Chapter Thirty Four

The cafeteria was buzzing that day as Ivy aided Jimmy on Physics homework, prepping him for both the class and the pre-test coming up in two weeks, the Jocks surrounding them, unnaturally quiet as gossip fluttered about them. How the Jocks were beaten up and made to be slaves, how Jimmy and Ivy were seen getting it on in their clubhouse, that kind of stupid shit. Jimmy had a smug look on his face the entire time, learning coming a bit easier in his confidence.

Ivy thought that was rather cute.

Made her job easier at least.

He'd chosen to do a degree in Geography with Music as a minor, something Gary wasn't exactly happy about, because what the hell could they use music for in their chosen lifestyle? Jimmy argued he was best at music and that'd be a sure fire way to keep him in school and with them, causing Gary to go thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of having an outside member and wander off to his room. Petey had just smiled and said to Jimmy he should just ignore Gary. They couldn't always do what he wanted for his plans, after all. Both he and Ivy were lucky in which their chosen subjects where really helpful overall to their little aim, but they were still really what they wanted to do.

The butch boy had gone thoughtful at that, staring at the two critically, knowing they were closest to Gary and wondering if they were just saying that, but Petey had been seen with a book on medicinal things ever since he'd decided before Christmas to go into paramedics, since Ivy's tenements fight he watched on video, and Ivy was always doing programming jobs online, though not so many if at all recently. He'd smiled to himself and nodded, glad that there was more to them all than Gary's plans.

They weren't mindless little tools. They had their own aims.

For the advancement of Jaguars or not.

Gary would just have to deal with it. It couldn't be all business all the time or they'd all mentally self-destruct. Ivy would just have to get Gary to come around to it and told them so, making the two boys give her relieved smiles. If anyone had a chance, she did, though Jimmy was sure the two of them could force the sociopathic asshole to it without her input.

Eventually.

Ivy turned to the Jocks. "What about you guys? If Jimmy's presiding over you lot and I'm demanding he be taught, then I'm not having idiots follow him. What studying are you doing?" She eyed them, the leader especially, fiddling idly with her necklace chain and careful not to show it. Too expensive to flash around in this place.

"Uh…"

She sighed to herself, annoyed.

"Don't bother with them." Jimmy shrugged. "If they don't bother with passing Bullworth…"

Ted twitched as Mandy looked on, slurping her drink, agreeing with that. "Maybe you should, Ted?" She said, a little hopefully.

"Shut up, Mandy."

Ivy looked at him, noting the saddened face Mandy had before she hid it with a neutral snooty look as if it hadn't bugged her. That didn't go down well with her. "Excuse you? What did you say to one of my girls?" She sternly eyed a suddenly nervous Ted who'd looked at a glowering Jimmy and back at her.

"It's fine, Queen." Mandy shook her head. "Anyway, have you seen Petey?"

The two Teal faction members looked at each other. "Huh? You want Petey?" Jimmy looked more disbelieving than Ivy, and a touch bit jealous too. "Petey?" Jimmy asked in incredulity. Ivy gave him an offended look on Petey's behalf, which Jimmy ignored, focused on Mandy's expression. Ivy raised her brows, intrigued at this all. "But… Why?"

"I decided to go for the paramedic degree as well and heard he was on it. I wanted some tips." Mandy gave a half grin, feeling a bit nervous saying it in front of her friends, and Ivy saw the first look of Mandy… of Mandy growing up. That she said something so nerdy in front of her Jock friends was surprising as hell. Ivy was suddenly immensely proud of her. "I like sports and I like learning about the body and how it works and fixes itself. I wanted to be a model but… I like this stuff. I was thinking biology but... that's more biology of everything, so paramedics it is. You know?"

Ivy winked at her. "Petey will like that. He's forever having a ramble about it."

"Yup." Jimmy grinned at the next thought he had about that. "And I'll be seeing more of you too if you're around Petey. Great!"

Mandy rolled her eyes. "Idiot."

"Hey, back off man," Ted growled, not liking this boundary crossing.

"What? If you're not gonna treat your girl right then another man will." Jimmy shrugged, looking challenging.

Ivy watched on in complete interest, wondering where Petey was because he'd absolutely love this. Jimmy and Mandy had always flirted with each other. Whether it was for fun or not, it still happened. She tapped her chin in curiosity. Dare she try and get them together?

Eh.

Maybe.

Her eyes landed on Mandy who looked somewhat flattered, hand fiddling with a book page before she sat up. It attracted the attention of Jimmy, who raised a brow at her. "Let's go find Petey, Mandy."

"Sure thing."

