You're going to need a box of tissues for this particular chapter.

Please read and review!
_

Who said you shouldn't wear all black on a sunny day?

Wish, true to her Goth, wore a black top and skirt, complete with black high-heel boots. But it wasn't just the outfit that differed her in the town she now lived in.

Her make-up consisted of a lot of mascara...and she added a teardrop beneath her left eye for 'artistic' reasons.

She knew she was standing out as she sat at the cafe with the Count and a few good regular villains: Mr. Boss, Crazy Old Cat Lady, Knightbrace, and the Toiletnator. Cat Lady insisted Wish join them for some coffee and Wish obliged, though, she didn't think dressing properly was much needed as she noticed Mr. Boss eyeing her outfit in disapproval as well as Knightbrace and the Toiletnator staring at her teardrop every now and then. The only ones who didn't seem to pay any mind were Cat Lady and the Count.

"So, Wish..." Mr. Boss began, trying to distract himself from her inappropriate outfit. "How's work? Finishing another book?"

Wish smiled a bit, her dark green lipstick gleaming. "It's far from finish, I have to admit..."

"Have you ever cried with that teardrop make-up on?" Lou blurted.

Mr. Boss placed a hand on his forehead and groaned, feeling responsible for the Toiletnator's stupidity. Knightbrace elbowed the toilet-based villain in the ribs and smiled nervously at Wish, but Wish just smiled and shook her head at their silliness.

"Actually, I have," Wish confessed. "This is special make-up like non-removable lipstick. Tears won't wash it off."

"Oh, cool!" Toiletnator squealed in a child-like demeanor.

"I have some right here," Wish added as she took out her purse, which was also black.

Suddenly, something fell out of her purse and unto the table.

A cigarette box.

The villains stared at it before gazing at Wish, who's eyes widened at the object.

"You smoke?" Mr. Boss asked in a nervous voice.

"I quit smoking, I swear!" Wish exclaimed before grabbing the box and opening it to show it was completely empty. "See? It's totally bare! I'm just to lazy to clean my bag!"

"Uh, when did you quit?" Cat Lady asked nervously.

Wish averted her eyes. "Six months ago..."

"Oh, that's nothing!" Toiletnator laughed before placing a friendly hand on her shoulder. "Mr. Boss still smokes, and he's done so for as long as I can remember!"

Wish turned to Mr. Boss, who quickly put down his cigar.

"Uh, I got to trash these," Wish said quickly before getting up from her seat and looking for a nearby trashbin.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Mr. Boss turned to the Count.

"Well, she's okay," Mr. Boss grunted. "But how much black can a woman wear? And in this weather?"

"Hey!" The Toiletnator interrupted. "My wife wears black!"

"Your wife's okay," Mr. Boss assured him. "But what kind of woman wears black like it's Halloween?"

"A Goth," Cat Lady said firmly, folding her arms as she glared at him through her glasses. "It's who she is."

"Well, it's scaring the kids, especially mine," Mr. Boss groaned.

The Count, who had been quiet the whole time, spoke up. "How does Wish scare your kids?"

"I showed them a photo of her from back at the market and you know what they said to me?" Mr. Boss sighed. "'Daddy, it's a vampire/ghost!'"

Knightbrace and Toiletnatorlaughed at the statement. They immediately stopped when the Count gave them a warning look.

The Count sighed before folding his arms. "Yes, Wish is different." He paused for a few moments. "But may I remind you all that ve are all different?"

The villains looked to one another. The Count had a point; they were each their own villain, but together they made the greatest organization that rivaled with the KND, who consisted of the same thing that the Count stated.

"You're quite protective of her personality," Knighbrace chuckled, eyeing the Count. "Is it really attraction or has she somehow called spirits through her Gothiness and dug into your soul?"

"Vhat?" The Count seemed confused.

"Dark as she is, Ed," Mr. Boss said, unable to hide his smirk, "she's quite am interesting girl, a rare choice for you, I must say."

"Oh, look, he's blushing!" Cat Lady purred as she saw the Count's pale skin suddenly redden.

"Can Goths blush?" The Toiletnator questioned curiously.

"Hey, I'm back," Wish said as she sat back in her seat.

"Oh, good," the Count said with a smile, his reddened face had now faded. He sounded almost excited when Wish came back. Glancing at Cat Lady, she smirked at him.

"So, Wish," the Toiletnator began, "do Goths like you always wear black?"

