Adrianna had no clue how long she had been asleep when she opened her eyes to an extremely annoying beam of sunlight. There was a soft weight across her torso, and for a moment she was confused. She looked down, memories of the morning returning. Savannah was splayed across her, her head tucked against her chest, arm wrapped around her waist and one leg slung across her hips and thighs. She smiled softly, reaching up to run her fingers through inky black hair. Savannah shifted, sighing quietly and nuzzling her neck. It was then that it occurred to her just what she had done.

She had, in a moment of adrenaline based fear admitted her feelings. That thought jolted her fully awake, the haze of sleep she'd been revelling in vanishing in an instant. She tensed, once again glancing down at the body draped across hers. What had she done? This was wrong, so very wrong. She was a baby, a fucking baby! Not to mention she was also her student, which was illegal. There was no way this could work, no way in any universe they could be together. And, as much as it pained her to admit it, she was much too old for Savannah. This had to end, and it had to end now.

She began to carefully and slowly extract herself from Savannah's grip, freezing as she felt her tighten the hold on her waist. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. She tightened every muscle in her body, unable to function. She laid there for a small eternity, her mind refusing to cooperate, refusing to coerce her muscles into moving. Finally, she snapped out of it, pulling first her arms away and then attempting to wiggle her hips free. It was this move that made Savannah whimper quietly, and her to still once more.

Switching tactics, she carefully lifted Savannah's arm from her waist, strategically placing a pillow where she had previously been laying. Next were her legs, and she moved the leg slung across her hips as well. That done, she eased off the bed, standing and backing away. She stared at the girl for a minute, taking in how relaxed and peaceful she looked. Shaking her head, tears beginning to pool in her eyes, she backed away.

She could feel her breathing pick up and could have sworn the walls were closing in on her. Her eyes darted around, trying to find somewhere, anywhere, that didn't seem threatening. It was then she remembered the space in the back of her closet. It was dark, it was quiet, and the best part was that her clothes would block the view of her bed. She ran for it, darting underneath her clothes and curling into a ball in the corner, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. She sobbed silently, her own heartbeat rushing in her ears, blood pounding through her veins. She could feel herself shaking, her whole body trembling not only with the force of her sobs but with her anxiousness as well.

She didn't know how long she'd been crying, thoughts of 'Pedophile, cradle-robber, illegal, immoral, Youcan'tfuckingdothis' running through her mind when she felt her stomach tighten and the nausea roll through her body. 'Oh please God not this,' she pleaded silently, only to be answered with a stronger wave. Hyperventilating, she struggled to push free of the closet, racing for her bathroom and barely making it in time. She emptied what little was in her stomach, groaning and resting her head on the porcelain when she was finished.

In the bedroom, Savannah woke to the sound of retching. Momentarily hindered by the fog of sleep, it took her a few seconds to realize that not only was Adri no longer curled up with her, but it was the older redhead making the painful sounds from behind the closed door. Concern rushing to the forefront of her mind, she pushed up from the mattress, crossed the room to the door and knocked.

"Adri? Are you alright? What's wrong?" Stupid questions, she knew, but it was reflex. "Adri? Answer me."

Inside, the Vampire froze, hands gripping the toilet seat so tightly that it cracked. What now? She had no clue how to tell the girl that what she had done was a mistake, that they couldn't be together. And what made it harder was the fact that Savannah was so sweet, so caring. How could she hurt her? Did she even have it in her to crush her soul like that? She didn't know, but she hoped she did because everything in the universe was screaming reasons as to why they couldn't be together.

She took a few deep breaths, mentally centering herself before wiping her mouth and removing any residue. She stood, wincing as she took in the damage to the seat, and flushed. Savannah heard the sound and sighed in relief, glad that the woman seemed okay enough to move. She still didn't know what was wrong, but she also didn't want to just burst in either. She backed away from the door as the knob rattled, a smile appearing as Adri began to emerge. It fell as she noticed the cold, detached look on the redhead's face.

"Adri, is something wrong?"

"Yes, there is."

She brushed past the girl, careful not to touch her lest she lose her resolve. Savannah's gaze followed her, tracking her to the vanity where she sat and proceeded to begin applying her makeup for the day. Hesitantly, she walked up behind her, taking in their reflection before speaking.

"What….what is it?"

