[New York City Airport, early June]

"Annalia! If ye don't get yer head out of the clouds, we'll leave ye behind so ye can't get to them!"

The sound of her mother's admonishment seemed to snap twenty six year old Annalia O'Grady from her daydream and brought her back into the reality of where she was. She looked around as people bustled about her in the crowded New York Airport before focusing on her mother, her soft blue eyes lowering in apology as she realized that her mother, who was standing a few feet away with her hands on her hips as she glared at her daughter, had been calling her. "I'm sorry, mum. I think I was daydreaming again," she said sheepishly as she grabbed her carry-on and headed over to her mother.

Rolling her eyes, Bethany O'Grady cuffed her daughter lightly on the shoulder. "Daydreamin' indeed. Only ye would, what with that imagination 'n all. Come on then or we'll be late 'n ye brothers 'n ye father will be havin' a laugh at our expense if we miss our flight," she retorted fondly while shaking her head and her daughter laughed softly as they moved to catch up with the rest of their brood.

Chuckling inwardly at her mother’s old English ways, Annalia just shook her reddish brown hair out of her face as they hurried along. She watched her mother move swiftly through the crowds and wondered on how her mother could be so straightforward and yet so kind in the next instant. She glanced down at her bag, which held her laptop and some travel booklets so that she could do some research on the flight to her parents’ homeland. She smiled again, drifting into another daydream as she thought on her family’s story.

Her parents had come from Bristol, England when her eldest brother, Ryan, had been four and her mother had been pregnant with Jonathon, her second oldest brother. They had moved to New York when an overseas job had presented itself for her father, Liam, and they couldn’t pass it up.

But, no matter how long they had been away from England and their home in Bristol, Liam and Bethany O’Grady were always the epitome of Irish charm and English hospitality and had taught their children their heritage even as they were bombarded with the American lifestyle. And so, when an assignment from her magazine was offered for Annalia to do a report on her old family history, she'd jumped on it and included her family, knowing that it was just the kind of family vacation they needed.

Looking up as she heard their names being called, Annalia grinned as she saw her brothers and father waving at them. The youngest of them, Anthony, ran over and shook his head at his sister. “Lia…you know that you’re supposed to pay attention or you’ll not get to the plane!” he chided her teasingly as he grabbed her bag, making her laugh. He was about 6'0" of energy and his smile lit up his chiseled face with dimples under the mop of wavy reddish brown hair. His light blue eyes were always laughing, but when he needed to be, he could be serious and the best ear that you could have.

“I know I know! I didn’t hear the call,” she admitted sheepishly as she and her mother went up with him to the rest of their family before heading for the gate as the final boarding call was given.

“Typical Lia…lost in her own world as she ignores the rest of us,” Jonathon commented with a grin as he ruffled her hair playfully, making her growl before batting at him. “Or perhaps in your shortness you couldn’t find the way?” Jonathon was also rather tall, just passing the six foot marker, but his hair was trimmed short and had a natural flop to the side of his softened features. His dark blue eyes always looked like he knew something, but his smile banished his seriousness when it lit his face.

“Low blow, big bro…” Anthony remarked as Ryan groaned and shook his head. Ryan was also one of those who had been blessed with their father's good looks with a jaw that was a bit squarer and cheekbones that were sharper under the cropped reddish brown hair that was the family heritage. His blue eyes were the color of a clear summer sky and his smile was as warm as the sun. But he also had a tendency to think too much.

Annalia's eyes narrowed before she smiled sweetly up at her second eldest brother. "Better to be down to earth than high up in the air, airhead," she countered while batting her eyelashes.

Tsking as he saluted her, Jonathon shook his head. "Touché. Now, shall we head on in?" he asked as they stood outside of the gate.

"Aye, let's, ye ruffians," their father responded with a roll of his eyes before swatting at all of them, earning some laughs as they ducked and headed inside. Finding their seats quickly, the O'Grady family began to relax, the anticipation of going to their parents' home country exciting them to no end.

The time passed swiftly as they traveled through the skies across the ocean. Annalia and her brothers as well as many of the passengers took great interest in the family lore that Bethany and Liam O'Grady shared merrily and with great embellishment. Much was the laughter on how an old dog that had been trained by their Grand pappy O'Grady, would always follow Liam around and drag him home when the time became late. Or the sweet story of how the two had met in an old festival and had fallen in love around the Beltane fires. It was with delight that the O'Grady children heard the story about their father's side of the family had been originally from Ireland and had moved to Bristol when he had been a child. Not surprisingly, Bethany was also from Ireland, only her family had moved before she had been born.

Annalia found herself absorbing the old stories, eager for more as much as her fellow passengers. She had always loved the old Celtic religion, which their parents practiced quietly even though they were also Catholics. Both religions were strong in the family and a comfortable blend had been discovered that served to praise both the Goddess of the ancient Celts and Christ of the Catholics. It had become tradition to celebrate more than one holiday in their family and all of the O'Grady children had learned a deep respect for nature and all who were connected with it and them.

