Chapter 1

Jake was in one of the many caverns that had been discovered in the tunnels since his grandfather started the community so many years ago. This particular one was his favorite. He could see the sky from here, and the pool under the cliff he was sitting on cast reflections all along the walls. It made him feel peaceful in a way that being in the tunnels never could anymore. He sighed softly and lifted his head to the warmth of the sun. He was young by his father's standards, but at nineteen, Jake thought himself a man. His dark brown hair used to hang in waves, framing his strong yet angular face but now his curls were beside him. The scissors were still in his hands, and he was a little shocked that he actually cut his hair, but at the same time it was a relief. It felt like he was finally cutting his ties with these tunnels. Sure his father would be upset, but he had to let him go sometime. Jake took a breath and brushed the hair into the pool of water and moved to stand.

"Son… What? What are you doing?" Vincent's voice came from behind the boy. Jake didn't even jump; he always knew when his father was close by.

"It's just a haircut, Father." Jake said quietly, turning to face Vincent. A normal person might have been shocked at his father's appearance. Vincent was well over six feet tall with a lion's face and mane. His hands were large and covered in hair that was a dark blonde color. Jake and the other tunnel dwellers never saw Vincent as a monster though. He was their protector, and over the years he had become a leader to all of them. Needless to say, Jake looked more like his mother with the exception of having his father's blue eyes.

Vincent studied his son's new appearance before sighing and moving closer to him. In his mind, Jacob was still just a boy, too young to understand the harshness of the world that he was wanting to enter. Too young to leave his father's side, but deep down he knew that he could not prevent Jacob from leaving for much longer. "It looks nice, Jacob." Vincent said softly, putting a hand on his son's shoulder and giving it a very little shake before putting his hand on Jacob's head and looking into his eyes. "So you've made your choice then?"

Jake sighed a little and put his hand over his father's. He knew this was hard on Vincent and he never liked causing his father pain. "I have. Father, I need to do this. To know the outside world, to explore it. For both of us." Jake removed his father's hand from him and held it in his own. "I want to see the world my mother lived in."

Vincent's eyes flickered with pain as they always did when Jacob's mother was mentioned. He had loved her dearly, and her death tore him apart. The only one that kept him going through those first few years after Catherine's death was Jacob. Vincent closed his eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "Jake, the world has changed a lot since your mother lived there." He reminded his son for the thousandth time. "It is more dangerous now."

"I still want to live there, Father." Jake said, cutting his father off as he tightened his grip on his hand. "I feel like I have to. I've seen all there is to see of these tunnels. Nothing has changed since I was a child. It has always been the same and it will always be the same. The world above offers more to me. There's more things to do, more things to see." Jacob pleaded with his voice as well as his eyes. "I can go to a real library; study at a university, I'll be able to see the sky in the day light… I can do that for both of us, Father."

Vincent pulled away from his son and turned his back to hide the anguish that showed in his eyes. It was a pointless gesture though. He knew Jacob could feel his pain as if it were his own, just as Vincent could feel his son's resolve. "Jacob." he said softly. But he was cut off again.

"I've already made arrangements, Father. I'll be staying with Desmond in the city. I have a few applications lined up for schools and Grandfather helped me get all of the paperwork in order. I'm leaving tonight." Jake had to take a breath and he moved his hand through his now short hair. "With or without your blessing."

Jake watched as his father's shoulders tensed up and had to brace himself against the fresh wave of pain that washed over him. Vincent didn't say a word, still facing away from his son and he closed his eyes, while his hands clenched into fists. Slowly though, Vincent started to relax into a slightly defeated position. His son made up his mind and that was all there was to it. Slowly he turned and looked into his son's eyes, but he was still unable to speak.

"I'd rather have it though." Jake said quietly, as he looked back into his father's eyes. "I don't want to leave the city, and I'll come back to visit. I just want to live above for awhile that's all. Please."

Vincent's hand went up that time to silence his son. He still didn't speak for awhile, but eventually he did. "I knew this day was coming, Jacob." Vincent began softly. "And I have been dreading it since you were born." He slowly walked back towards his son and put both of his hands on Jacob's shoulders. "You're growing into a fine man, and it is natural for you to want to leave your home and make your own mark on the world. Just as it is natural for me to want to keep you here so I know that you're safe." He pulled Jacob into a tight hug and put his head on top of his son's. "You have my blessing." Vincent murmured softly. "Just promise me that you will be careful and whenever you want to come home, know that you can."

