

# SEE HOW SHE RUNS

## Book One:

## The Chronicles of Izzy

## Michelle Graves

## **********
See How She Runs, Book One: The Chronicals Of Izzy

Published by Michelle Graves

Copyright © 2013 by Michelle Graves

All rights reserved

Smashwords Edition

Cover Art: Syd Gill/Syd Gill Designs

Cover Photo: Hot Damn Designs

Edited by: Neeley Bratcher Editing

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Published in the United States of America

This book is available in ebook format.

**********

Acknowledgements

This book would not have been possible without the help of some very dear friends. Regina and Wendy, the two of you listened to me endlessly ramble about make believe people for months. You were there to help me when I got stuck and made me believe that I could finish this. The two of you were able to look past all of the typos and see the real story. I will never be able to thank you enough. Without the two of you, this never would have been completed. I love your faces.

I want to thank my parents who always encouraged me to be myself, even if that self was a completely weirdo. To my daughter, who always helps me see the bright side of things, I hope you never lose your optimism. To my husband, my life would not be the beautiful journey it is without you. You sir, are the very best thing that ever happened to me.

I want to thank two of the most amazing teachers a person could have ever have. Melanie Hazen and Maria Uffelman, the two of you taught me the love of literature. Because of that, I am forever indebted. Oh and to Ms. Uff, your don't use 'you' speech has stuck with me all of these years.

To Belinda Boring and Lacey Weatherford, thank you for helping me when I felt like I was drowning The endless messages will slow down eventually, I promise.

To Ali, my friend from down under, your enthusiasm and love of Kennan and Izzy drive me to be a better writer. To Charissa, Dianne, and Susan thank you for supporting me even in the early days. Without having read a sample of my writing, the three of you believed in me. Your faith in me is humbling. To Betsy, you are the best kind of fairy godmother!

And thank you, readers, whoever you might be for taking a chance on me. I hope you enjoy the story and love these characters as much as I do. Their journey is just beginning and I can't wait to see where it will take them.

**********

ONE

I dreaded this time of year. The onslaught of memories, painful enough to choke out any happiness, always seemed to pull me out of my typically cheerful normalcy. Seventeen years ago, before my life completely changed, I loved it. Back then, I was a kid living in LA. No, I don't mean the one in California. I am talking Lower Alabama, where I lived in a no name town best known for its peanut and cotton crops. That was all before both of my parents died, leaving me to be shipped off to what I considered Siberia, and before Grams died. Now, this time of year just brought back memories of the things I've lost.

"Izzy, get your head outta your ass and out the door!" yelled Mike, pulling me from my reverie.

"Where am I going this time, Mike? Let me guess, the Loop, right?" I asked him, barely waiting for the answer.

"Back to the Loop, Iz! Don't complain about the meandering tourists either. You know damn well as I do that most of the big offices are down thattaway."

Mike was a burly man in his late fifties who'd been raised in Tennessee before he joined the Navy way back when. So, much like me, he had a lingering accent and a plethora of southern euphemisms. Mike might be brusque with the demeanor of a bulldog, but he was always fair. He was sort of my surrogate father.

Did I mention that I'm a bike messenger? Or what I like to refer to as an information transference specialist. I spent entirely too much time alone. That combined with an overactive imagination and a general lack of quality sleep proved to be a bad combination.

I rushed out the door on my bike to make the pick-up and delivery. Our office was conveniently located just outside of the Loop. This time of year was the worst for trying to navigate the congested area. The Loop was where everything was as far as tourists seem to be concerned. The whole of Chicago was amazing to me, but most everyone that came to visit stayed in the Loop and on Lakeshore. Then there were the few boneheads that decided to spend their entire trip on the Magnificent Mile. Don't get me wrong, at Christmas time, I loved the Magnificent Mile. But why come from hundreds if not thousands of miles away just to shop? I didn't get it.

I got to my destination fairly quick like. It was one of our regular clients, a law office that needed signed papers hand delivered to another law office. "Sign this before my client demands more money and then decides to sue your pants off" kind of things. I tried to keep my nose out of it. I just plugged in my ear buds and listened to whatever music fit my mood at the moment. After the pick-up from Sherrie, my all-time fave secretary, I headed down another couple of blocks to the package's destination. Two blocks! Seemed like they could walk the durn thing down themselves. I guess if they did that, I wouldn't have a job though.

I locked my bike up to the nearest pole and headed into the behemoth of a building. It had recently been bought by some foreign company and we'd just started transferring information for them in the past couple of months. Typically, I did'nt care who I delivered to, but this company had some of my fellow couriers talking and that had piqued my curiosity. Apparently, the guy at the top of the food chain was a real piece of work. Like my Grams would've said, "It's none of my never mind." I got paid to pedal, and that was it.

I hit the button on the elevator and waited for it to make its long ascent. I wasn't such a fan of elevators, or closed spaces for that matter. I looked down at the package. Figured, my delivery was at the very top of the building. I sucked it up as the elevator "dinged" and the doors closed announcing my impending doom. After enough stops to almost throw me into a full on panic attack, the elevator finally made it to the top. I stepped out and took my first deep breath in what felt like an eternity. I quickly composed myself and made my way over to the reception desk.

"Hello dear, could you hold on just one second?" asked the cheery receptionist.

I couldn't help but notice her bright red suit that stood out in stark contrast to the bleak black and white décor. She finished her conversation turning her attention my way once more.

"Alright love, what can I help you with?" she asked, with a slight British lilt to her voice.

"I'm here to deliver a package to," I had to look down to get the name right, "one Mr. Xavier Xander." Yeah, I wished I was kidding. What kind of a name was that anyway? And why not just spell it with Z's if that was how it was to be pronounced. Then again, I had no room to talk. My parents didn't name me Isabelle. They named me Izzy. I guess I couldn't blame him for his parent's lame name choice.

"Go right in. He's been expecting the package and is anxious to get it back before closing time today." She smiled amiably before hitting some button that allowed me to go through the giant doors. I half expected there to be a sign saying, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

I stepped through the doors and my eyes were greeted with more black on white. Or was it white on black? Hm. Were there more black things or white things in the room? This place was as uninviting as a party at the local coroner's office. There was something decidedly cold and menacing about it that gave credence to the rumors. I approached the desk with trepidation as the chair started to turn in my direction. I was almost afraid that someone would start bellowing, "Who dareth disturb me in my domain?" I really needed to get my overactive imagination under control.

My curiosity was piqued by what sort of person would enjoy such a sterile environment. As the chair finally came to rest facing my direction, my jaw dropped. A god, or perhaps he was a demigod, sat in the chair. The man made drop dead gorgeous look straight, street urchin. He was all broad shoulders and carefully contained menace. His face was like that of a Greek statue, made up of hard lines and severe angles. He had dark Mediterranean features and seemed to be all of thirty five, if that. He raised his dark, almost black eyes to me and flicked an eyebrow up in question.

"May I help you? I don't have all day for you to stand there gawking you know." His voice resonated somewhere deep inside me, stirring something ancient. It was yelling for me to beware of this man but compelled me to come closer all the same.

I finally got a grip on my internal insanity and silently approached his desk with the envelope outstretched. He gave me a once over and began talking in a voice that seemed to echo and fill every corner of my soul.

"What's your name? You aren't one of the normal people they send." His voice sent tremors down my spine. He kept looking down his nose at me as if I were something disgusting he stepped in out on the street.

I suddenly had to reign in my auburn-haired temper. I was used to politeness from most Midwesterners. It wasn't quite like the southern charm I was raised on, but it was certainly better than mister snippy pants here. Plastering on the best charming smile I could, I did my best to politely explain; even if all I wanted to do was throat punch his stupid arrogant self.

"My name is Izzy Boone, sir. This isn't one of my normal runs, but most of the other couriers were busy when the call came in. I apologize if it is an inconvenience to you. I hope that the delivery is still up to your satisfaction." There, the official line of the company had been spouted and I didn't have to speak anymore.

"Not an inconvenience. Actually, you arrived much faster than the others have in the past," he said, raisinghimself out of the chair to his full height of six foot seven. I craned my neck up at him. I stood at about five six, five seven on a good day, but this man was almost as tall as the building itself and just as imposing. Sheesh.

He gently took the package out of my hands, brushing my fingers in the process. Something in his countenance suddenly shifted. He looked at me as though I were the answer to some great mystery. I was becoming more and more unnerved as the seconds passed. I felt as though someone were in my head yelling at me to run. I wanted to get out of there.

"Listen," he said slowly, "please allow me to apologize for my rude behavior. It is unpardonable and unprovoked. I've had a rough day and I took that out on you. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to sign these quickly and let you get back on your way, Miss Boone." The way he said my name was like taking a sip of hot cocoa on a freezing day.

I had no idea what had sparked his sudden change. To be quite frank, the whole situation was giving me a migraine. I just wanted to get this delivery over with so I could go home and continue my moping about the suckage that was this time of year.

Mr. Xander finished signing the papers in record time and handed them back to me with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

"I hope to see you again Miss Boone, and I hope that in the future you won't judge me based upon your undoubtedly unfavorable first impression."

With that I was unceremoniously booted from the office to plummet to the bottom of the building in my own personal death box from hell, the elevator. I got back to the law office and returned the documents. Having fulfilled the delivery, I hopped on my trusty, or rather rusty, steed and headed back to the office.

**********
TWO

I instantly headed into Mike's office, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why I should never make that delivery again. The entire time I ranted, Mike was getting more and more amused. Something told me I wasn't going to like the next words out of his mouth.

"Funny you should say anything, darlin'. He seems to be quite taken with you. In fact, he says he will pay double the service fee to guarantee that you're the only courier to bring his documents from now on." I could just see the dollar signs tap dancing behind Mike's eyes. My hackles were raised and there was no repressing my temper.

"Cheese on a cracker, are you seriously going to pimp me out to this man? He gives me a royal case of the heebie jeebies. Not to mention he is like the poster child for bi-polarity. Are you telling me I am now the designated step and fetch for that man? Did you agree to this?" The rage building inside me was about to make me explode. Meanwhile, Mike was about to pee his pants laughing at my outburst.

"While the money is tempting, doll, you know I don't do designated runs for anyone. I told him that if he wanted to continue using our service I would provide any available courier to get the job done as quickly as possible, but that if you were available I would send you. He seemed to accept that little scrap I threw his way. I'm not going to have one of my best couriers waiting around just in case he needs a document pronto. No worries. Now go home before I have to pay your skinny little ass overtime." That, in a nutshell, was the way I knew Mike loved me.

I made it back to my grandmother's old house around seven. She left me everything when she passed away. The house itself was two stories and sat on a street where most of the houses had been converted into apartments. Grams liked her house whole and so did I. What I didn't like was having to pay the ridiculous property taxes all on my lonesome every year. So, I took in a roommate about a month after she passed. Plus, the house was just too dang quiet with no one else there.

I'd known Kennan, or as everyone lovingly called him K.O., almost as long as my Grams had been with our Maker. I started going down the way to a pub several nights a week just to escape the quiet of the old brick house. He just happened to bartend there five nights a week and thus we became quickly acquainted. One night he mentioned that his roommate was getting married and he needed to find some new digs and quick.

The cartoon light over my head clicked on and I thought, 'I have a giant house, why not?' It had been awesome ever since. Granted, we worked opposite schedules, but when we were both off we were dang near inseparable. He was wicked awesome in a completely platonic sort of way.

As soon as I stepped inside, I was assaulted by the best smelling thing I'd encountered all day; deep dish pepperoni pizza. I was in love. With my nose leading me into the kitchen like some ridiculous cartoon character, I ran smack into the chest of one Kennan O'Malley. He was about six foot three and built like a thick Irish boxer; barrel chested with thick muscular arms that stood out against his narrow waist and thick legs. According to his driver's license, he was almost thirty-three. I'd snuck it out of his wallet one night to check. I supposed most girls thought he was alarmingly handsome with his smiling blue eyes and jet black hair. Hence the nick name, K.O., as in knock out. But he was Kennan to me; trusty roommate, confidant, and purveyor of drink. He snickered at me and steadied my shoulders with his large, beer-opening calloused hands.

"Let me guess, Iz, you smelled the food?" His deep voice rumbled through him and there always seemed to be just a bit of laughter in everything he said. He was like a jolly trickster leprechaun guarding his pot of gold. Yeah, if only I'd known about his practical joke streak before he moved in.

"Hey, don't judge, I had to skip lunch today. And besides, you know that is my favorite. Please tell me you saved me at least one piece. If not, the cheese stuck to the box will have to do." Even to my own ears I sounded pathetic. If he didn't feed me half the time, I didn't think I would eat.

"I got two pizzas, Red. You know I wouldn't let my favorite girl go hungry. Anyway, I'm out the door to work. See ya on the flip side, homey." He leaned down and kissed me on top of my head, like he had a million times before, and would probably do a million times more. He effectively turned me into someone that must be all of thirteen and not the twenty-five year-old woman I really was. Well almost twenty-five, in less than a week.

"You are so not gangster, K.O., give up while you're ahead. Are you off tomorrow? We need to veg, and I seriously need to tell you about the creeper new client!" I hoped that the desperation in my voice wasn't obvious. In reality, Kennan was my only real friend. Pathetic. I really should get out more.

"Come by the bar later and tell me about your creeper. I'm off tomorrow so we can veg tomorrow night, barring I have any hot dates." Keenan winked at me and was out the door.

I sat on the couch, eating my weight in pizza, debating whether or not I should go down to the pub. It was a Tuesday night after all, so they wouldn't be that busy. After a twenty minute internal debate over the merits of time spent in society versus the comfort of the couch, I decided to suck it up and go.

I ran upstairs to take a shower and change into something a bit nicer. Not that I was out trolling for guys or anything. But it had been a while. Okay, it had been two years since my last real date. Ever since Grams died, I hadn't been asked out once. But who's counting?

After taking the most amazing shower, I turned on some Arcade Fire and started getting ready. Kennan hated my music, so I took any chance available to blast it while he wasn't around. I got to my closet and immediately realized why it'd been two years since my last date.

Almost every article hanging within its depths related to practical work purposes. Reluctantly, I grabbed a pair of skinny jeans and a tunic style t-shirt. I threw on some mascara and headed to the door to pull on my black knee boots and my jacket. I shuffled out the door with the realization if I didn't up my game, there would be no dates in my future. With a heavy sigh, I locked the door and started to walk the distance between our place and the bar. I didn'tt believe in drinking and biking. I had enough trouble staying on it sober.

**********
THREE

When I arrived at the pub, there were only a handful of other people inside. Mostly, it was just a group of college hipsters in the corner. No doubt they were discussing what they thought to be the very best in unheard of pretentious music. Most likely that discussion would be followed by an in-depth study of the best Indian Pale Ale.

Sometimes living in this neighborhood was taxing. Don't get me wrong, I loved great music as much as the next person. Was it not enough just to enjoy it without being all pretentious about it? I walked to the bar top and pulled up a stool. Fanfreakingtastic, Marky was working tonight.

He asked me out almost relentlessly. It had been several months since I'd run into him. Truth be told, I'd been meticulously avoiding him. I know beggars can't be choosers, but there was just something about him that made nails on a chalkboard seem more preferable. I guess I hadn't disguised the look of dismay on my face, because when I glanced at Kennan he was barely containing his laughter.

"Hey stranger, it has been a long while since I saw you last. Are you just not coming around here these days?" Marky leaned in entirely to close as he finished.

I suppose he wasn't bad looking. He was just way too high on the cheese factor for me. Kennan knew how much I hated getting into awkward situations, so I knew he didn't tell me about Marky working on purpose. He seemed to be getting an awful lot of enjoyment out of my discomfort. That jerk was so going to pay later for this.

"No, I've just been missing you, I guess. Can I have a Malibu and Coke please? Lots of limes." I asked as politely and disengaged as I could.

"Hey, did K.O. tell you?"

I looked at him like I had no idea what he was talking about, which only seemed to encourage him.

"I'm getting married. Tying on the old ball and chain!" Marky beamed.

"Congratulations Marky, that is awesome. When's the big day going to be?" I was genuinely curious how five months ago he was single and now he was going to get married, as in, "'til death do us part."

"Oh, we are getting married this weekend. When you know, you just know, you know? I'll be right back with your drink chickie." And with that he was off.

God, that saying annoyed the crap out of me. What did that even mean? "When you know, you just know." That was such garbage. I was pretty sure it was a lie people told themselves when they were rushing head long into a disaster of a marriage. Ugh, maybe I was just a skeptic. Or perhaps it was that I actually believed that I needed to know a person really well before I made a promise like until death do us part. I wouldn't be getting married to anyone anytime soon, mind you.

I looked up from tearing the closest coaster apart to find Kennan looking down at me. He had my drink in one hand and a cup of limes in the other. Have I mentioned his awesomeness? He eyed me steadily and then started in with the questions.

"So what gives, Red? I thought you would be stoked about our boy Marky's news. You don't seem interested, so how about we discuss your day? Obviously we aren't that busy so I have a plethora of time for you to regale me with your adventures in bicycling."

"I'm fine. I mean, I'm really happy for him and her whoever she may be. It's just weird. I feel like everyone around me is going into the mid-twenties, getting married, having kids, buying a house with a white picket fence and I am nowhere even close to that. Do you think there is something wrong with me that I don't even want that right now?" I sounded mopey, even to my own ears. It was just so frustrating when everyone looked at me like I was a freak for not wanting those things yet.

"There is nothing wrong with you kid. You just want different things right now. You don't see me jumping on the marriage bandwagon. Heck, I escaped my last apartment so I didn't have to be surrounded by marital bliss. I think that it happens when it happens. Not that you just know, but that when it is the right time, you will know it."

There was something in the way he looked at me that was unnerving. It had been happening with some frequency lately. Like always, it passed as quickly as it showed up, leaving me to feel as though I'd imagined it all. I probably was hallucinating. That seemed to be happening to me more and more lately.

"Yeah, but you're a dude. It's cool for you to live your bachelor life until whenever you decide to get hitched. I don't give a rat's butt what people say about women's lib, there is still a serious stigma out there. I don't feel pathetic, but if people keep looking at me with that 'Awe that poor girl' look on their faces, I might start getting a complex. It's no big thing. Don't worry, I'm not about to rush out and buy all of the local Haagen Daz. I won't force you to watch _Pride and Prejudice_ or anything."

I snickered at the thought of trying to convince him to sit through the entire Colin Firth version of _Pride and Prejudice_ , which was my favorite. I could just imagine him literally climbing the walls to escape the torture, full on rock climbing gear and all. Sometimes I got these mental pictures that were so clear it was hard to not laugh at them.

"What's so funny, Iz?"

"I was just picturing the many way in which you would try to escape the room if I forced you to watch the movie with me. There would definitely be rock climbing gear and wall scaling involved."

"You're one weird chick, you know that? So, what about the creeper from today? What happened?"

"I totally almost forgot about that. It was so weird K.O. So, I go and pick up a package from one of normal firms, and have to hand delivered to the top floor of this building in the Loop. Let's just say by the time the elevator reached the top, I was almost dead. But that isn't the weird part. I took the package to this office right, and I'm supposed to wait until dude man signs everything so I can take it back. He's a total whakadoo. One minute he is cold, bordering on flat out rude. The next he is the nicest guy in the world. It all switched after our hands brushed. He gives me a serious case of the heebie jeebies. No matter how hot he was. He even called Mike to request that I would be his personal step and fetch, saying he would pay double the service fee."

I noticed, as I finished, a barely contained rage flashing in Kennan's eyes. It disappeared quickly, but there was no mistaking its presence. It was almost like before, when some emotion passed over him and was gone almost as if it had never existed. Just like that he was back to happy old Kennan, but there was something in his voice that didn't quite match his expression.

"So did he agree to let you be this dude's paper slut? I mean, I don't think it would be fair to take you off of all your other runs just for this dude's convenience. But I don't run a bike messaging service, so what do I know?"

"Nah, Mike told him to shove it in a professional way. He said that I'd be the first notified to deliver if I were available, but if I wasn't then someone else would come. I don't know, maybe I'm crazy, but there was this weird connection with him. It was exciting, but at the same time super scary. I don't really want to go back to his office if I can help it. But, I pedal my happy little tush wherever Mike sends me."

"That's definitely weird. Let me know what happens next time you get to meet mister mysterious. I'm curious how he'll treat you when he sees you again. Maybe he was just having a bad day losing thousands of someone else's dollars." Kennan paused for a moment and then out of nowhere almost shouted, "Hey, instead of veg'ing tomorrow, you wanna go to the Field?"

This was one of the many reasons why he was my favorite person, and dearest of dear friends. I loved the Field Museum more than any other place in the world. I forked over the money each year to be a member so that I could go any time I wanted. There was something amazing about being surrounded by so many years of history. My favorite exhibit, hands down, was the Pacific Northwest Native American exhibit. It was always really quiet back there. With the lights being motion sensor activated, it tended to be a bit creepy as well.

I decided to call it a night. I looked across the bar to find Kennan buried deep in thought. Kennan was never a serious person, so I had no idea what could possibly have him rattled. Curiosity got the best of me, like always, and I forced myself to ask him what the deal is.

"Hey, what's on your mind Kennan? You look like someone just told you Santa isn't real. Or perhaps, that you are not in fact the world's best bartender." I feined seriousness, pulling him out of his thoughts in the process.

"What, ah nah, it's nothing. I was just thinking about having to do inventory before I make it home tonight. Don't wait up!" He shot me one of his electrically contagious smiles, covering the concern that had been there moments before.

Still not convinced, I decided to make my exit. Hey, if the man did not want to cough up the information, who was I to pry? At any rate, I was ready for a snooze. I stood up and got my stuff together while Kennan made his way around the bar. He leaned over and kissed me on the top of my head, for the second time that night.

"See you at home kid, be careful on the way. Remember: Mace first, ask questions later! Oh, and don't wake me up before eleven tomorrow or I might just have to murder you." He smirked down at me with his giant arm still draped over my shoulder. He really did make me feel like a teacup version of a normal person.

"Yeah, yeah. You never let me have any fun, Kennan. See you in the morning." I winked at him as I stepped out from underneath his man-cage. As Iheaded for the door, I waved at Marky, sending my congratulations once more.Sadly, I made it home without having to mace anyone; such a boring night. I got to the top of the steps and unlocked the door, making my way inside. As the door shut behind me, I heard our answering machine click off. I checked my pocket out of curiousity and realized I'd once again left my phone at home. Shaking my head at how scatter-brained I was becoming, I headed toward the kitchen to check the message. I pressed the button and waited for the machine to get through its spiel. After what seemed an eternity, it finally allowed me to hear the message. That's when Kennan's voice came anxiously blaring from the machine.

"Hey, Iz, it's me, pick up if you're home. You should be home by now, why aren't you picking up. Where's your cell? You didn't answer there either. Seriously, if you don't pick up the phone in the next five seconds I am coming home to make sure you weren't murdered somewhere along the way. Seriously Izzy, five, four, three, two, I'm coming home. See you in a few, if you're alive."

I was confused. Kennan never made sure I got home, nor did he normally sound so freaked out. I stood there dumbfounded as the front door burst open. I mean, I knew we only lived a couple of blocks down from the pub, but it should seriously have taken longer than that to get from point A, the pub, to point B, the house. I swirled around not knowing what to expect, only to have Kennan engulf me in a bear hug like he hadn't just seen me twenty minutes ago. I pushed him away with a look of utter astonishment.

"What the hell Kennan? Sure I took my sweet time walking home tonight, but that's because the weather is amazing. Why are you so freaked out all of a sudden? Did someone call the bar with an anonymous tip about my invisible stalker? You're seriously starting to freak me out here, guy!" I looked at him expecting a logical explanation for his bizarre behavior.

"It's a joke, Iz. I called you from my cell when I was a block behind you. Marky offered to close tonight and do inventory since we were so dead." He smirked at me.

There was something off, though. I could've sworn the number on the caller I.D. was from the bar. Then there was the fact that Kennan didn't have the same expression on his face that he did when he was pranking me. Like earlier tonight with Marky, he had that glint in his eye that said I totally got you. Now, he just looks frazzled. Too tired to deal with it, I decided to just give up and go to bed.

"Whatever you say K.O. I'm safe and sound at home, and I am going to bed. I will see you in the morning for the Field. Unless you decide to be a total whakadoo tomorrow as well!"

"Alright, see you then. Remember, you wake me before eleven and you do so at your own peril."

**********

I made it up to my room and stripped down to just my tunic and undies. I opened the door checking the hall before I dashed to the bathroom to wash my face. The last thing I needed was for Kennan to see me in my undies. I washed my face slowly getting the bar grime off and headed back to my room.

After falling into my bed, I started thinking aboutthe insane amount of weird stuff that had transpired in just one day; the weirdo guy Xavier, Kennan's reaction to my telling him, his freak out over my not answering the phone at home tonight. I felt like I was staring at one of those magic eye posters that were so popular in the 90's. For the life of me I could not see the hidden picture. Frustrated and confused, I eventually fell asleep.

**********

_I'm dreaming I know I am, but somehow it doesn't feel that way_. _"Iz, run as fast as you can!" I hear my mother yell in a panicked voice. "Iz, you have no idea what you are, please just run, hide before it is too late! You have to get away from him. I'm so sorry, baby. Please just run. You can't let him take you."_

**********
FOUR

Cold sweat drenched my body as I awoke. The dreams were always the same, they all ended with my mother yelling at me. They'd started around the time Grams died, with her appearing and telling me to be careful. This one was the first one where she seemed panicked. I brushed it off like every time before. Breathing out slowly, I sat up and looked at the clock. It was only 7:30. Why in the world was I up this early on my day off? Even stranger, why did I smell bacon and cinnamon rolls? I got up and wrapped my fluffy robe around me before trudging down to the kitchen. Once there, I was met with something even more bizarre than all the events of the previous day combined.

Kennan was up, freshly showered, and dressed already. Not only that, he was cooking breakfast on his day off. I was now convinced the universe had somehow gotten thrown off kilter. I walked in and stared at him, utterly speechless for the first time in years. To say Kennan was not a morning person would be like saying the Pope just liked Jesus a little bit. It usually took three very loud alarm clocks to wake him.

He turned from the stove and raked his eyes down me, taking in my disheveled appearance. He smiled and said, "You want some breakfast?" That's it. No hint as to why he was up at what he considered the butt crack of stupid.

"What's up with you Iz? Are you sleepwalking? I asked if you wanted breakfast." He looked at me expectantly.

"Um, yeah, breakfast would be nice. What in the world are you doing up this early? I'm like one hundred and fifty percent positive you told me not to wake you up before eleven today."

I made my way to the table and plopped down in front of my plate. There was already a glorious cup of coffee waiting on me. I was starting to feel as if I'd stepped into the Twilight Zone yesterday.

"I woke up early. It isn't like the world is coming to an end. I was starving and I thought I'd make enough for you, too. You know, so you wouldn't eat everything I'd cooked for myself."

He still had the playful glint in his eyes, but there was also something else lurking there. The same thing buried behind the façade that I'd caught glimpses of yesterday. There was a tension building but to what end I was not sure.

I was entirely too tired to think about his weirdness. Instead, I started scarfing down my food. Did I mention that I might starve if it weren't for Kennan? No, really. If he worked doubles or was gone for whatever reason, I forgot to eat. It happened all of the time. My mind tended to get so caught up with a million different things that I forgot to eat. I devoured everything on my plate and realized that in my haste to outperform any vacuum on the market, Kennan was staring at me.

I blushed. Honest to God felt the blood rise in my face blush. I didn't know what the deal was. I was never embarrassed in front of Kennan. He'd seen me look pretty rough in the past two years. Maybe it was just a side effect of all the other weirdness that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Or perhaps it was the strange looks he'd been giving me lately.

"So.....what time did you want to go to the museum today?" I asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Well, it's a gorgeous day, so I thought we would be tourists in our own town and do it up right."

"What do you have in mind, oh master planner of the day?"

"Well, I figure we could go down to Millennium Park and walk around for a while, see if the weird face fountains are still spitting water on people. Then maybe we could head over to the museum campus. We might have time for the aquarium and the Field today."

"You have a deal, if we can go to the zoo instead of the aquarium. I want to see the penguins." At least they wouldn't be acting as weird as everyone else in my life. Well, I hoped not. If I got there and they are wearing tiny top hats and monocles, the jig was seriously up.

"Sounds like a plan, man! I will get this mess cleaned up, unless you feel like licking the plates clean. I mean, I think I might see a couple of crumbs left on your plate." I threw my wadded up paper towel at him as I headed out of the kitchen.

**********

FIVE

I quickly showered and got dressed after checking the weather. Indian summer was usually warm, but there was the occasional chilly day that could sneak up out of nowhere. Today looked to be one of those days. I headed over to my pitiful clothing collection and decided to just throw on my jeans from the previous night, a t-shirt that said something about love, and my green granny sweater. At least that was what Kennan called it. I loved it, it was soft and had big buttons. It even had elbow patches. I decided to toss a little makeup on today since I planned on taking pictures. I know, vanity is unattractive, but so was my pale skin when it reflected a camera flash. After spending close to an hour getting ready, I got downstairs to find Kennan waiting on me.

He was dressed in some khaki cargo shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops. I didn't bother explaining the temperature to him. Even in the winter he didn't wear weather appropriate clothing. I pulled on my brown leather knee boots and grabbed my bag.

"Not one word about the sweater. Yesterday was full of weird so I'm bringing my security blanket with me today. You ready?" I asked as I made for the door.

"What was so weird about yesterday? Speaking of weird, you still having that dream about your mom? I thought I heard you yell last night," Kennan asked, trying to hide something behind his eyes.

"Nothing and no, I'm not still having the dream," I lied. "I just want to be comfy today and we all know how much I love this sweater."

I didn't want him to know about the dream. I'd told him about it the first few times it had happened because it really freaked me out. That and I would wake up screaming. He had a tendency to rush into my room to make sure I wasn't being mauled by an intruder. I'd gotten the whole screaming thing under control, for the most part. But there seemed to be something about the dreams that I couldn't quite figure out. I didn't want to share them with him or anyone for that matter.

***********

We made our way over to the zoo pretty quickly. Since it was a weekday there were several field trips going on. I loved watching little kids at the zoo almost as much as watching the animals themselves. Their shear excitement over something wild being right at their fingertips was contagious. Then again, part of me was always sad about the animals never really knowing what it was to be free. We headed in and immediately made our way to my favorite display, the penguins. Thankfully, they weren't sporting monocles or top hats..

"Aren't they so cute Kennan? It's like they're wearing tiny formal wear."

I turned to find Kennan staring blankly ahead. He was totally zoned out like he wasn't even paying attention. He'd been doing that more and more lately. Either I was seriously starting to lose my marbles or something majorly weird was going on in the world around me. .

"Earth to K.O., anyone home in there? Listen, if you don't want to stay at the zoo we can head out, I think I'm getting hungry, anyway."

"Seriously Iz, how do you not know if you're hungry?" he asked.

We spent a little more time meandering through the zoo. He made jokes at my expense and I ignored him. It was finally feeling like a normal day again. Plus he bought me a pretzel, which left me being the happiest girl in the world. After a couple of hours we hopped on the bus and headed over to Millennium Park.

"You want some lunch, Izzy? I'm thinking something fast, like a hot dog or something," he said, spotting a vendor in the park.

"Sure, sounds good," I said, mostly because I knew it is a losing battle trying to peel him away from a hotdog stand.

He grabbed himself four hotdogs, and one for me. I knew he was a big guy, but he seriously ate like a horse. I couldn't stomach half of what he did, and if I tried I sure wouldn't fit through my front door. We sat down on a bench overlooking the lake and proceeded to chow down. It took me about ten minutes to finish my hotdog and by then he was finished with all four of his.

"Ready?" he asked grabbing our trash. "Hey you wanna walk over there or grab a cab?"

"It's such a pretty day. Do you mind walking?" I asked, hoping to hide the sadness in my voice. While we were eating, the date had snuck its way into my head reminding me what today was.. Two years ago today, I was sitting in a funeral home mourning the loss of my Grams.

"Nope, don't mind walking at all, as long as you don't burst into tears on me. What gives?"

"I just remembered what today is. Sorry, I'm fine, really I'm good. Let's just head over there and I'll go look at some giant totem poles and feel better. Deal?" I stared down at my toes trying to get myself under control. Before I knew what was happening, I was airborne and being tossed over his shoulder.

He called it the duffle bag approach. I called it annoying. I beat on his back trying to get him to drop me. He was laughing as he placed me back on solid ground; effectively pulling me right back to today and out of the pastKennan had an uncanny knack for being able to pull me out of my head when I got lost in memories.

By the time we made it to the Field, it was almost closing. The guard at the front told us there was only an hour left. So, I headed straight for my favorite exhibit. Kennan hollered he had to use the facilities at me and darted off towards the men's room. I just waved and headed to my isolated display.

I was shocked to see some of the lights illuminated in the exhibit. Mostly because the museum was almost closed but also because most visitors tended to go to the jewelry or dinosaur exhibits. I walked into the display area and headed to one of my favorite cases. I was lost in my own thoughts imagining what it must be like to revere the earth as the Native American's did, when a hand tapped my shoulder. I knew that feeling. I'd felt it just yesterday. A heady mix of fear and anticipation assaulted me, like I was about to plunge down the first hill on a rollercoaster. I turned, already knowing who the hand belonged to.

"Hello," he said in his deep baritone. "I don't know if you remember me, but we met yesterday. You delivered some stuff to my office."

I knew full well who he was, but I feigned ignorance and stared blankly. After a moment I responded.

"Oh yeah, you're the guy from the top floor of that huge building." Clearly, this was not the response he was expecting. He scowled for a moment before plastering what was meant to be a convincing smile on his face.

"Well, if that is all that made an impression on you, I'll have to try harder for next time. Say, do you have any dinner plans this evening?" he asked, raking his eyes from my head down to my toes.

I mean, seriously. I was so not dressed to impress. Besides, I didn't appreciate being ogled by mister split personalities. I didn't even get a chance to form a response before I heard Kennan's approach. He seemed more than willing to answer for me.

"She already has dinner plans. Furthermore she has no interest in developing any association with you," his voice held a barely contained menace. Somehow the accent was off, almost foreign. I turned to make sure it was really Kennan. And were those tattoos that I just saw?

"Well, I think we should let the lady decide whether or not she would like to dine with me, don't you?" Mister fancy pants was nonplussed by my suddenly overbearing roomie. I decided to intervene before they proceeded to pee all over the ancient artifacts.

"I appreciate the offer sir, but I don't interact socially with clients." I smiled at him with the most genuine, sweet-tea, southern smile I could muster.

"That truly is a shame, my dear." He said it as a threat.

I grabbed Kennan's hand and jerked him out of the museum before he burnt the whole thing to the ground just to bury the man inside.

I didn't speak to him the entire way back to the house. I was so confused about what had really just happened. I felt like they'd been talking a whole different language with subtext I couldn't even begin to decipher. I was kind of pissed off that Kennan would step in and speak for me as if I didn't have the right to choose my own suitors. Not that I would have gone out with Mr. Xander, but I would have at least liked the choice. I was beginning to feel like I didn't know my roommate at all.

**********
SIX

When we got to the house, Kennan paid the cab driver and we headed inside. As soon as I came inside he closed and locked the door. He turned to me with a wild look in his eyes and then just let me have it.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing talking to him, Iz? Do you even know who that was? No, you don't do you? How could you possibly know? You don't know anything. Listen to me carefully. You need to head upstairs and pack a bag. Fill it with everything you need. We're going away for a little while." He said it with that strange accent he used back at the museum. It was almost Irish or Scottish but older somehow.

I stood there gaping at him, and then all hell broke loose inside of me. I was tired of feeling like I was not a player in my own life. There was a pressure building inside of me and no release valve to let it out. Between the dreams, Kennan being all crazy for the past few months, and the events of yesterday and today, I'd had enough.

"What in the hell do you mean we're going away for a little while? I'm not going anywhere with you. I don't know what it is you think is going on, or who you think you are to tell me what I can and can't do. You are sorely mistaken sir. You aren't my keeper, nor are you my parent. So just back the hell off."

He quietly walked into the kitchen and came back holding something in his hand, maybe a towel.. He grabbed me so quickly I didn't even see him move, pressing the towel to my mouth in the process. As I started to lose consciousness I heard him whisper, "I'm so sorry, Iz."

Then, it was oblivion.

**********

I awakened slowly to the feeling that I wasn't standing still anymore. Realization slowly started to sink in. I looked around me and noticed that I was in the back of an old SUV of some sort. My mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton and my hands and feet were tied down to something. I started to panic, and as soon as the scream bellowed up in my throat, I saw a hand reach out from the front seat with the towel of doom. This time, there was no apology.

**********

I came to again, and before the towel could descend upon me with its nocturnal powers, I screamed. I saw Kennan jerk with surprise from the driver's seat. He glanced over his shoulder at me. I didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Instead, I started in on calling his mother some rather unsavory and unladylike names. Then I told him where he could go, and what kind of monster I really thought he was. I think I might have also suggested he perform some anatomically impossible tasks.

He listened with that eerie calm he got sometimes. He waited until I had gotten it all out of my system before saying anything.

"Are you finished? If so, I will pull over at the next truck stop and untie you so that you can use the restroom. Before you get any ideas, I'm going in there with you. There is no escaping me now. Trust me when I say this, I will find you Izzy and I will drag you back. Always. However, if you behave and act normally, I won't tie you up when we get back in the car."

So these were my choices. Be an amiable hostage to my suddenly psychopathic roommate or have him hunt me down like a dog when I slipped the leash. Neither one seemed like a great choice. I could fight, but I knew I would lose to him. I could run, but I was pretty sure he would still catch me. Plus, my arms were really starting to hurt from being tied in this position. If he was going to murder me, he would have already done it by now. Probably.

"Fine, but you are so not coming in the stall with me," I said as he started to exit whatever road we'd been traveling down.

I thought I saw a glimmer of old humor in his eyes, but I was too mad to really give a damn. As we pulled into the truck stop, I noticed that the area looked nothing like home. The sun looked like it was about to set, which didn't make much sense. I refused to ask him any questions though, and in all honesty, my bladder was about to burst.

He parked us in a remote area of the lot, and climbed over the front seats to the back where I was tied down. As he reached for the ropes with a knife, I flinched. His face fell a little, but he quickly put on a blank expression, and cut me free while mumbling something about not hurting me. He opened the door and helped me out of the vehicle, ensnaring my hand with an iron grip. He effectively thwarted any brilliant escape plans I might've been hatching. He headed directly back towards the bathrooms and walked in with me like it is no big deal. No one seemed to notice, either.

"I was serious about you not coming into the stall with me. There aren't any windows for me to scurry out of. So you can release my hand."

Reluctantly, he let me go. I took my time going until he piped up about coming in after me. It wasn't like I was used to having to go with an audience. I came out, and hurried to wash my hands before he grabbed them again. As soon as I was done, he pulled me into the handicapped stall with him.

"What are you doing?" I demanded as he locked the door behind me.

"Well, I have to go. And since I don't want you running off, I want you right where I can see you," he said in that same accent. I was beginning to think the Kennan I knew was some kind of imaginary person.

"NO WAY am I staying in here while you use the bathroom! NO WAY! I will go willingly with you back to the car, I will play nice. But I refuse to watch you pee!"

"Then turn around. No one said you had to watch me. But if you want to peak, Lass, go right ahead," he said as he unzipped his pants and I quickly turned away.

