We Are Bulletproof

Strange.

The weather went from fairly sunny to grey skies. Was there a weather witch within the vicinity? Jem checked his theurgimeter; it was off the charts. Somebody was interfering with the weather using magic. That much was painfully obvious. Frowning, Jem stepped outside, eyes on the sky. He might not have been magic or a magic user himself but even he could feel it in the air, almost palpable, like a thunderstorm on the horizon.

His attention skirted over to what looked to be a lone dog, slinking down the street. Not the dog. A dog couldn't command this kind of magic, not even a shifted dog. Shifters didn't have the capacity to touch the weather. That was up to the worst of the worst when it came to the supernaturals: the magic users. Those "gifted" with the touch of magic. Jem had been hot on the tail of a witch specializing in curses. This wouldn't be in that witch's wheelhouse. This was somebody else.

Probably somebody even worse. More powerful. Jem's crooked smile was grim. Well, he was in the right damn place to set the world straight, wasn't he?

The storm was really going at it now. The dog was on its belly and no matter what it was, dog or shifter, it looked pitiful. Jem's theurgimeter was still buzzing off the charts, useless. He stuffed it into his coat pocket and that was when he noticed the other form down the street. So unexpected was the presence that Jem actually felt his heart leap and jolt--and he wasn't one easily startled. Jem came out into the street.

"Showing off, are we?"

"That's a--" He didn't say it. It wasn't a shooting star but an airplane some distance away but he liked Vanessa's enthusiasm so he only smiled and stared up at the light as it moved across the sky. Actually, it looked like something else but he still didn't feel it was relevant to their conversation. So he looked at the light, he silently made a wish, then looked back over at Vanessa with a half smile.

"Did we wish for the same thing?" he asked, cupping her cheek. Good lord, there was never a prettier girl that Vanessa and he'd met girls from every corner of the world by now. They came in different looks and different personalities but a lot of them were either too quiet or too loud. Some were just dead boring, with no real thoughts of their own. Jem could hardly believe such things existed... but they did and he'd met them.

But Vanessa was a thinker. She was smart and good-looking and she was bold on top of that. Too many girls like to play infuriating head-games but not Vanessa. She knew what she wanted and she didn't have to do all those roundabout things most girls did.

Jem pushed her back and rolled over top of Vanessa, a devilish glint in his eye.

"It seems we're already alone, Ness," he said in a quiet tone. "Have you ever done this under the stars?"

"That sounds unbearable." Jem didn't have siblings to worry about or care for but he'd grown up in a community where larger families were fairly common. He knew that when something happened to the parents, the older children were expected to step up, to take on the family responsibilities. Jem was the same; he had to stand and do the right thing for his parents when the time came. Thank whatever deity there was out there that his family had been content enough to adopt only himself. He could only imagine the strife and stress that came with siblings, especially if they were so much younger than Vanessa that she had to be there to care for them constantly.

She was putting her entire life on hold for them. He wondered if they knew how selfless that was. Probably not. As far as Jem knew, kids were pretty damn selfish. Hell, he had been a selfish ass kid. Sometimes he was sure he still was; there was definitely a streak in him. Of something. Something not so good.

But he liked the way he felt around Vanessa. Like she quelled that ever present anger and rage about the world around him, that tension that always seemed to wind him up, knowing what was out there, knowing he'd never be able to get to them all. Honestly, some days he felt like a glorified exterminator. Nothing. Nobody. But he would never tell a soul about that. Not even Vanessa.

"Of course. My offer still stands. Nothing's changed." He smiled at her. "I prefer the present company to the stinky lads I've been hanging out with lately, anyway."

"Stage name?" Jem asked, curious. That was a weird way to frame a name. Yoojin, though. Jem privately preferred Vanessa but maybe that was because it was easier for him to remember. It was pretty, too. It reminded him of a princess. Maybe... Well, he brushed that thought off for another time.

"Yoojin, huh?" He repeated the name to try and get used to it. "I suppose you've come to realize by now that my real name is James. Jem's just a nickname." And a way to differentiate from his father before him. People tended to do that a lot not only where he came from but in the hunting business in general. It was important these days to leave a legacy.

He listened to what her life was like and he didn't realize how it painted such a picture of who Vanessa--Yoojin--was and who her family was. Jem didn't really do the same, he thought. He kept most of that to himself. He spoke of family as if mechanical while Yoojin had a genuine connection. It made Jem think of some of the other legacies and how they were with their families. Deep down, he knew he was jealous. Jealous of their relationships, their closeness. But he could have that. There was time enough for family. Jem was young.

And Yoojin seemed so perfect.

"So tell them you're staying with me for a while," Jem said. "Why did you come back here, anyway? If they stifle you so much?"

"I didn't know you could," he said, when Vanessa mentioned a turn but she was right. They were able to turn around the rock and up ahead was the lake that Vanessa happily pointed out. Her happiness was contagious; Jem felt his heart beating faster and the headiness of anticipation welling up in his chest and stomach. Smiling as he stopped the car, he followed her as she led him by hand. It felt like a sweet, romantic interlude in the battalion of war that had been his life so far.

