Chapter Twenty-five
The North Pole
Lorne recognized the voice at once. Where have you been, and why didn't you stop Crystal! Don't turn me into ice! Look closer, and you will recognize Crystal's children even if you don't remember me! I'm Lorne!
Angel pulled Cordelia close. "I love you, darling. That's why I wanted you to stay home. I wanted you to be safe. There's no telling what dangers we'll find out here." He was speaking so that only her ears could hear him. "You know Lorne's not a fighter, and if you face the truth, neither are you. I've never been here before. I can't say that, if something was to get you and hold you to keep me from attacking them, that I'd go ahead and attack them. I couldn't attack them. Not if it meant you were in danger.
"That's why it was so important for you to stay back. I would have missed you, but I would've returned safely to you. You are my life, Cordelia; if you die, I cease to exist! Promise me that you will stay close and not endanger yourself. If I tell you to do something, you'll do it without an argument." He gazed into her eyes. He sensed Lorne's pulse rate go up and knew something was going on with his friend. He turned startled eyes toward him, expecting an attack, but there was no one there. He looked at Delvira, but she seemed intent on talking to Cindy and figuring out their best move. "Lorne?" he called worriedly to his friend.
Lorne did not hear him as he was intent on talking to the presence who had made himself known.
Cordelia's arms had slid up over Angel's broad shoulders and her hands had entwined behind his neck, but now she moved her hands to cup his face and turn his head so that his eyes returned to looking into hers. "Angel, I know I'm not a fighter, but I am a part of this family and I am your partner. Perhaps not your fighting partner but your partner in love and, therefore, in life. I promise you I will stay close. I'll be right beside you every step of the way except when you're fighting. I'll give you the room you need there. But I can't promise you I'll do whatever you say, because I'm not going to leave you."
"And don't blame Delvira for my being here. She knew I was there on the shore, and I guess she could have made my presence known. But she knew it wouldn't have done any good. I just would have doubled back when you were distracted again and would have followed through the portal just like the animals did. They didn't come with her knowledge. The portal closed on Elvira's tail. If Delvira was going to let them come, she would have sent them through first like she did with me."
"It's not her fault Crystal's gone, either. You know Crystal could have left at any time. She can use her ice to fly. If she'd flown off, she could have been anywhere between the island and here by this time, and he could have gotten her anywhere. At least, by knowing about where she is, we have a chance of finding her in time, right?"
"You heard Delvira, too. I know you did. When she said that, if not for the Council snatching us, we would have already found her? I bet she had every intention of waking you right after Crystal went through but just didn't get a chance. How was she supposed to know that we were all about to be snatched? Use your brain, love," she concluded, kissing his cheek and searching his eyes with her own, "and not just your emotions." He might be angry at her for pointing out the facts, but some one had to come to Delvira's defense before the two ended up in a fight.
Then, before Angel could answer her, Cordelia recalled what he had said about her being safe. "As for being safe, I've only ever found safety in one place, and that's not back home without you. That's right here. In your arms."
I could ask you the same, but I know how Crys is. Sometimes, she can't be stopped. This was one of those times. At least I made sure she got loaded so she might have a chance. There's no use arguing, though. Are we going after her or not? Jack Frost paused for a moment and then added, Oh, and you know, of course, that she thinks you should hate her now.
"I wonder if he's watching us now." Delvira heard the questioning sound Cindy made and shook her head. "I don't know. I just know that I feel like we're being watched, and I know it's not Jareth or the Council."
The Court Room
Wolf's mind had frantically tried to find a way out of his dilemma, and then a brilliant idea crossed his brain, one that brought a smile to his face. He would crash the dratted turtle against the wall! Just as he was trying to carry that plan out, bricks began to fall out of the air, and he had to dodge them. One hit him on the shoulder, and he knew that it was probably broken as it hurt like Hell. Even so, he kept one thought in his mind: knock the turtle off!
As it was quickly eating his tail, he knew he had no time to waste! Flinging himself forward, he flipped around at the last moment, bringing his tail soundly against the wall with a resounding Thwack! He was rewarded with the release of the turtle off of his tail. He pulled it around and looked at the poor, pitiful thing. Elvira wasn't going to like the looks of this, but it would grow back, he reassured himself.
He got hit on the head that time with a brick as he forgot to duck. It brought tears to his eyes. How to get rid of the gag! he thought and his hands began frantically trying to claw it again only to find that it was part of his skin. How did the bitch do that, he wondered, and how can I find my way around this wall! He began to touch the wall, and slowly, step by step and hand by hand, ever careful to dodge the rest of the bricks, he made his way to the end of the wall. He had to get to Jareth! There was no telling what she was doing to his partner!
Zelda had kept her eyes on both Wolf and Jareth. She had known when Wolf finally managed to free himself of the snapping turtle but had hoped he might lose consciousness if enough bricks hit him on the head. Still, the bricks were doing her no good. It was time to go larger. Trumpeting filled the room as elephants began dropping instead.
"That's it!" a thick brogue exclaimed from the back of the room. "She's nae hurtin' an animal!" Kathleen began to form a fireball only to find Aslan blocking her pathway and shaking his head.
"Captain Chan," Jack told her, going back to before, "I know I can't go racing out there for as badly as I want to, I know it will only make things worse for them and us. You just don't know how hard it is to stay out of it! That's my sister out there!" He looked up into her eyes. "What would you do if your sister was out there!"
Kyna avoided the question. "I can understand your dilemma, Jack, and I know how hard it is for you to stay put, but you must. At this interval, we have no other choice." She looked up as trumpeting filled the room. "Dear Gods!"
"Now the crap will hit the wall! Kat's fixing to get involved!" Jack was on his feet. "There's no way to stop her!" Then Aslan had jumped in front of Kat, and Jack relaxed. If anybody else had tried to stop Kat, they would have worn one of her fireballs, but she'd never go against Aslan. He felt a hand and looked at the woman who was forcibly pushing him back into his seat. He sat down regretfully. Jack wondered what Will was doing at this precise moment in time and if he was thinking of him. Was Will missing him as much as Jack was missing him?
On the Other Sides of the Mirror
"I'm never going to get used to magic!" Will exclaimed. "What are those things! Some sort of Demon!"
All the commotion coming from Phillip caused Eddie to open his eyes as the trumpeting began. He jumped immediately to his hooves and raced over. "Them's not Demons, Will! I thought I'd never see one! Those are flying elephants!"
"Elephants don't fly!" Rachel exclaimed. She had seen some before for her father had an attraction for exotic places, and they had once travelled to Africa.
"Well, those elephants are flying!" Eddie declared. "They're raining out of the sky!"
"The bitch is conjuring them!"
"Then are they real?" Eddie asked.
The Court Room
Ace had tried to crawl up close enough to get a better look at the elephants. Were they real or magic? Had the bitch managed to conjure them from Africa or India, or were they mirages? They didn't seem to be hurt when they hit the ground. Wouldn't a real elephant splatter everywhere if it hit the ground? He saw Aslan stop Kat. He had not tried to, 'cause Kat had even lobbed a few fireballs at him in the past when he had tried to intervene with her doing her duty. He heard a roar in another direction and looked to see Zora and Vang arguing. It looked like both women definitely thought the elephants were real!
