Apartment 102

I Have to Do This for Me…The End

It doesn't take a genius to know what my answer was to Vincent's invitation. I was settled in to his new house faster than he was. I was now free from college and work, my aunt had been calling me, but I wasn't answering the phone. My house line was now cut off since I no longer lived in the apartments so I imagined my mom was trying to reach me from there, but wasn't succeeding. Today would mark the second week that I had been living in this house with Vincent. Life here with him was so blissful and I was just ready to give up everything else and spend the rest of eternity here with him. We were far out in the country so he could release Chaos any time he felt like it and he couldn't harm anyone except the deer that roamed the open fields. Killing a few deer every now and then satisfied Chaos's want to kill and actually in the long run it would help keep the deer population lower.

Tonight I was in the kitchen cooking dinner because we were expecting guests today. Lunaz, Cloud, Rena, and Reno were driving here to see us. They were going to spend the whole weekend out here with us. Our house had three bedrooms and Vincent and I shared one so we had two spare ones for our guests to stay in.

"Can I help you with anything?" Vincent asked as he suddenly appeared in the wooden doorframe. Our kitchen was huge and really gorgeous. I was surprised that the whole house wasn't dark and gloomy because that's the look Vincent usually went for. However our kitchen was very bright with light wooden counters and chairs with white counter tops and the top of the kitchen table was white with light wood legs that matched the chairs. There wasn't much decoration in here yet, but I would definitely get to that. Vincent's probably going to hate me for it, but I wanted some pink in here. He crept over to me and hovered over me for a while watching me make my famous Asian style stir fry.

"No offense Vince, but you really aren't the best cook." I smiled up at him and he frowned down at me.

"I can cook." He said brush past me and fixing himself a drink. I had to do a double take once I realized what he was about to drink.

"Vincent?! Since when have you been drinking vodka?!" I turned the flame on the stove down and put my hands on my hips as I watched him add a normal club soda to it.

"I'm going to need plenty of this to make it through this weekend." He took his glass and left the room. I stared at his retreating form in shock. After a while I heard the front door opening.

"Vinvin!! How dare you take our Maya away from us and bring her out here in the hills. What's wrong with you?" Rena teased just as I walked into the living room. Vincent just smiled. Yeah, he was right, he was going to need some vodka to survive this weekend. She then tackled him with a hug and moved on to do the same to me.

"We miss you girl!" Rena said. Reno finally made it into the door dragging two bags with him. I knew the larger one was Rena's and I don't know why she felt she needed so much there's nothing to do out here in the country but fish and chase stray cats.

Lunaz just grinned and gave me a short hug. "At least the house is really pretty."

"All thanks to this man." I said putting my arm around Vincent's waist. He leaned against me and I attempted to take a sip of his drink but he slung his arm back quickly spilling some on the dark blue carpet.

He sighed loudly and went to the kitchen to get some paper towels.

Rena sniffed the air. "I smell vodka! Is Vincent letting you drink!"

"No. It's his. Oh! Here let me show you guys your rooms. They aren't really put together that well yet…" I led my group of friends through the living room and around the corner to the staircase. We walked up the carpeted stairs and down the hall where I pointed out where the two bedrooms were and left the decision of who gets what room to them. I then came back downstairs to see Vincent spraying the carpet with cleaner stuff and wiping it with a paper towel.

"Are you drunk already?" I laughed at him. He threw the paper towel away and left the cleaning stuff sitting there as he stood and scooped me up into his arms.

"No." He gave me a short kiss before pulling away and taking the cleaning stuff back to the kitchen. Soon after that the group was back downstairs and I led them all to the kitchen so we could have dinner. After dinner we all gathered around the large TV in the living room to watch a movie. Rena and Reno spent the whole movie making out, Lunaz was too busy freaking out at all the scary parts, and Cloud was busy trying to calm her each time. Vincent and I shared the recliner. He was pretty into the movie and didn't pay me too much attention. By the time the credits started rolling Rena was dragging Reno off to their bedroom and Cloud and Lunaz were fast asleep on the couch.

"Should we wake them?" Vincent asked pointing in their direction.

I slid off of his lap and walked over to them. They both looked so peaceful that I couldn't wake them. Vincent followed me up the stairs and we went into our own bedroom. I noticed my cell phone was lit up indicating I might have missed a call or a text message. It was a missed call and the person left a voicemail. I called the voicemail and listened.

