Yes, I'm still alive.

I'm sorry it took so long, but at last the chapter is up. I hope it's worth the wait. There's no real warnings for this chapter.

So, read on and see me at the bottom.

The conference car

A few hours later

It was lunch time now, and Daniella waited for them as she directed the kitchen workers about where to put he lunch plates.

When they were all seated, Tommy took up his place again. "So, I hope that we are all ready to continue with our meeting?"

Kyle was feeling relaxed as he looked around the table as the other Miscreants took their seats. There was a definite change in their demeanor; Katsume seemed much more at ease as he helped his girlfriend into her seat. After setting her crutches against the near by wall, he took the seat next to hers and she looked at him, clearly besotted.

He hid his smirk as he sipped on his soda. Yeah, they were both lost.

He was very happy for them.

His gaze slid to the newly weds. Their hair was damp, and Sapphire looked really, really relaxed. Kyle raised a brow at them and the sly look Leif gave him as he kissed his Saph's shoulder told him more than he wanted to know.

Lastly, he looked at Rookery. Unlike everyone else who seemed cheerful and content, the enforcer of their group looked troubled...really troubled. He really didn't have to ask what was wrong. He'd received the same email as everyone else, including his mate and thankfully she'd opened the email first, and had warned him to not to look at the video link. It was porn in it's most basic form and the only woman he wanted to see naked was Autumn.

Thankfully, his mate had only told him what he needed to know…

"Kyle, are you with us?" Uncle Tommy asked, breaking into his thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry Uncle Tommy."

"If we are all ready, we can continue the briefing from this morning. There's a lot to go over."

When no one else spoke up, Tommy nodded and stood up straighter. "Good, first item on agenda, is that my daughter has been waiting very patiently to find out the fate of the kitten. I did call her a few minutes ago and they're eating lunch at a Frankie Jane's and when we talked they were just about done with lunch.

"Oh wow." Kyle interjected, "I've heard they sell some really amazing Barbecue!"

Autumn grinned at him. "Yeah, you would focus on that."

Kyle shrugged. "Hey, I can't help that I love food. It's in my blood."

"Anyway," Tommy interrupted in a stern teacher's voice, "We have a lot of business to go over, so when you Miscreant's are done being chatter boxes, we can get things started."

"Sorry, Uncle Tommy." Kyle replied, "I'm listening."

When he saw that he had everyone's attention, Tommy pushed a button on the high tech consule.

"Sadie, please come online."

"I am here, Dr. Oliver." answered the feminine, disembodied voice. "How may I serve you?"

"We are ready to connect the call to Connor's phone."

"As you wish, Sir."

A few moments passed before the call connected and to their surprise, Kira's voice answered. "Hey Dr. O. We need a second. There's been a small mishap and Kayla needed a good face wash.

"It's only been 10 minutes," Tommy replied in confusion. "How much can happen in so…"

"Really, Dr. O? Do I need to answer that?"

Tommy sighed. "Yeah, that was a dumb question. What happened?"

We need to develop some bully repellent, they follow us around like mosquitoes."

"Yeah, I'll put Billy and Ethan right on that." Tommy deadpanned. "What happened?"

"Some overgrown morons tried to dump slushies on the kids. Axel stepped between them and took the brunt of it, but Jude and Kayla both got a little splattered…in the face."

They chattered for a few minutes until Kayla was ready to talk. When she'd been strapped in, they could finally talk to the Little Ninja.

"Lord Falcon?"

"I'm here, Little Ninja, are you okay?"

"Yes sir. I don't think I'm going to want a slushie for a while. My face hurts a little bit."

"Well, it's nothing that a hot bath at the hotel can't fix. But that's not why we're calling. I have the Miscreants with me. They've decided what to do with the kitten you saved."

"Are they gonna help him? I don't want the witches to get him!"

Kyle took that as his cue to answer. "Hey Little Ninja, we won't let that happen, Twilight is safe forever. He's going to be our Mascot and he's going to live with us at headquarters."

Kayla sounded so relieved. "Yay! I knew you guys would help!"

"Was there ever any doubt? We're heroes now."

When the call ended, Tommy got the attention of the teens again. While the call was going on, lunch had been brought in and everyone was savoring their food.

"So, now that Kayla's worries are soothed, it's time to get down to business." He began. "While you guys are going to be the ones doing the heavy lifting, the other parents and I are going to be managing things behind the scenes so that everyone is as safe as possible."

