PEACE BETRAYED--ANNIHILATION

        They all nodded.  At one time ot another, when he had felt the intense need to escape...to be alone for a while, they would find him sitting on that hill, looking out over Caprica Bay, or sometimes he would be doing class work; or reading one of Harry's books that he had taken a sudden interest in.

          "He was just...there, staring out over the Bay.  He was so close I could have touched him.  I reached out to do so, said his name.  He had just begun to turn to me, this smile on his face when he hears me coming.  Then everything just...exploded.  I snapped awake at that point, but the impressions, the feelings...  Fire.  Pain.  Anger.  Death and destruction," tears began to fill his eyes again.  "Blood."  His eyes closed, his voice taking on the horror he was feeling.  "Oh bright KOBOL, there was so much blood this time.  His eyes...those beautiful sherry brown eyes...open...staring...Dead."  

          He rolled into Harry, burying his face in his chest.  "Oh, Rory," Harry wrapped his arms around him.

          "Severus.  Sebastien," came Robin's worried voice, his aquamarine eyes watching Harry comfort his brother, knowing that was exactly what the others in the room wanted to be doing.

          While he himself was not as strong an empath as some of his brothers and cousin's were, he had just enough of the gift to feel Roark's intense distress, his terror for his husband, and he could just imagine what those swarm of feeling were doing to those who WERE strong empaths.

          Severus was already pulling a syringe out of his robe pocket as Sebastien reached for one in his leather bag.  Severus shook his head, saying, "This will work much faster," he murmured, already pulling the cap off the needle.

          "What?" he gasped as he felt the needle go onto his arm.  "Sev, what--"

          "Just a little something to help calm you, relax you so that you can go back to sleep," he answered, "and hopefully not dream again tonight."

          "That depends on just how strong it is.  They're coming nearly every night, sometimes two a night," he said as he felt himself relaxing, his emotions calming, his eyes slipping closed with a yawn.  "Oh...hh, this one IS strong.  This must be the one you were working so hard on before we left."

          "It was, now hush.  Just be quiet.  Let yourself go back to sleep.  A new day begins in a few centars."

          Roark didn't hear most of what he said because he was already asleep.  He bent then, pressing a kiss to his temple.  "Sleep, Rory, and know you will not dream again tonight."  As he stood, he saw Roan's face.  "Roan?  What is it?"

          He turned to him.  "The shields he had worked so hard to build and strengthen, are beginning to fracture."

          "Hum..." Colten, who had silently come into the room with a frowning Bill Weasley, spoke up, making them turn to look at him.  "Bill, are you seeing what I am?"

          Bill, who had moved to wrap his arms around his tense lover, was studying Roark.  "They LOOK like they've been hit by a rock, or something thrown hard at just the right angle and strength.  There are spider web cracks all over the place."

          "Damn," Ethan swore, "I was afraid of that.  What ground he had managed to achieve is beginning to erode again, and he isn't anywhere near as centered as he should be."

          "If he's grounded, why isn't he centered?  I was under the impression you couldn't have one without the other?"

          "In normal circumstances, Charlie, you can't," Severus told him.  "Unfortunately, Roark's circumstances are anything BUT normal.   As you know, Roark's gift of premonition is so strong that it's the cause of all the other problems.  These dreams...they're not only extremely strong, they're also incredibly REAL, and they have so tightly linked to his empathy, he's getting pulled into them as if he were actually there."

          "And that is part of what is interfering in getting him properly grounded and centered.  There are a few things we can do to patch the cracks, but once he wakes tomorrow, we're going to need the training room."

          "I'll see that it's free and made ready.  Come on boys, let's let Ethan work with Rory.  We need to do a few things before we can go back to bed."

          "What's that?"

          "You are going to call Dad, Uncle Thorin, and Uncle Bilbo, while I call Dacian.  They're going to want to know about this.  Ask Dad for me if he has any ideas that could help us.  Harry," Severus turned to look at him.  "I need you to call Rodolphus."

          He grimaced.  "You ARE aware he will not be happy with this development?"

          "I am, but then, none of us is happy with this new development, nor do we have any clue why these dreams keep changing."  He shook his head.  "On another front, be warned Logan Adrian, we WILL be wanting to have a nice long talk with you and Ryder," his head turned, "and you and Charlie."

         A deep sigh sounded.   "Of course you will.  Come on, Ry, let's go give my Dad a call, then go back to bed before my brother-in-law, my brothers, and cousins try to scare you off."

          "Not happening, babe.  I've been around this family too long to be scared off so easily."

          "You know," Roan said softly as the room emptied, Bill still standing at his side, "I'm not sure this will work much longer.  Not only are these dreams getting stronger...more detailed, that he's actually beginning to remember bits and pieces, they're tearing him apart."

          "I know, but I don't know what else to do.  Bill, at the strength these dreams are at now, how long can we hope for this patch to hold,"

          "With this new drug of Severus'...If we can control when he dreams..." he looked thoughtful.  "Perhaps until what is supposed to happen, happens."

          They nodded.  "We'll talk to Sev tomorrow.  Let's put some strong patches on these cracks."

          : Thank Kobol he's deeply asleep, : Bill spoke softly as the three of them slipped easily into Roark's mind. : He may know we're here, but he can't do anything to stop us. :

          : Why would he want too? :  Roan asked as they began to work on Roark's shields.

          : Because darling, he's fucking tired of this happening and wants it done and over with.  One way or the other. :