Slipping into his basement apartment, Mac froze, glancing around, taking in the modern furnishings and sensing something out of place. "Who's here?"

Darla stepped out of the shadows, "A friend. It's been a while."

"Lifetimes even," Mac said, not looking pleased to see her. He shrugged out of his jacket, leaving it over the back of a chair and coming further into his apartment. "Now what do you want here?"

"I came to figure out what you're doing up here, above ground. Living like one of them."

"Maybe I got sick of your kind," he replied, voice brittle.

"You say that as though you're not one of us. Do try to remember, you're not one of them..." She strolled around the apartment.

His eyes followed her. "No, but I have no intention of being considered one of you either."

"Then what are you, precious?" She reached up, yanking the pull cord on a window shade, sending a shaft of sunlight lancing into the room from the street.

Hissing, he leapt back, posture on the defensive. "What do you want Darla? I'm not one of you, and I have no intention of ever joining the pack you run with again."

"You can only suppress your real nature for so long." She moved around, avoiding the sunlight, "I can feel it brewing inside you. Do you think she really wants to be with you? Look at you."

A look of pain flashed across his face. "Sorry, but I lost the ability to do that centuries ago," he said, remembering Grids' remark about his tatoo. He's forgotten he had one, and hadn't seen it in centuries. He didn't remember what it looked like.

"Maybe she'll come around. Tell her about the curse. If she'll let you near her." She shrugged, heading for the door, "If she still doesn't trust you, well, you know where I am."

"Have for centuries," he muttered as she left, glancing at the window where the sunlight cut his apartment in half.

o.o.o.o

Grids shifted her book bag on her shoulder. Her gaze was fixed on the ground as she made her way through the school toward the library.

"Hey, Grids, wait up!" Tugger called after her, dodging others in the walkway to catch up.

She slowed her pace, but didn't stop.

"Come on," Tugger said, finally catching up. "What's up?"

She glanced at him, shaking her head, "Nothing, Tugger."

"Come on, Grids, what can't you tell good old me?" Tugger asked.

"Because you don't want to hear it."

He blinked and frowned. "Oh. So it's about Mac then, isn't it?"

"Is there something else is should be about?"

"I don't know, geometry?" Tugger shook his head. "Come on G, what did you see in him anyway?"

"He was…is…really nice. Gentle, handsome..."

Tugger frowned, shaking his head. "And evil and putting on an act most likely."

She scowled at him, "That's not necessarily true."

"Vampire. What else could it have been?"

"I-I don't know."

Tugger raised his brows at that. "Well, you'll probably going to have to figure it out before he drops the nice guy act and actually comes after you."

She shoved the library doors open hard enough that they slammed against the walls, "Leave off!"

Taking a step back, it took Tugger a couple moments to actually enter the library. Mistoffelees jumped at the sound so high he nearly knocked the tea all over the book he was reading. "Grids..." he said looking up and past her to Tugger. Coricopat looked up, startled, from the book in his hands.

Grids dropped her bag next to the table, "Tell me you've got something."

"Maybe?" Mistoffelees said. "Do you know if Mac had a tattoo on his right shoulder?"

"I..." She nodded, "Yes. Some sort of bird or something."

Mistoffelees looked back up at Cori. "Do you think that means he's Macavity?"

He nodded, "I think it is highly probable."

"Wait...who's Macavity?" Grids glanced from one to the other.

"A vampire from Ireland, some 240 years ago. He came to America around a hundred years ago, but there's no record of him hunting here since that time."

"He shunned other vampires," Mistoffelees continued. "It... it's not a lot, and I'm not sure you should get your hopes up, but compared to how he acted before then... it's quite the change."

"A-are you sure?" Grids glanced between them again.

Cori glanced down, "Well, there's no record but...vampires hunt and kill. There has never been record of one doing otherwise."

"Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly," Tugger said, having come in silently.

Grids shot Tugger a look, "He could have fed on me, he didn't."

Tugger glanced at her and away. "Well, what was he like before he came here then?"

Coricopat hesitated before answering quietly, "Like all of them. A violent creature who lived to hunt and kill."

"But he was flashy about it," Mistoffelees added and continued quickly off everyone's looks. "I mean, if he was going out and killing, everyone knew it was him. He... hasn't been like that in at least a century."

"That...doesn't necessarily mean he hasn't been, he's been feeding somehow, he wouldn't have lasted this long otherwise." Cori spoke quietly, looking away at the hurt look Grids gave him.

"But…there's a chance that he's found another way?" The slayer looked to Misto.

"A chance," he said softly. "But I'm not sure how much of one there really is. But it's there." Tugger opened his mouth and Mistoffelees silenced him with a look.

