A/N: Well, here it is…Chapter 5. I know it's been a while between updates, but I've been super busy (I know…that's my usual excuse, but its true). This is not my favourite chapter, but it needed to happen. It just clears some stuff up, and explains some. It's still a little confusing…the next chapter is in the making (I'll try to be quicker), and it will be better…I promise! Hugs! Lily….And by the way….please review! I will know if you have read it, so why not take the 30 seconds to push the little purpleish button at the bottom of the screen to review! It makes me feel so much better, and if there are good reviews, I will be motivated to write more, and much faster!
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Jesse Miller started off life in a good, middle class family. He was the oldest of three children, and was always fond of his youngest sibling (and only sister) Alexandra. Jess always loved science, but also loved studying the paranormal. He became obsessed with the occult at the age of ten, and had spent most of his teen years wandering the streets of Montreal, Quebec, looking for more reading material. He learned to speak so many languages, not all of them human, and started hanging out in underground demon bars, even making a few friends. Before the age of sixteen, he had staked a few vampires, but on the eve of his sixteenth birthday, he had come home to find his family dead…all with two "unidentifiable" bite-marks on their necks, and drained of blood. It was on that day that Jesse Miller decided that he would take his revenge, and fight vampires for the rest of his life.
So when Lara told him that she was running off to Los Angeles to help a vampire, Jesse hit the roof. He could understand that she wanted to help her dead brother, but why did she want to help a vampire?
She returned a few days after, drenched in rain and crying. She had used a spell to portal there, as not to waste time. Jesse had learned how to when he was 17, and they both found it useful to transport themselves, so they used it often.
He had tried to comfort her, but Lara seemed inconsolable at the thought of the loss of her older brother. Even though she hadn't seen him in over seven years, Lara always spoke highly of Wesley, more so than the rest of her family, anyways. Apparently, he was always there for her. Jesse didn't bother to mention his "leave of absence" in her life for the past seven years.
But still he grieved with her, for he knew her pain. The pain of not having a family.
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He had taught her how to fence. With foils, epees, sabers, it didn't matter. He taught her anyways. Even when their father yelled, insisting that they stop, not for her safety, but because "girls weren't allowed", they continued.
They ignored him.
He also taught her archery. He was positive, at one point that she would be the best in the council. She had a certain talent for sports, and always had.
But all that ended.
He started coming to visit less and less as his duties grew and grew. She withdrew into herself more and more as she grew older and older. And then she disappeared.
He hadn't seen her for seven and a half years, and it killed him inside.. He wasn't there to protect her when she needed it most.
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Lara hated it here. Morson's was the absolute worst place to be. Well, maybe not; the streets were worse.
But, even so, she hated it.
She much preferred going out at night, staking vampires and fighting demons. There, she could get lost, get away from the screwed up story that was her life. There, she could pretend that someone still cared about her.
But someone did care.
It was by total coincidence that she met Jesse on that warm August night several years ago. Ever since that night, they had patrolled together. Every night, she snuck out of Morson's, and he met her.
Jesse also worked at the local diner, so they met there often, and talked while Lara did her work. On top of slaying and school, Lara had two regular jobs to help pay for some food and such (for when she snuck out of Morson's for longer periods of time), so she met him there every day to do her homework and get updates on vamp activity in the area.
If anyone was on the outside of her life looking in, they would never guess that Lara Wyndam-Pryce was who she really was. For one thing, she had changed her name to Laura Pryce so that her father wouldn't find her. For another, she just seemed normal. She got good grades, worked hard, such and such. The only odd thing about her life was that she seemed very anti-social, and always looked tired.
Well, that's what you get for only getting four hours of sleep every night!
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After he had crossed the boarder into Canada, Wesley started immediately for Montreal, the place that his sister was last seen. He knew that he was in for a long drive, and possibly a stay in Montreal. He knew that his little sister probably held a grudge against him, but he had to try to get her back. He smiled as he thought of her. She reminded him so much of the happy times in his life, when he had a family.
Of course, it's not like she would go with him willingly, in all likelihood. He knew that. After all, she hadn't seen or heard from him in seven year, and if your brother had, basically, ran away, you wouldn't be too thrilled either.
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One Week later
"You wanted to see me, Alice?" Lara meandered into the head office at Morson's, and took a seat across the desk from Alice Watson.
