Chapter 6

Nick Boyle had been interrogated many times in his life. He was, at one time, a Navy Seal whose unit had come under fire during a black ops situation in South America. The unit came under heavy fire and Nick was the only one to walk out alive. The military investigation was brutal.

Working for the Legacy and its public face, the Luna Foundation, Nick had encountered police investigations. He'd even been called in as a witness at a Legacy Tribunal that was trying to discredit the head of his house, Derek Rayne. That hadn't been pretty either.

All of them paled in comparison to sitting across the desk from Vivian Cates.

"Tell me again about the Legacy, Mr. Boyle." Vee asked. Her tone was deceptively calm, as it had been since entering the room.

"We've been here a half an hour, Mrs. Cates." Nick shrugged. He could do casual, even if his stomach was tying in knots. "What more can I tell you?"

"I want to know why an ancient secret society, pledged to protect humanity from supernatural threats, would allow a Slayer to join, even as an attaché member."

Nick smiled sardonically. "She wasn't a Slayer at the time. But she has become a valued member of our team"

"What about the Watcher's Council?" The growl just managed to color Vivian's tone.

"What about them?" Nick asked. "They're cowards. They kidnap and exploit young women instead of committing to fight the Darkness themselves. Gloria was adamant about keeping Deirdre out of their clutches. With the help of the Luna Foundation, she's been able to do that for nearly a decade."

Vivian raised an eyebrow. "They never came after Deirdre in San Francisco?"

Nick's grin grew dangerous. "Derek Rayne casts a long shadow. Adam worked his connections like a maestro. And Gloria, well...Glo was fierce."

"I know."

"Do you?"

"She was my twin, Mr. Boyle. I knew her." Vivian grinned back at him, baring sharp teeth. "The one I need to understand is my daughter. Adam tells me you were her trainer when she was living with Gloria. You may know her better than anyone."

Something in Vivian's expression turned empty, tragic. Nick sighed.

"What do you want to know?"

"What happened between you? Why would she run from you? And why didn't she come here when she needed help?" Moisture lined Vivian's eyes.

Nick's jaw set in a hard line. A growl came from behind him.

"This is a waste of time."

Vivian huffed, exasperated. She got up from her seat, shooting Tyler Creed a dirty look as she walked around her glass-top desk. After the incident at the hospital, Vivian had decided it was time to take Deirdre home. Dr. Glaser had administered a dosage of medication that effectively put Deirdre into a medical coma, in order to allow her body to heal. It was deemed temporary but necessary. Even Adam had agreed.

For Deirdre's own safety, as well as that of the whole pack, Vivian had the hospital outfit Deirdre's bedroom with the required monitors, IVs and medication dispensers. There was a home nurse and a rotating cavalcade of family members that watched her bed in shifts. Luke and Sophia were the only ones allowed only brief visitation, for safety reasons.

For Vivian, the time had come to cut the bullshit. Her daughter was comatose. Her pack was recovering. She didn't need Nick Boyle and Tyler Creed arguing the right to mate with Deirdre. She needed answers.

So, Vivian gathered the closest people in Deirdre's life along with the closest members of her maternal family. That led to Nick being set up in the center of the Cates home, being grilled by werewolves, cops, werewolf cops, and immortals alike.

"Alright." Vivian massaged the bridge of her nose and rolled her neck, attempting to release tension. "I'm gonna tell you a story, Mr. Boyle. I'll tell it to all of you."

Vivian looked around the room. It was very possibly the weirdest gathering she'd ever had in her office. Ruby and John sat on her chaise. Matthew and Adam stood on opposite sides of the room. Sherman Blackstone stood to Vivian's left. Duncan MacLeod leaned against a bookcase to the right. Tyler was holding up the back wall. Sophia and Luke were cuddled up on the couch under her window. Richie was upstairs supervising Deirdre.

"I'm going to tell you all a story." Vivian repeated, looking about the room while leaning against her desk. "It is a sensitive tale, and there are things that will come to light… secrets that I have guarded for a very long time. I do this partially as an act of good faith."

