Chapter Forty-five

Brendan stared at Prue in shock even as he clutched the fragments of cloth to his naked body. Just how had she thrown him his clothes without ever touching them? He knew she was a Witch. Could that be how she had done it, but since when did she even have powers? His mouth started to open.

Jack looked ahead and was happy to see Brendan just standing there, staring at Prue and not wolfing out. He took a brief moment to thank the Goddess and then raced forward. "Brendan? Are you okay?" He took off his jacket and held it out to Brendan.

Brendan had to tear his eyes away from Prue's to look at Jack and was relieved to find his brother offering him his jacket. He carefully kept one hand valiantly trying to cover his groin while he grabbed Jack's coat and put it on. Turning his back to Prue, his fingers trembled in his rush to button it up. Once finally dressed, he looked gratefully up at Jack, a deep blush still staining his facial features. "Thanks."

Prue slipped away from Brendan while his back was turned and went to stand by Paige. She was happy to see Captain Jack though still shocked at having seen all of Brendan. Her first instinct had been to cover him immediately which unfortunately had only been with scraps of his clothes.

She now stood waiting for Brendan to reacknowledge her, knowing his mind would be full of questions to which she had no intention of answering, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of just slinking off into the day. Whatever happened between them, she wanted him to know that she was a constant presence to be reckoned with. She wondered what he thought now that he had seen a small bit of her power and knew that, no matter what else he thought, he'd still think his wolf could overcome her. "Captain?" she said and was rewarded when Jack smiled at her.

He had seen the scraps flying, too. Knowing that she was a Witch, he had just figured she was finally coming into some real powers. What that meant for Brendan might be just what the boy needed. "Do you know where your sisters are, Miss Halliwell? Get them and we'll head for home."

Prue, Paige, and Carl headed off without a backward glance, but Prue called back to him, "Won't take me long. I know right where they are."

Jack then turned to Brendan. "We need to go where they're grouping up and head for home." As Jack walked, his mind was full of what he planned to do with Will when they got home. It had been a really hard day with three hellacious fights already that morning, and Jack hoped there wouldn't be any more that day. His hand reached out, took Will's in his, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Will's thumb rubbed across Jack's hand as he shot his lover a smile. He, too, shared Jack's hopes for a quieter afternoon that they could spend together with no more fights. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the lovers' hopes than what awaited them back at the house . . .


The group gathered in the hallway was still lost in their tears when a voice suddenly broke through the sobs. "Hey, guys! What's going on! Who died!"

Wesley looked up and saw Carl. "Carl, they went after Giants and didn't let any of us go! They may all be dead by now! Damn it, they didn't let me go! I wanted to see Giants!"

Joxer had heard the first voice and then heard Wes talking to . . . Carl? "Hey, wait a minute!" he said. "That's not Carl! Carl went through the portal with the rest of them! Who are you!" He had drawn himself to his full height, and his hand had gone to his sword when he suddenly backed into the wall.

Elvira looked questioningly at Donkey and sniffed the air. Was her mind playing tricks on her, or had the hallway suddenly been converged upon by strange-smelling . . . women?

Cordelia, seeing Joxer's reaction to Carl, quietly let go of Dawn. Her hand started to inch across the floor for the frying pan she had dropped.

Donkey took a deep sniff. "Bitches!" he spat. "They're everywhere!" Every one looked around but could not see any clue of what Donkey was hollering about or what Elvira began to growl at.

Lorne glanced anxiously around and still could not see any one except for their own group, but he could feel something wasn't right. "Can you see anything?" he asked Donkey.

"Nope, but I sure smell 'em!"

By now, Joxer had his sword out and was holding it in front of him aimed straight at Carl. "Answer me! Who are you?"

"C-Cordy?" Dawn whispered.

"Just stay behind me, Dawn," Cordelia returned in a low whisper. Her fingers grasped the handle of the frying pan, but just as she started to lift it, something sharp pressed down into her hand.

Even as a cry of pain broke from Cordelia's mouth, a male voice spoke. "Nah-uh-uh, Princess. There won't be any fighting. You guys don't stand a chance any way."

