Charles chuckled when most of Penny’s popcorn became sacrificed to the floor. He offered her the remainder of his, even though it was dry. After the second scare, he wrapped an arm around her, hoping to ease her discomfort. He had to admit that it didn’t matter if a horror movie was cheesy or fake, jump scares could get the best of them all-especially if the music and sound were on point.

A lull was happening in the movie, and the characters were trying to find the best way to attack and kill the monster when Penny asked her a question. Charles was startled and surprised by its specifics. “That’s a demon. They possess people. The only way you can tell is by their black eyes or the sulfur smell they leave behind. Why?” he asked, trying to follow where she was looking.

„I thought I saw that woman with black eyes before we came in here, but I didn’t smell sulfur and after I blinked, her eyes were normal. I might just be crazy or paranoid.“ Penny tore her gaze away and looked at Charles to gauge his reaction. He seemed concerned and Penny felt bad for making him worry. „Sorry. Ignore me. I’m sure it’s nothing. I didn’t mean to worry you.“

Charles frowned and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “If I’ve learned anything from hunting monsters, is that your gut instinct is never wrong. If you think that woman seemed off, they probably are. Wait here; demons are not vampires or werewolves. Not much can actually kill a demon. We mostly have to send them back to hell, and that requires an exorcism. I can’t really give you a five-second crash course on Latin.” He handed over the rest of his candy to Penny before sneaking down the aisle and leaving the theatre to look for the woman Penny had pointed out.

As he walked, Charles pulled out a knife he had tucked into a hidden holster at his ankle. He briefly debated leaving to get the gun and devils trap bullets, but he found the woman in question quickly. She wandered into the bathroom, and Charles quickly followed. The demon turned on Charles.

“Well, you aren’t where you are supposed to be,” she said before her eyes went black. Charles narrowed his eyes.

“I could same about you,” he said before charging her with his knife. He got in a hit across the demon’s forearm.

“You aren’t very nice,” she declared before flinging Charles into a bathroom stall. Charles grunted, feeling a rib pop out from the impact.

“And you’re ruining my date.” He stood up and started to speak Latin. The demon rolled her eyes.

“Are you serious? What a waste of time,” she said, lifting her hand to attack Charles again.

Penny tried to watch the movie after Charles left, but she couldn't focus. Her cuticles hurt from her picking and biting and she kept looking back to the exit. The girl nor Charles have returned and Penny thought it was suspicious. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the girls friend that she saw earlier get up and leave. What if she was a demon too? Could Charles take on two demons? He said you couldn't kill them and that you basically needed to exorcise them with Latin. Penny didn't know that stuff, but... should couldn't leave Charles to fend for himself, could she?

Penny got up shortly after the other girl left and she peeked out of the theater room. The girl was standing outside the girls bathroom on her phone, but if Penny listened hard enough, she could hear bangs and grunts come from the room. Penny ducked back into the theater, her breathing heavy. What did she do? Did she call Christian? Dylan? Annie? Penny glanced at the snack counter and saw nobody behind it. Penny had a friend that worked in a movie theater once. She said most theaters keep scissors in the bottom cabinets in case they needed them to open something. Penny couldn't kill a demon, but maybe she could distract it long enough for Charles to get the upper hand. Penny took a deep breath with the intention of going to the snack counter, but something stopped her. Her feet felt frozen to the ground. The grunts and echoes from the bathroom rang in her ears, just under the screams from the horror film in the background.

Charles told her to stay put because he was trying to protect her. Penny didn't know how to fight a demon. She didn't know how to fight at all. Penny sat back down in her chair and placed her hands under her thighs. She would make things harder for him. She watched the movie and tried to focus on it, but found that nothing she could do would make it better. She wanted Christian. She wanted to go home, though it's not like she had one right now.

Charles was in rough shape after being flung around by the demon several times. However, he never stopped reciting the exorcism ritual, and the demon started slowing down. Charles lunged, reaching out to cut her again with his iron knife before planting his salted hand against the wound.

“Bastered!” A knock sounded on the bathroom door, and the demon snarled. “Out of time, pretty boy.”

Charles glared and moved to strike again when the demon smoked out and disappeared. “Dammit!” The woman’s body dropped to the floor, and she started to come to. Charles sighed with relief, she was still alive, which meant the demon hadn’t been in her long.

