Here we go again

I own nohing but the plot Kaitlin, Gavin, Rose, Delilah

Not Too Late For Love

Chapter Three: Truth

Kaitlin opened her eyes and wondered where she was.

She was in a strange room.

She sat up too fast and someone put their hand on her shoulder to steady her. She looked up and it was Nilsson. "Kaitlin calm down. You're safe. It's okay." He smiled at her and she smiled back. "Thanks." She said, "You give us all quite a shock miss. Not to mention who you are and what you're doing here is causing quite a stir."

"I wish I knew what I was doing here." She frowned. "Maybe I can answer that for you." Said a voice.

Kaitlin looked up and saw that Thierry Descouedres Lord of the Night World and Leader of circle Daybreak had just entered the room. She wanted to gasp. This…this was unreal but she couldn't she just watched as Thierry walked over and pulled up a chair and sat next to Nilsson. "I am so pleased we got to you in time Kaitlin. You gave us quite a scare." Kaitlin blinked. How did these people know her name? Of course the must think it odd that she know theirs. "I still can't believe you were all looking for me sir." She answered.

Thierry smiled faintly. "This must all be very confusing for you." He said looking at her. "I am confused." She said quietly looking at them. "This morning you were all characters in my books and now I've been attacked by a vampire, ran from one, seen him staked and now I'm taking to the legendary leader of Circle Daybreak and one of the Daybreakers. Yes I am confused. Very confused."

She looked up to gauge their reaction. Both were unaffected. "Perhaps… Perhaps if you tell me what you know all will become clear in due course."

"What all of it?" Kaitlin asked disbelieving. "I am aware that it may take some time buts that's nothing a good sleep and feed won't cure." He clicked his teeth grinning and she laughed. "Okay…so the first book was about Poppy and James. Poppy was dying…" slowly she recounted all she knew. Every detail and when she was finished her throat was dry and it was dark outside.

Nilsson offered her a drink, which she took gratefully and Thierry was looking pale and worried. "It seems we found you just in time. I know you're tired but can you tell me how you got here Kaitlin.

It's important and I need to know how I can protect you. Kaitlin shrugged. "I really don't know to be honest. It was stormy at home. The lights went out and I went downstairs to find a candle and matches and when I came back up the books were glowing blue.

I picked one up and it was so hot I dropped the pages starting turning and then glowed gold. I felt myself being lifted from the floor and the next thing I knew I was an ally way with one killer headache."

"I think it's time I filled in the blanks. For your safety Kaitlin I believe the quicker you know this the better. He reached for the phone and dialled.

"Send Galen and Keller up. I don't care if they're training. In fact send them all up. They need to be here for this. Yes. Good send them up as well." He replaced the phone. "I'm sorry Kaitlin but I'm afraid the rest of Daybreak also need to be in on this. Time is short and it is important that you are kept safe. The door opened and Hannah flew in. "Oh thank goodness! You're awake." She turned to Thierry. "What is going on? Who is she?"

Thierry regarded his soulmate with open love and said, "Wait until everyone gets here." She nodded and held his hand. "I'm so sorry. I'm Hannah Snow." Kaitlin smiled "I know." Hannah looked confused for a moment and then her attention was grabbed by a sharp knock at the door.

The door opened and in came Poppy, James, Eric, Thea, Gillian, David, Quinn, Rashel, Jez, Moregead, Miles, Lupe, Maggie, Delos, Winnie, Nissa, Iliana, Ash and to Kaitlin's delight Mary-Lynette, Mark and Ash's sisters. They were all talking at once and stopped dead when they saw Kaitlin. Except Jez, Morgead and Thea. The latter just smiled lazily at her, Jez waved and Thea ran forward checking her vitals and feeling her head for fever.

"She looks so much like him." Nissa whispered, "Told you." Thea said looking up from her vitals for a moment before returning again. "Looks like who?" Kaitlin asked growing uncomfortable with all the staring but before anyone could answer the answer walked in through the door in the form of Galen Drache.

He and Keller were talking tactics and didn't notice for a moment but then Galen looked up and then did a double take. "Oh my God."

Kaitlin and Galen whispered together. They looked so much alike it was frightening. The same classic features, the same gold hair, the same frame and most importantly the same green-gold eyes.

"Thierry what the hell is going on here?" Quinn eventually asked after a couple seconds of silence. Immediately all attention turned to the Daybreak leader. Thierry smiled down at Kaitlin.

"I didn't want you to find out this way. But you are in danger and time is something we just don't have." Kaitlin still wasn't sure what he was getting at. And the confused looks from the others told her she wasn't the only one. Galen's eyes had never left her face and he and Keller were now stood at the edge of the bed.

"We have some visitors that will be arriving soon so it is best that I at least start this story." He took a deep breath and swept a look round the circle before his eyes rested on Kaitlin. "All the answers lie with the prophecy. The one we have translated, hunted and fought for.

