I am not sure what all I need to put in here as a warning but I obviously don't own anything but my OC character. I just absolutely love the Lost Boys and I want to imagine them all surviving. So sorry it's just another "The Emerson's have a sister" fic, this is meant to be mostly mindless fun for me so I am not being THAT creative with it. I hope you all enjoy it anyway, if you do, feel free to leave a review. Even if you got tips for me, I don't mind hearing what I can improve.


In the matter of a school year, my entire life was turned on its head. After 17 years of blinded bliss, the waves of life finally decided to come crashing in and wipe away everything I thought I knew. My father, one I originally thought of as a hardworking man who, though seemed distant, was just trying his best to never let us want for anything; got caught in an affair, one that lasted at least 5 years that we know of.

All those late nights, where we never got to welcome him home. All those times he couldn't make it to my choir concerts, or Michael's baseball games, or was too busy to take Sam to the comic store like he promised. It wasn't due to a demanding job, but rather the demands of an attention starved homewrecker.

Mom was devastated with the discovery of the love of her life, and the father of her three kids, being unfaithful. But just to add insult to injury, the woman her unfaithful husband has been sneaking around with the past few years, was also her best friend. The woman she confided in about everything, the woman who told her not to worry about her husband's distance, and rather be grateful that he is trying his best to provide for us.

We even called her Aunt Katherine, with how close she was to the family via her friendship with our mom. However, now that we know who she really is, I can't help but to see our family outings, and vacations with her in a different light.

Just knowing that any time Dad was with her alone, they were knowingly shattering this family into tiny pieces. Just like how we caught them a few months ago. We were all supposed to go out for a movie one night, a family night that mom used as a desperate attempt to have our father to be involved in our lives, and hers.

However, dad developed a "headache" and even though mom said we could wait till tomorrow or next week to see a movie, dad insisted that we go without him tonight. Mom conceded after he wouldn't take no for an answer, and we all went out. Mom felt terrible just leaving him home and not feeling good, all alone.

Michael and I also felt a bit guilty just leaving him there, so instead we decided to pick up dad's favorite comfort food, and rented a movie instead, much to the displeasure of Sam. We let Sam pick the movie since he was the most disappointed in the change of plans, which did greatly improve his mood before we went to surprise our dad.

We all felt decently happy with this decision and couldn't wait to see the look on Dad's face when we brought in his treat, but upon arriving back to the house, we noticed a car in the driveway. It was Aunt Katherine's, and we originally thought maybe she decided to stop by randomly to see mom and was currently being informed that she went out with us.

We parked on the side of the street carrying our spoils. I was especially happy with the surprise visit from Katherine, she was like a mom that I felt I could tell secrets to, one that looked out for me but wouldn't reprimand me. I thought it was the best of both worlds, though now I realize why she was so close.

As soon as we entered through the door and stepped foot in the foyer, we heard the calling of our father's name, whined in such a way that was unmistakable and rather uncomfortable to hear, as his children. I am sure mom would have protected us from the view if she could have, but unfortunately for us, the affair wasn't kept in the confines of a private bedroom. Rather they opted to put it on display, on our dining room table.

There was no hiding THAT from us, though the sounds they were making told us everything we needed to know, even without the sight of them. I wish I could burn that image out of my head but it was stuck now, something I'd never forget, especially the feelings that came with it. Disgust, betrayal, hurt, and an inexpressible anger.

I as a second thought went to cover Sam's eyes. He was only 14, and really didn't need to see this display. I was pretty sure he didn't see much as he was behind Mom, Michael and I, but to be sure, I wasn't going to let him stew in this discomfort. I led Sam upstairs, and did my best to keep him distracted with the movie he picked out earlier. I turned the volume all the way up, in an attempt to drown out the screaming and yelling from downstairs.

Mom was a wreck the first few weeks. Maybe the whole first month to be honest, but she stayed strong for us. She never let Sam see her cry and did her best to not let me and Michael see it either, but that couldn't always be helped. She filed for divorce instantly, not even entertaining the idea that this could be fixed. Some may say she was giving up, and took the easy way out, but to me it was the strongest thing she could have done.

He cheated on a good woman, the mother of his so called "beloved" children, and it went on for many years, five years that we are sure of. For all we know it could possibly be with more women than just Katherine, and it could have extended far longer than the previous 5 years that we knew of. It wasn't a one drunken night mistake; it was an ongoing event, that consisted of multiple decisions to abandon his family, for a snake of a woman.

