caleb and katrina arrived back home in atlanta on saturday evening at the end of spring break. while caleb had enjoyed his first venture outside of the country, at least the part not relating to being pursued or attacked by vampires, he was nevertheless happy to be safely back home. it was evident by katrina's lighter disposition that she felt the same. she called alton and devon archibald to let them know they had returned home, while he called paige. unfortunately, he had to leave voicemail for her since she didn't pick up. it was yet another unanswered call in a series since february, which bothered him a great deal.

i wonder what's up with her? maybe it's the situation with gil, he wondered. it seemed reasonable to expect that such an event would have disturbed her, at any rate.

he spent the remainder of the weekend readjusting his body's internal clock to their home time zone. naturally, katrina seemed to be completely unaffected by the change, but she was both understanding and accommodating of his eating and sleeping adjustments. yet another enviable condition of being a vampire, he considered wistfully.

the next week was rather hard on him. returning to the routine of teaching after such an international experience seemed surreal. in addition, paige still hadn't returned his repeated calls and voicemails, a fact he mentioned to katrina. her response had been rather subdued, but it was evident to him that she was equally displeased.

fortunately, tanisha browning was only too happy to listen to his overseas experiences, which were naturally devoid of any adventures involving vampires. still, he mentioned seeing alton, whom he described as a close friend of katrina's who operated an investment firm in downtown london.

by the second week following their return, katrina received a request from alton to fly to richmond, virginia to meet with prospective participants regarding the upcoming summer vampire convention. at least, that's how caleb recalled the explanation. in the end, it meant she had to leave town on a tuesday evening with an expected return during the weekend.

by that time, he had stopped looking into dark corners or empty hallways expecting to see a rogue vampire jump out at him. his confidence was bolstered by the appearance of devon archibald in and around his office on the evenings that he taught. for once, he hadn't minded the hulking vampire's presence. as a thoughtful gesture, caleb gave devon a leather-bound trilogy of plays by william shakespeare he had purchased in london. the towering vampire had been pleased by the gift and even discussed some classic literature he'd been reading of late. caleb found their interactions pleasantly unexpected and began to form a tentative appreciation for devon's company.

by wednesday evening, another of caleb's failed attempts to contact paige resulted in his throwing his phone across the room. it wasn't until katrina called later that evening that he went to pick it up off the floor. the situation was starting to get to him, and an idea born of desperation formed in his mind. if she refuses to return my contact attempts, then i'm just going to go hunt her down. the only mitigation to his idea was katrina; he definitely wanted her buy-in on the matter before proceeding. and he wanted to speak to her in person about it.

first, he reserved a late-night flight to richmond using the exclusive credit card she had issued to him. following his last class thursday evening, he rushed home and packed a suitcase with a few days' worth of clothing. he drove his car to the airport, parked in the extended parking area, and flew to richmond.

taking a taxi to the hotel where katrina was staying, he acquired a key under the auspices of being her fiance. the shared credit card account was particularly helpful for convincing the desk clerk, as well as a discreet cash gratuity, so he could surprise her.

when katrina entered the hotel room, she nearly froze in place, seeing caleb lying on the bed reading a novel he had brought with him.

"what are you doing here, my love?" she asked carefully.

"hi, kat," he offered, setting the book aside. "just wanted to surprise you, that's all."

"i'm surprised," she conceded with raised eyebrows as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed beside him. she glanced at the novel he was reading and asked, "what're you reading?"

he grinned. "oh, just twilight. it's a vampire romance. it's actually pretty good. you should read it sometime. it's the first in a series."

she shook her head, smirked, and chastised mildly, "i'm sure. but isn't the reality of being with an actual vampire enough for you?"

he shrugged. "well, truth is stranger than fiction. but what can i say? i'm a hopeless romantic, and maybe i can identify a little bit."