They started to leave the canteen, with Ivy clapping a hand on Jimmy's shoulder in farewell, who nodded at her, continuing his argument for the hell of it now.

Mandy looked back at him in a slightly different way than usual, making Ivy smile knowingly and chuckling when her cheerleading friend caught it, blushing. "What?!"

"Jimmy's one hell of a man."

"I-I…" She shoved her hands in her pockets. "…I can see."

"He'd look after you, you know. Give him a chance, I'd say," Ivy stated and quickly went on, leaning forward with a smirk a-la-Gary and remarked, "So this is what it is, eh Mandy? You wanna be friends with my best guy friend while doing my other, huh? Maybe a three-way…?"

Mandy went completely red causing Ivy to burst out laughing as she punched her shoulder. "What the fuck, Ivy?!"

"Oh, c'mon!" Ivy snickered to herself at the woman's flush. "Surely you've more experience in this than what your expression is telling me? No? Huh. So… you're pretty innocent then?" Ivy questioned, poking her cheek, causing the girl to smack her hand away with a tut. "And to think you laughed at the virgins back then. Puh!"

"Shut up!"

.I.

"Home."

"He's there… why?" Ivy asked in bemusement, because neither of the two able to went back to their parents. It just didn't happen. Until now apparently.

"Petey went home to his parents. Some big news or something." Gary shrugged, not really caring. Petey parents were assholes and shouldn't be parents. They lived over the bridge and a few blocks away from that but still paid to put their child in another home away from them. At least his own mother gave a damn about him, even if it was only because he looked like her imprisoned husband. Hm, maybe he should visit her? He scoffed in his mind. Nah. She was far too clingy. He had his own little family now, too. He looked to Ivy with a hint of interest. "So why'd you want Petey?"

"Not me."

His eyes flickered from his life partner to the Jock girl. "Oh, really?" He inclined sideways on the windowsill, crossing his arms as he sat lazily. "Now why would the Jock Princess want to see our Petey? Bookish shrimps turn you on?"

"No!" Mandy flushed but put her hands to her hips aznd Ivy ducked her head not to laugh obviously, looking up and biting her lip as she watched the two, eyes flickering back and forth. "Figured I get a tip or two from him before we start the same degree."

Gary found that curious. Plus it was always good to know medics. "Huh. Like I said. He's at his parents place." He waved a hand towards Bullworth Town.

"Right, well, gorgeous, do you know when he'll be back?" Ivy asked, knowing she was far more likely to get info from him, one hand on her hip.

He hummed in thought. "Probably tonight. It's rare they call on him, but when they do it's for a long while."

"That's that then," Ivy said, rubbing her neck, wondering if she slept wrong. "We can come back later or tomorrow. Thanks, Gary. Hm?" Ivy looked up at an incoming Lola who was rushing as fast as she could, sweating in her leather, and noting Gary frowning and shifting to lean forward, ready to jump down at any moment. "My, my. Rare for you to come up like this. What's up, sugar puff?"

Lola breathed heavily. "There's… there's people looking for you, Ivy."

Ivy cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. "What? Expand upon that, please?"

"They're, like, gang people or something!"

Gary jumped down at that moment, landing right next to Ivy with a soft pat on the ground.

Ivy frowned. "Were they threatening? Were they calm?"

"Zoe was leading them, and she's waiting up the dirt path across the school," Lola said, unsure what this meant, scowling at an equally glaring Mandy before turning back to the Queen. "I've made sure the twins are safe and tucked away in the 'Observatory' with Johnny."

That surprised Ivy, who instantly moved forward and squeezed her hands gratefully. It was a long way from when Lola had threatened her in Geography. "Thank you. As long as my boys are safe. Look, go and try to delay her a little. You antagonize rather nicely, but stay safe." Lola nodded, smiling a little and running away again. "She's a slag, but she's alright every now and then."

"You would say that," Mandy huffed, crossing her arms. "You love those boys to bits."

Gary smirked at Ivy knowingly, making Ivy roll her eyes and turn away from him.

"They're simply what I care for most in this world." Ivy shrugged, looking towards the cleared rubble the observatory used to stand in, which was now halfway into being rebuilt into a university dorm. She cocked her head, asking curiously, "What do you think?"

"There's potential here."

Mandy blinked. "For what?"

They ignored her.

"They're not in trouble so I'm quite happy to do anything. Within reason," Ivy warned, causing him to smirk again and look far off. "I'll grab my spar shoes." She gave him a heavy look of enthusiasm and he nodded, making her lips twitch at the possibility for an adrenaline rush, jumping up to grab the ledge and pull herself in.

