 
The Second Heart

K. K. Eaton

Copyright 2014 K. K. Eaton.

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# Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Epilogue

Note from K. K. Eaton

About K. K. Eaton

Connect with K. K. Eaton

# Chapter 1

Meredith Carpenter's eyes snapped open as if she had been electrocuted. Rolling over in bed, she looked at the clock. 5:22 AM. Not usually an early riser, she was surprised to find that she was fully awake.

She lay in bed for several minutes to see if she would fall back asleep before giving up and heading to the bathroom. As she was washing her hands, Meredith started as she caught her own reflection in the mirror.

"Holy crap, I look like I've been hit by a truck," she muttered, peering at herself more closely. Her strawberry blonde hair was disheveled and she had dark smudges under her clear blue eyes. Though she'd had seven hours of sleep, it appeared as if she hadn't rested in days. Chalking it up to an impending chest cold, Meredith sighed and left the bathroom.

As she padded toward the kitchen, she spotted her roommate, Violet, asleep on the couch. Vi still wore the clothes from the night before: a lacy black bustier and torn jeans. Tall black leather Doc Martin boots lay on the floor next to the couch, along with Vi's cell phone and purse.

Meredith chuckled. She and Vi couldn't have been more different from each other, but they still maintained the close friendship that they had begun with each other in the seventh grade. Meredith had always been outgoing and athletic, whereas Vi preferred to present herself as a moody artist. Of course, Meredith knew that Vi had a goofy side and was a sucker for puns, but she was one of the few people who did.

Meredith wondered what Vi had been up to the night before, assuming it likely had something to do with an underground metal band and their grungy drummer. Her own evening had been relatively uneventful. Meredith was in her first semester of veterinary school, and her social life consisted mostly of studying and tending to the sick animals at the veterinary clinic where she worked part time. Occasionally, she would go out on a date with one of her classmates, Miguel. The fact that he was in vet school with her was very likely the only reason why they were still dating. Otherwise, she wouldn't have much time for him.

Meredith had just finished pouring milk on her cereal when a groan emanated from the couch. Vi slowly sat up and stared blankly at the empty television screen, not noticing that she had company. Her face was imprinted with the diamond pattern from the sofa cushion, and her glossy black hair was still in last evening's updo, which now hung limply to one side. To complete the look, red lipstick stained her lips and part of her chin.

Meredith took in the sight of her roommate and laughed out loud, causing Vi to jump up in alarm. Meredith laughed even louder.

"Geez, Meredith! You scared the shit out of me!" Vi took in Meredith's mirthful countenance with disgust. "Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. You know, you don't exactly look like a shining princess this morning, either."

Meredith quipped, "Ooh, a sparkling personality to go with her looks, folks!" More seriously she asked, "Late night last night?"

"You could say that." Vi's face turned serious as she paused for a moment, as if trying to decide whether to elaborate. She shook her head and said, "I'm going to go shower. I feel like I'm growing mold."

As Vi shuffled out of the room, Meredith continued eating her cereal thoughtfully. Vi was usually pretty forthcoming about her adventurous sex life, so it was odd that she hadn't shared any details about the night before. She shrugged it off. Knowing Vi, she wouldn't be able to keep it to herself for long.

Meredith stood and rinsed out her cereal bowl, putting it in the dishwasher. She looked at the clock and realized she had several hours before she needed to be in class. Unaccustomed to so much extra time, Meredith cast about in her mind for something to do.

Listlessly, she wandered back to her bedroom and looked around. She remembered how carefully she had decorated her personal space. It was done up in shades of soft teal, white, yellow, and gray, with bold geometric patterns interspersed with softer florals. The unmade bed took up one of the walls and was flanked by small antique dressers; on the opposite wall, Meredith had set up an office area with an antique brass lamp and a few potted plants. She gave the plants a chagrined smile, as they were looking pretty sad and neglected next to several piles of paper and textbooks that crowded around the laptop computer and the lamp. She tried to remember the last time she had watered them.

Figuring there was no time like the present, she went to the bathroom and filled the water glass that was at the edge of the sink. She glanced at herself again in the mirror, noticing that she still looked haggard. Glass in hand, she returned to the bedroom and poured water onto the plants. One of the leaves crumbled under the onslaught of liquid. Meredith giggled. "Geez, it has been a while. Sorry, plant!"

The potting soil drank up the water greedily as Meredith sat down at the desk in front of her laptop to check her email. The most recent one was an emergency alert notice from the university. Meredith opened it.

EMERGENCY ALERT

Due to a fire on the Tempe campus this morning, all classes are cancelled until further notice.

All commuter students are advised to avoid coming to campus until we receive the all clear from the fire department. We will send out another alert when it is safe to return.

Students who live on campus should have received a separate email from their resident advisers with specific instructions. If you did not receive an email, please contact Emergency Services.

Surprised and curious, Meredith quickly opened a news website to see if there was any coverage of the campus fire. She wondered how bad a fire would have to be to shut down the entire campus. With over seventy thousand students, closing campus down would be no small matter.

The first headline on the news site read, "Fire Departments overwhelmed as fires erupt in cities across the nation." She clicked on the link to bring up the full article, and scanned it quickly. _A large fire has consumed several buildings at Arizona State University early this morning... at present the fire is sixty percent contained... this was only one of several large conflagrations around the city... other major U.S. cities suffering from out of control fires... terrorism is suspected but cannot be confirmed until after all the fires are put out and investigated._

"Damn!" Meredith exclaimed. Her remaining emails forgotten, she stood up to go share the news with Vi. Just as she did, the smoke alarm went off. Striding out of the room, Meredith's eyes darted around the apartment looking for the source of the smoke.

Vi came out of her room wearing jeans and a t-shirt, toweling off her hair. "I don't think it's our apartment," she said.

"Our neighbors!" They rushed outside without bothering to put on shoes. Their second story apartment shared a small porch with the one next door. From there they could see smoke seeping out from under the door.

"Call 911!" Meredith snapped at Vi. She began to pound on the neighbor's door, and the hot wood seared the back of her fist. She wrapped her hand in her sleeve and pounded harder. Tears sprang into her eyes as the smoke and pain got to her. After a few moments she realized that her neighbor's apartment was a mirror image of her own, which meant that the master bedroom likely shared a wall with her own.

Meredith turned on her heel and ran back inside and down the hall to her bedroom. She leapt onto the bed on her knees and started pounding the wall with all her might. "Wake up!" she yelled. "Fire! Wake up!"

After she hammered the wall with her fist a few more times, the neighbor thumped back. A voice called through the wall, "I'm trapped!"

"Go to the window," she yelled back, scrambling off the bed. She ran back down the hall and through the front door, which was still wide open. With her cell phone glued to her ear, Vi followed.

Thundering down the stairs, Meredith pounded on both of the downstairs neighbors' doors before running around the side of the building and to the back, Vi close behind. They could see their neighbor standing in the window. He was in his late twenties, with close-cropped medium brown hair and a goatee. He wore square, black-rimmed glasses and small silver stud earrings in both ears.

Meredith called up, "You have to jump!"

"I'll break both my legs," he protested.

"Better two broken legs than burning to death," Meredith reasoned.

The neighbor looked unconvinced.

Vi stepped next to Meredith and asked, "What's your name?"

"Josh."

"Nice to meet you, Josh," Vi said. "You're gonna be really well taken care of when you jump, okay? My friend Meredith here is a doctor."

Meredith looked sharply at Vi as she continued, "But you gotta jump, man."

To Meredith, Josh said, "You look too young to be a doctor."

Before Meredith could respond, Vi said, "She just graduated. But she's the top of her class. You're in really good hands. Just do it on three, okay?"

Josh swallowed hard and swung a leg through the window. "Count fast before I lose my nerve."

Vi obliged him. As he landed on the ground, they heard a sickening crunch. Immediately, both Vi and Meredith ran over to where Josh lay sprawled on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Meredith looked him over to see if any bones were obviously broken. She thought maybe one of his ankles looked weird.

Josh blinked up at them as they knelt over him. "Got the wind knocked out of me. And my left ankle hurts like a bitch."

Meredith glanced at Vi. "Are you still on the phone with 911?"

Vi looked at the phone as if she had forgotten that it was plastered to her ear. "Oh yeah, I am." Then to the dispatcher on the other end she said, "Our neighbor just jumped out his window and is lying on the ground. He thinks maybe his ankle is broken."

As Vi continued to talk with the 911 operator, Meredith turned back to Josh. "You need to just stay here and not move, okay? I need to make sure everyone else is out of the building."

Josh scrutinized her. "You look way too young to be a doctor."

Meredith looked away sheepishly. "Well I'm still in school... That, and we'd probably be in much better shape if you had fur."

Josh laughed. "You're a veterinarian?"

"Someday, hopefully. There isn't anyone else in your apartment, is there?"

"Nope. Go wake everyone else up. But leave your friend here. She's cute." He smiled and glanced over at Vi, who looked almost bored.

Sensing she was a topic of conversation, Vi looked at both of them and made a face. "She says it'll be at least an hour before any fire trucks can get here."

Meredith left them there and went back around to the front of the building. She could see flames in the windows of Josh's apartment. Their downstairs neighbors stood outside, looking up at the fire. One set of neighbors was an older couple, clutching a small, fluffy dog. The others were a mom and her two teenaged children, who stood there bleary-eyed in their pajamas.

"Is everyone out of both apartments?" Meredith asked.

They nodded sleepily.

"Good. We've been on the phone with 911 and they said that the firefighters are swamped right now and can't get here for a while. We need to find some hoses and try to get everything wet to keep this fire from spreading. But we need to be safe first, so don't go back inside for any reason."

After a bit more verbal prodding from Meredith, her neighbors swung into action. The older gentleman found some hoses in the landscaper's shed while the teenagers went to the other buildings in the complex to alert the neighbors to the situation. The woman with the dog went to the apartment management office. Soon, their building looked like a beehive of activity as neighbors hosed down the walls and worked to contain the fire.

Against Meredith's warnings, a couple of hot shot bodybuilders who lived in another building kicked down the door of Josh's apartment and got a blast of flames to the face. After the initial surge however, the fire eased back and they were able to point hoses through the door and onto the flames.

By the time the firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire was out, but it was several hours before they were allowed to go back into their apartment. Meredith and Vi helped Josh hobble around the building to relax on the grass under a tree while they waited.

Because he didn't have health insurance, Josh refused to be seen by the paramedics that had arrived with the firemen. "I'll drive myself to the E.R. later," he explained. "Ambulances are only worth it when you're bleeding to death. I'm fine."

As they sat on the grass, Meredith noticed that Vi looked antsy. She obviously wanted to talk about something, but didn't feel comfortable doing so in front of Josh. Meredith wondered if it had something to do with Vi's rough night the previous evening. Vi's reticence in front of their neighbor didn't deter her from flirting with him, however. They were obviously very interested in each other. The drummer was yesterday's news, Meredith supposed.

At last, one of the firefighters walked over to the trio and said to Josh, "We've pinpointed the origin of the fire in your home, sir. It appears to have started with a lava lamp next to the TV."

Vi raised her eyebrows and snickered. "A lava lamp?"

Josh blushed.

Meredith laughed and said with mock sincerity, "Go easy on him, Vi. Lava lamps have graced many a bachelor pad since the seventies. They are the height of male decor." She felt almost giddy after the stress of the morning.

The firefighter shifted his weight impatiently and continued, "The fire was localized to the area just inside the front door, and the damage is pretty superficial. It's gonna smell pretty bad, but it's safe to go back in."

Meredith stood up. "I'll go get my keys so we can take Josh to the hospital."

"I can take myself," Josh insisted.

Vi rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right." Rising to her feet, she added, "I can take him. I know you have tons of stuff to do today." She gave Meredith a pointed look and glanced meaningfully down at Josh, who was still resting with his back against the tree.

Meredith shrugged. "Suit yourself. Hope your leg feels better, Josh."

Even though they had only been out of their apartment for a few hours, Meredith felt like she was re-entering it after being away for months. The acrid smell of damp smoke filled her nostrils as she quickly began opening every window she could. Aside from the smell, however, the apartment appeared undamaged.

Vi followed Meredith down the hall to her bedroom as Meredith went to open the windows. "Mere, I have to talk to you about something that happened last night. This is too weird not to tell you."

Meredith stopped what she was doing and faced Vi expectantly.

Vi chose her words carefully as she continued, "Last night I met up with these Wicca chicks that I know, and we decided to mess around."

Meredith suppressed an eye roll. As much as she adored Vi, this was one side of her that Meredith felt Vi could do without. "Oh, did you contact Elvis for a serenade?" she teased.

Vi reached out and grasped both of Meredith's arms gently, her eyes penetrating. "Something happened. I mean, I'll admit it, most of the time we just light a bunch of candles and drink a bunch of wine and nothing really happens... but last night, something _happened_."

Something in Vi's voice made the hair on Meredith's neck rise. She stared hard into Vi's deep brown eyes. "Okay, so what happened?"

Vi released Meredith's arms and continued, "Everything was going normally, when all of a sudden, all of the candles flared up at the same time. Some of the curtains caught on fire, and we had to get the hell out of there. We called 911, but we had no idea how to explain how the fire started. Without the flare up, none of the candles would have been close enough to the curtains to set them on fire."

"Are you sure?" A born skeptic, Meredith felt that Vi might have been exaggerating. Meredith scrutinized Vi's face trying to judge her sincerity.

Vi rolled her eyes. "I know that look, non-believer. I'm telling you, it happened. Dana's apartment is trashed."

Meredith was silent for a moment, thinking about Vi's confession. She knew that these gatherings tended to involve a lot of alcohol, but Vi usually held her liquor well. Plus, Vi had never made any other similar assertion about the Wicca stuff, so why would she start now?

"That is really weird," Meredith conceded. Then she continued, "There was a fire at the university this morning, too. The paper said there have been fires across the U.S., and the feds suspect terrorism."

"Whoa, really?"

"But it's hard to believe that Josh would be a target of terrorism." Meredith said.

"Yeah, and that doesn't explain what I saw with the candles. I'm not making it up, Mere, I swear. It was like the fire took on a mind of its own." Vi glanced back down the hallway. "I gotta go take Josh to the hospital. Let's talk more later, okay?"

Meredith nodded and impulsively reached out and gave Vi a tight hug.

Vi chuckled and hugged back. "I love you, too, kid." Then she stepped away and disappeared down the hall.

# Chapter 2

Meredith turned back into her room and retrieved the cell phone that had been charging next to the bed. She had two missed calls, one from her parents and one from Miguel. She suddenly felt very tired, as the prospect of recounting the morning's events to either her parents or Miguel was overwhelming.

Instead, she quickly stripped off her pajamas and walked into the bathroom to take a shower. She turned on the light, grateful that the fire next door hadn't deprived them of power. Then she felt a flash of guilt as she realized that Josh had lost so much, and all she was worrying about was whether the power was still on.

She examined the hand that she had used to pound on Josh's door. The heel of her fist was a little red, and it stung. She ran it under the cold tap, enjoying the feel of the water running over her skin. Inspired, she turned the shower on and stood under the cool stream. A Phoenix native, Meredith had always enjoyed taking cold showers in the summer, feeling that taking a hot shower in August was something akin to bathing in one's own sweat. Though it was October, and a little late in the year for cold showers, the idea of a hot shower after being so close to a fire was unappealing.

The water was refreshing and invigorating, and Meredith felt her muscles relax as she allowed the water to pour over her upturned face. She leisurely washed and conditioned her long hair, relishing the feel of the cool water running through the silky strands. After a while, she started to feel a chill and turned off the water. She toweled off, looking at herself again in the mirror. She still looked like roadkill, but at least she was clean roadkill.

"Boys, please form an orderly queue to the left," she teased herself. Shrugging, she wrapped the towel around herself and walked into her closet to get dressed. The smell of smoke was stronger in here, and Meredith supposed it was probably closer to the fire than her bedroom had been.

Methodically she began yanking clothing off of the hangers to throw into the washing machine. She imagined that every scrap of linen in the house would likely need to be washed. Meredith snickered as she pictured Vi's closet, which was bulging with masses of halter tops, bustiers, mini skirts, and fashionably distressed denim.

Still in her towel, Meredith carried an armload of jeans and tee shirts down the hall to the laundry closet. Just as she started the load, her stomach rumbled loudly. Realizing the last thing she had eaten was the cereal hours before, she soon found herself standing in front of the pantry looking in. Both Meredith and Vi were sporadic shoppers at best, leaving Meredith staring at a can of tomato paste, some uncooked rice, a few cans of tuna, and the box of cereal. The pickings in the fridge weren't much better: milk, ketchup, pickles, and Vi's three-day-old Chinese takeout.

Closing the fridge, Meredith trotted back to her room, and threw on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed as she pulled on socks and tennis shoes. Listening the ringing on the other end, Meredith grabbed her purse from the hook on the back of her bedroom door and rummaged around inside for her keys.

"Hello?"

When Meredith heard her mother's voice, she smiled. "Hey, Mom!"

"Oh! Hi, honey. I read about the fire at the university in the paper and I wanted to check on you." Amelia Carpenter's voice sounded concerned as she asked, "You weren't on campus, were you?"

"No. Believe it or not, I don't actually sleep there." As Meredith talked, she left her apartment and locked the door, heading for her car.

"Well, good."

After a brief pause, Meredith said, "Are you home? I was thinking about coming over for lunch since my classes are cancelled."

"I have a life, you know," Amelia protested jokingly. Meredith's parents were retired, and they lived about ten minutes from Meredith. Though they traveled frequently, they were often available during the day when Meredith decided to drop by between classes for some free food.

"So...? Are you home?" Meredith persisted.

Amelia sighed audibly, though Meredith knew she was smiling. "Yes."

Meredith laughed. "Great! I'll see you in a few!"

Amelia chuckled and said, "Drive safely."

As Meredith drove she had to pull over twice to allow emergency vehicles to pass. It reminded her that things were definitely not normal in the world. "What the hell is going on?" she asked herself out loud as she pulled over for the second fire truck. She waited for it to pass and then pulled back out into the street. Traffic was lighter than usual; it seemed as if the entire city, aside from rescue workers, had been shut down.

The sky had taken on an unusual brownish hue that Meredith assumed was a result of all the fires that were plaguing the city. That, combined with the emptier streets, gave the atmosphere an eerie feel that made Meredith feel anxious to get to her parents' house. Fortunately, her trip passed without further incident, and she was soon pulling into the Carpenters' driveway.

The Carpenters lived in a ranch style four bedroom on the side of one of the few hills in Phoenix. It had a stucco exterior and a red tile roof, just like all the other houses on the block. Unlike their neighbors, however, the Carpenters had a lush garden, full of orange, purple, and yellow flowers, a mesquite tree, and a few cacti and succulents. The garden was Amelia's pride and joy. The bright colors cheered Meredith as she locked her car and walked around the garage to the front door.

Amelia immediately gave her daughter a big hug. Then, "Oh my God! Sweetie! You smell like smoke."

Meredith quickly explained what had happened that morning.

"Thank God no one was seriously hurt," Amelia said, drawing Meredith into the house. "Why don't you sleep here tonight, baby? I'll wash your clothes and we can watch a movie. What do you say?"

It sounded absolutely wonderful. "Can Vi come, too?"

Amelia smiled. "Of course! Now go find some clothes to wear so I can wash what you've got on. You reek!"

Meredith walked through the living room toward the bedrooms. The first bedroom on the left was set up as an office, and Meredith poked her head in. "Hey, Dad."

Robert Carpenter turned from the computer screen while pulling off his reading glasses. He was in his early sixties, with thinning strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore an unbuttoned plaid flannel shirt over a white tee and jeans, which was a uniform that he'd been wearing every day since he retired. In the summer the plaid was short sleeved and light cotton, but it was still there. "Hey there, brat," he greeted her. "Whatcha up to?"

Meredith smiled at her father. "Oh you know, this and that. Saving men from burning buildings--the usual."

Before Rob had a chance to respond, Meredith continued down the hallway to the master bedroom. She headed straight for her father's chest of drawers; at 5'8", Meredith had several inches and several pounds on her mother's petite frame. She found some navy blue basketball shorts and one of Rob's trusty white tee shirts and put them on. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell of her father's cologne on the shirt. Then, she wadded her clothes into a ball and carried them and her shoes back down the hallway.

Rob had come out of the office and was standing in the kitchen talking with Amelia. When he saw Meredith, he rushed over and enveloped her in a crushing hug. Amelia stood next to the sink, looking distraught.

Her voice muffled, Meredith said, "I take it Mom filled you in."

Rob kissed the top of her head and relaxed his embrace. "Your neighbor's lucky you were there," he remarked.

"Just goes to show you, lava lamps are never a good design choice." Meredith smiled and stepped back. "What's for lunch, folks? I can't eat adoration, you know."

Amelia gathered herself with a deep breath. "Well, we can have chicken salad sandwiches or there is some leftover roast from last night."

"Mmmm, definitely the roast." Meredith's mouth practically watered in anticipation.

While Amelia prepared their lunch, Meredith called Vi to check on Josh and to invite her to stay the night with Meredith's parents. Vi's own parents had moved to northern California three years earlier, when the company Vi's father worked for had decided to consolidate its operations. As a result, Vi spent most holidays with Meredith's family, and they often joked that Vi was their adopted daughter.

"Hey, Mere." Vi answered on the third ring.

"How's Josh?"

"We're still waiting. The ER is packed, and he isn't exactly a top priority since he's not bleeding or screaming from unbearable pain." Vi sounded slightly irritated.

"Maybe he should start," Meredith suggested helpfully.

"Bleeding or screaming?"

"Your choice."

Meredith and Vi both chuckled, and then on the other end, Vi said to Josh, "I'm going to go to the ladies' room." Once she was out of earshot, Vi came back on the phone. "Okay, I seriously want to leave. Can I leave him here? Or is that rude?"

"Trouble in paradise?"

"Oh shut up. Turns out Josh has a girlfriend that he neglected to mention all morning. Which left me wondering, why am I here? Where is she? Which I then, of course, asked him."

"What'd he say?"

Vi scoffed. "That they'd gotten in a fight and he doesn't want to call her yet. So basically he flirted with me up one side and down the other to apply a nice soothing balm to his own bruised, self-involved ego. I'm kinda speechless."

"Ouch. Sorry, Vi," Meredith sympathized. Hearing about Josh's girlfriend reminded her that she still hadn't returned Miguel's call. She briefly felt guilty and then figured she'd call him after lunch.

"So can I?" Vi asked again.

"Can you what?"

"Leave." Vi sounded exasperated.

Meredith considered. "Well now that romance is off the table, would you stay for a friend?"

Vi grumbled, "I have plenty of friends," but her tone indicated that she knew she should probably stay with Josh.

Meredith grinned. "Just remember, I did offer to come with you."

"Yeah, yeah. I guess I'll see you later."

"Wait!" Meredith issued the invitation to come stay with her parents. "You really should consider it. Our apartment smells like something died."

"Okay, tell 'em thanks for me. I'll let you know when I'm on my way there."

Meredith ended the call and joined her parents at the dining table for lunch. The food was delicious, as always. Afterward, Meredith helped her mother with the dishes, and then they sat down in the living room to watch a movie. They chose _Sleepless in Seattle_ , which was one of Amelia's favorites. While Meredith was growing up, Amelia had often lamented half-jokingly that the way she'd met Rob was so mundane. They had met in college, gone on a date, liked each other, and that was it. Love, marriage, and babies had all followed, and they were still blissfully happy together.

While the movie played, Meredith absentmindedly sat on the floor stretching. She liked the way it felt to see how far she could bend her body, enjoying the loose, almost achy feeling afterward. After a little while, Amelia got down and joined her.

"Watching you made me feel guilty," she explained.

Meredith smiled and enjoyed the companionable moment with her mother. Though Meredith had gotten her coloring from her father, her features closely resembled Amelia's. They both had a straight, bold nose and wide set eyes above a full mouth and square jaw. However, where Amelia's shoulder length hair was wavy and the color of chestnuts, Meredith's was long and pin straight strawberry blonde.

Finishing her stretches, Meredith relaxed on the floor with her back up against the couch. Amelia sat behind her watching the movie and doing a crossword. Meredith tried to remember the last time that she had just hung out with her mom like this, and she couldn't. As she resolved to try to make more time for her family, her phone started to ring.

Glancing down, Meredith saw that it was Miguel. She silenced the call without answering it.

"Who was that?" Amelia asked.

"Oh, just Miguel. I'll call him back after the movie."

Amelia was silent for a moment. "You two getting serious?"

"I don't know, we might. We're a good fit for each other. He understands how busy I am with school, which is nice."

"Wow, high praise," Amelia laughed.

"You know what I mean."

"The sad part is, I think I do." Amelia reached over and patted Meredith on the arm gently.

"What?" Meredith turned and frowned at her mother.

"Let me put it this way, sweetheart. If that were your father calling me, I wouldn't be ignoring it to watch a twenty-year-old movie that I've seen a dozen times before." She smiled wistfully. "When your dad used to call me, I would drop everything to talk to him."

Meredith shifted uncomfortably. The thing she liked about her non-relationship with Miguel was that it was easy, and it fit in with her other goals in life. It didn't get in the way. Meredith didn't really expect that dating Miguel would blossom into a full-fledged romance, but mostly because she had never really thought about it seriously. Finally she said, "He's happy, I'm happy. This works for us. Besides, things are different from how it was for you with Dad." Smiling provokingly, she added, " _I_ have a life."

Amelia laughed and threw a pillow at her. Meredith caught it and stuffed it behind her head, making a show of reclining against it. "Thanks," Meredith teased.

"Oh shut up and watch the movie."

They watched the rest of the movie in silence, and when the credits began to scroll on the screen, Meredith dragged her phone out of her pocket and dialed Miguel's number. He answered on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey Miguel." Out of the corner of her eye, Meredith noticed that Amelia perked up to eavesdrop. Meredith glanced over at her accusingly. Amelia stared down at her crossword with a little too much intensity, which confirmed Meredith's suspicions that her mother was listening with all her might.

"Where've you been, girl? I've been trying to call you," Miguel said.

"I know--it's been a crazy day." For the second time, Meredith recounted the events of the morning. She concluded, "And now I'm at my parents' house. I am going to stay here tonight."

"You could come stay with me, instead," Miguel suggested with a smile in his voice.

Meredith's eyes slid over to her mother, who sat completely still. Feeling Meredith's gaze, Amelia looked up and said with a grin, "Don't mind me."

Rolling her eyes, Meredith stood and walked down the hall and into the guest room, shutting the door. She flopped down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. This room had been her brother's when they were growing up, and the ceiling still had constellations of glow-in-the-dark stars glued to it. In the late afternoon sun, they looked pale yellowish-green against the white ceiling. To Miguel, she said, "Vi is going to stay here, too. It would be weird if she were here and I wasn't."

Miguel was silent for a long moment. "So when will I see you, then?"

"I don't know. Maybe tomorrow? Have you checked your email? Have they reopened the university yet?"

"Damn it, Meredith. I'm not talking about school!" Miguel's frustration was palpable.

Surprised at his outburst, it was Meredith's turn to be quiet. Perhaps Miguel wasn't as content with their casual arrangement as Meredith had thought. Finally, she said, "What do you want me to say?"

Meredith could practically hear Miguel gritting his teeth. "If I have to tell you, then it doesn't matter."

"Look, I want to see you, okay? Today has been totally weird, and I don't even know what tomorrow's gonna be like. Would you rather I made promises that I'm not sure I can even keep?"

"Well at least making promises would show me that I'm more than a back-up plan to you," Miguel retorted.

Flustered, Meredith blurted, "Fine, I promise you're not a back-up plan."

Miguel laughed, dispelling the tension between them. "Did you really just say that?"

Meredith let out a long sigh. "Miguel, I really like you, and I like spending time with you. But finishing school is really important to me, and that's where my focus is right now."

"Are you afraid that I want you to quit school and become my 'little woman'? 'Cause trust me, if I wanted that, my mom's got about nine girls from back home lined up." Miguel's parents were Mexican immigrants who currently lived in Los Angeles. Miguel had moved to Phoenix to attend school.

Meredith chuckled. She didn't doubt that Mrs. Alvarez was sorely disappointed that Miguel hadn't provided her with eight or nine grandchildren yet. The woman loved babies, and had made a career out of taking care of them. She had nannied for several different well-to-do families in L.A. over the years.

In stark contrast was Miguel's father, who burst with pride at his well-educated son. Miguel was the first of his family to go to college, let alone get a professional degree. Mr. Alvarez was the one who had pushed Miguel to come out to Arizona for vet school, working long nights to help Miguel pay the tuition. For that reason alone, Meredith knew that Miguel wouldn't allow himself to be distracted from his studies, either.

Miguel spoke again. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Let's get some dinner. My treat."

Meredith smiled. "That sounds good. I'll wear my fancy shoes."

Ending the call, Meredith gazed at the ceiling, noticing that the fan needed to be dusted. She realized that she was quite tired as her eyelids started to droop. The excitement of the day, combined with her upcoming cold, must have worn her down. Her eyelids became heavy, and she drifted off to sleep.

# Chapter 3

Meredith had only been asleep a few moments when her cell phone chimed at her, startling her out of her doze. Sighing, Meredith looked at the screen. She had a text from Vi saying that she was on her way.

Meredith rolled off the bed and walked to the window, looking out at the hazy sky. For a moment, she had almost forgotten that the day was so out of the ordinary.

Turning back into the room, she looked around. The only things left of her brother, James, in this room were the stars on the ceiling. Ever practical, their parents had converted the room to a guest room as soon as James had moved out to go to college, several years before. In similar fashion, Meredith's own room had been converted to a sewing room for Amelia.

Meredith went back into the living room and found it empty. She could hear her mother buzzing around in the kitchen, so Meredith joined her, letting her know that Vi would be there soon.

"Oh, good. What do you want for dinner? We weren't expecting company, so I didn't go to the store." Amelia opened the refrigerator and peered in. "We could make some lasagna out of this leftover spaghetti sauce. Is that okay?"

"That sounds fine to me. What can I get out?"

Meredith pulled the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses out of the fridge and mixed them together in a bowl with eggs while Amelia put a pot of water on the stove to boil. Soon the noodles were cooked, and they layered the cheese mixture, spaghetti sauce, some spinach, and the noodles into a large casserole dish. Amelia spread some mozzarella cheese over the top and stuck it in the oven. Just as they were finishing, the doorbell rang.

Vi stood on the doorstep with an overnight bag slung over her shoulder. She had showered, and her dark hair hung in damp waves around her shoulders. Her face was free of makeup, and for a moment it felt like they were in seventh grade again. Meredith smiled at her friend and opened the door wider to allow her to pass, raising an eyebrow at the overstuffed bag.

Vi rolled her eyes. "I have stuff in here for you, too."

Meredith thanked her and took the overnight bag, walking down the hall toward the guest bedroom. She glanced over her shoulder to ensure that Vi was behind her. "So, will Josh live?"

"He has a broken ankle. They put him in a cast and told him to follow up with an orthopedist, which he has no intention of doing. The stairs up to his place are gonna be brutal for him." Vi sat on the guest bed while Meredith put the overnight bag on the dresser. "Hopefully his _girlfriend_ will be around to help carry groceries," Vi added snidely.

Meredith joined Vi on the bed. "Did she ever show up?"

"Finally at the end. Nothing like getting to play nurse to help couples get through a rough patch."

"I think that would depend on what kind of patient Josh is." Gesturing to the overnight bag, Meredith asked, "Do you need to wash any of that stuff?"

"Yeah, that would be awesome. I flipped your laundry when I stopped back home, by the way. You're right, our place really does smell awful." Vi looked around the room thoughtfully. "Man, I can't remember the last time I spent the night at your folks' house. And never in here."

"I know what you mean. Even though this has been a guest room for years, it still seems weird sleeping in James's room. Part of me feels like he's going to come in any second and tell me to get out of his room."

Just as she said that, Amelia pushed the door open and stepped into the room. The girls laughed at the timing of her entrance. "What?"

Meredith began to explain. "We thought you were James."

"Come to banish us from his personal space," Vi finished with an ominous flourish.

Amelia chuckled politely, not understanding the nostalgia the girls were feeling. "Well, if James still lived here, I think we'd have bigger problems." James was in his thirties with a seven-year-old daughter.

"Thanks for letting me sleep over, Mrs. C." Vi assumed a young, girlish voice as she said the phrase that she'd uttered countless times in middle and high school.

The girls giggled again as Amelia rolled her eyes, smiling. "You two get stranger and stranger the more you hang out together."

"It's a wonder either of us can get dates," Meredith joked.

"Oh yeah, speaking of dates, where is Miguelito?" Vi asked, using the nickname affectionately.

Meredith glanced at her mother, remembering the conversation they'd had earlier. "I'm going out with him tomorrow."

Vi persisted, "Yeah, but where is he _today_? That was some pretty heavy stuff this morning. I thought he'd be racing over here to hold you like the sweet damsel you are."

Surprised, Meredith realized that she had no idea where Miguel was or what he was doing, because she hadn't asked. Meredith told them as much.

Amelia shook her head. "You're not being fair to that guy, Mere."

Vi looked back and forth between them with a questioning lift to her eyebrows. "Uh oh, did I just step in something?"

Meredith let out an exaggerated sigh of exasperation. "Mom thinks that since I don't fawn all over Miguel and sit by the phone waiting for crumbs of affection then I must not really like him."

"Ever the drama queen," Amelia said dryly. "I'm just saying that if you don't like him, then you should stop stringing him along."

Vi shifted uncomfortably, sorry that she had mentioned Miguel. Attempting to relieve the tension, she said, "Well, you know how we modern career girls are, Mrs. C. Gotta give those boys a run for their money!"

Meredith sat up with a resigned sigh. "Mom, I _do_ like him. I am just trying to figure out how _much_."

Amelia raised her eyebrows and looked like she wanted to say more, but instead changed the subject. Turning to Vi, she said, "I came in here to get your laundry, Miss Violet. So let's have it."

Vi stood and crossed over to the bag on the dresser. As she unzipped it, they were all treated to a waft of the smoky smell from the apartment. "Thanks a bunch. Pretty much everything in here has to be washed."

"No problem. I'm just glad you girls are okay."

With her arms full of the clothing Vi had packed, Amelia left the room. Briefly, Meredith wondered what sort of clothes Vi had packed for her. From where she was sitting, all she could see in the bundle of clothes was Vi's torn black jeans and some red lacy panties, which were most definitely not hers.

Once Amelia was out of earshot, Vi turned to Meredith, looking contrite. "Sorry about bringing Miguel up. I didn't realize--"

"Don't worry about it. I didn't even know that Mom had an issue with him until today." She paused thoughtfully. "Actually, it's not even that her issue is with him. It's with me being with anyone that she doesn't think I am fully invested in."

"Do you think she has a point?" Vi asked carefully.

Meredith laughed. "Since when am I in the business of admitting it when my mother has a point?"

Meredith and Vi hung out in the bedroom chatting until it was time for dinner. When they heard the buzzer on the oven, they came out into the hallway just as Rob was leaving the office. Vi smiled and gave Rob a big hug.

"Uh oh," he joked. "We better hide the good silver."

Playing along, Vi said, "Oh come on, Mr. C. I haven't stolen from you for months now."

Rob laughed and tousled her hair. "How are you doing, Vi?"

"Pretty good, thanks. Selling hopes and dreams to starry-eyed teenagers never gets old." Vi had gotten a degree in graphic design, and she now worked for the university creating promotional materials for student recruitment.

"Well that's good to hear. What do you say we go eat?" Rob led them through the living room toward the kitchen. The TV was on as they passed by, and a worried looking newscaster was discussing the outbreak of fires nationwide. So far there were three deaths in Phoenix and countless thousands of dollars in property damage. Police still had no leads.

When they reached the kitchen, Amelia was just setting the bubbling lasagna on the stovetop.

"Good, you're all here," she said, looking up from the lasagna dish. "Rob, you get everyone water to drink. Meredith, placemats and napkins. Vi, silverware."

They all set about their appointed tasks and were soon dishing themselves up buffet-style from the kitchen.

Sitting down at the table, Rob smelled his plate of food appreciatively. "This looks great! And my girls back home, too. This day is shaping up to be just fine."

Amelia patted him gently on the shoulder as she moved past him to sit at her place facing the window. "It is nice to have you girls here tonight."

"Cut it out, I'm getting misty eyed." Meredith fluttered her hand by her face in a show of mock emotion.

Vi joined in on the joke. "Oh stop it, Mere. If you cry, then I'll cry... Oh, now you've done it! My mascara's running." She let out an anguished sob and flopped down into the chair across from Amelia. Then she sat up straight, smiled broadly, and took a large bite of lasagna. The grin stayed frozen on her face while her eyes filled with real tears.

"Lasagna a little hot?" Meredith asked mirthfully.

Vi nodded painfully and grabbed her water glass, chugging down several mouthfuls of the soothing liquid. They all laughed and tucked into the food, blowing on their forkfuls of lasagna to avoid repeating Vi's mistake.

They all ate companionably in silence for a few minutes. Then, Amelia said, "So who wants to speculate about what the hell's going on?" She gestured toward the window, and they all turned to look.

The sun had set, casting the city in darkness. From their vantage point on the hill, they could see three separate fires burning in different parts of the valley. They cast up an orange glow that mingled with the halo of light from the buildings and street lamps.

"I read earlier today that they thought it might be terrorism," Meredith suggested. She glanced over at Vi, who met her gaze. They were both thinking about the conversation they'd had earlier, when Vi had told Meredith about the candles.

"Terrorism would make sense, I suppose," Rob contributed. "Isn't the point of terrorism to get people where they feel safe, like in their homes? That would explain why it's been so random, as opposed to high profile targets."

Amelia nodded thoughtfully, digesting what Rob had said. "But to what end?" she asked.

"Do we ever know the answer to that question when this sort of thing happens?" Rob responded. "Hatred is its own reason."

"I wonder when the firefighters will ever get to sleep again," Meredith commented.

"I hope they all get raises. You girls were so lucky. What if you'd been asleep?" Amelia reached across the table and squeezed Meredith's hand.

Vi turned and looked at Meredith quizzically. "Why were you up so early today? Usually it takes a marching band going through your bedroom to get you up before nine."

"I don't know," Meredith answered honestly. "I was just awake. I really don't know why."

They cleared the table and talked about inconsequential things while Meredith and Vi washed the dishes. Rob settled in front of the TV with a bowl of ice cream, and Amelia transferred their freshly washed clothes into the dryer. Once the chores were complete, they joined Rob in front of the television and watched the news for a while.

"It's amazing how long they can talk for how little they actually know," Rob remarked.

"It's like my students!" Amelia joked. Before retiring, Amelia had been a high school English teacher.

Meredith stood up and stretched. "I'm gonna go to bed, guys. I'm beat."

"I'm right there with you." Vi stood as well, and they said goodnight.

Meredith went into the laundry room and pulled their clean clothes out of the dryer, carrying them down the hall and dumping them into a heap on the guest bed. Vi fished through it and pulled out her pajamas, which were black silk with deep purple piping. She flashed Meredith a devious smile and flounced out of the room to change and brush her teeth in the bathroom.

Worried, Meredith dug through the pile of clothes looking for her own PJ's. Finding the barely-there red silk negligee that she usually saved only for special occasions, Meredith groaned. She was going to have to pay Vi back for this one.

Meredith checked the various pockets of the overnight bag and found her own toothbrush. She took it and her nightie to the master bathroom and brushed her teeth and washed her face. She let her hair down out of the ponytail that she had absentmindedly shoved it into at some point and raked her fingers through it.

She glanced around and spotted her mother's hairbrush next to the sink. Her mother had owned the hairbrush for as long as she could remember. It was antique silver and made from real horsehair. The back of the brush was monogrammed with Amelia's grandmother's initials. Meredith gently ran her fingertip over the inscription, enjoying the feel of the cool metal under her touch. She took up the hairbrush and ran it through her hair, which she then wove into a braid at the nape of her neck.

She browsed through her mother's closet and was relieved to find a thick bathrobe, which she happily pulled over her nightgown.

When she returned to the guest room, Vi was already in bed with the lights out. In the slice of light that came in from the hall, Meredith could see that the clothes that had been on the bed now resided in a tangled mass on the floor. She frowned; Meredith would have folded them so they didn't wrinkle. Ignoring the clothes as best she could, she stepped into the room and closed the door.

Meredith let the robe slide to the floor, and then she climbed into bed next to Vi, whispering, "Are you still awake?"

"I've been in here for like, two seconds. Of course I'm still awake." Vi rolled over to face Meredith. She smiled wickedly again. "You look very pretty this evening."

"Enjoy the moment now, Vi. It's going to come back to haunt you," Meredith promised.

"Ooh, I'm scared now."

Meredith blew a raspberry at her. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could make out Vi's delicate features. Growing up, Meredith had often felt like an oversized brute next to Vi's slender and petite frame. Often the tallest in her class, Meredith hadn't had the same kind of attention from the boys that Vi had. She assumed that the boys had all been intimidated by her stature.

"So today's been wicked strange, right?" Vi said after a pause.

Meredith blurted, "Did that stuff with the candles really happen?"

"Yeah. I still can't wrap my head around it. What if I'm remembering it wrong? Things like that don't happen in real life."

They were both quiet for a moment. Then Meredith asked, "What do you think tomorrow will be like?"

"Damned if I know."

There was another silence. Then Meredith spoke again, plaintively. "Vi?"

Quietly, Vi responded, "Yeah, Mere?"

"If you die, can I have your stereo?" Meredith snorted with laughter as Vi giggled and hit her over the head with a pillow.

There was a knock on the door and Rob's voice came through the wood, "I thought I told you two to go to sleep."

The girls giggled some more and Meredith said, "Yes, Dad," just as Vi said, "Yes, Mr. C." They burst into peals of laughter again. Rob chuckled on the other side of the door and continued walking down the hall to his bedroom.

Soon the girls calmed down and Meredith gazed out the window as she lay in bed. There was a soft orange light filtering in from the streetlamp outside. Faintly, she could hear emergency sirens blaring once again in the distance. Beside her, Vi's breathing became regular as she fell asleep.

Meredith thought about her date with Miguel, and tried to dissect her feelings about it. She was looking forward to it, but was she _really_ looking forward to it? Her mother's warnings were at the forefront of her thoughts, and she felt annoyed at Amelia for making her second guess her dating habits. Her regard for Miguel was warm and steady, but it wasn't an overwhelming passion, by any means. She was twenty-three, after all, and she figured her days of rampant teenage ardor were behind her. Maybe this was what a mature relationship felt like.

She also wondered when school would start up again, and how the fire on campus would affect classes for the rest of the semester. She hoped that they wouldn't have to make up lost time over the holiday break.

Her mind drifted to different subjects as her brain wound down for the day, and after a while, she drifted off to sleep, while fires still burned outside the window.

# Chapter 4

"Wake up."

Meredith felt herself being gently prodded awake. She opened her eyes, confused because it was still dark outside. Alarmed, she sat upright in bed. "What is it?"

Vi sat up next to her and pointed to the window. "Look."

Meredith's glanced over, and saw that streams of water were pouring down the glass pane. "It's raining," she said stupidly. And then, "Oh! It's raining! That's awesome!"

She jumped up from the bed and ran to the window, peering outside. She couldn't tell whether the fires had been put out by the rain, but she still felt like it was a good sign. She broke into a relieved smile before turning back to face the bed.

Next to Vi, the clock on the nightstand displayed 1:38 in glowing red numerals. Meredith stretched her arms above her, shivering at the night chill, before climbing back into bed. The covers had retained her body heat, and it felt warm and inviting to get back in. She pulled the blankets up to her chin and snuggled into her pillow. "The best part of waking up in the middle of the night is getting to go back to sleep again," she noted sleepily.

Vi patted her head and said, "See you tomorrow, kid."

Soon they had both gone back to sleep, reassured by the rain that drummed softly on the tile roof above their heads.

When Meredith opened her eyes again, pale, watery light was making its meager way into the room from the window. She glanced over at the clock, assuming it was still very early in the morning. To her surprise, it was well after nine. It was still raining heavily outside, and yesterday's concerns about all the fires seemed almost silly.

Vi still slept beside her as Meredith grabbed her phone from the nightstand beside her and checked for emails. There was an update from the university stating that classes were still suspended. She had another email from a classmate who was going to be hosting a "Fire Party" that evening at their house in honor of the closed campus. She stretched leisurely in bed and considered suggesting it to Miguel, though she knew he would probably want to stick to their dinner plans.

She lay in bed for a few more cozy minutes, noticing that she had a mild stomachache. Sliding out from under the covers, Meredith grimaced as the cool morning air hit her skin. She quietly opened the closet doors, glancing back at the bed to make sure she hadn't disturbed Vi. She found an oversized gray sweatshirt hanging on the rack with the words "Grammar Queen" emblazoned on the front. Meredith pulled it over her head and then found her jeans in the pile at the foot of the bed, yanking them on.

She left the bedroom, gently closing the door behind her, and made her way into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she saw that her fair skin was even paler than usual, and she had dark circles under her eyes. She opened the medicine cabinet and was glad to find some antacid tablets. She popped several of them into her mouth, and still chewing, headed out to the living room.

Amelia was sitting on the couch with her feet tucked up underneath her, sipping coffee and working on a crossword puzzle. She wore a fuzzy pink robe over a gray cotton nightgown and bright purple socks that had polka dots on the bottoms of the feet. She looked up as Meredith entered the room. "Good morning, sweetie. Sleep okay?"

Meredith nodded. "Thanks for letting us stay over. I hope your generosity extends to a very large cup of coffee, too." She smiled briefly at the irony of chasing antacids with coffee, but she knew she'd have a raging headache if she skipped her morning brew. Plus, drinking a cup of coffee was one of her most cherished daily routines.

Amelia smiled. "There's a pot on in the kitchen. Cream's in the fridge, sugar's in the pantry."

Meredith didn't hesitate as she beelined for the coffee maker in the kitchen. The coffee smelled wonderful; Rob favored specialty coffees with caramel and cinnamon spice flavoring, so coffee at her parents' house was always a special treat. Meredith found a mug in the cupboard and filled it, feeling nostalgic once again. The cup had a cartoon saguaro cactus on it, and it was one that her parents had owned since Meredith was a little girl. She had enjoyed hot chocolate out of it many times. After she doctored her cup of coffee to perfection with cream and sugar, Meredith returned to the living room and joined her mother on the couch.

"So what are you going to do today?" Amelia asked conversationally. She set her puzzle aside and removed her reading glasses, turning to face Meredith.

Meredith glanced out the window at the pouring rain. "Besides build an ark?" She relished the thought of having the whole day before her. It felt like the time she was ten years old and school was canceled due to a broken air conditioner--she had stolen hours that she could use however she liked. Her elation was short-lived, however, as she remembered that she had plenty of chores and responsibilities that could claim her time. Continuing, she said, "I don't know. I'll probably go home and wash everything in the house, and maybe do some of my anesthesiology homework. I'm not scheduled to work today, but if I have time I might go in. There's a little puppy with parvo that could really use some extra love."

"Sounds industrious," Amelia responded. "I also have a big day planned."

"Oh yeah? What?"

"I thought I might sit at the other end of the couch, for a change. See how I like it." Amelia laughed as Meredith stuck her tongue out at her.

"Oh, to live the life of a retiree. Full of such glamour, such excitement!" Meredith took a long sip of her coffee, enjoying the taste. "Is Dad up yet?"

"Yes, he's been out in the garage working on a dollhouse for Ivy." Ivy was James's seven-year-old daughter. The spitting image of Meredith's brother, Ivy had a shock of bright blonde hair and luminous hazel eyes.

Meredith smiled at the mention of her niece. The last time Meredith had seen Ivy, they had gone bowling together while James went out on a date. James was a single father, and Ivy's mother hadn't been in the picture since Ivy was about six months old. Meredith enjoyed babysitting Ivy occasionally when her schedule allowed it, though she realized that their bowling outing had been almost a month ago.

Just as they were talking about him, Rob came into the kitchen through the garage door. "Honey, can you give Frank and Lydia a call? Their van has a window open."

While Amelia went to the telephone, Meredith drained the last of her coffee cup and stood up, stretching. She carried the empty cup with her as she went to stand on the front porch. The air was cool and damp, and Meredith could feel mist from the splattering rain even though she was standing under the eaves of the house. She looked at her parents' neighbors' van sitting in the driveway across the street. It was an older model Chrysler minivan that the family had owned for as long as Meredith could remember, being passed down through their teenaged children as they learned to drive. It was an old relic that still had brown paneling on the sides and manual window cranks. From where she was standing, she could see that the front passenger side window was open.

Rob came out and stood next to Meredith, wrapping his arm around her.

Meredith leaned into his embrace, enjoying the warmth of his arm around her shoulders. "I don't envy them that cleaning bill," Meredith commented, wondering what the upholstery would smell like after such a soaking.

"Do you think they'll even bother?" Rob asked seriously.

Meredith shrugged. The van certainly hadn't survived three teenagers unscathed. It had more than a few dings, and Meredith knew firsthand that the interior had seen plenty of coffee spills and other mishaps.

Amelia joined them on the front porch holding a green umbrella that she usually carried in her purse. "They're not home, so I got Lydia on her cell and told her that you would go roll up the window." She held out the umbrella expectantly, smiling sweetly as Rob looked at her with dismay.

"In this?" he asked incredulously, gesturing toward the downpour.

"Come on, Dad, you're due for a shower anyway. You smell bad," Meredith ribbed him.

"Shut up, brat," he said with a smile, before turning and scowling at Amelia. "He had better let me win a golf game for this one." Rob and Frank had a long-standing weekly golf game that usually left Frank triumphant and Rob frustrated, but determined.

Rob took off his flannel shirt and tossed it at Meredith before taking the umbrella from Amelia's hand. He opened it with a sigh, eying its small size dubiously. Then he thrust the umbrella over his head and stepped out into the rain. The rain pelted him from the side as the umbrella failed to provide him any appreciable amount of shelter, drenching him within moments. His white tee shirt clung to him as he strode across the street.

"I'm so glad he's doing that instead of me," Amelia remarked with a smirk.

Meredith grinned and watched as her father yanked open the door and vigorously turned the window crank. Once the window was closed, Rob slammed the door shut and slogged his way back toward them, frowning and looking thoroughly miserable. Long strands of his reddish-gold hair were plastered to his forehead and large rivulets of water streamed off him as he stepped back under the overhang of the roof.

"See? That wasn't so bad!" Meredith told him brightly.

"Not so bad? Come here!" Before Meredith could escape, Rob trapped her in a cold, wet hug. She yelped as the cold water soaked through her sweatshirt and nightgown to her bare skin.

"Gah! Get off me!" Meredith pushed him away laughing as she saw Amelia steal back into the house out of the corner of her eye. "Coward!" she called after her.

"Not a coward--just not stupid, either." Amelia's voice floated out of the house along with a taunting chuckle.

"That she is not," Rob said wryly as he took his flannel shirt from Meredith, using it to dry his face and arms.

"I'll go get you a towel," Meredith offered.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm gonna make a run for it. Why don't you go get your lazy friend up out of bed? I'm hungry for breakfast." At that, Robbed jogged into the house and toward the master bedroom.

Amused, Meredith shook her head and followed her father into the house.

In the guest room, Vi was already dressed and making the bed when Meredith went in.

