Mrs. Jeepers got her wish. As the year wore on and the subject matter grew more challenging, she discovered Savannah had not been lying about her incapacity for math. In fact, as tests were taken and graded, it seemed she had actually minimized her abilities, or lackthereof. She posed the offer of after school tutoring, which Savannah jumped at not only to improve her grade but for the chance to spend more time with the older woman. Thus began their more personal relationship.

In between bouts of math equations and probabilities and incorrect answers, the two began to talk. It wasn't much at first, just small tidbits of information, mostly from Savannah, like her birthday and what her parents did and how she couldn't wait to leave Bailey City. Gradually, as she came to know her student better, Mrs. Jeepers began to reveal small things about herself, some of which shocked the girl, such as the fact that the older woman was actually very interested in things such as Batman, Pokemon, and Titanic. It somewhat blew the girl's mind, especially the whole thing with Pokemon. That led to more discussions, which in turn led to deeper subjects, and by Christmas the two were more friends than a student and teacher.

Savannah actually wanted the older woman to spend Christmas Day with her family, since she knew she'd be alone, but her parents, mainly her father, vehemently refused. Rather than argue with him as she desired to, Savannah merely bought the older woman a present and took it to school the last day before break. She had managed to get her hands on a Batman shirt, though it only had the bat symbol, and a Poison Ivy shirt. She had managed to find a normal rectangular box that she fit them in, and wrapped it in bright purple paper, which she happened to know was the woman's favorite color. She kept it hidden all day, even during her session with the woman, only revealing it when they were finished.

"Hey, Adri?" Savannah called, catching the woman's attention.

She had given the girl permission to call her by her first name not long before, though the brunette rarely used it.

"Yes, Savannah?"

The girl turned her back, making sure that in removing the package from her bag she kept it hidden. She faced the redhead, hiding it behind her back. The older woman arched an eyebrow, giving a small smile and attempting to lean around to see what she was hiding.

"I um, I have something for you. For Christmas," Savannah said, walking over to her and revealing the brightly colored package.

Mrs. Jeepers' eyes widened. She had been living in Bailey City for nearly eight years now, and since she couldn't contact her family she had spent every holiday alone, and thus hadn't received a present in years. This was something entirely unexpected. She sank into her chair, shock painting her features. Savannah's eyes widened, and, afraid she had somehow upset the older woman, she rushed forward, dropping the gift heavily on the desk.

She crouched in front of the redhead, gently grasping her hands and beginning to rub circles on their backs.

"Hey Adri, come on. Did I upset you? Tell me."

The older woman snapped out of her shock, looking into the girl's eyes and smiling gently. She grasped her hands in return, hoping to emphasize her point.

"Savannah, darling, I am far from upset. This is the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a long while, exempting the hug you gave me the second day of school. Now," she said, dropping her hands, "let's see what this is."

"Um, I don't know if you want to do that here," Savannah said, panicked for the older woman.

If anyone discovered that she wasn't as cold and distant as she seemed then she'd lose not only respect but the fear she instilled in her students, which was what made her classes successful.

"Why not?"

"It's not bad per say, but if anyone saw it could possibly damage the reputation you've managed to build."

"Ah," Mrs. Jeepers said, understanding dawning. "Well, then I shall open it once I get home."

Savannah smiled, popping up and hugging her. She felt arms wrap around her back in return, and she savored the contact. Her attraction to the older woman had not waned, instead the more she learned about her the more it grew. She was nearly desperate to share her feelings, but she didn't want to ruin what they already had. She let go, backing away and picking up her bag.

"Have a good Christmas, Adri," she said.

"You too," the redhead responded.

She watched her go, feeling her absence keenly. Loneliness shrouded her as soon as she was left alone and she sighed. The younger woman's company had been something that she looked forward to the past few months, though it was only for short bouts of time. Frowning, she gathered her belongs and the present, preparing to go home to an empty and less than festive house. The only good thing about winter break, she decided as she turned off the lights in the room, was that she was away from all the judgmental stares of students and colleagues alike.

Mrs. Jeepers sighed as she closed her front door, waving a hand and lighting the candles downstairs to dissipate the darkness that seemed to permanently settle there. She dropped her purse by the door, knowing the only reason she would be going out was to hunt. She glanced at the package still in her grip, a soft smile blossoming on her face. She hadn't expected the girl to get her anything. After all, she was only her teacher. Her teacher that was attracted to her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, pushing away images and thoughts that weren't allowed. Deciding to distract herself, she sat down on her rarely used couch and put the present on her lap. It was wrapped beautifully, and in her favorite color no less. She almost didn't want to open it, but curiosity drove her onward. She found the corner, tearing slowly so as to prolong the moment. A box was gradually revealed, also taped shut, and she had to wonder what was inside that could be so damaging to her reputation. Using one of her nails, she sliced the tape open and removed the lid.

She gasped as she pulled away the tissue paper, revealing a t-shirt that she immediately fell in love with. She pulled it out, unable to suppress a squeal of excitement as it unfolded and revealed the Batman emblem. She nearly tossed the box aside until she caught sight of the other shirt inside, and promptly squealed again. Poison Ivy, her other favorite character besides Batman. She waved her hand twice, simultaneously putting out the candles and closing the curtains.

Not wasting any time, she stripped off her blouse and skirt, dropping them in a pile on the floor and pulling the Batman shirt over her head. It was big on her, falling to her mid-thigh, but it would be perfect to sleep in.

"How did she know?" Mrs. Jeepers asked herself as she gathered up her clothes and the box.

She took them upstairs, carefully removing the folded Poison Ivy shirt and putting it away before tossing her work clothes in the hamper. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, lovingly sliding a hand down the Batman symbol.

