The architecture was supposed to be amazing, even though the actual church itself was condemned. As someone who was well-versed in multiple cultures, and who truly took interest in them, she was looking forward to this little excursion. She had ventured to one of Demaitre's camps already, and had enjoyed the walk, and met someone highly... unexpected.

Whether from fear or admiration of its beauty, she had taken to wearing the medallion her vampiric friend had given her, but the things she had learned had still not been borne in on her... It was to unreal. All of it was... incredible - and yet, she believed it whole-heartedly now, where she had been such a critic. And more ironically, it had opened up the door for answers she had never thought to find.

Anyway, as the winter weather persisted, Tiffany had decided not only to explore St. Mary's condemned structure, but also to take up a long-neglected hobby: photography.

She had bought some back and white film, and also some color, with a new lens that she had been wanting. It made things appear slightly unreal, slightly hazy. In bright sunlight it made things warm and cozy, and in the darkness it made things dream-like (or nightmare-ish) and eerie.

Chuckling and looking over her shoulder at the camera bag in her back seat, she checked the road before fumbling around with the cd holder on her car's visor, sliding one free and flipping it over to insert into the player, turning the volume up slightly as a loud beat began to pound out. A friend had given her a copy of it, and she haad really wanted it, but it seemed unfitting for this trip she was taking, so it was soon replaced by a guitar music with a slow, mellow male voice to it.

She took the time to admire the frosty touch of winter. It hit Demaitre hard, but there was so much loveliness in it. Her heater blew warm air, circulating it about the car, though she still felt the chill. With a small smile to herself, she noted that just about the time she reached her destination, the heat would be perfect.

Today was another surprise... A nasty car accident had shaken her to the point of not driving - and for most of her last two years of college and all of graduate school she had driven as little as possible. By the time she was pushing for her doctorate, in the home stretch, she had aspired to drive once more, and had, but only when necessary. Anytime something was in walking distance she would walk, regardless of weather. Lately she had been driving about the city though, very cautiously and a little on edge, but it was a start.

She saw the church in sight and slowed as she surveyed it from the road, moving towards it and breathing out slowly as she began to take in the stained g windows and the building itself.

"Gorgeous... it's perfect, perfect, perfect." She thought outloud to herself as she pulled up and parked her car, leaving it on while she collecting her things, kneeling on the front seat rather than actually getting out of the car.

Swaddled like a little kid to protect her cold nature and contain the warmth she had been soaking in from the car's heater, she carried her things. She considered starting inside, but there were rumored to be some truly rare architectural aspects of the church, and she was eager to inspect those at her leisure. So she decided she would drop her bag off inside and proceed with her photo session, around the outside of the church so that she could get all the outer angles she wanted.

Old churches... Tiffany had never really gone to church, had never been religious really, although many people thought so due to her attempts to conduct herself morally and in good taste. But in places like these, she thought, as she moved up the steps to stand in the doorway of the church and look into it, there was some feeling of the sacred when she wondered if there might be something to religion... She was a woman of fact, not feeling, although she was hardly cold. She had really never taken the time to consider... Well, at this time in her life she was making a lot of choices, so she supposed it only natural that this sort of thing crop up where before there had only been a curious sort of distant admiration.

The stained glass was breath-taking, and her mind was such that she saw past the way it was now, into the days it was in use. It had been an asset on the archaeological digsite, and it served her well in other things, too - this ability to see things for what they really were beneath it all, and what they had been at the height of their glory. People, places, things... To see what was the highest part of them or it, and admire it, but still not be so blinded that the here and now was disregarded. Not to say her head was never in the clouds - with such a fine line that would be amazingly difficult, at least, she found so...

"Haha...Hm... Since when have I become a philosopher?" She laughed at herself softly, chuckling into the still church as she moved forward, kneeling to take the things she needed from her bag, and leaving it on the back pew of the church.

She took a step to the door, looking back at the captivating stained glass, but decided that she would have plenty of time later to look at it... The colors and the arrangement had always helda fascination for her, which her friends delighted in poking fun at. The simple things, 'simple things for simple minds', but she did not much mind. She had far rather enjoy the simple than to never find pleasure in the little things that webbed together to form a happy lifetime.

With a sigh, she moved towards the door, pausing on the steps to look about before hopping off them and walking around the church, feet finding little patches of icy grass to crunch over, as she moved along its side, finally settling a good five yards away and snapping a few pictures from the left corner of the church, facing the entryway. Already, she thought, this trip would be well worth it.

After a good hour outside in the numbing cold, she shivered her way indoors, settng her camera on her bag and slipping off her gloves to chafe her red fingers into stinging, needling warmth. She ached all over as the cold receded at her movements, her breath still visible on the air of the church. It was cold today! She sat beside her bag, eyes moving over the dead silence of the sanctuary, seeing every detail in the room, entranced. Old places did this to her, the ancient and the new. It was an intriguing blend, and she found great pleasure in merely sitting and thinking here in the quiet. Perhaps she would visit here again...

When she stood she looked around for what had broken the silence, chuckling that her own rustling sounds as she stood should startle her. It felt a little eerie to be alone, but she was never one to fear much, to her credit or harm it was hard to say, but it was so. She did not believe in ghost stories, nor have unsightly fear of any particular thing, though she was not imprudent, generally, either.

Moving to one window, she reached up chilled fingers to touch it, realizing she had left off her gloves... It did not matter much in here. The slender touch of her cream-coloured fingers against the glass that seemed to glow a little with inner light, even as the sun was hidden in the clouds, captivated her, and she ran her hand along it, stopping just before touching the dusty sill, fairly certain that a few of the blackish, crisp things collected there had once been bugs of some sort...

Shivering lightly as a chill ran up her spine, she stepped back and lifted her camera, adjusting the lens to take a picture of the glowing glass from close up.

The snow had fallen heavily earlier. Celeste had the flu, so he had taken the night off to try and take care of her. According to his mother and father, he was doing it all wrong, and they took it upon themselves to care for her tonight. Colton didn't argue; he trusted that his parents would do better with Celeste anyway. They picked her up at 4 in the afternoon, and the minute they left, he caught up on the 4 or 5 hours of sleep he had missed over the last week.

Needless to say, when he woke again at nine, he felt refreshed and energetic. He left his apartment and headed for the coven house, thinking that if he had no work, and he had no kid, then he had leisure time. But what could he do with leisure time?

Running an entire coven generated a lot of paper work. The coven members left the leader of the coven with their birth records, their falsified death records, any false birth and death records that they had made up in order to fit better in society, passports, marriage licenses, and, most importantly, their activity in the coven. All of this needed to be sorted.

Who better to do all the paperwork than the ex-leader? That way, the transition went smoothly. He was still buttered up with a roll in the coven, and he had something to do.

Colton hated paperwork. He was attacking the large pile slowly, as if hoping it would crumble to dust sooner than he would have to enter it all. Maybe it was made of papyrus... He had taken the stack of papers to the alter of the church, plopped them, and himself, down on the floor behind the alter, and lay down on his stomach, typing things into a new and sleek looking laptop that served only one purpose: Nephim database.

Colton heard the car roar up, and tuned it out. Probably Nicodemus. Well, that's what he hoped. He hadn't seen the leader around in a month or so, and Colton still had questions about this informatics system. When no one entered, he paused in his typing, and looked up at one of the stained glass windows. It was illuminated for a second by a bright flash of light. Pictures... Colton sighed, and went back to work. You couldn't hear the gentle tap tap tapping of the keys through the walls.

After about an hour, Colton had finished two files, and about 50 papers. He was working on Jason's file right now with a frown, reading through the man's personal papers and gaining a better understanding of the leader who had taken over before him. He remained mostly silent, until he heard footsteps on the stairs outside the door. Remembering the tourist who was snapping pictures outside, he quickly snapped the laptop shut and shoved papers together.

