Chapter 13

Adam Pierson's plan of rotating people out of the Cate's house seemed to be working well. The problem, of course, was the Watchers. Travers insisted that there be two Watchers present, along with the Legacy members and wolves, at any given time. And since Travers and Johnson were the only proper Watchers in town, that meant that Travers and Johnson were in the house all the time.

This didn't make anyone very happy, least of all Vivian Cates.

Finally convinced of Adam's commitment to the investigation, Gareth Stanton allowed access to the Legacy Quomlink system, via Derek Rayne's login. This gave Adam a back channel into the data dumps that the Bucharest House had done apparently just days before it had gone up in flames.

Even weirder, Adam discovered massive hidden files couched in an encrypted folder. This folder was uploaded from the Bucharest computers to the Quomlink, and subsequently transmitted via a hacker's backdoor onto the San Francisco House server.

Adam would have tried to hide this last discovery from Stanton, if the London Prefect hadn't been looking over his shoulder at the time. That was a hitch in the proceedings. Adam coolly excused himself to get a drink from the kitchen, and caught Travers' assistant inching his way casually up the stairs.

"Wandering a bit far, aren't we, Harold?" Adam hissed, enjoying the jump in the man's step as Johnson looked behind him.

"Pierson." Harold nodded curtly. "I just thought I'd have a look in on the girl in question."

"I see," Adam nodded genially. "And you waited until Dr. Corrigan was in the restroom, and Vivian and I were otherwise occupied to do so? Just checking in I suppose?"

"Yes, that's right." Harold gripped the banister to hide sweaty palms.

"And you thought none of us would notice? Even though, you have no business whatsoever going up there?"

Harold glared. "She's a Slayer. I'm a Watcher. It's well within professional parameters. And besides, I was curious to see what all the fuss is about."

Vivian appeared at the top of the stairs, startling both men. Rachel Corrigan joined her on the top step. "Is there a problem, gentlemen?"

Two maternal Valkyries guarding the gates of Valhalla. The message was clear.

No man shall pass.

Adam's lips curled up at the edges as Johnson's face blanched. The Watcher took an involuntary step down.

"No problem, ladies." Johnson groaned through gritted teeth.

Adam made a tsk sound at the back of his throat. He ascended the next few steps, wrapped an arm around Harold's shoulders, and escorted the younger man protectively back to the parlor.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of time to meet Deirdre after we finish the inquest and she regains consciousness. Until then, best to stick to the lower floor. Don't you agree?"

Harold gave a polite smile in response, but shrugged off Adam's touch.

It was only a few minutes later when the doorbell rang.

Keeping one eye on the keyhole, and one eye on the younger Watcher, Adam opened the door. Nick and Alex were panting on the front stoop.

"I take it there's a fire?" Adam asked.

Nick shook his head. "We have something to show Vivian and Stanton. Alex thinks it might be the cypher to the back door encryption you discovered."

Adam opened the door to admit Nick and Alex, attempted to close it, and was stopped when an entire entourage came in behind them. Sophia, Luke, Ruby, MacLeod and Sherman all pushed their way through.

MacLeod exchanged a bemused look with Adam and shrugged. "Some days it just doesn't pay to argue with women."

Adam waved them into the already full parlor. "It seems the gang's all here."

"What is the meaning of this?" Travers blustered.

"That's exactly what I'd like to know." Vivian said, joining them from the kitchen, with Matt at her back. Neither looked pleased to see their children.

"Don't be mad." Sophia offered. "We think we've found something that might help us solve what happened to Deirdre at the Bucharest House. It has to do with her baby."

"I'm sorry, baby?" Stanton raised an eyebrow.

Derek cringed. "Yes, Gareth. It seems Deirdre was running not only for her life, but for the life of her unborn child."

"Astounding." Stanton exclaimed.

"Bull-pucky." Travers insisted. "Slayers aren't mothers. They don't live long enough, and their bodies are put through too much stress."

"There have been other recorded cases. What about Nikki Wood?" Adam countered. "She gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, who I believe is still fighting the good fight thirty some years after her death."

Travers blustered. "Alright it's not out of the question. But it is highly unlikely. Requires very special circumstances and besides, the Watcher's Council would have known…"

"Because you did so much research before you instituted the Cruciamentum on my daughter, and set the wolves on her in Paris?" Vivian goaded.

Travers opened his mouth. Vivian got up in his face.

She bit out her words in barely concealed rage."Go ahead. Deny it. Tell me you didn't send death after my baby while she was carrying a baby of her own. Tell me that out of any creature on the face of this planet that you could have employed for your sick little initiation ritual, you didn't choose La Bête du Gévaudan. A man so evil that his name strikes fear in the heart of wolf packs the world over. Because, in your infinite wisdom as the Head of the International Council of Watchers, you thought my daughter so dangerous that you had to send a legend after her. Along with Chastel's entire deviant little pack. Because this wasn't about testing Deirdre, was it, Travers? You sent Chastel after Deirdre to make damn sure she'd end up dead."

