Those Two Months

Author's Note: Finally getting to publish this. I have been wondering a lot about what happened during that time that Farah and Todd were on the run together between the seasons. Farah is such an awesome character. I love how she is such an amazing combination of kick ass/intelligent as well as neurotic/insecure. This is her perspective of that crazy time while they were fleeing Blackwing, and trying to find Dirk and Amanda before getting to Bergsberg.

Chapter 1

Something's wrong.

Farah could feel it all the way to her core. Dirk was not outside the diner. Of course he wasn't exactly known for staying still. He could have wandered off.

But he didn't.

She knew it as surely as she knew how to calculate the ballistics of a rifle at close range with no wind. This was wrong. Dirk had not left by his own free will. Her bodyguard instincts were screaming. She had to find Dirk.

Dirk may have become the Primary, but Todd was the Secondary. She had to find and secure him before she could go after Dirk. She walked briskly back into the diner. The entire place was in upset.

"Stay calm!" Said a waitress "We've dialed 911. They will be here soon! Just… give him some space!"

No!

Farah shoved past the surprised waitress and darted down the hall towards the bathrooms.

Don't be him don't be him don't be him…

But she knew it was. Just like she knew Dirk had been taken.

She could hear him before she could see him. Curled up on the floor and crying out in pain. Farah shoved the waiter out of the way who was blocking the path to Todd.

"Lady, you can't…"

"He's my fiancé!" she snapped, hoping he wouldn't press the issue. She did a quick assessment of Todd in an attempt to find the source of his pain. She couldn't find any injuries. He was holding his hands as if they were hurting, but nothing seemed to be wrong with them.

"Todd! Todd! What's happening?"

He didn't answer. He didn't seem to hear her. Something was beyond wrong.

"Step back!" said a large, balding man in a pair of round glasses and an overcoat. "I'm a doctor."

He knelt next to Todd and checked his pulse. Farah stared at the strange man. He was off. His coat was too heavy for the weather. Farah saw a glimmer of movement reflected in his spectacles.

She reacted on pure instinct. She spun around and punched the man who had crept silently behind her. She tossed him over Todd and he collided with the "doctor" who was just seconds away from injecting Todd with a syringe he'd pulled from his suspicious coat.

Farah grabbed Todd by his shoulders and forced him up. She was afraid he'd fight her, but he didn't. While he didn't seem to have any grasp on what was happening or why, he stumbled compliantly alongside Farah as she dragged him to her car and tossed him in the passenger side.

She buckled him fast and saw a group of men circling around them. She jumped in and floored it, forcing the men to break formation as she plowed through.

A bullet grazed her headrest as she peeled out onto the road.

Todd was still hysterically crying and holding his hands as if they were on fire.

Farah weaved through traffic and raced to get out of the city,

Eventually, Todd slumped over, unconscious from exhaustion and pain. His seatbelt was the only thing holding him up.

Farah was a half hour out of the city and it was time to change cars. She didn't think they had been followed, but she couldn't take any chances. The hidden sedan was her favorite getaway car. It was forgettable and nondescript, but it had an engine that ensured that she could outrun just about anyone if she had to.

She pulled in and parked in the dilapidated barn on the edge of nowhere. She took a deep breath. Then she got out of the car and went to the passenger door. She looked through the window at Todd. He was still out cold. She was afraid to wake him.

He could be hysterical again when he wakes up. Make sure the next vehicle is ready, then worry about transporting him.

"I know that." She snapped at the thoughts in her head. She closed her eyes and cursed. She thought she'd broken her habit of responding verbally to her thoughts.

She went to unlock the door of the next car, and realized something was off. Someone had been there. Recently. She drew out her gun and went outside and circled the barn. Then she saw it. The back of the barn had a bright red spray of graffiti that just said "3". On the ground under it was a black cloth. She lifted it and discovered it was a Mexican Funeral t-shirt. Under it were several bottles of Amanda's medication, a framed picture of Amanda, and a note tied to them with a rubberband. Farah took the note and read it.

"Hey Bodyguard,

We could smell you all over this place. Drummer said she doesn't need these anymore. We stole the picture from her brother, and the rest is from a life she left behind. Figured you'd know what to do with them."

Farah carefully carried the pile of items and put them in the new car. She tried not to think about the vampires "smelling her" all over her hideout. If they could track her, who else could? And how? What other strange ways could Blackwing track her down?

She examined the car and found everything in order. Full tank of gas. Clothing, food, medicine, cash, ect all packed and ready. She didn't bother to take the suitcases with clothes for Patrick Spring or Lydia. Lydia's clothes were too small for Todd and Patrick's were too big. Todd and Farah were close enough in size that they would have to share from Farah's suitcase until they found more. He was wearing sturdy shoes, which was good since he would likely have to make do with just that pair for a while. The boots she had packed were far too small for his feet.

Once she saw that the car was ready to go, she looked over at Todd.

Stop stalling. It's Schrodinger's Cat. You have to wake him to know.

She took a deep breath and carefully opened his door.

"Todd." She said as she gently touched his shoulder. "Todd, wake up. It's time to wake up."

Nothing happened at first, so she very delicately shook his shoulder. "Todd?"

He groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He seemed confused. He looked up at Farah.

"I… wha… What's going on? Where's Dirk? Where… where…" His eyes became wide "Amanda! Where is Amanda?!"

"Amanda left with the Rowdies. Todd, what happened back there?"

Todd unbuckled himself and scrambled out of the car. He was pale and unsteady. Farah grabbed him to help support his wobbly frame.

"Amanda called me!" he cried "Something was happening to her! We have to help!"

"Todd!" Farah barked. He was getting unfocused and wasn't thinking clearly. She had to get him together.

Him or you?

"Todd," Farah said a bit gentler this time. "I found you on the floor of the diner screaming. What happened?"

Todd looked surprised. "On the floor screaming? Why would I…?" realization spread over his face. "My hands."

"What about your hands?"

He looked down at them. "My hands… they were… burning. All the flesh was coming off…" he sounded so confused.

"Your hands are fine." She said.

"My… my hands are… fine…" he said. His eyes kept getting wider. "No. No no no no…."

"Todd, calm down. What are you talking about?"

"It can't… I can't… NO!"

The last word came out in a shriek of pain as he suddenly and violently arched his back and dropped to his knees. He was screaming again, but instead of the focus behind his hands, it seemed to be his back. None of it made sense… unless.

A horrible thought leapt into Farah's mind.

No…

She raced to the pill bottle with Amanda's name on it and forced the recommended dosage into Todd's mouth. She wasn't sure what scared her more, the thought of it doing nothing, or the thought of it working.

After a few terrifying moments, the screaming stopped and Todd slumped forward.

"Oh shit." She said.