A/N: Well, hello my readers! I am sitting here, starting my morning as I would with a Diet Cherry 7-up and chatting on facebook- which reminds me. LIKE ME ON FACEBOOK! There's a link on my page! There might be a contest coming up in the mere future, so keep a look out for that. Uhm, other than that I don't think there's any news that should keep you from this chapter anymore, so let's get on with it!

Disclaimer:I don't own anything other than Ronnie! MissXMagic owns Cassie and RoxyPony owns Kade. Everyday I wish I own Darren... or at least any of the DSS, but that's to Darren Shan himself.

Listening To: "Kiss My Sass" Cobra Starship, and "Super Bass", Nicki Minaj

"This is so awkward." Kade mumbled, shifting her weight from foot to foot. I pulled away from Steve and turned to face everything that I had been running from. Our little apartment has never looked so full, but there was an emptiness that lingered in the air. I lifted my hand and sighed as I ran my hair through my bangs and closed my eyes before I made my way over to the couch and plopped down.

"If I knew we were having company I would have made cookies or something." I said half heartedly.

"No you wouldn't." Steve snickered at my remark, I was always trying to bake and no matter how many times I tried, it never turned out right.

"That's not the point," I looked over at Steve as he sat next to me, forcing to keep a smile under wraps. "What is the point?" I questioned looking over at my mentor as he stood against the arm rest of a chair. The rest of the group had made themselves comfortable, Kade sat down in the large chair, resting her cowboy boots on the makeshift coffee table. I would have said something if I didn't do the exact same thing. Darren leaned against one of the walls, eyes scanning the room as if he was on edge and looking for something that was a threat to him. Cassie took a seat next to me, her presence was very refreshing and if I thought hard enough, I could almost take myself back to the days where things were much simpler.

"So, is it cool having all that super strength and stuff?" A young and exuberant Cassie grinned, resting her head in her hands.

"Well yeah," I nodded, walking along one of the cracks on the floor in my tent, "I mean, of course it's cool being able to jump and run really fast and all that stuff- I feel like a badass most of the time, but it's not really badass when you realize why you're that way."

"What do you mean?" Cassie's voice had become softer at my last comment, and I could see the innocent conversation become tainted.

"I'm a vampire," I giggled, and was surprised at how melodic it sounded. When I had first turned, all of the changes in myself were pretty obvious- but I could always hear my voice, but it was underneath something so much more beautiful, the tainted beauty vampirism had given to me.

"Yeah, I know that. But what's your point?" Cassie had now rolled over and was looking at me with her head hanging over the edge of the bed, brown strands falling with gravity.

"If you didn't meet me first, the only way that you'd know about me was if you picked up a Dracula novel, or watched a horror movie." I explained, stopping and placing a hand on my hip. "If you looked at me, by first glance I just would look like some teenager who drew you in a little more than I should. But that's because I'm a predator, I was made to bring people to me, I was made to kill. Even though personally, I may not seem that way. I'm a monster, and we all are."

"But you're the good guys, you're not a monster, Ronnie." Cassie's lips were pressed into a straight line.

"No, but I am." I laughed dryly, "I was given strength, and everything else in vain. I'll have to watch my family die, I'll have to watch you and Evra die. I'll have to watch your children die, and your children's children. I'll outlive everyone I ever meet, basically. I drink blood, for gods sake! That's not the nicest thing in the world."

"But you'll always have Darren."

I smiled to myself, looking down and then back up at Cassie,

"Yeah, I'll always have Darren."

I shook my head, frowning at the fact how remembering the 'simple' times were so tainted.

"The princes request to see you, Veronica. We need you to come back to the mountain with us." Larten acknowledged, and I snorted before replying.

"What have you been smoking?" Larten looked over at Kade for a bit of a translation.

"Basically she means you must be crazy for you to think that she'd come to the mountain with us." Kade groaned, she knew that this wasn't going to go very smoothly.

"Do you know why they want to talk to me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." Larten answered.

"Well?"

"I cannot tell you, they have to speak to you themselves." I let out an exasperated sigh and gripped the bridge of my nose between my fingers, thinking over the situation. I didn't ever want to go back to the mountain, I had come here and was living with Steve. We had made it our job to keep the city and areas surrounding it safe, basically becoming the hunters of the area. But there was a feeling in the pit of my stomach, I don't know exactly what it was, but there was something deep inside of me that was telling me that I had to go, that there was no other choice, I couldn't say no. Besides, I was a vampire, and no matter how mad I was, I couldn't turn my back.

"How long will this take?" I surrendered, receiving a shocked glance from Steve.

"You're actually going to go?" He snapped, I only nodded in reply.

"I'm going to go and not stay one minute more than I need to."

"Well, why don't I come with you?"

"You cannot, you are a vampaneze. Which means you are not allowed in Vampire Mountain." Larten quipped.

"And you annoy the shit out of me, I don't want your bitch ass tagging along. No offense." Kade snickered, picking at the cuticles on her fingernails. Steve bit his tongue, and I knew that once they left our apartment he'd have a lot to say to me. But there was no changing my mind once it was set, and he knew that.

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning." I laid my head back on the chair and closed my eyes once more,

"Alright, I'll be ready." Larten smiled at me proudly, and Cassie squeezed my hand gently. "I'll see you all tomorrow." I said standing up and opening the door and getting ready to shoo them out of the door, but Kade had other ideas.

"Larten, Darren, we'll meet you back at the hotel. There's something Cassie and I need to do before we leave." she said, stopping at the opened door.

"Alright, I would ask what you were doing, but I do not need to know." Larten said before taking down the hallway with Darren, my heart called out for him to return, but I forced my mind to black out any of those emotions and thoughts for the time being, I knew they would haunt me before sleep came to me.

"Well, if this is going to be chick time, I'm going out and I'll be back, and then we'll talk, Ronnie." Steve said, his lips pressed into a straight line as he pulled on his coat and walked out of the door.

"Since when did he become your dad?" Kade gawked as Steve walked out of the door, his hand trusted into his pockets as he walked quickly down the hallway.

"That's not the point," Cassie said, sitting me on the couch after I had shut the door, "we know that you were sad when you left the mountain, but you don't have to look like it!"
"What do you mean?" I defended, confused at what she was getting at.

"Ron, doll." Kade said, placing a hand on my head, "You're hair is dark as night, and I can see your blonde roots growing in."

"We have to fix you, and bring the real Ronnie back." Cassie smiled, excitement growing in her voice. I opened my mouth to start to protest, even though I was totally for the idea, I was going to try and be difficult and put up at least a little bit of a fight, but Kade held out her hand and placed it over my mouth.

"Don't even waste your breath, I'm changing you back whether you like it or not."