A visit from some old friends? --- The Briggs Coven

Flashes lept across the horizan of the woods, making every shivering creature around them burrow into the ground in fear. The three flashes came to a stop in the dark brown dirt of the forest floor, spraying the trees with the brown debris. Pairs of golden speckled eyes searched the horizan for their destination. The journey had been long and hard, a fun one though at that, convincing the air flight attendant that they had just left their tickets in their London home. When, of course, none of them had had a permenant residence in over a hundred years. They were finally here though, despite that fact, to visit some long-time vampires they had befriended those long years ago. A muscular form, one of the males, stepped forward from the safety shadow behind him, his upper lip curling up. He could hear big booms in the distance that echoed away after a short period but they didn't sound anywhere close to nature's own rumble.

Even with the sky at its darkest and the outline of the clouds popping from the shine of the lightning, Skylar knew that vampires were fighting. He looked up at the sky, refelecting on the storm clouds and how it might ruin their chance of a sunny day at last, when a rain drop fell on his nose and cascaded down his pale cheek. "Perfect," his faintly British accent commented, "Just what we needed-- a stormy place to stay." There was no humor in his voice but knowing Skylar, there was a pun lurking somewhere in there. He glanced back at his two companians, his face straight. The lightning in the distance outlined their silhouettes, the female's perfectly skinny and her hair on either side of her face and his almost-brother with his permenent sneer and dirty-blonde hair. Skylar stowed his hands in his pockets and closed his eyes, picturing their spot on a map, his special power. They were three spots burned on the map, trees surrounding them. Four vampires were glowing across the woods, obviously the other coven. Two of them turned on their heels and went home, from what it looked like, and the other two were inside the cottage. His mind came back to where he was and he looked around.

The trio had cut quite a attracting group at the airport, drawing everyones attention. There had been whispers about the possibility of them being a new, modern rock group. But no one dared ask for a autograph, considering that everything about them seemed dangerous. The female was a tall slender beauty with a modern edge to her look. She probably stood out the most duing to the fact that she was the only girl. Then there was the tall, dark looking one, with the looks of someone who really didn't want to be their. He was more muscular than the other male but seemed less like the leader. More like he was just their because he had nothing better to do. And then the last male, the more leader looking one, had a more approuchable manor to him. Nonetheless, not a soul came up to the group, even the airport guards had given them a wide berth.
Looking around, Cole could tell he already hated the place. Nothing had changed since the last time they had come. Everything was still as boring and green as ever. It wasn't unusual for him to be dissapointed or bored in something, it actually happened quite frequently. Really, all Cole enjoyed was a a good book, preferably one he hadn't read, which is much harder than it sounded. With a sigh, Cole leaned up agaisnt a moss covered tree, knowing that it would probably ruin his black trench coat with the moss's drippy moisture, but not really caring. He chose to think back on the trip from London to Seagull Point. The group chose to stay pretty seperate when they were settled in a town for a short while. So, when Cole's close friend Sklyar had come to him saying that a visit to the Klein coven had peaked his interest, Cole had followed along reluctant but willing. One of the reasons for not wanting to to go had to do with the fact that his relationship with a member of the coven hadn't gone well. The vampire, named Jenna, had practically shouted a denial in his face when Cole had suggested a courtship between the two. After a while, he became almost happy that she had said no, figuring that the realationship would have become tedious in the end. Nonethless, Cole was interested in seeing how she was doing. So, after calling up Meg and getting her to agree, they all headed to the airport. The stares were annoying, but expected in a way. A small problem arose when a mousy haired flight attendant asked for the tickets which the group did not have. Seing that Cole was needed to solve the problem, he just stepped in front of her, caught her dull, brown eyes, and jsut told her they had already given her them. He was used to using his power in tricking humans, rather a change from the high up officers he used to confuse before his vampire life had started.
The plane rides had been dull and boring as usually, but since Skylar preferred to take a plane, they were necesary. It was a welcome releif to run the rest of the way,until they had ended up in this sogging spot of woods.
" It really is one of the cloudiest place on this planet, 90% cloud coverage to be exact. Myself, I prefure London. This place is too...cute," Cole replyed, a slight husky, British accent apparent, as a watched a brown rabbit, quickly scatter away at the sight of this terrifying trio.

On the flight there, the threesome had remained quiet, talking only in soft whispers when neccesary, which wasn't often. The silent and dangerous atmospere had scared away nearly everyone, and even now the animals would not come near. These weren't the careful-not-to-slip-up vegetarian vampires that this small town inhabited and was used too. They were vegetarian, yes, but didn't really give a damn about humans. You mess up, you move on. Simple as that. Life as a vampire could be taken different ways, and this small coven planned to see it as the biggest blessing in strength and intelligence anyone could ever receive.
As they drew nearer to the house, Megan began to focus on what was going to happen. She closed her eyes, inhaled the oxygen that was not needed, and began to slow her pace for a minute, before she stopped completely. A simple scene played before her, and she smiled slightly. It seemed that they were in luck, for Jenna and Grace were home alone in her vision. Meg could see the time ticking by, and based on all decisions right now, they would stay alone for a while, until the conven stopped by.
"Really Cole, it's not that bad." Just as much as Cole was dark and mysterious, Megan was cheery and fun, most of the time. It showed on her face, a smile playing on her lips, and no one except the other two members of the coven knew that smile had a different meaning. She wasn't just happy, she was free, a feeling which some took for granted, but not Megan. She had learned long ago that was the most important thing to her, and always would be.
"It seems our frineds are alone, and will be until we arrive. Boy, won't they be happy to see us." Her smile grew, because that very well could be the exact opposite of their reaction. The three hadn't exactly left on a good note over a century ago, when Megan had just recently joined Skylar and Cole. The memory poppped into her head very clearly, but she shoved it down, focusing on the two boys who ran in front of her, and the good feeling that swelled inside her as she quickly caught back up.