"i could use a little of that romance," she suggested.

he smirked. "lucky i arrived when i did."

following a passionate interlude, hot shower, and time holding her in his arms, caleb broached the weighty subject on his mind. "i was hoping to ask you about something while i was here," he ventured carefully.

she heard his heartbeat increase anxiously and lifted her head from his chest to gaze into his eyes. "oh?" she inquired.

"i'm concerned about paige," he began, to which she frowned slightly.

"oh, yeah, that," she noted.

"i feel like our friendship is on the line. and, well, i want to fly out to california and find out what's going on," he explained. "of course, i'd like your blessing on the idea first."

her eyes narrowed, and she regarded him for a few quiet moments. "and what if i said no?"

he seemed surprised by her question, but replied earnestly, "well, i wouldn't go then."

"so, if i forbid it, then you won't go?" she pressed.

he looked directly into her eyes and touched the pendant around his neck. "i won't defy you, kat. i'm your mate."

her eyes flashed for a mere second, and her lips upturned ever so slightly.

he knew immediately that she liked his response.

that's exactly what i needed to hear, she thought with satisfaction. she kissed him lightly. "fine, i approve." she laid her head down on his chest, appreciating the strong sound of his heartbeat, which had calmed considerably after her issuance of approval. "when are you leaving?" she asked quietly.

"well, seeing as it's thursday night, and i need to be back by sunday night, i'd like to go --"

"tomorrow morning. i understand," she interrupted. "i suppose you've already booked a flight from here?"

"um, just in case you said yes," he replied sheepishly. he hadn't counted on her approval, but thought it best to be prepared just in case.

she chuckled. "you're unpredictable sometimes, my love. but then, i suppose it keeps life interesting, doesn't it?"

he merely smiled, not wanting to risk saying something stupid in response. instead, he settled down to a few hours of sleep before he got up to prepare for his quick shuttle to the airport.

his flight to the west coast was aided by the upgrade of his tickets to first class, which katrina had naturally insisted upon. he had initially resisted the suggestion, not wanting her to spend the additional funds, but she had merely smirked.

"the cost is of no consequence, you know," she told him. it was one of the few times she alluded to her financial state, which he knew was considerable after five hundred years or more of development. "travel under my terms or not at all," she had insisted with an air of superiority. she could be quite imposing when she wanted to, and he felt the better part of valor was to acquiesce peaceably.

he had rolled his eyes and agreed, not wanting either to insult her persistent generosity or risk changing her mind about his trip altogether. still, he felt that she spent too much money on him. it wasn't something he was used to in his life. he even felt uncomfortable carrying the exclusive credit card in his wallet. still, it made his vacation purchases much easier to abide. his personal credit card wouldn't have lasted the trip. european vacations sure are expensive, he had reflected on their flight home.

as he reclined in his first-class seat thinking back on events, he shook his head. his mate was one of the kindest, most loving women he could ever imagine. how did i ever get so lucky? i certainly don't deserve her.

after a change of flights in denver, the last leg of his journey went by quickly. he tried not to think about his upcoming meeting with paige, though he was looking forward to seeing her. he hated confrontation and anticipated that she had been avoiding him for some reason that eluded him.

so he distracted himself with some in-flight music. he also tried reading more of twilight. given his current circumstances, he found the melodrama of the storyline a little too close to home, despite the expert quality of the author's writing. if only vampire relationships could work out like in the romance novels, he thought darkly as he slipped the book back into his carry-on bag. still, sometimes relationships are just plain difficult, vampires or not.

finally, he watched part of an unremarkable film playing on the small monitor built into the back of the seat in front of him. after wiping down with a complementary hot towel and briefly napping, he sat quietly as the flight made its descent into los angeles. it was early evening, and he was thankful for having gained a couple of additional daylight hours by coming west, though he'd miss those hours when he flew back georgia.

after picking up his luggage and acquiring a taxi, he gave paige's address to the driver and sat back in the seat to stare at the passing sites. it was remarkably warm for a march evening, and he marveled at seeming to have changed seasons as well as time zones by flying out to california. it was his first visit to the west coast, and he momentarily wished that katrina were there with him, partly because he loved traveling with her and partly because he dreaded his eventual meeting with paige.

