"So what do you want from me?" Ruby shattered the silence.

"We revenged your brother's death. Austin and his gang are totally wiped off the face of the earth. Never saw it coming." David replied, leaning forward. "I know you didn't have any idea about what we'd done, never expected to see vampires again. But I believe you'd feel obligated to do something in return..."

"No. I don't." Ruby said bluntly. "You waltz into my life, and ask... no, you tell me I'm going to repay you. Why should I? I never asked you to revenge Jeremy."

David leaned back, his face blank. The other three Boys shared glances - this wasn't going the way they'd planned.

"Um, maybe she's right." Marko said softly. He got a glare from David and bowed his head.

"I am right." Ruby stood up. "I don't owe any of you anything. I should honestly want nothing to do with you." Her statement brought a soft gasp from Marko and looks from Paul and Dwayne.

"I forget. Humans don't understand our rules." David said flatly.

"Yeah that's right. I'm human." Ruby countered. She had her hands on her hips.

"David..." Paul said softly, looking between the girl and his leader. Talk about butting heads here. Paul waited for David to go into fang and just take her out. But it didn't happen.

"Fine, Ruby. You want it this way, you can have it." David rose, a good half a foot taller then the red-haired girl. "I'll erase all memories of us, of the vampires that killed your brother."

"I don't want that."

"It has to be." David advanced.

"David, wait." Marko stood up, stepping slightly between Ruby and his leader. David's eyes grew dark. "Maybe... if you told her the story, first? Before demanding she help?"

"I agree." Dwayne voiced his opinion. Paul nodded.
"You're all soft." David growled, then sighed. He looked at Ruby. "Will it help if we tell you story?"

"I'd like to hear it." Ruby admitted. David nodded and returned to his chair. Ruby sat back on the floor, smiling at Marko. He grinned back at her.

"How I love hearing about myself." Paul laughed, settling down on the couch, arms behind his head. Dwayne took up perch on the windowsill.

"We live in a cave in Santa Cruz. It was a hotel in 1906. They weren't as knowledgeable about fault lines and all that back then, and mistakenly built it on theSan Andreas. And then the great earthquake hit and the hotel basically slid down the cliff face into the crack that opened up." David leaned back in his chair, his eyes seeming to gaze off somewhere Ruby couldn't see.

"So it's a big hotel cave?"

"Complete with elevator, fountain, and furniture!" Paul grinned.

"Neither the elevator or the fountain work." Dwayne chuckled.

"So we've built a comfortable haven for ourselves in the condemned tunnels and caves. It's not far from the Boardwalk, where we go to hunt and basically hang out." David continued.

"Hunt. You mean kill. Kill people." Ruby said bitterly.

"Look at it this way, Ruby. You eat food to live?" Marko answered before David could. "Well, hunting is how we live. You see chickens and cows and know they're going to be on your plate one day. That's how we see most people. Life source."

"How can you condemn when you've never walked in our boots?" David smiled. Ruby's brow furrowed, thinking about what Marko had said. "Perhaps one day you will understand. But this subject is for another time."

"Yeah! Get to us already!" Paul laughed, kicking his boots impatiently on the couch. David rolled his eyes and looked back at Ruby.

"So, we live in harmony with the city, taking prey from among every class. We're not picky. The city is charmed, woven with magic to protect the citizens from prying too much into our lives. No one comes out on the bluff anymore, as the lighthouse was de-commissioned years before we arrived, so our haven is protected. We've lived freely, safely. There's been no trouble, no unrest for years."

"In other words, bor-ring!" Paul cackled. Dwayne and Marko laughed.

"As Paul eloquently put it, it's not that exciting. Which is suitable for me, but these guys want to liven it up." David smiled. "So we started to make a legend, spreading it through the teenagers that inhabit Santa Cruz. Of vampires, and various myths about them."

"So, it's not really a true legend then." Ruby concluded. David nodded.

"It's a controlled legend. We put in what we want and squash anything that might bring people looking for us or might alert religious fanatics. We haven't had any close calls yet, but it's only been two years."

"So you want to write a script and get a film made? Wouldn't that bring things up you didn't want?" Ruby tilted her head to the side. She felt a tug on her hair, and turned, finding that Marko had taken a plait and begun to braid it. He grinned sheepishly, pausing.

"God, Marko." Paul smirked. Marko frowned and started to undo his work.

"You can continue, Marko." Ruby smiled softly. Marko's childish grin returned and he repaired what had been undone, continuing. She turned back to David and the others, found them staring. "What?"

"Nothing." David laughed a short wicked laugh. Dwayne chuckled, and Paul cackled. "But yes, we were hoping to get a movie made. Teenagers will flock to it. They like horror nonsense. And it would be nice to have money from royalties."