They probably heard that.

Colton hid himself behind the alter, like a terrified little kid who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He peered out to see a woman glance around the church, then walk towards a large glass window. She touched it, removed her camera, and snapped a picture. A bright flash momentarily illuminated the room.

Colton flinched away from the light. Too bright.

He dug around in his sweater pocket for the pair of sunglasses he always wore in 'bright' situations. A Nephim's eyes were made for the dark, not the painful flash of a camera. Of course, now he just looked stupid, sitting behind the alter of a dilapidated, frigid church with a laptop and a pile of papers the size of Mount Kilamonjaro, in sneakers, jeans, a hooded sweatshirt, and sunglasses. At 9:30 in the evening.

That wasn't unusual. At all.

After satisfying herself with at least a couple dozen snapshots of the windows along the church, she moved along and angles shots around the balcony and altar, moving in and out of the pews and working her way up toward the front. The final photograph would be from atop the altar, looking down at the doors... Hm, maybe she would open them for a moment so that the pure snow would show through. Nice sybolism for the religious, and a pretty picture for the unbelieving. Either way, she liked the idea.

She changed lenses, adapting the hazy one to the lighting of the church, and was eager to try out the soft aspect. After a few rounds of the old pews and balcony, and a couple more of the windows (she loved them so much she kept going back to them), she moved briskly back to throw open the doors, shivering hard as a gust of frozen air blew against her squarely.

Hopping onto the altar, she stood a yard (or maybe a bit more) from the pulpit, not suspecting at all that she was not alone. Kneeling, she took a level picture of the doors. Angles and shades and textures... this was why photography was fun. When it included interestingject matter, like St. Mary's did, that was just a bonus.

Wiggling her nose a little and stifling an attempt to sneeze at the cold air, she cleared her throat and padded around the pulpit, never once looking at Colton, who could have been no more than a foot from her - close enough to touch. And wouldn't she have been startled... His appearance would have been harder to explain than his presence in general...

She considered sitting on the pulpit, but somehow that seemed a bit of a... sacrilege. She fully intended to do so, though - it was the bird's eye view of the sanctuary.

She resumed her fun, finished, and carefully mounted the pulpit from the side. She was almost up, and scrabbled against the wood with one foot. And that was how she noticed the man beneath... Well, she still had no clue who he was, or even that it was a he - just that it was a something. While climbing and scrabbling for a foothold she kicked him. It was not hard, but it was enough to make her wary. It was too soft to be wood, and to firm to be just some sort of cloth. That ruled out a step stool or a priest's robes...

Finding herself standing on the pulpit though, she was curious... A little tingle ran up her spine and she kept her hand on her camera, setting it at her side while carefully she twisted her hair behind her so it wouldn't fall and obscure her view. Ever so cautiously, she bent over, scrunching nearly double atop the pulpit (the ridiculous aspect of what this tableau must look like not even entering her thoughts), and peering at Colton.

All she could do was blink stupidly for a moment, eyes lighting on the shaded, hoodied male scrunched in the little space with things clutched to him like they were going to be taken from him...

Her first thought was that he was running from something, but there was no car, no other sign of people, that she could see... It was perplexing indeed. She had no intention of being rude, but her brow quirked of its own accord at the strange attitude of the man...

"Oi... Hello... Are you..." She could think of no suitable way to finish that statement, so she grinned wryly and finished, "Comfortable?"

Colton sat still while the camera click click clicked at everything in the church, it seemed. Was she going to be here all night, taking pictures of the dusty sills and broken glass? How about the pews? Was she going to photograph the rotting pews? Or, perhaps every individual stone that made up the walls?

There was a pause, a shuffle, and Colton peered around the alter. Switching lenses. Hmmm... This wasn't a tourist. This was a photographer. Colton went back to hiding behind the alter, knowing now that he was no longer safe in hiding. She was photographing the architecture of the church. She'd find him.

Or maybe she wouldn't notice... The doors opened again. Colton peered around the edge, seeing her walking back, fiddling with her camera--He practically dove back behind the alter. She was coming, though... He could run. Yes, there was an idea. He could run faster than she could see, and escape her. Too late.

Footsteps came around to him. He clung to his papers and laptop, and grimaced. She was going to freak out...

She didn't notice, though, and began to climb the pulpit... For a better angle? Colton was kicked in the shoulder as she scrambled up. He glance up at her, knowing full well that he'd meet her confused and curious eyes.

"I'm perfectly comfortable..." Maybe if he clung tighter to his papers and laptop, she'd disappear. "I take it you're not Catholic..." 'Course, he wasn't either, which explained why they both were able to walk all over the holy alter without feeling a need to genuflect, or be able to make play structures out of pulpits without being struck down dead by God.

Well, she'd be struck dead. He didn't know what happened to a dead man violating religious law.

"Oh, good..." She blinked at him as he continued answering, looking at him as if he had crawled out from under a rock... Well... You know what I mean...

"Catholic... What?" She looked at him even more oddly, if that were possible, and blinked somemore, tucking her hair behind an ear. "OH! Oh... No, no I am not... Uh.. You are not, are you?"

She flushed. She would hate to offend him by standing on the altar if he was... but then again... he was huddled under it... She looked at him, a smile slowly edging over her lips until she could not help but laugh at the ridiculous picture he made. In an instant she moved her camera and snapped a quick photo, already laughing hard, and holding to the podium so that she did not roll off in her amusement.

Surely he would find it funny, too... Although, she was vaguely curious... alright, a lot curious about what he was up to at the condemned church, in the middle of a winter day, with office-like work... A laptop and some sort of papers. It was ludicrous, and so incredibly rich. His photograph would make the trip, and she would use it in the collage she made for herself, though it would not be in the little information booklet on St. Mary's. It was just for fun, but with her clout at the library she could sometimes get little things published for the city, to promote history and sometimes even tourism.

For each of those, she made a picture collage that she hung on the walls of one of the room in her home, the modern frameless glass protecting the beautiful, the grotesque, and the hilarious... This picture definitely being the lattermost one.

Colton scoffed. "Hardly..." His parent had raised him Catholic, but he didn't believe. He couldn't; his mind was too science-swollen to believe that there was a God. He had no faith in anything that was not firmly proven or accurately documented, hence his scoffing at the very idea of being Catholic.

She snapped a photo, and for a minute, Colton wondered if he'd show in it. He didn't show in mirrors... Didn't cameras use mirrors to capture a shot? She'd have an awful hard time proving that she had honestly seen someone in the church, and had talked to him if he wouldn't show up in the photo. She's be condemned to insanity... He felt sorry for her for a quick second, and hoped that, for her sake, he'd show up in her little collage.

"You normally photograph dilapedated churches at..." He flicked his wrist free of the sweater cuff, and checked the time. "... Oh, 10:47 at night?" He glanced up at her, one eyebrow quirked.

It dawned on him how silly he must have looked. She was laughing at his position... Colton blushed a bit, and stood up. How embarrassing. He continued clinging to his papers and laptop, knowing full well that since he had inquired about her beings here, she was going to ask about his. Quickly, he set to work on a good lie, because telling her that he was entering confidential vampire data from the past 1,000 years hardly seemed believable.

Tiffany cocked her head to the side, grinning.

"Good... If you were Catholic this would be even more awkward. I must have stepped on you... Sorry." She carefully got her footing and climbed down the podium to stand on the altar again.

She stood in front of him, still chuckling. My, he had quite a death grip on those papers...

She looked at her camera thoughtfully before looking ruefully back to him.

"But yes, I photograph whenever I get the time or escuse, regardless of the hour, apparently."

It was her turn to blush.

"What brings you here at 10, what, 49 PM?"

