1637: I actually update roughly every six days, so the next chapter should be roughly around the 26th! Thank you so much for reading!

Kuro Furasshu: I'd say he'd make a pretty good one haha.

I hope you all are having a wonderful day!

I felt kind of stupid as I ran up to a group of people, huddling in the parking lot, watching as the building burned - all of them were just looking at it with shell-shocked horror.

I can't blame them - this was meant to be a tiny town, where nothing ever happened.

I would've scoffed if I wasn't busy holding my breath. The control of my thirst was impeccable right now, and the smoke was blocking pretty much all the scent in the air, but it's better safe than sorry. I didn't need to go and kill someone in all of this mess - the fire would be doing that just fine on its own.

I pulled the hood of my jacket up, and I started bouncing on the balls of my feet. Do I really need to do this? Could I just wait for the police - the fire department -the whatever to come and help? It would be a risk… I could accidentally kill someone. I could reveal what I am. I could… I could…

That's when I heard a woman screaming inside. She was too quiet for everyone around me to hear - but I could. I could hear her calling for help. For someone to save her.

I let out a growl, shaking my head as I thought about it. Like that woman, Sam's boyfriend was there. I didn't know the guy, but it was my fault that he was in danger. Sam told him to leave the house so I wouldn't hurt him… so that he wouldn't be put in harm's way.

So of course, he goes and gets burnt alive. Sounds about right. I sighed and rolled my shoulders as if I needed to loosen up.

I guess there really wasn't a decision to make. I didn't have a choice. People could die, and one of those people would die because of me - which was completely unacceptable.

"Son? A-are you ok?" An older guy asked, looking at me with concern.

I ignored him, sprinting forward.

I listened as people behind me screamed, calling for me to stop, to wait for the firefighters. I kept ignoring them.

I got to the store's front door, a glass one that slid, and it was shattered, fire spitting out of it. I was so close that I could touch it, and I am so glad that I couldn't feel it because at this distance I would've gotten burned for sure.

"Are vampires fireproof?" I asked myself quietly. My angel told me that's how they died usually… but they had to be ripped apart first - so I was probably gonna be fine.

Don't you dare! You have no idea how this works! This is not smart Beau! You're going to die! My angel yelled, standing in front of me, holding her hand up as if she could physically block my path.

I shook my head, growled, and just launched myself forward, going past her, gasping as I felt the heat actually kinda hurt a little. It wasn't horrible, because I went as fast as I vampricily could, but I still felt it for half a second.

I felt a slight bit of worry creep up the back of my spine - it wasn't a good thing that I could feel pain from that - I was hoping I'd just be completely immune.

Whatever, not the time to think about it. All that matters is that at the very least - I'm fire-resistant.

I looked around and the aisles were all on fire, and the roof was already collapsing. I would need to hurry if I wanted to get everyone out.

I didn't know exactly how many people were in here, but there was a good amount of cars out front - and I could hear everyone, all of them panicking around me, like a symphony of distress.

"Ok… ok - exit… we need an exit first," I whispered. Like a flash, I was off, running to the back of the store. The front was out because I literally had to walk through fire to get in, and having been in this place so many times, shopping for dinner for Charlie and I - I knew that there was just one fire exit.

I was careful not to blow fire anywhere with my speed, keeping it just fast enough that I wouldn't make this worse as I got to the back.

It took me all of five seconds to take the situation in.

The fire exit was blocked off by fire… great, and it looked like the door leading to the storage area was blocked on the other side by something. A forklift I think.

"Great," I growl. How is this my luck?

I looked around, bouncing on the balls of my feet as I tried to figure something out. Was anyone around? I closed my eyes quickly, holding my breath again, and I listened. There was still screaming, and the sound of fire everywhere, but I was listening for heartbeats.

There was none on the other side of the door… good. Any on this side who could catch me?

Yes. There was a mother and her daughter huddling next to a back wall, but they weren't looking at me, they were too busy crying… I could hear the woman whispering to her that everything would be ok.

My eyes snapped to them… and it hit like a truck. The pain of seeing this woman trying to accept the fact that she was about to die… with her child in her arms - who'd die with her.

It made me hurt in a way I never thought I could see the look of fear on that woman's face. I was determined to make it right.

