=:= Sidney =:=

She was still there this afternoon. It was about three o'clock now, and he was out for an afternoon stroll along the beach. He tried not to stare, but he couldn't help feeling worried about the girl. He kept his distance, but it looked like she was crying.

She'd been there first thing this morning when he was out jogging. Same spot, just laying on the grass in the little park overlooking the beach.

Sid watched as he walked past, frowning to himself. He felt like he should do something, try and help her.

He thought it over as he continued his walk. Once he reached the southern end of the beach, he turned around and headed back the way he came. When he passed the little park again, he made up his mind.

As he approached, he saw she'd stopped crying. He also saw she had a little backpack with her now. He hadn't noticed that before, he was positive he hadn't seen it this morning.

He stopped a few paces away from her, looking down at her. He reckoned she was about sixteen. Pretty kid, fair skin, light blonde hair. She was small, didn't have much meat on her. Her clothes were in rough shape, he could see lots of rips and scuffs in the material. Sid figured she was homeless, run away or been kicked out or something. She looked like she'd had a really bad time of it lately.

She was laying flat on her back now, eyes closed, but he was pretty sure she wasn't asleep.

After a few moments, he finally cleared his throat. "Hello there miss..."

She sighed, but didn't open her eyes. "Are you gonna ask me to leave? Or call the cops or something? Or are you the cops asking me to leave?"

Sid was a little surprised by her accent. She wasn't a local girl, that's for sure. She sounded like an American. Now he wondered if she was a tourist, or vacationing with her family and gotten lost or separated.

He shook his head, "Nah, I'm just a little worried about you. Saw you out here this morning, and seen you again now. Figured you might be lost. Wondering if I could maybe help you out with something?"

She opened her eyes and sat up, looking at him. He watched as she looked him up and down. She looked like she was thinking things over. Probably wondering if he was safe or not. Sid knew there was a good chance she wouldn't trust him, especially if she'd already had some rough experiences with strange blokes.

He hoped he looked safe enough that he wouldn't scare her off. He'd been told he looked like everyone's favourite grandpa, though he had no grandkids of his own. He was sixty-seven now, but he kept himself in good shape. Average height, only a few extra pounds around the middle. He had short grey hair, and kept himself clean-shaven. He was wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals.

The teen finally shrugged slightly and asked "What did you have in mind?"

Sid offered, "Well, you look like you could use a good meal? My place is just up the hill over there," he gestured to hill on the other side of the road, overlooking the beach. "I'd be happy to fix you up a hot meal. You're welcome to use the shower there too if you feel up to it. Even got a spare room if you wanted to spend some time in a bed." He added after a moment, "If not, I understand."

She turned and looked at the hill, then back at him, then down at the ground. After a minute or so she shrugged, "Ok. Thanks." She got to her feet and picked up the backpack.

He gave her a friendly smile, then they started walking together up to the road.

"My name's Sid, by the way." He decided not to ask hers, he'd wait and see if she offered it.

The teen nodded and replied, "I'm Cindy."

He smiled, "Nice to meet you, Cindy. Are you from America?"

She shook her head, "Canada."

"Either way, you're a long way from home," he commented, as the two continued walking. He led her off the main road and up towards his place. "What brings you out this way?" He added, "Don't feel obligated to answer, Cindy. I'm just curious."

She shrugged slightly and replied "Ran away from home, I guess."

Sid turned and stared at her for a moment, then smiled. "Canadian kids must be a heck of a lot more ambitious than Aussie teens."

Cindy smiled slightly, but Sid could see it didn't reach her eyes. Poor kid looked like she was dealing with some really heavy stuff, and he didn't want to pressure her too much.

When they reached his door, he led her inside. It was just a little bungalow. Small, comfortable, with a nice view overlooking the ocean.

"What would you like first, Cindy?" he asked. "I can whip you up some food, or you're welcome to use the shower, or get some rest?"

He watched as she seemed to take her time thinking over. Finally she replied, "Food would be nice, but I should probably get cleaned up first. I guess shower, then eat?"

Sid nodded, and guided her to the washroom. "Here you go, hon. These are clean towels here. I'll have a hot meal ready for you when you're done."

"Thank you, Sid." she replied softly.

He went back to the kitchen while she stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

He figured she'd need something wholesome but not too heavy if she hadn't eaten in a while, so he set about getting some hearty soup warmed up for the kid.

About thirty or forty minutes later, the teen emerged from the washroom wearing a clean fresh outfit. Same style as the earlier one though, she had dark grey leggings and a long short-sleeve black top. Sneakers on her feet again. Her hair was still damp, but other than that she'd cleaned up pretty well.

