Lineage IV: Nephalem

Summary: An unwelcome visitor crashes Fiona and Molly's weekend in New York with Rachel and Melinda. Despite the questionable source, Fiona must work with Bricriu and rescue her father's soul.

A/N: I can't help it – when I've invested so much in a fanfic series, I always return to it at some point. The characters start to feel like my own and I miss them after a while. I began this particular story over a year ago, when I first had the idea. Since then I would add a few pages between original projects, so...it's a little long. And frankly I didn't know how it would end until midway through.

That said, this might be the last Lineage story. Maybe. Let's just say it can be the finale if I don't decide to continue it.

Who am I kidding? I'll add another story eventually.

Many creatures I've encountered are pure evil. The bad can seem overwhelming sometimes, but when I think about past experiences, I've also seen a lot of good. This makes me wonder – if there are demons, are there angels? I'm still not sure what to call the man who told me about Gabe's illness. Maybe I've met one and didn't even know it.

Keeping all this straight can get confusing. How do ghosts fit in? Is it possible for my dad to become an angel, and if he can, why hasn't he yet? Is he choosing to be a ghost to protect to his family? I'd like to find out how it all works. If ghosts, demons and angels all exist, they have to be connected.

Don't they?

"I still think we should use magic to get there." Fiona Phillips stood in her living room, taking stock of the luggage she and her mom were bringing to New York. For a four-day trip, they'd packed two suitcases – each. At least Fiona's second could be a carry-on. "We'd save on baggage fees. And I'm really not looking forward to the five-hour flight."

Molly gave her a warning glance. "Don't start, Fi. You know very well why we're not using magic. For one, I doubt we're strong enough to transport both of us across the country. And two, we traumatized your poor aunt Rachel after our last visit. Telling her and Melinda we're witches can wait until our next girls weekend. If we tell them at all."

"Not telling them gets my vote," Jack said from over by the doorway. "The less people who know I'm a freak, the better." He stood waiting with the car keys in his hand, ready to drive them to the airport.

Fiona smirked at him. "Come on Jack, people know you're a freak just by looking at you."

"Is that so? Fine, lug your own bag through the airport."

"Who needs you?" Fiona retorted, waving a hand towards her carry-on. It tilted forward and rolled on its wheels across the room towards her. "See? I've been practicing."

Jack only rolled his eyes. "Right, good luck getting a self-rolling suitcase past security."

Meanwhile, Molly looked frustrated. "Hey! When did you learn control like that? I always have to say the spell out loud." She then shook her head in disbelief. "Thank goodness we're going on vacation. I think we could all use a weekend without magic or anything witch-related."

"I think it's unavoidable, Mom," Jack said, resignation in his voice. "You told Fi not to talk about demons when we went to visit the grandparents, and look how well that turned out."

While Fi suppressed a chuckle, Molly groaned. "Good point," she grumbled.

Fiona considered their argument against telling their extended family the truth. Even though she wanted to let her aunts in on the secret, her mom was right about Rachel's fragile mental state. Rachel called Fiona every week now to check in. They never spoke about the roof incident directly, but Rick's twin sister worried about her niece even more than she had before. Learning about witchcraft in her family might push the cynical attorney over the edge. "I promise I won't tell Aunt Rachel," Fiona said, shocking her mother and Jack. "You guys are right – she doesn't need to know yet. Telling her now would only upset her."

A relieved smile on her face, Molly put her arm around Fiona's shoulders. "Thanks, baby. You're really growing up. Even if you and your brother still tease each other all the time."

"Sorry, but I don't think we'll ever outgrow that one," Jack joked.

A knock sounded at the door as the Bells arrived. Clu and Carey had their own travel bags with them. Since this would be Clu's first weekend home from college for the summer, the guys convinced the parents to let them house sit while Fiona and Molly went on their so-called "girls' weekend." Melinda was in New York starring in an off-Broadway play, a life-long dream of hers, so her sister-in-law and niece decided to show their support. Rachel then suggested a female bonding weekend of plays, shopping and indulgent meals at her favorite expensive restaurants. Molly and the aunts decided it would also be Fiona's (very) early Christmas present that year.

