Author's note: There is discussion about war and killing in this chapter - not much or detailed, but it's there. Be warned.

Chapter Seven

Xander wasn't quite sure why these Wraith had apparently set up camp in the woods instead of on a ship, but they must have been here for quite a while to have the elaborate series of barriers and tents built up. Several Wraith were standing around, watching as he was shoved along, and there were several captives being held beside what looked disturbingly like a pile of dead bodies.

He was shoved to his knees in front of a female Wraith, the first female he'd seen. "The strangers' leader, my Queen," his guard announced.

"What is your name?" she demanded, taking a step towards Xander.

"Kell," he answered instantly, easing back onto his ankles.

"You are not of Sateda."

"No, but my parents were big fans. Not that they didn't enjoying the culling and destroying as well. That was some very nice destroying."

"You came to this world with some Earth soldiers," she announced. "Tell me who they were."

"What, those guys? We came through the ring of the ancestors with a group from a trading planet. I've no idea who they were, we didn't swap addresses."

The Queen glared at him before snapping an order at the guard. Xander's head was suddenly yanked back and he yelled as the new position dragged at the wound on his side. Before he could adjust the guard tipped a pitcher of water over his face; Xander spluttered, fighting the urge to choke, and as soon as he was let go he leaned forward, coughing harshly. Some of the water was swallowed, though, and he groaned. That couldn't possibly be a good thing.

The Queen leaned over him, examining him minutely. "This," she said, laying one finger against his cheekbone, just below his empty eye socket. "How did this happen?"

"In a war," he said warily, leaning back a little to escape her touch. "A soldier on the other side figured it would be the easiest way to get me out of the fight."

"Yet he left you the other." She touched his other cheek, and he realised with dull horror that he couldn't lean back any further. "Surely he should have taken both."

"He was interrupted."

"Why did he not simply kill you?"

"He wanted to demoralise my team."

"I see." She tapped the finger on his cheek thoughtfully, and he winced as the opening on her palm flashed briefly into view. "Was he successful?"

"Briefly. But I wasn't the leader of that team, and she rallied us to win."

Stop talking! he yelled mentally. He didn't feel any different, there was no fog over his thoughts or any urge to serve the woman-thing in front of him, but he couldn't stop answering her questions.

"Where is this leader now?"

"She's not here." He managed to clamp down on the rest of the sentence.

"Oh? Where would such a brave warrior be?"

"Fighting elsewhere."

"Fighting against what?"

"All kinds of things. Demons, mostly. Some vampires."

"What are these things?"

She still sounded tolerantly amused, and he was surprised. Normally people were irritated at him by now.

"Vampires. Kind of like you, but they drink blood, not life."

"Ah, so you do know what we are. I had wondered. You don't seem afraid."

"I've faced down a lot scarier than you, lady."

The guard kicked him in the side and he fell, gasping and curling around the wound. "Gah..."

"That looks so painful," she cooed. "Surely you won't refuse our help. We could heal it for you."

"No thanks," he gasped, levering himself back onto his knees. "Pretty much all the demonic women in my life want to kill me. I'm not so sure you're any different."

Her eyes flashed and she cuffed him across the top of the head, sending him to the ground again and snapping something at the guard. "Perhaps the young girl will be more talkative," she finished, deliberately loudly.

"You stay away from her," Xander growled, struggling upright again. He couldn't quite make it all the way to his knees, though.

"Then perhaps you should simply answer my questions."

"Lady, I've answered everything you've asked so far."

"Answer them truthfully."

Xander grimaced. "Well, one man's truth is another man's lie, and so on and so forth." The hand he'd pressed to his side was wet and sticky, and he winced, scrubbing it against his knee.

"You talk a lot," the Queen noted.

"It's been said. I've heard it a lot, actually. People often tell me that I talk too much."

Xander's radio clicked; he gazed down at it in utter incomprehension for a moment, then threw himself flat on the ground. Gunfire erupted all around the clearing, riddling the Wraith Queen and the guard.

Xander felt a hand on his arm and his surroundings blurred briefly. When he could focus again, Chris was leaning over him, carefully inspecting the wound.

