Hannah sat quietly in the darkness of the movie theater. She was there to watch Strangers on a Train, playing during the theater’s Hitchcock, but instead she was observing the scattering of people sitting around her. There was a couple a few rows down that she found especially amusing, the teenage girl being frightened of the suspense in the movie. Hannah, who had also been frightened the first time she saw it, but had now viewed it so many times she knew what was coming, was merciless towards the girl. It amused her more to watch the girl jump that it did to witness the familiar events unfold on the large screen.

When the end credits rolled and the curtains began squeaking together, Hannah blinked the in brighter lights. She stood up, dropping her uneaten popcorn in the trash can, and filed out behind the couple. Perhaps she’d follow them home, maybe she would break the boy’s kneecaps and make the girl scream the same way she had in the theater. Perhaps she would twist her ankles so she couldn’t run away, and then toss her over a bridge somewhere..

No!

She was shaken as she realized her thoughts were progressing darker, and forced them back into neutrality. It was only last week that her ‘keepers’ had deemed her fit to be in the city alone, she didn’t want to give up her freedom. She had been in good health and spirits lately, and she wanted to stay that way.

Hannah left the theater, passing the teenage couple and leaving them quickly behind her. She didn’t want to go back home, and decided to take the longer way around. She prayed she would still be nice when she arrived home.

Colton had ditched Celeste with the neighbor's teenage daughter, who just adored his little niece. She had made a nice contribution of old Barbie dolls, as well as known everything about dresses and make up and hair that a little girl wanted to know. Celeste just thought she was the bee's knee. When he had left, she didn't so much as give him a backwards glance. Natalie was just so much more fun.

Colton had gotten to sleep in till about five this afternoon. That had been a godsend, and he had cherished the much-needed rest, until Celeste came in and shook him awake and declared that the house was on fire. He awoke with a start, grabbed her, and ran to the living room. Which was smokeless. Celeste started cracking up, and he had to give her her first stern talk. She looked genuinely sorry. For, oh, two minutes, before she decided that Colton was to be an evil dragon for the day, and she was the trapped princess, and wailed for an hour or so that she needed help.

Natalie came over to see Colton cooking something and Celeste, dramatically draped over his armchair, sighing and woefully declaring that she needed help.

He gave them 'dinner', and then got to do his chores. And, what happiness it gave him to be able to go out on his own for the first time in a week. But, yes. Chores.

First, he went to all the barbershops he could, until he came to one that seemed older than himself, with just a hand mirror in sight. He got his hair cut back two inches, which felt about right. The man gave him the hand mirror so he could look at himself, and he looked, and faked seeing his actual hair, and examining himself, before handing back the empty mirror.

Next was to get some new dress shoes and a few nice shirts. He hated suits, so he was going to dress professionally, but not kill himself in a businessman's outfit. Colton did not mix with shopping. Actually, the last time he had gone shopping was with Jake, who was a fanatic about wearing new stuff all the time. It was almost painful to think he'd have to do his shopping alone again, but... Well, what can you do?

He came out, successful, an hour and a half later. He now had three shirts, two pairs of slacks, one in black, on in khaki, two pairs of dress shoes, and a complimentary tie. Lovely for him. He passed the theatre, and just in time to beat a rush of people leaving it. A few shows were leaving, and, while two or three people made their way into the theatre, 30 something odd people had left it. He was walking in front of the gang, glad not to be caught in its rush.

Hannah quickly made her way to the front of the people exiting the theater, grimacing at the crush of bodies which felt so preciously tender.. She could break them with a thought, if she wanted to..

But she didn’t want to!

She wanted to be home. She resisted pulling up the hood of her hunter green sweater, but slipped her hands into the back pocket of her jeans. She couldn’t hurt anybody if she didn’t touch them, right? Her normally curly hair had been straightened earlier, and coaxed into a French braid. She brought her hands out of her pockets to grasp the braid over her shoulder and hold onto it nervously.

She passed an older man she had seen sitting behind her during Strangers on a Train. He had asked to sit next to her, but when he did she had moved several rows down from him. She walked around a group of middle-aged women, out on the town for their weekly ‘girl’s night’ and loudly discussing which bar they would hit first. She passed a young man carrying a number of shopping bags, and now she was ahead of everybody.

She dropped her braid and began walking faster, but suddenly stopped when the ‘young man’ registered in her mind. She stood on the middle of the sidewalk, before she slowly turned around and faced the crowd she had just past.