As for Jack, he didn't mind staying home by himself at all. He even went a step further and invited the Bell brothers to stay for the weekend. Ned and Irene strongly opposed this, but since their sons were technically adults eighteen and over, they grudgingly allowed it. They also planned to stop by the house frequently. If the boys insisted on throwing a party, or 'small gathering' as Clu liked to call it, they would find out. And there'd be hell to pay if the guys disturbed the neighbors.

No one spoke about the underlying layer of tension attached to this landmark weekend. They were a little paranoid about the Phillips-Bell clan splitting up for the first time since magic entered their lives. Fiona, Jack and Molly felt it the strongest. What if something bad happened while their family was scattered across the country?

Anxiety grew in Fiona's chest as everyone started to say good-bye. When she hugged Irene a little too tight, Irene raised an eyebrow at her honorary niece. "Are you okay, Fi? I'm sure you'll have a great time. Part of me wishes I was going with you."

"Hey, we invited you," Fiona reminded her. Irene had declined early on, insisting the weekend was about family and Fiona spending time with Rick's sisters. At the blonde's insistent look, Fiona sighed. "Okay, I guess I'm just…thinking about the last time we went to New York, and everything. For some reason I don't like the idea of us all splitting up."

Irene nodded in understanding. "Right there with you, hon. But we have to get past it or we'll all have to go everywhere together, for the rest of our lives. We've managed it so far but it's really not healthy."

Fiona relaxed at the joke and let out a genuine laugh. "Thanks, Mrs. B."

They turned around to find Ned and Molly giving the guys one last lecture. "I'm warning the three of you right now," Ned ordered in his scary "ex-biker" voice. "This place better look exactly the same when Molly and Fiona get back. Clean up after yourselves. If I hear that you left any laundry or dishes for Molly to do, I'm sending your butts back over here to clean this house from top to bottom."

Clu, Carey and Jack mock-saluted in unison. "Sir, yes sir!"

"God help us all," Ned muttered while the women broke out into laughter.

"Don't worry about Jack, Mrs. P," Clu insisted, giving his best friend a teasing glance. "We'll take good care of him. You know, we'll make sure he eats his vegetables, cleans his room, all that stuff."

Jack chuckled. "You don't eat your vegetables. Or clean your room."

"That's not the issue here, is it?"

"You're all forgetting I've lived in my own apartment for almost a month now," Carey added. "If these two get out of hand, there will be a real adult around to keep things under control. Plus, you know, if anything happens, Super Jack can help."

Irene gave her oldest son a confused glance. "'Super Jack'?"

"Well yeah, you know, 'cause he has powers like a superhero. That's bound to come in handy."

"Oh no you don't," Molly said, holding up her hands. "I thought it was an understood rule that no witchcraft happens in this house while I'm gone. Frankly I'm surprised that would be an issue knowing how Jack feels about magic."

Jack glared at Carey. "It's not, Mom. I'm looking forward to a magic-free weekend."

"Me too," Molly agreed. Finally she picked up one of her suitcases. "Okay, let's move out."

Jack and Mr. B were going to the airport too, so as they carried some bags out to the car, Fiona reached for her last suitcase. She paused when an idea hit her. Since this was going to be a "magic-free weekend," it couldn't hurt to indulge a little before she left.

So, as Carey and Clu stared with wide eyes, she made the suitcase roll on its own towards the car.

The uneasiness in Fi's chest faded almost as soon as she saw her aunts again. After sleeping through the flight, she had plenty of energy to catch up with Rachel and Melinda. She and Molly told them all about her travels, leaving out anything magical, during the cab ride from the airport to Rachel's condo. They all had a snack while Melinda got ready for her performance that night, which they were all attending. Fiona would have seen any play featuring her aunt, but she looked forward to this one since it included a bunch of classic rock songs. She'd grown up on it thanks to her mom.

