After agreeing on the dinner Mr Voshell and I had exchanged numbers and then he had had Yama give me a ride home in one of their many cars. The big man and I had talked on the drive and had become acquainted. He had thanked me for saving Alice and had told me about how he came to work for Mr Voshell, or at least he told me a watered down, non-supernatural version of the story and I had learned the rest with my gift.

He told me that he had grown up in a bad neighbourhood and as a result had been involved with a gang as a bodyguard for the leader. One day a job he was on had gone bad and turned into a hostage situation with Mr Voshell as one of the hostages. A gunfight had broken out and Yama had saved the hostages over his boss. Seeing this Mr Voshell had offered him a job and helped him clean up his record, giving him a new life and a new start.

That was mostly true except Yama didn't get into the gang because he grew up in a bad neighbourhood. Cyclops' were very strong and were often taken as children and trained to be "hired muscle". They worked for the company that owned them until they either got too old or died on the job and were never granted freedom. They were considered nothing more than cannon fodder. Yama had been hired out to the gang and when the hostage situation had happened he had thought to sacrifice himself to protect innocents. Mr Voshell had saved both him and the other hostages with magic and had then used his money and influence to claim Yama as his property and give the Cyclops his freedom. Yama had not accepted and instead began working for Mr Voshell in order to repay his debt.

In order to lighten the mood, I had told him about my family. By the end of the drive, it had felt like we'd known each other for years rather than minutes. It was strange. I normally didn't get along with people but in the span of less than an hour I had made two new acquaintances and if everything continued smoothly I would gain a third. I was completely baffled.

Yama had dropped me off at the corner of my street and I had rushed home to explain to Laura why I was so late. I opened the door and was almost instantly greeted by three screaming children. Apparently, they were Annabelle's friends from school who were staying over for a sleepover. I was immediately drafted into helping Laura with dinner and keeping an eye on the kids so they didn't accidentally kill themselves.

It was 7:30 before we finally got them to bed and settled down. Dad had been held up at work so he only got home around 9:00. He had sat down, eaten his dinner then almost instantly passed out at the kitchen table. I had roused him briefly to help him drag himself to bed before he fell asleep again still in his clothes. It was hard work being a surgeon, but dad loved it and we were all really proud of him.

At 9:40 after helping clean up and wash the dishes I finally got time to go see Kate. I told Laura I was going out before hurrying out the door and down the street. Kate lived in an old abandoned villa about three blocks away. The previous owner had died and their relatives couldn't bring themselves to sell the house so it sat there exactly as they had left it but for its new occupant.

We couldn't go in the front door because the neighbours would see and call the police. Luckily the house backed onto a golf course. No one plays golf in the dark so we could simply jump the fence and go through the back door.

I go in and walk down the hall before climbing the stairs and making my way up to the attic where Kate spends most of her time. No windows up there. The light can't get in so she's safe.

"Okay first off I know your grandma doesn't like non-humans but leaving a little fox girl to the mercy of that monster?! Don't you think that's a bit much?!" Exclaims Kate before I'm even fully in the room.

"Hey Kate. I know you already know what I'm going to tell you but could you still let me say it?" I reply.

"I'm sorry but some interesting stuff happened today! You know I love it when things get interesting!"

"Yes, yes." I sigh.

"Anyway back to granny!" She says ignoring my response.

I sigh again and shake my head. Kate may be immortal but sometimes she can be really impatient and likes to jump the gun. She doesn't like wasting time so since she already knows what people are going to do sometimes she'll act like they've already done it.

"Granny's been acting strange lately. Clingy and overprotective but also like she's trying to distance herself at the same time. I don't get it." I finally answer accepting that to Kate I've already told her everything.

"Well you know what I think of your grandma but I must admit that I was a little shocked she did that." she replies.

I had told Kate about my dead grandma and how I sometimes hung out with her ghost. Granny had only met Kate once and it hadn't gone well.