Colton shook his head slightly. "No problem... You didn't kick me in the face, so no worries." Or below the belt, but that just seemed too raunchy to add in.

Colton looked down at his papers, his 'good lie' not really coming as fast as he had hoped it would. "Oh, these?" No, the other stack of papers and laptop he had hidden in his back pocket... "I'm just... Um... Grading a few papers." Oh, that was believable. Colton quickly tried to fix that. "Um... I... Teach fourth graders? Yea... We did a... A project on this church." He nodded. "And... Well, normally I'm at school, so I had to come out here at around 5... To, you know... Check data with the actual church..." He cleared his throat and nodded, trying quite hard to look professional.

He probably failed miserably, but at least he tried.

"So!" When in hot water, change the topic. "You a photographer?"

A-duh.

Her eyes followed his gestures and face as he talked, looking more and more perplexed as his mouth kept moving...

"You teach... fourth graders...?" She was wondering how on earth he got permission to bring a group of elementary school kids into a condemned church... Not that she was against it, no, just that most school boards had issues with sending classes of kids into unsafe places. And why on earth would he still be here at nearly eleven when he had started at five? Even if it was an advanced class, she seriously doubted that their writing would be that hard to grade... And how would they know what the records said, even if they were doing a project...

She shrugged. She was probably just missing something...

"Photographer," she repeated, "No, actually, I am not. Photography is a hobby, and sometimes I put things together... booklets and such. Lately I have done several about Demaitre, gotten a few published. A good way to relax."

Grinning lazily, she looked about and stamped her feet a little. The door was still open and the freezing, snow-laden air was blowing into the church and even sweeping down the aisle a little now.

As she walked off the altar, she began to jog back to the door to close it, but spoke louder so that he could hear.

"I am actually a doctor. Not a medical doctor, you know, but a doctor, nonetheless. I work at a florist's part time, and have been doing some work at the library and museum in the city... Where was it you said you taught again?"

Colton nodded. "Yes... Fourth graders... Field trip... Yeah." Inside, he cringed. He knew that she didn't believe him. He knew, but he'd stick with his lie. It'd be better than switching stories. Then she really wouldn't believe him.

"What kind of booklets?" Colton was worried for a minute. She might have been the photographer that had come to Ace High for an 'Entertainment of Demaitre' pamphlet. Maybe she recognized him. Maybe she knew he was lying because she saw him working at Ace High. Oh God... He'd never lie again. He felt stupid, standing there with his papers and laptop. Absolutely insipid.

The woman left to shut the door, and Colton took the minute as a breather. He couldn't help but be envious of the girl; she was a doctor, but not a medical doctor? Meaning she had a doctorate in something. She had accomplished his dream, and he couldn't help but feel jealous when she told him that. When he was turned, he was forced to drop out of school for the semester, but fully intended on starting up night classes. His sister, however, had gotten herself killed, and left him with her daughter. Colton then needed a job to support the kid, and night classes were no longer an option.

"Oh, a doctor... Of what?" If she said biological sciences, he might just have a fit.

"I teach at Demaitre Elementary..." His elementary school, just because he knew of no other elementary schools in the area.

She dusted her hands and began to pack up her camera equipment as they talked. The lenses were carefully cushioned and arranged in the carrying bag, and she was taking pains that everything was perfect and in the proper place.

"Weeell... One of my booklets was on a particular species of butterfly that seems to be particularly fond of Demaitre. My grandfather was an entomologist, but specialized in other things, also. He gave me a passion for learning, I suppose... He himself was specialized in the 'bug' field, yes, but he also taught other classes... chemistry, microbiology, biology, philosophy of science.. Just about everything, I suppose. Even geology."

She chuckled and shook her head.

"I was never quite the same mold as he was, though - he was high above me. I myself am a doctor of Ancient History and Mythology, lots of application in the archaelogical and athropological area. Mostly Roman and Hellenistic history."

With a smile she bent to settle the last piece of equipment in the case and zip it up.

She was going to ask him a question, about his work, but she had a thought and caught herself before she quirked a brow at him. He was still standing there holding onto his things as if she would steal them, and she chortled a little.

"I won't steal your things, you know... But I was wondering, how do you intend to get home...? I did not see any cars or bicycles or... anything?" Now she allowed a mild arch of the brow.

Colton liked her grandfather already. Colton had been fond of basic biology, botany, zoology, and genetics... He had prefered, however, the field of bioinformatics. He was set on becoming an expert in that field, perhaps taking a teaching job at the local high school... But, well, you know how things went.

He watched her place her photography equiptment away in a very meticulous fashion, and nodded as she told him her doctorate in history. He had liked history, yes, but it was science that he really had a passion for. "I had a minor degree in Early American History when I was in college..." The good ol' days, carefree with books and friends and schooling... How he missed them.

Colton blushed some with her statement. "Oh, I know... I just... Don't want anything to blow away or anything..." He shifted his grip on the papers and laptop some, trying to look more relaxed and less posessive.

"I walk..." It was true. His apartment wasn't too far from the church. "We live in the Pine Street apartments, just a few blocks from here..." Subconsciously, he had added in the 'we', referring to Celeste and himself. Of course, she wouldn't know that.

She. Who was she? "I'm sorry, but I don't think I ever got your name...?" Colton looked a bit preplexed, almost as if he was trying to remember her ever giving it, though he knew she hadn't.

"Ah... I never really enjoyed American history. There are exceptions, true, but generally it is so well-recorded and documented and... new."

She lifted the bag over the back of the pew and onto her shoulder, making sure it was set with no chance of falling as she continued to talk, making it obvious by her calm pose that she had no intention of going out into the snow just yet. A smirk still remained on the corner of her mouth at his clinginess with his things. It was probably justified, but since she did not know why, it was still funny. He was not the thief type... a bit jumpy... Not that she would know, particularly... Curious, indeed.

"I do a lot of walking. Just started driving again actually..." She trailed off with a glint of something that might have been a painful memory, or perhaps only a very sad one. She broke out of it, however, at the mention of a lack of name.

"Oh! Haha. Whoops, where are my manners? I'm sorry. My name is Tiffany, Tiffany Cowper. I don't generally claim the title, although my friends call me GreenBean..." She shrugged with a droll look. "You know how college is."

Colton smiled some. "It's new, and fresh. And, those damned American's know nothing of their own history... Figured I'd learn it for them." Colton grinned. "Besides... I already grew up knowing about Canadian history." Colton shifted his position some. His arms were getting tired from all the clinging. Maybe he should put his stuff down.

"My parents never let me get my lisense... Mostly because, if I was allowed, my sister would have been allowed, and she didn't spend enough time on her schoolwork as it was..." He, too, had some what of a painful flashback, but he didn't let it show. Of course, he hadn't noticed her pained look, or maybe he'd have acted more true to his gay-side and had an emo moment with her. "Besides... I don't have a paycheck for that kind of spending." Which was mostly true... But not really.

"Yea, I know what college names are like... I'm Colton Holstein, or, as my college friends said--" But, really, more like his college bullies "--King Coal. We had to do... A report on where our names came from. Mine means Charcoal in some bizarre language... I think English..." He mused for a minute, trying to remember the origin of his name. "Probably English..." He settled on that.

"So what are these pictures going to?" If it was a brochure with his face plastered all over it, he'd have to commit suicide.

But, not really. Just, you know, burn every pamphlet that was published.

"Never got your license? Hm. They are useful when you need them, I suppose, but life would go on without them..."

"I must confess that as one of those stupid Americans I know far less of Canada than I ought. Part of my reasoning for the pamphlets: educate others while educating myself."

She chuckled at his nickname.

"Mine has less of to do with history and more to do with geography. I grew up down in the Southern United States. Snapping peas and stringing greenbeans... Hehe. I suppose that going to college in the Northern states was asking for it though, hm?"

