Disclaimer: I don't own anything, only my oc's and their story.


Prologue

A lot of folks, they got a little bit of shine to them. - Dick Hallorann, The Shining


"Mommy!" The terrified voice of Paige Fitzpatrick screamed.

Hayley Fitzpatrick sat bolt upright in her bed, simultaneously throwing her blankets back and swinging her legs over the edge.

Her feet hit the floor at the same moment her six year-old screamed again. This cry was more blood curdling than the last. Every hair on the back of her neck stood up and a chill danced down her spine. Hayley sprinted across her darkened bedroom and down the hall. The pounding of her heart seeming to match that of her feet as she raced into her daughters room.

Hayley's steps slowed, her worried gaze skimming over her daughter's small frame. Paige sat frozen in the middle of her small four-poster bed. Moonlight from her bedroom window highlighted her tumble of dark curls and ashen face. Her eyes were blown wide and glassy with fear as if the terrors she had seen in her dreams still danced around her. Instinct and these last few months told Hayley that was exactly what was happening.

Hayley's steps slowed as she reached Paige and sat down slowly on the bed just inches away from her daughter's frame.

"Paige?" Hayley whispered and she carefully reached for her daughter, trying not to startle her.

Unsurprisingly Paige made no response just continued to stare unseeingly.

Hayley scooted closer and reached up, brushing a fall of dark curls behind her ear. Hayley slid her hand down Paige's arm pulled her daughter gently onto her lap.

Paige remained still for a moment, then she began to fight. Hayley had learned over the past few months that no matter what she did, her daughter would fight her and the key was getting her to calm down. Hayley tried to cradled Paige against her chest, but she continued to struggle. Her little body flailing.

Hayley whispered her name urgently, tightening her grip on Paige's tiny frame.

Paige's fingernails, dug into the soft skin of Hayley's arm, drawing blood. She ignored the pain and tightened her arms around her daughter more. "Mommy is here."

After another moment, Paige's small body began to relax.

Hayley pulled one leg up onto the mattress under her and kissed Paige's head gently. "It's okay sweetheart, it's mommy," she whispered softly.

Continuing to rock Paige, she ran her hand over her daughter's dark curls and kissed her forehead again, "It's alright, mommy's here."

Six months later.

Hayley reached up, tucking an errant wisp of dark hair behind her ear, then yawned softly as she lifted her coffee cup to her lips. Her eyes on the screen of her laptop. A laptop which had hardly no battery left and she had an advanced anatomy paper she had yet to start, due in three days, and no power. She ignored the tiny voice that chose this moment to question again if trying to finish her Masters in Nursing was prudent with everything else going on in her life. The instant twisting of her stomach fed the ever present doubts Hayley had on the matter but she ignored it.

Instead she sat her coffee back down on the old table in front of her and checked the clock on her phone. She had told been told this guy was cheap, quick and most importantly, he wouldn't ask too many questions. Hayley used the last bit of that thought to reassure herself about doubting making that call this morning.

Hayley wasn't really certain, how to explain to just anyone how her babysitter had fried her electricity... Hayley was also, equally as certain, if she had just ordered the book she had to drive clear to Rockland last night to buy from a private seller, she'd still have power and she would get this paper in on time.

A noise from the living room caught Hayley's attention and She stood, grabbing her coffee and made her way to the doorway. Hayley leaned against the oak door asking, crossing one ankle with the other and wrapped both hands around her cup. Paige sat motionless on the overdyed blue area rug in the middle of the room, head down, toys spread out around her.

She eyed Hayley through a fall of dark curls as she picked up a pink plastic teacup and threw it at the wall.

Hayley watched it bounce of the wall and fall to the old plank floor below. Sighing heavily, Hayley closed her eyes as she reached up to rub the sudden pulse point in her temple. When she opened her eyes a few moments later, she looked at her daughter. Hayley opened her mouth but before she could form the word in her head, Paige said them for her. "What have I said about throwing things?"

Hayley took a deep breath, letting it out as she gave her a stern look.

Paige mimicked her mother, only she placed her fist on the ground and leaned on them, her hair falling about her.

Hayley ignored the sliver of unease that still danced down her spine after months of her daughter doing these sorts things. "Paige," she said at the exact same moment her daughter did.

"Enough," Hayley began, emphasizing the e. "No. More."

Paige's gaze dropped and she picked up another toy. A small building block this time and threw it at the wall as well.

"I want to watch Ferb." Her daughter announced, sitting back down.

"You can't watch Ferb."

