1"Frozen In Time"
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Chapter Twenty: The Guide from Hell, and a Dinner Party
Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2022
It has been two years since becoming witches. Pru, had two powers (premonition and orbing), and so did Greg (temporal stasis and molecular combustion) and Sander only had one (telekinesis). But none the less they were bombarded with demons and warlocks almost every day within those two years.
Pru and Cole's relationship deepened into romance. Cole of course felt guilty, for the last woman he had been with was Phoebe, and Pru also had a twinge of uneasiness. Leo was shocked when he found out the news of their "relationship". Pru had done some radical changes to her appearance. She had pierced her belly button, got a tattoo of a triquetra on her ankle, and now has red hair (think Rose McGowan color).
Life for Greg was going good. He had finally managed to find a steady girlfriend, an innocent whom he saved from a bounty hunter. He was happy because she knew about magic, for she was a gypsy and has worked with witches before. His powers had evolved in terms of what they can do. Not only can he selectively freeze body parts, but he can decide on who he wants to freeze and he can unfreeze whomever he wants without unfreezing the whole room.
Sander was good. Since his breakup with Mike, he had been a little miserable, but he quickly got out of that. He was running P3, and the club was flourishing as always. He and Greg both just turned 19 on January 5. They would be the same age as Pru for a whole six months, then she would be older. He had his powers for almost three years (in October) and he still only had one power. He was jealous, but didn't say anything. He knew better.
"This is ridiculous!" yelled Sander as he entered the kitchen on a Tuesday morning.
"What is?" asked Cole, who was buttering toast, while Pru made orange juice.
"I'm being sued by some club patron, for food poisoning!"
"Food poisoning? What did you do? Lace the pretzels?" joked Pru.
"Not funny! The date on the pretzels is May 17, 2022!"
"Okay, well I can help you out. If you say that you should be fine. Is that the only food you serve?" asked Cole, who was a lawyer.
"Yes, unless someone requests a party try for a party. And I haven't booked a party in six months. And she is claiming this was last Saturday."
"Just stick to your story, when is the court date?"
"Friday. So anyways, what is new with all of you?"
"Nothing at all. I can really use a good demon fight though." said Pru
"Yeah, I think we all can really. Its been quiet for like a week." said Sander, who was now looking at the morning paper.
"Maybe the Source is plaining something?" suggested Cole as he sipped his coffee.
"We really need to vanquish his ass." said Sander, who was engrossed in an article.
"Good Morning." said Greg as he entered the kitchen, holding Emma Thayer's, his girlfriend, hand.
"Morning." said Emma humbly.
"What's up with this?" asked Greg as he was holding Sander's legal letter.
"Don't ask." said Sander angrily.
Greg just laughed as he passed a cup of java to his girlfriend, who smiled graciously.
"Well, I got to get to work." smiled Emma, as she kissed Greg and said her good byes to the rest of the Wyatt family.
"You think she might be the one?" asked Sander smiling.
"Yeah, it's great, you know having someone who understands magic."
"Yeah." said Pru, as she kissed Cole, and Sander frowned, remembering his past relationship with a whitelighter.
Just then in a shimmer of light, a demon appeared. He looked human, then again most of them did, and he was holding an athame.
An energy ball whizzed from the demon, and straight at Greg, who froze it midair, as Sander flung his arm out and the demon flew into the glass hutch behind the kitchen table.
Then the weirdest thing happened. His appearance flickered and then he disappeared. Like a hologram.
"What the hell was that?" asked Greg pointing to the spot where the demon disappeared. As well as the demon disappearing, so did the energy ball.
"That was a test." came a strong, thick English accent from behind the group.
"Who the hell are you? And what do you want?" asked Sander angrily at the stranger.
"My name is Lavinia Woods. A whitelighter sent by the Elder's. That was a simulation test, so I can see your attempts at vanquish-ment. I will be testing you often and unexpectedly, so be aware."
The three witches and the demon stared at her with daggers in their eyes. Who was the woman? And who said she could do this?
"I'm Sander. And we don't need a whitelighter."
"The Elder's think you need one, so that is sufficient enough. You must be Sander, the Elder's told me you are a bit spiteful because you messed around with a whitelighter and he was removed for it. However, I am a woman, not a man, so you won't be messing around with me."
"And neither would any straight man." mumbled Pru, who stood in the back.
"I heard that. Now. Today we will train our physical power, not magical."
"Sorry. I have class at ten, and lunch with my girlfriend." said Greg.
"Yeah, I have a business meeting with a supplier later on." smiled Sander.
"Oh, and I also have class. "said Pru.
"Well you can reschedule your mortal engagements. For you never know when a powerful demon will attack. For example, rumor has it that Belthazar is out on the prowl right this minute, we should be prepped to vanquish him."
"Wow. You Elder's don't really know anything do you? Belthazar is Cole. And Cole is that man next to Pru." said Greg.
"Oh, well he should be vanquished."
"Uhm, no he's my boyfriend and he's good."
"And he's a demon."
"Okay lady, you can be our whitelighter all you want, but we wont hurt him. Not now, not ever." said Pru as she and Cole orbed out.
"So, do you have any tea?" asked Lavinia with a grin.
Sander rolled his eyes, and pointed to a tin on the counter top.
Sander's meeting went by fast, which he was relieved about. Afterwards, he drove home to his house, only to be shocked.
The formal living room, was rearranged. The furniture was out of order, the order which his late aunts and mother agreed upon almost thirty years before.
"Lavinia! What is the meaning of this?"asked Sander angrily as he stopped her in her tracks from moving the coffee table in the informal living room.
"I am prepping the house for a simulation later this after noon."
"Uhm, no you aren't. We are having a dinner party for some friends tonight."
