"NO!NO!" she cried repeatedly, waking herself. Sari woke up drenched in sweat, feeling tired from her nightmare's ordeal while staring at the ceiling in her dorm room, yet she did not get back to sleep that night. Reading the clock. It said 3:28. Sari was used to this and like always, logged on to her computer to do more work. It seemed like her career was taking off, but she was really breaking down. When Sari logged on, she called up the Legacy database. Nick was on, too. Big surprise. He too experienced these waking dreams.

Sari reflected on her life. She was now nineteen, the prime of her life. She was advanced for her age and had finished most of her college work. She only had a year left of this. Right now, having completed the Academy, she was working part time for the FBI field office in San Francisco. Sari had had many nervous breakdowns and was also in therapy twice a week. She felt so fucking screwed up. Intelligence, she knew, was not going to help her with this.

When she was a little girl, Sari's mother, Sabrina, had committed suicide. Sari went to live with her uncle and his family, of which Nick was a part of. The Boyles were prominent in society like her own mother's family had been. Unfortunately, Dr. Boyle was also a prominent abuser of the kids, Nick and Sari and all the rest alike. Sari was a part of the Legacy but avoided it like Philip did. It reminded her of all that had ever happened to her. How Nick lived with it she would never understand. The one question that forced her back to the Legacy was this: Who was her real father? Her mother told her that he was a member of the Legacy like herself. She had done this to guarantee Sari's presence in the Legacy, using her powers for good and not evil. Living in a world of pain and misery and intrigue took its toll on her.

At 10 am, Sari drank the last cup of coffee in the pot. The telephone rang. When she answered it, she cried out. She knew who was there. It was her mother. It brought her to her knees. The voice directed her to a location at the Legacy mansion. A back room. A box containing her diary. "I love you Sari. I love you so much. Don't ever blame yourself for what happened to you or me. It was all part of a plan. You are ready to know who he is."

After class that day, Sari took her Buick and sputtered out to the port and took the ferry. Upon arrival at the island, she drove hastily up the drive of the mansion. When Alex saw the car, she came downstairs to greet Sari but Sari came in and ignored her as if she were in a trance. Once she reached the library she went to the artifact room. Running straight for the secret hollow, opening it, prying the box open. Her hands were bleeding from the nails and splinters on the box. She didn't seem to feel it. Alex watched over her shoulder, not even questioning her. "Oh my god," she whispered. It was Sabrina's journal! Sari opened it to page 83. This was it.

It read: "This is your time, Sari, just remember to have faith. You are strong and beautiful. Your psychic abilities were mine. They were also his. He is Derek Rayne. We were lovers when I was a senior in high school. It was my first and my last love. I was told that you would be my legacy. We all have a legacy, you are mine."

Sari began to cry hard. The whole world began to spin then it was blissfully black.

"She's coming back! Alex, get the others." said Nick. "Sari? Sari? Come on, it's OK, everything's OK." Nick quickly embraced her tightly. Usually he never showed compassion towards anyone, but he knew. He knew her. Nick kept rocking her back and forth as she wept in utter silence. She was his cousin though he considered her his sister, and she was in pain. Suddenly Alex, Rachel and Philip were there. Derek was not. Upon hearing what Alex saw, he went to his study and locked the door. He knew it was true. And he was scared.

Sari stood up and quickly went to the bathroom, puking all she could. When there was nothing left in her, she tried to crawl back. Nick quickly picked her up and put her back to bed. Rachel was stunned by this. She hadn't seen Sari before and was very unsure, watching all this unfold. Alex left, she couldn't bear to see her friend in pain like this. Philip had the strength and sent the others away. Nick had helped all he could, and when he began to cry himself he ran off. When Sari was asleep, Philip left the room, shut off the light and went to see Derek.

"Derek? Derek? Let me in NOW!" screamed Philip. When he heard a click, he burst in and closed the door behind him. "Did you know? DID you ever suspect? Answer me!" he said. Derek was slow to respond, and when he did his voice was cracked and wavery. "I suspected. I never knew for sure. She...she...w-w-was so much like me but Sabrina refused me knowledge. When she gave her to her brother I assumed she was taken care of. Even if she was mine, how could I take care of her? I was twenty-three for Chrissake! I just went on with my studies overseas and forgot about it. I dunno. Maybe I always knew," Derek cried out. Pitifully, he looked out, a lone tear coming down his cheek, thinking of all she endured like Nick. Nick was strong, but she was weak.

The next morning Sari awoke at 5 am. Remembering, she stood up shaking but was able to walk. Quickly, she found her clothes and her keys and ran out to her car. Derek saw her in the shadows outside and knew she was in no condition to drive. He ran outside to her. No one else was awake. "SARI! SARI! NO!" when he grabbed her she fought. She didn't know who it was so she bit his hand hard to get away. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she cried. He let go, stunned at her sudden strength. All at once he read her mind. He had a vision of what she saw. "Oh my dear God, oh God, you were abused weren't you?" he said slowly as the rain soaked them. "That sick BASTARD!" he shrieked. All those years Sari never disclosed what happened, not even to Nick, though he knew. When she realized it was Derek, her face softened. Derek quickly embraced her and brought her back inside. All that morning she revealed herself, over a cup of coffee, to the man newly revealed to her as her father.

"You must come back to the Legacy, Sari. You can still attend college, but working for us is your fate, as it was your mother's, and mine. You can help us like no one else can. You perceive others' pain and anger and you can help us fight it." Derek said, in a calculated voice.

"Every time I come here, I remember. If I keep reliving it over and over it will kill me," Sari exclaimed. "I have to go. I'm sorry, Der--...Father." Derek didn't stop her then. He knew she had regained some strength to drive. It was her choice. Sari returned to the city and slept soundly in her room for hours that day.

That day, as Sari slept, Derek stayed awake watching the winds howl in another ocean storm. When he sat down he saw a picture of his father on his desk and focused on it. Suddenly a vision came on it. Sabrina came and told him Sari was in real trouble. When Derek had seen what Sari had been feeling outside that morning, peace had been broken. "The Boyle is back. His hate was roused from peace by your vision. A demon has taken this to use against you. It is strong and it will use her to reach you. Sari has tried to forget, and has made the memory weak. You made it strong again. It wants her. It will come for her. This is why I have revealed you to her. You will protect Sari, she is your flesh and blood. I ask that you love her as I would and keep her safe." Sabrina whispered in a hot breath on his neck. Slowly, she began to caress him.

That night, Derek had a surreal experience. Sabrina's passions came back and she went to him. This wasn't sex in the typical sense. It was sex that gave strength rather than taking it. The next morning he woke up refreshed. Somehow, she had given him power. His life force was stronger. He knew what had to be done. Quickly, he fired up the Range Rover and ordered Nick to come along.

Sari was so far asleep she did not hear the pounding on her door. In a panic, Nick busted the door. Seeing her in a deep sleep, he tried to shake her awake to no avail. Quickly he got her dressed, packed a few things and carried her down to the car. Her pulse was very weak. She was pale. While in the city, they picked up Rachel. When she saw wasn't Sari, what she saw was a ghost. Kat sat up front with Nick and Derek while Rachel held Sari in the back seat. "My God, Derek, she's dying. Her pulse is weak, her blood pressure is low. She's very cold," Rachel proclaimed. Even though it was only 30 degrees out, she took off her coat, covered Sari and rubbed her hands and feet to keep her as warm as possible.

Derek was very shaken. To learn of his daughter, only to lose her so soon, could it be possible? He found Sabrina's sudden strength enter him. Determined, he sped back to the mansion. Upon arrival, he carried his daughter upstairs. He quickly prepared to fight this entity that wanted to use Sari against him. He got his sword in the library. It was here that he stopped. In front of him was his father and Sabrina. "My son, I gave my life for you. It was also for her. Your daughter is much too important. She will carry on your work. She will be the next Precept here. It is your job to guard her," proclaimed Winston Rayne.

Sabrina spoke up, "Derek, to do this, you must See what she Saw. Nick is the only one that knows. To guard her, you must use his knowledge. To destroy it, we must expose it to its own deeds. You must come full circle." Unsure of what Sabrina meant by that last sentence, Derek left the room.

