A couple weeks passed quietly. Things had settled back into a routine. The nightmares faded away and the Little People weren't so bad. It was also colder. This point made me happy, excited. I would be seventeen soon!

Evra hadn't brought up Mr. Tiny and his words either, thankfully. He knew that I didn't want to discuss how and why I became half-vampire. I tried my best to ignore and forget the man's words about Crepsley as well. It made it…less awkward.

When I woke one day, I felt the cold seep into our normally warm tent. I dressed appropriately and stepped out. Snow! I gasped and held my hands out. It was snowing! I forgot breakfast and ran to Mr. Tall's trailer, nearly running into his legs when I turned a corner.

"Ah!" I looked up, "Mr. Tall, morning!"

"Ah, Mistress Ivy, hello. How are you today?" He inquired in his booming voice.

I offered a smile. "Great, actually." I was tired all the time, but I had adjusted to that. "Can you tell me what today's date is?"

"The date?" He looked thoughtful. "I believe it's November 28th. Why do you ask?"

My smile grew. "Yes!" I bounced on my heels, suddenly aware of how long my hair had gotten. I needed to cut it. "I'm turning seventeen in four days!"

Mr. Tall smiled. "Is it now? That's great. We need a reason to celebrate."

I looked up with a hint of confusion. Before I could inquire, he walked away. I blinked and slowly walked back to the camp fire to get breakfast. Hm.

It was pleasant to live with Truska and not have her criticize my outfits. My clothes ranged from shorts, pants, and long and short sleeve shirts. And my hat, of course, which I always wore no matter the weather. Truska wore stunning dresses most of the time which…admittedly I envied a bit. I lacked the figure to fill those out, otherwise I would have dared to try one on. Just for a minute, that was. Dresses and chores didn't match well together. Hell, dresses and me didn't match well because I was bound to tear it somehow. Still, despite this, Truska never tsked or scolded me for my clothes. It was lovely.

The last day of November, I had asked her if she could cut my hair to my shoulders. It was already mid-back. She nodded and made a gesture that implied 'tomorrow'. I accepted this and went off to find Crepsley as night fell. My mind was on how to ask him for…well, my 'gift'.

I barely even noticed when I walked by Crepsley's trailer with him standing outside of it. "Mistress Ivy?" He raised a brow as he called out to me.

I stopped in mid-step and looked over, realizing I was a few yards farther than I should have been. "Oh." Well then. "Hi." I walked back with a sheepish look on my face. "Evening."

"Good morning. Is there something on your mind?"

"Yeah, actually." I hesitated. "I…I'm…thinking about…getting…my…hair cut." I blinked twice. No, that wasn't it at all! I wanted to mention my birthday, a phone call, anything but my hair! What the hell was...

"Hm." Crepsley reached out and took hold of a strand that rested over my shoulder. "How short?"

"To…my…shoulders." Was he pretending to be interested, humoring my idiocy? It wouldn't be the first time.

The man nodded and released the lock. "It would fit you." He turned away. "Now, tonight I hope to go over the…"

"Wait just a second!" I called out once I beat down the blush that tried to rise. "What's that mean, it would 'fit me'?!" I wondered if I should feel insulted. "What, boy-like?" Again, I wasn't sure if I should feel insulted.

He looked over his shoulder at me with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He turned to face me, looking slightly amused. "I mean that you would not be hindered by short hair, as you are now with long." Ah, I blushed, he meant the time I caught tangled up in some tree branches. And the other time I got tangled up in a bush. "You are not the kind to be hindered by anything…or anyone." With that, he kept walking with the expectation that I would follow.

I did after a moment only because it took that long for me to grasp his words. It was true, I thought. Frightening to be put like that, but true. With that, I jogged to match his steps so far ahead.

The night went on smoothly, our lessons calm. I kept thinking about what he said. Finally just shy of midnight, I spoke. "Mr. Crepsley?" He made a noise to acknowledge me. "My birthday is in…er, tomorrow technically. The second of December." He looked up with surprise. Before he could interrupt, I hurriedly added, "And I was hoping, I mean, call it as 'present' or something, but…can we find a payphone so I can call my family?" I swallowed thickly, waiting.