She grabbed her braid again and held it nervously.

Colton took a quick look down at his watch. He needed to get home before 10:00 so he could look like a completely normal human being, send the sitter home, and then be stuck up the rest of the night, watching Celeste play on the floor, or just sleep. It was only 8:45, so he figured he could hit the grocery store quickly and...

Colton watched the women walk past him, and blinked. She looked too familiar. Then again, he had 'seen' Hannah about thirty times before, and, at about the fourth time, he stopped calling out 'Hey, Hannah!' and looking like an idiot. So, again, he'd have to pull the walk by to see if, indeed, it was her. Then again, he didn't let his hopes get too high. He was very ready for more disappointment. Besides, wasn't she off in Tennessee or Kentucky or someplace?

When the woman stopped and turned around, Colton stopped. Just stopped. Yes, that was Hannah. Now, what does one say to the girl you fell in love with almost a year before, and hadn't seen in over six months? Not that he was counting, or anything. A 'Hey Hannah!' would have done well, but for some reason, that just didn't seem good enough.

"Hey..." All his insides cringed with the word. He was half tempted to take it back too, and say something else. But, really, there was nothing else to say. All Colton could do was stand there and smile weakly and dread her saying something back, like, 'Oh. Thought it was you.' or something just crushing. But, she wouldn't say that. Would she? She might...

Even without a stomach, the butterflies are still there.


((OOC: Oh my god. Corny as hell. Crap of the street. Dear lord, shoot me now! Strike me down and smite me!))

Hannah began to smile as she realized she was correct. Her smile, however, paused before it was fully formed when she sensed something was not right about him. His mortal scent was no longer there, he seemed paler, different.

“No.” She whispered, as the realization finally struck her. She quickly walked towards him and stopped directly in front of him. She dropped her braid and lifted her hands to his face, lightly touching his cheeks with her fingertips. “What happened? Who.. When?”

She seemed pained, and clearly upset. She tried to say more, but the words were caught in her throat as her head swirled.

OOC| Nooo.. No smiting. Then who would I Rp with all the time? Your's might have been corny, but mine was really short! |

Colton's smiled faded fast when she caught on. No one had told her? Was it some big secret, or something? He looked away a minute, then down at her as she approach. He attempted to evade her hand, not because he didn't want her near him, but because it was verifying to her that, yes, he had 'died'. He knew what his skin felt like. He knew how cold it was.

"Ummm... 'Bout four months ago? I bumped into Bo, and he didn't like it, so he..." He didn't like discussing his own death. That was still a topic he wasn't sure how to address, so he just left his sentence hanging there. "Lily turned me, though. She... Well, saved me, I guess you could say." He gave an empty smile, and turned his face away again. Colton didn't like this subject. His agitation was proof enough of that.

"So." If you don't like the subject, change it. "How have you been? It's been a while." He was still emotionally oriented on the previous topic, or he would have had a genuine smile to give her. Instead, all he had was a half-hearted one to offer. She wasn't happy about his turning. That much was certain.


((OOC: Ummm... A stump? Oh! Oh! I know! Naffles or Donnie!

It's not about quantity. It's about quality. ^_^))

Hannah ignored his attempt at changing to subject. She was fixated on his change. Her hands dropped to the sides and she took a few steps back from him. “So what I did to try to protect you and your sister didn’t work.” Her words ended off on a sob, but instead of sad she seemed angry. “I should have left the bitch in New York!” She stormed fiercely.

She turned sharply and began walking down the sidewalk again, her path now full of purpose with her wrath. But before she had gone several steps she stopped and turned her head to look back at him again, over her shoulder. “I’m sorry.” She said, her voice small in her throat.

She seemed about to turn around once more, but shook her head instead and began walking slowly again, her steps short and laboured. She was an indecisive little thing.

OOC| Naffles or Donnie? What do you mean? |

Colton seemed somewhat confused for a moment as she backed away. He took a tentative step towards her. She spoke the first half, and Colton sighed. He didn't want to see her cry, but it wasn't like he could take it back. "Hannah, you did ev--" She spoke up again, angry. That was unexpected. It was also a bit painful for Colton to take just standing there. And she turned and left, and for a moment, he actually thought he shouldn't follow her.

Her apology changed that. "Hannah. Don't." He set off in a jog till he caught up to her, while she remained indecisive about what to do. "If it wasn't for Lily, I'd be dead, rotting in an alley down in South Demaitre! Would you rather see me dead?" He was only slightly serious in posing that question to her, partially because he was afraid of her answer, and partially because he couldn't change it, so it didn't matter.

