Chapter Twenty-six
As soon as they had arrived upon the Ghost, Sean led Emma to a secret place where he had spent some time during the trip to reach her and the others. It was on the other side of the Captain's cabin, and hardly any one ever went there. He desired to have privacy with Emma, so that they could talk. He could scarce believe that he actually was holding on to Emma and that she was alive.
"Em, me love," he exclaimed as he brought her slowly into his arms, "I have been waitin' a lifetime tae hold ye like this! I knae I should be gettin' the ship ready tae gi, but I have tae have a few minutes wit' ye, me darlin'." His lips sought his beloved's in a deep, longing kiss.
Emma was still having difficulty believing that this was reality, that she truly was together again with Sean, he was alive, and the Sorceress could no longer hurt her, instead of just another dream or mirage. She arched into Sean's embrace, her own mouth returning his kiss in full as she drank hungrily of his delicious nectar. Her hands roamed over his chest, caressing the familiar body that she had longed to be held against again for so long.
Sean wanted no clothes between them, and he did not want to waste time before he reclaimed Emma as his own. He ached to feel her luscious, naked body pressed against his and to feel himself embed in his long-neglected home. It seemed two lifetimes since he had last sank into her delicious depths, and he thought he might burst before he managed to do it this time. His sword strained mightily at his pants, threatening to burst them apart. Between kisses, he managed to say, "Em, tell me now if ye want me all the way, or if it's too soon, fer if we gi on kissin' like this, I will nae be able tae stop meself. I am fair neigh to burstin' now."
Between kisses and moans, Emma answered Sean, her body sliding hungrily against his and her breasts crushing against his chest as her hands ran up into his reddish blonde hair. "Sean, I have waited for you . . . for this . . . for so long. You know I want you. I've always wanted you, and I've always loved you."
He lifted her upward even as he stripped the garments off that separated them. Leaning her back against the cabin wall, his sword slid home. He thought he would die as she melted around him. He moaned her name against her mouth.
He was rewarded by something cold and wet dumping down upon them. What the Hell! Sean wondered as he opened his eyes and looked around them. Warning bells went off in his head immediately. "Damnation! Em, we got tae get out o' here an' fast fer we are in mortal danger o' losin' our lives!"
Emma blinked, Sean's sudden change startling her even more than the cold snow had. "Sean, what . . . ? What's going on," she asked in confusion, "and why's it snowing?"
"Bad news travels fast, me darlin', an' this is the worst kind! A Demon is comin', the like o' which ye ha'e ne'er seen! He freezes people fer pleasure an' then shatters 'em. We've got tae get out o' here."
He felt himself growing smaller and smaller and was ashamed that he had not been able to finish. "I promise, Em, it'll be a lot better when we get safe."
Emma caressed Sean's handsome face, her thumb sliding across his cheek. "I know it will, my love," she assured him, her blue eyes gazing into his Irish greens. She smiled as memories played through her mind. "Just like old times," she murmured aloud. Their desire to be together only to have danger downsize Sean's steed had been an often occurrence at one point in their life together.
"Aye," Sean agreed in thick brogue and with a wink that made Emma melt even more. He kissed her gently and began to help her to gather her clothes.
Spike had just laid Kyna in the bed and was gazing down longingly at her. He felt that his heart had broken in two. He began to pray again for the woman who was his entire life. He knew that, without her, he did not want to go on. He prayed that Xena knew what she was talking about and that Kyna was only sleeping, but he found it almost impossible to believe.
A hard bump against the outside of his cabin made him race out of the cabin to see who dared to attack his ship. Voices drifted to him, and he realized that it was Sean and Emma. In the same second, he also realized that it was snowing. Just what in the bloody Hell was going on! he wondered. "Sean, are my eyes deceiving me, or is it snowing?" he called out.
"It's snowin'," Sean returned, "an' we need tae be leavin' as quickly as possible fer the Devil himself is comin'!"
Spike shook his head. Irish men always did tend to exaggerate. Still, Spike wondered why it was snowing for where they were was always too hot to have snow, and if, by some quirk of nature, it had snowed, it would melt as soon as it touched anything. The temperature had fallen quickly, and it was colder than Spike could ever remember it being on the seas.
"There're still others on the other ships." He looked around and spied Xena and Gabrielle heading toward a small grouping on the deck. Clark seemed to be about to hold some kind of a meeting. Spike walked toward the group.
As Kitty had been phasing, she'd felt something latch onto her heel. The heavy weight had thrown her off balance, and she landed with her unwelcome passenger in a heap in the hallway. In an instant, she had disentangled herself from her company and jumped to her feet in a fighting stance. It was only when she whirled back around, however, that her fist froze in mid-strike for the person who lay looking up at her in surprise was none other than Will Turner, Captain Jack Sparrow's boyfriend!
