Jerry's POV

When I opened the door, I was glad to see Amber standing there, and not the police. But I was glad to see Amber regardless. I smiled warmly at her. "Hello, Amber," I greeted.

"Hi Jerry," she said. "I need your help with something."

"Oh? Well then, come in and tell me." I stepped aside so she could enter.

"Thanks," Amber nodded at me, then stepped inside. I followed her to the couch, and we both sat down.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"No, not really. But thankfully, this time, the problem is not anything to do with… you being a vampire."

I smirked. "I'll admit, I'm thankful to hear that."

She chucked softly. She looked hesitant to tell me what she needed to. She fiddled with her jacket zipper while looking at the floor.

I was starving for blood, and it didn't help to have her sit so close to me. I could smell her blood, and it smelled warm. Her scent was unique, so unlike what I was used to. It was taunting me now. But, I was a vampire mature enough to be able to control myself. And I didn't want to hurt Amber.

I remembered the night I first saw her, when I found her in my basement. After she ran off, I thought of her as my prey, nothing more. That she was a lost little lamb, and I was the Big Bad Wolf.

But now, I wouldn't dream of killing her. Now I had a strange urge to do the exact opposite: protect her. I wanted to be there for Amber, through anything and everything. But why? I told myself it was just because I was lonely without Billy, and that she kept good company. But I knew that somehow it was much deeper, much more complicated than that.

"I lost my job today," Amber finally said.

"That's not good. Not good at all," I said. "How did that happen?"

"I found an email from my boss-er, ex-boss-saying that I was replaced by someone with more experience and education. He didn't think I was good enough, so he kicked me out to make room."

"That's ridiculous!" I exclaimed. "I saw how hard you worked down in that basement. That boss of yours must be crazy to fire someone as hard-working as you!"

"Thank you." She blushed at my compliment. "But I guess he's crazy, then. Because now I'm unemployed."

"I'm so sorry." I frowned. "What can I do to help?"

"Well, I need to go pick up some things before tomorrow. Otherwise, my stuff will be given away. My car's broken down, so…"

"...So you need me to drive you there."

"Yes. I'm sorry. This is embarrassing."

"No need to be embarrassed. But, unfortunately, Billy left with the truck."

"When will he be back, then?" she asked.

"I don't think he'll be coming back," I replied.

"Oh, did you two get in a fight or something?"

"Yeah, but it's not a big deal."

She paused. "Well, I'm sorry I bothered you…" She stood up to leave.

"Wait," I stopped her. "Do you know what's wrong with your car?"

Amber shrugged. "No, not really. The engine didn't start."

"I could help fix it for you," I offered.

"No, that's okay, Jerry. I can call a mechanic."

I crossed my arms. "Why call a mechanic when you could get your neighbor to do it?"

"Because a mechanic is a professional," Amber said, crossing her arms as well. "Are you a professional?"

I huffed. "I don't need to be a licensed mechanic to know how to fix things. I'll take a look at your car tomorrow. Not taking no for an answer."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure, knock yourself out. I don't mind. But I need to get to Zini's tonight."

Zini's? I didn't bother to ask what that was. "And so you shall."

"But my car is broken down and you don't have a car."

"Well, I have a solution…"

"And what is it?"

I paused. Actually, I didn't have a solution. But I would think of something. "What time does… Zini's close?"

"8:30."

"Ok… Here's my idea. Maybe we could borrow a car from someone."

"Excuse me?"

"Look, I know it's not a very good thing to do, but we'll just use it for a couple hours and return it. I can get it, no problem."

"You have a knack for being bad. You kill people, steal their cars…"

"I haven't stolen any cars, not yet. But it's just for tonight. They'll never notice."

"How do you figure? You need to actually get the keys to the car you're taking before you can drive it off."

I rolled my eyes, but smiled. "Once again, Amber, you have a lack of faith in me. It's simple: I'll get the keys by compelling."

"Huh? Compelling?" Amber had a confused look. "What the heck is that?"

"You'll see. Do you know anyone who lives alone and owns a car around here?" I asked.

Amber stopped to think for a moment. Then I saw something light up in her eyes. "Actually, I do. Her name is Gabriella. She lives in that apartment complex just a couple blocks away."

"Let's go then," I said. "Lead the way."

We walked to the apartment complex. When we arrived, I looked around at the cars parked in the driveway. "Which one is hers?"

Amber pointed to a shiny blue sedan. "This one."

I nodded, then walked towards the building. "And which apartment is hers?"

"Nineteen. It's up there," she pointed up at the door, which was on the second floor of the complex. A staircase led up to a balcony, where Apartment 19 sat between Apartments 18 and 20.

