"Johanna."

"Lila."

The stylist after hearing the news immediately left her office and went to the hospital to check on her friend. The former model wearing hospital garbs being in bed recovering from her night out. Half a smile on the stylists face turning into a smug one.

"I hate to say I told you so…"

"Shut it." Johanna not amused with the teasing but knowing she only had herself to blame.

"You know I can remove you for bothering a patient." She held the remote in her hand to call in for a nurse letting her finger caress the button. A threat Lila took no heed to.

"So about your little girl." Lila continuing the conversation they had over the phone. Johanna held her stance on it which the stylist continuing to push her buttons.

"If only you told her sooner." The smug grin on her face grew larger only to pressure Johanna in allowing Lila to tell Dawn the big secret.

"You know she deserves to know."

"It puts her at risk."

"It's a risk not giving it to her like your current situation is telling me." Johanna let out a heavy groan. Here she is supposed to be resting only to be bothered by her old friend.

"You're really not dropping it are you?" Her blue eyes staring into Lila's red orbs she wouldn't have it. Lila maybe wasn't a Berlitz like Johanna or Dawn but she was as knee-deep into this as them ever since her best friend told the big secret.

"Nope." Popping her p to annoy her even more. Whatever Johanna will decide she'd argue it till the sun comes down.

"Fine. Tell Dawn tonight. Now leave me alone." The former model told her friend. The stylist gave a small smile her way. Life would certainly get a lot more interesting around here if Dawn reacted the right way.

"What changed your mind?" Lila said.

"Get out of here and tell her before you change my mind."

Closing the door behind her to let Johanna get her rest. Now that Johanna had finally given permission to tell the Berlitz family secret, the stylist knew she and Dawn were in for a long night. Whatever the young girl's choice will be, her life will never be the same again.

"Lila?!"

"Speak of the devil."

Running into said girl in the hospital hallway Dawn wondered what the stylist is doing here. Lila on the other hand was relieved to see the girl here not in a hospital bed. Compared to yesterday she looked totally unprepared for seeing a designer but due to circumstances decided not to comment on her style.

"I saw the news and came over as soon as I could to check on you two. I grew worried when I heard what happened. Where were you?"

"I got home after mom was gone. They left before I got home." Dawn confessed.

"You're lucky. Extremely so."

"Don't tell me. Have you seen mom?"

"I did."

Dawn let out the biggest sigh of relief she ever did. Putting her hand on her chest she felt her breathing relax. Lila wanted to tell Dawn she's going to stay in her office apartment for the night but didn't letting that job to the girl's mother.

"Go see her. I'll catch you later." Dawn went to the room her mother is in while Lila went looking for a chair to sit in while the Berlitz woman finally got to see each other safe again. Lila took out a mirror and checked her make up. Seeing her reflection in the mirror she was pretty excited for tonight.

"About time you came around. I just hope the place isn't as filthy as I remember. Dawn's in for quite a shock tonight."

The girl walked inside the room her mother was resting. Dawn knew her mother was never one to exploit her fame for anything but for once was glad she did getting a separate room. Running over to hug her Dawn couldn't help but cry. Johanna rubbed her back saying everything is ok. Pretty much the same story she told Lila. Dawn finished her crying and wiped her eyes. Her mother needed support so she had to stay strong.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Sweetheart. Can you sleep at Lila's office tonight?" Johanna telling her little girl about the request she made to her old friend.

"Are you sure? I rather stay here with you." Dawn didn't really wanted to leave her mom alone again. At least not so soon.

"I know. But I'd feel better if you are in a safe place. Please Dawn." It killed her not knowing where she was. With the daughter staying at a building with proper security Johanna knows they wouldn't try again so soon with the kidnapping. And despite everything she at least would be safe.

"Bye mom."

"Bye sweetheart. Love you." After her little girl left her room she slammed her head backwards on her pillow. Staring at the ceiling in thought thinking about what she just did. Her thought wandering to Dawn and the trouble she's caused and about to pile on her.

"I just hope you still love me when Lila tells the truth."

