Chapter Twenty-six

The Kitchen

Piper hummed as she worked around the kitchen, stirring a pot here, kneading dough there, and constantly checking on what she already had baking. She usually hummed when happy, but now she hummed just to have something to hear besides the yodeling and yelling coming from upstairs. A deep blush was firmly in set into her features, and she was glad that her sisters were all in the bed so that they could not hear it. Of course, however, knowing Phoebe and Paige, they were listening to the sounds with all kinds of naughty thoughts running through their heads while they kept watch over Joxer and Carl. She said another prayer for Carl, though she still wondered from time to time if any deity was listening and, if they were, if they even cared.

Piper had just been taking a pan of cookies out of the oven when the door burst open. She looked up, expecting trouble, but relaxed when she saw that it was only the big African called Bishop racing back into the room. "There are things out there!" he announced.

Piper couldn't help a sly grin. "That's an understatement," she told him. "We tried to tell you to stay inside."

It was at that exact moment that Hansel let go with another yodel of Chong's name, and for a second, Piper would have sworn that Bishop had turned white. "There are worse things in here!" he declared. He turned and ran through the door in the same direction he had just came from. His poor cat was still holding on to his broad shoulders for dear life and yowling all the way. Piper wondered how the cat's lungs could hold out, and then her thoughts turned to Cole.

She certainly hoped all this racket didn't wake him. He would not be glad to find that she had slipped out on him, but she hadn't been able to help it. There was no way that she could sleep now, not after everything that they had just gone through, but Cole needed his rest. She was glad he hadn't tried to talk when they went into their room and was thankful that he had instead just held her close while he drifted to sleep. She knew he'd be ticked, however, to say the least, if he awoke to discover that she'd frozen him once he'd passed out and crept out of the room. She wouldn't be surprised if he started yelling the moment that he discovered that he was holding a pillow instead of her.

She slid another pan into the oven and pulled out a cake. She surveyed it with a thoughtful eye and stuck it with a small wooden stick to make sure that it was done. Satisfied, she set the cake on the table with the rest of the foods she'd already baked and turned back to mixing the raptor meat she'd found with some sort of leftover sauce. She wasn't sure what the sauce was, but it tasted good and she knew it must have been one of Chong's things.

Piper was busily buzzing around the kitchen again when a giant clap of thunder sounded from the doorway. She whirled around, her brown eyes wild, and stared at the Giant who was stooping low to enter her kitchen. His face was in the dark, and she didn't recognize him. She squeaked her surprise, dropped her bowl, and started to back up, her hands raising defensively.

Following closely behind Rubeus, Wolverine looked at Piper. "Don't. He's a friend," he told her. "Sorry if we gave ya a fright. We've been out on the beach for a while, an' our stomachs got the better o' us. Rubeus, meet the best little cook in the whole world, Miss Piper Halliwell."

Rubeus held out his hand with a genuine smile on his face. "I can hardly wait to eat your food, Miss Halliwell. It's been days since I've eaten anything, or at least, it seems like it! I actually had breakfast yesterday morning, but it seems like a million years ago! I've been waiting on this cursed island until you returned and didn't find anything good to eat here. Wizards never bother with preparin' food; they just conjure something up when they get hungry. Unfortunately, I don't have that knack." He gave her another bashful grin even as he waited on her to invite him on in.

Will & Jack's Bedroom

Phillip's surface swirled. The court room vanished in a pool of colors, and when the mirror finally settled again, it was pure white. Eddie gasped. "What's that?!" he asked in a tremulous voice, his ears laid back against his head. He glanced fearfully back toward Will only to find that his boy was now looking at him in concern.

"What's what?" Will questioned. His imploring gaze then shifted beyond Eddie to the mirror. "What happened to the court room? What is this, Phillip?!"

"This is as close as I can show you to Elvira."

"Is that . . . sssssnow?" Eddie asked, his voice growing higher. He heard a slight gasp from the other side of the mirror but did not recognize who it was.

Will's mind was quickly putting two and two together, and he placed a comforting hand on Eddie's broad shoulders. "Phillip," he asked point-blank, "did Elvira go to the North Pole?"

"Yes," the mirror answered, "to both questions."

Will stroked Eddie's back. "Is she alone?"

"No."

"Who's with her?"