Did he seriously just call me "Lass?" My mind was still trying to catch back up to everything that had happened. I was beginning to wonder if my crisis response system was offline.. But, as strange as it seemed, I didn't feel like I was in danger with Kennan. I didn't know if I'd developed Stockholm syndrome from living with him for so long, or if my instincts were broken. Either way, I was just going to go with it and see where it led me. He flushed the toilet and reached past me to unlock the stall.

"It's all put away, Iz. No need to fear now," he snickered as he headed to the sinks to wash his hands. I followed like a deranged lap dog. Where else was I going to go, seriously?

"Hey, are you hungry?" he asked as we headed out into the truck stop. Still, no one noticed us walking out of the women's bathroom together.

"Kind of," I replied, deciding to be sullen and keep all of my answers as short as possible.

That just caused him to drag me throughout the store, loading up my arms like we were two besties on a road trip. We headed to the checkout counter, and the cashier finally noticed us.

"Oh, I didn't notice you guys come in at all," she said as if she had just snapped out of a daze. She rang us up and told us to have a nice night then we headed back out to the vehicle.

We were riding in an old Jeep Cherokee, I realized. Not for the first time I was trying to figure out where in the world Kennan came by a vehicle. I climbed in and decided to keep my trap shut for a while. Suddenly, I started to feel queasy and my head began to throb, as if someone was reaching in and pulling the thoughts from my head.

I must've made some sort of noise, because Kennan looked over at me quickly with a look of someone battling themselves in his eyes. He reached for the towel again. I tried to reach for the door to leave, but my head hurt so badly I couldn't do anything. He slowly placed the towel over my mouth, cursing in some foreign language and then there was nothing.

**********

I awakened again, slumped over in the front seat. At least this time I wasn't restrained. We were bumping along on some sort of gravel road in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, my head no longer felt as though someone was trying to pry my brain out. As consciousness finally broke through my stupor, I realized I really had to pee. Half of me was afraid to tell Kennan, and the other half just really wanted to relieve my bladder of its current agony. I started to talk but my voice was hoarse.

"I really have to go to the bathroom," I said, sounding as pitiful as I was afraid I might be.

To my surprise, he just stopped the car in the middle of whatever could be road we were driving down. He pulled out a roll of toilet paper from a bag in the back and handed it to me. I looked down at it like it held the answers to the mysteries of the universe.

"I thought you had to pee. Or are you afraid to go in the woods by yourself. I can come with you if you really need me to hold your hand," he said gruffly and without a hint of his usual humor.

"No, that's fine. I'll just go park it behind some tree in the middle of woods while it rains. Sounds like a great plan to me." I sounded snarky even to my own ears, but I was irritated beyond belief. I'd been kidnapped by my only friend, taken to God knows where, and I didn't have a clue what in the hell was going on.

I climbed out of the car and headed to the nearest tree. I had to pee so badly I just ignored the embarrassing fact that he could probably still see me from the Jeep. I finished up and headed back to the vehicle.

"Where to now? Or do you want to go ahead and suffocate me with your magic towel again?" I snapped as I buckled myself back in.

"We'll be where we are going to leave the Jeep in about an hour. You should eat something. You've been out for two days. I promise when we get where we're going I'll explain everything." Yup, man of mystery over there. I really didn't like this new Kennan at all. While I was overly curious as to what in the world was happening to my seemingly normal life, I was also too stubborn to give him the satisfaction of asking.

I distracted myself from my current situation by looking out the window. Everything my eyes could take in was green, and I did mean everything. I was afraid that if I stood still too long outside, I would end up covered in moss as well.. Then there was the sky, an endless blanket of grey that leaked a fine spray of constant moisture. It wasn't even enough to really call it rain. I gasped taking in my surroundings. Good God! I didn't know that ferns could even get that big. By the time we finally came to a stop at the end of the gravel road, I was totally entranced by the beauty of the place.

"Alright, time to get out Izzy. You need to put on those hiking boots in the backseat. We'll be walking from here," he said tiredly, as if he just knew I was going to give him problems.

I bit my tongue and put on the shoes in silence. Of course they fit perfectly. I drew on the raincoat I'd found next to the boots and exited the Jeep As I stood staring at my former best friend, I suddenly realized I didn't know him at all. He might as well of been a complete stranger.

I supposed I could try and run, but first I needed to know where the hell I was. I could be patient. I would just go along with whatever Crazy Pants here had planned for me until I knew more about what special kind of hell I'd found my way into..

My attention was drawn to the traitorous bastard himself, he was busy unloading supplies and filling up a giant hiking backpack. He had a second backpack close by that was loaded with barely anything. I knew which one I wanted to carry. Once finished, he covered the vehicles so that it was barely visible. He turned and grabbed the giant backpack as if it weighed nothing then handed me the lighter one.

"We'll be walking for about four hours. We can stop and rest as much as you need to, but we need to try and make it where we're going by nightfall," with that he disappeared into the tree line.

I stepped in after him noticing that there was no discernible trail. The trees were the biggest trees I'd ever seen in my life. I couldn't even wrap my arms a quarter of the way around some of them. I was lost in a dreamland while blindly following him. As my mind wandered, I remembered the dream I'd had of my mother warning me to hide. Could she have been warning me about him all along? Or was it just a coincidence? I stumbled on a root and lightning fast, a hand reached out to steady me. Without any explanation Kennan turned and kept walking.

I refused to ask for a break and after three hours of walking up what felt like a mountainside I was exhausted. Kennan didn't look back at me but any time my steps faltered, he was there to steady me. By the time the fourth hour had passed I was about dead on my feet. We were steadily climbing when there was a sudden break in the endless trees and man-eating ferns.

There, standing in the small clearing with a rock face at its back, was a cabin. It was no meager one room shack type cabin, either. This was a huge, well-built structure. I marveled at how something like this could be built up here. There were no roads to bring supplies, so I had no clue how it would've been done. Just to clear a patch of forest to build it would've been a feat in itself.

"We're here," Kennan announced the obvious. As if there were another cabin out here in the middle of God knows where.

"How does your head feel? Is there a pull anymore?" The concern lacing his voice ignited my anger once more.

How could he possibly know that what it felt like back at the gas station? I tried to hide my surprise as best I could and replied shortly, "I'm fine."

"Alright then, well, I guess you should know this is going to be home for a few weeks. You might as well get used to it, because there is no way you will ever find your way out of here by yourself. Like I said before, I will find you. Always," he said cryptically.

"Okay then, can we maybe go inside, or are we just going to park it out here like a couple of lawn gnomes? I think that there are parts of me that aren't drenched and freezing yet." I felt I had a right to be a little grouchy considering what the last few days had been like.

"In ya go then. Why don't you take the bedroom and I can sleep out here on the couch. If you want to take a bath or anything, the bathroom is down the hall."

"That would be nice."

I headed to the bedroom and was relieved to find an actual bed with a real mattress. Not for the first time, I was curious as to how everything had gotten up here. I took the boots off of my feet and peeled off my damp socks. Of course my feet were now covered in lovely blisters. It seemed my city treks hadn't prepared me for a mountainous hike. After throwing my feet a sufficient pity party, I started to strip off the wet clothes. I took the jacket off and started to take my shirt off when I realized, I didn't pack a stitch of clothes. I headed back into the living room to find Kennan building a fire in the large stone fireplace that took up one end of the cabin.

Kennan didn't even look back at me. It was unnerving, this new development of his. It was as if he knew exactly where I was at all times, without ever having to look for me. He just started talking as if it was the most normal thing to talk to someone that wasn't there five seconds ago.

"Your clothes are in the bag I just carried up. I told you to pack a bag. Unfortunately, you went all hysterical back at the house, so I had to pack one for you. Everything you need should be in there. If you didn't have it, I packed it for you out of what I'd already prepared. All of your toiletries and stuff are in that bag as well. If you want to go get cleaned up, I will make us some dinner."

Without responding, I went to the now much smaller bag he'd carried up and took it to the room. I unloaded the bag slightly mortified that he had been fondling my undergarments only to find that almost none of the clothing inside the bag was mine. The only thing I recognized was my green sweater and my underwear. The rest of the clothes were all in my size, but they were meant for hiking and camping. Granted, most of my clothes back home were for work, and we were in the middle of the woods, but jeez I would have liked something that was mine at least.

In the bottom of the bag was the only picture I had left of my parents. It had been taken out of its frame, but it was there none the less. I didn't understand what was going on and I just couldn't take the not asking thing any longer. I stormed out in the living room and started talking at him before he could do the creepy talk to me without looking at me to know I was there thing.

"What in the hell is all of that in there? Those aren't my clothes. You kidnap me, drug me, haul me to God knows where in the middle of the woods to probably murder me. The least you could do is pack my own damned clothes. How do you even know my sizes? Invasive much? Or for that matter, why the hell do you have a stockpile of clothes for me lying about? I've been doing my best to keep it together and not go totally postal on you. I've been trying to figure out why three days ago my life was totally normal but now I am in some parallel dimension where my best friend speaks in a totally different accent and kidnaps me. But I can't anymore. And cheese on a cracker, I am going to lose my job and then Gram's house if I don't call Mike."

I fell onto the sofa totally losing steam from my rambling rant.

"First, I need to clarify that it's been about a week since your life was normal. It took us three days to drive here. You don't remember a lot of that probably. For that, I'm truly sorry. The clothes were a precaution, as is this cabin and the drugs I used on you on the way here. Mike already knows you're gone. He knows far more than even you do about who you really are. Your Grams wasn't your real grandma either, and I'm not really an American at all." He said all of this as if it was supposed to make some sort of sense.

I just stared at him hoping to get more. He stared right back for a moment with that same tumultuous look in his eyes that I'd been noticing lately. After a moment, he went back to poking the fire. Clearly, I wouldn't be getting any more information from him right now. Mister "I-keep-my-mouth-shut-about-all-of-the-important-crap-but-for-the-past-two-years-I-have-had-time-to-play-pranks-on-you-and-stockpile-emergency-kidnap-you-supplies."

I headed back to the room and started to just change into some other clothes, when I realized I smelled kind of bad. Not showering for a few days had made me pretty rank.

I took my bag down the hall to the bathroom, avoiding him as much as the cabin would allow. I started the water and was surprised to find hot water. How in the world? There must've been one heck of a generator up here. I climbed in under the hot water and let it take me away for a few minutes. I scrubbed myself thoroughly and got out to find two fluffy towels hanging on the rack that hadn't been there before I'd gotten in the shower. With one fluffy towel wrapped around my head, I quickly dried off with the other. When I was sufficiently dry, I climbed out of the tub to rifle through the bag. I hoped desperately to find something to sleep in. What I found served to set my temper aflame once more. I stormed out into the living room wearing nothing but a towel and dangling a nighty from one finger.

"Are you freaking kidding me Kennan? Whose is this, one of your ex-girlfriend's? Do you expect me to parade around like some vamped-up, sex-kitten, eye-candy in front of the man that just kidnapped me? Where are my t-shirts and holey sweat pants? Where are they?" I asked through gritted teeth. I really couldn't seem to get my temper under control right now.

Kennan laughed. He honest to God had the audacity to laugh at me. And not just a chuckle, he laughed his deep belly laugh that seemed to rumble and resonate through every surface around him.

"So, that's the straw then? The choice of pajamas and the clothes are what is setting you off. It wasn't the drugging you, or the making you pee in the woods, or even the four hour hike, it's the clothes I packed for you." Tears were leaking out of his eyes, he was laughing so hard. This, at least, was a trace of the Kennan I used to know, but I was too infuriated to be relieved.

"Besides, Lass, that towel covers less than those pajamas do. Yet, you don't seem to have any objections to prancing around in it."

"Quit calling me 'Lass,' you sound like a freaking leprechaun. Who are you? Clearly you aren't the Kennan O'Malley I thought you were. So please, just give me something here, or I'm heading back out into those woods and walking until a wolf, bear, or some other woodland creature decides to put me out of my misery!"

He sobered very quickly and nodded as if deciding it was time.

"Go put some clothes on, we'll eat something and then I'll tell you everything you need to know. About me, about you, and about what is happening. I promise I'll try to stop calling you 'Lass'."

I walked back to the bathroom with my sails slightly deflated and finished cleaning up. I looked in the mirror only to find I had mascara streams coming down from under each eye. Not only did I just go ballistic, but I'd done so looking like a glorified raccoon. Ugh. Could this day get any worse? No really, could it?

Part of me was excited about finding out what was really happening, but the other part was wary. I wasn't one hundred percent sure that I could trust anything Kennan said now. I headed back to my room and pulled on some long john pants and a tee. I exited the safety of my room to face whatever Kennan had to say.

**********
SEVEN

The most intoxicating smell filled the cabin. It smelled like heaven. I wondered when the last time I'd eaten had been. I headed towards the small two person table in the kitchen and sat down while Kennan scooped some sort of pasta, chicken, veggie mix onto my plate. He brought me a glass of water as well. Even now, he still had to feed me. I really was pathetic. He sat down and we ate in companionable silence with him eyeing me warily. Even though I was bursting to know what brand of crazy he was selling, I was famished.

Once we'd both finished eating, he took our plates to the small sink and rinsed them off leaving them to wash later. He returned, gesturing for me to follow him to the living room.

"Before I explain anything, before you will believe anything I try and tell you, I'm going to have to show you something. I was hoping this day would never come, Iz. I never wanted this life for you. I need you to look at me closely, Iz. Really pay attention. When you feel like looking away, look a little longer. Do you understand?" he asked timidly. I just nodded. I was too curious to say anything else.

He nodded once and then muttered, " _A bhidse_."

I watched him closely until the air around him started to shimmer. Like a flash, he expanded outward and upward. At the same time dark bluish-black ink swirled about his skin in intricate patterns, starting at his neck and wrapping itself under his shirt and down his arms and God only knew where else. The air settled, and there stood a man that I didn't know. I could not begin to comprehend how this could be the Kennan I knew.

K.O. was tall, yes, but the man standing before me was 6 foot 7 at least. Almost as broad as he was tall, strong chords of muscle roped down his arms and legs. He wasn't bulky like some sort of weight lifter. Instead, he had the physique of someone that'd worked manual labor his entire life.

I stood there taking him all in. The man I used to know was no more. Just as I began to speak, the inky pattern swirling down his arms came to a rest. Instead of the swirling miasma, there was now an intricate Celtic scroll design, far older than anything I'd ever seen.

I got up from the sofa and went to where he was standing by the fireplace. I studied him carefully and then finally looked up into his face. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes looked blankly ahead as if he were waiting for me to scream. There in his eyes was my best friend and the man that had kidnapped me. So I did the only thing I could think of. I poked him. He looked down at me surprised.

"What no screaming?" he asked.

I shook my head, still too stunned to say much. But somehow this felt right. I felt as though I was seeing the Kennan I'd been catching glimpses of recently. That same place in my gut that told me to avoid mister CEO was now telling me that this was the man that I'd known for the past two years. There just seemed to be more of him than before.

"How did all of this fit into that?" I asked, honestly curious.

For the first time in what seemed to be ages, he relaxed. A smile danced on his lips, which seemed to be much fuller and so very appealing. Holy cow, hormones, let's just put that on the back burner and come back to it never. Trying to distract myself, I moved back to the sofa and plopped down. Standing next to him was giving me a size complex.

"Do you mind if I sit down to explain this?" he asked, moving my way.

I shook my head as he took the cushion next to me on the sofa.

"Okay, so, how to explain this? It's kind of like magic, but not. I can convince people that they see something that isn't really there. It's a mind trick of sorts. Like at the gas station when no one noticed us go into the bathroom. I can project it onto other people as well. I sort of project myself in a way that is more socially normal than the way I really appear. I know I'm not making any sense."

"What are you?" I asked simply. The most complex question that came to my mind was "what are you?" Like he was going to tell me he was a werewolf or vampire. I needed to cut down on my novel intake it would seem.

"What I am is the same as you, just a little different. I'm a Guardian, a sworn protector of the Seers. More precisely, I'm your Guardian. I have sworn a vow to keep you safe from those that would do you harm. Hence, I kidnapped you to a cabin in the middle of the Olympic National Park wilderness. I thought we were safe in Chicago. I honestly did, and then he found you. He's been looking for so long. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Are you following me so far?"

I nodded in encouragement. I was afraid if he stopped I wouldn't be able to get him talking again.

"Your mom is a Seer as well. She can predict the future outcome of events. She can even predict various outcomes of a situation based on the different choices that can be made. She's amazing. She can pick out when a natural disaster will happen within the second. She can even predict winning Lotto numbers if she really wants to focus her attention that way. I've never seen anything like her before. She's the best of all of the Seers throughout history, and you are predicted to surpass even her." He said this with a look of awe like it was a good thing.

"You keep saying she is. Kennan. What she is, is dead. She has been for a long time," I said with an obvious air of confusion around me.

"No, she's not."

With those four little words, he'd successfully flipped my world on its ear. If my mom wasn't truly dead, then where had she been all of these years? Was she really talking to me in my dreams? Suddenly an immense panic began to wash over me. It threatened to pull me under. I felt like I was trapped in an elevator in between floors. I was unable to catch my breath as the cold sweat spread over my body. She wasn't dead. I could feel myself start to lose consciousness, as if my brain was not equipped to handle anymore crazy. Just as I started to fade I felt two strong arms scoop me up.

**********

" _You can't let him find you my love," my mother said to me somewhere in the fog._

" _Who is he? Where are you? Are you even really talking to me?" I asked the fog, even as I realized I was dreaming once again._

" _Kennan will watch over you. Trust him, trust no one else. And for the love of God do not come for me. Whatever you do, you run. I have tried for so long to keep him from you, but I'm fading my love. So you stay alive, and don't you dare let him catch you."_

The fog started to lift and I saw her, for the first time in more years than I could count. She was lying there in front of me. She was strapped to some sort of hospital bed with at least twenty tubes coming out of her. There was something attached to her head like a crown. In place of the strong lithe woman I remembered, there was a withered, frail creature.

The closer I got, the more horrified I became. How could I not look for her? How could I possibly leave her like this? Just as I approached the bed, she opened her eyes and stared at me. As if awareness had just dawned, she began to scream.

" _No, you can't be here. You have to go. Please, go now!" She looked around her frantically as a dark shadow started to seep in from the background._

With the darkness came another voice. It wasn't as clear as my mother's, but decipherable none the less.

" _Tisk Tisk, Little One. You can run, but you can't hide forever. Tell that Guardian we are coming for you."_

I screamed as the inky splotch started extending towards my body.

**********

I was being shaken, and I opened my eyes to see Kennan. He was yelling my name and shaking me by my shoulders. I took a deep breath filling my burning lungs. I stared into Kennan's eyes as the tears start flowing.

"I've got you. I promise, I'm not going anywhere," he whispered into my hair.

How was it that in the past week my whole life changed? My mother wasn't dead. My dreams were her, trying to warn me. There was someone after me for a reason I'd yet to discover. I felt as though the past twenty-four years of my life had been a lie. I needed to know more. I needed to feel like I had at least a semblance of control over my life. And on top of everything, Kennan was being too nice. It was freaking me out. I took a steadying breath and sat up. It was time I got my head wrapped around all of this.

"Who am I, Kennan and what are you to me? I need to know everything. Is my dad alive somewhere strapped to a bed like she is?" He took a steadying breath and looked my face over as if he were searching for information.

"Izzy, there is so much I need to tell you. You're safe here. They can't reach you. This is one of our safe houses. But first things first, I need to tell you the histories. I need to tell you about your parents. I need to tell you about your Grams, Mike, and me."

He looked at me as if I would bolt at any second. Which, I supposed if I had any sense at all I would be doing. But I kept hearing the echoes of my mother's voice telling me he was the only one I could trust, so I held firm.

Kennan started slowly, as if reluctant to rid himself of the secrets that had been his companions for so many years.

"Your dad and I were best friends, Iz. I've known him since we were both boys. We grew up together. We trained together. We were brothers in everything but blood. I would've died in his place if I could. But none of that matters. What does matter is that he died trying to save you and your mother. He protected you when you couldn't protect yourself. He loved you both more than I've ever seen any one person love another."

I stared at him, obviously confused. So I got the whole Guardian thing, but now the whole vampire thing seemed more plausible. There was no way that Kennan could be the same age as my father. It was unfathomable. My father had graying hair and crow's feet around his eyes from smiling too much. My confusion must've been evident. The next words out of Kennan's mouth confirmed there were things about the story that I would have a much harder time believing.

"I'll explain it all with the histories. But first, you need to know what happened to you and your mother, and how you came into our protection. Your story really started on that day, that horrible day all of those years ago, the day of the wreck. It was a trap set up by Xavier's people. He'd been searching for your mother for a long time. Your parents thought they were safe in that hole-in-the-wall town in Alabama. Your mother learned to hide her talents. Your father took up a job and an appearance that was completely average. But they found them anyway. They sabotaged the car. It flipped 5 times before it came to a rest out in that peanut field. You all survived the initial wreck, surprisingly."

I couldn't stand it anymore. His story was completely different from my own memories.

"I was not in that car Kennan. I was at home with a sitter."

His eyes were becoming more withdrawn with suffering by the moment.

"You were there. I know, because I saved you and ran. When the car came to a rest, your mother took your memories of it and replaced them with what you remember. Your father, in an effort to save you lowered the seat in the back and put you in the trunk of the car. He sent me a message telling me where you were. When they came, your parents told them you were no longer with them. They shot your father and took your mother. When I got there he was barely alive. But he told me where you were. He told me where to take you and he told me to keep you safe. They made it so that once I found you, you wouldn't remember."

I couldn't stop the flow of tears as the long repressed memories came rushing to the surface. I could hear the crush of metal, as my mother's soothing voice told me everything would be okay. My father told me it was time to play the quiet mouse game before getting me secured in the trunk. I remembered trying to breathe calmly as the walls of the trunk seemed to move in on me infinitesimally as the seconds ticked on. Then out of the darkness came the blurry visage of Kennan.

I tried to pull myself back to the present and turned my attention back to something I could handle.

"So what about Grams, and Mike, and you? How do you fit into this story? Why did they want my mother so badly?"

"Grams and Mike are part of the safety net. They aren't like me, but they've all lost family to the Corporation. They've both felt the brunt of pain that could've been prevented. Pain caused to gain profit. So Grams took you in. She loved you like you were her own. She had the power to mask your presence, which is why you were kept safe all of the years you were with her. Mike lost both of his sons to the Corporation. They were collateral damage. So Mike, much like Grams, kept an eye on you when I could not. I only came back into the picture after Grams died because I promised your father I'd keep you safe. The closer it got to your twenty-fifth birthday, the more danger you were in. As much as it pained me to be close to you with the constant reminder of what was lost, I couldn't deny the oath I made to your father. So I stayed, and then you became mine."

"I don't understand. Everything you say brings up more questions than answers. You say that you and my father were childhood friends. But he was so much older than you. You talk about this Corporation and how they're run by people like you. But where does my mother fit in and why do they want me? What does it mean that I'm yours?"

"It's getting late Iz, you've already had a lot to take in. Are you sure you want to hear all of this tonight?"

He ran his hand down his face, as if he could wash away the memories that our discussion had brought to the surface.

"I need to know, Kennan. If I am ever going to figure out what in the hell to do, I have to have answers. My mom has been talking to me in my dreams, for crying out loud. I lied when I told you I wasn't having them anymore. She was telling me to run. But I thought it was just a dream. Just now, when I passed out I saw her Kennan. She was right there in front of me. She's wasting away to nothing and they have her strapped to a table like some sort of lab experiment. How can I leave her like that? And he was there. How did he get in my dreams Kennan, can he hurt me there?"

His eyes became serious and filled with a sort of rage I'd never seen before. It scared me and brought me peace simultaneously.

"What do you mean he was there? And I already knew you were still having the dreams. I dream what you dream, Iz. I have since I became your Guardian. But I didn't see this one which means you are starting to have the visions. Tell me everything you saw."

I unloaded everything that had passed between my mother and I, and the inky shadow that skirted around the edges of the vision. I told him the warning that was meant to be passed on, and the overwhelming since of desperation and fear that I'd felt coming from my mother. By the time I'd finished retelling my vision I felt like an empty husk of what I'd once been. My optimism was quickly replaced by fear and uncertainty.

"Can we make some coffee or something Kennan? I need to hear the rest of this, but I'm running on like zero right now. I need something to fuel this insanity."

I started to stand up and move back toward the living room, not really knowing how we'd gotten to my bedroom in the first place. My legs felt like jelly the minute I put my weight on them. Kennan steadied me with his strong hands. The hands I assumed were calloused from opening beer bottles, but now I wasn't quite so sure. Hell, if I was being honest, I wasn't real sure of anything at this point.

"Come on Red, let's get you caffeinated. There's still a long story to tell. You still need the histories."

His smile lacked its normally electric charge but it did serve to steady me.

I found comfort in the fact that I was still seeing the real Kennan. He hadn't placed himself back under the illusion he'd been carefully maintaining for so long. He still had that funny lilt to his accent that I'd never noticed before. But somehow I knew all of the answers were coming. There was more that was yet to be revealed.

After the coffee was made, Kennan added more wood to the fire, poking it with the metal stick once more to stoke the coals. He grabbed a quilt from the end of the sofa and brought it to me. I instantly recognized the patchwork quilt as one of my mother's making. He draped it over my bent knees and sat down close to me, seemingly afraid to let me stray too far. I sipped my coffee as he started in with the cadence of a story teller.

"We've been here for as long as the world has had people, Izzy. We've been called many things throughout history; sorcerers, magicians, shifters, and soldiers to name a few. We've populated all corners of the world, living with people and blending in. We've been mistaken for Druids many times over as well. Our origins come from the same area, but we are much older. At least the Old Ones are. Our purpose is to protect those that have the ability to predict and shift the fates, to make sure you don't fall into the hands of those that would abuse the power. Back then it was so much easier to find the Seers. Now, with the world being as big as it is, and all of the hype about psychics it's hard to find a true Seer. But it runs in the female blood line. The minute your mother found out she was carrying a female child she put a protection plan in place for you. Are you following so far?"

"Sort of, as best I can I suppose. But I don't understand the whole Guardian and Seer relationship. You say my dad was a Guardian and that you were friends when you were children. How is any of that possible?"

"Guardians are very old, unmentionably old beings. Part of our makeup is engineered so that once we meet our Seer, the one we were sent here to protect, we start to age at the same rate as the Seer. So when your father met your mother, he began to age. We all grow to be about 30 years old, and then we stay at that age until we meet our Seer. Our purpose is to help you in any way we can. We're here to physically protect you as well as guard you from the madness that can become a problem in some Seers."

He looked at me as if he didn't want to reveal my parent's story.

"Your mother and father were unlike any other match I've ever seen. The love they shared is the sort the bards used to dream up. I was jealous at first, but once I met her I understood. Your mother took me in like part of the family. Even as I watched my best friend age, I knew that she would never make me part with him. I was there for all of the big moments of your life when you were young as well. I know you don't remember, and it is probably just as well. The older you got, the more I felt a peculiar pull towards you. So I left when you were about five. I stayed away after that. I didn't understand that you were who I was sent here to protect. You're mine."

"So how old are you exactly, Kennan? And what does it mean that I'm yours? I don't really like the idea of being a thing that someone can own you know." I said the last with a hint of sarcasm. I could not stand how heavy everything was starting to feel. There was some kind of subtext that he was trying to intone, but I was just too overwhelmed to understand.

"I don't know how old I am. My memories are so long and full that sometimes I even forget when I was first born. I can tell you that I was alive for the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. I was born as a Celt, hence that lingering accent I can't quite rid myself of. Some days I have wished that I could die in some freak accident, but then I would stop myself. I knew I couldn't betray my calling."

He hesitated before continuing on, as if he were weighing his words carefully.

"I don't own you, Izzy. I don't think you will ever let anyone truly own any part of you. There is a reason you never let anyone in. All Seers are born with a sense of self preservation. I was shocked when you agreed to let me move in with you. I didn't even have to influence you that much."

There were so many things in there that I was just not ready to face. He had manipulated me and maneuvered me so that he could live with me. Then there was the nonsense about not letting people in; I felt like I'd let him in. Then again, maybe everything we'd had together was a lie that had been engineered to gain access. How could I trust him now? Were all of our times hanging out together based on his sense of duty, or did he really see me as a friend?

As the questions raged inside my head, he told me about the Corporation. How hundreds of years ago some of the Guardians became what he called "right greedy bastards" and broke off from their directorate. They started seeking out Seers and forcing them to tell them about natural disasters and wars. They went into the business of raking in insurance claims from the victims of the very catastrophes they could have prevented. The closest they ever came to being caught was after Katrina. But even then, they were careful. The Corporation sent money and arms to militaries, regardless of the faction, as long as it would be the victor in the end.

By the time he finished I was breathless. These were the people that had my mother. The bastards had her strapped to a machine twisting her God given talents into something corrupt. I couldn't stomach it. This was it. I'd finally reached the point of breaking. I ran to the bathroom and emptied my stomach.

Kennan came in silently behind me and wet a cloth for me. I collapsed against the toilet as another wave of tears assaulted me. It was all too much. How would I ever stand up against these people? I might have some spunk to me, but I had no way to fight off trained killers. I felt as though my ship had been set adrift, and the waves had stripped me of my compass.

I looked up at Kennan who was leaning against the bathroom door waiting for me to pull myself together again. I looked at him and I didn't know how I was supposed to go on like nothing had changed between us. This was the man that my mother promised I could trust, but one I didn't truly know. He must have read it in my eyes because his eyes mirrored my sadness.

"I think we better get some rest now, Izzy. Tomorrow is your birthday and tomorrow is when everything really starts to change. I'm sorry for lying to you. I'm sorry for scaring you and dragging you out here tied to a seat and for drugging you. But I need to know that you are with me on this. If you run, they can and will find you. I know I have no right to ask, but I am asking. Trust me?"

I looked at him, my best friend for the past two years. The man that had taken care of me, had fed me, and made me laugh. The man that had also, incidentally, kidnapped me. I was having difficulty resolving that person with the man standing in front of me. I wasn't stupid enough to believe I would be able to make it out there on my own. Not when they could get into my head and pull information out. Not with what had happened to my mother.

"For now." It was all I was capable of offering.

He reached down to pull me up and tucked me under his arm like he had a thousand times before. This time there was no comfort. I felt cold and hollow. Even as he kissed me on the head and shut the bedroom door I felt empty. I dreaded what sleep might bring.

**********
EIGHT

That night my dreams were filled with images of my childhood: my father standing in the backyard smiling with a friend; an entirely too-tall man with tattoos pushing me on the swing; my mother smiling down upon me as she read me a bedtime story. It was an accumulated parade of phantoms, long forgotten.

The last memory transported me back to the trunk of the car, where my head was pounding, and I looked around to see nothing but blackness. I could feel the trunk pressing down towards me as if it would crush me at any moment. The air tasted stale and I heard voices.

" _Promise me you will take her and protect her. Promise me, brother. It is the only thing I can think of. They are after her, not Moira."_

" _Rest, brother," a familiar voice replied. "Your suffering is over now. I'll find her and I vow to protect her."_

I heard a final, deep sigh as my father drew in his last breath, and the trunk opened with a screech of reluctant metal. I blinked up at the face of a man that I knew all too well.

I awoke with Kennan shaking my shoulders. He was broken out in a cold sweat that mirrored my own. He looked at me with haunted eyes.

"Enough Izzy, enough," he barely breathed as he rested his forehead against mine.

All the while, I struggled to pull myself back to the present. No wonder I was terrified of closed spaces. I still felt the residual fear of being trapped in that stagnant place. I shuddered releasing the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. I looked up into his eyes. This man so familiar and so foreign, and I truly didn't know what he was to me. I averted my gaze and tried to pull myself together as he sat up.

I remembered his words from earlier. He dreamed what I dreamed. So he was there with me. He saw my morbid parade of happiness that was taken away too soon. Of a family robbed from me by greedy men. I looked over at the clock and saw that it was five am.

I was officially twenty five, and it was officially the worst birthday ever. I sat up on the bed as Kennan moved his mountainous self over to make room for me. We sat in silence for a long time. I could feel him staring at me, waiting for whatever I might say.

So, I said the only thing I could. "What now?"

"Now we train, Izzy. Now I teach you how to keep yourself from going mad with the visions that will start coming. And perhaps most importantly, I am going to teach you how to defend yourself. If something ever happens to me, I need to know that you can protect yourself. But first, I am going to feed you breakfast."

We looked at each other a moment longer, my feelings of uncertainty mirrored back at me in his eyes. Neither of us was willing to venture into that territory. Instead, we came to an unspoken truce. He was my Guardian and I was his Seer, for better or worse. I giggled at the thought, causing Kennan to look at me with questioning eyes.

"I was just thinking, we're together until death do us part, for better or worse. Just the other night I was making fun of Marky, yet here we are. Just as committed. Oh how I wish I could eat my snarky comments now. Universe one, Izzy zero." I let out another snicker as I made my way to the bathroom before Kennan could say anything.

I freshened up quickly and moved myself toward the kitchen. There, I found Kennan placing two plates on the table that were piled with eggs, bacon, and buttery toast. Sitting on the table was a present wrapped with a beautiful green bow. I wrapped my green sweater more tightly around me as I sat down. I still hadn't come to grips on how exactly to reconcile the two Kennans.

In fact, it was getting harder for me to stay mad at him. In all of the ways that mattered, he'd always been there for me. He'd saved me from that hellish trunk all of those years ago. Back in Chicago, the man had saved me from my own stupidity, even if his methods sucked. And sitting there, right in front of me, wrapped in a beautiful green bow, was proof that I was more than an assignment. Our friendship mattered.

I wiped at my eyes trying to hide the tears that threatened to fall. I knew myself well enough to know that I wouldn't yet be able to fully trust him. But I decided to end the "Kennan-is-a-stupid-head-liar-face" pity party playing out in my head. No matter how amazing the decorations and cake were. That ridiculous green bow was proof that part of that friendship was as real to him as it still was to me.

I looked at Kennan as he sat across from me. He was dressed in a thermal layered under a buttoned up red flannel over worn jeans and hiking boots. He looked like a super sexy version of the Brawny Man. Once again, I had to tamp down my hormones. Still not ready to look too closely at that.

I looked at him, then I glanced back at my present. I was anxious to open it, but in the light of everything it seemed like I shouldn't be able to have this sort of easy happiness. I bit into my perfectly burnt bacon, and looked back up to Kennan who was looking as anxious as I was for me to open it.

"It isn't a magical wombat or anything equally weird is it?"

I felt justified in asking. I mean, it could've been. Kennan over here was like a zillion years old but still looked thirty. Magical wombats seemed a viable option.

"No, it isn't a magical wombat. They haven't been around for at least three hundred years," he said as he bit into one of his eight pieces of toast. I looked at him blankly, until a deep rumbly laugh overtook him. The spark of amusement in his eyes after an emotionally charged few days was a welcome sight.

I shook my head as I reached for the box with trepidation. Inside was a tablet with a note on top. It was in Kennan's elegant scrawl:

Dearest Izzy,

Perhaps this may not be the best birthday you've ever had. I fear that I've taken you away from everything and left you with nothing in return. I attempted to bring the things that mattered most to you, but in the end I don't really know what that is. In an effort to keep my distance and give you privacy, I fear that I only know the basics of what matters most to you. You have never been one to hold value in material things, but I know how much you love your Jane Austen and Bronte based movies. I loaded all of them that I could find onto this tablet. Every version I could uncover. I know it isn't much in the grand scheme of all that is coming your way. I just want you to find some happiness. I'm so very glad that you were born. You have brought sunshine into my otherwise monotonous world. I pray to the gods that the sun is not taken from you. So, happy birthday. Yeah.

Yours eternally,

Kennan

P.S. I will watch one of these horrible movies with you for your birthday. Your choice. But I reserve the right to make fun of them.

I glanced at Kennan and for the first time he looked sheepish. Honestly, it was the first time he'd ever expressed any emotion other than happiness toward me. I giggled with delight as I powered up the tablet and noticed not only were all of my favorite movies loaded on to it, he'd also added hundreds of books. Officially, the best present ever.

I squealed and jumped up from my seat, rushing to hug him. He almost fell backwards in his chair from the unexpected force. He was my Kennan, the same as he'd always been. He looked down at me with a slow heat in his eyes that made me realize, perhaps things weren't as they'd always been. I quickly got myself back under a semblance of control and sat back down to finish my breakfast while doing a little happy dance.

Breakfast ended with Kennan gathering up the dishes and doing them while I sat drinking coffee and thinking of what to do next.

"Kennan?"

"Yeah, Iz?"

"I can't leave her there, no matter what she said. You know that right?"

He sighed heavily as if I'd spoken the very words he'd been dreading since the start of this whole thing.

"It won't be easy, Lass, I mean kid." He looked at me with a sly grin as he continued. "You know she is locked up in a max security building run by the scum of the earth. You know we could very well die or you could get captured in the process, making all she did to protect you pointless, right?"

"I do, but I also know that I can't live with myself if I sit here hiding while she suffers. I don't think she is the only one there either Kennan. How can I live with myself if I just let it go on? That would make me just as bad as them. I'm not saying we should go right now. I'm saying that eventually it has to happen. I know that I am ill prepared and I seriously have no plans of going on some halfcocked suicide mission. I just need a plan of action, like always. I need something to work towards. Hell, I haven't even had another vision yet, so I don't even know what to expect there. Just promise me, promise me we will try."

"I promise, but not until I think you are ready, do you understand? This could take a long time. This place is secure. We are too far away from anything for them to be able to mentally track you. But if he hacks into your visions again, you must be careful. You have to block him. You have to keep him from reading the images in your mind."

"Um, I am assuming this is something you will be able to teach me, right? Along with maybe some jujitsu or something equally as ninja like?" I smiled hopefully up at him. If I was meant to be some sort of super Seer, I should at least get some cool action-figure moves.

"Maybe we should work on you being able to do a single pushup first?"

He snickered to himself as he put the dishes away. I threw the balled-up wrapping paper at his head and quicker than my eyes could track he spun and caught it. He looked at my astonished face and winked. Okay then, apparently he had super speed. Awesome.

"Alright, smarty pants. I'm assuming you have some sort of training plan. Obviously I'm not in fighting condition, so maybe we should start there?" Now that I'd gotten past the initial shock of it all, I felt like I needed to move forward and do something productive.

"Easy there, Skipper," he said, with that same old twinkle in his eyes. "Yes, I do have a plan. Prepare for some major suckage. My plan involves both physical and mental training. You'll start having more and more visions and getting you through those will be the biggest challenge. The ones you share with your mother are relatively safe. You can control them easily because she is there to help filter the information. Eventually we will get to the ninja skills." He winked at me as he headed toward the door.

"So are we starting now?" I asked, since he was giving me absolutely nothing.

"No, today is your birthday. It is the last day you get to rest and be comfortable. And there is something else I need to give you. Your mother gave me some letters long ago. She told me to keep them safe until they found you." He looked at me with the same sad cast in his eyes as he pointed to the coffee table. There lay a bundle of three letters wrapped with twine.

"I need to go chop some wood and get some stuff done around the property. Don't leave the cabin. I don't want you tripping over a root and breaking something. Give me a yell when you're done."

With that, he left me alone with the pile of letters.

**********
NINE

Kennan walked out of the door, effectively shutting me in with the letters. Well, there was no time like the present. Maybe she could help explain some things. A girl could hope right?

With a sense of trepidation I reached for the pile of letters and opened the one dated as the oldest. As I pulled it from the envelope, I was assaulted by a vision.