The one that will determine our future. The one that involves the Wild Powers." He looked at Jez, Delos and Iliana in turn before continuing. "It seems to you that the hunt for the Wild Powers has been a recent thing. One in which all our efforts have been focused because the Millennium battle will soon be on us. But that is not the case.

The year Andria made the prophecy somewhere in the world the four Wild Powers were born. In that year I protected the first." There was a collective gasp. "You mean you've known who the fourth wild power was for seventeen years?" Delos yelled Thierry ignored him.

"The Wild Power I am speaking of was born seventeen years ago in the Twilight hours of morning as the New Year dawned…" Something in Kaitlin jumped. Her birthday was New Year. But that was stupid! There was just no way…was there? "She was born with direct lineage to those we may one day have to fight. She had direct ancestry with the dark." Thierry continued

One from the Twilight to be one with the dark

Kaitlin muttered it under her breath and knew that the others were doing the same. Then Thierry dropped the bombshell on the circle. "She was born into the First House of Shapeshifters."

There was uproar "That's not possible!" Keller yelled the only one to be born was Galen. He is the heir to the First House!"

"He is the Prince!" Lupe yelped, "There is no one else."

Galen however was looking at Kaitlin. She was playing with her necklace. Like she always did when she was nervous. "No you are wrong." Thierry said tiredly. "Galen was indeed born into the First House but unknown to all but The Rulers of the First House, The Crone, The Maiden, Nilsson and myself there was another birth. Galen's twin sister Aurora."

" I had a twin?" Galen whispered looking at Thierry for the first time.

Thierry nodded. "When you were only days old Aurora was injured and her blood split. She let lose the blue fire. A guard that had been watching your rooms had heard talk of the Maiden's latest prophesy and decided that Aurora could be used. She was kidnapped from the nursery where you and Aurora were left." "It was you Galen who saved her life. You screamed and screamed and when they realised she was missing Nilsson and I headed the search to find her.

Aurora was found but she was injured it was a miracle she survived. After that it was decided that it was best if the princess just disappear. So the Crone cloaked and bound her powers and opened a portal where she was sent for her safety and until it was safe for her to come home."

Thierry looked at Kaitlin then.

"With the Crone dead the defences around her weakened and she is once again in danger.

And has ended up in our world long before she should have done." "You're talking about me?"

Kaitlin said faintly. "Oh my God!" She looked at Galen then. He was staring her. "We're twins?"

They asked together "you sure are." They turned and saw Jez and Morgead smiling. "That was why we were looking for you.

We were the ones, along with Nilsson to find you and protect you no matter what. It was tope secret for obvious reasons. You're Aurora Drache the missing princess and the fourth Wild Power."

Silence followed this statement. Kaitlin and Galen stared at each other and then as if in slow motion they reached for each other and touched.

Red and blue light exploded around them and suddenly remembered, even being so little she remembered. She remembered being with him and feeling loneliness because she wasn't there for her like he had been before. "Galen your leopard form is so beautiful I'm so proud of you." She whispered in his head. "And I am so proud of you my wild little sister."

He smiled back. "I'm so pleased your back." Galen whispered, "I missed you." Kaitlin whispered and then the real world was back again and they smiled at each other. "I missed you." They both said.

Kaitlin turned to Keller. "Look after my brother, he's too gentle for his own good." Keller was taken aback and then her eyes softened as they looked at Galen and took his hand. "I will." "But what does this mean for Daybreak?" Delos asked. Just then the door banged open and the leaders of the first house flew in. "Aurora!"

The lady said running towards her. "Mother!" Galen said as if he couldn't believe his eyes. "Aurora baby, are you okay? Thierry you promised us she wouldn't be hurt." "Someone called her back through the portal. Thierry said running a hand through his hair. You've got to understand since Grandma Harman was killed the wards on the portal were weakened. It would have been easy for someone to break through."

Galen's father-her father Kaitlin realised looked at her. "It hurts seeing the blank look on your face when you look at us. We never wanted to give you up. We never wanted to let you go. But if it meant keeping you alive we'd have rather you lived all your life without knowing us."

He looked at Galen.

"I know you missed her. You missed her when she was first missing and saved her life and then after even if you never really understood I knew. And it hurt. I know we should have told you Galen but even telling you could have endangered her and I wouldn't risk that."

He looked at Kaitlin then. "You're so grown up! And to think we've missed all that. We missed everything. I missed seeing my baby girl grow up."

Kaitlin leaned forward and they hugged her. And then she knew. It had hurt to find out that her parents weren't her parents.

And her brother wasn't her brother.

And it had hurt to find out she had been given up. That she had been given up by her parents of their own free will. It hurt more than she ever wanted to admit but she understood that her parents had only give her up because they wanted her safe. They wanted her to grow up.

They wanted her to know life and they wanted her to know them when it was safe. Galen was looking at his parents like he had never seen them before. He knew he loved them but had never seen them display such open affection for anyone, even him since he was about twelve. Kaitlin looked up and as if reading his expression a smile bloomed across her features and she pulled him into the hug.

