Phillipe stood as still as stone, staring at the two on the bed. Minutes ticked by, but he said not a word. From downstairs, Aj's voice came up the stairs. She was ranting, practically screaming at the top of her lungs. The word 'Kill' was used repeatedly, along with several colorful words that Phillipe had not even know that Aj knew. Phillipe finally turned and walked to the bedroom doorway, where he silently pushed the bedroom door closed. With a soft click which sounded defening, Aj's tirade downstairs was muffled to a unintelligeable backround noise. He turned back to the other two in the room.
"I'm not sure why I'm asking this...probably because part of me wants to believe that there is another crazy explanation for what my eyes are s.seeing." He stammered a bit as he spoke. He paused for several seconds, then asked, "Is this exactly what it looks like?
Alex opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came to mind. She looked to Newt, who was looking at his hands in his lap. Finally she turned and slowly nodded.
"Yeah," he sighed. "Good. I was afraid you would try to come up with some ridiculus story. At least you're being smart enough to tell the truth." Phillipe turned and paced around the room once, stopping at the open bookcase and staring at the opening. Suddenly he spun to them. "How many times?" He glared at them, then focused on the boy. "Newt!!!" The boy jumped and looked up, close to terror on his face. "How many times have you.."
"Never!" Newt blurted, cutting Phillipe off. "I mean, this was the first." Phillipe stepped over and leaned into his face. "And how am I supposed to believe that? For that matter, why should I believe it?"
"It...It was. I...sw...swear!" Newt stammered. Phillipe's cold eyes bored into Newt's for a long moment, then Phillipe turned and returned to pacing about the room.
"After all the talking...all the promises." He shook his head. "For the two of you to go and act so stupid..." Alex felt a faint twinge of rebellion rise at the word and started to speak."Hey, I was not.." but she was cut off when Phillipe rounded on her and roared. "BE SILENT!" Her courage failed her and she looked down. Phillipe panted hard, his fists shaking, then took a deep breath and went back to pacing.
"It's bad enough that you two had to do this, but to be so stupid as to try it right here under our own roof! Newt! Your own house is empty except for you! Its almost like you were asking to get caught! And you..." He turned to Alex. "You have the same ability that AJ does. I know you can tell when others are around, especially your sister! Don't these two oversights prove to both of you that you wern't thinking straight?" He asked retorically. "No! Actually, you two werent thinking at all, were you?" He turned back to Newt. "I have known you for a long time Newt! I trusted you! Aj asked me and I told her that she could trust you to be responsible for Alex. That you would keep her safe." He backed away and crossed his arms. "Well, I guess I was wrong!" He turned to Alex again. "And you...after that last rebelous incident, I had hoped we had learned to trust one another! Your'e lucky Soul is out of town right now, or I'd probably have him take you back to your mother's house tonight!" Alex's jaw fell open and she started to speak, but Phillipe cut her off again. "Not a word!"
There was silence for a few moments, and it suddenly became obvious that Aj was no longer screaming downstairs. Instead, the muffled sound of crying and hard sobbing could be heard. Phillipe watched as the sounds struck home in Alex, and her face showed her shock.
He turned to Newt. "Put your pants on." He waited while the boy slipped his jeans on and fastened them. When Newt was finished, the boy looked up and was shocked to see tears streaming down Phillipe's face. Phillipe stared intently at Newt for the longest time. "Now get of my house..."
Newt hesitated for just the barest moment, then grabbed his other things and headed for the door. "Newt..." Phillipe said softly, turning towards the boy at the bedroom door. Newt stopped and looked around. "Don't..." Phillipe's voice cracked and his body shook with sobs. "...Don't come back."
Newt blinked, and then walked out.
"Phillipe!" Alex jumped to her feet, her owns tears now beginning, but Phillipe turned and halted her with a finger, which trembled violently as his sobs became harder. He could hardly speak. "Stay here! Do not leave this house, or so help me I will follow through on my threat and send you back to your mother! Dont even think of running, or I will summon Soul immediately to find you!" His voice became softer in between the sobs. "Please Alex...please. Just stay."
Then he turned, and sobbing, he left the room.