Skylar chuckled to himself at Cole's reaction and then Meg's comment. He, himself, perferred warm nice weather, when his skin shone like diamonds in the store windows and his clothes hung warmly on his shoulders. With the rain, it didn't make them look any less dangerous or attractive but it didn't make Skylar feel so carefree and lofty as the sun did. As he started running again down a hill, he saw the almost black roof of the house on top of the trees. They were close, and almost to the border of the veggie vampire's territory. He could almost feel himself cross the line as he approached fallen trees and a big meadow. This had obviously been where the fighting had gone on. It seemed eerie and dark now, the rain washing away any evidence that they were ever here except for the many collapsed oak trees. A scent drifted his way with the wind, revealing that a stray vampire or two had been here. His power had seen it of course but he was much surprized to find it to be two male vampires. Quite a fight they must have had. Skylar almost wished he could have seen someone kick butt.. though it probley wouldn't have been wise to interfere when female vampires were mad.
Skylar could see a little trail leading off to the house close by and so followed it, motioning for the others to come forth. The trail wound around a few trees and over creeks. Endless rain poured down on them as they walked the path, Skylar itching to be inside at last. He was tired of traveling and wanted to settle down somewhere for the night, get to hang out around town and get some human interactions. They were always funny to watch stutter and blush. Skylar pushed back a thick green bush, bending the stem of it around, out of his way. The little white cottage appeared, the lights inside illuminating his face and tinting the air around them with a golden haze. He wondered what would be the best way to appear? Down the chimney?
"We need to plan someway where they won't be caught off gaurd, where they'd see us coming... any ideas?" he asked almost silently, turning around to his coven-mates. His golden eyes flickered from Cole to Meg.

Cole traded his place on the spindly tree for the freeness of the run. As the trees whipped by, he started to get a small feeling of familiarity. And with the familiar feeling came the memories of the last meeting with the Klein coven. The leader of the opposite group, Grace he recalled was her name, had found out his mixed feelings for her adopted sister. Apparently, the red head hadn't like it becuase she was soon ordering him and his coven, in a polite manor mind you, to leave her territory as soon as possible.
Bright lights coming from up ahead, caught Cole's attention. As he focused in on them he was able to detect the cotours of a house and the shapes of furniture; the Klein house. The stop, that they all seemed to cordinate together without talking, was executed quickly, to give time to come up with a plan. It was obvious that a sneaky entering would install suspicion way to early, so they had to think about this.
"We need to plan someway where they won't be caught off gaurd, where they'd see us coming... any ideas," Skylar asked, in a hushed tone, bringing Cole's thoughts out into the open. Putting his strategy skills, that he had known since his human life. ' Now, how should we do this....," Cole thought to himself. Suddenly somthing clicked and he relized how easy this could be. The answer was so obvious, it was almost silly they hadn't noticed it.
" Why don't we just knock on their front door," Cole said, a touch of sinical humer in his tone.

(almost typed Lesley instead of Megan... I must be blonde)
Megan stopped with her coven, pondering the problem in front of them. She looked back at Skylar when his golden eyes lfocused on hers, after he had looked at Cole. Turning her head, she looked at the house, where she could clearly see the two sisters in the window, positioned like she had seen in her vision. Something simple sounded better, and she was about to focus yet again on the future, when Cole offered the most obvious solution in the world.
"That would work. Ring the bell, and you two can announce that you're selling girl scout cookies." She smiled, her expression showing she was just kidding, like she always did. She would never insult these two boys purposely. They we're almost her familly, and she loved them both as she had loved her human brothers, the ones she only saw in fuzzy human memories now.
She looked at Skylar again, staring into his eyes, ready for him to take the lead. It was the natural pattern of things really, he spoke as the leader. Cole was too dark, but thoughtful, which was helpful in some cases. Megan, though she hated to admit it, would freeze and feel her shyness attack her, barely uttering a word the entire time, like she probably would with Grace and Jenna. It was just so much easier to let Skylar take charge. He balanced the coven out somehow, and Meg admired him for that.
She caught herself spacing out as she thought, still staring into Skylar's eyes. It happened often, her gazing at him, much more then Megan cared to say, and she was still puzzled to what it meant.
"I can't see the outcome of the metting," She began apologetically, after trying unsuccessfully. "It flickers, depending on how we and they are going to act." She shook her head. "I guess we should just go and find out." She grinned again, showing her brilliant, sharp white teeth.

A small smile appeared on Skylar's face at Meg's girl-scout cookie reply to Cole's suggestion. He looked up to see her staring at him again, something that she oddly did when she was in a trance. He looked away from her gold-speckled eyes and laid his on the house, where the only two Klein coven members sat. Grace, with her long red hair was laid out on the couch, Jenna sitting up and talking to her. Both of them had worn faces as if they had just been through a lot today. He hoped their intrusion wouldn''t tire them much more. "I can't see the outcome of the meeting," Meg said slowly after a moment's silence. "It flickers, depending on how we and they are going to act." Her head turned side to side. "I guess we should just go and find out." Skylar nodded. That was all the assurance he needed before he stepped out into the sisters' backyard. He silently motioned for the others to follow. Light shined all around him like fireflies and the tall grass came up to mid-thigh on him. The heel of his soaked jeans drug along under his converses, but Skylar didn't really care. Objects weren't really an issue for him: it was the people (or should he say, vampires) that mattered.

