Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer

This chapter is dedicated to Noble, Fadewind, M-Bianca94, BellaNessieCullen, Alphabloodwolf, lsb123, Alexsandra, Jaboo101, Patricia, Lauren and teamcullen93x


The track was just about wide enough for the car and it was full of potholes and boulders, not to mention icy puddles. I wasn't sure the suspension would take it, but Billie needed us and this would conserve our energy until we got to wherever we were going for there was surely a fight on our hands so running was out of the question.

The track went on for about fifteen miles into the wilderness until at last we came to a clearing that held nothing but a shack. I could feel Billie now with as much certainty as if it was Tony in that dilapidated shed. Mal killed the engine and rolled the car to a stop at the edge of the clearing, a good hundred feet from the building.

We opened our doors simultaneously, trying to be as quiet as possible and without making a sound we ghosted up to the shack. We paused by the door and Mal crouched down, placing his hand to the ground and he closed his eyes to concentrate, just as another car pulled into the clearing. I turned in horror, but felt relief flood through me, as I felt Tony's presence and Grace was with him.

Liza? You felt it too? He asked as he turned off his engine.

Yes brother. I replied. Is Billie in here?

Yeah. Mal replied, Tony supplying me with his mind voice. There's two vamps in the cabin.

There's only our minds for miles around. Tony said.

Wait in your truck. Mal stated. Me and Liza go in first. I'll whammy them with my power while Liza unties Billie. Once she gets Billie out then Tony and Grace, you come in and help me tear those bastards apart. Everyone know what they're doing?

Everyone agreed.

Ok Liza, after three. Mal said as he rose to his feet. One, two… The door of the shack blew in under the force of Mal's power. Three.

We rushed into the shack and Mal worked quickly in forcing the two vampires, a man and a woman, up against the back wall. He stood close to them, his hands out in front of him, concentrating hard on keeping them in place. They were livid, trying to fight against the invisible force holding them captive, but Mal was too strong for them.

I turned my attention to Billie who was strapped to a metal table in the centre of the shack, surrounded by horrific instruments that I did not want to imagine my worst enemy having to endure, never mind my baby sister.

"Liza." Mal growled, and there were beads of sweat starting to form on his head.

I moved to Billie, and undid the restraints on her feet, they were the standard leather straps and buckles one might find in a hospital.

"Liza?" Billie whispered. "Liza? They'll hurt you too."

"We're here to rescue you Billie bach." I whispered and stroked her hair back from her sweat-drenched forehead for a moment before I moved on to the restraints at her wrists.

This proved more difficult. They had gaffer taped oven mitts over the restraints. I picked up a knife and worked my fingers beneath the tape and cut into it. I would cut myself before Billie. I managed to find enough give to remove the mitt from her right hand. When I was working on her left hand Mal gave a grunt and I looked up in worry that he was losing control, but he still had a steady stream of power going. However that lapse in concentration caused me to put the knife straight through my finger. I ignored the pain and blood, managing to remove the mitt and restraint. I checked Billie for the bloodline, but there wasn't one, although there were vials laid out carefully on metal tray along with a blood pack.

I picked Billie up in my arms, although she was almost as tall as me now and a little awkward to manoeuvre. I rushed her outside.

"You'd better get in there now." I called to Tony and Grace, but as they ran toward me I deposited Billie into Grace's arms and darted back into the shack.

I raced past Mal and leapt at the nearest vampire, it was the male, and I brought my hand up under his chin. Had been human I would have broken his jaw. As it was I sent his head crashing through the old wood of the cabin. Before he had time to recover I leapt up onto his chest, wrapping my legs about his arms, and I reached through the hole and took hold of his head, I began to push at his chin, but I didn't have enough leverage to ensure decapitation and if I moved to gain it his arms would be free to crush me.

There was a gold streak beside me, and Tony was tearing into the woman and now Mal was behind me and he pulled the vampire out of the hole, as I kept up my restraint about his arms.

"Hold on to his shoulders." Mal said and I did so as he put his hands under the vampire's chin.

He braced his foot against the vampire's shoulder and then heaved. The vampire's head came away but his body bucked beneath me. I leapt before I was thrown off and then I began tearing into the vampire until he was so many alabaster pieces and Tony and Mal were watching me in a careful way as if I'd gone insane.

"He hurt my sister." I growled. "That is unacceptable. Burn this place, but collect the equipment."

Why? Tony asked still in his wolf form.

"Evidence." I said, unable to meet the eyes of either my brother or my fiancé. "I must go see to Billie."

I went outside where Grace was having trouble restraining Billie, who was trying to run off into the night.

"Grace leave Billie be and go help the boys." I stated in a surprisingly calm voice, although I did not feel calm in the slightest.

