Charles looked up when he heard glass brake in the kitchen. It sounded too loud for a single glass.
"Defense perimeter breached. Defense perimeter breached," Sarah sounded scared...and mad, "Someone's blowing up my kitchen windows!"
LeAnna! Charles dumped his cards on the table and wheeled himself towards the doors.
Maranda hit the doors first, running head long into the darken room. She yelled for lights. Sarah automatically complied.
Trisha was right behind her but she stopped just inside the door, hold open the door for Charles.
He gave the room a quick scan, taking in the broken window. The glass spread across the floor. Maranda leaning over LeAnna. Syrus beside her, talking at Maranda as if he was trying to tell her something. Before throwing his mind out the window.
He found the attackers easily. They where in the woods on hill across the road, well off the property line.
He closed his eyes and concentrated. It was easy to make two of them scatter. They where weak minds, followers. Their leader gave him a little trouble. Hate burned in him, burning away Charles's gentler attempts to make him leave. Charles own anger faired. He know what ever this man had done, still had his Grand-niece laying on the floor, unresponsive to his mental touch. Flame touched flame, and the man ran.
Charles opened his eyes and looked at Maranda.
She looked back at him, her eyes full of tears.
Peter put the helicopter down, and turned to Gambit beside him.
"Could you deal with him?" he asked, gesturing behind them with his head.
"In the closet?"
Peter nodded and pulled off his headset. Dumping it on the seat, he jumped from the helicopter. Automatically ducking under the slowing blades he made his way to the door into the house. Kat quickly followed him, Scott and Richard not far behind. Gambit lagged behind with the thug over his shoulder.
"Hello?" Peter was surprised no one had come to great them. "Sarah, where is everyone?"
"They're in the med-lab," Sarah said, her voice near monotone.
"Why?"
She didn't respond.
"Sarah," Kat said behind him, "Talk to me."
She made no response Peter could here.
"Shit," Kat said, braking into a run in the direction of the main computer control.
Peter picked up his own pace, throwing over his shoulder, "Scott, why don't you take Richard upstairs where he can get cleaned up."
By the time he reached the med-lab doors he was running.
Trisha met him just out side the double doors. As he came to a stop in front of her, he saw tear stains on her cheeks.
"Trish?"
She took a shaky breath in and brought her hand to hand to her face, covering her mouth. Her face crumpled and she started to cry again. "She...she...they can't..."
Peter reached out to her, pulling her too him. She buried her head in his shoulder and sobbed. As soon as she quieted, he sifted her to his side, still holding her close.
He took a deep breath and opened the door, not knowing what he would find on the other side.
Charles sat at he head of the med-bed. Maranda stood beside him. LeAnna lay on the bed, achingly pail.
"No," he said on a breath, so quiet they didn't hear him.
But Syrus did. He wined.
Peter frowned as the dog slowly crawled on his belly towards Peter, his head down and cocked to one side.
Maranda looked up. She put a hand on Charles shoulder before making her way towards Peter and Trisha.
"She's alive," she said as soon as she reached them, her voice just above whisper, "but totally unresponsive. Charles is trying to reach her, but..."
Maranda looked over her shoulder back at the bed. "There is no medical reason for her to be unconscious. All she sustained was miner cuts."
"What happened?"
"We didn't know," Maranda said, turning back to him, "We were playing cards, and LeAnna went into the kitchen to get Syrus a treat. We here glass brake and Sarah said someone had shot an arrow though the window.
"When we got there, LeAnna was lying on the floor, Syrus standing over her."
"What can I do?"
Maranda smiled sadly and put her hand on his arm, "Pray."
Charles pushed at the darkness, fighting his way through.
Slowly, the world reformed around him.
Taking a deep breath, he jumped from the branch, landing silently on the snow beneath. He looked back up and saw a robin perched on the branch. It was one of the many birds that stayed around Alex's house no matter how much snow was on the ground.
But it wasn't just a bird. It was LeAnna.
Slowly the seen before him played out. He watched as one of the men aimed his crossbow. He heard the bird scream and dive at him. He flinched away when the arrowhead exploded in the snow. He watched as the bird gained height and dove again. And he watched with dread as the man behind the bird raised a stick and smashed the bird to the ground.
Then everything stopped, frozen.
Charles stepped carefully around the frozen figures, and crouched by the bird. He gently picked it up, ran his finger over it's soft head, felt it's remaining heat seep from it.
Gently, he put the dead bird back on the glimmering snow, and made his way to the house.
It was dark and empty. He footsteps echoed down the hall and he made his way towards the kitchen.
She was laying where they found her, but intend of almost flat on her face, she was curled on her side in the fetal position, her knees up, her arms covering her head.
As he made his way to her, he heard a voice and was startled to realizes it was Syrus whispering, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
"Syrus?"
The dog looked up at him, and Charles could see the pain in his eyes.
I didn't mean to hurt her. I was trying to get her out of the way.
"You didn't hurt her," Charles said, trying not to show how uneasy he was talking to an animal.
