Alright.. This is for all you guys bored on X-mas eve. Enjoy. Also, happy holidays and eat lots of goodies. In the meantime, I made this a long one to make up for the very short filler chapter I already put up and also for the long time I made you all wait to read this. R&R!
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Chris quickly flipped the Book of Shadow's pages in order to stop whoever it was that was throwing the door to the attic open from seeing what he had been really up to while he was up there. He took a quick breath and prepared himself for anything. He waited to see Wyatt angry and vengeful over what he had just done to Victoria. He waited to feel Wyatt's powers throw back into the wall where he would then come up to him and attempt to beat him to a bloody pulp while making himself feel better.
He waited maybe even to see Victoria. He wanted it to be her there in the doorway to the attic with the pale hall light glowering down over her pale porcelain skin and making her reddish-brown hair glow. He wanted her to come to him with tears burning in her bright eyes as she asked him to forgive her. He wanted to see her eyes burning brightly into his with their strange blue-violet color illuminating every emotion that she had as she looked up to him in forgiveness.
Hell, he half expected his mother or father to have found out and have come running. He expected them to be the ones in the doorway ready to yell at him for being so careless and hurtful towards Victoria in the first place. His mother would yell at him for treating a girl that way and she would blame herself for the way he had acted by something she had screwed up doing with him while she had been raising him. Then, his father would punish him somehow for doing what he had done like taking his powers away until he realized the magnitude of how horrible he had reacted.
No one he had expected was there though. Instead, his Aunt Phoebe was standing in the doorway with a rare gleam of a smile tinting her dark eyes to a light doe brown color. She smiled at him for a moment as she paused in the doorway and then she strode into the room as if she owned it. Within seconds, she was beside the Book of Shadows and she was elbowing him aside.
Chris backed up a few feet. He was slightly taken aback by how his aunt was acting towards him. He felt awkward still standing in the room with her as she sized up the book before her and then her hands started to fluttered through the pages greedily as she searched for something hidden inside. Phoebe took in the spells covetously as she giggled softly to herself. Then, she found what she was looking for as Chris watched her act like a crazy woman.
Sure, Chris had known his aunt forever and given time she had become a little eccentric. Crazy at times, flamboyant at others, but not like how she was acting right at that very moment. Chris quickly took a peek at the page that his aunt was looking at and instantly knew something was wrong. His eyebrows raised quickly as he realized that she was looking at a personal gain spell in the book that would bring her new magical powers if she used it. She was against personal gain just as much as his mother. Especially after the incident with the Tribunal taking away her powers in order to teach her a lesson for using them in the first place to see her own future instead of helping other innocents with theirs. So, for her to be regarding this spell while giggling like a hyena only made Chris even more paranoid over the whole situation.
So, now that he was seeing his oldest aunt act like a nut bag and then looking at a personal gain spell he knew something was really really wrong. Chris quickly took a few steps away from his aunt. The steps he took were the slow steady steps of someone trying to walk away from a rabid animal without getting hurt. Phoebe looked up at him for a moment as he backed away from her as if she were the enemy and then she gave him a look that could kill.
"Chris, what do you think you're doing?" she asked him.
"Well, Aunt Pheebs I was planning on going downstairs and seeing how everyone was doing." he lied instantly.
"Right? Chris, seriously if you act like that around them they are seriously going to know what is going on. Especially, with you and Victoria."
At her name being spoken in front of him after what he had witnessed, he flinched. It was still hurting his ego as well as his heart to have believed that even for a moment he had had true love with her. It had been a lie from the first moment. She had been in love with Wyatt all along. He had just been leftovers. He had just been the one on the side till she got Wyatt for herself.
"Phoebe…" he protested.
"I know. I know. Your pride is hurt as well as your heart. Chris, I think you need some time alone." she replied. "Why don't you go and take a nap instead?"
"Right.. A nap.." he replied. "Aunt Phoebe, I don't think that a nap is going to make this any easier on me."
"Have it your way.. I have something I have to do so." she replied as she made a wave of her hand towards him in a signal for him to leave her alone.
"What is that?" he asked her through slanted eyes already knowing it was something she shouldn't be doing.
"Why conjuring up a new power for myself. I can't just wait around forever for the Tribunal or even the Elders to realize I am so ready for a new power. Sometimes a girl has got to take life into her own hands and that time is now."