Grace looked at me in question.

"Do it." I snapped and Grace immediately obeyed.

Billie shot toward the trees.

"Help the boys, make sure you get the evidence." I stated, and then bounded after Billie.

She was almost at the tree line when I leapt at her and tackled her to the ground. She tried to fight me but I managed to get my arms around her. Then I managed to sit up and I cradled her in my lap and I rocked her as she struggled and then finally began to sob.

"You're safe now sister." I assured her as I continued to hold her to me. "They are dead and you are safe."

Billie was crying silently now, her tears soaking through my sweater and the t-shirt beneath. She was shivering too, all she was wearing was a thin t-shirt and jeans and although she was dhampir and had some immunity to the cold, the temperature was around twenty-three and falling fast. Not to mention the loss of blood she had endure and she was in shock.

I managed to shrug off my jacket and I wrapped it about her. She moved and put her arms through the holes. It fit her perfectly and she snuggled back into me, her head buried into my shoulder.

"How did this happen?" I asked, trying not to sound accusing.

"I just wanted friends." She said mournfully.

"But you have Devon and Maurice." I commented.

"They're fun and all, but they're like baby's to me now." Billie whispered.

"Devon is eight, I'd hardly call him a baby." I stated.

"He's a lot younger than me. I just wanted… I wanted teenage friends." She said sadly.

"Those vampires did not look like teenagers." I said darkly. "And any vampire who was twelve when changed would be close to being unstable."

"They didn't look that way in the profile." Billie said miserably. "They looked like I do. They were supposed to be dhampir and we were going to go to the movies together."

"And Mother allowed you to go with them?" I asked, although my tone was clear that I did not believe this.

"Mom doesn't know." Billie said flatly and I remembered that from her flash of panic. "I snuck out."

"And Mother let you?" I asked, there was no possible way to sneak out of the house without Mother knowing.

"Mom and Dad are out." She replied.

"You did not sneak out on Prue." I said, knowing that was another impossibility, Prue guarded Billie like a tigress and would not stand for such trouble welcoming nonsense from her.

"Prue's on vacation." Billie stated.

"Then who was watching you?" I asked, for other that Tony or myself I could think of no one else with whom Mother would leave Billie.

"Annie-Mae." Billie answered.

"Portia's Annie-Mae?" I asked in surprise for I thought she was still on the Res.

Billie nodded.

Then we both sat up with a start at the sound of the fire taking hold.

"That place is like a tinder box." Mal said, suddenly in front of us and Billie jumped in my arms. "We should get out of here."

I nodded and I stood and raised Billie in my arms again and walked to the car. I didn't want to leave her alone for a second. Thankfully Mal opened the back door for me and he took Billie long enough for me to climb in, and I scooted over to the other side and waited to receive Billie. Mal placed her in my arms and a second later he handed the emergency blanket from the trunk. I wrapped it around Billie and me to ensure her warmth and she settled against me. She was crying again, in little sighing gulps and I held her close to me as Mal began driving once more.

There was silence now, nothing but the sound of the engine and Billie's little sobs. Mal had turned off the radio as he concentrating on driving down the one-track road with all its bumps and ice puddles. Tony was behind us in case the vampires had friends who started tracking us. Thankfully the cabin was so out of the way that it was unlikely to attract the attention of the fire brigade and the air was so cold that it would likely burn itself out. Besides the surrounding landscape was still covered in a layer of snow, only the cabin had been dry enough to burn.

We were out on the highway, about half an hour from home for Mal was keeping within the limit. It would not do us well to be pulled over for speeding at this juncture. Billie had been quiet for ten minuets, curling her fingers in my hair. It was something that brought her comfort.

"They cut me." She whispered eventually and I went to soothe her into silence, but stopped myself, Billie had to speak of what happened and if she did it voluntarily all the better. "They cut me over and over with a scalpel. They said they had to test my pedigree. They timed how quick I healed, I don't know why, maybe to see how very much dhampir I was. Danica, if that's even her name, I don't think it was they just kept calling each other 'Doctor' keeping their real names from me. I'll just call her Danica, since that's what she was using online. Anyway, she got close to me at one point and I managed to grab her wrist. I managed to drain her. I drained her good Liza and if it had just been her I would have got out of there before…before they started collecting samples. But Derwood stopped me, and he taped the oven mitts over my hands. I think they'd been waiting for it. Waiting to see what my power was, otherwise why would they have the gloves ready?" Billie was starting to get agitated.

"Did you tell them in the correspondence you exchanged?" I suggested.

"I…I guess. I can't remember everything I said to them. You know what it's like when you're chatting to friends. And I really thought they were like me. Dhampir of the same age. They preyed on my loneliness. They knew exactly how to target me. They must have done this to others!" She gasped in horror.

