I waited for Logan to get comfortable before climbing into bed; positioning myself so I sat between his legs with my back against his chest. The weight of his arms falling over my shoulders was so familiar and turning my head slightly, his chin rested against my forehead. I pulled the blanket up and over us, unable to stop myself from smiling as I felt his kiss against my hair. Right here, now, this moment was perfect and so, I had ruin it.

"What were you talking about earlier?" I asked, our fingers slipping together as I held onto his hand. The burn had already faded from his palm, but I kissed that spot anyway.

"When?"

"Before you had a shower." Tilting my head back slightly against his arm, I took a second to just look at him. His eyes were already closed, and I didn't miss the flicker of a frown that appeared after I spoke.

"Tomorrow Bunny, it's been a long day. Well, days." He sighed.

I toyed with his fingers a little more, fidgeting as I couldn't just let it go like that. It would bug me all night until the morning and really, he should know better. As he sighed again, and his eyes looked down to meet mine, I knew he realised his mistake too.

"Don't get mad." Instantly I stopped, unable to stop myself from getting tense. "It's nothing to worry about, but just hear me out. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Well, when we all decided to go on that fun little adventure, when I went to get changed I thought of something, well actually I was thinking about it when we were still at the table talking with your parents."

"Go on." I prompted.

"You went back in time to try and find out what you could about the whole Treaty thing. It worked out well in some ways because you discovered your new toy, but apart from a few little bits and pieces we've picked up, we don't know what Cain's plan is or how you're actually involved."

"We should just call you Sherlock." It didn't sound as sarcastic as I had wanted it to, and either way Logan ignored me.

"I think Alistair did. He had to know something. The whole ghostly advisor stunt he pulled when all that shit went down with Drac, tells us he does. You need to speak to him again. Find out what's going on."

"I can't go back in time again, I doubt Portia would be willing to share a way for me to do repeat and I wouldn't want to. How nothing has changed here is beyond me considering what happened. I half expected to come back to find, I dunno, colour television had never been invented."

"That's what you expected?" Logan teased this time, earning an eye roll from me.

"I don't know how he did all that ghosty stuff either. If he was playing guardian angel and wanted to help, why isn't he now? I think I need him just as much as I did then!"

"I figured going back again would be impossible. I've never even heard of anyone doing it before and the fact he is, dead, makes it hard too, but this is where my idea comes into it."

"If you're planning on killing me or something so I could back to that place for a chat, no."

Logan shook his head. "Don't be stupid. Anyway, as I was saying, I came up with my idea and I made a quick call."

Now he had my attention and I had absolutely no idea where this was going.

"This is the part I wasn't sure you'd be mad about, actually I know you're going to be, but oh well." I stayed silent, almost glaring at him in preparation for whatever was coming. "I called Tom."

"Who?" The name slowly sunk in. "Tom Van-gonna get his ass kicked, Tom?"

"I thought he was just going by Van Helsing these days, but yes, that Tom."

"Why?" I sat up, shrugging away from his hold.

"Because when we were at that warehouse and I was doing some training with Sam-" Logan stopped, cringing slightly as he brought up yet another one of my favourite people. "When I was training there, I heard him talking to a couple of Slayers who were talking about a psychic, a legit one, who can communicate with the dead. She's actually a Tracker, but she has this gift and isn't active within our community, preferring to deal with everything relating to the other side."

"You called Tom to get his psychics number?"

"Bunny, she could connect you to Alistair and we might actually, finally, be able to find something out!" He said it like he was begging me to understand like I didn't, only I did. It was actually a smart idea, but the whole Tom thing ruined it for me. "Anyway, he did what I asked and when I checked my phone when we got back, he said she was willing to meet with you. I haven't told them anything, I simply asked him for her info. She is very fussy when having to deal with our kind, so because he has an in with her, I had to use him."

Great, so now we were going to owe Tom something?

"I'm still going to kick his ass when I see him next." I told him, settling back into his arms. I was actually thankful Logan had thought outside the box and come up with this plan.

"I would expect nothing less." He said softly, not hiding his amusement. "Here's a crazy idea. Stay here tonight? After everything, I don't want to let you go just yet."

"Braving the wrath of my Dad if he decides to do a bed check Logey? Here I was thinking you were smart." Little did he know, I had no intention of obeying the separate bed rule tonight either.

