Ok i dont own the Night World just the plot and any characters you don't reconise

but i have to bow down in worship to Quinn and Rashel because 1) i'm not worthy and 2) they rock

Hope you guys enjoy this...

The Best Offence is Defense

Chapter one: Running

Quinn regarded Rashel with his cocky grin as they sparred in the basement of Thierry's mansion. They sparred with Snakewood. One of the hardest woods on the planet. Quinn loved sparring with these because it added a real sense of danger to their fighting and Rashel liked sparring with these because Snakewood was her weapon of choice after her samurai sword. Both sticks were tapered to a shape point. Sharp enough to inflict injury for human or vampire.

Rashel found a break in his guard and came through. He was there to meet her. "Not this time Jordan." He said she smiled at him, her cat eyes gleaming at him and parried one of his moves. "Not this time Quinn." She mimicked.

They circled each other. They sparred longer and harder than any of the others. Both of them were obsessive. They wanted to be harder, better, so no one could ever hurt them again. Quinn thought about that night, as he had night after night ever since it happened. Of how close he had been to losing her, when he had just found her. He had always thought Dove had been the last one he would ever love. His heart had died with her when his father had killed the light from her eyes but he had found his one true love since then.

Just then the wound in his chest flared up. The pain was crippling and he felt the colour drain from his face and he stopped cold. Rashel's smile disappeared in one moment she was by his side and said, "I knew you shouldn't be training. Quinn stop now. You're still ill." Despite the pain Quinn smiled at Rashel. "I'm fine Shelly." "Liar." She dropped the snakewood and bent to check the wound in his chest.

"See its fine." He said when he could breathe again. Quinn regarded Rashel and smiled thinking how lucky he was.

He had found the one he was meant to be with all of his life. She was his equal in every sense. She was as strong and a hunter as he was. She wanted to make a difference in the world and had thought the best way was to fight. She wanted to make the world a better place for the humans that didn't know about the Night World and because of that so did he. "Okay you two enough." They whipped round in unison and came face to face with Thierry.

Thierry was stood in the doorway leaning against the doorframe. He had his arm around Hannah. Those two seemed an extension of each other Quinn grinned but then…he didn't ever want to go to far without Rashel either. Thierry said, "I have something to say to both of you."

They looked at each other and shrugged putting their Snakewood poles down and went to Thierry and Hannah. "I have an assignment for you." Thierry said. Quinn's eyes lit up and Rachel was bouncing on her feet. "Hooray!" they said together "It's about time Thierry!" Quinn said, "Everyone else has one. We don't. The only one we had was Kaitlin and I get the feeling we were only involved in that because we'd have kicked off and it was needed." "There was a reason for that. Now it can't be avoided." Thierry said "You mean you were keeping us from assignment?"

Rashel asked confused "why?" Thierry didn't look at her though. He looked at Quinn. Which was a feat in itself because Quinn looked like he was about to burst with fury. "Two words Hawk Redfern."

Quinn went very still all at once. He looked at Thierry with disbelieving eyes. "That's…" he gulped "That's not possible!" "Oh yes it is." Thierry said grimly "and he's gunning for you. You chose Circle Daybreak over the Council of which you were an elder. That's why I haven't given you any assignments lately. He's looking for you. You and Rashel Jordan, The Cat and your soulmate. Another betrayal by the Elder Quinn."

Thierry sighed. Rashel was in the middle of having a panic attack. "Who is he? More importantly how does he know that I was The Cat?"

"Hawk Redfern was my mentor when I entered the Council. Hunter had assigned him when he couldn't get near me. He became my teacher and a kind of foster father I guess. Then when my anger died and I became cold Hunter came back. My father." He scoffed his eyes glazed over in memory. "When I finally accepted Hunter as my family I became heir to his lands because as you know he only ever had daughters." He swallowed.

