"You must let help with the cleanup, Mrs. Revere."

"No Kathryn, you are my guest. I wouldn't dream of it. And do call me Rachel."

"Only if you call me Katie. It's no trouble at all. I think your husband and the Doctor are going to be talking for a while anyway."

Rachel smiled understandingly. "Of course. Just take those dishes there and follow me into the kitchen."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow teasingly at Katie. "Domestic duties demanding your attention?"

"Oh, be quiet," she muttered under her breath, trailing after Rachel. Rachel was young, but that hadn't really surprised Katie. She already knew that the Reveres hadn't been married long, and that the marriage had probably scandalized some, as it had only been about 6 months after Paul's first wife, Sarah Orne, had died in 1773 after they were married for 16 years. Katie's guess about how many children he had alive at this time was a lucky one; she knew 6 children had survived from his first marriage, and figured Rachel and Paul hadn't had too much time to have their own 5 children.

Knowing all about these people can be a real problem. There's nothing to ask; I already read about it. Still, it's much different actually talking to them. And so incredible, she thought.

"Just set them there. I'll wash, you dry."

Katie did as she was told and picked up a towel. I wonder where the kids are, she mused. The place should be full of them!

As though able to hear the question, Rachel spoke up. "Most of Paul's children aren't in town. He thought it would be safer for them to be out in the country with relatives. Only the three - two youngest are here. Isannah died late last year. Her sister Elizabeth still misses her."

"My condolences."

Rachel waved her hand, acting as though it was nothing. "Children die often. We've all lost siblings. I am fortunate that our newest, Joshua, appears to be a healthy boy."

Katie's mind raced to recall which of the Revere children would live. She was relieved to recall that Joshua would. "I'm certain he'll be all right."

Rachel gave a small smile. "Enough of such mournful talk. Tell me more about yourself. The men took over the conversation, as they usually do. Where do you come from?"

"A place called California."

"California," Rachel repeated, rolling the word around in her mouth. "What a curious name. It sounds Spanish."

Katie hid a smile, recalling her 3 Mexican friends and their large families. "I suppose it is, in a manner of speaking."

"What is California like?"

Katie paused in drying the plate she was holding, smiling faintly as she remembered. Home was still a tender spot for her, since she could never return.

Katie was part of a clone race called the Jahra Rahki. The Rahki had created the Jahra to take the place of major historical figures on different planets, in order to see how they lived. Katie had, in a sense, broken free from that role, but her original, the girl she had been created to replace, had already been put back. Since all of Katie's memories had been recorded and placed inside the original's head, it was almost as though they were the same person, enough so that if Katie ever went back, it could create a horrific paradox.

"If you would rather not speak of it…" Katie shook her head, coming back to the present.

"I'm sorry, I was lost in the memories. California is a very fertile place. So much in fact, that farmers can plant two, sometimes even three full crops in a year. Much of it borders the sea, so the ocean is fairly close. The southern parts are very warm and dry, while in the north it's a wetter green, and it snows there during winter." Her stare grew distant again, and Rachel paused in scrubbing as Katie's thoughts wandered and her voice grew husky. "And the mountains, oh the mountains! High, cold, remote, but so beautiful! In the foothills, where the peaks are far lower, the sunsets would stretch across the pines and the walnut orchard and the vineyards, turning the leaves into gold. The sky would be painted in an ever changing, never replicating pattern of dark, bright colors. In the early mornings, mist would rise from the lake far, far below, sometimes so thick you thought you could walk on top of it. If you rose early enough, you could greet the sun as it came over the eastern rim of the valley, off to the right of where the house stood. Shafts of light would streak out across everything as it all came awake. That was when it was best. I saw the same view every day of my life, but it was never exactly as it had been. Always different, always the same, always brilliantly gorgeous." Katie closed her eyes, picturing it. Then she blinked, and flashed Rachel a smile. "Sorry. I've been rambling."

Rachel looked thoughtfully at Katie. "California must be a wonderful place."

"It is." Sensing that Katie was looking for a change of topic, Rachel asked,

"How did Doctor Isthmus become your guardian?"

"We sort of bumped into each other. I was attacked, and he saved me. I saved his life once shortly after I recovered, so now, we just…travel."

"What of your family? They must be frightfully worried about you."

"I have no family."

"Oh!" Rachel gasped, turning a faint shade of pink. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's all right. Harmless mistake." Katie cleared her throat. She had known these questions would be asked, and that the questioner would become embarrassed. Once that occurred, Katie could ask any thing she wanted, and would get an answer. Sometimes hard memories were useful. "That dress shop down the street…is there any reason if would have blown up?"

"No. The two women who ran it only opened shop two weeks back. No one knew really knew them yet. I suppose I should be grateful though, to a point. Paul was considering purchasing the spot for his own work."

"Really? What made him choose otherwise?"

"It wasn't quite large enough for our needs. What do you think caused the explosion?"

Katie shrugged. "Maybe someone left behind a barrel of powder when everyone moved the supplies out of Concord so the Tom's wouldn't get them. Not sure what gunpowder would be doing in a dress shop, but it's possible."