"These pictures... Oh! These... I don't really know yet. I was thinking of learning the history of St. Mary's and having it added to Demaitre's records, perhaps publish them. This would be more in the city history area, though, not something to diseminate."

She pondered for a moment, jingling the keys she had pulled from her pocket against her hip. Her gloves had been tucked into her other back pocket, and her coat and scarf had been rebundled onto her frame.

"So... You teach, do a lot of paperwork... Are you married then?" She dropped her eyes to his left hand, a habit from trying to distinguish between college and graduate students. Typically a ring meant the latter. She had not exactly classed this man yet... "You said that you walked from where you stayed, you said 'we'...?"

Colton nodded. Fast automotive transportation was necessary at times. He had taken a taxi when he found out Codi was in the hospital, and the thing took a whole thirteen minutes to get there. He was sure running would have been faster. Then again, that was running at faster than the mortal eye could see, and just popping up somewhere seemed too hard to explain.

"Least you take the initiative." All of a sudden, he felt his 'Ignorant American' joke seemed very out of place; he'd remember not to be so patriotic next time he met someone new. Besides... America was just over the border.

"Ahh. Well, I'm all for history... Besides, this church really wouldn't make the best tourist attraction." He grinned some, and glanced up at one of the few shattered stained glass windows. You could see the moon through the gapping hole. Another bite of symbolism for the Catholics.

"Married? Oh, no. Heh..." Almost a nervous laugh, maybe because he was already 22 and he had never had a serious girlfriend. Or, maybe because every person he'd ever fallen for had been killed or were already dead. Dating wasn't his college major, that was for sure. "No, I live with my niece... She just turned three." He was starting to fill that paternal role quite well, taking a minute to brag. Sorta. "She was... My sister's daughter."

He remembered to add the 'was' this time.

With a droll smile she let the 'Ignorant American' thing drop. He was only kidding... Wasn't he? Ah, well. Didn't really matter either way, though she had to agree that when it came to Canadian OR American history, they tended to be in the dark.

She wondered what has attention and turned her head with an 'Oooh'.

"Hmhm. In my lines of work I rarely promote tourism... not in the place I want to be, anyway."

Tiffany tactfully steered away from the mention of his sister. If he wanted to talk about it, she was more than willing to, but she did not want to invade into matters that did not concern her. It did catch her interest though that he was single, and had no children. Hmmm... No, no. She was silly. She had not dated in a while, but this meeting was strange enough in and of itself... Perhaps not the best time to flirt. She grinned anyway at the thought, and at his seeming nervousness on the subject, but kept it to herself. On to the child: children were awesome.

"Awww, three? I'm sure she must love you. What is her name?"

Colton had to laugh some with her comment of promoting tourism. Logical, of course, but, then again. She actually liked being in this church? Odd, he thought. It was one thing to not promote tourism to, say, Hawaii so one could hog it all to themselves, but... St. Mary's Church?

Colton was not willing to, and had he known the she was keeping quiet about his sister out of respect for him, he'd have thanked her. It was a pain still very raw, not unforgotten, and deep. Something he could have avoided. Something he was right there to stop. He should have been faster. "Her name's Celeste... And, heh, Iunno about that." He laughed some.

"The Child Protection Agency social worker comes out in... Two weeks? We'll know then if she likes me enough..." Not intentionally dropped, but a clue to how near the death of his sister was. He still didn't have full custody of the child, and that usually took 4 months to half a year, sometimes longer.

Colton's arms had succumb to the weight of papers and the laptop, and he placed the load down on the top of the alter. With the load gone, he hesitated for a moment on what to do with his hands, deciding at last to shove them in his hoodie's pocket. For a minute, he still looked like a college student.

Tiffany felt awkward holding her things when he put his down, so she mimicked him and fiddled with the strap of the bag to occupy her hands. She nodded a few times when he spoke, paying attention.

"Celeste... That is a lovely name. Don't hear it much." She smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, considering what he had said. This guy had obviously not had the best year... She did not know that much about adoption, though she had considered it. She was too much of an independent to ever really consider settling down. She was a romantic at heart, and she loved kids, but she also liked to explore and travel and get into things when all she had to take care of was herself... and families were not conducive to that. She let out a soft sigh and brought herself back into the conversation, switching feet to stand more at ease.

"Well, as long as you aren't beating the poor girl I wouldn't think she would have anything against you." And where was the girl, she wondered? It was odd... Logical to assume that something had happened to his sister, and knowing most mothers she could guess at te thing that would take her away from the child. If it had ben a crime of some sort then the girl would be in some sort of government home until things had been cleared up and she was either returned to the mother or... It was not likely the brother would have custody unless she was dead...

Her brow furrowed for a moment, but she cleared it in an instant and smiled, looking around the church again.

"You know, I am not Catholic, but if I was religious, I think I would want to come to a place like this. It seems peaceful. You know, there is a major digsite that I am... assisting in some... techinical details on. It is in Rome, where I worked under an old professor for a time. While I was there I got to visit the Vatican, and I am here to tell you it was nothing like this. There it is almost as if the purpose of their religion is lost. But then you come to places like this, to struggling countries where they have nothing, and suddenly their faith is... real... At least, that is how it seems. But I don't really know much about religion."

She chukled nervously, flushing slightly at rambling on...

Colton nodded. "Yea, after my mom's tradition of 'C' names for her kids... My sister was named Codi, and she wanted to carry that tradition down, I suppose." Colton had never thought about what he'd name his kids, if he had ever decided to have them. Too late now, though. Besides, he figured himself too self-absorbed; too much of a work-a-holic to be able to spend time with kids, if he'd ever had his own. He wanted to finish college in a few years, and get that doctorate. Perhaps Tiffany here was helping to encourage that, by flashing around all nice and snug in her 'doctor' title... He still envied her.

Colton had to laugh at the beating comment. "No, no... If anything, she beats me up. You should see her 'fast ball'... You don't even get time to duck from the stuff she hurls." He ended his chuckling with a warm smile. If it wasn't obvious already, he loved his niece very much. Pretty soon, it'd be a joke to the people he worked with; she'd be the only girl he'd ever fall for.

"It is peaceful... You know, I wasn't exactly being honest... 'Bout the papers. I mean, yeah, I'm grading papers, but... I figured you'd think me crazy if I told you I came here because I like... I like the silence and the peace in this place." He was lucky he couldn't blush; he felt like such an idiot right now. Colton nodded along to what she said, curious about her traveling experience, but not wanting to pry. His watch had beeped twice, just minutes earlier, reminding him it was past 11. She probably had something to go back home to.

"I don't think many people do... I know one thing, though. Religion isn't something you're taught. It's something you... You feel, deep down, and you just have to believe, because it's in the very core of yourself." Oooh. Deep moment for Colton. He should advocate the Third Great Awakening.

"Hm, seems a lot of families favor certain things in names, be it letter or sound, etc. Codi, Celeste, Colton... Nice names. None really that common, but I like them."

Was that a flirtatious smile? Was it? Was it? Bad Tiffy! Bad! ^.~

"Well, Colton, I very much doubt a little girl could beat you up. You don't look like you would be easy to take down." Was she buttering him up? What was with her? Was the Southern belle in her finally coming out? Well, great stars, you'd think twenty-seven years was long enough...

She tilted her head at him with a soft smile, lips slightly parted as he kept talking, a vague catlike look in her eyes... pounce, anyone? It was rather a bold thing, but she was containing herself like a good little professional. Like a true doctor...

"It isn't crazy. It is... beautiful here. See the living night, the starry sky, and the moon through the shattered remains of the past." She indicated the broken window and dilapidated building. "I suppose you are right about religion, too, but I have no reason to believe or disbelieve that faith has a true purpose... I do think, however, that something made it all, nature and all... It is so intricate. But it is only a theory, a belief, I suppose. I could not argue it with anyone... Hmhm. A pretty pair of philosophers we make. Maybe psychology was a better course for me."