She looked to Sherman for reassurance, he nodded. "It's time."

Nick nodded. "I'm listening."

"As I am Deirdre's mother, it is my prerogative to do whatever is in my power to protect her. However, as Pack Alpha, it is my duty to do whatever I deem necessary to protect the Pack. It is my belief that keeping some of my secrets has become detrimental to both these goals. My daughter has also apparently inherited my secretive nature."

Vivian took a deep breath. "So, in an effort to clear the air. I have called you here. My most trusted, and Deirdre's most trusted. And I ask that what I am about to divulge be held in the strictest of confidence. Even though it may be painful for some of you to hear, and even more painful for me to tell, what's said in this room must stay in this room. Anyone who cannot abide by this, will please leave now."

No one budged. She and looked them each in the eye. Each one, in turn, nodded their ascent. Vivian sat down on a nearby seat and began her tale. At first, she stared at the plush persian rug.

"When I was younger, I was very deeply in love with Matthew Donner. We were together all throughout high school. And I always just assumed that we would mate, marry, and have our children together."

Matt shifted uncomfortably under Sophia's questioning look, but smiled wanly, and nodded back at Vivian.

"In our senior year, Marie Sheridan moved to Wolf Lake. She was a kind, bookish, and incredibly generous human being. And I hated her from the moment I met her." Vivian looked straight at Sophia. "Because from the moment your father met your mother, I knew he would never again be mine."

Sophia shifted uncomfortably, but let the older woman continue. This time, Vivian turned to Luke. "I was young and very impetuous. So it occurred to me that the best way I had for getting back at Matt would be to sleep with his best friend, Seth Blackstone."

"Blackstone?" John asked, looking to Sherman.

"My son." Sherman said, with a grim expression that didn't sit well on his usually jovial face. "He and my younger son Ritchie lived with me after their mother and I divorced. "

Vivian nodded. "Seth was human, or so I thought. He was a bit of a bad boy, and I think he considered it a badge of honor to bed a wolf female. He also wasn't too happy with Matt's choice of mate. We slept together a couple of times, and then Seth skipped town. It wasn't until later that I found out why."

Sherman took up the tale. "Never quite right in the head, my Ritchie, but Seth was so damn protective of him. Turned out Ritchie was hearing voices telling him to do things. Both boys managed to keep it from me until one of the voices told Ritchie to go touching a young wolf girl. One who hadn't even Flipped yet."

Agitation swept the room.

"Willard had just inherited the Alpha position, and he came to me. I couldn't believe it. But when I confronted Seth, he wouldn't look me in the eye. Just said Ritchie was sick in the head. Ritchie was human. Not part of the pack. But he had hurt the pack. Will could have had him killed, but in deference to me, he just banished him. Seth didn't think Ritchie could survive on his own, so he went with him."

"You never saw them again?" Luke asked softly.

"Not til the first time I looked at your ugly mug." Sherman offered wryly.

Vivian gave an annoyed cluck. "I'm getting to that. About a week after Seth disappeared, I found out I was pregnant. My parents were both dead, and Gloria had won a performing arts scholarship to study dance in London. Willard approved her request to leave the pack, with the idea that she would be back in a few years. I was alone, and had been babysitting the Cates girls, Ruby and Amanda, since before their mother passed away."

"Committed suicide you mean." Ruby said bitterly. She was shocked by where the story was going, and even more shocked that Vivian hadn't chosen to get in a dig at Regina. "My mother was schizophrenic. A fact that you seemed to capitalize on."

Vivian ignored the jibe. "Regina was always kind to me. As was Willard. I regretted it deeply when she passed, and I felt even worse for you and Amanda. But I was alone and pregnant, and I had no money. So I went to the only person I could to ask for aid, my Alpha."

