Note: Getting almost done with the reposted bits. Thanks everyone for all your help and for slogging through this stuff all over again!

Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns Stephanie and company.

Zoeykitty: Don't worry. ;)

RsB: But that would be too easy! lol.

Part 2

Chapter 6

I leaned back against the sun-warmed stone of the wall, lazily surveying the breathtaking beauty of the island before me, admiring the way the green slopes of the inland gave way to the rocks and pale sands of the beach, and then the glittering sapphire of the Caribbean. The sea breeze drifted over me, gently toying with my chestnut hair, and I smiled happily. Curled up here on the window seat basking in the warmth of the sun it almost seemed too idyllic, too perfect to be my life. And yet it was.

On the terrace my dear Charles and my sister's fiancée were discussing whatever business it was they discussed. I had just finished arranging today's menus with Cook, after my morning workout routine and a consultation with Carlos the head gardener about new flower beds, but now it was time for a few quiet moments of relaxation. Charles insisted I relax as often as possible- my constitution wasn't the best after my last breakdown, and he worried for me. He could be so sweet…

My sister was in the garden below, dancing as she always did. She moved across the open grass with a grace that I always envied, her sun-kissed brown hair flowing behind her like a banner. I closed my eyes, listening to Alia's laughter mingling with the soothing New Age music that was her current love. Sometimes in moments like these I fantasized that I really was living in heaven, that I was dead and I had had another life somewhere else on earth, as someone else entirely, a life full of adventure and danger. It was an amusing game I played, thinking of all the possibilities.

Sometimes I was a spy or a fashion model, and others I was Wonder Woman fighting alongside the Justice League. Alia said the Wonder Woman daydreams were due to my fascination with Batman. I couldn't really argue the point, as I mentally pictured the man my dreams had cast as Batman. Mocha skin, dark Latino eyes, long black hair, rippling muscles, and a rich deep voice that echoed even in my dreams. Odd, though, because I knew Bruce Wayne wasn't exactly supposed to be Hispanic. I often wondered where I had seen him. Probably he was just a male model I'd glimpsed in a magazine and my subconscious had latched onto. I wasn't about to disagree with it; though- it had made a wonderful choice. Maybe I should get it a job as a casting agent.

No, I reconsidered that idea as I recalled the odd dreams where Batman and I discussed his role as Professor Higgins. I wasn't sure, but I was fairly certain that he wasn't what the writers of My Fair Lady had in mind.

"Serena!" Alia's voice interrupted my reverie. I sighed and opened my eyes reluctantly to look down at my sister, who was standing under my window waving madly.

"Yes?" I called back.

"Want to go to the beach? Please?"

"We're having lunch with Charles and Alec, pixie," I replied gently.

"They had to leave. It was an urgent business call. But Enrique is free, so can we?" Her voice was pleading, and she even clasped her hands in the classic begging posture.

Enrique Santos was one of the eight or so guards, a former soldier, and de facto head of security. Although I didn't see what on earth we needed security for, Charles said it was best to be prepared. This probably meant Enrique had something better to do than escort us to the beach and/or entertain Alia all day. I looked down at her upturned, expectant face and sighed, feeling a stab of sympathy for the poor guy- her absolute god given talent was the ability to somehow always get her way. I could count on my fingers the number of times Charles, Alec, and I had ever firmly put a foot down, and those were the combined numbers.

"Let me get my things together. And have Cook pack a picnic lunch."

I was disappointed Charles hadn't said goodbye, but I had apparently fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of my thoughts, so perhaps he simply hadn't wanted to wake me. He would be back soon in any case; he and Alec knew how much both Alia and I depended on their strength and stability at times. On the other hand, there was another perfect day in paradise to enjoy with my little sister.

