by Deb T.
| Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 |Part Six
Rachel nodded approvingly as she listened to Lissa's
answers...no hesitation, and it matched the information
Derek had given her. Rachel noticed the impatience in the
young woman's hazel eyes, as well as the tight control Lissa
maintained over her emotions. She reminds me of someone else
I know, Rachel thought with a rueful smile, like Derek!
However, she said, "Very good. Now, I have a few other
questions. Do you feel up to answering them?" Lissa nodded
and Rachel continued, "All right, Derek has told me that you
have no memory of the shooting, which is normal for an injury
of this kind. What is the last thing you do remember?"
"Staking out a house from a room in the rectory of St.
Bartholomew's with my partner. The bishop offered us the
room, and of course, we accepted. She got us coffee, while I
watched the house. It took her about twenty minutes, and
when she got back, I asked her what took so long. She said
that she had been talking with Father Callaghan. Sandy said
she could understand why Pippa's friends called him Father
Whatapity," Lissa replied, then frowned.
"What is it, Lissa? What have you remembered?" Rachel
asked softly. The younger woman didn't reply right away, as
her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Rachel glanced over her
shoulder uneasily, wondering if she would need to call Derek
back into the room. She hoped not.
However, Lissa finally replied, "Dr. Corrigan, has
Father Callaghan ever gotten over that woman who hurt him?"
Rachel frowned, not understanding, and Lissa continued,
"There was a woman who apparently killed herself when Father
Callaghan became a priest. Has he forgiven himself yet?"
Rachel hesitated. She hadn't heard anything about a
woman before, but she really didn't have much to do with
Philip. And Derek had never mentioned anything. Lissa
continued before Rachel could answer, "Probably not. The
strong are supposed to protect the weak...but the strong
can't be responsible for that weakness."
"That sounds like something Derek's father might have
said," Rachel said, rage building inside her soul as she
thought of the man who had sired Derek...and who had killed
her mother, though by mistake. She continued, "How did you
know about this girl, Lissa? Did Philip tell you?"
Lissa actually laughed and replied, "Good heavens, no!
No, when Father Callaghan first arrived at St. Bart's, the
bishop took me aside and told me that this girl Ellen killed
herself shortly before Father Callaghan took his final vows.
The bishop kinda wanted me to look after Father Callaghan."
Rachel frowned thoughtfully as the girl's hands twisted
in the bedsheets. Then she remembered what Pippa had said
about Lissa staying away from Philip in general, and Derek's
comments regarding Lissa's shy reaction to the priest
earlier. Everything fell into place, and the psychiatrist
said, "Oh, Lissa. You're attracted to him, aren't you?"
Lissa smiled weakly and answered, "I didn't realize I
was so transparent. I should do better. Yes, Dr. Corrigan.
I have been from the moment I first saw him. He wasn't even
wearing a collar, but I knew the dark-haired young man with
beautiful blue eyes and shy smile was a priest. But for some
reason, that didn't stop me from becoming attracted to him."
"Do you think you knew because of your Sight?" Rachel
asked and Lissa shrugged. After a moment, the older woman
continued gently, "Lissa, what would you do about your
attraction if Philip had to leave the priesthood? I'm not
saying that's a possibility, or even a likelihood, but..."
"Nothing," Lissa said flatly, her eyes flashing. Rachel
wondered which nerve she had hit, and the young policewoman
continued, "Because even if the Church was foolish enough to
de-frock him, he would still be a priest in his heart.
That's who he is, Dr. Corrigan...what he is. If they took
that away from him...well, that would be very foolish of
them. And I will do nothing to jeopardize his commitment to
his vows. All I care about is his happiness."
Rachel was silent for a moment, then said softly, "You
must love him very much, Lissa." The young officer looked
away, giving the psychiatrist her answer. Rachel searched
for the right words...what did you say to a woman who loved
a man enough to keep silent about her feelings for him?
"My feelings are a moot point, Dr. Corrigan," Lissa
murmured, "now can we move on?" Rachel nodded, uncomfortably
aware of the direction the conversation had taken. As if to
emphasize that, Lissa added, looking up again, "I don't think
we want to address your feelings for Derek Rayne, do we?"
