When I first met Erica, she was almost dead.

She'd been raised by a poor family that rarely had enough money to feed everyone. So, Erica took to thievery to help pay for everything, like food and clothes for her four siblings. Her parents never asked where she got the money; they only took it gratefully.

Except, she got caught. And, well, beaten for it.

That was how I found her, in a back alley, barely conscious. She was bleeding from several places and had an overall dirty look to her, but I couldn't just walk away as my parents would've wanted me to. At the time, I couldn't figure out why-- she was just another low-class worker, probably from a family that could hardly pay their bills. She wasn't the first one I'd seen in a position like this. But, I couldn't just walk by.

So, I carried her home. She couldn't walk; I'm not sure she even know I was carrying her. She was light; much lighter than she should have been, and I had no problems carrying her, despite being the spoiled brat that I was.

I was only fifteen, so I still lived with my parents. I was lucky they weren't home. While they might not have stopped me, they probably would have, and I just couldn't leave this girl. But I didn't think about that, I couldn't. She was still bleeding even as I held her, and I didn't know how long she'd been bleeding while she was out in the street. I had to stop that, I had to get her warmer--she'd started shivering on my way here-- and I had to figure out what to do.

XxX

This girl doesn't even exist.

She exists. Miss Ashley is paying us to find her, remember? When was the last time we were paid to find someone that doesn't exist?

Well, there was that one time.

Don't even go there.

Lynn snickered. It was so easy for her to get Erica to roll her eyes at her, and she loved doing it, if only because Erica never really got annoyed or angry or frustrated with her over something so small, even though she would never put up with it with someone else. It was just how Erica was. It was how Erica had always been with Lynn, right from the start.

She had been asking around about Aurora for two weeks. Except for a few people that knew of her, no one knew who she was. Miss Ashley had said the girl was friendly to everyone, but no one seemed to remember that-- which made it all reek of magic. Magic that was illegal and so made this entire situation different.

I still say you should try the parents.

Lynn rolled her eyes this time. Erica had said that several other times, four of which she had Jan there to back her up. And despite how much she told them that she really didn't want to, Lynn was starting to feel there was no other way to start figuring things out. But if there was a spell cast so that people wouldn't remember Aurora, then that could cause even more problems--and not just for her and Erica.

With a spell out like this, the Thomson's must really want her to stay hidden, and they must really want her to stay hidden for a reason. There were really only a handful of reasons they would want that, and none of them were pleasant. After all, there was no good reason why they would want their daughter hidden and forgotten. Or maybe just forgotten, for all Lynn knew. There were a couple reasons for why they would want her forgotten, and those ones were worse than the others.

But then, she could be wrong about that. There was a chance that maybe Miss Ashley had been wrong about how friendly she was, and that she was away visiting relatives. It wouldn't be the first time they'd been hired to find someone because some person didn't really care enough to see that the child had only been on vacation with family or with friends, or even just sent to a new school.

But.... That just wouldn't add up.

Oh, damn!

Lynn blinked and looked up, Erica's thoughts moved back up to the front of her mind, thinking that something was wrong. Trying not to laugh when she realized the other girl was just practicing with her daggers and had slipped, she went back to shifting pages of notes in front of her.

You okay?

Stop laughing. I hate you.

Lynn just laughed harder, unable to help it.

XxX

"Eat something, Lynn," Jen scolded. Erica nodded agreement from across the table.

Lynn made a face but obediently took a bite of the potatoes on her plate. She wasn't hungry, despite having not eaten much that day. She hadn't slept well the night before, either, being unable to shake the feeling that, somehow, they were running out of time with Aurora. Three weeks and the only progress they managed to make was to find out that the girl was in the southern part of the country, or at least that's where a bus driver remembers her parents getting off with her.

The only problem with that is there is a million places that she could be. There wouldn't necessarily be records about her if she was somewhere that wasn't with her family, so the fact that there aren't any records meant almost nothing. Lynn couldn't find any connection her parents might have down there, though, so she most likely wasn't visiting family, and there being no records could mean that Aurora's parents really don't want anyone knowing where the girl is.

And there was still the problem with running out of time. Lynn didn't even know why she felt that she was, only that she did and they were.

Relax, Lynn.