"Hello Amaya, its Aunt Meg." My heart stopped at that very moment. "I was just calling to make sure you still planned on coming. I've set a room up in my condo just for you and I can't wait until you see it. I've told everyone about you and they can't wait to meet you." She laughed softly. "They say any relative of mine would be a great asset to the team. Well I hope you get back to me soon. Bye bye."

Vincent automatically picked up the worried look on my face.

"What's wrong?" He asked. "That wasn't Trace was it? I told you to just let me finish…"

"No, Vincent. It was my aunt." I sighed loudly and sat at the end of our huge king sized bed. Vincent sat with me.

"Amaya… you know I'm always going to be here. Go on and do what you need to do. I'll be here supporting you." He said placing a hand on my back and stroking it lightly. I instantly started crying.

"How am I supposed to live without you? Even for a year? Tell me how?" I leaned into him and sobbed loudly into his chest. Vincent wrapped both arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

"You won't be living without me. You can call me every day. Teach me how to use a computer camera…thing and we can see each other that way. Amaya, I've told you before, you need this. You need the experience of being out on your own." He said squeezing me tighter.

Lunaz appeared in the doorway and slowly walked in. "Um…"

Vincent released me and looked over at my friend.

"Did I miss something?" Lunaz asked walking closer to me.

I tried my best to compose myself enough so I could speak. "My aunt called…I think I'm going to have to go to San Diego."

Lunaz gasped and turned to Vincent. He gave her a reassuring smile to show he wasn't upset. Rena, Reno, and Cloud made their way into our bedroom also and were filled in on the news.

"You gonna let your woman go, man?" Reno asked giving Vincent a soft punch on the shoulder. Vincent sighed.

"She needs to do this for her."

∞∞

Those words echoed in my head for the next few days. After all my friends left, it was just me and Vincent in the house again. And Yume of course. I still hadn't called my aunt, but tonight I planned to.

Vincent seemed distant this morning. He ate his breakfast quietly hardly even sending me a glance. He took his plate to the sink and I followed.

"You're awfully quiet." I commented to his back as he turned around and was heading towards the living room.

"What can I say?"

I sighed loudly. Vincent Valentine has always been such a confusing man. My theory was that he was the one confused by his own feelings and emotions. He has let such emotions grow so foreign to him that now he doesn't even know how to deal with them. I decided to leave him alone and let him deal with his own conflicting emotions. I sat in our study room and played internet games and chatted with Rena and Lunaz for the most part of the day. I finally mustered up the nerve to call Aunt Meg.

Hearing her voice on the other end almost made me start crying again, but I kept it together.

"Yeah, Aunt Meg? It's me, Amaya. I decided to…" I looked up and saw Vincent in the doorway staring at me. "I've decided that…"

Vincent nodded as if to say go ahead and say it.

"I'm coming to San Diego." I finally said.

"Oh thank goodness. You were beginning to worry me a little bit. Manami told me you were getting rather close to a man there and were reluctant to leave." She said.

I sighed as I felt the tension leave. "Yes…his name is Vincent. I really don't want to have to leave him, but both he…and I feel as if this is something I need to do for myself. Because you know I've always wanted to work there."

Aunt Meg chuckled. "Why doesn't he move with you?"

"Uh…it's complicated…" I looked over at him and smiled. He left the doorway sat at the computer desk.

"I see…well…I will send your plane ticket in the mail very soon. I can't wait to see you, dear."

"Thanks, Aunt Meg."

"You're welcome. Bye now."

I hung up with her and instead of bawling and crying I could only smile. Vincent turned to me. "Teach me how to use this thing."

∞∞

It took me a whole week to teach Vincent how to master a computer and all the communication devices. We even practiced by sitting at opposite ends of the house while I was on my lap top and he was on the desktop and chatting with our webcams. My plane ticket arrived in the mail after that week and the reality hit that I would be leaving the next day.

We both lie awake in bed after hours of love making. "This is going to be hard." I cuddled closer to him and leaned his head against mine.

"You have no idea how hard I'm..it's going to be…" he cleared his throat and coughed a few times. I laughed out loud.

"No way did you just say that."

"Say what?" He kissed my cheek several times and crawled on top of me again as if to start another round. "What did I say hmm?" he didn't even let me answer before pressing his lips against mine in such an aggressive way that it was turning me on again.

