Slight Variations of Normal.

Beauty and the Beast.

'Seriously Jacob…do you expect me to wear the same dress?'

'Well I don't know. You looked lovely last year. Everyone commented on how beautiful you were.'

'Doesn't it strike you as kind of silly to look the same?'

'Well …no.'

Cathy stood, hands on hips, staring at her husband. Despite his amazing powers of deduction and organizational skills, Jacob just couldn't fathom why wearing the same dress to a formal function was ok. Men do it all the time, he reasoned. Cathy knew she was fighting a losing battle. Explanations just flew over his highly logical head.

The bi-annual governor's ball was coming up. The two years since the last one had been full of events, some good and others very challenging for the Wells family. Firstly, Jacob found himself being assigned to defend the state's attorney-general, whose wife appeared to be murdered, on the very night of the ball. Grateful for his exoneration and release, the AG offered his beautiful estate for the wedding of Terry and Jason, an event which marked significant change in the health and well-being of the marriage of Catherine and Vincent. The wedding also set the stage for Cathy to be reunited with a previously unknown family and the etheric release of her lost heritage.

Then, what started out as a simple request from the Governor for assistance in monitoring one of his charities, turned into a trap set by Gabriel's disenfranchised daughter Susanna. The heinous endeavor nearly destroyed Catherine and Jacob. And yet, despite her best efforts, Susanna could not succeed against the strength and remarkable skills inherited by Jacob. Holly, Cathy's newly discovered sister, was also helpful. Veiled knowledge, forged out of the shadows of their strange history, revealed Cathy's true heritage. She blossomed into a woman with remarkable skills of her own and together Jacob, Cathy, and Holly were find their strength and defeat Susanna without loss of life.

The trio, bound by past, present, and future ties, were gradually awakened to the ancient secrets which endowed amazing powers of hindsight and foresight. Of the three, Cathy held the knowledge and skill to command change in the here and now but her conscious mind had not fully grasped the extent of the inherited ability. In time, each would evolve and enhance their roles. They did understand that separately they were indomitable but not invincible. In order to be effective, they would have to work together. The trio were just beginning to understand how to use their power for good. Unleashing its resources in the everyday world was not the role or function of their skill set. They remained as normal as three extraordinary people could be.

Away from the job and living in the comfort of a New York brownstone, anyone looking at the Jacob and Cathy would see a taller than average, blond, curly haired, man with piercing blue eyes, much like his father and a ready smile carved out just like his mother. Beside him always was his wife a curvaceous brunette with long legs and hazel eyes which could change colours to match the mood of the moment. Their marriage was steady and filled with the passion of youth. It would be a mistake to underestimate the good looks for anything other than the luck of inheritance. Behind them and ahead into the future, the young couple would be challenged at every turn. They had no guide book for the work: merely an ancient skill-set they would need to adapt to life in the 21st century.

However, in the matter of choice between a new dress or not, Cathy's will would be implacable. She continued to stare down her husband. The gauntlet, thrown from eyes suddenly green, forced Jacob to raise his hands in surrender.

'Ok, I concede to having little knowledge about the dress world but if we are going to do this dance you will need to be able to get around comfortably on the dance floor. I just thought that dress was loose and comfortable.'

'Don't worry about me Jacob. You make sure you know your part.'

'Hey listen, I did ok last time.'

Cathy's eyes softened with the sweet memory of their waltz. She had been a nervous wreck, intimidated by the whole event and yet, the strength and love of her husband allowed her to feel like Cinderella at the ball. She smiled into the depths of Jacob's gaze, reaching out to give him a slight tug with her arms.

'I thought you said we shouldn't be so close together for the dance.'

'I don't want to practice dancing anymore.'

Jacob was never slow in divining the needs of his wife in other ways. Pulling her closer he stared at the full lips pouting invitingly and felt his love rise to meet her, more than halfway, at least on this issue.

