I know I haven't finished my Phantom Blood fanfiction yet, but I'm impatient and wanted to start the other fics lol.

The cover picture is as close as I can get to how I picture Alex with an avatar marker. Her hair is a bit curlier (think Merida from Brave), but other than that, it's pretty accurate!

Anyway, she's the granddaughter of a former member of Speedwagon's gang and when her parents died in an accident, her grandfather got in contact with Speedwagon and arranged for Speedwagon and Alicia to adopt Alexandra, since he was falling ill and couldn't raise her.

Any other questions, feel free to ask!

For now, though, I will let you all read the story!

God bless and Good Day!

~The Lupine Sojourner

"How'd we screw that up so bad?" I grumble, probing at a loose tooth with my tongue since my hands are...not really available.

"Hmph." My companion sulks beside me in stony silence. He's something like my little brother by two years. His name is Joseph, but everyone in our family calls him Jojo. "I really thought our trick would teach those punks a lesson." He finally admits, his lower lip trembling ever so slightly, either in annoyance or pain I can't tell. "Didn't think they'd be so...resilient."

I sigh, shifting a little and trying to get comfortable. "Either way, Granny Erina and my parents will be furious."

"Yes, but no one gets away with harassing you." Jojo grumbles protectively.

"And no one gets away with punching you in the face." I retort, smirking despite the pain in my mouth from my torn lip and chipped tooth.

We've always protected each other, no matter what.

At first it was annoying having my 13-year-old 'little brother' look out for me (I'm 15 and can handle myself, thank you!), but since Jojo and I don't have any other siblings, I guess we just got used to protecting and looking out for each other.

"Sorry you got caught too." He murmurs guiltily after a long pause.

"There wasn't any time for me to run and I don't regret anything." I reply, dropping the smirk. "I bet we'll finally be expelled for this." I muse with another heavy sigh.

"Possibly. You don't have as much of a record as I do, so you may only get a stern warning."

"Shoulda tried harder then." I joke, chuckling and then wincing when it starts to hurt my sternum, where I'd taken a nasty kick.

Well, a few nasty kicks.

The fight had started when we were walking home from school. We attend private schools that are right next to each other, one for boys and one for girls. I'd sneak out to eat lunch with Jojo and we'd walk to and from school together.

Then a few of our upperclassmen decided to catcall me on our way home. Repeatedly.

We tried to just ignore them, but then they idiotically decided, upon realizing they weren't getting a reaction catcalling, that it was a good idea to dirty talk about me as if we couldn't hear. The apparent leader of the group reaching for my skirt was the final straw and Jojo punched the idiot's face, sending him flying back.

There were three of them, but that didn't matter. With the energy trick Jojo taught me, we should have been able to win easily.

However...they were either very resilient or our energy isn't as tough as we thought.

Either way...we'd gotten our asses handed to us once we'd had the wind knocked out of us. But we managed to get the upper hand with a big surge of energy as we caught our breath...right as the cops showed up.

They saw us as the aggressors and the punks turned coward and claimed we'd started the fight, so of course we were the only ones arrested in spite of our protests and attempts at explanation.

So here we are, in a cop car heading to the station.

Brilliant.

Papa will be furious when he gets the call. I'm really in for it this time...

Of course I get caught fighting right at the start of the half a year Papa is able to be with us in London...shit.

Jojo had always covered for me previously but the last few times we got into mischief (some harmless little jokes involving a false fire alarm and a food fight), I hadn't been able to avoid landing myself in trouble.

Mama will be disappointed to hear I lost my temper. She'd understand a bit when I tell her what those assholes said to me and about me, but she'd still say something like 'this is most unbecoming of a Speedwagon woman, Alexandra.' in that disappointed voice of hers, and she'll also leave the punishment to Papa.

Papa might understand too when I explain myself but...he'd also be disappointed that I chose violence instead of either continuing to ignore them (I tried. It just escalated the situation to dirty talking) or reporting them to the school administrators (yeah right. Like they'd do anything about it).

"This sucks." I grumble.

"It shouldn't take long to get out of the station, though."

"This'll go on our records, Jojo." I point out. Papa always said once something is on your record it would always haunt you, and he knows through past experience. That's why he's always so upset when I do something that could be put on my school or public record. And now I've gone and gotten into a fight. Ugh.

The rest of the ride to the station, Jojo and I are silent.

=#=#=#=#=

"Alexandra, stand up." Of course Papa would be the one who shows up. Which means Mama is waiting at home.

