Ayanna stayed by her son's side as he lay in the hospital bed. Iscantil knelt by Catlanda's side as she sat in a nearby chair.

"Are you alright? We were so worried about you. It looks like we have a lot of work to do," Iscantil said.

Ayanna sadly nodded as Jules looked on.

"He'll be fine," Jules told her.

"You do not understand the danger of the situation Jules. The Time Traveller will come very soon and we will all be dead unless a miracle happens now," Catlanda called over to her.

Ardeth moaned at that point and Ayanna held his hand. Catlanda stood up and walked over to him.

"I am here Ardeth," she told him.

He opened his eyes slightly and stared at her.

"Mother, you are here. The Time Traveller..." he started.

"Do not talk. He will be taken care of," Ayanna shushed him.

Ayanna glanced at the now crying Catlanda and silently left the room with Iscantil and motioned for Jules to follow them.

"Father, I don't want you to leave," she told him through tears.

Ardeth lifted a hand a wiped away the falling tears from her face.

"Do not cry just yet. I will see this child of yours born. I promise," he quietly told her.

"How can you make a promise that you might be unable to keep? I might not be able to give birth to this child if things turn out in the Time Traveller's way," she said.

She buried her face in the blankets next to him as he stroked her hair.

"I assure you Catlanda. This baby of yours will be born. I might not be there since the future is uncertain but you will live to see it through," Ardeth quietly told her.

00000

Frank sat upright in the bed as Michelle sat next to him. The other members of the team stood outside the door. He gave a small sigh as she gently held onto his hand.

"Michelle, after all this time we've been together, I've learned a lot from you," he quietly told her.

"As I from you. I don't want to be separated from you Frank. Not now, not ever. You and Alex and Jake and Monica and Cody, you five were the first ones who really gave two hoots about what I did. You all have inspired me. You most of all, even though you're the type to hide everything. Of course, I do that too. Meeting you five makes me want to become part of the law enforcement when I get older," Michelle told him with a smile, wiping away a tear. "Imagine that after my old occupation."

Frank gave a rare smile himself at that statement. He carefully took his hand from her grasp and ruffled her hair with it, causing her to giggle and swat at his hand.

"Mika, this war isn't over yet. We still have one more chance to defeat him. Don't say good-bye just yet," Frank told her.

She gave a smile that said 'I believe you'.

"Alright Frank. I'll just say so long then and hope for the best. Just come back alive, like what you always do," she told him.

Frank looked her with sadness in his eyes.

"I'll try," he told her. "You will live through this for I won't let anything happen to you. If I don't make it Mika, I'm sure one of the others in the team will take you in."

"I have no doubt in my mind that Cody will but it simply won't be the same without you," she quietly replied.

00000

Nick laid in the bed, still in pain from his injured ribs and still a bit drowsy from the tranquilizer dart. He stared at Patrick standing beside the bed, who smiled.

"How're you doing? You took quite a beating. No pun intended," Patrick said to him.

"Yeah, I did, didn't I? How's Sarah taking this?" he quietly asked.

"Not too good. The others from Ardeth's time are here. That is a sign all in itself. They say the Time Traveller is now on his way here right now. Sarah won't accept the fact that she might lose you. She said to me after you took us in what you did for her. I have to say thanks for standing up to Henry like that. No one ever did or probably ever will again," Patrick said with a smile.

"Patrick, when I first saw your sister sitting in that chair all those years ago, I saw a lost soul. Someone who didn't know where she belonged, who cried out for someone to care. So did you. I could tell right away," Nick told him. "I extended my hands and both of you took them."

Patrick looked at the floor as he scratched his head.

"I guess so. I should prepare for Sarah. I know she will be devestated," Patrick nodded.

Nick closed his eyes as he faced the ceiling and sighed. He knew what Patrick said would be true.

00000

Catlanda walked out of the room to be greeted by her grandmothers, an the two brothers. The younger brother hurried over to her.

"Are you alright? How is Ardeth?" he asked her.

"I am doing fine but Ardeth is not well. He was stabbed in his shoulder and leg," she replied.

Marok turned away for a moment as his brother walked up to them.

"Catlanda, we will help in any way we can," Sharak said.

"I know but that will not change the fact that Ardeth will die. I am certain of it," Catlanda replied, a lump in her throat.

"What?" the brothers said in unison.

"The next time the Traveller comes, he will kill Ardeth and the other two men who share the same fate as he does," Catlanda explained before they began to walk down the hall.

They met the doctors in an empty room. It was the early morning and the sun was peeking up over the horizon. They had just gotten there when Jake and the others walked up.

"So, how're they doing?" wondered Jules.

"It seems like they've accepted the fact that this might be the end. All they really want now is for the ones they've taken in to be safe and live through this, even if they don't," Monica said.

The others nodded in agreement before the Spire's eyes began to glow for a moment. Catlanda lifted it up and a figure appeared in the room. She looked around at everybody.

"I see everyone is here. You must be warned that the time is near for the Traveller to make his move. I also suppose you are wondering what your part in this is," the figure told them.

She recieved a barrage of stares before she decided to walk up to the Catlanda with a sad look.

