Not long after her question and the silence that followed, Destan excused himself to find wood for a fire. Hadley wasn't sure why he was bothering. The air was warm even with the breeze, so there was no need for additional heat. Light perhaps? Or maybe it was just an excuse to walk away, and to escape her prying questions. She really wouldn't blame him. In the end Hadley didn't ask, afraid he wouldn't have an answer that sounded convincing. Instead, she stayed put, lingering just a little longer on the dune staring out at nothing, and quite possibly everything.

Hadley wasn't sure how long she stood there, lost in thought, but the sound of Destan calling out to her drew her down off the dunes.

"Is everything okay?" she asked as she approached. He looked out of breath, as though he'd been running. Hadley couldn't help but feel on edge, still worried that they had been followed or would be discovered at any minute. Destan grinned and held out his hand.

"Everything is fine, stop worrying," he replied. There was a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "Come on, take off your shoes, I want to show you something."

"Okay," Hadley answered, still confused. His enthusiasm was infectious, and she found herself smiling as she kicked off her shoes and took hold of his hand. He led her past the dunes where he'd been searching for wood and down a narrow path that was barely wide enough for them to walk single file.

"What is it, Destan?" she asked.

"You'll see," he replied, his eagerness evident as he quickened his pace. A few minutes later the dunes fell away and they were standing on a wide stretch of empty beach. At least, it seemed empty to Hadley. Destan didn't stop there, he kept pulling her along, parallel to the water's edge which rested just a few yards away.

"There's nothing out here," she commented.

"Will you just wait?" He said with a laugh. "You're so impatient." Hadley stuck her tongue out at the back of his head. They walked a few more yards before Destan finally came to a stop. He pointed toward the beach.

"There," he said. "Do you see?"

Hadley stared hard, trying to figure out what Destan was talking about. Just when she was about to give up, she noticed something strange. The beach, the sand, looked like it was moving. She took a step closer, curious, but uncertain. Destan grinned and motioned for her to follow before he started jogging in the direction of the movement. She followed, not quite sure what she was getting herself into but trusting that Destan wouldn't knowing lead her into danger.

They were mere feet away and Hadley realized what he was showing her.

"Turtles," she breathed, excitement lighting up her face. For a moment the events of the night became an afterthought "Baby turtles!"

There were hundreds of them and there were all scrambling over the uneven terrain, and each other, as they raced towards the sea. Hadley had never seen anything like it in her life.

"They're so tiny," she breathed, resisting the urge to pick up one of the tiny black creatures. It amazed her to imagine them struggling to survive in the vast ocean. "How will they make it?"

"Most of them won't," Destan replied grimly, and then he smiled. "But those that do will return here to the place they were born to lay their own eggs." The thought of these tiny creatures falling prey to the dangers of the sea was disheartening. She felt something bump against her bare foot and looked down to see a tiny turtle that had strayed from the pack.

"Oh no, little guy, the ocean is that way," she said, crouching down to get a better look. She knew that this struggle was part of the journey, but she couldn't squash the urge to help – just a little. Very gently she picked up the turtle and cupped it in the palm of her hand.

"Hadley..."

"I know," she said, suspecting what he was going to tell her. "I just want to get him back on the right track." With that being said she carried the turtle a few feet to where the sand smoothed out and more of its brothers and sisters seemed to be making good headway. She set it down in the direction of the rolling waves and watched as it resumed its journey. She was tempted to follow as it scampered towards the sea, but she held back. Hadley had to let nature take its course, she had intervened enough.

A rush of cold surprised her and she looked down to see the surf just moments before it receded back into the sea. She felt an odd, tingling sensation in her toes a moment before Destan pulled her back. She fell into him, the sudden jerking motion having pulled her off balance.

"Probably not a good idea just yet," he explained quietly, catching her eyes. He looked concerned. No, that wasn't it. Worried maybe? It was difficult to tell with only the light of the moon overhead to illuminate his face.

"Why not?" she asked, looking back out towards the water. What was it that bothered him?

"I told you," he chuckled. "The water is a part of who we are. It is our greatest source of strength and at times, our worst enemy. You come from a very old blood line, one that has not been felt in that world for quite some time. Suffice it to say, it's best if we don't draw any unwanted attention to you."

Hadley wanted to know more, but the approaching glow of headlights had both her and Destan looking back towards the dunes. Her first thought was that her father had arrived and she nearly bolted in the direction of the cottage. Another, darker, notion kept her rooted in place. What if they had found them?

"Destan?" she questioned, her eyes sweeping towards him for some sort of answer. He looked uncertain as well. Hadley stepped closer, holding her breath as they waited. After several heart pounding seconds a figure appeared at the top of the dunes, illuminated from behind by the halogen glow.

"Hadley?" A voice called.

Lincoln's voice. Her father's voice.

Hadley's heart leapt into her throat and for a moment it was hard to breathe. He was alive. Hadley kept repeating it over and over in her mind. She didn't waste time calling back, instead she rushed past Destan towards the dunes.

Lincoln met her halfway and she practically flung herself into his arms.