She did not fight over the house, or belongings, she just wanted Us kids, and what belongs specifically to us, and her, which meant after all the court hearings were over with, through this "Smooth" divorce, Dad got the corvette, the House with everything in it, and the comfort of staying put where he had his life set up. While mom got us.

They tried to keep it civil during the rest of the school year, not wanting us to have to move in the middle of it all, but the divorce itself was enough to make it difficult to focus on school. The few friends I had didn't seem to know how to handle such an event, and therefore kept their distance from me. I felt isolated, and abandoned on all fronts, my family was being torn apart, and I didn't even have one of my friends to lean on.

Luckily Michael was there for me, and this year he was the only one I could call a friend, and I tried to be the same for him. It seems his friends were just as helpful as mine when life got tough. I felt lucky to have a brother I was so close to; Someone who knew exactly what I was going through, and seemed to have had similar feelings about the whole situation. Maybe it is due to Michael and I being born only a few minutes apart, but we have always been close and for the most part, have always gotten along. I can't remember one fight I had with him after 17 years.

It was a blessing for sure, and it was nice that we can get through it together.

Once school ended Michael and I were actually looking forward to a move, we just wanted to start over somewhere else, where no one knew us, or our situation.

Sam was a different story; He was taking the whole moving thing pretty hard. Sam was not used to change, and he relied on what was cool or popular to keep his friends. Moving somewhere completely new meant he didn't know what to expect, or how to act to fit in.

At Least With Sam being able to keep his dog, Nanook, he should be at a tolerable level of distraught about our situation. Sam may need more convincing than the rest of us, but we will all make it out okay, I just knew it. I kept that in mind as we were in the final stretch to our Destination.

We have all been in the Land Rover for hours. We were stiff, hungry, and more than a little agitated after being in such close proximity with each other for so long, with nothing to occupy ourselves with but the radio. We Have already exhausted all the "Road trip" games, like I spy, or spotting license plates from different states. We even exhausted the alphabet game many times over.

Now I settled with looking at the ocean view, while the boys continued to tell mom "keep going", as none of the radio stations were to their liking.

"Wait – Cruising on a Sunday afternoon!" Mom sang a little off-key, but clearly enjoying her-self.

"Keep going" This time I chimed in with Michael and Sam, giving mom a small smile.

She laughed and patted the steering wheel. "Okay, okay" She leans in and turns the knob one more time, finally the music is something we recognize, a rock hit. I hummed contently and went back to gazing out the window for a bit before I felt a tap on my Shoulder.

I look over at Michael who was sitting in the back with me, but instead of meeting my gaze, he is looking and pointing to something behind us. I twist in my seat to look behind us. At first, I see nothing of interest, but then as I focus on the back of the large sign, I notice large Red letters spray painted on.

'MURDER CAPITOL OF THE WORLD'

I raised an eyebrow and looked to Michael, as if to ask, 'You think that's true?'

He only shrugs in return, leaving our silent wondering to ourselves. As we finally start to see the bulk of the town we were in, I take note of the type of characters it seemed to possess. I can see a large amount of thin women in bikinis, shirtless men with trunks sitting low on their hips; both with deep tans, and heavily gelled or hairspray heavy hair.

That was to be expected, we are by an ocean after all. Of course a lot of the people here are going to look like they do nothing in their free time but surf the waves, and party on the beachfront. A lot of the people I noticed as well are just dressed…. Strangely, their clothes don't seem to match, nor fit correctly. Their skin almost looks grimy, and their hair a wild mess. Homeless? Runaways perhaps?

There were also quite a few people with typical floral button up tops, sandals, and large splotches of white sunscreen on their faces despite the reddening evidence of sunburns forming. Tourists for sure, people only here to get some rays, and relaxation.

I also scanned the very large deck area on wooden stilts that goes out slightly into the ocean. I can see a small roller coaster, a Ferris wheel, and other attractions along with little shops and huts selling goods.

"Mom There is an amusement park right on the beach!" Sam shouted excitedly; his face practically pressed up against the glass of the car window.

"That's the boardwalk, Sam." Mom informed him, searching for the nearest gas station, so we could finish our trek up to Grandpa's house.

I couldn't wait to get out and finally stretch my legs a bit, my legs have been aching terribly for the past 80 miles. It wasn't long before we finally came across a gas station. I was practically unbuckled and had one foot out the car before it even stopped rolling. My bare legs peeled off the leather seats of the vehicle in an uncomfortable way, due to the heat causing them to stick. Gross.

