"What does he mean 'I'll get the blood'?" Cole asked, mocking Justin.
"That he would… go get the ferrite blood?" Paige stated, showing the answer was quite simple.
"Ya think? Hmph?" Cole retorted back.
"Hey you two." Piper interrupted the two adults before it got messy. "We have a demon child on the loose and no time for cheap shots at each other. We need another set of handcuffs, real ones," Piper looked at Phoebe, who just looked away shyly, "and we need Paris. Now, let's think. It's 10:30 at night… where can we get real handcuffs?"
"A police officer would have them." Paige commented.
"A police officer like Darryl." Phoebe concluded.
"Good. Paige, go call Darryl and tell him we need a pair, and that you'll be right over." Paige nodded and left. "Phoebe, did you make some kind of spell or potion for the cuffs?"
"A potion, but we're out of some of the ingredients." Phoebe answered.
"Perfect…" Piper sighed. "We'll just have to go find some in that park; Paige can give us a lift. Leo, you and Cole go track down Paris and bring her back."
"What about the blood?"
"Well, we're all busy at the moment, so if that Justin kid doesn't get it, we'll get it later. Now let's go people, we have a child to get back." Piper ordered. Cole walked up to Phoebe to hug, and whispered into her ear.
"You're sister has got to be crazy if she trusts that kid."
"Cole… just go get our daughter back." Phoebe kissed him as he shimmered away reluctantly.
"Alright, Darryl is at the station waiting for me, so I'm going to go." Paige announced as she walked back in.
"Could you give us a lift to the park on the way?" Piper asked.
"Sure, come on."
"Melinda! We're going out for a few things, so I'll be back later!" Piper yelled into the kitchen. Melinda walked into the living room just in time to see her mother orb away with Paige and Phoebe.
"Great… alone again." Melinda plopped herself on the couch. A cream color cat hopped up on her lap. "Hey Kit. Did anyone feed you today?" Melinda got up and headed for the kitchen. She cracked open a can of cat food, and dumped in a bowl, which was already set on the floor. Kit began to eat, as Melinda took a seat at the kitchen table.
"Why is it you stay with this family? Face it; I have an uncle who's an ex-demon, two aunts that are crazy, a cousin who is already half demon, half witch, a mother who's a witch, and a father who is basically an angel. It's not exactly what a normal family consist of." Melinda sighed, realizing she was talking to a cat. "What do you think Justin going to do? I mean, sure he's a good fighter, but does he really think the ferrite is just going to hand over their blood? 'Here you go sir, one pint of ferrite blood.'" Melinda mocked "He'll die first before he gets anything…" Melinda just sat there, laughing to herself. "Oh god, he's going to get himself killed!" Melinda jumped out of her chair. "Alright, ok, calm down, deep breath. First thing, if I was Justin, where would I go? To the ferrites. Okay, this is a start." Kit looked at Melinda like she was crazy. "What can I do? Umm… stop Justin before he kills himself." Melinda looked at Kit as to get an opinion of the whole plan, but the cat just kept eating. Melinda walked over to the counter and wrote her parents a note. "I'm sure if this was to save Paris' life, they won't mind." Melinda finished scribbling the note, and orbed away.
****
"Phoebe, could you hold the flashlight still please?" Piper asked, trying to pull up some flower.
"Sorry… god, I'm just so worried about Paris." Phoebe said.
"I know, we all are. Now, what's the last thing on the list?"
"Umm… root weed."
"That is… over by the big oak tree." Piper pointed out a tree off on a path when Paige orbed in within a few feet.
"Hey, ready?"
"Almost, come, travel with us to the tree, we have to get some root weed." The three sisters walked in unison toward the tree.
"Paige, can you hold the flashlight? Phoebe hasn't held it straight all night." Piper asked handing the flashlight to Paige.
"Wait, it's all muddy right there, couldn't I just…" Paige called for the root weed, which appeared in her hand. She brushed it off into the tiny zip lock bag.
"Ok, we have the potion stuff…" Piper said, making a mental check list, "handcuffs?" Paige pulled them out of her purse and dangled them before putting them back. "Ok, ready to go then." They both huddled around Paige who orbed them back to the manor.
****
Justin crept into a dark cave, which was lit with torches surround. Two Ferrites stood on either side of the entrance of the main room. Justin stood up and walked into their sight.
"You know, I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere but uh…" Justin began explaining before one charged at him, at which he just simply tossed at energy ball and it exploded. He threw one at the other one rather than waiting for it could do anything. He grinned to himself, and walked into the room. One Ferrite was sitting on a throne, who Justin assumed was their leader, and others around her. The others jumped up in defense when they saw Justin.
"Wait, I've come here with a deal."
"Why should I care? You have nothing to offer me."
"Quite on the contrary… I might have something you want."
"Go on…"
****
"Handcuffs are done." Paige said, lifting them out of the pot with tongs.
"Good… all we need is that blood." Piper said, pouring more coffee into her cup.
"Maybe Cole was right, that we couldn't trust that kid to get it." Phoebe sighed, putting her face into her hands.
"Phoebe?" Cole called in from the leaving room. The three women got up, and ran into the living. Cole was standing there holding Paris in his arms, dripping wet. Leo had just orbed in.
"Cole…" Phoebe went to hug her husband but backed away before she actually did. "What happened to you? You smell like…"
"I know." Cole said peeved, "We had to chase her through a sewer system…"
"Why are you soaking wet though?"
