A/N: Okay, this chapter was a ^!&*$ to write LOL. I rewrote it a whole mess of times, and I'm still not that happy with it. But hopefully after this it'll be much easier to write, since I'm hoping to wrap it up soon. Please read and REVIEW!!! :D
Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, all of you are so incredibly amazing. Your reviews make me happy times infinity!
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It took all of Alex's energy not to scream, not to speak, not to breathe while Ghost circled her parents. On her right, she could hear Max's shaky breaths. He was acting so tough, so brave for his family. He hadn't said a word or made a sound as Jerry and Theresa materialized in front of them. On her left, she could feel the anger and tension radiating off of Justin. She glanced sideways and saw his unwavering narrowed eyes. His jaw was clenched shut and the muscles in his neck were quivering.
"Miss Russo," Alex jerked her head up, "we will try again. You will hand my associate," Ghost waved carelessly to something behind her.
A man with a mask identical to Ghost and Jacks' appeared at her right shoulder, and whispered, "Boo" in her ear. Alex suppressed a shudder.
"…the coin and amethyst. Now." He kept his voice very even and calm.
Alex lifted her chin up in defiance and kept her mouth shut. She didn't know what the strange piece of metal still hidden in her jeans pocket meant, but if Ghost wanted it, it must be important.
Ghost walked two steps towards her with his head bowed. He heaved a great sigh and then spun around, slicing his wand through the air. Both Jerry and Theresa screamed out in pain as deep cuts appeared on their faces. All the Russo children shrieked, "Mom, Dad!"
Alex leapt up from her chair and shoved Ghost from behind, "Stop it!" she screamed at him. Spider had bounded over her chair after her and caught her wrists to prevent her from clawing his boss. He yanked her back as Ghost rotated slowly to face Alex. The creepy leer on the mask did nothing to help Alex's nerves.
"I take it you are ready to cooperate now?" he asked quietly.
Alex exhaled sharply and nodded her head. Jerry and Theresa, both panting heavily, started shaking their heads and shouting their muffled protests. Ghost chuckled arrogantly and Alex held up her hand.
"On one condition," she said boldly.
Ghost stiffened and hissed, "I do not negotiate with little girls!"
"Yo, Ghost…" Spider spoke up behind Alex, "Why don't we just take them from her?" he asked dully.
Ghost slowly answered, "We are trying to keep this as civilized as possible.."
Alex was shocked when it was Justin who made a scoffing noise in disbelief. Spider dropped Alex's arms and turned around to face Justin, who stared up at him eyes filled with disgust.
"Got something to say, punk?" Spider leaned down close to Justin's face.
He nodded defiantly. "Muunh. Muu." Justin had groaned two words out, and even though they were stifled, Alex was pretty sure she knew what they were. She smirked for the tiniest fraction of a second before it was Justin's turn to get backhanded. The force of Spider's slap, however, almost knocked Justin and his chair to the ground.
"Justin!" Alex cried out, as she tried to rush forward. But it was Ghost this time who took hold of her arms. He whirled her around to face him and once again she found herself staring into the arctic-blue eyes. They were now throwing daggers.
"Enough! I'm tired of waiting. Give me the coin and necklace. NOW!" he spat out, just inches away from Alex's face.
She flinched as he screamed out the last word, but kept her brave face on. "I want my family out of here. I want them to be safe."
Ghost tapped a finger to his masked chin and tilted his head up in thought for a fraction of a second.
"No deal. I think I prefer bloodying your parents to a pulp until you beg me to take the items off your hands." Ghost replied sharply. He turned again to face Alex's parents, but she stepped in front of them, arms out wide.
"No! Please, don't. Here, I'll- I'll give you the necklace first, but then please just let my family go." She knew that tears would not help her gain this man's sympathy, but they threatened to spill out anyways.
Jerry and Theresa continued to object vehemently, but Alex paid them no heed. Ghost's eyes bore into Alex's and finally said evenly, "Fine." Then without another word he held out his gloved hand for the necklace. But Alex pushed it away.