"Hey Mere," Vi greeted her. "Do you think you could take me home in a bit? I rode my Vespa over here, and I don't relish the thought of such a wet trip home."

Meredith grinned as she pictured Vi riding her scooter in the pouring rain. "Yeah, sure."

Meredith helped Vi fold all of the clothes that had spent the night on the floor and then carried the packed overnight bag to the entryway, setting it next to the front door. Rob was in the kitchen cooking some eggs, and Amelia was just coming down the hall from the master bedroom. She had dressed in dark-wash jeans and a teal colored sweater, and her dark, thick hair was pulled up into a ponytail.

"I cannot believe it's still raining like this. I want to put on the news to find out how many inches it is," Amelia said, striding into the living area. She stood in front of the couch and looked around for the remote control. After digging around in the cushions for several moments, she triumphantly pulled out the remote.

"Because walking across the room was too much work?" Meredith teased.

Amelia stuck her tongue out and flicked the button, turning her eyes to the screen. Amelia sat down on the couch as Meredith moved to stand behind her, resting her hands on the cushion behind Amelia's head.

The newscaster was middle aged with sleek gray hair and a sensible blue necktie. His somber voice filled the room.

"...heavy rains in several parts of the valley are currently breaking all sorts of records and have left our meteorologists stumped, as they had seen no indications of an impending storm over the last few days. Sky Harbor Airport has gotten three and a half inches of rain since early this morning, with similar rainfall totals around the valley. The heavy rainfall is causing dangerous conditions throughout the Phoenix metro area. There are some key incidents that we would like to make you folks aware of."

By this time both Rob and Vi had come into the living room and were standing on either side of Meredith. They all stared at the TV with rapt attention.

The newscaster continued as the video cut to an overhead shot of one of the major freeways in the city, where a mudslide had blocked several lanes of traffic. "On the Superstition Freeway at Rural, a retaining wall, unable to handle the extra weight caused by the excessive rainfall, has given way and flooded down onto the pavement. Several of the westbound lanes are covered in mud and debris, making the freeway virtually impassible. Traffic has been diverted onto Southern Avenue, and authorities are unclear as to when the freeway will reopen."

The newscast then showed footage of a family being rescued from the top of their car, which had stalled out in a flooded wash. "We've got flooded areas all over the valley, including several major intersections. Police have asked us to remind you to stay safe and to not enter any flooded areas, even if it seems passable. The flood waters can be much deeper than they appear, and currents do have the power to carry an entire vehicle."

The newscaster returned to the screen with a concerned expression on his tanned face. "Outside of the Phoenix metro area, we are getting heavy rain across North America, with several major cities experiencing mudslides and flooding. In fact, reports coming in from all over the world indicate that this is not a localized weather event, but rather a worldwide phenomenon. Experts at the National Weather Service believe that the rainfall may be related to global warming, as climate change scientists have long contended that weather events such as this one could manifest overnight."

The newscast concluded with footage of a press conference with the president, who promised that the nation's top scientists were working overtime to understand the phenomenon, while all federal emergency aid resources were being deployed. Meredith tuned it out as she walked around the couch and sank slowly into the seat.

After a few moments, a burning smell reached her nostrils just as Rob cried, "The eggs!" He rushed back into the kitchen to take the eggs off of the frying pan while Amelia, Vi, and Meredith stayed motionless, staring at the screen. Soon he returned and sat next to Meredith on the couch, reaching out and squeezing her hand.

All thoughts of breakfast and going home were abandoned as they spent the rest of the morning watching newscast after newscast discussing the possible ramifications if the rain failed to abate. The outlook was dire as experts speculated about various topics, from where to house evacuees from flooded areas to the strain on global food supplies as flooding threatened crop stores and livestock.

When the newscasters had reached their saturation point and were just rehashing the same information, Amelia turned off the TV with a sigh.

"So who else is thinking about their 72-hour survival kits that they didn't bother packing?" Vi asked brightly.

"Oh man, I bet Walmart's getting cleaned out!" Meredith responded with a half-hearted chuckle.

Just then, Meredith's cell phone began to ring. Glancing at the screen, she saw that the caller I.D. read Sun Valley Animal Clinic, where she worked. She answered it quickly, wondering if she had been mistaken and was supposed to be at work today.

"Hi, Meredith. It's Dr. Whitney." Dr. Whitney was in his mid-seventies, with a gray beard and bright blue eyes. His face was red and ruddy, and his overall person seemed careworn, though kindly. Meredith had often secretly thought that he looked like Santa Claus with a drinking problem.

"Hey, Doc. What's up?"

"Well, we are getting a lot of rain over here, and the office is starting to flood." Meredith wasn't surprised. The office was in a run-down business park, and the parking lot looked like it hadn't been repaired since it was put in during the sixties. The entire complex sat in a slight depression of land that was barely noticeable unless it rained, when the shallow basin filled with water.

"Okay," Meredith acknowledged, waiting.

Dr. Whitney seemed a bit nonplussed, and if he had been hoping for a different reaction. He stammered, "Well, we need to evacuate the animals."

"Oh! Of course, and you need help," Meredith offered.

"Yes, exactly. Can you come?"

Meredith thought of her small Toyota Corolla sitting in the driveway. She stalled for a moment, "How many animals and where are we going to take them?"

"I've called several of the owners, so most of them will be going home. But there are a few that I didn't get ahold of, and of course the office animals." The clinic had a cat and a parrot that lived in permanent residence at the office. Dr. Whitney continued, "In particular, I hoped you might take Sammy to your house, along with another cat whose owner I can't reach."

Sammy was the office cat, and an absolute sweetheart who knew Meredith well. The other cat would be an unknown, and Meredith wasn't sure how skittish it might be. Meredith hesitated as she considered his request. Her apartment wouldn't allow any pets, and her parents detested cats. "Hold on just a moment, Doc." She looked down at her phone and pressed the mute button, and then turned to face her parents, who returned her gaze expectantly.

"The clinic is flooded, and we need to evacuate all the animals," she began.

Immediately understanding where she was headed, Rob started to shake his head.

"I'll stay here and take care of them for as long as they're here," Meredith promised. She looked from her mother to her father hopefully.

Rob folded his arms over his chest and frowned, locking down his expression into a thick brick wall that said, _No way, and don't ask me again._

"Those poor animals have no place to go," Meredith pleaded, turning her attention to Amelia. From past experience, she knew that Amelia was the likelier of the two to crack. "It's only for a little while. Plus, then you'll get to see more of me!"

"Maybe, if it's only for a little while," Amelia ventured. "What sort of animals would be here?"

"Uh, he wasn't sure yet which ones still need a place," Meredith fibbed. She watched her mother's face carefully as Amelia considered the request. As familiar with the older woman as she was, Meredith knew the moment when she'd won Amelia over. She suppressed a smile and waited patiently, careful not to celebrate prematurely.

At last, Amelia conceded, "All right, but only a few. We don't need a zoo here." She turned toward her husband with uplifted eyebrows. "Is that okay with you, Rob?"

Rob sighed loudly and dropped his arms to his sides. "If I even get a _whiff_ of animal excrement, the deal's off."

Meredith grinned triumphantly and unmuted her phone, returning to her conversation with Dr. Whitney. After assuring him that she would be leaving shortly, she hung up the phone.

Irritated, Rob said, "And I suppose you're going to ask to borrow the truck, next."

Out of the corner of her eye, Meredith saw Vi melt out of the room. She didn't blame her friend, wishing she could leave, too. However, her father was right. "Well, Dad, the parking lot is flooded. I guess I could park on the street and wade through it, but carrying the animals back to the car would be pretty difficult."

Thankfully, Amelia interceded. "Oh for Pete's sake, Rob. Why do we have a truck if we're not going to use it when it's needed?"

Realizing he was beaten, Rob threw up his hands and headed toward the kitchen. "Just when you think they're all grown up, they come back with their hand out for the car keys."

# Chapter 5

Vi volunteered to accompany Meredith to the vet clinic, and they began to get ready while Amelia followed them around the house, lecturing about how to drive safely in the rain. Meredith changed into the same shirt from the day before, and put on a red rain jacket that she borrowed from her parents' closet. Then she went into the hall bathroom and took some more antacid pills, as her sore stomach was still nagging at her.

Finally, they were able to leave, and Meredith and Vi were soon buckling in as they waited for the garage door to finish opening. Meredith eased the truck out of the garage, skirting past her own vehicle parked in the driveway. The truck was a white Dodge Ram with four-wheel drive and a tow kit on the back. With a diesel engine and manual transmission, it drove like a tank. Listening to the sound of the engine reverberate against the concrete floor of the garage, Meredith was relieved that she was taking the truck, and not her small sedan, out into the rain.

The rain drummed on the roof of the truck as it poured off eaves of the house, making it almost impossible for Meredith and Vi to hear each other. Once the truck was clear, the pounding lessened considerably and they were able to have a conversation.

"So this global weather change shit sure puts a damper on things, huh?" Vi said half-jokingly as Meredith turned the wheel and drove carefully down the street.

Water streamed down the hill on either side of the roadway, and Meredith didn't take her eyes off the road as she responded. "Kinda makes yesterday seem like a distant memory."

"Oh geez, yeah. The fires. Well if terrorists wanted terror, I guess they got it."

"You suppose they've got a great big weather machine socked away in a mountain somewhere?" Meredith chuckled as she reached the end of her parent's street, flicking on her turn signal to make a left out of the neighborhood. There wasn't another car in sight. She made the turn, staying alert and keeping an eye out for any hazards. With over three hundred sunny days per year, Arizona didn't afford many opportunities to practice driving in the rain, and Meredith felt out of her element.

Vi was quiet for a few seconds, allowing Meredith to concentrate on her driving. Then as she gazed out through the rain streaked window, she said, "Do you think your parents would be cool if I stayed over again tonight?"

Meredith hazarded a glance at Vi, and saw that her friend looked drawn and unhappy. It was a rare glimpse into the emotions that Vi usually masked with sarcasm and humor. "I'm sure they would love to have you." She patted Vi on the knee.

Vi looked down at Meredith's hand and then over to her face, plastering on a bright smile. "Good! If they're especially unlucky, I might even offer to cook."

Guessing at the source of Vi's sadness, Meredith asked, "Have you talked to your parents today?"

"Nope. They haven't called," Vi replied briskly.

It was clear to Meredith that Vi didn't want to talk about it, but Meredith pressed on. "Well have you called them?"

"Why should I have to call them? You'd think they'd be worried enough about their only daughter to call _me_."

Meredith fell silent, slowing the car to a stop at a red light. The windshield wipers swished furiously against the rain soaked windshield, and they seemed especially loud as the car idled at the intersection. Finally Meredith said, "Mom and Dad don't know it, but we're bringing home cats."

Vi burst out laughing, releasing the tension in the car. "Oh my God, your parents hate cats."

Meredith smirked. "I know."

They giggled as the light turned green and Meredith accelerated through the intersection. Soon they were pulling into the parking lot of the clinic, and as Meredith had imagined, it was completely flooded. The clinic was in a strip mall at the far side of the lot, and she was glad to have the tall and powerful truck to slog through the water. As she navigated through the deserted parking lot, Meredith enjoyed watching the water spray up in waves on either side of the truck.

Pulling up to the front door of the clinic, the truck stood in water that was over a foot deep. It spilled over the curb and pressed against the plate glass storefront of the office. Water seeped under the front door, and Meredith wondered how far it had encroached into the veterinary clinic.

Meredith opened the door and frowned at the floodwater at her feet. She was still wearing the jeans she'd put on earlier, and she was wearing her good sneakers. Decided, she quickly shucked off her shoes and socks and rolled up her jeans to her knees. Then she plunged into the cold water barefoot, sucking in a breath as her skin came into contact with the frigid rainwater. On the other side of the truck, Vi was following suit.

They hurried and ducked under the overhang of the strip mall's roof, and Meredith pulled firmly on the front door of the clinic. The door sloshed through the water at their feet, and Meredith could see that the entire waiting room was under at least an inch of water. The parrot, Mike, squawked from inside the cage that resided in the lobby.

She greeted the bird and then called toward the back, "Hey, I'm here."

"In the back!" Dr. Whitney's voice came from the rear of the clinic, where there were kennels set up for animals that stayed overnight. Meredith carefully stepped through the waiting area, worried that she would slip on the wet linoleum. The water squelched between her bare toes, and she left wet footprints in the hall where the water had not yet reached. From somewhere in the clinic, Meredith could hear a cat yowling miserably.

On her way to the back room, Meredith passed the four exam rooms, two on each side. She glanced into each room as she walked past, looking for anything of interest. She spotted Sammy, the small black office cat, huddled on top of the upper cabinets in one of the rooms, looking thoroughly ticked off. She pointed the cat out to Vi. "Do you feel up to trying to get her down? I'll come back with a carrier for her."

Vi nodded and veered into the room, crooning at the cat. "Hello, Sammy, girl. Do you remember your Auntie Vi? Here, kitty, kitty."

Meredith left Vi to her task and continued to the back room. Dr. Whitney was in the process of stuffing another cat into a carrier. The cat was a large white Maine Coon, and it was resisting captivity with all of its twenty-two pounds of might. This was the cat responsible for the yowling that Meredith had heard from the front of the clinic, which it interspersed with angry hisses.

Quickly, Meredith grabbed the cat's front and back feet and held it firmly in the carrier while Dr. Whitney closed the door. At the last second, Meredith yanked her hands out so the doctor could latch it shut.

"Thanks," he said. "This is Sabrina. She's your other charge."

_Oh shit._ "Charming, isn't she?" Meredith said weakly. Her parents were not going to be happy.

Dr. Whitney chuckled. "I'm sure she's just out of her element. Once she gets to know you, she'll be fine."

Meredith frowned skeptically. "I hope you're right."

From within the cat carrier, Sabrina growled ominously.

Shrugging off her misgivings, Meredith said, "Sammy's in Exam 2. My friend Vi is trying to get her down. Where's her carrier?"

Once Sammy was safely stowed in her own carrier next to Sabrina, Vi and Meredith followed Dr. Whitney's instructions as they readied the remaining animals for transport. There were two dogs, including the puppy with parvo, a pregnant gerbil, and the parrot. The puppy was the biggest challenge, because he needed to be kept on an IV to stay hydrated. Dr. Whitney planned to take all of the remaining animals home.

Soon, all the animals were situated in Dr. Whitney's dark blue Ford Escape, which was parked behind the clinic, and Meredith and Vi were able to take the cats out through the front to their own vehicle. As they walked back through the clinic, Meredith noted that the floodwater had come farther into the building, and it was now soaking the base of the front desk cabinetry and coming down the hall. Dr. Whitney was following them with some food and litter box supplies.

"Do you think we should get sandbags or something?" Meredith asked.

"Let's focus on taking care of our patients," Dr. Whitney responded, not unkindly.

Meredith nodded and stepped through the front door. "Well, let me know if you need anything else, okay?"

The rain still came down steadily, and Meredith saw that they would need to leave soon or risk being stranded in the flooded parking lot. They quickly put the cats and supplies on the back seat of the truck and then jumped into the cab themselves. Waving at Dr. Whitney, Meredith kicked her shoes out of the way and started the truck, pulling out slowly to keep from spraying him.

Vi remained silent while Meredith drove carefully through the parking lot. The cats, frightened at being taken away from the clinic, started to meow pathetically in the back seat. Meredith tried to ignore them as she concentrated on her driving.

The truck entered a depression in the asphalt, and the floodwater came up to the lower edge of the doors of the truck. They both held their breath nervously until they reached a shallower spot. Meredith turned to Vi and said with a guilty smile, "No need to mention that to my dad."

"You think?"

They both sighed with relief when Meredith pulled up out of the parking lot and back onto the street, which was rain-soaked, but not flooded. Irritated at being ignored, the cats' meowing increased in pitch and intensity. Adding to the cacophony, Meredith's cell phone started ringing in her pocket. She let it ring, and continued driving, looking forward to getting back to her parents' house and out of the horrible weather.

To take her mind off the stress of the noisy car ride, Meredith thought about how she would use the remaining hours in the afternoon. In her mind, she planned where to put the cats' food and water dishes, along with their litter box, in the guest room at her parents' house. She wondered how her parents would react to their feline visitors.

Meredith looked at the clock on the dash and saw that it was already four-thirty. She realized the only things she'd had to eat that day were coffee and antacid tablets, though she still wasn't hungry. Her stomachache had robbed her of any appetite she might have had, and she wasn't sure she would want to eat dinner, either.

After an uneventful ride home, Meredith once again pulled into the driveway at her parents' house. She reached up and pressed the button to open the garage, and then pulled inside.

Rob and Amelia came through kitchen door and out to the garage as Meredith was climbing down from the truck. Rob's eyes darted around the truck, surreptitiously inspecting it for dents or dings. Amelia was more curious about the animals inside the truck, and she walked over and peered into the back seat.

Upon seeing the cats, her lips pressed into a thin line, looking at Meredith disapprovingly. "Did you know it would be cats?"

Meredith smiled ruefully. "I might have had advance notice, yes."

"And you knew that if you told us the truth, we would say no," she surmised angrily.

Meredith nodded, saying defensively, "If you didn't have such a ridiculous and unfounded hatred of cats, I wouldn't have had to."

While Meredith and Amelia argued, Vi retrieved one of the cat carriers and the bag of cat food and proceeded into the house.

Rob came and stood next to Amelia. "It's our house, and if we don't want cats here, you need to respect that. We don't appreciate being lied to and manipulated."

"Well it's too late, now." Meredith pulled open the back door of the truck and picked up the other cat carrier, while Rob and Amelia both glared at her darkly.

"Three days, Meredith," Amelia said. "They can stay three days, and that's it."

"That's ridiculous! There's no way the clinic will reopen by then," Meredith protested. Inside the cat carrier, Sammy, sensing the tension, had wisely stopped her lamentations. Meredith was glad her parents hadn't witnessed the worst of the wailing.

"Well, you should have thought of that before you lied," Rob chimed in. "If you'd been straight with us, we might have said yes, for all you know."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right." She let out an exasperated huff and headed into the house, annoyed with her parents' close-mindedness. She carried Sammy into the guest room, where Vi had taken Sabrina as well. Inside her cat carrier, Sabrina had calmed down, which Meredith was grateful for. She closed the door behind her and set the other cat carrier on the bed, sitting down next to it. "That was less fun in real life than I had imagined it in my head," she observed.

"So now would be a bad time to tell your dad that we almost drowned the truck?" Vi asked facetiously.

Meredith chuckled and reached over to open the door of Sammy's cat carrier. Vi followed suit, and the freed cats cautiously started to poke their way out into their new surroundings. Sammy padded across the bed and shoved her head under Meredith's hand, demanding to be petted. Meredith indulged her happily, scratching under her chin, while Sammy nuzzled her hand and purred loudly.

Sabrina turned and hissed at Sammy before jumping down onto the floor with a heavy _thump_. She sniffed the floor curiously, and then wedged her large body underneath the bed. Meredith stood up, saying, "We should keep them in here for now. I'm going to go get the rest of their stuff."

Twenty minutes later, the litter box was set up on the floor in the closet and their filled food and water dishes were set out on the floor against one of the walls. The cat carriers were stowed on the shelf in the closet, and the cats had disappeared to their respective hidey-holes in the room. Not anxious to face her parents again, and with her stomach still bothering her, Meredith lay down on the bed.

Vi went out to the kitchen and offered to help with dinner, which was fine with Meredith. She wanted a little time to herself to think over the day's events. Sammy jumped back up onto the bed from wherever she had been hiding and lay down on top of Meredith's legs, settling in and closing her eyes contentedly. Meredith found the warmth of the cat's furry weight comforting. She petted the cat absentmindedly as she wondered if the rain would ever let up.

Suddenly she remembered her unanswered cell phone call, and she shifted to one side to dig the phone out of her pocket. Miffed, Sammy jumped off her lap and onto the floor, disappearing behind the partially open closet door.

Meredith saw that she had a voicemail from Miguel, and she realized that she had completely forgotten about her dinner with him. She dialed his number without listening to his message. When he didn't pick up, she entered the code to listen to his voicemail.

"Hey Meredith, it's me." His voice sounded strained, and there was a lot of noise in the background of his message. "I hope you get this message soon, because I could really use your help. I was coming home from work and got in an accident. I'm fine, but my car isn't drivable. I got a ride to the shop with the tow truck, but I need a ride home. Call me back as soon as you can. Bye."

Meredith glanced at the time, seeing that it was now well after five. He'd left the message almost an hour before. She tried calling him again, leaving a message when his machine picked up. She worried that Miguel was deliberately avoiding her call, since it was rare for him to not answer his phone.

Trying to shake off her feeling of foreboding, Meredith rose from the bed, walking out to join everyone out in the living room. She carefully closed the door behind her so the cats wouldn't get out of the bedroom.

On her way down the hall, she detoured into the bathroom for another dose of antacids. She didn't bother looking in the mirror, figuring that she probably was looking worse for the wear. "No need to depress myself further," she muttered. She washed the antacids down with a few gulps of cool water from the sink and then left the room.

In the living room, Amelia and Vi sat on the couch while Rob reclined in an armchair, sipping a glass of red wine. The TV was turned on to the news, though everyone looked up when she walked in.

"Hon, you're not looking so good," Vi observed.

Meredith made a face. "Yeah, I don't feel that great. I think I might be coming down with something." She sat down on the floor in front of Amelia, who reflexively started running her fingers through Meredith's hair. Meredith leaned back and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of her mother's fingernails on her scalp.

"Well, stay away from me," Rob said, leaning away. "I don't want to catch whatever it is you've got."

"Your empathy is overwhelming," Meredith said sarcastically, without opening her eyes.

Amelia smiled but said with a chastening tone, "Go easy, Mere. Getting sick at our age is a different story from getting sick at your age."

Meredith flicked her hand in the air dismissively. "Fair enough." She opened her eyes and sat upright again, looking at the TV. "Any new news?"

"Nope, except now they've moved on to trying to figure out who to blame," Vi replied.

"Hmm. That didn't take long."

"It never does," Rob added, standing up. He went into the kitchen and refilled his wine glass. "Anyone want some vino?" he offered.

"Sure, I'll have some, Mr. C." Vi sprang up and joined him in the kitchen, pulling out a wine glass from the correct cupboard and handing it to him to fill. She knew her way around the kitchen as well as anyone else in the family.

Having a few moments to themselves, Meredith said, "Hey Mom, I'm sorry about the cats. I just have a soft spot for anything with fur."

"Or scales, or feathers," Amelia said with a smile. "Thank you for apologizing, sweetie. I'm serious about the three days, though. Got it?"

Meredith nodded glumly, pulling her knees toward her chest in response to a stomach cramp. "Ugh, my stomach hates me right now."

"Did you get your flu shot?"

"Yes, like a month ago."

"What have you had to eat today?" Amelia reached around and laid a cool hand on Meredith's forehead. She shook her head slightly, as if to say, _No fever._

"Uh, not really anything. Coffee. I've just had no appetite with this stomachache," Meredith explained.

Amelia swung her leg up over Meredith's head and stood up. "Well maybe you need to get something besides coffee in your system, hon. I'm going to make you some toast."

"Okay," Meredith agreed pathetically. She turned her body and rested her forehead on one of the couch cushions just as Vi came back with her full glass of wine.

Vi scoffed at Meredith as she sat down. "Milking it for all it's worth, huh?"

Meredith smiled abashedly into the couch cushion; Vi was right. It was nice being taken care of by her mom, even as an adult. Her voice was muffled as she replied, "You're just jealous." Suddenly she remembered their earlier conversation about Vi's parents, and she looked up at her friend guiltily.

Vi, understanding Meredith's look, replied, "It's okay. I'm doing just fine." She reached up and petted her wine glass, making a purring sound.

Meredith laughed, and then more seriously said, "Promise me you'll call your folks tomorrow if you haven't talked to them by then."

Vi's face looked rebellious.

Before she could say no, Meredith added, "Whatever is happening in the world is bigger than your pride, Vi."

A host of emotions played across Vi's face as she moved from denial to anger and then to reluctant agreement. "Okay, fine. But only if you will shut up about it." She smiled at Meredith to soften her last remark.

Meredith grinned and changed the subject. She told Vi about Miguel's message and how he hadn't answered his phone. Just as she finished talking, Amelia came back into the room with the toast.

Amelia handed the plate to Meredith as Vi peered over and looked at the snack. "Uh oh," she quipped. "You forgot to cut the crusts off."

Meredith rolled her eyes and took a bite of the toast, which was whole wheat with strawberry jam, her favorite. The snack tasted delicious, and she realized that she actually was quite hungry. She quickly devoured the toast, and then held the plate out for Amelia. At Amelia's irritated look, Meredith grinned with a mixture of guilt and hope in her expression, lifting her shoulders slightly.

"I'm not a maid," Amelia stated disapprovingly.

"I know, Mom, but I'm an invalid. Please?" She wiggled the plate gently in her outstretched hand.

Amelia sighed and took the plate, returning to the kitchen.

Meredith caught Vi's eye as her friend scoffed. "You disgust me," Vi said with a soft chuckle.

Meredith shrugged, unconcerned with her friend's evaluation, and returned to their previous conversation. "Do you think Miguel is avoiding my call?"

"How should I know? Maybe his phone is dead. Maybe he can't hear it because he's busy walking home. In the rain. Probably without a coat. Or shoes."

"Way to make me feel better," Meredith grumbled.

Later, after a dinner of cold ham sandwiches and promises to go grocery shopping tomorrow, the girls retired to the guest room to keep the cats company. As they entered the room, Meredith could see the silhouette of one of the cats on the windowsill, and a dark blob was curled up next to the pillows on the bed.

Vi flicked on the light, and the cats blinked at them in protest. Sabrina jumped down from the window and scuttled under the bed, while Sammy remained where she was, yawning widely. Meredith sat down on the bed next to Sammy, who meowed sleepily in welcome. "Hi sweet kitty," Meredith crooned, stroking the cat's glossy black fur.

Vi crouched down on the floor and lifted up the dust ruffle, peering into the darkness under the bed. "Come on out, cat," she commanded, matter-of-factly. Sabrina lay down against the wall under the center of the bed. Vi reached an arm under and tried to grab her, but she was just out of reach. The large cat tapped her tail impatiently, as Vi continued, "Come on you worthless sack of fur. I'm going to pet you!"

"Wow, you silver-tongued devil," Meredith observed sarcastically. "It's a wonder she can resist your charms."

Vi stood up. "I can be very persuasive," she countered. "Would you mind getting off the bed for a moment?"

Meredith obliged her, pulling Sammy into her arms. The black cat snuggled against Meredith's neck and purred loudly in her ear.

Vi bent down and gave the bed a firm shove, moving it away from the wall. Quickly, she reached down and grabbed Sabrina, hauling her up onto the bed before she had a chance to run away. "Got you!" She grinned and looked up at Meredith. "See? Persuasive."

Sabrina lashed her tail back and forth, yowling in protest. "Oh shut up," Vi said, holding the cat in place with one hand while petting her with the other. The cat continued to squirm and hiss, attempting to escape from Vi's firm grasp.

"Try under her chin," Meredith said suddenly.

Vi reached around and scratched the underside of the cat's chin. Sabrina immediately relaxed her body and arched her neck back, allowing Vi full access. She began to rumble with a deep purr, and Vi smiled happily. "There you go, kitty. That's the spot, eh?" Then to Meredith she asked, "How'd you know she liked her chin to be scratched?"

"I don't know," Meredith said distractedly. "Lots of cats like to be scratched under the chin."

After that, Sabrina warmed up to both of them considerably, and they spent an hour or so chatting and playing with the cats. Meredith decided to go to bed early, since she still felt tired and queasy.

Scowling at the flimsy nightgown that VI had packed for her, she decided to wear some of her father's athletic shorts and a tee shirt to bed. That was more her speed.

As she was snuggling in under the covers to sleep, Sammy curled up next to her on her pillow. Meredith smiled, happy that the cat would be her little companion for the night. After giving the cat a few scratches behind the ears, sleep overcame her.

# Chapter 6

It was still dark in the bedroom when Meredith opened her eyes again. Her stomach continued to ache, and she figured the pain was what had woken her up. She resolved to get herself a midnight snack of more antacids and toast.

Meredith folded the blanket back, careful not to wake Vi. The night air was cold and uninviting, and she hated to leave her warm cocoon. As she stood up, the nagging pain in her stomach deepened into a gut-twisting cramp. Gritting her teeth, she doubled over, clutching at her midsection. After a moment, the pain receded and Meredith walked gingerly from the guest room and into the hall bathroom, flicking on the light.

She splashed her face with water and looked at herself in the mirror. Her complexion was sallow, and her normally clear eyes looked bloodshot and tired. She felt physically weakened, like she wanted to sleep for years on end.

Her stomach cramped again, and Meredith squeezed her eyes shut, seeing stars. Her knuckles were white from gripping the edge of the counter so tightly. The pain was all encompassing, and she sank to her knees while tears streamed down her cheeks from the corners of her closed eyes.

Once again, the cramp receded, leaving Meredith feeling weak and hollow. The last time she had felt pain this intense was when she had had a ruptured appendix, a few years earlier. Thinking of that, she fingered one of the small scars on her abdomen. She pulled herself back up to a standing position using the bathroom counter as a brace; her knees wobbled for a moment, and then held.

Quietly, she made her way down the hall to the master bedroom as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She pushed the door open and went into the room, hoping that she wouldn't trip over anything. As she walked toward the bed, another cramp tore at her gut, and she cried out as she fell to the floor. Reflexively, she pulled her knees up toward her chest while she lay on her side, gasping for breath as the pain overwhelmed her.

In the bed, Amelia sat up and pulled the chain on her bedside lamp, bathing the room in soft light. "Meredith? Sweetheart?" Alarmed, she leapt from the bed and knelt at Meredith's side.

As the cramp released its tension, Meredith felt as if all the energy were draining from her body along with it. "I'm really sick, Mom," she managed weakly.

"I can see that, sweetie."

"I need to go to the hospital. I think I'm dying. Or at the very least, I want to die." She offered a small smile to combat the stricken expression on Amelia's face.

"Rob, wake up," Amelia commanded toward the bed.

Sleepily, Rob sat up and stared confusedly at the two women on the floor at the foot of the bed.

"Can you walk?" Amelia asked.

Meredith nodded and started to sit up, but another cramp took hold. Amelia pulled Meredith's head into her lap and stroked her hair as tears streamed down Meredith's face, soaking Amelia's flannel pajamas. Normally a grin-and-bear it sort of girl when it came to pain, Meredith felt helpless under the onslaught. A small whimper escaped her as she tried to distance her mind from the agony that wracked her body.

When the cramp passed, Meredith said, "We need to hurry. They're getting worse."

Rob already had his shoes and coat on, and he and Amelia helped Meredith to get up off the floor. Once Meredith had found her footing, she and Rob headed down the hall toward the car while Amelia threw on some flip-flops and grabbed her purse.

The car ride to the hospital was grim, peppered by bouts of cramping that Meredith was powerless to ignore, leaving her sobbing uncontrollably. Amelia sat in the backseat with her, stroking her hair and murmuring while shooting worried looks to Rob in the rear-view mirror.

At last they arrived at the emergency entrance to the hospital. Rob pulled up to the curb in front of the double doors, and Amelia and Meredith went inside to sign in while Rob went to park the car. The waiting room was packed with people, which wasn't surprising, given the weather.

The triage nurse at the front desk took their information and gestured to the overcrowded waiting room before moving on to the next patient. There were no empty seats to be had, so they made their way over to a wall where at least they could lean or sit on the floor while staying out of the way.

As they walked, Amelia leaned in closer to Meredith. "Listen honey, I know you're in a lot of pain."

Meredith nodded.

"Sometimes when someone is _obviously_ in a lot of pain, they'll let you cut the line for pain killers. Got it?"

Meredith gave her a blank look.

"Make a lot of noise, Mere. They'll give you drugs just to shut you up."

Comprehension dawned on Meredith just as another cramp started to twist apart her insides. Instead of trying to hold in her pain as she had before, she let it all out in a loud groan that caused everyone in the room to turn and stare at her. As the pain intensified, she sank down onto the floor against the wall, shrieking all the while. She found that releasing the sound actually helped her to cope with the anguish that consumed her. It was something she could focus on, something she could _do_ , in response to the pain.

After the cramp faded back into the now-familiar ache, a nurse came over to them and told them that she was authorized to give Meredith something for pain management while they waited. Meredith and Amelia's eyes met, and Amelia stifled a smug smile.

"That would be great," Meredith said breathily.

"Come with me, then," the nurse said. She was an older woman with closely cropped iron gray hair. She wasn't overweight, but she seemed stocky, like a miniature tank. Standing, Meredith was an entire head and shoulders taller than the no-nonsense nurse.

Leaving Amelia in the waiting room, Meredith followed the nurse through a door and down a hallway littered with gurneys and other medical supplies.

Once they were ensconced in a small exam room, the nurse prepared a syringe. "Is there any chance you could be pregnant?" she asked.

"Definitely not," Meredith responded.

The nurse scrutinized her face, as if trying to decide whether Meredith told the truth. After a brief pause, she said, "I'm going to give you morphine, which will probably affect you one of two ways."

Meredith nodded, waiting for the nurse to continue.

"Either way, you'll feel a lot better. Some people who take it get very chatty, and others get pretty nauseated. Let's hope you're the chatty type. Just in case you're not though, I'm going to give you some anti-nausea medication to go with it. Do you have any allergies to medication that you know of?"

"No," Meredith said. The nurse's nametag said, _Eleanor_.

"Okay, then." Eleanor held the syringe up at eye level and tapped it before pushing out the air bubbles. A small amount of the clear liquid squirted out of the syringe and onto the tile floor. "I'm gonna put this in your thigh, so I need you to pull the leg of your shorts up. You'll feel a poke, okay? But nothing like those stomach cramps. Ready?"

Meredith did as she was told and tried to focus on something other than the needle that was being shoved into her leg. As Eleanor bent over, Meredith caught a glimpse of a necklace that the nurse was wearing under her shirt. It had an unusual red stone pendant that was about the size of an acorn. The stone was a deep scarlet, with even darker veins of burgundy throughout. The setting was simple, a plain silver chain with a delicate claw that curled around the polished stone.

"All done," Eleanor said gruffly, handing Meredith a little paper cup of water and a second paper cup with a pill in it. "Now take this for the nausea, and when you're ready you can head back out to the waiting room."

"That's an interesting necklace you have on," Meredith said. "What kind of stone is that?"

Eleanor's steely gray eyes met Meredith's cool blue ones. The nurse regarded her curiously for a moment before saying, "I wouldn't know. I found it at a garage sale." Eleanor gestured to the cups in Meredith's hands. "Now, bottoms up." With that she gathered up her paperwork and left Meredith alone in the exam room.

Meredith downed the nausea medication just as another cramp came on. She lay down on the exam table until it had passed, and then she went back out to the waiting room. Rob had joined Amelia next to the wall, and they both looked at her expectantly when she walked up to them.

"They gave me some morphine, but it hasn't kicked in yet," Meredith told them.

"Well give it twenty minutes. Hopefully by then you'll be a new woman and we can figure out what's going on," Rob said.

As Rob predicted, once the medicine started working on her, Meredith found the cramps uncomfortable but manageable. As they sat waiting in the crowded lobby, the sun's rays started to peek through the glass double doors at the entrance. Slowly, seats started to empty as patients were seen, and Meredith and her parents were able to relocate from the floor to a small bank of seats in a corner next to a stack of outdated gossip magazines and a fake ficus tree.

Meredith wished that she had remembered to grab her cell phone before leaving the house; playing games would have helped to pass the time. She couldn't even call Vi to let her know where they were, since she didn't know her friend's phone number by heart. She sat quietly, playing with one of the plastic leaves that had fallen from the ficus tree. She twirled it around in her fingers and folded it in a number of different ways. It always sprang back into its original shape.

Next to her, Amelia thumbed through one of the magazines. She let out a surprised gasp when she read that a well-known actress had gotten married, showing the story to Meredith.

"And then she got divorced, six months ago," Meredith updated her.

"Oh," Amelia said, put out. She returned the magazine to the little table next to their chairs. She was quiet for a moment, gazing out the windows at the front of the waiting room. "Hey, it's stopped raining."

Meredith and Rob both turned to look out. It had indeed stopped raining, though the sky was still gray and overcast in the early morning light. They all looked out in silence, contemplating the weather more seriously than they had ever done previously in their lives. Was it just a break in the storm, or did it signify better news?

"Do you think everyone was freaking out over nothing?" Meredith asked hopefully. She was beginning to feel a bit giddy, and thought she might be one of the "chatty types" that the nurse had mentioned.

"Well, I'm not sure it's over nothing, sweetheart," Rob said, patting her on the arm and smiling ruefully. "Our world is changing whether we like it or not."

"That's it, I'm moving to Mars," Meredith joked. She giggled at her own humor while Rob chuckled politely.

From across the room, a nurse called out Meredith's name.

"Finally," Meredith said loudly as she stood up. One of the other waiting patients looked up at her curiously. "I'm here for a boob job, how 'bout you?" She laughed at her own joke again and threaded her way through the rows of chairs to where the nurse was standing. Amelia and Rob exchanged an embarrassed look and followed close behind, smiling apologetically at the other patient as they walked past.

The nurse asked Meredith a bunch of questions about her medical history, weighed her, and took her blood pressure. Then Meredith was led to a curtained area with a bed and a chair, surrounded by numerous machines. There was a hospital gown folded up on the foot of the bed, along with a thin white blanket.

The nurse handed her a clear plastic bag that had the words "Personal Belongings" printed on the side. "Go ahead and get undressed and put all your stuff in here. The doctor will be in to see you shortly."

Amelia and Rob waited outside the curtained area while Meredith changed. After she was settled on the bed with the blanket draped over her lower half for modesty, Meredith called them in. Amelia sat in the chair while Rob leaned against the foot of the bed.

The nurse who had given Meredith the morphine, Eleanor, pulled aside the curtain and stepped into the makeshift room. "Did the morphine help? You feeling better?"

Meredith smiled broadly. "I'm feeling great."

"I can see that," Eleanor said without a smile. "Why don't you tell me some more about why you're here this morning?"

"Well, I had a stomach ache all day yesterday, and then this morning it started cramping really bad," Meredith described. It seemed that the morphine had also robbed her of her advanced vocabulary skills, which she found amusing. She chuckled softly to herself.

"Okay, so on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate the pain you felt?"

"Well that's a toughie. Assuming ten is 'my face is on fire', and one is 'I have to burp', I'm going to say an eight. Maybe a seven? No, an eight. Definitely an eight. Am I being graded on this?"

Eleanor didn't respond, simply writing the number down on Meredith's chart. Still looking at the clipboard, she asked, "How would you rate your pain now?"

Meredith rested a hand on her chin and looked toward the ceiling. "Um, I would say a three, which is _way_ better than an eight. So, thank you for the drugs. Seriously. Not that I'm a drug-seeker, 'cause I'm not. But I feel better, so thanks."

Amelia and Rob looked aghast at their seemingly drunk daughter. Taking in their concerned expressions, Eleanor said, "This is a normal reaction to morphine, so just enjoy it and take lots of video." She smiled for the first time, and the expression seemed unnatural on her broad face.

Meredith's parents chuckled and relaxed visibly.

Turning back to Meredith, Eleanor asked, "Can you show me where you feel the most pain?"

Meredith gestured toward her midsection, saying, "But it's not my appendix. I had that taken out a couple of years ago 'cause it looked at me funny."

Ignoring the joke, Eleanor continued, "Okay, well there are a lot of different reasons why you could be hurting right now. I'm going to give you some contrast dye to drink, and then the doc wants us to take some pictures to see what's going on in there. Sound like a plan?"

Meredith nodded and Eleanor left, returning after a moment with a Styrofoam cup full of blue liquid. A straw bobbed up and down in the cup. Meredith looked at the concoction dubiously.

"It's Gatorade with the contrast dye in it, so it'll taste a little metallic," Eleanor explained. "Drink it all up, and we'll be back soon to take you back for your scan."

Meredith took a sip of the drink, making a sour face. "Ugh, it tastes awful," she whined. She took a deep breath and then drank the rest of the cup down in several large gulps, getting it over with.

"Good girl," Eleanor said. "Now don't eat or drink anything else." She took the empty cup from Meredith and left them alone.

A little while later, a hospital worker came in and showed them how to use the TV that pulled out on an arm from the wall. He told them it could be an hour wait for the scan, and to make themselves comfortable. Rob decided to go home and get changes of clothes for himself and Amelia, and Meredith asked him to get her cell phone as well.

After he left, Amelia fished around in her purse and pulled out a small spiral bound notebook and a pen. She thought for a moment and then drew something on a blank page, holding it up for Meredith to see.

Meredith smiled. Her mother had drawn out a game of Hangman, which was a game they used to play in various waiting rooms when Meredith was younger. The puzzle Amelia had drawn had two words, four and five letters long. Meredith guessed a few letters, earning some filled spaces along with a head and shoulders dangling from the stick gallows. After a few more tries, she guessed the puzzle. "This sucks!" She said triumphantly, laughing.

Amelia grinned and handed Meredith the notebook. "Your turn."

They went back and forth, playing several more rounds of the familiar game while they waited. After a while, an orderly came in with a wheelchair to take Meredith for her scan. The morphine had started to wear off, so Meredith began to feel increasingly uncomfortable again as she was wheeled away.

For the test, Meredith lay down on a slab that moved her inside a long tube. The technician told her to lie perfectly still for the scan, which Meredith found very difficult to do as her stomach cramped intensely. Fortunately, she was only in the machine for a few minutes, and then she was taken back to the curtained area where Amelia waited.

Back in the bed, Meredith wished they would come back with more morphine for her. She closed her eyes and lay silently, hoping she might fall asleep or have some other escape from the pain.

As if she had read Meredith's mind, Eleanor came back into the room to check on her. "How are you doing, pain-wise?"

Meredith gave her a weak I'm-trying-to-be-a-trooper smile. "Not so great."

"Well we don't want that. Let me check with the doc to see if I can make you more comfortable. Have they come to get you for your scan yet?"

Meredith nodded, closing her eyes and clamping down her jaw in response to another wave of pain.

"Good. The doc should be able to have a look at the pictures shortly, and then she will come in to talk to you." Eleanor turned to leave, but changed her mind after taking another glance at Meredith's drawn face. She added, "It's good you came in. We'll take good care of you."

After Eleanor left, Amelia commented, "I wonder if that's the warmest thing she's ever said."

Meredith snickered through the ache in her stomach, and then said, "Don't make me laugh, it hurts!"

"Well, I'll take competent over friendly any day," Amelia concluded.

Eleanor came back and placed an IV in Meredith's wrist so they could keep her hydrated and administer more pain medications as needed, and shortly after that, Rob returned with Vi in tow. This was the third day in a row that Meredith had seen her friend without her typical pin-up girl make-up, and seeing Vi clean and fresh-faced reminded her again of their younger days.

Vi came to the side of the bed and tousled Meredith's hair. "Your hair looks like a rat's nest," she teased.

"I know that hurting me is how you show your love," Meredith responded, with an overly affectionate, sickeningly sweet smile. The pain medication was working, and Meredith was once again feeling loopy.

Vi settled into the chair next to the bed while Rob and Amelia left in search of the hospital cafeteria, as they had been up for hours without a drop of coffee.

"So that was weird waking up alone in your parents' house," Vi remarked conversationally, tossing Meredith's cell phone onto the bed. She pulled a zip lock baggie of dry Cheerios out of her purse and popped one into her mouth with a little _crunch_.

"Yeah, sorry about that. We kind of forgot about you in the throes of me _dying_ and all."

"You don't look dead to me." _Crunch._

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Try not to sound too disappointed."

Vi gave her a brilliant smile and tossed another Cheerio into her mouth.

Meredith checked her cell phone and saw that she hadn't missed any calls. She resolved not to call Miguel again, considering that she had already tried twice. Now the ball was in his court.

They sat conversing for a while until they were interrupted by yet another hospital worker coming into their curtained area. He was a tall, heavyset man in his mid-forties, with sandy brown hair and eyes the exact same color. "Hello, I'm here to take you back for another scan." He smiled broadly at Meredith before continuing. "This one's going to take just a little bit longer," he then said, turning to Vi. "Now would be a good time for a trip to the cafeteria or something, if you want."

Meredith swung her legs off the bed, doing her best to keep herself covered as she did so. Matters were complicated by the fact that her hand was connected by a long tube to an IV stand. With the hospital worker's help, she managed to get herself settled in the wheelchair without getting tangled up in the IV tube. Meredith tugged at the bottom of the too-short hospital gown, and once again draped the blanket over her bare legs, ready to go.

The man pushed Meredith down a long hallway and past a nurses' station, where two doctors and a nurse were standing together intently discussing a patient chart. They all looked up and fell silent as Meredith was wheeled by, and she could feel three sets of eyes following her down the hall. _That was weird_ , she thought to herself.

The second scan was much like the first; she lay down on a long table that inserted her into a tube. The machine was extremely loud, and the technician gave her some headphones so that she could listen to the radio while she was being scanned. For the next twenty minutes, she listened to watered down pop music and overly peppy DJ's, which she supposed was still better than nothing at all.

Back in the curtained area, Vi had pulled out the TV and turned it on to the news. She stared at the little six-inch screen with her mouth slightly open, and she barely looked up when Meredith returned.

"What is it?" Meredith asked as soon as they were alone. While she settled into the bed, Vi turned the TV screen so they could both see it.

Vi muted the TV and caught Meredith up on what she had missed. "Something weird is going on. All the crazies are out in droves shouting that the Day of Judgment is upon us. Although at this point, I almost agree with them."

"What? Why?"

"In the last half hour there have been earthquakes in California, the Indian Ocean, Chile, and a bunch of other places. They weren't huge or anything, but there have never been so many that have happened at the same time before." Vi's face was pale as she shared the news.

Meredith sank back into the pillows on the hospital bed, her eyes glued to the pretty brunette newscaster's silent face. Vi unmuted the program as the newscaster said, "So far the worst of the worldwide earthquakes appears to be in the United States. The California Earthquake Information Center estimates that the earthquake centered approximately 15 miles northeast of San Diego's bustling downtown, shaking commuters as they headed to work at about 9:30 this morning. The Center's assessments give this quake a magnitude of 3.4, though this is a preliminary estimate. Currently, there are no reports of immediate damage. We are now going to our correspondent, Wei Pham, who is in Pasadena with Professor Geoffrey Simonson of the Caltech Seismological Laboratory."

Professor Simonson's face filled the screen. He had a leathery look to him that spoke of countless hours in the sun, and his dress was casual. It was apparent that he hadn't planned to be featured on national television that morning. Meredith and Vi listened as Professor Simonson discussed the unprecedented nature of the worldwide earthquakes, without providing a lot of concrete explanations.

"He's just as stumped as the rest of us are," Meredith said when he was finished.

Vi nodded absently. She seemed lost in thought. Suddenly she sat up straight and gripped the arms of her chair. "Oh shit! Mere, don't you see?"

Startled, Meredith looked at her blankly.

"It started with fire--" Vi began. She was cut off, however, by the curtain being yanked back to reveal a lively looking doctor with startling green eyes.

The doctor had short blonde hair cut into a pixie cut, and she wore brightly patterned scrubs under her white lab coat. She was one of the doctors that Meredith had seen at the nurse's station.

"Hello, hello!" The doctor chirped energetically. "I'm Dr. Sparling."

Vi turned off the TV and pushed it back against the wall, giving the doctor her full attention.

Dr. Sparling looked back and forth between the two women, Meredith in the bed and Vi sitting next to her. "Which one of you is Meredith?" She laughed at her own joke and then said, "Just kidding. I'm assuming Meredith is the one with the glassy look in her eyes?" Her eyes twinkled at Meredith as she reached down and gave Meredith's foot a playful jostle through the blanket.

"Yep, that's me," Meredith said with a friendly tone. She liked the young doctor immediately.

"Well, m'dear, I've had a chance to look at your scans, and I think the best thing we can do for you is admit you into the hospital so we can learn a bit more about what's happening with you." Though Dr. Sparling kept her tone light and conversational, Meredith could tell that it was a veneer.

"Why? What did you see on my scans?" Meredith asked with a sharp stare.

"Well, this really isn't my area of expertise, so I'm going to hand you off to someone far more qualified to treat you." Dr. Sparling smiled and flipped Meredith's chart closed. "Don't get too comfortable here, 'cause we're gonna move you upstairs as soon as someone's available to push you there."

"I can walk."

Dr. Sparling laughed. "You can also trip and fall and sue the pants off of us. No thanks!" Still chortling softly to herself, she left them alone.

Vi scowled. "I am so annoyed that I can't hate her."

Meredith chuckled. "I know, right? Like, can't she just be a bitch for our sakes?"

Just then, Meredith's cell phone rang, and Meredith answered it, seeing that it was her mother calling.

"Hi honey," Amelia said. "They aren't letting us come back to see you. There must be a high-profile patient here, because there are a bunch of reporters in the lobby."

"Oh, what a drag," Meredith said sympathetically. "Well, the doctor just came in and said that they're going to admit me. Once I know what room, I'll call you and let you know."

Meredith hung up the phone and handed it to Vi for safekeeping. "Hey, so what were you going to say before the doctor came in?"

Stowing Meredith's phone in her purse, Vi looked at her contemplatively. "Right. So on Wednesday, there were fires everywhere, you know?" Vi waited for Meredith's assent before continuing. "And then yesterday, it rained all over the world. Super weird." Again Vi waited to ensure that Meredith was following her line of thought. "And now, today, there's a bunch of earthquakes?"

"So you think they're all related."

Vi laughed. "Damned if I know. But, let's say they are. What's the pattern?"

"Fire, water, earth... air!" Meredith exclaimed.

Vi nodded in agreement. "Air."

Surprisingly, Meredith believed her. "So what should we do? It's not like we can issue a tornado warning."

"Why not?"

"Who would believe us, for one thing!"

Vi sighed. "Yeah, they probably wouldn't." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, staring at the floor.

Meredith sat thinking to herself for a moment. Then, somberly she said, "But if we're right... tomorrow we would have to live with knowing that we did nothing."

Vi looked up and her eyes met Meredith's. "Let's let someone else decide to do nothing." Grinning, she dug around in her purse for her cell phone. She found Meredith's first and pulled it out.

After a quick internet search, Vi had the phone number for the National Weather Service. She pressed the phone to her ear as she listened to it ring on the other end. Then, "I think there's going to be tornadoes tomorrow. Can you issue a warning?"

Impatiently, Meredith blurted, "Speaker phone!"

Vi looked down at the phone and turned the speaker on, holding the phone where they could both hear. The man at the other end was saying, "Our weather predictions are based on meteorology, not anonymous tips."

Vi said, "I realize that, but it's part of a pattern--"

Cutting her off, the man said, "We appreciate your feedback, and encourage you to send us email with your suggestions for how we can improve our service. Do you need that email address?"

Vi tried one last time. "Meteorology didn't predict the rain yesterday, did it? What harm is there in issuing a warning? So people hang out in their basements for a while. Big whoop."

"I suggest you head to the library and check out _The Boy Who Cried Wolf_ , and then you'll understand what the 'big whoop' is," he said snidely.

Vi told him where he could stick his book and hung up the phone.

"Vi!" Meredith scolded.

