(Chapter Four)

"Explain to me why we're out on the balcony so you can watch tv again?" Aurora asked as she shivered, rubbed her arms to keep warm before Jon thrust his jacket to her. They'd just gotten back from the gym, and she had to admit, he just looked so happy when he was in that ring, it looked like he really came alive.

"Because I can't pick up ECW inside, and I'm not gonna miss it." Jon explained as he handed her a jacket and said with a smirk, "Ya cold?"

"Little bit, yes." Aurora said as she studied him intently, and then let her gaze fall to the screen, immediately hiding her face when she saw someone take a barbed wire chair to the face before looking up at him and asking, "You want to do this?"

Jon snickered and nodded, then rubbed her arms lightly as he pointed out, "It's not that bad, Rory."

"Jon.. They're bleeding." Aurora said as she looked up at him, biting her lip. She sat quietly, studying him a minute before he leaned in and said "And I'll be fine. Ya don't have to worry about me all the time."

" Jon.. Just nevermind." Aurora said as she shifted closer to where he sat, putting her legs over his lap as she stared at the screen, watching the fights. She snuggled against him and hid her face when the blood and the violence got to be too much, and she was picturing it being him in there, in that ring, doing that.

"Weak stomach?" Jon asked as he looked down at her, smirked. He had always planned to do this, that wasn't going to change just because she was in his life.

"Little bit, yes.. I think it's the fact that I'm seeing you doing all that though that's the worst." Aurora muttered quietly as she bit her thumb nail and then said "But you're good at fightin."

Jon smirked. "And ya not so bad at dancin." he said as he shuffled her closer, arranged her in his lap, and then propped his chin on her shoulder. The show ended and he looked down at her, found her asleep. A smirk filled his face as he poked her until she woke up.

Then he heard her grandpa shouting up at them from the alley, and he bit his lip, to keep from shouting back. He knew her grandpa didn't particularly like him, the man never had. And now, with him trying to get close to Aurora, he had to figure that was getting a lot worse.

Aurora's head shot up and she rubbed her eyes, then blushed when she realized her grandpa was standing below them in the alley, looking up.

"Does your ma know you're up there with that kid?"

"Yes sir." Aurora said as she looked at Jon and reluctantly moved from his lap, while wondering what her grandfather's problem with Jonathan was.

"I think you need to get inside, girl. It's cold out, and too damn late for you to be out alone with a boy."

"Grandpa, it's only 9 30."

"And ya got school. Get inside girl." her grandpa commanded as he glared up at Jon. Aurora glared down at him and then said quietly, "I'm gonna go so he doesn't make a scene. But good night. And if your mama brings work home tonight, Jon.. Just come to my window."

"Rory, I'll be fine. He's right, it's cold." Jon said as he pulled her in by placing his hands on the back of her neck, and kissed her.

The throat clearing in the alley below had them both tense, but not so tense that they didn't actually enjoy the kiss. Aurora said with a smile, "I'll come to the gym tomorrow, watch you again. I had fun tonight."

"But ya can't stomach the blood." Jon said as he looked at her, stifling a laugh.

"Well, you hate my music, so we're even." Aurora said as she stole one more kiss and hurried across to her fire escape and then into her window. About ten minutes later, the door to her mother's apartment was knocked on and she opened it.

Her grandfather stood in the hallway, and he stepped in, said curtly, "You need to leave that little no good bastard alone, Aurora. I saw your mom throw away her life, not gonna watch you throw yours away. He's trash."

"Grandpa, I'll make up my own mind."

"Listen to me, girl. This is my building. What I say goes."

"You are not the supreme ruler of all, sir. I'm gonna keep seein him, because he makes me happy."

"And that's what your mom said too, then she ran off, got married and had you. Now you two are back here because I was right. I'm not gonna watch the cycle repeat itself."

"It's not your business. Didn't you like, cut me out of your life because mama didn't give me up? So tell me, sir, why am I going to obey your command now, when you didn't even want me to be born to begin with?"

"That's not your business, girl. And if you pop off at me again, I'm gonna smack you with my belt. She was too lenient with you."

Aurora shut the door firmly, then stood, biting her lip. Everyone kept telling her he wasn't a good guy, that he'd ultimately hurt her. She was getting a little sick of hearing it. But she knew he had a temper, she knew he wasn't a good guy, but she couldn't help but love him, just as he was.

Why couldn't anyone see that?