Kitty glowered down at the man. "Will, what in the Hell were you thinking!" Then, realizing that the shy man was naked, she added in amazement, "And what happened to your clothes!"
"I-I-I-I didn't have time to grab anything," Will said, getting to his feet, blushing seventeen shades of red, and trying desperately to turn his front into the shadows. "I have to get to Jack, and I'm in a hurry. I saw what you were doing and knew it'd be faster. That's why I grabbed you. I'm sorry. I should've asked."
"You're right," Kitty snapped back in response. "You should have, and you should have grabbed some clothes, a sheet, or . . . something!" Shaking her head, she shrugged out of her vest and handed him its tattered remains. "Here. It's not much, but it might help." With that, she dropped to the deck and pressed an ear to the boards.
Will quickly wrapped Kitty's vest around him as well as he could, but it didn't do much at all to hide him. In fact, the tip of his sword still poked out, almost as if it were determined to wave "hello" at Jack of its own accord when he found him. Will tried tugging the vest down lower but immediately stopped when it started to tear, revealing more of him.
Then turning, he found Kitty with her ear pressed against the boards. "Kitty, what . . . ?"
"Sh!" Kitty directed him. Then catching muffled voices, she sprang to her feet. "This way," she directed while beginning to sprint silently down the hallway.
Teak got shakily to his feet. The slight sway of his body reminded Autolycus to look for something to put on him. It also gave him the opportunity to touch one of the Piratess' pockets. He reached out and snatched the shirt off of the nearest one whilst running his fingers along the pockets. He finally tossed the shirt to Teak. "Put this on, or you might scare her to death."
"Teak not scare Trely!" the little Goblin exclaimed with a big grin.
"One of those kinds of girls?" Autolycus asked with a sly wink.
"Nope! Intended!"
Autolycus thought for a moment, trying to help himself get over the disappointment he'd felt when the pockets had been empty. "Intended what?" he questioned Teak.
With a slight smile, Teak looked at Autolycus. "Teak intend marriage."
"Aaah," Autolycus said. "Well, you better hang on tight to her. Good women are hard to find."
Teak nodded. "Trely the best," he said as he buttoned the shirt. It dragged the deck.
"Hold on a minute, buddy," Autolycus told him. "I need to tear part of that shirt off, or you won't be able to go anywhere." He reached into the pants pockets of the same Piratess, searching for a weapon, and came up with a jewel. "That's not going to do us any good," he said to Teak, "but it might do you and Trely good later." He handed it to Teak.
"What it for?" Teak asked. "Is something to eat?"
"No, my friend," Autolycus replied. "It's worth money."
"Good. Teak keep it and give it to Trely when find her."
Autolycus continued to search for something to cut the shirt with. He found a dagger on another Piratess, turned around, and slashed the shirt off at the bottom. He had to shake his head in thought to himself. Can't believe you just gave that jewel away!
Then he realized that no amount of jewels could replace the one jewel that he had found that had won his heart. He hoped to find her and soon. His urgency to find his beloved helped him to get on his way without looking in any more pockets. He followed closely behind Teak, whose little nose was sniffing rapidly in hopes of finding Trely.
Lockheed cocked his head as he gazed curiously at the moving snowbank. It wasn't his imagination, he finally realized; Kurt's voice did appear to be coming from it. But was that because Kurt was beyond the snowbank or because he was in it? The purple dragon didn't know what to make of the situation he'd fallen into, so he very slowly drew ever closer to the snowbank. When he was directly before it, he puffed out just a tiny bit of fire.
Warmth? Kurt's fuzzy brain told him. "God, is zat you!" If it was, he hoped He'd thaw him out before he froze to death! Sometimes, God did take an awfully long time to do something, Kurt reminded himself. This time, he hoped He'd hurry.
Lockheed's eyes shot wide when he realized that Kurt was indeed trapped inside the snowbank. "COO COO!" he yelled and began to let go with a stream of fire. He was careful to keep it from growing too large and moved his breath around, melting the snow in a pattern and hoping to soon see Kurt.
Kurt slowly began to move. It hurt like Hell at first. He blinked his eyes several times, hoping to see which God was getting him out of his mess. He had not meant to freeze! He didn't want to die; he wanted to live and to be husband to Kitty! "God, can you move it over to the right just a little?" he requested as his knees seized up on him.
Lockheed shook his head but moved his fire to the right as requested. He didn't know what had happened to the Priest, but he did know that the blue Demon had completely lost his marbles! Lockheed shook his head again, his tiny arms folding over his chest. Why did Kitty always have to fall for men who were unworthy of her!
"Zank you for saving me, God! Is zis mein sign?" Kurt questioned. "Vhy von't you speak to me so zat I can hear you? You're helping me. It must be you! Nobody else cares!"
