A/N: Today's been a busy day for me. I have been updating stories and working with animals and applying for jobs. Yay me. Anyway, I bring to you a little update. Let's add some fun to it, shall we?

OOOOOOOOOO

Jessi looked at Paul as she climbed off the back of his motorcycle, feeling bad for the silent treatment that she'd given him since he'd asked her what she was scared of. Not bad enough to answer his question, but bad enough that it made her stomach upset a bit.

Paul offered her a smile and cupped her cheek in his hand, smoothing the pad of his thumb over her skin. "You're adorable even when you don't talk to me," he laughed.

Jessi tried to smile. She tried to tell him that she didn't want to see him again. Because it was dangerous. She'd grown way too close to him as it was. Making out on the beach – that had gone too far. Something told her she was going to have to pay for it and she didn't want him to be counted in the tally.

Something shifted in Paul's green eyes. "You don't have to go in there alone. Hell, you don't have to go in there at all, Beautiful. You can -"

Jessi shook her head and took a step back, but remained in his reach. I have to go, she thought, looking at him and wishing she could find her voice. I have to go in there because my brother is in there. We've never been apart. I can't go with you.

Paul's eyes searched hers and he pulled his hand back slowly. He jumped up from his motorcycle and pressed a kiss to her lips, hard. It was like a promise that he'd be back for her. That he wasn't going anywhere she couldn't go. Jessi kissed him and then pulled back, stepping farther away from him.

A tear fell down her cheek as Paul revved his motorcycle to life and tore off into the night. Jessi sniffed and tried to regain her composure, gently wiping at her face. She needed to be calm when she entered the house. They couldn't see how much they affected her.

Jessi walked down the street to the house and unlocked the door. She stepped in and was immediately pulled into the living room. The rocker girl caught herself against the couch and spun around, narrowly avoiding getting trapped by Phil.

"What the fuck do you guys think you're doing?" she demanded, glaring at the three boys that her brother was in a band with. "You're not allowed manhandling me!"

"Good thing we're not men," Erik said, a tinge of yellow in his eyes.

Jessi felt a stab of fear hit her, but she tried to maintain control. "You still promised."

"Promises can be broken," Lester reminded her, moving closer and Jessi held out a hand to keep him back. "And boundaries can be crossed." His nose twitched. "And I think Little Miss Someone has been running around with another guy."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jessi lied, shaking her head as she moved around the couch, anything to put distance between them.

Lester rolled his eyes and struck her across the face, sending her crashing down. "Of course, you don't. Women never do in this kind of situation." He looked down at her. "But I can smell him all over you. Did you give him everything, Jessi? Did he make you feel real good?" He took in a slow breath. "No? I can tell he didn't. Pity. I always get stuck with the messes."

Erik and Phil laughed from somewhere behind him.

Jessi tried to push herself up, but Lester knocked her back down again with a slap to the ribs. The girl cried out and put a hand to her side, the other hand trying to ward him off.

"You can't do this!" she hissed.

"I can do whatever the fuck I want," Lester stated, standing over her. "And it seems like I need to remind you that you belong to me." His golden eyes flashed. "Maybe I need to pay a visit to this bastard that thinks he can take you away? What do you think, boys?"

"Hell yeah," Erik said.

"And while we're at it, get the others too," Phil added.

"Sounds like a plan," Lester commented with a smirk.

"You leave them alone!" Jessi snapped, trying and failing to rise again. "You bastards leave them the fuck alone!"

"You wish."

"I wish you were buried in the ground with a stake in your black heart!"

Lester grabbed her by the arm and threw her towards the hall where Jack was emerging, half dressed and looking like he'd run from the shower. Jack caught her and opened his mouth to say something but Lester cut him off.

"Think about that and while you're at it, think about why that guy you're seeing only comes to the boardwalk at night, Jessi," Lester said before turning and heading out the door.

Phil and Erik leered at the two siblings before following after him.

Jessi let her breath out in a low groan and rubbed her ribcage. She knew she was going to bruise after all this. Jack touched her face and she winced.

"Jessi, what did you do?" he asked, searching her eyes.

Jessi sighed and broke away from her brother, heading down the hall. "I let someone in."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Paul was happily smoking a joint at the hotel-cave when he saw Faith tense up. The others picked up on her sudden tenseness long before they sensed someone approaching. David lit a cigarette and blew out a plume of smoke.

"To what do we owe the dishonor of having you here, Max?" he asked, speaking to the figure at the top of the stairs. "You know you're not welcome here."

"Ah, but I am a member of the family, David," Max said, walking down the stairs slowly. "You are my Boys after all."

