Nicks POV

Nick couldn't stand it. He had to tell her; otherwise she would run to the police first chance she got. But if he told her, she would have to die. He had too many enemies, and if they found out she knew about him, they could use her to get to him. It was too dangerous. Plus, Nick wasn't to sure about the dog, Dakota. The dog which had just matched him to the murder victim. He would have to think seriously about this. Brook was off in her own world it seemed, and Dakota was happily lying on the grass, snoozing. Nick cleared his throat. Brook turned and looked at him, and again, he felt and odd kind of feeling he only knew as a crush. But he knew that crushes could lead to death for him, and it almost broke his heart to deny her of what he had been holding inside for so long.

"I still can't tell you, and you have no idea how much I want to tell you, but if I do…" his sentence trailed off. She nodded, her liquid brown eyes showing the same hard, clear expression, but a small hint of understanding was glimmering around the edges. He knew that if he wanted to, he could read her mind, but he sickened at the idea. She seemed to resign herself to not being told, and stood up. Dakota jerked himself awake, and yawned sleepily, and Nick was again reminded of his attack. But being a vampire, it hadn't hurt him, but he still warily regarded those long fangs. She sighed, and looked at him.

"I would still really like to know, but I know a stubborn person when I see one, being one myself. And I'm not going to waste my breath trying to talk it out of you, and it would be wrong to use force, namely Dakota, to get it out of you. So, when you're fifty, I'll search your name in the web, and ring you. Then I'll get it out of you."

Nick almost laughed. It would be a long time until he was fifty. All eternity in fact.

"Good luck with that." He said. He regretted saying it the moment it popped out of his mouth. She looked slightly hurt. He silently cursed his harshness. She must have been peed off, because she flicked her hair over her shoulder, and jogged off.

"I'll see you around." She called over her shoulder.

"You will." He said, just loudly enough for her to hear. He turned, and walked the opposite way out of the park. He had heard about a party tonight, down along one of the main streets. It sounded good. He hadn't partied for a while now. It would be fun.

And not to feed, just for the sake of partying. If I am going to live forever, I might as well enjoy it. One side of his conscience said.

But what if you lose control? The other fussed. Nick grinned to himself.

I won't.

Brook's POV

When she got home, the first thing she did was have a shower. The warm water felt so good, she stayed in much longer than she meant to. She got dressed into some casual clothes and checked her calendar. She almost fainted. She had a friend coming over at eleven, and it was already nine. She rushed out to the shops, and brought chips and dip, some fizzy, and whipped up a platter of meat and salad stuff, along with some bread. She set it out on the table as best she could, and only just in time.

Ding-dong-a-ding.

Her doorbell emitted a short tune, signalling her friend's arrival. She opened the door to a slim girl with sleek red hair that hung just to her shoulders. Her face was dusted with freckles the same colour as her hair, and her lively blue eyes shone with excitement above a wide smile.

"Liza! You made it!" Brook cried. Liza's smile grew even wider, as she waved two tickets around.

"Guess what these are!" Liza said. Brook looked at her oddly.

"Ummm. Tickets to a new movie?" Liza feigned shock.

"These," She said, "Are tickets to get into tonight's party."

Brook led her inside, and demanded she sit, and plonked the platter in front of her. She listened intently to Liza's lecture on tonight's party on one of the main streets and why she should come. By the time it was finished, the platter was nearly empty and Brook was thoroughly convinced that the party was going to be a smash. Brook was to meet Liza at the bus stop down the street, and then party the night away! By the time Liza had left, she had two hours to get ready. She showered, and picked out a range of clothes to wear. There was a combination of a long, deep blue skirt and a sky blue, frilly sleeveless top and denim flare jeans with a swirly pattern sewn onto the thighs in silver thread, and a bell sleeved green shirt with a sparkly material and bell shaped sleeves. She tried both on, and settled for the jeans. Then she did her hair up in a sleek bun with a few locks hanging out, then one at the front to frame her face. She slipped on some flat soled shoes because she new she'd be dancing. She shoved her phone into her handbag (green to match her shirt), some lipgloss, and a few extra hairbands.

She took her keys off the key hook, and walked out the front door with twenty minutes to spare. She walked to the bus stop, and took a seat. After a while, she had an odd sensation of being watched. The hairs on the back of her neck started to prickle, and she grew fidgety and nervous. Then Liza walked around the corner, and the sensation abruptly vanished. Liza was wearing a light white jacket, with a black sleeveless top underneath.

"Liza" she called. Liza gave an answering flick of her hair, and strutted towards Brook.

"You show-off."

"Well, why not?"

