The Return

[Aiden]

Entering the hotel room, Aiden threw his bag onto the bed before sinking down next to it. He reached into the front pocket and extracted the small leather-bound book, unwrapping the small leather strings that held it shut. He flipped through early entries which related to the monster he was hunting now—he had the feeling it was a Skinwalker, though he had never actually faced one—before groaning in frustration. There was just a lack of evidence! He would have to scour the town tomorrow again, get more information, gain more leads.

He tossed the book aside carelessly, staring at the ceiling from the position on his back. He pulled his phone out, going down the list of contacts, hesitating on one, and then a moment later another. Deciding against it for the millionth time, he hit the home button, and tossed his phone next to him as well.

He grasped for the book, not really making an effort to look to just where it landed. He dreaded looking at the more recent passages again, which were full of notes, comments, and more specifically, a summary of how things had gone to hell over the past year.

He pulled it open to where the attached fabric bookmark was wedged, and scanned the page. It was the first of many that were actually filled to the brim not with theories of monsters or cases, but what happened to the Portland faction.

February 12,
Casey’s pissed about something. Monsters are popping up everywhere, so that lull seems to be officially over. Harley started a faction on the other side of the country, and we still have Deacon. I haven’t seen Art since he helped Harley and I out.

Feb. 27,
Yuki and Teagan still haven’t found their parents. I owe it to them to let them look. Yuki thought she found a lead, but it turned out to be a dead end.

March 13,
Casey isn’t answering me. I thought I saw Art today, here in Portland. Did a double take, but whatever I saw was gone. Any leads that were recent regarding the Winchesters are all dead ends. Casey isn’t sending anything my way, and the monsters are breeding like rabbits. We could really use some guns around here, but no Hunter is really interested.

March 24,
I lost control today. First time in a long time, I went demon. Ariel showed up. I almost killed a civilian, Ariel got away, and I scared the hell out of my teammates. Needless to say, CJ isn’t really speaking around me anymore. I feel the farthest away from getting at Ariel, she just keeps popping in and out, taunting me. Yuki and Teagan seem to have forgotten about my whole plan to hunt her down. I’m taking a new approach. I need to find out her name.

April 11,
I was *this* close to getting her. I haven’t gotten her name, her real name yet, but Ariel was stupid enough to show up and try to get me to go demon. I still don’t know what her deal with me is, but this time she wasn’t able to keep me controlled, not long enough to ensure her safety anyway. I put a big dent in her, but Yuki and Teagan somehow found that pendent that future Art had, I don’t know how, but they used it. We got into an argument. They don’t seem to understand that I need to do this, I need to end her, get her out of my life, make her just another chapter in my hunter’s journal. Malcolm left this on my shoulders, I need to avenge him. They’re more concerned with their parents, the Winchesters, somehow reestablishing some connection with Casey. The guy has only sent me two messages, both of which contained one word. They don’t get it. This has been hanging over my head for a decade, but they used that future crap Future Art, the one where I die because Ariel or whatever. *This* close.

April 12,
We’re splitting up; I recommended that we go our separate ways for a while. I’ve got my own things to do, and Teagan and Yuki should have an opportunity to seek out their parents. Yeah, I’m doing this to get at Ariel alone, but I also think that we need space apart. It might do Yuki some good, Teagan needs her reins loosened, CJ can go with one of them, or over to Deacon and Miles. Lori is tending to the tavern while I travel.

April 20,
I saw Art today. He walked right up to me. I was hunting a demon and he showed up. He said something about knowing something I didn’t, something that could end me. I don’t know what it is, but then he disappeared; I tried calling him but he didn’t answer.

May 20,
Art is dead. I’ve been seeing Art, yeah, but he’s possessed. He was on some hunt and he needed help, and I tracked it back—Casey told me to help him, and I didn’t. He got killed, but the demon is riding in his body and holding it over my head. If I exorcise it, Art dies, and I have to deal with Deacon and Teagan. Or I leave him….and let the demon wreak havoc. But…he says he has information about how to get at Ariel. I don’t know what to do, or if he’s even real. He appears to me when I’m asleep, or when I’m dead tired. Maybe I’m imagining it. The little interaction I get with people is messing with me anyway.

May 31,
Art keeps appearing and disappearing in crowds. I don’t know what to do. Am I imagining him?

June,
I texted Casey asking about Art. Guess I wait and see what he says.

June 23,
Yuki took over the Tennessee faction, Harley is roaming again. Guess Art’s future is coming true. I barely keep in contact with them anymore, but with their insistent texts about being careful and not to go after Ariel by myself, to call them if I needed anything only pissed me off more. Maybe I should text Teagan...

He sighed, and closed the book. He knew the rest of the story; Teagan went to San Diego. Art was really dead, and was blackmailing him because if he did anything, Art would die and Deacon would kill him, not to mention that Aiden would break Teagan. He had information about Ariel, he only gained a little. Aiden roamed the country taking jobs and recruiting for both factions, sending them to one or the other. He felt like he did the first day they split; hurt, confused, with the feeling he had gotten nowhere. He missed Teagan and Yuki—Portland needed a long awaited reunion. The time apart made Aiden realize that they changed him, they toned him down, made him more level headed. He was able to focus more, and helping guide them gave him purpose. It was fulfilling to help people, save them, prevent the life he had, but no memories were as great as his time with Portland.

The feeling of despair that pitted in his stomach didn’t settle well, not at all, so he rolled over, pushing his bag off the bed, and trying to force himself to sleep. It was 3 in the morning when his phone vibrated. He grasped in the dark for the nightstand next to him, and finally grabbed his phone. He squinted in the dark, pulling up the text. It was from Casey—San Diego.

Now with the feeling that when Casey gave him the location where one of his friends where that it was something bad, he instantly pulled up Teagan’s number and hit call. It rang a few times—he was on the East Coast, so it was only midnight for her. It rang three times before a cheerful voice answered.

“Teagan, it’s me. I know this sounds random, but is everything okay?”

[Teagan]

On a day that stereotypically should have stunned the world with unparalleled heat, Teagan Cassidy found herself pulling her jacket closer to her body. Chills ran up her arms despite the soft rays of the Californian sun peeking through the tall buildings. Her feet swung anxiously below the blue bench upon which she waited, but most pedestrians might have mistaken it for anticipation. Truth be told, they would not fall that far from the truth.

Teagan pulled her phone out of her pocket for the tenth time in five minutes, reassuring herself that the train was not late and would surely arrive as expected. A man this time she was expecting. “Horace”, if she remembered correctly (which she nearly always did these days). He was on the last leg of a rather long journey, traveling from Tennessee to San Diego nearly non-stop. At least it wasn’t another minor, she thought as she glanced around at the other occupants of the station, analyzing their behavior. Last time this happened, the teen did not believe Teagan when she introduced herself and ended up decapitated in the back of a dumpster later that night after refusing to join the girl. They couldn’t afford to let that happen again; if not for their small number, then at least for the respect of human life.