Colton kept in step with her. This conversation, as she had made it, was not over.

“Yes!” Hannah snapped. “Do you know what happens when you’re immortal, Colton? It hurts. You get hurt. Everything you know and love dies! And you can’t stop it. All you can do is float around and try to act normal. Because if you ever happened to reveal what you really are, then either the villagers try to burn you or whomever you told has to suffer the same fate!” She spoke from experience, it was plain to see. “I could have handled Bo. I could have asked him to take me away from Demaitre and then none of us would have seen you ever again. Instead, I stupidly trusted in the strength of someone who had no intentions of doing what I asked!”

Her pace increased slightly, but she wasn’t trying to lose Colton. She wanted to get home. She wished they weren't having this conversation. And so she decided that they wouldn't be.

"What did you buy?" She asked suddenly, looking down at his bags.

Colton could get angry back. He could, but he decided against it. His voice held an edge to it, but he chose not to raise it. "You know what, Hannah? I have nothing left for me here anyway. Codi was raped and killed. My parents are senile. All I have is my niece. Aside from that, I have no one." He wasn't looking at her. Instead, he seemed to be looking at where he was going, straight ahead. "Even mortals hurt. You would have protected me from, what? The hurt I would have had to face anyway?" He looked at her. He didn't like her attitude towards Lily. "Lily tried. It was my fault. MINE, Hannah! Don't you go blaming her for anything! And, don't think that you just leaving would have made anything better."

Hannah started walking faster. Colton lengthened his own stride to keep up. She tried to change the conversation, but, hey. Hadn't he just tried that with no success? She wouldn't be successful either.

"Remember when you met Codi and me?" His tone had lost its edge, and seemed softer. "Codi was trying to keep me out all the time because she was afriad I was going to kill myself. She was kinda right, too. 'Bout a week before we met you, I had my last interrogation, and they cleared my name from Jake's case. And, what with my parents, my friends, my sister, and then just regular school work, I was having a really hard time coping with everything." He paused. He didn't like talking about his depressive moods. Made him sound too much like a typical teenager. "I stopped talking to all my old friends because all they could do was apologize. If you had just up and left, then who would I have? My sister, who's dead now? Right now, if you, Lily, and her son Eric all disappeared, who would I have?" He looked at her solidly. "A three year old who hates me? That's comforting to know." He looked back to his path, and disregarded her question about his bags.


((OOC: I mean you would probably have been RPing with Naffles or Adonis if I had been smited. ^_^))

When Colton said Jake’s name something changed in Hannah. Her eyes grew wider and she seemed too shrink. No longer fueled on anger, she was plagued by guilt. She continued her argument, in a voice less assured and more sullen.

“Codi wouldn’t be dead if I had left, because Bo was the one who killed her. Or had her killed. He won’t tell me which, but they can’t stop me from reading newspapers. And I’m not stupid.” What Colton said about Lily did little to change Hannah’s attitude. She was too set in her ways for a few good words to change them. She needed a villain too badly.

They had cleared away from the crowd of people leaving the movie theater, what with Hannah’s increase in speed and Colton’s little chase. They were in the company of each other, and the few random pedestrians and passing cars that the early night’s streets always housed.

“Your niece is going to die too, eventually. While you just stand there and watch her grow old and feeble.” She said bluntly. “And of course you didn’t kill Jake.”

OOC| Oh. |

Colton hadn't been watching her. He figured her guilt had come about because she hadn't known about Codi. No one, it felt, knew about Codi. Her friends kept calling, leaving messages that he'd have to return with the news. It just seemed commonplace to associate Hannah's guilt with Codi's death. She was blaming herself for his death. She was probably taking Codi's death right along in the guilt wagon. He didn't agree with that.

"He had her killed. They found semen at the scene. Couldn't have been Bo." Colton had figured that out after Bo had hinted to him that he had something to do with her death. "And, just because Bo happened to be involved didn't mean she still wouldn't be dead now. She's... She had been acting weird lately. I never knew about her mock-husband till about a week ago. He was sent to prison for being a drug addict and so they could further interrogate him in Codi's death." He half felt sorry for Steven; that he'd have to go through the interrogation ordeal. That wasn't fun. "If she was still alive right now, she could have been on drugs. She might have been an alcoholic. I have no idea." He glanced down at her, still sullen. "All I know is you can't take the blame for what happened. It doesn't make anything better." He knew from experience. He had tried twice. In both cases, it hadn't worked.

