Chapter 12

When all was said and done, Adam Pierson came up with the most workable plan for all involved. A plan which was able to get the most vulnerable members of the household out undetected while keeping Stanton's and Travers' people occupied. Setting up camp in Vivian's parlor, the investigators worked in shifts. Two members of the Legacy, two members of the Watcher's Council, and two members of the Pack worked at any one time.

Vivian insisted that Travers pull his men out to the town limits. He agreed, but Vee sent wolven escorts just the same, to make sure the promise was kept.

At Adam's suggestion, Duncan MacLeod was able to sneak Luke, Sophia, and Presley out the back door to his T-Bird. The justification being that Mac was not Legacy, Watcher, or wolf. So no one would notice his absence. Vee ran interference so Matthew could see them off.

Matt clapped a hand on Mac's shoulder.

"Here are the keys to my house. John Kanin will meet you there. Once you arrive, have Sophia contact Sherman Blackstone. Together, they should be able to keep an eye on the kids." Matt handed the keys to Macleod.

"You're not coming?" Sophia asked.

"I'm still acting Alpha as far as the Pack is concerned." Matt replied. He gave Luke a grave look. "I'm trusting you to keep her safe again. This time, try not to get yourself kidnapped."

Luke nodded. "I'm trusting you to keep my Mom and sister safe."

Matt held out a hand to Luke and they shook on it.

Presley vaulted over the door into the T-Bird. MacLeod caught the look of longing in her eyes as she watched the exchange. He put a hand on her shoulder, setting her heart aflutter again.

"It was a brave thing you did. Risking your own safety to bring information to your queen. It made a difference."

Presley raised an eyebrow at him. "How do you know?"

"I've fought my fair share of wars." Mac smiled.

Presley's reply was silenced when Sophia climbed in the back beside her. Luke got in the passenger's seat.

For the first time, Sophia and Presley occupied the same space without tension.

"You okay?" Sophia asked Presley.

"Yeah why?" Presley responded.

Sophia whispered back, just loud enough for Presley to hear. "I've never seen you blush."

True to Matt's word, when the T-Bird arrived in the Donner's driveway, John Kanin was standing beside Ruby Cates next to his black SUV.

"MacLeod."

"Kanin."

Ruby rolled her eyes at the stoic male standoff as the occupants of the T-Bird climbed out. She gave Presley a hug first. "I heard what you did. Thank you."

Presley just nodded. Ruby then wrapped one arm around Sophia, and one around Luke. "Okay, let's get you all inside. We'll call Sherman and tell him to get his ass over here. Boys, are you coming?"

MacLeod smirked at John, who rolled his eyes, and both followed Ruby in obediently.

When Sherman arrived, he asked Sophia to describe her latest Dream Walk into Deirdre's subconscious.

"Wait, what?" Presley asked.

"Sophia has developed the ability to astral project herself into the dreams of others." Sherman instructed. "Although, I suspect, like Ruby's healing power, it only extends to members of her own Pack."

"How do you figure?" Luke asked.

"The founders of this wolf Pack were brought to the New World as slaves of the Northmen." Sherman advised. He settled in to Marie Donner's rocking chair like a storyteller of old.

"The Vikings?" MacLeod asked.

"You're familiar?" Sherman smiled. "Of course you are. Exactly how old are you Mr. MacLeod?"

Duncan MacLeod crossed his arms across his chest, glaring at Sherman. Sophia jumped in.

"You're like Richie, aren't you? You can heal really fast?" Luke jumped on the bandwagon. "I can smell it on you."

"Excuse me?" MacLeod raised an eyebrow.

"He's right." Ruby nodded. "Your smell, it's like a regular human's only tinged with something hot."

John agreed. "Like ozone."

"Or lightning." Luke added, a light going on at the back of his brain. "I smelled it on Richie the first time I met him. I clawed him and his wounds knit themselves together with little lightning bolts. But now that I think of it, that wasn't the first time I smelled it. The first time was when Sherman and I went to San Francisco and met...Adam?"

MacLeod's face fell. "Alright. I guess it's time to lay our cards on the table. I will tell you my story on one condition."

"Which is?" John asked.