"Hawk and I became friends but he is just as bad if not worse than Hunter. He will blame me for the fire. Lilly was scared and Hunter never really got over It." he grimaced. "Not that they matter anymore. But if Thierry says Hawk is gunning for me then I believe him." Thierry looked at them both with sympathetic eyes. "I'd say to stay here but it's only a matter of time before Hawk gets here and as a fellow member of the council I can't deny him entry."

"Run until I know its safe."

"NO!" Quinn and Rashel said together "Yes." Thierry said. "Ash and Mary-Lynette will be going with you. Hawk is also gunning for him. All of these changes lead to the mole. Until he or she is found then you are all in danger. Lupe told you this. But I am going to tell you again. It is down to this mole that Mary-Lynette is now with us. That Kaitlin was kidnapped. And that Daybreak is becoming as suspicious as the forces we fight."

He looked at them both. "You and the others in the meeting back there are my best and most trusted agents. I know you hate the thought of running but for once in your lives your going to have to run. It is the best for you and the best for Daybreak."

Then he looked at Quinn again "Besides Kaitlin is forcing me to take action. She's livid that you, Morgead, Winnie and Poppy were hurt when we went in after her and she says if you don't run she's not disappearing."

That stopped both of them cold. "But she has to!" The said at once. Kaitin also known as Aurora Drache was Galen Drache's twin sister. She was also the fourth Wild Power and the key to tapping into the Old Powers. She was also one of the best friends anyone could have.

She had also had been recently kidnapped and they had been lucky that she had survived the ordeal. Four of the agents, Quinn included, were hurt in the rescue attempt.

Something although she was infinatly thankful that they'd got her out of there she couldn't comprehend. Four agents had been hurt because of her and she was furious. None of the agents felt that way. They were pleased she was alive and Quinn had tried to explain this more than once but she seemed to be beyond reasoning. He was also furious that he hadn't been able to do more

Kaitlin's threat not to disappear after everything she'd had been through stopped them both like a brick wall. She had to disappear along with the other Wild Powers for her own safety.

It was no secret now that the Night World was looking hard for her, she was the key. If they could get the other Wild Powers well that would be great but Kaitlin was their target.

"So tell her we're going." Rashel crossed her arms "and then when she's gone with Nilsson we can combat this from here." Thierry was about to say something when a voice said,

"Ok so I take it then I'm staying at the mansion Thierry?" Quinn and Rashel looked past Thierry's shoulder and saw Kaitlin in the doorway leaning against Nilsson who never left her side now.

Quinn ran to the door to confront his friend "Kaitlin for god's sake you know you have to leave!" "Why? If you think you can fight Hawk Red Fern from here then I can fight from here too."

They didn't even ask how she knew about Hawk. Kaitlin had a tendency to know everything.

Whether you told her or not. She somehow always found out.

"You can't fight the whole of the Night World!" Rashel yelled running over to her "Kait you have to leave." "You're in as much danger as I am." Kaitlin said crossing her arms why should you be any different from me?" "Because we're not the leader of the Wild Powers!" Quinn said throwing up his hands. "You're two of the best agents in Daybreak surely that means something." Kaitlin countered looking at them with her green-gold gaze that saw and knew too much.

"Thierry you're her boss tell her to leave." Rashel said, "I'm also you're boss and your not leaving why should she?" Hannah giggled. "We might run Daybreak but we don't control the free will of others."

"Nilsson," Quinn said "You surely don't want her here." "Hell no. But I can't force her to go and I wouldn't do that anyway. I also happen to agree with her reasoning. You shouldn't be here either." "Hey if I have to leave you do." Kaitlin said.

"A deal. I'll go into hiding if you run. And I'll know if you lie to me. And if you don't run I'll be back at the mansion. Nilsson protects me. He does a better job than anyone. I think it helps that he knows me better than anyone." Rashel watched transfixed as Nilsson smiled and winked down at her. Kaitlin winked in return. Quinn and Rashel smiled.

They were in love all right.

