Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy.

Bold = thoughts

Disclaimer: I don't own Sanctuary or any of it's characters.

Chapter 11

(Somewhere on the grounds of the Old City Sanctuary - October 20, 1995)

A young Ashley Magnus is sitting with her back against a tree, hugging her knees to her chest. Her eyes are red and slightly puffy from crying.

"There you are, young lady. We've been looking for you for almost half an hour," a young brunette woman says in mock anger, as she and a young blonde male round the tree. The brother and sister smile brightly at the child.

Ashley launches herself at the new comers, "Talia! Mir! You came!"

"Well, of course we did," Natalija answers cheerfully.

"We told you we would," Vladimyr agrees with a smile.

The girl looks down at the ground, "Henry said you were figments of my imagination. And when you didn't show up for my birthday party, I thought, maybe, he was right."

"We're so sorry, Ashley. We were delayed with work," the woman says.

Her brother adds, "And we had to stop and pick up your birthday present."

"A present?" she inquires, eyes alight. "What is it? Where is it? Can I have it now?"

"Slow down, Ashley," Vladimyr laughs, "You'll make yourself dizzy."

Natalija takes a small wrapped box from her pocket and holds it out to the blonde girl, "Happy Birthday, Ashley!"

Ashley takes the present and holds it close to her chest. She smiles up at her two friends. It takes all her self control not to tear into the wrapping.

"Well, go ahead and open it," both of them say at the same time. They are delighted as she rips the paper off, letting it drift to the ground in her rush to see what is inside.

With the paper discarded, Ashley gingerly cradles the small white box in her hands. She slowly removes the lid to reveal a silver and copper link chain with a silver five pointed star adorning the toggle clasp. Engraved across the star are characters she cannot read. She looks up in wonder and confusion at the two young adults standing in front of her.

"It says zauvek," Vladimyr answers her unasked question, "It means 'forever' in Serbian."

Natalija holds out her own wrist, indicating the chain wrapped around it, "It matches mine and Mir's. It's to remind you that no matter how far apart we are, we will be forever linked."

"Whenever you feel like you are all alone, you can look at it and know we are thinking about you," Vladimyr adds.

"It's beautiful. I love it," Ashley whispers, tears filling her blue eyes. "Can you help me put it on?"

"Of course," Natalija answers as she takes the chain from the girl's hands. She loops it around her neck and threads the toggle through the loop, letting the charm dangle freely. Gently pulling Ashley's hair from under the chain, she says, "There. Now we're a matching set."

Ashley hugs first Natalija, then Vladimyr, "I'm so glad you're my friends."

As she watches Ashley drag Vladimyr away to see her latest discovery, Natalija smiles sadly. I wish things could stay like this forever.


If you're wondering how I got Ashley's birth date, please read closing notes for Chapter 9. Thanks for reading. Until next time.