"I need your word that you will release them as soon as I hand over the necklace," Ghost opened his mouth to retort when Alex cut him off, "No, I need your word. Magically."
Ghost heaved a sigh and said hurriedly, "Fine, fine. Let's just move this along. Jack, her wand." Jack scurried over and produced Alex's wand from his sleeve. She took it from him and raised it to Ghost. Alex knew that she was no match for this man magically, so she decided not to try anything stupid that could get her or her family killed. Ghost too raised his wand and said the spell:
Until this day has passed
Until this day has gone,
There will not be a single thing
That shall break this bond:
I swear to release the Russos from my control after I receive the amethyst necklace that Alex Russo has in her possession.
Alex was satisfied with the spell and after a moment of silence between them, she sighed and reached down into her shoe to tug out the crystal. It sparkled and twirled in midair as she held it out before everyone to see. A million thoughts were racing through her head but the only one she focused on was the one that involved getting her family, all of them, safe. She exhaled sharply and let the amethyst drop into Ghost's hand. He wound it around his hand and stashed it in his suit pocket.
Before he could utter a word, Alex said, "Now my family. Let. Them. Go." She articulated every syllable with a commanding air, one that made Ghost chuckle mirthlessly.
He spoke to Jack and Spider, "Isn't she just a little spitfire? All right, my dear. A promise is a promise. Spider, release them. Jack, give them their wands back."
Though she couldn't see their expressions behind the masks, Alex was sure that incredulity flitted across their eyes. A moment's hesitation was spent before they obeyed their orders. The second Justin was released from his confines, he dashed over to Alex and took her by the shoulders, "What are you doing? Why did you bring that here? You can't give it to him!"
"I know what I'm doing, Justin. Take Mom and Dad and Max home," she begged him with her eyes, praying that for just once, he would listen to her. Max was next to be cut from his bonds, and he was at Justin's side in a heartbeat. He looked so small in his fear.
"What are you going to do?" Max whispered.
"Trust me, bro," Alex managed to force a smile to her lips as she ruffled his hair. Justin was about to interject when Jerry and Theresa were cut loose. Jack and Spider kept their wands pointed at all of them, careful of their movements. They ignored the wands in their faces and sprinted over to their children, grabbing them all into an awkward hug of tangled arms. Alex was caught right in the middle and let out a little oof! from the impact. She giggled though, and tried to get her hands around her mother's neck. They shared a few seconds of warm relief and love before Ghost got bored.
"Ah, isn't love just superbly grand?" he asked mockingly. "Now Russos, go. I have other business to attend to with your daughter."
Theresa turned her head back to Alex, eyes brimming with tears. "No, no. I'm not leaving you here alone with him," she shot Ghost the dirtiest look she could muster.
Alex could see the dried blood from the cuts on her mother's face, and knew she was doing the right thing. "Mom, it's okay. I know what I'm doing."
Theresa shook her head and clutched onto Alex's arm with an iron grip. She was horribly reminded of that night when Ghost and his crew first broke into their house. Only this time, it would be Alex fighting for her family. She looked to her father for help. "Dad, really. You need to go. I have everything under control." She gave him a little wink and Jerry looked at the rest of his family before sighing and smiling back.
"Theresa, we have to go. Alex will be just fine." He pried Theresa's hands from Alex's arm.
"Dad! What are you talking about?" Justin whispered angrily, "We are not leaving her here!"
Ghost's voice cut through the argued whispering, "This is ridiculous. Russos, you need to leave. Now!"
Alex jumped at his voice, but then started to push her family behind her. Max hesitated, fingers brushing the back of her hand. She squeezed his hand briefly, but then slid away. Jerry and Theresa were hugging each other; or rather Jerry was holding Theresa to keep her from jumping at Alex.
"Justin, come on," he said, "You have to be the one to get us home."
Justin remained rooted in his spot beside Alex. He was staring at her with confusion. She turned to him and willed herself not to cry, "Justin. Go." She tried to push him towards the rest of her family. He wouldn't budge.