A trumpeting elephant, more scared than the rest, decided to make a break for it. He ran straight at the group of Pirates, narrowly missing stepping on a few of them, and running so close to Ace that Ventura reached out and touched the elephant. "IT'S REAL!" he yelled. "STOP THROWING ELEPHANTS, BITCH! NO FAIR! FOUL!" he yelled at Drell and ducked even as he knew a fireball was coming from Kat.
The Island
As darkness settled in all around her, Trina Malloy finally found the courage to move inside her new-found cloak. She had stayed behind when the others had all ran off, stayed behind to see what exactly was in the mirror that was scaring every one away. Had Andrew been there, she knew he would be right beside her, spooked and nervous as Hell but trying to act brave and as determined as she was to discover the mystery behind the mirror. Carlos, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found, but Trent hadn't given him much choice, the way he'd been dragging him along. He'd tried to pull her along with them and she'd gone at first -- going with them just far enough to convince her twin that she had no interest in staying and then pulling her arm free and doubling back.
It wouldn't be long now, she knew, before the boys figured out she wasn't at the house and came to find her. In fact, she was surprised they weren't already there. She wondered who would be the first to realize she was missing and wondered too if Carlos might have stayed if Trent had not pulled him away. She didn't know who would first realize she was missing. Carlos might even already know but might be covering up for her. He had done so before and was also as intrigued and eager to get into stuff as she herself was. Yes, if not for her brother, he would be there with her now.
Trina backed away, stepping further into the shadows, until she was just within earshot of the mirror and the conversation going on around and through it before sitting down. She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and rested her chin on her knees. The wind blew her long, blonde hair every which way, and she occasionally had to reach a hand up to wipe it from her eyes. She did not want the mirror to leave her sight for in its glassy reflection she had found an answer.
Last night had been a night full of sadness and confusion. She still didn't entirely understand what had happened with Andrew. All she knew for certain was that he was gone, having left her because, supposedly, he was the Angel of Death, they had had a limited time together that he had never bothered to warn her of, that time was up, and he had had to leave to return to his duties as Death. It was all rather absurd. Most people would have thought it positively insane. Normally, Trina believed even the most "insane" things, but this was too crazy even for her.
Was there really such a thing as the Angel of Death? Was Andrew that Angel, or was he something else? She knew he was something, but what and what was the real reason he had left her in the midst of battle? Her grieving mind whirled with questions to which she had none of the answers, but she knew the mirror could provide those answers. It could show her where Andrew was and what he was doing. She just had to wait for the others to leave; then she could strike and get the answers she so desperately craved.
Had Andrew gotten hit on the head last night? She tried again to remember, but they had all been so busy and the action had been everywhere. For once, he could have gotten hit without her even knowing it. Was he even . . . Was he even alive? And just what had that glowing light been? How had Carlos and Trent passed right through him? Trina sighed. Her head ached almost as much as her heart, but all she could do for now was wait. And wait she would, she vowed. She'd wait no matter how long it took the others to leave. She'd wait, no matter how persistently Trent and Carlos tried to pull her away. She'd wait, and she would get the answers she needed and deserved.
But did she really deserve them? She didn't deserve Andrew. That much she knew for sure. She didn't deserve such a good man so completely devoted to her, but then again, if he'd kept such a huge part of himself secret from her, was he really that devoted to her? Was he even really as wonderful as she'd thought him for so long? She sighed again and began to massage her head.
The Court Room
Aslan was shocked that a fireball had spun over his head. He turned and pounced, knocking Kathleen to the floor and standing on top of the fiery woman once again. "They are real," his dismayed voice carried throughout the room, "but unfortunately, it is not against the rules! You must not intervene!"
No sooner were those words out of his mouth than an elephant dropped down over Ace. Ace's eyes grew big in his face even as he ducked and rolled out of the way of the elephant. As the elephant thundered past, Ace regained his footing. "THIS SHOULD STOP!" he yelled at Drell. "IT'S NOT FAIR INVOLVING INNOCENT ANIMALS!"
"AS ASLAN SAID, IT IS NOT AGAINST THE RULES! NOW SIT DOWN AND BE QUIET, VENTURA, OR YOUR COMPANIONS AND YOURSELF WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!"
Two roars sounded simultaneously from the back of the room. From around Zora's tail, Vang growled to her, asking her forgiveness but explaining that he could not let her intervene.
Ace shut up, but he was not happy about it. Then he decided to say one more thing. "IF EVEN ONE OF THOSE ELEPHANTS GETS KILLED OR INJURED, SHE WILL PAY FOR IT! I'LL SEE TO IT!" he warned Drell.
"FINE, VENTURA, BUT DO IT ON YOUR OWN TIME, NOT THE COUNCIL'S!"
On the Other Side of the Mirror
Connor had jumped to his feet and raced to the picture. He knew Zora was mad, but he was glad that Vang had stopped her from charging full into the battle. There was no telling what the consequences of intervention would have been, but he, too, was not happy about the elephants!
The North Pole
At Cindy's growl, Delvira looked sharply down and then over to where the lioness' growl had been directed. As she saw the snowman staring angrily back at them, Delvira could only manage to say one thing. "Oh," was her dumb-founded response.
Angel touched Cordelia's talking lips with one finger. "I'll have to thank Delvira for her wisdom on choosing the time and place for Crystal's departure. And, yes, my emotions are overwhelming me right now. I never knew I had them until I got you. But you don't understand, darling. Lorne has got Crystal's necklace. She had no intention of ever coming back. She's going to feed herself to her uncle."
"You know what I'm saying is not easy, and I will never send you from me unless I do not think I can win in the battle. I don't want you to fall when I fall. I have been alive for what seems like forever, Cordelia, and I've never been in love till I had you in my arms." His lips touched hers gently, giving her time to digest what he had just told her and not talk.
You mean you got her drunk! How's that going to help anything! Lorne demanded to know. And what do you mean she thinks I hate her! If I had her in my arms, I'd show her how much I do hate her! My body longs for hers; we are not whole unless we are together for she is my soul mate! Please show yourself. It's hard talking to you in my head. The others are not even aware that you are here.
Lorne held Elvira close to him and scratched her under the chin and between the ears, where she liked it the most. Cindy was still with Delvira. He figured as much. If there was a woman involved, Cindy would always choose the woman over him. His keen eyes looked skyward to see Blue circling. He figured Blue could see about as much in these snow-filled surroundings as he could. He raised his arm skyward and called Blue.
When I get there, came Jack's snappy retort, I'll make myself visible! And of course I didn't get her drunk! We Elementals rarely waste time on such things as alcohol and the like. I got her loaded with weapons! She usually at least comes with a plan, but oh no, not this time! Not any plan more than giving the big jerk what he wants so that he'll leave you all alone! And yes, she thinks you should hate her now and that, if you don't yet, you will! And here I thought you knew her!
Blue was still circling in his fruitless search to spot something that might help them when he heard his name called. The dragon looked down and saw Lorne raising his arm for him. With a disappointed screech, he dropped from the sky, hurtling directly at Lorne's arm.
Delvira cocked her head slightly to one side as she puzzedly studied the snowman, who was looking at them with a more disdainful expression than the Vampiress could have ever pictured on a snowman. "You know this thing, Cindy?" The only thing she could make out of the lioness' answer was that she definitely did know the snowman and appeared to have extremely little use for him. Delvira wasn't sure if it was because of a past encounter with the snowman or because it was a male, but given the disdainful look on the snowman's face, she decided it must be the first. She strode over to it and peered down angrily at it. "Have you seen Crystal Frost?"