"Your father was a practical man, Ruby." Vee reasoned. "He knew he couldn't raise twin girls and run a wolf pack all by himself. Willard said that he'd loved your mother with all his heart. So much he didn't know if he ever could love again, but that she hadn't been cut out to be Alpha Female. The requirements of the position took too much out of Regina. He believed that was part of what led to her death."

Vivian was looking at Matt now. "Will told me that he admired the balls it took for me to come to him. And that he felt partially responsible for my plight. He'd sanctioned your mating to Marie, approved Gloria's request to leave, and banished Seth and Ritchie. So, he offered me a job, the hardest job he could think of. He asked me to stand by his side as his wife, his mate, and mother to his children."

Luke grumbled. "And in return?"

"In return, he claimed my children as his own." Vivian said, holding her head high. "Since I was only a few weeks pregnant when we got married, no one asked any questions. Will said they would just assume that he'd been shtupping the babysitter. And anyone that didn't, still wouldn't question the word of the Alpha. He was right. On the day you were born, he told me he was the happiest father on earth."

Sophia was wide eyed. "So Luke and Deirdre are half human?"

Before Luke could answer her with a guilty look, Sherman butted in. "Not entirely. Seth's mother was a very powerful witch, and me, well my heritage is muddy at best."

A snort came from Adam's direction.

"Regardless." Luke said sullenly. "I'm not pure blooded. And I'm not really a Cates, neither is Dee."

"Bullshit." Ruby countered. "Dad claimed you and loved you as his children. I love you as family and Amanda did too before she died. You are my brother!"

Luke nodded sullenly, and Sophia took it as her chance to speak up. "I can respect why you need to talk about this. But, I'm not seeing how it relates to what Deirdre is going through."

Vivian nodded. "I'll explain. When Deirdre and Luke were born, Willard and I lived happily for a time with all of us as one big family. But soon, strange phenomena started happening around the house. Things would move around by themselves. A baby monitor misplaced in the bedroom would appear in the kitchen."

"Phantom bilocation." Nick said, his ears pricking up.

Vee nodded. "Then we started to actually see the ghosts. My dead mother, Willard's grandmother, Amanda once even claimed to have seen an apparition of Regina."

"Playing the piano." Ruby confirmed. "I remember. She was so happy, but it just scared me."

"Exactly."

"Were the manifestations violent?" Adam asked.

"Not at the time." Vivian replied. "So Willard and I agreed to keep it a secret. We didn't want to frighten the kids, or the pack. It wasn't until Luke and Deirdre started to talk that we realized Deirdre was the one calling up the ghosts."

"She's a medium?" Duncan offered. Vivian nodded.

"But only when she is around her own kind." Adam retorted. "Dee has never been able to call up ghosts when she was not around another member of her own pack."

Vivian agreed. "Yes, we noticed that another wolf was always in the room with Deirdre, when the ghosts appeared. It was usually Luke, so it took us a while to determine which of them was doing it. I don't believe to this day that Deirdre was ever able to control it."

"When she was three, a young wolf was brought to the house. He was caught in the Change during his first Flip, and the agony had become too much. Willard had to End him." The room became quiet and Vee continued. "Not a minute later, the young man's ghost was standing beside the bed. His parents were very upset. They became more so when Deirdre came out from behind the door and touched the ghost. He smiled at her, and disappeared in a puff of green mist. She told his parents that he was free."

Then Vivian's expression grew bleak. "A year later some men came to our door. They claimed to be from the Watcher's Council. They told Willard and I that Deirdre had been identified as a potential Slayer. And that they were here to take her into custody in order to train her to fight monsters. When we refused, they told us that they knew what we were. They said that if we didn't give Deirdre to them, they would annihilate the pack, and then simply take her."

"What did Dad say?" Luke asked, a growl forming in his throat.

"Will told them to fuck off." Vivian grinned triumphantly. "And that they could have his daughter over his cold dead body. I concurred."

"Yep," Ruby smiled sadly. "That was Dad."

