Author's note: I have to say that this chapter wouldn't have been possible without my amazing friend and writing partner Erzsebeth Bathory, whom I threw ideas at and she ran with it. Credit for the past memory in this chapter goes to her.

When the fresh air of reality hit Serenity smack dab in the face as she re-entered the boardwalk, shoving the smell of the sea up her nostrils, she almost gasped. The otherwise serene atmosphere brought on by the night was too much to handle. Her mind was filled to the brim and emotions where on edge, close to exploding from the last bit of knowledge Lilith had disclosed.

Her only escape was to walk, and she did. Past the carousel, past the arcade and the dozens of lights still flickering with voices all their own. Down the steps and out into the sand towards the blackness of the sea, knowing that Paul was right behind her.

She threw off her shoes as she traversed to enjoy the soft, slightly warm sand on the bottoms of her feet and in between her toes, but did little to express the odd comfort it brought her. Rather, it was a forced toss, without a vision of where they would end up, because it didn't really matter.

"Hey, hey!" Paul shouted after her, following as though she was moving too fast for him to follow. "Wait up there, Lil Sis!"

She stopped abrupt and turned on her heels as soon as she heard his voice, glaring in his direction. "Stop calling me that!" she pointed and continued her way.

"What?" He gave pause.

"Stop calling me Lil Sis! I'm not your little sis. I haven't been for a long time," she was still walking away from him as she reprimanded, shrugging her shoulders as her path turned towards the band stand. It was dark, and seemed like the perfect place for a little solitude.

Paul didn't understand why she was upset and there was a moment's hesitation on his part while he considered it. The usual reaction would have been to walk away and let her be, but the playful puppy like side of him couldn't resist closing in on her heels, especially with the way her ass moved from side to side. It was as direct to his attention as her words, and once they were in the shadows of the overly large platform, he closed in.

"What's the matter?" Quick to catch on, he moved around the front side of her, making sure that whatever direction she went to avoid him was blocked.

"The figure of speech, it's all wrong. I'm not your sister." She couldn't get around him, but she could still avoid his eyes and tried to maintain her look of disgust as he sidled back and forth with his arms used as extensions to keep her trapped. "I haven't been for a long time."

She stopped moving and huffed, folding her arms over her chest, barely giving him the satisfaction of knowing that he had beaten her by eyeing him sideways. "What Lilith said?" she shrugged hard.

"Oh yeah that," he chuckled, in a way brushing it off as no big deal before he stuffed his hands in his long coat's pockets as if he were searching for his bag of green.

She slumped from his reaction and her arms fell to her sides. Anger once again resumed its position and she twisted, on the verge of running to get away…as if she could outrun him.

Unbeknownst to her, Paul had been paying attention and he knew exactly what she was talking about, but he wanted to wait for the exact right time to make his move and when she bolted, his preternatural speed jerked into action. He scooped her up before she could get two running steps in and threw her up onto the backside of the stage, making sure her ass was planted there without injury while he got between her legs.

The sudden onslaught caused her to lose her breath and her bearings, and while she regained her focus, watching him with a questioning, he leaned in, grabbed her by the nape of her neck and kissed her hard and fast.

It was the release she 'd been waiting for, the key that unlocked her desire and set it free and she let out a very fulfilled moan. Her body relaxed, reciprocating his move as she placed her hands at his neck, letting her fingers stroke the fine, slightly stubbled skin at his jaw.

She was reaching, moving forward against him, urging him closer, inviting his exploration, and letting him know when he'd hit the mark by dabbing her tongue with the tip of his. It was softer than she remembered back in the cave, and the soft pop of their lips as they parted made her desperate for an infinite connection.

"Bubblegum…" she mouthed, her fingers now crawling into the wild mane over his scalp. "and weed…"

His voice was hushed, caught up in her. "What?"

"Your taste." She smiled. It was flimsy, and she dove in for more of him, thrusting her tongue against his, whining a little more in appreciation as his fingers dug into the soft parts of her hips.

"Pop rocks," he mimicked, his smile louder than laughter.

She lipped his mouth, dragging her tongue seductively up and over his top lip before returning to eye level with him. "You've been eating pop rocks?" she asked, ensuing another kiss.

