AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm really sorry about the long wait for this chapter, but I went on yet another vacation, this time to Kentucky. I had great fun and had plenty of time to brainstorm on up coming events and I have some really good ideas for this. At the moment I'm sticking to an estimate of 17 chapters, that may or may not change, we'll just have to wait and see. Anyhow, this isn't that long of a chapter, but I wasn't sure what else I could do with it at the moment. There's a surprise that even I didn't know until I actually typed it out, it's not that hard to miss so tell me what you think of it. Well, on with the story, happy reading! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!

"How is she?" Collin asked Jax as he entered the Quartermaine study.

"She's sleeping," he replied and closed the door behind him. He sighed inwardly, the image of Skye crying into her pillow would forever be burned into his mind. He'd never seen Skye let the walls she'd so carefully constructed crumble in front of everyone she knew. This was definitely a new Skye.

Collin frowned slightly, "Sleeping? Are you sure?"

Jax nodded slowly. "She was out like a light when I left. Emily promised to stay with her a while," he replied.

Collin frown deepened. "Odd," he said to himself. He shook his head and looked up at the others. "Anyhow, I've been thinking of the best way to go through with this, and I believe it would be best if we didn't involve the authorities."

Jason nodded in agreement. "I agree. We don't know who he's got working for him."

Jax gave a firm nod of his own. "It'd be best not to risk it. We'll keep this between us."

"Right, well now that we've got that settled, I suppose the next step would be finding her," Collin began. "I'm almost positive he hasn't taken her out of Europe."

"What makes you so sure?" Jason asked.

"Simply because Trystan isn't powerful enough yet. He hasn't the ability nor resources to move her around the world at his every whim. On the other hand, he has established himself in several European Countries, as well as the US," Collin explained as he poured himself a tall glass of water.

"So he's in Europe, where?" Jax asked spreading his hands wide in wonder. "Europe is a large continent, we don't have the time to search every country."

"My money's on France or England," Collin replied and began to pace the room. "He's a very distinguished "gentlemen" there."

"You seem to know a lot about Bryant," Jason stated. "How come?"

Collin stopped pacing and turned to the two men in front of him. "Well, I suppose if we're going to be working together you ought to know the truth," he sighed.

"What truth?" Jax asked, both men were suddenly very curious.

"The truth is, Trystan Bryant is my brother," Collin answered calmly.

"Your brother?" Jason repeated.

"Half brother actually," Collin replied and wrinkled his nose a bit. "We never did get along, he and I."

"Half brother?" Jax repeated in much the same manner as Jason had. "W-How?"

"We have the same mother, different fathers... Actually all of us have different fathers, except Janine and I," his brow wrinkled as if he'd just realized it.

"Just how many brothers and sisters do you have?" Jason asked.

"Three brothers and two sisters," Collin answered. "My mother was married six times, not by choice mind you. She was -is- a great heiress in England. My grandfather married her off to the richest men, didn't give her a choice, and if the man didn't turn out the way he expected, he'd either had them killed, or blackmail them into divorcing my mum.

"Trystan came from her first marriage, there was no child from her second husband as he was killed a couple weeks after they married. Hayden was her third husband's kid. My sister Janine and I came from the fourth. Ryan from the fifth, and Vivian from the sixth," he went on to explain.

"Does Skye know all of this?" Jax asked in astonishment.

"Of course I do," she answered as she walked into the room.

"Skye," Jax said and stood up, holding his hand out for her. "I thought you were sleeping?"

She snorted. "If you believed that I must be really good," she replied and took his hand. He led her over to the couch, sat down and then pulled her down next to him. "I wanted everyone to leave me alone, so I pretended to fall asleep."

"I thought something was off when he said you were out like a light," Collin nodded with a smile. "It's definitely not like you to catch some z's when someone's planning something."

She nodded dully. "So what have you come up with so far?"

"Collin's insists Bryant's keeping her in either England or France," Jason answered.

"I agree," Skye nodded. "Most likely one of his estates."

"Wait, you agree?" Jax asked curiously.

"I know him Jax," she said turning to him. "He'd likely hide her right under our noses-"

"Then why rule out here?" Jason asked. "If he wants to hide her under our noses, wouldn't here be the best place for it?"

"He'll want to keep her close," Collin answered. "Look, I can call my mum and find out where he is, she'll know."

"A man like Bryant doesn't tell his mother his every move," Jason protested.

"Who said he told her?" Collin asked pulling out his cell phone.

Jason threw a questioning glance at Skye as Collin turned his back on the group and dialed his mother. "It's hard to explain, but Collin's family has a..... a gift. They know things others don't."

"What like premonition?" Jax asked with a disbelieving look.

She shook her head. "No, it's more like heightened intuition. They just know things before it happens, it's not a vision. It's simply a sixth sense that happens to be genetic."

Jason frowned, but before he could reply, Collin's cell phone was thrust in front of his sister. "Mum wants to talk to you," he informed her.

Skye took the phone from him and nodded thank you. "Hello Rose," she said in the happiest voice she could muster.

"Hello Sweetheart," Rose's sweet voice answered. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Skye lied.

"The truth Sweety, tell me how you feel," Rose instructed. "Let it all out."

"I'm still shocked, I suppose," Skye answered hesitantly. "And a bit angry- "

"I'll bet you're more than a bit angry," Rose cut her off with a soft chuckle. "Tell me the truth now, have you had the urge to kill my eldest yet?"

