Eve stormed into the house and looked around only for a second. Did she actually make home before them? Before Michael even?

"Eve?"

Okay not before Michael.

"I saw her!" Eve exclaimed

She slapped her forehead. As she walked into the living room she saw Michael just sitting there tuning his guitar. She sat down on the couch. What was she supposed to think? Michael set the guitar aside and took a hold of Eve's hand in his.

"I was going to tell you guys when you got home later." He said

Eve looked at him confused then came to the realization.

"You knew." She said quickly

She snatched her hands back. Gettingup she took a few steps away from him.

"How long?" she asked

"Eve-"

"How long Michael!" she exclaimed

"Since last week."

"And you didn't care to tell me?"

"He has his own ass to look after." Shane cut in "His own kind."

"Nice of you to show up asshole." Eve spat

"I showed didn't I?"

Eve rolled her eyes and glared at Michael. How could he do that?

"Shane, not now. I'm not in the mood." Michael growled

"You should've told us!" Shane exclaimed getting in his face

"So you could run off and find her? What would you do if you found her huh? She doesn't remember you. She doesn't remember any of us right now. It's going o take time." Michael said

"Why so long?" Eve asked

"She was gone for a long time. She isn't going to be able to remember everything at once. She wasn't even here that long so she'll be lucky if she even does remember anything."

"It's not fair." Shane mumbled

He turned and went upstairs. Eve still stood there looking at Michael.

"You should've told us Michael."

"There's nothing you can do. You have to leave her alone." Michael said "If you don't there will be problems."

"Like what huh? She talked to me not the other way around."

"Amelie. She is the one who brought Claire back. If you get in the middle she won't be happy."

"I don't care. She's our friend and if you don't want to see her again that's your problem, but I do. No leech is going to stop me."

"They will kill you."

"I don't care or didn't you hear me!" she screamed

Eve collapsed onto the couch. How could he tell her that they couldn't go to see her or anything like that? He was getting closer to those bloodsuckers. She just wanted to jump over the coffee table and hit him. Maybe, it would knock sense into him.

"This house has been in hell since she left. It's not been the same. She kept things like this happening." Eve said quietly

"Like this?" Michael asked

"Yeah, you turning into that and saying it's better when I don't understand how. You were just as good as before and Shane…Do you know how many times a day I have to talk him off the ledge?"

Eve sighed and shook her head. Of course he didn't know anything. None of them had been around. Whatever friends they had been at one point was long gone. Claire had seemed to have taken it with her. Getting up, she took one more look at Michael and went upstairs.

Michael sat there feeling defeated. They didn't know why he'd been changed into this. This place was a tomb and nothing more. He needed out. He couldn't protect Eve and Shane while stuck in this place. Claire was lucky for getting out. Was being the key word. He didn't know why she'd come back. It wasn't as if he was that in the loop. No matter what though, there was always someone down his neck. At the moment he had half a mind to call up Sam and tell him to bring Claire here. Sam had offered to before as long as it was kept secret, but she wouldn't know them and he didn't want to see that look in her eyes. That look that was clueless and blank of recognition. He didn't want Shane to see it most of all. He knew how Shane had felt about her and that he still thought about her. It would kill him. The price to protect your friends sucked, Michael thought.

Meanwhile…

Claire paced back and forth in the lab looking through the notes.

"The formula is wrong." She said quietly

He heard it though and was at her side in an instant. Claire was still getting used to all of this. Vampires really? It made her jumpy and had her rubbing her neck constantly. It was red by now and she'd catch him looking at it.

"Right, I see it." he said

She looked at him nervously as he snatched the notes from her and moved to a blackboard. He started scribbling out different symbols across it. Was it normal to know what it all meant? She shook her head and walked up beside him to help. She was told that he wasn't completely stable and that she'd have to help him. She was also told to be extremely careful because, he was sick. She'd seen it once and nearly had her head ripped from her body, but Sam had gotten her out by sheer luck.

"Right here." She said

Her teacher and boss, Myrnin looked at it and squinted his eyes.

"It's wrong." She said

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's not a big deal." She said

Reaching up to erase it, he grabbed her hand. She jumped startled.

"What do you think you're doing?" he said

She looked at him and noticed the serious look in his eyes.

"What you told me." She said "I'm helping you."

His look was hard and cold. She saw it the last time he'd tried to kill. It was a n accident or so she told herself. He was sick and she was supposed to help him. Him and every other vampire that wanted to play drain the human cattle. Sam never failed to tell her that it was a bad idea and that if she didn't want to go in there she didn't have to. In fact, he would insist that she not go in there. He didn't want her to end up like Myrnin's previous students or pets as Myrnin liked to call them.