Kyle nodded. "Okay, so what are the ground rules?"

"First, we don't want you guys to be in direct contact with the clients. While most clients are going to be the sincere kind that truly need help, there is a possibility that some troublemakers might start issues with us whether it's for money or sympathy. If some morons are going to cause trouble, it's better for them to try it with us than with you."

Kyle nodded and then sat back as Tommy addressed them all as a crew again.

"Now, we've decided that the best place to use as a contact point is the restaurant itself. The more needy clients may feel more comfortable seeking help if it's in the middle of the restaurant over some comfort food. Not to mention if their abusers are watching, there's nothing threatening about them going to get a bite to eat at a burger joint."

"It's a good idea." Autumn commented. "Are you planning on having us working there?"

"Yes." Kimberly nodded. "We want to have you there doing light duty so that if you need to leave in a hurry, you won't be tied down. Not to mention that you'll be getting a small pay check from this. The idea is to rotate shifts so that everyone gets days off."

Pausing, Kimberly turned to look at Sapphire. "Since you're in you're in the middle of the second trimester, you'll only be there as a seating hostess, that way you won't need to be on your feet for too long. I fully expect for Kayla to want to be involved since she loves to emulate you guys; if that's the case, she'll be there as your assistant and to help hand out menus or some small thing like that."

Sapphire chuckled and nodded. "I'll be happy to have her help."

The rest of you will most likely be filling drinks or busing tables. No heavy cleaning involved. For the times that you're not at school or working at the diner, your official cover as Miscreants will be as your own animal rescue group and as an asset to the Paws and Claws animal rescue. You'll maintain an online presence on your MySpace page and your mini studio is all set up."

"I don't think I need to reiterate, but when the time comes for you to go to work, you'll do so only when you have us watching your back. Andros has provided us a way to do that undetected, but in case you run into trouble, we'll be there to help you out."

"What about the armor?" Autumn asked. "Were the helmets ever finished?"

Tommy nodded. "Yes, when Ethan is not busy taking care of his daughter, he's been working on the tactical gear and practical tech that will aid you while on the job. Within the next day he and Billy will be heading to the makeshift painting booth to finalize the overall design. By the time we return, everyone's gear will be ready…" He paused and looked at Elisa. "Even yours."

"He knew I was joining?"

Kimberly grinned. "Yeah, I told him to ready another blank and gave him the right measurements. The only thing that hasn't been made is the helmet, he'll have to do a life cast when you get back."

They were quiet for a few minutes before Kimberly spoke up again. "With all the tech talk out of the way, we need to address the hazing incident at the school."

"Can we not?" Rook asked with a plea in his eyes. "I'm trying not to dwell on it; it makes me want to do unspeakable things to that bitch and her cronies."

Kimberly raised an eyebrow at his use of profanity. Well, Rookery. I don't blame you for wanting to avenge Joy's honor and as someone who experienced even worse hazing by the school bullies, I won't stop you; however we do need to address it because that sweet young lady just got blindsided and is probably freaking out over what is waiting for her when she returns back from school.

Rook gave her a dark look and she could all but see flames glowing in his eyes.

Kimberly matched his gaze and then sighed. "I've sent Aisha and Tanya to Joy's house to assess the situation. I've been where Joy is now and this time, I'm able to step in, and offer some support. They'll get back to me as soon as possible."

When she paused everyone looked up at her in confusion. She was giving them a thoughtful look and then added. I know you are all honorable defenders and I know you will do what you can to support this amazing young woman. Just make sure you don't sink down to those plastic's level."

When she gave them all long looks, Kyle nodded, understanding what his aunt didn't say.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Later when lunch was over, the Miscreants sat in the atrium as the California coast line moved past them. The air was calm around them and the sun was out, so it was the perfect atmosphere for them to hold a meeting.

Kyle sat forward in his seat at what might have been the 'head of the table' if there was one and looked his crew over. Though it had been decided that they all were equal in the group and had equal say, the other miscreants looked up to him, feeling the subtle air of leadership he was exuding.

"Are we all on the same page about the hazing thing?"

Katsume shook his head. "I haven't gotten any email like that, but from what you have said, I'm glad I didn't get one."

Autumn nodded. "It was bad and Joy was literally exposed for the whole school to see. I can't imagine what she's feeling right now."

