Oh yeah, I do not own W.I.T.C.H. or any of the characters, the plot is totally a work of my twisted little mind...

Busted #17: Guardians Do Your Thing!

Will's POV

Well it turns out, getting to my mom was the easiest thing we had to do on the list. She was easy to find, cause she was in the apartment sulking on the couch drinking a glass of wine.

Uber-earth girl and Hay Lin flew in the open living room window, while Irma and I hovered invisibly outside watching and hoping.

My mom was shocked and I think becoming instantly angry.

Cornelia didn't waste letting my mom get riled up, she just started scanning her. Just like Cornelia's dad, green veins popped out all over her. The only difference was that with my mom, the veins were thicker and didn't stop at her neck. Whole blotches of her face were green. To tell the truth, she looked a little like the wicked witch of the west from the Wizard of Oz.

Freaky.

The seed that popped out of my mom was at least three times the size of the one inside Cornelia's dad. My mom passed out after it came out. Again Hay Lin handled disposal of the seed.

Looking in I had to admit I was really worried about my mom. But seed or no seed, I wasn't ready to talk to her yet. It was safer to just stay here.

Cornelia's mom arrived just as we were ready to leave. It takes quite a bit longer to travel across town by car than by flying. She'd stay with my mom until she woke up. I trusted Mrs. Hale to make sure she was okay and explain everything to her.

We headed to Heatherfield General Hospital.

Irma's POV

It wasn't hard to find Taranee. After twenty years on the force, my dad was well known at every hospital in the city. Every nurse knew exactly who we were looking for and pointed us straight to him.

We found him leaned against the wall outside of an exam room. He told us Taranee was in one being treated for injuries that weren't too serious. She'd be uncomfortable but she'd be okay. Nigel was in the room two door down getting his ribs wrapped.

The worry on my dad's face made him look old. It just didn't fit his usually smiling face. Did he looked like that when I was in the hospital?

I explained to him everything that happened. He lead us to the nearest waiting room then told Cornelia to scan him.

I breathed a relieved sigh and started dialing my mom as soon as Cornelia pronounced him clean. By the time we came out of the waiting room, Nigel was walking out of the exam room looking a little stiff. Cornelia and Hay Lin pulled him into the waiting room while my dad and I stood watch outside the door.

A few minutes later, they exited all wearing smiles. Cornelia mouthed "He's clean."

We all moved back down the hall to the where Taranee was. Then we waited. After about twenty minutes, the door opened and the doctor and two nurses walked out telling Taranee as he left that she could get dressed and they would discharge her.

Taranee sat on the edge of the exam table with a butterfly bandage by her right eye, swelling on the left side of her face and a black eye. She had a couple of red scratches on her neck and a white patch peeked out from under the front of the hospital gown.

Will grabbed the doctor's sleeve and begged, "She's our best friend can we see her now?"

The doctor smiled and said, 'Sure," then looked at Nigel and said, "but you need to wait out here with Officer Lair."

Nigel gave a quick nod then wave at Taranee before the door closed.

We ran in and rushed Taranee with hugs. We were all talking, trying to tell her everything at once.

Taranee tried to smile, but it turned into a wince of pain. Then we were all apologizing at the same time.

"Give me a second guys, I need to get dressed. I'm really ready to get out of here.

So while she dressed, we told her Elyon is here. Then we told her about the seeds of malice and how right Caleb was.

Once Taranee was dressed, Cornelia transformed and gave her a scan. With a smile Cornelia gave Taranee a thumbs up. Then we were ready to leave.

I think my dad and Nigel could tell the outcome of the scan by our huge smiles as we walked out. As we headed to the car, we asked my dad how could we get to Mrs. Cook since the last time anyone saw her she was in police custody.

This would be the hardest scans to get.

With a smile my dad said, "That's easy, she's at home. She was released about an hour ago into your father's care. It seems they think that her behavior is so out of character that they had her evaluated by a psychologist. His preliminary diagnosis is a stress induced break down.

Even though the location was now know. I was still concerned that it would be majorly difficult. After all, Taranee's family seems to be the hardest effected so far: both her parents and Peter were not their normal selves.

I only hope we can save them for this spell before it destroys their lives and the heart of one of my best friends.

Hay Lin's POV

Irma and her dad took Taranee home. That left me, Will and Cornelia to find the Cooks and Peter.

I'm really glad we can fly. It makes things a lot easier.

We stopped outside the window of the Cooks bedroom. The couple sat on the edge of the bed, Mr. Cook had one arm around his wife and held her hand with the other. Mrs. Cook shoulders shook as she hung her head and from what I could tell cried.

"What are we going to do?" I asked Will, "Cornelia can't scan them at the same time."

"I guess we wait until one of them leaves the room," Will answered.

"Guys, I've been thinking about something: if these things are seed then the longer they're 'planted' the deeper their roots go and the harder they are to pull out completely. I don't think we want to waste any time...if there's a seed in Mrs. Cook it could make her kill Taranee the next time she sees her...or hurt Peter."

