A/N – Time to try a different pairing…this might go slightly awry.

xXx

"No Jess tonight then?" Karen should've known the usual Friday night custom; she, Bex and Harry were usually the ones having their late night tea from the chippie whilst Jess was in town larging it.

"No, but she is upstairs." Harry noted, taking his place at the table.

"Oh, really?" She frowned. "Doing what exactly?"

He shrugged. "She doesn't usually tell me. From what I could loosely gather, she's been on the internet a lot."

Karen thought it best not to probe any further; after all, Jess was at the age where she could pretty much do whatever she wanted – within reason, of course.
The fact that she was being anti-social didn't bother her, as she was usually like that every Friday night, home or otherwise. What did bother her, however, was what she was on the internet for.

...

"Don't you think we should find out?" Bex asked Harry after they'd finished their tea and were sitting in the lounge together.

"You know what Jess is like though." He noted. "She'll only get all defensive or go for the worst option and lie about it."

"But mum is bothered about it, if you'd seen her at the table." She suggested. "After all that's happened with us, we should at least try not to let anything else happen."

Jess didn't know why she was doing what she was – but she was getting a huge thrill out of it.
She'd been on the sixth dating site that night, uploading a few pictures here and there before moving onto the seventh.

"Jess?" Bex's voice was heard from outside her bedroom door.

"Just a second." She quickly closed the windows on her laptop, before folding the top down and then getting up to unlock the door.

"Why have you locked the door?" A few attempts at twisting the doorknob failed, as the lock was swiftly slid away from the door. "What was all that about?"

"Well you know what mum's like." She chirpily noted, leading her into the bedroom. "Poking her nose in here and there all the time. I do get a bit sick of it you know, Bex."

"Yeah, but still…" She slowly sat down on her bed, gazing over at her laptop, with its top folded over. She knew it was still on as she could see the power light flashing against the wall. "I am your sister. You shouldn't have to hide things from me."

"Why would I hide anything from you?" She frowned. "I haven't got anything to hide."

"Oh. Well, good." She gazed into her sister's eyes carefully. "Why aren't you out in town tonight?"

"Wanted a change of scenery." Jess quickly fibbed. "The clubbing scene does get a bit boring for me sometimes."

She smirked a little. "Doesn't sound like something you'd usually want to do." She came closer to her. "So you were bored with that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know…I guess so." She almost jumped when she felt a hand on her wrist.

Bex looked to her, her eyes softening somewhat. "So we can do more sisterly things together?"

She drew in a small yet deep breath. She hadn't expected her to say something like that. It wasn't like she didn't want to spend any time with her, but it would immensely scupper her own plans. "Sisterly things like what?"

"Well…you know. Going into town together to go shopping…that sort of thing."

"So no clubbing?" She sounded crestfallen.

She shook her head softly. "You know doing that sort of thing too often the way you do does you no favours."

Jess sharply looked away. "What next, doing flower-pressing together?"

Bex gazed at her, shocked. "You don't have to be so sarcastic about it." Not wanting to leave things so tense between them, she tried again, placing her hand on her shoulder. "Jess, we've been apart for so long…don't you think we should spend some time together as sisters?"

"Come clubbing with me one night." She pleaded. "Then you'll see what it's really like."

"You know my feelings on things like that, and I don't like it." She noted. "God only knows who you'll meet in places like that. You should know, after what happened before."

"They're not all like that." Jess protested.

Bex softly shook her head. "That's not what I want us to do as sisters. You've got the wrong idea about it."

"Ok, if that's the way you want to play it." She scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Go back to your flower-pressing or daisy-chain making. See if I care."

"Jess…" She went to protest, as she was pushed back outside and had her sentence cut off by the door closing in her face.

Undefeated, she went back downstairs, curling herself up on the sofa not too far away from Harry.

"No luck, I take it?" He assumed quietly.

She shook her head dimly. "There's no reasoning with her."

He smirked to himself. "Trying reasoning with her when she isn't sober."

"Where's mum anyway?" She noticed Karen wasn't really about, not since after tea had finished.

"Gone out, I think." He had to think back to about five minutes ago. "That caretaker from the school wanted to pick her up…take her out somewhere."

"Oh?" Bex couldn't help but mentally take note of that. "Husband number three, is it?"

"I don't know." Harry peered down at the floor. "I hope not. I think she could do better than him."

"He's not that bad." She gazed over at him. "I can think of worse people she could've gone with."

"Did she give a very good reason as to why she wasn't out like she usually is?" He wanted to know.

She drew in a small breath. "She said she was bored."

He laughed a little to himself. "I think she's having you on, Bex."

"Why can I not shake off this feeling that something bad is going to happen?"

"To us?" Harry assumed. "Don't you think you're worrying too much? We're together now, things are going to be fine."

"I just know something will happen." She noted shakily, trying to take her mind off her worry by attempting to watch the TV.