A whistle sounded in the distance, alerting Teagan that the moment she was waiting for had finally arrived. The girl slung her bag over her shoulder before walking toward the platform of the station. Red hair, the text had said. Short and skinny with a distrustful stride. Rather opinionated, Teagan thought, but she expected nothing less. A loud clattering soon followed and the train rolled into view. After coming to a slow stop, the doors squeaked open to allow a couple passengers out. Teagan spotted her mark instantly.

Distrustful did not describe his walk. Uncertain was a more accurate word, she thought as she made her way toward him. This did not surprise her; most people exiting the train donned that same composure: lack of confidence, scared look in the eye, jumpy like the world would end at any moment.

“Horace?” she called, her voice echoing across the pavement.

The man, a tad older than 25, jerked suddenly at the sound of his name and spun around, glancing in every direction until his eyes settled on the source of the call. He tightened his grip on his luggage before hesitantly asking, “Teagan?”

“That’s me.” She flashed him a welcoming smile.

His demeanor visibly relaxed. “I’m…I’m glad to see you. I didn’t think you’d actually be here.”

“Yuki didn’t do you any favor by waiting to notify me until earlier this morning that you would be coming.” She noticed he flinched at the sound of her old faction mate’s name. “But it happens often enough that I’m fairly used to rearranging my priorities for the day on a moment’s notice. You’ll learn that soon enough as well. Follow me.”

Teagan led Horace across the tracks and down to Harbor, the street that ran across the coast. The loft was a simple two-minute walk, requiring no use of taxi or car to reach. “First off, welcome to San Diego. No need to be shy or timid, no one in the group is going to bite you here, alright?”

He nodded, clearly looking uncomfortable about one of those two suggestions. Teagan would bet all her money it was the latter. Yuki…had that effect on people.

“Here we are.” She stopped at a hotel that was anything but modest and gestured widely, “Home sweet home. Check it out.” A smile tugged at her lip as she gauged Horace’s reaction from the corner of her eye. They strolled through the lobby, a large room lined with black and gold decorations that spanned the entire length of the wall. Statues graced the floor and the air was heavy with the sound of smooth jazz.

“This is…where you live?” Horace asked, clearly flabbergasted. “I thought that most hunters had to live cheap due to, well, the job not paying very well.”

“Stroke of luck on my part, I guess. No demon would think twice about checking a nice hotel for the base of a faction.” She flashed him another smile, hoping it would calm his still high-strung nerves. From past experiences, it took a couple days for them to truly wind down once she received them. Seriously, whatever Yuki did to scare these hunters away must have scarred everyone. They made their way to the elevators and waited until they could ride one alone before entering.

“Watch this closely, alright?” As the door closed, Teagan began pushing a seemingly random combination of buttons. The confused look on Horace’s face amused her. “Our floor is only accessible to faction members, and only then with the right sequence of buttons. You caught that code?”

“Yeah, but did you just say a whole floor?” Horace shifted uncomfortably as the elevator rose.

“Did I stutter?” Teagan grinned playfully.

“No-it’s just that…well…I thought-“ He hesitated before raising an eyebrow. “Yuki compared living with your faction to living…in a pigsty.”

The young woman smirked as the doors opened, revealing the common room of the floor. “Does this look like a pigsty to you?”

Needless to say, Teagan soon proved to Horace that Yuki’s misguided perception was horse-rubbish. Within a half hour, he was comfortably settling in and meeting the other members of the faction, giving Teagan a chance to pull aside Miles for an update. She rubbed her brow, not really in the mood for human contact after meeting Horace. There were too many other things on her mind, pressing matters that needed to be attended to. If only Yuki would stop sending her these bloody newbies and let her work!

But it was imperative that she spoke to Miles. Regardless of the throbbing pain in her head, his presence brought a slight comfort. Teagan hoped he wouldn’t regret leaving Deacon after this month passed by. She had grown wary and tense over the past few weeks. Her normally playful demeanor was slowly transforming into a mask she wore to keep suspicions at bay. Miles though, of course, knew her best and could see right through it.

“Did you find anything? Hear anything?”

“I’ve been researching old legends, the thing with witches is that they could really be doing anything from demon lore to Pagan rituals,” he said, rolling out from the desk where his various computers and electronic equipment sat. Over time he learned to recognize the various police codes that were transmitted through the scanner that was hidden under books, papers, and wires. “I’ve got sacrifices for a demon lord, eternal health, old, old age, gaining supernatural abilities; I mean the list goes on. I also can’t find any connection between the kids that disappeared; aside from the fact they’re all under twelve. Nothing with location, upbringing, economic status, nothing. I’m trying, I’m sorry,” he said, rubbing subconsciously at his chest. The scanner burst with static, reading off the code for a stolen car.

“I’ll keep you posted, Te,” he added.

“Follow the demon lord track. I’ve got a hunch on this one,” she sighed, reminiscing back to the future which was the sole source of her mental distress. Destiny. Adverted, perhaps, but all roads seemed to lead back to the moment she put forth all her efforts to avoid: her death.

Yes, she saved children. But if she could somehow stop the coven before that day, no one would be hurt. She wouldn’t die, Yuki wouldn’t die, Aiden wouldn’t die and Art wouldn’t be condemned to the horrific future they glimpsed.

She had tried to avoid it. College. Portland. But all of those things ended with the group separating ways. Teagan had been left to find her missing parents. And, as fate would have it, nearly all trails pointed to San Diego. That one place she never wanted to see.

Was it worth it? Death to find her parents?

At first she figured that if she found them, she could prevent everything. But as the weeks and months passed by without word (and she and Miles had somehow come into possession of an entire hotel floor), it became twice as hard to leave as it was to stay. Miles. She hadn’t told him about any of it. She knew he saw her panic rising, but when he questioned her, she pushed off the blame to hormones and such. He probably wouldn’t let her stay in San Diego if he ever found out what could happen. And then she would never find her parents.

Right now, that was her only goal in the world. The only meaning life had. Sure, possibilities for a future lay elsewhere, but those people were roaming and out of contact. If only…

…no. She didn’t have time to dwell on wishing.

“Miles, I need to also keep an eye on Horace, alright? Make sure he doesn’t do anything…shifty.” She wriggled her fingers evilly.

“Why? Do you expect him to be a werewolf or something? You tell me that about everybody Yuki sends over. She can’t mess ‘em up that bad.”

Teagan chuckled half-heartedly, but the smile never reached her eyes. “You’d be surprised.”

“Alright, sure, whatever, but I won’t be here tomorrow. Doctor,” he added solemnly, pointing to his chest.

