Part 3

 

 

 

“I want to talk to Kylie Jensen,” Todd growled as he paced in front of his office desk. He had shoved the chair away in frustration the first two times he had been unable to get through. He was tired of getting the run around. He kept getting some damned secretary that told him that Kylie, Blair was out of the office and that she had no idea when she would return.

 

“Please hold,” the serene female voice said quietly, he heard a click on the other end and knew that he had been put on hold.

 

“This is Agent Wexler.”

 

“You’re… Look this is Todd Manning, you remember me?” Todd muttered dragging a hand through his hair as he kicked the desk.

 

“Yes Mr. Manning I remember you… what can I do for you?” Josh asked distractedly, Todd could hear him shuffling papers on the other end of the phone.

 

“I’ve been trying to get hold of Agent Jensen but I can’t seem to get through.”

 

“She’s not here at the moment… She had some family business to deal with, she should be in later today if you’d like me to take a message for you?” Josh offered his voice muffled momentarily before he came back on the line.

 

“No thanks, I’ll keep trying,” Todd growled hanging up the phone.

 

Family business? What the hell kind of family business could she be dealing with that didn’t include him and Starr?

 

 

*************************************************************************************

 

Blair sat at her desk critically studying the picture lying in front of her. It had taken her a long time to get used to seeing pictures of dead people. Pictures of horribly mutilated people. It had taken her even longer to get used to seeing the actual bodies.

 

The first dead body that she had seen while pretending to be Kylie… she had thrown up afterwards and sobbed in her bathroom.

 

Since then she had managed to steel herself to the images that she saw. She dealt with them and then she compartmentalized them off in a section of her mind that she didn’t touch unless she was at work. She didn’t need Kyle seeing those pictures.

 

She heard the door open behind her but didn’t acknowledge the presence. Josh set a steaming cup in front of her and laid the phone messages on top of the picture that she had been studying. He took a perch on the corner of her desk as she leaned back, picking the messages up she looked at the top one then set them aside. She knew they were all from the same person. Regardless of what name was at the top of them.

 

Picking up the cup she blew on the liquid before taking a small sip, grimacing when she realized that Josh hadn’t put sugar in. Setting the cup back down she opened her top drawer, rummaging around til she found her stash of sugar packets. Ripping the top of one she poured the contents in then used the small stirring stick to mix the two.

 

“So?” Josh asked as he glanced over at the messages she had set aside.

 

“So what?” she picked up the picture she had been studying. A picture of Carlos’ last victim, the still as unidentified transient psychic.

 

“Aren’t you going to call him… he’s been making a pest of himself.”

 

“No,” Blair said softly as she drew the picture closer, peering closely at the hand of the last victim. If she wasn’t mistaken that was burn marks on her palms.

 

“No? Why not?” Josh asked in confusion as he looked down at her bent head.

 

“Because he’ll be here by the end of the week… I don’t want him getting any ideas,” she said absently.

 

“Ideas? What are you talking about? Oh…” Josh nodded as realization dawned.

 

“Oh what?”

 

“This is you playing hard to get,” he grinned.

 

“What are you talking about?” Blair sighed eyeing him quizzically.

 

“Well I wasn’t sure… because I’ve never seen you with a guy before, I actually thought you were gay when I first met you… you know because you avoided the male species like they had the plague…”

 

“Maybe they do,” Blair arched a brow as she leaned back in her chair, setting the picture on her desk as she watched him.

 

“Nah… you’re just picky… I figured that out a long time ago… and this,” he pointed at the now ignored messages. “This is your way of playing hard to get.”

 

“I think you’ve spent way to much time thinking about this,” Blair rolled her eyes as she once more picked up the picture. “Maybe I just don’t want to have to deal with a stubborn male after already having to deal with my father this morning.”

 

“No… I’m pretty sure I’m right about this.”

 

“If you’re finished studying my love life, or lack thereof why don’t you go see if Karen has the other emerald analysis done,” picking the emerald laying in front of her up she held it out to him. “Put this one in evidence.”

 

“You’re finished with it?”

 

“Yeah… it’s cold now.”

 

Josh took the emerald from her, cupping it in his hand he eyed it warily before looking over at her questioningly. What the hell was cold supposed to be? He rubbed the facets of the stone, it didn’t feel any different to him. Shaking his head as he realized that she had already forgotten he was in the room he walked out of the office, closing the door behind him.

 

Blair sighed as she rested her head in her hands. Josh didn’t know the truth about her. There were very few that did.

 

Michael, Wesley, Darleen, their families. The FBI director knew. She couldn’t have pretended to be Kylie for as long as she did if she didn’t have internal support. She didn’t know how Michael or her Uncle Paul had pulled it off, but the director had actually been glad to have her pretending to be Kylie.

