I slammed down my beer. The glass shattered on the concrete. That was my ninth beer of the night. It was w week ago today that she was taken from me. Now I was sitting in her spot, going through a case of beer. I just knew she was happy now. Perhaps, for the first time ever, she had no worries at all. As I wiped the blood off my palm, I couldn't help but wonder if she watched over me. If she knew that Justin abandoned me. I'd needed him and he'd turned his back on me. He spends all his time with Harper now, and I'm left to deal with it alone. I rested my head against the wall, where everyone had spray painted a memorial for Alex, and began to cry.

"Alex, if you're out there, can you give me a sign? I miss you." I yelled out.

Just then, a girl around my age came and sat down beside me. She looked at me for a couple minutes, then pilled me into a hug. I pushed her away.

"Who the fuck are you?" I snapped.

She smirked. "My name isn't important. What is important is that you know some stuff about Alex, God rest her soul, that she probably didn't tell you."

I grabbed another beer. As I chugged it back I took another really good look at her. She looked so familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"Max, take my hand. There's something I want to show you." She held her hand out for me.

"Why? Why should I trust you. Alex taught me more about this place than you think. If you really knew Alex you could tell me what her only true weakness was. What was Alex's kryptonite?"

"It was you Max. The only thing Alex was ever susceptible to was you. In fact, the only time I ever saw her cry out here was the day Dean and his crew threatened to hurt you. She slept on your windowsill for a month. Waiting to protect you." The girl still had her hand out. For some unexplainable reason, I shouldered my bag and took it.

We began walking and before I knew it, we were on some abandoned old lot. It had spraypainting and skateboard scuffs all over. In the center, there was a massive bloodstain.

"What is this place?" I croaked looking up at her.

She pointed at the place where the stain had been. Only now, there were people in its place.

One was a massive black guy. He was standing with his back to us. He had a smaller black guy with him. Standing across from him was a much smaller person, but I couldn't make out who. As he circled around his opponent, she came into view much clearer. It was a sixteen year old Alex. I looked at the girl standing beside me. She was no longer smiling, but rather was stony faced.

I watched in horror as the smaller black guy grabbed Alex and held her arms back.

"NO! STOP IT!" I yelled. But I knew it was no use.

The black man's voice boomed across the lot. "Russo, you betrayed Luther. What did you expect? That we'd just be able to forget it and move on? No, you've gotta pay somehow. You tipped off the cops. Are you an idiot? You were fucking in on that lift. How could you let Luther get locked up?"

"Jesus Christ Zak. I didn't tip off anyone. I didn't even tell the rest of the crew about this lift. Why would I want Luther behind bars? He's my boyfriend." Zak's fist flew across Alex's jaw. There was a sickening crack and my stomach retched.

"Oh I don't know, maybe so you could get around and get high without him being there to frown on it. Don't stone faced lie to me Alex. You'll do what I say, when I say got it?" He aimed a kick for her shin.

She was faster than him. She curled herself up and Zak made a connection with his buddy's nuts. He went straight down. Alex pulled her knife as she stood up. She was low and ready to attack. I knew the look on her face. I'd seen it last week.

"Take me home. Please. I don't wanna watch my sister murder a man. I mean it." I squeaked in fear.

She put her hand on my chest and jolted it. Next think I knew I was in my bed. My head was pounding with sickening force.

"I must have been really drunk." I mumbled crawling out of bed. I could hear my mom in the kitchen.

"Oh Alex, I miss you. I love you I hope you know that." She was talking to the newly reinstated last known picture she had of Alex. It wasn't really a good one. Alex, had shown up at home for family pictures strung out on coke. She was still pretty, she'd always be pretty, but some of her life was drained. I watched mom wipe away her tears.

Lately, she was always crying and dad was always at the graveyard. He was trying to make his peace with her. I over heard him telling mom one night that he'd go back every single day until he felt that his daughter had forgiven him.

Basically we were completely broken without Alex. I grabbed some toast off a plate and a bottle of water. As I slammed some of my water, mom cornered me.

"Maxi, you've been drinking again. Now you have to know that it doesn't fix pain. You must know by now that it only ever adds to it. Max, Alex was a drunk before she was anything else. Before she became this," she waved the picture in my face, "She was a drunk. I don't want to lose you too. You mean too much to me Max. Please, if for nothing else, for Alex reconsider the way you are dealing with this." She pulled me in for a hug. I finished my toast and got dressed.