Charles quickly put his knife away and knelt down to help the woman. She had very little memory but did have an understanding that something had been wrong for a couple of months. She had little memory from the time the demon had taken over.

“You should go to the hospital, just in case,” Charles said and helped her outside. The woman’s friend was standing there, and her eyes widened with alarm and suspicion as Charles walked out with the woman. Thankfully the woman vouched for Charles. He smiled at them both and stepped aside before he pulled out his phone and texted Penny, asking her to meet him in the lobby.

Penny rushed out into the lobby after getting Charles' text and her eyes widened when she saw him injured. "Charles! Are you okay?" Penny approached him and hovered, not knowing where he was exactly hurt or where to put her hands. "I- I can call Christian! He's a doctor!" Penny stammered, knowing full well that he wasn't. She cursed at herself for trying to bring Christian into the situation again.

"No need for that, Penny. I'm okay. Got thrown around a bit, but nothing a few days of recovery won't fix. I've faced worse." Charles put his hands on Penny's biceps, gripping them gently and assuredly. "Are you okay?"

Penny dropped her shoulders and nodded. She looked up through her lashes and gave a fatigued smile. "Besides making me worry, I'm okay. Sorry I ruined our date."

"You didn't ruin it, that demon did," Charles chuckled and wrapped Penny in his arms. He felt her tense up slightly and he released her and stepped back. "I'd offer to buy you dinner, but I should really get my wounds checked out."

Penny shook her head. "No need for dinner. I had plenty of popcorn and candy. You go and get some rest. I know you, Annie, and Dylan are leaving town tomorrow."

Penny wanted to escort Charles to his car due to his injuries, but he refused, saying a gentleman always escorted a lady no matter what. When they got back to Penny's hotel, Charles stopped her from getting out of his car. He fidgeted for a second before speaking, "Listen- I'm leaving tomorrow, but if you don't have anything keeping you here, we'd love to have you. We can teach you the ropes, train you in fighting techniques..."

"Charles, I... I don't know. I need some time to think about it. I'll call you in the morning?" Penny felt bad holding out on him, but she truly didn't know what to say. She wanted to learn, but something felt off. Not about her new friends, but about leaving. It almost felt as if she would be leaving something behind and she didn't know what. "Thank you for tonight. You've been really sweet."

Penny got out of the car and waved goodbye before heading up and into her hotel room.

Christian had taken a break to check in on Penny at one point. He appeared in her hotel room, but she wasn’t back yet. Unsure how things were going, he wrote a quick note.

I am working, but contact me if you want after the date. I want details. Let me know if I need to bring ice cream or alcohol.

Christian

The night was proving to be long and difficult for Christian. He didn’t know if he was off his game or if Death was punishing him by sending him to the more difficult spirits. Twice, Christian found himself with a troubled spirit that had yet to leave this earth. At that point, they had become poltergeists. Troublesome spirits that could inhabit humans or other creatures to do their building. Plus, they were violent and often left a body count. Trying to reap those souls was difficult, if at all possible. Usually, hunters were called in to deal with them. Which led to the spirits ending up in the space between, roaming lost and in pain forever.

The other souls that Christian had been tasked consisted of teenagers (who died too soon) and people who did not want to leave their lives and stuff behind. Christian didn’t like to use the term selfish, but if he had to describe them, that’s what they would be. It was far different from Penny. There was fight in her. These people simply didn’t want to lose what they had acquired during life.

Christian didn’t often give up on a soul, but there had been a couple he had to leave. He would have to try again with them later or hope another reaper would be able to get them to move on before they turned into a poltergeist.

Penny smiled at the note Christian left, his handwriting neat and precise. It was for sure a lot nicer than her own. Penny pondered on her night and wondered if it was one that needed the ice cream or alcohol he offered. Penny shrugged and decided, why not both?

"Christian, I think we need ice cream and alcohol for this one." Penny called out, hoping she wasn't interrupting something important. Penny was once again reminded how thoughtful Christian was and how he was truly living up to being one of the best friends she's ever had. Ice cream, alcohol, and gossip after a date? Penny grew excited over the prospect of having someone to spill all the details and her secrets to. Penny went to her room to change out of her nice clothes and swap them for something more comfortable. She put on a tank top and some sweatpants before opting to take off her makeup and then sitting on the couch to turn on some TV while she waited. It was around eleven in the evening, but Penny was too awake to find time to feel sleepy.

