Many apologies for it being so long since I have updated anything. I was having some health problems, and not up to writing at all. I am feeling a lot better now, and will be writing again very soon. I went through my files and saw that I already had this chapter finished, so as a gift for your patience, I am posting it now. Enjoy!

Warning: This chapter contains a scene involving harming an animal. However, I am not going into graphic detail. Just remember, they're vampires. They need blood in order to survive.


Chapter Five – Getting to Know You

When Paige took Corey's hand, a strange sensation traveled throughout her body. It was a very nice tingle. Something that she was very much not used to. Something about being near Corey made her feel comfortable. Made her feel like everything was going to be all right. This was exactly what she needed. They stayed quiet as he lead her out the front door and around the house. She smelled the air around her, and a calming sensation overcame her. She smiled, looking over to Corey.

"I didn't expect her to make a move so soon," Paige chuckled.

"I warned you, as gracious as a host she is, Mary is very flirtatious," Corey smiled.

"It doesn't really bother me much," Paige shrugged. "She never actually has any intent to cheat on Jeff, right?"

"No," Corey shook his head with a smile. "He actually finds it amusing."

"So it's nothing to really get worked up about," Paige nodded as they began to walk into a fog covered wood. Again, it was something straight out of a horror film, but there was something about it that made her feel right at home.

Just as Corey was about to ask Paige something, a red fox came into sight. He glanced over as Paige looked to the potential prey with hunger. He just smiled, nodding as he whispered. "If you're hungry, go ahead."

As soon as she got the go ahead, Paige darted toward the small animal, quickly capturing it and feeding upon it. She hadn't even realize how long since she had really fed. It had already felt like years since the night before, when everything had happened with Dean. Once she had drained her food source, she slowly turned back to Corey, panting softly with a slightly ashamed look on her face.

"It's alright," Corey assured her as she walked over to her, reaching out and wiping a drop of blood from her lip. He then brought the thumb to his mouth, tasting what she had just experienced. "We all feed on the grounds. It would be silly if we didn't give into our instincts from time to time."

"I guess that you're right," Paige nodded. "So what do we do with..."

"Give it back to the Earth," Corey smirked as he knelt down, digging a hole big enough and dropped the remains into the ground before covering it back up. After he stood up and brushed himself off, he looked to Paige once more. "What's this I hear about you leaving?"

"I just can't help but feel like I am imposing. I'm a stranger to you," Paige sighed, kicking a small rock around as she looked at the ground.

"You heard Mary. This is her house. She practically insisted that you move in with us. Even if you did leave, where would you go?" Corey cautiously stepped closer, gently cupping Paige's cheek. He knew that he was flirting with disaster, but he couldn't help himself. He had just helped this girl bury her lover less than twenty-four hours earlier, yet he was already contemplating making a move on her. As she slowly looked up to meet his gaze, he saw that she was chewing on her bottom lip. "Are you really in that much of a hurry to leave me?"

"Of course not," Paige quickly threw her arms around Corey. It was meant as a deep appreciation for his help the night before, but there was almost a heat between them. Not that their bodies really ever actually generated heat. She slowly pulled away, looking into his eyes once more. She wanted to kiss him, but it was much too soon. Instead, she took a step back, looking down for a moment.

A sigh of relief escaped Corey's lips as Paige stepped away. He may have just met this girl a day ago, but the desire was already strong. He knew that it was much too soon for anything to happen between them. He liked this girl, but the last thing that he wanted was to just be a rebound, or for anything to get awkward between them. At the same time, it had been over a decade since he had been this close to a woman that wasn't his sister, or one of his housemates. He wasn't sure if he would be able to control himself if Paige were to have made a move. If anything were to happen between them that soon, they would both regret it, and he couldn't have that. After a few minutes, they began walking again. "So what did I walk in on, aside from Mary being Mary?"

Paige chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, I had been watching a bad movie with Alex and AJ, and they fell asleep on me. Naturally, my curiosity took hold of me, and I began to wander the house. Eventually, I came to the basement, and I found Dustin." She let the last little bit hang for a bit. She didn't want to assume that everyone in the house knew about the elder Rhodes brother, so she waited to see what Corey's reaction would be.

Corey smiled, nodding. "He seems like he would be real nice if he ever fully gets better. Some of the others in the house have told me that he's gotten better in the past century. So there's hope for him." He then paused, tilting his head, "Mary and Cody don't usually reveal him right away."

"Well, I would think that something like that wouldn't be the best first impression. Feel free to stay as long as you like, and by the way, we have a feral chained up in the basement, but it's okay, because he's like a brother to me," Paige looked over to Corey. "I almost killed him, but Cody got there in time."

Corey nodded, "anyone would if they found him down there like that."

"Does everyone usually hear their story first?" Paige continued walking, moving closer to Corey once more.

"More or less," Corey nodded once more. "Though technically, you heard mine first. It's just the best to start with the earliest story first. I'm sure that your new friends will tell you their stories soon enough."

Paige smiled. Friends. That had almost become a foreign concept to her. Ever since she and Dean had been sired, she spent nearly all of her time keeping him under control. She had a lot to look forward to, and she couldn't wait. They kept walking until the sun began rising in the distance. Without even having to ask him to, he lead her back to the house and walked her up to the part of the stairs where they parted. He then kissed her on the forehead, wishing her sweet dreams.