"Lorne, Angel, Cindy, Blue, Delvira, Cordelia, Jack Frost . . . "

"Are they in trouble?" Eddie asked, fearing the worst. "Is . . . You Know Who there?"

Connor and Dawson had both moved closer to the mirror so as not to miss anything. Connor had been going to ask the mirror about Zora and Vang when he had heard Eddie ask about Elvira, and now he gazed at the mirror in concern. His father was there! So was his mother! Why had they gone without him? They needed his help, or at least, he hoped they did! He now listened for the answer to Eddie's question, praying that they were not in trouble, or at least nothing that they couldn't handle. He wondered how his other fathers were making out and said a silent prayer for all his family.

"Which You Know Who?" the mirror questioned.

"The one that starts with F," Eddie's voice quavered.

"No," the mirror answered.

Will's mind was now racing. Jack needed his help, but he couldn't reach him. "He may not be there now, but he will be." His voice was taking on a tone of command that would have surprised him if he had taken the time to consider it, but he did not. "They need help. We need firepower." He looked at the three who accompanied him. "Who's still here with firepower? Any one?" His eyes moved quickly from them to begin glancing about the room.

"Firepower?" Eddie questioned as he looked at him. "Delvira's there. She has firepower, but we can't reach Kat and we can't use the catpeople." Yowling feline voices echoed through the house as if to affirm his statement, and another yodel ripped through the air. "We don't have a Sorceress!" he cried. "They're occupied! Cole has energy balls. They would help!" His mind searched anxiously for any one else who could throw a ball of any kind. "I think that's all."

"Who's in charge now?" Connor asked. "With Captains Jack, Kat, and Kitty gone, are you in charge, Will? We can't just take off and leave without some one staying in charge!"

Will looked at the boy for a moment, a perplexing mixture of emotions shifting through his dark eyes. "There's only one Captain of the Pearl," he said, not giving the Sea Witch a second thought. "Some one will have to take charge. It's not going to be me. You need to stay here, keep an eye on the court room, and make sure they're all right. At least, as best as you can." His eyes shifted to Connor and Donkey. "One of you find Cole; the other, locate a Halliwell. They may not be Sorceresses, but they are Witches. If you see any one else you think can help, let them know what's going on. Hurry!"

Will turned his back toward the trio and rushed to another side of the room. He grabbed a burlap bag that he had spotted in the corner, opened it, and breathed a sigh of relief. Then he reached in with both hands and began withdrawing weapons he had made. He did not know how they had come to be returned to him, let alone how they had survived the wreckage, but he was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth with so much trouble on the horizon.

Dawson ran straight away to Captain Xena's room. To his way of thinking, she was the only Captain left to them, and they needed her help desperately. He was surprised that Will had taken charge. He thought about Wolverine but remembered the whole mess that had happened between Xena, Gabby, and Wolverine and did not want to dredge that up. If Xena wanted Wolverine, he'd go look for him.

Xena had not fallen asleep yet. She had given up trying to get Chong and Hansel to quiet and had been laying still beside Gabrielle, holding her beloved and thinking, letting her mind wander over the things that had been bothering her over the last couple of days. Some one was messing with her mind, and she hoped to find out who it was soon. She didn't think she was going crazy; yet, at times, she wondered if she was. She kept remembering scenes from that day but could not place where she was or even what she looked like or what she was seeing. It was like a nightmare from whence she could not awaken herself. Her eyes fluttered closed just as the door received a hard knock. "Yes?" she called out, her eyes flying immediately back open.

"You're needed, Captain Xena, right away! Come to Captain Jack's room!"

"Be right there," she replied and slowly began to extricate herself from Gabrielle only to find Gabrielle's eyes flutter open. She smiled at her and kissed her on her forehead. "I've got to go see what's a foot," Xena told her. "You can come if you want to, or you can rest a little longer." She tried not to let her mind go on to think about what had happened to Gabrielle that night. It scared her to think how close she had come to losing her, and her hands itched to have Callisto in her hands one more time so that she could squeeze the very life out of her.

Gabrielle sat up immediately. She yawned but kept her mouth closed, not wanting to give any signs as to how exhausted she truly was. "I'm right behind you," she murmured and got up to follow Xena.

Xena headed for Jack's room, wondering what they'd find there. Her hand went to her sword the minute she spotted what appeared to be a gigantic mirror hanging on the wall that was totally white. "What is that thing," she asked, "and why do you need me?" She saw that Will was laying out weapons, and her hand went for her chakram but realized it was missing. She wondered where she had lost it at and how soon she could talk Will into making her one.

