Hey there! Here's the next chapter of Fine Again. I hope that all of you like reading this as much as I do writing it. :)

Harry2: (I think that Buffy is going to learn to love these three like brothers. And after seeing what Yami and the others can do, she will never have to worry about being in need of protection. She has her three "Big Brothers" looking out after her.) I wholeheartedly agree with you on that one. And, what with the three vampire heroes being what they are, Yami, Joey and Kaiba sure have a sense of justice in what they do, too. :)

Previously...

When Yami, Joey and Kaiba checked in on her a little bit later, they smiled upon seeing her fast asleep in the bed. Deep down, they knew that with a little bit of luck and some help from them, Buffy would be able to leave that life known as prostitution and enter a whole new life with them...

Emerald orbs slowly revealed themselves as Buffy awoke from her slumber and found, much to her delight, that she was still in the bed she had slept in, and that the room was still the same as she had found it the previous night too.

So it wasn't a dream after all, she thought. It was real the whole time. Who knew...?

Smiling to herself, Buffy carefully stretched out her muscles, and then got up from the bed while smoothing out her blond mane of hair. However, she then remembered something that made her feel as though the balloon of happiness inside of her had gotten a puncture.

I have nothing good to wear, she thought. Looks like I'll have to wear the same clothes I wore yesterday.

But that wasn't the case when Buffy looked at the foot of the bed. She couldn't help but let a smile cross her face upon noticing that there were a pile of clean clothes.

Among them were sweaters in purple, green, blue and the other colors of the rainbow, as well as a few turtlenecks with the same colors, and a couple of blouses in red, white and black. Last but not least were a few pairs of Levis in black, blue and white. And they were all in her size as well, which she found to be pretty neat.

Wow, she thought to herself while smiling simultaneously. Apparently, it looks like my older brother figures have good taste in clothes.

She looked up as the bedroom door opened, and her eyes widened in realization when she saw who it was...

"Buffy? Buffy Summers?" said the girl standing there in the doorway. A hint of a smile was on her lips.

A similar smile then crossed Buffy's own face when she recognized who it was. She replied, "Sheila? Sheila Martini, is that you? I never thought I'd see you again."

Sheila crossed the room and then put her arms around Buffy for a hug, which Buffy gladly returned. "Oh, Buffy, I missed you. I missed you so much," Sheila nodded before they released each other from the hug and then sat down next to Buffy.

"I heard about what had happened to you yesterday evening," Sheila remarked. Upon seeing the puzzled expression on Buffy's face, she explained, "Yami told me. He's – how should I put this – my boyfriend."

She then looked at Buffy to see how Buffy would react to that statement. Maybe a flash of anger would light up Buffy's eyes, or she would burst into tears.

But neither of those things took place. Instead, much to Sheila's surprise (and at the same time relief), Buffy replied, grinning, "That's great, Sheila. You're lucky to have him – I can tell."

Sheila smiled shyly. "Thanks, Buffy; that means a lot to me."

She paused. "Oh, I just remembered something important. Yami suggested that I take you out shopping for new clothes some time – but that's only when these either run out or are torn to shreds, probably.

"What do you think, Buffy?" she asked after another moment.

A thoughtful look appeared on Buffy's face. She hadn't gone shopping in quite a long time. The last time she had done so was back in her old hometown of Sunnyvale on her fourteenth birthday before she started the eighth grade at Sunnyvale Middle School. Her father had been alive then. Her mother had been happy with the promotion she had gotten at work for her contributions to the art gallery and had earned a lot of money as a result – which she would sometimes save up for something special. Buffy then remembered that, at the age of fourteen, she was preparing for entering her last year of junior high before going on to Sunnyvale High School.

Pulling herself out of her memories of the past, Buffy looked up at Sheila and smiled.

"Of course, Sheila," she replied. "I'd like that."

"Great," Sheila smiled. But the smile vanished when she noticed the sad look on Buffy's face. "Buffy, what's wrong?"

Buffy now knew how someone struggling with a decision must've felt, as she was currently doing just that. To tell or not to tell – that was the question. Finally, she made up her mind and decided to be honest with Sheila.

Looking her in the eyes, Buffy said, "Sheila, since Yami is a vampire, then that must mean that..."