I slipped into a bathing suit and matching cover-up, taking time to gather up bag of beachfront essentials before I headed downstairs. My sister was already bouncing out the door, picnic basket in hand, engrossed in a mostly one-sided discussion with the unfortunate Enrique. Rico, as she had affectionately termed him had somehow gotten the dubious honor of being her guard of choice, probably thanks to his habit of speaking as little as possible which allowed Alia to chatter at him with minimal interruptions. Enrique was a surprisingly good sport about it, though he had looked thoughtful when Alec offered him danger pay for overexposure to her chatter.

I sighed, watching the pair of them loading the Jeep. Alia was worrying me with her perpetually happy, thoughtless charm. Maybe thoughtless wasn't the right word. It was simply that she wasn't… didn't… I frowned and tried to think myself through this. She wasn't growing up, there it was! It was as if someone had paused her at age sixteen and left her there. Charles kept reassuring me it was her way of coping with the loss of our family, but although I know he knows best about these things I can't help but worry. Then again, I suppose she'll be all right in the end. It isn't as if there was any immediate reason for her to grow up this moment- she wasn't to be married anytime soon. In any case, I took care of the household, Charles and Alec tended the business, the staff kept the island in shape, and Alia made us all smile.

I was pleased with my realization: we all had our roles, and Alia fit hers to perfection. Everything really was perfect. Besides, what would I do with a boring adult sister anyway? Probably go mad and beg Charles to send her away, I thought to myself. It was better that Alia was herself, it kept a smile on everyone's face, relaxed us. I suppose in many ways she was the daughter Charles and I would never have. I relaxed into a happy grin and let Rico's strong arm help me into the Jeep.

"Serena, I can't wait to get there! Rico said there are dolphins! Or was it porpoises? Are you sure it was dolphins, cause they're hard to tell apart, you know. Oh, anyway, some adorable wonderful creature is swimming by the beach, and we have to see them," Alia was talking a rate just under a mile a minute.

"What's for lunch?" I asked by way of distraction, and was rewarded by a peal of laughter from her.

"Serena, you always think about food!"

"Life is less confusing that way," I said primly, trying to hide my smile. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, honestly… and it's some sort of Mediterranean salad sandwich thingys, baklava, and some fruit stuff." I sighed, wondering how it was Alia paid so little attention to the wonderful details like what exactly we were going to be eating. No wonder she was such a dreadful cook.

The tide was out when we arrived, so I unpacked the lunch and a few deck chairs while Rico guided Alia closer to the water. The group of dolphins was playing several yards out, leaving her miraculously speechless for a few moments. Thank heavens. Maybe I should ask Charles about keeping some around the island or something.

I took the few moments of precious quiet to drink in the scene around me: cloudless blue sky, pristine sand, the glittering ocean, the joyful calls of the dolphins, the whispering of the breeze through the palm trees. Poems and paintings were created to celebrate times like this. But something else intruded on my tranquility, something I couldn't name. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I felt a shiver down my spine. I had noticed that this happened every once in a while, some sort of sixth sense to let me know I was being watched. Normally it was Charles or one of the guards, but Charles was gone and I didn't think any of the guards were nearby.

"Enrique!" I called out over the noise of the waves. My tone must have been more upset than I thought, because he was walking towards me before I finished saying his name.

"Anything wrong Ms. Darling?" he asked, his eyes already scanning the surroundings.

I laughed and waved him away, suddenly embarrassed. After all, he was the professional- he would have noticed if anything was wrong much before I did. "No, nothing. I just…" I was so silly! What was I going to say? "I just got a funny feeling," I said lamely. "Is the rest of your team around?"

"No, ma'am." He looked around again, his brown eyes surveying everything carefully. "I don't see anything, and everyone's up at the house getting the monthly supplies unloaded."

Oh. Well, that made sense.

"And there's always the security systems around the perimeter," he added. "No need to worry about anyone sneaking in here," he said confidently.

