James: "You're stalking me, aren't you?"
Mary: "You have quite a high opinion of yourself, don't you?"
James: "There's no other explanation for you being in a place like this. I came here to get away from you, and yet here you are."
Mary: "You didn't have to come over here and start talking to me. I was perfectly happy not knowing you were here."
James: "Well, now we can share our misery."

Mary: "Share it? I have plenty of my own, I don't need yours too."
James: "I see you are unfamiliar with the concept of sharing."

Mary looked at James quizzically.

James: "Because, see, you'd give me some… oh, never mind. Cheers to misery."

James held out his glass as Mary lifted her own. They sipped their drinks thoughtfully for a few moments, both of them staring down at the bar.

James: "I heard you and Emily are taking karate classes."
Mary: "Yep."
James: "How's that working out?"
Mary: "I think Em's done."
James: "Done with class?"

Mary: "More like done with me."
James: "What did you do?"

Mary: "What did I do?"
James: "Okay… what did she do?"
Mary: "Nothing. She just won't listen to me."
James: "Are you listening to her?"
Mary: "No."
James: "Why not?"
Mary: "Because she's being completely stupid."

James: "About what?"
Mary: "She's dating a complete sack of shit."
James: "Andy? He's a nice guy. Upstanding citizen sort."
Mary: "Yes but-"

Mary stopped mid sentence and stared at James.

James: "What?"
Mary: "He is, isn't he."

James: "Sure. A little dull, maybe."
Mary: "So it's not that I don't understand, it's that no one else understands."
James: "Isn't that the walking definition of crazy?"
Mary: "It is, isn't it?"

Mary began twirling her glass in slow, rhythmic circles on the bar. Emily was at least trying to make progress after Ian. Everyone knew he had been no good, that was a quick and foolproof determination. On the surface, he and Stone appeared to be polar opposites. Ian was completely dysfunctional, drunk, out of control and abusive. Andrew was stable, clean cut and pleasant to be around if you were blissfully unaware of the monster lurking beneath still waters. Everyone loved him.

Almost everyone.

Mary: "James, why did Tristan leave town?"
James: "That's complicated."
Mary: "I am capable of complex thought, you know."

James sighed, set down his glass and stared at the bubbles rising to the surface.

James: "There were a lot of factors. He just wasn't… happy where he was."
Mary: "He doesn't like Andrew, does he?"

James looked up at her sharply.

James: "No, but not for the same reasons as you."
Mary: "Really? Tristan obviously has a thing for Emily. But it goes beyond simple jealousy, doesn't it? He doesn't think Stone is any good for her, either."
James: "I suppose not. Mostly, though, I don't think Tristan likes who he's become."
Mary: "You mean, like a raging psychotic?"
James: "Well, I guess…"

Mary reached over and grabbed a hold of James' hand. She'd had an ally all along, and had let him slip silently away into the night. She couldn't believe how clear it suddenly was - she'd thought she handle things alone, but she couldn't. Alone she was crazy. But even Crazy would have some real strength in numbers.

Mary: "James, listen to me. You have to get him back here."
James: "Mary, I really don't think-"

Mary: "James! Listen. I love Emily. Apparently, so does Tristan. What does it say to you that the two people on this earth who love her the most are seeing the same thing?"
James: "That Emily attracts crazy people?"
Mary: "James!"
James: "Okay, okay. If I hear from him, I'll see what I can do. Please stop yelling at me now."
Mary: "I need you on board with this. You have to believe me, Andrew Stone is up to no good."
James: "Okay, Fritz, relax. I'm willing to consider your point of view, but it would really help if you'd put down the torch."

Mary: "Sorry. But he's dangerous."
James: "Has he done anything to put Emily in danger?"
Mary: "He gave her pills. Valium."
James: "Maybe she was having trouble sleeping?"
Mary: "What are you, living in the 50s? It's a dangerous drug. It's addictive and there are a ton of really bad side effects. No one prescribes that stuff anymore."
James: "Okay… anything else?"
Mary: "He hasn't done anything else to her that I know of. Other than getting her to fall for his crap."

James: "Then what's he done to you?"
Mary: "To me? There was that whole having me kidnapped by a vampire thing. Playing the hero sure helped him get close to Emily right from the start."
James: "Wait, you think HE was the hero?"
Mary: "Well, no, I guess I did get out on my own. But he was definitely putting on heroic airs, and that's right about the time that Emily started to sleep a lot more soundly."
James: "Wait a minute, you think ANDY set up the whole kidnapping?

Mary nodded solemnly.

James: "And it took you until just now to realize you're a raging psychotic?"
Mary: "Well, yes."

James: "I see. And you want my help?"
Mary: "Yes. For Emily."
James: "And you won't yell at me when I give it?"
Mary: "No. Just… I think we can work together. On this."

James: "Okay. It's a deal."
Mary: "Thank you."
James: "My pleasure. Anything else you need from me, Mary Jo?"

Mary opened her mouth, but was unsure of what to say. For the first time in months, she felt that her feet were finally on solid ground. Her fierce determination was now fueled by hope, and although she couldn't quite explain why she felt so safe next to James in that moment, she did. She had a sudden sense of deja-vu, as if she'd known him in a previous life, and known him well.

Chris: "Care to dance, Love?"

Mary was jolted out of her thoughts by the vampire's voice, and abruptly pulled her hand away from James.

Mary: "I- yeah."

James watched as Mary's face visibly hardened, an iron curtain crashing down. He closed his eyes as her hand slipped away from him and she allowed her boyfriend to sweep her away onto the dance floor.