AN: Hurray! Its finally finished!

---

"Why didn't you do anything?" Sydney hissed.

"It's daytime," Oscar explained easily, "We won't get anywhere now."

"It also means they're not going to expect it." Sydney shot back.

"Unless they expect the unexpected," Nigel grumbled causing Sydney to rush to his cot, which only required her to get off her bed and kneel next to his, "God, Syd, can't a man get some sleep around here?"

Sydney smiled, "You've been sleeping enough for the three of us."

Nigel groaned and turned over, facing the wall.

"Nigel?" Sydney received a grunt but she needed to know, "How do you feel?"

"Tired, now go away." he relied, his voice slow and muffled.

Sydney caressed his bicep, "Other than that."

Nigel groaned again, "A little soar, please stop pestering me."

"Nothing else? Nothing at all?" Sydney pressed.

Then it must have hit Nigel as he sat up suddenly, staring blankly through the bars ahead of them.

"You looked ready to die last night." Oscar added. Sydney swatted his leg.

But at least Nigel faced turned to face them now. "What?"

Sydney eyed him carefully, "You don't remember?"

Nigel blankly stared at her. "I'm starting to get really tired of that question."

"They came, took you, beat you up, and put you back." Oscar explained simply.

"I recall the first three incidents." Nigel heavily leaned against the wall. "Are you all right, Sydney?"

Sydney joined Nigel by the wall, "There was so much blood."

As she said this Nigel looked at his cot, and sure enough he saw crimson stains almost covering it. "That's a lot."

"Nigel," Sydney called, "Can you tell us anything about the cave? Anything at all?"

Nigel shrugged a few moments passed in silence, "I was walking through the cave towards this light. It was absolutely beautiful, but then I heard you and the light went away."

Oscar startled up, "What color was the light?"

"I couldn't tell, it was like all the colors together, why?"

"Well I had this friend, he seemed completely normal and he loved coming to this forest. I was out of the country, on business at the time, but his neighbor told me that my friend came home one day, yelling about lights and brandishing a handgun. He killed everyone at his home. The police found him passed out in the middle of his living room, he said he remembered nothing but knew that he'd done it. He killed him-"

"Oscar, breathe." Sydney commanded.

---

They were coming back for him. He knew it once they opened the door. He didn't want to go but he didn't have much choice in the matter.

He hoped Oscar's plan worked because if it doesn't then he'll go through another round with the ugly idiots.

Nigel wasn't sure what the cave had done to him. It was helping him. He felt completely drained though. A side effect of it most likely. The more he thought about it the more it made sense. The power of the gods and could do anything. Absolutely anything. Maybe Lucero wasn't crazy as they thought he was.

The cave was helping him. Maybe if he kept telling himself that it would start to sound normal.

The guards opened the door and one of them came inside. He hoped he had enough energy to run because he sure didn't have enough to fight.

The guard neared his bed and grabbed his arm. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Oscar surge up and tackle the guard who stood outside to the ground as Sydney kicked the guy who had his arm where the sun don't shine.

It wasn't nice but he didn't feel like complaining right now.

Sydney helped him up and pulled Nigel out of the cell as Oscar stuffed the other guard in and slammed the door shut.

"Ha!" Oscar yelled triumphantly, "How do you like being on the other side of that?"

"Oscar!" Sydney urgently tilted her head towards the door.

"Sorry." Oscar expertly led them through the mansion.

"This seems oddly familiar, Syd." Nigel breathed, his heart was pounding and they were only walking.

"Don't worry." Sydney half carried him along, "We'll get out this time."

The moonlight played on the walls, eerily reminded him of the cave. They silently made their way through the mansion, carefully avoiding the security cameras, which Oscar had somehow known to identify.

Eventually they made it out of the mansion without detection and to the garage.

"There's a way out this way?" Sydney asked.

"I don't know something just told me to do this." Oscar answered as they jumped into an all terrain pick up truck. "We have to move fast."

Oscar jumped into the cab and started up the engine as Sydney helped him into the car. She jumped in after him just as white lights blinded them from all directions.

Oscar stepped on the gas and they shot through the garage door. Wooden splinters rained on down and they raced off towards an unknown exit.

