

The Presenting Saga

Presenting

## Diana Petkovic
Copyright © 2013 Diana Petkovic

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-4632948-7-1

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my mother and father for giving me a broader vision of the world, my sister for her humor and undying support, and my niece and nephew for inspiring me to dream.

CONTENTS

1. Shadow in the Sky

2. Private Property

3. The New Neighbors

4. Fragile

5. The Good and the Bad

6. First Lessons

7. The Past

8. Darkness and Light

9. Essence

10. Rides

11. Secret in the Studio

12. The Other Side of the Past

13. News from Outside

14. The Serum

15. Unprotected

16. Gregory House

17. Family Time

18. Thunder

19. In the Dark

20. Henri Descharmes

21. Waking
Chapter 1

Shadow in the sky

No one will ever convince me that time is constant. They can fill a million books, with a thousand formulas each, and I'll still say the same thing. Time is the cruelest, most erratic thing people have to live with. Good things always pass too quickly, and the hard things, they always linger. I don't know how many eternities I've lived in my seventeen years, but this was definitely one of them. The drone of the bus, and how quickly the scenery changed outside were a deception. This was the same trip I took every summer, and I don't remember it ever taking this long. It was as if someone had added extra miles to the road, and that wasn't good. Too many miles meant too many hours to wonder why I couldn't shake the dread that I woke up with this morning.

Poor Hanna; she seemed like such a nice lady. I'd bet she was regretting her choice in seats today. For three hours she'd put up with my foot tapping, and the way my eyes drifted off toward the window when she tried to make conversation. Once she even asked me if I was alright. Boy, talk about tough questions.

"Yes, I'm fine," I told her, "just anxious to get there."

It wasn't really a lie. Hanna glanced sideways at the twisted necklace in my fingers, but she didn't ask again. It wouldn't have done her any good anyway. I'm not sure I could explain the tug of war pulling at the knots in my stomach. The worst part was, that how I was feeling didn't make sense. Today was supposed to be great. I mean, I was getting what I wanted, wasn't I? This was the escape I'd been waiting for; so why did it feel less like I was running somewhere, and more like I was falling?

Hanna didn't need to hear any of that, and I knew it wouldn't help me to say it. The only tiny relief I could find was in taking a deep breath, and leaning my head against the cool of the window. I did both again for about the fiftieth time, and looked outside. Oh! Finally, trees were starting to appear along the highway. It wouldn't be long now. Once I got off the bus things would start to feel normal again, even if they weren't.

Over the trees, the sky was clear and blue. My family was up there somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. By this time next week Dad would be working long days in his new office, and if I knew my mother, all the crates she shipped would be unpacked. I wondered if my brother and sister would like Spain. Would I have? Cobblestone streets and ornate old buildings did sound beautiful, but then moving anywhere always started the same awful way; the staring, the whispering, the trying to disappear until I found at least one decent person to hang around with. No thanks. If I had to change high schools in my last year this was the best way to do it. My cousin's friends knew me. For once I didn't have to start over in a crowd completely full of strangers.

The creak of the breaks cut through my daydream, and my heart skipped a beat as I realized we were pulling up to the corner stop. No one stood but me, though Hanna took a curious look at the small, building-less platform that was Jackson's Point's bus station. Next to the driver, I was probably the only person on board who knew where we were. I liked that. With a bit of a guilty smile I said good-bye to Hanna, and hoped that she didn't mistake my silence for being rude. Maybe she could enjoy the rest of her trip now.

The bus doors opened to the familiar smell of fresh water and trees. A wave of it hit me as I stepped on the stairs, and I had to stop and take it in for a moment. That first breath was always the best. It had a way of making me calm, and excited at the same time. Finally, the knots in my stomach were starting to ease.

"AAAAAAA! There you are!"

The squeal made faces appear in the bus windows. Hanna probably didn't guess that the person waving frantically as she ran up the sidewalk, was my aunt. She may have thought it was a cousin, but only because my aunt just didn't look old enough to have two kids in college. Otherwise it would be hard to miss the family resemblance. Constance Reese's dark brown hair was just like mine, although it wasn't as long. We had the same brown eyes too; though I thought mine were too big, while hers were warm and pretty. She was a bit taller than my five foot five, but only by a couple of inches, and we both had the same pink skin, as she called it. That just meant we needed a lot of sunscreen.

"Hi Aunt Connie," I said as she pulled me into a tight hug.

"Let me look at you," she said stepping back, and holding me by my shoulders.

My aunt's smile always lit up her whole face. I loved that smile. It was one of the main reasons Jackson's Point felt more like home than any other place I'd ever lived.

"How are you?" She asked. "I mean... all of this change... and so suddenly... Are you alright?"

For a second, I thought I saw her eyes tear up. Wow. Strange. My aunt was never the weepy type. A hint of a knot squirmed in my stomach again, but as I looked closer at Aunt Connie, her eyes were clear. Maybe all I saw was a trick of the light. Sunset did tend to make things gleam around here.

"I'm fine Aunt Connie," I said. "Coming here was my choice. This is exactly where I'm meant to be."

Her mouth dropped open. The special thing about my aunt was that she was kind of, well, unconventional. Unlike me, she loved things like horoscopes, myths, and old legends that you only hear in hushed voices. That's why I thought she'd appreciate the _meant to be line_ , but I didn't expect to shock her. Ok, the woman was quirky, but that's what made her great. I gave her another hug.

"You know how much I love it here," I said. "I've got a lot to think about this year, and I don't know any better place to do that."

When I pulled back this time, I was sure I saw tears in her smile. What was wrong with her today?

"I hope that the life you start here is very special," she said.

"Come on Aunt Connie," I said, "you're looking at me like I'm going away. I just got here!"

That seemed to snap her out of it. Her eyes were clear again as she shook her head, and pulled my suitcase to the car.

"You're right," she said, "you're here, and your stay is going to be fantastic."

"I always have a great time with you," I replied.

"You have a great time with Mark and Sandy you mean", she said. "I'm so sorry they won't be here this summer."

My cousin Sandy was travelling across Asia on a student rail pass, while her brother Mark had a summer internship at some law firm in Boston. That was probably the reason why Aunt Connie seemed a little sensitive. She'd never been without both of her kids for so long, and she had to be missing them. As for me, though I loved my cousins, secretly I was glad it would just be the two of us this year. Then again, with my aunt busy at work, it would probably be more like just me, and long sunny days spent however I want. That was exactly what I needed.

As we drove to the house, Aunt Connie chatted on about my stay and her restaurant, but I didn't really hear much of what she said. It was late in the day, and the shadows of the trees and buildings were stretching down the road in front of us. Store lights were already glowing out onto the sidewalks, and the restaurant signs were lit up like welcome banners. As good as it was to be with my aunt again, this was really what I was waiting to see. Every city I've ever lived in was always big, busy, and constantly changing, but Jackson's Point was like a place that time didn't touch. With the streets so empty I could almost believe that the town fell asleep every fall when I went away, and was waiting for me to come back to wake up. Well, I was here.

By the time we turned down the forest road, the town had done its usual magic on me. The tension I'd been carrying all day was completely gone. Hanna should see me now. She'd probably be shocked that the girl who tapped her foot for three hours was sitting back calmly, and watching stars appear in the sky.

"Whoa, what was that?" I said.

Leaning forward against the dashboard, I looked up through the window. Whatever I just saw up there was gone.

"What are you talking about honey?" asked Aunt Connie.

"Something fast just flew over those trees," I said, pointing. "It was really big too."

A sudden pain shocked me as the arm I was holding up got knocked against the door. In front of us the road turned into trees as the car swerved right, and then into dirt as it swerved back to the left. Holding in a scream, I grabbed onto the seatbelt, and felt its pull as the tires ground against the pebbles underneath us. The breaks screeched one final time; then we stopped.

"Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness." My aunt kept repeating.

It took a few seconds to catch my breath and slow down my racing heart. When I turned to Aunt Connie she looked even worse than me.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

The knuckles were white on the hand that my aunt had clenched to the steering wheel. Her other hand rose and fell on her chest from her quick breaths. Her eyes were darting across the sky.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "I just took my eyes of the road for a moment. How could I be so stupid? I knew there was a curve there."

The curve leading away from town could still be seen through our back window. Looking at it, and then at my aunt, I decided to say nothing. There was no point in mentioning that we were already far past it when she'd driven us off the road. She was upset enough. Quietly I waited for her to settle down, and eventually the hand fell from her chest back onto the steering wheel.

"Don't worry Aunt Connie," I said. "It could have happened to anyone. Anyway we're both fine."

She nodded but instead of pulling back on to the road she turned to me.

"Kaylee, what did you see up there?" she asked.

My first answer was a blank stare. After almost getting wrapped around a tree I'd almost forgotten what took my Aunt's eyes off the road in the first place.

"Oh, I don't know," I said, "a shadow. It was gone before I could get a good look at it. I don't think it was a bird. It was too big."

"How big?" asked Aunt Connie. "What shape was it?"

I shrugged.

"It was kind of long," I said. "You know, it was probably a remote controlled airplane or something. I saw a model in a store that was as big as me. The tourists may have brought one up."

My aunt looked up at the sky again. Her chest rose and fell one more time, and then she smiled.

"Yes, of course," she said. "That's probably what it was."

We pulled back onto the road and Aunt Connie started chatting again, but her voice was a little higher pitched than before. Her smile was a little brighter too; even too bright for her. Either she was still shaken by the accident we'd almost had or maybe my coming had her more worried than she wanted me to see. This wasn't a good start, but then neither one of us ever had a summer like this before. In a way, we'd both been abandoned. Where I was different from my aunt was that I didn't mind.

I put aside wondering about Aunt Connie as we turned down the driveway with the burnt wood sign that read Reese. Whatever adjusting we had to do would come. We were home now, and I always loved this part of the trip. Just twenty feet away from the road, the driveway curved, and the trees parted to a fantastic view. It always amazed me how a person could drive for miles up here and see nothing but forest. Then, if you took just one short turn, you'd find yourself at the shore of a huge lake. The thing was; if you didn't know where to turn, you'd never know the water was there. It was like my aunt's house sat beside some big secret that a person could only find by accident or if someone who knew about it told you. If it was up to me I don't think I'd tell anyone.
Chapter 2

Private Property

"Are you sure you don't want to come into town? I can't stand that it's your first full day here and I'm leaving you alone."

The banister wasn't as good an ally as my cousin Sandy would have been. Instead of rushing my aunt out the door with a list of a dozen plans it had for me, the big hunk of wood just stood there and let me do all the talking. Well, at least leaning on it might not make me look too eager.

"I'll be fine," I said. "I still have a lot of settling in to do."

It was a believable excuse if my aunt didn't think about it for too long. All I pulled out of my suitcase last night was the big t-shirt I slept in and my toothbrush. With the exception of what I was wearing, all my other things needed to be unpacked. Still, although everything I owned was in that suitcase and the trunk we'd sent ahead, I doubted the job of unloading it all would take more than a half hour.

"Well don't go swimming yet. The lake's still cold," said Aunt Connie as she fumbled in her purse for her keys. "And please don't take the boat out by yourself. If you want to go out on the lake give one of Sandy or Mark's friends a call. You've got their numbers, yes?"

"Yes, Sandy left me all of their phone numbers. They're saved on my phone. Don't worry, I know who to call if I get bored."

I didn't really. My cousin's friends were a bit of a blur. Like most of the kids around here they came and went with summer jobs. It was hard to keep track of who was local, and who was a visitor like me. Anyway, there was no way I was calling anyone today. Now that I was here I wanted at least a day to stop my mind from spinning, and think about nothing. There was only one place I could do that.

"Well alright then; if you're sure."

Aunt Connie hesitated in the doorway, but I pointed at the clock, and she spun and ran out.

"Call me if you need anything."

The last words came as she sat in the car. I watched while she pulled out of the driveway, and disappeared down the street. Finally letting go of the breath I'd been holding, I reached into the hall closet. It wasn't that I wanted to lie to my aunt but I wasn't sure she'd understand how I felt. There was one thing I needed to do to really feel like I'd arrived. Pulling out my beach bag, I grabbed my newly made set of keys, and after locking the house, stepped out onto the worn grass path.

It was still early but the sun was already strong. Tilting my face up, I let the rays touch my cheeks, and listened to the lake lapping against the shore. What was it about that sound that always made me feel better? I gave the lake a smile but didn't slow down. The tourists could have it today. The spot I was going was strictly a local secret.

It was strange climbing over the rocks, and stepping onto Miller's Landing by myself. Normally this walk was made up of a whole group of us; joking, laughing, and carrying different things. We always had at least two coolers. It was my cousin Mark, and his buddies, who usually hauled those over. That was only fair, because they ate and drank most of the stuff inside them anyway. For a moment I wondered who I might run into before this day was over. It didn't really matter. It was too early for anyone else to be out so, for a while at least, I was going to have the place to myself.

Before long I reached the top of the hill that I could see through my window at Aunt Connie's. Down and straight ahead was the best view in the world; Miller's Pond. The bright sunshine hit the pond below in a way that made the edges clear, and the middle look blue-green. I loved it when it looked like this. If coming to Jackson's Point was like coming home, getting to the pond was like getting to my own room. This spot was the reason I'd come. If there was anyplace I could figure things out, it was here.

The shore of the three hundred foot round pond was a little higher than usual this year. That had to be because of the rainy spring. Great; rain and sun both meant warm water, perfect for swimming. Except for the fifteen foot deep center, the water was pretty shallow in most places. This morning it was going to be my own private pool.

Skipping down the hill much faster than I'd climbed up it, I headed straight for the spot where we always put down our towels. It was right beside the big tree that we'd hung a tire swing on. Right there...

Wait. Where was it? Walking past the tree, all the way into the water, I looked around. The tire swing was gone. Gone? That could only mean that someone took it down but why? Did something happen? Did someone get hurt? I tried to remember the things that Aunt Connie chatted about yesterday. Did she say anything about this? Ghah! Why did I sit there daydreaming instead of listening to her?

Maybe it wouldn't have mattered to anyone else but, to me, the missing swing was like a dark cloud that had snuck in. The place I'd been waiting to get to for months was incomplete. Change! Changes were something I was used to, and though they weren't always bad, this was the last place I wanted to find one. It was just wrong. Miller's Pond didn't belong to the rest of the world. Nothing here should ever change.

My feet felt heavy as I stepped out of the water. At least it was warm like I expected. After pulling the towel out of my beach bag, I shook it out and placed it on the ground. My plan this morning was to jump in for a swim first, and then flip through some magazines until I was ready for another dip. I didn't feel like doing that now.

With the swing branch empty, my pond was broken and needed to be fixed. I just had no idea how to do that. It wasn't like I had another tire to hang, and even if I could do it by myself; I still didn't know why the old one was gone. Sitting on the towel, I pulled the phone out of my bag. My thumb flew over the controls as I scrolled the numbers looking for Sandy's friends. It paused for a few seconds when Aunt Connie's number at the restaurant came up. The easiest thing would be just to call her and ask what happened, but there were two problems with doing that. First, I didn't want to bother her at work, and second, she might not want me swimming alone here anymore than in the lake. It would be better to put off all my questions until tonight so I went back to scrolling. If there was any way to do it, I'd get another swing up in that tree before the end of the week. For now I'd settle for finding the best people to call when the time came.

Names flew by on the little screen. There were a few possible swing hangers so far but I wanted to be sure I wasn't forgetting anyone. By the time I'd reached the end of the list I started to hear a faint sound. What was that, a new kind of boat on the lake? Was it someone I knew? I couldn't help feeling a little thrill. It would have been nice to have the pond to myself but maybe I'd get the answers to my questions sooner than I thought. I listened closer. The rumble was odd but also kind of familiar. There was a soft kind of thumping with it too. Even stranger than that, it seemed to be getting closer. The sound was so out of place that it took a moment for the familiar part to sink in... and then it did. The thrill I was feeling changed to something else. Was that a growl? My head snapped up. Yes, that was definitely a growl... and the sound of paws hitting the ground... very large paws! Nervously I scanned the trees, wondering where it was coming from. The answer came too quickly.

On the far, east side of the pond was a taller hill than the one I'd climbed to get here. That hill, and the trees on it, secluded this place from the rest of Miller's Landing. That's where I saw it. It was big, black, and very fast. At first I thought it was a bear but bears didn't move like that. Then the bark carried over the pond, and sent a cold shiver down my spine. The sight only got worse as the animal got closer. I could see them clearly now, the bared teeth of the biggest Rottweiler I'd ever seen. The monster looked so wild and ferocious, a terrified scream built up in my throat, but somehow it just stayed there, choking me.

In a panic I looked around. There was no way of outrunning it. The closest safe place was the tree beside me, so I jumped up and climbed. As the dog came howling around the pond; I pushed myself out onto the swing branch. My whole body was shaking. To keep myself from falling I laid forward on the branch and wrapped my arms around it. Where did this beast come from, and how was I going to get away from it? I looked down regretfully at the phone I'd dropped in my hurry to get up here.

The dog came barking up to the tree so fast that I thought it was going to jump right in it. Expecting to be pulled down by a set of sharp fangs any minute, I closed my eyes and squeezed the branch tighter. Then... nothing. Silence. Slowly I lifted my head, and opened my eyes. The Rottie was sitting at the foot of the tree just looking up at me.

"Shoo," I said shakily.

The dog whined and raised its paw a couple of times. Maybe it was out of surprise, but the strange move made me sit up. Dogs did that when they were asked for their paw. Huh! Ok so it wasn't likely this miniature grizzly came tearing through the woods looking for a handshake, but at least it wasn't growling anymore.

"Shoo. Go away," I said a little more loudly.

The dog just lay down with a yawn, and kept watching me. Well, that wasn't going to work, not that I really thought it would. Something had to though. No one knew I was here so help wasn't coming. There had to be a way to get out of this. Maybe if I broke off a branch and threw it really far, the dog would go fetch, and I could get away. It might have been a good idea if the panting below didn't reminded me how fast the beast was.

"Look I can't stay up here all day," I pleaded, "don't you have a squirrel to chase or something?"

The dog just tilted its head at me as if I was speaking another language. It was no use. There didn't seem to be any choice but to sit, wait, and hope it lost interest in me.

"Greta."

At first the second unexpected sound of the morning made me jerk but the surprise was quickly replaced by relief. By the way the animal's ears twitched I guessed that this was Greta. Unfortunately the ears were the only part of her that moved.

"Hello," I called out. "Can you come and get your dog please?"

There was no answer.

"Hello," I tried again, a little louder. "Can you hear me? Can you please come and get your dog?"

Again, there was no answer. Oh no, did the owner go searching in another direction? I stretched and bent looking for the caller, but the leaves blocked my view. Where did they go? I was about to shout one more time when I heard the footsteps below.

As he stepped clear of the leaves, the first things that came into sight were the jeans, faded and loose. The white t-shirt was next, then a head of shaggy, sandy brown hair. Finally he looked up, and my breathing stopped. I was looking into the most beautiful blue eyes I'd ever seen in my life.

"Who are you? What are you doing up there?"

His eyes pinned me, and for a minute I couldn't do anything more than look at his face. He was about my age, no, maybe a couple of years older. He had high cheek bones and a square jaw, and his bottom lip was a little bit fuller than his top one. Wow. He was gorgeous. It was with that thought that I remembered I was sitting up in a tree, and felt my face get hot. Ugh! Not one of my stupid blushes, not now!

"I... I'm Kaylee Ward." Was that my voice? "Your dog ran me up this tree."

That second part didn't seem to surprise him.

"Well she won't hurt you. Come down," he said. With a flick of his hand he motioned for the dog to move away, and it did.

Still a little shaky, I prayed I wouldn't slip into the pond and make a fool of myself. Slowly I edged back up to the tree and reached a foot out to a knot below. With one foot secure, I swung my other leg off the branch. Suddenly two hands took hold of my waist. They were big and strong, and their reach went almost all the way around me. My breath rushed in with a gasp. If he noticed he didn't let on. All he did was lower me to the ground and step back.

"Th-Thanks," I said.

My feet may have been on the ground but my head was spinning. To make things worse, the feel of his hold didn't go away when his hands did. It was like they'd left a soft, warm imprint on me. If I didn't get rid of that sensation fast I'd probably start blushing again. Then he'd think there was something wrong with me for sure. Pressing my elbows into my sides I struggled for something to say. Think Kaylee, think; get him talking and he might stop staring at you. He didn't turn away though. The closest he came to it was a quick glance to see where his dog had gone. Oh yeah, the dog...

"She's pretty scary when she's growling." Ugh, how lame, but it was all I could think of to say. Unfortunately, as a distraction, it didn't work.

"How did you get on this property?" he asked.

The strange response made me look up to his face. I almost wished I didn't. His voice may have been low and calm, but there was a hard line set to his jaw. It gave his face angles that would look fantastic on a statue. They didn't look right here though. After the way his dog came after me you'd think he'd have said he was sorry. Even an apologetic smile would work, and something told me that his smile was pretty powerful. Neither came. Well, if he was going to be so serious, then so was I.

"I walked over," I answered. "Connie Reese is my aunt. We live on the other side of that hill."

When I said Aunt Connie's name his eyes narrowed. That was a first. Everyone loved my aunt. I've never seen the mention of her cause that kind of reaction. Then his expression changed, but only a little. He seemed to examine every inch of my face like he was looking for something. The scan was so intense I could almost feel it pass over my skin. Was it possible for a blush to actually catch fire? Out of habit I flipped my hair forward a bit. Something had to lie between me and those probing eyes. After a few seconds he spoke again.

"You shouldn't be here. This is private property."

What!

"Private property?" I said. "What are you talking about? We've been using this pond for years."

"The land belongs to my family now," he said. "It's not open to the public anymore."

There had to be some kind of mistake. I glanced over at the pond. How many summers had I spent here? Not open to the public anymore? I wasn't _the public_. This was home.

"But..." I stammered. "But everyone uses this pond. It's part of the community. You can't just...."

"I'm sorry," he said.

Without another word he turned, and walked away through the field. The dog, Greta, went bouncing around him. Dazed silent, I watched him leave. With every step he took, the reality of what just happened came crashing in. He'd ordered me off of the property, his property. No! It was impossible.

The pond sparkled beside me, and suddenly all the emotions I had pent up for days came back to life. Resentment, excitement, fear, confusion; everything rolled up into one painful ball pushing against my chest. No. NO! Coming back was supposed to get rid of all of that. I wasn't supposed to lose anything anymore. Did he have any idea what this place meant to me? Could he even imagine how, every summer, all I wanted to do was get here? It was always the same. No matter what the year had been like, no matter how uncomfortable the days were or how empty I felt; getting to Miller's Pond was like crossing the finish line. Everything else melted away, and I belonged. This couldn't be happening. I couldn't lose this place, not when I needed it more than ever.

The stranger was disappearing in the distance. I wanted to call him back and tell him he'd made a mistake. He must have gotten turned around in the woods, and ended up in the wrong spot. The words wouldn't come though. I knew they weren't true. The ball of pain pushed harder. How could something so beautiful do something so horrible? When he was out of sight, I sank onto my towel. _I'm sorry_ he said, but he didn't mean it. Why would he be sorry? He didn't even care that his dog almost killed me. All he wanted was for me to leave. The first tear came out big and hot.

I don't know how long I sat there. Greta must have been very well trained because she never came back. To tell the truth, I'm not sure I would have noticed if she did. The rebel inside me said _you go when you're good and ready_. The problem with that was I knew I never would be. Finally, there was no avoiding it any more. I stood up, rolled up my towel, and threw it in my bag. Then, after one last agonizing look around, I slowly turned and walked back to my aunt's house.
Chapter 3

The New Neighbors

The ticking of the old fashioned clock on the fireplace mantle sounded like a drum in the quiet house. _Liar!_ I thought every time I looked at it. The tick, tick, ticking never stopped but the arms barely seemed to move. The lazy thing had no mercy. A few times, when I checked it and saw that only a few minutes had passed, I'd have loved to throw it in the lake. Actually I'd have loved to throw it in the pond but I wasn't welcome there. I was _the public_! By the time Aunt Connie returned I'd done exactly what I told her I would this morning, settled in. Yes, all of my things were unpacked and in their place, but that wasn't the point. The thing I'd really settled into was a smoldering anger.

Who did these new neighbors think they were, trying to change things around here? If they bought Miller's Landing that meant they were rich. Ok, lucky them, but if they thought that being rich, or having pretty blue eyes meant they could take my pond, they were wrong. I didn't have any idea what I could do about it, but maybe if I knew more about them I'd think of something. Dozens of questions piled up, and brewed in my mind for the rest of the day. When Aunt Connie finally walked through the door in the evening, I hopped off the sofa, and met her in the hall.

"Oh good, you're here," she said. "I was worried that I'd have to go searching down the beach for you."

"Hi Aunt Connie." I tried to smile, and not rush into questions too quickly. "No, I've been here most of the day."

"Well I want to hear all about what you did today, but we'll have to do it as we change." She said as she headed up the stairs. "We've been invited to the Gregory's for dinner."

Dinner out? Oh no, not tonight. I couldn't smile and make small talk when all I wanted to do was scream. There were so many questions battling in my head I could hardly climb the stairs without all of them bursting out. Besides I didn't even remember the people she mentioned.

"The Gregory's?" I said. "Who are they?"

"I told you yesterday," she answered. "They're the new neighbors, the ones that bought Miller's Landing."

Luckily my aunt was rifling through her closet. If she saw my face, the shock on it would probably scare her. After what happened this morning I'd think a visit from the Sheriff was a lot more likely than an invitation to dinner. Was this good? Would I have a chance to argue my case for using the pond; or would there just be more angry blue eyes to tell me _I'm sorry_?

"Are they nice?" I asked.

"Oh yes," said Aunt Connie. "They're not quite like most people around here though. Mr. Gregory is a land developer, and his wife is a biologist. They've lived in a lot of different places around the world so they're kind of... well.... worldly."

"Oh, then what are they doing here?"

Oops. Hold back the sarcasm Kaylee.

"They both say they prefer country life," Aunt Connie replied. "Oh, and they've got a couple of kids close to your age; a daughter, and the son and his wife live here too."

The light in the room seemed to fade just a bit. Married? Sure, he wasn't my favorite person right now, but... married?

"I met him today," I mumbled.

"What?" Aunt Connie's face peered around her closet door.

With a deep breath, I told her about my morning trip, and what happened at the pond. This was a story I'd been steaming to tell all day, but when I actually said the words out loud, the fight slowly drained out of me. I heard myself repeat what he said, _this is private property,_ and _it's not open to the public_. That part was the worst. When those words came out of my own mouth it sunk in, there was nothing I could do about this. Dinner with the Gregory's hung in front of me like a big black hole.

"Oh Kaylee." Aunt Connie came out from her closet, threw the yellow dress she'd chosen on the bed, and put her arm around me. "Didn't you listen to a thing I said yesterday? Look, the Gregory's are very nice people but they're also very private. Miller's Landing is their home now, we have to respect that."

It didn't make sense to me that Aunt Connie accepted this new _do not enter_ attitude so easily. Actually it was surprising that any of the locals did. The citizens of Jackson's Point were very good at helping newcomers fit in. Why hadn't they done it with the Gregorys? Sure, Miller's Landing was private property, but no owner actually lived there for as long as anyone could remember. No one ever complained about people using the pond or the beach. The property was huge, and those spots were at the edges of it anyway. How much privacy did these people need? Didn't anyone care that we couldn't go there anymore? If the locals weren't doing anything about this, what chance did I have?

I dragged my feet to my room. Why did we have to have dinner with the people who were taking away my favorite place in the world, and if that wasn't bad enough it looked like I had to dress up for it too. Aunt Connie had chosen a dress for tonight so I guessed that shorts or jeans were out. My eyes landed on the blue tank dress that was squashed to the side of the closet. I sighed and dug it out; ignoring the creases it had picked up on its way here. The Gregory's were not my friends, and I didn't need to impress them. I'd be polite for Aunt Connie's sake, but that's all.

An hour later we were pulling up a long driveway, after going down roads I'd never seen before. They must have been new. Great, more changes; my nails bit into my palm.

After one more bend in the winding road the house came into view. Wow! Ok, I didn't like these people, but this was a beautiful house. It was white, with two floors, and it was massive. A wrap around patio surrounded the first floor, and a balcony surrounded the second. Large columns rose from the ground to the roof, every twenty feet or so, and the windows were large with thick panes. If I didn't know better, I'd think we were pulling up to a southern plantation. The place looked like something out of a movie, right down to the large round, cobblestone front drive, and to the side, a ten car garage. I looked, wide eyed, at my aunt.

"I know, "she laughed. "Not your typical cottage, right?"

No kidding. If nothing else, Mr. Gregory had be a very good developer because there'd never been anything like this place in Jackson's Point before.

Aunt Connie parked the car to the right side of the house, and we got out. Close up, the house was even more amazing. There were designs in the columns that were so small the only way to see them was to get closer. I ran my hand over the soft lines on the column beside me.

"Ivy and doves," My aunt said. "It's the family crest."

"They have a family crest?" I looked at my aunt. She replied with a wry smile and a shrug.

"This is so delicate," I turned back to the design. "It looks like it was done by hand."

"I'm sure it took very special skills," Aunt Connie answered.

Yeah; it probably cost a fortune too. The same faint pattern was around all the windows, and the door frame. It gave the house a kind of formal look, and me, a sinking feeling. People who went to this much trouble to decorate the outside of their house would be protective of their property. The words _not open to the public_ rang through my ears again. Nervously, I ran my hand through my hair, and wished I'd taken a little time to work out the creases in my dress.

The front door was too close, and too far. It took a deep breath or two before I gathered the nerve to move towards it. I might have even made that first step if I didn't recognize the sound I heard. Thumping... big, fast thumping... I froze and looked around.

Greta raced out from behind the house, and headed straight for us. Aunt Connie saw her and froze too. There was no time to jump back into the car. The dog was beside me in seconds. It wasn't until then that I realized she hadn't been barking.

Something rough and wet ran across my hand. A kiss? Yes, a kiss! Then another, and a couple more before she pushed her head under my hand looking for a pet. I stroked her head, and was so shocked that I had to laugh.

"Hi Greta," I said leaning down to, what I could see now, was the cutest furry face. "You know if you were this polite this morning we would have gotten along much better."

The dog bounced around like I saw her do earlier today with her master. Then she came back, and nudged my hand with her head again. This time I gave her a good pet on the head and along her side, still laughing with relief and surprise.

"Alright then," I said to the overgrown puppy. "We'd better get up to the house now."

Greta bounced around one more time, then turned and headed for the door like a massive canine usher. I watched her in amazement, and then looked at my aunt. There it was again, that look that I had seen for a split second yesterday at the bus station. Was she tearing up?

"Aunt Connie, are you ok?" I asked.

She blinked, and once more, the suspicious shine in her eyes was gone.

"I take it you've already met." She pointed at Greta.

"Yeah," I replied. "That's the dog that found me at the pond this morning but, believe me, that's not the welcome I got then."

We reached the door, and Aunt Connie rang the bell. Did the Gregorys have servants? Would there be a butler in a tuxedo to answer the door? The door opened; no butler. Instead we were met by a pretty, petite woman with shiny black, shoulder length hair, and warm brown eyes. She had pale skin, and wore a lavender dress that was definitely a designer make. Though she was more stylish, there was something about her that reminded me of my aunt. It was in her smile.

"Connie!" She greeted my aunt with a hug. "I'm so glad you could make it tonight."

"Hello Anice," Aunt Connie replied. "Make it? Are you kidding? Who would ever pass up a dinner invitation from you?"

"Well you're going to love dinner tonight." Anice Gregory leaned towards my aunt as if they were sharing a secret. "I perfected a new recipe."

"Oh, I can't wait," said Aunt Connie, and then she turned slowly to me. "Anice I'd like you to meet my niece, Kaylee Ward. Kaylee this is Anice Gregory."

Ok, here it comes. At least she was friendlier than her son so far.

"It's nice to meet you, "I said.

Anice stepped toward me, smiling, yet looking at my face very closely. There was that feeling of being examined again. I held back the urge to flip my hair forward.

"Kaylee," she said. "We've been looking forward to meeting you ever since Connie told us you were coming."

"Um, thank you. I'm glad to be here."

I wasn't sure how to respond. This welcome wasn't what I expected after this morning, but then what did I think she would do; screech at me for trespassing right at the door? Worldly people were a lot more subtle than that. They usually complimented you first, and then stuck the knife in. I knew that from dozens of business dinners my father had at our house. Anice Gregory didn't have the uptight look of the knife sticking type though, and Aunt Connie did say the Gregorys were nice. Maybe tonight wouldn't be as bad as I thought.

"Come to the lounge," Anice put her arm around me, and aimed me towards a large doorway. "I'll introduce you to the rest of the family."

In spite of our hostesses friendly reception a few butterflies stirred in my stomach when we passed into the next room. Ten of my aunt's living rooms could have fit in the Gregory's lounge, and there were so many sofas in it that it looked like a hotel lobby. A huge painting of white cliffs covered a whole wall to the left of us, and a large fireplace covered most of the wall on the right. Across from us the windows stretched from wall to wall and from floor to ceiling. They only stopped in the middle where French doors were open out to the patio. Ha, and I thought the columns out front were special.

Everyone turned toward the door when we walked in. Déjà-vu. It was just like the first day at a new school. I hated this part. Out of habit I took a quick glance around, without focusing on anyone. Then I turned back to the teacher, or in this case, Anice Gregory. The first thought that came to me was _ugh, I could have worn jeans_. Most of them were dressed pretty casually. The second thought was _ok, there's not too many of them_. As we stepped in, the Gregorys got up and came over to say hello to Aunt Connie. Then they stood back, and looked eagerly at Anice.

"Everyone, this is Connie's niece Kaylee," she said.

Then I was guided to each person, one by one. Oh boy, another blush was burning its way to my face. I took a deep breath, and tried to meet the eyes of everyone she brought me to.

"Kaylee, this is my husband Richard," said Anice.

Richard Gregory was tall and handsome. He wore a white shirt, and a black tie that matched his pants. His dark brown hair had grey streaks on the side, and his hazel eyes were welcoming. Despite the grey hair, his face was young looking just like, as I'd noticed earlier, his wife. Hmm, I wondered what exotic spas had helped to keep the years away. Maybe the Gregory's would have interesting stories about their travels.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Gregory," I said, shaking his hand. "Your house is beautiful."

"That's very kind, thank you, and it's a pleasure to meet you too Kaylee," he replied. "But please, it's just Richard."

I nodded.

"This is my daughter Cecilia."

Next, Anice pointed me to a pretty blonde girl, who was probably my age. At first glance she looked like the kind of girl I wouldn't like on sight at school. Her white, sleeveless top was a little too tight, and her flowery orange skirt was a little too short; but, she had sparkling blue eyes, and a smile that brought out dimples in her cheeks. There was something very open and friendly about her that was hard to resist.

"Everyone calls me CeCe," she said, as she shook my hand.

"Hi CeCe," I smiled back.

"This is CeCe's boyfriend AJ." With a playful smirk, Anice gestured to a husky guy with blonde wavy hair, and about two days worth of scruff on his face. "He always seems to show up around dinner time."

"That's not really true." AJ gave me a firm handshake, and smiled proudly at Anice. "It's not just for dinner; any meal is ok with me."

"Hi AJ," I replied.

AJ was dressed in a black t-shirt, and long white shorts. He had a heavy Australian accent, and the twinkle in his eye hinted that he was going to be a lot of fun. I got the feeling that he and CeCe were a perfect pair.

"This is my daughter-in-law Margaret," said Anice.

The next person in line was a tall, slim, red-head with flawless white skin. She had a long, flowing dress on in an emerald green color that matched her eyes. _Of course;_ I thought a little sadly. He had a beautiful wife.

"Hello," I said. It was all I could manage.

"It's very nice to meet you," she said kindly. "Please call me Maggie."

"And this is my son Ryder," said Anice.

We'd come to the last person. This was the one I'd secretly been dreading.

"Hi there," he said, and extended his hand.

"Hi." I started to say _again,_ but when I actually looked up at Ryder, I realized he had brown eyes, not blue, and that his hair was black, not sandy brown. I blinked. Except for the height, Ryder didn't look like the guy I met this morning at all. His hair was longish, though it didn't touch his shoulders, and he wore black jeans with an open black denim vest over a blue shirt.

"Nice to meet you all," I said.

I scanned the room again but this time I examined each face. None had the strong jaw or the beautiful eyes I remembered from this morning. Who was he then? He'd said _this land belongs to my family now_. Did he mean the family he worked for?

"Where's William?"

My head shot up as I heard my aunt's question. William?

"Right here."

I may have only heard that voice once before but there was no mistaking who it belonged to. Maybe it was the strange way that we met or all the emotions that ran through me in just those few minutes. Either way, there was something about that low tone that made it seem more like something I felt than something I heard. I turned to the doorway and saw him walk in. He said hello to Aunt Connie, then walked straight up to me, and put out his hand.

"Hello again Kaylee," he said.

"Hello William," I replied, and hoped like crazy that I wouldn't blush.

He wasn't smiling like the rest of them, but the hard lines from this morning were gone from his face. That made it much easier to look into those eyes now, though I had to remind myself not to look too long.

"It's Will," he corrected.

I liked his handshake. It was firm, but not tight, and his hands were soft and smooth. The only complaint I had was that he let go too quickly. As we stood there for another incredibly long second, Greta came around from behind him, and propped her head under my other hand. He looked down at her, and I saw those eyes narrow, ever so slightly, again.

"Oh yes," said Anice.

She put her arm around me again, and led me to a sofa.

"You've already met my nephew. I'm so sorry about the pond Kaylee. You see, I have some experimental plants on the grounds so we can't let anyone walk around unescorted."

He was the nephew, not the married son! The thought echoed through my mind making Anice's words sound like they were travelling through a tunnel. What did make it through clearly was the word pond. What did she say? I turned towards Anice, and tried to focus as everyone sat down.

"You see the seedlings are so delicate," she continued, "walking into them, unaware, could seriously damage them. Also, some of them have natural defense toxins, so a person could get very painfully stung."

"Oh! I 'm sorry, I didn't know." I apologized. "I'd never want to damage anything."

"Don't worry, getting stung is a lot worse than trampling those things," AJ said, holding up his leg. There was a nasty red mark on his calf.

"Ow!" I said. "Does that hurt?"

"Yes!" He whined dramatically, and pretended to faint onto CeCe's lap. "I need tender loving care!"

CeCe laughed, and pushed him off.

"Anice already took care of you, you big baby," she teased. AJ got back up with a grin, and sat on the sofa throwing his arm around her.

Anice shook her head with amusement, and then turned back to me.

"Maybe we can make some arrangements for you to use the pond," she said. "That is, if you don't mind at least one of us coming along with you."

"That would be great," I answered, giving Anice my first real smile since this morning.

"How about tomorrow? " CeCe moved to the spot next to me on the sofa, and pointed at AJ. "That one's leaving me tonight, so I'll have nothing to do all day."

"Tomorrow's perfect," I said. Yes, CeCe and I were going to get along just fine.

The evening was pretty good after that. Aunt Connie was right; the Gregory's were nice people. I could see what she meant too, about them being worldly. For one thing, none of the Gregory kids called their parents Mom or Dad. It was Richard and Anice. They said it so naturally too that, after a while, I didn't really notice it anymore. The other thing that was obvious was that the Gregory's were very down to earth. The kids had probably had tutors or a private school education. You could tell that when a formal word or two slipped into the conversation, but again it was all natural. They joked and laughed a lot too. I liked them.

The only holdout was Will. He didn't join in on any of the conversations. While the rest of us chatted, he stood leaning on the fireplace, and just watched. Though I would have liked to hear that voice a little more, I didn't mind the spot that he chose to stand in. The fireplace was right behind Richard, and that made it easy to sneak peeks at the Gregory's cousin when Richard spoke. Those glances gave me a chance to take a good look at him. He really was gorgeous. His face was already familiar, but now I saw that he was about six feet tall, and that there were definitely muscles under the loose black shirt he wore tonight. I could see hints of them when he shifted because his shirt wasn't buttoned to the top. It wasn't tucked into his faded jeans either, and the fabric folded over his hands as they stayed hitched in his front pockets.

There was no expression on Will's face that would give a clue of his mood. He seemed to be listening to what everybody said, but never replied or added anything. Many times when I glanced over at him he was looking down at the ground or out the window as if he was thinking. Other times when I looked over, I found him looking straight back at me. His stare always caught me by surprise, and I turned away quickly hoping I wouldn't blush.

Finally Anice returned from one of her many checks of the kitchen, and announced that dinner was ready. The dining room was beautiful. Windows covered the wall on the patio side just like in the lounge. The rest of the walls were painted a dusty green with an ivy and dove pattern border. There was a very long, shiny wood table in the middle of the room. The chairs around it were made of the same wood but were cushioned with pillow top seats that matched the color of the walls. A soft light glow came down from the three large chandeliers above us, and it made the double gold rings at the edges of the plain white china sparkle. I didn't know what dinner would taste like, but we were sure going to eat like royalty.

Richard sat at one end of the table, and Anice at the other. I sat next to Richard, with CeCe on my other side, and Will across from me. Ugh, I hoped I wouldn't pick up the wrong fork or something. What was the rule? Start outside and work your way in? Salads were set out on the table, and everyone helped themselves. Richard served a large portion into my plate, and spoke as he passed the bowl to Will.

"So Kaylee, I understand that you're with us because of a promotion your father received?" he said.

"Yes, my father's been working toward this for a very long time," I answered. "He works for a major textile firm. The new job is an executive position at their head office in Spain."

"Well that's impressive," said Richard. "What about your mother? Does she work as well?"

"Mom has her own business," I said. "She's an accountant."

"Really," Richard replied. "Those are two very demanding careers or should I say three? I hear you also have a brother and sister. Being parents to three kids is certainly challenging career on its own. "

"Well they had a lot of great Nannies to help them out."

Oh no, please tell me he didn't hear the sarcasm in what I just said. As nice as Mr. Gregory was, I was sure he wasn't interested in the drama of my always too busy parents. I looked at the pile in front of me, and wondered whether he'd notice if I changed the subject. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that he wasn't eating. Yes, he'd notice. The one thing that I'd already learned about Richard Gregory was that when he spoke to someone, he gave them his full attention. There wasn't really any point in not answering his questions. It wasn't like I had something to hide.

"When I was small my parents worked a lot of hours so they hired Nannies to help out," I told him. "When Mom had my brother she moved her business into the house. She meant to take care of us herself. Unfortunately work got too busy so the Nannies stayed. I didn't mind that. The Nannies were great."

"Yes, I'm sure they were," said Richard.

He was watching me too closely. Did I sound cheerful enough or did he see right through me? Yes, Mom was home but when she wasn't working, well, babies needed a lot more attention than ten year olds. Then when my sister was born the next year, there was a new baby to take care of, and a toddler to chase. What did I really have to complain about? Ok, I didn't get to spend a lot of time with Mom and Dad, but there weren't many things I wanted that I didn't get. They always made sure of that.

"I'm still not clear on why you're here, and not in Spain with them," said Richard.

"It was my choice really," I replied. "This is going to be my last year of High School, and my parents were worried that a different language and new curriculum might hurt my grades. They didn't want my college applications to suffer, so they thought about Dad giving up his promotion so we could stay behind. I convinced them to let me come here instead."

Richard nodded thoughtfully.

"That was very generous of you," said Richard, "and very brave."

There was that word again. Every time I heard it in the last month it made me cringe. It's easy to be what some people call brave when you have no other choice. I knew I couldn't say that to Richard. He wouldn't understand. I'm not sure that I understood it either. All I knew was that I never even considered moving to Spain or having my father give up his promotion. Once I got the idea to come to Miller's Landing, it was the only thing I could imagine doing.

"Not really," I said. "This is best for everybody, and I'm still with family."

Our host smiled and exchanged a glance with his wife. I pretended not to notice, and hoped that my sigh wasn't too obvious. Would they approve of me as much if they knew that it was selfishness, and not courage, that brought me here? I guess it really didn't matter. The end result was the same.

"Yes, that's true, and I agree that this was probably the best course of action," said Richard. "What about the change of schools though, will that be difficult for you? I'm sure it's hard enough to leave home but won't you miss your friends as well?"

Wow, Richard was sure asking some tough questions. If he only knew how complicated the answers were he'd probably stick to the small talk we'd had up until now. I couldn't really hold the conversation against him. It wasn't nosiness; he was just trying to be polite and show an interest in me.

"There are a few friends I'll miss, but other than that I wanted to come here," I said. "I only started going to my old school last year. There wasn't really enough time to get attached to much. Besides, I've spent most of my summers at Jackson's Point so it's more like coming home than leaving it."

Richard didn't need to know the rest of that story. He didn't need to hear how many times I'd changed schools, or that friends weren't something I collected. It wasn't that I never made any, but by the time I'd started my last semester I was tired of trying to fit in. Trying never helped anyway. Either everyone wants to know you, or nobody does. In the end it didn't matter to me which happened. All I wanted was to be finished with high school, and to start living my own life; preferably somewhere I could stay a while.

"What about College? Is there something you plan to study?"

"No," I sighed. "It's kind of frustrating, and hard to explain."

"Can you try?" he urged.

"Well," I hesitated. "I'm pretty sure there's a perfect career out there for me because I feel kind of driven to get to... something. I think that, when I figure what that _something_ is, everything will fall into place. I haven't been able to do that yet though."

It was a horrible answer, and it didn't even make sense to me, but to my surprise, Richard seemed to like it. He leaned back in chair, and dug into his salad with a smile.