The town we were near didn't have a payphone, oddly enough. There was a city several miles way that would – cities always did – but I couldn't travel there myself. Not in my state at least, weak and tired. I would need him…even though it irked me to admit.

He studied him in the dark. That much I could tell even with my diming eyesight. I tried not to squirm. Finally he nodded once. "Alright, that is fair enough." He offered something of a gentle smile. "In fact, we will visit and linger in the city for the evening. Tomorrow."

My eyes widened. Visit and linger…like tourists?! I smiled. I was thrilled with the idea of exploring another area, a city! "Yes, that's great! Thanks!" If my eyesight had been a bit sharper, perhaps I would have been able to catch the gleam in his eyes.

The second day of December arrived.

I woke and dressed in my warm blue jeans, although torn from a fall recently, a long sleeve green shirt that was also ripped from the same fall, and some gloves. I put my hand on backwards, my fingertips brushing over the shortened length of my hair. Ah, it felt nice.

I paused before I left the tent. I caught sight of a rich blue jacket with something plush and velvety around the edges on the inside. On top of it was a note, shakily written.

'Happy day of birth.

Truska.'

I laughed quietly and looked over the nice article of clothing. It was gorgeous from the color to the material. I slid it on and felt twice as warm, relieved since it was snowing again outside. The older woman had been quite kind lately. Well, actually since I first stepped into the tent all those months ago. Warm, kind…it felt as though…

"Hey, Sam!" Evra's voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up and waved with a smile. "Happy birthday!"

I laughed and felt giddy all over. "Hey, thanks. I'm an old hag now!"

Evra snorted. "Yeah, right. Come on, the other performers have a surprise for you!" He took my hand and pulled me along.

I blinked. "Er, doesn't telling someone about the surprise…ruin the surprise?" I noticed that his face had gotten darker – was he blushing under those scales?

"No because I didn't tell you what it was." He had a point.

When we got to the Mess Tent – a play on 'Mess Hall' – I stopped in mid-step. Nearly the whole gang was there, talking quietly. When they heard me, they turned and shouted in unison, "Happy birthday!" Even Truska's seal-like bark was heard. At the table between them was a large cake with blue frosting.

Evra let go of my hand and I walked over slowly, jaw hanging. "What…how…?"

"We were going to present the cake at dinner," Mr. Tall appeared seemingly out of nowhere, "but Larten mentioned that you two would be leaving for a trip just before dinner." I jumped and mentally cursed at him for the fright. Granted, I knew that if I had just drank blood like a normal half-vampire, I would have at least sensed him but…eh.

"Oh, really?" I paused. "Oh, right! The, right." I was so flustered at the surprise that I nearly forgot how to talk. I looked over at the group who smiled back, then at the cake. With green icing it read 'Happy Birthday Sam'. "T-thank you, all of you. This is really…sweet," I gave a short laugh, "I never thought I'd find a second home with…" I laughed again, blinking away the tears in my eyes. "Thanks!"

"We should really be thanking you, we never get to have sweets in the morning!" Evra supplied.

"Happy to help." I chuckled.

Just before dinner, as the sun was usually down by then, I stopped by the tent to see what Truska had wanted when she waved me over. When I spotted her, I quickly thanked her for the jacket and hugged it, with myself in it, to show how much I adored it. She gave something of a laugh and nodded to her wardrobe closet. I raised a brow.

She shook her head before digging into it. When I walked over, taking off my gloves, I wondered if I should get Evra to translate. Then she pulled out an emerald colored dress with a long skirt and a black leather closet, the sleeves loose and white as the snow outside. I stared. It was beautiful. Then she gestured it to me and I caught on.

"What?! No, I mean…no thanks. I don't do dresses." I stuck my hands into the pockets of my new jacket, turning partly away from her and the gown. My eyes, however, lingered.

She said something then paused, trying to figure the word for it. "City." She gestured to it again.

"Oh, to wear to the city tonight?" I glanced at myself. "Yeah, I suppose I should look better than looking like I crawled out of a grave." Pause. "Wait, this isn't a date! I can't dress fancy, that's so…no! It's just Crepsley!"

Truska spoke and I could have sworn she was laughing at me. She gestured me towards the gown and when I got closer, she tapped it, tapped my hat, and then tapped my jacket. "Oooohh." I understood. "This with my hat and jacket…okay, that's an acceptable amount of…" I shifted, pausing. "I don't know…that might still look like a date." My face warmed.

