Holiday Crisis

Chapter 17: Crossroads

* * * *

For the first time since probably his tenth birthday, Chris grinned a grin that stretched from ear to ear and back again. This alchemy lab made his look like a kid's chemistry set. It wasn't just a room with sparse chemicals on a table, it was a LAB. Scruffy elves and strange androids ran around in white lab coats and goggles, trying to figure out the trick to the strange pseudo science that was alchemy. They were obviously not getting anywhere, either. It took a specific kind of person to make battery acid and grape soda into an elixir that would make someone immortal. Not just ANYONE could do it.

But Chris could.

"I can't believe this! It's incredible!" The boy could barely contain his joy. It radiated off of him.

"Told ya," Kal said and smacked Chris on the back, making him stumble forward. "Now, go show them how it's done."

He didn't give it a second thought. He clapped his hands together and called for everyone's attention. "Hello guys, I'm Chris Sulley."

"Hi Chris!" All elves smiled and waved at the newcomer.

He waved back. "I've come here to give you guys a hand. I know just a little bit about alchemy-"

Kal cut him off. "Ah, don't be modest, Chris. I've heard you're the best there is!"

"I don't know about that... But I've been doing this since I was about fifteen, so I'm confident in my abilities. So, who wants to make some elixir?" He was answered with several enthusiastic whoops. "Alright, then. Let's get started, shall we?"

* * * *

Curtis pushed a couple buttons on the wall panel and pressed his finger tips together. "Okay, girls. I've adjusted the portal to take you to the Dark Dimension. But be careful; the last group that went in there never came back."

Merope and Destiny tensed up visibly. Nobody knew what had happened to E.L.F.S. Squad 51. They vanished without a trace. And no one wanted to find out, either. So no one had gone after them. The Dark Dimension was an evil, tricky place. Several groups that went there came back as babbling lunatics; others came back with severe amnesia. With the disappearance of the last group, no body wanted to go in. That was the last straw. And yet, here the girls were, about to leap into the unknown.

"Ready?"

They nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"Please come back in one piece." He pushed one final button, and the portal's liquid like surface turned a foreboding red. Curtis nodded at them, fighting to keep his facial features neutral. It hurt to think they might not make it back. "Godspeed."

They walked into the goo and were whisked away. Curtis shut the portal behind them. His shoulders slumped, his face fell. "Take care, you two. Take care."

* * * *

"It's so nice of you to take us into your home," April said to the older version of herself with an awkward smile. "I don't know what I can do to thank you."

"Oh, don't worry about it," the other waved and continued wiping the countertop with a rag.

"Is there anything I can do to help? I don't want to be a burden."

Her older self lifted an eyebrow at her. "You're my GUEST, dear. I said don't worry about it. Sarah should be coming in any minute to help with laundry-"

"Sarah's here?" April gave a yelp that startled the older woman. "I can't wait to see her! How is she?"

"Oh, same old, same old. She's out on a date with some former Maigri slave. There's been a flood of them since he turned all his loose. Lots of fresh meat, as she says."

"Maigri. Turned his slaves loose. Ha, that's a good one."

"No, seriously. He let them all go a couple years ago, saying he no longer wanted nor needed them. I think it's 'cause M- ur, Destiny - told him how wrong it was. And Lord knows he hangs on her every word. I wish she'd open her eyes and see how smitten he is with her. It's so obvious! But I guess she's still too young to be in love anyway. She just seems like she's so much older than what she is... She's so mature for her age, don't you think?"

April fought the urge to roll her eyes. She sounded just like a mother... Any minute she was expecting to see some embarrassing baby photos. "Oh, sure. Definitely."

"Both of them are rather mature. Especially Chris, just as long as he's not around his father. Bernard seems to bring out the worst in both the kids, and I have no idea why. I think he's being a tad bit hard on them, but he only does it because he cares. You know Bernard."

"Oh yeah, I do."

The two of them stared at each other in awkward silence, and then burst out laughing. Her older self reached over the counter and patted her shoulder. "You know, I plumb forgot you're me! Isn't that sad?"

April nodded in agreement, but couldn't verbally answer for laughing so hard. It might not have been that funny, but man was it absurd.

In the middle of their laughing fit, the door burst open. "April, I gotta tell you about Sam! He's sooo hot-" The young woman stopped and looked at both of them. She made a face. "Boy, this is strange. April, you keep some weird company."

April's brow furrowed. This girl had to be in her early twenties. Her French braided hair was longer than Merope's, and she had familiar grey eyes. She knew this woman, but she couldn't quite put a finger on which she was. Then it clicked. "Sarah?"

"Yes?"

"You're... Older. What happened?"

"Oh, that." She waved. "Bernard cut me back on the elixir, just like he did the rest of this family."

This was news to April. But at least that explained why her future self and Bernard's future self looked like they were in their early forties. Sorta. "Okaaaay. Whatever."

After the familiar strangeness passed, Sarah walked over the island and sat on a stool next to April. "So, how are you?"

Oh, girl. Always putting others first. "A little nauseous. Somebody should get my baby a watch, 'cause he doesn't realize Morning Sickness should only occur in the morning."

Sarah chuckled. The older April's eyes widened. "Be thankful. Chris was a good baby. Unlike Destiny. Lemme tell ya, she was a kicker. Wouldn't let me get ANY sleep. Day or night. But I'll tell you the secret to dealing with her: Hot cocoa. Does it every time. It's the elf in her."

"Got any tips for dealing with Chris?"

She closed her eyes and thought about that. Then she chuckled to herself. "Nope, sorry. That information is classified."

"Oh, come on!"

"Nope, sorry! Can't do that. You'll just hafta figure out on your own."

"In other words," Sarah translated with a laugh, "there's no hope for you!"

April playfully smacked her on the arm. "Shut up, you!"

* * * *

"That is simply amazing," Kal told Chris and patted him on the back in a fatherly manor. "You know, they've been working on that for years, and then you just came in here... What did that take you, thirty minutes? Verses thirty years? I should have asked you here years ago."

Chris put a cork in the golden vial and handed it to Kal. He waved, "Oh, go on... It's no big deal. I've been doing it since I was, like, ten or whatever."

"I'll make sure Marnie gets this right away. She'll be very pleased." Kal stuck it in a pocket inside his robe. Then he looked around in fake nervousness, leaned in toward the boy, and whispered, "Say, how about I make you a proposal."

Chris' brow furrowed. "What do you have in mind?"

"Come with me." He led Chris back into the room in which he had first appeared. He had some of his lackeys light torches so the room wasn't as dark as the vacuum of space, then told them to make themselves scarce. When they were finally alone, Kal spoke the words that would forever change Chris' life.

"Join us."

* * * *

A/N: Okay, this time, it really IS a cliff hanger! I know, it was really short. I'm sorry. I was gonna write more on this chapter but then I decided, hey, this is the perfect place to end it. So I did. I hafta keep y'all wanting more, or there'd be no point in going on. R&R, Pwease.