This fic is gonna be sooooooooooooooooooooo much longer than it prequel.

Especially this chapter. Nearly four pages on Microsoft Word and nearly two hours of my life here, so you'd better read and review.

Chapter 10

Susana Elizabeth Montana-Petrocchi was one month old and not in a very happy mood. Chrestomanci supposed he should be thankful for that, if there's one thing that could distract the crowd of impatient Italians from rioting it was trying to quieten the first baby between the two spell houses in two centuries.

Still, it would be nice if she was a little quieter, he was trying to think, and mixed with the other young children it was starting to hurt his head.

"So what are we going to do?" he half shouted to Conrad over the yelling of the baby, who Rosa insisted on holding when she was right next to him.

"I don't know." Conrad replied loudly. "Just sit and wait 'til it shifts back, I guess."

"Hasn't it occurred to you I could help?" Cat asked from beside them.

"Don't be silly, Eric-" Conrad started.

Cat looked furious, but both were prevented from saying more when Susana let out her loudest yell yet.

"Oh give her here." Millie said and took the baby from Rosa, who looked at her gratefully.

Janet approached them then. "I've helped count up everyone, but I can't seem to find Tonino or Kitty anywhere!"

"Hold her, Christopher." Millie said, standing up again immediately and handing him the baby, who promptly threw up all over his suit.

Cat followed Millie, simply so Chrestomanci would not see him laughing.

Chrestomanci stared at Susana with a sort of frozen horror on his face, glad his children were way past that stage.

Susana giggled as Conrad roared with laughter.

"At least you're happy." Chrestomanci muttered, handing the baby to Conrad and rushing off to find a bathroom. Maybe he could still save the suit.

---------

Cat and Janet took the left of the Casa, Millie took the right. That could still take a while, but hey, better than nothing.

Janet glanced out of the window, just by chance as they walked past, and saw two children walking as if hypnotised towards a woman. "Look Cat! They're there! Should we get Millie, or…"

"No time." Cat replied, and without another word grabbed Janet's arm and together they headed for the nearest door.

--------

A probability shift, two children missing, a suit ruined, young Italian children running around screaming for caramella (sweets), adolescents sulking in the corners and a baby once again crying in his lap. Christopher Chant couldn't help but think this wasn't his day. Conrad had dumped Susana on him again as soon as he'd came back, and left with the other adults to search for Tonino and Kitty. Chrestomanci had tried to ague, but failed.

Oh goody, a flashback

"You hold the baby Christopher."

"What? You were doing just fine yourself, Conrad!"

"Yes, but someone needs to go and help the other adults look for the children, and help reinforce the Casa's protection spells."

"I could do that! Better than you could!"

"Yes, but someone needs to look after the children."

"You could do that!"

"Ah, but Christopher, you forget…I don't want to."

And Conrad had laughed and followed the older magic users out of the room, leaving Chrestomanci alone with a probability shift, two children missing, a suit ruined, young Italian children running around screaming for caramella, adolescents sulking in the corners and a baby once again crying in his lap.

End flashback

Chrestomanci tried rocking the baby about a little.

Susana threw up on him again, and giggled.

Ah well.

At least it wasn't crying now, he thought grimly.

------

They found a door and pushed outside. Cat had the sense to cast a spell. "To find our way back." he explained to Janet.

Janet didn't want to think about what would happen if they didn't find their way back.

The outside of Casa Montana was not as it had been not half and hour previously. The trees were a different type, and the angel statue over the gate was broken. The two children walked briskly across the huge grounds, knowing full well there would now be adults (and probably Julia and Rodger too) out and about looking for Tonino and the Goddess as well.

Under what looked like some sort of palm tree, they saw an old woman grab the two children by the wrists. This seemed to wake them up, and their eyes went wide with fear. Janet gasped. "It's her, Cat!" she exclaimed. "From the alley!"

"Let them go!" Cat demanded.

The witch looked up, grinning toothlessly. "Why now, if it ain't young Eric!" she crowed.

"I said, let them go!" Cat repeated, clenching his hands into fists.

"Now, Eric, now, Eric, don't go talkin' to yer elders like that! I'll let ye choose, will I, Eric?"

Cat wished she'd stop using his name. "I'm not going to choose between them!" Cat spat.

The witch just smiled and turned to Tonino, who was struggling against her with all his might, and suddenly he went limp. "Boy. 'oo is tha' li'l lady, and 'oo is she to Eric?" She shook her other arm where the Goddess was also leaning against the tree, quite deprived of energy.

Tonino shook his head weakly. "I shall never tell you!" And then he yelled in obvious pain.

"Stop it! Stop it, you beast!" Janet yelled, only stopping running towards them by Cat holding her back.