"Yes, Laura," Alice responded, moving some files around. "I'm concerned about you. You've been getting more and more quiet lately. And you look so tired. Do you…want to talk? About anything?
A number shot through Lara's mind. Seven. "Seven years, seven months, seven days…"
"What was that?" Alice asked.
Snapping out of her trance, the young girl cast her eyes upwards. "Nothing"
"Laura, are you sure?" The director asked.
Lara shook her head. "Sorry, Alice. No, I'm fine, really. Just a little…under the weather. That's all"
Alice nodded once. "Well, in that case, I need one more thing. A man came here today. He looked sort of like you. Said his name was…Wyndam-Pryce?" said Alice, consulting one of the many notepads on her desk. "Something like that. Laura, is he of any relation? Because if he is, you can go with him…live with him. We'll do background checks and stuff, of course, but…whadda ya think?"
Lara's eyes had gone strangely wide. She shook her head. "W-Wyndam-Pryce? Never hearde the name before, Alice." She gave a nervous smile.
Alice frowned. "Are you sure? He looked strangely like you…the same colour hair…and the eyes. Just like yours!"
The adolescent stood up fast. "I have to go now, Alice." She ran out of the office.
Alice shook her head. "I always knew that kid was weird."
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"Jesse!" Lara was practically screaming as she ran into Dan's Diner. She selected a table and ran straight to it, Jesse at her heels. She started to calm down after a 'mandatory chocolate shake' as imposed upon her by Jesse.
"Now, are you better?" Jesse asked.
Lara swallowed, nodded, and took a deep breath. "We have a huge problem. Wesley's in town."
It took a little while for this information to sink in. Jesse nodded. "That's great…What are you talking about, Lara? Isn't Wesley dead?"
"Jesse, you and I both know that dead people don't always stay that way!"
"You mean…" Jesse scratched his chin.
"He apparently spoke with Alice. I don't know much else. As I'd assume that it was daylight when they were talking, but let's not rule out vampirism. As for zombies-"
"Lara, couldn't he could have just come back?" Jesse leaned forwards in his seat and studied the young girl carefully.
Lara stopped. "Come back?"
The young man nodded. "A witch could bring someone back from the dead."
Lara shook her head, sending her ponytail flying. "Come back? Like, as in human?"
"Come back, like, as in human."
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Another night. Another patrol. Even though he was in a different city, Wes felt the need to walk around with his weapons and blow the hell out of any stupid demons and/or vampires that happened to pass his way. It was a great way to vent his anger and frustration.
Tonight he was in a rather large park not too far from the orphanage where he asked about Lara. The director had never heart of Lara Wyndam-Pryce, but she said that there was a Laura Pryce. He had been told all about her and her bad habits of running away. That sure did sound like his little sister Lara.
He sat down on a swing and let his mind wander to his past few days in Montreal.
He had decided to go find his sister by himself. He thought that, maybe if it was just him she might trust him. He had no idea how she would react to, let's say, Illyria or, God forbid, Spike.
A sigh escaped his lips as Wesley started to stand. It was nearly three in the morning, almost time to go back to he hotel.
As Wes rose to his feet and began to walk away from the swing set, he heard a rustle in he bushes. Slowly, he turned around, one hand reaching to the stake hidden in his belt. The rustling persisted, and then, suddenly, it stopped. Wesley, slightly relieved, turned back around. 'Stray dog" he thought.
So he fully didn't expect what happened next. A scream, very similar to a war cry, echoed through the still, cold night, All of a sudden, something hit Wes.
Truthfully, it was a small something, about five-foot-three, maybe 120 pounds, but it hit hard, all the same. His instincts kicking in, Wes began to fight back, whipping around and punching the something. It fought back and very well too. It seemed to know Wes's moves, matching his fighting style almost blow for blow. It was almost as if the two fighters had the same style. But that couldn't be…unless…
The thought was so shocking that Wes lost his concentration, and before he knew it, he was lying on the ground, his attacker on top of him and holding a stake to his heart. Her eyes…bright and blue shined in the moonlight. A small ladybug on a chain dangled around her neck, clanking against a pair of dog tags. Wes could hardly believe it. Could it be? Could it really be her?
The shock was so great that only one word escaped his lips. A simple word. Just a name.
"Charley?"
The figure's facial expression immediately changed. Within the time span of about two milliseconds, it went from determination to shock. She backed away from him slowly, a mistrusting look of her face A single word sneered from her mouth.
"Wesley."