"Keeper, these three have sacificed themselves time and time again for the safety of their children. All four of you. I know that you know what will happen to everyone, I need to talk about your friends," she quietly said as she turned around. "You are the ones the three men are most closest to. That is why you are here. I need not explain your current relationship to them to you unless you require me to."

When nobody stepped forward, she was not surprised.

"Without everyone here, there would have been several events that would have turned tragic but the did not with your help. Catlanda Bay, Sarah and Patrick Kokoris, Michelle Donovan, you all would not have fathers if it were not for the efforts of these people. They are here to help you with this quest and they will help you succeed if the Traveller is not stronger than all of you. I will help you when the time is here for they do not have their strength," the figure said before leaving.

They stared at the spot where she just stood before looking over at Catlanda, who was almost to tears again and hands covering her face.

"I am sorry, I have to go see Ardeth," she told them before she hurried out the door.

She never even realized that she left the Spire behind as she ran out. Rick picked it up and stared at it.

00000

She hurried as fast as she could into the room to see Ardeth had company. Frank was sitting next to him, fully dressed. She guessed he was well enough to get up and around.

"Catlanda, what is wrong?" asked Ardeth with worry and some pain in his voice as he managd to sit up in the bed.

"Ardeth," was all she said before she stepped backwards until she hit the wall.

Frank hurried over to her as she slid down until she landed on the floor. Her eyes were now closed and her body limp.

"Frank, how is she?" started Ardeth as he tried to move.

Frank felt for a pulse and finding one, he gazed over to Ardeth and nodded, who sighed. It was then that Rae and Harriet hurried to the door to see the scene. Harriet hurried over to her.

"She needs help right now. I fear is has to do with her unborn child and something needs to be done," she said to them as Matt hurried up to the door and up to her.

A hand grabbed Harriet's arm and she looked at the pregnant woman, whose eyes were large.

"Please, do not," she pleaded of them as Rae closed the door.

"Don't do what Catlanda?" wondered Matt as he put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"He is hurting me! Get him away!" she blindly cried out, arching her back.

The doctors were all confused until Ardeth moved around in the bed and Rae hurried over to him.

"What're you doing?" she asked him.

"Help me out of this bed. She needs me," Ardeth replied. "Trust me."

Rae nodded as she helped him out. He hobbled over to Catlanda and dropped by her side. He took her hand as Frank stood back.

"Catlanda, he is not here. He is dead and cannot hurt you. I will let not let anyone hurt you anymore," Ardeth told her.

"But, it hurts so much Daddy," she gasped as her legs automatically began to cross themselves.

Her blankless eyes closed and her body fell limp again. Ardeth sighed as he closed his own eyes. Harriet and Rae went for some help to get her onto a bed. Frank and Matt slowly helped Ardeth to his feet and over to the bed.

"Ardeth, what is wrong? Why did she act like that?" wondered Frank.

Ardeth sighed before looking at the two men standing next to him.

"I know she and I agreed not to talk about it but I believe it must be something that should be understood by at least someone," he replied.

He looked at the two and gave another sigh, sadness in his eyes.

"Nine months ago, Catlanda and I were taken prisoner. We were stripped and she was forced to have sex with our captor," Ardeth explained as he put a hand over his face.

"You mean...she was raped Ardeth?" Matt gasped as he and Frank gave each other quick, surprised glances.

Ardeth nodded at the response as he stared at them.

"Now because of it, she is afraid. Very afraid," Ardeth replied as he an a hand through his hair.

The day passed on slowly than any other for everybody. They were patiently waiting for any sign of the Time Traveller. Iscantil stayed by her granddaughter's side as Ayanna stayed by her son's side. Ardeth was continually telling her that he had to get up. She knew he had to rest but she also knew that he had to do battle with the man after him.

He slowly limped out of the room with the Spire that Rick had brought him soon after Catlanda had left the group.

Meanwhile, Nick was up around noon. He had a little trouble breathing but he learned to live with it as he walked down the halls. He had a hand to his chest as he headed down the hall towards the lobby.

"Sarah, Patrick," he whispered. "I must...you must stay alive."

Rae hurried up to him as he leaned against the wall.

"Are you alright Nick?" she asked him.

He nodded as he regained a standing position. Rae watched him head down the hallway only to meet the brother and sister. She heard them say he shouldn't be out, that he should be back in his room, getting better. She also heard Nick say that this was something he had to do and both protested. He reassured them that everything was going to be alright. Rae still heard the crying coming from the two.

"You can't go Frank!" Michelle protested as her balled up fists hit his chest.

Frank put his good arm around her as she began to cry and the others looked on.

"I have to Mika . If I don't, the whole world is gone. You will be gone and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I ever let anything harm you," Frank quietly told her.

Frank never saw Michelle like this before. Of course, she really never saw Frank in a life threatening position before now. He figured he never really saw her in one either.

"I will always be with you Mika, no matter what happens," he whispered to her.

He walked out of the room, past his teammates and soon met up with Nick and Ardeth in the lobby. Ardeth had the Spire.

"So this is it. This will probably be our last meeting. It has been nice knowing both of you," Nick told them.

They nodded in agreement as the Spire's eyes began to glow. Ardeth looked at it and sighed.

"He is coming," was all he said.

TBC...