chocolate milk.

Taking a soothing gulp, she allowed the concoction to warm herself, she pulled the mail toward her lap; her heart beating faster than it should. On the top of the pile lay a postcard portraying a Floridian landscape, complete with a blazing sun and hypnotic blue waves. The same color as his eyes. It had to be from him after all, it was part of his new game to send his 'pen pal' postcards from his travels.

Last time, one came from Tokyo, Japan.

Holding the postcard in her hand, she remembered the first time she received a letter. By now, she had it memorized:

(A/N: We're in flashback mode right now; I'll tell you when it's over)

You told me goodbye after you rejected my offer.

But who says we can't be friends.

What do you say, pen pals?

M.

Michel, for she decided not to call him Ethan since he signed it with his initial, was the most addictive drug the world had ever seen, if not the most deadly. But then, he had spared her and they left on good terms, so she allowed it to continue.

At any rate, he left no return address, which is why, she realized a few weeks later, he only used postcards: No sender. Kerry's inability to reply to his infrequent messages frustrated her to no end until, one night, she found him outside the supermarket she worked at.

Seeing him in the flesh made her forget about her ugly uniform. She had the keys to her new (albeit used) car in her hands, frozen like a statute as he grinned at her. After a long moment of silence he spoke.

"Hello to you too."

"I couldn't send one back, you know." She seethed.

"Of course not." He said, figuring out her line of thought easily. "Then you'd know how to find me."

"That defeats the whole idea of pen pals, or whatever you had in mind." She started walking past him, but he turned her around to face him before removing his hands from her shoulders. "Why are you here?"

"To see an old friend."

"I don't buy it Michel, you always have a reason behind everything."

"Fine, I came by to see if an old friend remembered her promise to keep her mouth shut."

"I would never—" Kerry began, but he cut her off.

"I know, but I haven't lived this long without being careful. Besides, I did want to see you again"

"Why. Why have you kept in touch with a girl like me?"

"You always make things over complicated."

"You haven't answered my question yet."

"How about we catch up over ice-cream?" He asked. She bit her lip, unsure. He sighed. "Kerry, it's just ice-cream, there aren't any evil vampire games."

"I have to get my car back and let my dad know I got home safe. He's been protective ever since the Marsala thing." He nodded.

"I'll pick you up in half an hour." He said, before turning around and disappearing into the shadows.

Please Review, criticism is welcome. This is one of my favorite books!!! Sorry it's short, but I was experimenting to see if I could even make it sound good. I'll try to update soon.

~Vine