I let out a sigh of relief. Of course he was right, he knew what he was doing. A good thing we had such capable people taking care of us here. I smiled, nodding thoughtfully. "Thank you, Mr. Santos." I paused, looking down at the thermos in my hand. I was being a dreadful hostess. "Now, do you take sugar?"

"Always," he said, with an odd grin. I smiled, then got down to the business of setting the table. It was always such hard work trying to make a table at the beach look elegant…

The next time I looked up from my handiwork Enrique was walking along the beach scanning the surrounding countryside and Alia was playing some game that involved a complicated string of leaps along the water's edge. I cocked my head and watched her. She finally stopped leaping and twirled around, her expression one of absolute rapture.

She paused finally, standing absolutely still to stare out at the sea for a few heartbeats, before catapulting herself toward Enrique. "Did you see it, Rico? It jumped! It jumped!" He caught her almost reflexively, a moment before she would have hurtled into him, slowing her but still ending up getting hugged. I would have laughed at the shocked expression on his face if I hadn't been so horrified by her actions.

"Alia Jane Darling!" I yelled. "Come help me with this table!" She glanced my way, then smiled up at the guard before pulling away and dashing toward me.

"You saw it too, didn't you Serena? It jumped! It got the message!"

I handed her the salad bowl, shaking my head. "I saw you embrace the guard, Alia," I said quietly. "That is not proper behavior for a young lady, and for one who is engaged," I stressed the word, "it is unthinkable. How could you?"

"He's a friend!" she protested weakly. "I didn't think… wait," she looked up, puzzled, "how do you know I'm engaged? I just got the message from the dolphin!"

I blinked, and tried to ignore the nervous flutter starting in my stomach. "The dolphin asked you to marry him?" She shook her head and laughed happily.

"No silly, the Sea Prince asked me! But of course, he couldn't ask me directly- he sent one of his messengers. The dolphins," she explained, as if any child could understand.

I sank into a chair, feeling weak. I needed Charles for this, or Alec, though Charles would know absolute best. Alia had trouble telling fantasy from reality sometimes, and her flights of fancy would sweep away any silly troublesome bits of reality. She had a tendency to forget Alec, even Charles or the staff, though she usually remembered me. Normally Charles dealt with it, sweeping her off to the lab to run tests or administering medication, but he wasn't here, having left an hour or so ago on business and taking Alec with him. I looked around desperately- I could not cope with this alone, it needed a male touch, surely.

Enrique. My earlier pique was swept away in this new worry, so I beckoned him over. As he approached I turned to my sister, who was sipping a glass of the iced tea, her blue eyes already focused on the sea. "Alia," I said and she turned to look at me. "Alia, who is this?" I asked, gesturing to Enrique. He sat down in his own chair, his eyes sliding between the two of us curiously.

"Rico," she said simply, her smile fond as she looked at him. Not good enough.

"Who is Rico?" I asked. She gave me a pitying look.

"Don Ricardo Carlos de la Vega, member of the Red Guard," she replied, giving her usual perfect inflections to the Spanish language.

I stared at her, and then desperately at Enrique. "More tea?" I asked him, from sheer force of habit, I suppose.

His dark eyes searched my face then glanced at Alia, and back to me. He nodded absently. I poured him a glass, then set about getting everyone served. While I was occupied, Rico's attention was on my sister.

"My name is Enrique Santos," he told her. "You've known me for almost two months." His voice was calm and smooth, carefully neutral. "I'm head of security on the island, for Mr. Deering." Alia laughed at him.

"You're both so odd sometimes," she shook her head. "Don Ricardo, you are captain of the Red Guard, marshal of the forces of High Castle, as you have been for years."

I sighed, and hoped my Charles would get back soon, preferably before Alia decided to swim away with a dolphin or renamed half the staff.

"High Castle?" Enrique asked her, leaning forward his eyes intent on her.

'Don't encourage her!' I whispered as I walked back to my seat, but he didn't pay any attention.