"Did someone kick you?" he asked softly.

"Mmm. Where is everyone?"

"Parrish is back at the 'Gate with one of Lorne's guys. Vida's killing something behind us. The others are shooting."

The shooting was trailing off and Xander risked lifting his head. "What's going...Chris, behind you!"

A Wraith caught Chris' shoulder before he could react, yanking him away from Xander. Chris crashed into a tree and slumped to the ground, momentarily stunned.

The Wraith stalked up to Xander, weapon outstretched. Before it reached him, though, it paused, staring blankly at him and then spinning.

Chris was propped up on one elbow, blood dripping from a gash in his forehead. His other hand was closed into a fist, shaking. The Wraith took a step or two towards him before pausing, clawing at it's own chest. Chris squeezed his fist even tighter and it gasped, collapsing.

"Chris, what the hell?" Xander demanded.

Chris scrambled back to his side, absently scrubbing at the blood on his forehead. "Doesn't matter, it's dead...we need to get you back to the 'Gate. Can you walk?"

"I think so..."

Lorne appeared behind Chris. "Oh, good, you're..."

Chris spun, one hand lashing out. Lorne was flung off his feet, hurled across the clearing and pinned against a tree, hanging four feet off the ground.

"Chris, let him go!" Xander grabbed at his arm, trying to get his attention off Lorne. "Chris, that's Lorne, he's on our side! Stop it!"

He jerked Chris around to face him, distantly registering the thump as Lorne was released from his telekinetic grip and fell to the ground. Chris stared wildly at him for a moment before recognition flooded back in.

"Oh, Christ," he breathed, dropping his head into his hands.

"Hey!" Xander said sharply. "Break down later, go check on Lorne now. Now, Chris!" He shoved the other boy away, reaching for his radio. "Vida, are you done killing things? We need some help over here."

Chris stumbled to his feet, crossing to kneel beside Lorne. "I think I broke his arm," he reported unsteadily.

"Is he conscious?" Xander asked.

"No..."

"Vida, get Lorne's team on your way. Big trouble."

"Got it, boss," she agreed easily. "We're on our way."

"Xander?" Parrish chimed in. "Do you want me?"

"No, you'd better stay...actually, yes, if your guard will bring you back."

"Bring her back," Lorne said. Xander looked up; Chris had leaned back away from Lorne, but neither was moving.

"Aye sir," presumably-the-Marine said, and the radio clicked off again.

"Lorne?" Xander got to his feet with the help of the nearest tree; Chris stood and came to help him closer to them. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I think it's just my arm." He looked sharply between Chris and Xander. "What happened?"

"We were attacked by a Wraith just before you got back. When you came in..."

"I attacked you," Chris interrupted. "It was me."

"I got that part." Lorne eased into a seated position. "Xander, are you alright?"

"Yeah, mostly. I've had worse. I still have the same number of body parts as I started out with, so that's always a good day."

Parrish and her Marine shadow arrived at almost the same time as Vida and the rest of the team. Zelenka was nowhere in sight. Xander took Parrish to one side while Vida poked at his side and the others crowded around Lorne.

"Parrish, Chris attacked Lorne," he said softly. "I really think he didn't know who he was. I thought for a second he was gonna attack me. Lorne's not making a big deal out of it, but...you have any idea what happened?"

"Ideas, yeah," Parrish murmured. "Zelenka's back at the Ancient base trying to get the defences on line. I'm going to get Chris to take me back there so we can pick up the supplies. We'll meet you at the 'Gate, ok?"

"Parrish." Xander caught her arm as she turned. "Is he alright?"

She hesitated, glancing across at Chris. "Can I answer that later?"

"Not too much later."

"No."

"Xander, this needs help," Vida announced. "More than I can do for it."

"Throw some disinfectant and a bandage at it. We're going back to base now anyway."

"It needed help when it happened," she said sharply.

"We were a little busy at the time, Vee."

"Always something with you," she noted.

"It's the demon magnet powers. Willow was wondering if it would work on aliens. I'll be able to tell her it does." He considered for a moment, biting his lip as she tied off the bandage. "I wonder who'll win the pot."