Derek took all the members to a meeting room while he carried Sari, still asleep, with him. He wouldn't leave her alone for a second. Alex and Philip hovered at the side of the table and sat down. Rachel stood while Nick held Sari closely and told their story. Derek listened and absorbed what Nick saw in his mind. When he finished, Philip quickly proposed that Rachel do hypnosis to draw Sari's visions out where they could be seen.

Alex nodded in agreement, saying, "That's a good idea, but then how do we fight it? We need to contain it or something." Suddenly Kat walked in and chimed, "Get one of the boxes, the sepakers." She made the whole room go silent, then Derek whispered, "She's right. The demons are hungry for soul possession. Perhaps the cure for the demon is another demon!?" Nick burst then, "Let's just do it, not think about it, come on!"

When they all went back to the drawing room, Derek quickly went to Sari. He sat next to her and closed his eyes. Rachel had agreed to hypnotize Derek so he could literally live what Sari was thinking. After laying down his head next to hers, he read what she was feeling. Pain, frustration, anger, darkness. Once he experienced these memories, Sari woke up screaming. Nick came in and hurried over to her. He watched Derek's face twinge and change shapes. He was beginning to battle all this within himself.

Suddenly, he pushed the entity away from Sari. It was out now, and fighting mad. Nick was scared frozen on the spot. It was his father. The room began to change. Sari stared, clinging to Nick as he clung to her. They were small children again.

Rachel and Alex entered the room. The ghost lunged for Sari. Derek quickly intercepted and found his sword. Plunging it into the ghost, he felt a surge. It weakened him immediately.

"Rachel!," he cried out, "Go get one of the five sepulchres! Go! Unlock one and bring it here!"

When she tried to leave, Kat floated across the room, pulled by the ghost. Apparently if it couldn't have Sari, it would have Kat. One universal rule is that all demons thrive on innocence. Rachel pulled Kat out of it's grasp using all her own strength while Alex quickly ran down to the basement and found one of the five sepulchres. As she unlocked it, she was knocked down by its force. At that time, Philip arrived, just in time. When Alex cried out to him, he went to her. "Take this up to Derek. They need it. Please go now!" she whimpered softly.

Philip came upstairs to utter chaos. Upon coming to the room, he unlocked the sepulchre there and dropped it to the ground. The demon quickly came up hungry, searching. It saw the ghost. Quickly the demon lunged for and sucked in the ghost, as if devouring a steak. Philip quickly locked it up again, while chanting its name and the ghost was pulled in for good.

Upon the departure, peace came back to the room. Sari was so frightened by what had happened the past few days she immediately collapsed again. Derek caught her and grasped her tightly to him. She hadn't eaten in over 48 hours. So weak, she slipped back into reality and stood up wearily hanging onto Derek for support. Her face was so white and pale and suddenly she couldn't hold back. Tears streaked down her face. Derek could see what she saw and knew she might kill herself to stop the pain that had been buried for so long. He sent the others out of the room.

He stayed with her all night, rocking her like she were a child again. She finally slept, as did he. When she came to and was strong enough, she crawled to the bathroom and retched for all she was worth. By then, Derek had fallen asleep next to her on her bed. Philip slipped in. He had been unable to sleep, as had the others. How Derek seemed so calm mystified him.

He heard sobs and vomiting in the bathroom and found Sari slumped on the floor. He kneeled down and she whispered, "My pills. Get them, they're in my jacket. Please." He nodded and came back to her. She no longer had any strength, so he helped her swallow the Darvon. The pale ghost of a girl reached out to him so much that tears ran down his cheeks for her right then. She was a mess, and this experience hadn't helped. He picked her up and brought her to the kitchen downstairs. "You have to eat, so I'm just gonna get you some soup and a sandwich. Please eat it for me. OK?" he implored. She nodded, and when he gave her the sandwich, she couldn't even hold it up, so he fed her till it was all gone. About this time the Darvon kicked in and she slumped in his arms.

The next day Derek awoke feeling alive. Sari's face, lying next to his, though, was pale and sallow. He vigorously massaged her feet and hands and rubbed her cheeks to warm her up. Seeing her color return, he smiled at her as she woke. She stared at him then sat up. After breakfast, she seemed to be better.

Sari's life had come full circle in a matter of a few days. But she was alive, and that's all that mattered at the moment. There would be other battles to come, but for now it didn't matter.

Chapter Two

The memories of her childhood had been hidden from her for so long, and just recently refound. Sari had been under suicide watch for two weeks before pulling out of her trance. She had physically recovered from all that had happened, at least. Sari was feeling unsettled, though. she continued her psychotherapy treatments on the mainland. Derek felt so helpless, especially after all he had learned. For such a rich ancestry, it did no good to protect her.

Perhaps Nick was the one person that got her through it. He spent so many hours daily with her on the mainland now, they were inseparable. Like twins, they could read each other like books. Nick kept reminding her of what she had to look forward to, that life wasn't over, not yet.

After a month, Sari was able to come back to the place she had rejected. When Nick came with her in her Buick, with a pile of stuff in the back seat and trunk, Derek felt more at ease. He wanted to acquaint himself to her as a father now, and help her develop her newfound powers.

"Welcome home, sweet!" Derek exclaimed, in adulation. Then he tossed her in the air like she was a child and spun around with her. Sari just laughed and laughed. She rarely felt so carefree, maybe it was a sign that this really was her home.

Sari began her unpacking upstairs. Nick and Derek hauled in a computer much more powerful than hers, a welcome back present. Set up with an X2 robotics machine, state of the art. Alex helped her unpack all her clothes and personal stuff. Her suite was next to Alex's, and they would be sharing a bathroom. Like sisters.

Later that day, Sari approached Derek in his office and discussed her involvement with the FBI. "My major is criminology and there's only a year left before I graduate. The FBI recognized my powers early on in college and hired me on the spot. Apparently my knack for applying criminology theories to serial killers is uncanny. And my sixth sense only enhances my perceptions in each case." she calmly said. "They want me to continue, even if it's on a half-time basis. My work comes highly recommended. Just saying I'm 19 and an agent says everything." Derek nodded in agreement, saying, "Of course you must continue your work. I feel that you have a motive for being there, and I won't deny you that right, so long as you help us here too. Sari, you have a story you're not telling me. And I want to know. Just because your Sense is stronger and can be concealed better doesn't mean you can hide."

Suddenly Sari jumped up and approached Derek. Her face showed infuriation. At that time, Derek knew that she could kill him. She had strength derived from a deep, passionate, inner hatred. When Sari realized that she had threatened the one man who saved her, who was her father, she melted back a few paces and sat. "I'm sorry. I never told anyone this story and wasn't about to. You of all people must understand that we all have secrets. There are secrets in the government that have haunted me for years. I was asked to join the CIA out east but refused. Those bastards! I... Derek... please...I don't want to talk about it." she whispered, staring at him intently. Derek saw that it was too soon to know what she was hiding, so he didn't push it. Sabrina herself had been so mysterious, he knew it was a family trait. If it would chase Sari away, he wouldn't risk it, not yet.

Nick came in that night to talk to Sari. Her door was open, and it was about 11pm. He peeked in and saw that she was doing a computer simulation. He watched over her shoulder, and saw it was a design program for a satellite. "There's a little bit of static on the screen there, they're tracing ya." Nick said, pointing. "You're hacking the NASA system again aren't you?" he asked, grinning. "Mm-hmm. I know. I ‘ll launch this bug that'll jam em before they catch on." she replied. Once she had downloaded, she cut the line with the virus that would force the NASA modem off-line. "You think I'll ever get the MJ?" Sari wondered aloud. Nick was quick to respond, "I don't think you'll ever find it. The Department of Defense would find you like that, even if you cracked the code. I wouldn't try it." The look in Sari's eyes told him that she would eventually try, but there had to be a safe remote location that wouldn't be traced to the Legacy, bringing wrath on the members.

Sari woke up the next day when her alarm went off. It was 6 am. She rolled over and stumbled into the bathroom, running cold water on her face. Time for work at the FBI today, and it was a long commute. She fished through the closet and came up with her favorite suit. After brushing her hair, she came downstairs to the kitchen. Derek greeted her, but she was in a hurry, and quickly said bye after gulping some coffee. She dashed down the steps and revved the Buick, peeling down the road. She had an 8 am meeting, and couldn't be late. Derek watched her go, she always seemed too fast to catch.

