I have to give a warning for this chapter, it's got a bit of bad language in it. Adds to the intensity of the moment, you know?

Disclaimer: I wish I owned the Lost Boys but I don't.

Enjoy!

III.

As it turns out, Laddie was one of the greatest kids I had ever met.

Not only did we share a disturbingly extreme liking for candy corns, but he was just such a fun little guy. The first thing we did was go on some rides, during all of which he could stop laughing or smiling, and then we went shopping for more sweet stuff.

We pointedly avoided the shop where Laddie had stolen the sweets from, and went in search of other sugar rushes. Then we listened to a band that was playing in the concert arena near the end of the boardwalk. They were okay, nothing earth shattering, but Laddie was having a ball as he danced to the music.

By eleven the kid was basically asleep while walking, so I decided it was time to get him home.

He was still grinning like a kid at Christmas sipping a milkshake out of a foam cup I had bought him, when his smile disappeared all of a sudden and his grip on my hand tightened.

I stopped walking and looked down at him, "Laddie, what's wrong?"

He didn't speak, he just pointed through the crowd.

Following his finger I saw a group of four guys sitting on their motorcycles watching the passing crowds.

"Do you know them?" they hadn't noticed us watching them yet.

"No, and I don't want to. They come here every night and just ride around making trouble." My hand was tingling now he was gripping it so hard.

"They're dangerous?"

"Probably. Some of the people around here call them the lost boys. 'Cause no one knows where they come from."

I found myself gazing at the boys with a somewhat wistful look in my eyes. They were definitely trouble you could tell just by looking at them. The one closest to us was really little, with long blonde curls and patched leather jacket. Next to him was another blonde that had wild hair and a really mischievous smirk on his face. Then there was a guy who fit tall, dark and handsome perfectly, especially when he turned slightly and I saw that a black leather jacket was all that covered his upper body. Finally my gaze wandered to who I would bet my life was the leader. He had a white blonde mullet, long black trench coat and generally oozed creepiness. But it wasn't just their appearances that had me intrigued and terrified all at once. It was the air around them that had me fixated. Somehow, despite having lived in this town all my life, I knew that the boardwalk, at least at night, belonged to them.

So this was why my parents were always so reluctant to let me come here at night. I didn't blame them really. How come I hadn't noticed them before? It was kind of hard not to when you caught sight of them for the first time.

I felt a tug on hand and was snapped out of my musings, looking down I smiled at Laddie and said cheerfully, "Come on soldier, let's get you to your grandma's."

"But I'm not tired."

"Liar. You're practically zombie."

I picked him up and started to walk towards the car park that was a few feet away. He told me her address and I stored it away for when I actually would drive.

Hearing screeching tires I looked up in time to see a jeep speeding towards us. Laddie screamed as I threw myself to the side, knocking my hip and shoulder as I tried to keep Laddie on top of me as we landed. Unfortunately the little guy's arm still got caught under my head.

For a moment I just lay there, trying to breathe with an eight clinging to me for dear life.

Then I started seeing red.

I moved Laddie off me and stood, telling him to stay put while I marched over to the two guys that had just hopped out of their fancy shmancy 4x4.

Sure they were both taller than me but I still stood as close to the driver as I could, shoving him as I stopped walking.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" my scream echoed into the crowd and some people stopped to stare.

The driver just grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, dol. Didn't see you."

"Well maybe you can tell that to the little kid you nearly killed!"

He glanced behind me and smirked at Laddie. I swear I wanted to sock him in the jaw so badly.

"He seems fine to me."

"Maybe if you opened your fucking eyes!"

I saw his jaw clench.

Yes, I know, I know I was being an idiot. I mean what girl basically attacks two guys on her own with absolutely no way to defend herself, right?

But I couldn't help it, I was just so furious. Every time I looked at that jeep and an image of Laddie crushed beneath it entered my head I wanted to scream! I had only known him for a few hours but the little guy had grown on me.

The guy took a step forwards and I was suddenly aware of just how big he was.

"You'll want to watch that little mouth of yours, girl."

"Or what?" genius Sarah, if they're not contemplating some sort of heinous crime they sure as hell are now.

"Let's see shall we?"

He grabbed onto my arm with a grip that sent a tingle down to my fingers from circulation cutoff and started to drag me to his car. I let out a scream, telling him to let me go, when I found myself on my ass again.

This time I was left gazing up at the back of a big, black trench coat with a pair of leather biker boots at one end, and a blonde mullet on the other.

Oh, man. Oh, man, oh man!

"Is there a problem here, boys?"

The blonde's voice was as creepy as he looked. It was low and threatening, and the way he stood in front of me, it was really great to know that he was sticking up for but also terrifying that I basically owed him now.

