A/N: Okay, just one quick note before I begin. I had it wrong in chapter eleven. Ella's been in captivity for five months, making this December, late December. Hope you weren't too confused.

"I want your flowers like babies want god's love,

Or maybe as sure as tomorrow will come."

As the sun crept up overhead, Andrew rose as well. Ella had fallen asleep again and Andrew thought it best not to wake her. With her weightless in his arms again, he continued in the direction of London. The thrill of the open air was beginning to fade slightly. He was tired and weak and hungry, three things that are quite incompatible with long journeys on foot. He had to keep going though, had to get Ella home, make her safe. He winced as a sharp pain cut through his side. His breaths became increasingly short and ragged as the day progressed.

Andrew trudged on through the afternoon, trying to ignore the chill in the air. They didn't have much more than one meal's worth of food and the water bottles were half empty. He would have to make another stop. He knew, however, that each time he came into contact with another person, they had a chance of getting caught. He didn't think he could bare going back to the house after having breathed free-air.

He barely registered as the scenery changed from wood to meadow to town. He plodded ever on, blind to everything around him. Ella's breaths came in short, sharp gasps. It could have been out of paranoia, but Andrew imagined that she was getting paler by the second. He walked the rest of the day; by the time the sun set, his legs had turned to jelly. That night, they slept beneath a tree, Andrew too afraid to get much shut-eye.

The next morning, Ella didn't even wake. Andrew hoisted himself up and continued in what he hoped was the right direction. He wouldn't be able to walk forever. The day was cold, much colder than the previous one and Andrew felt himself shaking all over. Somehow, he didn't quite know how, he got through the afternoon, making frequent stops but covering ground none-the-less. Just as he thought he was going to collapse, his tired eyes caught sight of a white farm house on a hill, backlit by a magnificent sunset. He would have to stop there.

He forced himself to move foreword, telling himself over and over that soon he could rest. Maybe they would even give him a bed. Though the Emma/Matthew bit had worked well before, he didn't want to risk using the same story twice. Here, he would be Thomas Leischner with his sister Mary. Ella looked like a Mary, innocent, wide-eyed, chaste (the thought made him blush a little). He wondered, fleetingly, what had possessed Ella's parents to give her such an exotic name. She was beautiful and sweet but not exotic, definitely not exotic.

He reached the house, barely able to keep himself upright. Out of fatigue, he nearly forgot to take the weightless charm off of Ella. As he was about to cross the front yard, he lowered her down to the ground, and, with a flick of his wand, she regained her weight. Picking her up nearly made him collapse. He managed, though, to limp to the front door, bringing his fist tiredly to the wood door.

"Who's there?" a woman's voice asked from the other side. She sounded old and stern, almost McGonagall-like.

"T-Thomas Leischner, I-I and my s-s-sister need help," he replied weakly, sweat pouring down his face. He heard a click and the door swung open. The owner of the voice stood before him, short and slim. She had her gray hair pulled up in a net and was wearing a cross around her neck. The woman was dressed in a gray house dress with a lace collar and a pair of black house slippers; her sharp nose matched her equally sharp eyes.

"Come in," she ordered, stepping aside. She lead him to a small drawing room with a blazing fire in the hearth. Andrew attempted to lower Ella softly onto the couch but felt his legs finally give way. He sunk to the ground, dropping Ella onto the cushions with much more force than he had intended. "My goodness, what has happened to you boy?" she asked, rushing to his side.

"I-I'm just tired," he murmured, not able to get up from the floor.

"Yes, and I'm Queen Elizabeth. Now, come, let me help you into a chair." Andrew allowed himself to be helped to his feet. After lowering him into an armchair beside the hearth, she cleared her throat. "I'll go get my husband and we'll sort things out. In the mean time, you don't get up from that chair understand?"

Andrew nodded feebly and she left the room. He rested his head on the back of the chair. He was too tired to think, too tired to speak. A moment later, a tall, broad man stepped into the room, followed at the heals by the woman. The man had a full head of brown hair, peppered with gray. His face would have looked stern had his brown eyes not emanated such warmth. He was fiddling with a brown cap, shifting nervously from one foot to the other.

"Good evening sir," Andrew greeted faintly, making a feeble attempt to stand.

"You see Martin? Don't you see? He's dead on his feet, just like I said. I-"

"Yes, Norah, I can see," he cut in softly. "What's your name son?"

"Thomas Leischner, and that's my sister Mary. We've been walking for so long and I'm just too tired."

"Oh you poor dear! Martin, you make sure he's comfortable while I make up a plate." Norah scuttled from the room and Martin moved foreword stiffly.