As they came into the airport located in Bristol, the O'Grady family bid a warm farewell to their fellow passengers. The younger O'Gradys went instantly over to the large windows that overlooked the sprawling land of Bristol and they took in what was their parents' homeland in awe and great delight. Annalia found herself sighing peacefully as she took in the view before they headed for the baggage area and found herself already wanting to see everything. Laughing as they teased each other and bantered, the six headed to the luggage retrieval area where they split up, two going to get the rented car and the rest were to claim their luggage as it came in.

Standing to the side as she watched Anthony and Jonathon joke around while grabbing the incoming luggage, Annalia checked her carry-on and looked around for her mother, who had gone to the ladies' room. She smiled as she saw her brother Anthony start to flirt with a young Bristol woman, batting at Jonathon as the older brother teased him and caused the young woman to giggle shyly at the two Americans.

"Annalia O'Grady."

Annalia tilted her head in confusion as her name was hissed out. She blinked as her gaze was drawn to a hooded figure standing near her and felt unnerved at the intense stare that was fastened on her. She watched as a claw-like hand slowly appeared from the tattered sleeve attached to the robes and raised itself in beckon, calling her to it. As if hypnotized, she gradually made her way over to where the hooded figure stood amidst the crowd.

She shivered as she went closer and felt a chill run down her spine when it felt as though she was being removed from reality. She looked around and noticed that her surroundings were becoming hazier the closer she came to the shrouded figure until it seemed that people were passing around her without even seeing her. Focusing once more on the form before her, her eyes widened as she saw that the shape was now sharper, clearer, as if it had focused more into her own realm…or she into its.

Stopping a few feet away from the figure, Annalia watched as two claw-like hands appeared and pushed back the hood, revealing an old woman within its shadows. She felt her throat constrict as black eyes pierced her, seeming to see into her very soul as she stood before the old woman, feeling almost naked. Trembling, she forced herself to hold the stare, unwilling to back down. "W-Who are you?" she whispered softly, her voice shaking slightly with both trepidation and fear.

The old crone frowned sharply and her eyes narrowed until only a slit of black showed. "Secrets wait on paths of old. Darkness falls as tales have told. A new light is needed this day of new. Come forth chosen from the forgotten few." Her voice was as sharp as broken glass and as brittle as dead autumn leaves as she chanted out the rhyme.

Stiffening as she heard the words, Annalia tried to make sense of them. She blinked briefly and saw, to her shock, that the ancient form was fading slowly. "Wait! What do you mean?" she cried as she reached forward futilely for the disappearing figure. She stumbled, and then shook her head as she looked around. She glanced over as she heard her name being called and realized that she had returned to her present reality. But what had just happened? And who had that old woman been? And what did that poem mean? All of these questions darted through her mind as she went over dazedly to where her family was waiting for her. She suddenly had a feeling that this trip was going to be more than a family trip...it was going to be an adventure.

Their luggage was retrieved and Annalia tried to put aside her worries as they headed for the rented car. She was quiet the entire way to the hotel that they would be staying at, since none of their native relatives would have enough room for their brood, though it was planned that many get togethers were going to occur in the month that they were going to be in Bristol. She didn't notice her eldest brother, and roommate for the trip, watching her in concern as they walked to their rooms. They had split it up, since rooms were cheaper in England than in America and especially at a discount group rate, so she was going to be with Ryan while Jonathon and Anthony were going to be just across from them, while their parents were going to have a suite just down the hall.

It was while she was unpacking her laptop that Ryan confronted her. "You seem to be lost in the clouds again, Lia. What's wrong?" His soft question startled her and she looked up at him in confusion.

"What? Oh…I um…nothing. I was just thinking already on what I want to write and jetlag is setting in. You know how I get when I get tired," she replied while waving her hand soothingly as she smiled wanly.

"Yea, you do get quiet. But you were fine up until we got our luggage. Something happen? Some guy hit on you?" Ryan asked as he leaned against the desk and looked down at his sister in concern.

Biting her lip as she stood up, Annalia went to the window and looked out, where she caught sight of their brothers as they headed for the pool. "Nah, it's nothing," she murmured and winced at how unconvincing she sounded even to her own ears.

She relaxed as he came up behind her and placed his strong hands on her shoulders in support. "You know you can talk to me or any of us, Lia," he said quietly as he rubbed her shoulders, causing tears to come to her confusion filled eyes.

Turning her head, she smiled up at him as she nodded. "I know that, Ry. I just need to relax," she whispered softly before leaning into his hug as he wrapped his arms soothingly around her.

"All right. Get some rest and work on your paper tomorrow. You're gonna need your sleep. I'll get you up when it's time for dinner, ok?" Ryan decided as he gently led her to one of the two queen beds.

She sat down and sighed as she sank into the soft mattress, smiling up at him. "Ok. I'll nap then. You going swimming?" she asked as she lay out onto the comforter with her hand under her cheek. She grinned sleepily as he nodded before kissing her forehead. "Ok. Later then," she mumbled, already falling asleep.

"You just sleep," Ryan ordered quietly before wrapping a blanket around her and tucking her in. He watched her sleep silently, wondering just what it was that had disturbed her so much. He shrugged and headed out the door after changing, not seeing the silhouette of an old woman in the window watching over Annalia as she slept.