So, hopefully, the universe will be a little nice, just this once, and she won't look over at me for a couple of seconds so I could save their lives. I think my karma owes me that much.

Quickly, before she could, or anyone else trying to escape, ran this way, I put my hands on the double doors, and I started pushing - hard. It was like pushing cardboard with how easy it was.

As soon as the forklift was out of the way, and the doors were open all the way, I took a look inside. No fire in here yet, good. And there, at the very back, the giant garage door for trucks was wide open. I grinned, and turned, sprinting back to the woman.

As soon as I was in eyeshot, I slowed it down to a human pace, and I called out to her. "Here! This way! There's an exit!" I reached down and grabbed her by the arms gently. "Can you walk?" I yelled over the fire.

She didn't say anything, "W…What?!" She yelled back, tears running down her face as her daughter screamed louder. I didn't have time for this. I reached down and very carefully picked her up, bridal style. I made sure her kid was secure and started running.

Gentle Beau! Gentle! My angel freaked out, as she watched me sprint away from her.

"Hold on," I yelled, keeping myself from going all out - but it only took me thirty seconds to get them out of the place and safely outside. I didn't wait to see if they were ok, beyond gently putting them on the ground. I ran back inside, covering my head.

Again, I used my full speed inside the storage area and stopped when I got back into the store. I closed my eyes again and listened.

There were… a dozen? A little less. A lot of them were huddled on the left wall, behind all the aisles. But a few were hiding around on other ends, most of them were sticking to the walls and staying low.

Ok. Big group first. I ran down the hall, and within seconds I saw them. They were all hiding behind a litany of smaller shelves, trying to stay away from the smoke.

They were all so… scared. Husbands held onto their wives, and they in turn huddled over their kids, all of them screaming and crying for help. A couple of them were almost unconscious, the smoke probably having got to them. Faintly I could hear that the fire department arrived in the front.

"H-hey! Hey! Come over here! G- Get away from the fire!" One of the guys hiding yelled at me, coughing, and finally noticing me. A few more looked up as well hearing him.

I shook my head, and rushed forward, pushing a shelf out of the way. "This way! There's an exit!" I yelled. "Can you all walk?" I asked again, really hoping I wouldn't have to make a couple of trips. Shakily, but fast, they all got up. I eyed them all, making sure they were good - a couple of them holding the semi-conscious ones up, and then I turned, running.

"Come on," I yelled over my shoulder, and luckily they followed. I slid across the tile floor, stopping myself as I got to the door again. I held it open for them as they ran past. "Out out out," I said, waving my arm as they went. As soon as the last one was clear, I turned back.

"H-help!" A woman screamed from the other side of the store, near the registers I think. "P-please! Someone… oh… help!" I could hear her heartbeat… it was way too slow. With wide eyes, I sprinted to her, running as fast as I could, again making sure the fire didn't blow around, but it was harder hearing someone actually dying this time.

She was hiding in her booth behind the register, covering her head as she huddled in a fetal position. She had a nasty cut on her arm, and burn marks on her legs. She was unconscious.

Hold your breath! My angel said, kneeling next to the woman, and looking up at me.

I could feel my throat hurting a little as I looked at the cuts. I shook my head and grabbed the woman, dodging a bit of flame that was getting close, and I sprinted out the back.

I could feel her blood dripping down onto my hands as I went.

I could feel it… I wanted to drain the rest of it out of her.

I let out a small growl and marched on, running, ignoring the temptation.

The group that I'd helped were all huddled together, and laid out on the street, coughing and wheezing to themselves, comforting their families.

"My baby! Please!" One woman screamed, covered in soot and crying as she tried to run back in, but she was being held back by a couple of men. I tuned my hearing and listened inside the store. Two more. One must be her kid.

Quickly I came and laid the woman down next to them, gently laying her head down. I grabbed her wrist, and examined her cut - I wasn't a doctor, her heartbeat was still way too slow for my liking, but it was steady. From the few films I've seen, that probably meant she just needed some oxygen, and if not, that meant that she needed more help than I could give.

The fire department is in front of the store Beau. They don't know that everyone is back here. My angel said, her hand on my shoulder as she whispered in my ear, her beautiful hair cascading around her face like a curtain of gold.

