A/N: What's this? An update from Jace J? No it can't be! Laughs But yes, it is! I'm really sorry. I had intended to finish the whole thing for Christmas and start the sequel on the day I first started Blood Ties in '04 unfortunately I was unable to do so. If you want to know why I suggest reading my bio.

Disclaimer: Many of the ideas and concepts used here are not mine and never will be. They belong to the wonderful AAR and many others. Angel, Taber, the plot (such as it is), and all other aforementioned characters and concepts belong to none other than me! Use of my stuff with out my express permission will earn the violator a glimpse of my not-so-latent homicidal pyromania. (A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend.)

I started back to school. Oddly they all accepted that a close friend had died and I'd been sick with grief. Accepted that I'd spent the summer caching up. They'd all taken it as an unspoken rule not to speak of it.

It was Friday after the first grueling week of school. If it had been stifling in the school it was almost suffocating hot in the parking lot. I put the key in the lock of my mustang convertible. I had plans that included iced cappuccinos and doing my homework before Taber woke so I could spend the weekend with him.

"Hey, Angel." I glanced up.

"Err… Hullo, Dragon." I said feigning distraction. I unlocked the door and tossed my bag into the other seat. I smoothed down my skirt and sat in the drivers' seat preparing to leave.

"Wait." He said in a more serious tone, almost an order. He walked closer to my car.

"Look I'm kind of in a hurry-" I tried to explain wanting to get away from him. He was always staring at me, in classes, at lunch, whenever. It gave me the creeps.

"Would you like to go out with me tomorrow night?" I must have looked surprised because some of his confidence evaporated.

"I'm sorry. I have plans." I said politely. Well I didn't but no doubt Taber did.

"Some other time then?" He asked. My face softened with a slight look of pity.

"Dragon… I have a boyfriend already." He looked angry.

"Oh, I get it. I guess I'm just that repulsive." He said. He whirled away and stormed off. I realized that he probably thought I was making Taber up because he didn't know Taber. How could he? No one did. Of course I wouldn't call Taber my boyfriend either. He was something- meant something to me. What it was I just didn't know yet. I slammed the car door and turned the key in the ignition. I hooked myself in. I peeled out of the school lot and onto River road. I stopped at coffee shop on my way through North Charleston and got an iced cappuccino. I drove out of the main heart of the city and into Taber's walled off home. I walked boredly into my study and did my homework. That's where Andrea found me an hour and a half later finishing off an essay. The last of my homework.

"Hello, Angel."

"Hi." I said brightly. "How are you?"

"I'm ok." She said smiling. "How's school?"

"Bleh. They say high school years are the best years of your life." I rolled my eyes. "A three page essay for English in the first week!"

"Yeah, high school sucks…" She agreed. "How're… things with Master Taber?" She asked tentatively.

"Fine. Why?" Andrea flushed bright crimson.

"I- I just wondered there was blood on the sheets the other day and Master Taber's been acing oddly and-"

"Blood on the sheets? I didn't have sex with him." I said flatly. Hadn't even considered it. "I must have cut myself or something."

"You know you can tell me anything right?" She asked anxiously. I smiled what I hoped was reassuringly.

"I know." I said. She smiled back.

"Ok. I've gotta go. Have stuff to do." She said and left. I pounded out the last of my essay and printed it. I stood and stretched my blouse riding up. I fixed it and exited the room. I walked slowly to my own bedroom. I peeked in. Taber was curled on his side on top of the sheets. Which meant he hadn't gone to sleep until after one of his servants had come in to clean my room. He was naked from the waist up except for his necklace as usual. He looked peaceful in his sleep. He always did. Until you started to notice he didn't move. Didn't breath. Paranoia set in. How did I know he wasn't dead? How did I know he'd wake? How did I know a Triste hadn't come and stabbed him while I had been gone? I rushed into the room and around the bed. There was no knife handle sticking out of his back. I almost sobbed with relief. I stood there for several minutes admiring him. It startled me a little when he woke. He smiled at me.

"Evening, Angel." He greeted.

"Good evening. Did you sleep well?"

"Of course." He stifled a yawn. A carefully contrived human habit I supposed. "I'm gonna go get dressed." He said needlessly before disappearing. A few minutes later he came back. He dropped a kiss onto my cheek. "Where do you want to go?" He asked. Meaning: I feel like going somewhere, pick a place.

"You remember that place we went at the beginning of August? With all the candles?" I asked. I could feel a headache beginning behind my eyes but didn't want to disappoint him. I savored the sugary taste of the unpronounceable confection I was eating.

"Do you like it?" Taber asked. He was no longer eating but rather drinking from a wine glass that contained God-only-knew-what.

"It's very good." We were sitting on a balcony of the restaurant. Owned by Vampires no doubt but run by humans. After Taber paid we left. We hadn't come by car and we didn't leave by it either. I yawned and glanced at my clock. I did a double take. It was much, much, much later than I had expected. I changed into pajamas and went to sleep while Taber went off to do whatever it is Taber does.

A/N: Yeah the format changed. Yeah it's short. I know. I just couldn't manage day-to-day any more. Maybe I'll do it again in the sequel. Besides I wanted to bring it back round to school. Some of the old concepts are being brought back in. Dragon's obsessive thing. Andrea. And school of course. Weird how Angel doesn't mind Taber's obsession isn't it? Review or Flame. Review will be cherished and flames shall be saved and used upon Mrs. Roberts. (-)

I'M STILL RUNNING MY CONTEST! Simply submit a name for my new story and if we pick it to be the title you win a prize. Entrees must be two to ten words long and must contain the word blood in some form. The prize is a sneak-peak at the sequel along with a poem by me.