After what Willa had just witnessed, losing her best friend, she couldn't sleep. She just watched the trees whip past in blurs of dark greens and browns. The sun was starting to rise when she finally just gave in and sat up in her seat. Instead of keeping her watch on the trees, she turned to Riley. He looked like he was in a pensive mood. She just wanted to let the tears fall, as she turned back to the window.
"Do you remember any holidays? From your human life, I mean," she watched his expression in the dark. His facial features didn't change, she wasn't even sure that he'd heard her until he took one hand from the wheel and placed it on hers.

"Just a few," he said, throwing her a sideways glance, "They were pretty quiet, normal." The word normal rang clear in her mind. All of her holidays were spent with her parents drunken friends following each other around her house talking of things she'd become familiar with through her fathers business calls. She smiled at the thought of Riley being normal, her eyes saddened because she knew that she would never have all of him, she would never have that part.

"Did you have any pets?" she looked like a child in this light. Her eyes were low, and her fingers playing with a string from her shirt. Riley looked at Willa with curiosity.

"Why are you so interested? That was then, this is now," he asked puzzled. She looked up, not expecting a question for a response.

"Just curious I guess. I never really got a normal life, I wasn't allowed to have any pets, so I guess I was just trying to find out how you lived, normally." Her eyes were honest. He must have decided it was an acceptable response because he just looked at her and smiled.

"A dog once. I named him Scottie." She laughed at this. It was so cute, so sweet, and innocent. She'd never expected this. Maybe she might be a little more expectant of "Killer" or "Demon", but, not "Scottie".

"Aw, how sweet," she cooed, but the moment was interrupted by another screaming outburst. Riley just held her hand as she squeezed his so hard, he thought she might've crushed all of the bones.

"You're okay, I promise, you'll be okay," he soothed.
After a few moments she stopped screaming. She tried to catch her breath, but it took her a few extra minutes. When she did finally catch her breath, she looked at Riley with tears in her eyes.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked concerned. Willa sniffed, and tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.

"Riley, when is this going to stop? What if it doesn't stop? What if we don't make it in time?" she asked, trying not to let the tears fall, but failing miserably. Riley just took a deep breath and her hand in his.

"Willa, if you think I would let you become a monster, you are incredibly wrong. Carlisle is not the only one who can save you from that fate. I just don't want to risk losing control. Willa, if it comes down to it, I would die a thousand deaths to save you from one," he hesitated a moment, "I love you Willa, that's why I warned Julius about you. That's why I've been following you in the shadows for five years, that's even why I work where I do," Riley's eyes were brimming with tears now. Willa looked away from Riley. She couldn't look at him, so instead she focused on the trees again. How could she have been so unaware of what was going on. She felt foolish. How couldn't she have seen everything that he'd done for her? She now held a new respect for the man who was saving her life. She had to hold back these tears, she couldn't let him see how naive she had been. She was beginning to fall in love with the trees that she turned her gaze towards, to escape the car.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she woke up. She didn't even remember falling asleep. All she knew was that she needed him to know what she knew.

"Riley," she whispered, "I love you too, and I don't know how I know, but, all I know for sure is," she took a deep breath trying to draw up courage, "I would give my life to spend forever with you." Riley looked at her with so many mixed feelings on his face, it was like they were all competing to be the main emotion. Just then, his phone rang, this gave Willa time to force her tears back.

"Hello," he answered slightly irritated.

"Riley," Edward whispered, "I had to go to Malaysia to get out of Carlisle's hearing distance, but, this is important," Riley just nodded his head listening intently.

"You're joking!" he accused, "You're serious? You're not kidding?" Riley looked baffled, "Okay, thanks," Riley laughed as he hung up the phone. Willa looked at Riley Expectantly.

Riley was walking out of the twenty-four hour Texaco gas station; he was holding a medium sized, brown, paper bag. Willa just watched him; she couldn't believe she hadn't seen this before, how he looked at her, and everything he did for her. She blushed in embarrassment. Riley looked at her, confused, as he reached the car. He knelt down in front of her legs, dangling out of her door. She smiled as she looked into his eyes, she knew she loved him. She watched him as he pulled out a bottle of water, and a bottle of extra strength Tylenol. Willa snorted with laughter.