"What? He was an asshole, and he pissed me off." In Vi's mind, this was a perfectly reasonable explanation for the string of curse words that she had lobbed at the man. Her non-apologetic view of the world was one of the things that Meredith loved about her.

Soon after that, Meredith was moved to a private room on the second floor of the hospital, and she called her parents to let them know her room number. She also made sure the nurses knew to let them in, and then happily, with another dose of morphine, she took a nap.

# Chapter 7

When Meredith woke up again, Amelia and Rob were quietly playing a game of cards on the rolling hospital tray while Vi read a book in the chair next to her bed. Rob had taken off his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his plaid shirt, meaning they'd been there for a while.

Noticing that Meredith was awake, Vi closed her book and sat up straighter in her chair. "Man, you were _out_." She grinned and continued, "The nurse has changed your IV bag twice."

"What time is it?" Meredith croaked.

"About six," Amelia answered, turning in her chair at the foot of the bed to face Meredith.

Meredith pushed the button to raise up the back of her bed and looked around. The room that she had been moved to was actually quite spacious for a hospital room. The chair Vi sat in was a recliner covered in a tasteful shade of beige, and there was room at the foot of the bed for the hospital tray and two foldout chairs. To Meredith's right, a door led to what she presumed was a bathroom, and to her left, a door opened out to the hallway. The space on either side of the bed was occupied by various medical paraphernalia and monitoring devices, and she was still attached to the IV, which led to a bag of clear fluid hanging from a metal tree next to the bed.

Meredith was surprised that she had only been asleep for a few hours. She felt as though she had slept for weeks on end. "What have I missed?"

"Nothing, really," Vi said with a bored huff.

Rob stood up from his chair and stretched before saying, "Now that you're awake, I am going to go see if I can find anything out." He deftly stepped around Amelia's chair and left the room. The door hissed as it shut gently behind him.

* * *

Turning left down the hallway, Rob headed for the nurses' station. In the hall, he was surprised to see the nurse, Eleanor, from the emergency room downstairs. He caught her sleeve as she walked by, and she stopped, looking irritated but determined to be patient.

"Yes?" she said. Her whole body was rigid, as if she were going to stalk away at any second. Her eyes darted up and down the hallway, as if she were afraid of being caught off-task.

"Hi, my daughter is the one who was admitted for stomach cramps. Can you tell me what is going on with her case?"

At this, Eleanor seemed to appraise him more thoroughly. "Yes, I know who you are talking about. Has no one come in to talk to you?"

Rob shook his head. "Not since we've been upstairs. Dr. Sparling said they're bringing in a specialist?"

"Well they're probably just waiting for him to get here then," Eleanor returned dismissively. She started to walk away, but Rob cut her off.

"Hey, come on. Nurses always know the scuttlebutt. Off the record, what can you tell me?"

For a moment, Eleanor looked like she would rebuff him again. Her eyes searched his concerned face, and she seemed to make a decision about him. Then, she leaned in and said, "I need a few minutes alone with your daughter. I can't risk talking in front of anyone else. Can you arrange that for me?"

Startled, Rob blurted, "What's wrong with her?"

Eleanor rolled her eyes and then looked meaningfully down the hall at the nurses' station. One of the nurses was coming toward them. In a normal tone of voice, Eleanor said, "I'm sorry, sir. I am a triage nurse, so this isn't my area. I can't really tell you more about your daughter's specific case, but if you'd like, I can send your nurse in to check on you."

The other nurse was passing them now. Rob said, "No, that's all right. I guess we'll keep waiting."

Once the other nurse was out of earshot, Eleanor muttered, "I'll be back in half an hour," and then continued down the hall.

Stunned, Rob turned and shuffled back into Meredith's room where the others were waiting. He wasn't sure what he would tell them, as he hadn't really processed the exchange himself. As he entered, they all looked up expectantly.

"I couldn't find anyone," Rob lied, sinking down into the chair he had vacated only a few minutes before. His mind was working furiously over Eleanor's request to see Meredith alone. What was going on with Meredith? Rob had never before found himself in a position where he questioned whether to trust a health care provider, and here she was asking him to trust her alone above the hospital at large.

He considered what Vi had told them while Meredith was asleep--that it seemed like Dr. Sparling was keeping something from them. Was Dr. Sparling just trying to keep them from worrying overly about Meredith's condition? Or was she hiding something bigger? Furthermore, if Eleanor were some sort of rogue nurse, it seemed unlikely that she would arbitrarily choose to harm Meredith out of all the patients in the hospital.

Something important had to be happening with Meredith specifically; it seemed like the only thing that made sense. On the other hand, there could be good reasons why the doctors weren't being more forthcoming. Perhaps the doctors didn't want to give them misinformation and preferred to wait until they were sure of her diagnosis. He felt trapped in indecision. Should he trust one nurse over the team of doctors who were supposed to care for his baby girl?

"Dad!" Meredith's voice cut through Rob's train of thought.

He looked up at her. "What?"

Meredith laughed. "I can smell your brain burning. What's up?"

"She's had to say your name three times," Amelia added, looking at him with a curious expression.

For a moment, Rob was at a loss for what to say. He wasn't ready to confide in them about Eleanor. Suddenly, something occurred to him. "I was just wondering who the celebrity patient is. I'm going to go down and ask one of the reporters."

"Ooh I hope it's someone good," Vi said, clearly hoping for some delicious gossip.

Rob smiled and left the room again, this time turning right down the hallway. He found the stairs and jogged down them, anxious to discover whether his supposition was correct. Downstairs, he strode purposefully down a long hallway to the front lobby, where the reporters had been camped earlier.

He passed a nurses' station and through a pair of heavy double doors, which clanked loudly shut behind him. In the lobby, a few different news teams were lounging around with bored expressions.

Rob rolled his shoulders back and casually walked over to a cameraman who was leaning against a wall with his camera between his feet. "Hey," Rob said with what he hoped was a friendly smile.

The cameraman gave him a polite nod and went back to picking at a hangnail.

Rob tried again. "Waiting around is the worst, isn't it?"

The cameraman looked up again, confused. "Do I know you?" he asked.

Rob chuckled nervously. "No, no. I'm just making small talk."

"Oh."

Rob decided to just go for it. "How come there are news crews here? Celebrity overdose?" He laughed to show that he was a good-times sort of guy, to say, _Hey, you can tell me, we're buddies!_

The cameraman leaned away slightly, understanding that Rob was there to press him for information. With a resigned sigh, he said, "We got a tip that there is a woman here with an unprecedented medical condition."

Rob's eyebrows knit together. "What is it?"

With an irritated eye roll, the cameraman said, "Do I look like a doctor?"

Noticing their exchange, a handsome reporter standing nearby turned and introduced himself as Nate Dowering, asking, "So are you here visiting a family member?"

Rob could have smiled. The reporter wanted to know if Rob was connected to their story. He decided to play along. "Yes, my daughter is here."

Nate Dowering was smooth, but Rob detected a glint in his ambitious young eyes. Nate said, "Oh, that must be so worrisome."

Rob nodded somberly. Then, "So why are you news guys all here? She'd love to hear if a celebrity is here with her."

The reporter was all affability. "Well, for all we know, the celebrity could be your daughter!" He chuckled, maintaining eye contact and watching Ron's face closely. "We heard there's a girl here who has grown a completely new organ that beats almost like a second heart."

Rob forced his face to remain impassive. "That's not my girl," he said. "Mine's here for pneumonia."

Disappointed, Nate was still persistent. "Oh, well if you hear anything at the nurse's station, make sure you tell me."

They both laughed together, the best of friends, and Rob walked away. He kept his gait deliberately casual, though he wanted to race all the way back to Meredith's room. With such precious information that had been kept from them, Rob was convinced that they should trust Eleanor. He glanced at his wristwatch. He still had ten minutes before Eleanor would be back to talk to Meredith. Plenty of time.

He walked back to the double doors and pulled. They were locked. He looked around and saw a call button on the wall. He pressed it, feeling impatient but hiding it from Nate Dowering, who was still keeping an eye on him with some interest.

The doors opened and Rob walked through them, only to be stopped at the nurse's station. "Hold on, sir." A security guard stepped toward him with a polite but authoritative manner. She was a tall woman with dark black hair slicked back into a bun at the nape of her neck. "We have a high profile patient here in the hospital, and because the media is here, we can't let anyone back here who isn't on the visitors list."

"Oh, well I am here visiting my daughter. My name is Rob Carpenter."

"Great. I just need to see your ID."

Rob reached down automatically to his pocket and found it empty. His heart sank as he realized that he had left both his wallet and cell phone in the pockets of his jacket, which was neatly folded over the back of one of the chairs in Meredith's room. "I left it in my daughter's room. Can you just escort me there so I can show you?" He glanced down at his watch. Down to eight minutes.

The security guard shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't leave this station unattended."

"Okay. Is there a phone I can use to call my wife?" Rob asked impatiently.

"There's a pay phone out in the lobby."

"I don't have my wallet!" Rob cried, exasperated.

The security guard looked sympathetic. "I'm sorry, I can't let you use this phone. It's for the doctors and nurses only."

Frustrated, Rob turned and walked back out to the lobby. His eyes searched the room for someone who might be willing to help him. His gaze came to rest on Nate Dowering, who returned his stare with a small smile. Rob approached him. "Would you believe they won't let me back there now?"

"That's too bad," Nate said with a shake of his head. He ran a hand through his wavy dark blonde hair.

Rob continued, "And I left my cell phone and wallet up there, so I can't even call my wife to let her know. Do you think I might borrow your cell phone to call her?"

"Sure," Nate said with a generous smile. He fished down into his pocket and pulled out a sleek, top-of-the-line phone. He turned it on and navigated to the calling screen before handing it to Rob.

Rob dialed his wife's number and was listening to the second ring when he realized his mistake. He berated himself; now Nate Dowering had Amelia's number. He would have to convince the reporter that they weren't worth remembering. Amelia picked up on the third ring, and Rob explained his predicament. His eyes moved to Nate furtively. How could he tell Amelia to hurry without piquing Nate's interest?

Finally, he said, "You should have Vi come down with you, too. There are some really cool things in the gift shop that I think she'd like."

Amelia's laughter came loudly through the phone. "Honey, have you _met_ Vi? A hospital gift shop is the last place she would buy anything!"

"Well, this one's different. Just bring her. See you soon, okay?" He hung up the phone before Amelia could press him for more information with Nate listening so attentively. He handed the phone back to the reporter, saying, "Thanks so much. I'll be happy to get back with my family."

He started to walk away, when Nate asked, "How old is your daughter?"

"Twenty-three," Rob said. "Thanks again." He stepped away quickly before he could be asked any more questions, and hoped that no damage had been done.

* * *

Back in Meredith's hospital room, Amelia hung up her cell phone. "He wants both Vi and me to go downstairs to look at something in the gift shop."

Vi scoffed. "No thanks, I'm not the teddy bear type."

"Did he say who the celebrity patient is?" Meredith asked.

"No." Amelia looked thoughtful. "He sounded weird on the phone. I think we should just go down there."

Vi looked skeptical, turning to Meredith. "Will you be okay here by yourself?"

Meredith smiled. "Sure. I can watch some TV." To prove her point, she pulled out the television remote that was attached to her bed and pressed the button. The screen that hung in the corner of the room flickered to life, showing the hospital's in-house patient channel.

After Vi and Amelia left, Meredith flicked through the channels on the TV, stopping when she found the news. A building in Thailand had collapsed following the morning earthquakes, killing over three hundred people. She frowned, feeling ashamed. In all the excitement of her own illness, Meredith had pushed the fires, rain, and earthquakes to the back of her mind. She wondered if Vi's prediction would come true the next day, and hoped it wouldn't.

After a few minutes, there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in," Meredith said.

A nurse came in that Meredith hadn't seen before. "Glad to see you're awake," he said cheerfully. "I've got some good news for you!"

Meredith sat up straighter, waiting for him to continue.

"You've been given the all clear to eat something. Isn't that great? The bad news is, it's all clear broth and Jell-O for you until further notice." He gave her a winning smile, and Meredith couldn't help but smile back. His positive mood was contagious. "There's a menu under the phone with the number for the hospital room service," he said, with a sarcastic emphasis on the words _room service_.

Meredith nodded and thanked him as he checked her vitals and offered her more painkillers. She replied, "No, it's not as bad now, and the morphine makes me too loopy."

He smiled and said, "Suit yourself," before sauntering out of the room.

As he was leaving, a doctor came into the room, opening the door wide as she did so. Out in the hallway, Meredith could see the ER nurse from downstairs, Eleanor. Eleanor's eyes met hers with a grave expression before the door closed behind the doctor.

Meredith raised her eyes to the beautiful doctor who stood before her. The woman was tall and looked to be in her mid-forties, with sleek white-blonde hair and icy blue eyes. She had high cheekbones and sophisticated arched eyebrows, giving off an overall air of cool detachment.

"Good afternoon. I am Dr. Wells." Her voice reminded Meredith of cold water running over hard stones. "I hope they've kept you comfortable while you've been waiting for me. I came over here from Phoenix Mercy specifically to help with your... unusual... case."

"I'm sorry, but what exactly is my case? No one has told me anything." Meredith felt frustrated that doctors were being brought in from other hospitals while she was being kept in the dark.

"Oh, you poor dear," Dr. Wells said sympathetically. The display of emotion seemed uncomfortable for her. She sighed briefly and then said, "You have a growth in your abdomen, and we really aren't sure what it is."

Meredith blanched. "Is it cancer?"

Dr. Wells tapped her foot impatiently, and Meredith couldn't help but feel a strong dislike for the woman. With exaggerated patience, Dr. Wells responded, "Like I said, we don't know what it is. At present, it does not appear to be affecting any of the surrounding organs, though we do believe our best course of action will be to remove it. Once we have extracted the growth we can do a biopsy to learn more about it. I've scheduled your operation for eight o'clock tomorrow morning, unless you have any objections."

Meredith shook her head numbly.

Dr. Wells continued, "You might like to know that your friend Dr. Sparling has asked to participate. You must have made quite an impression."

At that piece of news, Meredith did feel better. She liked Dr. Sparling's friendly demeanor and energy, especially as she contrasted it with Dr. Wells's frigid bedside manner. She wondered if Dr. Wells saw her "case" as nothing more than a resume-builder.

After Dr. Wells left, Meredith called room service and ordered some broth, opting for chicken over vegetable. As she hung up the phone, the door to her room opened once again and Eleanor, the austere ER nurse, stepped in, closing the door firmly behind her. Eleanor faced Meredith with a determined expression, saying, "I need to talk to you."

Meredith was taken aback at the nurse's direct manner. "Okay, so talk," she said, goaded into equal brevity.

Eleanor started to open her mouth when the door opened again. Dr. Sparling came in, smiling kindly at Meredith until she saw that Eleanor was also in the room. With a look of surprise, she blurted, "What are you doing up here?"

Eleanor's eyes met Meredith's with a pleading expression before she turned to face Dr. Sparling. "I was taking care of her downstairs and so I came up to check on her before I headed home."

Dr. Sparling grinned warmly. "Eleanor, don't tell me you're growing a heart after all these years!" Then she turned to Meredith. "Well, I came up here to talk to you about what to expect tomorrow for your surgery, okay?" She looked at Eleanor pointedly, a silent suggestion for the nurse to leave.

Briefly, a flash of frustration passed over Eleanor's face before she hid it under an impassive expression. "Well, I hope you're feeling better then," she said lamely, leaving the room.

As the door hissed shut behind Eleanor, Dr. Sparling stepped closer to the bed. "Meredith, I'm sure you know by now that you are a pretty special patient."

"So I hear."

Dr. Sparling continued, "There are going to be a lot of people wanting to have a hand in your case who really have no business being here." She looked meaningfully at the door that Eleanor had just walked through. The young doctor walked around the bed and sat down in the recliner on Meredith's right. "I've spoken with some of the administration, and they agree with me that you are going to need an advocate here in the hospital to protect you from the self-interested looky-loos."

"Are you sure that's not what Dr. Wells is?" Meredith asked earnestly.

Dr. Sparling chuckled. "No, we did actually call her. Maybe not the greatest bedside manner, but she knows her stuff. Plus she's going to let me stay with you for the whole thing."

"I take it you're my advocate, then?"

Straightening in the chair and offering her a quick salute, Dr. Sparling said, "At your service!"

Meredith smiled, glad that Dr. Sparling would be helping her. "Thank you! But, don't you have to go home and sleep?"

"I'll take a nap tonight in the on-call room, so don't you worry about me. I'll be close by if you need anything at all."

"Why you, though? Don't they usually have social workers for this sort of thing?"

Dr. Sparling paused for a moment, considering how to answer. Finally, she said, "Given the rarity of your case, we felt it would be best for someone with a medical background to be the gatekeeper, so to speak. I'll have a better idea than a social worker as to who really needs to be in the room."

Meredith nodded; Dr. Sparling's argument made sense.

The door to the hallway opened once again, and Meredith's parents and Vi walked into the room. Rob looked anxious, seeing that Meredith was not alone.

"How was the gift shop?" Meredith asked conversationally.

Vi rolled her eyes and looked at Rob accusingly. "Just about as lame as I had anticipated."

Rob shrugged. "I guess you can't please everyone."

The three stood awkwardly at the foot of the bed, waiting for Dr. Sparling to explain her presence. The doctor did so briefly, and then said, "I'm going to be here all night keeping an eye on Meredith. Nothing's going to happen this evening, so I think the best thing for you all to do is head home and get some rest so that you can coddle Meredith with gusto tomorrow." Dr. Sparling smiled and reached over and patted Meredith's arm.

Rob cleared his throat. "Maybe you're right. Would you mind giving us a few moments to ourselves, please?"

"Oh!" Dr. Sparling started, and then sprang out of the recliner chair. "Of course! I'll just go get a cup of coffee or something. My shift ended at six, so you're my number one priority from here on out. I'd like to talk to you a bit more, so is it all right if I come back in say... ten minutes?" Dr. Sparling sidled past Amelia and paused in the doorway, waiting for Meredith's assent.

Meredith looked at Rob, who shrugged. "Okay, ten minutes," she agreed.

Dr. Sparling grinned and disappeared into the hallway. As soon as she was gone, Rob said, "Meredith, I need to talk to you."

"Geez, everyone needs to talk to me," Meredith grumbled. Her stomach groaned loudly, and she hoped her clear food would arrive soon.

Rob continued, undeterred, "Honey, those reporters are downstairs for you."

At this piece of news, Meredith's eyes widened. "Why?" she asked incredulously.

Rob shifted his weight uncomfortably and glanced at Vi.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Dad, it's Vi. I'm going to tell her anything you tell me anyway, so spit it out."

Rob nodded. "Someone tipped them off that a girl in the hospital has grown an entirely new organ."

"Whoa, cool!" Vi interjected with an impressed chuckle.

Rob shot a sharp glance, and Vi's laughter died in her throat.

"So what? Another useless organ like my appendix. The specialist said it needs to be removed, so they scheduled me for surgery tomorrow morning."

"Did that nurse Eleanor come talk to you?"

Meredith shook her head. "She tried to, but then the doctor came in."

Rob's eyebrows knit together as he thought. Then he asked, "Did the doctors tell you it was an organ?"

"They just said it was a growth." Meredith felt concerned, sensing her father's agitation.

Amelia laid a hand on Rob's arm. "Honey, relax. The reporters probably got a bad tip. What's important here is that Meredith is being taken care of."

Rob nodded, recognizing the sense of Amelia's words.

Changing the subject, Vi said, "I think I'm going to stay here with Meredith." Turning to her friend, she added, "If that's okay with you, Mere."

Meredith smiled, relieved that she wouldn't spend the night alone. "That would be awesome. Thank you." Her heart swelled as she realized just how good a friend she had in Vi.

For a moment, Vi looked at her tenderly, as if she understood just how grateful Meredith felt.

Rob and Amelia were also pleased that their daughter wouldn't be left alone. It didn't make sense for them all to spend the night, but leaving Vi behind seemed like a good compromise. Amelia said, "We'll come back first thing tomorrow."

"My surgery's at eight," Meredith informed them.

With a reassuring tone, Rob replied, "Then we'll be here at seven. Love you, brat."

Amelia echoed his sentiments, they both kissed Meredith, and then they left. Shortly after that, Vi went away in search of a cafeteria, and Meredith once again found herself alone. However, she didn't have much time to collect her thoughts, because Dr. Sparling returned as promised, carrying a steaming cup of black coffee in her hand.

"Sorry I can't offer you any," she apologized, nodding toward her cup. "But I hear the chicken broth here is really quite palatable once you water it down some."

"Great," Meredith said unenthusiastically. She listened politely while Dr. Sparling explained what Meredith could expect in the morning, and Meredith signed a few papers consenting to the procedure and acknowledging the risks of surgery. She remembered going through a similar process when she had to have her appendix removed.

Dr. Sparling straightened the papers in her hand and tucked them into Meredith's medical chart. "Okay, so now we have some time to kill," she said, flopping down into the recliner. "There's a movie channel. Wanna check it out?"

Meredith thought it was strange that Dr. Sparling evidently planned to hang out with her in the hospital room. She wondered why she was so special when the doctors' grand plan was to simply cut out the growth and send her on her way. Meredith decided to try for more information. "Are those reporters here because of me?"

Dr. Sparling scowled. "Yes. That's one radiology tech that's going to be dusting off his resume, I can tell you that."

"One of the reporters told my dad that I've grown an entirely new organ," Meredith ventured.

Scoffing, Dr. Sparling rolled her eyes and extended the footrest of the recliner, leaning the seat back. She frowned. "My God, these things really aren't that comfortable, are they?" Then addressing Meredith's comment, she said, "There's a reason why radiology techs aren't allowed to tell the patient what they see; they don't really know what they're looking at. The reporter who told your dad that was misinformed." She chuckled and continued, "Honestly, it's quite entertaining to see how gullible the press can be."

Meredith smiled, but pressed on, "Then if it's just a growth, then why did a specialist have to come in?"

"That's a good question. The issue isn't as much _what_ it is as _where_ it is. Dr. Wells happens to be an expert on that particular portion of your endocrine system. We want to remove the growth without damaging any of the other organs."

Meredith nodded as the door opened. Vi was back from the cafeteria.

Dr. Sparling looked at Vi in confusion for a moment. "I thought you all had gone home."

Vi smiled. "Not me. I'm bunking here for the night." She set her container of food down on the rolling tray and sat in one of the chairs at the foot of the bed.

"I see," said Dr. Sparling. "Well, I don't envy you sleeping in this chair! We were just about to watch a movie."

Vi's eyes met Meredith's for a moment, and Meredith shrugged.

Catching the exchange, Dr. Sparling said, "Like I told you earlier, I'm here to keep the looky-loos at bay, and I'd rather not set up camp on the floor in the hall. Watching a movie sounds like more fun." She took up the remote that was dangling next to Meredith's bed and switched the TV on, punching in the movie channel. The hospital had several movies to choose from, and they quickly selected one and watched it silently for a while.

Finally Meredith's food arrived, and the orderly arranged it for her on her hospital tray, moving the tray to be over Meredith's lap. Meredith laughed, because her bowl of soup was covered with a silver dome, as if she were dining in a five-star restaurant.

"Not too shabby, eh?" commented Dr. Sparling, before returning her attention to the movie.

Meredith made a noncommittal sound and removed the silver lid. To her surprise, a scrap of paper was tucked between the soup bowl and the saucer. She tugged on it gently; the note was small and the writing cramped, but she could still read it clearly.

Trust no one. Do NOT have the surgery or you WILL die.

# Chapter 8

Meredith tucked the note back under her soup bowl and stole a glance at Dr. Sparling, who was still watching the television. Then she looked at Vi, who was similarly engrossed. Was the note a joke?

She slurped a spoonful of her soup as she considered what to do, her mind racing. She tried to remain calm as she sorted through the possibilities. If the note was a prank, then she should ignore it. But if the note was genuine... could she risk it? Undecided, she said, "Hey, Vi."

Both Vi and Dr. Sparling looked at her.

Meredith swallowed, trying her best to seem normal. "You should try my soup. It's really not bad." She pushed the rolling hospital tray toward her friend until it was within reach.

Vi pulled the tray toward herself hesitantly. "Okay. Though I'm not exactly on a quest for the perfect chicken broth, you know."

In her mind, Meredith willed Vi to find the note. _Look under the bowl, Vi. Look under the bowl. The bowl Vi, the bowl._

Vi spooned some of the soup into her mouth and smiled in mock appreciation. "Mmm, hospital soup. My favorite." She started to push the tray back toward Meredith.

_Shit._ Frustrated, Meredith tried another tack. "Hey, Vi, do you want to use my saucer so you don't have to eat off of that flimsy Styrofoam?"

Vi gave her an odd look. Thankfully, Dr. Sparling had turned her attention back to the movie, which had reached a climactic scene, and didn't notice. Meredith widened her eyes and looked pointedly down at the bowl and saucer and then over at Dr. Sparling. Vi picked up on her vibe and said, "That would be great, thanks." She pulled the rolling tray table back toward herself and picked up the soup bowl. Spying the note, Vi quickly hid it under her thumb as she took the saucer and replaced the soup bowl onto the tray.

Meredith watched Vi's face closely as her friend made a show of spooning her food out of the Styrofoam container and onto her plate. She could tell the moment that Vi had read the note; Vi's face paled and her eyes darted over to Dr. Sparling and then to Meredith.

Vi took her cell phone out of her pocket and typed in a quick message, hitting send.

Meredith waited for her phone to notify her of Vi's text, but nothing happened. She picked up her phone to make sure it wasn't set to silent, and her lips pursed as she saw she had no cellular signal. Casually, she said, "Hey Vi, do you have service? 'Cause I don't."

"Oh," Vi said, deflated. She looked at her phone and added, "I don't have a signal either."

Dr. Sparling chimed in. "Yeah, cell service in the hospital is horrible. That's why all the docs carry pagers instead." As she said it, she tapped the pager that she wore clipped to her breast pocket. She paused for a moment, and then asked with a chuckle, "Have you two seen this movie before or something? You're mighty distracted."

Meredith shrugged. "You know us young'uns, Dr. Sparling. We need constant stimulation."

Satisfied, Dr. Sparling returned her attention to the TV.

Meredith glanced at her watch. Seven-thirty. Still too early to claim to be tired and ready to sleep. They would simply have to wait. Her soup remained untouched as Meredith did her best to watch the rest of the movie. It was difficult to worry about whether the on-screen couple would end up together when she had her own situation to consider.

If the note was a prank, she knew she was going to feel like an idiot. However, she found it extremely odd that Dr. Sparling seemed glued to her side, so it would follow that the doctor likely knew something she didn't. That, combined with the evident interest of the local news community, made her entire situation seem fishy. Her gut told her that the note was genuine, but who was it from?

As the ending credits of the movie were rolling up the screen, the door to the hospital room opened once again. Dr. Wells stepped in, the surprise evident on her face at Dr. Sparling's presence. "Dr. Sparling! I just sent the nurse to call you." She turned to Meredith and said, "I have just been informed that there is a gentleman over at Phoenix Mercy that has your same condition. He also needs to be treated as soon as possible. Therefore, we need to perform your procedure tonight."

Meredith balked. "But my parents aren't here."

Dr. Wells suppressed an eye roll. "Then I suggest you call them." She looked with a sharp eye down at Meredith's soup, which still hadn't been cleared away. "How much of that have you had?" she demanded.

Meredith responded that she'd only had a spoonful or two, annoyed at Dr. Well's brusque manner.

"Well, don't have any more of it. We will begin in about forty minutes." She left as abruptly as she had come in, and for a few minutes they all stared at the empty doorway.

Dr. Sparling spoke up, infusing her trademark cheerfulness into her voice. "Well, isn't that lucky? That means you'll get to go home that much sooner!"

Meredith forced a smile, the thought of the warning note pressing on her mind. Judging by her face, Vi's thoughts appeared to be running along a similar vein.

Dr. Sparling reached over to one of the side tables and picked up the hospital phone. It was an old style punch-button phone with a curly cord leading to the handset. She handed the phone to Meredith with the suggestion that she call her parents back to the hospital.

The Carpenters' home phone rang eight times before Meredith hung up in frustration. She tried both her parents' cell phones as well, without luck.

After she set the phone back down on the cradle for the last time, Meredith felt like crying. She wished she could talk to her parents and have them help her decide what to do. She took a long, deep breath to calm her nerves, and then in a cool voice said, "Dr. Sparling, would you mind giving us some privacy?"

Dr. Sparling immediately sprang out of the recliner while exclaiming, "Of course! I seem to have overstayed my welcome, eh? I'll be just outside, though, if you need anything." She made her way around the bed and to the door. Just before she left, she added, "We'll probably be back to get you in around ten or fifteen minutes to prep you for the surgery."

Once they were alone, Meredith and Vi waited silently for a moment to ensure they wouldn't be overheard. Then Vi moved to the recliner chair and leaned toward Meredith, speaking in a whisper. "What do you want to do?" she asked.

Meredith responded in a low voice, "I believe whoever wrote that note."

Vi nodded. "Me, too. You should have seen the reporters downstairs, Mere. They _knew_ they had something good. How are you feeling?"

Meredith considered. She hadn't had a dose of morphine for several hours, but the pain in her belly was nowhere near what it had been. "Okay," she said. "Do you think they would just let me leave?"

Vi scoffed quietly. "I doubt it. And if we ask for permission, they'll know to keep a close eye on us. I think we should just sneak out."

Meredith agreed, and they quickly made a plan. Vi stuffed the clear plastic bag of Meredith's belongings into her purse and exited the room, turning down the hallway toward the elevators, which were just past the nurse's station. Meredith yanked her IV out and then waited a few moments before following in her bare feet. As they had expected, Dr. Sparling was at the nurse's station, and she raised her eyebrows when Meredith came down the hall, still wearing her hospital gown.

"Do you need something, Meredith?" the doctor asked.

"I've been in that bed all day, and I figured that after the surgery I will be lying down a bunch, too. I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit while I still can." Meredith was a terrible liar, and she hoped that she wouldn't give herself away. She boldly made eye contact with Dr. Sparling, and then wondered if she was making too much eye contact. She glanced down the hallway where she knew Vi had gone.

"Your friend came down here a second ago," Dr. Sparling observed.

Meredith nodded. "She smokes, so she was going to go down to have a cig."

Dr. Sparling frowned. "There's no smoking allowed on hospital grounds."

Meredith shrugged. Then she asked, "Does this hallway loop back around?"

"I don't think you should be taking a walk right now. We're going to take you back for your procedure any minute."

"Just a short one, I promise," Meredith pleaded.

Dr. Sparling huffed. "Five minutes then. If you take this hallway all the way down, you pass the elevators and then turn right. Keep turning right and then you'll end up back here."

Meredith smiled. "Great! It'll make me feel so much better." She continued down the hallway toward the elevators, and was frustrated to discover that they were in plain view of the nurses' station. A quick glance back showed her that Dr. Sparling was watching. She sauntered past the elevators casually, while her eyes darted around looking for the stairwell.

She turned right down the hallway Dr. Sparling had indicated and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw a door with a picture of a stairway on it. It was a heavy gray door that made a clanking sound as she pulled on the handle, and she held her breath. She opened it just wide enough to fit her body and was about to step through when she heard a male voice call her name. She glanced back and saw that it was the handsome nurse who had been taking care of her.

"I was just on my way to come get you," he said with a friendly smile as he came to stand next to her. Meredith's hand was still holding the door open, and he looked at her with some confusion. "Where are you going?"

"Um, I'm just taking a quick walk."

"Sorry, but you don't have time. They're ready for you now."

Meredith didn't move, trying to decide what to do.

Her prolonged silence made the nurse suspicious, and he narrowed his eyes slightly. "Where are you really going?"

Meredith wanted to tell him everything. She thought he seemed so nice, and he was young, like she was, so he might understand. But the note had said, _Trust no one._ She swallowed nervously, wondering what to say. She had to confess something now, she'd been quiet for too long. Finally she said, "My friend and I got in a fight. I have to make up with her before I go under. What if something happens? That can't be the last thing I say to her."

The nurse's expression turned sympathetic, and he glanced down the hallway, thinking. Then he conceded, "Well, I think we could wait a few extra minutes. But you'd better hurry."

Meredith grinned and thanked him and ran down the stairs before anyone else could stop her. At the bottom of the stairs she slowed down, not wanting to attract any attention to herself. She pushed on the heavy door and found herself in another featureless hallway that seemed to have miles of gleaming white linoleum stretching in either direction.

She and Vi had agreed to meet in the restrooms that were across from the elevators in the hall next to the lobby. However, the hallway that should have had the elevators wasn't accessible from where Meredith stood; it was a solid wall. Frustration bubbled up inside her, and tears sprang unbidden to her eyes. She knew that where she wanted to go was right on the other side of that stupid wall, but she had no idea how to get to it.

Cursing, Meredith glanced left and then right, trying to decide which way to go. She felt exposed in her hospital gown, and she clutched at the back of it to hold it closed. Someone rounded a corner at the very end of the hallway on her right, so she decided to go left, hoping she wouldn't run into anyone. She walked as quickly as she could without arousing suspicion, keeping a keen eye out for any passage or doorway that could lead her to the elevators.

Meredith knew that if she could find the lobby, she could go through the double doors there and get to the restroom where Vi was waiting, but she balked at the idea. In only her hospital gown, she was bound to attract a lot of attention.

Meredith's cell phone was tucked in her armpit under the hospital gown, and she pulled it out, hoping for service. She glanced at the screen and frowned. Still nothing. She reached the end of the hall and turned left again, seeing the cafeteria on her right. A few people still lingered inside, though it was pretty quiet this late at night. At last she saw a sign pointing toward the lobby, which was another left down a long hallway.

She passed a few orderlies pushing an empty cot as well as some nurses and an official looking woman wearing a sensible tweed suit. They looked at her curiously, but not suspiciously. Meredith tried to smile, but she was completely preoccupied. Her heart pounded nervously as small beads of sweat broke out above her lips.

Meredith was nearing the end of the hallway, and she saw rows of chairs in the lobby just beyond. She slowed down and considered how to proceed. The double doors that led to the elevators and the restrooms were on the other side of the lobby, as she had feared. She moved closer to the wall and edged her way toward the end so she might peek around the corner.

The reporters were all camped to one side of the double doors, looking tired and bored. Some had dozed off while others fiddled with their equipment or their cell phones. Briefly, Meredith wondered how they had service while she didn't.

Retreating back out of sight, Meredith walked back down the hall to where a supply cart had been parked. She found one of the thin white blankets and wrapped it around her body like a skirt. It was far better than her short hospital gown alone, but her ensemble certainly wouldn't pass any level of scrutiny.

Stepping out into the lobby, Meredith kept her stride calm and even, holding her head up confidently. _Just act like you're supposed to be here_ , she coached herself. She didn't dare look over at the reporters, because she didn't want to betray her intense interest in whether they noticed her or not.

After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the double doors and pulled. The door didn't budge. Panicked, she pulled again.

A voice behind her said, "You have to hit the button on the wall."

Meredith glanced over her shoulder. The man who had spoken to her was one of the reporters. He had golden brown eyes and dark blonde hair that fell in soft waves over his ears. He looked like the kind of man that knew how attractive he was to women, with a confident glint in his eye.

Meredith took an immediate dislike to him. "Thanks," she muttered. She reached over and punched the button on the wall, watching him from the corner of her eye. He resumed looking down at his cell phone, and she relaxed imperceptibly.

The double doors opened and the security guard, upon seeing her hospital gown, waved her through. She went directly into the restroom where Vi was waiting, relieved to at least have made it this far.

"Jesus, Mere! Where have you been?" Vi demanded, as soon as Meredith came through the door.

"This hospital is a maze! Just give me my clothes." As Meredith spoke, she stripped off the blanket and yanked her hospital gown over her head. In a few moments she had all her clothes back on, and she felt immensely better. Walking around in the hospital gown had made her feel extremely exposed.

"Okay, what next?" Vi asked. "Your parents took the car, so we're going to have to call a cab. I think we should walk a ways first, and then call from a gas station. Agreed?"

Meredith nodded. "But before we get that far, I have to tell you that one of the reporters talked to me."

A line appeared between Vi's eyebrows as she frowned slightly. "Okay, so if we go through the lobby, the reporter might recognize you. But if we go the other way, we might get stopped by one of the doctors."

"That about sums it up, yes." Meredith ran her hands over her face, stressed. "I'm not cut out for this spy crap!" she cried.

Vi laughed. "I'm impressed you've made it this far, kid. Your poker face is lamentable."

Meredith cracked a small smile. "Shut up." She took a deep breath and let it out in a _whoosh_. "Let's go through the lobby. The reporters probably want to exploit the hell out of me, but at least they don't want to cut me open."

"Good thinking," Vi agreed. "Besides, if we act cool, the reporter might not even notice that you're the same person. You were in a flimsy hospital gown before--I'd bet anything he wasn't looking at your face." She grinned salaciously while Meredith stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes.

They left the bathroom and made their way back through the double doors and out to the lobby. Meredith turned her face away from the reporters and made small talk with Vi to try to keep the sandy-haired one from recognizing her again. Her palms felt clammy and her heart raced as she attempted to put on an air of indifference. At last they pushed their way through the glass doors and out into the night, and it was all Meredith could do to not breathe a sigh of relief.

* * *

Behind them, Nate Dowering leaned toward his cameraman. "Did you see that, Lenny?"

Lenny looked up at his companion. "What?"

"The girl that just left was wearing a hospital gown five minutes ago," Nate said with a speculative gleam in his eye.

Lenny sat up straighter. "You think that might be our girl?"

"I don't know, but it's the most interesting thing I've seen all night. Wanna find out where she's headed?" He stood up and looked down at his friend questioningly.

Lenny nodded with a hungry smile. "You bet your ass I do."

# Chapter 9

Outside, the air was uncharacteristically cold for October. A stiff breeze pulled at their clothing and chapped their cheeks. Meredith wished she had put on a jacket over the shorts and tee shirt she'd worn to bed the night before. Had it really only been a day?

The moon blazed down at them on the clear night, but the halo of light rising up from the desert city prevented them from seeing many stars. As Meredith's eyes adjusted to the relative dimness, she tried to decide where to go. The parking lot was meagerly lit by the occasional streetlight, and she could see a brightly lit gas station across a busy intersection to the north, about a quarter of a mile away.

She nodded toward the station and looked at Vi questioningly.

"Do you think they're going to follow us?" Vi asked, glancing back toward the double doors they had just come through. "Because if they do come after us, that would seem a bit obvious."

"Okay, where do _you_ think we should go?" Meredith snapped. Vi looked at her defensively, and Meredith's expression softened contritely. "Sorry, I am beyond stressed out with all of this."

Vi nodded, accepting her apology. "I think we should cross the freeway that way." She gestured in the opposite direction from the gas station. "There's bound to be a fast food place or something a little farther down."

The air was growing chillier by the moment as the breeze picked up. Goose bumps rose up on Meredith's bare arms and legs in response to the cold. "It's freezing," she said, "so we need to make it fast. Can you keep up with me?" Meredith was wearing her tennis shoes, while Vi wore her heavy black lace-up boots. Meredith looked down at Vi's footwear skeptically.

Vi scoffed. "Mere, you run almost every day. No way can I keep up with you. But I'll try, so let's get out of here."

They set off at a brisk jog, which warmed Meredith up considerably. As she ran, she could see her breath coming out in little white puffs. Behind her, Vi sounded miserable as she huffed along. Meredith reigned in her pace out of consideration for her friend. They crossed the parking lot, being careful to avoid the streetlights, and Meredith lamented the fact that she was wearing a white tee shirt, which reflected the moonlight and made her easier to see.

They made it out to the main street and turned and ran toward the freeway. They crossed the street at the freeway onramp against the signal, but traffic was light in this direction. A wire fence came up on their right as they began to cross the overpass, giving them a view of the speeding cars below. About halfway across, Vi called Meredith's name through wheezing breaths.

Meredith stopped and turned to look at her friend, who was stopped several feet behind her and looking through the wire fence into the distance. "What?"

Vi gestured impatiently at the view. "Look, Mere."

Meredith followed her gaze and blanched. A huge wall of dust was heading toward them at an alarming speed. The dust storms in Phoenix could be dangerous and unpredictable, reducing visibility to zero, downing trees and power lines, and making the roads an extremely hazardous place to be. Though the haboobs were common, Meredith had never before seen one look so menacing or move so fast. "We need to get inside, and fast!"

"No shit!" Vi broke out into a flat-out run, catching Meredith's hand as she came by. The women ran together, occasionally sparing a glance toward the oncoming storm.

A few minutes later, the dust storm hit them, and swirls of stray palm tree fronds and sand whipped at their bodies. They could only see a few feet in front of them as they clung to each other. Meredith reached up and pulled her tee shirt up and over her mouth and nose to try to keep from inhaling the brown cloud while Vi covered her face with her sleeve.

They continued to run wildly as the temperature dropped considerably, and their teeth clacked together despite the physical exercise. Meredith's hair twisted around her face and covered her eyes, and she did her best to hold it out of the way. Over the roar of the wind, they heard a loud squeal, followed by a deafening crack, as a large mesquite tree tore from the ground in a yard next to them.

Meredith's arms shot up over her head protectively as the tree came crashing toward them. She turned her face away and squeezed her eyes shut, expecting the worst. In a flurry of leaves and snapping bark, the tree landed a few feet to their right, and Meredith opened her eyes, gaping at it dumbly.

Vi looked at the tree and then at Meredith, astonished that they weren't buried under hundreds of pounds of tree trunk. "How did that tree not hit us?"

Meredith had no idea. After a moment of shocked inactivity, Meredith called over the storm, "We have to get out of this."

"I can't see past that damned tree!" Vi replied. "Where can we go?"

The tree had fallen from the front yard of a house on a residential side street, and Meredith pulled Vi toward the structure. They ran across the front yard and hunkered down in the corner between the wall of the house and the block fence that enclosed the backyard. They were partially sheltered from the wind as they huddled close to each other, with their faces close together. Out of the corner of her eye, Meredith saw an SUV drive past the house slowly, likely having trouble seeing through all the dust.

"The storm can't last that much longer," Vi said through chattering teeth.

"It might, Vi." Meredith wrapped her arms under Vi's jacket for warmth and was silent for a moment. She groaned, "It's so freaking cold."

Vi returned Meredith's embraced and squeezed tightly in agreement.

Meredith's entire body shivered and the storm raged around them. Then she said in a shaking voice, "You were right."

"About what?"

"Air." Pausing for emphasis, she added, "We were thinking about t-tornadoes in the M-Midwest, but forgot about us."

"But it's not tomorrow yet," Vi protested.

Meredith let out a small laugh and her body continued to shudder uncontrollably. "So you think M-Mother Nature lives on M-M-Mountain S-Standard Time?"

"Good point."

Over the roar of the wind, they heard a car honk. They ignored it, until it honked insistently, several more times.

Meredith peered out into the brown swirl over Vi's shoulder and could make out the shape of a dark colored sedan that had pulled up to the curb in front of the house where they were taking shelter. A hand was waving frantically through the window, beckoning them to the car.

Vi turned her face around and regarded the car warily. "Who do you think it is?" she asked. Her voice trembled as she forced it to work in the cold air. The temperature was continuing to drop.

"I don't know, but if we stay out here we'll freeze."

They leaned on each other as they stood up, knees creaking and protesting from being in their crouched position for so long. They made their way across the lawn toward the car, hanging on tight to each other as the wind howled in their ears and tangled their hair into a dusty mess.

The car was a dark green Chrysler sedan from the early eighties, and it looked its age. Meredith pulled on the handle of the passenger side door, and after initial resistance, the latch gave. It took both hands for Meredith to open the door against the wind, and then they both leaned down to see who their rescuer was.

The ER nurse, Eleanor, sat in the driver's seat, still wearing her scrubs and name badge from the hospital. The red stone in her necklace glinted in the dome light inside the car. Meredith took a step back, ready to run, when the older woman declared, "I wrote the note."

Meredith hesitated, shouting over the wind, "Why?"

Eleanor gestured irritably to the weather outside the car. A large palm frond sailed past the car, disintegrating in the wind. "Just get in," she snapped.

Meredith met Vi's eyes and shrugged. It didn't seem like they had a better option. She slid down into the passenger seat as Vi yanked open the back door. Once they were both in the car, the doors slammed shut under the onslaught of the wind.

The air in the car was still and warm, and Meredith felt immensely relieved to be out of the elements. The wind drummed against the side of the car, as if angry at them for escaping. Eleanor reached down and turned the heater on full blast, allowing them a few moments to warm up. Finally, she observed, "Your getaway timing couldn't have been much worse."

"We didn't have a choice; they moved the surgery up," Meredith explained. She buckled her seatbelt as Eleanor pulled away from the curb.

Eleanor drove slowly and carefully, accounting for the lack of visibility outside. Eleanor said, "Normally I'd just wait one of these things out, but we need to get you as far away from here as possible."

Meredith turned in her seat to look at the nurse and asked again, "Why?"

Ignoring her question, Eleanor responded with a question of her own. "How are you feeling? Your pain should be mostly gone now. Is it?"

Meredith turned her attention inward and then confirmed that Eleanor was correct.

Eleanor nodded curtly. "Good."

From the back seat, Vi asked, "How did you find us?"

Eleanor gave her a small smile in the rearview mirror. "I knew where to look."

Meredith could hear Vi grumbling to herself, dissatisfied with Eleanor's cryptic response. Feeling dissatisfied herself, Meredith said sarcastically, "You've succeeded in scaring us shitless, so if that was your goal, congratulations."

Eleanor glanced at her sharply. "I saved your life," she said.

"From where I'm sitting, you might have cost me my life. For all I know, I need that surgery and will die without it. You had better start explaining, or we're heading back to the hospital."

They had reached the end of the street, and Eleanor turned left onto another larger street that ran parallel to the road the hospital was on. She drove a few blocks before speaking. "What you were experiencing was growing pain--"

"Growing what exactly?" Meredith interjected.

"Are you going to let me tell you?" Eleanor growled, annoyed at the interruption.

Meredith remained silent, and Eleanor waited until she was sure she wouldn't be interrupted again. "You have grown what is called The Second Heart, the first I have seen in a long time. This organ--yes, those damned reporters were right--allows you to exert an influence over the world that is denied to physical strength or science."

"What do you mean, exactly?" Vi asked flatly.

"For lack of a better word, magic," Eleanor said.

Meredith cut in. "I'm sorry, but I don't really believe in that stuff."

Eleanor looked at her and chuckled. "That doesn't seem to matter, now does it?" Eleanor's eyes returned to the road just in time to see another mesquite tree falling down into the street in front of them. She slammed on the brakes and swerved into the center lane, narrowly missing the tree.

They all paused and caught their breaths before Eleanor drove around the tree, keeping an eye on the weather more closely than before.

"Where are you taking us?" Vi asked.

"Home?" Meredith added hopefully.

"No more questions, now. I'd like to get us all there in one piece," Eleanor said, without taking her eyes from the road ahead.

They were heading south into the suburb of Chandler, and Meredith marveled at the destruction they saw along the way, all as a result of the dust storm. They saw trees that had smashed through walls and houses, an aboveground trampoline that had ended up in someone's swimming pool, and several car accidents.

After a while, Eleanor turned into a modest neighborhood that Meredith estimated was only about five miles east of her own. The neighborhood was full of tract homes that had all been built in the Spanish style, with red tiles roofs and stucco walls that were painted varying shades of pink and tan. The front yards looked like they were normally neatly tended, ranging from lush lawns to more spartan desert landscaping, though now they were all littered with debris from the storm. After a few more turns, Eleanor pulled into a small single story home that had a two-car garage. She reached up and hit the button to open the garage and then pulled inside, closing the garage door behind them.

They all got out of the car, and Eleanor led them through a door that opened into a kitchen. Meredith looked around curiously. The space was small, but clean, and she detected a slight sweet and spicy smell that she didn't recognize. Across the kitchen were a small breakfast nook and a set of sliding glass doors that led to the backyard. To the left was a family room and a formal dining area, along with a hallway that Meredith assumed led to a couple of bedrooms.

Eleanor removed her coat and draped it over the back of one of the chairs in the breakfast nook. Then she returned to the kitchen and filled a teakettle, setting it on the stove to boil. Vi and Meredith watched her silently. Outside, the storm appeared to be abating, as the palm trees in the neighbor's yard appeared to be thrashing around less violently than when they had first arrived. The dust in the air seemed less thick, too, as they were now able to see the back of the neighbor's house instead of brown nothing.

Unable to stand the quiet any more, Meredith said, "You have a lovely home." It was an old standby, but she couldn't think of anything else to say that didn't involve grabbing Eleanor by the collar and demanding answers.

Eleanor grunted in acknowledgment. She busied herself by removing three chipped and mismatched coffee cups from the cupboard and placing tea bags in them. The kettle whistled, and she poured the hot steaming water into the cups before replacing the kettle on the stove. She offered them the tea with a slight nod, and then picked one of the cups up for herself, swirling the tea bag in the liquid before tossing it into the sink.

Meredith and Vi followed suit, and then Eleanor beckoned them to the family room. A faded sofa and loveseat set were oriented in front of a fireplace that had a few ceramic pots and a kerosene lamp arranged on the mantel. To the left of the fireplace, an antique teacart held an aged TV set with a DVD player on top. A few DVDs leaned against the TV, and Meredith smiled as she recognized some of her mother's favorite titles.

Eleanor sat on the loveseat, and the two friends sat on the couch facing her. Eleanor took a long sip of her tea before setting it on the coffee table and regarding them coolly. "Before I begin, I think we need to dispel you of any lingering doubt. Vi, can you please fetch the lamp on the mantel and place it on the coffee table?"

Vi did as she was asked and then returned to her seat next to Meredith. Eleanor gazed at the lamp for a moment, and the wick inside the glass shade lit up with flames. Vi's eyes lit up excitedly while Meredith's lips parted in disbelief, though she still felt that it could be a trick.

Eleanor noticed her skepticism. "Oh for Pete's sake," she muttered, again looking intently at the lamp. The ball of flame from the wick rose slowly out of the fluted glass lampshade and toward Eleanor. She reached out an open hand, and the flame came to rest in her cupped palm. She held it there for a moment before blowing it out with a small puff from her pursed lips. Eleanor looked at them with a smug smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She raised an eyebrow in question at Meredith.

There was no explanation for what Meredith had just seen, other than what Eleanor asserted. Magic. Eleanor showed them her unburned palm for their inspection, and Meredith looked at her with amazement. "How- how did you do that?" she stammered.

"With my Second Heart," Eleanor said gently. "The same sort of Second Heart that you have growing inside you now."

Oblivious to Meredith's shock, Vi blurted, "Man that is wicked cool! What else can you do?"

Eleanor sighed. "Whatever I put my mind to, I suppose."

"So you're a witch? Like a real-life witch?" Vi continued excitedly. "Man, the coven is going to shit a brick when I tell them about this!"

Eleanor looked at her sharply and snapped, "You will do no such thing."

Vi's smile drained away from her face at the vehemence of Eleanor's response. She sat quietly, chastised but feeling rebellious.

Meredith's tea sat cooling in her hands as she realized that her life had fundamentally changed. She had a Second Heart. A Second Heart that meant she was a real-life witch. She thought about the dinner she still owed Miguel, and the homework she had left to do. She felt far removed from the person that had worried about those things, and wondered what sort of person she would become. She wasn't sure she wanted to give up the woman she had been planning to be. In a quiet voice, she asked, "So if I don't want to be a witch, can I go back to the hospital and have them remove it?" She couldn't bring herself to say its name out loud.

