::15 years later::

The girl ran down the little dirt path. Her pursuer's behind her, their feet crunching the gravel as they ran. She was out of breath, but if she stopped then they would drag her back to the slave camp. Dashing into the leafy oasis she was quickly grabbed by a pair of hands.

"Don't say anything, be quiet and don't move," Someone whispered harshly in her ear. She could only nod, too scared to do anything else. The feet passed quickly by their hiding spot, but neither one moved, for fear they were still nearby. A few minutes passed and then the owner of the hands stepped forward to look at the girl.

"Listen, I'm your only ticket out of here now. Are you positive you want to go there?" The woman was older with long sandy blonde hair, one eye was a crystal blue while the other was a radiant dark violet. Her clothes were kind of ragged. This was the person the girl had been told to find.

"I can't stay here any longer." The girl replied, her eyes big with anticipation.

"You know things are different there?" The girl nodded. "Alright." The older woman reached into a pouch that hung from her side and pulled out a small bundle. She threw it to the ground and bright light exploded in front of them. When the light settled a portal had opened. "But things are better there." The girl smiled then jumped through the portal, disappearing after she went through. "If I remember right, North Dakota is a nice quiet place."

"The Renegade! We meet again!" The woman quickly turned around at the voice. "How long has it been Dawn?"

"Not long enough obviously," Dawn took a fighting stance facing the blonde demon.

"We've been searching very long for you, you are quite the slick one," The demon smiled, the same smile that haunted Dawn at night: The same smile that took her from her home and family.

"Yea, or maybe you're just losing your touch," Dawn shot back. From all around her other demons stepped out from the trees, holding long sticks dancing with electricity."Obviously your partner couldn't take me."

"I'm also here to avenge his death. We have orders to kill you on sight," The demon kept his smile as his eyes lit up. "An order which made my heart sing, you can be sure."

Dawn reached into the pouch again and pulled out another small bundle. She looked at it and contemplated her choices. It didn't look like trying to fight these demon was an option, not if they had orders to kill. She had made that portal mixture some time ago, waiting for the right opportunity, for the right moment. This was it.

"And I'd hate to end such a sweet, song, I'm sure," she threw the bundle to the ground, "but I've got someplace else to be." She waved as she hopped into the portal, disappearing after her.

The blonde demon snarled. "Find out what those renegades are using, follow her!!!" He yelled and the demons took off. They didn't like to deal with an upset General.

Dawn fell to her knees as she landed on soft ground. She looked up and vaguely recognized where she was. But she knew it, it was familiar. It was night, and the street lamps that were posted on the street lit up the boundaries of the park.

"Oh it's a silent blessing, no one saw me," Dawn stood up and brushed off her knees. Looking around everything looked familiar to her. After 15 years she still remembered everything. And judging by the precipitation in the air it was summer.

"Ten minute away. That's it," She said silently to herself. "Is it worth it though? Would they remember me?" She sighed then started to walk. She knew of a place that she could stay at for the night. At least until she could think things through, come up with a plan and figure out what to do next.

She didn't have any money and she knew she must have looked like some bum. She'd have to change her appearance, it'd been years since she properly used any of her magic, or taken her Guardian form. And Dawn knew that it probably wouldn't be long until the others found her, but for now she was safe.

Dawn walked down the familiar street of an old friend, one she knew wouldn't have forgotten about her. She knocked on the door and a minute later she saw a lamp turn on and door unlock. A middle aged woman opened the door, in a long white robe, hair up in a bun looking like she was just awoken.

"Hel- Oh my god," the woman looked at Dawn and practically grabbed onto the door frame to keep her balance. "Dawn?"

"Janelle, I need to ask a favor," Dawn smiled a little, trying to act like it was old times. "Can I come in? It's kind of cold out here."

"Oh, of course! Of course!" She opened the door all the way for Dawn to come in then closed it and locked it again. "Dawn, is that really you? You look like hell."

"That's putting it lightly." She walked in and looked around. Dawn remembered everything, and oh how it felt so good to be back.

"Where have you been Dawn? It's been 15 years, we looked everywhere for you."

"In some other dimension," she felt the back of the couch and pushed down on it with her hands, remembering the meaning of comfort. She noticed there were more pictures on the walls since the last time she was in Janelle's house. Janelle was a close friend to the family, and was the only other person who knew about her powers, the only one who knew that she was the Guardian. "Did Josh say what he saw that night?" Dawn walked around the room looking at all the pictures on the wall.

"All he knew was that there was a light, and then the two men who had broken into your home jumped you, and all three of you were gone. The poor children, they both saw it," Dawn glanced at her. Last time she saw Chanele and Jason they were only three and four years old. "Didn't understand what had happened. It was so hard for all three of them."

