The time: Early morning. The place: The Coffee Shop: The scene: Death.

The door opened to the overwhelming stench of decay. Blood was everywhere, some of it already gelling into something worse. Maggots made new homes in tender flesh, some recognizable, other not so. Patrons and workers alike had been ripped apart like so much wet paper. Eyes were wide open, staring at their killer, and things seem to move in super slow motion. The screams of the slain echoed within the murderous confines, their wails growing louder and louder still.

Time suddenly began to move in reverse, replaying like some horrific film strip. Bodies reformed, blood poured back into massive wounds. Screams ran in reverse as the bodies rose up from the floor, faster and faster still as the point of view changed, moving backward as well, like the clock on the wall ...

... Until the door opened, and friendly faces were smiling. "Hey you, long time no see! What brings you here, stranger?"

A brief glance into the reflection of glass offered the image of ... Eve? Then the screams began anew, and it all faded to black.

Vision over, she'd awaken to a body soaked with blood ...

But no, it was only sweat. This time.


She found herself sitting up in the bed, drenched and gasping. Her throat was tight, and her heart pounded so hard she couldn't hear anything except the heavy throb of it in her ears for a long moment. The horrific images stuck in her mind as she tried to catch her breath, shaking. At some point, Eve had thrown the sheets off, but it didn't matter, she was freezing, but still drenched in sweat, rather than the blood it had been in the end of the dream. "Oh my God..." Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, the young woman clutched at the sides of her head for a long moment, squeezing her eyes shut in an effort to block it out. It didn't work; that only seemed to amplify it...

In about two more seconds, she'd bolted from her bedroom, making a beeline for the bathroom. The retch-and-gag of the nausea doing its part could be easily heard, and it was a bit longer before she emerged once more. *After* she showered and brushed her teeth, but even then, Eve was still looking a little wide-eyed, a little more haunted than usual.


The Steele abode was empty, save for sound of a television coming from the infamous media room. Inside, Jara was typing away like a fiend possessed on her laptop, wearing her iPod. On the television behind her was a news report featuring a massacre at a local coffee shop ....

...But in another blink, it was merely a commercial spot for her former place of employment.

Spotting Eve's reflection in the laptop screen, Jara turned to wave, popping free the ear pieces of her headset in the process. "Hey, she lives! Dudette, it's almost noon! I guess someone was really tired!"

A blink found her hand gripping a steak knife, slicing Jara's throat and sending blood spurting everywhere.

A second blink found Jara looking at Eve with a puzzled expression. "Hey, you okay? You're shaking like a leaf!" Moving from her seat, Jara walked Eve over to the couch to sit down. "Gods girl, your skin is cold!" She reached up to feel her forehead.


She'd felt a little better after the hot shower and clean up, but not by a lot. That feeling of unreality had set in, so Eve had more or less just pulled the camisole and shorts back on and gone to see if anyone else was there - and grab a bottle of juice in hopes of calming her nerves and stomach a little.

At least she wasn't alone there, though she'd taken a moment to look around after the strange flash with the TV. A shudder had gone through her, and whatever warmth her skin had regained, she'd lost. No dark smudges under her eyes, but Eve was just a little too pale and wide-eyed, still.

And she'd been okay, until she'd had the glimpse of the knife sliding across Jara's neck. Eve had been in the midst of a drink then, and ended up choking herself on the juice, and was shaking so badly that she had to sit down. After the coughing fit, she was holding up a trembling hand, trying to get Jara to stop. "Don't." More coughing. "Please." Oh, but this was going to be a fun day, wasn't it?


Jara had a perplexed look when Eve tried to fend her off. She took a step or two back, just watching her. "Another vision? Dehm, those things have been happening more and more since you came across that funky-gate-thing. Want me to call Steele? He should be on his way back." Not sure how to approach the young woman when she was like this, Jara stopped what she was doing on her laptop.