Normally, Jem was no charmer. He was witty and intelligent and he could be charismatic, he supposed, if he wanted to. But normally, he eschewed relationships in favor of quick one night stands. The kind of women into that sort of thing were bold and adventurous like Vanessa but not nearly in the same way. Not in the way one might say... she's a keeper and imagine themselves having an actual life with.

So despite Jem's self imposed rule to create distance and not to get too close, he drew closer to Vanessa. And he found himself spilling his guts to her. About how he'd been adopted into a pretty strict family that had very specific goals for him. How he was their only son, adopted as he was. They put a lot of stake into him and had he turned out the way they wanted? Jem said he thought so and he did think so; there was no disappointment in his father's eyes. But he thought sometimes that maybe his mother wanted something else for him. Maybe... somebody like Vanessa, actually.

"Now it's your turn," he said. "Tell me about you..."

(That's why I'm having troubles writing him--since he's in another line right now! *HEAD SPINS*)

"What?"

Vanessa began to laugh hysterically and despite his bewilderment, he half smiled because the sound of her laughter was infectious and made his heart feel light and warm. Ah, Dingle. His smile turned to a mischievous grin. It was a hilarious name for a town if one didn't grow up in it, he supposed.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked. "In a place called Dingle..." He let the word dangle purposely, the mischievous smile still on his face. Vanessa seemed to soften now that she knew where he was from. Maybe it was the hilarity of the name or maybe it was the kindred spirit sort of feeling--knowing that he was also from a tiny weird town just like hers.

"It wasn't the accent that gave me away?" he asked, since he sincerely doubted he sounded like a real New Yorker even when they met.

"But yes... I think we have a lot more in common than we thought." He reached over to gently tuck her hair behind her ear.

No. Jem set his lips in a thin line. There was no way he was just taking Ken back to that place, especially with all the crap he was spewing. He understood that he might have items of use back home but he couldn't take Ken there. While he'd been in Hazleton, Jem had located the people to go to when they were in need. Hunters had each other's backs and that meant there were medical staff around to take care of him. They couldn't just take Ken to any doctor, especially if he'd been bitten and he was going to turn. If that was the case, Jem would put him down himself.

To Kyle, he said softly, "Go to Niall's and retrieve Ken's shit."

He pulled over to let Kyle out and kept Ken trapped in the back seat between Sinead and Corey. Then he drove away, leaving Kyle to take care of getting whatever things Ken thought might help. He spoke as if he were taking Ken back "home" to Niall's place but the whole time, he was heading into the mountains, where there was a facility set up for them. The road grew bumpy along the way and it looked like Ken had passed out.

"Not sure he's gonna make it!" Sinead shouted over the rumbling of the car's motor. Jem cursed under his breath but he kept going, turning down into what almost felt like a pit. All around them, growth disguised the fence that opened up for them as they arrived. Two people were waiting to place Ken onto a gurney and get him inside. Jem waited while they brought him inside, then looked at the others grimly.

"I'm going in. Sinead, Corey, you go back and make sure Kyle makes it. Try to stay together for now. We don't know who knows what now."

Once everything was arranged, he left the car to the pair and headed into the medical facility where Ken had been taken.

"No," Jem said firmly. "You're going straight to the hospital. We have to have you checked out. You know how many of ours have been turned by these monsters? Huh? No. We're making damn sure you're clean first. So stop fucking talking about home."

Besides, home was no longer where Ken thought it was, if it was up to Jem. He was going to come back with him and the other guys. Their connection had already been witnessed and confirmed, so what was the point in storing him away from prying eyes? Besides that, Niall fucking Gallagher was part of the problem here. The fucking idiot was the reason their mission went to hell so fast.

Fuck.

It went sideways so fast that his head spun thinking about it.

Jem listened with a knowing look in his eye, though his gaze was fixed on the road ahead. He didn't want to take his eyes off the road too much, especially in a place like this. The thing was, his heart was right there with Vanessa. After a moment of mentally debating and arguing with himself, he cleared his throat and cracked a small half smile, glancing in her direction.

"Actually, I know exactly what that's like. I grew up in this tiny place called Dingle, Ireland," he admitted. It became their hub, their base of operations, their HQ. Home, he supposed. He could still remember the green hills, the smell of wet sheep, the sound of the old truck on the back roads. He remembered the training areas. Imagine growing up in a small town and learning to kill things, he wanted to say. But they all had their demons. Vanessa had hers, like her drama with her family.

"I never planned to stay there, though. I got out of there. I think you'll get back out of here eventually, too--and your family will eventually understand."

Fuck. FUCK. Jem couldn't stand it when a job went upside down this badly. Not only had they all been compromised but now the entire mission had been thrown to shit. The chaos labored around Jem as he hefted his shotgun, ready to take out any other supers that came around but they had scattered all over the brothel. They were now dealing with supers in their own territory. Jem had to make a decision: to continue taking out as many of the supers as he could right here and now and risk their lives in the process or he could call for a retreat with all their necks still intact.