"Then we must find out." I stated. "Their families deserve to know if they are dead."

"They weren't going to kill me." Billie stated. "It was much worse. They were going to sell me to the highest bidder. That's what the samples were for. Taste samples so the buyers could taste the wine before buying the vine."

"Oh god! They are drinking dhampir blood now?" I said in disgust.

"Why not?" Billie asked. "It's all blood, we just got a little extra kick. Obviously I didn't find out too much, I couldn't get them to say more than they were willing. Just enough to scare me. And they did scare me Liza. I thought I was surely going to be lost forever and no one would find me."

"You thought you were going to die." I stated. "I felt it. Tony felt it too. That's how we knew where to find you."

"I did think that. When they stuck the lead in my arm I thought they'd drain me dry and I cried thinking how sad Mom would feel. Danica told me to hush up, I wasn't gonna die, she was just taking a sample. That's where she said about the samples." Billie sobbed. "I got out to the old Cranston place, and I realised there was something weird when all I could smell was vampires. One of them hit me, but I wasn't all the way out when they stuffed me in the trunk. We were travelling and then they were dragging me out and I was hit on the head again. Again I didn't blank out but it was enough that I didn't fight when they tied me down. Then they waited for me to come around properly before they started…" Billie trailed off. "They beat me Liza, and they cut me."

"They're dead now." I assured her. "They can't hurt you."

Billie nodded and then I thought of something I wasn't sure how to word. I had to try.

"They beat you, cut you and drained your blood." I stated. "There was nothing else?"

"Other than taping up my hands so I couldn't use my power?" Billie asked, not gleaning the direction of my question.

"Well yes. The man he didn't…" I began, but found it hard to frame the question in case the thought hadn't occurred to Billie and now it would add to her terror.

"No. He didn't rape me." Billie said levelly. "I think he may have had an interest, but Danica warned him about damaging the goods. Like a pimp in a Victorian brothel, they can get more money for a virgin."

"Billie, you are but four. You should not know of such things." I chastised.

"I bet you did at my age." She countered.

I went to argue but let the breath go.

"You are right." I admitted. "I did know of such things at your age, but I would not have been able to speak of them in such a level headed and mature manner."

"But you didn't have a cool big sister you could tell anything to." She said, as she tightened her arms about me.

"You didn't tell me about these friends of yours." I pointed out.

"I… I should have." Billie said sadly. "I should have told you, but I thought you'd disapprove."

"And that should have been a good indication that what you were doing was wrong." I stated.

"Yeah. But I thought I was being so cool and grown up. And really, I just wanted to speak to kids my own age." She said sadly.

"You went about it the wrong way. If you do wish to interact with children your own age, as you put it, why do you not go to school in September."

"But that's such a long way off." Billie said with a sigh.

"It is but a few months and by then your increased aging will not be so noticeable. You can blend in with the rest of the freshmen and grow as they do." I stated.

"Like you and Tony did?"

"Yes."

"I guess I got a few months to give it some thought." Billie mused, and then she stiffened as our surroundings became familiar. "I am so grounded." She said. "Do we have to tell Mom and Dad?"

"I think Mother is already well aware of this situation. Besides, you know Father's view of the truth. Better to face the music of your own accord than to be caught in a lie." I observed. "It is such a great sadness to have him look upon you with that quiet disappointment. It is much better to face his wrath now than his quiet later. Believe me."

"They'll make me sit on the naughty step." She grumbled.

"They haven't done that since you were one." I stated. "Most likely Father will give you a lecture of the follies of going to rendezvous with people you meet on line without telling others of your intentions and going without back up."

"Then I'll have to face it." Billie said sadly as we pulled up outside Tregarran and the door was almost ripped off by Mother before she dragged Billie from the car.

"You're safe, you're safe." She gasped over and over as she hugged Billie to her, falling to the floor. "Oh god you're safe."

"Mother, we should go inside." I said softly, placing my hand on her shoulder. "There is much we must discuss."

"What did you do?" Mother demanded.

"Saved Billie before she was sold into slavery." I stated. "We should go inside and discuss this."

"What?" Mother gasped and then she was reading it all from my mind.

She looked down at Billie who was doing her best to look small and inconspicuous.

"I'm not mad with you Baby." Mother said, tapping Billie's back. "At least not tonight while I'm all kinds of relieved you're ok."

I could almost hear Billie's thoughts that she'd be in trouble in the morning.

"Thank you Lamb, you responded…" Mother broke down at that point.

"Ess we really should get inside." Mal said, coming up beside me and helping Mother to her feet.

Mother began to carry Billie up the steps.

"I'll go with Mother, you park the car." I said to Mal and kissed his cheek.

