A/N: Hey there all! Yeah, it is really me. :P My muse is slowly crawling back out of her dark hiding place. A sorry doesn't even begin to cover it. You guys are awesome! And I can't thank you enough for still sticking around. *huge hug*

Though enough of my babbling.
I started this story a while ago for a dear friend of mine who sadly has to deal with some crap life is throwing at her. But then time went by and suddenly it's also her birthday. Happy Happy Happy Happy Birthday, Muffy! I'm so glad and honored to be able to call you a friend and a sister. Love you, hon! And I hope you might like this. :)

My hugest thanks to Merisha, for her encouraging words and her fine beta-job! *smishes* All remaining mistakes are mine.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Muffy Morrigan. I'm just borrowing her Boys and returning them a little worse for wear. Thihihihihihi.

Requiem For A Dream

ooooooooooooooo

The sun cast an almost blood red shimmer as it slowly disappeared on the horizon. North Head Lighthouse lay up ahead in the distance, a small dark silhouette in the growing twilight high above on the rocks. The sea was rough, a cold biting wind whipping over the water, the sound of the crashing waves almost deafening as they met the beach.

"Anything?" Flash glanced at Rob, pulling his coat even tighter around himself to keep the clammy cold out.

"No, nothing." Rob squinted, his expression pinched. It had only been a couple of months after their ride with The Hunt and his Sight was still mostly gone. Using what little was left of it was not pleasant.

Standing from his crouch Rob ignored Flash's concerned look.

"Maybe your informant was wrong. Or maybe these strange sightings and screams happened on a different part of the beach. I mean you do realize Long Beach is a huge area?"

"Maybe…" Rob buried his hands deeper inside the pockets of his jacket, his gaze going over the deserted seagrass to their right. Something just didn't feel right. "It's just–" Whatever he wanted to say was interrupted by the cracking of a single shot, barely audible over the breaking waves.

For a moment they just stared at each other, too surprised to really comprehend what had just happened and then Rob felt it – the flicker of pain over the bond before it was gone completely.

Rob's eyes widened, his hand unconsciously going to his side before his gaze found Flash's.

"Oh shit!" Flash cursed with feeling, hurrying after Rob who was running back in the direction Galen had left earlier.

It didn't take long to find Galen's crumpled form in the growing twilight, half hidden behind shrubs of seagrass and sand.
The sky had changed to darker shades of blue and purple with a crescent moon appearing over the cliffs. Just a little bit longer and they would need flashlights to see anything at all.

"Shit, Galen!" Rob's knees hit the cold ground hard. With bated breath he felt for a pulse, his shoulders sagging with relief, when he found the too fast beating under his cold fingers. "Thank gods," he mumbled, carefully turning Galen onto his back. Vaguely he noticed Flash pulling out one of their flashlights from his pocket.

"Galen? Galen, can you hear me?" Rob shook his shoulder, hoping to rouse his brother. He didn't like the stark pallor or clamminess of Galen's skin.

"What the fuck?" Flash crouched on Galen's other side, moving the beam of the flashlight slowly over the older Emrys' still body. It stopped at a fresh patch of blood that slowly seeped through the fabric of the jacket.

"Rob," Flash nodded to the growing patch of red. He watched Rob peeling back the layers to reveal a small jagged bullet wound high on Galen's left side, close to the ribs.

"No exit wound…" Rob said darkly, shifting out of his jacket and button-down shirt, to press the latter onto the wound to staunch the bleeding. He fought to ignore the gaping hole where the bond used to be. After his fight with the feorhbealu it was Galen who had kept the bond wide open for Rob to still feel it. But this utter nothingness felt a frigging lot like when the EMTs sedated his brother at the car crash scene before Mike could get a word into it.

Flash mirrored Rob's move, bunching his jacket up to add as a pillow. Feeling the hairs stand on his neck he looked around the now dark area. His uneasiness had nothing to do with the biting cold of the wind, or the icy dampness that came from the sea. Something was very wrong here.

"This stinks." He finally said, carefully adjusting Rob's jacket so it was covering most of Galen's upper body when small tremors started to run through the older Emrys.

Rob nodded, his eyes still lingering on his brother's pale face. "Yeah, something's not right… the healing… there has to be…" he mumbled, his brow furrowing in concentration and pain as he tried to use what little was left of the Sight. He let his gaze travel down to the still sluggishly bleeding bullet wound.

"Oh no. No, no, no, this can't be," He gasped, as he saw the blurry black tendrils slowly growing around the wound. Twisting and turning like it was something alive underneath the skin.

"Rob? Rob, damnit!" A rough hand on his shoulder pulled him from his whirling thoughts. Unfocused eyes blinked at Flash, panic and fear still evident in them.

"Rob, you're bleeding."

Frowning Rob swept a hand under his nose just to come away bloody. He could almost hear Galen scolding him for taxing what was left of his Gift. But it would explain the knife-like sensation inside his head.

"What is going on? I know this face – it means we're again in the middle of the fucking creek without a paddle, aren't we?" Flash's fingers tightened around the cellphone he had pulled out of his jacket. With numb fingers he dialed 911.

Rob didn't answer. With shaking fingers he first pulled up the sleeve of Galen's left then his right arm, inspecting the crook of his elbow.

"Flash, the light." His voice was sharp; he already knew what he would find. And there it was, in the cold LED-light the needle mark couldn't be missed on Galen's left arm. "They sedated him…"

"What? Why on earth…" Before he could complete his question his call was connected to an emergency operator.

"No, no ambulance," Rob shook his head wildly, sending new shards of pain through his throbbing head. "too dangerous."

Apologizing Flash disconnected the call. "Okay, talk. What the fuck is going on here? I know that you know what this shit is. Why the hell would someone first shoot and then sedate him? And why would a hospital be too dangerous?"

Rob sighed wearily. His gaze staying on Galen's face for a moment longer before meeting Flash's worried eyes. "You're right, we're in the middle of that creek. Or try a frigging river. I have an idea of what this is but right now you have to trust me. There is a first-aid-kit in the car. We need to get Galen back to Tacoma, call Mike."

"You sure he's up for that kind of a long trip?"

"He has to be. Either way we're not safe here." Rob exhaled slowly, getting up from his knees. "The bullet was not meant to kill him. It's high enough that it hopefully has missed any vital organs. The little bleeding is also a good sign."

"Still Mike will be furious as hell." A brief grin appeared on Flash's face before he grew serious again. "The sedation – they didn't want him to use his healing, right?"

"Yes. But there is a reason to it." Rob pulled one of Galen's arms over his shoulder, Flash doing the same with the other one. "I'll explain when we're at the car."

"You've got three hours."

ooooooooooooooooo

TBC….

Thank you so much for reading! And be aware – my updates might take some time, but this story is already planned, so that has to count for something, hu?! :P

Oh, and like always – Reviews feed the Muse! ;)