See Part One For Disclaimers

Nick Boyle had been accused of a lot of things in his life.  Stubborn, and its variations, was a common one.  Stubborn, obstinate . . . those were among the kinder terms which had been applied to the former Navy SEAL.  But Nick Boyle had never known how to give up.

Which was why, even now, three days after the explosion which had destroyed his home and killed one of his best friends, Nick found himself wandering through the ruins of what had been his home.  What had been his life.  The former SEAL fought back tears as he saw a familiar sight . . . at one time, it had been a door to one of the underground tunnels.

Nick had learned about those tunnels within the last year, when Derek had faked his own death.  Now Derek was truly dead, and Nick couldn't accept it.  He had lost too many people this year.  He had lost Jimmy . . . again.  He had lost Michael.  He had lost Kristen.  Now Derek.

That final loss had been the greatest of all.  His friend, his father figure, was gone.  Nick shook his head, still unable to wrap his mind around the idea that Derek was dead.  He knew he should call Philip, tell him.  Philip had left the Legacy, but he knew that his friend still cared.  He had seen that in Boston.  The pain in Philip's eyes as Kristen slowly drifted away in his arms.

Nick opened the door and started into the tunnel. Immediately, he had the sense that something wasn't quite right.  Not wrong, per se . . . but something seemed strange. He would have expected the tunnel walls to cave in more than they had.  As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Nick's foot connected with something.

Nick froze . . . it had been soft.  Carefully, cautiously, Nick lowered himself until he could touch what he had connected with . . . a body?  Nick fumbled in his pockets, his heart suddenly racing.  What was a body doing down here?  At last, he found a lighter and pulled it from his pocket.  With trembling hands, he forced it to light . . . and gasped aloud.

Lying on his side was Derek Rayne.  Nick couldn't tell if he was breathing or not, and he forced himself to kneel beside his fallen friend.  With a trembling hand, he reached out and felt the older man's neck.  Nick gave a little cry. He was alive . . . Nick didn't know how, but Derek was alive!

He put the lighter away and reached into his jacket pocket for his cell phone.  He had to call Alex . . . had to tell her.  Nick murmured, "Just hang on, Derek, it's gonna be all right.  Oh God . . . just hang on, okay?  We're gonna get you out of this, and then we're gonna take care of you.  It's time for us to take care of you now."

*    *    *

Within three hours, Derek Rayne's unconscious body had been removed from the ruins of his castle, and he had been airlifted to the hospital.  Nick Boyle never left his side, and as Derek was wheeled into surgery, Alex Moreau and Rachel Corrigan burst into the emergency room, with Rachel's twelve year old daughter Kat.

"How is he, Nick?  Where did you find him?" the girl asked fearfully.  She had grown up so much in the last year, and Nick could see the terror in her large blue eyes.  She had already lost her father . . . Nick didn't want her to lose Derek as well.  He didn't want any of them to lose Derek.

"They just wheeled him into the ER, so we'll know in a little while, sweetness.  I was exploring the caves . . . the tunnels under the House, and almost literally tripped over him.  I'm still trying to figure out how he got there," Nick explained.  Tears were running down Alex's face.

But her voice was steady as she said, "I know I've called you stubborn often, Nick, but right now, I'm thanking God for your obstinance.  How did he survive that blast?" But before Nick could reply, Alex shook her head and said, "No.  I didn't ask that, forget I asked that.  He survived, and that's all I care about."

Nick had a few ideas . . . like a certain blonde-haired researcher, but he would keep them to himself.  Instead, he said quietly, "However he survived, it's up to us to take care of him now.  Alex, have you made any progress on the apartment building?"  The researcher nodded and Nick continued, "Good.  That will be our new home.  For now."

He paused, then continued, "It's the address you mentioned?"  Again, Alex nodded, and Nick said, "All right, I'll email the Houses from Derek's computer at the Foundation.  This is gonna be a helluva night."

*    *    *

Over the next three days, the remainder of the San Francisco House hustled to make a new home for themselves. It had never been in doubt that the San Francisco House would rise once more from the ashes . . . but the first thing had been finding a new headquarters.

To that end, Alex had gone to the Luna Foundation and found a list of properties which the Foundation owned in San Francisco.  Derek had given her the key to his office, and his password years earlier.  Over the course of the week, while Nick had been repeatedly drawn back to Angel Island, Alex had systematically gone through the list, trying to find a new headquarters.