Suddenly, something that Raul had said, and that Rachel had confirmed, clicked in Katie's mind, and she wasn't sure she liked the sound. "You said that you moved here. From Boston?"

"Yes. Paul and I had no wish to remain there with so many British Regulars around."

That's not right. I thought the Reveres stayed in Boston. That's how everyone learned about the approach of the Regulars. So why are they down here? They can't be, or the message might never get out!

"How long have you lived in Lexington?"

"Almost directly after the Boston Massacre in 1770. My own family moved here, and Paul came down after making his engraving of the sight. We met before Sarah had passed, and married soon after she did. Is it important when we came down?"

Katie's next comment was interrupted by a young voice. "Mommy, I can't sleep."

Rachel and Katie turned to see a young girl, who Katie assumed was Elizabeth. She was the sweetest child Katie had ever seen, with large eyes and thick curly hair. She's about four now. I can see her father in her. I didn't meet Sarah, but I think I see her too, with all that hair. I feel a bit sorry for her. She must have been only two when her biological mother died. It's sweet that she's accepted Rachel.

Katie smiled at Elizabeth and crouched down to be at eye level with her. "Hello there. What's your name?"

The child looked up at Katie. She gave a small curtsy. "My name's 'Lizbeth. Who are you? Why are you here?"

Rachel started to admonish her, but Katie lifted a hand. "I'm Katie. I'm here visiting your parents. Elizabeth is a pretty name. How old are you, Elizabeth?"

She held up a small hand. "Four. How old are you?" she asked, her voice full of innocent curiosity.

"I'm fifteen. I liked being four better though."

Elizabeth's forehead crinkled, and she stuck out her bottom lip. "Being four is no fun. You hafta go to bed early, and you hafta listen to grown-ups, and you can't go anywhere by yourself. I wanna be fifteen."

"Oh, but being fifteen is dreadfully boring. You need to watch everything you do, and you have to sit and sew all day, and do lessons, and you still can't go anywhere on your own. Being four is a good thing, because you can still live in the world of make-believe, and you can take the time to look at butterflies, and you get to play with fairies."

"Fairies aren't real though. That's what big sister says."

Katie put on a look of indignant astonishment. "They do to exist. I've met them." Well, technically, I met one of the many off-shoots to an alien race called Froizk, but they looked like fairies.

Elizabeth gave a soft gasp. "You did?"

Katie nodded solemnly. "I did. Cross my heart."

"What did they look like?"

Glancing over her shoulder, Katie was pleased, and mildly surprised, to hear such a question come from Rachel. It was almost completely free of disbelief. She turned back to Elizabeth.

"Well, they aren't as small as you would think. They're about a foot high, and they have big wings that shimmer all different colors. And they dance and play with sunbeams and water and mist and moonlight, and then they make things with them." Katie reached into her pocket and pulled out a small ring. It was silver colored, with a swirl design and a blue stone set in the middle. She put the ring on her finger and held it out for Elizabeth to see.

"As with all things fairies make, this ring is magical, but only if you think good thoughts. Now, I'm going to focus on something nice. Watch the ring."

Holding her hand with the palm down, Katie decided to concentrate on a robin she had watched once. Because of her ability to absorb energy, she felt the ring pull some out of her to create an image. Most people wouldn't have, but Katie didn't really mind anyway. It used almost nothing.

Rachel and Elizabeth both gasped when a small, 3-D picture of a robin in flight came to life above the ring. It was golden in color, but easily recognizable. They stared in awe as it danced though the air, coming to rest on a tree branch. Katie smiled, enjoying their astonishment. She dropped the smile and solemnly took off the ring, holding it up in front of Elizabeth.

"They gave me this with strict instructions to give it only to someone who believed in fairies even though they hadn't seen them. Do you believe in fairies?"

Elizabeth nodded her head furiously. Katie smiled again.

"Good. Now, remember, you can only think good thoughts when you wear it."

"Can I think about Isannah?"

Katie's smiled grew a bit sad, but she nodded. "Thinking about your happy memories of your sister is good. Now, head on off to bed. It's late, and the ring doesn't work as well when you're tired."

"'Kay. Good night Mommy. Good night Katie."

"Sleep well Elizabeth."

Rachel watched her child go, then turned to Katie. "You shouldn't have given something so precious to her. She might lose it."

"Nah. She'll probably wear it all the time. Besides, even if she does lose it, she'll remember it as long as she lives. And consequently, she'll remember me."

"How does it work?"

It reads the telepathic signals from your brain, then uses heat energy to power a miniature holographic video system in order to create the image you focus on. Katie thought. Instead, she said, "I already told your daughter; fairies made it."

"That's your story?"

Katie winked. "And I'm sticking to it. If you'll excuse me, I need to speak with the Doctor about something."

Rachel nodded, still trying to solve the riddle of Katie's ring. Katie had already forgotten it though, her mind racing as she went back into the small dining room. Paul Revere Junior never lived in Lexington. He only ever had a shop in Boston. Why is he living down here? If he is, who rides out tomorrow night in his place? Who gives the warning? I know he's not the only one, but he's the spear point of the whole messaging system, the singular most trusted messenger. He can't be down here!

*Constructive critisisim welcome, praise happily accepted, flames not wanted*