~*~ is the start and end of a dream, or flash... etc.

*** Chapter Two ***

~*~

The faces were all blurred together, voices the same, but they seemed to be calling to her. She shrinked back as hands grabbed her and she felt a burst of power run through her. She gasped, then screamed as black eyes stared back at her, almost gloating, smirking....

'I won't stop until your mine and I have them, you understand that Mara?' the voice was booming right next to her ear, but it confused her, not only the words, but the voice, that voice that was sending chills down her spine. Who did this voice want? Who was 'them' and why was she being called Mara?

'Your wrong, I will never be yours, I'm no ones.'When had her voice ever sounded so smokey? So low, so... hoarse, like she'd been screaming for a long time, or as if she just didn't have anymore strength?

'I've branded you, you just haven't realized it yet.' And then there was tugging at her arms again, fingers digging into her arms, leaving more bruises and she could feel herself being pulled towards those dark eyes. She knew what he wanted, but she couldn't give it to him. 'I'm coming for them, there's nothing you can do, Mara.'

~*~

"NOOOOO!!" Maria shot straight up in her bed with a scream, her nightmare having affected her in a way it shouldn't. She gasped in pain, gulping in big amounts of air before she started to cry. She felt so cold, so numb, she didn't understand, she should, but she didn't.

It took her a few minutes to realize that she wasn't alone, that almost everyone was in the room with her, and Alex was shaking her gently. He kept repeating her name, but she didn't hear it, just staring blankly at him, knowing everyone was there, but not really seeing them. She kept seeing the eyes, those black eyes, unnatural black eyes.

"He wanted..me, I'm not his, I'm not branded....he's coming...there's nothing I can do." She muttered, confused with the words coming out of her mouth. "He's got so much power...and black eyes, always black eyes." She whispered, and one hard, quick shake from Alex brought her back.

"Maria, Maria! Come on, talk to me..." Alex glanced behind him, knowing everyone had heard the same words as he had. She may not remember now, not know that she was remembering, but she sure as hell was dreaming it.

"Alex?" Maria asked confused, feeling tears well up in her eyes from the pain that shot through her body, and the memory of her horrible dream that had left her feeling so cold. "What are you doing in here?" She asked quietly.

"You were screaming." Maria looked over to the other side of the bed, frowning when she saw her nephew perched there, worried. "You dreamt about the bad man." Maria nodded slightly, " Didn't seem like a dream, it was real. Scared you." Shane now had the attention of everyone as he climbed up further onto the bed, slowly slipping his arms around Maria. "Won't let him take you Aunt Ria."

Maria closed her eyes, fighting back pain and just wrapping her arms around the boy. She didn't want to think about the dream, not about everything running through her mind. She held on to Shane for as long as she could remember before they had both fallen asleep like that.

******

But she woke up alone, the sun shining brightly into her room, she almost jerked up in surprise to see Sean asleep in a chair next to her bed.

She smiled softly and slowly sat up, wincing at the strain it put on her already sore muscles.

"Hey.. hey, what are you doing getting up, it's only 9 in the morning, go back to bed, you need rest." She turned her head to see Ava standing in the doorway, a frown on her delicate features.

"Ava..." Maria chuckled quietly to herself, Ava and Isabel were really the only two she could handle to be around from the Evans/Harding family, Lonnie became too much over time, though Maria could say she loved her sister-in-law, and Tess was just... cold towards her and it threw her off. Max could never keep his eyes away from certain areas *cough* her chest *cough* and Michael.... his intense stare always made her hot and uncomfortable at the same time, always looking at her as if he knew something she didn't. "I'm fine, really, I just can't sleep anymore, dreams..." She frowned at that, then sighed as the petite blonde haired young woman came to help her up. "Did they take shifts?" She questioned.

"Yes, Alex first since Shane fell asleep with you, then Kyle, and then Sean." Ava infromed her easily.

Maria was actually a little amused by this news. She remembered when she was young, whenever she had a bad dream, Kyle would come in first, since they had connecting rooms, and then the others guys would follow including her father. Shifts would be taken and when she woke, someone was always sitting in the chair next to her bed, the big overstuffed chair that still sat next to her bed. "Over protective brothers, gotta love them."

"Wouldn't know, just me and Tess, but of course, I get to have overprotective brother-in-laws, must be the same." Ava winked, then looked over at Sean for a moment, "Should I wake him, or help you get dressed?"

Maria frowned. She always hated having to rely on anyone, she rarely did anymore, and she resented being here, but she would never say it. She always felt dependent when she was around family. When she was by herself, taking care of herself in LA, she felt different, independent. If she hurt herself or got into trouble, she took care of it, but of course, she made the mistake of getting hurt while vacationing with her family, her mother wouldn't let her leave and no one would ever go up against Amy Valenti.

"Neither. Go find your husband, Ava. Let Sean sleep, god knows he probably needs it, and let me do something for myself. I think I can get dressed without help for once." The last week she had been avoiding looking at herself and Amy had been helping her get dressed, she wanted to do it alone, or atleast try to.

"Alright, just call if you need help, though throw out a warning first, wouldn't want your brothers running in on you half naked." She chuckled, and Maria grinned.

"Wouldn't be the first time, men know no privacy, the pigs."

It took Maria a total of 20 to minutes to move around her room, getting clothes, then moving to her brother and getting undressed, and once she was, she was frozen by her reflection.

"Christ.." She whispered with tears in her eyes. No wonder Kyle had acted to shocked yesterday, she looked terrible, and no wonder she hurt so much. She sighed and began to look away when something caught her attention. Her mouth almost opened in shock as she started at her arms. There were four small bruises on each, a fifth only a few inches off from the four on each arm. Finger bruises. "Like my dream..." She whispered with confusion. Someone had grabbed her, no one she knew would have caused marks like that, no one would handle her so roughly.

She frowned and continued to get dressed, painfully, but hardly noticing the pain because of her thoughts. What had happened that day?

TBC....