 

With the FBI’s help she had faked her own death and took her place in Kylie’s life. When and if Kylie came out of her seemingly never-ending coma. When and if Carlos was captured she would be allowed to retake her rightful place.

 

Blair sat back in her chair, Todd knew now too, picking the messages up she touched his name with a finger. She was sure of it. He wouldn’t be so determined to get in touch with her if her scene with Starr had worked. She was actually half-glad it didn’t. Lying to Todd was one thing… lying to Starr was something else entirely.

 

She didn’t lie to her kids unless she had absolutely no way out. She hadn’t ever lied to Kyle, he could read her like a book and could sense when she was speaking half-truths. He had been ready for the truth. Starr might even be ready for the truth. She didn’t think Todd would ever be open-minded enough for the truth. He wasn’t ready for this. Wasn’t ready for the strange twists and turns that her life had taken.

 

But he was coming. She knew he was. Would he understand? Would he still love her? Or would he run scared from her because she was different? Would he run scared from Kyle because he was like her and not like him?

 

She would soon find out for sure… if Todd Manning was her mate or just another male that wanted to control her.

 

She wasn’t sure at this point which she was hoping for.

 

 

*************************************************************************************

 

Todd glared at the unwelcome visitor lounging on his sofa. She smiled serenely at him, her eyes taking a hard edge as her brows arched.

 

“What the hell are you doing here?” he snarled kicking the door closed behind him. Dumping his keys on the desk, shrugging out of his coat and flinging it over the chair he stalked over to the fireplace.

 

“Oh come on Todd… you can’t really think I would let Addie’s little comment about the jewelry box go unnoticed… did you?” Dorian smiled at him, studying her nails as he stood staring down at the fire.

 

“I can let you know if I find anything… so you can leave.”

 

“See I don’t trust you Todd… if you find something… which I doubt you will, you’ll no more tell me about it then I would tell you about it.”

 

“So great, we’re back to the not trusting each other phase again,” Todd nodded as he glared down at the fire. Maybe if he ignored her she would go away.

 

“I don’t think we ever got out of the no trust phase,” Dorian stated wryly. “But… I have to admit that Addie was the most together that I’ve ever seen and if she said that there’s something in that box them I’m inclined to at least look at it.”

 

“Fine… But if we don’t find anything you’re leaving,” Todd muttered as he turned to go up the stairs. He had planned on working on the box tonight anyway, maybe two eyes would be better than one.

 

His bedroom door was open and he plucked the box off the dresser he had set aside for Blair before turning on his heel and taking the steps two at a time back down to the living room.

 

Heading into the kitchen he glanced over at where Dorian was still sitting on the couch. “Are you coming?” he muttered as he walked into the kitchen.

 

“Why the kitchen?” Dorian asked a moment later as she stood watching him open the top of the music box from where he was sitting at the table.

 

“Better lighting,” he said quietly as he ran his fingers along the side of the interior. The box was playing a quiet little tune. Some times when he was lonely, or when he missed Blair so badly that he thought he would go mad he would wind the box up and listen to the music. For some odd reason the soft medley made him feel closer to Blair. Not that he would admit that to anybody… not Dorian, not even Blair herself.

 

“Anything?” Dorian asked quietly as she leaned over his shoulder. He glared at her before shaking his head.

 

“Why don’t you sit down if you have to stay,” he muttered under his breath.

 

Dorian watched as he ran his finger along the edge of the box, watching as his face contorted into a puzzled expression as he ran the pad of his finger back and forth.

 

“What is it?” she whispered as she leaned closer.

 

“It feels like the middle section is raised up just a bit,” he said absently. Tapping his foot under the table he got up from his chair. Rummaging around in a drawer he pulled out a knife, taking the box back from Dorian he inserted it between the inner and outer sections. Angling it slightly he wiggled it gently and a small smile threatened to burst forth when he saw the middle liner wiggle.

 

“Can you get it out?” Dorian asked quietly as she leaned closer.

 

“Yeah… got it,” Todd breathed as he managed to wiggle the knife enough to work out a small portion off the inner section. Gripping it with his fingers he pulled it up and out. Setting it aside he looked down in the box and saw that the outer section was a shell and that papers had been hidden between the two layers.

 

Pulling them out slowly he pushed the shell away and laid the papers on the table. Unfolding the first one he stared in shock.

 

“It’s a marriage certificate,” Dorian said breathlessly, with wide eyes she picked it up.

 

Addie Cramer married Jeremy Samuels.

 

“Yeah well these are birth certificates… one for Marcus Samuels, one for Blair Samuels,” Todd said waving the next two pages in front of her.”

 

“What the… If there had been birth certificates…” Dorian trailed off.

