A/N: Thanks to Niffer01 for the review.

Things are gonna start heating up soon, just bear with me.

Review and Enjoy!

Once upon a time, there were two young men, Costin Sarka and Timon Vasili. Timon –

"Sarka like Talia?" Jess interrupted, lifting her head to look at her mother.

"Yes sweetheart, now hush," Rena replied, smiling indulgently as her eldest daughter settled back down.

Timon grew up in a small town just outside of Bucharest, in a time where scary stories about bloodsucking Vampires and vicious Werewolves where spreading through the lands like wildfire.

"Werewolves aren't vicious," Jess interrupted her mother again. "They're cuddly!"

"I know Jess, but the people didn't know any better, and they had been told the same story by their parents, and their parent's parents. They were just scared of things they didn't understand, that's why the believed such silly stories."

Timon was descended from a line of powerful Witches, but they had lost much of their power, and much of their social standing. Timon's family were forced to live in a very poor area of town, and his father had to work hard just to put food on the tables. But this never bothered Timon, he had never lived any other way, and would only smile as his Grandmother would grumble about balls and parties, and consorting with royalty.

Timon's best friend was Costin Sarka, but unfortunately for both young boys, they only had a few months to play with each other every year, as Costin was not only one of the travelling people, but also one of the Lupi, the wolf-people. Timon loved hearing the stories of the other boy's travels, for Costin had even travelled all the way to the far side of the Carpathian Mountains! Timon's Grandmother didn't approve of the boy's friendship, but his parents believed in harmless, and allowed the boys their fun.

Little did they know that young Costin's tales of Shapeshifters would spark off an interest in Timon that would alter his fate forever.

You see, although his family was virtually human in their power, Timon was not. When he turned fourteen and started to grow into a man, his power grew also. When his parents realized his potential, they tried to find him an apprenticeship with a Great Master, but none would take him because of his family's disgrace, despite his power.

"What about Costin?" Jess interrupted again, and this time it was Talia that hushed her.

"I'm getting to that, patience sweetheart," Rena sighed.

Eventually they found him a place with a mid-level Witch, and while he easily surpassed his Master in power, it gave him a chance to learn the practical side, and find suitable career which would further his family, and help them regain some of their standing.

Timon's friendship with Costin continued, but the young Witch listened to his best-friend's stories with fresh new eyes. His tales of transformation, the different legends of the origins of the Shapeshifter race, all of them had more meaning with his new knowledge of the magics.

When he finished his apprenticeship, much to his family's horror, he chose to travel with Costin's pack for a time, learning everything he could about the Lupi. Now normally, the Shifters were very secretive about their ways, but Costin trusted Timon, and the pack trusted Costin, so the young Witch was welcomed with open arms.

When he returned to his home, he was shocked at the disdain the other Witches greeted him with. They believed he was tainted by his dealings with the Shifters, and they laughed at his theories on Shifter power and transformation.

You see, Timon believed that everything, was intrinsically linked through magic. Even—

"What's 'intrinsic' mean?" Tal asked, and Rena found herself looking at two pairs of curious eyes.

"It means that it was all linked at a basic level," Rena replied.

"Oh. Okay," Tal said, still looking confused.

Even creatures with no natural magical ability, such as humans and animals. He believed this was how Shapeshifters managed to transform, and he even believed it was possible to control this magic.

Timon devoted his life to his studies, reading all the research he could find, and running experiments on animals to see how they reacted to magical contact.

"Ewww!"

Timon was treated as an outcast, and eventually a lunatic by his peers, who believed his theories were ridiculous. He became absorbed by his work, ignoring everything else, and the only thing that could draw him out were the yearly visits of Costin and his pack.

Costin's life had taken a very different route. He was living the same life his father had, the same life as his father before him, travelling with his pack, taking work where he could find it, and living free. He was happy. Over the years, he had found a mate, a pretty young wolf-girl, and they had three much-loved children. He had been made Alpha of his pack, and they were strong, despite the fear surrounding their existence.

Timon was not jealous, there was no anger in him towards his old friend, but to say he didn't wish for the same kind of quiet happiness as his friend would be a lie. His own people had cast him out, but still, the Shifter greeted him with open arms, and his experiments took on another purpose.

Not only did he wish to prove the link between all things, but he planned on proving it on himself. He believed that he could unlock the ability to change form within himself, using his studies to do the impossible – and turn himself into a Shifter.

At this point, Timon didn't grasp the danger he was creating, he only saw the potential for magical advancement that his studies could provide. If he succeeded, he would remove the very thing that makes Shifters unique and put that power into the hands of those who didn't understand the responsibility, and the Laws that they lived by. If the Witches could transform, the Shifters would lose the only advantage they ever had over them.

But Timon just wished to belong, to be recognized for his genius and skill. He just wanted the acceptance that the Shifters so easily gave. But what he failed to realize was that he already had that from them, that they didn't care what he was. In his search for his prize, he became increasingly less concerned with the cost of his experiments.

Costin remained oblivious to his friend's decent, only ever seeing the mild, hopeful Timon that he had known since childhood. It wasn't until Timon was faced with a difficult decision that Costin finally realized that Timon had become the very madman that his fellow Witches had accused him of being for years.

Timon had become paranoid, and rightly so. The other Witches had finally realized the threat he posed. The still refused to believe that his ideas would work, but they recognized that he was a powerful Witch on the edge of insanity, and he needed to be stopped. They approached Costin, as he was the only one Timon would trust to get near him, but the wolf refused to betray that trust and refused to believe their accusations.

