Chapter Three

August 2008

Reagan entered the security office to check in with Howard before her shift but was surprised to that he wasn't there.

"Hey, Robert," she said, standing in the doorway. "Where's Howard?"

"He's getting ready to head to Dakota to save Robby," he answered. "We're to stay here and man things without him."

"Just you and me?" she asked, closing the door and sitting in a chair next to him.

"And whatever guards Conner leaves us when night falls. But yeah, we're it for the day shift. Bear Claw?"

"Well this sucks," she said, grabbing the pastry. "What are we suppose to do if we're attacked? And who's manning the gate?"

"You know that we're never attacked by the Malcontents during the day. Day shift is the safe shift. And Dean is guarding the gate. Don't worry, Snow. We'll be alright."

Reagan rolled her eyes, but ate her donut in silence as she watched the screens. She could see Howard getting in some practice rounds in the range. She knew it was more of a calming technique than actual practice for him. She saw a few other employees getting practice in with swords. Most she knew; many she didn't. "Where did all these men come from?"

"Most are from the day shift at Roman's townhouse, which also has a skeleton shift right now. The others are pulled from other jobs. Mainly from the jobs that were bombed the other day. You were suppose to be sent to the Ohio branch, were you not?"

She nodded her head, watching a man who was probably Brazilian take several practice swings with a sword against a wooden block. From the way he moved, she guessed he was a shifter. Cat-shifter maybe. "Yeah. Conner changed his mind at the last minute. Decided that my skills were more useful here. Lucky me, huh?"

"No doubt," Robert said, shaking his head. He grabbed another Claw and turned toward her. "I heard that you have some unusual skills even for a shifter."

She shrugged as she finished her treat. "I don't know if they're really unusual as I use my shifter abilities to do them. If you practice enough, you can probably do them as well."

"Only I'm too lazy to learn new tricks," he said, giving her a grin.

"And that's why you're staying here, and I'm not," she said grinning back at him.

"So they have approved your transfer?" he asked surprised. "I thought they were only having vampires guard Mrs. Draganesti's school?"

"Well they decided that my skills would be more useful there than here. They want only the best guarding their children."

"So you were a last minute choice, huh," he teased.

Growling, she picked up a pen and threw it at him. He easily ducked it, but it did end up bouncing off Howard Barr's head as he entered the room. He raised an un-amused eyebrow at her.

"He did it," she said, pointing at Robert who opened his mouth in shock at her obvious lie.

Howard snorted and shut the door. "Obvious my reflexes aren't up to par if a little pen is able to hit me," he mumbled, picking it up and placing it back on the table.

"Yeah, but who needs reflexes when you have brute grizzly strength to back you up," she said, grabbing another Bear Claw. She snatched her hand back when she heard Howard's warning growl.

Robert quietly laughed into his hand as he continued to watch the monitors. "So how's Dougal doing?"

"Who?" Reagan asked.

"Dougal Kincaid," supplied Robert. "Vampire who usually guards the townhouse but was watching out for Vanda when they were in New Orleans."

"And lost his hand during the battle down there," Howard said, closing the box of Bear Claws and writing Howard's on the lid with black marker. Robert and Reagan looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Don't vampires re-grow missing body parts?" she asked, spinning her chair from side to side.

"Geez," Robert said looking at her incredulously. "They're vampires not lizards. They can't regenerate lost limbs."

"So he'll be Stumpy for the rest of his immortal days?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Howard snorted. "If you ever meet him, I dare you to call him that. But yeah, he'll be missing that limb until the End of Days."

"Shit," she said.

"Yeah. So I hear that Conner has selected you to guard the new school. You know that you'll be working the night shift over there?"

"Conner filled me in on all the details. I don't mind working late. Prefer it actually. My roommate is a late nighter as well."

"You'll also be working with the vampires."

"So?"

"Alright then. Don't be a stranger." And with that, Howard waved and left the room.

Reagan gave a puzzled look at Robert.

"I think he'll miss you," said Robert with a shrug.

"Really? I always thought he didn't like me. Well, I'm going to make the rounds. See you in a hour."

"Yeah, yeah."

Just as she reached the door, Robert quietly added, "I'm going to miss you, Snow. You're the only cat I truly get along with."

"That's sweet, Ruff, but would it kill you to use my first name?"

"Probably. I never did like that president."

Snorting in laughter, she closed the door behind her and began patrolling the halls.

Chapter 4

September 2008

Titania sighed as she looked out at the rainy dawn. She had been to all the tourist spots in New York and was ready to go home. Worse of all, she had knowledge that the vampire she had been hunting had moved on to a different town, and because she had to stay and observe Reagan, she couldn't follow after him. Though why she had to continue to watch over Reagan, she didn't know. Reagan hadn't lost control of her animal in six months and was even starting to actively use some of the senses and abilities of her inner animal while in human form.

She sighed again and didn't even get up to greet her roommate.

"Still bored out of your mind," Reagan asked, hanging up her coat and walking over to her.

"You have no idea," she said against her palm.

"Well buck up and get dressed. I'll take you out to eat at that diner you like for breakfast before hitting the sack for the day."

She only grunted at that, but did get up and head to her room. "Can you at least practice with me before you hit the hay? I really need the workout."

"Yeah, all right. Hand-to-hand though. I don't want to hear the complaints from the neighbors again about the swords."

"We really need to find a place to practice those," Titania said as she pulled on shirt. "I'm afraid I'll get rusty."

"Please," Reagan said, leaning against Ti's doorframe. "If you have really been fighting with the sword sense you were four, I very much doubt you could get rusty."

"I could if I don't continue to work at it," she said, shoving her hair out of her face. She grabbed a rubber band and tied it back. "I'm seriously considering cutting my hair."

"Axton won't be happy if you do," Reagan warned. "Besides, it will just make you look younger."

"And that's a bad thing?" Titania asked, grabbing her jacket and whipping it onto her shoulders.

"Considering that you look fourteen right now," Reagan said, walking back down the hall and to the door.

"One time," she said, following after her. "Only one time had someone said that I looked fourteen. Otherwise, people think I'm in high school. Speaking of which, when do you start patrolling that larval site anyway?"

"Funny," Reagan said, opening the door for her. "Next week. Shanna wants her friends and allies to have a tour of the building before then; so I'll officially know where it's located in a few days."

They ate at the restaurant and then headed back to the apartment to train.

"Well at least one thing has come out of you hanging out with those vamps," Titania said while dodging Reagan's fist.

"What's that," Reagan asked, deflecting Titania's return punch.

"You're lasting longer in these bouts." And they both laughed at that as they continued their session before heading to bed.