For a while Jess was an only child. That is, until his mother, Liz started seeing Jake. He was one of the rare good guys Liz would date, but after the first good guy turning out to be not so great after all, Jess wasn't giving Jake the time of day, much less letting him get close. The only good thing to come from Jake was having a half sister. At first, Jess wasn't sure about having a little sister but eventually she slowly grew on him and Jess became a very protective big brother.

Unfortunately, Jake did not stick around, though not in anyone's control. When Alex was two, he passed away due to unknown reasons. So it was just the three of them for the next three years.

Their uncle helped make sure they could find another apartment Liz could afford. Most of the time, it was a two bedroom in which the siblings had to share. Alex usually ended up climbing into her brother's bed anyway, especially once Robert came into the picture.

The guy was the complete opposite of Jake. Always drinking, and quite the temper. He was always yelling, always in a bad mood. For the most part, the kids usually just avoided him, hiding out in their room. However, there were times one of them would look over and make eye contact, like if he was sleeping and suddenly stir, he'd bark at them. Thankfully, that's all he did. At least for a while.

Robert lasted a year.

No one was certain what set him off. Maybe Alex just looked at him wrong. Maybe it was what she said. Well, all Alex was able to say was sorry, in a shy, timid manner.

Regardless of the reason, the next thing the six-year-old saw was Robert lunging towards her and his fist connecting with the side of her face. The impact knocked her onto the floor with Robert standing over the kid, yelling obscenities at her.

The commotion brought Jess into the room. The minute the thirteen-year-old saw his sister on the floor, he too lunged forward, trying with all his might to avenge his little sister. The boy threw punches until Robert grabbed him by the throat, squeezing his fingers where Jess choked out gasps.

Jess swung his foot, aiming for the man's crotch. His foot connected and for the first time, the kids heard Robert's voice break from the excruciating pain.

Even more angry, Robert threw Jess across the room before bending over, his eyes shut tight.

Jess landed on the floor, a little further than where Alex was sitting.

She timidly asked her brother if he was alright.

"Yeah...fine," he managed to answer, sitting up and held a hand to his throat where the guy's fingernails had dug into his flesh. The moment Jess noticed the side of Alex's face was bruised and swollen, he jumped up onto one knee to reach out, checking the damage.

It took a moment but the pain Robert was feeling passed enough where he was able to inform Jess, he would regret his actions.

Jess turned on the spot to fully face the guy, shielding his sister in the process.

Just before Robert could do anything else, Liz returned home from work at that point.

"Hey, my guys and doll," she greeted cheerfully. "I brought pizza." Liz held up a couple boxes from the nearby pizza joint. She froze in her tracks when she saw her kids on the floor and Alex's bruised face.

Liz immediately switched towards Robert. "What the hell happened to Alex?!" She demanded of him.

"Those kids have no manners!" Robert just snapped in return. "They need to be taught better!"

Alex suddenly pinned herself behind Jess, clinging to him.

Thankfully, Liz wasn't having any of it. "Nobody puts their hands on my children." She walked back over to the front door and yanked it open. "I want you out of this apartment."

Robert snickered. "You can't just throw me out."

She stared at him. "I can, and I am."

But Robert refused to leave. It took a phone call to her brother, begging for his help, to come and get the guy out.

While they waited, Liz tended to her daughter in their small kitchen.

Jess grabbed a bag of frozen peas from the freezer while their mother was holding Alex's face in her hands, examining the damage for herself.

"I am so sorry, sweetie," she told her, remorseful. "That guy is ancient history, I promise." Liz reached over to kiss the tender area beside Alex's left eye.

Jess pressed the bag of peas gently to Alex's face. She still flinched away from it but with reassurance, took the bag from him and held it against her face, letting the cold numb the pain.

Liz told Jess to grab the dish towel so they could wrap it around the peas. "Here, sweetie," Liz gently pulled them away and wrapped the towel around the packaging. "You're not supposed to put ice directly on your skin."

"You're not supposed to let guys like that around your kids either," Jess muttered to himself, but loud enough his mom still heard.

"Jess," his mom scolded.

Jess said nothing, looking away towards nothing in particular.

Liz turned back to her daughter. "I mean it, Alex. I am so, so sorry this happened. I never thought Robert would actually touch you." She switched between them. When she looked up at Jess, who was still looking away, that's when Liz caught sight of the marks on his neck.

