Zyca woke up early on Saturday morning, and laid for a while thinking about what Daniel had told her days ago. It still tugged her in all places, it might be something she would consider. She'd grown to love the six-foot man's company more than she liked, and spending a lifetime with him didn't sound too bad. Zyca released a sigh, when her mind wondered to what she was about to do. She was nervous, mainly from the thought of asking Riel the reason he called Daniel's step mother shady. What would he think of her? Well it's not like she had any choice.

As eight o'clock approached, she made her way to Riel's domain. Riel was padding round the kitchen in an apron tied around his waist.

"Good morning Miss Zyca, having a lovely day?" he began. "If you're looking for breakfast, the meal is yet to be done as the liquid is yet to dry," he stirred with a spoon a pot of stew as she could see.

Sweat trickling down his face from the heat, Riel turned to Zyca when she made no more to reply. "I believe you haven't come here for the food."

She nodded in response.

As they walked to the stools beside the oven, a ping greeted them; mainly because of the dessert was done. "Are you not going to get that?" she asked.

"Not too worry, I'll get later," he waved it off. "The oven goes off on its own after a ping."

They took a sit on the stool, pulling them until they faced each other. "Tell me, what do you want to know?"

"W-well," she stuttered. "You mentioned last time, you thought that, you know his mother was shady," she looked away.

"Sarah?" Riel asked.

"What?"

"Daniel's step mother, Sarah."

"Oh yes, yes she. I want to know more about her and what she does."

The old man, raised his eyebrows an inch, disappearing into his bangs. "Why do you want to know? I only mentioned it just for that moment."

"You must know master and I have grown closer in the past few days," she began.

"Of course. You both have been moving around the house often a lot," he mentioned briefly what he had seen. After they found the Scullery, they've moved locations to a larger room, the wine cellar, adorned with racks and stashes of old wine. "Although I don't know why."

Of course, he won't. She gulped. "I've um... grown fond of Daniel for a while," she said. "And I want to just know a little about his family in case I decide to stay with him." She finished. A lie mixed with truth, she thought – a fifty, fifty.

"Ah ha, you've made my day," he said excitingly. "I'll pour us some tea – his parents will be very happy to hear this."

Zyca watched him take two mugs from the rack, moving ahead to the stove, he picked up a kettle, tilting it, he poured a translucent liquid into both cups. "Sugar?" he asked.

"Of course," she answered. That was easy.

He placed the steaming mug in front of her and sat back down on his sit. "So, you really think Sarah is shady?" she asked.

"It's more of a hunch I would say,"

"Please tell," she settled deeper in her chair.

He took a deep breath. "Well, I had gotten back from the super market Sunday night because of heavy traffic caused by the heavy rain that fell," he looked up as he recalled the events. "I was tired and worn out, so I discarded the bag of groceries on kitchen counter in hopes of getting up early the next morning to put them in their places - I wanted to hurry off to bed to get some sleep." He paused, glazed blearily at her and continued. "Noises came from outside when I passed the window, so I checked thinking an animal had found its way in – but I was wrong, it was Sarah shoveling the fields."

Riel paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a wrinkled animal. "Why was she shoveling at that time of the night?" she asked.

He continued. "That's what I thought. Why at that time, 8 pm. So, I watched hidden in the shades as she continued. She stopped after many minutes, running her eyes all over then bending and picking a tiny bag from it," he said. "It was strange for her to produce a bag of such after so many digs."

"Did you see what was inside," she drew closer to him.

He heaved a deep breath and shook his head. "I wish I did but I didn't. After covering the hole, she went back into the house."

There was silence as he finished telling his story, a dead end she thought, it didn't prove anything.

"Thank you, Riel," she said getting up to her feet.

"I can tell you more about his family, even Julia, if you want to know," he shrugged a shoulder. "I doubt young master talks to you about her."

"He did once."

He grimaced. "That's not in fact all of it. I heard over the conversations his parents had, why she had the affair. Don't you want to hear them all?"

