20 Weddings And A Funeral?
Chapter 10
"Well... you could answer some more questions," Michael suggested.
Chris just shook his head smiling: "Man, you're unbelievable!"
"Before... the clown said your name was Chris Halliwell... But didn't you say your family name was Perry?"
Cole frowned, but Chris just shrugged. "I'm sorry, I didn't intend to lie to you..." he said with a low voice. He had almost forgotten his little lie, "it's just... I didn't know how much the clown knows... And the Halliwells are very famous, you know... I just don't want him to do something just because I'm one of them... I'm sorry."
Michael nodded: "Never mind. I think I would have done the same... I mean... you didn't know me, so why should you trust me?"
"Now I do," Chris replied with a serious voice. "And I hope we will still be friends when you know the complete story."
Now it was Michael who frowned: "Why shouldn't I?... Even if I don't know everything about you... I think I know YOU very well."
Chris sighed. Cole could see in his eyes that there was something inside him that wanted to be told. But he wasn't sure if that would be a good idea, at least at that moment. But he knew Chris would do it...
"Even if I have killed someone?" Chris asked looking him into the eyes.
Michael swallowed: "You're not talking about demons, right?" Chris nodded.
"Hey, that isn't correct... not completely!" Cole interrupted that discussion, which was about to turn into the wrong direction. "You killed the one who was about to kill your brother... And those Valkiries... ok... but you had to... There was no other way."
Chris just stared into the nothing, his eyes turned glassy.
Michael was still looking at his friend. Yes, he still was his friend, whatever he had done. Then he put his arm around him. He had just the feeling that this crazy guy needed that. Chris smiled weakly, noticing that his new-found friend was still there, that he didn't run away from him.
"And now," Michael said after a short break, "I want to hear the whole story... I think you should start with your birth, just to make sure not to miss something important." Cole grinned when Chris did the same. Then the Elder-witch started to speak. "Well... I was born on June, 24th 2004... means in about 4 months!"
"What?" Michael exclaimed confused. But he didn't jump up or something. He just stayed where he was, hugging his friend and waiting for an explanation.
°°°°°°°°°°
"And now?" Paige asked after they had finished orbing.
Bianca looked around. The park was already closed for the night. Everything was calm around them. And there was no sight of the carrousel. The space was completely empty.
"We wait," she said.
At that moment, Leo and Odin orbed in.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Bianca asked angry. That was her job. She didn't want the others around her.
"Piper sent us; she thought you might need some help," Leo explained.
"Oh, I think I can handle this alone," Bianca gave back. But at that moment also Tom, Nicki and Steve shimmered in. "Great," the Phoenix mumbled.
"Where is it?" Tom asked. "Didn't you say it's here?"
Bianca rolled her eyes: "I don't know where it is, I just said that it was here. And I'm sure he will return to this place. He will come, we just have to wait."
"And what if he doesn't?" Odin asked.
"Well," Steve interrupted him, "we should use the time to think about what we will do if we catch him or whatever... kill him. How do we free the others? How do we destroy the carrousel?"
"I have still some 'all-round-potions in my pocket," Paige said.
"And you have us," Leo said. Then he looked at Odin: "In that case, we should help, I think." The other Elder nodded.
"I have also a spell that we could try," Nicki said.
Paige nodded: "That should be enough."
Bianca put her hand on her womb and closed her eyes. "Please, little girl, I know you want to help, but this is mommy's job... Just make sure that you don't get hurt, I'll do the rest." Leo sighed, hearing these words. Bianca noticed it and looked at him: "I just don't want her to put the forcefield up. I want to be able to fight."
Her father in law nodded. "If you need me, I'm here." It was amazing how strong she was, how determined, how... how much she loved his son.
"I know," she answered smiling, sure that his words were true.