"Don't worry Kaylee, your revelation will come," he said.

It was a typical adult response but it was way better than being given a ton of well-meant advice that I didn't ask for. I snuck a peek over at Will. He was frowning again, and looking right at me. Why? So I hadn't figured out what to study, or even where to go to college yet, so what? There was still a whole year to think about it. The Gregory's quiet cousin wasn't going to intimidate me like this morning so this time I returned his stare. Bad idea. He didn't look away, and those piercing eyes seemed to burn right into me. Something in my stomach fluttered, and I squashed the need to shift in my seat. When Aunt Connie spoke, I sighed with relief at having excuse to turn away.

"Honestly Anice," she raised her hands as if she was surrendering. "Even the salad is fantastic. I don't recognize half the greens in here but I tell you I could probably live, very happily, on this salad for the rest of my life."

She had a point. Each leaf in the salad was an unfamiliar shape and color. Normal lettuce didn't look like this, and it definitely didn't taste like this. The rest of the meal was just as incredible. Every time Anice lifted the lid from a serving dish the most wonderful smells filled the air, but that was nothing compared to how everything tasted. Every flavor was so delicious that you couldn't wait for the next bite. I couldn't remember the last time I ate that much.

Between spoonfuls, I spent the rest of the meal chatting with CeCe. We talked about the things there were to do at Jackson's Point, and she told me about some of the places she'd been; London, Paris, Rome. In a way I guess we had a lot in common. The Gregory kids had moved around a lot just like me. They didn't seem to mind so much though. It must be easier with a brother or sister close to your age. My brother was nine years younger than me, and my sister, eleven. We didn't exactly share the same interests.

"That's a pretty crystal," she fingered the chain around my neck. "What's that inside it?"

"Oh thanks," I replied. "It's not crystal, it's just a glass charm, and that's a water drop in a circle of ripples in the middle. I've got no idea how they got the picture in there but I liked it. Actually I got it here at the Sutton Fair."

"Hey! A Fair; that sounds great," she said. "Do they have rides and everything?"

"Yup," I replied. "Rides, food, animal shows, vendors, the whole works."

"Horses?" CeCe's eyes lit up.

"Yeah, they have those too," I nodded.

"Woo Hoo," she cheered. "We have to go!"

"CeCe..." Ryder shook his head.

"What?" she smirked at him playfully then smiled at me. "I like horses."

"Ok, then we'll go when it opens," I agreed.

CeCe had an easy smile, and great sense of humor. I probably would have laughed more at her witty one-liners, but I was always conscious of Will across the table from me. It wasn't that he was unpleasant, but he was just so quiet. The silence made me fidget, and too many times, glance over at him. He wasn't watching me, instead his face just turned in the direction of the conversation. What was he thinking? Speak! Say something!

The sign that dinner was over came when Richard stood up from his seat. We all did the same. Out of habit I began to gather the dishes into neat stacks.

"Oh Dear!" Anice said. "Don't bother yourself with those."

"Really, I'd like to help with something," I replied.

"Absolutely not," she commanded. "You're our guest, and besides this will take us no time. Richard, why don't you take Connie and Kaylee out to the patio while the rest of us finish up in here?"

Richard was already leading Aunt Connie out of the dining room and waving for me to follow.

"Dinner was really great, thank you," I said to Anice.

"You're very welcome," she said.

Richard and Aunt Connie were waiting for me by the French doors, and together we went outside. The patio was huge. It was as wide as the house, and stretched out about forty feet. Tall white lamps stood all around it casting a hazy light on the beautiful stone tiles covering the ground. Teak sofas and chairs with blue cushions were grouped around in cozy little spots, and large, palm-like plants stood at the patios four corners. Aunt Connie and I sat down on one of the teak sofas, and Richard sat in a chair across from us.

A cool breeze was coming off the lake. If it was daytime we could have seen the water, just over there, to the north. Instead, we could only hear it breaking gently on the shore, and against the dock. I didn't mind what we couldn't see, mostly because I was gazing at what we could. The sky was full of stars, and they seemed to hang so low that I could almost believe they touched the lake.

"I'm glad that you both joined us this evening." Richard looked relaxed as he leaned back in his chair. "I hope you're enjoying yourselves."

"I am," I replied and Aunt Connie nodded. I glanced over at her, and for the third time since I arrived, I saw that strange look on her face. It didn't make sense. Just a few seconds ago she was laughing at something Richard said.

"It's beautiful out here," Richard continued. "I can't think of anyplace else I'd rather be. Have you ever had that feeling; that you were exactly in the right place at the right time?"

His words rang a bell. For the moment I put my wondering about Aunt Connie's mood aside.

"Yes," I answered. "It started yesterday when I got off the bus."

I forced the memory of this morning away. It didn't fit.

"Really?" Richard's eyes smiled. "Why do you think that is?"

"Oh I always feel like that when I come here," I said.

"But why is that?" he asked.

"Well I guess there are a few reasons," I replied. "We always come on summer break so I'm sure that's got a lot to do with it. Plus my family moves a lot because of my Dad's job, so it's kind of nice to have a regular place to come back to."

"I see."

Richard was still smiling, although I thought he looked disappointed in my answer. I knew that I wasn't as good with words as his kids were, but feelings were sometimes hard to describe.

The breeze blew some wisps of my hair around. It felt good on such a warm night. I closed my eyes, and turned towards the wind to let it cool my face. When I opened them again the moon had come out from behind a stray cloud. The moonlight was so bright that it lit up the beach, and flashed across the ripples in the water. With the stars above, and the sparkling water below, it was hard to imagine anything more beautiful than that view.

"It's like magic," I thought out loud.

"What was that?" Richard sat forward. The interest was back in his eyes.

"Sorry, I was daydreaming," I confessed. "It's just that it's so beautiful here, and every time I come it feels so special. I don't really know how to explain why. Magic is the only word that came to me."

"I think magic is a great word," Richard grinned, "and I don't think you're wrong."

That last comment, coming from Richard, surprised me a little. Maybe it shouldn't have because his family definitely liked to joke and tease each other. He seemed more like a listener than a joker though. Everything he said all night was friendly but it was pretty to the point. It was nice to see that he had a sense of humor too.

"I'm not wrong," I agreed with a grin, "and I'm pretty sure I saw fairies in the trees along your driveway."

"Hmm, that would be interesting," Richard replied. "But let's go back a bit. Let's say that magic really did exist in the world today. What do you think it would be like?"

"Seriously?" I giggled.

"Yes," he said and sat back again. "What do you think?"

Although I didn't expect this kind of talk when we came out here, I thought this game could be fun. Richard seemed very interested in what I would say so I thought about it for a while.

"Well, if magic existed in the world today I think it would probably be a secret because no one knows about it," I said.

"Ok, go on," Richard replied.

"And I guess the people who could do it would look like the rest of us because we don't know about them either," I continued. "I'm not counting the magicians on TV."

"I'm with you so far," Richard said. "What do you think magic could do?"

"Um, move things," I said, "and make things disappear and reappear."

"What else?" he asked.

"I want to say that the people who could do it could fly," I said, frowning, "but then I think we would see them."

"Maybe," said Richard. "What else?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "What do you think?"

There was a flash of something on Richard's face. Though he sat very calm, he looked kind of cautious too. I didn't really understand why, I mean this was just a game. As he started to speak though, his voice sounded as confident as if he were telling us his name.

."Imagine magic as force of nature," he said, "existing everywhere, just like the air we breathe, and having its own special effect on the world."

"That sounds kind of nice," I mused.

"Yes," he nodded. "Now take that a step further and imagine that, for some people, the magic wasn't just around them but in them too. It was part of who they were, and what they could do. Imagine that it also kept them young, and even made them immortal."

"I think I'd wish I could be one of those people," I replied.

"Well," Richard paused for a moment, and waved his right hand. "That's more possible than you think."

Did I hear him right? I started to ask what he meant, but I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. It was in the direction that Richard had waved, and when I turned to see what it was, my mouth just fell open. Were my eyes were playing tricks on me? I squinted and looked harder. Three things, small, white, and steaming, were drifting towards us from the patio door. Drifting on air! Wide eyed, I leaned toward them. Those things, getting closer every second... were three china coffee cups. One stopped in front of each one of us.

My eyes felt like they would pop out of my head. I turned to Aunt Connie who just smiled and nodded at me. Yes, I was sure this time; there was a tear flowing down her cheek. Everything looked so real, but how could it be? Was I dreaming? Maybe I was still back at the house in bed. Maybe this whole day hadn't even happened.

"Yes, you're really seeing what you think."

My head snapped up at Richard's voice. He was looking at me with a gentle smile and, what was that, concern?

"Magic?" I whispered to no one.

The world tilted, and suddenly a part of me wasn't so sure about this supposedly kind man. What was going on here? Why was my aunt in tears? Why am I seeing things floating in the air? What were those strange leaves in the salad? Had we been drugged?

I jumped up forgetting the floating cup in front of me, and it went crashing to the ground. The sound of breaking glass jolted me out of my shock. This was no illusion or trick. It was real. Those were real pieces of china on the ground. There was real coffee spilled on my shoe. REAL. I scanned all around us and back up to the patio doors, but there were no strings or hidden carts. The only thing I saw was a familiar shape standing in the doorway. Will was watching us, he was real too.

Something in the air changed, and the part of me that didn't want to run, drew a deep breath, and sat back down. No one spoke. The only sounds in the air were the wind rustling through the trees, and the lake lapping against the shore. If it wasn't for those things I'd swear the whole world was standing still. Richard didn't move. He met my eyes as I searched his face the way his family had been searching mine all night. I don't know what I was looking for but his open confidence made something stir inside me. It was more a feeling than an actual thought but I recognized it. Whenever I moved to a new place this was the sense that helped me. It told me which people would make good friends, and which ones would be trouble. This sense had never failed me so far, and it was growing like a light deep in my chest right now. The brighter it got, the closer I looked at our host. Finally there was no denying what I'd just learned, and there was nothing else I could do but ask;

"Why are you telling me this Richard?"

"You know don't you," He said. "You know I'm telling you the truth."

"Yes," I breathed.

Nodding, Richard leaned forward, and rested his elbows on his knees. Though it didn't seem possible, his face looked even kinder than it had before. There was something else on it too, a gentle smile that looked almost proud.

"There are two kinds of people in the world Kaylee," he said softly. "There are the people that you've grown up with and known all your life. They are good people, with regular abilities, who are living what is considered normal lives."

He paused, and I nodded so he continued.

"Then there are people like me and my family. They are people in whom the power of magic presents, and with it comes immortality. I believe that you are one of those people Kaylee. I believe that you are the reason my family and I are here."
Chapter 4

Fragile

"I still don't think it's me."

The same bag was over my shoulder as yesterday morning. It carried the same things. I was walking the same path, and it was the same kind of day with the sun shining, the lake shimmering, and the breeze blowing through the trees. Everything looked the same, but the world couldn't have been more different.

"Nobody thinks it's them," CeCe strolled along beside me. "But you're the Presenter. I'm positive."

"Humph," I scoffed. "You guys thought it was my aunt too. You were wrong about her."

"Can't really blame us for that Kaylee," my new friend laughed. "I mean just look at her. Something's keeping her looking that young. If it's not magic in her body then it's magic in a lotion."

"I just mean that, well, shouldn't I feel something?"

Although CeCe's smile was contagious it couldn't touch me. Last night's talk with Richard had left my head pounding. I could hardly even recognize my own mind from the new things it thought about now. They expected powers to present in me. In ME! Just the fact that I had woken up today in a world where people with powers existed was surreal enough. The idea that I could be one of them was something I just couldn't believe.

"Well what do you expect, magic dust coming out of your ears?" CeCe put her arm around me, and gave me a little shake. "You won't feel anything until you actually present."

"But how can you be so sure that it's me?" I asked.

"Well to be honest we can't," she said. "But I'd be willing to stake a few hundred years on it. There are too many signs for us to be wrong, and Richard very rarely is."

"What do you mean signs?" I asked.

"Well for one, you got on the property by yourself yesterday."

"So what," I grumbled, disappointed. "I've been doing that for years."

"Yeah but there haven't been Imms living here for years," CeCe answered.

"Imms?"

"Immortals, us." She replied. "When Imms live somewhere it becomes magical ground. It's not so much a law of nature as a law of magic. Mortals stay away from Imm property, they can see it and everything, but they just can't have any interest in it. They never get the urge to go, or even to think about the place. It's very rare for a mortal to come on to Imm land, and you did."

"But so did Aunt Connie," I said.

"Yes, but Connie can because she's been awakened. You can do it on your own."

"What do you mean she's been awakened?"

CeCe stopped walking, and her smile faded just a little. She blinked at me a few times as if she was considering what she was about to say.

"Well, the thing is Kaylee that, mortals can't remember us," she said. "If we talk to one they'll forget it happened as soon as we walk away. It starts right from the time we present. Everyone we know, our friends, our families, the memory of us fades away until they all forget we ever existed."

"What?" I said.

CeCe took my hand.

"Now don't get upset," she said, "it doesn't have to stay like that. Awakening is what we call lifting our barriers from a mortal. When you present, you can make everyone remember you for as long as you want."

It should have been harder to imagine what CeCe was describing. At first the thought of everyone I knew forgetting I existed was horrifying, but the truth of my life wasn't far from that though, was it? I'd lost touch with every friend I ever had, no matter how much we swore it wouldn't happen. They'd moved on, and so did I. As for my family...

"Will Richard really ask me to become a Gregory if I present?" I asked.

Her pigtails bounced up and down as CeCe nodded.

"Oh good, he told you about that already. Yes, that's part of the whole presenting process," she said. "After you get your powers, the family that was sent for you invites you to join them. We'll be sisters. Won't that be great?"

It was insane. So I was supposed to get magical powers, everyone I ever knew was supposed to forget me, and I'd become a member of a family I'd just met yesterday. Sure. I bet this kind of thing happens all the time.

"Kaylee."

CeCe tugged on my hand pulling me out of my thoughts.

"The choice will be yours," she said. "You don't have to lose anything that you don't want to."

CeCe was biting her bottom lip, and twisting her fingers. Oh no, she thought she scared me. I didn't want to tell her what I was really thinking but I didn't want her to feel bad either.

"I get it," I said. "It's just a lot to think about all at once."

I added a shrug and a smile, and that brought back CeCe's grin.

"Just think of your aunt," said CeCe as we started walking again. "She's awakened, and she remembers everybody."

Oh yes, and then there was the subject of my aunt. Last night, in an evening of huge shocks, one of the biggest was Aunt Connie. I couldn't understand why she stayed so quiet while Richard did all the talking. All she did was smile and nod, and that wasn't like her. The fact that she didn't object to anything Richard said had a little to do with me believing him, but to be honest, her tears scared me. It wasn't until later that I found out they were actually happy tears.

When we got home, Aunt Connie and I stayed up talking through two pots of tea, and a lot more of her custard tarts than I wanted to think about. She told me about the night Richard explained everything to her too. Apparently she thought he was some kind of weirdo at first, and almost hit him. Now that sounded like my aunt. Since then though, she'd spent a lot of time with the Gregorys, and could tell me for sure that what I'd already accepted was true. Immortals with powers really existed, and she was thrilled that I might turn out to be one of them.

"Just imagine how exciting your life will be," she'd said. "You'll be able to see and do things most people can't even dream of."

It didn't help much. Even with someone I trusted saying it I still didn't understand why they all thought this would happen to me? Aunt Connie told me about the Gregorys first thinking she was the Presenter but, when four months passed and no powers came, Richard realized he was wrong. She said that it really seemed to confuse him until he heard that she was expecting a niece to visit. He told her that it was possible they'd been drawn to her because of me, and he wanted to meet me as soon as I came. The rest was very recent history.

I didn't know what Richard thought he saw in me last night but, as far as I was concerned, he was as wrong about me as he'd been about Aunt Connie. Really, the idea that I'd wake up one day and become an Immortal with powers was crazy. There was no way that was going to happen. What I did believe, though, was that the Gregorys were what Richard and my aunt said, and my curiosity was burning to see what they could do. I especially wondered what powers a certain pair of blue eyes had, besides giving me butterflies the size of elephants.

At last CeCe and I reached the top of the hill, and I looked down on my pond. Ryder and Maggie were already there, and they'd put out three lounge chairs, a picnic table topped with two coolers, and... a tire swing! I could feel the smile spreading across my face. Without another word I skipped down the hill to the familiar scene. At last, something that made sense. CeCe's giggles followed me, and although she didn't sound like my cousin Sandy, the laughing felt familiar too.

"Good morning," called Maggie as we got closer, and Ryder waved.

"Hi!" I waved back and stole a look around the pond; no Will. My skip turned back into a walk. Sure, it was going to be easier to have fun without worrying about him watching me, but it still didn't feel right. Will was the first member of the family I met here, and apart from the way he looked, that was pretty much a horrible memory. He should have been here so that we could have a new one.

"You know I didn't even know this place existed," Ryder said. He took off his shirt, and I saw that Will wasn't the only muscle man in the family. "This is a great little pond. Come on Kaylee, I'll race you across."

"Um," I almost laughed.

"Come on," he urged. "I swear I won't use powers."

"Huh!" This time I did laugh, and pointed my finger back and forth at his biceps. "I don't think that would make any difference."

"Don't pay any attention to those," CeCe said peeling off her cover up, and revealing a cute but tiny pink bikini. "He swims like a mortal."

Ryder leaped at his sister, and she gave a little scream. The two of them went running off into the water. Beside me Maggie had taken off her cover up too, and I was glad to see that she wore a one piece like mine. The only difference was that hers was gold, and mine was blue, oh yes, and that she looked like a model in hers. As usual my suit was under my t-shirt and shorts so, I took them off. Maggie and I walked down to the water together.

"How are you feeling this morning?" she asked. "I know last night must have been pretty shocking for you."

"Yeah," I admitted. "I think I'm still shocked. I keep waiting to wake up."

Maggie took my hand, and squeezed it. She gave me an understanding smile, and I wondered how long it had been since she heard the same speech that I heard yesterday. However long it was, she was the first person to actually ask me how I felt and I liked her for that. Maybe it would be better to go to Maggie with questions instead of CeCe. Not that CeCe wasn't great, but she was definitely more the _enjoy now, worry later_ type. It wasn't exactly easy to follow her lead when I had so many questions spinning in my head. Maggie seemed more sympathetic to that. I was about to thank her when we both got pushed back a step by a small wave. A second later another wave, small but powerful, pushed us back a little more.

"Hey you too," Maggie called to Ryder and CeCe. "Take it easy will you."

My two other new friends were playing a wild game of splash around the middle of the pond. Ryder may have promised not to use powers with me but he obviously wasn't doing CeCe the same favor. They chased each other so fast, on top and under the water, that my eyes had trouble following them. Now and then one of them surfaced in a leap that would put dolphins to shame, and with the leap, came the splash. Maybe splash wasn't the right word; their attacks were more like a fire hoses going off. Every time they soaked each other I looked at the bank to see if the water level dropped.

"Are they always like this?" I asked.

"CeCe is," Maggie replied. "Ryder can keep up with her but, luckily for me, he's usually pretty tame."

"And she stays in fun mode," I guessed, and laughed as the latest splash sent Ryder flying. CeCe turned a big grin in our direction and winked at us.

"CeCe probably enjoys being an Imm more than the rest of us." Maggie said. "She was a late bloomer. Her powers didn't present until she was in her forties."

"Really?" Surprised, I turned back to Maggie. "But Richard said that powers present in the late teens."

"They usually do," replied Maggie. "Mine came when I was nineteen, but they can actually present any time. In CeCe's case, she wasn't just older; she was having health problems too. When her powers presented she got healthy and young again, all at the same time. Those things were always more important to her than the powers, and she's never taken them for granted."

"Carpe diem, huh?" I said.

"Yup," Maggie answered. "That's CeCe's motto, although with her it's more like; seize the day, and night, and string together as many as you can."

We both laughed.

"So powers make you young?" I asked. I didn't really understand what Richard said about that last night.

"Sort of, but not exactly," said Maggie. "Natural magic has incredible regenerating power. It keeps our bodies at peek health. Since that includes skin, hair and everything else on the outside as well as what's inside, we stay young. Plus we heal fast, and never get sick."

"'But Richard and Anice,'' I said. "They look older."

"Yes, because they've made themselves look that way," she explained. "It's easier for them to blend in with mortals, and introduce themselves as our parents if they look older. They could look as young as you and me if they wanted to though. I just don't think they would ever do it. Most heads of houses take on an older appearance. It's kind of a status symbol."

That last comment just brought on more questions, but before I could ask them both Maggie and I were knocked over by a large wave. The surprise hit dazed me for a minute, and between coughing up water and fumbling for a foot hold, I tried to get up. Then another wave hit. This one was stronger than the first. It spun me around, and pulled me under. As everything became a blur of rushing water, panic squeezed my throat. The spin made it hard for me to tell which way was up, and an undertow was pulling me sideways. Kicking wildly with my legs, I fought against the ferocious tide. Somehow one of my feet felt the bottom of the pond, and I pushed myself to the surface.

Gasping for air, I looked around anxiously for Maggie, but couldn't see anyone. Then another wave knocked me down. No! I wanted to scream but my lungs burned, and what air was left in them pushed out in a cough. My arms pulled frantically for the surface. Air! I needed air. My legs gave one more desperate push.

I was out. The water still reached to my waist, but the rest of me had escaped. A violent cough grabbed me, and water came spilling out of my mouth. The pain of it bent me over, and I could see my reflection in the surface of the water. My eyes were wide red saucers. My hair was splattered all over my face, and my fight to escape had left my body shaking. Then I noticed something else. The water around me was calm, but only for a few feet. Further away it was just as rough as the waves that had pulled me under. Above me, huge blasts of water were flying but they broke, again, just a few feet away. It was like standing under a dome, and watching a horrible storm outside.

I couldn't see anything except for the water breaking all around me. Where were the others? Were they alright? What was happening? Fear petrified me where I was. If I moved I'd step into that storm again. My arms were wrapped tightly around my chest, and my lungs still hurt, but even frozen like that, the next thing that happened made me jump.

All of the sudden the air was filled with a loud boom like thunder, and when it stopped, all the water fell and stopped moving. As the sun touched me again, I slowly turned around to see what happened. At first Maggie was about twenty feet away, and then suddenly she was beside me. Though I felt her arm go around my back, I couldn't make out what she was saying. Looking into her worried face, I tried to focus on her words.

"It's alright Kaylee," she said. "You'll be ok."

I managed a shaky nod. Maggie gave me a little smile, and then turned to flash an angry glare at the centre of the pond. Following her gaze I spotted Ryder and CeCe next to each other. CeCe had her hand over her mouth looking like she was going to cry. Ryder just bobbed in the water. His face was pale, and his mouth hung open in shock. Their game was over. I guess I wasn't cut out to play. Not sure what else to do, I turned to walk back out to shore, and that's where I saw him.

Will's face didn't leave any doubt where the thunder had come from. The crashing waves, the undertow, the spinning, he'd made it all stop. How did he do it? And how did he even know I was in trouble? The only thought I could form was to get to him. Will was on solid ground. Maybe my legs would stop shaking there. Before I could move, two strong arms replaced Maggie's, and I was being carried to shore.

"I'm sorry Kaylee," said Ryder. "We weren't thinking."

"We were complete idiots!" cried CeCe. "Please don't hate us. I'm so, so sorry."

"It's alright," I mumbled.

We seemed to reach the shore in one leap, and CeCe didn't stop apologizing the whole time. I thought I should turn and try to smile at her, but my eyes stayed glued to Will. This wasn't what I had in mind when I wished we could redo our first meeting. If anything, his face looked a lot angrier than it did yesterday. It didn't matter though. He was here, and he saved me.

I don't know if it was the shock, or the relief that made me stumble. All I knew was that Ryder put me down, and I fell into Will's arms. It was a good spot. His chest was solid, but there was a curve in it that fit me perfectly. And he was warm. My shaking body leaned into him. Somewhere deep in my mind the thought struck me that I should pull away, but it took a little while before I could listen. When I did, Will's eyes looked deep into mine.

''Are you alright?" he asked quietly and I nodded. "Come on, I'll take you home. Can you walk?"

I nodded again. He waved one hand, and I felt soft warm air all around me. In a flash I was dry. Then that same hand took mine, and with a wave of the other, my bag was over his shoulder. Without a glance at his cousins, he turned and led me away, but I heard him say so quietly that I knew the words weren't meant for me,

"'You should know better."

I turned, and looked back at the others. Maggie's face was full of worry. She looked like she was fighting the urge to come after us. Ryder stood a few steps back. He hadn't moved from the spot where he'd put me down. His arms were hanging down on either side of him, and his face looked like he was the one who had the air knocked out of him, instead of me. CeCe looked the worst. I couldn't see her face because she was sitting on the ground with her legs pulled up to her chest, and her head bent to her knees.

"I'm really ok," I called back to them.

"You're too generous," Will said, looking straight ahead.

"I feel awful," I said. "They're so upset."

"They should be," Will replied. He didn't seem angry anymore but was still very serious. "Kaylee, you may be the Presenter, but none of us can ever forget that you're a mortal. We have to be very careful when we use powers around you."

"But they really didn't mean... "

"It doesn't matter," he shook his head. "You may not mean to squash bugs when you walk down the street, but chances are you still do."

"Hey," I took my hand out of his. "I don't like being compared to a bug!"

For the first time, I heard Will laugh. It was a short little laugh that kind of rumbled in his chest, and it was the best sound I'd heard in a long time. Even better than that, was the smile that came with it. It softened his face, and made his eyes shine. It wasn't fair. He shouldn't be allowed to look so good when he said annoying things like that.

"Sorry" he said. "Bad choice of words I guess."

"I'm not weak," I informed him, "and I can take care of myself just fine thank you."

"You're kidding right?" He stopped walking and turned to me. "After what just happened to you, you're saying you don't need protection?"

The heat was rushing up into my face. Oh no; stupid blushes! I couldn't really argue with him because I knew he was right. It was just so hard to accept being treated like a breakable little doll. That wasn't me. I didn't want Will to look at me and worry. I wanted what I saw just a second ago, Will smiling. Why did I let go of his hand?

"Ok, I admit that this morning got a bit rough..."

"A bit rough!" He snapped. "Kaylee you could have died back there."

A shiver ran through me.

"I know," I admitted. "But it's not always going to be like that. I mean we were all together last night and nothing happened."

Yeah, nothing except that my whole world was turned upside down.

"No, and hopefully that's the way it will stay." He said. "We all just have to be careful."

We started to walk again and I could see Aunt Connie's house ahead of us. For the second day in a row, I was coming back from the pond early. Never, in all the summers I'd been coming to Jackson's Point, had there been a reason to do that before. The strangeness of everything suddenly struck me all at once, and a fog that had filled my head since yesterday morning, lifted.

"What am I doing?" I blurted out in amazement. "This is all crazy. Yesterday I was just a regular girl who was only trying to go for a swim. Today there are powers, and danger, and I have to be babysat because I'm supposed to turn into something, or whatever. .."

"Well I see the shock is wearing off," he said dryly. "Presenting powers doesn't mean you turn into something. You'll still be you, just with some new skills."

"Would you please look at me?"

I stopped, and he did too. He turned to face me, and one of his eyebrows went up.

"Do you seriously believe that I am going to present?" I asked.

He looked away for a moment and crossed his arms. For a second I was distracted by the movement of his muscles when he did that. My sides could still feel where his hands had been when he lifted me out of the tree. I gave myself a mental shake. If I didn't stop thinking like this I'd blush again.

"I don't know Kaylee," he said.

Oh. To be honest I thought he would say something about signs like CeCe did. Will Bennett wasn't like the Gregorys though, was he? Despite being dry, the breeze tingled over my skin, and made me shiver. Maybe, as far as Will was concerned, I was still just another mortal who'd trespassed on his family's land. Now he was making me leave again. Well, I guess it made sense. He didn't think I was the Presenter. He didn't think I was special.

"Then why are we bothering with this?" I asked. "Your cousins are back there feeling guilty. I'm here with no idea what I'm supposed to think, or do, and you're here looking after me when, I'm sure, you'd rather be somewhere else."

As hard as it was to say, it was probably true. I turned to keep walking but Will's hand brushed down on my arm just long enough to stop me. It left another tingle in its path. This one wasn't cold.

"I didn't say that you wouldn't present, I said I didn't know," he replied. "Anyway Richard and Anice are the authorities on this. They believe you will, so we've got to do things the right way. You need to spend time on Imm land because it helps to bring the powers out. One of us always has to be with you to keep you safe."

"I still don't understand that," I said. "If it's important for me to be on Miller's Landing, then fine, I will be. Just leave me at the pond by myself. I don't have to disturb anybody. If the powers come, then I'll let you know. If they don't, then I didn't waste your time."

"It's not that easy." Will leaned towards me and my heart skipped a beat. "If your powers present we don't know how they'll come. You'll have no control, and you may need our help."

"What do you mean?" I asked. What he said probably should have scared me but somehow I just wasn't scared with him around. "What happens when powers present?"

He turned his face away again as he thought for a minute. As usual I watched his eyes. They passed over the lake toward the sky on the far side. In the clear sunlight they shone deep blue as they seemed to search for something that couldn't be seen. Then he turned back.

"It's different for everyone," Will explained. "For some people presenting comes on slow, and for others it happens in seconds. Most people are in between."

He frowned and paused as if he wasn't going to say any more, but I didn't want him to stop. Part of it was because I was curious... the other part was the way his low voice sounded so close to my ear. It was like being wrapped in something warm. Keep it together Kaylee.

"Yes, but how does it actually happen?" I asked.

He looked at me cautiously but continued.

"It's like something inside you wakes up, and a kind of energy grows from it. The only thing is; it's an energy like you've never felt before. Your senses become super charged to the point where you'd swear you were sensing things that you never knew existed. Then, when the power grows so much that your body can't hold it any more, it bursts out, presents. At that point it's almost like you've reached out and connected to everything around you. I'm sorry Kaylee, but I can't really describe how that feels. It's something you can only really understand if it happens to you."

My heart was running wild in my chest. I don't know if it was because of what Will just described or the look in his eyes. Both were so incredibly intense that I could barely breathe, and I definitely couldn't speak.

"The problem is that the way powers come is unpredictable." He went on, totally unaware of the uproar inside me. "You could do something simple like making flowers grow, and that would be easy to handle. If they come stronger though, you could take off flying, or do something dangerous like making the ground shake. You'll need one of us around to help if that happens. It's rare that someone gets hurt when they present, but it's not impossible. It's best that we're there to control, or stop whatever you've started."

My eyes were locked on Will's. If any of those things were really going to happen to me there was one thing I was sure of. The only person that I wanted with me when it happened was the one who'd just saved my life. Could I tell him that? Could he read it on my face? Will straightened a bit and looked towards my aunt's house. Again he reached out and took my hand.

"B-but, should I really go home?" I said. "I mean, you just said..."

"I won't be far," Will answered. "If you need anything just say my name. I'll hear you."
Chapter 5

The Good and the Bad

Yesterday's troubles didn't finish when I got home. After Will left me with orders to rest, I went upstairs to lie down for a while. Though I was tired, the first thing I did when I got to my room was look out the window. The view wasn't as great as I hoped it would be. My rescuer was already gone. Hmm. He did say he wouldn't go far. How close was he? For a few seconds I played with the idea of calling for him but that probably wouldn't end well. So, without the real thing to look at, I just lay down and pictured the concerned look on Will's face when I fell into his arms. The next thing I knew I was waking up, four hours later, with CeCe sitting in a chair beside me. Her eyes were glassy with the tears she was holding back.

"Please stop looking at me like that CeCe," I said. "I swear I'm fine."

The words may not have come out very clearly. I was still in a sleepy daze and not too sure that I wasn't dreaming, but the anguished voice beside me woke my attention. Poor CeCe, she went on and on about how sorry she was, and how she'd never be so careless again. She called herself all kinds of names, and every time I tried to interrupt, she wouldn't let me. The only choice I had was to let her finish. When she did I sat up, gave her a hug, and told her again that I was fine. Unfortunately that just broke the dam on her tears.

"Ryder feels just as bad as I do," she sniffed. "He wanted to come see you too but Maggie didn't want to overwhelm you with too many people. She said it would be better if only one of us came."

I sent a silent thanks to Maggie. CeCe alone was enough to handle. We'd only known each other for two days ... two days! It didn't seem possible. The guilt, the concern, the care; CeCe showered me with more emotion than any friend I'd ever made before. I guess it made sense since she thought she'd almost killed me, but somehow I couldn't see it that way. When I thought of the accident it wasn't the time under the water I remembered, it was how Will saved me. The memory of my protective dome made it hard to think that I was ever in danger at all. It was CeCe's reaction I was worried about. At times I felt so bad for her that I almost cried myself. I don't know what I would have done if I had to face her and Ryder too.

It took an hour to calm CeCe down. I had to accept at least a dozen more apologies, and reassure her just as many times that I wasn't hurt. Finally her tears were dry, and my new friend even managed a couple of smiles before she got up to leave. I didn't really want her to go. It would have been nice just to hang out together once all the drama was behind us but Aunt Connie would be home soon. The last thing I wanted was for her to find out what happened. Too many people had already been needlessly upset.

CeCe and I didn't talk about what we would do today, but I knew for sure, I was going back to Miller's Landing. That didn't leave me with any idea of what to wear. Chances were we weren't going back to the pond so, no bathing suit. Whatever I chose would have to be good for walking in the woods or hanging out at their house. What do you wear for hanging out at the Gregory mansion, and who exactly would be there to see it? I hated everything that I put on, and no matter how hard I looked, the perfect outfit just wouldn't jump off a hanger at me. The crumpled pile on my bed got frustratingly bigger. Finally the knock downstairs ended my torture. I settled on white shorts, a blue tank top, and refusing to look at the mirror before I left.

The creaking of the old steps made me smile as I skipped down them to the door. A lot of great days started with that sound, and I was way overdue for one. Hopefully I'd make it at least to noon this time, without disaster striking. It had to be possible. Aunt Connie spent months with the Gregorys, and she came out of it in one piece. Determined not to come home early today, I swung open the door for CeCe, but it wasn't her standing there. William Bennett was leaning on the post at the end of our porch.

"Will?"

My heart skipped a beat while my mind raced back over our last conversation. Did I miss something? No, there was no way I'd have forgotten making plans with him.

"Good morning Kaylee," he said. "Ready to go?"

His eyes took a quick glance down my outfit. When they stopped there was a tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth. It could have been the start of a frown or a smile. I was voting for smile.

"Good morning," I said.

Turning fast to grab my bag I tried to hide the huge grin that threatened to burst out on my face. Whatever else happened today, I sure liked the way it was starting. With a deep, quiet breath, I calmed down and turned back around.

"Yes, I'm ready. Where to?"

"We're going to spend most of the day at the house," said Will, "but there's something I want to show you first."

"What's that?" I asked.

"I'll explain when we get there," he answered.

Leaving the house behind us, I hoped Will would take my hand like yesterday but he didn't. On the bright side, he wasn't rushing. We started out walking slowly as we headed down toward a path by the lake. It was too late in the morning for the diehard fishermen and too early for the water skiers. The only life on the water was a couple of geese gliding along the top about a hundred feet off shore. Did they know that Miller's Landing was magical ground? It sure felt like a special place today.

Neither one of us said anything at first. Will just led the way looking straight ahead. I couldn't help but take little sideways peeks at him. Really, he could have been a movie star. He was better looking than any actor I could think of; especially now, with the sun hitting him like a spotlight and the breeze blowing his hair around. I had to keep my hands in my pockets. My fingers couldn't be trusted not to reach up and brush back those stray curls.

"CeCe came to see me yesterday."

I decided it was safer to talk than to let my mind wander like that.

"I know," he answered with that rumble of a laugh. "You're lucky. Everybody wanted to come and check on you. Ryder wanted to apologize again. Anice wanted to bring you soup. I thought Maggie was going to tie them all down. She didn't figure you'd appreciate a house full of people jumping all over you."

"Maggie's really nice," I said, thankful again that she'd stopped them. "Was Richard angry at Ryder and CeCe?"

"No, not angry; once he heard you were alright he didn't say anything about how it happened," Will replied. "Richard doesn't believe in beating people over the head when they already feel bad about something."

I could imagine that. Richard seemed like a pretty understanding person. Knowing how upset CeCe and Ryder were, I was glad he didn't make them feel worse. Hopefully we could all forget about the accident now. I sure wanted to.

"So what did you do yesterday?" I asked.

"Me?" Will looked at me surprised.

"Yes, you," I said.

"Um," he hesitated. "I didn't really do much."

"But you did something, right?" I said.

He glanced at me a couple of times then replied.

"Well, I took Greta for a run, and when we got back, we had dinner. After that I went to my room and listened to music."

"That's what I was going to do," I said. "The music part I mean. Unfortunately I fell asleep instead. What kind of music do you like?"

He looked at me again and frowned a bit. Hadn't anyone asked him these kinds of questions before?

"I like a lot of different kinds," he said finally.

"Me too," I said, smiling. "Any favorites?"

"Too many." This time he smiled too. "Depends on the day I guess."

"Me too," I said again. "What did you listen to last night?"

"Blues," he replied.

Blues? Oh yeah. A got a clear image of Will sitting in some big leather chair, with his head resting on the back, and the room filled with the sound of a steel guitar. The image was too good to break, even with the real thing beside me. I stayed quiet for a while.

"What else do you like to do?" I asked after I'd had enough of my daydream, and again he hesitated for a few seconds before answering.

"Sometimes I paint," he said.

"Really?" I asked. "I'd love to see something you've painted."

"I haven't painted anything in a long time," he answered. The frown had come back.

"Why not," I said.

"It's hard to explain. I can't just paint. It has to come to me."

He had that far away look again but I didn't ask him what he was thinking. It looked like his thoughts were too personal, and we were having a nice talk so far. I didn't want to spoil it. Instead I looked away to the lake, and wondered what kind of things would inspire him. Now that I knew they existed; I was dying to see his paintings. Maybe they'd reveal some secrets about the quiet Mr. Bennett.

We'd gone a long way along the lake before Will led us off the path. Our next route was in through the trees, and up a large hill. I'd never been to this part of the property. As far as I knew there was nothing here but forest, but then the Gregorys made some changes since they moved here. There were probably a lot of new things I didn't know about.

When we reached the top of the path Will stopped and pointed down. Miller's Landing was covered with hills, and this spot seemed to be where a bunch of them met. Between the peaks, the ground dipped in a kind of small grassy canyon. There were a few trees on the sides of it, and some wildflowers grew here and there, but the most noticeable thing was right in the middle of it all.

"What a strange place for a gazebo," I said. "Shouldn't that be in a garden somewhere?"

"This is what I wanted to show you Kaylee."

This? I stared at the bare wood structure. It was so plain. There weren't even any benches inside. Maybe I was missing something. To get a better look I started to make my way down but Will's hand reached out and stopped me.

"No, we're not going there," he said. "Actually, I brought you here to show you the place I'd like you to stay away from."

"Huh?" I said.

"I doubt that you'll ever be wandering the property alone, but just in case, you've got to know what parts to avoid," Will answered. "This is important Kaylee. I need you to promise."

"Ok, I promise," I said. Who'd want to come to an empty gazebo in the middle of nowhere anyway? "But why?"

"What you're looking at looks very ordinary but it's not," he explained. "It's actually a convoy."

"A what?" I asked.

"A convoy," Will repeated. "You see, other than regular transportation, Imms can get around a few different ways. We can port from one place to another instantly. That works for short distances. We can fly for longer distances but even that has its limits. Are you following me?"

"I must be getting used to this. I can't believe that everything you just said made sense."

I looked up at Will and saw a smile flicker across his mouth.

"So what are the convoys for?" I asked.

"Convoys are for going long distances," he said. "We can travel across the world through them. That's how AJ makes it to dinner every night, all the way from Australia."

"What?" I gaped.

"All Imm properties have convoys," Will went on. "They're joined in a network. You get in one, and think of where you want to go. Then you get transported through to different convoys, until you get to the one closest to your destination. From there you can either port or fly."

"Wow," I said. "No wonder you don't want me coming here. I'd probably transport myself to the North Pole or something."

"No," Will shook his head. "It's not that. Convoys will only work for Imms. The reason I don't want you to come here is that you never know when someone might show up in one of them. They'd probably just be passing through but still, it's not a good idea for you to meet any other Imms until you've presented."

"Why not?"

I didn't really want to meet any more Immortals. Just getting to know the ones who already were here was confusing enough. I asked because of the wariness in Will's eyes as he looked down at the convoy, and for a while, it seemed like he wouldn't answer.

"Kaylee, Imms have powers," he said finally, "but really, that's just an extra ability. In the end we're all just people, and like with any group of people, there are good ones, and there are bad ones."

He paused, and looked at me. His expression was as intense as it was yesterday at the pond, so I couldn't help but really think about what he said. I'm not sure how much time passed before I actually spoke.

"Oh."

My voice came out quiet, but it wasn't because I didn't understand. With Will's warning hanging in the air, it was a miracle I could make any sound at all. The gazebo didn't look so innocent anymore. I don't know if he noticed my whole body tense up, but Will put his hand out to me, and I took it gladly.

We walked away taking a different path than the one we came on. Yesterday I argued with Will that I wasn't weak, and meant it, but I didn't feel so strong anymore. As much as I tried to convince everyone that CeCe and Ryder didn't hurt me, there was no denying how powerful they were. If a little game like water tag could come that close to killing me, then what could an Imm with the wrong intentions do? No wonder the Gregorys didn't want me to be alone out here.

"Why would they come?" I asked. "The bad Imms, I mean, and what would they do?"

"I don't want you to worry about that Kaylee," Will answered. "It's a remote convoy, and no one knows we're here. The only people who are likely to come through it are AJ, and any of us as we come and go. I just wanted you to know where it was, so you don't go wandering off over there."

That was his answer? He had to be kidding. Did he really think he could show me a place some super human bad guy could appear, and I wouldn't ask any questions? What was I supposed to do, just obey him like a little kid? I let go of his hand.

"Hold on a minute Will," I said. "You just told me that not only do bad Imms exist, but they can, if they want to, come here. I want to know who they are, and what they can do."

My little outburst must have stunned him. Will stood there blinking at me for a few seconds. Then he frowned and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He may have been regretting showing me the convoy, but it was too late now. I wasn't moving until he explained and he knew it.

"It's not what you may think," he said. "Imms generally aren't violent, at least not to mortals."

Uh-uh, not good enough.

"They must do something if you don't want me running into one," I said.

The muscle beside Will's jaw flexed giving him that sharp look again. His hands didn't move from his pockets, and his eyes wouldn't come up to meet mine.

"Kaylee some Imms don't have the respect for mortals that they should," he said. "To them there are only three things to be done with you; ignore you, move you, or use you. If they choose to use you, there's no limit to what you could be made to do."

Now it was my turn to be stunned.

"You mean they could make me do something I don't want to?" I asked.

Will nodded.

"We have the power to compel mortals," Will said. "It's like hypnosis, but a lot stronger. When a mortal is compelled by one of us, they don't know it. They just think, or do, what we tell them to."

The idea sent chills down my spine. To be forced to do something you don't want was bad enough, but to have someone control your thoughts...I couldn't imagine anything worse.

"That's awful," I said. "Why would anyone do that?"

"I hate to tell you this Kaylee, but there isn't an Imm alive who hasn't."

The words hit me in the pit of my stomach, and the trees around us seemed to sway a little.

"No," I said. "Not you, not CeCe, or Richard or..."

Before I could go on Will moved closer and put his hands on my shoulders. The touch made the ground under my feet feel more solid. I looked up at him and Will's hands fell away, but the intensity in his eyes held me.

"No Kaylee, listen, I swear nobody's done it to you," he said. "Most of us only compel someone when it has to do with our identity. It helps us to interact with mortals. We share the same world, but the nature of what we are keeps us separate. Sometimes compulsion is the only way to bridge the gap."

I still couldn't speak. Will frowned and looked away into the woods. He was struggling to find the right words, and all I could do was watch him. I needed him to make me understand this. He tried again.

"Let me give you an example," said Will. "Richard has a company that's two centuries old. Mortals have always run the business for him. Although he isn't involved with the day to day operations, he still has to make an appearance once in a while. Obviously he can't show up as the founder. Every thirty years or so, he has to compel his staff to believe that he's a new owner. Do you understand?"

Well, ok, I guess that made sense. I still didn't like the idea of anyone's mind being played with, but what Will described didn't sound like it hurt anyone. It couldn't. Someone as gentle as Richard, and someone as sensitive as CeCe, would never harm anybody on purpose. I was sure of it. There were probably a lot of things that Imms did to stay hidden, but as curious as I was, I wanted a little time to get used to this one, before I learned about any others. It didn't escape me that Will had kind of changed the subject. That was ok. I didn't ask any more questions about bad Imms. Will told me enough.

"And you think it's safe here?" I asked.

Will hung his head again.

"I've done this all wrong," he said. "Look Kaylee, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Like I told you before, accept for us, hardly anyone knows this place even exists."

We got quiet again on the way to the house. Will's hands stayed as firmly in his pockets, as the frown did on his face. I probably didn't look much better, but only Will would know. He kept glancing over at me as if there was something else he wanted to say. Nothing came.

It was hard to figure out what to make of Will's show and tell side trip. Obviously he wanted to warn me about the convoy, so why did he seem to be regretting it too? There was no doubt it was the topic of bad Imms he'd take back if he could. So, if he had left that out, and if the convoy didn't work for mortals, what was his warning about then? Yesterday he wanted to convince me that I had to be careful. Maybe he was trying to make the same point today, and came across stronger than he meant to. Whatever his intensions were, he wasn't saying.

