Dark Shadows 1. Chapter 1

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Children of Collinwood Chronicles

Chapter 2

Shadows Into The Looking Glass

Vicki felt the transition and was suddenly aware she was no longer in her body. The mirror showed her image and it was her body but it was not her body. She was a lot younger and those extra five pounds were nowhere to be seen. Reaching fingertips forward she furrowed her brow as she touched the image in the mirror before her. What had happened? The last she remembered was she had touched Jeanette as Logan tried to prevent her from helping her baby. Her baby was in pain and seizing and she had to do something. It was a multitude of screams of "Don't, No, and Not Yet!" That had gone over her head and brought her to where? She did not know this place. She was not in Vlad's castle she would have know the castle like the back of her hand. This was different and had a different feel. She was out of her element totally.

Moving to the balcony she cocked her head and peered around at her surroundings. This was not the lab, or like any place she had known. This was someone else's life and she was in another person's body. That person did look like her. Hearing the door open behind her she turned to peer at a man that looked like someone she should know. She was not sure whom he was but waited, her best tactic would be to listen and try to figure out what was going on. The man appeared to think he knew her so she would play along until she figured out what was going on and then make her plans carefully.

She could not contain her concerns for her daughters who had both suffered from this new element of their job. It was the same element that had now appeared to catch her in its existence and was obviously testing her resolved. '_Breathe Victoria, take a deep breath and watch and listen_,' she thought as she waited telling herself that perhaps something was going to be revealed by this self empowered man that now paraded before her. She looked at him impassively as he did his peacock dance and found him boring but somewhat amusing. "Now my dear do you like your room?" Vicki looked around and shrugged, "Its ok as far as rooms go. I have seen much grander accommodations by a Prince that had obviously a bigger principality than you."

Nicoli snapped his head back as if she had physically struck him. "Oh and whom might that be." His superior tones were boring her and she wondered who he was trying to impress her or him self? "Well to begin with, um what did you say your name was?" He was struck by such a change in attitude. "I am King Romanov and you are Queen Josephine my wife." Vicki held up her hand and the look she portrayed was a one of minor disbelief and sarcastic humor. "Well let me see, I am not Josephine Romanov, I am Vicki Collins, an I am married to Barnabas Collins. As for the home that held more opulence than these surroundings was Vlad Tepes, of Romania. He was not as pretentious as you, but he was impressive with his ability to lord his power and exert his presence over me. Much to his detriment I might add." Vicki moved to the bed and looked at it, punched it with her palms and then found it was comfortable enough and sat on its edge. "Oh do go on I think you were about to threaten me with something rather nasty and dire should I not blaa, blaa, blaa, whatever threat you have. " He looked at her in shocked silence.

"You are not Victoria Winters Collins! Madam who are you and what have you done with Victoria Winters Collins?" He was puffing up his chest and looked like he was about to explode. "My dear sir, I most certainly am Victoria Winters Collins. I have been Victoria Winters Collins for nearly thirty years." The self proclaim ruler was beginning to huff and puff and she knew he was about to explode from apoplexy, "Oh do quit doing that, you are going to hyperventilate and I am not going to pick your jelly butt off the floor." She stood and moved to the window and looked out to the gardens below. "And Vlad had much nicer gardens." Nicoli was beginning to find his temper reaching its limits. "What have you done with Vicki? I want my Vicki back." Vicki turned and laughed. "Your Vicki? I thought you said she was some lady named Josephine. Obviously you must be suffering some kind of god delusions and need to seek counseling dear boy, you are loosing it!"

Nicoli was about to explode as he did his stuttering "But , but, but, this is preposterous. I demand you bring Vicki back now!" Vicki cocked her head and smiled at his flustered mutterings. "Why so you can bully her? I must say I am glad I am me because I don't like bullies and do you know what else? I don't like you or your attitude!" She turned and moved past him. "I am hungry where is the kitchen." He watched her move past him with a flourish and stood watching her leave. "The very idea Tepes is a bounder and a poor excuse for a vampire and lives in a run down castle. Just who is this woman?" He turned and followed her out the door and watched her head for the stairs. "You, where is the kitchen!" She commanded one of his servants and followed them to the kitchen.

"Something is not right, she was so sweet and pliable. What happened, that woman is not the womanI had brought here from Martinique and there is no way she has been married to Barnabas Collins for almost 30 years, they were married barely a month ago. There is some shenanigans afoot and I will find out what is going on." He with what might be thought his tail tucked between his legs moved down the hallway and headed to the kitchen. "Well maybe she needs to feel my wrath and perhaps she would not be so flippant." He needed to calm his self before he faced her again and decided to go to the dungeon and play in his black arts room. Perhaps Diablos could advise him of what was going on and give him the answers he wanted.

Vicki finished her light snack of fresh fruit and stood. "How do I get to the garden?" The maid curtsied and nodded to the rear door, Vicki smiled her appreciation told her she had done a wonderful repast for her and complimented how pretty her eyes were. This immediately made her a hit with the kitchen staff. She wandered out to the garden and noticed the floral beds were very nice and sighed moving to the bench under a grove of cypress trees she seated her self in the gown and sat a moment. "Ok, now if I have the white power with the help of Michael in my realty. I wonder what deity here affords such powers and if they would help me?" Closing her eyes she began to chant softly, "Those that thrive for the truth and justice of what is right and not might, please appear to me." She waited and sighed, perhaps here in this reality, they did not have white magic to counter the black arts. She closed her eyes and sent her plea again, "For those here that thrive for the truth and justice of what is right and not might, please help this white powered witch out of her realm and element."

From behind she felt the air grow tense with static and the hair on her arm rise and she smiled stood and bowed her head to the presence that was appearing before her. A young lad with golden hair and blue eyes wearing armor that shone with the brilliance of the sun hovered before her. "Welcome white powered one, I am Gabriel the giver of gifts and the seeker of justice and truth." Vicki curtsied, "I am honored, you are very much like the one that guides me in my realm or realty." He nodded, "His name is Michael he is for you there what I am here." Vicki smiled and feeling very gratified that he would grace her with his presence. "I am unfortunately trapped here in another's body, and hope that there are efforts being made to get me home to where I belong and the Vicki of this reality back to her body." He drifted over and stood on the ground. "You are strong in your gifts so you must have been practicing them for a while."

Vicki nodded, for me a long time would be over 30 years for you that is a drop in the bucket." He studied her and looked impressed, "In your reality you were given a great gift of the guardian's light, here without my help you will not have that protection." Vicki smiled, "I do not plan to use it here unless I am threatened and there is a real need for it to be used. That is why I ask for a special dispensation for the gifts that were bestowed on me in my reality that if you find me worthy to grant me those very same powers here. Is there any plans to bring this Vicki here into the fold of the white empowered witches?"

Gabriel smiled as he rested against the stone bench. "She would have been empowered had this problem not arisen. She, like you has great potential." Vicki nodded, "I had hope that would be the case in this realty. It appears she like I was attracting dark powers that would threaten her family and those she loves. I only ask for the assistance until I can be returned to my reality." Gabriel thought a moment. "I will grant your request while you are here Victoria Collins, if you at anytime abuse those powers then I will have to take you before the council of white powers to decide if you should be stripped of your powers here". Vicki curtsied, folding her hands neatly in front of her and bowed her head. "I understand I have yet to abuse those powers in my reality I doubt I would do so here."

Gabriel moved and laid his hand to her head and Vicki could feel the empowerment of his touch as he granted her the power to practice her craft in this reality. After giving her the powers she requested, he lifted her chin and peered into her eyes and kissed her forehead. "I grant you the right to carry the guardian's light within you. Use it wisely." He stepped back and disappeared. Turning she felt a little more secure and then paused, "Sprits of the Elements, do you come to the call of the white powers?" Four male apparitions floated in and around her looking at her in curiosity. The male figure that had to be kindred to Sorcha floated to the ground and smiled, his eyes were as brilliant blue and his skin as tanned as Sorcha's "My lady Victoria, I am Archer. I am also the element that represents fire in this realty. We have been watching you. You have much grace." She smiled and bowed to him, "I am honored Archer, in my reality your sister is Sorcha. She is sister to me and Aunt to my offspring." He smiled and bow, "While here I shall be your brother and guide."

She watched as the male to Aerith moved to her side and bowed, then taking her hand he spoke softly and as he spoke the flowers and trees ruffled in excitement at his presence. "Shh my children, allow us to meet a sister that had been long awaited by us all. My dear Victoria I am your brother Byre I bring the beauty to the gardens and the green to the grass. I welcome you to our world." He bowed and Vicki thought he was the counter to her sister, with his brown hair with a crown of leaves in his hair and his clothing of the muted shades of the earth and leaves that surrounded them. Floating to the other side another form appeared and he was very much like Canice had and he settled next to her "I am Arius brother to you that touches the skin with the caress of a soft breeze, I bid you welcome." He was so much like Canice she could not help but smile, then he came, the one so like her sister Earwayna, he bowed and drifted to her side, "I am Pio, the brother of the water and bid you welcome as you stay here I pledge to help you if you should need me."

Vicki noticed the male counter parts to the elementals in this reality were as fey and delicately handsome as the females were in her reality beautiful. "I must say you all remind me of my sisters, Aerith, Canice, Sorcha, and Earwayna, where they are incredibly beautiful you all are extremely handsome thank you for the warm welcome." They all floated to stand before her and then knelt "We pledge our allegiance to our sister that is here to visit." Vicki nodded to each of them. "I thank you for this great honor and cannot tell you what a relief it is to have some friendly faces to look upon. I fear the man that claims to be king here is kind of odious and I think he has dabbled in the dark arts."

Arius nodded, "In deed he has and he has been most cruel to a lot of the populace here. He has had his dark master hold this country in suspension so that the time has not passed for many of those that live in the village it is as it was over 200 years ago which is sad. These people deserve a better leader with a kinder heart." Vicki smiled, "Well perhaps while I am here we can change some things. Perhaps make him see the error of his ways." All fou men looked excitedly at the thought then looked down and sighed. "But that would abuse your powers just given." Vicki shook her head. "No, my dear brothers, we will do it by acts of kindness. No need to use magic unless dark powers are being used against you." They all agreed and then hearing the approach of another human they began to disappear one at a time.

Nicoli came around the pathway and stopped looking at her standing in the soft sunlight, the very air around her seemed to be drawn into the vision she made as she stood with the glow of the guardian's power. He was struck by how the light affected her appearance to make her look more pure, more beautiful than he had thought. "My dear, perhaps we got off to a bad start. I would hope you would accept my deepest apologies." Vicki folded her arms and looked at him. "Prince Nicoli, we got off to a bad start because you took me from my husband while I was on my honeymoon and you are trying to convince these poor people that I am your wife Josephine Cristobel or whatever her name was. I know that woman lived over 200 years ago and was the cousin to Josette duPres Collins. How that poor woman was unfortunate enough to marry you I have no idea. As long as you understand, I am not Josephine, I am Victoria Collins we will have no issues."

He had listened to her lecture and sighed as he looked at her for a moment. "How can such a beautiful woman have such a mouth?" Vicki folded her arms over her chest and watched the peacock as he was starting to gear up for his tirade. "You would do well to just keep your mouth shut and do as I tell you. I am sure you would not appreciate me making your husband pay for you're over active mouth." Vicki leaned against the water fountain looked at him for a moment. "Fine, I will speak when spoken too, in public and I will attempt to be civil to you in public, I will even go so far as to grant you the leave to try and let these poor foolish people believe I am Josephine duPres, what I do not agree to is any private civil time, you have taken me by force from my honeymoon and you have now threatened me and my family."

"Nicoli Romanov you have no idea what you tempt by threatening me and those I love, I will if attacked protect myself. You do understand that I could squash you like a bug if I choose to do so? You are correct I am not that poor young woman that had the misfortune of being taken off her honeymoon to be brought here for your sick ruse you hope to pull off on your family. I am someone you have never had to deal with and pray you never do, my temper is far worse than anything you think you can do to me. Remember that well. Once I figure out how to get out of this realty I plan to make sure that the Victoria Collins in this realty knows as much as I do about the ways of the white powers."

Taking a deep breath she watched as he studied her and knew he had just found he had bitten off more than he realized and then she spoke of the mythical white power sources, she did have a brilliant glow to her body and she did seem to have more confidence and she had spoken of another reality. Until he could find a way to control her he would obviously wish to agree to her terms. "I agree." He spoke softly and she nodded, walked past him and said softly, "Wise choice, I make a very nasty bitch witch."

Logan held Jeanette in his arms. "What the hell just happened?" Jeanette looked over at the totally bewildered woman that now had control of her mother's body and she looked around at the room then to those that occupied that room. "Mother?" The Vicki of the alternate reality looked at the woman that had to be close to her age if not older and she was calling her mother. "Um no, who are you people?" Jeanette muttered under her breath, "Shit," Looking to Cameron, "Cameron, light sedate!" Cameron pulled Vicki to him muttering a soft chant he watched as the woman they all knew as Vicki's eyelashes fluttered and she collapsed into Cameron's arms. "Put her in the chair. " Jeanette moved out of the way and watched as Cameron laid her in the chair. "Well we have a major frack up now. My mother's consciousness is in her body and hers is in my mother's body. Now how do we handle this mess up?"

Logan sat back and looked from Jeanette to Vicki and sighed, "I am not sure how we can fix this one Nettie, looks like we need to figure it out as we go." Cameron jerked Jeanette to his body, "Not until she is cleared my med lab, she has been under and seizing, Josette is in a chemically induced coma. They are giving her time to heal before they bring her out." Jeanette turned to look at Cameron as he held her and she found he was not that magnetic as she had previously thought. If anything she was getting damn down right resentful because he was holding onto her so tightly. He disappeared with her and then reappeared.

