A/N: Okay, so I know the first chapter was über heavy. But it has to be that way for the story. But I'm glad you're all liking it. Here's the next one.

P.S. What do you think the consequence for using Trick's blood will be? Because I can promise you, there is one! Haha!

Chapter 2: Picking Up The Pieces

The Dal

When Trick finally joined them in the bar, he could see all eyes were on him. Rightfully so, since he was about to use his very dangerous blood to bring back four Hybrids from the dead. But, this was his family.

And he wasn't losing them because of his own fears. That's probably what Ronan was counting on. He'd been here while Bo and Lauren had been on their trip around the world.

And from what he'd heard from his Grandkids in the weeks before, Ronan seemed to know a lot about them. Whether it was stuff he'd learned from Zee, or maybe things he'd found out for himself; he'd been prepared for this for a long time. But why? All for revenge? No, it didn't make sense.

Trick stood next to the table where Ethan laid, in a row; it was Ethan, Shay, Patrick, and then finally; Charlie. Four Hybrids, laid on four empty tables. He decided to use what little room was left on Ethan's table to begin his ritual.

He took his special knife, and cut a neat slice through his left palm, squeezing tight over a bowl and letting his blood fill it halfway.

Lauren was on hand just in case he gave too much. She wanted her kids back more than anything, but she didn't want Trick to die because of it. When Bo told her he'd agreed to help with this; she was skeptic. Knowing how much Trick hated using his blood. But she was ultimately glad he was.

Because it meant she'd have her children back soon.

He took his old quill, and dipped it in his blood. With his left hand still bleeding over the bowl, he wrote in his blood book with his right. In Fae runes, until his message was clear. The letters vanished, and he felt his power diminish slightly. Looking up, he saw no change in Ethan's colour, no movement, nothing.

"Damn it!" He sighed.

"What's wrong? Why isn't it working?" Bo approached him, checking her son's pulse. There was nothing there.

Trick wrapped his hand up with Lauren's help, but he already felt dizzy. "I was afraid of this…" he groaned, wiping the blood away. "… They're not normal Fae. They're too powerful for my blood to work. The power of one Blood Sage isn't enough to bring them back, I'm sorry Bo. I wanted this to work too" he really did.

Bo didn't understand. "But, you're the Blood King! How can you not have enough power?" She couldn't give up, this wasn't how it was supposed to end. "No! This can't be it" she bent down, kissing Ethan's head and breathing him in.

Suddenly, Charlie rose from her table gasping for air. She looked down, and her stab wound was healing. She remembered what happened. And how much it hurt, but as she looked around she could see her family weren't expecting her to be up. "What'd I miss?"

Lauren ran over to her, "Oh my god!" She brought her into a hug. "I can't believe it. You're okay!" She cried, happily. Even though three of her other kids were still dead. "I don't understand, I thought you said your power wasn't enough?" She turned back, asking Trick.

Who was just as flummoxed by the whole thing, but then he realised. "It could be because she shares my gift. Between the two of us, we might have enough power to bring the rest of them back" he wasn't sure, but he was willing to try.

"Are you okay with that?" Bo asked her, still happy her daughter was alive.

Charlie got the gist of what was going on, so she nodded. "Sign me up!" She hopped off the table, getting to her Grandfather's side. She took his knife and cut her palm, letting her blood pour into the bowl.

She was leaving it up to him to write while she held his injured hand with her free one. "All you Gramps" she winked at him.

Trick wrote in the blood again, hoping that the mixture of their blood would generate enough power to bring the rest of them back. They both felt a cold shiver run down their spine, it was working.

It took a couple of seconds for the letters to vanish this time around. But as soon as the last letter had disappeared, Ethan, Shay and Patrick all rose from their tables.

Bella ran to Ethan, while Lauren and Bo ran to Patrick, and Sasha ran to Shay. It was a happy moment for their little Clan. Only, it didn't last. Charlie smiled, looking at everyone reuniting. "We did it Gramps…" she turned to her right, but Trick wasn't there. "… Grandpa?" She turned around, seeing him passed out on the floor. "Oh my god!" She tried to wake him up, but nothing. "MOM!"

