The flight to Las Vegas was uneventful aside from Diana tipping her club soda over into her lap and needing to change into the pants she had in her carry-on.  Nick laughed at her, trying to stifle the sound behind his hand as Diana glared at him, wet pants and all.  Nick stared out the window during the landing and watched the sand below, drumming his fingers impatiently on the armrest as the plane taxied to the gate.  When he stood to exit the plane, he bumped his head on the stewardess call button.

            "Ow..." he rubbed the spot absently and moved to get their bags from the overhead compartment.  They pushed their way to the front of the plane, hips brushing the side of a seat now and then and being jostled into one another in the crowd trying to make its way out to the jet way.

            "Nick, are you sure you're ready for this?" Diana repeated her question from earlier.

            He smiled and gave her the same answer, "No, I'm not sure I'm ready for any of this, but I'm going to try."

            They stepped down off the plane onto the carpeted surface of the hallway which led to the airport terminal.  Diana tugged on his sleeve, signaling she could handle the relatively lightweight backpack and she took it from his arm, shrugging into it and adjusting the straps on her shoulders.  Nick hiked his own duffle bag higher up on his shoulder and quickened his pace at seeing the aluminum molding separating the jet way from the rest of the airport terminal.

            Diana hurried to keep up with him, the green and blue backpack bouncing on her butt and making her shirt ride up over the small of her back.  They broke free of the crowd upon entering the rather large terminal and Nick scanned the crowd, searching for a crown of soft dark hair, finding none.

            There was once again a soft tug at his sleeve and she pointed at a petite girl with blond hair holding a sign that said "Nick".  He perked one brow and walked toward her slowly.  "I'm Nick, but... you aren't Blaise," he finished sounding confused.

            The girl smiled, "You're an observant one.  Of course I'm not Blaise.  I'm Thea, her cousin."  The name struck a chord in Nick, she was the one Aya had called from the shop in Boston.  She was also the one he had seen in Blaise's mind.  The girl who had been Blaise's only light; the cousin with whom she shared the sister-like bond.  "And you," she pointed at him with a cup of Starbuck's coffee, some of the liquid sloshing out onto the lid through the hole in the top, "Are a surprise for Blaise."

            "I'm a surprise?  That didn't work out too well last time."

            "Oh, don't worry, it will this time, I'm sure," she hadn't stopped smiling.  Aya had been right.  He's very cute.  Her eyes drifted to Diana, suspicion roiling in her stomach, but she suppressed it.  Thea turned and let the sign drift into an unoccupied chair behind her.  She stuck her hand out for an official greeting, and then turned to Diana.  "I was wondering who the second person would be... and you are?"

            "Diana," she said, smiling and taking Thea's hand.  She had a feeling she could get along very well with this girl, given the opportunity.

            Nodding, Thea looked between the two of them.  "Do you have any bags we need to pick up?"  Nick and Diana both nodded, so they went to the luggage carousel and collected Diana's duffle bag, following Thea to her car.

            They arrived at Blaise's house after an interrogation session in the car.  Nick asking questions about Blaise which Thea didn't want to answer, feeling that Blaise should be the one to answer them.  Thea asking questions about the coven in New Salem which Diana didn't feel comfortable answering without her co-leaders beside her.  Diana asking questions about witchcraft which Thea had to tread lightly to answer without divulging the Night World.  She didn't want to add vampires and shapeshifters to the information that Nick and Diana had to deal with right now.  She intended to let Nick focus entirely on Blaise.

            Nick stared out at the red door of the white townhouse.  Number 429 in this particular row of connected buildings.  Diana pushed his shoulder gently, "Go, Nick.  She's in there."

            Thea nodded, "Do you want me to wait?  I can just take Diana to my place.  I'm sure she has lots of questions," she smiled at Diana as she said this.

            Swallowing hard, Nick managed to say, "Yeah, okay," and he stepped out of the white Neon, grabbing his duffle bag up and slinging it over his shoulder again.

            Thea pulled away from the curb after Diana switched to the front seat and Nick watched with a growing sense of despair as the taillights disappeared into the night.  He ran a hand through his dark hair and approached the steps cautiously, already feeling her at the edges of his mind.  She felt sad, alone... the same as him.

            The gold knocker below the 429 on the red door glowed in the dimness of the streetlight on the opposite side of the road.  He reached out an unsteady hand and rapped the knocker on the door three times, waiting and searching through his pocket for his comfort food – cigarettes.

            He pulled the pack free of his jeans and lit one between his lips, inhaling once and calming immediately... that is until the door in front of him was yanked open.