CHAPTER FOUR: Evil in the ranks and love denied
2030, alternate plain.
Lila had ended up in another plain, the Elders were determined to keep her away from Jude. Lila couldn't use her powers in this place she had ended up in, so she couldn't escape. Lila called for Jude but there was no answer; there was nothing she could do.
2004, the Manor.
Chris was still confused by what Lila had said. He didn't know if he wanted to believe her. If he did, that would mean that he had saved the future from evil, but were his parents together? That was the question that was eating away at him. How did Lila exist, did Piper bring Lila into the world willingly? Chris decided to spend the day out of the house, rather than dodge his family's questions about the other night in the attic.
Paige had gone off to see the guy she met at the club the previous night. Phoebe didn't have anybody to go to, so she went out so no one in the house would think that she wasn't needed or wanted by anyone outside of the family. That left Piper and Leo in the Manor together. Piper was happy she got to spend some more time with her husband and Leo was happy that his wife was happy.
Leo was making their bed and cleaning up their room while Piper made some lunch. She was going to cook something nice and easy, but her mind was somewhere else. She couldn't help but think about Chris yesterday – he seemed to avoid her and now today he wasn't at home, of course he could just be giving her and Leo some time together... Piper tried to ignore it. Leo came bouncing down the stairs to greet his lady in the kitchen and see what she was cooking up. He glanced over at her from the doorway only to see that nothing had been made yet, yet the bench was very messy. "There's my lovely wife." Leo said cheerfully and leant one hand on the table.
"Hey baby." Piper smiled back, and then turned her attention to the mess.
Leo noticed that. "What's wrong?"
Piper looked up confused, "Nothing's wrong honey." She walked over to him and hugged him.
Leo enjoyed this and was tempted to kiss her, but he knew something was up. "Piper, I don't want to sound rude but you usually have something getting prepared by now," he was looking at the mess on the bench again, "there's nothing there. Are you sure nothing's wrong?" He looked her in the eye.
Piper briefly smiled at his concern, and to pass the time to think of an answer, "I just, couldn't decide what to make for lunch. I was wondering if you wanted anything in particular actually." Piper wanted to tell Leo that she thought something was up with their son Chris, but since Chris hadn't said anything more, she decided against it. For now anyway. "Really?" He found Piper to be convincing, but made sure he made a note of her short hesitation in the back of his mind. "Hmm, as much as I'd like to eat some food, I'd rather just kiss you and like that instead."
Piper accepted his offer of a kiss and didn't bother with the food. They shared a sweet husband-wife kiss and then cleaned up the kitchen.
2030, 'up there'
"As long as we are serving in the council of Elders, we are not going to allow you to be here – or living for that matter." Jardosh ruled.
Jude could not believe that this was all happening, he had done nothing but good. Ever since Jardosh was sworn into the role of an Elder, the other's perceptions of Jude had changed. Jardosh had convinced them that a magical being - who was not originally a Whitelighter - could not be trusted with all the power he had received. Jude knew that the new Elder was cheating him and had an agenda of his own.
"I'm sorry Jude. We had great hopes for you, however, it was not meant to be." Rolan spoke in a sombre tone and stood back in a circle that the other Elders had created around him. Rolan and Jude were friends before Jude was sworn in, and now all had changed.
Jude was so tempted to kill Jardosh on the spot and make a run for it, but if he did Jude wouldn't have a hope in heaven or hell that the other Elders would ever trust him again.
Jardosh raised his hands over his head and the others followed. The heavens had become brighter than Jude had ever seen it. They directed their powers towards him and he was doomed. He couldn't stand the thought of never seeing Lila again, so he reacted swiftly and tried to orb out before he was vanquished.
Alternate plain.
Jude had sensed where Lila was and had gotten away. Unfortunately he wasn't quick enough. He had been hit full force by the Elders wrath and struggling to breathe.
"Jude!" Lila raced over and caught him before he fell. "Oh my god. No!"
"Lila..."
"They did this to you?" She asked in disbelief.
Jude nodded and tried to stay awake.
Lila shook her head, "How could they not trust you? Especially Rolan. Didn't he try to stop them?!"
Jude took a few breaths before answering. "He was there...But he couldn't help me. No one could."
"I could have! ...If it wasn't for that Elder who sent me here. Jude, stay with me. What was his name?" Lila was lost, she could have helped him.
"J..ardo... Jardosh. That was his name. He can't be trusted Lila, he turned them against me. I want you to go, before they stop trusting you."
"Jude..."
"I mean it." Jude held Lila's hands tight and held her gaze with his, "I love you Lila."
"I love you too Jude."
Seconds passed that seemed to last a lifetime, the life force of Jude just slipped away and out of Lila's embrace. His eyes were closed and his features were softened by the love he felt for his partner when his soul had departed from his body. Lila was left with silence. Her life and her family were falling apart before her eyes, and she had no way of getting home. In her eyes, it was all over.
