A/N: Thanks for the reviews!

Elsie felt a shift and frowned. Something was happening to someone from her family.

The question was – who?

None of her family were still alive.

She was the last of her line.

The only answer she could come up with, was that whatever was happening was in the past, but that still didn't answer the who part of her query.

Why would anyone go back into her timeline and change something?

Then a flash of something hit her and she staggered back against her bed, falling down with a huff as she gripped her head against the images.

Everything seemed to be in fast forward, spinning and spinning faster and faster in her head until all she could do was tighten her grip in a desperate attempt to stop the chaos.

"Help me!" she cried out. "Please, help me!"

Over and over again she screamed her pleas, but no one seemed to be about to help her.

She could feel herself growing weaker and weaker, feeling a burning spreading through her as pressure began to build up, making her feel as though she were about to explode.

"Please!" she screamed again. "Oh god, please someone help me!"

No matter how much she begged, the door to her room stayed closed.

She didn't understand what was happening or why the people that had been taking such good care of her had suddenly abandoned her.

She could make out images of Sybil Crawley but they were all going by so fast that they were nothing more than confusing.

She'd only met Sybil when she'd gone back in time to save her from dying a senseless death in childbirth, but none of the scenes that were passing before her mind's eye were of any time she'd spent in the young woman's presence.

Why was she seeing Sybil as an old woman?

Or was that Miss Sybie, or Katie as she'd been named when Sybil had lived instead of dying after giving birth.

CnE

"Let me go to her. Please!" Kenda begged. "Please!"

"You can't. If we open the door it will break the seal and we'll lose her. I promise that you can go to her and stay with her as soon as this is over, but we have to wait until our displays show the brain activity has calmed."

"What's happening?"

"Her very existence is being threatened. Sybil Crawley Branson was Elsie's grandmother many generations back."

Kenda looked at the person pointing at screens. "You mean Elsie was sent back in time to save her own great grandmother how many ever generations back? How was that possible?"

"It's possible because she gave birth and her bloodline was continued through young Miss Katie Branson. Now, Sybil Crawley has been struck down before she's married so there is no way for her bloodline to continue."

"That's why Elsie is in such torment? She's being…" she started but was cut off.

"Whoever made sure Sybil Crawley died in her past is trying desperately to keep Elsie from existence, but she's safe as long as we have her here. Her room is made of special technology that protects her from anything that might harm her. Do you know who Elsie really is?"

Kenda frowned. "Of course I do. It's you that I don't know who you are. You just snatched me up and took me somewhere that I still have no clue where I am and you've kept me hidden from my Elsie."

"She isn't just Elsie Hughes. She is Time. She is – X'ronos."

Kenda blinked and turned back to look at the monitor, watching Elsie as she curled into a ball on her bed. "That explains it," she whispered, her heart aching with each plea that left Elsie's mouth.

"Explains what?"

"She's always been able to manipulate time anyway she chose to. Sometimes it just happens when she's extremely shocked. Time seems to stand still for her in certain situations. She's always just thought it was another of the powers she took from the Hughes bloodline."

"No. It is because she is time itself. The powers she took from the Hughes bloodline have only enhanced her body's control of time."

"I can't watch this anymore. When I can go to her, call for me."

"We're sorry."

"Why didn't you let me in before this started? Why bring me here and keep me from her?"

"Because we knew she would need someone after this was over. And we couldn't have let you in with her. Only one of us could enter the room before the transition. We have no ties to her. We are made to not interfere with the technology of the room, but even one of us couldn't be in the room now. She would kill us with the pain that's radiating off of her."

Kenda nodded then hurried from the room. Her Elsie's cries echoing after her, ringing in her ears.

This was all nearly too much to take in.

The Elsie that Kenda had always known was the Óra the legend of the Ancient One spoke of.

Kenda had been so sure that she would never see Elsie again, she knew she was dying, but then she'd been whisked away and suddenly she was healed and wondering what in the world was going on and where she was.

She now knew what was going on, but she still didn't know where she was. For that matter, she didn't even know who these people were.

None of them seemed to have names. And all of them were pale skinned and grey eyed.

She'd begun to wonder if this was some sort of secret society.

Then she laughed.

Of course they were a secret society.

They were hidden away underground with no markings that one could see that would tell who they were.

It was enough to make a person feel like they'd gone mad.

That thought made Kenda think of Elsie again.

Her poor lass.

At least once it was safe, she could go to Elsie and comfort her as she'd always done.

She wondered if they had any Scotch about.