Chapter Five

Three days passed since the gig and Peter's dream, and on the morning of the 5th of April, Aisling, Jesse, and the Monkees, arrived at Accasbel House, the former home of Radha and Gareth Crane, as well as Finn O'Connor. As they drove through the front gate and into the courtyard, Aisling noticed the plaque that adorned the red brick fence was engraved with a triquetra, a symbol she recognised while researching her Celtic heritage. The triquetra was a symbol of things or people that were threefold, in this case mostly like Radha, Gareth and Finn, because the winery had belonged to all three of them. Looking up at the house, she couldn't shake the sense of familiarity that stirred. It was like she could walk through the door and just know where everything was, even though she hadn't been there before, and she knew, from the looks on Peter and Mike's face, that they felt it too.

Mike parked the car and turned off the engine. "We're here," he announced. He turned to Aisling. "Ready to go inside, babe?"

She nodded, smiling weakly. "Aye," she replied, giving his hand an affectionate squeeze.

The group all got out of the MonkeeMobile and headed for the house, deciding to come back for their things later on, although Mike did make sure the trunk was locked first. As they walked into the makeshift reception area, they noticed a young woman sitting at a desk, various books and papers cluttered the space around her. Without looking up, the young woman went about her work, occasionally writing things down in a big black notebook which was open in front of her. Mike and Aisling glanced at each other, as if deciding which one of them should talk to the woman and announce their presence.

After a few more moments of indecision, and not really getting anywhere because of it, Jesse and Davy decided to take matters into their own hands and walked to the front desk themselves. "Uh, hello?" Jesse greeted nervously, scratching the back of his neck as he looked down at the young woman. "Miss?" said Davy, trying to get her attention. She looked up at the both them, peering over the top of her round-rimmed glasses, then smiled.

"Hullo," she said, a soft Scottish accent in her voice, "How can I help ye lads?"

The two men stared at the young woman, transfixed by how lovely she looked, and sounded. They took in her appearance noting that her eyes were sky-blue, with minute flecks of grey in the corners, while her long wavy hair was as black as onyx, perfectly framing her rosy, heart-shaped face. Even though none of the group knew her name, it didn't take much for Mike, Aisling, Micky and Peter to figure out that their two friends had both fallen head over heels in love with the young woman at the desk.

"How can I help ye?" the young woman repeated, giggling a little.

Aisling sighed, deciding to rescue her best friend from his inevitable embarrassment. "Hello," she greeted, coming and standing beside Jesse, "I'm Aisling O'Callaghan, I believe we spoke on the phone?"

The young woman turned to look at Aisling... then nearly fell out of her chair! "Oh my stars, it's YE!" she cried, before composing herself and adding, "I mean, aye, of course ye did. Sairy." She took a long hard look at Aisling, then said, "Ye really dae look like her, then. Like ye said on the phone."

"That's right," Aisling replied with a nod. "And ye are?"

The young woman blushed. "Oh, how silly of me to be forgettin'," she said with a nervous giggle. "I'm Elspeth. Elspeth Dundas."

"And like I said, I'm Aisling O'Callaghan," Aisling repeated, turning and beckoning Mike, Peter, and Micky, over. She took Mike by the hand, "This is Michael Nesmith, me boyfriend."

Elspeth nodded. "Pleased to meet ye," she said, smiling again.

"This is Peter Tork," Aisling continued, looking up at him with a small smile. She pointed to Micky, "This is Micky Dolenz, and..." She paused, then looked at Jesse and Davy. Both men were standing stock still, with dreamy looks on their faces. "And those two, heaven help us, are Jesse and Davy."

"Which one's which?" Elspeth asked, an amused smile playing on her lips.

"Hold on," said Mike, "I'll show you." He turned to the love struck pair. "Hey Davy, stand up will you?"

Davy shook his head, bringing himself out of his self-induced trance. "I AM standing up!"

Mike turned back to Elspeth. "That's Davy," he deadpanned.

Elspeth laughed. "I'll take yer word for it then." She turned to Aisling. "Would ye like some help gettin' settled in?" she asked, "I can get me faither to bring in anythin' you've brought with ye?"

Aisling and Mike looked at each other, considering Elspeth's offer. Mike nodded. "That'll be great," he replied.

"Good," Elspeth said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I can take ye to meet him right now, if ye like?"

"Okay," Aisling replied, smiling slightly.

Elspeth stood from her seat and walked out from behind the desk. "Follow me," she said, leading the group down a nearby corridor. While they walked, Elspeth talked about the history of the house, what prompted Radha and Gareth to go into business with Finn and open the winery. To Aisling, this sounded like the well rehearsed spiel used solely for guests only remotely interested in learning something about where they were staying, so she tuned Elspeth out for a little while and looked around at the pictures that hung on the walls. There were photographs of Gareth, on his own, and with Radha, both of them looking happy and madly in love with each other. She even saw a bigger, clearer, version of the photograph she found in the slavery book, but she didn't get the chance to look at it when Elspeth ushered the group into a large parlour.

A little girl, about three or four years old, was playing with an older man in the middle of the room, then looked up when Elspeth walked in. A wide smile broke out on the little girl's face, quickly scrambling to her feet, running over and leaping into Elspeth's arms. "MAMA!" she cried happily, giggling as Elspeth started to tickle her.

Aisling smiled. "And who is this little darlin'?" she asked.

Elspeth couldn't have looked more proud. "This bonnie lass is ma daughter, Heather," she replied, then she pointed to the man Heather had been playing with, "and that's me faither Eoin. Heath's the apple of his eye."

Jesse and Davy looked at each other, stunned by this revelation. "Your daughter!?!" they said in unison.

"Ma daughter," Elspeth repeated, "That's nae a problem for either of ye, is it?"

"No, no, of course not," the two of them muttered.

The older man walked over, joining his daughter and granddaughter. "Hullo, Eoin Dundas," he greeted, looking at Aisling intently. "Now who's this bonnie creature?" Eoin's accent was slightly thicker than Elspeth's, but not enough that they couldn't understand him.

"Aisling O'Callaghan, Mr. Dundas," she replied, giggling a little. "I spoke to Elspeth about me friends and I stayin' here, a few days ago."

A look of realisation crossed Eoin's face. "So you're the lass," he glanced at Mike and Peter, "and the young lads, who look like our lord an' lady of the manor, an' the lady's brother."

Aisling nodded sadly. "That's right."

"It's gettin' mighty close to the anniversary," he continued. "If you get ma meanin'."

"Aye," Aisling agreed, biting her lip. "Elspeth said ye could help us bring our things inside, get us settled in," she said, changing the subject. "She said ye could help."

Eoin smiled. "Oh, is that all?" he asked, "Of course I can help, just lead me to yer car and you'll be sorted out in no time!" He grinned. "But first I think ye lads should introduce yerselves, eh?"

Mike extended his hand. "I'm Michael Nesmith," he said as Eoin shook his hand. "And these are Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, and Jesse Baines," he added, pointing out each one as he introduced them.

"Good to meet ye lads, and lassie," Eoin said, giving Aisling a polite nod. "Now let's get ye all settled in."

As they walked back to the MonkeeMobile, Aisling got the feeling that, very soon, all the secrets of Accasbel House would come to light. But she also knew if that was going to happen, she would need to work quickly, keeping an eye out for Radha if she decided to make contact again.