'Catherine, when I look at you and see that blank stare, it worries me. Is there something, anything you haven't told me?'

'I admit that my mind wanders. There is so much going on inside my head sometimes. I just have to let go of everything or I feel like I am drowning.'

Vincent cuddled his wife closer to the warmth of his body. He understood exactly what she meant. Twenty years in a coma, hearing voices, and not being able to respond must have left his fragile wife with some form of post-traumatic stress. They had been to so many doctors for one complaint or another over the years since her return but getting to the bottom of those lost years was almost impossible. He said little beyond an affirmative grunt. Listening was the best way to allow his wife to unburden herself.

'Words keep coming back to me. Snatches of conversation keep replaying in my mind. I should have forgotten most of it or not remember at all.'

'Catherine?'

'Vincent, I know that Jacob could help me but I don't want to have to share those years with him. I don't know what horrible things were done to me. I don't want him to see it.' Each statement became more emphatic.

'I respect your decision. You are not often introspective but I think that Susanna's intent to hurt you opened so many doors.'

'Yes, yes…. I am angry with myself for not seeing how cruel she was. You would think after what happened to me, my radar on evil would be active. I knew she was mean spirited and sexually deviant but I missed the fire of revenge in her eyes. Howie was just as duped, even though he had his own suspicions.'

Catherine smiled softly in remembrance of her friend, the often harassed State Governor whose horror over the whole event could hardly be assuaged.

'I don't want to think about her, Vincent. To be honest, I am really happy to continue the committee work and make it a reality instead of what it was, a front for Susanna's human trafficking.'

At the mention of the new role, Catherine's eyes lit up. The governor had been so impressed with Catherine, that he offered her the chance to establish and lead a new committee which would truly be a community project focused on helping abducted and abandoned children. Vincent watched the sparkle return. He knew that he could not keep his wife from venturing out into the public domain but he would do everything to ensure her safety in the future. The one area which he could not control was the disjointed memory which plagued her mind.

Since the end of the events which wreaked havoc on the family ended, Vincent had insisted on taking Catherine below to spend more and more time alone in the quiet of the underground tunnels where they first fell in love. His chambers were always a balm to her troubled spirits. The sweet memories of their early days washed over them, almost but not quite, erasing the 20 years of separation. The sounds of pipes clanging with messages, children running and laughing, the steady drip of water in the distance all served to bring a comfort which could not be duplicated anywhere else.

Much of the tunnel community had changed over the years. More and more abandoned children were finding their way out to good homes through Cathy's program at one centre. Those young people and adults remaining behind did so for a variety of reasons but they lived in harmony, sharing everything under the guidance of the tunnel counsel whose role was to work towards harmony in all things. The aging patriarch, Jacob Sr. was frail but observed the comings and goings with bright eyes, and a keen mind, despite the weakness in his back. His companion Mary, loved and respected by all as 'Mother' continued to nurture him, dreading the day when he could no longer move to his beloved library and receive news from the members of the community.

If deep and heartfelt sighs could be heard from the second floor of the brownstone, to the depths of the chambers below, it could be imagined that all was well in both worlds.

Jacob discovered in himself, a great love for the 1940's music which was more in keeping with his grandfather's era. He and his music loving wife found particular enjoyment in learning moves, which so far, kept them busy in their own apartment. Jacob hoped to display more elegant footwork on the dance floor at the ball. For someone with his agility and extraordinary ability, he shouldn't lack any skill, but being able to jump immense heights was not the same as a one-two-three step. He left the counting in the background of his mind, concentrating instead on finding flow with the lover-wife who matched him every step of the way. She never failed to give of herself freely and openly.

They also understood one of major responsibilities looming. Only Cathy could recognize when she would be ready to take on the burden the family expected of their inherited roles. The gift of special powers was accompanied by the edict of giving birth to at least eight children. Such a possibility seemed daunting to the couple who grew up as only children.

