"Keep going," the Emerson boys told their mom as she searched the radio channels for some good music they all agreed on. Lucy stopped on an oldies station and started singing along to the song playing completely out of tune. She stops to look at her boys and the three of them say together, "Keep going." It was one of the first times a smile crept onto the eldest boy's face.

Michael did not want to move away from his friends, and his life in Phoenix, but with the death of his father, his mother decided to move back home. The Emerson family were pretty well off, however, they did not live like they were. Lucy could have kept her family in Phoenix but she wanted to spend more time with her father before he passed away. So, Lucy packed up her children and they are on their way to her hometown of Santa Carla.

Lucy continued to switch through the radio stations until the familiar chords of the beginning of "People Are Strange" was heard. Michael and his little brother Sam stared out their windows, looking over the town they had just entered. The different shops, people, and sites caught their attention for the rest of the ride. Lucy had pulled into a gas station to refuel and stretch. Michael had asked his mother, "Can I follow you on my bike the rest of the way?"

She was hesitant to answer then sighed, "Sure. Why don't you ask your sister if she wants to ride with you?" Michael huffed in annoyance but decided to indulge his mom, "Hey, Li? Wanna ride with me?" He nudged the sleeping girl in the backseat. Liana sat up, wiped the drool from her chin with her shirt, and got out to stretch. Then turning to her brother, "Sure." Liana mounted behind Michael on his dirt bike to follow Lucy to Grandpa Emerson's home on the outskirts of town.

They drove up the private dirt road leading to the home of their eccentric grandfather. The man has lived alone for over six years, since the passing of his wife. The overgrown yard filled with rusted bits from dismantled cars proved that. Though Lucy suspects the overgrown plant life was a way for her father to hide the fact he was growing several plants of Marijuana on the side of the house near the kitchen window.

As Lucy pulled up and got out of her truck, she saw her dad lying on the porch. She grew concerned when he didn't move when she called out to him. Lucy and Sam approached cautiously, "Dad?" Michael and Liana were standing behind Sam. Michael asks, "Is he dead?" "No, he's just a deep sleeper," Lucy said. "If he's dead can we go back to Phoenix?" Both Mike and Liana smacked Sam in the back of the head, "Ow!" Grandpa sat up, "Playing dead. And from the sounds of it, doing a pretty good job too." "Oh dad," Lucy hugged her father and helped him stand.

While Lucy and Grandpa started unloading the moving trailer, the kids picked their rooms. Liana went to her old room on the other side of the house on the second floor. Mike and Sam fought over the second biggest room across the house. They were so loud that she could hear them without using her vampiric hearing. She smiled at their antics as she unpacked her clothes. Her smile dropped when she could hear grandpa arguing with his daughter about Liana, "One chance Lucy. You know how I feel about that girl. She causes any trouble and I will not hesitate to Vervain her." "Dad, Liana has done nothing but protect this family, our family for generations. She will not be a bother," Lucy defended the girl that has saved her life numerous times.

Later that night after a tension-filled dinner, Lucy, Mike, Sam, and Liana ventured down to the Boardwalk. The four of them rode together in Lucy's truck. "Alright, you three meet back here at 11. No later," Lucy told her sons and Liana. Sam and Liana agreed, but Michael pouted a little, "Why so early?" Lucy grabbed her purse and got out of the truck, "You can stay out later tomorrow night when you ride your bike here." Michael rolled his eyes, "Fine."

Lucy split from the rest of the group to search for a part-time job. She didn't need it but wanted something to do outside of the home. Lucy is a witch but hasn't used magic in a very long time. Her late husband had been against her practicing so she is quite rusty. Moving back home will give her the opportunity to get in touch with her roots and practice magic again, especially with Liana's help.

Lucy smiled thinking about the forever teen girl that lived with her family. Lucy remembered the time she learned Liana was a Heretic.

Flashback

Lucy was five years old and had ventured outside by herself to play in the woods behind her family home. She went further than she was supposed to go but she didn't stop playing. Lucy had come to an area where the vegetation was thick and undisturbed. She didn't pay attention to where she was going and stepped on a Rattlesnake. The Rattlesnake jolted out from underneath Lucy's foot, quickly coiled around, and bit the little girl.

Liana was lounging in her room when she heard Lucy's small voice let out the most gut-wrenching scream. Liana didn't think, she just reacted. She vamp sped out of the house and into the woods to find Lucy. She followed the sound of the child's cries for help. Liana found Lucy sitting on the ground crying out in pain from the venom spreading from the bite on her leg. The Rattlesnake had recoiled a few feet away, rearing up to strike again. Liana used her Telekinesis to throw the snake away from them. Lucy was picked up and rushed back to the house where Liana gave her some of her blood to heal the bite and neutralize the venom.