But Radha was not going to be the one to make contact first...

* * *

"So how did ye learn about Radha and Gareth?" asked Elspeth as she helped Aisling unpack, later that afternoon. "I mean, it is a little out of the blue that ye decided to come out here at this time of the year."

Aisling sat down on the bed. "I was doin' research," she explained. "I'm a history major at UCLA and I was the library doin' research for an essay I was writin'. One of the books I found had Radha, Finn and Gareth's photograph in it."

Elspeth nodded. "Then ye thought ye might check out the winery, learn a bit more for your essay. That makes sense."

"Yeah, that's it," Aisling said quietly. She looked up at Elspeth. "Actually, no, that's not just why I came here. If that was the case I wouldn't have Mike or any of the guys with me, well maybe Jesse, but still..."

"What are ye talkin' about?" Elspeth asked, sitting beside her.

With a sigh, Aisling decided to spill the beans. "Can ye keep a secret?" She let out a sigh of relief when Elspeth nodded. "I didn't find the photograph completely by chance," Aisling admitted, "I heard a voice, and the voice led me to the book."

"Who's voice was it?" Elspeth asked, without batting an eyelid. "Was it someone ye knew?"

"I didn't know, at first," Aisling continued, "Until I met the ghost."

Elspeth raised her eyebrows. "Ye met a ghost?"

Aisling nodded. "Not just any ghost. It was Radha! Right in me bedroom, as real as ye or I!"

"Whit did she tell ye?"

"To find our soulmate. Mike."

"Ye mean he's..."

Aisling nodded. "According to Radha, I'm her, Mike's Gareth, and Peter's Finn, or we were." She sighed. "It's just so confusin'!" She rubbed her head. "And it gives me a headache thinkin' about it too."

"It's givin' me a headache thinkin' about it too, and I'm nae even sure I believe ye!" Elspeth sighed. "Okay, so she telt ye to find Mike, so ye could tell him how ye felt about him?"

"That, and to tell him about the photograph. I showed it to him, and I thought he didn't believe me at first, so ye can imagine the relief I felt when he said that he did!"

"I can believe that. So then Radha telt ye to come here, with Mike."

"And the others," Aisling said with a nod, "Radha said they're s'posed to protect me, but I don't know what they're s'posed to protect me from!"

Elspeth bit her lip. "Well," she began, "I've heard stories that the winery is haunted. By Radha, Gareth and Finn."

Aisling frowned. "I've seen Radha, and I've dreamt about Gareth, and neither of them seemed like they would hurt me," she mused. "But I haven't come into contact with Finn at all, which does worry me a bit." She sighed. "We'll just have to see how thing's turn out then, won't we?"

"I guess we will," Elspeth agreed. "But then think about how fantastic it'd be for the winery," she said enthusiastically, "Just think of it, a haunted winery!"

"I wouldn't start runnin' around and tellin' everybody the place is haunted just yet," Aisling said with amusement.

"Why nae?"

"Because ye don't know if it's true or not!" Aisling laughed. "At least not until I've done what I came here to do!"

Before Elspeth could ask what Aisling meant, she was interrupted by a knock on the door and the two women heard a little voice ask "Are ye here, Mama?" from the other side.

Elspeth stood, then walked over and opened the door. "Oh hullo, ma pretty wee bairn," she greeted, lifting Heather into her arms and bringing her into the room. "Whit dae ye want, sweetheart?"

"Seanair's busy helpin' the boys and cannae play with me, Mama," she said. "Seanair said ye were here, so I came tae find ye."

"Do ye always listen to whit Seanair says?" Elspeth replied, smirking a little, even though she meant the question in jest.

Aisling laughed when the little girl shot her mother something that resembled a mildly insulted look before saying, "Aye, Mama. I always listen to Seanair!"

Elspeth ruffled her daughter's long black hair, "I ken ye do, wee one."

"Well, I've told ye me story," said Aisling, "now why don't ye tell me all about this little one?"

Elspeth looked pensive. "I merrit young," she began, "got permission from ma faither and everythin'." She looked at Aisling sadly. "Found out I was pregnant six months later."

"But how come your last name, and Heather's last name, is Dundas?" Aisling asked, "Wouldn't ye have taken your husband's name?"

"I did, when Tom and I first got married, but because I was an only child and didnae want ma last name to die out, we agreed to combine our names instead of just takin' his."

Aisling looked at Elspeth in confusion. "So after ye married, your name was?"

"Elspeth Dundas-McGrath."

"But what happened to Tom?" Aisling asked, a bad feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. "What happened to Heather's father?"

Elspeth swallowed, then drew Heather close to her, covering the child's ears. "About a year or sae after Heather was born, Tom an' I got into a car accident. It was very bad, and the doctors at the hospital dinnae think either one of us were goin' tae make it, so when I recovered, we thought Tom would too, but..." Elspeth trailed off, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Oh Elspeth," Aisling breathed, "I'm so sorry."

"It's awright, ye dinnae need tae apologise," Elspeth smiled, despite her tears. "At least I've still got ma Heather."

"But it still hurts, doesn't it," said Aisling, getting a faraway look in her eyes. "Raisin' a child alone, I mean."

Elspeth nodded. "Aye, it does get a wee bit hard sometimes, but I've got Papa to help me."

Having listened to Elspeth's story, Aisling made an important decision. She turned to Elspeth. "Is there a doctor in town?" she asked.

"Aye, there is," Elspeth replied. "But whit dae ye need a doctor for?" she enquired. "Ye look fine tae me."

"I want - I need - to have a test done," Aisling replied. "A very specific test, a test I don't think I should put off until I get home."

"Awright, I'll take ye tae see Dr. Wood in the mornin'." Elspeth said with a frown.

Aisling smiled, but Elspeth noticed that it didn't reach her eyes. "Thank ye."

Standing from the bed, after gathering Heather up into her arms, Elspeth carefully checked her watch. "It's 7 o'clock. Time for dinner."

Aisling's stomach growled. "Dinner would be lovely."

Elspeth grinned. "Have ye had any traditional Scottish fare before?"

"I had some haggis once, but it didn't agree with me."

"Seanair makes the best haggis!" Heather announced, to their amusement.

Aisling rumpled the girl's hair. "I'm sure he does, little one, but I don't think me friends would take to it straight away."

Elspeth laughed. "I think Seanair will make somethin' we'll all like, darlin'."

"Will he make chocolate fudge, Mama?"

"Let's gae ask him," said Elspeth, leading her daughter out of the room. When she realised that Aisling wasn't following them, Elspeth doubled back and stuck her head in the doorway. "Comin'?"

"Of course," Aisling replied, standing from the bed and following Elspeth out the door.

But she still didn't know what the approaching night would bring.

* * *

A few hours after dinner, which was not haggis in the end, Aisling, Jesse and the Monkees, tired out by all their unpacking, decided to retire for the night. As she bid goodnight to Eoin, Elspeth, and Heather, Aisling couldn't help feeling that something was going to happen during the night, something important. 'Maybe Radha's going to contact me again?' she mused, 'Or maybe I need to keep my eye out for something.' She sighed. 'Either way, I don't think I'm going to get much sleep tonight, no matter how hard I try.'

She looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Mike. There was a look of concern in his eyes, and his mouth was partially open as if there was a question he wished to ask her, but couldn't find the right words to articulate it. Instead he asked, "Walk you to your room, babe?"

Aisling smiled. "That would be lovely."

He took her by the hand, his grip firm but not uncomfortable. They said nothing as they walked, either just being content with being near each other, or somehow suspicious that any conversation, however trivial, would be overheard. Aisling leaned over a little, resting her head on Mike's shoulder. Part of her wanted to tell him about her upcoming trip to the doctor's with Elspeth, but she realised that might lead to questions that she couldn't, and didn't want, to answer until she had a firm idea in her mind of the situation.

"I want to start lookin' for clues tomorrow," she said quietly. "Is that okay with you?"

"Sure babe," Mike replied. "First thing."

"Actually, Elspeth and I need to go into town first," she admitted. "Girl stuff, nothin' you'd be interested in."

Mike frowned, but the sincerity in Aisling's voice seemed to placate him, for the time being. "But you'll be back later?"

She nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Of course, can't keep meself away from ye too long, can I?"

"Nope," he replied, kissing her on the forehead. "Wouldn't want it any other way." He smiled. "I mean, I've got the fellas, and I got you. That's good enough for me."

"Don't forget about tryin' to get the band a recordin' contract," Aisling reminded him. "Don't let me, or all we've been through, distract ye from your goal."

Mike nodded. "I guess I could ask Eoin about findin' a place to set up our instruments, maybe try and rehearse a little," he said. "Peter said his cut has healed some more, he thinks he might be able to play again."

"As long as he's careful."

After a few more moments walking together, the two of them stopped in the doorway of the room Aisling was staying in. They stood in front of each other, not really saying anything, just staring at each other in the awkward silence.

Mike turned to head towards his room, but he stopped when he heard Aisling's soft giggle. He looked at her and grinned. "What's so funny, huh?"

"Nothin'."

"Didn't sound like nothin'."

Aisling cocked her head. "Ye forgot to give me a goodnight kiss."

"I did?"

"You did."

"Well I'll just have to fix that, won't I?"

Mike gathered Aisling in his arms and kissed her gently, deepening the kiss when she put her arms around his neck and drew him closer. They kissed for another moment or two, then broke apart, knowing they'd see each other again in the morning.

"See ye tomorrow," Aisling whispered, leaning against the doorframe.

"You too," Mike replied, kissing her again. "Night babe." He pointed down the hall, "I'm just down there, if you want me."

She nodded. "I know."

Aisling watched as he walked away, then turned and opened the door into her room. Once she'd changed into her nightdress, Aisling walked to the dressing table and sat down in front of it, picking up the hair brush she brought with her and running it through her long mane. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She looked tired, but that was understandable because she felt absolutely exhausted. Returning the brush to the table, she glanced at the wall next to the door, at the modern light switch which looked out of place on the wooden surface. Elspeth had explained that when her father bought the winery, after they came over from Scotland, he had the entire house wired for electricity and had all the plumbing replaced before opening it to the public. But, despite the practicality of the exercise, it still felt odd to see a 20th century light switch on a 19th century wall. She stood, then walked over and turned off the light, plunging the room into darkness, save for the light of the moon streaming through the windows. Treading carefully through the dark, Aisling made her way to the bed, pulling back the covers then climbing in, falling asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillows.

But she wouldn't stay that way for long... nor did she know that she was being watched.

Finn peered into the room through the mirror. The darkness was not a problem for him, and he saw Aisling's sleeping form clearly. He climbed out of the mirror, over the dressing table and onto the floor, before walking to the side of the bed that Aisling was sleeping on.

"Well, well, well," he said quietly. "I knew she looked like my darling sister, but the resemblance is uncanny!" He sat down on the edge of the bed. "It actually makes me a little sad that I have to kill you," he said with a slight smirk, leaning down and planting a chaste, feather-light, kiss to Aisling's lips. He reached over and grabbed the pillow from the other side of the bed. "But only a little."

Acting quickly, Finn covered Aisling's face with the pillow and pushed down, using all the strength he had to smother her. It was this action that caused Aisling to awaken, and upon realising what was happening to her, she began to flail about in an attempt to save her own life. She fought valiantly, but, who ever her attacker was, he, or she, was just too strong for her to push them away. Aisling felt her life slipping away her, breathing became difficult, and she knew the end would come soon. Except it didn't. Muffled by the pillow, she heard a voice cry out "I WON'T LET YOU KILL HER! NOT NOW!"

It was Radha!

Finn looked up and glared at his sister, then, without saying a word, leapt up and ran towards the dressing table. Before Radha could stop him, Finn jumped into the mirror... and then he was gone.

With a heavy heart, Radha removed the pillow from Aisling's face, then knelt in the floor. Aisling gasped as she sat up, trying to draw in as much air she could handle at the one time. Bleary eyed, she could just make out Radha kneeling on the floor by her side, tears streaming down her face. There were faint traces of a scuffle, but Aisling realised that they were probably the result of her attempts to fight off her attacker.

"What happened?" she wheezed.

"I can't tell you," Radha sobbed. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

Aisling gulped another breath of air. "Why not!?!"

"Because you need to figure it out on your own!"

"Okay," Aisling sighed when her breathing finally returned to normal. "But don't think I'm goin' to take it easy with ye the next time ye show up."

"Is that a threat?" Radha asked, "Or a promise?"

"A promise," Aisling replied, "Ye can add that to all the promises I've already made ye."

Radha stood as she wiped her tears away. "Then that's what I'll do," she said, "Until next time."

"Until next time," Aisling echoed, settling back down to sleep as Radha faded from sight .

But Finn's attack would not be the only thing she experienced that night.

* * *

An hour or so passed since Aisling was attacked, and although she did manage to get back to sleep, what sleep she did get was minimal, to say the least. Eventually she awoke, then climbed out of bed, hoping that she could make her way to the bathroom, the kitchen, ANY room, in the dark, as long as she could get something to drink. She carefully padded through the darkened bedroom, then, once she found the door, slowly opened it and went out into the hallway. For the most part, the hallway was quiet, almost too quiet, and Aisling, for reasons she couldn't even begin to fathom, wished that she could hear something, anything, even Micky's snoring. A moment passed, then Aisling started to walk in the direction she thought lead to the kitchen. But after walking for almost fifteen minutes, Aisling realised that she wasn't heading the right direction, and that the more she walked, the more lost she became.

But then she heard the noise.

"That's odd," Aisling said to herself. "That almost sounded like..." She gasped. The noise almost sounded the wail of a crying baby. But Radha and Gareth never had any children, as far as the books she read had told her, so to hear the sound of a crying baby was more than a little unnerving. "Well I know that can't be Heather," she mused, "The noise is more like an infant, maybe even a newborn. Either way, I think I need to investigate this further."

She followed the corridor in the direction of the noise, wondering if this was Radha's doing. And if it was Radha, then she must have a specific reason why Aisling needed to hear the child's cries. Coming to a stop, Aisling looked around for something that could tell her where she was, or something that could send her in the right direction to get back to her room. Although she didn't know why, Aisling felt drawn towards a particular door. There was nothing strange about the door, but there was something about it that made her want to open it and enter the room behind it.

