"Nothing, why?"

"Well, Jackson just asked you three times if you'd like to stop and eat somewhere."

"Oh, um... I dunno, are you guys hungry?"

Roger smiled at Jackson. "Pull into the next McDonald's."

"You got it!"

"So, Sus..." Roger turned around in the passenger seat so that he was looking at the girl in the back. "What's wrong?"

She shrugged. "I'm just a little nervous, I guess. I haven't been here for a long time."

Roger paused. "Afraid of Nyx?"

She shrugged again. "I'd like to stay on perpetual vacation. You know that."

"You know, it's a big city. You might just be able to stay here awhile without her ever knowing it."

"Do you really believe that?"

Roger said nothing, but sat back in his chair and watched the scenery go by.

---------

"No, dammit, I'm not afraid of Nyx," Susanne mumbled to herself later on. Susanne and Roger were going to check into a hotel, but of course, Jackson wouldn't hear of it, so they were staying with him. Roger was downstairs with him. They were probably watching a baseball game or something. Not that she minded... she'd watch with them -- if she remembered right, it was a Dodgers game -- but she just wanted to be alone. No, she wasn't afraid of Nyx; she was afraid to meet her again. After sending Meredith back to the nineties, she'd of course remained in the sixties -- it had been over thirty years since she'd been in the Game. And she was happy about that.

Susanne sighed and looked around for something to do. *I really should get my computer back from Meredith one of these days,* she thought to herself. She stood at the window and looked out. She could see the street down below, through a thin veil of Eucalyptus leaves. She saw movement just out of her direct vision, and froze. After a moment, a ginger cat emerged from the bushes carrying something, and she let out a deep breath.

"Damn, I'm so losing it... Get ahold of yourself, Susanne!" It was as if she was walking around, expecting Celly or Mercy or Nyx to pop out of nowhere. Well, she was half-hoping Mercy would... she didn't care what was up or down, she was still stronger than Mercy, and she owed the traitor. As she tried to calm herself, she thought back to the first few months she spent in her house in Nebraska. Even though she had known that Celly and the rest wouldn't be looking for her for years upon years, the fact remained that she was still immortal. Even having Roger around unnerved her occasionally. But when he wasn't around, it always felt like she was too vulnerable. At least with Roger, if she somehow missed feeling the approach of another immortal, then he'd feel it. So to calm herself then, she had... she had... damn! What the hell had she done in those early days?

She walked back over to the window and stuck her hands in the pockets of her faded Levis. She felt something in the right pocket, and pulled it out. A little piece of white cloth, sewn around the edges with purple thread. Of course... she'd worked on getting to know Rhiannon, finding out what the ancient one kept hidden from her in that extra 90% of the sawdust in her head that she never used.

But she hadn't gotten much beyond planting an herb garden and using what was in it for little, everyday things. Making a horse's sore hoof better. Healing the relatively minor scrapes and scratches that the cats turned up with after a night of playing "King of the Corn Stack." Keeping her own headaches at bay. Only now did Susanne realize that, in thirty-five years, she had learned nothing that would help her in winning the Game.

----------

It was about time... he was starting to get worried that he'd never find Susanne. And, of course, she was still with Roger. Finally, he had something to report back at headquarters. They hadn't been too pleased when he had reported that his charge had vanished. After all, no one simply vanishes. He was interested in where she'd been, of course, but he was more interested in where she was now and what she would do next.

She came to the window again, but he didn't move this time. The last time he'd snapped a photo of her at the window, he was sure she would see him, until that cat ran across the road.

She looked like she was just pacing back and forth in there, but it looked like she was content to keep the light off. He was sure it was her, all the same. He'd seen her go into the house. It had merely been a lucky break that he'd been in LAX and had seen her walk by. He'd hated to cancel that trip to Fiji, duty called... as much as he hated to admit it.

Andy kept watching the window. She should be coming back to the window for a second any time now. Any time... any second now... she'd walk by... he'd be able to see if she left the room, he could see through the next room that the hall light was on.

Well, whatever she was doing, she wasn't pacing any more, apparently.

He'd go back to headquarters and report. She was in LA, and she seemed nervous about something. He'd have to find out who else was around.