When lunch rolled around, the assistant director in the department, Norman, dropped a file on her desk. Sari looked up then, and he said, "This case has your name on it, I know. It came through the Chicago office a week ago, but was suddenly deprioritized, without an investigation. There's something fishy there, it involves an incident in south Wisconsin. It's an interesting read, a friend of mine faxed it here, wondering if you'd like to look into it. Don't worry, I'll approve travel funding for you." Grateful to him, Sari smiled at him and thanked him. She knew that Norman still loved her even after a year, but they had broken off mutually, because of his promotion. It could be detrimental to their office relations.

Sari eagerly opened the manila file folder. She looked at the reports, all put together to form the basic gist of the story. About 5 miles north of Kenosha, Wisconsin there was an actual UFO sighting that could not be dismissed. Over 40 people saw the same shape, a triangular shape with red lights on each end. Pictures had been taken by some kids camping out in the woods, and nothing could prove that they were phony. Many people in the area were familiar with the AF base nearby, and knew a lot about the planes that were flown there. This "thing", however, was reportedly going over 10 G's. It caused surface burns in the corn fields in the area as well. But the most shocking evidence was that of the missing farmer that had been "abducted". Many speculations were flying about. It was for certain, though, that something was being covered up. Sari felt all fired up inside. This could be the answer to her lifelong quest, she wasn't sure. On the way home, she pondered her next move.

Rachel was there that day, just visiting on her day off from the hospital work. She saw Sari burst through the front door and howl without restraint. She leaped and bounded up the stairs to her room and began packing. Rachel laughed at her hideous behavior and followed. Nick and Derek came down the hall to see what was going on. Upon seeing Sari's briefcase, trenchcoat and heels form a trail to her room, they all came in. "I think she finally flipped!" Nick said, jestingly. Sari looked up at them then, and jumped. In her thoughts, she had ignored them completely. She grinned really big and said, "No I didn't! I think I found what I've been looking for! I hope to find out more." She continued racing back and forth from her bag to her closet. Once it was closed, she began to go back to her car. Derek grabbed her arm and pulled her back in the room. He took her bag and brought her to his office. Time to figure out what all this was about.

"OK. You're going to tell me what the hell is going on!" he yelled, rather pissed at her. Undaunted, she refused. "NO, I WON'T!" she yelled even higher. He inhaled slowly and kept his temper at bay. Regaining his composure, he started over. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you go until you tell me what you're doing." he said. She stared at him, and knew he was determined. Her face softened, and she started. "Today at work the assistant director in my department brought me a case. In Wisconsin, there was an unusual phenomena that hasn't been explained, and the case is valid this time." she said, and told him the rest. "If this was debunked, how did you come across it?" he asked. She blushed, embarrassed to tell, but replied anyway, "Norman, the assistant director, was my lover for 4 months. We cut it off to keep our work relation on good terms. Since then, he has helped me with finding these cases. He knows something you don't, but he doesn't know all of it. Nick knows some too. But no one knows all but me."

Derek understood this was it. "Sari, you're going to have to trust me and everyone else here. Tell me the story." he said. She looked at him, her eyes wild with terror. She started to shake and ran to the fireplace. "Damn, it's cold in here!" she said. Derek came over and embraced his daughter by the fire while she poured out to him all she had seen, all she had searched for. "I joined the FBI with a motive of finding out where my mother was. Derek, you never knew. Neither did anyone else."

After a deep breath, she began. "My mom, when I was four, took me to New Mexico. She told me it was to be our summer vacation. But when I look back, I think she went there because she was being summoned. We camped out in the desert for a couple nights. One night, this aircraft flew out of what is now called Area 51. This thing, plane, I dunno, it came out and just hovered in the sky. The camper began to shake and my mom went outside and locked me in. This light came and the camper shook. I tried to open the door, crying for mom, and I burned my feet kicking on it. I passed out then, and woke up in the hospital. For some reason I sensed, I knew she was dead, but had no idea who or what killed her. After that I took a silent vow to find out the truth. Since then, I've worked closely in the FBI to gain access to some of this information. I haven't succeeded yet, that's why I have to keep going. It's the only thing that ever kept me alive."

Derek listened, shocked. When he looked at her, he began to see this terror, through her eyes, the eyes of a four year old. He hazily replied then, "Your mother was fascinated with and majored in demonology, and was a part of the occult. Her passion lay in continuing their studies. This presence, I don't know what it is you saw. But I don't think I want to know. However, this is your quest. You must do it, I can see that. However, I don't think you should go at this alone. Nick is going to go with you." Sari left then, without saying a word after kissing Derek's cheek. Perhaps they would be close now that he knew more. Sari felt like a weight had been lifted, but she was still cautious. Derek could be used against her, he knew too much. However, she knew his secret, even though he didn't tell her. Her sense had helped her see his past. A real womanizer he was as a young adult, and this had led him into a web of deception. So, now they were even in their knowledge.

Derek summoned Nick to his office and told him to accompany Sari on her trip. Nick agreed, and the two of them left that night by helicopter for the airport. Rachel decided to stick around for supper, to see what had happened. That night, Alex came back from assignment in Los Angeles and wondered what had happened. Derek explained to Rachel and Alex what had transpired.

Meanwhile, Sari and Nick flew into Chicago and rented a car to get up to Kenosha. Their first stop was at the farm of Damon and Lauren Miller. Lauren had filed a report with the Milwaukee sheriff claiming Damon Miller as missing. Sari was on with the detective in the case for a half an hour while en route. When they approached the town, the radio burst out static, Sari's cell phone went dead and the car began to swerve as Nick fought to keep control. "Guess we're here." Sari declared nonchalant. Nick was taken aback, and said nothing.

They drove up to the modest little gingerbread house and met up with Lauren Miller. She discussed what info was disclosed. Lauren began, "It was about midnight, and the dog started barking outside. Damon and I woke up, and he decided to see what was wrong. The dog rarely barks unless someone is coming. I came after him, but I only got as far as the porch. Damon was already out near the field when we saw the thing. Suddenly it flashed and knocked me backwards. I hit my head on the window, shattering it. The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital."

Sari asked, "When you say ‘thing', what did you see? Can you describe it?"

Lauren replied, "It was triangular in shape, but each edge was more pronounced, at a different angle than the middle lines. There was a red light on each edge. I couldn't see on top, if there was a cockpit or not. It was certainly different than the stealth planes that usually fly overhead."

When they left, Sari and Nick decided to stop at the local station to peruse the report. Sari met with Detective Walker, who had been assigned to the case. He showed a couple of other kidnapping cases that were never solved. One occurred the same year as Sari's mother, Sabrina, was taken. The other victim eventually showed up, dead, a year later and was buried.

It was arranged that the bodies be exhumed. Sari called up a friend from academy days, Dr. Paula Higgel who was now in Chicago doing forensics work. She came up later that day. Nick, while Sari was on the phone, studied the USGS map he had found. The reported AF base was not on the map. He asked the detective, "So how do we get to the base here?" Walker gave him directions to the place. When he was done, Sari came up and declared they were ready to go.

Nick hastily drove to the gravel road along the edge of the base, enclosed by wire fencing. Nick was unsure of just watching and waiting, but was quickly satisfied. That night, they surveillanced the sky and watched some kinds of planes maneuver unbelievably. When it was gone, Sari looked out at the nearby lake. When they came back to the car and drove out to the highway, a car quickly blocked their turn. NSA agents came out, broke the windows, and dragged the two out of the car. Sari was hit on the head and slumped to the ground. Nick fought and watched as the film was taken and the files ripped up. He was punched several times, but left conscious. One of the men spoke to him explicitly: "You will go to town, pack and leave. Otherwise, stiff repercussions will be sanctioned on her." Nick managed to get up and choke in the ditch. He went over and drove Sari into town. When they got to the hotel, Sari woke up, with blood coming out of her eyes. She was frantic until falling asleep again. Nick helped her in to the room and immediately phoned Derek.

Nick tried to be calm , but blurted the whole thing over the phone. The evidence they had had was gone. Sari was badly hurt. The car was a wreck. Their things at the hotel were gone. When Derek heard it, he feared for them. If exposed, who knew what the government would do? He instructed Rachel to go out there and bring them back. This investigation was closed, Sari had pushed the limits. While Nick was on the phone, Sari woke up and dressed. Nick heard her and tried to stop her, but she refused. He knew she would never give up. So he helped her into the car and they drove to the hospital to meet Paula, who was almost finished with her exam.