°°°°°°°°°°
"...I tried to go on, but it turned to be worse and worse every day that passed. When I was 18 I left him. It was like... running away with my love... But he didn't stop to be that evil guy... it was the opposite... he began to rule the world and finally we decided that I had to go back to the past, to stop those who had first turned him... even if we didn't know who that was."
"So that's why you are here, now?" Michael asked. He had just listened to what his friend had told him the past minutes. It was unbelievable, those things about the future. But he knew it was the truth, Chris wouldn't lie to him, not in such a situation. It was unbelievable what this man had gone through.
Chris nodded: "I came here about... two years ago. At first - until a few months ago - no one knew who I..."
"Telling some family-novels?" they suddenly heard a too well-known voice.
Chris looked up facing the clown who stood a few steps away. He rose: "I think you should better run and hide as fast as you can... 'cause if I don't kill you, my family will do that for me." The clown just laughed.
"Guys," Cole said, "I'm not sure if that makes any sense to you, but I got a really bad feeling... something is going on." Chris looked at him surprised. Then he felt again that weak presence of a magical spirit inside his uncle. But before he could answer something, the clown rose to speak again.
"I have something that will keep you away from your plans, my little poor witch," he said and shimmered a rope to his hand. And at the other end there was bound a girl, a bride.
"Angela!" Michael exclaimed. He was about to run over to her but Cole held him back.
"Now you do as I say, or I swear this girl will be begging me for ending her torture," the clown yelled.
"Oh my God," Michael muttered.
"Shhhh," Cole said, "everything will be alright... Just hold on, Chris knows what he's doing, believe me."
Chris just stood there waiting for the clown to make the next move. He was thinking if he could be fast enough to stop him, before he could hurt the bride of his friend, but... no... he couldn't risk her life. She was an innocent.
"Alright," the clown said now smiling, "so, would you all please be so kind to go that way?" At the same second he had said that, a way framed with little lights appeared.
Chris sighed. Then he looked at the others and nodded.
They followed the way for about two minutes. It led them to a big building. 'The Haunted mansion,' Chris thought. The clown forced them to go in.
Seconds later they were in a kind of hall. On the ground was a large pentacle with little lights on it's shape. Around that sign, stood a lot of little cages. In every single one was sitting one hologram, looking at them in fear.
But the most impressing thing was the large altar in the middle of all that. Large enough for a human being to lie on it. And there were chains for hands and feet.
Now the clown put also Michael and the angry Cole into jail. His uncle was swearing but Chris told him with his look that he should calm down.
Then the clown turned to Chris again, still holding the rope that bound the girl, tightly. "Now, that's your place, make yourself comfortable."
There were no emotions shown in Chris's face when he went over to the altar and lay down. He closed his eyes; then he heard how the chains snapped shut.
°°°°°°°°°°
Bianca was pacing around. That took too long... way too long... The clown was supposed to be there already... But he wasn't.
"I..." Nicki rose to speak carefully, "I don't think he'll come.
Bianca looked at her, worried. She was sure the clown would show up some time, when he sensed her... But they had been there for too long. What if something bad happened to Chris, meanwhile? Or Cole? She turned to Leo and Odin, waiting for some support and advice, but Leo seemed to be really distressed too.
Odin, however, took the word: "We should wait a little bit more. Chris can take care of himself. And I think you are right, Jake will show up sooner or later." Bianca nodded, but she was not so sure anymore.
They kept silent for a while, until Tom's voice attracted their attention: "Hey you, guys... Have you seen that? Do the rides work at night?"
Steve looked in the direction he showed them, and frowned. The Haunted Mansion was wrapped up in a greenish light. It wasn't an electric light, it seemed, on the contrary, sort of magical...
"What the hell is going on up there?" Nicki asked, shocked.
Suddenly, Bianca felt that strong but well-known pain in her womb.
°°°°°°°°°°
Chris was trying to keep calm, and not show any emotions, because he didn't want to scare Michael or his uncle more than they were already, and he didn't either want the clown to feel that good, when he saw him scared. But the truth was, he was really freaking out.