"Here you go, Cindy." Sid motioned to the kitchen table, as he ladled soup into the bowl he'd set out for her.

She was carrying her backpack, and she set it on the floor next to the chair as she sat down.

"Thanks again," she replied quietly.

"What can I get you to drink?" Sid asked.

Cindy just asked for water, so he set out a glass for her. He'd already brewed up a pot of coffee, and took the seat across from her, with a mug of the brew for himself.

They sat together in silence for a few minutes. She started fairly slowly on the soup, but he could tell she was hungry as she quickly got more enthusiastic about it.

Before long she'd almost finished the bowl, and Sid offered "There's more if you're still hungry."

"Thanks Sid." she shook her head, "This is enough for now."

After she finished the last of the soup, she picked up the glass and drank a bit of water.

Finally she looked at him and asked, "Is this your thing? Looking after runaway teens and stuff?"

He grinned as he sipped his coffee, "We don't really get that many runaway teens round here." He hesitated, then asked "None of my business, but I'm wondering how you came to be halfway around the world. That's a long way to run."

Sid watched her expression. She looked sad, then thoughtful, then sad again.

Finally the girl shrugged and said, "A lot of bad stuff happened back home. One of my best friends was murdered, then my girlfriend vanished. I don't know if she's alive or dead, but I can't find her. The guy who killed my friend said my girlfriend was dead too, but he might have been lying."

Of all the sorts of things Sid had expected her to say, that wasn't on the list. He blinked a few times, then asked slowly, "So you're hiding out here, because these people are after you too? You weren't running away from your family, you're running for your life?"

Cindy sighed, then drank some more water. "I don't really know what I'm running from. I'm not scared for my life. I... I killed the guys who did it. Maybe that's why I'm running. My friends probably won't forgive me for that."

Sid was staring again. He had another sip of coffee. Now he was starting to worry this poor girl was delusional. However she came to be here, it seemed like she needed more help than he'd be able to offer.

"You think I'm crazy." She was watching him now, and had a slight smile on her lips. "You're wondering if you should take me to a mental hospital or something."

He hesitated, then replied, "I'm a little concerned for you, hon. I won't try forcing you to do anything you don't want to do, though."

She shrugged slightly, "You wouldn't be able to anyways. Make me do something I don't want, I mean."

He had another sip of coffee and asked, "So you can take care of yourself, then?"

"Yep," she nodded. She smirked and added, "I'm a powerful sorceress."

"I see." He figured it was best to just humour the girl. He was pretty sure she was harmless, and it was nice to see a little more expression on her face and some life in her eyes. He reckoned, it didn't matter if she was talking nonsense as long as she was talking.

He decided to try and keep her talking, since it seemed to be helping her mood at the moment. "How'd you learn that stuff? Sorcery?"

She finished her water, and replied, "My friends are all witches, they let me learn from them at first. I kind of have a knack for it I guess? Sort of natural talent for magic. Pretty soon I was figuring it all out on my own, and then I was teaching them stuff." She added, "Changed my mind, may I have some more soup please? And water?"

Sid smiled, "Sure thing Cindy." He refilled her glass first, then poured the rest of the soup into her bowl.

"Thank you Sid," she smiled and started eating again.

He poured himself another mug of coffee then sat back down, "You're welcome, hon."

She looked like she was enjoying the soup. Poor kid probably hadn't eaten in days, by the look of her. He sipped his coffee and waited till she'd finished, rather than interrupting her meal.

When she finally put the spoon down, he asked "So about this magic you mentioned, what sorts of stuff can you do? Spells I guess, is that how you call it?"

Cindy picked up the glass and had some more water, then shrugged. "I can do a lot. Powerful sorceress, like I said. Teleport spell's a good one, that's how I got to Australia. And I can toss fireballs around. That's how I killed three of those guys on Thursday."

Sid just nodded, sipping his coffee as he listened. She was speaking in a very casual, conversational way. Nothing in her voice or expression suggested she thought any of this stuff was unusual, let alone impossible.

"That's pretty remarkable," he commented.

She grinned at him, "I know you think I'm crazy. And I don't know why I'm telling you all this stuff. Maybe it's just nice to talk to someone who's nice and not all judgey and stuff."

Sid shrugged, "I don't think you're crazy, hon. I don't believe in magic, but that's on me. And if talking is helping you feel better, then you go right ahead and talk."

Cindy smiled at him. Not a smirk or a grin, but an actual genuine smile. "I appreciate that. Thank you."

