I sighed as I nodded my head to the music coming from my headphones while jogging down the road toward my house. I could feel my body keeping with the hypnotizing beat from the Tron soundtrack. Logically, I only kept one ear covered by the collapsible headphones, the other listening for cars and such.

"Hey, you girl."

I about jumped out of my skin, jerking to a halt at the end of my drive. A man stood in the garage door at the house that was empty when I left for a week. Apparently it had sold. I frowned for a second, breathing a bit hard from the two mile jog as I quickly reached for the arm band where my mp3 was.

"Just a sec," I call as I shut it off and make my way over, hands on my hips to help calm my breathing. "What's up? Did you need something?"

It never fazed me as odd that in this suburbia, somebody besides Jimmy and I was up in the middle of the night. The man was in his early to mid thirties, standing just a few inches taller than my five feet and seven inches. He was rather well built and featured, if I was one to note or truly care. He was dusted in dirt, along with his white beater and jeans.

He smirked, eyes flicking over my attire quickly before meeting my eyes again. I was dressed for my run, black track pants slung long on my hips , runners, and body hugging purple tank. My long hair was up in a very sloppy knot of a bun at the back of my head, sweat lightly adding to the look of my skin.

"I noticed you hadn't brought your stuff in," he said as he stepped out to meet me in the middle of his drive by the front of the large dumpster. His eyes flicked over our surroundings a bit before another kind of smirk danced across his face. "Want some help?"

"Uh," I let out a breath, it finally leveling before I glanced over at the house. "You don't have to."

"It wouldn't be right if I let you carry luggage without offering to help." His hand shot out, waiting for me to shake it. "Jerry Dandridge."

"Cassandra Druitt." I let out a huff, brushing my bangs from my eyes before giving a somewhat tired smile. "Sure. Just let me grab the keys."

I quickly cut through his yard for the partially open garage door, bending down to almost a crouch to get under it. Jerry didn't follow me under the door, letting me flick on the light to the garage and hit the button to open it without bother. I was at the door as it finished rising; keys to the car held out and button clicking to unlock the trunk. He was right there, glancing over the inside of my garage before smiling at me.

"Into fitness?"

I glanced back at the small multipurpose weight machine taking up the side of the two car garage by the door into the house and bike and such. I gave a bright smile at him before advancing on the car. "I'm more of the running and biking kind. The machine was my dad's before they moved. Since I was staying, and dad was a fitness nut, he left it to help save on the trouble of moving it to Missouri. Jimmy is more the one to use it than me."

"Ya? So where's Jimmy now?"

I pause, lifting the lid to my trunk and glancing in the direction of town. "Lunch, he works at Wal-Mart."

"Night owls then," he chuckles, reaching around me to grab the huge trunk.

I rush to try and help grab the large wooden thing. "Here, let me help you."

"I've got it." He gave what should have been a dazzling, cocky smile.

"Are you sure? That thing is loaded down."

He gave a wink, walking toward the garage, me rushing after him with my decidedly smaller luggage cases. I pointed toward an open section in the garage. "If you could set it there," I say while setting my load by the door and heading back to grab a box with crap in it.

"Here," he took the box, lifting a brow at the sight of numerous crosses and Christian religious items.

I blush a bit with a roll of my eyes. "My mom is some huge wanna be Catholic religious nut. She made me take them with me." I let a sigh out as I frown at the box. "I plan on shoving them off on the first church I can."

"Not as devout as your mother?"

"Chush," I gush out, reaching up to remove my hair from the knot it was in.

"Sandra!"

I whip around, hair bouncing down. A teenage boy huffed a bit as he stopped at the front of my garage, half leaning on his knees for support. My brow lifted as I looked at the boy.

"Ed, don't you have school in the morning?"

"Got up early," he pants.

I frown darkly, catching the lie. "Edward, it is short of one in the morning. I highly doubt that you have slept yet."

"Doesn't matter," he says and waves it off, eyes nervously flicking to my guest repetitively.

"Sorry, Jerry," I say as I glance at him, "My cousin is a bit of a fruit some times. Can I offer you a beer or soda?"

Jerry opened his mouth to answer, but Ed cut in quickly. "Jerry isn't thirsty, Sandra," he snaps almost frantically, trying to frown (and mostly failing) at the man in question.

I didn't look toward Jerry to see his reaction, but frowned openly at my little cousin. "Really, Ed? Don't start this shit."

"I wanted to stay the night and have you help me with my home work," Ed puts in quickly, motioning to the large school bag on his back.

"At this hour?"

"You weren't home when I first came by." Truth, I could see it in his eyes.

"Then get the hell inside and get it all out. After that, bed."

"Right-O." He sent a pointed look at Jerry. "Bye, Jerry."

Ed waited a very long, almost awkward moment before I sent a death look at him. He scuttled off rapidly, leaving the door open. I flashed an apologetic smile at him.