"Oh, geez, Lou!" Mr. Boss exclaimed. "Would you quit it with the Goth questions? You're making her uncomfortable."

"No, no it's cool," Wish assured him, her fingers lightly tracing her necklace. "To answer your question, Lou, Goths can wear other colors, too."

"Oh..." The Toiletnator nodded. "So next time we'll see you in pink?"

"Oh, heck, no!" Wish exclaimed, shaking her head violently. "I hate pink! Pink kills the scene!"

"Oh, but you would look so nice and adorable in that color, sweetheart," Cat Lady cooed as if Wish were a little girl. She turned to the Count. "Isn't that right, Ed?"

The Count nearly choked on his coffee. He turned to Wish, who just looked at him, awaiting some sort of answer. Basically, he thought whatever color she wanted to wear, black or pink, it was fine with him...

"I think you'd look even nicer in red!" He blurted out without thinking.

Oh, how stupid he felt at the moment...

But Wish...she just smiled.

"Well, apparently, red is a Goth color," she informed her new friends. "As long as it is worn with at least some black...oh, and silver skulls with red eyes, that's punkish/Gothic right there."

"Wow, you hear that, Ed?" Mr. Boss smirked as he turned to the Count. "Imagine if the outfit she was wearing right now was all red...and instead of skulls, why not bats?"

The Count glared at him, however, his blushing increased as he was unable to rid the images of the Gothic girl running around in a red and black checkered strapless top with a bat imprint on the front and a black skirt and combat boots...

"Whoa, Count," Wish said as she saw him tense. "You alright?"

"Yes, I am fine," he said through gritted teeth.

Thankfully, Lou saved him when he asked Wish another question. "So...what do you Goths do for fun?"

Wish chuckled. "Basically the same stuff regular people do, I guess. But mostly, we do a lot of stuff at night. Which reminds me, is there a Goth nightclub around here?"

"Goth nightclub?" Mr. Boss raised an eyebrow.

"It's a place where Goths drink, dance, and be merry," Wish explained. "Oh, and meet cute guys."

"We got a Rainbow Monkey Plushie Wushie Cuddly Club that opens 24/7," Lou insisted. "How about that?"

"Uh, no," Wish cringed. "You guys got anything close? Like maybe a bonfire or something? My cousin and I once went to this Gothapalooza, and it was pretty great."

"Well, we're not sure if we can compare with hard metal music or dark circle under our eyes," Mr. Boss shrugged. "But we do have a villain bonfire coming up in a couple of days."

"Oh, Ed!" Cat Lady exclaimed before turning to the Count. "You should bring Wish along with you! It will be so much fun!"

The way those words rolled off the tip of her tongue, the Count knew they were trying to push him toward something he was afraid to do.

"Hey, that's pretty awesome," Wish smiled at the Count. "How about it, Edward? Can you take me with you?"

All eyes turned to the Count, whom immediately began to tense up again.

"Y-yes, of course," he stuttered. "I'll have you...I mean, not actually have you! I mean...! At the bonfire...I mean not have you at the bonfire, but...What I mean to say-"

"He says yes." Knightbrace said simply, rolling his eyes.
_

Those couple of days went by quickly as the Count met Wish at her apartment and drove them to the beach where the villains' bonfire would take place. Not much to wear for an occasion. He did, however, roll his sleeves in case he was going to pick up wood or light some matches. Hands on the steering wheel, the Count shifted his gaze to Wish, calm and collected as she was.

But he felt quite nervous.

Wish had returned to her usual baggy jeans and dark top and mini-coat, but even if she had worn the same outfit over and over again...he would still be turned on.

Turned on? That was quite an interesting thing to say, the Count thought. There were many statements that still confused him, and the words 'turn on' was top of the list. He was quite foreign, and so foreigners had a hard time understanding the basic American slang...

He parked his car in the lot across from the beach and they got out. The night was dark, but the stars made the perfect light.

"Wow," Wish said as she adjusted her glasses and gazed over at the various villains at the beach doing different activities. "It's not Goth, but it's pretty cool."

"Look, there's the Toiletnator and Cleo," the Count pointed as they crossed the sand.

"Cleo?" Wish repeated.

"His wife."

"The Toiletnator has a wife?" Wish questioned in surprise.

"Ve vere quite shocked, as vell," the Count shrugged. "But, eh...most unexpected things happen now-a-days."

"Ed," Lou greeted, his arm around his wife. "Good to see you here. And hey, Wish."

"Hey, Lou," she greeted. She turned to his wife. "Hi, I'm Wish."