"While ago," he breathed, unable to stay way from her mouth for more than a few seconds. The intimate tango had glossed her pout from the shared saliva. They were soft and sugary sweet, better than the candy he had eaten a few hours prior.

She giggled into his mouth, and the vibration amped the stimulation, driving his hunger higher.

"They're good," he continued, "and real fun when you're kissin' someone."

"I've never tried it," she mused, briefly nudging his nose with hers.

"You are now." His eyelids were heavy, his voice sultry, and he grabbed her bottom lip with his teeth, tugging at it before he moved away to pepper her jaw with teasing nips. It was near the nook of her neck, where her heartbeat drummed in his ears and the smell of her blood persuaded his fangs to drop.

She invited him there by wrapping her arms and legs around his torso and crooked her neck, exposing it like a naked body.

He sucked the thin skin there, and licked the area.

Serenity swallowed hard, her body shaking. "Do it," she implored. A sharp sting followed her plea and she gasped, closing her eyes to the stars as his fangs slid beneath the surface to draw out a drink of her life.

The compression of his mouth drawing her blood to the surface for one small gulp after another, accompanied by the weight of his body made her dizzy and the world around them started to spin. She was overheating, on the verge of orgasm without penetration, and panting to maintain some form of conscience, but the time for that had passed. Now she wanted him, all of him in every savage way imaginable.

Further and further she fell, deeper into the rabbit hole until the culmination of his thirst exploded, sending them both into a waking dream from the past.

1981

He woke up later than usual. His lady friend, one of his many friends with benefits, or in last night's case, "Make me your bitch, Paul!" had long since left for work, but not before providing him with money on the end table so he could buy some beer and cigarettes. However, he decided that using the money to score some high-quality weed from his favorite dealer sounded better.

Sure, the guy was a hunchback, walked with a lead foot, had one bug-eye, and smelled like garbage, but out of all the shady people Paul had bought pot from over the years, this guy had never steered him wrong. It was too bad the old fart was hardly around. For someone who hobbled about as he did, he was fast with his transactions and as soon as the exchange was finished, he was off like a thief in the night. Lucky for Paul, word on the street was that the weirdo was out and about tonight.

Sweet Mary Jane, here I come! His inner monologue announced as he threw on a pair of denim pants, that is, after he found them behind the bushes outside the apartment complex. He had had to run out buck naked, marathon sprinting, to retrieve them without being spotted. Talk about a wild romp of sex for his pants to get thrown out the window like that.

His look was further completed with a band shirt, seeing as one could never go wrong with Led Zeppelin, and black high tops. Then in the bathroom, in front of the mirror, he spent a good amount of time teasing his hair until it resembled a lion's mane; big, wild, and unkempt.

The girls loved his style and always gave compliments about how he looked like a rock star. His hair and his bigger than life personality had opened many doors of opportunity, which in turn led to free food, booze, and sex. He was exuberant and free spirited. Nothing and nobody could hold him back.

Once he was fixed up, the rock star was out the door with the money and made his way down the block. It was a quiet night and the sun had long since set in the horizon. The streets were lined with rundown apartment buildings and small houses, but visibility was somewhat poor since many of the streetlights had long since burned out, or were flickering their last light as he strolled beneath them. He could hear some of the bulbs buzzing and glanced up to see a couple of moths high above, fluttering around one of the dying lights. Needless to say, this part of the neighborhood wasn't the greatest, but it was an even thirty miles from Santa Carla, where the beaches and amusement park roared with life at all hours of the day and night. That was his destination, though he never complained about where he stayed in the moment, because it was a free roof over his head. It wasn't like his childhood home had been anything remotely close to resembling paradise either, but those were painful memories, pushed deep into the back of his mind. Occasionally they would pop up here and there, rearing their ugly heads, considering he was human after all.