I had to admit Cornelia had point. That's when I got a brilliant idea and I told the girls, "We can us a glamour!"

Together we cast a simple glamour consisting of Peter coming home and asking his dad to talk. As Mr. Cook pulled himself away to talk to the phantom Peter, Cornelia and I entered the room, still holding the glamour in place so Judge Cook never saw or heard us. We didn't want to take any risks on volatile behavior.

Cornelia started the scan, and Judge Cook began to cough immediately. I could feel my eyes grow wide as her entire skin turned putrid green, no veins, no patches of normal skin...just green.

If she weren't choking and adding a deep blue color to her face, I think she would have reminded me of a walking string bean.

I tried to get behind her to perform the Heimlich like Caleb had but Judge Cook started swinging wildly. I'm sure the glamour was still in place, so it must have been a side effect of the seed.

I watched as the coughing ceased and became a weak wheeze. If she didn't get air soon, she'd be dead.

I began ran to the bath room and returned with a towel. Then I began pulling the air out of Mrs. Cook.

At first nothing happened. So I began pulling air from her in staccato bursts, hoping she would be able to breath at some point.

I really don't want to kill Taranee's mom.

From the hall, Will yelled, "How's it going in there?"

With clenched teeth, Cornelia managed to say, "Not well."

I could see it was taking all she had to keep pulling out the seed.

In one last attempt, I pressed sharply against Mrs. Cooks diaphragm and pulled the last of the air from her body.

She stopped coughing and lay still as the air flowed out. I watched as a large lump came up, distorting her throat. As it cleared her mouth I caught it with the towel, it was about the size of a small plum. I quickly blew and pushed air back into her lungs and hoped with all my heart.

Cornelia leaned back against the wall trying to catch her breath and watched with me.

Slowly, Mrs. Cook's chest began to rise and fall. She was laying on the floor, but she'd be okay until we were done.

Cornelia headed out the room towards Peter's room and I followed.

Cornelia's POV

It was strange entering the room and seeing the glamour we cast. The phantom Peter looked so much like my Peter.

Will stood to the side quietly watching Mr. Cook hold a detailed conversation with 'Peter' about college choices. If only we had such mundane worries.

I was so very tired, but not to tired to see this through. I started the scan and watched as Mr. Cook began to clear his throat. He coughed about two more times then the tiniest red spore flew up and out of his mouth. Funny thing is, Mr. Cook never even noticed it land at his feet because of the glamour.

I would have thought he would have at least felt it. Also he did turn green, no change whatsoever.

After he finished clearing his throat Mr. Cook resumed talking to 'Peter'.

Hay Lin picked up the seed with the same towel that held the seed from Mrs. Cook.

Before we left the room, Hay Lin used her mind control powers to suggest Mr. Cook check on his wife and make her comfortable then to take a nap.

As his eyes glossed of under the compulsion, we let the glamour fade and all three of us headed to the kitchen to destroy the seeds.

Will called Irma's parents and while Hay Lin and I took the vapor up to the atmosphere. We were being care just like Yan Lin instructed, using the buddy system at all times when dealing with the seeds or the vapor. We wouldn't risk losing one of us due to carelessness. We went back to the Cook house, settling in to wait for Mr. and Mrs. Lair's arrival.

The whole time we waited, I nervously looked out the window, hoping that every car that drove by was Peters. It was almost nine pm and no one had any idea where he was.

Why didn't he call me?

I wrapped my arms around myself and paced the living room as a thousand fears played in my mind.

Peter where are you?

Irma's POV

So this is how things worked out: Taranee stayed at my house. Elyon stayed at Cornelia's house. And Will stayed at Hay Lin's house. Peter never came home that night and never called anyone.

It was almost midnight when Cornelia and I talked on the phone confirming that both sets of parents were home and the the Cooks and Susan Vandom were okay and could be left alone.

Needless to say, Caleb was not happy with me for sitting up and worrying until midnight. But I just couldn't go to bed until my parents were home safe. I think Cornelia felt the same.

When all of this started three years ago, we never dreamed it would involve all our families. Actually, I think we've been continually praying that it would never be able to threaten them - now we knew those wishes were in vain.

I was mentally and physically worn out. All the drama with Taranee, the worry and work are a lot to handle in your first trimester of pregnancy. When I climbed into bed, Caleb was close behind me, turning off the alarm clock be for he turned of the light.

"Before you say anything, we are NOT going to school tomorrow." Caleb told me.

"Okay," I was too tired to argue, plus hadn't I already been wondering how to get out of going to school today and tomorrow? I just never dreamed how that wish would come true.

Caleb wrapped his arm around me and buried his face in my hair. I heard him mumble, "Mmm, I love your hair, I love the way it feels and smells. This is the way I like to fall asleep. I love you babe."

"I love you too, Caleb," I answered back. Even though it had been such a hard day, I have to admit it ended well. I snuggled into his embrace and fell into a warm, welcoming slumber.

Tomorrow had to be better...right?

Cheers!