Over the next few weeks, Jane and Sweet Pea spent almost every day together when he was not doing jobs or Jane wasn't studying. Even days when they had Toni and Fangs with them, they still managed to learn more and more about each other. Jane found out that Sweet Pea lived alone in his trailer, after his mother took off with another man and his father hadn't been around in years. She learned also that he had a hard time loving, that Fangs and Toni were his family along with the Serpents. He lived by his own means, doing odd jobs for people around his trailer park and his jobs with the serpents.

The two had been doing a very good job at not escalating quickly into a relationship, and Jane was glad that they were able to test the waters in a friendship. Until one night, that is.

It was a Saturday, and Jane had spent the entire weekend so far deeply into a new book series. Reading in the bath, reading in bed, reading during meals, reading while texting Sweet Pea. That day he hadn't texted since the morning, claiming to be put on assignment for an all day job with the Serpents. He'd come out of all his Serpent missions completely unscathed, or so Jane thought. It was when she was tucked in bed at eight pm reading when she got a phone call from Toni.

"Fangs is picking you up. Sweet Pea got hurt. Get ready, he'll be there any minute." Toni almost shouted over the phone and Jane jumped out of bed, heart rate accelerating as she threw on jeans and a hoodie, grabbing her phone before running down the stairs. She quickly pulled on her boots, at the same time she saw headlights pull into her driveway.

Jane shut the lights off and flew out the door, into Fangs' car. He sped back down the street and towards the Southside.

"What happened? Why are you covered in blood, Fangs?" Jane attempted to ask calmly, observing the burgundy splatters that littered Fangs' hands and white t-shirt, and his leather jacket.

"He'll be okay, Jane. Just keep telling yourself that, okay?" Fangs told her, his voice strained. Jane reached out and grabbed his hand that wasn't on the wheel. It was hot with adrenaline. "The people we were delivering things to didn't like the way he acted, they told him to take it down a notch. Sweet Pea asked what they were going to do about it. I was too far away."

"What did they do?"

"He got stabbed, Jane. Under my watch. I could have stopped it!" He sped the car up and they flew over the train tracks.

"Fangs! Stop. It's not your fault!" Jane yelled at him over the sound of the loud engine and the pouring rain. "He'll be okay. You said it yourself."

"Yeah, he will. Okay." Fangs slowed his breathing and focused on the road, thanks to Jane. Soon enough they pulled into Sunnyvale and into Sweet Pea's driveway and they barely had the car parked when Jane jumped out, closely followed by Fangs.

Jane flew up the steps when Fangs quickly grabbed her wrist. "Don't show him you're scared, okay? Promise me." Fangs demanded.

"I promise." she nodded, assuring Fangs before Toni threw open the door.

"Good, you're here." the pink haired girl grabbed Jane from Fangs and pulled her inside. Fp sat at the kitchen table along with a couple of the other Serpents. "He's in his room." she guided Jane down the hall and into a grey painted bedroom, cramped tightly together with a double bed, dresser and closet, and posters of Pink Floyd and the Ramones on the wall.

"There's my Princess." A weak voice came from the bed. There Sweet Pea lay, in just a pair of plaid pyjama pants. He was covered in gauze and wrap all around his shoulder and the top of his left arm. His face was pale and his eyes were dark.

Jane tried to smile at him, and he pat the edge of the bed. Fangs and Toni stepped out of the room and shut the door behind them.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, and she took the seat on the edge of the bed, trying not to move it and hurt him.

"Meh, I'm okay. Better now that you're here." He took her hand with his good arm, interlacing their fingers. He was very warm.

"How sweet, Sweets." She chuckled, trying her best to lighten the mood.

"I know you shouldn't have to see me this way. I just needed you." Sweet Pea admitted, stroking his thumb over her fingers.

"I'm so sorry this happened, I heard how and it's just crazy. But you're going to be okay, you'll heal in no time!" Jane rambled.

Sweet Pea shushed her. "Shh. Jane. It's okay. You don't have to be nervous." This was silly, he was the one in the bed with the stab wound.

"I have to tell you something, Sweet Pea. When I heard you got hurt, it was like something inside me broke and it would stay that way until I saw you. I need to be with you, I'm done fighting it."

"Really?" Sweet Pea asked, his face seeming to light up.

To answer, Jane leaned down and pressed a long kiss to his lips. After a moment, she pulled away. "I'm not good at being friends." she smiled, a tear sliding down her cheek.

Sweet Pea reaches up and wiped it away with his thumb. "It's you and me, Princess." he returned the smile. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." It was then he reached up and around her neck, pulling Jane in for a long, loving kiss.

A/N: C'est le fin! Thanks everyone for reading and sticking through this long, there will be more in the future! xo B