My mother was in a summer dress spinning around in the yard, making me fly. I could feel the sticky humidity and hear the cicadas and frogs chirping in the background. The sun was getting ready to set and my mom was going to take me inside soon. She led me through the door still flying me like an airplane and took me to my father. She leaned in to kiss his cheek then left the room, heading to the office.

I followed her, there, but not there. She sat down at a desk and inhaled deeply. Just before she began writing slowly. As if something had drawn her attention, she turned toward me and smiled sadly.

I jerked, surprised by the vision of the past. It was as though my very soul was walking through her memories. Even stranger, it was as if she expected me to be there. She'd somehow known that I was coming. It would seem that she'd known I would grow up alone all along. Embittered that she would still set herself on that course, but strangely comforted in knowing she did all she could for me. I wiped my eyes and began reading the first letter.

My dear girl,

I never wanted you to live the life that you're about to be forced to live. I hope you know that I did not want to leave you. I tried to prevent it as long as I could. This day, I know I will only have at the most three more years with you. You've been the best thing I've ever done on this earth. You have a light that shines from you and touches even the darkest of places. Don't lose that sense of wonder and optimism. No matter what they do to me Izzy, or what you must face in the days to come. I've tried to see the life that awaits you, but I'm never able to get beyond the fog and see what is to come. I hope that you live a life of calm and that you are never forced to deal with the madness and greed that is coming for me. I hope that you grow old, you have babies, and you are free from the insanity that has been brought down upon so many Seers. I wish for you a fate vastly different than my own.

I know that you feel alone. I know that I've left you with a terrible burden to bear. But know that you do not have to do this without help. Kennan is there for you. He may be hard to crack in the emotions department, but I saw the way he lit up around you. He left today. Your father had a talk with him. I think he was beginning to feel the Guardian's pull toward you. Even though you are so very young. So he and your father felt it best that he left. Most Guardians don't meet their charges until they reach the age of seeing. What happened with you and Kennan is almost unheard of. He would have started aging had he stayed. So, for him to be fit to protect you, he left. He sacrificed finally having a place to call home in order to do what was best for you and your father. So please, dear daughter, trust him.

I love you more than you will ever possibly know. I know you will be faced with so many obstacles. Your future is not something I can see, so it is something you must create for yourself. Be brave, be smart, and above all trust your heart, my dear one. I will miss you so very much. Just remember to be the very best version of yourself you can possibly be.

With all that I am,

Mommy

I sat motionless and numb for longer than I could imagine. By the time I finally pulled myself out of my reverie I realized I was no closer to understanding anything than I was before reading the letter. I glanced back at the paragraph about Kennan. I'd wondered why he left when I was young. Though, with the feelings that kept surfacing toward him, I was kind of glad he'd left when he did. How creepy would that be? Uncle Kennan.

No thank you.

I wasn't quite ready to deal with the feelings brought on by my mother's words. Kennan, I could handle. The overwhelming sense of love that poured from her every word scared the bejeezus out of me. I read through the letter twice more before glancing at the clock. I realized four hours had passed without my notice.

Now that I was pulled back to the present, I heard a constant thwack noise coming from outside. I got up and moved toward the window in search of the noises' source. I found Kennan chopping wood, and by the grace of God himself he was shirtless. I'd seen him without a shirt before, but this was different.

This was the real Kennan, not the mockery I'd been seeing for the past two years. I gawked at the intricate tattoos that started on his back and looped in and out across his broad shoulders and down his arms. The knots seemed to have no beginning and no end. They spoke of old magic and times long forgotten. His muscles rippled and glistened as he swung the axe to split another log.

He stacked the split logs on the growing pile behind him. He turned toward where I was standing and winked before he went back to chopping. Shocked that he knew I was there and more than a little mortified at being caught gawking, I blushed crimson. Yep, certainly glad he was not dear, old Uncle Kennan, because that would've been super skeevy.

Determined to calm my hormones and distract my mind from everything happening, I moved into the kitchen to fix some sandwiches. One for me, and three for Kennan. A growing man needed to eat. After I piled everything up on two plates, I stuck my head out the door and hollered that lunch was done. Kennan picked up his shirts and wiped his face before heading into the cabin. Between the drizzle and the sweat he was drenched.

He walked past me toward his bag and pulled out a plain tee shirt. I was suddenly struck with the desire to be that shirt clung to him as tightly. Maybe I needed a cold shower. This was getting out of control. Two years of nothing and then whammy, hormone overload.

Trying to distract myself, I headed back to the kitchen and filled two cups full of water. I sat down and stared directly at my sandwich. Not willing to make eye contact for fear of blushing again, I dug into my sandwich.

Kennan lowered himself into his chair with more grace than should have been afforded the mountain that he was. He snickered at me.

"You alright there, Red? You look a little flustered. Thanks for the grub by the way. I'm famished."

"Nope, not flustered, totally fine. Just feeling a bit weird about the letter from my mom."

Even to my own ears, I sounded tightly wound and ridiculous. Luckily for me, Kennan didn't press the issue.

"So, what did it say? Anything that might help us figure out what to do next?" he asked around a mouthful of sandwich.

Must not look at his lips.

"Hm? Oh, well, she said she couldn't see through the fog or something like that. Most of the letter was about you actually. Were y'all really close when I was younger? I mean, I have these vague memories of someone that must've been you being around. But nothing that is clear. It gets kind of fuzzy where you're concerned." I looked into his eyes, realizing the truth of it. My memories had been hacked again.

"We thought that it would be best if you didn't really remember me. It would make it hard for you when you got older to treat me like a peer or a friend. If we'd known back when you were born that I would be your Guardian, I would never have stayed as long as I did. We're meant to be the same age as the one we protect. So when I left, I took the memories of a girl that radiated sunshine and you were left with vague memories of a family friend." He went back to eating without saying anything more.

For a while we sat in silence, both lost in our own memories. But a question that kept tugging at my mind wouldn't go unanswered any longer.

"Wasn't it weird for you though, I mean to see me again and have to act like you didn't know me? Don't you see me like the five year old you left, the daughter of your best friend? I just don't know how we're meant to be on equal footing when you've borne witness to my entire life. You still have all of the memories that were taken from me." I looked at him, hoping my question wasn't a foolish one. With everything else happening, it somehow seemed petty to even spend time thinking about it.

"I was afraid it would be. After Grams died, I knew that I had to come back into the picture. That first night you came into the bar, I immediately knew it was you. The same hair as your mother, the same eyes as your father, and the same sense of lightness that always seemed to cling to you, I knew. But you were so different from the last time I saw you. I didn't watch you grow up, I couldn't or I would have aged as well. So I got reports from Grams and from everyone else. I knew how well you did in school, and all of the little events that made up your life. But I wasn't witness to you. Just the events." He got up from his chair and moved toward the kitchen. I could see him weighing his next words and wondered what would come next.

"Izzy, I do have the memories of a little girl, a bright ray of sunshine. You were always so happy as a child. I think that I only ever saw you cry twice. But when you came into the bar, well, you aren't the same person. You hadn't lost the sunshine, but you were grown. You were a woman, tempered by loss and tragedy. Your brightness not gone but dulled by a life of loss. Even right after you lost Grams and came down to the bar, you still had a sense of optimism that I would've recognized anywhere."

He walked back over toward me and placed his finger under my chin tilting me to face him.

"Make no mistake Izzy, I don't see you as the child I left." He looked at me a moment longer with a fire burning in his eyes before releasing me and heading out the door once more. I could swear that I heard him mutter something about complications before he left.

Alone with the unspoken promises in Kennan's eyes, I was forced to distract myself with something mundane like the dishes. I stood up and moved into the kitchen, taking my plates with me. As I got to the sink, I was struck by a wave a nausea so strong I doubled over, dropping and shattering the dish. Just as I felt the wave of nausea subside, my head suddenly felt as though every synapse was firing simultaneously. I yelled out as the overwhelming pain threatened to pull me under. I fell to the floor as my consciousness slipped to somewhere far away.

**********
TEN

There was screaming. Everywhere I looked there were people running, horrified. I was standing in the middle of a highway. Directly in front of me was a bridge, or at least there used to be one. In its place was a yawning chasm breathing fire and smoke. The wide gap was accompanied by a cacophony of wails that spoke of unimaginable loss and horror. I attempted to talk to the people surrounding me, but it seemed I was but a phantom in all of the chaos.

I got confused. Why could no one hear me? How did I even get here? I yelled as loudly as I could in an effort to attract someone's attention. How could I be saved if no one could even see me?

I moved to the edge of the chasm and looked across to the other side. There, standing in all of the wreckage, with a smile upon his face, was Xavier. He looked across the divide and smiled. His smile chilled my blood and seeped into my soul, turning it to frost.

Then he whispered, "Tell me where you are. You can be with your mother once more. Don't fight me, Little One. We don't have to be enemies."

I had no time to think how I could hear his whisper across such a great distance. Instead I turned to flee. My only concern was getting as far from him as I possibly could. As I ran, I glanced back behind me to make sure I wasn't being pursued.

I ran into something solid that wrapped its arms around me. I screamed out, sure that Xavier had caught me.

" _I've got you, Izzy. Come back to me," the wall said._

I looked up to see not Xavier, but Kennan.

" _It's not real, Izzy. It's but a vision. Calm yourself and come back to me. Reach for the now. You can see it. Just reach out and grab it."_

I looked around, trying to find what he was talking about, and I saw a glowing path. It was like a stream, flowing through the vision. I waded into it and I felt myself rush away.

**********

I was lying on the kitchen floor, disoriented. I felt the sorrow of the wreck, the memories pressed in on me. I looked up to find Kennan, sitting on the floor leaning against the cabinets. His giant hand gently stroked my hair. My mouth was full of cotton, causing the formation of words to be more of a challenge than normal.

"What happened?"

"You had a vision. I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you went in. I got there as fast as I could." I noticed the look of strain on his face, and wondered how much it cost him.

"How?" the only word I was able to utter. I hoped that he was able to understand what I was asking without much more explanation. I was afraid that my mouth might have quit working all together at this point.

"If you're asking how I got in, well to be honest I don't understand how it works. I know that I've been witness to your dreams since you were a child. The only ones I can't see are those between you and your mother. That is how I knew you were still having the visions, dreams, whatever you want to call them about her. Anytime you would have them, I would be unceremoniously kicked to the curb. But as to how I physically got there today, well that has never happened before. I came in when I heard you scream, and you were shaking on the floor. It took a lot to get there, but I think next time it will be easier. I had to get you back. I told you, I will come for you, always," he said, still gently stroking my hair.

"Did you see him?" I asked, the fear evident in the shaking of my voice.

"Who? All I saw was the bridge collapse and you in a disoriented panic."

"He was there Kennan, I don't know how. Maybe he jacked into my mom's vision or something, but he was there. He told me not to fight him. He promised that I could be with my mom again." Tears began streaming down my face once more. There had to be some limit to what a person was able to cry in one day. This was just getting out of hand.

"I didn't see him. You know he is lying, right?" his voice gently pleaded.

"I know. I'm not going to say the thought of being with her isn't tempting. I would be lying to say I don't want to be surrounded by her warmth once more. But I know I would end up strapped to a machine just like her. What do we do about the wreck I saw?" Changing the subject seemed to be for the best. Repress and move forward.

"Did you see anything that would help you know what date it was or where the bridge was located?"

"No, I was too panicked. I didn't even know I was in a vision. It was so real. How am I supposed to help people if I don't even know I'm having visions?"

"You will get used to it, I promise. Did you finish reading your mom's letters? Maybe there is something in there that could help?"

"Nope, only got through the one. Honestly, I don't know if I have it in me to deal with anything else today. When I opened the first, I had a weird vision of her right before she wrote it. Then with what just happened, I feel like my brain has been liquefied. Am I allowed to take medicine, or does that mess with the mojo?" I asked in earnest, hoping to bring some relief to my now throbbing head.

"Go lie on the couch and I will bring you something." He stood to rummage through some of the cabinets.

As I stood, my legs betrayed me. Quicker than I could track, Kennan was there once again, scooping me up in his arms. I guessed I should argue with the whole caveman routine, but seeing as my legs decided to go on vacation, I wasn't going to complain. He gently lay me on the couch before returning to his search. A few seconds later I heard, "Victory."

"Here you go, Red," he said, handing me two pills. "Why don't we call it a day and just relax for a while? We can watch one of your movies if you want?"

I swallowed the pills praying for relief. I didn't even question what they were. At this point, he could've been tranquilizing me and I wouldn't care. This, as it turned out, was in the running for the worst birthday ever. It was up there with my parents dying days before my ninth birthday, or my Grams dying a little over a week beforehand. Between the bad guys, the kidnapping, the visions, and the unending supply of tears, I was willing to call it a day.

"So, what will it be, birthday girl?" Kennan asked, obviously trying to cheer me up and take my mind off of my suddenly derailed life.

"I'm thinking it is a _Jane Eyre_ sort of afternoon. It seems appropriate for the sort of day I'm having." I leaned back on the pillows finally feeling some relief.

As I nestled into the couch and made myself comfy under my mother's quilt, Kennan set the tablet up so that we could watch the movie. After getting everything situated, he came and lifted my head up, sliding underneath to become my pillow. He started gently stroking my hair once again, and I was struck by the gentleness of something so rough and large. He bent his massive frame over and kissed me on my forehead like a thousand times before, but this time he lingered, turning it into something full of unspoken promises.

"Happy birthday, Red," he whispered, as I started to go fuzzy around the edges. My last thought was that those pills were made of magic.

**********

I awoke with a start and blushed violently. No longer was Kennan my pillow. I heard him in the kitchen moving about. Thanking God for the time to compose myself, and praying to anyone listening he had not witnessed my dreams. He'd just been the leading man in a very graphic and detailed dream that was anything but G rated.

I looked around the cabin trying to figure out what time it was. Outside wasn't much help, the constant drizzle made the sun an ineffective indicator. I looked at the clock and noticed it was around four in the afternoon. Still dazed, but grateful for the reprieve of the medicine and the time spent unconscious, I decided to shake it all off and start moving forward. No more tears, no more pity parties. Not even if there were an imaginary piñata. I threw the best pity parties. Onward and upward. Or wherever we were going.

"Don't think that you got out of watching the movie, Kennan. It totally doesn't count if I was asleep for the whole thing," I said groggily as I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders and trudged over to the table.

I decided to just ignore the dream and pretend it'd never happened. Repression would be the key to my sanity it seemed. I was sure it would all come back to bite me in my hindquarters soon, but for now it was working.

"I said one movie, it's not my fault you slept through the whole thing, Homey," he said, taking something out of the oven.

"I thought we'd discussed your lack of gangsterness already. Do I need to put up the intervention banner again, Kennan?" I deadpanned. "I am concerned that you're not aware of how awkward it sounds when you use phrases like 'Homey' or 'G'."

He looked over his shoulder at me and stuck out his tongue. A sight to see on an over six foot, tattooed, mountain man. A very yummy mountain man. Alright, and moving on.

Repress, repress, repress. That should be my mantra.

"Fine, oh Izzy, the glorious. See if I ice this for you when it cools off. Birthday or not, you can't be knockin' my slang."

I peered around him to find that he'd just taken a cake out of the oven. More importantly, it was a strawberry cake. My absolute favorite. I wasn't above begging or groveling, especially when cake was involved. This birthday was starting to look up.

I put on my best groveling tone and even threw in some sad eyes.

"Oh mighty K.O., purveyor of delicious baked treats, I apologize profusely for my inability to comprehend the extent of your street cred. Please forgive me, and maybe ice that cake as a show of your forgiveness?" I smiled hugely, hoping that I didn't look too desperate for the cake.

"Your giant eyes of sadness don't fool me woman, you just want the cake. I've lived with you long enough to know better than to deny you baked goods."

He snickered before flipping the cake out of the pan. It seemed being around for a few hundred years had given him time to hone his culinary skills.

"I was hoping to get this finished before you woke up so that I could surprise you. But no, you had to go and ruin the surprise."

"I can go back to sleep and wake up in a while."

As the words left my mouth, I noticed the heat burning in Kennan's eyes. So he'd witnessed the dream. Awesome. Just awesome. Time for a subject change.

"Or, we can go watch some scintillating, gothic romance while we wait for that to cool off." And maybe wait for me to cool off.

"But I totally just watched the whole thing while you slept."

"You know, for a however many hundred year old person you are, you sure are a terrible liar. You owe me one birthday movie. You better be glad I'm not making you sit through the Colin Firth version of _Pride and Prejudice_ ," I snickered as I walked back over to the couch. Glad to have some semblance of normalcy between us once more.

"How do you do it?" he asked with a softness in his voice. "In all of my years, I've never seen anyone bounce back from things as quickly as you. You're bawling one minute and then moving forward the next. How? How is this not just weighing you down?" The spark of wonder hidden in his eyes made me sheepish.

"Repression?" I said giggling, afraid to give him a real answer, afraid that things would get heavy again.

Reading my thoughts, like always, Kennan asked, "Seriously, just answer. Even as a child you were hopelessly optimistic and hard to keep down. With all that has happened to you, you just keep trudging forward."

"I don't want to be defined by the events of my life, Kennan. I can't walk through life a sad sack of memories. I have days ahead of me, and I don't know how many. I refuse to live those days drug down by the horrible things of my past. I will enjoy the small moments I'm given. Ultimately, life is all about choices, Kennan. My mother taught me that. She told me once that I could choose to be happy or sad. I choose happy. Do things suck right now? Yes. But I'm with my best friend, there is a tablet full of movies I love, a strawberry cake that is begging to be eaten, and I'm still alive and free. Those things matter just as much as the bad stuff. Now shut up and let me fall in love with Mr. Rochester again." I turned toward the screen avoiding any further questions. Cowardly, but effective.

He roughed my hair as he came around, and threw himself on the couch next to me. He pressed play on his way down and we settled in to watch the drama of someone else's life unfold.

**********
ELEVEN

By the time the movie ended, Kennan was snoring. I supposed he hadn't said he would stay awake for the whole thing, so really I couldn't be mad. I decided to let him rest and read another of my mother's letters. I hoped that it contained useful information. Perhaps, it would be a welcome letter to Harbingers of Death Anonymous. Or maybe a guide book of sorts. Prophecy for Dummies: Perilous Predictions Edition.

Getting up from the couch as quietly as I could, I added another log to the fire and curled up in the chair with the second of my mother's letters. As I opened the letter, I braced myself for another onslaught of memories. Thankfully, they never came. Instead I was greeted with more words from my mother.

My dearest Izzy,

Today was your seventh birthday. I'm so very proud of the young woman you are becoming. I'm also incredibly sad that I won't be able to watch you grow into the amazing woman I am sure you will become. I mourn the loss of a future with you that I may never have. I've struggled with trying to find your future in the fog, but I'm still unable to see what might befall you. So, instead I am forced to write letters to a daughter that I no longer know. A daughter that I was forced to leave.

As the day approaches, that I must be parted from you, I find myself becoming more and more embittered. But I have looked into the fog and I have seen that this is the only way to protect you.

If I stay, you will be taken. If we run, you will be taken. The only way to be sure is to let him have me. I know that I will have to steal more of your memories. I know that I will leave you thinking that you have lost everyone that loves you. I'm sorry for that. There really was no other choice, my dear one. I hope that the memories you do have are happy ones. I hope that you remember how cherished you are.

By now, you are probably starting to have visions. They are horrifying and disorienting, but you can't let yourself get drug down into them. You have to be able to separate yourself from the events and realize that you are not really there. It gets easier with time. Each vision will be different. Some things can be prevented, while others must remain fixed points. The ones that can be altered will always appear in two layers. They are often the hardest to navigate. One dimension on top of the other. A place that is both ruined, and fine at the same time. The ones that can't be prevented are the hardest to watch. But you must remember, it is all in God's time. Why we see both, I don't know. I've never understood why I must face such tragedies when I am powerless to alter them. They are the ones you must leave almost as quickly as you enter them. Otherwise you will go mad with all of that sadness.

The ones you can change, you must linger in. You can look for clues as to where you are. Signs, road numbers, landmarks, anything that might distinguish this place from any other. Pay attention to the season, or if you are lucky, look on someone's phone, or newspaper. That will help you to figure out when it is happening. Then you just have to figure out a way to prevent the tragedy, whatever it may be.

Sometimes you will be pulled into the past. Things that have already come to be. Those are important though. You must stay there and find out why you are seeing it. Look for things, things that don't seem right, things that are out of place. Most of all look for them. They linger in the past, in the present, and the future. They have changed so many things throughout the course of history. They've altered the future of this world in ways that may never be reversed. Find them, and perhaps you will find a way to stop them. Something that your father and I were never able to do.

As much as I want you to be safe, and as much as I want a peaceful life for you, I don't think it is something in my power to change. I've watched you these past years. The fearless determination of a soul so pure it doesn't know to be afraid. I worry, but I also know that you will be smart. Be clever, my sweet girl. Don't do the obvious thing. Don't come for me, and don't come at them head on. Find a way to reset the course. Fix what can be fixed, and leave me to the past.

I love you more than you will ever know. You are worth protecting. You may very well be all of our salvation, my dear one.

With all that I am,

Mom

Well, I had been hoping for a guide book. What I'd gotten was so much more. The information was overwhelming. At least I wasn't crying again. I had that under control finally. I pulled myself from my thoughts and looked over to find Kennan staring at me. I didn't know how long he'd been awake, or what he'd witnessed while I read the letter. Whatever it might've be, he looked concerned.

"Why me? I don't understand how she thinks I can make a difference, Kennan. I'm one person against an entire evil empire." Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but that was precisely what it felt like.

"Evil empire, Iz? It's a small group of men that control the Corporation. If we can find a way to take them down, then the whole group falls." He rubbed his hands down his face, an all too familiar gesture of late.

"Well, tomorrow I need to start figuring this all out. I need to physically train, obviously, but I also want to figure out how to control my visions. There has to be some sort of meditation or something I can do, right? I mean you are kind of my guru, my Mister Miyagi, my Obi Wan."

"The force is strong with you, Izzy," he snickered shaking his head. I don't know why he thought I was joking. I really needed some guru help right about now.

"No really, is there stuff that I can do to help with all of this?" I asked, making a circle around my head with my finger.

"Well, the insanity is permanent I'm afraid, but the visions we can work on." He smiled as he got up and headed toward the kitchen. The kitchen, where there was a cake. A cake that I'd somehow totally forgotten about.

Quicker than I thought myself capable of moving, I was in the kitchen standing next to the cake in question. Kennan shook his head at my suddenly animated expression. But this was cake we were talking about here. Not just any cake, strawberry cake. Really, was there any other kind of cake worth eating?

"Maybe we should eat some real food first, what do you think?"

My face must have fallen because he started laughing at me. I couldn't help my smile. These moments, the ones that were so common and natural, were what had been keeping my head above water the past two days. These were the moments I'd told him about earlier. The small things mattered to me.

"Fine, if you insist on me being healthy and eating balanced meals, I guess I must," I said petulantly.

"What are you feeling? I have some food stocked in here. I could make us some grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches. That would be fast, allowing you to scarf down cake more quickly."

"Don't you judge me, Kennan O'Malley. You know that you will eat just as much of that cake as I will, if not more! But the sandwiches sound fine I suppose," I sighed, gathering up the bread and stuff to prepare the sandwiches so that he could heat them up.

Dinner passed with easy conversation about normal stuff. I asked about Kennan's childhood and how it felt to move through time without ever really aging. About his past, and how he'd remained sane with all that he had seen. Apparently it was a lot easier than one would think.

He regaled me with tales of fighting the Roman Empire, of touring Europe and Asia, and of the events in history he'd witnessed firsthand. By the end, I was convinced I would've gone mad had it been me in his place.

When dinner was over, the cake was finally ready to be eaten. Kennan put candles on the top. He walked it over to the table and whispered in my ear, "Make a wish."

His voice echoed through the darkest recesses of my being, igniting butterflies in my stomach. So I did, I made a wish. I wished foolishly that I would at least always have Kennan in my life. To pull me back from the edge of darkness when I needed it, to make me laugh, and to keep me safe from myself and those that might harm me. I closed my eyes and I wished with all of my might.

**********

That evening, we decided to call it a night early. I went into my room and decided to put away the contents of my pack. If I was going to be here for a while, I didn't want to be forced to dig through the sack every time I needed something. I put all of the hiking clothes and workout clothes into the top drawer, and then moved onto my unmentionables and the nighties he'd packed for me. My face started flaming as I stared at the lacy thing.

I decided to put it on, feeling dangerous, and wondering what he'd been thinking when he'd purchased it for me. It covered all of the important stuff adequately and came down to my mid-thigh. I put the silky robe around me and headed out into the living room to grab some water.

As soon as I stepped out of the door, I heard Kennan growl. Suddenly, I realized the error in my judgment. I shouldn't have put it on and walked out here. What had I been thinking? Faster than I could track, Kennan had me pinned against the log walls, his arms caging me in. He bent over me with a dangerous glint in his eyes. His mouth was a mere breath from my own.

I breathed out slowly and met his eyes. I knew there was surprise in my eyes, but something far more dangerous lurked in his. His voice came out in a gravelly, strained rumble.

"I'm going to need you to change into something else, or not come out here in that. Do you understand me?"

As quickly as he'd me caged, he was gone on the other side of the room, once again rubbing his hand down his face. I just nodded and moved back into my room, the water forgotten.

Just before closing the door, I heard him say, "I should have packed the damned sweat pants. This is torture."

That night I dreamt of Kennan.

**********
TWELVE

The next morning was met with a heady mixture of fear and excitement. I wondered what would happen between us today, or if we were going to go back to ignoring the feelings brewing between us. I was personally hoping for the latter. I wasn't sure I possessed the emotional fortitude to endure much more.

I quickly dressed in some hiking clothes, hoping to get out of the cabin today. I looked out the window, and was surprised to find not drizzle, but sunshine. Having procrastinated as long as possible, I walked out into the living room and found it empty. Nothing but a note that graced the kitchen table.

Gone for supplies, be back soon.

-K

Okay then, apparently I wasn't the only one practicing the avoidance policy today. Determined to get out and get some fresh air, I ventured into the great wilderness. I was greeted by the most amazing smell. I didn't think it possible for a place to smell green, but this place did. It smelled of cedar and pine, of mulch and earth. I was comforted in the lushness of all that surrounded me. The mountain at my back, and the sun beating down on my face to keep me company.

Even though it was no longer raining, moisture lingered on all of the needles and blades shining like a thousand tiny diamonds. I was lost in reverie walking around the perimeter of the house, careful not to venture out of eyesight of the cabin.

I meandered through the woods a bit, but not so far as to get lost. I looked up to the great canopy of trees. Their height spoke of an unimaginable passing of time. The fallen giants littering the forest floor made me wonder about the countless days those trees bore witness to before their lives ended.

I began to wonder if Kennan ever felt like those mighty giants, watching the world pass by and the days fade away. I was so immersed in my reverie that I failed to hear the frantic yells until they were all but on top of me.

"IZZY! WHERE ARE YOU?" The panic bellowed out of my Guardian. I slowly walked back towards the clearing, only to be engulfed in the arms of Kennan as he breathed in my hair, panic radiating from him.

"What the hell were you thinking? I thought they'd found you." He released me, the look of fear replaced by one of anger.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to get some fresh air. I feel like I've been cooped up for the past week, and I just needed to breathe a little. I didn't mean to scare you." Hoping that my sincerity was evident in my voice, but fearing the next words he might say.

"Don't go anywhere without me, ever again. Do you understand me? I can't protect you if I don't know where you are. You left the protections of the cabin, the shields, and he could've found you if you weren't careful."

Anger started to rise up in me once more.

"I refuse to be your prisoner, Kennan. I can't live the rest of my life like some psychotic K.O. worshiper, following two steps behind you. I need to breathe, I need to have some semblance of freedom, or I might as well just turn myself over to the Corporation." Angry tears gathered at the corners of my eyes threatening to fall. Kennan closed the distance between us with two smooth steps and tilted my chin up toward his face.

"I'm sorry. I don't want you to feel like a prisoner. I just made a promise to your dad and I'm doing my very best to keep that promise. I can't do that if I don't know where you are. Of course you have freedom. But I have to know where you are. You can't just leave, sometimes you have to prepare before going out into the world. There are mental protections I can put in place when I have enough time. I can shield you from Xavier's prying."

"Listen, I get that you are just trying to protect me. You are trying to keep a promise or whatever. But you have to understand that a week ago my life was normal. I was just a bike messenger, living in Chicago, going about my day to day life. Now I'm some sort of prophet, Seer-person on the run. I'm terrified, and being cooped up with no freedom is making me feel trapped. You have to cut me a little slack." At the end of my tirade I sat down on a fallen log, not caring that my behind might be soaked through in about two seconds.

"Fine," he said brusquely, "I have something that will help with your sanity and serve practical purposes as well." The way he taunted my sanity made me want to throat punch him. But if this idea of his allowed me to escape the confines of the cabin for a while, I was game.

"Alright, what do you have in mind?" I asked hesitantly. Lord only knew what practical purposes he was referring to.

"Well, you want to be out of the cabin for a while, and I need you to know how to escape from here if you need to. So we're going to do some hiking," he said with a look of finality in his eyes.

"Hiking, okay, that sounds like something I can handle," I said.

"I'm going to head in and grab the pack you would take if you were on the run. That way you can get used to the weight of it while hiking." With that he headed back toward the cabin, not waiting to see if I would follow.

Sometime between last night and today something had shifted in his countenance. The easy discourse we'd shared the night before seemingly gone, only to be replaced by a distant man I barely recognized. Not knowing if it was what had transpired between us the night before or my having scared him today that had changed his behavior was unnerving. So, back to repression I would go. If I repressed it all, then I could just move forward and not deal with it. I didn't possess the energy to try and fix whatever had broken between us. Not today.

I headed in after him, reaching around to dust the moss off of my bottom as I went. Yup, one wet hiney. Oh well, I supposed it would dry while I was hiking to wherever Kennan thought I should be going.

**********

After Kennan packed everything he thought I might need, he called me over. He had me stand perfectly still and placed his hands on either side of my head. I suppressed the urge to curl into him. He held me in place and chanted something in a language I didn't understand. Suddenly my head felt lighter, like the strain of the past few days had been lifted.

"What did you do to me, Kennan?" I asked, not upset, but curious as to what had happened.

"I severed your connection to the outside for now. You won't have any visions while we are out. You also won't be susceptible to Xavier or anyone else getting into your head. I can reverse it when we get back to the cabin. But for now it is necessary. At least until you can learn to block on your own." He picked up his pack and looked over his shoulder at me with no hint of a smile. "Grab your gear, we're losing daylight."

I grabbed my bag and headed out behind him. I was determined to return his coldness and not show how much his change had upset me. Instead, I resolved myself to follow all of his instructions and just keep to myself. My mental guard was enough of a comfort to carry me through the rest of the day.

"Alright, where are we headed?" I asked as he handed me a map and a compass like I was supposed to know how to use them. Seriously, outdoorsman I was not. I have only ever been camping twice in my life. One of those times, we had to go home early because I sprained my ankle walking across a flat meadow. The prospect of navigating this uneven and foreign terrain was a bit daunting. But hey, if I could figure out city maps, maybe I could handle this.

"I have the different exit strategies mapped out here. Choose one for today and we will start there. In the next couple of weeks, we will do all of them. Once I feel you have the necessary skills to do it, you will do a practice run on each in which you do them solo. I will be close, but you won't see me. So pick one, we will start with that and get you acclimated to reading the map and figuring out your coordinates. As we go along, I'll try and teach you anything that might be vital to your survival. I may not always be there to protect you, so I need to know that you can take care of yourself if necessary."

Quite frankly, the prospect of hiking out here on my own scared the bejeezus out of me. I tried to suppress my shudder, and looked down at the map. I was surprised at how close the cabin was to several major roadways. Looking at it now, I realized we couldn't possibly be as far from where we left the car as I thought. Slightly annoyed, I took a second to ask Kennan.

"How far are we from where we left the car the first day?"

"About a forty minute hike. I needed to know that you would not try and run, so I took you the long way."

He said it so matter-of-factly that I once again was filled with the urge to punch him right in his stupid throat. Okay, maybe I probably couldn't reach high enough to do it, but the visualization was cathartic. I looked back at the map and chose what seemed to be the longest of the routes. If he was determined to act as though I'd peed in his cornflakes, then I was going to make the day harder on him. Take that Kennan O'stupidhead.

He looked at the route and nodded his head. "You need to orient yourself in the direction that the path leads. Show me how you would do that."

I looked at the map and the compass and turned myself away from the cabin in the direction I thought I might need to head. Kennan moved behind me and turned me about forty-five degrees to the right. I looked back at the map and compass and figured out how to match the two sets of information. I'd always been a quick learner, and I was determined to learn this as quickly as possible. It was my escape plan after all. I might as well learn how to save my own neck if necessary.

I started hiking into the woods, checking the map every few feet to make sure I was still heading in the right direction. From the looks of it, the map had me heading toward the Hoh River. After looking more closely at the map, I realized I chose the most mountainous of the escape routes. I guess the joke was on me after all. Whatever! In for a dime... and all that.

We trudged on in silence for about three hours with me stopping every few minutes to check my orientation. The only words that passed between us were those concerning our trek. We climbed up for what seemed an eternity before heading downward toward the river itself. The daylight was starting to fade and I was wondering if we would be heading back in the dark, or if we would be staying the night out in the wilderness.

My fear of the dark was only second to my fear of small spaces. I was hoping that somewhere in my pack was some sort of lantern or something that might keep the dark at bay for a while. Ready to stop, I broke the silence between us.

"Kennan, can we stop for a while? I'm getting really tired. I know we haven't made it out yet, but the sun is setting and I don't think there is any way I can do it in the dark," I sighed looking out at the river. I was stunned by its beauty. Even in the waning light, its magnificence was undeniable.

"We can stop here for the night. You need to look for a clearing to set up camp. You should look for something close to the water so that fire containment won't be such an issue. Then you need to go and look for some dry wood to make a fire."

I looked at him like he'd grown a second head. Just what in the hay was he going to be doing while I was busting my bottom?

"Okay." I drew the word out so that my irritation was evident.

Well, at least it was evident to me. I looked around and found a level piece of ground that was nestled against the rocky shore of the river. I headed in that direction, checking the clearing for critters that might crawl out of a hole and eat me while I slept. Satisfied with my choice, I set my bag down and headed out in search of firewood.

Finding dry wood on the Olympic Peninsula turned out to be more daunting of a task than I'd anticipated. With some work, I was able to find four passable pieces of wood. I carried them back to the site and noticed that Kennan was out in the water with his shirt off. That water must've be freezing. But seeing as Kennan was now being a royal pain in my arse, I didn't care if he got hypothermia. On second thought, I'd be stuck in the wilderness alone for the rest of my short days if he died on me.

"Kennan, you're going to catch your death. What are you doing out there?" I asked as dispassionately as I could. He wouldn't catch me caring, no siree Bob. Two could play this game.

"Catching dinner," was all he replied before reaching into the river to pull out a fish. So, he was part bear as well. That was good to know. Maybe they didn't have fishing poles back when he was born. I snickered to myself, imagining the first dude that invented a fishing pole and Kennan being all, "Nah I got this."

I stacked the wood and dug through my pack looking for something to light the fire with. I found a lighter buried underneath several sets of clothing. Pulling from all of the survival shows I'd watched, I lit a small ball of tinder. I prayed the wood wasn't too damp to catch. With a little luck, and a light head from blowing on the embers, the wood finally caught. I looked up to see Kennan heading my way with several fish. He pulled a grate out of his pack on his way to the fire. After getting the fish situated, he headed back to his pack and pulled on a hoodie.

I headed over to my pack and decided to figure out what I was going to sleep on before the light faded. I saw a mat that resembled my yoga mat from back home rolled up underneath. I took the straps off and unfurled it, thankful that it wasn't as thin as my mat back home. I shuffled through the giant pack in search of a sleeping bag. I pulled it out of its small pouch, surprised that something so large could collapse to be so compact. Kennan spared no expense on his kidnapping supplies it would seem.

I lay it all out between the river and the fire. My logic being that no big bad critters would want to cross the fire to eat me. Well, that was my hope at any rate. I wondered if Bigfoot was afraid of fires. I dug around in my pack in search of something warmer to put on. I found a fleece jacket and pulled it on and followed it up with a fleece hat. I refused to die of a little thing like exposure. It may have only been forty something degrees, but I was still cold.

I walked back toward the fire, the aroma of fish drawing me in. Suddenly, I was famished. Kennan was dishing up the food as I arrived. I sat down as he handed me a plate, the silence unnerving me. I dug in, the food gone entirely too quickly.

I must have looked pathetic because Kennan began rifling through his pack. He pulled something out and tossed it my way. I looked down in my hands and saw that he'd given me a Power Bar. Nothing to top a dinner off like a fine sundae, I mean protein bar. Alas, beggars cannot be choosers. The strawberry cake of the previous evening conjured itself in my memories like a traitorous letch. I ate the bar in silence, trying to be grateful for a full belly.

I got up and headed to the river to rinse my plate, when I returned I placed it close to the fire. I looked at Kennan and noticed that he was staring at me, a thousand emotions dancing in his eyes like the flames they reflected. I sighed, steeling my resolve. I wasn't going to try and mend whatever bridge seemed to have burned between us. To my knowledge, I had done nothing to deserve his change.

"Good night, Kennan," I said, as the tears threatened to break through. My resolve did nothing to soften the blow of the loss.

"Good night," I heard him mutter.

I headed to my sleeping back and curled up. I prayed that sleep would come quickly, that at least there I would find some shelter from the storm of my life. For once, my prayers were granted.

**********
THIRTEEN

The next morning, I rose with the sun. I oriented myself quickly before gathering clothes for the day. I spared a glance toward Kennan to be sure he was still asleep before heading over to the river. I bent over the water and splashed my face with the frigid water, effectively chasing away any remnants of sleep that might've still clung to me. I pulled my clothes off from the night before, replacing them just as quickly with the ones I'd taken from my pack. My flesh rose wherever the cool air kissed it. Once I was completely changed, I headed back to my sleeping bag. I glanced over to where Kennan was sleeping moments before. He was sitting with his head buried in his hands as though he was trying to shake something out of his vision. Suddenly, he stood and looked over at me.

"You need to change in your sleeping bag from now on," he said gruffly before turning back to his stuff to finish packing.

"Well, I thought you were asleep. I'm so terribly sorry if you saw something that offended your delicate sensibilities," I said snippily. I refused to be cowed by a man that'd barely spared me twenty words the previous day.

I began shoving my stuff back in my bag, fueled by my temper and the need to start moving forward. I found a stash of protein bars and other snacks in a pocket that I hadn't noticed the day before. After getting my stuff put away I grabbed a bag of granola out and started munching while I plotted the rest of the trek. I looked at the river and noticed that I was going to link up with the Hoh River trail at some point. That trail would lead me out of the back country to a Resort. Well, there was no time like the present.

I got up and started heading westward keeping to the river. I never glanced back to see if Kennan followed. I was starting to feel like a fall in the river, mixed with a swift drowning, would be preferable to my current situation. I was fed up with the drama and heartache the past few days had thrown my way. In a rare fit of pique, I allowed my anger to fuel me. Tired of the loss of control, I headed out into the forest without a thought to my safety. Reckless abandon was quite freeing, it turned out.

A mile or so later, I realized there was a reason people hadn't taken up rage hiking as a hobby. My anger had caused me to end up in a rather precarious position. I was faced with either climbing up what might be a cliff face, or wading through the frigid water to make my way around the bend. Had I taken the time to look at the map more often, and perhaps let a more level-headed detached person help me, I might not be in this predicament.

