Chapter Five

"There's nothing to forgive," Will's weak reply came from within the shelter of Jack's arms. "At least, not on your side. I'm just sorry I let you down."

"I should have better sense than to send you after Brendan because you haven't had to deal with him before, but I knew I couldn't make it and I didn't know where Angel was."

"Under Will!" came the muffled reply. "Will, would you get off of me!"

Will looked down. "Oops," he murmured sheepishly. "Sorry!" he exclaimed, getting to his feet with Jack's assistance.

"It's okay. I've had heavier people than you fall on me before," Angel said.

"Like Faith," Wolverine muttered, thinking back to the previous night.

"But we've got to do something with Brendan," Angel continued. "I was not expecting him to go crazy at that moment! I was trying to take care of my family. Cordelia and Crys haven't woken up yet. I love Brendan, but I feel like beating the crap out of him dragging me away! And for what? Prue kissed him?"

"I don't know," Jack said, "but probably. Every time those two get together, he wolfs! They need sex, both of them! I think if Brendan was no longer a virgin, he'd stop wolfing so much."

Will could not believe the conversation he was hearing. He was blushing redder than Jack's pajamas but dared not speak a word.

Wolverine nodded. "I hate to do it to the boy, but we may have to tie him down and let Prue have her way with him."

Will's mouth fell open.

"I don't know if that would work or not," Angel said. "Some people are into that tieing up thing and, if he is, it would really work great, especially if we were around so we could knock him out if he got out of control! But if he's by that like he is everything else, he'll be too shy to be able to get a rise! Would you believe I saw him change his clothes in a barrel yesterday? Didn't think the space was big enough for anything yet there he was, a full grown man, changing his clothes!"


Clark and Lex had been busily searching for Faith and the children amongst the chaos when they had been distracted by the scene unfolding with Brendan. They had watched all in silence, but when they saw the situation that the boy soon found himself in, they knew they had to do something to help him. Lex strode boldly forward while Clark snuck around behind the group.

"You know," Lex put in, "that can be very exciting. The whole bondage thing, I mean." It was at just that time that Clark reached out, grabbed Will, and sped away from the group.

Jack turned to watch to see where Will was going. Boy talk? he wondered. He had not realized Will had become so embarrassed. He looked at Lex. "Do you have any ideals?"

"The bondage thing sounds promising," Lex admitted, "but we've got more than just Brendan to deal with too. He's not the only -- ahem -- nutcase going nuts at the moment."

"Faith again?" Jack asked.

"She will be," Lex replied. "Didn't you say she was going to leave when we hit Tortuga?"

"Yes, but we're nowhere near Tortuga. In fact, only the Gods know where we are! I'm hoping this is the island I bought for Will."

"I know," Lex agreed, "but we all know how Faith is. She probably said Tortuga because she thought that would be the next landing spot -- or, at least, that'll be what she says."

"When she starts buggering, get after her, Lex. Don't let her get lost from us. I'm really surprised no one's come down to check us out down here. There should have been a whole crew working on building Will's house, and since I haven't heard from them, I figured they're still working on it."

"Maybe we should check it out?" Angel suggested.

"Yeah. I'll come with you, Angel. Let's see what's holding the workers up. Come to think of it, shouldn't they have had a ship? I didn't see one." He had lowered his voice as he and Angel were walking off in the direction Jack thought the house had been built.

"Hold up! I'll come with you," Wolverine called.

Jack called back, "Lex, you wanna come?"

"I would," Lex answered, "but we don't know when Faith's going to come around!"

"Tell Will I'll be back soon."

"I will, but word of advise? You might want to watch the language around the boy the next time. You know he's as shy as Clark!"

"Gods! I embarrassed him!" Jack muttered. "I'll have to apologize for that, too! Don't say anything to him about it; I'll make it up to him when I get back."

"Okay!"


Elvira found her sister walking amongst the Fieries and Goblins, muttering numbers underneath her breath and occassionally pushing at a still one with her foot until she received a response. The Goblins would simply squeal, but sometimes the Fieries would lose a body part in which case she would give them her usual "pull yourself together or be barbecued" command. Elvira had always looked up to her twin for being so much more together than she ever was, and even now, it amazed her to watch her make her rounds amongst her remaining people while never letting on to the worries that she knew must still be there.

It was only after Delvira had finished her count that Elvira closed the distance between them. "How many are left?"

"Usual amount," Delvira replied casually. "The rest just got zapped."

"Why didn't you . . . ?" The words slipped from Elvira's lips before she could stop them, and her heart ached at the emotions she saw flash through her sister's eyes.

