Resurrecting Ashes - Written by
Author's Notes: Fic takes place after
*****
April 19,2001 Market Street Area Late evening...
Terror is found in the streets as a small boy wonders through them, frightened patrons, shrieks and screams are heard from women running, men are tossed from side to side trying to prevent the fire from growing. Children run to hide where they can under cars, in the alleys between shops others are picked up by their frightened mothers trying to protect them from the blaze. Fire alarms are heard being set off, the engines arrive but quickly pull back as the fire is hotter than anything they've seen. "Pull back...Pull back..." is heard from one of them, "Some one get those people out of here! Get them away!" The firefighter climbs up on the side of the engine unwrapping and pulling the hoses running them to their connections as other fighters grab the hose and aim it towards the red-hot buildings.
The young boy about five or six in age doesn't appear frightened as he walks past the frightened people, towards the buildings set ablaze, he walks calmly as if being called towards it. Few people try to stop him only to be engulfed in immediate flames frightening others causing more hype. Firefighters seemed frightened wanting to pull back and leave the area as more fires arise as the boy walks through...."Little boy...little boy No! Don't go there! Little boy Please stop!" A woman standing by calls out to him, unaware of what he is...she tries to pull him back, quickly the fire he holds begins to burn her... "AHHHHH!" She screams in pain and agony...she falls to the ground as she swings her arms hysterically, she begins to roll in an attempt to extinguish the fires...the boy continues to on into the flames the firefighters though they feel they should stop him don't. The boy suddenly is consumed in flames as he stands in the middle of the burning building quickly vanishing as the building collapses...and moments later as if nothing had happened everything returns to normal. The building having never existed, the firefighters stop the water turning their sight to the only proof it of the events being the victims.
*****
Market Street Area April 20th, Early Morning.
"Can you tell me what happened?" Jacquelyn de la Vega asks a dazed and obviously confused fireman as she continues to inspect the scene. She stands in an investigative mode, her black knee length blazer matching her black slacks, dress boots, lime sheer silk blouse accented by fedora lined with a hint of lime slightly titled perfectly.
The fireman looks at her and then away as if trying to recall the previous night events. "I can't quite recall...we were sent out here on an emergency call..."
"A fire?" Jacqi inquires as she observes the man is covered in embers, his face spotted in ashes mixed with a layer of sweat. She crosses her right arm across her chest and props her left up with her hand touching her chin pensively as she observes. The man continues to look away towards the vanished building more importantly to where the boy stood when it vanished, "Sir...?" Jacqi calls him back. He turns to her, "Then what happened?"
"He was standing right there...." He says pointing to where the boy disappeared.
Jacqi arches her eyebrow and tilts her head slight making her fedora look angled over her eyes as she asks. "He?"
"A boy...when we answered the call there was people running everywhere they were afraid. There still gas lines running under these streets with a fire that size this close," Jacqi nods understanding what he says. "Anyway." He continues now as if having been snapped out of a trance. "there was a boy not much older than five years old..."
"Five.." Jacqi repeats...as she follows the fireman as he returns to the fire truck.
"Maybe six didn't look very old..." He says removing his hardhat rubbing his head with the palm of his hand roughly and holds the hat under his arm. "standing right about there he wasn't afraid..."
"Was he there when you got here?..." He looks at her..."In the fire I mean?" She asks again. He shakes his head not really knowing what to answer, his focus hadn't been on the boy the entire time. "Or did he just appear?"
"I saw him walking towards the fire and then just as he got in the red zone he disappeared along with everything else." He says as a '65 stag pulls up in the distance...Jacqi sees it but ignores the man making his way over towards them.
"What's everything else?" She pries rubbing her brow with her fingertips as she sees the man having been stopped by a policeman on duty.
He points back to where the boy disappeared. "That building it wasn't what we were called out here for," She looks back to where he points, but keeps the corner of her eye focused on the man she knows to be Nick Boyle.
"But it was on fire." She says as she can clearly see the building suffered quite a lot of damage. He shakes his head no as she turns back to face him..."Well then?"
