A/N: Here it is ladies and gents! The second part of my Lost Boys fandom series! Took me long enough, didn't it? I have been busy though with some other projects and school work, so can you blame me? Anyway, this is a Dwayne/OC pairing as you probably already know, and I think I should warn you that I suck at writing sequels to anything and that this will probably be a lot shorter than "Crimson" was. It's just going to have be played by ear for now…

Without further ado, here is "Mother Knows Best"…

OOOOOOOOO

A dancer turned and twisted to the music coming from a guitarist's instrument. Flashes of gold shone in the dim light, coming from the faux gold disks attached to her skirt and a fitted shirt with low-slung sleeves. Her stomach was bared to the world, revealing smooth tanned skin and the smallest glint of a bellybutton ring. The dancer's hair hung freely, a trail of black down just above her shoulder blades and thin golden earring hoops poked out from under her hair. A smile and smoky eyes finished the look as she moved along to the music, so strange on the boardwalk full of tourists and freaks. She moved as if she were a part of the music and didn't seem to notice that she didn't fit in.

"She's a good dancer, huh?" a voice broke Dwayne out of his train of thought and the vampire turned his attention from the dancer to his sister. "And very, very pretty."

The corner of Dwayne's lips turned up into a half-smile. "Jealous, Sis?"

"Nope. She's got the exotic beauty and I've got the old-fashioned kind," the redhead answered, leaning her elbows against the bench she was kneeling on beside him. "I'm fairly confident in my body…Not like her though. She's really confident in that." The redhead sighed. "I'd never be able to pull off an outfit like that."

Dwayne's gaze slid over the redhead's slim body and back to her face, shaking his head. "No, I don't think you would, Faith."

Faith smiled and bumped her elbow against his, turning her gaze onto the dancer again. It had almost been a year since she had joined the small group of vampires as a fledgling. Already pale as a human, she had not lost much color during the chance. She was David's girlfriend and mate, but a sister to the rest of the Lost Boys. The girl had given up her life back at New York City, but she had pointed out that it wasn't much of a life, and she had left her cousin and friends because of her heart's desire for true love.

Dwayne thought it was a little funny that she had decided to not wear the ring that David had given her incarnation, Adalyn, many decades ago. Adalyn had wanted to keep it, popping out into the present to let her voice be heard, but Faith controlled her body with an iron grip and refused to let herself wear gold. She hated gold and refused to let anyone sway her. David had growled at her and gotten into an argument with the fledgling, which ended up with the two of them disappearing into the caves for the duration of the day and part of the night. Faith refused to let the incarnation take over her body, except when she couldn't handle David and the Lost Boys' sire, Max. That seemed to be the only time that the incarnation did any good for the poor modern girl.

"David's talking with the bastard," Faith said, catching the thought passing through Dwayne's mind. She pressed a hand against her stomach for a brief moment. "And Max is pissed."
Dwayne said nothing about that and looked back at the dancer, who was now dancing to another song. The other Boys knew that Max was pissed because of the new vampire masters coming into his territory. As far as they all knew, there were two new vampire masters staking territories around the boardwalk and town of Santa Carla. Only one of them seemed to want a bit of a peace between Max and them and he (Max) had negotiated terms on what the other master could do and when. The Boys had bumped into a couple of the other vampires, but Faith hadn't. And David had made it clear that Faith was not to be left alone at any moment because he wouldn't have her turned into a play thing by any other vampire.

Faith didn't complain…much.

"So do you know either one of them?" Faith asked, gesturing at the dancer and guitarist with her eyes. Dwayne lifted an eyebrow at her. "Don't look at me like that. You know what I'm talking about, Dwayne. Do you know either of their names?"

Dwayne shook his head.

"Are you meaning to tell me that you've watched these two for weeks and you still don't know what their names are?" Faith's eyes widened in surprise. "And here everyone had me thinking that you were the silent observant one…Do you know anything about these people?"

The Lost Boy nodded and looked at the dancer as the music shifted pace. "They are not native to this country. The language they speak, I have never heard it before. It's not Spanish or…And the little one – the boy – he is lame. His right foot is tilted at an angle and causes him to limp severely. He is no more than thirteen and she –" Dwayne's eyes followed the dancer's lithe figure. "– is nineteen."

"Perfect age," Faith said with a smile. "For you, anyway. When are you going to speak to her, Dwayne?"

Dwayne shook his head and folded his arms across his chest left bare except for the light jacket he wore. "Probably never."

"Why not?"

