Chapter 3. The Discovery

If every minute it makes me weaker…

"Cadence…"

Caddy stirred in her sleep, his voice ever so haunting in her dreams. The crystal-mancer hardly if ever slept well, despite her best efforts. And now with HIM here it would be even more difficult. Usually she knew it was her Stephen calling for her, but this night, she felt confused and lost.

"Cadence, love, we're waiting…".

He was always there, back in the sanctum, back in their home. Most of the time, he carried their lost child, their son. Gavin…her beloved little Gavin, gone too soon from the world. Just like his namesake, ironically enough. It was so tempting, always so tempting for her. The sanctum was warm and inviting, her husband and son were there. They never tired of seeing her, never did they turn her away. It always pained her to tell them no, all the time.

"I can't. I'm sorry…not tonight. I'm sorry, love" Cadence hated those words, hated things like goodbye and sorry.

She had spent her whole life saying both of those things far too much, far too many times than she cared to admit. Whether it was to someone she cared about, or someone there to cause her harm, it was always one but never the other. Stephen always told her dreams were windows to other lives, and it made Cadence wonder if what she saw most nights was a different life, a life where their son survived, and perhaps she hadn't. Was another Stephen somehow reaching out to her? It seemed possible in a never ending universe where possibilities were just as endless.

The other possibility was that in these dreams she herself died with them, somehow, they all went together. Maybe what she saw in her dreams was a paradise of sorts. Either way, it always hurt to leave, it hurt to wake and leave them behind. She had the twins to care for, and they needed her as much as she needed them. If not more so.

"I'm so proud of you, darling. Stay strong my dear…".

Cadence woke to her early alarm to get up and make breakfast, his voice fresh in her mind. A part of her wondered if perhaps HE was somehow influencing her dreams, but this time she doubted it. He couldn't use his magic here with malicious intent, and dream manipulation could be seen as that. Cadence sat up in her bed, turning her alarm off. She groggily made her way over to her bathroom, taking a few deep breaths. The crystal-mancer turned the water of her sink on before taking off her gloves to wash her face and fully awaken. She looked in the mirror, and blinked in surprise. A white streak had begun to show in her hair.

"Dammit! No! No! No…I'm not her…I'm not!" She told herself, "I'll be fine. I'll be fine…everything will be fine…" Cadence closed her eyes and willed her negative thoughts away.

When she looked in the mirror, her hair was back to its normal radiant red-orange, the color of fall leaves. Carefully she turned the water off, the faucet safe from her crystalline touch due to the wetness of her hands. Water acted as a protective shield, working at least on inanimate objects. She wouldn't dare try it on living beings however. The risk was too great and Do No Harm was her top rule.

"Do no harm, take no shit" Cadence reminded herself as she left the bathroom and sat back down on her bed.

She was so tired, always so damn tired. Between being a mother and owning her own business, Cadence rarely had a moment, much less a day, for herself. And of course staying one step ahead of them was always on her mind. The SCP Foundation was ruthless, and she knew they would never stop until they had her and her children firmly in their grasp. With Stephen gone, that was one less means of protection. It wasn't that Cadence couldn't hold her own, she could And, contrary to what HE thought, she could kill if she wanted. For her twins, Cadenza Leah Revan-Strange absolutely would kill. No one put their hands on her babies for any reason…

Cadence was pulled from her thoughts by laughter in the living room. For a moment she panicked, thinking something was wrong. She hastily dressed and stepped out, only to see the twins on the floor in the living room, bowls of cereal on the coffee table as cartoons played on the TV. And of course, HE was on the couch.

"Kids! You guys know the rules, no sugar on the weekdays, except for dessert!" Cadence leaned against her doorway.

"Awww but mama, papa said we could!" Marius looked at Sinister and then at her.

"Yes honey but papa doesn't make the rules, I do".

"They were hungry and I got them food, a simple thank you would suffice" Sinister looked at her, "You may as well just let them have it, Cadence".

He could tell she was pissed, and he was rather entertained by it. That seemed to be his thing, pissing people off. The urge to come over and slap him in his smug, lousy, unkempt face was strong, but she resisted. It was best to not be violent in front of her kids. Cadence swallowed and looked at him.