She walked towards the door and placed her hand on the door knob. Her eyes widened when she realised the door knob was warm, like someone had been there quite recently. Which was odd, because from the amount of dust around, it seemed to indicate that, even though there might have been people there occasionally, there shouldn't have been people there recently, because the only people staying in the house, besides Eoin, Elspeth and Heather living there, were Jesse, Mike, Peter, Micky, Davy, and herself. Deciding to question Elspeth about it in the morning, Aisling pressed on, turning the knob and opening the door to reveal... an empty room.

"Well THAT was anticlimactic," Aisling sighed, stepping into the room. "I half expected someone, or something, to be in here." She shrugged. "Guess I was wrong."

She walked towards the wall opposite the door, pulling the sleeve of her nightdress over her hand and gently rubbing it against the wall to clear away the thin layer of dust. At one point, the wall looked like it had started to be painted in a soft, pale, robin's egg blue, but the paint had now faded almost into nothing as time passed.

"I wonder what this room was goin' to be?" she asked herself, staring at the clean patch of wall.

"I can give you a hint," said a voice behind her.

Aisling jumped and spun around. "Radha, I know you're a ghost," she said with exasperation, "but do ye really need to scare me like that every chance ye get!?!"

Smiling pleasantly, Radha laughed. "Sorry, Aisling," she said, "I'll try not to do it again."

"Thank you," Aisling replied. "Now what's this about givin' me a hint?" she asked, "I thought ye couldn't tell me anythin'?"

"I can't tell you anything outright," Radha corrected her. "But I can do things, and show you things, that can give you an idea of what you need to look for, and what you need to know while you're looking."

Aisling looked at Radha incredulously. "Well THAT was as clear as mud," she deadpanned, her tongue firmly in her cheek.

Radha rolled her eyes. "I can go, right now, if you don't want my help."

"NO!" Aisling cried, stepping forward slightly. She composed herself, then said, "No, don't go."

"So you do want me to give you a hint?"

Aisling nodded. "Show me whatever ye need to," she replied. "Just help me figure out what this room was..." Aisling paused as a sudden thought struck her, adding, "Or was goin' to be."

Radha looked at her strangely. "What makes you think that?"

"It doesn't feel finished," she replied. "I mean, it was, structurally speakin', but it feels like there's somethin' missin'."

"What do you think is missing?"

Aisling shook her head. "Don't know. I just feel like this room was goin' to be something but then maybe..." She paused, looking at Radha sadly. "Maybe you died before it could be finished."

Radha's gaze fell to the floor. "Do you want to know what it was going to be?" she asked. "I can show you something that can help you figure it out."

"All right," Aisling said, nodding slightly. "What do you need to do?"

"I, uh, need to get inside your head."

Aisling looked at Radha in confusion. "Me head?"

"Like how we talked to each other before you came here. In your dreams."

This revelation frightened Aisling a little. "Ye get inside me head!?!" she cried, "Are ye the only one doin' this!?!"

"Yes, I'm the only one," Radha replied, trying to calm Aisling down, "And I will continue to be the only one for as long as you allow me to be."

"Can ye honestly make that promise. Radha?"

After a moment, Radha said, "No, I can't." She sighed. "But," she continued, "I can promise to protect you from the things that Mike can't. I can protect you from the things that can get inside your head besides me." Aisling looked at her wearily. "No harm will come to you. You have my word on that."

"I can accept that," Aisling replied. "Is there anythin' I need to do?" she asked.

Radha approached her. "Just stand still, relax, and I'll do the rest." She placed her hands on the sides of Aisling's head. "Now close your eyes," she said quietly, "and relax. Take a deep breath, then focus on the sound of my voice."

Aisling did as she was told, letting Radha to put her into a hypnotic trance.

"Now," Radha continued, "When I tell you to open your eyes, you're going to see a table with a small book on it. I want you read it, don't worry about forgetting anything because you won't. Do you understand? Nod once if you do." Aisling bobbed her head slightly, and Radha breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, Aisling, that's very good." She started to describe the rest of the room next, her words painting a fairly accurate picture of the room as she knew it. Radha spoke for another minute or so, then fell silent. "You can open your eyes now, Aisling," she prompted.

The sight that greeted Aisling was overwhelming, to say the least. The paint on the wall, previously dulled with age and dust, was now looked vibrant, as if it had been freshly painted that day. She looked around, realising that she was now interacting with the image Radha had implanted in her mind, since Radha herself was nowhere to be seen. There was little furniture around her, expect for a table and chair placed off to the side. They didn't look out of place where they were, but at the same time, it looked like the table and chair were only a temporary fixture in the room. As she approached the table, Aisling noticed, like Radha had told her she would, a small book on the table-top. She sat down in the chair, then opened the book. The text on the page she'd opened to was hand-written, to her surprise. The 'book', she realised, was not just a book, but a diary. Radha's diary.

"So this is what you wanted me to see," she mused. The top of the entry she had opened to was dated the 6th of April, 1816, four days before Radha, Gareth and Finn had died. There was the usual 'Dear Diary' stuff at the beginning, then a particular sentence grabbed her attention. "The sickness I've felt during the past few months seems to have waned," she read aloud, "but since then, new feelings have stirred inside me, feelings of excitement, feelings that give credence to the idea that I may be... with child."

Aisling ran her hand through her hair. "Oh Radha," she breathed, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, silently praying that the next thought running through her mind would be proven wrong. She turned the page to the next entry, then the next, until she came to the entry dated the 9th of April, 1816. "I cannot help feeling selfish," she read, "while entire families of slaves - no - free people of colour whom I have sworn to protect, have gone missing, yet all I am able to think about is the coming addition to my own family. I have consulted Dr Trelawney, and confirmed what I already felt to be true. I am with child, believed to be about eight weeks gone, and due in the fall. I cannot keep this between us any longer, dear diary, I feel I must tell Gareth and Finn the wonderful news without delay. I hope both of them will be thrilled."

Closing her eyes, Aisling started to cry. "Get me out of here, Radha," she sobbed. "Please, get me out!"

"All right," Radha replied. "When you open your eyes the room will return to the present."

Tears continued to stream down her face as Aisling opened her eyes and saw Radha standing before her once again. "Ye never got to tell them, did ye?" she asked, taking a moment to wipe her eyes, although the gesture was futile.

"No, I didn't," Radha confirmed. "That entry became the last entry I'd make before..." she trailed off as her eyes grew watery.

"Before you, Gareth, and Finn died," Aisling finished, bursting into tears again. She swallowed, then took a deep breath. "Why did ye want me to know this?"

"So you knew what I lost," Radha replied, silently adding 'and what you stand to lose, if Finn manages to kill you.' She folded her arms across her chest. "I finally knew I was going to have a baby," she said sadly, blinking back tears. "I was so happy. I was finally going to be able to tell Gareth what he wanted to hear for so long, I could finally tell Finn that he was going to be an uncle... and then we died." She gulped. "When I died, I felt him.. her... it... die too. It was horrible."

