Claire's POV:

I awoke to the feeling of strong arms, caging me in an embrace. And the sweet smell of Axe: Dark Temptation. An invigorating scent. I turned my head, smiling up at my boyfriend, I mean, fiancé Michael Glass. He was smiling at me as well.

"Good morning, Beautiful." He said before giving me a sweet and innocent kiss.

"Good morning. What time is it?"

He looked around, finding a clock. "Mmm, eight thirty. Why?"

I didn't even wait for him to finish talking before I'd jumped out of his bed and ran down to my room, blowing past my best friend Eve in my sprint to my room.

"Hey! Where's the fire?" she called at me as I ran.

"Late for class!" I called.

She laughed as I ran to my closet, finding clothes to wear. Michael startled me by appearing right behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. His lips traveled up my shoulder in sexy kisses. I giggled as his breath tickled my neck. "Babe, stop. I'm late for class. I gotta go."

He knocked my handful of clothes out of my hand and spun me around. "Hmm, no… Come on, let's just play hooky today. We can get away from everything. Class, work, people all together. Just be with each other."

"We were with each other last night, and every day. Whether it was friend or together together for two years…at least. It won't kill us to actually go to work or something."

He smiled. "Hello, we're in Morganville, remember? Walking down the street alone could kill us."

I couldn't help it. I broke out in laughter and kissed him. It started out playful, than it grew, hotter and sexier. I locked my fingers in his gorgeous blond hair, pulling him closer. His tongue met the tip of mine and he moaned lightly as his lips went from the edge of my jawline to the nap of my neck.

I giggled again and pushed him away playfully. He seemed to be turned on by it, judging by the smile on his face. He friskily started tickling my stomach and I kept twisting, trying to escape. But he just laughed and kept an arm around my waist, preventing me from leaving. "Michael stop! I gotta go."

He groaned and nodded, chuckling. "Fine. But you owe me."

I nodded and kissed him once more before grabbing my clean clothes and running off to the bathroom to shower. After that, I went downstairs and grabbed a granola bar. No sign of my best friends Shane or Eve. Must have left for work. That or were upstairs getting busy. Knowing them, it could have been either one.

Michael met me downstairs, keys in hand, and a jacket on. "Let me give you a ride. It's pretty cold out today. Don't need you walking to class in this."

I laughed as I walked out to his vampire proof car. He had his hood up and glasses on, trying to shade himself from as much sun as possible. That would be bad if he were burnt when our wedding finally came around. "Michael, it's a Texas winter. And besides, it's March. It's not that cold…"

He sighed as he got in. "You really are horrible at distinguishing the difference between sarcasm and fact."

I rolled my eyes and he drove me to Texas Prairie University, TPU for short. It was the local college that I really didn't like, but I didn't exactly have a choice. I couldn't go and accept that MIT offer. It's been months, hell, almost a year since they had given the offer. I could reapply, but as I looked over my handsome and absolutely perfect fiancé, I couldn't help but ignore any thoughts of leaving. Not that I could leave anyway, but still. Grr, I shouldn't have fixed those damn boarders with Myrnin.

Michael intertwined our fingers as he walked me to my second class. I'd already missed the first. At the door, Michael pulled me off to the side and kissed me, long and passionately. But none of the hunger filled desire and lust like this morning. This was all love. He kept it clean, but that didn't stop people walking by from whistling at us. It was actually kinda funny.

He kissed my forehead before hugging me. "I'll see you tonight." He said before he let me walk into class.

It actually was pretty basic today in class. Something I'd covered long ago with my vampire boss Myrnin, so I sat in the back, writing a list of preparations I still needed to complete before the wedding. I couldn't help myself. I sat there nearly twenty minutes just looking over my beautiful engagement ring. The one carot diamond with a white gold band covered in smaller diamonds. Michael's New Year's Eve proposal was still touching to me to this day. I cried in the shower sometimes, thinking about how happy life was going to be, know Michael was gonna one day be mine from now until the end of time.