"Perfect," I said, and I made my way up the stairs.

Amber hung back at the bottom of the stairs. "Jerry, wait. What exactly are you doing?" she asked. "You can't just knock on Gabby's door and ask her for the keys!"

"Sure I can. You'll see," I smirked. "Come on up here. She might not answer the door

unless you're here with me."

She shook her head. "No, I don't know about that. She won't want to see me. She's holding a grudge on me, I'm sure."

"I see. Fine, come up in a minute then."

I approached the door and knocked. I waited, then knocked again. I heard a few clicks, the sound of the door unlocking, and the door creaked open slightly.

I saw a woman, blonde and blue-eyed, peering at me. "Hello," she said. "Can I help you?"

"That's Gabby," Amber whispered from the ground. Gabby didn't hear.

"Hi, I'm George Sanchez, and I'm from the local Lion's Club. We're hosting a memorial service on Tuesday for the girls who were murdered recently." I lied to the best of my ability. "Have you heard of it?"

"Yes, I have. It's really awful," Gabby said sadly. "Those poor girls."

I swallowed. "One of the victim's families has insufficient funds to pay for the funeral services and burial. I'm going door to door, accepting donations to help the family pay it off."

"That's very generous of you to do," she said. "Wait here; I'll go get my purse…" Gabby closed the door.

"You're a scary good liar, Jerry. I mean, wow," Amber said softly from below.

"Thank you," I whispered back. I turned my attention back to the door, which opened again, wider this time. She held a bulking pink purse, and the other hand was shuffling inside it. "Sorry… It's so hard finding my wallet in this thing," she told me. "Finding one little thing in this purse is like trying to find a polar bear in the Sahara Desert."

"It's quite alright." I knew I had to move this along. "Ma'am?"

Gabby paused. "Yes?"

I locked my eyes on hers and trapped her in my intense gaze. I concentrated. "What are you-" Gabby tried to protest, but her voice left her. I was controlling her just by using my eyes and my mind. I willed her to relax, and listen to what I was commanding.

"Everything is okay, Gabby. Everything is fine. Isn't it?" I spoke slowly and clearly.

She had a dazed, blank expression on her face. "Yes," she said with a tired voice. "Everything is fine."

"You're sleepy. You want to go to bed. Don't you, Gabby?"

"Yes, sleepy…"

"But before you can sleep, you need to do something for me," I said. "I'm going to need your car keys. Just for a little while. Can you get them for me?"

Gabby sluggishly pulled the keys out of her purse.

"Can you hand them to me, please?"

"Yes." She dropped the keys into my outstretched hand.

"That's it. Now, you're ready to go lie down and sleep. Won't that be nice?"

"Yes."

"When you wake up in the morning, you won't remember any of this. It will be like nothing ever happened. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now, go on to bed. Sleep well."

"Yes..," she said. She walked back into her apartment to her bedroom, leaving the door open. I closed it, and turned around to find Amber gaping at me with her mouth open.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked.

"How… what did you just do? Did you just… hypnotize her?"

"It's called compelling," I stated proudly. "Another advantage of being me."

Amber chuckled. "That's really cool, I gotta admit. So she really won't have any memory at all when she wakes up?"

"Of what just happened, yes."

"Wow."

"But we only have until morning. So what do you say we hit the road already?" I jingled the keys in the air for her to see.

She smiled and got in the driver's seat. "I'm waiting on you."

Luckily, the car's gas tank was nearly full. While Amber drove, she continuously asked me questions about compelling. It was giving me a headache. I wondered if I'd ever get the chance to ask her questions of my own.

"Can all vampires do it?"

"Most can do it, but it only a few can do it well."

"Can you do it well? By vampire standards, I mean."

"I suppose…"

"Could you compel all the politics and make yourself president if you wanted to?"

"Why would I want to-"

"Could you compel my boss and make him hire me again?"

"Amber!" I shouted. Amber flinched and I instantly regretted raising my voice. "Oh, Amber, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to snap at you. Just, please… can we talk about something else?"

"No, I'm sorry. I wasn't making any sense. It's just new and weird to me."

"It's okay. Really." I smiled over at her. "So where is this place… Tini's, is it?"

"Zini's," she corrected me. "And it's just a couple minutes away."

We both stopped talking for a moment. We were entering a city. It wasn't huge, but it was certainly bigger than our town. I had been looking out the window as she drove, memorizing the route we were taking. There was a lot of flat land here, in contrast to our town which had much more forested areas surrounding it. It was getting dark now. It was fall, so it got dark earlier. I couldn't really complain about that, though.

We arrived at our destination. Amber parked, but didn't get out of the car. I could sense her watching me as I observed the building. The sign read "Zini's Pizza Emporium: 'The hottest and freshest pizza in town!'"

