A/N: If my calculations are correct - 4 more chapters and then we're through. :( Thanks as always for reading. Until 89 - enjoy! xox - G

Chapter Eighty-eight

With no other choice, Anastasia walked slowly down the stairs, surprising her mother when she reached the bottom.

"Darling - what are you doing down here?" Annette asked, her face full of confusion.

"He doesn't want me." She admitted.

"Nonsense." Annette said with a roll of her eyes.

Anastasia shook her head. "He physically threw me out. He didn't want me, Mother. More than that – he didn't want this."

"My son doesn't know what he wants." Caleb called out from the other side of the foyer. "He'll learn that in time."

Anastasia continued to try and reason with him. "No. I don't think he will. He said he'd choose death over me." Tears formed in her eyes as she turned toward her mother. "I've failed you. I'm so sorry."

"There, there my precious." Annette said, dismissing her protests. "He's simply being difficult. Isn't that just like a man?" She added with a smirk, glancing at Caleb who returned her smile.

"I'll talk to him. Don't you worry your pretty head." He said with admiration as he ran a hand over Anastasia's hair. She really would make his son a lovely bride he couldn't help but think. Caleb sighed as he made his way up the staircase. "This will be resolved in no time."

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"Are you ready Katie?" Grant asked her, not wanting to upset her anymore than she already was.

Kate nodded, unable to find her voice at the moment. She was watching Lynnie gazing at Ethan, remembering what that was like when she first met Colin.

"Colin..." She whispered so softly Grant couldn't hear. She didn't know much about what would come next, but she knew she'd never know that feeling again.

Ethan kept looking at the clock, knowing it was mere minutes before he'd have to leave her. He turned his attention towards Lynnie and stole another glance, wondering if it would be the last time he'd ever get a look at her.

Lynnie fidgeted nervously, knowing this was it – that in minutes she would have to walk away from him.

Rafe leaned close to Lynnie whispered in her ear, "Five minutes sweetheart and then we have to go." Giving them time alone, he moved towards Grant who had bundled Kate up and together they walked across the tarmac.

Lynnie turned to face Ethan and tried to smile. "I don't know what to say. I know I just met you – but I...I'm going to miss you so much, Ethan." She said, blinking back tears.

"I'll see you around Lynnie. You know that." Ethan said with a grin even though his heart was aching as he did. "Just not for a really, really long time." He added.

She tore her eyes from his and looked down catching a vision of something. She tuned out for a few seconds. It took Ethan three tries before she acknowledged that he'd called her name.

"Lynnie?" He asked - his voice full of concern. Who would take care of her after he was gone, he thought completely worried. "What happened? Is everything OK? Did you see something?"

"Yes." She nodded, sure that she'd regret it the rest of her life if she didn't act right now. She pushed her glasses to the top of her head and fisted his shirt in her hand. "I saw what would happen if I didn't do this." Moving quickly, she rose on her tiptoes and crushed her mouth to his.

He was completely taken aback. His arms closed around her and he held on tight. He deepened the kiss, losing himself in her. He wondered if he never stopped kissing her if somehow this moment could be frozen in time. But he knew in his heart it wasn't meant to be. In the distance the plane engines whirred to life. Time was running out. He never seemed to get enough of it, he thought desperately.

As much as she wished it wasn't so, Lynnie knew it. Easing back and staring into his eyes she could tell it was almost over. Tears fell from her own and he could taste them, salty on her skin as his lips roamed over her face before settling back on hers again. Though she wanted to stay right there forever, she didn't think she could bear to have him vanish right out of her arms.

Always practical, Lynnie gathered up what was left of her courage and tried to pull away. "Goodbye, Ethan Thomas." She whispered against his lips. "I'll remember you, always."

"Goodbye." He whispered back, unable to say any more than that. Quickly, before she lost her nerve, she backed away from him and sprinted towards the waiting plane.

As he watched it rise into the sky he never felt more alone.

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"What exactly is your problem?" Caleb demanded as he barged into Colin's room. He watched as his son writhed around on the bed in obvious discomfort.

"It's done. Just leave me alone." Colin said softly.

"It's not done. You need to feed, Colin. Stop being so stubborn." Caleb moved to sit on the edge of the bed and sighed. "Anastasia's a beautiful girl."

"Anastasia's a puppet without a single thought of her own." Colin spat back, wondering how he could make this awful feeling go away. He was sure half the pain he was feeling was due to his need to feed and the rest was simply due to the loss of Katrina. "Surely you didn't think she'd appeal to me."

"I know what you think appeals to you and I've got news for you, my son." Caleb stood and glared at Colin. "You need to put that girl out of your mind."

Colin gathered his strength and moved to stand. "That girl is the only reason I'm here. That girl was the only person who could make me change my mind about giving in to you." Colin's voice shook with all the emotion he'd kept inside since Katrina left him. "If it wasn't for your endless vendetta against her family I'd be spending every single moment I could with THAT GIRL."

Caleb sighed heavily. "Colin. I understand that you want to fight me – that you want to fight this – but we're talking about your life here..."

