Chapter content warnings: underage drinking/tobacco use; references to sex; swearing

Don't forget that you can find me on tumblr: we - are - all - of - legend - now and that my ao3 account is wearealloflegendnow (even though I haven't posted there yet)!

~TLL~

Carl and Melinda followed their daughters out the front door. Despite being identical, Rose and Lily couldn't have looked more opposite. Lily was in dark overalls, with a striped shirt and a beret, her ugly boots and chunky cardigan keeping her from being hipster chic. Lily just looked like she always did and Jake found himself watching Rose and, despite himself, comparing.

He'd promised himself he wouldn't. He knew Lily would notice and Jake knew how she would feel but he couldn't stop himself. He knew Lily probably better than anyone else did and it was so strange to see her face with someone else's mannerisms.

Rose strode down the front steps with a confidence that had Jake intimidated. She was wearing jeans that defined the term 'painted on', her cropped shirt accenting both her muscles and her chest, her heeled black boots clacking on the stone steps in a way that made her impossible to ignore. Her long blonde hair was curled and she tossed it over her shoulder, her eyes smoky and her lips pouted with dark, trendy lipstick.

"Damn," Spud said under his breath.

"Damn," Trixie agreed.

"Be safe!" Carl called.

"Call us if you need us!"

Where as Lily looked nervously back at her parents and said that she loved them, Rose didn't even blink. She stood at the bottom of the steps and Jake felt like she was studying them before she smiled.

"Hi, I'm Rose."

"I'm Spud," he said, pushing his way to the front of the group.

"Like … a potato?" Rose asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I guess," Spud said and he laughed.

It was supremely uncomfortable for Jake to watch Spud clunkily try to flirt with Lily's twin. Jake reached for Lily and pulled her in, kissing her temple. Embarrassed at the public display of affection, she put a little distance between them, though she kept a hold of his hand.

"This is Jake," Lily said to Rose, "my boyfriend. And Spud and Trixie are his best friends."

"Charmed," Rose said.

"What's your accent?" Spud asked, clearly charmed, to the point where Trixie stepped on his foot.

"I'm from England," Rose said, fiddling with her cell phone before answering a call. "Where are you?"

An SUV roared up to the sidewalk and a teenaged girl hung out the driver's side window. "I'm here, I'm here. But, like, Jesus, where is here? Downgrade from the penthouse much."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Everyone, Marcia, my best friend. She's our ride."

Rose climbed into the passenger seat while there was a quick squabble about how they would fit into the back. In the end, Trixie ended up half balanced on top of Jake and Spud while Lily tried not to look like she was actively hiding against the door.

"But, seriously," Marcia said, veering out into traffic in a way that made Jake think that they weren't making it to the party alive, "what the hell happened to you today? I looked for you at lunch! No calls, no texts!"

"I was with the cops."

Marcia gasped, stopping suddenly at a red light.

"Haven't you noticed the other me in the backseat?" Rose asked. "Observant, much?"

Marcia whipped around and stared at Lily. "Holy shit. That's you!"

"It's my twin."

"I didn't know you had a twin."

"I didn't know I had a twin. Green light."

They were squealing off again and Jake took Lily's hand. "You okay?" he mouthed.

Lily shrugged. "I guess so."

"So, did you have to move back in with your real parents? Is that's what's up with the house?"

"Just until they figure out Dad didn't kidnap me and then I'm going home," Rose scoffed. "They won't even let me talk to Kyle and Nicholas, you know that? Like, what are we going to do, jail break Dad and disappear into the sunset?"

Marcia giggled. "You guys are so bad together, I'd believe it. Are they coming tonight?"

"I texted and told them I'd be here but they don't know where their birth families are. We'll see if they can get away from their foster families. I don't know if they're on lockdown or something."

"Kyle could. I don't think Nicholas has a braincell without Kyle."

Rose snickered.