Dawson continued to stare at the swirling snow in the mirror, giving Will a chance to answer Xena.

The North Pole

While Frostbite was distracted by the dagger that stuck in his ice, Crystal moved quickly. She slammed the bo staff into the ground and used it to spring upwards and flip higher than she normally would have. As she was flipping through the air at a dizzying rate, she pulled out the trident, hit the button she'd already figured out would unfold it, and held it at the ready. Frostbite roared as the trident hit his lower area. Crystal wasn't even sure if she was above or below his knees; she couldn't tell what was what in his current form except for his glowing, red eyes; the black hole where the only light was his glistening fangs that was his mouth; and his icy fists that were each the size of a small cottage.

She flipped around the trident a few times and then, just a barrage of ice daggers and both Frostbite's massive hands came towards her, she flipped on higher. His hands barely missed her, but the winds raised by their movements threw her off of her intended direction. She managed to continue flipping through the air, but she was far too off course now . . . She pulled the sword out as he shattered the trident and drove it into his body.

She held both hands to the hilt of the sword, looked up again through narrowed eyes, and zeroed her gaze in on the spot where she was hoping his black heart might be. Though she'd always sworn he didn't have one, she knew he must have at least enough of a heart that there was something that pumped blood through his ice-cold veins, something that kept his circulation running and kept him living. She flipped again through the rain of ice daggers and the hands that closed in literally just behind her.

Hail the size of morningstars struck her face. Ice shards flew all around her, slicing into her body at various spots. She bit down on her tongue to keep from screaming and tasted her own blood as she continued determinedly flipping. When she began to approach the area she was hoping might work, she pulled the pistol out of the hem of her pants and started firing.

The House

Eddie raced for the kitchen. There's somebody down there who can help! he figured. He knew that some one was racing in and out of the kitchen all night long, eating. He'd wandered through the kitchen at night himself, helping himself to whatever goodies Piper had left. He knew she had not had time to cook, and then his nose started twitching and his tummy rumbling. Could she be cooking already? Maybe Cole was in the kitchen? He quickened his step.

Somewhere

The others' screams had faded away into nothingness, but he had continued barking bravely the entire time he had been falling. With each bark, he had told the ruthless Council and its egotistical members exactly what he thought of them, their threats, and the way they treated people, especially his King, himself, and all the others who had been brought together underneath their power-hungry hold. He had told them exactly what he thought of them, but it had done no good for they had not even bothered to dignify him with a response. "Silence is your answer, aye?" he yipped angrily at them. "You take the coward's way out then, you -- "

The Knight's words suddenly transformed into gurgles as he plunged into icy water. He took in water and immediately began to sink, but he fought the tide. He pushed and pulled against the raging water, shivering the whole time and kicking with all his might. At last, his sharp eyes caught sight of pale moonlight flickering on the water's surface. He pushed harder and was seconds from breaking free when something nipped his tail. Stifling a yip of pain, Didymus whirled around. One hand moved instantly to draw his blade while the other moved behind him to check on his poor tail.

Didymus found himself looking directly into the eyeball of a fish that was not even half as big as he was. The dogman reminded himself that despite the creature's size, its teeth surely made it a foe to be reckoned with! He swiped at the fish, but the fish darted back. Didymus moved forward, then swam quickly backwards as a larger fish came behind the one that had bit him and swallowed it. An even larger fish came behind that one and swallowed that one.

Didymus swallowed hard, his eyes growing hard and his mouth aching to bark as he saw a still bigger fish swim swiftly along and swallow that one. As each fish was swallowed, the new fish turned its beady eyes upon Didymus, but not a single one had a chance to move toward him as, always, it seemed, a larger predator came along to devour it. Didymus had no idea what kind of twisted world he'd fallen into, but he turned and swam as fast as his small, furry legs could carry him. He wanted no part of this sick dimension and only hoped that he could get away before a fish three times his size (he'd already witnessed one twice his size be eaten) came along!

The House

"She's done it to me again," Cole murmured. He tried to figure what had caused him to lose a few seconds in guarding her. He had been trying to put her to sleep and had thought he'd almost succeeded as her breathing had been lightened. He knew she had been through Hell that night, and he trembled to think that he'd almost lost her. His hands clenched in fisted rage against the bitch who he had killed with his bare hands a thousand times over.

