At the Manor

Amu yelped when he fell on her.

"Get /off/!!" She quickly yelled, and when he did so she stood up.

"Wait!!" She called, but he was already gone. With a groan, she took off after him, catching up in a few seconds.

"I made it" Shellie told her as she ran in the front door "Marcus and Amu are coming. Be on guard!" Shellie shouted. Skylar, Jason, and Jacob ran outside. Shellie dialed a number quickly on her cell phone "Daniel, Marcus is coming" she said quickly before hanging up. She ran outside, Jason and Jacob, in his wolf form, on one side and Skylar on the other side of her. Daniel burst through as a wolf and stood by Skylar and the group waited

Marcus kept running. Not listening to Amu.

~~~
Lacey stood in the doorway, wondering what was happening.

~~~
Tiny came down the stairs yawning, with a slight bed head.

Amu relaxed a bit when she heard Shellie. She knew they were closer because she could hear them. As the Manor came into view she slowed to a walk, approaching those who stood out front. She smiled half-heartedly at Shellie and then Skylar, coming to a stop in front of them. She didn't see Tina so she figured she was still inside.

Shellie nodded at Amu quickly and waited for Marcus, she created a small connection between her and Amu I'm happy you are safe, I was worried she told her quickly. She showed her pictures of what she had done while she was worried, including cooking and making a huge mess in the kitchen to cleaning it up and then the constant pacing, relief was imminent over all the images.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Skylar smiled at Amu, happy to see her again. He considered going over to her but Shellie's rigidness told him not to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Both Jacob and Daniel growled slowly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jason watched Shellie's carefully, making sure she was okay. Worry across his face

Tina stepped out of the house just as Marcus step out of the wood.

Her eyes were closed and she was running her finger through her hair becauase of the bed head.

"Who's that?" Lacey asked.

Amu smiled slightly, seeing the images Shellie put in her head.

'I'm sorry for worrying you,' she thought just as Marcus came out of the woods. She tensed up again and when Tina came out she gave her a smile, a real one this time though her eyes were closed.

I'll forgive you this time Shellie told her, her eyes were focused on Marcus Make sure I know it is safe before she goes to him. I know they are mates but I have a coven to worry about rather than mates seeing each other again she asked of Amu briefly. She watched Marcus carefully "Do you have other intentions than seeing you mate?" she asked quickly, deciding to be blunt about this.

Tina's eyes opened when Shellie said mate.

Marcus didn;t smile, much less look at Tina. "Any other reasons?" He said. "No." He said just as bluntly. "What you have that I would want?" He asked boredly. "Why would I do anything if you have nothing of my interset?" He asked.

'It's safe, for Tina at least,' Amu thought. She stepped to the side, away from Marcus and towards Tina, smiling sadly at her.

I care for more than Tina's safety Shellie responded quickly. She was surprised at what Marcus had and that he didn't even look at Tina "I'm sorry, but if I have nothing of interest to you in my coven than why are you here?" She included Tina in the Blood Manor Coven as well. She bit her lip and waited for a response, she was confused about why Marcus seemed not to care for his mate, from what Shellie had known most mates cared for their other, for example, the way Jason was standing by Shellie's side ready to protect her at all costs if need be.

"I came for Tina." Marcus said. "But it is her choice to make, if she comes or not." He said.

Tina took a step foraward to stand next to Shellie. She looked up at the older vampire withh cofused eyes, she didn't know what to do. She wanted to stay, she wanted to go. She was scared of him, she loved him, everything was confusing to her, she didn't know what to do. Didn't know what to say, so she said nothing, looking down.

Lacey repeated her qusition. "Who's that?" She asked again.

Marcus stood there waiting for an anwser.

"That's Marcus," Amu said simply. Then she kneeled down next to Tina.

"Tina," She said quietly. She lifted her chin to look at her. "This is your decision to make," She said, struggling to keep her voice even. "If you choose to go with him, I won't be mad," She said. She would be mad, but not at her. As she had been saying, mates stuck together. But she would be worried, constantly.

"Don't let me influence your decision. But if you choose to go, just remember that I'll always care about you," She said quietly, standing up again and standing off to the side silently, staring at nothing in particular.

Shellie looked at Marcus with resentment in her eyes but then looked at Tina kindly "You will always be a member of this coven Tina, you are always welcome here if you want to be here. This is your choice to make and his if he wants and no one else's. Just know that as a member of our coven we are there for you when ever" she hated that Marcus was making Tina choose. "You are both welcome here of course"

Again Tina didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to choice. She never liked choicing.

"No, thanks, I don't like staying in one place." Marcus said. But he might stay near by if Tina decide to stay.

Tina looked thoughtful.

"No, not him." Lacey said. "Him." He said pointing at a man leaning against a tree.

Eric Light.

Shellie quickly stood in front of Tina, Skylar, Jason, Jacob, and Daniel also taking the defense. The watched Eric carefully "What now?" Skylar asked Shellie quickly

"Stand your ground" she said quickly, the two wolves growled as the three vampires glared at him carefully

Amu immediatly recognized Eric.

She didn't really think he posed a threat. They had been together that whole time with the Slayers, but she stood defensively next to Shellie nonetheless.

"That's Eric," Amu told Lacey simply as she watched him carefully.

Eris sighed. "I was waiting quietly, I have no need to talk to you. My business is with him." He said pointing to Marcus.

Tina looked at Eric, and sighed.

Shellie stood up straight, the boys followed suit. Shellie turned back around and face Tina "I'm sorry to force you but you need to make a decision soon, Tina" she told her quickly. Jason stood guarding her back in case something happened, the fact she could read minds didn't matter to him he just wanted her safe.

Amu could hardly believe Shellie had suggested Marcus staying at the Manor. But if it was a way to get Tina to stay......

She quickly shook off the thought and instead looked from Marcus, to Eric, then back to Tina, waiting for one of them to say something.

"I want to stay." Tina said, suddenly, this surpised even her.

Marcus nodded, altrough he didn't show it he was kinda hurt by her pick. But he respected her choice and said nothing about it.

Amu blinked in surprise.

"Are you sure?" She asked quietly, glancing at Marcus out of the corner of her eye. Then she looked at him.

"As Shellie said...." She took a deep breathe. "You're welcome to stay as well." Her face looked pained as she tried to be polite to him.

Shellie smiled at Tina and then at Marcus, "You are welcome here at any time, even if you wish to stay her permanently" she told him quickly. Jason wouldn't move from in front of her so she had to look around him to see Marcus

Marcus looked at Eric. He truned arouned and walked back into the woods, Eric followed.

Marcus refused to show that he was upset about Tina's choice. He ketp walking, not careing Eric was following him. His thoughts, for once, didn't go to his memories, but to Tina. He tried to get the thoughts out of his head as he walked futher and futher away from blood manor.

~~
Lacey blinked. "Okay then. . . " She said truning to go back inside.

"I'll take that as a no...." Amu mumbled. She felt relieved, but then guilty as she glanced at Tina. She wondered if Marcus would come back after his 'talk' with Eric. She didn't know what was going on there, nor did she care to. She turned to Tina.

"I'm sorry if you thought I was angry with you," She said quietly. "I wasn't."