We sat in the car for a while. I just stared at the station house while petting Joe.

"What do we do?" Scott asked.

"A lot, it's just a matter of figuring out where we start."

"Well, we can't take Joe with us anywhere. So let's get him back to your apartment."

"Shit. Socks. He's really not going to be happy." Joe grunted and snored while trying to roll over in lap. "I wonder if this permanent or if he changes back into a dog."

"Do you think the blood guy could look at his blood?"

"Probably, but I don't want to do that right at this moment. The poor little guy has been through enough. Let's get him settled and go from there as far as he goes."

"Good idea."

"We have to go after Maddy."

"Cas....You know what you're going to have to do."

I shook my head as I handed my werepup over to Scott and started the car. "I will figure something out. There has to be another way. There just has to be."

"She's a vampire. An evil vampire. She almost killed me."

"I know, Scott. I know. But Maddy isn't a bad person. She's just under control of Frank."

"And how can we get her to not be under his control?"

We drove through the city making our way to my apartment as I contemplated his question. I left the car idle in front of the building for a bit before pulling into the parking garage.

"We need to leave here," I mumbled.

"Leave? And go where?"

"My parents have a cabin in the mountains not far from here. It's pretty isolated. We can regroup there. Maddy doesn't know about it so there should be a less likely chance that she or anyone else would find us."

"Work?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I have four weeks of vacation time saved up."

"Four weeks? How the hell do you have that much vacation time?"

"When was the last time I took any time off work?"

"I guess it has been a while," he said, opening his car door after I parked.

"I'll pack a bag for myself and Socks. You call the boss, let him know that we're taking some time off to figure out what to do about everything. I'm sure he's not going to mind not having us around for a little while. That means it'll be longer till he has to figure out the mountains of paperwork we have given him to do. Then we'll head to your place to get your stuff, the store to pick up supplies and everything for Joe then up to Ohiopyle."

"Your parents place is up there?"

"Yeah. They bought a plot of land about 60 years ago before it turned into a tourist town. Thankfully it's still super isolated and it's getting colder so there won't be many people up there."

"Great."

As we ascended in the quiet elevator, I couldn't help but reflect on the gravity of the situation. I had gotten myself into trouble in the past, but I had never had to be responsible for a newborn hybrid, a werepup, or an immortal fae cat all at once.

We've really mucked things up now, Cassidy.

Finally, the elevator dinged, indicating our arrival on my floor. I led the way to my apartment, and once inside, I saw Socks waiting for me by the door.

He sat in the threshold glaring up at me.

"Hey there little guy."

"MREOW!"

"Yeah, so listen I have some news. Maybe not the kind that you'll like, but I have a friend for you."

He wrinkled his nose as Scott stepped next to me with Joe.

"I know how you feel about dogs, but....come on, Socks. He's a baby. And he's a hybrid weirdo like me."

"MREOWWWWWW!"

He arched his back and hissed as Joe tried to hide in Scott's coat.

"Awe, poor guy," Scott said soothingly.

"Socks, I know this is not an ideal situation for you, but you will have to get used to him. He's all alone. He has no body. So he's ours."

Socks hissed and ran from the doorway into my bedroom.

"He'll be fine," I said as I followed him in. 

I grabbed a duffel bag and started throwing in some essentials - clothes, toiletries, and a few weapons just in case. Scott had already taken care of his call to the boss and was going through his checklist.

"Everything's set for our time off. Chief did not care one bit," Scott said, looking around the apartment. 

I nodded as I tossed my bag next to the door.

Once we had everything ready, we gathered up Joe and an extremely angry Socks and we made our way to the parking garage, leaving the familiar cityscape behind.

The drive was mostly quiet, the tension and uncertainty hanging heavy in the air. As we pulled up to Scott's place, he looked at the little ranch style house and sighed.

"Sad?" I asked.

He shook his head and looked over at me. "Actually no. I feel good. I was scared and kind of sad at first, but now, I think it'll be okay."

I gave him a wry smile. "You tend to forget after a while."

"Forget what?" he asked.

"Everything. at least you won't be alone."

"True. I'm not."

He climbed out of the car and made his way inside. I opted to stay in the car with the animals and to keep an eye out. We had no idea if Maddy or Frank had been there yet. I knew Maddy knew where Scott lived. 

As Scott disappeared into his house, I kept a close watch on the surroundings. The night was quiet now, with only the occasional distant sound of a passing car. The tension in the air was palpable, and I couldn't help but feel the weight of responsibility for Scot, Joe, Socks, and the impending decisions we had to make.

Moments passed, and my thoughts drifted to Maddy. I hoped that, in some way, we could find a solution to break Frank's control over her. She might be a vampire, but I couldn't forget the genuine person she used to be. My desire to save her from the darkness that consumed her was a driving force in all of this.

She was my best friend. She had been for years. I knew there was no turning her back into a human, but she could live a long time as a vampire. 

Eventually, Scott emerged from his house, carrying a small backpack. He approached the car and climbed inside, his expression somewhat more relaxed than before.

"Everything good inside?" I asked.

Scott nodded. "Yeah, everything seems to be normal and quiet."

With everything in order, we headed to a nearby store to pick up supplies for our journey. We gathered food, water, blood products, some extra clothes, and anything we thought might come in handy during our time at the cabin. It felt strange to be preparing for an extended stay away from the familiar hustle and bustle of the city, but we were left with little choice.

As we drove towards the cabin, the city slowly gave way to more rural surroundings. The looming skyscrapers were replaced by rolling hills and forests. The further we traveled, the more the tension seemed to ease, as if the weight of the city had been left behind.

We reached my parents' cabin as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the landscape. It stood amidst a sea of trees, far removed from the busy city life. The isolation was exactly what we needed, especially since Maddy wouldn't be aware of this place.

We unloaded our belongings, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as we settled in. Scott helped make a comfortable space for Joe, while I tried to coax Socks out of his sulk.

"We're going to make the best of this, Socks," I whispered to the fae cat as I scratched behind his ears. He still looked irritated, but his hisses were fewer, and I took that as a sign of progress.

I sat on the porch steps as Joe ran around sniffing and peeing on everything. Socks sat in the window, his tail twitching constantly. 

"It's nice up here," Scott said, leaning against a porch post.

"It is. I always liked when we'd venture out this way."

"Do your parents ever come up here?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. They haven't been here in years. I come up sometimes on my days off. I like to keep the place clean and just getting out of the city sometimes."

"So, I may be a bit forward and bold here, Cassidy, but, uh, what would you say to the notion of us moving in together?"

"Moving in?"

"Yeah. That was stupid. Forget it."

"I didn't say that, Scott."

"It's too soon."

"Not necessarily. I mean we have an eternity to get to know one another better, but I mean we've been partners for years. It's not like we're strangers."

"I don't want to be just partners in the work sense."

"Huh?" I looked up at him.

"I don't know if it's just all of the heightened emotions from my transformation, but I love you Cassidy."

"Oh. Wow. You do?"

He nodded his head and sat beside me.

"I....hmmm....well, I love you to."

"Let's move in together."

I nodded my head this time.

"Yeah. Let's move in together."

He smiled and pulled me in close to his body, kissing me deeply as Socks yowled his disappointment in everything behind us.