Hi guys! Okay, so here is chapter 21. Sorry it's kind of short. I have a question. Is this story getting boring??? Not many of you guys are reviewing anymore.

That leads me to think I'm just getting a crappy mode of this story. Seriously.

I'm doubting this story! Please tell me! I won't stop it, though, due to serious complaints about my threats to stop this story. I won't stop it, I promise.

Anyways, please review and tell me! Even if it is a one word review!

Thanks!

***Ace***

Chapter 21

A hand grabs me, pulling me to the left as I fly down the stairs. I gasp in surprise, spinning my head around to see Charlie. He was staring at me.

"You're one fast kid, you know that?" He says before dragging me into the family room. The room where I had first found out about vampires.

All of the family is sitting silently, not moving an inch. Damen skids to a stop beside me. Apparently, he hadn't seen Charlie grab me.

A look of confusion crosses his face. He turns to look down to me. I just shrug my shoulders before taking his hand and walking over to the couch.

We sit down quickly and wait for one of them to start speaking.

Alyssa is sitting in a large chair while Jack rests weakly in a recliner. Aislinn and Charlie sit on the couch parallel to ours.

"What's going on?" I ask.

Charlie begins. "Jessica…"

I hear the sadness and caution in his voice. It puts my senses on alert.

A tear slides down Lys's cheek as Charlie continues.

"This is hard for me to say. Because we love you, Jess. You're family."

I nod my head cautiously.

He takes a breath before continuing. "What you did to Lys…..the other day….well……it wasn't acceptable."

Confusion flickers over my face. Charlie catches it quickly. "You took her by the throat and smashed her into a wall."

Had I?

Oh yah. When we got home. But I hadn't actually gripped her hard!

Charlie continues as Lys sobs silently. "We can't have that. Even though it wouldn't have hurt Alyssa, it's inappropriate."

I cut him off there. "So, you want me to leave?" I don't snap at him, but there is a firm tone that lingers in my chirpy voice.

Charlie opens his mouth to speak again, but I continue. "No, no. It's fine. I'll go. I still have my mother's house." A dull ache runs through my chest at the mention of my mother.

I start to stand up, but Damen pulls me back down on the couch, circling his arm around my waist tightly.

"No, she's not leaving. While I agree that it was very aggressive, Alyssa did wrong. Jesse was only trying to let her know that. She wasn't really threatening her." Damen says fiercely. Alyssa sobs harder.

Damen turns to his sister. A bitter-sweet tone fills his voice. "What are you crying for? Are you scared of Jesse?"

Instead of answering, Alyssa ducks her head away and cries harder.

Damen's eyes turn cold. A look of anger that I had never seen before glazes over his eyes.

"Damen, calm down. It's fine," I try to say casually even though this is killing me inside.

I turn to Aislinn. "When do you want me out of the house?"

Aislinn opens her mouth, then shuts it again. She folds her head into her hands.

Charlie speaks. "Jessica! We don't want you to leave!"

I freeze, shocked. Then why were they lecturing me?

Charlie fidgets before speaking. "Well, we saw the spectacular performance you had. Lys was against the wall in less than a second, and she was struggling. You have an amazing talent for cornering your opponent."

My mouth tries to drop open, but I force it to stay closed.

"What do you want me to do?" I ask quietly.

"Lucius is coming. Again."

My mouth actually does drop. "What?!?" I screech. "That son of a b…" I'm cut off.

"Jess! Listen. You're the only one who can actually face him. I mean, we will all be there, but you have the talent to finish this. Forever."

There is nothing more that I have wanted since my mother died. I'm about to shout out yes, but Damen stops me.

"No way in hell will she fight Lucius." His tone is icy, and I look up to stare at his face.

"Why not? I want to!" I say.

He pulls me closer. "No way in hell. No way."

Charlie stares at his son. "Damen, she'll be fine. If she can deal with you, she can deal with Lucius."

"I'm not nearly as crazy as Lucius." Damen says, his jaw set.

Charlie guffaws. "Let's ask Jess. Jess, is he wild when you, 'sleep?'"

I would have blushed a crimson red if I was human. Instead, I fidget awkwardly.

"I…well…..we….uhm….." I trip over my words.

Damen picks up smoothly. "We have only slept. As in, sleeping. Seriously, sharing bed is all we have done."

I hear a chuckle from Lys. I smile slightly.