'Let's just practice for now ok?' Cathy pleaded over and over. Igniting passion was easy. They had time and lots more to do before they would be ready to parent.

Jacob's demanding job as a public defender, was but one issue. His mother's unlikely return from a twenty year coma dictated that he accept the need to learn the ancient skills of his father's people. In the modern world he needed to combine the knowledge and expertise of a herbalist, a naturopath and an osteopath. Each of these required study in order for him to understand how he could use certain materials and inherited tactile senses for the good. Late afternoons and weekend mornings found him below in his grandfather's chambers, pouring over books and scrolls, resourcing every avenue of learning, in preparation for the state exams that would give him license to practice. To others, the idea may have seemed a waste of time. After all, his job as a public defender was enough of a career for one man but that was merely a façade, hiding the real aptitude that was his birthright.

Jacob did his job well. The Director of Public Defenders, Kurt Ootes, could not have asked for a better researcher or defender. He depended on his young assistant a great deal, but the dictates of the ancient lion clan held greater sway over Jacob's future. While he did not have to work, the need to excel in all areas was inborn.

As the young couple lay side by side, temporally satiated, their arms and legs entwined, they said little. Their promises to each other had been to limit conversations about the secret powers to a time and place separate from their busy day lives. Decisions about their future were left to meetings with Holly, at her condominium, in the space she set aside for linking, or below in the chambers of Paracelsus where spirits could join and guide. It was a wise decision. Cathy often became agitated. Her inability to access or control the Diosa power, except under duress, left her feeling vulnerable. There was a lot more work to be done on understanding the past and the present and which events could unleash a force, not to be taken lightly.

In the calm aftermath of their desire, Cathy suddenly sat bolt upright. Jacob, half drowsy, was startled.

'We go below!'

Jacob knew that tone. He did not argue. One thing about Cathy's power was the change in speech and facial features. She was inspired by an 'other-worldly' energy. She took on a particular glow when channeling her guide. They quickly dressed and left the house with a wave for Sue and Rob who were sitting in the kitchen chatting over the remains of dinner. Cathy did not lead Jacob across the park to the tunnel entrance as he expected but moved towards the subway which would take them to the chambers of Pater, Jacob's grandfather. He had chosen this space to apply himself to his learning and his work.

To say that Cathy's actions were unusual would have been folly. She had displayed this behaviour before. Jacob realized that Cathy also felt safe below, able to allow the energy to be released from her body in safety. She would receive messages and store them for future action. She would also be a ferocious and demanding lover in the aftermath.

They seemed to move with the speed of lightening through the streets to the underground access. Neither was breathless. Once below, Cathy turned to face Jacob, not her husband, but the man she was born to love, had already loved for several eternities. She adopted the pose assigned to her and allowed a flood of light energy to emit from her hands, power centres located throughout the body and the crown of her head. The myriad of colours was spectacular.

Jacob sat motionless on the tomb of his grandmother and watched, waiting for the message.

Luminescence was the only word which Jacob could use to describe the vision in front of him. His mind returned to the dreams which he shared with Cathy during the many months of her discovery. Here before his eyes, manifest in the darkness of the tunnel chamber, the phosphorous laden pool of Theodoric and his lover Veneranda came to life. Shimmering in waves of rainbow colour flowing outward from her body, the messages of the past were carried within the energy released.

Jacob wondered at the source of the power. Was it internally derived? Uncertain at the fullness displayed for the first time, he watched in awe as Cathy's arms rose and wrapped around her body. Shards of light changed colour in the semi darkness. The aura which surrounded her body held tales of bravery, challenge, fear, courage and power undiminished by the passage of time. He could see spirits rise out of the threads of hair, each one containing the DNA of all ancestors.