"Spar shoes? Oh right." Mandy nodded, not knowing she was the reason they couldn't talk freely. "Since the beginning of the year. You still kept it up?" She called in to Gary's dorm room.

"Hell yeah."

"Wait, wait, wait! You won't be fighting, will you?" She asked in worry and then gave a look of disbelief at the sound of affirmation. "C'mon, there's more than one!"

Gary wanted her gone and sighed disdainfully at her. "Don't you have stuff to do? Away from here?"

The Jock snapped her face to him, sneering. "There's no way I could leave her to it!"

Ivy jumped out once again, looking a bit more comfortable with shorts on underneath and her sparring shoes equipped. She'd grabbed her hoodie as well, having slept over last night. Gary wanting her with them more and more, not liking everyone seemed to know where she slept, including that fucking Diego, protective. He'd even started to want Jimmy in the same room for extra protection for all for them, like some odd wolf pack.

Hey, if it was good enough for even animals to do it was good enough for his little group.

It's not as though they were uncomfortable with each other or anything.

"Don't be silly. I can look after myself. So?"

"Zoe is probably serious."

Ivy scowled at that, starting to hate that woman. She'd been so cool at first too. Then she'd had to have a thing for her man. Fucks sake. Now she just had to be connected to the current biggest group in the damn district. "I thought we were keeping away from that?"

"When it's dished out at us there isn't much we can do." Gary snorted in annoyance. He'd wanted to finish this year with control over the school students and on the good side of the teachers, which had been going very well, in his opinion. They had a huge liking from the educators due to completing classes they excelled at (which actually wasn't hard to perform at all he felt as even Ivy had done them quickly enough, something Gary gleefully mocked her for) and as a general, half the school under their command. Nerds and Preps would take some imagination to rule over (as Greasers and Jocks were physical beings easily put in their place) and neither did they stand out as rulers, more entwined in their own politics and interests rather than announcing how big they were to other students like the more physical two groups did.

Ivy huffed, walking towards the gate. "The fuck is wrong with her?"

"She's a jealous fool."

"Apart from the obvious."

"H-Hey! Are you saying Zoe's done this because she likes him?"

Ivy grimaced at that. "That's the general reason, yes. Gary…" She waved him closer and murmured lowly. "What do you want me to do? If she'd brought them for me to fight in front of the school…"

"You can't just go submitting and getting hurt but to just have everyone know? Ugh." Gary hated that. He liked having his aces hidden. It was entirely wrong to have told her. His plan on using her had completely fallen out of his hands and the dice had rolled where they wanted to. He grimaced before hiding it swiftly. Better now than later. He wouldn't be making that same mistake again if he could help it.

"Yeah. I get that."

"You guys are going out, right?" Mandy said, easily able to see it now. Ivy's wanting looks and Gary's gravitation to her. "How long? Is this why Zoe's gone freakin' crazy?"

The two traded blank glances.

The Jock's eyes widened. "Oh my God, it is!"

"You'll be quiet about this," Gary warned her. "No one else better know."

"Why?"

"Because we like our privacy?" Gary mocked in annoyance, slinking an arm around his girlfriend now he could. "It's none of your business. Get rid of that urge to gossip. You're not that Martin bitch." He muttered, stopping himself from kissing his woman's temple like he usually did. He didn't want her all soft and feely, he needed her challenging and dominative right now so held back on all the niceness.

Plus in front of Wiles who in his opinion was really looking for gossip in his eyes?

No.

People were slowly finding out bit by bit and he wasn't too sure what to think about that. Nothing much would happen, but he still didn't want Ivy linked to his reputation of sociopathic manipulation, unless it was that she was being manipulated because he disliked the very real fact she held more chains over him than he did her. Thankfully she didn't know that… Gary eyed her inconspicuously. Or did she? He wasn't so sure. Either way, he'd do his best to make sure she'd look like the victim and he'd play off the bad guy roll and one of them would get off scot free to help the other out. He smirked at that pun minutely. Still, he damned his younger self for being so showily ambitious and less sneakily cunning.

He'd just chalk it up to experience.

At least he knew he'd learnt better now.

He didn't have to worry about her softening under his touch; Ivy was already tensing up her shoulder, broadening them in a way that showed she was ready for battle. He seriously disliked how much sway his woman had over him but loved it just as much knowing she'd keep him happy and wouldn't betray. "Just don't say anything. Our private life is our own, you know? We're happy as is. We'd have said ages ago if we really wanted it publicly known." Gary said smoothly, twisting her around his finger easily, Ivy nodding once in agreement when Mandy looked askance at her.