"She's in a bad way," Rook said in a thick emotional voice. "I talked to her friend Phoebe who helped her escaped the locker room, she's not doing good. Barely comes out of her room and has barely spoken a word."

"That's about what I expected." Autumn answered with a sad smile. "No girl want's to be so publicly humiliated."

"No guy either," Kastume added. "I haven't seen the video and I don't want to see it. I've already been through that situation and it kills me that she has to go through it."

Kyle nodded and then looked at Rookery. "This situation effects you too; you've been called out publicly, my guess it to try and shame you as much as to shame her."

"Except, I have nothing to be ashamed of." Rook stated. "Not to brag, but I'm ripped and I've got tactical training, I'm not exactly Quasimodo."

"No, but look at how flustered you are now." Autumn gently pointed out. You have all the looks and courage, but you're not a Romeo. Joy Lyn is a beautiful girl but no one wants their secret crushes exposed for the whole school to see.

Jezebel is a psychotic bitch that lives to make everyone else miserable. She saw vulnerability in the both of you and exploited it."

"But that doesn't explain why shes going after Joy Lynn. She's the nicest girl and just wants to make a difference at the school after all that crap that happened last year. From what I noticed, they didn't even cross paths."

They were all quiet for a few moments and then Katsume looked up. "What if its us that are the targets?"

Leif looked up at him. "But we have no beef with Jezebel, we have nothing to do with any of their crowd. We've kept to ourselves this whole time."

Katsume nodded and then added. "But what if the situation is tied to something bigger? Like a revenge plot?"

"Guys, what if Jezebel is just a puppet?" Sapphire asked. "She's nothing but a psychotic bully and we've given her no reason to pick on us. But what if someone else who has beef with us in some way, is using her like a rabid attack dog?"

"These are all good clues, but we can't test any of these theories out until we get back home."

"That's such a long time," Rook said in frustration. "What if something worse happens to Joy?"

"It's not happening." Tommy said as he walked through the door and sat down on a bench. "I just heard from Tanya and Aisha. They were able to connect with Joy's parents and everyone is going to be okay for now."

"Uncle Tommy, what if Jezebel is just a puppet being used by someone else?"

Tommy looked at him. "What makes you think that?"

When Kyle repeated their theories back to his uncle, Tommy gave him a long look. "It's a possibility. But the attack that happened to your Aunt Kim back when we were teenagers was even more vicious, and as far as we can tell, it was just a bully doing what they do best; making everyone's life hell just to make themselves feel more powerful."

"Uncle Tommy, I don't think we should just assume things, I don't want any of us to end up in the hospital because we let our guards down"

Tommy subtly flinched at reminder but then looked at Kyle "You are definitely your father's son." Sighing heavily he addressed the group as a whole. "I'll go ahead and have someone look into things and see what can be discovered. For now, I want you guys to go be teenagers and take time to relax. If there is something sinister going on at the school, you need to be at a hundred percent when you return after this trip. If you're right, then we could be walking into all kinds of hell."

"Yes, sir." Kyle answered.

Tommy looked at them like he wanted to say something more, but he only got up and walked back through the train car door.

When it was just them again, Kyle gave Rook another look. "This is your battlefield. Evil puppets aside, what do you want to do about Joy Lynn?"

When Rook gave him a look of confusion, Kyle added. "You shouldn't let the psychotic bitch ruin things between you and Joy Lynn. I know things are going to be awkward now when we get back to Angel Grove, but that shouldn't stop you from getting your happy ending."

Rook sighed heavily and sat back in his seat. We are really into each other and we even hung out at the park during the week you guys were gone. There's something really good and solid between us, but I'm worried that Jezebel's prank might have ruined things between Joy Lynn and I."

"Are you willing to fight for her?" Lief asked.

"Yeah, isn't that what we were discussing?" Rook replied in confusion.

"No, that's not what I meant." Leif asserted. "Jezebel is going down, but what about afterwards? Things are going to be awkward when you see Joy again."

Rook nodded solemnly. "Yeah, that skank really threw a monkey wrench into everything." Putting his head in his hands, he sighed. "I have no idea what to do with all this."

Everyone was quiet for a few moments and then Leif broke the silence. "You need to woo her."

Rook looked up. "Woo?"

