For once in there lives, they are on their own. Freshmen and sophomore year goes by in a blink of an eye and, before they know it, it's already there junior year. Tony and Nina are getting more anxious by the day but the girls are oblivious.

Honk! Honk! "You guys..." Elena whines as the rest of her sisters pile into the car. "We are going to be late." She smiles with a roll of her eyes.

"Fashionably late 'lena, fashionably late." Kat shares a knowing smirk with Elena as she tries fixing her hair in the mirror.

"Anyone up for some Starbucks?" Tatia asks, as she already pulls them into the drive through.

"Yes!" The other girls all groan in love for their favorite blend.

Moving out and finishing up their drinks Amara speaks. "You know, I think this is the first year Momma and Daddy haven't driven us to school on our first day."

"Yeah, probably because we woke up an hour earlier than we said we would, even though somebody kept whining that we were going to be late." Kat smirked playfully at Elena to which the other girl retaliated with sticking her tongue out.

Kat pinched her in the sides making Elena laugh. "It's an amazement that they didn't wake up earlier to my beautiful voice."

"Yeah."

"Sure."

"Wonderful." The other girls pretended not to care even though all basically had the same voice but used them in slight variations of tones. Elena mock scoffed at them but they all had a smile on their face.

"They were up pretty late last night." Tatia observed out loud.

Amara crinkled her nose. "We're not going to be older sisters are we?"

Tatia laughed. "No!" Shaking her head, she went on. "I don't know why, but they always stay up late on the phone the day before we go to our first day of school."

Kat laughs. "And then they always whine how we take forever to get ready for school when they only drive us to the first day anyways."

"I can just hear Daddy now..." Elena mocks. "What do you girls all do in the bathroom," The other girls joined in. "at the same time?"

The girls laugh as they pull into the parking lot of the school. Getting out of a different door of the car, they all stood in front of it looking into the school. "Why do you think they always do that?" Amara mused.

Tatia shrugged. "I don't know, protection? But seriously, it's a school." She told them, breaking the linked arm chain they themselves ritualized for their first day of the new year. Walking three steps away from them and crossing the border that ended the parking lot and began the school grounds, Tatia turned to look at them. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Glancing at one another and smiling, the girls followed suit and linked back up with Tatia at the left, Kat next to her, Amara on the other side of Kat, and Elena at the far right. Giggling, the girls walked in with self-assurance and gossip of the new year.

"What's the worst that could happen?"...Famous. Last. Words.

Tatia sits in her history class taking notes as her new teacher, Mr. Kimber, explains the greatest mysteries of the universe.

"Now Roanoke, perhaps one of the biggest mysteries of the world happens to be just a state hop away from us, in little ol' South Carolina, and yet we still don't have a clue as to what happened to one of the first American colonizations. Any theories?"

"Aliens!" Brady, the class clown and wide receiver for the school, joked. Everyone snickered knowing that Brady wouldn't get any flak but it didn't matter. Brady was a well liked guy with everyone in most of the school.

Mr. Kimber chuckled along. "Thank you Mr. Crowlou, but I am a man of history, not of science. Convince me, sway me to believe your beliefs. Marcus?"

Tatia turned her head to see the slouching boy who aptly paid attention in this class only, who was two seats behind her. "They ate one another." He said, high-fiving Brady next to him.

Mr. Kimber smiled, nodding his head. "Yes, that is a theory but we have no remains to suggest otherwise. Charlie?"

"They got up and left?" Charlie smiled, not really sure how to answer her uncle's question. Charlie and Tatia shared a lot of classes together. They didn't really hangout much alone mostly in the group of friends she had but they often talked to one another, partnered up for assignments, and did a lot of extra curricular activities so naturally they were good friends. However, the one thing Charlie had been dreading most was being in her uncle's class, though Tatia would never understand why. Mr. Kimber seemed like a cool guy for a teacher.

"Hmm, I like it but why isn't there anything left for them to leave?" Everyone must have had the same confusing look on their face as Tatia did because Mr. Kimber explained forward. "With every move you make in life, every decision, every choice to go right or left, you leave a little part of you. Now I'm not just talking material things because if I were then we'd surely have clues as where you went. No, I'm talking about the presence you make right now. The parts of you that you implant with others. The parts of you that reassure you, that you're really there." He tells them and everyone in the room is silent hanging on every word their teacher tells them. Tatia hugs herself tight, slightly trembling but not understanding why. Mr. Kimber goes on. "Because those parts you leave? That's history. You are making history, right now." Now leaning back on the front of his desk Mr. Kimber tries to make eye contact with everyone in the room. "So, why does history have no record of what happened to Roanoke?" He asks them as they still hold their breath. "Tatia?"

Glancing up she sees that she did indeed raise her hand. Trying to think of a response Tatia starts. "Maybe it's like what Charlie said?"