She nodded, “Of course. Do you want me to come along or are you playing the ‘suffer-alone’ hero still?”

“Takes one to know one. But the girls dig the whole wounded hero gig,” he joked.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Spazz. Lay off the ego-boosters in your dessert tomorrow, okay?” Teagan rolled her eyes and turned away, heading back to her room. “I’m off to bed.”

Sure. Midnight was rather early and a bit outside the range of her normal sleep patterns. Tonight she couldn’t handle it. The throbbing in her head increased to the point where she didn’t want to hear anything else.

It didn’t take long to ready herself for bed. Within minutes she bundled herself within her covers and turned off the light. She lay in the silence comfortably for a few seconds before a buzz interrupted her peace. Annoyed, she grabbed the phone and opened the text. It was Yuki, wondering if [not that she cared] Horace had made it to San Diego safely [because, knowing his capabilities, she severely doubted he could make it out of his room without an injury].

That’s four in one month, Yuki, she replied back. At what point am I supposed to actually start hunting with all of these people to train? You do remember I’m supposed to be on a search and not babysitting, right? What am I supposed to do with them all when I find my parents? Let him be the last one, okay?

She sent the message and threw the phone angrily to the ground. To her frustration, it started vibrating again. Grumbling about having to actually get out of bed when she should be getting rest and ridding herself of the headache, she awkwardly reached for the phone.

“In case that wasn’t clear enough for you, stop sending me your rejects!” she whispered harshly, without bothering to let the girl speak first.

“Teagan, it’s me. I know this sounds random, but is everything okay?”

Teagan froze.

“….Aiden?”

[Aiden]

Honestly, Aiden wasn't expecting (was hoping) that Teagan didn't answer. They hadn't spoken in a long time--the last time was when Aiden found out Teagan was staying in San Diego. Obviously, as a precaution, Aiden raised resistence to her staying there when, according to Future Art, she died there. That only resulted in a bigger argument where Aiden indirectly tried to push her to stop putting herself in danger, although it came out completely wrong and he ended up with his foot in his mouth. That on top of the past arguments, about the amulet, him going demon, how he was being reckless...yeah, it didn't go well.

So when he heard her pick up, he froze momentarily as she called his name. He sat up, looking down and trying to fgure out how to proceed. She answered, and instantly his brow furrowed for multiple reasons. First off, what rejects was he sending her? Secondly, he could tell immediately that there was something wrong--Teagan was usually always cheery and had a tone of naive optimism in her voice, but this was pure stress and worry.

"What are you talking about?" he finally said, standing at the edge of the bed. His voice would obviously bear the tone of exhaustion and a gravelly addition.

"Aiden...what? I-oh. Sorry...I thought...you were someone else." There was an awkward silence. "What do you want?"

He didn't want to bring Casey into this. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. What do you want?" Her voice was short and had a slight frustrated undertone.

"...just trying to check on a hunch, I guess. You're sure everything is okay?" he asked, and then rephrased his question. "Are you okay? Are you on a hunt right now?"

"I'm fine. Worn out by these green recruits Yuki keeps sending me. Miles hasn't detected anything unsual recently, so what's going on?"

"Yuki's sending her recruits to you?" he asked, annoyed. Aiden had taken to recruiting during his travels, either finding new people to train, or finding pre-established Hunters interested in joining their cause. The last time he sent one over to Teagan had been about two months ago, Hannah. "I'll just send her some more, then." He sighed, rubbing his forehead. His eyes burned, yearning for sleep again. "Alright, look, Casey sent me a text that said 'San Diego.' He wouldn't have done it unless something was happening. So is there anything you're not telling me? Teagan, I need to know, I need to have Casey's back." There was a sense of urgency in his voice, genuine concern, but he couldn't tell her why that was.

"Casey needs a vacation because he's clearly seeing things that aren't here. Nothing is going on. I would know, right? Trained by the best and all?" There was a bitter ring at the end of her sentence. "Goodnight."

"Hey!" he called, preventing her from hanging up when she meant to. "You of all people should know that Casey sees the things we have no idea about. He wouldn't send me a text about the very place you've been if you have it handled. I don't care if you were trained by me, or by Sam and Dean. What is going on?" he pressed, and then after a moments hesitation, added "Is it the coven of witches?"

"I understand your point. After all, that would be my death we're talking about here. Do you really think I'd be dumb enough to ignore the emergence or signs of a coven? Glad to see you have so little faith in me. Then again, it's not like you did before either."

Aiden's patience was gone; it was a mixture of lack of energy, a growing headache, and Teagan's refusal to let him in on anything. "Excuse me for trying to help you. Guess I'll just let Casey--" he cut himself off, not going to incriminate himself on the phone with Teagan, and let out a frustrated groan. "You'd think my concern for your life would be worth something," he grumbled as he heard her hang up.

He chucked his phone at the pillows at the head of the bed, glaring into space. Casey wouldn't send him a text when they were so sparse just because he wanted Aiden to go visit. No, something was going on. A few seconds later he heard his phone vibrating again, so he walked over, ready to deal with Teagan again, but noticed that it was another California number.

"Hello?" he shot, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Aiden, it's Miles."

"Hey, what's up?"

"I saw the audio feeds from Teagan's room jumping around. I thought she was sleeping, so I pulled them open to make sure she was okay. I heard something about 'her death,' and a coven? I know she said nothing is wrong...but Aiden...I don't know what you guys do, but she's trying to track a coven right now. I've got scans going for omens and everything. And I know something is wrong with her, it's not just because kids are being hurt."

He cursed under his breath. "Thanks Miles," he said, and then glanced at his clock. "I'll be there tomorrow. Don't tell her." He threw his phone onto the bed again, now too miffed to go to sleep. He grabbed his card key and headed out the door into the cool early morning air. It bit at his skin, and as he got down to ground level, he let his breath mainfest itself in front of him as steam in an attempt to clear his head.

[Casey]

Art sat with his legs crossed one the hood of a car in the parking lot. It had taken him a while to find one that he liked. Most modern hoods bent under the slightest wind. Not that it really mattered, he just wanted a good view of the hotel. He wasn't sure if anything would actually happen tonight. Hell had taught him patients though and to always look for opportunities. Most souls thrashed and fought and forgot the importance of keeping their minds. For him that was an even greater loss than humanity, but in the end worked to his advantage. If he'd been just another idiot he'd never be where he was now.

Thankfully there was movement however. The hotel light turned off and Art slide off the hood with hands in his pockets. Silently he moved to a spot away from the lights that hid him from sight but allowed him to observe the hotel. When Aiden walked out of the hotel the corners of his lips turned up. Something must have happened. The boy was jumpy, violent, and slightly detached from reality (partly thanks to Art himself) but he was not with out reason or pattern. If he was walking it was because his mind was making him. Too bad Art couldn't read his mind.