The snowman sniffed as if it was beneath it even to answer Delvira. "None of you should be here."
"I didn't ask for your opinion, snowman. I asked if you saw Crystal." She held out a hand, and a fireball welled inside her palm. "Don't make me have to ask again."
Blue slowed his descent as he hurtled toward Lorne just before he could reach him. He came in talons first, but his grip on Lorne's arm was gentle. He perched on him, cooed sadly, and shook his head. He had found no sign of Crystal but knew she had to be there . . . somewhere . . .
Cordelia gave herself in to Angel's kiss. Her lips parted underneath his masterful touch, and her tongue daringly teased first his lips, then his teeth, and finally his own tongue. Her hands ran over his face, caressing even his ears on their way to burying into his hair, which the cold appeared to have given a rather spiky look.
Jack & Will's Bedroom
Eddie walked back over to the bed and chuffed on Willow. "Wake up, cat! You're missing excitement!"
"Go away," Willow muttered. "Don't wanna see no flying elephants!"
Eddie picked him up by the scruff of the neck, carried him over, and dumped him in front of the screen, almost in Will's lap. "You had best wake up and see that, Willow! Jack almost got into it!"
Willow sat up at attention at those words. "He almost got hit by one of those flying elephants!"
"No, but he didn't want the animals hurt! He was going to intervene, but he got caught by a Chan. That's a meeean woman!" Eddie said, looking at her with his ears laid back and his teeth showing.
"Eddie, you know nothing about the woman!" Will scolded Donkey.
"I know she pushed Jack down! I saw that!"
"If I'd been there, I would have done the same thing! They can not risk intervening right now! Thank Gods she was there to calm him down!"
"He's not calm! Look at him!" Jack's foot was tapping the floor, and his hands were clenched. Kyna kept both hands on him now.
"I know he's not calm, Eddie! He won't be until he's out of this mess! It's a figure of speech!"
"She's certainly got her hands full." Eddie sat down beside Will. "Have you seen Elvira?"
Will shook his head. "She's around somewhere," he assured him. Without taking his eyes from the screen, he reached out and scratched Donkey's head.
Eddie leaned forward so that Will could scratch between his shoulders. "We gotta talk," he told Will conspiratorially. "You got a problem. I got a problem. Maybe we can work something out?"
"I'm sure we can, Eddie, but not now."
"When?"
"Not now. Later."
Eddie enjoyed the scratching, but he wasn't about to let go of the problem. It would have to wait until after the test ended. Will was going to have to help him find Elvira. He was worried about his little love connection. They could both see Will's love connection sitting there, helpless to go help the others, but Eddie couldn't see Elvira and knew he hadn't seen her in a long time. Just how long he didn't remember, but the next time he saw her, he was going to be able to do more than whisper in her ear. Will was gonna tell him how, and then he was going to get advice from Autolycus too, so he was going to be the well-rounded lover! Elvira wouldn't know where he was coming from till it was too late!
The North Pole
Angel's keen hearing picked up Delvira talking to something, and his eyes flashed open just in time to see the fireball about to hit the snowman, who seemed to be alive and talking. He reluctantly broke off the kiss and turned Cordelia so that she could see the same thing he was seeing. "Not only is that thing alive," he whispered next to her ear, "but it's talking to Delvira! It's about to get its butt fireblasted! Can you do something?"
Lorne brought Blue down and rubbed him against his cheek. "Jack's coming. He's your uncle. Maybe you can do something with him? And he thinks that we hate your mother or, at least, that she thinks that we should. Why would your mother think we hated her? Love for her burns so deeply in my heart sometimes I wonder why it has not consumed it! I could never, ever hate your mother! She is the only woman I have ever loved who returned that love! I would go through Hell for her, suffer any torture except for this torture of being parted from her! She knew we would not willingly let her go, yet she knew she had to go or, at least, she thought she had to!" He rubbed his cheek against Blue again, not realizing that a lone tear also trailed down and hit Blue's leathery back.
Nothing that Lorne said surprised Blue. He had already been expecting Jack to show up and had known that Crystal was on her own case yet again. He knew how his beloved mother thought, but how could he explain her reasoning to Lorne, who loved her so deeply and who Blue knew could hate her no more than he or his sisters could? Leaning against Lorne's cheek and letting his own tears fall as they would, he began a long line of explaining coos, grunts, and other calls.
"I don't think Jack said you hated her. He's smarter than that. You got his wording mixed up, didn't understand right. Mom's been wanting to leave us for years, but Jack wouldn't take us. He loves us, but it's his purpose to make everywhere that's supposed to be cold cold when it's supposed to be cold. He's always travelling. She didn't think that was any kind of life for us, 'cause we wouldn't be able to go with him. And thank Gods she didn't think it was or else she would've left us long ago!"
Elvira whimpered inside Lorne's embrace and buried her crying, furry face further into his shoulder. "I knew she was going to go, but I couldn't stop her! She wouldn't let me! She saw me wake up and knocked me out again!"
"She would have done the same to any and all of us," Blue told his sister, stroking her with a wing. "It's not your fault, Elvira. It's not any of our fault's. It's that big . . . that big . . . that big son-of-a-bitch . . . " He thought that was the word he'd heard Faith use. "And Crys' thinking the whole world should hate her again. Doesn't mean she believes it but that she thinks we should. You know she blames herself for everything he's done to get at her."
Lorne continued to stroke Elvira gently. "I know you did your best, girl, but your mother's smarter and more powerful than we are. She'd've knocked me out, too, if I'd've been awake. Even your uncle Angel couldn't have handled her. That's why he's riding his own butt so hard. At least he's not taking it out on Cordelia." His teary eyes had been able to make out his best friend as he kissed Cordelia. "Those two belong together," he told his babies, "just like your mom and I do. We'll find her. Then we have to prove to her that we belong together. We can overcome anything together!"
"She doesn't even know how many died last night," Elvira whimpered, "but she blames herself for all of it!" She paused. Her ears quirked forward.
Blue, too, heard their sister growling and sighed. "What's she raising Hell about this time?" he cooed questioningly.
Elvira pulled out of Lorne's embrace to look, then sprang forward and landed on all four paws in the snow, the fur on her back ruffled and her eyes glaring at the snowman. "You!" she yipped. "You saw her! Where is she!" She began to growl, her lips pulling back from her now-glistening fangs.
Lorne managed to gasp out, "What the -- !", but got no further as his startled eyes stared holes into the snowman.
Cordelia had gasped when she'd first seen the snowman, but Angel's whispered words now had her mind thinking quickly. How could they stop Delvira from melting the snowman, and more importantly, should they? She slid around Angel, her body brushing against his as she did so and sending thrilling shocks through both of them, and began to slowly approach Delvira. "Delvira? What's going on here?"
"I'm waiting for this damn snowman to decide if he wants to be water or if he's going to tell us if he's seen Crys. She came right through here, snowman. We already know that, but we want to know what she was doing and where she was headed." She pulled back her arm, preparing to throw the fireball. "Or else." The fire flickered in her dark eyes, and Cindy's growl only served to punctuate her words.
"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I . . . "
"I've got a better idea," Cordy spoke. She couldn't believe the thought had occurred to her -- what was she doing thinking so wickedly! --, but she had best go with her instinct. "Since he's a snowman, we can probably take him apart, but since he's alive, he should be able to feel pain. Angel could get his head, just move it from his body, and then you could hit the rest of him with that fireball. Maybe then he'd be willing to talk?"
