Danika bit her nails as she sat on a seat outside Phabel's office, nervously waiting for him to arrive. She watched with shock as he sauntered down the corridor looking like he had won the lottery.

'Good morning Miss Smith, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit this morning?'

Phabel pushed the door open, waiting for Danika to enter. He closed the door and they both grinned at each other.

'I take it things went well?'

'Uh, you could say that.'

'Oh come on Phabe, give me the goss.'

'A true gentleman never kisses and tells.'

'You kissed her? Oh my god, that is awesome.'

'No I think what is more awesome is that she let me.'

'So things are good?'

'I touched the pendant and had a memory. It hurt like nothing I have ever experienced but it was worth it. I would go through it over and over again if I could get the whole night back.'

'There's a but coming isn't there?'

He nodded sadly.

'A year Danika, I can not risk her education nor my job. We can not really be together for another year. I know that time passes differently for us but for humans it is so slow. She has already gone all this time by herself and she has to suffer another year, how can I do that to her?'

'Maybe you need to get a more realistic perspective to the situation. What is more important? Your job or your mate? I've been there Phabe, I chose my career and I can tell you I regret it. What I have with Lucian is so much better than any job, if I had my time over again, I would pick him. And think about it, you don't need a job. You are rich, you do this because it's better than sitting around doing nothing all day. If the university comes down on you tell them where to stick their job.'

'There are no other vamp history professors, I am all that this world has.'

'Then they should accept you as you are and the choice that you made long before you knew it would be a problem.'

'And what of Olive? How can I grade her and have her believe that her mark is it's true worth?'

'Surely you can be objective even if you love her. You don't want her to think that she is a perfect student if she isn't. Treat her like any other student in your class, forget that she is more to you than anyone else.'

'And if we are caught? What happens to her then? I don't want people looking down at her, thinking that she is some tart that bedded me to get good grades.'

'I don't know what to say to you Phabe, either you two do or you don't. You are the one complaining about waiting for a year. But do you want to know what I think?'

'Sure, why not? It's not as if you won't tell me anyway.'

'Smart arse.' she poked him 'I think she is wrong for this course. Did you see that dress she was wearing last night?'

'Yeah.'

'She made that, she makes all of her clothes. Did it look hand made to you?'

'No. You think she has talent?'

'Yeah, I do. My grandmother was a dressmaker before she died, I saw how hard it can be.'

'She's struggled to get here, isn't this supposed to be her dream, being a teacher?'

'No.' she scoffed as she rolled her eyes 'Some ding bat told her to go for a job that was readily available, you know, teacher. She just wants to live a comfortable life, to not be poor.'

'Which she will get with me.'

'Exactly.'

'If she truly wants that then I will not stand in her way, I will help her wherever I can.'

'Good to hear now, I've asked her to keep Saturday free, I expect you to do the same. Your parents are coming to discuss the future. Lucian and I have already discussed this and we wanted to discuss this with you before approaching Olive.'

Phabel raised his eyebrows, concerned that Danika was hatching some hair brained scheme that involved sneaking around and misbehaviour.

'She can live at the castle with us. You will be able to visit her as you please without anyone noticing because in reality it will be no different to you visiting Lucian. Olive will become accustomed to living in better conditions and the staff can help her with etiquette. Your father has requested her to become educated in your world and her being at the castle will make life easier for the teachers. What do you think?'

'I think that is fine. Get her out of that pitiful apartment.'

'And used to the grandeur of her future?' Danika grinned.

'I am not entirely easy with that world.'

'Says the man that brought his own furniture into his office because what was provided wasn't the right look.'

Phabel rolled his eyes at her as she turned to the door. 

'Castle Eliade is very private professor, no prying eyes.' she smiled seductively 'Imagine, a whole weekend alone with your mate without fear of anyone finding out.'

Phabel stared as Danika sauntered out of his office, she was a devil who was playing games with his love life. She was determined to get them to where they needed to be. Whether either of them liked it or not.

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

'Hey there stranger.'

Danika walked up behind Olive who jumped slightly.

'Hey.' she blushed.

'Ready for class?'

'Not really.'

'You will be fine. For some reason the professor seems to be in a really good mood this morning. Maybe we should get to class so we don't end that good mood.'

Olive grinned as they walked side by side to the doors.

'He suggested that I be late so that he would have to call me to his office.'

'Oh my god, that's corny.' she laughed.

Olive shrugged, but couldn't wipe the smile from her face. They walked to their seats, the room was empty.

'I spoke to him just before. I wouldn't worry what the university says Olive, if they find out then so be it.'

'But we will be punished.'

'Ok, so I'm going to give you the same reality check I gave him. He doesn't need this job. You are misplaced in this course, in your path to become a teacher. I've been in your mind Olive, I've seen where your true passion lies. You don't want to be a teacher, do you?'

Olive shook her head.

'You would rather be a dressmaker, fashion designer, am I right?'

'Yes but there is no money in it.'

'Bull shit there ain't. And here is another reality check, if you hook up, you'd be living with him. You know what happens then right?'

'Uh children?'

'Well, yes I suppose that would happen eventually.' she rolled her eyes 'No I meant that if you were living with him you wouldn't have to worry about money.'

'I can't expect to live off his money.' Olive gasped rather shocked.