He gave the hunter a generous lead stepping on leaves and making other noises from time to time. Another thing about demons, most of them preferred a good scare, torturer and death. Mind games beyond "look who I'm wearing, I'm evil" were lost on grunts.

After a bit Art flitted ahead of Aiden and stood under a little in clear view. He'd made his presence known or so he felt, no need to drawing it out like he used to. Their time together had already established a certain amount of expected tension, now it only needed reinforced.

"You know, my brother always told me do do the buddy system when I went out for a walk," He said when Aiden was in hearing distance. His voice was a tad deeper than the boy he was riding but the slight difference always seemed to have the desired affect. "Penny for your thoughts?"

[Aiden]

Tugging his jacket on, he stepped out into the cool summer air. It was early in the morning still, and there was a light fog rolling in off of the coast. Shoving his hands into his coat pockets, he set off through the parking lot, and down onto the next nearest street. The lamp light illuminated the way, and Aiden sort of just walked wherever his feet took him.

Things had been on bad terms between the three hunters that made up Portland ever since right before they split up. There was Aiden's whole quest to end Ariel, which was conflicting with the girls' quest to find their parents on top of looking for the Winchesters and fighting monsters under the direction of Casey. Even though a strong sense of kinship started developing over time, it suddenly began to wear thin. And then Art showed up.

Aiden still couldn't tell if he was seeing things in his head, or if this was something Ariel was up to. He could never be sure that he was really seeing Art. A lot of the time he couldn't figure out whether he was dreaming these encounters, or whether they were actually occuring. Art also remained aloof and vague the whole time, so whenever he ran into Art, he didn't exactly look forward to it.

The moon was bright, casting a diluted light through the fog. Occasionally he heard a twig snap or a leaf crunch, which would cause him to pause--these followers weren't limited to Art. However, a few minutes later he passed a corner and walked around to find Art standing in the light, like the lead in a play.

"What do you want?" he asked, not wasting any time on Art's question.

"Nothing you'd want to hear about," the teenager responded.

"Then why are you here?" Aiden shot back, not really in the mood for the 'ask-the-right-question' game.

"Well I don't have anything better to do, and you have the most amazing stories," Art replied.

"I'm not in the mood, Art," Aiden said with a frustrated sigh. He had too much going on, he needed to get to Teagan, she needed help even if she wasn't asking for it. Last time he blew her off, she got kidnapped at camp...and this time her life really was on the line.

"Aaaaaaaaaaw, poor Aiden. You're never in the mood for much of anything. Why don't you just tell me what's on your mind. It'll make you feel better, promise."

"Teagan's on my mind, but I don't suppose that means anything to you, does it?"

"Oh? What has the cutie gotten herself into now? If you're concerned, I'm concerned."

"I doubt it, nothing you need to get into."

"Eh, devil you know. Never know I might be handy, unless you'd rather deal with your more personal demons...Come on Addy just tell me what's got you out and about at this ungodly hour."

"I already told you, Teagan does. Bug off," he called, beginning to walk away.

""Yes, but what about her. You're giving me the answers you would to a lawyer and while several comparisons have been made in the past I can assure you I am not someone you want to shirk on the details with. Either you tell me, let me help you or I could always go and talk to her myself"

Aiden froze, leaves crunching beneath his feet. That...would not be in his best interest. These games Art played with him, he hated it. But at the same time...it appeared that he didn't have a choice. "Teagan is hunting a coven of witches that your future self told us kills her, and she is refusing to drop the job. I'm leaving," he said, taking note of his surroundings and changing course to head back to the hotel.

"Future self...Ooooo! You didn't tell about that one! Don't worry I'll remember to ask you about it later. As for witches, haven't run into a good spell caster in a while. A coven might actually be fun. Let me just pack my toothbrush."

"No can do!" Aiden called over his shoulder, and once he was out of sight he broke out into a run. What was he doing? Teagan was going to potentially kill herself, and here he was talking house with Art. He needed to go, and if he was going to go, he needed to make sure that Art didn't follow him...not that he could promise that to himself, if this vanishing act of his really was that of a demon.

Art didn't reappear to him at all as he drove to the airport and hopped on a plane. By morning he was in California, which gave plenty of time for Teagan to sleep and gather her wits. He arrived at the hotel she stayed at and Miles let him in, and coincedentally was eating some food in the eating area when she stumbled out and into the room. After spending so long with her, Aiden could tell that she still wasn't in a good mood.

"Hrey," he said through a full mouth, offering a small wave. "Rise and shine sleepy head," he added after he swallowed.

[Teagan]

After hanging up on Aiden, Teagan turned off her phone and threw it down to the ground. Out of all the people on earth who could have called, that boy was not the one she wanted to talk to. The headache which had started off as an annoyance elevated mid-conversation to a point where she wished for nothing more than to fall asleep and forget the world. Her head fell back against the pillow, sending her hair in multiple directions.

Despite the quiet of the night, Aiden's words rang loud in her mind. She smirked to herself, pleased that she had been able to avoid directly answering his question about the coven. What did he care about anything? Why should she tell him about the information she and Miles had slowly uncovered the previous month? Aiden had proven in the past that, despite everything they had gone through, he did not value Yuki and Teagan. And if he did not respect them and if he believed they were not trustworthy, then he had no business interfering with any affairs now. All the boy had accomplished was to disrupt her sleep.

And, she realized with a sinking feeling, confirm her worst fears. As of yet, there was no proof that this coven was indeed the one she feared would someday appear. But with this call, Casey's warning to Aiden, all doubts were erased. If Casey had some sixth sense that something was about to happen, Teagan couldn't see any other plausible event except for the emergence of the coven.

First thing in the morning, she would have to bring Miles in on the secret. Hopefully he didn't kill her for not telling him sooner. The duo had grown closer over the past year in San Diego. Starting a faction [completely unintentionally] together and working to keep people safe led to the formation of a trust she never imagined that day he hacked her security system. Revealing this might put a dent in that. Or, Teagan tried to think positively, he could take it as she finally trusted him enough to tell him everything....? Crap. It wouldn't end well either way.

First thing in the morning she would ask him to check up on a lead with her. She would then lead them to some secure location and tell him everything that happened...or was supposed to happen. They could work together and figure out a way to keep her safe. Find a way to take out the coven, still rescue the children and have no casualties.

Although the problem was momentarily resolved in her mind, she still slept restlessly. When her alarm went off at its normal early time, she reluctantly opened her eyes. Was it necessary to face this day? Horace's skills would need to be tested. Cherral would be in charge of that. Research on coven spells could be delegated to Hannah and James. The other two could focus on the problem at the Naval Complex. They didn't mind impersonation like Chloe and Johnathon.