Eleanor looked at her sadly. "No, my dear. Your Second Heart is now as important to your continued life as your first heart. It is an integral part of you now. If you were to remove it, you would die."

Meredith blinked furiously, trying to hold back the tears that blurred her vision. "Then can I just ignore it?" she asked forlornly, though she feared she already knew what the answer would be.

Unable to contain herself, Vi turned toward Meredith and exclaimed, "Why would you want to? Just imagine the possibilities! You literally can have anything you want."

Meredith frowned at her friend. "I'm not like you, Vi. I want a normal life. School, a job. Maybe marriage and kids someday. This is the opposite of normal." Noticing that Eleanor seemed to be waiting to speak, Meredith turned back and looked at her expectantly. "So? Why not? Tell me why I can't just ignore it."

A wave of pity washed over the nurse's face. "Because, you have power. And just as there will always be people who have power, there will also be people who want to take it."

"The queen of the cryptic strikes again," Vi sneered.

Eleanor reached down and drained the last of her tea. "It is very late, and the story I have to tell you is a long one." She looked from Meredith to Vi, who were both wide-eyed and hanging on to her every word. She smiled resignedly. "I can see that you aren't tired, so let me get some more tea and we can begin."

# Chapter 10

Nate Dowering came out of the double doors of the hospital lobby, his eyes scanning the parking lot in search of the two girls who had just left. He spotted them running across the parking lot toward the freeway.

"Damn, they're fast," Nate's cameraman, Lenny observed.

"Let's go," Nate said. He jogged toward his car, which was parked a few rows deep in the parking lot. They jumped into the gray Ford Explorer and Nate navigated the vehicle out of the parking lot while Lenny kept a close eye on their quarry.

Nate allowed a car to pass before turning right toward the freeway. The red haired girl was well ahead of her friend, who had stopped in the middle of the overpass to look at something in the distance. Nate's eyes followed her gaze, and he balked.

"They are in some real trouble," Lenny observed with a worried tone.

A dust storm raced toward them in a large menacing swirl of sand and debris, a huge looming cloud that blanketed everything in its path. "Yep," Nate agreed as the girls took off running. He gunned the engine, racing toward the freeway, but had to brake hard as the light before the overpass turned red.

Nate's fingers drummed on the steering wheel impatiently as the wall of dust came upon them, obscuring the girls from view.

"Seems a bit late in the year for a storm like this," Lenny said uneasily. "It's spooky." He peered out into the brown air, willing his eyes to see through the cloud. As they sat waiting at the light, both of their phones started chirping with the familiar emergency alert sound in response to the sudden storm.

The light changed and Nate nervously eased the car out into the intersection. His headlights lit up thousands upon thousands of motes of dust as they danced around the car, allowing him to only see about thirty feet ahead of the vehicle. He hoped there wasn't a car stopped ahead as he accelerated once again to try to catch up with the girls. "Keep an eye out for them," he growled at Lenny through a tense jaw.

"There!" Lenny cried, pointing. The girls were sprinting along the sidewalk on the right hand side of the road. Then, Lenny yelled, "The tree!"

Nate slammed on the brakes and they both watched in horror as a tree uprooted in the yard next to where the girls ran. The tree made a screeching, wrenching sound as the wind swirled up under its canopy of leaves and ripped the tree out of the ground, sending it pitching toward the girls. As they looked on, they saw the red haired girl raise her arms up over her head just as she was obscured from view by the reaching arms of the tree branches.

Then, to Nate and Lenny's amazement, the tree lifted up and twisted away from the girls, seemingly of its own accord. It landed a few feet away in a flurry of leaves and cracking bark. The girls stood on the sidewalk, unharmed. For a second, the red haired girl's skin seemed to be slightly luminescing, as if she had absorbed a little bit of moonlight.

Outside, the wind howled, dust battering the car as it sat idling in the middle of the street. Inside the car, there was dead quiet as the two men absorbed what they had seen. Dumbly, Lenny asked, "Did she just push that tree out of the way?"

Nate bit his lower lip as they lost sight of the girls as they ran around the tree and down a side street. "It really looks like she did," he said, turning onto the street where they had disappeared. His eyes darted around as he looked for the girls, with no luck.

They continued slowly down the street, searching. As they looked, Lenny said, "And just to be sure, she was glowing, too. Right?"

"You saw that, too?" Nate demanded enthusiastically. "I thought my eyes were just messing with me."

"No, man, I saw it. What the hell was that? What is she?"

"I don't know, but we have to find out." Continuing down the street, Nate felt himself becoming increasingly frustrated as he failed to spot the girls. After what he had seen with the tree, he felt even more desperate to find the red haired girl and learn more about her.

They had reached the end of the street, and Lenny asked, "Do you wanna turn around and look again?"

"For all we know they went into one of the houses," Nate said through clenched teeth, thinking out loud. "But maybe they didn't." He swung around and made a U-turn, once again driving slowly down the street, looking for the girl and her friend.

They passed an old style sedan as they drove, not paying it much attention as they looked into the yards and porches of the ranch-style masonry homes on the street. Back at the beginning of the street, Nate cursed, saying, "We lost them."

Nate turned right onto the main street and drove for a few blocks, discouraged and at a loss for what to do next. On their left was an all night pancake place, and he pulled in. "I could really use some coffee," he explained. The clock on the dash read 9:59 PM.

A clean-cut hostess with a blonde ponytail led them to a booth against the front window, and they sat staring at their own reflections and the hood of Nate's car. The dust obscured the rest of the parking lot from view. The server came and took their orders, making small talk about the inclement weather, which they responded to amiably.

Nate's mind churned over what he had seen. How had that girl pushed the tree away from them without even touching it? Why had she been in the hospital? Was this the same girl with the mysterious extra organ? He burned with curiosity, simultaneously hoping that she and her friend were all right, while also realizing what this potential story could do for his career if he were the one to break it, whatever it was. Sharing his thoughts with Lenny, he said, "We really have to find those girls. After this, let's head back to the hospital and ask around. Maybe we can get a name."

Lenny scoffed. "Yeah, you can do that, along with everyone else."

"Got a better idea?" Nate snarled. He softened his expression as the server returned with their coffees. He smiled politely and waited until the server had left before continuing, "I'm all ears, man. I don't know what I saw, but whatever it is, it's big." He added cream and sugar to his coffee before taking a large gulp.

Lenny sipped his own drink, contemplating their next move. In his mind, the hospital was out. They'd been there all afternoon without a scrap of information to show for it. In fact, people were coming up to _them_ for information. Suddenly, he sat up straight and slapped his palm on the table with a loud _thwack_. A server who had been rolling silverware a few tables over jumped in her seat and gave them a dark look.

Nate flashed her an apologetic smile and then asked Lenny sourly, "What?"

"You remember that red-haired guy who was nosing around for information this afternoon?"

"Yeah, so?"

"He was acting kind of squirrelly, if you ask me."

The corners of Nate's lips curled into a sly smile. "And he did have red hair, just like our mystery girl."

Lenny shrugged. "He used your phone, right? Who'd he call?"

Nate was already pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. Scrolling through his call history, he found the number and jotted it down on one of the napkins on the table. "All right," he said when he was finished. "Let's head back to the office and see what we can find out."

Nate tossed a ten-dollar bill onto the table and shoved the napkin into his pocket, sliding out of the booth. They nodded to the hostess on their way out, and were soon back on the road and headed down to the station. It took them twice as long as normal, as Nate drove slowly through the dust storm. He wisely decided to stay off the freeway entirely, making his way into downtown Phoenix using only surface streets.

Once they reached their building, they parked as close to the entrance as they could, jogging through the storm and trying not to breathe in the dust. Fortunately, the storm seemed to be subsiding as they finally reached the relative quiet of the lobby. They took the stairs to the second floor, where there was a large sea of cubicles. Only a single fluorescent light remained lit this late at night, and Nate made his way to his workspace in the relative dimness.

Nate sat down at his desk and wiggled the mouse to wake the computer up from its power saving mode. While he waited for the machine to come alive he pulled the napkin out of his pocket, pressing it carefully on his desktop to remove the wrinkles. As the monitor lit up, Lenny leaned over his shoulder, eagerly looking at the screen.

"Dude, you're breathing in my ear," Nate said grumpily.

"Sorry." Lenny took a step back while Nate typed the number into the search engine that they used to do a reverse look-up on phone numbers.

"It's a cell phone number, registered to a woman named Amelia Carpenter," Nate said after a moment, knitting his eyebrows together in concentration. He tried to recall what he had overheard of the red-haired guy's conversation. The guy had asked the woman to come down to the gift shop, so it probably wasn't the daughter's number. "Her mother, perhaps?" he mused out loud.

Lenny made a noncommittal sound.

A few more clicks and Nate had Amelia Carpenter's address, which was down in Ahwatukee. "Fancy," he muttered. Ahwatukee was an affluent suburb of Phoenix known for its large homes, abundant parks, and good schools. "Wonder if our girl has a silver spoon up her ass?"

Lenny snickered and flopped down into a rolling office chair that he pulled over from a nearby cubicle. "So you wanna go knock on the door at mom and pop's house or what?"

Nate leaned back in his chair, thinking. "Not yet. I don't want to tip our hand. Right now that guy is probably hoping that we've forgotten all about him, and I think it would be good for us to let him think that we have." He paused for a moment, running his hand through his hair. "I'll tell you one thing though, this story is way more than some side-show medical case. You saw what she did with that tree."

A small smile played across Lenny's lips as he thought about it. "Man, I wish I'd had the camera rolling on that." He restlessly turned back and forth in the office chair while chewing on a thumbnail. "Maybe a gust of wind picked the tree up before it landed on them."

"I don't think so--Mother Nature's just not that convenient. We both saw her push the tree off. And that still wouldn't explain how she glowed. Honestly, with what's been going on in the world lately, I think I'd believe just about anything at this point." Nate turned away from the computer screen to face Lenny, casually crossing an ankle over his knee.

"You think this girl is connected to the rain and earthquakes?" Lenny's eyes widened incredulously as he asked the question.

"No, not even I believe that someone can control the weather. But still, the last few days have shown us that there are a lot of weird-ass unexplainable things out there. Maybe she's one of 'em."

"Okay, so this girl is special. But it's not like we can just show up at her house and wring a story out of her. We need a game plan," Lenny stopped fidgeting and leaned forward earnestly.

Nate rolled his eyes. "Obviously."

"Well let's hear it then, genius."

Nate was silent, thinking.

Lenny smirked. "That's what I thought."

"Shut up, Len. We need to find out more about Mystery Girl. We got her mom's name--well, maybe her mom's name--but we can start there. I want to know who that girl is, who she hangs out with, how she spends her time, anything. I'm going to hit the internet hard and see what I can find."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Go watch the parents' house and see if she comes home. While you're waiting you can keep track of who shows up and who leaves."

Lenny stood up with a sour expression. "If I hadn't seen that shit with the tree, there is no way I would bother with this. I hope it ends up being worth our trouble."

"I have a feeling it will." Nate watched passively as Lenny walked down the row of cubicles and back toward the stairwell. Just before Lenny was out of sight, Nate called, "And Lenny?"

Lenny turned back with an expectant expression. "Yeah?"

"We don't know what to expect from this girl, and don't want to miss anything. If you see her, keep the camera rolling."

Lenny nodded and gave a small salute before disappearing.

Nate turned back to the computer and steepled his fingers under his chin, leaning his elbows on the desktop. "So, Mystery Girl," he said to himself. "Let's find out more about you." With that, he set to work.

# Chapter 11

"There was a time, ages ago now, when magic was accepted as a part of everyday life. Those who could use magic and control it, were highly regarded, and their services were sought after by the wealthy and the elite. Magicians, as they were called, often attended childbed and deathbed alike, as they had remarkable healing powers. Of course, their talents could also be put to use in a number of other ways as well. Some built great structures or created beautiful art, some used their powers to gather wealth and prestige, while others still preferred to live simply and stay close to nature. You see, nature is where magicians derived their power, which they held within themselves in their Second Heart."

"This sounds like a fairy tale," Vi interrupted rudely. She slouched down low in the couch with her arms across her chest.

Eleanor looked at her keenly. "Poor manners do not become you, Violet. Don't let your envy turn you nasty."

Vi sat up straight in her seat, defensively looking toward Meredith. "I'm always like this, aren't I, Mere?"

Meredith shrugged, secretly thinking that Eleanor had touched a nerve in her friend. "Go on," she urged quietly. To reassure Vi, Meredith reached over and took her hand, giving it a small squeeze.

"It has been many years since I have heard of the manifestation of a Second Heart, and it has never happened in someone as old as you are." Eleanor chuckled at Meredith's affronted expression. "That's not to say you're old, it's just that it usually would happen around the age of eight or so."

"So what happened?" Meredith asked impatiently. "Why did magic go from being commonplace to not existing?"

"Well, in short, someone decided to take all the magic for himself."

"How?" Meredith pressed.

"Will you let me tell the damn story my own way?" Eleanor barked irritably.

"Sorry," Meredith mumbled, pressing her lips together into a line. Vi giggled softly beside her.

Eleanor waited until she was sure that there would be silence before resuming. "The magician's name was Aleric, and he had been living at the court of Lord Ulrich d'Eresby when he was dismissed after failing to save the Lady of the house during childbirth. Perhaps being cast out made him snap--I don't know. Shortly after that, a rumor began to spread about magicians being murdered in cold blood. Some magicians chose to disbelieve the rumor, while others, wiser ones, went into hiding. After a time, it became certain that the rumors were true, but by then it was too late to do much about it. Aleric had become too powerful."

Seeing that Meredith wouldn't interrupt again, Vi boldly asked, "But how?"

Eleanor cast her a wearied expression, but answered her question. "There is a way to absorb magic from another magician, which is brutal and vile. It takes a truly cold heart to consider it." She closed her eyes briefly, drawing a deep breath, as if haunted by the images in her mind. At last she said, "Aleric would cut out the other magician's Second Heart. As the still-beating organ died in his hands, he could absorb its power into his own Second Heart."

"That's horrible," Meredith exclaimed, instinctively placing a protective hand over her abdomen.

Eleanor agreed, "It was a terrible way to die." She paused to take a steadying sip of her tea, looking blankly into space. Then, collecting herself, she went on, "It was in this way that Aleric was able to gather inside himself more power than any one person should ever possess."

"So then when he died, did all the magic just die with him?" Vi asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"No, when a magician dies, the magic is given back into the Earth for safekeeping until another magician emerges."

"Emerges?" Meredith asked, confused.

"Well, I don't want to say born, because as I said, the Second Heart usually comes in at around age eight. Or in your case, later. You were not a magician last week, but this week you are. You have emerged as a magician. Matured, grown, developed. Call it what you will."

Vi chimed in, "Wait, so then why haven't any magicians 'emerged' since this Aleric guy came on the scene?"

Understanding, Meredith said, "Because Aleric didn't die."

Eleanor nodded, pleased that Meredith had come to the correct conclusion. "Aleric used his power to unnaturally prolong his own life for over a few thousand years. He's held the magic within himself, until now."

"Oh my God. The fires. The rain. Everything. That's because the magic was going back into the Earth," Vi said, agape.

"Yes, and at such a high volume, it was bound to make a splash," Eleanor said with a dry smile.

"So what's happening to me is connected to all these natural disasters," Meredith said to herself, allowing the information to sink in. Then she asked, "So will other magicians besides me be emerging, too?"

Eleanor nodded again. "I would imagine so."

Meredith's eyes widened as her face paled. "Dr. Wells told me that there was another patient in Phoenix that she was going to go take care of. If she removes the Second Heart, like she would have with me, then he'll die!"

The corners of Eleanor's mouth tightened as she considered how to respond. The silence stretched on until finally she uttered, "Yes."

"But we have to help him!" Meredith protested, standing up.

Eleanor's face took on a look of profound sadness as she said, "Sit back down and I'll explain to you just why we can't do that."

Siding with Meredith, Vi asked, "Can't or won't?"

To Meredith, Eleanor said, "Next time, leave your mouthy friend at home. Now _sit down_."

Meredith reluctantly did as she was told. She crossed her arms over her chest, frowning, as she slumped onto the sofa.

"There is more of the story to tell, and I would prefer not to be interrupted again," Eleanor said brusquely. She reminded Meredith of her strict, no-nonsense high school science teacher. "Now, you may find this hard to believe, but Aleric and I don't exactly send each other Christmas cards every year. So, I don't know why, after all this time, the magic that Aleric hoarded has been released."

"Because he died, obviously," Vi said.

Eleanor sent her a withering look. "This is a man who had the cunning and the cruelty to kill hundreds of people for his own gain, and then to use his abilities to live for thousands of years in order to amass even more power still. And you think he would just _die_?" She laughed without humor, swirling her tea around in the mug she held in her hand.

Meredith scrutinized Eleanor's face, feeling as though the older woman was hiding something. "But you do think something happened," she pressed.

Eleanor watched the tea splash around in her cup for a few moments before responding. "Immortality doesn't exist. Aleric's been hanging around for a very, very long time now, and his body might have failed him at last. All the magic in the world would not be able to sustain him forever."

"I thought you said he wouldn't die," Vi asked earnestly.

"I said he wouldn't _just_ die. If you had built up a legacy over countless years and felt yourself to be dying at long last, what would you do?"

"He found a protégé," Meredith surmised. "Someone to take over and carry on his life's work, whatever it was."

Vi nodded, impressed. "It's what I would do."

"Good," Eleanor said, satisfied. "So now you understand why you must keep your newfound abilities an absolute secret. If, indeed, there is a protégé, he or she will likely be seeking to restore as much power to him- or herself as possible."

Meredith felt her heart sink as she remembered the gaggle of reporters who were looking for her at the hospital. "They'll target anyone who went to the hospital with stomach pains, won't they?"

"That is the primary reason why I felt that I should work at a hospital myself. I wanted to have immediate access to anyone who might emerge as a magician," Eleanor said.

"Oh my God, Dr. Sparling was hanging around all evening, barely letting you out of her sight!" Vi gasped. "What if she is the protégé?"

"Maybe," Eleanor conceded. "At the very least, I think it is likely that whoever it is will have people, knowingly or not, keeping an eye out for any unusual medical cases."

Meredith was overcome with an acute sense of exposure as she considered all the paperwork she filled out at the hospital with her name and contact information on it. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked miserably. "The hospital has all my information. They even know where I go to school, because I have student health insurance. If someone wants to find me, they won't have to look very hard."

"I can help you there," Eleanor said with a smug smile. She nodded at her purse that rested on the counter in the kitchen. Slowly, the handbag rose into the air and floated over to where Eleanor sat on the sofa. She reached up and caught it in her hands, setting it on her lap.

While the purse moved through the air, Meredith felt something, almost as if the air had shifted in the room. She and Vi watched in fascination, still unable to fully believe what their eyes were telling them. Eleanor caught them staring, and quipped to Vi, "It certainly can't do any harm to remind you what I can do. Perhaps it will quiet that incessantly running mouth of yours." She smiled to show that she was teasing, and then to Meredith she said, "You can feel the magic, can't you?"

Meredith nodded slightly. "I think so. If that's what I felt. Almost like a breeze, but not. Something else. It's weird."

"Your Second Heart gives you the sense that allows you to feel it when someone uses magic. It's almost like sound. Bigger magic makes a bigger 'sound', and of course, proximity plays a role as well. As you grow into your new abilities, you'll be able to recognize and better understand what you are sensing." She unzipped her purse and dug around inside. She pulled out a bundle of folded up papers and tossed them to Meredith.

Meredith recognized them as the papers she had filled out at the hospital, her own handwriting staring up at her from the top of the page. "You stole these?"

Eleanor rolled her eyes and didn't answer. Instead, she said, "Unfortunately, most of your information was also inputted into our computer system as well, and that's not as easy to get rid of."

"Can't you just 'magic' it away?" Vi asked flippantly.

"Do you have any idea how obnoxious you are?" Eleanor returned with a shake of her head.

"Give it time, you'll eventually find me endearing." Vi smiled brightly, completely unperturbed by Eleanor's obvious dislike.

Eleanor raised her eyebrows thoughtfully. "I doubt that, but I've learned to never rule out even the most unlikely of things." Turning back to Meredith she said, "I was able to delete your information from the nurse's station. However, it is still retrievable, if someone smarter than me cared to try. I don't know enough about computers to completely eradicate your data."

Meredith's eyebrows drew together slightly. "Regardless of Vi's tone, she did have a point. What about magic? Can't you use it to make the information go away for good?"

"Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. To use magic, you must have a thorough knowledge of the inner-workings of your subject. That is why, historically, magicians were also great scholars. Otherwise, you'd be shooting blind, so to speak."

"Oh," Meredith said, deflated. "Can't you just make the computer tech spill a cup of coffee on the mainframe or something?"

Eleanor laughed heartily. "Oh dear, you watch too many movies." She wiped a tear from her eye and said more seriously, "You need to operate on the assumption that people will find out who you are. All I did was slow them down a bit."

"So you think I should go into hiding or something?" Meredith asked. She felt oddly detached from her situation, as if it were some other Meredith whose life was in danger. It couldn't be her; she was just a normal girl who wanted to take care of sick animals. That's all.

Eleanor spoke carefully, understanding that Meredith was taking a lot in. She didn't want to overwhelm her, as so much was at stake. "It might be wise for now, until we can decide how to proceed. In addition, I am going to give you something that you must promise to keep on you at all times."

"What is it?" Vi asked, her eyes alight with curiosity.

"You've got the patience of a teenaged boy on prom night," Eleanor said dryly. She set her purse aside and stood up. "I'll just go get it."

While Eleanor was out of the room, Vi regarded Meredith carefully. "How you holding up, kid?"

Meredith met her friend's eyes, unsure how to answer. "Half of me doesn't believe it. The other half wants to run for the hills." She chuckled in an attempt to relieve the tension that coiled up inside her, but the laugh didn't reach her eyes. She whispered, "I think Eleanor is keeping something from us."

Vi's gaze sharpened. "I got that vibe, too."

"What do you think it is?"

Eleanor returned to the room before Vi could respond. She resumed her seat on the sofa opposite Meredith and Vi, resting a small wooden box on her knee. She opened it, revealing a silver necklace almost exactly like the one she wore around her own neck. The red, acorn-sized stone glimmered softly in the lamplight from inside the felt-lined box.

Eleanor kept her eyes on the necklace as she lifted it gently from the box, allowing the stone to dangle in front of Meredith and Vi. "This is a _thaelis_. It will hide you from those who would try to find you via magical means." She lifted her eyes to meet Meredith's, brows arched. "It wouldn't do you much good if you were to bump into each other on the street, but at least now they can't cheat." She smiled and gently handed the necklace to Meredith.

"Is that how you were able to find me and Vi in the storm? With magic?" Meredith asked as she took the necklace. It was heavier than she expected, and the red stone felt warm and smooth in her hand.

"Yes."

"Does the necklace you wear hide you from Aleric?"

Eleanor considered how to answer the question. "Yes," she said after a pause. "Among other things. A _thaelis_ is special in that it can be imbued with a variety of different properties."

Meredith stared at the red stone in the necklace, feeling a power radiating from it. She wondered if Vi would be able to feel anything at all, or if it was her Second Heart that allowed her to do so, like it had with the purse.

"What makes something a _thaelis_? Does it have to be a necklace? Or could it be like, a shoe or something?" Vi asked curiously.

Without raising her eyes, Meredith answered, "It's the stone."

"Yes, you can feel its power," Eleanor answered sagely. "The stone is the _thaelis_. It could be a necklace, a bracelet, whatever. You could carry it in your pocket if you dared, though I wouldn't recommend it. These stones are very rare and extremely valuable, and you don't want to lose it. As long as you have it on you, it will protect you."

Meredith hesitated to put the necklace on. "What else does it do? You said, 'among other things'. I don't care what else yours does, because I figure that's personal, but what else does this one do?"

Eleanor looked surprised at the question. "Well, uh," she stammered, "I'm not sure if I could enumerate all of its properties offhand, since it's been around for a very long while, but it will give you a measure of protection against physical harm and sickness and things like that."

Meredith frowned. "I don't want to wear it unless I know what all it does." She set the necklace down on the coffee table to emphasize her point, resting her hands in her lap. From the corner of her eye, she saw Vi smother a smirk behind her hand.

Eleanor's eyebrows drew together in frustration. She hadn't expected Meredith to give her any resistance. She picked up the necklace and held it out for Meredith again. "I really cannot tell you what spells have been worked into this _thaelis_ , but I can promise you that none were meant to do the wearer any harm. Further, you are in more danger from others than you are from me or this necklace."

Meredith met Eleanor's eyes cautiously, wishing she could read Eleanor's mind and learn what the older woman was hiding. However, the earnest look in her eyes convinced Meredith that Eleanor was trying to help her, even if she wasn't telling them everything she knew. Finally Meredith reached out and took the necklace, slipping it over her head and tucking the stone under her shirt. As the red stone came into contact with her skin, she felt its warmth seep into her and spread throughout her body.

"Good," Eleanor said, satisfied. "Now we need to decide where you are to go."

"We can't just stay here?" Vi asked. Meredith was wondering the same thing.

Eleanor looked sad as she answered. "I don't think it would be wise. If Aleric--or his protégé--found one of us, then he would effectively find both of us. We can't risk staying together."

Meredith blanched. She felt like Eleanor was her only lifeline into understanding her new status as a magician. "But what am I supposed to do? You told me I can't ignore my powers, but you won't stick around to teach me about them?"

"Of course I will. This is the twenty-first century. Have you heard of a telephone?" Eleanor scoffed. "You'll get one of those throwaway phones and I'll do the same. We'll be able to talk to each other, and I will help you figure things out. For now though, you need to go where strangers won't know to look for you."

"Tonight?" Meredith pushed.

Eleanor sighed heavily, wearied by the late hour and the many questions from the women. "No, not tonight. You two can sleep on the couches out here while you think about where you will hide out. Now I am going to bed, and you two should, too. It's been a long day."

# Chapter 12

A wheezing sound in her ear woke Amelia from a deep slumber. As her mind struggled toward consciousness, her brain tried to make sense of the steady, shrill rhythm. Had she set an alarm? Her eyes opened and slowly adjusted to the weak light provided by the glow of the bedside alarm clock. A large, heavy white lump on her chest came into focus. Amelia bolted upright, sending the cat, Sabrina, tumbling off of the bed and onto the floor.

"Jesus!" Amelia exclaimed. "How the hell did that cat get in here?"

Roused out of his own sleep by his wife's outburst, Rob sat up confusedly. "What? What cat?"

"That cat!" Amelia pointed at Sabrina, who was stalking out of the room irritably.

Still in a daze, Rob said, "Oh, that cat." He sat there, rubbing his eyes and staring as the cat's tail disappeared around the doorframe. "We have a cat?" He looked at Amelia innocently, and she burst into laughter as she took in his appearance. His wiry bronze hair stood on end and his face had a deep red line going across it from where it had been pressed against a wrinkle in the sheets.

"We're watching those damned cats from the vet's office, remember? Vi must have left the bedroom door open." Amelia stood up and stretched, glancing at the clock on the bedside table. It was just after six, so they had a little while before they needed to get back to the hospital for Meredith's operation. "Just enough time for a cup of coffee," Amelia said to herself with a smile. Her morning coffee ritual was one that she treasured.

Amelia shrugged her fluffy leopard print robe up over her pajamas and walked down the hall toward the kitchen. The sun had an hour or so before it would rise, and the air in the house was chilly. In the kitchen, Amelia started the coffee maker and got two mugs down from the cupboard. Hers had a picture of a cactus flower on it, while Rob's had a print of an old family photo on it. It had been a gift from Meredith when she was in middle school, and the picture featured the four of them grinning broadly at the camera.

While the coffee brewed, Amelia headed outside to bring in the newspaper. She wondered what news the day would bring in the wake of all the rain and earthquakes. She opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch, pausing as she took in the scene outside. Her beautiful garden was littered with debris and drifts of dust, flowers were missing half of their petals, and a broken tree branch from a neighbor's yard had pummeled one of the cacti. Under the streetlamp across the street, she could see that the neighbor's large mesquite tree was uprooted and had come to its final resting place on top of the old van that had been parked in the driveway. "Rob, come look at this," she called back into the house.

A few moments later, Rob shuffled down the hall. He stood next to Amelia and looked dumbly at the van for a moment before a look of irritation overcame his features. "You mean I went and closed the window on that damned van for nothing?"

Amelia chuckled. "It would appear so. At least now Frank and Lydia will finally have to get rid of that eyesore." She smiled and stepped down the driveway, picking up the paper and returning to the house.

Rob followed her back in, closing the door firmly behind him. "We must have had one hell of a storm last night." They had both fallen into bed when they'd gotten home from the hospital utterly exhausted. Meeting Amelia in the kitchen he asked, "Did you hear it?"

Amelia shook her head as she poured them each a cup of coffee. She jumped, startled when she felt something brush against her leg, nearly tripping over in the process. At her feet, the black cat rubbed her cheek against Amelia's ankle. The cat mewed a greeting, walking between Amelia's legs and curling her sleek, furry body around the opposite ankle. "I never knew cats were such murderers," she said irritably. "The white one tried to suffocate me to death this morning, and now this one's determined to trip me. Thank God we don't have stairs in this house."

Rob gave her a small smile in acknowledgment. He looked down at the cat with distaste. "How long are they going to be here?" He accepted the mug of coffee that Amelia handed to him, and they both went out to the living room to sit on the couch.

After they'd been sitting there a moment, blissfully sipping their warm beverage, the black cat jumped up onto the couch between them, purring loudly. She shoved her head under Rob's free hand, demanding to be petted. "Oh for God's sake," he said, giving in. He stroked the cat along the length of her body. Thrilled with the attention, the cat climbed onto his lap and settled in.

Rob leaned his upper body away from the cat, looking at Amelia in dismay. She laughed at his discomfort. "Aw look, you made a friend," she crooned.

Amelia leaned forward and picked up the paper that she had tossed onto the coffee table a few minutes earlier, unfolding it. The top headline was about the earthquakes the day before, but there was nothing about last night's dust storm. "It must have gone to press before the storm hit," Amelia mused.

Changing the subject, Rob asked, "When do you want to head down to the hospital? I'd like to see Meredith for a little while before she heads into surgery."

Amelia glanced at the clock on the mantel. Draining her coffee cup, she said, "We can go now." She stood up and folded the newspaper in her hand, intending to take it along and read it in the waiting room.

The cat squawked indignantly as Rob stood, unceremoniously dumping her onto the floor in the process. Rob let out an amused chuckle as the cat looked up at him reproachfully.

"Careful," Amelia quipped. "She looks like the type that'll get revenge."

Rob met her eye and they both smiled, and then impulsively, he reached out and pulled her into a big hug.

Amelia returned the embrace, enjoying the comfort of her husband's strong arms around her waist. Releasing him, she said, "We should call James and let him know that we are headed down there." They had called their son on the way home the night before to tell him about Meredith's illness. James had promised to leave his daughter Ivy with her other grandparents so he could join them at the hospital today.

They quickly dressed and got into the car, heading to the hospital. Rob drove while Amelia called James on her cell phone. As they made their way through the battered streets, they were stunned by the power of the dust storm that had hit the night before. After hanging up with James, Amelia commented, "I can't believe we slept through this."

"We were beat. A train could have come through our bedroom and we would have been none the wiser," Rob joked.

"Speaking of..." Amelia frowned down at her cell phone screen. "I've got a missed call from the hospital."

"When was that?"

"Last night."

"Mere probably just called to say good night."

Amelia tossed her phone into the cup holder between them. "You're probably right."

Soon they pulled into a space in the hospital parking lot and were making their way inside. Rob was relieved to see that the reporters were gone, presumably having moved on to greener pastures. The security seemed to have been relaxed as well, as no one stopped them on their way up to Meredith's room.

Down the hall from Meredith's room, they could see that her door was slightly ajar. Amelia wondered if they had arrived too late, but a quick glance at her wristwatch showed that it was just after seven. Her surgery wasn't supposed to be until eight. Arriving at Meredith's room, they looked inside. The room was empty and the bed was neatly made up in preparation for another patient.

Confused, they turned around and walked back to the nurse's station. "Excuse me," Rob said to the nurse behind the counter.

She looked up from her computer screen. "Can I help you?"

"Yes." Rob leaned on the counter. "My daughter was in that room over there, but now there's no one in there. She's having surgery at eight, and we'd like to see her before she goes in. Can you tell me where she's been moved to?"

The nurse's expression was unreadable. "No one has been in there since I've been here. What's your daughter's name?" After Rob told her, she typed a few things into her computer. A look of confusion crossed over her face. "Can you spell the last name for me, please?"

Rob did as she asked, casting a worried glance over toward Amelia.

After a few moments, the nurse said, "I'm sorry, but I don't have any record of a patient by that name."

"That can't be right," Amelia protested. "Are you sure it's spelled correctly?"

The nurse looked sympathetic. "I double checked. She's not in here."

Rob's face flushed with frustration. "My daughter was here last night when we left, and now you're telling me you have no record of her? Where is my daughter then?"

The nurse rolled her chair back, away from Rob's piercing look. Defensively, she said, "I'm sorry, sir, I really don't know. As I said, I just got here. Let me check if any of the nurses who were here last night are still here." She stood up and scurried away, clearly relieved to be escaping from Rob's anger.

Amelia's cell phone began to ring from inside her purse. She dug around inside and found the cell phone after several rings, answering it just before it went to voice mail. "Hello?"

James's easygoing voice came through the earpiece. "Hey, Mom. I'm downstairs. Where do I go?"

Rob could hear the question from where he stood, and he called into the phone, "We don't know. The hospital lost her." He sent an accusatory glance down the hallway where the nurse had disappeared.

Amelia took a step away from Rob and said more calmly, "She's been moved, so we're just trying to find out where she is. Once we know, we'll call you back and tell you where to go, okay?"

They said their goodbyes and hung up just as the nurse was returning with a young man wearing jeans and a tee shirt. Amelia recognized him as the nurse who had been taking care of Meredith the night before. "Oh, hello," she greeted him warmly, glad to see a familiar face. "You were my daughter's nurse last night."

The nurse smiled appreciatively. "Yeah, the cute redhead. My name's Matt, by the way." He stuck his hand out toward Amelia, and she shook it absently.

"Can you please tell us where you've taken our daughter?" Rob asked with exaggerated patience.

Amelia sent him a disapproving glance. "We're just really worried about her," she said, attempting to explain away Rob's rude tone.

Matt shifted his weight uncomfortably, glancing around. An orderly was pushing another patient down the hall in a wheelchair. He waited until they were a little farther away before responding. "Your daughter disappeared last night. I caught her going downstairs at about eight. She said she and her friend had gotten in a fight and she wanted to go down and work it out. That's the last time I saw her."

"Why weren't we called?" Rob demanded. Amelia winced. She knew that Rob was only irate because he was worried for Meredith, but she wished he could be a little more diplomatic.

Matt seemed unruffled, likely used to dealing with disgruntled patients. "We were going to, but when we tried to look up Meredith's emergency contact information, she wasn't in the system."

The other nurse who had been helping them suppressed a smile, feeling vindicated that she wasn't the only one who hadn't been able to find Meredith's records.

"Does that happen a lot?" Amelia asked.

Matt shook his head. "I really can't explain it. We asked our tech support guys if there's a virus or something, but they think that maybe her information was deleted. Trust me when I tell you that once they figure out what happened, heads are gonna roll."

Rob seemed only mildly satisfied with that response. "I just want to make sure we're on the same page. Our daughter is no longer in the hospital, and you have no idea where she's gone. Her records have been deleted from your system. Is that right?"

Matt nodded.

"Why is no one out looking for her?"

"Your daughter is over eighteen and she's not a prisoner. She's free to leave, albeit against medical advice, if she chooses. Sorry." After a pause he glanced at his wristwatch and said contritely, "I am coming off of a long shift and am dead on my feet. If there isn't anything else..." He let the end of his sentence go unsaid.

Amelia waved a hand at him. "Go on, then. Thank you for your help." She took Rob by the elbow and led him down the hall toward the elevator. She could feel the muscles in his arm tighten with frustration and worry. In the elevator, Amelia dialed Meredith's number, but it went straight to her voicemail. Her stomach felt like it was in her throat as she tried not to consider the worst-case scenarios.

James was waiting for them down in the lobby, lounging in a chair by the window. There were a few other people sitting around, but Rob and Amelia didn't pay them much attention.

James stood up as they approached. "Hey."

In a lowered voice, Rob quickly explained the situation. He concluded, "Your mom and I will go to her apartment to look for her there, but we were hoping you'd go by the university."

James looked skeptical. "The university is huge. I'd have no idea where to go."

Tears sprang into Amelia's eyes. "Please, James. Just go look for her." Rob's arm slipped around her shoulders protectively.

"I will, I'll go. I'm not saying I won't," James said guiltily. "I'm just saying that chances are small that I'll find her there."

Rob gave him a hard look. "Okay, then if you don't find her there, you can call us and we'll tell you where to look next."

James nodded, sobered by his mother's tears. "Don't cry, Mom. We'll find her. She's probably asleep at home and just forgot to charge her phone or something."

Amelia attempted a smile, but it came out more like a grimace. "Well, let's get going so we can find just that."

They hugged and said their goodbyes, going their own ways to look for Meredith. The car ride to Meredith's apartment was strained and silent. Rob tried to lighten the mood with humor, but it fell flat. "I'm going to wring her neck when we find her in her bed," he said optimistically. It was obvious to both of them that his words were for Amelia's benefit, and neither believed them.

Amelia offered a small, appreciative chuckle, grateful that he was trying to cheer her up. Unfortunately, nothing would cheer her up until she could see for herself that her daughter was alive and well. Unable to take the silence any longer, Amelia asked pitifully, "Why on earth would she leave before getting that surgery? What if she's dead in a ditch somewhere?"

Rob reached over and rested a hand on her knee. "Our daughter isn't dumb, sweetie. If she left, she had a damn good reason."

That comment made Amelia feel better than Rob's attempt at humor had, and she wiped the tears off of her face, willing herself to stop crying. Rob was right. Their daughter was smart and capable, and she was probably fine.

Amelia's heart sank again when they pounded on the door at Meredith's apartment without success. Amelia had a key for emergencies, which she used to get in. They found both bedrooms empty, without a clue as to where the girls were. Amelia refused to deteriorate into a weeping mess, and she told Rob as much. In times of stress, Amelia had to keep busy to stay sane, and she planned to do just that by looking under every rock and in every nook and cranny until they found Meredith.

* * *

Lenny had overheard the entire conversation that Amelia and Rob had had with their son, James. He found it very interesting that Meredith's hospital records had been deleted, and he was glad that he and Nate had stuck with the story.

Rob and Amelia were so wrapped up in their worry that they didn't notice when Lenny followed them outside and then got into a car of his own. As he tailed them through the streets of Phoenix, he called Nate and gave him an update.

On the other end of the line, Nate said, "She keeps her social profiles pretty private, so I don't have any idea where else she could have gone. All I know is that she's a vet student at ASU."

"Well now I know where she lives, so that's something. Her folks are pounding on her door as we speak."

"Is she there?"

"Hold on." Lenny watched from the parking lot as Rob and Amelia went into Meredith's apartment, coming out disappointed a few minutes later. "Nope, they're looking pretty upset, too."

"Wouldn't you if your daughter were missing?"

Lenny didn't answer the question. Instead he said, "I have a feeling that Meredith will eventually come home, so I'm going to wait here for her." Hanging up his phone, Lenny settled in to wait, keeping the door to her apartment in plain view.

# Chapter 13

Vi felt uncomfortable as she slowly returned to consciousness. Her neck was turned at a funny angle, and her legs felt cramped from being bent too long. She was curled up on the loveseat at Eleanor's house, having fallen asleep there in the wee hours of the morning. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, noticing that Meredith sat upright on the couch across from her.

"Hey," Vi said, her voice breaking. "Did you sleep?"

Meredith looked haggard and pale, deep shadows having taken up residence under her eyes. "No," she said blankly. Then, "I tried to, but I couldn't stop thinking about everything. My life is completely over as I know it, isn't it?" She looked into Vi's eyes, hoping that she would be contradicted.

Vi felt sorry for her--growing up with Meredith, Vi understood her friend better than most. Meredith had always been the popular one, happy to live and have friends and fit in. Vi would have jumped at the chance to have something that set her apart from others, but Meredith was different. She didn't need or want to be special. After a long silence, Vi answered Meredith's question. "Yeah, I'd say so, kid."

Vi wondered if Meredith was going to cry, and was mildly surprised when instead she let out a large sigh and said, "I guess I had better get used to it, then." Meredith looked down at her hands, lacing and unlacing her fingers together.

Remembering advice she had been given once at the end of a serious relationship, Vi said, "It's okay to be sad to lose the life you thought you were going to live, you know. You have to grieve for those disappointed expectations, because they were a very real part of you."

Meredith looked up Vi, startled by the unexpected advice. "I know you think I should be happy about all this, Vi."

Vi hesitated as she formulated her response. "It's true that _I_ would be happy, but that doesn't mean _you_ should be happy. We're different from each other, and we want different things."

Meredith stood and came to sit next to Vi, awkwardly wrapping her arms around Vi from the side. She leaned her head on Vi's shoulder. "Thanks."

Vi returned the hug and kissed the top of Meredith's head. "Just promise me that when you figure out how to use your newfound gifts you'll remember your old buddy Vi."

Meredith laughed and gave VI another squeeze. Then, playfully she asked, "Aw Vi, are we having a gooey moment?"

"Blegh, never," Vi said back. They hugged for another moment and then Vi asked, "What time is it? You think Eleanor's got any coffee around here?"

Meredith broke off the embrace and looked at her watch. "It's almost six. How about you see if you can get the news on that relic--" she gestured to the TV "--while I go find us some caffeine?"

"Deal," Vi said brightly. She walked over to the TV and squatted down in front of it. It had three silver knobs along one side, and she turned the top one. The TV clicked and then emitted a low whine as it slowly lit up. The screen was snowy and then began to roar at her loudly. "Ack!" Vi quickly turned the second knob, grateful to discover that it was the volume control. The third knob changed the channel, and Vi clicked through until she found a familiar newscaster's face. After adjusting the volume, she returned to the couch to watch.

The first segment was about the previous night's haboob, detailing the strength of the storm and the resulting damage around the valley. The coverage was similar to other stories she had seen in the past in the aftermath of the dust storms, so Vi was mildly bored as she waited for them to move on to the next story.

Meredith returned to the living room with two Diet Cokes in hand. "There's no coffee, and all the tea is decaf," she explained.

Vi took the proffered soda, muttering, "Vile witch. Who doesn't keep coffee in their house?"

Meredith shrugged and flopped down onto the couch next to Vi, opening her soda with a pop and a hiss. "I'd find that sound more welcome if it weren't fifty degrees in here," Meredith observed.

"No coffee and no heater. The woman is pure evil."

The news program concluded its story about the storm damage and returned to the anchors, who took turns relaying the news. "Unfortunately, we have to report that several windstorms and tornadoes also ravaged other parts of the country overnight. The worst hit area seems to be the small town of South Grove, Missouri. About half of the structures in the municipality have been destroyed, and currently there are three confirmed deaths along with dozens of others still missing. These events, combined with the other recent weather and seismological activity, have Washington taking note. The President has promised additional funding for research into explaining these worldwide changes, hoping that we will soon be able to predict any patterns going forward."

Vi leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "It's weird that we know why this is happening but no one else does. It seems like such a waste, since we know that this isn't going to go on forever."

"I know what you mean."

The newscast changed to a shot of the hospital where they had been just the night before. They watched with rapt attention, since they knew the story would probably pertain to them. They were not disappointed. The reporter didn't have much information, and didn't seem to know that Meredith had snuck out of the hospital without undergoing surgery.

"I guess they didn't get wind of the other patient, huh?" Vi commented, making conversation.

Meredith frowned. "No, I guess not." She dug into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, turning the screen on. "I need to call my parents."

"What about what Eleanor said? About hiding?"

"I know, I know. But they're my _parents_ , Vi." Meredith looked at Vi earnestly, hoping for reassurance.

Vi didn't give her any. "Exactly. They're the first place the protégé is going to look for you."

"What if the protégé looks for me, gets mad when I'm not there, and hurts them? I have to at least warn them." Meredith's hands were shaking with the strength of her emotion. She dialed her parents' number, but the call wouldn't go through. She still didn't have any service.

"Wanna try mine?" Vi pulled her phone out of her own pocket and looked down at the screen. Her face bunched up with confusion. "I don't have service, either. Something is up." She pressed several buttons on her phone and then opened up the side of the phone. "My SIM card is gone!"

"What?" Meredith quickly checked her own phone, finding the same. The SIM card was what allowed the phone to connect to the cellular network and make phone calls. "How did that happen?" Meredith asked incredulously.

"Someone must have taken them when we weren't really paying attention," Vi said, disgusted with herself. "Stupid!"

"Do you think it was Eleanor?" Meredith mouthed the words, worried that their hostess could be listening from the bedroom.

Vi leaned close to Meredith and spoke in a low whisper. "We already know she's hiding something. Can we really trust her?"

"I don't think she wants to hurt me... but I also think she's got an agenda for me, and I'm not sure that I would like it. So right now, the only person I really trust is you."

"Do you think we should leave?"

"Well, if she doesn't know where I've gone, she can't tell anyone else, either."

Vi agreed wholeheartedly. She leaned over and immediately began shoving her feet into her boots, lacing them up mercilessly in her haste. Then she stood up abruptly, shoving her cell phone in her pocket and donning the jacket that she had thrown over the back of the sofa.

They left the TV on, by unspoken agreement, hoping that the noise would let Eleanor think they were still there. Slowly and quietly they walked over and eased open the front door. A blast of cold air hit them in the face, and goosebumps immediately sprouted on Meredith's bare arms. Meredith glanced back at the coat that Eleanor had left in the dining area, debating whether she should take it.

Reading Meredith's thoughts on her face, Vi said, "Either Eleanor is on our side and would want you to have the coat, or she's out to get us, in which case, she deserves to have her coat stolen. Just take it."

Careful not to make a sound, Meredith jogged back into the house and slung the coat around her shoulders. It was one of those puffy coats and it was much too small, making her look like she was a big green caterpillar. If the moment weren't so serious, Vi would have laughed at how ridiculous Meredith looked.

Catching the mirth in Vi's eyes, Meredith said, "Not a word, Vi. Not a single word."

They closed the door behind them slowly, pulling ever so gently until they heard the latch click.

"Can you run for a little ways?" Meredith asked.

Vi looked down at her feet, thinking of the raw blisters that she had already incurred the night before. "I guess it can't get much worse," she said gamely.

"Just for a little while, okay? Then we'll walk." Meredith took off down the driveway, setting a brisk pace.

Inwardly, Vi cursed her friend for being so athletic while simultaneously cursing herself for not. The blisters on her feet started to burn inside her shoes as they rubbed against the leather. She sucked in her breath and did her best to ignore it, unsuccessfully. She focused on the need to get as far away from Eleanor's house as they could, thinking of the pain as the price for their safety. Giving her discomfort a purpose made it more bearable, though she still resolved to throw the wretched boots away at the first opportunity.

At the end of the street, Meredith turned south before cutting down another side street. They rounded a corner and spotted a wash that ran through the neighborhood. Meredith went off the sidewalk and down into the concrete ditch, which still held several large puddles from the rain a few days before. She slowed to a walk and went to sit in the pass under the street they had just been on.

Relieved, Vi sank down next to her friend and began unlacing her boots.

"How are your feet?" Meredith asked.

"Bad. But I'm trying to be philosophical about it." VI pulled off her right boot and sock and inspected the damage to her foot. A large blister on her heel had broken and was oozing clear fluid, while a second blister on her baby toe was also threatening to burst.

Meredith hissed through her teeth in sympathy. "Okay, so no more running."

Vi shot her a grateful smile. "We need to figure out where we're going, anyway." She began pulling off her other boot.

Meredith was silent, pressing her lips together nervously.

Vi stopped mid-tug and demanded, "What?"

"I think we should split up," Meredith said carefully. "My parents aren't the only ones that I'm putting in danger. It's too big of a risk for you to stay with me."

Vi scoffed and finished pulling off her second shoe and sock. "So you think the best thing is for you to go it alone, with no help, for everyone else's sake?"

Meredith nodded.

"I didn't have you pegged for the martyr type."

"I'm not trying to be a martyr, Vi. I'm just trying not to get you killed. I mean, look at last night. We could have frozen to death in that storm."

"So if we did split up, what would you do?"

Again, Meredith hesitated to respond. She obviously had a plan in mind, but was reticent to share it with Vi.

"Spit it out, Carpenter," Vi said harshly. She felt angry and a little hurt by Meredith's desire to separate, though she had no intention of letting it happen. She held Meredith's gaze as several emotions played out across her friend's face.

Finally, Meredith blurted, "I just can't sit idly by and let someone die because of my silence and fear."

Understanding dawned on Vi. "You want to go warn the guy at that other hospital, don't you?"

"Yes."

Vi thought it was an idiotic thing to do, and almost said as much. Chances are the protégé was sniffing around the other hospital, too, and Meredith would be putting herself directly in harm's way. On the other hand, Vi wondered how she herself would feel if she knew she could save a life and chose not to. Vi thought she might be able to live with that, but she knew Meredith couldn't. Swallowing all her misgivings, she said, "Okay."

"You're not going to argue with me?" Meredith asked incredulously.

Vi shrugged. "Would it do any good?"

Meredith grinned. "Probably not."

"Then let's skip that part and talk logistics. Phoenix Mercy is way downtown, so we can't walk. Do you know anyone who lives around here who could give us a ride?"

"No. Remember, you're my only friend," Meredith joked, though it wasn't far from the truth. Her dedication to school had edged out most of her personal relationships. "Our apartment is the closest."

"Your car and my scooter are both at your parents' house." Vi paused and then suggested, "We could call a cab."

"No, Phoenix cabs take hours to show up. What if they plan to operate on that guy this morning?"

They sat and pondered their situation for a few moments. Meredith's stomach rumbled loudly, reminding them both that they were long overdue for a meal.

"What about Josh?" Vi asked suddenly, remembering their newly befriended neighbor. "He owes us a ride to a hospital, after all."

"Don't you think going home is too dangerous?"

"If you really want to go warn that other guy, then this is our best option."

Meredith looked torn. "I want to go crawl in a cave and hide forever."

"That's what Eleanor would have you do," Vi agreed.

Meredith shook her head, the corners of her mouth turning down. In a low voice she said, "I spent the whole night thinking about myself and how _my_ life is changed forever. I didn't spare a single thought for the guy whose life is about to be ended completely." Tears sprang into her eyes as guilt overwhelmed her. "And now, I hesitate to help him because I can't stop thinking about how it affects _me_. What kind of selfish person does that?"

"Hey, it's only natural to want to protect yourself. You're being too harsh a judge." Vi's voice was soft and soothing as she reached over and patted Meredith gently on the back, though she thought that her friend was probably due for a good cry. The past two days were probably the hardest of her life.

Meredith's body shook as she sobbed noiselessly. Looking up at Vi with red eyes and tear stained cheeks, she cried, "I'm just so freaking scared, Vi. I always thought I was such a strong person, but now that I'm being tested, I just want it all to go away."