The only thing Aisling could bring herself to do was to nod. The thought that Radha could feel her baby dying at the same time as she did made her visibly ill, and knowing that history was going to repeat itself if she didn't learn the truth behind Radha's death made her hope that she wasn't pregnant even more so she didn't have to put an innocent child through the pain and heartache that was sure to befall her during the search for answers. But at the same time, Radha's confession gave more evidence to the idea that history was going to repeat itself, right down to the last detail. If anything, while she hoped she wasn't pregnant, it also made her more worried that she was pregnant, maybe not as far along as Radha, but still enough that she'd know if it died. If she died.

"Radha," she began, "I... I'm... gettin' Elspeth to take me to the doctor's tomorrow." She swallowed, then lick her lips and willed herself to continue talking, "I think I might be pregnant," she admitted, "You told me history is goin' to repeat itself, and now I'm thinkin' 'What if I'm pregnant, because I'm supposed to be? Is it because ye were when ye died? Does that mean for history to repeat itself, the circumstances, and the conditions of the people involved need to be the same as they were back then?'. Because if it is, and it turns out that I am pregnant, then that's not fair. Not to me, or Mike, or to the baby. I mean, why get the two of us to create something wonderful, only to have it taken away from us because it's destined to die if I don't do somethin' about somethin' that happened over a century ago!?!" She gulped, taking in a deep breath of air. "It's just not right, Radha, not right at all... and you know it," she finished.

"I know," Radha agreed. "That's why, especially after your attack, I'm going to make sure that I protect you." Aisling's eyes went wide. She had almost forgotten about the attack. "I couldn't save Gareth, or save myself," she continued, as if she knew what Aisling was thinking. "So I'll do everything in my power to make sure you remain safe."

Aisling nodded again, but remained silent.

Radha held out her hand. "Here," she said, "let me take you back to your room. It's easy to get lost around here."

"All right," Aisling replied, taking Radha's hand. "But could you take me past the kitchen first?" she asked. "I think I need a drink of water."

"Of course," Radha said with a nod.

Aisling looked at Radha sadly. "Just one more thing," she said. "This room was going to be the nursery, wasn't it?"

"It was."

This brought the conversation, and the night's activity, to an end.

But the game was only just beginning, as Aisling and the others would soon find out.

* * *

There was something odd about the way Aisling was acting, Mike noticed when they joined the others at breakfast the next morning. She looked worried about something, barely touching the food on her plate, and when she did eat, she only ate in small bites, as if she didn't really want to eat, but she was forcing herself to eat so she didn't look out of place.

"Are you okay, shotgun?" he asked, leaning over and whispering the question in her ear.

Aisling sighed. "I... don't know," she replied. Some... stuff happened last night I'd rather not talk about."

Mike looked concerned. "What kind of 'stuff'?"

Aisling gulped down another morsel of food. "I was... attacked, almost suffocated, by someone who came into me room."

Mike's eyes widened. "You were WHAT!?!" he cried out in alarm. The sudden outburst caused everyone to stop eating and look at him bewilderedly. "Sorry everyone," he said, laughing nervously. "Don't mind me." He turned back to Aisling, and, when he was certain that he was calm enough to speak without raising his voice again, he asked, "Why didn't you come to me after it happened?"

"I didn't want ye to blame yourself," she said quietly. "I know that if I came to ye last night and told ye someone nearly killed me, you'd spend the rest of the night beatin' yourself up about not bein' there to save me."

"But I'm supposed to protect you, babe, and I can't do that if you don't tell me if something happens to you."

"I know you're supposed to protect me," she replied, smiling slightly, "and I know that there'll be a time when you'll get to be me 'knight in shinin' armour'." She reached up and caressed his cheek. "Although in your case, it's me 'knight in a pair of blue jeans and a woolhat'."

Mike grinned. "Didn't you know that's what knights are wearin' these days?"

Aisling giggled. "Aye, I did, and I hope he always does." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Anyway, ye don't need to worry about that, because Radha saved me, so I'm still here. I'm not about to go dyin' any time soon, thank ye very much."

"Well, I'm thankful for that, babe. Just don't go scarin' me like that again."

"I can't make any promises, Mike, but I'll try."

Mike nodded. "What else happened last night?" he asked, "Any more attacks I should know about?"

Aisling shook her head. "No, I mean, I did learn somethin', but I don't know how important it is just yet."

"What did you learn?"

"Radha, Gareth and Finn weren't the only ones here the night they died," she replied. "Radha was pregnant."

Mike stared at her in shock. "She was pregnant!?!"

"Aye. She was far enough along that when she died... she felt it die too."

"Did Gareth or Finn know about the baby?"

"No, Radha never got the chance to tell them."

"Maybe you have to tell them, somehow," Mike said, taking her by the hand. "It might help, then again, it might not."

"I hope it does," Aisling said with a sigh. "But I don't think we should dwell on it," she continued. "I think that findin' out what happened to the disappearin' slaves is the more important thing."

Mike nodded. "Yeah, the fellas and I are gonna start lookin' around while you're gone, see what we can find."

"And I'll join ye later. Elspeth will help too."

Mike gave her a wry smile. "You sure that's a good idea?" he asked. He looked at Davy and Jesse, both of whom were vying for Elspeth's attention, then shook his head. "Especially with the Casanova twins over there."

Aisling shrugged. "We need all the help we can get," she said, "but I agree that those two need to pull their heads in a bit. I'll talk to Jesse and ask him to back off for the time bein'..."

"And I'll do the same with Davy," Mike agreed.

"But then what are we goin' to do when they ignore us and go after her anyway?"

"We could ask Eoin to lock them in their rooms?"

Aisling laughed. "Ah, but ye forgot that men in love 'have the strength of thousands'," she replied, winking at him. "Or so I've been told."

Mike smiled. "That's true, you know, but it depends on the circumstances."

"Like when?" she asked, "Or how?"

"If something happened to you," Mike replied, "and I needed to save you in a hurry."

Aisling blushed. "Oh, that's just ye bein' 'Papa Nez'," she said. "The same thing happens when ye need to rescue Peter, or Micky, or Davy, or all three at once!"

Mike shrugged. "I guess it does, but not as much." He leaned close to her so the others wouldn't overhear, grinned, then added quietly, "But there are certain things that I'd rather do with you than with any, or all three, of them."

Aisling blushed harder when she realised what he was talking about. "Oh, Michael!"

"Don't pull that 'Oh, Michael!' stuff with me, babe," he said, rolling his eyes. "You know it's true."

She smiled. "Aye," she agreed, letting him kiss her gently, "and I hope it doesn't stop bein' true."

"It won't."

"Anyway," she said, sighing slightly. "That still doesn't tell us what we're goin' to do about Davy and Jesse, does it?"

"Dae whit about Davy and Jesse?" asked Elspeth as she approached the couple. "There's nothin' wrong with them, is there?"

Aisling grinned. "Well, it's not something wrong with them," she said.

"As far as they know," Mike added.

"But they can come over just a little too strong when they're..." Aisling frowned as she tried to find the right word. "Amorous? Enamoured?"

Mike sighed. "They're both in love with you," he deadpanned.

Elspeth laughed. "Oh I ken that!" she said. "Why dae ye think I've been flirtin' with them since they got here?"

Aisling blinked. "But... last night... you were..."

