Watching

Who: Pepper
Where: Under sixth street bridge
When: Morning

Pepper's eye still throbbed, but she ignored it as she watched him, watched the man who'd given it to her. Watched him placing things, making himself at home - in her patch. That was her patch. He might be bigger, and stronger, older - but it was still her patch. But he'd thrown her out on her ear like a street rt and now here she was, cowering behind some garbage cans like one, unable to face him alone.

Dodge's offer ran round in her head. She had people who would help her. people who would help her reclaim her own. It wouldn't be too much to ask - what was the alternative? Crawling to Dodge for shelter? He'd take her in, she knew. Course he would - add her to his collection of kepts. She didn't want to be kept by anyone. But he'd offered her help in getting her patch back. Nearest thing she had to a home.

She'd liked her place. It had been hers. Maybe she'd take him up on the offer, maybe she'd take him up.

She just had to decide what to do. And keep watching the man.