Dawn reached out to slap around the area of the voice, but a strong hand caught her wrist. In that same instant, the mask was lifted, and a huge group of women with one man, whose boot heel was pressed down into Cordelia's hand, appeared standing before them.


As the sound of voices different than those they had already been hearing from the hall penetrated Frederic's brain, he looked at Smee with his finger to his lips and tip-toed over to the door. Kneeling down, he peered through the keyhole. What he saw made his blood run cold. He didn't know who the strangers were, but he realized that the group outside their door was now captured and they would be next.

He made his way back to Smee and whispered into his ear. "We have been breached. Be very, very quiet! We've got to get out of here!" He then looked at Wolfie and Sebastian. "We are under attack. Hide and take the cubs with you. Don't let them make a sound."

He went over to the window and looked out. It was the only way out of the room. He was glad to see that there wasn't any bars on the windows. He opened the window as quietly as he could and motioned for Smee to come over to the window. Once being sure that there wasn't any one outside, he lifted Smee and sat him outside the window. He turned around, but he did not see the animals and knew that he couldn't find them without making more noise. He then went out the window behind Smee.

Smee was barely aware of Frederic coming out behind him. He was clinging to the wall and shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. He kept trying not to look down, but he was sweating so badly that his glasses slipped off his face. He reached out for them, forgetting the danger for a minute, but as he grasped at them, his feet started to slide.

Frederic reached out and grasped Smee's hand, bringing him to an abrupt halt. He noticed that his glasses were missing. He looked down past Smee and saw the shattered glasses on the ground. "Dad, do not try to go anywhere without me. I know you can't see. I can't get your glasses; they're broken."

Smee looked up at Frederic in surprise. Had his boy actually called him Dad? When was the last time Frederic had ceased in his duty long enough to actually call him Dad? Tears trickled from his eyes. "We . . . We have to get out of here!"

"I want you to put your arms around my neck, and I'm going to carry you. It'll be quicker that way. I think we need to go higher on the roof. There are turrets up there, and we might can hide in one of them." As Frederic felt Smee's arms go around his neck, he smiled. It had been a long time since he had felt anything as fierce as he now felt the love he had for his father. He knew if something happened to him, it would kill him. "Everything's going to be okay. Trust me." He began to climb his way up to the roof.

Smee nodded against Frederic's back and tried not to cry. James would have been so proud of their boy, but Frederic and he was all that was left! He'd lost James and Connor both; he couldn't lose Frederic too!


"You said there was a portal?" a dark-skinned woman questioned the group. "Now who's going to tell me where the portal is?"

"Ain't nobody telling you a damn thing, you ugly bitches!"

One of the pale-skinned women sneered at the loud-mouthed donkey. "I'll make you into a pair of boots."

"You can have the hide, Helvira," another told the Vampiress, "but leave me the meat. I'll cook him up for us."

"You can't touch him!" Dawn cried.

"Who do you think you are to tell me what I can do?" the dark-skinned woman asked the frightened girl. "I'll take your tongue if you try it again!"

Dawn put a hand to her mouth, but as she saw the cook heading for Donkey, she couldn't help herself. "You can't!" she protested. "He's Jack Sparrow's pet!" she added the only thing she could think of that might save Donkey.

"Yeah, that's right!" Donkey said as he braced his legs and lowered his head. He was just about to whirl around and kick at the bitches with his hind legs. "I belong to Captain Jack Sparrow, and any of you bitches touch me, he'll have your guts for garters!"

"Where is darling Jack Sparrow?" the dark-skinned woman purred, hoping she could get her hands on him for just a few minutes and soon.

"He went to kill Giants," Wesley told her and then felt Fred clamp her hand over his mouth.

"Shut up, Wesley!" she ground out between clenched teeth. "You wanna tell them everythin'!"

"Ah, such a pretty boy!" Another of the women reached out toward Wesley. "This must be your pretty little lady!" She reached out and snatched Fred away from Wesley. "Let's see how much we can make you sing while we have your pretty little bird!"

"Don't tell 'em anythin'!" Fred screeched at Wesley even as she felt herself slapped to the floor. She saw the woman standing over her begin to pull out her sword. She closed her eyes against the sight but repeated, "Don't tell 'em!"