Ash tried to find a quiet corner in the hospital. The lack of sleep was really catching up to him and with another patrol planned went looking for a place to get some hours in before the city needed him again. He wanted to visit Leona and Ursula but he was just to fatigued to see them currently. Looking for a spot to sleep in he ran across someone in his class but wasn't there at the warehouse.

"May?" Running into the brunette in the hallways she looked absolutely fine. The girl with the two bangs dangling right next to her eyes ran up to him.

"Dad told me what happened. Is everything ok?"

"Besides my mom being here, yes. What about you and your mom?" He hasn't checked up on Caroline but she'd be the first woman to tell him just how bad a shape they were.

"My mom just had something drained from her blood. I heard it's a numbing drug they used that shuts down the senses and nothing else. I'm going to see Leona and Ursula. They got taken too." May informing him on the matter while he actually already knew.

"Wait? Them too?!" Ash created a scene to make her brunette believe he had no clue that they too were caught at first. May seemed to buy it.

"I can't believe it either. Guess dad isn't coming home soon with all the work piling up now. I just hope he doesn't overwork himself."

"Your dad is a fine cop. He really helped me last night. If anybody can figure it out it's him. Have faith May." Her look softened.

"I needed that. It's nice to hear someone else appreciates the work he's doing. I'll pass it on when I see him." May glad to hear such a compliment for her father. There's always is a risk Norman gets into something dangerous when he goes to work and he might get hurt or worse.

Still Ash wanted to know why the brunette wasn't among the group he rescued last night.

"I heard the news. Mothers and daughters? It must've been scary in there. It's something else than the movies I usually watch. Shouldn't you to be resting too in bed too?"

"With dad on duty and mom visiting a relative I had to babysit my little brother at home. Rest is far from my mind right now."

The bags under her eyes were visible. Ash recognizing the lack of sleep due to experience could see May had a long night too and didn't catch an eye yet. With the comment she's been babysitting her brother at home there's something strange that didn't fit into the whole kidnapping scene.

"They didn't come to your house like mine?"

"No. They must have been stalking my mom when she got out of the house. Wait? They were at your house!? How did you fight them off?"

"Lots and lots of Kung Fu movies gives you a mean right hook." He proudly proclaimed. At least from what he heard and people asking of him no one knew about where his fighting skills really came from. Relieved he got away with it and that his secret is safe for now.

"In any case, I'm glad to hear you're ok." May said to him.

"Same here. Good luck with your mom."

"You too. Bye Ash."

May continued on her path leaving Ash with enough to think about. There were some things in May's story that didn't fit with his own view of the events.

"Why is May the only one with Dawn that wasn't taken? Why not the dads, sons or little brothers? I know how Dawn got out of it but May too? Was the only reason they didn't visit her house because her dad is a policemen?"

Making a mental note to bring this up to Riley tonight. At first the motivation seemed to be mothers and daughters but he knew of two cases which were the exception. There were a lot of loose ends to these kidnappings which he tried to make sense off but couldn't. Going further into the hospital in the hope of shutting an eye somewhere.

The night fell and Dawn was brought to Lila's office after gathering her things back home. Lila had brought out an inflatable bed for the girl to sleep on. Although the view was absolutely stunning with all the lights in the city being lit Dawn had no eye for the spectacle drawing in her sketchbook.

Her surprise for Ash was inside it. It might not be much but certainly it might take his mind of his current crook problem for a bit. If not he can always laugh about it that she went through the effort of doing this for him. Scribbling away on the airbed that got laid out in Lila's apartment on the bottom floor. She could've slept on the couch but she declined rather having something designed to sleep on.

"I hope you're okay Ash. I'd hate for you not seeing this before I finish it." The stylist had gone to bed early after such a long and stressful day and had a meeting in the morning she had to attend. As Dawn was sketching her surprise for the young hero she got interrupted by someone.

"Worried about your friend?"

Dawn heard a feminine voice calling to her. It didn't sounded like Lila's so she was startled a bit dropping her pencil. It didn't sound like anyone she knew for that matter.

