Author's note: Okay, so, really important bit here - to understand this completely read my '10 drabbles about Steve and Rose' and 'Happy ending' (about R&S). I've tried to make it as clear as possible so you don't have to but I think it would really help you understand what Rose went through and Happy ending tells ya what happend next in case you want to know!

Anyway hope you like it.

DC

Galaxies burned behind his eyelids sending shooting stars falling into infinity in the blackness in front of him. Planets formed and exploded and twirled across the endless space. His view fluttered slightly just as he focused on a smaller world light years away as a sound far away diverted his attention. It sounded like an exhale of breath but Mr Tiny blocked it out as he pinpointed the tiny planet again. It had been annoying him for a while. Uninhabited and uninhabitable, it served no purpose in the universe. There was a small and insignificant flash of light and the planet popped out of existence with hushed explosion. The universe stretched slightly and the man's eyes narrowed as he smirked. His satisfied was short lived however as his annoyance returned with the arrival of another exasperated sigh. Mr Tiny opened his eyes. The image of the universe vanished and a blurry figure swan into view. As his vision adjusted to the new light he could just about see Steve slouched in a black coffin in the corner of the room. A fresh corpse drained of any blood lay lifeless on the floor; the evidence of his indulgence was smeared around the boy's mouth.

Mr Tiny glowered at him but Steve did not look up. Probably moping, thought Mr Tiny, he's been 'thinking' a lot recently. That's never a good sign. As if to humour him, Steve sighed again even louder. Mr Tiny knew better than to tell him to shut up. Last time he had done that, the teenager had gone on a rampage and literally drained the surrounding area of blood. Yet, Steve clearly wanted some attention.

"Are you alright?" ventured Mr Tiny. He was never really any good at consoling anyone. He adopted what he hoped was a concerned expression. Steve didn't even look at him, he just shrugged.

"Hungry perhaps?" he asked. Steve kicked the carcass and shook his head.

"Well what?" snapped the man, his patience finally ending.

"Nothing, I guess," replied Steve broodingly. He hopped out of the coffin, landing lightly on the floor and swept from the room, taking care to slam the door on his way out. Mr Tiny did not flinch at the noise he had anticipated. The boy's behaviour worried him. He had been sulking since that night at the theatre when Rose had approached him. Damn that interfering girl! She could so easily destroy his plans just by existing but it was too risky to have her killed. The War was upon them now, if any of the Vampires or Vampaneze failed to live up to the prophecy, his plans would fail. Mr Tiny suddenly struck his fist into his palm hard. Why hadn't he included Rose in the prophecy? He hated not being able to control her fate. He hadn't foreseen the affect she would have on the boys and hated himself for it. A rouge pawn in his game of chess, she had the potential to cause a lot of damage to the events he had already set up. Oh well, he mused, her existence will be... interesting.

Meanwhile, Steve lounged alone in his room, staring at nothing in particular and letting his thoughts wander. He knew he shouldn't let that girl bother him so much; she was only a girl. It wasn't even as though they had got along when they had been together either. They had battled through argument after fight after argument. They were both too stubborn, that was why. They had both been too proud to apologise first. Memories came flooding back as though the thought of Rose had opened the floodgates to the past.

They had been exhausted after travelling back from a sleepy town way out in the country somewhere. They had been told to feed away from the main city after their last supper had attracted the unwanted attention of a police investigation and so after many hours of flitting through a barren landscape, they had found the perfect town. Steve recalled how Rose had held his hand all the way there as if she were scared if she let go she would lose him again. Her grip provoked feelings of guilt from within Steve as he thought about how she had watched him die, thinking he was gone forever. He had kissed her passionately every time he thought about it in an attempt to reassure her and make up for what he had done. Rose pushed him away and smiled coyly.

"Stop," she smiled, taking his hand again.

"You know I love you though right? You know I'll never ever leave you again?"

"Yes. You mentioned it." She rolled her eyes, loosing count of the amount of times Steve had apologised. She just wanted to forget about it now and move on.

"But I won't okay? Ever!" he clasped her hand in his and went to kiss her again but she pulled away.

"Don't," she muttered. Steve looked taken aback.

"You can't just kiss it better," she sighed letting go of his hand. Steve snatched it back up again and held on tightly.

"But I've said I'm sorry! I- "

"I know. I've forgiven you a hundred times already!"

"But... but you just said..."

"Can we just forget about it?" shrugged Rose, annoyed at herself for bringing up the subject. Steve, on the other hand, looked distraught. He shook his head firmly.

"No," he said furiously, "no, tell me what it is."

"What it is? Steve you left me!"

"I said -"

"It's not that easy, Steve," Rose pushed him sadly and brushed past the boy, "I know you are but it's not that simple." Steve looked distressed. He grabbed her shoulders and spun her gently around to face him. Kissing her wouldn't solve anything, he knew she needed an explanation though he wasn't sure if he could explain himself. It wasn't that easy. However the desperate look hovering across Rose's deep brown eyes gave him the confidence he needed to try.

"Alright, alright, I know you can never just accept an apology from me. What I did to you was horrible and I will never forgive myself for it. Never." Rose looped a consoling arm around his shoulder and sat him down on a nearby wall. Steve took a deep breath and continued, never looking away from her face.

