Most of the Characters belong to well others soo..... I'm only playing with them for a little while I'll put them back none the worse for wear when I'm done Scouts honor.... If anyone noticed or cared a few of the characters are revisiting you just can't seem to keep them locked up once they get be a part of a story they just want more so here is my attempt to give them more...

"Raine??

Suddenly a lamp clicked on."Oh,Sloan blinked giving her eyes time to adjust then glanced around curiously "its lovely.." She glanced around trying to see it thru the eyes of a stranger"thank you its home..

"Why,Sloan looked perplexed..

"Why do I have a lived in home when the others live like transients,"she supplied.

Sloan nodded."I think its all they know.If your told something long enough soon its all you know."

Raine walked over drawing Sloan into the room shutting the door.

"Sit down we wont be here but a moment."

"Why are we here? "

"I wanted to see if Michael had called me she frowned rubbing between the bridge of her eyes, if he hasn't then I guess I'll actually try to call him.But I wanted to do that here."Walking over to the desk where the computer sat she pulled open the drawer reaching within for her cellphone.

Sloan looked around trying to get an idea of who Raine was when she spotted a painting about the fireplace.Moving closer she gasped, Raine glanced around to see what was wrong."This is beautiful I can't quite make out who painted it though,"stepping closer she realized it wasn't signed but had some sort vine or a tree with thorns and deep red flowers."

It was a fantasy painting of a black Dragon battling a white Unicorn in a forest so lush it could only exist in someone's imagination and in the background lying on the ground was a smaller unicorn and dragon obviously dead.The small dragon was lying over the fallen horse as if trying to protect it even in death.

The detail was incredible,you could see the wounds on the larger dragon,the tears staining Unicorn's face,the sadness, the intelligence of his eyes drew the looker back over and over.Raine quietly walked up beside her, pressing a button on the wall the light illuminated the painting.

Staring at the painting,she smiled "I was the one who painted that."

Sloan turned her head smiling,"your very good its beautiful."

"Thank you I painted that when I was fourteen I keep it as a reminder.."

"What of? " Sloan frowned.

"Do you know the legend of the dragon and the unicorn, she asked casually?" Puzzled, Sloan said " No."

Turning back to the painting she appraised it with new eyes there was a haunting quality to it and deep sadness.Walking away and opening a door Raine reached within pulling out a bag.Setting it down on the edge of the coffee table she disappeared into the back of the house. Strangely unsettled Sloan followed her into what appeared to be a bedroom,she was standing in front of a walk in closet pulling out clothes.

She glanced around see more art along the walls much of it along the same as in the living room a few magical creatures, magical beings others, a few seascapes sat on the floor along one wall, and she could see thru an open door what looked like a studio with huge bay windows. But the Dragon tugged at your heartstrings.

Glancing back at her, she noticed she had pulled her shirt off and was changing it when Sloan saw the tatoo it startled her.Raine froze, feeling Sloan's emotions turning her head she met Sloan's eyes calmly. She cleared her throat, "you have one of those as well? " Raine's head abruptly jerked a yes."You mentioned a legend? "

Holding her gaze a beat she turned and pulled the T-shirt over her head.Picking up the clothes she stepped into a room off the side and then walked passed Sloan into the other room placing the clothes into the bag by the door.

She faced the painting somewhat reluctantly.Walking slowly closer."At fourteen I met a boy,"she smiled wistfully.We became good friends gazing at the painting,she swallowed to hold back tears.It was harmless really.."

"Do you remember that one special boy Sloan the first one that was just everything?"

"Yes,she answered quietly I think all young girls do." Kyle was different from typical sixteen year old boys maybe thats why I let him get so close.

"I mentioned they didn't interfere..apparently I was wrong."

"Was it Michael?" Michael? No.."Stephen..visited me telling me it had to stop I was becoming more and more like them everyday."I was destined for more than being a whore for a human he said."

She sighed getting up and going to the desk she opened the top drawer taking out various id's and a passport, her atm card, some credit cards, she closed it and then stuffed it into her bag."

"Did you? Stop I mean.."Raine glanced at Sloan her lips curved ruefully,"no I didn't stop.But I did tell my mother what happened and asked why he was so fixated on me."

"By this time Michael wasn't in the picture he had been sent for special training and rumors would circulate from time to time."We had no contact with Lewis or those in his group apparently we were lucky."

She shook her head,"I don't understand the man at the lab doesn't seem like someone that takes orders." She grimaced,sitting back down she propped her feet on the coffee table."He doesn't does he?"Well the training was successful in some ways,I heard mother discussing it once with the others."Control him though? No that didn't happen."

"He surpassed all expectations I heard. Stephen apparently was determined to control him though,so Lewis was sent for.I heard later that Michael killed three of the guards with him,and had gotten a hold of Lewis.He had to be tranquilized before they could pull him off."

