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“Alright daddy, I’ll be right in.  I just want to say goodbye to Carter,” she said.

“Uh, didn’t you kids already do that,” he said putting Carter on notice.

“Daddy!”
Vie responded, letting him know she was a big girl now and didn’t need his approval to say goodnight to her boyfriend.

“Well alright, but don’t be long honey. Oh, and goodnight Mr. Stone,” Henry added facetiously.

“Goodnight sir,” Carter replied back again, being consistently polite.

“Well I guess I better get in there before Henry calls the firing squad on you,” Vie said smiling at Carter.

“Wait!” Carter shouted. “Where’s my goodbye?” he said flashing his award winning half smile at her.

Just then Carter grabbed the braid that rested on her shoulder and pulled it gently toward him He watched her beautiful face follow its lead. They were face to face, gazing deep into each other’s eyes.  So close that their noses softly touched. Carter glided his nose over hers sliding it softly and gently from side to side.

“Carter,” Vie tried to speak but Carter interrupted with a, “Shut up and kiss me Vie!”

The two of them shared a warm, passionate, loving kiss goodbye and Vie opened her door and said goodnight. She disappeared into the house and ran up the stairs, yelling goodnight to Henry as she entered her room, closing the door behind her. She got undressed and slipped into a short white tee shirt of Vivian’s that she loved to sleep in. Vie felt a chill in the room and noticed the curtains blowing from the cool nights breeze. She walked over to the window to close it.  Moving the curtain back slightly, she saw Carter standing on her front lawn looking up at her silhouette. Vie leaned slightly out the window and asked him what he was doing standing out there in the cold.

“I forgot to ask you something,” Carter said. “Can I come up?”

“Up here?” she asked thinking he must be crazy, but Carter shook his head yes.

“I’ll be quick, I promise,” he said crossing his heart.

“Ok, but be careful. If Henry catches you climbing up to my bedroom window, he’ll throw you out of it,” she warned.

Carter scaled the wall with finesse as if he had done it a thousand times before. Impressed, Vie said, “Not bad Spiderman!” giving him her seal of approval.

“So what is so important that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” she said.

“The dance on Friday,” Carter started.

“Yes, what about it?”
Vie said.

“Will you go with me?” he asked holding her hand as if he were proposing.

“Carter….I don’t do dances,” she said starting her objection.

“But this is special, it’s Homecoming and it’s our senior year…our last one. Honestly I have never wanted to go to one before now. So please
, please say
you’ll go with me? “
he
pleaded.

“Carter, while I wouldn’t normally mind spending any evening with you, a dance?
Really?
  Me?” she said.

“Yes, you me and a dance, that’s what I want,” Carter said grabbing hold of her and pulling her into him.  Although Vie felt like Carter was playing dirty, she did enjoy being in his arms. Carter gave her a peck on the lips and pleaded with her again to say yes. Vie figured it was best to just lay her reasons out there and then perhaps he would let it be.

“Carter, even if I wanted to, I can’t for a couple of reasons. One, I don’t dance and two, I have nothing appropriate to wear. You know things have been tight with my hospital bills and all so I really don’t want to put Henry out. You understand don’t you?” she said pouring on the guilt.

“Nope, and I’ll tell you why. First of all you don’t need to know how to dance because lucky for you, I can!  Furthermore, Gabe keeps telling me to be a leader and here’s my chance to lead,” he said grinning slightly at the clever reference.

“And about that dress thing….don’t you know you would be the most beautiful girl at the dance even if you showed up wearing rags,” Carter said sincerely, lifting her chin to look into her eyes so she could know how truly beautiful he believed she was. Vie could see that it was important to Carter and she was certain he was not going to take no for answer, so she finally gave in and said yes.

“Fine, you win, I’ll go.  Now get out of here before Henry catches you,” Vie said shuffling him back over to the window. “Now go,” she ordered, nudging him onto the sill.

“Wait!” he said grabbing hold of the ledge.

“What now?” Vie said pretending to be annoyed, but loving every second of Carter’s enthusiasm.

“This….” Carter said gliding his head back into the window meeting with hers. He gave her a long, slow, wet, passionate kiss, lifting her slightly off the ground with his strong hands. He pulled Vie into him and she melted in his arms. “God how I love kissing him,” Vie thought to herself. She thought about how completely enthralled she was by Carter Stone. Just the touch of his body to hers set off the most incredible feelings deep in her soul.  She could not break free from their hold, nor did she want to. Carter j
ust gazed into her electric
eyes that seemed to twinkle like stars in the light from the moon. Their lips parted and neither of them spoke a word, they didn’t have to. It was as if mentally they continued to embrace even though physically they
had let go. Carter and Vie looked at each other, pledging themselves silently to one another forever.

“Goodnight princess,” Carter said in his beautiful mellifluous voice, gliding his hand slowly and gently down the side of her face.

“Goodnight cowboy.” She smiled adoringly at him, gliding her fingers through his ridiculously silky hair before pulling her hand back inside the window.

Carter leapt from window ledge, sailing masterfully to the ground. He landed perfectly on the ground with ease from the two-story window. It was clear he was proud of his descending stunt from the sill and gave Vie a quick glance to check for her approval as well.

“Impressive for a freakishly superhuman being,” she said teasing him about what he had referenced earlier.

“So I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he said calling up from her front lawn.

“
Shhhh
,” she said looking around to see if anyone was outside watching them.

“After church you can….” Vie stopped midsentence and Carter could see a light bulb click on inside her pretty little head.

“Church!
That’s it!” Vie repeated the word. “Wait right there!” She said, “I’m coming down.”