"I'm sorry?"

"There'll be a pot. 'How long before a demon finds Xander', or 'How long before Xander finds himself in a life threatening position even though he's supposedly on a secure base'. Something like that."

"Who comes up with the titles?"

"Faith. She's not subtle."

"Xander." Lorne limped across to join them, arm tucked into his gun strap. "We're going. The Wraith may have had a beacon, we don't want to be here if their reinforcements show up."

"No," Xander agreed.

"Can you walk?"

"I hope so."

"Xander. I have to report it, you know that."

"If you don't, I will," he said grimly. "Let me talk to him, though."

"Yeah. Do you need help? David, can you give Xander a hand?"

The trip back to the 'Gate was slow and fairly awkward, but they made it eventually. Zelenka dialled the 'Gate as soon as they were in sight, and there was a med team ready to take Xander and Lorne directly to the infirmary.

"How is that you, going to the uninhabited planet to turn on a computer, ended up attacked by Wraith, while we, going to a war torn planet to look for information about the Wraith, have come home without a scratch?" John asked.

"Or any information," Rodney added.

"Sir, I'm sorry, I can't remember the question," Lorne apologised. "That was too long."

"Keller gave you the good stuff, huh? What happened?"

"Oh – it looked like the Wraith had set up a camp and brought some worshippers along. They were building a small town, and there was a Wraith encampment in the woods. Xander's team went into the town and got caught. They escaped, but the Wraith found them anyway."

"And the point of going into the town was...?"

"To see why it had turned up so suddenly."

"Ok. And the injuries?"

"Xander was hurt escaping, and I think the Wraith kicked him a few times."

John glanced across the room. Xander was in the scanner, smiling at something Keller was saying. "Right. And your arm?"

"We had to attack the Wraith to free Xander's team. I got thrown into a tree."

"I did it."

John turned to see Chris standing behind him. Blood was still smeared across his forehead; there was a nurse hovering, but Chris was fending her off without looking at her.

"Someone looked at that?" John asked, gesturing to his forehead.

"I threw Lorne into the tree."

"I heard you."

"They'd just been attacked," Lorne explained. "And Chris got that knock. I guess he didn't realise who I was."

"It doesn't matter," Chris gritted. "I threw him into the tree, I would have killed him if Xander hadn't..."

"Chris," John said sharply. "I heard you. Get your head looked at and I'll deal with this later."

"You should deal with it now."

"If I deal with it now I'll be throwing you into a tree! Now go get your head looked at. Maybe you'll get lucky and you can blame this on a concussion."

Chris bit his lip, studying them for a moment before abruptly turning away. The nurse followed him.

"Ronon, keep an eye on him," John said softly. "Don't start anything."

"I never start anything," Ronon protested.

"Uh huh. Just go keep an eye on him."

He turned back to Lorne as Ronon vanished around the curtain. "What do you think?"

"He didn't do it on purpose," Lorne said immediately. "He didn't know who I was. I'm sure of it."

"Ok, but that's not a good sign either. We can't have him here if he's likely to start forgetting who we are."

Lorne shrugged, wincing as he resettled his arm. "There's something else, too."

"Oh great, that's all I need." John sighed. "Go on."

"One of them killed that Wraith. My money's on Chris. But there wasn't a mark on it, and neither of them had a weapon."

"You're sure?"

"No blood. Not even any branches around they could have used and discarded. There was nothing. One of them killed that Wraith without laying a hand on it. And if it was Chris, and he gets out of Xander's control..."

"Yeah. Alright, thanks for telling me. Get some rest."

"Sir?" Lorne added as he started to turn away. "If it's worth anything, I don't think Chris would harm us in his right mind."

"I don't either, but that's not the point." John tapped the end of the bed once or twice before turning away again.

He didn't notice Parrish slipping away.

Emily lost track of time after a while. The warmth of the fire and the scent of the tea combined to ease her into a doze, though she never really fell asleep. The lack of windows in the house made it harder to tell time.

She was on her feet the instant Halling threw the door open, though. "You must return to Atlantis," he said urgently. "Your team has returned and some of your teammates are injured. Teyla and your pilot are waiting."