"Thank you" she said with a low tone before going over to the kitchen, "Did you eat?"

"No, didn't know what was off the table for me" he glanced over at her from behind the couch.

The kids giggled on the floor, thinking he just told a joke of some kind. Cadence rolled her eyes as she looked in the fridge for some food. Molly looked up at Sinister.

"Papa made a pun!" she said cheerfully.

"I don't know if I'd call that a pun…" he looked rather thoughtful at that.

How long had it been since he thought of things like that? Hell, when was the last thing he thought of anything remotely humorous? It felt like a lifetime since then, honestly. This felt…weird. Odd. Somewhat off-putting. What the hell was it about this situation that made him feel so warm inside? Or at least something akin to warmth. The kids were rather funny, Cadence for all her hatred of him seemed like a good person to have around. Again, Sinister could see why this world's version of him liked this. Hell, this was the life he himself wanted. Well, except he wanted a wife who actually liked him, but that was neither here nor there.

"Mama, would that be a pun?" Marius asked as she took out a glass and the orange juice.

"Honey, I am the worst judge of that-"

The twins shot up and pointed at her together. "Shenanigans!" they yelled together.

Cadence chuckled and playfully rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'm…kinda good at puns".

"Kinda? Mama you're like the pun queen" Marius told her.

"Yeah, you make Auntie Christine laugh with them!" Molly giggled.

Ah so there was a Christine in this universe. Interesting…and she was the kid's aunt? Wait, was she…Cadence's sister? That was a question to ask for later, when the kids weren't around, of course. Sinister put the question away for now, like a separate compartment in his mind. There would be a lot of them, surely.

"Okay, enough, guys, go get dressed and ready for school, okay? We'll talk about this a little later".

"Awww okay mama" the kids got up and went to their room to change.

Cadence sighed and looked at Sinister. "How long were they up?"

"Before you? Maybe…twenty minutes? Are you okay? You look-".

"I'm fine. Have you eaten?" Cadence repeated.

"I haven't".

She got down another glass from the cabinet. "You don't mind orange juice do you?"

"At this point I'll take just about anything." Sinister told her, watching from the living room, turning the television off with a wave of his hand.

"Good. we don't drink coffee in this house".

"Excuse me, what?!" he blinked.

Cadence almost found his shocked expression almost comical. "You heard me".

"Why?".

"Because it's gross and I hate it. Plus the kids don't drink caffeine so I don't either".

"Fair enough I suppose" he carefully approached the kitchen, "Your seal spell is flimsy, I can still use magic here".

"Remember what I said, it's all about intent. Do No Harm is the number one rule in this house".

"And rule number two?" he raised a brow.

Cadence pushed the glass over the counter to him. "Take no shit".

"Sounds like my kind of rule" he took the glass, keeping his eye on her.

She took note of his hands, very similar scars to her own Stephen. Cadence took a sip of orange juice, an awkward silence in the air. They seemed to be watching each other, as if anticipating one to make an offensive move on the other. They didn't trust each other, despite the awkward situation they were in.

"I'm guessing that's a multiversal constant. Your accident I mean" Cadence noted after a moment.

"In most universes, yes".

"Have you been to many universes?"

Sinister nodded. "Too many to mention".

Cadence went quiet again for a moment. He dared shoot a question of his own.

"So what's the deal with your power? You generate crystal but you gotta wear gloves all the time?"

"I crystallize everything I touch with my bare hands, so yes. I have to wear gloves all the time".

She didn't mention the water and silk weaknesses. The last thing Cadence needed was this man knowing what wasn't affected by her touch. He didn't need to know and potentially exploit it.

"So you've never even touched your own kids? I almost feel sorry for you. Almost".

"I don't want your pity. So you can keep it".

"I said I almost feel bad for you".

"I don't really think you can feel anything".

"Guess we're both in the same boat".

"You'd be wise to not provoke me. You know what they say about sleeping bears".

"There are very few things in the world that scare me, you're not one of them".

"I don't want your fear. I don't want anything from you…except perhaps your life. Even then, I feel that's hardly worth taking".

