• Let it be known that all characters except for David, belong to me, and that I have a habit of getting my writing sparks from BrainAche. We frequently write together, so it comes naturally. Constructive Criticism and suggestions for this story are much appreciated!

    It'd been a bright and warm day in the small town of Westbrook, home to bounty hunters and hunted alike. Eighteen year old Fiona Evanesco and long-time friend of hers, David Crosser sat atop one of the high roofs along the outskirts of town. Watching the sun dip low to kiss the horizon farewell for the day, the two of them sat, barely clothed and breathless. Several long scratches were up David's sides and down his back, red and raw from the evident placement of Fiona's nails against his skin in another one of their fits of lust. Shifting his weight next to her, he watched as he chest rose and fell with each soft breath of air that she took in, slowly coming of the high end of the pleasure that had been shared between them.

    Along Fiona's neck and across her collarbone, several slight teeth marks made guest appearances. A long scratch from a single nail ran from the center of her chest straight down to her right hip with tiny flecks of blood beading up still. With a chuckle, Fiona looked to David with a half-lidded gaze and smiled. "You know, one of these times you and I are going to get caught doing this, and my father is going to want to kill you. I'm his only little girl, you know..." she said softly, lifting her head to place a light kiss against his temple.

    Softly, David purred low and shrugged his shoulders a little. "Aw, well, it'll happen eventually, and he knows that. You and I both know that you wouldn't have been able to keep that innocence forever. And not only that, but your father's gotta catch me first. About the only person I'd willingly stand still for, would be you. But even at that point, I'd beg and plead for you to spare my life, because I know you don't have it in you to live up to your family standards of killing people for money."

    Very gently, he brushed Fiona's auburn hair away from her mismatched eyes, and smiled down at her. She quite literally was, the most beautiful person he'd ever laid his eyes upon. He loved how deep blue one of her eyes was, and how fiery red the other was. He loved that silly set of freckles that brushed her nose and cheeks, and he loved that one scar she had that ran from just above the eyebrow over her left eye down the cheek. He had one on the opposing side, from a similar accident. With a grin, he dipped his head low, and placed a kiss against Fiona's cherry-colored lips and purred again.

    "That may be true, David, but you know how my father feels about you. He accepts the fact that we're friends. He doesn't know about anything further between us, because he'd forbid me to see you if he did. And you're my best friend, you know. I'd surely fall apart if I was forbidden to be around you." With a soft, stifled yawn, she slowly sat up and grabbed at her upper clothing, slipping it all back on carefully. While putting her shirt back on, David had set his fingertips against her stomach and walked them across, sending vicious shivers through her body. "What are you doing?" she asked him with a chuckle.

    David shook his head and laughed. "Nothin' Fia, don't worry. I'm just admiring the flawless perfection that is you and giving myself the opportunity to remember the way that your skin feels for when I go home and fall asleep tonight." Letting his hand fall from her stomach and rest against her upper leg, he watched as she pulled her shirt down, covering her skin once more.

    "Your dreams are always filled with such, and you know it. How many times have you snuck over to my house just to leave me gasping your name against the inside of your hand? How many times have I snuck out to your house just to-"

    "I get the point, Fia..." David said with a laugh, placing a kiss against her cheek and pulling her into a tight hug. Instantly, he felt the warmth of her arms wrap around his body and hold onto him. "I still get shivers just thinking about all the ways I can make you go into an aroused panic..." he admitted, nuzzling his nose against her neck.

    "It's not hard to do. You've proven that on countless occasions before, David. Today being a good example."

    The two of them sat in a silence after Fiona spoke, just sitting contently in the others embrace, watching the sun as it finally managed to slip below the horizon line. Fiona cast her eyes up and looked at the sky with all it's vast and vibrant shades of pink, orange, and purple.

    "David?" she asked quietly, letting her arms fall from around him so that she could finish dressing herself and allow him to do the same.

    "Hm?" Zipping up his jeans, he looked over at her with a soft smile and then turned to brush her hair away from her eyes.

    "No matter what, I want you to know, that I'll always love you. Okay? Even if for some stupid reason, my father denies me that right to be around you, I'll find a way to be there for you." Fiona said softly, placing a hand against the side of his neck, and pressing her forehead against his gently. Letting out a soft sigh, she let her eyes flutter closed, and her lips turn upwards into a soft smile. "Because you mean the world to me."

    ---

    Zeidrich Evanesco had made a startling discovery in his outings for that day. He'd come across a sight that he just couldn't hold back from his father. Not at all. He knew what this would bring for him, and he couldn't wait to be the one to deliver the news to his old man. Pompously he stomped his way through the bar where his father commonly went to end his days, and took a seat next to him. "Father, I've got news for you!"

    Rodrigue Evanesco, father to Zeidrich and Fiona, as well as three other children, cast his dark blue eyes towards his son. "It had better be good news, or you'll be getting a switch 'cross your rear. You know my rules about disturbing me when I'm amongst the company of bar patrons," he grumbled, his voice low and fierce. He watched as Zeidrich signaled for two more drinks, and then lowered his eyes again. "I take it this is news I should be sitting for, if you're ordering drinks?"

    Zeidrich nodded and smiled impishly at his father. "Yes. It has to do with that Crosser boy who-"

    "THAT VILE CHILD?" Rodrigue hollered, watching as his usual tender, Ivarez cringed slightly. "Sorry 'bout that, mate..."