"I know what you are. And Richie and I are pretty much out of the closet. But what Adam is, he keeps a secret. His reasons are his own, but I respect his privacy. I would ask the same of all of you. Agreed?" MacLeod looked around the room.

Everyone nodded, except for Sherman, who raised his hands. "M'boy Adam and I have been friends for longer than the Clan MacLeod has existed on this Earth. He and I have our own arrangement."

Duncan nodded. "I was born Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod in the village of Glen Finnen, Scotland, on the shores of Loc Shiel. I will be 410 years old this coming Spring. I am an Immortal."

Everyone was silent for a few moments while they absorbed that information. Luke decided to break the tension.

"You wouldn't happen to be a chieftain's son, would you?"

"That's your first question?" MacLeod furrowed his eyebrows. Luke nodded. Mac nodded back. "My adopted father was the head of our Clan, so yes. Why do you ask?"

"Something Dee said." Luke puzzled through his thoughts. "She was teaching a martial arts class not long ago, and somebody asked her where she learned her moves. She said 'a US Navy SEAL, a Scottish cheiftain's son, and a Roman general.' So that would make Nick the SEAL, and you the Scottish chieftain's son. And Roman general would be…"

"Is this really what we should be discussing?" MacLeod interrupted the boy. "I believe we have more pressing matters?"

"Yes, like figuring out what the hell happened to Deirdre, where the hell her baby is, and getting Travers and his Watcher cronies the hell out of Wolf Lake." Ruby huffed.

"Aaand that brings us back to you and Sophia." Sherman replied. "Sophia specifically. You see, when your ancestors set down on this continent, they were slaves. It was only with the help of their alphas that they were able to break free of the Vikings' hold and head west to settle in Wolf Lake."

"We all know this story." Presley interjected. "The alpha male sacrificed his life to slaughter their captors and allow the alpha female to guide the pack to safety. It took them years to get far enough west, but when they did, they found our beautiful lake, and put their backs against the ocean. The alpha female gave the last of the magic from her homeland and eventually her own life to secure the boundaries of this territory."

"Well done, Miss Grable." Sherman smiled. "And I thought you were asleep during most of my lectures."

"That's not entirely correct though, is it?" Sophia asked. "There wasn't just one alpha female."

"Bonus points to the ingenue." Sherman pointed at Sophia. "You're quite right. There were three alpha females. White wolves all. And sisters to boot. The three daughters of the King of Faoladh. Wolf shifters from the Isle of Man. Each sister brought with her certain gifts of her people."

"One was a healer. The Heart of her pack, and well beloved." Sherman nodded at Ruby.

"One was a seer. The Mind of the pack, and well heeded." Sherman gestured toward Sophia.

"And the oldest, the King's firstborn and rightful alpha of her pack, was known as the pack's Spirit. She had many gifts. She commanded absolute loyalty. She could ease the pain of the change. She could even commune with the souls of the dead. Her name was Mirana." Sherman concluded.

"You knew her." Sophia said with absolute certainty.

Sherman smiled. "She was my wife. When Mirana arrived with her pack, and the toddling children of her first mate to this land, I was just a sprig of a lad. But the first moment I saw her, I knew I had to make her my own. I courted her. Led her to this valley among the mountains where her people would be safe. Helped her weave her magics around, and lent my own for added protection. When she died of old age, and released her soul into this land, she lay in my arms. I made a vow to her that I would protect her people for as long as I live."

"And how long has that been?" John asked.

Sherman just smiled enigmatically.

"So, what you're saying is that Sophia, Deirdre, and I are what? Reincarnations of Mirana and her sisters?" Ruby marveled.

Sherman nodded. "That is what I believe. White wolves have been a rarity in the pack since you came from Eire. Never since Mirana's time have there been three at once. Before she died, Mirana's sister, Aislin the Seer, foretold a time of great peril for the pack. When she and Mirana and Sorcha's gifts would be needed again. Three White Wolves would be born to the pack who would be possessed of all their magic. And only then, could the pack again become whole."

"So all of these attacks we've been facing, they aren't because Deirdre came back to the pack?" Sophia asked.

"It's the other way around." Ruby countered. "Deirdre came back to the pack because we needed her. To complete the Trinity."

"And now she might die." Presley offered. "Either from her wounds in the last battle, or at the hands of the Watchers and their commandos. We can't let that happen."

