A/N: I'm back!!!!!! You'll be glad to know I know where we're headed in the story now. Finally!! It's all coming together. :) Hope everyone had a great holiday and that those of you w/SoapNet are enjoying all the early Rali moments. I know I sure am. :) Makes me smile just thinking about it. Of course, here - Caleb's still wreaking havoc - dastardly bat that he is. How will it all be resolved?? Keep reading. Until (YIKES!!!) 66! xox-G
Chapter Sixty-five
It had been a week since Lynnie had gone missing and all seemed peaceful. But the truth was that Abby felt anything but.
They sat by the pool at the Barrington mansion, watching Becky and Maggie swim. Nothing had happened yet, but Rafe wasn't about to take any chances. Becky was getting bored and the weather was so hot. This was the compromise they came up with.
"I don't understand what's going on. I saw it, Alison. I know I did." Abby said with a sigh.
Alison sipped her drink and took her sister's hand. "Maybe – somehow – it didn't happen. Maybe we caught her in time."
Abby would love that to be the answer but shook her head. "No. Lia said she was gone for nearly two hours. He got to her. I know he did. But she remembers nothing."
Alison shivered, thinking of how familiar this all sounded. "I guess all we can do is keep an eye on her. How does she seem otherwise?"
"Sad, mostly. And left out. " Abby knew the feeling. Up until Cameron admitted his feelings for her she was sure she'd be all alone. "She's the only one not paired off. She feels like she's an outsider and I know what's like. But - I don't know what to do for her, Ali. And I'm the one who should know – I'm her mother. I gave her this so called gift. "
Alison and Cameron joked all the time how similar Abby and Rafe were. It seemed that this was just another way. "Abby. It's not your fault."
"Yes. It is." She insisted. "If it wasn't for me…"
Alison wasn't going to let her throw this pity party. "I know that you know this. If it wasn't for you – Cameron wouldn't be back. If it wasn't for you, those kids wouldn't be here at all. And they're incredible – Abby."
All at once, Abby felt guilty for complaining. "I know. I know. I'm just scared, Alison. And I'm tired of being scared."
Alison felt the same way. She glanced over at her little girl, who seemed to not have a care in the world. She wondered how long it would last.
"Me too." She said as she turned to look at her sister with tears in her eyes.
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"Alright Lynnie. What the hell are you doing?" Lia whispered under her breath as she followed behind her sister.
She watched as Lynnie made her way through the park to a bench. Her pulse raced and fear crept up her spine. She was determined to get to the bottom of all of this.
Lia saw her twin move to sit on a bench, one that was very close to the one they had found her near a week ago. Lynnie sat in sort of a daze. It made Lia's heart break. She knew that her gift was a hard thing for her to cope with and had wished all her life that she could help her. Now it seemed was the time she needed her help most.
She crouched in the bushes nearby and kept a close eye on her. Lia might not be able to see the future but she saw the present clearly. Lynnie was about to get into trouble and she was determined to keep her out of it.
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"You can't do this, Caleb." Livvie pleaded with him to see reason. "Abby's kids are like Rafe's own. This is not going to end well. I can see it. Let me talk to Colin, please."
Caleb shook his head at her. "No, it's You've tried. He's too stubborn…"
"I wonder where he gets that from." Livvie muttered.
"Excuse me?" Caleb replied, his face full of disbelief.
"You heard me. God. He's so like you. You forget that because he's standing up to you and you're angry."
"Olivia…"
Livvie took a deep breath. She knew she'd promise him she'd help convince Colin and maybe that would turn out to be his choice. But right now she just wanted, for a minute or two, to feel like she had a family. She had avoided her father since they got here, she has only seen her son briefly. She wanted more and if she was going to get it, she needed to move quickly.
"Let me talk to him, please? Leave the girl out of it. Nothing good will come from you using her – I think you already know that."
"Someone killed Marcus, Olivia. Someone has to pay." Caleb insisted."I'm not saying it's your fault at all Caleb, but can't you admit that coming to the one place where you know for a fact there are five slayers walking around is not the smartest move."
"They don't scare me." Caleb promised.
"Well they scare me." Livvie countered. "Does that count for anything, Caleb? Or are we right back where we always end up?"