Checking her surroundings Dawn didn't see anyone but herself. Maybe a hidden text in a song she never paid attention too? Dawn figured it must have been an imaginary thought and her consciousness was playing tricks on her. Removing her headphones she didn't hear anything anymore. Content with her discovery she decided not to listen to music for the remainder of the night and focus on the task she set herself.

"You know I can see you don't you?"

Dawn jumped out of her bed in fright and checked everything. The TV was off and checking around her there no was no other appliance turned on. Turning off her cellphone after checking there wasn't a line open and she was being pranked. Even going as far as to pull out all the electrical cords out of the power outlets leaving her secluded from the rest of the world.

"Check the box on the table."

Afraid to follow the instructions the mysterious voice gave her she peeked anyway. A small box just small enough to fit in the palm of her hand with a black and yellow bowtie around it. She didn't notice the tiny container before. Was it always there and that she didn't pay attention to it till now? Open the box slowly she peeked inside it.

A black marble with yellow circles not bigger than an earring on the coffee table was just laying there. Dawn had no clue where it's from but she figured maybe the stress of the kidnapping and Ash's crime fighting got to her head.

"I must be going crazy. A marble is talking to me."

"You're not crazy. I'm not a marble."

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Shutting the box as fast as her body allowed her she tossed the cursed object onto Lila's couch. Rolling off from her bed jumping over the second couch hiding behind the tall section like a soldier finding cover during a shootout. Peeking over the edge of the couch the cursed object kept just sitting there without any movement.

"Dawn! Are you okay?!" The stylist sleeping on the top floor of her apartment seemingly shook awake thanks to the girl's screaming.

"No, nothing is okay!" Slowly starting to lose her mind over the voice she didn't want to let her host find out she's going crazy.

"I'm fine! No need to worry!" Trying to sound as normal as possible but failing miserably sounding completely filled with panic.

"Been a while since I heard that one."

"If you say so! Keep quiet at least!" A miracle Lila bought it. Still what to do with the haunted object? No way she was going to touch it.

"I need to call Ash. Maybe he knows what's going on."

After all. He might be used to working with magic objects since he possessed a form of magic himself. At least her reasoning told her that. Was aura magic to begin with? Pulling out her phone she turned it back on again and called him.

"Come on. Pick up." Desperate for him to pick up and help her again.

"You reached the voicemail of…"

"Of all the times! HELP!"

"Johanna. Please don't tell me you kept your little girl in the dark about me? I'm going to give her the scolding of a lifetime when I see her again."

Dawn freaking out even more about the cursed object calling out her mothers name. Not as much as she knows her exact thoughts about the thing and that she was hiding away from it.

"You know my mom?" As scared as she is currently Dawn had an uncontrollable curiosity to know where and how exactly the small spherical object knew her name.

"Of course I do. I know you too Dawn. I'd love to explain what I am if you calmed down a bit. I swear I don't mean any harm. What is it your mother always said? No need to worry?"

Hearing the expression only family and close friends use Dawn desire to know peaked. Carefully moving away from her cover spot she took the box with the sphere in hand and sat down on the couch she threw it on earlier.

"What…or who are you?"

"Why don't you call Lila over so we can give you the full story?"

"She's sleeping. I'm not going to wake her." Talking softly so that Lila wouldn't hear them. At least she counted on it as she didn't know how loud the object is to others in the outside world.

"No. She isn't. She's standing on the second floor looking over the two of us now."

Dawn looked up and saw the stylist looking over to her with a smile. The girl thinking this must be a dream now since there's no way the stylist also could hear the jewel in the box talking to her.

"Hi Dawn. Did I forget to tell you this place is haunted? Blame your mother for it."

She joked surprising Dawn who had an even more confused look on her face. The stylist had no more reason to hide and finally tell her the Berlitz family secret that's been going in the family for centuries. If the jewel in her hand didn't do it already.

Looks like Dawn is in a lot of trouble. Stress will do that to you. For the eagle eyed readers among you, already know the way this is going.

Right. As for updates I'll set at least 20 days to a month minimum for updates on this one even though next chapter is already finished. Life just is a bit busy for me at the moment and I'm trailing a bit with my stories. Need some time to catch up on some things.

See you around.