Adam is giving Kenzi another sword fighting lesson. This one centers on deception or what some would call cheating. To Adam, only the outcome of a fight matters. Honor and fair play are for losers. As they work, Adam says "I understand that you've saved two humans…and took their place feeding fae." Kenzi smile proudly. "That was remarkably…stupid." Kenzi reacts to this harsh statement, her face hardening into an expression of disgust. "What did I tell Grace the night we met? Mortals die, fae die, even immortals die, you cannot change that fact. What you must make sure of is that we keep our existence secret."

Kenzi counters "Martha already knew about us. She didn't know I was an immortal until she saw the sword, but she knew of our existence. The cabbits didn't drain me. None are wiser than before." Adam listens shaking his head. "So what happens next? Are you going to save every mortal human? In case you didn't notice, mortal humans are not an endangered species, although Heaven knows they are trying. They will keep sending more." Kenzi responds "I can't let them kill kids…I can't let old fae starve to death…I have unlimited chi…. What else can I do?" Adam looks at her and slowly shakes his head as if to say 'you don't know?'

"What!?" Kenzi says in exasperation. Adam smiles slightly "You aren't without influence." Kenzi lowers her blade. "Hale? He was a bit of a rebel, but since becoming Ash he's bound by tradition." Adam nods. "So you're going to quit? You're going to turn chicken? " Adam imitates a chicken before continuing. "Not the Kenzi I know. How many fae have you faced down while believing you were a fragile mortal?" Kenzi is shocked and hurt. "You want me to threaten or kill Hale?" Adam shakes his head as if Kenzi is clueless. "No. Do you know how much went into making him Ash? He's the most human friendly… He's the best person to be Ash and you are the person to…" Adam stops.

"You don't have influence over the Light Fae…" Kenzi ponders on what she just said and comes to a shocking conclusion. "You're working with Cassandra… You've been working with Cassandra for a very long time…" Adam smiles slightly. "You want me to… spy-bang him?" She says in shock, Adam's smile disappears and he shakes his head. "As cute as you are, I don't think he'll change policy to get you into bed."

Kenzi stares at him, confused but relieved. "Then what?" Adam puts his sword back in his coat. "You'll figure it out." He starts to walk away saying. "Small steps Kenzi. Look at the whole board. Look at time as an immortal."

"I've only been immortal about three months." She calls after him. Without turning around he waves. "Why can't Cassandra do something?" Adam stops and says something without turning around which sends a chill down Kenzi's spine. "She doesn't care as much as you do."

Kenzi runs after him. "Why?" Adam sends another chill down Kenzi. "Because she is too much of an immortal…like me. You are precisely the right person, in precisely the right place, at precisely the right time."

Adams starts to walk away again. "But what do I do?" Kenzi call after him. Walking away he shrugs. "You'll figure something out."

At the safe house, Bo gingerly and cautiously approaches Grace as she is seated on the couch looking at some clothes she purchased for Thirty-four. "Has he figured out she'll be there a long time?" She asks. Grace crinkles her nose. "I think it is dawning on him. I don't think raising a human child, especially a girl, was something he's ever considered. What do you think?" Grace holds up a dress. "I think it is lovely, but perhaps not very practical for living in a blacksmith's shop. The jeans and sweatshirt will get more use." Seeing the disappointment on Grace's face she adds "But every girl should have a dress for special occasions."

"You're limping." Grace observes. Bo nods. "I got into a bit of a fight. I had a disagreement with a Fae about Lauren." Grace checks Bo. "You have several broken ribs. You may have other internal injuries. The bruises look like hoof prints. Did you fight a horse?" Bo winces. "A centaur actually… I didn't anticipate him turning around and kicking. He was hung like a horse though…" Grace responds "We need to get you to the hospital." Bo shakes her head. "I just need to feed…" Grace nods and thinks "Where?" Bo smiles and looks to Grace "I won't feed from a human and as Kenzi pointed out, feeding from a Fae is feeding from a human by proxy…" Grace glances around nervously "Oh….."

Bo leads Grace to her bed. Grace looks at it with some dread. "Are you ahhhh…? Do I have to….?" Bo is puzzled then shocked. "Oh no… I know you aren't… But if you want to add more… nourishment you could … fantasize about whatever makes you…" Grace nods somewhat relieved "You're chi is delicious even without…"

Bo maneuvers Grace to the bed and gets her to lie down and lies down next to her. Bo watches as Grace closes her eyes slowly develops a slight aura of sexual excitement and she begins to feed. Grace passes peaceably and Bo waits beside her as she recovers.

