Greetings all!

First off, thank you to all those who have reviewed. I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story.

emily & meli: Yes, Star is going to be coming into the picture soon. Just give me a few more chapters and she'll be here. Also if you guys like Paul grins you'll love chapter 9.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It does contain a bit of "fluff" but nothing graphic. I don't do graphic. Also, I might switch the rating of this story to M, depending on what happens in future chapters. But, let's wait and see shall we?

Oh and I have a question to ask, more of a favour really. I'm stuck on how to introduce Laddie into this story. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to e-mail me!

Happy Reading!

Nine Months Later

Well my friend, that was the beginning of it all. From there the Boys claimed Santa Carla as their own, hunting the streets, terrorizing the villagers, bathing in blood…ok I'm exaggerating, but you get the picture. They didn't have a care in the world and loved every minute of it. Honestly, could you blame them? Wouldn't you do the same if you were in the same position? Anyways, they spent the next nine months "sleeping all day and partying all night," as the saying goes. As for myself? I got the part in the Cats Musical and I spent three months in rehearsal and six months performing in Los Angeles. God, by the end of it I swore that I would never wear another white cat suit nor rub my ass against a tire for the rest of my life. How I wish I could do either of those things right now, but now is not the time for that story.

So, after the six-month run was over, I packed up my bags and my cats and moved back to Santa Carla. L.A. just wasn't my cup of tea and well…as much as they pissed me off, I missed those idiots. But I would never give them the satisfaction of knowing it. I may be a space cadet, but I do have my pride. Anyways, after I got settled in and back into the groove of sleeping, eating, working and sleeping some more, I got a surprise visit one night at the dance studio.

"Hey Fay, do you want me to close up, or are you going to do it?" Alice asked as she pranced out of the office in full dance get-up, leg warmers included. It was nine o'clock and the last ballet class had just finished for the day. Between herself, Fay and another dance teacher named Mimi, they managed to teach 35 dance classes throughout the week. It was tough, but it kept you in shape.

"Fay, you listening to me girl?" Alice asked as she poked her head into the first floor studio, only to find it empty. "Now where did she go?" She muttered before a hand suddenly slammed down on her shoulder. Alice shrieked and whirled around to find Fay cackling behind her.

"Shit bitch! Don't do that! You scared the hell out of me!" Alice snapped as Fay snorted back a giggle.

"Hey, it's not my fault that you jump at anything and everything." Fay said as she crouched down and began to re-tie the laces of her point shoes.

"You would too if you had been here for the past decade." Alice snorted as she closed the studio door. "When you left people started to go missing. Not too many at first, but by October even the police were afraid to go out at night. It's not safe here anymore. People are saying that a satanic cult is responsible for all the disappearances. You know, like what happened in Ohio in the 70's." Alice said, chewing on a fingernail.

"Yeah, I'm sure that there are a bunch of guys roaming around out there dressed in robes and chanting evil satanic chants. Really Alice, use your head once in awhile." Fay snorted as she rose back up.

"Then how else would you explain the disappearances?" Alice challenged her, planted her hands on her hips.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe a spaceship flies by once and a while and abducts people. You know, like what happened in Roswell." Fay imitated Alice with a roll of her eyes. C'mon, satanic cults? Please. Paul would get a real kick out of that.

"Fine. Don't believe me. But I've warned you. It's not safe to walk the streets alone any more." Alice said as she turned and went back into the front office to grab her things.

"Has it ever been?" Fay asked as Alice threw on her jacket and shouldered her purse.

"Don't forget to shut off all the lights when you leave. And don't stay here too late. I don't like it when you walk home by yourself." Alice said as she tossed Fay the keys to the studio.

"Yes mother." Fay said as she waved Alice out the door and locked it behind her. She waited until she saw Alice drive away before dashing up the stairs to the second floor. She opened the door and stepped into the large bare room that was her classroom. Man, it felt good to be home. Humming to herself she went over to the corner where she had set up her cassette player and popped in a Bon Jovi tape. Giving her legs a final stretch, Fay moved onto the center of the reinforced dance floor and waited until the music began.