"She is undergoing an exam now. Logan do not make me have to go to Damian to straighten this shit out. He will use it to his advantage." Logan shook his head. "No we won't need Damian but we will need to try and figure out how we can transfer the consciousness of this woman from Vicki's body back to hers and we may have to have them together when we do it. I just want to make sure Nettie is fine before we attempt it."

Cameron sighed, "How long will the exam take?" Logan shrugged, "Depends on what they find. It could be a few hours or it could be a couple of days." Cameron picked up his earpiece and moved to the door. "I am going to Collinsport and check things out. We have Intel that a big event is about to break loose and I know that Lydia called Aden around an hour ago to tell him she needed someone to meet her at the Sheriff's Department. So, I will go check it out, you contact me once you know what needs to be done." He turned and stepped through the dimensional door leaving Logan with the Cadet.

Logan turned at the open mouthed Cadet and spat out"What are you looking at? Go write up your report and bring it back to me to sign off." The kid looking wide eyed and shell shocked stepped back and started out the door. "Hey kid!" Logan called to him and he paused and turned to look back, "Good job." The boy smiled and then rushed out of the room. Truth be told all the rumors that had gone on around the department about Logan had him scared crapless and he was really intimidated by him. Hearing him say good job made this night better than average.

Cameron appeared in Lydia's empty office with a subtle flash, he sat on the edge of her desk and played with the Newton's cradle on her desk. He found it interesting to hear the metallic balls snap, click, and snap, click back and forth as he watched he could hear her in the outer office. "Right I need those results as soon as they come in Karen." She opened her door and stopped. "Hello Cameron." He glanced up from the cradle and smiled, "Hello Detective Patterson." She walked into the room. "Aden said you have something you needed to pass along." She moved to her desk and sat down in the chair listening as it gave a resounding loud squeal. "You need a new chair." He observed. She flopped down and sighed. "Yeah not in the budget." He slid off her desk. "So tell me what is going on?" Lydia looked at the cradle for a moment and then she sighed, "Collinsport, Logansport and Belmont are experiencing a baby boom." Cameron laughed, "Well it was a really cold winter."

"No Cameron, its young girls that are getting pregnant and they don't know how they got pregnant." Cameron laughed, "They don't know that having sex will make a baby at the right time?" Lydia was not sure how to get her point across. "No they know having sex will cause babies, but these girls are not remembering how they had or when they had sex. They are coming up pregnant. I also had reports of two of them giving birth to still born boys." The boys were put in the morgue and the baby boys are disappearing from the morgue." That did catch his attention and he shifted his arm exposing his bracer and typed in a few words and waited for the computer to come back to him with its results. "Well it sounds like a demon that is called an Incubus, they impregnate the women they give birth, the birth is always a boy and still born. The Incubus collects the still born and they keep them in hell until the age of seven when the child begins to breath and acts like a normal birth."

Lydia sat back and thought a moment. "So I guess I need to look for a Horney demon and by that I don't mean horns on the head but over sexed." He nodded "They usually are very good looking and charming and they target young fertile women and get them into bed and have sex with them, once they start having sex, they begin to manipulate the ovaries to expel an egg and then they get the young woman pregnant. Once the act is over they don't remember anything about what happened." Lydia frowned, "Then in essences they rape the women?" Cameron nodded; he stood and moved to the bulletin board that held a map of the entire city and county. "How many women have you estimated he has pregnant?" Lydia leaned forward and opened the desk drawer and pulled out a file. Opening the file she thumbed through the pages. "I have 12 reports for Belmont, 20 from Logansport and in Collinsport so far 10 reported assaults that have resulted in pregnancy." Cameron held out his hand. "Give me your reports and I will look into it for you."

Lydia looked up grateful as she handed the files over to him. "Look Lydia if you have an Incubus working the area, no woman is safe from him. You might see about posting a curfew and warn women about being out late and if a guy is too good to be true he probably is. I will go and see what I can find out and what the women that have been assaulted remembers." The sound of voices in the hallway brought a soft flush to Lydia's face. Cameron noticed her pulse had quicken at the sound of the male's voice and then he appeared in the door and stopped short, his smile froze as he looked from Lydia to the handsome man sitting on her desk. "Am I intruding?" Cameron stood and nodded to Lydia. "I will get back with you." He turned to face Gerard, "Cameron, a co worker of Lydia's." Gerard smiled and extended his hand, "Gerard Stiles, pleasure to meet you." The two men nodded to each other and then Cameron turned, "I will be back in touch Lydia once I track down this person for you." She smiled her appreciation as he left her office and disappeared from sight.

Lydia knew the minute he had left the office he had folded and was back at the SHADOWS operations center, she turned and smiled as Gerard moved to place a light kiss on her forehead. "Interesting man, co-worker?" She nodded, "Another agency, he kind of works with Josette and Jeanette through the Government Science program. And yes he is a very interesting man, I think he has the hots for Jobeth." Gerard moved his hip to the corner of her desk and watched as he played with her Newton's Cradle. "So you ready for lunch? I have had a busy day and could use a nice crab salad." He leaned over and planted a light kiss on her lips. "I would love to take you for lunch. Come on." He stood and waited for her to grab her jacket and he escorted her to the door. "I would like a little afternoon delight." He wiggled his eyebrows and she laughed. "Like I have time for that." She flushed deeply and he was enchanted by her modesty. "Perhaps some day you will have time." He chuckled as he led her to the door and out into the warm sunshine.

She led him over to her car and waited for him to get in. "Yah, well tell the criminals around here to slow down. Then I might be able to breathe and maybe could find time for that Afternoon Delight you are always talking about. I am beginning to think its Mrs. Miller's pie you are more interested in and not I." She smiled and he winked, "You never can tell, pie is good too." She put the car in gear and set it towards the Collinsport Café. "I am sure today its rhubarb pie." He wrinkled his nose and smiled, "Then I guess I will have to wait for my side order of you." She was starting to get uncomfortable with the nature of the talks and changed the topic. "So how goes the negotiations on the Egypt property for Quentin?" The rest of the drive was made mostly discussing his business dealings.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lydia enjoyed the light lunch she was having with Gerard and noticed that the café was slow on business. Glancing over she saw Maggie having dinner with Joe Jr. and waved. "Hey you two!" She smiled as she looked from Maggie to Joe. "Looks like business is really slow." Gerard looked from Maggie to Joe and waited patiently as she held her conversation. "Yes, well guess with the arrival of that ship this morning the towns people are more interested in that." Lydia looked confused, "What ship?" Maggie shifted. "Why don't you two join us? It is slow and I am sure Betty can wait on one table a lot easier than two tables. Unless you wanted to be alone." Gerard smiled and shook his head; "I can share my date with her friends. By the way Gerard Stiles."

He held out his hand and Maggie smiled, "Maggie Garner." She shook his hand and then Joe smiled, "Joe Haskell Jr.," he held his hand out and then stood, "If you will excuse me a moment Mom, I need to call the office and check on things." He bent and kissed her cheek then stepped back, he was not about to tell her the ship that had just turned up and floated into port this morning was the one his father had went missing from almost 20 years ago.

"Oh Gerard, Maggie's husband is also an attorney. He has a practice here in town." Gerard watched Joe stand and leave and turned to look back at the pretty auburn haired woman sitting at the table. "Oh by any chance is it Frank Garner?" Maggie brightened and her smile lit up her face as she nodded, "Why yes it is." He looked at Joe in the lobby, "And your son's name is Haskell?" She sighed and looked down a brief moment of sadness crossed her lovely features and a tinge of sadness edged her beautiful brown eyes. "My husband was lost at sea some years ago, and I met Frank when Joe was barely six years old. He offered me a job and well after five years we had Joe declared dead. I later married Frank. I understand you are Quentin Collins attorney?" He laughed, "Word travels fast in these here parts." She laughed, "Well this use to be the hub of the gossip and the Blue Whale not much went unnoticed."

Gerard looked at the cute waitress as she came over with her notebook "What can I get you to drink?" She smiled as she looked over where Joe stood on his phone call. Lydia thought a moment, "How about a soda with ice Betty." Gerard smiled charmingly and said, "I would love a cup of coffee black." She looked to Maggie, "Oh Joe and I both will have a soda too." She nodded handed out menus and left them to look them over. Joe moved back into the room sat down next to his mother and sighed. "So, what sounds good for today?" Lydia had been looking at her menu and smiled, "I am going to have soup and salad, I thought the clam chowder and then crab salad." Maggie wrinkled her nose and laughed, "That does sound good." Joe frowned and looked at the menu, "I am going to have a steak and baked potato and then maybe a house salad." Gerard laughed, "Sounds like a man after my own heart. Steak potato and salad, will give me a boost to get me through the day."

Lydia laughed, "Men they have to have their meat and potatoes." Maggie nodded, "I found with boys that the more meat the happier they are." Betty had written down their order from the counter what they had wanted and put in their order. Moving over with their drinks and salads for the men and soup for the women she looked to Lydia. "How are things down at the cop shop?" Lydia sighed, "It's been really busy lately. We still have three active murder investigations going on and State has offered to give us a couple of officers to help while our second shift boys are off on sick leave." Betty stood and shook her head, "Its hard to believe a bear could do as much damage as was done to Rucker's that night." Lydia felt uncomfortable with the subject. "Yeah, I know but it may have had rabies so they think it went berserk and just tore the place up." Betty nodded, "So what about your brother, he really must be busy, we have not seen him I here much, he used to come by and have breakfast every morning."

Lydia shook her head "No big mystery there, Connie is on second shift this month so she is home and able to fix his breakfast for him. I am pretty sure he will be back next month when she goes back on first shift." Betty chuckled, "I see home cooking will always tear them away from here. Things have been so slow that I am almost going broke. No tips to speak of and things are tough now that I am pregnant." Lydia tensed and looked to Betty, "Betty, I thought you were going to wait until you were married before you, well you know did the ugly dance."

Betty flushed, "Truth be told I did not think I would be able to get pregnant and well I guess I should have used a better method of birth control." Lydia would take this up with her later this was not the venue or place to be discussing such things. "Well congratulations honey. I hope your pregnancy goes well for you." She smiled brightly and nodded, "Thanks Lydia so do I." Hearing the ding of the service bell she smiled, "Foods up be right hack." Lydia had grown silent after receiving this news from Betty; the conversation between Joe and Gerard had gravitated towards the mundane topics of the sale of fish and the cost of canning them and how Collinsport had always depended on the cannery and its business to keep the town alive.

Maggie had briefly talked about Frank and their other son that was going to be joining the firm as another attorney. Gerard had commented on Carolyn being married to Tony Peterson another attorney. The conversation was becoming more about the types of cases that were mostly prevalent in Collinsport as Betty delivered the lunch. Lydia had sat listening quietly her gaze shifting to Betty then back to her soup and when her salad came she played with the food on her plate. Betty had been a sweet girl barely nineteen and the last Lydia had heard she really was not seeing anyone steady. She nibbled the salad and finally her distraction was apparent enough to draw comment from Gerard. "Hey sweetie, what is going on you said you were hungry and you have barely touched your salad." Lydia smiled and looked apologetically, "Sorry, I was just thinking of that bear." She took another bite and chewed slowly. The pressure in the room changed as the door to the outside opened and a gust of wind blew in.

"Crap feels like another storm headed this way." Maggie had thought about the weather when they had first come through the door. "I thought I saw a cloud bank earlier." Looking up Lydia saw her brother as he entered the room. Seeing her immediately he moved to her and then stopped seeing Joe and Maggie. "Lydia I need to see you in the hallway." Lydia stood up, sipped her drink and smiled at those at the table. "Excuse me I guess its official business." She had closed her fingers around "official" as quotes and turned to follow Thomas into the main hallway of the Inn. So what is up brother?"

He looked over her shoulder to Maggie and Joe sitting in the café. "I need you to go down to the pier and talk to the Chief of the Coast Guard cutter and see what they have on the Maggie Mae." Lydia frowned, "What do you mean the Maggie Mae? She has been missing for over 20 years." Thom leaned over and whispered in her ear. "No Penny, she was towed into the harbor this morning. They found her just drifting about 40 miles out at sea. The hurricane hunter planes were flying out to check that depression and they found her just adrift. I need to know if they have any idea how that ship that has been missing for 20 years has suddenly just turned up with no damage forty miles off the coast line." Lydia nodded, "Okay, you going to tell Maggie?" He looked anxiously over to where Maggie sat with her back to him and Joe looked over and closed his eyes.

"Joe knows and I am going to have to have more information before I tell them about the Maggie Mae." Lydia nodded, reaching into her pocket she pulled out a ten. "Give this to Betty for the meal and a tip. I will go on down, you may need to give Gerard a ride back to his car." She turned and left out the door headed to the pier. Thomas moved in and took her seat. "Sorry, I had to send Lydia on information trip." Joe had ducked his head and looked down at his plate. "Is it about the Maggie Mae?" Which Maggie immediately snapped her neck up and looked at her son. "The Maggie Mae?" Joe looked over to Thomas for some help. Thom took a deep breath and said softly, "Maggie, they found her and that is the ship that was brought in by the coast guard this morning. We are not sure what is going on or if this is Joe's ship but it does look like it and well we all are kind of just stumped by the whole situation. I sent Penny down to get us some answers from the Coast Guard." Maggie felt a sting of tears as she sat back her appetite now gone.

Betty walked over to the table with a cup in a saucer and a pot of coffee, "Sheriff, staying for lunch?" Thomas looked down at his sister's meal and frowned, "Not right now Betty, how about boxing this up and I can take it back for Penny. She had to make a run and wanted me to give you this for tip and meal." Gerard took the ten and handed it back to Thomas. "Give that back to her, I am buying lunch today for everyone."

He reached in his jacket and pulled his wallet out and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill. "Here Betty this should cover all our meals and a nice tip." Her face flushed as she saw the big bill and nodded. "Thank you Mr. Stiles that is very nice of you. You have no idea how much this helps me out." Gerard folded it into her hand and smiled charmingly at her. "Think nothing of it." Thomas glanced over to Gerard and looked down at the last of his steak. "You know Betty that steak dinner looks mighty nice, why not fix me up one to go and I can eat it at the station later."