They pulled up to the house party, the driveway packed with cars and kids on the lawn. Jake could feel the music before the car doors even opened. He was surprised, looking at the faces, to see people from his own school rather than the strangers from Rose's private school. He opened his mouth to say something about it when he spotted the last person he wanted to see: Brad Morton. Trixie tapped the inside of Jake's and Spud's thighs, spotting Brad at the same time that Jake had.

"So, back together with Brad or no?" Marcia asked as she parked the car. "I need to know if I'm mad at him or not."

"You're dating Brad Morton?" Trixie blurted. "Why?"

"We ask ourselves that question every few weeks," Marcia said. "Rose has an addiction to that di –"

"Marcia, I do not know these people," Rose interrupted coldly.

"That means we're together with Brad," Marcia said. "Come on."

They all piled out of the car and onto the lawn.

"Rose, baby!" Brad shouted and he was in front of them before Jake could figure out how to get away from his approach. "Who are these people?"

Rose sighed as Brad pulled her to his side. "They're … refugees."

Brad laughed.

Lily pulled on Jake's sleeve. "We've gone to school with Brad for, like, ten years. How did he not notice that Rose and I have the same face?"

Because Brad didn't see anything outside of himself, Jake knew. He hadn't even noticed that Rose and Lily were standing together with the same face.

"Let's go! Drinks!" Brad said, his hand sliding in Rose's back jean pocket. "Marcia, I got that weird ass drink you like."

"It's just fucking pisco, Brad."

"Do we follow them?" Lily asked.

"Do you want to?"

"I want to drink on Brad's dime," Trixie said, "so Spud and I are going in."

"I think I need a minute before I go in," Lily said. "This isn't what I thought it was going to be."

"Go ahead," Jake said to his friends. "We'll be right behind you."

Lily watched them go, a sadness deep in her eyes. "None of this was what I thought would happen. I thought we'd … be alike. I thought she would be like a sister."

"Even sisters have to work to get to know one another. Haley and I have lived in the same house for our entire lives and I still couldn't tell you a thing about her."

"We're twins," Lily said, sounding heartbroken. "I was looking for her and she never even thought of me!"

"Give it time," Jake said. "It's only day one."

"I have to go into that party, don't I?" Lily asked.

"If you want to go home, I'll take you."

Lily squared her shoulders. "No. We'll go in."

So, Jake followed her.

(-.-)

Rose stood in Brad's kitchen, a red solo cup in her hand that she was only taking sips out of. She didn't really want to be at this party. If her life hadn't been turned completely upside down this morning, she probably would have stayed in tonight. She and Nicholas and Kyle could have made popcorn, put on an old action movie, and make fun of how bad the effects were. Instead she was here, watching her twin hide in the corner.

"You want another drink?"

And trying to deal with her twin's annoying friend.

"No, thank you, Mr. Potato Head," she drawled. "Again."

She left Spud in the kitchen, passing by Trixie, Jake, and Lily on her way out the door. She could feel the way that Lily was watching her and she tried not to let it get under her skin. They might have had the same face but they weren't family. She stood on the porch and breathed in the chilly air, grateful for a moment alone. She felt like she hadn't been alone in a very long time.

The door opened behind her and Rose gripped the wooden railing as hard as she could, wondering if her fingers were going to break before she shredded the wood.

"Hey."

It wasn't Brad, and Rose felt herself relax slowly. She wasn't ready for what Brad was going to expect from her at some point tonight; she had too much on her own mind. Still, she didn't look up as her intruder came and rested his elbows on the railing beside her.

"You don't have to be such a bitch, you know," Jake said conversationally.

"Excuse me? You don't even know me."

"I know you have a sister that you should be a little bit nicer to."

"I have brothers. And, you don't know me."

"That's the point," Jake said, and he hopped up on the railing, so comfortable that it must have looked like they had known each other for years instead of hours. "None of us know anything about one another. Maybe you should give that a try. At least try and be a little bit more open about it."

"Give me a drink or give me a smoke or I'm done talking to you."