A mixture of frustration and annoyance crossed over the purple dragon's face. He wanted his rescuer to speak to him? Fine! With a loud roar, Lockheed yelled at the snowbank. "COO COO!" He then resumed melting the snow.
"Hark!" Did Kurt really hear what he thought he heard! God was talking to him! "I know I'm coo coo sometimes," he offered hopefully, "but not usually. Can I see you, or is zat too much to ask? And please don't zink I'm coo coo! All I vant to do is to have mein cake and eat it too!"
"COO COO!" Lockheed repeated and then continued melting the snow. He would be glad when the snow finally melted enough that Kurt could see him. Maybe then, something would dawn in the Demon's dull brain! 'Heed shook his head. At least the Peters had never been this nuts! Okay, so Piotr had come close to it, and Wisdom had sometimes, as well. But, still, neither of them had ever been bad enough to think he was God! "COO COO!"
Connor's touch stirred Zora's senses, but everything remained dim. The pain that throbbed through her whole body seemed to distance her from the rest of her body and what was happening around her, almost as though her spirit had become disembodied. Her swollen lips moved in an effort to speak, but her throat was so dry and aching and her tongue so swelled that her words would not come out the first few times she tried. Then, at last, she managed weakly, "C-Connor?"
"Darling, are you awake?" he asked even as he continued to stroke her face.
For a moment, she thought he had called her his darling, but then she realized her sore ears must be playing tricks on her like the rest of her body. "I'm . . . here," she managed, " . . . barely." Slowly, she managed to crack one wild, green eye open and then the other. "How . . . are you?""Hurt all over, but we're safe and that's the most important thing. Let me get some water for you." He went over to a table that had a bucket sitting on it and looked down inside. It was dry. "I'll be back in a minute; I'll get you something to drink," he told her. Taking the bucket, he went out of the hold.
Joseph was rather disgusted with the entire situation. First, this flying boy had dared to snatch his lady wife, Rogue, and himself from the air, and then he had allowed half of Fonzie's body to fall over them and the others. Fonzie had been a good man, but Joseph still didn't appreciate his friend's guts and blood in his hair or, even worse, his lady love's.
He'd picked the mess from Rogue's hair before, and now he plucked another bit of gutstring from his own long, white hair. His piercing blue eyes rose to Clark even as he pointedly thumped the piece toward him. "Thank you for that disgusting bit, young friend," he managed a polite tone despite his annoyance, "but would you care to tell us just what the heck is going on?"
Rogue reached out a hand and laid it on Joseph's arm, trying to calm her husband. She could tell there was a storm brewing and not just in the atmosphere. "Give him a chance ta explain, dahlin'," she whispered. "He didn't mean ta drop Fonzie all ovah us! Probably doesn't even know he did!"
Joseph released a frustrated sigh, and his concerned eyes turned to look into Rogue's green orbs. "Please forgive my impatience, beloved," he returned, raising a hand to stroke her soft hair, "but no one should have the right to put anything disgusting, ugly, or slimy, let alone something of that . . . magnitude in hair as beauteous and silky as yours." He ran his fingers through her hair, a honor he had never once taken for granted.
She smiled at him, reached out, and stroked his hair. She loved running her fingers through it. "Ah don't think he meant it, sweetheart, an' if ya bring it ta his attention, it's probably gonna embarrass him quite a bit. He did have our best regards at heart."
"Somethin' horrible's comin'. Ah can feel it in the air, an', Joseph, it's snowin'. It shouldn't be snowin' here!" Her green eyes shone with worry.
"I know, my dear; something is truly amiss." His blue eyes turned back up to Clark, who was now holding the piece of Fonzie Joseph had thumped up at him and looking at it with a puzzled expression on his face.
Clark turned the strange, bloody-looking object over, his thumb and forefinger rubbing against it as he tried to figure out just what in the heck it was. "Would any one care to explain what this is?" he questioned.
Ace looked angrily up at Clark. "It's part of a dead body, idiot! You threw a dead body down here on us!"
A mixture of disgust and horror washed over Clark's face. Bile turned in his stomach as he hurriedly threw the item he had been pondering over toward the ocean. He shuddered inwardly and turned back to the others with a purple face. "S-Sorry?"
Ace snorted but let it go even as Kennedy muttered something in Hispanic and Matrix mumbled something else he didn't understand. "Now would you hurry up with this meeting!" Ace demanded. "I've got business to handle! I've got animals going crazy everywhere, and I really must conduct them before they get out of hand!"
Almost as though to emphasize Ace's declaration, Didymus struck the man across the head yet again with his cane. "Enough foolishery!" the dog Knight yipped. "I must away to my King!" He started to jump forward, but Willow raised a hand, telekinetically halting his leap.