She went through the plan again as she wearily dressed and prepared for the day. Where on earth had all of this responsibility come from? A year ago nothing mattered in the world but working with Aiden and Yuki to help people. She was still doing the same thing, but on a whole different level. Now she had to protect the group and keep the local area safe. She loved San Diego and the sunshine, but there was just something about Portland...

...it didn't matter anymore. Dwelling on the past acheived nothing. The present and looming future were all that mattered. She had to deal with those first.

Teagan couldn't find Miles in his room, so she drifted to the common room, still not quite fully awake. A ridiculously cheerful, though muffled, voice greeted her as she approached.

Aiden Wood was at her table.

In her chair.

Eating her food.

Mingling with her faction members.

Anger flared suddenly and it took everything within her not to unleash it on her old faction leader. "I'd better be dreaming or there's going to be hell to pay when I hear the explanation for why someone let this man in." Her eyes did not leave the figure in front of her, but it was clear she addressed everyone else in the room. All thoughts of talking to Miles vanished, replaced with a rage she held back for the sake of her faction.

[Aiden]

It was clear that as soon as Teagan saw Aiden sitting in the room, any hope of starting the day on the right foot vanished from her potential. She instantly went into a hardened glare, and asked to know which one of her faction members let Aiden in. It was Miles, but considering Aiden sent a few of these people over to her, it could be a large portion she was threatening. Not wanting to be a whistle-blower, Aiden stood and held his hands up.

"Slow down there, Turbo," he said smoothly. "It doesn't matter who let me in, what matters is you need me here right now," he said, keeping his reasons vague. "I don't want anything to happen, plus a little experience on your side won't hurt," he said, and then cast an apologetic look upon her faction. "No offense," he added.

He approached Teagan and led her around a corner (which was a hallway for the rooms) so that they could have a bit more privacy. "Look, we both know how this is supposed to end, and I value my friends enough not to let that happen," he said in a low voice, so that if the others were eavesdropping (which was likely) they would have a harder time hearing. "I made a mistake back in Portland, I realize that. I don't think sorry is any consolation after what I did, but you have to know I mean it. Teagan, I don't want you to go get yourself killed. This future might be different since we know, and since I'm here before anything even happens, but I won't take any chances. You, me, and Yuki are all still Portland. I won't lose that."

The truth was that Portland was the closest thing he felt to family in his whole life. Yuki and Teagan were like sisters to him, they helped him out of a dark spot, and he ultimately treated them like he didn't need them in the end. In the past few months he had come to realize his mistake and what he should have done differently. If there was any chance of taking down Ariel, he needed their help whether he liked it or not. And even if she refused to admit it, Teagan needed his help.

"Look, pretty much two things can happen: you can kick me out, but I will follow you, or I can help you. You can make a show of it on the way back in, I don't care, but I'm not going to let you die," he said sternly. He wasn't going anywhere, not now.

[Teagan]

No one answered her, to no surprise. Some shifted awkwardly while others watched motionlessly at her reaction. No takers, hm? Teagan did not move her gaze from the traitor in front of her. Perhaps it was one of the people Yuk-no, Aiden sent over. They didn't know who they were dealing with and assumed he was a nice guy. Someone who protected others. B.S.

Aiden stood, trying to cover for the guilty party. That wouldn't make her forget about the problem later, nor did it dismiss the fact that he had just insulted her faction. As if they needed him! They had done perfectly well without him the past year and would continue doing so for the next ones!

"You have some nerve," she responded bitterly. He gave that familiar 'move into the other room to talk' motion she couldn't mistake and walked past her. As if he still decided the terms. As if he was still in charge of everything.

Not anymore.

This was Teagan's turf now. And she would not let him overrun her faction.

She didn't move, instead turning to face the individuals in the room. "Cherral? Take care of Horace. Hannah, James, talk to Miles about what needs to be researched. Chloe, you take that alert from the park, and everyone else on the Naval Base issue. Whatever you do, don't forget the iron again. Text me any updates you have." She gritted her teeth. "What are you staring at? There's work to be done."

Chairs squeaked and feet rustled the floor as everyone split into their tasks. She stood quietly, watching them carefully until only Miles remained in the room. A deep breath cleared her head momentarily. Things like this shouldn't happen so early in the morning. At least after breakfast, she mentally grumbled.

"As soon as I'm done with this complication, I need to discuss something with you. Don't be busy, okay?" There was no way on Earth this conversation would go well, now that Aiden had crashed the scene. All she could do was try to salvage what she could. She needed Miles to stand behind her on this or she might drive herself insane. "Please."

All she could feel was a deep frustration as she turned back to where Aiden waited. Now to get rid of him. There had to be some way. Did she still have black-mail on him? Probably not enough that he cared about to cause him to forget this mission.

"You have thirty seconds. Talk." Teagan crossed her arms and waited.

To Aiden's credit, he was quick, quiet, precise and apologized. But what he said...did he even listen to himself?! The boy was a walking hypocrite!
"What a load of crap! You value us? As what, statues to call friends when you want someone to talk to?" Her voice was a whisper, but there was no mistaking the anger and pain in her voice. "Why should I pretend you care now? You didn't care about anything before but yourself. You kicked me out, then brought me back only to leave again. When the moment came for you to choose, you decided Yuki and I weren't worth it. That the family we had built wasn't worth it! So if we didn't mean anything then,please, excuse my confusion, but why on earth should I believe you give a damn now?"

Teagan could not recall a time in life where she had experienced more anger than she did in that moment. It coursed through her veins, providing the strength to say words that had only existed in her thoughts for the past year. "My faction does not need you. The future has already changed. The fact that you and Yuki know about it says enough. I have Miles. I have more people than I could have asked for. I have a team strong enough to take on a nest of vampires and whatever else is thrown my way. I don't know where you got this delusion, but we are not still Portland. That fantasy died when you walked out. I am the faction leader of a group in San Diego. We are a team, and a pretty good one at that. We provide for ourselves and I trust them with my life. Your 'help' is not needed, nor is it welcomed.

"There is one thing you're right about. Sorry isn't enough. You need to leave. You need to go and leave me the hell alone." With that, she turned away and walked back to the common room. She didn't care what he did. Where he went. What he decided to do. As long as it was far away from her, it meant nothing. The man she looked up to at one point in her life was just a memory. Behind her lay the remnant of that, a pitiful representation of what once was. Scew you, I've got better things to worry about. It was time to bring in Miles.

[Aiden]

As Aiden walked over to the hallway, he heard Teagan give instructions to her team. She was clear, seemed like she had her bases covered...she wasn't the clumsy kid he met years ago anymore, she was a full-fledged hunter, and he couldn't help but to wonder just how much part he had to play in that. Yes, he gave her the initial training and crash course, but how much did she pick up when they split up? How much was she forced to learn on her own?