Jake raised his thick eyebrows at her and then he reached into his coat pocket. "Star of the field hockey team but smokes cigarettes?"

"You've done your research on me."

"You're Lily's family. That makes you important to me."

Rose leant forward and he placed the cigarette between her lips. He cupped his hand next to her face and flicked the lighter. The small flame illuminated his features, making him look heavy and angled. Rose couldn't take her eyes from him as she lit the end of her cigarette and then slowly straightened up.

"I won't make a lady smoke alone," Jake said, lighting his own up.

"Am I bitch or a lady?" Rose asked.

"Maybe both."

"I thought you did your research."

Jake sighed. "Rose, I'm just here to ask you to be a little nicer to Lily. Have at least one conversation with her. You don't know what she's been through."

"She doesn't know what I've been through," Rose said. "You're done with your good boyfriend mission so feel free to leave me alone."

"I gave you a smoke so I'm entitled to your time until you're finished with it."

"I think you're going to be very annoying," Rose said, but she accepted his terms. She wasn't going to sit next to him, though, and she paced along the porch.

Jake just laughed at her. "I think I'm already annoying you. Even with the fact that I'm here on a good boyfriend mission set you off. Just because you like to date assholes like Brad Morton doesn't mean there's not good guys out there."

"Whoa, okay, where did my relationship come into this? You just want to sit here and attack me?"

"No, I want to get to know you, but you only respond to being provoked."

"I don't."

"You do," Jake said. "Don't forget – I already know your face."

Rose leant away from him. They weren't friends; they could never be friends. He was firmly on Lily's side and Lily was the one who had ruined her life. "She and I have absolutely nothing in common. What my face does and who I am behind it have nothing to do with her."

"Easy tiger." Jake blew a perfect smoke ring out over the porch and into the darkness. "I meant it as a compliment. And, whether or not you think you have anything in common, you should just find out that she's a good person and she doesn't deserve that tone."

"You're the one giving me a tone."

Rose hadn't even realized how she was leaning forward toward him until he couldn't keep his eyes on her face and, instead, they were dipping down toward her neckline. She wasn't a shy person so, instead, she just rolled back her shoulders.

"Do our breasts look the same?" Rose asked him.

"I, uh, that's –"

Rose quite enjoyed making Jake blush. "That colour pink compliments your cheeks quite nicely."

"That's not –"

They were interrupted by a loud blare of music.

"Guess who's back?

"Back again

"Shady's back

"Tell a friend

"Guess who's back?!"

Rose gasped and tossed down her cigarette butt before vaulting herself over the railing.

"KYLE! NICHOLAS!"

(-.-)

"Those are the real siblings," Lily said morosely, staring at Rose as she poured Nicholas and Kyle drinks. "She's not even going to ever like me, let alone love me."

"It's day one," Jake reminded her gently.

Brad turned into the kitchen and his eyes lit up. "NICK! KY! YOU MADE IT!"

"Brad!"

The two of them chest bumped Brad in turn and then they all thumped their chest like gorillas. Brad made an off-hand comment to Marcia and then tequila shots were being poured for all of them. Before they took them, however, Nicholas looked up, his eyes finding Lily's. Nicholas was the skinny sibling, with pale skin and big front teeth that made him resemble a beaver. He nudged Kyle in the side and then both he and Kyle were looking at Jake and Lily. Probably Lily. Kyle was dark-skinned, short and stocky and the one who looked the least like the others. But, looks didn't matter when they all spoke the same unspoken language. He and Nicholas jabbed each other in the ribs and then jabbed Rose.

Evidently, it was more than an enough for them to come to a decision. Rose stomped over to Jake and Lily.

"My brothers would like to know if you would like to do a tequila shot with us."

As far as Jake knew, Lily had only ever had sips of wine with Melinda and Carl on special occasions. Even when they were at Spud's or Trixie's, hanging out and casually having a beer after the skate park, she had turned her nose up at all of it. But, Lily would normally not be at a party either. She was here because of Rose and it didn't surprise Jake when Lily nodded.