When Paula saw the two, bruised and battered, tap on the glass she jumped, then came out to talk. "I'm just about done." she said. Sari quickly asked, "What have you found?"

Paula began, "There were some drill holes in the head, so microscopic they were never found until I did an MRI on the body. Precision quality, the work of a doctor obviously. There was also an extensive degree of blood loss that caused the body to decay fast. However, there was a blood-like substance in its place. I analyzed the liquid, it appears to be organic, and the chemistry shows it is very crystalline in structure. However it is nothing that I've seen. Nor can I identify." Nick stared at the decayed body structure and wondered what would happen. Sari thanked Paula for coming on such short notice, and they hugged and departed with the file in hand. Sari quickly pulled out both her guns and loaded them. Then she instructed Nick to be quiet and follow. It was time to leave, before the NSA found them again.

When they reached the car, Sari and Nick got in. Sari peeled out of Kenosha using all back roads.

When they passed through the frequency disturbance again, it was more pronounced and there was a plane in the sky over them. Sari stopped and got out. She spread her arms to the sky, wanting to be taken. "NO! SARI!" Nick shrieked. He chased her down and grabbed her foot. She fell flat on her face and screamed out in anger. He pulled her up and dragged her to the car, while she bit and kicked. He locked her in and drove away as fast as he could.

When they reached Milwaukee, Nick stopped at a copy store and triplicated the report. It would be filed, but who knew what might happen to it. Sari cleaned up at a gas station and brought the file to the field office there. It warranted further investigation, but she knew it would be stonewalled. Her passion was deep, but not deep enough to hurt the ones she loved. Nick was glad to see her give up for now but knew she would not give up for good.

Chapter Three

The next day, after having rebuked Sari for her dangerous actions in the Wisconsin case, Derek woke up later than usual. The fight they had had was very heated, to say the least. Sari had no idea of all the repercussions it could have had, and was very upset at being told what to do. When he found that Sari's door was closed, he wondered if she had slept in too. He knocked, no response. He opened the door, to see a made up bed, not used. She had gone. He assumed she needed to cool off and would be back later. When she didn't, he became worried that day.

It was about 9pm that night when Sari staggered in, drunk. When she saw Derek watching her, she laughed up at him and took another drink of vodka. He was amazed at what he saw. The suit she had worn to work was torn and wrinkled. She had worn it the day before. Her hair was a mess. When he approached her, he knew she had skipped work. She was such a disgrace, he didn't know what to do with her. Suddenly everything went into slow motion. sari dropped the bottle, it shattered, as she saw herself in the mirror over the fireplace. She saw the back of her head staring back at her. Her face showed utter horror, and she began to shake violently, with her hand to her mouth, when she grabbed a piece of glass and slashed her neck. Derek ran down to her when she fell to the floor. She had punctured her jugular, and was bleeding severely.

It was about 3am when she came to, still lying on the floor. Rachel was hovering over her, treating the wound. She could hear a lot of noise in the background, but it sounded distant. Then Sari blacked out again. She woke at 5am, still under the effects of the novacaine Rachel had given her. When she tried to move her head, she gasped, choking. Alex was watching nearby, and was amazed that she was conscious. She helped her sit up. Sari felt the bandage on her neck. It was no use, she consented to staying. It was not until the next day that she could get up on her own. She refused to see Derek, and would not talk to anyone else, not even Nick. It was 6am when she got up, and Sari was hungry, but was not up to facing anyone, so she showered, dressed and tiptoed downstairs, out the front. She was almost out when Derek spoke. "Stop." he said. He had been watching her every move from the niche by the fireplace. She jumped and yelped, turning to face him. He approached her then, very slowly, afraid she would run at any moment, as flighty as a bird. When he reached her, she waited to see what he would do. He embraced her then, accepting her for what she was, but there was no feeling from her. She wouldn't respond to his touch. He looked at her empty eyes, he became distraught, and let go long enough for her to escape. She ran to her car and peeled away from the house.

Sari went through her day very depressed, using work as an escape from herself. At 4pm, she was done and checked out. Her cellphone rang, and she answered. There was nothing, then 3 seconds of static. She ate an afternoon snack, then headed to the park by the pier, making sure she wasn't followed. Her contact came out and walked with her, then handed her a folder. When she took it, the man disappeared, as did she. On the ferry to the island, Sari opened the folder. she listened to the cassette tape. There was a man in San Fran, very well to do, who just happened to be her father's friend. His wife had been found murdered a week earlier. It was unknown who had killed her. She wondered why it had filtered down to her. Five minutes later Norman called saying she was assigned to the case, and was surprised she already knew.

Early that day, Derek told everyone in the mansion to treat Sari as if nothing had happened, knowing she wasn't up to facing the truth of herself. So it was, that Sari came into the mansion, and went up to the Legacy computer room. Nick was just playing around, but quickly became interested when Sari showed him the file. He did some checks on the background of Lara Novieu, the victim, and her husband Terence Novieu who was a congressman. She had died of exposure, on a summer night, when the temp didn't fall under 50. Terri had refused questioning after a couple hours, and was a suspect. Their son, Manley, was also suspect, though no reasons were given. When Alex joined the two, she dug deeper and found that, in a police statement, Terence said Lara had been having affairs for years with various men. Sari began to wonder about Derek's involvement. How close of a friend was he?

That night, in her room alone, door locked, Sari sat down to some hot cocoa and logged into the FBI at her own computer. She pulled up some financial statements on Derek and the Novieus and found her worst fear confirmed. According to the bills, Derek and Lara had a favorite haunt in a local motel, about 15 years prior. And, looking at the signature on the monthly debit statements, Sari saw it was Terence's. He knew all about it, she was sure. She then looked at some records for the son, Manley, about 15 years old. He had been hospitalized numerous times for trying to burn the house down. He had some interesting mental disorders. Apparently he had threatened to kill both parents several times as well. Sari looked at the pharmacy list of drugs he was on. All of this was in the file on computer. Then Sari remembered the tape gave her an FBI intranet address. She looked it up, and found some statements of a job description for Terence Novieu. He was a pretty shadowy figure, and the cases he worked on were mostly on Discreet status. A lot of shadowy financial papers from his campaign as well. Who knew where the money was and what it was used for? It was so odd, though. The woman died of exposure, on a warm night. Maybe the body held more clues.

Sari pulled up the Coroner's report. The woman actually had burns on her body, in the shape of a cross on her back. The dirt all around the body in a circle, was burnt also. Apparently the killer was vengeful, so it was personal and not random, because a needle puncture in the woman's neck was found, and 5 liters of blood was drained out of her, by exsanguination. So, it was certainly someone with a passion. Sari corrected some details in the report and logged out. She would see the pictures tomorrow, visit the crime scene and probably have a vision to help her.

When she got tired, Sari stood up, cracked her back and put on her pajamas, boxer shorts and her fav t shirt from an Alice in Chains concert. She could now unlock the door. Derek was walking down the hall, and stopped at Sari's door. He knocked, but there was no response. He looked in, and saw Sari staring at the fireplace, headphones on, music blaring. She was still an impressionable girl sometimes, he thought. He tapped her shoulder and she stood up to face him. Her eyes searched his, and she began to see. She stopped breathing for about 30 seconds while seeing. Then she turned off her music and frowned at him. "What did you just see?" he asked. "You." she replied, disgustedly. She had seen him with that woman. "Did you know she is dead, Derek? Lara Novieu was found dead of exposure a week ago. Mysterious circumstances, the Coroner says. I've been assigned to the damn case, and now I know why. Someone of power in the government knows about your secret, and you're lucky it was a contact of mine." she said, angrily. Derek looked at the tall girl, equal in height to him, and just as powerful if not more so. Her blue eyes were fiery mad. Derek felt cornered, and his eyes searched for an escape. When he tried to run, Sari blocked him. "You will tell me more. I need to know, because you're risking my life here." she hissed.

Derek told her the story that night. The next morning, Sari slept in and went to work that afternoon. She looked at the suspect list now, and it had been narrowed considerably. Terry was at a formal campaign dinner at the time, so he wasn't involved directly. The son had been in the hospital. A needle matching the woman's wound was found and was being run for blood samples at that time. Sari wondered, though, if it might have been planted there. The powers that be could certainly be involved.