"Fair enough".

The kids came out, breaking the tension. Cadence smiled at them and set her glass aside. "Alright wonder twins, brush your teeth before we go, please".

"Right!" The two went into the bathroom, their mother joining them.

Sinister watched her leave before going back to the drink in his hand. He practically absorbed it while she made sure the twins did what they needed to. It had been ages since he had orange juice, it felt surprisingly nice. Right now, it pretty much was the best thing since sliced bread. Magic had sustained him in his crumbling world, but it was all so fake, meaningless, next to nothing. The flavor, the color, hell even the texture gave him a sense of elation he hadn't felt in so very long. For a second he thought of taking her cup too and downing what was left but refrained. Instead he took a seat at the dining room table, waiting for her and the kids to come out. He didn't have to wait long, thankfully.

"Papa! Papa, we got shiny teeth!" Molly came out and hugged him tightly, catching Sinister off guard, "We gotta go school now".

Marius was at his side and hugged him too. "Will you be here when we come back?"

The question took him off guard for a second. But he remembered they hadn't had a father in their lives for so long. Sinister gently stroked the kid's hair, looking at both of them.

"Of course I will. I would never, ever, leave you guys" he said, trying his best to sound sincere. It was a partial truth, as he had no desire to leave, but if Cadence had her way, he'd be gone sooner or later.

"Promise?" Molly asked.

Sinister pulled away from them only for a second, long enough to trace an X over his heart. "Cross my heart and hope to die".

This got a delighted squeal from the twins, who hugged him on both sides. Sinister froze, a strange feeling overtaking him. It was so warm, their hugs chasing the cold of his body away. His heart pounded in his chest, almost painfully. Was this what it felt like, to be loved instead of feared? He wasn't sure if he liked it, but maybe it was something he could grow accustomed to.

Cadence cleared her throat. "Kids…we gotta go. Can't have you guys be late now".

"Awww…okay mama" Molly was the first to let go, a bit saddened at having to.

Her brother was more hesitant. He had missed his papa more than he had let on, and if he were being honest, he was glad there was another boy in the house. He finally did let go, and trailed behind his sister to the stairs. Cadence glanced at Sinister as she went to the stairs.

"I'll make breakfast for us when I get back. I won't be gone long. It's a ten minute drive from here" she assured him.

"Guess I'll be here".

"You'd better be. The last thing I need is people seeing you" Cadence walked with the kids out of the apartment to the store below them.

Sinister rolled his eyes as she left. Oh no, he wasn't going anywhere, far from it. No, he had other plans in mind. He wanted to learn more about Cadence, about her children, and, just maybe, a little about himself in this universe. When they were gone, he made his way first to the kid's room. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The two had separate beds on either side of the room, as well as two distinct dressers. They had a small closet where they stored coats and some nicer clothes. Between the beds was a shared nightstand with a lamp…and a picture.

It was of this universe's version of himself, and Cadence, who looked like she hadn't aged at all. She looked the same, perhaps her power slowed her aging? Sinister wasn't sure, but he figured he'd ask a little later about it. In their arms were tiny bundles, the kids as newborns. He looked happy and proud, both of their eyes seemed moist. They looked…happy. Bitterness grew in his chest, and for a moment Sinister felt justified. Why was this Stephen allowed to be happy while he wasted away in the hellish, dying purgatory that was his world? Didn't he deserve to be happy too? Didn't he earn it? His hands shook as they balled into fists. He wanted to destroy that damn picture, or at least tear his face out of it. But he knew the kids would be upset, and plus trying to explain it would prove more trouble than it was worth. It was best to keep the ruse up for now…just for now.

Sinister forced himself to turn away from the picture and looked around the room some more. At the end of both beds was a chest, and looking in, he found the usual toys five year olds liked. Molly had a little plush red panda at the foot of her bed he hadn't noticed when he walked in. It sat dutifully on its mistress' sleeping space, almost like a little guard. Sinister let himself grin at the thought.

He glanced over at Marius' bed, and noticed something under it. Curious, he focused and pulled it out with magic. It was a suitcase, and a rather good size one. Suspicious, he approached it.