"Nicholas, Kyle, this is Lily and her boyfriend, Jake."

Nicholas and Kyle seemed far warmer toward Lily than Rose had any intention on being. They shoved the two twins together and then burst out laughing.

"The last thing we needed was another one of you," Kyle snorted.

"We're not anything alike," Rose was quick to assure her brothers. "I'll bet Lily's never even had tequila."

"I haven't," Lily admitted, half hiding behind Jake.

"And you don't have to," Jake said. He was trying to be quiet but Rose heard him and laughed. There was still a cruel tone to her voice so Jake knew that she hadn't taken his advice about not being a bitch.

"Let's do it."

Jake found himself wedged between Rose and Lily. As they leant forward to pick up their shots, Rose's nearly exposed chest caught his eye and he thought of her comment on the deck. "Do our breasts look the same?". He didn't know what she thought but he'd never seen Lily's boobs. He and Lily had barely gone further than a mild make-out session. It was yet another reason why Spud and Trixie didn't understand their relationship. In a world where commitment meant sex, his friends didn't understand waiting. Not a single one of them were virgins.

Except Lily.

Which is why Jake tried not to talk about sex, because he understood why she wanted to wait, even though they had been together for over a year. Not everyone understood. And, really, Jake didn't want to admit to Lily how much he thought about it. Not even with her, necessarily, just in general. The feeling. The sensations. The meaning.

"CHEERS!"

Jake thrust his shot forward with the rest of the group, clinking as many rims as he could, before he downed the alcohol. He heard Lily choking beside him as he slammed his glass down on the counter.

"Shots without us?" Trixie appeared at the end of the table, holding a very drunk Spud's hand. "What?"

"Babe," Rose said, "we can do another!"

"Another!" Spud sang, stretching out his hand. Spontaneously, Nicholas grabbed his hand and kissed the back of it. "TEQUILA!"

Tequila was the rallying cry of the moment. Several other people who Jake didn't know flocked to the table with the promise of the alcohol. Some he recognized from going to school with him and Brad: Stacey the cheerleader; Danika, captain of the swim team; Courtney of the drama kids. Brad didn't seem to run out of shot glasses or tequila.

Lily tugged at Jake's sleeve. "I can't do it again."

"You don't have to," Jake promised her.

"She'll make fun of me." Lily's big blue eyes were quickly filling with tears. "I need her to start liking me."

Jake snatched Spud from across the table, bringing him to Lily's other side. "Spud, want two shots?"

Spud squinted at him. "How much?"

"Free!"

"Fuck me up, BABY!" Spud thrust two hands forward and Lily happily deposited her shot glass into his hand. Spud shouted, "SHOTS!"

The group answered with a resounding cry once again and more shots were poured. Without even asking, Rose sat one down directly in front of Lily. Jake could tell by the look on Rose's face that it was a deliberate taunt, rather than an act of inclusion.

"Lily, don't," Jake said, but Lily's hand snaked out and took it.

Three shots back to back was even a little much for Jake but Lily looked positively ill. He reached out for her but she had gone too green and found a garbage can in the nick of time.

"Whoot!" Brad shouted. "First one of the night!"

"No," Stacey said. "Lacey totally popped in the bathroom earlier."

"I rallied!" Lacey said, but the way that she was sitting on the floor, clinging to Tracey's legs, made Jake think that it wasn't true.

He grabbed paper towel from Brad's counter and leant down next to Lily. She was crying now.

"I want to go home."

"Okay, let's get you home."

Jake helped Lily to her feet. As they passed Rose, Jake hissed at her, "You could help, you know."

"Why?" she asked, looking genuinely surprised at the suggestion.

"Because you made her sick!"

"I didn't make her take those shots."

"It was peer pressure and you know it!"

Rose stared at him cooly and then her gaze flickered to Lily. There was no impression that she felt contrite or even concerned. Jake didn't know what to make of her.