I would have worn jeans to avoid that, but then I would have been uncomfortably warm, in this California heat. I grabbed my legs one by one pulling them to my chest as I leaned against the back of the Rover to avoid falling back onto the pavement. I was not the most graceful Emerson, and I did not feel like making a fool of myself just yet here in our new town.

Michael went straight to the back of the U-Haul containing the few possessions we have left; I am assuming to finally take out his baby. I scanned our surroundings, spotting a couple of young teens sifting through the garbage, for what I can only assume was leftover food. Mom took notice as well and passed a bit of money to Sam.

"Tell those kids to get something to eat" She said pointing to the dirt covered kids. They couldn't have been older than 13 or 14, even under all that dirt, and the rags they wore for clothes.

"I thought we were poor – ow!" Sam asked smartly, resulting in the sharp smack upside the back of his head. He reached back, rubbing the place of impact, and giving me a glare that was more like a pout on his baby face. He was quite childish, and like you would expect from the baby of the family, was a victim of being spoiled rotten.

"Not THAT poor, Sam. Besides, they remind me of myself when I was their age."

Sam rolled his eyes and repeated a short synopsis of mom's runaway story. She "ran away" as a young teen. Something we learned later, was due to being kicked out of the house, after being a hardheaded, unruly girl seeking freedom in any way possible. She ended up spending the night in Golden Gate park and begging for change that next morning.

Mom was kind of a free spirit, she just wanted to live her young life her own way and live it freely. Of course, that ended in her having Mike and I at a young age; She was young and in love, and thought it would never end. Luckily despite all that had happened She was able to rekindle a great relationship with her parents later on; otherwise, I don't have any clue where we would have gone after our discovery a few months ago.

Moving back with your father when you're nearing 36 is never ideal, but I doubt it will last very long. My mom was still in the prime of her life, in her 30s, tall, gorgeous, free-spirited, and most of all very kind.

She also loved LOVE in general. My mom was a hopeless romantic; so, though I know Dad's betrayal was hurtful, I also knew she would bounce right back. The only thing that would hold her back from finding a man soon, would be the addition of Mike, Sam, and I.

Michael came back out from the U-Haul, pulling his Motorbike along.

"I need to stretch my legs; I will follow behind you." He said, as he lifted his leg over his bike to take a seat. Revving the engine, he caught the attention of the tanned young women walking in the area. They were throwing him some flirty smiles, and batting their lashes his way, which did not go unnoticed by my brother.

"Puh-lease, you're just wanting to show off a bit." I teased, leaning on the handlebars throwing him a Cheshire grin. He rolled his eyes but threw a smirk right back.

"Piss off pipsqueak" He argued halfheartedly, giving my shoulder a light nudge back. I barked a laugh, standing up straight, to stop leaning on his bike.

"Don't get distracted" I shouted over my shoulder as I jogged back to the car.

I would normally take the opportunity to ride with him. However, Since I know he does want to get a little attention from the ladies here, I decided my presence on the back of his bike wouldn't do him any favors. I will just have to wait for another opportunity for a ride when we visit the boardwalk sometime.

A Short drive later, a little way out of town, and we came up to this rather large lodge-like home. It was something I wouldn't have expected from the man mom used to describe from her teen years. She mentioned he has changed since she was a girl, but I wasn't sure how much of change one man could go through.

Mom said he used to be a strict no funny-business kind of guy. Rules and respect were his only focus when she was young, something that she of course was totally against. Now though she said he was a man who moved to the beat of his own drum.

That drum must be at a standstill though, if the un-moving mass laid out on the porch was any indication. We all exited the vehicle while Michael unmounted from his bike, and we as a group slowly approached the unmoving body.

The man had dark stains and dirt dusting his jeans, well-worn moccasins covering his feet, and his grey hair was worn in a very long braid down the back of his head and currently splayed out on his shoulder as he lay still on the dusty planks.

I thought it odd he would just be laying out here, on the porch, in plain sight, with no clear injuries; so death didn't seem like the obvious reason for his whereabouts. However, I also couldn't see his chest rise or fall, indicating he was not breathing.

"He looks dead" Michael spoke up first as mom stepped right up next to the man on the ground.

"He's just a deep sleeper" She said nonchalantly, crouching down to her knees beside him.

"Just sleeping? Splayed out on the porch?" I questioned, crossing my arms, and lifting a brow. Even in our screwy family, this was an odd place to take a nap.

"If he is dead can we move back to phoenix?" We all rolled our heads back to give Sam a disapproving look. Luckily for him, before Michael could give him a good wallop, the figure sat right up with a lazy smile.

