Finally, I've finished these. / I will say that big stuff happens here. But I'm sure you're in no mood for my blathering, so I'll get right to it.

Tremendous thanks again to all who reviewed. :) Hope these will deliver.

Tears brimmed in Meghan's eyes as she watched Henry slide into his seat and close the door behind him.To have been rescued like this after all she'd been through, by this man, of all people - it was unbelievable. She knew it, and was feeling the most desperate kind of relief - but even so, in her current state, it was impossible to be truly happy.

Her companion was a bit shaken and out of sorts, it seemed, and she could tell he'd been drinking a lot of coffee. But he also seemed somewhat relieved, and Meghan was surprised to hear him immediately begin to speak.

"Well, first off." he began. "The obvious question is, are you alright, Meghan?"

She nodded, though a part of her told her that such a nod would fail even the most primitive polygraph.

"You can only imagine my shock, Meghan," Henry said, "to hear that you had been kidnapped by a certain employee of mine. It was so very outlandish that at first I couldn't believe it. But I shall tell you long ahead of time - you owe your friend Faye a great amount of thanks, for it was she who was able to persuade me."

Hearing this came not without its share of surprise.

"Faye?" Meghan stammered, pleasantly in shock. "She was the one who told you?" Her mind was reeling as to how Faye possibly could've known.

"Indeed she was." he confirmed. "But as I said, I did not believe the poor girl at first. I thought she was positively mad. I must say, however, that mad or not, you have a wonderful friend in her. I can tell that she holds you in high regard."

Meghan stared into space for a few moments, in newfound admiration for someone who was currently not in her prescence.

"What was most strange, to me, is that the culprit your friend had first named was none other than my advisor, Mr. Payne. That was quickly proved false, however - the real man was pinpointed, admitted to the incident, and was apprehended immediately. Though I can understand Miss Winthrop's mistake - he bears a striking resemblance to my quickly balding friend."

Wait, what? Henry was rambling, but if Meghan wasn't mistaken, she was sure she had just heard him say that Alistair was...

"Innocent. You're so completely and utterly innocent...I could not for the life of me comprehend why anyone would possibly have any motive toward kidnapping you. But the man was quite mad, everyone could tell. Insane. Out of his mind."

Meghan couldn't believe it. Amazingly, Alistair had still been able to twist things in his favor. And though Meghan herself was the actual victim, she was being given no voice whatsoever.

And she knew not what dangers would present themselves by her speaking up.

Really, she wasn't sure what anything was at all, at this point.

"This world is quite a strange one, isn't it?" gathered Henry, glancing out the window.

Meghan jerked her head toward him, starlted by the quick change of subject. She found this a bit random, harkening back to her dream in some creepy way. But, feeling that her mind was in shackles, she replied simply:

"Yes. Yes it is."

There was a pause for a few moments as Henry continued to stare out the window.

"Also," he continued, "I find that this world is not only very strange, but also becoming increasingly small."

An even more peculiar feeling began to come over Meghan. She wasn't exactly sure what he was meaning by this.

"I suppose."

"Yes. And oh! Without the telephone! Without the pen and the paper, without any form of communication! It simply amazes me."

Meghan only studied him.

"Me...too." she managed to say.

Henry looked at her.

"Am I confusing you, Meghan?" he asked.

"Just a little."

"Well then. Maybe I should explain the method to my madness. Although you must forgive me, as I find myself most reluctant to do so."

Meghan never averted her eyes.

"You see, I was, in fact, positively gobsmacked at the idea that you being kidnapped by some disgruntled individual and being put on a plane to New York. Furthermore, I was extremely perplexed as to why I had anything to do with the situation. I simply saw no reason whatsoever, nothing made any sense. Do you have an idea where I may be going with this, Meghan?"

She had no defining answer.

"Keep going." she replied.

"And thus I come to the most difficult part. For as unbelievable as the events taking place actually were, it was the reason that made me take listen, and it was just that which at the time astounded me most of all. It was something that even made me believe, if only for a short time, that it actually could have been Alistair Payne who so savagely grabbed you."

Meghan saw his words before they came.

"You truly must be good, true friends with Miss Faye, as she has somehow acquired the knowledge of your being related to an old friend of mine. Libby Reynolds. Your aunt."

She wasn't sure what to feel. The long-awaited moment had finally come. Should she feel satisfaction? Pride? Shame? It was all just too complicated. Her feelings were a mess that she surmised would be impossible to organize again. If they ever had been...well, organized. She began to think that she may not have ever even woken up - the drowsiness combined with this insane reality was beginning to frighten her.

