"So, Cora…" Liz began after they received their coffee. They were at a local coffee shop they used to visit sometimes before Liz moved. Liz laughed when they saw it was still open. Neither girl had been there since before Cora was attacked. "How're you doing?" Cora opened her mouth to answer, but then Liz added, "Honest answer only." Cora closed her mouth and stayed silent.

"You always were the 'suffer silently' type." Liz whispered. They sat quietly for a while, Liz sipped her coffee, Cora pretended to. She used to love the bitterly-sweet flavor, the soothing aroma. But now, the bitterness scalded her tongue. The scent overwhelmed her thoughts.

"Where'd you go, Cora?" Liz asked, her blue eyes full of questions. "I wondered, no, worried about you. For two years. I left you the address I was moving to, I wrote you, Cora." Liz looked up at Cora, but she just stared into her coffee. "I stopped after the tenth letter. I figured it was time for me to wait for you to decide to write back." It would hurt Liz to know what happened to Cora, but it would hurt Cora to lie to Liz.

"I…" Cora began. "I've been having some problems." She looked up. "It's been hard, these past two years. I had to deal with some stuff, stuff that I had to do by myself. I guess the stress from all of it got to my hair especially." Cora laughed insincerely.

"You don't have to lie to me, Cora." Liz said sadly. "You don't have to force a laugh. You can tell me what happened."

No, Cora thought, looking down. No, I can't.

"Maybe, some other time." Cora whispered. She looked up, obviously uncomfortable. "Can we—um—change the subject?" Liz smiled.

"I was heading out for a hunt when I ran into you." She finished off her coffee in one last gulp and stood. "You coming?"

//

It was her. She saw Cora. Their eyes were locked together.

Cora couldn't move.

"Cora." Liz hissed as quietly as she could. "Shoot, Cora!" but she couldn't. She was frozen.

The vampire in front of them smirked and attacked. She went for Liz first, and Liz had her hands full fending her off. Cora was forced to watch.

"What's wrong with you, Cora?" Liz yelled. "I need your help!" the vampire pulled Liz's hands behind her back and twisted them. A yelp sounded from Liz's lips and the gun fell from her grasp. The vampire pulled Liz close and put her lips on her neck. Liz's wide eyes found Cora's.

Then it was over. The vampire released Liz, and disappeared.

Cora rushed to Liz's side when she fell to her knees. Liz took a deep breath.

"What. The. Hell, Cora?" She looked up at Cora and rose to her feet. Cora stood as well. When Liz saw the pained and apologetic look in her eyes, she apologized. "I mean, sorry. I just…" she shook her head. "I could have died, Cora. Right there. She had my neck in her mouth. I don't know why she didn't."

Cora picked up the gun and handed it back to Liz. "I don't know what happened, Liz. I'm sorry. I just… I couldn't move." Liz smiled slightly and put a hand on Cora's shoulder, but it caused Cora to stiffen.

"It's fine. I'm fine." Liz took her hand off Cora's shoulder. "Let's go."

//

"Hey, I didn't know you were hunting today." Sean greeted Cora when she walked in the door. He was lying on the couch, uncharacteristically watching the news. He'd been waiting for her to come home.

Cora continued on her way to the stairs. "Yeah, neither did I."

"Wait- Cora." Sean called quietly after her. She stopped halfway up the stairs and turned around. He stood, but didn't walk toward her. He just looked at her for a few seconds, then spoke up again. "I'm sorry. About last night. I…"

"It's fine." She said, turning to walk back up the stairs. "Goodnight."

He was at her side before she reached the top of the stairs. "Wait, Cora. I-" but she pushed him away once more.

"Stop. You said you'd stop." She whispered as she looked away and started heading back up the stairs.

"I never said that." He backed down the stairs a little, giving her some space. "I'm not ready to give up on you, Cora. Even if you are."

She stopped and spun around, words forming in her mouth, but he was already gone.

//

"Thanks, Cora, for letting me stay at your place." Liz grabbed her coat from the rack by the door. "Now that the rain has let up, maybe I can walk at least to the bus stop."

"Any time." Cora said from where she sat on the couch with her books. It had been a week since Liz moved back into town and started attending Memorial High. The two hadn't talked to each other much since then, but they silently hung around each other throughout the days. It was a comfortable silence.

Liz reached for the knob, but it opened before her. Sean started his 'smile and nod' routine, but Liz backed away and narrowed her eyes.

"Vampire." She hissed. Sean looked questioningly at Cora. She looked between them, unsure of what to do. Liz turned her piercing gaze to Cora. "Who is this, Cora?"

"That's Sean. He's…"

"He lives with you?"

"No!" Cora closed her eyes and shook her head. "I mean, yes, but it's not like that, Liz-"

"Then what's it like, Cora? Why's he in your house?"

Cora looked at Sean for help. He nodded.

"I'm not a bad guy, Liz. I helped Cora kill a bad pureblood, and my dad disowned me because of it. Mr. White had been more of a father to me than my real dad had been, so this is the only place I had to go."

Liz only stared.

"He's telling the truth, Liz. He is." Liz looked back at Cora.

"Cora, I…" Liz glanced at Sean one more time before heading back for the door. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

The door shut behind her.

"So," Sean said, breaking the silence and casually taking a seat across from Cora in a chair. "I take it you two are close?"

"Liz was my best friend before I was turned. She lost her parents and both of her sisters to vampires."

"How much does she know about you?" he asked. "Does she know about your becoming a vampire?" Cora looked out the window, though the curtains only left a small gap of view.

"She knows the truth about my parents and my scars. I met her when I joined the hunters association. But two years ago, only days before my attack, she had to move out of state with her uncle. She never knew about what happened."

Sean sat forward and put his elbows on his knees. "What do you think she'd do if she knew?" he asked. "It sounds like she isn't very fond of us."

Cora shook her head and looked back toward Sean. "I don't know."

//

Grumble grumble grumble.

The last chapter said something about it being chapter 16? Yeah, just kidding I think it was chapter 20.