"You've got to be kidding me?" she laughed, "Riley, my head randomly splits in half while spinning around one hundred eighty degrees, and you're giving me Tylenol?"

He laughed with her, "C'mon just try it, no harm no fowl?" He held out four pills and the bottle of water to her. She took it reluctantly.

"Edward said your head will just feel like a really bad migraine, and your veins like you have heartburn in them," Riley explained, so that she would know what to expect.

Soon, Willa drifted off into sleep, she figured it was just the Tylenol at work. She began to dream. Just images at first, then silent scenes, like from a movie. They were all just memories from her childhood. She woke silently from an effective sleep. She yawned and stretched as she read the clock. The green letters read nine seventeen a.m. She had slept a full eight hours without any interruptions.

Riley was standing outside of the car talking to some man. Willa stepped out of the car, taking in her surroundings.

"…So I take a right at that junction?" she heard Riley say.
She walked over to them, "Sorry to interrupt guys, but, Riley, I'm going to find a bathroom."
He nodded, then leaned in for a kiss, "Don't be long," he said as she kissed his lips.

"I won't," she replied.
She walked to the door, a bell rang as she pushed it open. Some old pop song was playing on the speakers. With her hands shoved down in her pockets, she glanced around. The clerk was a middle aged Mexican man, he was reading a newspaper behind the counter.

"Good Morning," she said to the man as she walked towards the "Ladies" sign.
"If you say so," he replied, not looking up from his paper.

She reached the bathroom and pushed the door open. As soon as she did, she was hit by a wave of nausea. The bathroom was disgusting; there was garbage all over the floor, mold on the walls, a shattered mirror, and the first toilet was over flowing. Willa had to cover her mouth and nose with her hand to lighten the dizziness that she felt. She made her way over to the last stall, avoiding as many puddles as possible. As she pushed the door open with her shoe, it made an awful squeak. The stall was cleaner than the floor if that said anything. She removed her hand from her mouth, holding her breath as she unzipped her pants and pulled her panties down. She tried to squat over the toilet without falling over, which she was doing a great job of so far. Just as she finished, a man walked into the bathroom with a foreign accent. She could see him through a crack in the stall. He was on his cell phone speaking in a different language. Willa pulled up her thong, and her pants after drying herself as best as possible. Just as she finished zipping her pants, the mans voice grew louder as he walked towards her stall and kicked the door open.

"There you are," he growled and grabbed her by the hair, dragging her out of the stall. He threw her to the floor. He was more upset about the germs than the fall.

"We were told you would come. Julius sends his love," he said right before kicking her in the face with his steel toed boot, knocking her further to the ground. She could see her own image in the puddle of toilet water that she had landed in. There was a small cut on her cheek, from his boot. She thought to herself, "I feel sorry for you," just as she began to scream.

Riley, still talking to the man, heard her scream and ran for the gas station. When he burst through the door, the Mexican man was leaning over the counter staring in the direction of the bathrooms. Riley ran in the direction in which the man was staring. He burst through the door to see a large man with a fist full of Willa's hair. Riley let out a low growl.

"I highly suggest that you let her go," Riley warned. The man laughed. He was three times bigger than Riley, and Riley was threatening him.

"You must be Riley. Oh yes, I've hear all about you and your infatuation. What will you do, Mr. Riley? Kick my shins?" the mans deep laughter filled the room as he turned back to Willa. Riley pounced on the man, his solid fist connecting with every inch of cold skin as possible. The man fell to the floor with Riley straddling his chest. Riley began to choke the man, using his position to his advantage. The lack of air seemed to have no effect on the man. Riley let out a menacing laugh at this.

"So, you're a vampire then?" Riley had some obvious humor in this.

"You cannot protect her forever, Julius will come for her," the man laughed.

"I will be waiting," Riley replied fiercely. "Willa, hand me a piece of that mirror," Riley said, holding his hand out. "As of now, your death will be quick, but, reach for her, or the glass and I'll make every second count." Willa put the glass in his hand. She turned away and heard the sickening sound of the glass cutting flesh, and a "clink" as it connected with the tiled floor.