"You'll be staying the night I s'pose. There's a spare room upstairs with a couple beds, keep it for the grandchildren. I'm sure you could use a bath as well," Martin added wryly, a smile playing on his thin lips.

"Thank you," Andrew said hoarsely. Just as Martin was beginning to speak again, Ella stirred. Her eyes blinked open and she looked around the room blearily. "Good sleep Mary?" Martin asked good naturedly.

"What?" Ella asked, looking to Andrew for explanation.

"It's okay Mary, we'll be staying here for the night. Mrs. um-"

"O'Brien," Martin answered quickly.

"Mrs. O'Brien is getting us some dinner and Mr. O'Brien says we might be able to get a bath. Isn't that lovely Mary."

"Why yes, lovely," Ella replied airily. Norah bustled in the next second, baring a plate of pot roast and potatoes.

"Oh, deary me! You've woken. I'll just get another plate." She handed Andrew the plate with a fork and moved quickly off to the kitchen. With a lovely feeling of warmth, Andrew dug into his pot roast. He didn't think he had ever smelled something so wonderful in all his life.

After both Andrew and Ella had finished their suppers (Ella pointedly avoiding the roast), Norah ushered them up the stairs. Andrew found he had regained much of his strength, the same was not true for Ella, however. She tried to stand but could only push herself a centimeter off the couch before crashing down again, shaking like a leaf. Martin, obligingly, picked her up and carried her up staircase.

"Now, how about I help Mary with a bath," Norah posed brightly. "I've never had a daughter, only three sons." Ella's face broke into the biggest smile Andrew had ever seen.

"That would be heaven," Ella smiled softly. Norah instructed Martin to sit her in the bathroom while she went to retrieve towels and a spare night gown. Ella sat, for a few minutes, on the toilet alone. She felt a little stronger with food in her stomach but she knew something was wrong. She could feel the poison moving through her veins. It wasn't the knife-like pain she had felt after first ingesting it; it had progressed to a dull ache.

She was given no more time to think as Norah came in, baring a fluffy, oversized towel and a white nightgown, dotted with yellow daisies. Norah busied herself, filling the tub with steaming water and sweet-smelling bubbles. The mere scent of it sent Ella to a place of near euphoria. She couldn't muster the energy to protest as Norah pulled off her dress, undressing her lovingly. Norah didn't say a thing upon finding the bruises that spotted her body, only sucking in air sharply through her teeth. Ella knew she must look a sight. With startling strength, Norah hoisted Ella into the bath.

"I'll leave you to the bubbles for a bit, see how your brother is doing," Norah said with a small smile. Ella nodded and sank low into the bubbles. A bath had never felt so good. She closed here eyes and rested her head against the porcelain edge. She felt almost human again, almost normal. Her thoughts shifted to her father and Remus and Leo. She would see them soon; she was sure of it. With that comforting thought, she settled into a long soak.

After she was bathed a clothed, her hair brushed and braided down her back, Ella sank into her sheets. Andrew walked in, drying his hair with a blue towel. He smiled at her gently. He was dressed in a pair of red-striped pajamas that hung loosely around him, two sizes too big. "Happy?" he asked.

"Yes, very," Ella replied.

"Good, glad to hear it. So am I. Martin says he'll drive us into London tomorrow too. Now, why don't you get some sleep." Ella could not protest. Little did they know how things had faired not forty miles from them.

"Where's Ella?" the question hung in the air. Sirius was unable to answer. Their awkward silence was interrupted by a dozen of pops behind them. Sirius spun around, startled. His eyes combed through the hub-ub. The prisoners were huddled together but the Death Eaters had all disappeared.

"Damn!" he cursed under his breath. The Aurors were all looking around in disbelief.

"What happened?" James asked loudly, his eyes flashing.

"They just disappeared sir, grabbed their arms and poof, they were gone."

"Splendid, we don't find Ella and loose the Death Eaters on top of it," James huffed, running his hand through his hair. "Pardon me for a moment Sirius, I've got to go floo Lily, she'll be worried sick." Sirius nodded despondently.

"Give my love to Leo." After James departed, Sirius looked around the room more closely. They had lost a few in the fight. He just hoped, for their sakes, that they were dead and not unconscious. Edwards was gone, Elphias Doge, Marlene McKinnon, and Dorcas Meadows too. "Alright, get these people food, and blankets. They'll have to kip here for the night. Those of you who were involved in the mission are free to go. Those Aurors who were not are required to stay and watch over the survivors. You'll find a nice over-time bonus sitting in your Gringott's vaults for your trouble," Sirius barked authoritatively.

"Sirius," Dumbledore caught his shoulder. "Where's Ella?"