"No problem." And the two asses left, speed walking out of sight.

Now that the immediate danger was gone, in a way, I was able to take notice of just how much pain I was in as I stood up.

Not only did my butt hurt, but my hip where I fell the first time ached every time I moved, my shoulder was throbbing and I was pretty sure there'd be a bruise where that jackass had grabbed my arm.

I said it before and I'll say it again… I hate men!

"You alright, love?"

It took me a second to realize that the blonde was addressing me. I nodded once and said quickly, "I'm fine. Thanks for that." The other three had joined us by now and they all regarded me with curiosity, the other two blondes sharing pointed grins that I didn't care to take much notice of.

"No problem." His eyes were burning a hole in my head, his stare so intense I wanted desperately to look away but couldn't.

Laddie saved my life though as he ran up to me and hugged my waist tightly. I tried not to grimace as his little head bumped the hip I had hurt.

I knelt down and took him by the shoulders, giving him a once over to check for injuries.

"Are you okay, pal?"

"My hand hurts."

"It's okay, we're going to get you home right now."

I stood up and took his hand, looking at the boys again. I remembered what Laddie had said not moments ago and suddenly I wanted nothing more than to get away from them immediately.

"Well I better get this one home, thanks again."

A hand wrapped around mine before I could take two steps, "Let one of us make sure you get home safely." It wasn't a question, and that alone scared the shit out of me.

"No, thanks but you really don't have to."

"Yes, we do." Damn this mullet nut was persistent!

He looked to his friends and said, "Dwayne, go with them."

Wow, abuse of power much?

The dark haired guy stepped forward and came to stand next us. The blonde smiled at me and took my hand, kissing my knuckles lightly before saying, "It was a pleasure saving you, I have a feeling we'll you again soon."

And I believed him.

My parents were kind enough to leave me with an old Dodge, but since everywhere I went was within walking distance I barely used the thing. I kept it parked in a lot near the building that housed my apartment, so lucky me I had to walk there with a lost boy trailing on my heels. The walk was painfully silent. Laddie refused to say a single thing and just held onto my hand like a vice, and Dwayne was kind of a silent type. I tried making polite chit chat, like the stuff that he liked about the boardwalk and had he been friends with the other three for long, but the answers I received were so vague eventually I just gave up.

When I said that we had reached the lot, Dwayne left to fetch his bike, telling me to stay put, while I found my car. The fact that this was where I lived was a minor detail I didn't mention to him. The guy really didn't need to know where I lived.

Getting in I laid the now sleeping Laddie on the back seat and got in the driver's side. It was five minutes before Dwayne showed up again and he followed me all the way to Laddie's grandma's house.

Once I had parked, Dwayne didn't wait for an invitation, he just opened the back door and pulled the sleeping boy out, carrying him to the path that led up to the house. At first I was too shocked to move, thinking how sweet that actually looked, but then I scrambled out the car and followed him.

When the lady answered the door after a few rings she let out a horrified gasp at the sight of the boy sleeping in a stranger's arms.

Quickly I stepped and forward and said, "Are you Laddie's grandma?"
"Yes, I am. Where has he been?"

"We found him on the boardwalk."

The woman looked so sad and disappointed, the heartbreaking thing was that she probably knew as well as I why he was there.

"I'm so, so thankful to you for looking after him…" she waited for me to tell her my name, but I was reluctant. Tell her my name? With Dwayne standing right next to me?

I think not!

"It was a pleasure, really. He's a sweet kid."

"The sweetest. Well come bring him in." I looked at Dwayne, who seemed just as reluctant to enter the house as I was to let him.

"Come on, dears."

We stepped into the house together and I watched as Dwayne carried my new friend to a couch and laid him down. Straightening up he walked past me and said he'd wait outside.

I wondered what for until I felt hands on my shoulders directing me to the kitchen where I was asked if I was thirsty or hungry.

I really liked this old- um, lady.

Then she sat down across from me and said, "So am I right in assuming you know about Laddie's… home life?"

Well no small talk then, "Yes, he didn't tell me outright, I just sort of figured it out."

The woman nodded, "You see, my dear. Laddie has never, ever brought anyone home with him before. He needs a friend, someone he can trust, who'll look out for him. I know I have absolutely no right to ask this of you but-"

"I would be happy to." I smiled reassuringly at her, and she beamed back at me.

"Thank you, dear."

I gave her my phone number and address, and the name of the store, and left her to get some sleep. Poor woman was probably traumatized at having her grandson brought home by total strangers.

I had hoped Dwayne would have gotten bored waiting for me and sped off on his bike, but alas there he stood.

I tried not to scowl as I got into my car, hating the awkward silence his presence was creating. I'm no social butterfly, okay, but come on!

