Gabriel looked down at the garden, the shade of the pine trees casting a dark pale over his task. Behind him, Malcolm Grant stood, the only one to join him.

"I never saw how bad this was." Malcolm whispered.

"What was?" Gabriel questioned.

"Death." Malcolm stated. "My powers…they were enhanced by Valencia. I use to just see the lines…now they speak to me. They cry out in a thousand voices…and I never knew just how bad death was."

Gabriel didn't say anything for a very long time. "Death is never easy."

"You don't understand." Malcolm stated. "Everyone…each of us…we are connected. These lines that I see, they bind us all. You…me…the trees, the rocks, the very air itself. All of it is connected."

Gabriel frowned. "You sound like a Disney film."

"Maybe they were right then." Malcolm answered back. "Call it whatever you want…call it God, or string theory or psychic forces, whatever you desire…but we are all connected, every one of us. And I know only this …some bonds strong than others. But still, even the weakest bond is tied to us. And right now…two lines just went dark." He closed his eyes. "And their darkness has spread to all the rest The world gets darker, the lights dim, the msuci grows quiet…curtain call, fade to black." He shook his head sadly. "We all die a little when this happens. No matter how unconnected we are…we all die a little bit."

Gabriel held up his hands, using his power to dig out two deep graves.

"Yeah…we do." He finally stated.

^&^&^&^

"Vally?" Tina asked, kneeling next to the child that wore her adopted daughter's face. "Sweetie…"

Vally had wiggled herself behind a couch, curled up in a ball and her thumb in her mouth, sucking on it hard. Her eyes were filled with tears, she refused to even look at Tina as she just hummed some nonsense song to herself.

"Vally?" Tina whispered.

"Is she always like this?" Claire asked.

Ellie shook her head. "I've known her a week at best…but she's a tough little girl. She's led a…interesting life, all be it a short time."

Claire nodded as Tina tried to coax the 4 year old from her hiding spot. "I can imagine."

"No." Ellie stated. "You really can't."

"Vally…please come her…its ok…" Tina whispered. "its ok to be sad…when someone you love goes to Heaven, its ok to cry."

Vally sniffed. "Not that." She stated. She looked at Tina. "My first mommy and daddy, they died." She rocked back and forth. "Back when mama was Maddy…our mommy and daddy died. Maddy said…they had gone to Heaven. Maddy wanted to go to Heaven too, but she stated for me." Vally paused. "Daddy says Heaven is nice. He was there."

Tina glanced at Ellie, who merely nodded. "They all says he was…dead for a whole day."

"And Maddy…she died. The bad man, who took me…he shot her. But then, I cried…and she came back…but she was my mama." Vally wrapped her arms around her knees. "Uncle Marshal when the Heaven too. I miss him."

Tina gulped, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Vally turned to her. "I'm scared."

"Because of what happened?" Tina asked.

"Yeah…daddy's sad." Vally whispered.

"Yes, he is." Tina confirmed.

Vally shuddered. "I don't daddy being sad." She finally crawled out, allowing Tina to hug her tight.

^&^&^&^

Sarah stared at the mirror before her, eyes puffy and red. The figure that watched back was a wreck, a shattered woman that made want to scream and protest. The poor creature, looking have dazed, still covered in the blood of her parents and that of their murderers, limbs twitching at odd moments. She looked nothing like the woman she had been, the woman trained by Helena Daniels, taught the way of the sword by Vic Daniels, the mistress of emotions. She looked…like a scared little girl.

She didn't like looking like that.

She glared at her reflection, turning her eyes finally to the mirror image of her brother…her brother…sitting on the bed, near catatonic, his wife holding him close as he stared at the floor. The strength had left him at the end of the battle, Madrid later explaining this was a weakness of getting amped by Vally. Sarah had felt it herself, Gabriel helping her back to the house while Ellie and Claire dealt with a weak Madrid and Malcolm had been given an unconscious Cater. Seemed that Vally's amps would accelerate the body, only for it to go into a shock once the person finally took a breath. Her brother, she had gathered, had nearly died the first time.