Just then, a bright yellow taxi turned the corner. Liza waved it over and opened the door, waving Brook inside. She slid in over the back seat, and caught Liza's handbag before it hit her in the face. Liza grinned impishly at her, before telling the taxi driver where the party was, and waving for him to go.

As they drove through the city, Liza told her about her tickets to some concert, and then babbled on about some sale at one of the clothes warehouses. They arrived at a brightly lit club, from which a steady throb of music came. They paid the cab driver, and Brook noticed that the whole time they did, he had been staring at Liza.

Liza's charm strikes again. She thought, chuckling. There was a cue of people waiting to go inside, but Liza just marched right up to the bouncer, and waved the tickets in front his face. The bouncer then unhooked the chain across the doorway, and waved them inside. As they stepped into the flashing lights and beat of the music, Brook found herself whisked up in the beat and flash of the lights, and joined Liza in dancing. She stopped only to grab a drink, or something to eat. But the whole time, as she was dancing, she would catch one particular guy staring at her. As the light kept changing, she could only see the man's dark hair, black or brown; she wasn't sure, covering most of his face, and his piercing gaze. She could only shiver and dance on.

Halfway through the party, Liza stopped dancing, and dragged Brook over to a table. Her eyes were glittering with excitement but she was exhausted.

"What do you think?" She said.

"It's good." Brook answered. "Very good."

They grabbed drinks and sat sipping for a while. Brook felt the mans gaze on her, and casually swept the crowd of dancers, finding the man standing by the opposite wall. There the light was brighter, and Brook could make out that he had dark brown hair and high cheekbones. He looked unnervingly like Nick. But his eyes were still hidden. If the man felt her gaze sweep over him, he took no notice. But as she got up to dance again, the man shifted his position so he was closer to the dance floor. Brook slowly, deliberately moved into the centre of the dancers, and then back out again, so that the man would think she was just dancing. But as she did this, she edged towards Liza. As she danced next to her friend, she motioned to a table, signalling a break. Liza reluctantly stopped, and followed Brook to the table.

"I'm gonna go, I'm feeling a bit light headed. I'll see you tomorrow." She half shouted over the music. Liza nodded; her mind still on dancing. Brook waved as she weaved her way through the crowds towards the exit, which was also the entrance. The night air was cold as Brook stepped out into the street. She walked around the corner and continued down the path towards her house. It wasn't far, so she decided to walk. Though it was near midnight, the city streets were still crowded. Brook walked on, and stopped at a set of lights. In the corner of her vision she saw the same man that had been watching her at the party had followed her and was leaning on the side of a building, still watching her with his piercing gaze.

She felt panic, and set off across the street with more speed than she needed. She headed towards the North gate of the park. She walked calmly through them, though the park was dangerous at night, she would take her chances with the drunk and whoever else was wandering the park. Of all things she wanted now, she wanted Dakota. She had gotten used to listening for signs of trouble by watching her dog. He would react differently to trouble then when he was scared. She walked down the park, hearing only the crunch of gravel under her feet. Lamps lit her path, and she was glad for the occasional couple or group of party kids. But when she got to somewhere near the centre of the park, she found herself alone. She stopped, and pretended that her mobile had gone off as an excuse to listen for any followers. As she did, she heard the faint sound of footsteps behind her. Whoever it was, they had stopped just in time. She shoved her phone into her pocket, and continued walking, still listening. Sure enough, there was footsteps. She got more and more nervous, and the footsteps got closer, her follower somehow sensing her nervousness. Finally, she broke into a run, and sprinted down the path. Her stalker responded with an echoing laugh, and Brook could hear his easy lope behind her. He was rested, and probably stronger. Fear and determination not to be caught fuelled her haste. She skidded around a sharp corner and straight into someone. In a tangled rush of thoughts, she took in jade eyes and a long brown fringe.

"What the-?" Nick spluttered. Brook was so on edge, she jumped off, and was about to run, when Nick's steel grip caught her around the waist. "What's wrong?"

Brook managed to squeak out her situation, and telling someone seemed to calm her a little bit. Nick's eyes widened with shock, and he opened his mouth to say something when Brooks's stalker walked casually around the corner. Nick narrowed his eyes and stood in front of Brook. The man, who in the light of the lamp looked about twenty eight, maybe thirty, sneered.

"Isn't this sweet. You've found yourself some poor boy walking in the park to protect you. To bad he has to be thoroughly crushed." Nick almost growled, Brook could've sworn he did. The mans leer grew and his eyes shone with cruel, silent laughter.