Mandy paused before reluctantly saying. "You've really changed, Smith."

Gay shrugged off that, and the dislike, pulling Ivy closer to keep his anger from simmering. As if it was her business. Fucking bitch. "We all grow up, Wiles. Ivy's my girl now and I'm not the same person I was before."

Ivy slowly blinked and smiled to herself. 'Such a liar. But what is he trying to prove to her?'

Mandy felt a little bit of shame hit her. She'd always thought of him as that trouble stirring guy who'd had dangerous mental problems but she hadn't seen any of that for months... scratch that. She hadn't seen it for maybe years even. It'd been a long time since anything linking to bad Gary had happened. There'd been thoughts that Gary had been the one to explode the observatory… but… Maybe because he was the most likeliest, it was him who was easiest to blame?

It made sense in her mind and it made her guilt all the more easy to feel.

Suddenly she wondered about the appeal of having him for a boyfriend.

He was handsome enough, sure, not as attractive as her Ted because he had such a harsh look about him. And even Jimmy who was all manly and naturally bulked out and intimidating didn't have that razor edge about him that screamed dangerous. He was toned and muscular to look appealing enough, more than the beginning of the year, but there was still a slinkiness about him that didn't exactly make her feel protected.

In fact she felt distinctly unprotected around him with his knowing looks and treacherous smirks but what did Ivy feel about that?

As a general, women liked the feel of protectiveness and it generally showed physically… but she guessed Ivy didn't care about it as much as she did something else about him…

But what?

"Oh. Well, take care of our Queen," Mandy lamely finished after that pause and walked in the direction of the Jock clubhouse.

Gary raised a brow and nodded, just glad for her to go, letting Ivy lead, shoving his hands in his trouser pockets as they made their way to the front entrance and outside of it, walking up the dirt path across from the school.

Zoe caught sight of them, her face of impatience ending while a jealous one began. "Finally."

'Why the hell did she become such a fucking bitch?' Ivy thought to herself. The answer stepped up next to her, close enough to keep her warm, so she shifted away slightly, hoping that might in some way help. 'Riiight.' Gary didn't shuffle closer as he would do, so she gathered from that that this is what he'd prefer they show. 'Cool.' Ivy then cocked her head at the rough looking men behind Zoe, surprised this hadn't drawn the attention of curious bystanders but then it was during a class they'd passed, being forth of May and a Friday and all. "You're causing really annoying problems, you know that?"

"As are you. You need to step down."

'Here we go again.' Ivy rolled her eyes. "I don't get it. Taking these men away from their day jobs to… What…? Watch us fight?" She raised her brows in disbelief at the men. "Bit of a step too far don't you think?"

"It's not me fighting. Anyway, this is Bullworth. It's never a step too far."

Ivy and Gary looked at each other in reluctant agreement. 'She has a point.' They thought in sync, smirking at each other before Ivy nodded at her. "So what exactly is going on here? Explain it for me."

"You'll step down from top dog status," Zoe stated adamantly, arms crossing. "You'll let me have him."

"I don't control people. That's slavery. Illegal, I believe. Never was one for trafficking." Ivy shrugged airily.

"Haha," The ginger haired girl said dryly. "Give them both to me or face these consequences."

"Give myself over? Now why would I do that?" Zoe flinched a little and Gary continued, annoyed at being treated like a possession by her. Now if Ivy had done it, he'd be turned on because he enjoyed when she backed up her rare possessive remarks with delicious actions, but any other woman aggravated him and this one was more trouble than she was worth. "Such obvious tactics. So very ostentatious. You think I'd want any of that? Especially when it doesn't work at all? How pretentious of you, Taylor! I figure I'd be nice, and you cling all over me like spider-webs. What man wants that?"

Zoe looked like she'd been physically hit.

Ivy let him have his moment, wondering if she should stop his verbal onslaught.

"You're a loose cannon. You don't understand tactics. You only follow your base emotions and that just gets you into trouble. You wanna be a big girl? Use mommy's things? Well, you're doing it all wrong. These men don't care about you; they're just here for a bit of entertainment. You think you've got any respect because of who your mother is? That's just protection; not loyalty. And if there is, it's not loyalty to you, but to Sara Taylor. You have nothing they'd want but disposability."

'Ouch. Truth sucks balls.'

"Get lost, Taylor. When you really want to be a big girl, get over your… whatever you have for me? Then come back to us. We might accept you. Until then, grow up."

"Get them," Zoe commanded angrily, fists clenching. "You're paid to do this job! So get them!"