Colton smiled when she mentioned Celeste growing odd and feeble. Of course, it happened to every person, if they were lucky to get that far in life. "God, I hope so. If I have anything to do with her and her life, she'll grow old and die one day." He said that now. We'll get back to him in 90 years and see how he feels then. He purposefully tuned out the statement on Jake, and decided now that they could try and change the subject again. "So... Where are we going?"


((OOC: Dude... Where is Colton when I need pathetic, sappy advice?))

OOC| I need to develop some sort of writing style which makes Hannah seem crazier. I am unsatisfied with the job I'm doing now.. |

“Home.” Hannah said calmly. “I want to go home!” Her pretty face contorted with her words and her eyes quickly filled with blood tears that she tried to blink away in vain. “I want to go home and sleep before I hurt somebody again..” She couldn’t explain to him that all night she had been holding herself back from the weaker mortals which surrounded her. She didn’t like to tell people what she was currently feeling, the last time she had done that they had locked her in her room until she felt normal again.

He ignored the topic of Jake, and so did she. It would be best not to tell him how satisfied she had been when his blood had stained her lips.

OOC| I'm OLD!!! *hides wrinkles and sobs* |

((OOC: *Throws confetti and displays large chocolate cake, which she decorated herself, and toots her New Year's noisemaker for show* HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I've had a post-it on my monitor screen declaring, 'IT'S VANESSA'S BIRTHDAY ON THE 4TH!' and my mom came in last night and said, 'Who's Vanessa?' And I laughed. I don't think I told her, though. *Shrugs* *Throws more confetti* HAPPY BIG ONE-EIGHT!))

Colton nodded. "Then I'll walk you." He didn't like to see her cry, and he was vain enough to believe it was all because of him. Then again, to give him some credit, that had been their topic for the evening thus far. "Hannah... You never hurt anyone. What happened was not your fault." If she had been Codi, he would have done some brotherly thing, like clap her on the back or offer her his sleeve, and tell her to cheer up, because it wasn't the end of the world. But, no, this was Hannah, and she could take it wrong if he was too endearing towards her. And he was trying really hard to do everything right. So, he just kept walking with her, unsure of what to say, and unsure of how to comfort her.

((OOC: Mmm. Short.))

OOC| *catches confetti and eats some of it* Woohooo!! I’m now legal! I can vote, and buy porn!! Hee, that’s hilarious about the post-it, though.. I feel so loved! But my mom would get paranoid if I did that.. |

“How do you know what I’ve done, or who I have hurt?” She replied, a little bitterly. “You don’t really know anything about me, besides the fact that I like the colour red and I lived in India.”

She wrapped her arms around her stomach, as if defending herself against predators. She almost looked like she was in pain.

OOC| … And sweet! |

((OOC: Yes! Porn! That's awesome! But not really, cause I don't watch porn. It's just hilarious that you can buy it legally. And, yea... I have post-its everywhere. I cannot function without the damn things.))

Colton smiled some. She was right. "Hey, now... I also know that your favourite flowers are violets and lilies, and you like cats." He glanced down at her. She did look in pain, or, to him at least. "Hannah... Are you ok?"

Colton had no idea what to do, but he tried just tentatively place a hand on her shoulder. If he didn't lose it, then that would be nice. If he did, then... Ooops.

((And short again!))

OOC| I ran out of post-its awhile ago, and now I write things on my thumb or my leg. And yeah, my friend works at a magazine store, which sells porn, so she was telling me all about it when we were talking about my birthday. She even suggested one, but then it got a little weird so I pretended to be reading Macbeth.. |

If Hannah noticed his hand on her shoulder, she did not react to it. By now, she was used to people laying hands on her to comfort or control her.

“No, I’m not.. I’m crazy, Colton. Which I’m sure Lily told you all about. I’m sick. Mentally unstable. ‘Unfit for polite society’. Don’t bring your niece around me.” Hannah didn’t know if she was being sarcastic or serious when she warned him thusly, but she left that to him to figure it out. “After all, look what happened to you.”

She was now on a street she remembered; while her apartment was still a good few blocks away, her surroundings were getting more familiar. She began to calm down.

OOC| I can’t believe I actually said ‘thusly’. |

Colton knew. Somewhat knew, more like. Lily hadn't been the clearest when she told him that she was mentally sick. She never listed a disorder. She just said that Hannah had to be watched. "Well, for a crazy person, you act the sane role well enough to fool me." He removed his hand from her shoulder. Felt awkward after a moment of comforting.