He stepped over a small branch and onto Jenna and Grace's porch, waiting for the rest of the Briggs coven before knocking. Course, Jenna and Grace being less that ten feet away from them, had probley already heard. A strong wind blew by, playing with Skylar's hair and making rain slick his shirt against his skin.

----

Jenna smiled down at her sister. It was peaceful at the Klein house again. Just like it used to be. Jenna looked over her shoulder at the tall modern windows. They revealed stormy weather, debris flying everywhere, rain soaking everything that the wind could reach. She sighed. This rain actually made her serene. As feirce as it seemed outside, the noise of the water thumping on the roof was like a lullaby to her. She could never fall asleep to it, being a vampire, but it still soothed her senses. All of a sudden, she could hear a noise on the other side of the front door. Her head pounded. What if it was Loren, back for more mischeif? I swear, Jenna thought, if he takes one step inside this house then I'm going to throw him across the yard. She saw movement through the windows beside the door. It seemed to be more than one movement though. Her eyebrows came together as she watched the light reflect off of a pair of eyes. She quickly noted that they were vegetarian eyes too, and her anxiety was gone. No Loren. The only other people who knew about the cottage in the woods were Brad, Matt, and.... the Briggs coven. Some old friends they were alright. It had been what? a century? She looked down to see the little cuts and tears in her sweatpants and her face would have flushed if she were a human. She ran into the laundry room and slipped on a pair of new dark gray ones before reappearing into the living room. "Someone's here," Jenna said softly to her sister, knowing that Grace would have already heard.

(Rose you can reply because I'm too busy to right now... I'll reply maybe later or maybe on Sunday)

With little to no attention what so ever, Cole followed his coven up the wooden planked steps that led up to the Klein porch. He promised himself, as he stood with his friends before the door, that he would let no emotion towards Jenna be shown. In his mind, showing uneeded emotion was a sign of weakness, and he would definitly not have that. Being brought up to know only power and strength, Cole found it hard to express anything else. So, it was with a steady, cold stare, that he faced the opposing covens house, as Sklyar knocked on the door.


*************************************



Grace knew that she should be feeling calm in the new atmosphere of peacefullness. Its what she needed right now, most of all. But something inside her hated it, wanted to scream just to break the thick blanket of silence. The thing, so restless to be heard, was the remants of her broken heart. The cold calmness that she had presented in the woods, right after Brad had left without saying a word, was no longer able to hide her sorrow. Grace's hands, moving without her willing them to, covered the place where her heart had been. The pain she felt, shouldn't be so physical. It actually felt like someone had driven a fiery hot poker straight to the center of her heart. Why did it heart so bad?
Through her pain, Grace was aware of her sister's prescence. Ske knew she had to be strong for her, and that thought alone was the only thing keeping her from falling to the ground in a emotional fit. For Jenna, this peacefulness was quite welcome, her sister knew. This was how it used to before....everything. Looking past her sister, she was presented with a climate that almost exactly matched her emotions at the moment. Trees thrown into a dance of trumoil, debris flying helter skelter, feirce drops of rain running down the smooth panes of glass like fresh tears. But then something else was moving, something not effected by the wind or the rain. Someone was outside her front door.
" Brad," She gasped out, hope swelling in the place under her hands. Could it be? Had he forgiven her? Rushing to the door, Grace was too shocked to notice the difference in scents and also the number. Wrenching the door open, it took now time at all for her to register who had actually knocked on her door. The change in her emotion was drastic. All hope erased, Grace's smile turned into a cold glare.
" Well, isn't this a suprise," Grace said eyes lacking their former light. Making no move to invite the trio in, she continued to issue the air that the visitors were not welcome. " I'd say its nice to see you, Skylar, but I confess I'm not a very good lier."

A surprise, indeed, Skylar scoffed. He raised his eyebrows at Grace's unpleasant tone. You would of thought some welcoming were in order. Course, by the look of Grace's orange eyes, she wouldn't feel in the best mood from drinking all that human blood. He wasn't exactly offended, but more surprised. He had taken the impression they were full vegetarians the last time he was here, but he was glad for them to be trying out a new way of life. "Good to see you too, Grace," Skylar said loftily. His red and gold flecked eyes looked over to hers. "If you don't mind, it would be appreciated if we could get out of this town's nasty weather." He looked down at her face, being at least three inches taller. He really noted her red hair now that it was practically the same color as her eyes. A big whoosh of wind whipped his way, making his hair more spiked than anything.

----

Jenna walked on the gray tiles on barefeet to stand behind her sister. She felt wind spray light droplets across her face. Her upper lip quivered a little seeing Cole there but for her sister's sake, she stayed put. Jenna looked down at her feet for a minute, feeling Cole's red and gold speckled eyes on her every movement. It gave her mind a slight feeling of regret for telling him no but when she thought of Matt, it made her feel much better. She looked up again to see Skylar talking. His hair was spiked and his face in a "I know you can't stand me but I'm going to intrude anyway" smile. She narrowed her eyes a little, searching her sister's body language for some retort or banishment towards the three unwelcome visitors.

(I typed this on my iPod ... Do you know how hard that is?)
Megan found herself staying behind Cole and Skylar, not muttering a word as Grace answered the door, and when Jenna came up behind her. Timidness took over her personality as her hair fell in front of her eyes, covering part of her face. They had come all this way, and the very least their "friends" could do was invite them inside
Megan recoiled slightly at Grace's unkind tone, even though she would do no harm to their coven, just politely ask them to leave.
"It's going to rain soon." Megan said quietly, staring at the ground, refusing to meet anyones eyes after giving her short thought. She had seen it, of course , but did not mention it until now. Hopefully it would provoke the sisters to let them inside.
Looking up at the sky, sure enough a single drop fell from the clouds and landed on her cheek, rolling down her face in a certain way that it could have been mistaken for a teardrop. More rain would fall from the bleek gray sky in minutes. The last thing Megan wanted to do was trudge away dripping wet.