"Shot through the heart, and you're to blame, darling…"

"You give love a bad name." She sang before she kicked off and went into another level of existence as the walls fell away, leaving only the dancer and the dance behind. Despite the point shoes, Fay flipped, twirled, leapt and twisted in mid-air, each time coming to land on her toes before she went into the rest of the routine. The audition judges back in Los Angeles had been surprised to see her dance, a mix of ballet, street dancing, hip-hop and gymnastics all done on point. For the average dancer, Fay's style would have meant busted ankles and pulled hamstrings, but when you have the reflexes of a cat, anything is possible.

Two minutes and thirty seconds into the song, Fay was completely unaware of anything around her, which was why she leapt ten feet into the air and came down hissing when a hand brushed her arm.

"Whoa! Easy there babe!" A familiar voice said as Fay whirled around, fingers hooked into claws. Paul instantly backed up, just incase she leapt at him, but the expected claw attack never came.

"Jesus Paul! I just lost two lives because of you." She breathed as she put a hand on her chest, trying to calm down. Paul's face split into a sly grin as he walked towards her, arms spread wide.

"What? No hug?" He asked innocently, but Fay just rolled her eyes.

"So you can feel me up? I don't think so." She said as she crossed her arms over her chest as Paul's eyes traveled up and down. Oh, how he loved those tight dance outfits.

"Who me? I would never do that to you Fay." Paul said as his eyes lingered just above the leg warmers. Fay just raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, fine, maybe I would. But hey, you know you love me." He said and knew that she wouldn't deny it.

"Paul, you're a sex-crazed dog, do you know that?" Fay asked him as she walked over to the cassette player and turned it off. A dog bark was his reply.

"Oh god." She snorted as she unplugged the player and wrapped the chord around it. "So, dare I ask why you are here? Or would it be better if I didn't know?" She was just about to pick up the player when she felt Paul's presence behind her, a little too close for comfort.

"I'll give you three guesses." He murmured in her ear as his arms snaked around her waist, trapping her to him. Talk about invading personal space.

"Um…Paul?" Fay said with a non-amused look that he didn't see, due to the fact that her back was turned to him.

"Yeah?" He answered huskily as he began to nuzzle her neck, one hand creeping up across her stomach.

"Dwayne's right behind you." She said. Paul let her go in an instant and turned around, looking like a kid who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, only to be greeted with an empty room.

"Oops, my bad." She said with a small shrug as Paul shot her a dirty look.

"Funny." He muttered as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. There was an awkward silence as Fay put the cassette player away. She busied herself unlacing her point shoes, taking as much time as possible to do so.

"What do you see in him anyways?" He asked. Fay glanced up at Paul, regarding him as he slumped against the wall staring moodily up at the ceiling.

"The same thing I see in you." She said, catching Paul's undivided attention. "A guy who is in need of a serious ass-kicking."

"Christ Fay, don't tell me you're still mad about what happened." Paul groaned as he leaned his head against the wall. The Boys had known that she had come back to Santa Carla, but no one had gone to check up on her since she had arrived. David knew better than to go himself, seeing that it would probably end up in some dominance spat between the two of them and Marko didn't know how to face her. Dwayne had been moody during the last few months and no one knew where he was half the time. So that only left Paul to lead the welcome wagon, but if Paul went Dwayne would probably beat the stuffing out of him. The guy had a jealous streak a mile long. So, you can see how tender the entire situation is.

"What do you think Paul? Honestly. Do you think that I would just forget about it?" Fay said, her voice leveled and calm as she sat on the floor, tucking her legs under her as she did so.

"No, but…" Paul said before Fay raised an eyebrow.

"But what Paul?" She asked, tapping her nails on the floor, keeping the tempo of a tune that was in her head.

