The Gangs

[Luxii]

Kaleb woke to the sunlight of the morning streaming in the window across his face. Pain bloomed in his shoulder as he breathed in. "Fuck...." The events of last night came back to him slowly. He was glad for Ari's quick thinking in all of this, if it wasn't for her he would probably still be out on the sidewalk right now.


He just laid there for the moment, not wanting to agitate the wound in his shoulder. How could she have missed? Aviana always hit her targets precisely where she meant to. Why go for his shoulder when she could have easily gotten his head?

 

[AviouslyPTX]

Aviana slowly woke up even though she didn't want to. She took a deep breath and laid, staring at the ceiling as she thought about the events of the previous night as well as her dreams of guns, blood and blue-gray eyes. She shook her head and sighed softly as she stood up and walked to her closet. She found a rather flattering pair of skinny jeans and slipped them on before finding a black crop top with the Angels logo on it. She slid it on and found her black combat boots, putting them on as she looked around. She stood up and walked into her bathroom, straightening her hair and pinning half of it back so it was out of her eyes, nodding in satisfaction.


She gathered her makeup and began spreading on her foundation before going over it with a powder of the same color. She did a smokey eye using purple and black before adding a touch of rose lipgloss. She nodded slightly and went through her plan~spy today, check on him tonight. She wasn't why she was doing this but then again she just felt a need to. She headed downstairs without a word and went outside, throwing a leg over the bike she had accumulated before starting it. She slipped the helmet on, taking note that it still smelled like hi~ STOP!! She flipped the visor down and pulled off towards the Saints safehouse, knowing she was a target though she didn't care.

 

[Luxii]

Ari hadn't slept at all. She would be grumpy for the rest of the day because of it. It wasn't that she hadn't tried, because she did! She had lain in bed for hours, tossing and turning. Periodically rising to peer over the banister at Kaleb, who was still passed out on the couch in the living room. And when the sun had risen, streaming through all the windows, Ari knew it was pointless to try and sleep any longer.


She changed clothes: a simple pair of leather leggings, black tank top, and purple hoodie. Her hair had turned into a ratty lion's mane overnight, but she didn't feel like untangling it so she just through it up into a messy bun on the top of her head.


The stairs creaked as she padded downstairs and Kaleb was awake. He threw a smile her way. "Thanks for last night."


"How do you feel?"


He laughed, then winced at how the motion tugged on the wound. "Like I've been shot," he teased.


Ari rolled her eyes at him and she continued into the kitchen. She filled the coffee pot with water and grounds and powered it on.

 

[AviouslyPTX]

Aviana pulled into an alley roughly a block away from the safehouse and got off of the bike. She hung her helmet on the handles and looked around row fly. She climbed a ladder and eventually made it on top of the a building. She glanced around before making her way on top of the safehouse. She looked for a way in and jumped to the next building, crouching low as she looked into the window silently, gun in her pocket. Time to watch and wait to enter.

 

[Luxii]

Kaleb sat up with a grunt and ran his good hand through his hair. Surely it was sticking up everywhere like it always did in the mornings. The acrid smell of coffee his nostrils.


"Save me some. I'm gonna go have a quick cigarette."


Ari nodded as she reached into the cupboard for two mugs.


The blonde rose to his feet and grabbed his pack of cigarettes off the end table, stretching out the kink in his neck as he stepped out the front door. He sat comfortably on the stoop, elbows on knees as he lit up a cigarette. The smoke filled his lungs and then he exhaled so that it trailed out of both nostrils. Already he could feel the tension in his neck melting away.

 

[AviouslyPTX]

Aviana remained silent as she sat, watching and waiting. There was a familiar change in the atmosphere around her and she looked down, seeing the familiar blonde hair of Kaleb. Seeing his arm patched up, she felt a pang - an overwhelming pang - of anger at herself for causing it. Get it together Avi! She shook her head and debated on whether or not to jump down and confront him, though she decided against it. She stood up and, much to her dismay, the neighborhood dogs began barking at her. She instinctively shot it dead before she knew what she was doing.

 

[Luxii]

Kaleb ducked at the sound of the gunshot, then whipped his head around to search for the source. On the roof? Who would be up there? Without thinking, he used his good arm to climb the ladder in between their building and the next. He would probably regret doing that later, but the adrenaline rush dulled most of the pain. Aviana's bright red hair met him at the top.