"I'm sure whatever it is," the redhead spoke, agreeing with Rogue's earlier statement, "Clark's got a good explanation for all of this." Her green eyes bored into Clark. "Right, Clark?"
Not too far away from where the gathered group was turning on Clark, a blonde was desperately trying to figure out what to do. "Lorne," Crystal spoke at last, "you're needed with the ship. You know what to do to get it ready, love. I don't, and I'd only be in the way. I promise I won't leave the deck, unless absolutely necessary, until you return to my side."
Lorne looked deeply into Crys' eyes. "Crys, you have given me your word before, and yet you tried to turn yourself into your uncle. What makes now any different than the last time? Why should I believe that you would stay here?"
"Lorne, look," Crystal stated, pointing a finger directly at the group whose voices were steadily rising. "Clark seems to be in over his head, and you know he shouldn't be the one to have to explain this to them. He's not the reason they're in danger, and do you honestly think he's going to manage to make them believe what so many would think to be the impossible? You yourself didn't believe my uncle is as powerful as he is until you were cursed to see him in action!"
"You're not answering my question, Crys," Lorne said, increasing his hold upon her. "I'm not letting you go so that you can turn yourself into him! I love you too much! I will take you over to the group so that you can tell them what they need to know, but I'm still not letting you go!"
Crystal's ice blue eyes blazed into Lorne's determined gaze, but she didn't say anything at first. She couldn't lie to him, and she couldn't say that he didn't know what he was doing by attempting to hold her captive. It was true that, if she felt well enough, she could simply knock him out and leave to do what she knew she should be doing. It was just as much truth that, if she could, she would turn herself into her uncle, but still waves of weakness washed through her. She growled in frustration, the sound sounding greatly akin to a growl from the lioness who paced beside her. She hated being this weak! "Then let's go," she said at last.
Lorne scooped her up and toted her over to the group, redepositing her onto her feet in the front of the group. Cordelia followed behind him, her brow furrowed as she wondered where Elizabeth had gone to. At the same time, she stroked Meesy and held him close to her, trying to grant him some warmth and protection from the falling snow and icy winds.
Angel tagged along behind, staying as close as he could to Cordelia and wishing that he had his coat so that he could wrap it around her and Meesy and keep them both warm. If it were not for the fact that Lorne's jacket was the only piece of clothing he now possessed, he would have taken it off and given it to Cordelia, but he did not want to expose himself to the others. His ever vigilant eye kept looking around, hoping to spot something he could wrap them up in.
Green eyes blazed up into brown eyes. Rachel had desperately tried to calm herself while Morph had been gone as she knew that now was not a time for fighting amongst allies and that Kitty would be pissed if she found out that Ray had fought with one of her friends. Still, the damn man would not relent and continued to insist upon carrying the others over on to the Ghost. She could also hear Janeesa continuing to call and knew she had to get rid of Morph some way or another.
"Growing a couple of more feet isn't going to help your cause any!" the redhead shot back at the brunette. "I told you I can handle this! I don't need your help! Now get your male ass after your family and let me deal with them!"
"I can help you make sure they're safe and then go after them. I'll make it."
Rachel growled under her breath and sent a puff of air up at her red bangs. This man really was a pain in the butt! "So you can change shape. Big deal! Look!" she finally exclaimed, using her telekinesis to lift the lovely blonde straight from the deck itself. "Can you do that, big boy?" Ray asked sarcastically.
"Huh . . . Nope," Morph admitted, his brown eyes stealing another glance at the railing where he could hear Janeesa's voice. He had to get to Janeesa somehow, and with this blasted woman in the way, he had no way to reach her! He was just going to have to go down the railing a bit and then see if he could call Janeesa down to him; he hoped she'd hear him.
As Morph finally stalked off, Rachel let out a long, aggravated breath. Looking up at the unconscious woman dressed in black with long, blonde hair swirled around her, Ray tried to let the blonde's beauty seep away her boiling anger as she spoke to her. "Let's get you across, beautiful, and then I can see what that mermaid hottie needs." Thank Gods she'd finally gotten rid of that shapeshifting bastard!
When Cole's hand had gripped Mouse's leg, she had looked down, but before she could react, the ship had been hit. The floor tilted up, and she fell back, her sword sliding one way and her body falling backwards until it collided against one of the prisoners on the wall. Brendan's collar shocked Mouse as its mystic energy tore at Brendan yet again.
At the same time that the ship had been hit, Helvira had let go with the fireball directly into the Werewolf's gut. The Werewolf howled as she released her and fell back. Her claws scrambled as they tried to beat out the fire that had started on her body, and she slid across the up-turned deck, heading directly toward Raziel. Raziel jumped aside just in time and launched himself at Helvira, stopping her, just in time, from beginning new spells.