She offered me a gentle smile before placing the dress on the wardrobe door. She pointed for me to sit at the vanity mirror. I did as she said and mumbled, "I'm not wearing makeup…it'll just freeze on by midnight." Still, I took off my hat.

Much to my surprise, she reached for a brush and only a brush. She seemed to be humming something as she carefully dragged the brush through my hair. Although short, I still managed to get a few knots from time to time. Truska didn't yank them out but worked with them, undoing them with care.

As I looked in the mirror, watching her, it hit me. My earlier thought form the morning finished at last. Truska reminded me of a mother – not my mother, since Truska was far too warm for that, but a mother. And…it felt…nice.

I blinked and was startled to feel something wet travel down my cheek. I wiped the tear away quickly before smiling up at the woman, refusing to give any suspicion. She smiled back before finishing her task. She then pointed to the dress and left to give me privacy.

Well…it was really pretty. The colors were amazing. Perhaps just this once it was okay – and with my jacket, hat, and sneakers, well…no one could mistake me as being fancy. And it wasn't a date! It was just a…celebration. Yeah, people got dressed up for their birthdays all the time.

With this justification, I stripped and put the gown on, grateful I had bathed yesterday. It felt nice, surprisingly. I had a bit of trouble with the corset part, but I figured Truska would help me with that when she returned. I stuck my head out of the tent and saw her approaching.

With a few swift practiced moves, she had laced it up just enough to make me feel like I was being hugged, but I could still breathe. I thanked her and then looked up at the full-length mirror she had. My eyes widened and I gasped.

The dark green of the fabric complimented my light green eyes, the black leather of the corset made my short blonde hair especially noticeable, and it pulled at me in such a way that I…had curves. I ran my hands over my hips, smiling. I looked…lovely.

Truska made a noise of question.

I nodded and thanked her with a hug. Just as I stepped back, I heard a familiar voice outside the tent. "Madame Truska, Mistress Ivy, may I come in?"

"Ah!" I yelped, my face turned pink. "No! Get out, stay out! Not yet! Don't look!" I all but darted to where my jacket was, slipping it on and zipping it up. I put my blue hat on backwards, paused, and then flipped it forward to where I could hide my face.

Truska looked at me as if I had grown a second head before chuckling. She looked at my bare feet, then at my sneakers. Shaking her head, she walked to her wardrobe and pulled out black boots. They were flat, thankfully, but would reach just below my knees. She placed them in my hand before going to the tent opening.

I ducked as Crepsley was let in, quickly slipping the boots on. Thankfully they really were just slip ons, my socks allowing them to glide. If I had to have bent over to put them on, I think the corset would have worked against me. As I did, I heard the two of them speaking.

"Mistress Ivy? Are you ready?"

I looked at the mirror one more time and inhaled deeply. "Y-yeah." I cursed myself for stuttering. Just as I stepped out of the privacy area, I paused. I glanced at the mirror once more and felt a strange desire to unzip my jacket. At least until we went outside…it was too warm in here. Yeah, too warm. So I did.

I walked out in this new, strange outfit and cleared my throat. When I looked up at him from under the cap, I saw him staring. "Truska said I should dress up for the city, and for, you know, my birthday." Pause. He said nothing. I could feel my face turn pink. "And if you dare laugh or mock me, I'll punch you where it hurts, consequences be damned!" The end sounded a bit panicky there and, honestly, who could blame me? I couldn't recall a time I had been so…feminine in front of this man. Or in general. Gods, was I actually worried about what he thought?

I was.

I hated myself for it.

Just as I looked down, unable to stand how his eyes took me in, drank the sight of me in, and how his lips parted, I cursed. My hand went to pull the cap down further, to hide my red face – his silence was worse than any mockery – something stopped me. Him, to be specific. He caught my wrist with one hand and then with the other took my hand off. Before I could protest, he turned it backwards and placed it back on my head. Just like I always wore it.

"There." His voice carried a depth I couldn't quite name, "Perfect." Then he let me go and turned towards the entrance. "Are you ready to flit then? The sun just set."