By the end of the night she was full on Japanese food and belting out The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" with her family. "I loved that play, Aunt Melinda!" she said for the second or third time. They'd all crashed when they returned to the condo, the four of them sprawled across Rachel's living room. "And you were awesome! Can we go again tomorrow?"

Melinda blushed and leaned over to wrap her niece in yet another bone-crushing hug. "Of course you can! There's a two 'o clock show tomorrow, but I'm sure you want to do a million other things while you're here."

"That's her nice way of saying she doesn't want us to come back," Molly teased. "Or just me, since I took some of her spotlight after the show. I'm so sorry, Melinda."

Rachel let out a loud chuckle. "Hazards of being famous, Mol. Don't apologize – I thought it was funny."

"Stop that, will you? I feel bad enough," Molly said, though she smiled while she protested.

Melinda wasn't upset. "Hey, Rachel's right, it was funny! You can't help it if, and everyone in the cast was excited to meet you. As another bonus, more people asked for my autograph because I hung out with you – they thought I was some famous actress!"

Fiona couldn't stop laughing. It was so nice to relax without her usual worries. While they'd destroyed the demon that killed her father, she now had to contend with powers that didn't always do what she wanted. She still made things happen without meaning to sometimes. There'd been several close calls both on the road and after the tour ended a couple weeks ago. She was coming around to the idea of a magic-free weekend, but she hoped her abilities complied. It would be tough to explain vanishing into thin air.

She wasn't the only one on her "best behavior" either. Molly's power tended to be even more unpredictable than her children's combined.

The women chatted some more, talking about the play and sharing even more stories. Finally Melinda wanted to call her husband and daughters before going to bed. She'd been staying in Rachel's spare room while she did the play, but she insisted on taking the fold-out couch so Fiona and Molly could share the room. Out of consideration, Fiona, Molly and Rachel started to clean up the living room while Melinda made the call.

"Tell Maggie and Miranda I said hi!" Fi called. After Melinda assured her she would, Fiona commented, "I miss my little cousins. It's been over a year since I've seen them. We talk on my site all the time, but it's not the same."

Rachel became solemn at the mention of Fiona's website. "Hey, uh, speaking of your website, and…the stuff on it. I've been meaning to tell you both that Melinda still doesn't know about what happened the last time you were here. Mostly because I'm still trying to figure it out myself. In case you thought she already knew, well, she doesn't."

"Do you think we should tell her?" Molly asked, exchanging a nervous glance with her daughter.

Rachel seemed flustered just from speaking about the topic. "Oh, don't ask me. It's not my story to tell." She looked towards her niece. "Frankly, I'm a little surprised you haven't brought it up yet. For the longest time you wanted me to believe some…creature, thing…pushed you off. I expected you to start up again at the airport, but instead, you haven't mentioned it or anything else other-worldly since you got here. I've been trying to figure it out but I can't pinpoint it. You've changed, Fiona. You too Molly. I have no idea how, but there's…something."

Stunned, Fiona took a minute to form a response. Did her aunt sense their magic without realizing it? Fiona's father had a sensitivity to the paranormal, so maybe his twin sister shared it on a subconscious level. "Mom was just saying how I've grown up," Fiona said, trying to brush off her aunt's concern. "I guess I needed a break from all that. And I didn't want to upset you. It was a tough day for everyone, not just me."

"That's true, but I'd say you got the worst of it," Rachel argued. "Fi, you went through a terrible experience. Don't bottle up everything inside just because I might not like what you say."

It was on the tip of Fiona's tongue to tell her about the demon, and witchcraft. Molly noticed because she sent Fiona warning glare. "Thanks, Aunt Rachel," Fiona replied instead. "Honestly, things have been crazy these last few months, and it's a lot to explain. But it's not something Mom and I want to get into right now."