"Dad, I'm so sorry! I don't care who you are, or aren't, you'll always be my dad," she choked out. "Please don't hate me." Tears burned at the corners of her eyes. She had been so worried, terrified even, that she was never going to see him again.

"Oh, sweetheart," he replied, hugging her tightly. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He'd been scared too. "I could never hate you, but you have no idea how much that means to me to hear you say that." Hadley felt the tension draining out of her and with it came the tears. Lincoln didn't say anything, he simply held her close, and for that Hadley was grateful.

"I know everything must be so confusing right now..." he said after several minutes. "I promise I am going to do anything I can to make sure you get your memories back."

"Glad to see you're in one piece," Destan commented as he finally joined them at the top of the dune. Hadley felt her father's arm slip away and she took a step back.

"Yeah, they must've hit both locations at roughly the same time," he replied, glancing towards Destan. "I was already on the move when I got your call. I didn't want to risk being followed so I waited until I knew I was in the clear. What happened? Are you two okay?" He asked, his gaze fixing on Hadley.

"Yeah," she said. "We're fine."

"We were just on out when they tried to ambush us in the parking lot," Destan explained. "What's the plan?"

"We need to get out of the state," Lincoln replied. "It's too late tonight. We need to get some rest."

"Here?" Hadley interrupted, still uncertain about the stability of the cottage back behind the dunes. Lincoln shook his head.

"No, this is actually just the back up," he explained. "Things happened so quickly I wasn't able to coordinate with the rest of our group." A shrill ringing sound erupted from Lincoln's pocket, startling them all. He pulled out a cell phone and stepped away to answer it.

"Group?" Hadley asked, looking towards Destan.

"People who want to help," Destan explained. "There aren't many of us, less than a hundred now, but over the years we've created something of a network."

"We'll answer all your questions on the way," Lincoln said as he rejoined them. "We've got to get going – we have a long drive ahead of us."

Curious as she was, Hadley's exhaustion won out in the end. By the time they reached the highway she had drifted off at least half a dozen times, jerking awake after each instance only to drift off once more. Sleep won out in the end because the next time she opened her eyes the car was pulling off the road and onto what appeared to be a long driveway.

"Hey there, sleepy head, have a nice nap?" Destan asked, looking down at her. It was then that Hadley realized she'd been using his shoulder as a pillow.

"Yeah, sorry... I didn't mean to..." she felt her cheeks grow hot. Destan laughed.

"Nothing to be sorry about, it's been a long day," he replied. "They'll be a nice bed ready and waiting for you once we're inside. Probably a lot more comfortable than my shoulder."

Not likely. Hadley didn't say it out loud, of course, but the thought did flitted briefly through her mind, its origins unknown. The car slowed to a stop.

"We're here, everyone awake back there?" Her father asked. She met his eyes in the rearview mirror.

Everyone?

Hadley glanced over at Destan who simply offered her a sheepish smile before hopping out of the car. She'd barely gotten her seatbelt off when her door swung open and Destan peeked in at her.

"Come on, slowpoke, everyone is waiting," he teased. Hadley wasn't sure she was as ready for this as he was, but she didn't seem to have much of a choice.

"Who is everyone, exactly?" Hadley asked as she climbed out of the car. Gravel crunched beneath her feet as she stepped away from the vehicle and took her first good look at the 'safe house'. The building rose out of the darkness, tall and austere. It reminded Hadley of something out of Gone with the Wind.

"This is the safe house?" She asked incredulously. It was certainly better than the run down cottage on the beach. She certainly wasn't worried about the ceiling caving in.

"Yeah, it was a plantation house," Destan explained. "Isn't it neat?"

"It's amazing," Hadley breathed. It was difficult to see much in the darkness, but what she could make out was breathtaking. The Greek inspired columned porch stretched to the left and right before wrapping around either side of the house. A welcoming glow emanated from tall French windows, some left to hang open to allow the warm summer breeze to flow through the home. Destan took her hand and lead her up a wide brick walkway lined by neatly trimmed hedges. Lincoln, who had gone on ahead, was hovering in the open doorway talking to someone that looked oddly familiar. As she drew closer she felt her breath catch in her throat. That voice, she knew that voice, but it couldn't be...

"Claudia?" she gasped as the older woman stepped forward. What was she doing here? Claudia drew her into a tight hug. "This is where you've been? I was so worried..."

"I know child, I wish I could have said something, but... well, none of that doesn't matter now," she beamed, her hands rising to cup Hadley's face. "Lincoln told me you know the truth. If there had been any other way... we would have taken another path." Hadley felt her heart skip a beat.

"Are you...?"

"A mermaid? Goodness, no. Though that would be lovely," she replied with a laugh. "I'm just an old family friend. Come on, let's get you inside. Are you hungry? I plan on sending Stuart to the market in the morning, but I'm sure I can find you something."

Hadley followed Claudia inside, Destan, and Lincoln, not far behind.

"I've contacted the others," Claudia continued, leading them into an entryway. The floors were hardwood, brightly polished and smooth as glass. At the far end of the foyer was a set stairs that split off near the top, presumably leading to different parts of the house.