Jem let out another curse and he called out to the others on the radio, telling them to take out whatever they encountered but to make their way back together. Better together than not. It was bad enough so many had been killed by one by one. This was beyond that. This was pure war on their turf.

FUCK. He should have thought this over better. What the hell was wrong with that little shit, Niall, and why did he drag Ken into his sinkhole?

"Repeat: meet in the lobby and prepare for exit."

Some of the guys were coming back after previously hunting down their scattering prey. Some of them looked like they had a tough time, others as though they hadn't even encountered anything beyond the lobby.

Counting heads, Jem frowned.

"Where's Ken?"

Inside the brothel, Jem still held his shotgun at the ready, having already killed two supers. The others were all stock still, waiting. And Jem did his best not to look any of them in the eyes as he came over to Kyle. He put his hand on Kyle's shoulder. This all started when they tried their game on Kyle, taking advantage of that moment when that accursed filthy rag of a man called Niall walked in and destroyed their entire raid.

For fuck's sake. This should have gone much easier and here they were. Kyle blinked and shook his head and said he was all right now. But it was only himself and Jem in the lobby. The others had scattered to make sure others weren't running in the chaos. Chances that they were going to catch them ALL here and now were growing slimmer by the minute and Jem fucking hated it.

As soon as Ken made it back, Jem barked at him to check the basement. He saw at least one of them scramble down there in the exodus. In the meantime, he shot one more succubus in the face while telling Kyle to restrain the last one in the room with them.

"Nope."

Her work sounded like a nightmare to Jem, who was more accustomed to being on his feet and getting his hands dirty. Sitting behind a desk would never have worked out for him, even had he never been adopted into a hunter family. But he smiled when Vanessa smiled at him. He wondered what she might have been, had she grown up a hunter, too. She would have made a good one, with her bold tenacity.

"You look good, too," he said. She was practically glowing. Back when they first met, he felt like there was some kind of... adventure in her eyes. She felt wild and free and he liked that about her, especially since most of the people in his life were so strict, stiff, and centered. It was nice to just... let go and be himself for a while.

Once they were in the car, she seemed to change her mind. Jem eyed her phone. Somebody made her not want to go home, was that it? He understood that well enough, especially since right now he was sharing a place with a couple of his hunter buddies.

"Eagle Ridge sounds like a plan," he said, starting the car and pulling out into the meager traffic. His investigative instincts were still kicking, though. "What made you change your mind?"

Ah yes, this was exactly the bold woman he recalled from NY. Lem grinned at her after the kiss.

"Good to see you, too," he told her, without a hint of sarcasm. She looked good, despite telling him not to judge her by her clothes. They were work clothes but she still managed to wear her skirt pretty high up and did he spy a button or two opened at the top of her blouse? His grin grew wider.

What luck! If it hadn't been for his stupid VISA giving him grief again, then he never would have had this opportunity. He could practically kiss the damn thing at this point. Sliding his hand down to Vanessa's hand to hold it in his--her hand was so tiny in his!--he led her toward the car he'd been renting whilst in Hazleton.

"Let's leave work behind, hm?"

Ness. Vanessa. It had been a while since Jem last saw her but he was anticipating this reunion now that it had landed in his lap. Of course, Jem visited clubs and bars all over the world and he met all kinds of women but Vanessa stood out amongst them. She wasn't just all the things he'd mentioned over the phone with her. She was bold, too, and Jem really liked that in a woman, he found.

But he was starting to wish he'd come up with a better cover story for himself. Travel writer? What if she found out about the others that he associated with? That could end up being a problem if she remembered any of them from New York. Maybe he could get away with saying they were work partners. (Well, they were.) Associates. Others that wrote articles. Editors. No, no, that didn't make sense. Why would he have editors trailing him around the world when they lived in a digital space? He could just email them his work.

Friends, then. Friends that he offered to bring with him on occasion.

She's not going to ask about them, idiot, he told himself. Chances were, she wasn't even going to notice their presence. Not when he was around! He shook his head at himself, thinking of their exchange about family and kids. Moving fast, weren't they? But it was just talk. Chatter. Nothing more.

So yeah. There was that. There was also the fact that he almost flirted with and grabbed the ass of a woman who didn't even know him. Luckily, he didn't. That wouldn't have made sense, anyway. The woman he almost flirted with wasn't on the phone so how could it be his Vanessa?

Instead, he smiled at her and waved and she smiled and waved back. Then the elevator chimed its arrival, along with Vanessa herself. Jem had to admit; there was no better feeling than having a woman that beautiful so happy to see him. As she threw herself at him, Jem enveloped her in his arms and even swept her off the ground as he twirled her in a circle. None of the games that other women seemed to play, Vanessa was plain with her feelings. Another reason Jem was so attracted to her.

"Ness!" he said back, kissing the side of her head in greeting. "It's good to see you!"

Oh no, I thought it was you and I was going to...
Let's just say I appreciate the warning.