The fireman searches within himself for a logical way to put it and begins to explain as the man from the Cherry Stag approaches them. "Excuse me Sergeant." The man calls out from behind and Jacqi steps back. "You're Captain called us out here, I'm from the Luna Foundation..." The fireman looks around as the man said us but he only sees one, "My associate will follow behind, Nick Boyle." He says shaking the man's hand, the fire man nods his head as he sees another car driving up and a tall slim woman stepping out.
"So Sergeant you were saying?" Jacquelyn urges him to continue ignoring Nick's presence.
"That won't be necessary Sergeant, your Captain filled us in already." He says cutting him off before he speaks again and giving him leave. He watches him as the man walks away towards his captain as the fire engines begin to trail off and then turns back to Jacqi. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"It's a case Mr. Boyle...I'm just doing my job." Jacqi says as she turn her back towards him rolling her eyes as she walks back to the side street where she parked her car.
Nick follows her closely, "I don't know how things are done in Mexico but here we work as a team..."
"A team?" Nick nods angered that Jacqi showed up at the scene without calling in. "Really, so do you call letting a man blow himself and house up teamwork?" Referring to the destruction of the now re-constructed Legacy house which only seems to annoy Nick more.
"If it'd been up to us kid we'd have all been there." Nick replies as they stand beside a 1969 Porsche, Jacqi turns her head over her shoulders as she opens the door looking at him unbelievingly.
"Yeah I'm sure." She says truly believing it but sounding crass all the same as she gets into her car and proceeds to close the door but he stops her. "I have work to do Mr. Boyle unlike you I don't wait around for others to do it for me." She sticks the key in the ignition and turns it as she speaks. "Meet ya back at the house we'll share notes...or rather I'll share mine 'cause I doubt you'll have any." She pulls the door out of his grasp and drives off as Rachel finally approaches him.
"Meet ya back at the house we'll share notes." Nick mocks her as the car begins turning into traffic.
Rachel chuckles slightly but loses the smirk on her face when Nick turns back to her. "Not getting along with the bosses daughter I see."
"That kid needs a good whack." He says turning back to the direction of their cars as the Black Beauty disappears into the traffic. Rachel's surprised at his response Nick always being the one against parents hitting children.
*****
Angel Island, San Francisco Legacy House, Derek's private office.
" Yes mother Jacqi's out on assignment...no I couldn't stop her she was gone before anyone could. " Derek Rayne says over the phone after listening to his mother speak. " Mother I know your sentiments but I cannot keep Jacqi in the house." He listens to his mother speak once more and begins to be slightly annoyed. "Yes mother but Alex is different I need her here, researching is her specialty besides I feel that Jacqi will be very useful in the field."
"Derek have you forgotten what you promised me?" Barbara Rayne asks over the phone as she sits in her own bedroom holding the telephone to her ear.
"I'll do what I must mother that is all I can say."
*****
Bay City General April 20th, 3:00 p.m.
"May I help you?" A monotone voice asks from the door way as her attention is caught by Jacquelyn in the dimly light room speaking to a patient.
Jacqi smiles down at the patient as she stands by her side and slowly turns back to the large woman standing at the door. "I was told I could find Mrs. Hanson here I've just come to ask her a few questions." She says as the older woman lying down squeezes her hand gently.
"I don't know who gave you permission Miss..." She says rudely as she enters the small private room.
Glaring at her. "De la Vega, Jacquelyn." She declares.
Nodding her head recognizing Jacqi by who she says she is and continues. " Ms. Hanson is prohibited from having any visitors she's suffered a great deal of injuries..." She says as she begins pulling Jacqi by the arm and towards the door.
Jacquelyn pulls her arm out of the woman's grasp and stares her down. "Not that its any of your business who I received permission from Nurse but perhaps you'd like to call Dr. Carlson."
"Dr. Carlson." The nurse repeats in a more amicable tone.
Jacquelyn nods once as she arches her right brow. "Yes Dr. Carlson..." the nurses appearance suddenly changes from an angered face to a look of embarrassment. Knowing she's cut the nurse's disposition she grins to herself. "Now will it be possible for me to finish..." The nurse nods and quickly leaves the room, Jacquelyn rolls her eyes as she half smiles and then turns back to the patient lying in bed. "Now Ms. Hanson I just want to ask you a few more questions..." She speaks softly. "Unless your tired I can come back later," The woman doesn't speak but shakes her head slowly and Jacqi continues. "I was at the scene earlier and I spoke to one of the firefighter's that was on duty last night...he told me about a boy..." At that the woman's eyes open wide or as widely as they can having suffered burning injuries around the face.