Sloan shifted restlessly,"somehow that doesn't come as a surprise to me after meeting him."Raine laughed,"after that it was decided Michael was loyal enough to the goals of the group on the whole and to valuable to waste,so they compromised."He would do the tasks they *asked* and they would leave him alone the rest of the time."

Thoughtfully Sloan asked,"you said their fixated are they?"Is there something about your physiology that makes you so important?"Are you capable of doing something that sets you apart?"

She groaned,"I just don't know.I asked my mother and got no where."

"Maybe we could run some tests,give you a physical find out once and for all."Raine looked un enthused "I um..I'll think about it."

"So you obviously cared deeply for this boy, girls that age usually tend to express their feelings with their bodies,did you... Sloan paused.Did I?? Aaahhh..

"Did you have sex with Kyle?"She laughed but it held no humor."No I was going to though."Raine smiled a bit self consciously,"I know it sounds like an episode from Karen's soap doesn't it? Sloan smiled,no more like Romeo and Juliet but thats ok."

Slowly her smile faded,"theres not much more to tell I was going home from school. I remember it well it was right before it happened. He roared up on his motorcycle.Lord talk about arrogance on the hoof. It had been years and the changes weren't subtle,now there was an added element a hardness,a cruelty that was new."

"He wore his hair long now to his shoulders and he seemed to have picked up a tatoo somewhere,"she laughed shaking her head.He stopped the bike and got off."We must have seemed like mannequin's because we stood there staring at one another.Boy she smiled,talk about two stubborn people,I was determined not to be the first one to speak."

"He stepped right up to me,he spoke so low I had to lean closer to hear him."

"What did he say?"

"It seems he had heard I had a visitor and was here to offer me some advice.Dump the kid if I wanted him to stay in one piece.

"Ouch!Sloan grimaced,so much for empathy."

"Michael wouldn't have known an emotion then if it bit him on the ass",Raine tossed out sarcastically.

She sighed,allowing herself to reminisce it was as if it happened yesterday.

"Michael you are crazy her voice rose,I'll see who I want to.I'm not about to let a bunch of fanatics run my life."You may get away with lording it over the rest of them but your not going to lord it over me."Get a life.And leave mine alone." Staring at her he said tonelessly,"then your going to get him killed.Is it worth that? "Have you screwed him yet?"She inhaled sharply,without thinking her hand flew up to punch his face.Catching her fist before it connected he tightened his grip painfully then loosened it slightly.

She lifted her chin, refusing to let him feel how much it hurt.She smiled tauntingly,"he's worth a dozen of you dead, frozen psychos." Michael took off his sunglasses looping them in his shirt he met her look coldly,grabbing her shoulders he shook her"listen you little fool their serious about this they want you away from that kid." She jeered,"O please!!All over a few dates??" Jerking herself away from him she eyed him distastefully,"even for them thats the hight of stupidity." To draw that kind of attention to themselves," she shook her in disbelief.

He stared at her clinically,"its more than a few dates,I can smell him all over you how far has it gone and are you really willing to take the chance?"If its a matter of sex he eyed her speculatively," I'm willing to satisfy you."

She snorted,"Please,your making me nausea's."He turned and walked to the bike,placing his glasses back on ,his eyes were hidden completing the image of indifference.

"OK I tried just make sure you have something black to wear." Starting the cycle he turned it.Looking around she spied a half empty can,reaching for it she threw it after him as he roared off down the street.

"Did they send him or he come on his own," Sloan asked.She jumped, embarrassed at how deeply into her own thoughts she had been."I'm not sure..You just can't tell with him. "Kyle and I were suppose to meet at the ball field after practice." He never showed, some of the guys said they saw him talking to a big Oriental looking guy."

And I knew god I ran to the nearest phone and called my mother told her what I thought happened."Stephen, Sloan guessed."Yes Stephen.I should have listened to Michael,but he always did have a way of making the hair on the back of my neck stand up."Mother said she'd make some calls, mean time she told me to take a cab to get Michael.I argued, whined but in the end I went to get Michael.

Her eyes idly drifted toward the windows."The sun will be up soon we should go,"absently she glanced toward the painting her look turned pensive.

"Raine? Did he help?" Picking up a pillow and picking at the threads,she answered hollowly "yes he tried to at least so I've been told."It was too late though."

Raine stood staring down at Sloan her lips curved trying to smile it flickered and died.

"I'm so sorry Sloan said quietly,is that when you did the painting?"But she was already turning toward the door grabbing her jacket and her bag she opened the door locking it.

She glanced back at Sloan and said wanly,"no that came later at the time you could say I saw allot of parallels in mother's fairy tale." Lets go,she nodded toward the house "I need to check the answering machine,and you need to get home and get some sleep."

The door opened quietly,entering he strode toward the man seated behind the desk the glow from the monitor turned his hair even whiter. Standing patiently he awaited to be acknowledged.

"Satisfy my curiosity,find out who took it apon themselves to removed Sacha",suddenly his head lifted and blue eyes as cold as a tomb met his.

He nodded,shutting the door as quietly as he came.