Ivy immediately took out her gloves at that, swiping them on and the trio of men looked at each other warily and she wondered if they knew her rep or if they stopped because she was a woman. Then she paused and looked at Gary, who looked back after feeling eyes on him, and took them off again and stepped back staring hard, and crossing her arms.

Gary slowly shook his head. "I can't take on trained people."

"You are trained by someone with lots of experience." About seventeen years of experience because dad taught her young at four or five; but whatever, because, hey, she couldn't say that. "There's no way I'd let you be maimed in anyway and I've taught you guys to be the best like me. You'll be fine. They're nothing but street fighters with lots of weaknesses. You'll be fine." She reiterated at his aggravated face.

That got the enemies alert and annoyed and Gary sucked in a breath of angered disbelief as to her deliberate-!

That fucking woman of his!

He didn't know whether to kiss her or bitch at her.

"I said, get them!"

"After all, I need to determine your training level with real live experience. It's not like you won't be without protection." She smirked and quickly backtracked, face and voice changing to a serious one. "Now, arms up, Smith! Begin! NOW!"

With that word yelled, quite like all her training sessions, Gary's hands automatically went up into the beginning position she'd drilled them in, right hand up higher than the left and slightly more forward. The first one ran at him with a fist high and he tilted his left hand clockwise as he dodged right, grabbing the wrist with his left hand as it sailed by him, while the right hand pushed that punching arms elbow and turned it forcefully over anticlockwise and he twisted a little more harshly, forcefully dislocating the man's shoulder and kicking him away by the knee, jumping back as number two and three rushed him.

A poor roundhouse kick was aimed at him, and taking a memory from the fights of Ivy he'd watched many a time, he swiftly ducked but his own creativity allowed him to stomp on the guys' foot as he grabbed his still kicking thigh over his shoulder and stood up sharply, causing a crack and the man to yell in agony, having dislocated his femur head bone from his acetabulum, before kneeing the man in the stomach and sending him stumbling back painfully.

Ivy watched intensely. She couldn't use such an idea due to height, but it was intriguing. She'd be personally having to get in right close and instead of the thighs near the knee, she'd have to use half way up or closer. That'd generally be difficult with extremely trained people but for these guys it was fine. She had a few things to point out already, but he was doing well so far and taking no damage.

Gary punched number three away, landing him onto the other guy and he quickly stomped on the man's hand, causing another yell of pain as bones broke. He paused staring at the three, surprised at the ease he'd had. This was the fruits of his training. He turned to Ivy, unknowingly looking askance at her judging face as he backed up and a sense of pleasure hit him when she gave a canny half smile and a small nod of pride, chin high, eyes satisfied.

Footsteps, and Zoe had run off, leaving the two with the three groaning men.

Ivy took out her phone. "Shall we call them an ambulance?"

Gary looked over them.

No tattoo's.

No Upton Crew markings or clothing.

Where'd she gotten these men?

...If they were Crew.

"Are you even Upton?"

They shook their head's in denial.

"Shame for you then. You dare try and come after us…" Gary stated, taking Ivy's phone and started capturing photos of each of them for later use, chucking it back. "…Then we know who you are." He walked off and Ivy followed, giving him a vague look of curiosity. He asked loudly, so the downed trio could hear, "I suppose you're wondering why?" A short nod. "If they were Crew they'd not be able to say anything to the cops or the medics; it's why you've gotten away with so much pain giving. Otherwise they'd have the whole of the gang on them plotting revenge. They could be anyone and could turn us in on the spot, but we have their pictures and will find out where they live. Let them deal with their own messes."

"And Zoe?"

"Bitch. Waste of my time and talent."

"If only you weren't so darn cute," Ivy mocked causing him to scoff disdainfully. "This really is your complete fault, instead of ninety percent."

"I'd like to contest that, moron," He rebutted, starting to cross the road and Ivy was about to follow but then frowned when a dark jeep came up and her instincts went hay wire as the windows went down. She snagged his hand and ran with him back up the dirt path swearing when bullets came flying at them, ducking down as she pulled him along. "Who the hell?!" Gary snarled, looking vicious as he tugged her close to him, still being dragged away until they came to a thick trunked tree.

"Fuck!" She swore, taking out her phone and dialling up Jimmy, kissing Gary hard on the mouth because who knew when they could be harmed beyond repaired? Or killed? Her stomach dropped at the prospect as her protective urges went wild because like fuck she'd ever allow him hurt.

Gary looked at her heatedly, completely understanding.

"You're always mine, Smith. Don't you ever forget that I need you."

"Got it." Gary nodded only once, never looking away from her. "I need you too."

