The Future Unknown

by Leydhawk

Set in Season 4. A psychic with the ability to see the future meets the group upon arrival. In a world where psychics are a political force vying for acknowledgment, they meet Maggie's pacifist double, and Colin finds his perfect mate. Site formatting removed scene breaks. Unable to fix. Hope you enjoy anyway! M for f-bombs and sexuality (not explicit).

The Future Unknown

I was standing in the park, waiting and feeling somewhat foolish. My vision had been very clear, but it was so far-fetched, so sci-fi, I was wondering almost hopefully if I'd had my first false vision. Then the swirling blue hole opened, and three men and a woman tumbled out. I sighed quietly to myself and I walked slowly to the group, giving them a moment to get their bearings and notice me. The black man elbowed the shorter of the white guys and nodded at me to get him to notice I was coming. I tried not to stare at the woman, but it was difficult. She looked exactly like Peggy, though Peggy would never have worn clothes that tight.

"Welcome, travelers," I said softly. "I've been waiting for you."

Telling the group I'd had a vision that they would be appear as they did, then demonstrating my knowledge of some of the near future had the men at least believing that I somehow knew about them, but the woman openly scoffed. After her third excuse for why I might have set this up, I finally snapped.

"How can you look like Peggy and be so completely closed?!" I said, exasperation filling my voice. The woman began a heated reply, but was overrun by the shorter white man.

"Wait, you know her double?" He asked. I took a deep breath and formed a meditative mantra in my mind for a moment.

"My name is Diane Jessops. My vision didn't tell me yours," I said suggestively. The woman held up her hand as if to stop the men from supplying me with that information. They paused, looking at her. I sighed. "My friend Peggy Beckett is what I gather you call a 'double' of you." I said to the woman. "Although from what I've seen so far, you two couldn't be more different." I shook my head. "I should know by now not to be deceived by appearances, however. If we can make polite introductions, perhaps you would all like to come with me to meet her after I finish preparing the meal I've started for you and you've refreshed yourselves in my home." The group looked at one another uncertainly, then the black man finally spoke up.

"I don't know about you all, but I could really use a home cooked meal with all the eating out we do." He walked forward and stuck his hand out. "I'm Rembrandt Brown. Pleased to meet you." I smiled warmly at his sincere looking, and somewhat sheepish, grin and shook his hand. I raised my eyebrows at the others. The shorter man looked at the woman and muttered something to her as he walked toward me. The taller man seemed to be following his lead, and came forward on his heels. Both were handsome and very tall.

"Quinn Mallory," the shorter one said, shaking my hand. I smiled at him, then the world faded for a moment and I caught a brief vision of him smiling down at a pixie of a woman, and kissing her. The colors of their auras meshed so completely that I knew I was seeing his soulmate. I blinked to clear my vision and turned to the other man. He was a leaner, more angular version of Quinn, and it was obvious before he said it that they were brothers. As he reached out to shake my hand, I felt a surge of energy pass between us, and it was as if time stretched out as he slowly took my hand. I shivered briefly, and time resumed, though I think I saw confusion in his eyes at what had passed between us.

"Colin Mallory," he said. "I am Quinn's brother." He held my hand and my gaze a little too long, and the woman nudged him to break our moment. I hadn't seen her approach. When I looked at her, I was stung by the negativity coming from what looked like my friend's eyes.

"Maggie Beckett," she said, almost making it a challenge. I ignored the tone and smiled, included all of them in my gaze.

"Please, my home is this way," I said, leading them off.

Rembrandt poked his head into the kitchen. He seemed to be rather embarrassed that I'd had to bribe their names from them, and at Maggie's rudeness.

"Is there anything I can help with?" He asked. I turned and smiled at him, trying to project warmth and welcome. His shoulders relaxed and a happy smile formed on his lips. I was rather surprised how susceptible he was to my projection. I pointed to a couple of ripe tomatoes on the cutting board.

"You could chop those for me," I said lightly. I wondered if the others were as open as he appeared to be.

Rembrandt sang quietly to himself as he chopped, and I smiled, recognizing the tune. As I spooned the Spanish rice into a bowl and then moved on to the sour cream, I started singing a counterpoint to the melody, and Rembrandt looked over at me, startled. A grin slowly spread over his face as he noticed how well our voices blended. As I started setting the food on the table, he improvised a bit and I followed his lead. With the last of the dishes and food in place, we ended our duet with a flourish and I laughed and clapped my hands, then impulsively hugged Rembrandt. I glanced into the living room, and saw the others staring at us, a scowl on Maggie's face, a small smile on Quinn's, and a dazed look on Colin's.

"Dinner is served, my guests," I said, holding stubbornly to the joy I'd felt singing. They slowly moved to the table.

"What is it?" Maggie sneered. I began to see from the others' reactions that she was acting out of character. I hoped she was being harsher than usual, rather than gentler.

"Enchilada casserole," I pointed to the large pan with the cheese still bubbling. I indicated the rice. "Very spicy Spanish rice, and the rest is as you see it." I said, indicating the bowls of lettuce, tomatoes, green chiles, onions, sour cream and guacamole. They sat for a moment. "Why don't you all pass your plates to me and I can serve the casserole. After that, it's a free for all." I smiled.

"That looks delicious, Diane. I'm hungry enough to eat Q-ball," Rembrandt said, nodding to Quinn and passing me his plate. I smiled, and the others followed his example and were served in turn. I took a healthy piece for myself, loaded on the fixings and waited for them to dig in.

"This is fantastic!" Quinn exclaimed, his mouth still partly full. I smiled as the other men echoed his assessment. Even Maggie nodded a little, and I thanked them and began eating my own dinner.

As good food often will, my favorite meal loosened up the group and we were soon talking amiably. We all got a good laugh when Colin's palate didn't seem up to my rice, and even Maggie eased up a bit.

"So, Diane, are visions common on this world?" Quinn finally asked as we were all finishing up. Everyone looked expectantly at me.

"Not really. We've had a few famous visionaries who are somewhat accepted by history as legitimate. Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, a few others. But most people who claim to have visions are seen as crackpots or fakes. However, though it isn't widely known, a few clairvoyants are reliable and discreet enough to be taken seriously, and some police departments will call on their services. We're trying to get the police to acknowledge the help they've gotten from us, but they want to keep it low profile, " I answered Quinn as seriously and simply as possible.

"So that's something you do?" Quinn asked.

I nodded slowly. "I have. It's very difficult for me, because my talent is kind of wild, but I've helped on two kidnapping cases and been consulted on three robberies."

"What do you mean about your talent being wild?" Colin asked. Rembrandt looked uncomfortable discussing all this, and Maggie still appeared skeptical. The brothers both seemed very curious, though.

"I can't force a vision. I get them very often from random touches, or even proximity, or from a place or person. I have precognitive dreams almost every night. That's how I knew you were coming. I had a small vision when I shook your hand in the park," I nodded to Quinn.

"What did you see?" He asked immediately. Everyone was suddenly focused intensely on me.

"I saw you with your soulmate," I said. Maggie tensed, coiling so tightly on herself that my small receptivity got slammed with her denial, pain, desperation. I gasped with the shock of it and stared hard at her. I instinctively reached out to her, my hand and mind trying to soothe, but only causing more pain. She shook her head violently, and I knew she'd felt my mental touch. She stood up and quickly left the room. I immediately started after her, but Rembrandt's hand on my arm stopped me, and Quinn followed her. I sat down slowly, feeling terrible for causing her pain, and understanding what I hadn't been able to sense; Maggie loved Quinn, and from his quick response to her distress, he obviously had strong feelings for her as well. I silently lamented my lack of receptivity. It somehow seemed that those who could receive impressions of thoughts and feelings from others had a great advantage over people like me whose receiving was limited mostly to visions of the future. My stronger talent of projecting thoughts and feelings to others was too easily abused to allow me to feel comfortable using it in any but the most subtle ways. Nevertheless, I projected soothing, comforting feelings after Maggie and Quinn.

"Who was it?" Rembrandt asked quietly. I looked at him and saw curiosity as well as concern in his eyes.

