"It's ok, I'm here now, I'm here. You just hold on, ok? Just hold on, don't you dare give up."
"You either." Chris managed.
Leo wanted to cry. His son was dying from a wound sustained trying to save his brother, and there was nothing Leo could do about it.
"Did--we get him?" Chris asked.
"Wyatt's safe." Leo promised quietly.
"Good. I didn't mess up."
"Chris..."
"That's...what was important. Saving Wyatt." Chris rambled on.
Leo was aware, vaguely, of movement behind him, but he assumed it was Paige and paid no attention. So he was surprised when Thariin knelt on the other side of the bed.
"Ah, Chris." she murmured. "Look at me, sweetie."
"I'm sorry." Leo said quietly, not sure which of them he was apologizing to, or why he felt the need.
"Doesn't matter now." She leaned forward, brushing her fingers along Chris' face. "Chris, look at me."
"Thariin, you can't..."
"Oh yes I can, Leo. For him I can. Chris! You have to look at me."
Chris opened his eyes; whether he was actually looking at her was debatable, but she seemed satisfied. "Good. Leo..." She looked up. "No matter what happens, don't touch me."
"What's going to happen?"
She shook her head. "It's important. Don't touch me."
He nodded agreement, and Thariin turned back to Chris. Paige, standing behind Leo, put a hand on his shoulder, and he reached up and gripped it. Thariin glanced at them briefly, but she made no attempt to have Paige promise, apparently considering her bound by Leo's word.
"Can you help him?" Paige asked.
"Can keep him alive, anyway. For healing, that's different..." Thariin trailed off, linking her fingers through his. "Keep looking at me." she told Chris, ignoring his unresponsiveness. Then she laid her other hand directly over the wound.
Chris jerked, stiffening and arching off the bed. Thariin didn't react, keeping her hand on him.
"You're hurting him." Paige murmured.
She wasn't expecting an answer, but Thariin glanced up briefly. "That which doesn't kill you."
"Thariin." Leo said, alarmed, but she'd turned back as Chris jerked again.
"Don't." he gasped, trying without success to push her away.
"Shush. It's ok."
"You can't..."
"It's ok." she repeated. "Leo..."
Leo reached for Chris' free hand, holding it tightly and keeping him still.
Finally Chris relaxed, sinking back against the bed, and when his eyes opened he was definitely focusing. Thariin retreated, letting go of him and moving to the edge of the bed.
"Chris." Leo said softly, and he rolled his head around to look at them. His shirt and stomach were still covered in blood, but the wound had closed without trace.
"Hey." He sounded oddly drowsy. "What happened?"
"Thariin just saved your life." Paige gestured, and he rolled his head back.
"Thanks."
Thariin nodded. "You should sleep, Chris. Don't overdo it for a while."
"You're bleeding." Leo said suddenly, sharply, and Thariin glanced down at the arm she'd pressed against her stomach.
"It'll pass."
"Kaia." Chris murmured.
"It'll pass, Chris. You just rest." With obvious difficulty she rose from the bed and made it as far as the hall before she had to stop.
Paige followed her. "What can we do?"
"Nothing. It'll be fine."
Paige glanced back into the bedroom. "And Chris?"
"Don't let him up yet. Keep him resting as long as you can."
"Easier said than done. He's Piper's son. Just as stubborn as she is."
Thariin leaned around her. "Chris? You just rest for a bit, Ok? Don't give Paige any trouble until you feel better."
"Ok." Chris sighed, already almost asleep.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Paige frowned, looking from him back to her. "What was that?"
"Part of why he has to sleep. Until he does he's--susceptible. While he sleeps he--" She shrugged helplessly. "It won't matter once he wakes, only that you should find him easier to deal with for a while."
Leo came to join them at the door. "Let us look at that?" He reached to touch her stomach, but she flinched away.
"Don't..."
Leo reached out again and this time she didn't move, letting him pull her top lightly aside to reveal the wound underneath.
"What'd you do, just transfer it from him to you?" Paige demanded.
"Something like that."
"Why?"
"Because I can handle it better than he can."
"Get the first aid kit." Leo said to Paige, who nodded and headed for the bathroom. "I'm sorry I can't..." He gestured vaguely.
"Heal me? Wouldn't help if you could. Chris was right, only Gideon can heal this."