Vivian's expression grew dark again. "We knew that they were watching the house. Waiting to strike. So the pack took strategic measures. We dressed Luke and Deirdre alike, and split them up. We had guardians take them to separate locations under cover of night."

"Tactical evasion." Nick mumbled, nodding.

"Will and I stayed at our house as bait. Ruby and Amanda went with Luke to Matt's house, and several of our best Betas took Deirdre through the woods toward Sherman's. But somehow the Watchers knew which of the twins to follow. They chased the protection detail, and killed all of the wolves but one."

"Who?" John asked.

"Me." Tyler said from the back. "Three days they had the guards running around the woods like chickens with their heads cut off. In pelts or skins, it didn't matter. Somehow the Watchers picked the wolves off, one by one."

"Magic." Ruby offered.

"Something." Tyler agreed. "Willard couldn't send reinforcements because he needed everyone else at the Sheriff's to guard Luke, and the rest of the town. I was a fifteen year old kid, eager to prove myself to my Alpha. So I followed them. When the last wolf in the protection detail fell, he told Deirdre to run 'as fast as she could and not to look back.'"

"Solomon Creed." Ruby shivered. "Your grandfather."

A haunted look past over Tyler's face. Sophia flinched at Tyler's words, remembering her dream the night she and Dee had roomed together.

Tyler continued. "Dee was only four, but she was scared and she was fast. She ran a mile through the woods, and straight into the street. I Flipped and was able to catch her by the shoulder just before a car hit her. I thought it would hit me, but something happened that I couldn't explain. Some force…shielded me. The car spun around, then rolled. Dee lived. The woman driving the car wasn't so lucky."

"Mom?" Sophia gasped, turning to her father.

There were tears in Matt Donner's eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and ground out. "Tell them the rest Tyler. Tell them how you left my wife for dead. How the ambulance didn't get there until it was too late to save Marie."

"He didn't Matt." Sherman countered. "He reported to Will, and Will called the ambulance."

"And I called you. Thanks to Tyler, you still got to say goodbye to Marie." Vivian commented. "The Watchers were still in the woods. Tyler had to keep Deirdre moving. I told you that Marie's death was an accident. I know you never believed me. But it was the truth!"

Sophia shook her head. "No. Deirdre ran out in front of my Mom's car. The accident was her fault!"

"No, Sophia." Ruby shook her head. "Do you remember in the hospital? The dream? I saw the accident. Deirdre didn't mean to hurt your Mom."

Sophia's eyes were alarmed. She looked at her father. He put a hand on her arm. "What is it Soph?"

"I.." Sophia stuttered. Luke squeezed her hand, giving her strength to speak her truth. "I have powers now, like Ruby and Deirdre. I can walk into other people's dreams."

"Since when?" Sherman asked.

"Since Deirdre got to town." Sophia offered uncomfortably.

"Fascinating." Something shifted in Adam's, his expression grew icy. "But can we get back to what happened during the accident?"

Ruby tried to calm Sophia. "Dee was a child, Sophia, not much older than you were. She wasn't even allowed to cross the street by herself, and she was all alone and scared."

"She had a right to be." Tyler continued. "Dee had just seen her guards killed. She watched Marie crash, then she watched me Flip into a wolf and kill a Watcher. We had to hide in a cave for nearly a day. Until the pack finally got the upper hand on the Watchers, and Willard came to get us himself. I was afraid she'd lost it. She kept mumbling the whole time about how red my fur was in the light from the car's taillights."

"The Red Wolf." Adam said in sudden revelation. "Her protector spirit."

"That's me." Tyler said with a mirthless chuckle.

Nick's nostrils flared in agitation, but he held his tongue.

"We thought we'd run off the Watchers." Vivian interjected. "That the pack could finally be at peace again. We were debriefing Tyler and the remaining Betas the next day. Will and I had sentries in the woods behind the house, so we thought it was safe to let Luke and Deirdre play in the back yard. But somehow, Deirdre hurt the son of one of the dead Betas, Rico. She used the power that she had collected from the ghosts aggressively, and Rico ended up in a coma for several days."