 

“There weren’t any… Blair said that the first orphanage she was in they had to guess on her age and birth date because there was no paperwork, nothing stating who she was except for a typewritten note with her first name,” Todd said absently as he studied the papers in front of her. Blair Samuels, born November 12. Glancing at the calendar he winced. He had missed her birthday again. Maybe she would accept a belated birthday present.

 

“So there is a brother,” Dorian grinned.

 

“It looks that way…” Todd said as he looked at the next item. A 5x7 picture of a visibly pregnant Addie, with a man and a toddler.

 

“That must be Jeremy,” Dorian said softly. “And the boy must be my nephew.”

 

“He looks just like the other,” Todd mused quietly. Dorian looking over at him confusion.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“I have a picture of Kylie James, the real Kylie with her father and brother… I showed it to Addie today.”

 

“So Addie was right… So how does this help prove that Kylie is Blair?”

 

“I don’t know,” Todd shook his head, unfolding the next paper he studied it. “What the hell?”

 

“What is it?” Dorian asked plucking the paper out of his hands. “It’s a letter,” she said reading it out loud softly.

 

Dear Sirs,

 

   As per our agreement we have concluded our studies of the three males that you requested testing at our institute for. After initial tests the subjects became unresponsive and argumentative. It should be noted that since the three subjects are all approximately 7 years of age that behavior was completely expected.

 

   We have run the entire battery of tests that our institute had to provide and have come to the following conclusions:

 

1.      The boys are not siblings. More than likely the three are cousins, without further advances in genetic testing all findings are inconclusive at this time.

 

2.      The boys all initially tested higher than any other subjects on all tests. Until, and this is only the opinion of the testing committee, they decided to no longer cooperate with our studies. Findings are therefor inconclusive as to the extent of their abilities.

 

3.      The boys are part of a larger structure. It is the opinion of this group that the three are actually protectors to three others. Their abilities are largely based on acting in concert with another. Most likely a female since their abilities do not appear to react well with male counterparts. This is also inconclusive, as the subjects are no longer cooperating with the testers.

 

4.      There has been no indication of other siblings or parents for the three boys. We have given them all last names, different as we do not believe they are siblings. They have retained the first names that they were familiar with upon entering the institute.

 

 

   I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work with the three. We learned a great deal from them when they were working with us. It is our continuing hope that they will change their minds and become assets to this facility once more.

 

Dr. Glenn Sanderson

Psychic Institute

Phoenix, Arizona

 

“I don’t get it,” Todd said staring at the paper. His eyes drifting to the last item in the box. A photo of a young Addie with a small boy at her side and an infant in her arms. Flipping it over he saw Addie’s handwriting on the back.

 

Me, Marcus and Blair, November

 

“I think it’s a letter, detailing tests done to Blair’s father and his cousins.”

 

“Tests? What kind of tests?”

 

“It looks like, from the one this letter reads…” Dorian looked up slowly, their confused eyes meeting before she looked back down at the letter. “They were testing them for psychic abilities.”

 

“Psychic abilities… you mean like reading minds and crap like that?” Todd snorted in disbelief.

 

“Yes… but their tests were inconclusive… This Dr. Sanderson, he says in here that the subjects, the boys, stopped working with them. They probably starting falsifying data or just plain lying.”

 

“Okay, whatever,” Todd waved his hand at her. “What does any of this have to do with Blair and us getting her back here, where she belongs.”

 

“Addie said that Blair was like her father…”

 

“So you’re saying that Blair is psychic?” Todd laughed.

 

“Is it that hard to believe Todd?” Dorian asked seriously as she looked down at the letter one more time before shoving it away from her, she picked up the picture of Addie with Marcus and Blair and smiled down at it. “I have a nephew,” she said quietly.

 

“Don’t even tell me that you’re buying this baloney!”

 

“You have to accept her Todd. Accept her the way that Addie seemed to accept her Jeremy… She might not come home if you don’t.”

 

“How do I accept something that I don’t believe in?”

 

“I don’t know… but I’d work on it before you see Blair again. She’ll know, I have a feeling that they’ll all know.”

 

 

**************************************************************************************

 

 

Todd sat on his bed, alone. He had wanted to sleep. To forget that this crazy day had ever happened, but for some unknown reason he kept getting drawn back to the jewelry box and it’s hidden contents.

 

Dorian had left after Todd had promised to get a duplicate made of the picture of Addie and her children. That was the picture he was looking at now. Holding it next to their wedding picture he compared the faces of the infant and the adult Blair.

 

The only similarity between the chubby newborn and the slim adult was her eyes. Those vivid green eyes that seemed to follow him wherever he went. The eyes that had haunted him in his dreams when he thought her dead.

 

Sighing he picked up the phone, punching the number quickly he waited for the other end to be picked up. He hadn’t called Pete in years. Hadn’t had any need to keep a pilot on standby when he didn’t go anyplace. But he had kept Pete on his payroll.

 

Just in case.