Bo and Lauren both heard her, but Lauren ran first. As she rounded the table, she saw Charlie trying to wake Trick up. The bandage she secured for him was bleeding through, that wasn't meant to happen. "Trick?" She tried to hear his heartbeat by putting an ear to his chest, it was there but faint.

"He's gonna be okay, right?" Bo came to stand next to her.

"I'm not sure…" Then Lauren thought of something. "… Charlie, your blood! Feed it to him, it should heal him!" She watched her do it, but Trick showed no change. "Shit!" She checked his pulse, it was barely there. "We gotta get him to my Clinic, now!" She called for Dyson, who with the help of Ethan and Patrick, carried Trick out to the car.

Bo felt awful, she begged him to do this. "I shouldn't have pushed him. This's all my fault" she started crying again.

But Lauren shook her head, "No, you did what you had to do to save your children. Trick made the decision to help, because he's a good man. Besides, there's no way I'm letting him die on us. I promise, I'm gonna do everything I can for him. We're not losing anyone else" she kissed her, then ran after the boys.

Charlie got up, wiping the blood off of her healed hand. "He's gonna pull through Mom. He's tough, just like us" she tapped her Mother's shoulder, not expecting the smothering hug that came next.

"I'm so glad you're back…" Bo turned to wave Shay and Patrick over, as well as Bella. "… All of you" they shared a group hug.

Family style.

When they broke apart, Bella still latched onto Shay. "Come on, you couldn't have missed me that much?" She laughed it off, tapping her back. But Bella just replied that she did, and that she was sorry she didn't help. "Hey? You did help. You did what Ethan said. You stayed safe. I died happy knowing that" she hugged her again.

She loved all her siblings, but Bella deserved the extra attention. She was the baby of the group, but had an enormous power. That one day, would make her the most feared of them all.

"Promise me you won't die again" Bella said.

As much as Shay would love to promise that, in her life that wasn't always a guarantee. "I can promise I'll try, how's that sound?" She got an okay from her, then sent her off to their Mother. Just then, she felt arms encircle her waist from behind. "Don't tell me you missed me too? I don't get it. Everyone always says I'm a pain in the ass!" She chuckled.

Sasha let go of her, walking around to face her. "You are a pain!" She told her. "But, you're a pain I can't live without. When I saw you laying there, I couldn't breathe. Since you're immortal, I never thought I'd have to worry about someone killing you for real. I wasn't prepared" she didn't want to cry again.

"No one can prepare for death…" Shay said. "… It happens when we least expect it. But you're right, I didn't think I'd have to worry about dying for real either. To be honest it was a real bummer. I missed you too by the way. I'm sorry I scared you" she leaned in for a kiss.

"Just promise me you won't do it again" Sasha latched on for a hug. She didn't want it to end.

What was with everyone making her promise things? Shay kissed her head, "I can promise to try" she whispered to her. She gave her the same answer as her sister. She couldn't guarantee not dying again, especially not with Ronan out there waving about a weapon that could kill her.

"I'll take it" Sasha replied, burying her head deeper into Shay's shoulder.

With her daughter now happy with her love, Tamsin tapped Bo's shoulder. "I'm happy things worked out for you Bo…" she got a smile and a thank you from her friend. "… But all things considered, I think we should do something about this Ronan guy before he starts causing trouble for other Fae"

Bo had been meaning to ask about that. "Did you know about him while Lauren and I were away?" She had to know. But Tamsin replied that this was the first she'd heard his name. She also expressed that if she had known, she and Dyson would've called them immediately. "I know you would've. Can't exactly scold them though. Right now, I'm just happy they're alive" that's all that mattered.

"I bet. I'm gonna go do some digging on Ronan, see what his story is. I know he's Zee and Hera's son, but there's gotta be something else to find. Like, why bother seeking revenge in the first place? You and Zee had a deal. I'm also gonna check if him going after your kids breaches that. If so, we might not have to worry about him for very long. The Elders will take care of it" Tamsin hoped they would, then their work was done.

"You do that. Call me if you find anything" Bo also promised to let her know what happens to Trick, once she got a call from Lauren.

Patrick came to stand by his Mother. "So, not that I don't love Grandpa's bar but, are we gonna be going home anytime soon? Cause', I'd really love to change my shirt. By the way, Ronan owes me for this! It's Calvin Klein!" He kept looking at the hole in his favourite t-shirt.

