They both nodded and John said “don’t worry, we can handle it while you see Sam. That’s a family affair. Unless you need us, it’s really only something you can do” Serena nodded and looked out the window to think over the visions she had had.

Kay nodded at John's words, "thanks John" she replied.

-----

The drive to Seattle was long and required at least a couple of pit stops for breaks and switch overs between Kay and Serena driving. Kay hadn't driven in a long time so it really took it out of her, as they neared Seattle's seafront downtown area Kay had left the driving to Serena, leaving her with the satnav guide to the last place she knew Sam lived. During her break from driving she had fallen asleep in the backseat, her head against her arm that was propped up against the window.

From where they were it would have taken Serena another ten minutes to get to the house in question.

Serena was used to driving as she pulled up to the house and looked at John. “Better wake her up…” John nodded and moved to rest a hand on Kay’s shoulder. “Love? We are here”

Kay stirred awake when she felt John's hand on her shoulder and hesrd his voice pierce through her sleep. Opening her eyes she gave a small yawn, lowering her arm that she was leaning on, her elbow giving a little pop sound as she did so. She looked at John and Serena as she focused her eyes before glancing at the house they were parked in front of and felt that all too familiar tight knot in her stomach of nervousness.

"guess there's no turning back now" she mumbled, looking back at the other two. "I'll text one of you or put it in a group text if I need you both" she told them, opening the passenger door. "and you two do the same okay?" she added.

The pair nodded and John said “we will be ready when you want us to pick you up. Just call and we will be here” when she shut the door John muttered “hope this goes okay for her…”

Kay nodded and stepped out of the car, closing the door behind her and stared up at the house. She took a deep breath, unsure if she could actually do this but she knew she had to. Exhaling deeply she walkes up the front porch and lifted her hand up to knock on the door, but hesitated at first. "you can do this.." she whispered to herself, before managing to actually knock on the door.

"be right there!" came the familiar sound of Sam through the house before Kay hesrd her footsteps toward the door and the door unlocking then opening. "h-hey" Kay stammered looking at her sister in the eyes, but instead of a greeting back she practically got pounced on and hugged tightly. "oh my god Kay! I thought... I thought Ethan had killed you!" Sam cried into her shoulder, making Kay hug her sister back just as tightly and the floodworks just opened.

Serena didn’t pull out until she was sure Kay had found her sister, then smiled and drove away. Serena said “she’s lucky to have you John…I don’t think I could have gotten her to go see her family…” John smiled snd leaned back in the chair, now thinking of the problem at hand.

Kay briefly pulled away and wiped her eyes with the back of her arm before glancing back as she heard the car pull away. "who were those people?" Sam asked her, watching the car leave the parking spot. "it's a long story.." Kay replied, as Sam lead her inside, closing the door behind them both. "well, you got a lot of explaining to do about why you've stayed away from your family so long, and what was with Ethan" Sam told her. "I know I do and I will explain everything, I promise. At least, as best as I can" Kay reassured her sister.

She wanted to tell her everything but she also didn't want to drag her into everything either. She was terrified of having her sister think her crazy, so she had to come up with some normal life situations to use as an explanation, just for now. "I guess I can start with who those people are" Kay began. "John and Serena, the people in the car fou d me when I was hiding from Ethan. Ethan was on some kind of drug... Or something. Those two people saved me and I owe them my life. Serena became a friend and John? Well, that's...complicated. But I think we're an item, we just haven't really properly discussed terms" she began saying as she followed Sam into the living room and sat on the couch.

The place looked so cosy and homely. "you seem to have done alright for yourself though" she tried to change the subject.

The pair ended up at the space needle and were walking around trying to get a feeling for what was going on. Serena shook her head and said “this makes no sense. The feelings I’m getting are all wrong.”

John didn’t like this and muttered “why does this feel like a trap…”

"I guess I have, but you know this area, this is pretty standard. But no changing the subject. Why didn't you come home?" Sam asked Kay as she watched her sit on the couch, making her sit next to her. She had missed Kay dearly and always felt protective over her ever since it was her idea when they were nine years old for her parents to take Kay in. "Like I said, things are complicated. I didn't wanna risk you getting hurt so I just ran...I guess, I guess I forgot coming home was even an option" Kay said back to her, but truth was, she hadn't forgotten, she just really didn't want to lead demons to Sam's location. "Staying away kept you safe, let you complete uni, go on to do whatever you wanted in life. I didn't want to drag you down into my sorry life again" she added with a heavy sigh.

She then felt a slap on the arm, making her wince and rub her arm, "You're an idiot Kay Hale. You should never be worried about that, we've been best friends since we were what...4 years old? If not younger, I'm not going to abandon you just like that. I've been so worried you were dead somewhere, so was mom and dad." Sam replied to her, trying to not cry all over again at having Kay back in her life. Kay coudl do nothing but put her head down and look at the floor, she felt awful.