"Boy..." She mumbles softly..."he...he.."
"He...? Did he hurt you?" She questions as she feels the woman squeeze her hand and nods. "How?"
"H...h...hot" She says. Jacquelyn asks if she's referring to the fire. "boy...hot..." Jacqi listens closely. "Ss...so hot, touched me..." The woman continues slowly as Jacqi listens not able to talk much she's able to gather further information by pad and pencil.
*****
After gathering her coat and fedora from the chair placed behind her, Jacqi leaves the woman's room quietly as to not disturb her sleep. As she leaves she looks over the notes the woman had jotted down on her pad the description of the boy fitted what she had gathered from other witnesses. Now all she had to look for was the boy himself, more importantly she wanted to see the boy for herself. First however she would make a brief call and let the others know what she was up to, she thought as she takes out her cell phone and dials. "Hi um...Alex." She listens to Alex tell her some things and then responds. "All right Alex I'm on my way." She says as she gets a look of aggravation on her face, snaps closed the cell and tosses it in her black shoulder bag. She walks towards the elevator and waits after pressing the down button looking around she sees the nurse who'd been so adamant about her leaving. Jacqi smiles tauntly at her as she waves, not noticing a man walk up to her from behind. "Was Ms. Hanson any help?" He asks seriously she turns and smiles as she sees who it is. "Miss de la Vega."
"Dr. Carlson," She greets him with a hug..."how are you?"
"Fine as you can see, tell me did she help." He asks her again as the elevator door opens up. He guides the way with his hand and then follows her in as he waits for a response.
"One please." She tells him. "And yes she was able to help me...she was able to describe some things some of the other witnesses weren't able to." He nods pleased that he was able to help. "But Stephen, are you sure my interviewing her won't harm her health?" She asks concerned for the woman's health.
"Ms. Hanson's injuries are minor in reality they look far worse than what they are. Her vocal cords suffered some damage but in time she'll regain full use of them. Mostly she suffers from shock but Dr. Nielson feels that she'll be fine. As for the scars left from the burns their nothing a little cosmetic surgery won't take care of." Jacqi lets out a breath of air relieved to know the woman isn't as hurt as she thought she was.
"Ah...so she won't?" He shakes his head no telling her Ms. Hanson is no where near death. "Thanks Stephen." She tells him as the elevator finally opens up on the first floor. "I'll call you." She tells him as she steps out and begins to walk out towards the exit.
"Hey Jacquelyn." She turns to see him coming up behind her. "would you like to have some coffee sometime?"
"I...I...I don't know, I don't think that would be very proper." She tells him knowing that Dr. Stephen Carlson had once been very close to Marianne a woman who'd been almost like a mother to her.
"Its just coffee nothing more..." He says trying to convince her she looks at him through her. "I just thought perhaps you'd need a friend to talk to now that you've moved here."
"Coffee.." She says to herself.
"Yeah coffee...maybe dinner." She laughs at him trying to be smooth..."Or then again just coffee." She nods accepting. "All right then...I'll call you." She agrees and once more says good bye turning back towards the exit she keeps the corner of her eye on him. As she approaches the door she sees him entering the elevator with a new air of confidence, she smiles to herself as she walks to her car but doesn't know if she's done right. Oh well she thinks it's just coffee not marriage besides I could use a friend here.
*****
Angel Island, San Francisco Legacy House. 5:30 p.m.
Jacqi enters the Legacy house about half an hour after having been told by Alex to return and is approached by Dominick. "Miss Jacquelyn." Jacqi turns to see him as she closes the door behind her and hangs her fedora on the hat rack. "Dr. Rayne has asked me to inform you he wishes to speak to you."
"Where is Dr. Rayne?" She asks holding her blazer in her arms as she crosses them and her bag over her shoulder.
"In the library Miss." He says as he looks up towards the second floor...she thanks him and walks up the staircase and to the library.