She broke off, unable to finish, but Sheila nodded, quickly getting the idea of what Buffy was trying to say. Putting an arm around Buffy's shoulders, Sheila explained, "It's true, Buffy; like Yami, Joey and Kaiba, I myself am also a vampire. I'm sure you figured that out already."

When Buffy nodded Sheila went on. "However, I was sired by Yami. But thankfully, unlike the title character in the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker – which I've read from cover to cover, by the way – as he forced his vampirism on Mina Murray, Yami was different. He told me that if I wanted to, as he put it to me, ‛enter his world full of darkness, loneliness and secrets', and I would, he vowed that it would be my choice. In other words, he had decided to leave the decision up to me."

Sheila smiled, enjoying the memory of how gentleman-like Yami had been with her – and still was, even now. "So, after taking some time to think over my decision, I made up my mind and told Yami I would choose to become a vampire. That was all that was needed to make him happy."

As she spoke, Sheila smiled upon remembering that. Buffy also grinned a little upon hearing it as well. Seeing the smile on Buffy's face was all Sheila needed.

"We can go out in the daylight sometimes, especially during daylight savings time. Now, let's get you dressed while I explain some other things about Yami, myself, Joey and Kaiba."

Buffy readily agreed, and let Sheila pick out what to wear for the day, which only took them a few minutes. While she was helping Buffy, Sheila told her all about the kind of vampires that she, Yami, Joey and Kaiba were. After all, knowledge was a good thing in itself.

"For example," Sheila said, "we still have reflections, so we can appear in mirrors. We can still eat human food when we prefer to. And we can also handle running water, among other things."

As if on cue, she and Buffy perked up their ears upon hearing the sounds of the shower running in the bathroom a few doors away from Buffy's room. Apparently one of the vampires – Joey, possibly – had gotten up early to take a morning shower.

"See what I mean?" Shelia explained, shrugging.

Buffy turned to her and nodded. Contrary to what she had heard about vampires, her older brother figures didn't mind running water at all.

"Yep, I think I do," she replied.

And it was true. Before Buffy knew it, she was adorned in the kind of clothes that she had previously only dreamed about, and also looked good on her and fit her just right. And those kinds of clothes and the life she once had before she became a woman of the night – they were, of course, the very things that she had fantasized about when she was a kid.

And that was long before she had met Yami, Kaiba, Joey and Sheila, too.

Living on the streets, waiting for someone else to pay for her and her bed, and always having to pay for everything herself using money from her purse – those times now seemed to belong to a different life that she had probably dreamed up. It was as though they were smudges – or rather, ghosts of a past that didn't belong to her anymore.

Now, she looked even more beautiful. She was wearing a dark green turtleneck covered by a light green sweater with a cat face made out of fake diamonds on the front. Black Levis seemed to go on and on over her legs, and blue-and-white striped Converses adorned the white socks that enveloped her feet in a cocoon of comfort.

"You look really beautiful, Buffy," Sheila smiled as she looked at Buffy's reflection in the mirror.

Speaking of which, the mirror was a thing of beauty. Sitting a few feet away from the bed, it was a full-length, free standing cheval mirror, with the wood made of cherry. Buffy smiled at her friend's words, as well as the sincerity in the tone of voice.

"Wow," remarked Buffy. "It seems like only yesterday that the only life I knew and remembered was the streets that I worked at. Then, the only clothes that could be worn were the kind that only the prostitutes such as myself could have." She paused. "Now, I look different – and not just from the prostitutes, but also from the call girls and exotic dancers. And these clothes certainly prove it, too."

Sheila smiled. "I know just how you feel." Looking around a bit, she then looked as though she was about to share a secret with Buffy. "As a matter of fact, when you said ‛call girls', that reminded me of something from my past."

Giving her a puzzled look, Buffy queried, "You mean...?" before realization suddenly came to her.

Sheila nodded. "I myself was once a prostitute, so I know how you feel. And I understand what it feels like – having to live from your purse, as well as wait for someone else to pay for your bed. But then, one night, everything changed... for the better, of course." She paused – partly for a little dramatic effect and partly to see Buffy's reaction.

Buffy waited patiently, wanting to hear what happened next.

Sheila then went on with her tale.

"You see, Buffy, a client of mine got me up against the wall of an abandoned building and tried to get more close to me than he was supposed to have been. But when I tried to get him to back off, however, he didn't respect my wishes. My screams attracted the attention of Yami, Joey and Kaiba, and they stopped the man from stabbing me with a knife he had brought with him."