The vampires she fought yesterday weren't strong enough to do tons of damage to her friends, but the demon Charles faced was able to do some pretty good damage. Penny thought about Charles' offer, but she already knew she was going to turn him down in the morning. She wanted to get stronger, yes, but she wanted Christian to be the one to train her and help along the way. Charles made it sound like hunters usually worked in pairs. Perhaps, Penny could ask Christian to be her partner. Perhaps he wouldn't be able to interfere too much, but he could be emergency backup if she so needed.

Christian was dealing with getting a teenage girl to cross over when he heard Penny’s voice in his head. He raised his eyebrows at the proclamation of needing both ice cream and alcohol. The girl caught the motion and frowned at him.

“What is that look for?”

Christian was startled and smiled apologetically. ”Sorry, Bree. It sounds like a friend of mine had a rough night. She is requesting ice cream and alcohol,” he confessed.

Bree’s eyes widened before she looked sullen and turned away. “You have friends?”

”Well, yes…I suppose I do.” Christian had come to think of Penny as someone more, but hearing someone else call her his friend did make him happy. It certainly eased the pain of the day.

Christian looked at Bree, feeling better about his situation. ”I’ve seen you struggle to make friends… But beyond that door, you will have friends, Bree. Companions who have felt the same, and people who genuinely care about you, rather than what is happening with them.”

“That’s what my mother always told me when I started a new school. News flash, it never happened,” she said, gesturing to her ghostly form.

Christian smiled sadly and nodded. He looked away from Bree and watched the door shimmer and shift to whatever Bree wanted. It took on a darker tone, wooden boards and vine work. Christian cocked his head to the side, recognizing the door as something from pop culture.

”What about animals and stories?”

“What?”

Christian gestured towards the door Bree created. She looked startled to see the door had changed but angry and looked at Christian with an accusatory look. He held his hands up and stood. ”Not my doing but yours. The door will shift depending on the future inhabitant's mood. In fact, everything beyond that door will shift and change. If you are a fan of stories, you could create your own. Something different every day,” he told her, walking near the door. It shimmered the closer Christian got, almost like it was disappearing. Behind him, Christian heard Bree approach.

“Now what’s happening?”

”It is fading. I am not allowed to enter the door, so it will fade and disappear to keep me from disturbing the place beyond, but you, it’ll solidify and let you in. Only you and whoever you allow on the other side. It is your safe space to command, Bree.”

Bree frowned and shifted her weight uncertainty. Christian remained silent, years of patience from moments like these telling him to be quiet while she thought it over.

Bree reached her hand out, and the door immediately brightened and shifted, almost as if it was excited and eager for her touch. Bree’s face softened, and her eyes lightened.

“It's like it’s alive,” she whispered in awe.

”In a way it is. It contains your essence and your soul once you walk through it. This place is yours, Bree. One hundred percent yours and no one else.”

Bree’s smile widened, and she looked at Christian. “Okay… Your friend is lucky to have you. Rocky Road was always my favourite ice cream,” she said before opening the door and disappearing on the other side. The door vanished after shutting, and the warmth Bree had created with her presence dissipated, leaving Christian in darkness and shadow. He sighed, the heaviness of the day settling fully on his shoulders. But Penny needed him.

Christian took a few deep breaths before retrieving a pint of Rocky Road, a bottle of wine, and tequila. Christian knew tequila to be something most people liked to take shots of if they were hoping to get drunk quickly. With the supplies required, Christian teleported to the hallway outside Penny’s room and knocked.

Penny got up from her spot on the couch and opened the door. Christian stood there with a bag of alcohol and ice cream. She smiled and opened the door to let him in. She grabbed the bags from him and placed the items out on the counter. She grabbed two wine glasses and two bowls. "I know you don't eat or drink, but you can use these if you want," Penny grabbed her corkscrew and uncorked the wine, pouring half a glass. "Rocky road? How did you know this was 'break up' ice cream?" She joked. She sipped her wine and made her way to the couch.

