Hello Everyone, I hope you guys like this chapter!
Two Hours 'til Midnight
Piper began putting the kettle on for tea. She needed help with calming down and talking to her sisters or Mark would not help one bit. She was mad, confused and devastated all at once. Seeing Mark made her emotions bubble to the surface and she was fighting the urge to break down.
Mark raced down the stairs and heard the commotion in the kitchen. He walked silently, he felt like a thief in the middle of the night. Trying not to scare or startle her, he stopped by the entrance of the kitchen and just for a moment took Piper in. The last time he was in the kitchen, the sisters were trying to figure out how to help his ghostly self. He couldn't help but smile a bit at that awkward memory.
"Piper…" Mark said, walking into the kitchen and taking a seat on the table. Piper ignored him and continued to focus on the kettle. She shook her head, tears were threatening to fall and the last thing she wanted was to break in front of him.
"I don't understand what's going on. One minute I'm talking to my dad and grandpa and the next moment, I'm in your attic." Mark tried explaining. His voice sounded sad and confused. He tired to show that he too was taken back from the night's events. He felt like Piper thought he did this on purpose. Truth was that was so far from the case. He had taken the brief moment earlier that day to say his goodbyes to her and accept it as closure.
Piper took a deep breath and exhaled. She didn't know how to explain it to him. How could she, this was the first time they ever used that spell. She could hear his confusion in his voice and had seen it in his eyes up in the attic.
"I don't know how to explain what's going on. According to Phoebe, the pages of the book were flipping by themselves. They landed on the page and we casted the spell thinking we would get to speak with our mom or an ancestor." Piper said, hoping the second time the explanation was given would somehow answer the questions they both had.
Piper moved to prepare her tea. The kettle didn't whistle as she knew exactly when it would be ready. Mark didn't know what to say. He looked at her. He knew he didn't belong there and he would have to leave back to the garden. It was an odd sense, he could literally feel time slipping away. There was no way he was going to waste this precious time on nonsense.
"Can you at least look at me?" Mark said, standing up from the chair and walking towards her. Piper saw him from the corner of her eyes and felt defeated. She finished making the cup of tea.
"I think this is a cruel joke from the universe." She turned to him and offered him the cup of tea in her hand. He took it a bit baffled. She still wouldn't look at him. She went back to making a second cup of tea, most likely hers. She knew those words must have sounded so harsh, but she couldn't think anything other than that. She didn't understand why the universe wouldn't let her try and move on. First the dream and now this "miracle". She finally looked up from making her own cup of tea and moved her gaze up to Mark.
"I don't even know if you can drink it." she said. Mark looked down at his cup of tea and realized he could actually feel the warmth of the cup on his hands. He took a drink, closed his eyes and smiled when he realized he could. He didn't know how something so simple could bring him so much joy. If no one knew any better, they would have thought he had been long dead, not about a week. Still, it felt like an eternity since the last time he drank a simple cup of tea.
Piper turned to him and gave him a small smile. The expression wasn't lost on Piper, she felt warmth radiating from him and could sense his joy at the simplest act of drinking hot tea. She walked past him and sat at the table. Mark followed and sat across from her.
"I think this is a gift." Mark said, breaking the silence while looking at his hands. Piper was a bit confused at his words. She would have thought if anyone would be as equally hurt about this predicament would be the cute ghost that was cut off from ever forming some type of connection with her. Mark placed his cup to the side and reached for Piper's hand. Once he had her fingers in between his Piper let out a gasp. She did not expect the simple interaction to bring her such surprise. It was a welcomed surprise, but she had given up on something like this and here her fingers were interlaced with his.
"Can we enjoy the time we have 'till midnight? I have a feeling that I'll be taken back then." Mark said, looking at the intertwined fingers on top of the table.
"Yes, I think we can. I just can't believe that you're here" Piper said while tears fell down her smiling cheeks. The simple act had finally broken down the last barrier Piper had up that night.
"Here, come.." Mark got up from the table and guided Piper up too. They stood in front of eachother and with one hand, he let go of her hand and placed his hand on her cheek, wiping a tear with his thumb. Piper leaned in and closed her eyes. Before she knew it, she went straight in for a hug. Mark placed his arms around her and just took it all in. He closed his eyes and took in that hug.
There was no way either of them would say no to this. Things like these were what they had both been yearning for ever since they met and they had finally received a chance at it.
After what seemed like ages, they let go of eachother. Piper guided him to the living room and left the cups of tea on the table. They sat on the couch and just looked at eachother. Staring at features hoping to register them in their minds for all eternity. Piper wanted to remember everything and take him in. She knew she had precious little time and didn't want to miss a thing.
"I don't want you to say anything. I just want to enjoy your company" Piper said, before Mark could say anything. As Mark sat on the edge of the sofa, Piper curled next to him. She was fixated on the sound of his heartbeat. She knew she would never get a chance like this again and she didn't want to waste it.
Mark on the other hand sat there and kissed the top of her head, he enjoyed the warmth she brought. A couple days ago he longed to hold her in his arms and here she was just there.
"I don't know why you aren't accepting this gift. We have a chance to say what we need to say and help eachother a bit" Mark said, bringing Piper to a sitting position.