Shaking her head, she chuckled and stretched, running her eyes back over the church (and Colton, discreetly). Hm...

"So where is this little girl? Hiding about here somewhere?"

Was it? Was it? Colton missed it, or didn't recognize it as flirtatious, or something, because he didn't seem phased what so ever. He was skilled like that; being oblivious was definitely a talent.

Now, he wasn't so oblivious to the second buttering remark. No, but, he assumed, of course, that the sweater that he was wearing made him look buffer than he actually was. Maybe he'd start wearing his hoodie more often...? No, he wasn't bold enough to show up to work in a hoodie.

"Thank god one person doesn't think I'm crazy for liking a little beauty in my life." He immediately wished he had refrased that, as it sounded very flirtatious on his part. He tried to make a quick save, though. "Like, you know... Um. The church, umm... I like art galleries... And... The park. They're all... Pretty." He felt so girlish saying 'pretty'. Maybe he'd stop talking now.

When she looked over him again, she probably saw a man trying very hard to keep his lips shut about everything else.

It didn't last long, though. "Oh, she has the flu... My parents insisted that I was the worst guardian ever, because I didn't know what you gave some kid with the flu, so they took her for the night. Which, I have to admit, is better for all of us. She doesn't have to choke on her puke, cause my mothers got one hell of a back-hand... And I don't have to clean up after it." He grinned at his own stupid joke.

My my, how dorky he looked.

She grinned lightly at his remark, eyes twinkling at it. Well, perhaps her flirting was not so misdirected after all. She cocked her head near her shoulder a little with a faint blush. Yes, think schoolgirl.

"Hmhm, no. I don't think you are crazy at all. Oh! You like art, too? I go to the art gallery in Demaitre from time to time, when I get the time. What kind of art do you like?" She wondered vaguely if he enjoyed the theatre. She knew alittle about art, but theatre was her passion, especially classical theatre. And the park was good. She had found that Cedarwood, though, was an excellent place to walk wwhat with thte trails and such.

Her smile was friendly, and a bit bemused as she nodded at his joke, laughing a little, but not really finding it that funny... It was rather gross, actually... And yet, it was funny coming from him. If he relaxed, she thought, he might actually prove to be a great cnversationalist.

"So... You said you were interested in science. Do you intend to pursue that in future?"

She twirled a piece of hair absently around one finger and adopted a rather shy expression (RUN COLTON! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!! o.o), giving him her full attention... You know, him and that studly hoodie. o.0

The hoodie had to be the most studly article of clothing on him. Everything else was... Well, normal. Or incredibly dumb, like one of his socks... Colton hadn't been paying attention when he got dressed (In the dark) that evening, and had put on one of his sister's old socks. Pink, with daisys. Very studly, indeed. He was lucky, however, that his jeans covered the tops of his shoes and, consequently, all of the embarrassing sock.

"Um... Well, not to be a suck up or anything, but I do love photography, mostly old black and whites... Um. The impressionist era revealed some nice work... But I really like old water colour paintings." Of course, he tried to say this without feeling like he was blushing or even caring that she was doing such. Think schoolteacher. Schoolteachers don't run off and have sex with their students.

Colton nodded. "I think when Celeste enters elementary school, I'll be set on finances for the household so I can take the extra years I need to get my doctorate..." He seemed to be elsewhere for a moment, calculating if he did, indeed, have enough money by that time. Perhaps earlier? He could do it starting next year... Maybe through one of those online colleges, or perhaps he'd have time for the U of Demaitre's night classes... He decided, after a moment, that he'd solve this all later.

"I majored in biological sciences, so... I have a range of things to choose from." He smiled, and nodded some. Quite a range... And he didn't even know which biological science he liked the most.

She noted his blush and flushed a little deeper, biting the inside of her lower lip and keeping her head tilted.

"That would be really good for you, I think. You seem like the kind of guy who would go far in school. Bet you were always at the top of your classes, hm?" Okay, so the nerdy factor was not lost on her, but he was so cute, awww. "It would be good for Celeste, too, in the long run. Oh! Which reminds me. I was going to put together a little pamphlet about the natives of Demaitre, and I need people to photograph. I, um... Already have yours." She chuckled and tipped her chin up. "But I have not yet gotten pictures of any of the children. Perhaps when Celeste is feeling better she might like to pose for me some, hm? I could show you some of my black and white lenses. I have a new one, too, just used it for the first time today. I think you might be interested in it, maybe."

'Might', 'maybe'... And she was rambling and she knew it. Hehe. Someone has a cru-ush. She should have left a half hour ago, but she hadn't, and she found she was in no hurry. That made her leery.

"Getting a doctorate is worth it. It's not so much the title, it just gives you some clout sometimes, and it mostly gives you access to information and references you would never have otherwise. At least, that's how it is in the history department."

She reached down as though she might unzip her bag and show off some of her equipment, but instead she shouldered the bag and shuffled her feet a bit as she double checked her swaddling, preparing to face the freezing out-of-doors.

"So, uh... S'really nasty weather. Sure you don't need a ride? I really don't mind, and I'd hate for you to catch cold..." Alright, that was a bit obvious. She fumbled for a minute before trying to cover herself. "After all, someone has to take care of your niece, right?"

Aww crap. It was obvious, yet again, that he was a book worm and not an athlete of insane talent. Well, whatever. She obviously did well in school; she had a doctorate. "Yea, I was..." Reminding him of his schooling was somewhat depressing... He'd be a year behind schedule now. But, what did he need schedules for? He had his entire life, and then some, in front of him. What was one year when you lived for all eternity?

"Hmm... Iunno. She might be camera shy." Her? Shy of anything? That was a scary thought. "And, heh. You might want a better picture." He was definitely blushing now... If that picture was hung anywhere uther than a dumpster, he'd never be fit to walk the face of the earth again. "Here, maybe I can call you about it?" Ooh. Crafty way to get her number.

"For me, it's the title... I want people to know I've accomplished something when I meet them on the street, or in some decrepit church." He grinned some. "Call me insecure, if you will, but every jock has his trophies. Every artist their fair awards. Every chef their specialty. Every scholar needs his doctorate." How true. "Besides." He shrugged some. "What would I need with top secret biology files?" He grinned. Again, how true.

"How nasty?" He immediately glanced up at the window to see snow falling. "I guess I should bum a ride, then, eh?" He wasn't dressed for walking home in the snow, anyway. People'd look at him funny, especially if he was wearing his sunglasses, as he normally did... The blinding glare of light off of snow was murder to his eyes.

"Hold on, one sec..." He grabbed his pile of papers and laptop and disappeared down a staircase just off to the side of the alter. In an old, dilapidated church? Sure... He came back a minute later, laptop in hand, but papers gone. "If I bring work home, I'll lose it... Like I said, I like the serenity of the church. It's my... My... Fort, I guess you could say." He was a little old to still have a little fort, but... Whatever. Young at heart, you could say.

"Oh, yes, sure! Let me know if she wants to, and I can retake yours then."

She dug in her purse and pulled out a little notepad and a pen with a fuzzy green plume on one end. She scribbled her number down, along with her name, and her cell phone number, street address... Good to make sure she could be contacted... ... ... What?

With a smile she handed it over. "If you can't reach me at home then you can call my cell, and that's my address in case." In case what? Eh, who cared - the point was there it was.

Tiffany grinned with him. "I suppose that a doctorate signifies that, yes... But there are some people who don't have the degrees, but do have the smarts. It just depends what paths you take. The doctorate just means you can be quoted and paid more." She chuckled. "I can't say that I mind that though, there is freedom in it. If you want it thenone day you'll have it. I can tell you have a passion for it."