Grace opens her eyes and gets her bearings "What was the fight about?" she asks. "Old Paint said they should let Lauren starve to death. I don't think Hale would go that far, but she's lost a lot of weight and she's weak. When I was there last, she'd found a few kernels of unpopped popcorn and popped them one at a time over a Bunsen burner. She's also found a few tic-tacs under the couch cushion. I've got a plan, and as large a cooked sausage as I can fit… She should pick the next human and I'll rescue them… It's worked twice before. We can do it again and if she picks one it will be over." Grace listens and says "Lauren is in danger. Even if they are giving her some vitamins and essentials in what she drinks it has gone on a long time…and there is nobody there to know. But you know, she'll never pick a human even knowing they may be rescued." Bo's eyes tear up.

"Even if you get some food to her, it won't stop. She won't violate her oath..." Grace says and Bo adds "and Hale is trapped between this and even worse options unless he's willing to defy the Light Elders…and his father." Grace nods. "Kenzi can't keep saving humans without immortals being discovered. If the fae learn about us, it is only a matter of time before the Watchers discover the fae…" Bo drops her head saying. "…which leads to a war between the humans and the Fae." Grace nods.

Bo and Grace go downstairs to find Kenzi watching TV, eating sausage, and drinking beer. "Did you test fit that?" Grace whispers. Bo looks at Grace still in shock and nods. "Should we tell her?" Grace asks. Bo shakes her head. "Kenzi, want more beer to wash that down?" Grace asks and Kenzi nods without stopping her chewing. Grace goes toward the kitchen trying to suppress a laugh. Bo just stares in shock. When Grace returns with an ice cold beer Kenzi asks "Want some?" Grace barely manages to answer with a straight face "No thanks." And Kenzi cuts off another piece saying "more for me."

Grace takes Bo out to the kitchen. Bo looks worried that her plan failed. "I'll make a replacement that will have more nourishment and hold her hunger off longer." Grace looks around the kitchen, but there is very little to work with and she heads out to search for the ingredients she needs.

After dinner, as night falls Bruce finds himself with a tiny human searching through his home for something to do. "What do you do here?" she asks. Bruce responds "I read, I sit by the fire and think, I go to bed and sleep…" Thirty-four pouts "You don't have any games? You don't have any music… good music?" Bruce shakes his head. Thirty-four puts her arms over her head in surrender.

"Did you finish the book?" he asks and she says "The ending was sad, but good I guess." Bruce nods. "Would you like to read another book?" Thirty-four sighs "I guess. What is it about?" Bruce smiles "Well, it is about fairies. They once lived among humans, but they went into hiding and gradually people stopped believing in them." Thirty-four pouts "It sounds like another sad book." Bruce shakes his head. "They didn't go away. They are all around us living in secret. You just need to know how to look. You might even know some already." Thirty-four crosses her arms and gives him a scolding look. "You are teasing me. Everybody knows fairies aren't real." Bruce cocks his head. "Perhaps yes, perhaps no…but isn't maybe more fun. Not knowing makes you think…makes you see the wonder in the world." Thirty-four ponders this and asks "What would they be like?" Bruce smiles "Well, just like people; some are good, some are bad. But they should have magical powers, because they wouldn't be fairies if they didn't. Right?" Thirty-four nods in agreement, after all what good would it be to have fairies if they were just like regular people.

Bruce gives Thirty-four a book on Fae history from his childhood and then starts a fire in the fireplace to take the edge off the cold night air spilling down the valley. Thirty-four starts to read. Bruce says "I know Thirty-four is your name, but I'd like to call you something else, something that isn't also a number." Thirty-four cocks her head "Some call me Four, some call me Bunny." Bruce nods "How about Hazel or Fiver?" Thirty-four's eyes light up. "Hazel" she says. Bruce nods "Henceforth, you shall be known as Hazel."

After allowing Hazel to read for awhile and getting one of his shirts, Bruce says. "You should shower while I prepare the couch as a bed." Hazel shakes her head "I want to read more." Bruce gives her the shirt and counters "You can read after you're tucked in. Here, you can sleep in this." Hazel takes it and slinks off to take her shower and prepare for bed.