She seemed to hesitate, then asked, "Would it be ok if I stayed here with you for a while? A few days maybe?" She added, "I have money, I can cover room and board so I'm not freeloading or whatever."

He started telling her to keep her money, but she leaned down and picked up her backpack. She unzipped it and dug down under some clothes, then pulled out a stack of cash and set it on the table.

Sid stared. It was a little pile of crisp new hundred-dollar-bills. Now he was wondering if she was involved in some sort of crime. She might be delusional about magic, but she did admit to killing people. On the other hand she was tiny, skinny, and she couldn't be more than sixteen years old. She didn't look the least bit threatening.

"I could afford a hotel or whatever," Cindy said. "I feel bad taking advantage of you. But you seem nice, and you seem to care."

He sipped his coffee as he stared at the money, then finally asked "Where'd you get that? If you don't mind me asking."

Cindy shrugged, "A friend gave it to me. She brought me the backpack, with some clean clothes and some other things, and she gave me some cash too."

He chuckled, "'Some' cash. That must be a thousand dollars right there."

The girl smiled. "My friend is very generous."

Sid had another sip of coffee, then finally said, "Keep your money, Cindy. You're welcome to stay a few days as my guest."

"Thank you Sid." She added, "Maybe I can repay you some other way."

He frowned, suddenly worried the teen was going to offer herself.

Cindy grinned, "I don't mean sex. I could do some cleaning, or if you like desserts I'm really good at baking. Like, cakes, pies, cookies, that kinda thing. I'm not as good doing like, meals and stuff, but I can do that too if you like."

"We'll see. For now, you're my guest. Ok?"

The teen nodded, "Ok. Thank you."

"C'mon Cindy, I'll show you the guest room." He got up and led her on a very short tour of his little home.

=:= Sadie =:=

"Hey Beth?" Sadie asked, "Could you and me have a little talk? I was thinking somewhere private maybe, like your bedroom?"

Sadie was trying to keep herself looking and sounding calm, but on the inside she was anxious. She'd already had a brief talk with her youngest sister on Friday, and now she was planning on answering as many of Beth's questions as she could.

It was Monday afternoon, school was still closed after everything that happened on Thursday, and they'd all stayed home again today. Maria was in the kitchen working on her laptop. Brittany was over again, she and Amanda were upstairs in Amanda's room. Beth and Jenny were in the family room watching TV, and Sadie and Ashley had just joined them with the plan that Ashley would stay and keep Jenny company while Sadie and Beth went to talk.

Beth looked at her then slowly nodded and said quietly, "Ok Sadie."

She got up and led Sadie into her bedroom. Sadie followed her into the room and closed the door behind her.

Beth's bedroom was on the ground floor. Up until two months ago, this had actually been the library. The walls were hidden behind several bookcases, loaded with countless novels and a variety of reference books. There were four cosy drum chairs in the middle, surrounding a large coffee table.

It was Liz's favourite room actually. Like the study used to be Sadie's personal space back before she was Sadie, the library was Liz's refuge. Not that the rest of the family weren't allowed in, but it was somewhere Liz would retreat to when she needed some peace and quiet.

Now the bookcases were in the basement, the books all boxed up. Instead of the drum chairs and coffee table there was a bed, a little desk and chair, and a dresser. The walls were still mostly bare, but Sadie figured Beth would eventually decorate it however she wanted.

Bethany moved to her bed and sat crosslegged on it. Sadie grabbed the chair by the desk and turned it around so it was closer to the bed, then sat herself down.

"So Beth... When we talked on Friday, you said you really wanted someone to explain stuff to you." Sadie began. "I'd like to try and do that now, ok?"

"Ok Sadie," Beth replied in her usual soft voice.

Sadie hesitated, then asked, "Do you have any questions? Anything specific you'd like to know about?"

A thoughtful frown formed on Beth's face. After a half minute or so she nodded. "Who am I? Why am I here? Where did I come from?"

Sadie grimaced briefly, "Ok... Those are actually some really difficult questions, but I'll do what I can. And I'll tell you up front, the answers might not be what you're expecting."

Beth shrugged, "Ok."

Sadie took a deep breath then started. "Who are you? You are Bethany Watson. I know that's not the sort of answer you were expecting but what I mean by that is, you can be whoever, whatever you want. I know that's probably confusing, and you're trying to understand what it means to be you."

She paused, figuring out how to say the next part. "Knowing who you are can't come from outside. Nobody else can tell you who you are, though some people might try. They're wrong though so ignore them. Who you are is something we all need to figure out for ourselves. Some people take all their lives to figure it out. Some are lucky and figure it out early."

Beth seemed to think that over for a few moments. Then she asked, "Do you know who you are?"