Rachel couldn't help herself...she laughed and
replied, "Touche! I begin to see where your sister gets her
directness. All right, we'll drop the subject...once I say
this. I know what it's like to have feelings for someone who
can't return those feelings, for whatever reason. So, if you
ever need a shoulder, I'm here. All right?"
Lissa nodded, smiling faintly. However, the
psychiatrist was certain that Lissa Reynolds would have a
very difficult time speaking to anyone of her feelings, even
to another woman. Rachel continued briskly, returning to the
business at hand, "Then it's time for us to move on. I do
have a few more questions for you about your family and such,
then I think you should rest for a while..."
When Rachel left Lissa's room fifteen minutes later, she
was frowning thoughtfully. Derek had been waiting outside
the room for five minutes, and he asked as she joined him in
the hall, "Does she have amnesia, Rachel? Can she remember
everything aside from the shooting?"
"Her memory is fine, aside from the shooting. I know
why she reacted to Philip's presence the way she did," Rachel
said. Derek looked at her, and Rachel continued, "She's in
love with him. She's always been attracted to him, but
somewhere along the line, she fell in love with him." They
were silent as Derek absorbed this revelation, then Rachel
asked, "How do you read her, Derek? What are you sensing?"
Derek replied, "Regret. Guilt. Rage. The last is
especially strong, but I'm not sure of the direction. Is she
angry with herself, her late father, or with the man who shot
them? William Reynolds was a terrible father to her, God
knows, but he was still her father."
"I believe it's directed at her father. Lissa tried to
keep the hatred from showing when she talked about him, but
it was there. I would hate to be the target of that anger
when it finally erupts, Derek...it will be devastating,"
Rachel answered. Derek nodded and the woman added, "How long
do you think it will take for her to remember?"
"You mean her past with us?" Derek inquired. Rachel
nodded and Derek shrugged, saying, "I don't know. Her Sight
may accelerate the process. I don't know if that's good or
not. As selfish as it sounds, I would like her to remember
soon. She meant a great deal, both to me and to Philip."
"Well, the two of you will have your chance to look
after her. It will be at least a month before she's ready to
go home. Over the next few days, as she can eat a little
more, we'll start exercises, so she build up her muscles
again. Start simple and go from there," the woman answered
and Derek nodded in understanding.
They were now in the control room and Alex was at her
computer. The young woman turned at the sound of their
footsteps and said with a troubled expression, "Derek,
there's something you need to know about Lissa, which Pippa
told me last night. Did you or Philip know that their father
abused Lissa?" Derek stiffened as they joined Alex.
"He abused her emotionally from the time she was a small
girl. I intervened on her behalf often...even Philip stood
up to William at one point, when he was about twelve. Do you
believe she was abused physically as well?" he asked and Alex
sighed, running her hand over her eyes. She sat back,
obviously waiting for something to come up.
"Derek, I have reason to suspect that William Reynolds
believed that Lissa wasn't his daughter. Pippa told me last
night that Wiliam didn't treat her the way he treated Lissa.
Aside from his charming little scare tactics, the ones which
caused her to get upset when you startled her last night, it
seemed as if he genuinely loved Pippa. But he seems to have
hated Lissa with a passion. The question is, why?" Alex
replied and Derek stiffened.
"Keep digging," he said slowly, returning his attention
to the young woman, "until you mentioned it, the possibility
that Lissa wasn't Reynolds' daughter never even crossed my
mind. But it all makes sense...his callous treatment of
Lissa, his cruelty toward Fiona. Yes, it all makes sense.
Find out her true paternity, if Reynolds wasn't her father."
Even as he spoke, Derek's mind whirled. Fiona Summers
had been his first lover when he was sixteen years old, but
there was no way that Lissa was his child. His tryst with
Fiona had occurred in June of 1969, eleven months before
Lissa's birth. Besides, the twenty-two year old Fiona had
been very beautiful, so Derek was certain that she had more
boyfriends than just William Reynolds, whom she was seeing
when she worked as the librarian at Derek's boarding school.
"That's the plan. I believe Reynolds hated Lissa's
natural father, so he transferred that hatred to the child.
I don't know about you, but I already like the man. From
what you've said about Reynolds, Lissa's real father must
have been a prince," Alex replied. Derek allowed himself a
smile, though he was worried. The young woman looked up at
him, adding, "Derek, if my theory is correct, I'm certain
that Lissa doesn't know the truth."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Alex," Rachel
replied, "I don't know Lissa as well as you, Derek, or Philip
know her, but she hated William Reynolds. She shows no sign
of mourning his death, and that's not normal. Even abused
children mourn their parents when they die."