"Hey! One of you, tell them that we need help back here." I yelled out to the whole group - I didn't have time to do it myself. I didn't wait to see their reaction. "I'm gonna get them." I yelled to the hysterical woman who was trying her best to get past the guys holding her.

A few of them looked at me like I was crazy as I started running back. "Hey wait!" A guy coughed out at me, but I was already gone.

Listen to him Beau, you've done enough, let the authorities take care of the rest. My angel begged, standing next to the door into the burning building, reaching out as if she could grab me.

I slid back inside and closed my eyes again. The two heartbeats were huddled together… in the bathrooms. I ran.

The roof was collapsing faster, and it looked like in a minute this whole place was gonna come down. I needed to hurry.

I got around the corner of the aisles in moments, and the bathrooms, near the east side of the store, were completely blocked off, with a collapsed shelf in front of the door. It was small compared to the shelves behind me, but it was obviously big enough to have trapped the people inside. They probably tried to escape the flames in there, but they realized there was no way out.

I grabbed it and flung it behind me like it weighed nothing, and I almost tore the door off its hinges as I opened it. The whole room was filled with black smoke, and it was pouring out fast as soon as I got it open. It was so thick that I almost couldn't see through it.

"Help." I heard a hoarse voice call weakly, and I didn't hesitate, I ran in. They were lying under the sinks, a man wearing flannel and jeans, covering a little boy. He couldn't have been older than five.

"I gotcha." I breathed, gently grabbing him by the back of the shirt and sliding him out. I turned him over, and I smiled with relief. It was Sam's boyfriend - it was Elliot.

His scarred face was blank as he lay there barely awake, the kid lying on his arm, also unconscious. Taking one quick breath, I hauled him onto my shoulder, and I cradled the boy against my chest.

In the next second, we were running, straight down the hall, and to the door - but I had to stop suddenly as a large bit of the roof fell, blocking the way. I backed up fast, worried it would burn them.

"Elliot!" I could hear a distant scream from outside. Jules was here - and she must've made the same guess I did about Elliot's truck. I shook my head. I didn't have time to think about it. I had no time to think beyond getting the humans out.

"Ok, next aisle then," I whispered to myself, blocking out the devastated cries of my best friend. I ran to the front, going down a couple of ailes, until I found one that wasn't collapsed and not completely on fire. As soon as I did, I sprinted, going all out this time, knowing that these two were the last in the store.

I burst through the back door and slowed down, pretending to cough a little as I saw two firefighters running up to me. I handed the boy off to one and then Elliot to the other, helping him carry the man outside.

As soon as we were clear, I let him go, breathing hard, and trying to keep up the appearance that I was just in a burning, collapsing building, and I did breathe in a ton of smoke. However as I looked down at myself, I realized it wouldn't be hard. I was covered in smokey stains, and my clothes were a bit burned in some places.

I sighed, putting my hands on my waist as I shook my head. This was the second pair of clothes that I've ruined in like… what was it? A week? I don't know…. It didn't matter.

I took a breath, and I closed my eyes as the building slowly started coming down, the roof caving in almost completely. The EMTs around me were rushing to help everyone - getting people onto the couple of ambulances they had scattered around and putting oxygen masks on the rest of them.

With a sigh, I pulled my hood down and shoved my hands into my hoodie pockets, and was just turning to walk away when I felt a body slam into mine.

"T-thank you! Oh my gosh thank you so much!" The woman from earlier cried - the one whose kid was being held by Elliot. She was shaking hard as she hugged me tight, her arms wrapped tight around mine. I looked over her shoulder, and her son was on a gurney, getting oxygen like two feet away, and he was awake! He was crying, but okay it looked like.

"Hey… um… you're welcome." I quietly said. "Just glad I could help." I gave a small shrug as she let go, smiling wide at me. She was gonna say something else when another body slammed into me from behind, and this time, it almost knocked me off my feet.

"You idiot!" Jules yelled, hugging me so tight that I felt like she was going to actually break me in half. "What do you think you were doing?!" She screamed, tears running down her face. I quickly hugged her back - holding her as close as I could as her tears hit my jacket.

