A/N: Bethany sweetie – so good to "see" you. Just so you know - I'm going to hold you to both your promises. :) Sorry. :( No Grant and Chloe in this chapter but I'll see what I can do for you soon. ;)

Sorry it's so jumpy – but it simply had to be done. I did need to speed things up a bit but honestly - PCGirl knows the real reason why. ;)

Until 51 - as always…Enjoy! xox-G

Chapter Fifty

It was a steamy July afternoon. They sat on the bleachers watching the kids play. Aidan was up at bat. Abby called out to him with words of encouragement. As his bat made contact she cheered as he rounded second. He was so like Quinn, she couldn't help but think.

Sighing, she returned her attention to Cameron and resumed the conversation they'd started just moments before.

"Sweetheart, it's not that I don't want to – it's just that we can't go anywhere now. We can't leave Aidan with Alison – she has enough to deal with."

"We can leave him with Lynnie and Ethan." Cam suggested. "Or Quinn could take him." He knew how things looked but the plans had already been made. He didn't want to disappoint her. She deserved this time away.

"Cam. I said it's not that I don't want to go." She felt terrible. He looked so desolate. "I just think it's a bad time."

"Let's just see how things go, OK?" Cam said as he took her hand in his. "Please? Let's just see what happens with Kate. We have a few weeks before we're supposed to leave."

"OK." She finally agreed, smiling at him before she leaned close to kiss him. She turned her attention back to the game. "Oh my God. Look at him Cam." She said dreamily.

"I know. He's doing great." He replied, referring to Aidan.

"I meant Quinn." She said softly. "Look at him with her. I can't believe it's happened. Look at him, Cam. He's in love."

Cam shielded his eyes with his hand as he gazed at the dugout. He caught a glimpse of his son smiling, his head tilted towards Billie's. He watched as his son burst into laughter and framed Billie's face in his hands before giving her a smacking kiss on the lips.

"Well. Will you look at that?" Cam laughed himself as he turned back towards Abby. "Who would have guessed? It looks like he's got great taste." He leaned close and kissed her softly.

"He certainly does." Abby giggled as she replied. "He takes after his father."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So. Tell me. How does this work? Do you like have a little book where you write down all your plans?" Caleb asked idly as he wandered around the office at the gym. Rafe sat at the desk, glowering at him.

"Like I'd tell you." He replied with a smirk. "Contrary to your opinion – I don't do things all that impulsively. We need to make sure we have something in place. It'll keep us from making any careless mistakes."

"You know all about careless mistakes don't you?" Caleb snickered. "Well. I'm glad to see you've learned your lesson. You've come a long way, Slayer."

"I hope you've learned yours too." Rafe was too tired and too worried about Kate and Becky to keep playing games. "OK. First things first. I don't think going down to New Orleans is such a great idea. I doubt he's still there."

"And how do you know that?" Caleb sighed.

"I don't. It's just a gut feeling." Rafe replied. "I've talked to Kyle…"

"Ah yes. Another slayer." Caleb shook his head, the truth dawning on him. "You know this is insane. I don't know why I'm even listening to you. I'm completely outnumbered here."

"True – but that's how we like it." Rafe smiled smugly. He watched as Caleb sank in a chair and began flipping through a magazine. "C'mon, Vampire. Listen to me for a second. This kid is the only one who's seen this guy. Kyle said that he and his crew have slowly been moving up north."

"No – Slayer. He's not the only one. You forget that I've also seen him. I can track him down in a heartbeat and you want us to just sit here and wait?" Caleb threw the magazine down. "This is your master plan??"

Rafe stood and gave Caleb an icy glare. "My plan is that I want him on my turf. I don't want waste time, running around unfamiliar places chasing after him." He brought a hand to the back of his neck, trying to rub the tension away. His voice got soft as he continued. "The other reason, the more important reason, is that I can't leave my family right now. I can't go too far in case something happens with Katrina. I need to be here."

Rafe looked at Caleb and his voice was nearly like a plea. "He'll come to us Caleb. I think it's best for us to wait."

Caleb sighed in frustration. This working together thing had disaster written all over it. But he also knew that leaving Olivia again was not really an option. He would never admit it to Rafe, but he was just as concerned about his grandchild's welfare.

He took a deep breath and conceded. "OK, Slayer. We'll wait. And while we're waiting – tell me - where do we start?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ty stood at the plate, squinting against the fading sunlight. He looked into the outfield and envisioned the ball flying out over everyone's heads. He waited for the perfect pitch, knowing if he could pull it off he could bring both Aidan and Ella home.

He was distracted for just a second. It was long enough for him to catch a glimpse of a face he thought he'd never see again. He instantly felt sick to his stomach. Anger began to boil up inside him. He stared at the pitcher, watching as the ball flew from his hand, smashing it with more force than he ever used in his life as it came across the plate.