If he left it here would he not forget it, also? Or might it get lost or damaged in the creaky, drafty place? Ah well, his business. Hehe - he had a Fort. How cute was that? She smiled and nodded, starting for the door and pushing open the heavy thing to step outside, gasping at the sudden cold.

She trotted to her car, pressing a button on her keychain to unlock the door before she got to it so that she had slipped inside, cranked the car and the heater and tossed her bag in the back in no time at all. She heard the strains of a guitar faintly and turned the volume so that it really could not be heard unless there was dead silence, and with the heater that would not be happening.

She felt buoyed a little. She had thought of returning to the Church to explore more, and ust to enjoy the serenity. Funny that he should already use it for such... He was quite a character... And, she decided, rather cute, also.

"Nice pen." Colton grinned, then looked down at the paper that was handed to him, as if it were gold. Maybe he'd finally have a social life? Perhaps... Yea, a social life'd be nice. Get away from his parents, his sire, his half-brother, his ex-girlfriend, and spend more time with Celeste and people who weren't tangled up in his mess. He folded it in half, and slipped it in his pocket. Now, he'd try really hard to remember not to put his jeans through the wash while the paper was still in there.

Colton nodded. "Sure, but most of them have great jobs, or great spouses and great kids. Me? No... I don't have an extrodinary job. I'm not married, I don't have kids of my own..." He mentally added in that he didn't have friends, either, but he wasn't going to tell her that. He'd sound desperate and pathetic. Besides, it ruined his 'Schoolteacher' facade. "I spent all my life working towards a doctorate... It's a dream of mine. I want people to know I've accomplished my dream." Pathetic dreams, but dreams all the same.

While she left to turn on her car, he ran down to his room in the catacombs and dumped his stuff. He considered leaving his laptop, but that'd look suspicious. Why leave a 700 dollar item in a condemned church?

He walked out of the church, and firmly shut the doors behind him. He looked at the door for a minute, a little upset he'd have to leave so early, but, you know. Hang out with this Tiffany girl, or enter data he didn't want to enter anyway. The choice was obvious. He walked away from the church at a normal pace, unbothered by the snow. He couldn't feel the biting cold, so why run?

Colton paused before opening the door to the car. When was the last time he had gotten in one of these things? Ah, no, he remembered. The taxi ride to the hospital to see Codi before she died. Before that? A joyride with Jake, perhaps? That would have been two years ago... Colton opened the door and sat in. "Mmm. Heat." Not that it really mattered to him. He just figured she'd agree, and conversation was always nice.

Colton shut the door quickly, and smiled to her. "You really don't have to give me a ride... Waste of your gas, really. I live just over there." He pointed to a suburban area about a mile or so away. Not far.

She had looked a bit sheepish when he mentioned her pen, but grinned all the same. His deposit of his papers was strange, but she let it go, concetrating on getting her car started. It cranked easily, and she enjoyed the flood of warmth.

Tiffany watched Colton stroll towards the car, and mentally reviewed what she had learned of him. And she had given him her phone number! *squeal* And he was cute. *squeal* (Of course, she didn't really squeal - that would have looked funny...But she was squealing on the inside!)

She listened intently as he talked about his dream, and nodded slowly when he finished, turning from him to shift out of park and back out and away. She paused, and a slow grin began to move onto her lips.

"I know what you mean about a life dream." Of course, she was definitely living hers. "Everyone needs one, and I yours is something worthwhile. So many people waste what they have, and it's sad. Be forewarned, though, Colton," She snickered a little at herself as they turned out of the drive and towards his home, "Getting a doctorate is not exactly the best way to promote a social life. You will gain contacts and colleagues, references, of course, perhaps even a little noteriety, but it definitely shuts down a lot of road trips, etc. By the time I got done a lot of my friends had wound up the partying, etc., and settled down." Which was the reason that she had taken those road trips alone, and found parties... Although for the most part she had filled her time with things that she liked, like photography and fencing, and studying. Ah, well, it was boring conversation. She suddenly felt a jolt of nerves. She was not afraid, exactly, but she caught herself glancing into the rearview mirror just to make sure she looked okay.

Her brown hair was a windswept by the wind, though her face looked passable, she supposed. Of course she had to bemoan the fact that she was no super model for a moment, but then she looked at herself more practicably. She was glad she had at least put on foundation and a little lip gloss this morning, otherwise she would have shrieked and run away when she met someone... Or perhaps they would have done the shrieking and running away...

"Mmmmm..." She snuggled in the seat. "Yes, warm. It feels so nice." And her hands were thawing out. Note that she never addressed his comment about the ride. She had said she was going to, she wanted to, and she was - no need to say it again, only smile at him. Tiffany drove a little slowly... a lot slowly, actually. But, of course, it was only because of the bad road conditions...

Colton had to laugh. "Oh please. Me, a social life? The last time I went to a party was my own 16th birthday party." He grinned, even though he was pretty sure he had been to a party since then... Oh, yea. The night Bobby Miller had called him to come and collect some drunken heap on his floor. Poor Jake. He couldn't even walk he was so trashed, and Colton wasn't strong enough to carry him, so he had to be dragged two blocked to Colton's apartment, because there was no way Colton was dragging him five-plus miles home... But he hadn't really attended that party. Just come for clean up.

"Besides. If I was looking for a social life, why would I spend my free evenings in a rundown, filthy church?" Good point. But, then again, he glanced over at tiffany, and smiled some. Maybe because pretty, albiet desperate, women who also didn't have social lives went to rundown, filthy churches? At 11:00 at night? Perhaps. He put his hand in his pocket, double checking if the paper was still there. Knowing his luck, there'd be a hole in the bottom, and the paper'd be all gone. But no, he felt it.

They remained quiet after her mention of the warmth for a good few minutes, as Colton casually glanced about the car, glanced at her, out the window, at her, his hands, her, the fact that he hadn't put his seatbelt on, the snow, her... For once, he thought, he had met a girl whose hair was as messy as his own, and didn't seem to care... Or, at least she wasn't complaining about how bad she looked, which would have been his cue to say some sort of compliment, which would have been very embarrassing for him. He decided he liked this Tiffany girl. Not as high strung as Lily, or as insane as Hannah, or as quiet as Elena. A nice mix of everything, perhaps? That'd be nice.

"So... When'd you move to Demaitre?" Light conversation, as it seemed it would take an hour to get to his house. He was almost certain he could walk fast than the car, but, you know. He didn't really want to.

Like I spent my night? In a filthy run down church? Oh dear...

She shook her head vaguely at herself. She went to things now and again, but mostly gallery exhibits, museum and more educational pursuits, even for leisure... She was odd like that... Oh, well. C'est la vie.

"Well, I don't suppose for the photogrpahy - but the beauty, you said. Besides, sometimes being alone is not such a bad thing..."

But then again, sometimes it was.

Could the car go any slower?

"Oh, when did I move here? Not too long ago." She glanced to him and smiled before putting her eyes back on the road, and drawing a hand through her hair. "After graduate school I did what you might call internship around Medieval European archaeological digsites, a few minor ones in the Middle East and Egypt, and one in Rome. The one in Rome was my major one, and I got my PhD. right before going there to work. It was... marvelous. But my internship-sort-of-thing ran out there and I came back. I decided to travel through Canada with friends, wound up here. Heh, perhaps a big jump. Sometimes I help at the museum, but I have been working on a project in conjunction with the local museum and library."

"And you?"

"Sometimes it is." He filled in her thoughs for her and sighed some. Did that sound desperate? "Uh... Well... Ummm..." He gave it up. He couldn't find a way to sound less hopeless and more... Not hopeless. So he sat there silently.