"I don't know what to say," Dwayne admitted, casting another glance in the dancer's direction before turning to look at Faith. "And I don't want the others to -"

Faith held up a hand to silence him. "Say no more. This is your business and not ours. Paul and Marko won't find out about this through me. Your secret will be safe until you decide to reveal it to us all." A playful smile crossed the young vampire's lips. "Maybe she'll join the family one day…like I did."

The redhead pushed herself off of the bench and circled it, heading in the direction past the dancer. Dwayne made himself follow her, David's orders to keep an eye on her clear in his mind, and he saw that she paused next to the dancer. For a moment, Dwayne's long dead heart clenched, but Faith made no comment to the dancer about their conversation.

"Very nice dancing," Faith said, tossing some money into the hat on the ground at the dancer's feet.

The dancer smiled and bowed her head in acknowledgement, never falling out of rhythm with her guitarist. Faith glanced over her shoulder at Dwayne, smiled, and then moved off into the crowd of the boardwalk. Dwayne reached into his pockets and closed his hand around some paper money, trying to look casual as he approached the dancer.

OOOOOOOOO

The dancer looked up and smiled at the redhead that paused a moment to place some money in the hat before her. She watched the girl fade into the night, getting a strange lonely vibe from her as if she were lost. The redhead was gone before the dancer could say anything and she returned her attention to the dance that Roma was still playing is guitar for. Her body twisted and turned, moving as if one with the music and truly that was how she felt when the music came from the beaten guitar in Roma's hands.

Roma made a small sound when a dark haired man approached their entertainment area, causing the dancer to look up in alarm. The man wore no shirt, choosing a jacket instead over his bare, tanned flesh. She felt heat flush her face when she let her gaze stay on his perfectly sculpted body and quickly told herself to look away.

Grandmother would smack me for thinking of men like that, she thought, shaking herself out of the dangerous carnal thoughts. Get a grip.

The dancer's eyes found the man's once more when he tossed a wad of money into the hat at her feet. The smallest hint of a smile tugged at his lips before he moved on down the boardwalk. She looked after him and danced until Roma's music faded away.

"Iona," Roma whispered in their native tongue, resting his guitar across his lap. "We did well?"

Iona turned to look at her cousin and smiled as he held the hat full of money up so she could see it. The hat was halfway full. "Yes, Roma. We did well tonight," the dancer replied with the same tongue. "Come. We have to get you home to Grandmother Ruby before it gets late. You know how she worries about you."

Bending slightly at the waist, Iona slid her arm around Roma's thin frame and helped him to his feet. He let out a small sound of discomfort when he placed a little too much weight on his bad foot, but managed to stand alone while Iona collected the hat full of money. Iona poured the money into a drawstring bag and playfully put the hat on Roma's head with a smile. The thirteen year old boy smiled at her and slung his guitar over his shoulder, the instrument nearly as tall as he was.

"Come, Roma," Iona said, hooking her arm around Roma's elbow. "Gage will be finishing his time at the stand and he'll take you home to Grandmother." Her eyes scanned the world with concern. "We trust him. Right?"

Roma nodded and leaned close to Iona, trying to ease the weight off his foot a little. "Will you be coming home too?"

Iona shook her head. "Not yet. I want to listen to the new band that's here. I won't be long though – maybe a few songs and then I will come home to you and Grandmother."

The teenager squeezed her arm gently and hobbled along next to her. "But what are you going to do about the evil monsters swarming here? You need someone to protect you from them."

The vampires are not the monsters that I am worried about, Iona thought, pointedly not looking at the different men around the boardwalk as she guided her adopted cousin towards the carnival games. These human men have a more dangerous thirst than vampires.

"Don't worry about me, Roma," Iona said with what she hoped was a warm smile. "I have my cross and a pocketknife. Nothing is going to hurt me."

Roma seemed to be satisfied with the answer and was silent as they maneuvered their way through the crowd. Iona caught him looking at random women around his age with a hopeful gleam in his eyes. She knew he was thinking about what it would be like to be with one of them in a happy relationship with all of its carnal pleasures. It made her smile slip and she had to look away from him.

It was clear from the moment he had been born that he wouldn't find someone to be his mate for life. With the odd angle of his foot, forever marking him as lame, Roma couldn't compete with the other boys his age. When they could run, all he could do was limp around on his crippled foot. Grandmother Ruby had told Iona in secret, that she didn't expect the boy to live long after Iona would find a suitable husband for herself. It had surprised her altogether that Roma had survived so long as it was.

"He is vampire bait," Grandmother Ruby had said, weaving away at her loom. "An easy target…if you and Gage were not around, the boy would be long buried…"

"Gage!" Roma called, waving his hand when they came within earshot of the man.

