"Good God, Robert, what the Hell happened?" Maggie asked, leaping off her chair at the site of her grandson walking through the door.

"Language", Olalla commented.

"I can say whatever I want, thank you very much, young lady. I'm twice your age and possibly more", she pulled off Robert's soaking wet coat and hung it up over the fire. "As I was saying..."

"I just went out, clear my head", he murmured, heading up the stairs. "Not much else I can do". Maggie sighed, standing at the bottom of the stairs. She hated to see any one of her family like this, and, while pondering it, noticed that one was missing.

"Where's your sister?" she asked, and Olalla looked around, her eyes widening in disbelief. "You left her behind, didn't you?"

:/:

Lottie's ears were ringing; she had no idea where she was, and there was an intense, stabbing pain at the back of her head. What the heck just happened? She could remember walking into the alley, then being here, but nothing in between. Her eyes flickering open, she sat up and was still in the alleyway, surrounded by broken glass bottles. Putting a hand to the back of her head, she touched the source of the pain, and her hand came back covered in blood. "Did I get attacked?" she thought, then checked her pockets. Her purse was not there, nor was her pocket watch. "No, just mugged. Great". She wasn't going to try to get her possessions back. The blood on the glass around her was dried, so she had been there for a while. Whoever did this was long-gone. Holding the back of her head, she decided to head home. Maybe if she was lucky she'd get there before sunrise.

:/:

"I really don't know where she is", Olalla spoke, running her teeth across her top lip. "Don't worry, I'll find her. I promise".

"I know you will", Maggie replied, and headed upstairs after Robert. He was in his bedroom; she had seen him head there. Turning into the doorway, she sighed when she saw him, holding Bella's old, scarlet coat. He held it close like a memory, and dropped it on the bed when he saw her.

"She left it here a few weeks ago", he whispered. "It's...her".

"It's all going to be okay. We'll find a way to get her back".

"But we won't, will we?" Robert replied, slumped into the chair with his head in his hands. "No matter what we do or how far we go, she will always be dead".

"Don't say that. What happened to 'never say die'?"

"Turns out that even with the crazy life we lead, there isn't just some wizard who can bring everyone back". Maggie sighed softly and sat next to him, resting his head on her shoulder.

"I know".

"Why us, eh?"

"Why not us though? These things only make us stronger Robert, not because we have to live without them, but because we have their memory keeping us going".

"But if I wanted to be strong and alone, then I would have joined Tenebrae".

"You'll never be alone, Rob, not as long as we're around".

"I know", he sighed. "But I never chose this life, I never chose to run from everything. Makes me wonder if this 'ability' is all it hyped up to be".

"Nobody ever chose to be anything, its never up to us. Some people just have greatness thrust upon them, and they have to deal with it. Because, well, if everyone chose what they would be, the world would be a superior, but awfully plain place".

"What did you do? You know, when my grandfather decided to..."

"Dear, I, well, your grandfather left me alone with your father. I loved him so much, and he abandoned me. I suppose the last experience I had with him was him leaving, so that made it better". Robert exhaled slowly, staring at the wall. "That's not what you wanted to hear though, was it?" Maggie added.

"I just never had that. Bella would stand with me through a hurricane. And...I miss her".

"I know you do, sweetie. We're going to make this right, even if I have to bend the laws of reality to do it; I'm going to see the day when I can call her my daughter-in-law".

"Easy tiger", Robert chuckled. "She has to be alive first".

:/:

"Well", Lottie bellowed, shutting the front door behind her. "Thanks for leaving me in Murderville".

"You were fine. I'm sure you could have managed yourself", Olalla answered, squeezing the moisture from her waistcoat over the fire, so it hissed and smoked.

"I got mugged"

"What?!" Olalla squeaked, almost dropping her garment on the fire, but Lottie caught it telepathically. "What did they nick?"

"Just some cash and a pocket watch", she said, collapsing into an armchair. "But, something else happened, something I just...can't remember".

"Try walking yourself through everything. Works for me".

"You couldn't remember where I went", Lottie quipped, and Olalla shot her a dirty look. "Fine. Well, I went into an alleyway and woke up like this, bloody head and all". She grabbed Olalla's waistcoat and put it to the back of her head to soak up the blood. Her sister grimaced at her waistcoat now being ruined, but didn't complain. She probably deserved it for leaving her, and more so for letting her get mugged. After all, Lottie was her little sister, and she was supposed to look after her. You know, 'family means no one gets left behind' and all that rubbish.

"I'll get you a new pocketwatch, okay", she hushed. "And what about I give whoever did this a little 'puncture'". She smiled, baring her fangs.