Cordy's idea took Angel by surprise. His mouth fell open, but he quickly closed it. He moved to stand beside the snowman, prepared to take the head. "I'll take his head, Cordy, when you tell me to." He grinned wickedly at her. The woman never ceased to amaze him!
"ShewenttoseeSantaandcamerunningbackbythiswaycryingandshewasprobablyheadedforthewoodsbutsheshouldn'thavebeenhereandneithershouldyoubeings!"
"If she came running back this way," Angel asked, "which direction did she go then? There's a lot of woods around here. I'm sure you know exactly where she did go. Hmm . . . Got an answer or would you like to lose your head?" he asked with a gleam in his eye even as his hands touched the snowman's head.
All Sides of the Mirror
On the other side of the mirror, Ray looked questioningly at Wolverine, but he shook his head, telling her wordlessly not to volunteer the information that they knew Elvira and the others had gone off to the North Pole to fight that Ice Demon thing. "Later," he mouthed. She nodded, and her worried, green eyes immediately returned to Kitty, who had phased her group through another thundering elephant.
"HOLD STILL, WILL YOU, YOU CONFOUNDING MALES!" Zelda screeched as more elephants rained from the ceiling. By some miracle to them and curse to her, Jareth and Wolf continued to manage to avoid being landed on by all the pachyderms. "Very well!" she exclaimed, holding up a hand. "Let's have a change!" Suddenly, the elephants disappeared, but before she could be attacked, a new raining began. This time, it was boa constrictors, huge anacondas, and crocodiles!
A new sharp pain raced through Faith's foot, and she bit down on her tongue to keep from screaming. The damned thing must be broke, because otherwise she would have been able to handle the pain a lot better. She fell backwards off of Sabrina, who was growing again, and Faith's eyes flashed as she saw that the little blonde had stuck her with a knife. "Fuck you!" she spat, but Sabrina was growing too fast to drown in her spitball.
"Euuw!" the blonde exclaimed, trying, without success, to shake the spit off of her. She shot upwards, growing as big and tall as a tree and adding weight simultaneously. By the time she was finished, which was but a matter of mere seconds, she had become a gigantic sumo wrestler. She jumped Faith, but the brunette rolled out from under her just in time.
"You think this will stop me?" Hilda laughed, and the cage vanished. "Remember. I conjured it." She looked at the two men. "Too bad I can't just transform you two into something. Maybe some sweet little puppy dogs?" She shrugged. "Oh well! Sometimes we have to do things the old fashioned way!"
"Indeed we do," Joseph observed. Then he yelled, "ANY ONE SITTING IN THOSE CHAIRS, BETTER MOVE!" Chairs suddenly began flying at Hilda, and then daggers from the Lost Boys followed suit. Joseph concentrated, his hands glowing blue, as he located everything metal in the room and began slinging all of it straight for Hilda.
The minute James had seen the crocodiles, he started climbing. He first climbed up Smee, which wasn't high enough. Then he managed to get a hold of one of the dais. He pulled himself up, sat on the bottom rung, and glared down angrily at all of the melee of reptiles, who seemed to be looking at him and licking their lips. "SMEE," he yelled, his mustache quivering to the point that it looked like it was about to pop off of his face, "DO SOMETHING!"
"What?" Smee asked. "What can I do!" He was desperate to do something but had no idea what. "You naughty beasts, leave my Captain alone!" He wagged a finger at them.
"Don't worry. They'll not be drawn to him much longer, though I don't know why they were in the first place. You stupid animals, you're supposed to go after them!" Zelda slung two large pieces of raw meat at Jareth and Wolf.
Chong & Hansel's Bedroom
They lay side by side on the floor, sweat pouring over their glistening bodies and their breathing coming in hot, heavy gasps. Their hair was a mess. Their clothes were Gods only knew where, and they certainly didn't care. Hansel gazed openly at Chong out of the corner of his blue eyes, but Chong looked away each time he looked at Hansel and found him staring at him. He was just before getting to his feet when Hansel pushed himself up on an elbow, reached out a hand, and softly gripped Chong's right testicle. He caught him there and rubbed him with his fingers. His thumb moved back and forth over the dark hairs, and Chong's stallion immediately reared again. "H-H-H-Hansel . . . " Chong could barely get his name out.
Hansel leaned up and over Chong and gazed into his lover's brown eyes, all thoughts of Derek gone. "What?" he whispered innocently. "You don't want to play Around the World in Eighty Seconds?"
Chong had never really figured out why Hansel called it that. They'd never timed it, and he doubted it only took eighty seconds. He grew even harder as Hansel perched on his knees and took Chong's left testes in his right hand. His shaggy, blonde hair fell into his eyes, and he shook it out of his sight and grinned down at his partner. "Don't tell me that you're tired of lassoing, cowboy. Besides, you ain't gotta do the work here. Just lay back and enjoy."
Hansel's back tensed as he lowered over Chong and took his sword into his mouth. He licked it at first, his teeth lightly grazing the tender flesh, and then sucked. He slowly drew his head back up as he sucked until he released Chong's member. He kissed the tip, then began ever-so-softly nibbling and eagerly licking again. His hands kept a natural rhythm running with his mouth's actions as they massaged Chong's testicles.
Chong could feel Hansel's own hard steed hanging down between his knees. He reached a hand down, ran it lovingly over Hansel's calf, and caressed his steed. Delighted surprise shone in Hansel's eyes, and Chong grinned at him. His grin was interrupted with a sigh as Hansel again drew his teeth along his sword and slowly released him. "Hansel . . . "
"Yeah, Chong?" he breathed his name.
"Let's play Around the World in Eighty Seconds." He grinned at him, and his nose wrinkled mischievously.
Hansel leaned up, kissed Chong's nose whose wrinkle he thought was one of the cutest things he'd ever seen, and then grinned back down at him. "That's my little Chinese otter."
Chong beamed. It had been so long since Hansel had called him that!
Hansel leaned down and kissed Chong long and deep before rising again. "Come and get it, sweet thing," he murmured throatily before jumping back and swinging around. When he stopped moving, his feet were on either side of Chong's head and his mouth was again over Chong's steed.
Chong grinned and wagged his eyebrows. He slapped Hansel's rear, and his steed shot up into Hansel's mouth even as he called out, "Giddy up, baby!" He then immediately took Hansel into his mouth.
Autolycus & Elizabeth's Bedroom
Toly could not get enough of Elizabeth's smooth, creamy skin. He had never seen anything more beautiful! The moonlight filling the room enhanced her skin with its lovely glow and made it appear even more silken. Toly's hands and lips strained to reach every spot of her deliciousness at once! Finally, the poetry began to come to his mind, but as soon as it started to, he knew it would not work on Elizabeth. Even though it had worked many times in the past, Elizabeth would know it had been used and was old trash. Her luscious breasts perked at him, and he lavished great attention on them, his tongue tasting each drop of her perfume.
He was oblivious to everything but Elizabeth. How had he ended up with her, the most perfect, beautiful thing in his life? She was worth more than any of the most perfect jewels he had seen in his lifetime, and there had been many of those! In fact, he had just lost a fortune the night before on the ship! Toly, you're a fool, he told himself, and you are totally lost!
Why was his silver tongue not coming up with any words to tell Elizabeth? Why was it failing him in his most important foray? He feared she would think he was cold, but her moans of pleasure told him that she was enjoying each second!