"Alex is right. If Lissa knew Reynolds wasn't her
father, she would have corrected us when we referred to him
in that respect," Derek replied, then added, "Her lack of
mourning does concern me, but Alex is right. If Reynolds
wasn't Lissa's father, then she doesn't know about it."
Lissa fell asleep soon after Rachel's departure,
although it was troubled. Nightmarish images invaded her
dreams...images of hideous agony. One such image was of an
adored aunt who was killed when Lissa was only five. It was
this image awakened her, screaming. A pair of strong hands
held her, and a voice with a gentle Irish lilt exclaimed,
"Lissa! Elizabeth, it's ok, you're safe now! You're safe!"
Uncomprehending, Lissa stared into a pair of pale blue
eyes, then she realized that it was Father Callaghan who sat
beside her. She whispered his name and the young priest
nodded, relaxing his grip on her shoulders. Lissa murmured,
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I woke you. What time is it?"
"You didn't wake me, or anyone else...I was on my way
to the library, when I heard you scream. You were dreaming
of your aunt Alicia, weren't you?" the young priest asked and
Lissa nodded, swallowing hard. It didn't even occur to her
to ask how he knew about her aunt...it felt too good to
have his strength flowing into her.
"It was so horrible, Father Callaghan...I saw a
monster of some kind tearing my aunt apart, literally tearing
her apart!" Lissa whispered. She closed her eyes, trying to
shut out the image, but it only served to focus the picture
even more clearly. The young priest responded by drawing her
close, and to Lissa's shame, she accepted the comfort.
"I think you should call me 'Philip,' Lissa. All of my
friends do. And I'd like to believe that we can be friends,"
he said. Lissa rested her head on his shoulder. Friends?
With this man who had haunted her dreams from the moment she
saw him? Could she do that?
"I don't know," Lissa answered after a moment, "I don't
know if I can. It's easy to be friends with a priest when
they're the bishop's age. But you're my age, and good-
looking. I might forget that you're a priest and do
something I shouldn't. Then you'd never forgive me."
Philip Callaghan pulled away and said gently, "Do not
underestimate me, Elizabeth Marie Anne. We'll see how it
goes, all right? I am concerned about this dream, though.
Are you ok? I can get Derek...he knows about nightmares."
Lissa shook her head and Philip said, "Then I'll stay with
you until you fall asleep again. You need to rest." Lissa
nodded and closed her eyes, still clinging to his hand.
After Lissa drifted off to sleep again, Philip went to
Derek's office...his friend needed to know about Lissa's
nightmare. Derek was on the phone, but motioned Philip to
sit down while he finished his conversation, "That's fine.
You can tell me everything when I see you."
He hung up the phone and looked at Philip questioningly.
The priest said, "I just came from Lissa's room, Derek. She
had a nightmare about Alicia's death." Derek sat back,
obviously stunned, and Philip continued, "I would say she'll
start remembering more things about her past in the next
twenty-four to forty-eight hours."
"I think you're right. She's already remembered Alex,
but that's only remotely connected with the Legacy. Philip,
we must be ready. Once that protective wall she's built
around herself comes down, there's no telling what might
happen. I want you to stay close to her," Derek said and
Philip nodded. He had already decided to do that.
"I plan on it. I'm on my way to the library, so I'll
see you at lunch," the young man said and Derek nodded, then
Philip left the room. Before he went to the library, he
wanted to check on Lissa one more time. Philip shuddered.
He was surprised that no one else had heard her screaming.
The priest had rarely heard someone who sounded as
terrified as Lissa had just before he woke her up. Except,
he thought, when I first came to this House to live, and
Derek had one of his nightmares. That was frightening,
Philip recalled...but even Derek's terrified screams lacked
the sheer anguish he had heard in Lissa's voice as she awoke.
Derek sat in his office silently for several moments
after Philip left, then he rose to his feet and left the room
in search of Rachel. She needed to know about this
development as well. Derek had the feeling that she would
have the same reaction as he had to Philip's news.