"Since your young, I'll let you start." He offered. Nick tensed, and one second, he was next to Brook, the next, he was slamming his shoulder into the mans chest. Nick jumper back, fists raised. Brook jumped out of the way, and could only watch as the man lunged for Nick, tackling him, only to be pushed off as Nick surged upwards. Brook saw a look of pure fury frozen upon Nick's face. In that split second, Brook saw Nick's lip peeled back to reveal straight white teeth, his emerald eyes on fire, his brow set in an angry line and an almost snarl, more a roar, ripping from his mouth as he hurled the man off him. He surged up and barrelled into the man, tackling someone almost twice his size, lifting him off the ground before smashing him to the ground. Nick pulled the man up, and hurled him in an arc, into the ground. He then kneeled beside the man, one knee on his chest, both hands gripping the mans collar.

"Thoroughly crushed eh?" he said, so low that he was almost growling the words. The man made a sudden jerk to the left grabbing Nicks collar and rolling so he now had Nick pinned on the ground. "Yes, thoroughly crushed." The man said. The man then dragged Nick up and punched him square in the face. Nicks head was bashed sideways. Nick snapped his head around to face the man, his eyes emitting so much rage they seemed almost black to Brook. He jerked his fist up so fast it was a blur, and caught the second swing in his hand. The man grunted in surprise as Nick pushed his fist back, heaving his weight against the older man. The man toppled with only a slight push and Nick flipped him over as if he was as light as a pillow and held him up by his collar so that his feet lifted nearly a full foot off the ground.'

"I'm going to give you a chance to run. If you do, I will not pulverise you. If you don't run, I will pulverise you. Deal?" He snarled. The man nodded fear only to obvious. Nick dropped him and the man hit the ground running. He ran so fast, he was out of their sight in a few seconds. Nick turned back to Brook, who was stunned speechless. Nick wasn't even slightly out of breath, nor was he bruised or scratched.

"You alright?" He asked, jade eyes calm.

"I'm alright, but what about you? You were practically smashed into the ground, had your face punched in, and you not bleeding! Again!" Brook screeched. "And you tossed someone who probably weighs twice as much as you around as if her was a tennis ball?"

Nick was silent.

I have to tell her. I have no choice. He thought.

You could just tell her then knock her out. One side suggested. Nick almost punched himself. No, he had to tell her. He sighed.

"Do you want the truth or some made up story?"

"Truth."

"Just promise me you wont scream."

"Why would I scream?"

"Uummm. How about you ask me questions and I answer them truthfully?"

"Ok. First, how are you tied into that murder today?"

"I guess I might just tell you now. I am not what you would call human. I have some abilities such as I have demonstrated strength and marble skin. I can also run faster than you could ever guess, and my eyes change colour with my emotions. But green is my natural colour." As Nick said this he rested his head in his hands, so Brook could not see his face.

"But how does this tie in with the murder?" She said. Nick lifted his head from his hands, and meet her gaze. His eyes were still jade, but a great sadness seemed to weigh down his gaze. "Do you promise not to scream?" he said, his gaze turning into a mixture of fear and sadness at the same time. Brook nodded, her brown eyes clear and strong as she braced herself for what ever Nick was so worried about.

"It was around four in the morning. She was jogging. She crossed a road when it looked clear, but some…" Nick strained not to call the driver of the car numerous names, instead he sufficed with: "Some stupid joyrider came tearing around the corner and didn't see her. He felt the thump and swerved off the road. The jogger didn't know what hit her, she was so shocked. I picked her up and carried her into the park. She had broken three of her ribs and punctured a lung, had a cracked skull and some other injuries, she was hit so fast. I couldn't let her die slowly. She was begging me to do something. She was in to much pain. I just couldn't leave her there. She would die before the paramedics got there. So I..." Nicks voice cracked. "So I killed her. I killed her the quickest way I could. I killed an innocent person."

"But how did you kill her?" Brook asked softly. Nick sighed.

"I killed her like the cops said. Remember, no blood? The throat?" His voice was so stiff and hateful. So sad. "What does that sound like to you?"

'You're.." Brook couldn't say the word. Nick put his head back in his hands.

"I'm a vampire." Nick's long brown hair hung across his face, and as he took a deep breath, it sounded like he was crying. "But I hate the very idea of killing. I kill only to save a long death. And if your wondering, I hunt animals instead. That's why your dog hates me, because he knows what I am. And I don't blame him from trying to protect you. There are some evil vampires around here. A small group of us are good, and try to stop them. I'm one of them. You can run if you want. Its alright if you hate me. Just don't tell anybody you know about what I am, or they'll come after you. I couldn't stand it if you or someone else was killed or hurt because of me."

Nick looked up at her and Brook was silent, thinking.

"You must be good, because you could have killed me for … food… twice today. You could have killed me when Dakota attacked you, and now, you could have killed me now, while no one was there to see it happen." Nick meet her gaze and saw trust.

"That's another thing. I can't cry." And despite himself, Nick chuckled.