Jacky stared at the wall.

Ash isn't home.

Hes gone.

Where is he?

All she could do was stare blankly at the wall and repeat these phrases over and over again. She wondered what would happen when her parents found out. Would they blame her? Would they be upset? Angry?

She shut her eyes and drew the blanket tighter around herself. He said he would be back. He was just going out with his buddies.

Alliot was who knows where, and the police had already come and gone. Their questions unsettled her and just caused her more grief. They assured her that they would do all that they could to find her brother.

Venice and Wesley were taken into a different rooms to be questioned. Leaving her alone to her thoughts.

Alliot....where are you?

She got a head rush as she sat up and leaned against her pillows. The lights were off and the curtains closed, leaving the room almost completely dark. The light that did creep in cast ghostly shadows over her band posters and dirty laundry.

She stood still. Completely still. She strained to hear the sound of Ash's car coming into the driveway. But of course it wasn't there.

Jacky pulled her knees to her chest and lifted the blanket over her head. Her throat clenched as she tried to choke back a sob. Her shoulders shook as she gripped her knees. Without her consent a stray tear slid down her cheek and dripped down her chin.

All of a sudden, the door creaked open and a beam of light fell over her bed. She quickly wiped away the tear and turned towards the intruder.

"Hey.....you okay?"

It was Alliot. Her dark red hair was wet and matted to her forehead. Her cheeks were pale from the cold making her freckles and green eyes stand out and her clothes stuck to her body, accenting her figure. She was visibly shivering as she stood in the doorway. She was holding a muddy pair of sneakers in one hand and her sopping jacket in the other.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

Alliot stood in the doorway of Jacky's room. She was rolled up in a blanket and resting on pillows. Her face was tear stained as she stared at Alliot's shivering body.

After returning from her walk in the rain she quickly walked over to Jacky's house. Venice greeted her at the door and she bolted past him to Jacky's room taking the steps two by two.

There was no light under the door and when she opened it, it cast a ghostly beam of light across the room.

Jacky was leaning against a pile of pillows. She had a blanket wrapped around her tightly and her cheeks where wet and pink from crying. Her sweaty bangs were matted against her forehead and she stared at Jacky with solemn, broken eyes.

Oh Jacky....

"You're all wet," Jacky rasped, her throat was sore from crying and lack of use. "I spontaneously decided to take a walk in the rain," Alliot tried to joke but her tone was weak and dull.

Alliot could feel her jeans and tee shirt sticking to her body. The cold started to slowly seep into her skin and settle onto her bones. She began to shiver.

"Have you heard anything from the police?" Alliot asked. Jacky shook her head, "Not that I know of. But Wesley and Venice would have told me if they did."

Alliot felt someone wrap a towel around her and she turned to meet Wesleys brown eyes. "Hey," he whispered into her ear, his warm breath against her neck sent shivers down her spine. "You were gone for awhile, I was getting worried." He rubbed her upper arms attempting to get them warmed up.

Wesley steered Alliot away from Jacky's doorway. "Wait," she protested, "I need to see if-"

"She's fine Alliot. I'm more worried about you getting sick."

Alliot sighed and let him steer down the hall and into the guest bedroom. He shut the door behind him and began rummaging through a duffel bag on the bed."What are you doing?"

Wesley looked up from the duffel bag, "I stopped by your house and got you some extra clothes." He tossed her an old pull-over hoodie and some sweat pants. " Don't worry, I told her that you were going to stay at Jackys for a girls night in, or a sleep over-whatever you call them." He added after seeing the concerned look on Alliot's face.

She nodded gratefully, "You really didnt have to do this." Her cheeks tinted pink as she thought of Wesley going through her things.

Crap...I hope I didn't leave any underwear laying around.

Wesley grinned at her and she gave him a confused look. "What?" Alliot asked.

Wesley shook his head and chuckled, "Sorry, you're just so cute when you blush." This comment made Alliot blush harder and hide her face in embarrassment.

"Shut up Wesley," she grumbled, peaking at him through her fingers. He let out a laugh, "I've never seen anyone with a prettier blush." Wesley suddenly got a really serious look, which looked very foreign on him.

