CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Aideen awoke screaming less than an hour after she went to bed. She immediately began crying hysterically. Courtney sat up in her bed, took one look at her sister, and began crying as well.

"No..." Courtney whispered. "Not daddy... Not daddy... Gods, no..."

Clarissa ran to her daughters' bedroom. She was sobbing, but was visibly trying to be strong for her daughters.

She tried to hug Aideen, but Aideen pushed her away and ran out of the bedroom. The front door soon opened and slammed shut.

Courtney crawled out of her own bed and into Aideen's before she curled up in her mother's lap, weeping openly. Neither dared to speak, for there were no words for this.

~*~

Aideen had run for what felt like hours but had probably only been minutes. Her father was dead. You couldn't hide death from a house filled with Reapers, especially not when one of those Reapers was as close to the deceased as Aideen was to her father. Her mind was racing, trying to wrap itself around the fact that the man she loved more than anything wouldn't be coming home after all. Her thoughts were screaming inside of her head so loud that she couldn't understand what they were trying to say.

She was dizzy. Everything was spinning. Her head hurt so much. It took an impossible amount of effort to keep moving. She wanted to curl up in a ball and die. She felt sick. She leaned her hands against a tree trunk and began to vomit. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her heart felt like it was trying to fly out of her chest. She stood up without the support of the tree and collapsed onto her hands and knees. Pulling her knees to her chest, she wept freely, ignoring the fact that she could no longer breathe.

A hand touched her shoulder. Aideen pulled away violently. "Deenie," Spencer said softly. "Deenie, please, let me help you."

"No! Get the hell away from me!" Aideen screamed. She wanted to rage. Rage was safe. Rage meant that she didn't have to feel what was really there. She liked rage.

"Aideen, you've got to try and calm down. You're not breathing right. You're going to make yourself sick," Spencer insisted gently.

"I don't care! Go away!" She snapped.

Spencer wrapped Aideen in a tight hug. She stopped fighting him almost immediately and collapsed into his arms. As her breathing began to calm down, she whispered, "Spence... My dad... He's..." She couldn't say the word.

"I know," Spencer said soothingly. "I had a vision. I'm so sorry, Deenie."

"This isn't fair! He was a good man..."

"I know. Benny was the heart of the community."

"Spencer, it was one of his best friends. He was like family."

Spencer shook his head. "What a monster," he said softly.

"When I get my hands on Mitchell, he's dead."

"I'd expect no less."

Aideen sighed as rage failed her. "I can't do this, Spence... How am I supposed to exist in a world where my dad doesn't?" She wiped away fresh tears.

"I know it feels impossible right now, but you can get through this, Aideen, and you will. Your father would want you to keep fighting."

"You're right," she said, slowly trying to calm herself down. "I have to finish what he started. He died for this fight. It meant a lot to him."

"Be careful, Aideen. You don't want to jump right into this if you're not ready."

Arnie cautiously approached them. "What happened?" He asked Aideen. "I felt your emotions, Deenie. What's wrong?" He looked terrified.

"Arnie..." Aideen began sobbing harder again. She threw herself into Arnie's arms, unable to find her voice for several minutes. Finally, she said, "Dad's gone..."

"Gone?" He repeated. "You can't mean... Oh Gods... Oh Gods, Deenie!" Arnie held her closer, now understanding why her emotions had gotten so out of control. He felt the loss as well. Arnie had known Benny for his entire life. Benny had helped train him, and had tried to take care of him after his parents died.

"I can't go home tonight," Aideen said. "I can't be in that house right now, not knowing that he won't be there ever again..."

"You could stay at my house," Spencer offered. "My mother will understand."

"Thanks, Spencer."

"It's not a problem."

Spencer took Aideen's hand and helped her stand up. Arnie followed on her other side as they walked toward Spencer's house.

"I feel so empty," Aideen said softly.

Arnie squeezed her hand. "I know how this feels," he said. "That's a really normal part of it."

"He was such a good man. Good men aren't supposed to die like that. Slowly. Painfully."

"He died with honor, fighting for what he believed in," Spencer said stoically. "He'd want you to take some kind of solace in that."

"And I do, but..." She shook her head.