"Ferb," the six year-old insisted again, growing visibly frustrated.

Hayley had learned a while ago that it was easier for her daughter to handle her trouble if Hayley kept her busy. Pre-k had helped and so had soccer, but soccer was over and pre-k was no longer an option. Nothing her husband had ever told Hayley about his family's Trouble had truly prepared her for this.

She, really both of them, had always known it wouldn't be easy, but they'd never planned on Hayley doing this alone. Hayley stopped the memories before they could take root and Paige heard them.

Over the last year as more and more of what her little girl was truly capable of became apparent, Hayley had learned to not think too long on things she didn't want Paige to know. Still, she would take these issue over her daughter waking up screaming in the middle of the night from dreams so dark, no innocent mind could fabricate them. Hayley quickly redirected her thoughts again, masking her worry and the fear, thoughts of Paiges nightmares brought to her before Paige picked up her train of thought. "Why don't we get some markers and papers and you can come to the dining room with me," Hayley suggested. Paige pursed her lips, eyeing her mother again. "You could draw a picture for Naunie and Papa," Hayley encouraged, holding her hand out to her daughter. "Or Miss Vickie," Hayley offered last.

Paige stayed still for a moment before she got to her feet, a happy smile appearing on her face and lighting her pale green eyes that were the same mossy color as Hayley's own.

"Can we go see, Miss Vickie?" Paige asked, all sign of her mood of moments ago gone.

"We can try," Hayley said, as Paige slid her small hand in hers. Vickie Dutton had taught a special art class for the children in Paige's pre-k class last year and her daughter adored her.

They turned and headed back into the dining room. Paige let go of Hayley's hand and skipped toward the old window seat built into the back wall.

"I'll get the markers, you get the paper, ok mommy."

"Ok Paige." Hayley said, knowing her six year old would just say "okay mommy," again and again till Hayley said she would. And it wouldn't matter if she saw her mother doing what she asked, Paige would still ask.

Hayley grabbed a large sketch pad from the drawer in the sideboard and turned around to find her daughter climbing up onto her knees in one of the chairs. The chair that was setting about a half a foot from the table. That obviously wasn't a deterrent. Paige leaned across the space, one elbow resting on the table and her chin in her palm.

"Two peas," she said as Hayley reached the table.

Hayley smiled. "That would be, two please," She emphasized please.

"Please," Paige corrected, popping the p.

Hayley flipped through the pad trying to find two bare sheets of paper. She tore one out, leaning over her daughter to drop it with a flourish onto the table.

Paige giggled, turning her focus to the can of markers sitting nearby.

Hayley found a second page. She laid it on the table before she made her way back around the table and sat down in front of her computer again. she typed away for a few minutes more before she saved her document and shut off her computer. she had a bit more reading to do and shutting her laptop off meant saving her battery.

Hayley reached for her open notebook and anatomy book, her attention drifting to the paper Paige was drawing on. "What's that?" She asked.

"It's an angel," Paige replied. She twisted her lips up into a silly smile, but never looked up.

"An angel, really? Who is it for?" Hayley asked, already busy thumbing through pages of color coded notes.

"Papa. His heart is sick and he needs an angel," Paige replied as if it was perfectly normal thing for her to say.

Hayley's fingers paused and she looked up at her daughters downturned face. "What do you mean, Paige?"

Paige didn't immediately answer, just continued to draw her angel. "Look at me, Paige."

Paige lifted her eyes meeting her Hayley and repeated, her words, "Papa's heart is sick and he needs an angel."

Paige quickly went back to her drawing, leaving a near speechless Hayley to watch as she put the cap on the marker in her hand and traded it for another, dread beginning to spiral in her stomach. Hayley knew Paige knew things she shouldn't. She had just sat in the living room a few minutes ago and said the words in Hayley's own head, but this was the first time anything like this had happened. Hayley's parents lived hours away in the very northern part of the state. And Hayley didn't even know about it.

"He's here." Paige announced.

Still reeling from what her daughter had just told her, Hayley was confused for a moment.

Paige quickly explained. "Not papa, silly mommy," Paige explained, giggling childishly at Hayley's confusion. "The man who's gonna fix my tv."

xxx

Hi all, well first off thanks for reading. This story is kind of a labor of love and a long time coming for me, but it has taken me years to settle on something or feel confident entering the extremely complicated world that is Haven. My finally settling on an idea and being good with taking on the overly complicated canon content is thanks to a truly amazing beta and a couple other great writing friends!

Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed. Feel free to let me know what you think good or bad.