"Who's hurt?" Emily demanded, kneeling beside Ariel. "Ariel...come on, we've got to get going. Come on."

"Mmm. I'm awake," Ariel murmured, stretching and sitting up. "What's going on?"

"We have to go," Emily said again. "Halling, who?"

"I was not told who," he said apologetically. "Only that they would recover, but you should return at once."

"Someone got hurt on the mission," she said to Ariel's questioning look. "Come on."

Halling held out a wrapped package. "Tea," he said when neither made a move to take it. "Teyla knows how to prepare it."

"Thank you." Ariel took it from him, smiling.

"My pleasure." Halling bowed, stepping out of their way.

Teyla was waiting at the door of the 'Jumper. "Come," she said quickly.

"What do you know?" Emily asked, hauling Ariel up the ramp and pushing her towards a seat.

"Ow," Ariel said mildly.

"Sorry." Emily grimaced. "Sorry."

Teyla nodded to their pilot, who took off straight away. "We have heard from Atlantis," she said. "Your team returned a short time ago. Xander was injured, but I am told he will be well. Chris also received a slight injury."

"Just them?" Emily asked.

"Major Lorne has a broken arm, and there are various minor injuries."

"What happened?" Ariel asked.

"I believe they met some Wraith."

"On a deserted planet? Only Xander," Emily muttered. "How long until we get back?"

"A few more minutes," the pilot called back. "Hold on tight."

Parrish stepped around the curtain surrounding Xander's bed. Dr Beckett was just finishing up, scolding him lightly for not getting the wound seen to when it happened.

"And you will not leave this bed," he ordered, stepping away from the bed. "Hello, lass," he added to Parrish. "He is not to leave this bed."

"I heard," she agreed. "Don't worry."

"Aye." Looking back at Xander, he said, "I'll come back and check on you in a while. If you need anything, give a holler."

"Will do, doc," Xander agreed. "Well?" he added when Beckett had gone.

"I'm not sure. Colonel Sheppard's really angry with him, he won't even talk to him right now. Lorne thinks it wasn't his fault, but..."

"Was it?"

Parrish bit her lip. "Chris has some problems," she said finally. "He really didn't recognise Lorne, I know that much."

"And what triggered it?"

"The fighting, probably. Or you being nearly killed. Fighting's not good for him, it makes him lose focus."

"He grew up in a family that's been fighting with demons longer than I've been alive!"

"Yes. And it's not good for him. That's why we thought it was a good idea to send him to the Council. He doesn't have to fight there."

"But you agreed to him coming here."

"Where you were supposed to stay on base all the time and nothing was going to happen."

"Well, my apologies for that. In future I'll only take the mission to death planets."

"Probably better."

He glanced around. "Where's Chris?"

"Being treated a few beds over."

"Go stick with him. I don't want him on his own right now."

"Yes boss."

Xander shifted again as she left, trying to find a comfortable position. He'd refused the good meds, not wanting to be too foggy to deal with Chris, but it was starting to wear on him.

Dr Keller put her head around the curtain. "Xander, we're going to move you to a private room," she told him. "Orderlies'll be in in a minute. You ok? Need something stronger?"

"I'm good," he assured her. "Just peachy, in fact. Peachy with a side of cream. How's Chris?"

"Concussed, but not seriously. He'll be ok."

"Good." He shifted, grimacing again.

"Xander? Seriously, do you need something?"

"No thanks. Maybe later, though, to sleep."

"Sure. Just ask anyone."

She glanced up as the orderlies appeared. "Great. Through there, guys."

The actual moving of his bed blurred into one long moment of pain for Xander, but finally he registered that it was over and that Ariel was holding his hand, talking softly.

"Maybe later," she said, and then, a moment later, "Thanks, that would really help." And then, "I appreciate it. Thank you."

"Ariel," he murmured.

"Hey, you're awake. Do you want a drink? Dr Keller said you could have one."

"Awake?" he repeated. "I wasn't...was I?"

"Not really. Just sort of out of it for a little while. They weren't worried." She lifted the pitcher on his table and frowned. "Oh. It's empty. Hang on, I'll be back."