He ventured off the main road and resorted to crossing through some dilapidated backyards, as it was a lot quicker to travel. These homes, while much smaller and closer in connection than the ones he'd passed earlier, were also abandoned with windows boarded up and walls marred with graffiti. He kept both hands in his pockets, one of which had a hold over a switchblade. It served as good protection, considering he was aware of the few guys he'd pissed off by sleeping with their girlfriends and then bragged about it later while high, and or drunk. They'd all wanted to beat the shit out of him, and they weren't shy about threatening out in the open. Fortunately, he was always one step ahead of them and like his favorite dealer, made sure never to stay in the same place for very long. Keeping off the main roads would ensure prying eyes weren't watching him.

Eventually he found himself headed towards the more industrial part of the town in search of the weirdo, where the lighting became scarce and dark alleys closed in on him. It was like he was wandering through a maze of brick walls and wooden fences, with garbage cans and discarded cargo boxes choking the walkways. Not a great place to get jumped, so he kept a steady pace and made sure to keep his eyes open.

As he prepared to go around a corner that led down a narrow channel of a one-way street, a high pitched, fearful sounding, "NO!" made him stop dead in his tracks. Instantly, he flattened against a set of steel bars over a foreign doorway, and peered around the corner with his mouth slightly parted in concern.

Just a few feet away, under the light of an abandoned two story building, he spotted a little blonde girl, probably no older than four years old, bawling her eyes out. Her cheeks were red and stained with tears. A middle-aged man with disheveled gray hair pulled back in a sloppy ponytail and wearing a white lab coat towered over the girl. He looked about ready to devour her like a hungry beast. His face was twisted and strained and he reached out to grab her with gnarled, crooked fingers. He barked at her, telling her that if she didn't stop crying any second, he was going to belt her.

"What the...?" Paul muttered under his breath. "hell is this?"

Suddenly the man had a firm grip over the back of the pink overalls the child wore, and was ready to hoist her off the ground. The kid was jerked back, and she let out a painful scream.

Normally, Paul wouldn't have given two shits about other people's problems. Aside from his drug buddies and faceless gal pals, he wasn't close enough with anyone to where he'd stick his neck out for them in a matter of life or death. The only person he looked out for at that point in time was numero uno. Yet the sight of a small, defenseless child about to be harmed by another adult brought one of those painful memories to the surface, no longer buried deep in his sub-consciousness. It reminded him all too much of his past, and of the many nights he'd been beaten black and blue by his step-dad with no one around to help him. Not even his mother, who knew what was happening, would dare lift a finger. Every time it happened, she looked the other way, afraid to interfere—not because she would get hit, but because she would lose the man's attention and he'd end up leaving her. The only way Paul was able to escape the nightmare was by staying out night after night, and only going home when he absolutely needed to. Before he turned sixteen, they kicked him out permanently after learning he had sold all his mother's precious jewelry, including her wedding ring, for quick cash. He was given the boot and ultimately his freedom.

"Fuck that," Paul hissed through clenched teeth as he sprang into action. No one had been there for him, but that didn't mean he couldn't help another little tike out. He bolted away from his hiding spot, and approached the stranger, using his arm to shove the older guy up against the wall. That in turn allowed him to yank the girl away from the weirdo's grasp, and set her down on her feet. She stumbled backwards and continued crying, but Paul ignored her as he became transfixed with the creep in front of him.

"What were you planning on doing with such a small fry, huh?" he asked, his blue eyes full of rage, yet at the same time he was somewhat... grinning? Yes, he was smiling. He liked frightening this asshole. "You don't look like nobody who would care about her. She sure as hell doesn't seem to like you."

"That is NONE of your business," the man hissed as he pushed Paul's arm away from him. "She will be property of—"

"Wrong answer!" Paul exclaimed as he stepped back, drew his switch blade, and stepped forward once more, shoving the tip dangerously close to the man's throat. "The kid wouldn't be screaming like that if she belonged to you or anybody associated with you. And 'property' you say? That ain't gonna be sitting right with the police now, is it?"

The last thing Paul wanted to do was go to the police. He'd already had more than a few run-ins with them for public intoxication, lewd behavior, and disturbing the peace. Assault and possession of a deadly weapon was not something he wanted to add to his record. Still, he wasn't about to let some asshole get away with hurting a defenseless kid. He wasn't that jaded.

The man's eyes bugged out at the sight of the weapon and he swallowed nervously, buying the bluff. He held up his hands, already breaking out into a cold sweat, and started stammering.