Once he felt the chains pinning him down to the altar, and realised that he couldn't move at all, he panicked. He kept his eyes closed for a while, and tried to control his breathing...
"Are you comfortable enough... traitor?" Jake asked very near his ear, in a kind of whisper that froze the blood inside him.
Chris opened his eyes; he could feel his breath next to him. "You bastard... You won't get through this."
"You mean YOU won't get through this..." He started to laugh. Then he turned to the people in the cages.
Cole had been insulting him all the time, and trying to find a way out, but it was impossible.
Michael was terrified, staring at his fiancée, who was still tied up, and so scared... He tried to calm her down, saying that everything was gonna be ok, and all, but he wasn't sure anymore. What about Chris, and his powers?
"We'll kill you, you son of a bitch!" Cole yelled when he heard the clown saying that.
Jake laughed even louder: "I'm wondering how you'd do that, in your current situation..."
Chris tried to concentrate as much as he could... He had to use his powers again. He knew he could do that. He had to free himself, using his telekinesis. But he was not able, maybe because he was so scared.
What about orbing? He couldn't focus, with all the cries, and laments and insults around him, and also that evil laughter... he tried hard.
Finally, when he was going to give up, he felt his body was beginning to turn into blue orbs, he got it!
But all of a sudden, a hand grasped his neck, and the process was interrupted.
"You're trembling..." Jake said, "cool. Our ancestors were really scared, and they suffered a lot, too. And it wasn't that fast. Will you be as brave as they were, and hold on until the time comes?" Then he let go off him, and Chris started to cough heavily.
"Yeah... I really wanna know how much you can hold on without panicking." Then he smiled. "They showed a lot of strength... They held their heads up all the time. But I guess you won't."
Chris didn't try to answer. Instead, it was Cole that did it, only a load of insults, and hits on the bars of his cage.
Chris was happy that Jake hadn't realised that he had been about to orb, so he could go on trying, if given enough time. He tried it, he felt the orbs, but still he couldn't escape. Where was Bianca? Wasn't she coming? What about Hope? He had believed any of them would finally show up...
The clown went to the cages and pushed Angela inside one, still tied up. Michael went as nearer as he could.
"Are you ok? We're gonna get outta here, I promise..." he said. The girl nodded, but her face was covered with tears.
"Daddy..." whispered a voice next to Chris. He quickly turned his face to the side, and saw that Hope was there, squatting, hiding from the clown, who was busy answering Cole's insults and having fun with the other prisoners. "Are you ok?"
Chris nodded energetically: "But you shouldn't be here, he's gonna sense you."
The girl shook her head: "No, but I gotta go now. Mommy is coming soon, but first, you should try to free yourself, and make the clown believe you're still tied up. We're gonna surprise him." She chuckled a little bit.
Chris frowned: "But how..." He didn't finish.
"I need to go, daddy... Mommy needs to feel good for the fight..." She started to disappear. "I love you, daddy," she said just before fading away.
Chris kept looking at that side for a while, thinking about what she had just said.
'How?' he thought. 'How can I go out of these chains? They are magical, dammit!' He sighed.
°°°°°°°°°°
Bianca opened her eyes slowly. She was lying in the grass surrounded by the others.
"Everything alright?" Leo asked.
She nodded: "But I really need to have a serious talk with that little girl." She pointed at her womb with a weak smile.
"So... what happened exactly?" Nicki asked. "What has she done?"
Bianca stood up, checking herself to see if she was alright: "She was over there, where the light is, I think."
"Did you... she... see him?" Leo asked. He was still confused about that.
The Phoenix nodded: "He's in danger, we have to hurry."
Tom was the first who started to shimmer, Bianca followed him. Paige took the hands of Nicki and Steve and orbed, same as Leo and Odin.
When they re-materialised, they stood in front of the 'Haunted Mansion'. The green light was beaming out of every window, every door, every kind of opening. And it was also waving around the complete building.
