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"Anya, come on. Is it really that big of a deal to clean the bathrooms?" Stephanie groaned with a roll of her blue-gray eyes. She pushed her tortoise shell glasses farther up her petite nose as her sister snorted in reply. It was closing time for the small convience store they worked at but the younger woman wasn't making it all too easy. She took the push broom and began sweeping. "The sooner we do all this, the sooner we get to go home."

"Then, since you know I'm going to make a big fuss over the bathroom issue until you give up, why don't you take the toilet troubles and solve the entire problem?" Anya suggested sweetly, still perched on the counter with a magazine strewed lazily across her lap. To say she hated the meaningless tasks of the convience store seemed to be a vast understatement, but her older sister had tugged hard on various strings to get her the position. She needed the money to finance her way through college. Being the younger sister always seemed to offer a great advantage when it came to the closing shift. She just batted her sweet baby blue-green eyes and Stephanie seemed to cave, hard.

"Ugh, you're so lucky you're my little Anya. Can you sweep while I clean the bathrooms, then?" Stephanie bargained, holding the broom out towards Anya who merely looked at it for a moment before grasping the handle.

"How about from now on, I sweep and you clean the bathrooms?" Anya replied, placing the magazine back on the counter before hopping down onto the floor.

"Isn't that how it always turns out anyway?" Stephanie sighed.

"True, but I like the officiallness of things," Anya teased lightly, wiggling her bottom half in an adorable manner as she adjusted her faded blue jeans. At twenty one years of age, she still seemed to have the heart of a child. And the adorable cuteness she exuded was sickening at some times, though it quickly curbed with her humor. Goofball seemed to be her universal name.

"Officiallness isn't a word," Stephanie retorted, walking over to the bathrooms. She made a face as she opened the men's first, just to get the worst over with. She groaned loudly at the stench and began quickly working. "Why do I let het get away with this everytime?"

"Because you love me!" Anya called from the front.

"JUST GET TO WORK!"

"Just get to work..." Anya mimicked in a high pitched voice, wobbling her head back and forth in a snotty manner. She immediately looked to the bathrooms, fully expecting to see her sister's sharp glare, but when nothing occured, a large grin formed on the impish girl's face. She seemed delighted, launching her upper body onto the counter to reach her small stereo system. She depressed the button to locate the radio and Ricky Martin's saucy song, 'Drop It On Me,' began to echo around the store. Smiling at the sexy latin based music, she grasped the broom and began to dance naturally, swinging her hips in a circular motion as she moved the brush along the scuffed floors.

As she danced and swept, she also began to sing and her sweet voice floated through the air. "Muevete duro, muevete duro/ Muevete duro, hey hey/ Tonight it's a special night/ To get you by my side/ I've been waiting all week long to get it on with you/ Sometimes we hit the floor/ Dance like we never did before/ I'm going to put it on you Boricua style/ Drop it mami/ Drop it mami/ Drop it on me, hey hey..."

Following the beats of the music, she moved toward the glass front doors of the convience store, never noticing the parked bus. Instead, too caught within her music to care, especially as the music started to charge her. Unable to help herself, she dipped low to the floor with the steady sway of her hips before moving upward to thrust her hips sharply to the beat. "Let the music take control, once we start you can't say no / Move your eyes and follow me and te muestro mi amor / Let me feel all tonight / While you whisper something / My hands on your hips to watch you give it all..."
But, when she turned with a roll of her hips to face the glass doors, all color left her usually creamy cheeks. She was faced with five men practically pounding on the doors. "We're closed!"

"Please, let us in! This is the only place around here that looked open and I think we're lost!" The tallest man replied, knocking again on the door. "Miss, please!"

"Anya, what's all the racket? Finally get that mob of zombies you wished for so you can kick ass?" Stephanie asked as she walked out of the now clean bathrooms.

"If it was a mob of zombies, do you honestly think I'd be arguing with them?" Anya snapped slightly with a huff of annoyance toward her older sister.

"Well don't get mad at me! I just cleaned the nasty bathrooms and--" Stephanie halted when she saw the five men at the front doors. Immediately going into her 'supervisor tone', called out to them. "Sirs, I'm sorry, but we're closed!"

"But I'm starving!" a platinum blonde whined, practically jumping onto one of the short men's backs.