Sari visited the crime scene that day. It was vacant, the police had combed through it already. The sizable mansion proved that money could be a factor. Sari entered the front hall, and was surprised to see Alex there. "Alex! Hi, what are you doing here?" she asked. Alex replied, "I had a vision of this place last night, so I decided to see it myself." The two of them went through the front hall to the kitchen, then out the back door. The body had been found in the back yard. When they stood by the spot, Alex gasped. "I know who it is, it was Terry! He was here." she said, astounded.

Sari looked at Alex, surprised. "But it's been confirmed, there was even photographs of the man. He was at a formal dinner party across town." she said. She pulled out the photos and showed them to Alex. "See? The film is dated, and his alibi is airtight." Sari disputed. Alex shook her head, then looked at the photos closer. "Look, Sari, look at this. The guy's not totally there. You can see part of that painting behind him. The outline of the edges can still be seen through his face." Alex said. Sari and Alex took the photos to a lab and magnified the image in the photo. "You're right, Alex. He doesn't appear to be all there. It's like you can see through him, but only if you magnify the image about 200 times. But it still doesn't mean that he could be in two places at once." Sari said.

10pm, Sunset Psychiatric Hospital

While watching TV, the nurse heard a scream down the hall. She wandered down, and when she reached room 206, she saw the door had burn marks on it. She pushed the emergency button and immediately opened the door. Manley Novieu was gone, and there was blood on the wall, saying, 'All the all the oxen free'. The nurse screamed and ran.

SF House, Sari's suite

The phone rang at about 1am. Sari sat up and gasped, "OH!" Then she answered it. "Hello, this better be the man of my dreams or I'm hanging up." she murmured. "Uh, this is Sergeant Arens calling for Agent Boyle. You there?" the voice asked. "I'm here, what's happened?" she asked concerned. "Agent Boyle, I was told this was a case you were working on. Manley Novieu, son of recently deceased Lara Novieu has disappeared. I can't disclose over the phone, but the circumstances are sketchy, and this IS a maximum security hospital. We'll await your appearance, here, if you don't mind. Forensics is here now." Sergeant Arens replied. "I'm on my way, thank you." Sari hurriedly said before hanging up. Nick came in, rubbing his eyes. "What the hell was that?" he asked. Sari, in a rush, pulled on a sweater and khaki pants. "Oh, Manley Novieu is gone. He escaped a maximum security hospital, they alerted me." she answered. Derek watched Sari and Nick from the doorway before replying, "I'm coming with you." Sari looked up at him, and said, "It's a crime scene. Right now they only want criminal investigators on the scene." But Derek was insistent, saying, "I must go. I have a clue what might be going on, after what you and Alex discovered."

Derek drove while Sari talked with the sergeant on her cell phone. When she hung up, they approached the area, sealed off. Derek parked, and Sari said, "You'll have to stay here, you can't go in. that's policy." Derek nodded and waited along the sidelines while Sari went in. Chief Detective Callow let her in on the details as she stepped into the room. "No sign of forced entry. The lock wasn't even touched, we've found that out. There are burn marks on the door, and the residue is identified as the same found at the Lara site. The blood on the wall has been identified as that of Lara's, which is impossible, and we're running it again now. The obvious suspect would be Terence, and he's disappeared so we have an APB out on him. The floor has been 'scrubbed' and no footsteps are there except that of the nurse's. She says she heard a scream, saw the door, opened it and then alerted police. Obviously the boy got out somehow, or was kidnapped, we don't know which. There's no window, so we have no clue how he/they got out."

Sari looked at the saying, 'all the all the oxen free', written in blood. It was a childish statement. And the repetition of 'all the' might be an indicator of father and son reunited perhaps? Why would they refer to themselves as oxen then? All these thoughts ran through her mind. Suddenly a flash hit her and she fell back. "Behind that wall! There's something there, we need to get at it!" she said. The detective looked at her strangely, and later that day her suspicions were confirmed. The boy was dead, and decaying faster than ever. It was odd that there was no smell, and the body had no cuts bruises or wounds to indicate cause of death. How he got there in the first place was uncertain.

When Sari walked off the scene, she started swerving, and Derek steadied her on her feet. "Are you ok?" he asked. She just nodded, rubbing her forehead. "Just a headache," she replied. "I know what's happening, Sari, I'll tell you later, first I'm taking you home." he said. When they arrived, Sari found strength to get upstairs, and she waited in the library for the others so Derek could tell the story. "Hi! Wow, it's been a long time!" a voice said. A wary Sari jumped, turned, pushed back her chair and pointed her gun at the person before her mind analyzed who it was. Philip dropped his books, staring down Sari's 357 magnum. She uncocked the gun and put it away then, and said, "God I'm sorry, philip. Don't scare me like that, I'm a trained killer." Philip, still scared, said, " I can see that. I just came from Sacramento on church business. Thought I'd see what was up, guess I found my answer. You don't look so good, sari, what's wrong?" He laid a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off abruptly. She ran towards the window, crying, "The thousand years are OVER!" The glass in the window broke then, a breeze flew in, and Sari was flung against the wall like a paper doll. She slid down the paneling, conscious, but not aware. Her eyes widened, as she stared at this beast.

Derek sensed something was happening under his roof, and when he heard Philip shouting, he ran to the library. "Get away from her! You want me, not her! Come an get me you coward!" he exclaimed. Sari and philip watched as Derek was thrown in the same manner as Sari had been. When an outline formed, Sari saw molecules shape the entity. She threw herself through the thing, separating it from earthbound status and temporarily defeating it. PHilip, amazed, asked, "How did you know what to do?" Derek shrugged and waited for Sari to answer. "It's an occult spirit, requiring carbon molecules to survive. My mother showed me one of them once." she answered between breaths. "But it's not gone, not for good." Derek said. Sari turned from Philip to Derek and marched up to him. "you're not going to risk my life without telling me what you know, now!" she said angrily. Pulled along, Derek was forced down the hall to where Alex, Nick and Rachel were waiting.

"That thing is Terrence. He's not human, but he can look it. He is the false prophet from the darkside." Derek said. Alex blurted, "Of course!" Alex put the pieces together and started in: "I looked into Terence's past and found out he was adopted. His parentage is completely unknown. His parents went overseas, to Rome to find him. If he's the false prophet, his son must have been intended to be the antichrist, to herald the..." Sari finished the sentence, saying "end of the thousand years!" Derek said, "I was tracking him for many years, and my affair with Lara was something that just happened in the process, and I'm sorry it did. His son refused to be the martyr he wanted, so he killed him. He has one last chance, though. Now we are all at risk, but especially you PHilip." Philip looked up at the mention of his name and suddenly a flash hit Sari again. She mentally compared philip and the Novieus, when the room began to spin. With all her strength, she walked up to philip, and said, "You are the chosen one now. He is your father, the thousand years ARE OVER! Resist him, for our sake!"

Nick watched Sari's eyes glaze while listening to Derek's voice. "Philip, she's correct. You are Lara and Terry's true firstborn son. Lara begged me to watch over you as you grew to be an adult. When I was with her, you were about ten. I had you kidnapped and hid you in Ireland, and you grew up with a new family, where he wouldn't and couldn't find you. To make sure you would be safe. That's why you are in the Legacy as well." Philip stared at the room, as Nick, Alex and rachel looked at Philip strangely. He averted their gazes, and looked at Sari rub her forehead while sinking into a chair again. Derek approached pHilip, but he ran from it all. He had always wondered about his parentage, knowing he was adopted but staying true to his parents and brother, now all dead. To learn of his biological roots, all dead now as well, was very traumatic. It was ironic, really. In both families, his parents and his brothers were dead. However, it ended there, as one family was evil and the other was good. He was tied to both, thanks again to the Legacy. Philip locked the door to a guest room, and sat down to think. When he looked at himself in the mirror over the chest of drawers, he saw Sari, and was drawn in, against his will.

