Epilogue: Fire and Water
Chip woke up to silence at lunch the following day. The storm had subsided sometime during the early hours and the outside world was tranquil once more. Only a dictatorial breeze lingered still.
Yawning, Chip tried to stretch his limbs. Sleeping on pillows on the floor wasn't good for one's back but it was inevitable when the couch was occupied. A heavy weight forced his legs down. Looking through sleepy eyes, he caught a glimpse of Vida's dark messy hair among the blankets and pillows. She laid sprawling across both him and Xander. Strange, since Chip was very much sure she had laid between on the other side of Xander when they had fallen asleep.
Chip couldn't help but to grin though. Asleep Vida looked nothing like the fierce rebel she was awake. If Chip hadn't known better, he would have said she looked like quite the angel. Not that he would ever tell Vida that, of course. He did want to live after all.
Still grinning stupidly to himself, Chip turned his head to look at the couch where Nick and Madison had been getting cosy last night. The pair was sound sleep, Nick spooning Madison from behind. Arms and legs a tangle. Picture perfect of a young couple very much in love.
Chip arched an eyebrow when he noticed the bare shoulder on the arm wrapped protectively around Madison's waist. Just as the storm had subsided during the storm, so had Nick's shirt mysteriously evaporated. The blanket had been brushed off the snuggly couple while they were still telling each other ghost stories.
A downside of being fire born, Chip supposed. Always too hot.
Rubbing his face to waken himself, Chip remembered the slightly chaotic events of last night. In the midst of the raging storm, a lightning bolt had decided to hit a fuel reservoir down at the harbour, causing an explosive fire to break out. From what Madison had told them afterwards, its wrath had triggered Nick's element to awaken in the most forceful way. Madison hadn't been too detailed about what happened upstairs but she had let them know that if she hadn't been there, she and Vida would have been homeless.
Nick hadn't said anything at all, apart from growling whenever Madison got too far away from him. While the fire fighters had struggled to keep the fire down at the harbour at bay; Chip, Madison, Vida and Xander had struggled to keep Nick's powers at bay. Who knew trying to keep a friend from burning down the house was so tiresome! They had tried all sorts of things, putting him in the shower, pouring him a bath, even forcing him outside in the storm, but the only thing that seemed to have any calming effect at all on his temper was Madison. And she didn't mind to have Nick glued to her side one bit.
Chip hadn't told Vida nor Xander what he had walked in on upstairs and maybe that was for the best. Xander would probably just cheer the couple on to keep exploring the depths of their relationship but Vida would definitely freak if she ever learnt what Madison had allowed Nick to do to her. Chip was quite shocked himself. The innocent little good-girl was not so innocent after all. Nick would not have much to complain about.
Chip was happy, though. Fire and water were reunited again. Balance ruled once more. As for his own powers, Chip snapped his fingers and the lamp on the side table lit up . . .