Chapter 16

Jeanette landed hard on the beach she had just vacated; she looked around and saw her horse cropping the grass by the hillside, glancing around she frowned. 'Where was her mother?' Then stepping from a slipstream of time carrying her mother was Cameron.

"Loose something munchkin?" He laid her mother on the beach and wrinkled his nose. Waving his hand he uttered, "Clean. Restore." Vicki's clothing ruffled and then changed back to what she had been wearing before she was time shifted to the past. Gone was her fever and restored hopefully were her memories of this timeline. "I think that should have reset the timeline. " Cameron chuckled as he set Vicki down on the beach.

"The difference is my brother was left in the past, which by now I am sure he had regained his own timeline." Josette looked around, the last she had seen was her life changing around her and her mother's presence had slipped into an alternate or void dimension. "How?"

He gave her a sly smile, "I know how all I need is a chance."

Josette wanted to hit him and he recognized that dangerous glint in her gaze as she watched him then her mother. "I meant how were you able to locate mother? I could not feel her or her presence and then my own life was going haywire."

He moved his shoulders in a negligent shrug. "I followed her light Josette, people that live in the dark can follow light. It's kind of like a moth to flame. Except I don't get my wings burnt."

Jeanette moved to sit by him and her mother's side. "Why is she out?" Cameron studied Vicki then turned his attention to Jeanette, "You two really do look like each other. I would think when she fell into another altered state version of her life, she held onto the fever that was racking her body."

Jeanette frowned and stared at her mother using her latent powers she practiced the id insinuation that Logan had spoken of, staring into her mother's face she concentrated and pushed her power forward sifting through her memories and finding they were distorted and fractured having touched her other life. "She is disjointed in her thoughts, she is holding on to the life she slipped into and is having trouble re-associating her life." Cameron raised an eyebrow somewhat impressed.

"When did you get psi powers?"

Jeanette flushed and glanced up to his face then back to her mother's. "I did not know I had those powers until Logan wanted to put safety blocks in place to protect us against your brother. He said that I was a natural and should talk to HQ about trying to develop them. I was kind of trying them when I made a slip stream for mother to fall through to avoid being crushed by the rocks."

Caan nodded, "She will need psi surgery to restore her full memories if she is as disjointed as you say. The problem in what you did was you did not anticipate using psi abilities when opening a slipstream is that slip streams run through all realities and where she fell was in an alternate reality. Do you understand what that means?"

Jeanette nodded, "I think I know, if you make different choices then in other realities your life would be different by those choices."

Cameron nodded, "To perfect your ability you will need to learn to control which realty you need to stream through."

Jeanette flushed, "I understand but I did the best I could under the circumstances." Cameron smiled and flicked her nose like she was a kid. "You did fine, you did not know that a more practiced psi powered being was manipulating this scenario. I have a feeling the next time you meet this psi power he will find in you a powerful force to be faced when you hone your powers."

Cameron hit his transmitter, "Logan to the beach we need psi surgery. Prepare to lock on location."

With a soft flash of light Logan appeared on the beach and looked around. Spotting Jeanette, Josette, Cameron and Vicki he moved to them. "What happened, it felt like there was a kind of burp in the time flow."

Jeanette flushed, was about to confess she had nearly messed up big time when Cameron spoke up, "My brother tried to take Vicki and was sending her through a psi empowered slip stream. Net caught it signaled and we were able to lock and restore."

Logan recognized a bull story when he heard one but had to give it to Cameron for trying to protect Jeanette. "I see, well how did you know she needed psi surgery?"

Jeanette let out her breath and spoke softly, "Because I did that id insinuation in her mind and saw how disjointed her thoughts and memories were, when I explained what I saw Cameron said she would need the psi surgery."

Logan looked over Vicki for any other signs of damage not seeing them he took Jeanette's fingers. "Put them here and follow my instructions, you are going to do the surgery."

Cameron jerked Jeanette's fingers back from the bridge of her mother's nose. "Are you crazy? Do you know what you are risking?"

Logan nodded, "Yes, and she can do it."

Cameron removed his hand from Jeanette's fingers, "it's your mother's funeral." Jeanette was beginning to draw on her internal abilities listening to Cameron's comment. With a hint of anger edging out her fear she glared at Cameron.

"I can do this."

Cameron sat back on his heels and was preparing to leave. Upon hearing Jeanette's determination he decided to sit and observe. Logan began to speak softly and confidently to Jeanette, "Focus your energy on her mind. Follow my directions and you will do just fine Net."