"He was picking on me." Luke supplied. "Nearly broke my hand. Deirdre was defending me, and she was angry."

Vivian nodded. "Rico's mother accused Deirdre of being a witch. She accused us of allowing our love for our daughter to kill her mate, and maim her son. Will and I knew that it was too dangerous then for Deirdre to stay with the pack."

"It killed me to do it." Vivian said with tears in her eyes. "But I called my sister. Gloria was living in London, married to Adam by then. It was as far removed from the pack as I could find, and Gloria assured me that Adam had the connections to keep the Watchers away from Deirdre. They could protect her in a way Will and I couldn't. The day they took her away was the worst day of my life."

"You gave up your child to save her life." Duncan crooned, rubbing a comforting hand on Vivian's shoulder. Vivian smiled, appreciating the rare kindness.

Adam took up the story from there. "Gloria and I made it work for a number of years. I had, at the time, a job as a researcher with a different branch of the Watchers. One that didn't deal with Slayers. I had enough of a reputation with that branch to keep Quentin Travers, the head of the Watcher's Council quaking in his boots. Pair that with the fact that I was on retainer with the Legacy Ruling House, and the Watchers kept their distance."

"I take it The Legacy and the Watchers don't really get along?" John asked.

"Yeah, like I said." Nick seethed. "We pledge our adult lives to guard the innocent from paranormal threats. They use young girls as cannon fodder in the same battle. So, we are a bit at odds, ethically speaking."

Adam nodded. "Still, a potential Slayer needs to be trained. She displayed no significant magical abilities once she was out of the Pack. So we raised Deirdre to be able to defend herself, from whatever or whoever might want to harm her. When Gloria and I split up, for various reasons, she chose to move herself and Deirdre to San Francisco. She reasoned that: it had a Legacy House nearby, Deirdre's grandmother the witch resided there, and the Kindred had enough of a presence to deter any group of people sworn to kill vampires. She was an excellent strategist, my Glo."

Adam exchanged a murky look with Vivian.

"When Gloria told me she was bringing Deirdre back to the states, she, Willard, and I agreed that it would be both dangerous and confusing for us to regain contact with Deirdre. Gloria asked if I had her blessings to make contact with Seth's mother, Penny, to 'gain added protections.'" Vivian was too civilized to use air quotes, but they were apparent in her voice. "Evidently, those protections involved binding my daughter's wolf and pretending the wolven didn't exist."

Luke nodded indignantly. "Dee had no idea what she was. She almost died trying to Flip for the first time, just this side of eighteen. The spell had to be removed first."

"Why is her age significant?" Duncan asked.

"Most of our kind change into our wolf pelt for the first time around the time puberty hits". Ruby supplied. "Many don't survive. Usually the later we wait, the less chance of survival."

"But there are exceptions." Sophia countered. She had not Flipped until she was sixteen.

"Okay." John said, sinking into cop investigation mode. "So why put the spell on her in the first place?"

Everyone seemed to shrug except Tyler. "The Kindred." he supplied. "The Prince of the City might accept a truce with a Slayer. It's good for business to pare down the local demon population. But he'd balk if it turned out the Slayer was also a wolf. Luna has had trouble with hybrids before."

"So she essentially lived like a human until Gloria…" Duncan stumbled, thinking of his dead friend. "Then she Flipped and had to leave with Adam."

"That was the last I saw of her until she showed up here a couple of weeks ago, nearly a year later." Luke said. "She heard I was in trouble. It turned out that the Pack was under attack by some big bad Forsaken vampire that wanted to steal Sophia's blood, and enslave us all."

"Wait," Nick blanched. "A Forsaken was here? And Dee killed it?"

"Technically, Sophia killed it." said Sherman. "But yes, Dee was instrumental to killing DuGare."

"And she nearly died in the process." Vivian recalled. "The bastard impaled her. She was able to draw on her power as a medium, and stay alive long enough to kill DuGare. But as soon as he was dead, she ended up in critical condition in the hospital…."

