A/N:OK,now I know I said I'd be updating Beyond A Different Horizon,but I've got a bunch of other stories going at the moment and...I have to keep up my grades in college,maintain a fair job and...getting my electric bill paid on time!lolz,this is rated T because it will have only the mildest humor but plenty of the other stuff I'm supposively well known for.But this is a Two-part one-shot...or in other words...a 2-shot!lolz.

Brooklyn New York...1998.

Seraphine watched anxiously as her eight-year-old daugther Rosaline or Rose boarded the bus on her own,her first day of the second grade in a new school and she hardly seemed nervous herself at all.Her Mother noted unsurprisedly,as she observed her Daugther glance once over her shoulder at her Mother,smile slightly and then continue on stoutheartedly.Rose had always been like that,her Mother mused thoughtfully,brave,strong-willed,sweet and kind...just like her Father.

Sighing with relief that the worst was over,Sera pulled the lace curtains back in place and took a few uneasy steps back from the window.It had been nearly a decade since she had first moved from Paris France with her American husband who at the time had been busy with an internship as a French Translater (being bilingual) and they had met,but she had grown to love living in the States and visiting her Parents once a year.

The unexpected ring of the telephone in the Living room suddenly pulled her out of her reminisced reverie and back into the present.Without a second thought,she hurried into the room and snatching the phone off the reciever,took a few moments to sum up some casusalness to try and hide her jittery feelings,took a deep breath andspoke into the mouth piece in her brisk and clear trademark French accent,

"Bonjour,this Seraphine Miller.How may I help you?"

"Hey hon,"The deep and hearty voice she had heard for the last nine years awnsered her,but something seemed a bit different in his normal greeting,"I know you've more then likely made plans for the day but I completely forgot that today was my cousin Andrea's wedding and I know I told you about it a while back.But...I did sort of promise her we'd both go..."his tone grew more hesistant,"I mean...I-I know you said..."

"Ryan,it's alright,"Sera laughed galvanizedly,suddenly feeling better then she had all Morning to hear something to stir her out of her tumultuous state,as she continued on breezily,"Yes,I'll be more then happy to go with you dear.What time will you be around to pick me up?"

An hour later...In Manhatten...

Staring out at the world below from his window obdurately,Andrew Miller aka Huntsmaster had his fingers laced and his chin resting on them,as his gaze never left the ground,while his paitence started to grow thin as he sat in wait for his former apprentice 15-year-old Leslie to return from her expedition to Mexico to capture the elusive Chupacabra,

"This is her first global hunt,"he remarked to himself quietly,trying to revise some leniency towards her for the time being,"But she better do well."

The pierecing sound of a signal went off that alerted incoming calls that weren't Huntsclan-related at that moment and nearly caused the still edgy Thirty-year-old to leap out of his seat in surprise.But quickly re-composing himself,he straightened up in his chair and announced to the voice-activated system to allow the call through via speaker phone,

"Hello...?Is a Mister Andrew Miller there?"

Groaning under his breath in mild-temperedness,Huntsmaster repiled coolly,"This is he,"suddenly though he became more exacerbated,"Listen you,if this is about those darned coupons for half-priced bagels...I do n-"

"I assure you,"The authoritative voice cut in sharply,immediately giving off that he meant business,"I understand you are the closet relative,in kinship and in distance,to you're Brother Ryan and his wife Seraphine,"he continued on in a steady voice,somewhat hinting that he was gradually making his way up to say something else,"Is that correct,Mr. Miller?"

"Yes."Huntsmaster repiled suspiciously,arching a brow at the way the other man sounded,"They live not far from here and you're point being?"

"My name is Officer William Bates,"he finally introduced himself and taking a long,shuddering breath,began to tell Huntsmaster what had happened in thick,forward sober detail,"I regret to be the one to tell you this,but today at Nine-thirtyfive AM,Ryan and Seraphine Miller got into a car wreck on the center of the Brooklyn Bridge while heading off to a Mrs. Andrea Jameston's wedding,who flew in from Nevada a week ago."

"How bad?"Huntsmaster inquired him precipitously,pulse skyrocketing.

"They passed away on the sceene,"William told him straightforwardly,only barely skipping a beat as he continued onwards,"I'm very sorry but thier daugther Rose is alright,in fact,that's another reason were calling,"he paused momentarily,then continued on in a clear and reasoning tone,"We hear you are the closet relative to them and records shows that you're parents live in five states away and that Rosaline's other Grandparents live out of the country and with no one else...We were wondering,hoping,you would consider fostering their child.That,or she will go to an Orphanage."

Considering his options in that instant,Andrew sighed roughly and started to reply unsurely,"I will be up there as soon as I can,"he told them slowly,choosing his words carefully so as not to make a mistake,"And when I do come,I will give my say in the matter concerning my Niece."

A stale,hard knot formed in Huntmaster's throat as he signed off,the words that his Brother and Sister-in-law had died didn't quite register yet.To top it all off,they had a Daugther that needed to be taken care off,as well as other things.Sighing with some minor resentment,Huntsmaster allowed himself to be weighed down with his agonizing options.Although the two Brother's had never gotten along before and never sawmuch of each other,he still felt a bit saddened by the loss.Thoughts and memories swarmed his mind as Leslie entered.

"I didn't manage to capture the most well-known Chupacabra..."she started to tell him in her brisk,high-pitched southern drawl,as she came up behind him with her long and glossyebony hair braided back down to her waist and sporting an advanced-looking red and white Ninja outfit,"But I did manage to collect some of the younger ones and my Mom already said it'd be alright to go back down to where I live in Missouri...Master?"

She watched with a tense expression,as her Uncle and former Teacher sat with his back rigid and his movements unflinching,as he only vaguely acknowledged her presence with a small grunt.He seemed to be deep in thought,she noticed with a feeling of curiousty,like he was debating about whether or not to go through with something extremely differcult,

"I've decided,"he spoke in a low voice after what seemed like an eternity,standing and without facing Leslie,got up and walked right passed her straight for the door,"It's time to see whether or not my Brother was forunate enough to have his Daugther be born into the clan...as our Grandfather,Aunt,I,you're Mother and you were...indeed,it is time."

Well,I wonder what'll be the complete outcome.Stay tuned to ch. 2!

P.S.About Leslie's age,I did mention in The Last Phoenix that she was Huntsmaster's other niece and that she was...seventeen there.But now I'm offically changing her age to twenty in that story,no big deal,lolz.Byez!

LP