"I don't know how I feel about Molly ditching me at the dance," Junior said to his mother. "I mean, it was probably a good thing, but she left before we even got there. And then I kissed her to try and make it up to her, you know? But she got this look on her face when we kissed like she'd just eaten something disgusting. I think I had good instincts when it came to not liking her as more than a friend."

"I suppose so," Mary nodded. "But I'm just…I'm really proud you gave Molly a chance anyway. Did you have a good time anyway?"

"Yeah…" Junior nodded. "Sarah even let me have a dance with her while Finn glowered from the sidelines."

Mary smiled. "I hope you didn't gloat too much."

"I didn't," Junior smiled. "Sarah even told me I was a really good dancer."

"Did she?" Liam smiled. "That's nice."

"What else happened?" Sean asked. "Anything interesting? Anyone die or have magic go awry?"

"No," Junior shook his head and gave his uncle a look. "Why do you think that something like that would happen?"

Sean shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "You have to be prepared for anything."

"I know you're happy," Liam said. "But Sarah is still your cousin. You'll never have a future with her."

"So I should just leave her to Finn," Junior huffed. "Is that what you're saying?"

"If you're interested in her being happy, I think you should," Liam nodded.

"Oh, all right," Junior sighed. "But I think being with him is gonna lead to more trouble than she deserves." He then left his family and went to his room where he called Sarah's phone. She didn't answer and it went to her voice mail. "Sarah, it's Sean," he said. "I know you're probably out with Finn right now and I'm not calling to scold you for that or anything, but…just know that if you ever get into trouble, you can call me, and I'll be there in a flash, all right? Love you." He then ended the call, put his phone back on his bedside table, and stared up at the ceiling.


Meanwhile, back in the living room, the adults were talking among themselves.

"Do you think we should be worried about Junior's infatuation with Sarah?" Mary asked. "Maybe we should introduce him to some other girls. That wouldn't hurt, would it?"

"I don't think that will help anything," Eva replied. "When a person wants one person in particular, the last thing that will change their minds is trying to get them interested in someone else."

"Listen to her," Sean told his sister firmly. "She knows what she's talking about. She's like the poster child for that."

"All right, all right," Mary backed off. "It was just a suggestion. What do you suggest we do about it?"

"Nothing more," Sean said. "We told him what we feel about the situation and now it's up to him what to do."

"You really think that's best?" Mary asked skeptically. "What if we end up dancing at their wedding?"

"Then that's what happens, although hopefully good sense will prevail before then and Junior will realize that it's better for him and Sarah to be friends and nothing else," Liam said firmly.

"Well," Mary sighed and leaned against her husband. "That's what we can all hope for, can't we? That something will happen to convince Junior that he and Sarah should just be friends and that's it."

"And if we get desperate, we can ask your dad to make some sort of potion makes them hate each other and stick in their food," Liam smiled and kissed Mary's hair. "Your dad's good at that stuff, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't think he'd do it," Mary replied. "Other than when he made Mom miscarry because he wasn't ready to be a father, he's not real enthusiastic about doing things that take away people's free will."

"He's not?" Liam huffed. "Well, that's disappointing. "I guess we'll just have to think of something else then, won't we?"

"Yes," Mary said and kissed him. "And the family will be better for it."


"Thank you so much for helping me with this," Finn told Sarah as they stood outside of Kai and Victoria's house a few days later. "I've been avoiding my birth parents forever and I just…I need to go face them. I mean, true I promised that I would meet my parents alone, but I'm sure that given how nerve-wracking it is to be with someone so dark and dangerous that I barely know, they won't mind my having someone with me."

"No problem," Sarah replied. "I'm here for you. You know that."

He then took a deep breath and went inside, thankful that it would be his birth father he would be talking to this time around and not Edele cause she was apparently keeping a close eye on Kai and Victoria so they wouldn't interrupt the meeting. He'd already had enough of her for one lifetime.

"I thought you said that we would be talking alone," John the Phoenix told him with a frown as it became clear that Finn wasn't alone. "Weren't those your exact instructions?"

"Well, yes, but this is the first time we talked, so I thought a little back up wouldn't hurt," Finn said. "Sarah's not dangerous or evil. She's my friend. She won't hurt you."

"She might not hurt," The Phoenix told him. "But I do." He put a spell on Sarah that made it seem like shocks were going through her body. Finally, she fell to the floor, twitching.