"Great, back to the beginning," Paige muttered.
Bianca went closer to the entrance, step by step. But when she was about two meters away from it, she was thrown back.
"Bianca!" Leo exclaimed.
"Damned!" she yelled while she rose to her feet again. Then she waved to the others: "I'm alright."
Odin nodded: "Seems to be a very special kind of forcefield."
"What do you mean?" Nicki said.
"The colour and the structure," he replied frowning and carefully approaching the green light, "it seems to be a combination of good and demonic magic!"
"That's not good," Tom shook his head, same as his friends.
Bianca walked again a little closer: "We need to go in there." She was really worried about Chris... He was in great danger and the time was working against them. They had to hurry, so she tried to shimmer. But again she was thrown back.
"You shouldn't try," Leo said with a worried look to her womb.
Bianca smiled weakly: "Don't worry, she's alright. But we really need to go in there... fast!" Then she looked at Odin, who was actually the oldest one, with the largest experience: "Any ideas about how we could get through it?" The Elder sighed and shook his head.
°°°°°°°°°°
At the same time at the Halliwell Manor, Piper was again preparing some cookies. It seemed to turn into a natural habit that she made some of those sweet things when she was worried and nervous about something.
Phoebe, Jessica and Jason were sitting around the kitchen-table, observing her activities.
"They will be alright," Jessica said. Piper and Phoebe turned to her suddenly, making the girl feel a little uncomfortable. "I mean..." she stuttered, "I... I think that... Well... after all I've seen today... They will be back safe, I think."
Piper nodded: "They will."
"I hope so, "Phoebe muttered.
For a moment there was a deadly silence between them.
Piper was thinking about Chris. She wasn't still completely able to handle that feeling that her son was in danger... Even if he was grown up, she wanted to protect him... But she also knew he had to handle those things on his own. She couldn't be around him forever...
Phoebe at the same time thought about Cole. She couldn't believe how much she loved him. She needed him by her side... She always did. She sighed.
Jason looked at his bride. "When this is over, we'll go back to our family... They will be really surprised to see us, I suppose."
Jessica's look turned sad and worried.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Jessica didn't know how to say it: "Well... there is something you don't know by now."
The man looked around. "What?" he asked with a little fear.
"It's the date," Piper said.
"What date?"
"The date of today," Phoebe said, "today it's February 21st, 2004!"
Jason leaned back speechless. He couldn't believe it, that couldn't be true... "You're kidding!" he exclaimed finally.
"No they are not," Jessica said leaning her head on his shoulder.
The man shook his head: "But that's impossible... How will we ever explain that?"
°°°°°°°°°°
Cole was still swearing, Chris still chained on the altar. Michael looked around fearful. 'That goes completely the wrong way,' he thought. How should his new found friend help them out when he was chained at that damned altar! He shook his head and sat down on the ground of the cage.
"Honey?" he heard his bride. Michael looked up. She had knelt down in the corner of her cage, looking at him with fearful eyes. "Who is that?" she whispered.
Michael sighed: "Someone who could help us, hopefully." He smiled at her. He was glad to see her healthy... But on the other hand, he felt guilty. because if Chris hadn't been his friend, Michael's bride wouldn't have been something to put him under pressure.
He shook his head trying to throw away that thought... It was bullshit. The clown could have used every single person there. Chris wouldn't risk any of their lives... He never could do that, Michael was sure. Chris had told him that witches were born to protect those who are innocent, so he would never risk that anybody of them would get hurt.
Michael looked over to him again. Chris was lying there, his face turned to the other side, so that he couldn't see it. He didn't move.
'I need to help him,' he thought. Then he giggled uncontrollably. 'How could I help... if even he, a witch and whatever, isn't able to get out of those chains... how could I do something?' he thought.
Then he saw that Chris moved his head. He turned around and looked at him. He saw him forming silently words with his mouth. "Sorry."