"But divine perspective be damned, you still want your dad back?" Arnie guessed.

"Exactly."

"I know the feeling, too," Spencer said softly. He rarely spoke about his father. "Only my dad didn't die with honor."

Arnie now put his free hand on Spencer's shoulder, placing himself behind Spencer and Aideen. "At least you guys still have your mothers, and they're awesome. That's good."

"I love my mom," Aideen said, "but she's not my dad. You know how close my dad and I are- were." Her voice cracked as she corrected herself.

"I know... I'm so sorry, Deenie. This isn't fair."

"Why did this have to happen?" Aideen demanded.

"I don't know. I wish I did," Arnie said with a sigh. "I wish I understood why the world's greatest parents die too soon, but the creeps who hurt their kids get to live. They say that only the good die young, but why is that? Are we being punished for being good or something?"

Spencer shook his head. "We aren't being punished, but I can see why you'd feel that way," he said. "Sometimes, I wish I had all of the answers. As an Oracle, I know you expect it from me, but there are some things that remain a mystery. I don't see a purpose for Benny to have died like this at this time, but I know there must be one. Everything happens for a reason."

"Screw that," Aideen said. "I don't care what the reason is, because nothing is a good enough reason. Mom and Courtney need him. Salem's non-corrupt ranks need him. The whole world needs him. I need him." She would have started to cry again, but it seemed that she'd already shed all of the tears her body could produce for the night. Instead, she allowed rage to take control again. Rage would keep her safe and warm for the night.

I'll find Mitchell, Dad, she silently vowed, and I'll make him pay.

~*~

The sound of her cell phone ringing woke Beth up. She picked the pink phone up and blinked at the caller ID. She looked at Jade, who was still sleeping with Bastet curled up beside her.

"Hello?" Beth asked softly.

"Beth, it's Alex," he said.

"Oh, good morning, Alex," Beth replied cheerfully. "Whose phone are you calling from? Your number didn't come up."

"I'm on a payphone. My cell phone battery died last night. Listen, is Jade with you?"

"Yes, why?" Beth asked, sensing that something wasn't right.

"I need you both to come over," Alex replied.

"What's going on?" Beth asked cautiously.

Alex sighed. "Aideen's father was killed. She's not doing well. Arnie told me she's staying with Spencer for a little while, but I think she's going to need us. I'm calling a meeting."

"Oh my gosh, that's awful!" Beth said. Jade opened her eyes, waking up at Beth's worried tone. She eyed her questioningly. Beth put up a finger to tell Jade to wait a minute for an answer.

"So, can you be here in an hour?"

"Yeah, of course we'll be there. Bye, Alex." Beth hung up.

"What's going on?" Jade asked. Her voice was scratchy. She cleared her throat and tried to wake herself up.

"Aideen's father was killed. Alex didn't give me details, but he's calling a meeting in an hour."

Jade's face fell. "Is Aideen alright?" She asked.

"I don't think so... It's really sad... My dad works with Benny's best friends. He was around the office a lot... He's going to be missed." Beth sighed. "We'd better get ready. Do you want to shower first, or should I?"

"You go ahead," Jade replied. "I need to do something."

"Okay," Beth agreed before she headed to the bathroom.

Jade closed her eyes and tried to remember what she had dreamed. She had been in such a deep memory that she hadn't even heard Beth's cell phone ringing. She'd dreamed about Joey, but why? Joey had been dead for two months. Hadn't he? In the dream, Joey seemed to be very much alive, but that made no sense. Jade tried to stop it, but the memory flashed before her eyes again.

River Joseph was eighteen months old. Jade had gone through hell to keep him safe from the cult. It had been nearly impossible, but she'd managed. She had suffered for it, but that didn't matter to her. All that mattered was keeping her son safe. His father, River, had been sacrificed by the cult the day that Joey was born, which was why Jade had chosen to name him after him. He had been her best friend, and a fellow cult kid, and although they had been forced to sleep together for Joey's conception, Jade did not hold this against his father. It hadn't been his fault. Neither of them had had a choice.

Jade had been attacked, and once she'd escaped, she couldn't find Joey. She followed his energy to the lake he had apparently crawled into. All Jade saw was his stuffed yellow duck, which he dragged along with him nearly everywhere he went. That yellow duck was now face down in the lake.