While the rest of them stood in the drawing room trying to think of a solution, Sari wandered off, as if being summoned. She went to the fireplace, and started to put her hand in the fire. Nick saw her, and reacted quickly. As he reached her, he tried to pull her back, to no avail. A hand grasped hers in the fire, while the others watched Sari's eyes light up. Then she looked into the mirror above, and Nick, directly behind her, saw the reflection and gasped. Alex looked too, and whispered, "Philip." Finally Nick was able to pull Sari away from the fire, screaming. She was pulled away from him straight into the mirror. Her whole body was sucked into the frame, much to everyone's amazement. The mirror shape-shifted to pull her in, until she was completely in the parallel reflection. Derek watched Philip grasp Sari painfully, and she resisted. When he shoved her to the ground, she grabbed his feet and pulled him to the ground as well, then quickly began choking him. He began choking her as well, til she let go. She melted back a few steps, reeling from the pain, and pulled out her gun. When she fired, nothing happened, and the gun disintegrated. It came up to her, knocking down the useless firearm. Sari realized she was wearing her heels from work still, and quickly brought them up, kneeing Philip. He growled a beastly growl of pain, and sank to the floor. She tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Philip reapproached, a ghastly grin on his face. Sari moved around the table, out of his way. She tore off her watch, and pulled off the display's top. Underneath was liquid crystal, for the LCD. When Philip came around, she shoved it in his face, blinding him. The crystal was very acidic, and half his face was now burnt off, exposing the beast underneath. "Nice try little one, but you're only hurting him, not me." it proclaimed evilly. "You sick asshole. You'll never have me." she whispered back heavily. With that, she brought up the heel off of her shoe, about to strike the devil down. It had seen this coming, however, and grabbed her wrist. When it was twisted around, Sari screamed higher than she ever had in her life. She heard a sick snap and when she looked, she saw her left humerus bone jutting out at her elbow, at a very sick angle. The pain was horrific, but still conscious, Sari used her right foot to push on PHilip's chest until he let go. As he fell back, she was thrown down on the floor. Her right leg was twisted underneath her, and when she felt it, she winced and bit down on her lip, hard, drawing blood. Philip came over and kicked Sari one last time, as she was crawling to get back up, still aware. He kicked her straight in the stomach and then all was black.

"What is going on?" Rachel shrieked. Derek answered in general, "Philip is possessed. It is the devil, and needs to create the antichrist. He will use any female, most weak. And she is the weakest of all of you." It hurt him to hear her screams, but it hurt worse when he realized she wasn't making a sound. Nick was about to shoot into the mirror, but Derek shouted for him to stop. "If you shoot, you'll destroy both of them and we'll never get them back!" he shouted. "I CAN'T just stand here and WATCH!" he shouted back. Shakily, Alex came forward before anyone saw and she herself was taken in. "Alex! NO!" Nick shouted, too late. Once inside, she began her incantation, and when Philip/Terence looked up at her, she spit straight in his eyes. "I condemn thee!" she howled at the end. As the spit hit his eyes, smoke began to come from Philip's face. His glowing eyes contorted. Meanwhile, Derek brought his sword to the mirror, and handed it to Alex, as if she was his reflection. When she had it, she looked with pity at Philip, then drove the sword into his chest. "I'm sorry, Philip, I had to." she said as he stared up at her. The room turned 180 degrees then, and she was Derek, and he watched his own likeness as he moved away from the whole scene. Alex looked at herself, stunned but determined to continue. She ground the sword without pity until the entity's anguish ceased. Philip's body returned to normal when she withdrew the sword. The afflictions on sari, however, weren't gone. Alex looked at her Derek reflection turn back into herself, and looked at the portal the three of them had entered through. They could barely make out Derek, Rachel and Nick on the other side. Derek was shouting for them to leave immediately. "Grab hands!" Alex shouted. She reached her free hand to the other side. It began to burn with the searing heat of the fireplace. In general, she shouted to the sky, "Help me!" Derek stuck his hand into the flames, yelping in pain. When he felt a weak and burning hand dive into his outstretched palm, he pulled with all he was worth. When Alex was halfway out, Nick came forward, grasped her waist and pulled. Just behind her was Sari, barely conscious, and Alex continued to help while Philip came out last. Rachel, who had always hated that mirror anyway, took the firestoker, and without a word hit the glass while it shattered. The members stared at their reflections torn into jagged pieces, falling so slow, in slow motion. It was over, and the portal created by the darkside was gone, but not forgotten.

Sari woke up two days later in the hospital. She came to when Nick sat beside her, rocking her frail body back and forth. Philip had been so ashamed when he had seen how he attacked her. It had certainly hurt Derek, and he claimed to forgive Philip, but Rachel wasn't totally assured of this. As a parent herself, she understood the ties of blood and if anything like that had happened to Kat, she would be a little mad herself. Alex, who had saved her from Philip, felt sure of herself now. She could handle violence in her own way, and it worked. Sari looked up at Nick and he smiled back down at her. "I'm ba-ack" she said, wavering her voice in a lilt. "Yes you are, but not in great shape. Let's sit up now, shall we?" he asked. She nodded and he helped her sit up. Her left arm and right leg were both in heavy casts. "I'll bet you're hungry, here, have a butterfinger bar." he said grinning. "You read my mind, you devil, you know I can't resist these things." she replied. When she had finished, she turned off the medicine dispenser, slowly pulled the tape off her right arm and applied pressure from her left cast while pulling out the needle of her IV. Nick was amazed at how calm she was while doing this. He brought her a gauze pad for the blood and she smiled graciously.

Nick called Derek when Sari fell asleep again. "She's a lot better, they'll release her tomorrow. She certainly wants out, but she is still weak. Be a couple weeks before she can even go back to work." Nick explained. Derek agreed, and said he'd be there soon. When they hung up from the conversation, he turned to go out the door of his office, and met Philip. Derek's emotions weren't stable, Derek knew, so he said nothing more than that she was awake before going out the door, with Alex following. No one else was there except Rachel and Kat. He felt so alienated by them now, it just didn't feel right to be there, so he packed up and snuck out that night. In a note on the front door, he wrote: "I don't belong here. After what happened, I'm afraid of my own weaknesses being exploited against all of you, which isn't fair to any of us. I doubt I will return."

Chapter Four

Derek reached the hospital thirty minutes later with Alex. They went up to Sari's room and Nick met them in the hallway. "She'll be fine, don't look so worried, Derek." he said, assuring them both. It had been awhile since he had to comfort someone, but considering the circumstances, he was willing to be nice, but only for a couple days. Derek was worried, this case had haunted him for years, his personal involvement had blinded him, and had almost caused Sari's death. Family ties were completely new to him, and the emotions that came with it were deep. She refused to be weak, though, and greeted them at the door to her room. Noticing the splinter cast on her arm, Derek recalled how much pain Sari had been in the whole flight to Mercy Hospital, remembering the bone sticking out at the end. The girl had more than spunk to still be conscious as they set the arm and leg right again. That was past, though, and now she was alive and well.

After Nick brought Sari back the next day, Derek gave her research to do with Alex on a sighting at the London house. Randolph Hitchcock had resurfaced in London. Randolph had a personal vendetta against Derek, but hadn't been suspected of being a sellout to the Black Cancer, a foundation debunking Legacy work right and left. Sari had tried to lead a challenge against the evil establishment early in life, about the age of 15, but had lost, not without significant loss of life, and many close friends from the Chicago house which was her original station before she returned home to San Francisco to work on her degree at SFU and the FBI. Derek knew she had current knowledge of the foreign house, his trace on her work had shown that. As she had watched them, he had watched her.

Sari hobbled in to the computer room and Alex grinned at her, glad to see her back. With a hug, she said, "Welcome back. I just pulled up Hitchcock's file. We have details on the others in the Black Cancer foundation as well." Sari looked and just nodded. Then she asked a non sequiter question: "Where's Philip?" she asked. Alex apprehensively replied, "He left after we took you to the hospital. Rachel was here, but didn't hear him leave. We have no clue where he is." Sari looked again at the man's picture on the screen, and looked back at Alex. "You'll have to find him, because this man is looking for him. He's still in danger of being corrupted, and this is the perfect opportunity for them." she said, disturbed. "How do you know?" Alex questioned. "I don't know, I just looked at his picture, and it hit me." she said. "How much ability do you have?" Alex inquired. "Too much, I'm afraid. When it's this strong, it messes with your mind, I can assure you that." she said.