"You won't heal?" Leo asked, startled.
"I'll heal enough. I'm an Elf, after all."
Paige returned with the first aid kit. "Why would you risk that?" Off Leo's look, she added quickly, "I mean, we're grateful, but--never healing..."
"You mean apart from--" Thariin flinched as Paige pressed a pad against the wound. "Apart from just not wanting him to die? If Chris dies now, in his past and especially before he's born, it'll screw up the timeline. I'd rather yesterday stayed in the past and tomorrow in the future. Ow!"
"Sorry." Paige tied off the bandage. "It's not perfect, but you won't bleed all over the place, anyway."
"It's fine. Thank you." She looked at Leo. "Chris'll be fine, Leo, but I can't help your other son."
"Yeah." Leo nodded. "Ok. I have to go."'
"Be careful." Paige said, hugging him.
"I will." He orbed out.
Paige turned to Thariin. "Are you..."
"You should go to the hospital." Thariin interrupted her, gaze going distant. "They need you there."
Paige glanced back through the door at Chris. "Yeah, but...will you stay here, then?"
"I will." Thariin agreed. She glanced over her shoulder to where Chris was sleeping. "Don't worry, Paige. I won't leave him now."
It was early the next morning before they came home. Chris was still asleep in Piper's room, and Thariin was standing in the doorway of the sunroom, gazing out into the garden.
"Hey." Phoebe said from behind her. Thariin turned.
"Hi. How's Piper?"
"Tired. She's Ok. How are you?"
"Fine, thank you."
Phoebe grimaced. "You're bleeding through your bandage."
Thariin glanced down. "I haven't been able to go and take care of it."
Phoebe glanced over her shoulder as Paige came down. "He's still asleep. How're...you're still bleeding."
"So Phoebe pointed out. It's not important. I'll go take care of it now, if you're home."
"You've been bleeding all night. How is it not important?"
"I didn't bleed on anything." Thariin said impatiently. "It just bled through a little while ago."
"That's not what we're worried about." Phoebe protested. "We're worried about you."
"Don't be." she said bluntly. "Now that you're back I'll go take care of this."
"Thariin…"
"No. It's fine. I'll see you soon."
Brushing past Paige, she let herself out the front door.
Chris woke a bit later, but, obedient to Thariin's 'don't give Paige any trouble' he stayed there until she came to check on him.
"Hey, you're up. How do you feel?"
"Kind of…floaty. What's been going on?"
"Um…short version? You're born, Gideon was after Wyatt but it's taken care of, and Thariin was here but she's gone now."
"I thought maybe…she really was here?"
"Saved your life." Phoebe said from the doorway.
"How's Mom?"
"Tired. She'll be fine. Leo's still there with her…and you."
"That's going to be weird." He shifted experimentally. "Thariin does good work."
"You Ok?" Paige asked, moving back as he sat up.
"Fine."
"Good. Thariin isn't."
"What? Why not?" He tried to jump off the bed, cramped, and crashed back onto it. "Shit!"
"Deep breaths, sweetie." Phoebe said. "Better?"
"Yeah." He sat up again, slowly this time. "What happened?"
"Thariin sort of…transferred the wound Gideon gave you to her." Paige said rapidly.
"She was still bleeding when she left earlier." Phoebe added.
"What? Why did you let her go?"
"She wouldn't let us stop her." Paige said quietly.
"She said it wasn't serious. She was going to take care of it." Phoebe added.
"She would say that." Chris muttered.
"Chris?" Paige said carefully. "What do you know?"
"Nothing." Seeing the look on her face, he amended it to, "Nothing for sure. I don't know if she can heal herself on her own, though. And if…" He hesitated, thinking. "You keep saying Thariin. She wasn't Kaia?"
"No." Phoebe frowned. "Does that mean something?"
"Yeah. She won't call Cole or the others for help, and Connor won't find her in time…I have to go."
"Chris…how do you know?" Paige asked.
Chris halted in the door but didn't turn back. "I don't know. From her healing me, maybe?…I have to go. Can we figure it out later?"
"Can we come?" Paige asked.
Chris shook his head quickly. "Go see Mom. Tell her I won't be long." He vanished in a haze of orbs.
"I wish everyone would stop doing that!" Phoebe said.