"Cleo," the other woman greeted with a smile. "My husband's told me quite some things about you."

"I don't smoke anymore, I swear!" Wish exclaimed nervously.

Cleo raised an eyebrow. "Well, actually...he told me about how awesome you are with make-up art."

"Oh..." Wish cringed in embarrassment.

As the women were deep in conversation, Lou took the Count aside and began to speak to him in a low whisper.

"I'm surprised she didn't wear one of those Halloween outfits tonight," Lou told him. "Did you tell her to dress a little properly?"

"I don't care vhat she vears," the Count huffed. "Even naked, it's no problem."

He shouldn't have said that. The Count'seyes widened as he realized what he had said as Lou gave him a weird, yet sly, look.

"And I thought I was the moron who stumbled on his words..." Lou chuckled, feeling pride at being the smart and careful one for once.

"Eh, you're lucky Cleo is the idiot-loving type..." The Count shot back effortlessly.

The bonfire began, and Wish was the chosen to light the first batch of wood. The girl carefully lit the match before carefully moving towards the wood. Dropping the match, she stumbled back when massive flames burst out.

"Are you alright?" The Count asked worriedly before placing his hands under her arms to lift her from the ground.

"Okay, who's idea was it to spray ammonium nitrate on the wood?" Mr. Boss shouted, gazing at the other villains. He noticed Prof. XXXL shift nervously from side-to-side.

"That was terrifying," Wish said in a scared tone.

"Tell me about it," the Count muttered. He looked down and realized he still had his hands under her arms, Wish still half-way on the ground. Quickly, he pulled her to her feet and removed his hands from her.

Soon, more firewood was burned and the entire beach lit up like the stars in the sky. While the other villains roasted marshmallows and hot dogs over the blazing fires, the Count and Wish were a distance away as they sat across from the slow-moving waves of the ocean, enjoying the view.

"You sure you didn't burn yourself?" The Count asked her worriedly.

"Trust me, I'm good," Wish assured him.

After pausing for a few moments, the Count spoke again. "So...vhat's your family like?"

Wish looked at the ground, a sad expression written on her face. "My dad died when I was fourteen..."

The Count regretted ever asking her that question. "I'm sorry to hear that..."

"It's alright," Wish sighed as she idly traced the sand with a finger. "Dad was an awesome guy. He made me realize how awesome books were and that's what led me to choose a career for writing..." Suddenly, Wish's expression became a scowl. "A few months after dad died, my mom, if I could even call her that, told me she simply didn't want to take care of me anymore..."

The Count's eyes widened at that confession. What kind of mother would say that to her own child? Well, the Count had to admit that the world has changed and there are thousands of cruel parents who barely know how to raise their children, let alone even be there for him. He just wished Wish wasn't one of them.

"And she left me..." Wish went on. Her hand which had been tracing the sand suddenly gripped at it angrily, a fistful of it held tightly. "I didn't think she truly meant it, I thought she was just upset about dad's death and all and needed some time alone. So I waited..."

"And she came back?" The Count asked hopefully.

Wish was quiet for a few moments. "That's what I was hoping for as I waited three weeks..."

The Count's face fell.

"After I realized she was never coming back I quickly contacted my grandmother, who's on my dad's side, thank goodness, and told her what happened." Wish sighed as she closed her eyes for a few moments before opening them and staring at the sea. "Granny took me, she took care of me. My other relatives...boy, were they pissed when they found out my mom left and there was no way in heck to contact her...they were there for me, all of them."

The Count, who had been quiet most of the time, had to smile a bit. Family was important, and while he couldn't say that for Wish's mother, he could definitely say that for the people who were there for her, especially her grandmother.

Wish smiled to herself as she chuckled, her fingers tracing her necklace. "Granny gave me this..." She said. "You know...Cat Lady reminds me of granny."

"Really?" The Count asked. "I assumed it vould have been Grandma Stuffum."

"She's alright," Wish chuckled. "Her food's bleh, but she's alright."

"But are you alright?" The Count asked her carefully.

Wish looked at him. "I am," she told him sincerely. "And trust me, a lot of hard stuff has happened in my life besides losing my dad and my mom abandoning me." She scowled once more. "Bastard jerk ex-boyfriend Jake..."

"Jake?" The Count repeated.

"Oh, the list can go on," Wish sighed in frustration. "But in simply words, I hate him and I wish I could've slammed a stake into his heart...if he even has one."

