Sam? Sam wake up.

The voice was familiar a woman’s voice a gentle breeze brushed across his face as he opened his eyes slowly as clouds of white and light grey danced in the blue sky above. Sam was looking back at an angel with hair of dark brown and eyes that were two pools of blue that he lost himself in. the longer he looked the more he saw. He smiled slightly then lifted his head; it was in the lap of the angel as her back was to a tree. Sam’s eyes fixed on a meadow in front of him tall grass danced in the wind with each breeze. It was quite still. He sat up slowly and frowned slightly scratching the back of his head as he slowly turned to the side.

The angel was in view now as well as the field ’I fell asleep didn’t I?’ a small radio next to him was playing ‘Can’t you see’ by the Marshall Tucker Band. Sam knew immediately where he was as soon as she started laughing. ‘Nope, not at all I was just enjoying the view and the picnic without you.’ Sam’s heart skipped a beat. This was when and where he proposed to Alexandra. Rather this would have been when he proposed. ‘Not real. It’s not real.’ Thought Sam as he looked out the field as the song kept playing. None of it was real all of it was fake memories and a dream nothing more.

Maybe this was, is heaven maybe Amanda constructed his heaven in an attempt to control him. Sam shook his head trying to remember what happened before he was here, it felt like a bad dream, a distant memory even. He was fighting then, tired and broken. Here he was fine, Sam looked to the angel’s lap and thought about lowering his head down and closing his eyes again. It was quite here, simple and peaceful. Sam looked off into the distance and to the sky before deciding. The sun started to glow hotter and brighter then started to take a blue hue.

----

”Pop! Pop!”

The smell of candles came shortly after muffled voices could be heard. Might have been incense Sam didn’t know and at this point that wasn’t what was concerning him. It was the heat signatures. One was off in the corner, a male with his hand held up to his ear must have been on the phone. Another two were near some bright blinding lights he tried not to focus on the candles with his sixth sense but it was difficult the obscured the two behind them. Then there was another two off to his sides standing towards him one had his hands inches from his chest where a good amount of heat could be felt but not seen with his enhanced sense.

His eye was still closed and he was still trying to process everything. He was in a fight before this. He was but then he wasn’t… Sam lurched forward and took a large gulp of air as his eye snapped open his hands rose to his face as if he was expecting a fight.

'Worried sick' was an excellent phrase to describe the current noxious butterflies that had fumed in his stomach, flying about as he'd sat in the chair by Sam's bedside, waiting, hoping, and even, though he wasn't a religious man, or even of this religion, praying. They had beat against his insides up until a point... that point being the second Sam had sat up roughly, and hastily sucked in a gasp. That had done it, dispersed the butterflies, but now he just felt empty and shocked. He was running on fumes, and getting tired.

"Sam," A small smile tugged at his mouth. It would have been brighter, had it not been for the facts leading up to the situation, and the thought that they might not be out of the woods yet. "We thought we'd lost you."

"Did, for a second," came a wry comment from the balding brown-eyed priest. He smiled a kind smile, and clenched a fist up in front of his face. As he spoke, he shook it for emphasis. "But I dragged you back!" A confident chuckle ran the undertone to the statement.

In the background, one of the police officers stationed turned, pausing his phone call to look Sam's way. He turned back to his conversation a moment later, ignoring Sam, but the relief was there on his face, even if he didn't verbalize it.

After they'd gotten him to the church, they'd called it in and gotten guards. Sam was important to the NYPD. Important enough to get them, and suddenly wounded enough to need them.

One EMT smacked the other on the chest with the back of his hand, and shook his head. The other spoke to the priest. "If you're sure we won't be needed, we'll be on our way," he said, referring to a conversation they'd been having up until Sam had shot up.

The priest nodded genially. "Others need your help more than he. Be off with you," he smiled. Giving him a look of approval and a brief nod, they left, lowering the heat signature count in the room by two. There was Shin, the priest, and a few police officers. And Sam. Speaking of the devil...

