The Mysterious Stranger

Spoilers: All Seasons

Disclaimer: I own nothing really, I mean unless I can claim the new timeline minus the characters.

Audrey sat nursing a coffee cup while waiting on Jennifer to arrive at The Grey Gull. She's asked Duke if she could meet with Jennifer there and the bartender practically begged her to accept his hospitality. While the romance had been different in another time, the same draw she felt to Nathan was happening with Duke and Jennifer all over again. She only hoped they got their happy ending too because while she wasn't sure of hers, she wanted her friends to have that happiness.

"Sorry I'm late." Jennifer walked in and over to where she sat at the bar. "I had to practically harass the new Chief of Police to show me where the nearest rental car place was. After that I drove here but it is really a long drive."

The girl sat down and Audrey poured her a cup of coffee, "Jennifer I think we should start talking about Hannah Drayer and the Barn, after that we can expand on information I have."

She listened as Jennifer started going on about her hearing the voices of Hannah Drayer, of a girl screaming and begging to be let out of a prison. She heard voices of a man named Howard, of how she remembered the voice itself like it had been a memory. Jennifer went into explaining how Hannah's begging to be let go was pointless because Howard had explained that while Hannah's sacrifice was unnecessary due to the fact Haven had taken care of matters, she'd nearly destroyed the town once so she'd stay in her prison.

"What do you mean by she destroyed the town?"

Jennifer shrugged, "I just heard about how she had no compassion and her powers were always used for pain instead of healing. I remember hearing something about how she begged for youthfulness and denied all but herself, using magic only to meet her own wishes and desires." Taking a sip of water the girl shrugged, "whatever that means."

Duke rushed in and looked at Audrey, "there you are, you might want to get down to the station. Apparently there is a big show down over a pregnant women, half the men in the town are there with guns with Vince and Nathan and the cops are trying to protect her."

"I have to go." Audrey picked up her jacket and started towards the door. "Duke watch Jennifer, she's the most important person in this town right now."

Jennifer looked up at her, "why am I important? I don't even belong in this town."

Audrey looked at the door before turning back to Jennifer and put her hands on her arms. "You are important because you are what stands between the extinction of a bloodline and this town's madness. I'll explain more later but I promise you, you are anything but crazy and you are important."

"But how am I important?"

Finally biting the bullet because of the situation in town and the woman before her, "you're a Patton witch and that is what The Guard fears the most, we are what they fear the most and they are on a witch hunt at the moment." Audrey grabbed Jennifer's hand, "I'll explain more later but I have to go."

She ran out and Jennifer held up her arms, "I'm a…witch?"

Duke put a hand on her arm, "come on, I'll make you lunch. Any preferences?"

"No not really." Her cheery disposition returned and Duke chuckled as he waved her towards the bar.

Audrey arrived at Haven PD to see The Guard outside with Vince in front, several men were by the door guarding the exits. She tried to the door but they pointed their rifles at her, which made her turn to see Vince.

"Tell them to let me in."

"Can't do that Officer Parker, they'll be either bringing Lena out with her baby and we do what has to be done or they come out to take her to the hospital and we're there." Vince motioned to one of his men and they walked over to try to grab her arm.

She placed her hand up, "don't try it." He grabbed her arm and a simple curl of her fingers made his hand move off her arm. "I warned you." Audrey walked over to Vince, "I won't let you hurt that baby."

"Miss Parker by now you must realize that saving a daughter of the Johansson and Patton Families is pointless. No one goes in or out until we either do what has to be done or the child is a boy." He leaned in and looked at her. "Don't make this a witch hunt."

Shaking her head Audrey backed up towards the door. "You already made it one when you started killing my nieces and granddaughters." His face slipped into confusion, "I'm the original Elizabeth Patton, it was my former life that died in 1688. I stopped The Troubles once before and I will again but not at the lives of innocents." She motioned to the door, "tell them to move or I'll move them myself."

Vince stared at her before motioning to his men and Audrey went up, they lowered their guns and let her through. On the other side of the door was Stan and Rafferty, both looked shocked as she closed the door. "Officer Parker…"

"Where is Chief Wuornos?"

"In the waiting area with Lena, she's about ready to give birth." Rafferty lowered her gun and Stan followed.

Audrey turned to the door and placed her hands on it, "blood of blood, light of light create a barrier to stop this fight. Protect the innocents within and let none pass with ill will."

She headed towards the waiting area to find Nathan and Joe Danners on the floor with Lena, who looked on the verge of birth. Nathan looked up as she bent down beside them. "All that knowledge come with childbirth?"

"Midwife, close enough." Audrey elbowed his arm and he moved, "okay Lena, how are you doing?"

She huffed through a contaction so her husband was the one to speak. "We were so afraid of what The Guard would do. I mean it's kept quiet so not even the police know but I heard the whispers through the family and I knew it this baby was a girl she wouldn't live an hour. Then the other day I heard Mark Sheen talk about how you and Chief Wuornos challenged Vince Teague in the coffee shop." He looked at Lena, "we knew you'd be able to protect our daughter, if it is a girl."

Audrey smiled at Lena, "I'm gonna take over for Nathan now okay? You're doing great, I know this is hard but we're going to get through this. Just think of your baby and that'll help with the pain, trust me."

"Do you have a kid?" Joe looked at her as she began checking Lena out. "You just seem like you've been through this before, on the receiving end."