Vi didn't say anything, giving Meredith a chance to let all the emotions out. Vi rubbed her back and made shushing noises, until Meredith's tears were mostly back in check. While her friend hiccupped softly beside her, Vi said, "Doing stuff when you aren't scared is easy. But having the balls to try anyway when you're scared out of your mind, that's what's strong."

"Do you really think so?"

Vi gave her a half smile. "Do you remember in eighth grade, when we went hiking on South Mountain and I fell and broke my leg?"

Meredith nodded.

"What did you do?"

"I went back and got help," Meredith said in a small voice.

"Even though you were terrified that a javelina or a coyote was going to get you if you were hiking alone."

"What? My parents stressed the dangers of the desert, okay?"

"My point is, you did it anyway, even though you were afraid. You did what needed to be done. You _are_ strong, Mere."

Meredith sat for a few more minutes, playing with a pebble next to her leg. She rolled it back and forth along the concrete while she gathered her thoughts. "Okay," Meredith said, nodding. "Okay. Let's go see Josh."

# Chapter 14

Meredith and Vi's apartment backed up onto a small city park that boasted a swing set and a few picnic tables. By the time they were crossing the overgrown lawn, it was just after eight in the morning. Their apartment building blocked them from view of the parking lot, just as they had hoped it would.

Vi's bare feet squished into the damp grass as they walked, making small squelching sounds. Her socks were stuffed into her pockets and her prized leather boots sat abandoned in the wash where they had rested earlier. Vi stepped around a broken off branch of a bougainvillea bush, careful of its long, sharp spines.

A young woman was walking her dog through the park, and she smiled at them as she passed. If she noticed Vi's bare feet, she didn't give any indication. After returning her grin, they waited until she was gone from sight before they walked into the shadow of their apartment building and sidled up under Josh's window.

Vi reached down and picked up a handful of landscaping gravel that had gathered along the foundation of the building. She threw a pebble upward, but it bounced noiselessly off the stucco next to the window.

"Seriously, Vi? The window is like six feet wide." Meredith took a pebble from Vi's hand and threw it up, where it clacked against the glass.

"That was just my warm up," Vi said defensively. She threw a second pebble, which pinged against the metal window frame that ran down the middle of the two panes of glass.

They threw several more rocks, each a little harder than the last. After each pebble, they glanced around cautiously, making sure they weren't being observed. Still, Josh didn't come to the window.

"Maybe he's not home," Vi suggested, disappointed.

"Maybe he's a really heavy sleeper," Meredith countered. She bent down and pulled off her tennis shoe, turning up a corner of her mouth slyly. She felt jittery and nervous as the wet of the grass soaked through her sock, sending a chill up her body. She threw the shoe at the window, where it thumped loudly against the window, causing the glass to shake in its frame. She looked around to make sure no one had seen them.

From inside the apartment, they heard a muffled, "Jesus Christ!"

Meredith gulped down a giggle, feeling giddy in her relief that he was home. She looked around again nervously, making sure they were still alone behind the building. Vi raised an amused eyebrow at her while Meredith walked over and picked up her shoe where it had fallen on the ground.

Upstairs, they could see Josh hobble angrily over to the window on one crutch. His hair was sticking up on one side and he wasn't wearing a shirt. When he caught sight of Meredith and Vi down below, his anger turned to confusion as he opened the window. "We have to stop meeting like this," he joked, though his curiosity was written all over his face.

They had agreed on the walk over to keep Josh as much in the dark as possible while still convincing him to give them a ride to the hospital. Meredith focused on stuffing her damp foot back into her shoe while Vi did the talking. "We need your help," Vi began. "A friend of ours is in the hospital, and we need a ride to go visit him."

"That's not as romantic a tale as throwing things at my window would suggest," Josh said, fishing for more information.

Vi's eyes slid over to Meredith's face, as if asking for permission to say more. Meredith said, "Well, since the last time we saw you, we kind of got into a bit of trouble. And we're worried that someone might be watching our apartment."

"Where are your shoes?" Josh asked Vi.

Vi smiled. "They were hurting my feet, so I ditched 'em."

"Ha, literally," Meredith said out of the side of her mouth.

Vi chuckled at the private joke. Then she said to Josh, "Got any sandals I can borrow?"

"So now you want a ride _and_ shoes?" He looked at them as if he was sorry he had ever met them.

"And food," Meredith added hopefully.

Josh closed his eyes and scrubbed a hand down his face. "Dude, my apartment caught on fire and I have a broken ankle. I don't really want to get sucked up into your... whatever it is."

"You just had to ask for food, didn't you?" Vi teased, confident that she would be able to persuade Josh to help them, girlfriend or no.

"Okay, no food!" Meredith amended.

Contrite, Josh said, "No, no. You can have some food." Then he added wearily, "Are these, like, drug guys or something?"

"No," Vi assured him.

"So who are they then?"

"Come on, does that really matter?" Vi asked with an alluring smile.

"It matters if I'm going to help you," Josh said, unaffected by Vi's charms.

Meredith remembered Vi's irritation a few days earlier at Josh's having a girlfriend and wondered if Josh had borne the brunt of it. She knew a different tactic was probably a better idea. "We saved your life," she reminded him quietly. "We wouldn't ask if there were anyone else who could help us."

"And you can come get us around the corner. They won't even know you're involved," Vi added.

Josh looked at them darkly. "Fine. Give me ten minutes and then I'll come pick you up at the Circle K."

* * *

Lenny sat up straighter in his car as he saw someone coming out of the apartment across from Meredith's. Their neighbor maneuvered awkwardly on crutches and wore a backpack slung over his shoulders. Lenny relaxed and watched with amusement as the poor guy tried to totter down the concrete stairs without tripping over his own crutches.

At the bottom of the stairs, the man started to hobble toward his car when he stopped short, having forgotten something. He warred with himself as he debated whether to climb back up the stairs or forget about it. Finally, he turned and dragged himself back up to his apartment, backpack, crutches, and all.

The neighbor re-emerged a few moments later with a pair of pink flip flops tucked under his arm. He once again navigated down the stairs, though it was more difficult to do while carrying the sandals. At the bottom of the stairs, his backpack caught on the decorative handrail, yanking him backward and dumping its contents onto the concrete sidewalk.

Lenny guffawed at the guy's misfortune, exclaiming out loud, "What a klutz!" He watched mirthfully as the man angrily began stuffing things back into the backpack. There was a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter, along with a bag of baby carrots and some pouches of fruit juice. Lenny's eyebrows knit together as the strangeness of the backpack contents dawned on him. "Why is this guy packing food?" he asked himself, chewing on a hangnail.

The neighbor had finished re-packing the backpack and threw it onto his back impatiently. He balanced on one crutch while he bent down and picked up the pink flip-flops, finally making his way over to his car. It was an older model Nissan 300ZX that had been painted a deep plum color. He yanked the door open and tossed the backpack onto the passenger seat.

Lenny thought furiously as he watched the guy fold himself into the low sports car and finagle his crutches into the passenger side. What is a guy doing packing food and pink flip-flops? It was weird, to say the least. He wondered if the neighbor was a friend of the girls'. Was it possible that he was going to meet them? Were the pink sandals for Meredith? He yanked on his hangnail with his teeth, ripping it down his finger and drawing blood. He sucked on the wound, debating whether to stay and wait or to follow the weird neighbor. He couldn't decide what to do, and as the guy pulled out of his parking spot, Lenny was running out of time.

Lenny started his car and scanned the parking lot again for any sign of the girls. He'd been sitting there for a couple hours with no luck, but for all he knew, they could turn up the second he left. The neighbor was now driving between the rows of cars toward the exit to the apartment complex. If Lenny waited any longer, he would lose him.

Cursing loudly, Lenny pulled out and followed the neighbor, hoping that his gut feeling was right. He gunned the engine to catch up with the purple 300ZX, turning left onto 48th St. toward Ray Rd. He got into the left hand turn lane a few cars behind the neighbor, where they both waited at the red light. Lenny glanced down at his cell phone in the cup holder and debated calling Nate. He decided to wait until he had more information to share.

The light changed and several cars made it through before having the yield to oncoming traffic. While Lenny waited his turn, he watched his target turn into a gas station and pull up to the convenience store. Almost immediately, two women came out of the store and headed for the vehicle. The morning sunlight gleamed off of Meredith's red hair like a beacon, and Lenny broke into a grin. "Yes!" he cried, excitedly pounding a fist on the steering wheel. The light changed, and behind him, a car leaned on the horn. Lenny flipped him the bird before making the turn, pulling into the driveway before the gas station to wait until the other car left again.

The girls loaded themselves into the car and were soon back on the road. Lenny followed them onto the freeway headed toward downtown Phoenix, feeling mildly curious as to where they were headed. Traffic was light, making it easy to follow them at a discreet distance. After about fifteen minutes, they exited the freeway and made their way through the city center, finally turning into the large hospital that took up an entire city block of downtown real estate.

Confused, Lenny punched Nate's number on his cell phone.

"Hey, Len," Nate answered.

"I got the girls. I just followed them to Phoenix Mercy Hospital." As he spoke, Lenny parked his car and got out, jogging into the main entrance lobby ahead of the girls and their neighbor. The waiting area was situated to his right, with rows of chairs and a large bank of windows that looked out onto the parking lot. He stepped to the side and stood next to the closest row of chairs, which were mostly empty.

"Hmm, I wonder what they're doing there," Nate mused.

"Visiting a sick grandmother?" Lenny guessed sarcastically. "Okay, I gotta go. They're coming in now." He quickly ended the call and pocketed his phone, keeping his back turned and pretending to look out the window. From his spot near the entrance, it was easy for Lenny to overhear their conversation even though they kept their voices low.

"Okay, where do you want to start looking?" The voice belonged to the black haired friend. It was low and gravelly, full of sarcasm and sex appeal. Lenny wondered if she was single.

"Well, they probably admitted him, like they did with me, so... Upper floors?" This voice belonged to Meredith. It was brighter and more cheerful than her friend's.

"Wait a sec, you don't even know who you're here to see?" the neighbor demanded incredulously.

Meredith's friend said, "Josh, trust me when I say the less you know about this, the better, okay? Look, just go over there and relax. We'll be back soon."

"Right. What use could I be?" Josh asked in a sarcastically cheerful tone. "I'm a gimp!" He went to sit in one of the lobby chairs, disgruntled at being dismissed. He rested his crutches across the chair next to him and scowled at them.

Once Josh was out of earshot, the girls stuck their heads closer together to talk. Lenny had to strain to hear their conversation. Slowly, he shifted his weight toward them to try to hear more.

"--split up?" Vi was asking.

"We can cover more area that way," Meredith explained.

"Can't you just use your spidey sense to find him?"

"I don't know," Meredith said tentatively.

There was a prolonged silence, and Lenny fought the urge to turn around and look at their faces.

"I think I feel something. Come on." Their footsteps receded and Lenny looked in their direction just as they were going down a hallway on the opposite side of the room.

Lenny waited a few beats before casually strolling in the same direction as the girls. The neighbor, Josh, had buried his nose in his phone, so Lenny was able to follow unnoticed.

Lenny rounded the corner and quickened his step as he saw Meredith and Vi disappear into the stairwell. He opened the door quietly after them, listening to their footsteps reverberate down the walls of the concrete shaft. He waited at the foot of the stairs until they went through the door leading to the second floor, then he quickly jogged up to keep from losing them.

On the second floor he eased the door open slowly and casually, putting on an indifferent air in case anyone should notice him. He glanced both ways down the hallway, turning to the right as he saw Meredith's red ponytail disappear around a corner down a side hallway. "Damn, they're fast," he muttered, taking long strides to catch up.

A passing nurse raised her eyebrows at his pace, but he flashed her a confident smile and kept walking. As he approached the hallway that Meredith and Vi had taken, he slowed a bit and walked past, glancing down the hallway as he did. The girls had stopped in front of one of the first doors and were whispering to each other.

Lenny stopped walking and pretended to take a call on his cell phone. He leaned against the wall and peeked around the corner, making sure to look bored and uninterested as he held his phone up to his ear.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Meredith reached out and turned the knob on the door, opening it inward. As the girls looked into the room, Lenny saw the color drain from their faces.

Vi's mouth parted in surprise. "Holy shit."

Meredith turned to her friend and gave her a pleading look. Vi nodded and leaned against the wall, planning to wait outside. Then Meredith stepped into the room, and as she closed the door behind her, Lenny heard her ask, "What are you doing here?"

# Chapter 15

Rob and Amelia walked into their kitchen wearily. Rob tossed the car keys on the counter while Amelia opened the fridge and looked in blankly. They had looked for Meredith in every place they could think of, with no luck. Their mutual worry for their daughter kept them both silent as they went about making a simple breakfast of eggs and toast.

As they were sitting down at the table, the house phone rang. They both sprang up to answer it, hopeful that it was Meredith. Amelia snatched up the phone and put it on speakerphone, seeing on the caller ID that it was James.

"Have you found her?" Amelia demanded by way of greeting.

"No," James sighed. "Sorry, Mom. The university is still closed from the fires, so there's pretty much no one there. I walked around and looked anyway. Have you followed up with the hospital? Could she have gone back?"

Amelia reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut. "I don't know, maybe. We could try that next, I suppose."

"Hell, try all the hospitals," James suggested.

"Are you volunteering?" Rob asked.

"If that's what you want me to do, I'll do it," James said reluctantly. He didn't seem to be taking Meredith's absence as seriously as Rob and Amelia did.

"Good, do it. Your mom and I are going to eat some breakfast and talk about our next steps. We'll call you back once we know what we're doing."

After they hung up the phone, they returned to the dining room to find Sabrina standing on the table sniffing at the eggs on Amelia's plate.

Amelia rushed over and shooed the cat off the table, inspecting her eggs for damage. They seemed fine, so she cut them up with the side of her fork and took a large bite.

Rob looked at her incredulously.

Amelia looked at him and swallowed. "What?"

Rob barked out a strained laugh and shook his head, taking a bite of his own eggs.

Sabrina jumped up onto one of the chairs opposite Amelia and peeked at her over the edge of the table.

"Do you suppose she's hungry?" Amelia asked, feeling sorry for their guest.

"I haven't fed them. They were supposed to be Meredith's deal."

"Poor kitties. I haven't fed them, either." She slid her plate of eggs across the table toward the cat, feeling guilty at their negligence. The cat happily put two paws up on the table and started noisily slurping up the eggs.

Amelia stood up and found the cats' bowls in the spare bedroom, which were both empty. She moved the bowls and the bag of cat food out to the kitchen so she would remember to feed the cats until Meredith came home. _If Meredith comes home_. Amelia stood at the kitchen sink for a moment, willing herself to keep the tears at bay. Once she felt confident that she wouldn't cry again, she returned to the dining room.

Sabrina had finished eating the eggs and was now devoting her attention to charming Rob out of his eggs as well. The cat squinted her eyes at him and purred loudly, but her efforts were wasted. He cleaned his plate with the last bite of toast and popped it into his mouth, smacking his lips.

Amelia reached over and stroked a hand over Sabrina's head, who nuzzled her appreciatively. "She seems to have warmed up to us," she observed.

"Feed pretty much any animal and you've got a new best friend," Rob stated dryly.

"I'd rather think it's due to my personal charm, thank you," Amelia said, picking up the dirty plates and carrying them to the kitchen sink. As she was setting them down, she heard the doorbell ring.

Rob scooted his chair back noisily, springing toward the door impatiently, while Amelia let the dishes clatter into the sink as she followed close behind. Sabrina jumped onto the floor and disappeared, startled by the sudden activity.

The steely-haired nurse from the hospital stood on their doorstep wearing an ugly, thick brown sweater and a concerned expression. When they opened the door, Eleanor began to speak immediately. "Hello, I'm not sure you remember me. I'm the nurse that--"

Rob interrupted her. "Of course we remember you, Eleanor. Please come in." He opened the door wider and ushered her into the living room. Rob thought about the conversation they had had in the hallway, when Eleanor had wanted to speak with Meredith alone. He wondered if she knew anything about Meredith's disappearance.

Eleanor sat down heavily onto the sofa and plopped her purse down onto the seat next to her. Not one to waste time, she asked, "I'm here looking for your daughter Meredith."

Sitting across from Eleanor, Amelia and Rob's expectant faces fell. Rob said, "We had rather hoped that you would be able to tell us where she is."

"She hasn't come home, then?" Eleanor's eyes slid around the room as she took in their comfortable living room. She appeared as though she expected to see Meredith's feet poking out from behind an armchair.

"No. Did you expect her to?" Rob challenged. He looked at Eleanor's face carefully, watching for any indication that she might know something more. He thought it was strange that the nurse had shown up on their doorstep, and that combined with the memory of their hallway conversation had him on edge.

"I'm not sure where she has gone," Eleanor said truthfully. "But it is important that I find her. She's risking a lot, running away." From the corner of her eye, she saw Sabrina walking down the hallway toward the bedrooms. She turned her head and stared, and the cat stopped and returned her gaze. "That's not your cat, is it?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

"No, we're cat sitting for our daughter's boss. His veterinary clinic got flooded with all the rain," Amelia said conversationally. She hoped that her friendly tone would relax Eleanor enough to be more forthcoming with them.

Eleanor reached a hand down and wiggled her fingers, beckoning the cat closer. Sabrina trotted over to her and sniffed Eleanor's fingertips cautiously before jumping up onto the couch. Eleanor petted the cat in silence for a few moments while Rob and Amelia exchanged perplexed looks.

Rob cleared his throat, preparing to speak.

"You guys don't really like cats, huh?" Eleanor asked casually.

"Not really," Amelia admitted. "But we're getting along okay."

"So you are," Eleanor agreed with a small smile. She continued to admire Sabrina and stroke her long white fur.

"I'm sorry, but can you tell me why you're here looking for our daughter, exactly?" Rob asked, attempting to be polite. He wasn't quite able to hide his exasperation as his impatience leaked into his voice.

Eleanor looked up and met his eye with a critical expression. "Cats are remarkable creatures, Mr. Carpenter. They can observe and sense a lot more than we give them credit for. You should give them a chance to comfort you. I'm sorry that you are so distraught over your daughter's disappearance, as it is partially my fault."

"Enough about the damned cats!" Rob snarled. "How is it your fault that Meredith is missing? What did you do?"

Amelia's lips were pressed into a thin line. Like her husband, she wanted Eleanor to come clean. "Please just tell us. Whatever you tell us could help us find her."

"I told your daughter the truth; having surgery to remove her 'growth' would kill her," Eleanor said plainly.

"Then why didn't she just come home?" Amelia asked perceptively. She could tell that there was more to Eleanor's story.

"Her medical condition makes her very valuable. I told her that it makes her a target, and if certain people find her, she will be killed for it."

"What the hell does that mean?" Rob scoffed. "Can she shit golden eggs now?"

Eleanor gave him a grim smile and stood up. "There is more to this world than you think, Mr. Carpenter. I'm sorry, but that is all I can say." She began to walk toward the front door.

"Wait," Amelia said, joining Eleanor in the entryway. She laid a hand on Eleanor's shoulder, looking her in the eyes, searching for answers in Eleanor's shielded expression. "This is my only daughter," she pleaded.

Eleanor looked at her with pity and then reached into her purse, taking out a small notebook and a pen. She wrote something on one of the sheets of paper and then tore it out and handed it to Amelia. "Your daughter needs my help. If you talk to her, please give her that number and have her call me right away."

Disappointed, Amelia numbly opened the door to let Eleanor out. From the moment the nurse had arrived, Amelia had hoped that she would provide them with the information they needed to find Meredith and make sure she was okay.

After Eleanor left, Amelia rejoined Rob in the living room. Rob stood up from his seat, opening his arms to his wife. Amelia stepped into the embrace gratefully, breathing deeply and taking in Rob's comforting scent. The fabric of his flannel shirt was soft against her cheek, and she relaxed against him for a moment as she gathered her thoughts.

"I guess we can't count on Meredith to come home on her own then, if Eleanor is to be believed," she said then, stepping out of the hug.

"Where will she go? She's gotta have some sort of plan," Rob replied.

"Honey, she's twenty-three. She doesn't have a plan."

"You mean, other than the one that Eleanor put into her head," Rob countered, turning the corners of his mouth down in an angry grimace. "That woman wasn't straight with us."

"No," Amelia mused. "If she wasn't outright lying to us, she definitely wasn't giving us the whole truth. If we do talk to Mere, do you think we should give her Eleanor's number?"

Rob shook his head. "I don't know." He turned on his heel and stalked to the window that looked out onto the back yard. The swimming pool was full of dust and bougainvillea leaves that had been tossed into it by the storm. "I do know that I can't sit around here doing nothing."

"Maybe we should go down and fill out a missing persons report. At least then the police will know to keep an eye out for her, too."

Rob nodded silently as a steely determination seeped into him. He was thinking about what Eleanor said about people wanting to kill his little girl. He wasn't sure whether it was true, but he knew that if it were, he would stop at nothing to protect her.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Meredith asked as she closed the door behind her. Miguel lay in the bed with a dark expression on his normally cheerful face. "How did you know I was here?" he countered, ignoring her question.

He was angry with her, Meredith noted with some surprise. Her mind was racing as she could feel the magical energy radiating from him. Miguel had a second heart, too? Could he feel the magic, like she could? Was their potential to emerge as magicians what had drawn them together in the first place? He was waiting for her to respond, so she said softly, "I tried calling you, but you didn't answer."

"Too late, Mere." Miguel looked away, folding his arms across his chest. He winced slightly as he bumped the IV needle in his hand. "I know when I'm not wanted."

"This is because I miss one phone call?" Meredith asked defensively. Now was not the time to be having a petty squabble, not when she had so much to tell him.

Miguel scoffed. "We both know that this isn't over a single missed call. I have been pushing you and pushing you for more, and you've always held back. I don't want to do it any longer. I want to find someone who is as excited about me as I am about her."

"Miguel, I _am_ excited about us. But, right now there is something--"

Miguel held up a hand, cutting her off. "Please just leave, Meredith."

"No," Meredith said definitively. "You asked me how I knew you were here--I didn't. I needed to talk to the person in this room, but I had no idea it was you."

"What then? What do you want?" He narrowed his eyes at her, waiting impatiently.

"This thing you have--this growth? I have it, too. It started as a stomachache, but then I had the worst cramps of my life. It was so bad I had to go to the hospital."

Miguel looked mildly interested but didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue. He pursed his lips and waved his hand at her to tell her to hurry up and get to the point.

"Is that how it was for you? Last I heard, your car was broken down." Meredith hoped that by getting him to open up a little, he would forget to be so pissed off. She needed him to listen to her--to take her seriously. His life depended on it.

"Yes, my car was broken down, and I was walking home in the rain." Miguel gave her a bitter smile, as if to remind her of her failure to answer his call for help. "As I was walking, the cramps got too intense, and I had to sit down at the side of the road. I tried calling everyone I knew for help. Finally, a stranger pulled over and asked me if I was okay. They brought me to the hospital."

Meredith reached out a hand to comfort him, but his eyes flashed dangerously. She withdrew her hand, and instead said, "That sounds awful. I'm so sorry I didn't answer. If I had known, I would have come in a heartbeat."

"Well, it turns out I didn't need you after all, did I? I got here just fine on my own."

"Miguel, I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. What can I say to make you believe me?" Meredith asked with a hitch in her voice.

Miguel's expression softened slightly. "I know you're sorry, Mere. But it's not enough, okay?" He paused for a moment, waiting to see if Meredith would respond. When she didn't, he asked, "So if we have the same thing, why aren't you still in the hospital?"

"There was someone at the hospital who knew what my condition was. She said that the growth is called a Second Heart, and it gives you a sort of...sixth sense." Meredith wondered how much she should tell him. She worried that if she talked to him about the magic, he would dismiss her completely, as she would have dismissed Eleanor if the nurse hadn't been able to show her proof. "She also said that once the Second Heart is part of you, your body will die without it. That's why I came today. I heard that someone at this hospital had grown a Second Heart, and I had to come and stop them--you," she amended, "from having the surgery."

"A sixth sense?" Miguel looked dubious.

Meredith persisted. "Can you feel anything? Did you notice anything when I came into the room?" She could still feel the energy that pulsed between them, stronger now that they had been in the room together for a few minutes. It felt almost like the magic was knitting them together in some way.

"All I felt when you walked in is anger," Miguel stated flatly.

"Please, Miguel. Just try."

With a heavy sigh, Miguel closed his eyes.

After a moment, Meredith felt his energy pulse more deliberately toward her. "Yes!" she cried. "You _do_ feel it, don't you?"

He opened his eyes again, looking at her with an expression she couldn't read.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the door opened to reveal an older couple who bustled into the room.

"Mama, Papa," Miguel said with a wide smile.

Meredith stepped out of the way as Miguel's mother rushed to her son's bedside, showering him with kisses. "Miguelito, we came as soon as we could, but your father"--she cast a withering glance toward Miguel's father--"had to work the late shift. As if he couldn't take any time off for his first-born son."

Meredith remembered that Miguel's family all lived in Los Angeles. His parents must have started driving at two or three in the morning to arrive at this hour.

Mrs. Alvarez stepped back to look at her son critically. "You don't look that sick."

_That's because you're not_ , Meredith thought, staring hard at Miguel.

He studiously avoided her gaze, instead looking at his mother and reaching out to grasp her hand. "I am, though, Mama. They say I have a growth that needs to be removed."

Meredith scoffed quietly, drawing the attention of the Alvarezes.

"And who is this?" Mr. Alvarez asked with a friendly twinkle in his eye.

"Her name is Meredith. I know her from school," Miguel said in a clipped tone. "She just came to let me know what I have missed."

Undaunted by his son's cool dismissal, Mr. Alvarez asked Meredith, "So you want to be an animal doctor, too, huh?"

Meredith forced a smile, though inwardly she was seething. "That's the plan!" To her own ears, her voice seemed too bright, too strained.

Mrs. Alvarez turned to face her with a stern look on her face. "Don't you think my son could use a little rest from schoolwork right now?"

Meredith swallowed hard. "Yes, I do. Actually, he isn't missing much, since school has been closed for almost a week now. I didn't really come here about that, though. I--"

" _Meredith_ ," Miguel cut her off sharply. His jaw clenched as his eyes warned her not to say another word. Once he was relatively sure that she wouldn't resume talking, he said to his parents, "Do you mind if I finish talking with Meredith for a few minutes? Alone?"

Mrs. Alvarez gave him a knowing smile, and then met her husband's eye happily. "Of course, you two take whatever time you need." She ushered her husband out of the room, giving Miguel one last peek, brows raised, as she closed the door.

Once alone, they stared at each other mutely, both trying to find the right thing to say. Finally, Meredith said, "So those are your folks, huh? They seem nice." The words were empty, a desperate attempt to thaw the ice that had formed between them.

"My family is Catholic, Mere." Miguel said tentatively. Then, with more resolution, he added, "If they find out that I have this... power... they will think that I am condemned to hell. Those aren't just words to them, either. It would break my mother's heart."

"So don't tell them, but don't have the surgery, either. Just say that you feel better and don't want to risk it," Meredith urged.

"How do you know that the surgery will kill me?" Miguel asked.

"The person who helped me... she told me."

"Yes, but how do you _know_? Did she have any proof?"

"Well, no. But she was right about the sixth sense. I trust her."

"I am going to have the surgery," Miguel said decisively.

"But--"

"Just stop, Mere. This is my decision, not yours. We aren't meant to have this sort of power, it's immoral. I would rather die having it removed than live as a... a..." He wrung his hands, searching his vocabulary for the right word.

"A freak?" Meredith asked quietly.

"Than live knowing that I have chosen to embrace something that is wrong," he said on a sigh.

"How do you know it's wrong? Where's _your_ proof?"

"Just like you trust the woman who helped you, I have to trust what I have been taught for my entire life."

"Can't you trust me?" Meredith begged in a small voice.

Miguel's voice was so low that Meredith had to strain to hear him. "I don't even know you."

Meredith blinked furiously, trying to keep the tears in her eyes from falling onto her cheeks. "Miguel," she began.

The door opened a second time to admit a nurse, who smiled at Miguel. "Are you ready to go? We've got the O.R. prepped, so now we just need the star!" The nurse had blonde, curly hair that rioted around her head, and her warm brown eyes sparkled as she spoke.

"Yes, I'm ready." Miguel said, not taking his eyes off of Meredith's face.

The nurse pulled a lever on the side of the bed to release the brakes and began to wheel Miguel's bed out of the room. She said to Meredith, "You'll have to wait with his family in the lobby. We'll come out and talk to you as soon as we're through, and then you can come see him." She smiled brightly and then wheeled him out the door and around the corner, out of sight.

Meredith stood alone in the now empty room, searching in her mind for something to do. A single sob escaped her lips as Vi poked her head around the door to look at her. "He's going to have the surgery anyway, Vi. He wouldn't listen to me. He said that he didn't even know me."

Vi stepped into the room and wrapped her arms around Meredith. "He's in the hall talking to his parents right now. Want me to tackle him?"

Meredith sniffed and didn't answer. "What can we do?"

Vi took her hand to lead her out of the room. "Maybe Eleanor is wrong. Maybe he'll be just fine. Modern medicine has come a long way since that magician guy was gutting people."

Meredith nodded. "That's true. Thanks Vi."

Vi smiled. "Let's go wait with his folks. I bet they want to learn all about you."

Meredith chuckled without humor, still worried for Miguel, and they left the room.

# Chapter 16

When Meredith and Vi came out into the hallway, Miguel was gone. His parents' faces turned toward them as they walked through the door. They looked careworn and tired, much like Meredith herself felt.

Meredith gave them a weak smile and introduced Vi, who politely shook their hands.

"Do you mind if we wait with you in the lobby?" Meredith asked, trying to sound casual. Her stomach twisted as she dreaded the worst for Miguel, but she was determined not to show it.

"Of course. We'd like that," Mr. Alvarez said. He picked up his wife's hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm.

As they emerged into the main corridor, Meredith overheard someone standing a few feet down saying, "I think you should come down here right away." She glanced over at the man, who was talking on a cell phone, and their eyes met.

He turned away casually, walking the opposite direction down the hall, still speaking quietly into his phone.

Meredith had a strange feeling that she had seen the man before. She couldn't recall from where, however, and she quickly put it out of her mind as she followed Miguel's parents to the lobby.

They sat next to a bank of windows in one of the emptier rows of chairs, settling in for a long wait. Josh hopped over to join them, holding both crutches in one hand. Introductions were made again, and then Josh sat next to Vi with his crutches leaned against the wall. Meredith took off the green coat that she had taken from Eleanor, stuffing it under her chair.

After a few minutes, Mrs. Alvarez turned in her chair toward Meredith. She was in her mid-forties and had thick, curly hair. Her eyes reminded Meredith of Miguel's, which made her stomach tighten once again.

"So you and Miguel know each other from school?" Mrs. Alvarez asked conversationally.

Meredith answered politely, though she wished that she didn't have to make small talk with Miguel's mother. She wondered how long they would have to wait to find out Miguel's fate. She laced her fingers together nervously, squeezing until her fingers ached.

Mrs. Alvarez persisted. "Do you spend much time together outside of class?"

"We've been out a few times. School keeps us pretty busy though, so we don't hang out very often," Meredith replied. She didn't offer any more information, hoping that Mrs. Alvarez would give up. She wondered if Miguel's mother would be so eager to get to know her if she knew the truth--that if Meredith would have opened up to her son, he probably wouldn't be going in to die right now. But of course, Mrs. Alvarez didn't know that her son might not come back.

Mrs. Alvarez leaned away and busied herself with a magazine, disappointed with Meredith's short but polite answers. Meredith was relieved to be left to her own dark thoughts. She kept replaying her conversation with Miguel in her head, wondering if there was anything she could have said differently to change his mind. It was no good; she was now paying the price for keeping him at arm's length, for keeping things between them conveniently casual. And for what? It wasn't as though Meredith had been hoping someone better would come along.

Meredith came out of her reverie as she became aware of Josh and Vi's conversation a few seats over.

"I broke up with my girlfriend," Josh said pointedly, leaning on the arm of his chair toward Vi.

Sitting in the chair next to him, Vi sneered. "Good for you." She trained her eyes on her fingernails, carefully cleaning the dirt out from under them, one by one.

"So I was wondering, do you think you might--"

"What makes you think I'm interested?" Vi moved on to the next fingernail, refusing to make eye contact.

Josh noticed Meredith's interest in the conversation and gave her a boyish smile. Meredith shrugged and looked away, wanting to stay out of it. To Vi, Josh said, "You're not?"

"I might have been a few days ago, before I knew that you'd led me on and flirted with me even though you already had a girlfriend." When Vi had begun the sentence, her voice was casually detached, but as she spoke, it changed to a low growl as she became angrier.

"Guys, this is not the time and place for this crap," Meredith interrupted, with a glance toward Mrs. Alvarez. Josh and Vi would have to work out their issues later.

Mrs. Alvarez politely continued to read her magazine while Mr. Alvarez dozed beside her. Miguel got his height from his father, along with his strong, competent bearing. In his sleep, the worry slipped away from Mr. Alvarez's face, and he looked about twenty years younger.

Suddenly, the double doors across the lobby opened with a bang, and Miguel came through them, still wearing his hospital gown. Meredith gaped at him while Mrs. Alvarez woke her husband and stood up in alarm.

Miguel's eyes scanned the room and settled on their small group, and he rushed over to them. His legs looked strong under the short gown, and his bare feet smacked on the linoleum floor urgently. He held the back of his gown closed with one hand while everyone in the lobby stared shamelessly.

Meredith could feel the energy radiating off of his body and intertwining with her own, making her realize just how much she enjoyed its comforting presence. Relief flooded through her as she stood up to greet him.

Before Meredith could speak, Mrs. Alvarez said, "Miguel, what is this? Why aren't you in surgery?" She reached a hand toward him instinctively, eyes snapping with concern.

Miguel glanced at Meredith. "I'm not going to have the surgery, Mama. I don't think I need it."

Behind him, Dr. Wells came through the door with two beefy orderlies right behind. The orderlies looked so similar, Meredith thought they could be brothers. They were tall and muscular, with medium brown hair and eyes. Their expressions also mirrored each other, jaws clenched determinedly. Between them, Dr. Wells's eyes narrowed as she recognized Meredith. She stalked toward them angrily, her heels clacking insistently.

From the corner of her eye, Meredith saw Vi stand up and nudge Josh. Meredith grabbed Miguel's hand and squeezed it hard. "Time to go, Miguel." She glanced at Dr. Wells, who was quickly approaching. " _Now._ "

Miguel looked at her in confusion.

"I promise I will explain everything," Meredith said, her heart racing. "Let's go." She took a step toward the door, tugging on Miguel's hand.

Mrs. Alvarez grabbed Miguel's arm. "Mijo, what are you doing? You're sick. Who is this girl to you?"

Dr. Wells reached them, saying, "I don't know what sort of stories this girl has been feeding you, but you need to get into surgery immediately."

Miguel looked between his mother, the doctor, and Meredith. "In for a penny," he murmured, looking Meredith in the eye.

They both ran toward the door, while Dr. Wells yelled, "Don't let them leave!"

* * *

Vi didn't take her eyes off the two large, muscular orderlies that flanked Dr. Wells. In her mind Vi nicknamed them Frick and Frack, they looked so alike.

Meredith and Miguel ran for the door as Dr. Wells cried for the orderlies to detain them. Before Frick and Frack had a chance to react, Vi wrapped an arm around each of them as tightly as she could. "Hello, boys," she said. "Have we met?" Vi knew she couldn't hold the orderlies there for long, but hoped she would slow them down enough to give Meredith and Miguel a chance to escape.

Frick wrenched from her grasp first and made for the door. He hadn't gotten two steps before Josh jammed a crutch out in front of him, tripping the bulky man and sending him down hard. In the kerfuffle, Josh went off balance and toppled onto Frick, his landing cushioned by the orderly's thick backside.

Vi wrapped her other arm around Frack and laced her fingers together, setting in her heels as he struggled to break free. Frack turned his body and wedged his elbow under Vi's ribcage, causing her to gasp for air and loosen her grip. He slipped out from between her arms and made for the door, while Frick recovered and followed right on his heels.

Josh sat on the floor and watched them go through the lobby doors before turning to Vi and saying jovially, "Never a dull moment around you, is there?"

To her left, Dr. Wells seethed, crossing her arms and balancing her weight between both feet. "Real cute. An assault and battery charge is going to be a nice feather in your cap, I'm sure."

"What on earth is going on?" Mrs. Alvarez demanded. Mr. Alvarez had risen to his feet, and he was now resting a hand on each of his wife's shoulders, trying to keep her calm.

Ignoring Miguel's mother, Dr. Wells hissed to Vi, "You'd better hope that your friends didn't leave."

Vi stepped away from the doctor, keeping her eyes on the door. A few moments later, the two orderlies came back into the lobby alone. Vi swallowed hard, meeting Josh's gaze.

Josh nodded his head toward the exit at the other end of the lobby, widening his eyes slightly as he did so. His lips silently formed the word, "Go."

Vi gave him an apologetic look, but his crutches wouldn't get him very far, and she knew she would have to leave him behind.

"Just go!" he said urgently.

"Call the police," Dr. Wells commanded to one of the orderlies.

Vi spun on her heel and didn't look back. From behind her she heard Mrs. Alvarez shriek again, "What is going _on_?" Vi pressed through the doors that led deeper into the hospital with a loud clang. Unsure where to go, she ran through the maze of hallways aimlessly. She clamored up a flight of stairs, figuring that her pursuers wouldn't expect her to go up. Her primary goal was to not be easy to follow; once that was accomplished, she could think about a plan.

All the hallways looked the same. The walls were painted a subtle shade of teal that wasn't quite right for the fluorescent lights overhead, and the floors were endless stretches of gleaming white linoleum. Vi turned down hallways at random, getting herself thoroughly lost.

Vi slowed her pace and began to look around for signs that might help her find another way out of the hospital. There had to be another staircase somewhere. Up ahead, she could see a nurses' station with several green-clad nurses standing around gossiping. Not wanting to be seen, Vi ducked into an empty room where she could stop and think. The room had no windows and was dark, allowing only a small shaft of light to come in through the window in the door to the hallway. Vi stood behind the door, leaving it slightly ajar, which was the way she found it.

From inside the room, Vi could hear the conversation at the nurses' station. There were three distinct voices, two female and one male. The male said, "I am telling you, I have never seen anyone lose their cool that badly before."

One of the females responded, "I know, right? I don't get why she was so pissed off. Why does she care whether the guy has the surgery or not?"

The second female voice chimed in. "It was definitely weird. But we don't really know Dr. Wells that well. Maybe she is just like that."

Vi's ears pricked up at Dr. Wells's name, realizing they must be talking about Miguel. She moved closer to the crack in the door to be able to hear better. The hair on her arms prickled as all her senses were at attention. Why _did_ Dr. Wells get so upset about Miguel? Vi thought about what Eleanor had said about not trusting anyone who worked at the hospital. Could it be that Dr. Wells was working for the protégé, or even Aleric himself, and now doesn't want to have to explain letting not one, but two, emerged magicians get away?

The male voice was speaking again. "I don't see how anyone with a temper like that could get very far in any field, let alone medicine, when so much is out of your control." He laughed and continued, "I seriously thought she was going to murder someone!"

Vi heard footsteps approaching, and the second female said, "Shh!"

"If you all have time for gossip, then you have time to go check on your patients, too." The new voice was familiar to Vi, and she tried to place it. It wasn't Dr. Wells, that much she knew.

Vi eased her face around the door to peek at the nurses' station. The person who had broken up the gossip was facing away, working on some paperwork at the counter. Vi recognized the short blonde hair that belonged to Dr. Sparling, and wondered why she was away from the other hospital. Had Dr. Sparling come to help with Miguel's surgery, too?

Vi stepped back into the darkness of the empty room, sitting on the edge of the neatly made up bed. She resolved to spend only a moment collecting herself before trying to find her way out of the hospital, ideally without being noticed by anyone who might recognize her.

After taking a few slow, deep breaths, Vi went back to the doorway and peeked out at the nurses' station. Dr. Sparling was still doing paperwork with her back turned. Vi couldn't look the other way without sticking her head out into the hall, so she listened intently for footsteps. She couldn't hear anything, so she eased out into the hall and walked back the way she came, away from the nurses' station.

Vi quickened her pace the farther she got from the nurses' station. The hallway ended with a ninety-degree turn to the right, and Vi paused at the corner and furtively poked her head around. Her eyes landed on two pairs of feet, one in green scrubs and one in navy blue slacks. Her eyes traveled upward and met Dr. Wells's icy stare.

Dr. Wells stopped abruptly, causing the police officer who accompanied her to bump into her. "Ah," the doctor said with a note of perverse pleasure. "Just the young woman we were looking for."

_Well, shit_. Vi took a step back, considering whether she should run or just accept that she was caught.

Reading the intentions on Vi's face, the police officer said, "If you run, we'll add resisting arrest to your charges. You really don't want to do that."

Vi glanced down the hallway toward the nurses' station, still undecided. Dr. Sparling had finished her paperwork and was walking toward them. Vi was good and caught. She sighed and raised her hands with a conciliatory expression on her face. "Okay, I'm not going to run."

"Good." The police officer stepped around Dr. Wells and unhooked the handcuffs that dangled from his belt. He was middle aged, with rich dark skin and tightly coiled gray hair. He was trim and agile looking, despite his age, and Vi surmised that he probably spent a fair amount of his off time at the gym. His nametag read M. Pierson.

"Do you really have to cuff me? I'm not going to do anything," Vi assured him.

"Yes, I really do have to cuff you," Pierson replied with a sigh. The handcuffs made a clicking sound as they closed around her wrists. The officer held onto Vi's arm with a gentle but firm grip.

Vi glared at Dr. Wells through narrowed eyes. "Why do you care whether Miguel has the surgery or not?" she demanded.

"When my patient is taking bad medical advice from his uneducated, unqualified girlfriend instead of his doctor, I care," she snapped. To the police officer she asked, "Do you need me to sign anything or give you a statement or something?"

Ignoring Pierson's response, Vi pressed, "Is that all?" She watched Dr. Wells's face suspiciously, looking for any indication that the doctor had ulterior motives.

Dr. Wells gave her a withering stare. "What on Earth makes you think that I owe you an explanation?"

"Time to go," the police officer said, gesturing toward the elevators.

"Wait!" By now, Dr. Sparling had reached them and taken in the situation. "You're Meredith Carpenter's friend, aren't you? Vi?"

"We need to go," Pierson repeated.

"I'll walk with you," Dr. Sparling offered, with a glance toward Dr. Wells that said, _We'll talk later._ Vi got the impression that Dr. Sparling wasn't particularly happy with the other doctor, which briefly caused a smug smile to tug at the corners of Vi's mouth. At least not everyone at the hospital was a jerk.

"Fine. Come on then." Pierson pulled gently on Vi's arm and guided her down the hall. He punched the button on the wall to call the elevator, and while they waited, Dr. Sparling spoke.

"So I take it you and Meredith are friends with Miguel, too, huh?" she asked conversationally.

"Dr. Wells mentioned that there was a patient here with Meredith's same condition, so we came to find him here."

"Why did you do that?" Dr. Sparling's eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Do you want something in particular, Dr. Sparling?" Vi asked irritably. She felt pretty humiliated to be in police custody, and didn't really feel like having to make small talk with the doctor. She'd rather she didn't have an audience.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. They all shuffled into the car and were silent as the doors closed.

Dr. Sparling spoke again. "I don't really care that Meredith didn't have the surgery; that's her choice. I only want to know that she's okay. I'm her advocate, remember?"

Vi's feelings toward the friendly doctor softened, and she felt guilty for treating her so rudely. "Oh. Meredith said that she's feeling better now. She seems to be just fine, actually."

The elevator doors opened again and they walked out to the lobby, where Josh was standing in handcuffs with another police officer--presumably Pierson's partner. Vi looked at Josh contritely. "Still having fun?" she asked weakly.

"It beats sitting home watching MacGyver reruns." Josh grinned. "Besides, check out this guy's name tag. 'F. King.' I'm sure he doesn't get an ounce of flak for that."

The police officer whose name was in question rolled his eyes. "You really think you're the first smart ass to make a comment about my name?"

Josh shrugged and smiled again at Vi, making her wonder how much of his bravado was for her benefit.

Dr. Sparling had followed them to the lobby. "Vi," she said seriously. "Please keep an eye on your friend Meredith. If she shows any signs of fever or light-headedness, promise me you'll bring her back to the hospital."

Vi nodded.

"Promise me," Dr. Sparling repeated.

"I promise," Vi said meekly.

Mr. and Mrs. Alvarez came over to their small group quietly. Mr. Alvarez gripped Eleanor's green coat in his hands, and Mrs. Alvarez clung to her husband's elbow as if she might collapse without the support.

Mrs. Alvarez's voice broke when she spoke. "Please, do you know where Miguel has gone?"

Vi shook her head. "I don't." She took in Mrs. Alvarez's worry-lined face and desperate grip on her husband's arm. "I'm really sorry, Mrs. Alvarez," she added sincerely. She hoped that Miguel and Meredith would find a way to get in touch with Miguel's folks and set their minds at ease.

Mr. Alvarez thrust the coat toward Vi robotically, and it seemed as if his eyes didn't really see her. His mind was with his son, and Vi didn't blame him one bit. "Here, don't forget your coat," he said. "I know from experience that those holding cells are like meat lockers." His eyes never met hers, his gaze resting at some unknown spot in the distance.

Pierson took the coat from Mr. Alvarez, since Vi's hands were bound. "We'll make sure she stays nice and toasty warm, sir." Vi couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not. "Let's go."

Dr. Sparling laid a hand on Vi's arm and looked her in the eye. "Take care."

Vi felt like Dr. Sparling was the wise older sister she'd never had, and she fought the strong urge to hug the spritely doctor. "Thanks," she mumbled, not sure how to respond to the wave of longing that overcame her. Vi wished that her parents were here. She wished she could go over to their house and curl up in her mother's arms, like Meredith could.

The police officers ushered them outside to their police car, which was parked illegally at the curb. Vi and Josh sat together in the back, each consumed by their own thoughts. Vi was amazed that she was being arrested; she never would have imagined it even a day earlier. She looked over at Josh, who seemed largely unaffected by their current situation.

"Is this your first time being arrested?" Vi asked him curiously.

Josh gave her a mockingly scandalized look and joked, "Now is that a question to ask a lady on the first date, Vi?" He fluttered his eyelashes demurely.

Vi laughed out loud at his absurdity. "This is not a date."

"You're right, it's not. But I'd say, all things considered, you now owe me a date." He raised his eyebrows at her expectantly.

"We'll see," she said, still chuckling. "Though I don't really get your attraction to hardened criminals."

"It's the outfits."

Pierson gave them a hard look from the front seat. "That's enough talking."

They smiled at each other briefly and then were silent the rest of the way to the police station.

# Chapter 17

Miguel and Meredith didn't look back as they pressed through the hospital lobby doors into the sun-drenched parking lot outside.

Meredith blinked and shaded her eyes against the morning sun as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. She still clung to Miguel's hand as her eyes raked the surrounding buildings, looking for a place to hide.

"Meredith?" The smooth, male voice had a surprised lilt to it.

Meredith's attention trained onto the voice's owner, a man who had been walking up to the lobby of the hospital. His golden eyes and dark blonde hair were familiar to her, but she couldn't place him immediately.

"Do I know you?" she asked, glancing behind her. The orderlies were coming through the lobby doors now, headed straight for them with grim expressions on their faces. Returning her attention to the man who had said her name, she asked, "Can you get us out of here?"

He looked over her shoulder at the orderlies, understanding the situation immediately. "Yeah, come on." He turned on his heel and led them across the parking lot, fishing his keys out of his pocket as they ran.

Behind them, the orderlies called for them to wait. Meredith didn't look back as she heard their footsteps behind them, drawing nearer.

They reached the man's car, a gray SUV, and scrambled inside. Miguel and Meredith slid into the back seat and buckled in as the man started the car and backed out of the parking spot, nearly hitting one of the orderlies. Meredith locked her door as the other orderly pounded on the window, yelling for them to go back inside.

Meredith breathed a sigh of relief as they drove away, leaving the orderlies standing alone in the parking lot. She looked down at her left hand, which was still clinging tightly to Miguel's right. Their eyes met. His were so dark they were almost black, yet they held a storm of emotion.

"What changed your mind?" Meredith asked him quietly.

Miguel withdrew his hand and looked away. He said in a cool voice, "You're the most level-headed person I know. Whatever you learned must have been pretty convincing to get you to skip the surgery."

"Ah," Meredith said, folding her hands together in her lap. The man drove the car onto the freeway, and Meredith was grateful to be getting as far away from the hospital as possible.

Meredith scrutinized their driver, trying to remember where she had seen him before.

He met her gaze in the rear-view mirror and asked, "Where are we going?"

With a sinking feeling, Meredith suddenly remembered who he was. "You're that reporter from the hospital, aren't you?"

"Nate Dowering," he affirmed.

"What a coincidence," Meredith said, eyes narrowed. She wondered whether he'd followed her specifically or if he had learned about Miguel. Then she remembered the other familiar face she'd seen in the hall outside Miguel's room. "I take it your lackey has been keeping you apprised of the situation?"

"My lackey?"

"Yeah, the meathead I saw inside. The one who told you to get down here?" Meredith said hotly. "You here to collect your big story?"

"I could take you back to the hospital if you want," Nate said smugly, knowing full well that they wouldn't take him up on his offer. He didn't speak as he merged with traffic, carefully checking his blind spot before shifting into the fast lane. Once he was finished, he repeated his earlier question. "So where are we going?"

Meredith hesitated. Miguel looked at her with raised brows, and she knew that she had a lot to explain to him. "We can't go home," she said in a gentle tone.

"That narrows it down," Nate remarked sarcastically.

She felt her anger surge even higher as the reality of her situation hit her. She couldn't go home, couldn't contact her family, couldn't return to the normal life she loved... and now she was at the mercy of a smug reporter who just wanted to exploit her.

"Go screw yourself," she snapped. When he didn't immediately respond, Meredith seethed quietly, watching the freeway's red rock landscaping whiz by.

Nate let out a wearied sigh. "Obviously you guys are in some sort of trouble. I'm not the bad guy here, remember? I helped you get away." He paused and waited for an answer that didn't come. Then, "Why don't I take you to the police station and you can explain it all to them?"

"No!" Meredith said sharply, her anger draining out of her as quickly as it had come. She had always been like that--quick to fire up, but just as quick to simmer back down. She took a deep breath and let it out shakily.

Miguel touched her arm gently. "Are you okay?"

Meredith looked at him sadly as she considered how much to say in front of Nate. Miguel was in the same situation now; he would have to give up his life and go into hiding, just like she did. "I just wish..." she began, searching for the words to explain the regret that she felt not only for herself, but also for him and all the other magicians that would emerge.

Miguel's touch traveled down her arm and found her hand, and he gave it a warm squeeze. "Your level head isn't the only reason I didn't have the surgery," he confessed with a wry smile.

Meredith searched his face, wondering if it was one that she would come to love. He was beautiful, with rich brown skin and soulful eyes. He had dimples in his cheeks when he smiled, and a crease between his eyebrows when he concentrated. His hair was thick and wavy, and Meredith loved the way it slid between her fingers when they kissed. In a low voice, she said, "I do want you to know me, Miguel."