Mr. Kimber raises an eyebrow but has an amused look on his face. "We've already disproved Charlie's theory, what makes yours seem any different?" Charlie herself looks wide eyed and confused at Tatia's suggestion but also curious as is the rest of the class.

"Maybe it wasn't that they forgot to forget to leave something behind. Maybe it was that they didn't want to leave anything behind."

Mr. Kimber's amused face grows into a big grin. "I'm listening."

Tatia goes on. "History says that Roanoke only lasted five years and that, had it prevailed on, could have been the most prosperous and innovative colony in history."

"But?" Mr. Kimber stokes beard in liking.

"But, we will never know if they would or not. So what if they didn't want to be?" Tatia tries to explain further. "You say what we're doing right now is history, that right now we are all making history. Perhaps, the people of Roanoke knew that it doesn't matter whether you take the right or the left step. They knew that they didn't want to be part of history so they weren't and made sure to not leave any clues so others would know where'd they go." Everyone was quiet for a while while Mr. Kimber kept stroking his beard with a smile on his face.

Charlie still looked confused. "So wait, the people of Roanoke were just...trolling?"

Ring!

Everyone gathered up their stuff to head out to their next class. Picking up her bag Tatia started to head out with Charlie, and Marcus. Before leaving they passed Mr. Kimber. "Bye Uncle Greg."

"Bye Mr. Kimber." both Tatia and Marcus said.

"Ms. Petrova, mind if I chat with you?" Tatia looked to her friends as they shrugged.

Brady rounding about her before moving towards Charlie and Marcus. "You'll know where we'll be."

Tatia nodded before walking with Mr. Kimber to her next class a little slower. "I'm told by you're previous teachers that you and you're other sister, Kat, are quite the history buffs."

Agreeing, Tatia reproached. "Amara and Elena not so much. Kat favors world history though. Says it speaks to her."

"Which is why I have to ask, are you all related to Nina Petrova, the archaeologist?"

"She's my mother." Tatia smiles with pride.

"Indeed, the resemblance is uncanny." Mr. Kimber nodded. "I went to her speech at the local museum the other day about her soon departure with recent discoveries for Covington, Georgia and was wondering if she knew anything about the matter that she could disclose non-statement based?"

Tatia was starting to feel the ice cold shiver of suspicion run down her spine. "Disclose?"

"Yes, with recent findings I was wondering if she would be in need of a partner?" He smirked.

Her gut sensing some ulterior motive, Tatia decided to put an end to it. "My father, Antony Barthelow, is my mother's only assistant when it comes to excavations." She commanded getting territorial. "Often they are gone for months at a time." That part she had little to no idea about. Truthfully speaking, Tatia thought her mother and father had gotten out of the excavation/dig business and as far as she could tell, they hadn't been on a dig since her and her sisters were born. Tatia just assumed that her mother worked at the museum, now as the curator, even though she was a leading expert, and her father worked from home, for what she has no clue either (though Kat says government agent like she knows at all). "I doubt you could clear that length of indefinite time with Principal Phillips, Mr. Kimber." Waiting right out side her next class, Tatia was glad that Mrs. Trill was one of her teachers last year for sophomore English. The woman allowed each one of her students three free passes to be late without notes.

Ring!

Glaring at her now not favorite teachers Tatia spoke. "You're late for your next class, Mr. Kimber." She told him, turning around and walking into junior English. Unaware of the smug look on Mr. Kimber's mug.

This class she shared with Kat. Glancing up from their friends in that class Kat saw the sour look on Tatia's face as she came forward. Sending one of her own, as if to ask what went down without her, Tatia gave her another face saying that they'd talk about it later.

Amara carefully looked at Elena's notes from Science while she sat at the large window. When it comes to Biology Elena is your girl but Chemistry? She's so confused.

The girls have a system though. It's weird and kind of silly but they keep this giant binder notebook that they pass throughout the school day where whenever they are confused on a subject they just get a twin that's pretty knowledgeable in that area to write it down in more explainable terms. If there are handouts the girls just put question marks to the things they don't know and and one of them will write down the step by step process on how to get the answer in the the binder. They also use it to talk to one another about the latest thing floating around school. Funny thing is, they all have the same handwriting, so it looks like someones answering themselves. Still it helps, their little school diary.

Amara was so immersed with answering Elena's question that the flash startled her.

Pwew!

Jumping slightly the boy behind the camera looked worried himself as she giggled putting a hand next her racing heart. "You scared me."

Glancing down at his camera the boy seemed to feel remorse for what he had done. "Sorry," He shook his head. "Older camera's get the best pictures." The boy tried to explain himself. Staring back up at her he walked towards her area by the window. Turning his head to see that the area was completely empty save for the people on the other side of the window enjoying the outdoors he went further. "I probably should have asked permission to take your picture before I took."