Granny had a deep mistrust of nonhuman beings so when she found out I had become friends with a Vampire (a creature which she considered one of the most dangerous supernatural beings (even though they weren't by a long shot)) she hadn't reacted well.

She had followed me to Kate's house and began screaming and throwing things at Kate. Ghosts can affect our world to a certain extent and that increases when they are angry or scared. Granny had managed to make all the lights blow out and to be able to touch inanimate objects so she could pick them up and hurl them across the room. I had managed to stop the fight (if you can even call it that) but the two women had hated each other ever since.

"Well no use worrying about it for now. Next subject!" exclaims Kate before picking up a book that was lying on the floor and hitting me over the head with it.

"What on earth were you thinking!?! Running in there without a plan! What if he'd had a knife, huh?! What if he had a gun?! What then Tim!?! Idiot!" She yells before proceeding to hit me over the head again, a little harder this time.

"Ow! Ok! Ok! I get it! I was a stupid idiot and I'll never do it again!" I exclaim shielding myself from further abuse.

"Good. You better keep that promise damn it."

"Yes, I promise."

"Good." She repeats.

We sit there in silence staring at each other for a time until the tension drains out of her and she regains her normal composure.

"Now about this dinner . . ." She says rubbing her hands together and getting this evil look on her face.

"Oh no. Here we go." I say knowing what's coming next.

"You're going to wear that nice dark red turtleneck Rebecca got you with your favourite jacket and those skinny jeans that make your ass look good. You know the ones I'm talking about. Get him talking about things other than work. Be honest with him, he respects honesty and will like you better if you are being yourself. Bring a gift with you when you go. His favourite flowers are carnations and she likes chrysanthemums. Wear shoes you can run in but not just trainers. If he invites you back suggest somewhere else to meat like that little cafe down town. If it looks like he wants to kiss you go for it cause he won't make a move without you making it obvious you like him. Watch the soup it's hot." 

"Kate! First off I do not like him! And second of all why do you always do this? Try to set me up with every guy I have a conversation with!?" I say exasperatedly.

"What are you talking about of course you like him! Don't be silly!" she replies cheerily.

"No I don't! And even if I did he's one of the most powerful men in the country! He'd never associate with someone like me. Not to mention he has a daughter Kate! He's straight."

"You don't know that! He said he wasn't married right? And he could be bi. You never know!"

I hadn't thought of that. . . Wait! No! What am I thinking?!

I sat there and put my head in my hands. There was no point arguing with Kate. She always won.

"Okay fine, maybe I like him a little bit but still. The thing about him not wanting to be with someone like me who's not rich and powerful still stands. Plus the age difference and even if he does like men he still has a daughter to think about." I tell her mournfully

"Don't worry about it. If he's really bothered by things like age and status then he's not good enough for you anyway. Just be yourself and anyone who doesn't see what a kind, clever, amazing person you are isn't worth your time." She replies cupping my face in her hands and looking me straight in the eye.

"Thanks Kate," I say giving her a quick hug.

"No problem. What are best friends for."

"Anything else you wanted to talk about?" I ask in case she still wants to talk.

"No that was about it. Oh! Don't worry they catch the guy. They find evidence for his other crimes as well. He's going away for the rest of his life. He'll never be able to hurt anyone ever again." 

"Thank goodness." I sigh. I can feel a weight lifted off my shoulders knowing I helped put a monster behind bars.

We spent the next hour chatting about nothing in particular before it was time for Kate to go out hunting. We said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways. I walked home in silence enjoying the feel of the night air against my face. When I was about a block away from home I got a chill down my spine and I felt like someone was watching me from the darkness. I scanned the street and the houses but saw no one. I continued walking and the feeling soon passed so I wrote it off as nothing.

That one?

Yes. He smells like the girl.

He doesn't look like much. We could take him now!

No! The master commands we wait. We are here only to observe.

I don't understand why we must follow this pitiful human!

Orders are orders. Are you questioning the master?

Of course not! I'm simply hungry.

Don't worry. We shall feast on him soon . . .