Adrianna didn't turn, didn't even look at the girl behind her as she grasped her eyeliner.

"What happened between us was a mistake," she said bluntly, her words sharp and intended to wound. Savannah gasped, shocked. "It should never have happened. I blame myself of course. You were upset, I was worried, emotions were high. But it never. Should. Have. Happened. It was a fluke, an accident, something that was destined to fail. Are you following?"

Her eyes darted up long enough to catch the blank look on Savannah's face. She felt her heart twist, the pain actually physical, and quickly looked away.

"I don't….why?" Savannah asked, her face beginning to flush.

"Don't you understand, child?!" Adri snapped, closing her eyes for a fraction of a second to steel her nerves. She whirled around, and when her eyes opened they were as hard as the gemstone with which they shared color. "I was pitying you! I never meant anything I said, not one word! As for the why, isn't it obvious? I don't date confused little dykes."

That was the cherry on top for Savannah. She burst into tears, barely able to see the woman that had just broken her heart.

"I thought you loved me! You said you did! And I love you!" she screamed.

"Love," Adri scoffed, turning back to face the mirror. "You don't know love. Love is something you're too young to understand."

"I do love you! What do I have to do to prove it?!"

"You can't prove something that doesn't exist."

Savannah half gasped, half hiccupped and took a step back, staring at the woman she thought she knew. She thought she was different, thought she could reveal her feelings, but she was wrong. She took a shaky breath, willing herself to calm down and failing miserably.

"Yes I can! You're my soulmate, and nothing you say or do will change that!"

That tripped Adri up a bit. Soulmate? Was there even such a thing?

"Soulmates aren't real. They're fairytales created for children that do not know what the real world is like. Now, I've said all I'm going to say."

True to her word, she went silent, leaving Savannah an emotional mess behind her. The girl stood, mouth gaping slightly, unable to move or say a word. Finally, when she noticed that Adrianna was deliberately applying her makeup more slowly than she should, obviously taking pains to ignore her, she turned around and began walking away, tears still dripping down her cheeks. She left her in her bedroom, going down the stairs and out the front door in a daze.

As soon as she heard the front door close Adrianna lost it. All the makeup she had just painstakingly applied ran down her cheeks, washed away by her tears. She had done it and that was a good thing, wasn't it? She didn't fucking know anymore. Her head said one thing and her heart said another and she didn't know what to believe anymore.

'You love her.'

'I can't love her.'

'It's wrong but you do and you know it.'

'But I can't.'

'She said it herself, she's your soulmate and you're hers. Why deny the truth?'

'Because the truth can get her killed!'

It was then the other voices in her head began screaming, throwing in the opinions she never asked for. 'Demon, murderer, monster, devil! Evil, evil, evil! Undeserving!' And the worst part was, she knew they were right, the voices were right. She was nothing but a monster, didn't deserve the love such a sweet girl offered.

Adrianna screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she prayed for the pain to stop, for the voices to be silent.

All the sounds of the street were muffled, and the waning afternoon sunlight seemed to mock her. A scream, muffled and warped as if she were underwater reached her ears, and vaguely she recognized that it was Adri screaming but she couldn't bring herself to turn and go back. The Guard within her struggled, fighting her decision, and deep down she knew she should return. But instead she kept walking, where to she wasn't exactly sure, but anywhere had to be better than there. Savannah let her feet lead her, lost in her mind and the dull throb emanating from her chest.

'Why doesn't she love me? I thought she did, I thought I had proven my love to her. What else can I do? Why did she kiss me if she doesn't love me?'

She realized eventually that she had stopped walking, and when she looked up she discovered she was outside her house. 'Nothing like getting your soul crushed to make you realize where home truly is,' she thought bitterly. She really didn't want to enter the place that so few hours previous felt so threatening, but she had no choice. It was either go home or run away, and she knew that her father could sniff her out. Out of options, she trudged up the stairs, not caring if her parents heard.

Sure enough, her mother came out of the kitchen when she heard the door close. Savannah glared at her icily before she could speak, brushing past her and heading to her room. She was alone, there was no other person she could trust but herself. She collapsed on her bed, staring at the ceiling and desperately fighting her thoughts.

'Useless girl, can't even get your own parents to love you.'

'They're wrong!'

'Are they? Or are you? Adrianna deserves more than a simple-minded child! What makes you think you're good enough for her?'