She eventually met him in the hall, and as he watched her walk up, he could see Miles staring over at the two just before she moved out of his line of sight. In the thirty seconds he was given he said what he had to say, but none of it landed where he was hoping it would. Instead, he could see the anger swell in Teagan, physically swell, and it exploded onto him in a fit of rage he'd never seen Teagan in aside from the night of the initial argument.

What she threw at him hurt, and it showed on his face. He winced once or twice as the words sunk in. While it was true that most of his reasons were for selfish gain when he walked out, part of him was trying to protect Teagan and Yuki from Ariel as well, and from himself. Ariel killed Malcolm, and he didn't want anyone else that he loved to die by her hand, or his own when he lost himself to the demon blood. Of course that was overshadowed by his desire to kill her, and even if he tried to explain that now, it wouldn't be much help.

She refused his help. She wanted him out. Years of friendship...gone. She turned her back on him and began to walk away. There was a brief moment where all he could do was stare, face splayed with hurt, and after that briefest of moments passed he took one step forward, hand stretching out. "Teagan, wait! I was wrong!" He had lost everyone that ever meant something to him now--Malcolm, Lori, Yuki, Teagan. There was nothing left for him, now, this only proved it.

"Teagan...I...I can't mess up again! I can't lose you too!" She might think he was referring to Malcolm, but his mind was racing with his experience with Art. His voice wavered. "Please, please, don't do this. Let me help. Different future or not, what is on the line is too important! I was wrong to leave, I was selfish, and scared, and sorry--" He stopped and twisted on his heel, letting the side of his fist lightly collide with the wall.

From the other room, Miles saw Teagan approaching, furious. He left the others to their work, and hurried over to his friend. "What's going on?" he asked, looking between them. "What is he talking about?"

[Teagan]

The past year, Teagan had learned a lot about dealing with pain. The pain of losing her parents. The pain of not knowing what happened to Art. The pain of losing Aiden and having to separate from Yuki. The pain of moving into a new place and knowing nothing, not even the patterns of the weather. The physical pain of learning to deal with creatures and situations she'd never experienced before. The pain of living knowing she might die any day. The pain of looking, searching, fighting everyday for a hint or an answer and discovering nothing. That no matter what she did, she couldn't help the ones that mattered most to her.

She froze when she heard a similar struggle in Aiden's voice. She couldn't turn around and didn't dare to look to see the same emotion on his face that she had hid for the past year. Teagan knew that she would crumble to pieces if she glanced back for a moment. She was nearly in the common room and had the vague sense that others were watching, but all of her focus was behind her.

Could he really be sorry? Part of her argued no, that everything needing to be said was on the table and the dice had already been rolled. All she had to do was keep walking and he would leave. Broken, perhaps, but he would be gone and out for good. But...if this was real, this apology. This pain...then all she would accomplish by forcing him out would be to place one of the last bricks around her heart.

The sound of a fist colliding with a wall made her jump, and suddenly she was aware of the scene in front of her. Miles stared expectantly, behind him at the table, Hannah and James.

"Attachment issues," she shakily replied, more for the sake of the two people still in the room. Her lie was obvious, but that was not any of their business....yet. "You and I will personally and privately discuss that as soon as possible, Miles." She sent him a look of desperation, praying he wouldn't see the conflict in her eyes. "I promise."

She shifted her body sideways, not quite facing Aiden, but not quite turned away. It took all she could to keep her voice steady and her gaze on the floor. "There's an empty room three doors down to the right. Settle yourself, and James will catch you up with what we know when you're ready."

A queasiness gripped her stomach as she made her way to the elevator door and waited for the familiar sound of the closing door. With a hum it lowered, allowing her out at the ground level. She walked quickly and mindlessly, trying to cope with the storm inside of her. If she let any more of it out around her faction, they might wonder whether or not she was capable to lead. And she had to prove, at all times, that she could. None of that splitting up stuff from before. She had to be strong.

Not before long, Teagan stopped walking and discovered she had subconsciously made her way to a local park. Parks in San Diego were rather odd. Upon her first visit to the town, she missed it entirely. Normally lush grass provided a soft ground for children to frolic upon, but that was sparse in the downtown area. Instead, play areas were gated by screens and composed of a rubber floor. Metal poles ran in a multitude of directions, providing areas for children to climb over. Nets would catch them if they fell. Spinning seats surrounded the grounds, along with four-person teeter-totters.

Wearily, Teagan climbed the jungle gym and let her feet dangle in the cool morning air. She rested her head against the metal and listened to the sound of the city waking up. Taxis, trains and whistles...they were all comforting now. At first they disturbed her sleep in the night, but after a couple of months, she had grown accustomed to them. Still, she hadn't slept as well as when she was enveloped by the silence of Portland.

Teagan opened her phone, knowing that her friend would kill her [in a variety of twenty-seven different ways] if she failed to mention Aiden's arrival.

Hey Yuki. Update on movement. Made his way to SD and won't leave. Had a fight. Not sure what to do, but it doesn't look like he's leaving anytime soon. -T

She hit the send button, wondering if the Japanese girl was even awake at the moment. With her strange habits? Probably. She quickly opened up another blank message, this one intended for Miles.

Sorry about the abrupt departure. Park off Harbor, asap. We need to talk.

With luck, he would come alone.

[Miles]

There was definitely something in the air between Aiden and Teagan, Miles could tell that as soon as Teagan walked out into the common room and landed her eyes on Aiden. Miles hadn't seen Aiden in a long time, much less talked to him. Miles sided with Teagan after hearing why they split up, but at the same time he knew there was something going on with Teagan, enough so that he could trust Aiden to help her through whatever it was.

Aiden and Teagan walked over to the hallway, and Miles was left to tell Hannah and James what to research. "These are the hex bags we found. I've been trying to research it online, but I can't get any valid results. Hit the books and see what you can find. Also keep an eye out for rituals fitting the descriptions we've been following up on." He spoke slowly, watching Teagan's back the whole time and trying to catch any part of the conversation between the two.

James and Hannah walked away just as Teagan was walking over, and Aiden was yelling after her, apologizing. To Miles he sounded sincere, hurt, but judging by the look on Teagan's face she wasn't having it. "What's going on? What is he talking about?" Teagan responded by simply pawning it off as attachment issues. She then told him that they needed to talk soon. She offered Aiden a room, and had James fill him in while she left.

Miles sank down in front of his laptop, frowning. There was something going on, and he was being left out. He decided against asking Aiden about it, and instead busied himself with researching the rituals that he told Teagan about the previous night. He pulled up his strongest lead, a ritual where they would be raising a rather powerful demon. Anybody with brains knew that the demon would just kill the coven, which meant they were either idiots...or there would be another ritual to somehow bind him or tame him. This was going to be trickier than he thought.