"You're okay, right?" Logan asked hesitantly. "Cain didn't do anything before-"

His voice drifted and I sat up once more, reaching over to caress his cheek, he turned and kissed my fingers. "I'm fine, honest. You?"

Logan nodded before pulling me back against him. He shifted slightly so I was more on top of him than using him as a backrest and guilt bloomed in the pit of my stomach as yet again, we had been faced with another situation we had no control over, that could have ended so much worse. Mum had said how horrible it was to be frozen; forced to watch and unable to help. It would have been the worst part for all of them, feeling so, helpless. We'd all been there and thinking of the sword, at least it hadn't been for nothing.

I kissed him as if that alone could erase all of our problems, take away the last few days. It didn't matter if I included or excluded my people, it always seemed to end screwed up. I really was cursed, just maybe not in the way Cain and Portia were involved in.

"I love you." Logan mumbled against my lips.

In one swift, well calculated movement, I was on my back and the dim lamp light from the bedside table cast his face in shadows. I didn't need the light to see the look in his eyes; I could feel it - that love. I may be cursed in who knows how many ways, but I was lucky in others too and right now I was happy to take the time to appreciate that.

) O (

Four days later Logan and I had managed to leave the Academy. My parents wanted to come along, positive our time playing Tomb Raider was a sign that the four of us could work together and should do so more often. Instead I reminded them they were also meant to be retired and had classes to teach and decided to lecture them on responsibility; which they had heaps of as teachers. Dad was unimpressed, but the pair returned to their routine like the responsible adults there were and Logan and I left for our date with Tom.

We followed his directions easily enough, and stopping outside the recently renovated warehouse was a surprise. I kind of expected something old yet luxurious, kind of like the estate Hazel's coven had, or possibly more on the spooky haunted house side of things. It was stereotypical, I know, but I kind of figured a psychic would be like a witch and the ones I had come across had a low level of living standards.

We made it the elevator and went up three floors and it wasn't Tom waiting for us outside her apartment. Drew was.

"Maybe he expected you to kick his ass too?" Logan whispered as we started to head his way.

"Coward." I mumbled, unable to stop myself from smiling at Drew. "Hey!"

Logan let my hand go, and I ran the last few steps towards him as we met each other midway in a hug. Drew squeezed me tightly, lifting my feet off the floor for a second before letting go.

"Hey Trouble. Logan." The pair of them did this weird, grunt - nod, greeting thing before Drew motioned to the door behind him. "Not sure what Tom has told you about her, but Vicky really knows her shit. Well, when she can actually use it."

"What do you mean?" Logan asked.

"She doesn't really like to do this, with our kind and sometimes her gift just doesn't work. Don't be disappointed if nothing happens." He warned.

"She is a Slayer though, right? I didn't think our kind got these kind of 'gifts'." I hesitated going in.

"No, not slayer. Her Dad was a Tracker, and Hiromi may have some traits from him, but she takes after her Mum. Their family are more like, gypsy's I guess." Drew quickly fills us in.

I'm feeling a little skeptic, even in my world of mythical creatures and gods, but follow Drew and Logan in. the loft apartment is really nice, with its exposed brick walls and industrial decor. Sitting at the glass dining table in front of her laptop, who I am guessing is Hiromi doesn't even look at us as she types. For a second I think its Toyo - one of Ailins sisters, but as we go closer, it's clearly not. Beautiful ,almond shaped eyes appear over the top of the screen, startling me by how blue they are as she looks us over.

"This is them?" She asks Drew with a hint of distaste as she gathers her dark mass of straight hair over one shoulder.

"Yeah, Hiro, meet Logan and Elise." Logan says hi and as I look around the room, I stop by an astrology poster as well as a few other charts of the moon and stars. Astrology mumbo-jumbo.

It's something I'm not really, into, but my eyes wander to Capricorn and skim the few words listed below it that are supposed to sum me up. Loving, susceptible, sympathetic, sensual, faithful, instinctive, charitable, over-reactive and moody. I snort, unimpressed and look back to the others to find them all staring at me.

"Sorry, hi. Elise." I introduce.

"You don't like what it says?" She asks curiously. Now that she is closer, I can see the streaks of white in her hair and the creases around her eyes. Hiro wasn't as young as I first thought and I also wasn't expecting to see her nose and lip pierced.

"I don't really believe in all of that."