Michael shook his head. "Chris! Don't worry," he yelled, "we'll get out of here... I believe in you!"
Chris smiled weakly. 'Michael is so unbelievable...' he thought. He reminded him a little of himself. Michael never gave up as it seemed.
"I believe in you," he yelled again, "like I did it when I pulled you up, remember?"
Chris saw the clown turning his head to his new friend, after he yelled over to him.
But Cole knew perfectly what he had to do. As he saw that the clown attention turned to the man he moved his hand through the bars of the cage and beat Jake in his face. The clown struggled back, but he didn't fall. Cole was surprised that he managed to beat him. He hadn't thought it would work.
Meanwhile the clown approached the cage again, looking very angry. "THAT was a big mistake," he said to him and threw some energy flashes against the man.
'Where did he get that power from?' Cole thought before he was hit and lost his consciousness.
Michael had looked at that scene with fear. Now the clown was approaching his cage.
Chris had risen as far as he could. His mind was spinning around. He had to get free. '...like I did when I pulled you up' Michael's words came to his mind again. 'Step by step' he had said that time... Step by step. 'What if...' he thought, 'what if I don't try to orb me out completely? What if I just orb my hands out of the chains?'
°°°°°°°°°°
Phoebe and Piper stared at the couple sadly. It would be really hard to deal with that, but they would do it together, and all the couples, once they were freed. They would get over it... Suddenly the deep and uncomfortable silence raised by Jason's question was broken by the phone. The sisters looked at each other in surprise, as Jessica and Jason waited for them to pick it up.
Finally, Piper cleaned her hands and went to the telephone: "Hello?"
"Sweetie? It's me, dad... What the hell is going on there?"
"Oh..." Piper sighed, worried. They had completely forgotten about him, Cole had left his house and he was still waiting for some explanation.
"Cole said he'd phone when he knew something new, but... You know, I'm patient, but I was worried. Is everything alright?"
"Yes, yes... well...actually, no. But you don't need to worry, we'll handle this as we always do."
"Is Cole still there?"
"Yes, he is..." she lied. "He's helping us, ok? Don't you worry at all. I'll phone later and let you know, dad. But now I need to go."
"Ok... I'm sorry, honey, I hope that everything is under control."
"It is, dad. Talk to you later."
Piper turned to look at her sister when she finally put the phone back on its place. "It was dad... He's worried..." Phoebe nodded but said nothing.
Then, Piper sat down too, taking a cup of tea between her hands, and sipped slowly. "You know what?" she said after a while. "Your family will finally understand all this. At first they'll be at a loss, but then... You know, you are their beloved beings... That's the only important thing, and what they will take into account. So don't worry. And believe me... We know about that too."
Jessica and Jason nodded, trying to smile, and Phoebe just looked into the nothing, still thoughtful.
°°°°°°°°°°
Chris was watching how the clown approached Michael's cage, and Cole was lying unconscious. He had to get free as soon as possible, so he tried to concentrate again, and carry out his idea. He should free his hands, by orbing only them. However, for much he tried, it was impossible.
He couldn't focus. Jake was too near the cage, and Michael was so freaked out! Besides, he had never tried to orb only one part of his body before, that was even more difficult now, that he couldn't use his magic as he was used to. He tried again, and finally his hand turned bluish, but when he thought he had got it, it was again transparent, like a hologram. "Shit," he muttered.
"Do you really believe in him?" the clown asked, looking fiercely at Michael. "Do you trust traitors? You shouldn't do that: One day, when you less expect it, he'll turn his back to you, and stab you in your back. Believe in me, buddy. I promised I'd get a revenge, and I'll get it." Then he smiled evilly, as he raised his hand.
"You are NOthing compared to him, bastard!" Michael cried, shaking. "And yes. I DO believe in him, and I DO believe he will get us free because he promised. And I DO believe he can do it, he really can, do you hear me?"