As we got closer to the house, the forest started to look familiar again. There was something comforting about that. With the Miller's Landing I knew forming around me, the shock of Will's revelation started to lift. Bad Imms, what did that mean anyway? Why would people who had the power to probably get anything they wanted, bother tormenting mortals? Will said that they weren't violent. Was what bad Imms did, the same as one of those hypnosis shows? I'd seen one where the magician made a volunteer walk around stage like a beauty queen, while another one followed her waddling like a duck. Is that how they entertained themselves? I'd be furious if anyone did that to me. On the scale between good and bad, I'd rate it as unforgivable, and as serious as Will was, I was sure he would too. If that was what he called a bad Imm then, I agreed. Still, it wasn't something to be afraid of.

By the time we reached the house, my tension was gone. Right or wrong, I decided that Will's regret came from giving me too strong a warning. I'd do what he said and stay away from the convoy, but it didn't scare me anymore. All the Imms I knew were great people, though one of them was maybe a little over protective. I guess he meant well, and it was kind of nice that he took scaring me so hard. It was time that I let him off the hook.

"I'm ok you know Will," I said.

He looked at me, stunned.

"You're ok?" he said. "You're not scared?"

"Well, I'm a little nervous about seeing CeCe's closet," I said. "She promised me a tour of the house, and from what I hear, her clothes are the main attraction. I'm a little worried about getting lost in the piles."

The frown wasn't completely gone, but there were no more muscles hardening Will's jaw. He was searching my face again as if it was something he'd never seen before. I didn't try to hide behind my hair this time. Watching his reaction was just too much fun.

"Do you always get over your fears so quickly?" he asked.

"No," I answered, "but there's nothing here to scare me right now, so I may as well enjoy the day."

He just stared.

"Come on Will," I said. "I heard what you told me. I'll stay away from the convoy, but I'm not going to worry about it."

He stared for a while longer, and then Will smiled.

"Ok," he said.

"Ok," I agreed.

What convoy? What else existed in the world beside Will's smile? It was so good to see it that I almost missed hearing the now familiar patter of large paws. Greta came trotting out from the trees behind the garages, and ran right to me. I laughed as her head pushed under my hand.

"It's amazing," Will said. "She's been trained to scare mortals off, but she can't get enough of you."

"I thought you probably told her I was ok," I said as I gave the huge teddy bear a big pat on her side.

"No," he replied. "That's all her. Richard says it's another sign that you're the Presenter."

"Really?"

I looked at Greta differently now. Did she sense something that I couldn't feel?

"Could be," Will answered. "I'll take her for a run. You go ahead into the house. I know they're all dying to see you."

I looked at the house and frowned. It just occurred to me that I'd probably have to deal with more apologies for yesterday's accident before anything else happened. What was worse was that Will wasn't going to be there. For a second I almost suggested that I go with him and Greta, but no, the others were waiting.

"Alright then, I'll see you later," I said.

"Don't bother ringing the doorbell," he called back as he walked away. "Just go right in."

"Ok" I replied, but I didn't move. The sight of him walking away was way too good to look away from. It was only the thought of him turning around, and catching me, that finally pulled me away. Slowly I turned, and headed towards the house.

Chapter 6

First Lessons

It was a restless night. My dreams had been full of stairs, and endless hallways. I walked through all of them, barely noticing the rooms on either side. The rooms were nothing special. They looked pretty much the same in my sleep, as they did on CeCe's tour yesterday. Besides the lounge, the dining room, and the kitchen, the Gregory mansion had a game room, a music room, and even a ballroom downstairs. Upstairs there was a library, four family bedrooms, and four guest ones. Dream me didn't care. I needed to find the door. Searching hallway after hallway, I was sure it would be around the next bend. It never was. Finally I woke up tired and confused. It took a few minutes before I could separate the dream from what really happened. The door was real. It was right at the end of the upstairs hallway, beside Will's room.

"That leads upstairs to Will's studio," CeCe had said. "Sorry, I almost forgot about it, because he hasn't used it since we moved here. Anyway, he's got it sealed up so tight that you can't even trick it open. Believe me, I tried."

I knew how she felt. I stared so hard at that door, it was a miracle I didn't burn a hole right through it. What was behind that white wood? Were there only paintings up there, or did Will have other secrets he wanted to keep to himself? I was dying to know, but I didn't bring it up to Will either on our walk home yesterday, or the one here this morning. The only answer I'd likely get would be a frown, and I was hoping to avoid bringing out another one of those for as long as I could.

Will wasn't frowning now which was kind of funny. Ryder sat hunched forward, rubbing his chin, while Will sat back coolly looking down at the chess board. It should have been the other way around. Most of the fallen pieces on the side were Will's. My latest peek at the table beside us was interrupted by Maggie and CeCe laughing at something I'd just said.

"No Kaylee, we don't travel by gazebo," said Maggie. "It's just that our convoy happens to be one. Convoys can actually be any small, solid structure that people can stand in or on. It can be a room, or a garden; any place that doesn't move."

We were all out on the patio. While the boys played their game, the girls were giving me a lesson that CeCe called Imm tricks 101. We'd moved on to transportation, but the conversation started when I asked them to tell me about awakening again.

"Well, you already know that mortals can't remember us. The other piece to that is that they don't really see us either. No one knows exactly why this happens, but it just does," said CeCe.

When I still didn't understand, it was Maggie who explained.

"Think about a time when you've been in a big crowd of strangers," she said. "You're aware that there are people around you, but you probably couldn't describe many of them. That's how we appear to mortals. They can see we're there, but they can't actually focus on us unless we awaken them. It works the same with the places we live. Mortals can pass by an Imm property, but never get the idea to go to it unless an awakening is placed on the land. "

I had an idea of what she meant. Busy stores, crowded halls, concert stadiums; I'd been in plenty of all of those, and yes, the people around me had been a blur. The part about the places made sense too. I could remember the route to every school I ever went, but I'm sure I couldn't describe most of the buildings on those routes. I guess awakening was what brought Imms out of the blur. The only thing I couldn't imagine was how anyone could pass Will on the street, and not notice him.

The biggest thing I'd learned today though, was that there were two kinds of magic. The way Maggie explained it; natural magic existed everywhere. She said it was a force of nature. Richard had said something like that too, when he told me about Imms. It was natural magic that gave Imms their powers, and their long life. It was also something that no one could control.

Active magic was different. Active magic was what Imms used in their powers. It was how they moved, and changed things. CeCe demonstrated by turning the empty glass in front of me, into a cup. Then, in spite of Will's glare, she made the cup slide over to a pitcher of lemonade. The pitcher drifted up into the air, and poured. By the time the cup was back in front of me, it was a glass again. The catch with active magic was that you couldn't use it, until you had natural magic working inside you. It was all so incredible. The more they told me, the harder it was to understand how they could think I was the Presenter.

"We're overloading her," said Maggie.

"Good," replied CeCe. "Maybe if we fill her head with trick talk, she'll explode and present already."

"Um, no, let's avoid any exploding, ok?" I said.

The three of us laughed. Overall, it had been a good day. Richard and Anice were both working, so the five of us had the house to ourselves. The first thing we did this morning was spend some time in the game room, where Maggie beat us all at pool. After lunch we went to the music room, where Ryder played guitar for us, while CeCe banged away on the drums. She was actually pretty good, but Ryder's playing was amazing.

The best part of the whole day though, was that not one single frown showed up on Will's face. He actually even managed to joke with CeCe a few times. I could hardly believe how relaxed he was, and as usual, I couldn't resist taking little peaks at him while I talked with the girls. Every once in a while I'd turn and find him quietly watching me. Each time that happened I had to fight off another blush, but it was great to spend the day with him like this.

"Hey! How did you...? Wait. Just wait a minute..."

Ryder was gaping at the chess board, as a smiling Will made his way over to us.

"Aw, did he sneak up on your King again honey?" Maggie said.

She crossed the patio, and put her arms around her husband, who looked up with a pout.

"He cheats," said Ryder.

"He's a very bad guy," Maggie replied with a consoling kiss.

Will shrugged in mock innocence, while he sent a mischievous wink to CeCe.

"How about if this bad guy saves you from exploding Kaylee?" he said. "It's getting late. Are you ready to go home?"

"Sure," I said.

I didn't really want to leave, but I didn't mind a slow walk home with Will either. Anyway, who could say no to a smile like that? I stood, and CeCe sprung up to give me a hug.

"Tomorrow I'll show you how we Imm trick movies to make the main characters look just like us," she said.

"Oh brother," groaned Will.

"You can say what you like Cuz, but on my TV, CeCe Gregory is the greatest actress of all time," she said.

Now that was something I couldn't wait to see. CeCe was still listing off the movies we could play with after I said good-bye to her, and turned toward Maggie and Ryder. I took one step then froze. With one long, streaming flash of light, everything good that happened today disappeared.

"Oh!" I cried out.

Everyone turned in the direction I was looking. The light was still high in the sky. Someone on the lake had sent up a flare. I scanned the water madly, but the shot went up from behind a curve in the shoreline.

"Somebody's in trouble," I said.

Panic pulsed through me as I ran toward the Gregory's dock. Was it an accident? Did someone get sick out there? They sent up a flare, so that meant at least one person had to be alright, didn't it? Ugh, why were those stupid trees still in the way!

"Kaylee where are you going?"

It was Ryder who caught up to me first. His worried eyes travelled between me, and the spot in the sky where the flare was still burning. The last time I saw him look like this, he was standing at the side of the pond.

"You!" I said. "Ryder, you're fast and strong, you can fly over there and help."

His face changed from worry to what looked like fear.

"Oh, um, Kaylee," he hesitated. "I can't do that."

What? Did I hear him right?

"What do you mean you can't?" I said. "Someone might be hurt. There might even be kids out there."

Ryder turned again toward the sky, and then spun around looking anxiously behind me. Whatever he was looking for in the others didn't come. Maggie, CeCe and Will watched the flare fall with concern, but none of them moved.

"What's wrong with all of you?" I asked. "With your powers, you could probably help without blinking."

"It's just that... we're not supposed to interfere..." said Ryder

I don't know if his voice was actually quiet, or if the pounding of the blood rushing through my ears had muffled it. I felt like I was in some weird dream where faces were familiar, but the people behind them were strangers. Something I didn't understand was happening, but I didn't have time to find out what it was. The Gregory's speedboat was sitting by the dock, and I ran toward it.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

The angry voice came with strong arms that wrapped around my waist, and picked me up. I struggled against them until I was back on the ground, and facing Will.

"Maybe you guys won't help," I said, "but I will."

For the second time I tried to make it to the boat, only to be captured against Will's chest again.

"Will!" I shouted.

"Stop it Kaylee," he growled. "There could be spilled gas and fire out there."

I struggled more, but I couldn't escape Will's grip. My panic for the people in trouble stabbed at me like a knife. I needed to get out there before it was too late, but no matter how much I pulled or pushed, Will wouldn't let go. Finally I looked up at him desperately.

"My Uncle died on that lake," I told him. "His boat engine stopped, and it blew while he was trying to fix it. If he had a flare gun he could have called for help. Someone could have saved him."

We didn't talk about the accident. Aunt Connie insisted that when we remembered Uncle Jim, we focus on the happy memories. There were a lot of those, but they didn't change what we all knew happened. It killed me to think of him alone and helpless out there, and I couldn't stand the thought of it happening to anyone else. All I could do was look up at Will, and hope he'd understand. Did he? His face was so stormy that I expected to hear thunder any minute.

"Will," I pleaded.

He looked down at me, and our eyes locked. Suddenly the world shrunk around us. There was a rumbling inside him, and it coursed through the arms that were still around me. I couldn't move. I could hardly even think. His eyes were so intense; they seemed to look right inside me. Come on Kaylee, snap out of it. My hands lay against his chest between us. I thought about moving away, but I was afraid that if I tried, he'd only pull me closer. This was already too close. My head felt light, and I couldn't tell if the heart I felt beating was mine, or his. Then his quiet words echoed through me.

"I'll go," said Will.

As he stepped back, I got the sensation that something inside me was being torn away. If there were words to describe what I was losing, I didn't know what they were. I only knew that whatever just passed between us went away with Will, and that the ground under my feet wasn't solid anymore. I may have stumbled, I don't remember. The only clear thought that I could grasp, was that Will had just said something. Suddenly, the world expanded again, and everything that was happening came back to me in a flood.

Will was going to check on the flare. Part of me was grateful. Whatever was happening on that lake; whoever was in trouble, Will was going to take care of them. They were going to be fine. The other part of me just wanted to move back into Will's arms. Would I feel his heart beat again? Would I lose myself in his eyes? The chance to find out was gone. Will's face was drawn with hard lines, and his hands stayed clenched at his sides.

"Will," said Ryder.

I don't know if he even heard it.

"Could you take Kaylee home please Maggie?" Will said quietly.

"But I..." I protested.

"Please. Go home Kaylee," said Will.

Then he was in the sky. It didn't take long for CeCe to follow, and after a few seconds, Ryder was on their trail too. Maggie put her arm around me, and led me away.

Although I really liked CeCe, I was glad that it was Maggie walking me home. Her quiet kindness was what I needed to let me recover from the last few minutes. I wasn't thinking about the flare anymore. The person who'd sent it up had three Imms helping them now. They couldn't be in better hands. The whole strange moment with Ryder disappeared too. In the end they'd all gone, so I wasn't really sure what the big deal was. None of that bothered me anymore. As usual it was Will who filled my head.

What happened to me back there? Why did Will affect me like that? I mean, I had a burning crush on Roger Jenkins for five months before we slow danced at Katie Sharp's party. His arms didn't make me dizzy though. Then again Roger was no Will. He didn't have those eyes, and he never saved my life. He didn't listen to blues, or walk around alone in the woods either... and I never longed to see a smile on Roger's face half as much as on Will's. Would I ever be able to make Will smile and not watch it fade away?

Suddenly Maggie stopped walking.

"What is it?" I asked.

She put her finger to her lips. Her head was tilted as if she was listening to something. I listened too, but all I heard was the rustle of the leaves, and some birds chirping. Then Maggie let out a huge sigh.

"Everything's alright," she said. "It was just some tourists who ran out of gas. Will turned another boat toward them. They're getting picked up right now."

Maggie began walking again, but I turned and looked back the way we came. There nothing there but the path and trees.

"How... how did you know that?" I asked.

"Ryder versed me," she answered.

"Versed? What's that?" I said.

Maggie looked at me and smiled.

"We must have forgotten that in your lessons today," she said. "Versing is when we talk to each other, mind to mind."

My eyes widened.

"Really?" I said. "You can hear him from that far away?"

Maggie nodded.

"Yes," she replied. "It doesn't work when we're many miles apart, but it works pretty far."

"Oh, well then what do you do when you're really far apart?" I asked.

Now Maggie laughed.

"We use this really strong talisman with numbers on it," she said.

Her hand dug into her pocket, and pulled out what she was talking about. Ghah! Of course, they use a phone like everybody else.

"Ok, I'm an idiot," I said.

"No, no," Maggie said. "With all the new things you're hearing about, I don't blame you for asking. There's a lot to get used to."

It didn't strike me until then, how much Maggie's mood had changed since we left the house. I'd been so deep into my thoughts that I mistook her silence for sympathy. How could I have been so selfish? It wasn't sympathy at all. Maggie had been stiff. She was worried. Realizing that brought me back to Ryder's reaction to my request.

"Maggie, what did Ryder mean about not interfering?" I asked.

My friend's smile changed, but didn't disappear. She looked around at the trees, and sighed.

"Imms don't live by a lot of rules Kaylee, and most of the ones we do have are more grey than black and white," said Maggie. "Not interfering with the normal course of mortal events is a rule."

I was about to argue how wrong this was, but Maggie held up her hand.

"Please don't misunderstand," she said. "It's not that we're cold, and some Imms break that rule all the time. The biggest disagreements among our people have been about how much influence we should have on the world. What it really boils down to is, whether we have the right to change the course of mortal history, just because we have powers that other people don't. Where do you draw the line? Most Imms believe that putting ourselves in a position of power over others is wrong."

I was beginning to understand. This wasn't about choosing to help people or not. It was much bigger than that. The question was whether Imms should use their powers to determine what happens in the mortal world. Will's warning about bad Imms passed through my mind, and I shuddered. The rule was meant to keep Imms from taking too much control.

"There's another reason too," Maggie continued. "We call ourselves Immortals, but that's not exactly true. We may not age or get sick, but if we're hurt too badly to recover, we can die. One of the most common ways that happens is by involving ourselves in mortal problems."

My stomach turned as I listened to Maggie. Oh no, what did I do? Will tried to tell me that there could be danger where the flare went up, but I didn't listen. The whole time I was arguing with him and Ryder, I never thought about their safety. No wonder Will was so angry. That must be what I felt coming from him, pure anger at my complete selfishness.

"He hates me."

"Who?" asked Maggie.

I didn't realize that I'd said the words out loud, but since Maggie heard them, there was no point denying it. There was only one reason Will was frowning all the time, and I was it.

"Will," I said.

"Don't be silly Kaylee, he does not," Maggie answered.

"Yes, he does," I said. "He looks absolutely miserable every time he's near me, and now I've sent him off somewhere that he could have been blown up. No wonder he wanted you to take me home. He probably wishes he never had to lay eyes on me again."

"That's not true," Maggie replied. "He looks serious all the time because he's just very protective. Besides, I know our cousin. Even if you didn't ask, he would have gone to check on that flare. He's probably just annoyed because he couldn't do it without anyone knowing."

It would be easier to believe that if I hadn't made such a fool of myself. All I knew was that Will didn't want me getting into the speed boat. Holding me back didn't work, so he did the only thing he could. He risked his own life to keep me safe. How could I ever face him again?

"I don't think I should come over anymore Maggie," I said.

"Now you're being ridiculous," she answered. "Stop worrying about Will. He doesn't hate you. If he did then he wouldn't have made himself responsible for you, and believe me, he insisted."

He did?

"Well he must be regretting it," I said. "Honestly Maggie, just look at him. He hardly ever smiles. I really don't think he wants me around."

Maggie bit her lip and lowered her eyes. Great. Now I'd made another one of the Gregory's miserable. I watched as she seemed to struggle with something, and then Maggie looked up at me.

"It's not you Kaylee," she said. "There's a lot about Will you don't know. There are things from his past that he still carries with him. He's getting better, but don't take it personally if he's not as light hearted as the rest of us."

I stared at Maggie as if I'd never seen her before. Her words floated between us, and pulled at something inside me. I wasn't sure what to do, or what to say. It was one thing to think of Will as quiet, or even as angry; it was something else completely to hear that a part of his past was haunting him. All the things I'd seen and learned today had left me with more questions. None of those mattered anymore. There was only one thing in the world that I needed to know now.

"Maggie, you have to tell me what happened to him," I said.
Chapter 7

The Past

There couldn't have been more than a hundred feet left on our walk home, but they felt like miles. I kept glancing over at Maggie, hoping that the troubled look in her eyes didn't mean she was changing her mind. It wouldn't really surprise me if she did. As sensitive as Maggie was, it couldn't be easy for her to invade Will's privacy, and telling me about his past would definitely do that. I was fighting off some guilt of my own. How angry would Will be if he heard I'd pulled his secrets out of Maggie? Closing my eyes, I pushed the thought out of my head. There was no going back. Something happened in Will's life that made him the quiet, serious person I knew. If it was still tormenting him; if there was any way to make it better, I had to know what it was.

"Why don't we sit down here," said Maggie.

We'd reached the low, crumbling wall between my aunt's place and Miller's Landing. Maggie sat on a flat stone, and waved me toward the one beside her. I took a deep breath, and sat. The piled stones may not have been as comfortable as the couch in our living room, but I wasn't taking any chances on Maggie deciding this was a mistake.

The sun hadn't disappeared behind the trees yet, but it hung low in the sky casting a golden light on everything. Maggie's face seemed to glow in the beams. She looked toward the woods, though I couldn't really say she was seeing anything. Her eyes were soft with memories that were filling her thoughts. Twirling the charm on my necklace, I waited, barely daring to breathe.

"Will was born in the English seaside town of Whitby in 1879. His father died when he was very young, but he left Will and his mother an estate, and enough money to keep them comfortable for the rest of their lives. When he turned fifteen, Will started to paint and became very successful, adding to the family fortune. His mortal name was one you may know, William Finlay."

I fought hard not to interrupt Maggie, but it wasn't easy. 1879? Will was over a hundred years old. I... He... Immortals. I guess I never really thought about what that meant. Yes, I knew that Imms didn't age, but... a hundred years? My brain just couldn't process that. It was only when I stopped trying that the second shock hit me. William Finlay... William Finlay the painter! I wasn't any kind art expert, but I knew that name just as well as I knew the names Picasso or Monet. That was Will?

"In 1899 the High Council sent Bennett House to Whitby, because a new Presenter would be found there," Maggie went on. "Three months later Will's powers presented."

"Wait a minute."

There were a million questions I wanted to ask already, but I didn't want to take Maggie too much off track. Still, I needed to understand something she'd just said.

"What's the High Council?" I asked. "You said they sent the Bennetts to find a new Presenter?"

"Oh, yes, I guess Richard wouldn't have gone into that right in the beginning," she mused, then explained. "The High Council is a group of elders that are the governing body for Imms. Their powers are much stronger than the rest of us. They set rules, give advice, and settle disagreements. They also pick which family should take in the newest Presenters when they come. I don't know how they choose, but they always seem to put together the right fit. Richard says it's because magic has a lot in common with fate, and that the Council is very in tune to that. I believe that's true, but I think you have to be as old as they are to really understand how it works."

I didn't think I'd ever understand. The world I thought I was living in changed with every day I spent with the Gregorys. This latest news about a High Council was almost too much to take.

"And this High Council, they can predict when a Presenter will come?" I asked.

"No, not the High Council themselves," Maggie replied. "There are a lot of people who work for the Council. One group of them is the Sayers. Sayers are people who can predict the future, and they see when someone is about to present. When they see that, they tell the High Council."

"So the High Council is who sent you here?" I asked, and Maggie nodded. "And these Sayers, don't they tell the Council who the Presenter is?"

"It doesn't work like that," said Maggie. "Predictions come to the Sayers as images, but they're not very specific. The prediction for a new Presenter only tells Sayers where it will happen. The who, and when, is what the Imm family has to figure out."

Maggie watched me for a while. She probably saw the doubts creeping onto my face. I still couldn't understand why the Gregorys thought the new Presenter would be me. Now that there was a High Council and Sayers involved, the idea seemed even crazier. Well, this wasn't the time to argue about it.

"Please go on with the story," I said finally. After all, this was about Will.

"Victor and Chelsea Bennett welcomed Will into their family, but Will was faced with the decision that all Imms have to face after they present. Would he join Bennett House right away, or would he stay to take care of his mother for the rest of her life? You have to understand Kaylee, that Will was an only child, and the world at that time, was no place for a woman on her own. Will did become a Bennett, but he chose to stay in Whitby, and take care of his mother for as long as she needed him."

"Now that sounds like Will," I said.

"Yes," Maggie replied. "But you have no idea what that's like for an Imm. When mortals age along with the people around them, it's a path they take together. Imms don't go down that path. We don't feel the passing of time the same way. To stay with our birth families means we don't change, but we have to watch our loved ones get old, and sick, and die. What's worse is that, even with all the powers we have, we can't do anything to help them. Most Imms can't bear it. Will had to watch helplessly for thirty nine years while his mother moved towards death."

My heart squeezed.

"Oh no," I said. "Poor Will."

"I didn't know him very well back then, so I can't tell you exactly what happened." Maggie continued. "I heard that he spent a lot of time with the Bennetts, but his mother was his first priority, and yes, it was very hard for him. She died in 1938. Not long after that, Will faked his own death. He had to leave the memory of William Finlay awakened because of his paintings, but he left that life behind, and joined Bennett House permanently."

"I don't want to sound cruel," I said quietly, "but in a way, that must have been a relief for him."

"I don't know," replied Maggie. "I do remember that he stayed very quiet for a long time. He kept to himself a lot, but eventually he did come around. That's what makes what happened later all that much worse."

"What happened?" I asked.

"First you have to know something about Victor Bennett," Maggie said. "There are different opinions on whether he was an extremely good man, or whether he was just a thrill seeker. I think Richard would say he was a bit of both. Oh! Did I mention that Chelsea was Richard's sister?"

I shook my head.

"Well she was. That's how Will is our cousin. Now back to Victor. One thing we know for sure is that disasters, whether they were manmade or natural, were a magnet for him. If he heard about a situation where people were in danger, he would rush to wherever it was happening, and try to help. He even got his hand slapped by the Council for it a couple of times, but that never stopped him."

I already didn't like where this was going. Pulling my legs up to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them, and held on.

"In 1948 the Bennetts were living in the south of France. Chelsea liked the climate and the water, so they spent a lot of time sailing. Most of the family went out for a sail on the day it happened. Victor had stayed behind, and he somehow heard of a huge wildfire that had broken out nearby, in Landes. Of course, he flew right over there. "

She stopped, and looked up at me. I shook my head slowly. _Don't say it_ I thought, but I knew she was going to.

"When it was over, reports of what happened in Landes said that two hundred and fifty six thousand acres of land were burned, and that two hundred and thirty people had died. They didn't say that one of those people was Victor Bennett."

"No!" I jumped up. "But how is that possible? Victor was an Imm! Couldn't he save himself?"

"No one knows how it happened," said Maggie looking toward the woods again. "We think that something must have fallen on Victor, and knocked him unconscious. That's really the only thing that could explain why he didn't get himself out of there."

"What a nightmare," I sat back down.

"Yes," said Maggie, "but that was only half of the nightmare."

My stomach churned.

"How could it possibly get worse than that?" I said.

"Chelsea." she answered. "They say that when Chelsea heard what happened to Victor, the ground shook from her screams."

I couldn't help it, the tears started running down my face.

"On that same day she swore that she wouldn't live without him, and immediately blocked the magic keeping her young," Maggie looked over at me now. "You see we can do that. We can block the magic, and just let time take its course. A lot of Imms eventually do."

"She didn't try to kill herself?" I sniffed.

"Well she may have," said Maggie, "but I know that Richard made a request to the Council to put a protective shield around her, and they did. He hoped that once she had some time to mourn, she would come around, but that didn't happen. While the shield kept her from getting hurt, it couldn't stop the aging. So, for the second time in his life, Will had lost his father, and was in the position of watching his mother die. She only died fifteen years ago. Will just kind of wandered around for a while, after it happened. Then, five years ago, Richard brought him home to us."

"But after what happened with his mortal mother, why was it Will who took care of Chelsea?" I asked. "Weren't there other, um, children?"

"There was just one other one, Julia," Maggie replied. "She left the Bennetts, and joined another House right after Victor died."

I couldn't sit still any more, so I got up and started to pace. After my third turn, Maggie spoke again.

"So you see Kaylee," she said, "Will may seem a little serious and over protective at times, but his life hasn't given him much of a chance to be any other way."
Chapter 8

Darkness and Light

The story of Will's past left me drained. When Maggie left I went straight to the dock, and spent the rest of the evening sitting there. My eyes kept searching far across the lake, as if I could see back in time if I looked hard enough. The stories I'd just heard replayed through my mind, and I thought about Will. A lot about him made sense now. It didn't seem strange anymore, that he was so quiet, and that he spent so much time alone. I didn't think I'd be very different if everyone around me died, especially if one of them did it by choice. Since Chelsea's death was only fifteen years ago, the pain still had to be fresh. I mean, what's fifteen years to someone who was more than a century old.

His age was still something I couldn't get my head around. My brain understood the number, but when I thought of Will, the years just didn't stick. The way he looked and talked... everything about him didn't _feel_ much older than me. Still, there was that far away look that he got once in a while. I probably looked the same sitting there on the dock. Was he seeing over the years too? Was he reliving pain that he didn't want anybody to see?

Maggie said that he'd made himself responsible for me. Knowing that felt heavy now, and I could almost swear I sank a little into the dock. From what I'd heard today, it was obvious that Will was like one of those soldiers that you see in a movie. He was a guy who did his duty no matter what, except that Will's wasn't to a country, it was to his family. If a mortal was suddenly dumped on them, and needed taking care of, of course he would do it. This is what he was good at. His decision to look after the new Presenter had nothing to do with me. He would do it regardless of who the person was.

Another sigh. If I didn't know better, I'd think the dock was made of sand. I sunk a little deeper.

Images of Will's face flashed through my mind, from all the times I'd been with him. There was almost never a smile on it, and when one did come, it disappeared quickly. He always seemed so strong, and made me feel safe, but what was underneath all that? My fingers dug into my arms as they wrapped around my chest. Did anyone hug Will when he lost his mother... or Victor... or Chelsea? I would have. If I could jump back in time I'd be there for him right through everything. I'd even try to stop Victor from going to the fire and Chelsea from giving up.

My heart ached for Will's pain, and for my helplessness to do anything about it. It ached for me too, as I faced something that I couldn't ignore any more. This thing I'd been feeling every time I saw him, it was more than just nerves, and it wasn't just because he was good looking. There was something about Will that pulled me to him, and something in me, that wanted to see him happy. Actually, seeing him happy suddenly became more important than anything else, but what could I do? How did a person make someone who'd suffered so much, happy? Could I even be that person? I wished with everything in me that I could. There was a lot that happened in the last few days that had me confused, but one thing in all of it was crystal clear to me now... I was falling in love with Will Bennett.

I grabbed my head in my hands, and rested my elbows on my knees. What a mess this was! All I wanted to do was to run into Will's arms, and tell him everything would be all right, but it was the last thing I could do. I imagined him pushing me away, and my body shivered. He didn't feel like I did. Taking care of me was a responsibility. I had no clue what he thought of me at all.

The only thing I knew for certain, was that Will didn't react to the idea of my presenting the same as the rest of the family. To everyone else it was just a question of 'when'; to Will it was an 'if'. He remembered what the others seemed happy to forget, that there was no guarantee I was the Presenter. Now, after what Maggie told me, his caution was starting to make sense. I may look like a new beginning to the rest of the Gregory's, but to Will, as a mortal, all I probably looked like was another person who was going to die. Why wouldn't he think that? He did have to save my life once already.

The memory of Will's face by the Gregory's dock made me cringe. Earlier I thought he was just angry, but anger wasn't enough to explain that look. There was something else in his eyes when I turned toward him. It was almost like he could feel my fear and pain. Wait! No. He wasn't feeling my pain; he was feeling his!

The thought was like a punch in the stomach. The hit was so real, I doubled over. That had to be it. What I thought before had to be true. To Will I was just another person who could die. At the pond he almost watched me do it, and today I was ready to run towards disaster again. What a nightmare that must have been for him. Sure, I was the one who could get hurt, but whenever Will was around, I felt like I could never really been in danger. What did he feel? What does he feel every time he looks at me? An answer echoed through my mind, and even though I shook my head, it wouldn't go away. He feels pain. My mortality is a reminder of all the worst things that had ever happened to him.

The dock kept sinking, and a fresh ache tore at my stomach.

No! That's not was I was going to be. If having me around was too hard for Will, then I would just stay away... but I couldn't do that could I? I'd already offered to, and his answer was a definite 'no'. It wasn't that I wanted to stay away from him, but I didn't want to hurt him either. What was I going to do? The only decision I could make then was that, no matter what anybody said, I wasn't going to Miller's Landing tomorrow.

The following day I surprised Aunt Connie with the news that I was spending the day with her. She looked a little hesitant at first, but the determined look on my face must have stopped any protests she may have made. My call to CeCe the night before didn't go quite so smoothly. CeCe didn't like my plan at all. She wanted to pass me on to Will, but I asked her not to. I explained that I haven't really had a chance to spend much time with my aunt since I'd arrived, and needed a day with her.

"Richard wouldn't want you to do this," she argued. "Kaylee you could present in the middle of town. If you hurt yourself, or anyone else, it'll be a disaster, and I don't think I need to tell you that a certain cousin of mine would be furious."

"Look CeCe, I need this," I said, "and I promise that if I feel anything strange, I'll call you right away."

Reluctantly she agreed, and I hung up the phone feeling both relieved and sad. I wouldn't get to see him today.

Aunt Connie may have been worried about my presenting too, because she didn't let me work tables like she had in past summers. I wished that she had, because it would have kept me busy. Instead I sat at the counter, looking through magazines, and seeing nothing. My brain was swimming with questions that I had no answers to. What was I going to do? There was no way that I was really the Presenter. Should I just tell the Gregorys that they had the wrong person? Would that do any good? So far, most of them were sure it was me. What about Will? If I had to stay at Miller's Landing, was there a way to make this easier for him? Should I try to spend most of my time with CeCe? Could I stand being away from him?

Then there was the most painful thing of all to think about. Eventually it would be obvious that I wasn't going to present. When that happened, they would have to wipe my memory of all of them, and everything they'd told me. Was it even possible that I could forget Will? Could I ever pass him on the street, and not know him? No! My brain screamed it. There was no way I could forget him, no matter what powers they threw at me.

Huh! That would be the cruelest thing of all though, wouldn't it? Even if I could remember Will, I'd lose him anyway. Once I didn't present, I wouldn't be welcome on the property anymore, and there was no way he'd come looking for me. The thought came with such a rush of pain, that I braced myself on the counter. It would be for the best though, right? At least he wouldn't have to worry about somebody dying around him again. Maybe he'd have a chance at being happy then.

The day passed excruciatingly slow. We even stayed late because one of the locals was having a birthday dinner with family and friends. In a small town you didn't close a restaurant, just because it was closing time. When we finally did get home it was dark, and I was exhausted. Not even Aunt Connie's offer to make me her famous iced tea could keep me going. I said good night to my aunt, and went upstairs to bed.

Unfortunately I was too exhausted to actually sleep. I lay awake listening to the lake outside, and to Aunt Connie moving around downstairs. Finally I heard her come up, and go into her own room. The house was quiet after that, and I just lay there, my eyes refusing to close.

I'm not sure how long I stayed like that. Hours and minutes seemed the same. The quiet of the night didn't do anything to settle me. Even the darkness of the house seemed alive as the porch lights sent shadows of leaves dancing over the ceiling. I was watching their show when something moving in the window caught my eye. It was a light.

I sat up and blinked. A small, round, blue light flew in to the room. At first I thought it was a firefly, but as it came closer I realized it was too big, and it floated too smoothly. The light came, and stopped just a couple of feet in front of my face. After a few seconds, two more lights came spiraling out of the first one. I gasped, and looked at them amazed. A few seconds later, two more lights spiraled out of each one that was already there. A smile spread across my face. I was watching tiny fireworks in my bedroom. It was beautiful. With each new burst of light, I suppressed a giggle. This had to be CeCe's work.

After a while the lights stopped spiraling, and just hung in the air around me. They lit up the room, and I felt like I was sitting in a cloud of little stars. I just sat, and smiled at them. Then one light drifted back outside through the window, and another followed it. The rest went that way too, and my room got dark again. I jumped to the window to see where they went, only to find that they were near the ground just outside the house. They were waiting for me.

What a great invitation. Quietly, I walked across the room, and changed into the sun dress that I'd left thrown across the spare bed a few nights ago. It was the quickest thing I could find. Shoes would only make noise going through the house, so I didn't bother with them. I didn't want to wake Aunt Connie. Slowly, and very quietly, I snuck down the stairs, and out the door. The stars were still waiting patiently for me. I walked over into the middle of them, and whispered.

"Ok let's go."

But as I took my first step, my foot couldn't find the ground. It happened so slowly, that I didn't even realize I'd been lifted into the air, and was floating just like the lights. I gasped, and suppressed another giggle, as we rose higher, and started to move towards Miller's Landing. The wind blew through my hair, and made the skirt of my dress flutter. The house fell back behind me, and a blanket of trees waited in front. To the north, the moon's reflection was sending flashes of light off the ripples in the lake. I threw my arms out and looked up to the sky. The night's stars and mine mixed together. I'd never felt anything like this in my life. Everything about me was flying.

CeCe was going to get a great big hug for this one. I couldn't see her yet, but as I got closer to the property, I knew that my stars would shine on her soon. I pointed my smile down to the ground as a shape started to become visible from the shadows. My smile flickered. Was the night playing tricks on me? That shape was too big to be CeCe. My heart skipped a beat, and I strained to see. Was it possible?

The light from my stars finally touched Will's face. He was looking up at me with so much care that it almost made me cry. His hand was held open in front of him like he was holding something very precious in it. I knew what he was holding was me, and I ached from how much I loved him. It felt like an eternity before I finally got close. He put me down so gently that I barely felt my feet touch the ground. My stars formed a cloud above us, and for a while we just starred at each other. Finally it was him that looked away, and broke the silence.

"Why didn't you come today?" he asked with his eyes fixed on the ground.

A million things ran through my mind of what I should say, and most of them had nothing to do with his question. I couldn't say any of those things though, so I grabbed on to the closest truth I could find.

"I just needed some time to think about things," I said, and he looked back at me.

"What things?" he asked.

This time, it was me who looked away. I didn't want to tell him about the things that had gone through my mind over the last two days. All of those things ended with me losing him. I didn't want to put words to that, not tonight.

"Have I been mean to you?"

His question made me snap my eyes back to him. That familiar frown was on his face.

"What are you talking about?" I said.

"Maggie told me about your talk," he hesitated. "She said that she wanted you to understand me better."

I couldn't speak. He knew that I'd heard about his past... and his pain. What could I say to that?

"I'm sorry that I invaded your privacy," I said.

"No." Will shook his head. "I don't care if you know. It's just that Maggie thinks that those things explain a lot about me. Maybe they do, but I wouldn't jump to conclusions. What I want to know is have I been mean to you? Have I done something that needs explaining? Why didn't you come today?"

"No, you haven't been mean to me," I replied.

We fell into silence, and neither one of us looked at the other. My stars still twinkled above us, making everything look dreamy and blue. Will had both hands stuffed in his pockets, and was shifting the ground with one foot. I was desperately trying to think of something to say when he grabbed my hand.

"Come on," he said.

He led me in a familiar direction, and the stars followed, lighting our way. I let my mind go blank because it wasn't doing me any good at the moment. Instead I let this night fill me. I wanted to burn everything into my memory. I wanted to remember walking down this path beside Will, with his strong hand holding mine, and with our own personal stars around us. No one would ever take this from me, no matter what powers they used.

We reached the pond too quickly, and I lost Will's hand again.

"Let's go for a swim," he said as he took off his shirt.

I don't know what stunned me more, the sight of Will shirtless and beautiful in front of me, or what he said. I looked down at my dress.

"Don't worry, I'll dry you off after," he said following my gaze.

"It'll get wrecked," I said.

"Then I'll get you a new one," he called back, as he walked into the water, then dove away.

What else could I do? I followed him. The cool water felt great, and I dove in too. When I surfaced, I saw that our stars were fireworks again. This time they spread across the whole pond, and cast their light everywhere. My smile came back.

Will surfaced near me, and I took in the sight of his hair slicked back, and the drops of water falling on his shoulders. His eyes sparkled, and the light reflected off the peaks of his muscles. My knees went weak, and I was grateful for the water holding me up.

"Ok, now tell me what you were thinking about, and why you stayed away?" he said.

"No," I said, and dove into the water. After swimming past him, I came up on the other side.

"Why not?" he said turning towards me.

"Because I don't want to think about those things right now. I'm finally enjoying my pond, and I'm not going to spoil it."

Again I dove into the water, and swam around him.

"Ok," he said smiling, "but you know you'll have to tell me eventually."

"I know." I shrugged. "Tell me what you did today."

"I turned CeCe into a toad," he said with a playful grin.

"No, seriously," I laughed.

"I went into town," he answered.

"Were you following me?" I frowned, jokingly.

"Yup," he answered, and this time he dove in, and swam around me.

What? Really? He came after me? A thrill flared up in my stomach, and ran all the way out to my fingers and toes. He came after me! I didn't care why he did it; all that mattered was that I tried to stay away, but he followed.

"Well you must have been pretty bored," I teased.

"I brought a book," he said.

"I don't remember seeing you. Where did you read?" I asked as if what he'd done was the most normal thing in the world.

"In the park," he replied. "Greta had a great time."

"Greta!" I gaped. "You brought Greta into town?"

"She's actually very friendly in public," he replied.

I shook my head and laughed. Of course she was. It would have made the local news if a huge Rottweiler had been chasing mortals all over Jackson's Point.

"So what book did you read?" I asked.

"Do It Yourself Mechanic," he smiled.

"Huh?"

"Ryder and I are thinking about building a car from scratch. No powers."

"Why?"

I had to ask because I guessed they could probably whip one up in a snap. Besides, I was sure that even without powers, they could get any car they wanted.

"Just to see if we can," he replied, "and to rub it in AJ's face, because he always says we never get our hands dirty."

"What does AJ do?"

It occurred to me I didn't know much about him, except that he was my new best friend's boyfriend.

"He's a professional rugby player," said Will

"Hey that's great," I said, "but doesn't he kind of have an unfair advantage."

"Imm league," Will replied. "They're not allowed to use powers, but every once in a while, tensions run high, and someone slips. Did I mention that AJ holds the record for penalties on account of illegal use of powers?"

"He doesn't really strike me as a cheater," I said.

"No, he doesn't actually use powers to cheat," Will said smiling.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well there was the time he zapped the referee into a polka dot tutu," Will laughed.

"No!"

Even though I only met AJ once, I could believe it.

"Yup," replied Will. "Then there was the time he turned the water in the opposing team's cooler into hot sauce."

"Oh, he's awful," I laughed.

"He's very creative, our boy AJ," nodded Will.

We laughed for a while, and then settled into a peaceful quiet. This time it was nice, not like the awkward silences before. Both of us floated on top of the water, just looking at our stars. I don't know what Will was thinking, but I was enjoying the happiest night of my life.

After a while Will stood up, and held out his hand. He didn't say anything, but I knew that it was time to go. I sighed. As much as I hated to end our swim, we couldn't stay out here forever. We walked out of the water, and Will let go of my hand. He held out his palm towards me, and just like before, warm air surrounded me, and soon I was dry. Then, with one quick shake, Will was dry too, and he put on his shirt.

Many of our little stars were going out, but a bunch of them followed us. I thought that when we reached the end of Miller's Landing, Will might fly me home again, but he didn't. Instead he walked me all the way to my door. That was even better than flying.

"Thank you for the stars," I said.

"Well it's dark out," Will replied. "I thought you'd like some light."

"They were perfect," I nodded.

"Don't stay away tomorrow," he said quietly. When he looked at me now, his eyes were much softer that they had been in the last few days.

I shook my head.

"Good night Kaylee," he smiled.

"Good night Will," I smiled, and went inside.

When I got upstairs, a brand new summer dress was lying across my bed.
Chapter 9

Essence

Will asked me again, the next morning, if I wanted to tell him what was bothering me. I didn't. Even though there was still a guilty knot in my stomach, I made myself ignore it. Yes, playing along with this Presenter stuff might be selfish, but it couldn't hurt to do it just a little while longer. Last night was like a dream, and I wanted to keep on dreaming. It wouldn't last forever, but at least I didn't have to wake up right now.

We were taking a path across Miller's Landing towards the far side of the property. Will was looking especially good in a blue t-shirt that matched his eyes, and black jeans. He even wore a smile more often, and so did I.

Greta came charging around us, and dropped a ball at my feet for the hundredth time since I gave it to her at the house. I picked up the ball, and threw it again.

"I told you that you'd regret giving her that," said Will shaking his head.

"'But look at her." I said. "She's having so much fun."

Will glanced at the hand that was absently rubbing my shoulder.

"Yeah," he replied, "I'm not sure she'll get tired before that arm falls off though."

He had a point, but how do you tell a hundred pound Rottie, that you didn't want to play anymore. With a small thump, the ball was back at my feet, and I cringed.

"Oh for Pete's sake." said Will.

He bent over, picked up the ball, and with one huge throw, sent it sailing over the trees to the west. Greta took off like a shot after it.

"Thanks," I sighed.

"No problem," he smiled. "I had to get rid of her anyway. If Anice sees her anywhere near the garden, she'll go crazy."

I made a yikes face at Will, and he nodded. We were both laughing as we rounded a cluster of trees, and the garden came into view. At first look, the only thing that stood out about the place was its size. Knowing that Anice did all the work by herself, I expected to find a few rows of plants, and maybe some large pots. I wasn't even close. Anice's garden was as big as a football field, and filled end to end, with neat rows of lush plants. Other than that, it looked pretty ordinary. The only other thing in sight was a one story building on the far side of the field. It could have been mistaken for a cottage, except that it was unusually wide. Anice was kneeling in one row of plants wearing a green gardening hat, and matching, beautifully cut overalls.

Will looked carefully through the different rows, and then waved for me to follow him down the one where Anice was. It wasn't until I was close to the plants that I saw how different they were. Just like the dishes served the other night at dinner, many of the plants were strange shapes and colors. Even the buds and flowers on some of them looked too strange to be real. Color and shape wasn't the only difference though. Maybe it was just the wind, but I could swear that some of the stems were moving. Remembering AJ's stung leg, I slowed down, being very careful not to touch anything.

"Does Anice really have experimental plants all over the property?" I asked. Seeing the garden now, I was sure I hadn't seen anything like these anywhere else.

"What?" Will asked, surprised.

"That first night; Anice said I couldn't come on the property alone, because she had experimental plants growing everywhere." I said.