"I said… Leave now," Ghost said in a warning voice as he approached the two siblings. He reached for Alex but Justin stepped in front of her. Jack and Spider raised their wands to remind him that he shouldn't try anything funny.
"Don't. Don't you touch her," Justin whispered in an equally dangerous tone. Alex spotted Jack and Spider's twitching fingers and motioned for her father to come get him. Jerry came and took Justin by the arm.
"Come on, son," he whispered in his ear. "Give your sister a chance, yeah?" Then he muttered something Alex couldn't catch.
After what seemed like minutes of silence, Justin finally sighed and nodded. Then his arms shot out and brought in Alex for a hug. Oof! she said for the second time that day. Sheesh, my family loves too much…
Through the mass of her hair though, she caught what Justin was whispering to her. "I will be right back for you. I promise."
The tears were on the brink now, nothing could stop them for much longer. She pulled away nodding slightly. Then Alex gave him the best smile she could, anything to try and reassure him. Justin finally let Jerry tug him back to join the rest of his family. Justin never took his eyes off of Alex when he said the spell:
Our freedom is what
This man had to give
Take us back
To where we now live
They disappeared with a pop! and Alex could've sworn she saw Justin's eyes watering. Squeezing her eyes shut briefly, she turned around to face the three grown men all by herself. She'd be lying to say that she wasn't scared. She was terrified. And these men probably knew it, but she was able to keep her face calm as she addressed them.
"What does the coin do?" she asked hurriedly before Ghost could intimidate her some more. She needed to keep him talking and the other two distracted.
"Please, Miss Russo. I have no time. Just hand it over," he said with boredom in his voice. He wasn't going to buy it, but Alex knew how to get under someone's skin.
She laughed straight in his face and said, "You don't even know, do you? Well that's pretty sad, going through all this trouble caused by little old me, to get something you don't know anything about. I guess you're not important enough or someth-"
"Alright little girl, you've reached my last nerve," Ghost strode forward and took Alex's arm, wiping the smirk right from her face. "You certainly are the comical one, aren't you? Rather stupid, too," Alex's eyes flashed in anger, "You just don't know when to shut up. There will be plenty of time for a history lesson later, since we'll be spending a lot of time with each other…"
"Wait, what?" Alex felt her heart accelerate.
Ghost gave a high-pitched, evil chuckle, "Oh my dear, you didn't actually believe I would just let you go after all the trouble you've caused me? Your family is one thing, I have no use for them and now that I have the pendant, they will no longer be a threat to me. But you," he leaned in close to Alex's face and tilted his head a little, giving the mask an even more eerie appearance, "you will be coming back with me. My superior will need an explanation for all this mayhem and you will be the one to supply it."
Flashing warning signs were going off behind Alex's eyes. Panic started to rise in her throat and all she could think was, HavetogetawayHavetogetawayHavetogetaway…
Her eyes darted around the room to where Spider and Jack were now lounging; wands limp by their sides. But it didn't matter because Ghost saw she was looking for a way out and whipped his wand up to her throat.
"Don't even think about it. As soon as I have the coin secure in my possession we'll be leaving. Now give it here so we can be off," he said indifferently.
Alex's brain was reeling. She still had her wand, but before she could even raise it, Ghost would have probably killed her. She could try stepping on his feet like she did Jack or hitting him, but she still wouldn't be fast enough. Jack and Spider would catch her before she could say a spell. With a resigned sigh, Alex started to reach for the coin in her pocket. She was about to pluck it out when everyone's attention shifted upwards at the huge crash that echoed down to them. Ghost snapped his fingers and both Jack and Spider scrambled up the stairs, wands now tight in their hands. Alex's brief moment of relief was replaced with panic as she realized that Justin really had come back for her.
Ghost immediately turned his wand back on Alex, who just stared at him. They both listened to the slight scuffling and muffled sounds of voices. Her heartbeat was dangerously high, and her body started to shake. Finally all sounds stopped except for footsteps on the stairwell. Alex didn't want to look but her eyes glanced over as she saw Jack's figure appear, mask a little askew and rubbing his knuckles.