"I think your social lives can be put on hold, for you never know when the Source is planning an attack."
"Uhm, okay. We wing it like always. A demon shimmers in, Greg freezes the mortals, we vanquish. It's been working just fine for the last two years."
"Your winging it, got your mother and aunts killed." retorted Lavinia angrily.
"Shut up about them." snarled Sander angrily.
"No, you need to understand the danger that is magic. Winging it can kill your sister and brother if you aren't careful."
"We will do as we desire. And there is nothing you can do about that." said Sander as he walked out on Lavinia and went into the kitchen.
Greg and Pru came home at the same time, to see the living room put back together. After Sander's outburst at Lavinia.
"Here's the invite list for tonight. They should be coming at seven." said Greg as he handed Sander a list of names. Sander was busy in the kitchen making cheese and cracker platters.
"Okay: Cole, Lavinia, Us three, Dad, Emma, Chris,and Daniel." read Sander outloud.
"Dan and Chris are my friends from school." said Greg as helped himself to a cracker with cheese.
"Okay, and does Lavinia have to be there?" asked Sander.
"Yes. And yes I know you hate her." answered Greg.
"How did you know I hate her?"
"The twin thing." smiled Greg.
"She tore the living room apart for a simulation this afternoon, and I made her put it back because of tonight." said Sander in a whisper.
"What?" asked Pru, anger hinted her inflection.
"Yeah." said Sander, as he continued telling the events of the afternoon.
Sander, Greg and Pru rushed around that whole afternoon cleaning the house for the party. It was one of the first times in months that mortals were coming over.
At about seven o'clock, the three were all dressed nicely and in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the appetizers. Sander was dressed in blue jeans with a black oxford shirt, sleeves rolled and untucked. Greg was in khakis and a navy polo, and Pru was in a red cocktail dress, which complimented her new hair color.
"Who will get the door?" asked Pru, when the doorbell rang.
"Greg, they are his friends because I think Cole and Lavinia won't be using doors." said Sander jokingly.
"Shut up and get it. I spilt cocktail sauce on my shirt. Hurry orb me upstairs, Pru!" said Greg who was dabbing at a spot on his shirt, and holding onto Pru's arm.
"Fine." she said, and she orbed, as Sander headed towards the door.
Sander headed towards the large oak doors, which were replaced two weeks before.
"Hi, and welcome." said Sander with a giant smile at the gentleman who was at the door.
"Hi, I'm Daniel." he smiled at Sander, and Sander completely melted.
"Sander, come on in. You can leave your coat right there on the rack."
"Thanks. So, your house is fabulous. I love the color."
"Yeah, most tend to. Would you like something to drink?" asked Sander, as he led Daniel into the living room.
"Uhm, what do you got?" asked Daniel.
"Uhm, whatever you want. Alcoholic or not."
"Uhm, I'll have a vodka ice tea, if you have it."
"Sure. I'll be right back and I think Greg should be right down anyways."
After about twenty minutes of drinking and waiting, everyone was finally there, and Pru led them into the dining room. Leo and Cole sat at the ends, while Sander, Emma, and Greg sat on Leo's right, and Pru, Daniel and Chris sat on the opposite side.
"Where is Lavinia?" asked Greg as they all took their seats.
"Working." said Leo rather quickly. The three witches caught on, meaning she was with a charge.
'So, Daniel, how do you know Greg?" asked Cole, who was trying to make conversation.
"Greg is in my Lit class." replied Dan.
"Cool, you a freshmen as well?"
"No, I'm actually 24. I went back to school to get another degree."
"So what do you do?" asked Sander, who was taking over the conversation.
"I'm a crime scene investigator for the San Francisco Police."
"Wow, that is an impressive career." smiled Sander.
"Yeah it is. It can be sad sometimes though."
"I bet. So did you see the bodies of those witches a year back?" asked Chris.
"Yeah. It was absolutely horrible. I don't understand how people can kill another person."
"Yeah, but they weren't people. They were witches. Monsters. Demons."
"It doesn't matter." said Dan.
"I think that witches are kinda cool." said Emma, trying to deter the conversation away from what her boyfriend and his family were hiding.
"Cool? They can kill you with a flick of their hand." said Chris.
Greg rolled his eyes, and then WHAM, the room was frozen.
"Can we vanquish him?" asked Sander, who was staring at the frozen bodies of Chris and Daniel.
"Yeah, can we?" asked Pru.
"No!" said Leo sternly, "Now unfreeze the mortals." he ordered, and Greg obeyed.
"So what nationality are you Emma?" asked Daniel politely. He must have noticed her slight accent and that her skin was an olive color, inconsistent with California.
"I'm from Romania. My family are gypsies."
"That is wicked cool." smiled Dan. Emma just smiled back, embarrassed. Everyone in the room was falling for Dan's charm..one person in particular.
"Gypsies? What are those? Thieves?" asked Chris rudely.
"I think you need to leave." asked Leo, who glared at Chris.
"Fine, I don't need witch loving gypsy friends." yelled Chris as he left.
"I hate him." said Emma, who continued eating her steak.
"So, Dan, you got a girlfriend?" asked Sander.
Dan started to chuckle a little bit. "No. I'm gay." he said as he eat some beans.
"Everyone stopped eating, and stared. Not at Dan but at Sander.
"Uhm, we'll be right back." said Leo, who discreetly motioned for everyone to leave the table except Sander and Dan.
"What was that about?" asked Dan, who was staring at Sander.
"Uhm, I'm gay, so I think they were leaving us in a room together."
"Really? I did kinda get the vibe." he smiled at Sander.
"Vibe? I so do not have a vibe."
"You so do to. And I like it."
"Wanna go out sometime?"
"Sure." smiled Dan to Sander's question.
It was a new beginning...
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