Hayley's POV

I knew it was morning but I didn't want to get up... I may have just somehow come back to life... but being dead really makes you tired. I rolled over and hit into something. My eyes immediately flew open and saw Ross's eyes slowly open and he smiled. "Morning beautiful" he said sweetly. I sat up and looked around and noticed we were in his room and was wondering how the f*** I got from there to here last night and what the hell happened, if anything happened that is. "Don't worry Hayley, you were panicking in your sleep last night and you seemed to calm down when I came and checked on you so I brought you in here... and no, Hayley, nothing happened, so calm down" he reassured me. He sat up and started rubbing my back because I was still tensed because I remembered what I was dreaming last night... well... it was more of a nightmare at that. "Baby, are you okay?" he asked sympathetically. I bit the corner of my lip and quietly shook my head. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked, he stopped rubbing my back and wrapped me in a hug. "I just keep reliving a few days ago" I answered quietly.

"Rodney?"

"Mm hm"

"You don't have to worry about him anymore Hayls, I promise"

"Was that what I heard?"

"Maybe"

"Thought so"

He chuckled softly "Well I knew I was gonna have to take care of someone to keep you safe... I'm just glad I got a second chance at it"

"You and me both Ross" I turned toward him, placed a quick kiss on his lips, and then swung my legs over the side of the bed and went toward the door. When I didn't hear Ross come after me I turned around and smiled. "You coming?" I asked. He smiled and got out of bed and walked after me, not knowing what I wanted him for, but gladly following just because I asked him to. We walked downstairs to the kitchen and I sat down at the island and he walked around the other side. He looked back at the "special" fridge and back at me. "You can't do it, can you?" he asked, mocking me with his smile. I playfully shoved his shoulder backwards and he made a face at me. "Stop mocking that you're braver than me... again, new to the vampire world, had that coursing through my veins a few months ago! You're been undead for... a long time"

"You don't know how long, do you?"

"No... not sure I want to know though, 'cause I know you're way older than I am"

"Shut up"

He got a glass out of the cupboard and pored a full glass. I looked up at him after he put it in front of me. "Do I have to drink it all?"

"I know you haven't in a few weeks... maybe that's why you were off your game a few days ago"

"How did you know?"

"There weren't any glasses in the sink"

"How'd you know I didn't use a plastic cup?"

"I don't have any plastic cups"

"S***"

"Not very good at lying Hayley, now drink it"

I looked at the glass and everything in me wanted to, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. "I can't do it Ross"

"Don't make me do it Hayley... you know I hate doing that to you"

"I hate it too, but it's the only way I'm going to"

"You can drink it on your own!"

"No I can't! I may want to, but I can't drink it!"

"Hayley, you're gonna kill yourself not having anything... I'm actually surprised though"

"Why's that?"

"Because literally all new vampires can't get enough of blood, they're all over that... but you... you just refuse to have it"

"I've always been special, hadn't you noticed?"

"Oh I noticed"

I smile-sighed and shook my head "I know you wouldn't have helped me if you didn't think so"

"Hey, special or not I would have helped you... you seemed like a sweet person who just needed someone to care... it never occurred to me that any of this s*** would have happened"

"I knew some of it would"

"Yeah Hayley, I know, you've told me"

"Can you please?"

"*sigh* Fine"

I slowly felt Ross's power creeping over me and he made me drink the blood... and I hated every second... I can't stand the fact that vampires have to drink something that once flowed through their veins themselves. After the last of it slithered down my throat Ross dropped the power and I put down the glass and shivered in disgust. "Still sucks?" he asked.

"Still sucks" I answered, my mouth contorted in a dissatisfied frown. He smiled, rolled his eyes, and then leaned over the counter and kissed me. He pulled back and smiled at me. "Any better?" he joked. I smiled mockingly. "Maybe" I answered jokingly. He shook his head smiling and then got a glass himself, and I knew he would because he seemed drained, and he always seemed better after he did. I felt a little wind on the back of my neck and when I felt a hand in my shoulder I screamed, turned around, and kicked Steven into the wall on the other end of the room. Once I noticed what I did I ran over to see if he was okay. "Oh my God, Steven, are you okay?!" I asked hurriedly. He looked at me and seemed a little dazed from his head hitting the wall. Once he noticed that I was there next to him on the floor he scrambled backwards a little bit and looked at me in horror. "S***, how hard did I hit my head Ross? 'Cause I could swear Hayley's right there" he said looking back and forth between me and Ross. Ross was leaning one elbow on the counter and was holding his glass in the other hand. "You hit your head pretty hard dude, but you're not hallucinating... Hayley is really there" Ross answered smiling at him.

"You're f***ing with me, right?"

"Nope... I ain't playing"

"What kind of witchcraft you working?"

"None... I was just as surprised as you are"

"How am I sure this isn't some kind of hologram?"

"Poke her! She's real dude"

Steven crawled cautiously back over to where he was and reached out a finger and poked my shoulder, then jerked it back like he just touched something dangerous. He looked at me crazily and then calmed down a bit. "Holy s***, this is real" he said in realization.

"Nnnnnoooooo" I said sarcastically. Steven impulsively wrapped me in a hug and I hugged him back. "Wow Steven, awesome to see you too!"

"I am so sorry I ever made you go back to the factory, I'm so glad you're back"

"Believe me, I am too"

Steven let go of me and stood up. I hopped up happily and we both went and sat opposite Ross. Steven told us he was planning on moving out to Florida because he'd been around here way too long and it brought back way too much, and he'd never been to Florida before, and we told him to come visit whenever and that we'd miss him. After about an hour, Steven left. He said he'd come see us before he left and I wasn't too happy to see him go... we may not have gotten off on the right foot... but I'm gonna miss him because we've been on a better page. I hopped up off the couch and looked out the window, saw it was dusk, and looked back at Ross. "Why don't we go out tonight?" I suggested.

"You want to go out? You have never said those words to me before" he answered playfully as he got off the couch, wrapped me in an over-the-shoulder-from-behind kind of hug, and put his head on my shoulder.

"Well I rarely ever leave the house, and the same with you, so I thought it's be fun!... and plus, we're not expecting any impending doom right now, so I figure, why not?"

"Hey, I see nothing wrong with it"

"And neither do I!"

Ross reached down, grabbed my hand, let go of my shoulders, spun me around, and basically dragged me out of the house and to the car.