Thanks so so so much to Lex and Keri for reviewing, I worship you. Please review. The song is 'Feels Way Too Damn Good' by Nickelback.

Chapter 4

Now that you're here I just feel like I'm constantly dreaming
Well something's gotta go wrong 'cause I'm feelin' way too damn good

Shea looked out at the ocean all around her. The beach was completely empty, and the waves broke on the shore violently. The sky was gloomy gray. Some one wrapped their arms around her; she closed her eyes. "You're not really here," she whispered.

"Are either of us really here?" Ryder asked her.

Shea turned around and took a step back, "You're dead, Ryder. You died a month ago"

"It's not so bad really," he said, "Lonely, though."

"You know you're dead? You're not just a figment of my imagination?"

"Here in the hypothetical flesh."

Shea's response was unexpected, "What are you doing here? Damnit, Ryder, you're screwing up my life!"

"You think I don't know that? I won't lie and say that I didn't want to see you, but that's not the reason I'm here." He looked her straight in the eye, "I need to warn you."

Shea crossed her arms, "Doesn't this sound familiar?"

"Things aren't right on your plane of existence."

"No shit, really?"

"Will you can the sarcasm for just one minutes, hon?"

"Fine."

"Something happened that shouldn't have, I don't know what, and…whoever handles these things is trying to fix it."

"And…?"

"If Circle Daybreak is destroyed before things are fixed, the powers that be, or whatever, don't know if things can be fixed."

"Huh?"

"I'm just the messenger, I don't need to understand the message."

She crossed her arms and turned around to face the turbulent water, "That's stupid."

"Oh," he said, remembering something, "Emily Braxton's the key. She can fix this."

"She's dead." Shea turned around, but Ryder was already gone.

Rena opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment. She couldn't remember where she was, then it hit her, she was in the Daybreak house she'd been living in for the past month. The shower was running. Tiegra and the twins were still lumps under their comforters, so it had to be Shea. She rolled out of her bed and threw a sweatshirt on over her spaghetti strap top.

"You're up late," Timon said when she entered the kitchen. She growled at him and looked at the coffee mug in his hand. He held it possessively close to his body. Rena rolled her eyes and poured herself a mug full with a healthy dose of cream and sugar. "Would you like a little coffee with your sugar?" Timon asked.

Rena growled again.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the den this morning."

Ramon walked in and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Good morning," he said.

"Little wolf there," Timon said, "Isn't in a good mood this morning."

"Is she ever?" Ramon asked.

"Quit talking about me like I'm not here," Rena mumbled. A few minutes later, Shea walked out of the girls' room fully clothed. She walked through the kitchen and out the door without saying a word to anyone, seemingly lost in thought. "What's her problem?" Rena asked. Ramon and Timon shrugged.

Timon checked his watch, "I've got places to be," he said, "See ya'll later." Rena and Ramon waved.

After Timon closed the door Ramon said, "I've got some places to go today. Want to come with me?"

"Sure," Rena replied.

Ramon looked at the clock on the oven. "We'll leave around noon."

"Cool."

***

Shea started running the moment the door to the house closed behind her. There was a bus stop about a mile from the house; she went there. A few miles out of Los Angeles there was a beautiful old Spanish cemetery that Shea had admired since she had first seen it. The bus scheduled to arrive at 10:08 wouldn't take her directly there, but it would be close enough to walk when she got off. No one stared at her as she boarded the bus. It seemed that no one stared at anyone in LA, and the only people one was allowed to talk to had to be connected to a wireless plan. With rollover minutes.

Fifteen terrifying minutes later the bus that had been doing eighty down the expressway came to a screeching halt so it could exit. When it stopped, Shea got off. It was almost a three-mile walk to the cemetery, but that was nothing to a vampire with almost unlimited reservoirs of energy.

All of the tombstones, dating back into the early 1800's were evenly spaced over about a quarter square mile. Shea sat down on a metal bench when she entered. A few people were sitting, or crouching, in front of gravestones. No one was near her. However, a few moments later, an elderly man sat down next to her.

"My family's already gone to the grave," he explained, "But I need to sit down every so often. It's this damn arthritis, and my bum hip."

"What?" asked Shea.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the man said. He put out his hand, "I'm Earl. My wife's, God rest her soul, sister, Emma, died a few days ago, broke her hip. We're burying her today, right over there," he pointed to a funeral procession several feet away. "Seems everyone I know is dying these days."

"I know the feeling," Shea muttered.

"You do, don't you? I can see it in your eyes. It's a pity really, all of that pain in one so young as you. Where is he buried?"

"What makes you think it's a he?" she crossed her arms.

"When I lost my Molly, what? Twenty, twenty five years ago, I had that very same look here," he pointed at his eyes. "You don't have that look in your eyes when you lose a friend."

"Still," she insisted, "I could be a lesbian."

Earl gave a hoot of laughter, "Okay, so where is she buried?"

Shea rolled her eyes, "It's a he, and he's not."

"I don't understand."

"He was killed about a month ago, but the house we were in caught fire and collapsed. His body was never recovered."

"You blame yourself."

"No I don't. It couldn't have been stopped by me."

"Just because you say it doesn't mean you believe it. When my Molly died I blamed myself for almost a decade."

"What happened?"

"Cancer."

"Then why did you blame yourself? She was sick, not killed."

"You're eyes may be old, girlie," he shook his head, "But it seems the rest of you is still very young. You loved him, he was your first, right?"

"I'm seventeen years old, of course he wasn't my first. There were at least three guys before him," she tilted her chin up.

Earl gave another hoot, "You're a riot, kid. I wasn't talking about…that. You're first love, not boink."