"Please, we won't be very long. Just enough to get some food and to call someone so they can get us. Please?" a short Latino replied, who was almost falling under the blonde's weight.

"I'm sorry it's against policy," Stephanie replied, attempting to keep a strict tone as Anya ducked behind her.

"How much is that doggie in the window..." Anya sang softly into her sister's ear, resting her chin on her sister's shoulder.

"Anya, shh!" Stephanie whispered, trying not to laugh as the men continued to beg to be let in. "Look, I'm really sorry but I just can't let you in. If my boss found out, I would be fired on the spot."

"It's not like we're honestly going to rob the joint," a somewhat taller latino snarled, reaching into his back pocket to withdraw an expensive leather wallet. He plucked a thick stack of bills from it and practically smashed them against the door. "Overlook policy and let us the Hell in, we'll make it worth your while!"

"There's no reason to be rude!" Both the tall dark haired man and Stephanie replied at once.

"Damn..." Anya whistled, figuring no one could ever be scolded as harshly as she was.

"I apologize for my friend here. He's not accustomed to manners," the tall man replied, glaring at the latino.

"You... I... damnit..." Stephanie trailed off, biting her thumbnail as she debated within her mind. "You've got ten minutes once I let you in and nothing funny, alright?"

Anya's blue green eyes widned in horror, "Stephanie--"

"It's only for ten minutes... just don't tell Jessica about this," Stephanie interrupted, pulling away from Anya. She walked to the front doors and unlocked them.

*~*~*~*

"FOOD!" the tall blond exclaimed, running towards the snacks as soon as Stephanie stepped away from the door. "SWEET, PRECIOUS FOOD! How I have missed you!"

"Holy Hell," Anya whispered in surprise as he practically dove into the shelves, gathering several pounds worth of fat into his muscular arms. She just shook her head in sheer disbelief, stepping away from the doors and away from the men. Stuffing the broom back into its place, she hopped onto the counter and reached to turn off the radio. Seemed as if it'd be another late night.

"Remember, ten minutes!" Stephanie called over to him. The two latinos and shorter blonde went over to the same section, but in a more calm manner.

"Thank you, Stephanie," the reserved, dark hair man spoke, reaching to offer his hand to the older sister. "We're definitely not from around here and everything seems to be going wrong today."

"It's not a problem, really. I didn't want to seem like a wench or anything... I was just following policy," Stephanie took his hand and they shook. A small gasp escaped her lips as a little electric shock went down her spine.

"Well, you're officially my guardian angel," he chuckled.

"I hope it pays more than this job," she smiled, neither realizing their hands were still interlocked.

"That was the corniest line she's ever used," Anya suddenly announced, watching her older sister intently from her perch on the counter. She had never seen Stephanie quite so drawn to a man before. A strange man for that matter. And she found it interesting.

"Anya! Hush!" Stephanie moaned in embarrassment, covering her face with her free hand.

"I found it adorable, don't worry," he promised nonetheless, brushing a faint kiss to Stephanie's hand before venturing to wrangle what the women assumed were the younger members of the group.

"That line was horrible, Sis. Trust me," Anya replied, staying on the counter as Stephanie turned around.

"Yeah, but it got me a kiss on the hand..."

"I thought you were too busy for a love life."

"Nothing wrong with a ten minute fling..." Stephanie trailed, almost dreamily.

"Well, I hope it pays more than this job," Anya mimicked.

"Ha... ha... ha! Completely hilarious," Stephanie pushed on her sister's forehead.

"You're such an asshole!" Anya yelped in surprise as she attempted to grasp the counter before falling off backward. Just merely hanging upside down, she did a backward flip to land on her feet. She immediately brushed off her hands on her faded and torn blue jeans, frowning with hurt. "I could have just died!"

"I knew you were going to show off and do a backflip. Calm down," Stephanie rolled her eyes, turning to watch the tall man attempt to calm down the energetic and whiny blonde, pointing at his expensive watch.

"Twenty bucks if you can guess who they are," Anya offered, leaning over the counter with an impish grin. She passed through emotions as if they were small pieces of candy. Nothing seemed to phase her for too long. She blamed it on a short attention span, but it was an endearing quality.

"Five guys wanting to get some food?" Stephanie replied, raising a light eyebrow. They didn't remind her of anyone specific.