"All right," The Phoenix said and grabbed Finn as Sarah reached for her phone to call Junior. "Let's go."


"Are you okay?" Eva asked when Junior carried the half-conscious Sarah into the house and laid her on the sofa. "Oh, my god. What happened?"

"You didn't run into Edele, did you?" Mary asked worriedly. "She's bad news."

"No, thankfully, we didn't run into Edele," Junior told his mother. "Apparently she's got someone else with her, though. Sarah went with Finn to meet his birth father who's Edele's boyfriend. He promised he would come alone, so Sarah's presence wasn't looked on kindly and he zapped her. She stayed conscious enough to call me, but conked out in the car on the way over here and just woke up when I brought her in."

"Where am I?" Sarah asked woozily. "Junior, what happened?"

"You got hurt," Junior told her firmly. "Finn made you get hurt. But you're away from him now and we're gonna make you better before taking you back to your mother and father, all right?" He kissed her forehead. "You're gonna be okay."

Sean made her a potion that got her strength up so she could at least sit by herself and then Mary asked, "All right, what happened?"

"Finn and I went to his house because he wanted company when he met his birth father, but since he'd promised before that he would come alone, my presence wasn't exactly welcome and he zapped me and took Finn away." She gasped and grabbed Junior by his collar. "He's missing!" She said, her eyes wide. "That awful man took him and we have to get him back! He could be dead by now for all we know!"

"All right, all right," Junior told her. "Lie down now. You've been through a lot and you don't want to get overwrought."

Sarah frowned. "You don't want to find Finn at all, do you? I know you don't like him, but I thought you'd be a better person than to be so petty as to let him die or be hurt just because you want my attention."

"Of course I want him to be found because I want you to be happy," Junior told her patiently. "But do you really think I'm the right person to be in charge of the entire rescue operation? I don't have that kind of pull."

"But I do," Liam assured her. "I'll help."

"Yeah, and he's my cousin's son, so I'll help too," Sean added.

"And me," Mary said. "Having Edele or anyone connected with her on your tail is not a fun thing, so I'm gonna make sure he gets out all right."

"And I'll come too, Eva added from the sofa as she filed her nails. "That should go without saying."

"Thank you," Sarah smiled. "Thank you, everyone."


"So how are you doing now?" Adrian asked Kai. "Want another drink?"

"No," Kai said as he paced around the living room. "I can't believe this. I bet my mother is laughing herself sick now. Thank goodness Molly was at your house where they couldn't take her too." He then paused and looked at his friend. "I know you want to help and it's so nice of you to be here for moral support, but can you go by your house and stay there with Molly? I think your time would be better spent there."

"I understand why you would think that," Adrian told his friend patiently. "But I really think she can take care of herself."

"I don't know," Kai said doubtfully.

Adrian sighed and then called Molly. "Hey," he said. "Your dad's really nervous about you being alone on account of what happened to your brother. He wants you to come home so he can keep an eye on you."

"Does he?" Molly asked, and then in the next few seconds, she'd zapped herself home and was right in Kai's face. "All right, big brother, I'm home. Are you happy now? You can watch me every minute if you want to."

"You do realize that your brother was snatched from this house and the same thing could happen to you if you're not careful, right?" Kai told her. "And that the person kidnapping you will probably be the same person who murdered you when you were a baby so your Uncle Adrian and I had to get you a whole new body?"

"Yeah," Molly nodded. "I know that. But I don't think it's anything to lose your head over. Nothing gets accomplished that way."

"Just stay where someone will see you, all right?" Kai asked. "Please?"

"Oh, all right," Molly sighed. "I will."

She went in search of her mother, who cried out in relief when she saw her and gave her a big hug. "I'm so glad you came back!" She said.

"I'm glad you're happy," Molly replied, her voice muffled. "But doesn't anyone think I can take care of myself here?"

"Of course we do," Victoria assured her. "We're just dealing with some very powerful magical people here and we don't want you to get hurt." She sat back down and began ripping up tissues from the box beside her and throwing them on the floor. "I'm gonna feel so much better when your grandparents and mine get here, along with Malachai. I figure two couples from my family against one couple from your dad's makes us about even. Don't you think?"

"Let's hope so," Molly replied. "Cause it seems like we're screwed if it doesn't. I mean, I don't think that, but everyone else does."

"And with good reason," Victoria told her. "Just you wait and see."