Crystal MacLeod stirred in her sleep and woke up with a start. She sat up and listened carefully, trying to figure out what had awaken her. The house was quiet and still and there seemed to be nothing wrong. So she reached out to gently touch the mind of her house guest to see if she was ok. She quickly put her shields again as she felt an almost overpowering wave of grief coming from Katherine. Jumping up, she rushed down the hall and peered through the open door of the room where Katherine had been sleeping. The bed was empty, its bed clothes tangled up and strewn on the floor, and the younger immortal was no where to be seen. She did a quick search of the rest of the house only to find that it too was empty. Starting to worry now, she opened the front door and stepped out into the cool night air. She sighed in relief when she saw Katherine sitting out on the beach all by herself, facing the ocean and huddled into a tight forlorn ball.

Walking up to her she knelt beside her and took her into her arms without saying a word, wanting to comfort her the best she could, crooning gently in gaelic. They sat that way for awhile, with Katherine softly crying in her embrace. At last Katherine raised up and wiped her tear stained face with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, Crystal. I didn't want to wake you up again", she said. "I thought you wouldn't hear me if I went outside." Crystal just smiled gently and took her back into her arms as another wave of tears started.

"What's wrong, Katherine? Was it another one of your bad dreams?" she asked. "Or is all that has been happening just now catching up to you?" She thought it be the later, knowing that she was probably feeling an emotional let down after the high she had been on after her audition. Katherine raised up again, shivering with cold as she struggling to control her runaway emotions.

"Both", she said in a mere whisper in response to the question. "Let's get you inside then and get you warmed up with some hot chocolate or tea." Taking her hand she pulled her up and escorted her back into the house. Once the girl was comfortably wrapped in a warm blanket and was slowly drinking a cup of Crystal's special blend of herbal tea, the older immortal pulled up a chair and sat right in front of her.

"Katherine, do you want to talk about what is bothering you?" she asked, a concerned look on her face. Katherine shook her head sadly, not making eye contact with her. "I don't know if I can, Crystal. I just try to push it back as far as I can and try to go on with my life."

"That's not good for you, sweetie, after awhile it will just start eating a hole in you. Haven't you ever been able to talk about what is bothering you with anyone?" Crystal asked gently, trying not to push too hard but wanting her to open up. ~Would that I could help you, little one.~

"I used to be able to talk to the Captain. But I haven't seen him in a long time. So much has happened since the last time I saw him", Katherine sighed deeply, a new wave of tears threatening to start." And once, an immortal priest in Paris helped me work through some problems."

"Paris?" Crystal exclaimed. "You wouldn't be talking about Darius, would you?" Katherine looked up and smiled slightly. "Yes! That was his name."

"Then first thing in the morning, Katherine, you are going to church!" Crystal smiled at the look of confusion on her little friend's face. "Darius is right here in SIMsCity! We'll go together, if anyone can help you, perhaps it will be him." Katherine bowed her head again, and retreated momentarily into herself as she took in this new bit of information. Then she looked up and smiled a little brighter this time.

"Maybe you're right, Crystal. Maybe a visit to Darius would do me good." With that she curled up in a ball on the couch and dozed off as Crystal sat by her side keeping watch over her through the rest of the night.

~Poor thing, I must teach you how to control these emotions. Not to mention how to trust. I'll be the teacher you should have had all those years ago.~

Crystal and Katherine were enjoying the beautiful spring morning as they made their way through SIMsCity towards the town’s little church. Katherine had her guitar slung over her shoulder and seems in much brighter spirits. Crystal had teased her gently about her not wanting to have it out of her sight. In response to that Katherine had stuck her tongue out at her and giggled happily. As they walked, Crystal was giving her the grand tour, making occasional comments about what some of the various residents were up too that had Katherine brushing tears of laughter out of her eyes by the time they arrived at the church.

Katherine hesitated just briefly at the door, fighting off a last minute moment of panic before entering, Crystal’s arm was around her shoulder and she was giving her as much mental support and encouragement as she could. Taking a deep breath and reaching inside for courage, Katherine stepped inside the quiet church. She stopped at the back with a solemn and slightly sad expression on her face. She turned to Crystal and smiled softly up at her.