Sadie smiled, "I do. I'm Sadie Watson. I'm Amanda's twin sister, and I'm your and Jenny's big sister. I'll tell you a secret though, Beth. It took me almost forty years to figure that out."

"You're not really seventeen." Beth phrased it like a statement rather than a question. She seemed to be just accepting everything at face-value for the moment, rather than questioning or challenging what Sadie was telling her.

"I am really seventeen now." Sadie replied. "A year and a half ago, I was thirty-nine. And I wasn't Sadie back then, I was someone very different. But then I figured out that wasn't really who I am."

Beth nodded slowly then just said, "Ok."

Sadie smiled at her, then moved on to the next question.

"Why are you here? You're here because this is your home. You're here with us because we're your family, and we love you. We always have." She added, "There's more to this, but it fits in with your last question, ok?"

Beth nodded again, but this time there was a slight frown on her face.

Sadie continued, "Where do you come from? That's a hard question Beth, because it also helps answer the other two. Where you come from, is also part of the reason why you're here, and it involves who you were, rather than who you are."

"I used to be Elizabeth Watson," Beth said quietly.

Sadie nodded, "Yes. I think you already suspect this, but you've lived here a long time. About eighteen years, in fact. And like I didn't know who I was until a year and a half ago, you didn't know who you were either. You thought you did, but the answer you had wasn't the best answer. It fit for a while, but it wasn't perfect."

Beth frowned again and asked softly, "I was Amanda and Jenny's mother, wasn't I? Did I die?"

Sadie shook her head, "You didn't die, but you were their mother. Like I said, you thought you knew the answer of who you were, but it didn't fit any more. You had to find a better answer, and you started looking for one."

She hesitated, then said "I know you probably still haven't found it yet, Beth. But all of us want to help you find it. We all love you and want the best for you."

Beth was still frowning, looking thoughtful. She might not have even been listening that closely any more, as she seemed to be working through some things in her mind.

Finally she said quietly, "You're Amanda's twin sister, but Elizabeth wasn't your mother."

Sadie nodded slowly, "That's right. That was the answer I found for myself. Becoming Amanda's twin sister, Jenny's older sister, was the right answer for me."

Beth's eyes narrowed a little as she looked at Sadie. "You were their father."

Sadie suddenly wondered if Beth's old memories were returning after all. "Do you remember that?"

"No," the young blonde shook her head. "But it fits."

Sadie smiled and nodded slightly, "Yes, I suppose it does. And you're right, I was. But that wasn't the best me, just like being their mother wasn't the best you. I got lucky and found my answer. I'm going to help you find yours, Beth. Amanda and Jenny will help too. So will Maria."

Bethany nodded slowly, looking thoughtful again.

"I was their mother, you were their father. So we were married."

Sadie blushed but nodded, "Yes, we were."

"Now we're sisters." Beth said softly.

"We are." Sadie nodded again. "We're still family. All of us are still family, and we're together, no matter what else has happened. That's the important thing."

Beth looked at her and asked, "Why don't I remember? You remember everything, and I think Amanda and Jenny do too. Why not me?"

Sadie sighed, hesitating as she figured out how best to answer that question.

"The answer you had before, the one that didn't fit you any more? It got uncomfortable. It started to hurt. You couldn't find a better answer while the wrong one was hurting. This way you don't have to feel that pain anymore, so you can find your perfect answer. Afterwards, when you've grown a bit, you'll start to remember things. By then, the old answer won't hurt anymore, because you'll already have a new, better answer for yourself."

Beth frowned again, looking thoughtful for a minute or two. Finally she nodded, "Ok. Thanks for explaining, Sadie."

Sadie was glad that Beth seemed to be satisfied, though she was also slightly surprised at what hadn't been asked. "Are you going to ask me how all of this stuff works? How it all happened?"

"I know it's magic," Beth shrugged. "I know you and Amanda and Ashley are learning magic. Jenny says you're all witches, but I don't know about that part."

"You aren't surprised, or upset about that?" Sadie asked.

Beth shrugged again, "I just wanted to understand."

After a moment she added, "Don't worry Sadie, I won't tell anyone. I know all this stuff has to be a secret, otherwise you'd all talk about it more."

Sadie smiled, "Thank you Beth. You're a very smart, very observant girl."

That brought a small smile to her little sister's face. "Will me and Jenny learn magic too someday?"

Sadie nodded, "When you're both older, if you want to, then yes."

"Ok," Beth nodded. Then she asked, "Can we ask mom if we can get pizza for dinner?"

Sadie grinned, "Yeah, let's go ask her."