Newt stood motionless and stared across the water. He felt utterly destroyed and the feelings inside of him were tearing him apart.
After leaving Phillipe and Aj's home, he had gone to his own house, moving unconsciously on instinct. He had packed a bag, grabbed what money he had on hand, and left quickly. He had figured he would stay on the far side of town, away from the marketplace, the Inn, and Aj and Phillipe. But most of all, he would stay away from Alex. He had caused her enough pain and grief.
But after wandering aimlessly for most of the night, he had ended up at the docks.
He had watched as ships in the harbor prepared to get underway, filling their holds with provisions and cargo, and that's when the thought had sprung to his mind. Escape. He needed to get away. Across town had simply not been far enough. He felt shame and guilt and the impulse to run was very strong. He acted without thinking.
Now, as he stood silently on the ship's deck, he stared out across the water where Rhy'Din had vanished over the horizon. He waited for the pain and guilt to subside, but it didn't. Even worse, now there was something more. Regret. He realized now that he had acted impulsively when he had bought passage on the next ship leaving Rhy'Din. He wasn't even sure where they were headed! But, he was underway now, and the captain had refused to turn the ship around, now that they were in open sea. Newt suspected that the captain wouldn't have even turned around once the ship left the dock. He seemed a hard man, this captain. He made Newt nervous.
His thoughts moved to his parents. I'll have to write them and tell them I've left the house, he thought. At least I locked it up tight before I left. Dad will contact Phillipe or someone and arrange to have a caretaker watch over the house. He nodded silently. Yes, it was better this way, he thought, Alex is better off without me.
He turned and started towards his cabin, but he caught site of the captain on the upper deck, watching him. The man gave Newt a distinct feeling of spookiness. Newt averted his eyes and went into his cabin. This was going to be a long and uncomfortable voyage.

The ship had been to sea for less than a day when the attack came.
Newt was in his cabin, composing a letter to his parents. He wasn't sure when he'd get the chance to mail it, but he figured he might as well write it all done now and be done with it. He was explaining everything that had happened, when there was a knock at his door. "Yes?"
"Beg pardon sir, but the captain wants ta see yas."
"Tell the captain that I'm sorry, but I don't wish to be disturbed right now."
There was a pause, then someone tried the door. Newt had locked it, but seconds later he heard the sound of keys rattling and soon after the door was pushed open. An older man stood there, a sneer on his face.
"The captain...he don't like to take no for an answer."
Newt fought hard, but the first sailor wwas followed by two more, and they quickly subdued him with punches and kicks to his face and stomach. He was roughly picked up and forced back into his chair. Newt heard another person enter and looked up from his rapidly swelling face to see the captain enter the cabin. He stepped slowly around, circling Newt and eyeing him carefully. "Hello, dear boy. I am disappointed that we did not get the chance to speak sooner. I am Captain Bishop."
"What do you want?" Newt asked, and was answerd with another punch to the stomach by one of the sailors. The wind was again driven from his lungs.
The captain casually regarded him. "Slaves do not ask questions, boy. They simply do what they are told." He stepped in front of Newt. "When we reach our destination, you will be sold to the highest bidder as a man-servant..." He grinned at Newt coldly. "But until then, you will enjoy my attentions." He squatted down in front of Newt. "You see, being at sea for so very long...it tends to make a man miss companionship. After a while, he tends to become more open minded and his tastes change." He layed a hand on Newts knee and squeezed . Newt glared at him coldly through puffy eyelids. The captain continued. "We are going to become very close, you and I, and I think you will enjoy being..."
But the captain never finished his last sentence. He stood suddenly and staggered back, looking down at the gouting blood from his chest and then to the knife in Newt's hand. Newt lept from the chair and scrambled backward as the three sailors closed on him. He held the seven inch blade out in front of him, keeping them at bay. The captain staggered towards the door, but fell before he reached it. His life expiring with a soft sigh.
"Your'e dead now, lad." The first sailor quipped. "You cant get out of this here cabin, so ye might as well drop that there pig sticker!" He stepped forward, forcing Newt to withdraw. "Where are ya gonna go?" he sneered.
Newt thought quickly. There was only one option. He turned and threw himself through the window, smashing glass and splintering wood. A sharp pain pierced his shoulder as he went through the smashed frame and he fell, cart-wheeling into the water as a large swell rose to meet him.
When his head finally broke the surface, the ship was already a hundred yards away. Newt saw several faces through the broken window and many more on the deck, and assumed they would come about and try to retrieve him. He was therefore suprised when the ship continued on until it was lost amoungst the rolling waves.
He tread water for a few minutes, waiting for the ship to return. He was an excellent swimmer. His life of fishing with his father had seen to that. When it was clear that the ship wouldn't be returning, he began to consider his situation. As far as he knew, he was at least a day's sail from Rhy'Din. He could never swim that far. But maybe there would be an island or something else closer. He scanned the horizon as much as the waves would allow. At one point he thought he saw a bird of some kind, flying away from him. Taking the sun's position in relation to the bird, he began swimming in that direction.
If Newt had been able to see what the bird could see - high overhead, he would have realized how fortunate he was. While it was true the ship had left Rhy'Din a day ago, it had been following the coastline, which was only just out of view. The bird also happened to be heading back to shore, which was the direction Newt now swam.

