Chapter 26: Glad to be back! I hope this isn't too rushed or too mature. This story is meant to be the higher T rating and shouldn't go beyond that without forewarning. I just really wanted to post a new chapter! I hope there is still interest in this story! It's my baby :-)

P.S. I lost my last chapter! The one with the date and really good further character development and I don't have that chapter on this computer. Uuuuugh, I'll fix it when I can :(

"Hey, Erin, wake up." There was a quick shake to her shoulder as the voice repeated her name. Erin opened a bleary eye and brought her hand up to rub it.

"What?" she asked sleepily. Larten and she had returned home close to dawn and now it was only mid-morning and Brigid was forcing her to wake up from a warm, deep sleep.

"Come downstairs. Larten left you flowers in the living room on the coffee table. Come see!" Brigid tugged at her arm.

Erin yawned and threw her legs off the side of the bed.

"Thanks for ruining the surprise, sis."

"It's not ruined. You haven't seen them. And I want to- "

"To hear about everything that happened last night?" Erin said cocking an eyebrow at her before giving another smaller yawn.

"Well, yeah."

Erin ran her fingers through her auburn hair. They snagged from all of the hairspray that Brigid had sprayed in her up-do last night. She tamed it as best she could before standing up and stretching. She was in a soft form-fitting purple top and grey yoga pants.

"You guys came home pretty late." Brigid said leading Erin down the stairs into the living room. "See?! Aren't they nice!"

Erin picked up the vase and inhaled deeply. The bouquet was stunning. She gently grazed her fingertips along the petals before setting it down in the middle of the table.

"They're very nice. Shows again his eye for detail." Erin said softly.

Erin's shoulders were suddenly pushed back.

"What the heck is that?!" Brigid gasped.

Brigid cupped the gems in her hand, eyes wide with shock. "Is this from Larten?"

Erin looked down at the ruby and emerald gems dangling next to each other.

"Yes, they're from him." She replied, an unknown look on her face.

"Green for you, red for him." Brigid said matter-of-factly.

The switch flipped in Erin's head. Duh, of course that's what they signified! But why? Honestly, she didn't care 'why'. He would always be right next to her whether that was his intention or not.

She would return the sentiment somehow, someway—the gesture would be unmistaken though. He would know the 'why'.

"Tell me everything, please. You're killing me!" Brigid whined.

Erin sighed and flopped onto the couch.

"I don't know. We flitted, ate, watched the ballet, had coffee, walked through the garden, then came home. About it."

"Did you guys kiss?" Brigid said eagerly.

Normally Erin would have made a face at Brigid but she didn't—she looked past Brigid's face slightly sad.

"No." She said quietly.

"But you wanted to." Brigid said just as quietly.

Erin sighed running her fingers through her hair before gently touching her necklace.

"Yeah, I did. I know it's not…right, I guess you could say, but I wanted to anyway. Even though this situation is what it is, I still wanted to if nothing more than to have the feeling as a memory." Erin met Brigid's eyes and smiled gently. "Does that make sense?"

Brigid nodded.

"It does make sense. I get it." She looked her sister in the eye. "And, honestly, if you had kissed him, I don't think he would have objected."

Erin gave a small laugh.

"What?" Brigid nudged Erin. "Men are men. Even vampires are simply men right down to it. No, I'm positive he wouldn't have stopped you."

Erin sighed. "Guess we'll never know."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. The variable is still there."

Erin shifted and looked at Brigid seriously.

"What variable?" She asked sternly, although her heart skipped a beat.

"Relax. Just a variable. I know you know there are things that…. well, no need to say how they will be, we're not there yet. Your variables and his variables are coming together in small patterns forming something. They first popped up at the show. Hazy, far away, I didn't even think real. But, like you said, the situation is what it is and we'll leave it at that. We're both psychics so it's easy to drive ourselves crazy and constantly look to the future, but it's okay to live in the present, too. And I like this present, Erin, I really do. It's something we all need and even though there is a great risk to it, that is what makes it even more important and to be held onto as long as possible until…well, whatever comes next."

Brigid saw a look of pride in her sister's face. It always lifted her inside when she could be the caregiver.

Erin grabbed Brigid's hand. "You're right. Now is now and next is next and next isn't here yet."

Brigid smiled before leaping over the couch ending the sister-sister moment.

"We may need to move these flowers onto the small table by the curtains so they can get some sunlight. Just a sliver. Shouldn't hurt Spider-Guy if I get it just right." Brigid said fussing with the curtain.

Erin stretched out along the couch watching her. "Mmm, I just want to be lazy today. You start school Monday so let's just do nothing today. Sound good?"

Brigid was still fussing with the curtain and turning the vase of roses this way and that. "You always have the best ideas. I would love to do nothing before you-know-what-starts."

"You'll be fine. You're going to have a great year, sis. I know it." She giggled into the couch pillow.

"I know, too, and that makes it even worse!"

Both sisters laughed at their psychic inside joke.

"Don't stop." A voice huffed against his lips.

Larten's body was holding a figure against a wall. A long pair of legs around his waist and slender arms clinging around his shoulders.

"Believe me, I won't." He growled huskily.

He pulled the body away from the wall and quickly into a bedroom falling onto the bed. The figure moaned planting kisses down his neck to the meeting of his throat and chest. Gentle hands immediately started unbuttoning his shirt to plant more kisses against his pale flesh. His skin was tingling, each kiss an electric shock. He reared up suddenly onto his knees, the figure following suit still unbuttoning his shirt until it was pulled off of his shoulders leaving his torso bare. Dark desirous eyes looked into his before looking at his lips brushing a teasing kiss against them before turning their attention back to his neck and chest. He felt a small nip at a few of his scars making him swallow hard. The kisses kept trailing down and his breathing came in hitches. He growled in frustration. He was the only one half-dressed in the secret dark.

He pulled the figure's face to his and distracted it with a deep kiss letting his swift vampire hands begin removing the dress without a single tear. The figure shuddered when he placed his large, rough hands around the stomach and sides slowly running them up to where a bra was—the bra was soon severed and tossed aside. There was an enticing gasp and he could feel the shudder and goosebumps on the flesh that he pressed hard against him reveling in the warm softness against his heat-flushed body.

Larten and the figure pulled away, arms around his neck as eyes peered into his. He held the figure close, strong and hard, like a protective cage. There was only silence but something passed between them. The dark eyes closed teasingly as he felt soft lips form into a smile nuzzling against his cheek and face. Larten himself split into a grin chuckling as he trailed small kisses and nips down a tender-skinned suave neck enjoying the feeling of hands suddenly in his hair.

Larten forced the figure to lie down as he continued his kisses, the hands never leaving his hair. Again, he looked into dark eyes, lightly smoothing auburn hair back from a face that smiled up at him. His eyes were gentle but fierce. He had fought so hard but now he could only berate himself for having wasted all that precious time.

"Guess we'll just have to make up for all of that lost time." The face laughed.

Larten shook his head. "Psychics." He muttered before ending the conversation with a desperately hungry kiss.

Larten sighed and hummed in his deep sleep. He buried his face into a pillow, inhaled deeply, and exhaled with a small moan.

A vampire is just a man inside whether they care to admit it or not.