"Sydney," Oscar commanded importantly, "There's a gate up ahead. The override code is 734270135."

Sydney nodded as she committed the numbers to memory. Not questioning where the information had come from.

Lights bounced off the ceiling and Nigel turned around to see Lucero's men pursuing them. "They're coming."

Oscar stepped on the gas harder but it didn't make much of a difference. Suddenly he jammed down on the break, almost throwing Nigel into the windshield.

Sydney had been prepared and had already opened the door before the car had come to a complete stop.

Sydney frantically punched in the numbers and cried out when the machine made a negative sound. She tried again and met the same results.

The lights were getting brighter. She had to hurry and Nigel wanted to scream but knew it wouldn't help.

"Oscar, the code!" Sydney yelled without turning around.

"7-3-4-2-7-0-1-3-5"

The gate grumbled and started to open as Sydney ran back into the car. She jumped in and Oscar sped through the gate which was opened barely enough to fit them through.

They were right behind them now but their cars didn't seem any faster than theirs. As long as nothing unexpected came up they might make it.

---

"Sydney please, I'm all right, I just want to go take a shower." Nigel complained loudly.

"Ok, fine." Sydney answered. The car chase had been an edgy hour but once they made it back into DF, Lucero's men had backed off.

She sat down on the hotel bed and listened to the water running. It wasn't over. She knew that much for sure. Whatever had happened in the cave still affected them.

She supposed that the cave did nothing too bad but it wasn't…right. It was somehow wrong to be healed like that with such a great power.

A light knock brought her out of her musings. "Sydney, it's me!" Oscar shouted through the door.

Sydney locked the door after him and sat back on the bed.

"Look," Oscar held out two plane tickets, "I don't want you to be any more involved with this, go home."

Sydney frowned, "How are we not involved? I think we're pretty critical in this mess."

"I know, but he's going to come after you." Oscar replied lowly, "but if you get back home, he might not do anything."

"Might. He may come after us with all he's got."

"Still," Oscar persisted, "Nigel doesn't belong in any of this. Get home."

Sydney nodded. She hated running away but it was the only thing that seemed to make sense.

"We're going home?" Sydney turned to find Nigel in a towel leaning against the door. He did look fine. Now there weren't any trace of bruises that should have still marred his smooth skin.

A light sheen of water coated his flat stomach, he ran his hand through his wet brown hair pushing it out of his face and Sydney had to swallow before she could answer, "Yeah, we are."

Nigel shook his head adamantly, "I have to stay."

"Why?" Sydney asked surprised, her gaze still lingering.

"I don't know," Nigel sighed tiredly, "I just get the feeling that we can't leave."

"What do you mean by 'can't'" Oscar questioned, "You get on the plane and wait until it lands."

"I mean can't as in can not." Nigel explained, "I cannot leave."

"What's wrong?" the seriousness that penetrated finally through.

Nigel shook his head and shrugged, "Can't, have to stay."

Sydney walked to where Nigel stood, the closer she got the more she could see how he was shaking. She entered the bathroom and returned with a few towels. Wrapping one around Nigel's shoulders she asked, "Why?"

"The cave." Nigel whispered roughly.

Sydney looked to Oscar for an explanation. Oscar shrugged in reply, "Every story that I hear with the cave ends up with someone dead."

She scowled at him and rubbed Nigel's arms. They had to go back, they had nothing on the cave the only thing they could do was explore its depths.

---

"Okay, once we do this, you guys go back north," Oscar shut off the engine and turned to look at both of them, "Got it?"

Sydney and Nigel nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.

"This should be faster, I mean, we know where we're going this time." Oscar got out of the car and waited until his friends were out as well, then locked it.

"Who's going to steal you car out here?" Nigel shrugged his backpack on.

Oscar grinned, "An evil robot?"

"Sydney," Nigel complained, "You're friends are odd."

Sydney didn't reply as she headed into the trees, at least they got along, somewhat.

---

"I have to go in." Nigel stated, he couldn't explain it. But he knew he had to go.

Sydney sighed, "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Nigel answered and stepped into the opening of the cave, "Okay, like 90 percent."

Sydney and Oscar threw him a cross look.

