A/N: I'm back. Things have been less than great but it's getting better.

Gabriel frowned as opened his eyes. Something was wrong- he could feel it.

There was silence downsatirs and Sara had begun to mutter quickly in her sleep. Reaching out slowly Gabriel shook Sara's arm till her eyes open.

Sensing the wrongness that hung in the air Sara sat up, her eyes on the door.

"Quietly." Sara said, "Don't even breathe."

In an instant the blade had formed, covering Sara's forearm and hand. The Wielder nodded to her Guide and as one they stood, moving slowly to the door and then down the stairs.

Skuffing of someone's shoes on the tiled floor of the kitchen alerted them to their first problem.

Sara signaled for Gabriel to stay where he was and then disapeared into the kitchen. The soft sound of air being released and a muffled thump told Gabriel that Sara had taken care of the first intruder.

Sara appeared at the bottom of the stairs after a few moments and waved Gabriel down.

"It looks like he was the only one." Sara pointed to the body on the floor of the kitchen.

"Why just one?" Gabriel wispered, "Something still doesn't feel right. Where is Laney and Alex?"

"We're over here." came alex's voice from the far corner, "We killed 2 of them but Laney passed out. I contacted a Healer, they're on their way."

"Is she ok? What happened?" Sara rushed to the Hunter's side. Laney was just laying there, her breathing seemed so shallow.

"I have no idea. She just went down." Alex ran his hands up and down Laney's pale arms, "Wake up baby." he wispered, "You have to get up. Selene is on her way. You know how she is. She'll drive us both insane with questions and then tell us what we already know, that you're nearly 6 months pregnant and you passed out." Alex laughed quietly, a grin briefly gracing his face.

"Thay made into your home." Sara wispered, "They are getting braver." the Weilder turned and snuggled into Gabriel's chest.

The two were seated in the oversized armchair watching as the healer Alex had called for muttered and drew symbols in the air over the still quiet Laney who had been moved to the couch.

"You, Weilder." the Healer turned to Sara, "Come here."

Sara obeyed the smaller woman and came to stand by Laney's head, "What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"I can't open her powers." the Healer shook her head and glanced at Alex, "She has shut her body down somehow. Maybe it was the pact but we have no way of knowing till we talk to her. Weilder, place your left hand over the Hunter's forehead and call to her, mind to mind."

Sara did as she was told but wasn't sure if she was actauly doing it right. She had never tried to talk to someone with her mind.

"Well?" the hEaler asked inpatiently.

"Shut up and give me a minute." Sara snapped with her eyes closed," How the hell am I suppose to hear her if your talking in my ear?!"

Laney? Sara imagined a silver cord from her hand into Laney's mind, Laney, talk to me. I'm hear, Alex is here and Gabriel looks like he's about to pass out. There's also some annoyingly small, pretty healer here with no patients at all.

Sara waited, feeling a shift in the darness beyond the silver cord.

Come on, Laney. We need you to wake up and tell us what happened. Sara stopped as something brushed the cord, something black and wrong.

"There something here." Sara said outloud, "Something that doesn't belong."

"Grab it." the healer hissed, "Grab and force it out."

Sara could hear movement in the room as she concentrated on wrapping the cord around the black thing in Laney's mind. Once the thing was trapped Sara imagined the cord getting shortere untill the black thing was right against her palm.

"Ready?" Sara asked, opening her eyes, "I have no idea what it is but it's begining to thrash." Sara saw that her hand had moved to Laney's mouth.

"Get it out before it hurts her or the child." The healer wispered as Gabriel came into view holding what looked to be an old vase.

"Do it." He nodded, reaching in to the vase as Sara gave a tug and pulled out something that even nightmares couldn't describe.

It was small, black and leatery looking but made up mainly of claws and teeth. The thing opened it eyes which turned out to be an icey blue without pupils and took three steps towards Sara with out anyone moving to do anything about. Sara herself was just staring at it as it opened it's fanged mouth and lunged at her.

Gabriel moved quickly, throwing a hand full of Arnehss sacred burrial salt on the creature and pushed it to the floor where he threw the entire vase over it.

"How the Hell did you know to do that?" Selene the healer asked as Laney sat up slowly on the couch.

"If it was bad Laney wouldn't have shut down to protect herself, and bad things don't like pure substances like salt or holy water. This was the closest I could come to Holy salt. Scared Burrial Salt sounded close to what I thought we'd need." Gabriel shrugged and Sara was left staring at him, impressed by just how quickly his mind worked.

Honestly, who else but and oddities dealer and a computer wiz would think of Sacred Burrial salt so quickly in a situation like this?

Laney told them slowly about waking up to see Alex walking towards the door where he had heard something. The next thing she knew they were fighting 3 men. When she killed the second one something oily entered her mind asking about magics and the Blade. Anyone else would have felt compelled to answer but laney, being who and what she was was able to hide from the voice and shadow in her mind.

"I just shut down." Laney shrugged as Selene handed her a steaming cup of green liquid, "I was afraid what it would do if it learned I was pregnant."

Sara shivered at the thought and looked down at the Blade as it swirled lazily within it's stone.

I'm going to need you soon Sara thought down at the stone, You are right, I can't and won't sit back while the Pact gather for the kill. We'll make the first move towards war and leave them wondering where the attack came from.

The stone swirled, a white light in it's center as a calm came over Sara.

Yes, they would attack first with the Blade on their side as a warrior, not a just weapon.

A/N: OMG. Sorry that took so long. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go with this but a great review from Scooter1 helped me alot and rewrote most of this chapter.

Keep the reviews coming! And ignore the mistakes.