When she returns she is in a cocoon made from every towel Bruce owns, which is three, including the two he bought for Grace. There is one around her hair and two wrapping her tiny frame. She says "I can't go to bed now, my hair is wet. I looked for a shower cap, but there wasn't one." Bruce slumps in defeat. "I don't own one. I have no hair." Hazel plunks herself down in his favorite chair next to the fire with the book to read about fairies.

Bruce relegates himself to the couch and starts to read his own book. "What are you reading?" Hazel asks. Bruce holds up the book he's got, "The Hobbit." Hazel nods knowingly. "It's a kid's book. But I liked it. Dyson said you were like a large hobbit. But you're not. You're house sort of reminds me of a hobbit hole, but it isn't underground and the doors aren't round…but it does mean comfort." She looks around approvingly. "I like it. But it would be better with some computer games." Bruce nods "I'm glad you like it."

"Why do you think "The Hobbit" is a kid's book?" Bruce asks. Hazel looks at him like she was a teacher of a child that wasn't getting it. "Because the plot moves along a single path… Adults don't think we can follow more than one, but we can multitask. My generation is very good at it." She proudly says as if it should be obvious.

Bruce smiles "You need to see more deeply. It's like a pond, you may see many things on the surface but if you don't see things moving beneath you won't know the whole story. It is good to be quick, but it can be better to be still. It is best to be both. A cat pretends to sleep in order to see more." Hazel cocks her head "You're silly. How can you be quick and slow at the same time?" Bruce grins "Not slow, still." He takes her book and holds up a finger bidding her not to move. "Sit…still and watch the fire…one minute." Within seconds Hazel is fidgeting, long before the minute is up she says "This is stupid." Bruce chuckles. "Don't laugh at me…" she says hurt. "I'm sorry." He responds. He feels her hair and senses it is dry. "Come with me." He gives her his coat and leads her outside. The coat makes her feel tiny and her feet are cold, but most of her is warm within the towels and heavy coat.

"Look" he says pointing to the night sky. Hazel looks in awe. She has never been outside at night away from lights so that the Milky Way is visible. She nearly loses her balance. "What is happening? Why is that part of the sky lighter?" Bruce smiles "Stars, millions of stars. That is the Milky Way. When you look at the light from them, you are seeing back into time. The galaxy is a hundred thousand light years across. Their light started its journey to your eyes thousands of years ago. Some of those points of light are other galaxies and their light left millions of years ago, before there were people…before there were dinosaurs… Are you seeing deeper now?" Hazel stands still staring and occasionally blinking, transfixed.

Bruce allows her a long time trying to digest what she's seeing. "Most of the elements that you are made of can only be created in the heart of stars. What you are made of … came from out there." Hazel looks at him and slowly blinks then nods.

"But there is something else. There is a force, a life force, called chi which permeates all of what you see. Most of the creatures of this planet can absorb it slowly as it washes over them. But fairies cannot do this simple thing that even primitive single celled creatures can do. Instead, they steal it from those that can. Fairies can do many things and believe they are better than humans because they can. Never believe that. Humans can live without fairies, fairies cannot live without humans. While you read that book, keep reminding yourself that fairies can be powerful, they can be dangerous, they can do magical things, but in the end they are parasites and not superior to humans."

Hazel turns back to stare at the Milky Way. A pinprick of light moves across the sky from west to east, "What is that?" Hazel asks pointing and Bruce explains "A satellite, perhaps the International Space Station… a monument to human ingenuity and determination."

"You said fairies might exist… 'maybe'… you said, 'maybe' is more fun… But I think that you believe they do." Hazel asks. Bruce smiles "Perhaps."

The next morning Bruce goes to the living room expecting to find Hazel asleep on the couch but she's not there. He quickly looks around and sees signs that she's been eating in the kitchen but the house is empty. Frantic he looks outside and does not see her near the forge. To his horror, he sees some wet footprints on the rocks on the far side of the stream. The footprints stop at a large rock where Hazel likely put her shoes back on after crossing the stream.

Bruce runs back to the barn and straps on a machete. He moves carefully across the stream yelling "Hazel! Thirty-four!"

Reaching the other side he begins to track the disturbances in the leaves. "Hazel! Thirty-four!"

Hazel moves through the woods looking around distracted by one interesting thing after another. She begins to realize that she can no longer hear the brook and has lost her sense of direction.