"He drowned," her mother told her with what was obviously false sympathy. "I'm so sorry, Jade."   

"You're not sorry!" Jade screamed. "You don't even care!" She couldn't believe that her mother was trying to pretend that she could feel anything as human as sympathy. "He's not dead. I feel him. He can't be dead." She did still feel him, in her heart. Joey was alive. She knew it.

Her mother grabbed her arm. "Jade, look at the duck. How did the duck get into the water if he didn't drown?"

"You're lying!" Jade shouted. She tried to pull away from her mother. "Show me a body! If he's dead, prove it!"

"Poor girl. She's hysterical," one of the cult doctors said. He shoved a needle into her arm, and Jade passed out almost immediately. When she awoke, she no longer felt her son. Positive that her parents must have killed him because even at such a young age, Joey had been too smart to crawl into a lake, Jade began to plot revenge.

Jade was crying when Beth came back from her shower. She clutched Bastet to her chest and wept into her fur.

"Jade? Jade, what is it?" Beth asked. She had never seen Jade cry before.

Jade shook her head. "Just a memory," she replied, trying to calm herself down. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Beth asked gently.

"Maybe some other time, Beth. I can't right now. I'm not ready."

"Okay," Beth said. She gave Jade a tight hug, not pushing her.

"I need to shower," Jade said. She stood up and quickly left the bedroom. When she stripped off her pajamas and got into the shower, she let the water turn scalding hot. It felt good against her flesh, even though it hurt.

In Jade's dream, Joey had looked at her, right at her, and had said, "I okay, Mama." It wasn't his spirit trying to reassure her. It was him. Ever since he'd been born, Joey had shown signs of being a strong psychic, and he had been unnaturally advanced for his age. He was like nothing of this world. Somehow, Joey had reached out to her. He was still out there.

It's wishful thinking, Jade. He's dead. You have to let him go, Jade scolded herself. She couldn't allow herself to get her hopes up. Joey was a part of her childhood, and the day she killed her parents, she had become an adult. She had to move on with her life. Still, in her heart, she felt an ache that refused to go away. Joey was out there. She didn't know how she knew, but she did. Somehow, Joey must have survived.

Don't be ridiculous, Jade thought to herself. Part of her wanted to ask Aideen, because her connection to Death would make it easier for her to find out for sure, but Jade wasn't sure that she wanted to know the truth. If Aideen said Joey was dead, she'd have to give up fully, and as much as she hated to admit it, she wasn't ready to do that yet. Besides, Aideen had just lost her father. She couldn't ask her about something like this.

As Jade got out of the shower, she forced herself to stop thinking about Joey. She and Beth had things to take care of, and she needed to focus on them.

~*~

By the time that Beth and Jade arrived at Alex's house, everyone else was already there. "Sorry," Jade apologized. "It was a rough morning."

"It's alright," Alex replied quickly, seeing in Jade's eyes just how much of an understatement rough was. "Come on in."

"Aideen, I'm so sorry about your dad," Beth said. "This must be so hard for you."

"Yeah," Aideen replied. She'd heard the words too many times already. She was sick of them. No one was truly sorry except for the ones who understood what she'd lost, and the only one who fully did was Arnie. Arnie had had good parents, and he'd lost not one, but both of them. No one else really got it. Even if they had lost a parent, they hadn't lost them like she and Arnie had.

Spencer's father had always been kind of distant, and he had killed himself. Cierra's mom had died in childbirth with her half-sister and she'd never known her biological father. Melissa's parents had died when she was too young to remember them. Dylan and Jade had both had parents who were terrible people. Beth had a picture-perfect family. Alex's parents were alive and very happy now that they were divorced. Jesse's mother had been beaten to death because she was too weak to leave her abusive husband. There was nothing heroic about it, just like there was nothing heroic about Spencer's father killing himself. Randy's father had died from the effects of alcoholism, and he had always been a creep. Cassandra had never known her family. Only Arnie understood having an amazing parent die heroically. Only Arnie understood the guilt of not being able to save them.

"Deenie?" Arnie called gently. "You kind of went away..."