"Playing dead, and from what I heard, doing a damn good job at it." The man was grinning widely, his eyes crinkling a bit as he did.

"Oh dad!" Mom exclaimed, enveloping him in a tight hug.

I breathed out an inaudible sigh of relief. I really didn't want us to travel all the way here, after everything we've been through, after all mom has been through! Just for her to happen upon her father's dead body. I didn't know grandpa much at all, but I know how much mom loves him, and I really didn't want his death to add to her grief.

After a quick introduction between us and our grandfather, we started helping mom unpack the U-Haul, by each of us grabbing some of our personal belongings. Michael carried his barbells in first, Sam struggled with a large cardboard box filled with his comic book collection, while I grabbed my radio and small collection of cassette tapes.

I make my way upstairs slowly, watching each step carefully, as to not trip and have my prized possessions to go flying. When I finally hit the top of the stairs I took the time to scout for a room I can claim. Grandpa seemed to have left the rooms we could pick from, with their doors wide open so I scanned each room as I passed By.

I eventually came across one that was a little small but it still had a closet, and enough room to place my bed on the wall across from the window, and then set my radio on a single bedside table. I didn't have much to move in, just my bed and bedding, radio and cassettes, the side table I set it on, and my clothes that will easily fit into the small closet.

I was never one who needed a lot of material items to keep happy or busy, so it only made sense for me to take the smallest room available. And since I have a decently large window to view the night sky, I am more than satisfied with the space.

As I head back to the stairs, I hear Mike and Sam arguing in the room furthest from me, one that I know to be the biggest, and thus both clearly wanting it. I rolled my eyes hearing Michael say something about flipping for the room, knowing darn well he isn't going to flip a coin.

I continued on my way back down to the U-Haul grabbing the box of my clothes this time. I had my head leaning against the large box, not able to see over it, so opted to just watch my footing. I made small steps to be sure I wouldn't run into anything, while I found my way to the stairs. As soon as I got close enough to them to try to take a step up, I heard the screeches of Sam, and the clomping of big feet running down the hardwood steps.

I didn't even have time to react as I was shoved back from a force that I knew was Sam rushing by me, in his haste to escape Michael's wrath. I fell back, losing my grip on the box completely in my failed attempt to catch my own fall. My backside took the full impact of the landing, and I wouldn't be shocked if a bruise would form later.

The box of clothes smacked against the bottom step, and some articles of clothing in the top portion of the box spilled out onto my lap and onto the floor. Michael came rushing down soon after, and just leaped over the railing to avoid crashing into the box or me in his pursuit to grab Sam.

"Mom, you got to help me!" Sam said frantically, thinking she may stop Michael from chasing him down, but she ignored it all, and continued on to her room somewhere downstairs. Sam continued to run away further into the house with Michael gaining on him fast.

"I'm alright, don't worry about me." I grumbled to myself as I moved to rest on my knees as I threw my strewn out clothes back into the box haphazardly, then continuing to grudgingly trudge up the stairs, ignoring the rapidly dulling pain in my rear.

I successfully avoided the boys for the rest of the time it took me to unpack my things, until it was time to eat. I felt famished by the time supper came around and raced down the steps as soon as I could smell the wonderful aroma of mom's parmesan baked chicken.

I plated up quickly and took a seat before the boys got down and polished off the meal by loading up their plates with enough food to feed 4 grown men each. It was not an overstatement to say that showing up a little late for dinner could result in you not eating anything at all, when they were involved.

With us now unpacked, and filling our bellies; we were all in a decent mood. We were settling into our new home, and fell into easy conversation with each other, as if we have been doing this for years. It was nice, but it didn't take long for Sam to start begging for all of us to check out the Boardwalk we passed on our way up here.

I was excited to go explore the place, we didn't live in a city where an amusement park of sorts was practically in our backyard, let alone have a beach that was only a few minutes away.

And Besides the interesting faces here in town, and the unnerving fact spray painted on the back of the welcome sign, I was feeling pretty good about this town. It was as if I just knew we belonged here.

After dinner we washed our dishes, and all piled up in mom's car minus Grandpa who "Doesn't like to be anywhere near town unless absolutely necessary". The drive was an easy straight shot, something that I knew I could walk or ride Mike's bike on my own if I ever absolutely had to.

Once mom found a parking spot we filed out, our eyes jumping around every attraction, trying to figure out what we might want to discover first.

"Sam stay with either Michael or Jac, don't run off on your own." Mom warned, as Michael already started to walk off towards what seemed to be an outside concert. Sam brushed off her warning and ran after his older brother.

