"Jin?" There was a shocked gasp that echoed around the clearing where quite a few houses hid in the trees. One of the teenage boys, one with long blonde hair, shook his bangs in front of his eyes, but not before Mystic could see the bright purple color they had become.

Jin smiled innocently and stepped out from behind Mystic.

"Hey guys…" She gave an awkward laugh and held her hands in a "what can I say?" motion.

The rat on the other girls shoulder looked disapproving of the attention Jin was being given and made a "ick, ick, ick!" sound. Mystic silenced him with a stroke.

One of the boys hadn't really done anything at the sight of their old flame. He stared at Mystic, looked her over. It wasn't a secret Gnarfas was into her. He knew she never noticed his staring because Mystic wasn't the kind of girl to ignore it, thing is her brother knew he liked her. He ran his hand through his reddish-brown hair and looked back at Jin. Giving a shrug, he held his arms out for a hug.

Jin laughed.

"Gnarfas, you idiot!" She hugged him quickly, no one noticed the blonde boy's eyes go from purple to green. Jin and Gnarfas had known each other for years, had a brother-sister I-hate-you-but-I-have-to-love-you relationship. It obviously had not changed over the course of the seven years she had been missing.

"Ah, so good to have you back, little bitch." Another teenage guy walked up, shaking his black hair out of his eyes. He bore a striking resemblance to Mystic, just appeared a little older. "So now we can call you guys Bitch 1 and Bitch 2 again." He tousled the younger girl's hair and she growled.

"Oh, knock it off, Vector, she just got back!" Mystic rolled her eyes and walked over. Vector hugged her quickly.

"Glad you're back, Mys, you didn't tell me where you were going, I got worried…" Everyone knew it wasn't completely true. When they were humans, Mystic and Vector were not the type of teens parent's wanted their kids hanging out with. Even with the two year difference in age, they shared an ignorant father and had "lost" their mother in an accident when Mystic was just born. Both had done just about anything to get the attention they so much desired, and they wound up in big trouble. Mystic survived two years of Juvenile Detention for alcohol abuse, under age drinking, possession and use of drugs, and selling drugs. Vector had done the same, but not been caught for drug possession and therefore only served one years worth of time, the year before his sister went in.

Though the others knew their past, or most of it, they couldn't deny they loved each other. They had been through hell and back, literally, with finding out their mother wasn't dead, but had left to be with another, having not wanted children and having wound up with two. The man she was with hadn't been a man at all and on Vector's nineteenth birthday, he discovered that minor fact.

A year later, with Vector acting strange, Mystic became eighteen and found herself in a desperate position, when she was released from the hospital. Vector was furious with her, and he'll never forgive himself that.

So they both found themselves vampires, physically only a year apart from each other.

But, for them to get there, they had been through some pretty rough spots and their relationship was just a little fucked up. Money can be a major problem in drugs, and even if you sell, there's still costs you need to keep up with, especially when you first get hooked.

"I'm fine." She assured and rolled her eyes when Vector gave her a once over, checking her neck and inconspicuously her wrists.

"Good." He kissed her forehead, "Tell me when you leave. Please?"

He wasn't her boss, and he knew and understood that. It didn't make him feel any less guilty or suddenly responsible for her.

"So, we have pretty houses now." Jin commented, "No more huts?"

Mystic chuckled.

"No more huts! We figured out how to afford houses!"

"She means Vector spent a few months vending on the streets of NYC." Gnarfas laughed.

"He did not!" Mystic pouted playfully. "Unfortunately, you don't have a house. You can bunk with- -"

"I have a room available." Jinx blurted, the kid with the blonde hair.

"Jinx?" Mystic's original statement had become a question. "Ok! You can bunk with Jinx!"

Jin nodded.

"FIne with me." She bit back a happy smile, she could remember she used to have a crush on Jinx.

"And you should wear this." Mystic clasped the charm bracelet on her friend's wrist. "It means you're officially back."

Jin smiled.

"GUYS! RUBY GANG IS OFFICIALLY COMPLETE!" Mystic exclaimed and everyone clapped and laughed. For the first time in seven years, all the friends had been united and their chances of survival in this world were a hell of a lot higher.