First I would like to say to everyone I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED THIS STORY SOONER. But things have been a bit complicated, and then my computer broke for a few months and I couldn't update then. I promise I will update at least weekly now. With that being said, I'd also like to say an extra sorry to Nothing Else Worked, and thank you for the e-mail.

Also, another quick note, there is a little bit of swearing in this chapter.

Chapter Eight

"What can I get ya?" Amber smiled slightly at the man she was talking to.

He grinned boyishly. "Amber, what you doing working 'ere'?"

She laughed. "Felt like a change." She replied trying to keep her voice light. "What can I get ya?"

He laughed. "Just get me a rum, luv."

Amber got his drink and smiled as he walked off, then sighed. So many people had asked her why she was serving drinks in a bar when she was such a good thief. Amber always just smiled and changed the subject.

"How you coping?" Jonas asked her quietly, coming up behind her.

She sighed. "I know too many thieves."

Jonas laughed. 'You're popular."

She groaned, before turning to another customer.

Briar stared at his wall miserably, hating himself for being so depressed about her, for loving her. It was so stupid for him to be in love with a murderer, especially since she was over him. Or at least said she wouldn't see him again, which was probably the same thing.

Briar heard a knock on his door, but ignored it knowing the person would go away eventually. The knocking became more persistent, which irritated Briar, yet he didn't move to open it.

The door was swung open, and Sandry came to stand in front of him with her hands on her hips.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Briar replied half-heartedly.

"Then why didn't you answer the door?" Sandry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't hear you."

"Didn't hear me?" Sandry said, annoyed. "Don't lie to me Briar Moss!" She said sternly, then her tone softened and she sat down next to him.

"Please tell me what's wrong."

Briar turned his face away from Sandry, ashamed of the tears, which started to form in his eyes. Her kindness somehow made his pain worse.

"Briar…" Sandry took hi hand, and stroked it comfortingly.

"Amber and I…" Briar began, then swallowed the lump in his throat, and made his voice less emotional. "…We're finished."

"I'm sorry." Sandry said, and hugged Briar tightly, letting him cry into her shoulder. "I know how much you loved her."
Briar sat up sharply. "I didn't love her." He said, and quickly wiped the tears away from his eyes. "It was nothing…just a thing."

Sandry sighed. "Briar, if you want to talk about it ― "

"So like a girl." Briar said, his tone sounding so like the thief he'd been when Sandry had first met him. "You always want to talk about everything. I don't have anything to talk about."

Sandry nodded, his words felt like a slap on the face.

"Okay." She whispered, and walked quietly out of his room, shutting the door behind her.

Briar felt bad for the way he was treating her, but he didn't want to talk about it, and he didn't want to appear weak. He had to be strong, like Amber.

"Fuck." Amber swore to herself sitting down on a stool at the bar.

"Tired are we?" Dean asked teasingly.

Amber turned and glared at him. "Long night."

"Is bartending harder than expected?" Jonas asked, joining Dean in teasing Amber.

"No," Amber smiled "Bartending is easy, trying to explain why me - a good damn thief - is bartending is hard."

They both laughed at her.

"But don't you feel more decent?" Dean asked. "I mean, you haven't lost our love."

She shuddered as a fresh wave of pain came over her.

"Oh God, Amber" Dean said with realisation. "I'm sorry, I should have realised you're not ready to be teased about that."

She smiled wryly. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Jonas asked, and Amber nodded.

"He hates me a the moment." She replied simply. "I'm not going to be the lovesick little girl. I'm stronger than that."

Jonas put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. A small gesture, but Amber felt the friendship behind it, and smiled gratefully at him.

"Okay, I'm going to go to bed now." Amber announced, standing up.

"Coz your tired?" Dean asked, grinning.

Amber sighed and looked around for something to throw at him. Finding nothing she just glared and left the room.

Jonas watched Amber go and sympathized with her. It would be hard to love someone and have her life get in the way. That's why he never got into relationships, because his life was complicated, running a bar for thieves and whores. He knew he couldn't give his bar up – not for anyone.

Dean sighed, and Jonas knew he was contemplating Amber's situation as well.

"Gunna help clean up or what?" Jonas asked grinning.

"Hell no." Dean said, looking around the bar at the few people that were still there, half being passed out drunks on the floor.

"Uh…hi?" A voice said from the door, and Jonas turned around to see a tally, thin brunette standing at the door. She didn't look like the type

"Hi." Jonas said. "I'm sorry, but we're closing ―"

"Come take a seat." Dean interrupted invitingly, and the girl smiled and came to sit at the bar.

Jonas looked at his friend puzzled, as this girl wasn't usually his type, but chose not to question.

"What can I get ya?" He asked, playing the bartender again.

"Uh…" She paused in thought. "Whatever…I don't care."

Jonas tried not to laugh as he poured her a glass of rum.

"Thank you." She smiled slightly and took a mouthful of rum. She screwed up and gasped at the taste.

Jonas and Dean both laughed softly.

"Don't drink much, do ya?" Dean asked, and she blushed hotly.

"No, I don't." She said honestly. "I usually don't need to, its just that…I had a fight with my brother."

"Oh?" Dean said, looking interested.

"Well, it wasn't really a fight, so much as…" She paused.

"What?" What is it?" Dean asked concerned, and Jonas tried not to laugh.

Yep, he definitely likes her.

"Well, it wasn't a fight so much as, he won't talk to me." She said, her voice sounding upset and frustrated. "He broke up with his girlfriend, and he's upset…and he won't talk to me about it. He usually talks to me, but now he's not, and I…" She paused wide-eyed as she suddenly realized who she was talking to. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't be talking about my life problems with you guys."

"It's okay." Dean said comfortingly. "We're hear to listen…Right…Right?"

Dean shot Jonas a dirty look. "What?…oh, right…yeah I'm a bartender…we're supposed to listen."

She laughed and took another mouthful of rum, this time trying hard to hide her dislike of it.

Dean laughed, and continued to flirt with her. Jonas got bored with watching him, and went to clean the bar…alone, since Amber had gone to bed and Dean was too busy flirting. When Jonas had finished, he went back to them, just as the girl was leaving.

"Uh…thank you for listening." She smiled awkwardly. "I had fun…" She leant forward and kissed him on the cheek before leaving.

Dean turned back to the bar, and looked a bit embarrassed to see Jonas standing there.

"She seems…nice." Jonas said slyly.

"Oh, shut up." Dean said.

"It's funny though, aint it?" Jonas said. "As Amber ends her relationship, you meet someone."

Dean looked at Jonas and glared. "Yeah, bundle of laughs."

Jonas laughed, as Dean left to go to his room. Jonas sighed, his friend's had such complicated lives and him, being the bartender, was supposed to be the stable one. The one to listen and aid them.

"Well, I'm gunna be busy now, aint I?" Jonas said aloud to himself. "They're both gaining more emotional baggage."

He laughed, knowing that their lives probably couldn't get more complicated. Funnily enough, it was gunna.

Okay people, you know wat u gotta do. Press the button that says review, I don't care if you hated it, and tell me so, as long as you say why you hated it and how I can improve. Also, this chapter is a bit off, coz I'm trying to get back into the story again. Sorry.

– Drama Queens Rule