"Will you grow up!" Charlie frowned at him. "You died! And now Grandpa might die because he used all his power to bring you back! Be a little more considerate, there's more to life than a stupid shirt!" She walked off to the bar, she needed a drink.

He just looked at his Mother, who shook her head. That was her way of saying don't bite back. It was pointless. So, he just went to the back room. He knew he'd left some clothes here before.

Shay approached her Mother from her left. "Tensions are running high, huh?" She'd never seen Charlie let out an outburst like that. But then again, she loved Trick. They all loved him, but given that they both shared the same ability; Trick and Charlie had a stronger connection, which was fine.

It just meant that she was feeling his pain more than anyone else. "Mom, about Ronan; I know we should've called you, but Ethan and I didn't think it was necessary"

Bo sighed, "I get why you didn't call me…" she thought back to when she was in Bella's mind. "… I know Ethan didn't want to bother your Mom and I while we were on our trip. But, you guys have to understand; you are our children. If you need us, we're there. It doesn't matter if we're a world away, if you sense danger; you call us. Okay?" She made it clear.

"Okay…" Shay nodded. "… I'm still sorry though. Any ideas about what we're gonna do about this new threat?" She asked.

"Not really. How're we supposed to defeat someone who has a weapon that can kill us all?" Bo didn't know where to start. "All this time, there's never been anything that can kill you guys. And yet, this guy finds something out of the blue? There's gotta be something more going on" she felt off about it.

Shay thought back to everything that'd happened since her Parents left. "Ronan isn't like anyone I've ever faced before. It's like he's hell bent on destroying us. The look in his eyes when he stabbed Ethan; it was like he felt accomplished. You wanna tell me the beef you had with his Mom?"

Bo explained to Shay what she told Bella before, about Zee and her connection to their family. She also told her about the deal she made with Zee, forbidding her from returning to the city.

"Guess that didn't work out so well did it?" Shay couldn't help but point it out. "So, you're saying that lunatic is actually our cousin?" Her Mother nodded. "I get that you banished his Mom but, it could've ended a lot worse; you could've killed her that day, and he would've gone with her. But you didn't; if anything, he owes you his life" what an asshole!

That was something Bo didn't expect to hear from Shay. Even though the future had changed, and Shay was raised by her and Lauren instead of Jack; she was still the same as her future self, maybe a little less murdery.

"So, you're not gonna yell at me for not killing them both back then? Or tell me that's what you would've done?"

Shay bowed her head, smiling. That sounded like her. "If you'd asked me before I died, I probably would've said yes. But, actually having my life taken from me, has put a lot of things in perspective. I didn't realise how much I took my immortality for granted. I spent my whole life, thinking nothing could hurt me; but Ronan found a way" she felt an inner change.

Bo wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "He may have found a way, but like every other villain we've faced; he will fall. I'm here now, okay?" She smiled at her. "I'd die before I let you guys go again. I love you" she brought her in for a hug.

"I love you too Mom" Shay whispered into her ear. She wasn't much of a hugger, but she was today.

Lauren's Clinic - Later

As soon as she got in, she got Trick into a room and stabilised him. He was fine right now, but he wasn't out of the woods. Dyson was on his way to the cop shop to meet up with Tamsin so they could get started on looking up things about Ronan. Lauren hoped they'd find something on him soon. She hung a new bag of fluids next to his bed.

Ethan walked in holding two coffee cups, "Thought you could use this…" he handed her one. "… Milk and two sugars, just the way you like it" he winked at her. He'd been helping make her breakfast in bed every Mother's Day for the last two decades. He'd memorised her habits.

"Thank you sweetie…" she sipped it, and it tasted good. "… I'm so glad you're here. When I saw all of you laying there earlier, I felt like someone had torn my heart out and then chopped it up in front of me" she couldn't have said it any better than that.

And Ethan understood how that felt. "I'm sorry you had to go through that Mom. Everything that happened, was my fault. I got cocky. I thought we didn't have to bother you and Mom. For once, I just wanted to handle a situation without being a burden to you guys. I never thought it'd end like this" he was sorry.