"So, if I read your cards or tea leaves, you won't really believe in, all of that, too?"

"I was under the impression you can talk to the other side." Tea leaves? Really?

Her neutral expression changes, as she looks rather smug now. "Is that why you came then?"

"You're the psychic, you tell me."

Her eyes shoot to Drew for the briefest of seconds. "I'm sure you were expecting a crystal ball, and someone much, much different to me weren't you?"

The guys are oddly quiet, standing together by the table clearly unsure what to do or say. Logan gives me that look, the play nice so you don't piss everyone off look and I sigh.

"Yes, you're not even wearing a headscarf, anything that jingles or over the top eye makeup."

Hiro clearly has a sense of humour as she laughs at this.

"Come on, lets go see if anyone will pick up the phone." She motions to the other two to follow us as she links her arm in my mine and we head past one of the comfiest looking lounge chairs I've ever seen before going into another room.

Another table is set up in here. It's smaller than the one near the kitchen, wooden too and I notice there are no windows in here. Hiro lights up the candles on the shelves on the wall behind where Drew takes a seat and I do the same, ending up facing Hiro with the guys either side of me. Now she has closed the door and the main light is off, the room has a spookier edge to it. I shiver, and looking around, notice the white sand that has been poured around the edge of the room. No, not sand, that would be salt. A lot of salt. Just what was she preparing for?

"Is this an Ouija board?" Logan asks curiously, looking at the piece of wood that sits on the table.

"Yes, but I was planning on trying a seance first. I'm not just a psychic. I am a medium. I can read cards and all those types of things, but I can not see the future like my Mother can. I only know what they want me to."

"Your Mum can see the future?" I ask.

"She is old, her visions aren't like they used to be, but occasionally something would come to her in a dream and she would do what she could to decipher it. She never shared her ability and she only saw good things, like her neighbour who was trying for a baby, she saw her with child. Things like that." Hiro stared at me for a second too long and it only added to how uncomfortable I was feeling here.

"Okay." I nodded.

"So who are we trying to contact today?" She asked, flexing her fingers before rolling her neck.

"Alistair Bunting. He is a relative of mine."

With a nod, she ordered us all to hold hands. "I said no when Tom first asked me, but ever since then there has been someone nearby. I can't get them to communicate with me, and they weren't there for the last couple of people I've seen. It's what made me change my mind and agree to this. I hope it makes him go away. Now, all of you, think of his name, and I will-"

Hiro froze, her blue eyes wide and her mouth parted mid-sentence. Drew's grip on my hand was nearly at a crushing kind of stage and Logan shifted in his seat. I hated seating opposite her now, it was like she was still staring at me, but also beyond me. Was this normal?

"You never told me-" She gasped, dropping Logan and Drew's hand.

"What?" I looked at Logan, who gave a little shrug.

"You're her. They've been talking about you lately, always about you." She rambled, gripping the edge of the table. "I can't. There are too many of them. I just- I can't..."

Hiro froze again. Her breathing was desperate, as if she couldn't get enough air and the temperature chilled instantly while the candles all danced in a fight to stay alight.

"Hiro?" I gasped, standing up as Logan and Drew inched closer to my side of the table and away from her.

She broke free, looking left to right, all around us and then up at the roof. For a second there I almost expected her head to start spinning or something equally as disturbing.

"There are so many!" She gasped.

"Hiro, what have they been saying about me?" I begged.

We didn't need to see what she did, we could feel the electrical charge in the air. It was like being wrapped in cobweb only all over your body and I tried my best to ignore it. We all did and just when I was about to start freaking out with her, everything stopped. Hiro managed to calm down, the glazed look on her face disappearing as she looked as freaked out as the rest of us. The candles held their flame still and the presence in the room faded away.

"You're not supposed to have been born." Hiro said in such a detached manner, I don't think she actually knew she had even said it until Logan spoke.

"What? What does that mean?"

"What?" She answered stupidly, looking at the three of us like she forgot we were there.

"I'm not supposed to have been born?" I repeated.

Hiro looked like a wreck. Her face was pale and she looked as if she was struggling to stay sitting upright. I felt bad for her, but couldn't exactly back off now. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, as she struggled to focus.

"Did Alistair tell you this?" Drew spoke up.

Instead of answering, she screamed. I jumped, not expecting it and in the same moment Hiro stood and stumbled backwards before running towards the light switch. "He's coming!"

