A/N: I know... I promised to start posting more regularly to finish this, and then *poof* I disappeared. At the beginning of October, I had to make the personally devastating decision to euthanize my 15 year old dog who had cancer, and I just haven't felt like writing or working on anything creative until recently.

Nineteen

The Kid routinely running off had him, and probably everyone damned else involved, at the end of his rope. She'd do good for a month or so and then take off at the drop of a hat.

Victor left Laura and her mutt curled up on the couch under a throw blanket that had recently been appropriated for her, specifically.

That was the thing the old feral found the most off-putting; he had started taking Laura's trips into consideration. Just yesterday he'd declined a job because he knew that the kid would be showing up soon, if she kept to her developing pattern.

The onset of winter was another problem. The season had started to seriously set in, and sooner rather than later, the roads would become impassable.

Even with tonight's small storm, it'd take a good bit of determination to dig out come morning, and it was only October. Victor was sure the little idiot would continue with her visits, no matter the conditions.

He'd call the cue-ball and figure out the logistics of her return in the morning. The real morning. He was determined to finish his night's sleep if it killed him.

It seemed like he'd only been asleep for moments when Victor awoke to a new banging on his front door.

"For fuck's sake, knock it off!" He shouted.

Naturally, the racket increased in volume and frequency. The feral lumbered out of bed with a plethora of muttered expletives.

Laura remained passed out on the couch, somehow sleeping through the racket. The dog eyed him warily as he passed.

Knowing who he'd find outside, Victor took his time plodding down the hall. Finally, he reached his destination and jerked the door open.

"Took you long enough," Logan took one more drag of his cheap cigar before extinguishing it against his hand. "It's damned cold out here, asshole."