Grace noted the frustration that the Brigg's coven were expressing, but she found that she really didn't care. Her dissapointment at who had really been outside her door had left no room for pity. The hope she had felt before was replaced with an anger, a anger at seeing a not so welcome group of visitors. It wouldn't kill her to just slam the door in there faces.
"Good to see you too, Grace," Skylar said importantly. His eyes were looking down at hers in a way she didn't much appreciate. "If you don't mind, it would be appreciated if we could get out of this town's nasty weather." Yes, he was taller than her, but she could tell he was trying to intimidate her. ' Your messing with the wrong female vampire, Sklyar,' she thought to herself. Why did this have to happen now, right after her fight with Brad, when she was so vulnerable. "It's going to rain soon." The only female vampire, Megan, voiced, looking at the wrath of the storm above.
" You see that in one of your visions, phyic," Grace spat at her, suprised at her anger. Suddenly she was aware of Jenna standing next to her. Not wanting to act like this in front of her sister, she decided to just let them in. They'd talk for a while and then hopefully leave. " Alright, fine," Grace said, reluctantly stepping back to let them in.

**********************************


As the red head continued to stand in their way, Cole started to feel the stirrings of frustration. Knowing that if he was getting ticked off then he knew his friends would be even more annoyed, he hoped for Grace's sake that she would just let them through the bloody door. He and his coven could get nasty really fast. Through his frusteration, Cole's eyes hadn't left Jenna's form since she had appeared. He could tell that she knew that he was watching her, and hated how she looked so uncomfortable.

Skylar narrowed his eyes. Grace seemed in a far worse mood than he had thought. He hadn't known that Cole had left such an impression on their remembrance of the coven. His shrugged mentally. It would do them good to have a relationship once in a while. Course, with Grace's face like it was, it seemed like she was having one that was rapidly failing. He smiled at her sister's appearance, the brunette glaring at him. He felt like just backing out and finding a hotel somewhere, but the least Jenna and Grace could do was welcome the three into their home after the long days of traveling especially to visit them. He almost flinched when Grace snapped at Meghan. It seemed to cut into his skin and make his mind want to slap back a retort but despite that, he kept his mouth shut. It wouldn't do any good to provoke either one of them... especially Grace. To his surprise, he heard Grace's words and saw her step farther inside to allow them to gain entry.
He stepped into the house, scenting the faint smell of male vampires. Obviously someone new had come to town after they left. He saw the nice leather couches and TV against the opposite wall. Maybe the coven should think about establishing a permanent residence. Questions may be asked though if they stay there for long. "Nice place.." Skylar murmured, silently thinking, though it hasn't changed much since 1910 when we last visited. He looked back at his coven, trying to read their expressions as they stepped into the veggie vampires' house. His feet wanted to take him and his coven out but they couldn't---wouldn't just back out now.

-----

Jenna stepped back in unison with her sister, grudgingly allowing the unwanted 'visitors' in. She knew that they had to be on their best behavior in front of the coven. Better to have alliances than enemies. Skylar was the first to come in, looking around and probably trying to determine the best place to sleep. She frowned as he looked back at his coven and she glanced with him. Cole's gaze was finally torn off her and she could look at him without feeling uncomfortable. His hair was parted to one side like it had been those years ago but it seemed more of a light brown than blond. His eyes were as bitter towards her as ever. She could faintly see the red streaks in those golden eyes from having a few doses of human's blood, but otherwise they looked the same. She noted he was plenty taller than her, herself being only seventeen in appearance and him being somewhere between 18 and 20. He never told her.
She glanced away, thinking about Matt. He was the one she wanted to be with but seeing Cole so hurt after all this time made her heart ache.

(finished)

Megan cringed at Grace's harsh statement. Taking a small step back, faint traces of pain and confusion showed in her golden eyes. She closed her lips firmly, deciding not to speak. As Grace had just proved to her, things would go a lot smoother if she did not speak. Irrational as it was, Meg could not help thinking that was what she deserved for breaking her silence and extreme shyness.
Much to her surprise, Grace allowed them inside their house. Megan peered through the doorway before entering. The room was nice and pleasant, and for a moment she felt a small want for her own house, a sanctuary, for her and the other two members of the coven.
When Skylar looked back at her, still standing in the doorway, she reluctantly entered the house. Caution was the only emotion showing on her face, but she felt curiousity as well. A fairly fresh scent of male vampires clung in the air, making her wonder what the sisters had been up to since their last visit.
Grace herself was different then Megan remembered. Her eyes were a powerful orange, meaning very recently she had slipped up. Her personality was unusual as well, a change Megan most definetly did not welcome at all.
Jenna looked the same, but she was staring at Cole strangely. Maybe she felt sorry for him, but whatever she was thinking it had better not hurt Cole. He didn't deserve that, and Megab did not want that for him.
Megan stepped towards Skylar, not wanting to be by herself, even though they were all in the same room. Her eyes flickered from Grace to Jenna, before setting their gaze on the floor near the feet of the other coven. She didn't say a word, whether to agree with Skylar or not, for fear if being snapped at again.