Dawn closed her eyes for a moment and willed herself not to cry, not now anyway. She spotted some pictures of two older kids, then some pictures of teens on the wall but before she could inspect them Janelle took her arms and led her in a different direction.

"You're a mess Dawn, you need new clothes, and a shower," Janelle looked her up and down. "And more than a few meals."

Dawn put a hand to her stomach. "Oh food, it sounds so good. And running water, the simple pleasures that I have missed so much." Janelle shook her head and led dawn upstairs to the guest room and shower.

In the morning Dawn found herself heading downstairs hanging on to the waist of the jeans she had borrowed from Janelle. Seems that she was a lot skinnier than she thought. "Janelle, you're clothes are too big for me." She walked into the kitchen and stopped closing her eyes and deeply breathing in the smells of sausage cooking, toast warming up and eggs being scrambled. She let out a little moan and Janelle looked over and raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, I've been living off berries and water."

"Uh huh. And how can they be too big for you? I'm a size four, I'm too skinny for My own good." Janelle shook her head a little putting the food on two plates and then put it on the table in front of one spot. There was a big glass of orange juice in the spot and a pitcher of the juice sitting in the middle of table for refills.

"Is that for both of us?" She looked at the food sitting there freshly cooked and looking delicious. Normally that would be more than enough for both of them, but her stomach was telling her that it might not even be enough for how hungry she was currently feeling.

"No, I made that just for you. I figured you'd be hungry, and possibly by the end of that meal the clothes will fit you." Dawn chuckled and sat down and started to eat. "Don't eat it too fast, you'll make yourself sick, and that won't be pretty." Dawn waved her off and took a long drink of the orange juice.

"You're bed is so comfortable, seriously. And the warm water, I had to get out when cold water started coming out," Dawn said between bites when Janelle sat down.

"I've heard otherwise about that bed. Josh always said it was the hardest thing in the world, he always tossed and turned," Janelle chuckled when Dawn made a face.

"He can sleep on bars and dirt for 15 years then tell me what's harder."

"Well, I have to admit that you look better after a shower and good nights rest. We'll have to go out and get you some new clothes though. Maybe before lunch, then we stop somewhere to grab some food."

"I owe you so much Janelle, thank you." She smiled and put her hands together in gratitude. The door bell rang and Janelle excused herself and got up form the table. Dawn continued to eat until she heard the male voice at the door.

"Oh Josh, good morning." Dawn looked up and quickly yet quietly got up from the table and peered around the corner. She felt her heart catch in her chest at the sight of him. Josh hadn't changed much from last she saw him, barely over forty years of age and he still didn't have any gray hairs. He did look aged though, time was getting to him, and he was slacking in the shaving department, Dawn could see stubble growing, possibly in an attempt to grow a beard.

"What brings you here so early in the morning?"

"I had the day off and you said the garbage disposal was acting up, right?" He smiled at her a little. "I thought I'd come and fix it for you, instead of calling a repair man. It could just be something simple."

"That's right! I did say that. Well of course come on in." Dawn shook her head, sometimes Janelle was a little absent minded, never quite remembering everything she said. "there might be something in the kitchen you'll like." She smiled and led him inside. Dawn's eyes widened a little and she quickly ran back into the kitchen and looked around. She didn't want Josh to see her, not now anyway, not looking the way she did. She could hear the approaching footsteps and quickly moved to the little broom closet and threw herself inside closing the door.

"Did I come at a bad time? Looks like you were eating." Dawn drew in a slow breath and heard the muffled voices of Josh and Janelle. She knew Janelle would be puzzled as to where she went, and Josh must be wondering why there was more than one place set at the table.

"Oh no, anytime is fine you should know that by now." Janelle looked around the kitchen wondering where Dawn went. "Silly me, I must have done something with what I wanted to show you, another time then." Dawn heard Josh's chuckle.

"It's alright Janelle," he got down and looked under the sink. "You got any tools?"

"Of course, they're in the closet. I'll get them." She opened the closet door and made a noise and Dawn shook her head quickly.

"I don't want him to know yet, please, please don't tell him," she silently pleaded with Janelle not to tell Josh about her being back. Janelle sighed a little and nodded grabbing the tool box from the floor and shut the door slightly, so Dawn could still hear.

"So are both the kids home now?" She put the tools down on the floor and pulled the chair over by the counter.

"Yeah, and trust me, coming over here was a welcome distraction. With Jason being home for the summer until college starts again, and Chanele just waiting until graduation night they have been at each other's throats." He let out an exasperated sigh. "But then again, when aren't they. And Jason isn't all too pleased that Chanele is going to the same college, bust she wanted to stay close at least for the first two years."

"Well it just means that you'll have both of them around for at least another two years, three if Jason stays around to get his degree there." Janelle said leaning against the back of the chair. Dawn peeked her head out slightly and saw Josh on the floor fixing the garbage disposal.