Did he even have a voice box?

When I parked my car back in the lot and got out, I was so desperate to go home, but I didn't want Dwayne to follow me so I made the excuse that I had to stop at work first. I knew he didn't believe me but I really couldn't have cared. He and his friends scared me to death.

Walking along the boardwalk he suddenly decided to become talkative.

"So how did you meet Laddie, anyway?"

"Old family friend." Why oh why did my voice go all pitchy when I was lying?!

I turned my head towards him and saw his eyebrows were raised and he was smirking.

"Okay, fine… he was here alone so I let him hang out for a bit before I took him home." As we walked we were getting stares from more than a few people. Did they know something I didn't? considering who Dwayne was, probably.

"The guys and I have seen him wondering around here before. He seems like a good kid. He's one of a few who come here trying to forget their homes."

"Why does it sound like you know the feeling?"

"'Cause I do."

Okay, clearly that conversation was over.

Luckily we had reached the store so I folded my arms over my chest and said politely, "Well, here we are. I can get home from here."

Dwayne nodded his head and I held out my hand to thank him for being my escort come body guard at the behest of his pushy, mulleted buddy.

His hand completed covered mine and I was shocked at how… right it felt. Looking up into his eyes I could tell he felt it too. I pulled my hand back and stepped into the store, ignoring the burning feeling I felt in my cheeks and neck, the tingling in my hand and the eyes on the back of my head.

Turns out me walking to the store at that point was orchestrated by that little bitch called fate. The owner happened to be in and when he saw me he all but hugged me from joy.

"Sarah, can you please take the night shift tomorrow?"

At first my stomach dropped at the thought of having to work here at night, having never done it before, but then I remembered that nightshift paid double and you only had to work from seven till twelve when the shop closed.

"Sure, Joe."

"Thanks sweetie." His name being called made him disappear rather quickly after thanking me again. I was quite sure I loved my boss. He was such an easy going guy, in his late fifties he lived the rock 'n roll dream, having witnessed its birth when The Beatles first showed up. And he really made sure we enjoyed work, which was why he was hardly ever there. Some would say he was too trusting of his staff meaning a-hum Lexi, but it was just that he was passed out half the time from going to every single concert that played in this town.

Just then Guns 'n Roses' Paradise City came on so I listened to that before going home.

I pulled my jacket off, kicked off my shoes and fell face first onto my mattress.

Third Person POV:

The boys watched the girl going home after she stopped at the music shop where she worked. David's eyes didn't leave her until she was in her apartment, over a Laundromat.

They still didn't know her name, she'd been very careful not to mention it to them, which was a very clever but annoying thing to do.

She was cautious.

She knew what her town was known for and she clearly didn't want to end up on that all too famous missing persons' board.

But they knew where she worked, and now they knew where she lived. They'd be getting to know her plenty very soon.

Paul was sitting nursing a bloody lip next to him, and David thought about what had caused it, not five minutes ago.

When Dwayne had rejoined them after taking Sarah to that boy's house, Paul had opened his big mouth, as always.

"So, David, when are we going after her?"

"Not this one, Paul."

"Oh, why? She looks like she'll be a lot of fun! Tasty."

David's hand lashed out and connected with Paul's face in the blink of an eye, "I said no. She's better than that. I think we need to get to know her a bit."

Marko let out a groan, "Why, David? That never works out, it is such a bad idea."

Since when was Marko the voice of reason?

"I think this one will." He looked around at the other girls that were still lingering around the boardwalk. Usually David was never slow to appreciate their alluring beauty. But now they seemed so dull compared to her,

"What makes you so sure?"

"I don't know. She just seems… different."

David noticed his dark compatriot had been rather quite since he came back to the guys, even for him. Looking over he noticed Dwayne's gaze was glued to the girl's window, as if he could see through the curtains. If only.

Maybe it was his imagination, but Dwayne looked… different. Clearly the girl had had some sort of effect on him. That didn't sit well.

David would have to put an end to that before it got too serious.

He felt unnervingly territorial every time he looked at her or thought about her. He didn't understand why. She was nothing special in the looks department, pretty yes, but he'd seen better. She also didn't seem particularly interesting either, just another girl on the boardwalk. Maybe it was that she didn't fall all over them like most girls did that made her so… intriguing.

He'd barely looked twice as she and that boy stood staring at them. The little guy had no idea just how right he was about them being dangerous.

But then she'd gone after that guy that nearly hit them with his car and David had felt the overwhelming urge to make him know that she was at least looked after.

And now he wanted her taken care of, just so that he could move in when the time was right.

Oh, yes. She didn't know it yet but she was his.

A/N: Now Sarah will get to know the Lost Boys! *rubs hands in excitement and grins*

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