Travers locked his jaw shut. No budging.

Vivian laughed at him coldly. "That's what I thought. And you call my kind monsters. Well she beat you, you pompous sonofabitch. Deirdre may be clinging to life by the tips of her fingers. But even if my baby does die, it will be because she saved this community, not because of your stupid little test. She is ours. Mine. Not yours, and she never will be."

The rest of the room was silent while Travers and Vivian stared each other down.

Sherman turned to Adam. "So did anyone see the final score of the hockey game. Did the Leafs pull it out?"

"Oh will you shut up?" Harold grumbled.

"You seem a little tense." Sherman responded. "Maybe you could use some more fiber in your diet."

Alex stepped up to the enemy combatants. "Look, this bickering isn't going to do any of us any good. The sooner that we get to the bottom of the Bucharest incident, Deirdre's disappearance, and what happened to her child, the sooner we can resolve this issue with the Watcher's Council and the Legacy. The sooner we can all go back to our corners of the world and leave each other in peace. Alright?"

Luke sidled up to his mother. "You should listen to her, mom. We found something in Deirdre's belongings. Sophia thinks it's significant. And I trust her."

Vivian didn't budge.

"I promise, once this is resolved. I will personally see every last Watcher and Legacy Member out of your house Mrs. Cates." Alex offered.

Derek nodded. "Alex is right. On top of this murder investigation, we have a missing child on our hands. If Nick has the key to this mess, I think we should give him the floor."

Nick nodded and pulled the puzzle box out of his pocket along with the letter. He left the scrap of baby blanket tucked safely away. Nick sat the box down on the parlor table and held up the letter.

"Deirdre wrote a series of letters to the people closest to her, before going into battle this last time. This one is the one she wrote to me.

My Dearest Nick,

There are so many things I want to say to you. I feel like there are so many things that I've hidden or haven't said, because of what was appropriate or convenient at the time. I don't know that I'll ever get to tell you the truth now.

So in lieu of telling you the truth. I'm giving it to you. This box contains all the truth I have left.

That and these words... I love you, and I wouldn't change a thing.

Love,

Dee."

Nick grabbed the puzzle box and moved his fingers deftly around the top, opening a small hatch in the top that revealed a compartment no bigger than a silver dollar. Inside sat a shiny mini data disk.

Nick handed the disk to Alex, who handed it to Adam who inserted it into a small external reader attached to his computer. On Vivian's television screen, a logo for the Legacy QuomLink system sizzled onto the screen. A cursor blinked in a login window awaiting action.

All eyes were drawn to the TV.

Derek approached Adam. "May I?"

Adam gestured genially to his keyboard. Derek typed his password in and was met immediately with a bold red error message. "Access Denied."

Stanton tapped Derek on the shoulder. "Let me try. I have the override codes to the QuomLink system."

Adam vacated his chair, motioning for Stanton to sit. Gareth tried password after password. For a good five minutes, each attempt was met with the same forbidding message. "Access Denied."

Vivian's back got straighter and her expression stonier with every attempt. Stanton finally threw up his hands.

"That's it." Stanton growled. "That is every password and override in my backlog. Even the administrator password for QuomLink did not work."

Vivian huffed. "Unacceptable. Adam, can you hack it?"

Stanton blustered, about to object, but Adam beat him to the punch. "I could try, but that could take days to get to the truth."

"The truth." Ruby repeated. Her eyes were wide, gears turning behind them.

"Yes," Travers hissed. "The reason we are all here?"

Ruby rolled her eyes at him. She walked to Sophia and put her hands on the younger girl's shoulders. "Sophia, we need the truth. Do you remember?"

Sophia looked deep into Ruby's eyes and understood perfectly. Ruby didn't want to give either of their powers away in this room of vipers. But they needed at least a part of the knowledge that Sophia had gleaned from Deirdre's memories.

Just thinking about her last Dream Walk Sophia's heart stuttered with fear.

All the same, Sophia closed her eyes, remembering a smiling girl with long honey brown hair and dancing blue eyes.

Momma calls me Ally….

Sophia swallowed and nodded. Ruby stepped away, keeping a hand on Sophia's back.

"Mr. Pierson?" Sophia gulped. "You're a scholar. Do you know any ancient greek?"

A light went on in Adam's eyes. He took his seat back from Stanton and typed furiously at the computer. Immediately, a cheery green message came up on the screen. "Access Granted. Welcome, Deirdre Pierson. Access Archived file? Yes/ No?"

Adam smiled at Sophia. "Well done Sophia Donner. Well done."

Nick uncrossed his arms. "What the hell was the password?"

"Her daughter's name." Sophia said in a small voice. She looked at him with shiny eyes. "Your daughter's name. Alethia."

*Author's Note* Out of respect to 's updated content policies, I am pulling all following chapters of this story. All subsequent chapters of the story contain graphic violence, mature adult themes, and sexual themes that constitute an MA Rating. If you wish to read the rest of the story, it will be posted to Archive of Our Own's website under the same title, and with a mature content warning. Thanks for reading!