"I..." The Count began nervously. "If you vant to talk about it, or you don't vant to, I understand..."

"Oh, no," Wish assured him. "Trust me, you're like my therapist right now." She took a deep breath. "While I was in school, getting ready to become a novelist, he would always seem sort of...hawk-like."

"Hawk-like?"

"Yeah, he would watch over me and usually point out my faults and ask me to better myself..." Wish sighed. "I'm a Goth, who is he to turn me into some blonde-wannabe?"

"Um, how long have you been dating him?" The Count asked carefully.

"About a good seven months," Wish sighed, folding her arms. "Those are seven months I'll never take back..."

"Then why did you stay with him?"

Wish looked at him sadly. "It's kind of hard for Goth chicks like me to actually get a boyfriend. My cousin was lucky." She averted her eyes. "I thought he was just helping me, being there for me...but, boy, was I wrong..."

"Has he...?" The Count was almost afraid to ask. "Has he ever hurt you?"

Wish looked at him. "No way," she assured him. "If he did, he would be in his grave right now with a stake poking out of his patch of dirt. But he has kept complaining about, well...not agreeing to have sex with him."

"Vhat can be so important about that?" The Count exclaimed.

"Well, you're old-fashioned, so I don't blame you for not understanding, "Wish managed to chuckled. "Sex is pretty important in the world of today...it has been for thousands of years, even the B.C. times."

"But still," he huffed, "he should be a gentlemen and vait."

"He's no gentlemen," Wish chuckled, "and he didn't wait."

"What do you mean?"

Wish closed her eyes...her lips trembling. "He had it with another woman."

The Count's eyes widened. That Jake person cheated on her? How dare he! Strong as Wish claimed, she was indeed vulnerable, and that punk hurt her! If he met the guy right now, he would give him the spanking of a lifetime!

"And on my writing desk!" Wish exclaimed angrily. She quickly stood up, the fistful of sand still in her powerful grip. "I hate him!" And she threw the sand toward the ocean.

Unfortunately, there was breeze, so the sand flew back and hit them both in the face. The Count gagged, some of the sand went into his mouth and Wish tenderly rubbed her eyes, her glasses fogged by dust.

"Crap, I'm sorry!" Wish cried.

"Ah, don't be," the Count assured her. "Take your anger out on the sand if you need to."

Despite her anger, despite her hate, Wish smiled...and that really warmed his heart to know that through the darkness there would always be a small spark of light.

"Sorry if you're freaked out by my life," Wish managed to say. "And no, this isn't what made me Goth. I was Goth long before all of it...I did start smoking while dating Jake."

The Count returned the smile. "And a good thing you quit," he told her. "My guess...the break-up vas actually a good thing?"

"The best!" Wish exclaimed happily. "So I assure you that all cigarettes are off."

"Good," the Count nodded. "So you are truly happy now?"

"If I could at least figure out what to write in my next book my life would be perfect."

"Ah, romance..." The Count sighed. "You cannot rush it...you must tend to it slowly, like approaching the bunny rabbit."

"Wow, thanks, Plato," Wish laughed. "No wonder you're an actor. You actually speak for yourself, no script needed."

"Eh, I'm a natural borne," he said modestly.

"And I was born by a bitch..." Wish muttered to herself. "But enough with my skank of mom, thanks for listening to all this."

"Velcome, Wish," he told her, his fangs gleaming as he smiled.

Wish was mesmerized by his pointy teeth, she bent down for a closer look. "Wow...the Twillight morons couldn't design teeth this good. I just suddenly have this urge to reach out and touch them-"

Suddenly, Wish lost her balance and stumbled forward...right into the Count.

The Count gasped as Wish's body fell completely over his, her weight pressing against his chest and her legs suddenly tangled in his. Her face was mere inches from his...

The stayed that way for a while...then they both roared with laughter.

"My bad," Wish chuckled as she slowly lifted her chest from his.

"Oh, it's quite alright," he assured her as he helped her up.

Wish looked down at her necklace...the Count looked down at his medallion...

They were connected together in a special knot.

They both blushed furiously before quickly helping each other untie the knot.

"Hey, you two!" Called a voice.

Both turned to see Cleo waving over to them from a distance.

"The bonfire's almost over!" She called. "We don't want you guys left behind in the dark!"

The Count and Wish laughed before rejoining the others, putting behind the awkwardness that had just happened.
_

Breaks your heart, doesn't it? :( Hopefully, the end of this chapter made up for it! :)