The man, so different in origin from the two of them, looked away from his stand as the most recent customer left. A broad smile slid across his face and he gave a little wave.

"Roma! Iona!" he said, the slight Hispanic accent coming through his voice like a gentle ocean's wave. "How did you fare tonight?"

Roma lifted the bag of money and jingled it. "We did well. People like Iona's dancing a lot."

Gage's eyes turned towards Iona and she felt heat flood her face. "She is a good dancer. It would be hard for someone to not like the way she dances."

"You're being kind," Iona said, reaching underneath the counter and pulling a small backpack from there. "The only reason we make so much money is because of men's lustful thoughts as they watch my body move. I can feel them undressing me with their eyes and all I can do is smile at them like I don't notice. It's degrading, but I must make money to survive and for..."

She trailed off and glanced nervously at Roma, but he was busy examining the prizes of the carnival game. Gage nodded, knowing what she was talking about after many conversations about it. He understood why she was trying to raise money and he was raising money for the same reason.

Someday soon, Gage would take Roma away from Santa Carla and go far, far away from the world that they knew. Iona wanted Grandmother Ruby to go with them, but the older woman had been firm about staying. She had lived eighty-four years in Santa Carla and had seen much. She didn't wish to leave the world she knew, even with the increase of vampires flooding the little community. Grandmother Ruby would live the rest of her life in the house she was raised and be buried in the cemetery beside her husband and departed family members.

"You understand the need to stay here," Grandmother had said. "This is the only life I have ever known and I will see it to the end. Child, you will not leave with Roma and Gage. I can see it. You will stay and thrive, as long as you don't fall prey to those who stalk the night. You will, of course, need a protector. Keep vigilant and you may find him before Gage and Roma leave. God help you find one before I die."

Iona slipped into a small room to change out of her dancing outfit. She didn't want to think about her grandmother dying. All of Iona's life had been spent under the care of her grandmother because her father had run away and her mother had died before Iona turned four. Grandmother Ruby had taught Iona how to cook, weave, and dance. And she had taught Iona how to tell when a person was being dishonest and how to pick out the dangerous people in a sea of faces.

The young dancer slid into a pair of white denim cut-off shorts and a tank-top shirt. Donning on a pair of calf-high black boots and her light jacket, Iona glanced at herself in the small mirror. Pulling off her circlet and removing the extra gold necklaces at her throat, she was happy with what she saw. She knew she was no beauty by American standards, but she didn't mind. As long as she was happy, that was all that mattered.

That man, Iona thought, putting her dancing clothes into the bag. That man who came after the girl, he noticed me. Without the lust and crudeness of the other men. All he did was watch and smile. A friendly smile…He could protect m-

Iona shook her head and bit her bottom lip. "No! Don't think that!" she hissed at the mirror. "I don't know that man and he doesn't know me…How could he protect me from the living dead? No, it's just a spell of idle wishing. I will never see him again and never cross paths with him. Tonight is the end of that dream."

She shouldered the bag and slipped from the small room, coming near Gage and Roma who were closing down the game for the night. Roma smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her, holding her close.

"Iona, please come home with us," he said, letting his smile slip. "It's not safe."

"I will be fine," Iona promised, handing her bag over to Gage. "I won't be long if the band isn't that great. I swear."

Gage nodded and reached out, shaking her hand. "I will see you when you come home. May God protect you tonight."

Iona smiled and left the carnival game station, heading towards the area of concert viewers. She didn't look back and she didn't acknowledge anyone who gave her a lustful look-over as she passed them. None of them mattered as long as they kept their hands to their selves.

The band was playing on speakers too loud for her ears. She stayed at the back of the crowd, watching the band move around the stage, screaming into the microphone. The crowd was as lively as ever and Iona could feel the energy of the dozens of bodies gathered on the sand. And then she felt something that she wasn't used to.

She felt eyes on her that were not filled with lust or danger.

Iona glanced around her and finally saw who was looking at her. She instantly recognized the redhead girl from the main boardwalk, swaying to the music and not paying attention to anyone around her. The man next to her was the good looking man who gave her money and he was staring across the crowd.

Staring at her.

OOOOOOOOO

A/N: Short and sweet – that's how I roll these days. Please don't expect me to update very quickly due to the fact that I have many projects on here that must be done and I have to balance those with my education and original projects. I will try to update when I can and I will respond to those whose reviews I feel comfortable enough to answer. Thank you, my dears! And I hope to see you on here again real soon! -Scarlet