"Mournin' me dear departed husband?" Elspeth nodded, smiling sadly. "Of course I was, I still am, but three years passed since it happened, and I need to start movin' on."

"But I don't think goin' after Davy or Jesse is a good thing," said Mike, his obligatory 'Papa Nez' mode kicking in.

"Or have them go after you," Aisling added.

Mike nodded in agreement. "You might get hurt," he finished. "Someone always does."

Elspeth frowned. "I understand that ye might ken those two better than me," she said sternly, "but I've been takin' care of meself for a long time, Mike Nesmith, and I'm not about to close meself off when there are a couple of young men around who are still interested in me after they've found out I've got a bairn."

Mike held up his hands in defeat. "Okay, I'll back off," he replied. "Just let me or Ais know if they start makin' you feel uncomfortable."

"It's okay," she said. "I can tell it's in your nature to care for others." She looked at Aisling pointedly. "Almost like a faither, wouldn't ye say, Ais?"

Aisling started to scowl, then took a deep breath and calmed down. She knew the other woman was trying to get a rise out of her, but she wasn't going to take the bait. Initially, when Aisling asked about going to the doctor's, she hadn't explicitly told Elspeth that she suspected she was pregnant, but it hadn't stopped her new friend from making a very good guess. "Well, his nickname is 'Papa Nez'," she said at last. "Ye must have heard me use it a little while ago."

Elspeth nodded, content with the fact that Aisling hadn't denied it, but at the same time hadn't given herself away either. "Aye, guess I did hear ye usin' it a little while ago," she said, smiling warmly. "Anyway, are ye ready to go?" she asked, "I can wait a bit until you're ready?"

Aisling shook her head. "No," she began, "as much as it pains me terribly to tear meself away from this gorgeous man," she continued, caressing Mike's cheek, "I think I'm ready to go."

"Awright, just let me get Heather ready, then I'll meet ye out the front, in say..." Elspeth checked her watch. "Ten minutes?"

"That'll be just fine," Aisling replied. "I'll be there."

"Good," said Elspeth, smiling brightly. "I'd better start gettin' Heather ready to go, or she'll run off. I ken she'd rather stay here and play with all of ye, but if you're goin' to be looking around the house while we're out I don't want her gettin' underfoot while you're busy."

Jesse's and Davy's heads both snapped to attention upon hearing this. "I could look after her," they said in unison, to each other's annoyance.

Aisling and Mike exchanged an amused look. "That's a new record, isn't it Mike?" asked Aisling, rolling her eyes. "I expected them to take longer than this."

"Oh I don't know," he replied, "I expected them to start offerin' to look after Heather from the minute they saw her. I just amazed they managed to wait until now."

Elspeth ignored them, instead turning to look at the two young men with a slight frown on her face. "That's nice of ye to offer, boys, but I'm not sure if ye could handle takin' care of her, even for a couple of hours," she said, scratching the back of neck. "She wears me out all the time, and I'm her MOTHER!"

"All the more reason to let one of us look after her," said Davy. "So you can have a break for a few hours!"

Aisling cringed. "I can't believe I'm sayin' this," she said, "but... I kinda agree with Davy, for once." She shrugged. "Besides, if either one were really serious about ye, then lookin' after Heather should be a breeze, shouldn't it?" She winked at Mike conspiratorially, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Right, Mike?"

Mike glanced at her as if to say 'You're an evil, evil woman, Aisling, and I STILL love you!', but instead he chose to say out loud, covering his mouth with his hand as he tried not to laugh, "Yeah, that's right."

Elspeth sighed, then turned to Heather. "If I leave ye with, uh, Uncle Jesse and Uncle Davy, will ye be a good girl while I'm gone?"

Heather nodded. "Aye Mama, I'll be a good girl and I won't get in the way or anythin', honest!"

"And ye'll listen to everythin' you're telt?"

"Aye, Mama."

"Even by Uncle Mike and Uncle Peter, and by Seanair?"

Heather nodded again. "Aye Mama!"

Elspeth sighed again, then looked at Davy. "Oh, I guess it's awright then, but ye have to tell me what you did, and what ye find out, while Auntie Aisling and I are gone, okay?"

Davy nodded. "Yes, we will." He turned to Jesse, "Won't we?"

Jesse swallowed, although he was keen to impress Elspeth, the thought of looking after the little girl suddenly making him nervous. "Uh, yeah, of course we will!" he said, "We'll look after her, Elspeth, she'll be fine!" He looked at Heather, who looked back at him with a big grin on her face, then relaxed. "Yeah, we'll be fine," he repeated, smiling at Heather and ruffling her hair.

Elspeth walked over and kissed him on the cheek, then did the same to Davy. "Thank ye both," she said, "Just don't her, or yerselves into trouble, or ye'll have me and me faither to answer to, got it?"

Jesse mock saluted. "Yes, ma'am."

Aisling stood from her seat, then gave Mike a quick kiss. "Well, Elspeth and I better get goin', but we'll be back soon."

Mike nodded. "Okay, babe, I'll see you when you get back."

"Just let me know if ye find anythin' useful."

"Will do," he replied. He watched as she turned to leave, then gave her a playful swat on the behind. "Now stop stallin' and get goin'," he said, "Don't worry, I'll be here when you get back, okay?"

Aisling looked back at him and smiled. "Okay," she said, kissing him again. "See ye later." She turned to Elspeth. "Ready?"

"Since I don't have to get Heather ready, then aye, I'm ready. Let's go."

Peter watched as the two girls left the room, then turned to Mike. "Where does Aisling want us to start looking for stuff, Mike?" he asked quietly, brushing his hair out of the way when it fell over his eyes.

"Don't know yet, Big Peter," Mike replied. "But something tells me, when we're in the right place, I'll know."

Peter opened his mouth to reply, then felt the fine hair at the back of his neck stand to attention. He swallowed. "Uh, Mike?"

"Yeah, good buddy?"

"Ever since we got here... I've well... I think I'm being... Oh man," He shifted his weight in his seat, then continued, "Have you felt like you're being watched?" he asked. "Like there's someone near you, and you can almost sense that they're there, but you can't see them? Even though they can see you?"

Mike's eyebrows knitted together as he frowned. "What makes you think someone's watchin' you, Shotgun?"

"Little things."

"Like what?"

Peter thought for a moment. "Like... well..." he began, looking down at the table. He bit his lip, scared that Finn really was watching him, and what might happen to him if he said anything to Mike, or to any of his friends. He didn't want to die, nor did he want Aisling, or Mike, or any of the others, to get hurt. He knew, this time, Mike wasn't going to be able to help.

Mike's eyes widened. "Hey, man, you're shakin'!" he said, rubbing his friend's arm. "Something's got you really spooked, huh?"

Peter's long blonde hair shook as he nodded violently. "Yeah, Mike, but there's nothing I can do about it!" He wrenched his arm out from under Mike's hand, then stormed out of the dining room, his heart pounding so hard that it threatened to punch its way out of his chest.

"Hey, what's wrong with him?" Micky asked after he gulped down the last remnants of his breakfast. "I didn't think anything could make him angry like that!"

"He's not angry, Mick, not even close," Mike replied. "He's terrified, man. I mean, he was cool about comin' here at first, but now I'm startin' to think something happened since then that made him change his mind." He frowned again. "There's something very wrong goin' on here."

