Sable

The moving van pulled up to the curb- there to collect the last few remaining boxes of items to be moved to Sable's new house. Sable lifted one of the boxes off the sidewalk and made her way to the back of the van. The driver's side door opened, and someone stepped out.

"I still say we should have borrowed Ed's truck," her friend and former roommate said. "This thing cost a small fortune to rent; Ed would have helped us for free."

"I feel wrong doing that," Sable shook her head. "I don't want him to feel like we're using him. Besides, I have a decent paying job now. And a husband who also has a decent paying job."

Her friend Maria rolled her eyes. Sable stuck her tongue out as Maria pulled open the van's back doors.

"Whatever, you still could have saved money," Maria sighed. She rolled her eyes again as Sable placed the box on the floor of the van. "He wouldn't have felt like you were using him. But I guess that's what it's like to be rich: not a care in the world as to what you spend your money on."

"We are not rich," Sable laughed. "I just- wanted the van. Makes it feel more official; more authentic. Plus the gas is paid for by the company- we can take this thing anywhere we want to for a whole week."

"Must have been why it cost so much," Maria shrugged. "I forgot how much gas prices have sky rocketed this year."

"Yeah, me too," Sable frowned. "We just recently put gas in Jasper's car- it was nearly running on empty. Put a dent in my wallet for the day."

"Yet you wanted to rent a moving van," Maria sighed. Sable smiled and playfully hit her friend on the arm. "Ouch! That's going to leave a bruise!" she said as she rubbed her arm.

"Oh, you liar," Sable rolled her eyes. "So, are you and your boyfriend going to enjoy having the place all to yourselves now? No more having to time when the apartment is going to be empty... for any of us."

"Oh, yes," Maria laughed. The two of them walked back over to the curb. Sable picked up a box, and Maria followed suit. "But it's going to be a little lonely, no longer living with my best friend. And we won't have as many people splitting rent and utilities anymore... And what are we going to do with the spare room?"

"Rent it out to save money? You could still split the cost," Sable suggested. They brought the boxes over to the back of the van.

"That defeats the purpose to having you move out," Maria shook her head. "We do want the apartment to ourselves. But if we are ever in a pinch, that is an option. I think for now I could transform it into a studio, slash office. I could work on my painting in my spare time, and Ed needs the extra space for when he works from home."

"That sounds like a good idea," Sable agreed. They pushed the boxes onto the van. "Anyway, this was bound to happen sooner or later. We've had this place for four years. And Jasper and I have been married for a whole month now. We need our space, too. And it's not like we're going to be living states apart- or even towns away from each other. It's just a few streets down."

"Yeah, well, I guess I've just gotten used to having you around is all," Maria scratched the back of her neck. "It seems like just the other day we got the lease signed and everything. And that awkward little bump two months later- your spontaneous trip for an entire day. I thought you'd died!"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Sable laughed. Any possible camera footage that would have captured her abduction hadn't been possible due to the power cut, luckily. So Sable was safe to lie that she had needed a breather. "But that was years ago."

"Yes, yes; a long time ago," Maria nodded. They brought the last box onto the van together- it was too heavy to be carried by only one of them.

Jasper pulled up just as the doors had been shut. He put the car in park, and rolled his window down. Sable stepped over to him. They shared a brief kiss and smiled at each other.

"How was work?" Sable asked.

"Pretty good," Jasper's smile widened. He looked at her in a way similar to how Conor used to. "You guys all done packing? I can drive you to our new home while Maria drives the van."

"Actually, I'd like to ride with Maria, if that's okay," Sable said. She gave him an apologetic look. "This has after all been our last day as roommates. I want to spend some time with her. We're going out to eat Chinese too, so I'll have to make you that home cooked meal tomorrow?"

"Oh, alright," Jasper rolled his eyes. "As if I have any say in what you do. You don't need my permission. Go spend some time with your friend; I'll unpack. We'll have plenty of time together later."

"Thank you," Sable giggled. She took his face in her hands and kissed him again, holding it longer that time. "We'll leave the van with you? My car is at the house, so I'll drive that."

"Okay. Be safe!" Jasper called after her as she skipped over to Maria.

"So, he's totally cool with it then?" Maria asked. Sable nodded.

"He's okay with it," Sable nodded again. She was far more excited than she thought she would be. The last time she had been that excited was when she and Jasper had gotten married, and before that when they had started going out, and before that when she had thought she was going to go home with Conor at her side... "What about your boyfriend, what's he doing?"

"Oh, Ed's at a card tournament," Maria rolled her eyes. "I wish he'd quit spending so much money on things like that. You have it good with Jasper. You guys spend your money on practical things- like a house."

"Oh, come on," Sable sighed.

"See you later, girls," Jasper said as he began to pull away. "Love you, Sable!"

"Love you, too!" Sable called back. She blew him a kiss, that he pretended to catch as he drove off. Sable grinned like an idiot. She turned to Maria. "Come on, let's get going!"

"Yes," Maria said. She leaned backward dramatically. "Our Chinese food awaits."

"We haven't even ordered it yet," Sable laughed. She and Maria climbed into the van. "Are we eating in or out of the restaurant?"

"Definitely in," Maria nodded. She shut her door and put on her seat belt, and Sable followed suit. Maria put the key in the ignition and turned it, and the engine came to life. "I love automatics. Anyway. If we eat inside, it's an all you can eat buffet for half the price of a meal."

"True," Sable agreed.

They drove to Sable's new house. Jasper was already there waiting for them, leaned back against his car with his hands shoved into his pockets. He pulled them back out when Maria tossed him the van keys.

"Treat her right, and have her back before midnight," Jasper joked.

"You got it, lover boy," Maria saluted him as they climbed into Sable's car. Sable laughed at them, smacking her friend gently on the shoulder. "Abuse!"