Miguel pulled her hand to his mouth and gave it a small peck. "Good."

Nate huffed impatiently in the front seat. "Okay, the police station it is."

"We can't go to the police, Nate," she said, annoyed at his intrusion. She turned her attention to the front seat reluctantly, glad that Miguel still held her hand. "I don't even know what we would tell them."

"Why don't you tell me?" Nate suggested, glancing at her in the rear-view mirror. He took the overpass to switch freeways, heading into Tempe.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "So you can post our story online for the whole world to see? I don't think so."

"You can either tell me or tell the police," he negotiated. "Which one will it be?"

"Fine," Meredith growled. "Can we go somewhere to talk?" She hoped that by delaying their conversation she could use the time to think of an alternate plan, having no intention of telling Nate Dowering a thing.

"Yeah," he said. "I'll take you to my place. Your buddy back there could probably use a change of clothes, and I think my roommate is around his same size."

Miguel spoke to Nate for the first time. "Thanks, man."

The two men exchanged a glance in the mirror, and then Nate was quiet for a few moments as he watched the road. "Yeah, no problem," he said finally. His voice sounded distracted, as his private thoughts commanded his attention.

For the rest of the drive, Meredith watched Nate's face closely, wondering whether he was a man they could trust.

* * *

Nate pulled into his apartment complex and waited for the gate to open before navigating to his covered parking space. It was late morning, and most of his neighbors were at work. At least Miguel wouldn't have too many curious eyes following him up the stairs in his hospital gown.

As they all climbed out of the car, Miguel looked around warily, clearly feeling exposed in his flimsy attire. Nate ushered them up the stairs and unlocked the door to his apartment, leading them inside.

The apartment Nate shared with his roommate was sparsely furnished, with only a couch that his parents had given him and a bookcase crammed full of books. A closed laptop sat on the oak coffee table in front of the couch, Nate's primary workspace. Off to the left, a small but clean kitchen held a bistro table and two chairs that served as the eating area. Nate's roommate travelled most of the time for work, and Nate spent a large portion of his hours at the office as well, so the simple but serviceable apartment was all he wanted or needed.

Now that he had guests scrutinizing his living space however, Nate noticed that the couch had worn a hole in the corner, and the overhead light had a bulb out. Shrugging off his concerns, he shut the door behind Miguel and Meredith and suggested that Meredith wait in the living room while he and Miguel rooted through his roommate's closet for some clothes.

After Nate helped Miguel find an outfit, he returned to the living room while the other man changed.

Meredith had seated herself on the sofa, and her eyes roved the room curiously, taking in the spare living space. She stood and walked over to the bookcase. "Don't spend much time here, do you?" she asked conversationally, running a finger through the thick layer of dust on one of the shelves.

"Not really," Nate admitted. "Both my roommate and I are pretty focused on our careers right now." As soon as the words left his mouth, Nate could have kicked himself. He watched her expression turn wary as she kept her eyes focused on his book collection.

"Of course," she murmured.

Nate watched her eyes dart back and forth as she read the titles on the shelf in front of her. Her clear blue eyes were alight with intelligence and curiosity. Nate took a step forward and faced the books with her, considering how to recover from his mistake. "Do you like to read?" he asked.

"Isn't that kind of like asking whether I like to eat?" she asked, with a slight note of derision in her voice.

"You'd be surprised," Nate countered. "I have some old friends from high school who haven't picked up a book since graduation."

"That's sad." Meredith drew her attention away from the books and looked at Nate levelly. "Thank you for giving us a ride from the hospital."

"You're welcome," he said automatically, taken aback by her direct gratitude. Nate had expected her to take a more hostile attitude toward him. Nate held her gaze, waiting to see if she would say more.

After a moment, Meredith's eyes flicked over Nate's shoulder, where Miguel was emerging from the back bedroom. Nate turned around and looked. Miguel wore a plain black V-neck tee shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of flip-flops that were one size too big.

"Hey," Miguel said with a crooked smile, self-conscious from the two sets of eyes that rested on him.

"Hey," Meredith repeated softly. Her voice held a gentle note that had been absent when she was speaking to Nate.

Nate walked to the kitchen to give them a few moments together, grabbing three sodas from the fridge and a box of crackers from the pantry. He came back to the living room and dumped his offering onto the coffee table.

Meredith picked up a soda and cracked it open as she sat down onto the sofa. Miguel followed suit while Nate brought a chair over from the dining table for himself. He situated the chair facing the couch and sat down, remaining silent while Meredith and Miguel ate some crackers and sipped their sodas.

While he waited for them to slow their pace, Nate considered how to approach the discussion with them. Nate could tell from the way the Meredith carried herself that she didn't trust him and didn't plan to tell him any more than she had to. As much as he wanted to break a big story for his career, he also realized that Meredith was in some real trouble and needed help.

Nate cleared his throat. "I know you don't want to tell me anything, so instead I'll tell you some things. Then we can go from there. Sound okay to you?"

They both nodded while Miguel stuffed another cracker into his mouth. Meredith set her soda down on the coffee table and then folded her arms over her chest.

Nate inhaled deeply and said to Meredith, "During the storm the other night, Lenny and I followed you after you left the hospital."

Meredith's eyes widened in surprise, and her mouth opened as if she wanted to protest. Realizing it was pointless, her teeth clacked together as she pressed her lips into a thin line.

"While you and your friend were running in the storm, we saw a tree fall on you." Nate paused, trying to decide how to describe what he saw next. He wasn't sure how much Miguel knew about Meredith's abilities, and he didn't want to say too much. However, he wanted to make it clear that he knew that Meredith was different.

Meredith spared him the effort. "You mean the tree fell _next_ to us."

"No," Nate corrected gently, drawing out the word. "We saw the tree fall _on_ you, and then we saw you push the tree up and out of the way."

"I think I would remember picking up a tree," Meredith said defensively.

Nate pressed further. "We also saw something unusual with you when it happened." As he paused on the word unusual, her eyes met his, curiosity and defiance reflected in their cool depths. Suppressing a smile, Nate went on, "I'll tell you what I saw if you tell me what it means."

Meredith looked away angrily and scoffed, "You are unrelenting!"

Nate frowned. "Obviously there is something big going on with you, and I'll admit that I am insanely curious about it. But more than that, I want to help you. It seems like you are really in over your head here. I promise I won't publish anything unless you tell me it's okay. Just let me help."

Miguel cleared his throat, and Nate looked at him with surprise. He had been so caught up in his conversation with Meredith that he had forgotten that Miguel was even there.

"Mere," Miguel said tentatively. "I'd really like to know what's going on, too. I put a lot of trust in you, skipping out on that surgery, but now I need you to tell me why."

"In front of him?" Meredith asked incredulously, flipping a hand in Nate's direction.

"He promised that he wouldn't publish anything without our okay, and I trust him. Reporters who want long careers don't piss off their informants." Miguel gave Nate a meaningful stare. "Why don't you start by telling us the 'unusual' thing you saw?"

"Fair enough," Nate agreed. "After you pushed the tree off of you, you were glowing."

"Glowing," Meredith repeated. "Are we talking pregnant glow or radioactive glow?"

Nate smiled. "Definitely radioactive. It was only for a second, but both Lenny and I saw it."

Meredith nodded slowly, taking in the information. She seemed a little dazed, but not all that surprised, almost like she had received bad medical news that was long in coming. She was desperate to have a more detailed account of what Nate had seen, but she knew she couldn't ask questions without divulging some of what she knew herself.

As if he had read her mind, Miguel asked, "So what does you glowing have to do with me not getting a surgery?"

"I think a lot, actually," Meredith admitted. She still had reservations about revealing anything to Nate, but at the same time, her own curiosity about what he had seen burned bright inside of her. She also knew that she was eventually going to have to take a chance and tell someone what was happening... and Nate had already helped them quite a bit. She would just have to go for it and hope he wouldn't betray them.

"I guess I should explain," Meredith said cautiously. She watched Nate's face carefully, which was open and curious. She saw nothing malicious in the depths of his honey colored eyes. Satisfied, she spent the next twenty minutes explaining about how magic had been re-released into the world, causing previously dormant magicians to grow a second heart. It was the growth of that new organ that caused the severe stomach pains that Miguel had experienced. The second heart was what allowed magicians to use magic, and without it, they died.

Nate had suspected that there was something very weird going on, but hearing it spoken about in such a matter-of-fact manner was hard for him to believe. He listened with an open mind, however, because of what he had seen for himself during the storm.

Meredith had turned her body and was facing Miguel on the couch. "Dr. Wells had told me that there was another patient with my same condition that she intended to operate on. When I learned the truth about everything, I knew I had to go find that person and save them from having the surgery. I had no idea it was you," she concluded. She laid a hand on Miguel's knee and waited for him to respond.

"That's one hell of a coincidence," he said quietly.

"I know," Meredith said. "I've been thinking about that, too. I wonder if maybe we were initially drawn to each other because of our potential to emerge as magicians. Like, on a subconscious level."

"And all this time I thought it was because of my charming personality," Miguel said dryly.

"You know what I mean."

Miguel sat for a moment with his eyebrows drawn together and lips pursed, thinking over everything that Meredith had said. He filled his cheeks with air and let it out slowly on a long sigh. "I know you said that this nurse that helped you showed you proof, but I really need to see it for myself. I just can't believe this is really happening."

"I don't know how, Miguel, or I would. But I swear--"

"Got any spare trees?" Miguel asked Nate jokingly.

Nate smiled tightly, thinking about something else. "What about all the other emerging magicians?"

"What?" Meredith asked.

"Well, I'm assuming that this is happening all over the place. Not just in Phoenix, right?"

"I suppose so," Meredith said slowly, understanding where Nate was going with his line of thought.

"So your plan is to just let them all have the life-ending surgery?" He frowned, disappointed that she wouldn't want to save everyone that she could. Did she want to be the only one with these new abilities? To hell with everyone else?

The color drained from Meredith's cheeks, causing the small dusting of freckles on her cheeks to stand out in stark contrast to the rest of her pale skin. "No, that's not my plan," she replied angrily. "It's more complicated than that."

"Then please, explain," Nate said slowly, with exaggerated patience.

Miguel took Meredith hand and looked at her earnestly. "We're in this together, Mere, and you need to tell me everything."

Meredith looked at Nate pointedly.

"Forget about him, Mere. Just look at _me_. Tell _me_." Miguel brushed a hair out of Meredith's face, holding her gaze.

Meredith took a deep breath. "The nurse who helped me told me that there is someone who is hunting down magicians and killing them for their abilities. We have to hide if we want to survive, and we are already on their radar because we were admitted to the hospital with the growth of our Second Hearts." Meredith briefly told Miguel about the history with Aleric, the ancient magician, and the likelihood of his having chosen a protégé who would follow his actions.

Nate leaned back in his chair and mulled her story over in his head. If Meredith really believed it, she must be scared out of her mind. Nate considered the fate that she was now facing: she would have to hide from family and friends, surrender her life as she knew it, and go into hiding, perhaps forever. "You must feel completely overwhelmed," he blurted.

Meredith looked at Nate in surprise, as if she had suppressed the fact that he was even there. "Well, yes," she stammered, coloring.

Miguel looked completely blindsided. "How can you possibly know for sure that all this is true, Meredith?" he asked gently, hoping to find a reason to disbelieve her.

"I saw her use magic. And how else could you explain the weird things that have been happening? The fires? The earthquakes? Everything!" Meredith pulled her hand from Miguel's grasp and pulled her hair out of its ponytail. Her fingers raked through the red mass and then began to weave it into a braid over her left shoulder.

Nate wondered if Meredith was redoing her hairstyle to give herself something to do with her hands. She seemed filled with nervous and frustrated energy, without an idea of where to channel it. "I am going to say something, and I don't want you to just dismiss it because you think I'm saying it out of self-interest, because I'm not. Just, listen with an open mind, okay?"

Meredith's fingers paused mid-way down the braid. "Okay," she said cautiously, before continuing to weave.

"If magicians go into hiding, then this Aleric guy could just pick you off one-by-one. Police wouldn't be able to connect the deaths together in any meaningful way, and other magicians wouldn't even know that they were a target until it was too late."

Meredith finished the braid and tied it off with a rubber band. She looked at Nate expectantly, waiting for him to continue.

"Meanwhile, tons of resources and worry will be wasted on a worldwide level in an attempt to understand the weather events and stuff, when those same resources could be used to help emerging magicians." Nate paused for a moment, knowing that what he said next could quash Meredith's tenuous open-mindedness. "But if you were to go public--"

"Ahh, there it is," Meredith interrupted with a sarcastic smile. She leaned back into the sofa and folded her arms over her chest.

"No," Nate said, a little too sharply. "This isn't just me trying to get my big story, okay? I actually think that going public is the right thing to do. I don't even have to be the person to help you do it."

Miguel laid a hand on Meredith's shoulder. "He has some really good points. I don't think we should rule it out."

"You weren't with me, Miguel. You didn't hear how brutal this guy was, or how scared the nurse sounded. I am not going public." Her voice was angry, and Miguel seemed taken aback.

"I'm just as affected by this as you are," he said defensively. After a beat, Miguel's expression softened, and he added, "Just don't say no yet. Let's think about it for a while and then we can decide together."

"We wouldn't stand a chance," she said decisively. Nate could see that her anger was rooted in the deep fear that she was harboring. That nurse must have been some storyteller.

Nate's phone started buzzing from inside his pocket. The call was from a number he didn't recognize. He stood and walked into the kitchen to answer it. "Hello?"

The man's voice was familiar. "Hello? Is this Nate Dowering?"

"Yes," Nate said slowly, lilting upward on the second half of the word. He was trying to place the familiar voice at the other end of the line.

The man's voice was low and strained, and he seemed to be fighting to keep his emotions in check as he spoke. Nate had to press the phone hard against his ear to be able to hear the quiet words, "Please, we need your help."

# Chapter 18

Rob was getting angrier by the moment. He and Amelia had raced down to the police station only to be told to wait for an officer to come speak with them. They had been sitting in a lobby full of pink plastic chairs for almost an hour. Next to him, Amelia was working on a little book of Sudoku puzzles that she had fished out of her purse.

"Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter?" A police officer had come out to the waiting area and was standing in front of them. He wore a rumpled police uniform that looked like he might have slept in it. His medium brown hair was thinning a little in the front, which he had tried to hide with a strategically tousled hairstyle. Rob guessed that the officer was in his late twenties or early thirties.

Amelia shoved the Sudoku book back into her purse, and then she and Rob stood up.

"I'm sorry you've been kept waiting for so long, but I'm sure you can imagine how busy we've been over the last few days. The only thing worse than bad weather is the slew of crazy people that get triggered by it." The officer held out a hand to Rob. "I'm Officer Monroe."

Rob shook Monroe's hand. "We're here about our daughter and her friend. They are missing."

"I understand. Let's head into a conference room so I can ask you some questions, and we can fill out the report." Monroe led them through a side door that Rob hadn't noticed before and down a short hallway past some restrooms and small kitchen. The smell of burned coffee wafted out from the kitchen and followed them down the hall and into the small conference room at the end.

The conference room was just large enough for a small table and four chairs. There were no windows, though one wall had a whiteboard that went the entire length of the room.

"What, no one-way mirror?" Rob joked.

Monroe gave him a perfunctory smile in return. "No, we save that room for our more notable guests. Have a seat." He gestured toward two of the chairs and sat down himself.

Once they were all settled, Monroe asked when they had last seen Meredith and Vi.

"Yesterday. Meredith was in the hospital waiting for surgery this morning, and her friend Vi was staying with her. No one has seen either of them since last night, and Meredith missed her surgery," Amelia said, her eyes filling with tears.

Rob rested his hand on her back to comfort her. "This is very unlike our daughter. She's a vet student, very dedicated to her studies. She doesn't just disappear and not call us."

"I understand. It's good that you came in, and as soon as I get all the details we can start to look for them. There are a few things you need to be aware of, however. Firstly, since your daughter and her friend are legal adults, if they choose for us not to disclose their whereabouts, we will not do so. Secondly, filing a missing person report is not a magic bullet. The more you can do on your end to find her, the better. Thirdly, if they turn up, it is important that you notify us immediately to call off the search. Do you have any questions so far?" He waited a beat before continuing. "Okay, good. Now I am going to ask you a bunch of questions, and I need you to be as detailed as possible with your responses. The more information we have, the more likely it is that we will be able to find your daughter and her friend."

It was nearly an hour and a half later when Monroe had finally exhausted his list of questions. He led them back out to the waiting room, saying, "We get thousands of these reports a year, and most cases resolve within a few days. But again, lots of times they resolve because of the efforts of friends and family to find their loved one. Get creative. Throw her picture up online, or leave flyers with places she frequents. Contact local news. Anything you do can help." Monroe stopped them next to the bank of plastic chairs where they had been waiting earlier. "If you can wait here for just a moment, I'm going to go grab the detective who is going to be working your case so she can come talk to you."

"Okay," Amelia mumbled, sinking down into one of the chairs.

Rob sat next to her and pulled her hand into his lap, stroking the back of her hand lightly. It felt like a heavy stone had settled into his stomach, sapping him of strength. The process of describing the girls in minute detail--scars, birthmarks, clothing descriptions, and hairstyle--had made Meredith and Vi's disappearance seem all too real. They might never see their baby girl again.

Rob, taking in his wife's slumped shoulders and wan face, did his best to rally his emotions. "We'll find them," he said quietly. His own words sounded hollow and meaningless. He repeated them with more conviction. "We'll find them."

Amelia's own voice sounded torn with emotion. "There has to be more we can do. You heard him; we have to do everything we can to help."

Rob gazed down at Amelia's hand in his lap and considered the police officer's suggestion to call the local news, remembering the reporters who had been keenly interested in his daughter's medical condition only the night before. He thought about the predatory gleam in Nate Dowering's eyes when the reporter asked Rob why he was visiting the hospital. His gut reaction was to recoil from the idea of contacting the slimy journalist.

Raising his eye's to his wife's bloodshot ones, he said, "I called you from that journalist's phone." His voice was ragged and full of indecision, and it sounded harsh to his own ears. "We could call him. He might help us."

Amelia understood Rob's reluctance to involve any of the reporters from the hospital. They all had seemed as if they would do whatever they could to get a juicy story. However, she didn't care. If there were a chance, any chance, that involving Nate Dowering would bring them back together with Meredith, she would take it. She pulled her phone from a side pocket on her purse and handed it to Rob. "Call him right now," she said definitively.

Rob was relieved that Amelia was so sure of calling the reporter, since he felt so ambivalent himself. He scrolled through the call history and found the unfamiliar phone number, hitting send.

The phone rang twice before a voice came on the line. "Hello?"

"Hello? Is this Nate Dowering?" Rob asked nervously, hoping they were doing the right thing.

"Yes?"

Even if it wasn't the right choice, Rob was desperate to find his daughter. "Please, we need your help."

Nate's smooth voice was full of concern. "Of course. Who is this?"

"I don't know if you remember me. I met you at the hospital yesterday. I was there visiting my daughter?"

"Yes, I remember you," Nate said, hesitating. His voice had a strange quality to it, like he was trying not to be overheard.

"My daughter has gone missing from the hospital, and the police said we should use every possible means of finding her. I thought that maybe since you're a news guy, you could get her picture on TV?" Rob said it all in one breath, the words rushed and jumbled together. He took a deep breath and continued, "Her name is Meredith Carpenter, and she was last seen yesterday at about eight P.M."

The other end of the phone was silent, long enough that Rob said, "Hello?"

"I'm still here, sorry. I was just thinking for a second about the best way to handle... this. I'd like you to send me an email with a picture and all the pertinent information, and I'll do what I can."

Rob snapped his fingers impatiently at Amelia, miming for a piece of paper and a pen. She retrieved the requested objects from within the bowels of her purse and handed them to him. He scribbled down the email address that Nate provided, saying, "Thank you so much. We'll send it over right away."

"No problem," Nate said casually, in a way that irritated Rob. Nate didn't seem too concerned about their missing daughter.

Rob swallowed his anger and said, "I know my daughter is nothing to you, but she's everything to us. We're desperate. Please, whatever you can do, do it."

Nate paused again, choosing his words carefully. "I'm sure everything will be all right. I'll help you, okay?"

"Okay." Rob ended the call and handed the phone back to Amelia, who tucked it back into her handbag. "He said he'd help us," Rob said morosely, feeling like it was a wasted call. Nate Dowering was going to blow them off; he'd moved on to other, more interesting, stories.

They sat quietly for a few moments until their attention was drawn to the front doors of the building, where two police officers were escorting in a young man with his foot in a cast and a woman with a familiar face.

"Vi!" Amelia exclaimed, leaping up out of her seat.

"Mrs. C!" Vi's eyes glistened with relieved tears to see the Carpenters. She looked rumpled and tired, as though she had barely slept. Her deep brown eyes were unusually devoid of makeup, though Rob personally thought she looked prettier that way. "I am so glad you're here," she said. "Did Meredith call you?"

Rob rose and followed his wife toward the front of the room. The police officers who accompanied her stopped to allow them to speak.

"No, we were here filling out a missing persons report for you!" Amelia hugged Vi awkwardly, as Vi's hands were still in cuffs. "Thank God you're all right. Where is Meredith?"

Vi shook her head with a small frown. "I don't know where she went."

"We need to go," the police officer who held on to Vi's arm said authoritatively.

Rob looked at the officer in the eye. "We just filed a missing persons report for this young woman, along with our daughter. Our daughter is still missing. Are you really going to refuse to let us ask her a few questions?"

The officer paused before assenting.

As soon as she had permission, Amelia asked, "Weren't you with her? Why did you leave the hospital? What were you thinking?"

Vi briefly glanced over at the police officer before answering. "I was with Meredith until this morning. We spent the night at a friend's house. There is way too much to explain right now, but I promise we had a good reason for leaving."

"What friend?" Rob demanded.

Vi hesitated, trying to decide how much to reveal.

"Vi," Rob said, in his best stern-parent voice.

"Her name is Eleanor. Chances are Meredith will go back to her house at some point. She's the one who told us... things that made us want to leave the hospital."

Rob's jaw clenched when he heard the nurse's name. Eleanor had come to their house and lied to their faces about Meredith.

Before Rob could ask any more questions the police officer standing next to Vi spoke again. "You should be providing this information to the detective who is working the missing person case. I'm sorry, but we need to go now."

"What are her charges?" Rob asked the officer.

"Don't worry about it," Vi replied. "Right now you need to go find Meredith."

"I'm going to call one of my buddies to come down here and help you, okay? He's a lawyer. Don't talk to anyone until he gets here, got it?"

"Got it. Thanks, Mr. C. I really appreciate it."

Amelia scribbled her cell phone number on a scrap of paper from her purse and pressed it into Vi's hand. "Call us for anything, Vi. We love you."

"I'll call you once I know what's going on, I promise."

Vi and the young man with her were led away, leaving Rob and Amelia alone in the waiting room again. Rob felt anxious to get in contact with Eleanor and demand a straight answer from her.

"Should we wait for the detective?" Amelia asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

"Forget it. I want to find out what the hell that nurse wants with our daughter." Rob spat the words out angrily while stalking toward the doors.

Amelia followed close behind while digging into her pocket for her car keys. "We've got Eleanor's number, but we can't just call demanding answers, you know. She lied to us once, so she probably will again."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"Let's tell a little lie of our own," Amelia said with a grim smile.

They went to their car and slid inside, but Amelia didn't start the engine. Instead, she dialed Eleanor's phone number and turned the volume up so they could both listen.

After a few rings, Eleanor's steely voice came on the line. "This is Eleanor," she said.

"Eleanor," Amelia said breathily, trying to sound excited. "We've found the girls, but they're both asking to talk to you. They said they spent the night at your house last night but can't remember the way back."

"Oh good," Eleanor said austerely. Rob wondered if that was as effusive as she ever got. Eleanor quickly rattled off her address and asked when to expect them.

"We're heading there right now," Amelia said warmly. "We'll see you soon."

As soon as she hung up the phone, Amelia dropped the act. "Okay, at least we have her address. What do you want to do when we get there?"

"I'm going to get answers, even if I have to wring them out of her with my bare hands," Rob said darkly. If that nurse thought she could get between him and his daughter, she had another thing coming.

# Chapter 19

The moment Nate hung up the phone, he felt guilt blossoming in the pit of his stomach. Was he right to hide Meredith from her parents? He glanced over at her, where she sat on the couch biting her bottom lip and listening while Miguel spoke to her in a low voice.

Nate knew in his gut that Meredith needed to go public with what she knew. Too many lives were at stake if what she had told him was true. Nate worried that if she reconnected with her parents, they would squirrel her away somewhere, allowing her to succumb to her own fears. No, keeping her isolated was good, at least until Nate could convince her that he was right. Once she agreed, then he'd call her parents back. Nate's mental gymnastics did little to relieve him, however, as he kept hearing Rob's worry torn voice in his head, saying, "We need your help."

Nate shoved his phone in his pocket as if it were the very guilt he was trying to keep at bay. Returning to the living room, he murmured an apology for taking the phone call and sat back down in the chair.

"I know it's hard, Mere," Miguel was saying. "But you gotta find those same feelings that convinced you to come to the hospital and save me."

"That's completely different. I was able to come save you without exposing myself as a magician," Meredith protested.

To Nate, Miguel asked, "Is there any way to go public anonymously?"

Nate considered it. "I don't know how effective it would be. A claim as outlandish as this one... we'd need proof or we'd be relegated to the cheapest of tabloids, if even that."

"I can't give you proof," Meredith said. "I told you, I don't know how."

"But you know someone who does," Miguel pressed.

"I'm not telling him who she is," Meredith said with a pointed look in Nate's direction.

Nate had thought that she had chosen to trust him, but apparently it wasn't enough that she would reveal the nurse's name. Nate respected her reticence, protecting her source, so to speak. He would have felt the same way. "Hey, I'm not going to tell anyone," Nate said again, shaking his head and laying a hand over his heart for emphasis. He had to offer her as much reassurance as he could, since the nurse was the key to being able to bring everything that Meredith knew to light. "I promise, I won't report on a single thing until you tell me it's okay."

"No," Meredith said firmly.

They seemed to be at an impasse, silently eying each other warily.

Miguel tried again. "Meredith, what are we going to do? Flee to Mexico and get jobs serving margaritas on the beach? Are we really going to give up everything we've worked for?"

"I don't want to do that," Meredith said forlornly.

"We need a plan, Mere, and we need help. You're gonna have to put a little faith in someone."

"I already have!" Meredith protested. "I told you the whole story."

"It's useless if we can't prove it, Mere!"

Nate wisely remained silent, seeing that Miguel was slowly putting cracks in Meredith's resolve. He watched her thoughts play across her face as she debated with herself. She seemed so torn as to whether she would concede that Nate really had no idea what she would decide until she spoke again.

"Swear," Meredith said quietly.

"Swear what?" Miguel asked gently.

"Not you, him." Meredith pointed to Nate before her eyes followed, meeting Nate's gaze resolutely and without flinching. "Swear you will not divulge anything you learn unless I agree. Swear on whatever it is you care about. You look me in the eyes and you swear to me that you will not betray this trust."

Nate swallowed hard, unnerved by her direct manner. There was a strength to her that drew him in, making him want to understand everything about her that had made her that way. "I swear, Meredith."

She paused as her eyes scoured his face once again, searching for any glint of betrayal. At long last, she said, "Okay. We need to go see the nurse from the hospital. Her name is Eleanor."

* * *

Meredith, Miguel, and Nate pulled up to Eleanor's small house, and Meredith noticed how different it looked during the day. The stucco walls were a warm shade of pink, and a neat row of bushes along the front softened the lines of the house. The front door was painted an inviting moss green color, and Eleanor had hung a bronze doorknocker that was shaped like a dragonfly.

Nate pulled into the driveway and shut down the engine, and they all climbed out. As Meredith shut the front passenger door behind her, she heard a car approaching. She looked up and recognized her mother's white Honda CR-V, with both of her parents inside. A huge grin broke out on her face, and she ran down the driveway to meet them as her mother pulled the car up to the curb.

Meredith met her father as he stepped down from the passenger side of the CR-V, but Rob's eyes never left Nate's face. His own face was pale, with two bright red spots on his cheeks, with the corners of his mouth pulled down into an angry grimace. "You son of a bitch," Rob growled.

"What?" Meredith asked, confused. She looked over at Nate, who was holding his hands up defensively, eyes wide.

"Let me explain--" Nate began.

"Explain?!" Rob roared. "You are a lying, conniving, _sonofabitch!_ " He skirted past Meredith and lunged toward Nate, blinded by his own rage. He grasped Nate's throat and shoved him against his Ford Explorer, pressing down and cutting off Nate's air supply.

Nate grabbed Rob's arms, struggling to free his throat. Unsuccessful, his face was turning a bright shade of red.

Meredith ran toward the fighting men and pulled on Rob's arm while Amelia came around her car to join in the fray.

Both Meredith and Amelia screamed at Rob to stop, but he was immune to their pleas, his eyes trained solely on the object of his anger. "You-- were-- with-- her-- and-- you-- lied-- to-- me!" Rob grunted the words out one at a time, appearing to take a sick pleasure in Nate's bulging eyes and silent expression.

"Stop it, Rob!" Amelia screamed, yanking on his other arm.

Miguel wedged himself between Rob and Nate, trying to push the two men apart while Nate swung around wildly with his arms. There was a dull smacking sound as Nate's right fist came into contact with Rob's left ear, causing Rob to let go of Nate's throat and instead clutch at his head. The suddenness of his release startled Miguel, who was still pushing with all his might to separate them. Rob stumbled backward and tripped over the brick border that separated the driveway from the front lawn, sprawling backward and landing flat on his back.

Nate gasped for air before launching himself across the driveway and on top of Rob, fists swinging and cuss words flying.

Horrified that Nate would hurt her father, Meredith threw herself onto Nate, punching and scratching and pulling his hair mercilessly. She snaked her arms around Nate's midsection, yanking as hard as she could. " _Get off of my dad!_ "

As she yelled the words, she felt a wave of power surge through her, like a full-body sneeze, and Nate flew through the air and hit the side of the house with a dull thump. He lay crumpled at the base of the wall, wincing and panting.

"Holy shit, Mere," Miguel exclaimed from behind her.

Stunned, Meredith looked down at her hands, which, for a moment, retained a faint glow. She watched in amazement until the glow had completely faded and her hands looked normal again.

Rob lay on the ground with his eyes closed while he took stock of his injuries. One of his eyelids was already beginning to swell where Nate had hit him.

Meredith felt her mother laid a hand on her arm, and she looked into Amelia's question-filled eyes. Her mother's eyes were blue, like her own, but age and years full of laughter had put lines around Amelia's.

"Honey," Amelia began, pausing as she searched for the right words. Finally, abandoning delicacy, she demanded, "What the hell was that?"

Meredith ignored her mother's question for a moment, instead turning to Miguel and saying, "Can you please make sure Nate is all right?" Then she returned her attention to her mother's confused and impatient face. "There is a lot I have to tell you guys," she said simply, shrugging her shoulders.

From next to the house, Nate wheezed, "You did it again! See? I wasn't making the tree thing up!" Miguel helped him to his feet while Nate clutched his ribcage painfully.

Rob sat up. "Did what again?"

"Are you all idiots?" The authoritative voice boomed out across the yard, silencing them all and drawing their eyes toward it. Eleanor stood in the doorway with her fists clenched and eyes flashing angrily. "Come inside this instant before you make even more of a scene." She spat the words out disgustedly.

Chastised, they all shuffled into the house quietly, refusing to make eye contact with each other.

Inside, Eleanor's modest living room seemed even smaller with so many people crammed into it. Meredith sat on the sofa with her parents while Miguel and Nate stood. Eleanor sat alone on the loveseat, scowling at them like a disappointed headmistress.

Meredith looked anxiously at her parents, knowing she owed them a huge explanation for her behavior. Rob was sucking on his lower lip where it had split and was bleeding, while Amelia had draped her arm around Meredith's shoulders and was stroking the back of her hair.

Amelia looked at Meredith only, ignoring everyone else in the room. "We were so worried about you, Mere. We love you more than anything, you know? You can't do that to us. We were absolutely crazy with worry." She looked pointedly at Rob as she said the word _crazy_.

Rob rolled his eyes. "That asshole deserved far more than what I did to him," he said, referring to Nate.

Meredith met Nate's eyes coolly. "What are they talking about?"

Nate shifted uncomfortably, turning his gaze to a blank spot on the wall behind Meredith. He bit his cheek nervously, formulating a response.

"I'll tell you what he did," Rob answered with a glare in Nate's direction. "I called him, not even an hour ago, and told him we were looking for you, and he lied and said he didn't know where you were."

"That's the phone call you got?" Miguel asked incredulously.

"Let me explain," Nate said quickly.

"You'd better," Amelia advised.

"Meredith knows why all these weird weather things have been happening. She knows something that could save tons of lives, and she wants to just sit on the information. I told her that she should go public with it, but she doesn't want to because she's _scared_." He said the last word in a mocking tone. "I wanted to have a little more time with her to try to convince her to do the right thing. I was going to call you back and tell you the truth once I'd gotten her to agree."

"Well, she's right not to agree," Eleanor cut in. Then to Rob and Amelia she asked, "How much has she told you?"

"Nothing." Amelia said, exasperation creeping into her voice. Meredith could tell that Amelia was frustrated for being in the dark while everyone else seemed to know what was going on.

"Why on earth shouldn't she go public?" Nate demanded, taking a step toward Eleanor. "What about all those other people who will go in to have their Second Hearts removed because of their ignorance? Ignorance that you, Meredith, and Miguel could very easily rid them of?"

Eleanor stood up, coming toe to toe with Nate. Even though the top of her head barely reached Nate's shoulder, her physical presence seemed to dominate his, making him seem like the smaller person. "You couldn't possibly understand what Meredith and Miguel are facing. Who do you think you are to judge their choices? You are nothing but a child trying to play the man, and you do it poorly."

Rob came up off the couch and put an arm between them. "Let's just back up a few steps, folks. Nate, I think you had better leave. We'll take it from here."

Nate frowned and his eyes sought out Meredith's, as if he hoped she would intercede on his behalf. "Meredith, wait," he pleaded.

Meredith rose to her feet as well. "No, Nate. I was right not to trust you. You hoped to keep me isolated and afraid so you could get me to do what _you_ wanted, what was good for _your_ career. You didn't have a single thought for my well being, because if you had, you wouldn't have dreamed of lying to my family about where I was."

"This is bigger than _your_ well being, Meredith!" Nate protested. "You have to start thinking beyond yourself!"

"You should go," Meredith said firmly.

Nate looked at Miguel, who had formerly been his ally. Miguel looked at his feet, refusing to meet Nate's gaze. "Miguel, we could do it without them," Nate suggested desperately. "I know you think I'm right."

Miguel looked up at Nate sadly. "You know, you had my support when I thought you were acting honorably. But to deliberately hide a daughter from her mother and father just to get your own way... man, even if I agreed with you, I would never _side_ with you."

Nate's shoulders slumped. "Look, I know I screwed up. So I went about it the wrong way, but I'm still trying to do the right thing. I'll leave, but please promise me you'll think about it. Think about all those parents whose daughters and sons won't just be missing, they'll be dead. Do you really want that on you?" He walked to the front door and opened it, turning back one last time. "You have my number. Call me, please. Do the right thing."

The door shut behind him and they all stared at it as if they expected him to come back.

Rob broke the tension, saying, "The little shit really is persuasive, isn't he?"

Through their laughter, Amelia said, "Mere, you're really going to have to tell us what is going on!"

* * *

Amelia had found it difficult to pay attention to Meredith's outlandish story because she felt absolutely giddy with relief that her daughter was found and unharmed. As Meredith and Eleanor traded off talking, Amelia's eyes stayed focused on her little girl, her hand absently stroking her back.

"So after we learned everything from Eleanor," Meredith was saying, "we had to go to the other hospital to save that other patient from having the surgery."

Eleanor frowned disapprovingly, but said nothing.

"Once we were there, I was able to use my spidey sense to find the right room, and it just happened to be that the other patient was Miguel."

Eleanor sat up straight. "Spidey sense?"

"Yeah. You know, our magical sense or whatever."

"You were able to sense that Miguel was a magician?" Eleanor asked carefully.

"Yeah. Like with you, too. It's like I can feel a vibration coming off of you or something." Meredith read the caution in Eleanor's face and asked, "Isn't that normal?"

"Well, not really, no," Eleanor said guardedly.

"Miguel was able to sense me, too," Meredith added. "That's how I was able to convince him to leave the hospital."

Miguel cleared his throat. "I don't feel anything right now. Maybe I could only feel you before because you were trying to make me feel you."

"I don't need you feeling my daughter, thank you," Rob cut in with a wry smile.

Eleanor smiled obligingly at his attempt at humor before returning to the topic at hand. "Meredith, being able to sense whether someone is a magician is a very unique skill. Actually, I've never even heard of a magician being able to do it. It would make you especially valuable. You mustn't ever let anyone know that you have this ability, otherwise..." She didn't need to finish her warning, as the threat to Meredith was obvious to all those in the room.

Amelia pinched her nose and closed her eyes, which was a habit she had whenever she thought about something too hard. "Forgive me... I mean, I know what I saw Meredith do in the front yard, but I am really having trouble wrapping my head around all this." She opened her eyes and looked at Eleanor. "Can you show me again what it is you can do?"

"Well, there are a number of things I can do," Eleanor said. "That doesn't necessarily mean that Meredith will ever be able to do the same things. It all depends on whether she applies herself." Eleanor waved a hand nonchalantly, and a cool breeze swirled through the room, tousling all of their hair and tugging gently at their clothing. Just as abruptly as it had begun, the breeze stopped.

"Damn," Miguel said appreciatively, voicing what they were all thinking.

"Why didn't you glow afterward like Meredith did?" Amelia asked, curious.

"Meredith doesn't yet know how to focus her energy to a specific task, so when she uses it, it is sloppy and inefficient. The glow is akin to water slopping over the sides of a glass. With study and practice, the glow would go away." Eleanor rested her gaze on Meredith and Miguel's faces in turn. "I would like to teach both of you how to use your abilities, if you will allow me to."

"I just want to stay alive," Meredith muttered, looking at her hands.

Amelia looked at her daughter and realized for the first time how much strain Meredith was under. It grieved her to see Meredith filled with so much fear and uncertainty. Her face looked pale, and deep bags rested underneath her eyes. Amelia wanted to scoop her up and tell her that everything would be okay, but she wasn't sure that it would be.

Eleanor nodded to herself. "Yesterday I told you that we should separate in case one of us is found, but after losing you this morning, I have decided that perhaps staying in close contact, until you have learned more, would be better."

"Okay," Meredith said slowly.

"Going home is still not an option. Is there somewhere else you might stay?"

"We can't stay here?" Miguel asked.

Eleanor smiled. "Look around, kids. Aside from my bedroom, this is all there is to the place. As much as I'd love to have you, I don't think it's a long-term solution."

Rob leaned forward in his seat. "Long-term? Are you saying that Meredith should never come home?"

"People--the wrong people--will be looking for her there. So, no--I think she should be as discreet with her movements as she can. I also think that you and Amelia should go home and pretend to continue to look for Meredith. If anyone knows that you know where she is, then Meredith is compromised."

Rob took his cell phone out of his pocket and tossed it into Meredith's lap. "Take that, kiddo. I don't want you running off again without me being able to contact you."

Meredith cradled the phone in her hands as if it were a lifeline. "Got it, Dad."

"Well, what do you say we order a pizza before Rob and I head home?" Amelia plastered a bright smile onto her face, determined to make the best of their situation. Her daughter was alive and safe, after all. All their other worries could wait until after pizza.

# Chapter 20

After Vi and Josh gave all of their identifying information to the police and had been stripped of most of their personal possessions, the police put them in two adjacent holding cells, one for men and one for women. Each cell held a long bench along the back wall, where Josh and Vi sat a few feet from each other, with the cold metal cell bars between them. Josh put his broken ankle up onto the seat beside him, and Vi thought that all the exertion was probably painful for him, even though he hadn't complained. Josh leaned his head against the wall and let out a long sigh, closing his eyes.

After a moment, Vi turned her attention to their surroundings. They were alone in the holding cells, but a police officer sat at a desk in front of the cells, ostensibly doing paperwork. Vi was pretty sure the officer was listening to every word they were saying. As if to confirm Vi's theory, the officer looked up and met her gaze. Vi glanced back at Josh. His eyes were still closed, and his glasses had slidden down his nose a little bit.

Waiting in the cell gave Vi the chance to think over what she had seen and overheard at the hospital. She couldn't shake her conviction that Dr. Wells was the danger. It would explain why she was present at both hospitals, and why she had gotten so irrationally angry when Miguel left. Even the nurses thought it was weird. That overreaction combined with Dr. Wells's cold demeanor and harsh attitude all seemed to point to her being a genuinely evil person. Vi hoped that she would be able to leave soon; she needed to find Meredith and tell her what she had learned.

"So when are you going to tell me why we're here?" Josh's voice startled Vi out of her reverie.

"I thought you were asleep!" she exclaimed.

"Well, I'm not." His eyes were still closed, but he leaned closer to Vi, repeating, "So, why are we here?"

"You want to talk about this now?"

"What else are we going to do?" He opened his eyes and looked at her expectantly.

"Mere and I wouldn't even tell you when we were alone. What makes you think I'll tell you now that we have an audience?" Vi didn't meet his eyes while she spoke, instead keeping her gaze fixed on the floor a few feet in front of her.

"Well, that was before I'd gotten arrested for it. Now I think it's only fair that you clue me in." Josh raised his eyebrows at her to emphasize his point.

"I never promised to be fair." Vi looked over at him and smiled. She knew that she owed Josh some sort of explanation, but this certainly wasn't the place to do it. "I'll fill you in when you take me on that date," she conceded, hoping to distract him with another line of conversation.

Josh said, "I'm going to hold you to that."

"The date or the explanation?"

"Both."

They were both quiet for a minute. Then Vi warned, "The date had better not suck."

"What would constitute a sucky date?" Josh asked, making conversation.

Vi thought for a moment. "Well, I would expect you to put some effort into impressing me--think outside the box. Dinner and a movie, for example, would be a sucky date."

"Are you kidding? That's a classic!"

Vi gaped at him. "Do I really strike you as a dinner-and-a-movie sort of girl?"

Josh shrugged. "I didn't realize you were so high maintenance. Maybe I don't want to go on a date with you after all."

"Then I guess getting that explanation isn't so important to you." Vi gave him a devious smile and feigned nonchalance as she once again put her eyes forward. The phone on the officer's desk rang and she answered it, speaking in a low voice. A moment later, the officer hung up the handset, stood, and walked down the hall. Vi wondered where she was going.

"So how about go-kart racing?" Josh asked, still thinking about their date.

Vi nodded appreciatively. "That's better."

"I don't know though, that's kind of pricey. I haven't decided if you're worth it yet," Josh teased.

Vi shrugged. "You could always just drive me up to the lookout point on top of South Mountain. Great view, and it's free," she suggested.

"You want to go _parking_ on our first date?" Josh asked incredulously.

"Frugality and romance. What's not to like?"

They fell silent again, and Vi's thoughts returned to her suspicions about Dr. Wells. Being a surgeon was actually perfect, because Dr. Wells could absorb the magician's power as she removed their Second Heart. Then their subsequent death could be chalked up to complications with the procedure. Those poor families would never even know that their loved ones were murdered in cold blood. Overcome with disgust, Vi scoffed.

Josh looked at her and was about to ask, but the police officer returned and stood in front of the holding cells with Josh's crutches in hand.

In an authoritative voice the police officer said, "Violet McClure and Joshua Harden, you're out of here."

"We are?" Vi asked, surprised. She wondered if Rob's lawyer friend had come through.

"Would you rather stay here?" The police officer rolled her eyes and cocked her hip to one side impatiently.

"No, definitely not." Vi watched with pity as Josh hopped on one foot to the front of the cell to wait while the officer let them out. He winced a little at the jostling, but still didn't whine. Vi was impressed, and looked forward to their date.

Once they were walking down the hall toward the front lobby, Josh asked, "So who sprung us?"

"Your charges have been dropped," the officer responded disinterestedly.

"Awesome!" Vi exclaimed.

They collected their personal belongings and went out into the lobby. To their surprise, Dr. Sparling was waiting for them. The doctor looked them over quickly to ensure that they were, at least physically, all right. "Neither of you made any new friends in there, I hope," she said dryly.

They shook their heads, and Vi said tentatively, "Not that we're ungrateful or anything, but why are you here?"

"Come on," Dr. Sparling said as she turned and walked toward the exit. "I'll tell you in the car."

"In the car?" Josh asked dumbly.

Dr. Sparling looked back at them with a smile. "Did you plan to walk home?"

"Oh right, because we came here in a police car," Vi said, understanding.

"So are you coming?" Dr. Sparling resumed her pace out toward the parking lot. Vi was impressed at how quickly the small doctor could move.

They followed close on her heels, tossing relieved smiles at each other as they went through the parking lot. Josh looked like an orangutan as he swung along on his crutches to keep up. Dr. Sparling clicked a button on her keychain, and a small sporty Porsche beeped at them in response. "Gotta enjoy some of the perks of the job," Dr. Sparling said with a smug smile.

Without discussion, Vi wedged herself into the miniscule backseat to let Josh have the extra room in the front for his cast and crutches. After a few minutes they were all squeezed like pretzels into the tiny sports car and on their way. The tops of the crutches stuck out of Josh's open window, and the breeze swirled through the car as Dr. Sparling zipped through the parking lot.

Without prompting, Dr. Sparling explained her presence at the police station. "I spoke with our chief about Dr. Wells wanting to press charges against you for assault and battery. After speaking with Miguel's parents to find out what happened, the chief came to the conclusion that pressing charges wouldn't be in the hospital's best interests, considering that Dr. Wells was trying to detain Miguel illegally. Believe it or not, we actually aren't allowed to force surgery onto our patients." Dr. Sparling grinned and careened around a corner, going well over the speed limit. "Where am I taking you two?"

"My car's still at Phoenix Mercy, so can you take us back there?" Josh said.

"You bet."

Vi wondered what Dr. Sparling thought of Dr. Wells; maybe Dr. Sparling got an evil vibe off of the other doctor, too. She worded her question carefully. "Do you work much with Dr. Wells? Is this... normal for her?"

Dr. Sparling chuckled. "I have no idea. I met her for the first time a few days ago. On your friend Meredith's case, actually."

"Oh," Vi said lamely, put out. She had hoped that she would get more insight into Dr. Wells, and see if Dr. Wells was as irritable with other cases that didn't involve the removal of a Second Heart. Then again, maybe Dr. Wells only showed up because there was a Second Heart involved, in which case the two doctors not knowing each other would make perfect sense. Anxious to learn if she was right, Vi asked, "How come you don't know each other? Is she new?"

"Well, she is a specialist, and she has admit privileges at hospitals all over the valley. Our paths just haven't crossed before."

"How come you were at Phoenix Mercy, if you work at the E.R. at the other hospital?" Josh asked. Vi chided herself that the question hadn't occurred to her earlier.

"Dr. Wells invited me to help on Miguel's case." Dr. Sparling explained, meeting Vi's eyes in the rear-view mirror. "I am only a resident, and am still learning. Dr. Wells is an expert, and I was really looking forward to the opportunity to see her work."

Vi frowned, feeling a little guilty. Dr. Sparling was just trying to be good at her job. "Sorry we screwed that up for you," she apologized lamely.

Dr. Sparling smiled. "There will be other cases. There always are." She returned her attention to the road for a few minutes. After a while she asked, "So what is the deal anyway? Why so dead-set against the surgery?"

"I thought you said you didn't care," Vi said, remembering their earlier conversation while Vi was being arrested.

"Well, that's true; if Miguel and Meredith do all right without the surgery, I don't care. If the patient gets better without surgery, that's always the best possible outcome. That doesn't mean I'm not curious." Dr. Sparling smiled sheepishly.

"I guess I'd be curious, too," Vi conceded. In fact, she would be extremely curious. Their behavior was pretty weird, after all. From Dr. Sparling's perspective, they probably all seemed like nut jobs.

"So?"

"Meredith told me she felt better and didn't think she needed the surgery after all," Vi said casually. "Plus, Miguel's her boyfriend, so she thought that maybe he would get better, too. For all we know, Miguel caught something from her while they were swapping spit."

"Ah, such a lovely turn of phrase," Josh commented with a grin.

"Miguel's her boyfriend?" Dr. Sparling's voice was surprised. Then almost to herself she said, "That's an interesting coincidence. Perhaps you're right."

They pulled into the parking lot at Phoenix Mercy and Josh directed Dr. Sparling to where his car was parked. They thanked her for the ride and then Josh spent several moments awkwardly getting out of the Porsche while balancing on his crutches. Once he was clear, Vi pressed her foot on the button to move the seat forward and then climbed out. As she returned the seat to its normal position, Vi leaned in and asked Dr. Sparling one last question. "Have there been any other patients with Meredith and Miguel's condition?"

"If there were, do you think I'd be here?" Dr. Sparling smiled to soften what she said next. "Generally, I like to save my energy for the patients who _want_ to be helped."

Vi closed the door and waved, and Dr. Sparling and her Porsche darted away. Josh had already gotten into his car and started the engine, so Vi quickly slid into the passenger seat while saying, "Let me call Mere's folks and let them know that we're out." She pulled out the paper with Amelia's number on it and used Josh's cell phone to dial the number, putting it on speakerphone.

"Hello?" Amelia's voice sounded exhausted, but it didn't have the strained note that Vi had noticed earlier.

"Hey, Mrs. C." Vi said.

"Hold on a moment, Vi." There was the sound of the phone being shuffled around as it passed hands.

"Hello?" Meredith's voice came on the line, and Vi grinned.

"And here I thought we were going to have to look under every bridge in Maricopa County to find you!" Vi exclaimed happily.

"Hey Vi! We're all at Eleanor's house right now, and my parents are recovering from the shock of hearing the whole story."

"You told them, huh? I'm sitting in the car with Josh, 'cause the charges against us have been dropped! The law can't keep us down."

"Hey, Meredith," Josh said, smiling at Vi's exuberance.

"Hey, Josh," Meredith returned. "Hey, maybe you guys can help us--Eleanor's kicking us out, and we still can't go home. Any ideas?"

"We could go to my parents' house," Josh said, surprising them. "They're on a cruise right now, so we'd have the place to ourselves."

"Oh my God, that's perfect!" Meredith's voice sounded relieved and grateful. "Josh, you seriously rock."

Josh gave them the address and garage code, and Vi wondered what his parents would think about his trusting attitude. She shrugged it off, grateful that he was helping them. Once all the pertinent information was conveyed, Vi said, "We'll see you there in a while, Mere. I am seriously starving, and I need to pick up some things at the store."

"Make yourselves at home," Josh added, and then they hung up the phone.

Vi laid a hand on Josh's arm. "Are you sure your parents aren't going to kill you for this?"

"They aren't due back for another week. That's plenty of time to cover our tracks."

"Thank you," Vi said emphatically, laying a kiss squarely on Josh's mouth.

Josh grinned, and a small flush crept into his cheeks. "Okay, so, errands?"

"Yeah, but dinner first. I'm going to eat my own arm in a minute here." Vi jokingly gnawed on her arm to punctuate her point.