"Well?" Amber said.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to tell me how lame a job this is? Working at a pizza place?"

"It's not lame, it's… nice."

She grunted. "Glad you think so." She hesitated. "I'll be back."

She stepped out of the car and went into the restaurant. She left the car running, to keep me warm, I figured. But the cold never bothered me anyway.

I got out of the car, and walked around, and got into the driver's seat. I had a plan. I was going to get some answers out of Amber. Even if it meant I had to force them out.

I heard a tap on the glass. I looked over to see Amber there. I rolled down the window. "What?"

"Why are you in my seat?" Amber asked accusingly.

"Technically it's not your seat. And I thought you'd like a break from driving."

She put her hands on her hips. "It isn't necessary. It's a fifteen minute drive back home. I can handle it."

"Then so can I," I countered.

Silence.

"You don't think I can drive?" I asked.

"Well, how can I know? You skulk around in your house most of the time," said Amber. "Also, you're 165 years old. And everyone knows that elderly people can't drive."

"158! And I'm not elderly. Not really."

Amber laughed. "I was joking." She walked around and sat in the passenger seat. "Fine, Captain, take us home."

I started the engine and pulled out of the driveway. She was right, I wasn't an amazing driver. But I was confident we wouldn't get into a wreck. About 88% confident.

I made a wrong turn on purpose, going the opposite direction on the highway.

"Do you know which way to go?" Amber asked.

"Yes. Do you doubt it?"

"Yeah, a little. You're taking us the wrong way."

"It's a shortcut," I assured her. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

Amber sighed. "I hope so." She turned her head away from me, looking out the window.

I turned again, off the main highway and onto a gravel road.

"Um, this road doesn't isn't even on the map," Amber pointed out. "You've got a weird definition for 'shortcut', Jerry."

I didn't reply. I drove a ways, far enough from the highway that it couldn't be seen on the horizon. I pulled over to the side of the road.

"Okay, something's up. You took us to the middle of nowhere." she gestured out the window, at the endless stretch of flat, grassy land. "This is something an axe murderer would do." She eyed me as she said that last part.

I laughed. "Relax Amber. I just wanna ask you a few questions."

"That's all? Why would we need to be all the way out here for that?"

"Because I figured you wouldn't give me any answers unless I had an advantage over you."

"Oh, really? And what would that be?"

I pulled the car keys out, making the engine stop running. I jingled them in the air briefly and stuck them into the inside pocket in my jacket.

I could tell that Amber was starting to understand. "Oh, no you don't!" She reached out to grab my jacket, but I just snickered and jumped out of the car.

"Hey!" Amber shouted, getting out of the car as well. She charged at me, and I turned and sprinted across the road. She pursued.

She was fast. Really fast.

But unfortunately for her, I was faster. I jumped onto the grass and kept running. I was able to stay just ahead of her.

She lunged at me, and nearly tackled me. I made a sharp turn and dodged it. I stopped to look back and saw Amber stumble a moment, but then she resumed her chase. I took off again.

"Come on, Jerry, this is ridiculous!" Amber panted. "Stop!"

I laughed again. "And let you jump me? I think not!" I called back at her.

"Please, I don't think I can run much longer! If you stop, I'll stop."

"Fine," I said, and I stopped in my tracks. Amber stopped as well. She bent over, her hands on her legs for balance, as she caught her breath. I was breathing a little heavily, too. I watched her intently.

The moon may have been in its waning phase, but it glowed brightly. It became

caught in Amber's hair, making it shimmer radiantly. It made her look even more beautiful than usual, which I didn't know was possible. I mean, she was practically glowing.

Amber slowly looked up at me. I realized that she caught me staring, and I glanced down at the ground awkwardly. She suddenly jumped up and punched my arm. It hurt.

"Easy!" I told her, rubbing my throbbing arm. "What gives?"

"What was all that about?! You're such a jerk."

I laughed. "Guilty," I said, smiling. "Sorry. You know, you're pretty fast."

She didn't say anything.

"And you can throw a good punch, too," I added.

"Uh, thanks, I guess." Amber reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You wanted to ask me some questions? We're wasting time standing out here, so let's have 'em."

I nodded. "Yes actually. I'm very curious about something." I took a step closer to her. "Why do you need my basement once a month?"

"I'd rather not…"

"Please, Amber. I'll keep it to myself, whatever your reason is. I'll understand, and I'll help you through it. I promise."

"Why is it so important for you to know?"

"Because I feel like we should be able to trust each other. We've only known each other for a week, but…"

Amber gazed at me expectantly. "...But?"

