AN: I made a tumbr and will post when I update the story on there with a little preview of the chapter, its . Thanks for reading.

Amélie

I woke up and pushed my covers onto the floor; they needed to get washed anyways. I picked Christophe's note up and contemplated whether or not today was the day to open it. Sebastian walking into my room just then gave me the answer.

"You still have not opened it, I see."

"It just doesn't feel right yet."

"You got an invitation to Christmas dinner at Madilin's house this morning, I assumed you were going and accepted it. There is also a call for you," he said, handing the phone over to me. He then set the tea tray he had been holding in his other hand down on the table and left the room.

"Ami!" Chloe said in her high pitched voice. I loathed people who where such early birds. Back home she would always call me on the weekends bright and early; I hated it. One time I even threw the phone out my window because I was so annoyed with her for calling.

"What is it?" I said, still not quite awake.

"I had this wonderful idea. Since all of us will be here for Christmas, why don't you come celebrate it with us? I assumed you were just going to be spending it with your butler anyways, since you never go out unless someone forces you. We're staying at our mom's boss's house and..."

"Chloe."

"What is it? You don't already have plans, do you?"

"I actually just did make some. I have a work party I need to go to. Where is the place, maybe I could stop by? You said it was somewhere in the country."

"Yeah, I positively hate it out here. We were going to stay in the city, but no, it's cheaper if we stay at Madilin's estate this year."

"Did you just say Madilin? Is that who your mom's boss is?"

"Yeah, ever since Mom broke up with Dad she's been working for her doing police work or something; I don't really know what though. Madilin is having this party with other people from work, so my mom said I could invite you since I would only have my brother to talk to and he really isn't much company, as you know."

"I think I might actually be going to that party already."

"You mean you've been working with my mom and didn't even know?"

"Well, with my job I really don't see the rest of the people. I work from my apartment."

"You have an apartment in the city? Can I please stay there? I don't think I can take it any longer out here."

"I guess, but you would have to sleep on the couch, it's only a one bedroom."

"Oh, that's fine. Anyways, what do you do for work?"

"Finances," I said really quickly, without even thinking about it.

"That makes sense, you only do stuff through mail."

"Sure," I said sort of sarcastically.

"Ok, I will see you on Christmas Eve then. Do you want to come shopping with me? I still have so much to do and you always make me speed through the stores, so everything gets done faster and…"

"When do you want to go?"

"How about today?"

"Sebastian?" I said, calling off towards the kitchen.

"Yes?" he answered while walking into my room.

"Am I free this afternoon?"

"I believe so. You do have work to do around five."

"Ok, I guess I can go," I said into the phone.

"EEEEKKKKK!" Chloe screamed so loudly I almost dropped the phone. "It will be just like old times. Dragging you and Cal along while I go shopping. Ok bye, I need to start getting ready. You have to look fabulous if you're going shopping in Paris."

"Bye Chloe. Meet me by the café where we ate yesterday."

"Ok, bye."

I set the phone down on the bed after she hung up and put my head in my hands. I hated going shopping with her. Chloe always treated me like her dress up dolls, putting me in clothes that I would never wear and then buying them for me because she said I just had to have them. I would then try to avoid wearing them, but I would always end up having to because she wondered why I didn't.

"What's wrong, Amélie?"

"I have to go shopping. With Chloe."

"You didn't get to go shopping last time we were out because we ate with them, so now you can."

"Shopping with Chloe I never get the things I really need. She picks out dresses for me and right now I don't need more of those."

"Ami, you would look so good in this," Chloe said, shoving another outrageous outfit at me.

"I told you, I don't need more dresses, I have plenty of those at home. What I really need are some clothes I can actually wear and move around in."

"I didn't know you were into exercising. We can go to one of those stores next," she said as she walked away towards another clothes rack.

I set the clothes down on a display table and walked over the bench where Cal was sitting. He was wearing jeans and a tee-shirt with a sweater over the top; obviously an outfit Chloe had put together for him since all of it was designer.

"Didn't find anything?" he asked.

"Chloe did for me, as usual. Nothing I would actually wear though. I really just would be happy with a jacket and jeans."

"I think I see some jeans over there, you should go over and look at them."

"Not those jeans, I need ones that I'm not scared I will get a scratch on. Everything here is way overpriced."

"You know Chloe, she has to have the best."

"Do you want to leave? I can take us somewhere else."

"As long as Chloe doesn't mind."

I walked over to the dressing room and knocked on Chloe's door. She came out in a floor length evening gown with a deep v going down the center.

"What do you think? I'm going to wear it to the Christmas party."

"Don't you think it's a bit much?"

"No. Why did you come back here if you're not trying anything on?"

"Cal and I are going to go for a drive, if that's ok with you?"

"Sure, you two are just my shopping bag holders anyways, since you don't seem to like anything I pick out for you."

"Call me when you want to go to dinner."

"Ok."

I walked back over to Cal and he stood up. When we stopped at my bike he said, "You drive this?"

"Yeah. I got it a few months ago. Probably the best way to get around here." I hopped on the bike and patted the seat behind me. "Can you grab the helmets out of the box there?"

"Yeah. Here you go," he said, handing me my small black helmet.

"You ready?" Cal nodded in response. "Then hold on."

I turned the engine on and rode the bike out of the space, then started off down the street. I planned on taking the same route as we had last night, except stopping at the Jardins des Champs-Elysées on the way back.

"You always surprise me, Amélie," Cal said while we were driving.

"Why? I told you when I was like five that I wanted a motorcycle."

"I know, I just didn't think you would actually get one. It doesn't seem like you at all, you were always so quiet back home."

