A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long for me to update, but something's wrong with my Internet connection and I can't get to work as often now. I apologize, and hope that I'll be up and writing with my usual speed soon. I thank you for your patience.

Eye of the Storm

"Uh, Sarge? A chopper just landed on our roof. Sir?"

Officer Tubbs looked up. "What kind of chopper?"

"We don't know. It's got a strange sort of crest on the side, a red one. We can't identify it. Looks like it's private-owned."

"Well, send some men up there and see what they want. Is someone watching those kids?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. I don't want anything to happen to them. Last time that boy was here, poor kid was hurtled through a window and carried off by some bat-outta-Hell-type creature."

"You don't need to worry about him anymore." It was Jack Sr. who spoke now. "He won't be bothering these kids or anyone else for a long time. And that chopper on the roof is probably the girl's family. They'll be wanting to see her immediately, I assure you. Have your boys escort them down here to her, why don't you?"

The first officer nodded and went up to the roof. Tubbs looked at Jack.

"Don't let anyone wake those kids 'til the girl's parents get down here. They've had a rough time of things lately." With that, Jack turned and went back to his son and Minxie. Darry and Antares were still snuggled against each other, sound asleep and without nightmares for once. It was sweet to see them like this, especially if you knew what they had been through together. The Starr family found them lying thus when they were escorted down from the roof.

"Ana!" gasped Mira when she saw her daughter. She recognized her even with her strange new hair. Indeed, she didn't even notice, so great was her joy at seeing her missing daughter again after so long. Antares didn't stir, but Darry did, blinking the sleep from his eyes and sitting up slowly so as not to disturb his companion. He noticed the family of three staring at him and Antares and guessed who they had to be. Smiling, he turned to Antares and gently shook her shoulder.

"Ana. Hey, Ana, wake up," he said softly. "There's someone here to see you."

"Hmm?" mumbled Antares as she raised her head slowly and yawned. "Ah, wassa matta hmm?"

"Someone's here to see you," Darry reiterated. Antares rubbed her eyes, looked up, and froze. Her emerald eyes widened as she stared at the family she had lost.

"Mommy?" she whispered, rising slowly off the bench and stretching out her stiff muscles. "Daddy? Rigel?" Mira, her mother, gave a cry of elation and ran to her long-lost daughter. Antares opened her arms to welcome her mother in. Her father and brother joined them immediately. All of them were crying, each trying to hold Antares to himself/herself. Darry smiled as he watched the sight.

"I can't believe it, I just can't believe it," sobbed her mother joyously. "You're alive, you're here, I'm holding you again."

"I'm here, Mom," said Antares softly. "I'm here. And I'm never leaving again."

"Ana, what in the holy hell happened to you?" Rigel asked, drying his eyes. "That-that thing…what was it? Where did it take you? Oh, your hair, what happened to your hair?"

"I kinda like it," said Antares softly. "That thing…some call it the Creeper. Caitlin and Courtney must've told you something about it, right?" Her family nodded.

"They told us that thing, whatever it's called, eats parts of people for twenty-three days every twenty-third spring," said Sirius. "They also said that…that your chances of…of…"

"Don't think about that," Antares said gently. "I'm OK. That thing didn't want to kill me. It wanted my spirit. My soul, chi, whatever. But don't make me tell you everything I've seen and done because you don't want to hear it. Just don't ask me that."

"Oh my God, what happened to your hand!" cried Mira in horror, finally noticing Antares's lack of a right index finger.

"Mom, no, it's OK," Antares insisted, but her mother just stared in horror.

"OK! OK! How can you say that!" Mira cried.

"I know, maybe I should have told you before, but I didn't want to scare you any more than you've already been scared." Antares sighed sadly. "The Creeper did that to me when I tried to escape from him a second time. The first he only gave me a warning. Don't freak out, please. I'm OK, really." Her mother didn't look convinced, but she nodded.

"Who's that?" asked Rigel, nodding to Darry. Antares followed his gaze.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I should've introduced you. Everyone, this is my friend Darry Jenner. Darry, this is my mother, Mira, my father, Sirius, and my brother, Rigel. Darry's the one who saved me, you see. He gave me the strength and the courage to escape."

"It's good to meet you, Darry," said Sirius, extending his hand to Darry. Darry shook hands with each of Antares's family members. Mira gave him a small, warm hug.

"You poor thing, were you carried off by that monster too?" she asked gently. Darry nodded.

"Your daughter saved my life," he said softly. Mira and Sirius smiled proudly at their daughter.

"Darry's waiting here for his family too," explained Antares. "I…wanted to wait with him." She turned and smiled at Darry. "After all we've been through, I can't just leave yet."

"I understand, honey," said her mother reassuringly. "We'll all wait with you, Darry."

"Mom's very affectionate, and treats everyone like her kids," Antares whispered to Darry.

"I hadn't noticed," Darry whispered back with a smile. Antares's eyes lit up as she got an idea and whispered something to her mother.

"Oh! That's a great idea!" Mira said with a grin.

"What?" Darry asked Antares. "What's a great idea?"

"You'll see," Antares singsonged with a grin. Darry rolled his eyes, but smiled and sat down on the bench with Antares to wait for his own family reuinion.