I refused to back track the half mile. My feet were in serious pain and I knew I didn't have much left in me. I decided that up would be my best bet. Half way up, I lost my footing, and began to slide down.

I felt myself slipping away and suddenly realized all of my bluster from earlier was for the birds. Turns out, I still wanted to live quite a lot. I yelled out scrambling to grab a hold of anything that might slow my fall. Kennan caught me just as my panic came to a fever pitch.

He helped me find a foothold once more, and we continued up the incline with him close behind. My breath hitched in my throat, and by the time we made it to the top of the hill I was a hot mess. I was unsure what kind of bad karma I was toting around that had caused me to lose everyone that had ever mattered to me. I was angered by the loss and even more so by the loss of the last person that mattered, Kennan. He had saved me, but there was a complete lack of warmth between us where our friendship once lived.

I allowed the tears to fall, mourning the loss, while simultaneously purging the anger that had fueled the entire morning. I stopped to wipe my eyes, the tears making it impossible to discern the path.

I began to walk again as I felt a tug at my elbow and Kennan pulled me into his arms. I pushed against him, refusing to be comforted by someone that was suddenly so changeable. I breathed out slowly to try and keep the shudder from my voice.

"Please let go. Just don't. I don't know what I did, and honestly I don't want to know at this point. I just want to get through this, figure out how to bring all of the bad guys down, and then go back to living a quiet life. One that you don't have to be a part of. I've lost everyone that matters, and now even you're gone. I don't know what changed, but if we're going to get through this, you have to stop switching on me. Just be this way or be my friend. Either way, I just can't handle the yoyo routine you're pulling on me." Deflated with my emotional leakage I tried to step away from him.

"Izzy," he began, "I..."

"Don't. I don't want an explanation. I just need help to get through this. If you can do that, then please do it with at least a little civility."

"Damn it woman, let me finish. I don't know how to do this, okay? I don't know how to be what you want me to be and keep my promise at the same time," he said as if his words should make sense to me.

"All I want is to have my friend back. I don't understand why you can't be that guy and my Guardian. You kept me safe in Chicago for two years." Frustration poured off of me in waves. I tried to edge away from him once more. Instead I was pulled back into his embrace.

"Honestly, I don't know that I did such a great job in Chicago. You almost got caught. Had I not been there that day at the museum, I shudder to think what might have happened. I promised your dad that I would keep you safe. He was once the only person that mattered to me. If I fail in protecting his daughter, then I will have failed him. I can't live with that. So, for now I need to be distant and objective. I need to know that you can survive without me." He released me and walked forward leaving me numb.

Alright, distance and no friendship. This was just going to be a barrel of laughs. Not that saving the world and taking down evil corporations should be fun, but the heroine should at least have some perks. Maybe a bat cave, or some shiny weapons. Instead I got the Olympic Wilderness and a bipolar sensei. I would have to make the best of it, just like my mom taught me.

We continued the day's hike with small talk every now and again. We passed most of the time by discussing the surrounding wilderness and things that it contained that would help my escape. As we exited the backcountry, the sun was beginning to set once more. Once we reached the lodge, Kennan pulled some keys out of his pocket. He walked up to a vehicle parked in the darkest corner of the lot and got in. I followed, hoping that we weren't stealing some unsuspecting tourists only means of mobility.

We traveled south on 101 for a while before turning off on a familiar gravel road. He parked the car where the SUV was resting. I finally asked about the current car we were traveling in.

"So, how many cars do you have, big guy?" I was hoping for brevity, but I just ended up sounding tired instead.

"There is a car parked at each one of the escape routes. Once you hike out you will find a car waiting for you. I'll give you a set of keys."

We climbed out of the car, and he set about camouflaging it like the SUV. Then we headed back into the woods once more. I was hoping all the while that he would take the short route. Now that the adrenaline of my anger had worn off, I was struck by how much pain I was in. My feet were killing me and all I wanted to do was sleep in a comfortable bed. All of my muscles simultaneously screamed out in a seemingly unionized protest.

By the time we reached the cabin, full dark had set in. We walked through the door and Kennan headed to the fireplace to get it going. I plopped down on the couch with my backpack still attached like a symbiotic organism.

"Man, my dogs are barking," I said as I lay there, every muscle in my body giving up simultaneously.

Kennan moved towards my feet to take off my shoes. I didn't argue, considering my arms had quit working around the same time my leg muscles had decided to atrophy. He pulled my shoes off to reveal socks tinged a red color. I was pretty sure I hadn't put on tie dyed socks that morning. He started to peel my socks away from my feet and I winced.

"Why didn't you say anything about your feet, Izzy?" he reprimanded as he tried to gently pry my socks the rest of the way off. I looked down to my ruined feet and felt the blood rush out of my face.

"I knew they were hurting, but I also knew we couldn't stop, that we needed to get out of there today. So I just sucked it up and trudged on. They aren't that bad, are they?" I asked hopefully, not wanting to look at them again.

"Next time, if you are hurting, you say something. This could've been prevented." He looked at me, anger and concern etched on his face. Even I had to admit the stupidity in my actions.

I nodded as he moved away toward the bathroom bringing back a washcloth and a basin of water. I also noticed he was carrying a jar of some sort of salve along with bandages. He set about working on my feet as I lay there basking in my own stupidity.

"What is that?" I asked as he set about opening the jar and smearing the cream on the worst of my injuries. "Ack, that stuff smells horrible. Seriously, what is it?" I asked as I wrinkled my nose.

"It's an herbal remedy. Old healers used to use it. The salve will speed up your healing process threefold. You should be able to hike again in four days. Without this, you would've been out for at least a week if not more. Next time, you don't keep hiking if it hurts. Next time, you speak up. Are we understood?" he asked so clinically it set my teeth on edge.

"Yeah, I understand. I can put the bandages on you know. I don't need you to take care of me. I'm perfectly capable of handling myself, this incident of stupidity aside. Besides, don't I need to build calluses or something like that? All of the hiking stuff I've read talks about how calluses will prevent future blisters, and the quickest way to get calluses is from blistering." I felt quite inflated only to be brought right back down.

"Yeah, blisters help, but only if they haven't burst. I'm perfectly aware that you can take care of yourself. Just shut up and let me do this. I should've noticed you were hurting and had I not been such an ass to you, I would've. You wouldn't have kept it from me," he sighed as he set about bandaging my poor feet.

After he'd finished his task, I started to get up from the couch and head toward my room to dump my stuff. I had to try three times to get up before Kennan felt pity and gave me a hand. I hobbled to my room, not looking back, and dropped my stuff. I dug some clothes out of my drawer and headed to the bathroom to wash up more. The river water hadn't done much in the way of hygiene. When I finished I headed back out into the living room to hear Kennan snickering at me.

I glared toward him with the most severe and intimidating look I could muster, only causing him to laugh harder. Once again, his mood swinging so violently I was starting to get seasick. I looked at him and continued to hobble my dirty things to my room. Kennan laughed all of the while. I dropped my stuff in my room and turned toward him.

"What is so funny? Do find my misfortune amusing?"

"No, you just sort of look like a penguin the way you are wobbling around here. Sit down and I'll bring you something to eat. And try not to pull any muscles in your face with that expression."

He headed off toward the kitchen and returned with some chips and a Coke. I didn't drink soda very often, but when I did, I drank Coke. Ha, I sounded like that beer guy. I sipped the soda while looking at Kennan dubiously, afraid that he would revert back to the distance policy. He sank down onto the chair across from the couch confirming that the distance would be maintained. I hated myself at that moment for yearning for his closeness. I hadn't realized until the past couple of days how much I'd depended on Kennan for friendship and emotional support. And now, I had neither.

"I think that I'm going to go to bed Kennan," I said, with a lump in my throat and a sick feeling rising in my stomach. I couldn't face him right now. It all served as a reminder of what I'd lost and what had replaced it. Instead, I pushed the feelings down, and hobbled to my room. As I shut my door, I heard him curse and what sounded like a chair getting an undeserved beating. Too wrung out to care, I fell onto my bed and into the arms of oblivion.

**********
FOURTEEN

I awoke with a start, having slept another dreamless night. Years had passed without a peaceful night's sleep, and I realized that whatever whammy Kennan had put on me was responsible for my rest. I would have to remember to thank him for it, but ultimately I knew I couldn't hide any more. I sat up and placed my feet on the floor preparing for the onslaught of discomfort. None came. I looked down and my feet and hesitantly peeled back a bandage. Where there had been carnage the night before, there were now light pink splotches. I tested my feet on the floor and found them to feel fine.

I got up and headed out into the living room. Once again, Kennan was nowhere to be found. A few seconds later, a thwack from outside announced his whereabouts. I looked through the window to see Kennan chopping more firewood. The stack behind him was high enough to supply a family of five for an entire winter. Somebody was apparently worked up. I shuffled into the kitchen, putting Kennan out of my mind. Today I was going to have to try and jack into my own mind and figure out how this communication and vision thing worked. But first, I needed some fuel.

I started the coffee pot and rummaged through some cabinets before coming out with some oatmeal. I set about preparing my breakfast, refusing to let anything get to me today. The last few days I'd been such a complete train wreck. It was time to move on. For real, this time. No matter if I was on my own, I couldn't wallow in my own vat of sadness. I wasn't some emo teenager after all. Adults had to suck it up and trudge forward, and that was precisely what I intended to do.

I ate in silence and cleaned up my dishes. The only sound accompanying me the thwack of Kennan's axe as he mutilated the poor unsuspecting logs. I headed to the door and stuck my head out asking Kennan to come inside. He gave me a quizzical look, but humored me.

"I need you to unwhammy me now," I said with determination.

"I don't have to do it yet Izzy. I can give you a few more days of rest before you get sucked back into the fog," he said hesitantly, obviously not sure what I was up to.

"I need to figure out how to work my head, and the only way I can do that is if I'm not blocked. Since I can't hike for a few days, and I can't do any other sort of training, I thought I might train my brain. Or at least try and figure out how to work with what is going on up there." I looked at him expectantly. Either he would argue the stupidity of what I was trying to do, or he would do what I asked.

"Is this what you really want, Red? I mean, it is all happening so fast. If you want to rest for a while and get better no one would blame you." The sound of caring in his voice put me on edge. I wouldn't deal with that today. I couldn't deal with it. I had an objective and I would move forward. Focus and repress. Maybe that should be my new mantra. Focus, repress, focus, repress. But certainly don't focus on the repression.

"I need to do this. If you must know, I would blame myself if I just lounged about while the world is getting well and truly thrashed by bad guys. If I'm going to make a difference, I can't really take a vacation, Kennan. If you remember, I didn't come out here of my own accord. This isn't some fun hiking excursion for me. So the sooner I embrace what is going on and how much everything has changed, the better." The last statement spoke as much to our relationship as every other circumstance of my life.

A look of understanding passed behind Kennan's eyes before he moved toward me. He placed his warm hands on either side of my face before bending his forehead to brush my own. His heat radiated inside of me and melded with my own like we were two parts to a whole. I cursed my traitorous body while he set about lifting whatever protection he had placed two days before. I felt the weight rush in instantly and swayed with its impact. Kennan's hands steadied my shoulders as I got myself under control. I took a deep breath and looked him in the face.

"Thanks, that's all I needed," I said before disentangling myself from his arms and heading back toward my room. I still had a letter to read from my mother. It was just the sort of distraction I needed. With any luck, I might get some questions answered in the mix.

I walked into my room and sat down on my bed with my back against the log wall and my legs crossed. I opened the letter, knowing that a vision was possible, yet once again, nothing came. I pulled the paper from the envelope and noticed there were several spots of smeared ink and the words were runny in places.

My Dear One,

It's time. I don't have very long before I must leave you. In fact, I just have a few hours. I just wanted to say goodbye. I know there is so much more that I should've told you. I know that in the grand scheme of things, I'm leaving you with more questions than answers. I just don't have time to explain it all. If you ever need me, you can find me in your dreams. As long as I live, I will be there. Call out to me and I will answer. I love you more than you will ever know.

Be brave my sweet girl. You have been my sunshine these last 8 years. I hope that someday that brightness shines on the rest of the world. I know what I hope from you, and what others will ask of you, but ultimately the choice is yours. Remember to trust yourself, you know how to do everything you need to. You just have to trust in yourself to find the right path. I'll miss you so much, my little Izzy bear.

I hope that someday we may meet again beyond the fog. I hope that God grants me the strength to make it long enough to help you. But most of all I hope that God grants me enough days to see you safe.

Please don't ever doubt that you were and are still loved. Goodbye.

I love you without end,

Mom

I wiped the tears from my eyes, once more feeling her love seep from the words on the page. I finally admitted to myself how much of a void her absence had left in my life. I was always close to both of my parents, but my mother was like an ethereal creature. She was the light to my father's darkness. There was always something so guarded and cautious about my father. He loved us both without abandon, but he was never carefree like my mother. Even knowing all she knew, she was still able to give me a childhood filled with joy and adventures under the Alabama sun. I missed them both so much. The years that I'd repressed, the longing suddenly came rushing back to haunt me.

I lay down on my pillow, hoping to pull myself back to the present, but instead I was pulled into a parade of phantoms once more. Polaroid's of time flash before my eyes like an old photo album. I saw my mother's face lit up with a knowing smile while she was held under my watchful father. I saw my father twirling me in the air and remembered screaming, "Higher!" I saw snippets of a childhood filled with love and laughter. But in the periphery I caught glimpses of my mother's worry. I caught silent talks between my mother and father when they thought no one was watching. The first eight years of my life were laid out like stepping stones.

Hours slipped away as I lay there immersed in a time long gone. I finally allowed myself to mourn the loss of my father. To mourn the loss of a mother that I may never see again. I finally understood that it was not just my childhood that was altered by the Corporation. In so many of my memories, a ghost of Kennan echoed. He was there with my father as they shared inside jokes, borne over hundreds of years of history together. It wasn't just me that had lost my parents. Kennan had lost his best friend, and yet he'd still promised to watch out for me. I knew that it must've been impossibly hard to face someone that was a constant reminder of everything he'd lost.

I lay there, inanimate, for some time before the knocking on my door pulled me from my thoughts. I rubbed my eyes checking for moisture, but found they were finally dry.

"Yeah?" I choked out, hoping the frailty in my voice was not evident to anyone else.

"Umm, Iz?" Kennan asked hesitantly.

"What?" I made no effort to get up and move to the door. He could tell me what he wanted from where he was. I really had nothing left to give him on this day. My tears had run dry and my emotional gauge was resting at empty.

"Can I come in for a minute? I need to say some stuff. Well," he sounded off, like he had something stuck in his throat, "yeah, please just let me in."

"It isn't locked, Kennan. Just come in." I didn't mean to sound brusque, but I had nothing left to give him.

He opened the door and I noticed the sadness lingering behind his eyes. He looked at me and it was as though my expression physically punched him in his gut. He looked back toward the living room as if he wanted to retreat, but then he straightened his shoulders and moved into my room. He sat down on the end of the bed, as far from me as the small bed would allow.

"I'm sorry." He hung his head in his hands and for the first time I saw all of those years float around him. I saw images of his past flicker before my eyes. Years and years of a life of waiting for the one he was meant to guard. It was as though I could pluck anything from his life and watch it unfold.

I must've unleashed something when I had my trek through my own history. I didn't know if I could read Kennan so easily because of our history, or if this was something I would be able to do with anyone. I didn't feel right prying through all of his memories, so instead I focused on the present and brought myself back to something I had rarely ever heard Kennan do. He had apologized.

"Why? What are you sorry for Kennan?" Sorry you ever met me, I added silently.

"I'm sorry because you deserve better than me. I'm sorry because I've been an ass the last few days. I don't know how to be objective with you. Mostly, I'm sorry that my behavior has caused you to retreat into yourself and go through what you just did on your own. I could've been there to help you learn how to sift memories. I felt it when you started and I didn't even try and help."

I looked at him, shocked that he knew I had just paraded through my memories for the past few hours, yet didn't bother coming in to check on me until it was all over.

I was even more surprised to find my anger just a smoldering coal. It appeared that my emotions were going to be taking a hiatus for the rest of the day. In their place I was left with a certain sense of detachment. So instead of getting emotional or responding to his apology, I decided to strive for information.

"Can I do that with everyone? Sift through their memories?" I asked, curious as to whether or not he had felt me on the edges of his memories fanning through them.

"Yes, you can. Your mother could as well. It's a rare talent with your kind. It's much easier for you to do it with someone you've known for a while. But I would prefer you not sift through my memories if it is all the same to you," he said, with a knowing look.

"Well, how am I supposed to figure out how to do it without someone to test it on, Kennan?" I was really hoping to get some sort of practice in today.

"I'll make you a deal. You only sift through my memories from before you were born." He grabbed my face and turned it toward his own before continuing. "I'll know if you go tromping where I don't give you permission, and you won't like what happens if you do."

I felt myself heat up internally. My body responded to the threat in his voice as well as the fire burning in his eyes. He might have been able to tamp down his feelings and remain distant earlier, but now his emotions were coming off of him in strong waves. I shook myself free of him and stuck my right hand out.

He looked at it and then engulfed my small hand within his own. "I promise not to tromp where I am not welcome. Maybe you could put up some mental 'NO TRESPASSING' signs or something," I said, hoping to steer us into less emotional waters.

He nodded and then looked at me sternly as if to scold me. "I'm trusting you, Izzy. There are things in there that I don't want to be seen. Not by you. So you stick to the stuff from long ago. It will be easy to sift through and find it. The memories that seem clearest are my most recent memories from what I understand. So look for the ones that seem fuzzy around the edges or just out of reach. Those should be safe. But the minute I feel you brush up against memories that aren't yours we're done. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir," I said, before mock saluting him. "So, how does this work? Do I just sort of woowoo you somehow, or should I touch you? Is there a chant or something?"

"From what your mom said, physical contact makes the connection easier. You can do it without touching, but she always said the images were much clearer when she was touching someone," he said, before leaning back against the wall as if to brace for what was to come.

"Alrighty then. Let's get to this," I said as I reached out and grabbed his hand once more.

I let the warmth of his hand surround my own and tried to find his memories but there was nothing there. Nothing but my hand perfectly nestled in his. I opened my eyes and breathed out heavily.

"Nothing is happening. Are you sure there isn't some sort of chant? Am I supposed to sacrifice a chicken or something?"

"It isn't a ritual. Izzy. Just try and clear your head, which I know is asking a lot from you. But just let your mind wander. Don't try and force it," he said with a trace of his old humor.

So I did what he asked me. I grabbed his hand in mine once again and waited. I tried not to think of anything. Which, by the way, is incredibly hard, because the more I tried not to think of anything, the more stuff I thought about. Eventually, I got to a place where everything seemed foggy. I breathed slowly like all of my yoga classes, okay videos, had taught me, and tried to center myself. I focused on Kennan and noticed a constant stream of images pulsing around him. Millions of memories layered one on top of the other shifted around Kennan. His entire history lay at my mental fingertips.

I spent the next few hours sifting through his past memories. I watched battles play out. I watched as he played tricks on my father. I watched him train. I watched as the world shifted and changed around him while he stayed the same. He was an immovable object in a changeable world. I witnessed the sadness and loneliness that he felt throughout his long life. I saw him long to finally meet the one he was meant to protect just so his days could end. Then I saw him meet my mother for the first time. I saw how her joy calmed his spirit, and how he'd finally found a home with my father and mother. Just before he pulled his hand away from my own I saw myself as a baby.

The present rushed in around me causing me to become disoriented. I tried to steady myself, but the roll of nausea became too much to bear. I ran to the restroom before tossing up my breakfast. I sat on the floor for a minute, trying to get my stomach to stop trying to exit my body. Once I finally calmed myself, I got up and rinsed my mouth and brushed my teeth before heading back to my room.

"Will it be like that every time?" I asked Kennan. If I got sick every time I tried to sift through someone's memories, that would be one heck of a tell.

"No, I should have told you to sever the contact. I cut it off and that is what made you sick. I felt you trying to look through memories that aren't yours to see. So we are done for now. You should probably try and get some sleep for a while." And with that he left me alone.

I knew that I'd been wading into memories he asked me not to see, but him not wanting me to see them made me want to know what they were. I lay down on my bed with his memories to keep my own company. I marveled at all of the things he'd seen and I'd only hit the highlights. There was so much more. The more I thought about it though, the worse I felt. I suddenly felt like I'd seen things he probably hadn't wanted me to see. After all, if a person wants you to know something, they would tell you. In this case, I'd just pried into his head and pulled out memories that weren't mine to take.

This Seer business kind of sucked. I had all of these super powers, but I felt guilty using them. My mom and Grams both always taught me that it was not polite to pry. Yet, that is exactly what I'd just done. I wondered if all of those warnings were to keep me from maniacally going about the world sifting through everyone's memories. I could probably turn a lot of bad guys in to the authorities.

But then I would have to do the whole, "Ma'am, how did you know he robbed that convenient store?"

And then I would have to be all, "Well you see officer, I saw it in his head."

Then they would proceed to cart me off to the loony bin. So it was probably in my best interest if I didn't go sifting where I wasn't welcome.

I lay on the bed for a long time, feeling guiltier as the seconds ticked by. So instead of wallowing in my guilt I decided to get up, put my big girl panties on, and apologize for trying to barge into memories Kennan hadn't wanted me to see. I opened the door and found him sitting on the couch reading a book.

"Kennan, I'm sorry. I know that I went poking where I wasn't supposed to. So, yeah, I suck. Sorry," I said sheepishly.

"Iz, I get it. You need to know how to do the whole mind meld thing, but next time don't push. There are reasons I don't want you to sift through those memories. Reasons I'll tell you someday. But as my friend, I need you to promise not to go there yet." The word friend caught me off guard. More importantly, it pissed me off.

"Oh, so now we're friends again. Awesome. You can't just go throw the friend card around whenever I have done something to upset you. Because you have been kind of a shit friend the last few days. Pardon my French." I sat down heavily in the chair across from him. I felt weird having actually cussed. I was raised to know better, but sometimes a girl just needed a stronger word.

Shocked at my outburst, and even rarer use of colorful language, Kennan paled. He rubbed his face again and walked over toward my chair. He lowered his massive frame down so that he was eye level with me before leaning in and kissing my forehead.

"You will always be my friend, Izzy. No matter what may come, you are my friend. And yes, I have been an unmitigated ass to you the past few days. It was just so much easier when you didn't know. I could just be your friend and not have to worry about protecting you or training you. I lived in denial for so long that now reality is rushing in and I'm ill equipped. So, just let me get my bearings. I will try and be less of an ass, okay?" He stuck his hand out with his pinky up.

"Are you late for high tea or something, Kennan?" I asked snarkily.

"No, I'm trying to pinky promise you." He looked serious and I suddenly burst out laughing.

Something about the sight of a man his size trying to pinky promise finally cracked through all of the other emotions weighing me down. I laughed for the longest time and the harder I laughed, the more irritated Kennan's expression became. Which only fueled my laughter further. By the time I'd composed myself, Kennan had moved back to the couch and had gone back to reading his book.

"Okay, I'm sorry, but you have to admit that you looked ridiculous. I mean, when have you ever pinky promised in your life?" I had trouble imagining such a guy's guy ever doing anything as girly as pinky promising.

"If you must know, you used to make me pinky promise you all of the time. So just shove that in your pipe and smoke it, smarty pants." He never took his eyes off of his book as he delivered that little nugget.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I was much smaller, but I will take your pinky promise all the same. You have to know that a pinky promise is quite binding. Horrible, terrible things befall those that forsake the oath spoken over the pinky. I'm pretty sure if you start being an ass to me again you might bring down a plague or a swarm of locusts upon yourself," I said with mock seriousness. I knew teasing him was probably not the best course of action.

Suddenly, Kennan was right in front of me holding out his pinky once more. I smiled barely able to contain my laughter. Once my eyes locked with Kennan's, some of my humor faded. His eyes spoke of a serious vow not to be broken. So, I hooked his pinky in my own and realized that the feeling was not so unfamiliar. I wondered what things I'd made him promise when I was young.

"I vow to try and be both your friend and Guardian. I will try my very best not to be an ass if you promise to stop doing stupid stuff around me." He looked me in the eyes like I should know exactly what stupid stuff he was talking about.

"What stupid stuff? Didn't you just vow not to be an ass?"

"I mean the whole prancing about in lingerie and stripping down to nothing in front of me. You never did that back in Chicago, why would you do it now?"

"Whoa there big guy. I'm pretty sure you packed those clothes. Second of all, I thought you were asleep." The second I practically yelled. I would be darned if he was going to blame me for something that was not intentionally done.

"Fine, whatever, just promise to be fully clothed from now on." His eyes sparked in a way that made me think part of him didn't want me to promise at all.

"Deal. No more exhibitionist Izzy in exchange for a friendly non-hostile Kennan O'Malley. Do we have an accord?" I asked with our pinkies still entwined.

He shook my hand up and down before releasing it.

"Well, now that is all cleared up." I cleared my throat in an effort to avoid the giant elephant in the room. "What next? It is only half way through the day and my mind is pretty much mush. I don't think I can do any more mind melding or anything else at this point. So is there something I can do around here?"

"Well, we are actually expecting a visitor. That's what I initially went in your room to tell you, along with the apology, obviously," he said as though he guessed my thoughts.

"Who's coming?" I asked, hoping that it might be Mike. Another familiar face might make things easier for me. After all, it had just been Kennan and I for the past few days, and the closed quarters were causing all sorts of drama between us. A third person would be a welcome change.

"No one you know," he said squashing that hope. "It is another Guardian. His name is Ian and he is a pain in my ever loving arse. But, he has some information that might be able to help us. So, he's headed up here and will be here sometime this evening. I just wanted to give you a heads up that he is a bit, well different," he said as if different were the nicest word he could come up with to describe the guy.

"Alright, I consider myself warned. So, is there anything I can do to help around here before he comes? Any food or anything I can help cook? I mean, manual labor is still out with my feet being all jacked, but I could do some light filing or something," I said with a glimmer of my old self returning. The prospect of having another person around to mediate Kennan and I was exciting. Despite his warnings about Ian, I was looking forward to meeting another Guardian.

"This isn't an office, there is no light filing. Maybe you could clean the bathroom or something?" He looked at me seriously for a beat before cracking into a broad smile.

I punched him in the arm and was surprised to feel the weight lift from my shoulders. The past few days had been difficult not knowing where I stood with Kennan and now we were at least on even ground. I didn't know how long it would last, but I would take a cue from my mom and enjoy what I had right now and not worry about what tomorrow might bring. I was pretty sure if I didn't stay grounded in the now, I would go insane. What, with the visions and all.

"Almighty Guardian, if it would please you for me to clean your bathroom, then how can I possibly refuse?" I deadpanned before feeling the sudden need to say something more. I needed to say something that had more substance before we moved into the land of denial and fluffy rainbow happiness.

"Kennan," I started hesitantly, "I'm sorry it took me so long to come around. It had to of been hard living all of those years with no end in sight. So, yeah, that and I'm really sorry for trying to stick my nose where it didn't belong."

Kennan stood up, yanking me with him and pulled me into his arms. His embrace was a balm to my raw emotions. I hadn't realized how frayed I was starting to feel. But I supposed with the emotional rollercoaster I'd been on the past few days, it should've been obvious. I sighed as I let his warmth envelope me. I was suddenly struck by how right it felt to be there in his arms, as if that were the safest place in the world. His heart beat a soothing rhythm in my ear. He held me like that for a minute before releasing me and looking down into my face.

"I would've waited another thousand years to find you. It is more of an honor than you know to protect you. An honor and a pain of course. We both know you aren't going to make this easy on me," he said with a smile that finally reached his eyes.

Then he let me go with instructions to relax and read something or watch a movie while he worked. He set about picking the place up before he went in the kitchen and fixed us some lunch. The rest of the afternoon passed that way. I read and relaxed for the first time since this whole thing began, and Kennan moved around the cabin getting things ready.

*********
FIFTEEN

After dinner, there was a knock on the door. Before either of us could get it, in burst what could only be described as the strangest sight I'd ever seen, in walked Ian. He met my eyes, and a giant smile engulfed his gorgeous face. I was starting to think that all Guardians were blessed with mega hotness. His good looks aside, his overall appearance was a bit hard to swallow. He was just as tall as Kennan, but where Kennan dressed in reserved clothing that could be considered sporty, Ian was dressed in some of the loudest clothes I'd ever seen. He was wearing plaid pants that were probably better suited to a golf course, a loud yellow shirt printed paisley, and his hair was bleached at the ends and sticking up in spikes all over his head. I was sure my jaw was on the floor. His eyes sparked with a sort of humor I'd caught in Kennan's a thousand times before. Something told me that this man was more of a trickster than Kennan could ever be.

"Well, hello there Lass. You must be the adorable Izzy I've heard so much about," he said with a bare hint of brogue lacing his accent.

"Um, yeah, I'm Izzy," I said, after finally regaining my composure.

"Well, then let's get right down to the serious stuff and get that out of the way shall we?" He moved into the cabin and embraced Kennan before moving to sit next to me on the couch. "Alright, this is gonna suck, and I hate doing the whole serious doom and gloom, so I'm just gonna come out and say it so we can move on to jollier topics. Yeah?"

I nodded trying not to stare at the strange man sitting next to me. He had apparently never heard of the concept of personal space. Just as the thought danced through my mind he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close. He looked as serious as I thought him capable before continuing with what he needed to say. Dread filled my stomach. Something told me it took a lot to make Ian serious about anything.

"Well, you see, we had a problem in Chicago. Mike is missing. We think that the Corporation got to him. We aren't really sure how they knew he worked for us, but there you have it. He's gone, we have found no trace of him. Hey, do you guys have any food left? I'm famished," he said, hopping up from the couch, rubbing his hands together.

I choked back the sob that threatened to escape as tears started to slide down my cheeks. Mike was gone. He was like a second father to me and now he was gone because of me. It was like I was some sort of toxic element that destroyed everyone around me. Kennan was kneeling before me, wiping my tears away as he scowled at Ian. A look that was probably quite common between the two men.

"What? What did I do?" Ian asked dumfounded.

I tried to pull myself out of my grief and looked up into Kennan's eyes. I nodded once, trying to convey that I was okay. I was heartbroken, but it was not an unfamiliar feeling. If I were being honest, this was something I'd been dreading since we left Chicago. In my heart, I knew that something would probably happen to Mike. I just hoped that he was in hiding and not taken by the Corporation. Or as I was starting to think of them, Evil Bastards Inc.

"Is there any other news Ian? Or is that all you had to pass along?" Kennan asked with a hint of censure in his voice.

"Nope, that was it. But the Council asked me to stay for a few days and help train little bit here," he said with amusement in his eyes. "She really is a tiny thing isn't she?" He asked.

"She is right here, bonehead," I said, annoyed.

"You have to admit, you're quite a tiny little thing. Ferocious, but tiny," he said like I was some sort of purse dog.

"Ugggghhhh!" I growled, irritated. "I am not tiny. You people are just giants. I'm a perfectly average height with normal people, I will have you know." I stomped my foot as I stood trying to look him in the eye. I stood on my tiptoes and only came eye to chin with him.

Well, that showed him.

"It's alright there, Little One. We all know how big and bad you are," he said with amusement in his eyes.

"Dude, I wouldn't start with her. She has a temper that can shake a house down. That, and she figured out how to memory sift today. If you aren't careful she'll reveal all of your darkest secrets to the world," Kennan said with a snicker. I decided to play along and raised an eyebrow at Ian.

He put his hands up in placation. "Whoa, we're all friends here. Or we could be," he said with a wink in my direction.

I rolled my eyes, but wondered what his darkest secret might be. I wondered if he secretly had a collection of unicorn figurines. Ooooh, or maybe it was a Hello Kitty collection. I started snickering as the two men looked at me.

"Sorry, I'm good. Just, maybe you could work on your bad news delivery, Ian? Because let me tell you, your current methods leave something to be desired," I said before moving back to the couch.

I slumped down as Ian sat in my bubble again, once more wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I looked to Kennan for some help, but he just shook his head at Ian and moved toward the kitchen to find his friend some food.

"So, what's say you and me get acquainted?" Ian said while moving his eyebrows up and down.

"Um, I think I'll pass," I said, rolling my eyes at him. I picked up my book to begin reading once more.

"What?" he asked sniffing under his arms. "I don't smell bad. What's the problem? I just want to be your friend," he added, with a put on flourish of sad puppy eyes.

"I have a friend, I think," I said, looking toward Kennan. He had a look of trepidation on his face, as though he were restraining himself from bashing his friend's skull in.

Ian just sat there, cool as a cucumber trying to read over my shoulder.

"Do you mind? You are a little too close," I said, trying to scoot away only to be trapped under his arm just as quickly.

"Nope, not at all. I've read this one. Want to know how it ends?" he asked, smiling down at me.

It was hard to stay annoyed at someone that was just so insane. I thought Kennan was bad, but this guy was a total whacko.

"No, I don't want to know how it ends. Not until I get there. I like to read the whole story, thank you very much," I said, turning my book away from his prying eyes.

"Dude, your food is done. Why don't you come over here and give her a break. You kind of dropped a huge emotional bomb on her a few minutes ago. So, I don't know, maybe give her some time before trying to lay down the charm?" Kennan asked, more brusquely than I thought necessary.

"Easy killer, me and the little one here were just becoming friends. Isn't that right, Izzy?" Coming from anyone else I would've thought the statement creepy, but from Ian it just sounded honest.

"Yep, we are besties now! Maybe later I can paint your nails and you can braid my hair?" I asked sarcastically, only noticing too late that his fingernails were in fact already painted a bright blue.

His eyes lit up. I shook my head in response. "Sorry big guy, I don't paint my nails," I said, wiggling my naked nails in his face.

"You're as much fun as Kennan." Disappointed, Ian moved toward the kitchen and the promise of food, leaving me to return to my book.

The rest of the evening passed with ease. The banter between Kennan and Ian was a welcome relief from the seriousness pressing against me. I watched as the two men exchanged stories about fellow Guardians, making sure to fill me in on any back story I might be missing. The two men enveloped me in their world as if I belonged there and for once I felt like I'd found my place. I listened to their laughter and drifted off into a calm sleep. Sometime later I felt myself lifted from the couch and moved into my room.

Kennan brushed his lips against my forehead before whispering something I couldn't understand. As he shut the door I heard Ian ask him, "How the hell are you going to handle this man? What would her father think?"

"Don't think I don't know man. It's wrong on so many levels, but it's something better left alone. You got me?"

That was all I heard before being pulled into a fitful sleep.

**********

I dreamt of rolling green hills. I found myself standing on the precipice of a cliff staring down into a raging ocean. The waves beat ruthlessly against the cliffs and I wondered what it must be like to try and swim against such a force. The sound of my name being called pulled me from my reverie.

" _Mom?" I asked, wondering if this was just a dream or if she were really there._

" _Baby, I won't be back again. I want you to know how much I love you. But it is my time. I feel myself fading. I just couldn't leave without telling you goodbye."_

My feet carried me towards her before I could even make sense of what she was saying. Violently, I threw myself into her frail arms.

" _Please don't leave me!" I pleaded with her, burying my face in her boney shoulder. "I can come and get you. Just wait a little longer. Please mom. Please don't leave me again, not when I just found you."_

" _Oh my sweet, sweet girl. It is my time. I'm not scared, I'm relieved. I can finally be with your father once more. And what is left of me is not worth saving, Little One. You have so much more ahead of you. I am but a shell of what I once was." She lifted my face to look me in the eyes. Her tears mirrored my own. "You be brave, you understand me? You are stronger than you will ever know. I'll love you for always, my sweet girl."_

Slowly, she pulled away from me. Just like that, she was gone only to be replaced by the rolling fog.

I yelled out for her, sobs racking my body. I tried to find her in the fog but only got lost myself. Falling to my knees, I yelled out, "Mom, please don't leave me. I'm all alone. You're all I have," I begged with all of my heart, screaming as loudly as I could.

**********

I was jolted to the present by Kennan shaking my shoulders. Tears coursed down my face as I pulled myself into him and sobbed. She was gone. I was too late.

I heard Kennan whisper something in my ears and I felt the connection sever. He'd put the whammy on me again. But I didn't fight it. I couldn't handle another vision or anything at the moment. My body wrung out by the sobs that had wracked it moments before, I was left empty and alone. I heard him whisper something more before the darkness enveloped me and I fell into a dreamless sleep.

When I finally woke the next morning the truth of the previous night rushed in. I felt strangled by the loss. I sat there for a moment letting my loss morph and change until all that was left was anger. I let it encompass me, finding solace in a way my grief would not allow. I sought it out and brought it in. I let the grief go and resolved myself to stop the people that had stolen everything I cared for. I wouldn't allow myself to wallow any longer. It was time I grew up, and fast.

I walked out into the living room, after putting on some clothes and my favorite sweater. Both Kennan and Ian were up and talking in hushed tones. They looked at me expectantly, as if I were about to burst into tears at any moment. By all rights, I should've, but the pain had numbed me. There were only so many times a heart could be broken. I looked at both of them and something in my expression must have translated my resolve.

"It's time I stop hiding and start doing something. My feet feel better today, so I suggest we head out and get me acquainted with the rest of the escape routes. So you gentlemen should probably pack up. We're leaving right after breakfast." With that I turned and headed for the kitchen, only to have Kennan and Ian rush to stand in front of me.

Kennan lifted his hand as if to brush the hair from my face. I looked up into his eyes, "Don't. I'm fine."

He dropped his hand, unsure of what to do.

Ian, dressed in an equally ridiculous outfit as the day before, clapped his hands together and said, "Sweet, hiking. I love hiking." He winked at me and I was suddenly grateful to have him there.

Kennan stepped aside and let me move into the kitchen to fix myself some breakfast. I didn't bother trying to feed Kennan and Ian. I'm not sure I would have even known how much to cook for the two of them. Instead, I grabbed some yogurt and a banana. As soon as I was finished, I headed into my room to pack the supplies I might need for the day and checked the map. I decided to try a shorter route than the last time. I feared my feet might not make it through another twenty mile hike.

By the time I made it back out into the living room, Kennan and Ian were both ready to go. Kennan looked like his sexy Brawny Man self and Ian looked like he'd just left Woodstock. I headed out the door, telling them which trek I had chosen for the day.

We spent the day walking through the woods, never talking about anything of any importance. My anger had subsided into a dull burning that kept my grief at bay. I embraced the numbness, allowing myself to revel in its freedom. Seemingly as quickly as the hike had begun, it was finished. We exited the woods onto an old dirt road where a beat up SUV stood waiting. I turned toward Kennan, holding out my hand for the keys. He ignored me and got behind the wheel taking us back to the cabin.

By the time we got back it was almost dark and we decided to have a bonfire for dinner. I went into the house and dumped my bag, thankful that my feet didn't feel destroyed like the last time. I headed into the kitchen and gathered up all of the stuff we might need for the hotdogs and s'mores, then went out to find the guys.

"Do you think that is enough to feed us?" Ian asked, smiling down at me. His rainbow tie-dyed bandana made it difficult to take anything he said seriously.

I looked down at the two packs of hotdogs in my hands and back up to Ian.

"Well, it ought to be. Just because you live practically forever doesn't mean you should overeat," I said as I set everything down. Suddenly I was lifted in the air and tossed over Ian's shoulder as he ran me around, promising to drop me on my head if I didn't apologize. Finally I relented.

