The Best Laid Plans of the Dead and Dying
In the Manor Jake cried out in pain. His hands immediately went to his head, his knees giving way beneath him. He was shaking violently and then suddenly it stopped. He slumped over against a nearby chair.
"What happened?" Kenzie asked, taking his head in her hands.
"I…I don't know," Jake answered weakly.
"Shit that hurt," he whined as he gingerly got to his feet.
"We need to find Matt before it's too late," he said, his voice stronger this time.
"Go check the book. I'm going to start calling people," Chris informed them.
"No, Dad. Don't bother them," Jake ordered.
"We can't take her. Not at least without Wyatt," Chris protested.
"Please, Dad. Just don't bother them," Jake insisted before disappearing in orbs.
"Do you think he's ok?" Kenzie asked anxiously.
"I don't know. If something's happened to Matt, Jake would know," Chris responded before heading upstairs to the attic. He found Jake standing in the middle of the room, eyes closed, palms faced upwards. Chris knew better than to speak. After a good fifteen minutes, Jake opened his eyes and tears were spilling from the corners.
"What?" Chris asked, a lump in his throat.
"Can you sense him?" he pressed.
"No. Not with my whitelighter powers," Jake answered, dabbing at his eyes.
"Have you tried…you know…" his father trailed off. He wasn't sure exactly how to classify the twin bond between them.
"No," Jake said simply. He let out a breath and closed his eyes once more. His body when ram rod straight and he paled. Chris looked concerned, not knowing if this was normal. He finally regained the color in his skin and his eyes opened. He turned to face his father.
"I know where he is but he won't respond to me," he announced, sniffling.
"Well let's go. We have to save him," Chris exclaimed.
"Shouldn't you make a vanquishing potion?" Kenzie suggested from the doorway.
"We don't have time, Mom," Jake said.
"I'm going with you," she said, moving closer to the other two.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Chris murmured in an effort to deter her.
"I'm already dead. She can't kill me again," Kenzie snapped.
"Fine. But can we please go before something really bad happens?" Jake begged. Taking hands the three disappeared in orbs.
In the Underworld, Matt stood before Elza. She was testing him. So far, he was passing with flying colors. He raised his hand and he telekinetically sent a demon hurtling into a wall. In the blink of an eye, the demon was burning in a fireball.
'Very good," Elza goaded. Just then the jingle of orbs was heard not too far off. Jake began to rush forward towards the cave he knew his brother was in when Chris stopped him.
"Be careful. You don't know what she might have done," Chris warned.
"I will," Jake whispered before walking into view. The footsteps caused Elza to turn around.
"Where'd you come from?" she shrieked.
"I thought I dealt with you," she snarled.
"I bounce back, bitch," he hissed.
"I've come for my brother," he announced, moving towards Matt. Reflectively Matt sent Jake flying into the wall behind him. Jake scrambled to his feet.
"Oh no you don't!" he spat and charged his twin, tackling him to the ground. Chris and Kenzie watched from behind the protection of an outcropping.
"What has she done to him," Kenzie sobbed.
"Look at me!" Jake was shouting at his twin. Matt was trying his best to shove Jake off of him.
"I'm going to kill you," Matt growled.
"I've been there, done that. It's not that big a deal," Jake hissed, successfully managing to pin his brother's arms down.
"Listen to me. What ever shit she did to you. Let it go. She doesn't know you like I do. You're not evil," Jake lectured.
"That's what you think," Matt snickered before sending Jake flying. He instinctively orbed before hitting the wall again. He reappeared near his parents.
"She got to him," Kenzie gasped, trying to not let the tears spill from her eyes.
"He can fight it. I know he can," Chris muttered.
"Do you have a plan?" he asked his son.
"I think so. I don't know if it will work. We've never done it on the fly before. Or with only one of us willing," Jake responded. With that he moved back into the open.
"What are you talking about?" Kenzie whispered.
"You have messed with my family way to much lady," he called to Elza.
"You're really starting to bore me," she snapped, lazily sending an arrow his way. From his hidden position, Chris deflected it.
"And you're starting to piss me off," Jake spat back, sending her spinning in circles in the air.
"Put me down!" she howled, her arms flailing. After a few more rotations, Jake set her roughly on her feet. She turned to Matt, looking livid.
"Finish him," she ordered Matt. He began to walk towards his brother. Jake stood still, letting his other half get within range. When Matt had stopped moving, Jake made his move he took a slight running leap wrapping arms around his brother. Slowly, they started to fuse together, becoming one. All parties present stared in shock.
'She means nothing Matt,' Jake's thoughts echoed in Matt's head.
'She said to kill you!' his brother protested.
'Who gives a shit what that bitch says. You're good Matt. Don't let her control you,' Jake responded.