"Hey," he gently removed her hands from her face and gazed into her eyes. "I'm sorry if I made you embarrassed but I was telling the truth.You.Are.Beautiful."

Alliot's world seemed to stop. She looked into Wesleys eyes and couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. He had just called her beautiful. No one had ever called her beautiful before. Ever.

"Did you just call me beautiful?" As soon as she said it she wished she could take it back. You literally just heard him you idiot! Alliot mentally face palmed.

She expected Wesley to laugh but he just gave her a soft smile. Not a smirk a smile. "Yes I did and I'm gonna do it again." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm, "You are beautiful." He kissed her fingertips, all ten of them while whispering how beautiful she was.

Alliot had forgotten how to breath. Heck, if someone asked her she wouldn't be able to give them her name. She forgot about being a foster kid. She forgot about the abuse she went through. She forgot that Ash was missing. She forgot that she might leave in less than six months. She forgot about everything but the sandy haired, brown eyed boy in front of her.

Her knees went weak and she would have fallen if Wesley wasn't there to catch her. "A little warning next time?" Alliot breathed as she gripped onto Wesleys shoulders for support.

Wesley grinned, "Glad I have some kind of effect on you." "You have no idea," Alliot grumbled.

Alliot noticed she was causing Wesleys thin t shirt to get damp and stepped away. "I'm sorry, I got your t shirt wet."

"You should probably get changed."

"Yeah, I should."

Alliot stood for a couple moments and Wesley still did not move. She sighed and held open the door, "Nice try buddy but no."

Wesley held up his hands,"Cant blame a guy for trying." Alliot laughed and pushed him out the door, "Get outta here!" Shutting the door behind him she leaned against it and took a few deep breaths.

What is this boy doing to me?

Alliot knew perfectly well what he was doing. He was making her to fall. She knew that when she did fall she was going to fall fast and hard.

She pushed off the door and quickly changed into the sweat pants and the pull over hoodie. Not liking the way her hair was sticking uncomfortably to her back she quickly put it into a messy side braid.

When she opened the door she saw Wesley sitting cross-legged against the wall, waiting patiently. "I swear to God. You are just like a dog." Wesley tilted his head to the side and put his hands in front of him to mimic paws, "Woof. Your wish is my command."

Alliot smiled and opened the door wider, "I'm guessing you want to come in?" Wesley got up and walked back into the room, "Gee, how nice of you to let me finish my unfinished business."

Alliot shut the door behind her and scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. She turned to look at Wesley, "What do you mean by...." her voice trailed off as she saw the expression on his face. It was similar to the one he gave her before he called her beautiful.

"Wesley? What..."

Alliot didn't get to finish her sentence before Wesley closed the distance between them. He cupped her face with his large, warm hands and looked into her eyes before covering her lips with his.

To say that Alliot was shocked was an understatement. Wesley's lips where warm and slightly chapped as they moved against hers. The kiss was short and sweet but left them both breathless. Wesley still had her face in his hands and she placed her hands on top of his when they stopped.

"Wow," Wesley breathed looking at her with a sparkle of something in his eye, "That was just....wow."

Alliot could only smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek against his. "I couldn't have described it any better."

They stayed like that for who knows how long.

"Alliot?"

"Hmm?""Will you be my girlfriend?"

Alliot pulled away and looked into his eyes. "You're serious right?" He gave her a goofy grin, "Of course I am! I just kissed you didnt I?" Alliot blushed as she recalled what had happened only moments before.

"Okay," she whispered, and rested her forehead on his shoulder. "You smell good," she mumbled as she buried her nose into his shirt.

Crap, did I say that aloud?

Her face blushed with embarrassment as she felt Wesley's chest vibrate with laughter. "Shut up Anderson," her comment only made him laugh harder.

"As you wish."

Alliot pulled away and looked at him with shock and amusement, "You didn't just say that!" He gave her an innocent look and kissed her cheek. "What? I can't be the Wesley to your Buttercup?"

"This is gold!"

He drew her back into his embrace and rested his chin on the top of her head. "I'm glad to make you smile."

"I smile all the time."

"When you walked into the house you looked really upset." Alliot's good mood disappeared as she recalled the phone call.