"Elizabeth, your beauty has overwhelmed me. I . . . find myself at a loss for words. You're the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me, and you have taken every taste of jewels from my tongue!" He could tell that he was stumbling all over himself, yet he knew that she was the cause of it and he was glad. He was tired of being lonely. His last coherent thought before he gave himself completely up to passion was to thank Aphrodite for giving him some one to love him, some one to fill his every dark hour and to give him reason for living.
Elizabeth could not believe that it was finally happening! At long last, she was practically on the verge of losing her virginity! She would soon be a real woman! Her body arched against his, and she moaned still louder as his every touch swept her higher up into their passion. She was already working on his pants, but now as she had a few buttons unbuttoned already, she slipped a finger in and rubbed it against the taut flesh of his sword. Her smile grew. She was not surprised to find him without underwear, and the lack thereof would only serve to free them of the burden of their clothing even faster!
His moan as her fingertip rubbed his sword was as much music to her ears as her moans were to him. His words had touched her, but now, to Elizabeth, was not a time for words. She wondered, though, if she should say something. Perhaps sing his praises as he did hers? She could think of nothing she had not already said, however, nothing new to excite him, entice him. Another yodel blasted through the house, and she decided she'd best come up with something quickly before Autolycus lost interest.
"I hope," she breathed, "that you're not saying you've lost your Pirate inclinations. I love you, Autolycus, and I'd love you even if you weren't a Pirate, but if you weren't . . . " She paused as she finished unbuttoning his pants with her other hand for the one she had started the deed with had continued rubbing him. She carefully pushed his stallion back in, feverishly shoved his pants down, and then took his sword into both her hands. " . . . we'd have to work on it," she finished her statement as she began massaging his mighty steed with both hands.
He seemed to be at a loss, and she hoped it wasn't because of her words but whether because of the fire that was threatening to consume her and, she hoped, he, as well. Her hands left his sword, caressed his muscular thighs, and ran back up to where his hands were still working on removing her underwear. "Dear, don't take this the wrong way, but can't we hurry this whole removing clothes thing along? I want you so badly! I need to feel you inside of me!"
"I do not want to hurt you," he murmured against her breasts, "or hurry this too much for you." He licked her nipple and nipped her gently with his teeth.
She stopped trying to help him with her underwear at those words. She knew he could hurry this along but did not want to scare her. "Toly," she announced, cupping his head in her hands and lifting his face so that she could look directly into his eyes, "you're not going to scare me. I promise you that. I don't scare easily any way," she added with a mischievous wink she'd picked up from him. "I want to feel you against me, skin to skin, no clothes in the way, every inch of you against every inch of me." She leaned down and kissed him full on his lips, her tongue dueling briefly with his. As she pulled away, she continued to gaze into his eyes. "Take me," she moaned to him. "Plunder me!"
He needed no further encouragement! With his knees planted on either side of her body so that she would not have to bare his weight, he rose above her and quickly stripped off her clothing. Buttons tore, and fabric ripped. For a brief moment, he worried over her reaction, but then she threw the clothes from her, shoved her robe up over her head, and tossed that as well. Before he could move to his own clothing, Elizabeth had stripped him of his shirt (she had already removed the vest earlier) and was trying to shove his pants down further. In one smooth acrobatic movement that he was surprised he could manage as Elizabeth had him so befuddled, Autolycus leapt up, snatched his pants off, and fell back to the bed.
The buoyancy tossed Elizabeth upwards, and her breasts struck his hard chest. She gasped, but before he could ask if she was all right, Elizabeth had wrapped her arms around him and captured his lips in an even more passionate kiss than all that they had shared before. Her fingers nestled into his ebony hair, and she pulled him down over her. His sword thrust into her furry mass, and she sighed against his lips. Her hands moved down his back, caressing him, and his fingers ran through the silky strands of her long, blonde hair. "Elizabeth . . . " he moaned her name against her lips as he tested her waters.
Yes . . . Yes, she was ready! He started to enter her slowly at first, and his mouth captured her lips to silence her scream and keep them both from making as much noise as Chong and Hansel were for he knew she'd be embarrassed over it in the morrow. Their tongues clashed together as he thrust deeper and their bodies joined at long last . . .
The Court Room
Jareth was not too worried about the snakes, but the crocs were something he had not been around before. Why were they looking at James as though they wanted to swallow him whole? When Zelda had thrown the meat, he had daintily side-stepped and threw some of his own snakes straight back at Zelda. Delvira had taught him a trick or two, but then he had always had plenty of his own. Snakes were very intelligent creatures, and he had often used them in the past to the point that they were almost his pets. They saw Zelda's snakes and began to chase them straight at Zelda.
Wolf saw the crocs and the fresh meat coming straight at him. He deftly caught it and threw it back to the crocs. If they had been dogs, they would have wagged their tail in thanks. It had been a while since Zelda had bothered to feed them. Wolf looked around for more meat but did not have any, and it wasn't as though he could open his mouth and ask Jareth to conjure some. He was glad that Jareth was dealing with the snakes. He never had liked those nasty creatures. He still had not found the opening in the wall and did not realize that Jareth could not see the shape that he truly was in. He had thought several times before that he was at the end of the wall, but each time he had discovered that the wall merely turned and continued. Maybe if he could reach Jareth, Jareth could get the gag off?
Zelda screeched and took to the air, large, scaly wings growing from her back. This clearly wasn't working; it was time for a change! It was time . . . to do her dirty deed her own self . . . Scales swiftly began growing over her body, and a long, spiked tail sprouted from her rear end. The very instant her mouth became its new form, she opened it and breathed fire down upon Jareth and Wolf.
Wolf screeched behind his gag, but no sound came out. He could not believe that she had changed herself into a dragon! Even though his hands and feet were free, he could not think of any way to fight against the dragon, and he knew that, if Jareth did not turn in time, he would not see it coming! In desperation, he threw himself at the wall and passed through, falling at Jareth's feet. Wild, terrified eyes looked up at Jareth and then toward the ceiling.
Jareth turned just in time to see the dragon baring down upon him. He threw his arms upward, and lightning flashed from his fingers. It was a direct hit on the dragon, but he couldn't tell that it had hurt it as it circled and returned. He didn't know what to do, but he knew he had to get Wolf freed and fight the bitch at the same time. Again, he threw lightning at her, aiming for that one vulnerable spot that all dragons have on their chest.
As Zelda roared out and Hilda started being hit with all sorts of metal things, the younger Spellman sister suddenly had enough! Her sister, she noted with a glance, was going down. That left Sabrina and herself, and she had known the whole while that Zelda was their best bet. "DAMN YOU!" Hilda screeched. "DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!" She shot out her hands, and Lex, Joseph, Jareth, and Wolf hit the floor as various pieces of meat at the same time that Zelda, in dragon form, hit the floor. She skidded to a stop against the wall even as crocodiles began pouncing upon the meat.
"ENOUGH!" Merlin shot to his feet and froze the teeming mass of crocodiles in mid-stride. "HILDA HAS JUST DISQUALIFIED HERSELF! YOU WILL RETURN THE MEN TO THEIR NATURAL FORMS THIS INSTANT!" he demanded.
Hilda looked poutingly up at Merlin. "Do I have to, Merlly?"