With a confidence fed by Logan's steady calm voice, Jeanette began to penetrate her mothers mind and finding the memories and separating them from the new memories she found it was much like a puzzle as she concentrated on the task at hand.

Finding fractured parts of her memory she knew it took intense concentration as she worked on restoring her mother's memories to this timeline. With the sun growing higher into the sky she felt the heat and could not afford to be distracted. Focusing her power she moved with a deliberate slowness to build back every little nuance her mother had, her personality, her memories as minor as they seemed, she slipped them into place and when the sun began its fall to sunset, she sat back and looked around seeing Cameron ha stayed through it all and Logan was smiling. "You did it Net, you did your first psi surgery and you did it all right!"

Jeanette started to stand and felt her world tilt, Cameron caught her and swept her up in his arms. "She did not know she would exhaust her self physically doing this?"

Logan watched Vicki for signs of consciousness. "This was her first psi surgery, she had no idea that she would fatigue herself and would need a day's rest to recover. She will not be able to take assignments for at least 36 hours."

Cameron nodded, "I will take her to the house, you going to bring the horses and Vicki?"

Logan nodded, "It actually might be better if Josette was here when she awakens. Jo, need you here so you should stay."

Cameron nodded flashed from view carrying Jeanette. Jo sat down next to her mother's body. "With her just having psi surgery Jo, and slipping into an alternate reality left her with those memories. Seeing someone familiar will help her once she wakes up"

Jo nodded, "Thank you Logan."

Logan laughed, "Don't thank me, your sister repaired her mind."

Josette turned with a look of incredulousness on her face. " I thought you were just showing Nettie?"

He nodded, "I did guide her but most the work was done by Nettie. She has one of the most natural innate psi powers I have ever crossed."

Josette was proud. "She needs to practice on developing that power. She will be out for the next 36 hours because of this but she did it and did it better than I could."

Vicki moaned slightly and opened her eyes. "Jeanette!" She gasped sitting up then felt weak and light headed. "She is fine mother."

Vicki relaxed, "I was so worried, I thought I saw her as she was running towards me and then I don't remember much else."

Josette helped her mother stand. "She was knocked out briefly from the landslide but no real damage. She is exhausted from the incident."

Vicki started brushing her clothing to remove the sand. "Do we need to call Julia?"

Josette shook her head., "No mother she is just exhausted from keeping the rocks from falling on you."

Vicki sighed and then saw Amos cropping grass. "I will get Amos and we should head back to the house. I want to check on her."

Josette moved from her mother, "I will get Amos, you start back with Logan. I need to check and make sure your horse made it back to the stables."

Vicki watched Josette gather Net's horse then Vicki fell into step next to Logan. "I guess I should thank you for your help Mr. Logan."

He smiled watching his feet kick the sand. "Call me Logan, Mr. was my father."

Vicki laughed, "All right Logan, thank you so much for being there for Jeanette and helping out. I thought I heard Cameron's voice did he take her home?"

Logan nodded, "She was really exhausted form diverting those rocks from hitting you so he stepped up and offered to carry her to the house."

Vicki thought a moment, "He really did not carry her all that way now did he? I am sure he folded or used a dimensional door to make his way to the house with my daughter."

Logan laughed, "Well yeah he did. She is in good hands for now."

Vicki thought about those words, "I hope so."

Logan caught the tone of her voice. "He does worry about her."

Vicki walked with a steady labored pace in the heavy sand. "He worries about her because she is Josette's sister."

Logan nodded, "That and she is one of his team members. Cameron is a complex man. The mission usually directs him and he has an unusual interest in Josette. I think it's the rejection syndrome."

Vicki glanced over at the unusual man that paced her steps with his. He was medium build, with a scarred face, he in short had reminded her of Adam before his plastic surgery. The difference between Adam and Logan was the height. Where Adam had towered over Vicki, Logan was eye to eye with her.

"So, you think that Cameron's interest in Josette is strictly her rejection of him as a love interest?"

Logan nodded, "Nothing will keep a guys attention than making him think the lady in question has no interest."

Vicki sighed, "I see so once he has her as a conquest he will loose interest and move on to another interest?"

Logan nodded and sucked his bottom lip in then blew it out making a popping nose. "Yep."

Vicki shook her head. "My dream was to have all my children find the kind of love that I had with their father. Cameron is looking to put a notch on his bedpost."

Logan had to think about that a moment. "I don't think it's entirely sexual, I think he is perpetrating an ego."

Vicki nodded, "I understand egos his brother has a very large ego."

Logan laughed, "That is rally a big understatement to say his brother has a big ego, the man is nothing but an ego."