At the same time, Derek couldn't stop thinking about
what Alex had said about Reynolds. He forced himself to not
think about the abuse, and instead, focused on the main
issue. Derek had never known Reynolds to speak kindly to
Lissa or be a loving husband to Fiona. He hadn't known the
man well, but often wondered why Fiona stayed with Reynolds.
He never asked her those questions, but Derek wondered
nonetheless. Just as now, he wondered about Lissa's
biological father, if he was not William Reynolds. Also, did
the man know he had a child, or had Fiona lied to him? The
late researcher for the Legacy had been Derek's friend, but
she had lied when she said that she loved Reynolds. Even the
teenage Derek knew better than that. Derek wasn't even sure
it mattered, but his instincts told him it did. And Derek
Rayne knew better than to ignore his instincts.
Kat had been excited when Philip told her that Lissa was
awake. She had never known anyone who had been in a coma
before, and she wanted to talk to Lissa...to see it was
like. She slipped quietly in the room where Lissa rested,
and was disappointed to find the lady asleep. I'll come back
later, the little girl thought, when she's not sleeping.
Philip said she needed to rest a lot.
Kat began to slip back out of the room, as quietly as
she had slipped in, but a husky voice from the bed murmured,
"You don't have to leave, honey...I've been resting for a
while now. Maybe too long. My name is 'Lissa,' by the way,
and whom might you be?" Kat walked back to the bed, and
discovered that the lady's eyes were open. She smiled shyly
at the lady, who returned the smile.
"My name is 'Katherine,' but you can call me 'Kat.'
You're Pippa's sister, aren't you?" Kat inquired and the lady
nodded. Kat continued, "I was here when they brought you in
the helicopter. I like Pippa, she's really nice. Mom says
that you were in a coma for a long time. What's it like?"
"I wish I knew...I don't remember anything. Just
fragments. You know, like when you dream," Lissa replied and
Kat nodded. The lady continued after a moment, her eyes
narrowing, "So you're Dr. Corrigan's daughter. She mentioned
you while she was examining me, something about Fath...
Philip kinda being like your big brother?"
Kat cocked her head to one side, then replied, "Philip's
my friend and I love him. So I guess that makes him my
brother." Lissa smiled again, and Kat wondered if it would
be all right to tell the lady about what happened to Philip a
few months earlier, since it wasn't all right to tell Pippa.
Telling Patti about what Senephra had done to Philip was one
thing, but Kat wasn't so sure about telling this lady. She
asked hesitantly, "Lissa, do you believe in ghosts?"
Lissa took her time in answering, but at last, she said,
"I believe there is a lot in this world which we can't
explain. Can you sometimes see people whom others can't...
people who really are there?" Kat nodded eagerly. Did Lissa
really understand? The lady said, "Tell me about it."
"A while ago, before Philip left...that made Derek
really sad...my friend Kelly came to the castle. She was
from ancient Egypt...her real name was 'Senephra' and she
couldn't find her way home. A mean priest killed her, so she
didn't like Philip, even though it wasn't his fault. She
made him fall down the stairs...I was so afraid she would
hurt him, so I told her I'd help her," Kat said in a rush.
Lissa's eyes darkened with sympathy and she said, "Oh,
honey, that must have been so hard for you! I bet you blamed
yourself, and thought that Philip wouldn't have been hurt if
you hadn't known Kelly." Kat nodded, wide-eyed.
"Both Mom and Philip told me that it wasn't my fault,
that Kelly would have done anything to go home...well,
Philip told me after he woke up. I was really scared, Lissa.
He was so still when he landed on the ground," Kat replied.
She was shaking once more as the scene re-played itself in
her mind...Philip tumbling down the stairs as she watched
in silent horror, too scared even to scream.
"I would have been very disappointed in Philip if he
hadn't told it that it wasn't your fault. And I'm sure you
were scared...it's not fun, watching someone you love very
much get hurt. I saw my aunt die when I was five," Lissa
replied and suddenly, she went very, very still. Kat stepped
closer to the bed anxiously and Lissa asked in a weak voice,
"Kat, sweetheart, can you get Derek or Philip for me?"
Kat nodded and ran from the room, frightened by the look
of sheer terror which had crossed Lissa's face. She had said
that she watched her aunt die when she was five years old.
Had her aunt's death been scary as well as sad? Kat didn't
know. All she did know was that Lissa needed Derek.
It took Derek longer to find Rachel than he expected.