The air around her hummed as her right hand burst into silver flames.

She was the mistress of emotions, and yet she could not control her own. Her heart bled for the death of her mother and father, and she felt such hatred at everyone, even herself, for letting it happen.

She slowly raised her hand, staring at the mirror. She had never whammied herself…not geatly, anyway. She had tried, a few minor, soft jolts…nothing more than that. But she knew what she could do…and now she knew she could do so much more.

Could she wipe the pain away, clean? Could she erase it, purge it from her soul?

She raised her hand.

Carter's fingers were on her wrist.

She didn't know how he had gotten there so fast.

His eyes blazed as he forced her hand away. "Don't." He stated. "Its not worth it."

"Shouldn't I decide that?" Sarah challenged. "I can deal with pain."

"I am not talking about pain. I am talking about dealing with pain. I've used my powers to stop myself from feeling pain…pain caused by my childhood. But it isn't worth it. I hate myself that I am this week, that I need to whammy my brain to not crawl into a corner and sob every time I…I think of my past…of the time in the orphanage." He shook his head. "It isn't worth it, Sarah. It only brings you worst pain. These powers…they too easily become a crutch, and when that happens…its not worth it." He smiled weakly. "You don't think I want to do the same thing as you? Burn my pain away? But if you love them…love our mother and father…you will honor their memory and not change yourself…not over this."

Sarah's flames died as she finally collapsed, sobbing in her brother's arms.

Madrid watched on for only a moment before she wrapped her arms on both.

^&^&^&^

"We lay to rest Helena and Vic Daniels." Malcolm stated, looking over the graves, the bodies wrapped in blankets. Gabriel stood by, Vally in his arms. Ellie and Audrey stood nearby with Claire and Tina, while Madrid, Carter and Sarah stood beside the graves. Malcolm had been elected to lead the simple ceremony.

They knew they didn't have long. Carter had used one final whammy blast to make the neighbors not look outside and see the blood and carnage, and Gabriel had gotten rid of the bodies, driving them into the earth. But they all knew that the Human's First Group would return, and none of them felt like dealing with them, yet.

"They say that we all must die. But they are wrong…and I speak not of the immortals in this group." He shook his head, smirking slightly. "We are all immortal. Each of us, through ways we do not seem to understand. We live on through the connections we make. Through the lives we touch. Through those that we love, that we care for. Yes, the world can grow dark…but all it takes is a memory to bring it to life once more.

"We have many families…and yet they are the same. One giant family, of friends, of family, of lost loves and forgotten heroes. This family, it protects us…it guards us from a world that we don't want to see…be it because of past pain," He looked at Carter and Madrid, "or misunderstand," He glanced at Tina, then Gabriel, "or even our own foolishness." Claire's eyes went towards the ground.

"Now, we find ourselves gathered at a fork in the road. And I ask you…which one would Helena and Vic want us to take. One way is paved with fear. The other road is paved…with redemption." Malcolm held out his hands. "What path would Helena and Vic want us to go down?"

Gabriel nodded when Malcolm grew quiet, and with a sweep of his hand, buried Carter and Sarah's parents within the ground.

After the small service, Carter approached Malcolm. "You know that path of redemption?"

"Yeah?"

Carter's eyes went dark. "You forgot to mention vengeance."

^&^&^&^

Within the house, Madrid hurried to pack up their belongings. They did not have time to wait around, and each of them knew they would need to leave soon. She looked at her boots, knowing that, like the last time, running at the speed of sound would shred them to bits, leaving her barefoot by the time they arrived back in LA. She held up the black leather boots, stylish and practical, and focused on duplicating them.

A hum filled the air, and Madrid screamed as red whammy flames burst from her hands, creating the replica boots.

"…hoy…"