Where was Piper? Then it came to him. She'd be in the kitchen. It was the one thing that gave her solace. When she was most upset, she tended to overcook. He shimmered into the kitchen just at the time that he heard Eddie clomping in. He noticed that Wolverine, a redhead, and the Giant were seated at the table, already feeding themselves, and that on every surface available, Piper had something laid out either already cooked or about to be cooked. He walked over and stood behind her, sliding his arms around her and giving her a gentle hug. "Couldn't sleep, yet you managed to get away from me. What did you do to me?" he murmured so that only her ears could hear.

"Help yourself, Donkey, or get somebody to help you," Piper had called to Donkey as she had heard him enter the kitchen. She had not heard Cole enter, however, nor sensed him come up behind her. She was solely intent on her cooking, occupying her mind with all the things she was making so as to keep herself from remembering the events of the horrible night before. She had just straightened and began to stir a pot again when arms slid around her. She jumped at first but then relaxed underneath Cole's touch, recognizing him before he ever spoke. She leaned into his embrace, her lips slowly turning up as his breath washed over her neck. His lips brushed her skin as he spoke, and she realized that he was anything but mad. "I thought you were asleep," she offered in a whisper.

"I must've been more asleep than I realized, or did you freeze me? I would've come down here with you."

Before he could say anything else, Eddie moaned. "I really would like to, Piper! It looks so good and I'm hungry, but Will wants Cole right away! And a Halliwell! Will said must have a Halliwell! He said you may not be Sorceresses but you are Witches!"

"Are you at the point that you can leave the food for a while, Piper?" Cole glanced warily around, not knowing much about cooking except that his Piper could do a great job of it. He grabbed a biscuit and put several pieces of bacon in it. "I'll just make a couple of these. I'll eat one, and I'll take one to Will." He began to munch on his while waiting for Piper's answer. He did not realize how hungry he was until he took the first bite and it melted in his mouth like a piece of Heaven.

Rachel had slid her chair back and gotten to her feet the very moment Donkey had started in about how Will wanted Cole and a Halliwell right away. "Donkey," she questioned the animal, whose use of the English language still startled her, "what is it? What's going on? Does it have anything to do with Kitty?"

Piper, too, wanted to know what was going on to make Will, of all people, call for Cole and herself, and as she considered the status of her foods, opening the oven door and surveying its insides with a critical eye, she listened for Donkey's reply. She also heard the delighted sounds creeping out of Cole's full mouth and couldn't help but grin despite her worry and sadness.

Wolverine stood up and filled his plate again. "Great food, Miss Halliwell! 'Preciate it. With Jack at the trial, Will probably thinks it falls to him to handle anythin' that comes up. Captain Xena's probably in there 'bout right now. Whatever it is, I'm sure she can handle it." He returned to his place at the table. Actually, he was frothing at the bit to get to the trials, and whatever Will thought he was trying to handle didn't occupy his mind. His boy and his woman were at the trials, and he had every intention of finding a way of getting there.

Eddie looked at Ray. "It doesn't have anything to do with Captain Kitty, and I think it's a secret. Will didn't say nothing about me telling anybody about what it was. All he said was bring 'em. I guess he's gonna tell 'em when they get there." Eddie eyeballed Wolverine. "Euuw!" was all he said.

"Don't ew me, Donkey," Wolverine said. "It's a honest mistake. Far as I know, you were the only one who was there with the boy at the time. I never would've thought it was that damn China man."

Rachel looked from Eddie to Wolverine. Then she lifted an apple and telekinetically held it before Donkey.

"You can come. Will did say anybody helpful. You ain't coming though!" he said, looking at Wolverine. He took a large bite of the apple. He didn't know how she had done it, but he knew that the apple had come from the redhead.

"Don't wanna come. Tell Will he can get into any trouble he wants to by himself. I've had enough trouble fer the last couple o' days. I've got a new plan fer a couple o' more."

Rachel was not satisfied with Donkey's answer. Curiosity pulled at her mind, leading her to do a quick scan of the animal's brain. Her mouth fell open; her green eyes widened. "Where in the world are they, Donkey, that it's snowing?" The words had no sooner left her mouth than Lockheed screeched and Wolverine nearly choked on his food. She knew neither of those reactions could be good.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YA MEAN IT'S SNOWIN'?!" Wolverine roared. "Is he here?" He leaped to his feet, ready to do battle.