She wasn't in the control room with Alex, where he had left
her, and she wasn't outside playing with Kat. At last, he
found Rachel in the study, looking over papers. She asked,
looking anxious, "What's wrong? Is Lissa all right?"
"I'm not sure," Derek admitted, sitting down beside her.
Rachel frowned, putting the papers to one side, and he went
on, "I just spoke with Philip. He told me that Lissa had a
nightmare...about Alicia's death."
Rachel sat up straight and gasped, "She's starting to
remember? Already?" Derek nodded, but before the
psychiatrist could say more, the adults were interrupted by
the piping voice of a child. Kat ran into the study, gasping
for breath. She made a bee-line for Derek, taking his hands.
"Derek, Lissa needs you!" Kat exclaimed, pulling him to
his feet, "C'mon, c'mon...Lissa says she needs to see you
right now!" Derek allowed himself to be pulled upstairs by
the little girl, Rachel close behind. When they reached
Lissa's room, Kat released Derek's hand and said, "I brought
Derek, just like you asked, Lissa."
Lissa was sitting up in bed, her face pale but composed,
and Derek went to her side. It wasn't until he reached her
side that the psychic could see the terror in Lissa's dark
eyes. He asked gently, taking her hand, "What is it, Lissa,
why did you ask Kat to get me?"
"I'm sorry...I panicked. I had a memory, a distant
memory, and it freaked me out," the young woman replied. Her
voice was steady, but her hand was cold. Derek tightened his
grasp, and Lissa continued, "I think it was pushed to the
surface by my nightmare. Did Fath...did Philip tell you,
Derek?" When he nodded, Lissa continued, "I witnessed my
aunt's death when I was five. We must have been up North,
because I saw something like Bigfoot attacking Aunt Alicia."
Derek's hand tightened on Lissa's, but he asked gently,
"What else do you remember, Lissa? Is it day or night? Take
your time...I know this is difficult for you." Lissa
closed her eyes, presumably focusing on the terrifying image
which had disturbed her sleep earlier.
"It's night...maybe eight or nine. I think it's
summer, because the sky is still light, and we're both
wearing light-weight clothes. Aunt Alicia is screaming
something...I can't make out what she's saying. But I can
feel...can sense her pain and terror and rage. Is she
angry about dying?" Lissa asked, frowning.
Derek had no answer for her. After a moment, the young
woman continued with a sigh, "I don't know where that came
from. The scary part, Derek, is that it feels like I was an
observer...looking through someone else's eyes. Dr.
Corrigan, what is that? Disassocation?"
"Perhaps," Rachel said and Derek turned to look at her
gratefully. The psychiatrist smiled and continued, "You were
a small child when your aunt was killed by Bigfoot, or
whatever it was, and witnessing that kind of thing can be
devastating even for an adult. For a child..."
"Rachel is right," Derek added, "you must not think
there is something wrong with you. Tell me...do you feel
better for talking about it?" Lissa nodded and Derek smiled,
adding, "Good. It's almost noon. Rachel, would you stay
with Lissa while I arrange for a tray to be brought to her?"
"Of course," Rachel answered, taking Lissa's hand
gently. The young cop was still trembling, but she was
composed and Derek felt certain that the young woman would be
all right with Rachel while he was gone. Still, he put a
gentle hand on her shoulder, drawing a faint smile from the
girl. Then he slipped from the room, followed by Kat. He
smiled at the child as they walked through the hall together,
and Kat returned the smile, though she looked worried.
It was decided that Alex would take Lissa's lunch to
her, since they had so much catching up to do. The dinner
table was quiet without Alex's animation, even with Pippa and
Kat's chatter. Derek and Rachel did little talking...not
even Nick seemed inclined to talk.
However, Nick finally commented to Philip, "Lissa is
even prettier when she's awake." The priest nodded and Nick
continued, "I've been wondering about something, ever since
Derek dropped his bombshell about how you and Lissa knew each
other when you were kids. What would have happened if she
had remained in your life, Philip?"
The priest shrugged and replied, "I don't know, Nick,
I've never really thought about it. When the months passed,
and I heard nothing from her, I pushed everything that dealt
with Lissa and her mother out of my mind. If you're asking
would I have still gone into the priesthood, then the answer
is yes. That wouldn't have changed."