"Ok, listen Fay." Paul said as he pushed off from the wall. Fay watched him as he sunk down to the floor and sat beside her. "I know you're pissed about what happened. Just hear me out before you rile my ass will you? Ok, you're pissed and you have a right to be. But it's been nine months Fay and we haven't complained once. Hell, if anything, Marko is better for it. We're able to do things that would blow your mind Fay. We both know that David can be a prick at times, but he does it for a reason. He didn't choose us just to piss you off Fay you got to believe me. If it weren't for him, Marko and I would have probably ended up dead in some ditch along the 23. Yeah, a few months ago our old problem came back to haunt us. Luckily, guns can't kill us, but getting shot fucking hurts like hell." Paul explained, unconsciously pressing his arm to his side as he remembered the run in with Don and his posse. Even though Paul and the others were vampires, it still turned out to be brutal blood bath. Getting your side blasted open by a shotgun was no laughing matter and it had taken a good month until the four of them were back in top condition.

Fay regarded him with an expressionless look as he explained what had happened afterward. It seemed that the Boys had seen a lot of action while she was away. Rouge vampires, serial killers and a few stake happy armature hunters had come and gone in the span of nine months. At least things never got boring around here.

"And plus, Santa Carla hasn't been the same without its Crazy Cat Lady." He said, coaxing a smile out of her as he gave her his best pity-kitty look.

"Yeah, this cat lady has been the proverbial bitch when she's got no one to boss around." Fay said with a half smile to mirror Paul's grin.

"So, are we forgiven?" He asked her, inching closer to her. Fay didn't say anything for a while as she looked past Paul, staring out into space.

"Yeah, I'd say so. It's hard trying to stay mad at your four. You guys are like fleas, annoying as hell but great to watch. Especially when you're on those little trapezes and see-saws." She explained miming a mini flea circus with her hands.

"So you sayin' you like bugs?" He asked as he pounced, wrapping his arms around her in a bear hug.

"Gah, no. I'd sooner swat a bug then kiss one." She said as she struggled to pry Paul's arms off of her. Sometimes the guy didn't even know his own strength. "Ok Paul. Need air here." She gasped.

"Sorry babe." He apologized sheepishly as he loosened his hold. "Then it's a good thing I'm not a bug."

"No, you're just a horny teddy bear with bad breath." She mused as she poked him in the side with a finger. Paul gave a mock growl as Fay laughed and wiggled out of her grasp. "Ok Cujo. You stay here and try to behave yourself for five minutes while I get changed."

"Why? You look so good in tight clothes." Paul said, enjoying the view from where he was sitting.

"The day I go out in public wearing legwarmers is the day I start liking dogs. It ain't happening." She snorted as she pirouetted neatly. "Be right back and don't touch anything." She said as she vanished through the doorway. Paul eyed the studio for a few minutes and soon got bored. True to her word, after five minutes she was ready and caught Paul snooping around the studio office. After Fay locked the place up, the two of them headed towards the boardwalk, arms linked around each other and chatting up a storm as if the past nine month had never happened.

"I gotta ask you a question." Paul said as they rounded a corner and came in view of the brilliant lights and tinny music of the carousel.

"Ok, shoot." Fay said as she adjusted the strap of her purse so that it rested across her chest and not just over one shoulder.

"What is up with you and those knives? I mean, are you a street fighter or something?" Paul asked as he inconspicuously plucked a branch of cotton candy off of the display stand that they passed without anyone noticing and handed it to Fay.

"No, not a street fighter. I'm a knife fighter. Participate in competitions all over the country and stuff like that. There aren't many women in it, but hey, I figured that I was going to need to learn how to protect myself so I took up knife fighting. I suck at hand-to-hand combat but give me a blade and I'll give you what for." Fay said as she nibbled at the candyfloss. Paul reached over and tore off a hunk of the stuff. Fay choked back a laugh as he practically inhaled the stuff.

"Not many girls would know the blade of a knife from its handle. I must admit it isn't something you hear every day. But it explains a lot." He said as he stretched and rested his arm over Fay's shoulders. When Fay didn't shrug him off, he continued. "So, you dance, you knife fight, you have like a million cats and you are a voodoo practitioner. That's quite the resume."