Josh laughed and put the car into gear, navigating out of the parking space. "So if we're going to dinner, does this count as our first date?"

"Definitely not," Vi said decisively.

"Why not?"

"Because, one, I already told you that dinner and a movie is not my kind of date, and two," she smiled impishly at him, "I don't go home with a guy on the first date." Vi settled back in her seat, feeling carefree and relieved. Meredith and Miguel were safe, she wasn't in any trouble with the law, and she was looking forward to her non-date with Josh. Things were going to be okay.

* * *

A cold, calculating pair of eyes watched as Josh and Vi drove away. Keeping track of the oblivious couple would be easy, and chances were good that they would lead straight to Meredith and Miguel. Licking her lips in eager anticipation, she shifted her car into gear and followed not far behind.

# Chapter 21

Josh's parents house was gorgeous. A spacious villa in Paradise Valley, it sprawled over half an acre of premium real estate. After gleefully exploring the house, Miguel and Meredith had settled down on the couch in the great room to watch a movie.

From where she sat, Meredith enjoyed a view of the sparkling pool in the backyard surrounded by half a dozen uplit palm trees. A gazebo sat to the west of the pool, housing a table and chairs and an outdoor kitchen, complete with minibar.

Meredith wasn't really paying attention to the movie. It was an old eighties action film that she'd seen before. She was enjoying the time she had with her private thoughts as she admired the luxury home and mused about Josh's upbringing. She never would have guessed that his parents were loaded, since he seemed pretty normal. Her own family was solidly middle class, so she didn't really think of the wealthy as the "other half" exactly, but she also didn't know what it was like to live a life where you truly didn't have to consider a budget.

Over the sound of the movie, Meredith heard the garage door open, and soon afterward, Josh and Vi joined them. One of Vi's errands had been to Wal-Mart, where she had bought everyone changes of clothes and toiletries. She dropped the bags of supplies onto the floor behind the couch and flopped down next to Meredith as if she'd been to Josh's parents' house a dozen times before. That was one trait that Meredith envied in her friend--Vi was comfortable in virtually any situation.

"So my folks told me you were locked up in the clink," Meredith said conversationally.

Vi shook her head from side to side with a serious expression on her face. "Man, it's true what they say about the inside. It changes you."

Meredith laughed and hit Vi in the face with a throw pillow, glad to be reunited with her. "Are you seriously okay, Vi?"

"Yeah, it really wasn't so bad." Vi glanced up to make sure Josh was listening before adding, "The worst part was the company."

"And yet you can't seem to get enough of me," Josh said, unperturbed.

They all laughed and then watched the end of the movie together, enjoying the down time. Later, Josh and Vi retired to one of the many bedrooms, leaving Miguel and Meredith alone in the great room together.

"So, I know we've been avoiding the conversation for a couple of hours now," Miguel said tentatively, "but have you thought any more about going public with what we know?"

Meredith sighed. "Eleanor seems dead set against it, and she's the one who would be able to prove our claim."

"But what about what you did to Nate? You know you have the ability, you just have to _do_ it."

"I don't know how I did it before. I just wanted him to stop hitting my dad. And the time before that, I was terrified that I was going to be crushed by a tree. Both times I've been under extreme duress." While she spoke, Meredith was trying to figure out exactly what she had done to use magic. It had been a surge of energy coming from her core, but how did she call it forth?

"So, can't you just try... like, wanting it really bad?" Miguel offered a lopsided smile.

"That's worked for you in other areas of your life?" Meredith asked with a chuckle.

"Come on, at least try," Miguel urged, ignoring her teasing. "You said you saw Eleanor levitate her purse across the room, right?"

"Yeah," Meredith said slowly, drawing out the word as she continued to think.

Miguel gestured to Rob's cell phone, which was resting on the glass-topped coffee table. "So let's try to levitate the phone, okay? We'll do it together."

Still no closer to an idea, Meredith protested, "I don't even know where to begin."

Miguel let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't either, Mere!" His voice rose as he spoke. "But we should at least try."

"Okay!" Meredith huffed, frustrated. It felt like Miguel was commanding her to speak a foreign language that she'd never studied before.

Miguel dragged the coffee table closer to the couch and then positioned the cell phone between them. "Okay, now let's concentrate." Miguel drew his eyebrows together in determination and stared down at the phone.

Meredith followed suit, searching within herself for the repository of magic. She kept her eyes on the phone, willing it to move, raking her thoughts through her body for any trace of her own power. She felt stupid, as if she and Miguel were just playing make-believe. Meredith pictured the phone rising up off the table and into her waiting hands, just as Eleanor's purse had. Just when she thought it was all useless, the phone sprang to life with a loud buzzing, making them jump.

"Holy shit!" Miguel exclaimed.

Getting over her surprise, Meredith said in a disappointed voice, "It's just vibrating. A call's coming in." She picked up the phone and looked at the caller I.D.; it was James. She answered, greeting her brother in a subdued tone.

"Hey, Mere. Mom told me you had Dad's phone, and I wanted to call and hear for myself that you're okay," James said.

"Yep, I'm okay," she confirmed. "Mom said you were out looking for me. Thanks."

"She said you had a good reason for going M.I.A., but she wouldn't tell me what it was," James continued, hoping that Meredith would fill him in.

"It's a long story," Meredith hedged.

"They were really worried," James added, a subtle rebuke.

"I know," Meredith sighed. Her eyes met Miguel's. "I have a feeling everything is going to be explained soon, bro."

"What is it?" James asked outright. Their family was usually very forthright with each other, and he wasn't used to things being kept from him. He didn't like it.

Meredith considered how to respond. Finally, she settled on changing the subject. "Tell Ivy that her Auntie Mere loves her, okay? I gotta go."

"Don't disappear again," James grumbled.

After she hung up the phone, Meredith returned her attention to their efforts to use magic. "I don't think the phone thing is working," she said. Before Miguel could argue, she continued, "Eleanor told me that you have to know about your subject. Like, you have to understand how it works--the thing you want to work magic on."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting we try something else. Something we know about."

Miguel looked at her dumbly, not following her line of thought.

Meredith gave him a small smile. "We're both in vet school, Miguel. We know about biology."

"Oh, right." Miguel grinned. "So we try to... make something biological happen?"

"Ew, when you say it like that it sounds so gross!" Meredith wrinkled her nose and swatted at him playfully.

"Then please, explain what you mean," Miguel said more seriously.

"Well, what if we start small? Like blushing. Blushing happens when your blood vessels dilate, right?"

Miguel nodded.

"So... make me blush," Meredith told him, adding hastily, "but with magic, not dirty talk!" She straightened up her posture, facing Miguel expectantly.

Miguel stared hard at her face for a few moments, his expression scrunching up into one of intense concentration and determination. Slowly, Meredith felt heat creep into her face, and Miguel's mouth cracked into an ear-splitting grin. His skin was emitting the same warm glow that Meredith had experienced before.

"Oh my God, it worked!" he cried triumphantly.

"Yes!" Meredith beamed at him proudly, watching in fascination as the glow faded from his skin. It was beautiful. After a moment, she exclaimed, "Okay, okay. My turn!" Now that she had seen Miguel's success, she was anxious to try it out for herself.

Miguel schooled his face into an impassive expression, though it was hard for him to tone down his excitement. "Okay, go," he commanded.

Meredith closed her eyes, picturing Miguel's heart pumping blood through his body. In her mind's eye, she followed the blood coursing through his veins, imagining the entire journey from start to finish. She was so focused on him, that she could hear Miguel's heart beating from where she sat. Once she felt like she was in tune with him, she turned her attention to the capillaries in his face, picturing them dilating and swelling as they filled with blood. As she did so, she reached out with her energy, willing the blood vessels to cooperate.

Meredith opened her eyes and watched as Miguel's cheeks reddened noticeably. Smiling, she confirmed her success by glancing down at her own glowing skin. "I did it!" she said, laughing joyously. She looked back at Miguel, frowning as she saw the angry red splotches on his cheeks. "Oh no," she said softly.

"What is it?" Miguel's hands flew instinctively to his cheeks.

"I think some of the capillaries in your cheeks burst," Meredith confessed. Tears stung in her eyes as she realized just how stupid their magical tinkering had been. What if she had accidentally stopped his heart?

Miguel caught her gaze and smiled reassuringly, laying a hand on her upper arm and giving it a small squeeze. "It's okay, Mere. It was an accident. Let's just restrict future experimenting to plants."

Meredith nodded, and Miguel tugged gently on her arm, pulling her closer to him and into his embrace. His lips were soft and warm, and Meredith returned his kiss with a small sigh of contentment. Miguel deepened the kiss gently, and Meredith parted her lips in welcome. Her hands slid up his neck and buried themselves in his thick hair while he slid his arm around her back, hiking her up and onto his lap.

Meredith didn't want the kiss to end. Why had she been so afraid to open up to Miguel? He was wonderful, and smart, and he cared about her. She smiled against his mouth, kissing him with gusto and not minding as his hands found their way beneath her shirt, rubbing up and down her back. Her skin tingled in every place where he touched her, and she found herself getting lost in the sensations.

Miguel pulled away from the kiss and caressed her face. "Do you want to...?" His voice was husky with lust.

The brief pause was enough to clear Meredith's head a little. She and Miguel hadn't taken their relationship to that level yet, and she wasn't sure she was ready for that next step. "Miguel, I really want to," she began.

"But," he finished for her. He brushed his lips across hers again before righting her shirt and then resting his arms around her waist.

"I'm sorry, Miguel. I just don't think we're... there yet."

Miguel grabbed the bottom of her chin and turned her face toward his, looking deep into her eyes. "We have plenty of time, Mere. There's no hurry. I really care about you, and I want us to do everything right, okay?"

Meredith gave him a small smile and nodded. "Thank you," she said, relieved that he understood.

He cupped the side of her face in his hand. "When it is time to go... _there_ , it will be perfect." He smiled reassuringly.

They sat in silence for a few seconds, enjoying the warmth of each other's embrace. Finally Meredith grinned and said, "That doesn't mean we can't make out, you know."

Miguel laughed and lowered her gently down on the sofa and then stretched out beside her. "Now that is excellent news," he said.

Meredith's eyes fluttered closed as he brought his lips to hers.

* * *

Several hours later, Meredith woke with a start. She and Miguel had chosen one of the bedrooms that had south-facing windows, and light from the moon bathed the room in pale light. Miguel snored softly beside her, and he had one arm draped heavily over her belly. Meredith wriggled out from under Miguel's arm, her feet hitting the thick, warm carpet on the floor.

The bedroom had its own bathroom, and Meredith went in to get some water, leaving the light off so as not to disturb Miguel. There was a little stack of paper cups on a shelf above the toilet, and Meredith filled one of these from the tap. The bathroom was gorgeous, with a large jetted tub and a pair of French doors that opened to the backyard. The lights were still on back there, making the yard seem like it was straight out of a five-star resort. Meredith stood in her bare feet, enjoying the view while she sipped her water.

Suddenly, she felt a tugging sensation from her other sense, the same way it had felt when she was using it to find Miguel in the hospital. Meredith's eyes widened and she dropped the little cup onto the floor with a small _splat_. The water puddled around her feet, and she was briefly reminded of the flooded vet's office.

Meredith fell into a low crouch, not knowing where the sensation was coming from. It wasn't Miguel, she was certain of that. This energy had a cold malevolence to it that Meredith had never felt before. It was so strong that Meredith felt overwhelmed, her thoughts muddled. She froze in place, listening as hard as she could. The energy was getting stronger, closer.

Meredith scrambled across the floor toward the bed. She reached up over the edge of the mattress and shook Miguel's foot vigorously, until he sat up sleepily.

"Huh?" he croaked, looking down at her in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"Get on the floor," Meredith hissed.

More alert, Miguel didn't question her, rolling off the bed in one fluid motion. Meredith pulled him between the bed and the wall, so they couldn't be seen from the doorway or the windows.

"Someone's coming," Meredith breathed.

"How do you know?" Miguel whispered back.

"I can feel it."

"What do we do?"

"I don't know, I don't know," Meredith said quickly, mind reeling. "I can't tell where they are." Her heart was pounding, and the blood roared in her ears. It felt like the energy was everywhere.

Miguel grabbed Meredith's hand and squeezed it hard, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Just focus, Mere. Look at me, stay calm, and _focus_."

Meredith struggled to slow her breathing, closing her eyes and concentrating. "Coming down the hallway," she mouthed. "We have to get out of here. The bathroom."

Miguel sprang to his feet without a word, pulling her up after him. They darted back into the bathroom as quietly as they could, and Meredith fumbled with the French doors that led out to the yard. Her hands were trembling so hard that she could barely turn the lever.

Miguel gently lifted her hands out of the way and unlocked the door smoothly, swinging it silently open on well-oiled hinges. Then, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the backyard. Their bare feet made slapping sounds on the pool decking as they ran past the outdoor kitchen.

"Down here," Meredith pulled Miguel into a crouch behind the built in barbeque.

"We gotta get out of here, Mere," Miguel protested.

"Vi and Josh are still inside. We can't just leave them."

"Vi and Josh aren't magicians. They aren't after them," Miguel reasoned.

Meredith gave him a scathing look. "And what happens if the protégé thinks they know where we are?"

Suddenly, the _thaelis_ that Meredith wore burned red hot against her chest. Meredith looked down at the glowing stone, realizing that it was keeping her from being discovered. Horrified, she realized that Miguel wasn't protected. She opened her mouth to warn Miguel, but it was too late.

A cold voice rang out into the backyard, calling menacingly, "Miguel." Meredith recognized the female voice, but couldn't quite place it.

Miguel's eyes widened in alarm, his body shaking in fear.

"Time to come out," the woman said. As she spoke the words, Miguel's body was jerked into the air by an invisible string, his hand ripping out of Meredith's grasp.

Helpless, Meredith looked up at him. From her crouched position, she could almost touch his feet where they dangled above her head. Miguel didn't betray her presence by looking down, instead glaring across the yard at their attacker.

Seemingly of its own accord, Miguel's body launched over the barbeque, landing in a heap on the pool deck at the protégé's feet. Meredith rocked forward onto her hands and knees and peeked around the barbeque. Miguel lay face up on the cold concrete, stunned. The woman stood above him, silhouetted by moonlight, making it impossible for Meredith to make out her face. A sharp knife glinted in her right hand.

Meredith felt defenseless against such power. She looked around wildly in search of some sort of weapon. A serrated metal grilling spatula hung along the side of the barbeque, and Meredith snaked her hand up to grab it. Her only chance of saving Miguel was to take their attacker by surprise.

"You?" Miguel's voice sounded betrayed as he started to sit up.

Before Meredith knew what was happening, the protégé dropped to her knees beside Miguel and plunged the knife deep into his belly. Miguel let out a strangled whimper of pain as the knife twisted upward, and he slumped back down onto the pool deck. Meredith felt a surge of power, bright and good, that dwindled down into nothing. Then, the woman let out a low, satisfied groan.

Panicked, Meredith ducked her head back behind the barbeque and stuffed her fist into her mouth, praying it would stem the tide of her own disgust and horror. She didn't dare move, or think, or breathe, or she would be next.

"Are you out here, too, Meredith?" The protégé's voice sounded thick with bloodlust.

The _thaelis_ flared against Meredith's skin again. If Meredith was lucky, the protégé would be so confident in her own abilities that she wouldn't physically search the yard. Otherwise, Meredith was in big trouble. She gripped the barbeque spatula tighter, waiting.

After a few tense, quiet moments, Meredith leaned forward to peek around the barbeque again, her whole body shaking with the force of her terror.

The woman was leaning over Miguel with her back turned, a hood pulled up over the back of her head.

Meredith glanced toward the side yard. She'd have to go at least fifteen feet out in the open before she was hidden by the side of the house. If she ran, the protégé would hear her footsteps, but if she tried to sneak, it would be much slower going. If the woman turned around, Meredith would be caught. Time was running out, and Meredith felt trapped in indecision. She had to get to Vi and Josh and get them out before they were killed, too.

Slowly, silently, Meredith rose to her feet and gingerly stepped out from behind the barbeque. Her muscles were so tense that she feared they would start spasming at any second. She took another step, never taking her eyes off the protégé's back. Another step. Meredith breathed slowly through her open mouth, careful to not make a sound as she made her way toward the side yard. She didn't dare look at Miguel's still form, or she would lose her precarious control. There would be time for crying later.

Another step. Halfway there. The woman's shoulders moved as she did something to Miguel's body, her head bent to the task. Desperation to break into a run tore at every fiber of Meredith's being, and it took every ounce of willpower to resist. She was almost there. Only three more steps. Her lower lip began to tremble, and she clamped her teeth down on it mercilessly, tasting blood.

Finally, Meredith stepped into the shadow of the house, dizzy with relief. The protégé hadn't seen her. She quickened her pace and slipped through the gate that led to the front yard. As she put distance between herself and the woman, Meredith found she could think more clearly now that she wasn't being overwhelmed by the malicious energy.

Around the front of the house, Meredith quickly found the window to Vi and Josh's bedroom. She tapped lightly, hoping to wake them up without the protégé hearing. She cupped her hands against the glass and peered inside. Vi and Josh were sprawled out on the bed, dead to the world. Meredith tapped a little harder, and Vi stirred in her sleep. Meredith tapped again, more insistently. Finally Vi sat up, bleary-eyed, and looked around.

Meredith caught Vi's eye through the glass and held a finger up to her lips. Then she pointed at Josh, gesturing for Vi to wake him up.

Vi leaned down and shook Josh's shoulder. He woke with a start, and Vi shushed him immediately. She came to the window and unlatched it, sliding it open. It made a loud whooshing sound as it opened, causing them all to pause and listen. After a moment, Meredith whispered, "The protégé is here. We have to run, _now_."

"Where's Miguel?" Vi asked.

Meredith shook her head tersely, tears shining in her eyes.

The color drained from Vi's face as she realized what Meredith's response meant.

Josh pulled Vi to the side and leaned against the window screen, popping it out of its frame. It fell to the grass with a muted thud, and then Josh held Vi steady as she climbed through the window. Her feet had just hit the ground when they all heard a door slam somewhere in the house behind them.

Heedless of pain, Josh hurried through the opening without bothering to grab his crutches. The three of them raced across the yard, though it was obvious that Josh wouldn't be able to get far hobbling on his broken leg. They would need to hide.

Meredith tried the gate leading to the neighbor's backyard, but it was locked. There was no way Josh would make it over the six-foot tall fence. She shoved her shoulder under Josh's arm to support him as they crossed the neighbor's front yard, the sharp landscaping rocks cutting into their bare feet. Looking ahead, Meredith saw a covered boat parked in the driveway two houses down. She pointed it out to Vi and Josh, who nodded determinedly.

When they reached the boat, Meredith yanked up the tarp and boosted Vi inside. Vi pulled her up next, and then the two of them pulled Josh inside. Meredith straightened the tarp as best she could as they all curled up on the floorboards.

"Give me your hands, both of you," Meredith whispered. She reached up and pulled the _thaelis_ over her head. They clasped their three hands together tightly as Meredith wound the chain of the _thaelis_ around their wrists. "Please work, please work, please work," she muttered to herself, having no way of knowing whether it would. She could still feel the protégé's presence nearby.

After a long while, the presence faded away, but Meredith couldn't bring herself to trust that the woman was gone. In the quiet of the boat, she kept seeing Miguel's still body on the pool deck in her mind's eye. Tears streamed down her face as her body's adrenaline wore off, leaving her weak and nauseated. Vi stroked her hair gently while Josh lay staring at the tarp above their heads, all wordlessly agreeing to wait for morning.

# Chapter 22

In the early hours of the morning, Meredith choked out her story to Vi and Josh between bouts of uncontrolled sobbing. Miguel had been brutally murdered before her eyes. During her escape, Meredith hadn't allowed her brain to register that the dark, thick liquid on the pavement was Miguel's blood. But now, as the morning light illuminated the tarp above their heads, it's all she could think about. The way it glistened softly in the moonlight. The soft squishing sounds as the protégé cut out Miguel's Second Heart. The way she could feel him die as his magical energy faded away.

In a daze, Meredith followed along as Josh and Vi helped her down from the boat and led her back to the house. Meredith knew that the protégé was long gone, but she dreaded setting foot inside, looking through the picture windows to the backyard, and seeing Miguel's still form sprawled out on the concrete. It was an immense relief when Vi suggested that Meredith wait on the porch while she and Josh went inside to call the police. She sank down onto a bench next to the front door, still wrapped up in her own terrified memories.

* * *

Vi closed the door gently behind her and gave Josh a heavy look. "Mere is _not_ okay."

"Jesus, no kidding. Would you be?"

Vi shuddered. "Definitely not." She thought about Miguel's body lying in the sun outside. "Should we... go look?" she asked hesitantly.

Josh grimaced. "We can't tell the police what really happened, you know. We'll have to say we found him like that. We should go look so that we can... describe it."

Vi's stomach turned, and she hoped she wouldn't be sick. "Maybe... you could just go?"

Josh's jaw tightened perceptibly, but he nodded, giving Vi's arm a reassuring squeeze. "Yeah," he said quietly. His feet seemed like they were full of lead as he reluctantly crossed the living room toward the bank of picture windows at the back. From there he had a panoramic view of the entire yard. Then, in astonishment, he said, "There's nothing back there."

"What?" Vi crossed the room in half the time and stood next to him, her eyes scanning the yard. The pool deck was absolutely spotless, bright white and clean next to the pool, the water glinting cheerfully in the morning light. "Mere said his body was right there," she said, pointing to an empty place on the concrete. "There's nothing. No blood. Nothing."

A crinkle appeared between Vi's eyebrows as she considered the possibilities. She had known Meredith since seventh grade, and Vi had never seen her friend so distraught or traumatized. Meredith couldn't have made it up. So what had happened to the body?

"We should call Eleanor," Vi said decisively. She spun around on her heel and went down the hall toward the bedroom where Josh had left his cell phone. On her way down the hall, she passed the open door to the room that Miguel and Meredith had shared. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a still, dark form tucked under the sheets in the bed.

Instinctively, Vi stopped to look, a small gasp finding its way out of her open mouth. Miguel lay on the bed with his eyes closed, as if he were sleeping. His arms were laid neatly at his sides over the sheet.

"What the hell?" Josh exclaimed from over her shoulder.

Vi stared hard, looking to see if Miguel's chest moved. It was perfectly still. After a moment, she asked, "What do we do?"

"Leave him there, Vi. Don't touch anything. Go get my phone, okay?" Josh took her by the shoulders and pointed her back down the hallway, and then he gently closed the door to the bedroom.

Vi returned a moment later with Josh's phone in hand; it was already ringing on the other end. Eleanor's voice came on the line, and Vi quickly explained the situation.

"I need to see his body first, do you understand?" Eleanor's steely voice was all business. "We'll call the authorities once I get there. For now, just stay put, and keep an eye on Meredith."

They were all sitting on the front porch when Eleanor's weathered sedan pulled up to the curb half an hour later. Vi thought that she must have broken every traffic law on the books in order to get there that fast. Eleanor came up the front path and stopped in front of them, gazing down at Meredith with a concerned frown. She rested a hand on Meredith's shoulder, giving it a long squeeze.

Josh stood and showed Eleanor into the house while Vi stayed outside with Meredith. She didn't want to see the body again, and Meredith shouldn't be alone. Vi's heart ached for what her friend had gone through. Meredith had such a happy, bright outlook on the world. Genuinely positive people like Meredith were rare, and Vi felt fiercely protective of her. Vi was already jaded and cynical. For Vi to become more jaded and cynical would be no great loss to the world, but Meredith... It would cut Vi to the core if Meredith lost her sunshine.

Eleanor and Josh were inside for several minutes before they returned to the porch, beckoning for Vi and Meredith to come inside to talk.

Vi took Meredith by the arm, murmuring in a low voice, "Come on, Mere. Let's go inside."

Meredith wrenched her arm out of Vi's grasp, shouting, "You don't have to treat me like an invalid, Vi! I'm fine. I'm not the one who's dead!"

"Whoa, chill," Vi exclaimed, taking a step back.

Tears sprang into Meredith's eyes. "I'm sorry," she said, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath and headed into the house.

Vi followed close behind, and no one said anything until they were all settled on the long, curved sectional sofa in the great room. Meredith's eyes scanned the backyard in disbelief. While they were waiting on the porch for Eleanor, Vi had explained that Miguel's body had been moved, but it was evident that Meredith hadn't really pictured it until she saw the pristine yard for herself.

"I've examined Miguel's body," Eleanor said after a moment. "His Second Heart is gone, though it appears that whoever did it cleaned up very thoroughly."

"What do you mean?" Vi asked through narrowed eyes.

"Well, as you saw outside, there is no blood. Furthermore, there is no incision."

"That's impossible," Meredith cut in. "I saw the knife. I saw..." She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, fixing her eyes on the pool decking outside once again.

"I believe," Eleanor continued carefully, "that medical examiners will conclude that he died of natural causes."

Meredith's face contorted with rage as she sprang up from the couch. "That's bullshit!" she yelled furiously. She cast around the room frantically for something to throw, something to smash. "Are you saying that he was _murdered_ and no one will even know?" Her voice escalated into wild shrieks as she grabbed a table lamp and ripped the cord from the wall, throwing it as hard as she could at the flagstone fireplace. The ceramic base shattered and sprayed sharp fragments against the wall. Meredith wheeled around and glared at Eleanor. "Is that what will happen to me? Will I be murdered in cold blood, too? And then no one will _know_?"

Eleanor shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with Meredith's display of raw emotion. "Meredith, you need to calm down."

"Calm down?" Meredith laughed mirthlessly. "Why should I calm down when my boyfriend is murdered and the only person we can trust is keeping things from us?" At Eleanor's confused look, Meredith continued, "Oh come off it, Eleanor. Vi and I know that you aren't telling us everything! You're not as clever as you think! Right, Vi?" She turned and looked at Vi expectantly.

_Shit._ Vi waited to see if Meredith would continue without a response from her, or if she would have to say something. The seconds stretched on. "Um," Vi stammered, buying time while she formulated a diplomatic reply. "I, uh... Well, it does seem like maybe you haven't shared the entire truth."

"Oh girls," Eleanor said sadly. "Anything I haven't told you is for your own protection."

"Ha! Yeah, Eleanor, we're real protected, all right." Meredith sneered and her words dripped with sarcasm.

Josh stood up and quietly left the room while Meredith continued ranting. A few minutes later he returned, resuming his place next to Vi. He leaned over and whispered, "Her parents are on their way."

Vi felt immense relief knowing that the Carpenters were coming, and she squeezed Josh's hand gratefully. Eleanor was weathering Hurricane Meredith with as much stoicism as could be expected, impressing Vi with the extent of her patience.

After a while, Meredith ran out of energy and slumped down onto the couch, her body wracked with sobs. Vi no longer felt envious at Meredith's newfound gifts; her best friend was obviously terrified for her life. The gift seemed more like a curse at this point.

Finally the doorbell rang, and Rob and Amelia rushed inside to comfort their daughter. Josh must have filled them in over the phone. Meredith, physically exhausted and her emotions spent, collapsed gratefully into her mother's arms. Amelia's eyes were wide and red as she struggled to keep her own tears at bay, wrapping her arms tightly around Meredith's shoulders. Rob rubbed Meredith's back gently, scowling at the shattered lamp in the fireplace, intense anger burning white-hot on his features.

Vi would never want to be on the receiving end of that glare.

Now that the Carpenters were there to stay with Meredith, Eleanor beckoned Vi and Josh to the kitchen with a tilt of her head. Vi felt relieved to get out of the oppressive atmosphere in the living room, though that relief was quickly replaced by guilt. Meredith needed her support; Vi shouldn't be so anxious to escape.

Once they were in the kitchen, Josh began talking immediately. "My parents are going to kill me! They weren't even supposed to know that we were here, and now there's a dead guy in the guest room and a crazy girl smashing the furniture!"

Vi gave him a horrified look.

Josh held up his hands defensively, saying, "Hey, I know we need to be sensitive to what Meredith just went through, and that's why I didn't say anything out there. But you don't know my parents. This is bad. My dad is a judge! He can't have a _dead guy_ at his house!"

Eleanor's gruff voice commanded both of their attention. "We will deal with your parents when they return. Right now, Josh, you need to call the police. Tell them you and Vi just woke up and found Miguel like that."

"The police are going to ask about the smashed lamp," Vi said quietly.

"Leave that to me," Eleanor said. "As far as the police are concerned, no one else was ever here. Do you both understand?"

Vi and Josh nodded, both secretly glad that Eleanor was there to tell them what to do.

* * *

Amelia held her daughter for a long time while Eleanor, Josh, and Vi left the room to talk about logistics. Amelia didn't care about any of that; her whole focus was on her little girl--her little girl who was far too young to be so afraid. After a while, Eleanor strode into the room and pointed at the shattered lamp. Amelia and Rob watched with rapt attention as the lamp reassembled and then righted itself, sitting innocuously on the hearth as though someone had placed it there.

"Where does it go?" Eleanor asked brusquely.

"There," Vi answered from the doorway, pointing at an end table next to the couch.

With a flick of her wrist, Eleanor sent the lamp sailing through the room, bringing it to rest on the table.

Meredith had raised her head from her mother's shoulder and watched Eleanor's display. "You're like a surly Mary Poppins," she blurted.

Eleanor looked at her and laughed out loud. "Well, I can't say I've gotten that one before."

Meredith didn't respond, still staring at the lamp. She seemed to have receded back into herself, and Amelia wished she knew what her daughter was thinking. Amelia wondered if Eleanor did. Could magicians read minds?

After some brief conversation, Eleanor invited Amelia, Rob, and Meredith to return to her house. The fewer people that remained to be interrogated by the police, the better. Amelia agreed and was grateful that Meredith wouldn't have to answer any questions. After a quick check through the house to ensure they weren't leaving anything behind, they said their goodbyes and left.

Amelia took Meredith out to the car and sat in the back seat with her, helping her to buckle in. Meredith seemed so brittle that she would break, and Amelia wished more than anything that she could take the pain and fear away. The trees and billboards and cars whooshed past the windows as they drove to Eleanor's house, but Amelia kept her eyes on Meredith, gently stroking her hair.

"I was a coward," Meredith said suddenly.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?"

"I hesitated," Meredith continued, almost to herself. "If I had run out and attacked her right away, maybe she wouldn't have killed Miguel."

"No," Amelia said firmly. "There's nothing you could have done."

"And then, if I hadn't decided to run... maybe I could have won. Maybe she wouldn't still be out there." A single tear trailed down Meredith's cheek.

"Shh, no," Amelia murmured. "You were right to run, Meredith. She could have gotten you, too." Amelia shuddered at the thought, wrapping an arm around Meredith and squeezing her tight. Meredith rested her head on Amelia's shoulder gratefully, closing her eyes and remaining silent for the rest of the car ride.

At Eleanor's house, Amelia took Meredith into the bathroom and helped her take a shower and put on clean clothes. She hadn't shampooed her daughter's hair since Meredith was a little girl, and the memories the task conjured up caused fresh waves of protectiveness to wash over Amelia. Something had to be done. Meredith couldn't live like this, and neither could she.

After Meredith was clean and clothed in the outfit that Vi had bought for her, Amelia led her into Eleanor's bedroom. The nurse had just finished putting fresh sheets on the bed, and she stood in the doorway with the bundle of old sheets in her arms, watching as Amelia tucked Meredith in. Meredith rolled over and closed her eyes, exhausted from her sleepless night.

Eleanor turned to leave, but Meredith's voice stopped her. "Eleanor?"

"Yes?"

Meredith opened her eyes, and their shocking blue color stood out starkly against the outer edges, which were red from crying. "Please don't make me leave again." Her voice was small and humbled.

Amelia sat on the edge of the bed, watching Eleanor's reaction keenly. Amelia agreed entirely with her daughter's sentiments, since Eleanor knew about magic and could protect them.

Eleanor gave them an understanding smile. "Of course you'll stay here," she said. "Now rest."

Amelia followed Eleanor out of the room, hovering quietly while the older woman loaded the armload of sheets into the washing machine. Once the machine was set to its task, Eleanor beckoned Amelia to follow her to the kitchen, where she set a kettle of water on the stove to boil.

"I had a son," Eleanor said at last. She leaned against the kitchen counter and met Amelia's gaze. "He died a long time ago, but I've never forgotten what it feels like to be a mother. To worry. I want you to know that."

Amelia resisted the urge to look around the room at Eleanor's simple home, to scrutinize it in this new light. Amelia hadn't considered the possibility that Eleanor was anything but an old spinster, living out a lonely, spare existence. That was certainly how the nurse had presented herself. She obviously had a lot to learn about the older woman. After a moment, Amelia recollected herself and said, "I'm sorry. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose a child."

"No one ever can, until it happens to them." Eleanor removed the kettle from the heat and poured them each a cup of tea.

Amelia wrapped her hands around the warm cup gratefully. "What are we going to do?" Her tone of voice spoke the volumes of worry that she couldn't find the words to express.

Eleanor took a contemplative sip of her tea. "There is a lot that Meredith still does not understand, and I need her to trust me. I need you all to trust me. Perhaps it's time to tell you all the rest of the story."

# Chapter 23

After Eleanor and her mother left, Meredith lay awake in bed, unable to sleep. She couldn't take her mind off of what she had seen, and how close she herself had come to being killed. She thought about Miguel's parents, and whether the police had notified them yet of their son's death. If Eleanor couldn't protect her, soon it would be Rob and Amelia getting that call. Her gut wrenched at the thought.

Launching herself out of bed, Meredith barely made it to the bathroom in time to throw up. Her entire body heaved as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl. Once she finally stopped retching, Meredith remained on her knees in front of the toilet, draping her upper body over the bowl. She rested her cheek on the toilet seat in exhaustion, too tired to crawl back to bed, and worried that she might have another bout of sickness.

The next thing she knew, Rob was gently shaking her awake. "Come on, Mere-bear," he said in a soothing voice. "Let's get you back to bed." He hoisted her to her feet and led her back into the bedroom.

Meredith compliantly sat down on the bed and waited while Rob got her a glass of water. She drank the entire glass in three long swallows, grateful to get the taste of bile out of her mouth. Then she lay down and allowed herself to be tucked in. Rob lay on the bed next to her, gently stroking her hair and murmuring softly for her to sleep. She drifted off once again, comforted by her father's presence.

She awoke again some time later, roused by the sound of Rob snoring loudly beside her. The sun came in at a low angle through the window, a deep shade of golden yellow. It was late afternoon. The sleep had done her good, and her stomach grumbled for some food. As she lifted the sheets out of the way to climb out of bed, Rob woke up with a start, inhaling deeply.

"Hey, brat," Rob greeted her, instantly alert. His face was creased with concern.

"Hey, Dad," Meredith replied with an attempt at a smile.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, I think," Meredith said truthfully. She continued slowly, talking aloud as she took stock of her own emotions. "I still feel scared, but really sad, too."

"Sad about Miguel?" Rob pressed.

"Yeah..." Meredith hesitated, trying to decide whether to say more. She felt guilty about what she was thinking, feeling like it revealed just how selfish she really was. She took a deep breath and continued, "I feel like I wasted so much time with Miguel. Mom was right; I kept him at arm's length for no good reason. And then, when I finally decided to open up to him, to actually give us a chance... he died. He died before I ever had the chance to love him."

Rob gently laid a hand on Meredith's forearm as he waited for her to continue.

"I've never loved anyone, like romantically," Meredith went on, finishing in a rush, "and now I'm probably going to die before I ever get to."

Rob's eyes snapped open, taken aback. "Wow, that's really disappointing to hear," he said disapprovingly.

Meredith flushed, ashamed that she was thinking more about what she would miss out on, rather than thinking about Miguel.

"I thought I had raised a fighter," Rob said with a frown. "One who was in charge of her own fate."

It was Meredith's turn to be surprised. "You didn't see the protégé, Dad," she explained. "You didn't see what she could do."

Rob was quiet for a while as he considered how to respond. Then he conceded, "That may be so." He took her by the hand and squeezed it hard before continuing, "But if she really is going to kill you, the least you could do is make it hard on the bitch." He gave her a wry smile.

Meredith didn't respond, thinking about what he had said. Finally, she nodded. "When the time comes," she promised, "I will."

"You'd better." He wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

Meredith returned the embrace, the smell of Rob's flannel shirt reminding her of her childhood. When she was a girl, there was nothing that a hug from Dad couldn't fix. She wished that were still the case.

As they were hugging, Meredith's stomach growled loudly again, reminding her that she needed to eat something. She hadn't had anything all day, and last night's dinner was flushed down the toilet. Rob gave her an extra squeeze, and then they left the bedroom in search of food.

Out in the living room, Eleanor and Amelia were watching the news. They both looked up as Rob and Meredith entered.

"Hi honey," Amelia greeted her, standing for a hug.

Stepping into her mother's arms, Meredith answered Amelia's unasked question, "The sleep did me good, I think."

"That's good. You hungry? Vi called. She and Josh are on their way with burritos."

Meredith's mouth watered at the mention of burritos. Gesturing toward the TV, Meredith asked, "Anything about Miguel?"

"Not yet," Eleanor responded. "But it just started."

Meredith sat between her parents on the sofa, and they all turned their attention to the TV. There was a story detailing the ongoing repair efforts from the natural disasters. The university would be reopening the following Monday. Upon hearing that, Meredith started. She couldn't imagine going back to school. So much had changed since the last time she had been there. When she went back, Miguel's chair would be empty. Tears filled her eyes, and she dabbed at them covertly, not wanting to have to reassure her parents.

The next news story was a human-interest piece about a family that had been reunited with their dog after losing him in the flood. Meredith, despite being a fervent animal lover, quickly lost interest in the story. She looked down at the clothes that Vi had picked out for her, noticing them for the first time. The clothes looked like they could have come out of Meredith's own closet--a simple chocolate brown V-neck tee shirt and a pair of cut off denim shorts. She smiled a little, grateful for the friend that knew her so well.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of dinner. There was a bit of bustling as everyone settled around the coffee table and unwrapped their burritos. Meredith was struck by the similarity of the scene to the night before, when they had all eaten pizza in much the same way. Yesterday, Meredith had felt almost hopeful, and happy. Today... Her vision swam again, and she felt Vi squeeze her knee under the coffee table.

Meredith looked up and met Vi's gaze, offering her a weak smile. Vi looked careworn, wearing the stress of the day on her face. "How are you holding up?" Meredith asked, grasping her hand under the table. "Today must have been really tough."

"Miguel's parents came. It was awful," Vi admitted. The corners of her mouth turned down as she remembered the scene. "They have a lot of questions. They asked to meet with you, but I'm not sure that's such a good idea. They are really upset."

By now everyone was listening to their conversation, and Rob chimed in, "I'm with Vi. I think that's a terrible idea."

"Miguel's parents are grieving. Who knows what they're liable to do," Amelia added.

Surprised, Meredith countered, "What if it had been me instead? If I were dead, would you appreciate it if Miguel scuttled under a rock and refused to answer any questions or even talk to you?"

"I hardly think you're scuttling under a rock, Meredith," Amelia chastised.

"They deserve to know more than the bullshit story that they're going to get from the hospital. As far as they know, I am the one who convinced him to skip the surgery, and now he's dead. They don't know that he was murdered." Meredith stopped to catch her breath and then added, "Wouldn't you want to know the truth?"

"Honestly? I don't know," Amelia replied.

Before the argument could escalate, Vi said hastily, "You don't have to decide right this second. Mrs. Alvarez told me where they are staying and said we could come by any time in the next few days while they wait for--" Vi cut herself off before she could say _Miguel's body_ , but the unsaid words just hung in the air. After a painful moment, she said lamely, "Let's just eat."

They all ate their burritos in strained silence while the news droned on with no mention of Miguel. After the news concluded, Wheel of Fortune came on. Usually, Meredith and Amelia enjoyed watching the light-hearted game show together, but today the sparkling lights and shiny studio made Meredith's stomach turn. Thankfully, Eleanor stood and turned the TV off with a loud click.

"There are some things I'd like to talk to you about," Eleanor said, sitting back down on the loveseat.

Meredith swallowed the last bite of her burrito and folded up the wrapper to contain the scraps of shredded lettuce and crumbs. "Okay."

"I know that you're really afraid right now because of your friend Miguel. I completely understand that. What I want _you_ to understand is that though this is a dark time for _you_ , it's actually a very hopeful time for _magicians_." Eleanor paused for effect and glanced around at their faces, satisfied that she had everyone's undivided attention.

"For you to know why that is, I need to tell you more of the story about Aleric," Eleanor continued. "As I told you before, Aleric roved the countryside seeking out and killing magicians for their power. By the time it was discovered, Aleric's power was too great for direct opposition. As such, the remaining magicians sent delegates to a secret council to discuss what to do. Essentially, the council was divided as to how to proceed. The only real facts that they had were that Aleric could not live forever, and that he would eventually weaken. Half of the council believed that they needed to create another magician who would be strong enough to defeat Aleric when the time came."

"How?" Vi cut in.

"I'd forgotten how irritating it is to have to tell you a story," Eleanor said wryly.

Vi smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. But at least you know I'm paying attention!"

"They would have to create this new magician the same way as Aleric, wouldn't they?" Meredith asked.

Eleanor nodded. "The council would have to ask fellow magicians to sacrifice their power, and their lives, for the greater good. So now you understand why the council couldn't agree. It was a great price to pay, and there was no guarantee that the new power wouldn't corrupt the chosen magician."

"Ugh, _two_ Alerics," Vi scoffed.

"And then there was the matter of deciding who it should be," Eleanor continued. "Of course, every council member thought it should be him- or herself."

"What a crappy situation. What was decided?" Meredith asked, leaning forward.

"Nothing. The gathering was a failure. Everyone left to consider what had been discussed, and a second meeting was planned for the next full moon." Eleanor paused and cleared her throat before continuing. Her voice was matter-of-fact, but Meredith saw the flicker of emotion in the older woman's eyes. "When the council reconvened, it was to disastrous results. Somehow Aleric had learned of the second gathering beforehand, and with so many remaining magicians all together in one place, they were an easy target. Only one magician survived the massacre, a young woman." Eleanor's voice tremored, and she paused again to reign in her emotions.

"That's awful," Amelia said softly, giving voice to what they were all thinking.

To give Eleanor another moment to collect herself, Meredith added, "What a devastating loss."

"Yes and no. The surviving magician became a beacon of hope for other magicians--not for themselves, but for the future. By now, most magicians knew their days were numbered, so their greatest hope was to lay the groundwork for Aleric's eventual demise. Word travelled surprisingly quickly, and magicians came in droves to sacrifice themselves at her feet. She was reluctant at first, as young and inexperienced as she was, but as she grew in power, she also grew in wisdom."

"So these magicians would just show up at her house and basically disembowel themselves on her doorstep?" Vi asked incredulously, scrunching up her nose.

"Yes," Eleanor said levelly. "The first time it happened... it was very traumatic. You see, she had never sought any extraordinary power. In fact, she was only at the summit because she was apprentice to a council member."

"Then that sort of made her perfect for the job, didn't it?" Meredith said.

Eleanor smiled briefly. "I suppose it did. Over the course of a year or so, magicians came to her from all over the place, helping her to grow in strength. Secrecy was of the utmost importance, because, though she was strong, she was still no match for Aleric." Eleanor stopped and took a long drink of water. There was complete silence as everyone waited for her to finish her story. Finally, she said, "Eventually, the magicians stopped coming, and then all that was left for her to do was wait."

"Where is she now?" Josh asked. "Did she make it?"

"Yes, she made it, and at no small personal cost. But that is a story for another day. The point is, _now_ is the time that she has been waiting for."

"It was you," Meredith said quietly, so quietly that she had to repeat herself. "You were the surviving magician."

Eleanor didn't respond, so Meredith continued. "You said you haven't seen a magician emerge in a long time because Aleric was hoarding all of the magic. Yet, here you are. That's what you were hiding from us, isn't it?"

Everyone looked at Eleanor expectantly. Several moments passed, and then she nodded slowly. "Yes."

Meredith narrowed her eyes. "So you could have protected me and Miguel, but you chose not to."

Eleanor sighed. "You have to realize that I am protecting a legacy that is more than two thousand years in the making. I am honoring the sacrifices that all those magicians--many of them my friends--made. I couldn't tell you the full story until I was sure that you could be trusted."

Meredith could see Eleanor's point, but she still didn't like it. She remained silent, working to keep a scowl off of her face.

Josh broke out into a wide smile. "I gotta ask the question that I know everyone here wants to ask."

Eleanor raised her eyebrows with interest. "What's that?"

"Did you meet Jesus?"

Josh's question made the reality of Eleanor's age sink in. The fact that Eleanor could potentially have met Jesus put the length of time in perspective, and Meredith stared in awe at the gruff nurse who sat before her. It was hard to imagine all of the things that Eleanor had seen and experienced in her long life, and how silly all of Meredith's problems and complaints must have seemed to her.

"No," Eleanor answered with a smile. "As you can imagine, over the years I have done my best to keep out of the way and stay as inconspicuous as possible."

"God, how boring," Vi exclaimed.

"Vi," Rob reprimanded. "Show a little respect."

Eleanor looked contemplative for a moment, and then said, "It's all right. My life was quiet, yes, but not boring. I have had many beautiful friends over the years. Lovers, too. I've lived in many places, and learned many things. I have been able to watch humanity's progress through the lens of someone separate from it. It's been fascinating. I only wish I could stay longer to see where we end up."

Meredith's heart sank. "Of course. Aleric's not the only one who's getting old."

"Now, don't count me out just yet. I was much younger than Aleric was when I started to prolong my life. I've got enough fight left in me to give him--or his protégé--a good walloping. Especially now that a large portion of the hoarded magic has been returned to the Earth."

"And you've got me," Meredith said firmly.

"You've got _us_ ," Amelia corrected, looking around the room. "All of us. We're in this together."

There was a brief silence as everyone nodded at each other in agreement.

To their surprise, Eleanor let out a small sigh, her face mottled and filled with emotion. She swiped at her tear-filled eyes in embarrassment, explaining, "You have to understand. I've kept this secret for so long... I guess I didn't realize how lonely it was until now."

Vi was sitting on the floor closest to Eleanor, and she reached up and took the older woman's hand. "There's just one thing," she said with a wry smile.

"What's that?"

"We're really going to need a bigger house."

Eleanor chuckled through her tears and threw an arm around Vi's shoulders gratefully.

Through her own laughter, Meredith watched Vi lean toward Eleanor and say, "See? I told you I'd grow on you."

# Chapter 24

Everyone except Eleanor woke early the next day thanks to the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. Eleanor had gone back to sleep in her room, but everyone else had crammed into the living room: Rob and Amelia on the sofas, and Vi, Josh, and Meredith lined up on the living room floor with some blankets and the throw pillows off the couches.

Always an early riser, Amelia had gotten up even earlier and prepared the coffee that Vi had thoughtfully brought the night before. Vi must have remembered the slim pickings from their first morning at Eleanor's house.

Meredith made a trip to the hall bathroom and then beelined for the pot of coffee to make sure she'd get a cup without having to make more. Rob ended up with that irritating task, being a slower mover in the morning than the rest of them. Within twenty minutes, however, they were all gathered back on the sofas, chatting quietly and sipping their morning brew.

"I've been thinking about what you said yesterday, Mere," Amelia said. "About how we would feel if we were in Miguel's parents' shoes?"

"Yeah?"

"I would hate you, regardless of the truth," Amelia said, looking Meredith in the eye. "But I would hate you more if you refused to talk to me at all."

"So do you think I should go see them, after all?"

"I honestly don't think that seeing them in person is going to change much; they'll hate you either way. That said, I would understand if you did decide to go talk to them."

Meredith nodded. "I just think it's the right thing to do."

Rob frowned and shifted in his seat, though he didn't say anything. Meredith was sure he disagreed, and she hoped he kept his feelings to himself so they could avoid an argument.

"You're not going alone," Vi said firmly. "I'm coming with you."

Meredith smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

After a quick breakfast of toast, Vi and Meredith drove Amelia's CR-V to the hotel where Mr. and Mrs. Alvarez were staying. The aging hotel was shoehorned in between a drive-through liquor store and an outlet mall. Meredith pulled into the parking lot and drove past an empty fenced in pool, looking for a parking spot. The asphalt was cracked and faded, and Meredith could only guess at where the lines separating the spaces once were. She tucked the car in between an old VW Bus and a mid-nineties sedan.

"Man, I drive through this area all the time and I've never even noticed this place," Vi observed.

"What, you mean that twelve inch sign over there didn't catch your attention?" Meredith joked, pointing to a small sign for the hotel.

In the lobby, Meredith was impressed by the carefully maintained interior. It was like a perfect time capsule for the seventies, complete with orange carpeting and a heavy flagstone fireplace next to the bar. A bored looking receptionist stood behind the check-in counter, which was decorated with little paper ghosts and pumpkins in honor of Halloween.

Meredith walked up to the counter confidently, saying, "Hello, we are here to see the Alvarezes, please."

"What room?" The receptionist was pretty, with long dark hair that fell to her waist in soft waves.

"I don't know. Can you look it up?"

The receptionist typed a few things into her computer and then reached for the phone, dialing the room. She listened for a moment, and then said, "Hello, this is the front desk. There is someone here to see you, uh--" she looked up at Meredith questioningly.

Meredith quickly supplied her name.

"Meredith Carpenter," the receptionist repeated into the phone. "Shall I give her your room number?"

"No," Vi said hastily. "We'll meet them down here by the bar."

The receptionist relayed the instructions and hung up the phone, and Meredith and Vi went and settled themselves into a pair of lounge chairs in front of the fireplace. There was a low fire burning that gave the room a cozy atmosphere, and Meredith enjoyed the mild heat that radiated toward them.

Even though Meredith hadn't asked, Vi explained, "I didn't think it was a good idea to go to their room, with how upset they were yesterday. I hope that's okay."

"Yeah, of course. That was good thinking. If you weren't here, I probably would have gone up to their room alone and ended up wrapped in a tarp in the trunk of their car!" Meredith chuckled, but she was only half joking. She really was relieved that Vi had come along.

Vi smiled and put her feet up on the coffee table in front of them. The grouping of furniture was ideal for talking to Miguel's parents; a small sofa faced them on the other side of the coffee table. They didn't have to stare at the empty seats for long, as Mr. and Mrs. Alvarez joined them a few minutes later.

Meredith stood up as Miguel's parents approached them, not sure whether she should shake their hands or offer a consoling hug. She clasped her hands together tightly instead, deciding to wait and follow their lead.

The Alvarezes sat on the sofa in front of them without a word, so Meredith sat back down with a strained glance in Vi's direction. The awkward silence stretched on for several seconds while Miguel's parents just looked at her with hard eyes and clenched jaws.

Meredith's discomfort mushroomed under their intense stares, to the point where she wanted to physically remove herself from their line of sight. Unable to stand it any longer, she said, "I'm so sorry about Miguel."

"Don't you say his name," Mrs. Alvarez growled.

The silence resumed, and Meredith looked at Vi pleadingly.

Vi cleared her throat. "Um, Mrs. Alvarez, you told me yesterday that you wanted to talk to Meredith? So... here we are." She shrugged lamely.

"Why did you tell Miguel not to have the surgery?" Mr. Alvarez asked.