he took a moment to text katrina to let her know he had arrived safely and was on his way to paige's. he had just enough time to look up at the beautiful sky and waning sunset before her reply arrived.

glad u r safely on ground. call when u arrive @ paige's condo.

well, she's trying, he mused.

another message arrived: luv u. kat.

he smiled as a warm feeling flowed through him. then he leaned back against the seat with a sigh and tried to enjoy the ride. at least he didn't have to drive in an unfamiliar place, particularly at night. the traffic was fairly heavy, and he thought it would take the patience of job to navigate through it on a daily basis. still, it was los angeles.

darkness had fallen fully by the time the taxi finally delivered him to the address he'd given the driver. he almost thought there had been some mistake when paige's two-story condominium proved to be one half of a duplex structure and appeared quite ordinary, though relatively new. it was a mix of reddish-brown brick and white vinyl siding. the surrounding neighborhood was a series of duplexes on both sides of three successive streets with medium-sized homes built on either side of the condominium neighborhood. somehow, caleb had envisioned something a little grander, or at least edgier, for paige.

there wasn't a car in the driveway, but perhaps it was already inside the single-car garage. he shrugged, paid the driver his fee and a handsome tip, and took his luggage in hand. as the car pulled away, he silently appreciated the large quantity of cash that katrina had forced upon him before heading out west. the amount of the cab fare had surprised him. score another one for kat's generosity.

he sat his luggage on paige's small front porch and rang the doorbell. fortunately, the porch light was on, casting a comforting glow against the surrounding darkness. he paused and rang the doorbell again. vampires have excellent hearing and move as quickly as lightning, so paige probably isn't home.

"hm, sunset wasn't long ago, so i must have just missed her," he muttered under his breath. he honestly hadn't anticipated that possibility and pursed his lips as he considered his next action. i probably should've called her when i landed. although he admitted he had been too reluctant to do so at the time. damn.

he pulled out his phone and called paige. her cell rang until rolling to voicemail.

"crap," he muttered before redialing the number again. once again it went to voicemail. so, he sent a text message to her: guess who? big surprise for you!

he sat on the worn wooden bench with wrought iron arms that sat next to paige's front door and proceeded to call katrina. unlike paige, his mate picked up on the second ring.

"caleb? are you at paige's yet?" she asked in a concerned tone.

"yep."

"and? is she upset?"

he shrugged and replied irritably, "don't know, kat. she's not here; won't even answer my calls or return my text message. the sun already set by the time i arrived, so she's probably out doing...something."

there was a pause at katrina's end of the phone for a few seconds, and he frowned. are you still there?

"maybe you should call a cab and check into a hotel, my love," she finally suggested.

a wave of annoyance flashed through his mind, and he clenched his teeth together tightly for a moment.

"did you just grit your teeth?" she asked.

that startled him, and he blinked while abruptly relaxing his jaw. "sorry," he apologized. "it wasn't you, naturally. i'm just annoyed, that's all."

she sighed wistfully, as if in a sympathetic manner.

he considered her advice and made an instant decision based more upon his temper than anything else. "no, i'm going to just sit here until she comes home," he insisted. "after all, she's bound to show up before morning."

"i don't like that idea," katrina objected.

"i texted her," he countered. "she'll see my message and either call or text me back, and i can tell her i'm waiting at her condo."

"i'm not comfortable with that idea, caleb," she insisted sternly.

there was no misunderstanding the tone of concern and displeasure in her voice, and he slumped dejectedly against the back of the bench. "just give her an hour or so, and then i'll leave another detailed message," he negotiated. "how's that?"

she made a growling sound at the other end.

she just growled at me, he thought with wide eyes.

"one hour," katrina stipulated. "then call her again, and call me."

he paused for dramatic effect. "okay, agreed."

