Theo stood with her suitcase filled with both new and old clothes in the hallway. Last night, after picking up her things and checking out the hotel, she'd gone to bed early only to wake up in the morning with a naked man walking around. It only took a few seconds to realise that Pam had had take out for dinner.

"Well, now I don't feel so special," he had said when he looked her up and down in her night slip. "Are you her-"

"No, I'm a journalist for a prestigious magazine in an exclusive part of the world, I am not her food source." The man had looked hurt and avoided her as much as possible. He was currently in the room where she had slept, he'd been asleep on the couch once Pam had kicked him out her room, which lay in the basement – though Theo had yet to see it.

Though by the way the man had acted, she had suspected that he'd been either kicked out of the bed, or had been sleeping on the couch down there.

"Less then a minute now," she whispered as she flicked some of red hair behind her ear. Part of her was sad to be leaving without a goodbye, part of her was waiting in anticipation to go back home after she dropped the newspaper article off, all of her was looking forward to her own bed, crappy shower and Millie.

She missed her pet bird very-

Her thoughts stopped as that feeling happened, the one that made her feel like she was loosing her mind and stomach, and feeling both incredibly light and heavy at the same time. The feeling happened for a period of time she was unable to count until suddenly she landed on the floor of her office.

She straightened herself up and looked up at her boss, "Hello Alexis, how are you this fine day?" Alexis raised an eyebrow and held out her hand expectantly.

"I expect that you had a good time in Shreveport, Mr Northman tells me that you are to return in a few days as a witness for something- and I quote- 'top secret, but rest assure she will be well looked after' I do hope you havn't been sleeping with vampires James, that could end in a disaster," She sighed as her eyes glanced over the report, "Interesting."

"Yeah… right, anyway-"

"I'm not finished yet James," Alexis looked down at her sharply and turned around, expecting Theodora to follow her as she walked away from the office, "look, I'm not saying that it's not good thing that you left a good impression on the vampires, because if we had another dead journalist on our hands-"

"Another?"

"Yes Theo, another, as I was saying, if we had another dead journalist on our hands then we would all be quite 'royally screwed' so to speak, but the fact that you managed to come back with a pretty good article from what I read surprises, I must say, I expected a lot from you, but to make such an impression on them, even I didn't expect that." They walked into her office, and sat down, Alexis behind the desk and Theo in front.

"Can I go-"

"Not yet, first I need you to sign this contract," she pushed it towards her before then handing her a quill.

"Ink?"

"You wont need it for this," Alexis said before saying the most human and nicest thing that Theo had ever heard her say, "I'm really sorry about this, but it's necessary that it's in your blood so we have proof that only you signed it." Theodora nodded sadly as she read through the contract.

"Wait, what does this mean?"

"It means that next week when you go over to Shreveport, it is on unofficial, off the record business and if anything happens neither we nor the opposing party are legally to be blamed, any mysterious death related incident will be covered up and you are legally obliged not to mention any 'secret vampiric business' to anyone unless given rights by a King or Queen vampire, a Sheriff of any area and the party you are writing about."

Theodora read through it a couple of times, trying to comprehend the lawyer/vampire/wizard jargon written. After she was satisfied, she picked up the quill and signed her name – whilst wincing – on the line allocated below by a single 'x'.

"Is there anything else?" Theodora asked sadly.

"Yes, there is, but I'll talk to you about it on another time, I am so sorry though," the red headed journalist's lips parted in question, "take the week off, a paid week, trust me sweetie, I didn't know and I am so sorry." Theo became afraid suddenly as she stood up and decided that she didn't want to know quite yet, she wanted to be blissfully ignorant just for a few days.

Outside of the office, in the hallway of her work, she ran fingers through her red hair. "Accio suitcase," She called, pointing her wand at her office, the suitcase came quickly before she herself apparated away.

In her apartment, she bit her lip, dropped her suitcase and grabbed some floo powder, and directed her wand to the fireplace before shouting desperately, "incendio," she then threw the floo powder in the fire and spoke the words to Marcus's apartment before sticking her head in. "Marcus!" She called, "Marcus, are you here?"

Marcus poked his head around the corner of his study, "Dolly!" He exclaimed with a thick Swedish accent, "How are you my älskare?"

"Marcus, please come over, I need… I need you."

She lay in bed, wrapped in the arms of the sleeping man. She should be ecstatic, Marcus had came when she called and listened to her story, then carried her off to the bed where they passionate sex. Except… except the sex had only been passionate on his half, she felt empty, she felt nothing special, nothing tingling in her core.

But she did love him, to know of his death would kill such a large part of her and she knew that with every fibre of her being.

Marcus was a dear friend and they fought a lot – like any other couple did – but when she asked herself, could I marry this man and live for eternity raising his children and loving and honouring only him? She knew that the answer was no. She could not be tied down to that man no matter how much she loved him.

He was enough as a friend, but not enough as a lover. And it wasn't that he wasn't good looking, or nice, because he was. He may not be the sharpest tool in the box, but he was the shiniest.

But she didn't want just a pretty face, even if he was nice, she wanted… je nous se qua. But for now, she would appreciate what she had while she looked for the man who did have that special something. Someone like Eric, except… maybe not a vampire- she did age after all, and being with a vampire who would eternally be beautiful, well… eventually jealousy would kick in, probably around the same time as the first wrinkle.

"Are you ok my love?" She rolled over and looked at her boy, his pale eyes, smooth skin, shiny hair and beautiful accent made her happy. Especially the accent, and when he was with her and they were together and he was swearing in Swedish, she had to admit, that did turn her on a lot.

But… it just wasn't enough to fill her up.

"When are you leaving?"

"A weeks time, and… Marcus, my sweet, do not be afraid but I may not return, I've… I have reasons to suspect that my work does not expect my return for some reason." He stroked her face, a little too strongly, and told her all the reasons why she would survive. It was the most romantic thing he'd ever done to do.

She sighed at the end of it. To her, it seemed like this time, when they had sex, she was doing it as a goodbye. He must have caught onto that, because he left her the next morning as she slept peacefully on the other side of the bed curled up as small as possible.

She woke up, looked around, and when placing her hand on the other side to find it cold, realised what had happened instantaneously.

She showered, had breakfast and then sat at the table starring down at the letter he left for her.

'My lover,

Last night, as I held you in my arms, I realised that different paths were separating us – though I suspect that you've known longer then I.

I hope that our paths to meet once more in life before parting away forever, but before I go, I wish to thank you for the love we shared and the wonderful memories we may keep together.

Marcus'

She cried, not because she hadn't wanted to break up with him, but because she had lost something that had been dear to her, a part of her for a while now.

"I hope we do meet again," she whispered as a tear drop smudged his signature.