Jason Patterson drove down the main street of Collinsport and seeing Thomas truck stopped in front. Getting out of his truck he looked up at the green in the cloudbank moving in. "Crap hail too." He moved up to the front entrance and entered the main hallway of the Inn and moved into the dining area. "Hey Thomas got a minute?" He moved up nodded to Maggie and Joe then nodded to Gerard. "Looks like green in those clouds means we got hail mixed in with it."

All eyes turned to peer out the front window of the café. "This is more than just a cloud bank of rain. There could be some funnel clouds in that mess heading this way." As if on cue to that prediction the sirens went off alerting the diners to severe weather. Betty moved to pull the hurricane shutters close over the windows. Jason sighed, "Looks like we are going to be stuck here." The residents of the inn were being evacuated to the café and the room started to fill up. Thomas stood up and nodded to the interior wall. 'We should get everyone down in the cellar." Jason nodded, "I got it covered Thom you go on and take care of whatever you were going to do before I got here."

Thomas shrugged," I was waiting for some dinner to take back to the station. Turning to Joe he asked,, "Do you think you can help Jason get everyone downstairs in the cellar?" Joe nodded, "Come on Mom." He helped his mother stand. "Jason, I am going to get in the car and make sure we don't have any vagrants walking the city while this mess is headed our way, you take care of the guests here and I will swing back by." Reaching on his back hip he pulled his walkie-talkie off and handed it over to Jason.

"You can call me if you need me" Jason stood and started herding everyone to the cellar. Joe stepped up and began helping the older residents down into the large basement area under the inn. Guiding them to the area against the interior wall, he found old chairs and rugs for everyone to get comfortable. Thomas sighed and looked at the sky as he exited the inn and shook his head. "I really don't need this crap right now Mother Nature." Crawling into his bronco cruiser he started the vehicle and putting it in gear just as the weather vane from the top of the Inn flew off the roof and landed in the front of his grill. "Shit." The vehicle began to steam as the radiator was struck." Getting out, he took his foot to kick the damn thing out of his grill and felt more debris being flung his way. Diving to the interior of his truck he watched one of the two hundred year old land marks that was the gazebo on the square get pulled up and shattered into splinters. He actually felt bad about the gazebo; it had been there since he could remember.

Trying to avoid any further flying debris he crawled into the front of his cruiser. "Karen, its Thom, I need a tow truck in front of the Collinsport Inn and have one of the day shift guys meet me with another car here." Karen acknowledged and Thomas sat back in his cruiser and watched as the hail arrived. He felt so frustrated as he sat in the middle of Main Street with his car pinned to the ground by a flying rooster weather vane. The hail came with a vengeance as it pelted his car and from the size of the hail he was sure that if it came down any harder he would very well have dents and broken windows from the onslaught. Then he heard it, the sound of a freight train and it looked like it was bearing down on him. Throwing his body into the floor board of his car, all he could do was hang on and ride it out as the wind picked his car up and began to rock and throw him about like a rag doll inside his vehicle. When the twister finally put him down he had been tossed on the side and through Peterman's' drug store.

Kicking his door open he half crawled and half fell out of his car. "Hello Richard? : The front of the store had been decimated by the arrival of his car through both glass windows. " Peggy!" He could hear Richard David calling for his wife Peg Davis. Stepping on overturned shelving and broken bottles he looked around at the destruction the tornado had just caused. "Richard! Its Thomas Patterson!" He had called out to the frail sounding older man that had run this store since his Grandfather Jack Peterman had died forty years ago. "Thomas, I can't find Peg, she is buried in here somewhere!" Thomas began to shuffle through the over turned shelves when he heard a soft moan. Rushing to the area he had sought the sound he found Peg Davis under several shelves and the counter. "Richard run across the street to the Inn, Jason is there and I am pretty sure he has a medic kit in his truck, tell him that Peg is hurt!" The older man hobbled out of the door in time for Thom to see he had a chuck of splintered wood stuck in his thigh.

Thomas stopped him, "Richard why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" He moved the old man back to sit with his wife. "Stay here I am going to get Jason." Richard looked at Thomas, "I figured I was in better shape than you." Thomas did not know what he was talking about as he moved through the door headed to his brother's truck and to find his brother. Jason exited the inn and seeing his brother rushed to his side. "Damnit Tom, sit down you got a big gash on your head!" Thomas pushed him away, "No go help Peg and Richard, they are hurt worse than me." Jason pulled the wooden planks from his truck and reached in to get his medic bag. "You sit down and I will be back for you. Here" He handed his brother the walkie-talkie he had just given him earlier. "Call in for rescue squad to meet us here."

Thomas looked up to see the wrecker and day shift court officer driving up with one of the squad cars. He looked at his boss and rushed to him. "Damn Thomas we gotta get you to the hospital." Thom shook his head. 'No Peg and Richard need to go worse than I do. You need to go help Jason, I am going to sit here for a few minutes." Penrod shook his head. "Sheriff you have a split head and its bleeding pretty good." Thomas sighed, "If we transport we gotta transport Richard and Peg too." Penrod took Thomas by the arm and led him back to the squad car. "You wait here I will go get Jason, Richard and Peg." Thomas set down in the car closed his eyes and knew nothing else. He slipped into that abyss of darkness that was blissful.

Lydia arrived at the pier in short order and a head of the storm, seeing the green and noting the rotation of the clouds she moaned. Moving quickly towards the Harbor Master's room she was met by David Hornby, "Come on Penny we gotta rush we have a twister headed this way." He snagged her arm and guided her towards the storm shelter near the docks. She along with the others were being hustled along as the heavy pelting hail hit them and as they cleared the docks Lydia turned to see the twister set down near the inn. "Shit, Thom is over there!" She was grabbed and forcefully jerked into the shelter the door being slammed shut, as they stood huddled together listening to the wind and the sounds of a freight train moved overhead. "You know this is happening because of the ghost ship."

Lydia turned to peer at David, "What Ghost Ship?" David dropped his voice the seafarers were already mumbling about ill luck with an ill wind. "The Maggie Mae showing up like she did and in pristine condition like she had just set sail this morning. They are all worried about it being a bad sign and bad luck coming to pay a visit. " Lydia rolled her eyes. "That is just old wives fish tales and they know it. There has to be a perfectly good reason for that ship to be where it was when it was and now its home. Maybe we can get forensic to go over the ship and tell us what happened."

David shook his head. "You can't take the old wives tales out of the old fishermen. You know that Penny. The Coast Guard was going over her pretty much most this morning when they brought her in and there was word that they found dried blood on the ship and I ain't talking about a little bit of blood but a lot of blood. Other than all that blood on the ship, the ship is pretty much the way she was the day she set sail. I am telling there was nothing wrong with her even down to the paint. Twenty years at sea and nothing wrong accept a bunch of blood. Even her paint looks new." Lydia looked interested and confused. "You are saying it looks just like she left port yesterday or this morning?" David nodded and looked around. "They are saying the ill wind comes with the Ghost Ship."

Lydia stepped back and glanced around at the nervous men as they waited for the all clear. "Is the Chief still around so I can talk to him about what they found?" David nodded, "They were staying here until they got some specialist in to go over her from stem to stern." Lydia rubbed her forehead as she thought about this newest mystery of the Maggie Mae. That coupled with her over sexed demon getting the women pregnant she thought she should contact Aden with SHADOWS and see if they could help with the mystery that was the Maggie Mae.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Professor Stokes was waiting patiently for Hallie to complete class when the alarms in the school began to alert teachers to the approach of bad weather. Hallie waited for the alarm to silence, turned to her class smiled tensely, "Ladies and Gentlemen shall we all adjourn to the safe shelters. Ladies to the girls bathroom, Gentlemen to the boys restroom, lets leave in an orderly fashion." She stepped aside as the students gathered their books and filed out of her classroom. Where Elliott met her and fell into step next to her. "Hello Uncle Elliott what brings you here?" She walked slowly for he elder Uncle to maintain a comfortable pace with her as she followed her class to the restrooms in the middle of the hallway. Stepping into the alcove she opened the doors, "All right ladies sit down against the wall and assume the position." Elliott opened the door to the men's restroom, 'Gentlemen, on the floor and assume the position."

This was a time-honored tradition of severe weather alerts as they had practiced for years. Elliot listened as the wind rose and then he sound of the freight train. "Dear girl, you should assume the position in your restroom I do believe this is not a practice drill." He watched as his niece moved into the girls lavatory while he ducked into the men's and slide to the floor to cover his head as the tornado tore off half of the buildings roof and send insulation, ductwork and electrical wiring showering down on a series of screams of freight and calls of "God Help us!" Hallie had thrown herself over the first three girls that had selected a place by the door and caught the brunt of the roofing material on her back pinning her and them to the floor.

The girls under her began to scream for help, which elicited the boys in the men's restroom to jump up in heroic fashion and try to push open the door, to find it blocked by Hallie and the roofing timbers. "Guys, come on the ladies are in trouble!" The first male member of the football team arrived to strong arm the door open. "Someone call the paramedics, we have injuries!" One of the girls from the basketball team looked at the other girls, "Come on we have to get the door cleared so they can get in to help Mrs. Collins." The girls tried to move one large piece of timber blocking the door. Professor Stokes realizing what they were trying to do called in, "Find an object that you can use to lever the timber out of the way." Judy Fagan looked around and sighed, "We don't have anything!" She was feeling helpless and was trying to keep the confusion down, when a figure in grey sensor covered suit and face mesh mask and long black duster styled coat appeared in the room. His rough voice ordered in menacing tones. "Move!" He stepped into the middle of the debris and lifted the one offending piece of timber from the backs of the four women that lay on the floor. Bending down he checked Hallie as he pulled one girl at a time out from under her body.

The girls looked on in shock at such a strange looking figure that was pulling them from danger. Quickly, he reached for a two short piece of flat timber; whipping his mask off and binding the timbers to immobilize her neck he used his mask by binding the flat 2x4's to her head Satisfied that he had her neck stable; he braced her body with his wide strong arms. Stepping back he called, "Fold now." Hallie and the extremely good-looking young man disappeared to the astonishment and amazement of the girls. As the door's intrusive blockage was removed, the door was thrust open by three of Collinsport University's football team. "Judy!" The tallest one of the three moved in looking around for the pretty brunette who was also his sister. Judy rushed to her brother's embrace burying her face in his letterman's coat. "Todd, thank god! Mrs. Collins was injured pretty bad and some guy just appeared rescued her and took her."

Todd Fagan looked around the room and saw the destruction that had to be very traumatizing for all of them and then noticed three other girls still lying semi conscious on the floor. "Look sis Naomi Spencer needs your help. " She turned to see the pretty little blond lying with her eyes half open and moaning softly from a head wound. Judy turned and seeing her friend pulled away from the strength of her brothers secure hold and knelt by Naomi. "Lisa, towels from the dispenser, hurry up." She began to put forth the many hours spent in labs at the local hospital to do what she had gone to school to learn. The other two girls that had enrolled on the nursing lane snapped to and began to move as they had seen Constance had trained them for the various emergencies that had come into the emergency room.

Professor Stokes looked around and not seeing any immediate need of his assistance began to set up a triage area in the hallway. "Boys, find door's to use as stretchers. Go check the other class rooms make sure there are no other injuries." His authoritative voice brought reason to an area that was obviously filled with fear, confusion and shock. "See if you can find coats! Blankets anything to use to cover victims that are suffering shock." Stokes watched as total chaos and confusion became a bustle of activity of efficiency. Feeling the adrenalin beginning to subside, Elliott leaned heavily against the wall. Todd seeing the retired Professor looking a bit grey and tired, rushed to bring him a chair, sliding him into the chair Elliott peered up gratefully then slumped unconscious in the chair. Todd caught him before he slid to the floor. "Judy! Lisa! Man down!" Judy turned from applying the last of the bandages to the minor injuries and looked at the slumped old gentleman. "Shit!" She moved to his side and tried to find a pulse. "No pulse, check his breathing." When once again the mysterious man from earlier appeared this time with two more peculiarly dressed individuals. Each wearing meshes covered facemasks and sensor covered booties.

One was a female and she like the others was dressed with the same duster type coats bent to the professor. "Nurse Nancy?" The female removed her facemask and looked at the Professor, running experienced fingers over his body then checking his breathing, she then listened for his heartbeat. Reaching into her bag she pulled out a white clip that looked very much like a clothespin only with a thick wire. Looking down in her bag, she called, "Prepare to shock, once we stabilize prepare to fold." The assistant looked around. "What about the others?" She snapped, "They are going to be fine mostly superficial." She glanced at Judy. "You, come here." Judy moved forward afraid not to and watched. "As soon as we shock him, you begin CPR if we do not attain sinus rhythm." She noted his breathing was abated, she reached to the medic bag she had brought out oxygen and then snapped her fingers to the other assistant and he handed her a compact oxygen tank. Slipping the oxygen mask over his face she turned and took a small hand held device and placed it to his heart. "Clear!" She pressed a button on her armband and the Professor's body jerked and she checked. "CPR now!" Judy rushed forward and began CPR. "Fold" All three encircled Elliott and Judy folding themselves over the two civilians and disappearing from sight.