*****
"I don't care if she is your kid Derek, we work as a team." Nick expresses his dislike of Jacqi's investigation manners. "She can't just be butting into investigations...Rachel and I..."
Jacqi walks in overhearing Nick's comment. "Contrary to what you believe Mr. Boyle I didn't butt in, or take this case from you I was assigned to it...or didn't Derek tell you?" She states as she looks at him and then over at Derek who stands silent. "I didn't think so...Dominick said you wanted to speak to me what is it Derek?"
"Yes I did...I received a call from a Nurse Findley asking me to remove someone from the case seems you upset a patient. Furthermore she said you had no authority to be there and that when you were asked to leave you were insulting towards her. "
"A patient...would this patient be Ms. Hanson?" Derek nods. " Did she also happen to tell you that I received permission from Dr. Carlson."
"Dr. Carlson?" Rachel asks fairly impressed.
"Yes Dr. Stephen Carlson he's the head of the board of doctors at Bay City. He gave me permission to interview Ms. Hanson and was very clear to point out that Ms. Hanson's injuries weren't grave." Rachel looks surprised. "That's right Dr. Corrigan I have a habit of checking my sources before I barge into a situation. The nurse you are referring to Derek is nothing more than an over-bearing, self-imposed twit of a mindless employee." She says firmly, "And rather than waste my time arguing with her while she forcefully tried to push me out, I put her in her place. You entrusted me with this case and it is not my intention to allow it to slip from my grasp because some pushy hag decides she wants to bust my chops." She says coolly while sitting herself against the wooden table and crossing her arms, giving Derek a long a steady glare. Rachel sits back as she exchanges looks with Nick who seems to be won over by Jacqi's expressions but remains dogmatic.
"All right then." Derek says changing the subject. "What did you find out?"
"There was a boy several witnesses I've talked to have described as disappearing along with the mysterious building from where the fire department received the alarm. I believe he is the one responsible for this fire and Ms. Hanson's injuries. She herself told me that the boy's touch was of fire," She tells him pulling a strand of loosen hair from her face,
"The kid's an arsonist?" Nick thinks out loud.
"No the boy these people were describing was a child five maybe six." Jacqi says taking out the small notepad from her bag. "Ms. Hanson told me he didn't appear to be of this time, she along with a few others described him as early turn of the century..."
"Ghost out for revenge..." Rachel says thinking perhaps it was.
" I don't believe he meant to hurt her she said he tried to pull away but it was her insistence that got her hurt. Sergeant Roberts said the burning building disappeared as soon as the boy returned within it." She explains. " Perhaps just a soul that needs rest...I'm unsure who the ghost is and until I know..."
"Then we can not give it consecration." Derek says....Jacqi nods. "Very well then, Nick I want you to help Jacqi search the archives start from 1890 to 1930."
"Actually I wanted to return to the scene I wanted to feel the boy's presence...I wasn't able to do that earlier too many people around I couldn't pick up anything." Jacqi explains to Derek.
Rachel looks at Jacqi and then at Derek as she speaks. "I could help Nick if Jacqi wants to go back out I'm sure we could find whatever it is we have to find with her notes."
"No, Jacqi will stay here and help Nick...you and I will return to the scene." Rachel looks surprised at Derek. "Ask Alex to call Peter Tamanski if we need to consecrate this place then we'll need his assistance." Rachel nods and walks into the control room.
"Derek, I would like to be the one to return..." Jacqi repeats firmly as Nick follows Rachel in.
"You'll be of greater use here..." Derek utters.
Jacqi arches her brow as she wets her lips clearly angered at Derek's decision knowing that feeling the presence of the young child would help her feel closure once the case was solved. "I insist I need to see the boy, I've come this far why not finish?"
"You will finish here, Rachel and I will take care of the rest..." He says not changing his position on the subject. Jacqi begins to interject again but Derek cuts her off. "You'll help Nick research the archives." He walks out as he sees Rachel come back through the hologram ready to go. Jacqi exchanges glances with Rachel who then hurries out as she sees a look of anger in Jacqi followed by Derek. Jacqi then proceeds into the control room.
*****
Control Room 6:00 p.m.
"All right this is everything from 1890 to 1930 like Derek said." Nick says as Jacqi walks in.