Vivian trailed off long enough that Matt had to prompt her. "Vee?"

She visibly shook herself. "I can't lose my baby, Matt. Not again."

"She'll be okay, Mom." Luke offered.

"No, sweetheart, she won't." Vivian frowned. "Not unless I start revealing her secrets along with my own."

Luke shifted uncomfortably. "Deirdre won't thank you for it. She may never forgive you."

"Agreed." Vivian nodded. "But she's mad at me anyway for sending her away."

"She's not ready." Adam countered.

For some reason, that incited Vivian's ire. "And whose fault is that? I gave her to you to protect, to care for. Where were you when she needed you?"

"Searching for her." Adam glared back.

Vivian shook herself, unwilling to argue the point further. "She may never be ready. But it is beyond the point of argument. Deirdre is in danger. The pack is in danger. The secrets are strangling us all."

Adam gave a nod of acquiescence. Tyler, who had been listening to the interchange quietly for quite some time, spoke up. "Tell us what you know, Vee."

Vivian walked over to the small bar that Willard had kept well stocked, and poured two double scotches. One she sat on the desk, the other, she made a show of drinking in one gulp. When she was done, she looked at them all in the eye again. "I remind you all that you agreed to discretion at the beginning of this."

"Stop peeling the band-aid off." Adam snarked. "If you're going to tell us, just tell us."

Vee glared at him but thought better of her approach. She turned to Nick. "Mr. Boyle, I need to ask you again, what is your relationship with my daughter?"

Nick looked startled for a moment, then his eyes narrowed. He was going to tell Vivian that it was none of her business. Then he sighed, looking around the room, then to Adam, then back to Vivian. "We've been good friends for many years. I trained her in Adam's absence. We've fought together. And at one point, we were lovers."

There was a growl at the back of the room, Tyler was not happy. John had to hold him back. Nick ignored them both. Adam broke in. "But it wasn't that simple."

Nick swung a frustrated gaze to his sometime friend. "Yeah I know, a twenty-eight year old and an eighteen year old. Pretty sick, right? You should talk. Exactly how old were you and Gloria when you met?"

"That wasn't my point, Nick." Adam argued.

"She's my friend. I love her. She saved my life. And she did it by sleeping with me. How would you qualify that relationship?" Nick countered

Adam inclined his head. "Point taken."

Nick shot a challenging look around the room. But surprisingly, the only ones with disgust written on their faces were Sophia and Kanin. Tyler was hunched in on himself, his eyes fixed on the floor.

Vivian handed the second scotch to Nick. "Please, tell us what happened."

"This ought to be good." MacLeod whispered to himself. Those with wolven hearing in the room clearly caught the snark.

Nick took a sip of the scotch and then just rolled the glass in his hands. He preferred cold draught beer, but it gave him a focal point. This wasn't a story he could tell while looking strangers in the eye.

"Just after Deirdre and Adam left the bay, the Legacy was approached by a friend on the SFPD's Sex Crimes Task Force. There were a rash of serial rapes that were being committed by a bunch of different men, all sharing the same MO."

"They coincided with a seemingly unrelated rash of bizarre murders where the victims were set on fire. Only problem was that the fire department couldn't identify an accelerant. Our investigation led to a former rogue member of the Montreal Legacy House, who had stolen an artifact from its vaults, The Key of Uruz."

"The Key carried a demonic curse that would ensight violent burning lust in any man who touched it." Adam explained. "That's literal, by the way. The victims who didn't either indulge in rape or violent consensual sex, or who stopped doing so, spontaneously combusted. They burned from the inside out."

"We almost had the bastard in Chinatown." Nick grumbled, "But he got away, and hopped a plane for London, hoping to attack the Legacy's Ruling House. My boss Derek, our colleague Rachel Corrigan, and I followed him."

"The London Prefect called Dee and I in to consult." Adam added. "They were following the rogue, but he'd hidden the key. Deirdre and I helped track his movements until we knew he had it."