 

“It’s me… Have the jet ready to go tomorrow afternoon… No it’s just me, we’re going to D.C.” he hung up the phone as Pete was talking. Already finished with his part of the conversation he saw no reason to stick around for pleasantries. “Here I come babe… I hope you’re ready for me,” he whispered touching her smiling face softly. Pushing the pictures aside he laid back on the pillows staring at the ceiling as he fought to quell the feeling that he was being watched.

 

Unseen by Todd, hovering just near the bed the smiling ghostly form of his son watched him. His uncle hovering behind him as they watched. Kyle turned to Wesley a huge smile creasing his face as their ghostly forms dissipated into the air.

 

 

**************************************************************************************

 

 

Blair shoved the car keys in her pocket as she reached over to the passenger side and grabbed her briefcase.

 

The FBI director had startled her today after Josh had left. Closing the door behind him, he had paced her office before popping the startling news on her.

 

He had been informed by his higher ups that once this case was closed, when Kylie came out of her coma they wanted to keep Blair as one of their agents. They had cited her quickness of learning, her natural ability and of course her powers as reasons. They had given her two weeks to make her decision.

 

She almost hated to think what would happen if she turned them down. Would they prosecute her for impersonating a federal agent? Even when she’d had their backing. Or would they just let her walk.

 

She highly doubted they would let her walk out. The thought of having two agents with psychic abilities was to tempting an idea.

 

Todd was going to be furious.

 

Pushing the door open she just barely managed to drop her briefcase before her son hurtled his little body into her arms.

 

“He’s coming, he’s coming,” he babbled excitedly a huge smile adorning his face.

 

“Who’s coming?” she asked casting a glance over at a sheepish looking Wesley.

 

“Dad’s coming,” Kyle bounced in her arms, wrapping his legs around her waist so he wouldn’t fall.

 

“What are you talking about? Wesley?”

 

“Wesley was helping me with my astral projection and we saw dad, he was calling his pilot to bring him here tomorrow.”

 

“Oh Wesley,” Blair shook her head as she hugged her son close. “What have you done?”

 

 

**************************************************************************************

 

 

Blair paced in the middle of the living room. Arms crossed over her chest she would alternately frown, sigh heavily and then glare at Wesley before she resumed pacing. She was struggling for calm, she had worked for years to have a minimum of control of her temper. But it didn’t take much to make her lose it.

 

“Okay Blair,” Wesley sighed. “Let me have it… I know you want to.”

 

“Why Wesley? I just want to know why you felt it was your place to take Kyle astral projecting.”

 

“What you wanted to wait for him to do it on his own?” Wesley shot back.

 

“You should have just come and told me what he was planning. Taking matters into your hand,” Blair shook her head.

 

“You have enough stuff to worry about Blair, I just thought that if I could handle this without you that it would be one less thing for you to worry about.”

 

“Kyle is my son Wesley… I kind of like worrying about him. It’s part of the job of being his mother, besides maybe I didn’t want him projecting to Llanview.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Wesley frowned at her. “I thought that you were planning on taking Kyle home once this is over with.”

 

“I am, maybe I didn’t want Kyle having any preconceived ideas of what his father and sister are like.”

 

“That’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard. He sees stuff in your head all the time,” Wesley defended.

 

“Yeah and I filter it so I he doesn’t see anything bad, he doesn’t see any of the multitude of fights that his father and I’ve had. He doesn’t hear Starr telling me that she hates me. He sees only the good stuff.”

 

“So basically you’re lying to your son.”

 

“No, I’m protecting him. I don’t want Kyle exposed to the worst of what Todd and I are. Not the way that we exposed Starr to it. I don’t want him to be put in the position where he can be used as a weapon between us, where he has to choose one of us. Some of the worst damage that Todd and I did to each other was in Starr’s name.”

 

“Well you don’t need to worry about anything. All Kyle saw was Todd sitting on his bed staring at picture’s of you. I imagine he thought it was quite romantic. He knows that Todd believed that you were dead for the longest time.”

 

“Yes and now he doesn’t… what if he hadn’t been alone Wesley…”

 

“Well he wasn’t at first,” Wesley said quietly.

 

“What are you talking about?” Blair asked with narrowed eyes. If he’d had Tea or some other female in her penthouse so help him god she would destroy him. She would hang him from his toenails before she pulled out every piece of hair on his body. He was the one that had gone ahead and overturned their divorce. She hadn’t had anything to do with that. He knew that she was alive so there shouldn’t be anybody in her penthouse, because she would be damned if she would share her family with anybody. Not after the shit she had been through to keep them safe.

 

“Well he had your aunt there.”

 

“My aunt? You mean Dorian?”

 

“Well she’s the only aunt that Todd knows about at this point right?”