"I don't know..." Was it right to pry into someone's life? Daniel would have told her if he wanted her to know more about him. But it did sound alluring. "I'll rather not pry. He'll tell me when he wants to."

"My bad. I just thought you should know about the book and how it destroyed their relationship." She was curious. "What book?"

"I'll reveal everything if I tell you about it," he smiled standing. "You rather not pry right?" She knew he was taunting her, heck she noticed the smirk that shadowed his lips. "Besides Young master might enter any minute from now.

"You're a sly, you know that," she laughed.

"I know," he gloved his hands with blue mittens. "It's what I do."

"Goodbye Riel."

Zyca made her way to the door. Her mission was already proven to be difficult as the days went by. As this rate she was going to eventually jam a wall when her time runs out. "Oh, I forgot to mention," he said halting her in her steps, she turned. "Before she put the bag away, I noticed something shiny peek out from its body."

"Shiny?"

"Yes. More of a glitter," he placed a tray of brownish muffins on the unlit stove. "Lustrous and brilliant like the lights on a tree."

Her eyes widened. Quickly she let loose her shoe from her legs, deepening inside with her hands, she produced the other half. Its brightness, illuminated the room with a silver light. "Is it something like this you saw?"

He nodded approaching. "Yes, it's exactly what I saw. Silvery light," he looked amazed. "Can I touch it?" He asked stretching his hands forth. Before she could answer, Riel had already, placed his hands on the edges, rubbing them with hunger. Only when his hands were off, did she put the crystal back in its place.

"I owe you one," she hurried out of the room in search of Daniel.

A loud yelp escaped her lips when she hit something soft, reeling her down to the ground. A set of beady eyes stared straight at her.

****

Daniel typed eagerly, gliding his fingers on his keyboard as he typed the events from the previous days. It was difficult to remember some of the events after having spent so much time in her midst.

"She was in the midst of unfamiliar faces...." he said as he typed. "Mike who she already met, Roland and Tommy and two women, Catalina and Esther. She sat watching and listening to what they talked about as they slapped cards on a burnish table."

His lies were getting enormous as the days went by. He said he had a brother when he never even had a sibling much less him dying in a crash. Hell was the right place for people like him, burning in the same flame Juliet must be burning in right now.

A loud yelp from down the stairs caught his attention, making him pause on his keys. He looked up and waited. He was only met with silence. What was that? He pushed his chair backwards, standing, he walked to the door and out.

The scene before him wasn't something he expected to see, an uncomfortable looking Zyca in the scrutinizing stare of Sarah.

"Mother," he hurried towards them, placing himself to in front of Zyca. "I never expected you to come in this morning."

"Is this the girl?" she asked ignoring him. "Come on get out of the way, let me see my future daughter in law. I'm still looking at her." she tired pushing him out of the way but of course her strength could not match his, so she failed. "Dan!"

"She's not a tourist sight," he said. He knew the torture she would pass through if Sarah were to get her hands on her, it wouldn't even surprise him if she called the wedding planner the next day. Moreover, if she were to learn her name was the same as his books, he would be in a bigger mess.

"Your bag madam," Riel said coming out of nowhere. "Welcome back. How was your trip?" He grabbed the black duffle bag from her hands.

"Good. It was...." Sarah started. Daniel took it as a signal to send Zyca far away as possible. He reversed.

"I think you should continue our search, I'll come meet you as soon as I'm done with her," he whispered.

She shook her head. "There's something you need to know," she started. "I know where the other half is."

His eyes widened a fraction. "How do you know?"

"Riel told me."

"Riel?" He asked surprised. She nodded. Noticing the two were beginning to end their conversation he said. "You should go, we'll talk about this later. Meet me in the living area in half an hour."

"Ok." Zyca looked back at Sarah. Bending Daniel kissed her on her cheeks. Retreating, she left the room in hurried steps. Seemed she didn't want to be here as much as he didn't want her to.

"Where is she going?" Sarah cried.

Daniel only shrugged. "Thankfully away from you."

