Dove lay in Ian's arms still gasping from pleasure. "i am sorry." she whispered. He reached up to cradle her face between his hands.

"sorry for what lovely?" his voice was rough with emotion.

"i was so rude, I have been independent for so long I don't know how to listen to others. I shouldn't have over reacted like that, especially not in front of your friends. But, I still want to help."

"Dove, you wouldn't be the girl I am falling in love with if you had acted any differently. Cat knew what she was saying would cause you to react that way. She enjoys tutoring me. Of course you want to help, but I am so worried for you." he stroked her face with his thumbs. "i am afraid of the monster I'll turn into if I lose you."

Dove was confused. "you have only known me a week." she protested.

"i have been alive for over two hundred years. Never before have I felt for any one what I feel for you now. I have been alone for so long Dove, I don't want to be lonely any more." despair laced his voice. Dove covered his hands on her face and gave him her own sad smile.

"you aren't alone now." she told him. Ian vaulted off the bed unexpectedly. Dove lay there with her mouth hanging open.

"i have a gift for you little Dove." he stood before her, nude, holding out his hand.

"naked?" she squeaked, all to aware of the other Vampires in Ian house. In a flash Ian moved to his closet and back, a silk robe in his hand.

"shy little bird? Didn't think you were the sort, what with those cloths you where when you dance." she accepted the robe, noticing it was a ladies robe, she didn't ask who it had belonged to. Dove didn't want to rock the boat. Once she was covered Ian took her by the hand and led her into the hall.

"where are you taking me?" she asked. Ian was behaving like a child with a secret, leading her down the stairs to towards the basement.

"you'll see." he teased. He led her down the stairs without flipping on the light. Dove clung to his hands, trusting Ian to get her to the surprise safely. Once in the basement Ian moved behind Dove putting his hands over her eyes. "walk forward slowly. In front of you is a door, open it." she obeyed, reaching out to turn the handle. The door swung open and she could tell that this room was well lit. " just a bit further lovely."

when Ian moved his hands Dove gasped. She was shocked by what was before her. Two Coffins stood side by side. The first was made in the style of coffins from two hundred years ago, with a removable lid. It was the same dark wood as Ian's desk, the lid was off and the plush inside sparkled with expensive red velvet. "that one is mine, I made it about a hundred years ago." Ian informed her when she reached out and felt the soft velvet.

Ian had just reveled a piece of himself to her that few people knew, he enjoyed working with his hands. It hadn't escaped her attention, she full intended to ask him to teach her, perhaps they could build something together. She looked to the second coffin. It was the same old fashioned style, the lid propped beside it. It was painted pure white. On the lid was carved a single word.

~Dove ~

Tears sprang to her eyes, Ian had made this for her. Across the lid and all around the outside sheet music had been hand painted. Dove moved closer, reading every note. There were hundreds of songs painted there, each of them had been special to her at one point in her life. There was a few she didn't recognize, she could hear each lovely note in her head reading the words with it...Ian must have chosen these songs for her.

The interior was covered with soft red satin, the same color as his. She turned to look at him, and something caught her eyes. Bright red roses sat in vases all over the room. She had been so interested in the coffins to notice the thousands of flowers that perfumed the air. "oh Ian." she breathed.

"you like it?" he sounded so unsure of himself. So unlike the strong confident man he normally was. She nodded, a wide grin across her pretty face. "with all of Case's talk of coffins tonight I was starting to second guess my romantic gesture." he admitted.

"you know don't you?" he nodded. "i didn't think you'd accept my mortality so easily." she moved back over to him, hugging him around the waist. Her head rested over where his dead heart lay.

"it's not for when you die." he told her, tightening his arms around her. "it is for your transformation."

"what?" she tried to pull away, but he refused her any leeway.

"I'm going to change you dove." he informed her. "you have two days to come to terms with this and tell your friends."

"Ian...i..." she tried several times to articulate her protests. Ian didn't want to hear it, he couldn't live with out her and that was all there was to it. "that is not what I wanted." she finally spit out. He knew that. "what about your friends mission? Aren't I supposed to be human for that?" she was still wrapped in his embrace. Dove knew it was futile to try and pull away, Ian intended to never let her go...literally.

"sodd Cat and her stupid mission. I have already spoken to her about the matter and given them my terms. I will not risk you life for any thing. If you are going to help you are going to be already dead, and it is going to happen on my terms." he ground out.

"what about my friends, and school?" she tried protesting again, but the look on his face told her she was hurting him.

"we can figure all of that out, together." his voice was hardly above a whisper. "i have fallen irrevocably in love with you, I want to be with you for eternity. Do you feel even a hint of emotion for me?"

Dove looked him in those stunningly clear blue eyes, tears blurring her vision. She didn't want to say the words out loud. Once she did Ian would know the power he held over her. "when I met you, you asked if I was looking for the vampire that would turn me..." she began, choosing her words carefully. "i told you the truth, I wasn't looking for eternal life. I had come to terms with my impending doom. But you know what?" he raised his eyebrows in question, hopint this would lead to her acceptance.

"what lovely?"

"turns out some times what your not looking for finds you. I found the vampire who is going to turn me, because I love him and he loves me, and it is going to take a lot more that the time I have left as a mortal for me to show you just how much I really do love you." Ian's mouth descended on hers, silencing any thing she would have said. His hands moved to the sash of her robe, pushing it off her solders. It fell to the floor with a flutter.

"are you ready to make love in your coffin you little necrophiliac?" he growled teasingly. She didn't respond, already licking and sucking at his neck.