As evening drew into night, stars twinkling high above the earth, the moon took over from the sun, offering illumination in the clear sky. Everything was still within the town except for those that protected it moving silently through the streets. Tucked safely within their beds its native inhabitants slept, all but one of them dreaming of the festive day close within sight. Her dreams carried her from her body, along a spiritual plain invisible to those without her powers.

Hundreds of candles glimmered in the rebounding silence around her. An ornate ceiling held aloft high walls that upon their surface displayed carvings of angels, depictions of a story told over thousands of years. Thin strains of smoke from incense wafted amongst wooden pews aligned at either side of an aisle that lay before an altar, a large cross bearing the symbol of what worshippers considered the ultimate sacrifice. Interspaced amongst the pews were such worshippers kneeling, their lips moving with silent prayers to ears they hoped were listening. With their eyes closed and their heads bowed they cared little for what was around them, unaware of anything outside of their distraction. As she passed by them she could feel what their hearts desired, she could hear their prayers as they prayed not only with their lips but with their minds. To what destination their words were carried mattered little to her as she heard one amongst them mention her name. She moved to him as he rose from the floor and sat in the pew, sitting beside him her eyes looked upon him with judgement he suffered little from here.

"You're alone?" He whispered to her.

She nodded, "In the only way I can be."

"You know, Robyn, I'll never understand this ability of yours."

"You don't have to, just be glad that it's not something we automatically share as twins. Why did you bring me here, Morgan? This is one of the last places I would have expected to find someone like you. I'm surprised you'd be allowed after everything you've done."

A voice beside them answered for Morgan, "All of God's children are welcome here."

Brother and sister turned to see who had addressed them and their eyes fell on a Priest, recognition brought a slight smile to Morgan's features while Robyn's remained frosty.

"We are not God's children." She harshly replied, her voice just above a whisper.

The Priest bowed his head and smiled slightly, "Knowing who mothered you I can understand your reticence, indeed, those that would see you outside of here together would look upon you as the twins of Satan himself. You're well known in these parts but within these walls Morgan's past does not matter. He can be here without judgement; he can be in peace here. He seeks absolution."

Robyn held back the impulse to laugh, had she lost control of it the laugh that would have emerged would have been one of disbelief tinged with desolation. It would have echoed amongst the expanse surrounding them, reaching high into the ceiling rebounding between the walls and disturbing the incense smoke floating amongst those praying. Her brother was watching her, questioning her.

"We all have to have something to believe in, Robyn."

"I believe in myself!"

The priest seemed to accept Robyn's answer and he looked to Morgan, "I will be doing communion shortly if you'd like to partake of it. Perhaps when next we meet you would like to begin preparations for your baptism."

Robyn watched as the priest turned and walked away before looking at her brother. Her eyes scalded him almost as badly as her words, "I thought you always said you were beyond redemption for what you've done in the past but here you are, trying out for it anyway. What kind of hypocrisy would you call this? Do you even think it will make any difference? You might view this as a way of running from what you are but while you follow Lily there isn't anything on this Earth or otherwise that will truly accept you."

"And if I don't follow Lily? I'm not with her Robyn, any more than she is with me. When I stopped her from killing the rest of those men I wanted to kill her, I should have killed her."

"But you didn't."

Taking his eyes from his sister, Morgan studied the pew in front of him, "I took her from the hideout, took her out of reach of the rescue team that came to collect those men. She was still unconscious, or at least I thought she was. When I woke up, she was gone. There was no sign of her. She's out there, somewhere."

"She won't be gone for long."

"I know. At least I know I'm not entirely alone in this world. You're all the family I have."

Robyn shifted in her seat, understanding Morgan's feelings but not liking them. "I have to go."

Morgan nodded, when he turned back to face Robyn she was gone. Looking around him he stood and walked towards the altar, into the gaze of the eyes belonging to he who was mounted upon the cross.

Coming back to her body she opened her eyes, gazing at the wall in front of her. Within her mind she could still hear his words. She could feel the feelings of those around her, those that had prayed for that which he sought, lost souls crying out for salvation, confirmation that they were loved despite themselves.

Sighing imperceptibly she turned her thoughts to her fiancé. He was at home now, released from his punishment. She could feel that he missed her and as she closed her eyes she could almost see him hugging her pillow, his arm stretched out in the space she had always occupied. Looking inwardly she wondered if her feelings were the same for him as they had been, she loved him as he did her but something had changed within their relationship. Her actions had driven a wedge between them and though in their distance from one another things had calmed down she still wondered if they would ever be as they been in the good times.

Tears beaded in her eyes as she remembered their argument of a few days before, the one that had prompted her to return to the safe distance of her Uncle's airship. It had been unexpected, coming out of the blue in a volatile rush of heat that had exploded between them. Neither of them had really been able to understand what they had been arguing about as it switched from subject to subject, shifting and changing. He had blamed her for its occurrence while she was sure he had been the one responsible. Their words had sliced into one another, previous apologies forgotten as accusations that had been swept beneath the carpet resurfaced.

She must have somehow alerted him of her sadness as she felt herself being lifted up, pulled into a seated position with strong arms holding her, her Uncle comforting her in her sadness. He brushed her hair back with his hand, soothing her. He whispered to her softly about the coming day where she would be going shopping with her grandparents and himself to choose her Christmas presents. An exciting even that began to peel away her melancholy but tinged with the bitter edge of her lover not sharing the day with her.

As Robyn began to calm and she started to fall asleep, Sportacus leant his head back against the wall. He knew she was hurting and he wanted to help her but her silence kept him from doing so. It saddened him to see her relationship with Kit in difficulty; he wished only that they could surpass their present problems as they had past others.

Not wanting to move lest he wake his niece, Sportacus remained still as he closed his eyes and joined her in sleep.