"Lots of travel... I remember telling my parents once I'd never travel anywhere, because everything was like the pictures." He smiled. "Then I went to the ocean on a class field trip, and that was nothing like the pictures... But I still haven't managed to get out of this country..." His traveling life just opened up some, anyway. He had eternity to go places. Where would he start?

"Born and raised here... I'm afraid I was trapped into this town; you still have hope! Run for your life!" Over dramatically spoken, but humourous all the same. "But, no... I couldn't see myself anywhere else. The town's too perfect for needing an escape." He nodded, assuring himself that his answer was the one he wanted to give.

He could almost see his apartment now, and he was wondering if there was a broken glass bottle around here somewhere. Perhaps a tire would pop, or there'd be a snow drift. No such luck.

"Oh, wait!" Mock panic for the moment. "Celeste! Crap!" He glanced to his watch, and then to Tiffany. "You can let me out here; I need to pick up my niece, and would rather not trouble you with the ride." Well, in honesty, he wouldn't want her to drive the extra 10 minute trip to his parents house, but he had a feeling she'd want to drive him there, because she was as desperate as he was.

Or, well, so he was hoping. He had all his chips bet on her refusing to make him walk, in the snow with his niece, to his house.

She chuckled, eyes on the road, but a companionable expression on her face. She listened to his inflection, inferring his thoughts not only form the words, but from the tone. His voice sounded cultured to her, intelligent. It was a pleasant voice, she decided.

They were nearing her turn when he got excited, and it took a moment for the words to register, but she flicked off the turn signal and shook her head vaguely.

"Don't be silly! It isn't any trouble. Besides, you might be able to walk, but if she has a flu then there is no reason she should walk in the snow!"

And that way she could keep him in the car, here, with her, for longer... Mentally she cheered his forgetfulness for a moment. Who said being absent0minded had no perks, hm?

"Just tell me when and where I need to turn." She flashed him another smile, tossing her head as she looked back to the road. Maybe his parents lived far far away... She would have crossed her fingers if they hadn't been guiding the steering wheel. Okay, she toyed with a thought... Maybe it was desperate, but... Well. It would help Celeste...

"And if you need to go somewhere or take Celeste somewhere then you know, hey, you can call me. Poor child..." Yeh, poor child. She really did want to help Celeste, albeit her motivation was not purely for the little girl's benefit.

Her eyes slanted candidly and took in the man. She sighed. Vaguely she wondered if he would even call... or if he even remembered that she had given him the number... Hopefully he did not do the masculine thing and wash his kjeans with the paper in it... And this way she could meet Celeste. It was clear that he loved the girl, and she was eager to make acquaintance, though she realized that, being ill, she might not want to talk much. She didn't mention that if Celeste was there she could be asked about the pictures... If it was forgotten then maybe Colton would still use her number... Not that she was looking for any excuse... or anything...

Score.

Colton wasn't normally so outgoing. Perhaps meeting someone that wasn't already involved in the whole vampire mess he was involved in was a refreshing change. Maybe, also, he had given up on that little thing called love. Too many broken hearts derived from too many ex-lovers getting killed/killing themselves. Maybe he didn't think love was possible anymore. Maybe he had never been left the note that said, hey! The world is all sex-oriented now, and if you don't have sex, then you don't last!

The problem with Colton, though, was that he was still clinging fast to his little morals.

"Oh, no, honestly, Tiffany... You don't have to drive." But she brought up Celeste, which meant she had a good point. "... Straight for a while. My parents actually have a house. They're out in the suburbs." A house, as opposed to his little apartment. Suburbs, which meant out of the city.

"I might have to take you up on the offer." He passed her an easy smile, and looked back to the road. "She doesn't much like men. Just my... friend, Eric." There was a slight pause there, mostly because he was about to call Eric his brother. "She hates my father." Which was a reason why he felt he should get her away now.

"Left, here..." Colton had to wonder, himself. Had she given him her number to let him get ahold of her for pictures of Celeste? He intended to use it otherwise. Maybe, at the picture thing, he'd be so bold as to insist that she call him when the photos were developed, and meet him... Over coffee? Drinks? Dinner? Whatever her style? to see the finished products. Hmmm. Colton'd have to think about that one.

She put on a mock mean face and looked at him with feigned sternness.

"I'm going to drive you. There is no way I'd let you walk in the snow! What kind of person do you think I am?" She added a fake indignant sniff after, and tossed her hair again. It was obvious by her voice that the indignation was completely make believe, and her little scolding only to urge him not to say another word about it.

To be sure, Tiffany was no sex kitten, so for the moment the thought didn't even cross her mind. Not that it never would, but that it wasn't. Perhaps she wasn't so cynical as Colton, but she was careful about getting into physical relationships. Truth be known (say a word, or tell Colton and you die) she had never actually 'gone all the way' with anyone. She had been a bit of a flirt way back when, but she had always been harmless... pretty much.

She listened to him talk about Celeste and decided that was a talking she could get him talking on.

"I'm sorry to hear that... I wonder why... Either way, I'm excited to meet her. I'm sure she's adorable." And has you wrapped around her little finger. Tilting her eyes towards him, she smothered a smile.

Following his cue, she clicked on the ...erm... the clicker, and turned left with the blinking signal light flashing and making chinking noises that could drive a wman to insanity if they went on for too long. It was off in a matter of moments, and they had transitioned smoothly to the new road.

"Mmm... Must be nice to have family so nearby. And the suburbs have some nice homes, so I've heard. I have not really been out there..." Can we say 'mindless small talk'?

"So... You should..." Hm? What was that? "Um... " A breath and a glance out her own window to smirk at her own lack of communication skills.

"Sometimes is being alone is bad... St. Mary's is beautiful, but you should try a building a bit newer sometime to study." Smile... Suggestion? Leaving it at that was awkward. "Uh... There is a coffee shop in town that you might like, if you drink coffee. I love coffee, but I'm rather picky what kind, Theirs is excellent. And the atmosphere is soft, relaxed. A lot of the more academically-inclined college students go there, though lately it has been a bit ofa hangout, too..."

Colton smiled weakly. "Maybe one that is concerned about their gas?" Of course, he wasn't going to push the issue further. So much more conversation could be generated...

Colton'd never laugh at her for that, mostly because he was in a boat pretty similar to that one. He had never kissed a girl, let alone had sex with one, so to think that he was in anyway looking for a 'sex kitten' was ridiculous. Especially because Normal Colton barely talked to the opposite sex, let alone flirted with them. He'd blame it on the fact that he was just so delirious from all the traumatice events in the last few months. Perhaps he was losing his mind? Oh dear.

It really was true, though, to think Celeste was in complete control of Colton. His staff joked that she would be the only girl Colton'd ever live with, and the only girl he'd be able to love. And he always laughed, hoping that it wasn't true, but knowing that for the moment, they were right.

"She's very talkative... I bet she'll want to tell you all about herself, even if she's sick..." He worried for a moment, though, about where she'd sit. She'd need a child's seat, and he doubted Tiffany happened to care one of those around spare. Perhaps he'd have to sit her on his lap and strap her in that way...

"Occasionally, it's annoying... If I mess up with anything, then they make me go over and try and teach me how to do it right. Apparently, when your niece is throwing up, you're supposed to have her... You know... Throw up in a bucket, not directly into the toilet... My mom said that'll make her become anorexic later in life..." Colton laughed some, but he had to wonder if it was true.

"Right, here..." Colton pointed up ahead some to a more suburban road. Houses began to line the streets. "Oh, no, I've been there... I'm not a coffee fan, but they brew an excellent cocoa." He grinned. He never really matured past 3rd grade, did he? His forts and cocoa addiction, and the illusion that most girls still had cooties...

She rolled her eyes to show what she thought of gas and kept driving, following his signals.

"Hmhm, I hope she is talkative. I'll have to ask her if you are treatingher right and spoiling her like you should." She chuckled.

