~...Chapter Two...~

"You think she'll find a job?"

"I don't know. I hope so."

It was their first official day living in Santa Carla, and Quinn and Peyton had decided to hit the beach. It was already full by the time they'd gotten there, full of sunbathers and surfers and anyone else you'd normally find on a beach in the middle of Summer. Their mom, in the meantime, had politely declined joining, insisting that she had to find a job if they wanted to continue living in the small town.

Quinn sighed as she leaned back, resting her forearms on the navy-blue towel. She hoped her mom could find a job, if not right away then soon. She knew it wouldn't be too hard, since her mom had reassured them that she had a pretty impressive history when it came to working. But again, it was the middle of summer, and Quinn knew that most jobs had been taken way before it'd started, meaning the chances of her mom finding a job in Santa Carla had shot down.

"You think we'll stay here for good?" Quinn asked her older sister.

Peyton shrugged and said, "I hope so. I can't stand moving around."

"Me either." Quinn wriggled her toes deeper into the sand, letting the warmth cover and tickle her feet. "Can I ask you something?" Her voice was quieter than usual, and she hoped Peyton had heard her over the loud screams of young children playing in the water.

"Shoot."

"What was dad like?" Quinn finally turned her head, and found Peyton looking out at the ocean. It was hard for her to tell how her sister felt about the question, since she had her sunglasses on.

"Why do you ask?" Peyton said finally, and Quinn released a small, relieved breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding.

"You guys never talk about him, and I didn't wanna ask mom. She's got too much on her plate already." Quinn explained, averting her eyes.

"He was," Peyton paused suddenly and lightly shook her head. "I don't remember a lot, just bits and pieces. But what I do know is that he was the most amazing person. He was always taking us out to the park for picnics, or to the beach. He was good with you. He used to take you off moms hands for a while, you weren't a good baby," she laughed slightly at the memory and Quinn smiled. "I can't even begin to explain, Quinn. Why did you ask me now, anyway? You've had fifteen years to ask."

The smile slowly faded from Quinn's face. She'd only been three years-old when their dad died. It'd been a big accident, involving a drunk-driver and another two deaths if she didn't include her dad. Peyton had been seven years-old when it happened, and remembered a hell of a lot more than Quinn did. But it also meant that Peyton remembered the pain and sadness that their mom had gone through back then. Even now, twelve years later, Quinn could see how much it hurt their mom that their dad wasn't around, and when that happened Peyton was always their to cheer her up. But for Quinn, it was a little different. She didn't miss their dad; not even a little.

"I feel like I'm old enough to understand it. I mean, he was my dad and I don't even remember what he looks like. Do you know how bad it feels to not remember someone that was so important? Trust me when I say it doesn't feel good." Quinn answered. She knew her tone was snappy, and she hadn't meant for it to come out that way. But it had.

When Peyton lifted her sunglasses and stared at her, Quinn knew shit was about to get real. "Listen to me," her sister started with a firm tone, "Don't feel bad for not remembering him, okay? You were little and you didn't know what was going on. I remember you crying for weeks when dad didn't come home, and then mom would cry because you were crying. It was the worst time of my life. And when you eventually forgot about dad and moved on, so did we. Death happens all the time, Quinn. You grieve and then you move on, and that's just the way it works."

"I don't think mom's moved on just yet." Quinn stated, turning so that she was laying on her stomach.

"Yeah, well, she's not gonna. Dad was the love of her life, I guess, and she's trying to convince herself that there's another one out there somewhere. Obviously, she's still looking." Peyton sounded more annoyed than sympathetic, but Quinn knew it wasn't her fault. They were both paying for the mistakes their mom had made.

"Maybe she'll find him here." Quinn suggested, and was answered with a loud scoff. "I mean it!"

"I hope she doesn't go for that movie-store guy." Peyton muttered, leaning back to lay on her towel.

"What do you have against that guy?" Quinn laughed, and her sister groaned.

"Are you kidding me?! Mom wouldn't shut up about the guy last night. I mean, I know she always talks through our scary-movies but this was different."

Peyton was right. During their movie-night their mom had talked non-stop about how nice and helpful video-store Max was. And while at first it'd been amusing and a little adorable, it had quickly become annoying and worrying. Annoying because they'd been trying to pay attention to the movie, and worrying because they both knew what was going to happen.