"Too many times to count," Skye answered with a frown.

Rose chuckled again. "I'm sure he deserves every possible way you've concocted to kill him.... In your mind's eye. Don't get me wrong, I'd like to have a few choice words with him myself, but he is still my son. I cannot, in good conscious, wish him any harm."

"I understand," Skye nodded, "But I can."

"I'm relieved to know you're handling this well, I was unsure of what your reaction would be," Rose said.

"I fainted and started screaming," Skye answered bluntly.

Rose laughed. "That defiantly wasn't one of the scenes I thought up."

"That's the second time I've fainted in a week," Skye grumbled.

"It's simply all the stress you've been dealing with lately Sweetheart," Rose answered. "Now, give the phone to the man you're sitting with."

Skye didn't question how Rose knew she was sitting with anyone, let alone that it was a man. She handed the phone to Jax, "Rose would like to speak with you."

Jax looked mildly surprised but took the phone without protest. "Jasper Jacks," he answered.

"Hello Mr. Jacks, I've heard a lot about you," Rose told him in a somewhat mystical voice.

"I wish I could say the same about you madam," he repiled.

"Neither Skye nor Collin would've said anything about me unless they thought it absolutely necessary," she said and he could tell she was smiling. "I know my children well."

"I beg your pardon?" he asked.

"Skye is my daughter in every way that is important, Mr. Jacks," she explained. "I love her more than she can comprehend."

"I love her as well," he replied and smiled at Skye when she looked up at him curiously.

"I'm aware of that, but Skye is not," Rose informed him. "She's aware that what she feels for you is love, but is afraid to show it for fear that you do not return those feelings. My Skye is not a trusting person, as you well know. It will take some time for her to believe in you again, just be patient with her, and show her much you care as often as possible."

"I will," Jax promised.

"Do not hurt her this time 'round, Mr. Jacks. People who hurt my children don't fair well afterwards." Jax opened his mouth to question this further, but she spoke again before he could. "Trystan is staying at his Liverpool estate, good-bye Mr. Jacks." The line went silent before he could get another word in.

"What did she say?" Collin asked curiously.

"She said Bryant is staying at his Liverpool estate," he replied as he flipped the phone closed and handed it back to Collin.

"She told me that he's watching the airways for private jets," Collin said with a nod. "We'll have to book an international flight soon. We could fly into Dublin and take the ferry to Liverpool," he suggested as he paced the floor once more.

"I've got a friend who can get us new identities," Jax spoke up.

"How soon, and how good is he?" Jason spoke up.

"He can have your life's record in less than five minutes," Jax answered, referring to the time that he'd asked Barker to look up Skye.

Jason and Collin exchanged a brief look. "Call him," Collin answered for the both of them.

Jax pulled out his cell phone and dialed Barker. Less than five minutes later he closed his phone and smiled at the group. "He'll have them in an hour. That gives us enough time to pack and meet back here." With that information everyone nodded and headed off in their separate directions, promising to meet back at the Quartermaine mansion in one hour.

* * * * *

"Come in," Trystan called at the sound of a sharp knock on his office door.

The door opened to reveal his long time housekeeper, Mrs. Hamilton. She was an old widow in her early fifties and had aged nicely. If she'd allow herself to smile every once in a while she could be considered pretty, but the woman constantly wore dull dresses and had her hair pulled into an impossibly tight bun. "There's a man here to see you Mr. Bryant," she said in her stern, no nonsense tone.

Trystan set down his cigar in an old antique ashtray from the late 1800's. "Very well, send him in," he gave her a slight nod.

She disappeared out of the room for no more than a few seconds before she reappeared with a muscular man at least a foot taller than she. He wore a gray suit and a carefully blank expression as he crossed the room and took a seat across the desk from Trystan.

"Thank you Mrs. Hamilton, that will be all," Trystan informed the woman as she had remained standing just inside the door. She nodded slightly and left the room, closing the door behind her. "What news do you have?" he asked the man.

"No private jets have flown in the area carrying the group you've described sir. We'll continue to look them though," he answered.

Trystan nodded slowly. "Keep a careful eye out for them, they must know by now that the girl's missing. They'll be headed here almost definitely."

"What do you want us to do with them when we find them?" he asked.

"Nothing, leave them alone, but inform me the moment they set foot in England," Trystan shook his head.

"Yes sir," he gave a small nod. "Would you like to heighten the security sir, we've got men to spare."

"No," Trystan shook his head again. "I don't want to alert them in any way that we have the girl. Adding extra men could be cause for suspicion."

"And the girl, what of her?"

"Don't worry about her now," Trystan snapped. "She's being taken care of."

"Yes sir," he nodded.

"I want you to continue to update me every few hours on this, once their presence is known I want you to call me and return here immediately," Trystan explained. "I'll put you in charge of the girl, God knows Hunter is bond to screw it up if I leave him to it."

"Yes sir," he nodded solemnly and stood.

"And put a few men in the major airports of the surrounding areas," Trystan instructed. "They may have decided to take an international flight instead."

"Yes sir," he nodded once again.

Trystan picked up his cigar and watched as his man left before he stood and crossed to one of the windows behind him. He surveyed his grounds, from the perfectly manicured lawns in front of him to the dense forests surrounding it. He smiled as he looked into the forest. ::A great day for riding:: he mused, ::perfect::.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So there it is, chapter 13. What do you think of the surprise? Well, please tell me what you think and how you like it and all that other good stuff. Until next time.... PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!