Shea's eyes widened, she coughed, "Yeah," she muttered, "I guess."

"It shattered me to loose Molly, and we knew it was coming, but still that day, June 22nd, I remember it like it was yesterday, I cried, and cried, and cried." He dabbed his eyes, "Well there I go." He smiled a watery smile. "The bottom line is that no one is ever ready to let go of anyone they love. Don't let it eat at you like I did, you have a very long life ahead of you."

A woman in church clothes walked up to their bench, "Dad! Everyone has been looking for you, come on."

"It's been nice talking to you, girl. Remember what I said." He stood up stiffly.

As he walked away, Shea whispered, "I will, Earl, I will."

***

"Hurry up, Rena," said Ramon checking his watch, "We need to leave now."

Rena walked out of the girl's room, "Do I look dazzling?" she asked.

"You look fine, come on." He grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the door.

"Let me at least put on my shoes."

"Just hurry up."

She rolled her eyes, "You said that already. What's the rush, anyway?"

" I want to beat the lunch crowd."

"You're taking me to lunch?"

"Yeah, now come on."

They boarded a bus and headed for the city. The hard plastic of the seat was uncomfortable and Rena kept fidgeting. "Where are we going?" Rena asked as the bus drove past an exit on the freeway that would take them to where most of the affordable, but good, food places were in downtown.

"Hollywood."

"Fun," she kept staring out the window. They didn't go into any part of Hollywood she knew, or that she cared to know. It was dingy. There were homeless people on the streets; some were begging for money, others were too drunk or high to do anything. I thought Hollywood was supposed to be glamorous, she thought. Right next-door to an 'Adult' shop she saw all kinds of wigs and make up in a window. Grit and Glam, that's it.

Ramon touched her arm. "Come on, this is our stop." Rena stood up. As the walked to the door the metal floor creaked under them. They got off and walked a few blocks. "This is it," said Ramon.

It was a Mexican restaurant called Carcomido. "You sure they serve food in there?" Rena asked.

"Looks can be deceiving." He said.

Rena narrowed her eyes, "Whenever someone says that things are usually worse than they seem."

Ramon shrugged. "An informant of mine works here."

"An informant?"

"Yes, but when we go in there act like you don't know. He might try to run if he knows I brought another Daybreaker."

"Okay," she gave the restaurant another wary glance. "I always said I'd try anything once," she muttered.

Ramon laughed and gave her a strange look.

"What?"

"You're amazing," he said almost whispering.

"Of course, that's why you love me."

"Yeah," he said, "Yeah, I do."

Rena beamed. "Let's go in there before I lose my nerve." Ramon put his arm around her shoulders and they walked the stained brownish yellow door. It was even worse than Rena imagined. As they walked to their table it was an effort pick up their feet. "When was the last time they mopped this floor?"

"You don't want to know, hon."

When they got to their booth Rena looked at the ripped red vinyl, "That better be white out on the seat," she said.

"Why don't you just sit next to me?"

"Yeah, I like that idea." Rena sat down on the other side of the booth.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," said Ramon, "Felipe should have his break soon. Just order me a soda or something else non-toxic." He turned toward the kitchen, but quickly turned back around, "I wouldn't suggest ordering any food."

As he fled to the back, Rena stared after him in disbelief. After almost ten minutes of waiting a waitress came to the table for her drink order. "What do you want to drink?"

"Two cokes."

"Fine." The girl walked off with the order.

"They still haven't figured out who he is?" Rena heard a woman's voice say.

"Of course not, he is the best, I should know." Said another woman. They must have been sitting in a booth near her.

"You would, Corvina. Didn't you train him?"

"Yes, Gen, I did."

"What was his name again, I haven't seen the boy in so long."

"You know it's ---"

"Here's your drinks," said the waitress. "Do you want food?"

"I'll wait for my boyfriend to get back," Rena smiled politely.

The waitress made a face and walked away.

A few minutes later Ramon came back. "Miss me?" He sat down next to her.

"Always, dearest." She looked around. "Can we get out of here? The stench is getting to me?"

"You get used to it after a while," Rena hit him on the arm, "Ow," he said. "I've got an idea, come on." He threw some bills down on the table and pulled her out the door. They walked to the bus stop hand in hand.

After almost twenty minutes, Rena asked, "Are we ever going to get off this bus?"

"Be patient, it's just a few more stops away." It was almost twenty minutes later when Ramon stood up, "Come on," he said. "We're as close as we'll get by vehicle."

"I don't think I like the sound of this."

Ramon looked her in the eye, "Trust me," he smiled.

"I do. Where are we going?"

"Follow me." They walked for a mile or so until they were almost in the desert. Ramon turned so he was standing right in front of Rena, "Run with me?" he asked.

Rena nodded. Almost immediately they shifted, Ramon into a gray wolf, and Rena into a black one with a white spot in the middle of her eyes. Ramon bounded off; Rena chased after him feeling better than she had in a long time leaving behind human emotion.

***

Where is it? Tiegra kept asking herself. "I know I saved that book." She muttered. "Ramon's room!" it came out of nowhere. But it had to be in there. She walked into the boys' room, and started to look around. She ruffled through a pile of papers and cut her finger. Hissing she picked up the sheet and promptly dropped it. "No," she said, more trying to convincer herself she hadn't seen it than out of disbelief. She picked it up again, "Oh, how could you?" she asked.

And it's like every time I turn around
I fall in love and find my heart face down
And where it lands is where it should
This time it's like the two of us should probably start to fight
'Cause something's gotta go wrong 'cause I'm feelin' way too damn good

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