"Damn right. Now, c'mon asshole. Pick up. Pick up. Jimmy!" She hissed when he did, snarling out, "Guys with guns out the front at the dirt path of the school. Pincer them from behind. Don't know how many. Be wary as fuck." She closed the flip phone and shoved it in her hoodie pocket taking out her gloves once more and shoving them on, zipping her pockets up afterwards. Ivy gave him a serious look. "You're going to be my bait, love. Let them see the back of you." She swiftly climbed the tree and sat down, scowling at him when he simply stood there, hesitating, and her heart went out to him until she hardened it and her eyes, glaring at him. "Go! Fights are my thing, or did you forget? I'll always be fine."

Gary hated feeling like he should protect her more than the other way around, but logic powerfully overrode his forceful emotions. "Fine," He spat, hating his weak spot and then went on anyway, glad she was hidden in green school clothing in green nature and that she barely even took in his anger.

"Get him!"

Ivy counted four with guns and plenty more with normal weapons. There must have been another car or two behind. She timed her jump and with a silent exhale she kicked off from the tree and slammed into the two with guns, swiping one and shooting each in the knee caps, releasing the bullets into the other men's legs before chucking the gun over the large fence and rolling out the way of a slicing machete of one she didn't get and instantly getting up, blocking two attacks from different angles with her arms and rolling back again, twisting around and swiping her legs back and forth to knock down five of them, grinding and stepping on hands after, taking a leaf out of Gary's new book even if it wasn't completely martial arts... but at the same time was. She'd muse on it later.

One of the gunners aimed for her but she quickly twisted his hand around when his gun came up, shot him in the shoulder and loaded the rest of the bullets into the fallen ones in places that wouldn't kill but keep them down permanently, not caring who they were and throwing that over the fence as well. A yell from Jimmy running full throttle at them caught their attention, and Ivy quickly disarmed the next gunman, released the magazine and chucked his gleaming gun over the fence as well.

Ivy decided to not play around. She'd go fast and hard on these fuckers. Her elbow flew into one stomach and fist slammed up into his jaw and he was out, and before he could hit the ground she'd taken out three more with well-placed hits before a sudden horrid thought went to her.

She'd not seen Gary come back.

Him.

The nosy fucker.

He'd have come back to watch.

"Take 'em down, Jim!" She dashed around the bend, cursing when she saw no sight of her man and kept on going as silently as she could.

Ivy mentally swore when she found him surrounded by two men with guns and about five with weapons, two on the floor already and felt a huge pulse of emotion rush through her that she didn't acknowledge, letting only logic and instinct take over. She could already tell they were more trained up than the previous and snuck closer behind some bushes and got closer, proud when Gary managed to knock out one of the Kung Fu guys and she decided to spring out, grabbing a rock and aiming when she saw a gun rise, throwing it accurately and running after it. Ivy slammed into the other one with a raised elbow to the face, breaking his nose and harshly kicking the other one in the face at nearly the same time.

She turned around reflexes kicking in when a fist went for Gary's undefended side and grabbing it before Gary's late reflex turned to see her cold face and freeze at the close up of it, she punched the gang member in the jaw with her free hand and breaking the bone. 'Do not touch him.' The next fist was swift to the next man's gut and she kicked him away, letting Gary deal with the next one after that. She blocked two fists from two people, and kept on doing so until she found a weak spot, keeping an eye on her man, still taking in his fighting ability. She slammed a thumb into the pressure point just behind the collarbone, making that one jerk and rapidly punched him down and out with her free hand, twisting her body and grabbing the striking palm from the second and pulling it harshly before driving a knee up and break his arm at the elbow.

Ivy turned to Gary's enemy with a dark look and, running up, swiftly put the man into a choke lock.

"Who are you?" She hissed, deadly, heart still beating a hundred miles an hour, only now registering the drop in her stomach she'd had upon sighting Gary surrounded as utter fear. "You best answer me because I am far from happy right now and I'd be very very tempted to lock you away and rip out every dirty little secret from your head and-"

"Pl-Ple…!"

"Please what? Answers and you get air."

He blurted out the name of the gang, numbers, talents, links. Anything he knew. Mordred's. About three hundred around Ayrshire and Wynnmere, having just entered the area after taking over a much smaller district of towns to the colder north, where there was many more up there. He was barely older than them, maybe twenty, and absolutely petrified of the woman now sitting on top of him handling his machete.

"So, who are you?" Jimmy said, having come up, looking around vigilantly.

His name was Daniel Carpenter, had a sister and they had run away from home and they'd joined the local gang for a place to sleep and food.