"You're coming to Chanele's graduation right? Next Tuesday night?" Janelle nodded to Josh. "Do you mind if I bring a guest? I have a friend coming this weekend and I don't want to leave her here alone."

"Of course, I'll save an extra seat by us." He made a sound as some water that was sitting at the bottom of the pipe spilled on his face. Damn snorted and chuckled a little and covered her mouth quickly. Luckily Janelle had laughed louder than her and Josh never heard it. "The things I do for you." He pulled himself out and whipped his face off.

"You mean all the things that you owe me for helping you," Janelle poked his chest a couple times with her forefinger. "You know those kids wouldn't have gotten past tying their shoes if I didn't help you." She stopped and glanced at Dawn but noticed that she had closed the closet door. "Sorry."

"No, no. You're right," Josh wiped his shirt from the water. "I wasn't an A plus parent then, trying to balance work at the same time. The one thing the kids are happy about is the fact that I was never able to make it back to the dating scene." He shook his head a little chuckling lightly.

Dawn leaned against the wall of the closet and closed her eyes. Reality was hitting her, she had left her family and she didn't know just how hard it had been on them. She couldn't just walk back into their lives now and expect everything to be grand and pick up where they left off. She missed Jason's graduation, him going to college, missed Chanele going to prom, her getting her driver's license. She had missed everything important in their lives so far, and she was starting to feel the pain of it coming to her. Most importantly she had left Josh here alone to raise them.

She held her hands against her chest and didn't here the rest that was said between Janelle and Josh. Dawn wasn't aware of how much time had gone by until Janelle opened the door again to put the tools back.

"Dawn?" She looked at her and Dawn opened her eyes, tears welling up behind them. "Oh Dawn, I'm so sorry." She pulled Dawn into a hug and a few tears stained her shirt.

"I've missed so much, I've missed everything," she said quietly into Janelle's shirt. "I was gone too long." Janelle sighed mentally and rubbed Dawn's back. She hadn't been aware of how hard it was going to be on her until now.

"Come on, we've got a lot to do." She rubbed Dawn's arm a little and looked at her. Dawn sniffed lightly and blinked. "If you're going to show up at your daughter's graduation then we've got work on getting your powers to work again. You can't show up like that and expect everyone to react lightly. No we've got to give you a magical makeover my friend." She smiled at Dawn and Dawn let out a short laugh.

"Of course. First I'll need new clothes," Dawn quickly wiped her eyes and smiled back at Janelle. She knew that coming here was the right thing to do.

In four short days Janelle had managed to transform Dawn back to a normal person. They cut her hair from being almost knee length to falling just above her elbows, and got her some nicer clothes that fit, allowing a little extra room for what weight she was going to put back on through eating. Janelle was able to coach Dawn through exercises and meditation of her powers until her eyes were one color again and she was at least able to disguise her features to the public who would be looking at her tonight, although she still wasn't able to call upon her Guardian form yet.

Looking in the mirror Dawn barely recognized herself. Under her spell she appeared to have brunette hair that was curled and styled with soft green accented by the make up she had applied. Her face even appeared to be a slightly different shape and she didn't look remotely close to the old Dawn.

She knew that she had to go like this, she couldn't show up as herself, but it still pained her to not be able to enjoy tonight as the proud mother she should be. She sighed lightly and grabbed the purse Janelle had let her borrow. There was nothing to put inside of it except some spare cash that Janelle had insisted she take and the makeup she had used, just to make the bag a little heavier. She had no ID or wallet, and Janelle had informed her that after five years of waiting and searching Dawn's family had had her officially declared dead.

Dawn got up and made her way down the stairs to where Janelle was probably waiting for her. Dawn had also learned that Janelle had very much stayed a part of her family's life. Helping them whenever they need and acting like the mother that had disappeared. She knew that she owed Janelle, and would make it up to her as soon as she could.

"Well, it's about time you were ready." Janelle was waiting at the door with her own purse over her shoulder and keys in her hand. "Look at you, a totally different person." She smiled slightly at Dawn. "What was your name again?"

"Jessica, I think that it fits this image." She followed Janelle out to the car and got in the passenger seat. "You don't think he's going to ask too many questions is he?"

"Who? Josh?" Janelle started the car and pulled into the street and took off. "No, probably not. If he does just say you're a secretary for some hot shot or something." They turned a corner and Dawn looked at her home from inside the car. She blinked when she thought she saw someone moving around inside the house from the window. There were no car there and the three would be at the school already.

"Um, yeah, a secretary." Janelle looked at Dawn briefly and must have mistaken her apprehension for a touch of nervousness, she put a hand on Dawn's knee.

"It'll be okay, tonight will be a good night." Damn blinked a little but nodded and looked back out the window.

"I know. Everything will be fine."