Newt knew he was heading towards shore. Several times since he had started swimming, he had been at the top of a large swell in the waves and had used the advantage to look ahead of him. In the last few hours, he had seen land growing closer. But he was so tired, and his shoulder was now aching with pain. Even worse was the fact that dusk was coming, and he was not going to make it to shore before dark.
He continued for as long as the light lasted, then he used the stars to keep his direction. He knew he was close now. suddenly he stopped. He had heard something. He waited the darkness. Alex! He had to be losing his mind!He could hear her voice!
"...you're not imagining my voice and you're not crazy... I am sending you thoughts like AJ sends to Phillipe all the time. I just want you to know that I love you and I really miss you. Take care of yourself and we'll be together again soon."
He floated for a moment, going over the words that he had just heard in his mind again. Then he pushed on towards the shore.
He could hear surf and waves crashing. What's more, the waves were now moving with him, pushing him towards the beach. He was nearly spent and his body was nearly played out. Newt knew that if there was a reef near here, he could be in real danger of the coral and rocks, not to mention the sharks that frequented them. But he had no choice any longer. It was dark now, and he was blind to the danger. When the first swell caught him, he tried to swim with it, body surfing and planing out so to keep himself above the possible dangers below him. It seemed to work a bit, but then the wave overwhelmed and rolled him. He fought to reach the surface again, and barely had time to get a breath when the next wave crashed full on him. He was driven down against the rising sea floor, and his relief at feeling sand was cut short when the next wave practically hurled him through the air. He caught a final breath, but it was knocked out of him when he hit the water and was driven down again. Over and over he was rolled and tumbled. Newt's mind began to shut down as the oxygen in his blood ran out. His final thought was of Alex and how she would never know how he had died. Then the darkness closed in on him, the water rushed in, and all went dark.