"Oh yeah," said Will. "Sorry about that. Remember that was at the beginning of the night. Richard didn't have a chance to assess you yet. We had to tell you something to keep you from coming back if he didn't think you were the Presenter."

Well, I guess it wasn't like they could say; _sorry, you're a mortal, and we can't have you seeing us using our powers._ Plus, it was nice to know that they didn't plan to compel me. Maybe that plan may have changed if Richard's opinion came out different, but I was glad we'd never know.

"How did Richard assess me?" I asked.

"He could probably explain that better than I could," Will shrugged. "I'm sure part of it is how you answered his questions. The rest is more a kind of feeling that he got from you."

"That doesn't sound very definite," I mumbled.

"It's not," Will answered, "but Richard has a pretty good sense about these things."

To bring up the fact that Richard was wrong about my aunt just seemed to be bratty, so I didn't. It was pointless anyway. If Richard decided that I was the next Presenter, my guess was that everyone had to accept that, at least until he was proven wrong again. The guilty knot in my stomach squeezed, but I forced it to be quiet.

Ahead of us, Anice was waving her hands slowly over something with grey leaves, and a small orange flower on top. She seemed to be concentrating pretty hard, because she didn't notice us until we were only a few feet away. Realizing she wasn't alone, her head snapped up, and her hat fell off. I almost laughed because I saw that it wasn't some trance that kept her from hearing our footsteps, she just had earphones on.

"Oh!" she cried, and pulled the earphones out. "Sorry, I didn't hear you coming. Tchaikovsky is always great for gardening."

Anice stood up, and brushed off her knees, then came to give me a hug.

"Kaylee, darling, I haven't seen you in days." She smiled warmly. "How have you been? No more incidents like the other day, I hope."

"No." I smiled back. "Everything's been fine."

"All this waiting around must be so boring for you," she said, "but don't you worry, once you present, I'm sure these children of mine will be dragging you everywhere."

The knot in my stomach pushed up again, and I pushed it right back down.

"It really hasn't been boring," I replied, quickly glancing at Will. "Everything is so new."

"Well, this is just the beginning," she said. "Come on; let me show you my workshop."

Anice turned and walked towards the wide little cottage, and Will and I followed. I couldn't help but watch her as she went ahead of us. Even in overalls and with dirt on her knees, there was something regal in the way she moved. Her walk was very smooth, and her head was held high. I wondered how old she was. In Anice, more than any of them, you could sense a different time.

When we reached the workshop, and Anice opened the door, I looked around completely amazed. There were no dried flowers hanging from the ceiling, or pots on tables waiting for plants to hold. Instead, the inside of the building couldn't be described as anything else but a laboratory. There were test tubes and vials with different colors of liquid in them, there were beakers boiling over open flames, there were two computers along the far wall, and two large refrigerators on the opposite one. Everywhere you looked something was steaming, blinking, or beeping.

In the middle of the room was a long table. It was covered with piles of paper and computer print outs of graphs. Many of the papers had scribbles all over them in light purple ink. Beside the table was a large glass box with a door. It looked like a phone booth, but without the phone, and there was a computer attached to it. I turned wide eyed to Will, and he just shrugged.

"Do you like it?" Anice asked.

"It's amazing," I replied, "but it doesn't exactly look like a greenhouse."

Anice's laugh sounded like a little bird. She walked over to a side table and stirred one of the boiling beakers, then checked the timer beside it.

"No, it's not a greenhouse," she said. "The added bonus of what I do is wonderful new flavors in our meals, but that's not really the goal of my work. I do research here to develop elixirs that can heal, or be useful to Imms in other ways."

"You mean like potions?" I asked.

Anice bit her lip, and looked almost hurt.

"Anice doesn't like that word." Will bent and whispered, not too quietly, in my ear.

"Oh! I'm so sorry." I wished the ground would open up, and swallow me. "I didn't mean anything..."

"It's alright Kaylee,"' Anice replied. "If you want to be literal, I guess you could call them that. I just don't like the word because it has negative connotations. What I do here is real science, and it's meant to do a lot of good."

"I don't understand," I said. "Don't Imms pretty much heal on their own?"

"For the most part, yes," she answered, "but magic is like any other force of nature. It has its limitations, and sometimes needs a little help from science."

"Oh, ok, that makes sense," I said.

To be honest I had no idea what she was talking about, but there was no way I was asking any more questions. She could explain it to me for hours, and I'd probably still be lost. If there were two things that were a complete mystery to me they were magic, and science. Trying to understand the two of them together would only make my head spin. Anice was making a kind of Imm medicine. That's what I understood, and that was good enough.

"I'm getting pretty close to a new breakthrough right now," she continued. "I'm not quite ready to share it yet though."

"We're not allowed to know about the projects, until they're finished," Will explained.

"I don't like to get anyone's hopes up," Anice confessed. "In any case I'm glad you two came down because you can help me with something."

I looked up at Will, just a bit afraid of what that might be. He nodded to Anice and said,

"Sure."

"Well what I really need is from Kaylee," she said.

"From me?" I asked, stunned.

"Yes." Anice nodded, and walked to the glass phone booth thing. "This is my own invention. It's an essence reader. I was hoping that you'd let me take a reading of your essence."

"I'm sorry," I hesitated. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you step inside," Anice said, as she opened the door, "a flash goes off, and I get an image of you on the computer. Everything will show up from your blood type, to your DNA, but this is more than just a scan. The machine has been built to capture how your body functions in a way that conventional medical equipment can't measure. We call that your essence. It doesn't hurt."

"But what will that do?" I asked. "Will it tell you if I'll present?"

The guilt surged up so fast I felt it burning my cheeks. I couldn't step into that box. It looked empty, but something was waiting in there; something that could end this dream before it really even started.

"Unfortunately no," Anice replied, "but it will help me with my work. I've got the essences of everyone in the family, as well as many others, in my database. Running tests on how my experiments will affect a variety of people helps me to find out what works, and what doesn't. I won't experiment on live subjects."

I let my breath out slowly, and kept my eyes on the box. So Anice's reader wasn't going to expose me as a phony. That was good, wasn't it?

"But how will my essence help?" I asked. "I mean, you make things for Imms, and I'm a mortal."

"We're all still made up of the same biology," Anice answered. "The more essences I have to test on, the more accurate the results will be. That said Kaylee, please don't feel uncomfortable if you'd rather not be scanned. This all must sound very strange, and I know it's a lot to ask."

In a way it was. From the sound of it, with just one flash Anice could find out more about me than anyone ever knew, at least biologically. But then that's what this was all about, science. It wasn't personal. Even as she spoke to us Anice's eyes wandered, checking things around the room. The favor she was asking, didn't have anything to do with me, it was for her work. Anyway, if she was developing medicines here, of course I wanted to help.

"It's no problem," I said. "What do I do?"

"Oh thank you Kaylee." Anice beamed. "Just step inside."

Will gave me an encouraging nod, and I walked over and stepped into the glass box. Anice closed the door, and stepped sideways to the computer. She keyed something in, and then placed one hand on the computer, and one against the glass of the box. Her eyes closed, and she took a deep breath. In a few seconds a bright flash went off, and I could swear it came out of her hand. Then Anice opened her eyes, and smiled at me.

"We're done. You can come out now," she said.

The door of the box slipped open smoothly the moment I touched it.

"That was fast," I said, "and easy. I didn't feel anything."

"Well, you're in very good health."

Anice was already reading the graphs and lines that were coming up on the computer.

"Hold on a minute," she said. "Oh! I don't like this at all."

Anice turned towards me with her arms crossed, and a frown on her face. My eyes widened, and I looked from Anice to the computer. Will stepped up behind me, and did the same.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You, young lady, did not have breakfast!"

Anice tilted her head, waiting for an explanation. I sighed with relief, and Will walked back to the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said. "I wasn't hungry this morning."

"That's no way to start your day," she replied.

"I'll make sure she eats when we get to the house," Will said.

"Please do," Anice smiled, and lifted her hand to my cheek. "You need to keep your energy up. Presenting can be very draining."

"I promise," I replied.

"Speaking of food, I do need one more favor," she said, this time looking at Will.

"Ok," he said.

Anice walked to the other side of the room, and bent beside one of the refrigerators. From there she pulled up a basket full of something that looked like lettuce, except that the leaves were striped in two tones of red.

"Would you take these back to the house, please?" she asked. "I want to prepare them for dinner. Kaylee, you should stay, and I'll call Connie to join us as well."

"I'd like that," I replied.

"Good."

Anice came back and hugged me, then rose up on her tiptoes, and kissed Will on the cheek.

"Then I'll see you both at the house later," she said.

We were, very sweetly, dismissed, so Will picked up the basket, we said our good-byes, and left. On the other side of the garden, and a safe ten yards away, Greta was sitting, patiently waiting for us. The ball was on the ground in front of her.

"Wow," I said. "She really is well trained."

Will smiled and nodded. Then I saw the first two fingers of his right hand flick. In a snap the ball jumped up off the ground, hovered for a second, and then went sailing over another grouping of trees. Greta yelped happily, and was off running again.

"Will, where is Richard?" I asked. "I haven't seen him since the whole 'magic is real' talk."

"He's usually working during the day," Will answered.

"Work?" I said. "He really does have a job?"

Will laughed and nodded.

"Aunt Connie said he was a land developer. Is that true? I mean, she also said that Anice was a biologist, and I guess that's kind of true."

"That's what they tell mortals, and yeah, I guess it's kind of true."

"So what exactly does Richard do?"

"Mostly he helps to set up new Imm settlements and properties. Sometimes that means activating barriers, or building convoys. Other times the family may have unique requests, like they want the property to be a no-fly zone for mortal aircraft. He leads a team. It takes a joining of strong powers to get things like that done, and it's considered very prestigious to be able to do it."

"Are there a lot of Imm settlements around?"

"Not as many as mortal ones obviously, but yeah, you can find Imms in most places. Some Imm properties have so many houses on them; they're practically a town on their own. Richard has to go back to those pretty often to do maintenance, or repair work."

"But why does he have to work? I thought he was rich."

"He doesn't do it for money. He does it for duty. His team works for the High Council, and that's considered an honor."

"Then where does the money come from?"

"Like most Imm families, the Gregorys have built a multi-national corporation that does business in the usual things; land, investments, antiques, art."

I looked at Will a bit nervously.

"Your art?"

At first I thought he wouldn't answer. He was quiet, and that far away look was creeping back onto his face.

"Yes, I've had a few pieces sold," he answered.

"Please don't get angry," I said. "I looked up some of your paintings. They were beautiful."

"Thank you," he said.

"They were all seascapes," I prodded.

"I lived by the sea, so that's what I painted," he replied.

"Didn't you ever paint anything else?" I asked.

"The sea has a million stories," he said, casually.

"The other day you said that you can't just paint. That it has to come to you."

I'd gone this far, so why not go on.

"What was it about the sea that inspired you?"

"That's hard to explain Kaylee," he said, and then he stopped, and turned to face me. "What are you trying to ask me?"

Now that was something that was hard to explain. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I was trying to ask. I looked away, and thought about it. Will didn't move.

"I guess, I was just wondering," I said. "Your paintings look so dark and hard. What were you thinking?"

He looked away again. I knew this time it would take a while before he answered, if he ever did. I stayed quiet, and watched him. Finally he turned back.

"I had a lot of anger back then," said Will. "When the sea was rough, I felt like it agreed with me. Painting storms was a relief. I could leave my emotions on the canvas."

He'd never said this to anyone before. I knew it. I could sense it.

"Are you still angry?" I asked.

"Sometimes," he answered.

The ever present knot in my stomach was calling for attention again. There was a choice in front of me. I could say something light to change the subject, or I could take another leap into Will's thoughts. It was a slippery slope. Taking him back to when he painted those rough waters, would surely remind him of what caused his suffering, and that could lead to remembering that death was still something that was possible for me. As much as I didn't want to do that, I did want to know him better, and there was no way I could abandon him, just as he started to open up.

"I wish you would talk to me about that," I said.

Turning my face to the ground, I let my hair fall forward. What right did I have asking him about these personal things?

"Why?" His voice was quiet, and I thought, a little surprised.

"Because you told me not to jump to conclusions," I answered. "And because....."

The rest of the words were harder to say. They said too much. Would he even understand?

"Because if there's anything I can do the help, I want to."

There was silence. The only sign I had that he hadn't walked away were his shoes on the grass where I was looking. The knot got tighter. I was afraid to raise my head, but his hand lifted, and gently pushed up under my chin. My hair fell back like a curtain, and past it were his beautiful, tender eyes.

"That means a lot to me Kaylee," he said in that same quiet voice, "but all I can ask from you is your trust. Trust is no small thing, not to me. Can you give me that?"

Trust him? Huh! I trusted him with my life. I nodded, feeling the hand that was still under my chin. It stayed for just a second longer, but I knew I would feel it for days after it was gone. This time I didn't wait for him to lead. I slipped my hand in his and said,

"Come on. We'd better get back to the house before Anice's plants wilt."

"Yeah," he smiled. "Let's go."

For the next little while, we walked in silence. I was thinking about the things we'd just said, and I guessed Will was too. The knot in my stomach became stronger. He'd asked for my trust, but did I really deserve his? I felt like such a lair walking there beside him. He thought I might become the Presenter, and I was sure I wouldn't. My guilty hand wanted to pull away, but how could I do that when I'd just given it to him?

It was almost as if he read my mind, because suddenly Will's grip on my hand tightened. I looked up at him only to see that he wasn't looking at me, but up at the sky. Looking in the same direction, I saw what he was focused on. There were two dots against the blue, moving towards us very fast. Will pulled me closer, and stepped in front of me. I strained to see the dots over his shoulder. They were moving in a kind of zig zag motion, and were too fast to be birds. They were getting bigger as they got closer, and finally I saw what they were.

"CeCe!" I called out, and laughed with relief. I tried to step out from behind Will, but he held me back. I'd promised to trust him, so I waited.

Before long, CeCe was circling about thirty feet above us. AJ was right behind her. They were both laughing and waving, and I waved back. The air seemed to tingle around us, and I felt a force of strong wind as they got closer. Finally they landed, ten feet away.

"There you guys are!" CeCe skipped out of her landing. "We've been searching the whole property for you."

Will let go of me, and I stepped around him.

"Hi. We were just at the garden with Anice," I said.

AJ wore the same ear to ear grin as the other night. He walked right over and put his arm around me, pulling me into his hard as stone chest.

"So little Sheila, no sparks flying out of you yet, eh?"

Then he turned to Will.

"Why don't you just drop her from a thousand feet, and see if she'll fly mate?"

"Was going to do that after dinner," replied Will.

It was nice to see Will smiling again. He'd even put his arm around CeCe.

"Wouldn't want you to miss all the fun," he said to AJ.

"Hey!" I said. "No dropping the mortal."

"Don't worry Kaylee," CeCe replied. "I'd catch you, and throw you right back at them."

"Aw thanks CeCe." I said. "It's good to know I can count on you."

CeCe and AJ's jokes entertained us all the way back to the house. When we were almost there, Greta joined us too, but this time she didn't drop the ball in front of me. Will and I shared a smile over that.

The rest of the day was great too. Anice came home, and cooked up another fantastic dinner. When Richard and Aunt Connie arrived, we all sat down and dug in, but the delicious meal didn't stop our endless chatter. Two hours later, we moved out onto the patio where Ryder played his guitar; which I found out was named Tess. Will was never too far away. When we weren't sitting next to each other, I'd look up, and catch his eye from across the room. Each time it happened, a tingle ran through me. He may not have been as lively as his blonde cousin and her boyfriend, but he didn't frown all night. It wasn't until very late that Aunt Connie and I finally went home. The day had been perfect, and that night I dreamed about flying through a starry sky with Will.
Chapter 10

Rides

A shock waited for me as I swung open our front door the next morning. CeCe and AJ were waiting on the porch instead of Will. Although I tried to hide it, the surprise must have shown on my face, because the first thing I got after my hellos was an explanation.

"Will ran off to England this morning," said CeCe. "He wanted to get something from his old house."

She must have been talking about his place in Whitby. As disappointed as I was not to see him, my curiosity ran wild about what his old home looked like; and what was so important that he'd leave me alone with CeCe and AJ to go get it.

"He still has a house over there?" I asked.

"Not just a house. Alton Dale is one big estate made up of both the old Finlay and Bennett properties. Richard says you should always hold on to real estate," CeCe replied. "Actually Miller's Landing is Will's too. It's Bennett land."

"What? I thought Richard and Anice bought it." I said.

"That's the story for the locals," AJ replied. "It's always easier to say something was bought than to explain the truth. I mean Will could try saying _Yeah, this land was left to me by my father who bought it three hundred years ago;_ but I think mortals would look at him funny."

I gave AJ a smile as I stepped off the porch, but my mind was running over the implications of what I'd just heard.

"So you mean Imms have lived here before?" I asked.

"Yeah," replied CeCe, "but that was way before any of our time. Well, not Richard and Anice's, I guess, but I don't know if they've ever been here. They probably did come to visit Chelsea and Victor."

"No wonder nobody remembers an owner ever living here," I mused. "So you mean this has been Imm land all along?"

"Well technically, yes," said CeCe. "The property passed to Will when Chelsea died, but it didn't have any mortal barriers since he never actually lived here. That's why the town's been able to use it. The real Gregory House is at Silveridge Park. That's the name of our estate outside of Swanage, in Dorset. We also have one outside of Houston from when I presented, and one in Sardinia. The beach is great there."

Suddenly I was seeing Miller's Landing in a whole new light. This place had always been special to me, maybe this was why. It actually was special.

"Anyway, Will asked Maggie to come and pick you up today," CeCe shot a playful grin at AJ, and continued, "but we convinced her to let us come instead. It wasn't too hard, because she wanted to go to New York with Ryder anyway. He's in a recording studio with someone today. The brat won't tell us who."

"So they've all left me in the hands of Trouble, and More Trouble," I said.

We laughed, but I have to admit, I was a bit nervous.

"I like the way you think." AJ's grin expanded, and he put one arm each around CeCe and me. "We'll have to live up to that."

"No throwing the Sheila!" I warned.

"Oh sure, spoil all the fun," he replied giving me a squeeze.

"But we did think you wouldn't mind getting thrown around a bit," CeCe said.

"Ok" I hesitated. "What does that mean?"

"The Sutton Fair opened early this year," CeCe said. "How about if we go and jump on the midway rides?"

"Really?"

I actually loved the idea of getting off the property for a while.

"But aren't I supposed to... I mean what if ..."

"What if you present?" asked CeCe. "Please! You'll have two Imms with you. We can handle it."

What I was actually going to say was 'What if Will comes back,' but they didn't need to know that. I was sure that he wouldn't stop me if I really wanted to go; and I was just as sure that he wouldn't like the idea. Well maybe we could go, and come back before he did. The fair was always the highlight of the summer, and it would be so much fun to go with CeCe and AJ.

"Ok," I said.

Before I got to the _let's go_ part, CeCe hooked one of my arms in hers, while AJ did the same with the other. Suddenly we were leaving the ground so fast, I actually squealed.

"Oh!" I gasped when I could speak again. "I thought we would drive."

"Takes too long," replied AJ.

This was nothing like my starry float a few nights ago. The air tingled, and the wind felt cold and hard. Maybe it was the altitude. We couldn't quite touch the clouds, but we were very high up, and the ground moved so fast underneath us, that I couldn't even focus on anything. My stomach leaped, and I tried to breathe, but all I could do was take in gulps of air. Then, just as if none of it had happened, we were standing by the midway at the Sutton Fair.

With my heart pounding, I looked around at all the people on the midway.

"B-But..," I stammered. "Didn't they all just see us land?"

"Nope," said CeCe. "Imm trick."

Slowly my stomach started to settle, and my breathing came back to normal.

"I don't get it," I said. "If you can do THAT, then what fun can little rides like this be?"

"Well that's just it," said AJ. "They're rides!"

"Yeah," added CeCe. "It's a lot more fun flying on someone else's steam."

I couldn't really agree with her just then, but about a minute or two later, I was ready to go. We loaded up on tickets, and rode every ride, some of them more than once. We played games, and each won some huge stuffed animals. Both CeCe and AJ claimed that they didn't use powers to help themselves, or me. I kind of doubted that, since I'd never won anything bigger than a fair button before.

Through the day I did see a few of my cousin's friends, but none of them seemed to recognize me. It was a little strange, because I didn't think I'd changed that much from the summer before. Still, I felt awkward saying hello to them if they didn't remember me, so I just let them pass without saying anything.

After hours and hours of rides and games, we finally took a break while CeCe spoke to a man from one of the horse shows. My feet were very grateful.

"Is she really serious about buying a horse?" I asked.

"Probably," AJ answered. "She's still a cowgirl at heart you know."

"Ah," I replied, not really having much energy to say anything else.

The sun was setting, but the day was still very hot. From the bench where we sat, I watched the crowd pass, hoping that CeCe's negotiations would take a while. Clearly powers gave a person more energy than your average mortal, and every inch of me was feeling very average at that point. Many of the faces that passed by us looked pretty average too, especially the ones on parents chasing excited children around. Then one face showed up in the crowd that was anything but average.

He appeared from the far end of the midway, walking with deliberate but unhurried steps. I couldn't help but wonder how he could wear all black in this kind of heat. It suited him though. Black brought out those eyes. The eyes! They were like a cool splash of water, to wake me from my fatigue induced drowsiness. Will was here.

CeCe finished her conversation with the horse man, and arrived back at the bench at the same time that Will reached us. I was surprised to find that he didn't look angry, but he did look tired.

"Cuz!"

CeCe wrapped her arms around Will's waist, and I envied her just a bit. "Did you come to play with us?"

"Hi," he replied. "No, I came to give Kaylee a ride home."

"We showed her a really good time." CeCe smiled up at him.

"I know you did."

He gave CeCe a kiss on top of her head, and turned to me.

"How about it Kaylee? Ready to go home?"

"Um yeah," I said.

Getting up took a little bit of work, but it got easier when Will held out his hand for me.

"Thanks you guys," I said to CeCe and AJ. "I had a lot of fun."

"Anytime," said CeCe, and she pointed at the hill of stuffed animals behind our bench. "Don't worry about your trophies. We'll bring them home."

I thanked her, and after good-byes all around, I walked to the parking lot with Will. As we passed between the trucks and family sedans, one car stood out, and I knew it had to be where we were going. The last time I saw a 1967 Shelby Cobra, it was on display at a mall in Chicago. It was silver, and looked pretty glamorous, shining under the mall lights. Will's black version of the car was even more gorgeous, and after seeing it, I couldn't imagine him driving anything else.

Will opened the door for me, and I sank into the soft leather seats. This ride was going to be much better than the one here. I felt myself relax right away, but I think it had more to do with the driver than the car itself. He'd come for me, just when I needed him, again.

"How was England?" I asked.

"Dusty," he replied. "It's been a while since I've been home."

"You look tired." I said.

"I had to dig through a lot of things to find the stuff I was looking for," he answered.

I glanced sideways at his face, and wondered how long it actually was since he'd gone back. He didn't just look tired, he looked drained. That couldn't be physical, not for an Imm. From what I'd heard there were a lot of unhappy memories in his old house. How many of them did he have to face while he was there? Resisting the urge to put my hand on his shoulder, I fastened my seatbelt, and looked out the front window.

"Did you find everything?" I asked

"Yeah," he said. "So you had a good time today?"

He was changing the subject. Ok. I wouldn't push.

"Yeah," I said with a sigh. "We had a great time. Those two are just great big kids. They wanted to ride everything. I could have done without the flight over though."

Immediately I regretted my last words. Will's jaw clenched, and the guilt that I'd managed to keep quiet all day, woke up.

"Are you angry," I mumbled, "that I left the property?"

He lowered his head, and then looked at me. I hated seeing him look so worn.

"Well, I would've rather you spent the day with Maggie," he said, "but you're not in prison Kaylee. I understand that you needed to get out for a while, and I know how close you and CeCe are getting."

"You don't trust her with me do you?"

It wasn't an accusation, just a question. Will frowned.

"CeCe loves you, and would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. I know that, and I think you do too."

He looked at me for confirmation, and I nodded.

"It's just that CeCe acts on impulse most of the time, and when she's with AJ it's even worse. You're not strong enough to handle some of the consequences of that."

A part of me wanted to argue, but I knew he was right. I couldn't deny nearly drowning in the pond, and I probably would have fainted if our crazy flight this morning wasn't over so fast. The truth was that, although CeCe and AJ were great to me, I knew that they weren't careful, not as careful as Will anyway.

The daylight was almost gone now. In the rearview mirror the fair rides were disappearing in the distance. It was a fun day, but I'd taken a big risk to have it. Feeling safe in the car, I could admit that now. I glanced over at Will, and saw again the droop in his shoulders. He shouldn't have had to come and get me today, not after whatever else he'd been through.

"How did you know where we were?" I asked.

"CeCe's phone," he said.

Will pulled his own phone out of his back pocket, and gave it to me. When it was in my hand, its little screen lit up. On it I could see CeCe and AJ, still walking around the fair. He had his arm over her shoulder, and hers was around his waist. She giggled as he whispered something in her ear.

Wide eyed, I looked up at Will again. The phone's screen didn't impress me. It was an Imm trick, as CeCe would say. What I couldn't believe, was what he'd done.

"We get great reception," Will said, with a slight smile.

"Thank you," I said.

The frown was back, and he gave me a quick glance.

"For what?" Will asked.

"For letting me enjoy the fair," I said, "and for still watching over me."

His hands clenched on the steering wheel, and his chest rose with a deep breath, but he didn't say anything. It was alright, he didn't need to. There were a lot of things I wouldn't let myself say to him, but I wanted him to hear that. He needed to know that what he'd done meant a lot to me.

We were getting close to home, and I wished I could stretch out the road in front of us, just to spend a little more time with Will. It would be so nice to have a long peaceful ride with him, but that couldn't happen, could it? There were so many emotions running through me, and I was losing the battle to push them back. The toughest struggle was with the guilt. It was growing mercilessly now that I knew that, even when he wasn't around, Will was still protecting me. Neither being out of the country, or how tired he'd come back, had stopped him. What was wrong with me? Being selfish was one thing, but I'd never been a cruel person. How could I keep doing this to him?

"Will."

A ball of pain squeezed inside my chest as I tried to hold back the tears.

"Yeah," he said.

"You have to stop protecting me, and I have to stop coming to Miller's Landing."

Aunt Connie's house was just ahead of us. In a minute we would have been in the driveway, but Will swerved the car, and screeched to a stop at the side of the road.

"What are you talking about Kaylee?"

His voice was rough, and I couldn't bring myself to look up into those eyes. The tears were escaping now, and both the guilt and pain in my chest got worse. I jumped out of the car, and started to run towards the house, but I didn't get far before Will was in front of me, holding my arms with his hands.

"What is this Kaylee?" His eyes dug deep into me. "What's wrong?"

The tears were coming faster now. He was worried, and I didn't deserve it. I was a phony. He had to know the truth.

"It's not me Will," I said. "I'm not the Presenter. We can't keep doing this. I can't keep pretending. Your whole family is waiting for something that isn't going to happen. You spend your days protecting someone who will never be what everyone expects. I can't keep doing this to them, and I can't keep doing it to you. I feel like such a liar."

The words were coming out in sobs now, and I could have doubled over with the pain. I said it, and I knew that this meant giving up the thing I loved most in the world. At any moment I expected the warmth of his hands to be replaced by the cool of the evening air, but it didn't happen. Instead, I felt the hands replaced with arms, and found a strong chest to lay my head on. Will held me tightly in his arms, and I heard his soft voice beside my ear.

"Shhhh," he whispered, as he stroked my hair.

It felt like the world around us was spinning, but I was safe and warm in Will's arms. If only he would only hold on to me forever. All my pain flowed out onto his chest. How would I live without this, without him? _Don't let go_ I pleaded silently, and he didn't, not for a long time. Was it minutes or hours until my tears finally stopped? The only thing I knew about any time I spent with Will, was that it was always too short.

Gathering all the strength I could, I stepped back, and he let me go. I couldn't look up at him, but like yesterday, his hand came up under my chin, and pushed up gently. The pain in his eyes almost made me cry again, but his hand moved to cup my cheek, and the tears held back.

"You're not a liar," he said. "I know it's hard to believe, but everyone feels like this before they present."

"But Will, I'm telling you..."

"That you're sure it's not you." He nodded. "So was I. So were CeCe, and AJ, and Ryder, and everyone else in the family."

"But it's so hard to do this, when I really don't believe it's me."

I needed him to understand.

"Everyone in your family talks to me as if it's just a formality. They always say 'when' you present. It's not a sure thing. There's a very real chance that it won't be me. I just feel like, whenever I'm with any of you, I'm lying."

"If that's what you're worried about, then you can stop right now," Will relied. "Kaylee my family knows what the possibilities are, even if they don't say it. Remember that all of us have been through this before. We know what can happen. That fact is that the likelihood that you're the Presenter is very high. There's no one else who even comes close."

"And if it isn't me?"

He just looked at me for a while, and then his eyes turned to the ground.

"Then we'll deal with that."

"I know," I said. "You'll just wipe my memory, and take the new person in."

His head snapped up at me, and a flicker of anger flashed across his face.

"Do you really think it would be that easy?" He said. "Look at CeCe. She's not just being nice, she's attached to you. How do you think she would feel if you passed her on the street, and didn't even see her, much less recognize her? How much do you think it would kill her to know that, even if she talked to you, you would forget about her the moment she was gone? That's how it is with mortals and Imms. We don't register. We're shadows. And how do you think CeCe would take thinking about her friend growing old, maybe getting sick, or hurt? How will she feel knowing that someday you'll die? Believe me Kaylee, a clean memory is much kinder."

I swayed as he stepped away, and brought himself back under control. The force of his words was so strong, it was still coursing through me. Was he really thinking of CeCe? Did I dare believe that he'd be the one to miss me?

"It'll never happen you know," I told him. "I'll never forget. No matter what powers any of you throw at me. I'll always know you, just like I know you now without being awakened. Just like I can walk onto Miller's Landing. Just like Greta won't chase me away. I won't ever forget, and I'll always know you."

He was stunned by what I'd said. I could tell in the way his expression had changed to wonder. Maybe he thought that it could be true. Personally, I was depending on it. He shook his head as if he was clearing it.

"We're talking a lot about what might happen," he said, "but nobody knows what that will be. How about if we just take it day by day?"

There was no more fight in me. All the pain had poured out with my tears.

"I can do that," I said.

Will smiled, and held out his hand. My lips were still shaky, but I smiled back, and took it. We walked the rest of the way to my house in silence. It had been a long day, and both of us were worn out. On the bright side, the knot in my stomach was gone. I didn't believe any more now than I did earlier, that I would present, but at least I'd admitted it. I didn't feel like a liar anymore.

The one secret I still held back didn't carry any guilt with it. My love for Will was mine, and unless some day he felt the same, it would stay that way.

When we got to the door he let go of my hand, but I would feel him holding me all night.

"Good night Will," I said.

"I'll see you tomorrow Kaylee," he replied.

Chapter 11

Secret in the Studio

Music filled the room as Maggie sat cross legged on the floor, with her head back, and her eyes closed. She swayed in time to the song and smiled with every riff from the guitar. When they told me Ryder was a musician, I didn't have any idea just how good he was, but Maggie was loving every minute of showing me. It was amazing how many CDs there were spread out between us, and how much more was stored on different gadgets. There were so many bands, and they ranged over so many decades. Ryder had recorded with all of them.

The song faded out, and Maggie slowly opened her eyes. Her smile widened when she looked at me, and saw that I was smiling too.

"That's one of my favorites," she said.

"Yeah, the guitar solo is awesome," I replied. "What name did you say he was using now."

"Ryder Warren," she answered.

I scanned the credits in the cover. There it was, 'Ryder Warren, Electric Guitar'.

"I can't believe he's played with all of these people," I said. "You know I saw these guys in concert last summer."

I held up the CD in my hand.

"Really?" Maggie replied. "They asked him to come on tour with them you know."

My mouth dropped.

"But Ryder won't do tours," Maggie said. "He doesn't like traveling on buses, and all the craziness that happens backstage. All he wants to do is play, so he usually keeps to the recording studios."

"I guess that makes sense." I said looking back at the CD case. "Plus he can't exactly show up with a new band every twenty, or thirty years looking exactly the same."

"No, that might raise some eyebrows," she replied. "I hope you're not bored. This can't be as exciting as running around with CeCe and AJ."

"Are you kidding!" I said. "I love this. Ryder's fantastic, and this stuff is great. You have no idea how many of these songs I have downloaded. Besides, this is a lot less exhausting than running around with those two."

Maggie rolled her eyes, and gave me a knowing nod. Then she looked up at the ceiling.

"They're still asleep." She said. "I have no idea what time they got in. Ryder and I got back around two in the morning, and they were still out."

"I'm not really surprised," I said.

"I hope Will is sleeping too." Maggie said, frowning. "We heard him shuffling around when we got home, and this morning he looked half asleep when he was leaving to get you. I sent him straight back upstairs to bed."

So as tired as he was last night, he still hadn't gone to sleep when he came home. I looked up at the ceiling now too. Something kept him awake, and I wondered what else he had to deal with yesterday, besides my meltdown by the road. I hadn't slept much either. Scenes from the day played through my mind for most of the night; Will watching out for me on his phone, Will coming to take me home, Will holding me until I stopped crying. With the guilt behind me now, remembering our ride home made me feel warm, and even more excited to see him again. I just wished the thoughts that kept him up were as good as mine.

"Have you ever been to his house at Alton Dale Maggie?" I asked.

"No," she replied.

"He looked tired when he came back yesterday," I said.

"He always does when he's gone there," she mused. "I wish he wouldn't go. I don't think that place does him any good."

It hurt to think of Will walking around a dusty old house alone. It probably wasn't empty, since he said he'd gone back to get something. What was still there? No doubt the house was full of memories; a chair that his mortal mother used to sit on, or a thing like a favorite vase of hers sitting on a table. Was there a room where he went to escape when he was unhappy? How many things did he have to relive when he went back home? Maybe someday I'd get to find out.

A quick gust of air burst through room, and I turned to see CeCe in the doorway of the lounge. She was still in her pajamas and her hair was wild, but not as wild as the look on her face.

"It's open!" She cried. "Come on, hurry!"

With that she turned and ran towards the stairs. She had to be slowing down for me, because as excited as she was, I was sure she really wanted to port to wherever she was talking about. Maggie and I jumped up, and followed her.

"Wait!" I called. "Where are we going? What's open?"

"The studio!" She called back over her shoulder. "Will's been painting!"

My feet froze in their tracks.

"He hasn't painted in years," Maggie whispered, more to herself than to me.

Will's studio was open, and that was obviously a major event in the Gregory house. There were no words for how much I wanted to see that room, but it was his private spot. There was a reason he kept it locked up.

"Is he up there CeCe?" I asked doubtfully. "Did he invite us?"

"No, he's probably gone for more paint or something," she replied. "Hurry before he comes back."

Maggie must have been thinking the same thing as me. We each gave the other a worried look, and then took off after CeCe.

"CeCe no!" I cried.

"Don't you dare go up there Cecilia," Maggie warned.

It was no use though. Before the words even got out, CeCe was through the studio door, and we heard her climbing the stairs. Maggie and I followed, but we both stopped where the stairs reached the top. CeCe was already walking around the room, and examining everything.

At first all I could really take in was the room itself. It was round, and at the very top of the house. More than half of the room was large windows, but they were covered with heavy drapes. The rest of the room was clean white walls. There were tables in three places which held paints, brushes and other supplies. Paintings stood leaned up against the walls, and stacked one on top of the other. I was relieved to see that they were covered with cloth. It was true that I'd searched Will's paintings on the internet; seeing the real ones though, I didn't want that to happen unless he wanted to show them to me.

There were a few easels here and there around the room, but there was one big one in the middle with a large canvas on it. If he really was painting, then that was probably the piece. Luckily the canvas was facing away from the entrance, and I couldn't see what was on it; that made me feel a bit better. CeCe wasn't as respectful. After a peek through the stacked paintings, she walked straight to the canvas.

"No CeCe, please," I begged her. "Let's get out of here."

She didn't even slow down. My heart sank as CeCe turned, and stood looking at the canvas. Her mouth dropped, and her eyes popped open. The reaction stunned me silent. Then her face lit up with a huge grin.

"I knew it." she said.

Maggie and I looked at each other confused, as CeCe did a little dance. Then she spun around, and put her hands on her hips, looking at Maggie.

"I... told... you ... so!"

CeCe dragged the words out.

"What are you talking about?" Maggie asked.

"Come and see," said CeCe.

Maggie hesitated for a few seconds, but CeCe's smug challenge was awfully hard to resist. With a groan, and an irritated scowl at her sister-in-law, Maggie walked over to the painting herself. As she looked up, it was like somebody hit a rewind button. The same expressions that had transformed CeCe's face were replaying on Maggie's. Then the two of them just stood there taking turns looking at the picture, and smiling at each other. They were acting so strangely that curiosity was coiling its way through me. _No, don't go_ I said to myself; but what were they so happy about? What did Will do? It didn't take long for the questions to drive me crazy, especially since the answers were only a few feet away. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore; I had to see.

As I walked around the canvas, CeCe and Maggie moved to the side. I glared at both of them. If they weren't making such a big deal of the painting, I could have gone back downstairs with a clean conscience. Since it was too late for that now, I turned to see what all the smiles were about.

The air seemed to get caught in my throat. My heart started pounding so hard, I thought it would come right through my chest. I blinked, and even shook my head, but the painting stayed the same. It was me. Will had painted me!

The background of the painting was a summer night's sky, and in the middle, I was floating in the air. A soft breeze was blowing through my hair and against my dress, while tiny stars glowed all around me. My eyes were sparkling, and there was a little smile on my face. My right hand reached out from the painting. It reached out to Will, the way it did that night.

It was unbelievable. I knew I never looked that beautiful in my life, but seeing that he had painted me like that, knowing that every line and stroke was put there with his own hands, sent a thrill through me as if I'd felt every touch. _I love you Will Bennett._ The thought came out stronger and surer than any thought I'd ever had.

"So Sis," said CeCe, "I think she likes it. What do you think?"

"I think that some people are trespassing where they don't belong."

Oh no.

It wasn't Maggie's voice that answered. He'd come back so suddenly and quietly, that none of us heard him. We were like thieves up here, and the alarms had just gone off. With cheeks burning as if they were on fire, I turned to CeCe and Maggie, but the two of them just smiled at me, and disappeared. There was nothing beside me now but an empty spot where they'd been. No! How could they leave like that? Couldn't they at least have stayed long enough to explain? What was I going to say to him? If I could verse like they could, I'd beg the girls to come back. Unfortunately that wasn't a choice I had, and yelling for them just wasn't the same. I took a deep breath. With no accomplices, and nowhere else to go, there was only one thing to do; I stepped out from behind the canvas and faced Will.

The sight of him made my heart pound even faster. His hair was tussled, and paint streaked his face and arms. There were blotches of it on his tank shirt and jeans too, and a rag was hooked through a belt hole at his waist. He looked more like he'd been fighting than painting, and there was a flush to his skin that was mesmerizing. Neither one of us spoke at first. Will didn't move. His eyes dug into me with an ache I could almost feel, and his hands clench around the paint tubes he was carrying.

"Hi," he said finally.

"Hi," I replied.

It was hard to think of anything else to say. Suddenly the world had shrunk to the size of this room, and we were alone in it. Even in my dreams about Will, we'd never ended up like this. I held my breath hoping that he'd speak again, but he turned away, and walked to one of the tables at the side of the room. He put down the paint tubes he was carrying, and picked up others; then he put those down too, without even looking at them. In the end his empty hands just dropped onto the table, and he leaned forward with his head down. Breaking the silence was going to be up to me.

"I'm sorry we came up here," I said. "Maggie and I were only trying to stop CeCe."

"It's my fault. I should have sealed the room when I left," said Will.

He stood straight again, and picked up another tube. This time he unscrewed the top, and with an expert swoosh, squeezed of glob of thick red paint onto a palate before reaching for another color. My heart sank. He wasn't going to say anything about the painting.

"I swear Will, we didn't look at everything," I said. "We only saw..."

"Don't worry about it," he replied. "You should go downstairs. Maggie and CeCe are probably waiting for you."

His hands were working faster now, and smudges of shiny color stained his fingers. With every move he was shutting me out just a little more. I wanted so badly to grab his hands; to make him stop and look at me. If I didn't there might never be another honest moment between us. We'd have to spend every minute we had together pretending the painting didn't exist, and that would be unbearable. At least it would for me.

"I love the painting," I said.

"Thank you," he replied.

No. We couldn't stop there.

"No one's ever painted me before," I said.

The palate fell to the table with a clang, but Will finally turned back toward me. The aching look was still in his eyes. Although I didn't like seeing it there, it gave me hope. That look meant emotion, and whatever Will was feeling had melted away the cool wall that was always around him.

"Look Kaylee," said Will, "this room is locked because some of my work isn't meant for viewing. Ok, so you've seen the painting by accident. Can we just forget about it now?"

The drapes burst open with a wave of Will's hand, and he stormed past me to stand by the window. As the sunlight touched his crossed arms, the paint streaks there seemed to move as if they were flowing through his skin. His eyes were searching out past the trees, but they didn't have that faraway look that I already knew so well. He was still in this room with me.

"I don't think I can do that," I said. "Why did you paint it if you were never going to show me?"

"I didn't say...." He started to answer, but then shook his head. "Kaylee please."

Will turned to me again, and I saw the answer in his pleading eyes. He didn't say he'd never show me the painting. That could only mean one thing. He was saving it until I present. My mortality was the lock to this room, and while there was still I chance that someday I'd die, Will wouldn't the let things he felt in here out. His secrets may have been safe up here forever if the girls and I didn't break in; only that's not what happened, was it? CeCe didn't find a way to get through Will's barriers. He'd left the room unguarded.

It was so strange. There were so many times I thought about how Will suffered through the deaths of all his parents. I would have done anything to take away that pain for him, and I never wanted to be the one who caused it. Maybe I should have felt all that now, and left Will alone with his private room, but I couldn't. Somehow it just didn't feel right to do that. I didn't know if it was Will, or me, or the two of us together, but something told me I had to finish what I started when I came upstairs today.

"I'm sorry Will. I didn't mean to come up here, but I can't undo it," I said. "If you can look in my eyes and say that painting me didn't mean anything to you, I'll go downstairs and never ask again. If you can't... then maybe we feel the same way about each other, and I don't want to pretend that we don't."

My breath seemed to leave my body as I confessed, but it was Will's chest that rose and fell. When he slowly turned to look at me again, his eyes were wide and questioning. He shook his head, and his fingers left behind specks of color as they ran through his hair. His feet shifted as if they were trying to move but couldn't.

"I didn't know," said Will. "I thought it was just me."

Air. Breathe Kaylee, breathe.

"It's not," I replied.

Was it possible that the room got even smaller? With every step Will took toward me, more of it disappeared. There was nothing left anymore, but smell of paint, and sunlight... and Will. I didn't move when his hand reached up to touch my face. He was looking at me as if I was someone he'd never seen before, and didn't want to break the path that his thumb tracing against my cheek.

"I want to tell you what that means to me Kaylee," said Will, "but it's not the right time. It'd be better for both of us..."

He was about to pull back, but I grabbed Will's hand and held it to my face. The move brought him closer, and his eyes closed with a sharp intake of breath. I almost felt cruel for doing this to him, but who knew how much time we had left. If a day was coming that we'd have to go our separate ways, couldn't we at least be together for a while, without hiding how we feel?

"I know it's not easy for you to let yourself care about another mortal," I said, "and I can't promise you I'll never die..."

"Don't... don't say that," said Will.

His eyes opened again, and they blazed into me so deeply that my legs felt weak.

"Just tell me what to do to make it easier?" I asked.

Will took another deep breath, and then released it slowly.

"Present," he whispered. "Just please, please present."

I wanted so badly to promise him I would. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but they wouldn't come out. Maybe he could see them in my eyes. Maybe that's what he was searching for so intensely. Leaning into him, I looked up and let him find what he needed. Then, as if he had to look closer, his hand slid to the back of my neck, and his head slowly came down until his lips touched mine. William Bennett kissed me.

The world had already disappeared, but now time stopped too. I reached my hands up around his neck, and kissed Will back. His arms pulled me closer, and his kiss got stronger. My head was spinning, and my heart threatened to pound through my chest. Then again, was that my heart beat or his? It didn't matter. Our hearts belonged together, and I never wanted to let go. It was like everything had fallen into place, and I was finally where I was meant to be all of my life. I couldn't get close enough to him, but before I could tighten my arms around his shoulders, he pulled away.

My head took one big spin, and I blinked my eyes open at the surprise of finding my arms empty. I looked over at Will. He was standing a few feet away, breathing heavily, with his eyes on the ground. The muscle in his jaw was clenched. His right hand came up to grab the easel beside him, and it snapped like a toothpick under his grip.

"Will?"

Confused, I moved toward him, but he stumbled back a few steps.

"Kaylee, please give me a minute," he said roughly.

"I don't understand." I said. "What's wrong?"

He let out a sigh, and flicked his fingers at the windows. In an instant the glass was gone, and a breeze came pouring in. Will tilted his head toward the cool air. Inside, I was screaming for an answer that didn't come right away. As much as I wanted to understand what was happening, the tension in Will's shoulders told me that this couldn't be rushed. Biting my lip, I waited. The next few seconds felt like an hour, but Will finally straightened up, and turned to me.