"Mom! I'm going out. Don't wait up for me at dinner, I'll take care of it. Love you." I called as I left the apartment.

I jumped on a bus and headed towards Alex's spot again. When I got there I started looking for someone, anyone, around our age. About a half an hour into my hunt, I found a boy who looked like he was a little older than her. He stalked past, smoking a cigarette. I tapped him on the arm.

"What!?" he snapped.

"Uh, I was just wondering what you knew about Alex Russo." I asked.

"Aside from how hot and easy she was?" he laughed, "We all got a turn on Alex. Other than that, she was a coke head. I don't understand why everyone loved her so much. She was a coked out whore." He flicked his butt at me. I snapped.

I launched at him, and we tumbled to the ground. Using my knees I pinned his arms down. I punched him repeatedly. I felt his nose break and blood was beginning to ooze from his nose and mouth, where I'd knocked out a few teeth. I punched him over and over again. He was out cold at this point. I could feel the bones in his face breaking and cracking beneath my knuckles. It didn't matter though, nobody would desecrate MY sister's memory. I probably would have killed him, but then a pair of hands closed over my shoulders and pulled me up. I gave him one last kick, and spat on him just for good measure.

I whirled around on the person who'd pulled me off. It was Justin. He had a look like on his face that communicated exactly how I had felt seeing Alex last night.

"Max, what happened? Mom asked me to come find you and have a talk with you. I knew you'd be down here. You looked like you were about to kill that kid." He tried stating evenly.

I sat down. "Justin, he called Alex a coked out slut. He said she was easy. I couldn't just let him spit on her memory!" I raged.

"Well you know better Max. And I think I know what you really came looking for. Luther, right?" he shot back. I nodded. "He's still in prison. I'll take you if you want." He offered.

We walked back to his car. As we climbed in, I looked him in the eyes. "Thanks Justin. For, stopping me back there. That's not who I am. I hope you know that."

He lit a smoke. He'd switched to Alex's brand. His way of remembering some part of her, I guess. "Max, people out there are always going to have something bad to say about our sister. But the people who care are the ones you need to surround yourself with. Okay? Alex wouldn't want you becoming hardened like her. It's no way to live Max."

*Plink* *Plink* I rolled over. *Plink*Someone was chucking rocks against my window. I flashed my light on and off in hopes of scaring them away. They stopped. I figured it was just some punk. Then I heard my window slide open and looked up to Alex jumping in.

There was dried blood everywhere. Her mouth was hanging completely open and off at some weird angle. There were some teeth that were broken and chipped. I knocked on Justin's wall. He came over.

"This had better be good Max. I was actually getting some fucking sleep for a change." He looked up from rubbing his eyes. "Holy shit Alex. Are you ok? Wait what am I saying, of course you aren't. Hold on. I'm going downstairs to get the medical spellbook." He left.

I went to the bathroom next door and got a wet cloth. I went and sat down beside her. She pulled me in for a hug. As we pulled away, I started cleaning the blood and tears off her face.

That night was the night that everything changed for Alex. She grew hard. She became tough and she fought with everyone.

"Max! Snap out of it. What's up?" I shook my head.

"Nothing man, just blanked out. Sorry." I pulled out a pack of Bubblicious from my bag. I always had about ten packs. I ate them like most people eat candy. It was my stress reliever. I started shoving it down.

Justin looked over at me. "Something's on your-" I cut him off.

"When the fuck did you start caring? You abandoned me. I mean, I don't care if you wanna date Harper but you left me to deal all alone. Mom won't stop crying and talking to Alex's picture long enough to coherently speak, and dad may as well move in at her gravesite. Of course none of that matters to you cause you're getting laid and that's your self medication, but no one is left for me. Frankly Justin, I'm beginning to understand Lexie better. She cared about everyone, and rarely got any in return." I wasn't yelling, but my tone of voice made my point clear.

He lit another smoke. "You really feel like I abandoned you? Cause I never meant to. You are everything I have left. I'm so sorry."

"Yeah well, you did and I'm fine. People out there have helped me, just like they helped her."