She quickly rose enough to get a closer look. "Oh my God, did Robert do that, Jess?"

Jess pulled away from his mom's hands. "He grabbed me when I tried protecting Alex," he said. "I broke free by kicking him in the nuts."

Liz rose the rest of the way so she could hug him. Or, rather, tried.

Jess pushed away, refusing to make eye contact.

"I'm sorry, Jess, but I am so proud of you for looking out for your sister."

About that time, they heard Robert yelling for his dinner.

Jess scoffed. "Not anymore." His head suddenly did a double take when he saw Alex slid off the chair and open the pizza box.

It was Liz who asked, "You hungry, sweetie?"

"I was gonna take a piece of pee-suh to Robert," she answered innocently.

"Are you nuts?!" Jess questioned of his sister. "After what that jerk did to you? He doesn't deserve crap!"

Liz reached a hand over to touch the little girl's. "It's okay, sweetie. Your uncle Luke is on his way to get him out of here."

"My tee-cha says the best revenge you can give someone who was mean, is kin'ness. I want to do this."

Liz couldn't help smile. "Okay." Leaning over, Liz kissed Alex's cheek. She went over to the cupboard for the plates, bringing them back over.

"Mom, you can't be serious," Jess tried to protest.

Liz just ignored her son and told Alex, she was doing a good thing, striking back with kindness instead of anger. Something her and Jess could learn from.

Alex also wanted to deliver the slice of pizza, herself.

Jess again tried to object, but Liz continued to deny his protests. That didn't stop the boy from going with his baby sister and staying as close as possible.

The whole way, Alex made sure to carry the plate in two hands and be as careful as she possibly could be. However, in paying all her attention on the pizza, the little girl hadn't noticed the empty beer bottle on the floor. Her foot stepped right on the barrel of the glass bottle, causing her to stumble. It caused her to fall backwards, the plate flying out of her hands. The fact Robert had snapped at her to hurry up also hadn't helped any.

The plate and pizza landed face down on the floor which Alex stared at it with, not only fear in her eyes, but tears that spilled over.

"Look what you did, you little brat! What the hell is wrong with you today?"

Liz immediately kneeled beside her daughter and lifted the plate off the floor.

Alex watched as her mother peeled the pizza off, next.

"It's alright, sweetie. Accidents happen," Liz tried to reassure the little girl while Robert continued to make negative comments towards her.

Jess eyed the guy carefully, ready to pounce in case Robert made another move towards his sister again.

"What are you staring at, boy?" Robert demanded of him.

Liz helped Alex to her feet and usher both of her children back inside the kitchen.

"I told you, Alex," Jess told his sister once they were out of earshot of the guy.

"Jess, stop it," Liz scolded him some more. Turning back to Alex, she lowered herself to her level, placing her hands gently on Alex's upper arms. "Look at me, sweetie."

Alex slowly looked up at her mom.

"Don't listen to them. You did a nice thing letting Robert have some pizza despite what he did. Don't you feel bad about showing someone some kindness. Alright?"

"Yeah, and look where that got her," Jess pointed out. In his short experience, kindness usually caused him more hurt.

"Jess William Mariano, I said, that is enough!" Liz raised her voice, that time.

Jess went silent once more.

Liz turned back to Alex. Cupping her face in her hands, she continued to tell her, " you did a good thing. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Got it?"

Alex nodded in her mom's hands.

Liz then leaned in and kissed her forehead before wrapping the little girl in a hug, holding it for a moment. Alex wrapped her own arms around her mom's shoulders, burying her face into her collarbone.

The hug was interrupted when Robert yelled for them to hurry up with his dinner.

This time, Liz took him a slice, herself while Jess helped Alex with hers. The three of them then enjoyed theirs together at the table.

Eventually, Luke finally got there and took care of Robert, in his own way, throwing the guy out of the apartment like he was an annoying customer at his diner.

Once Robert was taken care of, he made sure his sister and her children were all okay, applying the frozen peas to Alex's face again. When he questioned how she was going to explain the bruise to Alex's school, Liz told him she would hide it with some of her makeup.

"You're gonna put makeup on a six-year-old?"

"Just foundation," she said as if it wasn't a big deal.

Luke just let out a sigh, not even bothering to argue with his sister.

