Walking through Texas, on her way out of the area, Cassandra heard fighting, metal hitting metal and gruff voices. Edging closer instead of steering clear like she should have, she could see the scene clearly. Patriot soldiers, about twelve, against a group of three men and two women. Two of the men and the women were doing alright, and Patriots were falling. The older man didn't seem to be much help. They were fighting hard, and then the blonde woman looked like she got hurt. There were three of the patriots on one of the men, and the others were in hot fights of their own. Things were not looking good for that guy, two patriots had him in a choke hold and the other was about to cut his throat. Cass pulled her knife and tackled the soldier before she realized what she was doing. She killed him without a thought. Turning quickly, she cut another one, allowing the man to free himself and kill the soldiers who had held him. Side by side they dropped the last patriots that were alive. When it was over guy number two was helping the blonde woman, who looked like she had a cut on her side. Guy number one was looking at Cass like she was an alien. "Who the hell are you?" he finally said. Cass looked at him, he looked pissed. "Well, I'm the woman who just saved your ass. You're welcome. I'll be on my way now. Dick." The last part she mumbled under her breath. She walked off without a glance back.

Determined to put as much distance between her and the lone star state as she could, Cass walked most of the day after her brief tussle with the Patriots. It was starting to turn dusk and she decided to look for a place to stop for a few hours. A little while later she found a creek that was fairly well closed off by trees and bushes. It looked like the perfect place to get a drink and finally clean up. Hoping no one would come that way; Cassandra striped off her dirty clothes, let her hair down and went in the water. It was cool and wonderful after days on the road. She dunked under to wash her hair and came up; meeting the very blue eyes of the man she had helped in the fight earlier. They only held their gaze for a moment before she realized that he was looking lower. The water was waist deep where she was standing.

Sebastian could see her clearly in the low light of dusk. She had blue eyes and dark, almost black hair, wet and long down her back. Toned arms, tight stomach, and holy hell, her breasts were amazing. Full. And wet. She looked like a damn Playboy centerfold. It was the same woman who had come out of nowhere earlier and helped him. She had run out and taken down a man twice her size and then helped him take down more. She had also put him in his place. And now, naked and alone in a creek, she didn't try to hide from his stare. She stared back.

"What the hell is taking so long, Bass? I need that water," Miles yelled. He looked at his friend's unmoving form at the bank of the creek. Bass turned around and tossed the bottle down. "Get it yourself! Who the hell made me your slave?" he said before walking away abruptly. Seconds later a woman stepped out of the creek; putting on wet clothes. It was the mystery woman from earlier.

"So...we meet again." Cass says, while buttoning her jeans. "Wasn't expecting visitors, or I'd have dressed formally." Miles chuckled at her flippant tone. "We were just stopping for water, sorry to disturb your bath... so...I'll just get that now," he says. He grabs the bottle, fills it and goes to the blonde. Cass sits down to put her boots back on. She sees him checking the woman's wound. Out of her bag she pulls a can of salve, walks over to them and says "Here, this might help keep it from getting infected." "Thank you," the woman says. "You've been a big help today. I'm Rachel." "I'm Cass...Cassandra," She replies. "This is Miles, Gene and Charlie, my father and daughter. I'll take it you're not a supporter of the Patriots?" Rachel asks. "Not really." Cass says. "I've never been a fan of plastic bastards that claim they are hardcore Americans. I'm avoiding them as much as I can." "Smart woman," Miles says. "I'd keep up that plan if I were you. Where'er you headed?" "Away is my only plan. Things around here aren't looking good. Texas is pretty much bottled up by them as far as I can tell. Not that I've ever been a fan of the area anyway," Cass tells Miles.

Cassandra doesn't know why she feels so helpful of strangers today, normally she avoids people, but feeling drawn to do good things she mentions that there is an empty house not far away in the direction they are heading. She'd past it on the way into the area a few months ago. What a shame to waste so much time on a ghost hunt. That's what happens when you let feelings and memories take over. Now it will be winter soon in the place she loosely calls home, and when she does get there she has no idea if any part of her so-called life will be left. The Republic fell, what could be in its place now she has no clue. Cass heads out ahead of them, wanting to make it before dark. Arriving in good time at the broken down, creepy old house she sees nothing much had changed, more dirt maybe, but still usable and with a roof overhead. Cass decides to hunt for dinner. Hopefully all the little critters weren't in bed yet.

Coming back a bit later with dinner, Cass could hear hushed voices. "...out of nowhere to help strangers? Hell no, it's a setup. And you are going to walk us right into it." It's the angry guy speaking "I agree with Bass, we can't trust her and we need to just keep going. We need to find Aaron," says Charlie. "Oh, is that right Charlie? Because I seem to remember a kid not too long ago that was hell-bent on helping every single idiot she came across while risking my life in the process," Miles said. "Can't somebody just be cool enough to help out without being up to something? You know, you were that way, Bass. Or are you just too damn paranoid these days to remember? Fine, we'll stay out here in the field then. I'm not killing myself to catch up to Aaron tonight. You two can start keeping watch first."