Lauren placed her coffee on the table next to Trick's bed, waiting for Ethan to do the same. She placed both hands on either side of his face, reaching up because he was so tall. "Listen to me. You are my son. And you are not, nor will you ever be, a burden. I had my worst fear realised today. And I don't want to see it again. From now on, you need to be honest with us. Got it?"

"Got it Mom" he heard her, loud and clear.

She brought him down for a hug, "I love you, so much. Never forget that, okay?" She spoke in his ear. Her kids were everything to her. And to lose them, destroyed her. But they were given a second chance, and that was all thanks to Trick. Which's why she wasn't letting him die.

Ethan hugged her back, "I won't…" he replied. "… And I love you too" they broke apart when Trick's heart monitor started beeping. He was coding.

Lauren rounded the bed, "Get the crash cart!" She told Ethan where it was, while she checked Trick's eyes. His pupils were dilated. "Come on Trick, stay with us!" Once he brought her cart, she charged the paddles of the defibrillator. She told her son to stand back while she jolted Trick's chest. She looked at the monitor, no change. "Come on!" She shocked him again, and finally got a heartbeat.

Both of them breathed in relief, "How can using his power do this?" Ethan didn't understand it.

Placing the paddles back on the table, Lauren checked Trick's breathing with her stethoscope. It wasn't perfect, but at least he was breathing. "He's never had to use it to bring four Hybrids back to life. He barely had enough to bring Charlie back. Clearly, it's taken a toll on him. I just hope he can recover from this" she made him as comfortable as she could.

"You don't sound so enthusiastic about that" Ethan noticed.

Lauren wasn't going to sugar coat it, Ethan was old enough to know how things worked. "That's because I'm a Doctor. I can put all my faith in the hope of him getting better. But ultimately, his survival depends on his vitals…" she pointed to the monitor. "… And right now, they're not looking good" she didn't know how else to say it.

This was it.

"Should I call Mom?" He asked.

That was one thing Lauren was unsure of. Whether or not to call Bo. She'd already lost her kids once today, the fact that they'd got them back; wouldn't make a difference if Trick ended up dying. She didn't think Bo would survive it. But, as his Granddaughter she had a right to be here. "Yeah. Tell her to hurry. I don't like the fact that Ronan's out there lurking somewhere"

He nodded, turning away to make the call.

Later

Once she got the call, Bo drove straight over with her children in tow. Arriving, Charlie ran ahead and got to Trick's bedside first. She didn't tell anyone, but she wrote in her blood before they left the Dal; wishing for her Grandfather to recover. But seeing him now, she could see it didn't work.

Clearly, being a Blood Mage wasn't as amazing as everyone thought it was. "He's gonna be okay, right Mom?"

Lauren kept checking Trick's vitals, then turned to her daughter. "He will if I have anything to do with it…" she gave Charlie a smile. "… I'm not giving up on him sweetie, I promise" she walked away to grab some new bandages for his hand.

Bo followed her Wife to the supply closet. "And now that we're alone?" She knew Lauren better than anyone. "What're his chances of pulling through? Honestly?" She needed to hear it.

Sighing, Lauren stopped gathering items and turned to her. "Honestly? It's not looking good. You have to understand Bo. He used a lot of energy to bring them back, even with Charlie's help; it took a lot out of him. Hopefully, all he needs is some rest and then he'll be back to his normal bartending self"

"And if he doesn't pull through?" Bo asked.

Lauren stood close to her, "He will, I promise"

"I thought Doctors didn't make promises" Bo always heard from Lauren that it was wrong for Doctors to give that kind of guarantee.

Normally, that would be very true. But this was a different set of circumstances, Trick was her Family long before she married Bo. But now, he was that and more. He was the Grandfather to her children, her daughter shared his gift, and she named her youngest son after him. It didn't get more personal than that.

"This one does…" she referred to herself. "… I won't let him die"

Bo leaned into her, sniffling. Trying so hard to keep her tears at bay. She loved Lauren for remaining the strong one in all this. "In other news, I have Tamsin looking into Ronan. And also, the deal I made with Zee. If he's in violation of it, then hopefully the Elders will take care of him before I do"

"None of that will matter though if we don't take that special weapon away from him. Think about it Bo. If he finds out we brought them back, he might try again. And with Trick out of commission, Charlie won't have enough power to revive them on her own. We have to find a way to disarm him" Lauren couldn't go through that again.