"She was very small, with pixie-ish features. She had shoulder length hair. The roots were brown, but it's like she was growing out a dye job; the ends were red. She was emaciated-looking and pale, like she'd been ill," I said softly. Rembrandt's eyes grew wide.

"How are you certain she was his soulmate?" Colin asked. I looked at him, and the electricity we'd felt earlier jumped between us again, and I wondered fleetingly how our auras would look together.

"Their auras blended, meshing into one. That only happens with soulmates."

"So you can see auras too?" There was an edge of sarcasm in Rembrandt's voice.

"Not normally, no. In my visions, though, I sometimes have that gift. I-" Maggie's voice interrupted me, shouting from down the hallway.

"-this bullshit hocus-pocus crap-" we heard clearly, then her voice faded. Neither Colin nor Rembrandt would meet my eyes for a moment, then Colin glanced up and our gazes locked. Around us, the world faded, and a vision took hold. I was actually looking through my own eyes, instead of being the invisible observer like I usually was. There were no auras, and all I could hear was a white noise sound. Colin and I crouched next to Peggy, and she was bleeding badly from what looked like several gunshot or stab wounds. She grasped my hand and looked at me, whispering something I couldn't hear as the life faded from her eyes. Colin reached out and pulled me to my feet. The blue hole opened, and I watched Rembrandt, Quinn, and Maggie disappear into it. Colin gripped my hand and pulled me toward it. I shook my head, pulling away, and he took my face in his hands and murmured something to me. The emotions in his eyes were a tangle of compassion, shared pain, concern bordering on desperation, and what I instinctively read as love. I nodded slowly, and we jumped, hand in hand, into the maelstrom.

I shuddered, and the vision was gone. Colin was staring slack-jawed at me, and Rembrandt was looking back and forth between us. I looked closely at Colin, seeing utter shock and bewilderment, and I suddenly realized that he must have shared my vision.

"You…Maggie was… you and I…" Colin stammered. Rembrandt looked at him as if he'd gone mad.

"Colin somehow just shared a vision with me, Rembrandt," I explained quickly. I got up and moved around the table to Colin's side.

"Tell me exactly what you saw, Colin," I said quietly.

"Maggie lay on the ground…she was bleeding profusely. She said to you "Help all the others," then she expired and the vortex opened and, Quinn, Rembrandt, and Maggie slid! Certainly one was Maggie and one her double, but which? I wanted you to accompany me, but you wouldn't go, so I touched your face and expressed how much I needed you, how much I…" Colin's face went a shade whiter, and he looked deep into my eyes. "You slid with us…with me."

I nodded slowly. "It was Peggy, my friend, who died," I said, and he looked relieved, then ashamed at that, then confused. I'd never met anyone whose face seemed so open to me. "I saw the same thing, Colin. It's okay. I understand that was very traumatic. You need to relax for a few minutes. Rembrandt, could you take him into the living room and settle him on the couch?" I couldn't stay in the room with them any longer.

I rushed to the kitchen and burst into tears. I held a towel to my mouth as I sobbed, heartbroken. Peggy was going to die. She had maybe a matter of hours, maybe a day or two. And I would then be leaving my cluttered, familiar life here to disappear into the hole with these strangers. 'Not all strangers. Colin's not a stranger,' a part of my mind whispered. I shuddered. I'd always dreamed of meeting the one, but now that I saw what I was going to give up to be with him, I was terrified. My face grew hot as anger grew in me. I cursed the vision silently. I cursed my ability to see but not change future events. It was so utterly useless to see an unchangeable future. I cried for long moments alone, then Colin was there, pulling me close to him. I let myself be comforted, let my spirit take solace in his nearness and the knowledge that he would come to love me, perhaps had already begun to.

I finally sighed and dried my tears. I looked up at Colin, and in his eyes I found a calm spirit, a foil to my wild talents and the chaos they wrecked on my life; I found the perfect other half of every part of me. His face neared mine, but we both started at Quinn's voice.

"Everything okay in here? Remmy said something happened," Quinn said, an edge to his voice. We looked over to where he stood in the doorway. Colin suddenly swayed, and I hurried him over to a chair by my small kitchen table. Quinn was immediately by his brother's side, edging in between Colin and me. I backed off, then projected honesty and calm at Quinn.

"Colin somehow shared a vision with me. He's feeling the reaction to that. He'll be okay in a few minutes, but he should drink a sport drink to replace some of what his brain and body just used," Quinn's look of slightly angry frustration and confusion shook me. "I-I'll get one," I finished, hurrying to the refrigerator. I grabbed a blue All Sport and opened it, handing it to Colin. He murmured his thanks and sipped the drink. I took a deep breath and looked at Quinn again. "Colin used a part of his brain he's probably never used before, very intensely. I've seen the effect before. He'll feel okay in a few minutes, but he might have a headache for a day or two." I reached around Quinn and touched Colin's cheek with the back of my hand. The gentle touch became a caress as I slid my hand down and he leaned into it. Complete trust and something more poured from his eyes as we looked at each other. Then I jumped, pulling my hand back quickly, remembering suddenly that Quinn was watching.

Everything from the last half hour or so came back then, and I excused myself to go check on Maggie. I felt both brothers' eyes follow me out of the room and barely heard Quinn as he started the interrogation.

Maggie sat on my couch next to Rembrandt, and I quietly sat across from them in my rocker. I sat back and used every trick I knew about body language to look open and harmless. I let myself radiate my concern, but nothing more.

"Rembrandt," I said softly. "I think Quinn and Colin could use your support in the kitchen." He looked at Maggie, who nodded, and left the room. I waited a minute or so, trying to figure out how to begin talking to this woman. She solved the problem for me. Her voice was a little shaky, but it was low and strong.

"I never believed in all that psychic crap," she said. "But you did something when I got up. It felt… you touched me, in my head. Somehow. It- it scared the hell out of me." I could see what that last admission cost her.

I nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry I was so forceful. I was confused and upset that I'd hurt you, and I reached out the way I would have with your double. I am very sorry." She looked closely at me. I leaned forward slightly, trying to show my sincerity. She nodded once, and I took a deep breath. "I wish I had more receptive empathy. I would never have told of my vision of Quinn in the park so bluntly, so cruelly, had I known more about the situation." She began to look at me like I'd grown another head. "I can tell that you care a great deal about him, Maggie, and that he cares a great deal for you." Her expression slowly softened. She pressed her lips together and nodded once, closing her eyes briefly.

She seemed to shake herself, and her posture changed. It was now studiously relaxed. "So what happened with Colin?" She asked. I could tell she meant to change the subject to something that was of no great import, but she certainly missed the mark. She seemed even less receptive than I was.

"He…he shared a vision with me," I began, then my confusion and pain rose and the words poured from me. "And… and my friend Peggy is going to die, and I'm going to leave here, and I think Colin is my soulmate, and-" I choked on a sob. I shuddered, covering my face for a long moment. I wiped at my eyes and shook my head again. "Oh, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have said any of that. Um, Colin is okay, he's just… just resting a bit." I finished lamely. I slowly forced my eyes to seek hers, and I was surprised to see some measure of compassion, along with a dose of confusion and another of skepticism. At a noise from the dining room, we both turned. The men were starting to clear the table. I smiled and glanced shyly at Maggie. She grinned for a moment.

"We'd better help, or those dopes'll break all your dishes," she said. We ended up washing the dishes together, both of us tag-team teasing the guys about being clumsy, useless in the kitchen and anything else that came to mind. Colin caught my eye once, and I smiled just for him, beginning to try to let my fear go and accept.

When everything was cleaned up, I offered to take them to Peggy's house. They agreed, but I noticed Colin rubbing his temples.

"Let me get something for that headache first," I said, nodding to Colin and heading into the kitchen. I heard the door swing open again behind me, and I knew Colin had followed me. I went to the stove and started the kettle boiling, then went to the cabinet to get some willow bark and black tea for a fast-acting headache remedy. Colin paused at the table, and I finally ran out of things to keep me from looking at him. When our eyes met, he smiled slightly, tentative. I stepped closer to him, looking way up, realizing just how tall he was. He had to be at least a foot taller than me.

