The college pub had been a bust.

When Alex had invited Emily there, she hadn't counted on the bar hosting something called 'Fantasy Free-for-All' Night...which appeared to require everyone to dress in some sort of fairytale themed costume. And, since it was, afterall, a college bar, that appeared to mean slutty versions of Disney movies.

Which is why they'd changed course and moved their date (assuming it could be called a date) to a nearby all-night diner. It wasn't the most romantic of date settings, but it was far better than a crowded college bar.

"I can't believe you can drink coffee this late at night..." Emily said with a little laugh as Alex sipped her coffee without an apparent thought as to the hour. "Doesn't it keep you up all night?"

She shrugged. "I teach night classes," she said as if that explained it all. "I'm used to being awake late." She didn't add that it was kind of par for the course being a vampire, as they were immune to the effects of caffeine.

Logically, she knew that she couldn't keep it a secret forever. If she and Emily were going to have a relationship, she needed to be honest about her state of life or afterlife, as it were. She just wanted to be certain before she did... Certain that Emily wanted a relationship. Certain she wasn't a vamp hater. Certain of anything at all.

The waitress approached, setting two slices of pie in front of them. Alex didn't normally eat pie, but this particular diner had a Brownie on staff. Brownies weren't all that common anymore, as their kindness lead to them being hunted and enslaved, resulting in them dying off. But their baking was to die for, so when a local restaurant had one employed, it quickly became a local hotspot.

This particular Brownie's specialty was pies, in particular, raspberry pie. Alex didn't like raspberries, though, their cooked appearance too reminiscent of blood clots, so she ordered chocolate cream instead.

Emily dug into her pie – strawberry rhubarb, with a heap of whipped cream – with gusto, humming a pleased little note as she chewed, which made Alex laugh. Emily shrugged. "What?" she asked. "It's good pie."

Alex just shook her head, smiling. "I didn't realize you had a sweet tooth..."

She shrugged. "Anything chocolate is my weakness," she confessed. "But I never turn down a good pie." She thought about making a cherry pie joke, but then reconsidered.

Their conversation was interrupted then as the bells above the door tinkled as someone entered the diner. At this hour, most customers were nocturnal or drunk. Or both, as this one appeared to be. The woman half-stumbled over to the counter with a shout of, "A milkshake and your finest fries, por favor!" She paused, face screwed up in drunken concentration. "Oooh! And gravy! Lots of gravy!"

The woman's voice was familiar – too familiar – and Emily groaned internally. She really didn't feel like a confrontation just then. She ducked her head, hoping that maybe the woman would be too drunk and preoccupied to notice her presence.

Unfortunately, though, she had no such luck.

"Emily!" the woman exclaimed as she turned, "I thought I smelled the blood of a little bitch..." She crinkled her nose in distaste as she approached their table.

Emily just rolled her eyes because of course this would happen at the worst possible moment. She was irritated, but refused to rise to take the woman's bait.

Alex, however, seemed taken aback by the woman's animosity. She shot Emily a confused - albeit wary – expression.

Emily just shook her head in a silent gesture not to be concerned. Maybe she should have been, but Emily wasn't about to convey that. "Hello, Jordan," she replied dryly. "Feasted on any helpless children lately?"

Anger visibly coursed through Jordan and she hissed, baring her fangs. "That was a rumour!" she snapped. "A rumour you spread to your mother!"

Desperately trying to avoid creating a scene in front of Alex, Emily reminded, "I was six. I was a child and I was scared, it had nothing to do with punishing you or whatever scenario you've constructed in your head. You'd think after a couple decades of immortality you'd know better than to hold grudges against helpless children."

Jordan gave a snort of disbelief, but before they could argue the matter further, her order was ready. She shot Emily one last glimpse of her fangs, before turning and walking out with her food.

When she departed, Emily offered Alex a chagrined and apologetic smile. She opened her mouth to offer an explanation, but none was forthcoming. She sighed, shook her head. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"She's a vampire?" Alex asked. The fangs had made that much clear, but she wanted to hear it from Emily.

She nodded. "When we lived in Paris when I was young, she was my neighbour – she babysat all the neighbourhood children. There was a rumour that she was a vampire and at the time, I had no idea if it was true or not, but I was young enough that it was exciting, so I ran and told my mother. Well, my mother isn't exactly the most supernatural friendly person... She was furious and she made it her mission to have Jordan railroaded out of the community.

"I didn't intend to ruin her life, but I guess she blamed me because she seems to have made it her life's mission to piss me off. But I'm not her biggest fan either, so...I guess no harm done." She shrugged as if the matter were out of her hands. It came off perhaps a little cavalier and later she would regret her flip tone, but in that moment, she didn't quite realize the repercussions her careless words would have.

Alex nodded slowly, trying not to let her inner monologue read across her face. Inside, though, she felt panic swell inside her. It seemed that she was right to have kept her vampiric nature a secret... Apparently, Emily wasn't quite what she seemed.