Author's Note: Please excuse the long delay, my full time job precludes the writing process.

Henry was waiting for Laura when she emerged from the doors of the international arrivals at the Old City International Airport. Laura quickly noticed that Henry looked sad and withdrawn; she knew it was because of Kate. She looked at him with calm thoughtful eyes; she hadn't seen him like this in many, many years. She wouldn't just take his thoughts from him; he was in such a situation that she didn't want to be that rude.

"May I?" asked Laura softly.

He nodded. He knew what she wanted; she wanted his permission before looking into his mind. It would only take her a moment to get all that she needed; it was faster and easier than talking at the moment. After a quick hug they began walking to the van in silence.

"Henry, how are you?" Laura asked trying to make small talk.

"I'm fine, there is just a lot going on right now." he replied, he didn't want to talk in public.

Laura stopped and waited for him to stop as well in the near empty parking level. She wanted to get it over with; she needed to make peace with Henry. He eventually turned to see where she had gotten too. When he saw that she was so far back he started back towards her, she was being stubborn as hell when he needed it the least. She wanted to say it to him aloud, putting the idea in his mind just wasn't enough as far as she was concerned.

"Henry, I am sorry. I am sorry for everything I have done to you, you did not deserve any of it. I don't want to hurt you or anyone else." She paused. "All I seek is your forgiveness."

Henry stood facing Laura, she was so tiny he had to look down and she up for their eyes to meet.

"I forgave you a long time ago." he said quietly lifting his hand to reach out and touch Laura.

He placed his hand on her cheek giving her permission to look deeper so that she could see how he really felt. She was his little sister and no matter what he would be there for her. Laura lifted her own gloved hand and placed it on top of Henry's.

"Thank you."

Her parting thought was one to him, that she loved him very much and that she considered him her only family. With this Henry smiled and took her by the elbow to the van.

It was late when they got it back to the house, Laura went straight to her room to see if she could get some sleep, she hadn't slept well on the plane there were too many minds to allow her to do much of anything other than focus on not being overwhelmed. Henry could see she was tired and did not say anything to her as he walked her to her room. They would all gather in the morning to discuss what they we're going to do to help Kate.

XXX

Kate lay unmoving on the bed, Laura could feel the overwhelming fear in the room radiating from Kate. She did not need to read any ones thoughts to know that this was going to be a difficult conversation. Magnus and Tesla had remained in the office at Laura's request with Henry and the Big Guy, Magnus and Tesla were just too easy to read they would be too much of a distraction during an already difficult situation. Laura had asked Will to be the only other person in the room. She knew that he could control his thoughts and he knew how to handle any situations that could arise if something went wrong. Laura had been thinking about how to go about this since she had gotten the call from Henry four days before, it would be a difficult and delicate situation that required a great deal of self control on her part. Laura removed one of her elbow length gloves and placed it on the night stand as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Kate, Dr. Magnus would like me to look in to your mind but I would first like to ask your permission. I only plan to seek out the memories of the night you were found in the abandoned store. Anything I learn that is irrelevant to the case I will keep among my secrets of which I am the keeper of so many secrets."

Kate understood what Laura was saying and although she gave no outward answer Laura was aware that she was allowed to enter, she turned to Will.

"If anything happens I will pull away, I do not expect this to take more than a few minutes for me to get the whole story but you must understand that it might take me a few hours to process what I have gathered."

"I understand are you ready?" said Will.

"I have never done this on anyone who wasn't considered the enemy."

"You will do just fine." said Will.

Laura reached out and took Kate's hand. The connection was instant; Laura could feel the rush of emotions and thoughts filling her. Laura quickly understood what had happened and that it was still happening as far as Kate was concerned. Laura broke the connection after only a few minutes, she sat silently on the edge if the bed beginning to process the information. What she had seen and felt was horrific. There was so much to it that Laura felt overwhelmed by it all. She had to take a moment to clear her head before she speak. She slowly put her gloves back on.

"Can I tell Will what happened?" asked Laura after a few moments turning back to Kate.

Kate nodded but in her mind Laura knew there was a stipulation. She didn't want Henry to know all the details, she wanted to do that herself if and when the time came.

"I promise." said Laura.

Will stood watching, he did not speak allowing Laura to do what she felt she needed to. He followed Laura out of Kate's room leaving her to rest he could imagine that having to relive the experience was an exhausting experience.

XXXXXXXXX

Laura stood at the window at the end of the hallway, Will was only steps behind her. What she had seen was far more evil and painful than what she had experienced before. Normally her readings were done on men who believed that what they were doing was for their god and their people. But this was far more painful. She had seen the horrors of war but this cut a new wound in her heart, one that she feared would not heal.

"Magnus is correct she was attacked by an abnormal but there is more to what happened than we believed." she paused. "I need your help, you see details where most see vague images."

"That is why you asked Kate for her permission?"

"But first I must ask you if you are willing to let me into your mind. I will focus on only projecting Kate's memories but I must warn you that you may see memories of my own and that I may see some of you memories."

"I am willing if it will help Kate."

"I just don't want to hurt anyone else, I have done some cruel and evil things using my gift."

"Your intentions in this case are good, you want to help Kate."

"And Henry, I owe it to him."

Will did not inquire further, she knew something but he felt it best not to inquire.

"Can I have an hour or so, I need a nap before I attempt this."

"Sure"

Laura went to her room in the North Tower to think and process what she had just learned. It was horrific, it made war look like a walk in the park.

XXXXXXX

"Do you need anything?" asked Will.

Laura smiled, she could feel his nerves they were hard to miss. He did not know what to expect from her and part of him didn't trust her, but she had not expected anything less.

"Are you ready?" asked Laura.

"Not really but waiting isn't going to make it any easier so let's just do it." replied Will.

"I warn you, the experience may be very overwhelming but I will only maintain the connection as long as I have to and not a moment longer."

He nodded.

Will sat down on the sofa, Laura sat down in the next chair, she removed a glove and started to focus her mind. She had never done this, sharing her own thoughts and ideas was easy but to share someone else's thoughts without putting her own twist on the story. She slowly reached out and took Will's hand, it took only a matter of moments to pass along the memories to Will.

"Wow," was all Will could say when Laura pulled her hand away.

"See, there is more to this than we know." she paused. "We need to talk to Magnus."

XXXXXX

Everyone was once again gathered in Magnus's office. Tesla was standing in the corner with a glass of wine in his hand, Henry was nervously pacing behind the sofa, the Big Guy was dusting, and Magnus was reading a report when Will and Laura arrived.

"Did it work?" asked Henry.

"Yes," said Laura quietly.

"Magnus, you said that her brain readings weren't what they should be." said Will.

"Correct," she replied.

"I believe that she is still experiencing the nightmare, I believe that there is someone else in her

mind or at least still connected to her mind."

Everyone in the room turned to look at both of them, this was a big announcement. Laura could feel the nerves in the room.

"I didn't dig too deep for fear of going too far, I just did a passing reading focusing on the events in the warehouse but the whole time I had this odd feeling that I wasn't alone. I have read the minds of hundreds of people over the years and I have never felt that way before, it was like there was someone else in her mind forcing her to relive the nightmare that was that night over and over again."

Henry was in shock, thoughts flying through his mind at a hundred miles an hour. Laura wanted to reach out to him and touch him but this wasn't the place or the time.

"Henry, I will get to the bottom of this." said Laura hoping to calm him.