'You seem so fucking sure,' Matt snapped.
'You're my brother jackass. We came from the same egg! Of course I know you're good. I just wish I'd known it about myself. Things would have been different,' Jake murmured.
'Please Matt. I came back to keep you safe and the Elders are going to beat my ass if I fail,' he pleaded.
Silence fell between them as a war raged in Matt's half their consciousness. He was slowly fighting the spell, breaking down its restraints until it was gone.
'I…Jake?' Matt asked quietly.
'Yeah?'
'If we get out of this alive, and in two bodies, remind me to thank you for saving my ass' Matt remarked.
'Sure thing.'
They turned towards Elza, still as one being. Their eyes met, the twins' radiating pure hatred for her.
"You have no control over us," they spoke, their voices echoing in unison.
"What happened?" Kenzie breathed.
"I've never actually seen it happen. But they become one person," Chris explained in a hushed tone.
"What…what happened?" Elza babbled. She turned to the three demons who'd resurrected her.
"Don't just stand there. Be useful!" she bellowed. Before any of the three could make a move the twins' hands were outstretched and beams of bright white light shot out, vanquishing the demons on contact.
"Nice try," they said, laughing.
"If you want, we can give you a head start on running," Jake said, the voice less booming than before.
"Or if you want it quick, we're up for that too," Matt added.
Elza stared at them, unsure of how to handle this. They had just merged into one being. By their dialogue, she had deduced that her spell had not held. Why hadn't the spell kept hold on the boy? It was a spell of the Charmed Ones!
"We're waiting," the twins called, arms crossed.
Elza made a move to pull an arrow but they lifted one hand and the quiver was gone in a flurry of blue and white. They raised their other hand and a white beam shot out at her. She dodged in time but got a mouthful of gravel. This was impossible. Two beings in one body, acting both independently and synchronically.
"You will fail!" she shouted as she began to black orb in and out of the cave, causing the twins to send their beams around the cave.
"You're really trying our patience," they yelled as she rematerialized behind them.
"Then let me end it for you," she cackled. Before she could do or say anything more they had spun around and white beams were penetrating her like Swiss cheese. She finally exploded in a fiery wail. Chris and Kenzie slowly approached the twins. Without a second thought they suddenly became two, making Kenzie jump in fear.
"Matt," Chris addressed his son.
"I'm ok now, Dad. Jake did what he was supposed to. He saved me," Matt replied, hugging his father nonetheless.
"How...I don't understand," Kenzie babbled, staring at her two boys.
"I don't know how, but we've just been able to become one person," Jake answered.
"We've usually had to be meditating and both had to be willing to do it. But I guess Jake proved that doesn't have to be the case," Matt expounded, wrapping an arm around his twin.
"I really thought we'd lost you," she breathed, pulling Matt to her.
"Well, you might have if it hadn't been for Jake invading my body," Matt joked.
"Let's get out of here," Jake suggested and everyone gratefully nodded. They reappeared back at the Manor. Leo was just coming in the front door.
"Where've you guys been?" he asked.
"We found out what the new power was," Chris began.
"Great. What is it?" Piper called as she came in from the kitchen.
"I thought you were catering a convention," Chris retorted.
"I got someone else to do it," she replied.
'So about the new power," she pressed.
"We know something about it?" Paige asked, appearing in a swirl of blue and white.
"We defeated it," Matt and Jake said in unison. It made Chris and Kenzie chuckle lightly.
"You did?" Piper asked, skeptical.
"It was my mother," Kenzie informed them.
"How'd you defeat her?" Leo asked, leaning on the banister of the stairs.
"Well she sort of turned me evil," Matt answered.
"But I kind of kicked his butt and saved him," Jake added with a grin.
"More like invaded my personal space," Matt muttered.
"It's both our space moron," Jake snapped back.
"Ok, guys. Enough. The important thing is that she's gone and both of you are safe," Chris commanded.
"I'm hungry," Jake announced shortly thereafter.
"I'll call people to come over for dinner then," Piper answered and moved towards the kitchen.
"Wait, Piper. Why don't we go to the restaurant," Paige suggested.
"Paige…we're using the back room for the convention," Piper lied.
"Mom, there is no convention. What's going on," Chris asked, calling her out on her bluff.
"Oh, alright! I booked the back room at the restaurant for the whole family," Piper admitted.
"Great, let's go!" Jake and Matt exclaimed, jumping the last few stairs.
The rest of the family followed and in a matter of minutes and amongst several sets of orbs, the family met in the back parking lot of the restaurant. Piper led them around to the front and they were greeted by the host.
"Good evening. Your table is ready," he said and led the party of nineteen to the back room for a wonderful meal.