Nodding, Bo agreed. "Maybe I should meet with him—" she got a scowl from Lauren, clearly she wasn't on board. "Look, I have to know why he's doing this. It can't just be because of Zee's banishment. She still got to live, she got the chance to have him. I gave her that chance"

"I don't think he cares about any of that Bo…" Lauren didn't want to do this right now. "… Okay, let's just take a second. I'm gonna change Trick's gauze, and then the seven of us are gonna sit down and hash everything out. We've been gone for a while Bo, we need to know everything they do" she took the supplies and left the room.

Cafeteria – Later

With Trick in stable condition, Lauren had the best nurses watching over him. She couldn't be in two places at once. And right now, she and Bo had to have a little sit down with their children, and find out what the hell had been happening while they'd been away. She and Bo sat together at the head of a lunch table while their five children sat around them.

"Okay. So, who wants to go first?" She looked at them.

They all just looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Except for Bella, she had her nose in a large book. "I'd be more than happy to speak—" Shay opened her mouth, but Bo cut her off with a 'No'. "You asked who wanted to go first!" She was just doing as she was told.

"We didn't mean you Shay…" Bo said. "… Whenever we need to talk about something serious, you make profound jokes and it gets annoying and infuriating very fast. So, we will hear from anyone, but not you. Sorry" she gave her a side smile.

Shay folded her arms, turning her head away in a pout. "Well, that does sound like me, but I'm still offended" she sat back in her chair. Fine, if they didn't want her input then she was going to stay out of it.

"You'll get over it. Now, the rest of you?" Bo looked at them. "Come on, someone needs to tell us what's been going on while we've been away. Out with it!" She was serious now.

Ethan exhaled, looking at his younger siblings. Clearly, he was nominated spokesman for them. "It started about a month after you guys left. We were living our lives, going about them as usual. And then, we got a letter in the mail. It was a threat. We didn't know it was Ronan at the time" he remembered getting that stupid letter.

"We just figured it was from another Fae asshat who hated us. But then, things started happening. Like, it rained. All the time. Which wouldn't be unusual. Only, every time one of us stepped outside, we were struck by lightening" Charlie added.

Patrick groaned, "Singed my hair pretty good one time. Had to cut it myself" he hated that day.

"When did Ronan show himself?" Bo asked. Ethan told her it was a few days after that. "This doesn't make any sense. He's had all this time to make a move. If it was really about revenge, then why go after you guys? He should've come straight for me, I'm the one who banished his Mother and killed his Father" she didn't get it.

And Lauren saw her point too. It was peculiar. "It's almost as if he was waiting for us to leave. So the kids would be unprotected. Not that they need it. But it's clear he wanted us out of the picture before he made his move. Why?" She frowned.

That was the moment Bella chose to join the conversation. "Because if you were still around, you'd find a way to stop him…" she'd finally found the answer. "… When I saw the weapon he used, I recognised the etchings on the blade. It's not just any dagger; it's a sacrificial dagger. Only, whatever material it's made of, it's strong enough to kill a Hybrid"

"Sacrifice?" Shay opened her mouth again. "Like, virgin sacrifice? Because I think we all know those ships left the harbour years ago. Well, all but one…" she nudged her littlest sister's arm, but immediately got a glare from Bo. "… Oh come on! We're all half of you. Did you really think we'd be abstainers?" She started laughing.

Sex was in their DNA.

Lauren waved her hand, "Okay, enough! See, this's why we didn't want you to talk!" She could always count on her eldest daughter to make it awkward. "Bella? What makes you think it's a sacrificial weapon?" She looked at her youngest.

Wanting to show her Mother what she'd found, Bella got up and rounded the table. Bringing a chair over to sit next to her Parents. "See these markings?" She placed her finger on the picture in the book. "These are the same markings that're engraved on that blade. That's why the marks started to glow when he killed them all. He was sacrificing them"

Bo vouched for her theory. "She's right, those are the exact same markings that were carved into that blade…" she remembered from when she saw it in Bella's mind. "… Question is, why did he create a sacrificial dagger to kill four Hybrids? What's in it for him?"

"He could've been using the power for something else?" Ethan said. "Whenever someone dies, they leave behind a signature of energy. What if he wants to harness the energy from all our deaths for something bigger? Is that possible?" He asked his youngest sister.

