**A/N-- This is a story set at the time when Possession (#8) begins. I hope you enjoy. Please, please, PLEASE read and review. This is my first actual fanfic and I want to know how much I suck...**

Disclaimers-- I am not Lynne Ewing and do not own DotM and it's characters- Serena, Jimena, Tianna, Vanessa, Catty, Maggie, Micheal, Derek, Stanton, Tymmie, Wally, or any of the others, although I might add some OCs later in the story, in which case I will make a note of it. Thanks.

Serena ran toward the bus stop bumping through the late-afternoon shoppers on Melrose Avenue. She was late again, and if she didn't hurry she would miss the bus home. She ran down the sidewalk and skidded to a halt at the stop as her bus slid silently in front of her. The doors opened and after a crowd of tourists stepped off, she climbed onto the bus, paid her fare, and grabbed onto a hand strap.

An older woman seated near her looked her over and sighed. Serena was used to this though, not everyone appreciated her look. With her combat boots, graffiti-painted nails, her cello, and an air of confidence surrounding her, Serena was not a normal Los Angeles teenager. She looked at the woman again and caught her staring, the woman seemed ashamed and looked away quickly. Serena clicked her tongue ring against her teeth out of boredom and gazed out a window.

When she stepped off the bus at the stop down the street fro her house, it was beginning to grow dark and the crescent moon was sliding into the darkening sky. Suddenly she felt another presence and without looking around stated clearly, as if to no one, "Stanton, I know you're here, you might as well show yourself." There was no response but slowly a black mist became apparent next to Serena, and it slowly grew more solid until at last, a young man was walking side-by-side with Serena.

"Would you like me to carry that for you?" Stanton asked, pointing at her cello case.

"That would be great," said Serena as she passed the case to Stanton, after carrying it all afternoon her shoulder was getting sore.

As they approached Serena's house Stanton reached out and grabbed her hand, he turned her to look at him and he gazed longingly into her eyes.

"I love you, Serena," he said without hesitation.

"I know, and I love you too, but I can't trust you. I know you only turned back to the Atrox to save me, but now you are one of them. And if we stay together the Atrox will send Regulators to destroy us both."

"I have powers much greater than the Regulators, I control them. Nothing I want will be denied me, not even you," Stanton said, saying the last part so soft it was like a whisper. He placed her cello case on the ground and softly ran the back of his hand over her smooth cheek before leaning down and kissing her softly. She dropped the books she held and they scattered to the pavement as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

No one had ever made her feel this way. Stanton awakened feelings inside her that she never knew existed. For a while after he had turned to the Atrox again, Serena had gone through a period of depression. She had trouble sleeping, found it hard to focus, and when she had to write poems for her Language Arts class, they all seemed to be about Stanton or her love.

After letting the kiss linger between them, Serena pulled away and gathered her books off the ground. Stanton handed her the cello case and kissed her forehead softly.

"Jimena is waiting for you," he whispered and once again became a part of the falling darkness.

Serena sighed and turned towards her house and found that Stanton was right, her best friend Jimena's car was parked in the driveway beside her brother Collin's van. She walked up the tinted stone walkway of her Spanish-style house. A light wind blew gently across her face, making her hair swirl around her. "Stanton," she thought with a smile. She opened the door and stepped into the house.

She closed the door behind her and heard a clattering of claws on the tiled floor. She turned to find her pet raccoon Wally staring up at her. She put her books on the stairs, her cello case by the door, and scooped Wally into her arms.

"Hello?" she called out, wondering where Jimena and Collin were.

"We're in the kitchen!" Jimena yelled back, and Serena walked down the hall towards the smell of fresh hot cocoa.

She put Wally down on the counter and poured herself a cup of coffee instead. Jimena and Collin were looking through a thick book. She slid down into a chair next to Jimena and sipped from her mug.

"What are you reading?" Serena said after swallowing her coffee.

"Oh just some ancient mitos," Jimena said and turned back to the book.

"Huh?" Serena asked, she wasn't good with Spanish.

"Some myths," Collin answered. "From my Greek Mythology class."

"Well," Serena said, swallowing the rest of her coffee, "I think I'm going to go lay down, I'm kinda tired. Collin can you manage dinner?"

"Yeah, I can manage all right- I'll call dad and have him bring home Thai," Collin joked.

"Perfect," Serena said as she got up and went upstairs.

Once in her room, she opened her window and let the soft breeze flow into her room. She dropped into bed and closed her eyes. She felt Stanton swirl into her room and materialize next to the bed. She opened her eyes and locked them with Stanton's. He climbed into bed next to her and lazily wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. He kissed her forehead and she drifted off to sleep feeling perfectly safe and smiling.