Lisa and Todd witnessed the fold and the three mystery figures one of which was called Nurse Nancy. Which by Todd's standards was a totally hot babe and wished he had gotten her number. "Um what the hell just happened?" Lisa looked at where Professor Stokes, Judy and three strangers had just appeared and disappeared. "The same thing that happened earlier with Mrs. Collins." Todd moved to the area and moved his hand over the area and looked at the hair on the back of his hand as it raised and stood on end. "Residual field of some kind." He looked back to Lisa. "I am not sure how we are going to report this." Lisa shrugged. "I am hoping we see them again." Todd moved around the room. "Where did they go?" Lisa moved to stand next to Todd, "More to the point how did they go?" Todd turned as the Red Cross appeared along with officials and began to transport injured. Todd turned to Lisa, "How do we explain it." Lisa shrugged, "Maybe we don't and we wait to see if they were abducted by aliens?" The discussion had no further impetus as they were drafted to help the injured and directed to the EMS people that appeared on scene

Hallie lay on the med lab exam table as two doctors and four Nurses worked around her repairing a torn artery and punctured lung. In her haze of pain and delirium she glanced around and noticed these were not doctors from Collinsport and they were obviously from a more advanced surgical service. The surgical clothing was far different than anything she had ever seen and before she could process it she was under and knew nothing else until she awoke in the Collinsport Hospital lying on a cot in the hallway along with several other victims of the tornado. She closed her eyes and sighed, she had been in such pain earlier and now she felt better and tried to sit up but found she was strapped to the gurney. "No Mrs. Collins lie still, you had a back and neck injury and we have to send you to x-ray." She was gently pushed back down on the cot and her arm was patted with sympathy.

Looking around she saw Judy standing next to the cot that held her Uncle. She began to grow concern until Judy came to her side. "Its okay Mrs. Collins. Your Uncle is fine, he had a light heart attack and they are going to keep him for observation. Judy knew he had a heart attack they had been transported by some means to an advanced hospital where they group moved in precision to repair the aneurism in his chest and brought him back to life in little time. She thought she had been with an advanced trauma team and found she had even been useful to their attempts to save Elliott Stokes. She must have impressed someone because they had said something about doing an erase on her and then said, wait orders were she was to be recruited and then she was back here standing with Professor Stokes in the hallway and then she saw Hallie. She smiled as she comforted her teacher and reassured her that everything was going to be fine.

In the field JB Collins was working hard with Logan and Cameron to seal the breach in the hellmouth. The tornado had been summoned by a chaos demon that had escaped and now he was pursuing this demon through the damaged buildings that were destroyed by the storm. JB had him in his sight and was about to corner him when he just disappeared. Calling in his location to his two other members, he was about to fold out when he felt his feet slip out from under him and he was tumbling head over hills down a hole and into a underground chamber. Stunned and confused he stood and got his bearings and looked up to where he had made his entrance and was about to fold out when he heard of all things crying, the crying of several babies. Moving on more sure footing he made his way to the inside chamber and came up short and astonished. "Holy crap!" He looked around at basinet upon basinet of babies. At his first count he numbered them at twenty-five newborn baby boys. "What the hell?" He called off to Cameron and Logan. "Loc and back up." He waited as Logan then Cameron appeared beside him and they turned and looked at the babies lying in their basinets all crying and all wanting attention.

Cameron stepped to the cribs and looked at each child. "All boys." He looked around and sighed. Then looking into a darker chamber he moved in and looked upon cylinders that looked like birthing tubes. "Gentlemen, I do believe we have uncovered the nest of an Incubus." Cameron keyed in the location and looked around. "You want to wait here for the clean up team to come and collect these young boys?" JB walked around looking at the baby boys thinking they all looked identical. "I will wait you two go on and find Oscar I am sure he is about to create more havoc than he already has." Cameron nodded and looked to Logan, "Oscar has to go. You ready?" Logan nodded and together disappeared leaving an unearthly and unnerving calm as the baby's began to quit crying and were looking around at the arrival of humans.

From the depths of the darkest tunnel an unholy screamed emitted and echoed through the chambers as malformed and hunched over crones moved into the room looking at the babies. JB slipped back into the shadows and watched as the perception of what witches truly looked like moved in tattered clothing around the basinets calming and soothing the infants. The mothering creatures repulsed JB as they stroked the baby's faces with their talon like nails on their fingers. Sliding deeper in the shadows he spoke softly into his transmitter, "Collins to Clean up team, you have five crones with the babies, I would bring a strike team." The clean up team consisted of ten cadets in biohazard sensor suits with plastic view helmets. They turned as JB advised they were about to fold into a group of Harpy Crones and they were anxious. They had no combat training and turned to the team leader. "What do we do?" Aden moved into the room, "You wait we have team four activated." The team leader sighed grateful that he had taken the decision away from him.

On the surface of the streets of Collinsport, Logan located the chaos demon and signaled Cameron. They flanked the demon that stood almost a good eight feet tall was black as pitch with patches of fur and feral yellow eyes, the face could have been a face only a mother could love as he sniffed the air threw his bulbous head back and howled in delight at all he had done. His shoulders hunched over were massive. "I ain't gonna try to kick its ass are you?" Logan offered his two cents and Cameron thought a moment. The demon sniffed the air and twitched its back muscles that rippled. Cameron got the most delicious idea and turned to Logan, "Nope I say we open a dimensional door to about a mile up over the ocean, he steps through plummets and before he hits the water we open a slip stream to the first hell let him give Beelzebub some headaches." Logan smiled, "I like the way you think. Okay ready?"

Cameron began to move his ingers and where the demon had stood he felt his body slip through the gaping maw of a hole and suddenly he was coming through a door in the sky over the water. He howled, growled and then to the amazement of Logan he was sure he had just farted Logan turned to Cameron, "Rude much?" Cameron laughed, "Well it was better than scaring the . . ." And the creature was about 10 feet away from impact when Logan smiled, "Allow me." He opened the door to the slip stream and Cameron directed the stream to the first hell. "You were saying?" Logan looked at Cameron, "Better than scaring the shit out of him?" Logan laughed, "Hey did you hear JB's transmission?" Cameron nodded, "Want to go see if we can help?" Logan thought a moment, "Let me see, twenty-five screaming demon babies having their teat ripped from them? Nope I will pass." Cameron nodded, and turned with his partner, "I second that. Let pretty boy handle it from his end, he lost Oscar and that left us some wasted time."

Logan looked at his partner, "No you didn't just say you would punk one of our team mates." Cameron shrugged, "I have some women that I need to hunt down and talk to." Logan sighed, "In other words you want to see if Jo is out of the coma?" Cameron punched Logan's arm, "Oww what was that for?" Cameron shifted and left behind a dark chuckle. Logan rubbed his arm. "Pushy punch if you ask me." He turned and stepped into the door and was gone. The old town drunk Otis Seymour had watched the two oddly dressed men fight what looked like an oversized version of his ex-mother in law and searched for his bottle found it shattered under some boards. "Great," he kicked a board and sent it flying to dislodge a full bottle of Jim Beam that had landed in the tree over head, he looked up to see the bottle coming right at him, "Oh Sweet Annie, no!" He caught the bottle looked at the sky, "Thank you!" Hugged the bottle close and moved to find a good place to stay warm, dry and drunk. He felt no one should have to witness his ex mother in law fall from the sky to disappear and then two men just be swallowed up by space.

Lydia looked around at the destruction that had been a tornado hitting her small town and sighed, "I could hope they station was taken in the storm and then maybe we could justify a new one." She muttered as she picked her way around the debris that had blocked the entrance to their storm shelter. Looking around she noted the pier had managed to survive the rampage of the storm and was grateful that no one in her general area was harmed. Moving to the docks she looked for the cutter and saw it had pulled out to sea and was making port. "Must have thought to outrun the tornado by getting out to sea." Ben nodded. "Makes sense I would have done the same thing." The radio in Lydia's car was going nuts. "Lydia, are you out there? Are you ok?" Karen was stressed but trying to maintain her calm. Lydia sighed looked at the cutter then at her car. "Ben, will you let Chief Orman know I need to talk to him. I probably need to go make like a real cop and do some rescue stuff." He smiled kissed her cheek. "You be careful P.P. Don't make Uncle Ben unhappy." She smiled as the Harbor Master called her by his pet name for her since she was six. "Ok Uncle Ben." She moved to her car slid behind the wheel and keyed the microphone. "Lydia to HQ."

The relief in Karen's voice was immediate. "Oh thank god. Karen, Sheriff has been hurt he is at Collinsport ER, Jason is on scene at the Inn, he has set up a triage area there helping walking wounded. We need you to go check the east end, we know the college got hit but it was just the Special Science Building, which we heard Hallie was injured along with Professor Stokes. They are all at the hospital." Lydia felt her stomach fall. "Any word from Collinwood?" Karen looked anxious, she knew the tornado had been heading in the direction of Collinwood and there had been no word from that end. "No, that is one reason we needed you to head that way."

Lydia sighed, flipped on her siren and grill lights and headed to home. Her heart laid heavy with the unknown, her stomach in a knot and her life about to change forever, as she raced to the end of town and into a world that she had suspected had existed but had never wanted to think about it. As she approached the great estate she saw where the tornado had cut a path through the woods ripping up trees by their roots laying them into each other and over the roadway. The odd thing was it appeared as if there was a pattern of trees that had been woven into blockade trying to keep trespassers and a tornado away from the great estate. "What in the hell." She got out and looked around and in perfect symmetry a net made of trees had been made to protect the house on the hill.

Lydia crawled around and over the tree net slowly making her way towards the house. As she got close to the front gate she felt an energy lift her up and fling her back to land in a mud and brush pile. Not sur what had just happened she stood and looked down at her mud covered and ruined clothing. "Ok like this is not some kind of supernatural bullshit." She looked around and picked up a broken small log and hefted it towards the area she had just tried to breach. The log hit the invisible force field and was flung back towards her. Ducking she sighed. "Great." She moved down to the path way to the old house and stopped looking up at the stately old home and found it was changed. It no longer had a black top road or screen windows. "Hmm this is kind of different." She stood in the wood line and watched as a carriage pulled by four horses moved to the front of the great house. Moving closer she watched as she observed a young blond woman that looked like a very young Carolyn get out of the carriage. She bounced her head of curls as she giggled irritatingly. "Oh hell no. I know this is not happening to me."

Backing up she turned to head back to Collinwood and once again she felt that force field encompass her body and she felt herself falling and land on the floor of her cottage. Looking around she shook her head and stood up. "Is this my cottage?" She moved to the bedroom and opened the door and was surprised to see she was in her cottage and apparently in her time. "Well the least I can do is get a shower and change." She moved to her closet and opened the door to find she was staring at a very expensive and very frilly wardrobe. Looking around she saw her bedspread, she moved to the bed and felt under the mattress and found her back up gun, opened her bed table drawer and found her badge case, and ID and then looked back at the closet. From the living room area she heard her door open and Gerard called out. "Darling, are you home?" She walked to the door and opened it. "Gerard?" He moved to her scooped her up whirled her around and then backed her into the bedroom pushing her on the bed and kissing her deeply, letting his hands explore her body.

She broke the kiss to his disappointment. "Whoa cowboy slow down." He laughed, "I know you are tired and you want me to fix supper no problem. Looks like you had a nasty day and need a shower. That is unless you want to take a shower with me? " He wiggled his eyebrows and smiled beguilingly. "Look Gerard, don't you think you are kind of rushing this a bit fast? I mean we have only known each other for a couple of weeks." Gerard looked at her curiously and then his curiosity turned to concern. "Penny, we have been married for five years what are you talking about did you hurt your head today?" Penny felt her world spin, "Married? You and me?" He nodded and smiled, "We met five years ago baby we fell in love and have been married ever since."

Lydia stood up and looked around the room and then back to him. 'Are you a lawyer?" He laughed "Of course I am have been and that is how we met." Lydia shook her head. "I know I hit my head when I fell but I don't not recall this in my life before I hit my head." Gerard frowned and moved to enfold he in his arms. "Darling, why didn't you tell me you hit your head. We have to get to the Hospital and have you checked out." Lydia let him lead her to the door and out to his car. "Yes, to the hospital. What about all those people hurt in the tornado?" He paused in putting the keys in the ignition. "What tornado?" Lydia had a feeling she had been sent through the looking glass and she was wondering if she would make her way out. Opening the car door she jumped from the car and began to run down the pathway and once again had that transition of being flung through time and space and she found herself standing outside Collinwood looking around she opened the door and then paused. Her thoughts then niggled her mind and she wondered what if this was not her time or place?

Looking up she saw her father standing by the foyer phone and he was speaking into the phone. "We are fine Karen and we have not heard anything so far. No, no word, oh wait, Penny just showed up. Sure, I will come in with her." George looked at his daughter covered in mud, looking disheveled and very confused. "Honey, are you okay?" Then she relaxed. "Oh Daddy, thank god I am back!" Moving to hug her father. George looked at his daughter and then to Liz as she entered the room. "Is she all right George?" He shrugged as he held onto her. "Penny where have you been darling? We have been searching for you for over a week." Penny looked confused, "A week? I have been trying to get here and found the way blocked and then there was the old house and I thought I saw Millicent and then there was Gerard and he said we had married and then I . . ." She felt her body shudder and she moaned. "Not again." She held tightly to her father and the trembling stopped and she looked up and was now staring into the face of Aden. "Come on we have to get you to the med lab you are transcendental shifting and we have to contain you to this timeline before we loose you."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Vicki stood by Nicoli and listened to his prattle as he tried to impose his self-importance onto the subjects that had asked for an audience to settle a dispute over land entitlements and cattle grazing lands. She silently sighed rolled her eyes and watched those in the audience. Nicoli was trying she had to admit to be beneficent but he was being annoying and those present thought he was a weaker version of what his father had been. Stifling a yawn she shifted in her chair when she realized that all eyes were on her. She had to admit she had not been listening it had all been rather tedious and boring. When she saw all attention fixed on her she was again asked, "Well Josephine, what would you do?"

Vicki thought a moment she stood and she moved to the man that had the land and asked, "If this man offered to pay you a stipend to allow his cattle to graze would you be interested in allowing him to continue to graze his cattle on your land." The man thought a moment then he turned to look at the neighbor. "What would you consider a stipend?" Vicki turned to the man with the cattle, "Do you own a bull and how many head of cattle do you have?" He thought a moment then offered, "At this time, my bull is out for service with the farm that borders the other side of his land. As for head of cattle I would say at this time I have about 300 head of cattle." She smiled and inclined her head, "What kind of service fees do you get for using your bull for service?" The man thought again and then smiled, "I usually get a choice of two calves." Vicki nodded, "Then would it be worth allowing the neighbor with the land a choice of one or two of your heifers for his use as dairy for his family be a fair stipend?"