"No, I think I'll be okay. I'm just...yeah, it shakes me up." She had to put the bottle of juice down, and pressed her hands to her face, fingertips to her eyes. A few seconds later, Eve raked her fingers through her damp hair. She still felt shaky, but she wasn't visibly trembling anymore. Breathing deeply helped. "Did he tell you there's more of them?" Softly, after clearing her throat. He hadn't *told* her to keep it confidential, so she figured she'd ask. And it helped changed the subject!


"Yuppers, that's wha' I've been doin' since eight this morning; research on all o' them. No two are alike." She gave Eve the concerned stare for a moment more before motioning over to her laptop. "Freaky thing? They've been around longer than we thought. The first gate was reported discovered 256 years ago! I guess society was put on a need to know basis." Hooking her thumbs into the loops of her jeans, Jara bit her bottom lip lightly before continuing. "You ever seen any of those Sci-Fi shows called SG-1?"


"Um ... bits and pieces, I think." Eve wasn't a big TV watcher, but if Steele had it on there, or it was on late nights, it was possible that she'd catch it. She straightened a little now, had another shiver, and shook it off. Eve knew she should drag up to her room to change, but ... that was a long way, and she was hoping the change of subjects might give her something else to focus on, help her *feel* more awake.


"Well, considering I'm not from this reality, I think those gates might be portals to other realities. Just a hunch." She made a face. "Look at this. This one here is was located at the former Stonebridge, where we were. The gate was destroyed, and *poof!* That Stonebridge never existed! I've Googled it and everything! There's only one Stonebridge. Period. Soooo ... I had another hunch. I called the Base, chatting it up with some of the doctor's there, and not *one* knew o' another Stonebridge, an' thought I was bein' ... Me." That serious look returned. "I'm thinkin' because I *don'* belon' here, my memory's not affected. "


"Yeah. I don't think it's a bad theory at all. But it could be that you remember it because you were then when all of that went down, too." A shrug. "Just a thought, because *I* remember it, and Steele remembers it. I'm betting that Jared and Brehnic do, too. But the million dollar question is *where* the portals go, and *who* is - was? - using them." Neither were things that sat very well with Eve, especially considering what happened when she'd gotten near it. Having someone or something playing with her mind wasn't something the young woman took lightly. Sinking back in the chair, she even drew her legs up, balancing her heels on the edge, arms tucked in close.


"And for the record, you *really* need to talk to someone about these visions an' quit keepin' them inside you. Sooner o' later, yer gonna be like a dam and burst, girl. I'm jus' sayin'." The woman was about her age, so there wouldn't be a continued lecture - at least, not for now. "Steele thinks they're Daemon in origin, an' right now, I agree wit' him. Last time they were all in our faces. This time ... Nothing. But ye get that itch on th' back o' yer neck, yanno ... Seein' somethin' out the corner o' ye eye, but nothin's there. Oh yea', you hav' an appointment wit' Dr. Damon Maxwell tomorrow. He called earlier."


"For the record, I know this Jara. I've tried that before and self-destructed. I just...I had a nightmare, and sometimes I keep freaking out a little even after I wake up." Yeah. A nightmare. That was it. Or at least, that's what she'd term it for the moment. Definitely *felt* like a nightmare. "I think he's right, actually. When I had that little ... um ... 'spell' when we were there, my attacker told me that Cromwell sends his regards." Her brows rose a little, lips pursed. It wasn't the first time she'd repeated the statement, or had it replayed in her mind, and it still troubled her.

Feeling a little more confident in her basic motor functions by this point, Eve uncoiled from the chair and dared to stand again. Even reached up and stretched, thinking it about time to book it upstairs to change - preferably *before* Jara decided to start teasing her about something. "Yeah. I'm not really looking forward to seeing Doc again."


"Fine, Ms. Independent, jus' tryin' to help. Fer th' record." Muttering a few more things in her native tongue, Jara sat back on her stool, going back to the task at hand. Just then her Blackberry went off.

