My hand is still in an almost unbreakable connection with Jeremy's as we walk up to the entrance of the fair, as it has been for the entire walk here. It was a nice, peaceful walk, with only the silence and the slowly calming rhythm of my heart accompanying us.

We didn't speak much, other than to share how our day went. I didn't have much to say, but I listened to every word Jeremy said, and it's imprinted into my memory to the point where I could probably recite exactly what he said.

We walked here instead of taking a car. I was completely ok with that; I don't know if I want to get in one of those any time soon. In addition, Jeremy said the traffic would be ridiculous with everyone going to the same place.

When we reach the line where everyone is waiting, I take the time to gape at the fair. Lots of tall machines, moving parts, loud music, and screams. People are running around, stopping at various booths, some gaining little toys and teddy bears.

However, I can't seem to keep my eyes off all the machines. They definitely scream danger to me, but I guess they don't to anyone else, because there are long lines at each.

There seems to be more towards the back, but I can't make it all out.

I hear a chuckle beside me, and from the corner of my eye, I can see Jeremy looking at me with amusement. I only then realize that, during my examination of the metal contraptions, my hand began tightening around Jeremy's, to the point my fingers are becoming stiff.

"You've never seen these rides before?" he asks. I shake my head, watching a cart go up one of the hills, only to quickly zoom back down the other side. Roller coaster. If I recall correctly, I've heard a story about one. Something along the lines of Mom retelling her first experience on one. She showed me one, but I had been so terrified of the thing I never thought of it again. "Well, you're in for a real treat then," he grins.

"I rather not," I say, stepping forward with him as the line moves. There are many new things I'll be willing to try, but getting on one of those is definitely not one of them.

He shrugs, stepping forward and digging his free hand in his pocket. Only one group is in front of us, a family of four with two sons, the oldest probably barely scratching the 11-year-old mark.

"We'll do whatever you want," he concludes, "but there is one thing you'll have to do for me if we don't ride any rides."

"Which is?"

He just grins at me as the family in front of us moves along.

"Alpha Jeremy!" the girl behind the counter greets, smiling brightly. It takes a second, but I vaguely recognize her, and I rack my brain for a name. "What brings you here today?"

Jeremy smiles politely, laying down some money on the counter. The root of all evil, I think to myself, remembering my mother saying that to me once.

"Just thought I'd bring this lovely lady out somewhere fun," he says. The girl's eyes shift to me, and she smiles once again.

"Oh, it's nice to see you again Emmy!" she says.

"You too," I smile back. "Carly, right?"

Her face lights up even more, if that's possible. I giggle quietly. "Yes, that's it." She hands something to Jeremy, smiling all the while. "You two have fun!"

"Thanks Carly," Jeremy says, before pulling me along. I wave goodbye to Carly as I go.

"Good to see you're getting along with everyone," he muses after handing a man whatever it was Carly gave to him.

"Everyone's been really nice," I comment. Truth be told, everyone truly has. The only person I've had any problem with is Kyra, but I've contributed that to a desire for Jeremy. Considering what I overheard in the kitchen between her and Laney, she isn't too pleased with the idea of Jeremy and I.

Jeremy pulls us to a halt about two minutes later.

"What do you want to do first?" he asks me.

"Um..." I bite my lip, looking around at all the options. Rows and rows of booths, all holding something different inside them. Some are for games, some are for food, and some are selling souvenirs. The food isn't an option--for me at least--I'm not expecting Jeremy to buy me any souvenirs, and the rides aren't going to be happening, so that only leaves the games.

"Can we play a game?" I ask.

"Which one?"

I take a look again, finally pointing to one to my right.

"Balloon darts?" he asks.

"Sure, why not?" I shrug.

"Whatever you wish Angel," he says.

My whole body goes rigid as soon as the words leave his mouth. What? Did he just--how did he find out?! When he realizes I'm practically frozen in my spot, he looks back at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You ok?"

"I-uh-what was that?" I ask. "You called me...angel?"

He nods slowly, looking slightly concerned. "Yes I did. Is that ok?"

It's just a cute nickname, calm down! My mind screams at me. You know, kind of like how Dad used to call Mom darling.