"I can't," Delvira whispered in response. She fought to stay still and emotionless, but Elvira could see the tears in her eyes and the slight trembling of her body. "I tried to, but I can't. I can't leave this damn island!"

"But you're sure Jareth was just snatched over to the Labyrinth?" Elvira asked thoughtfully.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Delvira nodded. "That has to be all it is. All the others missing along with him would be too much of a coincidence otherwise . . . " Her voice trailed off, and Elvira knew the word she wanted to add but dared not.

She nodded, answering her sister's unspoken question. "Right. Maybe . . . " She paused but continued at Delvira's questing look. "You know I don't know a lot about these kinds of things, but maybe . . . Just maybe this place has got some kind of, huh, forcefield or something up? Something that's keeping you from being able to teleport?"

"Somebody else is able to move around."

"Who?"

Delvira pointed out to the sea, and it took Elvira a moment to spot Cole swimming by some big rock. It looked like there was something on the rock, but she couldn't tell what it was. "That's Cole," she explained. "I didn't know he could port."

"He's a Demon."

"So? Not all Demons can port." When Delvira didn't answer her, Elvira shook her head and turned back to face her sister. "He hasn't gone that far out. Maybe it's still within the island's boundaries or whatever."

Delvira nodded. "Maybe," she admitted quietly though she did not sound convinced.

"Look," Elvira persisted. "You teleport of your own free will. I know Jareth can, too, but he wouldn't have if he was just snatched back to deal with another bit."

Delvira slowly nodded a second time. "True." She had to admit that her sister did have a point. "You know, for not knowing about these kinds of things, you're pretty smart. If you were to come with us when this is all over, I could teach you."

Elvira was already shaking her head. "No thanks." She knew her sister meant well, but she had to learn to be her own woman and not just always follow in Delvira's footsteps. Her eyes turned to Wolf. He was the first man who seemed to have fallen head over heels for her for just being herself. He truly thought he loved her, or so he'd said.

"What is it?" Delvira's soft voice interrupted her sister's thoughts as her eyes followed her twin's gaze.

"I've got a question for you," Elvira started slowly, "and I know this probably isn't the best time in the world to ask it, what with Jareth missing and all, but . . . "

"Go ahead," Delvira gently urged her. "Ask me anything."

Elvira turned slowly back to her twin. As she did so, her eyes turned into Delvira's. "How do you know when you've found it?"

"It?" Delvira repeated, her brow creasing in clear confusion.

"The big one," Elvira clarified. "The L word."

"Love?"

Elvira nodded.

Delvira sighed happily, her thoughts turning back to a much earlier time in her life. "I fell for Jareth a long time before I ever met him, back when I first learned of the legend behind the Labyrinth and its Goblin King. Most girls dreamed of Princes and dragon-slaying heroes or whatever, but me . . . I dreamed of him."

"But how did you know it wasn't just some fairy tale crush?"

"I met him!" Delvira replied as if it was obvious. "You know the story -- how I was telling the tale to put a friend's kid to sleep and when I said the words, I actually did call him even though it was only the tale."

Elvira nodded.

"Well, he was just as hot as I always knew he would be, and I was determined to not only win the labyrinth but to win him too. I know the way I passed through the labyrinth blew him away, because nobody else had ever had the smarts to do what I did. You know Worm's job is to be at the point where the girl's lost, confused, not knowing which way to go?" Elvira nodded again. "Well, as soon as he told me which way to go, I went the opposite direction. He called me the usual warning telling me not to go that way, never go that way," she continued, sounding much like the Worm and rolling her eyes.

"So, of course, you went that way which led you straight to the castle."

"Precisely! He threw his usual Goblins and cannonballs at me, but I just exploded the suckers with fireballs. Nothing was gonna keep me from getting to that castle and to my man."

Elvira always loved to hear her sister's stories, but her gaze had returned to Wolf just in time to catch him watching them and she knew that he was probably wondering what was taking her so long. She held up her hand to stop her sister. "I love hearing your story, Delvira," she admitted, "but I know how you hooked up with Jareth. That's not what I'm asking. What I'm asking is how did you know it was real? How did you know it was love and not just some . . . " She paused, searching for the right word. "Just some powerful animal attraction and the best sex you'd ever had?"

Those words finally made Delvira realize just what was going on in her sister's mind. She glanced over at Wolf. "You just met him yesterday."

"I know."