"There's allot you don't know about Imms and powers," he said.

His face was still red, and the muscles in his arms looked strained enough to snap.

"So tell me." I begged.

"Intimacy is different for us." Will replied. "When we're... close... our powers join in what we call the bond. For Imms, it's the most incredible experience two people can have, and I can't wait to share that with you. The problem is that, bonding with mortals; it can't happen. You're not strong enough to be touched by that energy. I tried to hold it inside me, but...well, you saw what happened."

Saw it? Oh yes, I saw what happened to Will, and if I had any doubt how much power he was holding back, the broken easel still laid on the floor as proof. I understood something else too. Will couldn't hold back completely. My spinning head; our pounding hearts; that was what Will was trying to describe. I'd been feeling his powers. Maybe that should have scared me, but it didn't. No, I felt something completely different, and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

"So how long will it be until we can do that again?" I asked.

He looked at me completely stunned.

"Seriously?" he said. "Didn't you just hear me? This is dangerous for you."

How could I explain to him that, in spite of what he'd just said, all I felt was peace and happiness? The shattered wood on the floor almost made me giggle. Will didn't just care for me; he felt something so strong he couldn't hold it in. I'd face any danger to have that.

"Yes, I heard you," I said. "So we'll just have to be careful until I present."

"Kaylee this isn't something we can take lightly," he replied.

"I'm not taking anything lightly," I said, "but if there's one thing I've found out since all of this craziness started it's that, if you let them, things have a way of working out."

"You haven't seen as much of life as I have Kaylee," Will replied. "I'm sorry, but that's not always the way things go."

"Then I'll have to believe for both of us," I answered.

Neither one of us said anything for a while. His eyes were searching in mine again, and I made sure that he wouldn't see anything but complete confidence. There was no doubt in my mind anymore; Will and I were meant to be together. Now there was something I had to do, and I was determined to do it. I was going to present, and to live. It was harder for him to hope, I could tell, but slowly the atmosphere in the room changed. The peace, that was in me, seemed to touch him. The tension in his shoulders eased, and when Will put his arms around me again, he smiled.

"You know you're really incredible," he said. "You almost drown, and you get more upset about CeCe and Ryder feeling bad, than the fact that you almost died. You see a flare up over the lake, and you rush to help without even knowing what's out there. Now, even with sprinters around your feet, you're trying to keep me from worrying about hurting you. Do you always put other people first?"

"Trust me, I'm being very selfish," I said, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"And I heard that." He gave me a squeeze. "You said _until I present_. Does that mean that you do believe you're the Presenter now?"

"It means that if those powers don't find me, I'm going to go out and get them!"

I gave him a playful grin. He laughed and let me go; but then his smile faded a little.

"I really, REALLY hate to tell you this Kaylee, but it's not that easy."

"Oh I know," I replied. "I was just kidding."

"No," he said. "What I mean is that, after you present, you won't have full powers for a while. It takes time for them to grow, and for you to learn to use them."

"But you said they could come in a big blast, or something."

"Yes, they can present like that," Will answered, "but that's just the way they start. Once they're awake in you, they have to become a part of you. They have to grow. It might be a while before we can...kiss properly."

What? No! Not more waiting!

"But how long?" I asked.

"Maybe a year," he said. "Maybe more"

It was like a bucket of ice was poured down my back.

"A year or more!" I gasped. "You mean it will be a year or more before you kiss me again?"

"Well," Will smiled, and rubbed his forehead. "I seriously doubt that."

His answer turned my shock into happy relief, and I returned his smile. What I wanted more than anything was to step into his arms again, and take another kiss, but I didn't. Our first one had been so incredible I knew that I'd relive it forever. The shattered wood on the floor was a reminder of what the kiss had done. I didn't want to do that to him again now... but we were going to need more easels, a lot of them.

"Hmm," I said. "Maybe we should go downstairs. I'm sure CeCe and Maggie are just dying to see us."

Will's reply was a crooked frown. Ok. I wasn't so sure I was ready to get pounced on by CeCe either.

"Why don't we go for a swim instead?" Will suggested.

His hand came up, and wiped a spot of paint off my face. That was when I noticed the smudges on my own hands and top. Smiling, I nodded.

"But won't they see us leaving?" I asked.

"Not if we avoid the front door." He said slyly.

Suddenly Will was standing outside the window with his hand held out to me.

"Can I give you a lift Miss Ward?" he said.

I gave Will my hand, and followed. My smile only got bigger as he picked me up, and we took off into the sky. The girls would probably be annoyed when they found out we'd snuck out on

them, but we'd deal with that later.
Chapter 12

The Other Side of the Past

"She actually left me alone."

Will laughed, and shrugged at my question about what CeCe did when he got home yesterday. We'd spent the rest of the day at the pond, and then took a walk by the lake. Amazingly the skies stayed clear of searching sisters.

"I think it was Maggie's doing," said Will. "She's pretty good at knowing when to leave people alone. It didn't stop the two of them from smiling at each other all night though."

"I'll bet," I said. "What did you do?"

"I ate my dinner, and then went up to the studio." He replied.

"And they let you?" I asked.

"What were they going to do, tie me up and interrogate me?" He said.

No, not Maggie, but knowing CeCe, that was probably exactly what she wanted to do. I could just picture it. There'd be Will, magically tied up, and floating in the middle of the lounge, while CeCe circled him and said; _Now Mr. Bennett, you will answer all my questions truthfully, and in detail_. She'd be wearing a pink Sherlock Holmes hat, and holding a vial of truth serum in her hand. Poor CeCe, she must have been just bursting to get at us.

Hearing that Will and I kissed in the studio would have definitely sent his cousin into orbit, but I'm sure she'd have been disappointed in the rest of our day. There was no speed flying, or crazy water stunts, and there was no more kissing. There weren't any more deep conversations either. Will and I just enjoyed our time together. I told him stories about the funny things that happened around the pond, and then watched the way his eyes shined when he laughed. He told me that he liked to sail, and about the trips he, Ryder and AJ had taken together. Yeah, CeCe would have probably thought that was a boring day, but for me, it couldn't have been better.

"Did you paint last night?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said.

"What did you paint?"

"Something for you," he said. "It's a surprise though, so don't ask any more questions."

He shot me a warning glance, but it wasn't nearly serious enough to squash my curiosity.

"Something for me?"

"Don't ask," he repeated.

Biting my lip, I force myself to do what he asked. No matter how much I was dying to know what he'd painted, letting it be a surprise was the least I could do after seeing my portrait yesterday. It took three breaths to calm myself down. Will must have seen my struggle, because he laughed.

"Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long," he said. "We're going back up to the studio today. There are some other paintings I want to show you, that is, if you don't mind."

Suddenly what was left of the path between us and the house seemed far too long. Mind? Was he joking? If I could present that minute, the first thing I would do would be to port right into that round room on top of Gregory House.

"I'd really like that," I replied.

"Ok," he said.

The excitement of being invited into Will's private world carried me the rest of the way. It was only when the trees in front of us were starting to show peeks of the house, that a stray thought hit me. My feet slowed, and Will must have noticed, because he slowed down too.

"What's the matter?" He said.

"Um Will, do Richard and Anice know..." I hesitated, not sure how to say it, "... about us?"

It wasn't the house so much, as the memory of the Gregory crest embossed everywhere that shook me. Sure CeCe and Maggie were happy about the idea of Will and me together, but they weren't the heads of the family. Would Anice and Richard be as accepting? There was no doubt that Richard believed I was the Presenter, but that still didn't mean that I was. Although we all chose to ignore any other possibility right now, I wasn't sure that either Richard or Anice would like to see Will get hurt again. They loved their family too much.

"I spoke to Richard last night," Will replied.

I stopped in my tracks, and gaped at him.

"You did?" I said.

"This is my land, but it's his family," said Will. "I owed him that respect."

There were things that Will did that I never thought of as old fashioned, until that moment. The way he always opened a door for me, or waited until I sat down before he did; they just seemed to be nice things that were part of him. I guess they were, and although he learned them in a different time, he still valued them today. The funny thing was, I did do.

"What did Richard say?" I asked.

"He said that, as long as we were careful with the limitations of your mortality, he was happy for us," Will replied.

The burning in my cheeks told me that they were bright red. After Will's reaction to our kiss yesterday, I had no doubt about what Richard meant by the limitations of my mortality. Thankfully, it wasn't all he said.

"So, we can still...?" I said.

A soft hand came up, and brushed the hair back from my face. Its touch calmed me, and I looked up into Will's eyes as he stepped closer.

"I want you to know that, if Richard didn't approve, it wouldn't change anything for me," he said. "I just wanted to do things the right way. Luckily, we didn't disagree. Now no one has to be uncomfortable."

Before he stepped away, Will leaned in, and kissed me on the forehead.

"Thank you for breaking the ice with Richard," I said.

Will laughed as we started to walk again.

"Don't thank me, Richard was the easy part," he said. "CeCe and Maggie; they're all yours."

Oh boy, I wasn't looking forward to that grilling. Fortunately for me, everyone was in the closed music room when we arrived at the house. Whatever they were listening to, or playing, must have blocked out any sound Will and I made coming in. We escaped upstairs unseen.

The studio looked different when I walked in. The broken easel was gone, but many others stood around the room with covered paintings on them. Heavy white drapes still hung over the windows, but the lights beaming from the ceiling were as bright as sunshine. The portrait of me was in the middle of the room, like yesterday, but it was facing the entrance.

Will walked into the room, and then stood with his hands in his front pockets. His eyes moved from me to the floor, and back. A smile flickered across his mouth, and then his brows knitted together. He was nervous, almost shy. It was no secret how personal the things in this room were to him, but seeing him so self conscious told me better than any words could, that he was sharing something important with me. I couldn't help my own feet from shuffling, or my eyes turning towards the floor. Get a hold of yourself Kaylee. This is harder for him than for you.

"You closed the curtains," I said.

"Um, yeah." He flashed a quick glance at the window. "Natural light is good for painting, but not so good for paint; makes it fade."

"Uh-huh," I nodded. I'd heard that before.

Will looked around the room at the covered paintings. They stood patiently waiting, each one under its own spotlight. I followed his gazed with mixed emotions. Sure, I was happy that Will wanted to show me his work, but a little part of me was scared too. Was I about to see all the misery Will poured out on to those canvases, and would showing them just bring back those feelings for him? What would I do if they made him get distant like he was when we first met? I gave myself a mental shake. If any of those things happened, I'd deal with it. The important thing was that Will wanted to share this with me, and I wanted to deserve his trust.

"May I see them?" I asked.

There was no hesitation in Will when he walked to the first painting. That surprised me, but not as much as the smile on his face when he pulled off the cloth. I almost laughed with relief when I saw the scene underneath. It was of a seaside dock, but it was nothing like the seascapes I'd seen on the internet. In this painting the sun was shining, and the sea was calm. There were even happy people painted on the dock and the street beside it.

"This is a dock in Whitby, where I was born," he said.

As I looked closer, I recognized the scene from his other works, but this could have been painted by a completely different person. The strokes looked softer, and the colors weren't so strong and dark. The painting actually looked cheerful.

"This was one of my first ones," Will explained. "I did it before I presented."

"It looks so happy," I said, unable to hide my surprise.

"Well I was happy," he replied. "I'd just discovered painting, and wanted to paint everything."

We shared a laugh. It was so good to see that not all of Will's paintings were filled with anger and pain. I always believed that, even with the horrible things that happened, there had to be some good memories in Will's life. After all, he had been alive for a very long time. I couldn't wait to see the other pieces and, as we walked slowly through them, Will pulled off the cloths, one by one. There was a painting of a busy market, one of the Whitby countryside, and a night view of the main street in his town. They were all painted with lightness to them.

"I thought you only painted seascapes," I said, as I took a closer look at a laughing group painted under a bright street lamp.

"I only showed and sold the seascapes," he answered. "All of those were an expression of a moment. These ones capture a time. They're too personal to sell."

I remembered his comment after Maggie told me about his past. He said not to jump to any conclusions. These paintings, more than anything, showed me how much that was true.

We came to the second last picture, and I noticed that, this time, Will hesitated. He put his hand on the cloth, and clenched it for a moment before pulling it off. Under the cloth was a painting of a man. He was dressed in an old fashioned suit, and stood formally looking out at the viewer. He was handsome, with black hair and sharp brown eyes. Even with the suit and the formal pose, there was something rugged about him. He looked strong, and ready to take on the world.

"Victor," I whispered.

"Yes."

Will answered, and then stood quietly looking at the portrait of the man who was the only father he remembered. I kept silent, knowing that Will was traveling through time again. This painting stood out from the others. It wasn't as soft as the home paintings, and not as hard as the seascapes. It had clean lines, painted so carefully that it could have been a photograph.

"I did so many of these," Will mused.

The tone of his voice, and the way he looked at the painting, made it obvious that there was a story to what he'd just said. Since this was one of the pieces he'd chosen to show me, I braced myself and asked;

"Can you tell me about it?"

It was hard to look away from Victor Bennett's eyes, but Will managed to do it. He turned to me, and let out a big sigh.

"You know that after Victor died, Chelsea swore that she wouldn't live without him, and blocked the magic that kept her from aging."

I nodded at Will, but didn't interrupt.

"A lot of people wondered why she didn't try to commit suicide. Most think that it was Richard and the Councils doing, but that's not true. Chelsea would never have tried to kill herself, because she thought it would be a betrayal to Victor. You have to remember that he did spend most of his life trying to save people. In the end, he even died for it."

"Will, I'm sorry for asking," I said, "but, for Imms, isn't blocking the magic the same thing as suicide?"

"No," he replied. "Neither Victor or Chelsea saw it that way. Most Immortals don't. They see it as their time coming, and as nature taking its course. The truth is that eternity is a very long time to live, and adapting to change becomes harder as centuries go by. It's not unusual for an Imm to reach a point where they feel they've lived their full life, and choose to allow their days to end. Some Imms even believe that knowing it's their time is a sense that comes from natural magic. Don't forget, they've usually lived many mortal lifetimes before they reach that point."

"I see," I said. "Please go on about the painting."

"Chelsea chose to spend the remaining years of her life honoring Victor's memory," he continued. "I travelled the world with her; opening hospitals, shelters, schools, and building irrigation in third world countries. She had all of them dedicated to Victor, and I painted a portrait to hang in each one. After she died, I went back and replaced all the paintings with ones of Victor and Chelsea together."

"That's really beautiful," I said.

Will looked up at the painting of his father, and gave a little laugh.

"He'd of hated the idea of hanging in all those places, but she would have persuaded him. All the work that she did was a testament to them both, though. Besides, Imm bonds are so strong, neither one of them belongs in a painting without the other."

This was the second time Will had mentioned a bond between Imms. Something about the way he said it, made it sound like a very particular thing. I wanted to ask more about it, but I didn't want to keep interrupting him with questions. There was one more painting to go.

"Now!" Will said, and stepped to the next easel. "Do you remember that I said I had a surprise for you?"

My eyes lit up. My painting! I was so excited that, when I nodded, my whole body practically shook. Will smiled, and pulled the cloth off of the last painting. My hands flew up to my mouth.

It was my pond, but not just from any view. If I were sitting on a blanket by the swing tree, this would be exactly what I would see. The branches of the tree would be over me, the pond would sparkle just a few feet away, the sun would shine down through the branches, and the leaves on the trees across the pond would blow in the breeze. How many times had I been at school, or back home in the city, when I'd daydream this exact scene.

"I don't believe it. Will, it's perfect!" I jumped into his arms. "Thank you so much!"

"I'm glad you like it." His voice was muffled in my hair.

_I have to present. I have to present. I have to present._ The thought circled in my mind. My arms were wrapped so tightly around Will, it was a miracle he could breathe. I loved him so much I didn't want to spend a single day of my life without him, and I wanted that life to go on forever. Pulling back just a bit, I moved to kiss him, but Will let me go and stepped away.

The look in his eyes told me that he wanted to kiss me too, but the bend in his shoulders said this wasn't a good time. I'd promised. I'd promised that we'd both be careful. He was afraid he'd hurt me, and I didn't want to make it harder for him. Oh, but I wanted to kiss him so much. I stepped back too, as if distance could help.

"What about that one?"

My shaky voice didn't do much to break the tension, but I tried desperately to give us something else to focus on. Stepping towards the painting of me I realized that this was probably not the best choice, but it was all I had.

"Where will you put it?" I asked.

"That'll stay in my room, until there's a proper place for it."

His voice was rough, and a little shaky too.

Again the girl in the picture struck me. She had flawless skin, and warm brown eyes. Her hair flowed and shone like silk, and her lips were soft and pink.

"I don't really look like that," I said.

"Yes, you really do," he replied.

It was like I could feel the heat from his eyes burning into my back. Take deep breaths Kaylee; deep, deep breaths.

"Hey! Are you two ever going to come down from there?" CeCe's voice came up the stairs.

Will and I both burst into a relieved laugh. Thank goodness CeCe's patience could only last for so long.
Chapter 13

News from Outside

The necklace just sat there. Since the morning sun got brighter, a line of a shadow had appeared to the left side of it. Well, at least something was happening. Now if the necklace would just lift up, that shadow would grow. All I had to do was focus harder.

_Up_ I thought.... Nothing happened.

I waved my hand upwards, the way I'd seen the others do... Still nothing.

_Please,_ I begged, but the necklace just sat quietly casting its little shadow, and paying no attention to me.

The rubble of the low wall between Miller's Landing and our cottage didn't feel like this just after Aunt Connie left this morning. That may not have been so long ago, but it felt like hours, and I wasn't sure I wouldn't have permanent stone shaped dents in my legs when I finally got up. It didn't matter though. A little bit of pain wasn't going to stand in my way. Something inside me needed to come alive, and I was going to give it every push I could.

_Lift,_ I thought, and added a hand wave for good measure... Nothing.

"And what exactly are you doing?"

Did he always have to be so quiet when he showed up somewhere? I shot a glance at Will over my shoulder, and found him with his arms crossed, and an amused smile on his face. If I wasn't so determined, I might have fallen into another embarrassed blush. Instead, I lifted my chin in defiance.

"I am going to float my necklace in the air," I announced, and turned back to my mission.

"Kaylee..."

His feet appeared beside me, but I didn't look up.

"No!" I said. "Don't say it. Don't say anything unless you're going help."

"Ok," he said, and remained quiet.

I stared at the silver chain so hard now, that all the stones beside it became a blur. _UP. FLOAT. RISE._ Nothing. Ghah!

"Well, how would you do it?" I asked, frustrated.

Will looked at the necklace, and flicked two fingers. Immediately it lifted a few inches, and hung suspended in front of me. Rubbing my head, I glared at the double-crossing piece of tin.

"Ok, but what did you think when you did it?" I grabbed Will's arm. "Was it a word? Or did you project what you wanted? How does it work?"

He shifted his shoulders, and looked at me pleadingly.

"Well, yes it's a matter of intension, but it doesn't work exactly like that," he replied. "When you pick up a glass of water you don't think _Hand, go get that glass of water_. You just do it, right?"

What he said made sense, but it wasn't helpful. I let out a sigh and hung my head. Will's hand came up under my chin.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said the other day. You can't make yourself present. It'll happen soon though, and then you'll have all the time in the world to lift as many necklaces as you want."

He was trying to be supportive, of course, but his words were just the wrong ones for this morning. All of my life it seemed that I'd heard;...w _hen you're big enough...when you're old enough...when you've finished school._ Why was life always about waiting? I didn't want to wait anymore. I wanted to be the person I was supposed to be. I wanted to feel my power, and use it. I wanted to explore this new world. I wanted to kiss my boyfriend.

Without a word I jumped up, snatched my necklace from the air, and started marching towards Gregory House. There had to be more I could do. Maybe Anice had something in her laboratory to speed things up. Or maybe if I got stung by one of her magical plants, my powers would wake up to defend me.

"Hey, hold on there." Will came after me. "You look like you're on the warpath. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I don't want to wait."

I made sure those words came out more gently than I was thinking them. There was no denying that I was angry, but I didn't want Will to think I was angry at him. Then a thought struck me.

"The High Council!" I blurted out. "What about taking me to them? Can they do something?"

Will's face probably couldn't have looked more shocked if I'd asked him to take me to the moon.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Yes!" I was so frustrated that I stamped my foot.

"Kaylee, it's impossible," he said.

"But why?" I pleaded.

Will stepped closer to me, and took my necklace out of my hands. Gently he placed it back around my neck. It was obvious that he didn't want to say what he was about to.

"You can't go before the Council until you present. The only way to get to them is through the convoys, and you know they don't work for mortals. Besides, even if we could get you through, there's nothing that the Council can do."

My hopes deflated, and I leaned onto Will's chest. He wrapped his arms around me, and stroked my hair.

"It'll come," he said, "and until it does, you can use my powers. Anything you want, just say it."

"You know that's not it," I moaned looking up into his eyes.

"I know," he said, as his thumb stroked my cheek. "If I could, I'd give you everything you wanted."

"Me too," I answered.

Will's head dipped down we shared a soft kiss. Too soon, we stepped back again, but Will's hand ran down my arm and he laced his fingers between mine.

"Pfft! You call that a kiss?"

A strange male voice with a heavy French accent came from somewhere unknown. Will spun around, and pulled me behind him. We both looked frantically around us, but saw no one.

"In France that is barely a handshake. I would think you could do better mon ami."

This time the voice came with a body, which slipped out from behind a tree to our right. It was a young man. He was tall and slim, wearing a white shirt and loose tie, with perfectly tailored grey pants. His brown hair was longish, but not as wild as AJ's, and his hazel eyes were lit up with amusement.

"I would not have bothered to be so discrete if I knew you were going to be so...... gentlemanly."

"Philippe?"

Will stopped blocking me, and took a step forward. When the stranger laughed, and walked towards us. Will did the same. The two threw their arms around each other, and slapped each other's back.

"What are you doing here?" Will asked. "How did you find us?"

The stranger swore in French, and shrugged off the question.

"Ha! Do you think my friends could go missing for months, and I would not find them? Have you met me?" He challenged.

"It's good to see you, but really, how did you find us?" Will repeated.

"I was in Geneva to pick up Colette from _L'Université_. While I waited I went to see the High Council. Thobias, himself, told me where to find you," answered Philippe.

There was a strange silent moment where a look passed between the two friends. Were they versing to each other? Maybe, but the exchange seemed to be over too fast for that. It did happen though, and it made me wonder if there was more to what Philippe had just said. If there was, neither one of them said anything about it.

"Sorry." Will shook his head as if he'd just remembered me. "Philippe I'd like you to meet Kaylee Ward. Kaylee, this is an old friend of mine, Philippe Laroche."

"E _nchanté_ Mademoiselle," Philippe bend over my hand, and kissed it.

"Nice to meet you," I replied.

" _Très_ jolie," Philippe smiled at Will, and then turned back to me. "So you are yet to present n'est-ce pas?"

"Yes," I said, with a sigh. "Still waiting."

"What a shame," he said sympathetically, again facing Will.

"We'd better get to the house," Will said, ignoring the look.

"Oui, let's go."

With those words Philippe took my arm, and wrapped it around his. He smiled, and gestured with his hand, an invitation for me to follow. I didn't know if this was more a French thing, or an old fashioned thing, but it was kind of nice.

The three of us walked slowly on the path to Gregory House. I stayed quiet while the two old friends caught up. A lot of what they said went over my head, and most of it was in French. It probably shouldn't have, but it surprised me how fluent Will was. Still, there were things that I did make out. Philippe was from Laroche House, which was just outside of Nice. Will knew the family from the time that the Bennett House was in the south of France. The patriarch of the Laroche family was named Louie, and the matriarch was named Danielle. Will asked about Philippe's brothers and sisters, but there were many of those names to keep track of.

Philippe's girlfriend's name was Colette. She was studying communicational powers at an Imm University in Switzerland. Philippe joked that, within ten years, she would make Imms completely independent of any kind of phone. The news that there was an Imm University sparked my interest, and I made a mental note to ask Will about that later.

Apparently Colette had ordered Philippe to stay away during school days, because he was too much of a distraction. Will had a good laugh at that one. I had to smile at it too. A person didn't have to be in Philippe's company for long to see that he was a completely charming attention thief. It was great too, to see Will speaking so freely, and laughing so much. Philippe's comic complaints about what he had to do to occupy his time, had us both in stitches.

"Just imagine me, a two hundred year old Frenchman going to see _modern art_." Philippe rolled his eyes dramatically. "Pfft! You should have seen those disasters. What did they do, run pigs across the canvas? And then some creature, I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, offered me wine in glass shaped like a mouse. A mouse! How disrespectful to a good wine!"

The other thing that I found out was that the Hall of the High Council was in Geneva. Philippe told Will he'd had a meeting there with an Imm named Thobias. From what he said it sounded like Thobias was the High Councilor, the closest thing that Immortals had to a leader. He also said that he would tell us more about this meeting when the whole family was together.

That was going to be pretty soon since we had reached the house in what seemed like record time. We were hardly through the door when a screech came from upstairs. CeCe appeared two feet in front of Philippe then ran, and jumped into his arms.

"Philippe!" she cried. "I can't believe it! It feels like it's been decades"

"Ah Cecilia," Philippe laughed, and hugged her. "I'm glad to see you're still as lovely, and lively as ever."

CeCe released him from her bear hug, and stepped back with a big grin. One by one the rest of the family appeared from who knows where. All of them greeted Philippe with smiles and hugs, then quickly ushered him into the lounge. Drinks were being poured all around, and excited chatter filled the room. In the middle of all the commotion, I saw Richard give Will a questioning look, and Will reply with a shrug.

I sat down with an iced tea, and enjoyed not being the centre of attention for once. It was good to see the family like this. Up until now I'd never had a chance to just watch them. Normal. Human. Family. Those words came to my mind. Richard and Will had both reminded me in the past that, despite their powers, Imms were human. The Gregorys never seemed more human than that morning, with their friend.

"Alright," said Philippe. "And now for the reason that I've come."

Everyone stopped talking, and took a seat. Philippe made a big show of tightening his tie, and smoothing out his shirt and hair. He then held up one hand, and flipped over his wrist. When his palm faced upward, a roll of paper with a red bow appeared in it.

"I have come to invite you all to Colette, and my wedding."

A roar burst out in the room, and everyone was on their feet again. Richard flicked a hand towards the kitchen, and within seconds bottles of champagne and glasses came floating out. CeCe wiggled her fingers to the ceiling, and sparkling confetti burst out all over us, and then conveniently disappeared before it hit the floor.

Hugs and best wishes were showered on Philippe by everyone including me. After I hugged him, Philippe took my face in both of his hands.

"The wedding is in eight months. You will present, and you will come, oui?" he said.

"D'Accord," I agreed, remembering my high school French.

He was pleased with this, and hugged me again. Yes, I really wanted to go to this wedding. Sitting down beside Will, I imagined dancing with him in some great ballroom.

"Of course I went to ask for Thobias approval," Philippe said. "but even if he had said no, I would still marry ma chère Colette."

"Of course you would," said Maggie, "but I've never heard of Thobias not giving his approval for a wedding."

"No, actually that part was easy," replied Philippe. "It was getting him to tell me where you were that was difficult. In the end, I think he only did it so that I could deliver a message."

Suddenly the room became silent. The faces around me changed from happy to serious. Even CeCe looked focused, and I felt Will's arm beside me get tense. Philippe hung his head, and then swore in French.

"I hate that this must taint my good news," he said, and then looked directly at Richard. "I was not the only person trying to find you. Henri Descharmes has also shown a great interest in where your family might be."

Will exchanged another look with Richard.

"Are you sure?" Richard asked.

"If Thobias thinks you should know about it then, yes, I'm sure," Philippe replied.

The celebration we'd been having was suddenly gone. A heaviness filled the room, as if the air had gotten thick and hard to breathe. In the strange silence that followed Philippe's confirmation, Richard's face had turned stone cold, and Anice sat with knit brows starring at her husband. A tingle of dread ran down my back, and I reached for Will's hand, but only found a fist that was clenched shut. Looking up, I almost couldn't recognize Will's face. The line along his jaw was set so deep, I could swear that if I touched it I'd get cut.

"Who's Henri Descharmes?" I asked.

Philippe's nose wrinkled as if he'd smelled something bad.

"He is the Immortal elite," he said.

It was hard to tell whether there was more sarcasm, or disgust in his words. Anyway they didn't tell me anything. The family wasn't rushing to explain either, but CeCe's pale face, Maggie's wringing hands, and Ryder's blazing eyes said a lot on their own. The most unsettling reaction was still Richard's. It didn't seem possible that the Gregory patriarch could ever be upset by anything, but he'd turned away from the room, and was looking out the patio doors. I didn't like not being able to see his face.

"What's going on?" I whispered to Will.

There was no answer. His eyes were unfocused and glaring as they stared into nothing in front of him.

"Tell her," said Richard with his back still to us.

"Henri Descharmes," said Will, "is a very calculating, and dangerous Imm, who the Council should have dealt with a long time ago."

From across the lounge, Ryder had been watching us. The moment Will started to speak he stood up, and walked over to where we sat. His hand came down on his cousin's shoulder, but Will sprung up and stalked over to the fireplace without another word. The sudden move threw me even more than what he'd said. I'd never seen him burning with so much anger, and the intensity of it seemed to come off him in waves. I could almost feel them crashing around us, and I had to grab the arm of the sofa as it dipped when Ryder sat beside me.

"I guess you could say that Henri Descharmes is a collector." Ryder explained. "The problem is that he doesn't collect things, he collects people."

"Ryder..." Maggie said, shaking her head.

It was as if we were all in some sort of strange dream. This had to be a dream didn't it? What did Ryder just say? Why did he look so uncertain as he looked at his wife, and then at his father. Why did Richard still have his back to us, and why wasn't he saying anything?

"I don't understand," I said.

Ryder shifted, and then looked at me again.

"You see, some Imms don't choose to stay in a family," he continued, "and there are others that leave their family after a while, for different reasons. Descharmes finds these people, and does everything from flattering to threatening to win them over. Since he's the head of his house, he takes some of them into his family. Those Imms usually have either a special knowledge, or ability. The rest he keeps close to him, almost like a club. He calls them his Kindred. Anyway what he's really doing is collecting power."

I don't know if it was a breeze from outside or the atmosphere in the room, but I had to resist the urge to shiver. The last time I felt a chill like this was the day that Will showed me the convoy. Actually no, this was much worse.

"Why does this man want to know where you all are?" I asked.

Ryder chewed on his lip, and looked at Anice, but she was watching Richard who still hadn't moved. Then Ryder turned to Maggie. She had her arm around a very quiet CeCe, but she returned his gaze with a sympathetic nod. Ryder nodded back, and turned toward me again.

"Because Imm families usually disappear when they go to find a Presenter," said Ryder, "and because new Imms have to make a decision right after they Present. The High Council asks them to choose whether they'll join a House or not, and it doesn't have to be the House of the family who found them that they pick."

The words seem to hang in the room. Everything Ryder said didn't sink in at first, but he had tilted his head and was watching me. What was he waiting for? The same look was on each face I turned to. Obviously I was supposed to say something, but what? I thought about what I'd just heard again, and slowly the meaning of Ryder's explanation came to me like a snake slithering out from the bushes.

"He wants me?"

Panic shook my voice. Will's head snapped up and he took a step towards me, but this time I was faster than him. I was around the sofa and in his arms before he could say anything. This was the safest place I knew. Will's body was still rigid with tension, but that was comforting. It felt strong. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist.

"But why? Why me?" I asked.

"The last person to join Descharmes House was a Presenter named Valentin."

It was eerie to hear CeCe's voice so serious.

"He was supposed to join Medina House in Buenos Aires. Descharmes found them, and Valentin became distant from the family right after Henri's visit. Then, when Valentin presented, he told them all he'd be joining Descharmes House instead of Medina's. He left for Belgium with Descharmes that day."

It was like hearing a horror story. I stared at CeCe's face desperately hoping she's break out in one of her usual grins, and tease _gotcha!_ She didn't.

"But that won't happen with us," I said. "I'd never leave this family."

"From what we heard, that was how Valentin felt about the Medinas too," Ryder replied. "The family believes that Henri compelled him. It could have only happened while he was still mortal, and part of the compulsion had to be not to say anything about which House he was going to join. Otherwise the family could have corrected the change, and brought Descharmes before the council."

"You're saying that this Descharmes person could compel me to believe I don't want to be a Gregory?" I asked.

"Only if he could get to you before you present."

It was Richard who answered. He'd turned around, and come back into the room. There was a little relief in seeing him join us again, but not much.

"Afterwards your own powers wouldn't let your mind be influenced," Richard continued. "While this defense is good if you go into your presenting with a free mind, it's disastrous if you've already been compelled. It won't allow for a correction."

"I still don't understand," I said. "Why would he want me? Ryder said he looks for people with special abilities. I don't have any."

"A mortal can be compelled to give anything," replied Richard, "and unquestioning loyalty can be as strong, and dangerous as any power."

The thought made my stomach turn. I buried my head in Will's chest, and repeated my mantra _I have to present. I have to present. I have to present._ Even Maggie's hand stroking my back didn't help. How could anything in the world convince me that I didn't love this family? The idea was crazy.

"Wait a moment my friends," Philippe said. "Let's not forget that Henri Descharmes does not know where you are; and if he were to find out and come, none of you are so foolish as to let him be alone with Kaylee. In your presence he would be powerless."

There was a murmur of agreement through the room. It would have made me feel better except that I couldn't feel a change in Will.

"Descharmes is sneaky and determined," he said. "I won't leave anything to chance."

"You've bested him before mon ami," Philippe said.

"It wasn't me," Will replied. "It was her."

No one said anything to that. Her? Who was _her_? Before I could ask, Will let go of me and stormed out onto the patio. Richard, Ryder and Philippe followed him. Anice excused herself and disappeared, and I was left standing by the fireplace, and feeling like I was teetering on a cliff.

Maggie was still standing behind me, and I'd forgotten about her until she put her hand on my back again. The surprise of it made me jump, and her arm went around me sympathetically.

"Come on," she said softly, "Come sit down."

All of my body felt completely numb. I have no idea how I got to a sofa, but I soon found myself sitting on one. Maggie's arm was still around my shoulders, but I could barely feel it. CeCe sat across from us, watching me.

"Who's _her_?"

Even my voice sounded hollow.

"He said; _It wasn't me. It was her_. Who's _her_?"

"Oh Kaylee, it's not what you think," Maggie replied. "He was talking about his mother, Chelsea."

"Chelsea?"

How many shocks was I in for today? I looked back and forth between Maggie and CeCe.

"What did Chelsea have to do with Descharmes?" I asked.

"Do you remember what I told you about Will's sister, Julia?" asked Maggie. "She left Bennett House, and joined another family after Victor died."

I remembered.

"Let me guess," I said. "Descharmes House."

"Exactly," Maggie replied. "Well when she got there, she told Henri about Chelsea's breakdown, and her vow. Of course he didn't come right away. He kept sending Julia back to check on the situation. We assume he was waiting to hear that Chelsea was getting lonely. Anyway, eight months after Victor's death, Descharmes showed up at Bennett House, and tried to charm Chelsea like he did with her daughter."

"No!" I said. "That piece of garbage!"

Maggie nodded, and looked out the patio door. I followed her gaze outside to a circle of chairs where the men were sitting. Will sat leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. His head was hanging, and his hands were clasped together in front of him. Richard was talking, while Ryder and Philippe listened to him intently.

"When Will came home he heard shouting inside," Maggie continued. "He ran into front hall, and found Chelsea crying and shouting at Descharmes never to come near her house again. The whole scene sent Will into a rage. He hit Descharmes with such a hard blast, it knocked him out. He probably would have done more if Chelsea hadn't stopped him."

"Poor Will," I said. "Trying to live with Chelsea's decision, and then walking in on something like that. No wonder he hates Descharmes. But I still don't understand why he said _It was her_."

"You've got to understand how persuasive Henri Descharmes can be. It's not a power, but if he has a special ability, it's in timing and knowing exactly what to say to make people do what he wants. Most Imms don't trust him, but there are an awful lot who hang on his every word," said Maggie. "What Will meant was that, if Chelsea hadn't been so strong, Descharmes could have gotten to her too."

"Pfft, yeah, like that would have ever happened," CeCe replied.

All three of us drifted into silence, and I looked out to the patio again at Will. He was standing now, and the others were listening as he spoke and pointed to different spots around the property. It struck me how little I'd heard about his Imm mother, and yet I felt like I knew her well. Chelsea loved Victor with everything inside her. There was nothing on earth that could have convinced her to be a part of any other family than the one they created together. If this Henri Descharmes didn't understand that, then he couldn't be very smart; and if he wasn't very smart, then how scary could he be? I liked that thought, and I was going to hold on to it.

"You know what girls?" I said. "I don't care about Descharmes or what he wants. He has nothing to do with me. I am going to present, and I am going to become a Gregory."

"I think I may be able to help with that"

Anice had returned. She was standing in the doorway smiling. In her hand she held a small round bottle of florescent blue liquid.
Chapter 14

The Serum

For a little while earlier today, I wasn't the centre of attention. In those few wonderful minutes, I was just a girlfriend, and someone who belonged at Gregory House. We'd raised glasses, and cheered to a friend's good news. Why didn't the day go on like that? If only Philippe didn't have another message to deliver, we could have celebrated without any whens or what ifs; but I guess we couldn't stay in denial, not even in a place that no one else knew existed. The cold, unstoppable avalanche of reality always manages to break through even the strongest walls, and mine were paper thin. I was Kaylee Ward, the mortal, and next to Will's arms, the only shelter I had in this storm, was in Anice's hand.

"There were just a couple more tests to run," Anice explained. "I didn't rush them because there didn't seem any urgent need, until today. Luckily, the tests ran perfectly. The serum is ready."

The crooked circle that the family had formed around us was silent. Even the plants on the patio didn't make a sound though their leaves waved in the breeze. Between us, Anice held up the bottle, and the florescent blue liquid glowed brighter in the sunlight than it had inside. It was pretty, but I couldn't help but be disappointed. The serum wasn't going to make me present, and that was the real cure I needed.

"How does it work?" Will asked.

He stood behind everyone else with his arms crossed. I wished he was closer.

"Simple," Anice replied. "All Kaylee has to do is take one drop every day. It will block any powers, or anything coming from powers, from touching her."

"But if it blocks powers, won't it keep me from presenting?" I asked.

"No," said Anice. "Keep in mind that there are two kinds of magic, active and natural. Nothing can block natural magic, and that's what will bring your presenting. This blocks actions."

"Are you sure?" I said.

Apart from dinners, and the one visit to her laboratory, I'd never spent much time with Anice. She was as kind as her husband, but she kept her work to herself, and although everyone said she was a genius, all I really knew for sure was that she was a great cook. Trusting this serum wasn't quite as easy as trusting the strange looking dishes on her dinner table. It never occurred to me to question her abilities before, but then my presenting had never been at stake.

"Do you remember when you came to my workshop and I took an image of your essence?" Anice asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Well that image is a perfect replica of how your body functions. I've tested every possibility against it. You have my word Kaylee; I'd never give you the serum unless I was sure how it would work."

There was no hesitation in the way Anice held out the bottle, and her encouraging smile brought an embarrassed burn to my cheeks. What was I thinking? She and Richard wouldn't risk stopping the presenting that they'd come thousands of miles to find, and I was sure they wouldn't do anything to hurt me.

With a nod I took the serum from Anice, and glanced at the faces around us. Everyone seemed eager to see what would happen, with one exception. Richard stood unconcerned, and relaxed. He was gazing at his wife with adoration, and the confidence of a man who knew his partner as well as he knew himself. It was clear that for him, the serum was already a success. For a moment I envied the time they'd had together, but then it didn't take centuries for two people to connect that deeply. One glance could hold a timeless bond, if it came with love. You didn't have to be immortal to have that.

I turned to Will. Unlike the others, who were mesmerized by glowing blue liquid, he was watching me. He didn't say anything, but one look into his eyes told me everything he was thinking. _Take the serum Kaylee. You need to be safe._ There was more he was telling me, but it didn't come in words. I understood though. This was for both of us.

The bottle felt cool in my hand, and the dropper top twisted off easily. Squeezing, I pulled a bit of serum into the dropper, and slowly lifted it. Tilting my head back, I opened my mouth, and squeezed again. A drop fell on my tongue, and I swallowed. No one spoke, or moved. The liquid slid down my throat, and a second later, a tingle spread like a fan from my stomach out to all the rest of me. The sensation was over almost as quickly as it started, and then I didn't feel anything else.

"Is that it?" I asked, closing the bottle, and slipping it in my pocket.

"Yes," said Anice. "You should be protected now. Of course it will only work until you present. After that you'll have to use your own powers."

A little tingle, and that's all? It didn't seem like much, and I didn't feel any different.

"We need to test it," said Will.

Ryder stumbled as Will pushed past him and took my hand. Before I knew it, we were walking away from the others, and off the stone patio. When we'd reached a spot on the lawn that was half way between the house and the woods, Will stopped and let me go.

"Stand right there," he said.

Pacing back and forth, Will's eyes scanned everything from the ground to the sky, and from the lake to the trees. Apart from the one time he rubbed his temple, his hands were jammed solidly in his pockets. On the patio, the Gregorys and Philippe stood watching, but none of them made a move to join us. We were all waiting for one thing; to see what Will was going to do next.

"Will," I said.

His head snapped up as if he'd just remembered I was there.

"It's going to be alright," I told him.

The quick strides slowed to a stop. Those blue eyes, that I loved so much, seemed to be searching inside me, and I let them. A week ago I would have blushed purple from being looked at like that, but now those connections were the best moments between us. They were how Will and I understood each other, and the more he looked, the more Will's tension seemed to ease away.

"I know," he said. "I'd never let anything happen to you."

"You don't have to worry," I replied. "No one's going to come here, and even if they did, I'm pretty tough myself."

A smile flickered on Will's lips.

"Yeah, you sure scare me," he said, with the smile widening, "but, since we have a little help, let's see what that blue stuff can do."

With a slow glance to the south, Will nodded to himself like he'd made a decision. Then his hand came out of his pocket, and two fingers flicked in the direction he was facing. When the hand dropped to his side again, he stepped back.

I heard the rustle of the trees before anything else. The wind seemed to pick up there, making the branches sway and the leaves quiver. Then, something massive and white appeared, moving its way through the forest. Squinting didn't help to see what it was. I could make out little white dots that looked like snow, but snow didn't fall horizontally, and definitely not in August. Whatever was coming had formed a cloud. Slowly it emerged from the trees, and floated towards me. When the cloud was just a few feet away, I finally realized what the small pieces that formed it were. Flower pedals; there must have been thousands of them.

Suddenly, I was in the middle of the cloud. The pedals floated and swirled around me, everywhere. There were so many of them that they filled the air with their perfume, but each time one of them got close to me it bounced away. I looked through them to Will's face. His smile had reached his eyes.

"They're not touching me," I said. "Not one of them. It's working!"

Jumping into the cloud, Will picked me up, and swung me around. Applause and a few hoots echoed down from the patio, but I barely heard them as Will lowered me only enough so that we were face to face. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he leaned in and kissed me. His body tensed in his fight to hold in his power, but he didn't pull away too soon. We both needed the kiss. Although it was Anice's serum that protected me, somehow it felt like Will and I had won a battle today. One problem standing in the way of my becoming a Gregory was solved, and so we had one less thing keeping us from being together.

The flower pedals fell to the ground all around us, and Will slowly put me down. His face was red, and his breathing was hard. A muscle in his arm strained, while his hands clenched into fists the moment he let me go. The kiss had taken a toll on him again, but he was still smiling at me. There was a lucky easel somewhere that had escaped becoming toothpicks.

Side by side, Will and I walked back to where everyone was waiting. As we stepped on the stone patio, Philippe nudged Will on the shoulder, and I heard him say;

"Alors, that was more like it mon ami."

Will just shook his head and smiled. The rest of the family had things to say too. Most of their comments were about the serum working, but there were a few others that made me blush. Maggie looked clearly relieved, as she stood with her head leaning on Ryder's shoulder. He wrapped a comforting arm around her, and pressed his lips to her hair. CeCe stood beside them with an expression that was half awe, half mischief. Her fingers flickered in my direction every few seconds, and each time, when nothing happened, the corners of her mouth twitched up.

"My complements, Madame."

Philippe took Anice's hand and kissed it.

"You are truly a genius," he said. "When Colette hears about this, she will insist on placing you at a prominent table. You will be a celebrity!"

"No!" Both Richard and Anice blurted out.

"What happened here today must be kept confidential," Richard said. "The serum is Kaylee's best defense against Descharmes, if he finds us. We can't risk him hearing about it and preparing."

"Of course, you are right," Philippe apologized. "Forgive me; my excitement overpowered my sense for a moment. I keep nothing from Colette, but you can be assured of her confidence as well as my own."

"We know that," Will said. "Where we are has to stay a secret too. We all have to remember that, even though Kaylee is more protected now, it would still be better if Descharmes didn't come anywhere near her."

A rumble of agreement passed through the family. Determination seemed to have taken the place of all the emotions that were running wild before Anice brought her serum. Descharmes fell from being a dangerous enemy, to an unwelcome intruder. Their confidence boosted mine.

"I'm not afraid of him," I said.

They all turned to me in surprise.

"If he can't use his powers against me, he doesn't scare me." I repeated. "I have the serum, I have all of you, and I know self defense."

"Here, here little sis," Ryder answered. "I like your spirit, but let's not test the theory if we don't have to. I think we should go ahead with the other plan too."

"What other plan?" I asked.