"She wasn't there. She and Andrew Gibson escaped three or four days ago I think. That's all I could get out of the prisoners. Then Malfoy said Voldemort's sent Greyback after them," he answered shakily.

"Oh dear," Dumbledore breathed. Remus looked on in silence, afraid to speak. "Well we really must find her soon then." Sirius nodded.

"Yeah, sooner rather than later. . ." his voice trailed off. The whole thing, he mused reflectively, had been too easy, too good to believe. "Thank Merlin it's not the full moon." Remus cringed and stiffened.

James came back. "Lily and the boys are fine. She's been checking on Regulus and he's also fine. Now, we have to find Ella." He rubbed his hands together.

"Well," Dumbledore began slowly. "They probably headed through the villages. We should start there. If we find Greyback on the way we can make sure he hasn't gotten to Ella first." The three men nodded in agreement.

"Let's go," Remus muttered.

A moment later, the foursome were standing before the wood that had, only hours before, lead them up to Voldemort's hide-away. "Alright, change your cloths. We can't be going into muggle villages dressed in robes. Keep your wands at hand but do not, under any circumstances, let anyone see it." They all waved their wands over themselves and were transformed into four muggles. Sirius was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans with a leather jacket and trainers. Remus had opted for khakis and a button-up shirt. James was wearing much the same outfit as Sirius was wearing and Dumbledore had transfigured his robes into a slick suit, his beard and hair shortened.

They started toward the town. They didn't stop in the first town as all the lights were off. The second also yielded no results. They apparated from town to town to save time but they were quickly becoming frustrated. It wasn't until the fifth tiny village that they caught sight of a lighted window. It was a little pub and, though the sign on the door said "closed" they moved forward.

Remus knocked. "We're closed." Came the voice from within.

"We don't want a drink. We're looking for a couple of kids." Scuffling feet quickly reached the door, unlatching it. The door swung open to reveal a very excited Ian Suttles.

"You mean Matthew and Emma Johnson?"

"Two kids have come through here recently?" Dumbledore asked, stepping into the scrubbed bar.

Ian nodded hastily. "Not two nights ago. A boy, must o' been eighteen or nineteen, comes carrying his sister Emma. Who're you?"

"Well, I'm Emma's father," Sirius said, hoping the pub didn't serve as a common passing for wayward teens. Ian's smile quickly faded and filled with rage.

"Father? You're the father?" Sirius nodded slowly, unsure if he should have said a word. "You bastard! I'll kill you!" Ian thrust his hands around Sirius' neck. "You should o' seen 'em, bruised and bedraggled, half starved. Emma didn't even wake! How could you?"

"How could I do what?"

"Don't use that on me! Matthew told me what you did, told me he was runnin' from you."

"No, that's not true. I'm, it's, you see," but nothing Sirius could think of seemed like it would calm the seething barkeep. This was proving much harder than he had anticipated.

Three hours later, the four wizards were sitting on a log at the edge of the wood. Sirius had a bag of frozen peas held up to his head. "I still can't believe he punched you," James mused softly.

"Sod off James," was Sirius' irritable reply. Remus smiled faintly, resting his chin in his hands. It was already mid-morning and they were no further on in their search than they had been before. Dumbledore stood, leaning against a tree, gazing off into the oblivion.

"Sirius," he began slowly, not looking at the wizard.

"Yes?"

"Do you think a tracking charm would work now that Ella's out of Voldemort's headquarters?"

Sirius blinked absently for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yes, yes," he said, becoming more excited. "Why didn't I think of that? A tracking charm, of course!" He drew out his wand, performing a series of complicated wrist movements. A moment later, words started spelling out in front of him in a stream of purple smoke. Vela Jane Black: Aylesford Service Station, Maidstone. Sirius' breath caught in his throat. "I can't believe it; she's at a petrol station in Kent."

A few hours before, Ella had woken in pure heaven. For the first time since July, she woke to soft sheets and the smell of breakfast. She blinked the sleep from her eyes before looking around for Andrew. He was nowhere to be seen though his bed sheets were tussled. The sun streamed through the window and fell in fragmented waves across the white coverlet. She stretched her arms tentatively, hoping against hope that her paralysis was just a nightmare. Her arms worked fine but she found, trying to swing her legs over the side of the bed, that she could not move. She felt a tear trickle down her cheek but quickly batted it away. She was away from that horrible place and crying seemed utterly foolish.

A moment later, Andrew came into the room, dressed in clean trousers and shirt. With him, he brought a tray of toast, oatmeal and tea. "Rise and shine!" he greeted brightly. As soon as you finish your breakfast and get dressed we'll be off. We should be into London before noon." Ella smiled weekly, still smarting from her discovery.