"Yeah. Don't give that skank the satisfaction of ruining what you guys had. Don't wait too long to stoke that fire; if you want her back, then you need to show her that you still want her."

"I think all that romance and sex has gone to your head. You're married so now you want everyone else to have the same thing."

"Yeah, your right. I'm blissfully happy in our marriage and I want the same for you and Joy. But none of that's going to happen if you don't make a move. I know you're the big protector of this group, but if you want to fight for her, you'll need to become a lover."

Rook nodded slowly. "This is really out of my comfort zone."

Autumn looked at Sapphire and they shared a smile. "We can help with that."

Rook looked up at them. "Oh boy. Should I be scared?"

Kyle just grinned. "I have absolute faith in my mate. Let these brilliant ladies get to work."

One Hour Later

Kyle's faith in the ladies was not misplaced. Once they decided on the right course of action, the guys left the room to set things up in the conference room, leaving Rook to the mercy of the ladies.

Rook had blanched when he saw the ladies going through his suitcase. However, he quickly learned that the sight of his underthings had absolutely no effect on them. They paid them absolutely no mind as they searched for the perfect outfit for him.

Elisa was the only one who kept her distance. Instead she was the one to keep Rook company.

By the time an hour passed by, Rook was dressed in black silk button down shirt that was left hanging open enough to show off his well-toned chest.

It was paired with some distressed black jeans and some basic skateboarding shoes.

The last thing to be done was his hair. It was sexily tousled and product was applied to keep it in place. The look was completed when his both his dog tags were arranged to gleam in the light.

When the ladies stepped back, he looked damn hot.

It would blow Joy away, they were all sure of it.

When the boys returned, Kyle smiled at his girl in satisfaction. "Yep, that'll do it!"

Joy's house

Phoebe looked at her phone and nodded at the text message she'd gotten. She picked up her computer and walked into Joy's room. Her best friend's face was tired and haggard looking. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her hair was messy.

"Hey, you need to see this." Phoebe said as she sat on the full sized bed.

"I don't want to see anymore videos." Joy answered in a dead tone.

"This one you need to see."

When joy tried to get up and walk towards the bathroom, Phoebe grabbed her arm. "Please trust me on this. Your avenging angel is making his move against Jezebel.

That made Joy stop in her tracks. "I don't have an avenging angel."

You do now. Please just sit down and watch this."

Joy had a look of worry on her fact as Phoebe opened up her laptop again and cued the video.

It took a moment for the video to buffer but then Rook's face slowly appeared on the screen and he looked very handsome. Joy's breath caught in her throat and her heart fluttered at the sight of him.

Rook took a deep breath and then spoke:

"Hey, it's me Rookery coming at you from the sabbatical I'm taking with my crew. I know you all would expect me to talk about that horrible video circulating the school, and I already said that anything happening between me and Joy would stay private, but you vultures can't seem to take a hint."

"I meant what I said about privacy, but with how things are going, I decided that I needed to directly address the most beautiful girl at school. Joy Lynn."

Rook licked his lips considering his words carefully.

"Joy Lynn. You should know that my feelings toward you haven't changed. I really enjoyed that day we spent together and hope to spend more time with you, if that's okay with you. I'd be lying if I said the video didn't turn me on. I'm pissed that the crusty bitch, Jezebel violated you like that. I'd hoped to see that beautiful body of yours on our own terms, when we were ready to take that step.

"But once something is on the net, it never goes away. That being said, you should know that I'll be avenging you when I return. No one should be exposed like that; against their will."

"But now that I've seen it, I am even more attracted to you. You have a very healthy body and are the perfect size to me. I know you're probably feeling ragged right now, but I hope you hang on till I get back."

"Please don't let that stupid video ruin things between us. When I get back, I want to take the most beautiful girl at Angel Grove on a real date where I can show you off and make all the other guys jealous."

"If you want to talk to me, Phoebe has my number."

"I'm here for you my lady."

The video ended and Joy felt her heart flutter.

He'd spoken such beautiful words and she was drawn into him. She felt her wet cheek; there were tear streaks and her heart felt lighter.

She took a deep breath as Phoebe closed the laptop.

When you're ready, you can call him.

"He really wants to be my champion?"

Her best friend nodded. "Yeah, he looked like a champion to me!"

So, things are officially set up for the Miscreants when they return and officially start their jobs.

What did you all think about this chapter? Feel free to leave reviews!

See you guys next time!