"I will walk around with you for a bit mom."

She gave me a sweet smile and intertwined our arms as we calmly approached the bright lights and excited screams. We casually strolled the boardwalk, occasionally, stopping to point out an interesting little shop, or entering one to see if they were hiring.

At one point we came across a corkboard with a disturbing amount of missing person's flyers pinned to it. Currently a woman possibly in her fifties was adding another picture to the mass. I can tell it made mom a little uncomfortable, seeing the full body shiver she gave, so I grabbed her arm and pulled her further along.

After an hour or so we weren't doing well with the job hunt for mom, but we did find a little shop that sold vinyl. We perused casually seeing if any caught our eye and were cheap enough to afford right now. Grandpa may not have a TV in his house, but luckily, he did own a working record player so we can listen to music downstairs.

I had an enjoyable time with mom, until we came across a small crying child in the middle of the walkway; adults and older teens passing by without even a glance. We approached slowly so as not to startle him and I let mom take the lead, she was much more nurturing in nature.

She crouched down to his level and asked him his name, carefully moving his hair out of his red swollen eyes. Through the tears, and hard sniffles we made out the name Terry, and that he couldn't find his mom. Mom pulled her sleeve down a bit over her hand and wiped some of his tears away, then reached to take his hand in hers.

"Don't worry we will help you find her." She spoke softly, giving him a comforting smile, before standing back up to her full height. She did quick look around to see if she couldn't spot a frantic looking woman among the crowds. I spotted a video store not too far off, and pointed it out.

"Maybe she's in there?"

Mom nodded and we led the small boy to the brightly lit store. The door gave away a chime as we entered, attracting the attention of a man that looked to be about in his early to mid 40s, standing in the middle of the establishment, in front of a lard counter or desk.

He had light brown hair, and warm hazel eyes. His stature would normally be something that would cause people to avoid him; he was tall and burly, truly a large and immovable force. However, his attire, and kind face made him surprisingly approachable.

"Excuse me, this little boy seems to be lost. I was wondering if his mother might be in here?" Mom asked the man that we were assuming worked here.

I noticed we didn't only catch his attention though, but also a small group of Bikers. There were four of them, all very different, but somehow melded well together as a group. The shortest one had honey blonde curls styled in a very long mullet, and he had these large grass green eyes that gave him an almost innocent look.

Though seeing the group he is a part of I really doubt he is as innocent as his face lets on. He had the coolest jacket out of the bunch, something I wish I could have. It was a leather jacket completely made up of all sorts of interesting and colorful patches, it was a hodge-podge of art and I had to admit, it was cool.

Another man that seemed to stay by the shorter one's side, as they stalked the grounds, was this tall blonde with wild metal band hair, and white acid washed jeans, and a mesh top under his black quarter sleeve jacket. His look screamed rock star, and his face screamed playboy. It also was clear to see as he flirted with the attractive black woman standing behind another counter.

The next guy I noticed was the tallest, but not by much seeing as 3 out of the 4 of the guys were blessed in the height department breaking the 6-foot mark. He had long shiny dark brown hair that would look black if not for the fluorescent lights highlighting the color. His skin had a healthy deep tone, and his eyes were a warm dark brown.

He wore what I deemed the simplest outfit, a plain worn-out leather jacket, ripped jeans, and he decided to by-pass wearing a shirt completely. He did have an interesting choice in jewelry, he had one long fang dangling from his right ear, and a thick necklace that looked to be made up of different woven threads and beads; it also had some large animal teeth and talons woven into the ensemble. It was Native in nature, but I couldn't possibly be sure of what tribe.

The final member was also decently tall, his hair was platinum blonde, if I had to guess, bleached to be that way. It was the shortest of the group but still styled in a mullet, the ends not quite reaching his shoulders. He showed barely any skin at all, which was a stark contrast to his friends. He had a long black coat that may have been some sort of trench coat, since it reached all the way down to his ankles. He wore all black items of clothing to cover almost every inch of skin.

Black boots, black jeans, a black shirt peeking out from his open jacket, and even his hands were covered by black riding gloves. The choice of outfit was interesting for sure, but I couldn't help but wonder how he wasn't insanely hot under all those clothes, it was at least 85 degrees out tonight, and that is with the sun completely down. There is a nice breeze out by the ocean that made me thankful that I brought along my red plaid button up, to wear over my tank top and shorts.

