The next morning, at about 11- the phone rang.
Wesley.
Each of the girls picked up.
"It's Sardon. He must still be hypnotized! By the city tree. Go!"
"K." They all answered.
They didn't realize their powers were gone. They'd forgotten. But after they transformed they were shocked. Each of them didn't have time to stop though. Erica, Zoey and Renee rushed out by hopping out of their windows while Corrina, Bridgette and Kiki easily walked out the door.
Zoey got there first. She'd been here last year…Mark…she preferred not to think about it. She hoped it would be a quick battle.
"Zoey. Eliminate. Fire fan!" Sardon said, he was still being controlled. Zoey dodged the attack, and by then, everyone else had arrived. The guys- Mark, Elliot, and Wesley got out the car.
Blue Aqua appeared. Sardon reached for it.
"Oh no. You won't win!" Kiki jumped onto the tree and climbed up, once close enough she used her special attack.
"What is she doing?" Renee gasped. "It'll make the explosion much bigger! Don't children learn?"
Erica stared at Sardon and then she called out to Zoey, "Rub up against him. Trust me!" And Zoey shrugged and did that- going into cat mode.
The spell broke and Sardon excused himself.
"That's done, but what about that?" Erica exclaimed in worry, pointing towards the blue aqua. Too late.
The mew aqua busted. Wesley and Mark hopped into the car and hid under the dashboard.
"Elliot?" Erica called, seeing him not in the car. She saw him. "Elliot!" He looked up at her. And the aqua hit him. "No!" She gasped and went to him. Not again.
Zoey knew how she felt. She grabbed Mark.
Wesley said, "Transform back. I just called the ambulance. You can go with him."
"But-" the girls' started.
"No. Elliot needs Erica the most."
"Wesley?"
"Erica?"
"You've known him the longest…maybe you should…"
Wesley cut her off. "But he's closest to you."
"Oh…Wesley thank you." Tears welled up in her eyes. She hugged him. "I owe you my life Wesley." she whispered.
The ambulance came and took Elliot. Erica stood in the corner of the moving van watching the paramedics fidget over him.
At the hospital, Erica stood at the door of the surgery room.
Suddenly, she heard Mark and Zoey's voice. "Can we see Elliot Grant please?"
"He's in surgery." The receptionist replied.
Zoey got steamed and opened her mouth but Mark, Corrina, Bridgette, and Kiki got at the ready to stop her. Wesley stood there patiently, with worry in his eyes. And Renee held up her head.
"I'm Renee Roberts. And we'd like to know where Erica Sandler is. The girl that came with Elliot Grant."
"Miss Roberts, of course. She's down the hall. Been looking at the surgery room door for about a half hour, poor thing." She pointed them in the direction.
"Thank you." Renee whipped her hair around as she turned and led the way to Erica.
"Wow, Renee- you're so famous." Corrina said in admiration.
"It's no big deal. Elliot's our friend." While everyone wanted to cry and did, Renee didn't. She couldn't. Elliot took care of all of them in a way, but she had to be strong and crying doesn't do anything.
Erica didn't break her glaring at the door to see them. She heard them rather.
"All my fault." she whispered. "All mine."
"Erica?" Zoey asked. Erica didn't acknowledge it. Suddenly Kiki and Bridgette said-
"It's okay."
And Erica collapsed into Renee's arms.
"It's always my fault. Everything. Mine." Erica sobbed, while Renee petted Erica's hair.
"He's going to be fine." Renee tried to convince everybody- she did what she did for a living- act.
"Miracles happen on the Holy Night." Zoey said and hugged Mark- as if for proof.
Erica stood up and wiped her eyes. "Only God can help me now. Bt it's you guys who are the angels. Thanks." And they all gathered into a big group hug.
"Let's go to the waiting room. It's not as depressing." Bridgette smiled.
"The surgery is over. You'll need to keep talking to him, he's unstable. And still unconscious." the surgeon told them after another hour in the waiting room.
"Thank you."
Everyone else went in besides Erica who held her head in her hands.
"Go Erica. Maybe you can wake him up." Zoey suggested when they got back.
Erica nodded sadly, and walked into the room. She wanted to turn and walk right back out, but she forced herself to keep going.
She sat in the chair next to the bed. It pained her not to see Elliot talking.
"I know you can't hear me Ellie. And it's my fault. All I do is cause problems. I'm thinking about resigning. The evil has been defeated. You don't need me anymore. I guess that this is goodbye…bye Elliot." Erica got up and walked to the door. She had her hand on the doorknob, about to open the door, when his eyes opened.
"Erica. Wait up." Elliot said, sitting up. "I'll come with you." Erica's smile returned.
Thank the Lord. Miracles do happen.
It was heavily snowing now, and the pair came to the town tree.
"I love you, you know that right?" Elliot said, looking up at the decorated, bright tree in contrast to the stars and night sky.
"I do. I love you too."
"Then why would you think about resigning?"
"I don't know…" he caught her off guard.
"I got you this." Elliot took out a necklace and a bracelet.
The bracelet was gold with a red fox as the centerpiece and the necklace was also gold and had a heart.
"A locket?" she looked at it as he put it on for her.
"Open it."
She did. On one side was a picture of her and Elliot. On the other was a picture of everyone.
"I love it Elliot! The bracelet and necklace…but I can't take it."
"Why not?" he became increasingly scared for a second.
"I didn't get you anything. All the shops had closed."
He laughed and breathed a sigh of relief. "The best thing I got was you. Your laughter. Your smile. That's my gift from you."
"Elliot." she hugged him tightly, slightly tearing up.
The others watched from afar.
"Who knew Elliot was so sentimental." Zoey said.
"Merry Christmas guys." Renee whispered.
"Merry Christmas Elliot." Erica told him as she kissed him.
"Merry Christmas Erica…merry Christmas…" and they continued to kiss in the falling snow.
The End