AUTHORS NOTE: TRIGGER WARNING. This chapter contains some very emotionally disturbing scenes. And no, we are not sociopaths. Parental Discretion is advised.

Elizabeth raised her brows in astonishment at the news that Lucas had lost a sister. "Her name was Jenny?"

"No! No, no, no!" Lucas said, covering his head with his hands.

"Lucas?" Elizabeth said.

Lucas looked at her with widened eyes, shaking his head. "We mustn't say that. Can't say that!"

"We can't say what?" Elizabeth asked. "Martin?"

Martin bowed his head and closed his eyes. "Oh, dear."

"Martin? Helen? What is it that he's not allowed to say?"

Lucas's father stepped back from his wife, rubbing her arms up and down once before letting her go. "Absolutely nothing," he replied, his eyes trained upon Helen. Lucas's mother bowed her head.

Martin left her alone in the middle of the room and made his way over to Lucas, sitting on the edge of the bed. He grasped Lucas's arms in his own weathered hands.

"Lucas? Lucas, look at me. Lucas, this is your father." Martin put his hand under Lucas's chin and raised his son's face so their eyes met. "Son, it's alright for you to say it now. It's okay. Nobody will be angry."

"Alright, to say what?" Nathan asked just as Bill entered the building.

"Our daughter's name," Martin replied, glancing sideways in Grant's direction before returning his gaze toward his son. "When Jenny died, things were very difficult for all of us. We almost lost each other –in some ways, we did lose what we had. Lucas was forbidden to ever mention Jenny's name again."

"Oh!" Elizabeth responded, squeezing her fiancé's hand. As a teacher, she knew the emotional turmoil many children faced during times of tragedy and the struggles they faced after. How alone he must have felt, and what scars that must have left on a little boy's soul.

"Lucas, son. I want you to say it."

"Martin, no!" Helen said as shame-filled tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Lucas, I want you to say it. Tell us your sister's name. Who was she? What was her name?"

Helen Bouchard raised her hand to her face, and her shoulders began to shake, so Faith walked over to her, placing her arm around her.

"What was her name, Lucas? Can you tell us, son?"

"No," Helen whispered.

As tears ran down his mother's cheeks, Lucas squeezed his eyes shut and tried to speak. "J-"

"That's it…go ahead and say it. It's alright. Speak her name, Lucas. Tell us who she was."

Lucas looked up at his father; uncertainty, fear, and desperation were all wrapped in his gaze. His chin quivered, and his body shuddered. "J-J-Jenny. M-my sister's name w-was J-Jenny."

Helen broke away from Faith and ran for the door, bumping into Bill on her way out but not stopping.

Faith looked to Nathan.

"I'll go try to help her," she said. Nathan nodded, then looked toward the scene where father and son were looking at one another, having broken their long-maintained silence about the loss of someone so precious to them both. His heart swelled with compassion. He just couldn't imagine.

While Faith went to speak with Helen, Bill approached Nathan.

"I've run down a few more cases where this Saul Marwood was a suspect. First appeared in the Toronto area about twenty years ago, then disappeared, rearing his ugly head every few years, generally in connection with a robbery and often involving murder."

"You can add Solomon Drake to that list of aliases," Nathan said. "And Lucas's little sister to the list of victims."

"Bouchard had a sister?"

"Yeah."

Nathan looked toward Lucas's bed, where Elizabeth and Martin talked softly to the disoriented young man. "You know, I always thought that Bouchard came from an upper-crust background that didn't interact too much with the world you and I have lived in. I believed he couldn't really understand the things we've faced. Just goes to show you everyone has a story. Lucas and his family have been through a lot."

Some time passed, and Faith returned to the infirmary with Lucas's mother in tow. Helen appeared stoic and looked at the floor when she entered the room. Accompanying them was Dr. Carter's psychiatrist friend, Dr. James Bennett, who had just arrived from Union City.