I sheepishly rise to my feet, trying not to slouch. "Yessir?"

"...Are you hurt?"

I shake my head. "Nothing that won't heal pretty quick, Papa." I reply softly. It was technically a lie. Normally, these wounds would probably take at least a few weeks to fully heal, but I can heal my sternum very easily with my energy trick and my parents would be none the wiser.

Papa sighs, resting his hand on the horizontal bar, his forehead against a vertical bar. "That's good. Alexandra...what happened?"

I wince. He sounds very tired and definitely disappointed. "Upperclassmen tried harassing me. Jojo and I taug-ended up in a fight."

Papa sighs heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Shit. He's really disappointed.

"Why must you two always choose violence?" He asks softly, his voice exhausted.

I nearly tear up but manage to steady myself. "Papa, the things they said...they didn't stop when I ignored them, and the administrator wouldn't have done anything either. I just gave Jojo backup, but I know I shouldn't have given in to my temper." I reply, shuffling my feet, unable to look my father in the eye. "I'm sorry…"

Waves of guilt slam into me. Mama and Papa adopted me out of their goodwill, even at their age, and this is how I repay them? Fighting and getting into trouble?

Papa pushes off the bar, looking at me sternly. "I can see you understand the error you made, so I won't lecture you further, mostly because I'm too tired to, but you will go speak with your mother when we arrive back home. And Granny Erina."

I wince, but nod. It's what I deserve. Less than I deserve, really.

"Yes, sir."

=#=#=#=#=

I drag my feet into the sitting room, dreading what's to come.

Mama walks over to me slowly, sighing and lifting my chin with her finger to inspect my face. I'd shed a few tears on the way home, sniffling a bit now as Mama looked at me.

Finally she spoke. "You weren't badly hurt, were you?"

"No, Mama." I reply, forcing myself to speak at a normal volume. Mama doesn't like mumbling.

True to form, Mama grabs my ear and tweaks it. I yelp and go on my tiptoes, tears prickling my eyes at the pain. "Why did you fight them?! Why didn't you keep walking or report them to the administrator?" Mama's voice is far sterner and less tired than Papa's, and her grip is like iron! "That is not how a Speedwagon lady should behave!"

My hands automatically grab Mama's wrist, but I don't try to remove her hand. Mostly because I know I deserve worse for fighting and party because I don't want to accidentally hurt her. "B-because, Mama, they wouldn't stop! I tried to ignore them, Jojo too, but they wouldn't stop harassing me! One of them was reaching for my as-skirt when Jojo punched him. I backed him up."

Mama sighs and releases my ear, crossing her arms. "Alexandra, you somehow have your father's proud spirit and quick, but you have to realize...this will be on your record. Your criminal record."

I nod meekly, a single tear rolling down my cheek as I rub my ear. "I know, Mama. I'm sorry. I don't know why I can't contain myself. It's just...those boys wouldn't stop, and the things they were saying...it was so gross and they were about to physically assault me!"

Mama's hand cups my cheek. "I'm not saying you were wrong to defend yourself, darling. I'm just worried for you. Your Papa is too. If you have an arrest record, especially as a woman, your options for employment are going to be somewhat limited."

I nearly bring up Papa's own arrest record from his younger days, but think better of it. Mama always gets so upset when someone holds his past against him.

"Alexandra, you and my grandson share the same youthful vitality, but you must learn restraint." Granny Erina adds, her voice somehow even firmer than Mama's had been, her sharp eyes boring into me through her small spectacles. "If you two continue like this…" she sighs. "I'm honestly very concerned."

I shuffle my feet, feeling another immense wave of guilt that leaves me unable to look Granny Irina in the eye.

Concerning my parents is one thing, but concerning Granny Erina is another.

She isn't biologically my grandmother, but she may as well be; she's a very dear family friend from Mama and Papa's youth, around Mama's age. She's already been through so much...losing her husband tragically at sea fifty years ago, then her son and daughter-in-law, Jojo's parents, in the to concern her was something I hated doing.

All my life it's just been Mama, Papa, Jojo, Granny Erina and I and that was it. We are our own family, blood related or not.

"Well...your Papa tells me you two managed to fend off three older boys in that fight, and at 15 years old at that." Mama muses, managing a small smirk. "That takes a certain amount of skill."

I smirk in return. Mama always came around after she expressed her concerns and maternal worries.

