Anna sat in her chair not sure what she was supposed to be doing. She was terribly bored, but knew it would be shitty of her to leave Proinsias; even if they had eternity to work it out. It had been a relief to know she hadn't lost the one person who had made her stomach flutter, but now there was pressure in keeping him.

Tulip answered the knock at the door and was somewhat surprised to see that Emily had actually came over. "Thanks for coming by," she let Emily in.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked. She only came because Tulip's message was so vague.

"It's Cassidy," Tulip explained. "He's not healing."

"Not healing? What do you mean?"

"You freak out a lot Emily? Cause you look like you freak out a lot. This time, don't," Tulip said." Cassidy's a vampire, okay? Are you okay with that? You good? Can you deal?"

Emily nodded. She wasn't sure if she believed Tulip, but Anna wasn't laughing at her or disputing it. She had no choice to accept that Cassidy was a vampire.

"Good," Tulip said. "He was in the sunlight. He got burnt pretty bad. I think he's asleep now, but when he wakes up he's gonna be pretty hungry. I've been giving him- well- Anna doesn't like it, but…"

"Is he dangerous?" Emily gulped, looking at the animals scattered around in cages.

"Not if you don't go in there," Tulip explained. "Just you know, open the door a crack and throw a hamster or chicken or something, done. Here's some cash if you need more critters. Don't go to Pet Express, though, cause they're on to me."

Emily scoffed. "You're leaving? But you know about Jesse, right? That he's in trouble?"

Tulip paused. "What kind of trouble?"

"Where to start? He made a bet with Odin Quincannon about the church and-"

"You know what? Actually, I don't give a shit," Tulip interrupted. "I am done with Jesse Custer. He can be your boyfriend now. You can go to the movies, eat popcorn."

"Don't say that shit," Anna chimed in. "He's your love. We get one real love and you know it as soon as it happens cause it's real. I thought I lost mine. Now I might lose it again. Don't just give him away Tulip. That's bullshit."

"Yeah," Tulip rolled her eyes. "That's partly why you're here. I don't want her to do some dumb shit like let him drink her blood. But anyway as I was sayin'; all yours."

"I have a boyfriend," Emily lied. Tulip raised her eyebrows and Emily could tell she didn't believe her. "Yeah. I'm seein' the mayor."

"Nice good for you," Tulip said. "Who's the mayor again?"

"Miles. Miles Person." The name was lost on Tulip. "Sort of a ginger goatee? Khaki pants? Average height," Emily tried describing him.

"Oh yeah, nice."

"Yeah he's the mayor," Emily repeated.

Tulip nodded and picked up her bag. "So anyway, thanks for taking over."

"Sure. Where are you going?" Emily asked while Tulip was halfway out the door.

"I'm gonna kill a man in Albuquerque."

That left Emily alone with Anna who was slumped in an armchair; emotionally exhausted and slightly drunk.

"So you don't like killing animals?" Emily tried to make conversation.

"Animals are sweethearts," Anna said. "People are shitheads. Including Proinsias, but he tries."

Emily assumed Proinsias was Cassidy, but didn't want to ask. She busied herself with taking a rabbit out of its cage. She pet its soft fur as it wiggled its pink nose at her. It was the cutest thing. Her daughter always wanted a rabbit. She put it away and went to the phone. She picked it up, but didn't dial anything right away. It took her time to convince herself this was the best course of action. Miles sided with Quincannon anyway.

"Anna?" she called into the living room. "I'm goin' to call up someone and when he gets here, I need you to hide."

"Sure," Anna agreed. "But why?"

"We need him to go into the back room," Emily told her and then punched in Miles's number. "Help me!" she cried when he answered. "Miles! Miles help me- he got out- oh my god! he's gonna kill me- Walter O'Hare's- please come quick! I'm hiding in the-" Emily hung up mid-sentence.

"Manipulation is not a Christian quality," Anna teased as she moved from her spot.

Emily glared at her. "You mind that I'm solvin' our problem?"

Anna shook her head. It was hard not to sin when she knew she was already reserved a place in Hell. "Oh I am in no position to judge."

†††††

The two girls remained hidden as Miles let himself into the house.

"Emily? Emily?" he called as he wandered through the house.

Emily followed silently after him and Anna after her.

He opened the door to the backroom and gasped. "Oh my God, no!" He turned around to leave, but Emily pulled the door shut and slid the lock into place.

"Come away." Anna took Emily's wrist, but she wouldn't budge. She was frozen in place, staring at the door. The door through which came a muffled scream and the thud of a body.

"We should let the animals go," Emily said and walked away of her own volition.

Anna grabbed a cage of long-haired Guinea pigs and brought them out to the front yard. Emily grabbed the rabbit cage and followed. Anna squinted against the bright light of the sun; it had been a couple days since she had been outside and the sudden heat and light were disorienting. She stumbled a bit, but Emily caught her and she made it safely onto the grass. Emily opened her cage and the rabbits hopped out, followed shortly by Thor.

"Well aren't you going to let them go?" Emily asked.

"No." Anna hugged the cage tightly to her chest. "They'd never survive."

A man's boots crunched on the dead grass beside them. They looked up to see Jesse standing over them, blocking the sun. "Uh, Tulip around?"

"She went to Albuquerque," Emily told him.

"So what are you two doing here?" he asked.

"Setting them free," Emily motioned to the empty cage.

"But someone of them aren't meant to be wild so I'll keep them," Anna added.

Jesse looked at the caged Guinea pigs and the Corgi yapping around her ankles and wondered what her home in San Francisco must look like.

"I'll see you later," Emily dismissed herself. "Oh and your mate's inside."

Jesses's brow furrowed as he realized she meant Cassidy.

"Come on." Anna led him inside the house where there were still at least half a dozen small animals in cages and crates. They went down the hallway to the back bedroom. She opened the door first, releasing a couple flies that buzzed past their ears.

"Oh god." The smell of rot and blood hit Jesse. He saw the bodies of small animals, a dog, and even a human. Cassidy was crouched in a corner with his back to them.

"Go away," he grumbled.

"Cassidy," Jesse tried.

"You should go, Preacher," he growled.

Jesse took several steps closer and Anna let him even as he knelt to Cassidy's level. As he moved through the room, he recognized the body as that of Miles Person. "Oh Jesus, you killed the mayor."

"I'll kill you, too!" Cassidy barked, stopping inches from his face. He noticed movement out of his periphery and quickly turned away, hiding his face in the corner. "I told you, Abrianna, I don't want you to see me like this."

"Oh get the fuck over yourself," Anna sighed. "I'm not gonna leave you cause I now know that when you get burnt you turn into a bloodthirsty raisin." But she left the room anyway, allowing the boys to get mend their problems.