"Where's Chris?" Xander asked, catching her arm.

"Waiting outside, I'm pretty sure."

"Get him."

Ariel nodded, putting the pitcher back down. "No getting excited. The doctor said you weren't to."

"No excitement," he promised. "Just some gentle, calm yelling."

"Xander..."

"Do you know what he did?"

"Yes. The whole team knows, he keeps confessing to people. I think it's the concussion. So far we've kept him from confessing to anyone else, but..." she shrugged. "I think he's genuinely upset."

"He'd better be. They're this close to throwing him off Atlantis."

"You're making that up, you haven't talked to anyone yet."

"I'd be this close in their shoes."

She rolled her eyes, opening the door. "Come in."

Chris came exactly four steps in before stopping, arms folded. Parrish drifted in behind him, perching on the end of the bed and smiling at Xander. He reached down to pat her hand comfortingly.

Ariel came back for the pitcher, glancing at Parrish. "Don't let them yell too loud," she said warningly. "We're still in the infirmary."

"Yes boss," Xander snarked. "I'll just die of thirst over here..."

Ariel grinned, letting herself out.

Xander waited until the door closed before rounding on Chris. "What the hell was that?"

"I overreacted."

"Yes, you overreacted! You always overreact! You've just put one of their men in the infirmary, you're lucky they're not throwing us all out!"

"I'm sorry," Chris gritted. "It won't happen again."

"It better not, Chris. Otherwise I'll be looking for a new witch, got it?"

"Got it."

"It's not his fault," Parrish protested. "He's PTSD, he can't..."

"I am not!" Chris rounded on her, using his height to crowd her against the bed. "Stop telling people I'm PTSD! None of it even happened, there's nothing to be stressed about!"

Xander frowned, looking from one to the other. "Chris, back off," he said sharply.

"It's fine," Parrish said, sliding sidewise along the bed until she could step past Chris. He didn't move, continuing to glare at the wall over her head.

"It's not fine. Whatever he's failing to deal with, he can't talk to you like that."

"Tell him," Parrish told Chris softly.

"It doesn't matter," Chris murmured.

"And he doesn't have to," Ariel added from the door, full pitcher in her hand. Chris half-turned, eyeing her with a frown.

"You're going to be here for a while, Xander," he said abruptly. "Would you like to hear a story, to pass the time?"

"Sure," Xander said warily. "I like a good story."

"Want to call in the others?"

"Do I need to?"

Chris didn't answer, and after a moment Xander touched his earpiece. "Council Team, infirmary please."

"Problem?" Carson asked.

"No. I just need to talk to my team. We'll be quiet."

"Xander, us too?" Taylor asked.

"If you're free," Xander agreed. Emily came in as he signed off; Vida was a minute behind her, and Taylor and Graham were just behind. Taylor had obviously come straight from training; Graham snagged a towel from a nearby trolley and tossed it to her.

"Chris is going to tell us all a story," Xander said once everyone was in and mostly settled. "We're all going to be quiet and listen. Ariel, you're excused if you want."

Ariel shook her head, pouring a glass of water and leaving the pitcher within reach. "No thanks. I like story time."

Chris turned, leaning against the back wall and folding his arms. "Once there was a family in San Francisco. Mother, Father, two boys and a girl – baby sister – aunts, uncles and cousins. They were a Wiccan family and the children were born with their powers and raised to protect those around them. The problem was that the boys had been born into a line of power that was traditionally difficult for males to handle. And on top of that, circumstances surrounding the older boy's birth meant that he was naturally inclined towards evil. But for a long time everything was fine. The boys learned the morals and ethics that had guided their parents, and they seemed to be absorbing it all.

"When the oldest boy was sixteen..."

"Can we get some names?" Vida asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

Chris's smile looked more like a grimace. "It's a true story."

"Sixteen," Parrish said quietly when he didn't continue. She was carefully not touching him; Xander could see her holding herself back.

"Yes. Older Brother was sixteen. Middle Child was fourteen. Baby Sister was eleven. And she was home with Middle Child and Mother when they were attacked. Baby Sister got away, but Middle Child and Mother were trapped. And they fought, and Mother was killed."