Cole felt himself thrown and then sliding. His eyes grew wide as he saw the hole he was quickly approaching! He knew he would drown if he fell through in to the ocean. He barely managed to catch himself on the jagged edge of the hole. He could hear chomping going on below. He prayed he did not become a meal!
Wesley was barely conscious, but he knew when the intruders came. He knew when his family arrived at long last, and he whined even more loudly from around the iron gag that the Demon had fastened over his mouth. Ororo's eyes flew to Wesley, and it was the sight of his body that made her heart sick.
Wesley's clothes had long since been ripped apart. Their tiny shreds lay all over the table, and not a one was big enough to do anything much toward covering him. The Demon had not left a single part of Wesley's body clothed or unmarked. Bruises, cuts, and bite marks were scattered all over his prone body, and blood ran from his forehead down past where 'Ro could not allow her eyes to go. She did catch a glimpse of Wesley's private area, however, and that glimpse was enough to see that his member had been forced erect by a cock ring and that the Demon was even now on him!
Jade was furious! Her ritual had almost been completed, but now two sniffling humans dared interrupt her! "How dare you interrupt me! You will pay," she snarled at them, her tongue flickering like a snake's, "with your lives!" As she screeched at them, she yanked up off of Wesley, causing him even more pain, and flew straight at Jack, her claws outstretched.
Ororo's hands shot out around her son's head. "Winds," she commanded, "send this creature back!" Instantly, her command was obeyed, and a gust of wind slammed Jade back into a wall.
The attack that almost connected with him made Jack come to life. He had not a single clue as to what the bitch was or why she would be amongst the Piratesses, but he did know that she had hurt Wesley and that was all he needed to know! Rage filled his body and made it shake slightly. When 'Ro's winds blew the creature away from him, he leaped forward, both swords raised, and began to attack the she-Demon.
Leaving her son to fight the Demon but keeping a constant eye glancing back to the battle, Ororo flew to Wesley's side. She had no pick, but she wasted no time in searching for the key to Wesley's locks. Instead, she plucked a strand of her own hair from her skull and set quickly to work.
Will and Kitty ran side by side through the twisting corridors beneath the Harlot's deck. Will's bare feet slapped against the boards, but Kitty ran with a silent swiftness. Neither expected to meet any of the enemy along the way as most of the battle seemed to be over, but as they turned a corner, they found two Piratess' backs before them. Both halted instantly, but they were not in time for the Piratesses had heard Will coming and whirled to meet them.
The tall blonde spoke first, her hissing voice sounding like a snake. "Thought you could sneak up on us, aye? Ya can't sneak up on a Harlot wench, ya dogs!" The blonde cast a look at Will. "I'll enjoy havin' my way with you after I've carved yer little girlfriend up in pieces!"
Will bristled at that but did not speak. Instead, he was busily casting his eyes around the hallway in search of something he could use for a weapon. He kicked himself for not having thought to get one before coming after Jack. What if Jack were truly in deep trouble when he found him? How was he supposed to help his beloved without some sort of weapon! Stupid, Will, he chided himself. Really stupid! Finding nothing in the hallway, his hands balled into fists, and he prepared for battle.
The blonde's partner was a foot or two shorter and peered out at the other Pirates from her one eye. "You can have the man. I like the looks o' the girlie," she told her companion.
The blonde made a face. "You Lesbians! I swear I'll never -- !"
Shadowcat's fist struck the blonde square in the face, effectively breaking her off, cracking her ruby red lips, and breaking a tooth. The blonde spit her loose tooth at Kitty. "I'll have yer hide fer that, bitch!" she hissed before leaping forward and attempting to rake Kitty's face with her long fingernails.
Kitty was ready for the blonde's move, however, and dodged her hands. At the same time, one of her long legs swung out, kicking the blonde's midriff. As the blonde fell back, gasping for breath, the shorter one made her move.
The redhead's sword sliced through Kitty's sleeve, drawing a line of blood. Kitty leapt back, however, before the redhead could cause further damage. Will was only a foot away from where Kitty landed. He started to move in on the Piratesses, but Pryde blocked his progress. Flipping back to the Piratess, Kitty's boot deftly knocked the sword from the redhead's hand.
A series of punches then began. Kitty blocked each of the redhead's throws at first until her own hands managed to slip past the other woman's guard. She quickly chopped the shorter woman between her large breasts, but then a fist plowed into her back from behind.
Sean was wishing for a jacket, and he knew Emma had to be freezing. He also knew that there was no such thing aboard any of their ships. This being a tropical climate, there would never have been a need for such. He looked to see that Emma had finished dressing and had her soiled cape wrapped tightly around her. Lifting her hand and kissing it, Sean realized that his love was trembling. Sean knew Emma, though, and knew that she would never admit to it.