"We're going to stop comings and goings from here," Richard said. "I'm going to take a holiday from work, and CeCe..."

"I'll go get him," CeCe responded, and disappeared.

There was no doubt about who she was going to get. My old knot of guilt started to resurface.

"Oh no Richard, how can you..."

"Its fine Kaylee," he said, and then smiled at Anice. "I haven't taken any time off for a while. I'm due."

"Yeah, and don't worry about AJ either," Ryder said. "He'll have a great time figuring out a way to get an extended suspension from playing. I can't wait to hear about this one."

"Well if you say so."

My knot eased. There was no point in arguing with any of them once they'd made up their minds. Besides, everyone looked happy about the arrangement.

"Will you close down the convoy?" I asked.

"No, a closed convoy will get noticed. We're better just to leave it as it is."

Richard replied.

Another rumble of agreement passed through the group.

"Bien, now that we have thwarted evil," Philippe spoke up. "I am taking back the attention that is rightfully mine. Just to remind you, I AM GETTING MARRIED!"

Everyone laughed, and cheers went up again. We made our way back into the lounge where our drinks were left neglected. Will put his arm around me, and as we passed through the door, Ryder punched him in the shoulder.

"Flower petals, eh Cuz?" He said.

Will rolled his eyes, and whispered to me.

"I'm going to hear about that one for decades."

The chatter began again. Philippe grabbed back the spotlight with animated descriptions of what Colette had planned for the wedding. Everything was going to be an imported this, a designer that, or an antique whatever. On top of this he swore that the best things would be kept as a surprise for everyone.

It was good that the conversation had gone back to happier things. Richard set the tone for the room in the way he sat relaxed in a chair, and laughed openly. With things having settled down, I watched Anice. Before long she got up, and took her usual walk to the kitchen to check on lunch. She was putting in extra effort today. Not only was the family entertaining a close friend, but there were reasons to celebrate. I followed her.

As I walked into the kitchen, Anice was just closing the oven, and turning to grab an herb jar from a stand on the counter. She looked up when she heard the door.

"Kaylee," she said. "Do you need something dear?"

I didn't answer, but just walked over, and wrapped my arms tightly around her.

"Thank you so much," I said.

"Oh!"

She stepped back, and put her hands on my face.

"Darling you are going to be part of our family. We would never let anything happen to you. There's no need to thank me for that."

"But I am thankful," I said. "For what you've done for me, and for how wonderful you all are."

We hugged again. Someday I was going to be calling this woman my mother. It didn't feel like that yet, and maybe never would completely. She would probably never be a mother like the one I've known all of my life, but I was starting to understand that she wasn't meant to be. Only the future would tell what our relationship would be like, but for me, that relationship started today.

"Do you mind if I ask how long you've been working on the serum?"

I sat on a stool and Anice picked up her jar of herbs, and started to shake it over a boiling pot. Her eyes focused as she watched for the exact measure.

"Well Richard and I have been talking about it since just after CeCe presented," she said. "With Ryder there had been no problems, but CeCe was another case all together. She was so excited to see any use of powers that she kept walking right into trouble."

That wasn't hard to imagine.

"If I pulled a fork from across the room, CeCe would step into its path," Anice said. "If Ryder was running a tune of his guitars, CeCe would peek in and nearly get strangled by the loose strings. One time she stepped in front of Richard when he was sending a cut across the lawn, and almost got her feet shredded."

It must not have been funny at the time, but knowing that CeCe came out of all that unharmed, made it ok to laugh. You had to love her; she definitely never let things get boring. Anice shook her head and smiled.

"That's when we first started thinking about a protective serum," she went on. "CeCe presented quickly, so I just did some research back then, and unfortunately, I dropped it to do other projects. When we heard about Valentin though, I came back to it full time. That was five years ago."

"Wow!" I said. "Then you finished it just in time for me."

"To be honest it's been ready for a while," Anice replied. "I just didn't have enough mortal essences to test it. Most of my research is based on Imms, and as you can imagine, it's pretty hard to get mortals into my workshop. I did have some samples, and having your aunt's helped too; but I couldn't finish it until I had yours. I had to know it would work for you."

"Did I say thank you?" I teased her.

"Oh stop it!" she smiled at me. "Come on now; let's get back to the party."
Chapter 15

Unprotected

It wasn't often that everyone connected to Gregory House spent more than a dinner together. The occasion was so special that Richard suggested we make a day of it at the pond, and have a picnic. Even Aunt Connie took some rare time off, with barely a whimper about the restaurant. While I loved the idea, a picnic didn't really seem all that special to me at first. It wasn't until Aunt Connie and I caught view of the pond, that I realized the Gregorys definition of picnic wasn't exactly ordinary.

The sight below us was enough to take anyone's breath away. Blue and white striped canopies stretched out over the west shore. Underneath them were nine sun beds in the same colors, and between every pair of beds was a little round white table, with a thermos and two glasses on top. Where the row of beds ended, there was a beach bar with its own canopy. It was decorated, at each end of its shiny counter, with the largest purple orchids I'd ever seen. Beside the bar, a fire pit had already been dug, and circled with stones. Finally, on the other side of the fire pit, was a wooden platform with a formally set table. That, of course, had a canopy too.

The pond itself wasn't neglected either. There were four floating beds bobbing quietly in it, and in the middle, was a large, air filled trampoline. It stood high above the water, and rocked back and forth from the use it was already getting. I couldn't say for sure that they weren't using powers, but CeCe and AJ were leaping higher and higher on it with every bounce.

"Wow," said Aunt Connie. "I think we just landed in Maui."

Richard waved to us from the bar. He was setting out a pitcher of something gold, with slices of orange and lemon in it. Three tall glasses were full and waiting by the time we reached him.

"Good morning ladies," he greeted us. "I hope you both slept well."

"Wonderful," said Aunt Connie. "And you?"

"I have to admit I was a bit excited about my first day off in a very long time," said Richard. "Please, try the iced tea. It's my own secret recipe. I haven't even told Anice what's in it, although I'm sure she figured it out centuries ago. My wife is very generous with indulging me. Here's to our picnic."

"Our picnic," Aunt Connie and I cheered.

He wasn't just bragging about the tea. It was just as good as anything Anice ever served. Taking a long drink, I peeked over the rim of the glass toward Gregory House.

"Where are Anice and everyone else?" I asked.

"Oh, you know Anice," said Richard. "She's always got just one more thing to check in the kitchen. The rest of the sleepyheads will be along soon too. I was a little shocked that those two were the first ones up and out here this morning."

He inclined his head towards CeCe and AJ, who seemed to be having a contest over who could jump higher. Seeing us look, they waved.

"Come on Kaylee," CeCe called. "This will wake you up."

"Soon," I called back.

With a hoot, AJ did a backwards somersault into the water. His leap made the trampoline bob, and bounced CeCe about three feet in the air. She squealed as she fell next to him with a splash. _Hmm, maybe not too soon_ ; I thought as I watched them, but then heavy panting, and something wet in my hand pulled my attention away from the two blondes.

"Greta!" I kneeled down to pet her. "How's my girl?"

Her answer was a big sloppy lick on my face, and she whined happily as I gave her a hug. It was good to see her, and not just because her arrival meant that someone else couldn't be far behind. Still, standing up and turning in the direction of the house again, I couldn't help but smile. He was still far away, but I didn't mind enjoying the sight Will coming across the field. Maybe it was the loose khaki shorts and the plain white t-shirt, but it was great to see how relaxed he looked.

Last night Will and I walked Philippe to the convoy and said our good-byes. Although he'd been his usual joking self all the way there, Philippe's last few words to Will were said with a hand on his shoulder, and in serious sounding French. When I asked Will about it later, he just shrugged it off.

"Philippe likes a dramatic exit. He didn't say much more than take care," he said.

That may have been true, but it left Will pensive all the way back to my house. I worried that he'd spend the night concerned about whatever Philippe had said, but from the look of him, that didn't seem to have happened.

"Good morning everybody," he said.

As we replied Will kissed Aunt Connie on the cheek, and then casually turned and lifted me up.

"Hi," he said, looking into my eyes.

"H-Hi," I stammered.

Some loud hoots came from the pond as Will carried me back past the lounge chairs to where the tire swing hung. Being swept up like that surprised me so much, that I was still speechless when he put me down.

"Are you ready for your picnic?" he asked.

"Um, sure," I said, smiling.

"Well then you better get your suit on."

With that, Will took off his shirt, and did a running dive into the water. I could hardly believe that this was the same guy who'd left my house so quietly last night. My t-shirt and shorts got dropped quickly in a pile beside his shirt, leaving me in my bathing suit. Whenever Will was happy I wanted to fly, but since I couldn't do that yet, there was another option.

The tree waited. In one step I was on the lowest branch, and with two more, I was on the tire swing. My climb brought cheers from CeCe and AJ. They seemed to especially like that, instead of sitting in the swing, I stood. Actually I always swung that way. Standing made it easier to gain height for a good jump, and today, I was pushing for the sky.

"Take it easy now," Will called from below.

I gave him a mischievous smile that even CeCe would be proud of. He crossed his beautiful wet arms, and smiled back at me with only the slightest shake of his head. When I finally gained the height I wanted, I soared off the swing. A beautiful Olympic dive would have been fantastic. Unfortunately, I wasn't that talented, and my perfect leap ended with me splashing, bottom first, into the water.

CeCe and AJ were hooting, and jumping off the trampoline when I surfaced. Will was standing only a few feet away, and laughing while he applauded.

"You're very graceful Miss Ward," he said.

My response was a big splash in his direction, but he ported away before the water reached him.

"Missed me."

His voice behind me made me jump.

"Cheater," I said, and turned with a splash that didn't miss this time.

He shook the water from his face and hair then, with a playful squint, he dove. The next thing I knew two strong hands had grabbed my legs, and were lifting me out of the pond. Looking down I saw Will's face surface with the same expression as when he dove in. Before I could even shout, I was sailing through the air, and landing once again, bottom first, into the water.

When I surfaced, Will was already beside me with a big grin on his face.

"Who's the King of the pond?" he teased.

"I am!" I replied.

With that I jumped, wrapped my arms around Will's neck, and pulled him under the water with me. We both came up a laughing.

"Ok, I give up," said Will. "You're the King."

"And don't you forget it."

I lifted my nose into air, and Will tweaked it. The empty trampoline wasn't too far away from us, and Will nodded his head toward it.

"Do you want to go?" he asked, and I nodded.

We swam over, side by side. Surprisingly, the trampoline stood a lot higher out of the water than it looked from shore. Will pushed me up by the foot, and then he pulled himself up too. We sat on the edge, and watched CeCe and AJ taking turns on the tire swing. CeCe had just finished a beautiful swan dive.

"Sure," I said. "I could do that too, if I could hang in the air for three seconds and pose."

Will laughed.

"You're in a good mood today," I said.

Will ran his fingers through his wet hair, and shook off some of the water. Then he leaned back.

"Well, my little cousin over there gave me a kind of pep talk last night," he said.

"She did? What did she say?" I asked.

"She told me I was boring," Will replied.

"What?"

Will laughed, and shook his head.

"Actually she said that no one wanted to be around someone who was so somber all the time, and that if I didn't start appreciating the things I had, when I had them, then I didn't deserve them."

He turned to me, and we just looked at each other for a while.

"So I'm appreciating," he said.

I leaned in, and gave him a quick kiss.

"You're not boring," I said.

"Thanks," he replied.

I leaned my head on Will's shoulder, and he put his arm around me. We sat quietly, and watched CeCe and AJ perform more and more elaborate dives. Over by the bar Anice, Ryder and Maggie had arrived. Anice was pulling fruit out of a picnic basket, and talking to Aunt Connie. Ryder and Richard were standing by the fire pit, and looking very serious while pointing from the pit to the stones. Obviously great plans were being formed for lunch. Maggie had made her way to a sun bed, and was pulling a magazine out of her bag. I sighed. Who could ask for a better day than this?

"Was it always like this here?" Will asked. "I mean before, with your family."

"Not exactly," I said. "We weren't this fancy, but yeah, it was like this. We had towels instead of sun beds, and coolers instead of a bar, but it was fun. And, oh yeah, don't tell Anice this, but we ate off of a towel on the ground."

He gasped, pretending to be shocked, and I gave him a swat on the knee.

"We had music too," I said.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Will replied. "There's a stereo in the bar, and I'll bet anything that Ryder has Tess here somewhere."

Ryder had a lot of guitars, but he always seemed to have the same one with him. It must have been his favorite so sure, why not name it.

"Good," I said. "I love to listen to him. Hey, CeCe said that you're all pretty musical. What do you play?"

"Nothing well," he replied.

"Come on, tell me," I gave him a shove.

"Honestly, I'm not being modest," he said. "I can play a few instruments, but I never practice, so it's really not something you want to hear."

"Hmm, I still think I'd like to hear you play," I said.

"Painter, remember?" He pointed to himself.

"Well yeah," I said. "Ok, you're off the hook... For now."

"Do you play anything?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"Well, don't worry," he replied. "Ryder will teach you anything you want. After you present, you'll have plenty of time to learn."

A hill of CDs flashed through my mind. The thought dawned on me, that my possible future brother was one of the most successful musicians in the world. I never really thought of Ryder that way when he was around. He was just Ryder. The truth was, though, that he had played on some of the best songs ever recorded. That person was going to teach me to play? The whole idea was surreal.

Then there was my boyfriend, a famous master painter. Even though I'd seen his paintings, that idea didn't connect either. There were stories about William Finlay in books, and on websites, but they didn't say much. They definitely didn't tell the truth. Maybe that's what made it even harder to think of him as the same person whose work hung in museums. This was my Will, and he painted in a quiet room upstairs.

"Will?"

"Yeah."

"Would you teach me to paint?"

"Sure."

I nestled more closely into his shoulder, and watched Aunt Connie struggling to climb into a floating bed. CeCe and AJ were finished with the swing and heading over to the bar, but not before stopping to shake as much water as they could on Maggie. She shrieked, and sent them running off with a bunch of zaps. Anice made herself busy piling fruit into a blender. For a moment I wondered how she got power all the way out here, and then I shook my head, Imm trick, of course.

Greta found her own spot for the picnic too. She'd been sitting on the shore watching obediently when Will ran into the water. A couple of times she even took a few steps in, but backed off with a whine both times. Now she was laying sleepily in the shade of the swing tree. I'd have to make sure to play with her later.

We were so relaxed that Will and I both jumped when loud music started to blare from the bar. Ryder's head popped up from behind it, and the sound lowered to something a little less ear shattering. When he came out, Ryder was throwing a soccer ball in the air. He pointed at Will, and then to the ball. Will nodded.

"Do you want to play?" he asked me.

"No, you go ahead," I said.

Will got up, and dove off of the trampoline. I watched him swim to shore, then get out of the pond. He didn't bother to dry himself off as he joined Ryder, AJ, Richard, and CeCe. To my surprise, Maggie joined them too. They broke off into teams of three, and walked out into the field. AJ swung his arms out, and a goal net appeared at each end. Richard, AJ and CeCe took one side of the field, and Will, Ryder and Maggie took the other.

The ball was placed at centre field, and Will and AJ stood on opposite sides of it. I couldn't hear what AJ said to Will, but it made him laugh and then bend forward, ready to strike. AJ did the same. Anice blew a whistle from the bar, and the game was on. I wondered if they would use powers, but they didn't. AJ got the first breakaway.

"Oh dear. How am I going to get up there?"

Aunt Connie face appeared just over the side of the trampoline.

"Give me your hand. I'll help you," I said.

It took a lot of pulling, and a couple of failed jumps, but finally Aunt Connie got up, and was sitting beside me.

"Come join us," she called to Anice, who had now taken Maggie's spot on a sun bed with a magazine.

"Maybe later," she called back to us.

I flipped over and lay on my stomach, turning in the direction of the game. Aunt Connie did the same.

"So how are you enjoying your day off so far?" I asked.

"It's fantastic. Sometimes I forget what relaxing is like," she replied.

"You should do it more often," I said.

"I know," she answered, "but running the restaurant doesn't really feel like work. My regulars are just like family."

I understood what she meant. There were always familiar faces in Aunt Connie's restaurant. Some were local, and some came back every summer, but all of them had known my aunt since she moved here. They knew my cousins, and years ago, they knew uncle. It seemed like the whole town rallied around Aunt Connie and the kids when Uncle Jim passed away. They were a big part of her strength back then. It was hard to imagine my aunt without them.

"Aunt Connie, what did you do about the restaurant when the Gregorys thought you were the Presenter?" I asked.

We never really talked about it before, but not too long ago it was her in my shoes. I wondered what that experience had been like for her.

"Well, because I had to stay on Miller's Landing; Richard did something to the restaurant to make everyone think that they'd just been talking to me, and that I'd just gone into the kitchen." She said. "It wasn't easy. I wanted so badly to go and check on the place, but Anice kept me busy with her, so somehow the time seemed to fly."

"I'll bet," I said. "What would you have done if you had really presented?"

The smile faded from Aunt Connie's face.

"I don't know," she said. "But I'll tell you, nothing made me happier than when Richard told me that they were sure it wasn't going to be me."

"What?" I said. "Really? Why?"

"Oh! Don't get me wrong Kaylee," she replied. "I think that becoming an Immortal is the most incredible thing that could happen to someone. What an amazing life you're going to have. I'm so happy for you, and if I could sign up Sandy and Mark for the same thing, I'd do in a split second."

"Well then why..."

"You have to understand honey, that you three are at the beginning of your lives. You have nothing to do but build. I'm in the middle. I have two children whose lives I can't wait to see. I want to dance at their weddings. I want to see my grandchildren born, and play with them. There are so many things I don't want to miss."

"But you wouldn't have to leave them," I said. "You could still be there for all of those things."

"It wouldn't be the same," she answered. "How could I let them live their lives without interrupting with my powers? A person always wants the best for the people they love, but they don't necessarily have the right decide what best is. I would constantly have struggled between what they want, and what I want for them. What would happen if I couldn't stop myself from interfering? I'm glad that the ability to make choices for them has been taken out of my hands. Their lives should progress naturally. They should build them the way they want."

"Well, I guess I can understand that," I said. "But if you had presented, you wouldn't have to die. You could have been here for your great grandkids, and their kids, and so on."

"Well I have to admit that thought was my silver lining while I waited," she replied. "But you know that I believe we go on to a better place from here. When my time comes I want to join my sweet Jim, and my parents, and everyone who came before us. And, in time, the rest of my family will join us there too. That will be my happily ever after."

Aunt Connie looked dreamily across the water as she spoke, and it made me smile. It wasn't hard to guess where her thoughts were. She missed my Uncle more than she would ever say, but she had her own blissful way of dealing with that. Aunt Connie wasn't like Chelsea. She saw life as too special a gift to give up on, but one of the reasons she could do that was because she believed, with all her heart, that she would see Uncle Jim again. I believed she would too.

"Yeah, I guess everyone will join you there but me," I said, a little sadly.

"I don't know," Aunt Connie said, stroking my hair, and tucking it behind my ear. "Maybe you will join us someday many, many, MANY years in the future, but it's not the path that's in front of you now."

The dreamy look returned to her eyes as she paused a moment. Then she smiled, and spoke again.

"You know, everyone keeps saying what a small world we live in. It's not true," she said. "The world is just as big as it ever was, and nothing can replace discovering all the beautiful things in it with your own senses. It's not enough to see a thing or a place in a picture, or a video. Without the sounds, the smells in the air, and the feel of the things you can touch, you can't really experience something as a whole. It would take many lifetimes to find all those treasures. You'll actually have the chance to do that Kaylee, and your new family will guide and help you."

I wasn't sure if we were thinking about the same things, but both of us trailed off into our own thoughts for a minute. The only person I'd ever told how alone I felt was the woman beside me. We'd stayed up late more than one night when I cried, and Aunt Connie reassured me that her sister's absence from my life didn't mean she didn't love me. Deep down I knew it was true. My mother just had a different way than Aunt Connie of taking care of her children. It didn't stop me from loving her or my father, but it didn't stop me from wishing things were different either.

"Doing all those things that sounds incredible," I said, "and the Gregorys; every day it gets harder to imagine my life without them, but I can't imagine it without mom and dad, and all of you either. I have no idea what to do when I present Aunt Connie. How can I just move on to a new family like that?"

It had been a while, but tears welled up in Aunt Connie's eyes again. This time she didn't pretend they weren't there. As one ran a slow wet trail down her cheek, she put her hand across mine. For someone who spent most of her life working in a kitchen, my aunt had the softest touch.

"You know when Richard first told me you might be the Presenter, something occurred to me," she said. "If it's your destiny to become an Immortal, then maybe you were meant to be a Gregory all along. Maybe we were just the lucky family that had the privilege of caring for you, until you were ready to go. I guess that time has to come for everyone, one way or another."

Something about her words echoed in my mind, and it felt very strange to hear them like this. With Aunt Connie beside me, and Will and the Gregorys all around, I'd never felt more at home in my life. Could she be right? Was everything that ever happened to me before today, just meant to get me here?

"If I was meant to be a Gregory," I said, "d-do you think that's why I never quite belonged with the Wards?"

My aunt's face crumpled with more tears, and she put her arm around me.

"Oh Kaylee," she cried, "you do belong, and you are loved. Even though you don't realize it now, no matter what happens, Ward love has left its mark in you. You'll carry our family in your strength, your determination, and your wisdom. When I say that you may have always been meant to be a Gregory, I don't mean that you didn't belong with us. I mean that maybe you also belong to something more."

Her hug tightened around me, and I leaned on my aunt's shoulder. I didn't need something more. I just needed everything to stay almost exactly as it was this morning. If only I could present, and stop time on this day; there'd be no hurdles to cross, no decisions to make, and I think I'd be happy forever. Was that really too much to ask for? Alright, it was; but at least I could hope that the sun would be lazy as it crossed the sky, and that evening wouldn't come too soon.

After a little while Aunt Connie let me go, and dried her tears. She turned and gave me a bright smile that said, just as well as any words; _enough of all this sappy stuff; we're supposed to be having fun._ I smiled back to show I agreed, and nudged her with my shoulder. Then we both turned and watched CeCe help AJ score, by blocking Ryder's tackle with a net that appeared from nowhere. Protests of _foul_ rang out across the field, but there was no referee to make the call. If there was a pact not to use powers, it didn't last for very long. Maybe some things were just second nature to Imms. Hopefully I'd find out about that very soon.

"Aunt Connie, how did the Gregorys know that you weren't the Presenter?" I asked.

"Oh, um, it took too long," she answered, without turning from the game. "Apparently when a person presents at an older age, it happens pretty quickly after the Sayers see it. Richard said that for younger people it could take months, but with older ones it was normally no more than a couple of weeks. They waited three months for me. When it didn't happen by then, they were sure."

Obviously no one else had presented in all that time either. With the exception of my first meeting with Will, it was no wonder they were all so glad to meet me. The poor family had waited so long, and they were still waiting. They had to be right, didn't they? If almost half a year had passed without another presenter, then it had to be me.

"Hey, I'm getting a bit thirsty again," Aunt Connie said. "How about trying one of those fruity things Anice blended up?"

"Sounds good," I answered. "I'll race you."

I jumped up preparing to dive and swim for shore. Aunt Connie was actually a great swimmer, and I knew my only chance to beat her was a good start. Rushing to the side if the trampoline, I was about to plant my foot for a strong take off when Greta suddenly barked. I turned to see her jump up, and run off towards the trees to the north. That was my mistake. The turn took me off balance, and my foot missed the spot I'd aimed for. Everything after that seemed to happen in slow motion.

As my foot came down it slipped, and slid off the side of the trampoline. I heard Aunt Connie scream at the same time as pain ripped through my shoulder from connecting with the strong plastic tubing at the trampoline's edge. The hit bounced me up and over. Suddenly I was falling, and my head hit the hard arm of the Aunt Connie's floating bed. Then I was in the water. The last thing I remember was a pair of strong arms pulling me to the surface, and into the air. After that, everything went black.
Chapter 16

Gregory House

"Kaylee."

A soft voice spoke over me, and cool fingers were weaving through the hair at the back of my head.

"Kaylee, open your eyes honey," Anice said.

The breath I tried to take made it half way down my throat before I choked. With a pain in my lungs that felt like a dozen sharp needles, I sprung up, and coughed out the water that had been sitting there. Someone put a wet arm around me as I gulped in fresh air, and the needles died away. Breathing didn't help much though. My quick move made the world spin, and my head began to throb. As the arm around my shoulders lowered me back down, I noticed that I wasn't on the trampoline anymore. I was laying on one of the sun beds, and there were people standing all around me. The closest one was Anice. It was her hands that had left a cool trail from my head to my right arm. Confused, I watched her slide her fingers over my wrist, and then up to my elbow. When she reached my shoulder, a sudden pinch of pain made me jerk, but as it happened, there was a gentle squeeze in my left palm.

I recognized the warm skin and the strong fingers that wrapped around my hand before I even turned. He was kneeling beside the bed, soaking wet, and his face was drawn with worry. _Oh no_. I thought. _I've done it to him again._

"I'm all right," I said.

Will opened my hand, and placed a kiss inside it. Then he lowered his head to where he'd left the kiss.

"I slipped, but I'm ok," I told him.

"Look at me Kaylee," Anice said.

I didn't want to turn until Will looked up again, but the tone in Anice's voice told me I had no choice. Alright; if playing the patient would help get past all of the fuss faster, then that's what I'd do. Ordering my head not to spin again, I turned back around, but it wasn't Anice that caught my attention. Behind her Richard had his arm around Aunt Connie, whose face was white as a sheet. Oh boy, brushing that stupid fall off was going to be harder than I thought.

"Really I'm..."

"How does this feel?" Anice interrupted, and moved my arm in a circle.

"A little sore, but its fine," I replied.

"Good, now follow my finger," she said, and I did. After she'd made three passes in front of my eyes, Anice nodded, and straightened up.

"You'll have a few bumps and bruises, but you'll be alright," She said, then turned to Aunt Connie. "Just the same, I'd like her to stay at our house so that I can keep an eye on her. She may have a mild concussion."

"Oh! Yes!" Aunt Connie replied. "Of course. I'd feel better knowing you were watching over her."

"Would everyone please stop making such a big deal of this," I said, and pushed myself up to sit. "I just fell, that's all."

"And gave yourself a pretty good whack on the head," scolded Anice. "Please humor me."

At first I was going to argue, but the throbbing in my head wouldn't let up. Sitting was getting harder too. All I really wanted was to crawl into bed, and sleep for a while. I laid back down, and turned to Will.

"I'm sorry I ruined the picnic," I said, and fell asleep.

It seemed like I'd only closed my eyes for a second, but I opened them to find myself somewhere else again. I was being carried into a blue and white room that, judging from the beautiful furniture, could only be at Gregory House. Above me, Will was looking down at my face, and seeing that I was awake, he put me down on a loveseat that sat across from a large bed with a curvy white iron headboard. There was something soft and dreamy about the room, but that could have come from either my spinning head, or the muted light that came through the sheer drapes on the large window. Whichever it was, it was drawing me back to sleep, and I leaned my head against the cushion behind me, ready to give in.

"Kaylee," Will said softly. "Please try to stay awake, just a little while longer."

I blinked my eyes open just as Maggie came through the door. In her hands, she was carrying a nightgown and some towels.

"Oh good, she's awake," Maggie said. "Kaylee, we can't dry you off because of the serum. Do you think you can do it yourself and change, or would you like some help?"

The room came into a little sharper view, and I realized that there was a towel around me. Oh. Oh no. This wasn't a dream. I really did fall at the pond, and now everyone was treating me like I was broken. Gathering all the strength I could, I stood up and took the bundle from Maggie.

"No," I replied. "I can do it."

"That's the bathroom in there." She pointed to a door. "We'll be right here, if you need us."

"I don't need help; I'm fine," I said.

Maggie just pointed to the bathroom again. Will said nothing, but he'd moved to the window, and was standing there now looking outside. My heart sank. He was so happy earlier today. If I could present right that moment, the only power I'd want to have was to turn back time.

The bathroom was decorated in gorgeous white marble, but I couldn't appreciate it for long. My head was heavy. Still, the last thing I wanted was to show I was hurt. Sitting on the side of the bathtub, I took off my wet clothes, and dried off. I even took the time to dry, and brush my hair, hoping it would make me look a little less damaged. Finally I put on the nightgown that Maggie had brought me. It must have been one of hers, because it was made of soft pistachio green silk. The material felt smooth and cool, and she probably looked incredible in it. Me; I looked like I was wearing someone else's clothes.

"Kaylee, are you alright?" Will called through the door.

"Yes," I replied.

Opening the door, I found him standing right in front of it. He took a step back as I came out, and his eyes moved across my face and hair, then all the way down my gown. I could almost feel the burn of the trail they left, and it gave me wave of dizziness very different that what I'd been feeling from the fall. Will's jaw clenched.

"I, um..." He took another step back. "I better go check on Anice and that soup."

He disappeared.

"Oh boy. I didn't realize that gown would look so good on you," said Maggie smiling. "Poor Will."

"Yeah, I don't seem to do anything but cause him pain," I said.

"That's not true Kaylee."

Maggie came over, and helped me into bed.

"I mean, yes, he worries a lot and, yes, holding back his powers isn't easy, but I've never seen him as alive as he's been since you came."

The bed was soft and warm, and it felt like I was melting into it. Maggie pulled the covers over me. Sleep would come and get me again soon.

"Maggie," I said, with a yawn. "When I wake up, will you explain this whole Imm bonding thing to me?"

"Oh... well, I...I can try," she replied.

"Good. Thanks," I sighed, and then everything faded away.

Waves of dark and light took turns rocking me in softness. There were many times that I came out of them, but my eyes wouldn't open. It was like my mind was awake, but my body didn't know it. I could hear and feel everything around me; there was just no way to respond.

The first time this happened, I heard voices in the room. They were low and whispering, but they were clear. It was Richard and Will, and it sounded like they were near the foot of my bed.

"Will, we agreed, the serum is the best way to keep her safe," said Richard.

"I know," replied Will, "but did we really think it through enough? Look at what happened today. I couldn't stop her fall. I had to actually pick her up out of the water. It could have been too late. Anice couldn't even scan her. She had to do a physical exam. What if she missed something?"

By the way his voice travelled, it was obvious that Will was pacing.

"She didn't miss anything," Richard said "the injuries weren't that bad."

"She could have broken her neck," Will's voice moved beside the bed.

"She didn't," Richard replied. "This was an accident Will. It wasn't caused by powers, or by intention. As much as you'd like to, there's no way to protect her from everything."

"It was my fault." Will's voice was closer now. "I could have helped her, but I froze Richard. It would have been so easy to move that float, but for a split second, I couldn't move. That split second could have cost her life."

"You're only human Will." Richard moved closer now too. "You're not immune to surprise, or shock. It happened so fast that none of us could react in time. You can't take so much on yourself. We've done everything we can."

There was no more talk after that, but I felt Will stroking my hair. The waves came to take me again.

The second time it happened, it was Anice's voice I heard.

"What are you still doing here?" She said. "She's going to be asleep for a while."

"That's alright," Will replied. "I want to stay."

"How is she sleeping?" Anice's hands were running over my head again.

"She's been restless," Will said. "She flinches every time she turns onto that shoulder."

"Hmm, yes, I think that actually got the worst of the fall," Anice's voice was moving away again. "She's going to be fine. Why don't you come down and get something to eat?"

"No thank you, I don't need anything," said Will.

The next time I woke up, my eyes opened. The room was dark, and there were no sounds in it. Slowly I sat up to test my head, no spinning. My hand reached for the spot that Anice had been checking all day. Yes, there was a bump, and it was sore. At least, it didn't hurt unless I touched it. My arm was a different story. Just lifting it had set off little daggers of pain. Ok, that was going to take a while to get better, but no one really needed to know that.

Well, I was wide awake now. No wonder; the moon was shining in through the window, which meant I must have slept the day away. There was no telling what time it really was, and looking around the room for a clock didn't help. A splinter of light was glowing in under the door though. Good; if the lights were on in the hall, hopefully it wasn't too late in the evening, and the family was still downstairs. I swung my feet over, and got out of the bed.

There was a pair of slippers waiting for me on the floor. I slid them on, and saw that a housecoat sat across the arm of the loveseat. Picking it up, I wondered if this was where Will had been sitting earlier. There were two other chairs in the room, but his voice sounded like it came from here. Though it would have been nice to wake up to his face, I was glad that he'd left. Maybe he'd finally accepted that I wasn't hurt so badly.

Stepping out into the hallway, it took me a moment to get my bearings. The stairs were to my right, and Will's studio was two doors to my left. Biting my lip, I looked at the door next to it. Will's room was right beside mine. With a little thrill that he'd be so close while I was here, I pressed my ear to his door. There were no sounds coming from the other side of the wood. Either Will was a very quiet sleeper, or no one was in there. I was hoping for the second option. It might mean that I'd find him downstairs.

In the front foyer, I looked down both halls, and saw all the rooms closed. The only open doors were through the lounge, out to the patio. The lights out there were very low, and most of the seats were in the dark. It wasn't until I reached the stone tiles, that I saw someone was out there.

He was sitting on a teak sofa, with his foot propped up against a table. One hand tapped on his thigh, while the other held up his chin. He was looking towards the lake, but I knew by now that it wasn't what he was seeing.

"Hi," I said, as I walked over to Will.

"Hi," he said, surprised. "What are you doing out of bed?""Well I guess I've had enough sleep." I sat beside him. "What time is it?"

"Um, about 2:00 a.m. I think." He squinted as his eyes ran over me. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a jerk," I replied. "I ruined everybody's fun today."

"You didn't fall on purpose," he said.

"No," I answered, "but I still spoiled everything.... And I put that look back on your face."

The breeze blew a few of Will's stray curls onto his forehead. I noticed then that his hair was messy, as if he hadn't brushed it all day. He was wearing the same clothes he had on at the pond too.

"Look Kaylee, you could have been really hurt today." He turned back to the lake. "It's hard to shake that off."

"I know." I put my hand on his arm. "But please remember what I told you before. I'm not weak. That wasn't the first stupid fall I've had in my life, and other than embarrassing myself, I've survived all of them. Besides, I'm fine, see?"

I got up, and did a twirl, topped off with a full, arms out, _ta da_ pose at the end. My shoulder protested, but thankfully, the spin didn't make me dizzy. It would have been worth it though. A hint of a smile appeared on Will's face.

"You're a little stubborn too," he said.

"Hey!" I sat back down, and gave him a swat on the arm.

Will's smile widened a little, and he put his arm around me. I snuggled closer to him, grateful that I'd managed that much, and hoping I'd get that smile all the way to his eyes before long. It was bad enough that I'd scared him, and that he spent the day worried about me; he didn't have to worry all night too. What happened at the pond was another accident. Though I would have given anything not to remind Will of my mortality again, it was at least a chance to show him that I wasn't as breakable as he thought.

"By the way, where is Greta?" I asked.

"Greta? Probably sleeping in the game room. She likes the couch in there."

"Is she ok?"

"Sure, why?"

"Well, she's sort of the reason I fell," I said.

"What?" Will turned to me.

"Yeah. She'd been sleeping under the tree, but all of the sudden she started to bark. I haven't heard her do that in so long that it surprised me. It was when I turned and saw her run off, that I lost my footing. What was she after?"

"Humph, I don't know. She probably woke up and heard a squirrel or something. To be honest, I don't remember anything but getting you out of the water," Will replied. "She's fine though, I saw her out in front of the garage shaking some rag earlier."

"Oh good," I replied.

"You should go back to bed," said Will.

"Not a chance," I replied. "I'm wide awake now, but you should get some sleep."

"No, I'm alright," he said. "What do you want to do?"

"Well, do you think Anice would mind if we raided the kitchen?" I asked. "I'm kind of hungry."

"Anice mind someone eating? Are you kidding?" Will stood up. "Let's go."

The house was peaceful and quiet. Although everyone was upstairs sleeping, it felt like we had the place all to ourselves. With the lights so low, even the halls and big rooms felt much smaller. Actually, the more time I'd spent there, the less big and formal Gregory House seemed to be. Tonight, with just me and Will walking through it, the house felt as cozy as a cottage.

I led the way into the kitchen, but couldn't find the light switch. Will passed by me, and pointed two fingers to the ceiling. The lights came on. He went straight to the refrigerator.

"I have to warn you," he said, as he pointed me to a stool by the counter. "I'm not much of a chef, but I do make a pretty mean omelet."

"You're going to cook?" I asked.

"Yes, and you're going to help."

He turned away from the refrigerator, and handed me a hunk of cheddar cheese. Next, he disappeared under the counter, and came up with a plate, a grater, and a cutting board. The plate and the grater were placed in front of me.

"Some grated cheese, if you don't mind Miss Ward."

"Yes Chef."

I did my duty and began to grate the cheese, but didn't stop watching him. He reached for a shiny frying pan from the overhead rack, and placed it on the stove top. Soon a hunk of butter was melting away in the pan, and Will pulled some mushrooms out of the refrigerator. The next thing I knew, Will Bennett was chopping mushrooms with surprising expertise.

"Well I didn't see this coming," I said.

"What?" he asked, as he dumped the mushrooms in the pan.

"You cooking," I answered.

"I like kitchens," he shrugged, going back into the refrigerator for eggs and milk. "When I was mortal, I spent hours and hours in the kitchen of my house at Alton Dale. It was always the warmest room you could find, and nothing smells better than fresh baked bread."

There was a nostalgic smile on his face. Though what he said about liking kitchens was surprising, it was true that he looked very relaxed.

"Did you cook there?" I asked.

"Huh!" Will said with a short laugh. "I would have sent the whole house into shock if I'd tried to do that. Remember that was a different time."

Oh yeah, how could I forget. Will didn't exactly grow up in liberated times. Although I knew it was true, it was still hard to picture. To think of the young guy standing in front of me, in his long khaki shorts and t-shirt, as the master of some old fashioned manor, was just bizarre.

"So how did you learn then?" I asked.

"Well I watched what the cook did back then," he said, scrambling the eggs. "It wasn't until much later, with Chelsea, that I actually tried to make anything."

"Oh, did she teach you?"

"Not exactly. When she got older, I'd sometimes take her to a quiet place to rest between events. I'd rent a small house, and we'd take care of ourselves, so I tried my hand at cooking. Most of what I made in the beginning was pretty awful, but she ate it anyway. I got a little better later on."

"Did you ever bring her here?"

"No, we spent most of our time in Europe and Africa."

"Oh yes, I forgot. Maggie said that this was Bennett land, but that you've never lived here."

"No, I haven't. Victor and Chelsea lived here right after the Council approved their starting Bennett House."

"Really? How long ago was that? Nobody in town can remember anyone living on Miller's Landing. There aren't even any old stories."

"Well it would have been about two hundred years ago. They only lived here for about twenty years though."

"Why's that? And how does all that work, I mean, starting you own house?"

He held up a finger as if to say _hold on a minute,_ and then his hand rested on mine to stop me from grating any more cheese. Soon the grater was gone, and the plate of cheese was beside Will at the stove. There was already a flavor of fried mushrooms in the air when the egg mixture went into the pan. I enjoyed watching the back of him as he worked at putting the omelet together. His arms moved with confidence, and the muscles under his shirt stretched between his shoulders with every motion. Before long he was sitting on a chair across from me, and we each had a perfectly cooked omelet in front of us, plus a glass of milk and toast.

"Well," Will said. "When Imms get married, they usually start out in one of the family Houses like Ryder and Maggie have. Some Imms stay with their family, some prefer to go off and just live as a couple. Others eventually decide that they want to start their own House. It's like a couple deciding that they want to have children. First they have to apply to the High Council, and if their House is approved, they settle somewhere, and wait until they're called to bring someone through presenting. Victor and Chelsea settled here until they got the call for Julia."

"Oh, I see," I said. "Hey, this omelet is fantastic."

"Thanks." He smiled.

We both dug in. The only canopy over us now was the kitchen ceiling, and the marble counter was our tablecloth. Somehow I couldn't regret missing the picnic anymore. I still wished that the fall never happened, but if that was today's cloud, a nighttime snack just with Will was definitely the silver lining.

"Kaylee."

There wasn't much left on his plate by the time the tone in Will's voice changed. His fork was still moving. It took a path through the few bits of egg left, and Will eyes stayed on the trail he was making instead of looking up at me.

"Yes," I said.

"If I ask you to do something, will you promise not to get defensive?"

He still didn't look up, but I could see that his eyes had turned the deeper shade of blue they always took on whenever he was thinking about something deeply.

"OK." I replied.

"Don't go back home tomorrow. Stay here." He said.

This time he looked up, and the pleading in his expression almost knocked me over. The effect of what he'd asked was close, but not the same. To be thrilled, and disappointed at the same time, was awful. I would have loved being asked to stay just because he wanted me closer, but it wasn't a romantic request, it was a protective one.

"Will..." I said.

"Look Kaylee," he interrupted. "I know you're not weak, but you are more fragile than we are. You can still get sick, or hurt, and I can't even help you with powers anymore."

"But what are the chances of me getting sick, or hurt?" I said. "Will, I've always pretty much taken care of myself. At least I did before this whole presenting thing. What happened today was an accident. It's not going to happen again. Plus, I have the serum now too. Honestly, you've never had less reason to worry about me."

"I know." Will rubbed his forehead. "But it's driving me crazy knowing that I can't do anything for you anymore. At least if you were here all the time, I'd feel better."

"But what about my aunt? And my parents call every Thursday night to speak to me." I said.

"Connie can stay here too, and we can re-direct her telephone line to one of ours." He replied. "Please Kaylee."

He took my hand, and I tightened my fingers around his. Of course I wanted to stay at Gregory House, but not so he could play life guard for no reason. Maybe that was the answer though. I could stay and show him that he didn't have to take care of me. Sure, it wasn't a completely selfless solution, but if it worked for both of us, what could be wrong with that?

"Ok, I'll stay." I said.

He smiled, and squeezed my hand back.

"Thank you," he said in that low, rumbling voice that felt like a warm blanket around me. It was like being thanked for accepting a present you've been hoping for, forever.

We finished our omelets, and I got up to gather the dishes. It was only fair since he'd done the cooking. The excitement of knowing I'd be staying in the same house as Will made be forget where I was for a moment. Will's hand on my arm, and the shake his head reminded me. With a wave over everything we'd used, he wiped everything clean. Then a flick of his fingers moved everything back to where it came from. The kitchen was spotless.

"Ok Miss Ward," he said. "What's next?"

"I don't believe it." I suppressed a yawn. "But I'm starting to get sleepy again. I don't want to sleep anymore."

"Well if your body wants sleep, that's what you should give it," he answered.

I crossed my arms, and gave him a playful pout. First, one of his eyebrows went up, and then he smiled.

"Alright, if you're going to be a baby, then I'll treat you like one."

He took my hand, and led me out of the kitchen.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I said.

"You'll see," he replied.

We passed through the foyer, and went upstairs. When we got to the door of my room, he let go of my hand.

"Go on in," he whispered. "I'll be right there."

Now I was curious. What was he up to? I went into the room, but left the door open. Something told me that Will would never come in without knocking, and I didn't want to disturb the rest of the family. It didn't take long before he came. In his hand he had an old, leather bound book. He closed the door, and waved the lights on.

"Now, into bed you go," he said, as he turned his back to me.

Remembering his reaction to my nightgown this afternoon, I quickly took off the house coat, and jumped under the covers. When he heard me stop moving, Will turned around, and pulled a chair up next to me. He leaned back in the chair, and put his feet up on the bed. I couldn't help myself, I giggled.

"I don't think anyone's read to me since I was seven or eight years old," I said.

"This is what we old timers used to do for fun, before television and music players," he smirked.

"Oh, was that between the times you went out hunting dinosaurs?" I said.

He gave the bed a little nudge with his foot.

"Watch it Missy, or you won't get your story."

I shifted down in bed, and threw him my most innocent look. He cracked the book open, and leafed through the first few pages. Then he started to read out load. I closed my eyes, and his soft low voice filled the room.
Chapter 17

Family Time

"Are you sure Aunt Connie? You don't have to stay over there all by yourself."

Sitting on the king size bed in Maggie and Ryder's room, I held my phone just an inch away from my ear. Aunt Connie always spoke a little louder when she was trying to be convincing. My phone, along with my other things, had been brought over early this morning by Will and CeCe. I was still asleep when they'd gone; asleep and dreaming about a face with beautiful blue eyes, and a soft low voice.

"Oh honey, you know how the summer season is," Aunt Connie replied. "The tourists are in town. It means early days, and late nights. I don't want to disturb the family with my coming and going."

"I'll come home," I said.

"No, you will not," she answered. "Do you think I want you sitting here by yourself every evening?"

"But Aunt Co..." I objected.

"Oh, someone's at the door, I have to go Kaylee," she said.

"The door? Were you expecting..." I was going to say company.

"Must be one of the neighbors." She said. "Enjoy yourself honey. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

With a click, she was gone. I frowned at the phone. As at home as I'd come to feel here, somehow it seemed strange to be staying at Gregory House with my aunt only next door. Normally, when I wasn't living with her, it was because I was far away in a different city. Well, at least I didn't have to go pack up my stuff today. It would have felt so weird to take all of my things away from Aunt Connie's cottage.

"Couldn't talk her into it?" Maggie asked.

"No," I shrugged. "Maggie, are you sure you don't mind doing this?"