I swallowed thickly. Where did this emotion come from, what the hell was it? It felt like I was a cup overfilling with water. It wasn't bad, just…scary, I thought. I blinked rapidly to vanish the tears that sprung at the corner of my eyes. Just, all the excitement, I told myself, made me so emotion. That was it.

"Yup!" I said with a smile, willing my heart to stop beating so hard and loud. Zipping up my jacket in preparation for the outside world, I waved at Truska. "See you later, good night! And thank you for the gown and boots!"

She must have said that I was welcome.

When we stepped out to the edge of the forest, I had my hands in my pocket. He stopped walking and I put my gloves on, prepared for the sharp cold that would hit us. Crepsley crouched slightly, allowing me to hop onto his back as usual. I was glad that the dress was…what, big enough? Chill enough? Floofy? Whatever the word, it allowed me to do this without restraining me in any way. Good, I thought, I hate clothes that restrain.

My arms wrapped around his neck and he stood as he placed his hands underneath my knees, his palms against my thigh to hold me. When he did, I jolted slightly. The gown was definitely made of a material that wasn't jean-like. That was, I could…I could feel his warmth, feel the pressure of his hands against my flesh through the gown. In my blue jeans, I hardly noticed the pressure, but this?

"Are you alright?" He asked as he turned his head slightly.

I was relieved that he couldn't see how hot my face had gotten. "Y-yup." I cursed myself once again. It was then I noticed that he was holding a basket. Before I could inquire, he set off. Within moments, we were at the edge of the city.

He let me off and I stumbled slightly, more from the noise than anything. "I have scouted the area," he admitted, "and we will be away from most of the noise here. There is a payphone and…other things around the corner. I hope you do not mind?" He looked over at me.

I tried to ignore how my heart skipped a beat when we locked gazes. "No, that's more than fine. I had no idea I'd be so sensitive to this stuff."

He nodded as we walked. "The snow has dampened most of it, but it can be disorienting at first." He held out a few coins for me to take. "The phone is there. When you are done, come find me." Then he walked off, basket in hand.

I raised a brow. That was…weird. Oh well, I smiled. My attention was more on a call to my family than of the weird vampire and his odd behavior. What had they been up to in the past few months since I left? I put the coins in the phone booth and dialed my own number.

It rang five times before it went to the machine. Interesting, I thought, but perhaps they were out or at dinner or something. "Hey dad, hey sis…hey mom." That was an awkward start to the message. "Just calling to say hey. I'm doing just fine. In a big city currently," it wasn't a lie, "and about to head off to dinner. Hope everyone's doing alright. I'll call again around Christmas, alright? Love you guys." I hesitated, waiting for someone to pick up.

After five seconds it became apparent that they wouldn't, so I hung up. Strange, I thought with a slight frown. Shaking my head, I stepped out and looked around for Crepsley. Well, my sense of smell was shot so how was I to find him? There were a few people walking by, but it was definitely the more quiet area of the city.

As I turned, I caught sight of footsteps. Were those from the couple or…no, they had to be Crepsley's. I smirked and followed them, switching from one side to the other of them occasionally. After about a block, they ended at a large gate. I raised a brow and looked through, catching sight that the footfalls continued after what looked to be a smooth landing.

That devil! I chuckled as I looked around, making sure I was alone. Then I grabbed the locked gates and…paused. Shit, I thought, I was wearing a dress. It wasn't even mine so I definitely couldn't risk tearing it! Surely Crepsley knew that, wouldn't he?

Making a face, I thought carefully. Could I pick the lock? Nah, it would make too much noise anyway with the chain attached. I couldn't just jump over either…I don't think my body would permit it. Or maybe I could?

I stepped up on a rock nearby and carefully pulled the skirt around my thighs, holding it tight with one hand. Ignoring what a sight I must look, I focused and jumped off of the rock. I landed on the edge of the stone wall right next to the gate. With a soft laugh of relief, I hopped off and stumbled slightly.

Not as smooth, but it would do!

I continued following the footsteps. Was this a private park or just a park closed after dark? It was too big to be someone's backyard. Yeah, I thought, it had to be a park. As I reached a small hill, I glanced up and stopped walking.

