Author's Note: I wrote this small one-shot for fun. It's meant to be soon after the ending of Blood and Chocolate, like an epilogue. I just felt like it wasn't all settled between Vivian and Aidan, so I wrote this. It's a phone conversation between the two. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, not even Gabriel –sigh- , they are the property of Annette Curtis Klaus.

I picked up the phone and dialed before I lost the nerve.

I was about to hang up on the fourth ring when he picked it up. I knew it was him, because a second later I heard a hesitant, "Hello?"

"Um. Aidan, it's me, Vivian."

I heard him take a quick breath. "Vivian. I take it that this means you're okay?" he said as if dreading what I had to say.

"All better." I paused while he slowly released his breath, twisting the cord of the phone around my index finger. "Aidan, I'm sorry."

"What do you mean?" he sounded puzzled, miserable, and apologetic himself. "I was the one who – who shot you. Why are you sorry?"

I sighed, looking out my window. It was dusk. "I'm sorry for ever talking to you. I'm sorry for involving you in my life, for showing myself to you and thinking you could handle it. I'm sorry for what happened to Quince and you. And I'm sorry for loving you."

He was quiet for a few moments, and then he said, "I'm sorry about Quince, too. He was a good friend. The best. What do you mean about 'what happened to me'?" He studiously didn't comment on my last sentence.

I shook my head, and then remembered he couldn't see. "Now you'll be afraid. Things lurking around every corner. More hesitant about things. Especially getting close to someone." I said the last sentence in a low voice.

He gave a shaky laugh. "I'm not afraid of getting close to anyone."

I had forgotten about Kelly. "Oh. That's right."

"I didn't really like Kelly, I don't think" he said reflectively, reading my mind. "I was frightened of you. But I was still, bizarrely, attracted to you. But afraid of what you could – can become. Of what you could have done. Maybe I wanted to prove to you, and to myself, that I wasn't scared. And maybe I just wanted to make you jealous." I imagined his naughty grin at the last bit.

"Even if you aren't scared, you won't have to be." I said, coming to the real reason for my call.

"Oh?" he asked casually, and slightly doubtfully. "How's that?"

"We're moving," I said. "The – my family and I are moving." I didn't call it The Pack. It would probably frighten him. "Far enough away that they won't link the deaths to us. Even though Rafe and Astrid are dead, questions will still be asked." I paused, allowing this sink in. "You probably won't ever see me again. So you don't have to worry about any of them coming after you, including me." I didn't mention that there were plenty of other packs around. I wanted to rid him of any possible fear. And –while I couldn't erase what happened- I wanted to ease the pain as much as I could.

He sighed long and hard. "I can't say I'm exactly bummed. I'm sad that I reacted like a freak, and blamed you for the deaths. And you really are amazingly beautiful," I preened. "But I just need to put this behind me."

No words needed to be said about that. We understood each other.

"I'll miss you, Aidan. And keep up the poetry." I said, mentally winking at him.

He laughed, less stressful and more real than he had in a long time. "I don't know about that." He said.

"Goodbye, Aidan."

"Goodbye, Viv." And then, as if he wanted to get it over with, he said so quickly and quietly I almost couldn't hear him, "And I'm not sorry you loved me."

I heard a soft click, and stood holding the phone for a minute.

I had a smile on my face as I went outside to take advantage of the full moon.