Marko threw a can at him and he paused. Paul clapped his brother on the shoulder for that one and watched the disgruntled look on Max's face.

"We're no more your Boys than pigs can fly," Dwayne countered, speaking up for once. "So fly away, Max."

"Yes, well, I'm afraid I bring you a warning."

"Boo, not warning," Paul laughed, relaxing on a broken couch. "Come back when you have good news. Like it's raining naked ladies."

"Yeah," Marko agreed. "And chocolate!"

Faith shifted her weight on David's lap. "What's the warning, Max? And what's the point of it? We haven't crossed the line. We hunt where we're allowed and we make a mess on our own turf. Why warn us?"

"If you're thinking about making a move against us," David growled.

"Temper, temper, David." Max's eyes turned towards Faith. "And Faith, the warning is simple. You've attracted the attention of other Masters in the area. One of you is playing with their boys' toy and he is very unhappy about that."

"The record shop girl," Iona whispered, looking at Dwayne.

Max smiled. "I see. You've been aware of this."

"I mean, it's not like our nose is broken, Max," Paul said, wiggling his fingers. "We can smell the freaks on her. Well, I can. My nose is always on her." He laughed. "So are my hands."

This did not seem to amuse his Master, but Paul really didn't care. None of the Boys seemed to care, though the Girls were on edge. Laddie seemed oblivious to all of it as he played on the gaming system that Faith had given him so long ago.

Kid probably needs batteries soon, Paul thought idly, letting his thoughts swim from one thing to another. And Max needs to chill…

"And that is exactly the reason punishments are in order and some have already been exacted," Max said, plucking at his jacket's cuffs.

Faith stared at him. "What do you mean?"

Paul was up in Max's face in a second. "I swear if you did something to Jessi or allowed something to happen…!"

Max blinked and stared down his nose at Paul. "I always told you to watch where you put your hands, Boys. You might not like what bites you in the end."

"We'd like to bite your hands off," Iona spat and Paul couldn't agree with her more.

"Your hunting grounds have decreased in size and the Master in question would like me to remind you that you're walking on dangerous roads if you continue to mess with their toy." Max put on a fatherly face. "Boys, be reasonable. Think before you go mucking about with humans and putting your hands on them. I hate to have to punish you."

"And yet, you do it anyway," Marko sang, putting two middle fingers up in the air.

Paul put a finger in Max's face. "You can go fuck yourself right off a cliff, Max. If I want to see her again, I'm gonna do it. And guess what? I'm gonna do it."

There was almost sadness in Max's eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

And like that, he was gone.

Paul let his hand drop and turned his head slightly. "Is there time for me to go check on her?" he asked, addressing David and Faith.

"No," David said, shaking his head and sounding pissed. "The sun's about to rise and I'm hoping that Max fucking burns with it."

"You know he won't," Dwayne said bitterly.

"He knows where to hide to bide his time," Iona agreed, stroking Laddie's hair. "Grandmother always told me that he was one of the first vampires to discover all the dark parts of Santa Carla." Her brow furrowed. "It's the anniversary of her death soon."

"Don't think about it, Sis," Marko warned.

Iona frowned and said nothing. But none of this mattered to Paul, who clenched his hand into a fist and turned to look at David.

"I can't just let him say that bullshit about her and punishments and not check up on her," he stated, his eyes flashing.

"And we can't let you burn," Faith said, staring back at him with gray eyes full of pain.

"What if – what if something bad happens to her?" Paul asked, putting a hand in his hair. "And I'm not there to stop it?"

Faith looked down at her lap. "We can hope that nothing bad happens today. But you can't go running out after her while the sun is up. Paul, I don't want to lose you."

"Sis," Paul said, bouncing on his toes. He cursed under his breath and took a drag on his joint, looking away from his favorite sister.

She could turn anyone in the world into a puddle of feelings with that look, that tone, Paul thought, shaking his head. Jessi, don't worry. I'll come see you as soon as the sun goes down.

"Fuck it all," David growled, smashing out his cigarette.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jessi sat on her bed, staring at the crosses on her wall. Tears had fallen from her eyes, but they were only dry stains on her face now. She'd cried until she was empty. There was nothing left.

Her guitar laid on the floor, but it was wrong. It was in pieces. The strings pulled at impossible angles. Everything about it, gone, destroyed.

What did he mean? What did he mean when he said what he said?

She wanted this to be over. She was done. She was tired.

What did Lester mean?

OOOOOOOOOOOO

A/N: Well, there were some touching moments in there. And then big sad. Oh well. What did you think? Let me know, please. Thank you. Much love. -Scarlet