"Fine," I said between giggles. "I give, just put me down you brute. How many more hotdogs do you think you need?"

He looked at Kennan and back at me and they simultaneously said, "Grab another pack."

I headed back into the cabin to grab some more hotdogs. On the way out, I overheard them talking about me so I paused. Maybe eavesdropping was bad, but they shouldn't have been talking about me when I wasn't there. I listened in as Ian began to speak.

"How is she doing, Kennan? Seriously. I came up here because her mom told the Council she would be gone soon. Her mom was really worried about what is ahead for her. What happened last night, man?"

"I don't know. I haven't ever seen her like this. She is usually like sunshine, bright and cheery. Something has shifted in her though. Her mom said goodbye to her last night. So that means she's gone. I don't know, man. It seems like in place of her sun there is anger now. I just hope she doesn't let it consume her," Kennan said with a sigh before turning in my direction. "We know you're there nosey, so you might as well come out."

So busted. I'd forgotten about the tracking thing he could do. So, I sucked it up and went out to face my accusers.

"What? I was just minding my own business and bringing out more food when I heard y'all talking about me. Of course I want to know what is being said. I mean, don't act like y'all wouldn't do the same," I said, trying to add a little bluster and just sounding guilty instead.

"Riiiiiigggghhht," Ian said, not buying what I was selling.

"Fine, okay, I got busted. But seriously, I'm fine guys. I'm mad as hell and ready to kick some evil arse, but I'm fine. Losing her sucks, but you need to remember I didn't even know she was still alive until like a week ago. I had already dealt with the whole dead mom thing. Quite honestly, a person's heart can only fracture so many times before it is completely broken. So I don't have much left to give in the grief department. Instead, I can move forward and work on my future. If I cave now then I will never get back up. So, just stop giving me looks like I'm breakable. The both of you," I said with some force, before putting the hotdogs in the pile.

"Easy there, Red. Remember, I'm supposed to be taking care of you," Kennan said before walking up to me and throwing his arm over my shoulder. "I know you're made of strong stuff. I just don't want you to be consumed by the anger."

I looked up at him and realized he was right. While the anger felt good and it had allowed me to pull myself out of the grief just that morning, I couldn't allow it to drag me under. It would be just as destructive as my grief if I allowed it to be. Like my mom always said, it was all about choices. I could choose to focus on the loss or I could focus on the memories left behind by both of my parents. I chose the memories, but I allowed some of the anger to linger. I was more than a little pissed off at the people that had taken them from me. That wasn't going to go away anytime soon.

"How about I just direct my anger in their direction? See, that seems like a healthy outlet right?" I smiled at both of them, hoping that I sounded convincing. Somehow I didn't think either one of them was buying it.

"Whatever, I'm famished. Let's cook some dogs!" Ian said, once again changing the subject.

"Sounds like a plan man," Kennan said as he headed toward the fire and skewered a hotdog on a stick.

We sat around the fire, cooking the hotdogs and eating in relative silence. Relative was the term of choice where Ian was concerned. I was pretty sure he felt physical pain if he didn't talk every few seconds. He would totally lose the quiet mouse game. I ate one hotdog and between the other two guys the three packs disappeared. I didn't know whether to be disgusted or impressed. We sat there, digesting for a while before Ian jumped to his feet.

"I challenge you to a dual of swords, good sir," he said with a mock British gentlemen's accent.

"I accept your challenge. What shall we wager my good man?" Kennan asked in an equally horrible accent.

"I wager the couch. If I win, I get to sleep on the couch and you must retreat to the floor like the dog you are," Ian said with a flourish.

"Aye, we have a gentlemen's accord. On with the dual. Izzy shall be an impartial observer. Although I must warn you, I imagine she will be more on my side than yours," Kennan said as he looked toward me.

I was afraid they would pull out real swords at any moment. Instead, they picked up two of the sticks we had used for cooking the hotdogs. They took up what I imagined was a sword fighting stance.

"On guard, you pigeon," Ian shouted before lunging toward Kennan.

Kennan blocked the blow with grace and swirled in the opposite direction, swatting Ian on the back as he went.

They both looked at me expectantly, like I was supposed to do something.

"What?" I asked, honestly unsure of what I had missed.

"You're supposed to say strike to whomever landed the blow. In this case it was me," Kennan preened.

"Fine, one strike to K.O," I said.

"K.O.?" Ian asked.

"Yeah, all of the girls back in Chicago called him K.O., mostly because they thought he was a knock out, but also I'm guessing because of his initials," I said.

"Not all of the girls called me that," Kennan said with a knowing look.

"Whatever, I've called you K.O. before. It just feels weird," I said rolling my eyes. He didn't need me to stroke his already inflated ego.

"Hm, we should come up with a nickname for me," Ian said hopefully, before regaining his stance.

"How about I.T.O.?" I asked.

"What does it stand for?" Ian asked as he and Kennan circled one another.

"Ian the Obnoxious," I said as Kennan landed another strike while Ian was distracted.

A mock look of affront graced his face as he blustered, "First, that strike doesn't count. That infernal woman distracted me. Second, that wasn't very nice Izzy. I know not if I shall ever be able to forgive you for wounding me so."

"Two strikes to Kennan. You shouldn't allow yourself to be distracted Ian. Really, if this were a real battle would some maiden be able to distract you?" I asked.

"If she were as pretty as you, and her tongue as venomous, I imagine she might," he said with a wink in my direction.

The two of them went back to circling one another. Blocking each other's blows with the experience their lives had given them. They circled and blocked the strikes, becoming more aggressive the longer the fight went on. Ian circled around Kennan and finally landed a strike.

"One strike, Ian," I said, trying not to sound impressed.

Ian circled closer to me and landed a kiss on my cheek, causing blush to rise to my face.

"Kissing the judge won't help you win Ian," I said, trying not to show how he'd affected me. Kennan was the only guy that had kissed me in any way for the past few years. I looked up at the man in question to see fury brewing behind his eyes.

"Are you going to play at courting or come and fight me, man?" Kennan asked.

"Uh oh, I think someone is a little upset that I sullied his Seer's virtue," Ian said to me in a stage whisper, only inciting Kennan more.

They went back to fighting and Kennan landed three more strikes consecutively.

"Five strikes Kennan. How many are we going to anyway?" I asked.

"Five strikes is the winning amount of blows. Sad really, I was quite looking forward to sleeping on the couch. Alas, the floor she calls to me. Who wants some s'mores?" Ian asked before practically skipping back toward the fire and food.

"You got a little serious there buddy. Everything alright?" I asked Kennan once Ian was out of earshot.

"I just don't like the idea of the two of you. He is a player Izzy. Just be careful with him, okay?"

I burst out laughing, unable to control myself. I knew that the only reason Ian was flirting with me was to piss Kennan off. There was no way I could ever see myself with Ian. Granted, he had kind of grown on me. Much like a fungus grows on a tree. But, I would never entertain any serious notions of a future with him. He was gorgeous in his own wacky way. But I was already taken with someone else. Not that I would ever admit to that.

"What? Why are you laughing at me?" Kennan asked, stunned by my outburst.

"There is nothing to worry about there from either front Kennan," I said, before heading back to the promise of a blackened marshmallow.

Kennan followed me back to the fire with a confused look on his brow.

"Lovers quarrel?" Ian asked as we approached the fire.

I slapped him on the arm and realized how happy I was to have met him. He was the comic relief I needed and I wondered if my mother had any hand in him coming.

"Hey, did you know my mom?" I asked as I loaded a marshmallow on a stick.

"Yep, she was like a little sister to me. I loved her as much as anyone who ever met her did. You're a lot like her, you know?" Ian said in a rare moment of seriousness.

"My gods woman, what are you doing to that marshmallow?" Kennan asked disgusted.

The marshmallow in question was currently on fire and turning a delicious black color.

"I like my marshmallows blackened. They're crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside," I said before blowing the flame out and eating it.

Both of the guy's faces cringed, like they'd just witnessed something truly disgusting. I ignored them and put another marshmallow in place of the first, setting it on fire.

"That is really gross Izzy. Seriously, and your teeth are covered in black specks now. It looks like your mouth is rotting," Ian said.

I just chomped my teeth at him like I was a deranged zombie. Before all was said and done I had eaten five burnt marshmallows and the guys had consumed the rest of the bag and all of the s'mores supplies.

We sat around the fire joking. It made me realize how much I had missed out on by not making more friends. I could see how my mom would like Ian. He sort of brought out the happiness in everyone he was close to. Even Kennan seemed more his old trickster self with Ian around.

"So, Ian, have you met your girl yet?" I asked, wondering if Ian had a Seer out there unprotected.

"Izzy, that isn't something you should ask a Guardian," Kennan admonished.

"Well, how was I supposed to know? There is no guide book. Or is there some sort of welcome pamphlet I didn't get?" I eyed Kennan quizzically. "Sorry Ian. I really didn't mean to pry, well I suppose I did. Sorry all the same," I said.

"You're fine Izzy, and no I haven't met my one and only yet. I'm holding out for someone with a remarkable sense of style and panache," he said with a wave of his hand.

"Maybe she can teach you a thing or two," I said laughing as Ian threw a stick in my direction.

We headed in as the fire turned to embers. I said goodnight to the guys and headed to bed. I wanted to try and find my mother in my dreams that evening. However, when I finally did drift to sleep, I felt the void. She was really and truly gone. No longer would she fill my dreams with her calming and sometimes alarming presence. No longer would I be able to reach out and connect with her. I sighed as I walked through the fog, wondering if I would ever find Xavier again. As soon as the thought danced across my mind, Xavier was standing before me.

**********

" _Well hello dear, did you want to talk?" he asked me condescendingly._

" _Not really. I just want to know where you are so I can come and punch you in your stupid, smug throat," I said, wishing I was better at the whole tough talking thing._

" _Funny, I want to know the same thing. Where are you?"_

I felt him try and pull from my thoughts and quickly constructed a mental brick wall hoping that it would deter him.

" _Interesting talent you have there. Did your little protector teach you that?" he asked with a curl of his lip._

I was amazed at how someone so handsome could be so unbearably ugly all at the same time.

" _Nope, natural talents and all that. So why don't you tell me where you are little man. Because I'm coming after you and I'm going to rip everything you hold dear out of reach. I'm not going to stop until you've lost everything you've worked so hard to gain. I'm coming for you. With or without your help, I will find you and you will pay."_

Ooooh, that sounded tougher. Sweet.

" _I don't doubt you will try. But I must go. Hey, do me a favor. Tell my brother I said hello will you?" Xavier asked._

The look of confusion on my face spoke the words I could not.

" _Oh, how rich, he didn't tell you? That is priceless. Oh well, I shall see you again soon. Tata for now," Xavier said, before disappearing back into the fog._

**********
SIXTEEN

I sat up in my bed and threw the covers off. I looked down to make sure I was decent. After all, there was a pinky promise to abide. I stormed to my door and threw it open, shouting in the process.

"Kennan O'Malley, you deceptive son of a biscuit eater! I swear, if I were as big as you, I would seriously be able to do some sort of physical damage. But as I'm not, just know, that I'm incredibly pissed off that you would keep something like this from me. Aaaaaahhhh!" I yelled.

I was madder than a wet hen.

"What are you talking about Izzy? In what way have I deceived you?" Kennan asked tiredly.

"He is your brother. YOUR BROTHER!" I shouted as I chucked a pillow at him.

"Who's my brother? What are you yapping about woman? Maybe try and make some sense."

"Let me break this down for your Neanderthal brain. Xavier. Is. Your. Brother. And you DID NOT TELL ME!" I shouted, looking for something else to throw at his stupid enemy, brother-having head.

"When did you talk to him, Izzy? Does he know where you are?" He sounded scared which deflated my anger only slightly.

"Just now, I was walking through the fog in my dreams and looking to see if my mom was still lingering. Then, I thought about trying to find Xavier and poof he was there. And no, before you freak out, he doesn't know where we are. I built some sort of brick wall so he couldn't go digging in my head. Don't try and change the subject though, your brother. He of evil bastardness is your brother. Not like we are all part of the same brotherhood, but like hey we have the same parents. Also, we should do some sort of memorial for my mom," I said with a stomp of my foot.

Ian snickered from the corner. "Bro, you didn't tell her he was your brother. Oh, you are in the doghouse man," Ian laughed as he turned over and went back to sleep, tuning out whatever we might say next.

"Can I come in your room and talk so we don't wake sleeping beauty over there?" Kennan asked tiredly.

I nodded and he got up to follow me into my room, shutting the door behind him. My room suddenly felt like a much smaller space with Kennan so close to me. The anger having dulled my sanity, I suddenly felt the desire to climb him like he was some great tree. I shook myself and looked up at Kennan waiting for an explanation. I would deal with my lust later, for now I wanted answers.

"Yes, he is my brother. His real name is Xavier O'Malley. The way Guardians come into existence is similar to yours. When a Seer and a Guardian have a child that child will either be a Guardian or a Seer based on whether they are female or male. Can I sit? This is a really long story and not one I have told many people," Kennan asked, moving toward the bed to sit when I patted the mattress.

Kennan's body heat soaked into me and I found it hard not to get distracted by his closeness or the shape of his mouth. His lips just looked so dang kissable. Hard and soft in all of the right places. Jesus, Izzy, put that on the back burner. Long story, muddled past, big bad brother. Priorities. I tuned back into Kennan just as he began to speak again.

"Our father was a good man. He was joyful and giving. He loved to laugh and he loved everyone with abandon. Including our mother. You see, we Guardians don't get to choose who we protect. We don't always end up with romantic feelings toward our Seers, but it happens in about half of the cases. Otherwise our races would die out, you know? Well, not all Seers are good Izzy. Neither are Guardians I suppose. We are just like humans in that there are those that want to help others and those that wish to only help themselves. My mother was the latter," he said pausing. I could feel him slipping back into his memories, and I struggled not to sift through them myself.

"Our father, Shaemus, wanted so badly for our mother to be good that he eventually stopped seeing the truth of what she was. I don't doubt she loved him. I'm sure in her own way she did. But he was never enough for her and neither was I. I'm like my Da you see? I want the world to be a better place than it was when I got here. My brother on the other hand, well, he was quite useful to our mother. She taught him how to get into visions and dream walk. She taught him how to hack into any Seers thoughts and use them for his own gain. When she finished teaching him everything she knew, she hoped he would help her to gain the sort of life she had always wanted. What she got from him instead was a knife to the back."

I breathed in hard as Kennan braced himself to finish a story that was not often spoken.

"I saw him do it, Izzy. And you know what the worst part was? He looked up at me and smiled afterward. Every ounce of decency abandoned and replaced with greed and corruption. I knew in that moment that he was not the brother I had grown and played with any longer. That man had been replaced by a creature of my mother's making. One she could not even control in the end. He disappeared that night, and my father died six months later, heartbroken. He finally realized the truth of everything he had turned his eyes from over the years. He made me promise that I would stop Xavier."

Kennan looked at me as if the next part of the story was something he wished he did not have to tell me. A chill crawled up my spine as I awaited his next words.

"I could have killed him the day he killed your dad. Your mom knew that he was coming and exactly where he would be. You see, our mother taught me how to vision walk as well, but once she realized I wouldn't do her bidding, she gave up on me. Well, I had seen your mother's vision. I knew precisely where it would happen, and I did nothing to stop it. I went that day prepared to kill him, but I couldn't. I could not see the monster he truly was. All I saw was the boy I had played with as a child. I saw him take your mother away and heard her voice in my head telling me it was all as it was meant to be. Even at the last, she tried to comfort me for my weakness. Then he shot your father. Xavier knew I was there watching."

I could barely breathe. I had been wondering how he'd gotten there quickly enough to be with my father as he died.

Kennan wouldn't look at me as he continued. "Your father didn't know I could have prevented it. He paid a price that should have been mine. He was caught in the middle of a rivalry that has lasted hundreds of years. I don't think your dad knew that I had seen the whole thing happen. But I remember every second of it. I remember watching his life slip away and your mother being yanked away. I remember her calming assurance and I remember your big hazel eyes staring up at me from the trunk of that car like I was a savior and not the coward I truly am. I'm just as weak as my father and that weakness has cost you everyone you loved."

We were both quiet for a long time before either one of us could talk. I was hurt that he had kept all of this from me, but I realized it wasn't out of malice that he had done so. He hadn't told me because his inaction brought him shame. I reached over and grabbed his hand. Kennan was just as much a victim of circumstance as I was. Part of me was angry that he hadn't stepped in, but in his place I don't think I could have done it either.

"Kennan," I said hesitantly, "I didn't lose everyone I loved. I had Grams for a long time, and Mike. I also have you," I said, and I knew the truth of it. I loved Kennan with my whole heart. He had protected me when no one else could have, and brought me back from darkness more times than I could count. I wasn't ready for him to know the depth of that love just yet so I hastily added, "You're my best friend. I would be lost without you."

Ugh, lame. I was such a pansy.

Kennan sighed and leaned back against the wall, as though a heavy weight had finally lifted from his shoulders. The burden of his secret must have been unimaginably heavy. He sat there, silent, for a long time before a yawn escaped my lips. He looked at me and asked something I never thought I would hear.

"Can I stay in here tonight? I just need to be close to your sunshine for a while." The rare glimpse at his emotional side staggered me.

"It might be a tight fit, but sure, you can sleep in here tonight," I said as the butterflies took flight in my stomach once more. My heart leapt into my throat, and I prayed that I would be able to play it cool. Kennan, in just his boxer briefs, wanted to sleep in the same bed. This was going to be difficult.

Kennan lay down on the side closest to the wall and I took the outside edge. We were forced to spoon, considering it was just a full sized bed and Kennan himself took up over half of it. I scooted as far toward the edge as I possibly could to avoid contact with his body. I knew that if he touched me, I would probably spontaneously combust. Then where would the whole bring down the bad guys movement be? So, yeah, it was for the good of the future that I was about to fall off of the bed and onto the floor.

He reached over and pulled me against his body, kissing the top of my head as he did so. My heart sped up, and I hoped that he couldn't feel the frantic beating against his arm. "I think you just may save me yet, Red," he mumbled as his breathing became steady.

I lay there wide awake wondering how he could be so cool laying so close to me when I was about to crawl out of my skin. Then a thought occurred to me, maybe he didn't see me the way I saw him at all. Oh great, that would just be super. I must have laid there for hours in a state of confusion, arousal, and frustration.

Eventually sleep came for me and it was filled with graphic dreams of Kennan. I wondered, for the first time, if they were of my creation or his own. Or whether it even mattered which of us had thought them up. I reveled in the feel of his body against my own as his lips traced my collar bone. I felt every mere brush of his skin against my own as he took his time worshiping my body. He moved his mouth lower toward my hip bone causing me to raise my hips to meet his sinful lips. Suddenly I pulled myself from my dream.

I was awake and my body hummed. I tried to calm my breathing. I was surprised to feel the weight of someone behind me and remembered that Kennan was in bed with me. I turned to face him and found him staring at me with a look of pain and lust, commingled. I looked at him, not knowing what to say. I had to suppress the urge to kiss him violently.

"This was a bad idea. I'm going back to the living room," Kennan growled breathlessly before heading out the door, while adjusting a rather impressive mound in his boxer briefs.

I fell back on the bed forcefully, wishing for a cold shower or some electronic aid. Either would suffice at the moment. Instead I was left wanton. I looked over at the clock, giving up any hope of further sleep, when I saw that it was only four in the morning. I grabbed my tablet and decided to distract myself with some _Northanger Abbey_. Jane Austen never failed to provide a welcome distraction. There was nothing like an English period piece to douse some hormonal flames with civility.

I lay back against the pillows and tapped on the book's image. I immersed myself in the story, and by the time I had reached the halfway point, I was finally more composed. I got up and put some hiking clothes on. I hoped that I could head out and work on another escape route today. This time, I would use the hike to blow off frustration of an entirely different sort. I tried to quietly sneak to the bathroom to brush my teeth with no luck.

"Walk of shame, it really is a shameful thing," Ian said with a snicker.

"What are you talking about? I was just trying not to wake anyone up." I said as my face flamed scarlet. Not for the first time, I cursed my fair skin for betraying me so readily.

"Yeah, yeah, big man already left. He said he had some errands or something. Looked to me like he was escaping. So what happened? Did you two finally bump uglies?" Ian said, raising his eyebrows up and down.

"Ugh, no, and you are disgusting! We slept, he left, totally normal," I said, closing the bathroom door to prevent any further comments from the peanut gallery.

I came out a few minutes later with the objective of distract and redirect. I thought the plan wouldn't take much effort with Ian, considering how flighty he seemed to be most of the time.

"So, can we hike then? I mean, he didn't say we had to stay in the cabin did he?" I asked, hoping that we could escape and I could walk off some of the steam.

"Nope, he just sort of grunted and shoved himself in some clothes before leaving," Ian said with a knowing smile.

Alright, so, maybe he was not so easy to derail. Appearances were apparently quite deceiving where Ian was concerned. Speaking of appearances, someone seriously needed to host an intervention on his wardrobe. Today he was wearing a kilt with a long sleeved striped shirt and flip flops. I just shook my head, not having the energy to do a makeover on him, and knowing he would fight it if I tried.

"Well, do you know how to do the whole mind woo woo thing to keep me from being tracked?" I was really hoping he would get on this change of subject train and just go with it.

"Yep, I can do the mind woo woo. Hey, do you mind if I use that? Mind woo woo, I like it," Ian said as he put four sausage biscuits in the microwave.

"So, you want to go for a hike then? I'm supposed to be planning my big escape, and I need to practice all of the trails before Kennan will let me do the solo runs."

"Sure, we should probably leave a note though. He gets awfully testy where you are concerned," Ian said with a smirk.

"He's my Guardian person, of course he is worried about my safety," I said, trying to sound detached.

"Right," Ian said sarcastically. "Well, you ready there, Little Bit, or do you need to powder your nose and put on your face?"

"Hardy har har. I'm ready whenever you are. But maybe you should change first?" I asked hopefully, and also fearfully. There was no telling what he would replace his current attire with.

"What are you the fashion police? I'm quite happy with my clothing choice for the day. It distracts the bad guys you know?" So that was his reasoning. Well I guess it beat insanity.

"Um, at least change the shoes. Flip flops are not conducive to mountainous hiking, you know? I'm pretty sure Kennan will kill you if I have to haul your heavy butt out of the back country. In fact, I'm quite sure hauling your heavy self out of the back country would kill me," I said with a giggle, to which Ian smacked my arm playfully.

"Fine, your wish, my command." He headed over to his duffel bag and pulled out his hiking boots. I was hoping to heavens he was wearing something under the kilt as he lifted his leg to put on his shoes. Thank God he had on some boxer briefs. I supposed a utility kilt didn't call for the traditional commando status.

Once he had his feet properly attired, we headed to the door. Before we walked out he reached down and grabbed my face. He chanted the words that had become synonymous with safety and we headed out. We trekked the rainforest, joking the whole way. I told him how I thought the ferns were man-eaters, and he proceeded to pantomime being eaten by one of them. He struggled valiantly before the fern brought him down and ultimately took his life. It was sad really. When we stopped for lunch I finally felt like I could ask him something a little more serious.

"What was she like? My mom, I mean. I only got to know her until I was eight and that just seems like a lifetime ago. I can see the memories more clearly, but I just kind of want to know what she was like from someone else's perspective, you know?" I asked with my eyes on the ground, afraid he might turn it into a joke.

"Your mom, well she was amazing. She was like this otherworldly creature. I have never met someone as loving or forgiving in my life. I swear, I couldn't rattle her at all. No one could. She was unshakeable. Even with you she was that way. She was steady and strong and the best person I have ever known. I saw you quite a lot when you were little, you know? Back before they figured out what would become of them. They would have Kennan and me over all of the time. I think your mom felt sorry for us, like she somehow had caused your father to leave us behind. So, instead, she made us part of her family. But when Kennan left, it just wasn't the same," Ian said with a sigh as he picked at his sandwich.

"Do you think I can be as strong as her?"

"You already are. You're so much more of a fighter than she was. You get that from your dad. She was always one to take the path of least resistance. As long as it would keep the people she loved safe, she would journey into the jaws of death itself. Which was ultimately what she did. But you, you have fire Izzy. You have her goodness and her light but you have something more. You have a fierceness the likes of which I've never seen before. I pity anyone that gets in the way of what you want. You can move mountains, Little One," Ian said as he shoved his sandwich in his mouth with a nod.

"I don't know how," I admitted weakly. It felt strange admitting to Ian something I couldn't even tell Kennan. I was struck with the rightness of my mother sending him once more. She might not have been a fighter, but her love shaped me even now.

"Yeah, you do. Don't get all emo baby on me. Suck it up, set an objective and figure your shit out. No one can do it for you," Ian said with finality. How about that for a vote of confidence? But I knew he was right. I had to stop worrying about how to do it and just start working at it.

"Alright then, what should I do? I mean, I know what I would like to do, but I'm not sure if it will work," I said with caution. I hadn't even discussed my plan with Kennan, afraid he would balk at it.

"Well, what do you have in mind Pip Squeak?"

"I'm not short," I said defensively. "I was thinking that I want to take down Xavier. I know that he and Kennan are brothers, but he seems like he is a key player in the whole Corporation thing. The trick is to figure out how to get him. I can summon him in dreams, but I'm not really sure how to find him yet. Then there is the other small thing. I really want to make him suffer slowly before I take him down. I know it sounds horrible and maniacal, but he doesn't deserve a quick fall. He deserves to feel the pain he has inflicted on thousands of others. So we should hit him where it will hurt the most, financially."

"Mwahahaha," Ian said while rubbing his hands together. "You're a dubious thing aren't you? Well, you ready to head on out?"

"Yep. I'm ready when you are. Hey, did you happen to grab the keys to whatever vehicle we are picking up?" I asked, suddenly realizing my stupidity in not thinking of it sooner.

"Ummmmm keys," Ian said patting his pockets and making a big show of it. "You mean these?"

Utility kilts have far too many pockets.

I punched him as I passed checking the map to make sure I was still heading in the right direction and thanking God that Kennan plotted most of my escape routes to follow hiking trails. We hiked on with the same lightness that accompanied us that morning.

"I'm glad you came Ian," I said, surprised by just how true the sentiment was.

"Me too kiddo. We weirdos have to stick together," he said with a knowing look.

I shook my head at him and noticed the concealed car a few hundred yards away with a very unhappy looking Kennan leaning against it.

"Gone for a walk? Really, Ian?" Kennan bellowed.

Instead of looking cowed, Ian looked like he was about to laugh. I looked between the two of them. Kennan, ready to rip Ian's head from his shoulders and Ian, ready to die of laughter. I turned toward Ian.

"You said you would leave him a note." Ian started to interrupt and stopped when I gave him a raised eyebrow. "A note explaining where we were going, you jack in a box."

"This is totally not my fault so don't get mad at me Kennan. I told him to leave a note." I suddenly felt like a child explaining why the family heirloom was lying in pieces on the floor.

"You, I will deal with later," Kennan said to me before turning on Ian. "And you, you should know better. Luckily there were only two trails she hadn't taken yet. And you would have been at the last one hours ago which gave me time to reach this one. I should bash your skull in. She is not a joke Ian, not her. Do we understand one another?"

Ian finally looked serious. He patted Kennan on the shoulder and said, "I got it man. I didn't mean to scare you, honestly. Next time I will leave a detailed itinerary. Bathroom breaks and all. Now, let's head home. Little Bit there didn't pack enough for me to eat and I'm starving."

Ian, king of distraction.

Kennan shook his head and motioned for us to get in the old beat Jeep that was parked behind the concealed car. I supposed it would be better to take a car we had already used instead of adding to our increasing collection. That many vehicles might start to look conspicuous. Between Ian and Kennan's cars and the two we had brought down from the other trails, it was starting to look like a used car lot. Maybe more of a junk yard, but I wasn't going to harp. Fleers couldn't be choosers, or something like that.

"So guys, do you think that maybe we should get my getaway cars back to where they belong? It won't do me much good to have them all parked in the same place." I looked at the stock of cars and wondered, not for the first time, where Kennan had found such junkers.

"Yeah, probably. Ian and I can move them back tonight after dinner," Kennan said as he grabbed the packs from the car handing me my own.

"Hey, how did I get volunteered to be a valet?" Ian asked. "I'm just here for the beautiful scenery and spectacular meals." He finished with a wink in my direction.

Kennan smacked him upside the head and said, "You better not be enjoying the scenery bro."

**********
SEVENTEEN

We walked back up to the cabin in companionable chatter, discussing what we could do as a memorial for my mother. Something, which I was ashamed to admit, had slipped my mind. We all agreed to hold a ceremony of sorts the following day. Each of us would say our fondest memory of my mother and we would wish her well in the afterlife. Kennan told me that whispering the memories into fire was part of a tradition that went back many generations. I wondered what other traditions I'd missed out on growing up apart from other Guardians and Seers.

When we reached the clearing Kennan and Ian stopped abruptly. They pushed me back into the cover of the forest and turned me into an Izzy sandwich.

"Something feels off man. I'm not sure what's going on here," Ian said in a tone I rarely heard him carry.

"You stay here and keep her safe. Do you understand me? You make sure she is safe, or I'll kill you myself," Kennan said, drilling Ian into the ground with his stare.

"Where are you going?" I all but squeaked.

"Down to the house to see what's wrong. Something feels off. The wards have been tampered with. I need to make sure nothing is down there waiting for you." Kennan said before sprinting across the clearing in a blur. I would never get used to how fast these guys could move. Quicker than I could track he was back with us.

"So?" I squeaked. I was suddenly a bundle of nervous energy. Since I was still blocked off from the outside, I had no way of searching for an answer. I wondered if I were still connected to the visions if I would have been forewarned about any impending doom.

"Everything is clear. The wards are down though," Kennan said.

"Umm," Ian said sheepishly, "I think that is my bad, dude."

I looked at him with confusion in my eyes.

"Why would you take the wards down?" I asked, hoping that he wasn't about to come out and tell me he was really a bad guy sent to bring me down.

"Well, you see, the thing is, well, maybe I'm not so good at the whammy. I think that I accidentally unwhammied the cabin when I put the block on you. It's all old magic that isn't used very often, okay. I haven't exactly had much practice, seeing as I'm without Seer."

Kennan and I just gawked at him. I was more amused than alarmed. Kennan looked ready to throttle him, which was nothing new.

"I swear you are a walking disaster, man. Let's get back to the cabin and I'll show you how to properly put the wards in place," Kennan said as we walked.

"Sorry," Ian said, looking down at me.

"Hey, you protected my head from outside interference. That's a start," I said hopefully. I didn't want Ian to feel badly about leaving the cabin without wards. After all, I wasn't even inside of the thing, so no harm done as far as I was concerned.

He looped his arm over my shoulder and we made our way inside.

"I like you, Little Bit," Ian said before squeezing me into his side.

"I like you too, even if your sense of style would insight a riot at Fashion Week," I said, pulling myself out from under his arm, fearing retribution.

"They would drop their jaws in amazement at my bold choices," Ian said haughtily.

"You two are ridiculous. Get over here and let me show you how to put a proper ward in place. And please let me take the one off of Izzy. I'm afraid you might permanently scramble her brain and she's already unbalanced enough," Kennan said with a smirk in my direction.

"Hey, don't the two of you start ganging up on me. It isn't fair!" I said as I moved with Ian toward Kennan.

"It's all part of the training. Now come here so I can open your brain back up," Kennan said.

I moved toward him, stopping about three feet away. I was afraid of getting too close. After last night, I wasn't sure how to be close to him without jumping on him. He looked down into my eyes with a heated stare. It was a look that I was becoming well acquainted with. He grabbed my hands and pulled me so that my body was practically flush with his own. He looked down at me and raised his hands to my face, gently brushing his thumbs over my cheeks.

We stayed that way, entranced with one another until we heard Ian clear his throat. Kennan shook his head slightly, as if to pull himself back to the objective. He closed his eyes and bent his head forward whispering, " _srianta a tharscaoileadh."_

As soon as the final word was out of his mouth, I felt the world rush in around me. I didn't think I would ever become accustomed to the feeling of my brain being reconnected to the fog or whatever it was.

"Can I do that to myself? And just what did you say?" I asked, wondering if I would be able to protect myself if I ever needed to cut the mental ties.

"You can. It takes a lot of practice, but mostly it is all about intention. The wards are a fickle thing. The slightest fluctuation and they won't work. Hence, there are now a lack of wards on the cabin," he said with a sharp look in Ian's direction.

Ian was performing a thorough examination of floor.

"So how do you put the wards up again? What language are you using?" I asked, suddenly curious.

"It's Gaelic. It isn't so much the words or phrases either. The most important thing is focus and intent. When I lifted the protection from your mind what I said literally translates to lift restrictions. The ward is put up with the words 'in safe keeping.' You have to mentally bend the words to your will."

"So kind of like faith then. If you believe you can heal someone, then they are healed. That sort of thing? If I believe these words will protect me, then they will?" I was getting excited at the prospect of learning a new trick.

"Something exactly like that. I want you to mentally reach out as I put up the next ward and see how it feels. See if you can find the intent and then see if you can find where the intent and the words coalesce. This is for you as well Ian, so get over here. One day you will need all of this stuff, so the more you practice the better equipped you will be," Kennan said, with an air of haughtiness about him.

"Hey, be nice to Ian. He protected my brain today," I said with a look toward Ian, affirming my solidarity.

"Fine, my apologies, I didn't know you had Red here to defend your precious honor," Kennan said.

"And don't you forget it, bro. She is totally on team Ian," Ian said with a smirk before I smacked him. The two of them were worse than being housed with a set of actual brothers.

"Alright, are you paying attention?" Kennan asked us as though we were petulant children acting out in class.

"Yes, sir," we said simultaneously with mock salutes.

Kennan just shook his head with a smile, and turned his concentration back to the task at hand. I focused as the Gaelic words poured from him, rolling out a pleasant cadence. I saw something shift in my mind's eye. It was as though a blue wall shimmered into place all around the cabin. It was only visible in the periphery of my mind.

"That was so cool!" I said as I tried to see the ward again. But once it had snapped into place, it disappeared from my vision. "How does this work though? I mean, I can still have visions while I'm in the cabin. So this isn't like the shield you put on my mind."

"This is to keep you safe. It's used to keep the Corporation from being able to track you when you aren't aware. It keeps out anything wishing to harm you. Your visions aren't actively trying to hurt you, so you're still able to have them. You can still walk through the dreaming as well," Kennan said as he moved toward the kitchen. Ian was fast on his heels.

"FOOOOOOOOD," Ian drawled out like he hadn't eaten just a few hours before.

The rest of the evening was spent with me asking a zillion questions about wards and protections. Kennan launched into an extensive history lesson on wards and protective spells, to which Ian fell asleep. Apparently, he didn't find the subject nearly as interesting as I did. Around eleven, I started to yawn and realized that I was exhausted.

I looked at Kennan as he wrapped up the lesson, and was struck by how grateful I was to have a neutral topic to discuss. As long as I focused on training, I wouldn't have time to worry about the hot and cold relationship Kennan and I seemed to be having. Raising up from the couch, I started to retreat to the safety of my room.

I made it about three feet from my door before Kennan intercepted me. He blocked the path between me and the door like an immovable mountain. Well, I had wanted to climb him earlier. Mountain climbing was good training, right?

I looked up into his face and said, "Good night, Kennan," hoping that would bring an end to whatever insanity he was bringing to my doorstep.

He bent over me and kissed the top of my head, exhaling slowly. He looked like he was about to say something, but instead just muttered, "Good night." Then he moved out of my way. I looked over at him and smiled as I made my way into the room.

That night I dreamed of Kennan. Luckily, this time, we were fully clothed.

**********

He was sitting next to me on a porch swing. Both of us had aged at least twenty years. He looked down at me and whispered the words from his ward earlier that evening. Out in the yard I saw men in black suits approaching.

I started to panic and turned back to where Kennan was sitting only to find Xavier in his place. He reached his hand out to brush my cheek the way Kennan had done. I cringed away, not wanting to sully the memory of Kennan with the filth of Xavier. He laughed coldly. His laugh was a mockery of Kennan's. One was like a warm summer breeze while the other was the ice of winter.

I turned back to the men in the yard as they pulled Kennan away. I wanted to call out to him, but my vocal chords had been muted. Xavier pulled out a box and said he had a present for me. As I opened the box, I was pulled inside like some strange magic trick.

I looked up to see Xavier peering over the side of the box, smiling as he closed the lid, trapping me in a dark small space. I screamed and screamed, knowing no one would ever save me and I would perish in the dark alone.

**********
EIGHTEEN

I was shaken awake by Ian and Kennan. They were both bent over me making my small room seem suddenly miniscule. I shot up out of bed and ran into the living room hoping to gain some space and room to breathe. I felt as though my nerves had been sanded raw. I knew deep down that it had been a dream and not a vision. My subconscious seemed to drudge up all of the fears I had repressed. I wiped at my eyes, angry that even in my sleep, Xavier was able to frighten me.

The guys came into the room and approached me like I was some sort of wounded animal. Ian seemed to be trying to avert his eyes from me, and Kennan had a heat burning in his. I realized then that I was standing in the living room wearing only a silky nighty. I hadn't felt like digging through my clothes that night and had just put on the first thing I'd found. I looked up into Kennan's eyes and saw concern and lust warring with one another.

"Sorry, I broke the pinky promise," I said to Kennan, not knowing what else to say.

Ian snickered and Kennan grabbed a quilt from the couch to wrap around me. Once I was covered, it seemed that both guys were able to regain their composure.

"Are you okay, Iz?" Kennan asked, his voice laced with concern.

"It was just a nightmare. Not like a vision nightmare, just the normal kind. You didn't see it?" I asked, wondering how he hadn't known what I was dreaming.

He cleared his throat before answering. "No, I thought it best for me to stay out of your dreams for a while," he said, leaving the obvious unspoken.

I blushed, knowing that my graphic imagination was what kept him from walking in my dreams with me.

"Soooooooooo, yeah, just a nightmare. I'm good now. I'll just go back in there. Okay? Okay," I said as I tried to make my way back to my room. Both men suddenly blocked my way. Seriously, I was beginning to think a mountain range was forming in front of my bedroom. I stopped and looked at both men quizzically.

"It's already five in the morning. You woke us up Little Bit, so you have to stay up now. Plus, I'm hungry, maybe you could fix me some breakfast?" Ian said as his stomach grumbled.

I rolled my eyes. "You know Kennan is a way better cook than I am, Ian. Plus that is just sexist. You should be ashamed," I said blearily, wishing I could go back to sleep for a while.

"The puppy dog eyes don't work on him though," Ian said, making his eyes look sad.

"Newsflash bud, they don't work on me either," I muttered as I turned toward Kennan. "Do I really have to stay awake? I'm tired," I whined, trying my own puppy dog eyes out.

"Your big, sad eyes only slightly work on me, and yes, you have to stay awake. Ian and I came up with a training program for you last night, and it is best if we start soon. That way you can get in a full day's work. You up for it, champ?" Kennan asked as he moved to put his arm around my shoulder. I looked up at him and snarled.

"I promise I will fix you breakfast, and I already made some coffee. See, I take care of you," Kennan crooned as he smiled pleadingly.

"Fine, but I'm getting dressed first," I grumbled as I tried to make my way into the room almost tripping over the quilt in the process.

By the time I was dressed in some workout clothes, I could smell bacon frying and coffee being brewed. I made my way out of the room, and just about fell over laughing. My eyes were met with a vision I couldn't quite shake.