Having almost decided to use his power of persuasion, Cole was surprised when the hostile nature of the other coven's leader seemed to fade away. She stepped back and made a motion for the Brigg's coven to enter, which Cole eagerly accepted; her hated rain. Upon entering, he passed Jenna and just barely brushed against her arm. The expected tingling wasn't as strong as the last time they had met. Her face still bore an expression of discomfort, and he had attributed it to how their last meeting had gone. But, walking into the Klein's spacious living room, he was presented with another cause. It was faint, but there were definitely hints of a male vampire's scent lingering in the air. Expecting to be filled with an immense jealousy, Cole surprised himself by how uncaring he felt towards the fact that Jenna might be involved with another guy. Sure, he might still have feelings for her, but they were no where near the intensity of a century ago.
Choosing to sit down in a comfortable leather chair near the window, Cole was just able to catch Jenna looking at him before her eyes quickly fixed on something other than him. Her gaze had been appraising, but it had held something else, too. Pity? Why would she have any reason to feel sorry for him? It wasn't like the sight of her brought him pain in anyway. Her pity was useless and about a century too late.


************************

Grace quickly shut the door behind the whirl wind of a storm that seemed to be gaining strength every minute. Turning around, she touched her hand briefly to Jenna's, trying to pass on a feeling of comfort to her. The memory of the Brigg's coven’s last visit was still fresh in her mind, and she knew that Jen would be looking forward to the end of this a lot more than Grace. Her gaze quickly flicked to each of the 'visitors', checking for any hidden motives in this visit. This particular coven presided mainly in London these days, and she seriously doubted they had come all the way to Seagull Point to just chat.
Skylar seemed to already be critiquing her decor and furnishings. ' Just because I don't change the theme of my house every year doesn't make it any less appealing than any of yours,' Grace thought silently to herself. She had never really liked the smooth and suave person that he was.
It had been a couple years before she and Jenna had made there home in SP when they had been introduced to the Brigg's coven. Grace had been hunting in a forest in the countryside of England when she had run across Skylar and his friends doing the same. They had seemed nice, a little mysterious and secluded but nice. It had been a while since the Klein coven had had any vampire company so Grace was eager to make friends with them. After a couple years, Grace and her sister moved to Seagull Point and the Briggs coven stayed in London. They lost contact for a while until an unexpected visit brought the friendship to some what of a bump. Cole, one of the two males in the other coven, had expressed a want to further his friendship with Jenna. But Grace quickly put an end to that. He didn’t look at her like he loved her; more like he was bored with his life and her sister would make it a tiny fraction less boring. Jenna definitely deserved better than that.
So, it was now a century since they had any contact with the other coven, and emotions were running high. Taking her eyes away from the suspicious Skylar, Grace turned her gaze to the only female. The head of the Klein coven often wondered about this one. She seemed way to quiet and peaceful looking to be in such a coven as her leaders. She also seemed a little afraid, and Grace felt bad for snapping at her; it wasn’t her fault that Brad had been gone for quite a while. And then there was Cole, the vampire she was extremely interested in figuring out. He was so dark and mysterious that it was hard to even come close enough to him to understand anything. His attitude was just so uncaring; it was questionable why he was even in a coven instead of being a loner.
Finishing her evaluation, Grace sat down with a huff on the long sofa. She crossed her legs compulsively, preparing to apologize for her behavior. After all, they had come all the way down from London. The least she could do was be civil. “It seems I owe you all an apology, especially you Megan. Your visit just couldn’t have come at a worst time for us,” Grace said pasting on a smile.

Skylar followed Cole further into the living room, taking in more scents of a few different male vampires and a fresh woodsy smell. He sat down on a leather couch, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands locked together. His golden-eyed gaze flickered over to Grace, who sat perched on a sofa, her eyes aloof and scanning the occupants of the living room. He could tell she was evaluating each one of them, trying to figure each one out. His eyes flickered over to Jenna who was walking towards a sitting chair beside Grace's couch. He could see she was thinking hard about something but he didn't want to figure out what.. yet. Skylar remembered when he and Jenna used to be good friends. Course, Grace had been too but right now, Skylar didn't feel any hatred towards Jenna. Friction between the two covens had broken them apart for good but they would never be able to fight for real. It would be too hard.
He glanced over towards Meg, his eyebrows producing a frown. She looked nervous and shifty. She had always been that way with people she didn't know well, it was just her nature to not speak unless spoken to. Skylar knew that would never happen with him, he said what he liked and didn't really care who didn't like it. Grace seemed the same way. He shifted his head back towards Grace when he heard her sharp voice. “It seems I owe you all an apology, especially you Megan. Your visit just couldn't’t have come at a worst time for us,” she said, a fake-smile on her face. Skylar looked hard at her eyes, seeing a mix of frustration, pain, and deep thought. He couldn't tell what it was all about but he knew that he would probably find out one way or another. "I must say, I'm quite unclear to what this is about," Skylar spoke evenly, "but if we really need to leave that much than I guess that's that."

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Jenna looked away as Cole walked by, her mouth clamped closed and her hands in small fists in his sweatpants pockets. Her golden look was anywhere but him. He seemed bitter in the way he walked and looked; it made her skin almost itch to just tell them to go home where the heck they came from but she managed her feelings by watching her sister. She seemed so calm that Jenna wondered what she was thinking and feeling. Her thoughts were jolted away by the feeling of Cole's arm brush against hers. Her mouth opened and then closed as if she was going to say something but no sound came out. It gave her mixed emotions that she just decided to ignore them altogether. The slight touch made her arm feel the smallest bit of jittery but after a small breath in, she was ready to move on and pretend it never happened. Her feet took her to an armchair beside where her sister sat, sitting herself down cross-legged. She placed her hands in her lap, her hair tumbled out from behind her shoulders and flowing down around her neck. She uncomfortably shifted. Jenna wished that the coven hadn't even visited, would be gone. But maybe, just maybe, they could put aside their feelings and be alliances.. The Briggs coven could go back to their home after their visit peacefully. The fairy tale in her head was irresistibly good, a book that she couldn't put down until she felt Skylar's eyes on hers. She blinked, realizing that she had been looking at him. They used to be good friends before everything happened with Cole and herself. She stared with glazed eyes as her sister spoke to the other coven, her mind was fuzzy and a sense of relief that Skylar didn't feel disinclination for her unlike Cole seemed to. She glanced at him as he spoke, seeing his eyes glance up at her and Grace.