"Leo pushed me into the water." Cole shot a glare at Leo.
"It was an accident! I didn't realize you were right there." Leo explained.
"Uh huh… I come home smelling like rats and you get to come out smelling like a, a…"
"Angel." Piper finished his sentence, and wrapped her arms around Leo, planting a kiss on his lips.
"Hey, where's Melinda?" Leo asked after they broke off.
"Umm… in the basement, but she has been really quiet though." Piper pulled away from Leo so not to yell in his ear. "Melinda! You can come up!" When they didn't hear Melinda's feet walking up the basement stairs, Piper began to worry. She walked into the kitchen, and headed down the basement, everyone waiting in the kitchen.
"Leo… I don't see her down there." Piper said, walking back up the stairs to the kitchen, panic showing in her voice.
"I don't sense her in the house at all Piper." Leo said.
"Well isn't this great…" Paige commented, reading a piece of paper found on the floor.
"What?" Piper said, seizing the paper. She read the note aloud. "Went on a hunch, be back later. Melinda."
"At least we know some demonic force didn't kidnap her."
"She'll wish she was instead of running off like this." Piper said, crumbling the paper in her hand.
****
After orbing several places, Melinda ended up in front of the same cave Justin was. The two previous guards Justin had vanquished had already been replaced. Melinda stood against a wall; occasionally looking at the guards, slowly forming a plan in her head.
"Ok, turn and freeze. Just turn… and freeze." Melinda said to herself, pivoting on one foot and practicing. "Let's do this…" Melinda jumped out of her hiding spot, forgetting the whole "turn" part of her plan, and tried to freeze the demons. Instead, one froze and the other exploded. Melinda began wriggling her hands, hoping they'd do something to the one remaining, until it unfroze and exploded too. Melinda put her hand on her chest to feel her heart beating. "Heh, two points for Melinda." She strolled into the entrance a little less than confident. Torches were lit and Ferrites alternated with them, around in a circle, the Leader and Justin in the center. She slouched into a dark corner to observe. A Ferrite walked to the leader, dagger in hand. The Leader held out her hand, at which the other sliced the skin open, letting the blood drip into a vial. They sealed with a cork and handed it to Justin, who pocketed in his pants pocket. Justin took a look around him and kneeled before the Ferrite.
"Justin!" Melinda yelled. She gasped and covered her mouth quickly, but it was too late. She realized it and stepped out of the shadows.
"Melinda… what are you doing here?"
"Well, I figured you were going to get yourself killed and I would come save you. But now, it looks like you joined evil."
"No, it's not what you think."
"Really? I see demons in a circle, some torches, and you kneeling before their queen. Looks pretty bad."
"Seize her!" The Leader yelled. A few Ferrites advanced on Melinda. Melinda waved her hands, which only blew up various objects in the room. Melinda panicked and Ferrites grabbed her.
"Hey! You hurt her and the deals off!" Justin yelled.
"I'd think you better cooperate or she will." The Leader said. "Your powers or her life."
"Justin, no!" Melinda yelled at hearing the deal.
"I don't have a choice." Justin said.
****
Cole and Leo shimmered/orbed in front on the same cave. It didn't take them long to figure out where Melinda was since she wasn't underground. By this time, they were becoming experts in tracking, getting their daughters and taking them home.
"Ok, I'll grab Melinda…" Leo started.
"And I'll kill every demon that laid a hand on her." Cole finished. Leo looked to say something but shrugged it off. The two walked into the entrance to see basically the same setup Melinda saw when she first came in; Ferrites encircling the Leader and Justin. Melinda was tied up in the corner, watching. The Leader had her hands hovering above Justin's head, muttering words in some other language.
"Excuse me!" Cole yelled, causing everyone to notice him and Leo. Cole tossed a few energy balls, killing some off. Leo spotted Melinda, and ran to her, Cole covering him just in case. Leo started to untie Melinda.
"Hi daddy." Melinda said innocently.
"You ok?"
"Yeah, just a little tied together." Melinda laughed nervously, which ended as soon as it started.
"We're going to get you home." Leo said, helping Melinda to her feet.
"Wait, you got to get Justin."
"Why?"
"He has the blood, he's giving up his powers as the price."
"Cole, get Justin." Leo said, orbing him and Melinda out before Cole could object.
"Looks like I'm going to need the boy too." Cole announced, turning back to the Ferrites. The Leader wasn't done yet, so the other Ferrites charged at Cole in attack. Cole shimmered behind the Leader and simply shot an energy ball into its back. The Leader had been too busy concentrating on Justin that it didn't even see Cole, and imploded on impact. Justin shook his head to awaken himself, and then dropped to floor.
"Hey!" One of the few remaining Ferrites shouted.
"Oh, forgot about you guys." Cole said, and threw energy balls at the remaining Ferrites. "Let's go…" Cole said to a half conscious Justin. He heaved him onto his back and shimmered back to the manor.
****
A/N: Well there you go. I meant to stop a while ago but I kept going just for you faithful reviewers. The only reason Kit actually showed up in this fic was not to make Melinda look crazy, you know, with her talking to herself. (Great job on not making her look crazy author. She was talking to a cat) Hey, stop talking! Anyway, my summer vacation has started so the next chapter shouldn't take long. Yep… you know what's nice? Reviewing… but no pressure… REVIEW! Ahem… and have a nice day.