Ivy was still suspicious as fuck though, still on high alert.

"He's telling the truth," Gary stated and then pursed his lips when Daniel looked up at him. "It's Petey's cousin. That's probably why Petey had to go to his parents; to keep an eye out for him and put whatever thoughts they want into his head about Daniel."

"You're Gary?" Daniel said, looking stunned before sounding dismayed. "Not much for it then… huh?" He asked as Ivy got up, giving him a look over. "Um…" He didn't want to say he could see up her skirt, but thankfully she moved away to save him from saying anything though Gary had nearby snarled at him silently.

"You don't look like Petey," Jimmy remarked for them both, eyeing him thoughtfully. "Blood or marriage?"

"Blood. First cousins. His mom and my dad."

Ivy listened in, weighing the machete in her hand, thinking over what Daniel had said, but more importantly the style she'd been seeing him use. Or at least the base form. He was the least talented of the Kung Fu guys, but he had a quicker speed. She was sure it was Baiji Quan. Probably the one other style she'd been interested in. A little smile littered her lips. Mostly because it was the style her last and longest boyfriend had been into. They'd been together nearly two years in Spain, the longest she'd had. Her Spaniard boyfriend, Prospero, initially friends, had then been interested in her when he couldn't win against her. She'd gotten interested because he wouldn't stop coming back for challenges and they'd hit it off.

They'd had a blast together.

But… In the end, he'd gone off to do the champ track and try and get acclaim. He'd wanted her to go with him but she'd easily seen it'd be about him only especially after eyeing the girls when they'd gone off for pre-matches for him to get into the tournament and after finding something else out, she had broken up with him, always knowing that a relationship based on challenging each other would eventually come to blows anyway. She was starting to enjoy seeing the fruits of her labour in her students… though the championship track sounded greater still.

"Ivy?"

"Hm?" She asked looking up and throwing the machete over the fence and into the water behind it like she had done the rest of the weapons she'd gained hold of. "Sorry. Baiji Quan, right?" She asked Daniel. "Your Kung Fu style?"

"Yeah, I've only learnt it for a week though… You can tell?"

"A long-term ex-boyfriend of mine, Prospero, knew it, so yeah. I could tell almost instantly. I've seen it too much not to recognise it, even as butchered as you made it." Ivy felt a lot calmer now. Thinking about her past with a touch of fondness helped. Still, she definitely needed some private time with Gary. She needed to put her fears to rest, make sure he wasn't harmed. Reaffirm his wellbeing with her own eyes and hands. And maybe her lips too. "Baiji Quan isn't for you."

Daniel looked a bit offended and awkward. "I… uh… Why not?"

"It's for short powerful bursts. You were faster than the actual martial artists here. I'd recommend Leopard or Crane style. Or my own Wing Chun." She shoved her hands in her skirt pockets, feeling heavy with other thoughts. "Look, I'm going back. Check on my twins." She thumbed the school building over her shoulder, walking backwards before turning around and putting a hand up in a wave. "See you soon."

.I.

Ivy grinned at them as they pointed out what a good place for her to be living in the University Dorms would be. They'd found a nice large room that resembled her current one and they'd already painted it orange, and it also had a fireplace in it. They'd said it was supposed to be a secret from her by Pinkie whose spare time had been devoted to studying for finals in June. She hugged them tight, looking up at the Greaser pair gratefully. "Seriously. Thanks. By the way, Jimmy wants to rule you, and I'm quite happy to help him so I'll ask nicely. Please give leadership over to us smoothly. Nothing much will change, except you follow what Jimmy says."

Johnny struggled at this. "I knew we'd be comin' up soon 'nuff."

Ivy gave him a moment before prompting. "Well?"

"I still order my boys around, yeah?"

"As long as it's not to go against Jimmy-boy, yes. Like I said, you just have to acknowledge and follow what he says, apart from that, dynamics and politics are still the same." She waved a hand.

"Will there be much bossin' about?" Lola asked, snapping her gum.

"As much as need be."

Johnny scowled before nodding as Lola gave him the stink eye. "Alrigh'. I hate not fighting for it, but we all know Jimmy's best and with the Jocks and Bullies on his side, we ain't got a chance. Least none of us are hurt this way."

"Be sure to tell him that. See? No one's hurt from your group." She told her boys, who grinned back at the couple and then looked back at her.

"Thanks, sis. We love you."

"Love you two, too. You two are sticking for degree's right?"

"Automotive Engineering." Johnny grinned, perking up. "And Lola here's doing a Fashion degree."

"We have those?"