Vie ran though her room grabbing a pair of jeans from the floor and stepping into them quickly. Slowly she opened her door and looked down the hall to see where Henry was. The coast seemed to be clear so she tip toed over to his room and listened by the door. She could hear the loud sounds of snoring vibrating through the room and Vie took it as a sign that Henry was fast asleep. She continued down the stairs and crept over to the front door. Carefully she opened the door and then quietly closed it behind her. Vie joined Carter on the lawn and gestured to him to get in the jeep.

“What is it Vie?” Carter asked

“Church,” she said noticing a blank look on Carter’s face still.

“
Your
Ecclesiophobia
?”
Still nothing from Carter.

“Your fears of church Carter remember? Didn’t you say Gabe told you that there was something blocking your memory? And didn’t he say that something could be a fear?” Vie fired off her questions.

“Oh
my gosh
Vie, you’re right.  That’s it.  It has to be it!” Carter said finally connecting the dots.

“We’ve got to get to Gabe.  Maybe he can help,” Carter said.

Suddenly, he stopped with the key in the ignition unable to move. Vie saw for the first time a genuine fear in Carter’s eyes. It was something she had never seen before and immediately understood this fear was debilitating for him. She took Carter’s hand and told him everything would be alright. Carter believed that his best chance of conquering his phobia was with Vie by his side. He started the car and minutes later they arrived at Eagle River Ranch.

Gabe had just arrived home after his meeting with the other Guardians and Vie could tell somethi
ng was wrong. She questioned Gabe but he
just brushed it off and asked what they were doing here so late. They filled Gabe in on their thoughts about Carter’s phobia and explained how it might relate to his progress with his powers. Gabe listened intently deciding what course of action to take. He began to ask Carter a slew of questions about when he first discovered he had this rare condition, what triggered it, and what measures have been taken to resolve this peculiar disorder he claimed to have. But Carter didn’t have any answers and he told Gabe he himself has tried for many years to correct whatever was wrong with him. He also explained that his parents had sent him to numerous professionals to help him resolve his phobia, but nothing seemed to help. Carter told Gabe it was useless to try, but Gabe had another idea, one that he thought just might work.

Gabe started by asking Carter if he remembered what happened in the field with the plow and
Enaypay
. He explained that when they meditated together to heal
Enaypay
that he was there with him. He asked if Carter was aware that they were together. Carter closed his eyes thinking back on the day in the field and suddenly he could feel Gabe’s energy.

“I saw you…you were there,” Carter said surprised by the flashback. Then Carter asked a question about something that Gabe had said that he was unaware of.

“Was it your power that healed
Enaypay
?” Carter asked, anxious about his answer.

“No Carter….it was yours,” Gabe said stunning Carter to his core.

“I healed
Enaypay
?” Carter asked astounded by the revelation.

“Carter I know all of this is a lot for you to process, but trust me when I say it was you that performed that miracle with
Enaypay
not me. That is why it is so important for us to figure this all out. If you have the power to save a man’s life
, just
imagine the power you will hold when you are able to release the fear and free your soul. You were put here to be limitless Carter, let me help you achieve all of your abilities. If you wish it, it will be so,” Gabe ended.

Ok, how will this work? I have been hypnotized several times and every time has failed. I get back to about age three and I can’t go any further. The fear is constricting, the wall is solid, and I can’t get through it. The last time they tried, I almost died I am told,” Carter said explaining the seriousness of his condition and the lengths he has gone to free himself from it.

“But you never had me there with you Carter,” Gabe said confidently.

“Uh umm,” Vie said reminding them both she was there too. “I will be here watching you closely, holding your hand. I won’t let anything happen to you Carter,” she said making her vow.

“Well I guess if something does happen to me your friend Gabe here can just beam me back up right?” Carter said half joking.

Gabe looked at him a little concerned about his comment and Carter knew right away it wasn’t something that Gabe could really do.

“Oh,” Carter said “I guess it was just a little wishful thinking. You know just in case the worst happens,” he added.

“Nothing is going to happen to you Carter, right Gabriel?” Vie shouted at Gabe using his full name to show she meant business. Gabe knew full well Vie would never forgive him if anything happened to Carter and honestly, Gabe was thinking that he would never forgive himself if anything happened to the boy. He hated to admit it and didn’t out loud but he was growing very fond of Carter Stone.

“Ok Carter, let’s get started and remember, just focus on my voice. Do exactly what I tell you to do. We can go as slow as you need to. Got it?” Gabe asked.

“Got it,” Carter said still a little uneasy.   

They sat across from one another and closed their eyes. Vie sat next to Carter and held his hand tight. Gabe counted back from ten and off they went. Carter was roaming alone in his past unable to connect with Gabe like before. He moved slowly back in time feeling at ease with his memories. Suddenly he was five and then four and then his world went dark.

“Gabe, Gabe where are you?” he called out to him with no reply. Carter was spinning in a tunnel of time and his heart began to race.

Vie, still holding Carter’s hand, could feel the cold clammy sweat that had replaced his warm tender touch. It didn’t take long to figure out that Gabe was not with Carter and he was clearly showing signs of distress. She whispered in Carter’s ear to hang on, telling him Gabe was coming, but she feared the worst. “Please hurry Gabe,” she said quietly to herself.

Meanwhile Gabe was trying to reach Carter but he was interrupted. Raphael had been trying to communicate with him using their telepathy and that affected Gabriel being able to join Carter in the meditation experiment. He told Raphael about what they were about to do and told him it was imperative that no Guardians attempt to communicate with him until further notice. Quickly Gabe returned to his meditation, and not a moment too soon.