"…so unlike you…" I managed to get out between the kisses.

"You have no idea what I'm like." He whispered before slowly finding his place inside me again. We didn't stop until it was nearing the break of dawn. I slept for maybe two hours and then had to get up and start getting ready. My bags were already packed so I didn't have much to gather besides my hygiene products. Vincent loaded my bags in the trunk of his car then stuck his head in the door.

"Are you coming?" He didn't say it in a way that was rushing but it sound was uneasy coming from him. I tried not to let it get to me as I nodded and hurried towards the door. He wore his normal black buttoned down shirt with loose black pants. He wore a black glove and his black shoes as well. He skipped the bandana today though, which was nice. His hair was pulled back in a low pony tail with only a few chunks of bangs in his face. He shut it and locked it after me and we were on our way. Since he chose to move us out here so far from the city we were in for a long drive.

We both got in the car and Vincent took off. Earlier I thought I heard him groaning in pain, which meant he was probably straining against Chaos. And now he just looked pathetically ill. "Want me to drive, sweetheart?"

He shook his head no. He pulled off and before long we were on the highway. I leaned my head up against the window looking outside. It was storming now. I watched as bolts of lightning appeared in the distance. The music was playing softly. The only other sound was the wind shield wipers sweeping fiercely back and forth.

"Vincent…I'm not sure I can do this."

"You're doing it." He said without even looking at me. He pushed harder on the gas and we began flying past cars on the wet roads. I was always sure I was going to die with him driving, but he managed to get us from point A to point B all in one piece. I managed to fall asleep during his chaotic driving and when I woke up we were entering the airport parking lot. We got out and Vincent grabbed my bags for me. I expected him to carry them in the building but he stopped right where he was.

"Vincent?"

"I'm…I can't go in there." He said quietly. He placed my bag on my arm for me and stuck the handle of my large suitcase towards me. I took it and pulled it closer to me.

"Ok…" I tried to stop it, I bit my lip, closed my eyes and really tried to hold the tears back, but they fell like waterfalls from each of my eyes. I threw my bag down and let go of the handle of my other bag and dove into Vincent's arms. "Don't let me go, Vincent."

"I have to." He murmured back to me. "It will be ok. We'll talk to each other every day." He said in the softest, gentlest tone I was sure this man could muster.

"I need to hold you, and kiss you, and…" he stopped me by placing his long slender index finger on my lips.

"We are both going to stay on this planet forever. There is plenty of time for that. Go do what you need to do for you. Then come back here and do what you need to do for me." He gave me a naughty grin before kissing me softly. "I love you."

"I love you too and I'm going to miss you so much."

He squeezed me in a hug. "Be good. Don't do anything stupid. I don't want you drinking at all. Do you hear me?" He asked instantly going into lecture mode.

I nodded.

He smiled and gave me another kiss. "No blind dates either. If it comes right down to it I'll bring Chaos up there and destroy the entire city."

I laughed softly. "Don't worry. The only thing I'm going to be doing up there is working and calling you."

We hugged one last time and shared one last kiss before I looked down at my watch and almost went into a panic. "Oh! I really have to go."

"Bye, Amaya. I love you." He said giving me a short wave and a small grin.

"I love you, Vincent Valentine!" I yelled as I ran with backwards with both of my bags. The act nearly sent me falling flat on my rear but I managed. He stood by his car waving at me until we could no longer see each other. I missed him already and contemplated just running back, but I kept walking. I had to do this for me.

While on the plane flashbacks of my times with Vincent kept hitting me.

What are you doing here?

I'm doing laundry

∞

I meant talk as in actual conversation!

Then I guess I do not agree to those terms

∞

I'll take you out to dinner (wince)

∞

Everyone needs friends…

How can I trust you….?

∞

…vampire neighbors….

Don't call him that!

That's what he is! Are you that stupid!?

Do not yell at her like that…Don't you ever call her stupid…

∞

I love you…

…don't say that…

….I'm no good for you…forgive me…

∞

Spill my blood, Trace, torture me I love it.

∞

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Amaya….

…Stay with me forever…I'm drunk don't listen to me…you need to go…what am I saying? I want you to be happy

∞

Are you crying?

No… Amaya?

Yeah

I love you too

∞∞

I smiled at all the memories he and I shared and I was excited to find out all the memories we'd make in the future. I'm so glad I chose to live across from the vampire in Apartment 102.

∞The End∞