"We taught them a lesson. The cops showed up at the climax, though, and the boys convinced them we were the aggressors, and that they were innocent, the stupid cowards."

Mama sighs. "At least it's only on your juvenile record. That's why you were let out so easily. You're still young. But you have to be more careful in the future." She bops my nose lightly to emphasize 'have to'.

I hug her. "I will Mama."

She ruffles my hair. "I know, darling. But, unfortunately, I do have to restrict you to your room for two weeks. Your Papa and I decided that restriction will be the punishment you receive."

I sigh. Being restricted means no interaction with Jojo. I am restricted to my room and not allowed out except for school or meals with Mama and Papa. And they'd drive me to school instead of letting me walk with Jojo. "Yes ma'am." I reply, shoulders sagging.

"That's my girl. Go complete your assignments before dinner and we'll play cards later."

I nod. "Yes ma'am."

=#=#=#=#=

"What do you mean I'm not transferring?!" I ask, sharper than I really meant.

Jojo was indeed expelled for fighting three upperclassmen and wounding them so badly they needed to go to the hospital. Evidently, with his record of fighting, the school didn't want to keep him on as a student.

I was only spared because I hadn't been caught breaking school rules til recently.

But now...I'm stuck at the same private school and Jojo is transferring to a school further away where we wouldn't be able to eat lunch together.

"It's for the best, Alexandra. You and Jojo only get into mischief when we leave you alone together." Papa replies firmly. "This way, you might learn to settle down and focus on your studies."

"B-but Papa…" I whimper.

"No 'but's, Alexandra." Mama pipes in. "Like your father said, we believe this is for your betterment."

I bite my lip to refrain from saying something I'd regret. "...Yes, Mama." I manage instead.

"Thank you, Alexandra." Mama replies. She knows me well enough to know what I was holding back.

"Now, please return to your room and finish your assignments." Papa instructs.

"Yes, sir." I reply with a small nod, shuffling back to my room and closing the door.

I'd just completed my two weeks' restriction. I had been looking forward to walking to school with Jojo again or being driven with him after I transferred to whatever school was near Jojo's new school.

Now, it seems, my restriction from him would be ongoing.

I'd been a good student these past two weeks, trying to prove to Mama and Papa that I can behave myself.

Apparently, my parents took that as proof that, if I didn't have as much contact with Jojo, I'm better for it, and decided to continue the somewhat limited contact.

I'm allowed to eat and do homework assignments with him, even play with him if we have time in the evenings, but it isn't the same as it was and I don't like it.

I am not given a choice, though, so for now this is simply how things have to be.

=#=#=#=#=

Mama adjusts my collar and jacket, brushing off my shoulders like I had debris there.

"Mama, I'm going to be late." I chuckle as she continues to fuss.

"Oh, alright. Remember, dear, to be good for your father, understand?" Mama replies, half-stern, half-chuckling.

I nod. "I will be."

"And you'll keep Jojo in line?"

I nod as Mama fusses over my hair. "I'll make sure he's a proper gentleman, I promise. Now I have to go. Papa's waiting!"

Mama gives me several kisses on the cheek and a rather tight hug. I hug her back as tight as I dare.

It's only been six months since the fighting incident and Jojo and I are going on a week-long business trip with Papa to one of the Speedwagon Foundation headquarters (Papa said it'll give us an idea of how we are supposed to behave and help us learn responsibilities. Plus, I told Mama and Papa I was curious now the Foundation is run).

"Give your Papa my love, will you?" Mama asks.

I laugh. "Of course, Mama! I'll see you in a week!"

"See you then, darling. Be good! I love you!"

"I love you, too!" I wave and she waves back as I jog out to the car. "See you in a week!"

Turns out, however, the trip would be far different than we thought it would be.

It went wrong from the moment we boarded the plane and took off, settling in for the flight when some thugs hijack the plane, intending, most likely, to hold Papa and I for ransom, since Papa has a lot of money and Mama could access it.

I try to resist them moving me, but am roughly hauled out of my seat and when Papa tries to intervene, he's hit across the face before I'm all but tossed onto him.

"That'll be you if you don't behave, missie!" The man snarls, jabbing a finger centimeters from my eye. "I only give one warning to girls."

I barely manage to restrain a sarcastic retort and glance at Papa, his eyes showing a mixture of worry, pain, and anger as he holds his bleeding lip.

I impulsively wipe his bloody lip with my handkerchief. "You alright, Papa?" I ask softly.

"I'm fine." Papa replies.