"Right," he drawled out deciding to bring his parents in as backup to the situation. "While, you do that I am going to.."
He didn't finish. He knew Phoebe was realizing what he had planned to do as her eyes slit in mistrust. Before she could stop him, he bolted for the door. He had to tell someone what she was doing before this situation got any worse.
"Chris? Chris? Oh come on, Chris. Come back and I'll… I'll help give you another power to. You know, it'll be our little secret." she cried out running after him.
He made it down the stairs to the attic before he quickly turned and used his telekinesis to throw a few dressers in the hallway in her way. He knew otherwise that she would use some of her kickboxing on him and he didn't want to deal with it now. So, he had blocked her way to make it easier for himself to get away in time to tell his parents before she got to him and took him out with a roundhouse kick. Now, his Aunt Phoebe was blocked from descending the stairs after him and he was free to go after his parents without worrying about Phoebe attacking him. Chris ran down the next flight of stairs and ran down the hallway to the kitchen where he heard voices and knew his family had to be.
He pushed opened the door to the kitchen to see the last thing he had ever expected to see in his whole life. His run flew short as he stopped immediately at the sight of her. Victoria was there in front of him. She was only a few inches away from him and she looked so torn. Her dark eyes were like the colors of violets after the rain. They were looking at him with surprise as well as sadness as their eyes met. His breath caught in his throat as her pale mauve lips parted at the sight of him and tears framed her dark eyelashes.
It wasn't her look that stopped him dead halt, but the person who was with her. It wasn't Wyatt for sure. There beside her stood a man fully dressed in black. He had dark black hair that curled under and hung down to his shoulders. His dark eyes glimmered over Chris's souls as a cold chill passed through his body the instant their eyes met. A smile placed itself over the pale face of the man as Chris realized the man was none other then the Death himself.
Death was there in his very kitchen. Right beside him was Victoria looking so torn and holding his hand in her own.
As Victoria took Death's hand in hers she'd felt the world coming back to life around her. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Wyatt turning to look in her direction as if he had finally caught the sight of her. Piper's hand was still resting over his forehead as he did so and Piper's brown eyes blinked as she looked for the phantom fever to explain how her son was acting. Wyatt's cerulean blue eyes met hers as she swallowed hard not knowing what she could do to save herself.
This time she knew Wyatt could see her. His mouth opened in surprise as his eyes met her tortured eyes and then his gaze drifted down to her hand that was resting inside of Death's. She didn't know what to do. All she could do was watch his reaction go from surprise to confusion to realization and then to panic as he realized she wasn't holding Death's hand for her own health.
"Wyatt," she whispered.
"No!" he cried out as he flew straight at them as if he could do something to stop what was already happening.
His dirty blond curls flung into his face as his blue eyes glinted in determination over trying to save her as he did. His long graceful fingers reached for hers as he tried to find purchase. His mother stayed in her spot as she and Leo finally saw Victoria there and realized why their son was acting so weirdly.
Then, she saw someone else entering the room with them. From the opposite side, she saw Chris appear out of no where. He ran into the kitchen as if he was being chased by some unseen evil. His dark hair flew away from his face as he stopped in mid run. His emerald eyes met hers as he did and he swallowed hard at the sight of her with Death.
Just as he did, Wyatt s hand found hers . She felt the briefest touch from his warm hand and then it all feel away into a bright flash of white light. The frazzled white lights that blinded her brought with them a sharp pain that vibrated through her body as she screamed.
She felt knives clawing at her skin as she screamed out in pain. Riptides of freezing cold licked at her skin as it pierced her mind into a current of darkness . All her sense felt as if they were being ripped form her body painfully one by one.
Then, it all stopped. Her deaf ears found no sounds of life around her as her fall stopped. In a bright vibrant current, she was pulled back into herself. She realized then that she'd been pulled hard from her body before being placed inside of it all over again and that was why she had gone through so much pain.
She was lying on the green grass beside the lily pond outside of her house. The sun was gleaming through the clouds everyone once in a while playing a game of peek a boo with her five-year-old self as she watched it. A few lilies were strewn over the ponds murky blue-gray water as she laid peacefully right next to it. Her bright pink and purple fairy wings laid beside her on her other side.
She'd seen something in the pond. It had winked at her as she'd rested beside it. She'd thought at first that it was some form of fairy magic, but then she had been so desperate to have whatever it was that was inside the water that she hadn't even thought of the consequences.
She'd been in the middle of the pond when the weeds growing in it had tangled in her feet. Then, she had panicked not knowing what to do. The next thing she knew she was lying beside the pond. No one had been around to rescue her. She hadn't been able to save herself and yet she had been lying there beside the pond as if nothing had happened.
She'd laid there on the cold hard ground coughing. Then she'd looked up to see a dark shadow above her. She'd never seen the face of the shadow because the sun had blinded her from it.
It had spoken to her though. "Be careful, Victoria. Some things aren't worth dying for." It had whispered to her in a gentle voice filled with some resemblance of warmth.
She had felt his brief touch as he had gently and loving stoked her cheek. Then, he had placed the golden treasure inside the palm of her hand before leaving her to rest on the shore beside the pond.
Before she could get a hold of her bearings, she was transported to her 17th birthday. She had just gotten her car as well as her license. She'd been with her family visiting relatives on the east coast and she'd had to go to the mall to get a few things that her mom had forgotten to get for her party. She had been on her way back and lost control of her car in a freak blizzard that had started while she had been inside the mall.
She'd woken up inside the car. It had been turned upside down in the accident and she hadn't been able to get out. Her cars engine had been off for some time and the cold had sunken into her bones. She had stared to panic. Then he had appeared in the backseat. His shadow had consumed her.
"Shh." he'd whispered into her ear.
"Who?" she asked in surprise as her teeth had chattered.
"That's of no consequence. Help is coming. Don't be afraid."
As if under his spell, she'd fallen asleep once he had spoken to her. A little while later, she had been saved. Everyone had been surprised that in the time that she was there inside of the car she hadn't been frostbite of seriously wounded.
Suddenly, the cold world of her old car disappeared and she found herself back on her wedding day. He was with her again. She was lying on the wooden ground of the veranda sleeping. A few white and red roses were strewn over her as their thorns stroked her skin coarsely. He'd knelt beside her then, and touched her cheek so lovingly as if he were her lover. Then he pulled himself back as he took on a professional standpoint on the situation, "Wake up. It's not your time yet." he'd told her.
Her eyes had opened then to see the world around her. Victoria couldn't help but stand spellbound to realize he had been there with her every time helping her though it. She didn't get a chance to react to any of it though because a moment later she was being transported to another memory and this one she knew too well. This one had been the day her life had started as well as the day her curse had begun.
Instantly she was transported to another day he had been there watching as she and Andrew stood together. It had been slated as her final day on earth in this lifetime. He had been waiting. As she watched the scene unfold around her she was surprised to actually be able to see everything that was going on around her. Which included Death as he waited with a blank expression over his face as he waited for the time to come.
"I've never seen my 19th b-day before." She'd realized as she agreed to life with Andrew.
Ten chimes corrupted the air around them.
"Prove to me you love me." Andrew had said quickly as he'd realized how quickly time was passing.
She'd quickly kissed Andrew passionately letting the kiss let through all the feelings of hope and happiness infiltrate it. She wanted to make him feel exactly what she was feeling. This was the only way she knew how.
Then, Andrew had been pulled out of Wyatt's body. Wyatt then had quickly pulled away from her. As he'd pulled away from their kiss he'd seen her violet-blue eyes open to see him. It was then that he'd saw something inside of her that scared him.
He'd pulled farther away from her as he gasped for breath. It was deadly whatever was inside of her eyes. He'd seen that very look in demons eyes when they killed people. It was a cold and inhumane look that had never been there before. He took a step away from her as confusion went over her ethereal face.
It was then as she watched her life being replayed in this memory that she realized that Wyatt had known for a long time that she had changed.
Eleven chimes past through the room from the clock.
Twleve chimes went through the room as fate caught up with them. Victoria, who'd been looking at him in worry a moment ago, at the end of the last chime, started coughing.
She'd started coughing so hard that it didn't even look as if she were breathing. She'd looked at him and reached out an arm to him, but before he could take it she fell. Wyatt quickly ran the few feet to her and caught her before she could hit the floor.
She'd kept coughing harder and harder in his arms as tears filled her violet-blue eyes. She'd looked up at him with all the fear of a dying woman.