"I think she's a little old for that."

"Jake," Lily moaned. "Home."

"Okay, let's go."

Jake got her outside and into the waiting cab. Lily curled up against him, openly sobbing now.

"I just wanted her to like me! She won't even speak to me! I just want her to like me."

"It's not about you," Jake said soothingly, rubbing her back. "She's got to have a lot of issues to act like that."

"She hates me! I'm hate-able!"

"You are not," Jake said firmly. "She's just an asshole."

"You're the only person that likes me," Lily said. "I don't have friends and your friends hate me too and I just wanted a sister."

The cab pulled up in front of Lily's and she shrieked as Jake paid the driver.

"What am I supposed to tell my parents?"

"Let me take care of it, okay?" Jake said. "You know they're not going to be mad at you."

"I got drunk and I lost Rose," Lily replied, tripping over her feet as they went up the steps. "That's kind of a big deal, don't you think?"

"You didn't lose Rose and, even though it feels otherwise, you're not even that drunk." Jake kissed her forehead. "Come on. In."

Carl was still downstairs when Jake opened the front door.

"Is she okay?" he asked immediately.

"Too much too fast," Jake said. "It wasn't that much but she got a little too caught up in the moment."

Carl took Lily's hands and gave her a once over, but, as Jake had expected, Carl understood. Melinda would have too, if it had been her downstairs instead. They'd let a few stories of their college days slip, especially when they were on big camping trips with Jake's parents and the adults were sitting around the fire, drinking together while pretending that they didn't notice the kids pilfering a few beers and going to hide in one of their tents.

"She'll be fine," Jake promised. "I just wanted to make sure she got home safe."

"Thank you," Carl said. "Where's Rose?"

"She stayed to be with her friends. She would have brought Lily home but they both have had a day, you know? And I guess that I just wanted her to feel something normal, so I brought Lily home myself."

"You're a good kid, Jake. Thank you."

Jake didn't know why he was defending Rose; she certainly didn't deserve to be defended. Maybe Jake just didn't want to be the one to tell Carl and Melinda that Rose was a monster. Either Rose really was having a bad day or she really was just a bitch. They could figure that out on their own.

"Are you going to get home all right?" Carl asked.

"I'm good," Jake promised. He was definitely a little tipsy, but he certainly wasn't drunk. He kissed the back of Lily's head. "I'll call you tomorrow."

She made a small squeak of what was most likely agreement and then Jake let himself out the front door. When he was somewhere secluded, he transformed into a dragon, thinking as he flew. This time last night, he never would have predicted what today would turn out to be. Lily had not only gotten them all invited to a party but one of Brad Morton's parties and then she had gotten drunk! Jake knew it wasn't funny but he couldn't help cracking a smile because it was so unexpected.

Jake started to angle his wings back toward Brad's. Trixie and Spud had the right idea – if they could drink when Brad was paying the bill, they might as well drink as much as possible. Rose wasn't likely to invite Lily again based on how tonight had gone. Curiousity flickered through Jake at the thought of Rose. He didn't understand her but Jake had never really understood her type. He wondered how much of it was an act, particularly for making fun of Lily. He wondered if Rose would be any different without Lily in the room.

Jake was so lost in thought that he almost missed the movement amongst the shadows. Jake focused his dragon vision on the darkness. Where – wait- There! Yes, that was the Huntsgirl's distinctive braid. Jake dived from the sky, landing directly in front of her. She glared at him, shoving a file folder down the front of her shirt before he could even think to look at it.

"I'm not in the mood," she said flatly.

"Let me guess," Jake said, snapping his claws. "You have a headache."

His joke clearly landed but it didn't have its usual effect of making her feisty. Instead, she sighed, her hand not so much as twitching toward a weapon.

"If I told you I'm not doing anything that would require your attention, would you let me go on my way?"

"You always say it's not my business," Jake replied. "And I always tell you that it is."