Mal nodded and I followed Mother up the steps.

"Where is Father?" I asked as we stepped into the sudden warmth of the entrance hall.

"Following Billie's scent…" Mother replied before she trailed off and gasped. "Oh god, you have to phone him Lamb, get him back here!"

"No need. Tony is running out to the old Cranston place. That is where the trail runs cold." I stated as sensed Tony running out that way.

"But what if…" Mother began.

"You know Father would come back here to regroup if the trail ran cold." I assured her. "Tony will intercept him."

"When he's thinking rationally. But when his kids are in danger…" Mother shook her head as we continued through the house.

"I will phone him." I stated and pulled my cell from my pocket.

I hit the speed dial for Father's number and put the phone to my ear.

"Liza, what's wrong?" Father answered and it was testament to his worry that he answered in Etruscan.

"Nothing Father. I wished to inform you that Billie is returned here to Tregarran. Mother was worried you would attempt to follow a cold lead alone." I informed him.

"I…" Father began and then trailed off, a clear sign of his guilt.

"You were." I realised. "Tony is running out to the Cranston farm to inform you that Billie is returned."

"I'll head back there." Father promised and hung up.

"You were right about Father going on a one-man mission." I stated.

"Great." Mother said as we made it to the recreation room and she slumped down onto the sofa with Billie still in her arms. "I tried to keep my mind on him but he closed down earlier."

"He wanted to do this alone. To face the vampires." I theorised.

"God damn my idiotic Fang Boy!" Mother growled. "We do things together or not at all. He knows that."

"Perhaps…" I trailed off and looked into Mother's chocolate brown eyes. Perhaps he wished to save you the horror of finding Billie dead.

Mother looked at me in terror.

Would you have handled that? I asked tentatively.

But I would have seen it in his head later. Mother protested.

Never the less. I stated.

Never the less. Mother repeated and sighed. "Oh god Billie, what were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking Mommy, I'm sorry." Billie replied.

"Oh god." Mother murmured. "Don't ever do anything like that again Baby. I couldn't stand losing you, I can't lose any of my kids."

"I'm sorry Mommy." Billie cried. "I'm really, really very sorry. I just wanted friends. They said they were my friends, but they weren't."

"I know Baby, I know." Mother soothed. "Just don't ever do that again. If someone's not willing to come to the house to meet you, or tell you to go anywhere alone, don't."

"Never again." Billie promised.

"Are you ok?" Mother asked. "Anything that needs bandaging?"

"I'm already healed." Billie assured her.

"Good." Mother replied and kissed her head. "Liza, could you take Billie up to her room and run her a bath."

"Yes Mother." I said and I pulled Billie to her feet and put my arm around her back to support her as I led her to the stairs in the library. We climbed the stairs and Billie was silent until we reached the door of her room, it was on the corner of the corridors, next door to the room that was mine.

"Mom's going to try to stall Dad isn't she." Billie said in resignation.

"She will speak with him. Remind him that you are safe now and have been through enough for tonight." I stated. "Come and bathe, you should rest tonight and deal with Father in the morning."

I led Billie into her bathroom and she sat on the closed toilet seat while I ran the bath.

"Have you got any of that bubble bath?" Billie asked. "The purple one with the sparkles?"

"There may be an unopened bottle in my room." I stated. "Hold on a moment."

I ghosted to my room and found a bottle in the cupboard beneath the sink. I returned to Billie's room and was almost expecting her to have locked the door. That this was her attempt to achieve privacy. She was still perched upon the toilet seat gazing at nothing. The horrors of the night were replaying in her head.

"Found it." I said with brittle brightness.

Billie looked up at me and managed a smile.

"I'll allow you an extra helping." I said with a wink as I tipped the liquid into the flow of the hot water.

"Thank you Sister." Billie said softly.

I watched her for a moment, and then something occurred to me.

"You're trying to get me onside by recreating this sharing from our past." I stated.

"Nothing gets past you." Billie said with a little laugh.

"Oh Billie, I am on your side." I stated, crouching in front of her and placing my hands on her upper arms. "There's no need for such ploys with me. I have been in this situation with Mother and Father before. Where my foolish actions led to my life being put in danger. And although I may not have been sold into slavery, Alec had every intention of making me his slave. Not only that, I endangered Mal as well. That was the worst thing, that my idiocy nearly killed Mal before I had chance to admit that I love him. Even to myself."

"But you didn't hand yourself over to Alec willingly." Billie protested. "He kidnapped you."

"You were kidnapped too." I reminded her.

"If I hadn't gone out to meet them they wouldn't have been able to." Billie growled, annoyed with her own folly.