"Who?" We all seemed to ask at the same time.

The light came on and she screamed again as she turned to face the table. Prayers started to pour out of her as she tried the door, but it wouldn't budge and seeing something out of the corner of my eye, I turned away from our freaking out host to find Cain sitting in her chair.

"Fuck."

"Well hello to you too. A medium, Hunter? Getting a little, desperate aren't we?" He leaned forward, poking the little glass thing on the ouija board. "I've always wanted to use one of these."

"Why are you here?" I snapped.

Drew and Logan had their weapons pointed in Cain's direction; Logan a dagger and Drew a gun, neither of which would really do much right now. Leave the sword at home, Logan had said. You can't walk around the city with it strapped to your back, he said. One look his way and he rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what I was thinking.

"What you want, she can't give you." He sighed, sitting back in the chair as Hiro fell against the door. "No where near powerful enough."

"Elise, who is this?" Drew asked hesitantly.

"Cain." Logan and I answered together.

"How do you know what I want?" I huffed, and as his eye met mine, the smirk on his face had me itching to slap him.

Drew's arm dropped as he looked at the Darius edition of the bane of my existence, who actually gave a little wave his way before snatching Logan's dagger off him to twirl around in his own hand. Now Logan cursed.

"We were connected for a while there, trust me when I say I know what you want." He winked.

"What-" I stopped and took a deep breath, letting it go. "You didn't answer my question. Why are you here?"

"Where else would I be? I'm always around, so when I sensed this little spectacle taking place, I thought I'd drop in. Maybe I can help?" He grinned, lazing back in the chair.

"How?" Folding my arms over my chest, I glared at him.

"Well, tell me why you're using her to speak to the other side. Who are you after?"

"No one in particular. We were just, curious." I lied.

Cain laughed, before looking over to the sobbing mess that was Hiro in the corner. "That's a lie, one second. She's starting to get on my nerves."

We all tensed as he got up, still with Logan's dagger in his hand as he went towards Hiro. I heard the click of Drew's gun being readied, but prayed we wouldn't have to use it.

"Cain!" I warned, stepping around Logan. "What are you-"

He whispered something to Hiro before reaching out and simply turning the door knob. She scrambled out of the room like it was on fire and once she was out, he simply closed it again.

"Alistair won't help you Elise. This, is all pointless."

"He helped me once, why not know?" It sounded like I was sulking, and I guess I kind of was.

"He only did what I said he could, remember?"

I tried to think back, and vaguely remembered my first little meeting with my ancestor. We did shots of whisky and told me stuff that he said I wouldn't remember until the time came. I focused on the memory, trying to remember exactly what he had said and then it does come to back.

"Now, we don't have much time and because of some laws, I can't tell you anything that will interfere with the future. He'll come after me and give me what for if I do..."

He had been talking about Cain then and he only told me about Portia and some advice on dealing with Dracula. Opening my eyes I look at Cain now and he doesn't back down.

"Logan, Drew, can you give us a second. Alone." It's not a question and both go to argue when the door opens and they're practically dragged out by some unseen force. The second the door is closed, they're banging on it to come back in.

I sit down opposite Cain, and he leans forward, resting his elbows on the table like we're about to share in some juicy gossip.

"You owe me for that little stunt you pulled the other day." I start.

"Do I? Here I was thinking I gave you what you wanted."

"I could have died. Again."

He frowns, sitting up straighter now. "No. I never would have let that happen."

"Because you need me right, I'm your key back home?" I challenge.

"You are so much more than that."

The softness in his voice surprises me, and Cain quickly looks away as he turns his attention to the Ouija board. He picks of the glass disk, turning it over and over through his fingers, while I'm not sure what to say.

"Three things, Hunter. Ask me three questions, and I will tell you the honest truth."

"Like a genie?" I try to joke.

"Questions, not wishes." He answers dryly. "Don't worry, that won't count."

My mind goes blank.

"Anytime now." Cain glances up, and I take a deep breath.

"Why shouldn't I have been born?"

His eyebrows shoot up as he sits back in the chair, dropping the disc on the table in such a way it starts to spin. I barely glance at it.

"Who told you that?" He asked awkwardly.

"Doesn't matter. I was told, and I want to know why." Silence started to grow between us. "You said, three questions and honest answers."