(edited)

Megan walked slowly over to the sofa where Skylar was sitting, and sat down. Perched on the armrest of the sofa, she looked around the house for a moment. The furniture was much the same as last time, remiminding her again of their not so pleasant visit and abrupt departure. She crossed her arms around her chest, a habit she had picked up, something she did around other people, mostly humans. Faintly, and not so recent, she scented a human, and she recalled that the Klein coven had a maid. She wondered if that was the human Grace had killed, or if she had even slipped up at all. What if she's becoming a human drinker? Megan thought, but she didn't dare voice it outloud. Besides, Jenna was still vegetarien, and she probably would not accept her sister's change of diet. Which brings us back to square one, she thought, still having no idea what was really going on, but hopefully they would find out soon.
“It seems I owe you all an apology, especially you Megan. Your visit just couldn't’t have come at a worst time for us,” Grace said, making Megan turn to her, look her in the eyes. The fake smile on Grace's face made Meg suspect she wasn't all that sorry, simply trying to be civil. It was better to have alliances then enemy vampires. It was not a good idea to be mean to the Briggs coven, with their extrodinary talents. Even though it would probably never become a fight, Megan found it comforting that the odds were with her coven.
Looking back at Grace's feet, she mumbled quietly, "It's okay." As much as she didn't want to speak, she knew it was her job to at least act like she accepted the apology.

hey i have suddenly become quite busy so my post might be a little later than usual
Sorry Rose

( I know its short but its something)
Grace's fingers came up to twirl themselves in her long, red locks. It was a habit that she tended to do when she was impatient. Just because your appearance is perfect doesn't mean the inside is so flawless. Her creator had told her that one day. ' Which is kind of ironic because he thought himself God,' she thought to herself. Deep down she knew that a a couple hours with the Briggs's coven wouldn't kill her. But of course they could always come back later. Maybe Brad would come in the time that kicking the Briggs out would give. Standing up, Grace put on a genuine smile for them. If the circumstances had been different she was sure that the visit would have been a pleasant one. But they weren't, so rudeness was needed." It has been great to see you all once again, but it seems my time just can't allow such a pleasnt visit. Please, do come tomarrow. Jenna and I will be very happy to reminescent about old times," Grace said sweetly nodding to each in turn.

Skylar nodded in unison with the red head's words, understanding Grace's position. He knew there was nothing wrong with them coming but it obviously wasn't a good time. He stood up from the couch, glancing at Cole and Meg. It was time for them to find somewhere to stay. A free hotel room sounded pretty nice but the human smell might beckon them too strongly. He shook the thoughts away, heading towards the door. As he and his coven walked out, he looked back at Jenna, and then at Grace, a small smile painted on his pale face. Once the door was shut he took a unessisary breath in, raising his light brown eyebrows. "That was quite something," he murmured. Stepping off the porch, Skylar took in the scents of the dark and unforgiving forest. None lingered in the air. It felt like even the forest wanted them to leave. All of a sudden, Skylar felt bored of wandering from place to place. He wanted to settle down and relax, like the Klein coven was probley doing right now. Skylar took a few steps towards the driveway, and then stopped, waiting for his coven.

(sorry, kinda powerplayed to speed things up)

------

Jenna let her legs tumble down from their position, colliding with the floor and legs of the chair. Her elbows settled themselves on the armrests on either side of her, allowing Jenna to relax at last. She glanced over at her sister. Grace seemed oddly calm and serene, very much unlike she normally was. It seemed as if a weird feeling fogged up the air surrounding her. Jenna stood up, shuffling over to the leather couch Skylar and Meg had been sitting on a few minutes ago, and laying out on it. She spread out her arms and legs, like someone would do to make a snow angel. Her mouth opened to reveal the faint scent of skylar's colonge. It was sweet in a way but then musty too. Strong with a good heart. She smiled to herself, staring up at the wood ceiling above her, reminded about Matt.

(btw, I'm back!! a day early! me and my family were too tired to spend anouther day there I guess. lol XD.)

(haha welcome back, i missed you!)
Megan nodded slightly to Grace's dismissal, before getting up to leave. She felt a small burst of anger, that they had traveled from another continent only to have to wait until tomorrow to speak with the Klein coven. Still, it gave her coven something to do, which they had all needed. Following Skylar outside, she didn't turn to wave good-bye or even acknowledge that they were leaving in anyway, Meg simply walked out the door. Outside, she took in the pleasant scent of the forest around them, and felt all the tension and shyness roll off her body and away from her emotions.
She rolled her golden eyes at the two boys. "God, we travel all this way for this? Something's up." She said, annoyed, stating the obvious. Megan almost looked to the future, wondering if it would reveal anything, but then decided against it. Based on her visions before, it would still be flickering from decision to decision, so it would do her no good. She sighed slightly, fristration leaking into her mind. Looking to the trees, she realized how disgusting trudging through the woods would be, considering it was going to rain. She wanted to plop her butt down on a couch and talk with her friends, not walk and end up staying in the forest.
"Hey, do you mind if we stay somewhere with a roof? And preferably some furniture?" She asked the other two, looking at them. Slight longing made its way into her voice, and her golden eyes seemed to beg with Skylar. Cole wouldn't care one way or another, so it was up to Skylar to decide.