After dinner this evening, I mentioned to Maggie that I felt a little awkward. The family didn't wear formal clothes to dinner, but they did tend to dress a little nicer than me. I had a few dresses, but they were all the type of thing you'd wear to a beach party, or picnic. When I asked Maggie if she would mind going shopping with me, her eyes and smile widened, and she whisked me off to her room. Of course, CeCe was hot on our heels.

"Are you kidding?" CeCe scoffed. "She'll never wear any of that stuff."

CeCe was laying beside me on the bed, with her head hanging upside down, off the side. She'd wanted me to come and look at some of her things too. The invitation almost made me choke in fear. CeCe's clothes were all a little too much on either the tight or skimpy side for me. I thanked her, and said that I didn't think we were the same size. She responded by looking at my chest, then hers, and then putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Oh yeah, sorry," she said, sympathetically.

"I think these would all look nice on you Kaylee," Maggie said.

She came out of her closet with a pile of dresses.

"Go ahead and try them on. Take any that you like, or take them all. CeCe's right, I'll never wear them."

"Why did you buy them then?" I asked.

Grabbing my arm, Maggie pulled me up; then took my seat on the bed.

"Ryder's recording sessions don't always go well, and I'd rather get out of the way when musicians start arguing about arrangement. Shopping is usually the easiest pastime," she replied. "The problem is that later, when I get home, sometimes I realize I just bought a dress almost exactly like one I already have. That's how my closet gets full. Really you'll be doing me a favor if you take them."

"Yeah," said CeCe. "Then she'll have room to go out and buy some more."

Maggie shot a playful scowl at CeCe, who replied with a _you know its true_ shrug. Laughing, I took an armful of dresses back into the walk-in closet. I'd only managed to get half way into the first one, when my phone rang. Maggie looked at the incoming number.

"It's your aunt again," she said.

"Can you please answer, and tell her I'll be right there."

Trying to rush wasn't doing my battle with the dress any good. Maybe if my arms were each a foot longer, I'd be able to get the buttons in back done up; although I wasn't completely sure that would work either. From the room I heard Maggie's mumbles, and then a good-bye. Well I'd missed the call, and didn't even have an outfit to show for it. Giving up, I left the closet and held my arms out.

"I don't think this dress is for me," I said. "I can't reach the buttons."

Maggie got off the bed, and came behind me. I felt the dress tug.

"That's no problem," she replied. "It'll be easy once you get your powers."

"Yeah." CeCe sat up with a grin. "In the meantime you can have Will do it for you."

Leave it to CeCe to make me blush.

"What did my aunt want?" I asked.

"Oh, she didn't want you," replied Maggie. "Anice promised her some herbs, and your aunt wanted me to ask her to bring them by tomorrow."

With that, Maggie got silent for a few seconds, while her fingers finished the last few buttons. My guess was the message was being delivered by verse. Then she stepped back, and twirled me around.

"Anice is going to call her," Maggie said. "Wow, that dress looks great on you!"

"Really?"

I looked past Maggie to the mirror on her closet door. The dress really was pretty.

"It looks fabulous," said CeCe. "Hey! I think I've got some shoes that would go great with that. Come to think of it, I've got a few pairs that would go with those dresses. Oh! And some necklaces and earrings! You can't wear that glass thing all the time you know. I'll be right back."

While I grabbed my necklace protectively, CeCe disappeared. Now was my chance to ask Maggie something I'd been waiting to talk to her about. I knew I could talk to CeCe too, but this was a little embarrassing. Of the two of them, Maggie was likely to be more sensitive, and to answer me without jokes.

"Maggie?" I said. "Would you mind explaining to me about the whole Imm bonding thing?"

"Hmm," Maggie replied. "I've been thinking about how to answer that since you brought it up yesterday."

She walked back to the bed, and I followed. We sat down together.

"Is it that hard to explain?" I asked.

"I guess it's not really," she mused. "It's just one of those things that words can't do justice to. You don't really understand it until you've experienced it."

"But I've got to know what's happening to Will," I said. "Every time our kiss lasts longer than a peck, he looks like he's being torn up inside. Why Maggie?"

Maggie shifted a little. It was obvious that she'd never had this conversation with anyone before, and wasn't comfortable doing it now. I didn't know how old Maggie was. Maybe she came from a time when people didn't talk about intimate things. Though I was sorry to put her in an awkward position; this was something I really needed to understand, so I waited as patiently as I could for her to be ready.

"I don't want to say anything to you that Will should really be saying himself," she said, "but he hasn't exactly been hiding his feelings for you, so I don't think I'm betraying any secrets. You should know that what I'm about to explain only happens when an Imm cares very strongly for someone. It's not the same in casual relationships."

So far it sounded great.

"Please go on," I said.

"Well you know how you feel when you kiss Will," she replied. "I'm guessing your heart races, and you feel excited and happy, and you probably feel some things that you can't even describe, right?"

"Yeah," I answered quietly. "It's just like that."

"Well, now multiply that by about a hundred; that's how Imms feel it," she said.

My jaw dropped, and I stared at her in wonder. A hundred times what I felt?

"Is that even possible?" I asked.

The bed shifted as Maggie stood up and nodded. When she turned to face me, she placed both hands over her heart.

"The thing is that with Imms, the feeling is so strong that it can't just stay inside us. It radiates out, and through our partner."

As she explained, her hands moved out in front of her as if she'd put them around something precious.

"And, if they feel the same way, it comes back from them through us. When that happens, the two powers join, and it's like... um... you've heard Anice use the word essence... well it's like your two essences combine. You feel each other's emotions, and your bodies work together. You actually even share your breath, and your heartbeats. It's the closest thing there is to two people becoming one person. That's the bond. I'm sorry Kaylee, there's no other way I can describe that to you."

As she spoke her hands returned to her chest, bringing the invisible, precious thing she'd been holding back into her heart. I couldn't take my eyes off those hands, or keep from picturing Will's clenched ones.

"So that's what he's feeling?" I muttered, amazed.

Her words had left me breathless. What she described wasn't just physical, and it wasn't just emotional either, it sounded like both mixed together... and more. No wonder she was having a hard time explaining it. It didn't sound like something there were any words for.

"Like I said, I can't speak for Will's feelings," Maggie replied, "but if you say he's in pain then, yes, he's probably feeling his side of it. The pain comes from trying to hold it in. It's a pretty strong power to restrain."

"But why does he have to?" I asked. "Why can't he just let it pass through me?"

"Oh no!" Maggie said. "He can't let that happen. Don't forget, this is a force of natural magic. Not even the serum can help. It's pure power. You have to have power inside you, to be able to stand it."

"I don't know Maggie," I said. "We've kissed a few times, and yes I got a little dizzy, but it wasn't something I couldn't handle."

"Yes, but remember how much Will is holding back," said Maggie. "If he didn't; if he let all of that power go, it would be almost like an explosion of your senses going off. I think it's very possible that it could burst your heart."

I stared at her, stunned. So that's why Will had to fight so hard. Up until now, I thought that the worse that could happen was that I'd faint or something. He wasn't being over protective. He was really worried for my life. No wonder he didn't want to admit his feelings for me until after I presented. The thought of the whole thing left me feeling helpless, and I hated that. I dropped backward on the bed, and Maggie sat back down. She gave me one of her kind smiles, and patted my hand.

"Maggie, I love him so much, "I said, with a sigh. "I just have to present. Why won't I present already?"

"I know it's awful to wait," she replied, "but it'll come, and it'll be worth it."

There were no clocks in the Gregory house. That was kind of ironic, because I felt like I was stuck at this moment in my life, and not going anywhere. What Maggie said was meant to be encouraging, of course, but all I really heard was; _You have to wait_. Just the idea of the word wait made me want to scream. The worst part was not being able to do anything about it.

Thinking of Will was agonizing too. My mortality was a fear he still lived with every day. Even though I could usually calm him down, and even make him laugh, I could tell that the worry was always there. Now, on top of that, I understood better what torture he went through every time he kissed me.

"I wonder why he bothers." I thought out loud.

"What?" Maggie asked.

"He shouldn't kiss me if it hurts him so much," I said.

"Well I'm not saying it's easy," Maggie replied, "but don't you worry, I'm sure he's enjoying a lot of it too. Otherwise he wouldn't have to work so hard to hold back."

"Do you think so?" I asked.

"Trust me," she smiled.

"Hey wait a minute!"

I shot back up as another thought struck me.

"Could it hurt him? I mean holding it all inside. It doesn't sound like Imms are meant to do that. Please tell me it can't burst his heart too!"

"Oh no!" She laughed. "Believe me he's strong enough to handle it. He'll be fine."

I moved away from Maggie, and stood up. Raising my arms, I took a deep breath in, and then let it rush out as my arms dropped and dangled. I looked at my friend.

"You know all of this Imm stuff is really draining," I said.

With great timing, CeCe appeared back in the room. She carried a bag full of shoes in one hand, and had a jewelry box in the other. Her face was all lit up; just like that day we went to the fair.

"Ok," she said. "Let the festivities begin!"

The jewelry box opened as it dropped on the bed, and spilled its shiny contents out like a treasure. All the shoes were dumped out on the floor, with the exception of a pair of sandals that were the exact color of the dress I was wearing. These were held out to my face, and I took them without a word.

"Now for something white around your neck." CeCe rifled through the contents on the bed. "Not pearls. Too old fashioned for you."

The next hour passed with me playing the part of dress up doll. With each dress I put on, there was a shuffling of shoes, and several changes of jewelry. I couldn't count how many times CeCe said _too loose,_ but thankfully, the serum blocked her attempts at alterations. In the end, trying all those things on had been kind of pointless, because they made me keep everything anyway. Neither one would listen to any objections from me. They both swore I was doing them a favor by taking it all off their hands.

"Listen!" CeCe placed her hands on her hips in mock anger. "What else are little sisters for but taking your hand-me-downs."

Yeah, right! Hand-me-downs didn't usually come with the tags still on them. I was about to point that out when Maggie hopped playfully beside CeCe, with the same hands-on-hips pose. That was it, I was beaten.

The last dress I tried on was a pretty lavender one. It was fitted, but not tight, and I liked it because it was plain. I tried to put on white sandals with it, but CeCe almost had a fit. She made me take them off so she could _adjust_ them. Now they were the exact same lavender. For jewelry, I was dressed with small diamond studs in my ears, and despite CeCe's scowl, I wore my own necklace.

"Well at least the earring sort of match," she said. "Now that we've got you all prettied up, let's go downstairs and show you off."

Playing dressing up with Maggie and CeCe was fine, but I got a few butterflies at the thought of going downstairs on display. Even though the dress was simple, it was still nicer than anything I'd ever worn before, and I wasn't sure I could walk on heels this high. Nervously, I looked at myself in the closet mirror. The dress really was pretty... and I felt pretty in it. What would Will think when he saw me?

"Ok" I agreed.

As soon as I answered, Maggie waved her arm over the mess we'd left around us, and everything disappeared. I had no doubt that each pile was now neatly put away in my room. Powers were definitely useful on the cleaning up side of things. Maggie and CeCe changed too, keeping the evening in the dressy mood we'd started. We all stepped into the hallway a little giggly. Actually, this had been fun. I hadn't had a girl's night in a long time.

The smile stayed on my face all the way down the stairs, and through the foyer. Laughter reached us just outside the lounge, and we saw the family all seated around AJ. He was moving around with his arms waving, as he told a story. Suddenly AJ's arms froze, and he stood gaping at the door. Everyone's heads turned to follow his gaze, and although three of us had walked in, all the eyes rested on me. Oh boy, the blush was coming.

"Whoa! You clean up nice little Sheila!" AJ said to me.

"Thanks," I muttered.

"And what about Maggie and me?" CeCe walked over, and put her arms around her boyfriend's shoulders.

"Oh sorry, didn't notice you Love," he teased, and responded with a squeeze and a kiss.

Slowly I looked up, and over to Will. My breath caught in my chest from the expression on his face. His eyes were blazing into me, and there was an appreciative smile on his face. Silently, I thanked my sisters for their hand-me downs.

"You all look very lovely," Richard said.

"Yes," said Anice. "You all look like you should be taken out dancing."

With an exaggerated sigh, Anice looked at her husband. Richard had been sitting in an armchair with his chin resting on his hand. His lips flickered at Anice's words, and I saw him glance quickly at the sound system. Immediately the room was filled with slow, beautiful music. He stood up, and offered his arm to his wife. She took it, and smiling to each other, the two of them walked out onto the patio. Magically, the furniture moved out of the way for them, and the lights dimmed to a romantic haze. The other couples followed.

Seeing them all like that made me feel warm inside. Each pair was so perfect together. I looked back at Will, and he stood up, still with the same expression as when I walked in. He came over to me, and bowed his head while offering his arm.

"May I have the pleasure Miss Ward?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, a little breathlessly.

We walked out to the patio, where the lights had made everything look dreamlike. Will took my hand in his, and rested it against his heart. His other hand wound around my back. I looked up into his eyes, and felt like I was floating. What could be more perfect than this? I was in Will's arms, and nothing else mattered in the world. No, wait, this wasn't exactly perfect. Through the music, I heard Maggie's voice from earlier today. Her descriptions of the bond, and what it did to him, drifted through my mind. I pulled back.

"What's the matter?" Will whispered.

"I don't want to start you hurting again," I answered.

Will looked away with a smile, and then back to me. With determination he pulled me closer, and rested his face against my cheek. I heard his voice, softly in my ear.

"There's nothing about dancing with you that hurts."

To prove it, he pressed my hand harder against his chest, and I could feel the beat of his heart. It was a hard beat, but it wasn't racing. A thankful relief passed through me. Not only was Will fine, but now I had a way to tell if this became too hard for him. I wrapped my other arm tighter around his neck, and rested my head on his shoulder.

As we danced, I started to understand what Will meant. This wasn't like when we kissed, well, not exactly. My heart wasn't beating through my chest, and it wasn't hard to catch my breath. There was a peace in the way Will's arms were around me. His head leaning up against mine, and his breath on my shoulder, gave me a feeling of belonging like nothing else had. If only we could just stay like this until I present.

Richard and Anice were dancing next to us. They were looking into each other's eyes, and Richard's hand came up to gently brush back Anice's hair. Then he kissed her on the forehead. I watched her eyes close, and her chest fall with the slow release of her breath. They felt the belonging too. I wondered how many hundreds of years they had danced together like that, and hoped that Will and I would be as lucky.

"Do you know what I think?" I whispered.

"What's that?" he replied.

"I think we should have a dance every night," I said.

Will's head came up, and I looked at him. He had that amused smile on his face.

"Ok," he agreed. "Maybe we should set up the ballroom."

"No, too big," I said. "This is just right."

"What if the others don't want to dance?" he teased.

I looked at the couples around me, each lost in their own little world.

"I don't really think that would be a problem," I replied. "But if it is, we can dance somewhere else."

"My studio," he offered.

"Sure," I agreed.

"And, after you present, we can go dancing on a cloud," he said.

"Really?" My eyes widened.

"No," he said, with a little laugh. "You can't actually stand on a cloud, and well, they're kind of wet."

"Hey, stop teasing the mortal," I said. "Just for that, you'll have to find another special place to take me dancing when I present."

"Hmm, I'll see what I can do," he replied.

I rested my head back on his shoulder, and he leaned his against mine. Song after song came and went, and the moon traveled across the sky. Ages after Maggie and Ryder had gone inside, and CeCe and AJ had floated away somewhere, I still fought my sleepiness. Will must have felt it because he whispered to me.

"Can I walk you to your room?"

I looked up at him, and nodded. He leaned in, and gave me a gentle kiss. My hand, still over his heart, told me that it was fine. Just like when we came in, Will offered me his arm, and I took it. As we stepped inside, I took one last peek at Richard and Anice, who were dancing alone now, under the stars. They didn't look like they were going anywhere for a long time.
Chapter 18

Thunder

It was no surprise that most of us woke up late after our night of dancing. Ryder and Maggie were already sitting at the kitchen counter when I walked in. They each had full plates in front of them, so I guessed they didn't come down too long before me.

"Morning," I said.

"Good morning Kaylee," Maggie replied.

"Hey Sis." Ryder waved at the full sideboard at the end of the kitchen. "Grab some breakfast. Or maybe I should say lunch."

The sideboard was full. It had cut fruits, pastries, chilled juice, milk, coffee, tea, and two hotplates; one with bacon, and one with scrambled eggs. This was the usual spread that Anice put together, as far as I could tell.

"Wow, Anice is up already!" I said, stunned.

"I'm not sure she and Richard went to bed at all," replied Maggie. "They usually stay up when Richard has some time off. When we came down, they'd already had breakfast, and were on their way to the garden."

"They were still up dancing when I went to bed," I said, grabbing a plate.

"I don't think they'll be gone for long," Maggie told me. "Anice said she was just going to get those herbs your aunt wanted, and bring them to her."

"Oh no," I said. "I was hoping to bring those over, and visit for a while."

It still bothered me that I'd left Aunt Connie all alone. Sure, she was used to it, with my cousins being away at school, but that didn't make me feel any better. The plan was that I would come to live with her, and I knew that she'd looked forward to that. Even if she was spending long days at work, it was still nice to come home to someone.

"I think they were going to bring the stuff to the restaurant," Ryder said, with his mouth half full. "Hey! Where have you two been?"

CeCe and AJ came walking into the kitchen. They were still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. The mischievous smiles on their faces were a pretty good sign that they'd had a good time too.

"None of your business," said CeCe, as she pranced over, and placed a kiss on Ryder's cheek.

"Yeah," said AJ, with a full imitation of CeCe's entrance, right down to the kiss.

"Ugh!" Ryder cried out, kicking the air after the quickly departing AJ.

The two new arrivals went directly to the sideboard. CeCe piled her plate with fruit, while AJ dived into the scrambled eggs. Maggie, Ryder and I all exchanged shrugs and smiles.

When Will entered the kitchen, he stopped in the doorway, surprised. His eyes travelled across all of us, now seated around the island, and frowned.

"Wow, you're all up?" he said. "Boy, I must have really slept in."

"CeCe and AJ don't count," said Ryder. "They just got home."

Will turned a questioning look to CeCe and AJ, who both responded with self-satisfied little grins. After a second, Will just shook his head as if to say; _no, I don't really want to know,_ and headed for the sideboard. His one stop was to place a kiss on the top of my head.

"So, does anybody have any plans today?" Ryder asked.

"Sleep," CeCe and AJ responded at the same time.

"And how about those of us who didn't have to evade the police last night?" Ryder asked.

CeCe and AJ both pretended offended faces, while Maggie and I laughed.

"No plans," I said, and Maggie shook her head too.

"Did you have anything in mind?" asked Will, as he sat next to me.

"Don't ask me, or we'll all spend the day in the music room," replied Ryder.

"That sounds fine to me," Maggie said. "There are storm clouds moving this way anyway."

"Hey, that's great." I sat up. "Rain will make the pond deeper. Maybe we can go back tomorrow, and finish our picnic."

Everyone turned to look at me. There were a few worried expressions in the group, and I didn't even look at Will. It was nice that they all cared about me, but to be honest; the concern was getting to be annoying.

"Oh, come on you guys, stop it," I said. "All I did was slip. It wasn't some earth shattering catastrophe."

To my satisfaction, the looks of concern changed into guilt. Good. I would get it into everyone's head that I was not weak, even if it was the last thing I did.

"Well, look who's finally up," Richard said, as he and Anice walked into the kitchen.

"Yes and some looking a little less refreshed than others." Anice smirked at CeCe and AJ. "Which reminds me; if you don't stay out of my garden Alexander John Niland, I will personally shave all the hair from your head, and make it grow on your back."

"Who me?" AJ looked bewildered.

"Three basilmary plants trampled, and five augsing plants completely uprooted." Anice shook her head. "It's a good thing I keep the workshop sealed, or goodness knows what kind of mess I would have found in there."

"Hold on, no way Anice, I swear it wasn't me!" AJ insisted. "I haven't gone near that place since I got that nasty sting. Those plants are lethal."

"You weren't kicking a ball around out there?" Anice looked surprised.

"Not a chance," AJ replied.

"Hmm, oh well, then it must have been Greta. Will you have to remind her of the boundary," Anice said, and then added, "I'm sorry AJ."

AJ just smiled and shrugged, then went happily back to eating. It was a typically AJ reaction, but a nagging little thought entered my mind. Was he telling the truth? I felt guilty even thinking it, but I didn't know AJ as well as the rest of the family. The problem was that I remembered how obediently Greta waited, the day Will and I went to the garden. Even in her excitement to play fetch, she wouldn't come in. It didn't seem likely that she would just forget that training out of the blue.

The rest of the family was probably very careful around the garden, if Will was any example. He'd looked around for a long time before he chose a row for us to walk through. So the only person left was AJ, but he didn't seem to be a liar. I didn't want to believe it, and I definitely didn't want to question it in front of anyone. Maybe he had been kicking a ball around there a while ago, and forgot about it. Yes, it was probably something like that. He wouldn't lie.

"Did you bring the herbs over to Aunt Connie?" I asked, changing the subject in my own mind.

"Yes, she said she'd be busy at the restaurant, so we dropped them by the house," replied Richard.

"I hope she uses them soon. They spoil within a couple of days of being picked," said Anice. "I still haven't perfected their shelf life."

Anice got busy clearing off the serving plates from the sideboard. Watching her made me think of how much easier my aunt's restaurant would run, if she could just wave away dirty dishes like that. Poor Aunt Connie, peak season was always crazy. The regulars kept coming, and the tourists piled in as well. She and her staff would be on their feet for most of the day. I felt bad that I couldn't help this summer, especially with my cousins away. Well, I would make a point of going to visit her. If she was planning to try out a recipe, then that meant she would be home early some time soon.

"How about trying your hand at painting today?" Will asked me.

"Really?" I turned to him eagerly.

"Sure," he answered. "Thunder storms are great for painting. The light is terrible, but the mood is fantastic."

I nodded enthusiastically.

"Ok, well you should change into something you can get paint on then," he said.

"No problem," I replied.

Hopping off my seat, I grabbed my plate out of habit. Anice took it out of my hands.

"I'll take care of that," she said. "You go on now."

"Thank you." I smiled at Anice.

Not even CeCe, with all her powers, could have changed faster than I did. The dress I'd been wearing was left crumpled on my bedroom floor, as I jumped into a pair of old cut off jeans and a black t-shirt. Who could be neat at a time like this; especially since I could already smell the paint from Will's studio?

It was hard not to run all the way upstairs, but somehow I managed it. When I reached the top, I found that the room looked different from the other day. The ceiling lights were blaring, even though sunshine was still pouring in through the window. All the paintings had been stacked back into piles at the sides of the room. The easels had been stacked away too, all except for one. It stood in the middle of the floor, with a medium sized canvas on it. I took in an excited breath. My first canvas!

Will was standing by the window wearing his tank t-shirt, and grey sweats. He waved me over. When I reached the window, he pointed at the dark clouds coming in from the west. They stretched out far into the distance. This wasn't going to be a passing shower. It looked like those clouds would stick around for the rest of the day.

"Looks like a big one," I said.

"Yeah." Will had an expectant squint on his face.

"Let me guess," I said. "You like thunder storms."

"Yes and no," he answered. "There's nothing more destructive than the power of nature, but if everyone is safe inside, it's one of the most fascinating things in the world to watch. One minute everything is still and quiet, and the next, everything is moving and alive."

Suddenly the wind picked up, as if it had heard him. Outside the window, the forest was coming to life. Tree branches were starting to wave, and a clap of thunder growled in the distance. The air seemed full of energy. I could feel it, even though the windows guarded us. Will could feel it too; I could hear it in his breathing. He breathed deeper, and let the air out slower. The storm was power.

"Are you ready?" He turned to me.

"Yes."

He walked over to one of the work tables, and grabbed a clean palate. Before he started to fill it, his hand hovered over the tubes of paint. The way he stood there reminded me of a conductor in front of a large orchestra. A few second passed, and suddenly his hands were moving quickly over the table. One by one, he grabbed tubes of paint, and squeezed bits of their contents out on to the palate. This was even better than watching him cut mushrooms. Carefully he chose and mixed colors. Then, after a glance at my hands, he picked a brush. Before I knew it, I was holding everything he'd prepared.

"Ok, go." He nodded towards the canvas.

I blinked at him, and then down at the paint and brush.

"Wait," I said, confused. "Aren't you going to teach me?"

Will crossed his arms, and smiled.

"I can give you pointers about everything from mixing colors, to motion and texture," he said, "but the art still has to come from you. I want to see what you do on your own first."

No lesson? A long list of websites that showed Will's work flashed through my mind, and suddenly I wasn't so excited. The only art I'd done on my own lately was to doodle on my notebooks. Somehow I didn't think that hearts and flowers would be up to the standards he was used to. I looked at the canvas, terrified.

"Kaylee, it's alright," he said. "You don't have to create a masterpiece, just have fun."

"But I don't even know what to paint," I replied.

Will came up behind me, and put both hands on my shoulders. Gently, he turned me towards the canvas. His face lowered beside mine, and I heard his voice in my ear.

"Ok, close your eyes," he said, and I did. "Forget that I'm here, and don't worry about anyone seeing what you do. Breathe deep, listen and feel what's inside you. When you're ready, open your eyes and paint."

With the last few words Will had let go, and stepped back leaving me in the centre of the room. He was so quiet that I could almost imagine I was alone. I took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and listened. The thunder outside was closer now, and I heard the rustle of heavy rain. Water. It got louder and louder, until it filled the room. For a moment the sound reminded me of that second day at the pond. It was like I was standing under Will's protective dome again, while water swirled all around me. The only difference was that, this time, I felt safe. The water didn't sound like a raging storm that could hurt me. It sounded like a force of nature, washing away the forest's dust and dirt, and bringing life. It sounded like power. My eyes opened.

The first brush stroke pulled me closer to the easel, and from that point, I couldn't stop. One stroke after another, color started to fill the empty white canvas. Yes! My excitement came back. All I wanted to do was paint more. I wasn't painting something I'd seen so much as something that I felt, and the feeling kept getting stronger. Will had mixed the paints perfectly. Every time I reached for a particular color, it was there. Finding it just excited me more. The thunder boomed again, and my strokes got harder. After a while the brush wasn't enough anymore, so I used my hand.

Soon every inch of the canvas was covered, but the painting wasn't finished yet. Lightening struck outside. Its flash showed me the spots that waited for more. I filled them in. Layer after layer, the painting took shape. Time was standing still until I was done. How long that took, I don't know, but finally my arms dropped, and I stepped back. Whoa! Did I really paint that?

It wasn't like the painting was some great work of art, but it was a lot better than I thought I could do. A person could actually tell what it was, or at least I thought so, and I loved the colors.

The scene was a waterfall. It cascaded down in streams of white and blue, and crashed into foamy waves below. Still, in spite of all this power, only a few feet away from the bottom of the falls, the water ran off in a peaceful green and blue river.

"Done?"

The voice behind me made me jump. I actually did forget that Will was there.

"Yes," I said, not turning around.

He came over, and stood beside me. One arm sat across his chest, and his hand was over his mouth in a thoughtful pose. If I was nervous about him seeing me paint before, it was gone now. All that was left was surprise at what I'd done.

"That's pretty good," he said. "You've got a good eye for depth and proportion. Not a bad use of color either. Why a waterfall?"

"I don't know," I replied. "I guess it was the sound of the rain and the thunder."

"You know, they say an artist always paints themselves," said Will.

"Well, I keep telling you I'm tough," I joked.

"Really Kaylee, this is pretty good," he repeated. "You should keep at it."

"You think so?" I replied. "I mean, I don't think I'll ever be as good as you, but I really liked doing that. It was like I was in my own little world."

"That's how it starts," he said. "Don't forget to sign it."

"Oh!" I said putting my paint covered hand over my mouth. "Yeah, I guess that's the last bit, isn't it."

"Yeah, that's the last bit."

Will laughed, as he brushed off a bit of paint that I had left on my face. He showed me the paint on his thumb, and I looked down at my clothes. The shirt was covered with smudges from my hand and brush. There were even some spots where I had leaned the palate to my side.

"Well, at least I look the part," I said.

"Yeah, you sure do."

Will pulled me in for a kiss, and when we stepped back, he was almost as paint smeared as I was. The storm kept raging outside, but I didn't feel it anymore. Its energy had gone through me, and into the painting. With all of that gone, I felt like I was cozy and warm in a little shelter with Will, and that nothing could touch us here.

"You paint something now," I said.

"On one condition," replied.

"What?"

"I want that." He nodded to my painting.

"You're kidding?"

I looked at him as if he'd ask for a glass of sour milk. The painting was alright for a first try, but it wasn't good enough to be given as a gift, especially not to him.

"That's my commission," he said. "You give that to me, and I'll paint one for you."

"That's not exactly a fair trade," I replied.

"That's my price," he said. "Take it or leave it."

"Ok," I agreed. "If that's the way you want it."

He smiled, and took the palate and brush from my hands. While he returned to the work table, I walked around the room and looked at more paintings leaning against the walls. One caught my eye in particular, because there was something about it that seemed brighter than the rest. The scene was of a sailboat on clear blue water with bright sunshine lighting up the sails. At the front of the boat was a couple waving. The people were small and not painted clearly, but the man looked familiar.

"What's this picture of?" I asked.

Will glanced up for only a second, and then returned to mixing his paints. A strange smile was on his face.

"That's Victor and Chelsea on our boat in France," he replied.

"Wow, the colors are so much brighter than the rest," I said.

"Different paint," he responded. "I did that one a few days ago."

My head snapped to Will, and then back to the painting. A few days ago! The picture looked so bright and happy. I'd never seen Will think of his parents without being at least a little sad. There was nothing sad about this scene.

"What was the weather like that day?" I thought out loud.

"When I painted that?" he said. "Probably sunny, this is the first rain we've had in ages."

With that, he held the palate with one hand, and put the brush between his teeth. His free hand grabbed an empty canvas, and placed it on a bare easel that had magically jumped to attention. The brush was soon back in Will's hand, and he pointed the wooden end to a spot a few feet away from me.

"If you like that one," he said. "There's another one over there that you should look at."

The next painting had the brightness of new paint too. The scene was of a large old house, grey with a reddish roof. It had seven chimneys, and was surrounded by clean cut hedges. The door and windows were decorated with flowers, and circles of flower beds lay on either side of the house.

"Flowers?" I asked surprised.

"My mother loved them," he replied. "They were everywhere, outside and inside the house. The only things she loved more were her kittens."

"This is your house in England?" I said.

"It doesn't look that neat right now," he replied. "But, yes, that's it. Like it?"

"It's beautiful," I said. "Will you take me to see it one day?"

For a while he concentrated on the canvas. The brush dipped and stroked, and Will's arms flexed and pushed with it. His hair fell onto his face, but he didn't notice. His eyes were on fire.

"Yes, I will," he said finally, and I squealed like a little girl, but only in my mind.

There were no chairs in the room so I sat, cross legged on the floor, and watched him. The way Will moved was more like an athlete than a painter. There was purpose in each motion, and deep thought in every pause. Different colors of paint made their way from the palate to the canvas, and onto his hands, his shirt, and even his face. When I'd splattered my paint I was just making a mess, Will was becoming part of his work.

Was he like this when he'd painted the Bennetts and his home? He had to be. Although I'd never really had a chance to watch him like today, it was obvious that Will only knew one way to paint, with his complete heart and soul. His work wasn't just scenes he was creating, he was in them. He felt them. Every stroke and color, every tone of light and shade, was Will.

A shiver of a happy thrill ran down my back.

"Were they good memories?" I asked about the new paintings.

He stopped working, and turned to me. The concentration on his face turned into a thoughtful smile.

"Yes," he answered. "It turns out that I have a lot of them."

Was it really dark and storming outside? Looking out the window might have made it seem that way, but as far as I was concerned, rays of sunshine were streaming into the room. The clouds that had always hung over Will were starting to clear. Maybe they would never be gone completely, but there were great big patches of light coming through. Is that why he wanted me to see those paintings? Was he trying to show me he'd changed? Whether he did or not, the change couldn't have been clearer to me. Life was returning to Will Bennett.

He turned back to his painting, and was swept away with it again. That was fine. I was happy just watching him, and thinking about how far he'd come. It seemed like ages ago that Aunt Connie and I had our first dinner at Gregory House. That night I wondered if the quiet guy by the fireplace would ever say more than a few words to me. Will wasn't that person anymore. The Will in front of me now could smile, and dance, and tell me what he was thinking. How much further would he go if we had ten, twenty, a hundred years together?

_I have to present._ The thought flowed through my mind again, but this time it wasn't like the others. It didn't come with frustration, because I wanted to be something. It came with love, because I wanted to give something. Will had beaten a century of pain to open up to me. I wanted to take away the last reason he had to worry. That would be my gift.
Chapter 19

In the Dark

Yesterday's rain was long gone. It left behind a freshness in the air that came with the smell of grass and trees. The pond did get bigger and deeper like I predicted. It was warmer too. It was actually so warm and relaxing, that even AJ and CeCe spent most of the day floating and swimming in slow strokes. It was too bad that Anice and Richard didn't join us, but they were enjoying Richard's time off together, and no one wanted to interfere with that.

Between his own swims, Ryder played Tess. The music sent its hypnotic waves across the water; moving us like puppets between slowly swaying, and tapping in rhythm to the beat. At one particularly lazy point in the day, Ryder flipped the tune, and played Tess into a wild riff. The impact was instant, and if it wasn't for Will's quick grab of the pole, CeCe would have knocked down one of the canopies, while leaping and dancing across the sun beds. I watched and laughed from the water, as the smiling blonde dropped down on the last bed she'd reached. The final note of the song echoed and faded away, and Maggie put a glass in CeCe's hand. None of us missed noticing that, even after blending two pitchers of fruit punch, the basket of food Anice sent with us was still full. We took that as our hint to take our time out here, and didn't mind co-operating at all.

I couldn't count the number of times I let out a deep breath, and smiled to myself. The others probably wouldn't understand, but this was the day I'd been waiting for since the first time I left my aunt's house this summer. Of course I didn't picture it exactly like this, but the feeling was there. Peace. The day couldn't have gone better, and if there was anything other than Richard and Anice missing, it was that Greta never came out to join us. I mentioned to Will that I thought her absence was strange, but he answered that storms usually made her nervous for a while. He said that she was likely staying close to the house. That was probably good, considering how lazy we'd been for most of the day. She would have just been bored.

When daylight started to fade, Will waved his hand over the pond, and basketball sized globes of light appeared all around it. Although, the globes weren't as pretty as the little stars he'd sent me; that night replayed in my mind. A long glance from Will told me that he was remembering the same thing. Not long after the lights appeared, gleaming serving dishes came floating through the field from the direction of Gregory House. We met them under the dinner canopy, and watched as they landed on the crisp white tablecloth. Each of us took a seat at a sparkling place setting, and the evening air filled with delicious aromas as the lids came off of the serving dishes. The whole table still looked too formal for the pond, but that was the way Anice liked to serve dinner and, no one had any objection to that.

Happy, relaxed, and starving from all the fresh air and water, we dug into dinner. Spoons dipped, drinks poured, and people laughed. It may not have looked like a traditional picnic but it sure sounded like one. It sounded like family. We stayed at the table long after we took our last bites.

"So Kaylee," CeCe said, as she wiggled in her chair. "What's the first thing you want me to teach you when you present?"

Will smacked himself on the forehead in mock exasperation. CeCe returned the gesture by sticking out her tongue at him.

"I think I'd like to learn to fly first," I said.

Another forehead smack followed my words, along with cheers and hoots from CeCe and AJ, and more laughter.

"If I may," Ryder said. "I think what my subtle cousin is trying to say is, that the protection powers should come first."

"Boo," jeered AJ.

"Talk about boring." CeCe rolled her eyes.

"Don't be a brat." Ryder elbowed CeCe. "Protection is always first, and you know it. We can't take her in front of the council if she can't even block a fly from landing on her. They won't induct her."

I stared at Ryder. Me? In front of the Council? And what did he mean induct?

"Ok, please explain what you just said," I asked. "The Council part, I mean."

"Oh, yeah, well you know that when you present Richard will invite you to join our family, right?" Ryder said.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Well, whether you accept or not," he continued, "nothing is official until it's done in front of the High Council. Richard will make his formal invitation. You will give your formal answer, and if you say yes, the Council inducts you into our House. Then you take on the name Gregory."

"Just like that? Is that all they'll do?" I asked.

"No, one of the Councilors will have a private talk with you after," Maggie replied.

"What for?" I asked, nervously.

"Well they're Councilors, they counsel," she replied. "Whoever it is will talk to you about living as an Imm, and having powers; and they'll answer any questions you have."

My chair scraped against the wooden floor as I pushed back from the table. The friction of it traveled up my spine, and with my arms wrapped around me, I stood up trying to make the sensation go away. Maggie didn't seem to think much about what she'd just said, but it sounded too familiar to me. How many orientation meetings had I been through? There was no point in counting them. The one thing that I knew for sure was that inside every welcome package, there was a list of rules that told you what you couldn't have. Sometimes they didn't make a difference in your plans, but others times they could take away what you wanted the most.

"Will I have to take an oath, or pass some kind of test?" I asked.

An eruption of _No!_ filled the air. Heads shook, and they all laughed.

"It's nothing like that," Will said. "Kaylee, the Councilors are really incredible people. They aren't there to inspect, or even guide you. The reason Councilors meet with Presenters, is to give you whatever you need to find your footing through a life altering change. It'll help, you'll see."

"It just sounds so formal," I replied.

Ryder stood up, and moved next to me.

"More like a formality," he said. "At least the induction part is. It's the...."

He broke off in mid sentence. Suddenly all of their heads snapped in the direction of the house. They were hearing something. I strained to hear it too, but I found nothing but silence, and the reactions of the people around me. Ryder's face became a mask of shock. He turned back to look at me with questioning eyes. His head was slowly shaking. The others turned to look at me too, with almost the same expression. What was going on?

A gasp broke the silence, and I saw CeCe collapse into sobs while AJ mechanically put his arms around her. Ryder disappeared, and CeCe and AJ followed. I turned to Will, but he had his head buried in his hands.

The air suddenly seemed thin. It couldn't fill my lungs. Something was very, very wrong.

"What's happening?" I whispered.

A hand touched my shoulder, and I turned to find Maggie's tearful eyes looking at me. Her hands shook as they came up to either side of my face.

"Kaylee honey," she said in a strained voice. "Richard's calling us. Your aunt is at our house.... She's presenting."

The words hung between us, but their meaning wouldn't penetrate me. I could only watch numbly as Maggie backed away, taking her warm hands with her.

"You stay," she said softly to Will, and disappeared.

There was nothing but an empty space, and silence left in front of me. Somehow I managed to move enough to turn towards Will. It wasn't until he looked up, his eyes two deep wells of pain, that the understanding hit me like a tidal wave. My legs lost feeling, and I dropped to my knees.

"No," I whispered.

My aunt was presenting powers. She was the Presenter... not me.

"No! Oh no!" I cried out.

Will jumped forward, and kneeled in front of me. His arms wrapped around my shaking body, and held me to his chest. It didn't help.

Wave after wave of understanding hit me with harder and harder crashes. I wasn't going to present. I wasn't going to be immortal, or have powers. The Council wasn't going to make me a Gregory. They'd have to erase my memory... and I was going to lose Will.

"No!" I sobbed.

"Shhhh," Will wrapped his arms tighter around me, and rocked me back and forth.

Anything I might have said was strangled inside me. What I was afraid of in the beginning, and what Will was afraid of all along, had come true. This was death. It was the end of the life I'd seen ahead of me. The life that I thought I'd waited all these years to get to would never come. Why did I let myself believe, and worse, why did I make him believe with me?

A new depth of agony started as I thought more of Will. I was the one who'd shattered his walls. Now he'd have to face the exact pain that he'd built them to avoid. It was all my fault. What I'd done was selfish, and worse than stabbing a knife into his heart. How was he ever going to trust anyone again?

"I'm sorry," I sobbed the worthless words. "I'm so, so sorry Will."

"You didn't do anything wrong Kaylee," he answered. "Everything will be alright."

It wouldn't, nothing would ever be right again. My life was gone, and Will would go soon too. How could I exist without him? I couldn't see any future, no happiness, and no love. Even when they took my memories, I knew I'd still feel the void where something important used to be. I couldn't stand it.

"Kiss me." I grabbed Will's shirt.

"Kaylee..." he said, pulling back.

"Kiss me," I pleaded. "Kiss me with all the power you have. Burst my heart. Don't make live without you!"

"Kaylee, stop it!" He held me away.

I fell back against his chest, and sobbed. Of course he wouldn't do it.

"This doesn't change anything," he said. "I am not going to leave you."

His words cut through my torture, but didn't ease it. They didn't make sense. Our worlds were separating, and he had to go. My tears stopped in my confusion, and I slowly looked up at Will.

"What?" I croaked.

"If you're not going to be an Immortal, then I'm not either," he said.

The shock of tonight's news had drained me of any strength. All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and disappear, but the meaning of Will's words blasted through all the pain I felt for myself. Shock and fear were flooding in to replace it. I pulled away and jumped up.

"You're not saying..."

"I'm saying that I understand Chelsea a lot better now," he said.

Will's jaw was set. He stood up and tried to pull me back to him, but the firmness of his decision terrified me, and I moved away.

"No Will, you can't!" I said.

"Can't what?" He replied. "Can't be happy? Can't live the life I choose?"

"You'll die." I cried, desperately.

Will's look of determination softened. He moved closer and tried to put his arms around me, but I flinched so he held back.

"Everybody dies eventually Kaylee," he said. "Even Imms come to a time when there is no life left for them."

"It's not like that for you Will," I argued.

"No, not yet." he replied. "Not as long as you're alive."

There was no doubt that he was serious. Will wanted to block his powers, and age with me. If there was nothing else at stake, a life with him would be a dream come true, but that's not the way it was.

My guilty conscience screamed. If I had only stayed rational in the first place, this wouldn't be happening. In the beginning my head told me that I was a regular girl, and nothing more. If I had just accepted that and kept my distance, Will would still have all defenses around him. He would have taken tonight's turn in stride, and moved on. Instead, I let my heart lead the way, and now it was destroying both of us. I was losing everything I'd come to love, and Will was ready to end his own life. If saving him was the only thing I could do now, then I was ready to do anything.

"No Will; my life and yours aren't connected anymore," I said.

"That'll never be true Kaylee," he replied, "and in case you think this is shock talking, you should now that I made this decision long before tonight. I probably even made it before I was conscious of it. Whether you presented or not, I knew I wanted to spend my life with you. If you're going to stay a mortal, then that's what I'm going to be too."

The lines of his face had become so familiar to me. The beauty in them was telling a story right now, and that story was a horror. He was so determined, and I was terrified I couldn't change his mind. Turning into the breeze, I begged the cool air to calm my feverish thoughts, and give me just one clear idea that would help. As I tilted my face up to let it flow over me, my eyes locked on the sky. It was black and starless above Will's lights. That was it. That was what I had to become. Focusing on the darkness, I fought to choke down every emotion that was tearing away at my soul. He wouldn't see this coming. He wouldn't know how fight it. My mouth tasted dry and bitter, but I swallowed and turned back around. No matter how much I had to harden my heart and hurt him, I wasn't going to let Will die.

"You don't understand," I answered coldly. "I'm saying that I won't go along with that. I'll leave here when the time comes, but I'll leave alone. I don't want you to come with me."

Will's whole body stiffened and his wide eyes dug into me.

"Don't say that," he said, quietly.

His voice pierced my heart like a dagger. I braced against the pain, and looked back up at the sky. There was no room for weakness now. His life depended on it.

"I mean it," I said.

The storm brewing in his eyes didn't help my willpower. He paced back and forth, running his hands through his hair, and the muscle in his jaw strained against his skin. Tonight's bombs were wearing on him too. Although Will may have prepared himself for my mortality, he obviously never expected my rejection.

"How can you ask me to do it?" he roared. "How can you ask me to live a thousand years alone, when one day without you is complete misery? I can't breathe without you Kaylee!"

Each word was like canon fire against my shaky wall. I wanted so much to just throw myself in his arms and shout; _Yes! I want you. Yes! I love you. Please don't ever leave me!_ The price was too high.

"And how can you ask me to look at you for the rest of my life knowing that you're killing yourself just to be with me," I shouted.

"That's not the way it is," he shouted back. "It would be a life, a real one, a whole one. Why can't we have that?"

"A real one?" I scoffed. "And how would we have that? Could you kiss me Will? I mean really kiss me, without looking like you've been hit by a truck. And what about a family? Could we have children someday? If I have to stay a mortal, then those are the things I want. Can you give them to me?"

All color drained from his face, and his shoulders dropped. The air seemed to leave his body. A million daggers couldn't have torn my heart into as many pieces, as seeing the light leave Will's eyes did.

"No," he said, defeated.

My words had hurt him more than any physical pain ever could. Watching their effect was agonizing, but I couldn't let that stop me. Even though the truth was that I'd give up anything to be with him; that had to stay my secret. My fight was fading. If this didn't end soon, I'd collapse in his arms and confess everything.

"Would you please go to the house, and make sure my aunt is alright?"

The best thing for both of us now would be for him to leave.

"I'll take you back," he said in a far away voice.

"No, I'd like to stay here for a while," I said, but couldn't look at him.

Will's hesitated for a moment. It was a habit. He'd never left me alone on the property before, but there was no reason for that protection anymore. That reality must have come to him quickly. He nodded his head, and disappeared.

Silence. Stillness. Nothing.

I was alone. I was more alone than I'd ever been in my life. Tears flowed down my face again, but I only knew that because my cheeks felt wet. I didn't even have enough strength left to sob. It seemed right that I was standing by an empty pond, with the darkness of night all around me. This is what my life had become in an instant, empty and dark.