"I wish I knew what's going on with those two." Paige answered. "Come on, let's go see Chris. Uh…other Chris."
Phoebe grimaced at her but followed her out of the room.
"Kaia?" Chris cursed softly. He was running out of places to look for her.
"She's not here." He spun to see Shayla standing behind him.
"Princess." He inclined his head, having picked up Kaia's ways of addressing her. Shayla smiled; she'd given up on trying to stop them a long time ago.
"Is something wrong?"
"Yeah. No, I…I'm not sure."
"What happened?" Shayla gestured him in, but he shook his head.
"There…I think she's hurt. And she won't call anyone to help her, and I can't find her…" He stopped, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
Shayla eyed him for a moment before turning to call over her shoulder. "Cole!"
The boy came out, looking from one to the other curiously. "Hi, Chris."
"Hey, Cole." Chris answered.
"What is it, Mama?"
"Cole, do you know where your cousin Tara is? It's important."
"No, Mama."
Chris took a few steps forward, crouching in front of him. "Are you sure, Cole? I have to find her."
Cole shook his head slightly. "I really don't, Chris. I'd say it if I did, I wouldn't lie."
"I know you wouldn't." Chris said quickly. "It's Ok. Hey…what?"
Cole was staring at his stomach, where the stab wound had been. Hesitantly, he reached out to touch it. "Somewhere you've been. Somewhere she brought you. She's not alone." He shuddered and turned, burying his face in his mother's skirts.
"OK, Cole. Thank you. You go inside now." Shayla urged him back into the house, turning back as Chris rose.
"I'm sorry." Chris said quickly. "I know that's hard on him."
"He'd have offered." Shayla said quietly. "Where did she take you?"
"Here!" Chris gestured to the house. "LA to meet Connor, but he doesn't know where she is."
"That's it?" Shayla asked quietly.
"Yes…no. Wait." Chris stopped. "We went to…she said Ireland."
"I remember that. She brought books for Cole." Shayla agreed.
"Right. I can get there. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Let us know what happens."
"I will." And he orbed out again.
"Ok." Chris said patiently. "You recognize her. So recognize me. Let me help her."
The door didn't budge.
"I can just orb in, you know."
No reaction.
"I'm talking to a door. Even for me, this is weird." He sighed. "Look. She helped me. Let me help her. Please?"
The door creaked open.
"Thank..." He cut himself off, seeing Cole--the older Cole--standing in the hall.
"There's a key out there." Cole said blankly.
"Where's Thariin?" Chris asked.
Cole glanced over his shoulder. "Come in."
"Is she here?"
"Sort of." Cole closed the door and led him into the kitchen. "She's outside, but I'm not sure she'll know you're here. What happened?"
"I got stabbed. It was...only the guy who did it could fix it, and he's evil—or not evil, exactly. But she came and..."
"Took it." Cole nodded. "There's no one else can fix it?"
"No. And Gideon's dead, now. Is she Ok?"
Cole moved to look out the window. "She's having trouble healing it."
"Why are you here?" Chris asked suddenly. "I know Connor doesn't know where she is."
"If he looked for Thariin instead of Deirbhile he'd know. And I was here anyway. The roof's been leaking."
"Is that why she came here?"
"No. She came here because she doesn't come here any more. None of us would have looked for her here."
Chris nodded, looking out the window to where Thariin was sitting on the lawn. "Can I go out there?"
"She might not know you're there." Cole warned him again. Chris nodded, stepping around him to the back door.
"Kaia?"
She didn't move, staring straight ahead.
"Kaia?"
Closer now, and he could see her more clearly; one leg tucked under her and the other pulled against her chest, the pose making her look very young.
"Kaia."
Close enough to touch her now, and she still hadn't moved...
"Don't touch me." she said suddenly. Chris froze.
She shifted, drawing away from him. "What do you want?"
"What do—I want to know you're all right."
"Can't help you there. Thanks for coming. Go away."
"Kaia..."
"Thariin."
"Kaia." Chris repeated firmly. "Why did you do it?"
"Why?" Thariin repeated. "You know why."
Chris sighed, settling himself beside her. "Is it gonna heal?"
"Enough."
"You should..."
"Do you know what I did for you, Chris?" Thariin asked. She didn't seem to realize she'd interrupted him.
