Dear Father,

I have recovered the talisman you required. And I have not yet been contacted by Damian. Are you quite sure that he did not travel on? My hopes are conflicted for him. Send me your next mission. Please give my regards to Crysania, Aria, Uncle, and Sindri. I will see you on Dragon Day.

Cara

"Come here, Bahia." I whispered. I knew the red dragon hatchling could hear me. Some gurgles, cawing, and scratching of her claws later; my small, scaly familiar hopped into my lap and walked in a tight circle over my red tunic before crashing down and releasing a slight yawn. "Sorry to wake you, Bahia, but I need you to send a message again." Her ears perked up. She knew that messages meant home and home meant other dragons. "I just need you to give Father this letter and this talisman." I held them up to show her how small they actually were.

Yes Cara. Bahia communicated to me before she rolled onto her back so I could put her burden into the satchel fastened to her like a saddle.

"Alright, off you go." I opened the window and carried Bahia to the sill. After she had left, I sat down on the chair and picked my notebook back up. I had a story to finish writing after all.

I must have sat there for two hours, writing down my newest literary creation, when I heard a hard knock at my door. "Hey, open up. Preferably before I knock the door down." Came a gruff and seemingly annoyed voice from outside.

"Angsana." I murmured as I stood. My simple spell unlocked the door so I could hastily open it when I reached it. I opened the door and looked up to see a large, red, cloaked figure with shaved off horns on his head. Around his waist was a holster belt with three guns and uncountable amounts of ammunition. "May I help you?" my voice was unfazed by my slight surprise.

"Uh, yeah; we're looking for a Cara Majed. But apparently we've got the wrong house. I told you we took a wrong turn, Blue!" He looked over his shoulder at an apparent companion whom I could not see.

"Sir, I…" I was about to tell him that I was Cara Majed, but I was cut off by the man's unseen companion attempting to reason with him.

"Just let me talk to her. Maybe she knows where Ms. Majed moved to." The speaker's companion stepped aside to allow him to pass. My eyes settled upon him as his did to me. Both of us had the picture of shock cross our faces, I could tell I did because I could see my reflection in his blue and black eyes. "Cara?!" he ejaculated.

"Abraham?!" I gasped back, just as surprised. I couldn't control my emotions upon seeing my dear old friend: I rushed forward and enveloped him in an embrace. It was much easier than the last time I had 

done so; considering I had grown four or five inches, while he stayed the same, like always. "I missed you greatly." I whispered in his ear.

"As did I." he whispered back. He returned the embrace for a moment longer before his companion cleared his throat and I took a half step back. "Oh, yes; Cara, this is my partner, Hellboy. Hellboy, this is Cara Majed. At least, that's the name she uses here." I shot a disapproving glance and Abraham, who minutely shrugged, but I saw it.

"It is nice to meet you sir. I believe Abraham mentioned you before." I extended my right hand to him, a gesture which he did not return. So I brought back my hand and gave him a slight bow.

"Come on Abe, we've got the girl, let's get back to HQ." Hellboy mumbled as he turned on his heels and strode past us.

"Wait, Hellboy; I think we should tell her why we're here first and ask her opinion before we just take her." Abraham placed his hand on my shoulder in recognition of me. I was surprised he hadn't read me yet. He was probably just being courteous and would wait until we had time to read each other. That would be just like Abraham: manners and others first, personal curiosity second.

"Take me where?" I asked Abraham when he glanced over at me.

He opened his mouth to respond, but Hellboy cut him off. "Why? She's your little friend, so she'll go because you're going. Krauss and Manning will explain to her when we get there." He snapped at Abraham. I was getting slightly annoyed with him already.

"Take me where?" I repeated. This time Abraham answered me.

"We are supposed to take you to where we work; the B.P.R.D. Krauss, our superior agent, is recruiting more people for the team. That way there are reserves from just Hellboy, Liz, Krauss, and I. You are one of the ones on the consideration list." He explained slowly; never breaking eye contact with me to ensure that I understood.

I slid his hand form my shoulder and shook my head. "No. I will not fight those who are like me. I could not bring myself to take from someone what has been taken from me." I was beginning to shake from anger and sadness.

Before I fell to my knees, Abraham grabbed my arms and held me up. He was beginning to read me, and I did not stop him. What they needed to here I could not say. "Oh." He murmured after a moment. "When did it happen." He asked me.

I was fighting the tears just remembering it, and he knew it. But he was being sympathetic, so I could not blame him for the small trickle of tears that ran down my pale cheek. "Last winter." I managed to mumble before the tears turned into more of a small river and the shaking increased.



Abraham put his hand beneath my chin and lifted it so I would meet his eyes. "You could have come to me for help. I promised you the last time I saw you that I would always help you, no matter what." He pulled me closer as if to embrace me again, but I stepped back out of his reach.

I halted the sobbing and tears before I looked back at the two. "I have everything under control." I said as strongly as I could.

"Oh, I don't think so. We didn't even directly mention whatever is going on, and you burst into tears. Last time I checked, that's the polar opposite of under control. You…" After that, his mouth continued to move, but no sound came out. Now it was Abraham's turn to give me a disapproving glance.

"What? He was aggravating me." I said. I felt no need to remove the silencing spell. It would be so much easier just to have Abraham tell me what was going on and why I should join this team of theirs.

So he went about telling me all that the B.P.R.D. did: research, field study, protecting stuff, and fighting harmful disturbances. He told me that it would benefit me if I joined. Krauss would understand one of my powers completely, and possibly help me with it. I would be able to use my powers for good. And I could actually prevent what had happened to me from happening to anyone else. So I gave in. I removed the spell from Hellboy, who let loose a long stream of profanities; some directed at Abraham, some at me, and some to no one in particular. I walked through my apartment quickly and grabbed a few things I knew I would need: my spell books, my note pad, a few pens, a change of clothes, and my sword; and shoved them in a bag. I left a note for Bahia, in case she returned before I did. I turned to Abraham and nodded.