"Portia made us forget your little visit, as she promised. You should have been more specific as before she did, she told me of her vision and we put a few things in place to ensure we would know when you arrived in this world. She wasn't the only one to hear that conversation though." He practically growled. "Alistair did too."

I wanted to ask what her vision was exactly, but wasn't sure if I wanted to give up another question so soon. I also didn't want to interrupt him while he was talking and as if reading my mind, Cain answered it anyway.

"You know my situation, that I was banished here. She saw you fighting a glorious battle, that would then allow me to return to my home realm. More than that, you came with me. You belong there too. My return will do more than change my world, but yours too."

I felt like a goldfish, my mouth opening and closing as I couldn't find it in me to make words.

"We worked out you were connected to the Buntings because in her vision, she saw your father. He was already known to us, she had seen him and your sibling on the altar when the Lord Alpha was returned. The one we knew Alistair had killed."

"Dad wasn't used in that though, it was me and Jord." I blurted.

"You didn't exist when she saw that." Cain sighed. "So Portia was telling me everything, from my return home, to the girl we had just met, her family and everything else she was suddenly able to connect together. Alistair heard it all."

"Why was that a problem?"

"He discovered who I truly was. If I had been banished here, clearly it had been for a reason and he didn't want someone of his blood to be release me. Not only that, he heard our discussions on how to find you in the future, on the start of our plans on how to use you."

I tried to think like Alistair, knowing a former, and possibly still great evil that had been sent to our realm where he could apparently cause less damage being returned to who knows where because of his family. To hear them discussing, me, his distant granddaughter being the cause of it all, and who knows what else they had been talking about when it came to that 'great battle' - it was obvious he would want to try and stop it.

"Alistair had many children, you know this, but there was one the history books never recorded. They called her Elizabeth, and scared that she would grow to be you, he and Mary decided to put an end to any of my plans that involved his family. Portia saw it happening, and I couldn't get there in time to stop it. She was sacrificed in order to put a curse on your family, that no girls would ever be born with the Bunting name."

"You mean, he killed his own daughter and-" I didn't finish. I felt sick and so disappointed in Alistair and Mary. "So how am I here? Would things be different if she had lived?"

I guess my time travelling did have an impact after all.

"She wasn't destined for a long life, three years later a vampire would attack when Alistair was away and it wasn't just the newest Bunting baby that would have died." Cain said sadly. "The other generations - their daughters? Who knows. Now, how did you come to exist? Simple. While we were made to forget your visit, we still had interest in your family for other reasons. Portia noticed it first, the all male dominated lineage and found it, strange. As an Oracle, her gut instincts are rather impressive."

Cain stood up, walking towards the shelf of candles and picked one up. The main light went off instantly and as he turned around, he now held the candle in front of his face in that spooky ghost story kind of way.

"My clever little Oracle decided to try something, and in a friendly visit to your parents, Ms Hunting served a tea to your parents. Ten months later, you were born. A perfectly healthy, beautiful, bouncing baby girl!"

"Remind me never to drink her tea." I mumbled.

"This tea was one of a kind, I assure you. The cleansing power in it was just what your family needed apparently."

"So, then I was born, poof - you're memory of my visit returned, and here we are."

"Exactly."

"But what about the battle then, what are you using me for?" I thought about what Paytah's Mum had said. "You said I'll go into your world with you. Is this about the Fates?"

Cain looked rather cocky then, putting down the candle as the banging on the door interrupted us. "Three questions Hunter. That was our deal."

"Yeah, but you-" I stopped talking as the door opened because he was gone.

Logan and Drew ran in, a scared Hiro lingering by the doorway.

"Where is he?" Drew asked as Logan knelt down beside me.

"Gone. Don't worry, I'm fine."

"What happened?" Logan asked.

"I wasted my three questions, kind of."

Logan looked confused and I shrugged it off, before getting up. "Thanks Hiro, I appreciate you trying."

Drew said goodbye and followed us out. No one said anything until we were in the street.

"I have a place not far from here, did you guys want to come over?" Drew offered. "I got left over pizza and beer?"

"Sounds good?" Logan looked at me and I nodded.

Pizza, beer, good company. Simple, easy and uncomplicated - unlike everything else in my life right now.

______

So, I feel like there could be a Tom and Elise run in soon.... Just a feeling ;)