"Colin…" I began. He reached out and stroked my cheek with the back of his hand as I had done to him earlier. Warmth spread through my whole body. I turned my face slightly and the rest of his caress slid over my lips. I watched him catch his breath, then bit my lip and turned back to the stove. I got out a mug and poured the simmering water over the herbs. I reached out and set the timer over the stove for 4 minutes. I looked into the mug for a long moment, then I felt Colin's large, warm hands settle onto my shoulders. I turned slightly and looked up at him. His hands gently turned me the rest of the way around, then slid up to cup my face. He leaned down and lightly laid his lips on mine. They moved with mine ever so slightly, staying closed, and his right hand slid into my hair. I raised my left hand to touch his cheek. I was completely uncertain of reality. The only thing in the world was Colin; his lips, that unusually simple and almost innocent kiss, his hands, his nearness.

And the faint 'ding' of the timer.

I broke the kiss off and looked into his deep blue eyes. I saw the tiniest smile on his lips, and I smiled up at him. I took a deep breath and cocked my head at the mug behind me. A slight nod of his head, and I turned around to scoop the herbs out of the tea. My knees actually wobbled a bit, and I leaned on the counter as I scooped several times more than I needed to, waiting until I was sure I could stand on my own. I turned back to him.

"It-it's bitter. Do you want some honey in it?" I asked, looking straight ahead at his chest. He ducked his head slightly to make eye contact. I looked up at him and suddenly couldn't stop grinning. He smiled back and took the mug from me. He took a sip and then looked oddly at me.

"My mother used something like this for fevers," he said quietly, then took another sip. He made a face. I laughed. He smiled at me, then tossed the tea back in two big gulps.

"It's willow bark. It's a pain reliever, anti-inflammatory and fever reducer. But… aren't you from a modern place? The people in this neighborhood tend to use natural remedies, but most everyone else seems happy to pop a couple of pills," I said.

"Ours is a rather involved story. Perhaps we can enlighten you on the way to your friend's house," Colin said. He put the mug in the sink and casually took my hand as we went back into the living room. No comment was made on our new intimacy, but I kept catching strange looks from Rembrandt and Quinn. I tried to ignore them as we headed out for Peggy's house.

By the time we got there, I was pretty comprehensively informed on sliding and the group's history. By the covert, significant look Rembrandt gave me when they spoke of Wade, I surmised that she was probably the woman I'd seen in my vision of Quinn. I also found out that the timer would hit zero tomorrow afternoon. I hurried them to Peggy's, bitterly wanting to be sure she saw this sunset as night approached. It would be her last.

"Hi!" Peggy exclaimed as she opened her front door. We all stepped inside, Peggy and Maggie eyeing each other. I hugged my friend fiercely. I know I was radiating all sorts of emotions, and with her extreme receptivity I must have seemed a mess. She hugged me back, smoothing my hair and opening herself, letting my waves of anger, pain, wonder, fear, joy and several other tangles I couldn't define crash over her, dissipating in her strength and love. I finally took a breath and stepped back. She touched my cheek tenderly, then her eyes moved up and I knew Colin was right behind me. She gasped and looked quickly at me. I smiled and nodded, her reaction confirming my suspicions that our auras blended. We were soulmates. She threw her arms around me and hugged me again, then pushed me aside and hugged Colin just as enthusiastically. I laughed at everyone's shocked expressions, especially at the comically stunned look on Colin's face as Peggy pulled his face to her and kissed him quickly on the lips.

"I'm so happy for you," she said to him, and took each of our hands and put them together. I quickly turned to the others.

"I'm sorry, Peggy and I know each other so well that we can have whole conversations without words. This is Quinn Mallory," I pointed at him. "He's a physicist who invented a machine that allows them to travel between parallel worlds." Peggy nodded, and I didn't explain further because I knew she was familiar with the theories of alternate realities. "This is Rembrandt Brown, a singer who got caught up in one of the first experiments." Rembrandt nodded to her and they exchanged smiles. "You met Colin," I grinned. "He's Quinn's brother, and this," I indicated Maggie with a flourish. "Is your double from a parallel world, Maggie Beckett. Maggie was a Marine Corps Captain and a fighter pilot on her home world." They studied each other, and I could tell Peggy was wondering how an alternate her could possibly have become a military person when she was a complete pacifist. I looked at the sliders. "This is my friend Peggy Beckett. She helped get Open Minds, a grassroots pro-psychic movement, started. We're trying to make it so that those with gifts like ours, psychics, can support each other and teach the world not to fear us. There's a strong political movement against us right now, the Citizens for Purity, but our own political activists are working hard, and I'm sure we'll win. We have high hopes for what we can accomplish." I suddenly was struck by the knowledge that in less than 24 hours Open Minds would have lost its strongest leader with Peggy's death, and I would be on a parallel world. Peggy touched my shoulder to let me know she felt my sudden change in emotional state, and Colin's eyes met mine, understanding registering there. He put his arm around me, and there was a stunned silence among us. Peggy squeezed my arm and cleared her throat.

"I think we all need to talk," she said carefully. I nodded.

"Out on the back porch," I said firmly.

Peggy took my vision with surprising unconcern. I sat next to her and held her hand.

"Peggy, my visions always come to pass. You know that. I can't change them. I-I don't want to lose you…" I said. She gazed out across the city, the sunset painting it pink and gold. Then she looked closely at me and a soft smile came to her lips.

"I'm not afraid of death, and if you'll just let your emotions settle for a minute, you'll remember that you aren't, either," she said. I looked into her eyes and had to laugh softly, knowing she was right.

"Damn red hair," I murmured to her. She laughed and nodded at our 'in' joke. She always blamed my rashness, my hot temper and my lack of control over my emotions on my hair color.

"Shouldn't you at least try to stay alive? Come on, you can't just accept it like that," Quinn argued. Peggy and I shared a look.

"You don't understand, Quinn. My visions are certain. It doesn't matter if you try to avoid them, if you jump on a plane and try to run from them. I've even tried acting completely randomly. They always happen," I said. I smiled a little and looked at the sliders. "I'm coming with you tomorrow, but I won't want to." Quinn and Maggie exchanged glances, and Maggie rolled her eyes a bit, but I saw a frown around her mouth that I was sure was from worry.

"This is life and death! Isn't it worth trying something-anything?" Quinn said incredulously.

"How many times do you think I've tried?" I cried, tears filling my eyes. "Don't you think that if there was any chance I'd take it?!" Rembrandt threw his hands up and went into the house, his face haunted. "Quinn, she's my best friend. I don't want her to die, but the future I see cannot be changed." I finished in a pained whisper. Quinn stood and slowly shook his head.

"I don't accept that," he said, and went inside.

My shoulders slumped and I squeezed my eyes shut against the familiar pain and bitterness. Peggy put her hand on my shoulder and I pressed my face against it, letting her work with my energies, drawing out the negativity and leaving me calm. I opened my eyes and smiled briefly in thanks, but part of me wondered helplessly how I would ever live without her support. I forced the thought away and looked around again. Colin watched me in silent concern.

I looked for a long moment between Maggie and Peggy. "Would you two like some time alone to talk?" I asked. They'd been studying each other for some time, obviously trying to figure each other out. Peggy smiled and nodded at me, and Maggie kind of shrugged. I looked at Colin. "Care to go for a walk?" I asked.

"Uh- okay," he said, looking between the doubles. Maggie made a shoo motion with one hand and Colin smiled at me. I led him around front and down the street toward a small park. As we stepped onto the grass, Colin's large hand grasped mine. I smiled up at him. There was a large tree at one end of the park with a bench beneath it, and we walked slowly toward it, then sat down silently. He kept looking at me, then away. I waited, knowing he would speak when he was ready.

"I am uncertain how this occurred," he finally said quietly. I nodded, projecting understanding. "I feel as if I suddenly cannot exist without a…stranger. I do not know you, yet I believe you are… I think I am…" He trailed off. He stayed silent.