Colin looked at him in disbelief. "Oh. Now we're talking about my life. Now that I've become a creature like you - you find the time to care about me. Where were you for all those years Dad? Huh?"

"Colin..." None of this was going as Caleb had planned. He needed to get Livvie up here to talk to him. She could make him see that if he refused to feed he'd suffer and eventually die. "It's because I care that I'm telling you - you need to do this."

Years of pent up hurt and anger came spilling out in each word he spoke. Colin's eyes glowed with rage. "If I'd let you have what you want I'd be a pawn to you. I'd be a tool you'd use to get the better of Katrina's family. I'd be an instrument you'd play to trick and manipulate others."

"I may be one of you – but I'll never be like you." Colin promised as he held a hand to his stomach, wincing with pain.

Caleb was desperate. He knew it wouldn't be easy, maybe he should have expected it but he hadn't realized just how strong his son's aversion to this life would be. How would he explain to Livvie if he insisted on killing himself this way? He stared into his eyes as he scolded him. "Colin. I'm sending Anastasia back up to you. You'll let her in and you'll do what she tells you."

"I don't take orders from you. I certainly won't take them from her." Colin's voice was choked as he collapsed onto the floor.

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Alison paced by the door, breathless with the anticipation of seeing everyone she loved most in the world home safe and sound where they belonged. Finally the door opened and Kate walked inside, with Grant and Rafe following right behind.

"Oh!" Alison sighed as she moved to hug her daughter tight. "Sweetheart. I was so worried about you."

"Mom..." Kate whispered, tears starting to fall. "I'm sorry I ran off like that. It was a mistake..."

"Shh. Don't. It's OK. I'm just really happy you're home." Alison replied. She pulled back and brushed Kate's hair off her face. "You look so tired sweetie."

"I am tired." Kate admitted, sighing. "I promise I'll talk to you about it, Mom. I promise I will. Right now I just want to sleep for days and forget..."

"Katie..." Alison's heart broke when she heard how sad her daughter's voice sounded.

"I'm sure I can't ever really forget him." Kate murmured as she eased away and wiped at her eyes. "But I'm going to have to try." Slowly she began to walk upstairs.

Her heart breaking as she watched her go, Alison turned her attention to her son, who was looking incredibly anxious. "Grant, honey, I'm so proud of you." She said as she took his face in her hands. She moved to pull him close.

"Hey Mom." He replied, hugging her back. "It's good to be home..." He trailed off.

Alison could hear the tone of his voice. He was trying so hard to be patient. "But it'd be better to be with Chloe. Go ahead sweetheart. She's missed you terribly. She's been over here every day spending time with Becky. I know that she's dying to see you."

Grant pulled away and gave her a grin. "Are you sure it's OK?"

"Go. It's fine." She grinned back. "Just don't stay too late."

"Thanks." He called out as he sprinted out the door.

As Grant left, it was then that she finally threw herself in Rafe's arms. "Hey you." She whispered as she snuggled against him.

"Hey." He said with a smile as he placed a kiss on her hair. There was no better feeling than the one he got just holding her close.

"How was the flight?" She asked inhaling deeply, taking him in. She missed every single thing about him since he'd been gone.

"Long, exhausting – full of tears." Rafe said with a sigh rubbing his hands up and down her back. "We just dropped Lynnie home."

"That bad?" Alison pulled back and gazed up at him.

"It was pretty awful. Between her and Katie...." He trailed off, not wanting to relive it right now. Right now he just wanted to focus on her. "But I'm guessing there might be a happy ending there after all. I mean - if my father has anything to say about it." Rafe replied as he traced a finger over the line of her face.

Alison nodded and smiled softly, knowing that Ed certainly made sure her own dreams came true. Her eyes filled up as she leaned into his touch. "I missed you."

"I think you mentioned that before." Rafe said with a laugh.

"It's true." Alison laughed back. "I missed this." She continued, her voice lowering as she rose on her toes and moved in to kiss him.

As he kissed her back, the feel of his lips on hers proved to her how much he'd missed her too.

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Caleb crossed to his son and helped him to stand. He helped Colin back on the bed and watched as he slipped into unconsciousness. Having realized there was not much more he could do, Caleb walked out into the garden wracking his brain to find a solution. He had wanted his son back – he was sure once he got a taste of the life they led he would come around, but if anything it had made matters worse.

This was becoming one of the few times in his life that he second guessed himself.

Standing in the center of the courtyard, he could faintly hear a sound. He realized all at once what it was.

"Olivia..." He whispered, walking quietly over towards her.

"We were wrong, Caleb." She said with a sob as he approached. "We need to fix this."

His first instinct was to defend his choice, to tell her she was mistaken. But the conversation he'd just had with their son proved she was right.

"Since we've had him, I haven't asked you for much." Livvie said as she stared into his eyes. "I'm asking you now to save him. You know there is a way to bring him back."

He couldn't believe this was happening. "Olivia. NO."

Livvie knew it was time to make him finally hear her. She'd already let it go on far too long. Gathering all her strength she looked at him, her voice insistent. "Yes, Caleb. You have to. Because I promise you - if you don't – you won't just lose him – you'll lose everything."