As soon as they were safe from the wave, Ray turned the boat around, and they started looking for the others, roaming the flooded streets of San Francisco, looking for any sign of them.
"are they only alive?" Emma asked is a gloom voice.
"yes, they are." Benedict firmly said. "I can feel Liz's presence. But I can't locate her!"
he let out a frustrated sigh, and sat down, discouraged.
"is he safe with me, Benedict?" Enaya suddenly asked.
He turned to her, and she elaborated.
"what kind of a mother am I? What mother puts other kid's safety before her own son's? What kind of mother lets his kid die twice?"
"don't you dare." Benedict said firmly. "don't you dare considering that. You cannot abandon him."
"wouldn't he be safer if he was away from me?"
"safer? Maybe. And that's not even sure. What is sure, on the other hand, is that he would be heart-broken. He loves you. There's not a shred of doubt about that. And he's clever. He understands more than you think. He knows what's to come. So don't give him up. Don't leave him alone. That's what being a parent mean."
"should anything happen to me, I'd like you to take care of him. He cares for you a lot."
"of course I would. I owe him life as much as I owe you. That's the least I can do. But I won't have to. Everything's gonna be fine, in the end."
she thanked him, and he let out another sigh, before gazing in front of him. He suddenly saw the ghost girl rise from the water, and point a direction.
"there!" he shouted. "we have to go that way!"
"how do you know?" Ray asked
" your garding angel. She's showing me the way."
"Let me see again." Enaya asked.
He offered her his hand, and she opened wide eyes, as if she had just realized something.
"it's not like Ilian, is it?" she asked.
He shook his head. She let his hand go, and turned to ray with a spark in her eyes.
"have you ever found your other daughter?" she asked.
A veil of sadness fell on the rescuer's eyes.
"no. we never found the body."
Enaya let out a victorious laugh.
"well, you are one lucky bastard!" she exclaimed.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"she's not dead!" she said in a soft voice, unable to hold her smile. "she's lost. Or stuck, if you would."
a moment of silence followed, as the others were trying to understand what she was saying. Benedict's eyes suddenly lit up.
"are you saying...? like... Hide?"
"exactly!"
"but... how... what are the odds...?"
" extremely rare, indeed. One in a million."
" how?!"
"someone probably meddled with the fabric of reality, and that's the result. Probably accidental."
"oh my..."
"what are you two talking about?" Emma interupted in a high pitched voice.
"when she fell, she found a week point in the fabric of reality, and she fell into a pocket universe. These universes have their own rules. Time is not the same, out there. Judging by her look, she must have been in there for what, a month? Maybe two. She can see you, but you can't see her. And she can't communicate with you. And she can't come back, because the door she fell through is what we call a rabitt hole, or a quantum well."
"which mean?" Ray asked, barely daring to understand what she was implying.
"meaning she's alive. And we can bring her back."
"how? How can you bring her back?
"well, you tell me, Mr. Rescuer. How do you rescue someone who fell in a well?
"throw a rope."
"exactly! Honestly, way, you should consider playing the lotery. I don't know many people who can throw this kind of rope. Fortunately, one of them is currently on this boat."
a huge smile appeared on Benedict's face, but it quickly faded away.
"I thought pocket universes were unstable..." he said.
"unstable?" Ray asked.
"they are. At some point, they collapse on themselves. So we have to be quick. She has to guide us to Blake, and then we can bring her back."
"can't you bring her back now?" Emma asked, squizzing her ex-husband's hand.
"that's risky." Benedict said. "she's been the connection between us and them from the start. But we don't know. She could not be able to remember where they are once she is back."
"It's your call." Enaya gravely said.
Ray and Emma exchanged a look.
"then let's not waste any second." Ray said. "guide us to your sister, honey."
Benedict saw the girl smile, and then cut through the water at high speed. He guided Ray, who launched the boat after her.
"she's slowing down." Benedict said. "keep your eyes open."
so Ray slowed down, and they started scanning the area.
"there!" Enaya suddenly shouted.