He cuffed me on the head. "Those people brought Alex down. They fed her drugs and forced her to fight for her life every single day Max."

"No Justin, Alex wanted the drugs. She lived for the fight everyday. Aside from us, those people were the best part of her. They kept her going and lately they've been keeping me going too. So don't you say shit about them." I snapped

We rode in silence for a while. "Max, I'm sorry." He apologised about a half hour later.

"Justin, something happened to me me last night. Nothing bad, just paranormal. Remember the night Alex showed up with a shattered jaw? I know who did it. I saw it."

"What do you mean saw it?"

"Well, I was hanging at Alex's spot…and I asked her for a sign. Some girl came and like, took me back to that night I guess. It was Zak, Luther's best friend and some other kid."

"But Zak's dead. How can he have done it?" He was turning white. Justin knew what was coming next.

"She killed him. Remember how scared and shaken she was? And how much blood there was? She was protecting herself, he would have killed her. You didn't see the passion in Zak's eyes. They were smoldering with hatred." I rubbed his shoulder. He rolled out of the touch.

"We're here. Want me to come in with you?" I shook my head

"I won't be long. I just need to tell him about Alex."

As I went in, they searched me. Then they took me to a room. I showed them the picture of Luther that Alex had given me. Well, it was both of them. They were kissing, and Alex was smiling into the kiss. She said it was her happiest memory. The door slammed open and Luther came in.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"I, uh, I'm…Alex's little brother Max." I stammered.

"Alex? How's my baby girl doing? I miss her so much little dude." He smiled. I hated that I was the one who had to do this.

"She's, well, dead. I'm sorry. Dean Moriarte and some kids, they killed her while she was visiting me."

They say you'll never see a man cry in jail. Well, crying was an understatement in Luther's case. He completely broke down.

"Luther? They found this in her pocket that night. I think she'd want you to have it." I gave him the picture.

"I was going to marry her you know. I was going to find a job, when I get out in a week. I was going to get her clean, get her out of the streets, and marry her. I want you to know that I loved your sister. She was my angel, my everything. She was the girl of my dreams. Tough but sweet. Funny, flirty and just loved living life and being able to have fun. She was really special, you know? I miss her, alot." He cried.

"Look man, if you wanna come by…she left a box of stuff with me. It's labelled for you and I've never opened it."

"Thanks little dude. For everything. You're alright by me." He smiled as I left.

As I stepped out into the sun, I noticed the girl from last night sitting under a tree. She was smoking and crying.

"Hey you, what's wrong?" I asked sitting down.

"My boyfriend's in there, but I can't see him." She took a sharp puff of her cigarette. I noticed that she was smoking Alex's brand.

"Why can't you? I just saw a pal, it's definitely allowed."

"Well, he can't see me." She wiped her eyes a little. It finally dawned on me.

"Alex…but, how come I couldn't recognise you?" I sputtered.

"It's sort of an angel thing. Once you figure out your guardian angel, then you see them the way you want." I looked back at her and she did look like good old Alex again.

"I miss you. Things aren't the same. Even you alive and gone is better than you dead and here. No offense. But Justin abandoned me for Harper, and he was all I had left. Does you being my angel mean you'll always be around?"

"Not exactly. I'll always be watching you, but you won't always be able to see me. It prevents you from looking weird. Speaking of which, I should go. That thing I was trying to prevent…is happening. I love you Max." she faded away.

"Hey, Max! Ready to go home?" Justin called

I ran to the car. "Let's go visit Alex. Dad should be gone by the time we get there."

He smiled. "Absolutely."

ALEX'S POV-2 MONTHS LATER

Since I got assigned to Max he helped me do so much, even though it should have been the other way around. I'd forgiven myself for killing Zak, with Max holding my hand the entire way. I also was able to give dad the peace he wanted.

Luther got the box of baby stuff. We'd been pregnant but, as the letter stated, Zak's attack had put an end to that.

Now here I was in a tree, watching my three boys play ball in the clearing behind my graveyard. Thanks to Max, Luther had moved in at our place. He now lived in, but never changed, my room. He was working for dad and Justin was helping him through night school.

Max always called himself the last lost boy, but he'd helped more people find themselves than anyone ever helped him. Peter would be proud.