"You could've gotten yourself killed." She said, pulling back and punching me in the shoulder - hard, and then she was back to bear hugging me.

"Ow." I groaned, actually meaning it this time. "Elliot was trapped inside. What was I supposed to do?" I asked with a whine.

"Don't run into a burning building! That's what you were supposed to do Beau! Don't run into fire!" She growled, furious, her whole body vibrating. My eyes went wide as I looked around - she might just get angry enough to change. "Do you know how scary that was? I could hear you inside! I could hear you… you…"

"Hey, hey, hey. Jules, I'm fine. Look at me. I am totally ok. I didn't get burned at all." I said, pushing her back just a little so that she could look up at me, and hopefully calm her down, to see I was safe and sound. I was going to tell her that I was durable, that I was…

I wasn't ready at all for the face she gave me. It almost broke me… the devastation on her face.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. It was all I could say.

"Don't - Don't you ever do that again." She said with another tear running down her cheek.

"I'll try not to," I whispered, hugging her again - which she returned.

I could hear all around me people talking and coordinating, getting people the help they needed. I could hear a couple of them talking about me - about the crazy kid who got everyone out. I usually would've been embarrassed hearing people calling me… a hero… a savior.

I didn't care right now though. I ran my hands up and down her back, and I put my head on hers, closing my eyes as I held her - just to let her know that I'm alive, I'm real, I'm here.

It didn't last though as I heard the frantic, panicked cry of Charlie. "Beau!"

He ran up to us, quickly gripping my shoulder tight as he looked me up and down. Though I kept my hands on Jules' waist, I pulled back enough to smile reassuringly at Charlie. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?" He asked quickly, waving over an EMT before I could answer.

Quickly I grabbed his wrist, gently, and I pulled it back down. "Yeah Dad… yeah I'm fine. Let them work on people that actually need help."

"What happened?" He asked shakily, taking a step back, and keeping a hand on my shoulder as he looked me dead in the eye.

"He ran into a burning building." Jules shakily growled again, her head resting on my chest. Charlie looked at me with his mouth hanging open - a multitude of emotions flashing on his face as his biggest fear was blown out of the water with something way worse.

"You ran in there?" He asked, gripping my jacket. I could see the same devastation on his face that Jules had, the same fear. Was this what it was like for them when I went missing? Or when I got hurt? When I put myself in stupid situations?

"I… yeah," I said bluntly, worried that any more might just make him keel over. Charlie shakily ran a hand down his pale face, and took a step back, shaking his head.

"You're grounded." He pointed at me sternly. "And… and you're telling your mother what you did." He finished with finality, making my eyes go wide.

"No, no, no, you can't do that to me. Does - is she here? Does she know what's going on?" I asked with dread. I could feel Jules shaking against me again, but this time I could hear her trying to hold a watery laugh in.

"She's out front. I just picked her up from the airport… we saw the fire and I stepped out to help." Charlie said with a grunt. "So no… she doesn't know that you're here, but you're gonna tell her." He put his hands on his belt, glaring at me. "Because this is getting out of hand Beau… you… you went missing, and I could accept that. You got lost. It happens - but it's happened twice… and then you… you weren't yourself for months because of…" He says, fading off, just trying to get his jumbled point across.

"But now - now you're jumping into burning buildings, and you don't even seem to care." He snapped. I could tell he was tired and scared, and he just… he needed to know I was okay. I reached out and I pulled him into a hug.

"I'm ok Dad," I said, hugging two of the most important people in my life. "I'm ok," I told both of them. They both held me tight for a long minute and I could hear both of their hearts pounding in their chests. I held them even tighter, letting them know that I wasn't going anywhere.

I felt like a piece of crap for doing this to them. I didn't have a choice… but it still sucked.

Jules slowly pulled back. "I - I need to check on Elliot and make sure that he's ok." She looked up at me, relief in her eyes, but still with that devastating sadness. She quickly kissed my cheek, and then shakily walked away towards the people getting help. I nodded and watched her walk away without saying anything, and Charlie put his arm over my shoulders, keeping me glued to his side as he walked me to the EMTs.

"Woah, hold on," I said fast, stopping. "Where are we going?" I asked, my brow raised as I looked between him and the ambulances.