"YES, INDEED, YOU DO, MISS SPELLMAN, AND DO NOT CALL ME MERLLY! IF YOU EVER CALL ME THAT NAME AGAIN, YOU FOUL, WRETCHED WOMAN, I WILL TURN YOU INTO MEAT AND DANGLE YOU OVER A CROCODILE PIT!" He wondered why in the Hell she kept calling him that disgusting name! She was the only broad he'd ever been with who had never shown him true respect!
The House
Spike was restless. He walked the hallway of his grandsire's new abode, lost deep in thought. He missed the billowing of his trench coat around his legs, but far more than that, he missed Kyna. He wondered what she was doing now, what trial she was facing, whose butt she was kicking. He feared for her but nowhere near the amount the others feared for their lovers for he had faith in his wonderful, powerful, beautiful, and brilliant lady love. He knew she could overcome any and all odds thrown against her, especially now that he realized that she could only be killed by offspring that they would never have.
Or would they? Was it possible? After all, Angel had a son now -- Connor. The boy smelled strongly of his parents and definitely had their stubborn streak. He had a feeling Connor also had an unhealthy dose of Angel's valor. Actually, Connor reminded Spike quite a bit of Angel, and thinking of the two got the brooding Vamp to wondering where the male members of his family had buggered off to. He started to sniff while walking, and his mind suddenly flashed back to Cole and Carl.
He growled at the memory that Cole thought he was to blame for Carl's injuries and that the bloody Demon had seen him crying. He growled even more angrily at the memory of those public tears that never should have fallen from his betraying eyes. Cole undoubtedly thought them to be tears of remorse for an act Spike never would have done -- attacking, almost killing, Carl.
Spike hadn't seen Angel with the group that had gathered around Carl, but he had seen Connor and then lost track of him. Did Connor also think he had attacked Carl? Did Angel know, and did he suspect as well? Or did his grandsire finally know that such a brutal attack upon a trusted alley was no longer in Spike's capabilities? If Kyna had been there, would she have set them straight?
Yes!, the answer reverberated loudly within Spike's head. She would have not only defended him and set them right but would have also almost eaten them in the process for even suggesting such a horrid thing! Ah, yes, his Kyna would have . . .
Kyna! He could smell her! Angel's and Connor's scents were all over the house. He wasn't surprised at that, but Kyna's scent -- ! It could only mean one thing! Spike let out an excited whoop and ran after the scent of jasmine flowers; the herbal tea she liked so much (though Gods only knew why - Spike couldn't stand the taste); Chinese silk; warrior's spirit; and strong will. All those coupled together with Kyna's very own, unexplainable, inexplicable, mind-boggling aroma were a heady combination that screamed Kyna to his every yearning sense and made his heart pound, his mind whirl giddily, and a certain part of his anatomy that he was surprised to hear from at all that night come suddenly to life!
He ran to the room her scent was coming from, barely able to contain his joy and keep from yelling her name much like Hansel was now yodeling Chong's, and burst through the door. He failed to notice that, in his rush, he nearly broke the door off of its hinges, but what he did immediately notice was that the room was vacant and appeared identical to their cabin aboard Destiny's Ghost except for the windows! Spike paused just inside the room, a look of confusion falling over his features. He stuck his head back out the open door, confirmed that he was indeed still in the house, and turned back around to face the room.
Their desk was there with their bookcase filled to overflowing with books, scrolls, and little odds and ends that they had picked up from their journeys through the world or around the world, as Kyna would say. She did, after all, prescribe to the ridiculous notion that the Earth was round whether than flat. Their candlebras hung on the walls with the very same candles they'd burned the previous night. At least, Spike thought they were the same candles, but when he looked closer, he saw that they were intact and looked as though they'd never been burned!
Oil paintings hung in the very same places in this room that they had in their cabin, including the one a friend of Kyna's had made of he and her that was positioned over their canopy bed. The canopy fluttered, and Spike caught a glimpse of Kyna's nightgown laying on their bed. That was a bit much! he thought with a growl as he strode over. Who would dare mess even with her clothes, especially clothes so utterly private! He snatched the short piece of silk from the bed and sniffed it. At least they hadn't washed it, he thought, allowing his eyes to drift shut and his nose to inhale her delicious scent again. Ah, yes, this was definitely the same nightgown! Spike sank onto the bed, holding the gown to his face and breathing in his beloved's scent. Definitely the same nightgown, just the way she'd left it on the bed that morning, with her scent to match! He could even smell their activities of the previous night! He began to recall the memories of those activities as he continued breathing in her delicious aroma . . .
The Court Room
"AT ONCE, HILDA!" Merlin demanded.
"Poo!" Hilda exclaimed, but she lifted the transmogrification spells, returning the men to themselves.
Jareth shook himself, scarcely believing that he had been meat only a mere minute before and that the crocs had been descending upon him for, despite the fact that he had been meat, he had been very much aware of what was happening! What a Hell of a way to go! he thought. I'll have to remember that the next time my enemies are attacking!
"Remove his gag," he told Hilda, indicating Wolf.
"I -- I can't! Only Zelly can, and look at what you did to her!" she exclaimed, pointing at where Zelda lay in a crumpled, burned heap. "You awful, awful men! Salem deserves you!"
"Damn straight he does!" Faith exclaimed. Even Sabrina had become distracted by what was happening with her aunts, and no one had seen Faith grab hold of a sword that had flown by except for Joseph. When he had witnessed her grabbing hold of the blade, he had left that one piece of metal alone, and Faith had acted quickly, scaling Sabrina like she was a mountain. She had only called out when she had the blade aimed right over Sabrina's heart, and now she drove her sword in.
Sabrina screamed and returned to normal, Faith falling on top of her but keeping the blade in. "YOU MUST NOT KILL HER, FAITH!" Drell called out. "THE SPELLMENS LOSE! SALEM IS FREED OF THEIR GUARDIANSHIP AND RIGHTFULLY FAITH'S! GET A HEALER ONTO THAT FLOOR NOW!" Although Faith had pulled the sword out, Drell's bellow had not come in time to keep her from entering Sabrina's heart, but the girl would, much to Faith's dismay, live.
The North Pole
Lorne watched Elvira and gave her plenty of room to attack the snowman if she so chose. He stroked Blue. "We have to listen to the women a little more often, Blue. Sometimes, I think they have more sense than we do. Are all the beings in this Gods-forsaken land alive and able to talk?" He figured Blue would know since he did come from here.
Lorne's nose quivered as he smelled the odor again. He had not told any one, but it smelled so good it made his tummy rumble. He'd ask Jack, once he got there, what the delicious odor was. When was the last time that any of them had eaten? If Lorne could track down what was causing the smell, he and Cordy could eat before they went into battle for he was sure his stomach would give him away. "I am beginning to believe it has a life all its own," Lorne grumbled.
Blue looked pointedly at Lorne's stomach, then flew off. He landed on the street and began to scamper about, trying to get Lorne to come over and look. He knew Mrs. C didn't like the road to be eaten but didn't care.
"I don't know where she went, just that she went that way!" The snowman pointed a waving stick in the southerly direction. "It's not like I can get up to go see or would have even wanted to!"
Elvira whined. Cindy looked at her lupine sister and then growled. Elvira yipped; Cindy hesitated but then growled again.
Lorne stood and walked over to where Blue was indicating. He could not believe the road that he could now see! Could it be possible that it was made of something edible! He walked over, picked up a piece, and sniffed it. It was where the delicious smell had been coming from! He took a nibble and found that it was the most delicious gingerbread he had ever tasted! He filled his pockets and his mouth and began to chew hungrily even as he made his way back to where they were still interrogating the snowman. He moved up next to Cordelia and handed her a piece. Whatever it was, it would do to fill them up! He continued to eat even as he heard the snowman declaring that he knew not where Crystal had ran to. In between bites, he mumbled, "Jack's coming. He can find her."