Penny was silent for a moment before she decided to drop the bomb right off the bat. "We ran into a demon at the movie." She took a bite of her ice cream and shook her head. "I should've just ignored it, but I told Charles I saw something weird and he went to look. He got beat up pretty badly." Penny looked at Christian for his reaction. What did reapers think of demons? Clearly, they were bad, that much Penny surmised. She's heard all kinds of stories of deaths and possessions with demons, but she never thought they were actually real. Though penny realized she must have some sort of flaw in her logic. She believed in God, so if he was real, why wouldn't demons be?

Christian chuckled and helped himself to a glass of wine in solidarity with Penny. ”I didn’t actually. A teenager I helped cross over told me that was her favourite ice cream. I thought we could have some in memory of her,” Christian explained. He grabbed a scoop of the ice cream and put it into a bowl before sitting next to Penny.

He had just sipped his wine when Penny announced they had come across a demon at the movie theatre. He choked and tried to compose himself, torn between which question to ask first. Clearly, he wanted to ask if she was okay, but she seemed more concerned with Charles at the moment.

”Is Charles going to be okay?” He knew the man wasn’t on his deathbed, but he obviously beat the demon, or there would be a very different conversation happening right now.

"He'll be fine, I think. At least, he claimed he would be. He had some bruises and scratches, but I couldn't see anything else that was wrong. He was holding his side, so maybe he broke a rib?" Penny took another bite of her ice cream and spoke around it. "I feel so bad. If I hadn't said anything, he wouldn't be injured." Penny swallowed and brought her feet up onto the couch, tucking them underneath her. Her knee brushed against Christian's thigh in the process. Penny swirled her spoon around her bowl, mixing the ice cream into a milkshake consistency, slightly upset at herself. "I was going to help, but I guess I just realized I'd be in the way. I don't know Latin, or martial arts."

Penny put her bowl of ice cream down on the coffee table and switched it for her wine glass. "And then, in the car, he asked me to leave with him tomorrow." Penny drained her wine glass after her statement, the air heavy. The aromatic liquid slid down her throat, warming her chest. Penny wasn't much of a drinker, therefore had a hard time holding her liquor. Now, this didn't mean she was irresponsible. It just meant she stopped drinking a lot earlier than most others did. Even after a glass of wine, she felt warm and her brain a little buzzed. She put her glass down with a sigh before grabbing her ice cream again.

Christian ate his ice cream silently while Penny relayed the nights events to him. The ice cream seemed to be working, and he quietly smiled, thanking Bree for the suggestion. When he finished, he set the bowl aside and picked up his wine glass, settling into the couch cushions.

It was no surprise Charles got hurt, but Christian was glad he seemed to have the foresight to keep Penny away. There would have been no way she would have made it out of a fight with a demon-low level or not. Christian was slightly disappointed she didn't call for him. Then again, what could he have done really? If he got involved, there would have been more cosmic imbalances that he would have to pay for.

Christian swirled the wine in his glass while Penny finished her ice cream. He was glad she was safe but he could hear the disappointment in her voice at not being able to help. She would learn eventually but he could understand the feeling of inadequacy. He lifted his glass to take another sip of wine when Penny announced Charles wanted her to leave with him.

"He asked what?" Christian was clearly shocked, even if there was no reason for it. He could appear anywhere Penny was, then again, the point was to have Penny stop needing him around. So why did he feel so worried about her leaving?

Penny put her empty wine glass down on the coffee table and she looked down at her hands. Her cuticles were red and raw from her biting them in the theater while waiting for Charles. "He said that I could go with him tomorrow and that he and the others would teach me everything I needed to know."

What Penny really wanted to say was on the tip of her tongue, but she found she didn't have the courage to utter it aloud. She sat up and eyeballed the tequila sitting on the counter and she nodded. Liquid courage, that's what she needed. She stood up, grabbed her wine glass, and marched over to the kitchen. She poured a small amount of tequila in her wine glass before downing it in one gulp. It burned going down and she coughed slightly, placing her glass on the counter. Her face felt a little warm and her brain a little fuzzy, but it wasn't unbearable. "I told him I would tell him my answer in the morning," she trailed off. "I'm gonna turn him down," she said succinctly.