"Uh-huh," Anya sighed as she reached for her magazine, motioning toward the front cover. "Five rich band members wanting to get some food."

"Holy. Shit. No fucking way!" Stephanie shouted before she could stop herself. The men in her store were the same men on the magazine. The Backstreet Boys.

"Real tactful there, Ace," Ana grimaced as the five men immeditely glanced their way. "It's time for her medication, don't worry!"

"Anya! I don't take medication!"

"Might as well now, because they think you're mental--"

"No, they're going to think I'm psychotic when they watch me strangle the life from you--"

"Holy Hell," Anya breathed as several sharp pops echoed from the back. She hurriedly scrambled over the counter before her older sister could catch her, slightly thankful for the disruption. "I'll go get the popcorn!"

"That's not popcorn... wait here," Stephanie quietly ran to the backroom.

"She never let's me do a damn thing," Anya slightly huffed within the normalcy of the younger sibling syndrome. She had been raised within Stephanie's overpowering shadow, but that shadow was more protective than envious. Stephanie was like her pseudo-mother at times, which seemed to make Anya more impulsive than she normally would be. Frowning with hurt, she circled back to collect the money from the drawer, noticing the men filing back to the cash register. "Find what you needed?"

"After how many fights with Blondie? Yes, we finally have," the tall dark hair man replied as they placed all their items on the counter.

"Shut up, Kevin," the blonde growled. "Don't embarrass me in front of our private dancer."

"You did that all on your own by running in here screaming about food like you've been starving for days," the taller latino snickered.

"I personally found you adorable," Anya challenged the taller latino as she glanced toward the blonde with a sweet smile. She had taken pity on him, deciding his was the scapegoat of the group. When he actually blushed, she hurriedly keyed in the necessary items.

"AJ did pretty good by shoving money against the door. Too bad no one wasn't out there to steal it--"

"Bri, I swear to God--"

"Would you three behave?' the shorter latino interupted with a heavy sigh.

"I think next time I'm locking them in their hotel rooms," Kevin added as the total was rung up. He pulled out a wad of bills and handed them to Anya.

Anya opened the cash drawer and simply stared in bewilderment at the expensive bills. Being a small convience store, she really didn't have the necessary items to make change. Blushing with embarrassment, she pulled out her drawer and heaved it into her hands. "Can you excuse me for a moment? I have to go back to our Security to get your change..."

"Oh, I'm sorry. They're the only bills I've got," Kevin apologized as the tall blonde ripped into a bag of chips, stuffing his face.

"I'll be right back," Anya nodded and hurried towards the other backroom where their security guard, Denny, was stationed to watch surveilance cameras and make change for the cashiers.

"She's pretty damn hot..." she heared one of the men rasp as she fumbled with the doorknob.

Anya rolled her eyes as another firm blush settled into her cheeks, finally freeing the door. "Denny, you're going to have a heart attack when you see the kind of change we have to make--"

Only, Anya's words were short lived as she stepped into a dangerous situation. It took her only a moment to realize there was an extra person in the room. But it was too late as a sleek black gun exploded a heavy bullet into the beloved security guard's chest. He toppled over the desk and landed with a sickening splat on the floor, his light blue uniform saturating quickly with blood. All logical reasoning left Anya as she watched bubbles of air frothing with blood at the guard's mouth before he suddenly went still. The sound of the gun had been deafening as she stared at the intruder in horror, finally throwing the heavy change drawer at the man so she could scramble for an exit.

"Get back here!" the man grunted, lunging to trip Anya. His foot caught hers and she slammed into the wall with a grunt. He grasped her long curls and pulled her close to him, pressing the gun to her temple. "If you move another inch, I'll shoot you, I swear to God!"

*~*~*~*

Stephanie didn't really know what she expected to find as she crept to the back inventory room where the popping sounds had occured. If anything, she just expected it to be the local children throwing stones again. Or perhaps it was another bird trapped because it had flown through the open window. The possibilities seemed endless as she carefully turned the door and slowly eased it open. She moved to turn on the lights, but hesitated when she heard the dinstinct muffling of two male voices. Squinting sharply in the darkness, she noticed two lumbering figures squeezing through the windows. And her heart stopped as she quietly closed the door, praying not to make a sound.