"Billie, it was a mistake, one you will not repeat I am sure." I said and reached out to stroke back her unruly bronze hair behind her ear.

"Oh my god! Is that an engagement ring?" Billie gasped, taking my hand.

"Yes." I said.

"When did he ask?" She asked excitedly.

"Last night." I replied.

"Oh god!" Billie said in horror as she let my hand go. "That's why you were coming home this weekend. To bring this joyous news and now I've gone and ruined it all."

"You haven't ruined anything my sister." I said and hugged her tightly. "Now bathe and I will come back in a while."

Billie nodded.

"I will close the door but do not lock it." I stated.

"I won't." Billie promised.

"See you in a while." I said and kissed her forehead.

"You're going to see what's going on aren't you." She said.

"I do not like to be left in the dark." I stated and tapped her shoulder as I stepped back.

Billie nodded.

"But please come back." Billie said in a small voice.

"Of course I will." I said with a smile. "Now into the bath. I will lay clean nightclothes out for you."

Billie nodded and I left her to bathe. Like I was at her age she was beginning to feel a little shy about her body. It was the confusion of being the age of a toddler but having the developing body of a pre-teen. It was hard at times when you were in that growing body and looking like a twelve year old, when you wished to run about like a four year old.

I went into Billie's drawer and took out a pair of her pyjamas and placed them on her bed. I called to her that I was leaving and went down stairs.

"Your parents will hear of this." Father was saying as I entered the library and everyone had relocated here and were sat facing Annie-Mae where she stood with her head bowed. Father was pacing in the space in between. "We employed you to watch Billie. We offered you the hospitality of our kitchen and the use of the visual equipment in the playroom for entertainment. We did everything in our power to make your task easier, and you repay us by bringing a stranger into our home and absconding to the room furthest possible from Billie's to make out. I understand you are young and you have hormones that guide you into irrational activities, but I expected better from the daughter of Portia Clearwater."

"Tobias, sit down." Mother said, standing and guiding Father to his favourite armchair before crouching in front of him so she could look in his eyes. "We should have known better than to get a teenage babysitter to watch Billie. Annie-Mae was only doing what teenage babysitters have done down the centuries. They just never had to deal with looking after a half vamp before."

"Perhaps if she had not assured us she could handle the job I would be more understanding." Father said in a low cold voice. "Perhaps if she had checked on Billie from time to time, as one would expect for a normal human child, but no Annie-Mae was so engrossed in that moronic ape that she had no idea Billie was missing until we returned. It is only a blessing that our elder children were in the right place at the right time to save their sister or Billie would be on her way to the slave pits right now."

Annie-Mae was crying silently into her hands. With Mother and Tony both present I had enough of an impression to realise she wasn't crying for herself but what had very nearly happened to Billie. I tapped her back as I passed her then went to kneel by Father's chair.

"Billie would have found a way out regardless of how vigilant Annie-Mae might have been." I stated as I placed my hands about his right one that was resting heavily against the arm of the chair. "She was determined to meet these friends. She thought they were dhampir like her."

"If there were other dhampir in the area we would do everything in our power to ensure she knew them." Father stated turning his gaze to me now I was playing advocate.

"Yes." I agreed. "But you are not dhampir you can't understand the frustration of having nobody to turn to. And you have never been a twelve-year-old girl to know the confusion of that time, that want to have friends and feel accepted. To be part of something. I know that frustration well, I felt exactly the same when I was Billie's age, and even though I had Tony for company I still craved friendship outside of the home with people my own age."

"If that is how she feels then she should have confided in us." Father said warily and I tapped his hand.

"Tobias, she's nearly a teenager, she's not going to confide all her feelings to us. I never did with Jake and Nessie, especially Jake. There's just some stuff girls don't talk to their fathers about." Mother stated as she placed a hand to his cheek and stroked it gently. "And what would we have done if she'd come to us and said she wanted friends? We would have said she got friends, she has Devon and Maurice."

"Yes." Father admitted with a sigh.

"Billie is home safe now." I stated. "Annie-Mae is so traumatised I doubt she will ever look after children again. Whatever form of punishment you could devise would be nothing in comparison. We are focussing on the wrong thing here don't you think?" I asked as I stood and began pacing myself. "These vampires targeted Billie on line. They lured her away and then took her by force. They had equipment ready, this could not be a one off."

"Definitely not." Mal stated, taking my hand when I was close to him and I settled to stand beside him. "They were much too professional. They would have got away with it if you hadn't sensed Billie's distress."

"We should have kept one of them alive." I realised.

"We couldn't." Tony stated. "We wouldn't be able to restrain them or even get them back here. We did the best we could in that situation. But we did grab all that equipment like you told us to. Maybe the guard can do something with it."