"Huh? Oh, sorry," Aideen replied. She'd gotten completely lost in her thoughts.

"We're all very sorry," Alex said. "That's why we're here today. We want you to know that we're here for you."

"Thanks, guys... I know what I have to do, though. I'm going to finish what my father started. I'm going to find the key and destroy it, so that the tomb can never be opened."

"And we'll be right there with you."

"No way," she protested. "This is too dangerous."

"That's why you can't do it alone. We understand why you need to get involved, Aideen. We know you have to finish this, but we also know that you need our help. We're here for you. The Silver Society is a family, and families are supposed to stick together."

Aideen felt as if she was going to cry again. She looked away from Alex to try and fight the urge, but Arnie hugged her, and having an empath touching her unlocked the emotions fully. Aideen allowed herself to cry in his arms once more.

"It's going to be okay, Deenie," Arnie said. "We're in this together... All of us. Right guys?" 

The others echoed his words, and everyone formed a circle around Aideen, reaching out their hands to her, holding her, hugging her, doing whatever they could to show their support.

"We're here for you, no matter what happens," Arnie promised. "You're not alone, Deenie. You'll always have us."

~*~

After the meeting ended, Spencer took Jade aside. "What's wrong?" He asked her. "You seemed distracted all morning."

"It's nothing," Jade replied quickly. She still wasn't ready to lean on anyone. She couldn't allow herself to trust them fully or let them in. Letting people in got them killed and tore her heart apart.

"Jade, come on. I can tell something's wrong," Spencer coaxed her. 

"I think my son's still alive," Jade blurted out. She blinked, stunned at her own honesty. "How did you get me to say that?"

"We're connected, Jade. You know that." Spencer paused. "So, you have a son?" He asked gently.

"Had," Jade corrected him automatically. "He would have been twenty months old, but he died two months ago."

"I'm so sorry, Jade... That must have been a terrible loss for you. And you're so young to have a nearly two-year-old son..."

"I'm a cult kid, remember? You should be surprised he was so young. Cult kids get pregnant early. He was my only child."

"Was he your father's?" Spencer asked cautiously.

"No... His father was a friend of mine. He's dead, too," she replied.

"I'm sorry, Jade."

"You know what? I think you are."

"What do you mean?"

"You said you're sorry, and you mean it. Most people don't. They just say it because it's what you do when someone dies, but I can see it in your eyes."

"I am sorry for your losses. The pain in your eyes makes my heart break."

"It's weird, knowing who we are to each other," she admitted softly.

"I know. It explains why I got so attached to you so quickly, though." Spencer paused again. "Jade, why do you think he's alive?"

"I had a dream... You're going to think I'm being ridiculous, but... I feel him, Spencer. He's not dead. They told me he drowned, and they held a funeral, but I never saw his body. They told me they were worried I'd have a nervous breakdown if I saw him like that. It's impossible, though. I know he died. There was too much proof."

Gently, Spencer asked, "Jade, what if you're not being ridiculous?"

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"What if he is alive?" 

"It's just wishful thinking, Spencer."

"I don't think it is."

Jade stared at him. "What are you saying, Spencer?"

"I'm an Oracle, Jade, and I feel the truth in your words. Your son isn't dead."

Jade was torn between wanting to run away from him and cover her ears and wanting to hug him and cry. "How do you know?" She asked cautiously. "I mean, do you really know, or is it just a feeling?"

"I'm sure of it, Jade. He's not dead."

"I'm not crazy?" She asked cautiously, afraid to believe it.

"No," Spencer said firmly. "You're not."

Jade couldn't handle the emotions that hit her then. She had forced herself to believe that Joey was dead for two months, and now she'd been given back the hope that had been ripped away from her before. She knew she'd never survive losing Joey a second time. If he wasn't really alive, if Spencer was wrong, she'd break completely. Jade refused to allow herself to get her hopes up. She needed proof before she'd believe it.

"Then where is he?" she asked.

"The cult has him. They gave him to one of the other chapters, the one in Queens, I think. There were prophecies, Jade. They wanted him from the day he was born, but you did too good a job of protecting him. They want to raise him to be like them."

"My son is not evil," Jade said defensively.