"Darren had just died," he said softly, "I couldn't take it. Any of it. He wasn't supposed to die young, I was. I was the one no one would miss." Rose tried to correct him but he shook his head.

"No, you don't understand. I wasn't thinking right. To me, the world didn't care. I was alone and after that night at the Cirque, confused. And angry. You ever felt like that? It's like you can't breathe or think straight. Everything I did, all the normal stuff like school and hanging around with you felt different. I had Bad Blood, Rose." Rose attempted to interrupt yet again but Steve bitter laugh drowned out her voice.

"And I believed him. Well, until Mr Tiny told me the truth. I wasn't destined to be one of them." He spat out the last word as though it were a horrible curse.

"Destined?" questioned Rose but Steve ignored her.

"Don't you see? I had no other choice. I couldn't ignore it, Rose, I knew I was different. I was meant to be something else."

"No choice? Wasn't I a -"

"No, Rose it was my destiny! I was meant for this!" Rose's expression hadn't changed, except possibly grown sadder. She looked away hoping her water filled eyes would leak and betray her. Steve lowered his voice again.

"I hadn't seen my dad in years. My mum was drunk all the time. I absolutely hated my life. But Mr Tiny made me feel different, like I wasn't just some idiot kid."

"You were depressed," Rose reasoned. She had always assumed it right from the very moment after Steve had jumped to his 'death.' Saying it aloud and seeing Steve's uncomfortable expression somehow confirmed her conclusion.

"I guess. You were the only one who ever made me feel better Rose, but after that night... not even you..." he broke off and looked down, embarrassed by the girl's stare. She wasn't going to forgive him, he could see that now. How stupid of him to think that saying sorry could suffice. Like a kiss could make it all better! Steve was caught off guard when Rose suddenly crashed her lips against his and pulled him closer. He could feel her wet cheeks as she pulled away to hug him. He sighed with a mixture of relief and happiness and held her tightly. Rose sniffed but allowed a few more tears fall. He had been depressed, not selfish. She knew she couldn't have stopped him. She kissed him again, finally understanding how a kiss could be interpreted as an apology.

"I'm sorry I doubted you," she said quietly, "I know- "

"I'll never ever leave you again,"

"Yeah," laughed Rose. She regarded Steve with delight though one hesitation nagged uncertainly at the back of her mind.

"What do you mean you were meant to be a Vampaneze?"

"Like, my destiny," said Steve cheerfully missing the worry visibly creep across Rose's forehead in the form of a frown, "like that was always who I was meant to be." When the girl didn't reply, Steve finally noticed the confusion etched across her features.

"Don't you think I'm better how I am now? That we're better? Come on, we're stronger, faster, deadlier..."

"Deadlier," mused Rose, "we killed those people. We couldn't help it."

"Well, no. I couldn't help that first couple but I admit I was greedy about the last few."

"Greedy?" Said Rose, shocked. She didn't understand. The word greedy suggested Steve had chosen to kill those people but she knew that couldn't be right. They couldn't help what they were or how they fed. It was horrible but it was their nature. Nevertheless, she had to be sure.

"Greedy? You were starving. You couldn't help yourself."

"Sure," winked Steve. Rose gasp provoked the truth from the boy.

"Oh all right. I admit it, I ate earlier..." he smiled and stood up for another kiss but Rose backed away.

"Ate earlier...? Were you still hungry? I don't get it..." her voice trailed off, begging to be corrected.

"I told you, I was being greedy. It was too much fun to resist. Man! All that blood! And you!" He pointed an accusing finger at the stunned girl.

"You were amazing. You just leapt on them and didn't let go, huh. Instant kill!" He punched his fist in the air as though his favourite team had just scored and looked at Rose admiringly, totally ignoring her expression of horror and disgust.

"Now do you see? We were meant this, you and me. We were destined to do this together. Don't you think we're better?"

Rose mouthed something incomprehensible and staggered backwards. Steve reached out in concern to see her nearly fall and immediately touched her pale face. She looked ill. Rose shrieked and pushed him violently away from her.

"Better?" She cried, "You're a monster!" Rose struggled to release his grip and cried out in fear and anger. Steve dropped her arm and stared at her opened mouthed. She looked so repulsed by him, so frightened but at the same time there was a look of pity.

Back in his room, the image of Rose's upset face drifted in front of his eyes as her gasp echoed in his ears. She had calmed down enough eventually but from then on their relationship had changed. She hadn't liked to hunt with him, in fact, she had rarely hunted at all, preferring to have a corpse dragged back for her. However Steve had often defended her unorthodox way of consuming blood even though he hadn't necessarily understood. For him, drinking blood was a sport but Rose saw it as unnatural and wrong though unavoidable.

Steve realised he loved her anyway, even with her eccentric behaviour. He thought about the pre-destined future Mr Tiny had laid out for him, ready and waiting to be fulfilled and wondered if there was any way to incorporate Rose into it. The powerful man had warned him the girl had the power to destroy his dreams and all his hard work but surely that was only if she was angry with him. Surely if she loved him she would appreciate that he had his own future to follow. Perhaps she could stand there with him, by his side as the Vampaneze Lord. Steve smirked to no one in particular as he thought about Rose. She was not going to be easily persuaded but he liked a challenge.