Delvira shrugged. "Well, love happens fast sometimes. Love at first glance does happen. Jareth and I both know that, but I know what you mean too. It's scary. I . . . I never told you why I came back the first time. I just made up that excuse about my not being allowed to stay in the labyrinth 'cause of the kid, but that wasn't why. The truth is . . . At that time, I couldn't be with him and with you at the same time. If I was to stay in the labyrinth then, I would never have gotten to see you again."

Elvira looked at her sister in shock. "You came back for me?" she asked her. "You gave all of that up -- your #1 dream -- for me?"

"Of course!" Delvira tried to shrug it off. "You're my sister, after all, girl! He was only a guy!"

Elvira could see right through her twin's act and embraced her in a tight hug. "Thank you."

Delvira returned the hug silently, then gently pushed Elvira back. "But it hurt so much to be away from him. It was more than just the heart. It was a physical pain, like a piece of me had been ripped out. I was absolutely miserable without him. So I started digging in every library I could find. I finally found the answer in one at England. Had to get a friend to help me get into it. The Watchers had the answer, but it took Giles and me the entire weekend to find it."

"Giles?" Elvira repeated in surprise. "Little Rupert Giles?"

Delvira nodded. "One and the same." She shrugged. "It helps to get a little info on certain people."

"A little?" Elvira returned with a quirked brow. "You know he did a lot."

Delvira chuckled. "Oh, yeah! Good thing I hooked up with that Ethan jerk about then."

"Jareth doesn't know about him, does he?"

"He knows he wasn't my first," Delvira replied, sobering, "just like I know I wasn't his. But that doesn't matter. If you truly love some one, it doesn't matter who came before you, just as long as they're not still hooked up on them and you're the only one in their life. You trust each other not just with that but with your lives and with even those closest to you. You don't keep things from each other, either, because of that trust."

"But when do you know it's not just sex?"

"Even sex is never 'just' sex with two people who are meant to be together. You never get tired of each other. Jareth and I went on and off for a week straight that first time we were together, but it was never just the same old thing. It never gets tiring. It's always exciting, thrilling . . . Every kiss burns, sizzles straight to the soul, and he fills you completely. You're a perfect match for each other in appetites and bodies."

Delvira found her sister gazing after Wolf again. "Does he do that for you?"

She nodded slowly. "He does . . . "

"And that terrifies you?"

Elvira nodded again, letting out a slow breath as she did so. "More than anything."

"I know it's scary, but if you're meant for each other, there's no reason to be afraid. You'll find you're more afraid of losing him than you are of anything else."

"I was terrified last night," Elvira admitted. "I tried to hide it, to not let on to it, but I was terrified he wouldn't make it through that storm. I'm still scared, though."

"And you will be," Delvira advised gently, "for a while yet. The feelings he awakes in you . . . They're so powerful they're frightening." She was gazing intently at her sister now. "You've never felt the way he makes you feel, have you?"

Elvira shook her head. "Never. But how do I know . . . ?"

"I could tell you a thousand things, Elvira," Delvira replied with a sigh. "I could tell you all the reasons I know I love Jareth and he loves me . . . but no matter what I tell you, you'll only know for sure when you're ready . . . " Elvira started to speak, but Delvira answered her question before she could voice it. "I can't tell you when that'll be, but you'll know it. You'll feel it in your heart and your soul, and you'll know from that moment on that you can trust him with anything . . . with everything . . . that you never want to be apart from him . . . and that the two of you can handle anything."

"Anything?"

Delvira knew what her sister was thinking. She nodded. "Even Helvira. I was scared when she tried to take over the labyrinth, horrified when she tricked Jareth, but I still trusted him and I will until the day I die . . . Well," she amended with a wriggle of her nose, "until the day somebody stakes my butt."


Blue eyes blinked open to find themselves lost in a pitch black abyss that seemed to weigh down upon her like a thousand soldiers. "Morph?" she called out only to have her own voice echo back to her. She could feel his presence though and moved forward, nearly having to swim through the thick darkness, until she could hear him. The nonsense words he was murmuring scared her even more, but she forced her way to him, pushing back against the darkness until she was able to reach him.

"Sweetheart!" He was laying on what passed for a floor in his mind, curled up into a tight ball in the fetal position, and trembling. She knelt next to him and tried to take him into her reassuring arms.

His dead weight fought against her even as he continued to murmur. This time, she was finally able to make out his words. "Failed them . . . Failed them all . . . Celina . . . "

"I'm right here, beloved," she assured him, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I'm right here, Morph. I'm alive. I'm okay. So are Tom and Katrina. You didn't fail us. You've never failed us."