"Colin, I have an explanation, but I'm not sure you'll understand or even believe it," I said quietly. He looked at me for a long moment. I reached out my hand and he took it. I felt the energy course between us. "Do you feel that?" I asked.

He hesitated, then nodded. "That's something very special. When you asked me how I knew about soulmates earlier, and I said their auras meshed," I began, and looked at him expectantly. He nodded that he remembered. "Do you know what I meant? Have you heard of auras?"

"It is theorized that the human body exudes an energy field around itself. The word defining this field is 'aura'. Certain individuals I have read of claim to be capable of seeing the field as colors," he said. I smiled, impressed.

"Yes. Now, you can probably find a scientific analogy for this, but basically, soulmates' auras are similar enough that they blend and exchange, and become one." I said. He nodded and looked thoughtful.

"Peggy has the ability to see auras, doesn't she?" He asked. I smiled and nodded. One corner of his mouth danced up a bit. "Soulmates, hmm?" I stared at our hands intertwining, suddenly shy about looking in his eyes. His other hand came up to my face and turned it to him. I looked up and my breath caught at the emotion in his eyes. Love shone bright in the depths, along with surprise and joy. I felt my eyes well with tears, and suddenly Colin was full of concern. I laughed as a tear escaped and wet Colin's fingers on my cheek.

"I-I really never thought I'd find you. I mean, the odds, they're staggering against finding that one person in the world…" We grinned and spoke at the same time. "Or worlds!" The smiles faded slowly as we gazed at each other.

I withdrew my hand from his and reached up to stroke his face. He leaned into my hand, then slowly put his free arm around me, drawing me close. This time his kiss held only the slightest hesitation, and that vanished as I pressed my lips hard against his. It lasted for long minutes, out hands touching each others' hair, and faces, and backs. I was shaking with arousal when I finally pulled away. Colin's eyes were full of his desire as well, and his face was flushed. I managed a shaky smile, but he just pulled me to him again. I let myself return to the embrace for only a moment, then withdrew again. He made a throaty sound as I pulled away and stood up. I forced myself to breathe deeply, grounding and calming myself before I turned back to him. He was leaning forward with his arms braced on his legs and his head down.

"A public park isn't the best place to…do that in," I said softly. He looked up at me, fear in his eyes. I reached out to him again immediately. "Colin, it's not what you think. It's the place. That's all," I said, trying to reassure him. I saw that he did understand and he flushed again, this time with embarrassment. I drew him to his feet. "Colin…" I wondered for a moment how he would take this. "I would really like to finish what we started, only later, in a quiet bedroom…with no fog," I finished, looking around as the evening fog swirled in from the bay. He chuckled at that last.

"We will discuss it," he said. I suddenly understood some of the ramifications of what I'd been told about the world he'd come from. Quinn described it as 'Amish'. Colin had probably never been with a woman before. I was taken aback by that thought, and simply nodded at his statement as we walked back toward Peggy's house.

Upon our arrival, I saw that Peggy had worked her usual magic on the group. They were sitting in her cozy living room chatting and laughing like best friends. The party atmosphere seemed to break up as we walked in, though. Peggy explained that she had set Quinn, Maggie and Rembrandt up in her spare rooms for the night, but that she didn't have enough room for Colin and me. We would have to return to my house.

Colin got a 'deer in the headlights' look on his face and practically dragged Quinn and Rembrandt outside to discuss the arrangements. I looked at Peggy and she winked at me. I shook my head, trying to project my uncertainty about Colin's readiness for this situation, then focused on Maggie.

"I need you to be blunt and honest, please," I said softly to her. She set her jaw suspiciously, but nodded. "That you know of, had Colin ever…" Maggie cocked one eyebrow at me. "Is he a virgin?" I finally asked.

"I think so," she said. I narrowed my eyes at her, trying to read her. Peggy put her hand on my arm and nodded when I glanced at her. Maggie was being honest. I sank down into a chair and nodded. Things were every bit as complicated as I'd thought. I looked up as the men came back into the house. Colin looked a bit shaky, but smiled when he looked at me. Quinn and Rembrandt looked both amused and somewhat smug. I groaned inwardly. There was no telling what bits of 'advice' they'd thrown at him. Peggy took my hand and pulled me to my feet. She looked long into my eyes, reassuring me and blessing me. I hugged her tight, then turned to Colin. He held my hand as we went out the door.

"Hey, come over about eight o'clock. I'll make my waffles," Peggy called after us. I waved that I'd heard her.

When we were out of earshot, I stopped and looked up at Colin. He swallowed hard, and I hid a smile.

"I do have a spare room. Or you could stay with me and we could just sleep. Or we could spend the night learning all about each other by talking, or by touching. We have lots of options, so lets just relax and see what happens," I told him. He blew out a long breath, looking extremely relieved.

"We will discuss it," he repeated, "however we should simply enjoy the return walk to your home." I nodded and squeezed his hand.

The pace we set was a slow meander, and I pointed out my friends' homes and a few of my favorite places to him as we walked. He asked thoughtful questions, and I really started to see that his mind was just as sharp as his formal speech implied.

"It must have been difficult for you, growing up on a world with so many restrictions to your mind," I commented.

"The restrictions were to behavior and what I could discuss, not my mind, but it was frustrating to create new things that would enable more rapid processing or communications, only to have people scoff at them." He looked off into the distance, into the past. "They were unable to understand the ramifications of the equipment I invented and concepts I put forth, so they labeled them evil." Tears sprang to my eyes at the familiarity to my situation.

"It's hard to be shunned by those who are supposed to care for and support you," I said. He must have heard the emotion in my voice, because he turned and looked at me. "It can make you doubt yourself and do stupid things sometimes."

Colin slipped his arm around my shoulders and hugged me to his body. I put my arm around his waist. The warmth of his body spread through me, and I shivered as I acclimated to it. He rubbed my arm and picked up the pace a bit.

"Yes, it can. When my parents died, I was bereft of the only people who did not think me mad or possessed. I contemplated leaving, wandering into the wild and allowing nature to have me. I only ever knew a single person aside from them who believed in me, and her mother was so opposed to me that the situation was hopeless," his voice was thick with remembrance, and I nodded, snuggling closer to his side.

"I'd always had precognitive dreams, but when I hit puberty, they became much stronger, and the waking visions started. I told my parents, and they thought I'd gone nuts. I saw one doctor after another and was put on pill after pill. None of them stopped the visions, and I started to realize that what I was seeing always came to pass. I told my doctor about it, and he admitted me to a psychiatric hospital. A year after I got out, I cut my wrists." I spoke in a low tone, telling Colin the truth that only one person in my life now knew: Peggy. He squeezed me tight and kissed the top of my head. A tear slid down my cheek, and I turned my head slightly and let Colin's shirt dry it.

"So similar, yet so different," he whispered. We went up my porch steps, but he stopped me as I unlocked the door. I looked up at him. He slid one hand into my hair, running his fingers through it and letting his thumb slide down my ear and cheek. His other arm slid around me, until his open hand rested on the small of my back. He drew me toward him and kissed me softly. I'd never felt that I was incomplete, but I recognized that I was now complete. I opened my eyes and we looked into one another.

"I understand now…" I breathed. He tilted his head, questioning. "You complete me." A radiant smile split his face, and I smiled as well. My smile was a bit wry, thinking of 'Jerry Maguire', but thought vanished as Colin kissed me again. We moved together into my dark house and sat down on the couch. I figured that no matter what emotional connections we were making he wasn't ready for me to haul him up to my bedroom.

"This is like a dream…" he said. "This morning when we left the hotel Maggie was in a vile mood from residing for nearly a week on a world where women were not allowed to speak in public. Quinn was fussing about the plumbing, and Remmy seemed to be completely disassociated. We wandered around the park awaiting the slide, and now… Here you are, beautiful, intelligent, gifted with amazing vision, and you want to be here, alone, with me." He shook his head. "And I unexpectedly cannot conceive of how I ever lived without you. It's alarming and exhilarating and… I do not want to conceptualize a life without you, now."