"He seems like a nice guy." Quinn wasn't quite sure why she was trying to defend Max, after all she'd been a little wary of him the night before. But he hadn't showed any signs of being a complete asshole, so she was ready to give him a chance. All she had to do was convince Peyton first.

"They all seem nice at first. I guarantee you by the end of the week he'll be living with us." Peyton swore with exasperation.

"Excuse me,"

"I seriously doubt it." Quinn grinned, rather amused by her sisters slight pessimism.

"Excuse me."

Both Quinn and Peyton turned their heads and looked up, eager to see who'd interrupted their intense conversation. "What?" Peyton snapped.

"I'm sorry, did I interrupt somethin'?" The male teen asked, his brows raised.

Quinn looked at her sister, then the guy, then back at her sister. He didn't seem threatening in any way, in fact he looked quite the opposite. Tall, thin, tanned-skin, wearing swim-trunks and holding a surfboard; he looked like an ass, but not dangerous.

"No, no you're fine." Quinn assured him when it appeared her sister wasn't about to say anything. "Can we help you?"

"Uh, no. You girls looked new, so I thought I'd introduce myself." The guy explained a little nervously.

Quinn knew it was a small town, and that it must've meant the locals knew who was who around the place. But of all the people on the beach, they looked new? "Uh-huh. we are." She confirmed with a small smile.

"My name's Ethan." He said, offering her a hand.

"Quinn." She took the hand and gave it a small shake, and afterwards glanced at Peyton. "This is my sister, Peyton."

"Hi." Ethan greeted, and Peyton gave him a nod of acknowledgement.

"So, you live around here?" Quinn asked after a moment of awkward silence. She silently cursed out her sister for being so rude, but also knew that Peyton wasn't usually like that. It must've been their earlier topic of conversation that put her in a bad mood.

"Yep, born and raised. You here for the summer?" Ethan asked as he sat cross-legged in front of her, a clear sign that he wasn't about to leave anytime soon.

"Actually we just moved here." Quinn told him, moving so that she herself sat to face him.

"That's awesome." Ethan exclaimed, and she smiled.

"I guess." Quinn saw his eyes briefly flicker towards Peyton, and it was then that she knew he'd come over for her. "So, is there anything good to do around here?"

Ethan narrowed his eyes in thought. "There's the boardwalk," he said finally, "but it's better at night. The lights make the place look awesome and there's always a new band playing."

"Could you give us a tour? Say, tonight? We still don't know our way around and while that sounds fun, I'd rather do it with someone who knows the area." She asked hopefully. It would be good for her and Peyton to make some new friends.

"Sure! I mean, me and my guys were headed up there tonight anyway so I guess you could tag along. See you tonight? Say, seven thirty?"

"Sounds good!"

"Great, I guess I'll see you tonight." Ethan got to his feet, about to take off, but hung back for a moment. "It was nice meeting you."

"You too."

"And you." His kind words were directed towards Peyton.

To Quinn's relief, her sister didn't nod nor grunt. She gave a smile and a small wave. "Same." He soon walked away, and it was then that Peyton turned on Quinn. "He was totally hitting on you!"

Quinn laughed and shook her head. "Actually, I think he liked you."

"Me?" Peyton asked with a look of confusion. "Why me?"

"Maybe because you're more mature," Quinn looked pointedly at her sisters breasts, which had always seemed to catch male attention.

"Firstly, disgusting. And secondly, I'm not ready for someone else." Peyton stated with a light shake of the head.

"Oh please, wasn't it just yesterday you were asking me if there were any hot guys around here?"

Peyton pointed a finger in Quinn's direction. "I didn't mean that, okay? I'm fresh from a break-up, of course I'm gonna say stupid shit like that. And when I do it's your job to keep me straight."

"So I'm the person that keeps you from sleeping with some random guy?" Peyton nodded in confirmation and Quinn recoiled slightly. "Wow. No pressure there."

"Anyway, we're finally going to check out the boardwalk. We were planning on it anyway, might as well do it with someone who knows where everything is." Peyton said as she stood, making sure to grab her towel as she did so.

"Where're you going?" Quinn asked.