'I love her, isn't that enough?'

'Obviously not.'

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" she screamed, covering the sides of her head. She heard footsteps pounding up the stairs, but she couldn't bring herself to care. "I'm not good enough, but I can be."

"Savannah? Savannah, are you okay?!" Marissa screamed, jiggling the knob.

'No, and I might not ever be again.'

"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine. Just reading something for English," she called back.

"Well, okay, if you're sure."

"Yeah, I'm fine."

And she would be, she just had to figure out why Adri had retracted her affection.

School was horrible. Adrianna couldn't so much as look at Savannah and Savannah couldn't stop staring at Adri. The air was thick with tension each class, making the other students incredibly anxious though they didn't know why. Each period was a test of will for both women, one trying extremely hard not to so much as speak to the other, and the younger attempting to figure out why the older was so distant so suddenly.

It was nearly a month of not speaking, grades sinking, longing looks and physical pain before something occurred to Savannah that could even come remotely close to being the cause of their sudden falling out.

'Is there someone else maybe? Did I do something wrong? I bet I did, and there probably is someone else that's better than me, someone more deserving. Or maybe she was just pretending all along. No, Adri would never do that! She's not that kind of person.

….Maybe I should have listened to Dad. Is this why everyone says that Vampires are heartless?'

Her eyes misted over as the implications of her thoughts truly surfaced. What if there really was someone else? Someone prettier, smarter, older, better? She looked up at the front of the room where the woman she was in such turmoil over was calmly reading a book as she waited for the class to finish their assignment. As if she could feel the stare she looked up, their eyes locking for a split second before emerald gems darted away. Savannah nearly broke into sobs right there. It was the first time in nearly a month that she'd been able to see the redhead's eyes clearly, and also the first time she had looked at her in the same amount of time.

She couldn't take the separation much longer. Soulmate aside, the separation from her Intended was nearly killing her. She was getting less and less sleep every night, not eating, and just felt horrible over all. Had she not been trapped in emotional turmoil, she would have been able to see the effects the rift had on Adri.

The older woman too had been unable to sleep well, was forcing herself to eat, and every so often a sharp pain would shoot through her chest. She refused, however, to acknowledge that it could have anything to do with Savannah's sudden forced departure from her life. She had managed to ignore her for nearly a month, throughout that time battling with her feelings and thoughts. She could see how badly she had hurt the girl, but it had been necessary. Had she not done it she could so easily be dragged into the chaos that was her past life in Romania should she be discovered.

But that moment, that split second of locking gazes, that had hurt perhaps more than anything. She had so easily seen the pain the younger brunette was going through, seen the longing in ice blue orbs. She'd had to look away for fear her own emotions were just as easily portrayed. She felt guilty, so incredibly ashamed of what she had done. Had she continued to look at Savannah she knew she would have begged forgiveness right then, and that just couldn't happen. So she simply bit her lip and looked away, fists clenched beneath her desk where her students couldn't see them. Savannah could never know just how much loved her unless she wished to be doomed to hell with a monster.

The rest of class after their shared glance was torture for Savannah. She was almost entirely sure her assumptions had been correct, and though the thought of outright confirming them hurt she knew she had to do it, if only to gain some peace of mind. 'Or throw yourself further into hell.' She ignored her thoughts, knowing that should she sink back into their grasp she'd never be able to resurface. When the bell rang signalling the end of the day she remained rooted in her seat, determined to understand what had happened to cause the redhead to say such incredibly hurtful things. When the room was empty save for her and Adri she stood and approached the woman who was doing everything possible to keep from acknowledging her.

She stood and watched her a moment, pain blossoming in her chest as she observed what she had lost and what she still stood to lose. Finally, when it became apparent that she could put off the conversation no longer she sighed and took a step closer.

"Adrianna, we need to talk."

She was trying to keep calm, sound mature, but she wasn't sure how long she could keep that up with the emotions warring in her head and heart.

"No we do not. I believe I made myself perfectly clear," Adri snapped, determined not to drag the girl into her complicated life.

"We do. That was incredibly hurtful and I'd like to know why you said what you did."

"Because, stupid girl, I was telling you the truth! You're confused and naïve, under the impression that love is simple and sweet. Well you're wrong! Now get out, I have work to do."

That was it, the final straw. Tears began slipping down Savannah's cheeks as she looked at the woman who was once so kind.