Cordelia stared at the piece of something that Lorne held out to her. It must be food for he was chewing, but where had it come from and what was it? It seemed familiar, but she still couldn't place it. She hadn't even realized how hungry she was until she found herself staring at what had to be food. She had to slow down her hand's eager movements for she wanted to snatch it from him but didn't want to appear greedy. She managed to take it without snatching it, popped it into her mouth, and began to chew. She sighed at the taste and closed her eyes as memories of long ago threatened to snatch her away.
Christmas had always been a joyous celebration at their castle. For once, both of her parents had been around more. She remembered setting up the tree, trimming it with both her father and mother, her father lifting her high over his head so that she could put the star on top of the tree . . . She recalled sharing the Christmas snacks that her mother had claimed to cook when, in fact, Cordelia had known she hadn't. Neither her father nor she had ever called her mother on her lies, however.
Her father hadn't always been so terrible. When she had been very, very little, he'd actually been a good father or, at least, she'd thought he had been. That's probably what it was. After all, she realized as her mind flashed again to the times he'd picked her up and held her high so that she could put the finishing touch on their tree, his hand had always somehow managed to find an area he shouldn't have been touching . . . Cordy's eyes popped open; her face blanched; and she swallowed hard. She would not go there! Not now, not ever again! She wouldn't --
"I wish it was that easy. I might be able to find her. I think I know where she's headed. But I usually locate her by the necklace. That's part of the reason why she gave it to you."
Cordelia's eyes went to the blue boy who hovered in the air behind Lorne. "And leave Frosty alone," Jack told them. "He doesn't know where she went. He wouldn't have paid enough attention to know, but one day . . . " Jack himself now glared at Frosty, the snowman. "One day, you're going to know the truth about our uncle, and you're going to regret the way you've acted and how you've treated her. You all will!"
"David Frost is a . . . "
"Don't go there," Jack told Frosty angrily. "Don't go there or I might just let her fireball you!"
Frosty shut up.
"You're Frosty the snowman?" Angel asked, glaring angrily at the snowman. "I always thought you were good! At least in the tales that were told about you! And yet you turned on my sister! You are a creature of evil! Maybe I should let her fireball you?" he suggested, looking at Delvira.
"It's good to see you, Jack," he told the boy. "Lead us to Crys if you are able. She didn't want any one to find her; that's why she gave Lorne the necklace. But find her we will, and if it's . . . " He let the words hang in the air. "We will overcome the enemy. We'll make him pay for everything he's ever done to her! And then I'm coming back to get you," he told Frosty, "because you could have helped and didn't!" He turned to look to see what Lorne and Cordy were eating. It looked so good he wished that he could eat human food. "What is that?" he asked Lorne.
"The best gingerbread I've ever tasted!"
Frosty's coal eyes nearly popped out of his head as he watched Lorne and Cordelia both eating another piece of the road. "Mrs. C is going to be mighty miffed!" he exclaimed. "You shouldn't be eating that! Put it back!"
"Chill, Frosty," Jack told him, using a term he'd just recently overheard for the first time. "You know all the children eat it. Let her be miffed. It'll give her a chance to cook some more, and you know that's all she ever has to entertain herself with any way since she only gets the other once a year!"
If Frosty could have blushed, he would have, but instead, he asked nervously, "You're not going to let her fireball me, are you, Jack?"
"No. Not yet any way. Delvira, put that away. You don't see me icing your subjects, so don't burn my people."
"For now, Frost," Delvira told the ancient being with the face of a boy. "For now only." Her fireball melted back into her hand, and she turned to look at him. "Now where do you think Crystal's headed?"
Elvira looked up at Jack and whined. He nodded. "I think you're both right. She's headed to his place, and we'd best get a move on. I hope you guys don't mind flying." The words were barely out of his mouth before the party found themselves raised into the air and beginning to fly toward the south.
The Court Room
Drell rapped his gavel against the dai, and the crocodiles, snakes, invisible wall, and Wolf's gag all vanished. He sneered down at them. "SAVOR THIS VICTORY IF YOU MUST, PIRATES, BUT THE TRIALS ARE FAR FROM OVER. IN FACT, THEY'RE MERELY BEGINNING."
As Drell bellowed above, James let go and landed beside Smee. He threw his arms around his beloved and covered his head in kisses. Smee tried to fight James off, but his flailing arms beat helplessly against Hook as he continued kissing him. Drell did not look in their direction.
Jack jumped to his feet, free of Kyna's grip at last, and raced forward to congratulate his people. He picked Faith up but was very careful as he knew her foot was injured and had witnessed her leaning off of it. "Do not grumble, little sister," he smiled at her, his gold tooth winking. "Damn you beat them good! Let me help now; I couldn't before."
Her eyes thanked him, but Faith still grumbled, "I'm fine, Birdboy," through her grin. "Where's Salem?"
Salem was winding in and out of Jack's legs as he attempted to walk, and he increased the volume of his purr so that it reached Faith's ears. "I haven't been this good in a long, looong time!" he called upward.
Lex, too, rushed over. "How is she?" he questioned Jack, but it was a different voice that answered him.
"She will be fine. May I?" Albus asked, looking at the three smiling faces and holding his wand out over Faith's foot.
"Thank you, Dumbledore," Jack told him before shifting his attention back to Faith, "and you, Little Firecracker, let some one do something for you for a change."
"Besides," Salem called, "you're going to need that foot if you're going to continue to keep me safe."
Faith's smile grew, and she nodded.
The Other Sides of the Mirror
As Drell's words washed over the small group that was gathered, cheers erupted from Dawson's throat. He could not believe what he had just seen and that his Faith had overcome it! Lex had turned out to be the Ace in the hole that she had wanted him to be, and they had won! He turned to look at Will and Connor, who had also jumped to their feet.
Connor rushed forward and hugged Dawson. His cheers added to Dawson's. "What a great beginning!" Connor exclaimed. "Now we just need to beat the rest of them!"
"I wish we could tell them how proud we are of them," Dawson agreed.
Will was grinning from ear to ear and had even whooped excitedly as the other young men had, but he did not rush forward to embrace them. Jack's people were amazing in their abilities to overcome such horrible odds, even Faith whose constant rudeness had been a steady embarrassment to him every time he was around her! He grinned at the boys. "We can't now, but we will. They'll make it through this yet, and when they do, we can congratulate them!" He'd show Jack how proud he was of him, and he'd plan a way to celebrate that would blow his boots right off!
A shadow of dismay crossed over Will's face, and he sombered briefly as his mind flashed back to all that had been done to him. He hoped that he would be able to show Jack as he wanted to, but what if he couldn't? He had been healed, but was his sword up to the feat? Forgetting that he was not alone, he cast a worried glance downwards, then quickly looked away as he heard Donkey's hooves against the floor.
On the other side of the mirror, Rachel exclaimed happily, "I knew they could do it!"
Wolverine had moved over and picked Ray up in a triumphant hug. "We won, girl, an' against some awful bad odds! Now if the rest o' 'em can just beat 'em!" He could hardly wait for 'Ro to come home. He'd plan a welcoming celebration for her, one that would even surpass the last time they had made love!