"okay," she concurred in a friendlier tone. "and please be careful."

"will do," he promised and added: "love you."

she made a purring sound. "i love you too."

the call ended, and he shook his head putting his phone away. he sighed and settled back to get comfortable. it really seems like a peaceful neighborhood.

he watched an occasional car pass by and tried reading the vampire novel again. after twenty minutes, he sat it aside and closed his eyes to rest. as he relaxed, he failed to notice himself drifting off to sleep.

katrina heated up a glass of blood in her hotel room microwave as she considered her conversation with caleb. it annoyed her that paige was acting so strange, and it frustrated her that she was disregarding caleb's calls and text messages. that's no way for a guardian to act, much less a close friend. the more she thought about it, the more it upset her. she expected paige to act more responsibly towards her and especially towards caleb.

"dammit!" she cursed and picked up her cell phone to speed dial paige's number. the phone rang until going to voicemail, so she redialed again.

failing that, katrina sent a rapid text message to her: call me now! red.

less than thirty seconds later, the phone rang. it was paige.

"'bout time!" katrina barked into the receiver.

she heard the sound of loud rock music and voices trying to talk over it in the background as paige answered, "what? i'm busy."

out clubbing, i see, katrina considered irritably.

"sorry to bother you, but my mate is trying to get hold of you," she complained. "maybe you could spare him the time of day?"

"why? what's he done now?" paige asked flatly.

katrina's eyes flashed with anger, and she spat, "wasting his time trying to see you, it seems. i should've told him no."

there was a pause at the other end, and katrina thought she heard a slight intake of breath mixed with the sound of the rock music.

"what do you mean by 'trying to see you'?" paige demanded in a quieter voice.

katrina adopted a smug expression and replied, "as in, he's sitting on your front porch right now, and i'm half tempted to send a cab to get his butt to the airport. you're obviously too wrapped up in yourself for him to bother you."

"crap," was all paige muttered in a withering tone of voice. "why did you let him do that?" she asked weakly.

katrina inhaled a deep breath, let it out slowly, and answered patiently, "because he flew all the way to where i'm at just to ask my permission. he misses you and doesn't understand why you've been avoiding him. as a matter of fact, neither do i."

"he flew to see you?" paige asked blankly. "i thought you two just got back from england together. where are you, anyway?"

"oh, now you're curious?!" katrina demanded.

"okay, okay," paige retorted defensively, "geez, i made a mistake, all right? he's fine on my front porch; it's a nice neighborhood."

"not all right and not the point," katrina objected coldly. given all that had happened recently, she didn't like the idea of caleb's being left alone in a strange place.

paige emitted a heavy sigh, conceding, "yes, i know, not the point. i'm on my way."

"thank you," katrina replied. "bye, paige."

she ended the call and casually tossed the cell phone onto the nearby bed. she removed the warm blood from the microwave and took a sip with a degree of satisfaction. she sat on the edge of the bed, slipped her feet from her high-heeled shoes, and stretched her toes out before her. paige is acting like a spoiled teenager.

paige whipped her red bmw sports coupe into the driveway and immediately noticed caleb sitting on the bench on her front porch. is he asleep? she wondered as she pulled her car into the garage and sped around the corner to where he sat.

her frown turned into a smirk as she viewed him slumped against the back of the bench with his head cocked to one side and his mouth open as he slept. he's so damn cute...stop! that's exactly why you feel the way you do about him.

she cleared her throat audibly and perched her hands atop her hips as she waited for him to come around. after a moment, she stretched her leg out with the pointed heel of one of her stilettos, tapping him on the thigh as she cleared her throat again.

he stirred slightly and slowly opened his eyes as he yawned into a closed fist. his vision slowly focused on paige as she stood before him. he took a moment to admire her in the tight-fitted black denim jeans and black leather halter top. he also took notice of the sexy, black high-heeled shoes. his eyes widened somewhat, and he adopted a playful grin as his pale blue eyes met her bright blue ones.

however, she merely glared at him. "i should bite you in the neck for showing up here like this," she threatened.

that caught him off guard, and his smile immediately faded. what's wrong with her? and just what've i done to make her so cross with me?