"We'll have to phone Jane." Mother observed settling into the chair nearest Father. "And probably warn everyone who's got kids about this."

"We should contact Jane first." Father stated. "This needs proper investigation."

"What's there to investigate? We got them." Tony protested.

"Do you really think there's just them?" Grace asked. "I mean, they were making taster samples and there was a lot of the vials. That's a lot of vampires taking the taste test. They were gonna take her to the auctions. I can't believe it's started up again. When it looks like it's been stamped out it springs up somewhere else."

"I can't believe they're drinking dhampir blood now." Mother said darkly. "I mean I've heard rumours, but…"

"But you didn't want to believe it." Mal said sadly and he placed his arms about my waist and pulled me closer to him.

"You don't seem so surprised." I stated raising his chin so I could see his eyes.

"No." Mal said, mournfully. "A vamp did threaten me with it once, but I escaped and well I didn't really believe he would have done it. I thought the venom in our blood would make us poisonous or something."

"Obviously not." Father said.

"Oh my!" I gasped. "They were timing how quickly Billie healed. What would be the advantage of knowing that if their intention was to sell her as food?"

"Oh god!" Grace gasped. "Remember when we were doing those experiments with Carlisle?" She directed to Tony. "The dhampir blood reacted differently to venom than human blood did. What if dhampir are immune to it somehow?"

"Then a half vamp would be an endless source of blood. They won't die from a single feeding. They would be like an emergency stash for the vamp as well as a slave." Tony theorised.

"As if there wasn't reason enough to fear the slavers before." I muttered as I sank down onto Mal's knee. "This could spell disaster."

"We really need to tell Jane." Mother said.

"I will phone her immediately." Father stated and he left the library, heading for his study.

"I'll go check on Billie." Mother said. "I'll stay with her tonight."

I nodded; I knew that was Mother relieving me of my duty.

"And nice ring by the way." She said and took me left hand and pulled me back to my feet. "When's the wedding?"

"Well I had hoped to make a more formal announcement." I said with a sigh as Mother studied the ring. "February. We will wed in February."

"That's my girl." Mother said, hugging me. "You carry on that Cullen family tradition of organising weddings in a few weeks. We don't do long engagements."

I laughed as I hugged Mother in return. She gave me a final squeeze before pulling away.

"And Mal, no calling me Mom, that would be weird." She added as she ruffled Mal's hair as if he were ten years old. "Well, we'll do something tomorrow night, I think we could use a party to lift our spirits. And I'm gonna see to Billie now. And you lot might as well hit the hay, Tobias is gonna be a while on the phone."

Mother then went upstairs.

"We're gonna head back over to the Stables." Tony said. "We're not needed here tonight and well we were making the most of Prue being away."

"Not something I wished to know Brother." I replied icily.

"Come on Sis, we're all grown ups here." Tony said with a grin.

"Yes. But you are still my brother and I would rather not think of your bedroom exploits." I stated. "Unless you wish me to repay you in kind."

"Ok. Shield your mind, that is really not cool." Tony said, rising to his feet and holding his hands up in surrender. "Come on Grace, let's go before Liza scars me for life."

Grace laughed as she stood, but she didn't make any moves to leave. Instead she stepped up to me and hugged me.

"Congratulations on your engagement." She said. "It's been a long time coming."

"We have known each other four years, I think this a good length of time to decide to take the next step. We don't all have the luxury of being imprints." I joked.

"Yeah. But you've always known you were going to be together." Grace stated. "I mean once you were willing to admit it."

"I know. But we wished to merely court for a while, and now we will marry. As it should be." I stated.

"Yeah." Grace said, tapping my back and then stepping away. "Well I guess we'll see you tomorrow. Night."

We all exchanged goodnights and then Grace and Tony left.

"Are you ok?" Mal asked as he stood and wrapped his arms around me.

I leant my head against his chest and breathed in his reassuring scent.

"Yes." I replied. "Well, as ok as could be expected given the circumstances."

"You went mental on that guy." Mal said with a note of amusement in his voice. "I've never seen you just let go like that before."

"He hurt my sister." I said firmly.

"I'm not rebuking you, just commenting. Just remind me never to really annoy you or I'll end up with my chin through the top of my skull." He stated. "But you didn't follow orders. I thought I said for Grace to help fight."

"Only because you wished to keep me from the threat of danger." I stated. "But I have much more experience of fighting than Grace has and she has absolutely no field experience."

"I didn't think of that." Mal said.

"Neither did I to be honest." I admitted. "I was boiling over with vengeance. I wished to hurt those who would dare hurt my sister."

Mal shivered.

"You've definitely got a core of steel." He stated.

"Of course I have." I replied and I leant back enough and tilted my chin up to see his face. "Have you never seen it before?"