I was overwhelmed. I pulled his face to mine and kissed him. His arms went around me and tightened. I slid over until I was in his lap, wanting to get closer to him, wanting to feel his body against mine, wanting to be one with him in body as we were in spirit. I could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and his breathing was getting very heavy. I pushed my lips against his, making the kiss open mouthed, and I felt him shudder. His arms wrapped around me tight, crushing me to his chest. I eased back so I could get my hands to the buttons of his shirt. I unfastened one, then the next, and Colin stiffened. He took my hands in both of his, stilling them. I didn't fight the restraint, and he slowly released me. He shifted me off his lap and stood up. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. I could see him outlined against a window, and his shoulders were gradually relaxing as he caught his breath.

"Colin, I have been in love before, but never like this. I've wanted physical intimacy with someone before, but it was always just physical. When you touch me, I feel like your spirit is merging with mine. I think I've waited a hundred lifetimes to feel that. Now that you're here, I don't want to wait anymore, and that's very hard to hold back," I tried to explain. He sighed and turned to face me. I sensed frustration and desire and shame coming from him in conflicting waves.

"I desire you, Diane. I wish to enfold myself in the smell and taste and feel of you…" His voice shook and his fists clenched. "However, I do not know how to tell you…" He forced his fingers through his hair and looked up at the ceiling for a long moment. "That is the first time I have ever had a kiss- like that." His voice was broken and barely above a whisper. "Let alone held someone so tight against me that I felt we were fusing into one being. I just… I do not know… I mean, I am aware of how the physical act of coupling is performed, but I…" His head bowed and I couldn't bear the shame that was coming from him. I stood and went to him. I took his face in my hands and kissed him softly. I held his face close to mine and looked into the intensity of his eyes. There were tears glinting on his lashes in the moonlight, and I wanted to find exactly the right thing to say, but words failed me. I closed my eyes and projected everything I was feeling to him, wanting him to understand. My overwhelming joy of having him near me, of the discovery of the completeness I felt; my unqualified acceptance of everything about him, including his inexperience; my wonder and delight at his innocence and brilliance; my desire to be closer to him than his skin; and through it all, my love: I sent everything. I felt him gasp for a moment, trying to sort it all out.

He looked deep into me, then I felt a tremor go through his body like a breeze, and I sensed him accepting everything I'd sent. He kissed me then, open mouthed, and I felt myself tremble as we melted into each other. I led him slowly up the stairs to my bedroom. The moonlight gave the fog an unworldly glow through the two bay windows, illuminating us softly. We stood and kissed lingeringly. His hands shook as they went to the buttons on the front of my dress. He unfastened all of them, then hesitated a moment before pushing it off my shoulders. The cloth slid to the floor with a whisper and I saw his breath catch as he saw me. He looked all the way down my body and back up to my eyes. He must have seen my body-conscious uncertainty, because he smiled reassuringly.

"Beautiful," he breathed, and kissed me. I felt the heat of his face increase as he ran his hands over my bare back. They paused at the fastening to my bra. He peeked over my shoulder to look at it, then unfastened it. His lips drifted off mine, trailing down to my shoulder where he slid my bra strap off, kissing the faint mark where it had been. He looked into my eyes for my reaction to what he was doing, and I realized we'd both be more comfortable if I stopped blocking my projection and just let him sense what I was feeling. I slowly let my shield down, and he took a deep breath and nodded his understanding of what he was suddenly sensing. He kissed me again and hooked his finger under my remaining bra strap. He pulled it down over my arm and off of me, dropping it with my dress. He took both my hands in his, squeezing them. He started to draw his hands up my arms but stopped at my wrists. His fingers traced the hard lines of scar tissue, and he brought my wrists to his mouth and kissed them. There was sadness and understanding in his eyes as he looked at me. I smiled a little, thanking him. He released my hands but held my gaze as I reached out to finish undoing his shirt buttons. I put my hands flat against his bare stomach and slowly eased them up his chest, feeling the ridges of his muscles as I went. I pushed his shirt off his shoulders and ran my hands over them as well. He had a hard, leanly muscled body, and I loved it.

Colin slid his arms around me and I could sense him relishing what was undoubtedly his first experience of bare skin on bare skin. I marveled at how strongly I could sense him, then forgot to think at all as his large hands shifted between us and cupped my breasts. I gasped at the stab of titillation I felt, he gasped as he received my projection of it, and we suddenly laughed together. I kissed him, then moved and sat on the end of the bed. He hesitated, and I was worried at first that he was having second thoughts, but giggled when he bent down quickly and pulled his shoes and socks off.

"Quinn tell you to do that?" I asked. His grin was lopsided as he nodded.

"He said I should not wear my socks to bed, and the only way to avoid that would be to take my shoes and socks off now," he said sheepishly. I laughed again, but projected understanding and affection so he wouldn't think I was laughing at him. I let my admiring gaze run over his beautiful chest and arms then smiled coyly and crooked my finger for him to come join me on the bed. His eyes narrowed and I sensed a boyish mischievousness and he leapt at me. We played for a while, wrestling and tickling, until I ended up on top of him, straddling his hips. I could feel him hard against me, and I watched his impish grin fade into desire as I slid down and put my hands on the waist of his jeans. Our eyes were locked together as I undid the button and crept the zipper down. His breath was shaky and there was some uncertainty in his eyes. I smiled tenderly, and moved onto my side, easing his arm around my shoulders as I slid up close to him and kissed him. I sensed his uncertainty burn away as he kissed me hard, his tongue rolling around my mouth. I played my hands over his chest, brushing over his nipples just to feel him gasp. I reached down and eased his jeans over his hips, leaving his boxers safely in place. I sat up and pulled his jeans the rest of the way off and tossed them on the floor. I watched him take note of where they landed and cocked an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to follow more instructions I was certain Quinn had given him. He looked sheepish again, looking at me from under his eyelashes.

"Um, do you have…uh-something?" He said. I burst out laughing.

"Why am I certain Quinn gave you 'something' just in case I didn't?" I asked. He shrugged and finally chuckled with me. "I take an herbal contraceptive every month," I finally said. He looked relieved, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing again imagining Quinn trying to tell Colin very quickly how to use a condom.

My amusement faded as the heat rose in his eyes again and he kissed me, leaning over me, his hand shaking as it went to my breast. I tried to guide him with what I was projecting, and he picked up on it immediately. He didn't stop kissing me as he touched me exactly how I wanted him to, or as the last of our clothing was peeled away. The kiss moved from crushing intensity to gentleness and back again as our passion crested and abated and crested again. His arms were fully around me, one hand flat against the small of my back, the other wrapped around me and cupping my shoulder when he rolled on top of me. We finally broke the kiss for a moment and stared into each others eyes as he slid into me and the distinct parts of each of us finally fused into one. Our minds slid together as our bodies did, and there was no Diane and no Colin, but instead something greater than us. We merged into one.

When we lay holding each other, I slowly became aware of my own singular feelings of sweaty exhaustion, satiation and a slight chill. In one corner of my mind I felt wonder and amazement. I quickly analyzed those emotions and recognized them as not mine. I looked into Colin's face and suddenly knew where they were coming from. The bond we'd consummated had established itself deeper and more permanently than I'd thought. I blocked my normal projecting and watched for any change in Colin's face. Nothing. I shivered a little to myself, knowing I might not ever be able to block him again. Then a smile came to my lips. Neither of us would ever be alone, though.

"Diane…" Colin murmured. Our eyes met and we just looked at each other. I could feel part of his mind reaching out to mine, and I embraced it, feeling those parts of our spirits that were now one swirl together.

The ringing of the telephone made us both jump, and my stomach suddenly clenched. Late night phone calls were almost always terrible news. I reached for the phone on my night stand.

"Diane," there was pain and fear in Peggy's voice. "Derek and Jasmine are dead. White-Dove just called me. She's on the run from the same people. The police aren't helping her. She thinks she can get to a place to hide out, but she wanted us to know that the Purists are gaining major support and they're inciting violence against us- not openly, of course, but…" I heard her gasp a little. "White-Dove said they were beaten to death…" I shuddered. Derek, Jasmine and White-Dove were the political arm of Open Minds in Washington DC. If the Purity movement had gained enough strength to take out our most visible proponents, there could be attacks on psychics anywhere.