"It took..."

"Parrish, stop," Chris said quickly. "That doesn't matter."

"It does. It's part of it." He grimaced and she repeated, "It took just over an hour for Baby Sister to find any of her family. So by the time they got back, Middle Child had been sitting with his mother's body for almost an hour and a half. He never talked about it, no matter what his family did, but it took more than a year for him to step back into that room again."

"Father was kind of absentee," Chris continued, almost talking over her. "Not on purpose, really; it was his job. He did his best, once Mother was gone, but it was difficult. And after a while, the kids started to realise that something was wrong with Oldest Brother. He was different, colder. Mourning for Mother turned into revenge for Mother turned into killing for the joy of it. And he grew colder and colder until eventually he decided that anyone who wasn't with him was against him. And he started destroying those who were against him. The aunts and uncles. The cousins. He tried for his siblings, but they knew him well enough to keep out of his reach. The rest of the world didn't have that defence, though, and things were going very badly."

Xander glanced over at Ariel, who had her head in her hands. Nudging Emily, he gestured to the Seer. Emily got up, picking her way around the room to sit next to her.

"Eventually the siblings came up with a plan. Middle Brother would go back in time and figure out what had sparked this. There had to be something, they thought, it couldn't just be the trauma of the death. Middle Child went back about twenty five years, leaving Baby Sister to help the rebellion while they waited. Ariel, are you sure you don't want to leave?"

"No, I'm fine. Sorry. I saw some of what – Oldest Brother did. I'm fine. Keep going."

Chris nodded, blinking rapidly. "Middle Child was twenty two when he travelled back. His brother had been evil for four years and almost destroyed the world. But in the past he was barely a year old and still good. Middle Child spent just over a year in the past, and in the end he and his parents and aunts saved Oldest Brother from the event that had shaped his world view, that had turned him so very cold. And his parents knew about it now, so they were able to watch as he grew up, to make sure he turned out good. The future version of Middle Child was killed fulfilling that mission. But his younger version had just been born, and he grew up with a loving Older Brother and a father who spent a lot of time with them.

"And then one day, when he was fourteen, he woke up with all the memories of his other self in his brain. Everything that other him had seen and thought and done. Older Brother got some from his other self, too, but not nearly so many or so clearly. Not enough to know how evil he could be. Baby Sister never got any at all.

"It was good, in a way. Middle Child knew spells he'd never learnt, he had experience, and his powers grew to match it. But – it also wasn't so good."

"Chris has problems with letting people get hurt," Parrish said quietly. "He has a lot of problems that aren't really his at all, and they get worse when he's fighting, because the other one spent so much time fighting. Life and death. He can't –"

"Enough, Parrish," Chris said quietly, turning and leaning his forehead against the wall.

"My turn," Xander said loudly, drawing attention away from him. "My story starts like all good stories, with a girl. The one girl in all the world. Let's call her...Muffy." Chris snorted a laugh; Xander grinned, continuing, "Muffy came to live in Sunnyhell, Califorbia, and on her first day a boy called Lander fell head over heels for her. Literally: skateboard, railing. Not a good combination.

"Muffy was beautiful in every sense of the word. She was also part of a mystical line of female warriors who were all triggered in adolescence and tended to die within a year or two. There was only ever one at a time. When he found out that she was secretly fighting evil every night Lander decided that he would help out. He and his friend Billow joined her in the fight, helped her as best they could. They even saved her life, once, when she'd been overpowered by an enemy. There was a man called Siles, too..."

"Sounds like a Bond villain," Vida noted.

"It does, doesn't it? He was even British, and his job was to help Muffy in any way he could – bar actually fighting with her, of course, his employers frowned on that. But Siles was a bit of a rebel, and he helped out, too. Later we even decided that it was because of our friendship that Muffy was able to fight as well and as hard and as long as she was.