"well, you're here, so get up off the bench and come inside," she ordered with aggravation evident in her voice, leading the way back around the corner into the garage.

he blinked with confusion, picked up his luggage, and followed her into the dimly lit garage. he immediately noticed her sports car. "wow! your car's amazing!" he gaped, carefully sliding past it via the narrow space next to the wall.

"yeah, well, don't scratch it, or i'll take it out of your hide," she challenged.

he frowned but didn't say anything as she led him into the house, pressing the garage door button on the wall as she entered. she's not usually so mean to me. the garage door shut behind them, and she stepped aside in the small kitchen to let him pass before shutting the door leading into the garage.

caleb appraised his surroundings as he sat his luggage in the small hallway leading to the front door just outside the kitchen. a small dining room combined with the kitchen and opened into a large living room with a high ceiling. to the left of the living room was a carpeted staircase leading up to the second level. the living room was decorated in a surprisingly conservative manner with a white leather couch, glass coffee and end tables, and leather recliner. a plasma tv hung on the wall above a gas fireplace and white-painted wood mantle. he noticed that a small surround sound system had been installed in the ceiling, and a fully stocked media equipment rack was built into the wall next to the fireplace.

he turned to look at paige with a hopeful smile. "nice digs," he complimented.

she returned a flat expression and shrugged. "thanks."

he bit his lower lip and sighed. damn, she's cold. what the hell?

"why are you here, caleb?" she asked pointedly before he had a chance to consider the situation further.

he was taken aback by her query and noted she hadn't used any of the typical nicknames to address him since he arrived. instead of playing games with further pointless banter, he simply looked her straight in the eyes with a hurt expression. "i had to see you. what have i done wrong? why are you so pissed at me?"

she closed her eyes and sighed. i can't be near you, that's all. i don't want to hurt you or katrina.

when she didn't answer, he reached out to grasp her hand in his own, and her eyes immediately snapped open. she jerked her hand from his and gestured towards the living room. "don't do that," she snapped. "just go sit in there or something. do you want something to drink? i might have a soda in the fridge, i think."

he felt like she had physically slapped him, and he nearly winced. he shrugged and moved into the living room to sit on one end of the couch. "no, thanks," he replied glumly.

she immediately noticed how her actions and tone had bothered him, and a surge of both guilt and shame flowed through her all at once. she never meant to hurt him. dammit kiddo, why did you have to come out here looking for me? she moved to stand on the other side of the coffee table, staring down at him with her arms crossed before her.

"you look really great," he offered. "nice strappy shoes. i like them even better than the red ones you bought at the mall last christmas."

she bit back a smirk as she fondly recalled the shopping trip he, katrina, and she had gone on. he had helped her pick out some high-heeled shoes that evening, which were one of her favorite pairs to that day. but the memory only sent a fresh emotional pain through her. "thanks," she replied politely, yet distantly.

he paused, uncertain how to proceed, completely taken aback by his reception. maybe coming was a mistake, he thought sourly. i wish kat were here. she'd know what to say or do.

paige studied him and almost saw the wheels turning in his mind. actually, his sensitive pale blue eyes spoke volumes to her.

silent moments passed before either spoke.

"i'm sorry i came," caleb finally said in a defeated tone of voice. "we're supposed to be best friends. but i think coming here was a mistake. i apologize for bothering you."

he wearily rose from the couch and moved towards his luggage as his mind raced with how to call for a cab. maybe i can call katrina for a 1-800 number.

"where are you going?" she asked suddenly, stepping in front of him.

he looked up with confusion and started to speak but words failed him. "what?" was all he managed to get out.

"red would kill me if i sent you out at this time of night," she explained.