Ian had taken on the persona of Richard Simmons himself. He was sporting a royal purple pair of shorty shorts, a sparkly tank top and sweat bands on his wrists and forehead. I snorted and my laughter drew his attention.

"Don't be jealous. I look fantastic. You only wish you could work these shorts," he said, lifting his leg up, making his shorts all but indecent.

"How do you ever get dates Ian, seriously?" I snickered, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"The ladies love a man who isn't afraid to where some sparkle," Ian said, winking at me.

"Riiiiggghhhht. Maybe you're still stuck in the disco era. Did you do too many drugs back when free love was the thing?" I asked, hoping that too many acid trips might be to blame for his abysmal choice in clothing.

"I just say no. Thank you very much," Ian huffed.

I moved toward the kitchen and was stopped in my tracks by the sight of Kennan. Now there was a man who knew how to dress, or not dress for the matter. Kennan stood in the kitchen wearing a pair of running shorts and nothing else. His tattoos were the only thing clothing his torso. God, I wanted to lick every single one of them. I must have been gawking, because Ian bumped into my shoulder and leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"See something you like?" he asked cheekily.

I shot him a glare before moving to the table where Kennan was dishing up breakfast for everyone. I took a huge drink of my coffee hoping to clear my throat and calm my nerves. Instead, I burnt my tongue and almost spewed coffee all over the table.

It looked to be another banner day for Izzy Boone.

"So, what's on the training agenda, sensei?" I asked Kennan, hoping my voice didn't sound as strained as I thought it did.

Kennan cleared his throat, so I was busted after all.

"Well, first we're going for a trail run. Then we're going to work on some basic self-defense which is where Ian comes in. He's a hand to hand combat instructor for the Council. Almost all new Guardians and Seers go through his courses. Then, you and I will work on wards."

"Sounds like a full day. What about my mom's ceremony?" I asked.

"We were going to do that this evening around a bonfire." Ian said before shaking himself from whatever memory had pulled him under.

"Well eat up there champ, we're going to run you ragged today," Kennan said before plopping down next to me with a plate piled high.

After breakfast, I went back to my room in search of some running shoes and found a pair of trail runners. I just shook my head at the preparedness of Kennan. I was kind of terrified of running with the two brutes out in the living room. They were at least a foot taller than me and both were in way better physical condition than I was. To be honest, I was even more terrified of the hand to hand combat training later on. I had never hit anyone in my life. I shook off my apprehension and went out to meet the guys.

"Ready, Red?" Kennan asked, shaking his legs out like he couldn't wait to lope through the forest.

"Yeah, think you can keep up, Little Bit?" Ian asked before darting out the door.

"Do I need any mental wards today?" I asked, wondering if I would be safe without them. Having the connection severed felt unnatural.

"Do you need them, or do you think you can block them if they try and hack in?" Kennan asked.

"I think I can block them. I know what it feels like now when someone is trying to hack my head. So if I start to feel it and I can't stop it I'll let you know. Does that work?"

"I don't think they will try now at any rate. I've had you stashed away up here for a while now. They are probably searching for other means to find you now," Kennan said before walking out the door in front of me.

I stepped out and was greeted by the return of grey skies and drizzle. The rain was icy against my skin making me wonder if it had come straight down from the North Pole. I shivered and looked over to the two men who would train me. Kennan was the shirtless wonder and Ian was the strangely dressed accessory.

"Bah, it is so cold out here," I whined. Temperate rainforest my bum, this place was cold.

"It wouldn't be cold if you got your tushy moving," Ian mocked.

I glared at him as I tried to warm up.

"Well, you lead the way since you're so pumped. Or should we try some jazzercise first?" I said with a smile.

"You really shouldn't have asked that. He taught jazzercise in the eighties, you know?" Kennan said, trying to talk so Ian couldn't hear what he was saying.

"I won instructor of the year," Ian crooned. "Truth be told, I did it for the ladies in the skimpy outfits bouncing around," he said with an eyebrow wiggle.

"Well with that awesome mental picture, let's hop to it. Otherwise I will turn into an Izzy-cicle and be useless," I smiled as I headed out toward the woods, hoping that I was heading in the right direction.

Ian cut in front of me and Kennan moved to flank me like it was some sort of military formation. We ran that way for a couple of miles, until the trail narrowed and we were forced to run single file. I was surprised that I was able to run as far as I did. It seemed all of that pedaling back in Chicago combined with my hiking trips here had kept me in better shape than I'd thought. That's not to say that I liked it, though. Running without something bad chasing me seemed to be a waste of energy.

"Hey, can you growl or something?" I huffed out toward Kennan as he ran behind me.

"What?" he asked, not winded at all.

The bastard.

"Well," I huffed, "it might make running easier if something is chasing me."

"Oh, you don't want me chasing you, Lass. You wouldn't like it if I caught you," Kennan all but purred.

Well, cheese on a cracker, what was I supposed to do with that? I turned and looked over my shoulder suddenly feeling playful. If he felt like throwing down a challenge, I would pick it right up.

"Catch me if you can," I said, the bravado a little ruined by my lack of breath.

I sprinted away, rushing passed Ian. I was awarded with a confused look from him before Kennan went flying passed him. I realized the stupidity of my challenge. Of course he could catch me.

Maybe I should do the zigzag formation. That was what zebras and the like did when being chased by lions. Why shouldn't it work for me? So I started doing just that. I zigged and zagged through the trees, hoping to lose my opponent only to hear raucous laughter behind me.

"What in the world are you doing, Izzy?" Kennan asked between laughs.

"Evasive maneuvers," I puffed out, only to be answered with more laughter. "Laugh all you want, but you still haven't caught me," I spouted.

Suddenly, I was airborne and over Kennan's shoulder. Sometimes I forgot they had that whole inhuman speed thing. Then it dawned on me, he had been toying with me. He could've caught me anytime he wanted. I beat on his back trying to get him to put me down and was rewarded with a swat to my behind.

"What the devil, Kennan O'Malley, you did NOT just spank me," I sputtered.

"Well, quit squirming and I won't do it again," he said. So I quit squirming, and remained draped over his shoulder like a limp rag doll. He slid me down the front of him, never breaking the contact of our bodies.

He looked down at me like a lion looks at its prey and I was suddenly nervous. As much as I had lusted after him the past few days, I had never really thought about what it would mean to be the focus of such a man's attentions. I looked up at him wide eyed wondering what he would do next. He bent over and moved my hair aside. His breath, hot against my rain chilled skin, caused tremors to echo throughout my body.

"I caught you, little mouse. Now what should I do with you?" he growled in my ear like the monster I had asked him to be.

"Umm, don't eat me?" I squeaked out. I meant for it to be a statement but it came out a question instead.

"Oh, but you would like it," Kennan said with his hand tangled in the base of my hair. He pulled back to look at my face and smiled. Then he stepped away from me, leaving me a pile of ashes. I was grateful for the freezing rain, hoping that it might act like a cold shower.

Ian cleared his throat, and Kennan and I both looked in his direction. Kennan looked irritated at the interruption while I tried to look anywhere else and regain my composure.

"If the two of you are quite finished, I think we have some training to do," Ian said before trotting off in the direction of the cabin.

"Race you back," Kennan said with a smirk.

"Hardy har har. It isn't fair when you turbo run. Puny human here, remember? I don't come equipped with a super flash speed accelerator," I said, trying to focus on running and not drooling. Doing both would have resulted in me tripping over something and face planting. No one wanted to see that.

We ran back toward the cabin. I put all of my focus into running and tried to block out Kennan. I felt like I was about to crawl out of my skin. I ran harder trying to release some of the tension building in my body. By the time we reached the cabin's clearing I was winded and ready to collapse.

Ian ran over with some water and sat himself on the wet grass. He patted the grass beside him inviting me to sit. I was already drenched, so a little more water wouldn't hurt. I sat there sipping water and trying to get my breathing back to normal as Kennan paced the yard.

"I'm going to go for a longer run. You got this for a while right?" Kennan asked, barely waiting for an answer before sprinting back into the woods. Apparently, he had some tension to run off himself.

"What are you doing to that poor, poor man Izzy?" Ian asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said innocently.

I rested for a few more minutes, trying to get my body back under control. Ian nudged me and told me it was time for combat lessons. I decided to name it Scrapping for Seers. Ian didn't seem to appreciate my brilliant course name.

He spent several hours moving through basic stances and blocks. I asked him when I could learn an awesome flying roundhouse. He, sadly, informed me that I had to learn the lame stuff first. He said something about building blocks and fundamentals.

Ian, it turned out, was pretty much just like Kennan. He took our lessons quite seriously. I had to promise to go through each stance every morning before breakfast. He said it would help with muscle memory. By the time my lesson had finished, Kennan still hadn't resurfaced.

"Should we be worried that he isn't back yet?" I asked Ian.

"Nah, he probably just ran up a mountain or something," Ian said, without a trace of humor.

I just gawked at him as we made our way inside.

"Well, shotgun on the shower," I said, sprinting toward the bathroom.

"You suck, Isadora!" I heard Ian call after me.

I stopped dead in my tracks. "What did you call me?"

"Isadora. It's what your dad wanted to name you, but your mom liked Izzy better. Your dad refused to just call you Izzy though so he called you Isadora to drive your mom batty," Ian laughed at the memory.

"I wish she would have listened to him. Do you know how hard it is to be an adult with a name like Izzy?" I asked, but I knew that I would keep that name no matter what. It was something of my mother's that no one could take from me.

"Don't think you are distracting me from my shotgun call. That shower is mine buster," I said before turning back to the shower.

After we both got cleaned up, we moved to the couch and watched a movie on my tablet. Ian found the Count of Monte Cristo and labeled it the only even remotely manly movie in the mix. We sat there watching the movie for about an hour before Kennan resurfaced. He came into the cabin dripping wet and looking just as pent up as when he had taken off.

"Can we postpone that ward lesson for the day?" he asked gruffly.

I just nodded as he moved his way toward the bathroom. The shower kicked on and he came out a few minutes later with a towel wrapped around his waist. I was hoping it would fall, but no such luck. He grabbed some sweatpants and pulled them on, followed by a t-shirt. He dropped himself into the closest chair as Ian and I continued to stare at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing, we were just wondering if we could go ahead and start with the memorial service. We've been waiting on you there big guy," Ian said.

"Oh gods, I'm sorry, Izzy. I totally forgot," his eyes filled with remorse.

"It's okay, we still have time. But I think we might have to do it around this fire, because I really don't think we will get one started out there," I said, pointing toward the now pouring rain outside.

"That would work just fine," Ian said as he piled more logs on the fire.

We spent the evening sitting on the floor in front of the fire exchanging stories of my mother. Both of them had far more memories to add than I did. I laughed and cried as a mother I didn't ever really get to know was honored. I was struck with how much of an imprint she had left on both Ian's and Kennan's hearts, and I wanted so much to be like her. I wanted to be able to change people the way she had, and leave such goodness behind. I hoped that I could honor her memory with my life.

We went to bed as the flames turned to embers. I slipped towards my room, with Kennan following close enough to be my shadow. He leaned down as I reached the door and kissed me on my forehead and then my cheek. He sighed deeply before relinquishing his hold on me. I looked up into his eyes, awestruck. I wanted so badly to kiss this man, but I knew he was holding back. I didn't want him if I couldn't have it all. So I stepped away from him and whispered my good night as I shut the door.

**********

NINETEEN

The next few weeks passed without much excitement. I continued working on my escape routes and my training with both Ian and Kennan. Ian was like a drill sergeant during our training, but would revert back to his jovial self immediately afterward. Lessons with Kennan were torturous. I desperately wanted to focus learning to put up wards and protection, but my ever growing attraction to him made that a rather difficult prospect. We seemingly spent more time restraining ourselves than we did with the lessons.

So the days went on. I found myself getting stronger and my reflexes growing sharp. I managed to do all of the exit hikes solo. I even handled the overnight hike on my own without freaking out. Kennan spent the weeks drilling into my head where to go if something happened, and who I would need to contact. So the days passed with me training and hoping that I would be able to survive whatever was coming my way. I went to sleep every night waiting for Xavier, but never finding him. It wasn't until four weeks later that I had another vision and finally knew what needed to be done.

I was sitting in the living room after a long day of training, debating Ian's methods of instruction, when I was struck by a vision. I heard a glass break and muffled voices as my surroundings disappeared.

**********

I was back at the bridge collapse, only this time there were two images. One superimposed over the other. I tried to remember what was happening and stood still long enough to get my bearings. This time it was easier to recognize the vision for what it was. I took in my surroundings, and saw in one vision a gaping hole where a bridge once stood, and the other held a bridge that was free from traffic. The latter had construction vehicles parked all around with detour signs for any oncoming traffic.

I tried to focus on the scene of the ruined bridge and remember what my mother and Kennan had taught me. I looked in all of the cars for a newspaper, cursing the new digital age with each failed attempt. Finally, I reached a car that had a paper folded under a briefcase. I saw the date was a mere week away. I looked for anything that might help me know where I was, finally, I saw a sign on the bridge saying it was the Bidwell Bar Bridge. I looked further to see if I could find any signs indicative of where this bridge might be. I found a sign saying highway 162. Well, that would probably be enough information.

Just as I was about to pull out of the vision, I saw Xavier standing on the other side of the yawning gap. He looked at me and smiled, and I did the most unladylike thing I had done in a long time. I flipped him the bird before pulling myself out.

**********

"Izzy, are you okay?" Ian asked, sounding shocked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a vision. I know where Xavier expects to get his next big pay check. Well, at least I have a general idea and time. I also know we can stop it."

"Dude, is it always like that?" Ian asked Kennan, still freaked out.

"Yeah, with her it is. But I think it has something to do with the way she sees things. I had to go in the last time and drag her out. It's intense, man," Kennan said.

"Sitting right here, you know?" I asked. "So, does anyone want to know my ingenious plan?" I asked, thrumming my fingers together like a maniacal super villain.

"Sure, what do you have?" Kennan asked hesitantly.

"Well, we know that Xavier gets a chunk of his money from insurance scams that result from disasters. I'm thinking we should interfere with his little profit scheme on this one. I have the basic information of where the bridge is, I just need to look up some specifics. Then we can contact the highway department and pretend to be inspectors or something and report the problem," I said, realizing that as a mastermind plan went it kind of sounded cheesy.

"Well, that could work. But you know that you can't change it all of the time, right?" Kennan asked, concerned.

"It was a double layer vision. I think we're good on this one. Plus, I really want to piss your brother off," I said with a smirk.

"Okay, well you're going to need an internet connection to figure out all of the information you need. Just try and keep to high traffic sites. Otherwise, they might pick up on your intentions," Kennan said, running his hand over his face.

He got up and walked over to his bag, pulling out a little gadget that would provide me with WiFi to do my research. I spent the next few hours tracking down all of the phone numbers and credential information I would need.

By the time I had gotten everything I needed, the guys had gone outside to train. I sat thrumming my fingers on the keyboard trying to decide whether or not to check my email. Not that there would be much there, but maybe I'd gotten something.

There were about a thousand spam messages in my inbox as well as a message from Mike. I'd been so worried about him and couldn't wait to read what he had to say.

Dear Izzy,

I ran. I am safe. I am in that place that makes me happy.

Mike

Relief washed over me as I took in his words. In typical Mike fashion, he kept it to the point. I knew exactly how to find him. I was sitting on the couch doing a stationary happy dance when the guys ventured back in.

"Mike's safe," I practically squealed at Kennan.

"How do you know that?" Kennan asked, suddenly wary.

"He sent me an email," I said, confused.

"You checked your email. Are you stupid Izzy, or do the visions just cloud your judgment?" Kennan practically screamed at me.

"I don't understand. What did I do?" I asked, panicked.

"They're probably tracing your email, Izzy," Ian said calmly, and without a trace of his usual humor.

"They might not have looked. We will just wait it out and see what happens. I need you to log out and hand me back the adapter," Kennan said calmly and detached.

"Man, they probably gave up on that avenue weeks ago. I wouldn't worry about it," Ian said, trying to convince himself as much as Kennan.

"I, I didn't know. I didn't even think. I'm so sorry," I sputtered. Anxiety washed over me and I felt something in the air shift.

I looked up at both of the men, trying to see if they had felt the shift but neither of them seemed to notice. They'd started speaking in Gaelic so that I wouldn't understand. I sat back on the couch, sinking into the cushions and cleared my mind. It was time I went for a walk in the fog to see what was happening.

As soon as I popped in Xavier was there.

**********

" _Gotcha," he said with a knowing grin._

" _You have to catch me first," I said, full of bravado._

" _I don't think that will be terribly difficult. I'm sure my brother will once again be unable to pull the trigger. I, luckily, don't suffer from those same emotional contrivances," he said with a sneer._

" _You know, I don't have time for this. I wanted to see if you had found me, and you have. I don't know how long it will take you to get here, but if you think you will find me, you're out of your mind. Oh, and I hope you enjoy the little surprise I have coming your way," I said with a wink as I pulled myself back to the present._

**********

"Okay, Izzy, this is the plan," Kennan started, obviously not aware that I had been gone. "We're going to wait it out here. Tonight Ian and I will do some scout runs around the perimeter to make sure they haven't found us. Then tomorrow we will head out."

"Well, I think we should go ahead and alert the highway department so that we can make sure the road gets fixed. That way those people don't have to die. I don't want that on my conscience," I said as I started to form a plan myself.

"Alright, Ian will take care of that and I'll head out and do a quick sweep," Kennan nodded toward Ian, all efficiency, before heading out the door.

"What are you thinking, Izzy?" Ian asked suspiciously.

"I was just thinking about how much of a moron I was to not even think about them tracing my email," I said, hoping that he would believe the load of bull I was trying to sell.

"Okay, well I better hop to it. I have to put on my best road condition inspector persona. It may take a while to get into character," Ian said with a regal stage bow.

"Right, well, while you're at that, I'm going to go lie down for a while. Those visions always wipe me out," I said, only half lying. I was exhausted, but mostly I wanted to be alone so that I could figure out what to do.

I closed my door and locked it before moving to my escape bag and dumping it out. I went through all of the contents, making sure I reloaded everything I would need for the next few days. I knew in my heart that if I stayed, Xavier would kill both Kennan and Ian. But if I fled, and made my way to the Council, well, then maybe they would be safe. I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to either of the men that had come to mean so much to me. Ian, the brother I never knew I was missing out on and Kennan, the man I loved. I thought about my plan and knew that it was risky. I also knew that it was quite possibly dumbest thing I would ever do.

I quickly repacked my bag, making sure I had enough sustenance for several days in the backcountry. I packed several sets of clothing, and made sure I had all of the maps from the house detailing my hiking routes. I wouldn't be caught out there due to another stupid mistake. Oh, let me just leave this map showing my exact location. Nope, for once I was doing something smart. I looked at the bag and then back at the door.

I heard Kennan come in and knew that I would have to do my best to hide my intentions. It would be a miracle if he didn't figure it out. He'd always been able to read me like a book.

I walked back out into the living room, trying my best to act casual. I tried to avoid eye contact with Kennan as much as possible. I looked toward Ian and tried for a subject that didn't scream, "I'm planning on running away tonight."

"So, did you convince them to go and give their bridge a look?" I asked.

"Yep, I'm completely believable in my role as a civil servant. They said they would have somebody head out and give it a look," Ian puffed his chest out like he had done something exceptionally grand.

"Good work, if I had a dog biscuit I would give it to you," I said with a smirk.

Ian just pushed me in the arm and I hurtled into Kennan who was looking down at me. I did my best to look away but Kennan pulled me into his chest, hugging me close.

"I will make sure nothing happens to you, do you understand me? I will keep you safe. No matter what," he said fiercely. It was that last statement that I couldn't bear the thought of. I had already lost everyone else that I loved. I wasn't going to lose Kennan. I hugged him closer, lingering in the safety of his arms as long as I could. Soon, I would be on my own.

We spent the rest of the evening normally. We ate dinner and I feigned exhaustion before heading to my room. I couldn't look at either of them any longer or I would probably spill my guts and ruin my plan. As I made my way to my room, Kennan intercepted me as he had done every night for the past few weeks. I looked up at him, waiting for our nightly ritual of a kiss that lasted just a second too long.

"Are you okay, Izzy? You seem off tonight," Kennan asked, trying to pry my secret from me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just really tired. Visions will do that to me," I said. I hated myself for lying to him. But better I lie than he die.

"Well, Ian and I are going to head out. We should be back by midnight. The wards are up so you should be safe here," he said before pulling me against him in another hug. He leaned back and kissed my forehead before moving to my face. This time his kiss landed just on the edge of my lips. If I'd turned my face a fraction of an inch, we would've finally kissed. I could have finally fulfilled my desires of the past four torturous weeks.

I looked up at him, saying goodnight. I wished he could read the goodbye written in my eyes and I prayed that he would forgive me. I knew I would see him again, I just hoped he would be happy to see me whenever it happened. I moved through my door effectively cutting myself off from the two men.

**********

TWENTY

I set about quietly preparing myself to leave that night. When I finally heard the guys leave I got up and began to ward myself. Kennan and I had spent weeks practicing different wards and I used the three most powerful ones he had taught me. I cut myself off from the visions. I cut myself off from the dreaming. I cut myself off from the Guardians. I felt lighter without all of the ties binding me, but I also felt bereft without them. I waited another hour before gathering my things and leaving a note. I couldn't leave them thinking I had been taken. So I told them where I was going. I told them I was going over to Bremerton, where Mike had been stationed in the Navy. Then I would head to the Council.

I got out my map and plotted my points, afraid to use any lights this close to the cabin. I was glad that Kennan had made me hike each of the treks so many times. I felt as though I could do them blind by this point. I looked at my map one more time in the dim light of the cabin, and then stowed it as I headed out. I must have hiked for about three hours before I heard a bellow ring out in the forest.

I heard Kennan's yell, a feral cry. It echoed through the forest, promising to bring destruction down on anything between him and his objective. I stopped moving and made myself as small as I could. I was scared to even breathe for fear of being discovered. I stayed like that, hidden inside a rotted out tree for what felt like an eternity. I finally heard Kennan begin to move away, shouting my name. I hadn't been discovered. I got up and moved soundlessly through the trees.

I had to make it to the river soon. I moved with sluggish steps, the adrenaline from my flight suddenly worn off. I finally heard the trickle of the river in the distance, and thanked God for getting me there safely. I didn't want to risk building a fire so I set up my mat and went to sleep almost immediately. It felt strange to be so disconnected from everything. All of my dreams were swept away and I was left with a nothingness. I was a void which begged to be filled once more. I allowed that void to cradle me until morning, finding solace in the emptiness.

I was startled from my sleep by a nearby sound. I was sure that I had been discovered, but upon further inspection I found it was only a couple of elk at the river getting a drink. I looked back toward the forest to find several more lingering in the brush. They were all eyeing me warily. Like I would do anything to the lot of them, seriously. They were huge beasts compared to me. I watched them for a long time as they drank up the river and grazed on the grass and underbrush. I was starting to get a cramp from lying in my current position, so I moved, startling them in the process. Once again, I was alone.

I stood up and stretched thinking back to the first time I'd spent the night here. I looked back to where Kennan's bag would've been. With a lump in my throat, I fought back the tears that threatened to fall.

"You're doing this for him. Xavier said he would kill him. Well, pretty much, so buck up," I scolded myself.

I set about getting breakfast and looked around to make sure I hadn't been followed. I knew that I had two options. I could either wait it out here for another night to throw everyone off of my trail, or I could hike out tonight and haul tail to Bremerton. Thank God Mike wanted to be back at his old Navy stomping grounds, because Bremerton was just a few hours away from where I was.

I sat down and weighed my options, wondering what Kennan and Ian would have done in my position. I decided to stick it out for another night. I knew there was a very real chance they had been caught or had hauled butt out of there in search of me. If that was the case, they would probably be waiting at the last escape exit today.

I spent the day going through a lot of the different forms Ian had taught me. I took a run through the woods, but ran back when I spotted the elk again. I didn't want to disturb them. Mostly, I didn't want them to think I was some lady elk and try to mate with me. I knew the odds were slim, but it must have happened to at least one person. I got back to my stuff and took a quick bath in the freezing water. Afterwards, I built a fire and waited for darkness to come. I was grateful the constant rain had held off thus far, but from the looks of the sky, my luck wouldn't hold out for much longer.

By the time night fell, the rain had started to fall again. I looked up at the sky, wondering why God couldn't have held it off for a little bit longer. Ultimately, I knew that the rain would cover any tracks I might have left. I just sucked it up and burrowed into my sleeping gear. I was pretty sure at the rate I was shivering my bag would work its way off while I slept. I was surprised to wake the next morning still safely encased.

I got up once again and steeled myself for the hike out. I plotted the points to make sure I hadn't missed any of the pitfalls I had come across during my last few hikes. I packed all of my stuff up and stretched out my tired muscles. I looked back at the clearing longingly and wished I could just hide out here and let the world pass by. Then I remembered that all I had left to eat was a power bar and some granola. My stomach won out. I didn't have the fish catching skills of one Kennan O'Malley.

I sighed, a piece of me missing now that he wasn't with me. I had come to depend on him so much in the past few years and even more in the past month. I couldn't get the thought of his eyes out of my mind. I missed his smile. It had the power to transform me into a puddle of goo. Who was I kidding, I just missed all of him. I promised myself if I made it through this I would tell him how I really felt. No more holding back.

Granted, if I did make it through this, he was probably going to want to throttle me. So maybe I would have to feel the room first to see where I stood. It would be my luck to show up, spill my guts, and then get yelled at. That would kind of ruin the moment.

I trudged on, thinking of nonsense. I won't lie, I spent a good amount of time fantasizing about Kennan. God, I wanted that man. Not just physically, but in everything. I was kind of ashamed. I had spent so long being opposed to relationships, and really having no interest in them, and then all of a sudden there he was. It was like I had finally opened my eyes and saw what was right in front of me.

My foot slipped, pulling me from my reverie, and I started to slide down the hill I was trying to trek up. The rocks came loose under my feet as the rain began falling more heavily. I slid all the way to the bottom of the hill, now covered in mud. I checked all of my joints to make sure I was still in working order. Yep, nothing but my pride was busted. I scrambled up the hill once more, this time crawling halfway. Once I got to the top, I stopped to even out my breathing and get a drink.

As I drank, I noticed someone further up the trail. I quickly hid in some of the denser foliage and waited for the hikers to pass. I didn't trust that they were out here just enjoying a hike. No matter what they looked like. At this point, the only people I trusted were Mike, Ian, and Kennan. I waited with bated breath for them to pass. It was a man and a woman and they looked completely ordinary.

Except the woman stopped and looked directly at my hiding place for a moment. I started to move but she shook her head. It would have been unnoticeable had I not been paying such close attention. She turned away immediately with the man and kept hiking down the way I had come up. I heard her talk to him in hushed tones.

"I saw her camping by the river. That is all I could see. She has us blocked really well. Even Seers can't get through her walls right now," the girl said helplessly.

I heard the slap of skin on skin and I wanted to run to the girl and defend her. She was younger than me. Yet, she lied to whoever this was so that I could escape. I looked down toward the bottom of the hill where they had stopped. She once more looked in my direction with a ferocity I had never known.

This girl held a strength I could only dream of. I hoped that someday I would be able to find her. I couldn't bear the thought of abandoning her after she had just saved my hide.

"Molly, I swear to the gods, if you're lying to me I will make you pay. Don't think I won't do it. I don't care how talented you are," the man growled.

"I can only tell you what I have seen. I wouldn't dare invent stories sir," she said with a hint of defiance in her voice.

So the man with her was with the Corporation. By the sounds of it, he was a Guardian as well. I watched them for a moment longer before the tiny blonde gave me a pointed look as if to say, "Run you moron!" I nodded in her direction, and tried to communicate with my eyes that I wouldn't forget her.

I scrambled out of hiding after they were out of sight and ran for it. I didn't know how long I would have before they headed back this way. I didn't want Molly to be found out either. If they caught me they would know that she'd lied. I made a mental note to find her again and help her escape somehow.

I was winded by the time I reached the car. I checked the parking lot several times before getting in the car to make sure no one was watching me. I got in and hit the 101 in the hopes of finding Mike. I knew there was a restaurant he always talked about frequenting up near Bremerton. It was some little hole in the wall diner. That would be my first stop. I needed to gain sustenance for myself and to try and find him. Then we were going to high tail it to the Council and figure out what to do next.

I arrived at the diner almost four hours later. I had almost stopped in Port Angeles to grab some food, but thought better of it. The fewer stops, the better probably. I walked inside and found a booth, hoping against all hope that Mike would come in. The waitress came by to take my order and I asked if she had seen a man named Mike that day.

"Oh, honey, you just missed him by an hour. Is your name Izzy by any chance?" the lady asked.

"Yes, ma'am," I said skeptically.

"Well, Mike left something for you. Let me go grab it. He said you might show up here someday."

As the lady walked away, I wondered what Mike could have left me. I also wondered how long it would take to cook my burger. I was famished. She returned with my drink and an envelope and left me to my discoveries.

I opened the envelope, not sure what I might find. All that was inside was a key and a map of how to get from the diner to his house. Well, that was a relief. I was glad that it wasn't some cryptic message about the fate of the world or whatever. I was getting sick of surprises.

My burger came a few minutes later and I took the time to devour it along with every single last French fry. Their greasy goodness sunk into my stomach, making me long for a nap. Well, I did have a map to a house. Perhaps Mike had a couch that I could become acquainted with.

I left the diner and headed over to Mike's place. I found it after passing the turn off three times. I parked along the street in front of the small, shingled house. The house itself looked like it had seen better days, but I supposed that it matched Mike's personality in a strangely accurate way. I walked up to the door and knocked. I was so stunned by who opened the door, I didn't know whether to scream or run, but neither choice was mine to make.

**********

TWENTY ONE

I was jerked into the house before I could cause a scene. I stood there, dumbfounded, unable to process what my eyes were seeing. There, in Mike's living room, was Xavier. I looked around expecting to see Mike tied up. Instead, he was reclined in a chair, smoking a cigar. I looked around the rest of the room and saw three more men who were easily a foot taller than me. All this passed in a matter of seconds, bringing me right back to Xavier who happened to be smiling down at me maliciously.

"Told you I would find you. All of that running was for nothing after all," his voice sent chills down my spine.

"What's going on here, Mike?" I demanded. I wanted an explanation. I also wanted to shove Xavier's nose into his brain pan, but I wasn't quite tall enough for that.

"Oh, honey, how did you not know? You really are just as dumb and trusting as that other lot. The Corporation has been paying me quite well to keep tabs on you and feed them inside information about what was happening within the Council. As soon as you started to show signs of being a Seer, I contacted Xavier and had him added to our delivery route. You didn't go there just by chance Izzy," Mike said around his cigar.

"But what about your sons? What about all of those years I worked for you? Are you telling me you're okay with just handing me over to these guys? Do you even know what they will do to me?" I asked. I was afraid the tears would start sliding down my cheeks at any moment. I had to keep it together. I had to find a way out.

"Oh, my sons are alive and well, Babycakes. These big guys have kept my family's pockets padded for quite a long time. And yes, I know exactly what they will do with you and quite frankly I just don't care. You were a paycheck," Mike said, uninterested.

I felt like a part of my heart was physically being ripped away. A man I had thought of like a second father was nothing more than a deceptive, manipulative ass like the rest of these guys. I thought back to the email and to everything that had happened. Xavier had set me up. He had known he couldn't get to me when I was with Kennan and Ian. He had played on my weakness and I had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. It looked like I was the catch of the day.

In a rare fit of rage, I ripped Mike's cigar from his mouth and shoved it down on his arm hard, putting out the embers in his skin. I wanted him to be reminded of me every single day for the rest of his miserable life.

Mike yelled out. "You little bitch!"

He struck out at me and Xavier intercepted.

"Now, Mike, let's all keep a level head here. Izzy is just a little spirited. But don't worry, we will work that out of her before too long. Now go rinse that out before it gets infected." Xavier dismissed Mike with a flick of his hand and moved towards me.

I stood my ground. I refused to cower in front of this man. Kennan may not have been able to kill him, but I held no such reservations. I looked up at my captor defiantly. Yes, I had been stupid and played right into his hand, but, I had done so to protect the people I loved. That was a kind of stupidity I could live with. We stared at one another for a long time before he began to speak.

"You aren't at all like your mother, are you? You're quite the feisty thing. I have so enjoyed our little talks in the dreaming. It's such a pleasure to finally be face to face once more," he drawled as he reached for my face to brush it the way Kennan did.

I grabbed his hand quickly, bending it backward almost to the breaking point.

"You touch me again and I will break you, big man," I said, grateful for Ian and the many things he'd taught me about using my size to my advantage.

"Looks like you have learned some new tricks, pet. What else has my brother taught you?" Xavier asked with a raised brow, as though I hadn't even hurt him.

I was amazed that I had once thought him handsome. He was not godlike at all. He was playing at being a god. In my experience, the mighty fall further and harder. I would bring him down if it was the last thing I did.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know. But it wasn't just Kennan, I still have other friends left, you know," I said, being as vague as possible.

"Well, don't worry your pretty head about any of that now. We have a long trip ahead of us, so why don't you go and grab your bag," Xavier commanded.

I really wanted to inflict vast amounts of pain on this man. I had never felt anything like the rage that had swelled within me since knocking on that infernal door. I was hoping that Mike would get gangrene from his burn and his arm would rot off. I was hoping that all of the men in black suits would get some incurable virus that would melt their organs. And most of all, I hoped that Xavier would have a run in with a rusty blade of some sort and contract tetanus. I had never been a violent person, but when I had nothing left, I got scrappy.

I looked at Xavier and weighed my options. I could go along with this and not fight it, or I could try and run. I knew from experience that outrunning a Guardian was damn near impossible, so I decided to once again ride the wave of a kidnapping. There had to be some sort of limit on the amount of times a girl could be kidnapped in a year. I mean, I must have met my quota by now. I looked up at the sky silently begging God, "Come on, Big Man. Help a sister out a little." I sighed and headed toward my car.

I was awarded with an escort from the goon squad to retrieve my belongings. I acted like I was searching the glove box. I needed to leave a note or something in case Ian or Kennan found the car. I scribbled on the registration the basics of what had happened. I didn't have much time with the goon squad was growing restless right outside of the door. I tossed the paper down in the floorboard under the seat so that it barely showed. I was counting on Kennan's obsessive nature to take over and find it.

I grabbed my bag and closed the door, locking the keys inside. See if you can move the car now, stupid bad guys. I mean, I supposed they could call a locksmith, but at least I had delayed them in disposing of the car. I headed back toward the house, only to have Xavier gesture toward a black limousine. Well, of course. Why wouldn't he be cruising around in a limo? I was more than a little pissed that my first time in a limo was going to be with an asshat like him.

I sighed, tossed my bag into the dark chasm and shuffled in after it. I pulled myself into a back corner before Xavier's morose entourage climbed in. They really did look like a crew of undertakers. I decided to name them Lurch 1, Lurch 2, and Lurch 3. The last of the men didn't look nearly tall enough to be a Lurch, so he was instead dubbed Igor.

I sat quietly in the back seat for a long time. The road rolled beneath us, taking me to Lord knows where. Thoughts of what a major cluster this whole situation had become danced through my head. I might as well have just given myself over in Chicago.

I was brought from my thoughts by Xavier's hands approaching the sides of my face. I looked at him like he had lost his mind. I reached up and snapped his hand, sure that I had broken at least something. Instead, he just shook his hand and "tsked" me.

I was pinned to the back of the seat by the Lurches faster than I could track.

"You should have played nice," Xavier scolded. I wondered what it would take to make him yell. Then I remembered, he was devoid of all real emotion.

I struggled against my captors as Xavier approached. I knew he was trying to hack my brain but I was durned if I was gonna make it easy on him. I squirmed as much as possible, but once he had a hold of my head, I couldn't move. I was painfully braced between his large hands.

A deep look of concentration passed over his brow. He looked as though he was straining, and I remembered my wards. I looked back into his eyes defiantly.

"What have you done? Take them down. Do it now," Xavier said with more heat than I thought possible for him.

"Sorry, I don't know how," I said flippantly. I was really glad my pants didn't catch fire and give me away immediately. The way the day had turned out though, I wouldn't have been surprised if they had.

"You're telling me you warded your head but you don't know how to undo it? Kennan is far too anal to have let that happen," Xavier said, trying to pry the truth from me.

"Well, before I could learn to undo them, I had to learn to do them. I was still working on the first part you see, so we didn't quite make it there. Pity, huh?" I said, just before he struck me.

Well, it was just a banner day for me. I was riding in a limo for the very first time. I had been hit by a man for the first time in my life, well, if I didn't count Ian's training. Oh, and I had been kidnapped. But that was more of a repeating theme for me, so I wasn't sure it counted. I sat there numb, but grateful to have my mind to myself.

He could torture me or any other number of things. He wouldn't use my head to screw with people's lives. He would have to kill me first. I looked over at him, filled with more rage than I ever thought possible. I couldn't help myself. I wanted this man to suffer like I had never wanted anything before.

"So, how did your latest insurance scheme work out, buddy?" I asked, remembering that today would have been the bridge collapse.

Xavier looked at me confused at first and then pulled his phone out to make a call. He spoke in Gaelic like Ian and Kennan did when they didn't want me to hear what was being said. By the time he ended his phone conversation he was seething.

He shot out of his seat towards me with his arm out, gripping me around the throat. I was once more pinned to the seat, barely breathing. I probably shouldn't have pushed him, but quite honestly, I just wanted to piss him off.

I looked him in the eyes defiantly and smiled. I knew then and there that I was made of stronger stuff than I had ever imagined. He could take everyone I ever loved. Heck, he could kill me. But like Mel Gibson said in _Braveheart_ , "He could never take my freedom." I knew that was the truth. I was my own person, and I would fight until my last breath to keep that freedom.

"What's the matter?" I croaked running out of air. "Did somebody foil the evil villain's plan?"

He shoved my head to the side, against the window. I heard a crack before everything went dark, sinking me, once more, into oblivion.

**********
TWENTY TWO

When I awoke, we were on some sort of plane. I sat up and looked around, trying to get my bearings. This was no mere plane, it was a private jet. Just add that to the list of firsts for the day. I had never flown before this and I had quite frankly never wanted to. I sat there, trying to control my breathing. I wouldn't let him know how this small space affected me. I couldn't imagine what he would do with that sort of information. I looked around, trying to twist in the seat, only to find myself practically immobilized.

The pull against my wrists drew my attention to my handcuffed hands. Personally, I thought it was a bit overkill. I mean, I was on a plane, flying through the air. Just where did they think I was going? I wasn't dumb enough to jump out of the plane. Although, I was desperate enough to just crash the whole thing and kill us all. I guessed the handcuffs made sense after all.

My throat was on fire and my head was pounding. I wondered if they kept some of those magic pills Kennan stocked. As I was pining for some sort of relief, Xavier lowered himself into the seat directly in front of me. He looked at me with an expression that I assumed he meant to be soothing. He approached me like I was some sort of wild caged animal and I reveled in it.

I raised an eyebrow at him in question.

"Izzy, it really is unseemly for you to act out in front of my associates. So I am going to ask you nicely to lower your wards. I will only ask this once more," Xavier said calmly.

"Sorry, don't know how to help you," I said, my voice strained and sounding like someone driving over an old gravel road. Well, that was new. I wondered if the affectation would be a permanent one.

"Now, be reasonable. I can make your life very easy, or I can make it very uncomfortable. Your mother gave me too many problems and chose the latter for herself. Will you be smarter than she was? Sorry for your loss by the way," he said flippantly.