"They're havin' a meetin', darlin'. We should gi tae it. They probably di nae knae what's goin' on. Unfortunately, I di."
"Then you can enlighten us all to this . . . creature, love." Emma raised her free hand to caress Sean's face. "And don't worry. Now that we're finally together again, I'll stop at nothing to make certain we stay this way."
Holding tightly to Emma's hand, Sean headed toward the group. Once there, he slipped his arms around Em and did his best to keep her body warm with his body heat. The feel of her fur cape warmed him, in turn, and as he tightened his hold on her, he realized that he could feel her hard breasts through her cape.
With a quick glance at the others to make sure that they had no idea what was going on, Sean began to briskly rub his muscular arms over Emma's front, sending delicious chills through his gorgeous wife. His chin rested on her shoulder, and his breath tickled her ear as he whispered into it, "I love ye, Em."
Emma's smile lit up her face and her blue eyes that had been lifeless for so long before being reunited with Sean that night. She answered him in his mind through a link he'd thought long gone but that she discovered was still there now that they knew each other still lived. I love you too, Sean.
Simon had managed to get Jasmine and the children into a corner in the holding cell. When the floor had given way, he had felt himself slipping. He had scrambled frantically to get his fingers into the cell bars, still holding Jasmine and the children safely in the corner.
He saw several animals fall through the hole and hoped that his charges did not see it happen or hear the awful chomping of the teeth. He knew that the creatures would never be seen again, because they had become a meal for whatever was chewing through the ship. He tried to clear his mind from the thought, but it was as though he could feel each one of those teeth marks going right through his own fragile body! He became even more determined that Jasmine and the children would be safe.
Jasmine would have screamed if she could have when she had seen the animals fall. She, too, could hear the chomping and was glad to have Simon protecting them. She also knew that Julian and Sarah had not seen the animals fall and was glad for it. She'd hooked her fingers into the cell bars, also, fearing that any second, the attack would be renewed and that the floor would let all of them go downward. She closed her eyes and continued to pray for their safe rescue.
Salem refused to allow himself to mew in fear, but despite himself, his claws hooked into the tender flesh of James' skull as he saw one animal after another sliding into the hole. He knew Kit was gone and his heart ached for her, but each new one he saw sliding terrified him all the more.
Even the big sheepdog, Ambrosious, could not get a hold on the deck. His bulky form trembled uncontrollably as he slid, and his paws clattered on the wood as he tried to find a hold. Still, in the end, he went down, his frantic barking vanishing into the deep, dark blackness.
Delvira's black eyes were huge and glimmering in the dark as she watched the animals falling into the hole one by one and Cole barely hanging on to the hole's edge. She had tried to reach Ambrosious, but with her hands and feet chained, there had been nothing she could do but watch the poor boy fall. She wished she could help Cole, as well, but knew there was nothing she could do for him. Then, Gonk's barking caught her ears, and in desperation, she let go of her fears, allowing her instincts to take over and trying a maneuver that she would have thought impossible.
Releasing her hold on the bars, Delvira half-flipped, half-slid toward the sliding poodle. As she fell, she came over him, parting her legs just enough that she landed with Gonk between her thighs. Her pale thighs caught him and squeezed his waist, holding on to him for all she was worth even as she caught some one else's foot. She wasn't sure who the foot belonged to nor did she have time to find out as Gonk bit her.
Delvira's eyes flashed, but her yell of protest was muffled by her gag. Despite knowing how upset her sister would be, she released the poodle, her thigh throbbing where he'd bit her. Gonk continued to slide, just as he had intended, toward the hole and the chocolate paws he had spotted barely hanging onto the edge.
Paige had known the very moment Cole had left her side, but she'd been too scared to stop him. Now, as he desperately hung on to one of the jagged edges of the hole in the floor, she mentally kicked herself. Carl may have rescued Prue and her beloved and her older sister might be safe, but Cole was family too! Piper loved the man, so Paige couldn't just let Cole go without trying something to save him.
Though she still did not understand how she had managed to teleport into the cell, she knew she had to try to reach Cole and would get nowhere if she simply let go and allowed herself to fall toward him. Her brown eyes focused on the outline of his legs that she could barely make out. Her eyes squinted as she concentrated, and she tried to shut out everything else. As Paige's fingers went lax around the bars she had been holding on to, she found herself growing light again . . .
Autolycus was slowly following Teak when the Goblin suddenly took off running. "TRELY!" he announced, his word blowing back to Autolycus. Autolycus had to run to keep up with him. He kept glancing from side to side, but he didn't see anything else that seemed to be alive.
Teak stopped just outside the sleeping quarters. "Something going on in there," he told Autolycus.
"Somebody's killing something in there!" Autolycus exclaimed, his eyes wide at the growls, yowls, and wails that were coming from the other side of the door. "Approach with caution!" They stepped just inside the door, and Teak let out a loud squeal, running to where he could see Trely laying on the floor next to the wall.