Wes' mouth flew open. "Let go of her! Let her up!"

"Why, pretty boy? Are you going to tell us what we want to know?"

"Don't tell her, Wesley!" Joxer yelled. "That's Callisto!"

Callisto turned to look at Joxer. "I thought I recognized you, little man. Where's your beloved Xena and Gabrielle?" She moved away from Fred and began to descend upon Joxer.

Joxer began to back away. Though he was still holding his sword out to Callisto, his hand shook so badly that he could barely hold it. In the past, he had seen Callisto go up against both Xena and Gabrielle, and several times she had almost won. In fact, there was a time he'd even thought she'd killed Gabrielle. What chance did he have against her?

He had to do something! He was the only one who had a weapon! He stopped backing up and began heading straight toward her, hoping to throw her off her guard. Callisto's sword struck out, hitting his and knocking it from his hand. She then took the hilt of her sword and knocked Joxer upside the head with it. He fell to his knees with stars spinning around him and his ears ringing. All the fight had gone out of him, and he now cowered in terror.

"They'll come!" Cordelia cried. She would no longer believe Angel to be dead. He had to be alive . . . didn't he? "Angel'll kick your butt -- "

She was broken off by a pale-skinned blonde. "Angel?" the blonde crooned. "You must be his latest." She started to reach out for Cordelia, but the Priest barked at her.

"The King wants her untouched, so keep your filthy hands off of her, Darla!"

Callisto returned to Fred who was now whimpering and wondering why the final blow had not come as she had not dared to open her eyes again. Wesley would have gone to her except that the dark-skinned woman now held him in place. "Save yourself a lot of pain," she told him. "Tell us where the portal is."

"I can't!" Wesley said. "I didn't see it!"

Callisto was not sure rather or not to believe him, so she decided to go ahead and do some damage to Fred just in case the man was lying. She glanced at Wesley for one second. "Is that so?" she questioned. Before he could answer her, she turned back to Fred and touched her fingernails to Fred's temple. "You have one chance to save her, Brit." She then began drawing her fingernails down the side of Fred's face. A line of blood appeared in the wake of her nails, and its brilliance shining at Wesley seemed to taunt him.

Fred screamed. She had never felt such pain! She tried desperately to wriggle out from under the woman, but she was only held more tightly in place.

Lorne could stand it no longer. He hated to see anybody in pain but most especially a woman. He opened his mouth in a high-pitched note, hoping that it would cause pain to their enemies' ears. He kept raising the note and holding it, but it seemed to only be aggravating them and not inflicting as much pain as necessary to knock them out. He wished again that he was more of a fighter but wanted to cry out to stop Elvira when the wolf suddenly raced forward.

Elvira's mouth had been inches from closing in on Callisto's butt when a spotted beast jumped her from the side. The jaguar's roar and wolf's howl echoed in the hall, and they flew into a fighting bundle of fur. The big cat's claws cut into Elvira's body, scratching her in every place he could reach, until he finally managed to throw her right into Lorne. The collision knocked both Elvira and Lorne out.

"Call your beast back, Roxanne," Callisto called to the jaguar's owner. "I don't need his help." Looking back at Wesley, she demanded even as her nails continued their descent down Fred's face. "Well, what's it to be?"

"I really don't know!" Wesley cried back to the woman. "Please don't continue to hurt her! I just don't know! I didn't see it!"

Callisto looked at the blonde who stood frozen where Carl had appeared just as she heard a door open. "There's a door being opened," she snarled. "Spiral, go investigate and get whatever you find."

Spiral headed in the direction she too had heard the door opening. She burst into the kitchen, her six arms flying and grabbing at the woman, children, and animals she saw filling the room.

Jasmine had been huddled in the center of the kitchen with her arms around both children and her mouth open in a silent scream at the monster that was before them. She felt herself plucked and dangled in the air next to the kids, the yipping puppy, and several yowling cats.

Spiral headed back into the hallway, carrying her booty. "These are mine!" she called out. "Easiest booty I ever got!" Jasmine and Sarah had fainted and Julian was silent, but the animals continued to protest.