"A-A-All right. All right. Just… let me go. Let me go, please. I don't see why they need… need her so much anyhow. S-She doesn't look like anything special to me. I-I could always find another job at my age! I shouldn't be... be treated like this! No job is worth risking my life for!"

They? Paul raised a brow over his ramblings, but a couple things stood out to him. What kind of job was this creep into where the requirements involved wanting their employees to kidnap children? Was it some kind of secret sweat shop in China? Whatever. He moved back and closed the switch blade before sliding it back in his pocket, his eyes never wavering from the man in front of him. The girl had calmed down and was no longer crying, but squatting on the ground, her body pressed up against the building. She was whimpering and hiccupping with her back facing them. Other than looking terrified, she didn't appear hurt, much to Paul's relief.

"Now," Paul said with an upbeat expression, even though his tone betrayed the look, as it was dark and menacing. He slapped the man roughly across the chest with the back of his hand. "You aren't gonna rat on me to the police, are you? Let's face it, I know I'm a punk, but you don't look all too 'normal' yourself, bud. What's a mad scientist doing going after little girls? You some kinda pervert?"

"I am not!" the man blurted out, completely unnerved at this point. His hands trembled, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. "I don't like that sort of thing at all! And no! Can't get the police involved! I was just doing my job… I..."

In a blind panic, he was finally pushed away from Paul and broke free. Fearful for his life, his footsteps echoed across the alley until he disappeared, and silence once again took over.

Now Paul turned to the kid. He wasn't used to dealing with little ones, but he was still determined to make sure this one wasn't getting hurt by the likes of that jerk, or anyone else who could easily break her jaw. He was by no means a saint, but even he had his own code of ethics and morals.

Scratching at the faint stubble on his cheeks, he slowly approached her and carefully picked her up. She was small and weighed very little, and he couldn't help but think about his baby half-brother, as she was probably around the same age as him.

Ah, hell, stop thinking about any of that, he chided inward. You're on your own, Paulie boy. You've been on your own for a long ass time.

By the time he and the girl emerged out into the open, he saw how dark the skies had grown. He didn't wear a watch, but he noticed a small clock tower located on an island in the middle of an intersection that read the time. Not even two hours had passed since he left his friend's pad. There, in that part of town, the street lights were better maintained (as in, they worked), and not only that, but there were people walking around. Businesses were also open and operating, which meant it was a hell of a lot safer than the alleys.

He was surprised at how well behaved and quiet the girl was after saving her. She didn't even know him, but already showed trust in him as if she could read him. Either that or she was just scared out of her wits. The trust factor became more apparent, however, when she leaned against his chest. She was content, sucking her thumb while her eyelids drooped. The problem for Paul was that he wasn't sure where to go from there, so he sat down on the curb and gently placed her down beside him.

He tipped his chin and stared at his shoes, noticing a hole was starting to form near the toe, but the small girl didn't want to detach herself from his side, and ended up resting her small frame against his arm.

Crap, he'd suddenly become an unofficial babysitter for her.

Long as she isn't wailing like she was, I can deal with this, I think.

He rested his arms across his knees and cracked his knuckles as he stared across the street at nothing while his thoughts rolled around. What did that perv say about her being property? Total sicko. People got their rocks off in the nastiest ways. Just hope I didn't miss my dealer by playing hero...

"Serenity? Oh my god, there she is! Serenity!"

Glancing in the direction of the frantic voice, Paul spotted a desperate looking elderly couple hurrying over to where the two of them sat. Their eyes were not focused on him but what was next to him: the kid. No, not kid, Serenity.

Serenity was her name.

Pffft. As if he would retain that information for much longer after he killed his brain cells with some prime weed. Question was, were they just more weirdos coming after her? Just decked out in clever disguises rather than the mad scientist get up? What was so special about her anyway?

Fortunately, unlike with the first guy, Serenity did respond positively to the sound of the elderly female's voice by calling out, "Grandma...!"

She rubbed her eyes with her tiny fists and yawned.

Paul figured he would be tired too after getting kidnapped and harassed by some douchebag, if he were her age.