"So what is the full 'legend'? What did you come up with?" Ruby couldn't help it. She wanted to know. And besides, it would give Marko more time to play with her hair, which she was secretly enjoying.

"Basically, it's the story of a guy and his family who move to Santa Cruz and he falls in love with the girl who's joined up with us. And he wants the girl and he's forced to join us to be with her. But there's a side story about how the 'head vampire' wants the guy's mom for his bride. And so, basically it follows the war between us and the humans and we end up dying." David summarized.

"Dying?"

"Yeah. Can't have vampires walking around now winning, can you?" Dwayne smirked, grinning at Ruby.

"Dying. So, the guy gets the girl and lives happily ever after?"

David nodded. "In some form, yes. I only gave you the short version. We don't have all the details filled out."

"Oh. It's a interesting tale." Ruby smiled. "It would be a cool movie."

"Thank you." David smiled back. "So now, where do you stand? I don't want to force things, but we don't have a lot of time left here in LA."

Ruby looked around at each of the Boys. Dwayne was silent, blank-faced. His eyes were dark, and Ruby thought they held a hint of hope. Paul was silent too, his expression expectant. Ruby turned her gaze to David, whose blue eyes were soft, waiting. She turned to look at Marko. He looked back, his eyes hope filled. He'd put half a dozen braids in her hair, a few decorated with string. She met his gaze, and realized this was a ticket to what she wanted, needed.

"So how do you guys need my help?" Ruby smiled, still looking at Marko. David grinned, and Paul howled happily, sharing high fives with Dwayne. Marko grabbed Ruby up in a tight hug, then eep and let her go, blushing a little.

"You understand movie process, scripts?" David asked. Ruby nodded, turning to look at him. She was startled by Marko's hug. "And you write, yeah?"

"Never more then fiction." Ruby replied.
"This is fiction, so it will work perfectly." David grinned, then grew serious. "You have to make a choice now, Ruby. You have to come with us to Santa Cruz. To live with us. This is where we either stay with you or we part ways."

Ruby looked around her shabby dingy apartment. There was nothing here for her, nothing in LA that she really wanted. She couldn't go home; it had never been the same after Jeremy died. She had no money and few possessions.

"We'll take care of you Ruby. Provide whatever youneed." David assured softly. Ruby knew he and the Boysmeant it.

"Then yes. I'll come to Santa Cruz." Ruby smiled softly at the leader of the Lost Boys. He returned the smile.

"We'll be back at sundown to collect you." David said, rising with fluid grace. "For the night, though, I think Dwayne should stay with you."

"But..." Marko's protest died in his throat.

"Dwayne?" Paul made a face and stuck out his tongue.Dwayne punched his shoulder.

Ruby nodded, rising from the floor and going to the door. "Okay." She pulled off the chain and undid the deadbolt.

"It's only a safety precaution. You know a lot now, more then any human. And our presence is known in town. It's only wise to leave you with a protector." David smiled at her, reassuringly. He smoothed her cheek with a gloved thumb, a chaste kiss pressed to her cheek. "Thank you. You will not regret this."

"Thank you." Ruby whispered. She knew David could tell by her tone that she was grateful, grateful for the revenge the Lost Boys had gotten in her brother's name. Grateful to be helping them, grateful to just know them. David nodded and was out the door. Paul followed, sly grin on his face.

"Night girly. Don't do anything I wouldn't. And keep an eye on Dwayne's hands at all times."

"Goodnight, Paul." Ruby smirked. Paul strutted out the door. Marko came up, his expression blank, his eyes pained.

"I'll see you tomorrow night, Ruby." He sighed softly. "Dwayne will take good care of you."

"I'm sure he will." Ruby smiled at Marko, turning and smiling at Dwayne.

"Yeah." Marko pulled at his glove. He moved to the door, then stopped. A quick kiss placed gently on Ruby's lips and out into the night before she could speak. Ruby slowly shut the door behind the three. Turning, she saw Dwayne smiling.

"He's got it bad."

"Got what bad?"

Dwayne smirked. "You can't tell?" Ruby blushed. "Yeah you do. No fooling me, girl."

"No one's ever felt...that way about me." Ruby mumbled, gaze dropping to her bare feet.

"Marko does. Our little Marko." Dwayne laughed, hopping down from the windowsill. Ruby stared up at him. "I'm not going to bother teasing you all day about it. That's Paul's job anyway. But I want something to drink."

"I have nothing in the house..." Ruby was grateful for a subject change. Then she paused. "Unless you mean blood."

"No, I fed before we came. David had informed me then I was going to spend the day over here." He stretched, and Ruby caught herself staring at his bare chest. She blinked and looked away, hoping that was a decent recovery.

"Oh. Well there's a 7-11 down on the corner."

"Sounds good. Let's go." Dwayne headed out the door, grabbing Ruby's hand and towing her along.

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