"Hey if I have to you to lot are going!' Said a voice. They turned round as Ash and Mary-Lynette appeared. "None of us want to leave." Kaitlin said, "I sure as hell don't."

"But I know I have too." She said quickly before Rashel could but her point across. "Surely you can see that you need to too." She pleaded with the two couples in front of her.

Rashel looked at Kaitlin's face. The bruising hadn't gone down yet. And she knew Kaitlin suffered nightmares and the whole of the East Wing shook when she did and it was only Nilsson had ever been able to get her out of them.

She had been there last night when Nilsson had had to coax his soulmate awake and promise that everything was ok. She looked at her own soulmate and knew Quinn was thinking the same thing.

"Please guys I'm begging you." She said looking hard at all four of them particularly Ash "Just this once. Go." Then she spoke to Ash "You know how mad Red Fern was Ash. You just didn't know it was him. Hawk could be working for him. Please go."

Ash looked at Mary-Lynette and they nodded "If you leave too." They said "If not we stay too." Kaitlin nodded then she looked at Quinn and Rashel and they felt like they were under a spotlight.

Kaitlin's gaze was hard to hold at the best of times. Today it was impossible. Rashel suddenly remembered Quinn diving in front of a bullet meant for her and it stopped her cold. He still wasn't recovered. She looked at Kaitlin and she said, "Just until the mole is caught."

Quinn looked up startled he had been thinking about that moment in the Bunker when he saw that bullet coming right for Shelley. He didn't think she could handle that so soon all over again and it was probable that if they stayed then it would.

"Okay." Quinn and Rashel said together and looked at each other startled and then smiled. "Okay Kaitlin." Quinn smiled "You win this round." Don't I always." She smiled.

Rashel and Quinn smiled at each other damn if that wasn't true Aurora Drache alias Kaitlin Drake to her friends always got her way.

Quinn wrapped his arms around his soulmate and said, "So how do you feel about a road trip?"

"Do I have a choice?" She asked wryly. "No you don't." Kaitlin said forcefully. "A deal is a deal."

Rashel looked at Kaitlin for a moment and then she met Quinn's eyes and said "You are coming with me right?"

It was Hannah who answered, "You're both going. And I know both of you hate running from anything but we're not asking that you run forever just until we have the sources for you to confront him. I need more information and James and Poppy are getting it for me. We'll be in touch." "And if he doesn't I'm on strike at the mansion." Kaitlin threatened.

"So where do you wanna go?" Ash and Quinn asked their soulmates.

"Go down the coast." Thierry said coming fully into the room. "I need not remind you that while you remain here you are in grave danger." He sighed, "It is not safe to be here. As you are aware now we have in deed got a mole. I have chosen Lupe to head up the search for him. Blaise is looking for the alliance between the witches and the dragons and I have ordered that Jez, Morgead, Maggie, Delos, Illiena, Kaitlin and Nilsson are to go into hiding until it is safe." He eyed Kaitlin and Nilsson "Both of you are going. Whether you like it or not." Kaitlin and Nilsson nodded. He shook his head. "I know it will be hard for you but I'm asking you to leave." "I asking you to leave and run. Run until I know its safe."

"I hate running." All three couples involved in the room said together. Rashel and Quinn looked at Ash, Mary-Lynette, Kaitlin and Nilsson and knew this had to be as hard on any of them as it was for Quinn and Rashel.

"Kaitlin get your ass up here coz we're not going without you." Jez, Delos and Illiena appeared in the room with their soulmates in tow.

Rashel watched as Kaitlin smiled. Rashel smiled seeing Illeina with her soulmate. Her soulmate's name was Carlos and a fellow witch. Both of them were in the stages of new soulmate connection. Doe eyed and overwhelmed. But Rashel smiled leaning on Quinn. Their connection had gone past that now. It was more profound. It was a matter of knowing each other on such a level that they knew each other's thoughts without even being in a connection.

Then it hit her.

They were ruinning.