Huge thanks and virtual cookies to my reviewers for Chapter 9: rexy743, GravityBlackBowler, SusieAnna97, EvilEmmaEvans, Jalex4evr, Unknown, Seddielovergrl and gabgaws12. You all are awesome! Thanks go out to my silent readers as well. You're quiet but I know you're out there.
*I don't own Wizards of Waverly Place, its characters, or NYU. Just the story, the extra characters and song are mine.*
~Also, I have never been to NYU so just ignore the inaccuracies in its description~
~Parmesana is a fictional restaurant so don't bother trying to find it~
Previously:
"Well, goodnight." Justin leans down to kiss her gently but Alex turns her face at the last moment so he gets her cheek instead. Sighing in disappoint, Justin walks her to her door as Max climbs into the car.
Alex opens the door to go inside after Justin walks away. Hearing him sigh sadly again snaps her out of her funk and she turns to look at him. "Justin." He turns hopefully at the sound of her voice. Running up to him, Alex wraps her arms around his waist and hugs him tightly. "Goodnight." She mumbles into his chest then kisses him softly on the lips before running inside and closing her front door.
"Yes!" Justin pumps his fist into the air and happily anticipates the next day.
Chapter 10: Revelations I
The next morning Alex walks downstairs to find her mom and uncle talking in hushed voices sitting on the barstools by the kitchen counter. When she approaches they stop and turn towards her with big, fake smiles on their faces.
"Good morning, Honey." Theresa stands up to fill a plate with scrambled eggs, bacon and toast before handing it to Alex. "Did you sleep okay?"
"Morning." Eying the two suspiciously, Alex sits down in her mother's vacated seat and digs into the food on her plate. "I slept okay. When did you get back Uncle Ernesto?"
"Just before dawn." Ernesto wraps an arm around Alex's shoulders and gives her a quick squeeze. "I missed my two favorite girls though."
"Uh huh." Alex chews her bacon thoughtfully, taking in her uncle's concerned gaze. "Mom already told you, didn't she?"
Theresa and Ernesto glance at each other and back at Alex, nodding their heads. Ernesto drops his arm from her shoulders and leans against the counter, rubbing his temple. "When you're finished eating, we'll head into the lair. There are a few things we need to clear up before know what our options are."
"I'm done." Alex tries to push her half eaten food away but is stopped by her mother.
"No, you're not." Theresa pushes the plate back and gives Alex a stern look. "Ten minutes is not going to make any difference so finish eating."
"Fine." Rolling her eyes, Alex shovels down the last of her food and hops up. "I'm done."
Laughing, Ernesto leads the way into the lair and sits down in a chair near the sofa where Theresa and Alex sit. Saying a summoning spell, a very large and very old tome appears in front of him on the table. The tan cover is so faded and battered that the black lettering is almost nonexistent anymore.
"Theresa says that you experienced a comatose reality and she was able to do the spell to determine that it was a previous life experience." Alex nods her head at Ernesto's summation. "The first thing I need for you to understand is that the people that are important to you in this life have always been with you. It's called soul recognition. Love, in its purest form, binds souls together and we are naturally drawn to each other."
"Like soul mates?" Alex raises an eyebrow, not expecting such a romantic notion.
"Not exactly." Shaking his head, Ernesto leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers thoughtfully. "Think of it as your ultimate family. I'm not talking bloodlines or parents and siblings. This goes beyond that. These people have been central to your life from the beginning. In each lifetime eventually you will find each other. Sometimes they are members of your own family, sometimes they are your lovers, and sometimes they are your best friends. The roles can change but the souls are the same."
"So, in some previous life, I could have been my mom's mother or sister or best friend?" Alex asks, trying to grasp the concept.
"Exactly." Nodding his head in approval, Ernesto smiles at Alex. "It's the continuation that's important. Until that connection is made or if it is severed too early, you may feel as if your life is missing something though you may not realize what it is." He pulls the book in front of him closer and opens it. "This is my college edition of the Wizard's Book of Dreams. After Theresa told me when I first got here, I reread the sections pertaining to the previous life experiences. There are some spells that will help determine what the purpose of yours was…"
"I don't think we'll need them." Alex interrupts, shaking her head.
"What do you mean?" Leaning closer to her daughter, Theresa lays a hand on her arm.
"I mean that it's pretty obvious why I had my dream." Both adults look at her blankly. "My father. I never really got to know him in this life. He died when I was really young. In my dream life, he was there guiding, protecting and loving me. It gave me the chance to get to know him."
"Oh baby." Theresa pulls Alex in for a long hug as a few tears glide silently down her cheeks.
"Its okay, Mom." Smiling, Alex returns the hug. "Daddy was goofy, fun, annoying and absolutely amazing. It was a wonderful experience, except that it confuses the issue of Justin."
"We do have a few options." Turning several pages in his book, Ernesto looks up at Alex in concern. "The first is that we do nothing. Over time the dream will fade just like all dreams do. Eventually, you will remember only the gist of it and none of the details. This could take a while though as these kind of dreams are extremely vivid. Another option is to erase the entire dream from your memory, but this gets rid of your time with Jerry too."
"Is there a third option?" Frowning, Alex scrunches up her nose in distaste. "Those first two options kind of suck."
"There is a third but I'm not sure how much you're going to like it." Ernesto hesitates and runs a hand through his hair. "It's the Love Ever After spell."
"But she's still so young." Theresa gasps placing a hand over her mouth in dismay.
"I know but it doesn't change anything. What is meant to be will be." Ernesto takes his sisters hand and squeezes it. "It may be the only way."
"Hold up. What is the Love Ever After spell? I've never heard of it." Alex looks from her mother to her uncle, both curious and a bit freaked out.
"It tells you if the one you're with is your true love, the one you're meant to be with." Letting go of Theresa's hand, Ernesto stands up and paces across the room. "If Justin is the one for you, it will bind the two of you together and any other feelings that cause confusion are dissolved, leaving only your love for one another. If he isn't, any love you may have had for each other will be gone."
"So, it's an all or nothing kind of deal." Alex stands up and walks over to her uncle. "What do we need to do the spell?"
"Alex, no!" Running up to her daughter, Theresa grabs her shoulder and spins her around. "You're too young to get so serious with a boy. You need to date more, have a life first."
"That's not me, Mom." Alex gives her mom a reassuring hug. "I've never been one to date around and, if Justin is the one, it doesn't mean that I won't have a life. It just means that I may just be experiencing life with Justin by my side. To be honest, that sounds rather appealing." She tilts her head thoughtfully. "I need to do this. It's killing me wanting to be with Justin so much and feeling guilty for wanting that."
"Alex, to do this spell, you're going to have to tell Justin. He has to be a willing participant since it affects him too." Closing the book on the table, Ernesto looks into Alex's eyes. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"
"Yes." Alex answers without hesitation. "I don't know if it will be what Justin wants to do though."
Oh no! I gave you a bit of a cliffhanger. I'm so mean.
What do you think so far? How do you think Justin is going to react? Review and let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading!