THE WALKER RANCH

Robert looked at Katherine, " He has to figure this out for himself. He knows the way back to the house. He's an aurur, remember? Come on, Kate. Let's go inside. He'll come back. If he's not back by morning, I'll go find him. " He stood up, and reached his hand to her. She took it and rose. "Are you sure, Robert?" she asked.

"Positive," he said, "Sometimes a man has to work out his pain for himself. And a bit of it is just self pity. He has a lot of friends here, and he refuses to recognize that. He wants to think they're all back in Texas. So be it. Let him struggle until he gets past feeling sorry for himself. When that happens, he can deal with the real grief issues that are there. Until then, he's just fooling himself, and the boys are better off here with me."

He led her into the house, shutting, but not locking the kitchen door. She went into her room, and he went into his study, his senses trained on the house, to know when Steven returned.

Steven sat in the semi dark clearing his thought spinning around in his mind , he knew he had freinds both in texas and here he was now Robert, Kathrine and Khaat were those. He stood up and paced back and forth still his mind spun. As he did a faitn whit mist crept around his feelt unnoticed by him as he moved then it swrilled around his body and he froze. "What the.." He would have said more but a fait soft voice echoed around the clearing , one he knew.

"Steevvveeenn" it said soft and hypnotickly as the mist formed an out line of a figure right in front of him his eyes went wide as he saw what formed in front of him. "Janet, can't be, your" he paued as she smiled "yes, I am, but your holding on is keeping me here." she said softly as she glided to him "you must let go, accept I am not here for you any more" Steven lifted his hand to touch her face but found nothing but coldness "she will come to you and you shall be happy again and have a daughter, please , let me go " Steven looked at her "I can't , I loved you janet " he said her smile angelic as she spoke softly again "you must, your freinds are right, listen to them they are your future, as is John, he is a fine young man Andrew too, please Steven"

He would have spoke again but a seering pain shot threw his mind and he cried out falling to his knees in pain "whats happening " he said clutching his head as the pain intesified "No I won't , I..." he fell foward now out cold the mist slowly diaspearing " I am sorry, remember always I love you steven " she faded leaving nothing but a smile to fade last and steven laid on the floor unconciouse.

Khaat was in her room talking to Remus when she felt another presence on the farm. She went out into the hallway, and found her mother there. The two of them went to Robert's study, where he was standing, taking off his reading glasses. He raised his hand for calm. "Its only a spirit," Robert said, "And it isn't near the house."

"Its a woman," Katherine said. Then after a moment longer she said, "His wife."

"Good," Robert said, "Maybe she can talk some sense into him." He sat back down and put on his glasses.

"Daddy?" Khaat frowned.

"What?" he looked up, frowning slightly, "I'm going back to my work. He's in no danger."

"Don't you think we should go out there?" she asked.

"No. I don't. Let them alone. Let them talk. And neither of you need to be traipsing around in the dark. Especially you, Khaat. You do not need that. If he needs anything, I'll handle it. Are you staying tonight?

"Oh, I don't know," she sighed. "I'll let you know."

Seven felty somthing cold against his cheek "janet ?" he said sofly slowly he moved his hand to touch it , finding nothing but cold muddy earth and sighed " did I imagine it ?" he said softly as he pulled himself to lay on his back, but there hanging on a low branch was the neclace he had given her, it swung open and empty above his head witch still throbbed why he didn't know , maybe she was telling him as he got over the pain of the attack he should get over the pain of her. "I have been silly haven't I " he said softly sighing he closed his eyes and speacking softy his last words to her "Good bye janet " and as if awnsering him the chain sliped and fell right on his fore head. He could not help but chuckle and smile as he took the locket from his head , he noticed inside was one word Hannah V. He fround wondering who Hannah was and why her name was inside the locket.

With the night growing cold he forced himself to sit up his head feeling as if a jack hammer was pounding inside it. slowly he moved back up to the house. Finding every one had gone inside her moved to the door finding it unlocked he slipped off his now muddy shoes and placing them just inside the door the chain still held in his hand ashe moved to get drink of water. He felt strangly now at peace with himself as if everything was on track. once done he washed the mudd from his hnds and face his mind now focused on the name.

Robert heard Steven return. He got up and came out of his study, taking off his reading glasses as he entered the kitchen. "So. Feeling better? Sometimes we just aren't the ones you need to hear from. I trust the two of you got it all worked out? Nothing gets by us much--not when you have two seers in the house. They weren't trying to intrude. They just noticed her presence."

Steven looked at Robert and ndded his face saying all that needed to be said "yea , shes gone now" he siad "shes realy gone this time " he lent on the sink "could you do somthing about this head ache, its lke a jack hammr in my head" the locket stil dangling from his hand "all this time I didn't know I was keeping her here , all I had to do was let her go " He turned to face him "she left me this , theres a name inside " he looked at his muddy shirt and sighed " that and a face full of mud too, guess she was telling me to stop making fool of myself " he smiled he chuckled to himself feeling like he could cope better now he knew about that he would not be alone.

Robert went over to Steven, laid his hand on the side of his head and drew off the pain. "That should feel better," he said. "A good night's sleep would actually be more help, though. You'll find that you feel a lot better in the morning. As for your necklace, that's not uncommon for something like that to happen. But as for what it means, I guess you'll have to find out in time. I'm not the seer in the family. That's up to Kate and Khaat."

Steven sighed as he felt the pain ease "yeah I know , was going once I cleaned up a bit " he looked down at the necklace and nodded "yes I read about that in the daily prophet , I'll ask them about it in the morning" he said " I don't want to bother them at this time of night " he said "khaat needs her rest " holding the necklace tight he moved from the kitchen pauseing to speack once more "you realy are good freinds Ya know that" he smiled as he moved to his room sliping off his shirt he slipped on the necklace to keep it safe laying on the bed he sighed as he fell into a deep restful sleep.

Noext morning he woke to the sound of John laughing and footsteps running past the door to the room he lay in , he smiled hearing the sounds aound him , it was the sound of life returning not just to the house but inside him too .Slipping from the bed he accioed a clean shirt and slipped it on. After making sure he was decient he moved to the kitchen the necklce now resting on the shirt as he walked in " Good Morning " he said even his voice was cheerful now as he smiled.

"Good morning," Robert smiled, drinking a cup of tea, and folding the morning paper and setting it aside,"Young Mr. Diamond borrowed a fishing pole and went off to the creek just about daybreak. He took his breakfast with him. I expect him back at lunch time--if he doesn't get rained out. There's a storm moving in today. I packed him one of Katherine's scones, some cheese, some fruit, and a bottle of water. He said that was all he wanted. He is a remarkably self sufficient young man. Katherine is baking a bacon quiche, and it should be done any time now. She has some fresh scones, fresh coffee and tea, and I think there's going to be a fruit salad too. She went to see if Khaat actually did stay last night or not."

Steven smiled " and I guess John went with him to, there quiet an inseprable pair these days" he said heading for the coffee spotting the tea he pused and changed his mind , poring instead a cup of tea " time for a change I think" he said softly he as plesantly suprised "teas good " he said moving to sit at a table with Robert "I don't mind john being with Andrew hes come out of himself since hes been with us" he said siping again the cup of tea " ya know I could get to like tea in the morning instead of coffee, we should kep an eye on that storm don't want them caught out there " he looked at Robert "but somthing tells me ya already doing that right" he said now ginning as the necklace glinted in the sun around his neck.