Ghost, still staring at Alex, asked, "Problem?"
"Just the Russo boy, he gave us a little bit of a fight but Spider's got him under control upstairs," he replied gruffly. Alex gasped in defeat and let tears spill onto the floor.
"Well, tell Spider to kill the boy. Make sure to tell him it was because of his foolish bravery that he dies," Ghost said carelessly.
Alex's hands clenched into fists. Her entire body started to convulse. Her rage could not be contained. She put her head down and threw herself at Ghost. She could hear the wind being sucked from his body, and heard him sputter and cough as they both toppled to the ground. Alex moaned in frustration as she saw that Ghost's wand was still secure in his hand. She tried to crawl away, wondering when Jack would come to scoop her up. But it was Ghost's hand that found it's way to Alex's long hair and yanked.
She cried out and tried to reach up, clawing at whatever she could get. He reached down and tugged Alex's wand from her gasp, tossing it aside. Ghost's voice was full of anger now as he shouted, "Little wretch! You have to make things so difficult!" He dragged her to a sitting position and pointed his wand right at her face.
"Now I will kill you, and take the coin myself!" he raised his wand and opened his mouth. Alex screwed her eyes tight, and thought of her family one last time. She waited for death to come and take her away from the pain and fear. And unless Justin could figure a way out, he would be joining her soon. That gave her the tiniest bit of comfort as she waited and waited; but the words of Ghost's spell never came. Instead she heard a dull thud, then a shout. And then came another heavy clunk. Alex peeked out of one eye to see what happened.
There on the floor by her feet was Ghost, seemingly unconscious. She raised her head to see Jack standing over him, holding a chair slightly above the ground. Alex was thoroughly confused, but this was the creepy guy who had stroked her leg in a way that made her shudder. She started to inch away from him as he walked towards her. She started thrashing her arms and screamed, "No! Get away!"
He reached up to pull of his mask and Alex screamed louder. She flipped over to her knees, fighting to get to her feet and run to her wand, which was on the other side of the room. All of a sudden, two strong hands grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. She crashed into his chest and heard him yell, "No, Alex stop!"
She leapt back with a fist cocked but saw it was Justin there, not Jack, standing in the trench coat. Her hands immediately flew to her mouth as she gasped. They both rushed forward at the same time. Alex's arms wrapped around Justin's neck, as he enveloped her tiny torso. She choked out a sob and he buried his head in the space between her neck and shoulder.
She pulled back and asked breathlessly, "What happened to your voice? You sound exactly like him." Justin kept his head bowed and pulled his wand out of the trench coat pocket. He muttered some spell and the light from the tip of his wand sped to his throat. He cleared his throat and said, "Sorry about that."
"Where are the other two?" Alex asked shakily, glancing towards the stairs.
"They're tied up in my room. I transported back here and knocked over my dresser so they would come up. I hid in my closet and then hit them with a couple spells. Then I took that guy Jack's coat and mask and changed my voice." He started to walk over to the television, where Alex's wand had been thrown. He picked it up and handed it back to Alex.
She let out a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob. She nearly collapsed from all the emotion she was feeling. Justin slid an arm around her waist and let hers slack over his shoulder. She asked quietly, "Can we go home now?"
"Yeah. Oh, but wait… the necklace!" Justin said, pausing at Ghost's passed out body on the floor.
"No, don't bother. The one he has is a copy. I made it before we left this morning," she grinned at her brilliance, "Just in case."
Justin exhaled sharply in disbelief and looked at her, "You are some kind of amazing, you know that?" He pulled out his wand to transport them back to their family.
Alex quickly looked around the rest of the house, passing her eyes once again over Ghost's body, then noticed the chair that was next to him, remembering that Justin had held it.
"Did you knock him out with a chair?" she asked incredulously.
Justin smiled sheepishly and answered, "Yeah."
Alex started laughing uncontrollably. "You're some kind of amazing too."