"Always fail . . . "

"No," she spoke firmly while gently caressing his cheek, "you do not. You have not failed us. You never have, and I know in my heart that you never will. Now open your eyes. Look at me. Morph . . . open your eyes." When his eyes remained shut, she leaned down and touched her lips to his. She drank deeply of his lips, giving freely of herself and her courage and putting all the love she held for him alone in that one kiss.

After a long moment, Celina released Morph's lips and rose just slightly above him. "Now, my love, open your eyes."

She held her breath while she waited for him to respond and at long last, after what felt like an eternity to her, she was rewarded with his dazed eyes fluttering open. "Celina?" he whispered her name in uncertainty. He touched her cheek with a trembling hand and caressed her fur only to find that it was real indeed. "You're alive!"

Smiling down at her love, Celina cupped her hand around Morph's hand. "Of course I'm alive. The others are, too. You didn't fail us, Morph. You're not a failure. You're a strong, wonderful, and brave man who's always been here for me, for all of us. You haven't failed us."

"But I thought . . . "

"I'm here, darling. I'm here, and I'm waiting for you out in the real world. Katrina and Tom are there, too. We're all waiting for you."

"And you're . . . You're really okay?"

She nodded. "The only one of us who isn't is you, and that's because of your needless guilt. You let yourself get trapped here when you thought you had failed us, but you haven't. You never have, and you never will. Now . . . " She got to her feet, then held her hand down to him. "Come back with me."

Morph's smile grew in both worlds. She was right: Their family had indeed made it through the nightmare of the night before! Taking her outstretched hand, he got to his feet. "I love you."


Back in the real world, Celina's lips opened in a whispered reply. "I love you too."

Cole watched his friends even as Celina returned and he saw Morph open his eyes. He breathed a prayer of thanks as he waited for Morph to sit up and watched him demorphing. As soon as Morph was up, he could shimmer them all back.

Celina watched her husband intently as he demorphed. She could feel the pain he had to force his body to go through as he fought to regain control of it. When he was at last back to himself, they stood together to face Cole. Celina's blue eyes met their friend's. "Thank you, Cole."

Morph nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

Cole smiled at the both of them. "Glad to have you back, Morph." He then shimmered them back to the shore where Katrina and Tom were waiting.

The sisters and their husbands embraced each other instantly upon sight. The sisters then turned back to the children. "Let's go see how Donkey's doing," Celina suggested with a knowing smile as she knelt beside the kids.

Both children looked at her with big eyes shining fearfully, but only Julian spoke their concern. "Is he . . . ?"

"He's fine," Celina assured the little ones with a smile.

"Really?" Julian asked hopefully. "But I thought . . . "

Katrina shook her head. She had seen Celina heal Donkey and joined her sister before the children. "She's right," she insisted. "He's purrfectly well." Knowing the delight the kids took in their being catpeople, she purred the words.

"And who knows?" Celina picked up with a mischievous grin. "Maybe he'll even let you ride him." She meaningfully elbowed her sister.

Sarah clasped her hands in delight, and Julian's eyes shot wide. "Do you really think he would?"

"Oh, I bet we could get him to . . . "

Celina was cut off by a voice behind the sisters. "Why bother to ride a donkey," Morph called to the children, "when you can ride a pony?"

Both the women and children turned to find two snowy white ponies prancing behind them, their manes and tails tossing in the breeze. The "horses" grinned as the children rushed forward.


Lex looked around as soon as he returned to the survivors, trying to locate Clark and Will. He finally spotted them, but they seemed to be deep in thought so he decided to check on Faith.

Will had been watching Jack go off with the others and Lex return. Though he was busily talking to Clark as the other man tried to make him understand how people like Jack and Wolverine could be so open with their language, he still noticed Lex coming towards them and then beginning to go in another direction. "Lex!" he called, breaking Clark off in mid-sentence. "Where's Jack going?"

"He and the others are going to the top of the hill to take a look around. He said he'd be back in a little bit. I need to go check on Faith. I'll be back with you two in a minute."

"What are they looking for?" Will asked him. Did they truly expect to find something, and why hadn't Jack invited him? Had he disappointed him that badly in his mishandling of Brendan?

"Jack thinks he knows this island, and he can tell from the top of the hill if it's the one he's thinking of. He's been on it before, just not on this side."

Will nodded. Clark was about to say something when he felt a gust of wind dropping around them. He started to look up but was then just in time to move aside as Brendan's unconscious body was lowered gently to the ground.