But she won't take to me. She always talked to me. Even in dreams she talks to me.
Charles was shocked at the depth of the bond LeAnna had with the dog in fount of him. He had seen how quickly he responded to her, and he had guest that her gift had something to do with it, but he had no idea how far it had developed, how far she had developed.
Charles knelt beside the dog.
"She's in a great deal of pain," he said. He felt the dog's sorrow increase and quickly added, "None of which you caused."
He reached out his other hand and ran it over LeAnna's hair, "LeAnna?"
Her voice was low, and filled with misery, "Go away."
With a jolt, Charles found himself in his own body. He heard Syrus howl.
He took his hands from the sides of LeAnna's head, letting them fall to his lap. He bowed his head. His shoulders protested. His whole body felt tense and achy.
"Charles," he heard Maranda behind him, but made no move to respond. He felt her put her warm hands between his shoulder blades and felt the tension dissipate.
He took a deep breath, "She's in there, but she doesn't want to come out."
"Why?" Maranda asked, sliding her hands up to his shoulders, her thumbs lay along his spine up his neck.
Charles reached up and put his hands over hers, "She's morning."
"Who?" Charles opened his eyes, and looked at Peter.
"A bird," at the look of confusion on Peters face, Charles continued, "She was in the mind of a robin when it died."
"Is there anything you can do?" Maranda asked.
Charles shook his head, "I can't give her my help until she wants it."
"We can't stay here," Trisha said. All eyes in the room turned to her.
"Why?" Peter asked.
"They'll be back," she said, staring in front of her, "And next time they won't stop," her voice hitched and she turned to Peter, "They'll kill you. You and Gambit."
"We can look after ourselves, Chair," Gambit said from where he stood by the door, "You don't have to worry about us."
Trisha tuned on him, her eyes sparking with anger and tears, "It's not you I'm worried about. It's me. And Maranda. And Alex. And Kat. And LeAnna!" her voice broke.
Charles got a gimps of her vision and his hands tightened over Maranda's on his neck, glad she couldn't see. But she got the idea.
Peter ran his hand through his hair, and sighed, "The decision is Alex's." Trish began to protest and he lifted his hand, "For now, we should take LeAnna to Charles's. Alex is headed there anyway."
Charles reached out to Peter. Alexandria was headed to his airfield in a 737, with God knows whom as passengers.
Peter sighed, "Trisha, could you pack for Alex. And, Kat, get some things together for you sister."
"Of course," but it was Sara's voice that answered.
Peter nodded, "We'll stay with Charles until Alex can sort this out."
"Defense perimeter breached. Defense perimeter breached," Sarah sounded scared...and mad, "Someone's blowing up my kitchen windows!"
LeAnna! Charles dumped his cards on the table and wheeled himself towards the doors.
Maranda hit the doors first, running head long into the darken room. She yelled for lights. Sarah automatically complied.
Trisha was right behind her but she stopped just inside the door, hold open the door for Charles.
He gave the room a quick scan, taking in the broken window. The glass spread across the floor. Maranda leaning over LeAnna. Syrus beside her, talking at Maranda as if he was trying to tell her something. Before throwing his mind out the window.
He found the attackers easily. They where in the woods on hill across the road, well off the property line.
He closed his eyes and concentrated. It was easy to make two of them scatter. They where weak minds, followers. Their leader gave him a little trouble. Hate burned in him, burning away Charles's gentler attempts to make him leave. Charles own anger faired. He know what ever this man had done, still had his Grand-niece laying on the floor, unresponsive to his mental touch. Flame touched flame, and the man ran.
Charles opened his eyes and looked at Maranda.
She looked back at him, her eyes full of tears.
Peter put the helicopter down, and turned to Gambit beside him.
"Could you deal with him?" he asked, gesturing behind them with his head.
"In the closet?"
Peter nodded and pulled off his headset. Dumping it on the seat, he jumped from the helicopter. Automatically ducking under the slowing blades he made his way to the door into the house. Kat quickly followed him, Scott and Richard not far behind. Gambit lagged behind with the thug over his shoulder.
"Hello?" Peter was surprised no one had come to great them. "Sarah, where is everyone?"
"They're in the med-lab," Sarah said, her voice near monotone.
"Why?"
She didn't respond.
"Sarah," Kat said behind him, "Talk to me."
She made no response Peter could here.
"Shit," Kat said, braking into a run in the direction of the main computer control.
Peter picked up his own pace, throwing over his shoulder, "Scott, why don't you take Richard upstairs where he can get cleaned up."
By the time he reached the med-lab doors he was running.
Trisha met him just out side the double doors. As he came to a stop in front of her, he saw tear stains on her cheeks.
"Trish?"
She took a shaky breath in and brought her hand to hand to her face, covering her mouth. Her face crumpled and she started to cry again. "She...she...they can't..."
Peter reached out to her, pulling her too him. She buried her head in his shoulder and sobbed. As soon as she quieted, he sifted her to his side, still holding her close.