Jacqi looks up at the screen to see the information listing, she bites her lip as she looks over it and shakes her head. "Nix it, bring up everything from 1900 through1908...the kid was turn of the century. Bring up everything with fires, earthquakes...wait wasn't there a Great Fire or something in this City?" She asks as she remembers her notes.
"Yeah um...1906 I think." Nick says as he types in the keywords to pull up earthquakes, fires, and the year.
"There." Jacqi points to the article on the main frame..."Great Quake." She sits in a chair next to Nick as she looks over the articles. "Ok, children....lost children...orphans sent to Oakland...um...pull up perished children...there must be lists." Nick looks at her as she scans the articles, annoyed that she isn't sharing what she thinks but then again she's Derek's kid. Rachel and Alex had warned him about that and after the day he had trying to track her down he could see it was true.
He pulls up a few lists of perished people. "These are it, um where do we start?"
"How are they listed?" Jacqi asks as she begins looking over the documents on the mainframe.
"City Directory." Nick replies as he looks over to her.
"Wait." Jacqi stops him again. "We're going about this wrong." Nick looks at her with a Not again face. "The ghost, it wouldn't be a ghost if it'd been laid to rest..." Nick still doesn't follow. " A ghost doesn't come back to haunt if it's been laid to rest right?" Nick nods agreeing. "If this boy had been identified then..."
"There would be no need to recite his rites..." Nick says not really knowing what he's talking about but able to make it seem as though he did.
"Exactly, I wonder if Derek knows this..." Jacqi says out loud as she thinks and then looks over at Nick who looks away discreetly...Jacqi then realizes she's been set up as Nick looks at the computer screen in front of him. "You knew." Jacqi mutters angrily.
Nick turns to look at her. "Derek wanted you out of danger."
"So he sent me out on a damn goose chase!" She exclaims and Nick looks at her but says nothing. She slams her hands down on the desk and then grabs at her scalp tuggin on her well set hair. "He knew...he sends me out to do the work and then sticks me in here with you to finish it off. Who the f...hell does he think he is!" Jacqi says fully angered and deceived. "Is this some kind of ritual he has with new members." She demands of Nick as she stares down at him.
"Actually no," Nick says as Jacqi regains control of her emotions but remains angered.
She looks at him surprised as she scoffs..."No?...well then Mr. Boyle just what does the great precept Derek do...throw them into the pits of hell to duel it out with Lucifer!"
"More or less." Nick says remembering the tests Derek had set up for him, Rachel and even Alex.
"Really then why not me?!" She says angrily knowing she was ready and willing to knock any test put up by Derek. "Tell me Mr. Boyle why didn't he?" She says leaning down towards him with the look of madness running over her.
Nick shakes it off not willing to go out on his friend and boss. "Forget I said anything." As he stands up rubbing the back of his neck. Jacqi stands in front of him not letting him pass her by and glares into him. "The answer's closer to home than you think." Jacqi looks at him as she reads the look on his face gazing for answers in his eyes as she finds them she turns angrily towards the door. Nick looks down and then back at the comp's mainframe not knowing if he did right.
*****
April 20th 8:30 p.m. Driving Through The City
"Should be about here..." Derek says as he points to an area on the City map and hands it to Rachel.
Rachel looks at unknowingly as she turns to Derek. "Yeah should." She says as she hears him, he turns to see her. "So care to tell me why you didn't send her out here?"
"Her?" Derek asks knowing very well what she's talking about.
Rachel half grins as she shakes her head and looks at him. "You know who I'm talking about." He shakes his head as he looks back at the road. "She wanted this mission Derek, why give it to her if you were gonna stick in the control room?"
"Because I can..." He says looking over at her...Rachel seems aggravated by his response seems like everything he did was because he could. She knew it wasn't true but the way he had said it made everything else seem that way. He sees the reaction on her face and then smiles slyly "What's this about Rachel? Thought that out of all of you, you'd be the one to agree with me..."
"Why is that Derek?" She asks as she walks over to him...he shakes his head and says nothing. "Because she's your daughter?..." She laughs at that still not used to Derek having a daughter. "There's a difference between Kat and Jacqi, Derek." He turns and asks what that is. "Kat is a child, children fairly know what they want..."