After a few minutes, Lucy felt better and asked Liana questions about what she was and what she could do. Lucy's mother had told her that Liana was different from the rest of the family but never went into detail. Liana answered all of Lucy's questions as best as she could. Lucy had learned that Liana was half vampire and half witch. Lucy thought Liana was something out of one of her fairy tale stories but was smart enough to know the difference between fact and fiction. Liana smiled at the precious little girl, and they went about their day as if nothing happened. Lucy knew from that day forward Liana will always be there to protect her and her future family.

End Flashback

Lucy shook herself out of her thoughts when she heard a young boy crying in front of a video store. She kneeled in front of the boy and asked, "What's wrong?" The sniffling child said, "I lost my mom." "Oh, honey. Why do we go inside this store and see if she's in there?" Lucy offered her hand to the boy and they walked into the video store searching for the young boy's mother. Lucy had asked a man who worked in the store if he had seen someone looking for their lost child. It was not a moment later that a frantic woman ran up to Lucy and the boy. The woman was the boy's mother and was relieved to have found her son.

Once the boy and his mother left, the man introduced himself as Max, the owner of the video store. "Welcome to Max's Videos. We have the biggest selection of videos in Santa Clara. Can I help you find anything?" "I'm Lucy. And I am actually looking for a part-time job," Lucy looked away from Max to the 'Now Hiring' sign in the window. The two talked about the position for a few minutes until Max's attention was diverted to the door, "I told you, boys, not to come in here."

A group of four guys, who appear to be in their late teens wandered through the store taunting Max. They made their way around the counter, flirted with the girl at the register then left but not before looking back and forth between Max and Lucy and then smirking. Lucy looked back and forth between Max and who she assumed was the leader as if she could tell they were having a silent conversation. She could feel they were not quite human, but her magic was very out-of-practice so she didn't know what she was feeling.

The four teen boys left, and Max turned his attention back to Lucy, "Kids these days." Lucy's smile was a little forced, "Oh, I don't know. We were that young once, they just dress better." The pair continued to talk about the position. By the time Lucy left the video store she had the job and her schedule for the next week. She walked around a little more before heading back to her truck.

Liana trailed behind Mike and Sam as they pushed through the crowd chasing after a pretty girl. Liana shook her head at Mike, "Not even 24 hours in a new place and already finding a girl." She stuck her hands in her leather jacket pockets and continued to follow the young Emersons. Liana watched as Sam split off to go into a comic book shop, while Mike kept going. She decided to stick with Sam. His anger issues have been getting worse lately. Sam has been in several fights with bullies over his choice of clothing and style. Another reason Lucy moved the family, she had hoped the California atmosphere would be good for her sons.

Sam perused through the racks of comics, his OCD getting the best of him, wanting to reshelve the comics in their proper order when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand. He casually looked around to see two guys around his age staring at him. Sam knew they were judging his clothes and it was pissing him off, "Got a problem, guys?" The two guys stepped closer to Sam and one of them spoke, "Just scoping your civilian wardrobe." Sam didn't back down, "Pretty cool, huh?" The other guy says, "Sure. For a Valley kid. Name's Alan and that's my brother Edgar." Liana snorted, "Where's Poe?"

The three boys didn't pay attention to Liana as she perused the aisles while watching Sam socialize. She could also see some punks surrounding the comic bins on the outer edge of the store. She knew they were going to do something stupid so she moved closer to Sam. And sure enough, the punks grabbed several handfuls of comics and took off. The brothers chased after them. "Come on Sam. We can come back later and then you can lecture them about their sorting skills." Sam laughed and agreed.

Liana and Sam caught up with Michael just as he watched the girl he was chasing climb on the back of a motorcycle driven by one of four guys. Sam slapped Mike on the shoulder, "Tough luck. She stiffed ya." Sam and Mike headed to Lucy's truck but Liana hung back a moment. She felt something was off with those guys and it worried her. She didn't want any unwanted attention brought to herself but it seems she caught the eyes of two of them. They watched as she rejoined the Emersons and climbed into the backseat of the truck and drove off.

When the Emersons got home, Liana went into her room after saying goodnight to everyone. She had a cooler full of blood bags hidden in her closet so Grandpa didn't throw them out. Liana knew why he didn't trust her since his father raised him to hate vampires. However, Grandpa's mother, wife, and children didn't hate them. So the tension between Grandpa and Liana was high every time they were in the same house. But Liana kept her promise to always protect the Emerson family...til she couldn't.