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Stephanie looked up at Strider, still brushing away grass and moss. "Um, you're the person I saw before, right?" Her eyebrows came together as she thought. "Where'd the table go?"

Stephanie shook her head sadly. "Not yet, I'm getting really worried about him." She looked down at the gravestone, almost imagining it to be Jake's, and rubbed her eyes dry. "We've only got each other, no one else." Her voice choked up and she buried it in her hands, ashamed at crying in front of Strider again.

Stephanie looked up at Strider, her eyes shining. She sniffed a little, then dried her eyes on her shirt sleeve. "You mean, Jake's not in the cemetery after all?" Standing up, she took Strider's hand even though she didn't know him, but her gut told her that she could trust him.

Stephanie went to go in, but stopped with her hand on the door knob. She looked back at Strider, confused. "Why would he be here? Did something happen?"

"O-okay." Stephanie turned the knob and the door swung open easily. Jake was bending over a couple books, reading them in a stack on his lap. He heard the someone step into the room, and looked up to see his sister there. "Steph--" He started to say, but was cut off when she ran over and took him in a hug. "Oh Jake! You're really alright!" She said hurriedly, squeezing him tightly. "Uh, Sis! How'd you get here?" He breathed out, his ribs starting to hurt. Stephanie completely ignored him and kept hugging him, tears coming to her eyes. "What happened? I missed you so much!" Jake hugged her back after moving the books back to the table. He rested his head on his sister's chest, hearing her heartbeat loudly. "It's a long story, I'm glad to see you too..."

Stephanie hugged him a little bit longer, then pulled back and studied him. She noticed that his shirt was kind of torn, a few patched up holes here and there. "When did you tear your shirt?" Jake looked down too and bit his lip. Telling her the truth would just make her worry more. "I...crawled under a fence and it got caught on the wood." Stephanie raised an eyebrow but took him back into another hug anyway. Jake noticed Strider standing in the doorway and mouthed, "Help me." at him.

Jake looked at the floor and bit his lip. Then he looked back at Stephanie and pulled away, out of her hug. Stephanie watched him, wondering. "What's wrong, Jake?" "I..um.." He stopped and thought carefully. "I-I'm not really normal anymore." She cocked her head and stared at her brother. "Not normal? How?" "It's...well...I sorta died." Jake saw her reaction and spoke up quickly. "But, I'm okay now! I'm better than okay! Just...kind of different. He helped me." He nodded his head at Strider and continued. "I-I have powers now. And, I don't think I'll age like I used to like before...I'm not really sure, about everything, but..." He got cut off as Stephanie pulled him back towards her. She buried her head in his shoulder, her voice muffled when she spoke. "I don't care! You're my brother, I'm so happy you're okay!" Jake patted her on the back, comforting her.

"Wait! Don't...go..." Jake trailed off and held Stephanie close to him. She was the only person he had left. Their parents had already died, and he didn't even know they had cousins. He didn't even notice when his sister pulled away from him again, he was only thinking about Strider's words. He heard a clatter then, and looked up to see Stephanie grabbing books at random. "What're you--" "--You heard what he said!" She cut him off. "You have alot of reading to do! Help me over here.." Jake went to her side and put books in a pile. "Aren't you...Aren't you afraid of dying though?" He asked, glancing at her. She sighed and picked up a book that looked like a worn journal. "Don't worry, Jake. If I do die, then he'll be able to help you, and take care of you, and other stuff." She turned and smiled at him. "Before then, you need to do what he said and study up on....this. I'll help you too!" Jake smiled back at her and took his stack into his arms. The room started to change, until they were standing back at their abandoned farm-house home. He agreed with her, and for now, he'd live his life until the man who'd helped him came to get him.