There was a gazebo at the top of the small hill with a certain orange haired vampire in it. Smirking, I walked up and looked around. The gazebo, despite being on the small incline, was fairly warm. There was snow on the top but no wind. Plus, I realized with surprise, he had a few candles lit around. They weren't the long, skinny ones but just simple candles for warmth spread around.

I laughed. "Oh, good, they aren't scented sweet pea candles; I would have never let you live it down."

Crepsley looked up as he finished unpacking the basket. "Thankfully Truska took mercy on both of our noses." He stood and faced me.

"Truska?" I raised a brow.

"She was the one who packed all of this." I looked at 'this' and gaped. There were thermos of soup, warm bread, and some sort of bread pudding. My mouth watered. I made a mental note to thank Truska. "How was your conversation? That was quick."

I stole the bread loaf and tore of a small piece, relishing the warmth and fresh taste. "I had to leave a message. They might be at my sister's school function or dinner or something." I shrugged. "It's alright, I figure I would contact them again closer to Christmas. If you're willing to flit me, I mean."

An expression flashed over his face though I couldn't name it right away. "I will and you will consider it my gift to you on such a foolish holiday."

I smirked. "Someone's a Grinch." I sat and picked up my thermos of soup. "Do you not like the holidays?"

He gave me a look. "Vampires do not celebrate such a thing." He left it as that and sat a foot away from me. I turned to face him, carefully arranging my skirt so it wouldn't get dirty or tangled.

"This is really nice." I commented as we ate.

He smiled and nodded. "I am glad to hear it."

As we ate, I suddenly wondered something. "How old are you anyway?"

Crepsley glanced up and smirked. "You should know better than to ask an old man that."

"So, a hundred?" I returned the smirk.

"I was born in 1794." He provided.

After a quick calculator, I gaped. "You're two hundred years old?! Oh my god!" Pause. "Well, whatever cream you're using works…you hardly look a day over a hundred fifty." I hid my smile behind the bread.

Crepsley chuckled. "Charmer." He finished eating a piece of bread before adding, "There are vampires that are well over five hundred years old."

"That's…wow." I blinked, wondering if I'd ever meet them. We finished dinner in silence, both in our thoughts. Warm and full, I figured I'd wait a while before eating the bread pudding. "Did she pack anything to drink by chance?" I asked as I rest my head on my forearm on the edge of the gazebo.

He looked through the basket and hesitated before pulling out a bottle of wine. I raised a brow and he chuckled. "Well, it is your birthday."

"I've never tried." Pause. "I can't believe she packed that!" I laughed, "How old does she think I am?"

"I am sure it is different in her culture." He pointed out as he pulled out the cork. Faintly I noted that it had already been open and re-corked. I didn't much of it. Pouring two glasses, he held one out for me to take. "Happy birthday, Mistress Ivy."

My cheeks were aching from how much I was smiling. I held up the glass and we clinked the two together gently. "Thank you…Mr. Crepsley." I murmured before taking a sip. It certainly smelt interesting. I could feel my face warm under his stare.

He pointedly said nothing, as if uttering a noise would ruin the moment. I took another drink and made a soft 'mm' noise. It tasted…interesting, more so than how it smelt. I could understand why people drank red wine. By the third drink, my gut told me something wasn't right.

I paused and looked at him closer. His eyes were darker but otherwise he wore a calm expression. I noticed that he wasn't looking away either. When I raised the glass to my nose for the fourth time, I caught something. It was hard to explain how I knew or why, but it…didn't seem to smell entirely like red wine. But I had never smelt wine of any color before, so surely I was just…losing it.

When I raised it, allowing the crimson liquid to splash over my tongue once more, my stomach dropped. Placing the glass down, I looked up at him with suspicion in my gaze. Now he looked away. "Mr. Crepsley," I spoke slowly, "had this bottle been open before you poured?"

And that was when I noticed something. The dark wasn't so dark anymore. The faint headache that had been accompanying me on and off throughout the past few weeks, the one I had just grown accustomed to, was completely gone. Any weariness I felt in my legs from that jump and stumble was gone. The tired feeling I felt and had been in the background was also gone.

My heart sunk. "You didn't."

He turned his head away.