 

“Go on…” Blair said stiffly. Why had Dorian been at the penthouse with Todd, they hated each other.

 

“They were taking your mothers jewelry box apart.”

 

“What?! How did they…”

 

“I’m assuming from the tone of their conversation that Addie must have told them that there was something hidden in the box.”

 

“And did they find everything?” Blair asked running hand through her hair. This wasn’t something that she had envisioned. She had thought that Todd and Dorian, along with the rest of the people that she had known in Llanview would remain unknowing of her past and her family’s past.

 

“Yeah… I don’t understand why you didn’t bring everything with you. You knew that Addie had it hidden somewhere, you had to know that it was in the box.”

 

“I didn’t know where it was at the time. Besides Todd had the jewelry box with him when he took off with Starr. Even if I had known where everything was I couldn’t have got my hands on it without making Todd suspicious… What was his reaction?” Blair asked softly.

 

“What you would expect from someone who just found out that his wife has a brother, that her father is a psychic, in a family of psychics. And that his wife and son have probably inherited these gifts. He didn’t believe it, I don’t think he will until he sees a display of your gifts.”

 

“Great so it’s just another thing that he thinks I’ve been lying to him about all these years,” Blair muttered.

 

“I don’t think he’s thinking along those lines. He’s worried about you, really worried. Plus he wants some answers… and his son. I think just seeing you and possibly having the opportunity to see Kyle is just to sweet to pass up.”

 

“He acted worried about me?” Blair asked with a hint of a smile. Wesley laughed shaking his head.

 

“Yeah he did. The man loves you Blair, for the life of me sometimes I can’t figure out why because you’re ornery as hell. But I think the rough edges I sensed on him complement the bitchiness that is an innate part of you,” Wesley winked at her.

 

“Are you trying to say I’m a bitch?” Blair asked as she crossed her arms over her chest again, cocking her eyebrow she glared at him as she waited for his answer.

 

“You know you are. You revel in the fact that you’re a bitch.”

 

“You’re right,” Blair sighed with a smile. “Don’t do something like this again. If Kyle’s up to something that you think I won’t approve of and you find out first, just come to me.”

 

“Okay… so we’re good?” Wesley asked touching her arms softly as he looked into her eyes questioningly.

 

“We’re good, don’t do it again though,” she warned.

 

“Good,” Wesley smiled pulling her into a quick hug. “So are you ready for him to come here?” he asked taking a seat on the couch.

 

“Are you two finished bickering?” Michael asked from where he was standing in the doorway, Darleen hovering right behind him.

 

“Yeah we’re done,” Blair collapsed in one of the leather easy chair, propping her feet on the wooden still directly in front of it she stretched slightly before relaxing her head back on the rest. “Is Kyle asleep?”

 

“Yeah… he conned us into two stories and an addition to the travels of the lost princess.”

 

“Where did you leave her?” Blair asked with a smile.

 

“Sunning herself on a beach in Cozumel,” Michael grinned.

 

“Great,” Blair laughed.

 

“So are you ready for Todd’s visit?” Darleen asked perching on the arm of the couch next to Wesley. Michael sitting in the second leather easy chair kitty across from it.

 

“I just asked that question,” Wesley grinned patting her knee.

 

“And?”

 

“I don’t know if I’m ready for him to come here,” Blair sighed. “How do I protect him and Starr if they know where I am, because you know that if they know that Carlos will know that they know.”

 

“Do you really think Carlos is going to go after Todd or Starr?” Michael asked, watching her carefully for her reaction.

 

“You know what he was thinking when he attacked Kylie and me. He thought he was destroying me when he hurt Kylie so bad. When he knocked the barriers down I could feel it all. I could feel Kylie’s pain but I could also sense Carlos’ thoughts. What he was thinking about doing to Starr, the way that he was planning on torturing Todd. I saw it all and I won’t let that happen.”

 

“Blair you know that we’ve done everything to protect them over the years. Todd, Starr, your aunt and cousins… we’ve had guards on them since Carlos attacked you both. We never protected Todd’s family because you were never very close to them so we never envisioned them being targets. That’s a situation that has been rectified; Carlos won’t get close to any of them again.”

 

“Thank you,” Blair smiled weakly. “But that still doesn’t mean that I’m ready for him to come here. For him to know about me… what if he doesn’t accept me? What if my being a psychic terrifies him and he runs screaming in the opposite direction.”

 

“Do you really think he’ll do that?” Darleen asked. “Kyle wouldn’t have been born with gifts if Todd Manning wasn’t the one, he’ll accept you… I know he will.”

 

“Yeah but when he fell in love me I didn’t have any of this other stuff. I couldn’t read his mind, I couldn’t invade his dreams. I couldn’t check up on him.”

 

“And what’s to say that you’ll do that now? You trust him right?” Wesley asked.