Lex had taken that opportunity to go to see about Faith. He did not want to have to lie to Will, and he really didn't know what Jack was expecting to find on that hill but Lex expected that Jack was hoping to find the house he had built for Will. It was to be a surprise for Will, and Lex was not going to give that surprise away. Lex saw that Faith was still asleep, only inches away from Dawson, and was still butt-ass naked. He went to see if he could get some clothes from Katrina for her. He appreciated the kilt he had on; he didn't know where it had come from. He would like to thank the person who had given it to him. He hated to be naked in public.


When Wolverine, Angel, and Jack reached the top of the hill, Jack was delighted to discover that it was indeed his island, because below them on the other side of the hill was the house Jack had designed completely built. It was big enough that all of them could take shelter in it.

Angel sniffed the wind that was blowing around the house. "Something stinks down there, and I don't know what it is. We'd better check it out before we bring the others here."

Wolverine sniffed. "Definitely something stinks down there. We'd better find it," he agreed.

Jack nodded agreement, and they all walked toward the house.


Salem stirred and stretched stiffly one back leg at a time, reaching as far as he could. He felt as though he had been run over by a team of horses. He sat down and began to wash his face and watch his sleeping partners. Faith was naked and still out. Dawson's clothes were ragged, but at least he was covered. He, too, was unconscious.

Feeling eyes on her, Faith came to slowly. The first thing she became aware of was a physical ache in her shoulder, but she put the pain aside as she opened her eyes. She quickly shut them again, muttering darkly. "Damn sunlight."

It was as she lay there, in the quiet, that she remembered the events of the night before, and she stilled suddenly. She had tried to reach Dawson and Salem but had barely gotten to Dawson when something huge had come down on top of the three of them. Had she managed it? Had she saved them or had she screwed up again, as she was so great at doing?

"Morning, sunshine," Salem spoke to her in a very hoarse voice. He longed for some water.

"Salem?" Faith's eyes popped open, and she rolled to her side, ignoring the pain that blasted through her as she did so, to come face to face with the black cat. She grinned, forgetting herself for just a brief moment. "You did make it through!"

"Thanks to you, ma'am." He gave her a small bow. "I almost went to Davy Jones' locker, but you saved my bacon."

She reached out a hand but hesitated before scratching his head. What did it matter? she asked herself, remembering how she had sworn to Jack that she'd be leaving as soon as they hit land. "Don't 'ma'am' me," she told him gently. "I ain't no ma'am. Just a bitch."

"Thank you any way," Salem told her. "You saved the kid too." He glanced over to where Dawson was still unconscious.

She followed his gaze and found her breath taken away as she gazed down at Dawson's sleeping form. He looked so peaceful laying there, so innocent as though nothing had ever happened to him. Yet he also looked so handsome that she ached in that moment to have him embed in her again. She shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. Was he okay? She checked for his heartbeat and breathed a sigh of relief that Salem shouldn't have been able to hear but did nonetheless.

Salem looked away and gave a cat grin. Faith could pretend to be a cold-hearted bitch, but he knew better. He continued to wash his face.

Faith glanced from Dawson to Salem. Once she was confident that he was busy and not bothering to pay attention to her actions, she turned her attention back to Dawson. Again, she felt her breath be stolen away, but once more, she tried to shake it off. "Damn you, kid," she whispered even as she leaned over him. Why was it that he affected her so? Why him out of all the men she'd ever had? Still, she thought as she gazed down at him, one kiss couldn't hurt, especially not since they'd already came so close to a second ride and he did owe her any way. She leaned closer against him, her naked breasts pressing hard against the tattered remainants of his shirt, and then she touched her lips to his. She started the kiss gently at first but soon deepened it.

Dawson's eyes flickered open even as his hand sneaked around Faith's back, pulling her down to him. His kiss deepened. He longed to have that second ride.

Faith's eyes smiled down into his as he responded. Her tongue slipped past his lips to explore his mouth even as she rubbed her body against his.

Dawson felt himself harden. His tongue dueled with hers, but he did not make any further moves on her. He didn't want to frighten her away.

Lex had not meant to walk in on them, but he had gained a leotard from Katrina for Faith. He cleared his throat. He was not against them having a second ride; he just didn't want them to do it out where every one could see, and he knew they wouldn't want it either.

Faith knew the voice instantly, and though her lips parted from Dawson's, she did not rise off of him. "Go away, Luthor."

"Plan to. Brought you some clothes." He dropped the leotard and backed away, heading back to where he had last seen Clark and Will.

