. . . For someone of your age your incredibly bright."

What on earth is he saying? This boy, this young beautiful boy with the dazzling haunted eyes that see right through me. How can he say these things with wisdom and sentiment beyond his years? What has he been through to make him this way? And why do I desperately want to believe the words he is saying? Why does seeing him with that look on his face make me want to hold him close and pour my heart out till the pain goes away? I don't know this young man, don't know anything about him . . . and he is friends with a vampire. So why do I want to trust him?

"Daddy?" Alice asks shyly.

I snap myself out of the almost trance I had been in and look down at my adorable little girl who still clings to the pant leg of the beautiful boy.

"What is it, honey?" I ask her.

"Tim can still stay for dinner right? I promise I'll be a good girl and keep an eye on him!" She pleaded looking up at me with big puppy dog eyes.

"Oh, honey, but . . . " The pout increased and her lower lip threatened to wobble.

I could feel my will crumbling and the negative response died on my lips.

"Fine. Tim can stay." I sigh.

"Yay!" She exclaims letting go of Tim and jumping into my arms. A smile also lit up Tim's face and the haunted look completely left his eyes.

"But remember I'm watching you! You are not to leave my sight!" I command him.

The smile, however, does not leave his face, instead, growing wider and a light blush warms his pale cheeks.

"Of course." He says in reply.

"Tim come play with me!" Alice exclaimed as she jumped down from my arms and ran back over to Tim before grabbing his arm and starting to drag him inside.

"Okay, okay, but first we need to get you dressed." He replies smiling kindly and ruffling her hair.

"Ok! You can help me pick out what outfit to wear!" She beamed. I was a little shocked and awed. It normally took forever and the promise of treats to get Alice to put on clothes. She much preferred to be in her furry form.

Alice then hurried inside with Tim trailing behind her like the tail of a kite. After a minute of standing there trying to process what just happened I go inside and upstairs to Alice's room.

I found them in Alice's walk-in-closet with Tim sitting on the floor and nodding or shaking his head as Alice held up outfit after outfit and chatted away about this and that. I stood quietly in the doorway and watched in shocked silence as my shy little girl who wouldn't even look at some of my business associates who she's known her whole life completely open up to this near stranger who I still suspected might be a spy. She was completely comfortable around him. There was no tension in her shoulders, no ducking of her head and no nervous shuffling. She just talked and moved and smiled like any other normal six-year-old, and it was amazing. She was completely herself.

When she had finally picked out what she wanted to wear - a pale blue multi-layered sleeveless chiffon dress with matching blue pumps and white wool knit tights - instead of coming over to me or calling for one of the staff to come help her put it on she held it out to Tim, who, without hesitation took the offered garments and began helping her on with them. I was worried he would hurt her in some way and began to interject but I needn't have worried. He was incredibly careful and gentle with her and he seemed to know what he was doing.

I remembered he had mentioned something about having younger siblings earlier when he had brushed the loose strand of hair out of my face. His touch had been tender and warm and had left tingles on my skin and running up and down my spine. Thinking of it had a blush heating my cheeks. When I realised what I was doing I shook myself and stood up straighter.

What am I thinking? He's friends with a VAMPIRE for heaven's sake! He could have ulterior motives!

But as I watched him interacting with Alice and saw how kind he was to her I started to doubt that very much.

"Daddy, how do I look?" Alice asked doing a little twirl for me.

"You look, beautiful honey," I reply as I crouch down and rearrange her curl's as they had become mussed.

She giggles and squirms as I fiddle with her hair. Once I'm satisfied I stand back up and straighten my clothes before taking her hand to go downstairs.

"Time for dinner," I tell them both.

Alice turns back to Tim and offers him her free hand. He immediately comes over and takes it, smiling at her warmly. The three of us walk out of the closet like that.

On our way out of Alice's bedroom, I catch a glimpse of us in the mirror and am struck with the picture we make. The three of us standing in a line all holding hands look like a family. I had gotten used to it only being me and Alice but seeing her walking between the two of us, a huge smile on her face, looking happier and more confident than I had seen her in awhile, I began to wonder if she was really happy with things being the way they were . . .

I shook that thought out of my mind and continued out of the room and back downstairs to the formal dining room in the middle of the house which I had ordered the staff to set up for tonight's dinner.

The room was decorated in warm shades of red and brown with white accents here and there. The long table that sat in the centre of the room was covered with a crisp white tablecloth with red and gold stitching around the hem and in the centre. On top of the centre-design sat a vase overflowing with flowers, carefully selected and arranged to make a beautiful piece of art in reds, oranges and yellows with little white buds poking out here and there. At one end of the table, there sat three place settings; one at the head and one on either side for which we were to sit at and have our meal. No food currently sat on the table as that was to be brought out later when we were ready for it so as not to let it get cold.