The crowd of onlookers cheered as he ran around the bases. As he turned second he saw the face again, keeping his eyes locked to Mark's as he made his way home. As he stepped on the plate he was already planning. He wasn't going to let him ruin it. Not this time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In some ways this was better than being cooped up in their apartment. Kate smiled watching Lia and Lynnie arguing as they sat at the foot of the bed.

"I am so NOT wearing the same dress as you." Lia snapped.

"Did I say that?" Lynnie asked. She turned to Kate. "Did I say that I wanted her to wear the same dress as me?" She sighed as she focused her attention on her sister again. "I said we need to agree on the bridesmaids dresses." She flipped through the bridal magazine in her lap, pointing her finger at a picture. "Look at this one. And I was thinking like a pale blue…"

"It's going to be NOVEMBER Lynnie. NOVEMBER." Lia countered. "We can't have pale blue."

Lynnie's face didn't hide her disappointment. "You won't even consider it. Please? I just always loved the way that looks." She turned towards her cousin and pleaded. "Katie. What do you think?"

"Oh no. Don't you two include me in this. I'll wear whatever color you chose but right now I'm neutral. Just call me Switzerland." She said with a laugh.

"OK Switzerland." Lia said with a smile. Her eyes and voice softened as she looked at Kate. "How are you feeling? I mean how are you really feeling? Be honest with us." She said as she reached for her hand.

"I'm OK right now." She said as she forced a smile of her own. Worry crept into her mind again. "And Chris is happy. I'm in my seventh month so if anything happens the baby will have a better chance." She added in a whisper.

"You're going to be fine." Lia said, her voice nearly commanding that it would be so. "Both of you. Danny said Chris is very close to finding a way out of this."

Lynnie took Kate's other hand and smiled at her. "And really, no news is good news. I've seen nothing that makes me think that this won't all work out Katie."

An odd silence fell and Lia tried to find a way to change the conversation. "So. Any new names being thrown around?" She asked as she grabbed a book of baby names from where it lay next to Kate.

Kate began to laugh, thankful to focus on more positive things. "Well. Ella likes Buddy. She thinks it'll be fun to say things like, "C'mere Buddy! or "That's my Buddy. I'm not as thrilled as you can imagine." She looked at them both thoughtfully. "For a while I was thinking Cole – it's a variation on Colin's name and it's sounds like "Coe" which makes it sort of like we were naming him after my dad." Kate sighed. "But it sounds weird with Morley. Cole Morley." She scrunched up her nose and made a face. "I don't like it."

Both Lia and Lynnie nodded in agreement. Scratch Cole off the list. "Any girls names?" Lia prompted.

"No need." Kate laughed and shook her head. "This is my son." She said softly as she ran her hand over her belly.

Two sets of eyes misted over as they gazed at her. For the moment both Lynnie and Lia were in perfect agreement.

"Is that so?" Lynnie said softly. Lia smiled as she added. "OK. We'll concentrate on boys names then."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aidan, Ella and Ty stood at the edge of the field tossing a ball around while they waited for the grown-ups to stop talking and take them home.

Ty was glad they weren't going yet. He needed to talk to both of them.

"Hey Aidan? You know that book your sister is writing? The one Billie's drawing pictures for? You know. The one that has us in it?"

"Of course I know. What about it?" He replied as he threw the ball over Ella's head. She glared at him before she ran off to retrieve it.

Ty waited for Ella to come back before he continued. "Well she says that we'll be solving a mystery. But you know what? We can do it for real. There's something I need you guys to help me with. Do you wanna?"

"Cool!" Aidan replied instantly. "I'm in."

Ella looked at him thoughtfully, infinitely more cautious. "What kind of mystery?" She squinted at Ty as she threw the ball to him.

He caught it easily and held it in his glove. "Well first – I need you to help me do something and then we can try and solve it." His eyes got serious as he sank down to the ground.

Intrigued, Ella and Aidan joined him there and both replied at once. "Help you do what?"

Ty took a deep breath and said. "Run away from home."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mark wondered if the kid really recognized him. He guessed that he probably had. It didn't matter. He and his aunt were inconsequential.

He made his way back to the house he'd rented. It was easier to come and go in his own place. Hotel's had their charm – it was certainly nice to be waited on. Since he'd come into money he'd grown to expect it – but at the moment he needed privacy more than room service.

He walked into his home and sighed as he made his way to the bar. As he poured himself a drink he thought about the choices he had made. He had the best of both worlds. He had small band of misfits more than eager to do his bidding as long as he kept the cash flowing their way, and thanks to the concotion he'd recently acquired, he had the ability to wander the streets without the slayers truly sensing his presence. He had a fortune at his fingertips and hatred in his heart. They could plan and they could plot but he was smarter than any of them.

He couldn't wait for it all to begin because he knew, without a doubt that in the end he'd be the only one left standing.