 

“Is that a trick question?” Blair asked with narrowed eyes.

 

“No, it’s just you’ve had plenty of chances to do that with him thinking that you were dead. You could have gone into his dreams and found out the answers to your questions. You could have prepared him and Starr for the situation.”

 

“That would be cheating,” Blair said primly. “Besides Uncle Paul said that I shouldn’t do that. That if I wanted them to accept me that I needed it to be natural when it was time.”

 

“And when is the right time?” Michael asked.

 

“I don’t know, he said that I would just know… How did you know that Karen had accepted you?”

 

Michael laughed hollowly. “When she wasn’t afraid of me anymore. For the longest time she was scared of me, she tried to block me because she was afraid of what I would see in her head. The fact that I wasn’t looking didn’t seem to matter.”

 

“But she has accepted you now… right?” Blair pressed.

 

“Yes she has accepted me… Once this is over we’re going to work on our first child.”

 

“So all I have to do is wait and see… That shouldn’t be too hard.”

 

“Yeah right,” Wesley snorted. “We know you better than that; this is going to kill you.”

 

 

**************************************************************************************

 

 

Todd sat on his private plane on its way to D.C. In his lap were photocopies of the documents that he had found in Addie’s jewelry box. The originals were in his safe at The Sun.

 

He had Vance working on tracking down the doctor that had signed the letter about Blair’s father and his cousins. He also had her digging up any information that she could find about the Institute itself. He didn’t like the fact that there was a place that had studied, poked and prodded his father-in-law for the gifts he possessed.

 

The fact that if Addie was right about Blair having inherited whatever her father had been was not lost on him. This letter could just as easily be discussing his Blair in the Institute refusing to work with the scientists. That could be his Blair being referred to as a subject instead of as a person.

 

He didn’t like that thought.

 

He wanted his Blair, as well as his son at home. He didn’t want them locked up in some room being tested because they were different.

 

“Mr. Manning?”

 

“What is it Pete?” he pressed the button on the intercom.

“Just wanted to let you know that we’re getting ready to land at the strip.”

 

“Great. Thanks.” Todd sat back in his seat. He was almost there. Soon he would see Blair again and this time she would be honest with him.

 

Soon he would meet his son for the first time.

 

Soon he would bring his family home and he and Starr wouldn’t be alone anymore.

 

Why did he think it wasn’t going to be as easy as that?

 

 

**************************************************************************************

 

 

Carlos stared at the bound body of his latest victim. Cocking his head to the side he studied her.

 

Sometimes he thought he was an artist. He had to be an artist to do what he did. All his victims different yet the same. Besides his first and a scattered few throughout the years he had never known his victims names. He didn’t care who they were. He cared what they represented to him. This one represented someone instead of something. And he knew that once she saw her she would understand.

 

He grinned as he shook the sheet he was planning to use to cover this victim’s body. He had another message for the other one. He knew she had found the emeralds the last time. He knew that she had studied them and learned their secrets. He knew that she realized that he knew her secret.

 

This time his message would be more blatant. This time he was telling her what he would do to her if he did not get his way. She was his key to the power that he wanted. She was his key to everything that had been promised but denied him.

 

He laid the sheet over the body of his victim. Pulling and tugging so that the sandy blond hair was completely covered. So that the long length of her body was covered. Her height wasn’t an exact match, but it was close enough.

 

He had already made sure that the eyes were open. He wanted her to see them as soon as she got here. The emerald green eyes of his latest victim.

 

The color wasn’t identical to hers, but it was the closest that he could come on the short notice that he’d had. He needed her here so he could carry out the other half of his plans elsewhere.

 

There wasn’t much time left, but he had kept everything under tight control. He had a schedule he was following and he was still on track.

 

The end was near. Soon he would have everything he had ever wanted.

 

And then some.

 

 

**************************************************************************************

 

 

Todd sat in his rental car staring at the house. It was the second residence that he had checked that Blair could possibly be living at.

 

The first had been an apartment that had been rented to a K.M. Jensen. The name he took to be the initials of Kyle Jensen. He had idly wondered what her middle name was but then had decided that it honestly didn’t matter.

 

The second was the one he was sitting outside right now. It was a two story house that had been purchased by a B.C. Daimler. He had silently laughed and wondered why he hadn’t checked the house first. Blair Cramer Daimler. It was so simple.

 

So far he had detected no movement in the house. It was late morning though and knowing that at the very least there was two cops in that house, as well as a lawyer someone should be moving around. There was two cars and a motorcycle sitting in the long driveway so he knew someone had to be in the house.

 

The front door opening shocked him and he sat up straight pushing his sunglasses up onto his nose, shielding his face slightly with his hand as he watched. Two identical men exited the house. One dressed in jeans, a flannel shirt and a worn leather jacket. The other dressed in a suit, was straightening his tie as they laughed.

