A/N: Updates are short. I apologize.
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Paul watched Jessi as she swayed to the music at the concert portion of the boardwalk. She looked like she was enjoying herself as she listened to the band playing. He thought only the singer was worth shit. The rest, meh. Jessi looked at him and he smiled at her as she moved closer to him.
"That's my brother's band," she said, her gaze flitting in their direction. "The one up front is my brother." She rolled her eyes as the lead guitarist went wild on his guitar. "The rest are asses."
Paul smirked. "I couldn't tell with the way that they were trying to hog the attention."
Jessi put her hand on his shoulder and pressed closer to him as people squeezed by, moving her body to the rhythm and stirring something in Paul. "He'd be better off with a different band, but they kind of…leech onto him, if you know what I mean."
The wild blond's eyes held hers as he slipped his hands down to her hips, holding her close. "I think I do. They mooch off his talent?"
That's not what she means…
Shut up…I can smell them on her. And you're the one that says that I can't tell anyone about our kind. So forgive me for not being blunt. Paul winced inwardly when David snarled. Shouldn't you be paying attention to Faith?
I need you to watch her. The others and I have something that needs to be done.
Paul didn't get a chance to argue before all the voices in his head fled. He suddenly spotted Faith on the fringe of the crowd, looking annoyed and lost. He beckoned her forward behind Jessi's back and she hesitated before slipping towards them. As much as he wanted to have more moments alone with this lovely blonde, his Sister was important to him and he was going to keep an eye on her.
"Paul," Faith said, coming to an arm's length distance away from him. "Sorry to bug you and…this must be Jessi?"
Paul nodded and bounced on the balls of his feet. "Yep! This is Jessi, the second most wonderful girl in the world after you Sis."
Faith rolled her eyes and looked at Jessi, who for a reason that bewildered Paul, had stopped dancing. "Hey Jessi, I'm Faith."
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There's no way this person is real, Jessi thought, staring at Faith in awe. She's like…perfect. Fire and porcelain with a hint of rain. And she's Paul's sister? No fucking way.
"I'm…I'm Jessi," Jessi stammered, gripping onto Paul's jacket for support.
Faith smiled. "I know. I've been wanting to meet you since I found out that you stole my brother's attention from us. Iona and I are so happy that he's finally found someone to keep his attention the way that you do and spoil." She looked at Paul. "Don't follow David's footsteps and be an ass about things."
"Me? Be an ass?" Paul asked, putting a hand to his chest like he had been offended. "Jessi, have I been an ass yet?"
"You've made an ass of yourself, does that count?" Jessi shot back, looking up at him.
Paul clutched his chest and stumbled back. "Help! Medic! Doctor! I've been wounded by two gorgeous women! I shall never recover!"
Faith rolled her eyes. "You'll live."
The blond blinked his eyes. "Do I see darkness closing in?" He stumbled forward like a drunken man. "No. I see a light. It's the angels coming to take me away." He fell to his knees and reached out. "I'm coming angels!"
Jessi nudged him with the toe of her boot as he fell on his face at her feet and lay there like a log. "Very funny, Drama Queen." She looked over at Faith. "Do you want to get some ice cream?"
"Make it iced coffee and we have a plan," Faith said with a smile. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. "Have you eaten yet?"
"Not yet," Jessi said, stepping over Paul and walking next to the redhead. "I was supposed to go get something during my lunchbreak before Paul rudely kidnapped me from my work."
"We'll fix that before we get iced coffees," Faith decided, nodding her head. "My treat." She looked out at the world with all seeing gray eyes. "So, you work at the record shop?"
"Yeah, it's not much but it's something."
"I can't judge. I never had a job before I moved here," Faith admitted. "I just graduated from school, went on vacation, and decided to give up my life to move here." She smiled slightly. "It was the best decision of my life."
"Santa Carla was the best decision of your life?" Jessi asked, looking at her in surprise. "The Murder Capitol of the world?"
"Strange, isn't it? But this is home."