I sigh internally; all these thoughts of my mother making me realize how much I miss her already. Even though it's only my second day on Earth coming to an end, I feel as if I've been here for months.

"It's fine. Just caught me off guard," I lie. "Now come on, I'm ready to play some games!" This time, I'm the one pulling us forward.

We approach the booth, where an old man is sitting in a chair, encouraging the little girl throwing darts, but she can't quite hit the balloons. She only has three, and depletes them quickly.

"Sorry sweetie, better luck next time," the man says. The little girl frowns sadly, jumping down from the wooden block she was standing on. I internally aw at the expression on her face and the emotional vibes I'm picking up with it, before turning to Jeremy.

"Can you win me something?" I ask him. He doesn't hesitate to nod and hand the man some money. I smile at him gratefully, before turning my attention back to the sad little girl kicking the ground with the toes of her shoe.

I walk over to her and crouch down to her level. She looks up, her eyes widening as she sees me. Not in fear though, more like in fascination. I smile at her, and after a second, she tentatively smiles back.

"What's your name doll?" I ask. I hear a pop from behind me, and I assume Jeremy has just popped one of the balloons.

"Alison," she says.

"Well, Alison, what are you doing here alone?" I ask.

"I'm waiting for my mama and sister," she points to a booth across from us, where two women are ordering some food. "They said I could play the game and win a prize. But I can't," she says sadly. Two more pops after that.

I look over at Jeremy, who is watching me with curiosity. I raise an eyebrow, and he nods, telling me he won.

"Come with me Alison," I say, standing up to my full height and holding out my hand to her. She briefly looks over at her mother and sister, before grabbing onto my hand with her small one. I walk her over to where Jeremy is.

"Alison, which prize were you trying to get?" I ask her.

"I was trying to win the penguin," she says, "the pink one with the hat."

"Can we get that one?" I ask Jeremy. Grinning slightly at me, he nods and tells the man what I want. He hands the cute penguin over to Jeremy, who then hands it to me. "Thank you."

I go back to Alison, kneeling down once again, holding the penguin in one hand. "You know, I think this penguin really wants a cute little girl to be friends with." When I hold the stuffed animal out to her, she gives me a bright, toothy smile.

"Really?" I nod, laughing just a little at her sudden giddiness. I definitely prefer it to the sad face from only moments ago. She takes the penguin from my hands, squeezing it in her arms. "Thank you!" She gives me a hug with one arm, her other one holding onto the penguin.

"No problem," I say, returning her hug.

"Mama, look what I got!" she shouts, waving at her mother, who looks over and smiles at Alison and I. "What's your name?" she asks me.

"Emmy."

"Well, thanks Emmy!" she says, before scurrying off to her mother.

"I hope you don't mind," I tell Jeremy. He shakes his head, that smile still on his face, his dimples standing out. I almost melt, especially when I see the look his brown eyes are giving me. No matter how much I want to deny it, the adoration is too clear to miss.

"You just made that little girl's night," he says.

"I don't like seeing people upset," I admit. "So... can I try this now?"

I manage to pop two balloons and win myself a smaller penguin, this one purple. After that, Jeremy and I spend the next hour-and-a-half bouncing around to different booths, laughing and having more fun than I have ever had. I end up with so many prizes--most of them won by Jeremy, who insisted I have them--that I ended up handing more out to other kids. Besides, I didn't need them all anyway, and it made them happy, which I personally enjoyed.

I did, however, make sure to keep the teddy bear holding a plush red rose that Jeremy won for me. That one is my favorite.

I catch him looking over at one food stall, and I remember that I'm the only one here who doesn't need to eat.

"Hungry?" I ask, swinging our entwined hands back and forth. I've become increasingly comfortable around him, and as of right now, it feels like we've known each other for quite some time. I don't know what to make of this, but I decide there will be plenty of time to mull over it when we get home.

"A little," he admits. "But I can wait if you're not."

I roll my eyes. "Everything doesn't have to revolve around me, Jeremy."

He opens his mouth, but quickly snaps it shut as he decides not to say anything. I frown at him, but when his lips purse slightly I decide to let it go. Instead, I tug him towards the stall he was looking at.