The lawyer gave Fiona a scrutinizing once-over, clearly eager to get some answers. But, since Fiona was willing to compromise, she backed off. "Okay, you two win this round. But may I remind you what I do for a living. If you're hiding something, I'll find out eventually."

"I'm sure you will," Molly said, her tone cryptic. "I just hope you can accept what you find."

Rachel glanced from Molly, to Fiona, then back again. "You can't be serious. I love the both of you with all my heart. There's very little you could tell me that would drive me away."

"Good. Remember that," Fiona said, giving her aunt a grateful hug. They all returned to their regular conversation when Melinda walked back into the room.

The next morning, Fiona woke up much earlier than she normally would. Her family packed her weekend full of activities and she wanted to make time for all of them. That day's schedule included shopping, lunch, more shopping, then dinner at Aunt Rachel's favorite Italian restaurant. She also wanted to bring up Aunt Melinda's play again. Fi would love to attend a dress rehearsal and hang out with some of the cool actors she'd met the night before…

"I'm worried about them, Rachel. Don't tell me they're fine, I know you're worried too."

Fiona stopped in her tracks about a foot away from the condo's common area. On instinct she backed into the hallway to keep out of sight. Peeking around the wall, Fiona saw her aunts in the kitchen having breakfast. Rachel sat at the counter sipping her coffee, while Melinda stood at the stove scrambling eggs in a pan. Her mother was nowhere in sight, and she hadn't been in their room, so Molly must have gone to take her shower. Fi tuned her aunts out for the moment, and sure enough, she heard water running in the bathroom. She quickly refocused on the living room so she didn't miss a word her aunts said.

Rachel tapped her fingers on the side of her coffee mug, clearly debating how to handle her little sister's concern. "What makes you think something's wrong?" she finally asked. "They seem to be having a good time so far. Fiona really loved your play."

"Hey, don't try that lawyer stuff with me either," Melinda accused. "I know you better than anyone, so I can tell when you're deflecting. Come on, what gives? Are they in trouble?"

Caving under her sister's steady gaze, Rachel confessed, "I don't know! It's all so confusing. I haven't been this confused since…Ricky was alive."

Melinda dropped the spatula she'd been holding. It fell into the pan. "Is...is Fiona trying to get you to believe again? Did she ask you about a spellbook? Because I've been meaning to tell you that I gave it to Fiona the last time I saw her."

"No! What spellbook?" Rachel shook her head in amazement. "Never mind, one impossible thing at a time. What's strange is Fiona hasn't mentioned anything strange! That's probably what you're picking up on. She's talked about it every phone conversation we've had since she was here a few months ago, and now, nothing! I almost wish she would talk about ghosts or demons just so she would sound like her old self. This 'new Fi' is throwing me for a loop."

Fiona put a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from laughing. Imagine that – her efforts to seem normal had worked a little too well!

"Maybe that's it then…hold on," Melinda paused and made eye contact with Rachel. "Did you say demons? When was Fiona talking about demons?"

Rachel glared at her sister. "Don't go there, Mel. I know you believed Ricky towards the end, but God, we've finally put that behind us. Fiona thought she encountered a demon but I'm sure there's an explanation for why she was pushed off that roof...oh, damn it."

As expected, Melinda rounded on her sister, the eggs burning in the pan. "I'm sorry, my niece was pushed off a roof? By a demon?"

"No! Were you not listening? It wasn't a demon!" Rachel stood up while Melinda forcefully turned the stove burner off. When they made eye contact again, Rachel lowered voice and continued, "But yes, Melinda. Fiona almost fell off the roof of a skyscraper." Melinda gasped and Rachel became emotional herself as she remembered. "She was…dangling there, holding on to the edge…oh, God. I've never been so terrified in my life. The door had locked behind her so Jack and I ran to the lower floor to stay with her. To torture ourselves, I guess, because there was nothing we could do. I really, truly thought I was about to witness my niece's death. Then all of a sudden someone was there pulling her up."