"To each their own." Jessi shoved her hands into the pockets of her denim jacket. "I want to get as far away from here as possible when I get the chance."
"You do?" Faith sounded surprised and almost a little hurt.
Jessi nodded and looked out at the tourists that they were passing on the boardwalk, hearing Paul's running feet on the boards behind them. "I just…I've lived here for all my life and it hasn't gotten any better. I lost my parents. It's just me and my brother and we're living with people that…that aren't the best kind of people to live with. It's becoming more and more dangerous for us to be in this city and I don't know if I can make it another year."
"You can," Paul laughed, though it sounded almost forced, awkward. "What's going to get you? The Boogie Man?"
"Maybe," Jessi said, thinking back to what she lived with.
Faith reached out and put her hand on Jessi's arm. It was cool to the touch, even through the jacket, but soothing. "Jessi, as long as I'm alive, nothing is going to happen to you, or your brother. Nothing really big and devastating. I'm going to do my best with my small family to protect your small family from whatever thinks can hurt it, okay?"
Jessi's dark eyes met Faith's gray eyes and she felt like a peace came over her. Faith meant what she said. There was power in her words. There was something backing up everything that the redhead had said to her. That promise meant something to Faith, she wanted it to mean something to Jessi. And Jessi wanted to wholeheartedly believe that this redhead that gave off such a perfect image would be honest and fulfilling.
"Just don't give up on us and this place, Jessi," Paul said, resting his chin on her shoulder and giving her puppy dog eyes from the side. "Because we don't want to leave. And I don't want you to leave. Who would I take on random kidnappings then?"
Jessi bumped her hips backwards to throw him off. "Your loss."
"Jessi!" Paul pouted, coming right back.
"I'm not going anywhere yet, Paul, you dork," Jessi told him, turning around and walking backwards so she could look at him. "I don't have the money to leave Santa Carla and I don't have a ride. Without those two things, I can't make it far from here. So, you get to keep me."
Faith put her face in her hand. "Don't tell him that."
"What? Why?" Jessi asked, confused.
"Mine!" Paul exclaimed, grabbing the blonde and throwing her over his shoulder. "All mine! Woo!"
Jessi realized the error of her ways as Paul carried her down the boardwalk, singing "mine", and started fighting with him and the realization that she liked this crazy family.
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Faith looked sad as she watched Paul say goodbye to Jessi with a sweet kiss to the forehead and a small jig. Paul skipped over to her and cupped her chin, a big smile on his face.
"C'mon Princess, smile," he said, eyes dancing. "You'll see her again."
"I hope you know what you're getting yourself mixed up in, Paul," Faith whispered, her bottom lip trembling. "She's…she's already mixed in the world of vampires…and they're not us…they're not friendly with us…and…" She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath, her eyes wet but determined when she looked at him again. "…I meant what I said. I'm going to keep her safe."
Paul looked at her with soft eyes. "I understand, Sis. But you've got to take care of yourself too. Leave the squabbles between the vampires to the big boys. We've got this handled."
Faith stuck her chin out defiantly. "I can fight. Iona can too."
"I know, but let us take care of the battles, okay?" He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I wouldn't even let her fight if she was part of the gang and you know, she ain't. Yet. And then I'd have to break in my other girls. And ugh, the nightmares."
Not even that brought a smile to Faith's face. "You do realize, she's your one," Faith told him, looking him straight in the eye.
Paul shook his head. "I can't see that."
"You will," Faith said, patting his cheek. "Once you stop focusing on me so much." She started walking away. "Once you all stop focusing on me so much, you'll see a lot of things."
What's that supposed to mean? Paul wondered, watching his Sister.
I don't know, but keep close to her and get back to us. We're done with our business. It's time to do some late night hunting.
We get to eat, Paul! Maybe that'll bring Faith's spirits back up?
Maybe! Paul hurried after Faith and tapped her on the ass. And yep, I totally did that Davie! So ha!
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A/N: Thank you for reading. -Scarlet