I raged against my confines. I wanted so badly to wrap my hands around his stupid throat and squeeze until his face resembled a blueberry. I had never hated anyone before, never wanted to in fact. Yet there I was. I wanted nothing more than to destroy the man. I yearned to see him burn for all he had done to my family and even his own. I pulled as far forward in my seat as I could.

"I need you to listen very closely, Xavier. You will kill me before you ever get me to submit to you. I will fight you every second I am breathing. Make no mistake, my mother may have come to you willingly, but I did not. The funny thing really is I am damn near useless with all of these wards up," I said, nodding my head back. "So, good luck with that," I snarled before he shoved me back in my seat pressing hard against my breast bone.

He towered over me. Rage burned in his eyes and I could tell that it had been a very long time since Xavier had been denied any request. It really was a pity no one ever taught him to play nicely.

"Let me help you understand your position, Izzy. You will submit to me. I am a patient man. I have no scruples about doing anything necessary to get what I want. I have no grand sense of morality. So you can push and you can taunt all you want. Your blustering won't save you in the end," he said, releasing me.

He walked to another part of the jet, leaving me alone with my musings. I looked out of the window with my blood boiling. I was angry at him, I was angry at myself and I wanted nothing more than to be free so that I could inflict some sort of damage. I thought about every step I had taken that led me to this point. The only thing I knew for certain was that if I ever got the chance, I would kill Xavier or die trying.

We landed about an hour later, coming into a city I knew all too well. I was back in Chicago. I looked as the city I once loved passed by the windows. I glanced back toward where Xavier was sitting to find him looking directly at me. He wore a knowing smirk, as if to laugh at some joke I was not in on. I tore my eyes away from him. I refused to ask what it was about. In fact, I had decided not talking might be the best thing for me.

All I had to show for my back talk was a sore throat and lump on my head. Oh, and let's not forget the bruise forming on my breastbone where Xavier had tried to make the seat and I one entity. Ugh, I was so over this. I just wanted to know what the evil mastermind had planned. Then I could get in touch with Kennan.

Well, if he were lurking in the dreaming at any rate. I sure hoped he was there, because this plan was total crap otherwise. Not that any of my former plans had turned out so well. But this one seemed solid. And, well, it was the only one I had.

Xavier stood and approached me. He unlocked the cuffs and I rolled my wrists trying to release some of the soreness. He looked down at me expectantly while I awaited my next command. I could play the affable captive if I needed to. Look at me, I'm a model prisoner. Hey, I wondered if there was some sort of early parole for Seers who did the bidding of the Corporation without giving a fuss. I started to ask Xavier and then thought better of it. I didn't think my body could take any more abuse this day.

"Would you get out of your seat already?" Xavier asked, exacerbated.

I nodded and did what he asked. I had so many clever retorts, but I feared he wouldn't appreciate them the way Kennan and Ian did. God, I really missed Kennan. I felt myself in really grave danger of caving and opening myself up to Kennan before I found out anything of use. I knew that I couldn't, but not having him with me made me feel like I had phantom limb syndrome. I kept starting to ask him something and then I would remember I was alone.

We deplaned and headed toward yet another black limo. We took the car straight into the city. I wondered why I wasn't being blindfolded. Just as the thought passed through my mind, a black rag was tied around my head. I tried to fight it off only to have Xavier "tsk" me again.

"Now, now Izzy. I thought we were finally getting along. If you start fighting again, we will have to put you back in shackles. You don't want to mar that pretty skin of yours do you?" he asked, running his fingers over my wrist.

It took everything in me not to physically cringe away from his touch. Something that should have been soft and seductive was turned into something twisted and frightening. I sat as still as I could and held my breath. I knew that if he saw how bothered I was at his touch, he would just use that against me. "Show no weakness." It was the motto that Ian had drilled into me for the past four weeks. So instead I put my bravado back in place and nodded toward Xavier.

He stopped touching me immediately. So he had done it just to throw me. I supposed there would be many more tests just like this one. I hoped none of them included confined spaces. I didn't think I could fake my way out of that.

I sat there with my blindfold on and wondered where we were heading. Each part of the city had always felt different to me. It all pulsed with a life of its own, and I wondered if I would still be able to feel it, even blindfolded.

We stopped, and I was pulled from the car by what I assumed was a Lurch. Being blindfolded, I couldn't tell if it was one, two, or three. I just knew it wasn't Igor. He wasn't tall enough to fit the bill. I was dragged into a building, and I immediately knew where I was. I was in the building I had delivered a package to almost two months ago. Time flies when you're on the run. I waited with the goon squad, hoping we weren't about to take the elevator. Alas, my hopes were dashed when the telltale ding announced the death box's arrival.

I took one last deep breath as discreetly as I could, fearing my little secret would be discovered. Hell, the blindfold was about to send me into conniptions as it was. I just tried to keep it together. It couldn't be that far up in the building. I waited as the seconds ticked by. After what seemed like an eternity later, we arrived on our floor. I was escorted off of the elevator and the blindfold was removed.

**********
TWENTY THREE

I stood in what looked like a doctor's office, or perhaps it was more akin to a lab. Except here, where there should be doctors there were just ridiculously large men, and in the place of patients there were women of various ages. I took in my surroundings slowly. When my eyes finally came to rest on a bay of windows I was revolted. Inside, there rested five Seers hooked up to the same machines my mother had once occupied. I looked away as the tears threatened to spill over. I glanced in the opposite direction of the windows and found a corridor with a sign announcing the way to the dormitories.

I stood still, not knowing what was expected of me. I certainly didn't want to end up hooked to a machine. If I got hooked up, I would never be able to find Kennan without being discovered. So, I decided to continue with my nice captive charade. My momma always used to say that you attract more flies with honey than you do vinegar. I never understood why anyone would want to attract flies, but now it was starting to make more sense.

Xavier motioned with his hand that we were to move forward into the doctor's bay. He led me to a physician's table and had me climb up and sit. I did my best to hide my nerves, wondering the whole time whether or not they would be able to lift the wards without my help. Kennan had assured me that the ones we had used hadn't been used in over a thousand years and were far more difficult to break than the ones most Seers used today. The ones he had me use took a great deal more time and focus to put into place. So I was counting on his word, and my ward ability to keep me safe.

A woman slowly approached the table, followed closely by two more Lurches. Seriously, would it kill these people to add a little color to their wardrobes? I mean, didn't they know that the black suits were kind of cliché. Maybe they bought them in bulk for a discounted price. I pulled my mind back into focus and drew my attention back to the approaching woman.

She was amiable looking. She had crinkles around her eyes that spoke of long ago easy smiles. Her hair was graying around the temples and was plated neatly. The thing that struck me most were her eyes. They were a brilliant blue, the kind of blue I had always wanted instead of my indecisive hazel. But these eyes told of great sadness. She carried so much history in her eyes that I wanted to weep. I couldn't imagine what horrors she must have witnessed to end those easy smiles and replace them with the grief that now sung out of those beautiful, blue orbs.

She approached the bed slowly. I was getting tired of being treated like a caged animal. I hadn't bit anyone. Yet. I looked at her, patiently awaiting whatever my next test might be. I tried my best to school my features into a blank, friendly expression, but from the look on her face I didn't think I achieved it. The way she stared at me, I was wondering if I more resembled a deranged chimp. She cocked her head to the side in question.

"Are you Moira's girl?" she asked, with a thick southern accent.

"Yes."

Short and sweet, that was me.

"You look just like her, you know? Well, close enough that anyone could tell you were kin at any rate. Well, Baby Doll, I need to check you out. Make sure nothing is broken and all that. It shouldn't hurt." She said the last with a sigh, like she wanted to be doing anything but this.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, knowing that this was no ordinary physical.

"Well, I need to check your brain out and see if those wards you put up can be taken down. I also need to check and see if you are getting any information from the outside." She looked down at the chart in her hands and nodded. "Ready?" she asked before putting her hands on either side of my head.

I could feel a pressure building in my head. I knew that she was unable to penetrate whatever wall she was trying to push down. Suddenly, I heard her voice in my head. I had to school my features so as not to show my surprise.

"I'm so sorry about your momma. I wish that I could have done more to help her. I wish I was strong enough to help you. But they have my Molly. I can't let any harm come to her. I'm sorry." She breathed out heavily, as if she was taxed by what she was doing.

"How can I hear you, are my wards broken? Can all of the Seers jack into my head like this?" I asked, terrified. I didn't know any other Seers, for all I knew we were all hooked up to the same wavelength.

"Your wards are safe sweetheart. Good strong strapping ones at that. And no, not all Seers can jack into your head. That is just something my Molly and I can do. We all have our own talents you know." She finished and dropped her hands.

"These wards are unlike anything I have ever seen. They were done with very old magic. Stuff that hasn't been used in at least a thousand years. If you want a crack at what is in this girl's head, you better get your scholars working," she said to Xavier, before sending an apologetic look my way. I knew she had her daughter to protect, but dang it, I wanted someone in my corner.

Molly, where had I heard that name before? I knew her. She was the one that had lied to cover my tracks. She had known exactly where I was and she'd saved my skin. Well, at least until I had served myself up on a platter. I should've shoved an apple in my mouth while I was at it.

"So, what now chief?" I asked Xavier. For once, I didn't add any heat to the question.

"Now we get you situated in a room. If you behave, you will be allowed to socialize with the other Seers. If you act out, we will hook you to a machine and see if it can't sort out those pesky wards of yours," Xavier said with a nod toward some of his men.

They moved toward me, each grabbing an elbow. I wondered if I was to be dragged to my room or carried. The way they lifted me from the table looked like some sort of Broadway parody. I was bone tired, if they wanted to carry me the whole way, I wouldn't have objected. I looked back to where Xavier stood, a questioning look in his eyes.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you, so don't start any more trouble. Am I understood?" his voice the same cold I had come to hate.

Where Kennan was all warmth and comfort, like a warm fire and good book, Xavier was like the frozen tundra. I was glad to be rid of him, but wondered at his warning. How would he be watching me? Would I get a Lurch of my very own? Oh happy, happy, joy, joy. It was just what I'd always wanted. I looked skeptically at the men on each of my elbows.

Both men were gorgeous. I wasn't sure they came any other way around these parts. Well, if they were of the Guardian variety at any rate. I let them walk/drag me down the hall where the dormitories were. I kept a close eye on all of my surroundings. I knew that if I ever wanted to escape this place, or be busted out, I would have to be able to relate as much information as I could.

We made a turn down another hall and I was greeted by at least twenty doors on either side of me. It looked a whole lot like that hallway in the movie _The Shining_. All that was missing were the twin girls at the other end. I breathed a sigh of relief when I was unceremoniously dumped into the equivalent of a cheap motel room.

I looked around my new digs trying to find anything that might be used as a weapon. Sadly, there was nothing available. I gave up on my snooping and threw myself onto the bed to bounce for a minute. Well, at least the bed seemed a little comfortable. I took in my meager surroundings and wondered if all of the other Seers were given rooms like this. If so, it was a wonder they hadn't unionized and gone on strike for better working conditions.

Perhaps I could form a Seers union. Nah. That would probably constitute as misbehaving. I threw myself back on the bed and was surprised at how tired I suddenly felt. I allowed my eyes to close and I drifted off to sleep.

I didn't know how long I slept before a knock at my door brought my attention back to my surroundings. I went to it and was surprised to find I could open it. Why had I not tried to do that sooner? Standing on the other side of the door was Molly.

"So you went and got yourself caught anyway?" she said with a look of disapproval.

"Well how was I supposed to know my surrogate father was a giant backstabbing liar face?" I said defensively. I didn't even know this girl and she was berating me for being stupid. She might've been right but that was entirely beside the point.

"I know, I tried to warn you, but I didn't have enough time. Plus Keith would have known I was up to something more than he already suspected," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"Well, um, okay then. Would you like to come in?" I asked, unsure of what the etiquette for this situation was.

"Sure, but I was actually coming by to grab you on my way to dinner," Molly said before entering my room.

She was a little sprite of a thing. She was only around five foot four and tiny as could be. Her blonde hair was in loose waves that hung to about her shoulders. She had elfish features that conjured images of the fairytales my mother used to read me. I guessed I was staring at her because she awkwardly cleared her throat.

"You are awfully feisty for someone so small," I said, hoping I didn't offend the only person that might be my friend here.

"Like TNT. I'm small but highly explosive," she said matter of factly.

"So, how long have you been with the king of the asshats?" I asked, hoping she would know I was talking about Xavier.

"Since I was about three. They came and took my mother and me. At least that's what my mom told me. I have been here ever since, waiting for your slow ass to show up," she said, like I had purposefully inconvenienced her.

"Sorry about the wait?" I more asked than stated.

"Well, when I was four my mom had a vision about you and she told me. I've been waiting around ever since. She said you would save me. No pressure or anything," Molly said before landing on my bed.

"Yeah, no pressure. Jesus, you would think I would've gotten a welcome packet. If I survive this, I am totally designing one. It was a lot to take on when I had no idea what I was until right before my birthday. I mean, you would think someone would have at least given me a heads up about being the whole Seer messiah thing," I said, blowing out a breath.

"Um, sorry about your luck," Molly said, clearly unaffected by my ranting.

"Well, I won't be able to save the world on an empty stomach, so shall we?" I asked before heading to the door.

"Yep, just follow me. When we get there, I will give you the skinny on everyone. Just don't flinch when I start yapping in your head. Other people will notice," she said as she led us to the cafeteria.

Not since high school had I been in a place like this. I had no interest in returning either. The food even smelled and looked like that of my old high school. I wondered if they brought in lunch ladies as well. I looked behind the line to see more of the goons standing about giving everyone the stank eye. I just made my way through the line and got the most edible looking selection. It loosely resembled pizza.

Molly motioned for us to sit at a table in the middle of the room and started yapping away in my head while we ate. She talked about the gossip first. Like who was hooking up with who, and who was about to be in deep crap for not fulfilling their quota for the month. I looked around as she spoke, and I was grateful that all in all there were only about fifteen women present. Not counting the ones hooked up to machines.

I must have gotten a look on my face, because Molly switched gears. She looked hesitant at first, but then steeled herself for what she was about to say.

"Listen, I don't know how you will save us. I don't even really know that you can when you get your own stupid butt captured. But, if you do get out of here, there are things you need to know. He is working with some of the Council members on a big plan. I don't know what it is. I just know that not everyone that is supposed to be a good guy is fighting for the right team. I heard one of the other Seers say that she saw some sort of explosion and then a monster coming out of the smoke, but shortly afterward she disappeared. Whatever is coming isn't good."

Molly released my mind as I reeled. So, yea, there were more big bad guys out there. Fantastic. Could I deal with the first one on my list before another one took his place? I looked down at my half eaten cardboard, I mean pizza, and realized I couldn't wait to gain any more information. I had only been here for a few hours and I already knew, without a doubt, that something bad was coming.

We finished eating, talking about small things. I asked her how her life was growing up under the Corporation and she said miserable. Not that I had guessed it would be much fun. But she told me all of the small things she had done, little rebellious acts that they had never caught on to. She would only go so far and then stop. She made it so they would trust her to leave the compound, but she only gave them part of the information she garnered from visions or psychic links.

She also told me that she and several other Seers had been genetically mapped and given something to induce their visions earlier. It wasn't one hundred percent effective, so the Corporation still had to wait for the Seers to reach twenty five. They weren't completely reliable until then.

We headed back toward the rooms and I stopped outside of my door.

"Um, Molly, I have a weird request. It is a total invasion, and I will understand if you say no," I said, anxiously awaiting her response.

"Well, spit it out. Don't tiptoe around whatever it is you need to ask. Just ask it," she said.

"Would you let me sift your memories? Just to see if there is anything you might have picked up on that you've forgotten. Or any sort of information that might help us figure out who on the Council is batting for team evil?" I finished nervously.

"Sure, I have nothing to hide. Like I said, life under the Corporation is boring and stressful. Plus, I have like zero personal things that have not already been looked through by one of the Guardians. So browse away. Just try not to fall asleep from boredom," she said, and she came into my room and sat down on my bed.

I sat next to her and grabbed her hand. I cleared my mind and I started turning back her memories like pages in a book. Each time I did this it got easier and easier. I looked through all of the years she had lived there and watched as more and more Seers were brought in until it abruptly stopped with my mother. She was the last Seer to be brought in. I wondered if she somehow protected the others.

I watched all of the little things Molly did to get under the Corporation's skin and I watched as her mother admonished her for her rebellion. All of her life played out before me. I gathered very little useful information. But in the end, I knew that I had gained a friend. When I came to the memory of Molly first seeing me, I felt her relief at the sight of me.

I broke contact with her, bringing myself back to the present. I looked at her and said a quick thank you. I always felt guilty about poking around in people's heads.

"Oh stop it, you shouldn't feel guilty about something you were born to do," Molly said.

She really seemed to be an advocate of the 'drink some water and suck it up' campaign. No fluffy placations from her.

"Alright, fine. Listen, I'm going to try and spring us. I'm pretty sure my plan will fail miserably, because I don't have that great of a track record so far. But, if you hear a ruckus, know it is time to bounce? Got it?" I asked, hoping that she wouldn't hesitate to run if the time came.

"Well, let's just hope this one works out better than the last. With you blocking all of us, we can't see what will happen around you. So, whatever the plan is, don't mess it up," she said before getting up to leave.

I hugged her tightly and she sort of stood there in shock for a moment before awkwardly returning my hug.

"Thank you for helping me, Molly. In all seriousness, I thought I was on my own in here. Granted, with my luck, you will just go and turn me in when you leave here," I laughed awkwardly, really hoping she wasn't a turncoat. I had dealt with enough of those to last a lifetime.

"Nah. I'm tired of playing at rebellion. I want the real thing," Molly said while wagging her eyebrows.

"Well, I hope that I can make all of your dreams come true," I smiled as she left.

**********

I spent the next few days with Molly. She introduced me to the other Seers. They all seemed more hesitant to form a friendship with me, and I couldn't really blame them. Xavier had basically told everyone to watch me. I felt like a bug under a microscope. Anytime I tried to sift through someone's memories, I would almost get caught. I was blocked at every turn. Unable to get any information, I was starting to get frustrated.

I was dragged to countless meetings with scholars. All of which had promised Xavier they would be able to hack into my wards. So far, none of them had had any luck. I could tell that Xavier was becoming increasingly more agitated with me as the days passed, and I knew that if I was going to survive I needed to act soon. With the lack of information and his rage, waiting wasn't worth it anymore.

**********

TWENTY FOUR

That night when I lay down to sleep, I lifted the ward from my dreaming. I knew it was risky, and I knew there was a very real chance I would be caught. I had to find Kennan though. As soon as I closed my eyes he was there.

**********

" _Izzy, please tell me you're safe," Kennan said, looking exhausted and drawn._

" _Safe is a relative term at this point. I'm not dead or hurt, so that is something. But he caught me. I was stupid, I know, but we don't have time for that now. If they catch me here they will know I lied. So let me get this out quickly. He has me in Chicago, you remember the building he worked out of in the Loop? I don't know what floor though, sorry. There is something more. He is planning something big and he has the backing of some of the Council. I don't know when, but there was talk about big explosions and monsters." I breathed a sigh of relief at unloading everything I had wanted to say._

" _I am coming for you, do you hear me. Don't do anything reckless between now and then. No more trying to save me Izzy, that isn't your job. I'll find you, and I'll kill the bastard once and for all," Kennan said with rage pouring off of him in crimson waves._

" _How touching dear brother. I thought you didn't care," Xavier said from behind Kennan._

I stood stock still and knew that I was too late. I might have warned Kennan, but I had also let Xavier in.

I looked at Kennan with wide eyes, and I could read the same terror reflected back. I ran. I tried to jump back from the dreaming and I opened my eyes.

**********

Standing over my bed was Xavier and a couple of his goons. Before I could even mutter the words of the ward to put it back in place, I was strapped to a board. I tried to scream, but I had tape wrapped over my mouth. I knew then exactly where they were taking me. I was getting hooked up. To what end I didn't know, but whatever it was it would not be good.

"I asked so nicely for you to behave and cooperate, but then you go and betray me," Xavier said as though I were just a petulant child being sent to a time out.

I looked at him with my eyes full of anger and loss. I would never get to tell Kennan I loved him. I would never get to help Molly. I would never even get to shove a sharp object into the side of Xavier's throat.

"Now, we're going to play a little game. I'm going to put you back into the dreaming and we're going to have some fun. Perhaps after you've been there for a while you will rethink the whole 'not taking your wards down' thing." Xavier pulled me into the room with the five other women.

I was transferred to one of the medical tables and they strapped some sort of contraption around my head. I was frantic. My breathing became erratic and I knew I was on the verge of a total mental collapse. The fear of the unknown shredded any courage I had left.

Someone to my left flicked a needle before sticking it into my arm. I started to go fuzzy around the edges and then the darkness enveloped me. Only it wasn't the darkness at all. Somehow they had induced the dreaming and what I was left in was a nightmare.

**********

I looked around me, hoping to find some way out, but knowing that I was trapped. Suddenly, from every direction the ground turned into a churning blackness. The waves of darkness undulated in a rhythmic procession toward me. There was no escape. As the wave drew closer, I saw that it was thousands upon thousands of insects. If I didn't move they would overtake me and shred every piece of meat from my bones.

I screamed out, hoping the pitch of my voice might deter them. In a matter of seconds, I was swallowed up. Their spiny legs poking me as their pincers searched for a tender spot to pierce. They struck time after time. Pain radiated throughout my body. I was petrified and I knew that I must be dying.

Suddenly it all stopped.

**********

" _Did you like that one?" Xavier asked. "I have ever so many more. Your mother didn't like that one at all either."_

I screamed out. I knew that this torture would continue until I caved or I died of heart failure. I could hold out for the latter. I would hold out for it. I wouldn't let this man win. He might have me in the dreaming, stuck in some mad man's induced nightmare, but I wouldn't cave.

**********

Suddenly, I was drowning deep in the ocean. I swam upward, and time after time the air was torn from my grasp. I frantically swam, and as soon as the surface would come into reach, I was shoved deeper into the water. It continued until I thought my lungs might physically explode.

**********

I was in a house and flames erupted around me. I looked for a safe escape but couldn't find one. Instead the flames sought me out. I tried to run, only to be stopped by another wall of raging inferno. I stood still, knowing that there would be no escape and praying that this would be the one that would end me. I felt the flames melt away my skin and deaden my nerves so that I could no longer feel the raging pain. I embraced the fire and let it eat away at my sadness. I let it consume me and fill me with the burning rage I had carried earlier. I let it kill the girl that had wanted to die only seconds ago.

**********

As soon as I embraced the fire it was extinguished. I was now in the woods, in the dark. There were hungry sounding animals close on my trail. I ran blindly through the thick underbrush, not knowing what direction I was heading. My heart pounded in my throat as I ran and ran and ran. I felt a pull at my ankle as a wolf bit down hard. I lost my footing and tumbled over. As one, the pack of wolves moved in on me, seeking out their choice morsel. I felt them gnaw and gnash into me, as if to tear me in a thousand directions. My body came apart and I once again let the rage consume me.

**********

" _Are you ready to talk yet pet?" Xavier asked._

I looked up defiantly and flipped him the bird. I would make him run out of nightmare scenarios. I could survive them all. No matter how graphic or horrifying, I wouldn't let this man win. I wouldn't cave, and I wouldn't die. Either way he would have won. So instead, I resolved myself to live on and defy him in this small way.

**********

Next it was a torture room in which all of my fingers were cut off. This one made me think he had seen one too many "Saw" movies. All of which I had avoided because, just yuck. I didn't spend long in there. I think he could tell I wasn't impressed.

**********

Scene after scene passed before me. There was a plane crash, a car wreck, a fall from the top of a building. My body was abused, burned, cut, limbs were severed. Every nightmare was brought into fruition. I didn't know how much time passed while I was there. I couldn't tell if this was moving at real time or if it was moving at the pace of a regular dream.

Each new nightmare brought on a new horror until finally he brought one that even I could not refute, not even in the dreaming. He took me and locked me in a coffin. I laid there as the air slowly started to seep out of the box leaving me without any oxygen. I fought against the box and struggled. I knew that he would leave me like this. I knew that if I didn't lift my wards, I would spend the rest of my life in this tiny lightless box.

I tried to breathe but ultimately I think I blacked out. I didn't even know that was possible in the dreaming, but I guess the mind could only take so much. When I awoke I was still in the small box and I tried to even my breathing. It was just a closed space. It wasn't even a real closed space. I tried to convince myself, but my mind wouldn't allow it. My breathing started to speed up again when I heard a voice.

**********

" _Izzy, Izzy, you have to wake up. Your guy is here, but there is something happening. You have to wake up. Fight it, they came for you, now make it worth them coming. It isn't real. You can control it as much as he can. FIGHT IT!" I heard Molly yell before she was ripped from the dreaming._

I struggled and started to feel the dreaming around me. I realized with my ward down I could shape it as easily as I always could. I took a breath and calmed my mind. I had to get out. With the image of Kennan driving me, I imagined the coffin opening. The lid crashed open. I shot out of the coffin and raged against whatever was keeping me in the dreaming.

I ripped at it until I was finally brought back to the surface and I awoke to find a whole new horror.

**********
TWENTY FIVE

I turned my head to see Xavier standing over Kennan's prone form. I wondered if I was still in the dreaming. There was no way he would have taken him down so easily. I scanned Kennan's body for any sign of blood but didn't see any. I turned my focus back to Xavier, only find he had been waiting for me to awaken.

In his hand was a gun pointed straight at Kennan. Before I could even scream, Xavier smiled in my direction and pulled the trigger. It hit Kennan in the throat and then he fired again hitting him in the chest. There was so much blood.

I was drowned in it, a whole new horror replacing all of the nightmares that Xavier had induced. He had just brought them to reality and I was overtaken by a haze of red. I was numb to the pain. No longer could I hurt, he had just taken away the one person that was my entire world.

I pulled the mechanism from my head slowly, ripping the tubes from my arms in the process. I sat up on the bench as Xavier approached me. I reached behind me discreetly to grab a scalpel from the table. I waited for him to get as close as he was going to.

"So are you finally ready to submit?" he asked, bending over me.

With the numbness pulsing through my veins and the rage of a lifetime of loss fueling me, I lashed out. I drew the scalpel across his jugular with an accuracy borne of countless hours of training with Ian. I severed his artery and as he fell to his knees in surprise, I pushed him over. I hopped down from the table in the hospital gown and I straddled him. I made sure he was looking at me as his life blood flowed from him.

"Never," I said as I plunged the scalpel straight into his heart, ending his long life.

I sat that way, paralyzed for I don't know how long. I felt as though my whole world had been stolen. Suddenly, being trapped in a coffin didn't seem like such a bad thing. I looked down at my hands covered in blood and tried to wipe them off on my gown violently. No matter how hard I wiped it wouldn't come off. I started to become frantic and realized I was still sitting atop Xavier's body. I jumped up and away, staring in abject horror towards Kennan's lifeless body.

I stood there, unsure of what I was supposed to do now. How was I supposed to save anyone if I couldn't even save the one person I loved? My world felt like it was falling apart and all I could do was stand there dumbly.

"Izzy? Izzy, are you alright?" I heard someone ask softly from behind me.

I turned to find Ian staring at me like I would attack him at any moment. He had his hands in the surrender position as he approached me slowly. I looked into his eyes and wanted so badly to scream out or to cry. Any sort of emotion that could convey the emptiness I now felt. Finally, I pointed towards Kennan's prone body.

"Shit," Ian shouted before rushing over toward him. He was followed by several other tall men that I could only assume were Guardians. Everything felt as though it was moving in slow motion. It was almost as if we were all suspended in some sort of viscous fluid. Ian knelt down by Kennan and assessed his wounds while I stood, rooted, unable to move. I felt someone come up beside me and put their arm around me. I looked over to find Molly looking at me with tears streaming down her face.

"I need medical in here now. He's still alive, but barely," Ian shouted orders to anyone who would listen while trying to treat Kennan's wounds.

The floor suddenly rushed out from under me and I landed on my knees. The air came back into my lungs with a rush. Kennan wasn't dead. He was still alive. Even if it were just barely, he was alive. I crawled toward his body, leaving Molly in my wake. My only concern was to get to Kennan, to tell him I loved him before he left. He had to know.

I got about five feet from him when the medical team rushed in and moved everyone to the side.

"No," I said, barely a whisper.

"What is it Izzy? What's wrong?" Molly asked, concern lacing her voice.

"WAIT!" I shouted as I shoved my way toward his body. I would be damned if I didn't get this out. I knew that it might be my last chance to ever tell him the truth. After all I had been through, I wouldn't take this moment for granted.

"Guys, give her a second," I heard Ian plead. "Better make it fast, Little Bit. We need to move him."

I nodded before kneeling down by Kennan's head. I brushed my fingers through his hair as I took a deep breath. There was so much blood. I knew I had to be fast. I bent down to where my lips brushed his ear.

"Damn you, Kennan O'Malley. Don't you dare die. Do you hear me? I love you. More than anyone I have ever loved, and if you leave me now, I'll never forgive you. So you fight, damn it, and you live. You live, because without you I'm lost. So please, if you ever felt anything for me at all, fight. Fight and live," I pleaded quietly in his ear.

The tears that had refused to fall earlier started coming in great heaves. My throat felt as though it were closing in on itself. I couldn't seem to get enough air between sobs. Strong arms wrapped around me, lifting me up like I was a small child. I looked up to see Ian's face.

"I've got you. Don't worry, we will take care of him, Izzy. But we need to get you taken care of as well." He looked down at me with a seriousness I only saw during our training. I just sobbed into his chest and clung to him like he was a life raft.

"Wait," I said, suddenly realizing I had more to worry about than just myself.

"What is it?" Ian asked confused.

"What about all of the others? We have to help them," I hiccupped between cries.

"We've got it now. The Council has sent reinforcements. Everyone is going to get checked out and then brought back to headquarters for debriefing. Let's worry about you for once, yeah?" Ian asked with a smirk.

**********

The ride to the Council headquarters passed quickly. I felt wrung out. I had cried for a good long while before I had no tears left to cry. I knew it was over. I had killed Xavier. All of the people he had kept against their will would be free now. But there was something nagging in the back of my mind. Something I couldn't remember. I decided to let it go for the moment. I had neither the energy nor the inclination to think on it at present.

**********
TWENTY SIX

We arrived at the Council about an hour later. I was lifted out of the car by an uncharacteristically quiet Ian. He wrapped his coat around my shoulders and I realized I was still barefoot and in the hospital gown. I was grateful that he had the forethought to keep me from flashing everyone my underpants. I looked up at him and saw that he was warring with saying something.

"Just say it. Whatever it is just spit it out, Ian," I croaked. My voice had gotten hoarse with misuse, and the sobbing had done nothing to help.

"There is a very real chance Kennan might not make it, Izzy. I need you to prepare yourself for that," Ian said reluctantly. I knew he didn't say it to hurt me, but it did little to lessen the sting of his words.

"I already lost him once today, Ian. Can we please just hope for the best right now? I need to believe in something good again. So please, just please," I pleaded as my eyes once again filled with tears.

Suddenly, Molly was at my side, punching Ian in his arm.

"Way to go, jackass. Do you have any idea what this girl has been through in the past few days? Jesus, it is like you have no brain up there," Molly berated Ian.

I looked at Ian and saw his jaw drop. I gave him a questioning look to which he indiscernibly shook his head. I would ask him later. Right now, I really wanted a shower, some clothes that weren't caked in blood, and to be as close to Kennan as they would allow.

Molly gripped my hand and I could tell she was shivering.

"Are you okay?" I asked her as quietly as possible.

"I'm just nervous. What if they are just as bad as Xavier and we get trapped again? Remember what I told you, some of these guys aren't really the good guys," she said with a look of trepidation in her eyes.

Well, there it was. The thing that had been nagging at my brain since we left the lab was now staring me right in the face. Cheese on a cracker, would this never end? I sighed and looped my arm through Molly's.

"There are more good than bad here. At least I hope so. And if not, well we will just escape again. Deal?" I asked. I tried to sound convincing, but all of my senses seemed to be dulled.

"Deal," Molly nodded and I saw the stubborn gleam return to her eye.

We were escorted into the main lobby of what looked like an old Southern plantation. Ian approached us hesitantly.

"Izzy, I need you to come with me. I need you to get evaluated to make sure you're okay. If you would like to come with her you can. You'll need an evaluation as well. I'm sorry, what is your name?" Ian asked.

"Molly. My name is Molly. For the love of God what are you wearing, man?" Molly exclaimed, appalled at Ian's outfit.

I hadn't even noticed until now that he was wearing what amounted to a ninja suit. I just shook my head. Nothing after the Richard Simmon's outfit would ever shock me again.

"You get used to it. This is practically tame," I sighed. "Where do we go? Because I can tell you right now I'm in no mood to be poked and prodded. I need to see Kennan." I looked at Ian trying to convey the importance of my words.

"We have to make sure you're okay first. We don't know what he did to you and we need to make sure you aren't in any danger," Ian said, trying to calm me before my temper was triggered.

"I was tortured in the dreaming. That's what he did. So can we get this over with so that I can be with Kennan? Standing here yapping is not accomplishing anything," I said, suddenly exhausted.

"Tortured, Izzy, what did he do?" Ian asked as rage filled his voice.

Molly stepped toward Ian and placed her tiny hand on his chest.

"Not now. She needs to see him to know that he is okay," Molly said with a pointed look.

Ian looked down at her hand on his chest and sighed. He nodded before moving off down a hallway. When we got to the second door, he knocked and someone yelled enter from the other side.

We walked into a room that was set up like a doctor's office would be. Sitting at the desk was a woman in her mid-fifties with slightly graying hair. She looked up at me with kind eyes and then looked over to Molly.

"Well then, shall we get you two checked out? I hear you both have been through quite the ordeal," she said calmly approaching me. She looked me over and I felt the need to say something.

"It isn't mine," I said.

"What isn't yours dear?" she asked with an air of confusion.

"The blood, none of it is mine. So if we could just do the basic exam so that I can get cleaned up and see to Kennan, I would really appreciate it," I sighed.

The doctor eyed me steadily and seemed to come to some sort of conclusion. She headed over to a cabinet and pulled out a generic set of gray sweats and brought them back to where I stood.

"There is a bathroom just through there with everything you will need. Go get cleaned up and then we will get you out of here as quickly as possible. But you will have to come back for a more thorough exam," she announced sternly. I nodded before heading into the bathroom with my borrowed clothes. As I shut the door, I heard her turn toward Molly and tell her to hop up on the table.

I stepped into the shower and watched the water run red around my feet. I stood there motionless as all of the horror washed itself from my hair and skin. When the water finally cleared, I ran soap all over my body, trying to scrub the memories from my skin's surface and failing. I knelt on the floor of the shower, suddenly overcome by everything that had happened in the last few days. The memories of the dreaming haunted me. The look on Xavier's face as I took his life was burned into my retinas. It was as though I couldn't escape what had happened.

I shook myself and stood up. I had to be strong. Kennan would be strong for me. I didn't know what had happened to put him on that floor in the first place, but I intended to find out. I had to keep my junk together. I could fall apart later. As I got out of the shower and got dressed, I sent up a quick plea that God would protect Kennan and help him through this. I would get this exam over with, and then I would go and find my guy and not leave his side until he woke up again.

I headed back out into the exam room and found the doctor finishing up Molly's exam.

"You can communicate through thought? That is remarkable. We have only seen two other Seers with that capability in the last hundred years," she marveled.

"Yeah, and it was her ability that saved my butt," I said, realizing Molly was never in the dreaming, but had jacked into my head to communicate with me back at the lab.

"Whatever, you would have figured it out. I just gave you a little nudge," Molly said. "So, am I all done now doc? Because I am starving."

"Yes, you're all finished. It's your turn, Izzy," the doc said, patting the table after Molly had evacuated it.

Might as well get it over with, I thought. I hopped up keeping a wary eye on the table of instruments. I'd had enough of being a lab rat. I had no idea who this woman really was. For all I knew she could be one of the bad guys. I had been burned by Mike, and I refused to be that naïve again.

"Alright, but make it quick. I have somewhere to be," I said, looking around the room to find that Molly and Ian were gone.

"I just need to give you a basic exam to look for injuries. We can do the mental tests later on. Also, you should know that they might ask you to meet with someone to discuss what happened to you. You can refuse, obviously, but I would like it if you talked to someone at least once. Sometimes it can be good to clear the air," she said as she looked me over.

"I don't think talking it out will really help," I said and wondered when I had gotten so jaded.

About ten minutes later she announced my exam was complete.

"You're all done, Izzy. Physically, you just have a few bruises where it looks like you struggled. Mentally, I'm concerned, but it can wait. I'll take you to where they have Kennan. He's in the surgical unit down the hall," she said, putting away all of her instruments.

I nodded and got up from the table. We headed down the hall toward the aforementioned surgical unit. A great sense of foreboding filled my being with each step. I hadn't truly allowed myself to think of him dying since I found out he was still alive. Now, it hit me like a train. I stopped and braced myself against the wall suddenly short of breath. The doctor rushed over to me.

"Someone find Ian," she shouted as she tried to look me over.

Quicker than I thought possible, Ian was there, with Molly close behind.

"What happened?" Ian asked with an air of accusation.

"I'm not sure. We were just walking down the hall and she almost collapsed," she said confused.

"Izzy, what is it?" Molly asked softly.

"What if he dies?" I said as tears filled my eyes. "What will I do?"

"He's already out of surgery, Izzy. He's stable and they expect a full recovery. He is going to be fine. The bullet in his neck missed his artery. The one in his chest missed his heart by an inch. He was lucky. They went in and patched everything up. They started on the ride over here. He'll have some wicked scars and will take a while to heal, but he's going to be fine," Ian promised as he wrapped his arms around me in an embrace.

I hit him on his chest as hard as I could. "Why didn't you come find me to tell me, moron?"

"Sorry, I was a bit distracted," Ian said sheepishly.

"Ugh, can we just take the girl to see her man already? I think she has been through enough lately without the added drama," Molly said, rolling her eyes and pulling me down the hall in her wake. For someone so small, she could sure be pushy.

Moments later we arrived at a door labeled "Surgical Recovery." I braced myself for what I was about to see. I steeled my nerves and swallowed down my uneasiness. I could be strong for Kennan. He had been for me. It was time I was there for him.

We walked in to find Kennan lying on a bed slightly inclined. I walked over to his still body. I lowered myself into the chair next to his bed and sighed as I watched his chest rise and fall evenly. Tears began slowly falling down my cheeks.

"He really is okay," I whispered, part question and part affirmation.

"Yes, he really is okay, Pip Squeak. They said he might wake up soon if you want to stick around," Ian said smoothly. Like I would go anywhere else, honestly, did he even know me?

"I think we should leave Izzy alone for a bit," Molly said as she pulled on Ian and the doctor trying to get them out of the room.

I felt sorry for Ian suddenly. I suspected he had finally found his Seer in Molly. I wasn't sure, but if it was true, he was going to have his hands full. I didn't think she had realized what had happened yet. I was pretty sure she hadn't bargained on her Guardian being an oversized fashion victim. I looked back at the bed and took comfort in Kennan's presence.

It wasn't until I'd almost lost him that I knew how much I needed him. Scooting my chair as close as I could get it to his bed, I sat and wrapped my hand in his. The time passed quickly as I watched his chest rise and fall steadily. A doctor entered the room, pulling my attention away from Kennan.