He took a deep breath and opened the door, not knowing what he would find on the other side.
Charles sat at he head of the med-bed. Maranda stood beside him. LeAnna lay on the bed, achingly pail.
"No," he said on a breath, so quiet they didn't hear him.
But Syrus did. He wined.
Peter frowned as the dog slowly crawled on his belly towards Peter, his head down and cocked to one side.
Maranda looked up. She put a hand on Charles shoulder before making her way towards Peter and Trisha.
"She's alive," she said as soon as she reached them, her voice just above whisper, "but totally unresponsive. Charles is trying to reach her, but..."
Maranda looked over her shoulder back at the bed. "There is no medical reason for her to be unconscious. All she sustained was miner cuts."
"What happened?"
"We didn't know," Maranda said, turning back to him, "We were playing cards, and LeAnna went into the kitchen to get Syrus a treat. We here glass brake and Sarah said someone had shot an arrow though the window.
"When we got there, LeAnna was lying on the floor, Syrus standing over her."
"What can I do?"
Maranda smiled sadly and put her hand on his arm, "Pray."
Charles pushed at the darkness, fighting his way through.
Slowly, the world reformed around him.
Taking a deep breath, he jumped from the branch, landing silently on the snow beneath. He looked back up and saw a robin perched on the branch. It was one of the many birds that stayed around Alex's house no matter how much snow was on the ground.
But it wasn't just a bird. It was LeAnna.
Slowly the seen before him played out. He watched as one of the men aimed his crossbow. He heard the bird scream and dive at him. He flinched away when the arrowhead exploded in the snow. He watched as the bird gained height and dove again. And he watched with dread as the man behind the bird raised a stick and smashed the bird to the ground.
Then everything stopped, frozen.
Charles stepped carefully around the frozen figures, and crouched by the bird. He gently picked it up, ran his finger over it's soft head, felt it's remaining heat seep from it.
Gently, he put the dead bird back on the glimmering snow, and made his way to the house.
It was dark and empty. He footsteps echoed down the hall and he made his way towards the kitchen.
She was laying where they found her, but intend of almost flat on her face, she was curled on her side in the fetal position, her knees up, her arms covering her head.
As he made his way to her, he heard a voice and was startled to realizes it was Syrus whispering, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
"Syrus?"
The dog looked up at him, and Charles could see the pain in his eyes.
I didn't mean to hurt her. I was trying to get her out of the way.
"You didn't hurt her," Charles said, trying not to show how uneasy he was talking to an animal.
But she won't take to me. She always talked to me. Even in dreams she talks to me.
Charles was shocked at the depth of the bond LeAnna had with the dog in fount of him. He had seen how quickly he responded to her, and he had guest that her gift had something to do with it, but he had no idea how far it had developed, how far she had developed.
Charles knelt beside the dog.
"She's in a great deal of pain," he said. He felt the dog's sorrow increase and quickly added, "None of which you caused."
He reached out his other hand and ran it over LeAnna's hair, "LeAnna?"
Her voice was low, and filled with misery, "Go away."
With a jolt, Charles found himself in his own body. He heard Syrus howl.
He took his hands from the sides of LeAnna's head, letting them fall to his lap. He bowed his head. His shoulders protested. His whole body felt tense and achy.
"Charles," he heard Maranda behind him, but made no move to respond. He felt her put her warm hands between his shoulder blades and felt the tension dissipate.
He took a deep breath, "She's in there, but she doesn't want to come out."
"Why?" Maranda asked, sliding her hands up to his shoulders, her thumbs lay along his spine up his neck.
Charles reached up and put his hands over hers, "She's morning."
"Who?" Charles opened his eyes, and looked at Peter.
"A bird," at the look of confusion on Peters face, Charles continued, "She was in the mind of a robin when it died."
"Is there anything you can do?" Maranda asked.
Charles shook his head, "I can't give her my help until she wants it."
"We can't stay here," Trisha said. All eyes in the room turned to her.
"Why?" Peter asked.
"They'll be back," she said, staring in front of her, "And next time they won't stop," her voice hitched and she turned to Peter, "They'll kill you. You and Gambit."
"We can look after ourselves, Chair," Gambit said from where he stood by the door, "You don't have to worry about us."
Trisha tuned on him, her eyes sparking with anger and tears, "It's not you I'm worried about. It's me. And Maranda. And Alex. And Kat. And LeAnna!" her voice broke.
Charles got a gimps of her vision and his hands tightened over Maranda's on his neck, glad she couldn't see. But she got the idea.
Peter ran his hand through his hair, and sighed, "The decision is Alex's." Trish began to protest and he lifted his hand, "For now, we should take LeAnna to Charles's. Alex is headed there anyway."
Charles reached out to Peter. Alexandria was headed to his airfield in a 737, with God knows whom as passengers.
Peter sighed, "Trisha, could you pack for Alex. And, Kat, get some things together for you sister."
"Of course," but it was Sara's voice that answered.
Peter nodded, "We'll stay with Charles until Alex can sort this out."