Teagan hadn't been gone too long when he receieved a text from her asking him to meet her at a nearby park. He stood up and found his shoes, slipped them on, and headed for the door. He locked down his computers with various passwords and protections before he left, and then soon arrived at the park, finding Teagan sitting on the jungle gym.

"What's up?" he asked, standing with his hands in his jean pockets and staring up at her from the ground, squinting his eyes as the sun sat in the sjy right behind her. "What did you want to talk about?" Obviously whatever was going on with Aiden, but the question still came.

[Teagan]

To her relief, it didn't take long before she heard the scrapping of a pair of shoes approaching. Just one pair. A small part of her relaxed. Teagan really didn't want another confrontation with Aiden immediately after she had escaped from another.

"Don't be a stiff, come up here and join me," she motioned with a forced grin. "There's room enough up her for both of us. Even if you are a lanky giant." She waited in the same spot, legs dangling absentmindedly. How on earth should she start off? Miles, sorry about the argument earlier, but you see I'm supposed to die this week. Aiden's only here because he's on some idiotic quest to save me from my painful death. But it's not a big deal, right?

Yeah. Because that would go over well.

She could sense his expectancy for some sort of answer. A response. An explanation for the events of the last half hour. Teagan shot him a thoughtful look. Would he believe her?

"I'm going to tell you something." She stated simply. "And it's going to sound crazy. And you're probably not going to believe me...but I need you to suspend disbelief for a couple minutes, okay?" Her fingers tapped nervously on the metal next to her, brain running a million miles an hour trying to figure out where to go next.

"Though it came about different ways, everyone who gets into hunting starts for similar reasons. To protect or defend ourselves. Doesn't matter if it's revenge or prevention, we all end up fighting whatever monster comes our way. We never know where we're heading, but we know that at the end of the day, the world can sleep better because we're here.

"You're probably wondering what the heck that has to do with anything. That was the mindset I had a year ago when...Ai-" Teagan struggled -out of either anger or pain- to say his name. "Aiden, Yuki and I stumbled upon some information that scared the heck out of us. We never told anyone. Figured that by knowing the information itself, we had already solved the problem."

She laughed bitterly, "That probably makes no sense to you. How could it?" A sigh escaped her lips, a sign of the weariness that had followed her around the past month. "I've been waiting for a good time to tell you, but...well, with everything that's happened, it's just never been a good moment, you know? Art disappearing, starting a faction, the nonstop hunts...there have always been more pressing matters to focus on. But I can't wait any longer for this. Times and situations are changing, and I can't afford to keep you out of the loop anymore."

Her eyes glanced hesitantly toward Miles, hoping he was ready for what was coming next. "Aiden, Yuki and I were chasing a demon near the Washington/Oregon border when, in some defense maneuver, it sent the whole lot of us....into the future." Now that the crazy part was out, she felt a need to speed all of the rest of the information out in case Miles wanted to object. "It was a living Hell, Miles. Monsters everywhere and..." A haunted look crossed her face as she recalled the piercing scream of the Cryer. "...and it's something I never want to see come into existence. It took some time, but we made it back. And, we assumed because we were able to make it back, we could now prevent that future from ever happening. Knowing about it was already a step in the right direction. In the future, I never went to college. The moment we got back, I immediately left. I ran away and went back to the life I should have been leading, had hunting never been involved. Clearly," she scoffed, "That idea didn't last long, but I went. And thus the future was set on an entirely different course.

"You probably think I'm insane. Or it was all a dream. But ask Aiden. Ask Yuki. They'll tell you it wasn't. Or they'll make some quick remark about not talking about a future that will never happen." Teagan raised her eyes to Miles, desperately making sure he understood. "We stopped that future. It will not exist. What happened then will not happen now. Do you understand?"

She needed him to understand. If he didn't, he'd flip out on her. Or call her delusional. How could she prove it to him that this was real?

"I saw Art there," she whispered, returning her gaze to the sky. "He was way older, and taller, and had these strange markings all over him. I promised myself that I wouldn't let him become that. I know....I know that we don't know where he is right now, but I know that if he didn't die in that horrific nightmare, there's no possible way he's gone now. I don't care what everyone else thinks, but he'll come back. Or we'll find him. Regardless of what happens first, we will see him again.

"I know it sounds insane...but it happened. All of it. And you need to know, because you need to know why we keep hunting, even when we don't know what's going to happen or why the world is turning upside down. You need to know why I'm going to make some odd decisions that might sound crazy. Art managed to give us a couple tips before he left, including trusting Casey and whatever the heck he sends us. Supposedly he's not such a bad guy, despite his odd methods."

It was now or never.

Cautiously, she turned to him. "Does what I'm say make sense? Do you understand?

[Miles]

He found the park and approached the jungle gym, finding his friend sitting atop it. She invited his "lanky giant" self up, so he walked around over to the steps and climbed his way onto the metal rigging with ease. She was right--since their first meeting, Miles had continued to grow in his adolescence, despite his harrowing heart condition. He had gained a couple inches to his height, filled out then shot up and became skinny again. He was more active since coming to San Diego, and so he had some slight tone to his body. He was growing up, and was aptly named a tall and lanky giant.

He sat there and looped his arms through the vertical bars that stood in front of him, leaning forward and glancing to the side to peer at Teagan. She wanted to talk to him...but at the moment she looked too lost in thought to even do that. Eventually she caught his glance and sorted herself out, starting with a disclaimer that she wasn't crazy. "Teagan, I've seen things that no one usually sees except for in their dreams. I'm pretty sure I'll believe you." What, was she going to say that she's been a zombie this whole time?

She started, and yes, Miles was wondering just what the heck origins of hunting had to do with anything. Was there something he didn't know about why she started, or was it coming back to haunt her? He remained silent and let her continue, though he thought that if he did make a noise, she might miss it from all the noise in her head.

Whatever Teagan wanted to tell him, it was obviously important. She had been mulling over it for quite some time, but never had the adequate means to get to it, apparently. She kept asking if it made sense, and honestly he felt confused--more about what this had to do with the mood she was in more than the subject matter itself. Miles could make many guesses about what she was inferring, but whatever the information was that she knew, and could now look out for, he could guess that it had been in her head for a while too.

Teagan then began to explain about a trip to the future. It was some Hellish nightmare that she wanted to prevent, and by knowing what happened they knew what to avoid and prevent, thus changing the future. But did they know the ramifications of their actions? Miles spent a lot of time on his computer researching things he was interested in, and science fiction was one of those things. He knew about a couple of theories of time travel, reality, and all that lot, and by changing the future...well, the results could be more disastrous than what Teagan saw that day.

Future Art? That was interesting. He didn't want to burst her bubble or slow her down, so he kept the notion that because they changed the future that Art might not be alive anymore to himself. He didn't want to believe it any more than she did--Art was like a brother to him--but he had come to accept it months ago. No one heard anything from it, yet they did, but he was nowhere to be found...sometimes Miles hated the world of the supernatural.