"Oh, hush," Sable rolled her eyes. "Love you, Jasper!"

"Love you, too," Jasper called back.

Sable smiled at him and gave the house one last glance. It was large... and exactly everything she had dreamed of as a child. She and Jasper had worked hard the past two years to save up for a place of their own. She smiled and drove off. That would be her home from then on- as long as they could keep up with the mortgage payments.

They arrived at the Chinese buffet roughly ten minutes later. They walked into the restaurant, greeted the waitress and were told they could pick their own seats, and then sat at a booth at the way back. The waitress asked about what beverages they would like and handed them silverware wrapped in napkins. Once they had ordered their beverages, they were told they could go and enjoy the buffet.

Sable sighed, not even thinking as she got random food items and put them on her plate. She was daydreaming about different times. When they sat back at their booth, Maria gave her a weird look with one brow raised.

"Okay, you're being spacey again," Maria said. "You've been spacey ever since that day. What really happened then?"

Sable chewed her lip. Her friend was a normal human. There was no way she would be able to tell her the truth; Maria would just think that Sable was crazy, anyway. Sable stopped chewing on her lip and shook her head, picking at the food on her plate.

"Nothing, I just-" she sighed again. What could she say? She could make up something about Alex, but everyone had long since assumed he was dead or living in some distant, foreign country. "There was this cat I was taking care of. She just meant a lot to me, and passed away. I just needed some time to myself."

"Oh, Sable," Maria reached over to the table and placed her hand over Sable's. "It's hard, losing a pet like that. I can see why you've seem depressed now. Must have been like a family member."

"Yeah," Sable gave her a weak smile.

They ate their meal, and Maria had three platefuls of dinner plus a plate full of desserts. Her excuse was that she wanted to get the most out of their money spent. Sable had only finished the one plate.

They walked up to the register, and Sable paid for them both despite Maria's protests. They walked out to Sable's car.

"You've been trying to save money, remember?" Sable said. Maria sighed and made a face.

"Yeah, well, you just bought a house," Maria pointed out. "You need to save. The mortgage is two times what we pay for rent."

"We'll manage," Sable laughed as they got into the car. "Want me to drop you back off at the apartment?"

"You don't want me to help you unpack?" Maria asked.

"I have- to pay a visit to my kitty's grave," Sable said. She made a sad face, and felt relief when Maria believed it and frowned too. "I kind of want to be alone for the visit. Is that okay?"

"Yeah," Maria nodded. Sable smiled, and Maria returned it, though there was still sympathy in her eyes.

Sable drove Maria back to the apartment. They chatted about random current events, and sang along to the radio on the way there. Sable's cell phone rang as soon as Maria had disappeared into the apartment building. Caller ID said it was from Jasper.

"Hello?" Sable greeted as she answered the phone.

"Hey, you've been gone forever, I miss you," Jasper's voice crackled over the phone due to static on the line. "And the bed needs- Christening; when are you guys going to be done? And please tell me she's not going to come back with you. I don't want an audience." Sable burst into laughter, and Jasper laughed with her.

"Well, we just finished eating, but I need to make a quick visit to a- to a grave. Before I come home."

"Oh," Jasper responded. "Do you- do you still want to-?"

"Yes," Sable laughed. She rolled her eyes though he couldn't see. "See you at home. I love you."

"I love you," Sable could hear the smile in Jasper's voice.

She hung up and then drove off. Her destination was the turn off on the side of the highway, that led to the cabin she had left behind. The place where she had come back into her realm from.

The drive wasn't very long; much less time had passed compared to when she had been walking from it. She sighed as she parked in an area covered by gravel. From then on she would have to walk to her destination.

There was a trail that led up to it, in the dirt- or rather that led to the remains of the cabin. There wasn't much of it there anymore. Careless teenagers had forgotten to put out their cigarettes, and had nearly burned themselves alive along with the building that burnt to the ground.

It still hurt Sable, even though it had been a year since it had happened. The place had sentimental value even if the gateway no longer existed.

Sable sighed and knelt down by the ruins of the cabin. She looked over them, then out to the trees. Eventually her gaze found the sky above her- the sky that she had belonged to so long ago. She smiled up at it.

"Well, look at me now," she said to the sun. "Are you watching me? I haven't dreamed of you in so long, but I still think about you every day. It's hard not to; I still see you every day in this way. What do you think? Have I found myself a good man? I would think so. I think you're happen for me, for this one success."

Sable sighed and paused. She looked back out at the trees around her again; such a familiar setting. It was peaceful to her.

"I've found love," she said sadly. "Just not with whom we both expected it to be. I wish he had come with me... But he was so intent on giving me a life full of peace. And I can't hate him for that."

"This man I've found- he's wonderful, and normal," Sable continued. "And, well, he's obviously human. I wonder if this realm really is void of other such creatures though. If a star became a human, would the gateway have even been able to detect them? As far as they gateway was concerned they'd be human. They'd probably be virtually harmless..."

Sable shook herself.

"But enough of that," she said. "I can't dwell on things like that anymore. We're planning to start a family together, so this is me saying goodbye for good. To everyone."

Sable stood. She wandered over into the ashes of the cabin, found the spot where the gateway might have been, and sat there. She didn't care if she got dirty. It was just another thing she'd have to lie about- and she had gotten so good at that.

"Goodbye, Conor," she whispered. "In another life, maybe we could have been together. Thank you for this second chance that you've given me. I hope that wherever you are now, your battle has been won and you're thriving. I hope you've moved on without me. Maybe you're the king of vampires now?"

She laughed to herself. It had taken a long time, but she was finally done grieving. It was time to go home- to her new family. She blew one last kiss into the ashes before she stood, and waved goodbye one last time. It was time to really move on.