I scratched the back of my neck. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, well, I really think we should be honest with each other. I already consider you a friend, and I hope you feel the same. But if we could just be forthright, both of us, we might finally build some trust. You know?"

Amber smiled warmly. "You've spent a lot of time thinking this over, haven't you?"

I smiled back. "Yeah, you could say that."

She sighed. "And you're not going to take me home until I tell you."

"More or less."

"Okay… But you won't like it," Amber said. She took a deep breath. "I have this… condition. Once a month, during the full moon, I need to lock myself up because..," she paused, and exhaled. "Because every full moon, I turn into a wolf."

I looked at her, shocked. I felt my eyes grow wide. I couldn't help it.

"You see?" Amber said, pointing at my expression. "That's exactly what I was expecting. Unbelievable, right? I'm not doing this."

I snapped out of my state of shock. "No, I'm sorry. Please, go on." I moved close to her.

She faced me, and her eyes briefly glanced down, clearly noticing there wasn't much space between us. She seemed a little uncomfortable. She shifted her gaze to meet my eyes. "Yes, I turn into a wolf. And I have to have a secure place to transform in. It keeps the wolf-my wolf-from hurting anyone. I can't control it. When I turn, when my wolf rips me apart, I lose every trace of my humanity. And I'm subject to whatever the wolf wants."

She sniffed. "I'm dangerous, a killer. I am a werewolf. And I'm terrified of hurting anyone."

I felt a new realization dawn on me right then. It was then when I finally understood.

Amber is my equal. She understands me, even if she can't see it. This was meant to happen. She was meant to happen.

I had been so lonely without Billy around, but now I could see that Amber was a better option. She could be my closest companion, only more than that. Much more.

We were both cursed, both devastated with a terrible burden. And now, I realized that I had strong feelings for her, feelings deeper than the scars left behind by any curse.

"Amber," I whispered.

"Yes?" she asked.

I reached for her hand and held it, gently, in my own. She gasped softly at my touch. She looked at my hand that was holding hers, dumbfounded and lost for words. I reached up with my other hand and gently turned her chin back up. I locked my eyes with hers. She gazed back, mesmerized.

I lightly smoothed my hand against her cheek, pushing a strand of hair from her face. We looked at each other for an endless moment.

Amber's lips slightly parted. "I…" Her voice was so quiet, it could hardly be called a whisper.

I held a finger to her lips. She went silent. I peered intently into her emerald eyes. Her breathing went soft and shallow.

I let go of her hand and wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her close. I slowly, ever so slowly, I leaned and very lightly brushed my lips against hers.

She drew in a sharp breath. I pulled my head back, studying her dazed expression. I braced myself, expecting her to pull herself away from me. But she didn't. Instead, she moved her hands up to rest on my chest, not breaking her gaze. She was so warm. So unbelievably warm.

I leaned in again, this time kissing her fully. She was unresponsive. I moved my lips a little, and ran my fingers through her hair. Her lips finally began to move against mine.

There we were, standing out in the cold autumn night air. And yet, as I held her in this embrace and kissed her, I felt warmer than I ever had before.

I felt her hand touch my face as our lips moved together in a rhythm. Our kisses became more intense and passionate with each passing moment.

And then I sniffed, catching her scent in my nostrils. She smelled so amazing. It was driving me crazy. I broke my lips from hers and buried my face in her flowing hair. She smells… so good…

I nudged my way down to her neck. I sniffed deeply. I kissed her neck hungrily. "Jerry," Amber squeaked in protest. But I couldn't hear her. I wouldn't. My hunger finally replaced my passion, and I felt my fangs grow out. My mouth opened wide, ready to bite down.

"Jerry!" Amber shouted, as she pushed me away. She stepped back from me, a terrified look on her face. I felt my hunger-madness fade as I saw her expression. I looked down in horror at my hands. My ghastly fingernails had grown long and sharp. I looked back at Amber.

"I-I'm sorry," I stammered. "I need to go." I shakily pulled the car keys from my pocket and tossed them at Amber. Then I turned away from her and began running.

"Jerry, wait!" she called.

"I'm sorry!" I repeated, not looking back. I willed my form to change. I transformed into a bat. And then I flew away as fast as I could, leaving a scared and confused Amber behind.

I know it's been like forever since I've updated. Been busy with things like babysitting and family birthdays and such. But that's no excuse. I need to post chapters more frequently, and I'm sorry. But this was a super-long chapter, so I hope that'll make up for it a little. :)

But, on a happier note... JERRY AND AMBER FINALLY KISSED OHMYGOD IT WAS SO ADORABLE AND SEXY I LOVE THEM TOGETHER!

Fangirl moment over. :D