"Crystal," answered the clown, smirking. Then, he opened his hand, and a greenish ray flashed from it toward Michael, who stared at him scared. He was gonna die... He closed his eyes, but nothing happened. On the contrary, he could hear Jake's swearing far from him, so he opened his eyes and looked around...
"What the..." He couldn't see the bars anymore, he was free. He was free and standing on the opposite side of the room, just by the altar where Chris was still lying.
And not only that... He looked around, and saw how every cage was being emptied little by little. People inside started to disappear in the middle of some blue lights and reappeared outside.
"Wow!" he exclaimed suddenly.
To top it all, he could see how the clown was imprisoned in the cage he himself had just occupied!
He looked down to Chris. He had his eyes closed, and seemed to be really concentrated. He didn't want to disturb him, so he ran to untie his fiancée, and hugged her tightly. She broke down in his arms, shaking, but happy to be able to embrace her love.
Suddenly, Michael saw a still unconscious Cole lying on the floor, outside his cage too. He kissed the girl, and told her: "Honey, just go with the others, run out of here, if you can... I'll go as soon as I free Chris and see if Cole is ok."
The girl nodded and ran towards the other people, who were still amazed.
At the same time, Michael went to Cole, and tried to feel his pulse. He turned pale... He couldn't feel it. He turned to look at Chris, and saw he had his eyes still closed. The couples were still being freed, and Jake was doing something to break free himself, without success.
He had to do something on his own... Michael looked at Cole worriedly. Then, without thinking about it, tore his shirt apart and started to massage his heart... He knew how to do that, he had been a lifeguard in a beach. 'Come on...' he thought.
Chris was exhausted. He had spent so much energy on freeing himself! He had tried it once and again, but time flew, Michael was in danger, and the damned irons were magic, so he wouldn't be able to free himself. But... Suddenly he heard Michael's voice saying that he believed in him, and that he could do it... "Do you hear me?" That wasn't a question for Jake, but for Chris. Of course he heard him... And he knew he believed in him...
Step by step... Suddenly he realised. He was able to use his magic, but he wasn't able to free himself. Which meant... The problem wasn't himself! It was the protection of the chains! So what if he tried to free the others, to orb them?
Whatever, he had to do it, and quickly. He saw how the clown was going to use his powers against his friend. So... He started orbed him out of the cage. Thus, the rays hit the wall. Then he freed his uncle, and after that, he put the clown inside a cage.
Little by little, he was freeing every one. That was the first step, and the most important one... Then he could think about himself.
But now he had finished, and was exhausted... He looked at Michael, and saw what he was trying... He was the only one that had stayed there, and tried to save Cole.
Then he looked at Jake. He had to use his remaining strength to keep him inside the cage, so each time he tried to break free, he orbed him in again.
Cole woke up, and saw Michael, who smiled at him.
"Nice to see you again, my demonic friend!" he said, offering his hand to the man on the floor.
Cole took it, and sat up. Then both of them turned to see Chris. He was still chained and exhausted, but he smiled at them.
"Thanks, Michael..." he said. "Get outta here. They'll come for me soon."
"You're crazy man? I'm not leaving..."
Chris shook his head as he saw his uncle and Michael approaching: "I cannot keep him inside for longer. Go..." Michael ignored him. He just took one of the chains and tried to open it. "It's magical, boy, you cannot open them," Chris said. Suddenly he heard the metallic noise made by the irons.
Michael grinned: "I'm not magical, this doesn't affect me. And I didn't need that golden thingy to save his life either. I can be useful too, man."
"Of course..." Chris sighed. He couldn't do that before because he was the chained one, but anyone else could free him, just by moving a piece of the chain. They were traditional irons with magical reforcement.
Cole was going to free his other hand, as Michael went quickly to his feet, when they both fell down on the floor, unconscious.
Chris looked at his side, in shock. The clown had escaped, and was at his feet, glaring at him very angrily. "You're gonna pay for this."
(Chapter 10 written by Chrissy.W.x and Belén)