"Thank you. You have really been wonderful to me. But the rest I will have to do on my own." With that she turned and made her way up to the front of the church, where she carefully leaned her guitar against a pew before crossing herself and falling to her knees before the altar. Crystal found a spot at the back of the church to wait and keep watch, wondering what was keeping Darius.

The warning buzz of another immortal approaching caused her to turn around in time to see Darius and a handsome young priest named Father Alex enter the church. She nodded in greeting to them as they sat down beside her, both of them eyeing the quiet form up in front of the church with interest. Crystal raised an eyebrow slightly and could not help but wonder how Katherine was going to react to seeing Father Alex who was another Connor-look-a-like.

"Ahh, it appears Katherine has at long last learned to be a Mary and not just a Martha." Darius said in approval. Both Crystal and Father Alex looked at him with questioning expressions so he explained his comment. "Our little sister up there in one of God’s special children. She has a wonderful servant’s heart and finds it easy to do things for people and to serve the needs of others, often without any thought to herself. What is hard for her is to sit and do nothing while others take care of her needs. Or even to admit she has them in the first place."

"When did you first meet her, Darius?" Crystal asked, curious about what had occurred to make Katherine turn in desperation to him. A sad look crossed his face momentarily as he remembered how his heart had gone out to the shattered young woman when she had first appeared in his little Paris chapel. He sighed deeply.

"It was during the time of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. She was a teacher at the time and was *killed* along with most of the children in her class in a terrorist bombing. It left her questioning her faith and pretty devastated in spirit. It took a quite a while for me and her to work through the effects of that tragedy." Crystal shuddered slightly, wondering what other painful secrets Katherine had pigeon holed in the back of her mind.

"Should we go up there and pray with her?" Father Alex asked. Darius shook his head. "No, not yet. Just be patient and wait. She will let us know when she is ready." The three of them sat in silence till a few moments later Katherine crossed herself again and rose gracefully to her feet, a soft radiant glow on her face. She sat down and picked up her guitar and started to softly play and sing to herself. Darius grinned at Father Alex. "Now she is ready!"

Looking at Crystal, Darius told her that his talk with Katherine would probably take awhile. Nodding her head as she watched Katherine already losing herself in songs of worship and praise, she decided it would be best to leave. "Give me a call when she is ready to come home then", she said with a smile, confident that she was leaving Katherine in very good hands.

Katherine was so engrossed in playing her song that she barely noticed when Darius and Father Alec took a seat on each side of her. Once she finished she looked up and smiled at Darius as he reached out to take the guitar from her and place it one side.

"It's been a long time, little sister. It's good to see you again." He took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Katherine, may I introduce you to Father Alec?" he motioned to the priest sitting on her other side. Katherine turned to say hello but as she looked into his face her eyes opened wide and she gulped hard when she saw Connor's face on yet another man, this time on a priest! Blushing furiously and a little angry at herself for her reaction, she buried her face in her hands and struggled to get her composure back. Father Alec raised an eyebrow slightly at Darius, who just shrugged innocently. Finally she managed to get a little control over herself and she looked up at Father Alec.

"Nice to meet you Father", she said starting out in a serious enough tone but ending up giggling and hiding her face again which caused both men to smile and laugh with her. She shot an accusing look at Darius. "I suppose this is your way for getting even with me for beating you at chess the last time I saw you!" Darius laughed even harder and then advised Father Alec never to play chess with her. "And just why is that Darius?" she said still frowning at him. "Because, little one, you cheat!" Darius exclaimed.

Katherine snorted in reply. "Not my fault you broadcast your next move so plainly!" she grumbled. Father Alec was following the conversation with interest. "Are you a telepath, Katherine?" he asked. She turned back to face him and had to stifle another round of giggles when she made eye contact. "No, Father. More of an empath. I can read emotions really easily but sometimes I do catch an image of what the person is thinking about." About that time, she gave up and dissolved into laughter again.