Not wanting to startle her any more, he collected her into his arms and got to his feet. By that point, the couple was upon them and the woman's arms were outstretched. With a shrug, he automatically surrendered Serenity over to her.

About damn time, he thought as the grandmother cradled Serenity close to her chest and kissed her face affectionately. Serenity responded by cuddling closer to her relative, but she did offer Paul one last look, as if silently wondering if he'd still be around later.

"Thank you so much," the elderly man said as he stood alongside his wife, looking very tired but relieved. The dude was sweating. He had to have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off looking for his granddaughter. He held out a thin hand for Paul to shake. "We don't know how we can ever repay you! We were about to call the police!"

Paul snorted and shoved both of his hands inside his pockets. "Keep a better eye on short stuff there," he admonished rather rudely. "Lil' missy may not be so lucky next time."

Without waiting for a response, he took off in the opposite direction, determined to get back to his own personal affairs. If he ended up meeting with his dealer, soon enough he'd be so damn high that he wouldn't have any memories of playing the hero in the first place.

Little Serenity was young enough to where she wouldn't remember almost being kidnapped. She'd be back to watching Sesame Street and Mister Rogers.

Sides, it's not like I'll ever see her again…

The dream evaporated and brought them both back to center. The jolt left Serenity gasping for air and Paul released his hold on her, backing up half a step. Shock was evident on both of their faces as they came to the realization that it had happened, and it was in fact a memory they both shared.

"That was you?" Reliving the incident left Serenity breathless and keeping her composure was hard. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes but didn't want to turn into a blubbering sap in front of him, even if they had already shared an abundance with each other.

"I didn't know it was you…wouldn't have even remembered," Paul was as dumbfounded as she was and couldn't quite figure out how to process this new information. There was an air of innocence about him, and the simplicity showed in his eyes, as if he were apologizing for not recognizing the fact.

"That doesn't matter. It's not like I remembered your face. I was too young. What matters is that it was you! You saved me!" she pointed out quite fervently, leaning towards him, her body on the verge of shaking. It made sense, because once things had come full circle, she had rescued him too…they had helped each other.

"Yeah, I remember. I was there." He chuckled as his lighthearted demeanor broke through the fog of the past. Yet the shell shock remained, and he threw his hands on his hips, glancing up at her sideways. "Phew! Damn girl."

His look made her feel a little uneasy because it was partially flirtatious. "What?" Quickly she wiped at her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Just thinkin' about what the witch said. All that stuff about twin souls. Guess there really is something to it." There was more to say than that. He wanted to tell her she had him wrapped around her pinky but figured that was better suited for another time. Instead, he relaxed and hopped up on the stage beside her, making sure to keep his hands casual in his lap while swinging his legs.

In turn she leaned into his shoulder, a thoughtful, soft smile playing on her lips. "You didn't believe her before? Just figured you'd get some play in while the timing was right?" she teased.

"Oh, hey now, that's not fair. Like I said, I didn't know that little girl I saved was the same little girl I kicked it with in the hayloft. Guess I should've of, but ya know, it's one of those human things you let go of when you step over to the dark side of livin'. The deep thinkin' stuff isn't my style. Sides, whether I knew all this stuff or not, I'd still have a thing for ya. If that makes it any better. Just a lot of complications that come with it."

"Complications like Marko?" she asked.

Discontent sounded out in a grunt and he looked out over the ocean, tempted to pull out a smoke.

"Well I liked it…a lot. And I'm glad it was you, you know, that saved me." She also had more to say about what was meant to be, but that would reveal itself in due time. Still, she waited for him to turn his attention back to her, and when he did, there was a brief pause. The eye contact was powerful. It confirmed without words how they felt towards one another.

It was the perfect opportunity for him to swoop in, cup her cheek and let his lips crash into hers once more. It sent a fever through her and brought out an erotic noise he had to laugh at.

Yet even in their rapture, they couldn't ignore what was yet to come. Their secret was out, and no doubt the pack knew it.

Giving thanks to all who reviewed, Thin Lizzy, Chantal, Edicts Galore, Maggie, Kate, Lyanna L, tayjaydray, Stacy L, and all the guests who left their love, I sincerely appreciate it. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

As always reviews are loved!