"I have to know-is there someone else?" she asked quietly, but she knew the woman could hear.

A lightbulb went off in Adri's head. What else could be so perfect as to deter the girl than another lover?

"Yes child, there is another. One I love far more than you can comprehend, one far more suited to my tastes."

Her words came cold and clipped, nearly emotionless, but believable. Savannah's tears flowed faster.

"I see. So I was what? An experiment? A toy?" she asked, jagged breaths breaking her sentences.

"An incredibly useless experiment. But it did serve to show me not to stray. Run along now, I have to meet him for dinner."

She never looked at Savannah, this latest development hurting her nearly as much as the brunette. Savannah gasped, then her entire demeanor shifted. Her eyes, despite the tears still lingering, hardened, and she stood a little straighter.

"Well, everything makes sense now." She chuckled bitterly. "I suppose this is why everyone says Vampires are so cruel."

Her parting shot delivered she turned and left the room, her angry façade shattering as soon as she was out of earshot. The tears returned as ugly sobs forced their way out of her throat, her entire body trembling as she forced herself to keep moving. It had hurt, badly, but at least now she knew exactly what the older woman thought of her. She vowed then that she would never act so quickly again, would wait until she was absolutely sure that her feeling weren't one-sided before revealing them.

As soon as she got outside she looked back at the building, her eyes narrowing in a pitiful attempt at anger. Wrapping her arms around herself she set off for home, not much else to be done.

Adrianna held herself together until she could no longer hear Savannah's footsteps and then her tears came. The remark about Vampires and cruelty had hurt, but it wasn't entirely untrue either. Most Vampires did take what they wanted, hurt whoever they had to in order to reach their goal. And sometimes, she wished she was like them. Unfeeling, calculating, cold. Her life would certainly be easier, and she definitely wouldn't be in such a tense situation.

But then she wouldn't be herself, and she wasn't sure if she could give up her individuality. And she was incredibly different from most Vampires. Most wouldn't think twice about using a human and throwing them away, but ever since she'd crushed Savannah's soul she could do nothing but think about it. Her chest ached dully every day, the pain intensifying when seventh period rolled around and Savannah entered her classroom. The throbbing was nearly unbearable, her heart seeming to squeeze whenever she thought about what she had done.

She refused to acknowledge that it was because the girl was right and they were soulmates, rather she blamed it on stress and the constant emotional whirlwind she found herself in every day. But that last blow up, that last jab had nearly done it, nearly made her confess then and there that she was lying and Savannah was right, that the hurtful things she had said were lies. But she hadn't because she loved her too much to potentially drag her into a world that would kill her. She loved her, which was why she was letting her go.

After all, what did her happiness matter anyway?

Ethan was beyond pissed off. His request of the school to put Savannah in a different algebra class had not only been denied but he had been laughed out of the office. Well, not literally, but he could tell that that's what the office desk jockey had wanted to do. "I'm sorry," she'd said, "but with classes being over half-way through the year we aren't able to switch your daughter's teacher. It just isn't practical." Practical his ass. He was the motherfucking parent, he knew what was best for his child, school policies be damned.

But, he supposed, he hadn't truly had to do anything. The dumb bitch of a Vampire had gone and done his job for him from what he understood, or rather from what he had gleaned from conversations, short though they may be, between his wife and daughter. Their separation made it all the easier for him to set his plan into motion, which, if he was lucky, could be completed in mere months. And by the end of those months no one would have to worry about a Vampire again.

The phone rang, distracting him from his planning.

"Hello? Ah yes, just the wolf I was hoping to hear. Have you told the others? What did they say? Mmm, just as I thought. Relay that they needn't worry about accidentally hurting my daughter, she shouldn't be anywhere near the vermin when we attack.

Yeah, the bloodsucker scared her off, made my job a lot easier. Of course it's just one more reason to end her, she hurt my daughter. Exactly. So everything's set? We'll meet at the city line and then track her down. Good, good. How soon can everyone be here?

That long? Well, I've lived near her this long, I suppose I can wait a few more months. But no longer, understand? Excellent. I trust the next time I hear from you will be when we meet."

He hung up, a sinister smile curving his lips. Oh yes, this would be well worth the wait. The monster would go down, Bailey City would be safe, and they would get away unscathed. And best of all, Savannah would be none the wiser.