"OK, I give up, what's so funny?", he asked, looking confused. Katherine just shook her head and covered her face with her hands again. Father Alec raised his eyebrow at Darius, who was laughing along with her. "Oh, you just look like someone she has been very *close* to in the past. If my memory serves me correctly I believe his name was Connor MacLeod ", Darius said. "I probably should have warned you about that." Father Alec nodded in understand and could not help but laugh along with them at the little joke Darius had pulled on Katherine.

Darius took her hand again and let the laughter subside before gently asking her why she was here this time. Katherine shuddered and lowered her head, trying to find the words to say. "It’s just so hard, Darius. I try to forget them but I can’t" she whispered, her voice quavering. "Forget what, little sister?" Father Alec asked. Katherine shot him a look of desperation, tears running down her face as she struggled with her inner demons for control.

"Anything, Father, I can’t forget anything" she finally said. A look of sudden understanding dawned on the face of Darius.

"Katherine, do you remember that little book of poetry you picked up and thumbed through once while you talking to me back in Paris?" he asked. She nodded her head in reply. "Do you any remember the 3rd poem? If you do, quote it for me", Darius squeezed her hand and looked at her with encouragement on his face. Katherine tipped her head to one side and closed her eyes, as if reading some unseen page. Opening her eyes and staring at the front of church, she quoted verbatim something she had only seen for a brief second over 70 years ago. Once she finished she lowering her head to stare at the floor again while Darius and Father Alec exchanged astonished glances over her bowed head.

"Katherine, look at me", Darius said pulling her up and turning her to face him. She looked up, an uncertain look on her face. "You have a photographic memory, don’t you?" he asked. Slowly she nodded her head.

"And it’s not just things that you read is it?"

"No", Katherine said hoarsely. "Everything, I remember everything. I try to push the bad memories away but they are still there. They come back at night. All of them. All the horror, all the pain. It’s still there. As terrifying as it was the day it happened." Katherine paused, a look of pure anguish on her face. "One right after another they come, and I can’t make them stop!"

"They are just memories, Katherine" Darius said gently, "And they have no real power to hurt you anymore."

"Don’t you think I know that!" Katherine sobbed. "But they still keep coming!"

"Then we will have to find a way to stop them, little sister. But you can not keep on the way you are. Are you willing to work with us towards that end? It won’t be easy but I truly believe it can be done."

"Please Darius" she pleaded. "I just want it to stop. I am so tired of this. One way or another I just want it to be over.

"All right then, then you remember back in Paris how we worked through that tragedy in Ireland?" he asked. Katherine grimaced in memory. "You kept giving me those crazy assignments to do every week."

Darius smiled. "They weren’t crazy Katherine. And in the end they did help you didn’t they?" He waited till she nodded her head in response. "Then these are your assignments, ones that I want you to work on continuously till we get this worked out."

"First I want you to be here every week with out fail to talk to either one or both or us. And I want you to seriously consider having Miss MacLeod console you as well. You have proven to yourself that you can’t defeat this on your own. You need help. Do you agree to do this?" Katherine sighed deeply and whispered "Yes".

"Second, I want you to do something for yourself for a change. Find something or someone that gives back to you instead of taking from you. You have been running on empty for most of your life because you have never let anyone but your friend Connor ever get close to you." Katherine shuddered but nodded in agreement.

"Third, little sister, you need to make amends with the good Doctor Adams if you haven’t already. For his sake as well as yours. From the little you did tell me in Paris, this reconciliation is sorely needed." Again, Katherine agreed, a little more reluctantly this time.

"The last one is strictly for selfish reasons on my part, Katherine. Would you consider singing in church for us?" Katherine laughed at that one and made a show of reluctance before agreeing to that as well. "I think that is all for today then. Would you like a cup of tea while we call Crystal to tell her you are finished?"

Katherine shook her head no. "I think I will go by myself. Maybe stop by the hospital on the way back." With that she rose up, and after a quick prayer, walked out of the church into the bright sunlight.