"I told you not to be rude, Artemis," Serena said.
"I'm sorry," he apologized.
Serena shrugged. "It's a waste of your breath to apologize to me. I'm not the one mad at you. She is. When she and Diana come back you can apologize to her," Serena said.
"Wait, she's your little sister? How?" he asked.
"Mom said the spell to reincarnate all the children. They were her children, too," Serena said.
"They?" Artemis asked.
"I think she means me, also," Ariana said as she handed Serena some more papers to look through.
Artemis turned to look at her. His eyes widened in surprise. "You look like Serena," he said.
Everyone laughed. "No she doesn't," Kaden said.
"Ariana, stand up and come here so he can see that we're different," Serena said.
Ariana stood gracefully, and walked over to her sister. They both looked at Artemis. "See, Serena's taller by an inch, and our eyes are different colors. I'm a little more quiet than she is. I'm still in the 'I'm new and not quite sure where I fit in or if I really belong here' kinda phase," Ari spoke softly. "Mmm. You still look alike. If no one knew you, you could be identical," Artemis said. Ariana shrugged and sat down.
They continued to sort through the mounds of paper work they kept finding. It was midnight before anyone thought to look at the clock. "I didn't realize that it was that late," Serena said.
"IF you don't mind, we're going to bed," Luna said.
"You should've already been in bed, we all should've!" Serena exclaimed after glancing at the clock on the wall.
"Funny thing how time flies when you keep busy. I believe Gabe and Ari have already gone up for the night." Luna said, and she and Artemis went off to bed.
Lilly stood. "I think they have the right idea i'm beat. Rena, are you coming?" she asked as she stopped in the doorway, and looked back at her best friend.
"Hey, Lil, look at this," Serena said softly.
Lilly came back in the room and took the picture Serena held out. "Wow. I never knew anything like this existed of us," Lilly said.
"None of us was paying any attention when someone snapped it, but we're all there. Even Keith and Robert. We couldn't have been more than four. That would have made the boys ten, and Kaden and Keith fourteen. Right before he died. Funny, I always thought he died before we were born," Serena said.
"Hey are you two coming?" Kaden asked.
"Yeah, hold on. Kaden, how old were you and Keith when he died?" she asked.
"Thirteen, fourteen, I don't really remember. i tried to forget those tiems. Why?" he asked.
Lilly handed him the picture. He smiled. "I always thought he died before we were born," Serena said.
"No, but you wouldn't have remembered him. You were like three or barely four," Kaden said.
Serena frowned. She flipped open her phone. "Hello?" Faith answered sleepily."
"I need a time favor," Serena said.
"OK, I'm up. What do you need?" she asked.
"Take me back to before I was born. I need to see something," Serena said.
"I'm confused, but if you really want me to, I will," Faith said.
"I really want you to. Be here in five minutes," Serena said and hung up.
"Where are you going?" Kaden asked.
"I have to see something," Serena said mysteriously. Faith appeared, and Serena stepped through the portal to the Time Gates. "Stop when the boys were eight," she said.
"Which boys?" she asked.
"Kaden and Keith," she said. Faith stopped. "Let me see. Keith was sick, right?" she asked. "Yes," Faith answered.
"But he didn't die?" Serena asked.
They both watched for a bit. "No, he didn't," Faith said.
"Yes he did. I know he did. I'd stake my life on it that he did. I would have at least a vague memory of him. I do of Kaden, but not him," Serena said.
"Listening," Faith said.
"Can you tell if a timeline has been changed?" Serena asked.
"Usually. I didn't feel anything change though," she said.
"He died when he was eight. I know he did," Serena said again.
"Aunt Serena, we just saw that he didn't. We can watch again," Faith said. They did.
"There. Right there. He died right there," Serena said as the time stream slowed.
"I'll be dammed. Someone's fixed it so he doesn't die until later," Faith said.
"Is it bad?" Serena asked.
"No. Good. How did you know when I didn't?" she asked.
"I don't know. I found this picture, and it sent bells off in my head. I asked Kaden and Lilly, and got the same answer. I guess I'm sensitive because of all the power let off earlier," she said softly.
"Given time, a memory will replace itself, and you won't have even visited with me about this," Faith said.
Serena smiled. "Thanks, Faith. I needed some reassurance," she said, and they stepped back through the portal.
"That was fast," Kaden said.
"I found out what I needed to know," Serena said.
Kaden smiled. "Shall we?" he asked. They walked uptairs to bed. By the next morning, a new memory had been made to replace the old one.