She began to bring him up again, and by this time, that conversation had no place. "Hannah." His tone lost some of its usual warmth, and he said it sternly, somewhat like a father scolding his daughter. "What happened to me is not your fault. I don't even care, Hannah." He took a deep breath, and held it, saying nothing more. She was pushing him, and it was making him care, even if he said he didn't.

The street looked familiar, yes, but no more so than the last street he was on. It was in Demaitre. It was gray. There were some nice buildings, mostly apartments, lining it. He recognized one building, and connected it first with a black eye. Then Bo. Then Hannah. Hannah's place.


((OOC: I GOT A MEMO BOARD! Now I have memos on post-its that are pinned up on a board, instead of lining my computer screen! YAY!

Hee. Macbeth has enough sexual puns in it to classify as porn. You know, I got Skirr from Macbeth. Last few chapters of it, though. If you have the sidenotes version, you'll see the definition. To Scour; to search quickly. ^_^))

“I act the sane role well enough? Stick around for the second act.” Hannah declared bitterly. “Of course you care. We all care. If not now, then in a hundred year’s time.”

She seemed happier when she saw her apartment building. It contained her comfortable little apartment; with her bright red bedroom and her hardwood floors and her cat, Honey. The only problem was that it most likely contained an irritant, as well. Hannah didn’t know who had been sent to babysit her tonight. If it was Lily, she didn’t want to see her, and she knew that if it was Bo, Colton wouldn’t want to see him.

“I think you should probably go your own way, now. There’s a good chance Bo is there.” She said dully.

OOC| I know! I laughed when I saw it.. It’s right before Macbeth is killed, when he’s getting ready to go fight Malcolm and MacDuff.. |

((OOC: So it is. So it is. ^^))

Colton sighed. "Hannah..." He chose to say anything more on the crazy thread, other than to say her name in a defeated, exasperated tone. "No, I don't care, Hannah. I could care less, in fact. Actually, I don't care enough to want to even have this argument, so." The 'so' was said with a tone of finality.

She'd probably bring it up again. And he would still say he didn't care. Even if he did, and it had torn him up a month ago, and remained like a dull ache even to this day. But, no, he wasn't going to let her be right.

Colton didn't like Bo, true, but over the last few months, he had grown a little more cocky. Now that he was dead, it wasn't like Bo could kill him again, right? Jason had said that it was quite likely the only thing that could kill him now was a gun loaded with silver bullets. Even then, he could probably out run them.

"I'll walk you to your door." Colton glanced down to her breifly, before returning his gaze to his shoes. And sighing lightly, shifting his bags to his other hand, letting them swing gently between him and Hannah.

Hannah thought of insisting he leave her at the steps of her apartment building, but wearily decided it wasn’t worth the effort. He probably wouldn’t do as she asked. She seemed to understand that that portion of the conversation was over; at least she didn’t say anything more on the subject. She didn’t need to, she knew she was right. It was easily readable through his mind, his face, his entire manner, no matter how hard he tried to act cool about it.

She silently passed the doorman who admitted them, only smiling to his polite greeting. She crossed the mostly silent lobby, and brushed past the rows of tiny mail boxes. In a rarity for her, she didn’t use the steps. She couldn’t force her feet to lift so many times, she was so tired now. She slowly entered the small elevator, and pushed the appropriate button once Colton was inside.

The elevator deposited them on Hannah’s floor, and she led him down to her apartment. “This is my door.”

((OOC: *Grabs Colton* Well, jeeze. It's obvious we aren't wanted here anymore. XD))

Colton was glad for the silence, until it was all there was. He considered leaving her at the front of the building, like she had eluded to. Then again, he had to worry for a short moment for her. Would she be ok? She was acting shaken up. Not herself. But, then again. She was right. What did he know about her? Not enough to assume she wasn't feeling alright.

"So it is..." They had since arrived at her door. He edged away from her a bit, and shrugged. "It was nice to see you again..." And that was that? Yup. Colton nodded his goodbye and turned to leave. And stopped about five feet away. "Hey, Hannah? Don't be a stranger. You can stop by whenever... If you want..." Colton shrugged again, waved, and turned to finish his walk. Down the stairs, though, for a nice amount of excersise.


((OOC: Nice and short. Yet, it lacks the sweet. *Shrugs*))