Amara smiled in mock amusement nodding along. "Yeah you probably should have."

"Well, I'm not a creeper," He told her pulling at a badge that stuck to the side of his shirt. "Photography for the student newspaper."

Taking the unclipped badge in her hands she examined it. "Hmm," Amara hummed going along. "Very official."

"Yep," The dark eyed boy said rubbing his knuckle against his shoulder. "I'm legit."

Amara only smiled and without warning he took another picture. The Petrova with the shocked mischievous face playfully pushing his shoulder at his antics.

The boy smirked shrugging. "There I go again! I don't know what's wrong with me." He feigned ignorance, before bringing his smirk back to her. "You are in my spot, though."

"Your spot?" Amara guffawed in disbelief.

"Well yeah." He motioned over to where she was sitting.

Leaning in to whisper tauntingly. "I'm pretty sure I've never seen you here before, let alone this school before."

"You don't need to know that this is my spot, to know that this the best place for lighting when taking pictures." He said using his eyes to indicate the background of people gathering around in the school courtyard on the other side of the window.

Amara rolled her laughing eyes. "Well I'm sorry I became such a disruption to your ability to take pictures."

"Thank you," He played along. "I appreciate your apology and I will take that into account on whether to accept it or not."

"Well, when my picture is in the newspaper, it's Amara with one m not two." She retorted back with a smirk.

Putting his hand over his heart with a aghast expression as if he'd been shot he questioned her. "Black mail?"

Amara inclined with a smile. "My sisters will never let me live it down if I don't take the opportunity to be in the paper, so yeah you better believe it."

"That's okay," He answered back quirkily. "I was going to put you on the front page anyway, with it labeled "The Light Bandit" in big bold letters." He motioned with his hands on an invisible newspaper. "Ya know, maybe even offer a reward."

"Oh yes," she grinned with him. "that'll convince them."

Ring!

Watching as the hallway suddenly flooded itself with people getting ready for lunch, Amara got up. "Well, that's my study hall."

Getting up himself, the boy grabbed his camera. "Hey," He looked to the ground but sheepishly stared at her from over his eyelids. "If you don't want me to use the picture, go to room C13 before Thursday. I'll probably be there. If I'm not and it's locked, go across the hallway to the room ask for Drix, kay?" Amara nodded in understanding. Straightening up and smirking at her he held out his hand for her to shake. "No hard feelings, right?"

Amara took with conviction. "Right."

Ending their handshake they started to go in the opposite direction. Turning around and walking backwards Drix yelled. "Hey is Petrova spelled with one t or two?"

Amara turned around and laughed. "You're funny Drix." She meant to say it with sarcasm, like Kat, but couldn't find enough in her to build it for the guy. Turning back around, she walked to the cafeteria.

"Yeah," Drix said to himself. "I am."

It didn't even dawn on Amara that she never gave Drix her last name.

Kat ran the laps in deep thought. After what Tatia had told them at the lunch table Kat had been thinking. While Elena and Amara were trying to throw out suggestions on what Mr. Kimber's angle was with Momma, Kat started thinking about Daddy. It had never occurred to them to ask what their father's job really was and even though Kat joked all the time that he was working for the CIA or FBI or something it had always been that: just a joke. Now, well, she wasn't too sure. That's what made her uneasy. Ekaterina Petrova was not someone who easily bristled. She loved to be prepared and in control of any situation. Maybe that's why she enjoys the laps she does in gym class. Running from something is controllable. It gives her time to think, time to plan, put together the next play. If that is so then, what is she running from?

Hearing the coach blow the whistle Kat saw the others start to head in. Jogging across the field Kat was suddenly hit with a vision. It's of Elena being beaten up and by the looks of it, by her. "Katherine!" Elena gasps. Kat's clutching her head falling to her knees trying to regain her sight she squints seeing a tall man in a suit through the chain link fence staring at her with disappointment but she blinks and he disappears. She thought that she was done with these visions that crawl into her nightmares but now they are coming back out to the surface. Kat tries to compose herself but falls to the ground in a heap.

Elena runs to the nurses office doorway only to find Tatia leaning against the wall and Amara sitting in a chair next to the cot Kat is on, watching her as she sits and drinks some water.

Elena tries to catch her breath. "What happened!?"

"I was running, got all icky and gross from sweat and dehydration and fainted." Kat told her as if she'd said this before.

"I've told her that I would gladly phone your parents," The nurse walks back to tell the other girls as Kat rolls her eyes in disinterest. "But she refuses and insists on a note."