"Stop calling me Donkey!" Eddie stomped his foot. "My name is Eddie. I can't spell it, but Will said my name is Eddie. And, no, he's not here! They are there," he stated it matter-of-factly, looking intently at Wolverine. "So you're interested now, huh?"

"Maybe," Wolverine growled.

Rubeus had been sitting, ignoring the conversation when it had first gotten started as he was fighting his stomach and feeding his face as quickly as he could. It was the best food he had ever eaten! But as voices raised and it appeared that there might even be an argument, he started paying attention. "I cook, Miss Halliwell; I can watch yer food while you see what Will wants. Is he the Captain?"

"No, bub, he ain't," Wolverine told him. "But he's next to the Captain. I'm goin' up too," he eyed Eddie, making sure he stayed out of the way of his hooves, "and I don't need yer permission, ass."

"We'll see about that," Eddie told him. "Will don't want you." He turned around to where he could get aimed, but Wolverine just moved again, keeping barely out of the way of Eddie's hooves. The two began to circle each other even as Cole waited for Piper to give the Giant permission.

Piper had been wiping her hands on a towel. She had smiled gratefully at Rubeus and had been about to answer him when she heard Wolverine's remark to Eddie. Her eyes flashed, and she slapped the towel down on to the counter. "Wolverine!" she scolded. "You know how Eddie feels about that! I swear, with Auntie 'Ro gone, you seem to be the regular a-double s!"

Rachel had managed to calm Lockheed, and now she also glared at Wolverine. "Men!" Her green eyes moved to Eddie. "Forget him, Eddie. He's not worth it." Turning to the table, she telekinetically grabbed several plates and rapidly filled them with food.

"Gotta find a reason fer ya to go!" Eddie told him. "It sure ain't yer manners! They stink!" He made an ugly face at Wolverine.

"So do you. Jack gets back, he's gonna fuss! Remember what he said about baths!"

"When's the last time you got one, ugly?"

"That's quite enough of that." Piper threw her hands out at Wolverine and froze him in mid-snarl. "Eddie," she spoke in a firm voice, "go up to Will. Tell him we're on our way. Rubeus," she smiled at the Giant, "thank you. Just make sure it gets done, please. I have a feeling we'll be gone a while."

"I'll pack you some supplies. You're goin' to need 'em, but I'll need to know how many people are goin'."

"Soon as I know something," Cole told him, "I'll shimmer back down and tell you." He reached out, took Piper's hand, and shimmered the both of them up.

Eddie circled around Wolverine one more time, and when he reached the rear, let go with both hind hooves, throwing Wolverine against the nearest wall. Then he headed for his boy. He and Wolverine would never get along again unless he apologized to his boy. How dare he think that Will would do an animal unless Jack was the animal! With that thought in his head, he hurried quickly up the stairs.

Rachel was the last one to leave the kitchen. She paused on the staircase and looked back at Wolverine. Lockheed did not pause or even slow but cooed urgently for her to follow. Rachel shook her head. "Maybe there was something to Dad not liking you." She sighed heavily. "That'd be a first." She turned and headed up the stairs, several plates of food following in the air behind her.

Wolverine heard Ray's words as he was able to move again. He breathed heavily. "Reckon I'll have ta apologize ta Will. But what else was a person ta think?! I'll apologize ta Eddie, too." He rubbed his sore rear and then headed up the stairs.

Somewhere

Sean sat up and looked around at the beautiful, lush country side he was in. The only light Sean had was from the full moon that stared down at him, and he knew that he was all alone but yet he heard something. His keen ears listened, and soon he could tell, as he continued to walk forward toward the sound, that it was a song being sung by a woman. He could not make out the words for he was too far away, but they sounded so beautiful so he continued walking, hoping that he would soon find the singer of such a beautiful song.

He had, at first, began to think of his beloved Em and wondered where she was, but then as he came upon the singer of the song, his mind was boggled for before him stood the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, who wiped his mind completely clean of any thoughts of Em. He could understand her words perfectly now; she was singing of love that she would freely give to him and of a river that ran free and clean that consisted of a whiskey. She was offering him love and drink.