She looked to Cori who nodded, "There's a small chance, but I can't find any evidence for it."

Mistoffelees looked back down at the book in front of him.

Grids sighed, rising, "I...I should get home..."

Mistoffelees glanced up. "We have to study history tonight," he reminded her softly. "I mean, if you still can. You need to pass this test though."

"O-oh...right." She sighed, "Well, I'm going to go for a walk then. I'll meet you here later?"

He paused and nodded. "Right, yeah, sounds great." She offered him a wan smile before slipping out, leaving her bookbag there.

Tugger whirled on Mistoffelees when she was gone. "I can't believe you're trying to actually support her in this."

Mistoffelees' eyes narrowed. "Tugger," he said, voice low. "You're being an ass. This is hard for her, and you are not helping."

"He's a vampire! I'm just stating the truth."

For a moment Mistoffelees just glared at him before rising with books in hand and going back in the stacks to put them away, Tugger following.

Cori looked toward where the door had finally finished swinging and where Misto had disappeared to. He took his glasses off, cleaning them, "He is a vampire, but she does not need it pointed out at every opportunity, Tugger."

Tugger stopped to glare at him. "Am I getting no support here or something?"

"I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm saying you're tactless."

"Tact? From the british guy who lives in tweed?" Tugger snapped, shaking his head.

Cori replaced his glasses, frowning, "From the adult who can see past the end of his nose to see that she needs friends, not condemners."

Tugger scowled as Mistoffelees came back out from the stacks. "And you. A little support from my best friend would be nice."

Mistoffelees blinked at the sudden attack. "Right, yes, you're the one who needs support here. Look, Tugger, a little sympathy goes a long way. You don't have to have been in love with someone you absolutely, shouldn't, cannot be in love with to at least sympathize with someone who has. She's hurting. It's going to hurt if he's just like all the other vampires and she does have to stake him. In the meantime? You mention it again to her, and best friend since diapers or not, I'm braining you with my hard cover of War and Peace." Mistoffelees had drawn himself up to his full height at that, but he was too short for it to do much, and the grey and blue striped sweater probably didn't help.

But the tone of his voice, and the fact that Tugger knew exactly what Misto's hardcover copy of War and Peace looked like, made the other teen nod and finally back down slightly.

Cori glanced between the two of them and retreated to the stacks to continue to see if he could find anything.

Mistoffelees settled in to do the rest of his non-history homework, and Tugger shortly therefore left, probably to put on some country music and wallow for a while.

Cori emerged from the steps just before sunset. "I'm going to head home and see if I have anything in my library there. You'll be alright here?"

Mistoffelees glanced up and at the clock. "Yeah. I'll have Grids walk me home when we're done."

"Alright. Take care, Mistoffelees."

"Thanks. You too. Good luck with any research tonight."

"Thank you," he slipped out.

Grids entered the library a short while later, "Hey, Misto."

He snapped his gaze over to look at her, from where he'd been staring somewhat dreamily at the spot Cori had disappeared from. "Hey, Grids, hey."

"How're you?"

"Good," he said a little too quickly. "You?"

"Well enough I guess."

"Are you going to be able to study?"

"I think so? Maybe?"

"Alright," he said, opening the book and getting down to the business of studying.

Grids settled in with her book and notebook open, but mostly just doodled in the notebook, her mind long since elsewhere.

"So, Reconstruction began in..." Mistoffelees looked up. "Grids? Grids, come on."

"Huh? Reconstruction? It began after the, ah, construction which was shoddy and so they had to reconstruct...?"

Mistoffelees sighed. "Grids... after the destruction of the civil war."

"…Right. The Civil War, during which Mac was already like a hundred and change."

"Are we going to study, or talk about the bleak, barren wasteland that sometimes pretends to be our love lives?"

"I vote for the bleak barren wasteland of...wait, you have a love life?" She realized how that could sound as soon as it was said, "Oh, Misto...I didn't mean it like that..."

"Pretends," he said, handling it well enough. "Pretends to be our love lives, which could also imply a lack thereof. Which would then be why it's bleak. And barren."

"No, you don't get it out of it that easily. Spill."

"Spill? There's nothing to spill here, not even tea," he protested, and looked like he wanted to smack himself as soon as he'd mentioned tea.

Her brow rose, "Tea?"

"Tea? No tea. No spilled tea either. Tea was just a randomly chosen Freudian slip and... and I am not getting out of this conversation am I?"

"No. Not in the least."

"There's really not much to spill," he said, glancing around the library. "I mean... except in a this is never working sort of a way."

She looked him over, "Do you like someone?"

