Chapter Six

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Alison said.

"I appreciate that." Abby said as she gently bounced Katie on her knee. "I would tell you if I knew what it was, Alison. Really. I would."

Alison watched Abby with the baby and sighed. It was nice to have company - and it was nice to be near Rafe. She just didn't like being told what she could and couldn't do - even though she knew he was just trying to watch out for them.

"I'm so glad you're here." Abby sighed. "I was so angry with Cam earlier and he was just trying to be sweet."

"I'm glad I'm here too, but don't tell Rafe." Alison said with a grin. "I gave him such a hard time about coming here today."

"He's worried about you two - and it's all my fault." Abby held Katie closer and took a deep breath.

"Stop it - Abs. It has nothing at all to do with you. Rafe being worried is about as uncommon as…I don't know…cows on a farm." Alison said as she rolled her eyes.

"Uncommon as cows on a farm!?" Abby burst into laughter. "Alison, what kind of an analogy is that?"

Alison laughed back at her. "You know what I mean!! He can't help himself. It's who he is. I was just hoping that we'd have more time before there'd be something we had to deal with again."

Just then, Kate began to cry. "She's hungry. Let me take her." Alison said with a smile as she took her from Abby's arms. "Shh. Shh. Katie - it's OK."

As Abby watched her sister and her child a chill ran up her spine. Luckily, Alison was too focused on the baby to notice.

Enough. Abby said to herself as she turned away, pretending to straighten a pile of magazines. This wasn't at all fair. She deserved to be able to enjoy this - to enjoy her life.

This is what no one understood. This is why she always felt responsible. If she didn't have these visions, if she couldn't see what would happen, things might pop up now and then - but they'd be a surprise to everyone. Sure, they'd have to deal with it but they wouldn't spend hours wondering what exactly was next. Now - because of her everyone was scared, everyone was worried and unhappy because they knew something was coming. All she'd done is make everyone miserable. Sometimes she couldn't help but think that everyone would be better off without her.

"Alison? " Abby fought to keep her voice light as she walked to the closet to grab her coat. "I'm going to go take a walk. I'll be back in a little bit."

It was easier to leave than she thought it would be. Mostly because Alison was completely preoccupied, humming to Kate as she fed her. "OK. Take a scarf, it's chilly." She called out to her.

"Thanks, mom." Abby replied with a weak laugh as she moved to the door. "I won't be long."

************

Abby went to the place where she could always do the best thinking. To the bench at the park. She shivered from the cold, clutching a cup of tea that she bought along the way. It was peppermint - her favorite. She usually loved it, mostly because the taste reminded her of candy canes and Christmas.

"Am I being ridiculous?" She asked herself. "Is this nothing? Am I just so paranoid and so receptive to the possibility that something evil could find us here that I'm making things up?" Abby almost wished that it was true, but she knew better. This was real, this was something, and it wasn't good.

Abby sighed and leaned back, hearing the sounds of kids running around, their laughter ringing joyfully through the air. She saw a group of them throwing snowballs at each other while their mothers looked on. Packs of teenagers strolled by on their way to the ice rink, the girls chattering on amongst themselves while the boys brooded and followed behind.

Everything seemed so simple and normal. Why did it have to change?

She sipped the last of her tea and sighed as she threw it into the bin next to her. She hugged her arms around herself. Abby didn't want to have to deal with this - but she knew if she could - it might spare the ones she loved from pain. She closed her eyes - just in time for the vision to come and torture her again.

This time - it was different.

She could see the figure walking along. She could feel that they were unbelievably sad, like they'd lost everything they ever cared about. She knew that feeling. She'd had it herself when she lost her mom and then Cam so soon after. But this person was far angrier than Abby ever allowed herself to be.

Hurt and rage hung around like a fog, following along as if a companion to the one who felt the pain. It scared Abby just watching, knowing that when it was unleashed there were sure to be casualties. Lives torn apart and thrown into states of confusion.

She shook her head and whispered, "No. Not now."

The vision faded and in it's place she saw Lucy and Ian, Lucy's eyes filled with tears as she watched him walk out the door. A flash and there was Alison, watching sadly from the window, holding Kate tight as Rafe drove away, tires squealing. Jack and Jamal, nearly coming to blows and then she saw herself and Cameron as he left her, the sound of a door slamming in her mind - jarring her enough to open her eyes.

When she did, Cam was standing beside her. "I thought this is where I'd find you." He said with a grin.

The vision had been so real that at first she couldn't believe he was right there with her. He had looked so angry.

"Hey." She said with a little shiver. "What are you doing here?"

"I came home for lunch and Alison told me you went for a walk. She's kinda worried now - she said she was busy with Kate when you left and didn't ask where you were going."

"She was feeding her. I sort of slipped out." Abby replied.

"Waited for the perfect moment to make a break for it?" He smiled.

"Well. I know how you all are. Especially you. A bump on the head and you practically shackle me to the apartment."

"Nah. I might shackle you to me though." Cam said as he kissed her.

"You already did that. On New Year's Eve." She smiled at him.

"True." He smiled back.

"Did it happen again or do you not want to talk about it?" Cam asked as he took her hand in his. Why did she always go out without gloves? He thought as he pulled his off and put them on her.

"Thank you." Abby said as she let him. "It did. Just now. It was different though." she admitted.

Cam's voice was full of concern. "What? Did you see who it is?"

"No - but I saw what their being here will do. Everyone's going to be mad - everyone's angry. Everyone gets torn apart in some way." Her eyes filled with tears.

"Cam…" she whispered. "Even us."

Her words made him blink. "Us?" She must be joking.

Abby inched closer and reached for him. "I saw it Cam. You - leaving me."

He hugged her tight. "I told you I'm not going back."

Abby shook her head. "Not going back, Cameron. Just leaving - as in walking out the door and slamming it shut. And I saw Ian leave Lucy and Rafe drive away from Alison too. It was horrible and it's all because of whatever or whoever is coming." She began to shake.

"OK. Wait." Cam shook his head "I can't imagine any of that."

"I SAW it!!" Abby insisted.

"I don't doubt that you saw it - but you know better than I do that what you see are possibilities. Something could change the course of events to eliminate everything you saw. Especially what you saw about you and me. I don't see that really happening."

Abby pulled away and stared at him. She didn't want to believe it either but it was all too real. "Cam. C'mon. We both know I've made you so angry that you've done it before - but this looked different. It looked I don't know - final."

He took her face in his hands and kissed her hard and fast on the mouth. "There is nothing that could happen that would make me want to leave you."

Abby shook her said, "Don't say that."

"I mean it. Abby." Cam made her meet his eyes. "I love you. I didn't come back here to leave you. You don't ever need to worry about that. I promise. There is no way I'm leaving you until we're both old and gray." He stood from the bench and tugged at her hand, bringing her to her feet. "Let's go home."


"OK." Abby said with a sigh as she walked along with him. She took a deep breath and laughed, "You know, Cam. I might get old, but I'll never be gray."

Leave it to her to say something like that. He had no doubt she'd dye her hair at the first sign. "Whatever. The point is we'll be together forever. So stop worrying."

"I'll try." Abby promised, knowing with this last set of visions that there was no way she'd ever be able to.