A/N: Why are there authors' notes at the beginning AND end of chapters? Does anyone else find this annoying? Sooo... Thank-you so much to bookgirl39, cinnberrytrix, sarlovesoccer, Evanescence456, and MADgrl for reviewing. Oh, and this story is still far from over even though... Oh, well. Just read. Hope you enjoy it. I mention reviewers' names in the next chapter. I don't own anything but the plot...

BACK TO THE FUTURE

IAN'S POV

Ian cringed at the sudden onslaught of pain-filled memories. He had so many regrets. If only he had persuaded Natalie NOT to bring a little rolling bag full of dart guns and tranquilizers "just in case". Maybe then, Amy would still be alive. There were bunches of maybe's and if's. But none of them could change the past. He looked up and remembered that his mother was still waiting on an answer.

"Well, Mother. I guess I keep my treasure with me at all times. It's…a part of me." he drew his words out, while trying to guess where the rest of the serum was.

"That's right, Ian. And here is where I keep my treasure." She pulled her necklace out of her shirt and displayed it in front of him. Ian wondered how she had been allowed to keep it with her in prison, but he remembered it. Right around the time she came to the peak of her cruelty, she had started to wear that oddly mesmerizing trinket. He recalled several times in which she habitually twirled it around her finger. One of the more prominent times was in the Gauntlet. She had just emerged from the shadows to surprise us and she was twirling it. The glowing green liquid swished around inside the small glass vase. It consumed his thoughts for a moment before he noticed that his mother had begun to speak again.

"Of course, I saved some of it for you and your sister. I'll give it to you if you like. But you'll have to get more green stuff to go inside the little vase. I've grown rather attached to it." She looked to Ian questioningly, but all he could do was nod. His first thought was his sister.

"I'll have to get Natalie, of course." He managed. They exchanged a few more words, but Ian felt like he was already gone. When he finally left the prison, he whipped out his cell and texted Natalie:

'Hey. I've got news. It's about Mother. No, she didn't die. She has something for us. Meet me at the prison ASAP.'

He clicked 'send'. He sat for a few minutes on the bench outside, then got up and began to pace. Then he remembered the green substance that his mother had said she wanted to replace the serum. He jumped into his car and raced to the nearest supermarket. He purchased a few items and mixed them together. They gave off an iridescent green glow, just like the serum in Isabel's necklace. When he finally got back to the prison, Natalie was there waiting for him.

"What's wrong, Ian?" He pulled her into the prison and they waited to be granted entrance to their mother's cell.

"Come on. You've got to give me something! I'm just dying of curiosity." She pestered him. He gave in and explained to her an abbreviated version of his talk with Isabel. She blanched.

"How do we know she won't try to trick us?" she asked. She shifted uncomfortably so that the majority of her weight was not on the foot with the bullet shot wound. The physical wound had healed long ago, but the emotional one was still firmly in place.

"We don't. That's why I am going to drink it first. To make sure it's safe. Then you're going to drink the rest of it. If it's not poison. If it is and I collapse or something, snatch it from me and run for the guards. Don't worry about me. Run. And when you get home, test it for chemicals. Boil out the poisons and then drink whatever's left. Are we clear?" Natalie hesitated a moment before slowly nodding her head.

"Go on in, you two," the guard said gently.

The brother and sister walked into the cell and sat across the table from their mother.

"Natalie! How marvelous to see you! My, how you've grown. You're so beautiful and you're all grown up…" Isabel trailed off as she noticed the hard look in her daughter's eyes. She sighed, "So I suppose you are here to get the serum. Well, here it is. Divide it fairly, children."

She took off her necklace and held it out in Natalie's direction. Natalie frowned and Ian snatched it from his mother's outstretched hand. He looked at Natalie. She nodded. He popped off the little cork-cap and placed it on the table. Ever so slowly, he raised it to his lips. Finally, with one last glance at his mother, he allowed the liquid to come in contact with his lips. It was sweet and tangy at the same time. He found himself wondering why he had not trusted his mother earlier. She wasn't evil. Just misunderstood. And as he swallowed, he stretched out his hand towards his sister.

"It's not…bad?" she asked timidly. Since when was his sister timid? And that hesitation was all the time the serum needed to react inside of his body. He doubled over and Natalie caught the little vase. She peered down at her brother in horror.

"What did you do to him?" She screeched at the woman she had once called her mother.

"Run… Natalie… Run…" Ian squeaked out. His body was at war. His insides felt as if they were on fire. Then, he recalled the green liquid that his mother had tried to trick the Cahills with and he realized what he had ingested. In his last moments of consciousness, he found himself thinking about that lovely girl with the auburn hair and dancing jade eyes and regret swamped him. All he wanted was a second chance. He wanted to undo what he had done in that cave in Korea so long ago. He wanted…but he didn't want anything anymore. He couldn't want anything anymore. Ian Kabra was dead.

A/N: For the second time since the start of this story, my mind was set to MORBID. I love that word. Anyway, ummm...oh! Don't forget to review! I think that in order for y'all to get the next chapter, I must reach at least the 13 mark in my review count. My fave # btw... Thanks to my reviewers from the last chapter. I love y'all! Okay, Director Dude!

Director Dude: Right-o. Cut!