As she watched herself dying the ghost of the pain shivered through her body. Victoria took a gasp of air as she watched feeling as consumed by fate as she watched her memory progress. She glanced over at Death and in his eyes she saw sadness. She had never thought that Death could feel. She would have expected feelings to be too risky for Death in his line of work.
Victoria glanced back at the scene before her as her coughing stopped ragging through her body, but now had then been replaced with her gasping for air that didn't seem to be coming.
She saw the look of fear and determination mingle over Wyatt's face as he looked down on her. He wasn't going to let her go then and she knew he wasn't going to now as she watched him. He surveyed the room looking for something.
His eyes met Chris's and in a silent moment they shared a look of urgency as Chris realized it was his brother. Chris threw the quartz crystal ring straight at Wyatt with his last ounce of strength so that he could put the ring on her finger as quickly as possible.
"Hurry." Chris had told him in a voice barely above a whisper.
Wyatt quickly put the ring onto her wedding ring finger and then watched to see what would happen. Just as he had done that, Death had kneeled down beside her a second before. He had held her hand in his own for one brief moment in time. It was then that her life had vanished and her consciousness had bottomed out.
An instant glow of red light surrounded her body. Death looked up form it with an then he got back to his feet as she fell.
Wyatt hadn't been able to hold onto her. She'd slowly fallen to the ground as if in slow motion. Death had his hand on hers the whole time as she fell to the ground. She knew then that somehow he had kept her from slamming into the ground, and when she had finally hit it the red light broke out of her body and slammed up towards the sky.
Wyatt backed up a few feet and collapsed beside his little brother as they watched the red light glow around her. A moment later, the red light disappeared and the room was turned into the black void it actually was. Wyatt looked on in silence along with Chris as they watched her.
Victoria laid on the floor of the room not moving with her body sprawled straight out in the way she had fallen. At first, Wyatt thought she was dead and they had lost the fight, but then he saw the sudden rise and fall of her chest as she took in her first breath of air.
"Is she.." Chris asked.
"She's fine. Just asleep somehow. I'm thinking this is where sleeping beauty comes into play." Wyatt told his.
"Yeah, well I hope I'm prince charming then." Chris replied, in a ragged voice.
Chris then had kneeled down beside her. There he looked over her peaceful face as he brushed her soft reddish-brown hair away from her pale face. As he did, Death gave up his place next to her and moved away from them. .
Chris watched her for one long moment as he ran his hand through her hair. Then, he'd bent down beside her and kissed her so softly on her rose colored lips. As he kissed her softly she opened her violet eyes to see the world around her.
"Hey." he whispered down at her as she looked into his blazing green eyes once the kiss had ended.
"Hey." she replied, smiling.
Victoria glanced over at Death as her memories went black. She found herself then in the place she expected to be with him. They stood in the Manor. Only this Manor was in black white and gray colors. Everything was subdued and dark here in this world.
She had beat Death before. She had beat him every time and when she hadn't beaten him at his own game he had saved her. She doubted that that was fair in the rule books of life and death. She also knew he would never give her a straight answer for why he had done what he had done in the past. She'd seen his face though. In the last memory, when Chris had kissed her to revive her and in doing so woken her up to live again she had seen the look of pain flash over his face.
Death had somehow in some way fallen in love with her.
Victoria swallowed hard. She had so may questions and so many things to say but she was stopped from saying any of it. She realized that in this dark world where the color black dominated everything she was the only thing in color. The very spot she stood in as well as herself and her clothes were all in color. She doubted that that was right in any way.
She also strangely remembered the myth about Hades kidnapping his own bride for himself and she stared over at Death's pale tired face.
"Was it supposed to hurt?" she whispered in the subdued silence.
"Not unless you were alive when I brought you here," he replied. It was a cryptic answer she knew that, but it finally answered something for her now that she had been afraid of since the moment he had appeared before her.
"I'm not dead then." she replied. It had started as a question but ended up a comment.
"No, not yet."
"But you lead me on!"
"It's a joke I play on a select few," Death replied in dark humor.
"Yeah, but who's laughing?" she replied, annoyed.
"No one, Victoria." an unmistakable voice replied before Death could.
Victoria stopped dead in her place. She had been about to slap Death right across the face for all the mind games he had been playing with her when the voice had broken the silence. She had wanted to hear that voice for years. Her throat closed as she turned so hopeful that her tears fell from her eyes.
There was only one word that she could utter.
"Mommy?"