"Do you know who did this to you?" The words came out of the Asian's mouth faster than Shin had anticipated. "When I got to you, it looked like there'd been a fight. More than one person... you don't have to answer now," He suddenly reprimanded himself sheepishly, glancing towards the priest. "When you're feeling up to it, I'll be here."

The priest reached over to take up a glass of water in his hands. He held it towards Sam, offering it. The man had lost a lot of fluids. Water would be a necessity.

Sam blinked as his eye shifted to Shin as the heat signatures of everyone around him were slightly obstructed by the burning candles in the room. His heart rate slowed as he gasped for another breath filling his lungs even though it hurt to do so.

>>>> “We thought we'd lost you."

Sam’s eye shifted from the guy dressed as a priest back to Shin. Sam’s eye shifted back to the priest when he spoke about Sam being lost for a second. The icemancer felt like it, he’d been in tight situations before when it came to life or death but he was pretty sure he was tip-toing to the white light. Sam’s hand lowered from his guard and covered his throat feeling smooth skin where he was sure one of the guys slashed his throat. It was healed. Still hurt like hell but it was flawless.

Sam was about to thank the guy who claimed to drag him back from the afterlife but stopped when he spotted the police officers on the other side of the candles. Sam’s head snapped around and his hands jumped back up, his vision was still adjusting to the light. It would have been clear to anyone he was on edge. Being dead apparently did that to him.

Sam didn’t pay much mind when the two EMT’s departed their signatures left with them and Sam had a feeling he’d have to thank them personally if he ran into them again, maybe Shin knew who they were or… ”She’s gonna kill me.” Sam muttered before looking back Shin and the priest.

>>>>> "Do you know who did this to you?" "When I got to you, it looked like there'd been a fight. More than one person... you don't have to answer now," "When you're feeling up to it, I'll be here."

Lowering his hands Sam reached out to the glass of water and brought it eagerly to his mouth his throat was dry and he felt dehydrated, like he was in the desert for a few days without any supplies. He blinked slowly once he downed the glass. He probably shouldn’t have guzzled it but he didn’t really want to be in one place any longer than he had to at the moment. Sam looked to the priest and nodded, ”Thanks, Padre.” his voice was weak and he was surprised to hear his voice again. Then he realized he could hear everything again, Sam’s head hurt.

Putting his hand to his forehead and pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to think about the most recent events, two men tried to kill him and apparently sort of succeded. One was a loud mouth and the other had the magic knives and guns. Sam shook his head and looked to Shin trying to push himself up from the spot he had been sitting and earlier lying on. ”I got to get out of here.” Sam said his voice not really filled with worry but determination, ”Not safe here.”

Who was 'She'? Was she related to the people who had tried to kill him, orrrrrr....? Shin was not really up to date on the icemancer's life choices, including (and especially) choices of the heart. So there was no way he could have made the connection about a certain EMT named Athena. Instead, he hardly noticed it, focusing entirely on what had happened, and getting answers. Answers Sam did not immediately have.

The icemancer drank his water and took a breather. Shin let him. He'd gone through hell. He managed to croak out a dry word of gratitude. The priest bowed his head, smiling, and nodded.

"Call me Tim," He said warmly. "Though Padre works, too. If you insist."

A beat passed between them, then Sam said something, insisted on it, and both Tim and Shin arched a brow in unison, as if heavily practiced in the art.

"You shouldn't move so much. And it's safe here." He was silent for a second, then added, as if mentally reprimanding himself. "Though the mansion would probably be more secure. We can move you there, with our police escort. I should call Streak."

Sam nodded when Padre Tim said his name, if all turned out well after what ever the hell was happening he’d be coming back to thank Padre Tim, the best way he could do that now however was by getting the hell out of there before the two who attacked him realize he has a unique ability to resurrect just like… ”Jesus.” Sam said realizing he got himself a police escort. ”They don’t have their lights on in front of the place to they?” Sam asked looking from the father to Shin to the police.