"You bet it is. I've worked my ass off to get this far and I'm damn proud of it. Leave the simple-mindedness of the norm to the airheads and the poor fools of society. I'll take the path less traveled thank you very much." She said as she wrapped her arms around herself. Even though they were on the Pacific coast, the air coming off the water was chilly during the late fall months. Paul didn't seem to notice as he stole a bit more floss off of the paper cone that Fay was holding.

"There's something on the wind Paul. I can smell it." Fay murmured quietly as they kept to the railing, away from the surging crowd.

"What do you mean?" He asked as he crumpled the cone and tossed it over his shoulder.

"I don't know. It's been bothering me for a while now. It's…something is going to happen soon. Don't know what, which is weird in itself but…oh I don't know." She muttered, scratching her elbow and wishing that she had brought a jacket along. Sometimes she just forgot the necessities of life i.e. warmth.

"You don't know? You're supposed to be the Oracle of Santa Carla, how can you not know? What, did your crystal ball break or something?" Paul joked, misinterpreting Fay's concerned frown for mere annoyance.

"Whatever." Fay sighed, holding back whatever it was she was going to say. Paul gave her a curious look. He wasn't good at this whole "fortune telling" thing. Half of him hardly believed it, but after getting a taste of what Fay was capable of, he figured it was best to take her word for it. David would know what she was talking about. He had the head for this sort of thing. They walked in silence, each one lost in their own thoughts as the ignorant peasantry of the nightlife flowed past them, like water swirling around a rock in a stream. It was the sudden unexpected appearance of Dwayne that brought them out of their revelries.

"Mind if I join the conversation?" He asked as he suddenly appeared on the opposite side of Fay. Fay blinked in surprise, having been caught unawares while Paul just rolled his eyes. So much for some alone time.

"Hey Dwayne." Fay said with a small smile as the vampire draped his leather jacket over his shoulders, nearly engulfing her completely in the large jacket.

"Ah, so she smiles. I'm guessing knucklehead here has managed to convince you that we aren't Satan spawn after all?" He asked, looking at Fay and then at Paul. Paul gave him a surly look and muttered something under his breath. The two of them may have to live together in a pack, but they still tended to butt heads now and again. After all, boys will be boys.

"Yes, sadly I have allowed myself to be duped by Dionysus' charms." Fay said in mock exasperation as she looked up to the sky.

"Who's Dionysus?" Paul asked curiously.

"A Greek man-whore god. A blonde one at that." Fay replied. Paul stood a little straighter and gave Dwayne a smug look. Hey, who's the one who was compared to a god? That's right, right here.

"Oh brother." She said with a shake of her head as she caught Dwayne's warning glare out of the corner of her eye. "Will you two ever learn to play nice?"

"Not in this lifetime." Dwayne said with a toothy grin.

"Why am I not surprised?" She muttered.

"Paul, David wants you back at the cave." Dwayne said as the three of them stepped off the boardwalk and onto the beach.

"Why?" Paul asked, unable to keep the hint of annoyance out of his voice.

"Because he needs to speak with you. If I were you, I'd move my ass before he kicks it." Dwayne shot back, his tone startling Fay slightly. Ok, someone was a bit temperamental.

"Fine." Paul growled, knowing full well that when he left he wouldn't be able to find the two afterward. Typical Dwayne. "I'll see ya later Fay. And make sure this shmuck doesn't do anything stupid." Paul said, giving Fay a wink before he left them and headed for the shadows.

"I thought he'd never leave." Dwayne said, his arm taking the position that Paul's had vacated.

"Dwayne, I am surprised at you. Abusing your position in such an amateur way. Really, you should be ashamed." Fay said in false haughty tones as she snuggled closer to Dwayne, something he did not mind in the least bit. "He's going to be pissed."

"Good for him. He knows where he stands." Dwayne snorted.

"What am I going to do with you guys? I'm back and nothing's changed. I really should go talk to David." She said, switching the topic of conversation.

"Why? It wouldn't be the smartest of things to stick you and David in the same room together. You two just might kill each other." Dwayne said, knowing full well that the time apart hadn't changed Fay's opinion of the vampire leader and vice versa.