I hear a gun being cocked and Papa and I see the man guarding us pointing his gun at us. "Keep quiet!" He snaps. "No talking!"

Papa leans protectively over me and I've nearly made up my mind to give the guard a taste of my energy trick (mine works like electricity, while Jojo's is slightly different) when I hear another gun cock and look behind me to see the man who'd yanked me from my seat pointing his gun at Jojo, who sat reading his damned comic book as if the flight is going according to plan.

"You can't stay back here, you know! Get up front!" The man orders.

Jojo acts like he didn't hear, still reading. Finally, he sighs as if only mildly inconvenienced. "You're hijacking the plane and kidnapping the Speedwagons, correct?" He asks, sounding bored. Unbelievable! That idiot is going to get himself killed! I grumble to myself. "I'm just a bystander. This is their problem. I'm going to read my story. Just do your business and leave me out of it." He waves the man away! I cannot believe him!

"Thanks a lot, Jojo!" I snap, unable to help it.

Before I'd seen the guard move, I'm cuffed across the face by the stock of our guard's gun. "I won't say it again! Keep quiet!" The man snarls. "We may need you two alive, but you don't need to be uninjured, so shut up!" I feel my torn lip and the cut on my face starting to bleed as I press on it with my hand.

"Alex!" Papa protests and just as the man might have done something to Papa, I hear Jojo's angry inhale.

But before Jojo can do more than start to stand, setting his book aside, the man threatening him smashes his rifle's stock into Jojo's face, grabs Jojo's arm as it goes to cover his now bleeding nose, and tosses him into me, and I am knocked into Papa, whose arms are now holding the both of us protectively.

"Jojo!" Papa and I exclaim at nearly the same moment.

"Wrong answer, punk!" The man roars, then thrusts his rifle at Papa. "You! Keep those two quiet if you know what's good for them!"

Papa nods and the man calms a little.

Then, as I move Jojo's hands (I was going to stop the bleeding with the energy), blood drips onto the shirt Jojo is wearing, staining it red.

His eyes go wide.

Oh, shit! That shirt is a gift from Granny Erina! He'll snap for sure! If he wasn't already going to snap when they hit me and Papa!

True to my prediction, Jojo grits his teeth and I can't help but feel a pang of fear.

"Jojo, no!" I hiss. "There's too many!"

Unfortunately, he's too upset now to hear me, the energy starting to crackle inside him.

I grab his sleeve, but he stands and tugs it free. "Too late." He snarls.

"Control yourself, Jojo!" Papa calls, but again, Jojo is too far gone.

"First, you hit Uncle Speedwagon and threaten to shoot him, then you hit my sister, and now you've stained my Granny's shirt!" Jojo snarls. "You fellas did know there was a possibility of a crash when you hijacked this plane, did you not?" He asks angrily, moving toward the poor pilot, who's being held at gunpoint, quick as lightning and, before I can even protest, energy crackles in his hands and goes straight into the pilot!

The man passes out instantly!

Papa is as surprised as anyone, muttering something about harmony or something.

I decide to take advantage of the chaos (the thugs can't fly the plane and are panicking) and summon the energy, slamming my fist into our guard's abdomen, letting the crackle of my energy explode in his body before grabbing his gun and tossing him into his companions. "That's for hurting Papa!" I toss his gun at his head after taking the bullets out. "And that's for my lip!"

There's no time for anything else, as Jojo moves the pilot, resulting in the loss of the flimsy control his limp arms had on the controls and the plane careens toward the ground crazily.

"Get Alex and the pilot ready! We're going to jump!" Jojo calls and I turn to see he's got an entire seat in his hands.

"When did you grab the seat?!" I ask, surprised, but Jojo opens the door.

"Come on!" He snaps. Papa grabs the pilot, another loose seat in his hand, and soon we're falling through the air, landing roughly on the ground, cushioned a little by the seat.

I ended up on top of the pilot and under Papa, the thrill of the adventure making me laugh as I move off the poor pilot.

"There's nothing funny about this, Alexandra!" Papa says sternly, watching as the plane crashes. He then turns to Jojo. "Why can't you ever think things through, you two?" He groans.

"It was Jojo's idea!" I protest. "I just-"

"Backed him up." Papa sighs heavily, shaking his head. "I know. You two are thick as thieves..."