"No, he's not," Spencer agreed quickly. "That's why they needed to get their hands on him. They want to change him, to turn him to their side. He's powerful, and whichever side he fights for, he'll be unstoppable."

For the first time, Jade felt her hope truly returning. "I didn't tell you about that," she whispered. "The prophecy... The reason they made his father and I conceive him."

"No, you didn't," Spencer replied simply, understanding what it meant to Jade that he knew this information without her having provided it.

"Oh my Gods... He's really alive..." She whispered. She felt herself starting to cry, but she fought back the tears. She wanted to throw her arms around Spencer and thank him for giving her back her hope, but she fought that urge as well. "I... I have to find him," she said.

"Let me help you," Spencer offered.

"No," Jade replied, terrified by the idea of Spencer getting anywhere near the cult. "I have to do this on my own."

"Jade, please. You can't do this alone. I think you know that. If you let me help, you can have your son back, safe and sound, soon."

Jade didn't want to let anyone else in, but she knew that Spencer was right. "Alright," she reluctantly agreed. "You can help me, for now."

"That's good enough," Spencer replied. "We'll find him, Jade. You'll get him back."

Jade lost the battle with her tears, but she didn't let Spencer see them. She mumbled a goodbye and ran off to hide until she could calm down enough to find Beth and go home.

Home... Jade thought. Did I really just call this place home?

~*~

Courtney was sleeping on the couch when Aideen arrived back at the house. Clarissa was in the kitchen with a woman Aideen didn't know who looked vaguely familiar.

"Deenie?" Clarissa asked. "Thank Gods you're alright!" She hugged her, and this time, Aideen let her do it. "This is Margo... Gregory's wife."

"Hello, Aideen," Margo said. "It's really good to finally meet you. Your father went on about you so much."

"Hi Margo," Aideen managed to reply politely. "He said you were working with him."

"Yes, which is why I'm here. He asked that I come and see you, and tell you what we found out."

Courtney had woken up and walked into the kitchen, still groggy from sleep. "Oh, Deenie..." She whispered. She hugged her sister. Aideen held her tightly, knowing that she needed it.

"Since you're both here... I think he would have wanted you to have these," Margo said. She pulled the twin daggers out of her bag and handed one to Aideen and one to Courtney. Courtney began sobbing all over again. Aideen stared at Margo.

"How did you get these on the airplane?" Aideen asked.

"I masked them with magick," Margo replied.

"Nice," Aideen said with approval. She was grateful Margo had brought the daggers home. She pulled a notebook from the stack on the kitchen table and grabbed a pen. "Okay, Margo. I'm ready. Tell me everything you guys found out."

~*~

Clarissa was having difficulty making the plans for her husband's funeral. She had seen his death, but it still felt surreal. For the past two days, since the news had spread, she'd received countless phone calls from slayers, psychics, vampires, witches, and lycanthropes expressing their sympathies. Everyone was sorry that Benny had been killed. Everyone admired his courage to go down fighting. No one said anything that helped Clarissa know where to begin to cope with the loss.

"Mom," Courtney began as she entered the master bedroom, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine, baby," Clarissa replied.

"You're lying," Courtney said gently.

"Alright, so maybe I'm not fine, but I'll be okay. I have to be."

The phone rang. Clarissa groaned and rolled her eyes. Seeing that her mother needed a break, Courtney picked up the telephone and said, "Hello?"

"Courtney?" A familiar voice asked.

"Yes... Who's this?" Courtney asked.

"It's your Auntie Liora, sweetie. Can you put your mother on?"

"Oh, hi Aunt Liora..." Courtney looked to Clarissa, who rolled her eyes again and shook her head firmly. "Mom's not taking any calls right now."

"Of course, I understand... Will you tell her that I called?"

"I will."

"Are you doing alright, dear?"

"As alright as I can be, I guess."

"And your sister?"

"She's doing about the same."

"Right. Well, I'll let you go, but if you need me, just call."

"Okay. Bye, Aunt Liora..." Courtney hung up the phone.

"I can't deal with my sister right now," Clarissa explained. "She's too fluffy."

"Fluffy isn't always bad," Courtney said, taking slight offense at this comment.

"Liora is a flake, honey. You know that the two of us never got along."

