Well, I came to a conclusion on how I'm going to end the story. The title will finally make the connection to the story, and there will be more bloody deaths to come. When I finish, I will probably start working on a Tales of Symphonia story… But it'll be a while before I finish this one. So… I'm working on this one REAL hard so I can get it finished before I turn 60. LOL!

Linkin Park – Reading My Eyes: "Reading my eyes will say it in many ways. Losing my pride will save it in many days."

Chapter Twenty-Three—In Love and Death

Seeing the effects of sunny weather on Edward was quite a treat, however it wasn't enough to sustain my desperate need of sleep.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm just really tired…" I explained.

"No, I understand."

I started walking back along the river, to where we were to begin with.

"I just had something to talk to you about."

"Well, talk." I continued walking.

"It's kind of important."

"I'm listening."

"Scottie."

"Come on." I hadn't planned on stopping; He was wasting my valuable sleeping time. Why was he being so difficult?

"Wait."

"Edward, I'm exhausted, and the longer I linger around, the more time I'm wasting that I could be sleeping." I whined. I was not someone who enjoyed being sleep deprived, and those who got in my way suffered greatly.

"Then allow me to make this quick and to the point."

I felt him grab my shoulder and spin me into him, then he kissed me.

The rest of that day was awkward. Everyone got lucky, and the weather turned snowy and cloudy again, so we went home early. Edward and I didn't say much to each other for the rest of the day. We weren't angry with each other, nor were we embarrassed, but I was shocked. I guessed he was just allowing me my personal space to think things over. They took me home and as I was walking to the door, they all shouted, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!"

I turned and looked at them all. They smiled and waved, and I shook my head. It was the most pleasing birthday I'd had in years. I started to head for the door when Edward called me back. I turned and he walked up to me, then took my hand. He slid a small silver ring on my ring finger. I looked down at it. It had a black stone and the right side of it was lined with tiny green amethysts and white diamonds. I looked at him. He was smiling.

"Edward, that wasn't necessary-"

"Yes it was."

"No, I-"

"I'm coming to see you tomorrow. And I know it'll be Sunday, so I'll wait and give you time to sleep in."

He allowed me plenty of time to sleep in – he didn't arrive until around 1 in the afternoon. I had gotten up and put on a pair of jeans with my Converses and my black button-up shirt. I folded my sleeves up to three-quarter length and looked in the mirror. I was sitting on the couch, looking at the ring. I found an old dog-tag chain and I put the ring from Raab on it, then placed it around my neck. I never was one much for jewelry, but Raab's ring was a life necessity, and Edward's was… Well, it was…

What was it?

…

It was special. Yes, that's it. It was special to me. I hadn't removed it from my ring finger, but instead kept it where it had been placed. There was something about the shape of the band that kept it from irritating the two fingers on opposite sides of it.

So, I was sitting on the couch, looking at the ring, when I heard the door open. I got up off the couch and turned to the doorway. There he stood, in jeans and a rich crimson button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

"You copied me." He said, smiling.

"Ha, I think not."

"Oh really?"

"Indeed. My shirt is black, ¾ length sleeves that are folded, not rolled, and I'm wearing Converses."

"Okay, so it was dark and you couldn't quite see through the window enough to tell 100 what color the shirt was, and I don't lay my shoes out for the next morning."

I smiled and shook my head.

"Scottie, I came to talk to you…"

"I thought so…"

"About what you would not allow time for words to say, and thus, there were actions instead."

"I remember."

He walked toward me and took both of my hands.

"Scottie, I never believed what I heard in your thoughts. I always thought they were just mixed signals, or maybe I was…Well, I don't know, delusional."

I listened carefully.

"So, the more and more I thought about it myself, I realized that whether what I was hearing was fact or fiction… I was sure that I love you."

My ears rang and my body temperature jolted, then fell again. I looked at him, thinking about his words.

'I was sure that I love you…I was sure that I love you…I was sure…I was sure…I was sure…I was sure…I was sure…I love you.'

"No-" I gulped. "-mixed signals…"

He said nothing.

"Edward, I wasn't sure what I was thinking, and I wasn't sure that any of it made any sense. But the one thing that did make sense was that there was definitely something that I was feeling, although at the time I wasn't sure what it was…I guess…I guess now I know-"

"How sweet."

I don't think anyone's life went from perfect to shit faster than mine just had. The two of us turned to see Malikai standing in the kitchen. He wasn't quite perfect. He was still recovering, obviously. Most of him was put back together, but there were still massive scars and he was missing a couple of toes and fingers. Half of his head held no hair, and if you looked close enough, you could tell that his skull had been crushed, for he was missing skin and the white bone was visible. Some of his teeth were chipped and missing, and his right arm looked as though it had been lacerated with a high-powered chainsaw.