"Yeah. You took..."
"No." She interrupted him again. "I have re-ordered time. I have turned the world upside down, and I've done it all for you."
Chris was silent for a moment. "Are you quoting David Bowie?"
"Actually, yes. But it's appropriate. I split the timeline for you. You should be dead, Chris."
Chris thought about that. "I'm not sure I understand."
"No, I don't suppose you do. Instead of anchoring you, I'm supporting you. Until I get used to it I can't spare the energy to heal this."
"Can I help?"
"No. No one can help. It's just going to take a while."
"I should really be dead?"
"Yes. You really should. Otherwise I would not still be injured." She looked over his shoulder. "Is Cole still here?"
"Uh, yeah. He's inside. How come he didn't try to talk to you?"
"He did. I wasn't listening. Can you not use your powers for a while? It makes it harder."
"How long a while?"
"I don't...not long. Please?"
He nodded. "Ok. But if they call me..."
"Yes, I know. Just...don't move."
"Kaia..."
"Don't move!" Her voice was raised desperately, and he sat perfectly still.
After a few minutes she relaxed, drawing a deep breath. "Ok. That's a bit better."
"A bit?" Chris repeated, shifting.
Cole came from behind them, hunkering in front of Thariin. "Feeling better?"
"A bit." She looked up, shading her eyes. "Shouldn't you be at home?"
"Probably." he shrugged. "You know you're still bleeding, right?"
"Yeah. It doesn't matter."
"Of course it matters." Chris said sharply.
"No, it doesn't. Haven't you been paying attention? It can wait until I get you back on the timeline."
Chris looked at Cole, who only shrugged. "Don't ask me. I don't understand her when she's coherent."
"I resent that." Thariin said mildly. "You can go, Chris, if you want. Powers and all."
Chris rose to his feet, hesitated, and hunkered beside her again. "Why did you do it?"
She considered him for a minute. "I lied to Paige." she said abruptly.
"Does she ever just answer you?" Chris asked Cole.
"She is. Pay attention." Cole told him.
Sighing, Chris turned back to her. "About what?"
"I told her, if you died in your own past it'd screw up the timeline. I pretended that was why."
"And…." he prompted her.
She looked up at him, shading her eyes against the sun. "I didn't want you to be hurt. You wouldn't have died, but you...it wouldn't have healed right. And I don't want you carrying something like that—enough on your shoulders as is."
"But it's Ok for you to carry it?" Chris demanded.
"Chris, sweetie, it's my job. You're my Champion."
"That doesn't mean you have to get yourself hurt for me!"
Thariin glanced at Cole, who asked thoughtfully, "How did you get stabbed in the first place, Chris?"
"Protecting Wyatt." Chris said shortly.
"So—she can't protect you but you can protect him?"
"It's not the same thing! Wyatt's my brother."
"Close enough." Thariin announced, rising to her feet.
"Close enough. What close enough?"
"You're done. Back on the timeline. When did you see the movie?"
"I don't remember. When I was little, I guess. Why are you still bleeding?"
"What movie?" Cole asked. He was summarily ignored.
"I don't do instantaneous healing. It'll take a little while yet." Thariin stretched.
"You instantaneously healed me."
"That was different. Go home, Chris. I'm fine now."
He rose to his feet again, glancing at Cole who could only shrug. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I promise."
"Make you a deal." he offered. She nodded curiously. "I'll go home now, but if you don't come see us in a couple days I'm coming after you again."
She laughed softly. "Fair enough. I'll see you soon, then. I promise."
Chris nodded at Cole and orbed away.
"Gods, I thought he was never going to leave." Thariin settled herself on the ground again.
"Not ok?" Cole hunkered next to her again.
"Not ok yet. You go home too. Chris went to the house looking for me, go tell Coleen and the Princess I'm all right."
"Are you?" Cole asked.
"Yes. I really am."
"He's a nice kid." Cole said in a carefully even tone.
"Stop fishing, Cole. I'm not in love with him."
"I didn't say anything. Funny how that's the first thing that came to your mind, though..." He laughed as she lunged for him, easily dodging out of the way. "Gotta do better than that, little sister."
She smiled delightedly. "I'll remember that, big brother. Now go home."