"AH!" Sari cried, sitting straight up in bed, and sucked in her breath. Sweat poured down her face, another terror struck. Adjusting her eyes to the swirling darkness, her pulse calmed a bit. She had seen Randolph Hitchcock and Alicia Summers, together. As the dream progressed, Hitchcock's face turned into Derek's face. Wondering why Fate had given her this, she wiped off her face and left her room. Late that night, armed with only a flashlight, Sari crept into Derek's office, and jimmied the lock on his desk. With Alicia's journal in her hands, she tiptoed into the computer room, and logged into the report on Hitchcock again. The screen lit up her face, making it glow an absurd light blue. While firing up the intranet, she flipped through Alicia's journal and saw a blank entry, except to say the name "Randy" on it. It was dated 25 years previous. Licking her lips, she started typing in a command, and it brought up Hitchcock's records again. In London, it was daytime already. Sari paged her friend across the ocean, Tia Sourbe. Tia obliged her without question, and faxed some pages from Hitchcock's public journal. After chatting a bit, she logged off and started reading. He mentioned Alicia, then almost nine months later he mentioned her again, saying, "I saw you on assignment, and just knew she was born." Unfortunately, no name was given. Kat came up behind Sari, and tugged on her sleeve. Rachel and Nick, under Derek's orders, had gone to London to search out Philip after Sari's discovery, as their leads led overseas. "I can't sleep." Kat whimpered. "Oh... come on, let's go to bed." she sighed, and logged off. She took the little girl back to bed with her and they finally fell asleep together.

A hand tickled Sari's foot, and a chipper voice declared, "Get up, get up, lazy girl." In the vision, Hitchcock saw Sari then and approached her, ready to kill her. As she stirred from the terror, she mistaked Derek to be him, and instantly had the man by a chokehold. Derek hardly had time to react to her swift movement. Kat woke up then, scared by Sari's sudden movement, and quickly hid. Sari recognized Derek then, and released him. Choking for air, Derek got back up on his feet. Breathing hard, Sari managed to say she was sorry before leaving the room. He realized he had woken her from another terror. Very taken aback, Derek calmed down Kat and took her down for some breakfast while Sari hid out in the computer room again, trying to find who was the result of this affair.

She stared at the picture of Alicia for over an hour when Alex brought her some juice. After telling Alex what she had found, she pondered aloud, "Who is the girl?" Alex just shrugged, replying, "I don't know, but we could check the blood typing department records in the government census bureau online." Sari quickly looked at Alex in amazement, and together they surveyed the possibilities. It was significantly narrowed, because Alicia's blood type had been AB positive, very rare. Sari shook her head, sighing. "It's still not enough, that list's way too long." Laying back in her chair, she thought a while, then snapped her fingers. "Alex, let's cross reference it with Legacy records. It's logical to assume that this woman works within the organization. From what the journal here says, Randy's mother was alive at that time, and she adopted the girl. Odd, she was pretty old by then, but still active in the Legacy herself." Sari explained. Derek came in then, and furrowed his eyebrows. Sari turned, realizing the jig was up. Approaching the two, he asked, "Alicia had a child?" Alex answered yes, and Sari crouched into the computer, ignoring the odd stares Derek was giving her. While the computer was cross reconciling the records, she finally gave up and turned around. "Then you're trying to find out who is the child." he answered. Suddenly the computer rang, and Sari returned her gaze to the screen. Derek watched over her shoulder as she typed at an enormous rate. The list of names was now singled down to twenty names. Alex drew in her breath sharply, and pointed to the last name on the list. Sari was knocked out of her chair by a vision then, and landed on the floor at Derek's feet. Her eyes popped open and she stared at the ceiling. Alex scooped her up and they helped her on her feet. "It's Julia. I saw her. Mary Walker, Hitchcock's mother, who took her maiden name after her husband's death, raised her after moving to the states, they lived on the east coast until Julia was assigned here!" Alex thought about Julia's history and fit the pieces together.

Kat wandered in then, wondering where everyone was. "What's goin on?" she piped up. Alex came over and said, "Nothing, Kat, just solved a puzzle. How about you and I solve that 500 piecer down in the den?" Kat agreed, and Alex took her downstairs. Derek brought Sari to his office, and out of a drawer he pulled Julia's picture. When he looked at it then at Alicia's picture he saw the similarities they shared. It all fit together. Sari came around his desk to peer over Derek's shoulder at the picture. Together they compared it to Alicia's picture. "I guess it's true." he admitted. "I can't believe it." he continued. Meanwhile, the phone rang. Derek picked it up, and talked to Nick.

"We haven't found him yet, but I think he's in Ireland. We found some clues, and we're tracking them down now. We should get to him by tomorrow, I'm hoping." Nick said. Derek said, "Use caution, Nick. I must emphasize that, because we found something startling here." Nick paused, afraid to ask. Derek continued, saying, "Sari has been having more visions, and we just found out that Alicia Summers had a child. That child was Julia. She was raised by Hitchcock's mother." Nick was stunned to think of Julia's past. They had been very close. It fit, but it was still a surprise. Nick agreed to call back when he got more information and tracked down Philip. Derek looked at Sari eyebrows raise then, and she began to mutter to herself. As she moved in circles, her eyes turned dark and she slapped herself hard, shouting "STOP!" He restrained her until she came back from her sight again. Suddenly a thought crossed his mind. "Who is Julia's father?" he asked. Sari snapped out of her reverie, and said, "I don't know. When I see them, his face is first, then he turns into you?!" He thought back, it might be his child, because he and Alicia had been together when he was 18. He hadn't met Sabrina until he was 23. In order to see what his troubled daughter was seeing, he pressed his forehead to hers. The images flashed like a blinding light from a flash camera. When the spiel finished, Sari fled from the room.

She found Alex and Kat working on the puzzle together, and pulled Alex to a corner, and told her what had unfolded. "I'm pretty tired myself, I just want to go to bed. Could you try to find out who the true father is? It might give us a motive as to Hitchcock's move. I don't know how yet, but he's going to try to strike at us, and we need to know." Alex agreed, and they parted. "Well, kitten. How about brushing our teeth and getting to bed?" Sari said excitedly. "I'm not tired." Kat said, folding her arms. "Well, we can at least brush our teeth, come on." she said. Suddenly the lights flickered, probably due to the raging storm outside, and Kat became scared. She started to panic so Sari picked her up and headed upstairs. It took awhile to settle down, but Sari kept rocking Kat while singing various songs, and eventually she slept. Sari realized she couldn't get up out of the chair without waking Kat, she had an arm and a leg in a cast, and just then Derek walked in. He picked up the little girl while Sari struggled up out of the rocker chair. He laid little Kat beside Sari and bid her good night.

It was about 4am when the phone rang. Derek woke from his slumber reluctantly, but answered the phone next to his bed. "Hello?" he asked groggily. "Derek! We found Philip, he's fine, but he kept refusing to come back. Nick told him he was coming, and uh, persuaded him." Rachel said over the background din. "Persuaded?" Derek asked. "Yes. I guess you could say we gave him no other option. Nick held him at gunpoint. Anyway, we're on our way, our flight leaves in ten minutes, we'll be back later." Rachel replied. "OK, I'll meet you all there." Derek said before hanging up. After grabbing a few more hours of sleep, he got some breakfast and searched out Alex, leaving Sari and Kat asleep. In the computer room, Alex was shaking her head. The medical records indicated Julia could only be Randolph's child. Disbelieving, she tried to disprove it but couldn't. "What did you find?" he asked. Alex turned and squinted at him. "Julia's medical records proved that she's Hitchcock's." she responded.

Kat and Sari were downstairs eating breakfast when Alex and Derek came down. "I'm going to get the others at the airport, they'll be arriving in an hour or so there. Alex, you wait here with those two." he said, nodding in the girls' direction. Alex nodded, and Derek left. As the Range Rover drove off, Randolph Hitchcock waited until it was out of sight. Being as it was Sunday, the servants had the day off. Hitchcock had planned on all of this. He had truly fooled everyone, including Sari herself. The darkside had skewed her Sight, and his quick trip to London had assured that the rest of the members would be thrown off of his real trail, leading back to their house. It was time to exact his revenge, and the best way to hurt Derek Rayne now was to kill the only child he had ever had, Sari. Alex informed Sari of what was up with the other members, and they all sat together for awhile, then went outside to get some exercise. Kat had some major cabin fever after spending a couple days inside. As Kat ran off to the swingset devised by Nick, Alex walked and talked with Sari. When they were separated from the girl by about 200 feet, a man came out of one of the gardens and grabbed Kat. When she screamed, another man came out and hit Alex squarely in the back, pushing her forward and knocking the breath out of her. As she lay unconscious, Sari was unable to react, horrified by the trail of blood running down Alex's spine, soaking through her clothes and coat. It was then that Randolph came strutting out from the woods towards her. She refused to run, but seeing that he had a gun, she knew pulling her own would do no good. Frozen on the spot, he came up and smiled evilly at her.