A hand over her heart, Melinda's voice trembled as she asked, "Who was it, someone else in the building?"

"That's another mystery. Jack and I would have seen someone go up, but there was no one." Rachel had to clear her throat before she continued. "Fiona said it was Ricky's ghost, Melinda. I don't know what to think, what to believe. All of this is so impossible and I didn't know how to make heads or tails of it. That's why it's confusing now. I'm thinking Fiona was so traumatized that she gave up the paranormal. It's the only explanation that makes sense."

As Melinda wrapped Rachel in a comforting hug, Fiona backed all the way down the hall to her temporary bedroom. Her mother had returned and was drying her hair. "Good morning, baby," she greeted after she turned off the hair dryer. "Ready for another exciting day?" She paused when she noticed her daughter's troubled expression. "What's wrong?"

"Aunt Rachel accidentally told Aunt Melinda about how I fell off the roof," Fiona answered without hesitation. She couldn't think of a reason not to tell her mother.

"Oh God. How did Melinda take it? Did you tell her everything?"

"They, uh, didn't know I was there. I sort of eavesdropped from the hallway." Fiona winced, realizing one reason she should have kept this info to herself. Her mother didn't reprimand her right away so she pushed forward."Then Aunt Rachel explained the whole story, or the pieces of it she put together. She thinks I'm not talking about the paranormal because I was traumatized by what happened. Meanwhile, the way she talked about it, I can tell she's more haunted by it than I am."

Sympathy in her expression, Molly explained, "That's because she doesn't know what we know. We faced our demons, both literally and figuratively. She's still processing. I don't think she'll be able to move on until we tell her the truth."

Fiona paused, her eyebrow raised. "Wait, are you suggesting we tell her about magic? After you warned me against it?"

"In my defense I didn't realize how much this affected Rachel. I think we need to make sure she…and Melinda, I guess…know before the end of the weekend." Molly tilted her head in consideration. "Should we tell her now, to get it over with, or put it off until Sunday so we can all enjoy our trip? Will they even be able enjoy it if they're so worried about us?"

Fiona laughed at her mother's perplexed expression. "Relax, Mom. Let's see how the day goes. Maybe an opportunity will present itself."

Since she didn't have to worry so much about her secret, Fiona could actually relax. She even confessed to her aunts about eavesdropping. She didn't get into the details, but she did explain a little about the demon. (Of course she didn't tell them that it killed their brother. She still didn't know if she could.) Both aunts reminded her to always be herself around them, which made Fiona love them even more than she already did. As much as she loved her mother and brother, they'd always told her to hold back.

Everyone seemed to breathe easier after that. The four women went out shopping for a few hours, but they had to drop Melinda off at the theater for her matinee. The others ended up staying again, so the group was running on empty by the time they returned to Rachel's condo close to five.

"I'm so tired," Fi whined, collapsing on Rachel's couch. "But I'm also hungry. If someone made me food and brought it to me, I'd be eternally grateful."

Her family laughed as they started to put together a snack. They couldn't eat a big meal since they had dinner reservations in a few hours. "I'll do it Fi, don't worry," Rachel offered. "I should've realized you're not much of a marathon shopper. You see, it takes years of experience to reach my level of expertise. We'll get in some more practice this weekend."

"She'll whip you into shape," Melinda joked. "By Sunday she'll have you shopping ten city blocks without breaking a sweat."

Everyone laughed as Molly commented, "You sound like you're speaking from…experience…" She trailed off and looked out Rachel's window. "Huh…"

Fi sat up a little so she could glance out the window too. "What are you looking at, Mom?" She paused, wondering if she should have been so quick to call out her mother's spacey expression. It was possible that Molly had a psychic vision and used the window as a cover.

Also turning towards the window, Rachel shrugged. "I don't see anything so it must have gone away. What was it, Molly?"

A small ball of light burst in through the window, passing right through the glass.