'I never said live off Olive, he would support you until you were making your own money. He said that he would help you wherever he can and I know he means with your financial situation. You are his mate and there isn't a thing that would stop him from making you happy. What makes you happy Olive?'

'This.' she held out the edge of her shirt 'And him of course.'

'You made that shirt?'

'I've made pretty much everything.' she said dryly. 'If I had to go and buy clothes, I probably couldn't afford text books.'

Olive looked at her text books, raising her head when she heard a door opened. She looked up, her heart lifting a beat as she smiled. Phabel smiled back at her as he walked across the room.

'My god, you two need to get a room, fast.' Danika groaned quietly. 'Which reminds me, after your last class on Friday, what are you doing?'

'I have a shift at work.'

'Not any more you don't. You are going home, packing a bag for the weekend and coming over for a sleepover.'

'With you and...' Olive paled as she thought the worst of the statement.

'No.' she grinned at her like she was crazy 'I don't share. No, this is a relaxed weekend of getting to know your mate in the privacy of our castle.'

Olive turned her head slightly, looking at the very handsome professor who was pretending to be more enthralled in his notes than her.

'Is uh... you know going to be there, the whole time?'

'Bit hard to get to know your mate if he isn't, don't you think?'

Olive could feel the heat rise to her cheeks, rising faster by the second.

'I haven't.' she whispered. 'When I met him I decided that he was the one. After he disappeared I held no interest in anyone else.'

'Relax.' Danika warmly rubbed her arm 'Just tell him, he will be gentle.'

'Do you think he has?'

'If he hasn't then it must have been a very long nine hundred years.' she grinned.

She could see Olive's face crumple as she contemplated it.

'Do you want to know what I think about him and the possibility that he has been with other women?'

Olive bit her bottom lip, her eyes full and ready to burst with tears.

'It means that he comes with experience and sometimes that is a good thing. He will know what he is doing and because you are inexperienced, he will be able to guide you and ensure that your first time is a positive experience. Trust me when I say it can be negative.'

'Was yours bad?'

'Terrible.' she scoffed 'He was such a brute, didn't care that I was, just took what he wanted and it hurt.'

She squeezed her arm and looked to her trying to give off her best reassuring vibes.

'You will be fine, mate love is very passionate, very tender. And just because you will spend the weekend together, doesn't mean that you have to. Maybe you could spend the time getting to know each other. If you want you can sleep in separate rooms. We have a few, in fact, you can have a whole floor to yourself if you like.'

'Oh my god, really?' she giggled.

'Sadly yes.'

The doors swung open as a group of girls entered the room, giggling and whispering. Danika didn't like them one bit. She had seen their type before. Upper class snobs that thought they were everything. They stopped by their seats and looked down at them with sneering grins.

'Look the weirdo found herself a girlfriend.'

Danika let her grip of Olive's arm go, slowly sliding it off the desk.

'How ever could the two of you afford to be here? It's so obvious that you can't by the clothes you wear. One of you in trash clothes the other in emo garbage.' they laughed in unison.

Olive could feel the tension rise in her cheeks, this was exactly why she hadn't bothered with trying to make her own clothes to sell. No one would want them.

'Is there a particular reason you are not in your seats ladies?' Phabel growled from behind them.

They spun around seeing one very angry professor.

'Professor... we were just chatting with...'

'You don't even know their names, so stop with the catty snide comments and take your seats before I have you removed from my class permanently.'

The ringleader sneered at Danika and flung herself around, walking down to her seat. The others followed like little sheep. Phabel gave them a sympathetic smile and moved back to his desk.

'That's Shelly if you didn't know.' Danika whispered 'Total cow, ignore her.'

'It's hard to when she insults the very future that you suggest I take on.'

'You listen to me Olive.' she said a little too loud in her whisper 'I believe in you, your mate believes in you and I can promise you, when you are selling your clothes in your shop, bitches like her will be queuing to buy them.'

'Then I can tell her that I don't sell my garbage to the likes of her.' Olive grinned.

The two women looked at each other with crazy grins and then burst out laughing. The small crowd of women at the front of the room and Phabel all looked up with curiosity, wondering what was so funny.

Danika watched the cows through the whole lesson, the ringleader was determined to get the professors attention. Whenever his back was turned, the girl would readjust her her low cut top and positioned herself for him. When there was a moment where she knew he wasn't concentrating, she slipped into his mind and warned him yet again. Not only to avoid the girl but to avoid looking at her for too long, neither of them wanted Olive upset. Phabel looked up at Danika and gave her a look of understanding and then continued with the lesson. The lesson had dragged on for Danika, she didn't need to hear about Lucian's family again, she already knew it. She wished that she didn't have to take this part of the course again but if anything positive could be found, it would be that she would be here to protect Olive from those girls. The girls that followed them out of the class. The girls that followed them to the court yard. Danika ignored them, knowing that her guards were never far behind and that if they tried anything they would be dealt with swiftly but Olive on the other hand was trembling. She wasn't good with confrontation, she would rather try and ease the tension and walk away unharmed. But these girls weren't so easily placated. The ringleader knew she had been ignored by the professor because of them and she wanted to make sure that it was never going to happen again. She watched them as they chatted, sitting on the bench seat. Shelly approached them, readying to have words with the weirdo and the mouse.