Jacob hugged his father back tightly and nodded. "I know, Father, and I will." he said quietly. The boy relaxed against his father and took a breath, relief going all through him. "Thank you, Father. Thank you for agreeing to this." Jake didn't want to think about how hurt his father would have been had he just left without saying anything.

Vincent sighed softly and gave a quiet chuckle. "You made up your mind, Son." he murmured against Jacob's hair. "You're like your mother. Once you've set your mind to something, you see it through no matter what."

His son just smiled some and pulled away to look up at his father. "Oh I don't think I get that just from my mother."

"I would have to agree with you, Jacob." A familiar voice said from behind the pair. Vincent smiled some and let go of Jacob to watch his own father. Jacob Wells, the co founder of the tunnel community, stepped out from the shadows leaning on a large walking stick. Gray hair engulfed his head and his goatee, and his face though haggard now still hinted of the strength that once kept a whole community together. Of course he still held a lot of sway and made decisions for the people, it was just Vincent that was the voice now. "Vincent is very hard headed in his own right."

"Please sit down, Father." Vincent said softly as he moved to the elder Jacob's side. "What are you doing down here?"

Jacob allowed Vincent to take him to a nearby boulder and sat down, chuckling softly as he put his hand on Vincent's paw that rested on his shoulder now. "I came to see what you thought of my grandson's decision to leave the tunnels. We both knew this day would come, Vincent."

Vincent nodded in agreement and looked towards the younger Jacob; he looked so different without his hair down to his shoulders. Jake's eyes and face were still the same though. Still so much like his mother that it made Vincent's heart ache to look at him some days. That was hardly his son's fault though and Jake knew that Vincent still loved him dearly. "Jake feels that he is ready to leave us for awhile. That is his right. We've never prevented others from leaving, this time will be no exception." Vincent said. He was slowly coming to terms with his son's choice.

Jake looked so relieved that his father was becoming okay with this. "I still want to leave tonight, Father." he said quietly. "I hope that will still be okay with you."

Vincent nodded. "As I said, it is your right, son." His eyes were still slightly pained even as he said it, but he knew that Jake had a good head on his shoulders and that he would not ignore everything that Vincent taught him. "Will you at least have dinner with us before you go?"

The boy looked a little shocked that his father asked him that. "Of course I will." he said. The plan was always to wait until after one last dinner. If his father and he had another fight like the ten ones before this one, then he would have left in the night and started his new life knowing that his father wasn't pleased with him.

The Beast-Man chuckled a little. "Then let us go." he said and helped his own father up off of the boulder and together three generations of Wells men walked down the tunnel into the main chamber where council meetings were held, and then turned down another tunnel into the chamber that the elder Jacob claimed as his own when the community was first founded. Vincent settled his father into the largest chair before taking his seat to the right and Jake took the seat to the left of his grandfather. It was so familiar to all of them. It had been this way as long as Jake could remember and the idea of leaving at this moment seemed crazy, but in his heart he knew that it was time to go. They spoke of familiar things: theater, music, art, things that were found in the tunnels, favorite books; the list went on and on. Everything was as it should have been, and not for the first time Jake wondered if it would still be like this had his mother lived. He pushed the thought from his mind though lest his father picked up on it. Tonight was going to be enough of a trial for him, Jake didn't want to make things worse.

Dinner was soon done and the dishes were cleared away by Jake and Vincent. "Jake, come here, I want you to have something." The elder Jacob said as he pulled something out of one of his many pockets that he had in his massive fur coat. It was a small black box that looked like it could have held a piece of jewelry. He set it on the table and watched the looks of confusion that passed between his son and grandson, and he couldn't help the smirk that played across his face. "Well are you going to just stand there, Jacob? Or are we going to be here all night?"

Jake kind of jumped and then went back to his seat beside his grandfather, taking the box off of the table and opening it slowly. The confusion on his face only deepened more as he lifted the medallion slowly from the box, studying it the whole time. The pendant itself was silver and had the image of a man carrying what looked like a staff in his hand engraved onto it and the chain that held it was silver also. "Not to sound completely ignorant, Grandfather, but what is it?"

