"WOWP: Juliet Returns and Tells Her Story"
Mere moments after Gorog was vaporized, Juliet and everyone else were freed from his power and were in full control of their minds once more.
"Justin, I'm so sorry," Juliet cried. "I was under his influence!"
"Who cares," replied Justin, ecstatic to have her back. "You're here."
"Yeah, I never gave up," said Juliet. "I knew that somehow, someday we'd be together again."
"I knew it too," said Justin, holding back his tears of joy.
Juliet put her arms around him, not intending to let go for a long time. This was the second time he had rescued her from a horrible monster who had robbed her of her freewill and forced her to do evil. Justin truly was her hero.
Soon Alex and Mason were embracing too, and Max had engaged Felix and everyone else in a group hug.
"Aw, look at us," said Alex. "We are a freaky bunch."
Justin and Juliet agreed. They were indeed a freaky bunch, and they'd want it no other way.
Soon Justin turned his full attention back to his one-true-love:
"Juliet, I have so many questions I want to ask you," he said. "What happened to you after you turned old and disappeared into the woods? Where were you all this time? How did you get young again? Gorog didn't hurt you did he? . . . ."
"Justin, I'm fine, really," she replied. "Come sit down, and I'll tell you everything."
The couple sat down on a nearby bench, and everyone else gathered 'round to hear her story.
"For starters," she began, "after I turned old and hobbled off into the woods, I was quickly found by a family of country wizards who lived nearby. They were able to prevent me from dying of extreme old age, but they weren't able to restore my youth. So they just transported me back to my parents' restaurant."
Mason turned aside to Alex: "Those were probably the same wizards who later found and cured me and then held me hostage when their portal was destroyed."
"So wait a minute," said Justin to Juliet. "You mean to say that, all this time, you were just down the street from me?"
"I was," came her simple reply.
"Well then why didn't you come and tell me?" asked Justin. "I would have been there for you had I known."
"I know you would have," said Juliet. "And I love you all the more for it. But in that condition, I would have become a major burden to you, even if you couldn't realise it, and I just couldn't let myself ruin your life that way. So I stayed hidden, and watched you from a distance whenever I could."
"Well, that explains why I felt your presence so many times," said Justin. "At the time, I thought you had died and that your spirit was watching over me. But you were really there in the flesh?"
"I was," she said again. "And I was watching the night that Harper disguised herself as me and tried to help you move on. When you went out later that night with that other girl, a part of me was happy to see you trying to move on, but deep down my heart was breaking."
"I remember that night," said Justin. "I could somehow feel that your heart was breaking too. That's why I couldn't continue to see her, or anyone else. I would have been pretending she was you anyway, and that wouldn't have been fair to her."
Juliet then continued her story:
"A few months later is when Gorog showed up at my door. He said he'd be able to find a way to make me young again if I went with him. But when we arrived at his lair, he simply locked me up in a cage. Apparently, he felt that my nearby presence would have kept you from being seduced when he sent Rosie into your life. But even after he was defeated, he still held me captive, promising to make me young again if I obeyed."
"Well, that explains why I couldn't sense your presence anymore," said Justin. "Oh, honey I'm such an idiot! If I had known Gorog was holding you, I would have . . . !"
"I know you would have," Juliet interrupted. "Don't beat yourself up over it. There's no way you could have known. Even Rosie didn't know. Otherwise, she would have helped you save me when you turned her good again."
"So how did Gorog make you young again?" asked Alex, who had grown anxious while waiting for her to finally answer the big question.
"You can thank the owner of the most powerful wand in the wizard world for that," said Juliet, pointing everyone in Felix's direction.
"It's true," Felix said. "Shortly before Professor Crumbs switched wands on me, Gorog told me he had a backup plan in case you guys escaped from the black hole. He then led me around the corner to where Juliet was locked up, and I was able to accomplish what no other wizard could."
"Thank you, Felix," said Justin. "I owe you a lifetime of gratitude."
"No, Mr. Justin," replied Felix. "I still owe you. If it wasn't for you, my wand would still be stuck in a crystal ball, and I'd still be a nobody."
Suddenly, Professor Crumbs appeared, once more fully clothed and holding Felix's wand.
"And speaking of your wand," he said, "I think it's safe to return this to you now."
"Thanks Professor," said Felix as he took rightful possession of his wand again. "And I am so, so sorry that I tried to destroy you and the Russos."
"Well, normally a student of mine would get a double lifetime of detention for such acts, but seeing how you weren't in your right mind, I'll let it slide. Providing, of course, that you destroy this evil portal to the wizard world that Gorog made you create."
"Sure thing, Professor," said Felix as he waved his wand:
"Evil portal, disappear
and be like you were never here!"
Within moments, the portal's light went dim and the tunnel which Felix and the others had dug was filled once more with rubble. The Professor then turned back toward the three Russo siblings.
"I commend you all most highly for your heroic act today," he began. "I couldn't be more proud if you were my own children. But beware, for even though Gorog is gone, there are other angels of darkness out there, and one will surely try to take Gorog's place. So you must never drop your guard."
"Don't worry, Professor," said Max. "If any other dark angels come around here, we'll be ready for them."
Alex and Justin were just as confidence in sharing that opinion. For now that Mason and Juliet were back in their lives, they felt completely invincible. There was nothing that could bring them down.
THE END