"I... Maybe?"

"Who? Girl?...or...guy?"

He paused, eyebrow arching slightly. "I... guy."

She tilted her head on one side, "Really?" Grids blinked, considering for a long moment, "Has it always been guys? I'm sorry, that was prying...it's not really my business."

"Well, it," he shrugged. "It's a fair question, it's just... I've never so much defined myself by any sexuality, and in no small part my sexuality has never been actually defined by anyone else but... yeah, it seems like anytime I get a crush it's on a guy of male proportions."

She considered, nodding slightly, "Do I know him?"

"Um... I would assume so yes."

She arched an eyebrow, "Do I get more than vague answers?"

"Maybe? I'd rather not?"

She sighed, nodding, "Fair enough."

"It's just... not a really great situation. Or person to be crushing on. Which, compared to you looks a bit tamer at the moment but still."

"So...have you told this person?"

"No," he said, rather firmly.

"...Okay then."

"Okay then?" he asked, a little supscious.

"Well, I must not be getting anything more out of you. Any questions on your end?"

"I... how are you holding up?" he asked, watching her expression.

"I...I don't really know."

"Anything in particular springing to mind?"

"I don't want to. But...I have to get over him."

"Well, I mean, on the plus side, he's stay young forever... though you'd still get wrinkly and old and... I'll leave that issue alone now."

"No...speak up. I have to get over him so I can...well..."

Darla slipped in through one of the back windows, listening quietly to their conversation.

"So you can make with the stake?" Mistoffelees asked, arching a brow slightly.

She swallowed, nodding, "Yes, so I can m-make with the...oh, God, Misto, I can't."

He hesitated before reaching forward and lightly touching one of her hands. "I'm so sorry."

She swallowed, "Like Tugger said...repeatedly...I'm the Slayer, he's a vampire."

"But, I mean, he's never done anything to harm you."

"I-I gotta stop thinking about this... Give me another half hour, maybe something will sink in. Then I'm going home for some major moping."

Darla smirked as she picked up a couple of books and then slipped out the way she'd come.

Mistoffelees nodded and reopened his text as well.

o.o.o.o

Sitting at home and looking over some finances, Jenny glanced up when she thought she heard a noise. Walking to the back door in the kitchen, she peered out before shaking her head and returning to her stool in the kitchen.

Darla peered in the back window, smirking, before looping around to the front and ringing the doorbell. Jenny jumped at the sound of the doorbell, going to open the door. "Hello?"

Darla offered a shy smile, "Hi. I'm Darla, a friend of Grids'?"

"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Darla."

"Did she forget to mention I was coming over for a study date?"

"Oh, I thought she was studying with Mistoffelees at the library," Jenny replied, a little too brightly for what the situation warranted.

"Oh, she is. Mistoffelees is the Civil War expert. I help her with the War of Independence. My family kind of goes back to those days."

"Oh. Well, she's supposed to be home soon if you want to come in."

Darla smiled, entering, "It's very nice of you to invite me into your home."

Jenny blinked at the phrasing but led her into the kitchen. "You're welcome. I've been wrestling with the IRS all night... would you like something to eat?"

Her gaze trailed to Jenny's neck, "I'd love something."

"Well, I'll see what I have," Jenny offered her a warm smile before opening the fridge.

Darla followed her into the kitchen, her visage changing as she pounced.

Mac lingered on the lawn outside, wanting to talk to Grids, see if he could manage to explain, but he wavered and was about to step away when he heard a scream from inside. Slamming the door open, he ran into the kitchen to see Darla draining Jenny. "Let her go!"

Darla leaned her head back, laughing, her arm around Jenny's waist. "I only took a little. There's plenty more. Aren't ya hungry for something warm? Something fresh?"

Mac growled, though it was clear the offer was tempting.

"Come on, Mac..." She smirked, her fingers tracing around the bite on Jenny's neck.

"Let. Her. Go."

"Oh, Mac, just say yes. You know you want to." She heaved Jenny at Mac, leaving it to him to catch her. He caught her, face morphing into vamp face at the smell of the warm blood. "Welcome home." Darla slipped out the backdoor silently as the front door opened.

He growled, closing his eyes in an attempt to get a hold on his instincts.

Grids dropped her bookbag inside the front door, calling out, "Hi, Mom," She came into the kitchen, freezing, "I-I'm home..." Her gaze flickered between the bite on her mother's neck to Mac in vampire form. She paled.

"This..." his eyes had snapped open and he just stared at her.

Your author who is currently updating this is running off so little sleep it's not even funny, but is really more entertained by this chapter than she should be. Enjoy reading all, and remember, feedback is the food author's live off!