Part 7

~If I was a runaway, where would I go?~ Obsidian thought.

She was back in her room alone. She didn't know what the rest of the gang were doing, and frankly didn't care. She'd told them all to leave her the hell alone. She vaguely wondered if putting Pierce in charge in her absence was a mistake.

Whatever.

All that mattered to her was finding Susanna and bringing the bitch home where she belonged. It had become pretty obvious she had left the city. She hadn't been in classes and no one had seen her anywhere else.

She'd gone. But *where* had she gone?

Obsidian tried to put herself in Susanna's shoes. She guessed from her point of view, she could grudgingly see why she'd freaked. Susanna had that idiot boyfriend of hers, her stupid tiger, and the rest of the vampire hunters to deal with, including the infamous Rashel "The Cat" Jordan, plus Jez Redfern, Morgead Blackthorn and a few others.

All this she knew only from those brief moments inside Susanna's mind. She had never begun to imagine people like them ganging up against the Night World here.

Now this had happened to Susanna...no wonder she'd fled. Obsidian frowned. There were one or two witches around who would know what advice to give for situations like this. Maybe she should pay them a visit.

Or, she thought with her lips curled, she could send Faith or Pierce to scare the shit out of them...

She knew.

Realisation hit as she remembered where the witches would send Susanna. There was a hide out for the rejects of the human world and the Night World. A small town outside L.A.

Piece had mentioned it to her once, suggested she might want to consider sending a spy. So she had done just that. She smirked, wondering why she had been so foolish not to think of this before.

She was even more surprised something Pierce had said had actually been useful.

She picked up her phone and called her contact's cell phone.

"She's here," the contact told her.

Obsidian was slightly confused. "How did you - "

"Apparently the witch Selene Weald called ahead, told us someone running from you was coming. *Suzy*."

Obsidian laughed. "It's Susanna, actually. She must *hate* that," she snorted.
"Want me to take her back to you?" the contact asked.

Obsidian debated. She wanted Susanna back in her arms more than anything. But if her contact attacked right away then there was every chance Susanna could escape.

"Not yet," she said finally. "Let herself settle in. Call me in a week or so then we'll talk plans."

"Okay." The contact hung up.

Obsidian sighed as she put the phone down. It was going to be a *long* week.

* * *

"So what's the deal with the new girl?" Jack asked coming into the dining room.

Shanna shrugged, carrying in a pan of lasagne and setting it on the table. "Don't know yet."

"What type of name is *Suzy* for a Night Worlder?" Kathryn snorted in contempt as she finished setting the table.

"Probably not her real name," Bridget said, carrying plates in. "You know, Jack, you could actually help instead of sitting there and doing nothing."

Jack snorted, tilting his chair back. "Why would I want to do *that*?"

Shanna's eyes rolled. What a jerk. Everyone in the house was there because they were hiding from something, she knew them all well enough to know their reasons. She didn't know if *everyone* knew everyone else's reason, but she was smart enough to keep her mouth shut.

"Kat, why don't you go and see if she's hungry?"

Kathryn's eyes rolled, and muttering under her breath she left the room.

"Can she be trusted?" Bridget asked, sitting down.

"She's a made vampire," Jack said unhelpfully. "Obviously doesn't want to be one."

Shanna didn't say anything. Suzy's trustworthiness was a hard question to answer. They didn't know anything about the girl. Could she keep their secrets?

Kathryn came back down with Suzy behind her. The meal was quiet, not as much conversation as there normally was, as they were all wary and on edge of the new girl.



No one was coming right out and saying, "So, Suzy, what are you running from?" even though Shanna knew that was what they were all thinking.

"What's this town like?" Suzy asked finally, rather lamely, as if trying to lighten the tense silence.

Kathryn yawned. "Boring. It's no New York."

"It's not that bad," Shanna amended. "Kathryn's just snotty."

Kathryn gave her a withering glare Shanna chose to ignore.

"Where abouts did you come from?" Bridget asked.

"San Francisco." She didn't sound too pleased about having to leave.

"Leave a boyfriend?" Bridget was usually the one who asked all the questions. Particularly when boys were concerned.

Suzy nodded. "Yeah."

Jack shrugged dismissively. "Get a new one."

Shanna snorted. He was about as subtle as an alien in dark glasses running from the Government.

Suzy looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "Easier said than done."

Jack gave her one of his best smiles. "Well, make is easier."

Suzy's smile was polite. "I don't think so."

Jack shrugged again. "Can't blame me for trying. Come on, I'll show you round." He stood up, pulled Suzy to her feet and out the room.

"You're just trying to get out of clear-up duties," Bridget called after him as they disappeared.

Kathryn snorted. "He's just trying to mark his territory before Carter comes home."

Shanna didn't say anything. As long as Suzy, whoever she really was, kept her hands off Carter, she'd be all right.

"So do we trust her?" Bridget asked again, starting to collect the plates.

Shanna shrugged. "We'll just have to wait and see."

* * *