(Chapter Three, Pt Three)

He stood watching her, calm now, he'd just had an intense sparring session and now, he was just standing there, watching Aurora dance. Today, there was an instructor in the studio with her, and they were doing some complicated lift. He snickered as Aurora ran, but the teacher staggered back.

"It's cause you're a girl." he stated as he stepped into the room. They hadn't really seen much of each other since a few nights ago when his world basically exploded on him in the space of a day, but he had been watching her, sort of thinking about her. And while it irritated him beyond all reason, it also helped him learn a lot more about her. Because she damn sure wasn't sharing any personal information.

The teacher raised her brow, then smirked and said "Oh really? And you think you can just catch her?"

"Basically, yeah." Jon said with a smirk as he looked at Aurora, enjoyed for the moment the redness that crept into her tan, making her turn a sort of pink all over as she stood there, torn between glaring and slightly smirking at him. "Do ya mind if I?"

"By all means, Jonathan." Aurora said stiffly, as she gave him a raised brow, and got ready to do the lift. Jonathan held up a finger, then shut the door. "Don't want anyone seein me, thinkin' I'm a pussy or some shit." he muttered as Aurora studied him intently, then asking calmly, "You ready now, Mr. Machismo?"

"Don't tempt me to drop ya, Rory." Jon said with a slightly seductive smirk as he waited, then caught her, lifting her easily, then dipping her, as he whispered quietly, "Bet those other fancy ass dancer boys ya hang out with at school can't do it like that." before sitting her on her feet again, turning and walking out of the room, without another word to either female.

"Do you know him well?" the dance instructor asked, as she looked at Aurora. Aurora shrugged and then biting her lip, as she stared at the doorway he'd walked out of, she said quietly, "I have no idea, to be honest. His name's Jonathan."

"I'm aware of that. He's a big troublemaker, not a good guy. Shot his ex girlfriend's dog. I knew her, she was a student of mine."

Aurora turned on her heel and then said quietly, "I've heard that. But, I was raised to believe there's more than one side to every coin. "

The teacher shrugged and then said "You'd be wise to stay away from him. Boys like that, especially here, they never amount to much."

Aurora sighed, dropping the subject, shoving her feet into her boots, and grabbing her bag, following him out of the building stealthily.

Jon turned a corner, and felt a tap to his left shoulder. He smirked to himself, then turned around, to find her, standing there in front of him with a confused look on her face.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Because ya were gettin on my nerves, thought if I saw ya, I'd stop thinkin about ya all the god damn time. Because I hate it." Jon said as he stopped, lit a cigarette.

"You're never gonna keep stamina if you keep smokin." Aurora stated calmly, as she sipped a green tea, and raked her hand through her hair, biting her lip.

"Can't quit." Jon said stiffly, as he looked at her, then said quietly, "Ya not that bad at dancing. I mean, it's dancing."

"Gee, thanks." Aurora said dryly as she shivered, wishing she'd grabbed some clothes to put on when she finished her lesson, or a thicker jacket at least. "I'm never gonna get used to these damn cold winters. Thank god I'm only gonna be here until graduation. Then it's California bound."

" At least that's what ya say now." Jon corrected her, as he leaned against the brick wall of the apartment building. Aurora shrugged and then said "Nope. I'm pretty sure I'm goin. Just ready to start my life."

"Same here. I wanna be a professional wrestler."

"Like sumo or something?" Aurora asked, wrinkling her nose, giggling at the mental image as Jon shook his head and said quietly, "Nope. As in fightin. Brawler."

"Never seen that."

"I figured as much." Jon said as he smirked at her, his eyes flickering slowly over her tiny and softly curved frame.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" Jon asked, smirking in amusement.

"Like... I can't explain it." Aurora said as she bit her lip, a little nervous suddenly, as she found herself shifting closer to him, feeling the warmth that radiated off him. "It's fuckin cold out here."