"Shit," she whispered, quietly running back to the front of the store. Her eyes went wide when she only saw the five men... but not her sister. "A-Anya? Where's my sister? Where did she go?!"

"She just went back to get our change," Kevin explained, not understanding why Stephanie was so pale. "We wouldn't dare of stealing anything if that's what you're thinking. We paid--"

"No, it's not that! I think I just saw two men breaking into the backroom! I need to find Anya--"

"GET ON THE FUCKING FLOOR! RIGHT NOW!" a rough voice roared as the door to the inventory room burst open, nearly being ripped from its hinges. The man didn't seem to care as he charged forward with his partner, guns poised at chst level in case anyone dared to move. His face was covered with a black hockey mask as he threatening pointed while continuing to scream directions. "NOW! GET THE FUCK DOWN NOW OR I START FILLING YOUR BODIES WITH BULLETS!"

Everyone did as they were told, though Stephanie kept her head up to look around for Anya.

"GET YOUR HEAD DOWN!"

"My sister! What have you done to my sister?!"

A gunshot echoed from the security room, causing Stephanie to jerk. The second man growled as he shoved the barrell of his gun into the top of Stephanie's head, pushing her toward the ground. "There's your fucking answer."

"Oh God, oh God, Anya. My Anya, you fucking killed her!" Stephanie sobbed into the tile, her entire body shaking.

"And if you don't shut up, you're next!" the first threatened, stepping over the men as he reached the cash register, noticing it was empty. "Where the fuck is the money?"

"Anya was going back to make change when you decided--"

"Damn bitch!" another voice interjected into the conversation as the security door slammed open. The man stumbled outward, his ski mask already pulled away from his face as blood pooled down the side of his face. Anya had managed to connect the drawer with his temple, seriously injuring the man. But her escape had been flawed as she was wrapped within the man's massive hold, a gun pressed sharply against her temple.

"ANYA!" Stephanie began to scramble to her feet in hopes to rescue the woman.

"Don't even fucking think about it," the second man growled, slamming the heel of his boot into Stephanie's back to sprawl her out on the tiled floor. "What the fuck happened to you, Ben?"

"Right when I was taking care of the guard, this bitch came in and threw the fucking drawer at my head," Ben grumbled, pushing the gun harder into Anya's temple.

"She's got quite an arm," the third man snickered, only to recieve a sharp slap from the butt of a gun upside his head. "What the Hell, Ernie?!"

"Go collect the money in the office, Jimmy," Ernie demanded.

"Didn't need to hit me," Jimmy grumbled, following his orders.

"Let her go! She's my sister, don't hurt her!" Stephanie begged, her head and back aching from Ernie's assaults.

"This one seems to have quite a mouth on her," Ernie groaned with obvious annoyance, crouching down to cup a dirty hand over her mouth.

"Got a mouth and an arm. It looks like these boys here are the only ones who know how to follow directions," Ben replied as he pushed himself and Anya further into the storefront.

Kevin immediately shot AJ a warning glare from his position on the floor, praying to God that the rebel would follow orders for once. The seriousness of the situation had caused them all to fall into their own states of shock. Nick even had fresh tears welling in his eyes as he kept his forehead planted firmly against the floor.

"You've got the money, why don't you just leave?!" Stephanie mumbled through Ernie's hand. When she didn't get a response, she quickly bit down on the filthy flesh.

Ernie immediately howled with pain as Stephanie actually tore a bit of flesh from his hand. He jumped upward and reciprocated the pain by smack the butt of the gun across her face. She fell hard to the floor as he jumped upward, cursing a violent storm of pain. He looked as if he might stomp the life right out of her, but noticed the way she watched the quiet young woman in Ben's arms. Grinning sadistically, he kicked Stephanie toward the counter and aimed his gun toward Anya.

"Don't. Leave her alone!" Stephanie begged, holding the side of her face he had struck with the gun. "I just wanted you to let her go!"

"I think we might have to stay a bit longer tonight, huh, Ben?" Ernie vowed, allowing his gun to trail against Anya's squirming body.

"I think so... I may have to use this pretty one to my advantage," Ben's hand trailed down Anya's side and back up her inner thigh, touching all the places he shouldn't as Ernie did the other side with his gun.

"STOP IT! You're scaring her!"

"You should have thought about that before you caused trouble."