The elder Jacob just chuckled as Vincent moved closer and examined the necklace as well. "It looks like the image of Raphael the Archangel. The Patron Saint of travelers and healers." Vincent said as he looked to his father for confirmation.

Another chuckle came accompanied, this time, by a nod. "Very good, Vincent." Jacob said as he looked at Jake. "Your father is correct. Raphael the Archangel is the Patron Saint of travelers and healers among other things. As you know I have been both in my time." He motioned to the pendant. "That was given to me by my father, as it was given to his father before him and so on. Had things gone differently, I would have given it to your Uncle Devon, but circumstances being what they were, it would have been done in the wrong spirit." Jacob paused as a flash of regret played through his eyes, but it was gone before most would have even noticed it. "I could have given it to Vincent, but given that he's never left the tunnels for an extended period of time, it did not seem prudent." His eyes went to his son's. "I hope you do not take offence."

Vincent shook his head. "Of course not, Father, I would have pointed out the folly myself most likely." Truth be told Vincent was glad that his father was giving Jake the pendant. It would encourage the boy to make a name for himself in the world and give him some sort of protection. At nineteen such a gift would have only encouraged Vincent to be even more reckless than he already was in his youth.

Jacob nodded and looked back to his grandson. "So in light of everything that you were just told, Jake, the pendant falls to you. May it offer you all of the protection you require, and may it guide you safely home should you desire to return."

Jake looked at his grandfather, his father, and then back to his grandfather before placing the chain around his neck and tucking the pendant in his shirt to keep it safe. "Thank you, Grandfather." he said quietly. "Thank you for everything." Jake rose from his seat and went to his grandfather's side, wrapping his arms around the old man's neck in a hug. Jacob placed his hand on the boy's head and ruffled his hair softly. "You're welcome, Jacob." Came the quiet reply before Jake pulled away. Jake looked to his father and took a deep breath. "Well…I'm going to get my stuff now. Walk me out, Dad?"

Vincent smiled some and nodded. "Of course, son." He said softly before following his son to his chamber. Nothing was said really, all their words had been spoken and the ones that had not been were known through their connection. When they reached the Central Park entrance to the tunnels, Jake looked up at his father and almost threw himself into his arms. Vincent wrapped his son in a tight hug as he had done all of Jake's life and they just stood there holding each other for what felt like a century.

"I love you, Dad." Jake said quietly, trying to hold back the frightened tears of the child that was still alive inside of him. "And I promise I'll come home when I can. I won't leave and stay gone, I swear."

Vincent hushed his son and kissed the top of his head. "I know, Jacob." He responded just as quietly. "I know. And while I look forward to the day that you come back to visit, I am glad that you will have opportunities that I could only dream of at your age." Vincent took a breath to steady his own tumultuous emotions. "I'll miss you, my son."

Jake nodded and took a breath of his own, looking his father in the eyes. "I'll miss you too, Father. I won't let you down."

His father smiled through semi pained eyes. "There's no way you could."

The pair shared one last hug before the boy shouldered his bag and turned to walk away from the only home he had ever known, and towards a new future.

Vincent stood there and watched his son walk away until he was out of sight. He sighed and closed his eyes, not able to help but feel a wave of intense agony wash over him. It almost felt like he was losing Catherine all over again. Jacob had been the only thing he had left of her aside from a necklace that he gave Catherine as a gift so long ago. Vincent leaned back against the wall and would have cried out in pain, but he was past such acts now. Besides he was too close to the surface and he didn't want to draw attention. Instead he took another deep breath and made his way back to his Father's chamber.

Jacob sighed softly and took his son's hand as Vincent sat down beside him. "He's gone, Father." Vincent said quietly. "He's gone."

"He will come back to us, Vincent. Jacob gave his word on that." He reassured his son. The old man squeezed his son's paw gently before taking a breath and looking towards the ceiling. An old prayer came unbidden to his mind and soon it escaped his lips. "O God, who in Thy ineffable goodness hast rendered blessed Raphael the conductor of thy faithful in their journeys, we humbly implore Thee that he may be may be conducted by him in the way of salvation, and experience his help in the maladies of his soul. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen."

The next chapter introduces the OC and her past. Please Read and Review! Thanks guys!