"We have very little time and I want to take advantage of you actually being corporeal. Last time we talked a lot; even the stuff that needed no words, but now we get to actually hold hands and hug and…."
Piper's words went silent when Mark kissed her.
"And kiss…" Mark said with a smile. Piper finally let out a breath and smiled. "And kiss." Piper leaned in for another kiss.
The kiss was broken with the sound of the grandfather's clock chime. It was 11:30. "Our time is almost up." Mark said sadly. Piper looked down. Mark lifted Piper's chin up. He had so much he wanted to say, but didnt know where to start. Piper didn't want this night to end, she somehow wished this moment could last forever.
"Listen Piper, I know you think this was a horrible joke from the universe. I know that you really didn't want to deal with any of this. But I just want you to know that the little bit of time I got to spend with you and get to know you was worth it. I would give anything to have been able to meet you before, you know…" Mark said with profound sadness.
"I know. I really wish we had more time. I want you to know that I will never forget you and that I will always keep you close to my heart. I love you. It's weird to say it, because we only knew eachother one day. And for that one day, you were a ghost. But know that I do love you. Also, I returned the recipes to your mom. I copied them before I returned them." Piper said with a sad smile.
The Clock chimed one more time as the minutes were going by super fast. They looked at eachother. It felt like this was truly the last time they would ever see eachother. They didnt want this magical moment to end. Mark took Piper in one more time and Piper did the same with Mark.
"I want you to move one and be happy. The guy that gets to spend his life with you will be extremely lucky. Who knows, maybe we'll meet again in another life." Mark said, with his sad smile once again. He gave Piper one last kiss and whispered "I love you" before he turned into bright lights once more and disappeared. Piper stood there a bit blinded by the lights and she felt the cold breeze that his departure left. She let the tears fall as she let out a huge breath.
Prue and Phoebe had been sitting by the staircase, waiting for the moment when they could be able to go in. They thought Piper would have more time, but it looked like this was all they were able to get. Piper looked to her side and saw her sisters there.
"Oh honey." Phoebe said almost running to her. Prue gave her sister a small comforting smile and pulled both sisters into an embrace once she reached them. Piper let the tears fall once more.
The next morning, Piper felt that last night had been a bittersweet dream. She felt like for some reason she had been on cloud nine. She knew Mark had been there, but it felt more like a dream. It wasn't until she walked into the kitchen and saw the two mugs, still with tea in them that it sinked in and that it all had been real. Piper smiled as she picked them up and walked to the sink to dump the contents and wash them. She looked out the window and smiled. She took a long breath in and then let it out.
"Thank you Mark" She said, knowing that somewhere in that distant plane, in that beautiful garden; Mark could feel her pull.
When Mark returned to the ghostly plane he felt bittersweet. He was glad he had gotten the opportunity to spend time with Piper; but was sad that the couple of hours last night would be the last time he would be near her. He looked around and noticed he wasn't in the garden anymore, but in a misty and cloudy area.
"Hello Mark, we've been expecting you." a tall middle aged man said. Next to him was Sandra, an elder.
"Hi, what's going on?" Mark said with confusion in his voice.
"You've been given a chance to do amazing work for the greater good. We see the purity in you and think you are fit for this journey ahead" The tall man said.
"Ooookkk. And who are you guys supposed to be? Witches?" Mark asked.
"I am an elder and he is an angel of destiny" Sandra answered.
"We don't have time to explain anything. The window is closing for him" The angel of destiny said.
"But he needs to know what we are asking of him." Sandra said.
"All he needs to know is that he will be given a second chance of sorts. And with that chance he will help the greater good." The angel of destiny said in a frustrated tone.
"What second chance?" Mark asked with some hope.
Sandra looked at Mark and gave him a small smile. "If you choose to help us you will be an agent of sorts and help us with magical situations. Your kind of assistant is a rare position. All we ask for is a definite answer."
Mark stood there, he was unsure of what this meant. Afterall the last couple of days his world had completely changed and now saw everything he never did before. But the idea of a second chance, he had to take it. He'd be stupid if he didn't, this could lead him to Piper.
"I'll do it." He said without hesitation. Both the Angel of Destiny and the Elder looked at eachother and back at him and nodded.
Sandra waved her hand and the once again wispy Mark became corporeal. He looked at his hands and smiled.
"What am I now? Am I alive again?" He asked.
"You're a tracker, a sort of whiteligher. You will help us track new witches and magical items. It will all be explained once you go through the training" Sandra said.
Mark took in the new information. He was confused about the state he was truly in and what that meant for his future.
"Can I…." Mark started asking.
"Unfortunately, this is when you get sent to wherever it is you need to go." the angel of destiny said. And with a wave of his hand Mark, with a confused look, was sent in a swirl of orbs away.
"I don't like how this is panning out" Sandra said.
"My dear Elder, it's for the greater good. We only interfere in the most dire of times. This is the way it needs to happen." The Angel said dramatically.
"We could at least warn the sister. Have Leo talk to them once his assignment is over." Sandra said hopeful.
"We cannot. If we speed up the eventual event. Things can get out of control. We've meddled and changed their destinies too much at this point. All we can do is hope they will follow the breadcrumbs the powers at be gives them. Remember, this stays between you, the angels of destiny and the powers at be. No one else is to know what we are doing here."