2030, alternate plain.
Lila had ended up in another plain, the Elders were determined to keep her away from Jude. Lila couldn't use her powers in this place she had ended up in, so she couldn't escape. Lila called for Jude but there was no answer; there was nothing she could do.
2004, the Manor.
Chris was still confused by what Lila had said. He didn't know if he wanted to believe her. If he did, that would mean that he had saved the future from evil, but were his parents together? That was the question that was eating away at him. How did Lila exist, did Piper bring Lila into the world willingly? Chris decided to spend the day out of the house, rather than dodge his family's questions about the other night in the attic.
Paige had gone off to see the guy she met at the club the previous night. Phoebe didn't have anybody to go to, so she went out so no one in the house would think that she wasn't needed or wanted by anyone outside of the family. That left Piper and Leo in the Manor together. Piper was happy she got to spend some more time with her husband and Leo was happy that his wife was happy.
Leo was making their bed and cleaning up their room while Piper made some lunch. She was going to cook something nice and easy, but her mind was somewhere else. She couldn't help but think about Chris yesterday – he seemed to avoid her and now today he wasn't at home, of course he could just be giving her and Leo some time together... Piper tried to ignore it. Leo came bouncing down the stairs to greet his lady in the kitchen and see what she was cooking up. He glanced over at her from the doorway only to see that nothing had been made yet, yet the bench was very messy. "There's my lovely wife." Leo said cheerfully and leant one hand on the table.
"Hey baby." Piper smiled back, and then turned her attention to the mess.
Leo noticed that. "What's wrong?"
Piper looked up confused, "Nothing's wrong honey." She walked over to him and hugged him.
Leo enjoyed this and was tempted to kiss her, but he knew something was up. "Piper, I don't want to sound rude but you usually have something getting prepared by now," he was looking at the mess on the bench again, "there's nothing there. Are you sure nothing's wrong?" He looked her in the eye.
Piper briefly smiled at his concern, and to pass the time to think of an answer, "I just, couldn't decide what to make for lunch. I was wondering if you wanted anything in particular actually." Piper wanted to tell Leo that she thought something was up with their son Chris, but since Chris hadn't said anything more, she decided against it. For now anyway. "Really?" He found Piper to be convincing, but made sure he made a note of her short hesitation in the back of his mind. "Hmm, as much as I'd like to eat some food, I'd rather just kiss you and like that instead."
Piper accepted his offer of a kiss and didn't bother with the food. They shared a sweet husband-wife kiss and then cleaned up the kitchen.
2030, 'up there'
"As long as we are serving in the council of Elders, we are not going to allow you to be here – or living for that matter." Jardosh ruled.
Jude could not believe that this was all happening, he had done nothing but good. Ever since Jardosh was sworn into the role of an Elder, the other's perceptions of Jude had changed. Jardosh had convinced them that a magical being - who was not originally a Whitelighter - could not be trusted with all the power he had received. Jude knew that the new Elder was cheating him and had an agenda of his own.
"I'm sorry Jude. We had great hopes for you, however, it was not meant to be." Rolan spoke in a sombre tone and stood back in a circle that the other Elders had created around him. Rolan and Jude were friends before Jude was sworn in, and now all had changed.
Jude was so tempted to kill Jardosh on the spot and make a run for it, but if he did Jude wouldn't have a hope in heaven or hell that the other Elders would ever trust him again.
Jardosh raised his hands over his head and the others followed. The heavens had become brighter than Jude had ever seen it. They directed their powers towards him and he was doomed. He couldn't stand the thought of never seeing Lila again, so he reacted swiftly and tried to orb out before he was vanquished.
Alternate plain.
Jude had sensed where Lila was and had gotten away. Unfortunately he wasn't quick enough. He had been hit full force by the Elders wrath and struggling to breathe.
"Jude!" Lila raced over and caught him before he fell. "Oh my god. No!"
"Lila..."
"They did this to you?" She asked in disbelief.
Jude nodded and tried to stay awake.
Lila shook her head, "How could they not trust you? Especially Rolan. Didn't he try to stop them?!"
Jude took a few breaths before answering. "He was there...But he couldn't help me. No one could."
"I could have! ...If it wasn't for that Elder who sent me here. Jude, stay with me. What was his name?" Lila was lost, she could have helped him.
"J..ardo... Jardosh. That was his name. He can't be trusted Lila, he turned them against me. I want you to go, before they stop trusting you."
"Jude..."
"I mean it." Jude held Lila's hands tight and held her gaze with his, "I love you Lila."
"I love you too Jude."
Seconds passed that seemed to last a lifetime, the life force of Jude just slipped away and out of Lila's embrace. His eyes were closed and his features were softened by the love he felt for his partner when his soul had departed from his body. Lila was left with silence. Her life and her family were falling apart before her eyes, and she had no way of getting home. In her eyes, it was all over.
