"...then x must equal 3?" Melinda enquired, staring down at the pages of her work book with a furrowed brow, seemingly deep in concentration though not making much sense of Math at all. It all just seemed to be a jumble of words, numbers and letters that Melinda frankly didn't care about. She looked up briefly from her work book when there was no reply and saw Reese sitting back in her chair, wringing a pencil impatiently in her hands and chewing her lip nervously, her mouth moving every now and then as if she were running possibilities over in her mind. She began tapping the pencil absently against her opposite palm before Melinda waved a hand in front of her face and said, "Hello? Earth to Reese?"
Reese blinked and looked up at Melinda in confusion, obviously so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even heard her question.
"What were we talking about?" Reese asked offhandedly, again twisting her hands tightly around the pencil, clearly unable to keep still. Melinda sighed and slumped her shoulders forward, clasping her hands together before looking back up to observe Reese. She was wearing a fitted pair of indigo jeans and a white lacy singlet under a burgundy velvet coat, her hair curled around her face and her cropped fringe brought to one side. She always seemed to hold such an air of composure, even when her walls were crashing down around her, even when her gut was twisting into knots on the inside, to the untrained eye she was always ready for anything. And tonight was no different.
"Reese, it's okay. We don't have to do this. Really." Melinda pleaded, hoping she could distract Reese enough so that she wouldn't have to endure any more of this unbearable subject known as Math. She stood up from her spot behind her desk and added in a cheerful voice, "I'm sure Dad could use some help in the kitchen?". She went to take a step across the room when she caught Reese's unimpressed glare before she said, "Sit" in a monotone, no nonsense voice.
"But Reese! Can't we just accept that Math is not my strong point so I can blow up my text book?" Melinda complained, throwing her arms up in exasperation before they landed on her hips. She let out a deep sigh and flopped back into her chair, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting unattractively.
"There will be no blowing things up on my watch! I may be engaged to your brother but Piper would still kill me!" Reese argued back with a swish of her hand, still clutching the pencil tightly between her fingers.
"Would you put that thing down? You're making me nervous!" Melinda complained, plucking the pencil from Reese's hand before she had time to react.
"Hey! I was using that!" She retorted, bringing her eyebrows down into a scowl.
"No, you were choking the poor thing. I'm surprised there's any pencil left." Melinda explained, her expression sarcastic and a small smirk coming to her lips.
"You have been spending way too much time around Wyatt." Reese replied in a mutter, rolling her eyes to the ceiling and clearly frustrated by the fact that Melinda was bugging her almost as much as her big brother could.
"Does that mean I win?" Melinda asked with a wide, cheeky smile and Reese snorted and was about to answer when the sound of shattering glass and a hollow thud echoed from downstairs followed by silence. Reese was out of her chair in an instant, her head cocked slightly to the side and listening intently for any further noise. When the manor remained eerily silent, she turned around to face Melinda who's eyes were wide in fright and worry for Leo who had been downstairs in the kitchen. Reese swallowed hard and set her jaw determinedly and said just above a whisper, "Stay here. Don't let anyone pass this door."
Her tone was dangerous and filled with authority and though Melinda wanted to argue that she should accompany Reese downstairs, she saw the steely quality of her eyes and knew what she had said had been an order, not a request. Melinda nodded her understanding before pulling the first draw of her desk open and pulling out a satchel filled with potions and turned back to the door, signalling she was ready for anything. Reese licked her lips nervously before pulling the door open slowly and peering down the hall. Nothing there. She slipped outside cautiously, keeping her back to the door as she felt the click of it closing before the sound of a lock turning resonated loudly down the hallway. Reese stepped as soundlessly as possible across the wooden floorboards, stopping every now and then when one creaked beneath her feet before continuing down the first flight of stairs. She peaked her head around the corner and through the slats of the stair case leading down into the bottom floor of the Halliwell manor, seeing the broken vase shattered across the floor and Leo's still form sprawled over the rug, a deep cut bleeding freely across his temple. Reese placed a hand over her mouth to stop herself from gasping, hoping with everything she had that Leo was okay. She warily began the decent down the last of the stairs, being careful not to trip over the carpet and lose her footing. A terrified scream pierced the stillness of the manor and Reese felt her blood run cold as the sound of a struggle upstairs filled her ears.
"Melinda!" Reese cried out, turning to race back up the stairs but she froze upon seeing the cruel features of Barbas materialise upon the stair above her, his eyes dark and filled with malice.
"Ahh, Reese, we meet again. Yet now..." Barbas reached out a hand and touched her face sending horrified shivers down her body and she felt bile rise in her throat.
