A/N: Hello my dear friends! It's that rare time of the day that I decide to do an update for a story and it happened to be this one. Yay! Considering all of my open projects for this site, I think that this one is one of my favorites. My fans would beg to disagree it seems, but that's okay. I like this chapter and the way that it turned out. Hopefully you will enjoy it as well.

My biggest thanks go out to my dear friend, who has supported me all along since the very first Lost Boys' story that I posted. Keep being awesome, Watson!

Please enjoy this update.

OOOOOOOOO

Iona saw that something was bugging Dwayne and wanted to comment on it, but she thought better of it. She had just met the man and there was no way that she would probably understand what could possibly be wrong with him. It wasn't her place to ask, even with the peak in her curiosity.

Licking up some more of her ice cream, Iona turned her back on the ocean and looked out at the boardwalk. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she felt like someone was watching her. It wasn't like the creepy eyes of the lustful men that watched her dance; it felt more territorial. It was creepier than any of the stares she had ever felt before.

"Who the hell is doing this?" she asked herself, scanning the area.

Dwayne was silent, not looking at her anymore.

Iona's eyes turned towards Video Max again for the second time that night and saw that the owner was looking out at the boardwalk. Almost looking in her direction with those beady eyes behind thick glasses and smiling smugly like he owned the world.

"Have you ever noticed that creep?" she asked, glancing at Dwayne for just a moment.

"Who?" Dwayne asked, sounding startled.

"The owner of Video Max," Iona said, biting off a bit of ice cream. "He always looks like he's up to something that would hurt someone. And he's practically panting over the women that cross his path. I have seriously never seen a man who needs to get laid as much as that creep needs to."

"He's not going to get any at this rate," Dwayne muttered, glaring in the direction. "He goes after older women who have families, which means that they won't be interested. The mother type." His dark eyes turned onto hers, holding her gaze evenly. "You're not going to go around him, are you?"

"Me? Near that guy? Nope. Not happening," Iona said, shaking her head. "I deal with enough men like him staring at me. There's no need for me to be around him. Hell, I don't watch movies that aren't in theaters."

Some sort of relief passed through Dwayne's eyes. Iona turned and threw what remained of her ice cream cone into the ocean. She could still feel Max's eyes on her back, but decided that it didn't matter.

"Can I see your hand?" she asked, offering one of her own, palm facing upwards. Dwayne's eyebrow quirked up. "I'm going to do a gypsy thing. Humor me."

She saw the amusement in his eyes as he placed his hand on top of hers. Iona smiled and traced her fingertips lightly over the lines on his palm. This wasn't really her forte as dancing was, but she knew that she could do some basic readings on a person's palm.

"This line here says that you have lived a long life and have many more years ahead of you," she told Dwayne, hovering her finger over a certain line. "And this one says that you have gone a long time without love, but there's good news. The period of no love is about to come to an end. You're an observer and a protector of those that you care for. And you're braver than many men. Quiet. And…" Her brow furrowed as she stared at a line on his palm. "I have no idea what that line means."

"Aren't gypsies supposed to know everything about palm reading?" Dwayne asked, smiling slightly.

"Only the ones who were trained to read them or blessed with the gift to read all the lines on a person's hand." Iona let go of his hand. "For all I know, that line could mean that you were a mama's boy or a serial killer at one point in your life." She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't have the gift like my grandmother does. She can read a person's life from the smallest glance at a hand. Someone said that Grandmother Ruby made a complete story out of looking at two fingers on the hand of a drunk."

"Your grandmother seems like a wise woman," Dwayne commented.

"She should be after how long she's been around." Ione smiled at him. "She's been in Santa Carla for all of her life and so had her mother before her and back and back…I can't tell you her age because women don't reveal that kind of information to anyone but the doctor and the pastor at a deathbed. There are stories that she could tell you about almost everyone in the area and given the right incentive, she would. It's just…"

Her eyes turned back in the direction of the Video Max and saw that the owner was still looking in their direction. Dwayne placed a hand briefly on her arm, regaining her attention.

"It's just what?" he asked.

"Grandmother told me that she's known someone like that creep over there since she was a child," Iona explained, frowning. "She says that someone like Max has always been there in that store and has been spreading bad karma over the boardwalk for years. The names have changed and the faces differ, but there is always someone like him in a shop on the boardwalk." She shook her head. "You must think we're crazy for thinking that."

"No. I don't think you're crazy," Dwayne said, shaking his head. "Do you want to walk somewhere else?"

Iona nodded and started walking towards the rides' section of the boardwalk. "Anything to get away from the staring eyes of the Super Creeper."

OOOOOOOOO

Dwayne guided Iona away from the shop section of the boardwalk, trying to put distance between them and his sire. He had known that look that Max had sent in their direction. He'd seen it on that man's face many times before when a woman caught his eye. He'd seen it recently on Max's face when Faith had come into their lives. It had faded when Faith had chosen David over Max, but had come back when the new crop of motherly types had come in for the season.

Not her, Dwayne thought, glancing at the gypsy walking next to her. Please just not her.

The buzz of his brothers' voices filled his head, telling him that Max was a prick that couldn't stand at full salute if he tried for years and that Iona would never fall into that bastard's hands. Faith's voice was muted through their shared connection to David, promising him that she wouldn't let Max get in the way. But Max's voice was also there in the distance, amused by the way that his Boys thought that he could continue to be thwarted by them when it came to women that he was interested in. He had more power and more luxuries that a woman would want that the Boys didn't have.

Not her, Dwayne thought, grinding his teeth together.

"Do you want to go on the Ferris wheel?" Iona asked, pointing up at the giant wheel.

Dwayne stared at her in confusion. "What?"