"Others?" Hadley questioned, glancing between Destan and her father.

"For some this is a safe house, for others its home," Destan explained. "Are they all out? At this hour?"

"Nixie is in the library," Claudia said. "But Dante and Talisa went on a hunt. They're still looking for that Shade from the club."

"Arien and Pike?"

"Making sure the Order isn't sniffing too close to home and giving them a few wild geese to chase around," Claudia said, motioning for them to follow her down a long hallway. It was lined with pictures in varying sizes, some were portraits, but most appeared to be landscaped. The artist, she realized, was the same – C. Lauder. Had Claudia painted these?

"We were careful," Lincoln assured her.

"I don't doubt you were," Claudia replied, glancing towards him. "I meant no offense, I would rather be overly cautious than too lax."

Lincoln nodded, glancing down at Hadley and catching her eyes. Hadley smiled. For some reason she felt an intense need to reassure him that everything was still okay. She quickened her pace to fall into step with Claudia.

"Did you paint all these?" Hadley asked, motioning to the walls.

"Oh, no, not me," she replied wistfully. "It was my late husband, Charles, he was the artist."

"They're amazing, so much detail," Hadley marveled as they neared the end of the hall.

"He certainly had a painter's eye," she agreed. "It's how we me, Charlie and I. He insisted on painting me. He said it would only take a couple of days. Well, those days turned to weeks and after nearly two months I insisted on seeing the progress. I was quite surprised to learn that the painting had been completed no more than a week after he'd begun. He was using it as an excuse to keep seeing me."

"How romantic," Hadley said with a grin.

"Not really, I was furious with him! I was getting a crick in my neck from holding the same pose every day," she exclaimed before laughing. "He was certainly worth every minute of it. Now, come along, enough talking – the kitchen is right this way."

Guiding them around the corner, she pushed open a saloon style door and let them file in one at a time. The kitchen was relatively large and boasted a long preparation counter as well as a breakfast nook. It was here they say while Claudia began rummaging through the cupboards in search of something suitable.

"Let me help," Destan said, moving around Claudia and over to the refrigerator. He pulled out a carton of eggs and set them on the counter. "Who likes omelets?" He asked, before ducking back into the fridge. He produced several other omelet additives: green and red peppers, mushrooms, cheese and tomatoes. Hadley watched as he moved about the kitchen like he'd used it a thousand times before. He knew exactly where to find a frying pan, spatula, and mixing bowls. Claudia didn't seem all that bothered by his kitchen take over. In fact, she looked downright amused.

For some this isn't a safe haven, its home. Did Destan live here too? Was this where he'd been staying all this time?

"I wasn't aware you knew how to cook, Destan," Claudia stated as he cracked eggs into a bowl. "The others will be surprised too."

"Surprised?" An airy voice inquired from the doorway. Hadley looked over to see a petite girl hovering on the threshold between the kitchen and hallway. She had a book clutched against her chest, held in place by two rather thin arms. Hadley thought she looked like a like a sharp wind might be capable of blowing her away. How did a person get to be so fragile?

"Nix, so glad you could tear yourself away from the library to join us," Destan called. "Claudia was just commenting on my first class cooking skills."

"You can cook? Since when? Why do you always make Pike and Talisa do it then?" She asked, wandering over to where he was working. Hadley wasn't sure what to make of her. At first glance she would have guessed the girl to be no more than twelve, maybe thirteen but, the way she moved made her seem much older. Each step the girl took was graceful and light, like she was walking on a cloud. It reminded Hadley of a cat she once owned.

"Because I have so much more fun doing the dishes with you," Destan replied with a grin. This caused the young girl to laugh and Hadley felt a sharp twinge of jealousy. It was a sensation she quickly snuffed out.

"You hate doing the dishes," Nixie replied, brushing a few wayward strands of blond from her face before her gaze swept over the table and locked on Hadley. "She's back."

Destan looked up from the vegetables he was cutting and smiled. It was different, somehow, than the smile he'd given the other girl, and Hadley found herself oddly relaxed. "Yep," he replied. "Why don't you go re-introduce yourself?"

"Do I need to?" Nixie asked, looking slightly anxious.

"She's still remembering things... go on," he said, motioning towards the table. "She won't bite."

"Yeah," Hadley replied, no doubt feeling just as awkward as Nixie. "And if I do, I promise I've gotten all my shots." To have them talking about her as though she wasn't sitting ten feet away was strange. That she should know this girl, and couldn't remember her, made it that much weirder. Taking notice of Nixie's uncertainty, Hadley stood up and approached with her hand extended.

"Nixie right? I'm Hadley," she declared. The girl looked down at her hand a moment and then smiled, a soft smile that made her face light up.

"I know who you are," Nixie replied, taking Hadley's hand lightly in her own. "I just... this is so strange."

"I know, I'm still adjusting to it all myself," Hadley offered, trying to make her feel better.

"Omelets are almost done, who's hungry?" Destan called out as he expertly flipped the omelet in the frying pan.