(The following takes place after Riley is abducted by Eamon and while John is in his lab trying to track her location.)
As far as Gina was concerned, it had been a perfect day. John, Gina, and Riley had taken Rhys to Coney Island to celebrate his birthday. John had finally summoned the courage to pop the big question, and Gina had been on Cloud Nine. That was when everything had started to unravel.
Gina had been showing Rhys the ring when suddenly two men appeared from out of nowhere and hauled Riley off into a gaping black hole. If it had been anyone else, they might not have believed their own eyes, but Gina knew better. She knew that the things that go bump in the night were real. She knew what John and Rhys did for a living, and she accepted it. She'd had no choice but to accept it. If she hadn't, she'd probably have been dead a long time ago.
Gina was curled up on John's couch, shaken, pale, trembling, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She was vaguely aware of a blanket being wrapped around her shoulders and someone sitting down next to her and taking her hand. Some part of her knew it was Rhys, that John had told him to stay with her while he went upstairs to his lab and tried to work a spell that might help them find Riley. She felt a stab of guilt, as she wished it was John beside her. She longed to feel his arms around her, to soothe her and comfort her, to wipe away her tears, to tell her everything would be all right. Time and again, he'd been there for her when no one else had.
But it wasn't John beside her. It was Rhys, and though she loved him like a brother, she knew he was feeling as lost and alone as she was. She turned to look at him finally through a veil of tears, and the look on his face pierced her heart with sadness.
"Oh, Rhys," she cried, wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him close. "I'm so sorry." Tears flooded her eyes again, and it wasn't long before they were both crying — brother and sister, if not in blood, than in heart.
She remembered the day she'd first met him. She'd found him kneeling in front of the altar at St. Stephen's Church, alone and afraid, crying and praying to a God he no longer believed in. Her heart had gone out to him then, just as it went out to him now. He was like a lost soul set adrift in a sea of loneliness and despair. Riley was his lifeboat, but Riley was gone.
Gina understood. She knew how she'd feel if anything ever happened to John. She'd be devastated. She wondered if that was why it had taken John so long to admit his feelings for her. Because it could just as easily have been her instead of Riley. Because even though he might not admit it, he was just as afraid of losing her as Rhys was of losing Riley. Because, in his own way, he was trying to protect her, just as Rhys had been trying to protect Riley.
Gina untangled herself from Rhys' neck and took hold of his hands, her eyes searching his. She knew he was struggling with his feelings, trying hard to keep them under control, but his eyes couldn't lie. All the pain and fear and rage of the last twenty years was reflected in those hazel-green depths for anyone who took the time to look hard enough. She knew Riley had seen it. She must have. She loved him.
"Don't worry," she told him. "He's going to find her. I know he will." She tried to sound comforting, reassuring, confident. She was terrified for Riley, but she was confident John would find her before it was too late. She believed in him more than anyone, maybe even more than he believed in himself. She just hoped Rhys did, as well.
As far as Gina was concerned, it had been a perfect day. John, Gina, and Riley had taken Rhys to Coney Island to celebrate his birthday. John had finally summoned the courage to pop the big question, and Gina had been on Cloud Nine. That was when everything had started to unravel.
Gina had been showing Rhys the ring when suddenly two men appeared from out of nowhere and hauled Riley off into a gaping black hole. If it had been anyone else, they might not have believed their own eyes, but Gina knew better. She knew that the things that go bump in the night were real. She knew what John and Rhys did for a living, and she accepted it. She'd had no choice but to accept it. If she hadn't, she'd probably have been dead a long time ago.
Gina was curled up on John's couch, shaken, pale, trembling, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She was vaguely aware of a blanket being wrapped around her shoulders and someone sitting down next to her and taking her hand. Some part of her knew it was Rhys, that John had told him to stay with her while he went upstairs to his lab and tried to work a spell that might help them find Riley. She felt a stab of guilt, as she wished it was John beside her. She longed to feel his arms around her, to soothe her and comfort her, to wipe away her tears, to tell her everything would be all right. Time and again, he'd been there for her when no one else had.
But it wasn't John beside her. It was Rhys, and though she loved him like a brother, she knew he was feeling as lost and alone as she was. She turned to look at him finally through a veil of tears, and the look on his face pierced her heart with sadness.
"Oh, Rhys," she cried, wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him close. "I'm so sorry." Tears flooded her eyes again, and it wasn't long before they were both crying — brother and sister, if not in blood, than in heart.
She remembered the day she'd first met him. She'd found him kneeling in front of the altar at St. Stephen's Church, alone and afraid, crying and praying to a God he no longer believed in. Her heart had gone out to him then, just as it went out to him now. He was like a lost soul set adrift in a sea of loneliness and despair. Riley was his lifeboat, but Riley was gone.
Gina understood. She knew how she'd feel if anything ever happened to John. She'd be devastated. She wondered if that was why it had taken John so long to admit his feelings for her. Because it could just as easily have been her instead of Riley. Because even though he might not admit it, he was just as afraid of losing her as Rhys was of losing Riley. Because, in his own way, he was trying to protect her, just as Rhys had been trying to protect Riley.
Gina untangled herself from Rhys' neck and took hold of his hands, her eyes searching his. She knew he was struggling with his feelings, trying hard to keep them under control, but his eyes couldn't lie. All the pain and fear and rage of the last twenty years was reflected in those hazel-green depths for anyone who took the time to look hard enough. She knew Riley had seen it. She must have. She loved him.
"Don't worry," she told him. "He's going to find her. I know he will." She tried to sound comforting, reassuring, confident. She was terrified for Riley, but she was confident John would find her before it was too late. She believed in him more than anyone, maybe even more than he believed in himself. She just hoped Rhys did, as well.