Both men turned to look at each other thought about the deal and both nodded, "That would be fair trade." Vicki smiled, "Now what if your wife were to offer to make the cheese for this man as just an added thank you for the use of his land, and you." She turned to the landowner, "Would be allowed to use the dung left by the cows to sell as fuel or fertilizer, that way the land is not destroyed or used up so its no longer habitable for cattle?" Both men looked at each other realizing they had not thought of this idea and they nodded.. "You could take the by product of the cows and sell it in the next county because dry cow dung can be used for fuel to help heat fires and stoves. When it has dried out and then burnt it no longer has the smell it had before." She had walked between the two men and had smiled and made offers caressing each mans shoulders as she went by them.

Nicoli sat back and rubbed his chin with his fingertips as he watched the white witch work her magic on the foolish towns people. The dispute was settled and from what he could observe she had done this calmly and rationally with a common ground for both men to work together. Vicki smiled benevolently at the men and then to their wives as she turned and retook her seat next to Nicoli. Nicoli looked from one man to the other. "Then it is agreed? You will do as the Queen has asked?" Both men turned hats in hand and smiled happily from each other to the Queen then bowed before the King. "Yes Highness, I believe that is something we can work together and there should be no more dispute. We want to thank your¿ highness and your wife for all your help." They both bowed and moved forward to kiss the Kings ring hand then turned and waited for Vicki to stick her ring hand forward.

She moved forward cupped their chins in turn smiled and kissed their foreheads. "You do not need to kiss my hand, it is I that should reward you for being so agreeable and making all our days a lot brighter because we have a new enterprise and two happy neighbors." The entire court was amazed and began to do soft whispers about how kind the Queen was and what a lucky man the King was to have such smart and beautiful bride. All this did not go unnoticed by Nicoli. He watched as Vicki retook her chair and sat primly before the assembly. Nicoli smiled and turned his attention back to those gathered "Are there any more petitions before the King?" One small woman stepped forward and bowed low to the King. "I come to Petition the court on behalf of my mother. She is very ill and she has not been able to pay her taxes and the tax collector is going to take our home. If he does that then we will be homeless."

This touched Vicki's heart and she sat forward as she looked at the poor wretched child. Looking to Nicoli she saw he was about to make a huge mistake, so she stood, "M'lord husband, may I petition on behalf of this child and her mother and ask that I be allowed to go to their home and see what her situation is so that mayhap I may be able to better their position and make them a more productive member of our society?" She knelt at his feet and touched his hand with hers and smiled with sincere appreciation of his position. Again the room went with the whispering hissing sounds and the words that were readily known to Nicoli's hearing could hear, "How could he deny her plea, she is so beautiful and so sweet, she is his jewel surely he will grant her this small request."

For show and play the King smiled and cupped his wife's chin with his hand and played his thumb over her face, he could use this to his benefit. As long as she cared about these people he could make her play to his fiddle. "Wife, what will you offer me in return for such a boon if I grant it?" Vicki let her smile tense and knew where this was going. Keeping her voice a light and teasing as she could muster she offered, "A first born son." Then she deftly tucked her chin and blushed. She knew this body was pregnant; she knew all the sighs as she knelt before him and even managed to blush as she made her announcement to the court. His eyes alighted as he heard this offer and he smiled. He spoke softly, "You are pregnant or you will submit to my will and give me a child?" She lowered her lashes and smiled, "I will submit." He smiled and turned to the court and proclaims, "My wife honors we with news she is pregnant!" There was a loud roar of happiness as they learned of her pregnancy.

Standing he helped her stand with him, pulled her close for all to see and held her against his body as he kissed her deeply and passionately. "I will expect you in my bed camber tonight." He felt her tense and then she forced her body to relax as they turned to face those in front of him. "I grant the Queen's request and order the Captain of the Guard to escort my wife with this child to their home." Vicki actually was happy to be allowed to take the young woman that could barely be more than her daughter Sarah's age. "Come child before you are taken home I will feed you and bath you so you may return to your mother much better than you left her." She held out her hand for the young lady, and escorted her out of the hearing chambers to the kitchen. "Millie, I would request that you feed this child, then she is to have a bath then bring her to my chambers. She will be dressed properly. Then tell Ragnar that I will let him know when we are ready to leave for her home. And I want a basket of food and broths placed in a basket so they may have a decent meal when we arrive."

Millie bob a curtsey to Vicki and took the girl by the hand and led her back to the scullery kitchen. "Now, Nicoli a special concoction for you." She moved to the garden and began to search out the herb garden ad found the roots she would need to make her potion to allow Nicoli to think he had made love to her all night long. She smiled and began to chuckle. This was too easy. This poor Victoria she was sure had she tried to match him at the age she was she would have been over whelmed and doomed to have her children left with this monster. She found her ingredients and moved back into the palace and went to the kitchen.

The scullery maid was sitting in the corner stirring the stew that was to be served to the guard this night. She moved to the pots that hung over the fire pit next to the large pot of stew. Putting her herbs into the pot she began to add the other properties that would be needed. "Sally?" She glanced at the dirtied face young lady. "Yes, Malady?" She moved to the towel that hung by the stove for lifting the pots and took the towel to a warm pan of water. Moving back to her she began to bath her face. "I want you to promise me that you will always bath your face and body at least three times a week. You should also wash your clothing every three days so that you are clean in spirit and clean in body." She smiled as the gentle touch of her queen and looked at the pot she had been using. "Yes malady. Is there anything else?"

Vicki smiled and nodded. "I am going to be in the King's chambers tonight, I want you to promise me that you will bring this in a tea pot to our bedroom by no later than two hours after sun fall. Will you do that for me?" She nodded and Vicki hugged her, "You do this for me, and I promise that you will have a new dress to wear for Sundays." She brightened and clapped her hands excitedly. "I will? You Promise?" She nodded and then kissed her forehead. "Now go and bath your body and put on another dress, the King will not wish to see a ragamuffin when you come to bring the tea." She nodded and skipped away from the stew pot. Sadie moved into the room and began to fuss that Tillie was going to let the stew burn.

Vicki looked at the stew and set the stew away from the direct heat and went to Sadie, "The stew will be fine close to the heat Sadie, and Tillie is doing a favor for me so allow me to do a favor for you." Sadie had looked at the tea colored liquid in the pot. "That is for the King and myself later tonight and Tillie is to deliver that tea to the Kings chamber. This tea will guarantee him a night of bliss and happiness in my arms." Sadie giggled and nodded. "We have had such potions before only the King had them delivered to the visiting ladies here." Vicki froze her smile and then it brightened. She knew he had done to the other women what she was about to do to him. Render him unconscious to allow her the opportunity to plant the suggestion in his mind that he had a wild night of passion with her.

Sadie patted Vicki's hand. "It is okay malady as long as I know that Tillie is doing a favor for you, she can take all the time she wants." Vicki hugged her. "What favor can I give you for allowing me to take one of your helpers?" Sadie could think of nothing at that time, and Vicki had agreed to grant it when she did think of a boon or favor to collect from her. Vicki moved away from the kitchen and went to the treasurer office. Knocking lightly on his door she smiled. "Hello Mr. Green, do you have a moment to check on a piece of property for me?" Mr. Green having been visited by most of the court was pleasantly surprised to see Vicki in his office. "Of course Highness you have only to ask." Vicki told him of the child and the problem her mother had because she had been sick.

Mr. Green did not readily have the property available and with some searching he was able to locate a map that showed the wretched piece of property. "How much is assessed against this property?" Mr. Green looked up and frowned, "It is over priced. Vicki smiled, "And how long has she not paid her taxes?" He looked further and pursed his lips and sighed. "She has not paid for two years." Vicki was seeing an answer before her. "This property has had over paid taxes on it for how long?" Again Mr. Green went in search of his papers and pulled them out and began to use his abacus as he calculated the over payment of the property. "She has over paid on this property for 20 years." Vicki looked down at his figures and smiled, "Then you would say that we owe her money correct?" He nodded. "How much money?" He calculated the amount and sat back. "with what has been over paid she would not owe taxes on this property for the next 10 years." Vicki nodded, "Would you draw up papers showing she does not need to pay these taxes for the next five years and provide me with the money for the remaining five years and sign off on this paper?"

Mr. Green nodded and looked anxiously to the Queen, "You will not tell the King will you?" Vicki touched his arm and in a kind and forgiving way smiled, "It will be our secret, it was an honest mistake and I shall deal with the King should he question this transaction." He grabbed her hand and kissed it and his relief was apparent in the over bright eyes. "Mr. Green you are a fine man and a great treasurer, these things will happen. You have nothing to worry about. Now, that paper and the sums?" She smiled and covered his hand with hers and for the first time he felt kindness from one of the royal household and Vicki had made a conquest.

Vicki watched the young girl with straw colored hair and freckles across her nose with cornflower blue eyes as she peered around her bedchamber. She stood just beginning to bloom in a pair of bloomers and chemise top. Vicki moved to her closet and found nothing but cream colored dresses and sighed. Seneca moved into her room "Highness, I have some dresses that were left by previous guests that might fit the young miss." Seneca held a arm filled with gowns and petticoats in her arms. Vicki ordered her to lay them on her bed so she could look them over. As they were laid out she found a blue gingham checked dress with a white pinafore that would fit her, then fished around and found some shoes too. "I want her dressed in this, and her hair needs to be styled and trimmed." Vicki went to the balcony and left Seneca with the young lady. Vicki could hear them talking and she smiled and the young lady expressed her surprise and excitement over having a new dress, shoes and having her hair fixed.

She was further surprised to hear the girls name as she chatted, "Oh my name is Penelope but my mom calls me Penny." Vicki was immediately homesick for her sister. Finally, Seneca moved to the balcony. "Malady she is ready." Vicki stood and moved into the room and she was pleased. The young Penny was standing expectantly before her looking every bit the proper young lady. She took her finger and did a circle, "Turn around." Penny turned and then looked back at the beautiful woman in front of her. "Penny, you look beautiful. Seneca please bundle of those other dresses and we will send them home with her." Seneca nodded and moved to get a traveling case for the young lady. "Well are you ready to go?" Penny nodded and smiled brightly. "We heard about you." Vicki looked shocked, "You heard of me how?"

Penny sat on the edge of her bed and thought a moment. "Rumor had it the great Josephine had returned with His Highness Prince Nicoli. We all thought you were a myth only made up by the Prince. The rumors were that Princess Josephine was the most kindness, beautiful, giving and loving woman that was created by the maker. No one believed that you existed, and then when you came back with Prince Nicoli and everyone saw you and saw how kind and smart you were we knew we would be able to be happy and there was hope. We all were worried that King Nicoli would be a tyrant." She took Vicki's hand and looked at how delicate and long her fingers were. "You were born for greatness, it shows in your face and your hands."

Vicki studied the child, "How old are you Penny?" She smiled and wiped her finger over her nose. "I am 14 malady. Will be 15 soon enough." She nodded and then stood from the edge of her bed. "Come we must leave so I can see what is ailing your mother." Vicki with Penny moved out of Vicki's bedchambers where Ragnar met them in the hallway. "Highness, we have the carriage ready." Vicki smiled and nodded, "We are ready Sir Ragnar, please lead the way." He bowed to her and to the young woman at her side. "This way malady." He extended his hand gesturing to follow him. Vicki feeling pretty good about what was about to happen made her happy. Penny reached for Vicki's hand and curled her fingers around her hand. Vicki looked briefly to the girl at her side and moved towards the carriage. Together they entered the carriage and Vicki held the gold coins in her pocket as they rode to the girls property.

The ride was a little rough over the roads that had become rutted from the spring rains. Vicki ignored the ruts and peered at the passing scenery. The villages were caught in some kind of bizarre time warp and if it were the last thing she did when she was rescued from this hell, she would see they were brought into the right century. She thought about how she was going to deal with Nicoli that evening and allowed her thoughts to wander. Penny studied the Queen as she let her mind work out her life as she watched the scenery as they passed each farm, city and then the town she had called home. Penny had arisen before dawn so she could walk to the Capitol and plead her case.

The carriage rolled to a stop and both women were helped from the carriage, Vicki lifted the heavy basket of food and broth as they approached the hovel of a house and Vicki could tell it was in bad disrepair and as she entered the cabin she found the woman was in worse shape than she imagined. Turning to Ragnar she looked distressed and he had been around her long enough to know if she was distress he would be distressed "Malady?"

She paced, "This place is in bad disrepair and if she stays here she will die." Ragnar looked around and then back to Vicki, "My men and I can do what we can to repair this building. I am sure we can find enough supplies to fix this place." Vicki shook her head. "No we need to take her back to the castle and this place needs to be torn down and an new building put up. This is no home it's a pathetic excuse for a place to seek shelter. The roof is I am sure repairable only by ripping it off and putting a new one up. The lady lost her husband to a fever, she now is very ill and needs a doctor and a place she can recuperate." They both looked over at the poor young girl that sat by her mother's bed. Vicki looked around. "We need to get her bathed and in proper clothing. Where is the nearest doctor?" Ragnar thought, "He would be in the capitol."

"Then its settled, we take her back to the castle and the royal physician can see to her. Do you think we could get some of the people to come and help her get this place built?" Ragnar thought and smiled, "If you were to ask the villagers to come help her they will come for you." Vicki smiled, "Then lets go to the town square." Vicki looked at the carriage and sighed. "Would one of your men be so kind as to get Mrs. Watson in the carriage and send her on the way to the castle?" Ragnar would not disobey his Queen but he questioned her wisdom. "How do you propose to get back to the castle?" Vicki looked at the four horses pulling the carriage and smiled. "I will ride one of the carriage horses to the town square and to the castle." Ragnar was stunned. "Malady are you sure you can ride?" She nodded as she moved to the first horse on the carriage. "I can ride one of these or ride behind you Ragnar which shall it be?"

