Just As Important

AN: I as any writer, I always hope to get way more reviews for my story than I actually get. Plus psychologically I think it makes you question your work when you can see that there have been 74 individual people who read your story and only 4 of them actually reviewed.

Anyway, I decided to put blinders on for this story, and post the next chapter regardless, because I really want you all to read it. So on with the show!

Chapter Three

I glanced down at Bree where she lay in my arms. This was more than I could have ever dreamed of, ever hoped for. I had resigned myself to being alone when I realized she and Diego had become something more. That she was no longer free for me to court.

I hadn't known how, hadn't decided when would be a good time to approach her, and in my deliberating Diego and taken his chance and won her heart. In the end though, things had turned out so much differently.

I closed my eyes thinking back over everything that had led us here.

I had this instant need to protect her when Raoul had threatened her life. I had only seconds before realized she was going to risk her life for Diego and what that meant. Then I was suddenly keeping her safe with my gift.

When I felt heard her crumble on the floor behind me, I decided in that instant I would never put her on the receiving end of my gift again if I could help it.

I realized I wouldn't get to have her, but I wouldn't let anyone else hurt her either. Bree was important. I felt her peak over the back of the couch again, assessing the situation, but also I admitted sadly, checking to see that Diego was alright.

I took this chance to speak to her, knowing if I didn't try now I would probably never have the opportunity again.

I smiled when I saw her return without Diego, maybe things weren't exactly how I thought they were. She came to sit next to me, and I focused my gift outside of the area surrounding the couch. I was glad to find it didn't really take any extra effort on my part. My gift did what I wanted; I had simply never tried it before.

When I saw her appraising me, I realized it was working. I had never been more pleased to have a set of eyes on me before. When she looked around at the others, I took my chance to look at her, and found myself unable to look away. She started to smile, and that little gem made my day.

When she looked back at me we shared a smile, before I forced myself to look back at the book I'd been reading. I would take small steps with her.

I had known the instant Riley returned without Diego that he was gone. Riley was a liar and I could easily see through him. My suspicions were confirmed when I watched Riley work his way against my defenses to get to Bree. I frowned; she and Diego had already had a secret code language.

When they went upstairs I had tried not to listen to what they were saying, but I couldn't help myself from focusing in on the conversation. I didn't like that he was trying to use her to get to me, but I took joy in the fact that she considered me a safe place.

It was a testament to Riley's skills as a liar that he was able to convince her he was still alive.

Watching Bree choose not to see the truth had been hard. I couldn't be the one to tell her, she would have hated me if she believed me, and hated me if she didn't. Kill the messenger; I was sure that was the saying.

I resigned myself to spending and cherishing what time I had left with her over the next four days. I had already decided to go my own way when Riley led his little army to battle. I knew I wouldn't be able to talk Bree into leaving without Diego.

As the days dragged I was glad she chose to spend her time at my side, rather than training with the others. The way we began to move together, with her always at my side made me so happy. I would hold onto these memories for the rest of my existence.

I knew that following Riley could lead to death, I knew that letting her go could be signing her death warrant. It was a painful feeling knowing she might die and that I was helpless to stop her. She was younger than me, there was no way I would be able to restrain her.

The instant Riley started talking about the sun I was dying to take off, to find some way to keep Bree safe from this maniac. I was tensed and ready to find a way to get us out of there when she reassured me that it would all be fine.

I was still anxious but I trusted her more than I'd trusted anyone in this new life. When she and I moved together up the stairs and out of the house I was astounded by the suns reaction to my skin. I stared at my hands and arms as I moved them before me. I didn't believe that this was a seasonal occurrence, especially since Bree seemed completely calm about it, she must have known.

Thinking of her I looked up, and found myself staring at the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my life. Of course I'd noticed her, of course she was pretty... we were all pretty we were vampires. Bree though, standing before me with the brilliance of the sun gleaming off her skin, she was the most beautiful creature I was sure I'd ever encounter and I felt something fully shift inside me.

Something that told me I wouldn't ever feel the same way about another person. Something that had me wishing I could follow her when I realized I was helpless to stop her from leaving me.

My gift though, it worked against me in only one way. The same way I was able to keep people, keep danger away. I was unable to walk towards danger. The second I tried to follow a course that would lead to pain, lead to death, I was overwhelmed by the power of my own gift.

So it was with a broken heart at the loss of Bree that I turned and headed north. Headed to Riley Park to leave the trail I was almost positive she would never find.

As I drifted back to the present I was thankful I'd been wrong. Thankful she'd worked her way back to me. It had hurt watching her grieve Diego's death knowing there was nothing I could say to make things better. I'd been sad thinking she would probably always remain heartbroken over Diego but realized I could live with her not wanting me, as long as she was alive and with me forever.

I kissed the top of her head, and she looked up at me her beautiful eyes linking with mine, and suddenly I needed her again. We had continued together for hours, and I felt I would never get enough of her. I had been with woman back when I was human, but from what I could remember it had never been this fantastic. I'd never experienced the pure amount of pleasure that came with being with Bree.

"I love you," I heard her say, and I smiled so hard I felt like my face would rip into two pieces. She loved me and that was all I would ever need to know.

"I love you too," I told her and her returning smile, told me the words meant just as much to her as they did to me. With that I kissed her, ready to make love to her again.

The way our body's molded together, told me that everything that had happened, had happened in the order it had for a reason. If she had never spent time with Diego, Raoul would have never threatened her life. I would have never needed to protect her. I wouldn't have tried to keep her unaffected by my gift. We wouldn't have bonded, and I would have been wandering all by myself forever.

Part3/End

AN: This is where I planned to end the story. Even now... if I wanted I could stop here. That however would be dumb seeing as I already have the next chapter written! :]] I do want to preface the next chapter with the fact that this isn't going to be a novel, more like exactly what The Short Second Life was, a novella. :]]

Also to my sister, mhmellie you better have reviewed both chapter two and three. As family I can say that!