Penny whirled around to face Christian. "I know you can probably appear wherever I am in the world, but I don't want to leave without you. It feels like I'll be leaving you behind and I don't want that." She was rambling at this point, but she found she didn't care. She was tired of dancing around her confusing feelings for Christian. Yes, he was her friend and she wanted him to know that she valued his companionship- whatever that might entail. "I want you to stay by my side and give me hunting tips and help train me, because-" she put a hand to her head and leaned back against the counter. "Because while Charles helped me, you're my friend and I care about you more than I care about him, Annie, or Dylan."

Christian rested his arm on the back of the couch, tilting his head to rest it on his fist. His eyes tracked Penny as she looked this way and that. He raised an eyebrow when she stood and cracked open the bottle of tequila. He shifted on the couch, leaning forward to watch her more closely. Whether it had been the way she drank the tequila in one gulp or her body language, Christian knew what Penny had to say was serious.

He was relieved when Penny said she didn’t want to leave and would turn Charles down. He finished his wine, feeling satisfaction from that statement alone. Of course, that left Penny back at square one, but maybe she would remain local and protect the town she grew up in rather than travel all over the country as other hunters did. However, he wasn’t expecting her to request that he train her.

Christian knew a lot about the supernatural community, more than the average hunter even, but giving that information to a human was not exactly part of the reaper’s training book. As much as he didn’t want to, he felt he would have to ask for Death’s guidance. He only hoped Death wouldn’t request Christian to leave Penny alone. He didn’t want that, not in the least.

Christian looked away from Penny, smiling at her proclamation of caring for him more than the trio she fought with yesterday. ”Bree asked if you were my friend,” he said, talking about the job he had been on before coming to see Penny. ”I found that I really rather liked that. I’ve never really had a friend,” he said. He stood, gathering his glass and the two empty ice cream bowls. He set everything on the counter beside Penny and smiled at her.

”Okay, if you want me to train you, I’ll see what I can do,” he said, agreeing to Penny’s terms.

Penny looked up at Christian and closed her eyes to give a smile. "Thank you, Christian. Perhaps once I've learned all that I need to know, or am at least comfortable with fighting, then we can leave Oklahoma." Penny felt her phone buzz in her pocket and she pulled it out. Charles was calling- which caused Penny to furrow her eyebrows. She glanced up at Christian before answering and putting it on speaker.

"Charles? Is everything okay?"

"Hey Penny. Just wanted to let you know that Annie and Dylan patched me up real good! I didn't want you to worry." His voice sounded slightly pained, but remained jolly.

"I'm glad you're okay. Listen- I know I told you I would give you my answer in the morning, but I've been doing some thinking tonight," Penny cleared her throat. She was going to wait, but she already made her decision. There was no need to drag it out. "I appreciate your offer. You're really sweet and I'm grateful to all three of you for all you've done these last two days. I can't go with you, though."

There was a long pause on the other end and then a heavy sigh. "I'm not going to lie, Penny. I really like you. You're sweet, kind, beautiful, strong... I'm a little sad, but hey, it is what it is! Thank you for giving me a chance. Just answer me this: Is it because of Christian?"

Penny paused. Would it be terrible of her if she said yes? "Maybe. We're still mourning my friend. It feels wrong to leave him, but also... There are a few things I have to figure out."

"Well, hey, whatever it is you have to do, I hope it goes smoothly. If you ever need help again or decide you want to travel with us, there's always a spot open for you. You know how to get ahold of us. You're going to be one hell of a hunter, Penny."

"Thanks Charles. Travel safe. Bye." Penny hung up the call and placed her phone on the counter with a grin. "Well, there's that." She took another tequila shot from her wine glass before pouring another one and offering it to Christian. "No dates, no boyfriends. Just training."

Christian leaned against the counter while Penny conversed with Charles. He smiled, happy to hear Charles was well looked after but slightly surprised at the next part of the conversation. Is it because of Christian?

Penny had said she would talk to Charles in the morning, but the moment presented itself so well. Christian also figured the alcohol was guiding her decision to tell Charles she would be staying, but what did Christian have to do with it?

He watched Penny closely while she talked, confirming he might be the reason, but related it to his non-existent dead sister. Interesting. Penny hung up the phone and poured Christian a shot. He raised his eyebrows but shrugged and chuckled.

”No dates, no boyfriends. Just training.” But the comment Charles made still lingered with Christian. ”But before training, I think finding a job or a home would be ideal.” Living out of a hotel wasn't bad, but if Penny was staying for a while, it might be cheaper elsewhere.

