You Don't Belong

Chapter 25 - Progress

As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer, something Tori was having to learn. If it was up to her, she'd never talk to or see Russell Carter again if she could, but she knew she didn't have a choice. To get to the bottom of why she was given the gift, Tori knew she would have to see Russell Carter again. She had talked to Lachlan, Nichol, Gina and Marge about the unexpected drink meeting, and Lachlan had not been happy.
"You should've called me, or one of your spirit friends, you know he's not a nice person." Lachlan had said, and Tori knew he was right. They also hadn't been happy that Russell had known Tori's full name, and Tori had to admit that it sent chills up her spine. Spirits knew a lot, and them knowing who she was made it feel wrong, almost creepy.
"So what's your plan?" Lachlan asked, and Tori looked at him.
Hm? Oh, I don't know. What I do know is that I have to talk to Russell again, and I would rather him not bump into me in the street again." Tori said.
"Agreed." Lachlan said and moved over to sit next to her. "I don't like this. I wish you never had to see that man again, but I know you need to do this. I wish I could say you came back for me, but you were sent back for this, I know." Lachlan said. Tori hugged him, feeling tears fall.
"I cam back for you too. You're my soulmate, and I never want to lose you." Tori sobbed, body shaking. Lachlan held her as she cried, and Tori knew he dreaded the day she might fall into one of her episodes and never come out. It terrified her too, but she had constantly assured him that she wouldn't leave him until she absolutely had no other choice.
"Mummy? Why are you crying?" Tori heard, and she wiped at her face, inwardly cursing herself for not being careful. She felt someone climb onto her lap and she wrapped her arms automatically around the small body. She looked down to see Brenna in her arms, then looked at Kaitlyn standing to the side, a strange expression on her face, and Tori realised it had been Kait that had asked the question. She cleared her throat.
"I'm all right baby, Daddy and I were just talking about some not nice things." Tori said. Kait blinked slowly.
"If you stop him, you'll leave us." She said softly. Tori passed Brenna over to Lachlan and moved over to Kait.
"I will never leave you. Never." Tori said, picking Kait up and holding her.
"You have to someday, but it'll be soon. Once Russell is stopped." Kait said. Tori looked at Lachlan, then back to the little girl.
"How do you know that name? Did you hear Daddy and I say it?" Tori asked.
"No. Well, not exactly. I just know it." Kait said. Tori looked over at Brenna and Lachlan, and he reached over to the table and picked up something, holding it behind his back.
"What am I holding?" Lachlan asked. Kait tilted her head, her eyes focused on her father.
"Red pen lid." Kait said. Lachlan pulled his hand from behind his back and opened it. Sitting on his palm was a battered looking red pen lid. Tori's eyes widened in surprise, but Lachlan just smiled.
"Excellent. You know some things. That is a special gift, don't waste it." He said. Kait shook her head.
"I won't. But Mummy has to be careful." Kait said. Lachlan looked at Brenna.
"And you, little Brenna, will you develop a talent too?" He asked. Brenna glanced at Kait.
"She says I will become a...a no touch?" Brenna half-stated, half-asked. Lachlan shifted Brenna slightly.
"A touch-know. That's a psychic that uses psychometry to view the past and the future. A very special gift indeed." Lachlan said.
"Our girls are psychic?" Tori asked in awe. Lachlan smiled.
"It would appear so. We should go out to celebrate later. For now though we have to focus." Lachlan said. Tori put Kait down, who scurried over to Lachlan and Brenna, climbing up onto the couch next to them.
"I just want to ask one thing of the girls. Will you always see spirits?" Tori asked. Kait looked at Brenna, and Tori had a feeling there was a silent communication going on between the two.
"Yes. We won't be able to do what you do, but yes." Brenna said.
"Why?" Lachlan asked. Kait beamed up at him.
"To help Mummy, of course. We will always help her." She said.
"Always?" Tori chimed in.
"Of course." Brenna and Kait said at the same time. Tori glanced at Lachlan, who looked almost relieved. She knew what he was thinking. They'll be together a long time.

"I have no choice. I have to go to Russell." Tori said a few days later. Tori had busied herself with work at the hospital and the shop, but she could almost feel Russell lurking around. They were closing up the shop early for the day, and Tori thought she'd just seen Russell walk by. Lachlan paused in wiping one of the counters.
"You have a choice." He said. "You heard Kait, we'll be together a long time. If you stop Russell, you'll leave us. I can't...I can't lose you." Lachlan said, and Tori heard his voice crack. She abandoned her bookkeeping and walked over to him.
"I vowed to you I'd never leave you. But we both know I was saved so I could stop Russell, find out what he's up to. If I could I'd take the girls, and you, and never come back here. But I have to stay. I have to pretend, for now, to be at ease with him." Tori said, wrapping her arms around him. His arms moved around her instinctively, holding her close. The two just stood there for a few moments, then Lachlan pulled away slightly.
"I hate it, but I understand." He said.
"I hate it too. I wish it didn't have to be like this. But I have to do it." Tori sighed. Lachlan run a hand through his hair.
"Learn what you need to, but...at least take it easy until the twins are a bit older. They need us both." Lachlan said. Tori felt her heart wrench, but she knew what she had to do. Maybe, once it was all over, Tori could beg the Judges to let her live on with her family.
"Sweetie?" Tori heard, and looked at Lachlan.
"Sorry, what?" She asked.
"I said, go to Russell, ask about that spell. Small steps. Ask him questions. But please be careful. Get Matthew to be there with you, or Gina, or the others. Don't go alone." Lachlan said. Tori nodded.
"If the spell is real though, they can't help me." Tori reminded him.
"That's true, but no other spirits can be there either then, which means you'll both be on an even playing field. But I want you to take note of every exit, even if it's just the backyard, just try to get outside and get help, call your friends and get them to contact the girls. I don't like them being involved in this, but we have no choice." Lachlan said.
"I'll just get one of the spirits to tell the girls that Mummy needs Daddy urgently. But after what we've learned about those two, they'll probably know something is up before we do." Tori said. Lachlan finished cleaning, a smirk on his face, nodding. It still baffled them that the girls knew all they did and were capable of what they could do. The two of them locked up, moved to the car and headed for home. After a few minutes of silence, Tori turned to look at Lachlan as he drove.
"I need to do this. I'm sorry, but the sooner the better. I won't leave you if I have a choice, and the girls will look after you until we're reunited." Tori said, putting as much love and care into her voice and words. Lachlan moved his left hand from the steering wheel and picked up her right hand, lifting it to his lips and pressing a kiss on her knuckles. Tori smiled at the gesture, but it was laced with sadness as she could feel his hand trembling as he held her hand in his.
"I know. I'm sorry." He said.
"I am too. I wish I could tell the Judges to shove it all, to find someone else, but I won't." Tori said, still holding his hand.
"You never back down from a challenge, and I reckon you'll do everything in your power to do whatever they ask of you." Lachlan said, letting go of her hand so he could turn onto their street, the twins were staying with Lachlan's mum so they had the house to themselves, all quiet as they entered from the garage. They were both silent as they put their things away, both thinking about the conversation that had occurred in the shop and in the car, and Tori, on a whim, pulled out the card with Russell's address and picked up her phone, taking a photo of the address and telephone number, then sent the picture to Lachlan. He looked down at the photo, and nodded, saving the picture to his phone library.
"Good idea." He said, and with that nothing else was said about Russell or the plan except to decide she would go to his place the following weekend instead of working in the shop. Putting it behind them for the rest of the weekend, they settled down to spend some quality time together.