"Really?" Gross, but interesting. "I never used a bucket and I'm not anorexic... Hm... I wouldn't have known either, if it makes you feel any better..." She grinned and turned where he said, eyes scanning the houses. She lightened up on the gas, letting the car coast even more slowly under pretense of not wanting to miss the right house.

"Hm.. so which one is it?" She smiled at the cocoa comment. She liked hot chocolate, but coffee was usually preferred.

She spoke almost under her breath as she smiled vaguely and turned into his parents' drive.

"You are a very unique man, Mr. Colton..."

"Meet her on a good night... She'll talk more than you'll want, trust me." Colton smiled, and let the car roll up into the driveway. The light was still on, which meant he wouldn't be waking his parents. Colton opened the door, and smiled back to her. "Thank you. Unique, just like everyone else." Of course, this was said with a grin, and not as sarcastically as the line would be implied.

Colton shut the door gently, and walked towards the stoop. He rang the doorbell before an older woman came to the door, and started chatting at him a mile a minute, before batting him softly against the head. Colton frowned some, and stepped inside. Typical teenager, getting punished for a late curfew.

He remained inside for a few minutes... Three? Four? When the door opened again, Colton was carrying a little girl, who had her arms wrapped around his neck and her face leaned against his shoulder. His mother and father were standing in the doorway, and they chatted for another moment before his father made a motion to the car, and to Tiffany. Colton smiled some, and said something, while his mother handed him a few plastic bags--puke bags?--and his father nodded.

Colton turned around and started back towards the car. Over his shoulder, and behind his back, his father gave Tiffany a thumbs up before he, too, was batted away by the woman, who pushed him back inside and waved to the car. Colton opened the door and carefully slid inside. "Now, Celeste, you need to tell me when you get sick, ok?" There was a small, barely visible nod from the little girl, who seemed more interested in Tiffany than puking instructions.

"Who're you?" She was quiet, almost exhausted sounding. "This is Tiffany... Can you say hello, and introduce yourself?" Colton shut the door, and latched them both in with the seatbelt. "My name is Celeste and I turned three years old because it was my burthday and I gots a puppy!" She looked excited for a moment. "And then me and Uncle Cotton went to the park and I got to walk her all by myself! She is called Daisy and she is white and brown and very nice and very soft!"

Colton grinned, with an 'I told you so' gleam in his eyes. Celeste wasn't finished, however. "I never gone for a car ride before but once I took the train with Nana and Papa but now I get to go on a car ride with you, Tiffun--Tiffno--Tiffy!" She gave up on names she couldn't pronounce. Colton smiled. "Celeste, remember... If you feel sick, you need to let me know, ok?"

She was already peering out the window, waiting to go.

Tiffany smiled and shook her head slightly, watching him walk towards a woman that appeared from within the house. She was a bit surprised at a few of the gestures, but they disappeared and she took the time to fiddle with the heater and watch the snow begin to fall lightly again - although one eye was always on the door of Colton's parents suburban home.

When it opened again she was greatful. She knew it had not been long, but it seemed like it. A small lopsided grin pulled up one side of her mouth as she realized it had probably been a lot longer for him...

Her eyes took in the little clinging bundle in his arms, and the tableau of girl and man struck her. It was adorable - worthy of being photographed...She was tempted to whip out her new lens, but she left it and simply enjoyed the scene.

Tiffany tilted her head a little at the bags... Okay, not a good sign... Ah, well - cars would clean up. She made a little pooched lip face as she saw the little girl sway a tiny bit in Colton's arms. She must feel a little peaked, still... Or judging by the bags, a lot peaked.

Her lips parted a bit in surprise at the thumbs up, then a slow smile crept onto her features as she waved sedately at Colton's mother... Wow, she did feel like she was in highschool, in a first date, confused sort of way. She chuckled as he slid in beside her and put her hands in her lap, turning towards the pair with a big smile for the child. She wavesd as she was introduced. Catching Colton's eye her smile grew and she bobbed her head to Celeste's words. Woah! Where to start!

Seeing that Celeste was ready to go, however, she chuckled and straightened her body, taking her car out of park and reversing to roll out of the drive. Back on the street, she drove at a decent rate. Odd as it felt, she did not want Colton's parents to think she was wreckless or that she... What? Had designs on their son? Once out of sight, however, she decided to go a mite faster.

"I'm glad you're riding with me , Celeste. Say, since its your first ride, if you feel up to it and your..." Oh, yes. King Coal, Uncle Cotton... A man of mystery, she thought wryly. "Uncle Colton agrees, why don't you take a little ride around with me for a little bit?" It was inviting the child to decorate her upholstery, but it was also a chance to get to know both better.

"Do you go to the park with Daisy a lot? What do you feed her? Does she like to be scratched? I used to have a dog, when I was little... Chinese pug, black - he had a curly tail, like a piggy's, and a squished nose like he had run into a wall, and his fur was dark dark black. He was a small inside dog and he thought he wasa cat - jumped on everything." She giggled a little.

To his parents, this was a first date. They'd never seen him with anyone other than Jake, and they had always assumed Jake to be Colton's friend, never anything more. No, see, Tiffany was a girl. She was definitely dating material, and though his parents didn't want him to rush to get married, he was 22, and he had never had a girlfriend. They were anxious to see that he could at least make some sort of progress towards anything related to dating.

Unbeknowst to them, he hated dating with such a passion it was no wonder he was still single.

Colton caught her gaze down to the bags, and smiled. "Mom said she was feeling a lot better... These are if she gets carsick." Colton patted little Celeste on the head, and she half growled, half whined at the embarrassment. "I'm a big girl and I don't get car sick!" She stuck her tongue out at him, and he gently reasoned with her. "How do you know that? You've never been in a car before, and you're sick. Even big girls can get car sick." Celeste ignored him, for the most part. Colton gave up as well, and left her to answer all of Tiffany's questions.

"Uncle Cotton has to work a lot so I don't get to walk her all the time but I get to take her outside the apartment all the time but Uncle Cotton has to be with me." She quickly added on, in a slightly more energized tone. "But I am a big girl so I can do it all by myself but he doesn't let me because he doesn't think I'm a big girl!" Colton grinned. "I'm still taller." Celeste quickly changed gears. "When I am his head tall on his knees, I get to walk her all by myself! He promised me!" She looked excited, though it was obvious she still had quite a bit of growing to do before she reached that goal.

Celeste didn't mean to be rude when she completely ignored Tiffany's dog story. It was just that her dog was better, and she needed to talk all about it. But, she was kind of out of things to say, so she changed the subject. "My uncle Erwic gave her to me for my burthday and Lady gave me shoes!" She was so quick to change the subject, and Colton passed another smile over Celeste's head to Tiffany. Almost a, 'You're turn to deal with this' smile, with a leftover hint of 'I told you so.'

"What do you say, Celeste? You wanna go for a ride in the car?" He hoped she said yes. Celeste, however, was a little drama queen, and she put on a very serious face and put a finger to her forehead, tapping it gently. She was thinking. "Ummm..." She looked puzzled for a moment, before breaking into an extremely large grin. "IUNNO!" Celeste broke into giggles, and Colton rolled his eyes.

"Is Tiffany going to come over and meet Daisy because she had a dog, Uncle Cotton and she had a dog too!" He heard, of course, and looked over at her some, then smiled down to Celeste. "Actually, Celeste. She wanted to know if you'd come over to her house and let her take pictures of you for a project. I think you could bring Daisy, but tonight is a no. You're sick." Celeste didn't seem to mind the no, though, and looked over at Tiffany with something akin to awe. "I wanna be in pictures! My mommy took me to get my picture taken once and I got to get all nice clothes and she painted my finger nails!" Celeste looked delighted. "Can I, can I?"