A/N: Well, it's a little over a week until my 16th birthday, so I'm gonna update all my stories (even the one I hadn't touched in seven months) as my birthday presents to all you guys.

I only own V and Elena Starkweather.

Izzy ran to hug her mother. "Mom! What are you doing here? I thought you were still looking into where we found V."

She embraced her daughter back briefly. "We closed the investigation. The Silent Brothers, the Iron Sisters, and every resource we had were called in. the warlocks were incompetent, the faeries spoke in riddles, Lucian only seemed to find dead ends, even with his entire pack called in, and the Vampires refused to cooperate. We found the causes of death, but Valentine was quite effective in erasing them from existence. We couldn't even find birth records in the two year gap that the victims were born in. so; we are putting the girls to proper rest. That is why I must speak with V."

Jace, who was leaning against the wall, spoke. "The bastard knew how to cover his trail. Did you really think you would find anything?"

She regarded her adopted son with a nod. "In fact, we did find something interesting: two large bowls filled with liquid: in one, the liquid was gold. In the other one, the liquid was such a dark red that it was almost black. We also found a room full of objects: a table with straps, scalpels, weights, stele's, books with forbidden runes, and razor blades. It appeared to be some sort of torture chamber"

Izzy remembered what V had told her. He tortured me… He performed 'tests'… My body rejected the last 'treatment' he gave me. "By the Angel," she said aloud, covering her mouth. Raziel only knew what he did to her.

Maryse nodded and headed inside.

XXXXX

V was now sitting on the edge of the bed, conversing with Alec. "So now Raveners are so pathetic that a mundie with a Sensor can take one down? God, I sure was out for a while. When I was eleven, my dad had a hard time killing one. They must be getting sloppy."

"So, what was he like? Your dad, I mean."

The door swung open to show Maryse, bags under her icy blue eyes and skin even paler than usual. "Alec, I need to speak with V privately for a moment. There are some Clave reports that need to be reviewed." Alec nodded and left. He knew better than to challenge his mother. Closing the door behind him, she said, "We're closing the investigation."

V sat bolt upright. "What do you mean? Why? I can come in. I'll show you the secret room and—"

Maryse put up a hand to stop her. "this investigation is for full-fledged members of the Clave. We're closing it because we found all there was to find. We picked the place clean, and we did find the secret room. We took DNA sample for the Silent Brothers to match, but we couldn't find any matches. It's like the five of you never existed. Birth records for girls born in Idris in the age range that you were were destroyed. Another reason that I wanted to speak with you was that we wanted to put the girls to rest. No one knows who their families are, so the Clave wants you to perform the ceremony. Will you be able to do that?"

V closed her eyes and swallowed. Thinking of the other four girls was hard on her. She remembered how they would call her, the youngest, 'brave' or 'strong' for hiding her sickness and standing up to Valentine. If only they could see me now… she thought. "When is the ceremony?"

"Tomorrow at dawn."

"I'll be able to do that."

Just then, a door cracked open as a woman asked for Maryse. She looked at V for a moment, her eyes wide with something akin to recognition. She had evenly tanned skin with honey blond hair and chocolate eyes. Seeing the woman sent a memory to V, too. She knew her, she just didn't know how.

Outside the door, V heard the two talking.

"Maryse has the girl made any headway on memory recovery?" the somehow familiar woman asked nervously.

"She says she has some images and memories, but nothing toward the effect of a name or family. I'm sorry, Elena. I know you haven't been the same since she died. It probably isn't her." Maryse said something else as their voices faded down the hall.

There was a knock on the door. "V? Its' Izzy. I want to see how you're doing." V got up and opened the door. Izzy walked in, specifically avoiding looking at the bloodstained carpet near the bathroom. "So what did my mom want to talk to you about?"

"A memorial service for the other four girls. Your mom wants me to perform the ceremony."

"Oh."

"Also did you see your mom walking out with a blond woman?"

"Yeah. Her name is Elena Starkweather. She's Hodge's—my old tutor's—younger sister. She's here from Idris for the investigation, and maybe for her brother's teaching position."

"So, tell me about what I missed in the past five years."

XXXXX

Jonathan Stood in the cellar that Valentine had held his 'gifts' for him as he cursed. Everything—from the bodies, to the journals, to the smallest drop of blood—was gone. Then he remembered: there was a fifth girl, who was treated much worse than the others. He opened the door showing a room as bare as the others, if not colder. However, while he felt nothing in the other rooms, he felt a slight tug in his gut standing in the room. This girl was alive, and she had won. Got you, Jonathan thought.

XXXXX

V lay sleeping on her bed. After all the excitement, she felt as though she could sleep for a good while.

She found herself in that awful cell, bare and cold as ever. But there was something different: Jonathan—don't ask her how she knew it was him, she just did—standing in the center of the room. His cold black eyes, so very like his father's, somehow found her own as he smiled darkly. "Got you," he said. "You can't run from me. I will find you, and when I do, you will fulfill your purpose," his eyes ran hungrily down her body, lingering at certain places, "many, many times."

He grabbed her and pulled her into a heated kiss, forcing his tongue into her mouth.

A/N: Well, yeah, that's a cliffhanger, and more than a little suggestive. But don't worry. And remember: reviews make excellent birthday presents! :D Until next time, this is O.G. signing out.