"Rico here. Hey Tohmaz, yeh sleepin' beauty is right here. Oh, I bet she had it turned off." Pausing long enough to point to Eve, to her own Blackberry, giving her a smirk before continuing her chat. "Ye need to be havin' a chat wit' her too. One guess. Yuppers, and by th' way she was lookin' a few minutes ago, it was a bad one too. Yea', I'm sure to get the mean look, but wha' is she goin' to do? Kill me?" Without warning, she suddenly squealed, and quite loudly. "Ye better be bringin' me some, bugger! Eve? She'll say no, but bring her some fer later. Buh-bye."


Eve had sighed, and opened her mouth to respond - just as Jara's Blackberry had gone off. Where *was* her Blackberry? Blinking to herself, she made a mental note to find it and put it in her jacket pocket. If it wasn't already in there, that was.

"Nice to listen to people talk about me." Softly murmured, and she'd turned to walk out of the room, intending to go get dressed. She'd made it to the foot of the steps when Jara squealed - which made Eve bolt right back into the room, wide-eyed. She managed hold off *just* long enough for the other woman to get off the phone. "Don't *do* that!" Especially on the heels of a dream like that! Deep breath. "Look, I didn't mean to say it like that before, but .... I know. It was just a nightmare, and it freaked me out. If I think something has some bearing, I try to tell one of you guys, at least." Well, mostly Jara or Steele, mostly because she had the feeling that they understood better. "But I'm gonna ... I'm gonna go change."


"Do wha'? Steele's stoppin' at a fish an' chips place, and I hav' not had tha' since I left home! Hey, don' go apologizin' luv. I'm not the one hav' the Freddy Kreuger nightmares. Jus' kno' we're here for ye, Lizzie-Elf." A giggle escaped her, before she went all serious again, placed the ear pieces back in and went back to work.

There was a mirror in the hallway, and if Eve happened to glance at it in passing, she'd See something most startling. Though she was in the hallway, the reflection wasn't her own; instead, it was of a tired looking 20-something guy with unruly dark brown hair, wearing a Godsmack t-shirt and boxers.


"Lizzie-Elf." Eve muttered that under her breath before hitting the steps. She still wasn't sure how that nickname had come about, but there wasn't much she could do about it; Jara wasn't really one to put a cork in it. Maybe she could -

She'd happened to glance at the mirror as she walked past, giving it a corner-of-the-eye look, and froze. It wasn't Eve, but it wasn't *her,* either. She froze there, staring at the reflection, and her eyes teared up, just a little. "...Evan?" Whispered as she regarded the reflection, uncertain.


Evan wasn't sure why he stopped in front of the mirror; hxll, he was finally getting used to having them in the house! But there went that chill up and down his spine, and he shook his head ... "Don't start wiggin' out because of some silly nightmare, man. Doc Darcy will have me back on the meds for sure. Greeeeeat, I'm talking to myself now. Gah! I need a shower." And just for *one* instant, it was like he looked directly at her. Then Eve would find herself looking at her own reflection once again.


He ... he hadn't seen her. Had he? She *thought* he'd looked right at her, but she hadn't seen that flash or recognition. What was going *on?* Left staring at herself, Eve shook her head and walked away, padding down the hall to her room, and pushing the door to once she was in. Eve's mind was working in circles, and she was puzzling over it so much that she didn't think too much about the things she picked out to wear. Low rise black pants and a pretty purple corset-ish top, and a light black sweater tugged on to cover her arms, left unbuttoned. A comb through her drying hair, and shoes in hand, Eve bolted back down the stairs. "Jara! I Saw him again!" She was wishing that she'd shouted for Jara when it happened, now; could she have Seen him, too? Dropping the shoes on the floor in the media room, Eve sat down to put them on, glancing at her in between. "Evan, in the mirror." Probably not making sense, but excitement could do that to her.


