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 hat went down well."
"There's one more thing," Kat replied, reaching into her pocket.
"Oh?"
Kat presented the simply wrapped box.
"For my matron of honour, and sister."
Jade carefully opened the box, to reveal a pair of earrings, made of what appeared to be a gold mesh cage, holding a single pearl for each ear.
"If you don't like them, I can get you something else," Kat quickly offered nervously.
"Kat, they're beautiful," Jade interrupted, "I love them."
"Oh, good."
Jade peered at them closer.
"Help me put them on?"
Kat deftly fixed the earrings to her sister's ears, then smiled.
"They turned out better than I thought they would."
"You made them."
"I was going to give them to your for Christmas, but..."
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
The sisters hugged for a moment.
"Well... Goodnight."
Kat slipped out of the kitchen, and Jade stood, absently fiddling with her new earrings. When the phone rang, she answered it before it finished the first ring. She listened carefully to Darryl, a feeling of dread settling firmly into her stomach.
"Should we tell Kat?"
"No. She's so happy tonight. And we'll be home tomorrow."
"Okay. I love you. Be careful."
"I will. I love you too."
"Night, Jade."
"Goodnight, Darryl."
Jade went to her room and fed Jessica, who had woken on her entry, then changed for bed and lay there, thinking. She fell asleep, still fiddling with her new earrings.
***
The girls arrived home late in the afternoon. Darryl accepted Jessica from Jade and made faces at her. Kat moved over to Marc and wound her arms around him. Jimmy toddled over to Jade and attached himself to her leg, until she relented and picked him up. As they moved inside, Michael put down the binoculars.
"Well well - they're home," he said to the body in the chair. "No thanks to your meddling. I'm going out now. Don't go anywhere."
Laughing a little maniacally, Michael left the house, leaving Glenn sitting in the kitchen, a knife in his chest.
***
That evening, after the children had gone to bed, Kat, Marc, Jade and Darryl sat around the dinner table, talking. Marc and Kat announced their plans to go home in the morning, and Marc and Darryl told Kat that they had met Glenn, and that he'd be coming to the wedding, but carefully didn't mention that it had been Michael who had broken into the house - just that the police had a lead on the suspect. Eventually, Jade stood up and collected a plate from the kitchen.
"Where are you going?"
"Remember Mrs Scarfe? Well, she's old, and all alone since her husband died last year, so when I make extra, I take her a plate."
"That's really nice," Kat smiled. "Want company?"
"No, I'll only be a few minutes. Pop over, drop off the food, give her a hand with any light bulbs or moving furniture she needs, and I'll be right back. She wouldn't let me move things while I was pregnant, so there might be a bit to do," laughed Jade. "In any case, I'll be back within a half-hour."
The others nodded and as Jade slipped out, they returned to the wine and conversation.
***
Jade jogged across the road, and slipped around the back of Mrs Scarfe's house, letting herself in the side door.
"Julia?" she called, loudly. "It's only me, I brought you some food!"
Strangely, there was no answering call, or movement, and Jade moved into the kitchen. She sniffed. Something was going off, and Jade felt a surge of guilt that she hadn't been over in a few weeks. Julia might have fallen over and been unable to get to a phone... Jade turned and saw the figure sitting in a chair, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Julia?"
Jade flicked on the kitchen light, and revealed the battered and bloody form of Glenn sitting at the kitchen table, staring blankly at the roof.
Jade screamed, and dropped the plate, not even noticing as it shattered on the floor.
"Glenn?" she recognised him, despite the years and disfiguration.
Jade had taken two steps towards him before she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head, and everything went black.
***
"Shouldn't Jade be back now? It's been 45 minutes," Kat asked, glancing at the clock.
The boys both looked to their watches, and frowned.
"I'll call the house," said Darryl, and left the table.
A few minutes later, he returned, frowning.
"It just rang out. I'm going over there."
"You don't think..." queried Marc, glancing towards Kat.
"No... It would be too much of a coincidence, don't you think?"
"But if he's been watching..."
"Only since you moved here, and she hadn't since..."
"What are you talking about?" snapped Kat, realising something was going on that she wasn't aware of.
Marc and Darryl exchanged glances again, then Marc sighed.
"Well, we didn't want to worry you, but Glenn identified the person who broke into our house as Michael..."
"Michael's here?"
Kat's eyes went wide with alarm.
"And Glenn thought he'd been watching us."
"And you let my sister go out by herself!?"
"Well, we didn't think..."
"Clearly," Kat snapped.
"Look, I'll go over and look for her," Marc said soothingly. "It's probably just that the old dear needed a light changed in the basement and they couldn't get up to the phone in time. I'll call you from there to let you know everything's okay."
Kat frowned at him.
"It'll be fine, Kat, I'll call you as soon as I get there."