Raab said…Two months…

"Guess what, sweetie? Raab was right, in terms of complete recovery. But as soon as I could walk and see, it was all downhill from there. And, here I am!" He held his arms wide open.

Edward growled, showing his fangs.

I followed suit, crouching. I would not let him control me. I would not let him defeat me. I remembered Raab telling me not to attempt changing until the Saturday of my birthday. It had gone and passed. But then, I remembered the pain of my arm being crushed and changed my mind.

"I see they remodeled your house." Malikai said nonchalantly.

"Yeah, so let's not screw it up again, shall we?"

He shrugged and said, "If you say so." He turned and walked outside.

Edward and I looked at each other.

"What a fag…" I followed him outside.

"Scottie, don't jump into this, there is something going on…"

I ignored him and kept walking.

"Scottie!" He called.

I went outside, and before I had time to look around, I felt Malikai's presence. He jumped at me from my left, and I ducked down low, letting him fly over my head. I growled and ran and jumped at him, hitting him in the face twice as we fell to the ground. My body temperature hit 106 as he grabbed my shoulders and slammed his forehead into mine. I snarled and snapped my teeth in his face then slammed my fist into his collar bone, snapping it. Before he could react, I jumped up and stomped on his sternum, shattering it. He grabbed my foot and twisted it, causing me to spin and fall flat on my face. Edward ran over and kicked him in the face, and he let go of my foot. I rolled over and watched as Edward and Malikai fought mercilessly. Then, a large dog-creature lunged out of the surrounding trees and landed on Malikai. It took me a moment to realize it, but I figured out that it was a werewolf – Raab, to be exact. His right hand was on fire, and he used it to grab Malikai by the throat. Malikai let out the horrible shriek again and I had to cover my ears for fear that the high pitched noise would liquefy my brain. Raab jumped backwards, off of Malikai and stood there. Malikai lurched into a fetal position, twitching convulsively. He suddenly kicked himself over and looked at Edward, who just watched him. Malikai hissed in a low tone, and within milliseconds, was on his feet again. He threw his flaming hand forward, into Edward's chest. I screamed, then jumped on Malikai, tearing him down to the ground. I beat him furiously, despite the flames licking at me. Raab pulled me off, then leaned down and grabbed Malikai's foot, and dragged him out into the woods.

I turned to Edward who was examining a large burn on his chest.

"That was a close call." He said.

"Close call? He almost killed you and all you can say is that it was a close call? You're retarded, and that attitude is going to get you killed."

"My attitude? What about you? You're more reckless than I am."

"Well, I…That's not the point."

"You know why? Because there is no point."

"Except that you're alive."

"Well… I guess."

"Idiot." I shoved him and walked back inside.

He followed me back in and spun me towards him.

"I do believe you were saying something very important."

"Oh…" I remembered what we had been talking about.

"I said, I love you, Scottie."

"And I was going to say, before I was interrupted by some freaky sadistic faggot that was probably shunned by his parents as a child…I love you, too…"

The remainder of February passed.

And then March.

And April.

May…

June…

July…

August…

I spent the summer with Edward, and when he was gone on a trip (which rarely happened), I was with Jess. I told her that Edward and I were dating, and every time she had the chance, she was milking me for information.

We never saw Malikai after that day, but Raab came to us a week later, to tell us he was dead. He said he would be honest with us, that he wasn't 100 sure, but if he wasn't dead, he didn't know what to call it. Edward I considered it good news, and we celebrated with his family.

Speaking of Edward's family, they were not opposed to us being together, and Rosalie had even grown to like me. She ceased giving me evil glances, and was rather genuinely friendly.

When school started back, Edward and I were the senior couple to die for. Everyone became less snotty; it was almost as if they respected us. I was glad for it…It meant no more jerks pushing on me. Of course, where there's respect, there's disrespect. There were still a few girls that hated me… But it was because I had Edward and they didn't.

I never removed my ring from Edward. And as for the ring I got from Raab, I never removed it, either. As a result, I never attempted my transformation. It wasn't because I was chicken, or scared, but because I saw no use in it. Raab taught me only to change when threatened by a vampire. And the last time that'd happened, it was the day after my birthday. And my birthday was February 6th, which meant we had gone almost seven months without seeing Malikai, who was assumed dead.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end…

Hoobastank – Give it Back: (at the end of the song, there is a conversation…) "Uh, like, rap. Like, cheesy rap. Like, I once gave it back and now when it was taken from me, and then I got it back again! I want what once was MINE!!" (hysterical laughter follows)

It really isn't funny unless you hear it… SO GO LOOK IT UP!!!