Faith gazed down at Dawson. "So . . . Where were we?"

"I believe," Salem interrupted them with a gentle clearing of his voice, "that you were just about to make out for the whole world to see."

"So . . . ?" Faith started but then stopped herself. She'd had such trouble already with this kid, and he was so virginal still that she knew there was no way she would be getting into his pants with everybody there. "Damn it!"

"What?" Dawson asked. "Don't stop now! I don't care if the whole world sees!"

"You don't?" Faith returned with a quirked brow. "You don't care if every one around us, probably about 100 beings, see you naked, me naked, and you pumping away within me?"

"Put that way, I do," he said, his brain finally clearing enough that he could realize what was being said. "I just don't want you to go away before I pay my bill."

"Heh," Faith snorted as she rolled off of him and stood. "Knew that was coming. But, hell, kid, forget the damn bill. It doesn't matter any way." She tried to keep her voice firm and hard as she scanned their surroundings through narrowed eyes.

"Can't forget the bill! I owe you!" He sat up and got to his feet. "I've gotta find those clothes and change mine. These are nothing but rags."

"When you figure out a way, you can pay Luthor," Faith told him, snatching up the leotard Lex had left her.

"I don't want to pay Luthor! I owe you, not him!"

"Yeah," Faith agreed, shaking the leotard so that he could see it, "but I'm leaving and I owe him, so you can pay him whatever else you could've come up to pay me with."


Piper found herself walking amongst the fallen, her heart lower than the sand beneath her feet, when she overheard Joxer and Carl talking. "I don't know where she's gotten to!"

"She's got to be around here somewhere, Carl. I'll help you look."

Putting aside her worry for Prue and her failure with her older sister, Piper looked over at Carl's and Joxer's worried faces. "What's wrong?" she called to them.

"Paige," Carl answered. "I took my eyes off of her for one minute, and now I can't find her anywhere!"

Piper's heart felt dead in her chest at his words. She turned swiftly, her fearful eyes frantically scanning the shore only to come to rest on her sister's red head several yards away. Her forehead creased, however, when she noticed that she appeared to be working her way through the ships' debris, scrambling madly in search of something. "It's all right," she told the guys, pointing Paige's location out to them. "I'll go see about her."

"We can help," Joxer offered.

Carl was already starting to head after Paige when Piper's voice stopped him. "No. You can help here more, caring for the others. Try to wake up the ones who aren't yet. I saw the Captain walking off a few minutes ago, so we'll probably be moving shortly."

Joxer nodded and began to set back to work, but Carl continued after Paige. Piper rushed after him, her eyes darting constantly between the Gnome and her sister. She reached Carl moments before he would have reached Paige and placed a stilling hand on his shoulder. "Let me talk to her first, Carl. I'm not sure what's going on, but she might need to talk to her big sister about it."

Carl pouted but stayed where he was, his eyes glued on Paige, even as Piper continued forward, menToly chastising herself with each step. Not that you're any good to any one. Prue needed you, and you couldn't even help her! You had to send Phoebe after her! Some sister you are! "Paige?" she called out gently when she reached her youngest sister.

"Piper," Paige sobbed, still clawing away at the debris, "I can't find them!"

Piper knelt beside Paige and grabbed her sister's trembling hands in hers. "Paige, what . . . What are you looking for?"

"My pictures. My pictures of Mom . . . of Mom and us . . . " Tears shone in Paige's eyes. "But I can't find them!"

"I'll help you look."

"Piper . . . What . . . What if we can't find them?" Tears were slowly beginning to fall from Paige's eyes. "I don't want to forget what Mom looked like!"

"Oh, Paige!" Piper cried, embracing her sister in a tight hug. "We'll never forget Mom or Grandma."

"But . . . But with time . . . "

"No," Piper said, shaking her head fervently. "We won't. We love them. We'll never forget them."

Paige clung to her older sister as the tears she had been fighting off and on since their mother's and grandmother's deaths finally overtook her. "I miss them!" Piper started to answer her but did not have a chance to as Paige continued, "It's not fair! It's not fair! Why did they have to die!"

Piper rocked her sister, reassuringly stroked her hair, and held her as Paige cried. Piper's own tears brimmed in her eyes, and she could barely keep them from falling. She knew Paige was right. It wasn't fair that their mother and grandmother had died, but there was nothing she or any one else could do about it. They were gone. They were . . . gone . . . Piper bit her lip to silence her sob and shut her eyes against the tears. She couldn't cry now. If she cried, her tears would only increase Paige's.

To Be Continued . . .