 

They were the cousins. Identical to their pictures and to each other, he decided that the one in the suit was probably the lawyer. Wesley.

 

The other had to be the cop. Todd watched them climb into one of the two cars and pull away. He saw the driver, Michael glance over at his car before they drove away.

 

Wrinkling his brow he shook his head and returned his attention to the house. He became still as he saw a woman that looked like Blair, that somehow he knew wasn’t Blair walk out of the house with a small boy by the hand.

 

That was his son he grinned to himself. That was his boy.

 

The woman that had to be Darleen Connick locked the door as she said something to his son. The two were laughing as they climbed into the lone car left in the driveway.

 

He waited until they pulled out and had started down the road before he started the rental car and began following them. He figured that Blair had already left for whatever she did for the FBI… unless she drove a motorcycle to work. Which he highly doubted.

 

He pulled off to the side as he saw Darleen pull her car into a school parking lot. Together she walked with his son into the building. He knew what they were doing. Darleen was probably a secondary guardian for his boy. Blair had probably sent her to school with him to make sure that the school was aware that he was not to leave the grounds with any unknown person.

 

Like he would try to run off with his kid when he wanted to get his mother back.

 

Now if he didn’t care about Blair he probably would. But he wanted her as much as he wanted his son.

 

So he would be patient and wait… for a little while at least.

 

 

**************************************************************************************

 

 

Darleen flipped through a magazine idly as she sat on the couch. Kyle was in bed already. Michael and Wesley were down in the basement / game room shooting a game of pool. They’d had to argue with Blair for almost a month before she had let them put in the game room.

 

Both she and Blair avoided the room at all costs. They thought of it as nothing more than a guy mecca. With the pool table, the video games it was a tribute to everything male. Blair had wandered down there once taken a look around and stated that Todd would love that room.

 

“Yeah?” she picked up the phone as it rang.

 

“It’s me,” Blair’s sheepish voice came over the line. “I’m on my way… you wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had.”

 

“Yeah I can imagine… You were gone when we got up this morning, Michael said he heard you leave around six?”

 

“Yeah we got a lead.”

 

“And?”

 

“And it was a dead end as usual, I just know the next victim is already dead, it’s just a matter of somebody finding her now… Any sign of him yet?”

 

“No, Michael said he sensed somebody by the house when he left this morning. I sensed something when I was taking Kyle to school…”

 

“You talked to them right? Told them that he wasn’t to leave with anybody but you, me, Michael, Wesley or Karen?”

 

“Yeah it’s taken care of.”

 

“Damn,” Blair muttered. “Darleen I’ll be there soon. Hey asshole what country are you driving in?” she heard Blair yell honking her horn as she disconnected the phone.

 

Darleen laughed as she returned the receiver to its cradle. Todd Manning was close, she could feel it. Every nerve in her body was jumping in anticipation, she felt like she knew him already after seeing Blair’s thoughts and memories of him.

 

She was actually kind of excited about meeting him. About meeting the man that had won her cousins heart and soul. She wondered if he would be as rough around the edges as Wesley had said he would be.

 

Rocking back in the chair she was sitting in she closed her eyes. Like everyone else she was of the mindset that things were getting ready to come to a head. She wondered what would happen when this was over with.

 

She knew that Blair and Kyle would go home. Todd Manning did not seem to be the sort of man that would allow them to stay somewhere that he wasn’t. She wasn’t sure how Blair was planning on convincing him to let her stay here with Kyle until the danger had passed. But she knew her cousin well enough at this point to know that she would think of something. 

 

Michael and Karen would begin their life again. Reunited for hopefully good this time they would begin their own family. Starting with their son, finishing with the daughter. The next generation of warriors. The ones that would take their places if there was still a battle to be waged once this was over.

 

Wesley sounded as if he would stay in D.C. He loved this area and Blair had already said that Wesley, Michael and Karen could continue living in the house when she finally went home.

 

She alone had no idea what she wanted to do. She had not found her mate. She had not found that one person that would drive her to madness that would pierce her heart and soul. She wondered if there was anyone out there for her. She wanted what Michael and Blair had. Someone who loved her totally.

 

Someone who would know if she was dead or alive. That would accept her for who and what she was. She wondered if that person even existed for her or if she would be doomed forever to the Mr. Wrong’s of the universe.

 

A knock on the door caused her to grumble as she came to her feet. Michael and Wesley would ignore it, once they went down to the game room it took an act of god to get them to come out before they were ready.

 

She reached out with her mind and was grinning when she opened the door.

 

Todd Manning lounged next to the door. He looked her up and down before he pushed past her into the house.

 

“Can I help you with something?”

 

“Where is she?” he asked stalking into the living room, looking around he focused on the pictures on the mantle. Pictures of him, of Starr. Of the boy that was his son.