Lola nodded, snapping her gum and surprisingly docile these days. "There's a whole bunch of new ones this year. They've got more teachers, this whole new Dorm; the works. Bullworth Academy seems to be getting a complete makeover, hun. This year will be good."

"Nice. I approve. Hey, have the girls been alright to you?"

"No name calling or anything. Well, apart from Mandy, but that'll never change." Lola sneered, heavily disliking that prissy cheerleading idiot. "You've got a rein on them."

Ivy slowly nodded to herself. She hadn't done anything for them to be so obedient. Was it really just the fact that as long as Mandy and Lola weren't at each others throats by the threat of Ivy simply being around making the girls section calm down? Even Christy hadn't gossiped as much now she thought about it. Food for thought. "Good… I've gotta shoot. Look after my tiddlywinks well." Ivy laughed at their complaining, rustling their hair affectionately after a kiss on each cheek, hugging them together tightly and disappeared back to her current dorm room, each step to getting there making her feel heavier.

Today hadn't exactly ended up great.

It was then she stopped, needing to expel the sadness, turned and went to find the little area to hide in that was the Hobo's garden, to cry in. Just like every other time she'd taken lives, she hid herself away for a cry.

Because this wasn't her.

...At least

...At least it hadn't been.

This wasn't what she'd planned for in life but she'd done it now. She'd done it and there was no escape unless she ditched everything she fucking loved and she couldn't do that. She couldn't leave any of her boys and her man.

Hobo Grant came out and simply watched her, and over her.

He'd done it every time she'd come back, understanding, knowing, not judging.

It wasn't as if he hadn't been part of a gang after coming back from Vietnam in a mess.

He simply sat next to her, not touching because she'd never want it, just sitting there should she need it.

She never did.

Girl was too damn stubborn for her own good.

Ivy wept and wept, knees to chest, feeling utterly stupid to be doing this life and helpless to stop it as well as the tears falling down. But she wouldn't stop this life, and it wasn't as though she didn't know what would happen. Each and every gang member knew what this was about. Each and every single mother fucking one of them went into each day knowing what could happen to any of them. They knew, they prepared and they did the day until the end, only to wake up to the next one with the same thoughts and fears.

That's just how it was.

This life wasn't glamorous; each disgusting fucking day was hard. The only freedom she herself got was Bullworth, and it was probably why she'd gotten an unhealthy attachment to it, along with its' common and daily rituals and ways. She couldn't not have Bullworth Academy as part of her life now.

But she also couldn't part from her boys.

She'd admit very easily that she needed them.

Ivy got up from the wooden tree trunk that was a bench. "Thanks." Her voice rasped until she cleared her throat. "Seriously."

Life was getting dangerously, and it wouldn't stop sliding down that slippery slope unless she ran.

But she wouldn't. Not this time.

"Just keep going, Viney."

"I'll try, Grant," She said hollowly as a goodbye, trekking out the ground of the homeless man and into the parking lot, heading to the Girls Dorm, feeling dazed and lost. She ignored everyone on her way up, just wanting to get to her room. She opened her door up tiredly, shoulders slumped and looked up to see Gary sitting on the edge of the bed with elbows on knees and hands clasped loosely in front of him, impatient. "Gary." She closed her door and tightly locked it, dumping her key on her chest of drawers next to it and sweeping over to him.

His brows raised at her obvious red eyes and moreso as she instantly thoroughly kissed him, but no less enjoying it, especially with her hands roving over his body like that, dipping under his shirt and tugging at his belt. He wanted to demand what the hell had happened yet instead he recognised the need to touch and affirm and decided to not question right now. After, maybe. He chuckled lowly as he was pushed lower into the bed. "I didn't get hit once thanks to you, Nessie." His lips were claimed once more in reply, hard and hot before she parted. Gary looked up at her with molten brown eyes, hot and heady with want. "Ivy."

"It's my fault you were cornered like that."

There was a double tone to her words causing him to frown and look at her properly, trying to figure her current emotional self out. "No, it's not. You were there when I needed you," He said at the look of frustration she gave. "Ivy," He groaned as her mouth started to work wonders on his neck, loving when she got to this little point near his pulse and this other point near a pressure point that sent his eyes rolling in pleasure.

"Let my lips check, Gary. I need to feel you now."

Gary smirked a little, reaching up to stroke her cheek, not quite knowing her internal need for closeness, but instinctively reacting to it anyway, causing her to lean in closer and push herself against him forcefully. "Go ahead, woman. Make me yours."

.I.

A/N: Hmm. What do you think of this one?

Also would anyone like a recap/summary of the chapters next chapter?

Please review!

LaRS.