My numb legs carried me to the edge of the pond, and I stood there looking at the black depths of the water. Yes, I belonged here. The alternative was going back to the house, and facing everything that I could never have. I didn't want to even think about that. The emptiness that was filling me was better; it didn't ask for any emotions. That was good, because all of mine had drained away.

I vaguely thought about Aunt Connie, although the full circumstances wouldn't form in my mind. It occurred to me that I should be worried whether she was ok, but the worry didn't come. The Gregorys would take care of her.

Maybe it would be best just go to the cottage, and go to bed. Sleep was a good way to be numb and empty, but the cottage was too far. Maybe I should just lay down on one of the sun beds. Maybe they would forget to come, and get me.

"How touching."

The unfamiliar voice jolted me from my nothingness. I jerked around to find a man standing no more than ten feet away from me. He was a stranger, tall, with wavy brown hair, and sharp features. His clothes were formal and a little old fashioned.

A warning bell rang through my body and my brain woke up. Only Imms could get on the property, so that's what this stranger had to be. It wasn't just any stranger though, was it? If the haughty way he stood didn't hint at who he was, his timing sure did. An Imm appearing here on the worst night of my life, and only after the family was gone, could only be one person.

"Henri Descharmes," I whispered.
Chapter 20

Henri Descharmes

"Ah, you know my name."

The smooth material of Henri Descharmes long coat shimmered faintly under the lamplight. It swayed very slightly, as his polished shoes took slow steps around me. Although his stride was casual, there was a smoothness to it that seemed more animal than man, and his eyes were piercing even though they didn't linger on me for very long. My numb body came back to life. This was the Imm that the Gregory's didn't trust, and that Will hated. I may have been scared the first time I heard about him, but there was no room for that now. He was here, and I was alone with him. My muscles tensed, ready to fight, and I sent a silent thank you to Anice for the serum inside me.

"I know a lot more than that." I replied.

He cocked his head and smiled, but didn't miss a step. There was a confidence in the way Descharmes moved that bothered me. Who did he think he was, coming here and walking around my family's land like he belonged? Yes, I thought, _MY family_ ; until the day the Gregorys were erased from my mind, that's what they'd be. My family didn't want Descharmes here, and the arrogant way he'd come anyway was starting to boil my blood.

"Have you been listening to gossip?" He drawled. "Did they say mean things about me?"

"What do you want?" I snapped.

Descharmes stopped and frowned. I braced myself.

"Rudeness is such a mark of this time," he said. "It is not becoming of a young lady."

"And polite men don't show up where they're not invited," I replied.

An amused smile replaced the frown. He straightened up with exaggerated formality.

"Touché, you are correct, but you see, I had no choice," he said. "Your hosts were incredibly selfish with your company, and I like to meet new Immortals. They bring such a refreshing perspective to life."

This time it was my turn to smirk. It felt good and powerful to know we'd beaten him. Although I didn't know this man, his sneaky appearance was proof enough for me that everything the Gregorys said was true. Being cunning and dangerous wouldn't help him now. With Aunt Connie safely presented, and me protected by the serum, there wasn't much he could do.

"Well you've made a mistake," I said. "The new Immortal has already presented, and is at the Gregory House with the family."

He made a face of exaggerated surprise.

"Are you talking about your aunt?" he asked, and then laughed. "What is it that you mortals say about magicians? The wrist moves faster than the eye; or something like that?"

The lamps cast uneven shadows across Descharmes smug face, and I started to feel uneasy. How did he know that the new Imm was Aunt Connie? Glancing at all the trees and hills in the dark around us I wondered how long he'd been listening. It didn't make sense. Even if he heard our whole conversation at dinner, why wasn't he disappointed to be too late for the presenting, and why did he stay to talk to me? Something was wrong.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, cautiously.

"The only thing that your aunt presented tonight was some strong augsing," he said. "It must have been quite a show, although she did have some help from a few members of my family."

I stared at him. Maybe this was Descharmes big power; to talk in riddles until he had his victims confused and distracted. Well there wasn't much chance of me letting my guard down with this creep, but there was something about what he'd said.... Augsing? Where had I heard that word before? My mind raced. Oh yes, Anice's trampled garden. The garden! I pictured the strange plants growing there... and the laboratory. _Five augsing plants uprooted_ she'd said. Those were no ordinary plants.

The pounding that I heard was my own heart beat. It boomed and echoed inside me, bringing back everything I thought I'd lost tonight. My brain screamed; _It was all a lie,_ and my eyes set on Descharmes. He'd caused this. I sprung forward, and grabbed him by the shirt.

"What have you done?" I shouted.

The mask fell, and Descharmes face turned cold. He looked down at my fingers clutching his shirt, and then brought up one ring covered hand to brush them away. A shaky amount of reason told me to let him. It wouldn't do any good for him to find out about the serum too early. I needed to know what he'd done first, so that Richard could undo it.

"I will correct this rudeness about you," he said, "but not just yet. It pleases me to have our first talk....unaffected."

_Calm down Kaylee,_ I told myself. _Be very careful_.

"Alright, I'll talk with you," I said coolly, "but I want to know what you've done first. How did you even find us?"

A glint of satisfaction grew back in his eyes, but it didn't change the cold set of his mouth. He looked at me as if I was completely in his power. My hands flinched as I resisted curling them into fists.

"Alright, I'll tell you," he said. "Not because you asked, but because I want you to understand Miss Ward, that I am a man who excels at getting what I want."

My muscles were tense and strained. The sound of my name on his lips made my skin crawl. I didn't trust myself to speak, so I stayed quiet. Whether he took this to be defeat, or respect, I didn't know, but he seemed to relax. Once again, he circled around me.

"I'll give this much to Gregory, he hid you well," he mused. "For months there was no hint of you. I thought for certain that the rugby player would give you up, but he was useless."

"You spoke to AJ?"

I didn't want to believe it. Why wouldn't he tell us?

"Spoke!" Descharmes scoffed. "Oh no, my dear. Watched. Listened. These things take some finesse. If you can't find a Gregory, you must follow their friends. Sooner or later something will show up. In this case it was the whisper of 'Bennett land' into a pretty ear. My memory of the place failed me, but my daughter was able narrow the search down quite efficiently."

At first I looked at him like he was crazy. None of the family would have talked about Miller's Landing; at least not when they were off the property. The only other person who knew we were here was the High Councilor, and... oh, no! There was someone else; someone who had a pretty ear to whisper to.

"Philippe," I thought out loud. "You heard him telling Collette."

Descharmes shrugged, and waved one hand in the air as if to say, of course. The gesture just annoyed me. Philippe was Will's loyal friend, and I couldn't really blame him for this. He did tell us that he would share our secret with Colette. How could he have known that some slimy snake was listening in on his private conversations?

"And it was Julia that told you where the Bennett lands were," I said.

"You're very sharp. You'll soon find I value that." He examined me for a moment then continued. "So I sent out a few members of my family to check each place. That reminds me, Gregory owes my son a shirt. That beast of his destroyed a beautifully tailored piece."

Greta? A shirt? When did this happen? Oh! OH! The memories came flooding back to me. Greta suddenly barking the day I fell at the pond. Greta shaking a rag by the garage. There were never any rags by the garage. Why didn't we see it! Hey, wait a minute, where was Greta right now? Why wasn't she chasing Descharmes and his clan, right back to where they came from?

"How did you manage the dog tonight?" I chose my words carefully.

His face screwed up as if he'd smelled something bad, and he rolled his eyes.

"If it were to my liking, I would have drowned her in that water." He waved at my pond. "But there must be no sign of our presence here today, so the beast is pleasantly sleeping by the convoy. They're so much easier to deal with when you know to expect them."

His disgusting words made me sick. My body throbbed from wanting to hit him one minute, and get as far from him as possible the next. I wouldn't be able to stand talking to him for much longer. If I called for Will I was sure he would hear me, but I needed a few more minutes with this creep.

"What happened with my aunt?" I asked.

Hearing this question Descharmes stopped, and smiling, crossed his arms in self satisfaction.

"This was the most brilliant part!" He said, and then looked at me. "Do you know about augsing?"

I shook my head.

"You know it pains me that such a brilliant mind as Anice's is wasted on Gregory." He scowled. "She could rise to such heights in my family."

_You aren't fit to wipe Richard's feet!_ My mind screamed. _And Anice would die before she'd have anything to do with you_. But I bit my tongue.

"It's such an amazing little plant she's cultivated. Imagine; the ability to boost powers. How wonderfully useful," he said. "The garden on my estate is full of the little green bushes."

What Descharmes was describing didn't sound right. Why would Anice create something like that? He talked about augsing as if it was a weapon, and I was sure that Anice's work was meant to help, not hurt anyone. Maybe the plant was a failed experiment. Was she trying to come up with something else, and got this result instead?

"Pfft, of course she's given it to the Council to use in healing badly injured Immortals," he scoffed. "I tell you, such short sightedness!"

"But how could augsing effect my aunt," I asked. "She's mortal."

Descharmes shook his head at me like he was looking at a little child. I wanted to throw a tantrum all over him.

"You don't understand how special a plant this is," he said. "It can actually channel powers right through a mortal. Of course the effect is very temporary, but if there are Immortals around to help the process, the results can be quite spectacular. Believe me; I've tested it many times."

It took everything I had in me to ignore the vile things he was implying. I had to focus, and find out everything he'd done.

"I don't understand," I said calmly. "If the effect is temporary then the Gregorys will eventually know that she didn't present. Why do this then?"

"Hmm, maybe you're not as sharp as I thought." He dropped his arms, and frowned at me. "To distract them, of course, so that you and I could have an uninterrupted conversation."

"But you said you didn't want anyone to know you were here," I replied. "When the family realizes Aunt Connie was reacting to augsing, they'll know someone gave it to her."

"Didn't your aunt ask Anice for some herbs from her garden?" he said.

How did he know that? I thought for a while again, and then it came to me. My aunt was in a rush to get off the phone last night. Someone had come to the door. Descharmes! That monster or one of his people had compelled her. That's why Aunt Connie called back asking for the herbs. He was going to pay for this. He was going to pay for everything!

"Yes." I managed to say. "But Anice would never bring her the wrong plant."

"No, and she would never be mistaken about what plant she did take." Descharmes made an innocent face. "That's why, when they discover the augsing, your aunt will confess that she felt badly about putting Anice to any trouble, so she went to the garden, and picked the herbs herself. She intended to call and let Anice know the next morning, but it got so busy at work that she forgot. She'll be so sorry that she picked the wrong thing, and caused all this trouble."

"You picked the plant, didn't you?" I said. "You're the one that trampled Anice's garden."

"Actually it was Julia," he replied proudly. "It's such a shame you won't get to meet her tonight but she's a little busy at present."

Oh, I was going to meet Julia one day. She had just as much to answer for as he did.

"Is that all?" I asked.

Hopefully his bragging told me enough to pass on to Richard. I could hardly look at his face anymore, and I was sick of his voice.

"Is that all?" Descharmes replied. "So unappreciative. I go to all of this trouble just to speak to you, and you say _is that all_?"

Before I could answer with some nasty words I'd been saving up, a thick bolt of white light flashed by me, hitting Descharmes square in the chest. It sent him flying all the way across the pond. While I stared, stunned, at his tumbling body, something big and fast whizzed through the air after him. I couldn't see what it was at first, but soon the object stopped moving, and I could make out the scene on the other side of the water. Descharmes sat shocked on the ground, and standing in front of him was Will.

The lamp lights were moving from the swirling wind Will's return had started, but they still gave me a clear view. Will; just the sight of him erupted the storm of my emotions. He came back for me; in spite of the horrible things I said, he didn't stay away. Now that I knew tonight's nightmare had all been set up by Descharmes, I prayed that Will was back because he realized I was lying. No doubt he expected a fight when he got here, but I was sure it wasn't this one. The look of rage on Will's face was heart stopping.

"I told you never to set foot on my land again Descharmes," he growled.

If he was hurt from the blow, Descharmes didn't show it. He got up smoothly, and his face was calm and cold.

"It must have slipped my mind Bennett," he said in a bored voice. "In any event, it was Gregory House I came to visit. Are you still imposing on Richard's hospitality?"

Descharmes made a show of dusting off his shoulders, then crossed his arms, and leaned against the swing tree. My hands clenched, and I wished I had the power to blow him across the pond too. Will didn't move a muscle.

"You're not welcome at Gregory House either," Will replied. "So get off my land, or I'll take you off."

I don't think that many men would have tested him in that moment. Unfortunately, it was obvious that Descharmes was not like most men. Not only did he stay where he was, but his eyebrows rose, and he cocked his head in that infuriating way of his.

"So now you speak for Richard too?" he scoffed. "Forgive me if I don't accept your authority in that matter."

Will took a step forward, and Descharmes held his hand up while pushing himself away from the tree.

"Calm yourself Bennett; I have no intention of lingering."

He took a few lazy steps towards circling Will, but Will stepped in his path, and he changed direction to the pond. When he reached the edge, Descharmes looked across the water, directly at me.

"I was simply making a new acquaintance when you, so rudely, interrupted," he drawled.

"There's nobody here who wants to make an acquaintance with you," Will snapped back.

"Ugh!" Descharmes rolled his eyes, and spun back to Will. "Now you speak for her too? Honestly Bennett, is anyone in your circle allowed to blink without your hovering?"

"That's enough," Will shouted, but Descharmes interrupted him.

"You should be ashamed, cloistering her like that," he said. "How do you expect the girl to make decisions about her immortal life, when you don't let her see anything but you? You haven't even let her off the estate, have you?"

"I'm going to tell you for the last time..." Will growled.

"Yes, I know, to leave," Descharmes sneered. "So you can have her to yourself, right? Isn't that the way you like it Bennett? Fine, I'll leave, I just hope this one survives your selfish smothering better than Chelsea."

Another flash of light lit up the pond. This time it bounced off of Descharmes' upheld right hand, while his left shot out a light of its own. The light hit Will in the shoulder, and he stumbled back.

"Don't think, boy, just because you've never tasted my power, that you never will." Descharmes glowered as he shot another blast, but Will deflected it.

The shore erupted in flashes of light. Will and Descharmes attacked each other with blows and deflections so powerful, that they lit up the night. Each flash brought one, or the others, face into sharp focus. Will's eyes blazed, and his jaw was set. His arms moved in short jabs, and his body was crouched, ready to spring at each strike. Descharmes face was ferocious, and frozen in a cold sneer. He jabbed and moved sideways, but couldn't shake Will's focus.

My blood rushed hard and fast through my veins. Every flash of light pulsed through me. My breath came in short gasps. I wanted to scream, but I there was no voice in my throat. They didn't slow down. They didn't stop. Suddenly Descharmes head snapped toward Gregory House.

Within seconds bodies appeared from the darkness around the pond, and rushed to Descharmes. Now flashes came at Will from new directions. He dived and struck out even faster than before, but there were too many attackers to handle. I saw him fall to one knee, and though he sprang up again quickly, I couldn't bear to just stand there watching anymore.

"Will."

I could only whisper, but my feet started to run. It didn't matter how many of them there were. It didn't matter that they had powers. Will was in danger.

Suddenly more bodies appeared, and flashes broke out in all directions. The light blinded me for a moment, and I stopped running. I shaded my eyes, and saw Ryder rushing towards me. Thank goodness. Will must have versed to the family right after Descharmes had called his.

"Kaylee are you alright?" Ryder shouted.

"Yes," I shouted back, "but Will..."

I started to run again, but Ryder caught me around the waist.

"No Ryder, he needs me," I shouted, and pushed at his chest.

"Stop Kaylee, listen!" He held me in despite of my frantic struggling. "Will can't fight, and protect you at the same time. You know that's exactly what he'll try to do. He'll only get hurt if you go in there."

I looked up pleadingly at Ryder, and then over to Will. He was fighting Descharmes and two others now, but he was alright. Everything inside me wanted to run and fight, but I knew what Ryder said was true. Miserably I nodded my head.

"Get out of here," he said.

"No!" I cried.

Ryder looked toward the fight with frustration. He didn't have time to argue.

"The serum will protect you," he said. "But stay as far away from this as you can."

With that he took flight after a man slowly sneaking up on Maggie, who was busy fighting off two others. The scene stunned me. Quiet, sweet Maggie shot out flashes of light from both hands. She was clearly faster than either of her opponents. Her movements were flowing, but lightening quick and not a flicker of her challenger's blasts touched her. Ryder struck down the third stranger, who immediately disappeared. Then he jumped into the battle beside his wife. They weren't far from Will.

The closest person to me was Anice. She was battling a woman on the far side of the table that was still set with our dinner dishes. They seemed to be evenly matched, and I couldn't bear to watch them. Anice's life's work was aimed at helping Imms. She was the very reason that I was probably the only person in this craziness who couldn't get hurt. It wasn't right that she was out here and being forced to fight. If anything happened to her, I didn't think I could stand it.

The battle next to her was even worse. There, by the fire pit, Richard was trading blows with two men. His opponents were painfully more skilled than the rest of the strangers. A storm of blasts so bright swirled around them, that it jarred my eyes to even try to look. I couldn't stop myself though. Using my shaky hand for a shade, I watched desperately to see that Richard was ok. The flashes I did see of him didn't do anything to ease my trembling. There was no kindness in his gentle eyes right now. They'd grown cool, and determined. I hated Descharmes for making that happen.

On the far side of the bar, CeCe and AJ stood back-to-back, brawling with three more of Descharmes gang; two women and a man. CeCe struck out like a cat, but AJ wasn't satisfied with just using powers. He targeted the male stranger with a stunning blow to the shoulder, and before the enemy could recover, AJ followed up with a hard head butt. The stranger passed out cold.

My hands flew to the sides of my head, and pulled at my hair. This was worse than any nightmare I'd ever had. I ached to jump in and help, but Ryder's words kept me still. If any of them got hurt because of me, I'd go insane. For their sakes I held back, but it felt like I had a thick rope tied so tight around me that it cut into my flesh. My eyes flew back and forth from one fight to another. Oh please stop, it had to stop!

In my frenzied watch, I didn't notice the shadow in the dark sky above. It came across the pond slowly, and though I couldn't be sure, it seemed to hover for a few seconds before it came down. It was the reflection of light against a flowing black robe that finally caught my attention. The smoothness of the arrival might have been beautiful, if it wasn't for who it brought. She landed at the water's edge, just a few feet away from me. Her tall body was crowned with silvery blond hair that cascaded past her waist, and her skin was so pale that it practically glowed in the night. She stood as haughty as her father, and her mouth was fixed in a snarl.

"Julia," I seethed.

"Humph," she replied. "You who I am; so what?"

A cold, assessing look traveled up and down my body. The crinkled nose was a sign that she was not impressed.

"I've been wanting to meet you," I answered just as coldly.

"Well then isn't this just your lucky night," she said.

"No, but it's about to be," I answered. "I've heard a lot about you."

Her eyes narrowed.

"And I've heard far too much about you," she replied. "Personally, I think this whole production is a lot more trouble than you're worth. Unfortunately, that's not my decision to make."

As she stepped toward me, my rage came to its boiling point. This was Julia who had abandoned Will and Chelsea. She was the person who had mapped out Bennett land for Descharmes, and she was the one who picked the augsing that was fed to my aunt. Maybe she'd even done worse to her at the house. Next to Descharmes, Julia was most responsible for everything happening here tonight. She was a monster, and now that monster was standing in front of me with her hand rising, preparing to compel. All my restraint shattered to pieces.

"If you think this is trouble..." My fingers curled up, and faster than even I knew I could move, my fist smashed into the side of her face. "...you haven't seen anything yet."

Julia fell back, and crashed to the ground. Her hair whipped through the air as she turned to face me. Eyes full of shock and hatred fixed on me as a trickle of blood ran down from the side of her lip. What I'd done would have made me sick any other time, but not tonight.

"Why... you... little..."

She sprung up as fast as she'd fallen. The rage in her eyes now matched mine. Good, if she wanted a fight, I was ready. Julia didn't rush at me though. Instead she took two steps back, and her hand pulled back ready to strike. Bring it on. I couldn't wait to see the look on her stupid face when her powers bounced off me, and maybe would come right back at her. Unfortunately I never got that pleasure. Before Julie could let go of her blast, a flash of light hit her on the side, and sent her tumbling.

"Don't you dare touch her."

Anice's voice was so ferocious, I barely recognized it. I looked back for her at the table, but only saw the woman she'd been fighting, on the ground, holding her head. Anice landed between me and the stunned Julia. The snarl stayed on the younger Descharmes bloody lips, but there was unmistakable fear in her eyes. In a split second, Julia disappeared.

"Don't worry," Anice said to me. "She's not the type to stay and fight. I'm sure she's already at the convoy."

It all happened so fast. There wasn't even enough time for me to see if Anice was alright, or say anything to her. After what I'm sure she thought were her reassuring words to me, Anice looked back to the table. Seeing that her opponent was gone, she flew off in the direction of Richard. The fight raged on.

My fist stayed clenched. The blow to Julia should have given me a bit of relief, or at least some satisfaction, but it didn't. Yes, it meant one less member of the Descharmes House to fight, but there were still so many more. I desperately scanned around the pond to see if everyone was alright. Anice and Richard were closest, then CeCe and AJ, Maggie and Ryder were next, and then there was Will.

Will! My blood turned cold. He was still fighting off Descharmes and the two others from earlier, but they weren't alone anymore. The woman that Anice had beaten, and the man that Ryder knocked down, didn't leave like Julia had. I watched in horror as they closed in on Will. A flash of light hit him in the back, and he fell to his knees. Then strangely, the flashes around him stopped.

Instead of striking, the four strangers were now standing around Will, each with both hands pointing toward him. Still on his knees, Will's body jerked up, and his arms spread out wide. What were they doing to him? He wasn't moving!

It was hard to breath. Every emotion I had throbbed inside me, and threatened to burst through my skin. I could feel the hard rush of my blood, and my heartbeat boomed like a drum in my ear. Frozen in place, I watched as Descharmes paced a slow circle around Will, and then stopped in front of him. Through the night, the cold, cruel voice, carried to my ear.

"This is the last time you will interfere with me boy."

With those words, Descharmes waved his arm, and behind Will's back, the great heavy branch holding my tire swing broke from the tree. The rope ripped away sending the tire into the water with a splash, and the branch hovered in mid air for a moment then moved closer to Will. Descharmes arm raised, and the massive branch moved up with it, both were ready to strike.

My vision blurred, and all sound around me became an unrecognizable hiss. Nothing was clear except the sight of Will, helpless, and about to be killed. Time slowed to a near stop.

"Will! Noooooooooooo!"

The scream came from the very depths of my soul, and as it pierced through the air, something inside me snapped. A violent tingling took over my body. It felt like a billion tiny sparks firing from the pit of my stomach, right out through my skin. The force of them was so strong that it pushed me forward on my knees, and my hands hit the ground flat in front of me. I gasped for air. What was happening? My body didn't feel solid anymore. Everything in the earth and sky seemed to mix, and pass through me as if I was nothing more than pieces of dust. Did the serum stop working, and did I get hit? Was I dead?

Terrified, my fingers clutched at the ground desperate for something solid to hold on to. I couldn't see the others. I didn't even know if they saw what was happening to me. Will! Oh no...Descharmes... the branch... where was Will! Frantically, I grasped harder to the earth in my hands, and it molded in my palms. Yes, this was solid, _I_ needed to be solid. Forcing myself to breathe deeply, I held on to the ground, closed my eyes, and repeated to myself, _I'm Kaylee Ward. I'm Kaylee Ward... I'M KAYLEE GREGORY!_ The last deep breath I took left my body slowly and my eyes opened again. "I'm Kaylee Gregory."

The hiss in my ears died away, and the only sound that replaced it was the gentle lapping of the water nearby. Its repeating rhythm was soothing, and slowly, my body eased into being whole again. The tiny sparks that had burned inside me, cooled and settled into strong but peaceful waves; waves that moved in time with the ripples I heard. Yes, that felt right. With a wiggle of my fingers, I released the earth in my hands, and from my opened palms, I let the waves go. Yes! The flow of energy was incredible. It passed from my hands and through the ground, taking all the tension and fear that had choked me with it. I pushed and sent the waves further and further down, all the way under my pond.

Now my blurry eyes were clearing too. I could see my hands in the ground. As I watched them in wonder, something else caught my eye. There was a sparkle from something swinging in front of me. It was the necklace hanging from my neck. My charm, my water drop... OH YES! I pushed again.

Suddenly the roar of water muted everything else. The pond bubbled violently, but that wasn't enough. Though there were shadows of people in the distance, I made myself ignore them. If I looked up now, then more than my concentration could be lost. With another deep breath, I pushed. That was it! A strong wave of energy passed through my arms. It took the same path as the rest, with one difference; this wave didn't stop.

The roar of the pond got louder, and then it was like something exploded. A tower of water, at least ten feet wide, burst up through the middle of the pond. It shot in the air like a gigantic geyser, but it didn't fall away like one. _Grow,_ I thought as I pushed, and it did. The water rose higher, and before long, every drop of water from the pond, was standing in the tower. There were no more flashes of light, no more shouts, or movements. Everyone stood still, gapping at the pond's centre.

Through all of this, waves of energy still passed through me into the ground. Though the shocking appearance of my tower had stopped the fighting, that didn't mean the battle was stopped for good. This wasn't finished. It was time to stand up. I gathered my strength and pulled. As I stood up, there was a split second of silence. In that time I stood looking at the pond's centre too. A smile played at the corners of my mouth. This was _my_ pond. This was _my_ water. This was _my_ power.

When the roar started again, the tower came crashing straight down. From all around its base, an enormous ring of water built, and when the ring was full, it came speeding out towards the shore. That's when the screams started. The wall of water rushed at everyone, the Descharmes, the Gregorys, Will and me. I wasn't afraid though. The approaching wave was as welcome as a friend. It was a part of me. _Come,_ I thought, and it did. I wasn't afraid for the people I cared about either. Closing my eyes, I pictured the Gregorys and Will. _Safe,_ I thought, and I felt my love surround them. The wave towered over me as I opened my eyes. It had reached the shore, and I watched it crash hard against the land and pass. Not one drop touched me.

A gust of cool air swirled around me, and time went back to its normal pace. It felt like I was waking up from a dream. What just happened? The last images of the battle replayed in my mind. The strangers, the people I loved, flashed of fighting everywhere! Though my whole body ached, I spun and looked around in a panic. For a few seconds I couldn't see anyone, but as the water settled on the land, the scene around me became clear. Right in front of me was an empty crater where the pond had been. Around its edge, I saw the Gregorys standing, dry like me. Other bodies were scattered between us, wet and screaming. They stumbled up from the ground where they'd been washed away, and were disappearing one by one. Descharmes was the first to go, but not before shooting me a hateful glare.

It didn't matter. None of it mattered except for one thing, was he alive? Frantically, I scanned around the pond again. There was no one left under the swing tree. My heart squeezed. I thought of the horrible things I'd said to him. No! He had to be alive. He just HAD to!

Ready to race through the crater, I jumped to the edge, but something moving through the air caught the corner of my eye. My head snapped up, and I tried desperately to focus. It was coming closer. As the shadow got bigger I held my breath, and then finally the light touched his face. Will was flying across the crater towards me. He was alright! Relief washed over me stronger than any tidal wave. Then my body turned off. Letting out breath, I fell to the ground exhausted.

Will landed hard beside me. He looked battered and his clothes were torn, but his eyes were lit up with wonder and happiness. Though my heavy lids closed, I felt his arms come around me and raise me to his chest.

"Kaylee," he said, softly.

It took everything in me to open my eyes.

"Kaylee, you presented," he said.

"I think so," I whispered.

My eyes closed again, and I heard the footfalls of others landing around us. Will rocked me closely to him.

"It's all going to be alright now Kaylee," he whispered. "Everything is going to be alright."
Chapter 21

Waking

The gentle waft of air that ruffled through the curtains felt like silk as it flowed across my skin. Though I was wide awake, I didn't open my eyes. That simple brush of the breeze was enough to send a thrill through my body, and I lay in awe of it, and all the other sensations I'd woken up to.

My body didn't feel like the same. If I opened my eyes and looked in a mirror, I was pretty sure I'd still look like me, but that wasn't where the difference was. The change was inside me. My senses were so sharp and alive, that it was like they'd been trapped in a cocoon my whole life, and now the shell had burst open, and set them free. I could _feel_ everything. Even the space around me had a kind of substance.

The only movement I let myself make was to smile. The rest of me stayed still, in excited wonder, as my senses reached out and tested everything around me. What I could see without my eyes, and what I could touch without my hands was amazing. Underneath me was a familiar softness. It was the bed in my room at Gregory House. That's where I was. Ok, so maybe I could have easily guessed that even without my fancy new senses, but I didn't guess it; I knew it. I didn't guess about the time of day either. Though the curtains were drawn, it was the afternoon sun that was coming in through the open window. Now I understood why there were no clocks in Gregory House. I bit my lip trying not to laugh. The random thought came to my mind that dolphins used radar to help see around them. Maybe I'd turned into a dolphin.

Resisting the urge to peek and see if I'd been right about the sun, I took a deep breath... fresh sheets... one, two, three carnations in a vase on my nightstand... soap in the bathroom... the wood of the dresser... a new blanket across my loveseat... and something else. Ah, now this I did want to see. I opened my eyes turned to find a large black head leaning on the bed beside me. Big brown eyes popped open when they saw me move, and a pink tongue popped out from under a wet nose.

"Hi Greta girl," I said. "How long have you been there?"

She whined a response. Unfortunately my new senses didn't include dog language, but my guess was that she'd been here a while. I leaned over, and took a careful look at the big Rottie. Not a mark on her. Good.

"Thanks for waiting," I whispered. "I'm fine too."

The words were barely out of my mouth before there was a knock on the door. It was a polite gesture, but that's all. The door swung open even before I had a chance to answer. Will rushed in followed by everyone else. Of course, those sharp Imm ears had probably been on alert for hours; listening for any sound coming from this room. Each face that came through the door wore an ear to ear smile, and CeCe leaped on the bed beside me.

"You were fantastic!" she said, and hugged me. "I've never seen anything like that in my whole life!"

AJ dropped himself across the bed at our feet.

"Yeah, spectacular little Sheila," he said. "Can't wait to take you out for a real run."

"Hmm," I replied. "I'm not too sure you could keep up with me."

With a burst of laughter, they all gathered around. Will sat in the chair by my bed, and took my hand. He looked so peaceful and content that it almost made me cry. There were no hard lines to his face, or jaw muscles playing against his skin. I'd waited since the day we met to see him like this. A warm joy filled my body. Today everything was right in the world.

Anice and Richard stood beside Will, and Ryder and Maggie sat on the love seat across from me.

"Are you all ok?" I asked.

Last night hung in the air like a storm cloud in the distance. I didn't really want to think about it. Not today, not when everything was so perfect.

"Yes, we're all fine," answered Anice. "The important question is, how are you?"

"Me!" I said. "I've never felt more incredible in my life."

"No dizziness, no stomach ache?" Anice asked.

"Nope, I feel like I could fly."

I smiled at CeCe, who gave me a wink back. Then I remembered the storm cloud again.

"My aunt, is she alright too?" I asked.

"She's fine," Richard said.

The others got suspiciously quiet, and looked at Richard. The awkward silence tinted my perfect moment. In the commotion of the family's entrance, I guess I didn't look closely enough at Richard to see what was obvious now. His smile wasn't quite as open as the others. He had something to tell me.

"What is it?" I asked, not really sure I wanted to know.

"Kaylee, I wish this could have been done differently," he said, "unfortunately under the circumstances, I'm sorry, but some things have had to be rushed."

"What things?" I asked. "What's happened?

"I went to the High Council to report everything that happened here," he replied. "Thobias and I talked for a very long time. In the end he decided that, out of necessity, and out of kindness, the only right thing to do was to erase Connie's memory of everything to do with us. I did it as soon as I returned home."

The kindness had returned to his eyes, but it didn't ease the tingle of tension crawling up my back. He didn't have to say it. I knew what _everything_ meant. It wasn't just the Gregorys who were gone from Aunt Connie's memory, I was gone too. As the realization formed, it spun my head. Clutching to the sheets, I tried to breathe deeply, and calm the ache in my chest. Only a few minutes' walk from here was a woman I'd loved my whole life, and now she didn't even know I'd ever existed. Deep breath.

The grip on my hand tightened. My eyes travelled up Will's arm to his sympathetic face. With one look I knew that he would have spared me this if he could, but this decision came from the Council, and there was no getting around that. With one more breath, I calmed myself down, and started to think clearly again. The truth was that there were more than just my feelings at stake here. What Richard had been ordered to do meant that Aunt Connie couldn't remember what Descharmes did to her. If forgetting me meant that last night's memories would never haunt her, then that's what I wanted too. As far as everything else to do with Imms was concerned, Thobias was right, it was cruel for someone to know about this life, but not be part of it. Those few minutes of believing I'd never present had proven that to me.

"But I can still see her, right?" I asked. "I mean, I know she won't know me, but I can still check on her can't I?"

"Yes Kaylee, but I'm afraid there's more," said Richard. "You see when you erase someone from one mortal's memory; you erase them from the memories of all mortals."

The words floated around my head like a balloon that kept bouncing away when you touched it. What did Richard just say? It meant something, but I just couldn't... Another squeeze of my hand burst the balloon. On no! My parents, my brother and sister, my cousins, and all of my old friends; the memory of me was gone from all of them too! My heart sped up, and my breath came fast. It felt like the earth dropped away from under me. I knew that presenting meant I'd fade from the memories of people I loved, but that had always seemed so far away in the future, it almost didn't seem real. It was real now. I had been completely erased.

"Now wait Kaylee, please don't get too upset," Richard said. "This isn't something that can't be changed."

"But Thobias said..." I stammered.

"Yes, and I had to do what I did," Richard replied, "but that doesn't mean you have to stay gone from them. They can be awakened. We may be able to give most of their real memories of you back, but we'd have to build new ones for this summer, and we'd have to create something to explain your absence in the time ahead. I didn't want to do that until I discussed it with you. If we're going to rewrite your mortal life story, then it's only right that you decide how we will do it. For now, know that all of your loved ones are well, and happy."

Both my heartbeat and my breath slowed down. The question of what to do about my family was one I'd been struggling with for a long time. Maybe I should have been relieved that the decision was, sort of, taken out of my hands. To be honest, a part of me was. It was good, though, to know that I could change this if I wanted, and that I could see, and check on them when I wanted to.

I looked at Will, and gave him a shaky smile. He smiled back reassuringly. That was all the strength I needed, and it was a reminder too of what a special day this was. There was nothing to wait for anymore. My new life was starting.

"I'm glad that they're alright, and they're happy," I said to Richard. "We won't change anything, at least for now."

Richard smiled at me with understanding.

"Well then," he said, straightening up, and putting his arm around his wife. "There's something that I have to ask you."

At those words, CeCe and AJ jumped off the bed, and Maggie, Ryder and Will got up. Just like Richard and Anice, they all stood around looking proud, and smiling. I guessed what was coming, and the thrill I'd woken up with was back in full force. It was time. I got up, and stood in front of Richard.

"Kaylee, on behalf of my wife Anice, and our family," he said, "I invite you to join Gregory House, and as a daughter, we offer you the name Kaylee Gregory."

Love rose in the room like water. It surrounded, and washed through me. Maggie had tears in her eyes, and I had to hold back my own. I belonged here with these people.

"I accept," I answered.

The room was filled with shouts and sobs. One pair of arms after another grabbed and hugged me tightly.

"Sisters! We're sisters!" CeCe bobbed me up and down.

I laughed at her excitement, and Ryder picked me up, and swung me around. I laughed some more.

Then Anice came toward me, and remembering how she came to my rescue at the pond, I moved into her arms, and we hugged.

"I'm very proud to have you in my family," she whispered in my ear.

"I'm the lucky one," I whispered back.

After a while they all stepped away, and Maggie spoke up.

"All right everybody," she said. "Why don't we give Kaylee a chance to catch her breath and get dressed?"

It hadn't even occurred to me that I wasn't dressed. I looked down in a panic, but was relieved to find myself in two-piece pajamas, instead of one of Maggie's flimsy night gowns.

In a bunch, they all left the room; even Greta followed. The only person who didn't leave, was the only person that I wanted to stay. I turned, but before I could say a word, I was caught up in Will's arms. Mine automatically wound around his shoulders. Each of us held on tight, and there was no thought of letting go. There was no other home for me than where Will was.

"I didn't mean it," I said. "All those things I said at the pond, I didn't mean them. Please tell me you know that."

"I know," he said. "I know."

He shifted until our faces met, and then he leaned down and kissed me. The kiss was slow, and longer than we'd ever had before. We were the same now. We could be together. This moment was our reward that we'd kept our promise to get here one day.

My heart thumped, and my spirit soared. Love beamed out from me like rays. It flowed through, and wrapped Will and me in a world of our own. Happily, I remembered Maggie's words, and was grateful for how right she was. This bond was really something there were no words for. Will wasn't just in my arms, he was _mine_. His heart, his strength, and his intensity were so clear, that it was like they were my own. We were one being.

Slowly and gently, Will pulled back. The separation was almost painful. I tried to hold on, but when I opened my eyes, I saw his face. It looked strained.

"Oh no," I moaned. "You still have to hold back?"

He took a deep breath, and stroked my face with his hand.

"I told you it would take a while, remember?" he said, softly.

I nodded, but wouldn't let myself think about the amount of time he'd said. It was too long, and I'd waited so much already. I rested my head on his shoulder, and sighed. At least there was no question now, that I'd be strong enough eventually.

"I am going to lift every necklace, cup, chair, and car on the property until I get all my strength built up." I said. "And if AJ isn't careful, I might just add him to the list of things I need to twirl and throw around."

"I'd like to see that," said Will with a laugh.

"Well I could," I said, smugly. "I blew up a pond you know."

"Really?" He hugged me playfully. "I must have missed that."

The dark cloud came back, and our laughter faded.

"He was going to kill you," I said, leaning into Will again.

"He didn't," he replied. "You saved me."

Will took hold of my necklace, and looked down at the charm. In the middle of the glass was the drop and ripple of water that looked like a miniature of my tower. As he turned his eyes to me, Will raised the charm to his lips, and gave it a loving kiss.

"But if I hadn't presented..."

"You did," he said, "ha, and you weren't fooling around about it either. I've never even heard of anybody presenting that strong. No wonder you've been asleep for three days."

"What?" I said. "Three days!"

"Yeah, you really drained yourself," Will answered. "But don't worry; it's normal to sleep for a long time after you present. The body needs to regenerate, and adjust."

"So I really have powers now, right?" I asked.

"Yes," he said. "Don't you feel any different?"

"Kind of," I mused. "I feel more alert, and everything around me seems... well, sharper... clearer. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, your senses should be sharper."

"I'm a dolphin!" I said.

One eyebrow rose over a beautiful blue eye, and my boyfriend looked at me like, well, like I'd just said I was a dolphin. With a laugh, I shook off my comment, and Will shrugged as if to say, _Ok, I won't ask_. It must have been obvious that I was going from happy to giddy pretty quick. I definitely felt like giggling, but I spared him that. The thrill came from what Will had said. I knew I was feeling something special when I woke up, but hearing him actually say that these were my powers made everything real. That first burst of energy at the pond was different. Yes, my presenting was powerful and incredible, but everything had happened so fast, and in such a haze that it almost felt like a dream. These senses were real, and they were mine to keep.

As my excitement built, I spun in place, looking around the room. My search was for something small, and preferably, not breakable. Hmm, not the flower vase, not the chair, definitely not the bed... HEY! On the dresser was a hairbrush. It was perfect. _Ok Kaylee, let's do this_. I held out my hand, and concentrated. _Come_ , I thought. One second, two seconds, three seconds, I frowned and concentrated harder; four seconds, five seconds. The brush didn't budge.

Will came up behind me, and wrapped his arms around my waist. He leaned his chin on my shoulder.

"Didn't we just talk about you being asleep for three days after draining your entire body?" he said.

"But it's just a little brush," I replied, "and I'm all sensitive and sharp, remember?"

With a laugh he let go, and leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed.

"You have got to be one of the most impatient people I've ever met," he said. "You'll be able to pull that brush soon enough, maybe a day or two."

"Alright," I said with a pout.

"What you need right now is some fresh air," he said.

That sounded good. My mind may not have registered being asleep for three days, but my body was aching to move. I agreed to go out, and Will said he would wait for me downstairs while I got ready.

It couldn't have been more than a half hour later, that I was showered, dressed, and leaving the house with Will. Our only delay was Anice at the front door. As usual she wasn't happy that I was going out without eating, but she didn't push it. After all I'd presented now, and with the way Imm bodies regenerated, they, _we_ , could go for a long time without eating. Besides, food was the last thing on my mind.

The day was sunny and warm, with just the slightest breeze coming up from the lake. All the flowers were open, and the trees were full and green. The smells of earth and grass mixed with the scent of wood, and birds were chirping everywhere.

Will's hand reached out for mine, and we walked a long time without saying anything. It was enough that we were together, and now we knew that we could stay that way. Knowing that gave the day a peace like I've never felt before. There was only one thing that still bothered me.

"What will happen now with Descharmes?" I asked.

Will didn't answer right away. He must have been feeling the same peace as me, and didn't want to let it go.

"Richard's already reported everything to the council," he said. "They'll investigate, and there'll probably be a hearing."

"Will I have to go?"

"We all will."

"What will they do to him?"

"Who knows," he sighed. "The council isn't very big on punishment, but they do believe in correction."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that they'll probably do something to make sure he never attacks anyone like that again."

"But how will they do that?"

"We'll just have to wait and see."

It would have been nice to hear _He'll go to jail for the rest of his immortal life,_ but I guessed things didn't work like that in the Imm world. Other questions came to my mind. I let them go because I didn't really want to talk about Descharmes anymore. There was no point in letting that creep ruin any more of this fantastic day. The council would deal with him, and for now, that was enough.

The paths around Gregory House had all become so familiar to me over the weeks of this summer, that I really wasn't paying attention to where we were going. It wasn't until we reached the top of a hill and I looked down, that I realized where I was. A ton of mixed emotions hit me.

There was my pond. The crater I'd left behind was full of water again. One second I was happy to see it looking just the way it always had, and in another, my stomach clenched to think of the last moments I'd spent here. A squeeze from Will's hand helped me to calm down and remember that everyone I loved was fine.

"Come on, I want to show you something," he said.

We walked down the hill, and around the edge of the water toward the swing tree. I avoided looking straight at it. Flashes of Will, helpless, with the branch hanging over him, pushed into my mind, and I pushed back. Those were memories I wished someone could erase from me forever. That wasn't going to happen though, and this was my home. With gritted teeth I decided that the nightmare of Descharmes attack was NOT going to spoil my favorite place in the world. I forced myself to look up.

It was there! I couldn't believe my eyes. The branch was right back on the tree, and the swing was on it. I dropped Will's hand and ran. It couldn't be! The tree got closer, and soon I was touching it, the tree, the branch; there was no break!

"But how did you do it?" I gapped.

"Imm trick," he replied.

"Really!" I said.

"I wish I could take the credit, but it wasn't me," Will replied. "Anice mended it. She's really a genius you know."

"Yes," I said. "I know."

"That's not what I wanted to show you though," he said. "Come here."

There wasn't anything else I needed to see. Putting that branch back on the tree was almost like tearing it out of Descharmes hand. It was like saying we could take anything he broke, and make it whole again. It was like making him powerless.

When I stepped beside Will, he put his hands on my shoulders, and pointed me to the water. Then he stood beside me said.

"This is your place Kaylee, and everyone who ever comes here should see how incredibly powerful, and beautiful you are."

Will's hand rose up, and the water in the middle of the pond began to bubble. All of the sudden a large round disc broke through the surface. The disc must have been fifteen feet across, and it rose about twenty feet above the water. Will's hand dropped again, and water came cascading down from the edges of it. The water fell to the pond below, and small ripples formed where it landed. Rings of gentle ripples came flowing out to the shore where we stood. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

"Oh Will!"

I jumped into his arms, and hugged him. He grabbed me around the waist, and soon I wasn't only flying on the inside. We landed on the disc, and I let go just enough to look at the water falling all around, below us.

This was another victory, just like the tree. Though I was ecstatic that I'd presented, and grateful that it had come in just the right time and way; most of those moments had been filled with fear and pain. Will had stripped all of that away, and left only the most wonderful part. We stood on my tower quietly for a long time. With Will's arms around me, I listened to the smooth sound of the flowing water, and slowly the pond became mine again.

"So you like it?" he asked.

"It's incredible," I answered.

"Good, so now let me show you my favorite part," he said.

Without warning Will lifted me again, and jumped us both over the side of the tower. We splashed into the water together, and when we reached the surface, I looked at him wide eyed.

"Hey Bennett, what was that for?"

He just smiled and waved for me to come, as he turned and swam through the falling water. I followed. As I passed through the flowing curtain of blue, I understood Will's smile right away. It was like floating into a room with cascading walls of water all around us. Strangely, but wonderfully, the sound of the falling water didn't travel into this secluded little spot. It was quiet, and the sun's rays shone through the water washing everything in a dreamy blue light. This little place was truly magical. I smiled at Will, and he pulled me to him.

"I want to swim with you for a million years Kaylee Gregory," he said.

"Won't you get tired of me for that long," I teased.

"Not for a second," he said.

And my immortal life started with a kiss.

The Presenting Saga

continues in book 2

Imm Tricks