"And Jacqi isn't...she's only eighteen Rachel." Derek states.
"Jacqi is a young woman and if I know anything about her is that she knows exactly what she wants. And Derek," He turns momentarily to her. "she wants to be in the Legacy...she needs it about as much as you do."
Derek shakes his head as he looks at the road and turns onto the street leading to the scene. "She'd never forgive me." He mutters, Rachel looks at him and asks who.
He says nothing. "Who are you talking about Derek?" She asks again. "Your mother? Is that who?" He looks at her but remains silent as he stops the car spotting Peter Tamanski. He starts to open the door but she grabs him, he turns to look at her rather upset she's done so. "The Legacy is in her blood Derek, much like you it will become her life."
"Then what do you suggest I do Rachel throw her into every mission we come up against." He says, "Let her get killed fighting something that's over her head."
"No of course not...but you can't keep her locked up that'll only drive her further into this obsession." Rachel says having learned that keeping a child from doing something will only push them further into it. "Let her make her choices, guide her, help her, but don't push her away from what she loves it'll only push her away from you." Derek shakes off Rachel's hold as he gets out of the car and heads over to Peter. Rachel shakes her head as she thinks Derek won't take her advice into consideration. She gets out of the car and greets Peter as she walks towards him following Derek.
*****
9:30 p.m. Barbara Rayne's home.
Jacqi drives into the driveway mad as hell, she brakes turns off the ignition and runs into the house flying right past Anna. She turns and demands to know where her grandmother is, the library. She stalks into it to find Barbara in the sitting area reading Voltaire's 'Candide', she stands at the door for a moment to gather her emotions and then walks over to her still marked by anger. "Jacqi darling." Barbara calls out to her as she looks up to see Jacqi a few feet away, she drops her book on the seat next to her and gets up to hug her, Jacqi renounces her shoving off her arms as she tries to place them around her. "Darling honey what's wrong?" Barbara asks surprised at Jacqi's reactions.
"How dare you?!" Jacqi asks knowing that because of her Derek had kept her out of the field.
Barbara gasps at Jacqi's question. "What do you mean darling?" Playing off what she knows Jacqi's question refers too.
"You told Derek to keep me out of the field...how dare you! You can't keep me from the Legacy grandmother, not you and not Derek." She states retaining the anger in her voice.
"Darling I didn't." Barbara tries to tell her.
Jacqi shakes her head not believing her. "You didn't really grandmother?" Barbara nods yes. "Then how come I'm the only one of the members he hasn't put through a Ring of Fire to prove myself as one?" She asks knowing the answer Barbara shakes her head pretending not to know. "Because my dear grandmother, his mommy asked him not too!"
"No, you don't understand...." She tries to grab Jacqi but she pushes her away as she turns her back to Barbara. "I didn't tell your father anything...he just doesn't want you hurt." She tries to lie.
Jacqi knowing the tone of voice her grandmother takes when lying turns back her anger clearly visible in the reddening of her eyes. "Don't lie grandmother," Barbara swallows hard.
"All right I won't." She replies. "I'm fed up with having the Legacy take all I love from me, I won't have them tear you from me. Yes I asked your father to keep you out of danger, as I asked Anthony to transfer you here. But do I think I did wrong? NO, I don't, I did it for you and I'd do it again." She says Jacqi stands there listening to her still fully enraged...Barbara touches her face with her fingers and then reaches for Jacqi who tries to pull away.
Jacqi looks at her seeing the resentment towards the Legacy in her grandmother's eyes, she'd seen it before but not like this...then it was only memories now it was part of the present, and the future to come. She turns away from her and then back. "Don't think that because Derek won't let me into the field you can keep me out of it Grandmother." She glares at Jacqi as Jacqi does the same. "San Francisco and Mexico aren't the only houses, you can be damn sure I'll find a way to get my job back."
Jacqi turns back and heads for the door...Barbara shakes her head as she thinks of what Jacqi said. "Jacqi...Jacqi!" She calls out as Jacqi turns her head slightly but waves her head slightly and walks out. "Jacqi!" Barbara calls out again as she begins to cry knowing that her granddaughter's words weren't given in vain.