Vicki sat behind Ragnar and laid her head against his back and sighed. "Thank you Ragnar." He smiled as she laid her head against his back. "You are welcome Highness, we are almost to the square." Vicki sighed. "Good, how will we get the towns people to come." Ragnar chuckled, "They will hear that the Queen is in the square and they are anxious to meet you malady you are an enigma to them." Vicki chuckled, "I really never thought of being an enigma, I was always just plain old Josephine." He shook his head. "Madam, you do not realize how beautiful you truly are." Vicki laughed. "No I guess I do not."

Ragnar held up his horse, "We are here." He dismounted and picked her up and let her slid down his body. His eyes lowered as he felt the hardness of his manhood rise to the feel and touch of her body. Vicki had chosen to ignore his reaction to their close contact and stepped away from him. She had found him very attractive his tall form dominated over his men, his features to her we very reminiscent of Burke Devlin, with his strong squared jaw, his heavy eye brows and the acquire classic Greek nose and those lips were just like Burke's asking to be kissed.

Ragnar led her to the center of the town to a crudely constructed platform. She stood in the center of the plat form and removed her hood revealing her crown and her grandeur of her status as Queen. Those that had been milling about stopped upon seeing her. They began to gather around the platform to look at the beautiful Queen Josephine. Vicki stood and waited and the crowd began to grow larger and larger until she was sure she now had the attention of the town. She began to speak as the crowd watched her and then they fell silent. "My dear friends, for I do feel we are friends. You do me the honor of respecting me as your Queen. I ask very little of you for myself. I come to ask, no I come to humble myself before you and beg and plead for your help." She felt as if her emotions were about to take over and she was going to cry. A single tear did flow down her cheek and the crowd was riveted to her. "I came to day to care for a neighbor of yours, her name is Mrs. Watson. She is in very poor health and I had her taken to the castle to be treated by the doctor."

The town Mayor stepped forward, "Highness." He bowed to her, "You cry for Mrs. Watson?" He was astonished that she would have such feelings for a woman like Mrs. Watson. "I cry for all of you, but especially for Mrs. Watson. She is sick and her house is not fit for vermin to live in. So I ask, if I provide the materials, would you as her neighbors honor me by fixing up her house so when she returns to it she will feel safe, secure and warm?" She waited and began to grow nervous over what she had requested. The crowd began to mumble and she tried to listen to what they were saying. Then a man that must have been a carpenter stepped forward, "I will help you Queen Josephine. We do this because of you. " Vicki's eyes did tear up and that one act touched the whole town that she was grateful. "I will get the materials and I pledge three gold for each one of you that helps"

The Mayor hung his head and shook it, "We will do it because it is the right thing to do your Highness." Vicki opened her arms to them and spoke from the heart. "You are all blessed and wonderful people and I love each and every one of you. The materials will be delivered tomorrow." The crowd began to move towards Vicki and she stepped down into the crowd shaking their hands and hugging most of them as she made her way to Ragnar. As she approached Ragnar she saw him draw his sword, from behind a lone male had stood at the back of the crowd and waited for his opportunity. As she cleared he saw his chance and charged forward with knife drawn. "Death to the Witch!" He shouted and Vicki spun, holding out her hand she summoned the guardian's light and it hit the man knocking him to the ground.

The light was so brilliant and beautiful that most in the village began to fall to their knees and chant, "The foretold of an angel so lovely none would be able to look upon her, here she stands our angel of hope." The lowered their heads in prayer and she turned to Ragnar. She saw that he too had dropped to his knees and bowed his head along with him men. He spoke softly, "The Guardian of Hope, we will be released and glory will come to the lands now that you have come our angel." Vicki stooped, lifted Ragnar's chin and spoke softly, "This must not get back to Nicoli, or he may have me put to death." Ragnar frowned, "None will harm you as long as I live." Vicki smiled, "Come we must go back to the castle and I will order the materials to help Mrs. Watson." Ragnar covered her hand and looked at those that now gathered around their angel. "You will not need to do that Highness, we will do it for you and show the house had been blessed by our Angel of Hope."

Vicki was touched by their generosity. Letting Ragnar lift her with more reverence than before they headed back to the castle. "You know that you have created the first ray of hope this country has had in a long time." Vicki smiled as she rested her covered head against his broad back. "I just do what kindness I can to help those that are less needy than me." Ragnar thought a moment as they rode at a steady pace with his men behind him. "My lady you must know that there was great darkness that covered this land and then you came and a ray of hope was sparked in the court and now to have witnessed the angels power? It has given me thought and my men who are now totally devoted to you." She was charmed and happy that she had at least lighten the burden of these few people.

They arrived at the castle and once again Ragnar lifted her and let he slid down his body and he was enflamed with his passion for this woman he held so close. She could feel the hard press of his manhood against her and flushed, stepped away, paused turned back and place a gentle sweet kiss on his cheek then turned and went into the castle to check on her patient. Nicoli met her in the hallway, "I am looking forward to tonight my dear. You should bathe you have the smell of the unwashed on you. Vicki looked at Nicoli, "And you smell like a whore house, so I guess we are equal." Nicoli rolled his eyes and studied his fingernails. "I am a lonely man and my wife refuses to lay with me, so I find my pleasures where I can."

Vicki turned away, "Then you need a bath too, before I do lay with you, I want the smell of your whores off of you body as much as you want the smell of the unwashed off of me." He reached for and held her arm tightly and she knew she would find a bruise form him in the morning. "After supper I expect to see you in my room." She nodded and tugged her arm forcing him to release her. "I will be there, until supper then. I know I need a bath more so now than earlier." She left that comment for him to mull over as she made her way to her bedchambers.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Vicki moved down the hallway, her gown flowing behind her as she made her way to the servant's quarters. Pausing outside the door she looked for someone to direct her. Lisette moved out of her room and paused seeing Vicki she immediately genuflected to her. "Highness." Vicki smiled, looked around and then spoke softly, "What room was given to Mrs. Watson?" Lisette looked about nervously and then brightened, "You mean the sick lady from the village?" Vicki nodded. Lisette spoke softly and looked around. "The King wanted her put in the dungeon but the doctor took her to the town." Vicki frowned, "Why did the King want her in the dungeon?"

Lisette looked about moved closer to Vicki, "He said he wanted to make sure you would do as he asked and bed him this night. That he expects an issue to come of this union and that should your not full fill your part of the bargain he would have the poor woman as lev . . " She struggled with the word, "Leverage?" Vicki offered and she brightened and shook her head. "Yes, leverage." Vicki nodded. "I see, thank you. This conversation never happened. Will you do me a favor?" Lisette liked the new Queen and would do anything she asked. "Of course malady." Vicki smiled, "I have to make sure that a special tea I made in the kitchen is delivered to the King's chambers for us. I more now than ever need that tea brought to our chambers this night. You will make sure Sadie brings that tea to our chamber upon our retiring." Lisette smiled as she nodded eager to please and make sure she pleased her Queen.

Vicki took a deep breath and began to wonder if she had painted herself into a corner by allowing Nicoli to see that his whole kingdom would be his leverage against her to get what he wanted. She moved back to her bed chambers and began to pace furiously back and forth her mind fixed, these people needed a strong leadership not to be bullied and beaten down to accept a king that was the heart of darkness. This she could not allow to happen. This was not her time, her body, or her life but these people were her concern. They had looked to her for fairness and justice and now believed she was their angel of hope. Oh life would have been far simpler had she not been dropped in this reality. However, she had been tossed here and now she was stuck and she needed to make things right.

All she needed to do was get through this night and then she would have a chance to take a breath and think things though and form a plan. Feeling the pressure change in the room she looked to the door and her maid came in. 'Highness, I am here to prepare you for dinner." Vicki nodded and watched as she went to draw her a bath and lay her clothing out for dinner. It had become quite a ritual each night, the same cream colored gown, jewels, under garments, stockings, shoes, and additional jewelry, except this night a second set of clothing was being laid out, her night gown that she was expected to wear for Nicoli for their night of passionate love making, at this thought she rolled her eyes.

Dinner had become rather long boring and tedious as she sat through the pompous spouting's of Nicoli and his inept attempt at joviality at her expense of a sly wink and a hint of what was to come after dinner. Vicki sipped her water and looked around at the other guests, which included her mother in law, the King's mother, her father in law the King's father, the arch Duke of Cantilever Sir Reginald, the King's brother and his wife Cecily who was a milk toast pale blond that was extremely naïve and had an irritating laugh. Nothing to set her apart from any other blond, with pale skin, blue eyes, a hook nose and uneven teeth, Reginald was a lot more pleasant to look at with his dark hair, smoldering brown eyes and thick lips and aquiline nose. He did favor his mother where Nicoli favored his father. The conversation would elicit a series of irritating giggles from Cecily. Rising from the table before the meal was over; Vicki excused herself, to a parting shot from Reginald, "I think your bride is anxious to make your night brother."

Vicki moved to her bedchamber and waited while her maid undid Vicki's elaborate hairstyle and let it fall down her back ad over her shoulders. She stood and let her undo her dress, stepping out of the dress; she waited for the corset to be unlaced and was so grateful that she could finally take a deep breath again. "Thank you so much." Analise took the dress and hung it up. Vicki was then led to her bath and once again she was bathed and oiled and scented. The gown was of the softest silk she had ever felt and she sat before her mirror and allowed Analise to comb her hair. When it was all said and done, Vicki felt like the vestal virgin being taken for the sacrifice.

Since her arrival she had not felt scared or apprehensive as she did tonight. Always before she had control, this night she was relying on others and was hoping if not praying that they would not let her down or she very well may have to submit to his desires. Taking a deep breath, Vicki moved on shaking legs to the hall, where she was met by two of Nicoli's guards. She found it ironic he felt she had to be escorted to his bedchamber. The guard opened his door to allow her entrance. She walked in to find he had not arrived. A soft knock on the door and Sadie stood in the door with a silver teapot, she smiled as she entered, "Just as you requested your Highness." Vicki smiled with relief and took the tray. "Thank you Sadie, you may retire for the night." Walking to the wine decanter, she took the potion she had brewed earlier and to make sure it was her potion she sniffed and was satisfied it was, she poured half into the wine and half into a goblet that had rested with some foul fluid by the bed.

Then she moved to a chair by the fire and waited. Nicoli breezed into the room and smiled seeing her sitting in the chair. "So nice to see you here my dear." Vicki relaxed and smiled as she watched him move about his room pealing off various layers of his clothing. "You will excuse me while I take a shower?" She inclined her head, "Of course not." She watched him disappear into his bathing chambers. Standing she stood and moved about his bedchambers and found them adequate if not a bit over stated. She did paint a pretty picture of understated beauty with her long dark hair trailing down her back and over he shoulders. The purity of her white gown accented the light tan of her skin. She moved about the room and when he finally came from his shower, with his house robe half tied about his body allowing her to glimpse his manly attributes Vicki was unimpressed.

He moved to the goblet that sat on his bedside table and drank his fill and smiled, "A little concoction to assure I shall have the stamina to create memories and children with you my dearest Josephine." Vicki sighed and stood pulling off her housecoat, "Shall we get on with this?" She moved to the bed and laid on her back looking up at Nicoli as he smiled down at the delectable woman that now shared his bed. "YOU have to spend the whole night with me." Vicki waited and watched as he threw his robe from his body and scrambled into the bed and curled up next to her, Vicki with a dead panned expression looked up to the ceiling and smiled, on the ceiling were naked cherubs dancing in a field of flowers and wheat. "Come on my dear you can show some interest." Vicki wryly said "Take me Nicoli, I am yours now and forever take me as the rutting stud you are."

Nicoli crawled on top of her and looked down at her, "Yes, oh yes Nicoli, ravish me as the wanton stud you are." Nicoli lowered himself on top of her, then she felt the weight of his body as he pinned her under him and his face lay flat into the pillow, and he began to snore. "Good grief, you could have brushed your teeth." She wrinkled her nose and as she rolled him off of her, she heard him fart. Sighing Vicki mused the bed covers and moved about the room to make it appeared they partied and romped all night. She moved to the chair and sat watching him and dozing in a restless sleep. As dawn approached and he began to moan, she ran to the bed, mused her hair, crawled under his arm and legs and whispered in his ear, "You were a wild stallion last night you made a conquest and you remember how wonderful the night was and how romantic you were and how wild we were together as you fulfilled your husbandly duties. "

Lydia moved into the hyperbaric chamber and sat down. "How can this be happening? Why am I jumping from reality to reality?" She looked at Aden through the chamber door. He pushed the button on the intercom. "We think that Vicki being trapped in an alternate reality is creating this ripple and it's affecting certain parts of Collinsport. So until we can get her back and the lady in the chamber next to you back in her body, we are going to experience these ripples." Lydia sighed. Looked around and then sat on the bunk that was in the chamber. "How long do I have to be in here? I have a town to protect and a Incubus to catch."

Aden looked at the clock then back to her. "You will be cleared in about six hours dear. I promise you that once we can clear you from the affects of the ripple, we will take you back to the time you went to Collinwood to check on your parents." Lydia was not happy but she had no other choice. "Aden what about the Incubus?" Aden nodded to the computer terminal in the chamber, "Press the space bar and take a look at what we found when we went into its nest." Lydia moved to the computer and pressed the space bar, the computer's screen came to life and then she saw the cavern and the male babies in the basinets, then the screen shifted to the ante chamber and there she saw tubes with male children floating in a sebaceous fluid, the children appearing to be preserved or dead. "What is this?" She looked over to Aden and he smiled, "It's a nest of male infant incubi."