All she knew to do was to keep watching the man, waiting for him to say something more. Unfortunately, what he said next was a question.

"Now, Meghan, I'm going to ask you - what I have just described for you, this relationship...is it true and correct?"

Meghan felt her throat tighten as she looked at him. Once and for all, she decided, she was going to face this.

"Yes."

What Henry did next surprised her. He did not scold her for holding this secret to herself, nor did he stew in silent disgust. What he did do was give Meghan a half-smile, before turning to face straight ahead.

"I must say, this is truly unbelievable. I know not how much your aunt has told you, but judging by your discretion on the matter, I'm guessing it was quite a lot. You may already know that my old friend and I were once very much in love."

"I know."

"I met her in the strangest of all places..."

"Morocco."

"It was quite a long time ago..."

"1986."

Henry turned to look at Meghan intently, with a bit of surprise showing in his face.

"My, she has told you a lot, hasn't she? And to think - you've known all of this, for the entire time you've been acquainted with me!"

Meghan's hands shook as she fiddled with her flower necklace.

"My aunt Libby and I are very close." she stammered, deeming that as being the best thing to say.

Henry half-smiled again.

"Well then, in that case, may I divulge something else to you?"

Meghan could only nod.

"You see, Meghan, though you probably haven't been aware of it, I have been pondering you to no end ever since first hearing word of your arrival. Do you know why that is?"

She forced herself to give him the truth.

"I might."

"Well, I will tell you. Now, I presume you are more than old enough to understand this in a mature way - I am not trying to repulse you. But seeing as you yourself are at the age of exactly seventeen...let me repeat that we did in fact love each other very much..."

He was beginning to show discomfort.

"I understand. Go on." Meghan told him.

"Right. Well, seeing as you were that very age, and American, and in possession of an uncanny likeness to the woman I knew once - have I mentioned that? It is very true. And you see, for a short while, I actually thought that maybe...possibly...I might have..."

Meghan looked away again as yet another thought registered in her mind.

"But now, of course, I see that I have been proven false. I'm quite sure that your mother is a lovely woman, and also quite sure that we have never met. Now, you must surely see where my point comes in. About the world being so small."

Meghan looked at him again.

"Yes, I see."

"You will kindly give your aunt my regards when you return to America, won't you?" he asked.

"I will."

The two then took to looking out of their respective windows, staring in opposite directions. Meghan's mind twisted and turned, throbbing with all that had taken place, thankful that there were good people in this world like Faye and this man. Despite the sinking feeling she felt that the misery was far from being completely over, her mind began to form a hope that maybe, at least for awhile, there would be some solace.

But would there be honesty?

She looked to her companion, and watched as he rubbed his chin, staring out at the speeding scenery. He was obviously lost in thought. Then and there, Meghan knew. Henry had wanted to say much, much more - this "old friend" business wasn't as trivial and insignificant to him as he made it out to be. Libby had meant something to him, and very likely still did.

He was going to marry Glynnis, it was true. But he hadn't forgotten his lost love - and he didn't want to forget.

Meghan could no longer leave things unfinished, unsaid. This was the chance she thought she'd never have again. She had her aunt's permission. And she had the very person she'd needed to talk to ever since she'd arrived here, sitting right next to her with no one else around - other than the driver, who seemed to take no notice as he drove listening to jazz through heaphones. Just too convenient for comfort.

But Henry deserved the whole truth. And Daphne deserved him. It was now Meghan who looked straight ahead.

"I think Faye might've left something out." Meghan forced herself to say.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Henry turn back to her, giving her his full interest. And a thought suddenly struck her.

"You know, I actually have another friend. Back in New York. Her name is Daphne." she said, as casually as she possibly could.

There was a pause.

"Daphne." he repeated.

For some reason, this made Meghan immediately turn her head, to look Henry straight in the eyes.

"...yes! Daphne! My friend Daphne!"

Henry looked a bit confused.

"You seem very excited."

She was unable to restrain a strange, sudden laugh.

"I'm sorry. It's just...the way you said her name...it just sounded really nice."

Henry smiled.

"I should think you would be used to English accents by now."

"Ha - no, that's not really what I mean. It's just that it kind of...cements something."

He studied her.

"You've caught the madness as well, haven't you?"

"Maybe. But I think I should go on. I - can you say her name again?"

"Daphne."

"Yes! Daphne is my best friend in the whole wide world."

"How very lovely."

"We go to school together, we hang out every day, and we eat food together but she's really picky, she has a guitar pick collection, and her favorite color is orange...I'm rambling, aren't I? Yeah, I am." Meghan shook her head manically, her eyes dancing in a daze.

"Are you alright?"