Rachel returned Wolverine's hug, surprised that she had no trouble at all being open with this man who was renowned for his gruff, butt-kicking attitude. Actually, his reputation was not that different at all from her own brother's. She heard what she thought was a rumble of thunder and looked questioningly up at the sky.
"Sorry," Rubeus mumbled sheepishly. "I get hungry when I get excited."
"Let's go home an' get something to eat, bub," Wolverine said, looking up at the Giant. For the first time, he had actually met a Giant that he liked. Most of the people in the world were taller than Wolverine, and it had never seemed to bother him before. He considered himself every bit as big as they were. His stomach rumbled in return. "Can't remember when I ate last. Maybe Piper cooked something."
As Wolverine started to lead the way up to the house, he paused and sniffed the air. The others' scents were all over the place still, but for a moment, Wesley's had struck his nose more than any of the rest of them. Wolverine shook his head, dismissing the scent as unimportant as he thought that Wesley had gone on to the house with the others and reminding himself that Wes would have to be dealt with but that it could wait until the trials were over.
Eddie walked ever so slowly over closer to Phillip until he was eyeball to eyeball with the mirror. He glanced back once to see that Will was intently looking at something on his lower body, but he couldn't tell what it was. Maybe the boy had gotten something on his pants? He saw that Willow had returned to Jack's side of the bed and was sound asleep. Cats never seemed to have a very long attention span and tired rather easily, Eddie thought. Dawson and Connor were still celebrating their victory.
From his place on the bed, Willow opened one sleepy eye. He had been awake for the first test, and he felt that he had strained and pulled, trying to help them, every bit as much as they had been working hard, trying to win. One paw brushed his nose. He was proud of Jack's people. They had to be tough and hard workers to be deserving of his Jack! He couldn't wait till Jack came home and announced that he would be the ship's cat. He closed his eyes, and a rumbling purr came from him that turned into a snore.
When Eddie was sure no one was paying any attention to him, he whispered to Phillip, "Psst! I know you're in there! Show me Elvira please! Not the woman, the wolf!" He waited impatiently, his rear end quivering.
The Court Room
Lex waited until Albus had healed Faith's foot before whispering to him, his blue eyes full of concern, "Is it true? Are the others okay?"
"They are fine," Albus quickly assured them, "and thank you." His eyes met Jack's. "Especially you, Captain Sparrow."
"You're welcome. We can only try to do our best. We thank you for your help." He continued to hold Faith despite the fact that he knew she could now stand on her own. It felt good to have some one to hold on to. Thank the Gods Will was safe! "Where are my people?" Jack asked him. "Are they truly on the island?"
Albus nodded even as Minerva came up. Their hands brushed each other, but they made no further contact. "They are safe, Captain Sparrow, though they long to be here." He looked past Jack's shoulder and winked upward. "They are as here as they can be for now."
"What do you mean?" Jack questioned.
"You will know in time," Albus told him, looking at him once more, "but they are closer than you think."
Jack looked strangely at Albus. He knew he was capable of anything. "Can . . . they hear us? See us? Know what's going on?" Gods, I miss Will!
Albus nodded and winked with a finger next to his nose. "Some can, my boy. Some can."
And your Will is amongst them. The voice of Charles Xavier came unbidden to their minds. And your Dawson, Faith.
Jack took a deep breath and then looked into Albus' eyes. "What comes next? Whose trial is next?" Later, he planned, to let Will know he loved him always and for all time. He did not want to embarrass him, but there was no way that he could keep his love quiet. His eyes were drawn toward James, who was still trying to reach Smee's lips despite Smee's efforts to fend him off. Would that be what became of him and Will? He prayed not. He closed his eyes, seeing Will in his mind's eye, even as he listened to the next words spoken.
"GOOD WORK ON YOUR FIRST TRIAL," Drell's voice rang out disdainfully. "NOW, THAT EVERY ONE'S HEALED AGAIN, ON TO YOUR SECOND."
Albus' words never came, and the group found themselves falling, falling . . .
The North Pole
Crystal stopped suddenly. Something was watching her, following her! She was no longer alone! "It's about time you showed . . . " Her words froze in her throat as she turned around and did not find her uncle but whether a multitude of animals. Wolves, polar bears, arctic foxes, snow hares, cougars, penguins, forest mice . . . Every kind of animal known to the North Pole, with the sole exception of reindeer, had followed her here, a mere mile away from the place that she knew she could get Frostbite's attention at if nowhere else. "What are you doing here!"
A mouse squeaked but did not shriek like the one in the wreath on Santa's workshop's door had. A bird cried out from the sky. A wolf whined, and a lioness whose appearance painfully reminded her of Cindy growled. "Please, you must leave! Get out of here! Go!" They stayed, however, not a single one making any motion to leave and all arguing with her in their own natural language.
New tears sprung to Crystal's heart-broken eyes. These animals remembered her. They knew the truth of David Frost. They had never turned from her and still considered her one of their own. Much like the Pirates of Lorne's and Angel's crew, of her family. Shouldering the weight of the gun that Gods only knew where Jack had gotten, Crystal wiped her tears away from her eyes with the back of her free hand. She had to make them leave. She didn't want to hurt them, but if they stayed, they'd be killed because of her and she would let no other die because of her.
"I SAID GET OUT OF HERE!" She yelled, but still they did not move. Predator and prey stood side by side, looking at her with understanding, compassionate gazes. Her heart and soul longed to go to them, but her brain demanded that she did not. She had to follow her mind; her heart and spirit had cost the lives of far too many already. "I SAID GET OUT OF HERE!" she roared again, making herself sound as furious as Cindy did during that time of the year, and slung a torrent of snowballs at them. She forced her tears and emotions to stay in check as she pelted them with snow. Roars, shrieks, and other cries met her ears as the animals rushed off. Finally, when she could see no one still remaining, Crystal stopped the snow. They were gone. Thank Gods, she told herself forcibly, for that meant that they would not be killed, at least not because of her. She turned and continued on a few yards before again sensing eyes upon her. She turned around but could see no one. Her skilled eyes began scanning the area. She turned slowly, checking everywhere high and low that she could see. She even peeked beyond the trees to the clearing she was headed for, the clearing where it had all started when she had been four years-old . . . Still she could see nothing and no one. She rose her head to peer up at the dark sky where snow was falling heavily from, but just as she moved her head, she caught a glimpse of movement.
She looked swiftly in that direction and sighed at what she saw. A fox was still following her! She recognized this fox. It looked like one she had played with when she was young and still innocent. It might have been that one, or it could have been a descendent. She couldn't tell for certain from the distance that separated them, but judging from the way it watched her, it probably wasn't a descendent. "I told you to get out of here!"
The fox looked steadily at her. He opened his mouth in a yip to start a conversation but never got any further as his small body suddenly exploded into a thousand shards of ice. Crystal screamed at the sight. She'd sworn not to let her emotions show, but the scream was out before she could stop it. She whirled around and saw him dropping from the sky. His jagged, icy body clouded the sky, putting out what little light there had been. The now-howling wind became his voice. "You called for me, my little Popsicle! Are you finally ready to give in?"
"Sure I am!" Once more, Crystal called upon what she had learned during her all too short stint with the Pirates, with a real family, she thought again. In one swift, fluid movement, she raised the gun and began shooting directly up toward where she could see his glowing red eyes. She would not live past this day or night, whatever it was, but she would go out with a fight!
To Be Continued . . .