"Get Quinn, Rembrandt, and Maggie and get over here. We'll need to get you someplace safe. Take back streets and run, you understand?" I hung up and rolled out of the bed, adrenaline flooding my system. I scooped Colin's clothes off the floor and threw them at him. "Emergency. Get dressed," I said as I dove into my closet and pulled out jeans and a sweater. I dressed quickly, thinking all the while about where the safest place for Peggy would be. Colin put on his jeans. His shirt was on but unbuttoned as he tied his shoes. I sat on the end of the bed and pulled my sneakers on.

I was hurrying toward the bathroom when I heard a crash downstairs and shouts from several men out front. Colin leapt to his feet and ran to the window. The glass broke at the same moment I heard the report of a gun. Colin dropped to the floor so fast that I ran to him, thinking he'd been shot. He scooted us across the floor away from the window, whispering that he was okay.

"We've got to get to Peggy!" I whispered urgently.

"We must get out alive," he whispered back. I felt the blood drain from my face as I realized the danger we were in. I nodded and pulled him toward the bathroom. I shut the door and eyed Colin and the tiny shower window.

"I will fit," he assured me. I nodded and cranked the little window open as far as it would go. I scrambled out feet first and dropped to the top of the deck awning. It creaked and shifted slightly. Colin's feet appeared through the window, followed by his legs and torso. His shoulders seemed to be giving him problems. I winced as I reached out and helped as he wriggled and finally dropped out with a low groan. With his added weight, the deck cover swayed alarmingly, and I moved as quickly as I could to the edge with Colin right behind me. I jumped lightly onto the picnic table and then to the ground. I froze as I looked through the kitchen window and saw flames spreading through my dining room door. The first crash I'd heard downstairs must have been a firebomb of some kind. My home was on fire…

Colin grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the back fence. I shook myself and nodded. We climbed over into my neighbor's yard and ran, hopping fences and hiding when we saw people. The fog made it fairly easy to hide but allowed people to appear unexpectedly close by. I saw several groups with guns and watched in horror as a man threw a molotov cocktail into the house of the man I bought herbs from. I was thankful that he and his partner were out at the farm where they grew the herbs right now.

We searched as well as we could for the others, but spent more time with our heads down than up. There seemed to be fewer attacks happening the further away from my neighborhood we got, which made sense since a large number of psychics and pagans lived there. I knew many of the Purists made no distinctions between the two. I looked around after a couple of hours of hiding and running and recognized where we were.

"Let's head into Golden Gate," I nodded at the greenery across from us. "We can find someplace there to hide until morning." Colin nodded, and we hurried across Fulton Street and into the park.

We got to a stand of trees that looked to be a make-out spot and decided we could probably wait the night out there. I was peering out into the fog when I began to shake. I trembled and began to cry as what was happening sunk in. People I knew and cared about were being attacked and possibly killed. Houses and businesses were burning down, and there was an eerie lack of the sound of sirens taking assistance to those in need. Colin wrapped his arms around me and just held me as my reaction slowly became sick frustration, anger and helplessness. We sank to the ground and he settled me close to him as he leaned against a trunk.

"Try to rest. I will stay awake. We will find our companions when dawn comes," Colin said softly. I nodded, wanting to just let go and let him take the lead for a while. I worried silently about Peggy, and eventually drifted into a vision-filled sleep.

The precognitive dreams I had were chaotic and haunted by creatures I somehow knew were the Kromaggs, the race the sliders had said was taking over alternate earths all over the multiverse. I saw Colin captured and dragged away to be tortured in one vision, then watched him turn and shoot Quinn with a shotgun in another. The woman Wade, from my vision of her as Quinn's soulmate, was killed in two separate visions, then in another I saw her give birth to a baby only to kill it as it tried to take its first breath. I struggled to wake myself from these nightmares I knew would come true somewhere, and finally succeeded, wrenching myself away from a vision of Maggie, her aura red and burning with hatred, shooting Quinn, Colin, and Rembrandt.

"Hush, hush," Colin tried to soothe me, probably thinking I had had normal nightmares. I quietly told him what I'd seen. His eyes were wide as I finished.

"Some of the visions must have been of parallel worlds," I whispered. He nodded.

"Otherwise they cannot all be true," he pointed out. I tried to understand the implications of that. I wished I could tell which of the people I'd seen were doubles and which were the sliders I knew. I sighed, then realized that in every vision I'd been seeing through my own eyes, not as an invisible observer. That meant I would see all of those visions first hand. I shuddered, not wanting to contemplate a life so full of pain and loss.

"There are terrible things that occur when you slide, but there are wonderful things, also," Colin whispered. I felt goose flesh rise on his arms and I pulled myself closer to him, trying to share as much body heat as possible.

"Tell me something good that's happened while you've been sliding," I said. I needed reassurance that I wasn't going on a trip into hell later today.

"I discovered that I have a brother, and that my real parents are probably still alive. I have made the acquaintance of incredible people," he said, then kissed the top of my head. "And the ultimate good thing that's happened to me in my entire life has been through sliding: finding you." I smiled a little, trying to lay my fears to rest.

I closed my eyes and against my lids I again saw my first dream of a Kromagg smashing the butt of his rifle into Colin's head, dropping him to the ground. Two more 'maggs lifted him by the arms and dragged him off. I opened my eyes and stared out at the fog, trying not to see anything else from my dreams but not being very successful.

"I'll stay awake now if you want to try to get a little sleep," I said.

"Thank you," Colin said. Shortly I felt his breathing even out and I was relieved he'd fallen asleep. I drew back slightly and watched him for a while, then settled in close to him and resumed staring into the night.

The dawn started burning the fog away early with a reddish light probably from the fires the night before. I shook Colin gently as it grew light enough to see. His eyes opened and he looked around in confusion for an instant, then he saw me and his face lit with a smile. I kissed him softly, then stood up.

"I think we should call to see if they went back to Peggy's. If they aren't there, I have a few other ideas of where Peggy would probably go that we can check," I said. Colin stood up and stretched, rolling his neck around with a slight grimace.

"If they are not at the locations you try, we should check the Chandler hotel. That's where we usually stay in L.A., so they might have left word there for us," he yawned hugely, his jaw cracking, and I smiled. He took my hand and we headed off through the park.

I used my calling card number to make the calls when we reached a pay phone, a bit frustrated that I hadn't grabbed anything before we left my house the night before. I was unable to reach Peggy, Quinn, Rembrandt, and Maggie, nor was there a message at the Chandler. Most of the numbers I tried were other Open Minds members, and the lines either couldn't be connected or rang endlessly.

I clenched the receiver in my hand as tears of frustration filled my eyes while I thought fruitlessly of who else to call. I had a knot in my stomach and a horrible suspicion that most of the friends and acquaintances I was trying to reach were dead. Colin took the phone from my hand and hung it up. A sob rose in my throat and Colin put his arms around me. I buried my face in his shirt for a moment, then shoved away from him.

"Not everyone can be dead or gone! There has to be someone…" Tears ran down my cheeks as I reached for the phone again. Colin stopped me.

"Who are you going to attempt to call?" He asked. I searched my mind for anyone else and then slowly shook my head. He hugged me for a moment, then held me away from him, looking down at my face. He wiped my tears away gently.

"Think. What are our other alternatives?" He said. I forced my fear aside and considered.

"Let's head back toward Peggy's house and see if maybe there's some people home with phone lines not working. I can't believe they'd burn the whole neighborhood down," I finally said. He nodded, and I felt his relief that I had come up with a plan. I led him back toward the area we'd fled the night before.

The neighborhood had the feel of a war zone. Smoke still drifted from burned houses and shops and people hurried to where they were going without looking around much. The first three homes we went to check, including Peggy's, were smoldering heaps. The next had police crawling all over it. I got close enough to ask one of the officers about the residents, a couple I'd been friends with for the last year, and was informed they were 'missing'. Colin must have been receiving the hot rage I felt at the policewoman's smirk and flip responses because he pulled me away as quickly as he could. It took me long moments of deep breaths to calm down.