"The Ferris wheel," Iona repeated. "I know it sounds stupid, but do you want to go up there with me?"

Glancing up at the bright wheel that he had gone on hundreds of times before, Dwayne wondered what the thrill of it could be. A ten minute ride of just sitting there in a slightly rocking seat, looking out into the dark distance, what was the point?

"Look next to you, idiot," David's voice came clear in his head.

Dwayne looked at Iona, who was looking like she had said something that she regretted. Her teeth had captured her plump bottom lip between them as she hugged herself.

"Yeah," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the ride. "I'll go on it with you."

"Really?"

"Sure. I guess that the three hundredth time will make it fun again."

Iona smiled at him. "Here's hoping that it does."

OOOOOOOOO

Dwayne had enjoyed the ride with Iona at his side. She had told him a couple of her grandmother's stories and told him some facts about herself. His answers about himself had been filtered and not as thorough for reasons that he couldn't explain to her yet. Iona hadn't pushed for more information on the vague answers that he provided, letting him have his secrets like he knew she had hers.

As they got away from the wheel, Iona smiled and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. Dwayne still had her hand in his and didn't want to let go as they headed towards the entrance to the boardwalk. He just felt like if he let her go, someone would take her away from him for possibly the rest of time. He couldn't do that – not like how it had happened with Faith and David.

Iona stopped walking when they were in sight of the Boys' motorcycles, causing Dwayne to do the same. She pulled her hand free of his and looked up at him. Her eyes were sparkling with life that he wanted to protect.

"Thanks for hanging out with me tonight," she said, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "I hope that you didn't get bored with me."

"Bored?" Dwayne shook his head. "Never."

Paul and Marko were making loud kissing noises and whistled in Dwayne's direction. He smiled and waved them off. Faith was sitting on the back of David's bike, watching the scene with an arm draped around David's shoulder. Her eyes followed the movements of the two blonds, but Dwayne knew that she was listening in on the conversation that Dwayne was having with Iona.

"Would you like to hang out again?" Dwayne asked, keeping his gaze on Iona.

A smile creeped across the gypsy's face and she ducked her head. "Sure. Same place, same time?"

Dwayne nodded, smiling too.

"Well, I guess I'll see you then," Iona said, turning to go.

"Don't you want Dwayne to give you a ride?" Faith asked, raising her voice so that the vampire's voice could be heard over Marko and Paul's chattering. "It's dangerous to go alone on these eerie streets." She smiled slightly in Dwayne's direction. "He wouldn't mind keeping you some company and it would make us all feel better knowing that someone dependable was watching over you."

Iona shifted her weight again. "I don't know. I've walked these streets on my own for years…"

Faith leaned forward slightly. "Then do it for my sake. I'd feel a lot better knowing that my brother was acting like a real gentleman should. The streets are getting more dangerous out there, each night, so please...Let Dwayne take you to your house. You won't regret it." Faith's eyes turned towards Dwayne. "Paul will take Laddie home with us, so you don't have to worry about him."

Dwayne glanced at Iona. "Well? Do you want a lift home?"

The gypsy nodded. "For your sister's sake, sure."

"See you two later," Marko and Paul called after them as they mounted Dwayne's bike and headed away from the boardwalk.

"Are those two on something?" Iona asked, resting her chin against his shoulder.

Dwayne chuckled lightly, though there was a storm going on in his head. "You'll get used to it."

"Are you used to it yet?" the gypsy asked.

"Not yet."

OOOOOOOOO

Iona was all smiles when she made it inside her house. She heard Dwayne's motorcycle drive away the moment that she locked the door behind her. The gypsy ran her hand over the cross on the door before turning and heading into the living room where she knew her grandmother would be working at the loom.

"Who was that boy?" Grandmother Ruby said, her hands working over the loom with skilled precision.

"What boy?" Iona asked, sitting down on the nearest couch.

"The one who dropped you off and put that bright smile on your face. I would like to know his name, Child, and more information, if you are willing to share that with your old grandmother."

"His name is Dwayne and he's so kind." Iona leaned back on the cushions and stared up into the heavens. "He's the quiet type – I did most of the talking during our time together. And protective. He's got a small family of really interesting people and…" Iona smiled dreamily. "He doesn't stare at me like I'm a piece of meat."

"This Dwayne sounds like a nice man," Grandmother Ruby said, looking in Iona's direction. "I hope that he brings you much happiness for the days to come and may he never break your heart. Let him protect it from the ones that would hurt you and may you never lose sight of the power of love."

"Grandmother? Is there something wrong?" Iona's smile fell from her face and she sat up straight. "Did you sense something?"

Grandmother Ruby waved her hand. "It is nothing, Child. Nothing that can be changed or prevented. It's how the world should be." She gestured towards the ceiling. "Your cousin will have the money that he needs to go with Gage in a couple nights. It's time to get him away from the vampires before they get too close."

Iona began to open her mouth to say something, but Grandmother Ruby shook her head.

"It is time for you to go to bed, Child. You have had a long day and tomorrow will be just as long. I will see you in the morning."

The gypsy dancer climbed to her feet and pressed a kiss to her grandmother's forehead before heading out of the room and up the stairs. As she closed the door to her own room, a smile creeped its way back onto her face. Images of what had happened that night flashed past her mind's eye and filled her with giddy pleasure.

"Is this what it feels like to find love?" she wondered aloud. "I like it."

OOOOOOOOO

A/N: Kind of a really bad ending statement to close this chapter, but it happened. I can't think of any other line that could go there, but there is probably one. I hope that you enjoyed this enough to leave a review in the box. Please be patient and civil as I try to get another update on the way. Thanks again to those who read, review, and support this ongoing story. You are all awesome! Bye! - Scarlet