Than something big popped into my head, a very serious question. What came after the wedding? I mean, from the honeymoon night on. Married people have kids and grow old together. Could Michael have children…did he want children? And what about his being a vampire? Vamps didn't get old. I was human, I did. What did that mean for us? Did I have to become a vampire? Did I want to become one?

I scribbled a note on the top margin of my notebook with the wedding preparations list: Kids? Vamp life….?

After all my other classes, I went to Myrnin's, ready to work. I put all wedding thoughts and worries aside before walking down. Myrnin looked up from the book he was skimming and smiled. "Ah, my dear little Claire. You're on time. Perfect. We can get started. It's a fairly simple lesson today, should be quick." He paused, measuring my expression. "What's wrong? I can sense you're feeling…odd, even jittery."

Damn, Myrnin. Did you have to be so observant? "Nothing. It's nothing."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm old, not stupid." Well, that was true. He was very old actually, though he was as young and handsome looking as any twenty five year old. "I've grown to understand you very well since you started working for me. I know you. Something is bothering you. If you wish to confide in me, I believe your personal feelings and such will be protected. It's not as though I see many people anyway."

I shrugged, sitting down in the maroon leather chair he'd bought like ten years ago. It mismatched with the rest of his furniture, but I really was actually getting used to. He had a peculiar taste, but hey, that was my Myrnin. Gotta love him.

He settled in the black leather chair beside me, and waited patiently. I sighed. "I was thinking about, you know, after the wedding."

He seemed to think something totally different. "Oh, little Claire. You worry about the strangest things. Just because he's a vampire, does not mean us men cannot please a woman just as easily, or fully."

I'm sure my cheeks turned ten times redder. I fought a smile. "That's not what I meant Myrnin." Well, in a way I'd thought of that at one point or another. Michael and I hadn't slept together yet. I wanted us to go slower, as did he. We'd been together nine months, now, and thinking about, maybe it's been long enough. I'd have to test that so called fact of Myrnin's.

"Then what did you mean?"

"I was talking about our life after, with children and his being a vampire. What with that? Can you vamps have kids? And he's not gonna age, I am. What does that mean for us? Do I have to become one of you to stay with him?"

His eyes went huge with surprise. "Oh. Hmm, well I don't know exactly. I suppose you two could make it work as your being a human. But it will be very hard. There's no denying that."

"I'm sure. What would you do in my situation? Would you recommend I talk to Amelie about it? About being converted I mean."

He laughed. "My dear, I would never wish this life on my worst enemy. It's a torturous and lonesome life. But…considering you have a mate, I suppose it could be bearable. I would speak to your Michael first."

I shrugged. "That's true. And what about the kids thing?"

He seemed embarrassed talking about it. It was really adorable. "Well, I wouldn't know personally. But, I have heard of one case that fits that. A child born to a mortal and vampire. A little girl. It is the only case I can think of that is in Morganville at least. If anything had happened similar to that outside of the city, than I'm not aware. If one happened, I'm sure that it has other places as well."

I hesitated. "What happened to her?"

He sat back and crossed his legs, reminding me of a therapist. He was biting the tip of a pen he'd taken out of his pocket. I tried hard not to laugh. I couldn't help thinking about how badly I needed therapy because of my moving to Morganville.

He thought a moment. "I believe she's living in Austin, Texas. She escaped with her full memories, having left before the boarders went up around Morganville. She used to be very close to Sam. But when she left, she vowed never to come back. So I don't know if she'll be of any help, but I still have her number. She hasn't changed it in twenty five years, so I'm fairly certain it will work." He wrote down the number on an old envelope and handed it to me. "Ask her about what it's like being the offspring of a human/vampire mating. It couldn't hurt. I feel she'll answer your questions better than I will."

I looked the number over. "Why was she so close to Sam? They go out or something?"

Myrnin surprised me by laughing. "No, my dear Claire. Danielle, the half vampire, she…Samuel's sister."