"I know, but she's still your sister, and she's worried about you..." The telephone rang again. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm really sick of the phone," Courtney said with a sigh.

"Me too, baby." Clarissa decided to spare Courtney any more meaningless words of sympathy and picked up the telephone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Clarissa. It's me," Margo said.

"Oh, Margo, thank the Gods," Clarissa replied, letting a small sigh of relief escape from her lips. "I'm so glad this isn't another person I barely know calling to tell me that they're sorry for my loss."

"The phone's been ringing off the hook, huh?" Margo asked sympathetically. "It was the same way right after Gregory was killed... Everyone and their mother wanted to call and tell me how sorry they were. All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry hysterically for a few hours, and take the phone off the hook. That's not bad advice, by the way. It may be the only way to get a couple of hours of peace. Benny was a slayer, after all, and you know the late hours some of his friends kept... You'll be getting calls non-stop for days if you don't do it."

"Thanks for the tip. I just might do that," Clarissa decided.

"Do you need anything? I could stop by for a while. I mean, Gregory's death is still really fresh, and I know what you must be feeling. Benny was a great man, just like Greg."

"Thanks, Margo. I really appreciate how helpful you've been. Why don't you stop by tomorrow morning? Benny's mom is coming, and I could definitely use the moral support."

"I take it that your mother-in-law and you don't get along?"

"To say that she hates my guts is an understatement. She's convinced that I somehow tricked her precious first born into marrying me. She never believed that I was good enough for him."

"That's rough. I'd be glad to come over and help you out."

"I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you right now, Margo. You've been so great, and supportive."

"It's the least I can do, Clarissa. Benny saved my life, and he was my friend. I know he'd want me to look after his family for him. Besides, I'm going through the same thing you are. It actually helps me to help you."

Suddenly, Courtney's eyes went wide and she began shaking. "Courtney?" Clarissa asked. "Margo, hang on." She put the phone down and reached out to touch her daughter, who was staring off into space. "Courtney, honey, what's wrong?"

Courtney looked at Clarissa, but her eyes were not her own. "Okay, who are you, and why are you in my daughter's body?" Clarissa demanded.

The entity in Courtney's body pulled out a notebook and pen and began writing furiously. Clarissa knew something was very wrong. She picked up the phone again. "Margo, I'm gonna have to call you back," she said.

"Is everything alright?" Margo asked.

"Something's up. I'll call you later, okay? Thanks again." Clarissa hung up. She tried to read what was being written, and it took her several moments to figure out that it was demonic alphabet. "How many dialects are you writing in?" She wondered aloud. The symbols appearing on the page were all clearly from different demonic languages. Clarissa pulled out a second notebook and pen and began translating what she could read.

Betrayed. Betrayal. Do not trust. Betrayal. Be careful. Use caution. Betrayed. Death. Slaughter. Trap. It's a trap. Betrayal. And you, Brutus? Please understand. Must warn you. Betrayal.

Courtney suddenly collapsed onto the floor. Clarissa rushed to her side. "Courtney? Sweetheart?" Clarissa called.

Courtney slowly sat up, clutching her head in her hands. "That hurt," she said.

"What just happened? Who was that?"

"Who wasn't it? Mom, I just had about twenty different entities trying to talk to you at the same time through my body... I wish they made psychic aspirin." Courtney shook her head. "What did they say, anyway? What the heck was so important?"

Clarissa reread what Courtney had written. "Maybe it was about Mitchell," she said. "I mean, that was definitely a betrayal. He was his friend, which would explain the Shakespearian reference of 'et tu, Brute?' I was probably supposed to leave that part in Latin. We all trusted Mitch... I'm sure that's what it was."

"Then the warning came too late," Courtney said sadly. She paused, and then added, "Mom, it almost felt like daddy was one of the entities... If dad was one of them, why would he be warning us about something that already happened?"

"I don't know... Maybe he doesn't know that we all got pulled to it and know about Mitchell already. Maybe that's why he had to warn us."

"I don't think that's it. We're a house full of Reapers, Mom. He had to know we'd get pulled to his death."

"I don't know, honey. I don't have the answers this time. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We'll figure it out together," Courtney said with determination.

"Right," Clarissa agreed. "Together."