Meredith considered how to answer. She'd been expecting this question and had thought about it since she had left Eleanor's, but was still unsure what to say. The truth was so outlandish, and Mr. and Mrs. Alvarez so volatile in their grief, that Meredith didn't know how they would react. She would have to ease into the story carefully.

"I have the same thing that Miguel had," she said gently. "And my... medical provider told me that the surgery would do more harm than good. I thought that having the surgery would kill Miguel."

Mr. Alvarez narrowed his eyes. "His doctors told him that he would die without the surgery. Were they lying?"

"Obviously not," Mrs. Alvarez said coldly. "I think Meredith is the one who lied."

"Meredith doesn't lie," Vi said, coming to her defense.

Meredith licked her lips nervously. Earlier, she had been convinced that Mr. and Mrs. Alvarez deserved to know that Miguel was murdered, but now that she sat before them, seeing their grief firsthand, she wasn't so sure. There was nothing that she could say to ease the pain of losing their only son, and telling them a story about a bloodthirsty magician would just insult them. Meredith's shoulders slumped sadly.

"I didn't lie," Meredith affirmed. "But I was wrong. I thought that since I was okay, he would be, too." Tears filled her eyes. "Believe me when I say that I never would have told him not to have the surgery if I had thought he needed it."

Mrs. Alvarez's expression softened slightly. She reached out and took her husband's hand as she thought about what Meredith had said. After a few seconds, she asked, "Did you love him?"

Taken aback, Meredith didn't answer right away. She bit her lip and looked at her hands. "No," she said quietly. She looked up and met Mrs. Alvarez's eyes. "But I was finally on my way to loving him. I don't know why I waited so long to let myself open up to him, but then I did, and I thought everything was going to be perfect. I could see a future with him, I really could. Looking back, my hesitation seems so stupid--"

"Mere," Vi broke her off with a warning glance.

Mrs. Alvarez pursed her lips. "I'm so relieved that you were finally able to convince yourself to value my son," she said.

"That's not what I meant," Meredith protested.

Mrs. Alvarez held up a hand to quiet her. "I think I've heard enough. I know girls like you. Miguel's heart was just your plaything, but he loved you, so he would do anything you asked him to. I'm sure it felt good to have such blind devotion, huh? A nice ego stroke for you, I'm sure."

"It wasn't--"

Mrs. Alvarez plowed on. "So when you got tired of playing with his heart, you moved on to playing with his life. A silly, arrogant girl playing doctor for a boy that she could barely even bring herself to care about."

Meredith's jaw dropped, unable to speak. How had she managed to be so misunderstood?

"I think we should go," Vi said firmly. She stood and pulled Meredith up out of her chair.

"I think that's a real good idea," Mr. Alvarez agreed with a frown.

Remaining seated, Mrs. Alvarez glared up at Meredith. "Get out of my sight, you stupid girl."

Meredith almost tripped over her own feet in her haste to get away. Thankfully, Vi held a steady grip on her arm as they crossed the lobby and pushed through the door to the parking lot.

Once they were out in the sunshine, Vi exclaimed, "Jesus, Mere! Do you always have to be so freaking _honest_?"

Meredith turned in surprise. "You're the one who told them that I don't lie!"

"Well obviously _that_ was the lie! Why couldn't you just have said yes?" Vi spoke in a higher pitched voice, imitating Meredith, "'Yes, I loved him with all my heart. I'll miss him just as much as you will.' How hard is that?"

As they continued walking toward the car, Meredith retorted, "I didn't want to lie!"

They reached the CR-V and climbed inside, buckling their seatbelts. Then Vi said, "Meredith, sometimes lying is just easier for everyone. It wouldn't have hurt them to think that Miguel had known love from a woman before he died."

Meredith gripped the steering wheel and was quiet for a moment. "You're right," she said. "I should have lied."

"Thank you."

Meredith backed out of the space and drove slowly out of the parking lot. She wasn't ready to go back to Eleanor's house and describe the painful scene they had just endured. "Would it bug you if we didn't go straight back?"

"What do you want to do?"

"I need to clear my head. Wanna hike up South Mountain?"

"Ew, no," Vi said, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "Why can't you just want to get drunk like a normal person?"

"It's ten in the morning!"

"So we go to the casino. Nobody ever knows what time it is there." Vi grinned impishly. "Come on, Mere. If there was ever a time you needed a drink..."

Still shaken up by the confrontation, and hurt by Mrs. Alvarez's assessment of her character, Meredith felt like doing something out of the norm--something _unlike_ her. "Okay, okay," she said slowly. "Let's go."

* * *

When Eleanor woke up, she could hear low voices in the living room. She took her time getting up, figuring from the faint smell of coffee that Meredith and her family had made themselves at home. She smiled faintly at the thought of having a full house. It had been years since she'd woken up to the sound of other voices.

Eleanor padded into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She was gray now, but not frail. She was sure she still had the strength to handle whatever came her way, but how long would it last?

"As long as it has to," she said out loud, answering her own question. Her voice was scratchy from sleep, and she cleared her throat noisily.

After she was clean and dressed, Eleanor came out to the living room, taking in the scene with one sweeping glance. Amelia and Rob were sharing the morning paper while Josh fiddled with his cell phone. Meredith and Vi were nowhere to be seen.

"Good morning," she said briskly. "Meredith and Vi?"

"They went to see Miguel's parents," Rob grumbled without lifting his eyes from the paper, answering her question.

More polite, Amelia folded the section of the paper that she had been reading and set it aside. "I didn't really see the harm in it, and Mere thought it was the right thing to do. They should be back soon."

A wave of worry swept over Eleanor, but she shoved it aside in her mind. "Huh," she grunted noncommittally. "Did you find something to eat?"

"Yes, thank you. I'm afraid we've cleaned you out though. If you'd like, when the girls get back, I'd be happy to go to the grocery store."

"All right." Eleanor went to the kitchen and put the kettle on for her morning cup of tea. While she waited for the water to boil, she thought about what their long-term accommodations might be. Vi was right--they did need a bigger house. However, the Carpenters were still processing a lot of information from the night before, and she figured they needed time to do that. She'd wait a day or two before bringing up the housing situation again.

Her tea prepared, Eleanor returned to the living room and sat down in her favorite spot on the loveseat. From here she could see the flowers on the orchid tree in the backyard.

"What would you like to do this morning?" Amelia asked cheerfully.

"I'm doing it," Rob said.

"I have to head out," Josh said. "I had hoped that Vi and Meredith would be back by now so I could say goodbye." He smiled wryly. "I called and told my parents what happened, and they're coming home early now. I'm pretty much screwed."

"Well that tends to happen when you use your parents' house without permission," Rob said unsympathetically.

"Rob! It was for our daughter's benefit. Have a little compassion," Amelia chastised him.

"No worries," Josh reassured her. "Can you tell Vi that I'll call her later?"

After Josh left, Amelia and Eleanor spent some time straightening up the living room and making a trip to the store in Eleanor's car. They loaded up on several days' worth of groceries, returning to the house and putting everything away. Amelia put together an enchilada casserole for that evening's dinner, leaving it in the fridge until they were ready to bake it. Eleanor was impressed with how industrious Meredith's mother was, and she wondered if Amelia had that much energy when she wasn't trying to keep her mind off her daughter.

By two o'clock, they were all wringing their hands with worry. Over the course of the morning, Rob had tried calling Meredith and Vi several times with no luck.

"I'm going to call them again," Rob announced. They were all sitting at the dining table playing a game of gin rummy with a deck of faded playing cards that Eleanor had produced. He stuck the phone to his ear and listened intently. A few moments later, he ended the call with a small shake of his head.

Amelia's eyes widened and she looked at Eleanor earnestly. "Do you think they're okay?"

"I don't know," Eleanor answered candidly.

"Perhaps we should go to the hotel," Amelia suggested. "I've got the name--" she was cut off by the sound of a car door slamming outside.

Rob jumped to his feet, ready to run outside and give the girls a thorough tongue-lashing.

"Wait," Eleanor commanded, closing her eyes. She reached out with her other sense, and could tell that it wasn't Meredith and Vi. "Hide," she said urgently. "Go to my room and don't come out."

Without question, Rob and Amelia did as they were told while Eleanor hastily cleaned up the card game and looked around the room for any other evidence of houseguests.

The doorbell rang, and satisfied that she appeared alone, Eleanor answered it.

# Chapter 25

Meredith felt more relaxed than she had in days. Vi had been absolutely right; getting drunk was the best idea ever. After leaving the hotel, they had driven down to the reservation to one of the casinos that flanked the freeway. Meredith had downed three rum and cokes before she stopped counting, and now she was draped over a nickel slot machine half-heartedly pulling the lever every so often.

Next to her, Vi wasn't faring much better. She had gone straight to her own drink of choice, whiskey and soda. She pulled down the lever on her own slot machine, watching as a seven and then a second seven lined up on the screen. She sat up a little straighter, waiting hopefully as the third wheel lined up. It landed on a bar. "Freaking tease," she grumbled, relaxing back into a slouch. "Ya know what, Mere?" She looked at Meredith but seemed to have trouble focusing on her friend's face. Her eyes settled somewhere over Meredith's shoulder.

Meredith turned to face Vi, leaning sideways and resting her cheek on the glass screen of the slot machine. "What's that, Vi?"

"Mrs. Alvarez is a bitch. She was so mean. What'd you ever do to her?"

"No, she's not," Meredith said, shaking her head vigorously. The movement made her dizzy, and she held onto the side of the slot machine to keep from falling off her stool. "She's just sad, Vi."

"Whatever. It's not your fault that you didn't love her son. It's not like you owed it to her to think that he shat sunshine or whatever."

Meredith giggled. "Let's not talk about it. I have a feeling I'm about to win it big." She pulled the lever on the slot machine and watched the screen intently. One by one the wheels stopped spinning: seven, a bar, and a dollar sign. "Ugh, forget it. I'm already down, like, five bucks. That's five dollars I will never get back, Vi!"

"Yeah, I'm bored anyway. What time is it?"

Meredith giggled again, whispering loudly, "This is a casino. We're not allowed to know."

Vi still had Rob's cell phone in her pocket, and she dug it out, looking at the time. "Holy shit. We've been here for like three hours. And we've got six missed calls from your mom." She looked up at Meredith with wide eyes, adding in a sing-song voice, "They're gonna be so _maaaad_."

"Oh my God, give me that," Meredith said urgently, grabbing the phone from Vi's hands. She quickly dialed Amelia's number, but there was no answer. She scrubbed a hand over her face, attempting to sober herself. "We need to go back. What if something's wrong?"

"Dude, neither of us can drive anywhere."

"I know, but they're not answering." She opened the phone contact list and started scrolling through, looking for someone that they might be able to call for a ride. She whizzed right past James's name, not wanting for him or Ivy to get pulled into her mess. It was bad enough that she was putting Amelia and Rob in danger. "I am so stupid. Why did I let you talk me into getting drunk?"

"As I recall it didn't take much convincing," Vi reminded her.

"I wanted to go hiking!" Meredith's head was spinning, and she feared she wouldn't be able to leave her post in front of the slot machine for some time.

"Just call someone," Vi urged.

Meredith kept scrolling through the contacts looking for options. Davidson, Dickering, Diggs, Dowering... Dowering! Meredith stopped on Nate's name. She was still mad at him for lying to her parents, but she couldn't think of a better choice. He already knew about magic and the protégé, so it didn't really count as dragging another person into their troubles. He had sought out their troubles, after all. Now he would just have to live with the consequences. She hit the send button and listened for his voice.

Nate answered almost immediately.

"Nate, we are in a bit of a pickle," Meredith said, stumbling over the word _pickle_.

"Meredith? Where are you?"

"Um, the casino?" Meredith felt foolish and guilty for her current state, and she wanted more than anything to be able to blame it all on Mrs. Alvarez's harsh words. If things had gone better with that meeting, maybe she wouldn't have felt the need to blow off some steam. She shook her head to try to clear the tears from her eyes but only succeeded in making herself feel nauseated. "Can you come get us?" she asked pathetically.

"Are you drunk?" Nate asked incredulously.

"Yes, and it was stupid, and I'm sorry. But now I think my parents are in trouble and we need to go back to Eleanor's house right away."

"All right," Nate conceded. "Tell me exactly where you are."

Forty minutes later, they caught sight of Nate striding through the casino purposefully. Still at the same slot machines, they called him over. Meredith had switched to water and was feeling a little more like herself, but she still didn't trust her feet to stay under her.

Nate stopped in front of them and looked around. "Where's Miguel?"

Meredith had expected the question and was able to answer it with almost perfect composure. "The protégé killed him two nights ago," she said matter-of-factly. She stood up slowly, teetering to one side before grabbing Nate's arm for support.

"Okay, the drunkenness makes a little more sense now," Nate said carefully, looking them both over for signs of damage. He was burning with curiosity about what had happened to Miguel, but he managed to swallow it for the time being, saying instead, "Let's get you ladies out to the car and then you can catch me up, okay?"

Even in her drunken state, Meredith was impressed with Nate's restraint. She nodded her assent, and then Nate lifted her arm over his shoulders and wrapped his arm around her waist. With his free hand he helped Vi out of her seat, supporting her in much the same way on his other side. They walked slowly across the casino floor toward the exit.

As they left the building, the security guard winked at Nate. "Good job, man!"

"He's not picking us up, you idiot," Vi scolded the guard loudly.

The guard laughed and ignored her, saying to Nate, "Watch out for that one!"

Vi scoffed and rolled her eyes while Nate gave the guard a tight smile. Meredith was too focused on staying upright to give the exchange much thought.

The sunlight outside was blinding, but the cool October breeze felt good on Meredith's face. Soon they were safely packed into Nate's car and on their way. Nate had dumped a pot of coffee into a thermos for them, and Meredith took a long swig. She offered the thermos to Vi, who declined it with a sharp shake of her head. Meredith gladly chugged down the rest of the coffee, grateful for Nate's thoughtfulness. She hoped the shot of caffeine would help her sober up quickly, feeling a strong sense of foreboding as they raced toward Eleanor's house.

* * *

Eleanor opened the front door slowly, mustering up a look of surprise for her visitor's benefit. "Hello, Dr. Sparling."

"Good afternoon, Eleanor. May I come in?"

"Of course," Eleanor smiled coolly and opened the door wider to admit the doctor. She wasn't sure why Dr. Sparling was at her house, and hoped that she would be able to get rid of her relatively quickly.

Dr. Sparling came into the room and glanced around casually. "I think this is the first time I've seen you outside the hospital," she said with a smile. "You have a nice home."

Eleanor suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, impatient with the inane niceties. "Please, have a seat." She didn't offer the doctor anything to drink, not wishing to prolong the visit.

Dr. Sparling sat down gingerly on the sofa, smiling wryly. "I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here."

"Yes," Eleanor agreed bluntly, remaining standing.

A phone began ringing in the bedroom, and Eleanor prayed that Amelia and Rob knew better than to answer it.

"Do you need to get that?" Dr. Sparling asked politely.

"No, it's fine." They waited in awkward silence for the phone to stop ringing, and then Eleanor shifted her weight impatiently. "What can I do for you?"

"I know that you were part of the team that took care of a patient the other day. Meredith Carpenter?"

"Yes, I was in the E.R. that night." Eleanor felt the muscles between her shoulders tighten nervously. What did Dr. Sparling know?

"The hospital has asked me to investigate her case, since she decided to leave against medical advice. We're trying to see if there is anything we could have done differently to improve her care. We want patients to trust us and have confidence in our hospital, after all."

"Oh." Eleanor relaxed. "What do you want to know?"

Dr. Sparling shifted in her seat, crossing her left ankle over her right knee. "Well, first off, I know you've been an impeccable employee for a long time. I don't want you to feel like you're on trial here. We all know that you are a gifted nurse."

"Thank you. I do it all for your approval, after all." Eleanor knew she was taking a chance being rude, but she hoped it would make Dr. Sparling uncomfortable enough to cut the interview short.

Dr. Sparling frowned and her blue eyes trained in on Eleanor's face. "Meredith Carpenter's records were deleted from our system, and a threatening note was found on her food tray. Now is most certainly not the time to give me an attitude. Why don't you have a seat?"

_Damn._ Eleanor grudgingly did as she was asked. "I gave her pain meds in the E.R. and then came up to her room once to check on her. Otherwise I didn't have any interaction with her."

Dr. Sparling looked at Eleanor's face carefully. After a long moment, she asked, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am," Eleanor snapped.

"Are you aware that there was another patient at Phoenix Mercy with Meredith's same condition? Meredith went to the other hospital and convinced him not to have surgery either, and he has since died. The hospital has a huge liability here, and we need to find out what the hell happened." Dr. Sparling uncrossed her legs and leaned forward earnestly. "I am worried sick about Meredith Carpenter. She _needs_ to come back and have the surgery, but since her records were deleted, it could be days before we can find her. By then it could be too late... if it isn't already."

Eleanor shook her head sadly. "I wish I could help you, Dr. Sparling. I really do. But I've told you all I know."

Dr. Sparling leaned back and relaxed into the couch cushions. "I don't think that's entirely true, Eleanor. You see, I was at Phoenix Mercy to help with the other patient--the one who died. While I was there, I saw Meredith's friend, Vi. I almost didn't put two and two together, but as she was leaving, I noticed that she had your coat."

"My coat?"

"Yes. That ugly green monstrosity that you wear every single day between October and February. There can't be two like it in the world. Or at least, let's hope not."

Eleanor swallowed hard. The damned coat. She had noticed that Meredith and Vi had taken it, but she didn't realize that the small theft would come to bite them in the ass so soundly. She wracked her brain to come up with an excuse as the seconds ticked by. Dr. Sparling's eyes never left her face, and Eleanor knew she was in trouble.

* * *

As Nate turned the car onto Eleanor's street, Meredith could feel the protégé's presence. It was like moving toward a loud party; the closer they got to Eleanor's house, the more Meredith could feel the malicious power.

"Damn it," Meredith said quietly.

"What?" Vi demanded, instantly on the alert.

"The protégé is at Eleanor's house." She glanced at Nate and commanded, "Pull over. We need a plan."

Nate did as he was told, stopping the car a few houses down from Eleanor's. He shifted into park and faced Meredith, leaving the engine running. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know," Meredith said, clasping a hand around her _thaelis_ nervously. "The protégé won't know I'm here. We gotta work that to our advantage somehow."

"Why don't we just keep driving? For all you know, the protégé has already killed everyone in the house," Nate said earnestly.

Meredith shook her head. "No, I can feel Eleanor, too." She opened the door and stepped out of the car, looking critically at Eleanor's house.

Vi came and stood beside her. "That's Dr. Sparling's car," she said quietly, pointing to the shiny sports car parked on the street.

"Come on," Meredith said, acting on instinct. She jogged toward the house in a low crouch, sneaking up to the front window and peeking inside. Meredith could see Dr. Sparling and Eleanor sitting on the sofas in the living room. The negative energy emanated from Dr. Sparling like a foul stench. "Dr. Sparling is the protégé," she said to Vi in a low whisper.

The color drained from Vi's face. "Oh my God, she gave us a ride."

"Shh." Meredith strained to hear their conversation.

Dr. Sparling was speaking. "Eleanor, let me help you. I don't know what you've gotten yourself into here, but I'm on your side. Tell me everything, and we'll work it out together."

Eleanor shifted in her seat, remaining silent for a moment. Then she said, "Fine. I did help the girls leave the hospital, but I haven't seen them since."

Meredith's eyebrows knit together thoughtfully. Eleanor didn't know that Dr. Sparling was the protégé. And if she didn't know... that meant that she wouldn't be prepared if Dr. Sparling attacked.

"You know, Eleanor," Dr. Sparling said with a small chuckle. "I just don't believe you."

Meredith continued thinking furiously to herself. Eleanor had said that being able to sense other magicians was virtually unheard of, so chances were good that the protégé didn't know that Eleanor was a magician. Eleanor, who had waited thousands of years to take Aleric down, was now in harm's way because she was trying to protect Meredith.

Meredith turned to Vi. "I have to protect Eleanor, Vi. Not the other way around."

"What?" Vi asked, not following her line of thinking.

"My parents are still inside. Please get them out and run like hell, okay?"

"No way, Mere. I'm not leaving you here to do... whatever it is you think you need to do." Vi set her mouth into a thin line and shook her head. Behind her, Nate's face expressed similar sentiments.

If Meredith could convince Dr. Sparling to leave without learning the truth about Eleanor, she had to do it. Meredith reached up and pulled the _thaelis_ over her head. "It's too late."

Inside, a broad grin spread out onto Dr. Sparling's face. "Well, well," she murmured contentedly.

Meredith pressed the _thaelis_ into Vi's hand. "Use this to hide. I don't want the protégé to hurt you guys because of me. Go."

Tears sprang into Vi's eyes as she and Nate scrambled off the porch and ran around the side of the house. Once they were out of sight, Meredith rang the doorbell.

# Chapter 26

The door opened slowly to reveal Eleanor's ashen face. "Come in, Meredith," she said with a sigh.

Meredith stepped over the threshold nervously, her eyes darting to where Dr. Sparling sat on the couch. For some reason, the power wafting off of the doctor seemed to have receded to the point where Meredith wouldn't have known Dr. Sparling was a magician. Was Dr. Sparling able to mask herself somehow? Did she know that Meredith could sense her? Meredith's reeling thoughts combined with the lingering effects of the alcohol made her almost senseless. She took a deep breath through her nose and forced herself to speak coherently.

"Hi, Dr. Sparling. I came to see Eleanor because of Miguel," she lied. Before Dr. Sparling could respond, Meredith asked, "Is it true that Miguel died because of his growth?"

Dr. Sparling nodded solemnly.

Meredith forced tears into her eyes, mustering up what she hoped was a convincing performance. "I am so sorry. I really thought we'd be okay. Am I going to die, too?"

"Well--" Dr. Sparling began.

"I'll come with you right now to the hospital. You can do the surgery right away." The sooner Meredith could convince Dr. Sparling to leave, the sooner Eleanor would be safe. Dr. Sparling already knew that Meredith was a magician--that was a lost cause. But Eleanor... Eleanor had to stay hidden. "Please," she pleaded.

"Meredith," Eleanor said in a low, discouraging voice.

"No, Eleanor. Miguel is dead! I don't want to die, too. I need to go back to the hospital." Meredith searched Eleanor's eyes, willing the older woman to understand what she was doing.

Eleanor frowned and shook her head. "I can't let you do that, Meredith."

"That's all right, we can take care of it right here," Dr. Sparling interjected with a menacing tone.

Meredith's gaze flew to the young doctor, who had risen from the couch and was now clasping a small, gleaming dagger in her right hand. Meredith recognized it as the one that had killed Miguel. "What are you doing?" Meredith gasped, looking back at Eleanor in alarm.

"Don't worry about Eleanor," Dr. Sparling said in a smooth, confident voice. "She won't remember a thing."

Eleanor's expression hardened as she realized who Dr. Sparling was. "You knew," she said to Meredith.

Meredith nodded, fixing her gaze on the knife at Dr. Sparling's side.

"Knew what? Oh, you sly devil. Were you hiding in the bushes the other night?" Dr. Sparling smiled maliciously. "I _was_ surprised to find Miguel alone. I thought for sure you two would be shacking up together. I guess I was right, after all. However did you manage to elude me?" Her eyes went to Eleanor appraisingly. "You must have had help."

Eleanor didn't flinch as she returned Dr. Sparling's gaze.

After a moment, Dr. Sparling let out a throaty laugh. "Aleric always thought that he didn't get everyone. I can't wait to tell him that he was right."

Meredith's eyes widened incredulously, her mind racing. Aleric was still alive? Then why had all the magic been released back into the earth?

Some of her thoughts must have played across her face, because Dr. Sparling said, "You thought he was dead already? Ha! Hardly." She took a large step to close the distance between them.

"Well, if he is still alive, he can't have transferred much power to you, can he?" Eleanor asked with a flick of her wrist. The knife flew out of Dr. Sparling's hand and clattered against the wall.

Meredith, who had felt Dr. Sparling's power and knew better, didn't have a chance to correct Eleanor before Dr. Sparling attacked.

Long, white-hot streaks of lightning shot out of Dr. Sparling's fingertips, aimed straight for Eleanor's heart. The energy lit up the room and almost blinded Meredith. She watched in fear and fascination as Eleanor blocked the streaks of lightning with magic of her own, causing a shower of sparks to rain down into the room.

"Get out of here," Eleanor cried to Meredith. The words sounded like they were torn harshly from her throat as she focused on fending off Dr. Sparling's attack.

Meredith ducked down behind the couch and out of sight, thinking furiously. She had to help Eleanor somehow. Dr. Sparling was too strong. She peeked around the armrest and saw that the corner of Dr. Sparling's coat was on fire, but the doctor didn't notice as she focused on her own magic.

The flames quickly spread, and Dr. Sparling cut off her attack as the fire licked at her skin. She staggered backwards and cried out in pain, bumping against the wall and lighting the lace curtains on fire. Suddenly, a blue light flooded over the doctor and smothered the flames. Once the flames were nothing more than a smoldering memory, Dr. Sparling glared at Eleanor with renewed vigor.

A piece of the burning curtains behind Dr. Sparling dropped to the floor, flickering as the carpet caught fire. Smoke filled the room as the fire grew and continued to spread. Meredith heard a choking sound and looked up at Eleanor in horror as the nurse clutched at her throat, unable to breathe.

Dr. Sparling chuckled maliciously. "Is that really the best you can do? I am so pleased that I will be the one of Aleric's children to eradicate you, not that you would have ever been much of a problem."

_Children? Shit._ Meredith cursed inwardly. If there was more than one protégé, then they were in more trouble than they thought. But she'd have to worry about that later--right now, Dr. Sparling was winning.

Meredith looked around the room frantically, desperate for something to do. The opposite half of the room was completely engulfed in flames. Several feet away, Meredith spotted the knife that had dropped to the floor. She crawled toward it as fast as she could, her eyes stinging and throat burning from the smoke.

As her fingers closed around the knife, Meredith looked up again at the battle between Eleanor and Dr. Sparling. Meredith was slightly behind the doctor and could see Eleanor's face. The color had drained away from Eleanor's features and her eyes were quickly losing focus.

Meredith turned and crawled toward Dr. Sparling, careful not to catch her attention. Flames licked at the bottom of her feet, and Meredith did her best to ignore the heat. Once she was within reach, Meredith came up onto her knees behind Dr. Sparling and thrust the dagger toward the doctor's back as hard as she could, aiming for the second heart.

At the last second, Dr. Sparling twisted away, having seen the movement out of the corner of her eye. Now the doctor's attention was focused completely on Meredith, her cold gaze settling over her like a shroud. The icy blue eyes flashed, and Meredith felt explosions of pain from all over her body. She crumpled to the floor, unable to think of anything besides the agony that seemed to come from everywhere.

Meredith tasted blood in her mouth as she tried to gain control of her own senses. She looked up at Dr. Sparling, who stood over her with a grim expression. Behind the doctor, Eleanor had dropped to the floor, passed out from lack of oxygen. Meredith was at Dr. Sparling's mercy.

Dr. Sparling crouched down and leaned so close to Meredith's face that their noses almost touched. "I could have made it painless for you, you know, but I don't take it kindly when people try to stab me in the back." She reached down and removed the knife that was still clutched in Meredith's hand, looking at it contemplatively. "With my own knife, even. Tsk, tsk."

The pain intensified, and Meredith squeezed her eyes shut to try to block out the sensations. It felt as though every nerve in her body was being electrocuted. She prayed for relief, any kind of relief, even if that meant death. At least she couldn't feel anything if she were dead.

After what seemed like an eternity, the pain receded, just enough so Meredith could think straight. Her cheek was pressed against the floor, and she cracked an eye open to try to figure out why the pain was going away. She could see under the couch to where Eleanor lay on the other side. The nurse's eyes were open. Eleanor pressed a finger to her lips, and Meredith realized that Eleanor must have been diverting some of the pain.

Dr. Sparling lifted up Meredith's shirt, pressing down with her fingertips to find the right place to sink in the knife. Meredith panicked and, acting on instinct, lashed out as hard as she could at the hand that held the knife. She heard the snap of bone as the knife fell with a dull thud onto the carpet a few feet away.

Dr. Sparling cradled her broken wrist and looked at Meredith murderously. "You think I need a knife to do you harm?" she asked with a cruel laugh. Her eyes flicked to Meredith's exposed stomach, and a deep slash appeared in the skin, welling up hot blood that flooded over Meredith's skin and onto the floor.

Meredith stared at her wound in shock, vaguely realizing that losing so much blood would kill her in a matter of minutes. The irony wasn't lost on her; though she had been wishing for death moments before, now that it was a real possibility, she wanted desperately to live. She pressed a hand over the gaping hole, trying futilely to stem the flow and buy herself some time.

In a taunting voice, Dr. Sparling began, "You really--", but she was cut off by Eleanor's wiry arm wrapping around her throat and pulling her to the floor.

Meredith could feel the heat of the flames at her back as she watched the struggle between Eleanor and Dr. Sparling. From the looks of it, they were both fighting with magic, but whatever they were doing must have been internal, because Meredith couldn't really see much. Eleanor and the doctor seemed to be pretty well matched, and Meredith realized she needed to help.

The knife was on the floor under the loveseat at Meredith's feet. She couldn't sit up, as the muscles in her abdomen were deeply lacerated and still bleeding profusely. Meredith used her arms instead to drag herself toward the knife, grunting softly with the pain of movement. She inched toward the knife, tears stinging her eyes. The pool of blood around her was growing too large. No one can lose that much blood and survive.

Meredith glanced over at Eleanor and Dr. Sparling. Eleanor was on her back on the floor, Dr. Sparling above her. Meredith needed to move faster. Her fingers closed around the knife for the second time, and she found the cool weight of the weapon soothing. She took a deep breath and steeled herself against the pain, launching herself across the short distance to the doctor, sinking the knife into her back.

The steel slid in remarkably easily, and Dr. Sparling's warm blood poured out over Meredith's hand, mingling with her own. The doctor gasped and looked down at the tip of the knife, which protruded from her belly. Underneath her, Eleanor shoved her off of her with both hands.

Meredith released the knife and fell backwards, resting against the front of the loveseat and panting softly.

Dr. Sparling splayed out on the floor, watching incredulously as the shirt around the small glint of steel was quickly being darkened by blood. Eleanor sat on her knees over Dr. Sparling and rolled her over roughly, yanking the blade out of her back. Fierce determination sparked in her eyes.

Meredith's eyes drooped closed. She was going to lose consciousness any second. She had lost too much blood; she was dying. Meredith barely noticed as something hot and wet was thrust into her hands. Someone was saying her name, but it sounded like they were at the far end of a long tunnel. Meredith forced her eyes to open a crack. Eleanor's face was inches from hers. "Take this," she commanded. "You'll know what to do."

Dr. Sparling must have stopped masking her power, because Meredith could once again feel it buzzing at her consciousness. She felt the power start to waver, and Meredith was drawn to it uncontrollably, like a ravenous animal to a piece of mouthwatering meat. Without even understanding what she was doing, Meredith began to greedily pull the magic toward herself, into herself. The more magic she consumed, the more she wanted. As it seeped into her being, the pain in her abdomen faded away and was replaced by power. Strength. Euphoria.

More alert now, Meredith looked down at her hands. She held a small, bloody organ that was pulsating in time with her heartbeat. The throbbing was slowing as Meredith continued taking the magic into herself. She was holding Dr. Sparling's second heart. The doctor herself was lying lifeless on the floor a foot away.

Meredith could feel the moment that Dr. Sparling's second heart died, and she embraced the last of the magic as it became part of her. She couldn't have resisted the power if she had wanted to. She was acting on basic instinct alone. The second heart gave one last shudder, and Meredith watched in amazement as the organ hardened and turned into a heavy, translucent stone. It was a _thaelis_.

Meredith looked down at her midsection, which Eleanor had been frantically healing while Meredith had absorbed the power from Dr. Sparling's second heart. The cut had been reduced to a fresh scar, dark pink and slightly raised.

"I can't replace your blood, so you better hope you still have enough," Eleanor said gruffly.

Meredith nodded. Around them, the flames crackled and roared out of control, flaring up with renewed vigor as someone kicked the front door open. Meredith heard someone call out her name, the sound almost lost over the fire.

"Can you put the flames out?" she asked Eleanor.

"Not in time." Eleanor grabbed Meredith's arm and hauled her to her feet. Meredith wobbled unsteadily, dizzy from the loss of blood along with the influx of new power. She took a step, and the floor tilted up from underneath her. She staggered, trying to maintain her footing, but fell to the ground. The smoke was thick and hot, stinging her face and eyes. Her head was spinning, and she felt sick. Her senses were completely muddled.

Eleanor dropped to the floor beside her and grabbed under her arms, half carrying and half dragging her toward the door.

Rob and Nate were standing in the doorway, and relief flooded their faces as they saw Eleanor appear from within the smoke. Their relief turned to horror as they saw Meredith, unable to walk and soaked in her own blood. Rob crossed the room in three long strides and caught Meredith by the shoulders just as Eleanor lost her grip.

"Get her out of here," Eleanor barked at Nate. He ran to Rob's aid, grabbing ahold of Meredith's ankles so they could haul her out of the fire and to safety. With Eleanor close on their heels, they carried Meredith across the street and laid her down gently on the neighbor's lawn next to where Amelia and Vi had been standing in a worried huddle.

"Oh, my God," Amelia cried, falling to the ground and cupping Meredith's sooty face in her hands. "Where are you hurt?"

"She's lost a lot of blood," Eleanor said curtly. Eleanor closed her eyes and laid a hand on Meredith's forehead. After a moment, she said, "She's all right. She is going to need a lot of rest, but she shouldn't need a transfusion."

On the ground, Meredith opened her eyes as the world slowly stopped spinning. Five worried faces looked down at her, and she tried to smile reassuringly. Judging by their facial expressions, it must have come across as a grimace.

As her physical pain receded, Meredith's attention turned to the new sensations she was experiencing as a result of absorbing Dr. Sparling's power. She didn't feel like herself at all. Someone else's essence was coursing through her veins, and it felt foreign and strange. She glanced down at the _thaelis_ that was still clutched in her fist--a hard stone that used to be a living, beating second heart. Her eyes sought out Eleanor's, desperately hoping for some sort of reassurance.

Eleanor looked at her in understanding. "I know," she said soothingly. "You'll get used to it. It just takes a little while."

Meredith nodded and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. What had she done?

Rob and Amelia carefully checked her over for injuries that Eleanor might have missed while Nate called the fire department.

Once she was sure that Meredith was all right, Vi stared at the house in awe. "What about Dr. Sparling?" she asked.

Eleanor gazed at her house sadly. "It will appear as though she perished in the fire," she said. Eleanor had lived in that house for the last forty years, and it was harder than she expected to watch it burn.

Meredith sat up slowly, leaning against her father for support. She was still trying to make sense of what she was feeling. She imagined that it would take a long while before she could get control over the inner turmoil. "Why did you give me the second heart?" she asked suddenly.

Eleanor looked at her levelly. "You knew that she was the protégé--or one of them, at any rate--and you tried to go with her to the hospital."

"So?"

"You were willing to sacrifice yourself for our cause. I knew that you could handle the power if I gave it to you, and two strong magicians are better than one." She sighed. "I don't know if I did you any favors, though."

"What do you mean?"

Eleanor looked away. "We will talk about it soon. Right now, just try to rest."

Too tired to argue, Meredith fell silent, staring across the street at Eleanor's little house.

Vi sat down next to her and returned the _thaelis_ that Meredith had given her.

Meredith looked down at the two _thaelises_ that she held in her hands. They were virtually identical.

Vi leaned a head on her shoulder. "A lot happened in there, huh?"

"You could say that," Meredith agreed quietly.

Vi was quiet for a few moments as they sat and watched the flames destroy the home. "Funny how it should all begin and end with fire, huh?"

"I don't think that this is the end," Meredith disagreed.

"Hmm." Vi scrutinized Meredith's face, possibly even seeing a change there. "Do you want to tell me about it?" she asked softly.

Meredith didn't answer. If Aleric were still alive, and there were God knows how many protégés, then all of the newly emerging magicians were still in danger. They probably wouldn't even know that they were targets. She would have to put her own issues aside for the time being.

Meredith gave Vi's hand a reassuring squeeze and then called out to Nate, who was still on the phone with the emergency dispatcher. He came over and squatted down in front of her, handing the phone off to Rob and giving Meredith his full attention.

"You were right," she said without preamble. "We need to go public. All those magicians need to know who they are. We can't just let them be picked off one-by-one by Aleric and his cronies. And that's what will happen if everyone stays in the dark."

"Okay," Nate nodded slowly, obviously bursting with questions but restraining himself. "Let's do it."

They all looked down the street as the sound of the sirens filled their ears. A bright red fire engine had just turned into view, followed by an ambulance and two police cars. Eleanor frowned at all the blood on Meredith's clothing. With a flick of her fingertips, the blood disappeared, making Meredith appear filthy but uninjured.

Rob hung up the phone and, keeping one arm around Meredith, put his other arm around Amelia's shoulders. Having listened to Meredith's conversation with Nate, Amelia looked over at him and asked, "Do you think our world will ever be the same?"

Rob shrugged, keeping his gaze on his daughter. He didn't care about the rest of the world at the moment. Something had happened inside that house that had shaken Meredith to the core, and it wasn't her injury. He cast an accusatory glance in Eleanor's direction.

She caught his look and said, "She's going to need you guys."

Rob glared at her with an expression that assured her that they would be having a serious conversation soon.

Oblivious to the undertones of the exchange, Amelia said, "She's going to need you, too. Why don't you come and stay with us?"

"Thank you," Eleanor murmured.

The fire engine pulled up to the house, and firefighters streamed out, asking questions and shouting orders. Meredith let her parents stand up and do the talking as she sat next to Vi. She had a lot to think about, and a lot to plan for, over the next several days. In this moment, however, she was content to just sit with her friend and watch the spectacle.

"I'm glad you're here, Vi," Meredith said feelingly.

Vi turned her face and gave her a wry smile, slinging an arm over Meredith's shoulder. She was thinking about how close Meredith had come to dying inside that house. Her voice was thick with emotion as she replied, "I'm glad you're here, too, kid."

# Epilogue

It had been three days since the confrontation at Eleanor's house, and Meredith was still reeling with the changes within her. She hadn't had time to think too much about it though, because she had been frantically preparing for the press conference that Nate had arranged. They had all agreed that they needed to have the conference as soon as possible, to reach as many newly emerging magicians as they could before it was too late.

Meredith had spent most of the last three days learning as much as she could from Eleanor so she would be able to perform for the crowd. Aleric already knew that Meredith was a magician, but they hoped that Eleanor's identity would remain a secret. It didn't make sense to show _all_ their cards.

Nate had spoken at length with Dr. Wells, hoping to convince her to come on camera to validate their claims. The doctor was still angry over Miguel's death and reluctant to hear them out, but she had finally agreed to meet with Meredith to see her abilities firsthand.

"So what'd you offer her in exchange for meeting with me?" Meredith asked. She and Nate were on the freeway in Nate's Ford Explorer, heading to Phoenix Mercy Hospital.

"I told her that the best way to get rid of me was to meet with us and get it over with," Nate said conversationally. "Practical woman, that Dr. Wells."

"Vi was sure that Dr. Wells was the protégé," Meredith mused.

"Why? Because she's a bitch?"

Meredith chuckled. "It sounds so judgmental when you put it like that. Meanwhile, Dr. Sparling was totally cool. I guess you catch more flies with honey, after all."

Nate exited the freeway and turned toward the hospital. "Speaking of which, be nice to Dr. Wells, okay? We really need her. People trust doctors."

"What, you don't think I'm trustworthy?" Meredith batted her eyelashes at him.

"Hmm, let me think about this. Flighty 23-year-old vet school dropout versus experienced, renowned physician. You're right, we probably don't need her."

"I haven't dropped out of vet school yet," Meredith said defensively. "And I might not. I just need a semester off. Believe it or not, I'm dealing with a bunch of stuff right now."

"Calm down, I'm not criticizing you. I'm just painting a picture of what everyone else is going to see."

"Thanks, I feel so much better." Meredith gave him a wry smile and then watched out the window as the hospital came into view. The last time they'd been there, Miguel was with them. The car suddenly felt emptier, and Meredith sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly through her nose.

Nate pulled into the parking lot and searched for a space. "I didn't tell Dr. Wells much. I had a feeling she wasn't going to buy the whole 'magician' thing over the phone. So you're going to have to dazzle her with your new skills, okay? But don't be weird." He seemed almost nervous, reminding Meredith that even though he had practically begged them to go public, Nate's career was on the line.

"Okay, Nate. I'll try not to be 'weird'," Meredith agreed with an eye roll. "What does that even mean, anyway? This whole situation is freaking weird. I say, embrace it."

"Well, I can't argue with you there." He pulled into a space and shifted the car into park, unbuckling his seat belt. "Come on. She's waiting for us in the lobby."

As they walked into the lobby, Meredith felt a sense of dread at meeting Dr. Wells again. The cold, calculating doctor was not on Meredith's list of favorite people, even if she wasn't a protégé.

Dr. Wells was waiting for them near the entrance, and she cast Meredith an impassive expression before focusing her attention on Nate. "I've reserved a conference room where we can talk undisturbed," she said briskly, leading them to the elevators.

Meredith followed behind silently, almost glad that she didn't have to make small talk with Dr. Wells. The conference room was on the second floor, near the room where Miguel had been staying. They walked past the open doorway of Miguel's room, and Meredith glanced in, taking in the empty bed and neatly folded blanket. She wondered if Dr. Wells had taken them that way on purpose.

Once in the conference room, they sat around the table and looked at each other mutely. The room was sparsely furnished; there wasn't even a picture hanging on the wall to brighten the place up. The chairs were hard plastic, and they screeched against the linoleum every time one of them changed positions.

"Dr. Wells," Nate began. "First of all, we want to thank you very much for meeting with us today. We know how busy--"

"Cool it with the niceties," Dr. Wells interrupted. "I've heard it all before. I'm here. What do you want?"

Nate cleared his throat. Now that he was face to face with Dr. Wells, he wasn't really sure where to start with their story.

Meredith had come prepared. She produced a small tea light candle from her pocket and set it on the Formica table between them. "Have a look at that candle, if you please," she instructed.

Dr. Wells picked up the candle and glanced at it briefly. "What about it?"

"I just want you to be comfortable that it's a normal candle--no tricks."

Dr. Wells turned the candle all around in her hands, inspecting it more closely. She even dug into the wax with her fingernail, being absolutely thorough. Meredith wondered if that was her medical training at work. Finally, she set the candle back down on the table. "Okay."

Meredith nodded. "Thank you." She rested her hands on the table where Dr. Wells could see them and focused on the candle's wick. After a moment, a flame sparked to life.

Dr. Wells leaned back in her chair, surprised but skeptical. "Why are you here practicing magic tricks?"

"It's not a trick," Nate assured her.

Dr. Wells scoffed. "I don't have time for this." She scooted her chair back with a loud _screech_ and stood up.

"Wait," Meredith pleaded. "Go get something else I can burn. Let me prove that it's not a trick."

Dr. Wells gave her a hard stare and then left the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Um, does that mean that she's getting something for me to burn or that she's not going to give us the time of day?" Meredith asked.

Nate barked out a short laugh. "I have no idea."

They sat in silence, waiting. After a few minutes Meredith blew out the candle with a quick _puff_ and returned it to her pocket. The room was so quiet that Meredith could hear the clock ticking on the wall. She wondered how long they should wait before they gave up and left. Ten minutes ticked by. She glanced at Nate questioningly, who shrugged. Another ten minutes.

Just as they were getting ready to give up, the door banged open, startling Meredith enough to make her choke on her own saliva. She coughed violently as Dr. Wells came back into the room holding a metal bowl and a paper Dixie cup.

Dr. Wells slammed the bowl down onto the table and tossed the cup inside. "I can't believe I'm sucking in for this," she remarked, settling back into her chair with another loud scrape.

Meredith managed to stop coughing and caught her breath. "We weren't sure if you were coming back."

"Just get on with it."

Meredith swallowed and focused her attention on the Dixie cup. It began to smoke a little before blossoming into a steady orange flame. She smiled triumphantly and watched Dr. Wells's face as she processed the information.

Dr. Wells's eyes were fixated on the little flame inside the metal bowl. She couldn't deny what her eyes were telling her, as hard as she found it to believe. She'd picked out the Dixie cup herself; this was no trick. "Why are you showing me this?" Her eyes penetrated Meredith's, searching for understanding.

Meredith relaxed a little, seeing the open-minded curiosity that was taking root inside Dr. Wells. "Because my growth--my new organ--is what allows me to do that." She nodded to the little flame that still flickered on the table.

"We have good reason to believe that anyone who has this growth removed will die, and the only way to prevent that is to go public with what we know," Nate added. He didn't mention Aleric, not wanting to push his luck with Dr. Wells's tentative acceptance of their story.

"And you need my help to legitimize your claims," Dr. Wells surmised with a frown.

Meredith had expected her reluctance, and a shadow of a smile crossed her face. "Yes," she agreed. She remembered her initial impression of Dr. Wells, that the doctor was focused on her career and building her own notoriety. "In exchange, I am prepared to submit to any testing you want to do, except anything that could injure me or my organ. I would also let you publish the results."

Dr. Wells was practically salivating. "I would require some testing to be conducted up front to see if we can get a better understanding of how it works. Depending on what I find, I may be willing to come forward to support your claim."

"The longer we wait to go public, the more people there will be who erroneously remove their growths," Nate warned. "We can give you a week, but then you would have to stand up with us."

"I can't get much done in a week," Dr. Wells countered.

Nate stood. "Then we'll go to someone else."

"No, wait." Dr. Wells grabbed his arm, looking up at him with a calculating expression. "You have a deal."

* * *

Nate was good at his job. A crowd of at least two hundred reporters and interested spectators had gathered in front of Phoenix Mercy hospital. A small stage and podium had been erected near the lobby doors. Meredith was wearing a conservative suit, and her red hair was twisted into a bun at the nape of her neck. Nate had instructed her to look as normal and trustworthy as possible, so she went with the classics. Dr. Wells stood next to her, wearing a pale green dress underneath her white lab coat. They both certainly looked the parts that they would play.

The last week had gone by in a blur of scans, blood tests, and various prodding. It had all been relatively painless, however, and the worst thing Meredith had suffered was boredom. Outside of the medical testing, she had spent several hours each day with Eleanor, working on learning to control her magic.

After their experience with Dr. Wells, Nate and Meredith agreed that they needed to go bigger--much bigger--with today's exhibition. There had to be no doubt in anyone's mind that the feat was anything other than magic. No tricks, no gimmicks, no room for argument. Meredith's new influx of power was definitely helping their cause; because of it, she would be able to manage a much more impressive display.

"Are you ready?" Nate asked in a low voice. He, too, had dressed up for the occasion. He was wearing a charcoal gray suit with a red tie, which complemented his honey colored eyes perfectly. He was the perfect picture of the handsome, confident news reporter.

Meredith looked up at the sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight, and she enjoyed the warmth of the morning sun on her face. "As ready as I'm ever going to be," she said breathily. Her stomach was aflutter with nerves.

"You'll do great." Nate gave her arm a reassuring squeeze and moved on to talk to Dr. Wells.

Nate and Dr. Wells were both probably making their careers this morning, while Meredith was still moving along without a plan. She had been so focused and driven for as long as she could remember; it actually felt good to have the freedom to do whatever she liked. She was honest with herself, however; though she wasn't making a career, her life would be irrevocably changed after this morning.

After another few moments, Nate approached the podium and addressed the crowd. The murmurs quieted down as Nate spoke. Meredith knew what he was going to say; she'd watched him rehearse it half a dozen times. He would talk about the strange weather events that coincided with a rash of unusual medical cases, leading to the possibility that the two might be related. He would briefly tell the story of a vast repository of energy that had ruptured, leading to the recent happenings. Then he would explain that the energy would change our understanding of the world forever. He would never once use the word magic.

Meredith tuned him out as he talked, rehearsing what she would do in her mind. As much talking as Nate and Dr. Wells would do, in the end it would all come down to her. After Nate concluded, he introduced Dr. Wells, a world renowned endocrinologist in her own right who had had the chance to study a patient with one of the strange new growths.

When Dr. Wells started to talk, Meredith paid attention. The doctor hadn't bothered to share any of her findings with Meredith, so she was learning almost as much as everyone else.

"The first thing we want to share is that the patient is in good health, and it is not medically indicated to remove the growth. In fact, we have studied it carefully and come to the conclusion that it is a vital, necessary organ. Though much more study is necessary, I have determined that this organ secretes a hormone that has previously gone undiscovered. This hormone affects the way that the patient perceives and interacts with external stimuli. In a few moments, we will introduce you to Patient Zero, who has agreed to come forward and demonstrate her condition. We have named this condition the Wells Phenomenon--" Meredith rolled her eyes, "--or more colloquially, the organ can be referred to as The Second Heart, due to its pulsating presentation, similar to that of a beating heart."

Dr. Wells fielded a few questions, clarifying again that the condition was not life threatening. When asked about symptoms, Dr. Wells replied, "I think that question is a perfect segue into introducing our patient, who can share her symptoms with you firsthand."

Meredith took her cue and stepped to the podium. Even in October, the sun beat hot overhead, burning her scalp along the part in her hair. Two hundred sets of eyes stared up at her expectantly, and for a moment she froze. Meredith closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Feeling steadier, she opened her eyes and found Amelia, Rob, and Vi standing in the crowd. She focused on their faces and began to speak.

Meredith described the pain as her new organ grew, but quickly explained that the pain was only temporary. She continued, "As I started to feel better, I noticed that I was able to sense things in a different way. I also found that I had some new abilities that were unexplainable." She chuckled. "Actually, they're _still_ unexplainable. So I think I'm just going to have to show you."

There was dead silence as the crowd waited for her to continue.

On a whim, Meredith asked, "Can anyone tell me what the weather forecast is for today?"

About fifty smart phones were whipped out, and the quickest of the bunch called, "Sunny, high of eighty-five. Zero percent chance of rain."

Meredith smiled. Perfect. "Thank you," she said. After a brief pause, she leaned her head back and raised her arms in the air. She threw her other sense outward, seeking out every last drop of moisture that could be found in the atmosphere. She gathered it all together overhead, and soon large fluffy clouds formed, blotting out the sun. As the clouds filled with moisture, they grew darker and darker, until finally, a light rain began to fall.

Meredith opened her eyes and looked at the crowd. About half were staring up at the sky while the other half gaped at her with their mouths open. She smiled wryly and said casually, "So, I can do that now."

Pandemonium.

# # #

# Note from K. K. Eaton

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for reading my first novel, The Second Heart. As a new author, I rely on satisfied readers to help spread the word about my work. If you enjoyed this book, please consider telling a friend and leaving a review at your favorite ebook retailer. Also, please add me on Facebook to stay informed about other forthcoming books--Meredith, Vi, Nate, and Eleanor's story is far from over!

All the best,

K. K Eaton

# About K. K. Eaton

K. K. Eaton lives in Phoenix, AZ and works as a professor of marketing at Arizona State University. When she isn't teaching or writing books, she is usually chasing her two toddlers, trying out new recipes, or camping.

Read her Smashwords interview here.

# Connect with K. K. Eaton

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kkeatonbooks

Email: kkeatonbooks@gmail.com