Micky stared at the table, trying to process the information in his head. He knew that what he saw was not normally how Peter would act whenever he was scared. As a matter of fact, Peter would be more likely to move in for a hug than to push Mike, or any of his friends, away when they offered him comfort. "Do you think we should talk to him again? Ask him what happened to make him so scared?"

"I just tried that, Micky!" Mike said in exasperation. "You saw what he did! He won't talk to me!"

"He might talk to Aisling."

Mike raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"She doesn't have to talk to him alone," Micky continued. "And she might not even have to say anything! But he might open up a bit more if we try again after she comes back."

"I don't know about that, Micky," Mike replied, scratching his head. He sighed. "But I guess it can't hurt to try."

Eoin started clearing away the breakfast plates as he listened to Micky and Mike discuss what to they were going do to get Peter to tell them what he was afraid of. "Ye dae realise that there are said to be ghosts runnin' around the house?" he suggested casually. "Maybe he saw one of them?"

"Maybe," Mike replied. "But Peter would tell me if something like that happened."

"Would he?" asked Eoin. "Maybe this time there's somethin' else that's makin' him hold his tongue."

Mike thought for a moment, trying to come up with a half decent reply, when suddenly they heard someone cry out "NO!", followed by a loud crash, then silence. Mike's eyes widened, recognising the voice immediately. Without saying a word, he quickly scrambled to his feet and raced out the door.

* * *

Peter had gone straight back to his room when he stormed out of the dining room. He knew he was shaking, but he wasn't sure if it was just fear, or anger, or both. If it was anger, then this was the first time that he'd felt it with such intensity, to the point where he could say that he hated himself for feeling that way, to the point where he could even say that he hated Finn, and justify both statements. He walked over to the bed, then collapsed, lying back and covering his face with his hands as tears started to stream down his face.

He'd told Aisling he was going to protect her, and he wanted to honor that promise. He needed to honor that promise, but with the knowledge that Finn would, at some point, take over his body and use it to harm her, and his friends, made that impossible. Simply impossible. He felt helpless, so very helpless, and there was nothing he could do, or say, to fix it, that wouldn't result in his death.

He sat up, wiped the tears from his eyes and started to think. 'What would Mike do?' was the main question turning through his head. 'Would becoming a MonkeeMan help?' He shook his head. 'No, that wouldn't work, Finn wouldn't even know what a MonkeeMan is.'

"Trying to figure out a way to save yourself?" a voice asked, coming from the mirror on the wall facing the bed. "You do realise anything you do, any effort you make, will be completely and entirely useless?"

"I know," Peter replied, gritting his teeth. "But it won't stop me from trying."

Finn shrugged, then stepped out of the mirror and onto the floor. "No, I guess it won't," he said with a sigh. He frowned. "Are you always this... petulant?"

Peter looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Finn shook his head. "If you don't know, then it doesn't matter."

"What do you want, Finn?" Peter asked with frustration. "Because I'm pretty sure you didn't come here to insult me."

"No reason," Finn responded nonchalantly. He grinned evilly. "I just wanted to see you squirm. I wanted to see what you'd do if I just turned up, out of the blue." He walked towards Peter. "Are you going to run? Are you going to call for those precious friends of yours?"

"No, I won't," Peter replied, lowering his eyes to the floor. Even looking at the floor, he could still see his doppelganger walking towards him. He tried to back away, but nearly toppled over onto the bed, stopping only when he reached out and grabbed the bedpost closest to him. Once he'd steadied himself, he then edged around the bed, but Finn continued to follow him until he was backed up into the wall.

Finn stopped in front of Peter, facing him. "Good," he said. "Because you know what will happen if you do..." He reached up with one hand, then wrapped it around Peter's neck and gently squeezed, pushing him back against the wall with all his strength. He took pleasure watching his double writhe in his grip, trying desperately hard to throw him off so he could breath properly again. After a few more moments, Finn let go, and Peter sank to the floor rubbing his sore neck.

From his seat on the floor, Peter looked up at Finn, glaring at him through his blonde bangs. "I said I wouldn't tell anyone!" he coughed. "And I meant it!"

"Just because you say something, doesn't mean you won't do anything," Finn replied. "When I said that you weren't allowed to warn your friends, I didn't just mean verbally, I meant that you weren't allowed to do anything to alert your friends to my presence. Consider what I did to you just then was... a punishment, that's it, a punishment for your actions in the dining room."

"So instead of just killing me now, you're going to make a game of it?"

Finn nodded. "Why not? I've got a bit of time before I decide to take you over."

Peter coughed again as he stood up, leaning against the wall for support. "You know Radha told me to fight you," he said evenly.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"And Aisling's going to stop you."

Finn smirked. "She can try, but she's got to stay alive long enough to find out the whole sordid truth about me." He sat down on the bed. "Almost managed it last night, if it weren't for my darling sister... or should I say not-sister, going in and saving her double's life."

Peter looked at Finn in confusion. "What do you mean by not-sister?"

Finn rolled his eyes. "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

"You're going to kill me anyway," Peter replied. "So telling me what you're talking about couldn't hurt you."

Finn's eyes narrowed. "In that case, if you tell your friends anything you've heard from me in this room, you'll be punished again. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

"As shocking to you it may sound, Radha Crane is not my sister. I was a foundling child that the O'Connor's took in when they thought they couldn't have children. But when I was three, Radha was born."

"So you were cast aside?"

Finn shook his head. "On the contrary, I was the eldest child, and only son, so I was named heir to the O'Connor estate, or what was left of it by the time I came of age."

"What have you got against Radha?" asked Peter. "Why do you want to hurt her, or Aisling?"

"Both symbolise something I want but can't have," Finn replied. "So if I can't have them... why should anyone else?"

Peter cocked his head. "But wouldn't it be better for them to be happy?"

Finn snorted. "Pah, I'm beyond that now. Besides, in a few days, I will ensure history repeats itself, which means you, Aisling, and Michael, will all be dead... by your own hand."

When Finn said the last part, a renewed sense of rage filled the blonde bassist and he pushed himself away from the wall and lunged towards his doppelganger. "I won't let you do it!" he yelled, knocking Finn flat on his back onto the bed, then using the distraction to make a break for the door. "And I'm not gonna let you make me do it!"

Rolling over onto his side, Finn waved his hand at the door, making it lock itself just at Peter got to it. "You shouldn't have done that," he warned. "That's going to cost you dearly."

Peter tested the door, first pulling at the doorknob with all his strength, then shoving it with his shoulder, doing whatever he thought might help him break through it as Finn got up and walked towards him. When the door proved that it wouldn't budge, Peter moved away from it, stopping in front of the mirror. He turned to face Finn, looking at his doppelganger defiantly, despite the fact that he knew there was no way he could escape now. "I am not afraid of you."

"You should be," Finn replied, waving his hand again

"What did that do?" Peter asked.

"Try moving your legs."

Peter tried to take a step, but, like the door, his feet wouldn't budge. He gulped. "Okay, so I can't go anywhere," he said, "What are you going to do to me now?"

Finn looked at Peter, then at the mirror behind him. "I wonder how hard I'd have to throw something to make that mirror shatter?" he mused. "Want to help me find out, Peter?"