Grant noticed immediately how the tall, handsome Bennett looked at Carter and how she blushed ever so slightly when he held the door open for her. He also noticed a lack of jewelry on Bennett's left hand. Nathan suddenly didn't like this situation at all.

"Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Dr. James Bennett from Union City General," Faith said with a smile. "James is one of the finest psychiatric doctors in the country. I worked with him when I was a nurse in Hamilton. James, this is Constable Nathan Grant, Judge Bill Avery, Lucas's parents Martin - and, of course, Helen, whom you've already met, and over there is Elizabeth Thornton. Lucas's fiancée."

"And next to her is the patient?" Bennett asked.

"Only patient in the room," Grant replied, glancing towards Carter, who looked back at him, displeased. He lowered his eyes.

Bennett walked over to Lucas's bedside, and Elizabeth got up to make room. Immediately Lucas looked toward her with desperation.

"It's alright, Darling. I'm not going anywhere. The doctor wants to speak with you. I'll be standing right here."

Lucas accepted her words of comfort though he still appeared fearful as Bennett sat on the bed.

"Hello, Lucas. Is it okay if I call you Lucas?"

Lucas furrowed his brow as he searched for words, then finally gave a nod.

"That's good. You may call me James if you like. And how are you feeling right now?"

Lucas again considered what was being said, his mind half-present, half-disoriented. Finally, he said, "Confused."

"A lot has been happening," Bennett replied. "I can see how that would be. But you're doing well," he said, patting him on the shoulder. He turned toward the rest of the room. "When did this start?"

"Yesterday morning, around nine-forty-five," Avery replied.

"And it just happened immediately, when he saw the man?"

Avery shook his head. "No. The man had been standing there for a while and was badgering his bartender for whiskey. Lucas stepped forward to ask him to leave and then just suddenly pounced. There was no indication before this that anything was amiss."

"He must have recognized him when he got up close," Bennett surmised.

"Oh, yeah. That guy was unmistakable – big scar running down his face…."

"A tattoo," Lucas said, drawing everyone's attention.

Bennett raised his eyebrows. "The man had a tattoo?"

"A dragon," Lucas said.

"He had a tattoo of a dragon?"

"On his hand."

"I see, and you recognized him by this tattoo?"

Lucas shook his head, even as his expression began to change. As memories began to return, his eyes filled with tears of rage.

Nathan looked toward Elizabeth with concern, and she started to step forward, but Bennett threw out his arm.

"He was the man who killed your sister?"

Lucas began to shake and shook his head yes.

"Lucas, what happened next?" the doctor asked.

Lucas's eyes searched the covers, and he was quiet for a long time until finally, after a couple of minutes, he shook his head. "I…I don't know. I can't…I can't remember."

Bennett exhaled with satisfaction. "It's alright. You don't have to think about that now. Just rest." He stood then looked toward Elizabeth, "You can rejoin him now."

Immediately, Elizabeth retook her place and put her arm around Lucas, who rested his head on her shoulder.

Bennett nodded. "Acute psychosis triggered by a traumatic event, resulting in actions impossible for the patient to control."

"Temporary insanity," Bill responded.

"I would swear to it before any judge, Judge," Bennett said.

Avery sighed with relief and looked toward Nathan, who looked at Elizabeth, pleased that they were bringing help.

"Mr. Bouchard doesn't need time in jail. That would be useless, as he is not a violent criminal," Bennett said. "He needs treatment, and with the right treatment, I believe we could see a complete restoration of his faculties -sooner rather than later."

The Bouchards and Elizabeth looked hopeful.

"Tell me, Dr Bennett," Martin said. "What do you need for us to do?"

Bennett pulled up a chair and took a seat, then motioned for the others to sit as well. Elizabeth remained with Lucas.

"Tell me about what happened, from the beginning, from the time Lucas was a child."

Martin took Helen by the hand and looked to her for permission. She nodded, then lowered her head.