Andrew left her to her food and she was very glad of it. She found she didn't have much of an appetite, only able to nibble at the corners of her toast and down a few gulps of tea. Not wanting to displease Andrew or Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien, she put the rest of the food in a napkin and tossed the bundle into the rubbish bin beside her bed. Just as she was wondering how exactly she was supposed to get dressed when she couldn't even get out of bed, Mrs. O'Brien came bustling in. She had a sweater and skirt under her arm and a smile on her face. "I think these should fit you nicely. You look around the size of my oldest granddaughter, though you're a bit thinner." Mrs. O'Brien helped her into the cloths and sat her up in the bed. "You look lovely. Now, as for your dress I didn't think you'd want-"

"Oh no, please, it was a gift. I know it doesn't look like much but, could I please have it back?" Ella pleaded, near tears. Mrs. O'Brien looked a bit taken aback and opened and closed her mouth several times before speaking.

"Well, of course dear, if it was a gift." She bustled out of the room to, Ella could only assume, find her dress.

Thirty minutes later, Martin came up the stairs, followed by Andrew. He picked her up like she weighed no more than a dried leaf. Ella felt impotent and out of control, childlike. She didn't like it in the slightest and the sooner she could get treated for the silly potion the better. Martin slid her into the back seat of his blue pickup truck. Norah bounced right outside the door and leaned into to kiss Ella on the cheek as soon as Martin had pulled back. "You will write or phone us when you get home?" Norah asked tearfully, slipping Ella a small scrap of paper with their address and phone number scribbled on it. Ella nodded.

"Of course Mrs. O'Brien. I'll never be able to thank you enough for all you've done."

"It was nothing Mary dear; I quite liked having a daughter. Maybe you could visit."

"Maybe." Ella murmured though she didn't think her father would let her out of his sight for a long time. After Norah embraced Andrew warmly and kissed Martin on the cheek, the two men got into the car. They were off in no time, bulleting down the dirt road toward London. Ella felt the poison course through her veins and she soon fell asleep, her head resting against the window pane.

Andrew and Martin didn't say a word until Martin finally broke the silence thirty minutes later. "I'll need to stop for some petrol; I'm a bit low," Martin said gruffly, pulling into a run-down looking station. "Why don't you go in and ask for a couple bottles of coke?" Andrew nodded and got out of the car, Martin handed him a few crumpled bills. Snow was beginning to fall softly as he stepped into the shop. A couple of men in coveralls sat at the front, conversing in low voices with the cashier. They looked up as he came in. Andrew gave them a small wave and moved on to the refrigerator in the back. He grabbed three bottles and was about to take them up to pay when he heard a yell from outside the door.

"Bloody hell!" one of the men at the front exclaimed, rushing to the window. Andrew dropped the bottles and rushed to the door. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he saw a wild looking man attacking Martin. He recognized the man as Greyback. He pulled the wand from his sleeve and rushed out.

"Petrificus Totalus!" he bellowed, sprinting out of the store. Greyback dodged the spell easily and turned to Andrew, dropping the then unconscious Martin. Andrew backed away, recognizing the yellow glint in Greyback's eyes. "Stupefy," he tried again and missing.

"I've been looking for you Gibson. How will you feel, going back to your old cell. No doubt, Voldemort will have a few, how do I say it, choice words for you," Greyback growled. Andrew felt himself sink. He couldn't go back, he just couldn't.

Just as he about had his back against the wall, he heard a few pops behind Greyback. The werewolf turned to find Albus Dumbledore, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin standing before him, looking none-too-happy. He wasn't given time to react before Dumbledore had him in a full body bind.

Sirius hurried foreword, grabbing the front of Andrew's shirt. "Where's Ella?" he asked, his voice low and gravely.

"She-she's in the truck, i-in the back seat," Andrew choked out. The three men hurried to the pickup and Andrew sunk to the pavement. Martin lay forgotten next to one of the pumps. Sirius was the first to reach the car and he yanked the door open, nearly taking it off its hinges. He found Ella sleeping soundly in the back seat, more thin than he had ever seen her before. But she was there, she was there. He felt himself go weak at the sight of her. With all the strength he could muster, he pulled her into his arms, hugging her to him tightly.

"Ella, Ella, my Ella," he murmured, over and over again. Her eyes blinked open, not knowing quite where she was.

"Dad, Dad, is that you?"

A/N: I'm sorry it took so long. The new term has just started up and I've been bogged over with work. Thanks a million times over for my reviews! I think, just so I can rectify any errors are ills in the chapters, that I will keep the five-review rule. That means that, if you want to read the next installment, you'll just have to review.