I looked at him skeptically. I didn't trust this man. I didn't know who he was. He was no Guardian, that was for sure. He was a normal height of about five foot ten with sandy brown hair and kind brown eyes. I looked him over, trying to decide whether he was a threat or not. As I assessed the room for any viable weapons, he slowly approached the bed.

"I'm Doctor Thomas, you must be Izzy?" he said, sticking out his hand to shake my own. I eyed his hand but refused to relinquish my hold on Kennan. He dropped his hand back down to his side and trudged on as though nothing had transpired.

"How do you know who I am and what is it you are about to do to him?" I asked accusingly. Seriously, would I never trust anyone again?

"I know your name, because he kept trying to say it in recovery. I also know because you and your friends have been all of the talk since you arrived. As to what I'm doing to him, I'm just coming in to check his vitals. I won't even touch him if you don't want me to," Doctor Thomas said calmly.

The man had impeccable bedside manner. In the span of a few seconds, he had calmed my nerves. We both knew if he tried anything I wouldn't hesitate to hurt him. So, I relinquished control as much as I could.

"No, do your job. I won't interfere. If you do anything to hurt him..." I trailed off looking back down at Kennan's still form.

"No worries, I just want to make sure the sedation is wearing off and he isn't in too much pain. I'm also going to check his heart. The bullet came too close. We want to make sure we didn't miss anything in surgery." He continued in that way of telling me everything he was about to do before doing it. I appreciated the gesture and I could see in his eyes that he felt sorry for me.

I didn't know whether to be offended by the pity or happy that it wasn't fear there instead. I didn't want people to look at me with fear in their eyes, but pity wasn't too much further up the scale of suckage.

"Do you need anything? I can bring you some blankets and food if you would like?" he offered as he finished up.

"Um, could you have Ian bring my food for me and a blanket would be lovely," I said, hoping not to sound too paranoid. I wasn't sure whom I could trust here, and I counted on that paranoia to keep me breathing. I just hoped that trusting him with the blanket didn't leave me with a case of small pox. What did I know of the nefarious plans of evil masterminds?

He left with a bewildered expression on his face. I was sure he was going to go tell someone to come put me in a straightjacket, but I wasn't sure I was capable of caring at this point. As long as they left me in here with Kennan, they could do anything. A few moments later the doctor returned with some blankets and a pair of warm socks for my bare feet. He assured me that food would follow shortly.

**********
TWENTY SEVEN

Soon after the doctor left, an irritated Molly and a sheepish Ian entered the room. Molly carried a tray of food in her hands that could feed two people. I looked at her questioningly.

"Can someone please tell me why I can't shake this fashion victim? All I wanted was to bring some food in here and sit with you for a while. Everyone else here is totally unstable. At least with you I know what I'm getting into. But can I come alone? Noooooo," Molly said with a look of accusation in Ian's direction.

I laughed. I didn't feel happy, but I found a great deal of humor in her current state of obliviousness. I had felt like I had been playing catch up for the past few months. It was nice to finally be a step ahead of someone for a change.

"So it's true then, Ian? I mean I suspected, but this is just awesome. Why didn't you just tell her?" I asked.

"I didn't think it was an appropriate time," Ian said shortly, trying his best to avoid eye contact.

"Could someone please fill me in here? What am I missing?" Molly asked, irritation oozing from every word.

"He belongs to you now babe, sorry," I said with a snicker.

"What does that even mean?" she asked, exacerbated. She looked to Ian accusingly and then back to me with a look as if to say, "what the heck is going on?"

"It means he is your Guardian. As in, for the rest of your life, that big fashion-challenged brute will be following you around," I said as a look of horror filled Molly's eyes.

"But I already had Guardians, what do you mean he's mine? I don't understand," Molly said panicked.

"They sold you some lies, Blondie. In our kind there is one Guardian for every Seer. You just happened to get super lucky and get me," Ian said with a wink.

"Um, no. Isn't there some sort of return policy? Clearly this will not work," Molly floundered as she made wild gestures between Ian and herself.

"Afraid we don't get to choose babe. It kind of gets chosen for us," I said, laughing at the look in Ian's eyes. He was wearing the look he wore in training. He looked determined. Poor Molly had no idea what she was in for.

"Ugh, can I just go back to the lab? I feel like I've fallen through the freaking looking glass. Ever since you lot showed up things have gone straight to hell. I'm blaming you," Molly said in my direction without any real heat.

I shrugged my shoulders and went back to watching the rise and fall of Kennan's chest. Ian pulled two extra chairs into the room and we sat around eating and chatting. It felt weird to talk around Kennan when he couldn't be a part of the conversation, but it was nice to have all of the people I trusted in one place.

A few hours later Molly started yawning and Ian proclaimed it was time she got some sleep. She looked at him with an arched eyebrow and he changed his proclamation to a suggestion very quickly. It was going to be so much fun to watch Ian beaten down by the tiny Molly. I just shook my head at the two of them and said good night.

I leaned forward and rested my head against the bed. I wouldn't leave Kennan, no matter what anyone said. I don't know how long I slept before I felt the fingers running through my hair. I shot awake, pinning the hand down to the bed. I tried to gain my bearings as quickly as possible. I had trouble remembering where I was. I looked down and saw Kennan lying on the bed and he was awake. I released his hand quickly.

"You, you're awake. Or am I still dreaming?" I asked blearily.

"No, it's real," Kennan croaked, barely above a whisper.

"Oh, don't talk. I don't want you to hurt yourself," I said, brushing my fingers across his perfect lips.

Kennan reached up and grabbed my hand, holding it in place before gently kissing my fingers. He moved his hand back to my face and brushed my cheek with his thumb. A gesture so familiar and safe, it brought tears to my eyes.

"I love you too, Izzy," Kennan croaked out.

I stood frozen. He'd heard me. Even as his life was fading away, he had heard me. I looked down at his face and I needed to know what kind of love. If it were just familial love, then I was in big trouble.

"Um, just one word answers okay? I don't want you to strain, but I need to know. Do you love me like a sister?" I asked.

"No," Kennan said, waiting for my next question.

"Like a niece?" I asked.

"No," he said, staring at me in a way that sent shivers down my spine.

I steeled myself for the next question afraid of what his answer might be. I felt brazen even to ask it. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for rejection, knowing that it would make no difference. I wouldn't be able to leave Kennan even if I tried.

"Romantically?" I asked, looking down at my shoes, wishing I could melt into the floor.

He tilted my chin back up to where I was forced to look at him.

"Yes, gods help me. I have since the first night you walked into the pub," he said wincing at the end. I knew he was in pain so I once again brushed my fingers over his lips and then thought of a better way to keep him quiet.

I bent over the bed and gently brushed lips over his. Every fantasy I had conjured about this moment paled in comparison to the reality. His lips were hard and soft simultaneously. Nothing could have prepared me for my reaction to him. Heat pooled in the pit of my stomach.

I started to pull away for fear of hurting him, when suddenly he pulled me closer and kissed me fervently. His fingers entwined in my hair preventing any escape. Like I would go anywhere, honestly. This single moment was worth all of the hell of the past few weeks.

Suddenly, doctors came rushing into to the room and we stopped. We looked up surprised and the doctors tried to look anywhere but at us.

Doctor Thomas was the first one to speak. "His heart beat became elevated. We grew concerned. Now we see there is nothing to worry about. However, might I suggest taking it easy? You need to heal and you can't do that if you are straining yourself. So no more talking or violent kissing tonight, am I understood?" He looked at us pointedly as though we were two teenagers caught doing nefarious deeds in the dark of a basement.

I blushed crimson and tried to hide my face in Kennan as the doctors left the room. He chuckled at my embarrassment. I had so much I wanted to ask him, but I knew I should let him rest. He looked at me and then around the room. Kennan's eyes came to rest on a tablet of paper on one of the tables. I walked over and grabbed it and found a pen as Kennan elevated his bed a little more.

"Are you sure you are up for this?" I asked, not wanting him to strain himself further than he already had.

He grabbed the pen and paper from me and wrote, "Yep."

Alright then, I guess I could get an answer to the question that had been nagging me since I was pulled out of the dreaming. I needed to know how he had gotten on the floor and why he did not fight more.

"You were on the floor when I woke up," I said, hoping that he would understand the question I was too afraid to ask.

He nodded and then set about writing. It took several minutes before he handed me the tablet to read.

"We tried to find you in the building. The teams had to split up to cover more ground. After what seemed an eternity in hell, I finally found the floor you were on. I got there before the rest of the guys. When I found you I started into the room only to hear a voice behind me. It was my brother. He said, 'Well isn't this quite the family reunion. Too bad she's mine now. You should have killed me when you had the chance.' Before I could do anything he had taken his gun and pistol whipped me across the head and knocked me out. The last thing I remember thinking was that he was right. I should have killed him." Kennan's words terrified me.

I looked up and saw that he was brushing his hand across a bruise that had taken up residence just over his temple. I reached up and replaced his hand with mine, gently brushing over the bruise. I let my hands roam over his face. I couldn't get enough of touching him. His blue eyes twinkled at me with bemusement, and I once again began to blush. I felt self-conscious around him now. Every part of my being was hyper-aware of him and there was no way to tone it down. If I was being honest with myself, I didn't want to tone it down.

"What are you thinking right now, Red?" he croaked out. He looked at me in a way that sent fire straight down into my stomach and made all of my being stand to attention.

"I'm wondering how long it will take you to get better. I would really like to kiss you thoroughly. If I'm being honest, I have been thinking about it for quite a long time," I said smiling down at him with what I hoped was a coy expression. For all I knew I looked like I was having an epileptic fit.

Kennan reached for the notepad and started scribbling on it again. He wrote hurriedly and handed it back to me with a look of apprehension on his face. I was suddenly afraid of what he might say.

I looked down and started to read. "Izzy, I'm sorry it took me so long to come around. I've been in love with you since the first moment you walked into the pub over two years ago. I just feel like I am somehow betraying your father if I'm with you. I have had a really hard time wrapping my head around your being his daughter. I can't fight it anymore. I don't think I could even if I wanted to. The minute I thought I lost you, I was lost. It still feels wrong, but there is nothing I can do about the way I feel." I finished reading his words with tears in my eyes.

"Hear me when I say this, Kennan O'Malley. I know how much my father loved my mother. He was not stupid. He had to have known that the same thing might happen with us. My mom sort of told me that was part of the reason they thought it was best you left. I think he knew it was a possibility. So just please stop fighting it, because I really can't anymore. I don't have the strength to," I said on a sigh, hoping that his guilt could be put to rest.

He just looked at me and smiled. All of the guilt seemed to melt away in his eyes and he motioned for me to climb up on the bed with him.

I climbed up beside him and pulled the blankets around us. Luckily the hospital beds here were almost queen sized. Although, with Kennan, it still didn't leave me much room. I basked in his warmth and snuggled my body as close to his as I could manage without infringing upon the duties of the medical monitors and tubes. I sighed contentedly and found that I was at real peace for the first time since this whole thing had begun.

**********

The fog surrounded me and I heard the crunch of steps behind me. I looked over my shoulder but could not find anyone. I started to run without any real direction. I slowed when I came to the edge of an all too familiar forest. I looked behind me once more to see if I could find the person following me.

In place of a person I heard the howl of wolves. I cried out and ran as fast as I could. I didn't want to be torn to shreds again. I couldn't handle it. I tripped over a root and fell hard on my stomach. I whimpered in pain and hoped that they didn't find me again. I crawled over to a tree as I spotted the first pair of oddly illuminated eyes. The wolves descended and as I curled into the fetal position I remembered I could get out.

I tried to pull my focus to reality and started to shout in frustration as the wolves began shredding me apart.

**********

I was being shaken by the doctor. He looked down at me with fear in his eyes, and I noticed that I had wrapped my hands around his throat and I was squeezing. Kennan pulled on my arms and I dropped them to my sides as I stared at the doctor in abject horror. I had shot out and almost hurt this complete stranger without even realizing it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean," I said, unable to finish the sentence.

"Are you alright Miss Boone?" the doctor asked as he rubbed his throat.

"It was just a dream." I was trying to convince myself as much as I was trying to give an explanation.

"It was the wolves again," I added, as though they should all know what I was talking about.

"Will you allow me to check your vitals?" the doctor asked with concern.

I started to object, but Kennan gripped my arm tightly, forcing me to make eye contact with him. He gave me a hard expression that brooked no opposition. Hidden in the depth of his eyes was barely masked concern.

"Yeah, but I'm fine. I'm more worried about any damage I might have done to you or Kennan," I said, looking back at Kennan to see if I had pulled out any of his tubes inadvertently.

"I'm fine," Kennan croaked.

"You, stop talking. You're not going to recover your vocal chords if you keep pushing," the doctor admonished. "And you, I think it would be best if you slept elsewhere until Mister O'Malley fully recovers. He had to push the alert button to call us in. You were screaming and thrashing when we got here. You might inadvertently hurt him if these dreams continue."

He set about checking my vitals, and my eyes began to fill with tears. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I didn't want to be the kind of person that was capable of that sort of thing. I understood the concern for safety, but I was terrified to be away from him. I sat there trying to numb my pain. I found myself growing increasingly more and more agitated as the seconds passed. Xavier might be dead, but he had taken his toll on me in a way that marked my very soul.

The doctor finished checking my vitals and informed me that I needed to go to the living quarters for the rest of the evening. He gave me time to tell Kennan goodbye, but waited just outside the door. I looked back over to Kennan and felt an immense sense of guilt. I selfishly wanted to stay with him. I couldn't risk it though.

"I'm sorry," I said before brushing my lips across his and rising to leave.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me back to him.

"We will get better." He whispered his declaration and I hoped against all hope that he was right.

The doctor led me to the second floor. Along the way several people stopped and looked at me. Some seemed curious. Most seemed afraid. The doctor located the room he had been looking for after a second look at his clipboard. He knocked on the door and Molly opened it moments later.

"Miss Boone will be joining you. You should be aware that she has dreams from which she cannot wake, and may have violent outbursts as a result. If you feel unsafe with her we can make other arrangements," the doctor said clinically.

I suddenly felt very tired. I looked up at Molly and hoped that she wouldn't turn me away. I was bereft and I had a feeling it would be a long road before I ever felt like myself again.

"Oh, shove it white coat. And you stop looking so sad and get in here," Molly said grabbing my hand. She pulled me into the room, practically slamming the door in the doctor's face.

"Thanks, but he's right. I almost choked him back in Kennan's room. It might not be safe," I said, afraid I would find the same fear in Molly's eyes.

"Yeah, like I can't just jump in your head and yell at you. Come on, we're fine. Plus, it is ridiculously boring in here on my own," Molly said, pulling me further into the room.

We spent the rest of the night talking. I told her all that had transpired between Kennan and me. It was nice to have a girl to talk about all of my mushy feelings with. It was also nice to escape the darkness that seemed to be lingering around my periphery. I couldn't shake it. I told her the events that had led me to being booted from the recovery room. She shook her head and promised I was fine.

After a while we both started to yawn and we made our way to our beds. The room was set up like a hotel with two full sized beds. I went and laid down on the one she wasn't using and stared blankly at the ceiling. I felt a sense of panic wash over me. I had thought that once I left the lab things would be fine. But I had just had another dream. What if for the rest of my life, every time I closed my eyes I would find torture?

I fell into a dreamless sleep with the prayer of peace on my lips.

**********
TWENTY EIGHT

The next few weeks passed in a flurry. Kennan was healing rapidly and I knew that the doctors must have been using some of their special healer juju on him. I went and saw him every day, spending as much time as they would allow. We talked about everything that was going on outside of his recovery room. Every time I would leave him for the evening, he would get a look of concern in his eyes.

I knew it was written all over my face that I wasn't doing well. I had tried to hide it the first few days. After a week of no sleep, there was no disguising the bluish purple tint that had taken up residence under my eyes. I had dropped ten pounds and felt like I was losing myself. All I could think was that I needed to be strong for Kennan. So I never told him that I was still being tortured every time I closed my eyes.

Molly had tried to convince me to block myself from the dreaming, but I refused to cower. I didn't want to cut myself off from such a huge part of who I was. Instead I went to sleep every night, and battled whatever demons were thrown my way. I wasn't sure if I was doing it to myself or if it was still the Corporation pulling the strings. I was more afraid that it was someone here at the Council.

I took to sifting through people's memories when they weren't expecting it. It got to the point that everyone but Ian, Molly, and Kennan avoided me. They all thought I was completely insane. I supposed that wasn't as far from the truth as I would have liked it to be. In retrospect, the forced therapy shouldn't have come as such a shock. I was resentful, nonetheless.

"So, you have to go talk to the shrink today, huh?" Kennan asked. His voice had mended, but there was still a slight rattle that hadn't been there before.

"Yep, I have to go and get my head shrunk. They keep spouting terms like PTSD and survivor's guilt. I just want them to stop wasting their time. I'm not sure I'm even fixable," I sighed. In the last month I felt like the darkness had completely enveloped me.

"I have some good news," Kennan said as he looked down at me with a gleam in his eyes.

"Yeah?" I asked hopefully. I was in need of something good.

"I get sprung today and I instructed them to move your stuff into my room," he said with a hint of heat in his eyes.

"Aren't they worried I will shank you in your sleep or something," I said skeptically.

"I didn't really give them another option, Izzy. I need you near me. I need to help you fix this. I see you slipping away and I haven't been able to do a damned thing sitting in this hospital bed. I can't stand being away from you for another second. In fact, I'm coming with you to the therapy session," Kennan said as he stood, pulling me up beside him.

"I don't know if they will let you in. Dr. McQuack is kind of a pretentious asshat. I think he would complain that you were ruining his feng shui or some other nonsense," I sighed.

"Well, he can just suck it. I'm coming. You're my Seer and I'm finally able to perform as a Guardian again. So now I'm doing my job. I'm getting you back. I told you, I would come for you always. Even if that means saving you from yourself, Red," Kennan said, pulling me up for a quick kiss.

There in that kiss, I felt the last shred of goodness that had been keeping me afloat. He was all that kept me from drowning. I sincerely hoped that he would be able to save me from myself. I gathered up my sweater and followed Kennan from the room.

The doctors gave Kennan curious looks to which he responded with a dark glower. I swallowed. I knew that he had no idea about the way people looked at me. He was probably going to get a whole lot angrier. It didn't bother me anymore. I was numb to everything it seemed. Or perhaps I was just too tired to notice.

As we made our way to the shrink's office, I felt Kennan growing more and more irritated. With every wayward glance in my direction, I was pulled in closer. There was no discernible space left between our bodies by the time we made it to the office.

We arrived to find the head shrinker closing up shop.

"Oh, my dear, did no one tell you?" he asked confused.

"Well obviously not, I'm standing here. What was I not told?" I asked.

"There is a Council meeting, dear thing. We are to start reviewing the information found at the lab now that everyone is recovered," he said, sparing a look at Kennan.

"So?" I asked, still unsure of what was coming.

"So, we must hurry or we will be late. Someone really should have passed on this information," he mumbled as he motioned for us to follow him.

We ended up in an out building that was large enough to seat at least two hundred people. Along the front there was a long row of chairs. The setup reminded me of the Supreme Court. As soon as we entered, Kennan and I were ushered to two seats down in the front. We took our seats and I found a disgruntled Molly sitting next to me.

"When we are allowed to leave I'm so losing him. He's driving me insane," she stage whispered with a heated look in Ian's direction.

I snickered. The past month hadn't been kind to poor Molly. She was constantly shocked by Ian's fashion choices and hated that she had zero privacy. I could tell she was counting down the days until freedom. Little did she know, there would be no shaking him.

"Everyone rise for the honorable Council!" a voice shouted from the corner.

Everyone present stood as five people walked in. They varied in age and gender. There were two Guardians and three Seers on the Council, it would seem. The two Guardians looked to be in their early sixties as did two of the Seers on the Council. I wondered if they were paired. Then there was what must have been the head honcho. She walked in with a grace I had only ever dreamed of. There was something about her that seemed as though she had lived a thousand years in her lifespan. There was no denying her right to lead.

"Be seated," the woman said with more strength than her body seemed possible of producing.

"We're here to review the happenings of the day the lab was infiltrated. These proceedings must go on uninterrupted. If there are any problems, or you must leave for any reason please do so quietly. Some of the things we will be seeing today might be disturbing, and for that I do apologize. It is, however, necessary. We must have all of the information," she said, looking directly at me.

I shivered, unsure of what was to come. The next few hours proved to be a lesson in patience and slow torture. They had brought in a screen to play back the security footage retrieved from the lab. I had to relive every horrifying moment of my time in the lab. The last of the tapes was brought in, and the Council leader removed herself from her chair, making her way toward me.

She bent over and looked me directly in the eyes. I felt as though she were tearing back layers of my soul. I stared back, afraid to avert my eyes or show any sort of weakness.

"This next bit will not be easy for you. However, you must stay. You need to see the truth," she said pointedly before motioning for the video to be started back up.

She retreated back up to her seat and left me wondering why she had singled me out. The moment the video started, I understood. There I was on the screen screaming and fighting against Xavier and his men as they dragged me to the table. They hooked me up to more tubes than I could count, and all the while I thrashed against my confines. I watched myself as I fought for freedom that I knew would be denied.

Then the worst started. They hooked me up to the machine and left me. The time stamp passed more quickly showing my body violently thrashing. I would rip the tubes from my arms only to have them replaced. It was a horrifying parade of every nightmare played on my mind. My body felt weary watching it all. I was still suffering this same torture. I knew that every night I still screamed out. I knew every night I still thrashed.

The time stamp slowed and I saw that a week had passed. So, I had been tortured for an entire week. Why had no one told me? I watched in horror as I saw what was about to play out. I saw Kennan rush in only to be knocked unconscious by Xavier. I saw myself pull out of the dreaming. I was terrified with what I saw.

I looked cold and calculating, as though every ounce of good had been stripped away. I wondered if I still looked that way. The tears started to flow as I watched myself end Xavier. It all played out so quickly and then it was over. I did nothing to stem the flow of tears. There was no point. They came of their own accord in response to things I had been repressing for far too long.

I watched as the time stamp skipped ahead, and I thought that I saw Xavier move. It couldn't have been though, because I had severed his jugular. I had watched him bleed out. Then the time stamp skipped again and the room was empty. I looked back up to the Council head and saw her watching me. She nodded almost imperceptibly. Something had happened and I wasn't sure what. Somehow the video had been altered, but I wasn't sure if that meant Xavier was still alive, or if someone just wanted us to think that.

The meeting was drawn to an end with testimonies from all of the Guardians sent in to retrieve us. It was exhausting and by the end all I wanted to do was fall into bed with Kennan. I prayed for at least one night's sleep.

**********
TWENTY NINE

The meeting came to an end and we were all ushered out. We were informed that there would be more Council meetings to discuss the goings on at the lab, but that we would most likely not be required to attend. I wasn't sure I would be able to make it through another one of those meetings. I was exhausted. I felt like an empty shell of my former self.

Kennan grabbed my hand and dragged me behind him out of the door. He headed up to the living quarters and pulled me in his wake. He didn't slow down when we reached the stairs, nor did he slow when we got to our floor. He kept pulling until we were inside the room he had been assigned. He closed the door behind me. He stood there for a second before turning me pinning me against the wall in the process.

He pushed me up the wall and kissed me fiercely. Fire rose in my belly and brought forth the first violent emotions I'd felt in days. I surrendered to the frenzy and allowed the fire to consume me and warm the darkest parts of my soul. I clung to Kennan and poured all of my unspoken fears and desires into the kiss. Allowing my base needs to take hold, I wrapped myself around his body.

He pulled me away from the wall and moved me to the bed, all the while kissing me like I would fade away at any moment. He lowered himself on top of me and slowed the kiss. He pulled back and rested his forehead against my own. He tried to calm his breathing as I tried to get myself back under control.

"Why didn't you tell me, Izzy? Is it still that bad?" he asked with desperation.

"You almost died. I didn't want to add that on top of it," I whispered.

"You didn't answer me, is it still that bad?" he growled.

"Yes," I choked out as the tears came unbidden.

"Fuck, I'm blocking you, do you understand. You can't go through that every night," he said as he stood and started pacing the room.

"I don't want to be blocked. I have to figure out how to stop it. But, it just feels real still. I don't know if they're just remnants of my time there or if it is still happening. I can't be blocked off if I ever want to find out."

"It will eventually kill you, Izzy. I mean look at you. I'm coming into the dreaming with you tonight."

"You don't want to see what happens there," I said, not wanting him to suffer through my own personal hell.

"I'm coming, end of conversation. We are going to put an end to this. I'm getting you back, Izzy. Do you understand me? I won't let them strip away your goodness until all that is left of you is an empty shell."

I choked back a sob as it threatened to escape. I didn't know what I was supposed to do to fight any harder. I was doing the best I could. I feared Kennan no longer wanted me. I wouldn't want me. He was right. I was a husk of my former self.

He lowered himself in front of me as I sat on the edge of the bed. He looked up into my eyes and I saw pain written there. He hurt for me the way I hurt for him. I couldn't hold back the sob any longer.

"I'm just so tired Kennan. I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of being strong. I tried to be strong for you. I did, but I don't think I can anymore."

"Well then, I'll be strong enough for both of us." His gravelly voice was like a balm to my soul.

He forced me to meet his eyes once more and just looked at me. A thousand emotions played behind his eyes. Regret, fear, anger, compassion, and most of all love swirled in their depth. I stared back as the tears streamed down my cheeks.

"I love you. No matter what happens, nothing will change that. Do you understand me?" he said.

"But what if I don't get better? I don't want you to be with someone like this. I can't do that to you," I whimpered and knew that it was the truth. I loved him too much to force him to stay with me as I wasted into nothing.

He stood up and pushed me back on the bed. He lowered himself over my body effectively caging me in. He looked me over assessing me. I started to avert my glance, afraid that I would find repulsion in his eyes. He took his hand and held my face in place, forcing me to meet his gaze once more.

"I'm here; now, tomorrow, the next day and the rest of forever. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, can take me away from you. I fought for too long against myself, against Xavier. Now that I really and truly have you, there is no escape. Got it?" he said as he stared at my lips.

"Got it," I whispered. I licked my lips under his steady gaze which caused him to moan.

He lowered his weight on top of my body as his lips met my own. His kiss was a slow prayer that soon built into a frenzy. His lips grazed down my chin and neck and back up. I wrapped my legs around his back and tried to pull myself as close to him as our clothes would allow. He pulled away and looked down at me. The heat burning behind his eyes caused a similar heat to pool bellow my belly.

He looked at me questioningly. I understood what he was asking without any words and I started to pull his shirt off in an answer. Once it was off, I stared at his glorious torso. His muscles rippled in all the right places. I ran my hands down his chest and traced the scar from where he'd been shot. I set about tracing each of his tattoos with my hands, my mouth following close behind. I'd dreamed of kissing his skin a thousand times. Those wretched dreams paled in comparison to the reality.

The heat of his skin met my lips as I slowly explored his torso. He growled and pushed me back down onto the bed pulling my shirt off in the process. He pulled a breath in through his teeth as he took in the sight of me. He landed a brief kiss to my lips before working his way down my neck, my collar bone, and finally just between my breasts. The scruff from his five o'clock shadow gently scratching as he went causing bumps to rise all over my body.

He kissed down the rest of my torso to my hipbone, my hips raised up to meet him. He took his hands and removed my pants slowly, leaving me lying in only my underwear. He kissed further down as he removed my jeans. I moaned and I longed for more. I needed him in a way that I'd never known I could need anything.

He stood and looked down at me.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Izzy? Because there is no going back," Kennan said in a voice that almost sounded menacing.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," I said, pulling him back to the bed while unhooking his pants.

He pushed his jeans off, revealing all of his glorious perfection. He bent over me and pulled away the last barrier between us. We spent the next few hours playing out every scenario I had ever dreamed. I couldn't get enough of him. Each time I cried out he would push me farther. I was sure anyone remotely close to us would be requesting a room change the next day. I didn't care though. I had waited far too long for Kennan and now I had him.

We were entwined in one another. My legs wrapped in and around his as I rested my head on his chest. His heartbeat was a steady rhythm that soothed my weary soul. I lay there, unable to speak as he ran his fingers up and down my back, memorizing the contours of my body. I sighed, if I were to die today, I would die happy.

"What are you thinking, Izzy?" Kennan grumbled out, drowsily.

"That this is perfect. It was worth everything that I've been through. If I had to do it all over again, I would," I said, and realized it was the truth. It had all brought us together and I wouldn't change a second of it.

He bent over and kissed the top of my head as he continued to trace my body making my flesh rise under his touch.

"Not perfect yet, but it will be," he said, and I was confused. I wondered if I had done something wrong. I looked up into his face and saw concern there.

"What's wrong?"

"I just keep thinking about the way your body looked strapped to that machine. I keep thinking about that night in the recovery room. I wasn't strong enough to help you then. I hope I am now," he said as his brows furrowed.

I turned onto my stomach so that I could look at him. I brushed my fingers across his furrowed brow trying to smooth it out. I planted gentle kisses all along the face that I loved so much.

"Well, we have to sleep soon because I really am exhausted. If you want to wait and try tomorrow, I will understand. If it gets too bad, just go find Molly. She can usually break into my thoughts and pull me from the dream." I hated putting any pressure on him.

"No, we're going to do this together. So you just rest and if it happens I'll be there," he said, pulling me in for a kiss before I snuggled back down.

**********

THIRTY

I laid my head against Kennan's chest and let his heartbeat lull me to sleep. I felt myself slip into the dreaming even as I clung to the present. I couldn't stop it no matter how hard I fought. It always managed to drag me under.

**********

I was in a car dangling off of the edge of a bridge that had collapsed. I knew the bridge. It was a favorite of my tortures. This was the very bridge I had stopped from collapsing. That didn't change the fact that it was gone now.

Water rushed violently below me and I wondered if this time I would be able to make it out of the car. I unbuckled my seatbelt and started to crawl toward the back of the car. I hoped that I would be able to put more weight on the back and keep it from falling.

As I moved the car began to slip, just like it always did. I looked back down through the windshield and saw remnants of cars that had fallen before me. I tried to get in the back more quickly. I made it and went to open the door. The doors seemed to be welded shut.

The only way out was blocked. I was trapped and I was going to fall. Just as the car began to make its final slip off of the bridge, I felt a strong hand grasp my arm and pull me out. As soon as my feet touched the ground the car fell from the bridge.

" _I've got you, Izzy. You're safe," Kennan said as he pulled me against his chest. I breathed out slowly as everything went black and I was sucked into oblivion._

**********

I spent the rest of the night sleeping peacefully for the first time in more than a month. He had kept his word, he had come for me. The next morning I woke up feeling more like myself than I had in ages. I was still wrapped in Kennan's arms and I looked up to find him watching me.

"Thank you," I mumbled against the sheet.

"What? I can't understand you with sheet in your mouth, Iz."

I turned my head away from his and said it again.

"Thank you."

"What are you doing?" Kennan asked, bemused.

"I have stinky, morning breath. I'm trying not to kill you," I said into the pillow.

He pulled me so that I was looking at him and I tried to keep a sheet or something between us so that I didn't murder him with my swamp breath.

He just pulled me closer and gave me a firm, closed-mouth kiss.

"I love you, you strange and glorious girl," he said into my hair as I tried to hide my face again.

I squirmed out of the bed and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I looked at myself in the mirror and noticed that some of the swelling had already gone down under my eyes. I also had a spark back in them that had been missing. I wasn't back to being one hundred percent myself yet, but I knew with Kennan's help I would be just fine.

I returned to the bed and threw myself on him. I ravaged him thoroughly before we left for the second Council meeting.

**********

We got to the meeting and took our seats. I noticed that there were far fewer people present at this meeting. I knew we didn't have to be there, but I felt like I wanted to take in everything I could. I wanted to gather all of the information I possibly could so that I would be able to figure out what to do next. I knew that there was something amiss. I could tell from the look on Kennan's face that he felt it as well. Molly and Ian joined us just before the meeting started.

"You look better, Izzy," Molly whispered as she sat with a knowing twinkle in her eye.

I blushed violently as the room was called to order. The meeting passed with little excitement. There were interviews conducted of all of the Guardians. They pretty much regurgitated one another's story. It was utterly boring. I had gotten absolutely no useful information from any of it. As we were released, the head of the Council smiled down at me.

"What's her name?" I asked Kennan.

"That's Isadora," Kennan said with a knowing look.

"Wait. That's what my dad wanted to name me," I said, looking back over my shoulder.

"Yeah, well she knew your family quite well. She was very close to your mother. She helped to put your parents into hiding," Kennan said, barely above a whisper.

"So she is definitely on team good guy then?" I asked as we made our way back toward our room.

"Yeah, definitely team good guy. But right now all I really want to talk about is what is hiding under those clothes," Kennan growled causing me to giggle.

He chased me into the room and I squealed as he tackled me to the bed. He went about having his naughty way with me. Not that I put up too much of a fight. I quite liked it.

**********

We spent the next few days in and out of meetings. I never gleaned any useful information from them. I considered it to be an exercise in self-control. I had a hard time keeping my hands off of Kennan, and the meetings seemed to cool my engines enough to make me focus.

Kennan was able to pull me out of all of my dreams and I had started to sleep well for the first time in ages. It seemed like his presence was scaring off whatever was haunting my dreams. By the seventh night, I didn't have any nightmares.

"Nightmare free," I said in wonder when we woke that morning.

"Thank the gods," Kennan breathed. "I don't know how you survived them as long as you did, Izzy. Just seven nights of that was horrifying."

"Well, I had someone worth holding on for," I mumbled into his chest. "Hey, I have a question for you."

"Well, enlighten me. What would you like to ask from your very handsome, very giving Guardian?" Kennan preened while I smacked him in the chest.

"I wanted to know if we could give the house to Molly and Ian. I don't really want to go back there. There are too many memories there. I was thinking maybe we could relocate," I said hopefully. It was something I'd been thinking of for a long time.

"Sure, I have no particular attachment to Chicago. Well, other than you of course. The bar is doing really well, so I feel fine leaving it in Marky's capable hands."

"Wait, what? Do you own that bar?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, yeah, I own the bar. So there is that. I own a few businesses. I've been around for an exceedingly long time, Izzy. So, just tell me where you want to move and I will make it happen."

"Um, are you rich?" I asked, wondering why it hadn't occurred to me before.

"We're not hurting for money," he said as he ran his hand up and down my side.

"So, you're rich," I corrected.

"Nope, we are," he said not bothering to open his eyes.

"What is with this 'we' business?" I asked, starting to get frustrated.

"Oh, you're going to marry me," he said.

"Oh, I am, am I? This is news to me. You're awfully sure of yourself there buster," I said, glaring at him.

"Hmm, did you say something? I was thinking a fall wedding would be nice," he continued like I was not even there.

"Fine, but let me be absolutely clear on one thing. I'm not ready for the 2.5 kids yet and I'm not sold on the whole picket fence thing," I sighed. I knew fighting him would be futile and in the end, I really didn't want to. He was everything I had ever wanted.

"The 2.5 kids can wait and the picket fence is completely negotiable. So where are we going to be raising these hellions anyway? You said you wanted to move."

"I'm thinking I want to go back down to L.A."

"I think that would be perfect. I know just the town. It is quiet and small and no one will bother us down there. Plus it is an easy drive to the beach."

"So where are we going K.O.?" I asked as I climbed over him to straddle his body.

"We are moving you back to Geneva. Alabama," he said as I began to ride him. "So, does that suit you, Mrs. O'Malley."

"Not Mrs. O'Malley yet," I sighed as I surrendered to his primal needs.

**********

We left the Council headquarters, assuring Molly that she and Ian could have the house free and clear. I promised to sign the deed over as soon as we were settled. I also had to promise Molly that there were two separate rooms. I had a feeling she would be installing extra locks on her bedroom door. We had a tearful goodbye and I knew that I would miss my friends.

These people had been more faithful to me than I had ever deserved. Just as we headed out to the car Isadora approached us. She pulled me into a hug, which utterly confused me. This woman was as distant as they came. She bent over my ear and whispered, "They are still watching you, be careful my dear. If you see anything or you have any fears you call me directly. Trust no one but the ones you do now."

She pulled back and placed a small piece of paper in my hand. She hugged Kennan next. "You guard her and keep her."

She nodded at us before quickly disappearing.

"Well that was odd," I said, not sure what to make of the whole situation.

"Yep, but she is like two hundred and fifty years old, so that is to be expected. She sees a lot," Kennan said.

"Wait, what? Am I going to live to be that old?" I asked, suddenly terrified. I hadn't thought to ask if we lived longer.

"Oh yeah, did I not mention that bit. Some Seers have lived to be almost 300 years old," he said as he ducked into the car to avoid my fury.

"Really, really Kennan? Is there anything else I'm missing out on? Will I spout wings and fly soon?" I asked as I climbed in the car.

"I love you?" he said with a smile.

"Just drive," I said, wanting to put the past few months as far behind me as possible.

As the Council building slipped away in the rearview mirror, I knew that I was finally safe once more. I had a wedding to look forward to and a really long life with Kennan. I wondered if I would kill him before I turned two hundred. As I looked over at him I decided that three hundred years probably wouldn't be enough.

**********

EPILOGUE

The days had grown sticky and hot as the summer set in. The temperatures had soared into the hundreds with the humidity hanging out at around 100 percent. I loved every glorious second of it. I looked around my house and knew that I was exactly where I was meant to be. My time spent in that awful lab and at the Council was a fading memory.

I looked over at Kennan lying in bed and I realized how grateful I was for everything that had brought us together. We'd been here for almost six months and I still could not get enough of him.

"What are you thinking?" Kennan asked.

"I'm thinking how lucky I am. I sure do love you. You know that right?"

"I should hope so. Now get back in bed so that we can get some sleep. You wore me out today," he said with a snicker.

"Whatever, cake tasting is not hard work," I said as I smacked his chest.

I climbed in the bed and curled into his body. I allowed the peace and comfort to pull me into a deep sleep.

**********

I was in the forest again and the wolves were tracking me. They could smell my fear. I knew they were coming. I saw Xavier in the background, smiling in his maliciously cold way. I tried to run from him, but every direction was blocked by the wolves. I remembered the way their teeth had gnashed at me and torn my skin from my bones. It was something that I would never forget.

I looked for an escape and saw the only way out was through Xavier. I tried to remember that he was not real. I tried to remember that he was dead. I tried to control the dreaming.

I heard him laugh coldly. "Oh, Little One. You sweet naïve thing. They're coming for all of you," he said as the blood started to pour from his neck wound.

" _I wasn't the only one," he said before fading into the fog._

As soon as he was gone the wolves pounced and I cried out.

**********

I was pulled out of my dream by my own scream. I looked over to find Kennan staring down at me worriedly. I had so hoped for a little peace. I had hoped that I could bask in my happiness with Kennan, but I knew that once again, my hopes had been denied.

I looked at him with tear filled eyes and said, "It isn't over."

## The End

Michelle Graves is a self-proclaimed nomad, moving every two to three years with her husband the Army man, her beautiful daughter, and a fat, tailless cat named Torri. When she is not writing away, trying to purge her mind of yapping characters, Michelle can be found entertaining her daughter, attempting to craft (and trying not to injure herself with the glue gun), baking yummy treats, or reading. She admits to having a restless spirit, and forces her family to go out on adventures whenever possible. They lovingly play along. If you want to find out more about Michelle, be sure to check out her facebook page https://www.facebook.com/mgraveswrites or her blog http://michellegraveswrites.blogspot.com/.

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