Luke put a hand on Sophia's back. "Okay, concentrate Sophia. We have to tell them everything that happened in Dee's memories. We've gotta figure out what happened to her, so we have leverage against The Watchers and the Legacy."

Sophia nodded. "First memory I saw, she and Adam were attacked…"

After what seemed like forever and a day, Sophia and Luke finished their tale. Sophia excused herself to her room for a shower and a change of clothes. While the hot spray fell on her in her secluded personal bathroom, Sophia turned everything she knew over in her mind.

Her heart fluttered from rage to despair to hopelessness. And out of nowhere, the face of Marie Donner surfaced in Sophia's mind. A kind smile with fair skin, and twinkling blue eyes. It made Sophia's heart hurt. Why was she thinking of her mother?

Sophia ground shampoo into her scalp to try and beat the malevolent thoughts away.

They came all the same. Thoughts of her mother brought thoughts of her mother's life, and her mother's death. That brought back the anger that Sophia felt at Deirdre for causing the accident that killed Marie.

A litany of words rocketed through Sophia's brain.

There are worse things than losing a parent.

When your back's against the wall, and there's nothing left but you and the Reaper..then you'll know.

Mama calls me Ally..

I can't lose anyone else I care about. Not when I can help.

You're mine tonight, Nick. And I protect what's mine.

Richie, I need you to deliver some things for me..

A mother stands by her child until death do them part.

Sophia's eyes snapped open and she let out a scream at what she saw. She was standing in front of the fogged up bathroom mirror with her finger poised above the glass. On the mirror was written one word. ALETHIA.

Then suddenly, Luke was by her side, wrapping her dripping body in a towel. All Sophia could do was sob into his chest. Taking in deep comforting gulps of his scent.

"Sophia, what's wrong?"

Tears flooded down Sophia's cheeks and she clung to Luke for dear life. She sobbed uncontrollably for the fate of her friend, her sister. For Deirdre. Luke just held Sophia until she regained the ability to speak.

"She's dead, Luke." Sophia sobbed. "I think she's dead."

"Who Dee? What are you talking about Sophia? We just came from my house. Deirdre was still breathing. I'd feel it if she died." Luke helped lead her to her bed.

Sophia shook her head so hard it sent a spray of water that drenched Luke's t-shirt. The effect wasn't unappealing, but Sophia was too worked up to pay attention.

"Her baby." Sophia crooned. "Deirdre's baby. I think it was a little girl. And I think she died."

Luke's eyebrows furrowed. "Sophia, how can you know that?"

"Weren't you listening to Sherman?" Sophia cackled hysterically. "I'm a frickin Seer. With frickin mind powers and shit. So I get to see the horrible things that happen to people in their dreams and memories. And she told me, Dee told me flat out. She said, 'There are worse things than losing a parent.' I didn't believe her then. But what if? What if we're not looking for a baby? What if we're looking for a grave?"

Luke's face was solid marble. "Then, if you're right, we still have to find out what happened. So we know who to kill."

Downstairs, in the Donner's kitchen, Ruby was assisting Duncan in cooking. They were making fajitas with four different types of meat. MacLeod had reasoned that the group needed sustenance. And Mac was a gourmet cook.

John sat at the kitchen table across from Sherman, and cleaned his gun. Sherman amused himself by trying to build a model Eiffel Tower out of the Donner's silverware. Presley was doing her best to set the table around them.

They were mostly silent until Luke and Sophia entered the kitchen.

Luke had his hand on Sophia's back in a comforting gesture. The look on Sophia's face said that she'd enjoy being anywhere else on the planet than in her own kitchen.

"What is it, Sophia?" Ruby clucked.

"You guys might want to sit down." Sophia offered. "I have something I need to tell you."

Duncan shooed Ruby and Presley toward the table. "I can finish up here."

"Mr. MacLeod?" Sophia asked.

"Please feel free to call me Duncan." MacLeod held her chair out for her at the table as Sophia sat down.

"Duncan, do you have a way of getting hold of Richie Ryan?" Sophia inquired.

Duncan thought for a moment. "That shouldn't be a problem. He's at my place in Seacouver. He's been coordinating a few things for Adam. He could be here in twenty minutes. Fifteen with the way he rides."