Jacob waited, holding his breath at times, at others inhaling deeply, always listening carefully for any message from the guides who supported his transformed wife. Cathy would not remember much but her need to expel the pent up energy was clear. Jacob sighed into the light, wondering with the rational part of his mind, if every time he made love to his wife, she would need to perform some kind of ritual. He could almost hear the phantoms laugh at his absurdity. Taking himself away from the mundane he waited, watching intently. Clearly he was meant to witness the event. Unlike his shimmering wife, his own energies came to him in quiet and in dreams, energy drawn up from the past but Cathy seemed unsure or unaware of the source of her own power.

Instead of trying to analyze something outside of his knowing he settled and waited, keeping ears open.

Jacob wasn't the only one impacted by the unusual energy. Vincent, born of the same ancestry as Cathy and Jacob, felt the shift when his son and daughter-in-law left the house. He knew when they settled in the uptown chambers of a man Vincent hated but acknowledged as his biological father. The relationship that Jacob held with the spirits of 'Pater' disturbed the father/son dynamic only very slightly. Vincent was able to intuit that his son had another path to follow and one he must determine alone. A watchful eye was the most interference between the generations. In every other way, father and son were in sync. Normally the travels of his son warranted very little attention but the urgency of their trip garnered more than a passing thought.

Vincent looked down at his sleeping wife. He dropped the book of poetry in his hand and gingerly made his way to the entrance of his chambers. In the quiet he could discern Jacob's heartbeat. It was steady. He shifted slightly to Cathy's energy and drew back with the force of it. Making sure that Catherine did not miss him at her side, he stepped further into the corridor and waited. The sound of dripping water in the distance felt like thunder in his highly sensitive ears. He leaned back against the stone wall tilting his head back as if absorbing some distant telegraphic memo. Strange words filled his being. None made sense. Every nerve ending tingled. Into his memory bank came the vision of Cathy, newly born, still covered with the amniotic fluid. He saw her mother, so young and vulnerable lying on the bed. He recalled Mary raising the child waiting for the cry which would signal life.

Vincent had no idea why that memory should be so vivid. He thought again of Lena, that beautiful child woman drawn into a life of prostitution through no fault of her own, giving birth to not one but two extraordinary children who would lead the clan. Little did they know the power Cathy held but like another story of a child born into humble circumstances who changed the world, Vincent knew that anything was possible. He did not flinch from the memories. Lena could have been his lover but his heart belonged to one and only one woman. Their reunion after twenty years validated the rightness of his decision. Vincent stayed immobile waiting.

Much further uptown, Holly too was aware that her half-sister was experiencing a catharsis. She had no idea of its source but felt sure that the process was necessary for Cathy to rebirth in her role. The outcome was designed to prepare the woman to become the Diosa, an ancient title, drawn from the guardians of the Lion Clan of ancient Egypt of which they were all members. Holly had been well prepared for her role as the visionary oracle of the trio. Although she could see outcomes, her best skills were only enhanced when she joined Jacob and Cathy in the circle which stood at the crossroads of past, present, and future. Her father Kardin, had nurtured this quality in his child thinking that Holly was the Diosa but for all his skill, he did not realize that the first child born to Lena and Frederick was the legitimate successor to the power of the 'present'.

And, in the heart of India, where Kardin found his redemption, he too awoke in the early morning hours aware of a shift. Deeply sensitive, he, like Vincent did not perceive the change to directly affect his beloved daughter but sensed that Cathy had come into her own being. He would remain vigilant, for whatever affected Jacob and Cathy, also impacted his beloved child and her newborn son. Breathing deeply he sent out his own message of affirmation to Holly assuring her that he was well and attentive, paying special attention to the vibrations.

To say that the shining Diosa, spinning on legs of rainbow colors might have enemies who would wish to destroy may sound foolish. But just as Jacob, Vincent, Holly and Kardin, were aware of the ritual action, others less scrupulous, more intent on harm and control also awoke to the splendid vision of power inherent in her being. They could not usurp that authority, but to mate with such a divine aura would confer that power on a more malleable off-spring.