"Course I have." He said, and stroked my cheek. "I've just never seen you display it so blatantly before. It's kind of sexy." He growled and placed his lips to mine.

I wrapped my arms about his neck and went on to my tiptoes to deepen the kiss. It was perfect and I could feel my heart flutter. I was about to finish the kiss to suggest we move this elsewhere when someone made a noise to announce their presence but in a manner that suggested they would rather not.

I stepped away from Mal and we both turned to the source of the noise. Annie-Mae was still standing there with her head bowed. I had completely forgotten her presence.

"I…I don't want to disturb you, but what have I got to do now?" She asked.

"I suggest you go to whatever room you were allocated and go to sleep before Father decides to throw you out into the night." I stated.

I never once thought that Father would do something so cruel, but it was the thing needed to spur Annie-Mae to move out of the library. Besides I was somewhat annoyed with her despite my defending her earlier. It was better that she took herself away for tonight and we would deal with her the morning once things had calmed.

Annie-Mae nodded and then left the library quickly to go upstairs.

"I wish to cook." I stated, and turned to Mal as he quickly dropped his hands, he had been hoping to return to our kissing.

"Then let's go down to the kitchen." He said, and took my hand and kissed it before we went down to the kitchen together.

"Or possibly clean." I said when I discovered the state of it. "Annie-Mae's handy work no doubt."

Mal turned me to him and placed both his hands up to cup my face. His thumbs caressed my cheeks softly as he looked into my eyes.

"I'll help you." He stated and I nodded my head. "Where shall we start?"

"Clear the tops. Put the food back in the pantry and the waste in the bins." I decided.

"Then let's go." Mal said and kissed my forehead lightly before stepping away and he began gathering up the jars of peanut butter and chocolate spread and the like.

I gathered up the bread and placed it back in the bread bin before taking up the pack of ham and placing it in the fridge. Working together we soon had the kitchen cleared and the dirty dishes piled next to the sink. I ran the sink and began to wash and Mal began to wipe. He'd helped me enough times in this kitchen that he knew where everything went now. Then I washed over the tops and swept and mopped the floor. After I had finished I went to where Mal was waiting at the foot of the back staircase.

"Feel better now?" He asked.

"Yes." I stated. "And now I want you."

Mal smiled.

"Well that's a better idea than midnight cleaning." He said.

"I allowed you to help me this time." I said and kissed his lips. "Now let us adjourn to my room."

Mal kissed me and then took my hand and we climbed the stairs. Billie's room was on the corridor that led from the back stairs to the front of the house and her bed was against that outside wall. I could hear her murmuring to Mother while Mother soothed her.

"It will take time." Mal whispered into my ear and I nodded, I knew that.

"Let's just go sleep and put this wretched day behind us." I said warily. "Things should be better in the morning."

"Yes." Mal agreed, placing his arm about me and we walked together to my old room that was still kept for when Mal and I visited.

We even had clothes stored here, which was a blessing given that we had forgotten to bring in our suitcase from the car. I went to the wardrobe and pulled out my nightclothes. Mal did too and when I glanced up at him he merely smiled, took my hand and led me into the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"We never did get round to that bath last night." He said. "And you need to do some serious relaxing."

He brushed my cheek gently before he went and started the water running. Then he led me back into the bedroom and sat in the old wicker chair before pulling me into his lap. I leant back against him and allowed myself to fall into the comfort of his presence.

"Thank you." I stated.

"For what?" He asked, his lips pressed gently against my shoulder.

"For helping rescue Billie. Holding those two, it placed you under great strain did it not?"

"It was nothing." Mal said, stroking my hair. "Compared to the Fire Twins, it was like holding back a hamster."

"I saw the strain on your face." I stated. "You were sweating. You were really straining to hold them. I don't see it as a sign of weakness, you understand that right?"

"Of course bach." He said and kissed my head.

"Then thank you for giving all of your power to save my sister." I stated.

"Liza, we're a couple, and we will be forever. When I decided to be with you I inherited your family. Billie is my sister too, there's nothing I wouldn't do for her because you'd expect nothing less of me. And I love her and well, if you hadn't teared that guy apart I would have. They hurt Billie and they had it coming." Mal said in a level voice that left no room for denial.

"Then why did you look at me as if I had done wrong?" I asked and I knew I was pouting slightly.

"Did I give that impression?" Mal asked with a frown.

"Possibly a little." I conceded.

"Then I'm sorry. Like I said before, I was just so surprised at how fierce you were. You proved yet again you can take care of yourself, and others. If I'm really honest I was kind of turned on by it. Like I said, I've never seen you lose control like that before. Well accept with Alec, but that had too many weird connotations to be alluring. But the way you were in that cabin, you were a beautiful warrior woman and I guess it appealed to my Celtic roots." He growled into my ear and kissed at my neck, causing me to giggle. "And well, it was a window into the future."