"Would you call him please? I think he has some things in his possession that might at least help with this mystery of what happened to Deirdre in Europe."

Duncan nodded. "I saw a phone in the pantry. Will that be alright?"

Sophia nodded. Duncan insisted on setting steaming plates in front of all of them before excusing himself to use the phone. By the time that Richie arrived at the Donner residence, everyone was fed, and Richie was able to dig into a plate of his own.

"Richie," Sophia began, "do you remember when Deirdre asked you to come up to her room, before she armed up to go after Luke?"

"Sure I do." Richie nodded. "I told her she was crazy to go out there. That she was going to get herself killed…"

Sophia held up a hand to cut him off. "I overheard her say that she needed you to deliver some items, in case she didn't come back."

"Yeah," Richie drew out the word with reluctance. "There were some letters she wanted me to hand out. And a package. I told her she could give them out herself when she came out of it alive."

"Do you still have them?"

Richie shook his head. "Sophia I don't know about this.."

Luke clapped a hand on Richie's shoulder. The nails were growing suspiciously pointy. "She asked if you still have them."

Richie looked around the room. "Guys, this is her personal stuff we're talking about. And she's still alive."

"She won't be for long if we don't figure out what went on in Romania, Richie." Ruby said.

Richie exchanged a desperate look with Duncan. "Mac, help me out here."

Duncan shook his head. "Normally, Rich, I'd agree with you. But in this instance, I think we should trust Sophia. If she says it will help, we should have a look."

Reluctantly, Richie slumped out to where his bike was parked and retrieved the envelopes and cloth covered parcel from the saddlebags of the motorcycle. He brought them in and splayed them out across the kitchen table. On top of the pile, he placed the knife he was meant to give Adam.

"There. That's all of it. A few private letters. A knife, and some sort of puzzle box wrapped in dirty fabric." Richie offered.

They agreed to open the letters. There were a half dozen in all. Duncan and Richie opened the ones addressed to them. The wolves and Sherman took the others. They left the package and the one addressed to Nick for last.

After twenty minutes of sifting through sheafs of Deirdre's handwriting, John threw the letter he was reading down onto the center of the table. "I don't know who this Amanda Darieux chic is, but if she ever shows up in town, I'm tempted to arrest her contributing to the delinquency of a minor."

Richie exchanged a bemused look with Duncan and grinned. "Yeah, good luck with that, buddy."

Luke growled and tossed the letter addressed to Joe Dawson on top of Amanda's. "This is useless! Travers and Stanton are ready to string up my sister in front of a kangaroo court, and all we can do is sift through letters talking about her feelings for people we don't know! I mean, has anyone here found anything useful?"

Everyone just shook their heads. The only answer was a chuckle from Sherman who had been pointedly ignoring Luke's outburst. When all the faces in the room swiveled to him, Sherman just grinned back at them. He waved the letter addressed to the Halliwell sisters in the air.

"Nightclub antics." Sherman said, by way of explanation. "Ah, to be young and horny."

John rolled his eyes at the old man. "Ooookaaay. So that just leaves the knife, the cloth and the box with the letter addressed to Boyle. Any significance to the knife, Richie?"

Richie shrugged. "Dee wanted me to give it to Adam. She said it saved her life, and she wanted him to have it back."

Duncan picked up the dagger and turned it over in his hands. "Portuguese. Seventeenth Century. Adam gave it to Deirdre the Christmas after she was first called as a Slayer."

"It did." Sophia nodded.

"Did what?" Luke asked.

"Save her life," Sophia replied. "Don't you remember? She used it to doctor that handkerchief with blood on the train when the werewolves were tailing her? Just before she doused the handkerchief with-"

"Cocaine." Duncan interjected.

All eyes spun to him. He smiled. "Clever girl. It's an old technique. Used by Jews fleeing the Gestapo during WWII. When I was in the French Resistance, and we knew we were being tracked by dogs, we'd douse a handkerchief with rabbit's blood and cocaine. The dogs would be attracted to the scent of the blood, inhale the drug, and then be unable to smell the refugees we were hiding behind walls or below the floorboards."

There was dead silence while everyone stared at him. Richie clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, thank you very much, Mac, for that intricate and horrifying history lesson. I will personally be having persecution nightmares for the next week. But how does it help us?"