By midmorning I was starting to lose hope of ever seeing anyone from Open Minds again. We sat on a bench near a small playground when a man approached us.

"Hello, I think I can help you," the man said without preamble. I looked closely at him and noticed he wore a clerical collar.

"How is that, um, Father?" I asked.

"You've been searching the neighborhood for a while. I assume you have not found what you were looking for, or is it who?" He said. He held out his hand. In it was a Goddess pendant. My eyes darted from the pendant to his. "I believe it is the place of the church to help those in need. My church is doing so. Perhaps you will find what you are looking for there. St. Agnes, on Masonic. Can you find your way there?" He asked. Dumbly, I nodded. "Good. I will be there later. Go down to the basement. You will find others like yourselves." The priest took my hand briefly and I felt an energy flow from him in calm, reassuring waves. "Peace go with you." He released my hand and turned to go.

"Thank you, Father…?" I said quickly.

"David. You are welcome," he said over his shoulder as he moved away from us. I watched him go in wonder. I smiled at Colin.

"Let's go. It's only a few blocks from the park," I said. I felt hope grow in my heart. "Maybe the others are there."

A young priest was blocking the hallway at the foot of the stairs to the basement when we arrived.

"Hi folks, can I help you?" He asked casually.

"Father David spoke with us earlier. We were out looking for some missing friends, and he suggested we might find help here," I said. He smiled.

"The second door on the left is were most everyone is. If your friends aren't here, they may be at St. Francis of Assisi or St. Phillips. Both are helping those in need," he said.

We thanked him and went down the hall. I hesitated at the door, then took a quick breath and opened it. My gaze swept the room and my heart sank. Then I was nearly bowled over by Peggy as she came up on me from the corner directly to the left of the door. We hugged silently for a long moment, sharing emotions about what had happened the night before; good and bad. Colin was being greeted by Quinn, Rembrandt, and Maggie, and I gave Peggy one final squeeze, then let go. Rembrandt hugged me, then Quinn, and, to my surprise, Maggie.

"Hey, it's not my waffles, but they have some food here. You look a little pale," Peggy said to me. I nodded.

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

"Since last night," Quinn replied. "We ended up hiding not far from here after we found your…uh, anyway, a priest nabbed us and offered shelter. We didn't seem to have a lot of options, so here we are." Peggy turned to me, and I could tell she was going to break it to me gently that my house was gone.

"I know about my house. They got it while we were getting dr-r-ready for you all to get there. We went out a window. When we couldn't find you, we spent the night in Golden Gate. We've been looking for anyone who might know where you were all morning. I'd just about given up when Father David found us," I shook my head ruefully. "He showed us a Goddess pendant to let us know he was legit. Does he have to do penance or something for touching it?" I joked. Peggy put a hand on my arm.

"These people are risking their lives for us, Diane. Please don't make light of it," she said. I flushed a bit and nodded. I glanced around and saw where the food was.

"I'm going to get something to eat. Excuse me," I mumbled. I felt Colin begin to follow and heard Quinn say something about having some questions for him. I went over to the table. Some people were beginning to put together lunch: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and carrot and celery sticks, but there were a few slightly dried out bagels left at one end. I took a bagel and asked for some peanut butter. The man who handed me the jar and knife he'd been using directed me to some jugs at the other end of the table for juice. I smeared on a healthy amount of peanut butter and handed it back to him, then thanked him and grabbed some juice before returning to the corner. Colin and Quinn weren't there, and as I glanced around the room I realized I already knew Colin was no longer in it. There was a feeling of defensiveness coming from our link, and I figured he was having to explain some things to Quinn that he hadn't had a chance to think through much himself. I marveled a bit on how men could push each other into things then demand explanations.

As I settled on the floor next to Peggy, I noticed Maggie and Rembrandt shifting away from us to give us some semi-private time to talk. I was struck by how sensitive these people were to one another's needs and felt another measure of acceptance about leaving with them in a few hours. I shied away from where else that thought led.

"As worried and upset as you are, you positively glow, sweetie," Peggy said, smiling. I thought of Colin and nodded, taking a bite of my brunch. "If nothing else, it reminds us what we're all looking for. Your aura gets stronger when you two are together. And the others are really great people. I sense such strong character in each of them. I know you'll fit well with them." Our eyes met and we communed wordlessly while I chewed and swallowed mechanically. My pain-fear-frustration at facing this day flowed out to her and reassurance-confidence-love were returned. My bagel was only half eaten when I set it down and leaned into her. We wrapped our arms around each other as we sat side by side. Our energies flowed together, cleansing and purifying and strengthening both of us. All of a sudden she sat up straight with a choking laugh.

"I knew something was very different. You aren't alone," she said. I knew she meant she'd sensed my link with Colin, and at that reminder a smile formed on my lips.

"He…last night…I think our souls joined. Now even when I block everyone else, he's still there. It's amazing, but…kind of scary," I said. She nodded. "I think soulmates are a lot more than what my concept of them was. I never really gave much merit to Plato's idea that soulmates are one soul that was torn in half. Now…? But does that mean that souls are split and scattered all over the multiverse, or that the Colin on this world is my soulmate also?" I shook my head.

"I don't think so, otherwise souls like yours and Colin's from parallel worlds would be an imperfect union, right?" Peggy smiled. "I don't sense that yours isn't a complete and perfect joining." I pondered briefly, then shrugged. We'd hopefully have many years to try to find out, and we had much to discuss regarding what had caused the persecution to begin last night.

I sensed Colin getting nearer and glanced at the door. He and Quinn came through, and though Quinn looked at me a bit strangely, Colin seemed satisfied with the outcome of their talk.

When Quinn and Colin settled down with Peggy and me, Rembrandt and Maggie moved back closer to us. I offered the remainder of my bagel to Colin, and he wolfed it down hungrily, gulping the last of my juice as well.

"So what does everyone know about the 'whys' of last night?" I asked, looking from face to face. A smile quirked the corner of Quinn's mouth, and his eyes met Maggie's and she picked up on the assumption his mind had made about what I'd said. Rembrandt saw the look between them, and suddenly all three were laughing. I blushed, and Colin looked at me, realized why the others were laughing and also blushed. Peggy picked up on all of it and soon we were all leaning against one another, howling with laughter.

The nightmarish sound of gunfire upstairs silenced us, while other people in the room screamed. Maggie and Quinn jumped to their feet, followed quickly by the rest of us. Peggy started for the door and Rembrandt grabbed her.

"It's people like me they want-" Peggy said, pushing against Rembrandt's arms.

"That's why you have got to get out of here," Rembrandt replied.

"This way," Quinn said, pointing to one of the small windows. He reached it and smashed it with a folding chair. Peggy struggled against Rembrandt as he dragged her toward the window.

"I can't run away while they kill the priests who helped us. Let me go!" Peggy cried. I grabbed her face, slamming my will into her.

"We're going. Now," I stated, forcing my determination to bend her will. She shuddered and went limp in Rembrandt's grip for a moment, then straightened and turned toward the window, where Quinn was boosting Maggie out. Rembrandt stared at me as we hurried over. I heard gunshots out in the hall as Rembrandt went out the window, then Peggy. The door burst in as Colin shoved me out, scrambling after. We lifted Quinn bodily through the window as I heard screams and automatic gunfire inside.

"Let's go, let's go," Maggie ordered, running toward the alley. I heard shouts from the front of the church and knew we had only the barest head start on people who would shoot us on sight. We ran.

"Where can we go? We still have two hours 'til the slide," Quinn asked as we paused to catch our breath a few blocks from the church. I looked to Peggy, shaking my own head that I didn't know. She had been able to recover from my aggressive attack on her will, but she refused to look at me. Fear that I'd alienated her in forcing her to come with turned my stomach to a knot.

"I am going to find other hiding places and gather as many people from Open Minds as I can. We've got to stop this. You all can help or not as you see fit," Peggy declared. I felt torn. I couldn't imagine leaving Colin, but I had to help Peggy.

