"Morning."

The mumbled greeting from Nick made Derek look up from his newspaper. Normally the older man was late at breakfast, but he ad wanted to make sure Nick wasn't going to do anything stupid. The dishelved and bruised security chief looked like he hadn't slept at all, filling up a cup with coffee bleary eyed.

"Goot morning Nick, slept well?"

The glare coming from the hazel eyes told him to back off, which he didn't of course. His young friend was receptive to nightmares, even more so then the gifted Legacy members and he wanted to ask about possible dreams, the thought distracting him from what was more important. The Seal had grabbed the newspaper before he even realised it. With dread the Dutchman waited for the reaction that was bound to come.

The other man tensed eyes scanning the article and they darkened, muscles in his jaw twitching. Tense minutes passed with neither of them talking until…

"I told you this was going to happen. Damnit Derek, an innocent man is missing because you decided it was best to sleep!"

"And that young man could have been you or me. The risk was too great."

Nick couldn't understand how his boss could stay this calm, when knowing another man was missing, the third so far. It was their responsibility to keep 'em save, not to stand by and watch.

"You could've let me go, I could have protected the guy or at least try to. What's the point in being Legacy now?"

The Seal's voice had the tone of defeat and both of them knew this wasn't about the current case anymore. This was something they had avoided to talk about, pretended it didn't happen and yet had always stood between them. And though this was partly the reason why Derek took Nick back to Ireland, he had hoped it to go differently.

"I'd make the same decision again in the same situation, As Precept I have to make sure the well being of the world goes before the safety of the team."

"Don't you think I don't know that? I know the dangers of the job more then anybody. You split us up Derek when it was too dangerous."

Yes, the team had been split up, because there had been so little time to find the key. They hadn't known the demon ad been that strong, going in blind had killed Julia and he was never ever going to do that again. It had made him more cautious, not even a furious Nick Boyle could change that.

"I know she meant a lot to you Nick, but Julia's gone. Blaming Philip or me is not going to bring her back."

When the older man mentioned the Priest, Nick's head shot up, pain flaring up in the distressed hazel eyes. Julia's death had broken the deep friendship between the two young men and Philip tried hard to mend that rift, was still trying but it didn't work. There was still awkwardness and hostility between the two.

"Have you ever talked about it?"

The young man shook his head, fiddling with his seal ring as he tried to look anywhere but to Derek. Talking about emotions and Nick were two things that just didn't fit together. He had been too conditioned about it as boy. Major Boyle had made sure his son wouldn't be a sissy, breaking him had been a side affect. Nobody could say Nick wasn't tough. Unfortunately they all said he was too hard in himself. And pressuring him into talking wouldn't help either.

"You should, it helps to soothe the pain, if only a little."

"I'm fine."

"Are you? Karen's death was a hard blow."

Nick blanched when the succubus was mentioned, another lover taken by death and with his own hands. Not that she had left him with options, she had wanted to make him like her against his will.

"Don't go there."

The normal gentle voice was as cold as ice and the serious intent was noted, though not approved of. So the Precept nodded, he needed his chief of security in a right state of mind today. But they were going to talk about it, soon.

"I'm going to get us some breakfast."

With dread Derek watched his young friend leave, giving him the time and space he so obviously needed. And not for the first time he wished he had known about the abuse so he could have stopped Jonathan from destroying his son.

Oh, Jonathan, why did you do it? What went wrong?

"We need two more to complete the cycle, once more the blood of innocence will spill so we may return."

The priests nodded their ancient heads, their purpose was clear, their intention obvious. So long they had been captured, their souls bound to one single chalice and now they wanted their bodies back, or more so, they wanted a body.

"Once we return we can fulfil our true destiny, to finish what we have started so long ago. The gods will smile upon us."

"The one we selected to be our last is powerful, a worthy last sacrifice."

"But he is not alone."

There were murmured responses. Not alone was not good, they did not need more unwanted attention drawn to them. All of the previous sacrifices had been alone.

"No, he is not. We are strong enough to defeat him, they are Legacy, the threat we have to eliminate. Both will die tomorrow."