****

Daniel ducked his head back to light the furnace, and pushed himself away from it. The heat warmed his skin and hopefully around the room for it was beginning to get kind of chilly.

"I really don't understand our weather sometimes," Daniel jolted from the voice. "I mean its summer, why is it chilly?" Sarah finished.

"You really have a knack for popping in places where you're not wanted."

"Again, that hurt son," she headed for the windows, in a more home stay look, rubbing her shoulders from the cold. She closed the blinds. "At least act happy when you see me."

He pinned her with an uncaring stare. "I don't know why that is so difficult to do," he answered sarcastically.

"Quit being sarcastic. It's not a good fit for you," she settled herself on the double couch and patted the chair for him to sit. "Come here."

With a sigh, he settled himself on her left.

Sarah stared into space for a while before finally speaking. "I know I can never replace your mother in any way possible," she paused when he looked at her. "And I know you can never replace the children I lost– but I want you to know I care for you as my own and I want you to do the same." She took his hands in hers.

"What's this? Why?" He asked. It was an odd behavior. Yes, it was normal for someone to get serious every once in a while, hell even he over did it sometimes but not Sarah. She always radiated happiness and joy and sometime sadness like how she cried back where he lived but not this, never this. Are you dying for real?" he asked panicked.

She smiled. "No. I just feel you really don't want me around like you always voice."

"Definitely not. I want you, like you want me," he said shifting in his position. "I hate you for setting me on blind dates but that a common feeling towards parents. I love you, always had and, always will."

"You won't think of me like that if you knew about my past," she played with his fingers. "What I did, what I hid..."

"It's in the past Sarah, let it go. Whatever happened then stays there."

Sarah gave Daniel a long, considering look. "You never asked."

"Asked what?"

"About my past."

He shrugged. "Didn't occur to me. I only cared about you, making father happy after the gloomy appearance he put on after my mother's death- and when you did, that satisfied me."

She stared at him with kind eyes. She moved closer to him and gently threw her hands over his shoulders. "Thank you." He warmed his arm around her and they stayed there for several minutes.

"So, when are you going to tell me about her," she wiggled her eyebrows as the old Sarah he grew to hate bounced back in a blink of an eye.

Daniel groaned standing to his feet. "Not this again."

"Tell me, I want to know."

"There's nothing to know," he said throwing wood into the now quenching fire.

"Like her name, where she's from, her family, you should know all these like how you introduced Julia."

"Just walk away," he said affably.

"Tell me, tell me," she continued to pester him tugging on sleeves of his shirt.

"She's from a distant country," he finally said. "She's 18 and basically an orphan, with a sister. She works like a slave to some petty assholes." he quickly replied skimming all the necessary information about her but of course the quick-witted woman took notice.

"Sounds a little like Zyca."

"I can assure you she's not."

"I see. When are you going to propose?" She asked.

"There is no wedding," he began. "Yet," he added softly.

Sarah cooed. "You like her, huh?"

"She's okay. Just the opposite of Julia. Reminds me of a broken little bird who lost its' wings on their first flight." It was the first time he ever spoke about his feelings for Zyca and it felt good. "I thought I was never going to feel anything for any woman but I did. Not at first though, but I did."

"Where did you find her?"

"More like she found me. Crashed from her world into mine." He told her.

"Does she feel the same way?"

He laughed, nodding. "I guess."

"Can't wait for your father to hear this. He'll be happy you'll no longer be alone," she said excitingly.

"Yeah," he breathed.

"And I really hope what happened to Julia doesn't repeat itself. You spending time with a fictional character rather than with your wife was terrible." His heart tugged. He knew what she said was true, he was partly to blame for his wife's infidelity.

"I have decided to end the series with the third part. I need to move on, and get my life back to the way it was."

"Indeed. And don't forget, trust is everything. That's why your father and I were able to stay this long," she said. He gulped. Footsteps sounded lightly on the wooden floor in the space, as it approached.

Sarah yawned, stretching forth her hands up to the ceiling. "I should get going. I need the rest after such a long flight." She winked only for him to see and strolled towards her, patting down her shoulders. "Keep my boy safe."