Simon jumped to his feet at once and ran toward them, forgetting the dire jeopardy he was in. He beat at the woman who held his charge, but the blonde only laughed in response and kicked him away. He fell to the ground but called behind her. "Let them go!" he pleaded. "They're mine!"

"Then I guess you're mine too," Spiral told him. She turned around and began to kick him toward one of the corners. She grinned. "Kinda like soccer!"

Callisto looked at the Sorceress. "These two appear to know nothing, and I don't want to waste my time. Have your pet do her thing."

The Sorceress turned to the blonde who still stood in the same place Carl had appeared in. "You heard the Captain, Frost. Tell us what we want to know."

Emma was silent for a minute. "Do it," the Sorceress insisted, "or you know what you'll get."

Emma closed her eyes against the tears and reached out to the others' minds. "They . . . " She bit her lip. She wanted to say they didn't know, but she didn't want to see her family die again. "The portal will be reopening again in that room," she announced with a heavy sigh as her eyes opened and she pointed a finger to the closed door of Delvira's bedroom.

"Then let's get on with it," the dark-skinned woman told the others. With that said, the women converged on those who were still conscious and began to beat them. They did not stop until the last one had fallen unconscious. Only Cordelia remained awake. Her eyes were wide and filled with tears, but she could not speak a single word for the gag the Priest had shoved into her mouth nor could she fight for he had chained her hands.

Anamaria then entered the room that Emma had pointed to, and as the others came into the room, each taking up their positions, she set the Sorceress to investigating. As the Sorceress began to feel the room out, she sensed others but could not see them. "Frost," she called, "look out the window and tell me what you see."

Emma walked over to the window, her long, white cape flowing behind her. Her sad blue eyes peered out at the beautiful day, but she did not see anything at first. She looked down and was about to breathe a sigh of relief that whoever it was had escaped when she heard something above her head. She looked up . . . and froze. She could see a young man carrying an old man up toward the roof, but the last thing she wanted to do was to give the pair away.

"Frost, what do you see?"

"Nothing." She had to force herself to say the word, but she did not want them to be captured and hurt like the others already had been and still would be.

"Spiral," Callisto spoke, "I smell a liar. Check it out."

Spiral raced over to the window and roughly shoved Emma aside. She looked down but didn't see anything. She looked up, and her face widened in a grin. "I'll get them, Captain!" She pushed Emma again and raced out of the room.

Judson was just bringing Cordelia into the room when the Sorceress turned back to Emma. "So you lied, Frost?" The blonde shook her head and tisked in disappointment. "Oh well. Here's your reward for being such a bitch."

One second, Emma was in the room, but in the very next heartbeat, she found herself returned to a time long ago. Before her were her students and the one man she had ever dared to love. As she was forced to revisit her memories, Emma wailed and dropped to her knees, her tears flowing like a river.

Cordelia watched the change in confusion. "What in the world?"

The Priest grinned. "Retribution, Princess. A word you'll soon learn yourself."


It did not take Spiral long to catch up with Frederic. In fact, he almost walked right into her arms. She grabbed him with one hand and Smee with a second. With a third, she ripped the sword from the boy and let it fall. She then knocked both of their heads together, rendering them unconscious in a single blow, and carried them both proudly back down to her corner. She dropped their bodies unceremoniously on top of the rest of her booty.


While Spiral had gone after the fleers and Emma had continued to wail like she was dying by the window, the Sorceress had turned her attention to the spot she sensed that the portal would reopen. She had woven a spell and stood waiting behind the spot for the portal to appear again. They did not have long to wait.

Helvira's face lit up in a sinister grin when she saw the first two coming out. She had known her sister would be first and was waiting in front of the portal when Jareth and Delvira stepped through. They shouted her name in shock but never even had a chance to pull their swords out or form a fireball as they fell out cold instantly.

Helvira kicked Delvira out of the way and dragged Jareth with her. She then turned back to wait for the others. Each one fell out as they stepped through the portal.

Callisto laughed and clapped her hands together. "I have to hand it to you, Sorceress! This spell is perfect!"

"Like taking candy from a baby." Anamaria grinned as she saw Jack and Will step through and headed to collect her target.

The End . . . ?