Autolycus looked around the room until he spotted what was making all the yowling noise. "DAMN! Cats in heat! How're we going to stop that?" he asked aloud only to realize that Teak was waking Trely up and not paying any attention to the cats.
Trely stirred to slowly as she felt something light against her face and fragile hands shaking her. Her swollen eyes cracked open just an inch, and her beady eyes peered out from her green face at her awakener. "T-Teak?" she asked weakly.
"Trely okay? Trely safe now; Teak find!"
Trely nodded slowly though she felt more pain and exhaustion than she ever had before. "M-Master?" she squeaked out.
"Not find Jareth yet. Had to get Trely first. Teak got something for Trely." He reached in his pocket, pulled out the jewel, and held it out to her.
Trely's eyes grew large as she gazed down at the shiny rock. "Pretty!" she breathed.
"Man," Teak indicated Autolycus, "say it worth much money. Teak want Trely to have."
"Trely no need money," Trely spoke slowly, having difficulty finding her words and getting her dry throat to pronounce them, "or rock. But rock pretty," she was quick to assure Teak. "Trely like. But Trely like Teak more."
"Teak got something for Trely drink!" he said, offering her the bottle he had clutched in his hand. "Not good like rum but not too bad when thirsty."
Trely's wrinkled hands shook as she accepted the bottle. She lifted it to her quivering lips and drank slowly. She didn't mind the burn and was thankful for something to wet her parched throat. "Good," she agreed as she handed the bottle back to Teak after a couple of long swallows. "Bad taste but good wet."
"Teak like Trely a lot. Teak keep Trely's rock safe," he said as he put it back in his pocket. "Now best go find Master." He put his hand out to help her to her feet. "We got catch cats first."
Trely's eyes widened as she stared at Teak. "Uh-uh!" she squealed, shaking her head. "No cats! Leave cats!"
"Master would not like us leave cats in danger. Need something to put them in."
Trely pointed at the tomcat who had the queen down and was busily pumping away into her back. "Cats crazy! Master not want cats eat us!"
Teak looked up at Autolycus. "What man think?" he asked.
Autolycus shook his head. He didn't want to put his hands where they might get scratched all to pieces. He rubbed his beard in thought. "If we could find a basket, we could put them in that."
He began to look around the room for something to carry the cats in. "Usually these two cats don't eat Goblins," he told Trely. "Now they're only interested in eating each other, but we're all in danger if we mess with them. We can't just leave them."
"Trely tell Teak danger!" Trely exclaimed. "Master first!" What the little Goblin felt to be a brilliant idea then lit up in her small brain. "Then we tell Master! Master get cats!"
It was then that Autolycus spied a hamper, and he walked over to look inside. It was dusty but empty. "We use this," he told Teak. "If we can get them to roll into it, we'll have them." He ignored Trely's suggestion of giving the cats to Jareth. He was afraid that when they did find Jareth, he would not be in any shape to handle cats, and he couldn't leave them behind.
Autolycus laid the hamper down where the cats could roll into it. "We need something long that we can stick at them, so they won't get us."
"This do?" Teak asked. He dragged a piece of planking over and showed it to Autolycus.
"Keep the lid open," Autolycus told Teak, "and I will push at them and see if I can get them to go in."
Ray knelt beside Mouse. He didn't know much about first aid and realized that she had been shocked before hitting the floor. He managed to drag her to safety and then began to loosen her clothing. She wasn't breathing!
Thank the User he had had to have CPR training as part of his Surfer education! He began to give her mouth to mouth, praying that she would respond to him.
He knew she'd yell and scream when she was able to, because he had followed her down into the hold. She still wasn't used to him following her everywhere, but he loved her and even though he wasn't as strong as some other Sprites, he couldn't live without her. He continued to breathe into her . . .
Dawson stared at Faith through his tears. She had tried to save him, and he had repaid her by killing her! He'd never meant to. He'd loved her and would have rather hurt himself than ever allow her to be hurt!
"Did you?" Mitch demanded from where he was still on his knees in the floor. "Did you really?"
"Yes," Dawson whispered, his eyes never leaving Faith's corpse.
"That's it then," Mitch informed him matter-of-factly. "Humans always hurt the ones we love, Dawson, but none more than a Leery. It's true," he admitted. "I drove your mother away, and you killed Faith." He smiled. "You're just like me, my boy."
Dawson was barely listening to Mitch, however, for he continued to stare at Faith's body. Even in death, she was so beautiful! He could barely breathe for the lump in his throat and the tears that overtook him, but still his thoughts continued to run rapidly, his mind spinning.