 

“Where’s who?”

 

“All right… don’t play dumb with me… You’re Darleen Connick, I want to know where my wife is.”

 

“How do you know who I am? I could be her,” Darleen said quietly studying him.

 

“No,” he shook his head, narrowing his eyes as he studied her from head to toe. Her hair was the same, her eyes were the same, even her voice was the same. But there was something… something that he couldn’t seem to put into words that was different. “You’re not her.”

 

“How can you be so sure?”

 

“I… I don’t know,” Todd turned away looking at the pictures again. “I just know… You feel different than Blair does, that sound’s stupid,” he muttered.

 

“No it’s not. You can relax Mr. Manning,” Darleen smiled sitting back down in her chair.

 

“How do you know who I am?” Todd queried not turning back to face her.

 

“Look around this room Mr. Manning… how could I not know?”

 

“Where is she? Where is my son?”

 

“She’ll be home shortly; she was stuck in traffic… or stuck yelling at somebody in traffic. Kyle’s asleep upstairs.”

 

“Kyle? My son’s name is Kyle?” Todd asked quietly turning to face her.

 

“Yes, he’s a very special little boy, I’m sure he’ll love you,” Darleen smiled reassuringly.

 

“Great… I want to see him.”

 

“I’m sure when Blair gets home she’ll make sure you see your son.”

 

“Not good enough… she could be stuck in traffic for hours, I want to see him now.”

 

“Back down Mr. Manning,” Darleen frowned. “I’m not keeping him from you, neither is Blair. But there are some things that she needs to explain to you before you see him. Thing you need to know about him and her.”

 

“You mean like the psychic thing. Well you can all save your breath because I already know, not that I necessarily believe it or understand it…”

 

“Well good then its one less thing I’ll have to tell you about,” he heard Blair say from the door.

 

Darleen and Todd both looked at where she was standing with hands on her hips. Todd frowned at the FBI jacket that she was wearing, at the gun he could see in her shoulder holster. She was still pretending to be a cop, he didn’t like that.

 

“Blair,” he breathed quietly staring at her. Drinking in the sight of her. This was Blair. The connection that seemed to leap out between them that he didn’t understand, that he couldn’t put into words.

 

“Darleen,” she looked over at where her cousin was silently watching them.

 

“Yeah… I’ll just go see what Michael and Wesley are up to,” Darleen said brightly as she stood, she touched Blair’s arm lightly as she passed by. “Be good,” she muttered under her breath. “He came all this way for you.”

 

“So you came,” she commented as she shrugged out of her coat, throwing it over the knob of the door she walked into the room.

 

“Did you really think I could stay away?” Todd asked quietly watching her with a hooded expression.

 

“I hoped you would, at least until this was over with.”

 

“I couldn’t stay away from you… not knowing that you were alive,” he smiled as he watched her walk up to him. She stood just a few steps away from him. Not moving closer she waited for him to make the first move. She had walked up to him, she had approached him. Now he needed to accept her by touching her first. She would never know otherwise.

 

“Blair,” he whispered as he reached out one hand, brushing a finger down her cheek.

 

“Todd,” she smiled as she leaned into his hand.

 

“I missed you.”

 

“I missed you to… more than you’ll ever know.”

 

He cupped her cheeks with his hand as he leaned down to her, pressing his lips against hers he felt her arms wrap around his waist. Drawing away slowly she laid her head on his shoulder, he wrapped his arms around her holding her close to him.

 

“I want to see my son,” he muttered against her hair, pressing his lips against the silkiness of it. The feeling of having her in his arms was overwhelming, that sense of coming home. That sense of having everything overpowering as he gripped her tightly against him.

 

“Come on,” she said quietly, taking his hand in hers she led him to the staircase leading him to his son. “I’ve told him about you and Starr, trying to get him ready for coming home.”

 

“You were bringing him home?” he questioned as they stopped in front of a door. Blair pausing as she looked at him. Touching his cheek gently, she traced his scar with the pads of her finger as she looked wondrously at him. He was here, really here, in the flesh. And he wasn’t afraid of her.

 

“I always planned on coming home… once it was safe.”

 

She pushed the door open holding onto it as Todd peered in, catching a glimpse of his sleeping son. He slept on his side, the light from the hallway shining slightly on his face. He walked into the room, Blair watching from the door as he kneeled by the bed touching their sons face gently.

 

Kyle’s eyes opened slowly as he felt the unusual presence in his room. He could feel his mother nearby, he recognized her presence. But the person that was by his bed was not one that he had ever felt before.

 

At least not one that he had felt in person. He grinned as he saw his father kneeling by the bed staring at him with open-mouthed wonder. Kyle’s eyes twinkled as he mouth formed a cock-eyed smirk. 

 

“Hi daddy. We knew you’d come.”

 

 

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