"I don't know how to explain it," Nigel hastened to explain, "but it's the only way."

"The only way for what?" Sydney's hands on her hips.

"To get my soul back."

"What?" Oscar shouted, "When did you lose it?"

"They're taking it Syd, I know they are. Little by little." He took a shuddering breath, "And they want me, unless I give back what I unwittingly took."

"Nige, you're not making any sense."

Nigel hung his head, "I have to go in."

"All right," Sydney conceded, "Let's go."

"No!" Nigel blocked the entrance to the cave, "I have to go alone."

"Nige, you know it doesn't work that way," Sydney was less than an inch from entering, "we're coming with you"

"You can't," Nigel's voice strained, "They'll take yours."

"Nigel-"

"Syd, you have to stay out here. I'll be fine."

---

Sydney paced back and forth in front of the cave. They'd been waiting forever. She would swear by it, "How much longer is he going to take?"

"Sydney, it's been twenty minutes." Oscar explained easily, "Nothing to worry about."

Sydney made a sound that seemed like a cross between a growl and moan, "We should go in."

"No."

"He might be hurt or-"

"He's fine."

"He might be in trouble-"

Oscar sighed, "Okay, but only if we wait fifteen more minutes."

"Five," Sydney countered.

"Ten." Oscar said with finality.

Normally she would charge into the cave without any thoughts to what lay ahead, but Nigel had wanted her to stay outside. She had to listen to him.

---

The lights were back. Gently dancing and teasing him as he tried to figure them out. Just a little further and this would all be over.

They were ancient, he realized suddenly. They had always been here, watching the progress of man kind and waiting for the day that they could share a single path.

Man kind were not ready for this sort of thing. Men had been driven to kill because they couldn't handle the power.

But why didn't he?

He was ready. They wanted him to join them. They want him to spend the rest of eternity with them.

But he couldn't.

They wanted him. He was one of the best man kind could offer. They knew he was different from the moment he stepped foot into the cave.

No, no there was so much he still had to do.

They told him of the things he could learn and the things he could see and never die.

But he had to get back to Sydney. He had thought that he had to return something, but it was only a compulsion that made him come back.

Then he felt them back off. They didn't let go, but they eased. He loved her, they knew. He loved her more than life and if she weren't there, an eternity would be torture. They would allow her to come with him.

He couldn't make that decision. He couldn't answer for Sydney, it was her choice if she wanted to come but he all ready knew that she wouldn't. Life was precious to her. There was no way she would leave it behind. Except for him. But he wouldn't make her choose. So he was staying for her.

They wanted him to come back. When he was done living and to join them forever here. It was an opened ended deal. Sydney could come too. They could be here forever once they wanted to stop living.

He didn't know when that would happen but it was an eventuality.

They agreed and let go completely. They would protect them until the day he and Sydney joined them.

The gentle light suddenly took up a dark red, crimson blood oozing from the walls before burning into black.

He screamed, pain ripping though his very soul.

"Nigel," a light tap hit his cheek, "Nigel, please wake up."

He groaned and tried to back away from the annoying voice.

"Come on Nige, please." Sydney sounded anxious. He wondered why that was.

He opened his eyes and immediately turned so that the sun wouldn't blind him. Grass and dirt filled his senses, "God, what happened?"

---

"Goodbye Oscar," Sydney hugged him tightly, "it's been great, but next time, you're coming to my house."

Oscar grinned innocently, "Sure thing."

"It was a pleasure." Nigel held out his hand, "Hope to see you soon."

Oscar laughed and ignored the offered hand, enveloping Nigel in a fierce hug. "It was wonderful to meet you too."

"…last call for flight number 346…"

"That's us," Sydney announced.

"Oscar," Nigel whispered urgently, "your fiancée, she's with the lights."

The pain in his eyes was evident and Sydney wished she could understand what exactly happened. No matter how many times Nigel explained it to them, they couldn't follow.

At least they knew for sure that Lucero wouldn't be bothering them. He had a run in with the cops and had to escape to Brazil for a few years.

"She's all right," Nigel continued, "She'll look after you."

Oscar hugged them both one last time, "Go, you'll miss your plane."