"Tara." Cole said hesitantly. "You'd tell us if you needed help, right? I know we're not Champions, not the way they are, but we love you. We want to help."
"Cole..." Thariin sighed. "Of course I'd tell you, ninny. I need you every bit as much as I need them. They keep me alive, and balanced, and sane...you keep me happy, and hopeful, and human. They can't do that." She wrapped her arms around him. "I need you. I love you. And I learned my lesson the last time I tried to cut you out of my life."
He smiled slightly at that. "It's just that you don't, any more."
"Just that I don't…what, ask you for help? When did I ever?"
"You aren't around as much."
"Ah. Is that it." She sighed. "Cole, you guys have families now…"
"You're family." he interrupted.
"I know that, that's not what I meant. It…Ok. Chris went to Turtle Cove looking for me. Cole looked for me, and you know what that means: he'll be jumpy and reading people for weeks. It's…you have a daughter, Cole, and I don't want to take from her."
Cole thought about that, translating the incoherent ramble into something he could understand. "You know what, Tara? You're an idiot."
"Hey." she protested mildly.
"So Cole reads us. We're used to that. You're not taking anything away from Sara, you couldn't if you tried, and we want you to come home."
Tara blinked. "Huh. Red Ranger stubbornness. I'd almost forgotten that." She laughed at the look on his face. "Relax, Cole, I'm sold. I'll come home."
He studied her for a minute. "Because you want to or because I talked you into it?"
"Because I want to, ninny. I never meant to not go home, it's just…" She shrugged. "Things…piled up on me. This whole family thing…I'm not really used to it anymore."
"It takes work. Anything worthwhile does."
"I know. Help me?"
"Anytime. Just call."
She grinned at him. "I will. I promise. Now push off and let me get myself better, Ok?"
Cole smiled unsteadily. "As long as we're clear, then."
"As glass." She smiled again at him. "Now go home, Cole. I'll see you there later."
"Promise?"
"Promise." She watched him leave, going through the back gate to the nearest strand of trees, before smiling faintly. The smile turned into a grimace as her wound finally started to heal. "Oooh…I'll be home later. Much later."
She made it back to Turtle Cove just before Cole was about to come looking for her again; to distract him, she immediately starting playing with Little Cole, very loud playing with a lot of running around. Once she'd got him really worked up she proclaimed that she really ought to rest, after a major stab wound, and uncle Cole would love to play with him some more.
Shayla found her in the room they still kept as hers, studying an old calendar on the wall. "Stab wound?"
"Princess…" Tara jumped, turning to face her. "You startled me."
"Sorry. Stab wound?"
Tara touched her stomach lightly. "Chris was hurt. I did what I could."
"So…you weren't actually stabbed?"
"The attack wasn't against me. But I suffered its effects, once I took them from Chris."
"That was…either very brave or very stupid."
"Probably both." Tara agreed easily. "It had to be done, though. Chris is needed."
"You need him, you mean."
"That. And his family. It's not…Connor's not quite the same, for that. When I took on Chris I didn't realize I was taking on his family, as well."
"Too much?" Shayla asked, and there was something almost sympathetic in her tone.
"Not in the physical sense, no. I can handle what goes on in their home. But it's…do you ever get overwhelmed by the Rangers? Or did you, at the start?"
"Sometimes. In the early days."
"That's what it's like. Those girls pack so much in to every minute because they always have in the back of their minds that something could happen. Like the Rangers used to. It's not so long I've had a family, and it takes some getting used to." She glanced at the calendar again. "How old is this?"
"Three years." Shayla said automatically.
"Bugger. All right. I have to go, for a while, Ok?"
"Are you…able?" Shayla asked.
There was too much between them, spanning three thousand years, for them ever to be best friends. But they could be and were polite to each other, and that was enough for them.
"Yeah, I can manage. I'll be back…sometime."
Cole appeared behind Shayla's shoulder, and Tara grimaced dramatically. "I have to go, Cole. Chris needs to know I'm Ok. I promised. I'll be back by tonight, Ok?"
"Did I say anything?"
"You don't have to. I can hear you think it at this point." She smiled at him again. "I'll be back. I promise."
"I trust you." he answered quietly, moving aside to let her out of the room and watching her run down the stairs and out of the house.
"I always trust you."