Logan laughed again, "Your mistake is believing he is a man. Baal is a demi god the same as Cameron. Both men possess powers that go beyond anything most 'men' have. Baal's main power is in his staff, the obsidian staff of dark power. He fuels it with the souls he claims in the ninth hell. Cameron received his powers from his mother who was a very powerful mage and became the guardian to Baal's hell. Then there is Damian, the twin born three minutes after Cameron. Damien received his powers from his father."

Vicki thought a moment, "And those powers?"

Logan laughed, "Oh they are very unique and one of your daughters possesses those powers. They deal with mind and manipulation of the mind. He can enter your mind and make you do things you would not remember doing."

Vicki shivered thinking about that is kind of a powerful ability. " Is there any way that you can protect yourself from such mind probes?"

Logan nodded looking around as they moved to the pathway that led up to Widows Hill. "What can be done? Do I need to make a helmet of tin foil or something?"

Logan shook his head he had found her humor charming. "No, you will need me to put in what we call psi blocks. Once you have one of those in place he would really have to probe deep into your mind to get past the blocks that I would put up."

Vicki thought a moment, "I was kind of looking forward to wearing a tin hat." She chuckled thinking of how she would look with a tin hat.

"Well if you want to wear one, I certainly would not stop you but you might look odd and cause people to talk."

Vicki paused and looked around since they had begun their walk she had an odd feeling that they around wondering if they were being followed or watched. Logan nodded to the top of Widows Hill, there the outline of Josette Collins stood watching them approach, once they topped the hill, her figure faded from view.

"She was watching us on the beach almost 10 minutes ago. I think she was worried about you and what had happened with the rock slide. She is a good friend and look out for you Victoria, I would hold onto that friendship."

Vicki had smiled noticing it was Josette on the hill. "She has saved me on several occasions. I think she is trying to make up for what happened between us in 1796."

Logan stopped and frowned; "I know she blamed you for what happened to Barnabas, she thought you were the witch."

He glanced around looking slightly paranoid. "Vicki, take my hand and close your eyes." He reached for her hand pulled her close to him, shielded her with his coat the air around them began to crackle and blurred, from the depths of the abyss they seemed to be falling through Vicki could hear the loud condemning voice of a man that she had come to fear. "Victoria Winters is a witch and must hang!"

Vicki gasped as she held to Logan's coat, "Trask!" She had never feared anyone as much as she had this man that had tortured her and persecuted her.

Vicki felt her body ripped from Logan's arms and once again she felt herself free falling again tumbling through a time slip to land in the cellar of the old house. Pushing up from her position she stood and listened. Then she heard the generator click on to run a test and then shift off. "Oh thank goodness."

She moved to push the button that switched on the lights that flooded the room. Moving to the steps she slowly made her way up the stairs. She had not gone any further than three steps when the room grew icy cold and then the chilling tones of Trask's voice arrested her progress up the stairs. "Stop!"

Vicki paused, her breath was visible around her and she turned to peer down to the man that had sent her to the gallows. "Victoria Winters you must stop."

Vicki turned, feeling her heart beat against her rib cage and she had to admit at this time he still struck fear in her heart. "I am not the witch you sought Trask." She took a deep breath and slowly moved down to face him.

He smiled, "You have grown brazen in your later years. I know you are not the witch I sought but you are a witch."

Vicki nodded, "I am a witch of white powers and good. Why are you here?"

Trask fully solidified in from paced the area of the cellar. "I came for retribution against the one that condemned me to death."

Vicki shook her head. "You are not going to be allowed to harm anyone in my family "

Trask circled around her and laughed, "How can you stop me from seeking my revenge."

Vicki smiled as she thought a moment, held up her hand and commanded, "Return to your grave or face the light of the guardian."

Trask screamed in pain as his ghostly form was consumed and vanquished from the cellar. "Gosh that felt good. For so long that man had held me in terror, now he will never harm another innocent." Trask's form was sucked down into the bowels of the earth and the soul that was Trask found him self in the nine hells fearing he would never be allowed to return to the sanctity of his grave.

From behind, Task heard a deep voice, "Welcome Reverend Trask welcome to hell. I must say I really enjoyed your work. You were my most favorite and apt pupil."

Trask spun around and glared at the red skinned horned devil before him. "What deviltry is this? Who are you devil spawn?"

Diablos laughed, "I am the master of the real witch, she calls me Diablos you can call me master!" Trask screamed in terror as the devilish demon moved towards him casting his soul into eternal damnation and burning embers. "I think we shall let you cook a while before I decide to send you back to do my bidding."