But even that feels like it's too much if I am not directly in the wind. While distracted by the unseemly mystery, I was suddenly frozen on the spot when a pair of piercing blue eyes met mine. It felt like he was looking much deeper, like inside my mind or soul, and I felt vulnerable, and exposed. Yet at the same time I didn't want to look away.

"Terry! Oh, thank God!"

My concentration was broken from that cry, and I looked down by my mom's side to see the little boy being hugged and comforted by a woman in her 30s, with mousy brown hair, clearly his mother.

The woman starts thanking my mom profusely, and the man we were asking earlier leans over a bit to grab a small sucker from the counter he is leaning on, and hands it to the boy with a kind smile. The mother thanked him once more before leading the boy out of the store and back into the night; mom gave a goodbye to the boy as he exited.

The man then reached beside him again to grab more suckers and offered them out towards us.

"Well done" he praised, giving mom a bright smile as he did so, one that I recognized as meaning more than just politeness.

I knew it wasn't going to be long before mom caught the eye of another man, however one night in a new town must be some sort of record. Mom declined at first, but within the same breath decided to take the suckers anyway and handed one to me.

I gave thanks quietly, unwrapping the little red treat and placing it between my lips, giving him a small smile, all while trying to blatantly ignore the group of young men. I could hear their footsteps, and feel their eyes on us, as the group of boys from earlier strolled by and past us, heading towards the door.

I felt the tiniest movement on the back of my neck as if someone ran the tips of their fingers through my hair, causing a shiver to run down my spine, but I forced my body to remain still and not give away my reaction.

The guys had a slow gait, not trying to hide the fact that they were staring, and also making it extremely obvious that they wanted to be noticed. I am assuming it was an intimidation tactic, but I did not want to give them the satisfaction of knowing it worked, so I continued looking forward into the face of the kind middle-aged man.

"I told you not to come in here anymore." His voice low, and warning. It oddly sounded more like a father scolding his kids rather than a disgruntled business owner trying to intimidate trouble-makers, however he seemed like a soft guy, maybe that was just his way.

I gave in and turned my head slightly to look at the crew leaving, or more like look at the icy blonde, one more time before he left. His eyes went from the video store employee, to my mom, to me, lingering just a second or two longer than necessary. His eyes then flickered back to the employee with a sly grin, before turning around and heading to the door.

The rest of his group followed suit, all with shit-eating grins on their faces as they passed. It was kind of like they knew something we didn't, or like kids playing the "How far can I take this?" game. Then again maybe that was exactly what this was to them, a game, Bother the businesses and make tourists or newbies uncomfortable.

"Wild kids."

He stole our attention away from the retreating forms that now blended in with the dark of night.

"Oh they're just young, we were that age too once."

I smiled and bit my lip a bit to keep from laughing at that, though partially true, they weren't just "Young". Most teens can be unruly, but they don't act like that, these buys have a wild or dangerous vibe to them.

"You have a very generous nature, I like that. I'm Max."

Finally, an introduction from the man that clearly seems interested in my mom.

"Lucy" She offered her hand to him for a firm shake before placing a hand on my shoulder.

"This is my daughter Jacqueline,"

"Jac." I added, reaching out to shake his hand curtly.

He gave a polite smile as he shook my hand, then pointed to his left.

"That's my dog Thorne'"

I looked over to see a large white dog with bright blue eyes sitting nicely beside the counter. He seemed like a very well-trained dog, something I admired in owners.

"He's a handsome dog," I offered before laying a soft hand on my mom's shoulder.

"Mom, I am going to get on at least one ride before the end of the night." I then gave a quick wave to Max.

"Nice meeting you Max, Thorne."

"Nice meeting you too." I heard Max call out right before I stepped outside the door. Though I wasn't lying, I do have all intentions of getting on one of the rides I saw not too far from here, I really just wanted to give mom some time with the gentleman.

I think it was obvious that there could be something there, and if nothing else, mom needs the little 'pick-me-up' of flattery.

I only had to walk a short way before I entered the line for the small rollercoaster. It wasn't what I planned to get on for my only ride of the night, but it was the closest one I came across, and as long as I can feel an adrenaline rush I am happy.

The line wasn't too long but with the coaster being small it only holds about 6-8 people at a time; which means it was going to be a bit of a wait. I was watching the lights of different rides, and listening to the laughter and screams of delight around me; paying just enough attention to the line, to know when to step up.

This left me caught off guard when a large foot scraped down the side of my own, and I was shoved back by the large man in front of me being knocked back into my smaller body. I let out a small yelp at the pain before feeling the air whoosh past me as I fell back.