Tim, upon entering the room let out a little gasp as he took in his surroundings. His eyes were wide and his face was lit up with awe. I had spent hours thinking up and planning every aspect of this evening's dinner in hope to thank him for saving Alice. Of course, that was before I discovered that Tim could be a spy, but still, seeing his reaction made it feel like my efforts were worth it.

Just then Alice let go of our hands and raced over to the table and the place set for her with her special booster seat so she could reach better. She pulled out her chair and began to clamber up ungracefully instead of waiting for me to pick her up.

“Hang on sweaty let me help you,” I call as I walk over.

“It’s okay Daddy! I can do it!” She replied stubbornly, hauling herself up onto the seat.

Once seated she turns and looks at us triumphantly.

“See! Told you!” She exclaims

I just chuckle and shake my head.

The first course to be brought out is a pumpkin and sweet potato soup with freshly baked dinner rolls. After the bowl is placed in front of Tim he grabbed his soup spoon and was about to dig in when he suddenly paused and began to blow on the steaming spoonful before cautiously bringing it up to his mouth and testing it suspiciously. Seemingly satisfied he popped the spoon into his mouth fully. As he did this his expression went from one of caution to satisfaction and his eyes closed as he slowly withdrew the spoon from his mouth and seemed to savour the rich creamy soup. I watched his Adam's Apple bob up and down as he swallowed before quickly looking away as I felt a burst of warmth in my core and a blush heating my cheeks.

“This is quite delicious! My compliments to the chef!” He said cheerily a grin lighting up his face.

I nodded in reply as my throat felt too tight to respond.

What is wrong with me? I should not be having such feelings. I’m just a little out of sorts is all. . .

In order to distract myself, I began tearing up a dinner roll into little pieces which could then be dunked in the soup and easily consumed.

Alice had already managed to spill soup down her chin, though luckily none had gone on her dress. Tim noticing this casually handed her his napkin which she then used to wipe her face before taking her own napkin and tucking it into her collar to stop any further potential spills from soiling her pretty clothes.

The exchange was so casual and natural that you would have thought the two of them had spent years interacting this way rather than mere moments. Normally if someone came over for dinner they would mostly ignore Alice or treat her like a toddler. Tim treated her almost as if she were an adult, or at least someone closer to his age. It was surprising and quite touching.

We all sat in silence for a while as we ate but after several minutes the lack of conversation began to press down on me and the atmosphere became awkward.

Tim seemed to sense this as he put down his spoon and started up a conversation.

“So Alice your 6 right?” He began.

“Yep! Six and three months!” She replied proudly.

“So that means you're going to school now right? How are you enjoying it?” He asked casually.

I winced internally at his choice of topic. School was a touchy subject when it came to Alice.

Her expression which had been happy and cheerful immediately fell and I could feel a pout coming on.

“I don’t like school. I’m not allowed to transform and I don’t have any friends. All the other kids think I’m weird.”

Her tone is sullen and she is frowning down at her lap now.

His response is not at all what I expected.

“Don’t worry. I don’t have any friends at school either.” He replied calmly.

“Really?” She asked surprised.

“Mn-hm. It’s okay though because I have my family and Kate so it doesn’t matter that I’m not super popular.”

“It doesn’t?” Alice asked. I was surprised to hear an almost desperate hope in her voice and she was now staring resolutely into Tim’s eyes and clutching at her skirts.

“Of course not. As long as you're happy and those around you are happy then everything is fine. Everyone acts like being popular and having lots of friends is really important, and though it’s true that having people who are willing to help and support you is really significant, you don’t necessarily need lots of friends to do that. Sometimes just one or two is all you need, and though you may not have any friends yet I’m certain that once the other kids get to know you you’ll find someone who will be that for you. So don’t worry. Everything is going to be okay.”

By the end of this speech, Alice has tears running down her cheeks and is smiling tremulously. The look in her eyes of absolute relief and gratitude made me realise just how much my little girl had been dealing with. She was much more emotionally mature than most kids her age and sometimes I forget that she’s just a little girl and doesn’t know these sorts of things, that I actually have to teach her this stuff and tell her that things are going to be okay.

I felt a new sense of respect and gratitude towards Tim for this. In 20 minutes he managed to help Alice more than I have in months. In that moment I decided to put my earlier qualms behind me and try to trust Tim and look at him in a more neutral light without my prejudice against vampires and those affiliated with them clouding my judgment.

With that thought in my mind I opened my mouth to agree with what Tim was saying and try comfort my daughter, but at that exact moment I heard banging and shouts coming from outside before the doors were flung open by a young girl with mossy brown hair and an almost crazed look on her face.

“He’s coming! They let him go and he’s coming here! Now.” She cried frantically.

That’s when I saw the fangs.

Vampire.