"It's supposed to. The scarier it looks, the fewer fans will try to get in." She walked around to the side of the main gate and opened a vine-covered door.

"I see security is rather loose, though."

"I doubt that." Susanne ran her hand carefully along the hedge, then stopped and pushed aside some of the branches. Meredith saw what looked like a video camera there.

"Watch it!" she looked around nervously. "They'll find us and kick us out!"

"They'll find us, yes," Susanne said. She waved at the camera, then walked toward the house. "They'll also ask why I didn't use the doorbell."

"Why didn't you?"

"It doesn't work."

Roger chuckled, and Meredith looked at him confusedly. "Anytime you guys want to fill me in, that'd be great!"

"Well," Susanne said with a grin, "If you'd been listening to us on the way instead of grinning at every creature with a trace of testosterone, you'd have picked up a little more."

Meredith stuck her tongue out at her. "Not nice! Hey, now where are we going?"

"Around to the back. Because it's hard to hear the bell from the front door. And when I come, I usually go around to the kitchen door, anyway."

"Figures."

"At least I keep my hormones in check."

"So do I!"

Roger was suddenly overcome by a coughing fit, and Susanne was silent, though a grin seemed to be tugging at her lips. They rounded the corner of the house and found themselves in the back garden. "Roger, how's Mercy?"

"Same as before. She hasn't woken up. Although, if I had been fed that much Advil, I'd probably still be asleep, too."

"Well, excuse me. Look at her. I'm betting that she's got a couple broken ribs there. I wouldn't want to be moved around like that unless I was heavily sedated."

"Whatever. I'd say take her to a hospital, of course--"

"Except that she's not carrying a health insurance card, and they'd probably call in the police and they'd want to file a report."

"Right." They'd probably have to take her to a hospital, though, unless...

"Hey, guys! Wow, Mercy looks like hell..."

"Anaera! That was an awful pun, but am I ever glad to see you!"

TBC...