"If ya would wear more god damn clothing, then ya wouldn't fuckin freeze." Jon said as he moved a little blocking the wind. Aurora looked up at the stars, then sighed and asked, "You seen Jane?"

"Not yet."

"I miss her."

"Me too." Jon said as he looked at her a moment. Taking a breath, he said quietly, "She's gone. I could give two shits about anything else now.. I could have protected her, they wouldn't fuckin let me."

Aurora bit her lip, put her hand on his chest and said "Jonathan, it's okay.. You can be upset."

"I'm not a pussy. Pussies show their feelings and shit."

"She was your little cousin."

"I know. But I don't" he started, but stopped talking, noticing that Aurora stiffened, practically tried to disappear. "You okay?"

"What the fuck is my dad doin here?" Aurora muttered, her voice going low, getting a scared tone to it as she looked at Jonathan and said quietly, "I gotta... I gotta go in now. I'll see you around. If he catches me talkin to a boy,..."

She took off up the fire escape as if wild dogs were chasing her, leaving Jon standing there, puzzled over the whole conversation, wondering what her old man did to make her that afraid.

He didn't have to wonder long, because as soon as he got into his room, the fighting in her mom's apartment was at a fever pitch. And he lie there, awake, worried, then pissed at himself because he was worried about her.

Finally, he stepped out onto his fire escape, then threw a soda can at hers. Moments later, the window opened, and she climbed out, pale, scared.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine, damn it, Jonathan. Just don't worry." Aurora said bravely, as she winced, her father hitting her mother echoing off the walls.

"Doesn't sound fine, Rory." Jon said as he looked at her calmly, a smirk in place.

"Catch me. I'm comin over." Aurora muttered as she managed to make her way across the fire escapes, even with Jon swearing at her, telling her not to fall.

"So... your dad.."

"Is an asshole. And now, he's going to fight my mama for custody of me. It shouldn't matter, but he's a lawyer back in Louisiana, he's got friends in high places.. And I'll die before I go back there." Aurora stated flatly as she looked up at Jon.

"I can hide ya. If you have to hide."

"No. I'm not draggin you into this. I mean it, Jonathan, stay out. My dad... He's a bastard."

"Your grandpa owns the building. Why ain't he helpin your ma?"

"Because he was against my mama leavin with my daddy in the first place. And he never got over it." Aurora said quietly, as she leaned against the rail, looking out into the alley below. Jon walked up behind her, and then said quietly, "It's okay.. "

"No, Jonathan, it's not. I... I was so happy to get away from him.."

"Ya not going back."

Aurora bit her lip as she turned, looked at him and then asked, "Why are you being so nice to me right now? I've been a bitch to you."

"No, you tried to be nice.. I'm just not.. I'm fucked up, Rory, broken."

Aurora shook her head and then said quietly, as she put her hand to his chest and held it there, "As long as your heart's still beating, you're not broken. You're just difficult to understand. You're afraid to care. And I get it, I really do."

"Trust me, Rory. I ain't a good person."

"Jonathan, stop saying that."

"It's the truth, damn it."

Aurora looked up at him and then shaking her head, she put her arms around him cautiously, hugging him. "If you were as big of an asshole as you claim to be, Jonathan Good, you wouldn't have thrown the can just now, gotten me out of there. Think about it."

She placed a shy kiss on his cheek, then made herself hurry back to her fire escape, and into her room. The last thing she needed to have was her father coming inot her room and finding her outside, with a boy.

Because she had no doubt in her mind that her father would find some way to hurt Jonathan, and she didn't want that happening.

Once again, Jon stood there quietly, totally bewildered by what'd just happened. Then he finally went inside. He knew that he'd spend all night lying awake, but he also knew that if Aurora had to leave, then he was never letting anyone penetrate his defenses ever again.

Because she had, and though he didn't tell her this, he didn't tell her how he felt, he hated thinking that she might be gone.