Until one fateful day. No one knows why, but Timon turned on Costin, abducting his mate. Timon had spent time with the Lupi, he knew that Costin's loyalty to his mate and pack would outweigh their friendship. When the wolf found out what his friend had done, he finally realized just how far into madness his friend had fallen.

Only three people know what happened in Timon Vasili's workroom. What the rest of the world knows is that Costin walked in, intent on rescuing his mate. A team of Clan Council Witches remained outside, ready to step in as soon as Vasili's wards dropped. The rest of Costin's pack waited with them, ready to tear apart any one who posed a threat to their Alpha pair.

A great battle took place, those waiting outside could feel the power Timon was using. Even the Witches with their human senses could hear the fierce growls of Constin in his fur.

Then silence.

After ten painful minutes of silence, Constin came out carrying the broken body of his mate. Howls of pain and sorrow went up from the waiting pack, chilling the blood of all who heard. They knew from the smell of Vasili's blood on their Alpha that justice had been served, but too late. They mourned the loss not only of the wolf-girl, but of Constin too, for he would surely follow his mate to the other side.

Vasili had not only killed an innocent woman, he had killed the only person who would have defended him to the end.

Costin grew weaker every day, only living long enough to see that his pack was protected, and ensure that Timon's research didn't fall into the wrong hands. Timon let his fears control him, and failed to see that he already had everything that he dreamed of. He worked tirelessly to complete his research without stopping to think on the consequences.

"If it's a story Rena used to tell you guys, how come it took so long to remember?" Alex asked, shifting where she sat on the grass next to Pogue.

"I remember now," Jess replied. "But I think she only told us once."

Tal rolled her eyes, leaning back against Reid's chest. "Yeah, 'cause you cried like a baby."

Jess glared at her as Tyler wrapped his arm around her with a smile. "It was sad!"

"Well, I doubt it was Rena's intention to make you cry," Will smirked. "If I remember my family history right, Costin Sarka really did exist. Fifteenth Century Romania."

"I guess I always just filled in under make-believe rather than fact, but it must be real," Tal remarked.

"Or at least based on real events," Sarah suggested. "Maybe if you called Rena she might be able to remember where she got the story from."

"Yeah," Caleb added. "If we've got a time frame and location, we have a place to start a search."

"And something specific to ask the Witches about." Alex sighed. "I'm assuming this is why Maya isn't here? You think the Witches are holding back."

Talia wiggled awkwardly. "Yeah. Not that I want to go around accusing them, but it's one thing not to have a record of some guy who had contact with your people five hundred years ago, but Vasili was a Witch, they would have a record of him, especially if he went off the deep end."

"You think she's involved in a cover-up?" Will asked, frowning.

"More likely she's just being used too," Jess sighed. "But just because she's not actively lying to us doesn't mean she won't rat us out to her bosses."

Will nodded.

"So what do we do?" Reid asked quietly.

Tal shrugged. "Keep running our investigation, but keep the specifics from the Witches. If they are trying to hide something, it would be best if they didn't know the direction of our search. They might try making it even more difficult."

"So no Maya?" Alex said. "It's a shame, I was starting to like her."

"I know, and I doubt she's involved, but we can't take the chance right now. This is the only lead we have, and it's a pretty sketchy one at that," Talia pointed out.

"You're right about the long shot, sis. Not that I don't trust you and Jess, but we're only guessing that it's the same Vasili. Even then, we don't know for certain that Chase has the box. Maybe Vargssen only had fourteen of the boxes to start with. Maybe the Witches took it and that's why they're stonewalling us."

"Come on, you honestly think he doesn't have that box?" Caleb asked Will incredulously.

"No, but my point is we're grasping as straws here, and we have to be prepared for anything," Will answered. He sighed in frustration, running his hands through his thick black hair. "I'll call Jacob and Rena, see if they can't did anything up. We'll be there soon enough ourselves."

"You'll have to run interference with the Maya, make sure she doesn't catch on," Jess pointed out.

Will grinned. "My pleasure."

Tal shook her head. "Just be careful, Will."

"Yeah, yeah. 'cause you're the queen of keeping things strictly professional," he shot back.

"Hey!" Reid protested.

"Don't worry baby, he like you, really." Tal reached her hand back and patted his cheek. "Otherwise he would have killed you already."

"Funny," Reid smirked.

Will smiled a big wolf grin. "Who said she was joking?"

"Quit it Will," Jess laughed, despite the fact that what Tal had said was technically true. "For the first time since we took down Vargssen, we have a place to start looking. This is a good thing."

They all nodded.

"I can't help much with the Shifter research, but I can search out the human records for Vasili and Costin. Spencer's got a good library, and if I can't find anything there or online, I can always go through to Gloucester or even Boston," Sarah offered. "I can always just say it's an extra credit project for history class."

"Do you think it will make a difference if we do find out more about Vasili?" Tyler asked.

"Well, you guys said whatever Vargssen was doing to those girls involved their life force, right? Isn't that kind of what Vasili was supposed to be researching?" Tyler asked. "From his diaries it seems as though he was using Vasili's theories as the basis for his own project. If we found out what he was working on all those years ago, we might be able to figure out what Vargssen was doing."

"And what those boxes were," Jess added.

Will looked back at Sarah. "We don't have much time before we leave for Chicago, but whatever you could do before then would be excellent."

Sarah nodded, still looking concerned.

"It'll be okay," Caleb soothed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "We've still got plenty of time before Tyler's Ascension. We'll be ready this time."