"What the fuck," he spat at her, eying the gun clutched in her hands. "What, come to finish me off?"

 

[AviouslyPTX]

Aviana immediately regretted her rash thinking and waited for Kaleb to meet her at the top of the building. At his question, she rolled her gray eyes and put the gun back in the waistband of her jeans.


"Please. You and I both know that if I wanted you dead you would be," she said matter of factly as she ran her hands through her hair exasperated. "Look I just came to check on you," she said simply, not giving anything away as she looked around nervously. "No one knows I'm here...Hell no one knows what went down last night. As far as they know I went to the bar, got buzzed, and went home," she said as she watches him carefully, eyeing his injured shoulder.

 

[Luxii]

He snorted. "Oh right, like I'm going to believe that. Look, you've fucked with me enough in the last 24 hours, so if you aren't here to put another bullet in me then I suggest leaving before anyone else comes up here."


He heard the front door open beneath them and then Ari's voice. "Kaleb? You okay? Was that a gunshot?"


He leveled his gaze and the red head and smiled cruelly. "I'd start running if I was you."

 

[AviouslyPTX]

"No chance in hell. I had every intention of killing you last night but strangely a ought, you're not dead. Now tell me, I never miss my target so why are you still alive unless I wanted you alive?" She said quietly, never moving her grey gaze from him, her eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm not going anywhere...besides why do you want me to run? Scared I'll get hurt? You could have easily called her already and tell her I'm right here and in not going anywhere," she said calmly, placing her hands on her hips as she waited.

 

[Luxii]

They stared at each other for a long moment. Kaleb wanted to call down and alert Ari to the Angel's presence, but now his interest was piqued. He narrowed his eyes right back at the redhead, then called down to Ari.


"Everything's fine. Must have been farther away."

 

[AviouslyPTX]

Aviana watched silently before crossing her arms and slowly walking over to the opposite side of the roof, sitting down and watching the people silently. "If I wanted you dead I would have killed you already. I don't know why I changed my mind. I just know that I have no intention of killing you," she said and paused. "In fact.."


With those words, she stood up and pulled her gun out, emptying all but one of the bullets. "There," she said and handed it to him. "I expect this back before I leave," she said, knowing she had put a loaded weapon in his hand, though she couldn't care less.

 

[Luxii]

"I don't know what kind of game you're playing," Kaleb said cautiously. He kicked the gun away from the both of them and it skittered over the rooftop. "But I don't want any part of it. Go find someone else to fuck with." He kept his distance from the redhead, convinced this display of.... kindness was just a ruse to get him to let his guard down.

 

[AviouslyPTX]

Aviana quietly watched the gun disappear and stood back up as she sighed softly. "Like I said before, you and I both know that if I wanted you dead, you would be," she said as she watched him carefully. "Don't believe me?" She broke off as she pulled her jacket off and threw it over the roof as well before doing the same with her boots. "These jeans are tight enough I can even fit a knife in here. Besides, you're wounded enough I would have already pounced on the opportunity if I wanted," she said as she put her hands on her hips.


"Any weapons I have are in my jacket and shoes. Easiest access. Come to think of it if I wasn't serious then why would I tell you where I keep my weapons. I wanted to see how you were doing. I'll put my Angel membership on that," she said as she bored her grey eyes into his blue-grey ones.

 

[Luxii]

"You.... wanted to see how I was doing?" Kaleb's eyebrows arched almost into his hairline and he chuckled. "You had no problems shooting me in the back last night and now you want to see how I'm doing?" He narrowed his eyes at her, unblinking. "What would Alexander say about this, hm?"

 

[AviouslyPTX]

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Obviously you're interested considering you know what AJ would say if he found you willingly talking to me," Aviana countered as she watched him carefully. "I have no intention of hurting you. And believe it or not it wasn't as easy as it seemed. I went home, screamed at some of my closest family for nothing and got doped up on sleeping pills just so I could sleep."

 

[Luxii]

Maybe she was still cracked out on the pills. Kaleb felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. What was he doing, standing up here and indulging her in ehatever ridiculous display this was. He sighed and turned away from her. "Go home, Aviana. Before one of us does something we both regret."

 

[AviouslyPTX]

Aviana studied the blonde carefully and tilted her head. "Regret? Last time I checked I'm not regretting anything and I'm pretty sure that Saints aren't either so I'm pretty sure the only one that would regret anything is you," she said as she crossed her arms and stared at him, showing no signs of leaving.