The old Sean would have jumped at it. Part of him fought this. Somewhere, Emma had to be! He knew he loved Emma, so why was he even considering the beautiful redhead who stood before him? Her eyes were limpid pools, and he could see very plainly in the moonlight that they were green. They reminded him of the lush meadows of his youth where he had courted many a girl and had had made sweet love to them in the green grass. "Who be ye, lass, an' from whence di ye come? Yer song reminds me o' home."

She spoke not a word other than her song but winked and crooked a finger at him to tempt him to come and follow. She led him to the river that she was singing about, and Sean looked down and saw that there was not a living thing in the river, just whiskey. He knew its depths hid its gloom and despair. He did not want to partake of them again. "Where's me Emma?" he asked the woman, but she only shook her head and sang a different tune, still trying to lure the man into her silken webs. He was Irish, and she planned to have him before the morning light. He would be hers.

The House

Connor had been searching for Cole but had not found him. He sniffed the air only to sniff a very familiar scent, his newly-found uncle. He could help! He should be definitely interested in going to help his brother! He walked over to the door that was slightly ajar and heard groaning and moaning sounds coming from within. Did he really want to go in there?! Was Spike all right?! He pushed the door tentatively only to find that it swung completely open, revealing a bedroom. Connor spotted a shadow on the bed but could not make out whose it was nor what was happening for the canopy curtains that fell down, separating him from the sight.

"Kyna," Spike moaned, unaware that he was no longer alone and lost in the scent and memory of his beloved.

"Sssspppike?" Connor called. He knew full well that Kyna had been one who remained alone at the trials. What was Spike doing? He wasn't alone. There was something in there with him. Connor wondered what it was as he cocked his head to one side, surveying the other shadow. It was small, though it stood erect, and appeared to be . . . in Spike's lap?!?! "Huh, Spike?" he called again, a little louder.

Finally hearing Connor, Spike quickly covered his aroused steed with Kyna's nightgown. "Whelp," he almost yelped, "what are you doing in here?!" He growled.

"The door was open, and . . . we need your help. Dad took off with a group to rescue Crystal. Will wants to go after them."

Spike hesitated. "You don't think your father can handle it?" He kept the nightgown firmly down.

"You know Dad better than I do. What do you think?"

"What's he up against?"

"You Know Who."

Spike paused. "Huh . . . No, I don't. Voldemort?"

"No. FB. Crystal's uncle."

"That thing from last night?!"

"Was it only last night?" Connor asked. "It feels like last night lasted a million years! The thing that froze everything and then broke it into a million pieces! He killed your ship and some of your crew!"

The realization hit him. "Willow," he growled, and his sword immediately deflated. He returned Kyna's nightgown to its place on the bed beside him and hurriedly snatched his pants back on. He jumped from the bed, landed in a pool of moonlight, and buttoned his pants back up. "Let's go."

Without making a comment, Connor headed back toward Will's room with Spike following. He wasn't about to ask Spike what had been going on. Even though it embarrassed him a great deal, he never let on. He was surprised to see how many people had gathered that quickly and were all now intently looking at Will.

A Forest

She awoke to a world of pain unlike any her old bones had known in a long, long time. Her head spun, and she groaned as she opened her eyes. She blinked several times as she tried to get the world around her to come into focus. Where was she? Where had they thrown her, and how bad would her test turn out to be? She didn't think she deserved a really tough test, but one could never tell with the Council. At least half its members liked to throw truly horrid things against the ones who were tried by it, and she knew that Severus, despite his loyalty to Albus, would gladly have sided with those others in her case . . . as long, of course, as Albus did not realize his true reasons for doing so.

She sighed. She knew that the Wizard did not like her, and she knew the very reason why. She would never tell Albus, but it was not for the same reasons that Severus thought. Still, despite being tried with the others, she really did not think she deserved anything that bad. Focus, Minerva, she told herself. Forget what you do or do not deserve for you know that matters naught to the Council. Access your situation.

Her eyes travelled the tall, tall green things that circled her, and she found that they were gigantic trees, all covered in thick, green foliage. She eyed each one in turn before beginning to move, but when she could not find any sign of a threat, she finally forced herself to her feet with quite a bit of grunting and groaning. She really was getting too old for this, she thought with a grimace against the pain and the protests of her body.

Once she was on her feet, Minerva looked all around again, but still she could see no sign of any threat. Next step, she thought, access your instruments, your choices. Her hands patted down her robe and then back up again. She had only felt something in one pocket and now stuck her hand in there. Her wizened fingers closed around a piece of hard wood, and she brought it out with a relieved smile lifting her wrinkled mouth. At least, they had returned her wand to her.