As we walked out the door, Abraham grasped my hand in his and looked down at me as if asking for my permission. Hellboy glanced back at us, him being very confused. I rolled my eyes and explained as simply as I could. "We have a lot of reading to do."

"Wait, you're a reader, psychic too?" He asked, not seeming happy with the news. I nodded. "Great, this is just great. Now there are two people who can just invade your mind with one little tap. HQ is going to suck if she gets picked." He continued to mumble to himself as he walked a head of us to the car.

Just ignore him. Abraham thought to me.

Don't worry, I already have been. I thought back. He and I shared a chuckle.

We continued to sort through each other's memories for the whole hour and a half drive to B.P.R.D. Abraham jumped out of the car and helped me, since I had fallen asleep and was still a little shaky, out of the car. Hellboy led the way through the two large steel doors at the front of the white marble building. As we entered the lobby, Hellboy and Abraham went to stand on a symbol in the middle of the floor; they motioned for me to come as well. After I had stepped onto the emblem, it began to sink. I stumbled forward and into Abraham, who steadied me against his chest before letting me go. After the floor stopped sinking, the three of us quickly stepped off. Floating in waiting in front of us when we stepped off was a cloud a white fog that resembled the shape of an averagely built man.



The fog cloud nodded its head at us and turned to Abraham and then turned its head to me. "Oh, yes of course. Cara, this is Professor Krauss. Professor, this is Cara Majed." He motioned with his hand between the two of us.

"It is good to meet you, sir." I bowed my head. "From what Abraham has, um, shown me; is it safe to assume that your containment suit is being repaired?" The cloud nodded at me.

"Come Cara, we will introduce you to Mr. Manning, and then show you to your room." Abraham told me as he walked backwards down a hallway. I couldn't stifle the giggle that came up when ran into a pillar. After walking for a short while longer, we came upon a glass fronted office; inside was a balding man looking over paper work and photographs.

As we entered, he straightened up, looking rather confused. "Agents, did you find Ms., um, now where did that file go?" searched around for what I assumed was my file.

"Majed," I finished for him. "My name is Cara Majed. I stepped forward and extend my hand to him. He looked at it as if it was going to bite him.

"Mr. Manning, she's not like us, there's nothing to worry about. And I don't think she's had a normal handshake all day." Abraham assured Mr. Manning. I glanced over at him, knowing for certain that my expression mirrored my confusion as I dropped my hand. "There are slight problems with handshakes around here. The Professor is either a cloud or in a metal suit, I have a habit of reading people when I shake their hands, Hellboy just about breaks their hand, and Liz can give you a nasty burn if she's not careful." He explained to me.

"I assure you, sir," I turned to face Mr. Manning. "Abraham is correct; I'm not like the others here. I must will my powers to come up, I don't use them subconsciously. And I never use them on purpose without permission." I smiled reassuringly but gave a slight wonder as to why he had given a start when I addressed my friend. I pushed that aside when Mr. Manning cautiously extended his hand to me. I met his hand half way and gave it a gentle shake. After the gesture was over, I stepped back to stand by my friend.

After that, Abraham and Hellboy led me down a different hallway, past a library that I so desperately wanted to go in, and stopped at a mahogany door with a brass old-fashioned handle; the kind the used a skeleton key in the lock. Hellboy left as soon as we reached the door, while Abraham stayed to give me the key ad tell me when dinner was.

As I opened the door and stepped inside, I couldn't but realize how similar it was to my home. Not my apartment in the city, but my real home which Bahia was probably asleep at right now. The little dragon was probably curled up by the fire in the great room across from Crysania, who was either reading or caring for little Aria. I didn't realize how much I missed my father and his family until I began to think of them.

I placed my bag down on the bed in the bedroom that adjoined the sitting room and walked into the bathroom to fix my braid, which I could feel coming loose. I looked in the mirror to see my usual self: 

almost luminescent burgundy and brown eyes centered in a pale face with slight features. My brown hair was pulled back into its customary braid, which reached halfway down my back. My snowy skin had a slight golden tint to it and my irises had an almost hourglass shape to them. If anyone was smart enough to notice and relate it to other sources, this would have been like replacing my henna-like birthmark on my forehead with my father's name. That annoying birthmark that I had, a small shell like shape in the middle with waves rolling off to the sides. This spelled out to those previously mentioned smart people exactly what my mother was; but they would have to look deeper to tell who.

After I had re-braided my hair, I walked into the library I had seen earlier. Inside, Abraham, a metal suit that I assumed was Krauss, Hellboy, and the woman Abraham had shown me to be Liz were talking in a small circle. Upon noticing my entrance, Abraham and Krauss walked over to where I was standing by the edge of what appeared to be a giant, empty, fish tank.

"Ah, Ms. Cara, it is good to be able to speak to you, little one." He extended his hand to me which I met. He seemed almost paternal in nature, much unlike my own father.

"Cara, we have good news for you." I nodded, waiting for Abraham to continue. "You have been the only one to be accepted to join our little team." He smiled at me as he gave me time to soak up the information. After all, this hadn't exactly been my choice of things.

"Well, Agent Majed, would you care to meet your new team mates?" Krauss motioned toward Hellboy and Liz.

"First of all, Professor, just call me Cara. Secondly, alright, let's go." I began to walk toward the pair on the other side of the room only to have Abraham dart in front of me and envelop me in a hug.

As he set me down, he whispered in my ear, "I always knew you would live up to something like this. I've known since I first met you. I just didn't think it would be so soon."

I laughed quietly back, "Well, that makes one of us."