She once more asked him if he understood. "I understand your story, and what you did, and what you're trying to prevent, yeah, but maybe I'm missing something. I figured this would have to do with Aiden--this doesn't explain what's going on between you," he said, and then took a leap, his heart fluttering in his chest, "and what this whole death thing is about. I heard you arguing with Aiden on the phone. You're not the only one with bugs in the hotel, remember? So why aren't you accepting his help?" Now was the time where Miles needed to play the concerned friend, try to get her to see reason. "What's going to kill you? If you already know...you must've found out in the future..." he was slowly piecing it all together.

[Teagan]

Teagan had expected anger, shouting and perhaps a little bit of frustration from Miles when he heard about the future, so the boy's smooth response caught her off guard. Really? He accepted it all just like that? No argument? No fight?

For a moment, she relaxed. And then...he discovered the one thing she had tried to avoid during the entire explanation. Teagan winced when he mentioned death.

Clearly, someone knew a little bit more than they were supposed to.

"You...seriously?" Bugged her room now, did he? Her room?! Yes, she was aware that Miles was her match when it came to surveillance, but still. They were friends and faction mates. Surely that meant they could have some privacy! She shook her head. Teagan honestly couldn't be mad at him for that. After all...she had his room bugged as well. Hopefully he'd never notice that. "I suppose I should've guessed that."

Miles' obvious concern for her well being made her feel guilty for...for what? Not entrusting him? Blowing up at Aiden for the same thing? No. Not that part.

Teagan warily revealed the major portion of the tale she had purposely avoided. "The future goes chaotic because...well, a majority of the hunters who are around now die within a couple months of each other, leaving humankind with a handful of people who will fight for it. And..." Her gaze fell to the ground. "Yeah, I'm the first one to die."

Saying the words out loud hit her as hard as it did the first time when Art revealed it to her. She grew quiet, silently willing the fear to disappear as if it never existed. As if she could face what was coming with ease and never give planning a second thought. "Our present is currently running nearly parallel to the one before, minus my college adventure. Aiden, Yuki and I all split up. I don't know why it was in the other time line, but Yuki ended up in Tennessee and I, here, in San Diego. Apparently I didn't tell anyone that I had a faction. We ran into a coven who was using children to summon something and-"

Her voice caught. "Art told me that all the children survived. And that's what mattered most." She shoved back the emotion and detached herself as she continued. "Three months later...Yuki. Some point after that, Deacan and Jefferson. I don't know much about the others. Art left that vague." To be honest, he left a lot of things vague.

Suddenly, Teagan's eyes narrowed. "And then there's Aiden. He's been searching for Ariel all of his life, trying to kill her. You know what?" Bitterness dripped from her voice. "He finally accomplished that task, but it ended up killing him. His spirit broke, leaving Art alone and forcing him to grow up and become this person that suffers day and night, fighting in a world that rejects his assistance." That small detail right there, the fact that Art had to go through all of that, returned the anger to her mind. Art meant more to her now than he did before, and to imagine him having to live through all that crap-to have to become that man they met...it pissed her off.

"Yuki and I tried to stop him from hunting Ariel a year ago when a new lead came up. We argued with him. Tried to change his mind, but you know what? He didn't care! He suggested that we all go our separate ways. Take some space. Never mind that he was on the trail of death or anything. What we said meant nothing to him! He completely ignored us and then acted like we were worthless! And in the year that he's been gone, has there been any contact? NO. Nothing!" She laughed. "He expects to waltz right over here and try to do his whole 'save-the day-hero' and be welcomed. I'm sorry, I can't do that. He proved that he didn't really give a care a year ago when he walked out. Anything from him now is just an act.

"Besides, we don't need his help! My faction is not a secret, and we keep getting sent all of these people! I don't know what to do with so many! And, to top it all off, I've got you. He might want to protect me, but the odds are now in my favor without him even being here. I know that we'll find the coven and at least save the children. All I need to do is make sure I have extra backup to ensure I make it out okay. Problem solved. We have more than enough people to accomplish that."

"He's wasting his time here." She shook her head. "We have it under control."

[Miles]

"Teagan, you can't expect to be the only one that bugs peoples' rooms. It was either bug yours, or take the ones in my room offline," Miles said matter-of-factly. What, like he was just going to let bugs in his room slide? That right there was an invasion of privacy, Teagan or not, and luckily he knew how to take them offline momentarily and make a looped feed when he wanted to. That was easy enough, even with her expensive taste. But that was no matter, bugging her room was the least of her problems as she continued on, and Miles sat beside her, listening in earnest.

Miles furrowed his brow as she rattled off how this present was growing identical to the future they knew about. "Wait, but first off, they know you have a faction. They've been sending members here, and vice versa. That makes a big difference. Second, and this is more of a personal thing, but why would you choose to stay here instead of making a faction somewhere else when you knew what would happen? You sort of brought it on yourself, Aiden showing up. Wasn't he mad when he found out you were here initially? No wonder," Miles mused, going over theories of reality in his head.

Hearing that Deacon died roused a soft spot in him, and he made a mental note to call the man and make sure he was okay. Art was missing, and last time Miles talked to Deacon things sounded rough. It was probably easier for him now that he wasn't hanging about Miles to make sure he was okay, but that didn't mean he wasn't suffering emotionally, or that he wasn't losing sanity. He frowned to himself, and then let Teagan continue on.

Miles had to glance over at Teagan when she went ranting, but he let her finish before he spoke, because he was more than likely only going to end up fueling her rage. "Alright, but listen to what you just said. Aiden has been hunting her his whole life? That means that this is more than something personal for him, this is some sort of vendetta and he probably thinks only he can do it. Not that I'm defending the guy, but..." he trailed off, and looked forward.

"You also might've missed that you tried to stop him from getting killed and he refused, and now he's trying to stop you from getting killed and you're refusing. See any similarities here? Teagan, he obviously does care if he came here. I know that he blew you guys off before for some hero quest, but that doesn't mean you need to do the same. You're hurt--do you want to inflict that same hurt on him just to be on some petty level, because from what I've heard between the last hour or so, the guy sounded sincere, worried, and scared. He doesn't want to lose a friend, and again, from what I can tell, he doesn't have a lot of those. And I'll be damned if I just let you refuse--you better know better. I'll fill him in on whatever you're doing, and I do have ways of tracking you," Miles said, a big grin on his face.

"If you have it under control, why do you sound so worried about it?" Miles pointed out. He was a lot more perceptive than he appeared, and while he figured by now Teagan would be pretty annoyed with him, he knew that she needed to hear some of that stuff too. "We don't want you to die. Let us just make sure of that, or you start the domino effect."