Once there, the distinct smell of smoke hits my nose. I cough slightly, waving my hand in front of my face to fan away the smoke. Jeremy, who seems resistant to this, tries to wave it away from me, with little success.

"I'm going to go sit down," I cough out.

I wrench my hand free from Jeremy's, who is almost reluctant to let me go. Giving him a reassuring smile, feeling a strange coldness settling in from the lost of contact, I take a seat at one of the wooden benches set up in a grassy area. A few of the other tables are occupied, everyone eating and laughing, having a good time like everyone else I've seen today. I guess it's hard to be unhappy at a fair, which I can understand, because I have yet to be discontent myself.

I place my bear from Jeremy on the table, stroking its fur and running my fingers across the tiny rose. I put my cheek in my hand and sigh happily as I do so.

I know I don't have much to compare it to, but this date has been something to remember for the rest of my immortal life, that's for sure. And this date isn't over just yet.

When Jeremy comes back, he's carrying a plate piled high with nothing but meat, carrying a cup in his other hand. I gawk at it all, and he gives me a sheepish look.

"What can I say? They have the best barbeque in this entire county." He puts his cup down on the table and skims his finger across one of the items on his plate, collecting some of the sauce on his finger, before popping it in his mouth.

"A 'little' hungry," I laugh, shaking my head. That's enough to satisfy two for dinner, and yet I have no doubt he can eat it all by himself. He is a werewolf, after all.

"Want some?" he asks.

"No thanks," I say, looking at the carvings in the table. Many of them are initials, while some of them are not-so appropriate words.

"You know, I haven't seen you eat a thing since you've gotten here," he says, before grabbing the first thing from his plate.

"We've only been here for two hours."

"No, I mean since you've been at the house," he clarifies. I don't respond, resolving to just continue tracing the marks in the wood.

"Do you need a fork?" I change the subject, noting how he's only eating whatever it is with his fingers, and he'll surely need a napkin afterwards.

"I'm good. But, here, at least get something to eat," he insists, using the hand not currently holding his food to dig through his pocket. He holds a few bills out to me, but I shake my head.

"I'm not hungry."

"Emmy." I can already see the onslaught of disapproving stares and insistence from him coming on, yet I continue with my repudiation. But the fact of the matter is, I wasn't partial to his disapproval of my actions before, when I had tried evading him, and I'm not fond of it now. So I want to end this as quickly as possible, to avoid any of that.

"Seriously, I'm ok. You don't have to worry about me," I contend.

"Emmy, you need to eat," he says sternly. The look in his eyes tells me he's not backing down, so I eventually give in with a sigh. Some part of my brain insists that I do something to satisfy him, to erase that disapproval, so I might as well go ahead.

"Fine," I comply, picking up the money from the table. "I'll be back."

I guess this one time I can eat something, just to sate him. This should be interesting though. The last time I ate something was when I was a curious five-year old and decided that a leaf I found on the ground looked tasty.

I start walking around, not really sure what's good or not. I do notice, however, that there are significantly less people walking around, and I wonder where they're all at. Maybe the fair is almost over, and they're heading home.

Nothing in any of the stands look particularly appealing to me, but I do catch a whiff of something I can only describe as sweet smelling, and my attention is immediately drawn in its direction.

The scent is coming from a dark brown booth, with lights strung up around all the edges. It's dark out, but with the lights, I can see the words 'The Chocolatiers' in white on a sign above the booth.

Curiously, I approach the booth, inhaling the smell. It smells...heavenly.

"Can I get you anything dear?" someone asks me. An older woman with short, curly light brown hair smiles kindheartedly at me as I basically lean across the counter trying to sniff the area.

"I'm not sure," I say, biting my lip and looking up at the board where all the options of food are. "What do you recommend?"

"Well, there are cookies, brownies, cake, and we pretty much dip anything in chocolate. What do you like?"

"I don't know," I answer, feeling my cheeks redden slightly at my ignorance.

She maintains her smile, and I'm thankful that she's not laughing in my face right now. "How bout I give you a plate full of everything? Just so you can sample."