Now for your choice. She looked all around yet again. There appears to be no threat, but as you know, appearances are often deceiving. You can wait for it to find you or go looking for it . . . She was just beginning to decide to wait there for her test to find her, whether than attempting to find it and get it over with, when something cold and slimy slithered across the back of her neck. Minerva froze, her eyes shooting wide . . .

Will & Jack's Bedroom

Will had barely had time to swallow his surprise at Xena's entrance before Cole and Piper appeared in the room. The fast striking of hooves upon the stairs had met his ears, and then Donkey had burst in a second later followed by a purple dragon Will recognized as belonging to Kitty and then a redhead he didn't recognize. He'd started to answer Xena, who he could tell was becoming impatient, and had been interrupted by one final arrival . . . or so he thought. Spike slid in a second behind Connor. He was followed by Wolverine, who Will glared at and then looked away from.

"Some of you might know this; some might not," he started, looking back at the weapons he'd scattered across the bed, far enough down away from the pillows so that he hoped he would not disturb Sebastian and the cat who seemed to have started following him. "But Crystal's gone after her uncle. Those of you who know that story know what that means. For the rest of you, that Ice Demon thing from last night is her uncle."

"'Heed, calm down," Rachel whispered. "We'll get him back or die fighting." Lockheed cooed snappingly at her, and Ray shrugged as she lowered the plates of food down in front of Will, Xena and Gabrielle, Dawson, and Connor and Spike. She'd had one for herself but now passed, knowing that the others had not eaten whereas she herself had. "I didn't say it was supposed to be comforting, but it's the best I can do and be honest."

"A group's already left after Crystal," Will continued, "but we all know what a threat her uncle is. The ones who've gone after them are Angel, Lorne, Cordelia, Delvira, and Crystal's animals." At the ticking noise Eddie made, Will clarified, "Elvira, Blue, and Cindy."

The room was filled with silence. Wolverine cleared his throat. "I believe I owe ya an apology, Will, so I'll give ya one again. I don't know how ta make it up to ya, but I wanna go do what I can to help. That is, if you'll let me go." Wolverine didn't like to ask for permission to do anything, but he didn't want to impose on Will's little expedition and unman the boy again. "An', yes, Eddie, that apology goes ta ya too."

"'Bout time," Eddie said with a chuffing noise. "Will's too good for me. He's honest and loves Jack very much! He wouldn't be doing that with anybody else, male or female!" he corrected. "Nobody talks bad about my boy, but I accept your apology. Best not happen again, or I will kick ya again!"

Wolverine rubbed his rear ruefully. "I know how that feels. I guess I deserved it," he said gruffly. "We need ta get supplies."

"Rubeus was making up some, but he wanted to know how many were going." Cole looked at Will.

"Wolverine, you're welcome to come," Will announced, "as is anybody else who can help and wants to." He had finally looked up when Wolverine had apologized and had done a double take at the sight of the plate offering in front of him. He tentatively pushed it toward Eddie. "Here. Eat, and be quick about it." He looked back down to the weaponry, quickly calculating who needed weapons and what might be best for who. "Piper," he called, realizing and appreciating that Donkey had made a great choice in his selection of Halliwells, "do you or your sisters have any firepower?"

"No." Her response was quiet, and it was only Will's question that finally took her gaze from Wolverine. "Not that we know of, at least."

"A spell, then?"

"Perhaps, but we've lost the Book."

Will looked up at her in surprise. Damn, he thought.

"Maybe ya haven't?" Eddie offered. "Lost the Book, I mean. Have you looked in your room? Everything we lost seems to be coming back."

"That's not true," Xena interrupted. "My chakram is still missing."

"And my sai," Gabrielle added. "And you still haven't answered Xena's question, Will. What is that thing?" She pointed at the mirror.

"Every one, meet Phillip," Eddie told the group. "He's a talking mirror." He paused, allowing any one to say something. When the room burst into voices, he allowed Will to talk and began to eat the plate as quickly as possible.

Connor and Dawson had both grabbed their plates, wondering where they had come from but not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, and began to eat their food rather quickly. Now they talked quietly to each other. "I'm not a fighter," Dawson told Connor. "I need to stay here. I would be more of a danger than a help, but you should go."