"I will find a way to thank her for this," she said to her reflection.

Savannah was relieved when she woke up on January 3rd. Most people would groan and whine and drag their feet when their alarm clock alerted them to the morning, but not her. Not this time, because it was the first day back to school after winter break, which meant she got to see Mrs. Jeepers. She hurriedly tugged on whatever she could find, which happened to be jeans and a Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt, and practically ran downstairs. She inhaled her breakfast, thinking that if she hurried she could beat the first bell and see the older woman before classes began.

"Well, someone is excited to be going back to school," her mother said as she observed her daughter.

"Uh-huh," Savannah said between bites.

She was careful not to reveal the reason however, as she knew her father despised her teacher, though she wasn't sure why.

"What for? Most kids are already looking forward to the weekend," her father said, lowering his paper.

She froze, unsure of how to answer. Luckily her mother, ever the defender, jumped to her aid.

"Ethan, really," Marissa said, "leave her alone. She probably just misses her friends."

"Ah yes, those little punks you hang around with. What are their names?" Ethan asked, his disdain for them clear.

"Melody, Liza, Howie, and Eddie. And you like them all but Eddie, Dad. Admit it."

"All right so they're not all bad," he grumbled reluctantly.

Savannah smirked, pleased she had gotten her father to somewhat accept her friends. She glanced at the clock, realizing if she didn't leave soon she'd miss her chance to see the older woman.

"Oh crap! I gotta go or I'm gonna be late! Bye Mom, bye Dad!" she yelled, grabbing her backpack and bolting for the door.

Savannah raced to school, getting there with just enough time to stop by Mrs. Jeepers' room before first period. She paused outside the door to catch her breath, unsurprised when she sensed a pair of eyes staring at the doorway. Straightening up, she entered the room, a smile brightening her features. The small ball of anxiety that had been rooted in her stomach over the break dissipated as soon as she saw the older woman, and she barely kept herself from running over to her. Mrs. Jeepers too felt more at ease when she glimpsed the girl, smiling fully instead of giving her a smirk.

"Did you have a good break?" she asked as Savannah approached her desk.

"Yeah, it was pretty good. Did you?"

"It was….ordinary," she answered, sadness momentarily filling her eyes as she remembered her lonely holiday, and the girl didn't miss the change.

Frowning, she decided against probing further, as she could guess at why the older woman was so upset.

"Well, did you like your present?" she asked, not without nervousness.

"Yes, I liked it very much," Mrs. Jeepers said, smiling once again. "Which reminds me," She reached into her desk, removing a small square package. It was wrapped in black paper, which Savannah had never seen but instantly loved. "This is for you," she said, handing her the package.

Arching an eyebrow in confusion, she took it and tore off the paper, making sure to save some so she could find it later. She gasped, paling as the object was revealed.

"H-how?" she stammered, too shocked to form coherent sentences. Mrs. Jeepers smirked, enjoying her reaction. She had so hoped the girl would like it, and it appeared she was correct. "Th-this is an autographed Smashing Pumpkins CD. How did you get it signed?"

That was what she had spent the first half of her break doing, locating the band and...convincing them to sign the CD. It hadn't truly been hard, and was somewhat enjoyable, not to mention worth it for the reaction she was getting.

"Oh, I have my ways," she responded nonchalantly.

Savannah darted forward and hugged her tightly just as the warning bell rang. She let go, backing away and wiping at her eyes.

"Thank you so much. This is the best thing I've ever gotten."

With those words she left the room, cradling the CD close to her chest so she wouldn't accidentally drop it and leaving the older woman practically radiating happiness.

Marissa and Ethan looked at each other as the slamming of the door reverberated through the house.

"I don't like this," Ethan said once he was sure their daughter was gone. "Surely you realize she's leaving early to see that woman."

He spit the words as if they were poison, disgust clear in his tone.

"I know dear, but remember, we don't know for sure that she is a Vampire."

"You can't smell her scent like I can. It reeks of the bloodsuckers. And what if Savannah didn't inherit your genes? That means her first transformation should be coming soon, and you know what will happen if it does."

Marissa sighed.

"Yes, I do. She'll be so scared and confused, she might even hate us when we tell her what we are."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Ethan replied. "I'm more concerned that the Vampire will kill her as soon as she finds out, which with her advanced senses will only be a matter of days."

"Assuming Mrs. Jeepers is a Vampire, do you really think she'd harm Savannah? Wouldn't she realize there are more of us than just her?" Marissa asked.

"Maybe, but she might not care. Until Savannah masters the transformation she'll be extremely vulnerable. If she'd take her out first then the only one left that could shift would be me. Granted I'd like to think it would be harder to kill me, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't try."

"I don't think she would. Savannah is her student, and from what I've gathered they seem to get along fairly well."

"I know," Ethan growled. "Unfortunately she needs the math help. If it weren't for that I would have transferred her to a different class months ago."

"Look at it this way honey; next year she'll have a different teacher and will probably never speak to the woman again."

"That's true," Ethan said, relief evident in his voice. "But I still worry about her first shift."

"I was always told the first shift aligned with a full moon," Marissa said.

Ethan shook his head.

"No, the first one can be brought on by any number of things. Extreme emotion, such as anger or fear, just a natural shift as the body deems itself ready, the moon, anything. We won't really know until we have a large wolf whining in front of us."

"The only thing we can do is hope she shifts at home." She looked at him, her eyes meeting his. "How old were you when you first shifted?"

"I was a little younger than her, about thirteen I think. But that's unusual, shifting doesn't usually occur until after puberty when the body can better handle it."

"So what you're saying is, she's at the perfect age and it could be anytime now."

"That's exactly what I'm saying."