"Jenny was the most beautiful and, may I say, precocious child, you'd ever want to meet – a paradox of bravery and timidity – just lovely. People used to tell us she looked like a porcelain doll with her pale complexion, raven hair, and eyes…eyes that were the color of a pale jade. She and Lucas were extraordinarily close, like two peas in a pod. And, her big brother was her protector- despite the fact there was only seven months difference in their ages."

"Seven months?" Bill asked.

Martin grinned. "Yes, the math does not quite compute." He looked toward Elizabeth. "I trust my son has told you the circumstances of his birth?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Lucas told me he was adopted when we discussed the possibility of him adopting Jack after we marry. He said his birth mother was Helen's sister?"

Helen nodded. "Yes. My sister Anne became sick with a fever three weeks after Lucas was born. She died on Thanksgiving Day. Her illness had nothing to do with Lucas's birth. It resulted from contracting something her husband Xavier brought home from the hospital. He was an infectious disease specialist at the Civic Hospital, which is ironic considering the Montreal Smallpox epidemic took his life four months later, despite his having been vaccinated against the illness. By then, Martin, Lucas, and I had returned to his family's estate in New Orleans to escape the epidemic that was killing so many children. Lucas was born in November 1884, and our daughter was born the following June. As Martin said, they were the closest of friends."

As his parents were speaking, memories began to flood Lucas's mind. He closed his eyes as he recalled his days with Jenny.

xxxxx

"Jenny! I said no! Get down from there. We're going to get in trouble," young Lucas said as his sister climbed to the next branch of Mrs. Delacroix's oak tree, the kind of tree with low hanging limbs that one would more expect to see in a haunted cemetery rather than an elderly woman's yard in the heart of New Orleans.

"No! I can't see anything down there. I want to see the elephants!"

"You can see them later. Father said we're going to the circus tonight. Come on, Jenny, you'll fall and get hurt!"

"Oh, fiddlesticks! I'm not going to fall. I just….whoa!"

"What?!" the alarmed boy replied.

"Lucas! You need to come up here and see this! You can see the whole park! That tent! It's amazing."

"Jenny! Please get down."

"Not until you come up here with me."

"I'm not climbing up there!"

"Then I'm not coming down!

"Jenny!"

"Please! Come join me. You won't be sorry. Then I promise I'll get down."

Lucas sighed. "Oh, alright."

Lucas tucked his knickers into his socks, then grabbed onto a limb, brushing his hand off on his jacket when he saw it was covered with soot. He shook his head, then tried again, finally making it to the branch his sister sat on to see what the fuss was about. She wasn't joking. It was beautiful. From where they sat, not only could they see the entire area where Barnum and Bailey had pitched their tent but the surrounding territory as well. He looked to his right, where he could faintly see in the distance the spires of the buildings at Jackson Square, and he could hear the sound of the horns of the steamboats and see the 'smoke' from their stacks just beyond. It excited his adventurer's heart.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed.

"See! I told you!" she said triumphantly.

Just then, another sound was heard, and not too far away.

"What are you kids doing up there?! Get down from there, this instant!"

Jenny gasped. "Oh, my goodness! It's Mrs. Delacroix!" She immediately began to scamper but moved out too far on the branch they were perched upon, causing the wood to crack. Lucas felt the branch begin to give way. He desperately clung to a higher branch with his left arm and grabbed Jenny with his right hand. Mrs. Delacroix screamed as Jenny swung through the air, held only by her brother's hand.

"Hold on, Jenny. I've got you! I've…."

"Lucas, I'm scared!" she said, flailing and making it more difficult for Lucas to hold on.

"Jenny, don't be scared. Unless you see me scared, you don't have anything to be scared about. Just hold my hand."

Jenny looked up to her brother with trusting eyes and shook her head, knowing he was holding her tightly.

Suddenly, the limb he'd grabbed onto broke as well, and both children went plummeting to the ground below. Mrs. Delacroix gasped.