"I am going," Connor told Dawson and then looked at Will.

Will nodded to the boys, giving each his approval but not bringing any attention to their conversation. "As crazy as it sounds, the mirror does talk and has been showing us things that's been happening to the others. They've passed the first test."

"You mean I could have seen Kyna and you whelps didn't bother to come tell me?!" Spike demanded heatedly. "Fat lot of help you are, boy!" He growled at Connor, his hands balling into fists.

"We didn't think about it," Will came hurriedly to Connor's defense. "They were invited by me. The others haven't been too long come up from the beach."

"They're back?"

"No. That's not what I meant." Will quickly shook his head, unconsciously tucking his neck a little further down into the collar of his shirt. "The others who were watching the mirror haven't been too long returned from the beach."

"There's another mirror down on the beach?" Gabrielle questioned.

"Yes. Look. We don't know how much time we have before Crystal's uncle finds them. We can't exactly see through all that snow what's going on. Piper, will you look for the Book, please? It could be in your room or your sisters'."

"I'll look in mine," Piper told him. She didn't want to disturb her sisters, and she certainly didn't want them determined to fight against Frostbite . . . or anywhere near him, for that matter.

"I'll take you," Cole offered and shimmered her to their room.

Eddie looked at Spike. "You can have your chance. You can stay here. You can come. But if we had told every one, there would've been arguments and no one would've seen the first trial. I don't know what's going on now. We haven't checked in a while. All we can see here is snow. You can't talk to them, but you can ask to see Kyna." He grinned at Spike. "Sometimes seeing is a great thing, but sometimes not." He grew quiet, watching Spike to see what he would do next. He hoped the Vampire wasn't going to get ugly but got his hooves ready just in case.

"They can't see us or hear us," Connor told Spike. "And the shock of it is also new to me. I didn't think to share it with you. Sorry, but I'm really worked up over Dad."

Spike charged forward. Most of the others quickly moved away from him, giving him room. Only Xena and Wolverine stood their ground. "Show me Kyna," he growled at the mirror.

"No," Phillip told him.

Will looked up with a gulp. His hand unconsciously closed around the handle of a sword.

Spike grabbed the mirror in both hands and shook it. "Show me Kyna!" he demanded with a snarl that displayed his fangs.

"No."

"Why the Hell not?! You want me to rip you to shreds?!"

"I will not show you Captain Chan until you ask me politely."

Several pairs of eyes looked from the mirror to Spike. Rachel stepped up behind Spike. "This one's not going to be able to, Phillip," she told the mirror. "But won't you please just humor us and show him Kyna?" She really did not want a pissed off Vampire on her hands.

"I do not appreciate demands."

Ray rolled her eyes. Males! It didn't matter if they were human, Vampire, or mirror; they were all alike in their testosterone-filled attitudes! She reached out a hand and caressed Phillip. "Please?"

Phillip had not felt a touch so smooth in a long time. He couldn't even remember being caressed a single time since he had been transformed into a mirror. His image flickered. The picture swirled . . .

A Cavern

Darkness surrounded Kyna as she picked herself up. She dusted her clothes off, a habit she had picked up from her first husband who had always detested dirt. It took her almond eyes a moment to adjust to the pitch-black darkness, and when she did, she realized that she was in a cave. She looked up but saw no openings but only stalactites ranging for as far as she could see. She looked down, and her eyes scanned the cave. She immediately realized that her test was already beginning for she was in a cave filled with coffins.

Kyna was vaguely aware that her jacket had been returned and that it seemed to be its normal weight. Did that mean, she wondered, that her weapons, too, had been returned? Sliding a hand into her jacket, she felt for a moment and then breathed a silent sigh of relief as she located a stake. Her hands removed dual stakes, and she started forward to the nearest coffin. This one was a bit smaller than the others. She opened it carefully, and two red eyes flew open as the lid lifted. "Mommy!" a young Vampire cried out. "There's a human looking at me!"

The moment its mouth opened, the other lids on the other coffins began getting knocked off. Arms thrust out. Yells surrounded her. Kyna remained at the ready, her stake already heading in for the child's heart. Something large swooped over her from above. Its booted feet collided with her shoulders, sending her stumbling slightly. She reached for the thing with both stakes but did not make contact. Laughter filled the cave and echoed through the surrounding caverns, warning her that she was in a maze. "You will not take my people from me!"

To Be Continued . . .