"You're getting checked out Beau." He said firmly, dragging me forward. I could stop him with ease, but then he'd question why I was as strong as I was, and that was not a headache that I needed right now.

"Dad, I'm fine," I said firmly, cringing as we followed where Jules went. Quickly, I looked around for her again. She just got to Elliot, who was lying on a gurney and had a mask on his face. It looked like he was awake, and he was holding her hand. "I think I heard Jules calling for me, you should go make sure the firefighters are doing okay with the fire." I said fast, and then I ducked, slipping under his arm, and sped walked over to her.

"Beau." I heard him yell out to me, frustrated - but he didn't bother following me, which I could only thank God for. I couldn't honestly comprehend how my angel and her family had kept themselves hidden for so long.

Well, they didn't have any human friends… too… I shook my head, letting out a quick breath. After banishing the memory from my thoughts, I reached Jules and Elliot.

"Hey, is he doing okay?" I asked her softly, putting my hands in my hoodie pockets as I stood next to her. She looked at me and smiled, her eyes a little red from her crying. Gingerly I took her hand, smiling back.

"Yeah, I think he's gonna be fine. The doctors were saying that he just needed to breathe and rest." Jules mumbled, leaning into my side as we looked down at the man. "Sam's gonna kill me." She whispered, cringing as she thought of her alpha's reaction to this.

"She'll be fine, I was stupid enough to get stuck in the bathroom." Elliot laughed, stopping within a second and coughed. "Oh, everything hurts." He groaned.

"Sorry man," I whispered sympathetically.

"Don't worry 'bout it." He mumbled, shaking his head slowly. "So… you're the vampire guy everyone's been raving about… I guess you're the one I have to thank."

"No need, just focus on getting better wolf guy," I said, patting him on the shoulder with a small grin. He let out another little dry laugh and nodded.

Jules laid her head on my shoulder, and I could feel her breathing slower as she finally relaxed, the tension in her body easing up. "Do you need that ride home now?" I asked her softly, looking down at her.

She shook her head, keeping her eyes closed. "No thanks Beau, I'm gonna wait with Elliot, till Sam gets here."

"Do you want me to stay with you?" I ran my thumb along the back of her hand. She was quiet for a second but then nodded.

"Yeah, I could use some company." She said, looking up at me, and then kissing my cheek. "You smell a lot better by the way. All smokey." She laughed softly.

I gave her a teasing look. "Guess I'll have to jump into fires more often."

"Shut up." She said fondly, leaning against me, and closing her eyes once more. I could tell that she was dead on her feet - she must have been awake for days, searching for me, hunting Victor, and now this.

I'm gonna take care of her. Of all of them - and then tomorrow, if she's feeling up to it - she and I are gonna hang out. Just like we used to.

We'll get a break from the danger, the supernatural… everything. She deserved it.

I hope I was able to write this chapter well. I'm happy with it, and I like it, but, you know - it can be a little nerve wracking putting out something that you don't have full confidence in.

I just keep reminding myself that this is an experiment, and luckily, the results so far have been... illuminating.

Like I said a little while ago, in the previous behind the scenes, I want Beau to be more heroic, but because of how the story is set up, there are rules I have to follow to let him become that kind of character.

For one, he's a vampire, meaning he cant show off in front of humans. And, without him actually realizing yet (he knows of them, but he doesn't realize there danger yet), the Volturi would probably catch wind if he was being annoying.

Secondly, and probably the most important of these rules, is that Archie will see any major event that plays in his life when he's not with the wolves. So I have to be careful with what I allow him to do.

Thirdly is Beau himself. In this first draft, Beau is basically unaffected by the smell of blood, and is pretty much on par with Carine when it comes to control. That is not what it's gonna be like in the second draft. He will have a very, very, very hard time around blood, and people. So for him to be heroic, while still being in that state of being (a newborn vampire, with no one to teach him), it will take a bit of nuance.

All of this to say though, is that these three chapters (the last one, this one, and little of the next) have been incredibly helpful with me understanding how I want to work in the heroic scenes I have planned.

So, I'm happy with it :)

Also, please check out my profile! You can see a whole lot more of My Angel there!