The first thing he became aware of was the pinch. His eyes fluttered open, and his gaze fell on the seagull standing eighteen inches from his face. As he stared at it, it bent and jabbed at his fingers again, making him wince this time. ?Ouch!? he blurted. The seagull started and flew off.
He sat up slowly and looked around. He was lying on a deserted strip of beach which extended for three hundred yards. He looked down, and saw his own tracks where he had obviously dragged himself from the water?s edge, moving above the tide line. He looked inland and saw a line of trees and scrub where the beach ended, and a gravel path beyond that. Standing he began walking in that direction.
When he reached the path, he looked first one way, and then the other, trying to decide which way he should go. A sound from the left made the decision for him, and he began moving.
After several minutes of walking, a small wagon came into view, being pulled by a mule. On the seat of the wagon sat a tall skinny old man. The man on the wagon took one look at him and dropped the reins, grabbing a shotgun from where it sat on the floor and pointing it quickly at him.
?I aint ?bout ta git robbed by no highwayman?especially one the likes of yourin!? He squealed. ?
The boy threw up his hands. ?Don?t shoot! I?m not a highwayman! I?m just lost!?
The skinny man squinted at him carefully, then lowered the shotgun a little, but kept it ready. ?You aint much to look at kid. I doubt you got the gumption to do any real harm. Whatcha doin out here anyways boy? Where?d ya come from?
He thought a moment, and then pointed. ?I woke up on the beach.?
The skinny old man peered at him. ?Shipwrecked eh? Well you aint the first. What?s yer name boy?
He hesitated. ?I?.I?m not sure?.? He thought hard for a moment, and finally a name came to his mind. ?Alex??? It felt strange, but at the same time, familiar. ?I think?.it might be Alex.?
The old man grinned. ?Well, Alex? yer ?bout as far from anything good as a man can git.? He wiped his chin. ?But I s?pose I cant jest leave ya here. Come on. Get up here on this here wagon. I?ll take ya to the next town. Maybe you can git yer bearings there.?
Alex nodded and started to climb up, but stopped as he suddenly heard a voice. He spun around, looking in all directions. The old man peered at him strangely. ?You okay boy??
?I thought I just heard?? he started, then saw the way the man was staring and shook his head. ?Nevermind. It must be the stress I guess. Either that or the thirst.? The old man fished out a canteen and tossed it down. ?Here.? Alex drank greedily, and then resealed the canteen. ?Thanks.? He said, handing it back. Then he asked, ?Say?do you know where Rhy?din is??
The old man cackled. ?Is that where yer from?? Alex shrugged. ?Well yer a good few days from there, but that?s the next town anyways, so I guess that?s where I?ll be taking ya! You remembered that, did ya??
Alex nodded as he climbed up next to the old man. ?Sorta.? He said. ?In any case, I think that?s where I?ll get some answers.

They entered the city three days later. By now, Newt had learned from the voice what his name really was, and that it was not Alex. Alex, it turned out, was the name of the girl?s voice he kept hearing in his mind. However, he didn?t tell the skinny old man. He was afraid of what the man would think if he heard that Newt was hearing voices. So he kept his real name to himself.
When he had said his goodbyes to the man and his wagon, Newt began to wander about the city, looking for anything that seemed familiar. He spent several hours moving around, and found himself near the northeast side when he realized how hungry he was. The old man on the wagon had fed him for the last few days, but now he was on his own again. Looking around, he spotted a busy structure and read the name on the sign. ?Red Dragon Inn?.
He went up to the door and, opening it, peeked inside. A booming voice yelled at him, ?Out or in! It?s cold outside!? He slipped in and moved to a corner, watching the room quietly. He suddenly realized that he would need money! He went through his pockets and found several gold coins deep in one of his shirt pockets. They looked strange to him, but he figured he might as well try them. He walked towards the bar slowly.

"?Do ita shimashite," the man behind the bar was saying, raising his coffee for another sip. He looked over as Newt maked his approach.
"Afternoon, lad. Help you?"
Newt jumped at the salutation. ?Uh yeah...uh....I think I need something to eat....and uh....how much is a room per night??
"Good question." The man rubbed the back of his head at that. "Give me a sec to see if they've stashed a price list or something back here." He peeked under the bar. ?Hmm... there's the box that has the room keys in it... no sign of a book or a list, though??
Finally he shrugged and straightened up. "Beats the hell outta me. Tell ya what, lad, let's call it a crown for the evening, and I'll write you a receipt for it. Anyone takes issue, they can put the remainder on my tab."
Newt stared at him. ?A....crown? Ummm....all I have are these gold coins....?
The barman cocked an eyebrow at them. "Huh... they look like doubloons, but I don't recognize the markings." He studied them without touching, then shrugged. "Well... I don't have keys to the till to make change. I can make it out of pocket, though, but
I'm not sure what the exchange rate is. Usually about ten crowns to a noble... those look a little larger than a noble. Call it eleven crowns per?" he asked as he cocked an eyebrow at the lad.
Newt shrugged and made the exchange, taking back ten of the 'crowns' and leaving one for the room. ?By the way....might I ask...does anyone around here know of a girl by the name of....Alex??
The man behind the bar tossed the crown into the till and slid a room key across the bar to Newt, dropping the gold coin into his money pouch. "Can't say that I do, lad. Got a description? I recognize most people by face rather than name." He tilted his head to one side and fixed Newt with a steady stare. "You, for example. I remember you having angry words with an acquaintance of mine in here, once." He didn?t sound angry or upset at the memory - his voice carried the same politely neutral, warm but not quite friendly tone it had the whole conversation.
Newt took the key then looked up excitedly as the man's words suddenly sank in. ?Wait! You know me??
"Know you? I wouldn't go that far. I've seen you." He shrugged, a little, lifting his coffee mug.
?When?? Newt?s excitement is palpable, but other patrons had distracted the man he had spoken with now. He sighed. He had his room key, so he turned and made his way up the stairs. He would shower and clean up and then return to eat later.