"I've had to change. Especially having to take care of myself and do my job."

"Which sounds really boring, I thought you hated math. Mom always talks about how dangerous her job is and here you are doing the finances for them."

I looked over into the alleyway that was right next to the stoplight and saw a pair of golden eyes staring back at me; they looked just like Claude's. I pulled around to the other side of the street and parked, then hopped off the bike and went running into the alley. It was lined with back doors to restaurants and shops. Trash bags were sitting by them, covered with ants and a few rats that I had to jump over because they were blocking my path. I could see Claude run down another alley, and then I heard a scream. Before I could take off after him, Cal grabbed me and almost made me fall. I turned around and saw he was bright red and panting.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I saw...I just need to go. Stay here."

"Amélie, this doesn't seem like a safe place."

"Here, take this then." I threw over the small gun I had been keeping in my leather jacket.

"I don't know how to shoot a gun. You should keep it, I don't know how to shoot."

"I don't need one. I have one right here," I said, pulling up my shirt to show him the daemon gun I had on my belt. "You remember how you used to go and take archery lessons? Shooting a gun is a lot like that, just aim using the little notch in the top," I said while running after Claude.

"Amélie!" he said, and grabbed my arm so he could keep up with me.

I turned the corner and saw a woman in the street passed out. I put my hand under her nose to see if she was breathing. "She's still breathing. Cal, call an ambulance while I go after Claude."

"Amélie, you can't go after that person. It's too dangerous."

"No it's not. This is my job."

I opened the door I had seen Claude run through when I had first started down the street. I climbed the stairs inside the building to the roof and opened the door. Outside was Claude standing on the roof, looking as alive as ever. I was shocked to see him there – I thought Sebastian had killed him. I aimed the gun and shot. When I looked up to see if I had gotten him, he was gone. Behind me, I heard footsteps coming up the stairwell. When the door opened and I saw it was Sebastian, I ran over and hugged him. I looked up at his eyes; they were glowing again.

"It was Claude, he's alive," I whimpered.

A few seconds later Cal came up and said, "I called the paramedics just like you asked." He saw I was crying and pulled me away from Sebastian, and asked, "Amélie, what happened?"

"It was Claude. How could he be alive? Sebastian killed him. This isn't right." I sat down and curled up into a ball, not wanting to deal with the stress of everything going on.

"Amélie, why did you go after him? You should have called me," Sebastian said.

I looked up and saw him kneeling in front of me. He pulled out a handkerchief and blotted my eyes. "I was driving and looked over and saw him in the alley...and...and then I ran after him. I heard a woman scream so I ran over in that direction. I saw she was still breathing but had passed out, so I asked Cal to call the paramedics. While he did that I came up here and shot at Claude, but when I looked up to see if I had hit him, he was gone," I said while panting.

"Amélie, everything is fine now, calm down."

Sebastian had taken Cal and me over to the park like I had originally planned on doing. We were now sitting on a bench under a tree looking at people passing by.

"Amélie, what do you do for work exactly?" Cal asked.

"Police type work," I said, looking at my feet swinging under the bench.

"You're too young. Just tell me, it can't be that bad."

"Yes, it is. Just stay out of it."

"Ami, if my mom does this too then I want to know what's going on. I promise I won't tell Chloe."

"Oh my gosh, Chloe! We have to take her home," I said, trying to distract Cal from his question.

"Sebastian said he was going to take her back. Don't worry about it. Tell me what's going on."

"Ok, well Sebastian is a daemon and I made a contract with him so he has to find a purpose for my life and I am like the underworld police and I take care of problems Paris has with daemons and your mom does the same things," I said really fast, because I thought it would not sound as bad if I did.

"What? I barely caught any of that. Only that you're under a contract with a daemon and my mom and you do police work for the underworld. Did I hear you right?"

"Yup. You got it all."

"Just wanted to make sure. Sebastian is your daemon? What does that entail, how did that happen?"

"You know how I have had nightmares since I was really little?"

"Yeah."

"Well I met him in one of those, but it turned out it wasn't just a dream. It was real, so now I have complete control over him until he helps me fulfill my wish, and then he eats my soul. Of course he already tried to do that, but for some reason he couldn't. He still seems kind of upset by that."

"And my mom, does she have a contract too?"

"Not that I know of. Like I said, I really don't see the other people all that much. Only at parties. Do you want me to take you back home? It's getting late," I said as the lamps in the park turned on.

"It's ok, I'll just get a taxi."

"Ok, get back safely."

"Amélie, you might want this back." He tossed the gun over to me as he walked away.

I walked out of the park and saw the moon coming up through the trees. It reminded me of the night I had first met Claude. I shuddered at the thought and remembered how scared I was that Sebastian had left me again. I still could not believe how much I really needed him. I saw Sebastian come down one of the other trails that led to the one I was walking on.

"Did you get Chloe back home?" I asked.

"Yes. I can understand now why you did not want to go shopping with her. I see Cal has left, how did your conversation with him go?"

"Better than I expected. I think he still is a bit skeptical."

"I think he will understand just fine."

"Yeah, I guess so. Especially since his mom does this too."

"She does?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure what part of France she takes care of though."

"Now, what do you want for dinner? You look hungry."

"Anything, but I would prefer to eat at home. It's been a long day."

We had gotten to the curb where my bike was parked. Sebastian got on first and I climbed on after. I put my arms around him and buried my head in his jacket. I always did that when I was worried. Somehow it made me feel like I was safe and nothing would hurt me. Even if he wasn't by my side, I could always call and he would come.