When they were all back in the house, Sari looked out the window sadly at Alex's body lying on the ground, unsure whether she was alive or not. When Kat cried out, Sari turned and her eyes burned madly. To hurt an innocent little girl was too much. She made a mad dash at the man holding down the little girl. He kept her off, as Randolph came up and pulled Sari up by her hair. Without a sound, she waited to be knocked out or killed. Instead, she was held down by two men while Randolph punched her straight in the mouth, then in the stomach. "I can't wait to see your father's face." he whispered in her ear. Suddenly she nailed him square in the face with her left arm cast. He retaliated by slapping her face numerous times, drawing blood each time, but she never even made a sound. Disgusted, he knocked her against the wall, and all finally went black.

At the airport gate waiting for the trio to arrive, Derek suddenly felt a rush of sickness, like he had been punched in the stomach. In front of him he saw Randolph Hitchcock. Seeing the blood splatter on the carpet, he recognized his own home. As Rachel Nick and Philip approached him, they saw a madman, running in circles. "We have to get back! Now!" he said, in a guttural voice. Nick didn't ask questions, but got them all out to the car and drove quickly to the mansion. Rachel asked, "What's wrong? Derek!" Derek looked back at Philip, and realized now what had happened. Hitchcock had fooled them all and now had Derek right where he wanted him. "Because we had to chase Philip down, Alex, Kat and Sari are now in trouble. Hitchcock threw us off and now he's back on the island, and has the girls at his disposal." he said.

Sari came to when she heard a door slam. "Where are you, Hitchcock! I know you're here!" Derek shouted. Randolph had her in his grasp, and she was too weak to do anything. In horror, she looked at her surroundings. Kat was tied to a chair, unconscious, blood dripping down the left side of her face. Sari was rammed against the wall, and finally cried out, she couldn't stop the pain and the reeling. Nick heard a faint cry, and all of them fell upon the group in the drawing room. "Well, hello dear friend." Hitchcock said sarcastically. He then drew Derek's sword, which he had found in the library earlier. Before anyone could react, he stabbed Sari in the shoulderblade, the other end of it in the wall. Sari screamed until there was no more. Derek was about to come forward, but was stopped by one of the other men with a gun in his face. "Want some more, little girl?" Randolph asked then, facing Sari. In a frightfully low voice, she slowly replied, "Fuck you." Randolph replied, laughing, "My, what a choice of words! Didn't your father teach you any manners?" Rachel came in then. "Alex is outside, she's hurt badly. She was hit in the back with something. KAT!!" Rachel screamed then. Philip came in last, and looked at what had unfolded. Randolph began to grind the sword in a circle, and sari laid her head back while screaming loud and long. All eyes, including the dark guards, looked at the girl twist in agony. Nick couldn't stand it any longer. He pulled down one of the men and hit him on the face with the butt of his gun without thinking. This gave the rest of them a chance with surprise. As another guard drew his gun, Rachel, with much force, kicked him with her foot, knocking him back as he dropped the weapon. As she pounded his head on the floor, she kept saying, "You bastard, you'll never touch my girl again!" With each syllable, she pounded him harder. Derek approached Randolph then, as Philip fought yet another guardsman sent from Hitchcock. It was just them then, amidst the squalls of fighting, the raging of the storm, it was Randolph and Derek, with a pawn, Sari.

Randolph held a gun right on Derek's forehead, but he didn't back away. "You killed my daughter as well as Alicia, and now you can watch me kill your own child. I though it fitting to use your own weapon against you. Nice touch, don't you think?" Hitchcock said darkly. Nick had killed the man he singled out, and went over to untie Kat. When Randolph drew the sword out of Sari, she fell down the wall, a line of blood following her. "Say goodbye to her now, Derek!" he shouted. He was about to stab her again, still with the gun to Derek's head. Without seeing Nick behind him, Randolph aimed but was thwarted. Nick grabbed the hand that held the sword and twisted it with an unspoken rage. "She's my cousin, and if you hurt her again, I will assure you that you will die in more pain." he growled. Randolph hadn't expected that Nick had a personal tie to Sari, and hadn't counted on him being this strong. When his focus was on Nick, Derek moved his arm as the gun went off, and part of the ceiling came down on them. He was alive and bullet free, he realized, and quickly picked up the gun. He was about to shoot the man, but he had never killed anyone that was alive before. Many a time he destroyed spirits, but not human flesh and blood. The pause gave Hitchcock enough time to get out of Nick's grasp and head out to the hallway. Philip was there, and surprised him with his presence. He grabbed a rope from one of the old curtains, a pull string. Then he leapt on Randolph's back and started to choke him. It certainly detained Randolph, but Philip was not experienced in violence, and was quickly thrown over Hitchcock's head, landing right on the floor on his back. It certainly knocked him out, and no longer being choked, he fled, still alive. No one tried to get him, they were focused on Alex, Sari and Kat, all still unconscious.

Kat had a concussion on her head, Sari had been stabbed and Alex had been hit from behind. It was a sight to remember, seeing Derek, Rachel, Nick and Philip bring in the trio at the hospital. The police later brought in the FBI, and Norman, Sari's boss, found out what had happened, after all, he was in the violent crimes section. Within the hour, all ports of egress were closed, including airports, shipdocks and roads leading to Mexico or Canada. When there was no sign of the man, he took it upon himself to find the man and a contact with DEA spotted him, but he had already skipped the country to Columbia in south America. Relations with Columbia were no good, so the man could not be brought to justice there. The charges remained, though, and if he ever came back, justice would be swift and harsh.

Numerous bruises were found on Sari and Kat, and these were slow to heal. Rachel was very reluctant to talk to any of the others, after seeing her daughter go into seizures from the head trauma. Sari was released after a couple of months, they had kept her long enough to be sure her broken bones were still healing and the stab wound as well. Kat, however, remained in for yet another month. Alex was in for only three weeks, miraculously. She had not been paralyzed by the blow to her spine, but she was tender for awhile. She was up and about after a couple weeks, but none of them were nowhere near being back to normal. When word reached all of the other Legacy houses, they all rallied together, and some of the members came out to stand in for awhile. Sari's better known friends at the Chicago house, Martin and Sean O'Dell, came out and took up the slack on other cases at San Francisco while Sari and Alex were in the hospital. The twins were very adept and had everything running smoothly.

Before Sari was released, she had the joy of getting her arm cast taken off. She still had to wear a splinter brace, but it was much lighter, and she could take it off once in awhile, so it wouldn't itch. Her leg cast was replaced by a walking cast, also lighter. "I think I've lost 20 pounds in the space of a few hours!" she joked while walking with Alex around the halls. They laughed, and when Nick visited, he was touched by the scene. Sari, still hobbling herself, was helping a very stiff Alex walk straight. "Hey, you two, what's so funny?" he asked. "Oh, nothing. Just talking about our Weight Watchers program." Sari replied. Then the two burst out laughing harder at the statement. "I want to see Kat, OK?" Sari asked. Alex nodded, and they headed down to pediatrics. Rachel was talking to some of the nurses about Kat's medications. While Nick and Alex talked to her, Sari went in and sat down on the bed by the girl. She leaned over and pressed her forehead to Kat's. She willed some strength into the child before leaving her.

The next day, Derek picked up Alex and Sari at the hospital, after visiting Rachel. By the next week, the two were back to research. Sari was usually off on assignments, but had been temporarily demoted, understandably. She returned to the FBI for just one day a week. This reprieve allowed time to work on her studies at SFU. She was taking a couple correspondence courses through them. Alex also used the time to work on her graduate degree through Loyola U. Philip was forced to take Sari's place as an active member on assigned cases. He and Nick became friendly after that, but were not really close. Rachel and Derek continued their work as team leaders, and things returned to normal. If you considered the ordeal they had all been through, it was amazing to compare the previous months to the time being. In Derek's mind, the saying "Time heals all wounds" came, but it didn't fit. The wounds weren't all going to heal, not for a long time, he knew that.

to be continued on the next page...

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