"NO!" Peter cried, but his protest went unheeded and, with another wave of his hand, Finn sent him flying into the mirror, shattering it upon impact. He landed on the floor, falling unconscious as shards of glass rained down on top of him.

With a satisfied smirk, Finn stepped onto one of the larger pieces of glass, let himself sink into it like it was a puddle of water, then disappeared.

* * *

Mike's heart was pounding as he ran towards Peter's room. He skidded to a halt in front of the door, then tried to open it, only to find that it had been locked. 'Damn it!' he thought, cursing inwardly. "Peter!" he called through the door. "Peter, are you in there?" he asked, "Are you okay?"

No one answered.

Mike gulped, then tried the door again, even though he knew it wouldn't work. "C'mon man, say something!" he cried, "Anything!"

There was still no answer.

He stepped away from the door and was about to ram it when Micky, Davy, Jesse, Eoin and Heather came running down the hall. Mike knew he should have felt relieved to see them, but the feeling of relief was being overridden by the need to know whether or not Peter was okay.

"What happened Mike?" asked Micky. "Is Peter okay? Have you talked to him yet?"

Mike shook his head. "I can't get the door open," he replied. "It's stuck, or locked, or something, and I can't get it open!"

Eoin started searching his pockets. "Don't ye worry now, we can get the door open as soon as I find the master key." He continued his search, turning his pockets inside out, but didn't manage to produce the key. He frowned. "Looks like I've left it in the office," he said, "Ye got ma permission to try breakin' down the door while I go and get the key. And I'll bring back a first aid kit, just in case ye need it."

"Thanks Eoin," said Mike, "I can't make promises, but we'll try to damage the door as little as possible."

"Don't ye worry about the door, lad," he replied, scooping Heather into his arms. "Concentrate on gettin' to yer friend first."

Mike nodded, then turned to Micky, Davy and Jesse as Eoin and Heather retreated back down the hall. "I'm gonna need your help, fellas."

"Yeah, Mike," said Micky, coming and standing beside him, while Davy and Jesse stood on the other side. "On three?"

"On three," Mike echoed, nodding once. He shifted his weight on to his right leg, Micky, Jesse and Davy doing the same. He started to count down. "One... two..." He began to shift his weight onto his left leg, moving himself towards the door. "Three!"

The four men moved as one unit, ramming themselves into the door with all their might. The door must've been sturdier than it looked, because it didn't move at first, but after a few more tries, although they were starting to get tired by now, on their last shot, they heard a loud cracking noise, then the door swung open. They'd succeeded.

Mike gingerly stepped through the doorway, surveying the room for any sign of his friend. "Peter?" he called softly. "Pete?" He heard a low moan come from his right, then turned in the direction of the sound. The blood running through him turned to ice in his veins when he saw Peter's prone form lying on the floor in front of the empty frame that used to be a mirror. Peter's clothes were torn, obviously ripped by the glass, and thin rivulets of blood dribbled from shallow cuts on his face and arms. He counted the fact that Peter was still breathing a minor miracle, since there was no sign that any glass had penetrated anything vital. But the suspicious bruise forming on Peter's throat was not something he could ignore either. "Oh Peter," he breathed, crouching down near Peter, carefully navigating the glass shards. "What happened to you?"

Peter slowly opened his eyes. "Mike?" he asked.

Mike nodded. "Yeah, Pete, it's me."

Peter gingerly tried to prop himself up on his elbow. "Mike, I..."

"Careful, Shotgun," Mike warned gently. "Don't go tryin' to move, and don't try to talk. We don't know how bad your injures are yet, so don't go doin' anything that might make things worse, okay?"

He stood, then turned and walked back to the doorway, and to his three anxious friends. "Peter's hurt, fellas," he announced. "And it looks pretty bad, so I need you to get Eoin, tell him we got in, then tell him we need him to bring back a first aid kit, something to clean up broken glass, then we need to call a doctor."

"I'll go get him," said Jesse, taking off down the hallway at a run.

Mike sagged against the doorframe. "Man, first Aisling, now Peter!" he moaned. "What on earth is goin' on!?!"

"Can't protect everyone all the time, Mike," said Micky, shaking his head sadly. He frowned. "Wait, what do you mean 'First Aisling'?"

"She got attacked last night. Said she didn't see who it was, that the guy got away before she had a chance to look at him... or her."

"But she's okay?" asked Davy.

"Yeah, she's fine," Mike replied, rubbing his face with his hand. "She said Radha saved her." Before he could say anymore, he saw Jesse returning with Eoin, who was carrying a dustpan and broom. Jesse carried Heather and the first aid kit.

Heather looked incredibly upset and confused. "Uncle Mike, what happened to Uncle Peter?" she asked, tears trailing down her little face. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"Hey now, don't worry your little head about Uncle Peter," said Eoin, patting her on the head. "He'll be fine."

Mike smiled and nodded, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, shotgun, he'll be fine." Jesse handed Mike the first aid kit. "Thanks, man."

Jesse put Heather on the floor, then took her by the hand. "Uh, I think I'm gonna take Heather out to play," he said. He turned to Micky and Davy. "You guys come too."

Micky nodded. "Sure, we'll come with you. It'd be easier for Mike and Eoin to take care of Peter if we're not getting in the way." He gave Mike's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Just let us know when we can see him, all right?"

"All right."

Mike watched as the three young men and the little girl walked away, leaving him alone with Eoin as the only one who could help him treat Peter's injuries. "Did you call a doctor?" he asked, following the older man into the bedroom.

"Aye," Eoin replied, carefully walking over to Peter and using the broom to sweep the glass into the dustpan. "I called Dr. Wood in town," he continued. "He was busy with a patient when I called, but he said he'd come as soon as he could."

"Groovy," Mike said with a nod. He put the first aid kit down on the bedside table. "Thanks, Eoin."

"Yer welcome, lad," he responded. "Now ye better help yer friend."

Mike frowned. "I'm not sure if we should move him, I don't want to hurt him more than he already is."

"I asked Dr. Wood about that too," Eoin told him. "He said if we're careful with him and he isn't complainin' about anythin' bein' broken, then we should be able to move Peter onto the bed here."

"That's great," Mike replied, relaxing a little. He turned back to Peter and, now that most of the glass had been cleaned up, knelt on the floor beside him.

"Mike?" Peter whimpered.

"Yeah, buddy, I'm here," Mike said, trying to sooth him. "Eoin and I are gonna try and move you, okay Shotgun?"

"Okay."

"And a doctor's comin'," Mike continued, "but we've got bandaids and stuff for those cuts." He tried to smile, but it didn't quite work. "We're gonna fix you right up, yeah?"

"Yeah."

Mike looked up at Eoin. "Can we move him now?"

Eoin nodded. "Ye hold him under his arms, and I'll hold him under his legs."

The two men gingerly picked Peter up off the floor, then moved him onto the bed. Mike opened the first aid kit and took out a box of bandaids, and a tube of antiseptic ointment, then carefully started to treat Peter's wounds. Although Mike was focused on helping Peter get better, the one thing he couldn't fix immediately, the bruise on Peter's neck, had him worried. He didn't want to upset Peter, but he knew that he'd have to ask him what happened sooner or later.

He just wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.

* * *