"Mmm," Nick answered thoughtfully, "You don't think she
would have...?" He allowed his sentence to trail off, and
Philip looked at him, puzzled. After a moment, Nick's
meaning dawned on him, and he shook his head. The other
young man asked, "Are you sure about that?"
"Positive. She was ten years old the last time I saw
her, hardly interested in boys. On the other hand, she did
have a crush on Derek. She lit up when he smiled at her, but
then, he was always very gentle with her," Philip replied.
Nick nodded and the two young men lapsed into silence once
more, a silence which continued to the end of the meal.
"So you made your dreams come true and became a cop. I
knew you would," Alex said as Lissa sipped at her milk. The
younger woman smiled ruefully, pushing the glass away, and
Alex continued, "Hey, I think being a policewoman is noble!
You're out there making a difference."
"There are times when it doesn't feel very noble, Alex.
I used to work in the Crimes Against Children division...I
don't know if Pippa mentioned that. God, Xan, seeing some of
those kids...it breaks my heart. Most of the guys we
busted solicit very young prostitutes, some as young as Kat,"
Lissa replied and Alex closed her eyes.
But the young officer wasn't finished. She continued,
her voice tight with barely controlled rage, "There are some
really sick people out there, Alex. I've busted child
molesters, people who molest their own kids. Oh, and then
there was a the guy I busted a few months ago...I mean, a
few months before I was shot...who kept his niece in the
basement for three years, feeding her on bread and water.
You wouldn't believe her condition when we found her."
Alex shook her head, sickened, and Lissa closed her
eyes. After a moment, she continued, "I requested a transfer
after we prosecuted that sumbitch, and the chief approved it.
I was assigned to Vice, which is what I was doing when I was
shot. My partner, Sandy Horowitz, was pretty cool."
"Pippa mentioned that...well, that she couldn't
remember whetyer you worked in CAC or Vice. So it was CAC,
then Vice. She also said that you were sort of a consulting
psychic for Homicide. How did that come about?" Alex asked
and Lissa sighed, closing her eyes. Alex continued
anxiously, "You know, I can come back later."
"No, I'm fine. I'll be all right. I just prefer not to
talk about that situation. Maybe one day, I will...but not
now. Anyhow, I'm tired of talking about me...that's all
we've done since you came upstairs. I want to hear about
you, how did you hook up the Foundation?" Lissa asked.
"That's also another story for another day. I'm still
having a hard time believing that you're back in my life. I
looked for you when I arrived here...I remembered what you
had told me. And you were writing to me all along?" Alex
replied and Lissa nodded, tears appearing in her hazel eyes.
"I wrote you constantly...telling you about what
happened when I came home. I didn't get alone well with my
father, as I'm sure you remember. It doesn't matter now,
really, what I wrote. But I did miss you, and I was
devastated when I heard nothing from you," the younger woman
replied and Alex took her hand.
"I wish I'd know about those letters. And it matters to
me what you wrote. You've always mattered to me," the
researcher suggested and Lissa laughed. It was the first
sign Alex had seen of her roomie, and she continued, "Now
that's more like the Lis Reynolds I knew and loved."
"Lis Reynolds ceased to exist a long time ago, Xan, at
least on the surface. I don't know if she still exists on
another level...be patient with me?" Lissa asked and Alex
nodded. That was the least she could do. The young cop
yawned, then looked embarrassed. She said, blushing, "I'm
sorry. It's not the company, I promise."
Alex laughed and kissed Lissa's forehead, replying, "I
know that. I'll take this tray downstairs and let you get
some sleep. You're going to need all the rest you can get.
And I will tell you right now, Elizabeth Marie...I will not
allow you to push yourself to the point of collapse!"
Lissa rolled her eyes and answered, "Yes, Mother.
Whatever you say, mommy dearest." Alex laughed as she gave
Lissa a quick hug. The younger woman turned on her side, her
arms curling around the bear which still lay beside her. As
Alex picked up the tray and got ready to leave the room,
Lissa said, "Xan?" Alex turned and the cop said, "I'm really
glad I found you again."
"I'm glad, too. Get some sleep now...we have plenty
of time to catch up," Alex replied. Lissa nodded and lay
back down. Alex turned off the lights as she left the room.
Outside, she closed her eyes, fighting back tears. So much
time lost to them...but now, she and Lissa had time to
catch up. Alex would not squander that opportunity.
continue on to part seven