"Maybe later then. Sorry about my dweeb of a cousin, but family duty calls. Thanks again, I owe you a few beers."

I didn't wait to see if he left quickly, I went right inside, dragging the luggage with me.

"Don't trust him, Sandra," Ed hissed in an oddly leveled whisper as soon as I came back from my room. "He's not what you think."

"And how do you know that? I was happy to think he was taken with the idea that flirting was like water, and very much needed for him to live."

I dropped to the chair at the bar across from him, the only clean place in the kitchen. They must have had something here during the party, like the extra keg maybe. Ed left his bag, taking out a camcorder and rushing up the stairs. I said nothing, but frowned after him before standing and following.

I found him in my room, hiding from sight of the window, camcorder aimed at Jerry as he hauled out a bit of concrete. Jerry paused, glancing over the area, eyes going over to my house again and pointedly looking at the windows. I paid no mind, ripping off my sweaty top and ignoring the undignified cries from Ed.

"Come on, Sandra! I'm in the room, couldn't you have gone to the bathroom?"

I shrug, "Not like you have anything to worry over, Ed. I have a sports bra on. Besides, my house. I can walk around naked for all you care." I give a laugh as I gather up fresh clothes, kick off my runners, and head out of the room. "Go to bed, Edward. I'll get you up for school. Just save your shit for tomorrow."

A few hours later I had the house cleaned up. A pile of trash bags, a number of folded beer boxes, and a few empty Styrofoam coolers sat before my front door. Light blazed across my front yard as a soft echo of music gave notice to my exiting of the house. I dragged out two of the huge bags, heading for the trash can at the head of the drive, right where it was when I left town.

Jerry was on his porch, leaning on the railing with a Granny Smith just at his lips. It was almost as if I had surprised him by being outside this time of night. At almost three thirty A.M., I don't doubt it. I didn't really pay notice, lugging the rather heavy bags, the muscles in my arms bulging the slightest, in a way that only a female's could. I didn't really like it, liking to make myself look weaker than I was. I was headed back to grab the rest when I pulled up short, hand slapping over my heart.

"Shit!" I hiss, frowning for a moment up at Jerry. "A little warning before you ninja up behind me, Jerry."

"Cleaning?"

His eyes flicked over the surroundings again before flashing me a cross between a smirk and smile. I do not doubt that it would melt the pants off of most women. I gave a huff, hip cocking out.

"Jimmy is a pig, as I have said. Luckily, they didn't break anything this time."

He kept up with me to the door, letting me gather up the folded boxes and coolers. He swept up the trash bags, his muscles bulging and showing off how toned he really was. I gave a warm smile, cheeks a light pink as I looked away. I had stared, and felt stupid for it.

"How was it with your cousin?"

"Ed?" I pause as if it caught me a bit off guard, then shrug. "I made him go to bed, with the promise of helping with it when he gets out of school."

"Is he the only family you have out here?"

I give a small laugh, stuffing the trash in the can with a hard shove that was helped along by a slight jump. "He isn't a blood relative. My family was really close to his, so it is all only in name, not blood. I kind of like the lack of family."

My hands go to my hips as I look up at the sky. Flashing Jerry a friendly smile.

"Seems I owe you more than a beer or two now. Maybe a bottle of whiskey. Thanks."

"Why don't you come over tomorrow for a few, that's all the payment I require."

I arch one brow. "I'm not so much up for most of the night. I have work from two till when ever they're done with me."

"Oh? Where is it you work?"

"At one of the casinos on the strip. Are you usually up late? I could stop by after work."

"That would be great." That almost devastating smirk flashed again, eyes doing that keep the surroundings checked and jump back to me before starting again.

"Great," I smile, taking a few steps towards the house. "See you then, Jerry."

"Hey, Cassy!"

I pause on my way to the car, large shades on my face, make up done perfectly. My pale lips glossed and hair hidden by my hood. Jane stood by her van, having just shut the back.

"Yes, Jane?"

"Ed came by looking for you yesterday. Did he find you?"

"Sure did. Thank you."

"No problem, but can you look into housing that cat of yours? She got in my yard last night."

I frown. "Jane, Bastet never left the house last night. She was up in my room with Ed."

"Are you sure?"

"100 percent, Jane. I shut her in there myself so I could clean."

"Then it must have been a stray. Sorry."

"It's fine, Jane. I understand where you're coming from. I like to keep my little snot in the house, and out of trouble."

"Thanks, Cassy. Sorry for the bother. Have fun at work."

"I will thanks. See you later, Jane."

I hopped in the car as Charley came up pushing his bike. Charley really should quit asking Jimmy to fix it. "See ya, Cassy," Charley calls as I reverse and lift a hand in greeting to him.

"Later."

A/N: I haven't really written on this one in a while, but I thought I should add one of the chapters I had stored on my computer.