Truska wouldn't have placed a bottle of wine into the basket, and she certainly wouldn't have laced it with human blood. I swallowed thickly, still able to taste it. In that instant, I hated myself more than I hated him for liking it. "You bastard!" I shouted, standing. The dress thankfully fell as it should without a stain or rip, although it seemed so trivial in this situation. "You tricked me?! You made this, this magical adventure for the sole purpose of tricking me?!" Pause. "Is that why we're in a locked park?! To keep anyone from hearing me while I shout at your betrayal?!"

The last word brought him back to life. "I did not betray you," he stated firmly, "I helped you. Even with that bit of blood, I have bought you nearly a month at the least to come to your senses! Without it, you would have been seventeen for only a week."

I felt cold, numb suddenly despite the fire around us. I took half a step back. Even as he sat, he had such a presence. He had tricked me to save my life. All of this had been a lie though. The willingness for the phone call had only been encouraged by my wasting away, evidently. The tracking game, the gate, the picnic dinner at the park…possibly even his earlier compliment about my outfit.

Oh, I felt like a complete idiot. I thought that this would be an adventure, an experience to have fun and bond over. I even let Truska dress me up because it was going to be a celebration. I was wearing a gown! And all of it was just so he could force me to drink before I was ready…

"Fuck you." I spat, allowing my shame and embarrassment to convert to fury. I turned with the intent to run out, but I didn't get very far.

The old familiar grabby Crepsley sprang forth. He grabbed my arm and gave a sharp jerk, stopping me in my tracks. "You will not understand what I did until you are either dead or older, one of which I refuse to allow to happen. You are my assistant and therefore you must listen and help me. I have already spent too much energy on you to allow you to waste away."

I tried to pull away as I turned to face him. I kept my gaze on his chest however, refusing to meet his. "Get off of me!" I shouted, punching and scratching at him. I felt myself draw blood but I didn't know how much or where. Still, he wouldn't let me go. "Let me go, you lying bastard!" I shouted even louder.

Crepsley pushed me backwards and I found myself against one of the columns, his free hand over my mouth. "Locked gate or not, you will attract unwanted attention by having a tantrum!" He was so close that I could see even the most minor detail of his scar.

Tantrum? I scowled inwardly, I'll show him a tantrum. I opened my mouth and bit his hand. He gave something of a yelp and pulled away. I let him, staying where I was as his grip on my arm tightened. For a split second, he looked like he was going to strike me but resisted with a deep scowl.

"So that's all I am? An investment? A fucking slave to obey and listen, to be tricked into do something I'm not ready for? What if I rebel completely, what then? Will you kill me? No, you can't because you've 'invested' so much already! Well you know Crepsley? I wish you had killed me that night on the roof!" My eyes stung as I yelled. "Because death would be preferable than this existence you've forced me into!"

In a blink of the eye, he let go of my arm and punched the column above my head. It cracked and as I darted away from him and it, he turned his back to me. His form was trembling and it wasn't from the cold. We stood like that for a minute or two, both trying to grapple with what just unfolded in the past five minutes. Our relationship, which I thought had grown so much, crumbled into nothing more than dirt.

"That is enough talk for tonight. We will be returning to the Cirque." He crouched slightly, the sign for me to hop on.

I shook my head without pause. "No." He snapped his head to look at me. I tried not to grimace. "No. I'll walk."

He turned to face me but did not take a step closer. "The camp is at least twenty miles away. Now stop acting like a child and…"

"Do you really want to keep fighting about this? What are you going to do, throw me over your shoulder? I'll drag my nails up your back before you can reach Mr. Tall's trailer!" My heart skipped a beat. "If you try to harm me, to knock me unconscious or something, I'll never forgive you!" My teeth chattered. When did the candles go out? "You've already forced your decisions upon me once, I won't be a slave or some doll for you to control anymore! Half vampire or not, I am still a person and I demand my own autonomy!" My gaze remained on his though it pained me to do so.

His expression turned stony. He stiffened, but I could tell I had gotten through to him with my threats. Or maybe it was my logic more than my threats; what did he care if his assistant didn't forgive him? So long as I served him…I bit my tongue.

"If you wish to walk twenty miles in the snow, fine." His voice was colder than that around us. "You are still expected to perform your chores in the morning." He looked like he wanted to say more, but held back. Then he turned and was gone in a blink.