The clock on the wall chimed once, then softly resumed it?s ticking. Soul looked up from the book he was reading and confirmed the time. He then stretched and, snapping his book shut softly, he turned in his chair to look out the window. The window gave a view down into the courtyard below, where the two young people who were staying with him had spent most of the morning.
Soul had eased up on Alex?s list of chores around the house, allowing his staff to resume most of them. But he had continued a strict mandate of respect from her, as well as requiring her to clean her own room. He felt that she had made significant advances while she had been here and he was not about to allow the girl to loss progress now by being waited on hand and foot. What?s more, he had implemented the same regime on the young man as well, seeing that he kept his own room tidy and completed several chores around the manor. Unlike the initial response Alex showed, Newt did not seem to mind these tasks and did them without question or signs of rebellion. Soul nodded to himself. This was of course because of the radically different upbringing that Newt had. His parents were hard-working people who had taught their son the value of a hard days work. Alex had not had such parents. Her parents had taught her practically nothing good to speak of.. Soul thought again of the woman who had left him transformed, and his anger rose slightly. He took a deep breath and let the anger ebb away. It had been years after all, and he had created a new life that he could live with.
Soul watched as the two in the courtyard below sat at a table playing a game. They had swum for a good hour earlier in the pool, splashing and being typical teens. Soul had been concerned at first by the bikini that Alex had put on and had almost asked her to find something a bit more modest, but Newt had appeared nearly as nervous as Soul had been, and when Soul had let things progress without interfering, Newt had surprised him by being very respectful and modest himself. Newt had impressed Soul, but more importantly, Soul had been impressed by Alex. Her choice off swimsuit had been an initial concern, but she had not used it as a means to entice Newt into anything inappropriate. From that point on she had done nothing to make Newt uncomfortable in the slightest, letting him set the pace, as they both tried to figure out where their relationship stood.
It was clear to see that Newt was attracted to Alex, and yet he made no advances beyond the embrace that they had shared earlier in the house. He simply enjoyed her company. Good. Soul thought. They should learn to be friends again, before anything else has a chance to develop.
?Hey you two?? He called down from the window. The two heads popped up from the chess game they were playing. ?Would you both like some lunch?? He watched as they conferred quietly, and then looked up again and nodded. ?Good. I?ll be right down and I?ll bring some sandwiches out.?
He left the upstairs sitting room and headed down to the ground floor. Swinging past the kitchen he asked the cook to make up some sandwiches and waited for the lunch to be prepared. When the tray was full with sandwiches and snacks and a pitcher of juice, he lifted it and carried it down the hall to the courtyard doors and out into the sunlight.
He stopped. The table where Newt and Alex had been sitting was empty. One of the chairs was overturned and the kids were nowhere in sight. ?Alex?Newt?? He called. Alex?s frightened face appeared from behind a large planter next to the table. ?Soul! Come quick! Newt fainted!?
Soul rushed over and set the tray on the table before bending down to Newt?s stirring form. Newt?s eyes fluttered for a second, then stayed open and sharpened. He sat up. ?Easy son.? Soul said softly. He turned to Alex. ?What happened??
?I?.I?m not sure.? She stammered, somewhat shaken. ?We were playing our chess game, and Newt made a bad move. I laughed at him and said, ?That bishop is dead?, and went was reaching to take his bishop, when he suddenly went rigid and toppled over out of his chair!?
Soul frowned and looked back at Newt. ?Newt, are you okay?? Newt didn?t seem to hear him, but only stared straight ahead. ?Newt?? Alex called softly.
Newt?s eyes finally flickered to her, and then to Soul. He shifted his gaze back and forth between the two of them almost in a state of panic. ?Was is it, Newt?? Soul said softly.
?Bishop?.Bishop is dead! Bishop is dead!? Newt blurted out. As he spoke, tears began to run down his face.
Alex took his hand, becoming scared as she saw his tears. ?Newt?..it?s just a game?we can stop??
He shook his head. ?N?No?.? He shook his head again. ?Bishop is a man.?
Soul gently rested a hand on Newt?s shoulder. ?Who is Bishop, Newt??
The boy?s eyes turned to face Soul. ?I don?t?..I don?t know. B?but? I killed him!? He began to shudder and quake. ?I killed him Soul!?