As she listened, Buffy inwardly shivered, although outwardly she did her best to be calm and collected.

Sheila knew what a prostitute's life was like? Wow. It sure looked like Buffy wasn't the only one who knew how a woman of the night would feel.

Suddenly realizing that she wanted some details, but not too many, however – as she did want a good, nightmare-free sleep after all – Buffy then said, "Could you tell me more, please?"

In Buffy's eyes was interest. She wanted to know more.

Sheila instantly took a liking to the polite tone she sensed was there in Buffy's voice.

"Of course. Why not?" she answered, and then proceeded to do just that. As Sheila spoke, she noticed that Buffy was paying close attention to every word she said, and that she kept eye contact with her as well. Those two things combined made Sheila smile a bit.

Buffy certainly was a good audience; she gasped in all the right places, and when Sheila got to the part where her former client got her up against the wall and began trying to sexually assault her, Buffy shuddered all over.

"Luckily, my women's intuition had been telling me that Yami, Joey and Kaiba heard my cries for help, and I somehow sensed that it proved correct. As for my would-be rapist, he felt himself being pulled off of me and pushed to the ground. It obviously was kind of painful for him, because I heard him yell out in anger and pain as he made painful contact with the concrete ground of the alley.

" ‛Who dares push me to the – Yami?' he said while looking up into Yami's crimson eyes. At that moment, Buffy, I somehow sensed that he, Joey and Kaiba were the good guys."

A small smile lit up Buffy's features. "Wow."

Sheila nodded as though in agreement with Buffy's answer before going on with her story – especially the part of how Yami sired her. However, for Buffy's benefit, Sheila made sure to tell Buffy the abbreviated, detail-less version of that part. After all, from Sheila's perspective, bringing up too many details wasn't a good idea – especially when it came to recalling a certain not-so-good past memory.

I cannot agree more there, Buffy thought. As she looked down at her outfit, she smiled to herself. And in these clothes, I don't look like a prostitute anymore. Now, I look more like a lady, she realized after a moment.

"Buffy," said Joey's voice.

Buffy looked up and grinned upon seeing the smile on Joey's face. He looked great; he now wore a white short-sleeved T-shirt covered by a green coat with pockets, black Levis that went on and on over his legs and white socks covered by white tennis shoes adorned his feet.

He held his arms out for a hug, and Buffy walked right over to him, placing her arms around his shoulders. His scent filled her nostrils – probably the shampoo from the shower he had taken, along with a good cologne spray. Sheila smiled at the sight before her, thinking it was sweet.

"My little sister figure," said Joey after Buffy stepped back a bit, "you look absolutely stunning right now."

"Thanks," Buffy replied, smiling. To her, those words coming from one of her older brother figures felt really good.

Nuzzling her neck a little, Joey added, "Plus, you won't have to worry about living from your purse and waiting for someone else to pay for your bed anymore, either."

"Really?" Buffy queried.

"Nope," Joey shook his head. "I sense that one day you might run out of the money you already have." He pointed to her handbag on the bed. "Should that ever happen, just tell us about it. We'll understand."

Sheila nodded. "Also," she added, "you're more than welcome to withdraw some money from us if you need it."

Joey then nodded himself. "That's right." He turned to Buffy. "And there's no need for you to worry about Kaiba, Yami, Sheila and myself suddenly being low on funds."

After pausing a little to let Buffy think over what he'd said, he then added, "You see, my dear little sister figure, we have more than plenty of money to spare, thanks to Kaiba's investing it quite nicely. In small amounts, the investments would be quite a surprise, and in the case of the big ones, they could be quite a shock, especially to someone who didn't know us very well."

Buffy blinked at hearing those words, but felt some relief when she realized that her older brother figure had a point. And she also knew that the wanting to go back to her old life – living on the streets – was rapidly fading away.

The life she had now – with a great mansion to live in, three loving older brother figures, a great sister figure who definitely had an eye for fashion and more than plenty of money to spare – was exactly the kind of life she had always wanted.

Buffy smiled to herself as she hugged Joey again. This is all I need right now, she thought to herself.

In the next chapter, Buffy gets to go out to the cotton fields, where the criminals (some of which are famous and infamous) work. Hint: one known as the ‛Vampire of Brooklyn' is the overseer (or boss).

Anyway, nice feedback is very much appreciated. :)