"I think so."

"Go on, then. Tell me more about this...Daphne."

Meghan was hit with another jolt. He had only to say her name.

"Well, she's really, really smart. She's going to get into a top university, I'm sure of it. And she kicks behind in Speech & Debate. And she brings me presents when I'm sick, and we watch movies together. And I throw parties for her."

"I'm glad to hear that you have such a wonderful friend, but how exactly might this relate to your original subject?" Henry asked tentatively.

"My what?"

"You said that there was something your friend Faye didn't tell me. Is this what you mean?"

Meghan faltered.

"Yes and no."

She was silent for a minute, again twirling her necklace with shaking hands. Boldly, she stole a peek at Henry.

"Shall I say her name again?" he asked.

Meghan nodded. "One more time."

"Daphne."

"Daphne. Alright. This is what I've been meaning to say. Faye didn't tell you about my friend..."

"Ah, but you just did."

"No. No, I didn't. Sir, I live with three people. My mom is one. My aunt is another. Do you remember the third one?"

"Not exactly. But I'll take a guess that it is Daphne."

"Yes! You're right. It's Daphne."

Though Meghan's heart was pounding, she somehow didn't feel that it was destroying her.

"So, what you're meaning to say is, your best friend, Daphne, lives with you and your mother and aunt? This is what your blonde friend neglected to tell me?" Henry asked, amused.

Meghan nodded. And now, with her hands trembling more than ever, she let something else escape her lips.

"That's exactly what I mean. Except...I'm going to take it a step further, and say that Daphne is not only my friend, but also...my cousin."

Henry was silent for a moment.

"By the aunt you're living with, I presume?" he asked, his voice a bit weak.

Meghan looked at him, sudden tears welling up in her eyes, knowing there was still one, last, faint loophole to tie up. Her freakish excitement had left her, and she now had nothing but pleading nervousness. She was beginning to think that she really was mad, as she reached into her tiny matching handbag, straying from his gaze only for a second. Then she looked at him again.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" she said, voice wavering, as she watched herself hand Henry Dashwood the birth certificate of one Miss Daphne Reynolds.

He unfolded the document. His next move was to read it. Then the final move - to comprehend.

"Oh, dear God." he murmured.

One hand, still holding the paper, immediately dropped to his lap. The other flew to his face, and commenced to moving from mouth to forehead to eyes to mouth again.

Meghan looked away, no longer able to keep the tears from streaming down her face.

"I'm so sorry." she told him as she began to sob. "I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you. I'm sorry."

"No..." Henry stammered, not having the least idea what to do with himself. He glanced at the paper again and again. "You...have...no fault here..."

Through the front window, Meghan suddenly realized where they were, as she watched huge iron gates slowly creak open before them. Dashwood Manor. They went on through.

Meghan could see a few lit windows, but had no idea why Henry, who was now lost in emotion as she was, had arranged for her to come here. The driver parked the car, and got out without saying a word. A quick glance at Henry told him he'd better stay away from his and Meghan's doors, and he walked away, toward the side of the house and out of sight. They were left there alone.

For quite a long time, they only sat there. Henry's hand trembled ever so slightly as he held the document, while Meghan quietly cried, hunched in the corner. She tried her best to think about the fact that late as it was, the truth had still been revealed and that Daphne's existance was known. But the shame was overpowering, putting her the shadow of a new fear - that Henry would reject it all, perhaps in some way due to all the time she'd wasted. There was nothing she could do now but cry.

"There's no use in staying out here." Henry finally breathed, not without difficulty. "We may as well go in, where it's warm."

"I can't go in there."

"I can't either, but I suppose I will anyway."

"Go without me then."

"There is no way that I can do that."

"Lord Dashwood -"

"I think it's best you call me Henry. You'll be seeing a lot more of me, apparently. Now please, come in before I lose my mind any further."

Finally, Meghan obeyed. She shoved the door open, stepped out and began to walk to the door on wobbly legs, supplemented by cumbersome high heels. She trudged up the steps, and Henry came up from behind her to open the door.

All had changed in one night. So much was gone, and Meghan could only hope that she did some good for Daphne. And never had she wanted to talk to Daphne so badly as she did right now.

But then, in this matter, Meghan was supposed to be the stronger one. She couldn't run to Daphne - Daphne would only run to her in return, seeking even more comfort. But Meghan didn't feel strong at all. Her weaknesses were blindingly apparent.

Henry pushed the door open and held it for her to walk through. She took a deep breath and did so, then waited for him to follow. He tucked his daughter's birth certificate into his jacket as he closed the door.

"Such a strange world this is." he said once more. "And we are both against it."