Beacon Hills, Home of the Supernatural

"The whole 'imminent death if you fail' is kind of a good motivator."

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Cedrick silently climbed into the passenger seat, almost, but not quite, slamming the door. He seemed to have trouble unclenching his hand from around the handle.

"If my dad gets back whilst you're still here don't tell him we used this car, this thing is more precious to him than me an my brothers." Ria said with a roll of her eyes as she started the car up and pulled out.

"He's going to smell us all over it regardless of what we tell him. If you're so nervous, we could have used the Jeep." Cedrick kept his hands on his lap, fingers twisted together.

"That smells nothing a bit of bleach can't get rid off."

"Still going to make him suspicious if he comes back to a car smelling of bleach."

"If he asks I'll tell him I cleaned it."

"With bleach? You could ruin the upholstery." Cedrick lifted his hand to gently grip her upper arm, eyes still on the windscreen. It was if he hadnt realised the movement.

"I've bleached this thing that many times it could be blonde. Don't worry about that, just don't tell anyone."

"I'm not going to say a word to anyone."

Ria nodded at that, before taking a sharp swerve onto another road that was more dirt than concrete.

"If you don't want to wait then I'll find my own way back once you've dropped me off."

"Nah, I have stuff I can do up there." Ria hummed. "Carve my name into a tree, make a daisy chain, try and sniff out my dads money stash…" she lilted casually.

"If you have nothing to do, I can find my own way back," Cedrick repeated in a deadpan.

"Oh I'm being totally serious about the money stash, he buried it out here the last time we came camping."

"What time would you want me to return here?" Cedrick flexed his fingers and then suddenly snatched his hand back as if startled he'd grabbed her arm in the first place, mouth twisting down as he bit out an almost silent apology.

"Come back here in like an hour or so." Ria said as she pulled up just on the edge of a large forest.

"You'll have to show me the best trees."

"Will do." Ria nodded as she jumped out of the car an slammed the door shut behind her, walking straight into the forest.

Cedrick shut his car door more sedately as he made a move to follow her.

"Careful you don't get lost, I don't fancy having to sniff you out,"

"If you can't find me, leave me. I'll track my way back easily enough. I have your scent and heartbeat."

"There's about a million scents to get through once you get in deeper."

"I'll find you," Cedrick said again, bluntly. "Or just track my own scent back through, it'll be young enough and sharp enough to stay strong for me to follow."

"Fair enough, if you want to risk it."

"I had to track through a city; more scents than a forest. The ones here are less sharp though. Softer, and some I don't recognise."