She and Nick had drawn up a list of what they were looking for.  This time, they would hide in plain sight, instead of remaining in seclusion.  It had to be big enough to support the Legacy computers, and have sufficient rooms for all of them.  The Ruling House was still a mess, but the other Houses were contributing equipment.

Nick and Alex were running the House, with help from Kat.  Rachel was spending time at the hospital, but not with Derek.  Alex had a feeling Rachel was barely holding onto her own equilibrium.  The researcher didn't like thinking such things, but her instincts told her it was only a matter of time before Rachel had a breakdown.

Her daughter, on the other hand, was much more steady and stable.  Kat's study of Wicca was now being directed by a high priestess.  After the girl's second brush with sorcery, Alex began doing research of her own into the Craft, only to find that it was nothing like what Kat had been learning. Her connections within the community told her of a high priestess of a circle within San Francisco.

Tisa Winslow was a lawyer, who spent a large portion of her free time with the kids of San Francisco.  She had also been a witch since early childhood.  As she explained to Alex, there was a difference between magick and sorcery. Tisa also admitted that while she had no magick, but she could teach Kat the proper use of her abilities.

Lady Darkness hadn't returned, and while Alex didn't believe she had been banished, the researcher also didn't think the sorceress would return for Kat.  However, Alex was concerned about Miranda, the young girl whose form had been assumed by Lady Darkness.

Did Miranda exist?  Or had she been dreamed up by Lady Darkness?  If she did exist, did she need the help of the Legacy?  Alex didn't know . . . but she would find out.  For now, however, she had to figure out which apartments would be used for which function.

The doctors had told them that Derek sustained no burns, and no internal injuries.  Alex didn't see how that was possible, unless someone had shielded him from the blast and the debris.  Maybe Kristen?  Or Julia?  Derek had, however, suffered a severe blow to his head.  Which was why he was comatose . . . the doctors received no response to stimuli.

Alex planned a few changes to the apartment building. With the Foundation's money, they could hire a nurse to help with Derek.  Again, Alex expected very little help from Rachel.  But Alex hadn't given up on Philip returning for good.  He had flown out to San Francisco the day they had found Derek . . . then had returned to Boston that morning.

Something about that felt wrong.  That wasn't like Philip, and it really wasn't like him to leave without saying hello or good-bye to her.  They had been so close before he had left the Legacy.  And while Alex had never told him so, she loved Philip like a brother.

As she estimated the size of the door which she wanted installed between her apartment and Derek's, as well as the door between Derek's and Nick's, her phone rang.   Alex put away her pencil and removed her phone from her coat, saying a bit absently, "This is Alex."  She would have to confer with Nick about the exact measurements of the door, since it would depend on the size of Derek's wheelchair, but she thought this would be about right.

"Alex, it's Nick.  How soon can you get to the hospital?" Nick asked tensely.  Alex's heart almost stopped. Derek?  As if hearing her thoughts, Nick added, "I'm sorry, I should have thought.  It's not about Derek.  It's Rachel. She's had a nervous breakdown."

Alex thought briefly how much she hated being right sometimes, then told her friend, "I'm on my way, Nick.  Is Kat still at school, or did someone pick her up already?" Kat was only twelve, she didn't need this on top of everything else, but at the same time, Alex knew better than to try to protect the young girl.

"You wouldn't mind picking her up?" Nick asked.  Alex rolled her eyes.  In other words, the girl was still at school.  Nick added with a sigh, "You know, I'm glad we had planned for Kat to help us.  I never thought that Rachel would have a nervous breakdown, but . . . "

Then you're blind, Alex thought.  Immediately, she shook her head.  Nick had been focused on other things during the last few days, not the least of which had been Derek.  He hadn't seen the way Rachel had been slowly losing her grip. She said, "I'll be there as soon as I can.  Any change in Derek's condition?"

"No . . . he's still unconscious.  Still comatose.  And I haven't heard from Philip.  Alex, that's not like him. Something happened while he was here," Nick said.  Alex agreed.  But his flight probably hadn't arrived back in Boston, so they couldn't call him.  Nick added, "I'll give him a call again when things settle down."

Things never really settled down, however.  Rachel was placed in the psychiatric ward of the hospital, and Nick and Alex began the task of rebuilding San Francisco House.  Kat spent her days after school with Derek in his hospital room, while Nick and Alex organized their new headquarters.

About three weeks after his discovery among the ruins of the Legacy House, Derek Rayne came out of his coma.  Alex was to later learn that Kat was sitting in the chair beside him, doing her homework.  The girl had said she was working on her homework for Spanish class when she heard something.  And that had been the beginning.

Continued

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