"And I understand that – truly," the Huntsgirl insisted. "But, that is when I am out for Huntsclan business. This is personal. Therefore, no need for your interference."

"I'll make you a deal," Jake offered. "You tell me who you are and I'll walk away right now."

Her eyes narrowed and Jake knew that it wasn't a secret that she would give lightly. His gaze flickered to the front of her shirt – was that what the file was? Would that tell him who she was? He knew that he had to agree with Fu; he couldn't risk himself to try and get into the Huntsclan. At the same time, knowing her human identity might give him the foothold he needed to figure out their game. Jake lunged for her, without thinking about whether or not it was the smart idea. He needed to get rid of them – any way that he could.

The Huntsgirl saw him coming and brought her leg up, kicking him square in the nose. In the time it took the tickling sensation to make Jake sneeze, she had disappeared into the shadows.

Stupid, careless! Jake chastised himself as he took to the air. It was everything that Gramps would have said to him, had he been around to say it. Jake was still chewing over the idiotic defeat when he landed back at Brad's party, transforming into a human as he went.

It was late enough that the party was certainly in the wind down stage. People were stumbling about, heading for the line of cabs and cars that were appearing along the street. Inside the house, the music was still thumping, but no one was dancing, and abandoned red solo cups outnumbered the people ten to one. Jake found Rose sitting in the living room, tucking Trixie into a bed on the couch. She seemed startled to realize that Jake was there.

"I thought you took Lily home."

"I did," Jake said. "She's with your dad."

Rose's lip curled. "I have father. Carl certainly seems like a nice man but I have a dad."

Trixie started to gag on the couch. Before Jake could move, Rose had Trixie flipped onto her side, a bucket underneath of her. A Gatorade seemed to materialize in Rose's hand as she leant over Trixie, who gagged, but didn't end up throwing up. Rose coaxed Trixie to drink some Gatorade and rolled her onto her side.

"No, stay like that. There you go, my girl." Trixie wrapped her arms around a throw pillow and let out a snort and Rose just laughed, finally standing from her squat, her eyes meeting Jake's. "Come on. I don't want to disturb her."

Jake doubted much could disturb Trixie but he followed Rose into the kitchen, where she poured herself another drink.

"Where are your brothers?" he asked.

"They went back to their foster houses. They didn't want to get in trouble if they didn't have to, though they did want to see me and each other." Rose held out a drink. "Yes? Or no?"

Jake didn't have any reason to say no. He accepted the red solo cup and hopped up onto the counter.

"And Brad?" he asked.

"Probably doing something I don't want to think to hard about," Rose said honestly, although she gulped at her drink afterward. "And, before you ask, last I saw Mr. Potato Head, he was in the laundry room, making out with Stacey Wintergrin."

"Yeah?" Jake said, and then he laughed. "Good for him. He's had a crush on her for forever; he's just been too scared to talk to her."

Rose laughed too. "Although, that was after he invited me to the skate park with you all tomorrow."

"Yeah, we're meeting up around four. Skateboard, hot dog stand, maybe park beers." Jake regarded Rose with new interest. "Do you skate?"

"No but I would like to learn," she said. "Or at least try to learn."

"That's more than Lily's ever done," Jake said, and then he wished that he hadn't.

"Really? Spud made it sound like it was all you all did."

"Us three. Me, Spud, and Trixie. We've been friends for as long as I can remember."

"I've one friend who I suppose counts as an old friend, back in England, but I haven't properly seen him in ages. I have my brothers and I have Marcia who has been my closest friend all these past few years." Rose frowned. "It must be nice."

"So, are you coming to the skate park?" Jake asked. "Even if Lily is coming?"

Rose poured them both a shot without asking, nudging Jake's toward him.

"Would you want me to come? I thought I was too much of a bitch."

"I think, Rose, that there's a chance there's a heart in you after all."

Rose held up her shot glass and Jake clinked theirs together.

"Just don't tell anyone," she said.

Then, they took their shots.