I was mentally preparing myself for the pain of landing on the wooden planks of the boardwalk, but instead, I felt two arms snake around my middle, and my back and head rested against a firm body behind me, keeping me from actually coming in contact with the ground below.

My hand instinctively shot up to grab hold of the clothed arms and sat there like that for a few seconds trying to catch my bearings. I blinked a couple times, before sighing in relief, knowing that I wasn't going to fall on my ass for a second time tonight.

"Thanks for that -''

I looked up to my "Savior" only to come face to face with familiar striking blue eyes. I recognized them immediately as the silent 'leader?' of the biker gang I saw not 20 minutes earlier.

"Don't mention it." His voice was mostly smooth, deep, and had just a little bit of base to it, something that I swear I could feel rumble in my chest. I don't understand why, but I rather liked his voice, despite not being able to pinpoint exactly why it affected me so much.

He gave me a knowing smirk, but I barely registered it as I was going over more of his features. Now that I am up close, I can see the blonde scruff on his lip and along his jawline, a 5 O'clock shadow. Now I am curious if his hair just naturally is that strikingly blonde, however now is not the time to be wondering about these things, as I am still being held up in his arms.

I gave a short huff of a laugh trying to brush off the feeling of embarrassment, as I tried to regain my footing and stand up on my own. He oddly enough actually helps me stand, something I didn't really peg him for, but I appreciated the gesture either way.

Despite desperately wanting to strike a conversation with him, I couldn't think of what to say to start. Luckily for me I didn't have to.

"What's your name?" I looked over my shoulder, and gave a quick scan of his face, deciding whether I really wanted to divulge my information so quickly. It took less than a second for me to decide that the answer was yes.

"Jac" My voice was soft, and I mentally reprimanded myself for it. Though it was my normal talking voice, we were at an amusement park. The music and games were loud, and everyone was already screaming to be heard over them.

However, his grin only grew.

"Jac?"

He heard me? I guess with our close proximity, I didn't need to raise my voice like I thought.

"Short for Jacqueline." I explained with a shrug and a small smile of my own, he nodded and reached his hand out, in what I thought was going to be a handshake.

"I'm David."

I placed my small hand in his much larger grasp, but instead of shaking it, he brought my hand to his lips laying the softest kiss across the top of my hand. It caught me completely off guard; which I am sure he knew since I could feel my face heating up, an unmistakable blush clearly spotted on my cheeks now.

I reveled at the feeling of the scruff of his incoming beard, liking it way more than I should have. I have never seen let alone experienced a man do that kind of old gesture before, and for it to come from someone who looks like him was even more of a shock.

"That's good I bet that works wonders for you." I said, trying to ignore the flipping of my stomach, and moving some of my long hair back behind my shoulder; taking a few steps forward when I noticed the line moving.

"I Don't use it as often as you think." came his cool reply. He didn't even try to play dumb, something that I admittedly liked.

"Where's your friends?" I asked, changing the topic a bit, something we can build on, that won't cause my face to heat up.

"They went for a bite to eat." He had a different kind of grin now, one that said, 'I know something you don't know'. As if what he said was some kind of joke. Instead of asking about it, I simply raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't want to join them?" Not very often a man passes up the opportunity for food, at least none of the ones I knew did.

He shook his head, still with that grin.

"Already ate, besides I saw a pretty little thing I thought might want some company."

Ah, he went right back into flirtation mode, and I had to admit I was more than a little flattered. I didn't often have men be so open with their intentions towards me.

I knew I wasn't an ugly girl, but I wasn't a typical bombshell kind of beauty. I was short, only standing at a whopping 5'3", with dark brown hair that I kept long to keep my curls from becoming tight and frizzy like my brother's. As long as my hair stayed long it weighed my hair down enough to get the waves looser, and more manageable.

I didn't have pretty, bright eyes like my new companion has, instead they are more of a whiskey brown. They have their own allure, being large dark eyes, but they aren't the kind that typically pull men in. It was something I kind of envied from my family seeing as both my brothers, and my mom had beautiful light blue or green eyes that they were constantly complimented on.

It was hard to remind myself that I had pretty attributes too, despite them not being the ones I secretly wished I had. Another thing I felt was going against me was I was more of a silent type; someone who blends into the background.

I was not bright and bubbly like my old friend Ally back in Phoenix. I didn't easily make friends, by walking up to strangers and striking up a conversation with them as if I have known them since birth. In fact, I usually only spoke when someone decided to chat with me first.

All and All, it wasn't too often someone showed interest in me, and even less often for someone to be so blunt about it. I caught my bottom lip between my teeth, chewing softly on it, a nervous habit I picked up, I am not entirely sure how long ago.