Duncan's mouth opened and closed a few times before he sighed. "I suppose it doesn't."

"Okay," Ruby said. "So that leaves the things Deirdre earmarked for Nick."

Again, silence, as they all stared at the box.

"This feels wrong." Ruby whispered. "Like we're violating her somehow."

Presley picked up the cloth and absently brought it to her face.

"It's soft, like fleece. And it smells of dirt and...sewers?" Presley wrinkled her nose. "But there's something else. Really subtle, like milk and honey."

"It's a baby blanket." Sophia concluded with certainty. "I think it belonged to Deirdre's daughter. Her's and Nick's. We need to call him."

Richie snorted derisively. "That jackass? Why would you want to give him the time of day? He basically abandoned Dee when she needed him the most."

"Except he didn't!" Sophia countered. "I saw it, Richie. When she called him, he immediately came to her aid. It was the wolves. I don't think he could get to her."

"What exactly is your problem with Nick Boyle, Richie?" Luke asked. "You basically flat out told me to attack him in the hospital."

Richie opened his mouth to answer but Sherman beat him to the punch.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sherman asked. "He's in love with your sister."

Richie's mouth snapped shut.

Duncan gave Sherman an odd look. "Come again?"

Sherman nodded. "It's true. I was there when he thought Deirdre was dead. I saw young Richie's face. I cannot say as I blame you either, lad. My granddaughter is an alpha female if there ever was one. But if I were you, I'd go seeking greener pastures. She already has two males, with equal claim to her affections, competing for her hand. Also, she's in a coma."

Richie glared at Sherman but didn't deny his allegations. Instead, he looked around the table. "Is he always this annoying?"

"Pretty much." John agreed.

"So who wants to call Mr. Boyle?" Sherman asked, slapping his hands on the table.

"I'll do it." Sophia offered. "I think you could say we've developed a certain rapport."

Ten minutes after Sophia made that very awkward phone call, Nick Boyle rolled up to the Donner house in his cherry red Mustang. Alex Moreau was with him.

The house was not as crowded as it could be. Presley's grandmother beckoned her home after a call from Vivian. Sherman escorted her. So that left John and Ruby, Richie and Duncan, Luke and Sophia, and Nick and Alex.

Richie presented the puzzle box to Nick. Then he stormed out without a word, leaving MacLeod to call him with any details. And then there were seven.

Nick sat hard onto the suede sofa after Richie handed him the box. He put the letter on the coffee table and turned the box over and over in his hands.

"I gave her this," Nick choked out. The beginnings of tears gathered at the edges of his eyes. "For her eighteenth birthday. Everyone else gave her weapons, because you know...Slayer. But I knew she liked puzzle boxes and I spotted this one in a market in Taipei."

"May I?" Alex asked, holding her hands out.

Sophia leaned forward as Nick handed the box to Alex. A question apparent on her face.

"Alex has The Sight." Nick explained. "Different than yours Sophia, but…"

"More clairvoyance than telepathy," Alex offered. "I get it from my grandmother Rose."

Sophia nodded, and Alex ran her hands over the box. Meanwhile, Sophia handed Nick the blacket. "The box was wrapped in this when Dee gave it to Richie."

Nick squeezed the torn piece of fabric in his fingers. He ran his index finger along the satin edging. He looked confused. "This used to be pink."

"Yes." Sophia agreed.

"Deirdre hates pink." Nick reasoned. "She'd never wear pink clothing."

Ruby touched Nick's shoulder gently. "We think it's part of a baby blanket."

Nick bit back tears. "A little girl?"

Ruby rubbed his back. "That's what we think."

Nick squeezed his eyes closed, and covered his face with the pink cloth.

Alex began to shake violently, her fingers going ridged around the edges of the box. Her lovely brown eyes rolled back into her head.

That snapped Nick to attention. He was at her side in an instant. "Alex! Alex can you hear me?"

Alex slammed the box back down onto the table, gasping. "Water. Please!"

Ruby ran for the kitchen, returning with a glass of water.

Alex greedily gulped down the contents of the glass. Nick's hand was on one of her arms, and Alex covered it with a hand of her own. She gave him a grateful smile.

"What did you see, Al?" Nick asked. "What's in the box?"

"The truth." Alex choked out.