Disclaimer: See notes in author's notes at the beginning of this fic.

Sacrifice - the act of destroying or giving up something valued for the sake of another.

Prologue

"They're here" the girl's voice echoed softly in the room, if she felt fear her voice showed no sign of it.

The other occupant of the room looked at her fear filling his light brown eyes.

The girl looked at him with a smile, a smile which did not touch the sadness in her darker brown eyes "Don't worry little brother, they won't get you..."

"P... promise?" the boy, a child of about six asked shakily.

"Of course!" The girl's voice was fierce. "You're my brother, I won't let anything happen to you!" She hugged him. "I'll always protect you... Always!"

She heard the sound of banging at the front door and straightened "You've got to hide, it's not safe" snagging her mother's laptop from the nearby table with one hand she grabbed her brother's hand with the other. "Come on!" As she half towed, half-dragged the younger child from the room she heard the sound of pounding. I have to hurry, the front door's sturdy but it won't last forever and the inner door's hopeless. Pulling the boy up a flight of steps onto the half landing she dragged him into the bathroom, dropping his hand and setting the laptop onto the floor. "Don't move!" Without looking to see if he was listening to her she stood on the rim of the bathtub and pushed at the panel that led to a small storage space. It wasn't the true attic - that was another flight of stairs up, but it wasn't quite as obvious as the trapdoor leading to the attic. As the panel finally shifted she heard the thudding from the outer front door getting louder We haven't long before that door gives in, jumping down she scooped up the laptop, before perching awkwardly on the rim.

Precious seconds were lost as she caught her balance, but finally she was able to straighten and push the laptop into the storage space, she looked down at her brother who was sitting curled into the bathroom corner. "Ok Lulo, get up and come over here."

Lulo stared at her.

We don't have time for this, they could break down the door at any minute "Lulo..." Her eyes narrowed, her voice stern.

Her brother reacted to the tone of her voice, jumping up from the corner and moving over to her at a pace that was something between a walk and a run. Scooping him up she staggered a bit from his weight, but eventually managed to lift him up enough so that his hands snagged on the rim of the entrance to the storage space. Finally with some pushing on her behalf and some scrambling on his part he was in the space. "Lulo..." She paused, and then continued. "Lulo stay here, I'll be right back." She left the bathroom at a half-run I have to go get mum's disks - she said it was important that they never fall into the wrong hands... Running up the next flight she skidded through the open door of her mother's bedroom and scooped up the medium-sized box lying on the floor. Mum's disks... Turning to leave her eyes fell on the photograph lying on the shelf. I haven't got time for this...

Running back into the bathroom a few minutes later she heard splintering coming from the direction of the front door Time is running out... As quickly as she could she pushed the box up into the storage space, her only words of warning a "Lulo move out the way!" She felt a sense of satisfaction as she pushed the box into the space They'll never get their hands on either Lulo or the stuff mum's on disks now, I've made sure of it... She reached for the panel...

"Lethna what ya doing?"

Opening her mouth to speak she froze as she heard the outer front door finally give way, My time just ran out... Determination flashed across her eyes and recovering she pulled at the panel "In a minute or so some very bad men will be coming..."

"Lethna..."

Her voice cut across his sharply! "There's no time, just listen! Bad men are coming, people who want to hurt you and so you must stay very quiet until mum gets back. Do you understand?"

"But Leth..."

She heard the inner front door go and the shouts of the men "Promise me Lulo" she hissed sharply. "Stay quiet until mum gets back." The tone of her voice gentled as the panel slipped into place "And never forget..." She reached for the outer bolt. "Never forget I love you..." The bolt slid into place and she jumped off the bath and turned facing the bathroom door. "I love both of you..." She heard footsteps coming up the stairs and forced herself to stare at the door, forced herself not to draw attention to the panel leading to the storage space I must keep Lulo safe...

The door slammed opened, the man filling up the entire doorframe, she heard him yell to someone, presumably one of the other guards that he'd found one and then she was being dragged out from the bathroom. Forcing herself not to turn and look back she could only hope that she'd done enough to hide her brother from them. Lulo... Mum... You're the only family I have... And I love you... I'll always love you... Always!

***

Something was wrong... The woman shivered slightly as she turned the corner into her road. All day during work she'd had a feeling that something wasn't quite right, that something was going to happen. Maybe that was why she'd plead illness and left an hour or two earlier then she would have normally, maybe that was why she had driven home a little faster then she normally would... She parked the car and grabbing the keys, paused only to lock the car door before walking back down towards the house. Maybe... She froze as she saw the shattered doors to her house. No! It can't be! Fear found her running through a house that had been turned upside down My children! Running up the stairs, she fought the urge to scream out the names of her children, an urge that became harder to deny as she passed empty room after empty room. Eventually however she found herself sinking to the floor in the bathroom "Have I come home too late?" The softly spoken words were full of despair. "If only I hadn't gone..." A noise cut off the rest of whatever she had been about to say, an inkling of hope bubbling up - the noise had sounded suspiciously like the word 'mum'. Ears straining, she waited, hoping against hope until finally she heard it again, a voice coming from the storage space. Hands that shook pushed at the panel, a dim corner of her mind noting that it had been bolted from the outside from someone. Eventually she was able to push the panel open her hand groping automatically for a light. A flash of light and then she was looking into the eyes of her son. She lifted him carefully out and as she did so he clung to her shaking, as if he never wanted to let him go. At this moment in time that was fine by her, she didn't want to let him go either. Eventually though reluctantly she put him down "Lulo, where's Lethna?"

He stared at her, starting to shake again.

A sense of foreboding washed through her - the panel had been locked from the outside and Lulo hadn't done it, but she didn't want to believe, couldn't let herself believe. She forced herself to ask again "Where's your sister Lulo?"

His reply was so quiet she had to strain her ears to hear "The bad men... They... They took her mum." The rest of his words followed as they were by a flood of tears were equally hard to make out "I was scared, but she told me to be quiet and she left me up there so they wouldn't find me and she hid your puter up there with me too and I could hear the bad men shouting and..."

"It's ok Lulo" scooping him up she hugged him again. It was all she could do. Lulo mumbled something into her dress. "What is it Lulo?"

He sniffled "...Said she loved me. Said she always love me..."

Turned as he was he didn't see the tear fall from her eye Lethna... Thank you for protecting my son... Your sacrifice won't be in vain my daughter...