    Ivarez merely waved it off and set the two drinks before both Evanesco men. With a nod, both of the men picked up there mugs and put them together with a clang before letting the pure-grain alcohol find its way into their systems. Zeidrich set his mug on the counter and looked over at his father, that same impish grin staying upon his lips. "Yes, that child. You'll never guess who I saw him with today, and what they were doing."

    "He was with that little rat-child friend of his, and they were being destructive again?" Rodrigue said with a hearty laugh, but silenced himself when Zeidrich didn't laugh at that response. "Alright, boy, now tell me what in bloody Hell that monstrosity of a child was doing."

    "Your daughter, perhaps?" Zeidrich said, picking up his mug again and taking a large swig of the amber alcohol in it. He could feel himself smirking evilly in his head.

    "HE WAS DOING WHAT WITH MY FIONA?!"

    "You heard me, father. Your little girl has lost all innocence to that boy. I told you it was a bad idea to continue to let her pal around with him."

    ---

    Fiona had managed to make it home that night, looking as she had earlier that day. Her hair had gone back to it's natural flow rather than a tangle and the poofiness it'd had when she'd been with David, and the little flecks of blood had finally stopped showing through her shirt. With a soft sigh, she stepped inside the front door of the place she called home, only to be met by Zeidrich, who carried a rather large grin upon his constantly menacing lips. "What do you want, greaseball?" she spit at him, knowing that look meant nothing but trouble.

    Zeidrich merely let his lips twist further into a more sinister grin. "I know what you and Crosser did today, snake," he said with a laugh, his honey eyes lowering. "And I want you to know, that by this time tomorrow, you'll either be bringing Father home that boy's head on a silver platter, or you'll be running for your life."

    "You b*****d..." Fiona spit again, her eyes glowing slightly in the awkward lighting of the room. "You're bluffing. You know that Father wouldn't make me do that."

    Zeidrich laughed even harder and grabbed hold of Fiona by the hair at the back of her head. "Like you'll have a choice. I suggest, if you want to save him, you go find him now and tell him to run as far as his filthy legs will carry him. And maybe you should go with him too." he said, giving her hair a sharp pull with full intention to make her screech.

    Which she did. Stomping her heavy boots against his foot, she felt him let go of her hair, and raced back out the door. 's**t... I knew it. One of these days we were gonna get caught... How did I know it?' she thought, racing through the now rain-soaked alleyways and such to find David. What she didn't know, was that Zeidrich was hot on her trail.

    Fiona's heart beat loudly in her ears, much in the same way her feet hit the ground with each movement she made. How could Zeidrich have done this to her? Didn't he know that David had always been her best friend? Did he not remember that when Fiona had fallen off the damn dock down at the port, David was the one that went after her because Zeidrich was scared of water serpents? Her eyes stung with tears as she raced down another side street towards the place she'd last seen David.

    ---

    No matter how hard she'd tried to find him, Fiona couldn't find him anywhere. She'd searched every back alley she could think of, every main street she knew of, and still had nothing.

    "...Fia?"

    Instantly, Fiona turned around to meet David's green eyes with her own mismatched ones, feeling her chest tighten with each breath she took in. "I... Where have you been? I've been looking for you..." she asked, looking down at the ground, her clothes soaked with mud and rain water.

    "I went looking for you. You left this on the roof where we were earlier..." David said, holding out the flintlock she'd been carrying since she'd been legal to carry a gun in Westbrook.

    Fiona took the gun with shaking hands, but kept her eyes on the ground. Behind her, she heard another set of feet coming to a padding stop. "What are you waiting for, Fiona? You know what father will do if he sees you with him!" Zeidrich's voice rang out. Fiona felt herself tense up further as she looked up at David. 'Play along, please?' she mouthed, watching as David gave a quick nod.

    "What's going on here, Fia?" David asked, his green eyes sparkling with mock-confusion. He watched as she raised her gun at him. Instantly, he turned on his heels and took of in a sprint, hoping that for the better, this would work out. For the both of them.

    "After him, snake!" Zeidrich growled, shoving his sister forward.

    Again, she broke off in a dead run after David, catching him in the alley behind her father's favorite bar. "I apologize for this in advanced..." she whispered at him, just as she'd heard Zeidrich hollering for their father.

    "Do what you need to."

    Crack!

    Fiona had swung, both hands around the gun and cracked David against his cheek, causing him to spit, stutter, and stare at her. She felt herself get a queazy feeling, just by looking at the blood run down his cheek. Stepping forward, she placed the barrel of the flintlock to his forehead.

    "Pull the trigger, Fiona!"

    Fiona's eyes met with David's again, which now seemed full of fear. She'd never put a gun to him like this and asked him to play along. It was almost scary to see. Swallowing hard, he looked up at her with his brilliant green eyes. "...Fia please. Spare me..." he whispered, watching her eyes tear up. He'd been right when he'd said that she couldn't shoot him even if it came down to it. Watching her hands shake around the gun, he watched as she lowered it.

    "Run. Don't look back. I'll... I'll do my best to keep Zei from shooting, just get as far away from here as you can..." she whispered, tipping her head down.

    David took no time at all to make the best of it and climb the fence behind him, landing hard on the other side, and sprinting.

    "What the Hell are you doing?! SHOOT HIM, FIONA! OR I'LL DO IT!" Zeidrich bellowed.

    "The only way you'll ever shoot him, is over my dead body."