Jacqi heads for the door as she still hears her grandmother calling her and sees Anna coming down the stairs. She looks at Jacqi as she too can now hear Barbara, Jacqi winces as she says. "You better go in there Anna, I think your friend needs you." Anna looks at Jacqi suspiciously as she says good bye and walks out of the house.
She hears her drive off before going into the library to find Barbara crying, holding her hand over her mouth as she sits on the floor. "Ms. Rayne." She exclaims as she runs over to her...."Ms. Rayne...." Barbara says nothing but continues to cry softly as she falls into Anna's hold. "Ms. Rayne...Barbara please."
"I'll lose her Anna...I'll lose her." Barbara says forming words over her tears. Anna clearly understanding what she means...she knows who she's talking about. She says nothing even though she knows Barbara was wrong in having done what she did.
*****
Market St. Area almost Midnight.
"Shouldn't we begin?" Rachel asks as she looks over at Peter Tamanski and then at Derek.
Derek shakes his head as Peter answers. "No I think it'd be best if we waited until the entity shows itself."
"But if it shows itself won't it start a fire?" Rachel asks again beginning to sound like a novice.
"Peter's right, if we call him up he may be further driven into an attack." Rachel mouths an oh as she sits back and waits patiently like Derek. Peter meanwhile prepares his things to lay the child's soul to rest and bless the area. Just as Derek begins to feel a strong psychic presence small remnants of fire begins to appear...the mild wind picks up gust winding the fires hunger. Rachel and Derek prepare themselves as Peter begins to pray with the Lord's Prayer.
"Our Father who art in heaven hallowed by thy name on earth as it is in heaven." Peter begins as he then opens his bible turning it to the proper pages as he continues the prayer and takes out the holy water he had prepared.
"Derek." Rachel calls out to him as she sees a car approaching them, "look." Derek turns to see its headlights blinding him he covers his eyes and then sees the young girl get out. "Its Jacqi." As Derek and Rachel try to make their way over to them a gust of wind knocks them back. Jacqi sees the boy appear as the fire grows out of control just as the firefighter said it had the previous night. She fights against the wind as she makes her way to Derek and Rachel as they stand. "Its not working...why isn't it working."
"Because you don't know who he is Rachel." Jacqi tells them as she reaches them overhearing Rachel's question to Derek.
"Great so what do we do?" Rachel questions as she looks at Derek and then at Jacqi, seeing that Peter continues but is almost finished and the little boy has yet to let up.
"We tell him." She says...both Rachel and Derek look at her as if crazy after having stated they did not know.
The fires begin to grow as Peter continues his prayers and throws holy water, "You just said you didn't know." Rachel tells her...but Jacqi shakes her head and makes her way to Peter as the fires and wind blow out of control...his prayers only angering the spirit.
"Timmy Hutchins..." She tells him, Peter looks at her not knowing who she is..."His name is Timmy Hutchins, Father." He nods and continues his services this time calling on the spirit by name, he repeats the Lord's Prayer and then finishes with the Office of the Dead. Jacqi looks at the little boy who seems to be consumed by the fire as he returns to it...she closes her eyes and begins to pray quietly for him along with Father Tamanski. She opens her eyes to see the boy bathed in white light instead of the torturous fire. His spirit begins to lift as the fires die down and the wind relaxes, Father Tamanski showers the rest of the holy water as he says Amen. "Amen." Jacqi whispers as she looks back at Rachel and Derek...Peter closes his bible as he turns back to see his friend telling him its over.
"His soul is at rest now." Peter says as Jacqi walks towards him, she smiles and thanks him as she glances back at where the child stood.
Her eyes closed she knows he'll receive peace now, she turns back to the car silently and opens the car door. She looks at Derek before getting in with a anger embedded deep in her eyes, and he at her with uncertainty in his. She gazes at him once more before allowing herself to enter the vehicle as he gets into his. Knowing her life in San Francisco will be more challenging than she had hastened because of him. And hopes that somehow she will cause some awakening in him as he had begun to do in her.
The End
*****
Disclaimer:
This story is written by me, solely for entertainment purposes and at nonprofit. The characters are property of MGM/UA, Trilogy and anyone else who has property rights to them. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.