"To get ready." Peyton said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and that Quinn was an idiot for not knowing. "Plus we kind of have to tell mom."

Quinn groaned and threw her head back, one word crossing her already muddled mind. "Shit."

~...~...~

Seven thirty couldn't come fast enough. Quinn had arrived at the Boardwalk with Peyton at around seven, both desperate to get out of unpacking their things. It was a long and boring job and neither had the energy to do it all, so they'd lied and told their mom they had to be at the boardwalk by seven. It was a little white lie, one their mom would forgive if she ever found out, and Quinn had been a little surprised to discover their mom actually had plans herself. She didn't know what the plans were, or who it involved, but she didn't care at that moment. Their mom seemed completely fine with them going out, though they had to be home by eleven at the latest, and said that she herself would be home late.

"What do you think mom's doing tonight?" Quinn asked as they hovered near the boardwalk entrance.

"Who knows. Maybe it's a date." Peyton grinned playfully, and Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Please. We've been here for two days, who the hell would she go on a date with?"

"Video-store Max?"

"You have an obsession." Quinn teased, and Peyton laughed loudly.

Their mom wasn't going on a date. At least Quinn hoped not. It was way too soon for their mom to be talking to another guy, letting alone dating one. Quinn silently wondered if her mom was, in fact, going to see Max. It wouldn't be too bad if she did; he seemed nice enough. Besides, she was sure her mom knew that neither Peyton nor her would let their mom start dating right away. Despite earlier occurrences, she knew that their mom took their word seriously. She wasn't like other mothers, ones that listened and agreed but then threw those warnings straight out the window. She was different. But Quinn also knew that while her mom was kind, she was also a little naïve when it came to men.

"Quinn!"

"Ethan, hi!" Quinn shouted back in greeting.

"You're early." He noted, and she nodded sheepishly.

"Had to get out of the house."

"I understand completely. Is it alright if we join up with my guys? They should be in here already." Ethan said hopefully.

Quinn turned to Peyton and waited for her sisters nod of agreement. "Sure." Peyton said happily. "And sorry about this morning, I was in a bad mood." She added afterwards, looking directly at Ethan.

Ethan's face seemed to light up at Peyton's attention, and Quinn had to subtly roll her eyes for the second time that day. "It's fine." He reassured.

"So, shall we go in?" Quinn asked, gesturing to the large, neon sign that read 'Boardwalk'.

"Lets go."

As they travelled through the bustling boardwalk, Quinn found that Ethan wasn't that bad of a tour guide. He showed them the strip, where there were mostly clothing stores, surfboard stores, a tattoo parlour and a lot more that she knew she wouldn't fully remember. Ethan also made sure to point out all the best rides, and Quinn made a mental note to try out most of them. Between her and Peyton, they didn't have that much money. It would be a while before any of them could spend as much as they wanted. So with this in mind, Quinn knew that while they'd have fun that night, they wouldn't be able to try out everything the Boardwalk had to offer.

"Quinn look, they have a carousel." Peyton told her as they walked. "She loves this ride." Her sister said to Ethan, and he nodded.

"I haven't been on a carousel since I was seven years old." Quinn pointed out as they neared the ride.

"But you loved it." Peyton stated with a smile, and Quinn had to nod in agreement.

"I guess I did."

"Lets ride it."

"Pey', we don't have much money." Quinn warned.

Peyton turned and slowly walked backwards. "It'll be fine. We haven't spent anything since we got here, I think we'll be okay." She assured.

Quinn knew that no matter what she said, they were riding the carousel. It was inevitable. Whenever Peyton wanted them to do something, they'd always wind up doing it. Though Quinn was rather grateful that her big-sister wasn't as wild as some teenage girls, she couldn't bare to think where they'd have ended up had Peyton taken a completely wild turn.

After waiting in line for five minutes and handing over their money, they all rushed to find a horse to sit on. However with the Boardwalk being as busy as it was, it was a little hard for them to find an available horse and sit together. Quinn had considered the idea of sitting in the booth, but immediately shook that thought away. Where was the fun in sitting still?

"Quinn! Over here!" Peyton called out, and Quinn rushed towards her.

The ride started up and Quinn smiled, holding onto the large, golden pole. None of them had been able to find separate horses to ride, so Quinn and Peyton had wound up on the same horse. Ethan, meanwhile, had managed to quickly jump on the horse behind them, meaning they were within close distance.