"I will, my dearie, when 'e answers me question!"

Tonino gasped, tears running down his cheeks. "Her name is Kitty! She's Cats friend! Please do stop! Arrestilo prego!"

"And you, girl." The witch said, ignoring Tonino's pleas. "'oo is he?"

"I shan't give him away." The Goddess replied, in obvious pain herself. "Not if you're going to hurt him."

"Tell me girl, or I will 'urt 'im, and ye too!"

She tweaked her wrist and the Goddess screamed. Cat and Janet both started forwards, but there was some sort of magical barrier and they were thrown backwards. This explained why there were no adults fining them, Cat thought.

"His name's Tonino." The Goddess replied, unable to take it. "He's Cat's friend, that's all. And if you don't stop, Chrestomanci will get you!" and she proceeded to start calling on her guardian.

"Don't waste yer energy, love, 'e can't hear ye!" the witch cackled. "Alrigh', Eric, pick. Yer girlfriend or yer buddy?"

Janet was signalling to Cat now. "I want to talk about it with my sister." Cat replied, clearly. "You aren't to hurt them."

Even while panicking, Janet grinned to hear the words 'my sister'. She couldn't help herself. She whispered to Cat for a few minutes and then Cat turned round to reply. "I will swap you Tonino and Kitty for Janet." He said, hoping to God Janet's plan would work.

"Why would I want to be doin' that, Eric?" The witch asked.

"Because Kitty can't do magic and Tonino's terrible at it." Cat replied, lying through his teeth. "Can't you feel that?"

"Ah, but tha' could just be my spells, couldn't it Eric?" the witch replied.

"Yes, but I swear they can't anyway. But I'm a nine lived enchanter, and Janet here is my sister. Surely you realise this makes her an incredibly powerful enchantress in her own right." While saying this, Cat made a slight gesture with his hand.

"Alrigh' then. The witch said after an age. "Alrigh', send her over and I'll send these two worthless pieces o' skin an' bones."

Cat nodded, shooting the Goddess, who quite obviously was about to attack the witch, magic or no.

The barrier parted slightly and Tonino and the Goddess came through and Cat sent Janet in.

The witch stood with Janet held by the arm. "Oh yes, very strong magic 'ere…" she said greedily.

Cat had by then finished telling the Goddess and Tonino what to do. He cancelled the spell making it appear that Janet could cast magic.

"You cheated me, boy! I'll kill 'er now, an' then get all of yeh! Don't yeh realise yeh're trapped?" The witch hissed.

Cat and the Goddess instantly started casting a spell, and Tonino sang loudly for all he was worth to back them up. The many barriers surrounding them slowly disintegrated, and then all four children cried for all the were worth

"Chrestomanci! Chrestomanci! Chrestomanci!"

There was a whoosh of wind and Chrestomanci appeared, Susana Montana-Petrocchi in one arm and sick all down his front. Yet he still managed to look impressive.

He took a look around and handed Susana to the Goddess. He then turned to the witch, ready to do unspeakable things to her, it seemed, but she threw Janet to the ground and vanished.

Janet slowly sat up and Cat ran to help her.

"Are you alright?" he asked anxiously.

"I'm alive." Janet replied grimly. "Are the G-I mean, are Kitty and Tonino alright?"

Cat nodded, hauling Janet to her feet. The walked over to the others, Janet with her arm around Cat's shoulder and limping slightly, just in time to hear the Goddess give Chrestomanci a thorough telling off.

"..And you're supposed to be a nine-lived enchanter, not a babysitter. Surely you realised there'd be protection spells up. What sort of a Chrestomanci are you anyway?"

"It's nice to see you're alright." Chrestomanci muttered. "Tonino?"

"I am unharmed."

"Janet?" he added.

"Just dying" Janet replied cheerfully.

And then, all of a sudden, there was another sideways shift and everything was normal again.

"Good. Let's go back up to the Casa." Chrestomanci replied.

"Oh, don't mind me. Next Chrestomanci standing right here." Cat said huffily. "You have three lives left, Eric it doesn't matter if you die." He imitated Chrestomanci quite well.

Everyone had to laugh, even Janet, who was quite obviously in quite a bit of pain.

Susana stated yelling impatiently

"We'd better be getting this one to her mother." The Goddess added. "You're rubbish with kids, Chrestomanci, you know that? I'm surprised Rodger and Julia are still alive. But then, I guess they had Millie…"

Cat grinned. The Goddess had a way to cheer everyone up, no matter what the occasion.

And he had a feeling they were going to need her around a lot.

A little bit of drama mixed in with some Comic relief. Who's the best Chrestomanci based author ever? I'll answer that. Diana Wynne Jones. Lol, review?