Myrnin had told her not to come as well a few times. He said it wasn't safe. Soon after though, he'd start losing his marbles and Sam would be there to usher her out. They were really sick, all of them. She helped them anyway.

Claire looked down at the shiny metallic ball chain bracelet that layered up her arm. Amelie had told her to use it if only for a quick escape. Claire was hoping this wasn't one of those times. She took a step back and put the chalk down. Myrnin's gaze didn't shift. She was in his eyesight and it wasn't a good place to be.

"I presume you are not just here to be an apprentice." He started

"That is the only reason."

He's sick, she told herself. She had to keep reminding herself that there wasn't a chance he'd eat her. There was a big chance though.

"You talk too much. Who is the teacher here?" he growled

Claire gulped and took another step back.

"I will go. You are not yourself." She said

His eyes closed and he cringed a little and rubbed his temples.

"Yes. Go Claire. It is late now and I am tired." Myrnin said

"You will be okay?"

Claire was a little worried being this was the man who had to teach and help her with making some sort of cure if possible.

"Do not pretend to care! Leave!" he bellowed

Claire jumped and ran from the room. Sam waited on the other side of the door and had locked it quickly. As he did, a cracking sound came from the otherside. It sounded as if Myrnin was trying to break through.

"Get a move on Claire." Sam said as he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her along

Claire looked back and the door cracked as Myrnin had tore at it again.

Sam shuffled her down the alley and into a car with tinted windows. She sighed and rubbed her neck. Why was she brought here again? Oh yeah a good paying job with living accommodations already set for her. If she had known then what she knew now, she wouldn't have come here.

"I'm going to drop you off at Common Grounds okay?" Sam said

"Sure, I guess." She mumbled

"Claire, I'm sorry." He said as he reached over and took her hand, the one with the bracelet

He seemed to genuinely care and she was grateful that not every bloodsucker wanted to drain her. She did have an encounter with a few though and was given personal access to kick their ass if they tried anything, but that was if she had a chance against them. He pulled up to the door and stopped.

"I was told to give this to you." He said as he held out a small velvet bound box

Claire looked at it quizzically.

"It'll protect you, trust me. Amelie seems to want that the most for you so it doesn't disrupt the work. I'm still trying to convince her to stop though." he said

Claire opened the box and saw that a bracelet sat inside. It inlaid with gold and had a symbol on it. She'd seen a lot of symbols around town and had no idea what to make of them.

"How will this protect me? It's just a bracelet." Claire said

"It will. Just put it on." He said "Anyone wearing them is protected."

"By what?"

"The vampires that gave them."

"Oh, so…wait you're protecting me?"

"Not exactly. It came from Amelie, but I am looking out for you." He said

"Ah."

It was just another thing she didn't quite understand. Vampire weren't supposed to be real and yet she was in a town full of them. Now she was about to be protected by one? Why didn't that sound right?

"Whatever." She said as she slipped it on the wrist without the layered bracelet

"Just be careful now alright? No trouble." He said

She knew what he meant. Throughout her whole college career she'd been questioning everything and this wasn't the place to be doing that kind of thing. Getting out of the car, she walked the short distance into the coffee shop. Several people surrounded the small stage where music seemed to be coming from. She hadn't been in here too often because Oliver kind of gave her the creeps. He's the owner of Common Grounds and gave off an uneasy vibe.

Claire took a seat at the counter and looked toward the stage. He sat there with a guitar sounding like something from heaven. He looked like he was from heaven too. Claire smirked at the thought. It'd be funny if now the place was also populating angels too. Should it seem surprising? No, but it'd probably surprise her anyway. He was deep into his lyrics and she enjoyed it.

"What can I do for you this evening Clarie?"

Her head jerked towards Oliver in all his hippy glory.

"Just the usual." She replied

She'd been here four days and she already had a usual. Oliver nodded and obliged by pulling out a Red Bull from the small fridge under the counter.

"Thanks." She said

She almost meant it. She looked back toward the stage and now noticed the gorgeous young blonde had his eyes directed at her. Maybe, it wasn't at her. Someone behind her? Wait, he was…damn. He was a vamper. Claire rubbed her neck again. Horrible habit as it was.

"That's Michael Glass if you're wondering." Oliver said interrupting her thoughts

"In which she definitely not." Came another voice

Claire turned to see a young man with dark brown hair and inquiring dark eyes slip into a seat beside her. It was the first prick that had attempted to pick her up and not in the good way.

"Hello Brandon." She said sarcastically

He gave her a toothy grin.