"You having fun?" Peyton said loudly, and Quinn struggled to hear her sister. The loud voices of the people that filled the Boardwalk, combined with the loud music of the Carousel, meant that it was a lot harder for her to hear.

"Yeah!" She shouted back with a smile.

"Hey! They jumped the fence!"

"That's not fair!"

Quinn didn't know who the people were shouting at. She hadn't seen anyone climb over the fence and onto the carousel, but clearly those who were patiently waiting in line had; and they weren't happy about it. And even though the yells of protest and anger continued, even getting louder, the ride didn't slow down. If anything it sped up slightly. All Quinn knew was that when the ride ended, whoever had made the stupid decision of cutting the line would be facing the wrath of those who'd waited. And it wouldn't be pretty.

"Guys, we have to go." It was Ethan.

"What? Why?!" Peyton exclaimed with slight anger and confusion.

"I can't explain right now I just-" Ethan stopped suddenly and looked back, as though he were anxiously waiting for someone to attack.

"Ethan it's okay. We'll go." Quinn reassured the nervous teen. She didn't know why he was so on-edge, and if she was being completely honest with herself, she didn't want to know.

"Fine." Peyton grumbled, clearly irritated that they were jumping off the ride early. "How're we gonna get off this thing? It's going a little too fast."

Quinn sighed. Peyton was right. The ride was going way too fast for them to be able to jump off without at least one of them getting hurt. Their only option was to stay on until it stopped on its own. "She's right." Quinn said to Ethan, whose face fell at the statement. "It'll be fine. What's wrong?"

"Just, don't let them see me." He muttered and moved onto the outer part of the carousel, right next to the horse Quinn and Peyton were riding.

While Peyton merely rolled her eyes and pouted, turning to stare straight ahead, Quinn took a different approach on the matter. Her head whipped in every direction, hopelessly searching for whoever it was that had struck so much fear into Ethan. It took her a short while, until eventually she spotted a young man walking along the carousel, his eyes taking in everything and everyone. And immediately Quinn knew that this was the one Ethan was hiding from.

"Are they coming?" She heard Ethan say loudly.

"I think so." Quinn said back, and Ethan crouched down lower than he had before; if that was even possible. "What do they look like?" She asked, quickly looking back at the shaking teen.

"Walking STD's." It was Peyton. But unlike before, her head was not facing towards the front, but the back. She actually seemed a little bored about the whole thing.

Quinn jumped and looked back in the same direction her sister had, and she found herself a little confused. From the way Ethan was acting, she'd expected to see a large group of men, fierce-looking and all-in-all terrifying. But the four guys that shoved and laughed their way around the still-moving carousel didn't seem all that scary. To her, they looked like the usual bad-boy types that were found in every town in every State. She could even recall seeing guys like that back at her home in L.A.. She tried hard not to stare as they passed by her and her sister, but it was rather hard. Especially with Ethan clutching at the skirt of her dress like a little kid. They didn't even spare a double-glance at her and Peyton, a quick once-over from the Twisted-Sister look-alike and they were gone. She guessed that the approaching cop had something to do with their departure.

A few seconds after the four had disappeared, the ride itself stopped. Quinn climbed down from her horse and exited through the small gate, Peyton and Ethan trailing behind. And as soon as they were far enough, Quinn turned on their new friend. "Okay, what the heck was that about?!"

~...~...~

"I've found the one."

"Not again,"

Max stared hard at his oldest 'son', who did nothing but smirk back in the same way he always had. "This one's different." Max said firmly, and David nodded, though the expression remained.

After their usual routine of lightly terrorising the people of the Boardwalk, David had finally been given the 'okay' to come to Max's house. Though it was a decision he was quickly regretting. They were hungry, having not fed before coming, and all knew that their visit would be a long one.

"How so?" David asked his maker, eyebrows raised in a slightly mocking manner.

Max took a deep, calming breath and thought twice about the announcement he would soon release. He knew how his boys felt about the idea of a 'mother'. They loathed the very mention of it. Always had, and always would. But they didn't realise how much they needed a feminine presence. They would never know until they were as old as he was. Max couldn't do it alone anymore. They were becoming wild and untameable, and he needed help in keeping them in line. After all, god only knew what would happen if they were left to their own devices.