Lynn closed her eyes for a second at Erica's words, trying to relax against the panic reminding her of how long this job was taking. And it was all it should be, a job. Only, it wasn't, and Lynn wasn't sure how to handle it. Erica didn't either, despite knowing how Lynn felt as if she felt it herself, and that just made things worse.

I'm trying.

"Something wrong?" Jen asked, seeing Erica's worried look and Lynn not eating again.

"I'm just tired." Lynn sighed and ran a hand through her long hair.

"She's worried about the girl," Erica told Jen, not letting Lynn take the easy way out. Lynn sighed again, wanting to avoid having another discussion about this. It would be the fourth one this week, and she was tired of them. She was just tired in general.

But Jen just nodded and didn't say anything else about it.

"I'm going to go to bed," Lynn said after a short while. Leaving her plate and everything on the table for Jen to take care of-- it was what they paid her for, and she seemed to actually like cleaning things and taking care of Lynn and Erica-- Lynn headed up to the huge master bedroom that her and Erica shared.

Lynn quickly undressed, glad that it wasn't too hard to push Erica's thoughts back. She slipped on one of her silk nightgowns and slid into bed, relaxing slightly at the softness of the bed and the feel of the sheets and blankets over her.

Still awake?

Lynn smiled at Erica's quiet thought.

Kind of. The light won't bother me.

Reassured the the light wouldn't, in fact, bother Lynn, Erica turned on the light as she came into the bedroom.

Change, sleep, play nice rich girl at the small gathering tomorrow....

Lynn listened to Erica's thoughts, comforted by them and knowing that she wasn't alone. She was almost asleep when Erica turned off the light and climbed into the bed herself. Lynn turned and snuggled into the other girl as Erica put her arms around her.

Sweet dreams, Lynn. I'm right here and I won't let anything hurt you.

Lynn nodded slightly, asleep before she even finished, and Erica just watched the younger girl sleep for a few minutes before closing her own eyes. She slept lightly, afraid if she feel too deeply asleep she wouldn't be able to monitor Lynn's dreams and make sure they stayed good and easy so that Lynn could sleep well that night. Erica didn't really like doing it-- Lynn's dreams weren't her business-- but Lynn needed looking after, tired and scared as she was for Aurora, and this was part of how Erica could take care of her. After all, Lynn always took care of her when she needed it, and even sometimes when she didn't.

XxX

Lynn woke the next morning to Erica shaking her lightly, and she was awake instantly.

What's wrong?

There's a boy downstairs saying he knew Aurora.

Give me five minutes.

Sorry you don't have your morning today.

Lynn laughed as she changed into her clothes, taking a moment to mourn the loss of the one time of day she almost never had to be something. But this morning she did have to be something-- she'd decide as she heard what the boy had to say. So she rushed through dressing and making herself presentable, with Erica's help; she would have been too slow otherwise, or she wouldn't look like the higher-class noble that she supposedly was.

As she walked down the stairs, that feeling of not enough time got even worse. But as she caught sight of the boy waiting at the bottom of the stairs, it felt as if the world crashed around her, and she blacked out.

~xXx~

Lynn! Lynn, sweetheart, can you hear me? You're okay. I've got you; nothing bad can happen to you.

No...

Erica closed her eyes tightly in relief as she heard Lynn's thoughts again. For the three hours since Lynn passed out, the older girl had been getting nothing but garbled noise and feeling and, occasionally, images. It was scary, not getting any actual thoughts from Lynn, in any form, after having them always be there for years.

What happened?

You passed out, love.

And obviously freaked you out if you're calling me things like 'love' and 'sweetheart.'

Yes, actually. I'd appreciate it if you didn't do it again.

I'll try.

Erica opened her eyes as she felt Lynn do the same, and held Lynn a little bit tighter, even as Lynn snuggled into her.

Do you know what happened?

No, but I would guess it has something to do with that boy.

Lynn looked around from her place on Erica's lap, wondering if he was nearby.

He's waiting in the kitchen.

Lynn smiled at the protectiveness she could feel radiating off of Erica. The older girl was always protective of Lynn, and it always made Lynn feel safer. Especially because she knew Erica would do anything to protect her, and that she could, easily, defend her against pretty much anything.

Do you think you'll pass out again if you see him?

