FORGOTTEN ROOTS by Soledad

Disclaimer: see in the Introduction.

Rating: G, for this part

Author's notes:

While there are no doubts about Lorraina's loyalty towards the Prince, she's a lot less devoted to him personally, having a different background than Cash – one that I might present later… or I might not. Quite frankly, I haven't decided it yet. So, it's up to you. Would you like to learn more about her?

Not yet beta-ed, so be merciful with a poor, non-native speaker.

PART TWO Garage area

When Cash entered the garage to check his Harley, his Brood-sister Lorraina – a tough blonde woman with a competent manner, seemingly in her early twenties – looked up to him with a suspicious expression on her face. She had her chauffeur's uniform off, wearing her usual working gear instead, and her short hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail so that she could work under the hood of the stretch limousine.

"You leaving?" she asked. Cash nodded.

"Tomorrow. Right at sunset."

"I see," Lorraina pretended to work for another moment, then she put down the hood and went around the limousine to see Cash directly in the eyes. "Where're you going?"

"L.A.," Cash didn't stop working on his bike. "Have to meet some of our Clan."

Lorraina frowned. "So the Prince is sending you away, already? What about us? Do we have to go, too? How soon?"

"Lorraina," Cash sighed, "Julian is not sending me away, In fact, he just told me that we're welcome to stay. All of us. He'd like us to stay, actually. No matter what happened lately, we're still Gangrel. He trusts us."

"Then why are you going to L.A.?"

"Julian asked me to sniffle around a bit."

"Oh. Because of Cyrus?"

"Mostly. He seems to be stirring again, and that's always bad news. Julian needs to know what's going on, before Cyrus' people start infiltrate our City again. Besides, I'd like to know if there still are some of us left."

"There are," Lorraina said simply.

Cash looked at her in surprise. "You still have contacts?"

"Not many," Lorraina admitted, "but a guy who travelled through the City last month told me that some of the old checkpoints are still working. Only a few of them, for sure; the ones bordering Garou territory where Cyrus' lackeys won't dare to go."

"Can you show me where?"

"Sure, why not?"

Lorraine crawled into the limousine and shortly thereafter returned with the road map of South California. She unfolded the map on top of Lillie's Jaguar that stood nearby, waiting to be cleaned.

"Look! Here, on the northern outskirts of the city, when you leave the highway, is a small gas station. It's run by the Kine, but if you hang out a while around here, someone will contact you."

"But that could take days… even weeks!"

"No. I'm told that it usually doesn't take longer than a few hours."

"How can they do that?"

"I've no idea. They must have some way… maybe a mortal ally or a ghoul among the personnel, nobody really knows. But they'll find you, don't worry."

Cash sighed. "I'll give it a try. So, you don't know anything about our Clan there, either?"

"There used to be many of us… before Cyrus' days," Lorraina shrugged. "Mostly members of different Anarch gangs – or even Sabbat packs. Few of them ever belonged to the Camarilla, but that's normal for L.A. It had been an open city for 50 years. In some ways it still is."

"What do you mean?" Cash asked. Sometimes Lorraina seemed to know a lot more about Clan business than he did.

"People say there are certain parts – rather large ones – where Cyrus still has nothing to say. Independent Domains inside his Domain (or aside of it), he can't even enter," his Brood-sister shrugged again. "It might be just a myth, though. Travelling Gangrel tell tall tales, you know, and they often can't see the difference between their dreams and reality."

"True," Cash paused for a moment, then knowing all too well that his Brood-sister had always gone her own, secretive ways, he dared to ask: "So you don't have any contact to our people who actually still live in L.A.?"

Lorraina thought about it.

Long.

And hard.

"It's not an actual contact", she finally answered, "but I know for the fact that at least one of my old friends still lives there. Wait a sec, I could try something."

She went to the phone at the garage wall and dialled a number.

A long one.

It wasn't a local number.

"Lorraina here," she said when someone, somewhere in L.A., finally answered the phone. "Is Eric in? I see… Could you take a message? Great… Tell him, please, that my brother will be arriving the day after tomorrow, shortly before sunrise… Right. His name is C.R… No, he's a biker… Yes, we look rather alike, Eric couldn't possibly miss him… Yeah, thanks… You too… Bye."

She hung up and looked at Cash again. "We're lucky. Eric still hangs around the station, it seems. He'll be waiting for you… or someone else will."

"How can I recognize him?" Cash asked. "What does he look like?"

"I don't know," Lorraina said. "We haven't met at least for thirty years; he could have changed. He's a Native American, though, and a biker, too. Used to ride a big, honking monster, just like yours. And he used to carry his guitar everywhere. But it has been a long time, so that could have changed, too."

"It doesn't matter. We'll find each other. But why did you tell that… person at the phone that we look alike? We don't. Not even a bit."

"Yeah, but I couldn't have told the guy that he should be looking for a leech, could I? Eric will know that you're Kindred and Gangrel, that's what matters."

"Right," Cash hugged her tightly. "Thank you, sis. I owe you one."

"Don't be silly," Lorraina hugged him back. "Just come back in one piece, will you?"

"I'll try," Cash joked, but his sibling looked at him very seriously – in that stern, almost motherly manner that she usually reserved for newly Embraced fledglings.

"I mean it, Cash. Don't you ever dare to abandon us! We need you here. Now more than ever."

"Don't worry," Cash kissed her on the cheek. "Whatever we're going to do, we decide it together."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart."

"Good," Lorraina sighed. "We almost lost you once, because of that Brujah chick; I'd hate to lose you because of her Ventrue uncle."

"Julian is her great-grandfather, Lorraina, not her uncle – and you're being mean again."

"I know," Lorraina sniffed. "Sorry. I just… sometimes I have the feeling that being the watchdog of the Prince is more important for you than your own Blood."

"I wish it were," Cash said slowly, sadly. "It would make my choices so much easier. Unfortunately, I'm bond to both of you: Julian and the Clan. Lorraina, it tears me apart… and you're not helping at all!"

"I just…"

"I know what you'd like. And we will discuss it when I'm back. All of us. Together. Satisfied?"

"Yeah…"

"Good. Now, let me finish checking my bike. The sooner I can leave, the earlier I'll be back."

Lorraina reluctantly let him alone and Cash continued his work, but his heart was heavy. The divided loyalties he'd lived with for so long, now seemed to have turned on him and he secretly asked himself if there was any way out of his whole mess. Maybe leaving everything behind, riding the roads again, would really help to clear his head.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Next: Cash on his way. But whom will he meet at the gas station?