"Walk away Sarah."

"I'm going, I'm going," she put up her hands in surrender, walking out of the room.

Zyca watched the middle-aged woman cross to the other side and out. Now she looked a tad bit familiar, like she'd met her somewhere before – but she could place where she'd seen her. The touch on her shoulder had electrified her body, warm, homey and gentle.

"So, what did you want to tell me," he asked diverting her attention. "You said you found the second half."

She blinked. "Yeah. How well do you know Sarah?"

"Why? Did she do something to you? Heavens that woman never keeps her prying to herself."

"I meant how well you knew about her life," she said urgently.

Daniel gave her a long look. "Where is this going?" He straightened his back inching his head down at her.

"Riel told me he'd seen her groveling the fields at late hours."

"So what? It's her house."

She paced. "He said she produced a tiny bag after so many digs and something shiny peeked from it."

"Could be her Jewelry."

"What jewelry shines from a bag? It's the crystal Daniel, I showed him the other piece – he says it glowed like it. She might just be the crystal thief," she stopped about the take her shoe off but Riel placed a hand on hers preventing her from doing what she was about to do. Zyca looked up and was met with hard eyes.

"Sarah has done nothing of a sought. She's not a thief."

"We can't rule out the possibility Riel might be right."

"We speak none of this again."

"But we have to search her chambers now to be sure it is there," she said. "Allet might lead us to it like she did with the other half."

"I am not letting you accuse her like this after some words from the butler."

Zyca braised herself on the strong hold of the couch, when she felt herself reel backwards from the force of Daniel's hold. "We were eventually going to search her room one of these days."

"Not now we won't."

"C'mon Dan, the days keeps getting shorter. It might just be there," she pleaded. "Saves us the trouble from going to the other rooms."

He shook his head. "Nothing proves what you know. What if Riel saw something else? He is an old man you know – they see things that don't exist."

He did pose a good response. What if he really saw wrong. "Sorry, I just..."

"I understand you want to find the crystal as quickly as you can but you can't go on accusing people from another person's words."

"I apologize."

He leaned over her, peeking her cheek with his finger.

"Come now, we have places to search. And a butler to curse."

****

During the first month they'd cover a lot of lesser grounds than she wanted – out of seven they had five left, mainly because some places were split into very large two's, the size of a ship. Daniel had suggested they work in the night, when Sarah was out working and Riel at the food store. During the day she would notice Sarah watching her from the shadows, trying so hard to conceal her presence, which she was failing miserably by the way

From that she learned to avoid. It was uncomfortable.

Daniel did confront Riel like he said he would, but she paid no attention to what they talked about - she was busy looking out for the adult female in the shade.

When she told Daniel about it, he'd wave it of saying she was excited of him having a woman in his life. And yes, she had become a part of his life, kisses and night walks, she enjoyed them all. It was only a matter of time she would tell of her decision to stay, she'd gotten entangled in his web and after she returned the crystal, she would get her sister over but she would miss Colt- maybe they could still see if she gathered more of those elastic bands and by then she would know how to use it.

****

Zyca was out in the fields alone strolling and enjoying the feel of the sun on her skin. She moved through a gentle green light and soft shadows of the bushes and into the main front of the building. She started down the stony pathway and into the house, stepping up the steps, she spun into a quick circle and opened the front door. One step in she noticed no one was in the building. For the past days, she could hear conversation or playful threat all over since Sarah was back and now, she heard nothing, it was as silent as a grave yard.

She sniffed the air and got a quick scent of some fresh. Sitting on the counter was a piece of blue berry pie. It looked tempting. Riel must have made it before he left, for himself perhaps. She sighed, shaking her head, settling for a food, Daniel called a cereal. Eating fast, she read a note she saw attached to the fridge.

****

"It's Daniel. I looked for you but I heard you went out for a stroll. By the time you're reading this I must be half wave to another city, I had someone to meet. Riel would be going out to get some groceries for lunch, Sarah should be out too. Stay safe, I'll be back by night.