"How did you know I wasn't already going on the ride with someone?"

He looked at the back of the man in front of me, then back to me.

"If you were, you would have been more engaged with them, and even then... I'd still take my chances." He gave a wicked grin, one that showed the dimple on his right side.

My smile was full now, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright I guess that it was obvious. I wouldn't mind some company."

We finally reached the front of the line, and he reached out, almost setting a gloved hand on my shoulder, when a gruff voice stopped his advance onto the ride.

"I thought I told you to get lost." I whipped my head back to see a security officer manning the ride.

Something I wasn't expecting but after remembering the large board with all the missing faces on it from earlier, I figured it was fitting.

"He's with me." I told him, thinking maybe he would allow it, seeing as he was alone, instead of in a rowdy group, but the officer only snarled.

"Don't care, either it's only you, or neither of you." He said only flickering his eyes towards me for a brief second, mostly wanting to keep a steely gaze upon David. David lifted his hands up in surrender, and backed up just a bit, much to my disappointment.

"Alright, you don't have to spoil her fun." He said before lifting the velvet rope and exiting the line.

"Some other time then" He spoke softly to me, giving what seemed to be a short bow, before standing back up straight and "strutting" away, with that slow purposeful gait. I quickly lost him in the crowd watching his retreating form but was brought back to reality with the clearing of a throat.

I whipped back around to face the officer who looked at me as if I was something disgusting.

"You're going to get on or not, you're holding up the line." I scowled at him, not wanting to dignify him with an answer, simply walking forward and sitting in the back of the coaster in a lone seat. Something I expected only a few minutes ago, but now felt a little lonely and disappointing. Oh well maybe I will be given another opportunity to have a ride with him later.

After the ride was over and I was on a slight adrenaline high I felt better, and decided to now look for my brothers, seeing as it was nearing the time, we all agreed to meet back up at the car. I figured since it was getting to be around that time I would just head towards the entrance of the park, to see if they have already started heading that way.

I had to do a bit of weaving through bodies, seeing as most didn't even seem to notice I was there, or just didn't care, and would have walked right through me if I wasn't on such high alert. I was trying to spot Michael's curly mane, or more noticeable yet Sam's outrageous fashion, from following the latest "Trends" He sees on tv and magazines.

It isn't till I am just a couple feet away from the entrance that I spot the atrociously gaudy jacket of Sam's and start jogging closer to him.

"Michael, Sam!" I call out, catching Sam's attention, but Michael just looks off into the distance somewhere ahead, and to our right. Once I fully caught up to the boys, and he still doesn't respond, I look at Sam quizzically.

"What is he looking for?" I ask, trying to see ahead into the swarm of people.

"He's been chasing a girl all night." Sam teased, but Michael didn't give him even as much as a glare in response, still pushing forward through the crowd, but was getting caught by people walking into his path. I gave an admittedly unattractive snort.

"Yeah, when is it NOT a girl?" I then try to focus harder ahead now that Michael has slowed to a stop right outside the entrance to the boardwalk, to see if I can spot said girl. It doesn't take me long to see a beautiful tall, slender, and lightly tanned girl. She had a long almost gypsy like skirt, and white cotton tank top, climbing onto the back of a bike.

I followed the familiar arm that helped her on, to see it was the same group of guys I had "met" earlier, and to my dismay, it was the exact guy who flirted with me in line for the roller coaster, David.

I was taken back by the discovery, and even more shocked with exactly how disappointed I was to see that. I literally just met the guy today and talked for maybe 8 minutes tops. Of course, tall, mysterious, and handsome has a girlfriend already. A leggy, beautiful, free-spirited girl, that I am sure suits him well, especially much better than boring ol' me.

I saw him smile at my brother, looking like he gets a kick out of other guys chasing after his girl only to be disappointed that she leaves with him. Then his eyes meet mine and I watch as the smile fade. Good. At Least he has the decency to act a little guilty over his actions, leading me on to believe he might like me, or to try to woo another girl while with another.

I walked up and laid a hand on Michael's shoulder blade, he flinched and stiffened being brought back to reality, but relaxed when he realized it was just me.

"Come on Michael, forget it." I spoke softly and put some pressure on his back where my hand laid to lead him forward. We needed to head to the car so we can go home, maybe we can both sleep away our misfortune.

I didn't bother looking back at the group, making an effort to not even steal a glance at them as I heard their engines rumble as they were started up, then fading away as they drove off into the night.