Willow had backed into a corner, every hair sticking straight out. His green eyes, widened with fright, stared at Jack as the Pirate Captain fought. Willow had continued to hiss the entire time he was in the corner but had not attacked, because he wasn't sure where to attack.
Jack flayed away at the Demoness, hacking pieces of flesh from her body, dancing away from her claws, and blocking her advances with his swords. So engrossed was he in the fight that he did not realize, that as each piece hit the floor, it began to grow! Willow saw them, and his hiss now turned into a wail!
Could his human not see what was happening! He ran forward to attack the growing mass only to get slime all over his paws and fur. He continued roaring his battle cry and doing his best, knowing that he was losing all the time.
Willow was not sure what the pieces were growing into until he saw one fully grown. At that point, he did several flips until he connected with Jack's back. He had to make him look!
Jack turned just in time to keep from getting his head hacked off by one of the new Demonesses. The Demoness roared with laughter. "You can't kill me that easily, little man!" Then, with a hiss, "Come, sisters! Help me destroy the intruders!"
Oh, shitt! Jack thought. What have I gotten into! He had felt that he was gaining ground with the Demoness but now he saw what his efforts had wrought. He started fighting with the first complete Demoness and the original Demoness as well. "'RO!" his voice yelled in a highly quavering pitch. He prayed she'd have an answer!
As the last of the snow melted off of Kurt, he shook his head, blinked his eyes, and looked for his rescuer. Getting slowly to his feet, he looked all around, but he didn't see God. All he saw was one little, purple dragon. He would have hugged him but was afraid he would be burned. "'Heed, did you see God?" he asked bewildered. Why had God run off so soon?
Kurt's persistency in thinking his rescuer to be God even after he was free and could see him was the final straw for Lockheed. He flew up into the Priest's face, beating his purple wings frantically and yelling. "COO COO COO COO COO COO COO!"
Kurt looked disappointed. "God vasn't really here? It vas you? Zank you. But I vanted to see God! You zink I'm crazy, don't you?" he said, looking directly into 'Heed's eyes. "But I must not be too crazy, because God did send you to rescue me!"
Lockheed hovered in the air before Kurt, his arms once more folded in front of him and his eyes boring down into the insane Priest. He shook his head and cooed loudly again. With another shake, he decided to just give up on the whole God debate and instead pointed at the snow.
"I know. I vas freezing to death under zere. I zought it vas mein punishment, but God sent you to save me. Did you see God?" Kurt would not give it up! God had to have been there!
He felt better now, as though a ton had been lifted off of him. He did not blame God for God not wanting him to see Him, because he didn't think he was worthy. At least, not yet, but he planned to do everything in his power to make God happy with him again. The only thing he could not do was continue with his Priesthood.
Lockheed's hand smacked his forehead in frustration. "Coo!" Then, he caught movement behind Kurt and froze, his eyes growing steadily larger.
From behind Kurt, a man emerged, seeming to step forward from the snow itself. He was tall, and his every inch seemed to be filled with muscle. Brown hair hung to his broad shoulders, and serene eyes returned Lockheed's startled gaze from a hardened face with a gentle expression. Lockheed quickly looked the man over. He wasn't in robes but rather a brown vest and black, leather pants. But why was he glowing, and where had he come from? The dragon fainted.
Cole felt himself falling despite the desperate grip he had on the jagged edge as the part he was holding on to began to let go. He began to concentrate on Piper, hoping that she would be saved. Even if it meant his dying and him having to be the sacrifice, he wanted her safe.
Now, the ugly poodle was sliding toward him. He knew when the dog hit him, they'd both go! Good-bye, Piper! he told her even though he knew she couldn't hear him. Remember always that I loved you! He closed his eyes, not able to watch. He could not believe that he had fallen to such straights! What a Hell of a way to go!
Gonk's feet scrambled against the wood, and he yipped again, realizing that he was headed the wrong way! He managed to turn himself and head for Kit's paws instead of the man mere seconds before he would have hit him. Gonk didn't know what he'd do when he reached the cat, but he had to try!
Paige didn't dare to breathe as she appeared next to Cole and the hole. She started to slide but grabbed hold to what remained of the deck with one hand. With her other, she started to reach for Cole but stopped when she heard Gonk's yipping. Her eyes turned in his direction, and she saw him sliding toward Kit and the hole.
Thinking quickly, the redhead snatched up the Siamese cat by the scruff of Kit's neck. Paige had to yank hard to break Kit's grip. "PRUE," she yelled, "CARL, KIT'S COMING YOUR WAY!" At least, she hoped it was their way that she was throwing her family's beloved cat, but it was the best she could do in that split second.
"Cole, grab me," she directed, her words bubbling over themselves. "You have to trust me. I can't let you die; Piper loves you! Grab me!" Her own free hand clutched the wooly scruff of Gonk's neck just as he fell into the hole with a howl.