"So sweet. So pure." He growled, running a long fingernail across her cheek and down to her neck before sending her forcefully down the stairs, letting out a heartless cackle as she toppled in a heap on the floor. Reese groaned and got to her feet, raising her hand to strike out with her telekinesis but Barbas raised his finger to stop her as the sound of Melinda's terrified wailing erupted beside her and she instantly saw the demon with Melinda in his clutches, a purple bruise forming along her jaw and her nose bleeding.
"You will bend to me, Reese. Or she dies." Barbas snarled as the demon produced a sharp athamae from his belt and held it against Melinda's throat.
"No, don't!" Reese instinctively cried out, clutching at the legs of her jeans to stop her from raising her hands.
"All I wanted was you, Reese. You know that. You're all I ever wanted." Barbas said in a low, dangerous voice, spittle spraying from his mouth as he spoke. He pulled back his cloak and in his lanky fingers he held the sharp blade of an athamae, its hilt black and covered in inscriptions. Reese saw Melinda's hands come up before she could try to stop her and an explosion rippled across Barbas and he stumbled back slightly though otherwise was unharmed. The demon pressed the blade tightly against Melinda's throat as blood began to trickle down her neck as every breath she took forced the knife closer to her skin.
"Melinda, no!" Reese called out and when Melinda looked up into her eyes she saw the decision that Reese had already made.
"Reese, no, you can't!" Melinda said, her voice choking up with tears even as she tried to say the words.
"Mel, trust me. Please. Promise me you'll do what I ask." Reese said to her, her tone so determined, so sure of herself. Even in such a hopeless situation she stayed strong, knowing the one thing that could change everything and willing to do it to see Melinda safe. Anything to see her family safe. Tears clouded Melinda's vision as she shook her head, tried to protest, to say "no, I won't let you" but the words wouldn't come.
"Promise me." Reese said again and Melinda saw the resolve in her eyes. She knew that fate had led her here and that there was no way around the situation. She let her eyes drop, feeling the sting of the dagger at her throat and knowing that this was the only way but not being able to accept that.
"So touching. You humans make me sick." Barbas spat, inching toward Reese again but this time she didn't flinch away, standing her ground though her eyes were filled with terrified tears, afraid of the unknown. And suddenly afraid of dying. She closed her eyes and let one thought overtake her, wrapping her in warmth and comfort for that mere moment in time. The feel of Chris' lips against her own, the feel of his strong and safe arms wrapped around her, wrapped around her heart and soul, whispering sweet nothings and reassurance, making her heart glad.
Reese smiled then, let the tears spill down her cheeks, felt the evil, maniacal hand clutching her shoulder hard, the fingers digging deep into her flesh until the sudden force of overwhelming white hot pain consumed her abdomen, knocking all the breath out of her and forcing her forward, her legs trembled and gave out but still Barbas trapped her in his grasp, pushing the dagger further, twisting until black dots filled her vision and her head began to swim. Reese let her head hang like a rag doll at his side feeling blood rising in her throat, crimson spit dribbling from her lips as the effort of breath started to become to much. She let out a tired wheeze, her whole body shuddering as screaming filled her ears.
Barbas spun her in circles, his ecstasy clearly too great for him to contain and he danced her around the room like a lifeless corpse as her will to live began to slip away. She heard someone calling, calling her name and the sound of a struggle. Silence enveloped her every thought but beneath the haze of her death she saw the blood smeared across Barbas' hand and watched as he touched the warm liquid to his lips and licked them hungrily before purring, "A witch's blood. So pure."
Reese felt the hot metal remove slickly from her gaping wound, felt the wetness and cold against her singlet grow as Barbas pushed her to the wall, letting her sink down to the floor in a heap, her head lolling forward of its own accord as ragged breaths escaped her lungs, the sound of gurgling blood and suffering filling the quiet room. Reese tried to see, her vision clouded by black spots and tears but as she looked up for the last time she saw a woman turn around momentarily to face her, a cruel grin creeping across her full lips before Barbas began shouting at her, something about "not being seen" and that "they were coming" before the woman disappeared from the manor.
Reese saw Barbas stare down at her one last time, savouring the death of a witch and the death of an enemy. She felt the world begin to swirl, felt her vision shudder and fade as her blood filled lungs tried desperately to breath. With her last ounce of strength, Reese muttered the one thing, the only thing she thought of in her last moments, just one name, before she breathed no more.
Please don't hate me!! Urgh, this chapter was so sad to write but don't you worry, this isn't the end I promise. Definitely one of the hardest chapters I've written so far.