Bella thought it over, she'd spent many a night going through all the magic books in her Grandfather's Lair. And she'd familiarised herself with all kinds of magic. "Very possible. But, the fact that he needed to sacrifice all you guys; means he must need a hell of a lot of power for whatever he's doing. I'm getting a bad feeling already" she didn't like it.

"We need to figure out what that weapon's made out of…" Shay was actually being serious now. No more jokes. "… Because if we try to stop him from harnessing the power of our deaths, there's nothing stopping him from killing us all over again. I don't know about you guys, but I for one don't feel like going through that again. It sucked!"

"How do we even go about that?" Patrick didn't have a clue.

Then Bo thought of something. "Whatever the weapon's made out of, it can't be manmade. There's no way it's made out of a Human metal. It's gotta be stronger than that. Maybe reinforced steel that's been blessed, or something else. He must've gone to a Fae metal smith to have it made. We just have to find the right one"

Ethan agreed. "Shouldn't be too difficult. There aren't that many around these days. I'll start on that…" he got up from the table. "… Right after I call Kayla, and tell her I'm gonna have to postpone our date tonight" he lifted his cell from his pocket.

Bo and Lauren were so happy when Trick mentioned he had a friend who's daughter's name was Kayla. They promised Ethan and Shay's future selves that they'd make sure Kayla and Sasha came into their lives.

Sasha and Shay weren't hard to put together. They'd been sneaking out together ever since they were kids. But Kayla didn't grow up with them, so it was harder.

But she and Ethan were together now, no baby yet though. Unlike last time. Which Bo and Lauren were kind of happy about. Whatever their age, they still looked young and being Grandmothers scared the shit out of them.

"Are you gonna tell her you kicked it today?" Shay asked. Sasha knew, he should tell Kayla too.

He shook his head, he wasn't going to upset her for no reason. "Nope. At least, not until I know the threat's over. Besides, the less she knows; the less danger she's in. Call me if you guys need anything" he kissed his Parents' goodbye, and then left.

Charlie was the next one to stand, "Can I stay with Grandpa?" When she got an okay from her Mother, she backed up and ran for the exit. She wanted to stay at his side until he woke up. She just didn't feel right leaving him alone.

"Well, unlike my boring big brother; I have no intention of cancelling my date with Sasha…" Shay jumped up from her chair. "… Sorry, but no lunatic with a shiny knife is gonna come between me and my girl. I will be on standby, should you need my services. Later Fam!" She tapped her Mother's shoulder, before going for the exit.

"She's unbelievable" Bo shook her head, laughing.

Lauren laughed with her, "She's yours…" she saw her expression at that statement. "… Sorry, ours. But you're right, she is a little difficult. So, how about you two?" She looked at Patrick and Bella. "What're your plans?"

Patrick shrugged, "Right now I kinda wanna get back to my video games. Before that douchebag attacked the house, I was in the middle of the biggest online tournament of my life. Just hope they didn't break my stuff when they trashed the placed" he'd heard from his Mother that they turned the house upside down looking for Bella.

"Really? That's what's important to you right now, video games?" Bo couldn't believe some of her kids. It was like danger didn't phase them.

"Online video games!" Patrick clarified.

Bella closed her book. "I for one would just like to go home. And maybe try to put this entire hellish day behind us. But, do you think the house's safe?" She looked at Lauren.

Lauren loved Bella's innocence, even at the age of eighteen, she still had it in spades. She placed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Safe or not, it's our home; we have to go back to it. Look, as long as your Mom and I are here; Ronan won't be getting near you. I promise" she kissed her head.

"I second that. But maybe she's right. Maybe we should see about putting a barrier around the house or something, just to be safe" Bo cared about protecting her children more than anything else right now.

And that was actually some Bella could help with. "I could put one up!" She said. "It's not that hard of a spell, and I've been practising. I wanna do it Mom, please" she begged her. She just wanted to feel useful.

Bo smiled, nodding. "Far be it from me to argue with a Sorceress. You want the job, then it's yours. Charlie's with Trick so I trust he'll be safe. We can always come back later to check in on him" she got up from the table, waiting for her family to follow her out.

A/N: Catch you next time for another chapter. Let me know your thoughts.