Glancing over her shoulder, Jara pulled one ear piece out this time, pausing again. "Wha' was tha', luv? Evan? Where? Bloody hxll, I thought I was the Spirit Seer o' the group. Is he still here?"


"No...He wasn't there long. I was going down the hall, and I glanced at the mirror...and he was there, Jara. I mean, as real and substantial as I am. He looked *right* at me, but I don't ... I think he saw me. Not like *she* always did." Eve shrugged, brows knitting in a frown as she straightened. "When *she* was there, I always...I *knew* she was looking at me. Focused. But he ... he didn't look like that."


"Wait .... You looked into a *mirror?*" That voice would belong to one Tohmaz A. Steele.

It was immediately followed by another loud squeal from Jara. She bounded towards him and gave the bemused P.S.D. lead a huge hug as she took her food. "I'd lay
a sloppy wet one on ye, but ..." She gave Eve a wink, then pointed over at her laptop. "When ye get time boss-man, take a gander at wha' I've pulled up so far. An' don' be forgettin' to hav' a chat wit' her about those visions. An' make sure she calls Dr. Maxwell back!" And like a flash, she was out of the room, happy as a lark.

"Mental note. Cut down on her caffeine and sugar intake. Other than that news report, what's new, Lizzie-Elf?"


That squeal. *Again.* It was enough to make Eve cringe a little. "I'd hide that Colombian blend, if I were you." To Steele, with the slight rise of a brow. She blinked at how quickly Jara left the room, figuring she was going to gobble her food down; she'd seen the woman eat, and knew she could probably eat enough for all three of them. And what? Call Maxwell back? Why hadn't Jara said that before? Shrugging it off, Eve turned her attention elsewhere - namely, to Tohmaz A. Steele. "Yeah. I glanced at it in the hallway, and... Evan was there ... But I don't think he could See me."


"Huh. That's weird, even by paranormal standards. Lot of that going around since the whole gate thing has been uncovered." His focus was slightly more on what Jara had pulled up on the laptop, and he skimmed over the highlighted areas. "So, what is this about another vision?" Doing his best Victor Newman voice, Steele glanced back at her.


Eve was already shaking her head. "I don't know that it was a vision. It was...a nightmare." A slow roll of her shoulders, taking a few steps over to see the laptop's screen. "Felt like a nightmare, anyway."


"Well, I'm not going to bug you about it, if you don't want to talk. I know how you get when pushed." He gave her a small grin. "Sixty percent of the time, it works everytime." After putting the rest of the food down on the counter, Steele plopped down onto the couch, and pulled Lizzie-Elf onto his lap. "You're on the team. No strings attached. The whole Maxwell thing is more for him to better understand what's going on out there; not too many doctors have former patients that can do what you can do, even with your past history." Smiling at her, as he stared into those grey eyes. "I told them you give us that civilian point of view, which is what we'll need whenever we're out on the field. You can connect with the nonmilitary folk out there."


She made a surprised little sound at getting tugged into his lap, but ... well, she couldn't argue much. Eve cozied up, even draped an arm around his neck. "I'll probably tell you about it later. It's just ... too close now." Flashback threat! A smile did quirk her lips as she looked at him though, but just a touch suspiciously. "So I don't need his word to go on this? That's great. Don't get me wrong, I'm really going *try* to behave, but ..." A little shrug of her shoulders. "He's gotta do his part too, and that includes no antagonizing."

A pause, and she looked as if she might have said something else. Eve glanced down for a second, then back up at him, and leaned in to steal a kiss - not a terribly brief one, either. A little bold on her part, with the threat of adding fuel to the fire for Jara's teasing, but she'd waited patiently. Mostly.


"An' she says he's jus' a friend, she says he's jus' a friend ... O' babbee youuuu, gots wha' I neeeeeed ...." And a picture was taken of the couple in denial on Jara's phone for proof!