"Father David mentioned other churches who were helping. St. Francis of Assisi is this way, and St. Philips is a little way south of there," I said. Peggy looked at me, and in an instant of communion she forgave me and thanked me for supporting her. I looked at Colin, hoping to see support there as well, but he was watching Quinn. I was distracted from trying to analyze the emotions coming from our new link by Rembrandt.

"Look, we need to find a place to hole up until the slide," Rembrandt said. He seemed very upset, and I somehow sensed it wasn't just about being chased by men with guns.

"Peggy, we can try to help you, but we have to leave soon," Quinn said. Rembrandt mumbled something and wandered off a few feet, his head down. I heard a shout from the way we'd come. The others froze for a second.

"Which way is that first church?" Maggie demanded.

"This way," I said, and started out at a run. The others followed.

Twenty minutes or so later, we pounded up the steps to the church. A priest stopped us just inside the doors.

"We just came from St. Agnes. People attacked it- they were-" Peggy's voice died when several police officers came through a side door of the sanctuary. As one, we turned to the doors only to see them open and several men and a woman carrying guns come in. Tears of frustration welled in my eyes. We had to get out of here!

"You will all be escorted to the holding facility at Everett Middle School," one of the policemen said, sneering.

"Why? Wouldn't you rather just shoot us all?" I cried, pushing past Colin and Rembrandt to get in the cop's face. "You did nothing last night while my friends were being slaughtered! Why not just let these vigilante Purist bastards have us, huh?! Or would you rather shoot us yourself? Do you have the balls for it, you fucking pig?!" Rembrandt and Colin were pulling me away from the man, and I fought them, rage at what had happened finally surfacing past all the blinding glow of falling in love with Colin. I realized suddenly that I had no idea how many people had been killed the night before, or who was left alive of the loving community we'd built. The officer stepped forward as I was dragged back.

"You're one of those fucking freaks, aren't you? I can't wait until the government decides to let us wipe you out," he sneered. A red haze began filming my eyes. I went limp in Rembrandt and Colin's hands as the man went on. "The Holocaust in Europe was nothing compared to what we'll do to you—" I wrenched myself away as soon as I the men's hands relaxed and launched myself at the cop. I clung to his chest as I tried to get my fingers into his eyes. I wanted desperately to rip them out and go straight for his brain. As we toppled over together, I could hear an inarticulate scream. It was coming from me. A blazing pain erupted in my head, and everything went black.

"Do you have her?" I heard a female voice whisper. It might have been Peggy or Maggie's. I was beginning to come to, but everything was hazy and indistinct as I tried to open my eyes. The pounding in my head seemed to reverberate through my whole body, and I was certain I was about to vomit. I felt hands grasp my arms and legs, and they lifted me. I tried to speak, but a gasp was all that came out. They were moving me, and my stomach churned. I felt my legs drop down and heard the voice I'd heard before hiss "Watch her head!" just as pain again lanced through my skull and I sank back into unconsciousness.

I slowly woke to more motion. I was being carried by one person, and I sensed it was Colin. My head was resting on his shoulder, and I could feel he was out of breath. I didn't try to open my eyes, afraid I'd vomit all over him if I did.

"Stop…sick," I tried to say. I don't know if that's what came out, but Colin slowed.

"She's regaining consciousness," he said. I realized then that I could hear other footsteps around us.

"In here," I heard Quinn say. We moved some more, then stopped. I slowly opened my eyes. The world spun and lurched.

"Gonna be sick," I gasped. This time I was sure Colin understood me, because he quickly rearranged me so my head was pointing down, away from him. I retched miserably, then retched some more as the pain from my head intensified with my heaving.

"Come on, set her down over here," a female voice said. Colin moved me gently, and soft hands cushioned my head as he laid me down. I knew the hands were Peggy's as a warmth began to spread from them. She poured energy into me and helped me focus my mind away from my pain with quietly spoken key meditative phrases. I breathed deeply for a few moments, then projected thanks to her and opened my eyes.

Colin was right there beside me, and I spared a quick smile for him. Quinn and Rembrandt were watching me also, and Maggie was standing a few feet away, looking around a corner. She had a gun in one hand. We were in an alley next to a dumpster.

"What happened?" I asked.

"No time! They're just down the street," Maggie called. Colin started to scoop me up, but I shook my head.

"I can walk," I said. Peggy and Colin helped me to my feet. I focused my breathing again to try to block the effects of my injury temporarily.

"Ten minutes until we slide- we've got to stay ahead of them," Quinn said. Maggie took off down the street, and we followed her. As my legs wobbled after a few feet of running, Colin swept me up and continued on. I looked around, trying to figure out where we were.

"Go left, up Grove!" I yelled, seeing we were just a few blocks from St. Mary's Medical Center. Maggie cut across the street. I looked over Colin's shoulder as we followed. I saw a police cruiser drive by a block away. I held my breath as it continued without pausing, then choked as it backed up and turned behind us, its flashing lights coming on. In an awful moment of clarity, I saw that the driver was the man I'd attacked.

"Stop! You are under arrest you mind rapers!" A voice boomed from the cop car. Maggie darted into an opening between two buildings. "Stop or I'll shoot!" The voice called. As Colin turned into the opening, memory slapped me hard in the face. This was where Peggy had died in my vision. I shoved away from Colin hard, causing him to let go of me. I turned back to the street, and time seemed to slow.

"Peggy!" I screamed. Maggie whirled from where she stood against one wall, and I projected madly to her my dread and fear. I heard two shots, then Maggie was shooting around the edge of the building, unloading her gun into the police who were shooting at the only target still in the street: Peggy. Quinn reached out around Maggie and pulled Peggy into the shelter between the buildings. She was bleeding from a graze on one arm, but that was all. I got a strange dislocating feeling in my mind for a moment, with everything seeming to twist around Peggy and Maggie, then the world regained normal speed.

Maggie turned back to us. "They're down, but they'll be calling for help, I'm sure," she said. "How much time?"

"Less than a minute," Quinn said.

"Peggy, my vision! You didn't die, it-somehow- the vision was changed!" I cried, dropping down next to my friend. She took my hand.

"I—I think Maggie changed it," she said shakily. I stared at her in amazement. The ramifications tumbled through my head. If people from parallel dimensions could change things in worlds not their own, then I would be able to change things from my visions if I slid with them. My most ardent prayer could be answered if I went with them.

"They aren't from here, Peggy, they…they can change the future I foresee…So if we go with them, we can change things on other worlds! We can stop the awful things from happening! We can—" I babbled, a thousand emotions tearing through me. Peggy was squeezing my hand and shaking her head as she got to her feet.

"It's time," Quinn said. I heard a beep and the whirling vortex opened.

"I can't go with you, Diane. I have to stay and keep Open Minds alive!" Peggy said, raising her voice over the wind. She withdrew her hand from mine.

"We've got to go!" Quinn yelled. I glanced over and saw Rembrandt jump and disappear into the wormhole.

"Peggy the world's gone mad! You have to come with us!" I cried. She shook her head slowly.

"You have to go! You have Colin, and the ability to help all the others on parallel worlds. I'm needed here. You have to go!" Peggy shouted. Quinn jumped into the vortex, and I watched as Maggie locked gazes with Peggy for a long moment, then Maggie was gone, too. I shook my head and took a step toward Peggy. Colin grabbed me, and I looked between them in agony.

"Diane, please," Colin begged, his hands touching my face. I looked into his eyes for a long moment. "I need you. I love you." I felt the anguish he was feeling at the thought that I would choose to stay, and my heart tore with the same feeling. I couldn't be separated from Colin now. He was the other half of me I could no longer live without. Tears filled my eyes as I looked back at Peggy. There was a look of serenity on her face, and our energies reached out to each other for a last communion. She sent waves of love, and I sent remembrance and regret, which she soothed with her calm confidence.

I kept my gaze on her as Colin and I stepped toward the vortex. Her reassurance and overflowing love followed me as I fell into the pull behind me.

Colin's hand in mine, we vanished into the now-changeable future.