"Well, I've been thinking and I think it's time to bury the hatchet." Fay said as they walked along the tide line, away from the bonfires and the blaring music.

"Yeah, in his back knowing you." Dwayne said giving her a knowing look.

"Ok, maybe not to the point that we're buddy buddy here, but if he knows what's good for all of you, he'll swallow his pride and come to some sort of neutral understanding." Fay said truthfully. Both her and Dwayne looked at each other for a moment before shaking their heads. "You're right. It won't happen."

"This is David we're talking about. It's his way or the highway, but without the highway option." Dwayne said with an amused grin.

"Well, it's worth a shot. But if he still insists on being a prat I might just have to turn him into a frog." Fay said matter-of-factly.

"You can do that?" Dwayne asked, curious.

"God Dwayne, do you believe everything you read? No, I cannot turn people into frogs. Witches are so overly stereotyped these days." Fay said with an annoyed growl.

"Just like us vampires. Everyone thinks that we're demonic man-eaters who want to destroy the world. Ok, we kill people but we aren't out for world domination. God, who wants to do that? The world is fucked up enough, no need to go making it worse." Dwayne said, looking out over the water. The half moon was shining brightly as it peaked out behind a dark cloud.

"Wow Dwayne I'm impressed. You can think outside of the box." Fay chuckled as she wrapped his jacket tightly around her. God it was cold.

"I hope you're shivering from the cold and not from me." Dwayne said as he wrapped a bare arm around her shoulders. The night air didn't affect him in the least bit because when you are undead, you're always cold.

"Ha, don't give yourself too much credit." She snorted as she burrowed deeper into the jacket, her eyes just peeping out above the collar. Dwayne chuckled at the sight of Fay, unable to help himself. For all the world she looked like a pissed-off turtle hiding in its shell.

"Don't laugh. It's cold." Fay growled as she gave him a scathing look.

"I'm sorry." He grinned, even though it was obvious that he wasn't. "Why don't we leave the surf and turf and go back to your place? I don't know about you, but I'm not diggin' this whole stroll by moonlight thing." He said, looking down at her as she peered up at him.

"You've read my mind." Fay murmured as she slipped her arms through the sleeves of his jacket, adjusting it so that she was as covered as possible. "Where'd you park that hellish machine of yours?" She asked, looking over her shoulder towards the boardwalk.

"I was thinking we'd take a different route." He said as he wrapped both arms around her, securing her to his side.

"What? Wait…oh no. No Dwayne, we are not flying. I'm afraid of flying! Dwayne!" She yowled as she tried to claw herself away from him. Dwayne just laughed and before Fay could screech out something colourful, they were airborne and left the beach behind. Fay just clung on for dear life and kept her eyes squeezed shut throughout the entire flight, while Dwayne reveled in riding the air currents. If there was one thing that got Fay queasy, it was flying. She despised airplanes and the idea of being miles above the ground didn't sit well with the land born feral woman. When they touched down on her porch, Fay was ready to blast him one that he would never forget. But she never got the chance to give him a piece of her mind because Dwayne was a split second faster. Before either of them knew it, they were lip-locked up against the door in full view of the entire neighbourhood. But did they care? Hell no. Fay ran one hand through his hair while she tried to twist the door handle with the other, but the damn thing was locked.

"Shit." She growled, momentarily parting her lips from Dwayne's as she tried to dig out her keys from her purse.

"Let me." Dwayne murmured as he grabbed the door handle and wrenched it to the side, breaking the lock and smacked the door open with the palm of his hand. He grinned as he looked down at Fay who growled seductively and pounced, both of them falling straight into the front entrance, knocking aside a potted vase that fell onto the floor with a crash. One of them kicked the door shut and before they got halfway to the bedroom, clothing was scattered all over the house.

"You animal." Dwayne grinned as Fay pushed him into the bedroom.

"God you have no idea." She said as she followed him in and slammed the door shut behind her. And the door stayed shut for the rest of the night and throughout the next day. And during all this time, not a single one of Fay's cats was to be seen inside the house. Talk about a bunch of smart felines.