"It's nothing."

"It didn't look like nothing to me."

She sighed. There was no point in hiding anything now if it was going to bite her in the butt later. "Fine, my social worker called me."

"Aaaaaand?" Wesley pressed.

"She wants me to get my act together or else they'll send me to a community home."

Wesley was silent for a moment, "How long?"

"What?"

"How long do you have?"

"A month."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I know. This isn't the first time this has happened to me. The last time they split me up from my foster sister."

"You just need to get your act up. It's not that hard." Wesley pulled away from her as Alliot shook her head sadly, "It's not that easy. You don't know me that well, but it's seriously hard for me to not get kicked out. I don't know....it's just who I am. It's branded into me to not connect, to not settle down. I just realized how horrible it is."

Wesley's expression turned into hurt, "Wait, you don't-"

"That's not what I meant! Everything's different now! I met you, I met Jacky, I have a reason to stay. I have a reason to live an actual normal life. I've spent most of my life moving from place to place. Hey! I haven't even met my older sibling!" Alliot collapsed back onto her bed and buried her face in the covers to hide her embarrassment.

It was true, she had never met her older sibling. All she knew was that he was in his twenties and probably didn't know she existed. She had heard a peep or two saying that he was in prison. But that was it. No name. No location. She had wondered when she was younger if she would ever get the chance to meet him and ask him about her parents. She was given up for adoption the day she was born and that was it.

Alliot turned her head to the side with her eyes still closed. She felt something poke her nose and she opened her eyes to find Welsey with his chin resting on the edge of the bed. She couldn't help but feel better just by looking at him. All she could see was his head with his blonde hair falling over his brown eyes.

"Hi."

"Hi?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure."

"Yeah."

"Can I kiss you now?"

"Yeah?"

Wesley leaned forward and pecked her on the nose causing Alliot to scrunch her face up. "I should probably go home and check up on my foster parents have a heart attack and call my social worker." She sat up and prepared to leave,"One more thing," she said from the doorway, "Do you seriously call that a kiss?"

Wesley smirked and got up and gave a her a long toe curling kiss. When they broke apart she smiled and pecked him on the cheek, "Make sure Jacky is okay and that she gets something to eat, and call me if the police find anything out."

"Yes mom."

Alliot shot him a glare as she exited the room. As she made her way down the hall she made sure to check up on Jacky. Her sleeping form was visible from the covers as she face Alliot. Her eyes were swollen and her lips were chapped.

She felt a pang go through her heart as she looked at the broken girl. If she could take away her pain she would. No one deserved to go through that. Not even the most cruelest person in the world.

Alliot gently shut the door and quietly made her way down the hall. Once in the living room, she spotted Venice's large form sprawled out on the couch. The TV was on and casted bright silhouettes across his sleeping face. His snores echoed through the dimly lit room.

She let out a small sigh and used the remote to turn the TV off. Alliot walked over to Venice and flicked him right on the eyelid. He let out a groan and rubbed his eye with the heel of his wrist.

"Dude...I'm up." He looked up at her with sleepy blue eyes. Alliot flicked him again on the cheek, "You're supposed to be waiting up. The police could call in at any second."

"I know, I know." He yawned and stretched, "I was just...uh...taking a break." Alliot rolled her eyes and gave him another smack on the head for good measure. As she walked out of the living room she called over her shoulder, "I'm gonna go home for a bit. Don't drink any beer, wine, or vodka while I'm gone."

She heard a groan as she shut the front door behind her. The second she stepped out she could feel the weight of the world crashing down on her shoulders. Everything she ever worried about came flooding to her. Her older sibling. Jacky's depressed, catatonic state. Ash. Her foster parents. Her social worker. Wesley...

She sunk down to her knees, right on the front porch. Her throat began close as she felt a sob build up in her chest. Drawing her knees up, she began to cry. Fat, salty tears began to leak down her face as she sobbed quietly. The walls she built around herself began to slowly peel away, revealing the broken girl beneath.

Sorry for the late update! Very busy summer! Hope you understand...anyways. Enjoy! Comment, vote (all that good stuff.) =^.^=