"So Muffy and Lander, Billow and Siles became a team, fighting the good fight, killing bad guys. Other people came and went, but there were always those four. Unbreakable. Mostly they won. Sometimes they lost. They had friends who left, they had friends who died. And then..." He sighed. "Anya. Anya the beautiful, Anya the crazy. Anya the girl Lander would have married, but he screwed it all up. He hurt her, he hurt their friends, he hurt himself. And just as they were coming back together, the Hellmouth intervened and Anya was killed saving the world." He looked up, waiting until Chris turned to meet his eyes to continue. "I don't lose people. Not anymore. We'll help you deal, cos we're not losing you either. Got it?"

Chris nodded, folding his arms again. For a moment there was silence, until Emily sat up.

"Suddenly I feel very inadequate," she announced. "I just grew up with divorced parents and then went to the training house in Kansas. Although my father was very good at scaring my potential boyfriends away. Nothing like someone who knows if you're being honest when you're asked about your intentions."

"Nothing exciting here, either," Parrish agreed. "Chris and Wyatt got all the interesting in our family."

"Your father is a Cupid," Chris pointed out.

"Your father's an Elder. Half-breed doesn't mean exciting."

"I saved the world from evil magic-users," Vida said offhandedly.

"Me too," Taylor agreed. "But evil nature-spirits, not magic-users."

"I was part of a secret government lab that experimented on demons," Graham offered.

Ariel shrugged when they looked at her. "I see dead people. You knew that."

"Tell us about that," Emily said. "You've told me some things, but..."

"Do it properly," Xander added. "Once upon a time..."

"...there was a woman called Allison," Ariel said obediently. "She was married to a man called Joe, and they had three daughters, Bridgette, Marie, and Ariel. Allison and her daughters and her half-brother Michael had all inherited psychic powers. Allison's mostly came in the form of dreams, but sometimes she saw dead people or knew what people were thinking. She worked – I'm sorry, I can't keep that up. She works with the District Attorney and a local detective to help solve crimes, and she's very good at it. Bridgette mostly knows things. Marie – Marie sometimes knows what people are thinking, but she's also watched a TV channel we don't actually get and played an oboe perfectly the first time she picked it up."

"What about Joe?" Emily asked curiously.

Ariel smiled. "Joe is not at all psychic, not even a little bit, but he helps to ground Allison and deciphers her dreams with her. And sometimes, when it's all he can do, he sits with her while she makes things better."

"And you?" Vida asked. "I mean, Ariel?"

"Ariel had her first dream at ten years old. Saved the life of a girl three years older than her." Ariel shrugged. "I don't dream often, but I do know things. Without even trying, sometimes."

"Can you read minds?" Chris asked.

"Sometimes I can see a thought, but I usually have to be looking and you always have to be focusing on it very hard. I read the answer to a math problem out of my teacher's mind once. Nearly got expelled for that." Blinking, she looked across at Xander. "I heard that."

"Just testing."

"Xander!"

"Testing!"

"Don't think about pink elephants," she said warningly.

"Got it. No pink elephants. Geez, I thought it was bad when this happened to Bu – Muffy. Bumuffy, we used to call her."

"Think I'd get away with calling her that when we go back?" Vida asked Emily quietly.

"Sure. Just remember she's the Prime Slayer for a reason."

"Because of Lander and their friends, right?" Parrish said innocently.

"If you're going to call her Bumuffy to her face, let me know," Xander told them. "So's I can be elsewhere. Preferably a different planet."

"That seems more likely than not, now," Chris pointed out.

"Mmm. It does, doesn't it? Weird." He glanced up as a nurse tapped on the door, pushing it open. "Hi."

"Time for your sedative, Mr Harris. Doctor's orders."

"Right," he agreed, waiting until she'd given him the injection and gone before continuing, "Chris, take Emily and go find Sheppard. Apologise and take whatever punishment you have coming, got it?"

"Why Emily?"

"Because she did something similar when Vida went down on our test run, remember? Mitchell will have told Sheppard, and having her there may remind him that these instincts are built in. Plus, she can tell me how mad he is. Also and, I'm team leader and what I say goes. Now scatter."

Emily glanced at Vida, who nodded, slouching down slightly in her seat. Xander rolled his eyes but didn't object, watching as the others left.