Bruce tracks her as fast as he can. When her path becomes more erratic he realizes she's lost. He can tell from her tracks that she's becoming panicked because she sometimes takes small steps and sometimes nearly runs. To his horror, he detects a second set of tracks, much harder to see, intersect and then turn to follow Hazel's. Hazel is being stalked. A short distance beyond a third track, much easier to follow even than Hazel's, angles in from the same side as the second track, which puzzles him until he decides that the second is Wolf and the third is Grace's friend. With the third track leading the way he is able to move faster.

Hazel moves along fearfully, her head on a swivel. Her idea to have an adventure searching for fairies now seems like a big mistake. Every sound frightens rather than interests her.

Jeanette waits for Tamsin to catch up. Jeanette says "I don't know who we're following, but we have to meet up with them before Wolf does and they end up on the menu." Tamsin nods. Tamsin has not adjusted to moving through the forest and she's constantly on the look out for Tanglefoot. "Don't wait on me. If I loose you, I'll head down hill until I hit the river. I can find my way back to the cave from there." Jeanette nods and moves on at a faster pace slowly followed by Tamsin.

Tamsin hasn't gone far when she hears something large moving through the forest under story toward her. She takes cover and prepares to attack from ambush. To her shock and relief, Bruce pushes through some brush. "Bruce! I was afraid you were a bear."

Bruce looks up and sees her. "Have you seen a young human girl about this tall?" He puts out his hand approximating Hazel's height. "What? No 'Hello Tamsin, funny meeting you here. Are you hunting for food?" Bruce shakes his head and catches his breath. "No. Dyson left her with me for safekeeping. She's curious and into everything. When I got up this morning she was gone and I found her tracks on the wrong side of the stream. Someone is following her… If Wolf finds her…" Tamsin nods. "If Wolf finds her, I'd be meeting her as meat on a plate. But it isn't Wolf, its Jeanette. I couldn't keep up." Bruce breathes a sigh of relief, but there are still many dangers.

Up ahead, Jeanette is having a hard time tracking Hazel in a rocky area. She tries to use her sense for detecting life. Moving cautiously forward reaching out with her mind she begins to detect the rapid heartbeat and respiration of what she's after. She homes in and finds a young girl hiding under some bushes. Jeanette senses her fear and sits down nearby and doesn't pay to much attention. She doesn't want the girl to run. "My name is Jeanette. What's yours?" She asks, but instead of answering, the girl remains silent and tries to breathe quieter. "I won't hurt you. Why did you come here?" There is no response. "All right, if you won't talk to me I'll just talk to you. I live in this forest. There are a few others here as well. We live in a cave. The forest isn't a good place for a little girl all alone. I'd like to take you someplace safe. Where do you live? Where do you come from?" There is slight rustling from under the bush. "Do you like hiding under bushes? When I was a child sometimes I liked to hide and watch secretly. Later, it sort of became a career. 'Watcher' even became my job title. I got pretty good at it. Is that why did you come here? Can I watch with you for awhile?"

Jeanette sits quietly as the heartbeat and respiration slow. A small voice comes from under the bush. "I'm looking for fairies." Jeanette nods thoughtfully. "You don't think that is stupid?" the young voice asks. "No. Why would I?" There is louder rustling from under the bush. "My name is Hazel. I'm named for a rabbit. They used to call me Thirty-four" Jeanette ponders. "From 'Watership Down'? That is a good book." Hazel crawls slowly out from her hiding place. "I may have met someone you might know. His name was Thirty-three, but he's called Cador now." Hazel is shocked. Jeanette explains that Cador is living with them in the cave, but she leaves out all mention of the fae and immortals.

Bruce and Tamsin break into the rocky area and Jeanette waves to get their attention. Hazel says "He's the one I live with now." Jeanette nods. "He lives in a cabin near a stream right?" Jeanette asks and Hazel nods vigorously. "Hazel, it is very dangerous to cross that stream into this forest. We're going to take you home. But promise me you won't cross the stream again unless I'm with you. Can I come visit you? Perhaps we can look for fairies together." Hazel nods vigorously again.

As Jeanette leads everyone to the stream opposite Bruce's home, Hazel talks nonstop about fairies and how Bruce said they are all around. "How would you know if you found one?" Tamsin asks. "Oh, they have wings." Hazel answers as if everyone should know this obvious fact. Arriving at the stream, Bruce puts Hazel on his shoulders and picks his way across the stream. Jeanette heads back into her domain. Hazel looks back and sees Tamsin glance back to make sure Jeanette isn't looking; she puts her finger to her lips, and very briefly unfurls her wings. Hazel's eyes bulge in shock.