"well, i'm sure as hell not staying where i'm not wanted," he grumbled. "i'm already feeling like crap as it is." he turned to go around the other end of the coffee table, but she met him at the other end following a dart of movement. he had seen this before, of course, and realized that he wasn't getting past her unless she allowed it.

"come on, just let me go," he said dejectedly as he looked over to his luggage across the room. "i won't bother you anymore." as soon as he said that, a wave of sadness washed over him so strongly that it nearly stopped him dead in his tracks. he swallowed hard and briefly looked into her eyes. why did it have to be this way?

she stared into his eyes, plainly seeing the pain she had generated in them. it hurt her worse than if he had punched her in the gut. well, a lot worse, actually, because few humans could generate the kind of impact needed to cause that much pain to a vampire's body. she would have smirked at the realization had it not been for the look on his face. instead, she was left with only previously unfelt levels of self-loathing. even killing gil had caused less turbulent emotions than she was feeling at that moment.

despite all of her attempts to shut him out, she merely felt the urge to reach out to him. she moved in a blur and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him to her in a firm embrace. it surprised her that her body had reacted almost before her mind registered what she had done, and she felt his body's muscles tighten in response.

"what?" he started to demand.

"sh," she interrupted. "i'm sorry, kiddo. i can't do this to you anymore." i just can't keep hurting him. and it's sure as hell not helping me!

he stood dumbfounded in her arms, remaining silent as his mind raced to process all that was happening. he felt completely out of his element at the moment. "i don't understand," he murmured.

she sighed and swiftly drew him onto the couch while still holding him in her arms. the velocity of her movement caught him by surprise, and he lost his breath for a moment as he bounced on the cushions. she encircled him with one arm as she leaned back into the couch cushions next to him.

"well, tiger, it looks like i'm damned if i do and damned if i don't," she muttered with resignation.

"paige, what the hell are you talking about?" he demanded in a confused voice. what's with the emotional rollercoaster? do vampires get pms?

she sighed. "i've been trying to avoid you and katrina lately."

"um, duh!" he retorted irritably. "like we haven't noticed that."

she sensed his frustration in addition to his exhaustion. she took a deep breath and released her tight embrace, but still kept her arm draped lazily across his shoulder. "okay, here we go," she began. "i'm a little scared by some recent feelings."

he frowned. "you? scared?"

"yeah. you see, i've never felt like this about a human before, and it's unsettling."

"and by 'human' you mean..." he asked dimly.

"you, goofy," she chided.

"me? but gil --"

"no," she interrupted. "it's not like gil at all. gil was sex, and partying, and frustration."

"i can be frustrating," he observed.

she smirked. "on occasion, but not like gil. he was unbearable."

he took a few seconds to digest everything she was telling him a rush of exhaustion wash over him. the traveling, dreading, worrying, and length of time he spent over it had finally caught up with him. but he was determined to get through it and try to understand everything and maybe salvage a friendship in the process.

"this is entirely new territory for me," she continued.

another quiet moment passed. me too, he thought.

"well," he began uncertainly, "maybe if you try to describe it, that'll help. just say the first things that pop into your mind when you think about your feelings. and me, i guess."

she nodded and considered him for a moment with an introspective expression. this was a whole new situation to her, and it made her feel insecure: yet another completely new feeling for her. usually, she felt uniquely in control at all times, even when unpredictable things happened around her.

"okay, thinking about you," she said. her eyes narrowed slightly for a brief second, and she stared into his as she opened her mind completely to whatever entered it.

"warmth, comfort, laughter, fun," she began, but paused for a few contemplative seconds. "anxiety, maybe, obsession?"

"obsession?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

she smiled wanly. "yeah, i've been thinking a lot about you, kiddo. i miss you when you're not around, more than you might expect."

he was quite flattered and admitted, "i think about you a lot too when you're not around."

"teasing," she continued with a subtle smirk, to which he smiled. "friendship, sincerity, caring, happin-->>

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