Charlie's sea blue eyes grow wide. "Oh. Well then."

I burst out in laughter. That would teach him to ask a question like that.

"Well, I still say she should fight," Charlie continues smoothly. "She's a natural."

"No." Damen is glaring now, looking away.

I intervene smoothly with my high, chirpy voice. "Damen," I murmur, adding a silky texture into my voice. "It's for the best. I won't get hurt."

I squeeze his shoulder softly.

He spins around, a murderous look on his face. "Of course you will! Lucius is evil, sadistic, and only cares about himself. You're so small, so fragile…" He trails off, his fingers gliding down my alabaster ivory skin.

"Damen, you remember that I can make myself indestructible? With my…gifts?" I struggle for the right words.

Charlie jumps up at that. "Yes! Jesse can use her powers on her and us, to protect us all. Well, if you don't mind, Jessica."

I nod my head. "Yeah, I don't mind. It would be good for me to learn how to use my…gifts."

Charlie bellows loudly and claps. "Good then! It's settled!"

Damen is still glaring, his intense emerald eyes burning holes through the couch. "No." He says fiercely. "I won't let you."

"Damen, let's just talk about this," I say.

"No!" With that, he speeds out of the room. I hear a loud crash in the basement, and I'm almost positive Damen intentionally broke something.

I still couldn't get used to my senses, but they were slowly growing on me.

Lys interrupts my thoughts. "Jesse, can we talk?"

I look up into her glittering silver eyes. "Yah, sure."

I stand up fluidly and trail behind her as we go up the stairs towards her room.

She sighs when we get in. "This used to be your room too, you know."

I smile weakly. "I know," I say. A question stirs through my mind as she brings that up.

"Alyssa, why do you have your own room if you're basically married to Jack?"

She smiles. "This room is just for appearance. I mean, if anyone came over and saw that we were a room short because I was sleeping with Jack, well, that would drag a lot of attention to our family."

"You already have a lot of attention," I say mildly.

She waves my comment away with her hand. "No matter. We have something that actually matters to discuss."

I remember the dreams. "Yes, we do." I repeat back to her, my eyes layering with an emotionless mask.

I walk over to the couch on the north side of the room. I sit down slowly, letting my eyes wander around the room. Lys takes a seat on her bed.

She gives me a small smile.

I start off. "How long have you known you could manipulate people's dreams?"

Lys stares at the wall silently for minutes. I stay frozen in my seat with my legs crossed.

"About a month." She replies after a while.

I nod my head, but inside I'm reeling. She has known for that long and she hasn't bothered to tell anyone?

Lys reads my thoughts.

"No, No! I told Jack, but I just wasn't ready to tell you guys yet."

Well, at least she told someone.

"How does it work?" I ask her, keeping my voice and thoughts emotionless.

She sighs. "I'm not completely sure. All I know is that I can enter into someone's thoughts while they are unconscious and manipulate what they are thinking into what I want them to think."

I nod my head thoughtfully. "Why were you in my thoughts?"

Her eyes glisten with tears. "Because I needed to explain to you what happened between Drake and I. You wouldn't listen to me while you were awake, so there was only one way."

My body goes rigid. She got in my head to explain why she wasn't at fault?

"Please, Jesse. Please understand. I needed you to know."

I wanted to nod my head in understanding, but I couldn't. I would have done the same thing. But, It was still a shock.

I finally manage to speak. "Are you awake or asleep while in someone's thoughts?"

Lys thinks for a moment before replying "I'm awake, but I'm drifting off. Do you understand?"

I nod my head.

"So you can get into anyone's mind right now?"

She nods. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier." I wave my hand, dismissing the comment.

Lys's face turns sad. "Are you still mad about the Drake thing?"

I shake my head. "No. I'm mad that I fed from a vampire, which is impossible unless it's Damen and I."

Lys contemplates this, bobbing her head from side to side. "Well, maybe you made it so that he had blood."

I think about this. It's the only solution that makes sense.

"That's probably it," I tell her excitedly. But then my excitement dies down. "But what does he want with us?"

Lys shrugs her shoulders. "I have no idea, but we will find out. I promise."

She is up off the bed and over to me, squeezing me in a hug in an eighteenth of a second.

"I'm glad we're on good terms now," she says.

I smile, returning the hug. "Me too."

Hi guys! That's chapter 21~ hope you liked it!

Anyways, please oh please review! I need to know.