The month before the trial dragged on. At work, Cat hid her emotions well, doing her job, quietly, and socializing as much as she was able to. As soon as she got home, she was able to let herself feel the fear and pain she had to hold back. She barely slept. She dreaded life more and more as the date of the trial drew near.

In the meantime, Cat and Mr. Peabody met with Mr. Retterman two more times. The lawyer seemed confident that they would win the case, though Cat was unable to see how. She already began secretly making plans in case the trial didn't go in her favor.

A week before the trial, right after their last meeting with the lawyer, Mr. Peabody asked Cat if she would like to go to his penthouse for dinner. At first, Cat politely refused, but after Mr. Peabody coaxed her, she finally agreed. Cat didn't notice, but Mr. Peabody seemed to grow more and more concerned about her, and he seemed relieved when she agreed to have dinner with him.

Mr. Peabody drove them to the building in which he lived. Cat rarely went to that part of the city, and she tried not to show how nervous yet impressed she was as they got in an elevator and rode to the very top floor. However, when the elevator stopped and opened its doors, Cat's jaw dropped.

Mr. Peabody's penthouse was gorgeous. It was extremely clean and filled with all kinds of expensive art. Mr. Peabody got out of the elevator first, while Cat just stood and stared. The canine smiled. "Come in. Come in, or you'll be taken back to the ground floor," he said, warmly.

"Oh! Right," the young woman said, embarrassed, stepping into the penthouse. "Your place is so beautiful that I became breathless."

Mr. Peabody chuckled. "Why, thank you. I'd be happy to give you a tour."

"Thank you. That would be lovely," she said, sincerely.

With that, Mr. Peabody gave his guest a tour of his home. After it was finished, they walked toward the kitchen. Along the way, Mr. Peabody stopped for a brief moment, looking at a mirror, then continued to follow Cat to the kitchen. There, he began preparing a meal. "I was thinking about making some lobster thermidor, roasted carrots, and Baked Alaska for dessert. How does that sound?"

"That sounds heavenly," Cat said, politely. "Do you need some help, sir?"

"Not at all. You are my guest. Please, relax. You may watch if you wish, and we can converse. It won't distract me at all." He began getting out all the ingredients and preparing the food, moving quickly. He was fascinating to watch, and he was obviously passionate about cooking.

They chatted about different and pleasant things. Suddenly, as Mr. Peabody was chopping a carrot, the knife slipped and cut his finger. The canine began bleeding, slightly, but he didn't seem bothered. "Oh, clumsy me. I'll go get a bandage." He looked up at Cat.

Cathleen backed away, slightly. She stared at Mr. Peabody's finger, intensely. Mr. Peabody's expression was blank, and he was focusing on his guest. "Cathleen, are you alright?"

"Y-you should go take care of that," she said, turning away.

Mr. Peabody walked to her. "It's just a little cut. I'll be alright. Are you squeamish?" He stood next to her.

Cat whirled around and turned toward Mr. Peabody. Her blue eyes were now a deep red, and her expression was that of a hungry wild animal. Mr. Peabody stood, calmly. Cat pounced on him, knocking him down and sucking on his finger. Mr. Peabody held still as she drank the blood from his cut.

Suddenly, Cat gained control of herself and stopped. She immediately stood up, turning paler than normal, her expression filled with horror. Mr. Peabody stood up, a little weakened, but not so much that he couldn't function. He calmly looked into her frightened eyes.

They stood, staring at each other for many moments, though, to Cat, they seemed like years. Finally, she spoke. "You know."

"Yes. I began piecing it together a while back."

"How?!"

"Well, you became ill after eating spaghetti, which was because of the garlic, you barely go out in the sun, and you have no reflection. It was quite simple to figure out."

Cat was on edge. She stepped back. "What will you do?"

"I will get a new carrot and wash the knife. I certainly don't want to eat blood."

"That's not what I meant!" Cat yelled, trying not to panic.

"Please, don't shout. It's not necessary."

"Mr. Peabody...I am a vampire."

"Yes, I know. As I said, I suspected you were one before now."