Kat and Darryl frowned, but said nothing as Marc left.
"Marc!" Kat called.
He paused just outside the door, and looked back.
"Yes?"
"I love you. Be careful."
"I love you too, tarrishagh. It's nothing to worry about, really."
Kat was still frowning as Marc closed the door behind him.
***
Marc rang the bell, and waited a few minutes on the doorstep. He tried the bell again, before trying the door. Finding it locked, Marc moved around the side of the house, and finding the side gate ajar, moved around to the back of the house. The kitchen light was on, but there was no sign of Jade or anyone else. Marc nudged the door open with his foot, and entered the kitchen.
"Jade?" he called loudly. "Where are you?"
As Marc moved into the kitchen, she spotted the broken plate and flood on the floor, then a few minutes later, registered the drag marks towards the front of the house. Had Mrs Scarfe fallen in the kitchen, and Jade dragged her towards the bedroom? He sniffed. Something was starting to go off in the fridge, or something had died in a cupboard, because there was a faint trace of decaying meat, under the scent of air-freshener. A few moments later, Marc spotted a dark puddle under the table, and moved over for a closer look. As he realised what it was, he started for the door. Something was badly wrong.
"Going somewhere?" chuckled Michael, then used a rolling pin to hit Marc in the back of the head. Marc fell to the floor, just as Jade had, and Michael couldn't resist a little jig of exultation. Everything was falling into place, without any effort from him.
"Thank you, Mr Mori!" Michael called, then picked up Marc's ankles and dragged him towards the bedroom.
Michael surveyed his handiwork with pride. The curtains had been drawn, and Jade and Marc were seated on plain wooden chairs from the kitchen, and each had a noose around their necks, attached to a pulley on the roof. At the moment, the ropes were tied to the bed, but as soon as Kat arrived, he'd fasten them to her ankles. Michael had carved into the bed footer 3 holes - one for Kat's neck, and one for each of her hands, which opened and closed like medieval stocks. Once Kat was on the bed, with the ropes attached, if she had her legs open, Jade and Marc would be fine... But if she closed them, the nooses would be tight enough to strangle her sister and lover. Michael was very proud of his invention. He had decided that the first thing he made Kat do - after attaching her to the bed, of course - would be to make her complete the promise her energy pattern had promised him in her house. He would grab hold of the ropes, start strangling Jade and Marc, and tell Kat to suck him - say that he'd release the ropes after she made him come. Michael squirmed at the thought.
Jade groaned groggily, and Michael moved over to peer at her. Jade started to scream as she opened her eyes to see Michael peering at her, but a quick hard slap across the face put an end to that.
"I am going to kill you for taking my meerkat away from me," he told her. "Now you just sit here and be a good girl, and I'm going to go and collect your sister."
Jade whimpered softly as Michael gagged her, then watched as he opened the wardrobe, took the knife from Glenn's chest, and went to collect Kat.
***
"I'm calling the police," Kat announced. "He should have called by now."
"You're right. Let me do it though. Give him a little more time while I check on the kids, and when I get back, we'll call."
"Alright."
Kat sat alone at the table, holding a glass of red wine. She was staring blankly at the door, when it opened.
"Marc, thank-" Kat stopped suddenly as Michael entered the room, brandishing a knife.
"Where's the other one?" Michael demanded.
Kat started trembling, but managed to lie, "He took some food to a neighbour up that way," pointing in the opposite direction Jade had gone.
"And you're left minding the rugrats," chuckled Michael. "Never mind, they'll live without you."
As Michael lunged at Kat, she screamed, dropping the wine glass onto the table, wine spilling over her top and the tablecloth. Michael grasped her hair, and twisted it roughly around his wrist, then held the knife to Kat's throat.
"I have your sister, and your lover. Come with me, or I will kill them both."
Kat deliberately tangled her feet in a couple of chairs as Michael dragged her towards the door, causing them to topple with a clatter, hoping Darryl would work out what had happened and would call the police.
"Be quiet, you'll wake the children," scolded Michael with a laugh, and dragged Kat out of the house.
Around the corner, Darryl slumped against the wall. He waited for a couple of minutes to make sure Michael was really gone, before he leapt towards the phone to call the police.
The phone rang and then he got some voice recording telling his call may be monitored. A few seconds later with Darryl carefully peering behind a curtain he got put through. The kids were wailing in the background. He had just started to tell him that Michael was accross the street when the phone went dead. Darryl was uncertain if they got the message or not. He spun quickly tossing the phone aside and proceeded to head out the door when he came accross Mr Mori.
"I can not have you interfering."