"Now, see what you've done! That tree is a hundred years old and planted by my father."

Jenny looked to Lucas, who was a little shaken but fine.

"Run!" he said.

"Are you okay?" she asked, reaching out to touch him.

Lucas shook his head and smiled a dimpled smile, then pointed both of his fingers toward his eyes, their little signal for how seriously he took his job as her big brother and protector. It meant, "I'm watching after you."

Jenny smiled, blew him a kiss, then took off running, her giggles filling the air with the sweetest sound.

XXXXX

Memories of Jenny's laughter morphed into the sound of his mother weeping, bring Lucas back to the present day. He listened as his father explained to all what had happened on the day Jenny was taken.

"As best as I understand it, Lucas and Jenny were walking home from the schoolhouse when she wanted to stop by the market for some ice cream."

XXXXX

"Lucas, you said if we hurried and got to school on time, we could get some ice cream!"

"That was before I knew it was going to storm," Lucas said. "We need to hurry before it starts lightning."

"But, Lucas….you promised," Jenny said, sitting down on the sidewalk.

Lucas huffed, then walked to his sister and grabbed her by the arm. He started pulling her down the street.

"Lucas! Stop! You're getting my stockings dirty!"

"I'm not getting your stockings dirty. You are by not walking. Mother and Father have entrusted me to look after you, and if you aren't going to behave yourself…."

"Let go! I promise I will mind."

Lucas looked at her dubiously. "You promise?"

"Yes."

"Well, alright." Lucas let go of her hand, and with that, Jenny took off running.

"Can't catch me!"

"Jenny!" he said, "Jenny, stop!"

Jenny giggled and ducked around the corner heading down the opposite street, a different direction from the ice cream parlor.

"Jenny, stop. You're going the wrong way! Jenny!"

Lucas ran after her, catching only a flash of her leg as she turned down another corner. Just then, a flash of lightning flashed overhead. Lucas looked up as angry clouds swirled above. He became concerned.

"Jenny?!"

He turned the corner where he had seen her run and pulled his jacket up toward his neck as the wind began to howl and great sheets of rain began to pelt him from above. It became difficult to see. Looking right and left, he tried desperately to find her. His heart began to race as more lighting flashed, followed immediately by a clap of thunder. The storm was close.

"Jenny! Jenny, where are you? This isn't funny now."

Just then, he heard a sound he'd never forget for as long as he lived. The shrill sound of his sister's scream, followed by her crying out his name.

"Lucas!"

Lucas took off running toward where he'd heard the sound and reached an alleyway where he saw an inconsolable Jenny being thrown into the back of a wagon. She stretched out her arms in desperation to reach him, but the man beside her pushed her roughly to the back of the wagon and then hopped on himself. The wheels began to turn.

Lucas dropped his books and ran as fast as his legs could take him, catching up with the wagon and grabbing it with his fingers.

"Jenny! Jump!"

The man in the back of the wagon pushed her back down when she tried to get up, then turned to Lucas, looking at him face-to-face. His scar-ridden face revealed a malevolent smirk. "Get lost, kid," he said before taking his boot and kicking Lucas off the wagon onto the street below, breaking his arm.

He tried to get back up, but the arm gave way underneath him, causing him to fall flat to the ground again. Through tears, he pointed at the wagon carrying his sobbing sister away from him. "Hold on, Jenny!" he wept. "Don't give up! I'll find you!"

XXXXX

Lucas shuddered and then opened his eyes, as his father continued to tell what little of the story his traumatized younger self could relay at the time.

"Lucas said that Jenny ran away from him, then he heard her scream. He turned the corner and saw a man throw her in the back of a wagon. And that was all the poor child could remember. We went to the area where he said she was taken and looked for clues of her, but to no avail. Three days later, they found her bloodied clothing in the woods, a broken locket her mother gave her with a photograph of her and her brother was lying on the ground beside it. Our Jenny was gone."