A/N: A belated ♣ Erin Go Bragh! ♣

Translations (which I promise - I'm about done with. From the way I write it you'd think Rafe busted out the Romanian every 5 seconds when PC was on the air.):

Come. Talk to me.

Until 66 – Enjoy - xox -G

Chapter Sixty-five

"Honey. What is it?" Kate asked her voice full of worry.

Colin ignored her question as he kept talking. "You're OK? Alex? He's alright?"

Kate glanced over at her son, who was busy constructing a tower out of his new building blocks. "We're both fine." Her voice began to shake. "Colin, you're scaring me. Tell me what's wrong."

Colin willed his heart to stop beating so frantically as he tried to explain what had happened. "My father. He sent Rachel away to keep her safe and the woman he left her with…we think she's taken her."

"Oh my God. Colin…" Tears began to fall as she walked over and scooped Alex up off the floor and held him close. "They must be going crazy."

"You can say that." Colin sighed. "At least we know who has her – now we just have to find her. Katrina. I don't know if I'm doing any good here."

"Colin. Of course you are." Kate reassured him. "They need you right now."

He wasn't at all convinced. A million thoughts flew threw Colin's mind, of the fact that she was home, alone, caring for their child while another was on the way. "I need to be with you. I need to know you're alright."

"I'm fine. We're fine. Sweetheart, please don't worry about us. We've got plenty of people looking out for us. You're the only one your parents have got at the moment."

He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to protest again, finding it hard to argue with her. He knew she had a point. He knew – that if it wasn't for his father – he would have lost her. He knew she was right. He needed to stay.

Taking a deep breath and trying to let go he whispered. "How did you get to be so smart?"

She wiped at her eyes and giggled a bit, trying to stay strong for his sake. "It's the slayer in me. Genius runs in the family."

Colin was torn. Part of him wanted to rush home to her but the other knew that he was needed right where he was. It was incredibly hard but he made himself say the words. "If I'm going to stay here - I want you to go stay at your parents. I'll worry less that way." He said then.

"Alright." Kate agreed easily, knowing it would ease his mind. "We'll go there today."

He looked over at the closed door and could hear his parents talking again. He decided maybe it was time to join them. He couldn't hang up without letting her know how much he appreciated what she was doing for him. "You are being so great about all this. God, I love you Katrina."

She kissed the top of Alex's head and smiled as she replied. "I love you too. Now. Go find your sister and hurry home."

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Rafe still stood there stunned, still not believing his mother was right there in front of him. His mouth could only form one word. "How?"

"I could ask you the same question." Katrina replied.

"I – I came back and I saw the house. I knew you were gone. I knew it was bad. All that blood…"

"Yes. There was blood – but it wasn't mine." Katrina gave him a look of warning. "You should have more faith in me."

"You weren't there. I couldn't find you…" Rafe whispered.

Katrina knew just how this type of thing pained him. She looked at him with concern and reached for his hand. "A veni. A vorbi la eu."

As Rafe followed he felt as if he was dreaming. Shame waged a war with guilt as he held on tight and followed her to the couch.

"All my life I wished this for you." Katrina began. "I wanted you to have a home and a family, away from all of the danger…"

Rafe smiled slightly as he replied. "It's not so easy to leave it behind. Everything looks peaceful but trust me – danger followed me here. Mama…" He sighed, still shaken by her presence. "There is so much you need to know."

Katrina reached up and ran a hand over his cheek as she whispered. "So, my darling one. Tell me."

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Livvie's voice was low and lifeless. "You tell me what to do and I'll do it Caleb. I won't let her get away with this."

He had never felt more useless in his life. He shook his head, completely exhausted. "Olivia…"

It was taking every ounce of her strength to help him. Inside she was screaming, raging, wanting to curl up in a ball and cry. The pain of not knowing where Rachel was tearing her apart. She took a steadying breath. "For years you've protected us and I am grateful – I am. But it's my turn now. I can do this Caleb." She promised him. "You just need to trust me."

Colin stood at the doorway. "You need to trust both of us." He said softly. "Dad…"

Caleb looked up at his son with pain in his eyes. It was humiliating, to say the least to sit here while his wife and son took on the battle he should be waging.

"Dad…" He said again. "I know that we have a lot between us – a lot that will take a long time to work through. But the truth is - you've done more for me than I can imagine. Being here for you now – helping you get Rachel back. This is the very least I can do."

Colin watched closely to see any sort of reaction from his father. Caleb was still sitting there, silently sitting with his head in his hands. "You always said it's important to know your enemy. And you always have." He shook his head as he went on. "I'm not judging – I'm just reminding you that you always hit Katrina's parents right where you knew it would hurt most. Do that now. Tell us how to find her. Tell us how to get to her. You may be losing your powers – but I know you haven't lost that."

Livvie was hanging by a very thin thread. She stood on shaky legs and moved to the window, looking out into the night. It was so dark. She thought desperately. Oh God. Rachel was afraid of the dark.

Defeated, Colin turned and moved towards his mother stopping short when he heard Caleb speak at last.

