Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the plot and my grammatical mistakes.

Patton's POV

While Logan and Roman went with Anxiety to get his things, I stayed behind to call my friend for some information. The phone rang 3 times before he picked up.

"Hello?" his voice came on the phone.

"Hey, Emile. It's Patton." I said.

"Hey, Pat. What's up?" he asked. I told him about our encounter with the vampire den.

"Woah, that many? I haven't even heard of those many vampires in one den since you guys picked up Roman." he said.

"I know. That's why I need you to check for me."

"Check what?" he asked.

"Check to see if there's anything, any kind of ritual or calling, that would cause that many vamps to be in one place." I said.

"Yeah, I'm on it." Emile replied. I could hear the sound of heavy books dropping on a table and knew that Emile probably wouldn't rest until he found something. Or until he was hungry.

"Thanks! I knew I could count on you, kiddo." I said, adding a teasing nickname to the end of my sentence.

"For the last time, Pat. I'm not your kid." Emile reminded me good-naturedly, and hung up. After the call was over, I sighed and sat down at the table to do some more research. I love my friends, I do. I'm closer to them than I ever was to my family. It's just...sometimes, I really wish our lives were different. I often find myself imagining a different universe in which none of us are hunters, Roman still has his family, Logan was able to finish college, and I still had...nevermind. It's stupid. If Logan and I weren't hunters, we probably would never have met. And we definitely would not have met Roman. We get to travel the country and save people. I just...I wish sometimes.

Roman's POV

"Wow, this is where the famous Anxiety sleeps?" I teased as we entered the abandoned cabin that Anxiety was staying at. He nodded.

"Anxiety, could you please direct me to the washroom? I need to use it." Logan said politely.

"Oh, s-sure." he stuttered.

"It's down the hallway and to the right." he said. Logan nodded and marched off, his long legs quickly carrying him over the stained floorboards. I rubbed my hands together.

"So! If you would escort me to your quarters, we can gather your belongings and skedaddle!" I said cheerfully. I was in a ridiculously positive mood for some reason. He led me to a small room upstairs, the only one that wasn't falling apart. He had weapons and clothes scattered all over the room.

"Sorry...it's a mess here. Normally I leave everything messy until I have to leave." Anxiety explained.

"That doesn't sound very efficient." I said, remembering Logan's lecture on packing efficiency. He only shrugged in apology.

"No matter. We are in no rush." I reassured him. Then I bent down and started picking the black clothing off the floor. I made my way over to a small dresser pushed against the wall that had a little plastic box on it. I opened it, revealing at least 10 different colored contact lenses and a small cleaning kit.

"Hey Anx-it's okay if I call you Anx, right?" I asked. He nodded without taking his eyes off of some socks he was matching.

"So, why do you have so many contact lenses, Anx?" I asked. He folded a pair of black socks and looked at me.

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, my eyes are kind of...rare. So when I'm undercover for a case, I usually wear contacts. I also sometimes spray my hair brown so that it covers up the purple. It makes it easier to blend in. Besides, I don't really like my eye colors anyway." he admitted. I almost gasped.

"Why not?" I asked. He shrugged again.

"It doesn't really pay to be different. Worst case, my eyes get me recognized and make me a target for monsters. Best case, my eyes get me singled out and made fun of. I can't win." he explained.

"I think your eyes are beautiful." I confessed in a low voice. Anxiety stared at me, cheeks a bright red. I could feel myself blushing too. Just then, Logan walked in.

"Alright, I'm back. I just got a call from Patton. He said that he-Anxiety? Why is your face so red?"