"Where were they found? " He laughed, "Your nephew JB actually fell down a hole and found them. They were in an underground cavern not far from where we think the hellmouth is located. JB, Cameron, and Logan were on site we had to send in Radu to back them up. We have discovered that a chaos demon caused your tornado and he has been contained. However, due to the other anomalies with the potential of a cascade affect due to what happened between the Vicki from this timeline and the Vicki in an alternate reality in another timeline we are all having a ripple affect." Lydia sat back and thought a moment. "So when I went to another timeline in an alternate reality I saw my other choices?" He nodded and moved to pull a chair over to the tank. "Yes, and your brush with those timeline opened up a whole different can of worms." Lydia was concerned about her brush with another timeline and the outcome. "What is the worse case scenario?" Aden sighed, and looked down at his hands. "We could suffer what the call a catastrophic failure and the worlds would fall into each other and destroy everything."

Lydia thought about this and the more she thought about it the more she was not liking where her thoughts were taking her. "What did you do with the babies?" Aden had to word this carefully and began to explain, "When we have problems of a certain nature such as demon babies that sole goal upon reaching maturity we have one option that is available to us. That is to do what we called a deep six, which is we bury them at an island facility that requires top-secret clearance. On this island we have facilities that take care of our undesirables or those that cannot be rehabilitated." Lydia looked concerned and tried to comprehend what he was telling her. "Are you going to try and rehab them?" Aden nodded and stood and began to pace.

"Since we have so many infants, we will attempt to rehab them so they can be put into society. However, we are not so sure that is going to be possible. They have an inherent propensity to want to build a nest and no woman is safe when they exert their charms and start to build their own nests." Lydia sighed and sat back on her bunk. "So we need to make sure that we do not turn home bred rapists back out into society?"

He nodded, "We are working on a solution and we are seeing to the needs of these children. That is why we captured the harpy crones that were trapped with the children. The Harpy crones are not vulnerable to the charm of the children. So, we took them all captive and are having them deep sixed." Lydia knew he was right but somehow the thought of several male infants needing a mother and not having one was beyond her limited perception. That they could very well grow up to become rapists made her sick. Lying back on her cot, she put her forearm over her forehead and closed her eyes. Maybe things would be better when she had a chance to get out of here and back to where she was really needed.

Thomas sat in the trauma bay and waited while Tim sewed up his cut. Apparently he had taken a good hit to the head and had a fairly nasty head injury that needed stiches. Connie looked with worry and concern for her husband as the Tim finished his stitches. "The squad car is pretty messed up, probably totaled, the weather vane from the inn was planted in the radiator." Connie put the bandage over his forehead and spoke softly, "Well worry about it later, from what I hear your sheriff's department is also in bad shape, the roof was ripped off and most of your furniture was pretty well taken with the tornado. Thomas felt his heart plummet. "What about Karen she was on duty.

Connie moved to the counter and cleaned up the paper and gauze pitching them. "She took shelter in the basement and was using the back up dispatch radio off of the generator. She is fine just over whelmed with all the calls that were flooding the switchboard for help. I think the State has called in extra help for you from all over the state. We also have FEMA people coming in to assess things. I know the hospital here has been over whelmed with all the injuries coming in. We have called in all off duty medical personnel and your brother Jason has been working in a field triage tent to help the walking wounded. The college was hit and Lydia is out checking for survivors on the east end."

Thomas was tired and he looked around. "So did you draft the nursing students from the college?" She nodded, "We needed all the help we could get." Thomas pulled his shirt back on and looked at the blood soaked shirt took it off and threw it in the trash. "What about mom and dad?" Connie smiled, "They are wonderful, they are offering the West Wing ballroom as a temporary shelter for those that have lost their homes. Your mother has called in for extra contractors to be bussed into the area so that those that did loose homes can rebuild." Thomas leaned over and kissed his wife. "Our home and kids?" Connie leaned into the strong arms of her husband and smiled, "They are fine Bobby and Donna are helping in the lobby handing out sandwiches and coffee or cokes, and the house has minor damage but otherwise it is fine. Some shingles have been ripped from the roof."

Thomas relaxed, "Any deaths?" Connie had avoided that question but was finally forced to admit there had been three deaths on Old Plank Road where some mobile home residents had refused to seek shelter and that they had just recovered three bodies from that location. "The Fisher Family did not get out in time, they were in their mobile home when it was ripped apart." Thomas sighed and looked down. "I am sorry to hear that, I really like old Eb and Gert, was it their daughter or son Elyse?" Connie shook her head. "Elyse was at school, it was Del, he had just got home when the hail hit and according to the neighbors the Pennington's they said he just went through the door, the home was lifted up and then slammed down and they were thrown from the house. I know the EMS people are checking a nearby pond for more bodies; we have at last report about 15 missing people. "

Thomas winced and then looked around and knew he needed to vacate the trauma bay and let another that needed the facility. "Well babe, I am going to take your car and head back to what left of the department. Once I find a car that is usable, I will get someone to bring your car back." She kissed his lips and then stepped back, "You be careful babe, and I will see you later." He moved out into a sea of utter organized chaos as he looked at every wheel chair, every cot and all rooms filled with the injured.

Moving into the emergency waiting room he was surprised to see Carolyn, Maggie, and his kids working to help those that needed just comfort. His son waved to him and he smiled and waved back when he felt his waist encircled and his daughter held onto him. "Daddy!" He could feel her slender body tremble as she held him tightly. "Oh Daddy!" He could feel her tears as the dampened his t-shirt. "Its okay baby, Daddy is fine and I am so proud of you and your brother." He pushed her back and peered down into he eyes that were filled with tears. "When they brought you in I thought you were dead!" He smiled, "It would take more than a side board to take me out."

She wanted to hold tighter but he was holding her back, "I want you and your brother when you get done here I want you to go to Grandpa and Grandma Patterson's okay?" He brushed the tears from her eyes with his thumbs and kissed her forehead. "Now Daddy has to go and check on his people." She hugged him one last time and reluctantly released him. She watched as her father moved out into the remnants of Collinsport. Turning as Maggie came to hug her, "He will be fine baby, and now come on I could use some help."

Jason moved through the large tent to see how his boys were doing in dressing wounds and doing minor stitches as the residents of Collinsport moved into the area looking like they had been caught in a bomb. He had grown very proud of his men, as they were there and able to help with all the injured helping to take some of the stress from the hospital. The last he heard it was really bad and over run with seriously injured. As his end was beginning to get fewer casualties he rounded his boys up. 'Here is what I have been thinking boys. Once we can fold here and wrap up, I say lets go and see what we can do about clean up and helping folks get back to their homes." The men all nodded, "I can check with the guys down at the cannery, heard they made out better than we had. Maybe they would be willing to help out too."

Jason thought, "Sounds good, but if they have damaged homes lets not expect them to help." The men looked around and not seeing any more injured, they began to break down the triage area as Thomas pulled up in front of the tent. "Jason!" He called and smiled when he saw his brother bedraggled but in one piece. "Hey good to see you, how's the head?" He moved his fingertips to his head and then sighed, "Sore, got six stitches." He nodded, "You looked like shit earlier, with all that blood." He sighed, "So how did the fire station fare?" Jason looked around and shrugged, "No damage, we actually were able to bring in some of the stragglers and put them up for the night at least." Thomas looked around at the mess that was the main street of Collinsport and sighed, "Well mother and dad said they could go to Collinwood and they would put them up in the ballroom. They have set up a temporary shelter for those that need a place to stay."

Jason looked up and felt the bite in the evening air and sighed. "Looks like we are in for an early fall this year. It is going to be tough on a lot of people if they are out of their homes by the first snow." Thomas had to agree as he looked around it made him heart sick. "I heard the station took a huge hit. How about your place did you get any damage?" Jason looked down and shook his head. "Nope but then again I did not have as much to loose if I had been hit as most these people here." Thomas looked over and studied the Collinsport Inn, "Looks like they did not get as much damage as the gazebo and the station. I was just going down to check on Karen and the guys, you want to ride with me?"

Jason turned to his boys., "Hey guys can you do without me for a while?" They all nodded, "I will be back in a bit, going to the sheriff's station to assess the damage there." They waved him off and both brothers slid into Thom's car and they drove around the debris and to the Sheriff's Department as they drove up in front of the department Thom felt heart sick. The roof was gone, the windows had been blown out and the curtains blew eerily in the wind. "Kind of looks like a bomb went off." Jason was a devastated as Thom, this was the building that they grew up knowing, and their father had let them play in the empty cells and would pay them for sweeping the floor. Now they looked upon an era that was gone. "Its kind of sad looking at the old girl in such bad repair."

Thom nodded, "Come on Karen is in the basement with the old back up system, she is running things from the generator." They picked their way to the back and Thom was relieved to see at least he still had four cars left. Moving to the storm cellar doors he opened them and called, "Karen!" He moved into the dimly lit basement room and saw her set up by the radio and the back up telephone system. "Yeah! Back here Sheriff." Jason and Thom made their way to her side and looked at how she had organized everything. "Hey how is it going?" Karen looked frazzled, "I have a call in for Gloria to come in and help, but she is having trouble getting in from the west end. Bunch of trees down over the roadways and she is walking in on foot."

Thom moved out into the back yard area and looked at what was left of his fleet, going in he found the keys to the cars and moved back to the basement. "Jason, take unit 2 go out pick up Dad, and on your way back see if you can pick up Gloria she should be about Collinwood drive about the time you leave with Dad, tell him I need him and he will be helping to collect other reserves to bring them in, we have a full blown emergency and we need all available help."

Jason took the keys, "You really think we should put Dad out there he is getting kind of old." Thom smiled, "He is dad and would be insulted if we did not use him." Jason nodded, "Good point." He took the keys and disappeared as Karen watched him go she sighed, "He is so good looking." Thom shrugged, "Always been a punk kid to me." Karen sighed, "Well maybe to you, I think he is dreamy." Thom shook his head, "As hard as you are working I tell you what I am going to do, I am going to get him to ask you out to dinner and the dinner will be on me." Karen flushed a deep red. "Really?" He leaned over and put a chaste sweet kiss to his cheek. "Really." Taking the other keys he made his way to the fleet of cars in the yard.

Putting the car in gear, he headed to the outer areas that he knew would be reachable to see if he could find any of those missing from the storm. It all looked bad but he had faith that it was like the Phoenix it would raise again and be better than ever.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Vicki found herself once again in chambers with Nicoli. The week had been a matter of side stepping and a game of hide and seek for Vicki as she dodge any morning contact with Nicoli by keeping herself distant and visiting villages. The evenings were spent with a repetitive action of being escorted to the marriage bed and Nicoli's awaiting form, only to drug him and wait the night out until morning. She had become very adept at avoiding his demands or touch until this night when he coyly decided he did not need his potion to make him virile for his wife. Exhaustion was beginning to make its toll on her reserve and she now found herself in his bed and his demands for her attention and her body more than she could bear. Trapped beneath his body she felt his rude intrusion to her body as he lavished his sexual attention on her. Closing her eyes she waited for the moment to pass and for him to be done. With his final grunt he felt himself spent and rolled from her body. Vicki fought the urge to dash from his room and bathe.

He lay silent for a moment then rolled to his side and took fingertips to brush the hair from her face. "I think it is time for you to move your things to my bed chambers and occupy my bed every night. You have now earned the right to share my bed from this day on. No more will these times together be fleeting dreams of expectations or passing thoughts of what was, you are now mine and you belong to me Josephine." Vicki felt physically ill and she knew it was more from this body's changing to accommodate the now growing life in her womb and if this Vicki was as she had been she now carried her daughter Josette in her womb. "You are very quiet my dear? Is there nothing you wish to say?" Vicki thought and then spoke softly, "I just think I still need my own chambers especially when I become pregnant. I know you wish me to not burden you with the ills that ultimately follow such a change to ones body my lord." He studied her pensive look and smiled, a feeling of slow triumph was filling him and he felt he had a victory over her. "I think we will deal with it once you have conceived." He leaned over and placed feathery light kisses over her brow to her lips then forced a deep penetrating kiss forcing her lips apart as his hands made free with the delights her body offered for his senses..

Vicki fought the urge to recoil as she laid impassively tolerating his touch and demands and once again she felt his desire over come him as he forced his intentions on her body taking his desires in a quickness that would have been embarrassing to most men but to her relief was over and quickly enough he rolled away from her again to fall into a deep sleep with a loud snoring emitting from him. Vicki stood and made her way to her bathing chambers in her bedroom. Scrubbing her body with an intensity to wash away the touch and feel of the vile man that laid claim to her as her husband was making her feel physically ill and for the first time since her arrival she felt shame and anger and the tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes lying back in the tub. "I have to get out of here. Is there no one that can get me back to my own time and my love? This poor child here needs to be with her Barnabas." She spoke to the empty room with eyes closed and wrapped in her growing depression. Rising with a sad sigh, she wrapped her body in the heavy bath sheet ad looked around the room. Pulling on her robe, she moved to her dressing table and began to draw her brush through her hair.

As she studied the image in front of her in the mirror she saw the mirror ripple. For a moment she sat perfectly still and studied the ripple to see an image appear in the mirror superimposed over her image. The image was one from her past, from a long time ago when she first learned of her powers. The angelic features of Michael smiled and then beckoned her to him. Leaning foreword she felt the touch of his hand to her face and her body glowed with a soft hue of blue as the light enveloped her body she was no longer sitting on her vanity stool she was in a new place of soft calm serenity. Peering around confused she looked around and found herself in the serenity room of the ethereal plane that was Michael's home. "Victoria, you should not be there, you do not belong there and you need to come home with me so that we can make the flow of time right." Vicki nodded and thought to speak but found she had no voice. "While you are here, you cannot talk, you will need to conserve your energy until I can make this ripple in the time placement go away. Vicki pivoted on her feet looking around and saw an image in a large mirror. It was of her slumped over her vanity table in her bedchambers.

