Coreen sat in silence not knowing what emotion to feel. Should she be angry, sad, mad what? She didn't know. She wanted to start screaming or crying or something but she was just frozen.

"So, why did you get rid of me..us...whatever.." Coreen was cold, a first for her but considering the situation, understandable.

Gwen took in a deep breath and began her story:

She had met their father twenty five years earlier. As a lycan, they live a long time, have mates and move on. Many lycans only have one or two mates in their lifetime, some like Gwen, have more than one. Gwen would go long periods with no mate. Those are times when she would be nanny, like now for Vicki and Henry. Plus, she explained, after what happened to Coreen and her sister, her heart was broken. She couldn't handle something like that again.

The problem with Coreen's father was that he was a warlock, part of the magical people.

Coreen sighed, "You mean like Dr. Bombay on Bewitched? Seriously?"

Gwen giggled, she was so much like her father.

"What is so funny?" Coreen was agitated, she needed to hear everything and quickly. It had been a long time coming.

"I'm sorry, it's just you are so much like your father." Gwen said, her eyes misting a little.

"I am?"

"Yes, much more than you know."

"What's his name? Is he still alive? Why haven't you told me or looked for me before now?" So many questions all at once..there's Coreen Clark thought to himself.

Gwen told her that her father's name was Colin Able.

"Colin Able. That's a little ordinary for a warlock" Coreen said making quotation marks as she said warlock, rolling her eyes in the process.

"Trying to blend in, remember? The humans don't understand about all of the different species God created, so until they gradually learn, we have to blend."

Sadly, Gwen told her, he was not alive. That was one reason the twins were taken. The two councils did not like the mating and birthing of lycan/warlock babies. They both felt that their magical properties would be too great, uncontrollable. So they took them at birth, separated them and gave them up for adoption.

"What-you didn't love us enough to stop them?? Why didn't you just run away?? "Coreen was getting upset, she was starting to make weird noises when she talked, sounds that had never come out of her before.

"That's just it Coreen, that's how your father died, trying to keep them from taking you both. When they accidentally killed him, they had to cover it up. They made it look like a kidnapping. I was injured as well and out for two days. When I came to, you were gone. Both of you. I searched and searched, never finding you. The first time I saw you with Vicki, I had hope, I felt something but I was afraid. I found your sister, or rather she found us. Her abilities came out finally, even after they had tried to supress them with some kind of charm. It didn't last and yours didn't either. Today showed all of that."

Coreen began to understand now, Gwen was almost killed trying to protect her and her twin and her father was dead because of it. She was loved, she wasn't abandoned all those years ago. She was different but in a cool way, as she put it.

"So, I have these powers or whatever..how do I control them?" It had taken over an hour for her hand to return to normal.

Gwen put her hand on her cheek, Coreen immediately felt prickling all over her skin. It felt warm and enveloping, like an ocean of calm had washed over her. Unconditional love..this must be what it felt like.

Gwen told her they would help her, that her sister, Colleen, was still learning too.

"Do you forgive me?" Gwen asked through tear-filled eyes.

"Forgive you? What do you need forgiveness for?" Coreen reached over and gave her mother a big hug, the big kind of Coreen hug that only she could give.

"But, Vicki and Henry, they are still my family too.."Coreen wanted to make sure Gwen understood that.

"And mine as well, I would have nothing different." Clark was so relieved this had gone well, two women, lots of magic and emotional rollercoasters..what a ride!! He was glad it was over...

Vicki awoke to Henry staring at her, she bolted upright.

"What's wrong, are you okay?" she said.

He pulled her back down to him, all the while she was checking his wound out. It had completely healed, her prayers had been answered.

"Oh, I'm more than allright." he said.

They were facing each other in the bed. She had one leg thrown over his legs, they each had an arm draped over one another.

"Henry, I don't think I can't handle another scare like that." Vicki looked at him with serious eyes, scared and worried eyes.

"Me either." he said running his fingers through her hair, rubbing her cheek with his thumb.

"I promise, I'll never say I'll stake you ever again."

"Okay, I'll hold you to that." he just kept smiling at her, stroking her hair, rubbing her cheek.

"So, why are you laying there just staring at me like that?"

He leaned up on one elbow and with a quick flip, pushed her over on her back..he was touching her upper thigh..

"OH..." she started , but he covered her mouth with his, his tongue darting in and out..Henry was most definitely back...