I admit, I'm disappointed in the number of reviews, but hey, Bella isn't the main character; the story doesn't make a whole lot of sense if you haven't read 'The Short Second Life...', and as of YET, there's no steamy hot vamp love...So I really appreciate it when readers like With a K leave such a heart melting (literally, verbally went 'awwwww' when I read it!) review...THANK YOU! And trust me, I appreciate all those who put it on alert to...I akin it to those shy people in class who know the answer but never raise their hand:).

Lemons are coming...I promise...eventually...but really, would you want them to jump straight into bed? (or forest floor?)

As always, Praise to Stephenie Meyer, for recognizing we're not stealing, abusing, or molesting her characters for financial gain, and sharing her world. Not all writers are so generous.

Chapter 14

"I get by with a little help from my friends..."-John Lennon, Paul McCartney

Fred ran aimlessly through the dark trees and snow drifts, lost in his thoughts. Why did I just do that? She must think I'm a complete jerk...Jesus, she's been avoiding me...should've just kept it to myself. He was sure things would be extremely awkward when he returned, and he certainly didn't want to push one of his benefactors out of her own home.

This was totally beyond him. Other than a high school sweetheart, which went the way of the dodo when they each started college, he'd never really had much experience with relationships. He had always been too busy in college to worry about how girls thought or acted.

He admitted it. He needed help. He pulled out the shiny new cell phone he had promised to always keep on him.

"Bella?"

"What's up, Fred? And you're a vampire, for goodness sake, Why do you sound winded?" Bella replied with a chuckle in her voice.

"I'm so stupid," Fred whined.

Bella sighed. "Fred, you're a guy, that goes without saying—at least some of the time. So tell me what happened."

Fred flopped down against a tree trunk, careful not to crush the silver phone in his fingers. "We were hunting."

"You and...Tanya?" Bella groaned. "Ohhh, Fred, bad move. Really bad."

Fred moaned in agreement. "No kidding...but why?"

"Umm Fred?" Embarrassment flooded Bella's voice. "There's not much difference between blood lust and plain, good old fashioned lust. When you lose yourself to the blood lust, it becomes really difficult to control the other." She paused, sympathetic. "So. What did you do?"

If Bella had been human, she never would have understood his mumbled response of, "Ikissedher."

"Fred?" The soft huff of mild amusement came through the small phone. "Take a totally unneeded deep breath, because you aren't using a tenth of that massive vampire brain of yours." Mirth colored her words.

Fred was confused. "Why do you say that?"

"Are your arms still attached to your torso? Did you have to dig your sorry butt out of a ten foot slab of granite?" Bella chuckled and continued, "Did you have to reach into your throat to retrieve your gonads? Did she tell you to fuck off? What should that all tell you?"

When Fred didn't answer, Bella continued more quietly. "I get you want to be a gentleman, brother dear, but Tanya is a strong woman, and if you did something she didn't want you to, you'd damn well know it. The fact that you're in one piece tells me you screwed up all right, but not by kissing her—by running off."

Fred thunked his head against the tree trunk. "I've really screwed up, haven't I?"

Bella's laugh tinkled. "Question is, how are you gonna fix it?"

The wheels in Fred's vampire mind spun. The thought of just kissing her again was high on his mind, but he knew they really needed to talk and get it all out in the open first. Christ, now I'm sounding like a damned woman. Aw, hell. Anything I used to use...Can't do chocolates, that's just idiocy. I'm in the back of beyond, so flowers won't do...not to mention cheesy...Jewelry? Maybe if we were closer, or it wouldn't take so much time for delivery...Think.

A smile broke out over Fred's face. He knew exactly what to do.

Tanya wasn't sure if she was excited or pissed off. She could still feel the electric pulsing against her lips like sparks of static. And the taste! It was as though she had stepped into a copse of silver birch trees that grew near the river. When she breathed deeply, she could taste the scent of the sweet sap rising from the branches in spring; sweet, woodsy, and almost otherworldly. Add the complete feeling of peace that settled over her and...

It was the feeling of home.

She hugged herself, feeling foolish, but not caring. So what if he ran; it wasn't like he hadn't enjoyed it. He wanted her. She could even admit that he had every reason to be confused. It's not like she had been giving off clear signals; she had been avoiding him quite adroitly.

She knew he was her mate, but it was highly unlikely he'd been taught about vampire mating in that god-awful newborn camp he'd 'grown up' in. Now she knew he at least felt it, even if he didn't know exactly what that meant yet.

It was an opening.

God, what a kiss...

She finished clearing up their mess, and then walked toward the cabin at human speed.

She spent the time thinking, and realizing that this whole thing was totally out of her realm. As she got close enough to get a signal, she pulled out her cell phone and called Kate.

"Kate? Can you come out and meet me? I really need to talk." A loud squeal on the other end was her answer. "Katie, calm down. I need your help!"

"I'll be right there—and be ready to dish all the dirt!" Tanya could hear a quick kiss over the phone, before the beep of a suddenly closed phone.

She sat down on a large granite boulder to wait for her sister—her closest friend.

For hundreds of years, the two compared notes about this man or that. At first, if she were honest, she was jealous of Garrett. Not of their relationship, though she would admit to a wistful enviousness; but, all those talks stopped abruptly with his appearance in their lives. Now, she had to admit, she understood it. That's the difference between a good lay and a mate; mates were...sacred. She was happy for her sister, really, but wished she was as settled as Kate was. Boy, did she have it easy.

It was a shower of snow that pulled Tanya from her thoughts. The flurry of snowflakes came from Kate plopping herself down in the snowdrift in front of her sister.

"Hey there, Mopey,so where's the fire?" Kate looked up with concern.

Tanya knew it would have to come out, so she just blurted it. "He kissed me."

"Woo hoo! Awesome! And? Why are you talking to me, rather than practicing your talents on him?"?"

She mumbled morosely, "He ran off."

"Ouch."

Tanya met her sister's eyes and sighed. "It's okay- really, I've probably confused the shit out of him. I mean, it was obvious he wanted it, even though he ran."

"You left a guy with blue balls? I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Oh, bite me." Both girls chuckled over the long standing insult between the two of them.

"Seriously, Katie, I don't know what to do. If it was just seduction, you know that wouldn't be the problem." Tanya didn't even notice the granite was turning to sand under her tensed fingers.

Kate looked at her sister, and quietly and sincerely replied, "No, because you've finally realized there is something more—and you're terrified of ruining it. Believe me, I know. Right now, there are three things you need to do, sweetie." She smiled as she put her hand on her sister's. "First, you gotta put on your big girl panties and talk to the poor man; communicate, you're not a fucking animal. Second, you need to be honest, cuz nothing kills an actual relationship faster than being caught in a lie."

It was quiet for a moment, and it put Tanya back on edge. "And third?" she finally asked to break the silence.

A wicked gleam entered Kate's eye and with a laugh, she replied, "Seduce him of course!"

The women both laughed and stood. They wrapped their arms around each other as they headed back toward the cabin.

"I've missed this, you know," Tanya admitted quietly.

Kate squeezed her sister. "I know, I have too. We'll just have to find an equally interesting topic as seducing men. Now, let's go find your mate. And by the way...you said he was interested...exactly what sort of package are we talking about?"

"Katie!"

"What? That good, huh?" her sister replied in a mock innocent tone. Tanya gave her a dirty look, before nodding her head happily.

The women giggled as they walked home arm in arm.