"Tell me what you will do."

"Nothing. There is nothing to be done. I only wanted to see if my assumption was right." He began to wash the knife he had been using.

Cat was confused at how calm her boss was being. "Mr. Peabody, doesn't it bother you that one of your employees is a vampire?"

"No."

"I drink blood."

"I eat food."

"I have fangs."

"I have paws."

"I can't be out in the sun for too long."

"I can't eat grapes or chocolate or many other things."

"I'M A BLOODTHIRSTY VAMPIRE!"

"I'm a talking dog. Honestly, Cathleen, I am a phenomenon, myself. Why should I fuss over a supernatural creature existing? Besides, you are still you. You're still an excellent worker, and I enjoy your company. You are not a threat."

"But...I..." She shuddered.

"I expected you to."

"Still, I should have restrained myself. Usually, I can, but I...I haven't been taking care of myself and drinking as much as I should."

"Then, you should start taking better care of yourself," the host said, now getting another carrot after throwing the other one away.

Cat shook her head. "It's not that easy. I can't sleep. I've mostly lost my appetite. I..." She backed away. "I'm going to lose everything. Everything I've been working for will be gone. I can't stay here now. I can't have anyone knowing what I really am."

Mr. Peabody walked to her. Cat recoiled as if she had an infectious disease that she didn't want him to catch. Mr. Peabody said, "Cathleen, you have my word that I will tell no one your secret. It is safe with me. As for the trial, I've been telling you that you have nothing to worry about. Thomas is very good at what he does. After this is all over, it will be like none of it ever happened. Please, sit down, and let's enjoy the evening. Try to put all your fears aside. I want you to be yourself around me." He held out his paw to her.

Cat looked at him, gradually relaxing. Though she was still a bit scared, she walked to him and slowly shook his paw. Afterwards, he held his arm up, palm facing upward. "You may have a bit more. I'm sure you're hungry."

Cat looked horrified. "I can't!"

"I'll tell you when I need you to stop."

"That's not what I meant! I can't just take blood from you!"

"You're not. I'm giving it to you as a friend. You need nourishment. Please."

Cat hesitated, then slowly bent down. Two sharp fangs protruded from inside her mouth. She gently pierced a vein in Mr. Peabody's arm and drank his blood, carefully watching his expression. At first, he winced from the pain, but he never moved. He closed his eyes until he told her to stop, which she immediately did. Cat looked satisfied. "Thank you. You should sit down."

"I'm alright," Mr. Peabody stated, a little dazed.

Cat shook her head. "Let me help you to the couch. You need rest."

Mr. Peabody let her walk him to the living room and help him sit down. "I just need a few minutes of rest."

"How about I just get some takeout for you so you don't have to cook?"

"That's very kind of you. Yes, I would appreciate that." He gave her some money, and she went out and got some Chinese food. All the while, she was worried about leaving him home by himself in the state he was in. To her relief, when she came back, he was still conscious, sitting up and reading something on his cell phone. He put it down and smiled once he saw her.

They went into the kitchen and ate. Mr. Peabody seemed to feel much better after having some food. Cat was quiet. Millions of thoughts flooded her head. The only time she spoke was to ask if Mr. Peabody was alright.

"Yes, I'm feeling much better. No harm done. I hope you're feeling better, as well."

Cat nodded. She felt much stronger. Normally, she felt like she could face anything, but right now, all she could focus on was her fear, which was now worse since someone knew her secret. Mr. Peabody was trustworthy, but what if he accidentally told someone or was forced to tell someone?

Cat felt sick and stopped eating. Mr. Peabody noticed this and asked, "Are you alright?"

The young woman nodded, not wanting to reveal any more to him. "I should go. It's getting late. Thank you for a wonderful evening."

"But, we haven't finished eating."

"I really need to go home."

"Alright. At least let me pay for your fare. I'm afraid I'm too weak to drive."

"Thank you, but no. I've already put you through enough. Good night, Mr. Peabody."

"Cathleen-" Mr. Peabody began to protest, but Cat had already went to the elevator and left the building before he could go after her.