"Where is that?" He demanded.
Livvie stepped into Caleb's arms and looked into his eyes. "Living in a place where we aren't wanted, leaving you, vengeful and me miserable."
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"I still think I have to…" Grant began for the hundredth time.
"And I still think you're crazy." Chloe replied, her voice shaking a bit.
They stood and stared at each other for a few long seconds.
Grant finally spoke. He took her hands in his and gazed into her eyes. "Chloe. I'm called to do this. It's not a choice."
"I understand. I do. But I just…" She trailed off, fighting back tears.
"You what, Clo?" He asked her, trying to make her meet his eyes.
She shook back her curls and stared up at him, her eyes glittering like emeralds. Grant couldn't get over how beautiful she was.
She looked at him and tried to keep the tears from falling. Chloe finally was able to speak, her voice almost a whisper. "I don't want to lose you. I haven't had you long enough yet."
"I know." He said with a sigh. "I don't want to lose you either. But it's my turn now. My dad shouldn't have to fight anymore and I can't let Becky fight."
Chloe felt guilty for giving him a hard time. "Grant. I don't want you to feel you have to choose. I love that you want to fight for them. I do. But I can't…"
Grant pulled her close, never imagining that he would have to have this conversation with her.
"I know." He said as he held her tight. "I know."
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"So. Teach me." Cam demanded.
Rafe shook his head. "Cam. Slayers are born, not made and if you kill Caleb you'll be ridding the world of me too."
"Tough break, but I've always said someone with so little knowledge of sports trivia doesn't deserve to walk the earth." Cam shrugged.
The statement made Rafe smile. "Funny. Cameron. I understand what you're thinking..."
Cam cut him off, his voice full of pain. "She's my little girl, Rafe. I can't let him try and control her." He paced the gym furiously. "I can't just sit by and do nothing."
Rafe knew the feeling. He felt it a million times in his life. He actually felt the same way himself at the moment. "I know. I feel the same about Becky...and Kate. Cam - I can help you confront him - but I can't kill him. I promised Alison and I intend to keep my promise."
"What do we do then?" Cam's voice was full of frustration.
"I have a plan. Are you up for it?" Rafe asked then.
Cameron stood his ground and stared him in they eye. "If it will keep my daughter safe I'm up for anything."
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"Colin?" Kate tried to get his attention for the third time.
"Hmmm?" He murmured.
"I'm going to go jump off the top of the lighthouse, OK?" She said to see if he was paying attention.
"Good idea." He replied.
She finally hit him to make him notice her. "Colin! What is wrong with you?"
He turned and finally acknowledged her. "I'm just thinking."
"That's all you've done for the past week." She took his hands in hers and made her face him. "Talk to me.""I figured out how to end this. How to keep everyone safe."
Kate ran a hand over his cheek and looked into his eyes. He looked so pale and serious. "OK. How?"
Colin looked at her with eyes that barely focused. His voice was steady though as he told her. "It has to end with me."
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A hand clamped down on her shoulder, causing Lia to jump nearly a foot.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Danny asked her.
She pulled him a safe distance away, wanting to be out of Lynnie's earshot. "I'm keeping an eye on my sister."
"Oh yeah? Who's keeping an eye on you?" He demanded.
"You apparently." Lia snapped back. "Though no one asked you to."
Danny took a deep breath to calm himself. God, she got him so angry in like a split second. "Lia. C'mon. If Lynnie's in trouble – you shouldn't be doing this alone."
"I don't need any help." She replied, trying to make it sound like she meant it.
"Sure you don't." He said then, trying to make her see. "Lia. You've got to be careful. I'm worried about you." Danny took her chin in his hand and made her meet his eyes. "Please."
She tore her eyes away from his, completely uncomfortable. "I'm worried about Lynnie." She said as she looked over at her sister again. "She's gotten herself all tangled up in something and I have to get her out of it."
Danny knew he couldn't convince her to give this up, not when Lynnie was concerned. "I'm staying with you."
"Do what you want." She shrugged and moved closer to the bench, desperate to find out what's going on. She would never admit it to him, but secretly, she was happy to know she wasn't in this alone.