Kat puts on an annoyed smile, "I've already told you Carlotta, I just fainted, I didn't kill myself." This time Elena crossed her arms rolled her eyes and sighed at Kat's constant need to prove she was better and indestructible. She didn't even realize how close her last statement really was to Elena if her sister kept pushing herself. "Just bring me a note and send me back to class. There's only a couple class periods left, so there is literally no point on asking my parents to come and pick me up from a simple thing as forgetting my water bottle. Besides," Kat shrugged putting on her bravado. "I looked good today and will not go home on the first day back to school before everyone has seen my outfit."

Elena let out a disgruntled noise, wondering how her sister could be so difficult at times.

Tatia turned to the nurse. "Could you give us a minuet?"

Once the nurse left the girls looked at Kat with intensity that could only make her annoyed. "You know, I have to agree with Daddy on this one, when we do this to him, it's really creepy."

Tatia held concern. "What happened out there Kat? And don't give us the 'I was dehydrated' speech, you run faster and better than an Olympic gold medalist."

"I had a panic attack." She shrugged as if admitting it. Though Elena could tell that wasn't the whole truth and she could sense that Amara and Tatia knew it too.

"About what?" Elena asked with a gut wrenching suspicion that this has something to do with her episodes from when they were kids.

Standing up frustrated Kat walked over to the other side of the cot to pick up her sports bag she used for gym. "Who I should take to homecoming, I don't know!" Kat took a deep breath. "Look, I'm probably just stressed over thinking about what Mr. Kiss-ass wants with Momma. Can we just drop it and get on with our lives?"

The other girls sent each other a knowing look before Tatia spoke. "Fine but you have to at least tell Momma and Daddy you fainted when we get home."

Kat sighed. "Deal, now can we go before Carlotta gives me the evil eye?"

Seeing an opportunity, Elena speaks up. "I'll walk you to your locker."

Kat fakes sadness. "Ooo I was actually going to skip this period and take a shower real quick before heading to the next, so I volunteer Tatia as tribute," When Tatia sends Kat a bewildered look Kat sighs. "You have the curly hair shampoo and conditioner." Duh, Elena thinks but doesn't bother to say out loud when Kat's clearly deviating.

Walking out with Tatia and Kat going one way and Amara and Elena going the other Elena lets out a frustrated sigh. "She's hiding something."

Amara nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah. But... we agreed not to talk about it, so..."

The walked along in a 15 second silence before Elena broke it. "The least she could do is tell us if it was about one of us."

Amara breathed deep. "Elena you know if Kat was having those weird nightmares she'd do her best to keep the rest of us out of it."

Elena stared at her shoes as her and Amara leaned against Elena's locker. "I know, I know, she's only doing what she thinks is best but...should we really let her just carry that burden?"

"I don't think anyone deserves that burden," Amara shrugged trying to imagine violent images popping out at you when you least expect it. "I mean that's like having a million people locked inside you screaming and you not being able to do a thing about it. It's hell, sure, but if Kat doesn't want to share it with us then that's her own personal hell to keep."

"We're sisters though." Elena said like that was the answer to everything.

Amara stared ahead thinking deeply. "I guess then it's time for us to be dragged through hell."

It was 1:00 at the Barthelow-Petrova house hold. The girls would be getting ready to leave school in nearly an hour and a half. Nina was frantically packing.

"Counter chants?" Tony asks as he throws some close from their dresser over to her and she catches them stuffing them in the suitcase.

"Already memorized." Nina tells him grabbing various salts and herbs that they have stored under a door hidden by the bed.

"I'm leaving you with the cantor grinds. I hope you don't have to use it-" she says standing up to find him holding her by the shoulders inches away from her lips gazing into her eyes.

"-But you can never be too careful." He finishes for her before going in for the short but passionate kiss.

Pulling back Nina stares back at him. "I wish we had more time."

"Hey," Tony grabbed her chin not breaking their locked eyes. "Everything will work out, my plans are fool proof."

Nina's eyes went wide. "The last time you said that, you we were about to propose to me."

"It was a beautiful ceremony." Tony countered knowing what was coming.

Nina gasped. "We had to fight off hunters in Wisconsin and take refuge with natives and a shaman in North Dakota!"

"Okay, so maybe not fool proof." Nina whined in worry. "But, I will do everything I can to keep our daughters safe." Now holding her head in his hands Tony watched as a loving smile formed on her beautiful face. "I promise." Kissing her one last time Tony let her go as she grabbed her bags and loaded them into the car.

Tony knew what was coming. He knew what had to be done. He knew that he too was going to have to leave soon. That was the day he feared because then the girls would be truly alone. Defenseless, easy targets.

AN:/ So chapter two and I'm already hyped but are you? Review, review! New characters are being introduced but the old ones are just as important and will make there win soon. (haha I've already slipped a familiar one in there. First person to guess who gets a mention some way in the story ; ) What's going on with Tony and Nina? Shady stuff I'd say... hmmm... Anyway tell me what you think please! And questions are welcome too!