The forest flowed about Leah, as Red carried her. Wind whipped past. Cold air bit the low decay of dead wood. A chill pricked exposed skin and cheeks burn. Even at this speed, Red was gentle with her. Inside of the blood that covered the woman was the richness of chocolate. She shivered, heart pounded, and she could taste the forest's rot. They reached a small clearing.

Clay was before them. Tracy had tripped, and crawled. Leah's mother squealed in terror, but none of them had touched her. Red looked away, shook her head. After a moment, Hemi arrived, but looked at his wife with a confused laugh.

"Where are you going, Madam?" Clay bellowed and stepped closer. "YOU left your DAUGHTER!"

"You're crazy," Tracy whined. "You're monsters!"

His lip curled, "Yes, we are, but we don't leave one of ours behind."

Red drew closer, "You left her to the ravages of a foul man." She squeezed hands into small fists.

"With monsters," Hemi hissed with a hard laugh, "for we are servants of the Moon, undone and remade by the blood."

"She did this," Tracy pointed to your daughter. "I don't keep company with TRASH!"

"Oh," Clay nodded, "you're a Chaney. Treacherous and traitorous, you got a lot of your people killed." He looked at Leah, "She is shackled to you, and if I was her, I'd change my name."

"I've had enough of you," Red glided to Tracy, who recoiled from the hellish flames that lived in lovely eyes.

"Don't," Leah said low. The Bliss family turned to her.

"Why," Red looked to her, blood cooled and flames receded.

"She betrayed you," Hemi frowned, "she'll always betray you."

Clay frowned, sighed, "You don't have a chance with the likes of her around," He pointed to her mother.

"Didn't you guys fight for the South?" Leah held up her chin.

"I never wanted to join," Clay's tone flattened. "They took from me, and they burned down my farm." He pointed to Hemi and Red, "When they could catch me or my son, they took from them, from Lily." Red jerked, hand moved towards her stomach, but she moved it away.

Leah blushed. It was more complicated than teachers told us, she looked away from them. She turned to Clay, "Would you still fight for the General, if you had to change things."

Clay considered, eyes moved to Tracy, then his family. "I'd kill them all. It was nothing but a mockery. North and the South, they wanted power and lived off the poor. People died, and all of them just got richer." He looked at Hemi and Red, "We were cursed. The years are hard, especially on the mind. All because they wanted to keep power, we suffered."

"Please, don't kill my mother," she looked at Tracy, but her guts churned.

Clay threw up a hand, and turned away, "We came here to settle an old debt." He moved back towards the muscle car.

Hemi picked up Tracy, "Come on, Jiggle Chicken, we have a date with an old friend."

Red lifted Leah, "We can't leave you here with the Rangel family around."

They moved back to the custom car, which still set where they'd left it. Clay's jaw flexed, and got in with a grunt. The door slammed, which shook the vehicle. Hemi pushed Tracy inside, and got into the driver's seat. Red and Leah joined them. Rangel men already stirred from the beatings.

The night welcomed them. Leah looked out at the moon, "Everyone in Lear County will be after you." She looked at them, but none seemed interested.

"I had a plan for that," Clay took the brooch from the rearview mirror, and put it in a pocket.

"Man," Hemi sighed, "I loved this ride."

Red seized Tracy's neck, nails grew. "I heard your conversation with the Van Lear tough guy," she said, and her petite body was rigid as stone. She shook her and pudgy cheeks quivered, "I'll have the truth out of you!" She looked at teenager, "I want her to know the real you! Nothing but the truth, it will be plain, so none can deny it."

"What," Tracy looked to Leah.

"Tell the truth, mom," Leah held her gaze.

Tracy looked at Leah, and then to Red. She laughed, "You want the TRUTH?" She was pale; eyes jittered to each of the Bliss family. "I helped Brian, Chris, and Sheila!" she spit the words and sat up. "This town despised me, even before I married Landen! So, I wanted them to feel it. They were so high and mighty, but all it took was a threat to their jobs to turn them into whores!" She grinned in Leah's face, "Every time one of them cried, I laughed. Is that enough truth for you?! Brian treated me like I should be treated, better than them."

"The money," Leah's face burned.

"I took some," she bragged, "but I didn't really care, and I DID know it was Lear MONEY!" Tracy laughed at their disgust, "When Kayden was fired I laughed. When his junkie wife died, I laughed, because I got both of them fired." Tracy tried to slap Leah, but Red stopped her. "Kayden looked down on me!" she sneered. "So smart," she shook her head, "still not smart enough to figure out we were all in on it."

"Okay…mom," Leah shrunk in on herself, and kept her eyes away.

"NO," she screamed with a laugh. "YOU wanted the truth." Tracy shook her head. "Just like your father: you want to know the truth, but cry or shrink away from it." She grinned, "I never wanted you, but Landen wouldn't leave with me pregnant. I wanted to scrape you out, because I knew you'd be nothing but a burden!"

"Shut up," she whispered.

Tracy drew closer, and sweat rolled down her face, "I'm not sure you're even Landen's kid."

"Please…stop," she looked own.

"PLEASE, STOP," Tracy sneered.

Red seized her throat, "Shut up." She looked to Leah, "Sweetie, you have to stand up for yourself."