"Hello there…" he carefully opened it, only to find there was a good portion of…everything. Clothes, medicine, extra toothbrush and paste, neatly all put together.

Under the clothes he found something very suspicious: Hair dye. Who the hell would dye a five year old's hair? Who the hell would do that?

Slowly it dawned on him. They didn't live in New York anymore. Rather, they lived in a small town in the middle of nowhere. They had been here long enough to establish roots, which meant they left shortly after Stephen's death.

"They're preparing to run" he put everything back, and carefully set the case back where he found it, "They're running from something…or at least hiding…".

Looking under Molly's bed, he found a similar case, with all the same things. What were they running, or hiding from? What could possibly hurt them? Was someone or something threatening them? Why didn't she take them to Kamar Taj if she was in danger? Why risk the kids' lives like this? It made Sinister feel uneasy, and it took a lot to make him feel uneasy. If someone was threatening them, he needed to know. Just like with Marius' he put Molly's case back perfectly intact. He left the room quietly and made his way to Cadence's room.

She had the bigger of the two rooms, even had its own bathroom. This was to be expected of course but even so…he wondered if she had a case too. Looking under her bed, sure enough he found one. This one had a little bit more stuff in it, official documents, passports, things they would need for a quick escape and to establish elsewhere. And money of course, she had a fireproof lock box full of it. Suspicion gnawed at Sinister's mind like rats.

"What are you running from?" He set everything back as he did with the kids' cases and looked around further.

She had a bookshelf full of various books, from parenting books to literature, to kids books, and even a cookbook here and there. No magic texts that he knew of, but perhaps she was hiding them. He turned suspiciously to the closet. She had to be hiding something there.

Sinister willed the closet open, where of course he found the usual clothes and stuff, but it was what was just beyond them that intrigued him. Boxes of photos and her wedding album. He felt a tightness in his chest as he tried to stifle the urge to look through it, knowing it would only further inspire his rage and jealousy. He refrained, not wanting to risk destroying anything and garnering suspicion. A binder was underneath, and carefully he brisked through it. It was a record of some kind. she was tracking something, or at least had been for a long time.

"The SCP Foundation…what is that?" he asked thoughtfully and kept looking through, reading what he could.

Cadence had been monitoring any movements of theirs close to and around every major city in the world, taking note of what places to avoid. This was what she was running from, the SCP Foundation. He still had no idea what they were, or what they wanted with her or the kids, but this thing was far bigger than he thought. This Foundation was global, having so called Sites all over the world.

"That's what you're running from. How…fascinating" he carefully set the binder back, as a photograph fell out of the binder.

Curious, he picked it up. Doubtless that it was a picture of her and her Stephen-

Except it wasn't. It was a picture of a younger her, slightly younger looking, and another man dressed like a Victorian gentleman. She wore a gorgeous red gown, with orange and gold wings at her back. Around her head was a crown of orange and red leaves veined with gold sparkles. The man with her wasn't Stephen, but a man he didn't recognize. He was dark haired, with brown eyes. He looked pale, but he was well built with an air of intelligence about him. Carefully Sinister turned the picture over, only to see something in faint writing.

"Gavin "Valiant"…Halloween, twenty-twelve…" He raised a brow, "So he wasn't your first. How intriguing" Sinister slipped the picture back in, "Looks to me like you got a lot of secrets, little crystal-mancer".

He heard the door downstairs open and close. Shit…she was back. Sinister sent everything back, and quietly made his way out of her room. The last thing he needed was a screaming match. Sure it wasn't right to snoop, but he knew getting information out of her would be like pulling teeth, at least for now. He would have to ease her into it.

Knowing what he knew now, he wasn't leaving. This family was under threat, and he wasn't about to leave them unprotected. He laid back on the couch, just before she came up the stairs. She looked a bit rushed as she made her way up, and all he did was wave at her.

Cadence just nodded in return and went to the kitchen. "Have any preferences for food?".

"No, I'm not picky".

"Good, at least someone isn't. Hang tight, I'll have some pancakes up for us, so we can enjoy them in peace".

"Sounds like a plan…"