"Who the hell are you?" Darryl demanded
"That is of no consequence to you. I do not care for what Michael is doing but he will kill one of them and which one it is is doesn't matter to me, as long as one dies." With that the Mr Mori vanished. When Darryl went to leave the house he found he could not open the door. He even tried smashing a window but with no luck, as if his windows where solid brick.
On the other side of the street Michael had Kat rigged up to the bed. He rather absentmindidly struck the knife back into Glenn's chest and then took his time look Kat over. She had gone to scream but had been rewarded with hard slaps and a threat of having her tongue cut out. She prudently kept her mouth shut though fear showed clearing in her eyes. Michael introduced her to his system with a demonstration as he pulled one the ropes causing Marc's face to go blue. Then with greedy hands he ripped Kat's clothes off.
"You always looked better naked meerkat. Don't you think Marc?"
With clear unadulturated lust showing Michael drooled over the site before him. He too then stripped down to nothing showing he clearly enjoyed the site of Kat's naked body as he touched himself.
"I brought you a present Kat. Do you miss it? It's all yours now."
Michael got up onto the bed brushing Kat along the way. She went to close her legs but saw her sister and Marc starting to choke. Tears feel freely now as he pushed himself into her mouth. Then taking no more she bit fiercly sending him reeling back in agony.
"Help me Jade." Kat cried. Jade looked at her helplessly then stood up shakingly. Her hands where bound behind her back but her legs free. She moved, the noose tightning around her neck in the process in front of her sister protecting her as Michael lunged forward with the knife. It buried itself deeply into her shoulder. Marc too moved and headbutted Michael rendering him unconscious before moving back to where he could breath.
"Jade? Jade?" Kat practically screamed as Jade slumped onto the bed landing awkedly her eyes closed.
~Remember a time I helped you Kat, I saw power within you... I know you can use it~ Jade said in Kat's mind, reminding her of a time Kat wished long ago to forget. Kat then started to recite a spell.
Mr Mori flashed into the room and screamed at Kat but she held fast and kept speaking. Mr Mori grabbed Michael and then they vanished.
During this time Darryl was still trying to break a window and ended up flying through the lounge room window as it suddenly shattered. Getting up ignoring the cuts he endured he ran accross the street and smashed through the door. He found Kat weeping, still reciting the spell. He grabbed the knife out of Jade and then cut them free. Kat sat up and held Jade, pulling the gag out of her mouth. Jade then joined Kat in saying the spell that had seemed to now have turned into a chant. Marc and Darryl followed suit and a glow filled the wound healing it over. They were holding each other when the police arrived.
Two days later they were all home. They had seen the police several times, giving their stories. They cops thought they had all gone crazy when they said Michael had vanished. They had found Michael eventually, it appeared he had taken his own life but they felt unsure about the information. They all knew now something greater was at stake, and the healing that Jade had recieved confirmed something that Kat had only suspected. Michael may be gone but Mr Mori was still out there.
Kat and Marc worked together on strong protection charms for Jade and Kat - there was only 4 days remaining until the wedding, and despite all that had happened, Kat and Marc were adamant that they still wanted it to happen, and they didn't want anything else to happen which would upset that.
In truth, the last-days wedding preparations helped all four of them begin to forget the horror of the night. A glazier was called to replace the window of the house in the Valley, and Kat's mugwort ointment fixed up the bruises they all had remarkably swiftly.
Kat's nightmares had returned, and Jade often woke with that strange, itching feeling in her mind that meant Kat was about to wake, screaming. After once getting up and running to Kat's in her pyjamas, and twice calling to find Marc already awake and soothing her sister, she finally believed that he knew how to take care of Kat, and allowed herself to turn into Darryl's arms and let him hold her until the itching stopped and she knew Kat was awake, and being looked after by Marc.
The day before the wedding, Jade and Darryl walked slowly over to Kat and Marc's, enjoying the late afternoon sun as it slowly slipped towards the horizon, warming their backs as they walked. James chatted nonsense happily from his position upon Darryl's shoulders, and Jessica slept soundly in the pram Jade was pushing.
"Do you think Jessica will be okay tonight?" Jade asked, worriedly.
Darryl smiled gently down at her as they walked.
"She'll be fine. I promise I'll call you if she doesn't take the bottle, or doesn't settle, or anything like that, okay?"
"It's not that I don't know you can take care of her," Jade assured her husband, resting one hand momentarily on his back. "It's just that I haven't left her overnight before. I'm not worried about Jimmy, but..."
"DIMMY!" shouted James gleefully, drumming his heels on his father's chest.
Darryl winced painfully, before smiling at Jade.
"It's because you're a good mother. But don't worry any more that you can help. The kids and I will be fine. If all else fails, Uncle Marc can get some practice of walking up and down the hall with a baby."
"BABY! MINE!"
Jade smiled at the mental image, and tugged gently at her son's shoe.