"This is all I have," I say, holding up the money Jeremy gave me.

"That'll do." She takes the money from me and disappears with a plate. I rock back and forth on my heels as I wait, once again inhaling the scent. I assume it's the chocolate I'm smelling, since there seems to be nothing but chocolate here. That must explain 'The Chocolatiers'. And, now that I think of it, I think my mother might have mentioned it once. Possibly, it was her favorite. Based on the smell alone, I can see why she enjoyed it. Sadly, there isn't any in Heaven, but then again most of the things down here don't exist up there.

Mom did that a lot; tell me about some of her favorite things. Sometimes I found myself wondering what it would be like to experience them as she had, but those thoughts never lasted longer than a brief second.

The woman emerges, sliding a plate piled with varied items, most of which are coated in the dark brown substance. "Enjoy."

I thank her and take the plate, carefully balancing it in my hands as I make my way back to Jeremy. When I sit down, he raises an eyebrow at my plate.

"I meant real food."

"It smelled really good," I defend. Picking up the first thing of chocolate, I examine it carefully. "Want some?"

"Brownies and barbeque don't go well together," he laughs.

I shrug, before biting into the brownie.

I swear, the flavor is literally dancing on my taste buds. I think my eyes bug for a second, wondering how on earth something could taste this good, and why I was kept from it. I take another bite, and another, and am disappointed that it's gone so quickly.

"That is the best thing I've ever tasted!" I exclaim, before diving in headfirst on the rest of my chocolate. Now, granted, the only other thing I've ever tasted was that leaf, but it wasn't so bad. This however....

Jeremy is laughing the entire time, and I understand why he didn't want a fork or anything. Sometimes, you can't wait for utensils. Especially not when it's chocolate.

"Slow down, you're going to get sick." I ignore his warning. I could care less, this is too good.

I finish my food around the same time Jeremy finishes his, and he takes one look at me as he offers to throw away my plate. I'm about to thank him, but I don't get to, because he bursts into hysterical laugher after looking at me.

I scowl at him, but he's doubled over with laughter and doesn't notice.

"What's so funny?" I demand, crossing my arms over my chest. He takes a minute to regain his composure, but he's still laughing at me when he responds.

"Emmy, your face. It's completely covered in chocolate."

I wipe my mouth on the back of my hand, only to find out that he is in fact telling the truth. My whole face goes red, and I look for something to clean myself with. He chuckles again, going over to the nearest stall and getting something, while I try salvaging what chocolate is left by licking my lips. I curse myself for being so messy, especially in front of Jeremy.

"Here," he says. I expect him to hand me the napkins, but instead he squats next to me and starts wiping off my mouth, my cheeks, even my nose for me. My face only brightens, but I keep my eyes locked on Jeremy as he does so. I'm plenty capable of cleaning my own face, but I make no attempt to stop him.

Just like this morning, I find myself locked in place, just staring at him with what I'm sure is a dazed look.

He stops, eyes skimming over my face to make sure he got it all before he meets my eyes. Millions of incoherent thoughts race through my mind, and my heart skips a beat. I briefly recognize myself wondering if Nephilims can die of heart attacks. If that was the case though, I'm sure I would have died about ten times since we've met.

His eyes trail down to my lips, and all thoughts cease and I'm just left silently urging him to do something. Just his burning gaze is enough to make me want something I've never wanted before.

Just when I think I see him leaning forward, and I'm about to mimic his movement without any rational reason, he clears his throat and stands up, snapping me out of my daze.

Again! What is it with this boy, always ensnaring me like this? Every time I look into those golden-brown eyes of his, I lose my self-control and end up giving in to some hidden desires--things I was not aware I was capable of feeling until recently.

Mat- I stop that thought from progressing any further. No, no, I will not go there. Not quite yet, at least.

"All done," he mutters, gathering up the used napkins and bundling them up, before tossing them in the trash. I feel an odd disappointment settle in, but I quickly shake it off. I mean, what did I expect to happen? Him to lick my face clean instead?

You wanted to kiss him, my mind taunts me, and I scowl at the thought.

You're working with Dad, aren't you? I accuse.

Jeremy holds his hand out to me, and I blink at