Cole's head snapped up as the sound of movement reached his sensitive ears. His mind had been lost, regretfully, in memories when Jenna hadn't been uncomfortable in his presence. She had just been her normal, sweet self. And he had claimed, to his friends, that that sweetness was the reason he had been able to leave, saying that he longer cared for her. But it was the exact opposite, she had made him care. All his vampire life had been another action right after another, no thought just action. He only moved when necessary and, for a long time, that’s all he knew. Meeting Jenna had been like flicking the lights on in a long vacant house. In that instant, Cole had started to care, to care quite a bit about her. The only reason no one had noticed this sudden change was because he hadn't figured out how to do that just yet.
If his coven had known of this they would have been even more confused at how he had just been able to depart like that, with feelings so strong. When it was clear that Jenna was not interested, did not care about him, Cole's anger covered up all his earlier feelings of affection. No one had ever refused him before. Coming from a normal vampire, that might not have been such a drastic shock, but this certain vampire was very used to getting his own way. Not giving himself time to cool down, the dark being left with his coven, not a single thought left for Jenna.
But, being here, standing so close to her, Cole couldn’t deny that he still cared for her. Of course he was angry, but confusion had cooled off his hostile emotions. The last thing he wanted to do was leave, leave when he might be able to work things out with Jen. His friends had already exited the house, and he was left alone just standing there. ‘You look idiotic just standing here like this. You’ll see her again, save it until then,’ Cole silently told himself. And with a polite nod to each of the girls, he quickly followed his company into the stormy weather.





A silent breath of relief escaped Grace’s lips, as Skylar nodded to her proposal. She could tell he was annoyed at having to leave after coming so far. She knew that after everything was finished, she would feel bad about snubbing her friends so rudely. But the only thing that was allowed to occupy her mind was the thought of seeing Brad again.
Lost in her intense thoughts, Grace hadn’t noticed the figure still left in the room. Cole was just standing there, looking like he was being torn between two things. The red head looked to Jenna to see if she was noticing this odd emotion. Surprising enough the brunette didn’t seem to be aware of the dark vampire staring at her; either that or she chose not to notice. Suddenly, something seemed to click in Cole’s mind, and he turned and swiftly followed his coven out the front door. Outside, Grace was able to here the high voice of Megan, who seemed to not like what the Klein’s leader had done. ‘Of course she didn’t,’ she thought to herself. She had tried to behave nicely towards the female after being so snippy at the beginning of the visit. It had been apparent, though, that Meg hadn’t really accepted her forced apology.
Watching the Brigg’s descending down the steps and onto the ground, Grace turned to her sister. She sat down on the same couch and took Jenna’s small, cool hand. “You were perfect, Jen. I know how hard it must have been for you, what with Cole being here. Pay him no mind, you have a much better suitor now. Matt will take care of you,” She told her sister, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Grace then made her way over to the stair case, but turned around, one hand on the banister. “I’ll be in my mind if you should need me. I need to get my thoughts together, especially if Brad should come by,” She explained to Jen. With a last forced smile, she hurried up the wooden stairs.
A breeze whipped across the room and tosseled her red curls, as the occupant of the room entered it. The source of the wind was quickly found out. The carpet before the open window was dark with rain, leaves were strewn throughout the darkly lit room, and a lamp had been tipped over. All this Grace had no knowledge of until later, because, when the open window had come into her vision, a memory of an early morning pushed everything else out. She saw Brad reach down and help her up onto the roof as clearly as if it was happening right then. His smile was so beautiful, so pure, filled with a love for her. Right now, she would do anything to see that smile in the present, instead of in memories that were slowly fading.
Without willing them to, her feet took her to the place where she had only so recently had one of the happiest mornings. Meaning to just close the panes of glass, Grace, instead, clambered up onto the slick, rough tiles of the roof. The rain had slowed, but hadn’t stopped entirely. A small, clear, crystal like, droplet of rain hung on at the end of a sycamore leaf. Wiggling with the movement of the leaf, it finally came loose, and seemed to fall in slow motion. The small drop of matter found its mark right on the pale, tip of Grace’s nose. She barely noticed it, not even caring enough to wipe it away as more and more rain streaked down her still body. She would not move until he came. She would sit there forever it she had to. Just waiting, waiting for him, waiting to live again, and waiting to breathe…..

(I had a nice long post all written out when my computer freezed up so hopefully, this one will be just as good. DX)

