Olivia slept better than any other night considering what today was going to bring. It seemed our week together—making love, sorting each detail of her life to a tee, making memories—had lulled her worried heart into a sense of peace.

I left her to sleep, even though we were supposed to start bringing her stuff back to her apartment early in the morning. Instead, I busied myself mixing a potion in my magic room before preparing her breakfast.

At some point, the smell of eggs and bacon must have awoken her, as she stumbled out of the bedroom towards me.

I immediately darted to her side, scooping her up in my arms, knowing this would be the last time in a long time I'd see her sleepy, blinking face in the light of a new day.

"Morning," she giggled at my sudden proximity. Mostly, she was happy. But I could sense the tinge of sadness lurking behind the facade she was trying to embody. She wasn't completely okay with this, even if it was her plan. But it was the best option in her mind. "What did you make me?"

"An omelette," I replied, relieved to see her smile at the menu option, but simultaneously sombre because... well, when would I next get to cook her something?

We walked back to the kitchen, arms around each other before she let go of me to take up one of the barstools. Her breakfast was just about finished cooking and I had already laid out the cutlery and a glass of juice for her. But the moment she sat down, gaze trailing over the arrangement, she paused at the vial sitting by her drink.

"What's this?" she questioned, glancing up at me.

"Oh... um... we didn't use protection earlier in the week," I mumbled, a blush forming on my face as I scooped her omelette out of the pan onto a plate, then turned to my eggs.

"Oh... Is it like the morning after pill?"

"Yeah..." I felt a little awkward even making it this morning... because I hadn't made one since school. Erica always took care of herself in that regard, and Ollie wasn't on any human birth control—though I wondered if, whatever she was, her DNA even agreed with such medication. A part of me felt like I was overstepping some boundaries preparing this for her. But if she was going to forget me... she wouldn't want some vampire baby growing in her over the next five or so years.

"Do I just... drink it?" she then questioned.

"Mhmm," I replied, setting our food down in our respective spots before coming to sit beside her.

"Empty stomach or..."

"It doesn't matter..."

"Hey," she said softly, setting the vial on the table, grabbing my hand. "Why are you being awkward?"

"I don't know..."

Her gaze flickered to the vial then back to me. "Thanks for thinking about it. I would have totally forgotten and... well, that wouldn't have been fun especially if I don't remember you," she laughed. "I'd be thinking I'm birthing the next Jesus if I missed my next period."

I shared a laugh with her then picked up my fork. "Sorry. I just... Don't want to force you or anything—"

"No. We definitely should have used protection, and I had stupidly forgotten that part. I'm glad you thought about this." And to end any worry going further, she downed the potion and chased it with some juice. "No vampire babies just yet," she then said.

"Just... yet?" I replied.

Her face fell slightly. "You don't want kids one day?"

I paused. She's already thinking that far? Even though today...

"Oh," she muttered, turning to her food. "Okay..."

Eyes widening, I quickly grabbed her hand so that she could feel my sincerity as I spoke. "I certainly would love to have a family with you one day, Ollie. I just... My thoughts are too consumed with the more imminent threats. I guess I'm.... I'm too scared to hope about a happy life with you when so many things could go terribly wrong."

Her food was going cold the longer she spoke to me. Nonetheless, she turned in her chair and took both of my hands in hers. "Use the thought of our future to power you through. Every time you doubt a decision that could bring your uncle down, remember you're doing it for us. As horrible as that decision is, as many people who get hurt along the way, remember it's for the greater good of humans and for us. Okay?"

And, as usual, I couldn't help but agree with her.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

Her apartment was way too small with the tiny window not letting in nearly enough light, despite being 2pm. I set her bags down by her fold-down table and slowly began to help her unpack.

We didn't speak as we put her clothes back into her wardrobe. We didn't touch as she went to the bathroom to put her tooth brush and makeup back in their drawers and I changed her sheets. And we didn't cry when I packed all the bags into her one suitcase before popping it atop her wardrobe.

Once all was returned to its spot before I entered her life, she sat down on her bed and looked up at me.

Would this be the last time I could look into her beautiful eyes? I wondered as I took a seat next to her bed.

She reached out and grabbed my hand, eyes starting to water.

Would this be the last time I would get to feel her feelings while she felt mine? The last time we'd ever understand each other?

Then she leaned in, pressing her lips on my cheek, before she whispered, "I love you."

Would she ever kiss me or say that to me again?

I took both of her hands in mine as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Focussing hard, I channelled all the magic to my mind before my eyelids flew open, snatching her gaze. I began to swirl the magic into her until she was in my hold, susceptible to my will.

"Olivia," I said, voice shaky. "Five and a half months ago, you started your first class at university. That day you sat down and answered the lecturer's question about Frankenstein, you were alone." My voice croaked as I started to draft a narrative of the life she had without me. About how she did all those classes without me. About how she went home every day, without a worry, never meeting that man, never holding my hand, never holding me, never kissing me... a whole five and a half months without me. "And your weeks will go on as they always have. Every weekday until uni resumes, you will go to the British library, grab that obligatory iced coffee you always love from Costa. Then at 9:30am you'll be waiting on the steps ready to go inside. When the doors open, you will walk right up to the back of the library, taking your seat right by the mythology section. You will put your notebook in the middle, laptop to the front, pens to the right," I breathed a laugh, "Pencil case to the left, and then whatever book you're studying in your lap. On Tuesday afternoons, you will..." I continued to narrate her weekly routine that we had fleshed out. Then I finished with, "And if any obstacle tries to get in your way of your routine, do whatever you can to get rid of it so you can go back to normal."

"Okay," she said, voice monotone, eyes lifeless as already seemed to not recognise me.

"When I say so, you're going to close your eyes and lay down on the bed. You will wait ten minutes and, when you wake, you will be convinced that you dozed off in an afternoon nap. You'll have a shower, freshen yourself up, and continue your routine."

"Okay."

"Close your eyes now, Olivia," I whispered, unable to stop the sobs that escaped after that. And as she laid down on her bed, eyelids shutting over her beautiful emerald gaze, I shuffled over on the bed until I was right beside her. She took steady breaths, already drifting off to a gentle sleep. And as I held her hand, I felt the bond untie around us, my ability to feel her emotions fading away.

I took a final moment to listen to her beautiful heart, memorising its rhythm. Then, as I knew the time was almost up, I leaned down and pressed my lips to her head. "I love you," I whispered. "And I'll see you again soon."

Then I got up and walked out of her apartment, not allowing myself to look back.