"The capital of our kingdom," Alia explained, pointing back toward the mansion. "Sometimes it's called the Island of Dreams," she added somberly.

"Ahh, of course," Enrique said. He was smiling now, obviously enjoying the complexity of Alia's fantasy. I glared at him, but said nothing. I didn't like him enjoying something that was so painful but I couldn't blame him either- her 'flights of fancy' were certainly intricately designed, sometimes with small details of reality woven in. "And why is being called the Island of Dreams such a bad thing?" he asked, his tone conspiratorial. Alia's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Don't you know?" she glanced at me. When both of us shook our heads she sighed heavily. "Dreams, sillies. Dreams. Not daydreams! Real true dreams." She shivered and looked off into the distance.

I felt the chill myself, and looked down at my half-eaten lunch, noticing I really wasn't hungry anymore.

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Enrique lay back on his bed with a sigh of relief. The monthly supply drop was always a nightmare but today had had the added weirdness of Alia fading into one of her dream worlds. He had heard about her instability from some of the house servants, but hadn't really believed them. He'd thought she was a justifiably bored kid with an active imagination. Until she declared him to be Don Ricardo Carlos and started chatting excitedly about an engagement to the Sea Prince, delivered via Dolphin Express.

Her blue eyes had been crystal clear, shining with happiness, something he hadn't seen in her very often before. Well, she had been happy until she talked about the island being the 'Island of Dreams.' Her eyes had clouded over, and he had seen the fear in them as she looked around. Real fear, the kind that woke you up at night, covered in cold sweat, screaming till your throat gave out. That was what bothered him the most, oddly enough, not the fantasy world but the fear in her. Girls living in a sheltered corner of paradise, enjoying every comfort money could buy, shouldn't have nightmares like that, shouldn't be driven into a fantasy world by… what? What had driven her into that world? He put a hand over his eyes and considered the situation.

Her sister was stable enough. A little weak physically, but certainly happy. Serena was the Lady of the House, though she left most decisions up to the housekeeper. But he also knew that personally, he didn't like being around her very much. Something was off about Serena. It was almost as if she was… hiding herself, he thought. Every once in a while there was a glimpse of who was really under the manicured veneer- a headstrong woman with an uncanny sense of her surroundings, not the pampered and eager-to-please girlfriend. No, reflecting on the day's events, he was relieved. The feeling that something was not right here had plagued him since the day he arrived. And today just proved he had made the right choice.

A sound so soft he almost didn't hear it caught him mid-thought and he sat up, a knife in one hand, his gun in the other.

"Getting soft, Rico," a familiar voice taunted. Enrique smirked.

"Shut up, Lessie-boy, or I might forget I invited you here."

His only reply was a derisive snort before the man stepped out of the shadows and slumped into the chair by the bed. "You were right, bro." Lester said quietly. "You were right to call me down. We're gonna be owing you for this one."

"She knew you were there," Rico said, ignoring his brother's comment. Lester's head shot up.

"What? Who?"

"Serena." His brother's face looked blank. "The older one. She asked me if anyone was around."

"She's good," Les said with an almost-laugh, then he quickly sobered. "At least she was in another life."

"So they the ones?" Rico asked, eager to know if his idea had been correct.

"Yeah," Les sighed, shaking his head almost mournfully. "Yeah, they are. I gotta call Ric."

The memory flashed through Enrique's brain again. "What's Ric's middle name?" Lester raised an eyebrow.

"Carlos," he said, "Why?"

"Alia. She called me Ricardo Carlos today. Don Ricardo Carlos de la Vega, actually," he winced as he said it.

"Any reason?" Les was frowning as his thoughts began racing.

"She, uh…" Enrique looked at his brother helplessly. How to explain this one? "She tends to make up her own reality sometimes. But I thought that her using that name was a little odd."

Les groaned as he remembered Jason's report on the previous victims. He looked back at his cell phone warily. This wasn't going to be an entirely pleasant call. "Fuck…"