Blinking, Jenna swallowed down her thoughts, nodding to Grace's words. Grace started her climb up the staircase, and, as Jenna knew, to her room, where she would think and sit in her favorite spot. Grace had done it a few times before when she needed to concentrate on something. Jenna's golden eyes reflected her feelings like two crystal balls as she lay there, Cole and Matt... And then Cole again. Jenna finally shoved Cole out and let Matt's image fill her mind to the brim with pleasant thoughts. Seeing him again would do her some good. She smiled happily and relaxed on the couch out of her taut position, curling up underneath a soft blanket as she heard the Briggs coven walk towards the woods. Lilly had awoken when they had come and then went to sleep again ontop of the shelf above the empty fireplace. The kitten's chest rose and fell according to her fanticiful dreams, her whiskers twitching with delight. How Jenna wished that she could dream once again. Even if it was a nightmare, it would still be as beautiful to be able to escape the worries of the day to a land far from your own. Her soft smile got bigger as she stood up on the carpet, the blanket falling off of her shoulders and her chocolate brown ringlets of hair cascading around her neck. She shook them off and proceded to open up the glass doors, stepping onto the cold, hard cement of the back porch. Her eyes looked almost white, echoing the sky. It was like snow. Soft and pure was the atmostphere after the storm, after the fight. A soft wind blew through area, carrying along with it, little droplets lingering from the downfall and small leaves.
Everything was peaceful, calm at last.
She made her way to the cushioned swing, softly sitting down on it and placing her feet on it. She hugged her knees with her arms and stared out into the woods and the feild, a big contented sigh escaping her lips. She laid her head on her left knee, closing her eyes as if she could possibley dream, just this once. A moving picture came upon her eyelids and she could only sit and enjoy it. It showed scenes of nature, a small bird building its straw nest, beautiful waterfalls, and a warm lovely beach. The movie screen went through the woods as if you were on top of the head of an explorer. A very quick explorer indeed. He, or she, came to a meadow. There were two shapes a few feet away from each other, one wearing a white blouse and dark washed jeans, the other in a fancy but ordinary jacket and jeans too. His hair was combed to the side attractively and his eyes bore into the shape oppsite him. Jenna stared back, a stone statue to any human. Cole stepped forward, reaching out his hand and touching her cheek. She pulled away, her eyes not on him as she lept into the woods and dissappeared. Whispers were all around Cole, surrounding him in a sea of confusion. Jenna opened her eyes to hear the wind whistling by and rocking the swing in a constant motion. She had to stop thinking about him, how it bothered her that she slightly regretted saying no to him. Her thoughts were put away just like they had been when they had last met. She was that stone statue now, unmoving.

---------

Skylar waited, almost impatiently as he saw Cole's shadow appear in the doorway. As Cole stepped into the light, Skylar could see the defined look on his face, of hurt and a whole lot of thought. Skylar didn't want to ask him about it until later. Until they were all feeling more comfortable. Skylar looked towards the woods, closing his eyes as he used his power. They were nearby a big highway that seperated into neighborhoods. There seemed to be shops scattered along the road, so there must be a hotel in one of those. If they cut through the woods, they would be able to split up and find a hotel sooner or later. His eyes slowly opened to see Meg beside him. "Hey, do you mind if we stay somewhere with a roof? And preferably some furniture?" she asked worningly. Skylar chuckled to himself. Meg's personality could brighten any day for the better, good or bad. He nodded, "I bet that could be arranged."
He shook his head towards the woods, a motion for them to head out and move on from this old cottage of the Klein coven's. He glanced back at the two before he ran into the forest, not missing a beat in jumping over tree roots and bumps in the ground. To everyone around him, he was just a flash, a ghost running on air. He came to a stop when he saw the black turf of the road underneath his feet, jumping out of the way as a car zoomed by. "It looks like we'll need to split up to find a hotel or somewhere to stay. Cole, you can search over to the right, me and Meg will look to the left," Skylar said upon the other two's arrival. They needed to find a place before nightfall, or else they might not get one.

(Guess this is my que? :B)

What am I doing?

That was the new question. As he sped through the woods, nearing the place where he thought only a moment before that he'd never set foot in before, Brad was wondering why the heck he was coming back again. His lips were formed in a tight, straight line, and his eyes were more distant than focusing on where he was going. He could hear the revving of an engine racing beside him on the road a ways away, and knew who it was. Matt was following him. The two had run into eachother and naturally Matt was wondering what was going on. Brad said only one word, that being "Loren," and he immediately understood. Brad presumed, from Matt's thoughts about Jenna, that he was willing to take her somewhere while Grace and he talked.

Seeing a shadow loom in front of him, Brad's eyes adjusted to what was in front of him. The small house in the woods where so many memories were stored. He gradually broke his run into a sprint and slowly fell back into a walk. Matt's silver exotic car pulled into the drive almost as soon, and he could see his friend's eyes from within the tinted windows, watching him. Brad ignored his friend's stares and took the few steps up to the front porch. Sighing to himself, he let out a breath of hot air and raised his fist to rap only twice on the door. Setting his face to what it had previously been; a straight face with no emotion, he prepared for the apperance of Grace.

(I'm guessing the Briggs coven will continue in this topic still? If not then I can move the post...)
Megan looked to Cole as he joined them, his face a look she hated to see on any of them. A small sigh escaped her lips, because she could easily pick up the faint traces of pain and confusion in his face, the hurt and anger that Meg would take away if possible. She was grateful to these two boys for so much, and would do almost anything to help them. They were like her brothers, maybe a little different, and maybe they didn't feel the same way for her, but it was close enough. Curiousity appeared in her feelings and took over her mind, and she wanted to ask if Cole was okay, if anything had happened in those few seconds he had hesitated, but Skylar spoke, and her attention immediately turned to him, like a magnet attracted to metal.
"It looks like we'll need to split up to find a hotel or somewhere to stay. Cole, you can search over to the right, me and Meg will look to the left," Skylar said, as Megan turned her head to meet his golden eyes, a smile becoming apparent on her lovely face. She was glad that they didn't split into three seperate searches, for she needed the comfort of someone next to her in a strange place. Skylar probably realized that, and that was the reason he had arranged it that way. Megan was more comfortable around Skylar anyway, she got along with Cole, but he was so dark and mysterious that it took more of an effort. Skylar, like herself, was more cheerful, and he lifted her mood and brightened her day with every single smile, in a strange way she couldn't explain. Hopefully they would find a hotel soon, and the coven could settle down until tomorrow, when they would go back to Grace and Jenna, maybe with better results than their visit today.
Megan waved slightly to Cole, before turning back to Skylar. Her smile grew, and she turned and began to walk towards the direction Skylar had pointed. Looking around, she realized it would have taken a while to find a hotel as a human, but with vampire speed and pleasurable company, it would defintely go faster.