"What do you mean?" I asked with frown.

"Well, if you're this protective over your sister, how protective will you be for our kids?" He whispered into my ear and I felt myself shiver at his breath on my skin and his words.

"Children?" I gasped in delight. "You want children?"

"Have I ever given you the impression that I don't want kids?" Mal asked in bewilderment.

"No." I admitted. "But then we've never really discussed this before."

"We should check the bath." Mal said quickly. "Come on."

He stood with me in his arms as he took one step into the bathroom and deposited me on the floor. Then he went to the bath and turned off the hot tap. He ran some cold, checking the water all along until he was satisfied. Then he shot to his feet and pulled off his clothes, glancing at me from time to time until I too stripped.

He climbed into the bath and beckoned for me to join him. I climbed into the water and settled back against him as he wrapped his arms about me.

"I think we'll have twins." Mal stated. "Two little rascal girls with your curls, but my mousy colouring."

I laughed as I took up the washcloth and began to lather up the soap.

"That's what I've always imagined." I mused. "Possibly we were sharing a dream again."

"We could have been." Mal said.

I considered this as Mal moved his hands over me and I let out a sound of appreciation. I wanted to get on with the washing, that was always fun, but I felt another longing.

"I'd like a son too." I stated. "Would three not be the most perfect number of children?"

"I want as many kids as you want." Mal said, kissing that spot just below my ear that made me tingle. "After all, you have to do the difficult bit."

I gave a slight chuckle.

"Yes I will." I said. "Of course the making of the children is always so much fun." I added before turning to face him and I began to wash his chest.

Mal relaxed into my caressing movements, his eyes closing, his head falling back as I washed him over. I kissed his chin and then his shoulder, moving my lips over his flesh in the hope of bringing him sweet thrills.

"No." Mal said suddenly, pushing me away. "I want kids with you Eliza, but after serious discussion. We can't just whim it now. It wouldn't be fair on us and it definitely wouldn't be fair on our child. So let's just cool it for tonight."

"And I wasn't planning on making children tonight." I said and kissed the tip of his nose. "I was merely caught in the moment. You are delectable you know, sometimes it is hard to resist your flesh." I added as I walked my fingers over his chest. "And what is wrong with you? Normally you're not so adverse to a little fun in the bath."

Mal shrugged and then I realised his words.

"You were the one who brought up the subject of children, not I. You have frightened yourself thinking you have put ideas into my head." I sighed in amusement. "Oh Mal bach when I am ready for children I will raise the subject. Of that you can be sure." I said and kissed his lips. "Now let us vacate the bath and go to bed. I have a feeling we will be up early tomorrow."

"But we haven't been in long." Mal stated.

"I know, but it's not so much fun when you're acting all vulnerable and as if I am trying to have my wicked way with you." I brushing my hand against his cheek before I rose to my feet wiggled my nose at him and stepped out of the bath and readied my towel to wipe.

"Hey, that's my thing." He said, behind me, and his arms came about my waist.

"I choose to adopt it for a change." I said with a grin. "Now away from me, I wish to wipe and dress into my nightclothes."

"Fine." Mal said and stepped away.

"Only so that we can take our cwtching to the bed." I assured him as I looked up into his eyes, I never tired of looking into that beautiful green. "At least that way you'll know I'm not trying to make you a father when you're unready."

"I'm sorry I made you think that I was disapproving." Mal said.

"It was because you were acting out of character." I stated. "Normally we have so much fun in the bath, such innocent, sexy fun. You looked as if I was going to leap on you and put our future plans into action. Children are for the future not any time soon. Of course if you carry on standing there naked I may just change my mind." I teased and Mal poked out his tongue.

I giggled as I wiggled my nose once more before I pulled my nightdress on over my head. Then I began clearing around the bathroom as Mal wiped and dressed into his shorts and t-shirt.

"Come on my Malachite." I said, taking his hand and leading him into the bedroom. "Let us sleep."

"I thought we were cwtching?" Mal asked.

"Well, we'll cwtch up and perhaps make out, and then we'll sleep." I stated.

"Great." Mal said with grin, before he kissed me tenderly.

He then gathered me up into his arms and placed me into the bed before climbing in behind me. We arranged ourselves below the covers and began kissing for a very long time before we settled to sleep. I was surprised I managed to sleep after all that had transpired, but I realised that tomorrow would prove to be a long day and if I didn't sleep it would be detrimental to my cognitive processes. Besides, lying in Mal's arms was always comforting, so I closed my eyes and drifted into dreams.


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Gemma x