"She has children herself." Max found the strength to say, and he found that each 'son' took the news in a different way.

His eldest, David, did not react at all. If anything he seemed almost indifferent to the news. His ability to cloud and hide his emotions had gotten better during his seventy-years of immortality, and in some way Max was proud. He'd been the one to teach David everything he knew, and he'd been the one to create the man and monster that now sat in front of him. But it all had its downsides.

Dwayne, the second oldest, was much like David. He stayed quiet, rarely speaking unless spoken to. Although Max had a small inkling that he was only like that around him. He had no idea what the man was like when they were out roaming the Boardwalk. Though his brows did raise with some surprise, and he seemed to be holding something back. Like always.

Marko and Paul, however, were the easiest to read. Although it wasn't as if they tried to hide anything. Being the youngest, they were still somewhat stuck in their youth. Ever since he'd allowed David to bring in Paul, he and Marko had swiftly latched onto each other. Wherever one was, the other was sure to follow. Despite Marko being only nineteen years-old, Paul was ultimately the youngest vampire in their pack. He was wild, obnoxious and didn't like the idea of following rules. Something that had brought on much trouble during his first years after turning. Marko on the other hand, Max could not bring himself to like. The littlest one was always there behind Paul, ready to encourage him into god-knows what. And there was also that grin. Max hated it. He sometimes wished he knew what was going on inside the small, seemingly innocent head, but always thought better of it. He knew he wouldn't like whatever he'd find.

"Please be girls, please be girls." Paul's eyes were clenched shut as he stared up at the ceiling, his index and middle finger on both hands crossed as he pleaded.

"As it just so happens, they are." Max found it difficult, telling them that the children he needed them to bring in were female. He wasn't stupid, and he had been their age once, so he knew exactly what was running through their dark minds. "They aren't to be touched."

"Oh c'mon," Paul whined childishly, and Marko chuckled behind his glove-covered hand.

"What do you want us to do?" David asked knowingly, ignoring Paul's protest completely.

"I'm sure their mother is the one. If I'm right, there's no way she'll willingly make the full transition if she thinks her girls won't be there. I need you four to make sure that when the time comes, they'll be ready. I need this to be slow and steady. They can't know what's happening until their mother does, are we clear?" Max said to David, knowing that the eldest would take everything in.

"And are we changing them?" David asked, pulling a cigarette from the carton.

"Let them know you. Let them trust you. Give them the wine, but do not let them feed until their mother has been fully changed. Do you think you'll have a problem with that?" They each shook their heads and Max nodded, content for now. "Good."

"How'd we know what they look like? There's a ton of girls on the Boardwalk." Paul spoke up, lifting his legs onto the clear, glass table in front of him.

"Firstly, feet down." Max waited for his 'son' to comply before he continued. "Thank you. And I have a photo."

As Max dug through his coat pocket, David released a cloud of smoke, a small grin making its way onto his face. "And how did you get it?" At Max's silence, and harsh glare, they all laughed; even Dwayne. "Stalking? Already?" David carried on, overjoyed at that sight of his 'maker' being so embarrassed.

"Don't test me." Max growled, his eyes flashing a red-yellow colour they were all too familiar with.

"Just show me the damn picture." David demanded, hiding his earlier amusement. The last thing he wanted was Max on his ass for something else.

Max handed them the picture he'd taken from the Nelson household, and watched as they passed it around. It was a clear, simple picture, and his boys would be able to remember their faces no matter what. "Their names are Quinn and Peyton."

"That older sister's hot." Paul remarked, and Max sighed loudly.

"Little one looks tasty." It was rare for Marko to speak, but when he did, Max found that even he was disgusted.

"You don't get to hurt them. I know all about your particular... tastes." Max grimaced, and the young blonde laughed in return.

"The younger they are, the sweeter the blood. You should try it."

"Can you and the boys handle this, David? Or will I have to do this one myself." Max said with slight exasperation.

"Won't be too hard. We'll do it."

Authors Note;

Hi readers! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I tried to make the boys as in-character as I could, and I hope I did a good enough job.

Please Review, Favourite and Follow if you can. Thanks!