Transfixed to the image she watched as the room around her slumped body was bathed in a brilliant flash of bright light and the image of Jeanette appeared in the room with Radu. Radu lifted Vicki's form from the chair and together they stepped into the tear in time. That image of that soulless body was now gone from view and Vicki felt a part of her ripped apart, gasping softly she folded to her knees bending forward clutching her stomach. Panic filled her mind and then there was nothing more than blissful darkness and a floating sensation. Michael moved to catch her before she fell forward and lifted her in his arms and carry her to another room of peaceful tranquility. Laying her on a low bed he gently covered her body and turned. "Now, to reunite the other soul with her body." Touching his forehead, Michael flashed out in a subtle light of green to appear in the parabolic chambers with the other Vicki laying sleeping the sleep of one drugged. Touching her forehead, the essences that was the Para universe Vicki was drawn out to stand glowing in form next to Michael confused and waiting. "You will not remember me Victoria for our time to meet is not now. You must come with me now. The life of your unborn child is at risk and you do not belong here. Foolish mortals have caused a rift and we must set the time flow back. Come take my hand and follow me." Reaching for her hand together they disappeared in a soft flash of green light, leaving the figure of the older Victoria's shell lying comatose on the bunk.

The body of the younger Victoria lay comatose on the sterile exam table at the headquarters of SHADOWS operations. Reposed in peaceful pose, Vicki appeared to be sleeping. Radu looked at the sleeping form and looked over at Jeanette, "She is not whole there is something wrong with her." Jeanette moved to her mother's side and looked down at the peaceful look on her face. "What is wrong?" Radu put his fingers to her forehead and closed his eyes. "She is a shell, there is no essence occupying her body." Jeanette's face wrinkled with her concern as she looked from the face of the woman that was her mother to the face of her lover. "What do you mean?" Radu shook his head, "She is vacant, her soul has been dispersed and is not in this vessel."

From the corner of the room, unaware of the arrival of Michael, Jeanette and Radu bent over the sleeping form of Vicki's body. "Come my dear it is time to restore you to your form and ally the fears of your friend and daughter." Taking her hand he led her to the body, helping her up on the exam table, the wispy form of Vicki absorbed the form of the unconscious Vicki on the table connecting back to her body. The connecting of the two bodies showing and immediate reaction to the two being reunited was easily reflected in the look that came over Radu's face. "Ahh, excellent the soul and body are one now. We can continue on with the assignment and reunite your parents at their home." Radu smiled pleased that he could once again feel Vicki as whole and look upon the face of her daughter to reassure her of the connection. Michael smiled and disappeared from the room to reappear beside Vicki in the serenity room. "Now, my dear it is time to return you to the flow of your time and stop the cascade of chaos through time." Bending he moved to the sleeping form of Vicki and disappeared to lay her gently into the body of the woman in the parabolic chamber. As the essence was reunited to the body he smiled and closing his eyes and spoke softly, "Time is restored and you are whole again." With a touch to his forehead he disappeared from sight.

Lydia stirred from her light nap. The room held a different feel to it. Subtle at first but she knew there had been a shift of some kind as she lay reorienting herself to he surroundings. Sitting up and sliding her feet to the floor she stood and moved to the door of the chamber and glanced at the clock. She had another half an hour in the chamber before they could release her. Oddly enough she felt secure in her surroundings and knew that something had happened to calm the flow of time. Moving to the computer in her chamber, she pressed the space bar and the screen came to life. Launching the Internet she sat and watched as the search engine she needed came to life. Moving her fingers over the keypad she watched as in real time she was allowed access to seeing what was happening in Collinsport. The devastation had been pretty complete in the main street area of Collinsport as she watched crews of repairmen and electrical workers work with a feverish pace to try and right what nature with the help of the chaos demon had set in place.

Going to a street view of the flurry of activity she found her brothers as they moved about the city helping where they were needed. Lydia pulled back her view and studied the area, taking her view to Collinwood, she saw her stepmother and father in the midst of being the gracious and care giving host and hostess to those that needed shelter, as the view scanned the area, her attention was caught by the wisp of flowing white material that drifted about on the lawn of the old house. The figure paused and studied the entrance to the house and then she saw her brother in law Barnabas as he stood with a look of utter despair and hurt upon his features, moving from the doorway was her niece Sarah and she stood anxiously next to her father. Moving in closer, Lydia turned up the volume of the computer and listened. "Don't worry poppa she is fine, she will be home before you know it. I am certain she was not injured in the storm."

Barnabas placed a light tender kiss on her forehead and nodded, "I know you are right my sweet Sarah, it is she has been gone for a while and nothing from the authorities on her whereabouts. We will have hope and be patient." Lydia felt her heart fall as she listened to the concern her family was having over her missing sister. Sighing softly she shut the computer down and closed her eyes only to open them with the intrusion of a soft sweet smell of jasmine entered the room. "She is back Cher, she has been returned and so has the flow of time. You however are in grave danger and must be careful." Lydia turned to see the faint transparent figure of Josette duPres as she shimmered from view with the arrival of the health techs. The pressure in the chamber was released with a subtle Shhhhh sound and the techs opened both doors to each chamber. Vicki stepped out and looked around the room and then to her sister. Her face lit up with genuine joy as she looked upon the face of her sister. "I am back Lydia. I have returned. The time flow should be back in order and we should expect nothing more than a few ripples as the flow of time resumes." Lydia moved to hug her sister holding onto her tightly. "I am not sure if you are aware of it or not, but Collinsport was hit by a tornado with the help of a chaos demon and the town is in bad shape. I really think we need to get us back through a time fold so we can help our loved ones.."

Josette with the help of Camron took Vicki and Lydia through a time fold and brought them to Lydia's house. Camron moved to the sofa and draped himself over the back of it as he waited for Josette to hug her mother. "Now we will leave you to your own devices and you can make up whatever story you wish to explain your absence." Turning to her aunt, Josette hugged her and with Camron in tow they disappeared into the fold of time once again. Vicki moved into the room, her body felt exhausted her mind was disjointed with thoughts from two times. "I am afraid I am still feeling the affects of the time displacement Lydia, I am afraid if I go home I am not going to be able to field the questions that may be asked." Lydia nodded, "I understand I am feeling a bit off myself. Just let me get fresh sheets for the spare bedroom and we both can lie down and rest. That should give us a chance to catch up with the time flow." Vicki nodded and collapsed to the sofa, stretching out and closing her eyes she sighed deeply and felt her body relax as she felt herself relive the time she was at Nicoli's castle. The thought of the look on his face when he realized she was gone and no longer under his power left her with a feeling of satisfaction. At least she was the one that had the memories of his touch and not the other younger alternate verse of her. As far as she was concerned she was never missing from her beloved Barnabas. Knowing how she would have felt during that time of her life she was grateful that she was able to sacrifice her mental self for that Vicki from that time frame.

Even now as she lay waiting for Lydia to prepare her bed she had to admit that she had suffered far more than that Vicki and could well with stand the events that had unfolded. A part of her lay longing to be in the arms of her husband and have him make love to her as only he could. With the gentleness and care he had always held for her while committing his deep passion and love for her. Never had any one man come close to making her feel so complete and even today with grown children his touch alone could ignite in her that deep passion she had always kept hidden until he released it. She reflected on that and decided that is why her love for him had been so enduring and lasting. Lydia came from the spare room, "Hey sis, you can go in and lay down now. What I might do later if you are not up, I will run over to the big house and then the old house and let them know we are well and that you were just too tired to make it home." Vicki smiled weakly to her sister and nodded, "Ok Lydia if you want. Right now I am so exhausted I really don't want to do anything but rest."

Lydia studied the face of her sister and once again was struck by how utterly timelessly beautiful she was. Moving over to the sofa she bent and placed a tender sisterly kiss on her forehead. "I love you Vicki." She stepped back and moved to her own bedroom. Striping off she fell across her bed and was soon asleep. Her dreams were troubling as she tumbled through that dark abyss that was her dreams. Always there was the mysterious man with the dark penetrating eyes. She felt her body grow warm with his intense look and her body yearned for his touch and wanted him to take her. She watched as he came to her in the darkness of her bedroom, bending over her with a hypnotizing look to his eyes as he began to slowly and erotically slide her clothing from her body. She could taste the definitely male smell of his body as she trailed hot kisses over his shoulders to his chest and felt him pin her to the bed. Her skin burned to the touch of his fingers as he gently caresses her smooth skin and took what he demanded with care and ease and she so easily surrendered to those demands and felt themselves climbing to erotic high to complete the act that had so easily been surrendered and taken. Lydia sat up with a start. Looking around the room, she felt her body drenched in sweat, her body feeling like it had been taken in her sleep.

Pushing her hair out of her face she looked anxiously around the room and then down at her body. Her clothing were no longer on her body and she felt as if she had been invaded sexually as she looked around the room. The darkening shadows were crawling with their deceptive calm over the room and she stood up, dragging her robe to her body. Was it a dream? Had she been so chaste for so long that in her dreams she had imagined she had a lover in her bed? Moving with practice caution around the room, she put on the lamps and searched the corners. As the shadows became nothing more than a remnant of a rather disturbing dream she moved to her bathroom and showered. A soft frown edged her lovely features as she lathered her body and let the hot steamy water ease the tension from her muscles. Washing her hair and rinsing off, she made her way to the bedroom and once again looked over her room. Shaking off the feeling she moved to the wardrobe and found herself a clean pantsuit and quickly dressed. For some reason she felt famished and was more than ready to fix her a Vicki something to eat. Moving out into the common area of the cottage she moved to the guest bedroom and knocked lightly. Opening the door she peered in to find the bed had been made and Vicki was no longer there.

Lydia frowned and moved to the living room area and found the neatly scripted letter left by her sister. She apparently had awakened and decided she wanted to go on home to Barnabas. Laying the note down, Lydia moved to her frig. Opening the refrigerator she looked inside to see nothing that appealed to her. Closing the door she moved to the table by the door and snagged her keys from the bowl and headed to her car. She was determined to shake the feeling she had upon waking from her dream and get back into the swing of things and helping the town that had become so important to her. The first order of business was to check on her father and stepmother before going to find her brothers. Tucking her keys in her pocket she moved towards the path that led to the big house. Grabbing her flashlight from her car she moved through the heavily wooded area noting that the looming shadows that lay threateningly around her were nothing more than downed trees from the storm. As she approached the small clearing that branched off in two directions she took the path that led to the big house. She would back track and take the next path that led to the old house and check to make sure Vicki made it home safely.

Progressing on she suddenly became aware of a snap of a twig under pressure of a foot. Stopping she listened and reached for her service weapon, pulling it out she looked around, snapping the flash light off and tucking it in her waist band she let her eyes search the wooded area and her ears trained to listen for more footfalls. All that met her ears was silence. Poised on the pathway she tilted her head and listened and then it came. The rush was such a powerful blow that it knocked her to the ground and the weight of the body pinned her to the ground. The impact had sent her weapon flying up to land a scant five feet from her outstretched hands. The beast was pinning her with his weight as his eyes sought hers and held her gaze with his own hypnotic glowing red eyes. His voice was deep and guttural. "Dooo nooot sttttruggle huuuman." Lydia lay placidly under its weight and waited. "Yooouu wiilll taaakke a meesssage tooo thhhe darrrk oone. Ifff he vaaaluues hiiis claaaim ooon yoooou, heee wiiiilll haaaave tttttheee chhhhhildren reeeturn ttttooo usssss." As quickly as the beast had pinned her it was gone leaving her confused and pissed. Slowly, with extreme care Lydia stood and retrieved her weapon. As she stood a tear appeared in the fabric of time and Camron with Josette stepped through.

"Aunt Lydia? What happened?" Lydia brushed her clothing off and turned to look at the dark handsome man at her niece's side. "Something just attacked me, it was big foul smelling and made a demand about the Incubus children." Camron moved into the opening and looked around, muttering words of arcane magic he listened to the air around him and then took off at a sprint towards the old house. His action immediately elicited a soft curse from Josette, "Damnit to hell Camron." Josette took off in a sprint following with a call back to her Aunt, "Go check the big house. The hags are on the prowl looking for their charges." Needing little else to spurn her on her way, Lydia moved off at a fast pace job to the big house, a soft prayer being emitted as she charged down the pathway towards the house.

Lydia broke the wood line and paused looking at the calm exterior of the big house as it was lit up with the outside security lights. Reaching for her flashlight she uttered a soft curse as she realized she must have lost it when the hag pinned her to the ground. Pushing herself further she dashed across the lawn to the Porte conchere to arrive just as the front door was opened and Carolyn stepped out. "Lydia! Oh I was just coming to get you." Her voice was light and happy sounding as she stood holding the door open to admit her. "Carolyn, has anything unusual happened here say within the past ten minutes?" Carolyn laughed lightly and said rather drolly, "Lydia its Collinwood. Unusual is the norm for us here you need to be a bit more specific." Having already deduced that the hag had not come to here she covered with a forced joviality. "Of course you are right. How silly of me. Are mother and dad all right? No ill affects from the storm?"

Carolyn stepped back into the room and invited her in moving to the drawing room. "No we were lucky, Mother had opened up the ballroom and there has been survivors arriving all day for shelter. We have the staff on overtime cooking and the local medical people are dividing their time between here and the hospital." Lydia nodded and looked around the house assuring her self that all was well. As she entered the drawing room she came up short when she saw Gerard sitting comfortably in front of the fire. He turned his dark penetrating gaze on her and a easy seductive smile edged his lips as he watched her enter the drawing room. "Oh now I am doubly blessed, now I have two beautiful women to share my company." He stood and moved to Lydia fixing his gaze on her as he gently took her hand and drew it to his lips. Lydia watched as he drew her hand up to his full sensual lips and placed a soft kiss on her wrist, then on the back of her hand and tucked it close to his chest. In the deepest abyss of her mind, Lydia could have sworn in that moment so tender and private in her mind she heard. "_You belong to me now_."


End file.