“You’re right. I’ve been thinking about that for a while, actually. I’ve got enough money in savings to last a while, but I’m going to need some sort of income.” Penny had quit her library job and hadn’t really started looking at jobs, but now that she had time on her hands and was in a better space, it was time for her to look for a new job and either an apartment or hose.

“What if I bought one of those really nice trailers? I can sell my car, buy a truck, and haul the trailer. That way, if I ever leave, I’ll always have somewhere to stay?” She looked at Christian, wanting his opinion on the matter. Penny started feeling just slightly lightheaded as the alcohol finally hit her. “I’m going to bed and then I’ll look for jobs in the morning.”

Penny stepped into Christian’s space and stood up on her toes. She pressed her lips to his cheek in a quick kiss before smiling and walking to her room. “Thanks for listening to my rants and for being so supportive. Goodnight.”

Christian took the shot Penny had poured for him and set the glass back down. He felt a bit of a burn in his throat and picked up the bottle to read it over. He never felt anything he consumed or tasted, so this was another new experience. He set the bottle down when Penny looked at him.

”A travel trailer would be a good idea. You’ll always have the comforts of home,” he said, smiling at Penny. With his attention back on her, Christian could see the glassy look in Penny’s eyes of someone who was drunk, or at the very least tipsy. Christian smiled, feeling that he had successfully completed the mission he had set out to do when he left Penny that note earlier.

He busied himself with closing the bottles and looking for something to cover the wine when Penny kissed his cheek. Christian froze, definitely feeling that. He slowly looked at Penny, who was smiling as she thanked him and said good night. Christian felt his cheeks warm as she walked away. He looked away and cleared his throat.

”Yes, yes of course. Goodnight,” he said quickly before returning to the task of cleaning. Once Penny was gone from the room, Christian brushed his fingers against his cheek. It still felt strange to him but not uncomfortable. If anything, it confused Christian.

He puzzled over Penny’s kiss for most of the night, flipping through TV channels and wishing he had a book of some kind. If these overnights with Penny were going to become a common occurrence, he needed her to start travelling with a library or something that would keep Christian stimulated during the night.

The following day, around six in the morning, Christian left Penny’s hotel room in search of a decent breakfast and coffee. On his way back, he gathered a few newspapers that had classifieds and a magazine that showcased used and new trailers. Christian knew all this information was readily available on the internet. Still, he wasn’t going to break into Penny’s laptop and violate her privacy—at least more than he already was by remaining in her hotel room at night. Besides, now he had something to read and do while Penny slept.

Christian set Penny’s breakfast down on the counter, the tray of coffees beside it. He wasn’t sure what she liked, so he gathered a variety of caffeinated drinks, both hot and cold, and an assortment of packaged teas and hot water. Whatever she didn’t want, Christian would take for himself. He was coming to the understanding that even though eating and drinking didn’t benefit him any, it was something Penny required and something that might make him a little less unsettling if he went through more of the motions that humans did. Like breathing.

Christian sat down at the little table and flipped through the papers, looking for jobs and places for sale.

Penny's face flushed when she saw Christian sitting at the table with breakfast and looking through newspapers. She had thoroughly beat herself up this morning after waking up once she remembered she kissed him on the cheek the night before. Friends kissed each other on the cheek all the time, right? She was never drinking again.

"Good morning! You have quite the spread here." Penny observed, eyeing the coffees and sugary drinks until her eyes landed on the teas. Her eyes brightened and she sat down, opting for a green tea packet. "You're always doing nice stuff like this for me when you don't have to. Thank you." She took a long sip of her tea and sighed happily into it. She noticed Christian scanning through various newspapers and she tilted her head. Not many people looked at newspapers these days. It wasn't super uncommon, but it wasn't frequent either.

"Find anything interesting?" Penny took a bite out of the toast that sat on the table in front of her. The remote was next to Christian and so she grabbed it and turned the TV on to the news station. Penny was unsurprised to see newscasters in front of the vampire house. The police found tons of blood at the crime scene and were determined to find the culprit who supposedly murdered a bunch of college students... though no bodies were found. Penny hoped that they wouldn't try to track her down and question her since she used to be their neighbor. "They shouldn't be able to track that back to me... right?"