Since it was late, Luke stayed the night and planned on taking Liz to find a new apartment. Thankfully, since it was the weekend, there was some time for the kids' bruises to heal.

After Alex got ready for bed, Liz came in.

"Hey, girlie." She dropped down on the bed beside her, nuzzling her right shoulder against Alex's left shoulder. "How ya feeling?"

Alex shrugged, holding her wrestling action figures in her hands, having them clash against each other.

Liz gently touched a hand to the side of her daughter's head, around the bruise. "It doesn't look as bad as it did," she said with encouragement. "I'm sure it'll be all healed up nicely by Monday." Liz gave a small playful giggle.

Alex said nothing.

Wrapping an arm around the little girl, Liz pulled her close to her side. "Hey, I really did mean it about being nice to Robert even though he didn't deserve it."

Alex stopped clashing her action figures together and just stared at them.

"You okay, sweetie?" Liz asked when she didn't say a word, combing her fingers through the top of Alex's blond hair.

Tears started to build up in Alex's eyes and gloss over them. "I tried," she was finally able to get out.

Liz wrapped both arms around her that time, pulling Alex in. "I know you did, sweetie. It's okay."

"But…" Alex took in a deep breath.

"Hey, look at me," Liz leaned forward to look directly in her face. "Don't beat yourself up over this. I am proud of you for trying. Even if you fail, I will still be proud of you."

A lone tear escaped and glided down Alex's right cheek.

Liz squeezed Alex close, holding her head against hers. "I love you and your sweet, kind heart, Alex."

Alex turned her head and buried her face into her mother's shirt.

"Oh, sweetie. I am so sorry it didn't go as you hoped it would. But, don't let this stop you from being a sweetie. Alright?"

She nodded her head against her mom without lifting it.

About that moment, Jess walked into the room, changed into his pajamas. He headed for his bed when his mom called him over to cuddle with them.

Jess let out a sigh towards the ceiling. "Mom, I'm thirteen."

"What? You're too old to cuddle with us now?" His mom teased him and told the boy to get his butt over there.

Jess reluctantly walked over to his sister's bed before being pulled down beside his mom with her other arm wrapped around him, pulling him close while still holding onto Alex. He squirmed when she kissed the side of his head.

"I am proud of you too, Jess, watching out for your sister," Liz told him as well. "You're just like your uncle Luke, you know that?"

Jess remained silent, looking everywhere but his mom. "It's no big deal," he tried to casually brush the comment off.

"Don't be modest," she brushed it back. "I know how much you care about your sister, and it makes me so happy." Liz gave each sibling another kiss to the head. "And, I'm really sorry about Robert. The guy's a jerk and I wouldn't want a guy like him around my kiddos."

Jess scoffed silently to himself. By now, he was through with believing his mom, but of course Alex was still young enough that she still had hope in her despite Jess trying to tell her otherwise.

"I mean it," she continued. "You both are my world. I love you kids." Liz rubbed her arms along their upper arms affectionately.

Jess was the kind of older kid who thought he was too old for this, but made exceptions for his sister, even to go as far as letting her climb into his bed, keeping her between him and the wall in case Robert would try anything, or the next guy who would come through their lives. Jess would make sure nobody else would hurt his little sister.

His mom teasing Alex about someday letting her paint her fingernails or toenails broke Jess out of his thoughts. Though, Liz did reluctantly stop.

"Fine," she sighed but smiled. "Maybe someday then." Liz turned back to him. "How about you? You like your nails pretty?" She snickered at her own joke.

"How 'bout not?" He stated.

"I'm just teasing ya," she assured and squeezed him to her once more.

They continued to talk, well, Liz did most of the talking, filling the siblings in on their plans for Saturday. Before they knew it, the kids were the first ones out. Not wanting to disturb them, Liz kissed each one, good night before closing her eyes. It was Luke who found them when he checked on his sister and her kids.

Heading over quietly, Luke covered them all with Jess' comforter before shutting the lights off, heading back out to the living room to sleep on the couch.

Author's Note:

I had wrote this and uploaded it over on Wattpad a while back and figured I should upload it here, as well. I had gotten an idea of the possibility of Jess having a sister and wanted to show the nice, motherly side of Liz for a change. Don't know if I would ever turn this into a full story one day or not, but figured I would at least share it as a one-shot.