{1} Tempest {Sweet Pea}

XXXI

"You're being held because you were in possession of a weapon on a school property." McCoy says as Storm began taking notes immediately.

"My switchblade, is for protection. It is only for protection." Fangs insisted as Storm looks at him and stood up in a quick state.

"Yes, they have 24 hours to make something stick." Sierra says and then Fangs looked at Storm.

"She's right, Fangs. After a 24 hour holding period, if they don't have any proof, they have to let you out. I have seen it with other cases before." She said.

"In the meantime, you will be exercising to the full potential, your right to remain the hell silent." Sierra says and Storm nodded as she walked over to Fangs, and grabbed his hand.

"I'm not letting you go down for something you didn't do. You hear me Fogarty? No Serpent, stands alone. No Serpent, shows cowardice. You do not stand alone, and what you're doing at this very moment. You are not the one who is showing cowardice. You hear it are you hearin' my words?" She asked and he nodded. "Do you trust me?" He nodded at her.

"You went through the Gauntlet like all of us, and you went through hell as we did, even more. You're one of us, I would be stupid to not trust you now."

He said and she releases his hand, clapping him on the back gently. "I'll be back. I need to have a talk with my brother." She said and ran off.

She ran right into Sweet Pea, who looked scared. "Is Fangs? Is he okay? I need to know what's going on." He said and she looked at him and looks around.

"He's fine Sweet Pea, just listen to me, okay? Calm down and we can figure it out. I'm on my way, back home, come on." She said and he looked at her and hugs her quickly, before they rode his bike back to her place.

She found her door open and suddenly found that the entire Dark Circle was in her room. "Hey! What the hell is this?" She shouted sharply and Reggie laughed at her, as he turns towards her.

"Well, look, look, take a good look everybody. Look who it is. The good, but real young Serpent slut, lawyer of all people, is home."

He said and she blocked Sweet Pea from attacking the aggressive Bulldog who was clearly just itching, to have a reason to knock a Serpents head, into a wall. "No Sweet Pea." She says as he growled at Reggie. "But do me a favor Reggie. Don't ever go near my bike, or my friend's tires again." She threatens and he looked at her.

"Or what bitch? You little Serpent slut? What will you do to me?" He asked and even with that, she didn't flinch despite the very subtle pain, that was deep in her eyes.

"I'll destroy your lives. All the credibility that you'll get from your college scholarships for football. All your academic achievement awards, all the wrestling scholarships and the basketball ones."

She looked at a different member of the Dark Circle each time she spoke to one of their talents.

"I could even destroy your families' lives if I so chose to. But, that's only if you really, really were to piss me off."

"And Reggie, you are, my friend, dangerously close to stepping over that line. Take it from Archie, he has stepped over the line before. But he sure as hell won't be doing that now, because he knows better." Sweet Pea was smirking from behind her as the boys from the Dark Circle began to panic.

"So I, politely suggest that you get out of my garage. Every single one of you, right. now."

She said coolly, and then, when Reggie spat at her, she had to hold back Sweet Pea once again, as the rest of the boys ran immediately, afraid of her now.

"That was amazing, Storm." Archie said and she looked at him, shaking her head.

"I didn't do it for you, Archie. I did it for my family. The Serpents who seem weaker and vulnerable now. We seem weak because of whoever decided the Dark Circle would be a good idea. You walked away from it, but then it came back and destroyed stuff with it. Arch, it's your mess. Clean it up before... I'm counting on you to clean it up before Fogarty gets out. Now get out." She said and he nodded at Sweet Pea, who scoffed, before Archie raced out.

Storm slammed the door behind Archie, and slid to the floor, suddenly looking very weak and very scared.

"Hey. Hey. It'll be okay." Sweet Pea's voice was calm surprising considering the circumstances, and she lowers her head, so that it rested between both of her knees.

"No. No. No, Sweet Pea, it won't!" She began to whimper and then he sat in a solemn silence, down onto the floor next to her. "I can talk all I want, but I don't have the bones to make it true. I can't do any of that Sweet Pea, it'll kill me." She sobs, and he reached out and hugged her, drawing her close to him.

"I believe that you can and will Tempest, if the need arises." He says and she shakes her head.

"I can't do it, because someone did it to me." She said and then he looked at her, immediately furious.

"What?" He asked and she looked up at him with a sorrowful look and then her alarm chimes.

"I can't go to the Sheriff Station looking like this. We've got an hour until Fangs is released, and I need to look like a Serpent lawyer. But I'm not Penny." She said as she shrugged into her jacket and wiped her eyes quickly.

Sweet Pea looked at her, and he sighed as he gave her a switchblade that she had left with him at some point.

"You will look the way you need to Storm, because you always do. You're a lawyer, a legit lawyer and a leader. I know you'll do what's right." He said, as she reached past him and grabbed her helmet.

"Let's go before I lose all of my lunch, my shit, as well as my thrice cursed as all hell, nerves about this." She says as he grabbed his own and they walk out of her garage.