He hadn't realised how much he had missed her.

That empty feeling inside that still ricocheted inside his heart no matter what he did. It didn't affect what he felt for Keller that was different. He loved her with everything he had, but there had still been something missing. Now he knew. His twin.

The sister he hadn't seen since he was weeks old. And suddenly the little black space in his heart was brimming with sunshine. His sister. Kaitlin. Aurora. Had done that. He loved her more than he could say.

When the tears were wiped away and greetings were made everyone settled to make plans.

"Kaitlin will have to start her training to protect herself…" Thierry said, "I'm a black belt in Karate."

Kaitlin said in answer to this. Everyone looked at her. She shrugged. "My dad did it when I turned 10 he took me with him. I was about to grade for my first dann." "Well that helps. Jez, Delos, Iliana I think you know what you have to do." They nodded. "Thea. You need to take the binding spells off her. You Gillian and Iliana will have to work together only a Harman can take the binds off." She nodded.

He turned to Nilsson. "Nilsson you are not to leave her side. You need to spar with her and teach her what you know. she needs to be ready. Galen…" "I'm not leaving her until I know she knows everything I can tell her about the Night World, all about the First House. Everything I was brought up with." "Me too." Keller smiled gripping Galen's hand.

"We'll all help you through this Kait." She said. "Thank-you." Kaitlin said touched. "Thank-you all."

Thierry turned to Delos. "When you asked what it meant for Circle Daybreak it means that we now have all four of the Four Wild Powers, which means that we can fight the Darkness with a hope of prevailing.

We can fight for the light come the Millennium battle that we all know is coming." He looked around them all and said now we have to prepare. The wild powers must train. Delos." Delos looked up. "Make sure Maggie tends to that arm. You're wincing." Delos looked about to argue but then Maggie put her hand on his arm and he looked down at her and smiled.

"Jez no more late night bike rides." He held up his hand to stem the flow of arguments. "I didn't say you couldn't go out at all. You'd murder me. I just said no more late night bike rides."

"Where's the fun in that?" Kaitlin asked looking up. "I had a bike at home." Her face took on a dreamy expression.

"I'm insomniac so night time rides are the best. Freedom." She looked at Jez and Mogead and they looked like they knew exactly what she was on about. "What bike did you have?" Morgead asked.

"A ninja." She answered wistfully. "It was the love of my life. Its soul purpose was to look good, make me look good and go-fast. I adored it." "I think we have a remedy for that."

Kaitlin smiled her eyes growing so huge they almost filled her face. "Hmm." Thierry said "Not tonight. She still hurts. Tomorrow." Morgead looked at me and I nodded. "I've gotta feed I'll see you lot later." Morgead said then "We gotta go too," James, Poppy, Quinn, Ash and Delos chimed in "We'll come with you." They all ambled out and Morgead turned at the door "Coming Jezabel?" he smiled wickedly clicking his teeth. Jez looked at Thierry who shrugged

"your choice. You might need your powers soon." "It doesn't make you bad Jez." Kaitlin smiled. "All the others drink it. They're not bad and if you were before you're making up for it. You've done more to make up for your mistakes than many others ever will. Be proud to have done that. Besides I can tell you want too. Go with him."

Jez stood undecided for a moment and then she ran to Morgead. His eyes were wide with surprise and she kissed him before they disappeared out the door.

Galen stared at her. "When did you get so wise? You've been stuck in the mortal world forever how did you manage that."

She shrugged "I'm observant." "Too observant." Galen smiled. "Well okay. Only I wasn't observant when Shades nearly killed me today." Galen, and her parents blanched "What? You didn't know?" She asked "Yes…yes we did but hearing you say it makes it so much more real.

"Its thanks to Nilsson I'm still here." Kaitlin looked at him. He didn't really say much as a rule. Through everything he had remained quiet. Something told her that he was having a telepathic conversation with someone present or otherwise. He looked at her as she said his name.

"Did I say Thank-you? You saved my life today." He looked surprised for a moment and then he said "part of the job Miss. But I have to say you were doing very well on your own when I got there." "I'll take that as a very high compliment coming from such a good fighter as you are." "I think you offer praise too high Miss." Was all he said but he smiled and Kaitlin was pleased to see his eyes were dancing with joy. "I don't." was all she said in reply.

"You saved my life. I don't think I can ever repay you. But I know I'll never forget and that I'll always be grateful."

He looked at her then and their gazes locked something sparked and Kaitlin felt a jolt somewhere in the region of her stomach like it was doing cartwheels inside her. Her mouth went dry and she found it difficult to talk and then Nilsson spoke.

"You've repaid me a thousand times over just by saying thank-you." Then the connection broke and they looked away their skins slightly coloured. No one seemed to notice. Or if they did they didn't say anything.

For that Kaitlin was grateful. It meant she didn't have to explain something she had no answers too.