 

[Luxii]

Daryl's voice called up from below. "Ey, Kaleb? You up there?"


Kaleb rolled his eyes. "Yea, I'm fine."


"Ari said she heard gunshots? I'm coming up, man."


They could hear Daryl coming up the ladder, his feet clanking in the metal surface. Kaleb stared wide-eyed at his red-headed enemy. "You need to leave now."

 

[AviouslyPTX]

Aviana listened silently and clenched her jaw. That fucking brat! She narrowed her eyes at Kaleb and raised a brown eyebrow. She hesitated for a few moments before glancing around. "I'll be back tonight whether you like it or not. I'll be right here," she said as she pointed to where she stood. She turned and leaped off the roof as if she was jumping into a pool. She grabbed up her jacket and shoes, sliding them on quickly before running over to the bike and starting it, taking off before she even had time to throw her leg over the seat. She glanced back for a moment, shaking her head slightly and sped up, coming to a screeching halt in front of an abandoned building.


She climbed off the bike as she shut it off, walking over to a ladder and scaling the building quickly. Once she made it to the roof, she looked in the direction of the Saints safehouse, seeing Kaleb's white gold hair clearly. She stood silently, watching from afar as she sat on the edge, never taking her eyes off of him.

 

[Luxii]

By the time Daryl's head popped over the edge of the roof, Aviana was long gone. "Everything okay up here, man?"


Kaleb nodded, flashing a smile at his brother. "Yea, Dar'. It's all good. Must've been farther off or something. Can't see anything from here though."


Daryl's eyes scanned over the rooftop, focusing on something as he moved toward it. He plucked Aviana's gun from where Kaleb had kicked it. "What's this?" he asked.


Shit. "A gun, doofus," Kaleb teased, reaching forward and taking it from between Daryl's fingers. "Give me that before you hurt yourself."

 

[AviouslyPTX]

Aviana silently watched. She couldn't hear anything of course but she decided to watch for the day. Her phone rang, making her jump a bit. She unlocked it and held it up to her ear. "Red," she said, her voice tense and clipped.


"Aviana where the hell are you? You left this morning without a word and we haven't seen you all day," Anastasia said through the phone, the soft murmur of familiar voices in the background. Jace, Joel, Ivalese, and...Shit! Alexander.


"Have Joel bring some food to the auto shop and give it to Tony. Then LEAVE. I'll be back tonight but tell Alexandwr I'll be late for the meeting. I've got some buisness to attend to," Aviana said simply, never taking her eyes from the blonde boy.


"Are you s~"


"YES IM SURE," Aviana said before hanging up without another word. She clenched her jaw angrily before taking a deep breath and putting her phone away.

 

[Luxii]

Daryl and Kaleb made quick work of climbing back down the ladder and heading into the safe house. Ari's worried eyes met them.


"Is everything okay?"


Kaleb waved her off with a flick of his wrist. "Yea, yea. Probably just some punk kids or something." He had tucked Aviana's gun into the back of his jeans and ignored Daryl's quizzical look.


"Good," Ari replied - her face visibly brighter.


Daryl groaned. "Jesus, you guys make me sick."


"Shut up, Daryl," Ari snapped.


Daryl stuck his tongue out at her playfully. "Oh," he said. "AJ went to pick up a shipment. He said he'll need help packing and distributing tonight."


Kaleb nodded. "Sounds good to me."

 

[AviouslyPTX]

Aviana silently watched as they went inside and out of her sight. She knew she had the perfect opportunity to move but shook her head against it. She was going to stay there and she didn't care how long she had to. She pulled off her jacket and laid it out beside her as she waited silently, determined to make him believe her. She didn't know why she was so bothered by this. And what could he have possibly done that he would regret...or they would both regret? Not dwelling on it, she pulled her phone oht and began playing a game.

 

[Luxii]

Kaleb left Ari and Daryl to torture each other inside. He took up residence back on the front steps, this time he had a beer to go with his cigarette. He was starting to be able to feel the familiar twinge of pain in his shoulder and hopefully the booze would deaden it again.


The last 24 hours were much too fucked up. He hoped that Aviana was done fucking with him for now and had moved on to someone else. He wouldn't fall for any of her tricks, although he admired her tenacity.


AJ would flip his shit if he knew the two had shared conversation, ontop of the safe house no less. The last thing he needed was the redhead poking around and causing trouble for him.