"Stop kicking your father, Jimmy," she scolded lightly, smiling.
"Sorry!" Jimmy said cheerfully, causing both his parents to smile as they rounded the corner of Kat's driveway.
"I'm sure he just recognises the scolding expression," Jade laughed, manoeuvring the pram onto the veranda while Darryl knocked on the heavy wooden door.
"Most likely. Still it's good manners!"
Kat opened the door, smiling, and held it wide open so the pram would fit through.
"AunTat!" Jimmy exclaimed gleefully, attempting to launch himself bodily from Darryl's shoulders.
Luckily for him, his parents had grown used to such enthusiastic greetings, and Darryl had firm hold of his arms. Jade pushed the pram through the door, pausing to kiss her sister on the cheek and then to check that Jessica was still asleep. Darryl bent down to kiss Kat also, and this time allowed his son to wrap his chubby arms around Kat's neck and transfer his body to Kat's arms.
Kat smiled at him and gently rubbed her cheek over his curls, receiving the dutiful wet kiss from her nephew in the process.
"Hello, Jimmy, how are you today?"
"Sorry," Jimmy burbled, "Mum. BABY! Dad baby mm da. Pusstat?"
"Maybe pussy-cat later, Jimmy, how about grandad?"
"Choc?"
Kat laughed, a worry-line easing between her brows as she talked to her nephew.
"Maybe, you'll need to ask grandad."
Jade smiled at Darryl, leaning against his side. She had known her son would be good for Kat - Jimmy seemed to have a naturally cheery personality, and his uncomplicated love was what Jade thought her sister needed. They left Jessica sleeping in the hall, and moved into the kitchen where Erick and Lucia were drinking tea with Marc.
The afternoon passed swiftly, Jimmy's happy burbling with the chocolate grandad had happened to have in his pocket a cheerful counterpart to their discussion. Eventually, after dinner, Erick and Lucia left with a couple of garment bags containing Kat's reception and wedding night outfits, and Darryl sat in the lounge room with James, while Jade fed Jessica one last time before he took their children home. Kat and Marc slipped into their bedroom to say goodnight to each other - tonight Marc would be sleeping in Kat's old room at Darryl and Jade's, and they would see each other again at their wedding. Marc's tuxedo had already been transferred, and he gathered the last of his belongings as Jade tucked Jessica into her pram, and kissed Jimmy goodnight.
In the darkness of Kat's bedroom, after the boys had left, Jade stared up at the roof. It was strange not sleeping with Darryl, she mused. The night seemed to press in from all sides, making it difficult to breathe.
"Thank you for bringing Jimmy over," Kat said in the darkness.
"I thought you'd like seeing him."
"He's wonderful. You're lucky."
"I know."
A pause.
"You and Marc going to have kids?"
"Probably. Girls."
"Oh?" teased Jade, turning to face where her sister lay. "You sure about that?"
"No - but we can't agree on boys names!"
They laughed, and the darkness seemed more welcoming, less oppressive, and Jade relaxed, reaching out and finding her twin's hand in the dark.
"You know... I was never more scared in my life than I was when I saw him drag you into that room."
"I was."
"What?"
"I had been that scared before."
"When?"
"When they told me you were dying."
"The lupus."
"Before they knew what it was. That was the worst 2 months of my life."
Jade hugged her sister tightly.
"Do you think he's really gone?"
"Michael?" Kat queried, though she knew that was who Jade was referring to.
"Yeah."
"No. The body is gone, yeah, but... I don't think he's dead. I think that thing that came and got him has him."
"What do you think it was?"
"I don't know. I did get a flash-back to when you were in hospital when Mum and Dad were away. You know, with Leo and the mirrors."
"Do you think they're related?"
"Maybe. The middle of the night isn't the best time for such discussions though."
"True," Jade shivered, and attempted to change the subject. "Did you give Marc his present?"
"This morning."
"Did he like it?"
"He adored it."
"Good. What did he get you?"
"A photo album," Kat yawned. "With pictures of our holidays in it."
"That's nice."
"Yeah. You can see it in the morning. He went to a lot of trouble. He'd been keeping it at work."
"I know someone who's done that before."
"Well, you knew all my hiding spots! And you have to admit, even if it was wrapped, a table is a pretty distinctive shape."
"Things aren't going to change, you know."
"Things always change. But we will always have each other. You will still be my sister. Irritating as hell at times -"
Kat didn't get to finish her sentence because Jade suddenly poked her. They burst into giggles, tickling and poking at each other, until they separated, gasping from laughing too hard.
"I mean it," Kat said, eventually, after she had her breath back. "I love you."
"I know," Jade smiled. "I love you too. We should sleep, you have to get married in the morning."
"I know."
The sisters entwined their fingers, curled up together and slept.
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