The pair soon we’re heading to the coast of the city, still trying to figure out what was going on. Serena put up a hand as they heard water and she said “I got something. I sense another…but that’s not right. It’s weak…which makes no sense with who we are looking for”

John looked around the alley they were in and muttered “I don’t like this…something is really…” suddenly he ducked and tackled Serena as a large plant shot at them from behind. John turned and cursed. “Thought so. It looks like the vessel of Apollo has be grabbed by a nasty creature…” he got up and helped Serena up as the vines got closer. He cursed and said “well…glad Kay isn’t here…”

The pair jumped into the fight, but they were overwhelmed when Serena got hit from behind and the vines wrapped around her. John tried to get to her but something shot him and a shock ran thru his body, making him cry and out and hit the ground, out cold.

"Don't beat yourself up okay? You're alive and that's all that matter." Sam reassured her, rubbing Kay's back, Kay nodding and slowly lifting her head to look at her sister before a powerful surge of pain coursed through her. Yet it wasn't her pain, it was pain being transferred through to her through her bond on her wrist. "Kay? Kay what's wrong?" Sam asked, worried as she saw her sister double over and wincing.

"I...I have to go, something is wrong" she hissed out, seeing her wrist bond sigil glow lightly under her hoodie sleeve, "But you just got here, what's going on?" Sam asked panicked, "Just, just stay here Sam, I'll be back, I promise" she told her, getting up onto her feet but staggering to the front door. "But you're not okay" Sam pleaded back trying to stop her sister from possibly hurting herself outside. "I'll be fine...I have to get to John" Kay said, getting to the door and opening it.

A shadow sat outside and looked up, looking panicked. It moved up to Kay and into her arms. It was shaking in fear and pain. The others were in trouble. A lot of trouble.

The pair were hanging in darkness, vines wrapped around them tightly. Both were out cold, the vines around them glowing with their own energy.

"it's okay... Its okay. We'll get them" she told the shadow, letting the shadow remain close to her. She remembered the location to of where the others were and knew it wasn't too far away, but still toof ar for her liking. She began running quickly down the road even though the transferred pain from John was still lingering, but something felt off about it. She couldn't knew he wasn't dead, somehow she just knew she'd feel it if he was.

Even though it had been a few years si ce she was last here, she remembered all the short cuts to the space needle and swiftly got to the destination by cutting through back streets and alleyways and then down the main street. "John?! Serena?!" she called out as she saw a darkness fall over one area. "John! Serena!" she called out again.

The shadow moved from her arms and lead her down the alleyway. They came to a gate that lead into a garden growing in between buildings. Walking in the vines were moving and reacting her being there. But the heat coming off of her kept them back.

On the far end of the small garden hung the pair. Serena was held on the wall, the vines around her glowing silver as they drained her magic from her. John was held on the wall next to her, the vines around him glowing with his magic as well. They were both out cold, John looking like he had electric burns. Serena was bleeding from her head.

Seeing the vines and how they reacted to her made her curious and almost afraid, but now was a time to be brave. She needed to save her friend and the man she was falling hard for. When the shadow lead her to where they were she gasped and paused for a moment. "no.." she gasped, before running up to them, checking them over and seeing the blood on Serena and the burns on John.

"shadow, be careful..we don't know what we're dealing with." she warned it, what she was witnessing was like something out of comics. She stroked John's face just to feel a pulse which luckily she could feel. "I'm gonna get you both out of here" she told them both. "I promise" she added. She just hoped her words were getting through to them.

She needed to get them free but she didn't want to hurt either of them either.

The shadow moved and took shape. Soon Bane was standing next to the girl and growled. “It’s a demon plant. It must be connected to the threat looming over the city. But the plant fears you. Your flames should be able to burn it to ashes. We need to free them before they are drained completely”

John stirred a little but couldn’t in his state. Bane moved closer to the plant and said “there’s another soul here…I sense another victim here”

Bane's appearance wasn't as disconcerting as it was would have been. It was actually a relief to have someone she could converse with in what to do. "got it, stand back because I don't want to accidentally burn you" she said back to Bane. She didn't know what her phoenix fire could do to someone like Bane, but she didn't want to take any chances either.

She stood back a little bit and closed her eyes, "okay Fee, time for you to help me" she muttered under her breath, reopening her eyes. She moved her hands away from her side and from John's cheek before igniting them, where she proceeded to aim her flames at the vines all around them, scorching and burning them. Seeing her new chosen family in such a predicament made her feel like she should have never let them go alone.

Bane moved back and watched the bird of life destroying the demon plant before them. The vines screamed and tried to attack Kay but shadows jumped up and blasted them back, Bane covering her as she worked.

It didn’t take long for the alley to become a burn zone. John and Serena soon were free, falling to the ground and laying on the newly burn cleaned stone under them. Bane nodded and said “good thing you sensed the danger when you did…”

Kay was thankful for the help in the shadows and Bane, as she could feel herself getting exhausted from the amount of work it ended up taking out of her. It may not have taken long, but it did take a lot of her channeling of Fee's power to save the ones she cared about.

She nodded at Bane's words, "I felt John's pain through our bond. I knew I couldn't stay at my sister's when I was feeling that." she said, tired as her hands extinguished the flames and ran over to both John and Serena. "Bane, you check Serena, I'll check on John" she suggested, kneeling down beside John and checking his burn marks. "come on John, wake up, please" she said softly.