She nodded and gave a sad smile, "I had a daughter, Natalie. She uh…she died a long time ago in a car accident, she was six. Before that I had a son but he died in a knife fight," Audrey looked up at him and gave a sad smile. "While I may not have been meant to be a mom, I'm meant to help people and that's what we're going to do. I'm going to help you and your baby."

Nathan watched Audrey as she wiped her forehead with her arm, part of him wondered about Natalie and why she hadn't told him. He knew it was probably a tough subject for her, as was indicative of how she spoke of the little girl. He watched her as she looked up at him and his first instinct was to help her in any way he could. "What do you need?"

"She's 6 cm, so this baby is on it's way. We need blankets, water bottles, a lighter, gloves, knife two twist ties and I need your watch."

"What about The Guard outside?" Joe looked up at her, "what if they come in."

Audrey shook her head, "they can't get in, I took care of that already."

"Are you sure?" Nathan touched her arm and Audrey nodded. "Okay, Joe why don't you help me find those supplies."

Vince Teague watched as the sun began to slowly lower itself in the sky, his men relaxed in some ways and just waited. Dave showed up and grabbed Vince's arm before dragging him to the hood of their truck.

"I found something in the Archives from 1688, it's from a local midwife and friend of Elizabeth Patton." He laid out a document, "she says that one night in 1688 before the full moon of the sixth month, June to be exact, a woman appeared out of a flash of light. She saw the woman while picking herbs and watched as the woman's face showed…identical to Elizabeth Patton. Well the woman disappeared till a week later when Elizabeth Patton herself introduced a woman that looked exactly like her as her cousin, Audrey Parker from Boston." He put his hands out, "what is Audrey Parker is really Elizabeth Patton?"

"Miss Parker has already confirmed that," he nodded to the station. "Lena's in there, no doubt in labor and Miss Parker all but threatened my men with witchcraft if we didn't let her in."

Dave grabbed his brother's arm, "Vince that is the last Patton witch you want to take on, she's the matriarch of the entire family. Taking on Elizabeth Patton would be worse than all The Troubles, why do you think Haven never burned her at the stake for witchcraft. Her gift comes from compassion and love, innately born in the family…not pure witchcraft, which is mostly evil. She can't do any harm with her magic, you know that the legend of Patton witches…the magic backfires and curses the holder if they use it to harm."

Audrey looked over at Nathan as he and Joe both held Lena's hands, she'd been progressing all day and it was nearing seven at night. Lena was finally pushing and Audrey was nodding as she coached the second time mom, apparently her first baby had been a boy and was with his grandmother at that moment.

"Good Lena, very good." Audrey nodded and smiled, "just one more big push."

Joe looked at his wife, "come on Lena, you can do this."

"Ahh…" Lena bore down as she pushed and Audrey laughed in joy as she held the baby up. The baby was crying a pink with good color, both mother and father looked on as the baby was placed on Lena's chest.

"Congratulations Lena, it's a girl."

Lena held her baby and cried, taking the tiny hand. "Hi there…" her attention turned to Audrey, "can you protect her from The Guard?"

"I promise she'll be safe." Audrey looked over at Nathan and he gave a small smile. "Just don't get her around this guy, he turns into a mush puddle with babies so he'd be useless."

An hour later Audrey was cleaning herself up in the bathroom when a knock was placed on the door, followed by Nathan walking in to look at her. He smiled and watched as she wiped her face with a wet paper towel. "That was amazing what you did."

"How long before The Troubles show up?" Audrey threw the paper towel away, "how long before another Patton daughter is killed?" Looking at Nathan she shook her head, "how can I protect her when Vince will launch a witch hunt on me?"

Nathan took her hand and held it, "you're right, he's afraid of The Troubles but you see him around you. Since he figured out who you are he'd been very edgy, like he's afraid of you…of what you are. I think he fears you more than he fears The Troubles."

"How is Lena and the baby?"

Nathan opened the door and they walked out into the hall, "well they chose a name finally." He motioned for her to go ahead of him in the waiting area.

Audrey walked over and bent down beside Lena and Joe, "how is she doing?"

"She's perfect." Joe smiled and touched his daughter's nose. "We wanted to ask you if you'd be offended if we named our daughter after yours? We were thinking of Natalie Marie Danners, if you don't mind. You mentioned your daughter didn't live very long and ours wouldn't be alive without you so we'd like to honor her memory."

That shocked Audrey and she nodded with a few tears in her eyes, "of course, Natalie always did love other people and I think she'd be thrilled that someone was named after her."

"Audrey…" she turned at Nathan's voice and saw him by the table starring at his hand. Her eyes went wide as he realized what he did. "I think…"

She stood up and walked over to him, taking his hand in hers. "Do you feel my hand?"

"Yes, that's good right?"

"No Nathan it's not," she looked over at the parents and baby. "It means The Troubles are back and the Patton bloodline is responsible once again." Shaking her head Audrey whispered to him, "everything I did was for nothing, it's happening all over again."

"We'll find a way." Nathan took her hand and held it, pulling so he eyes met his. "I promise."

A/N: And they are back! Okay I know the story has progressed a bit more quickly than usual but it's Haven, a sleepy town without Troubles just doesn't work very well.

Next Audrey draws on everything she knows for prevention but she has to make sure Vince never gets wind of what Duke and Simon Crocker are capable of. Also Jennifer learns a bit more about herself and we'll meet the mysterious Hannah Drayer as well as Agent Howard (though Howard will be in for a surprise he is not ready for...for once!).