"Derek and I cornered him, and he threw the Key at me." Nick explained, taking another sip of the scotch and springing to his feet to pace. "I caught it by reflex. I had gloves on, but it hit my wrist on the way down. And that was all she wrote. The symptoms started less than an hour later."

"So you called in a girl ten years your junior to fix it?" John said with disgust.

"I'm ten years younger than you." Ruby reasoned.

"That's not the same thing."

"The Wolven make few distinctions where age is concerned." Sherman remarked. "Once a pack member has Flipped, he or she is considered to be an adult. Wolves choose the strongest mate they can find, regardless of age difference."

Vivian held up her hand to quiet them and made a motion for Nick to continue. He focused his eyes on her, deciding that Deirdre's mother had a right to know.

"I locked myself in one of the tower rooms at the London House. I made my peace with the idea of dying. That wasn't a problem. I knew what I'd signed on for when I joined the Legacy." Nick swallowed the last of his drink. "But my friends wouldn't hear of it, especially not Dee. Once she found out that there was a cure, she dragged it out of Rachel and Derek."

When he hesitated, Luke prompted him. "What was the cure?"

It was Adam who answered. "Virgin sacrifice. Specifically sacrifice of a maidenhead. Stanton, the London Precept, couldn't find another virgin. So Dee volunteered."

Nick was getting tired of glaring at the old man. "When she came into my room, I initially refused her outright. But Deirdre can be very persuasive. She said that she couldn't let anyone else that she cared about die. Not if she could help it. And I wasn't in much of a state to argue."

"So, you spent the night together." Matt offered.

"I'm alive aren't I?" Nick snarled.

The room was silent for a moment, Adam turned to Vivian. "I insisted that both of them undergo counseling sessions with Dr. Corrigan. Rachel is a gifted psychiatrist, and has been Deirdre's doctor since the girls moved to San Francisco. Deirdre told Rachel and I that everything was fully consensual. Rachel's professional opinion, at that time, was that neither Deirdre nor Nick were feeling the effects of trauma."

"Exactly." Nick agreed. "So I'm failing to see how that story has much relevance now. You want to grill someone? Why don't you ask Adam here why Dee called me, terrified, from a train depot in Geneva, convinced that her father was dead."

Adam rose up, ready to answer, but Vivian gestured for him to sit down.

"We'll get to that." She said. "In the meantime, you asked why your story was relevant. I spoke with Deirdre's doctor after her initial life-saving surgery. I believe that she suffered intense trauma in between parting ways with you in London, and arriving here in Wolf Lake."

"She's been running for nearly a year. We've been tracking her, hoping to help." Nick offered. He and Adam exchanged a dark look.

Vivian nodded. "When she was in the hospital, Dr. Glaser told me that Deirdre had been injecting a serum derived from Wolfsbane."

"Poison?" Matt asked. "Why?"

"He didn't know." Vivian offered. "Until Tyler showed up and shot her full of the stuff again."

"She was trying to hold back her Wolf." Tyler offered. "Dee knew it was dangerous, and asked me to make sure she didn't go over the edge into killing everyone."

Vivian grimaced. "Glaser also told us that over the past year or so, Deirdre had broken almost every bone in her body. And the harmful effects of the serum on her healing ability was the only thing that let him make that determination. The doctor said that, taking into account all of her bloodwork, X-rays, and cat scans, the past six months must have been pure hell for Deirdre. And she was likely injecting the serum as a method of regaining control."

"She wanted to just be the Slayer again." Luke said forlornly.

Vivian nodded. "But he said it was likely a traumatic event that caused her to start injecting the serum in the first place. That's when he told us that, through scans, the medical team had determined that Deirdre had given birth sometime before arriving at Wolf Lake."

"What are you saying?" Nick said, his mouth suddenly going dry.

"I'm saying that Deirdre had a child, Mr. Boyle." Vivian deadpanned. "And that I believe you to be the father of that child."