"I actually do think things through, Uncle Speedwagon." Jojo replies, almost uncharacteristically somber. "A great deal. Mostly about how best to keep you, Auntie Alice, Granny Erina, and Alex safe. You're the only family I've got…"

I smack his shoulder, still irritated with him despite his somber face. "Then you might try not ignoring the plane being hijacked until the hijackers involve you!" I snap. "'I'm just a bystander.' 'Just go about your business and leave me out of it' didn't protect us in the least!"

"I was stalling for time! I saw the higher ground coming up, so I had to time it!" Jojo protests, rubbing his shoulder. "Damn, that hurts…" He then stands and right where he'd been laying is-

"Is that my suitcase?" I ask. It's worse for wear, but unmistakable!

"I know how much you'd complain if you didn't have it. Sorry, Uncle Speedwagon, but I could only grab one and hers was the first I saw." Jojo says, shrugging.

Papa then seems to gather himself and stand, settling the still unconscious pilot on the seat before straightening himself up as best he could. "Nevermind that now. Can't be helped. What I'd like to know is how you two learned to use that energy, especially that powerfully."

I frown. Why did Papa look so concerned we know the energy trick? And for that matter… "You know about our energy trick?"

"Yes, I know about your 'energy trick'!" Papa replies, still strangely concerned. "How did you two learn to use it?" He demands sternly.

Jojo shrugs. "I've always been able to do it. Alex insisted on learning it a few years ago. Took a while, but-"

"Because you weren't being clear!" I protest.

"Well excuse me!" Jojo huffs. "It's not like I even know how I do it!"

I roll my eyes but before I can protest, Papa gets between us.

"Enough! We must figure out how to get to the nearest town and call for help." He sighs. "Safe to say this field trip has been canceled. We'll need to reschedule and be more discreet about it next time."

It took a lot of doing to get back home, and Mama and Granny Erina would not stop fussing over us, when they learned what happened, for nearly three days, but things settled down again soon and life moved on.

=#=#=#=#=

"We're... we're moving?" My chest constricts at the thought of what my mother had just told me.

It's been nearly three years since the attempted kidnapping incident, and since then Papa's Foundation and oil business have boomed and are doing so well, Mama said we are moving across the sea to New York.

"Yes, Alexandra. I'm sorry, but the oil business requires your father's attention more than ever. And, the Speedwagon Foundation just discovered something potentially very big, so your father needs to oversee the developments. We intended to move after you had completed secondary school, but our plans accelerated with this discovery."

I sniffle. "We can't wait two semesters?" I beg, wiping tears away.

"I'm afraid not, darling. The longest we can delay is the new year. After that, we shall have to move."

"Can't we move after Papa's half a year, at least?" I know I shouldn't be suggesting that idea, but I am a bit desperate.

Mama's face hardens a little. "Alexandra...I know this is very difficult for you, and I am truly sorry to spring this on you like this, but we cannot afford to be that selfish. We can't force the world to work the way we want it to, and imagine how your father feels after years of only seeing us half the year?"

I sob a little, clinging to my mother's chest.

"I'm sorry, Mama, but...but we won't see the Joestars any more!"

"Stop that right now, Alexandra Caroline." Mama says sternly, lifting my chin and gently wiping my tears. "This is no permanent separation. We will visit as often as we can, but there are certain sacrifices that must be made. Besides, writing letters or calling is always an option."

I take a deep breath. There is no use in crying...or continuing to protest. It would only upset Mama further. "Yes, Mama."

Mama hugs me tightly to her chest. "Oh, darling. I don't enjoy the prospect of leaving any more than you do, believe me. Erina is my closest friend and Jojo is like a son. Same goes for your Papa. But things don't always happen the way we'd like them to."

I sigh. "No they don't."

Within a month, we had completed the move to New York, and I note that Papa is always busy, but all he and Mama say when I ask is that Papa's busy investigating the 'very big' discovery the Speedwagon Foundation had made.

Unfortunately, the discovery is in Mexico.

I am only bold enough to ask Mama privately why Papa has to help with the investigation in person and Mama says in that no-argument tone of hers that it's a very important discovery Papa has been hoping to make for years and will say no more.

Granny Erina doesn't know anything either and is very stern about shutting down any conversation about it when I call the Joestars.

I give up trying to get information and soon enough, Mama tells me Papa wants the Joestars to come to New York since, though he's still very busy at the Foundation, he very much wants to visit them, but can't fly to England.

Granny Erina calls a lot the next few days, and soon, Joseph and Granny Erina are all set to visit New York! Papa is paying for their transportation! I can hardly wait to see them!