AJ was finishing up at work that evening, you know... putting papers back into its proper places, putting her sticky notes in a neat pile on the corner of her desk, you know... anything a normal person with OCD would do.

Ever since she found out she was expecting she has felt quite ill, and while she was putting everything in its proper place on her desk she turned a nice shade of green and leaned over to the trashbin and vomited into it.

"Drank some of the bad milk again?" Could be heard from Frank along with a couple of snickers a few feet behind her. She groaned and spat into the trashbin before pulling her hair back and looking over to Frank. "Keep laughing and I will put breast milk in your coffee once I'm able." Was said with a smirk.

"Heading out?" Could be heard from him next as he picked up the papers that AJ was going to give to him anyways. You know... business stuff. AJ nodded and tied up the bag in the trash bin. "Oui, I better get home. Phillipe isn't too happy with me doing anything more than getting rest." And she laughed. "Take care, Frank." And he waved. "Later."

AJ grabbed her coat, purse, and the trashbag and headed for the door. When she swung it open a loud cracking sound was heard. AJ's brows raised as she moved around the door to see her husband sitting on the ground, rubbing his forhead. "Ow..." AJ blinked. "Oh, goddess... I'm sorry, love. You never come down here." And she helped him up. "Why are you here? Come on... we'll walk and talk." And they headed for the dumpster nearby.

"AJ you need to read this.." Was said after a moment or two of silence as she put the bag in the dumpster, putting her purse back on her shoulder. He handed her the note and she read it over once. "Soul needs to see this..." Was said after a moment or so. "Come on, his mansion isn't that far from here." And they were off. AJ has been walking everywhere since she found out she was expecting.

After a while the mansion was in sight and AJ started running for the door. Phillipe sighed and headed off after his wife as she darted up the front steps and started banging on the door madly. The door opened and Soul peeked out. "Anna? Phillipe? What is it?" Was asked and AJ handed him the note.

"Read this."

When Phillipe and her father spoke she kept absolutly quiet, biting her lip softly in thought. Could this letter really be a threat on Newt? How would Phillipe and AJ keep an eye on the boy? ... But then she thought. He's with her father and he should be safe there with him. The thought still made her uneasy.

When they got home she started up the stairs and looked over to Phillipe when she stepped into the living room. "I'm worried... really Phillipe I've somewhat grown attatched to the boy being around my sister and all." Phillipe just walked up to her and gave her a hug. "Everything will be alright, AJ. I promise..."

She could still tell her was concerned as well and that didn't ease her at all. "Maybe we should get something to eat, no?" And she started off for the kitchen, Phillipe following close behind. "I'll help you out... " She looked over at him and smiled. "Merci." And together they made their dinner, ate, and went to bed to get some rest.