Sam shook his head again, ”Not as safe as you’d think. Mansion.” Sam nodded, ”Call Streak and let him know to beef up security, also don’t spread word that I was attacked. Not a word to anyone. I don’t know if anyone is waiting to hear about me.” Sam looked to Padre Tim and stood up and patted him on the shoulder. ”Sorry about the Jesus thing.” Sam said catching himself as his legs felt like jello.

His legs wobbled slightly and he caught himself, ”Best way to thank you is to get out of here. I was attacked and the two who attacked me knew me, not personally but…” Sam looked to Shin and nodded, ”I want to draw as little attention as possible. At least till I get some answers figured out.” Sam paused then turned to Shin, ”You drive? Have the escort take a different route to the mansion.”

>>”They don’t have their lights on in front of the place to they?”

"The lights are off," Shin stated, glancing towards the entrance. There weren't any blue and red lights flashing through the windows, so it was good. The police had had more common sense than that.

Sam said some more things, then added: ”Sorry about the Jesus thing.”

The Padre shrugged as if this was commonplace, and nothing to worry about. Which it was. "It's nothing," she said tactfully. His eyes shifted towards the Asian, who had turned away from Sam and them after the things the man had said, to pull out his phone. He was speaking into it now quietly, carefully, with just a hint of urgency in his tone. Getting Streak up to date on the situation with all the details Sam had told him to say, no doubt. From how he was talking, it was clear there weren't any arguments against it on the other end. The exchange seemed quick and professional. His attention shifted back to Sam.

>> ”Best way to thank you is to get out of here. I was attacked and the two who attacked me knew me, not personally but…”

"Of course," Tim interjected.

Looking towards the Asian on the phone, Sam went on.

>>”I want to draw as little attention as possible. At least till I get some answers figured out.”

>> ”You drive?" He asked the Asian. "Have the escort take a different route to the mansion.”

The cell phone snapped shut as Shin wrapped up the call, nodding in CS's general direction. "Sure thing." He replied calmly, already moving to get everything in order. He spoke to some men, told them what they needed to hear, then turned back towards CS. "We'll be ready in 3." He said. And they were.

”Good.” Sam said sighing a little still cops in front of a church at this time of night didn’t really give him any encouragement. He didn’t know exactly what time it was but he knew he was out for a little bit. Long enough for him to get transported to a church and long enough for Shin and Sam’s new escort to arrive.

Once they were moving Sam was relatively silent occasionally suggesting to Shin to go one way instead of another his eye shifted from the road behind them to the rooftops he tried to make sure they weren’t being followed. Sam made a note not to activated his sixth sense, just in case they were being followed. The two knew enough about him to know how to counter his every move maybe they were on the up and up about that as well. He didn’t advertise he had a sixth sense but then again sometimes people just know. Like Evee.

Once they arrived to the mansion Sam looked from Shin to the squad car that was sitting off a little ways on the main road he’d send for them in time but he wanted to make sure he was in the mansion by then and all the security was in place.

”War room.” Sam said simply as he entered the mansion he didn’t want to fill Shin in on anything till Streak was there as well. Those two should be a good start with the team he didn’t want to have to repeat himself more than he had to. ”Hate to have to ask more from you but can you have Streak and Doc meet us down there?” Sam was still pretty sore but didn’t want to show it so he decided it was best if he didn’t limp. Instead he walked slowly each step a little more difficult than the last.

The drive hadn't taken long. A few detours, some stuff to throw any potential tails they had, and a whole lot of driving later, they were there. They parked, and handled the police escort. Told them to wait.

Sam gave out orders, and Shin took them in one by one, making a mental checklist. He nodded his head, and didn't say anything but '"On it." A moment later, he'd vanished down a hall.

Sam could walk himself to the war room. Now that he was in the mansion, they were quite a bit safer than they'd been at the church. But still, they weren't perfectly safe, and it was a school. He hated putting the students in danger by keeping Sam there, but it was what it was. He was an X-man, and a police officer. He had duties on both sides of the fence.

When he reached the infirmary, he caught up the Doc best he could, and sent him on his way. Then, he tracked down Streak. Once everyone had been told what they needed to know for the moment, they all met up in the war room to plan their next moves.

Posted the War Room thread Recover and Recon