I don't know. I don't know why I did the first time.

Maybe I should talk to him myself, then.

No, I want to try.

You sure?

Yes.

And that was enough for Erica, despite how much she didn't want to risk it.

Would you like to get it over with or would you prefer some sleep first?

You just woke me up a few hours ago, didn't you?

Well, yes, but--

I'm fine. Did you just think that you would be okay with it?

XxX

"Lynn!" Jen rushed over as soon as the two girls entered the kitchen. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Lynn smiled, just enough to let Jen know that she wasn't lying, then she looked over at the boy sitting at the table.

Alright, Lynn?

"Who are you?" she asked the boy. He hadn't even looked up with Lynn came in, staring instead at his hands on the table. He still didn't look up as he answered.

"I don't have a name."

That doesn't make sense.

"Alright," Erica said after a moment of making sure Lynn wasn't going to continue. "You said you have information for us, about Aurora."

Thank you.

Doing okay?

Can you feel that, too?

Feel what?

Later, then.

"Yes." The boy looked up now, and Lynn drew a sharp breath. The boy's eyes were a light, flowery violet-- a color common only amongst the slaves that were traded in the south. But that wasn't it; Lynn could've sworn she saw something else, something unusual, behind the eyes, something she couldn't explain.

What?

You didn't see it?

He's a slave. What did I miss?

"She helped me escape." The boy looked down again, having seen they recognized the color of his eyes. "She said, she said that I didn't deserve to be there, and she would make it out after me." He paused for a moment, sounding upset, and Jen moved behind him to lightly rub his back. "But she didn't. I waited, and she didn't come. She'd said that we would make it up here, and maybe-- she said that there people up here that rescued kidnapped kids, and that maybe they would help us. I... I head you asking about Aurora. I thought maybe you were them. Maybe you could help."

You good?

Yeah.

"That is us," Lynn told him softly, moving over to the table and sitting down next to the boy. She touched his arm lightly, and he looked up at her.

There is something there; I see it now.

"We'll take care of you," Lynn went on. "And we'll find Aurora."

"I don't want to go back," the boy whispered. "I don't want them to take me back."

"You won't be going back, and no one is going to take you back." Lynn smiled reassuringly at the boy. "You're safe here; I promise."

He know our names?

I don't think so.

"I'm Lynn," she introduced herself as the boy smiled back at her. "The scary looking girl over there is Erica--"

Only scary looking to you, sweetheart.

"And this is Jen."

The boy smiled at all of them, looking a little less scared, and then sad.

"I'm sorry I don't have a name," he said, looking back down. Lynn frowned up at Jen, who was standing behind them.

"You don't need to be sorry for that," Jen assured him. "Maybe we can give you one?" She glanced over at Lynn, who nodded, then back at the boy as he looked up hopefully.

"Really?"

"Of course."

Dante.

"How about Dante?" Lynn cut in. "Do you like that one?" The boy--Dante-- nodded enthusiastically.

"I guess that's a yes," Erica said from over by the door, smiling. Dante blushed, looking down once again, but he was grinning, obviously happy.

Now we know where to look.

We can't mess with the slave laws and trades there.

Then we won't. We'll think of something.

Lynn looked over at Erica, then back at the boy, wondering what they would come up with. They couldn't just take Aurora now, kidnapping her back; she would 'belong' to one of the traders and might even have been sold. The southern laws said that slaves were property, nothing more, and if a slave was just stolen out of bed, there would be an uproar.

And then there was finding her without raising a bunch of questions; slaves were just property, meaningless for the most part, and a Northerner asking about one specific slave would only make things harder for them.

Worry tomorrow. Take care of him today; I'll go see if I can find us a vacation house.

Best of luck.

Don't pass out again, or else.

Yes, dear.

Erica left, grinning, as she teased back and forth with Lynn in their thoughts.

A/N:: Mwaha. I finally have a long story to work on again, and it feels awesome. I hope everyone enjoys this and the rest of it (whenever I get around to writing the rest). I know my chapters aren't long and they take forever, so I'm sorry about that.
Also, this story is all for my lovely girlfriend, who likes the story. And because she likes it, it will definitely be finished and worked on as much as possible.

Leave reviews; they are what I live for and you'll get cookies if you do. :)

~Opal