"First, you start to think like her." He said, his voice calm but his face full of rage. "She thinks she's beaten me – so you let her think it."

Feeling stronger, he stood and locked eyes with Livvie. "And hopefully, she'll believe just that – right up until the moment we destroy her."

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"When I got back home and saw what had happened – I knew that somehow, someway, the Morley's were behind it and I set out to find him."

Katrina shook her head and scolded him. "I can see - you never let that go."

Rafe laughed in spite of all the emotions bubbling up inside. "Please. I've let go more than you could ever imagine. When I saw what happened I went to find him, looking for answers and I let my guard down for just a second…"

"And he took you." Katrina nodded, tears lighting her eyes as she reached for his hands. "I knew the moment you were gone. I could feel it."

Rafe sighed. "When it happened, I was so angry and ashamed. I couldn't believe I'd been so stupid. And of course, I had a lot of time to think about what I'd done."

"I was gone, but Caleb wasn't. As a matter of fact he was getting stronger. And he decided to come here. Lucy – you'll have to meet Lucy – she went to Romania looking for answers and they let me help her…"

"I've met Lucy. She's very…" Katrina smiled, not sure how to finish the sentence.

Rafe laughed, knowing it was virtually impossible to describe his cousin in one word. "Yes – she's very." He took a deep breath and went on. "I helped her as best I could but it wasn't enough. So Ed – he let me come back here and keep an eye on her and that's when I met Alison…"

Katrina's head began to spin at the mention of Edward. Her heart ached just knowing that no matter how horrible the events leading up to their meeting were, at least her son had gotten a chance to know his father. He would understand it now, she knew, as she watched the change in Rafe's face as he began talking about his wife.

"She was involved with someone else – and after we took care of Caleb – at least, we thought we did, I was a shoulder for her to cry on. I tried to just be her friend, but it was useless." He shook his head and smiled widely. "From the moment I met her I couldn't keep my eyes off of her."

"Something tells me eventually the feeling was mutual." Katrina whispered as she ran a hand over his hair.

"Yeah." His eyes got misty, remembering. "Those first months we were together were incredible – so incredible that once they made me leave again I did absolutely everything I could to come back to her and finally, Dad - well – he found a way to give us a miracle."

Katrina wiped at her eyes, her hands shaking. "To hear you speak of your father, Rafe…" She shivered a bit. "I never thought you'd get the chance to know how incredible he was."

A million questions flew through Rafe's mind as he held his mother's hand tightly. "Well now that you're here, why don't you tell me?"

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Rachel closed her eyes tightly and wished. She had to keep believing that Papa would find her soon.

The lady wasn't mean. She made good food and the bed was nice and soft here. They must have moved when it was nighttime because Rachel couldn't remember leaving the other house.

She looked out the window into the night and hummed to herself. She was trying to remember the song Mama always sang to her when she had a bad dream.

Maybe that was all this was. Rachel thought as she felt her eyes fluttering closed. Maybe when she woke up she'd be back home in her bed with Mama and Papa and Mischief.

Poor Mischief. She must be so lonely without her.

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"Mommy?" Ella whispered.

"Yes sweetheart?" Alison replied. They were lying curled up on the bed in her room, trying to give Rafe and his mother some privacy. Her mind raced, wondering how things were going.

"How come Daddy didn't know Gramma Trina was here?"

"Because I didn't tell him sweetie." Alison answered.

Ella sat up and scrunched up her nose. "Why not?"

It was so complicated, Alison hardly knew where to begin. "I'm not sure. I guess I wanted it to be a surprise."

Ella's little mind tried to work it all out. "Like Chloe's baby shower was?"

"Exactly that that." Alison nodded.

"Is Gramma Trina going to stay here – or is she going back to Romania?" Her little voice was full of hope. "I want her to stay. I know I just met her but I love her already."

"We'll see, baby. We'll see." Alison said softly as she pressed a kiss to Ella's brow. Her eyes misted over, wishing the exact same thing.

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"You know how life was there." Katrina began. "I had so much responsibility and very little time for anything else. The day I met Edward the first thing I told him was to go away and leave me alone."

"You were trying to protect him." Rafe smiled.

Katrina nodded. "He would not take no for an answer. He saw me in the market place and followed me home. Ylenia slammed the door in his face and he came back with flowers. He charmed her somehow and the next thing I knew he was sitting in the kitchen, eating lunch like he belonged there. I tried to resist him but it was no use."

Rafe smiled as he watched his mother's features soften. "He was always traveling, but he came back as often as he could and when he visited we'd spend every waking moment together. He was so much older that I was but he was a mischievous as a young boy. His laugh…I can still hear it." She whispered as her eyes went dreamy. "I loved every single thing about him and most of all I loved that he when he left for good I still had you."

"I don't understand why you never said anything about this. You never talked about him. You always told me the angels sent me to you." The irony was not lost on Rafe as he spoke the words.

"I didn't lie." Katrina replied with a smile. "You more than anyone should know that what I told you was the truth."