Chapter Thirteen
The Manor was quiet, a little too quiet. The silence that filled it wasn't peaceful, though. It seemed to be screaming into the ears of the witches who were standing in the middle of the conservatory, prepared for anything. Jennifer had made it clear, Malachi had only one objective in mind, and that was Wyatt. He would return in Chris's body to get what he'd come for. He would get the Twice-Blessed and all his powers if it was the last thing he did.
The trio had planned quickly. The newcomer had insisted on a full frontal assault, tricking Malachi into getting close and then using her power of invisibility to stab him when he least expected it. Obviously, Piper and Wyatt hadn't been very receptive of the plan. Despite being possessed by an evil spirit, it was still Chris's body, and if he was stabbed and killed, there was no certainty that he would be able to return like he had last time. Wyatt personally knew how difficult recovering from a knife wound could be, and he had no desire to put his little brother through that.
The two Halliwells had quickly improvised several potions. A few were to put Chris's body into a static state, unable to move or leave; others that would hopefully expel the spirit; and even a spell, hastily remembered, to put him to sleep. Jennifer thought they would all turn out to be useless, but she hadn't spoken her mind. She knew from reputation that the Charmed family was a tight-knit one, that would protect every single one of its members until their dying breath, and maybe even further. She couldn't understand that. Sure, she'd had a fiancé, and her every thought was turned to vengeance, but other than that, she couldn't imagine risking her life for anyone. There just didn't seem to be a point to die for somebody else. It was just useless, and she knew that the only way to destroy Malachi was to stab his host body through the heart. He'd made that abundantly clear when he'd first taken control of her beloved. Both Wyatt and Piper were just kidding themselves into believing they would destroy the spirit without destroying the younger Charmed boy. And, this assumption would just return to kick them in the butt.
That was why Jennifer was prepared. While the Twice-Blessed and his mother had worked to figure out a non-violent way to settle it all, Jennifer had been seeking out the best point for her to lurk in. She knew what Malachi would do; she'd been studying him for long enough that his methods had become amazingly clear. He would appear with an army of demons and approach Wyatt. He'd then possess the witch and become all-powerful, unless Jennifer was there to help it. As usual, he'd forget her and her 'simple' power until it was too late. And, at the moment when the athame entered his heart, he would die with the knowledge that the little witch he'd ruled out as being 'meaningless' had been the one to destroy him. It was all Jennifer could ask for.
So, despite thinking that both Wyatt and Piper had been ridiculous for believing they could rid Chris of the spirit without killing him, Jennifer was slightly satisfied with that fact. If they were trying to kill him, and then succeeded, Jennifer would never be able to get her revenge. She'd never be able to feel satisfied and happy, knowing that she'd managed to avenge the death and possession of her fiancé. She had to be the one to kill Malachi, it was the only way to rest easy.
"Ok, so this potion should kill the spirit when we get it out of Chris." Piper's voice brought Jennifer back to the present moment, and to the pending battle. The Halliwell matriarch was holding a small green vial. "I made it with some very powerful ingredients, and added some ground ghost-repelling items, so it should function as a spirit vanquishing potion." She set it down on the table with the others. Her older son was nodding.
"Let's go over it again," Piper continued. "As soon as Chris appears, I throw this potion at him to make him freeze." She waited for Wyatt and Jennifer to speak their parts.
Wyatt opened his mouth and continued. "Once he's frozen, Jennifer and I will take out any demons that he brings with him. As soon as that's done, we use the crystal cage and the spirit expelling potion." The cage had been Jennifer's idea. She'd been rather unhelpful with the potion-making, but had insisted on using the crystal cage to keep Malachi trapped and unable to find a new host. Both Piper and Wyatt had been unable to argue with her logic. "We orb Chris out and use the vanquishing potion, and we're good." Both the Halliwells seemed satisfied, while Jennifer just watched on, her eyes gleaming with doubts and hidden plans.
"It should work," Piper muttered to herself as she looked over the potions once more, checking and double-checking. Actually, by that point, it was quadruple-checking. She was worried that all their plans wouldn't work, and they would find themselves with no way to get the spirit out of Chris. But, despite all of Jennifer's urgings, she would not allow the witch to put a knife through her son's heart. She remembered Prue doing it once for her, but she would not risk it. It was her son, and she would exhaust every chance she had before even considering the dagger. Chris shouldn't have to die for the spirit to leave him. He shouldn't have. His fate couldn't be so.
"All we do now is wait," Jennifer mentioned, the first words she'd spoken for a long while. Both Wyatt and Piper seemed surprised to hear her speak after being silent for so long. Wyatt especially eyed her, wondering how much more there was to her that he didn't know. She seemed to be extremely determined, bordering on stubborn. She was also very driven, and as she'd planned with them, Wyatt couldn't deny that it had a sort of appeal to it. Somehow, the very qualities that made her appear cold, made her also very, well, sexy. And although Wyatt was kicking himself for thinking of that now, when his little brother was in danger, he just couldn't help it. He was a guy, after all, and he'd never come across a woman of that caliber. She was special, that was for sure.
"Yes, we wait," Piper said, determined to have the last word. She wasn't sure what to think of this woman who had come barging into their lives, bringing a spirit with her. Jennifer was just too vengeful and would not consider any other person in her plans. Piper could not imagine what the girl had gone through to make her so, but she just wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible, before she caused any more damage. In fact, if it was up to Piper she wouldn't be participating in the vanquish right now. Unfortunately, Wyatt had taken her side. They could do with another experienced witch, he'd mentioned. And, after all, she knew Malachi very well. Piper couldn't say no after that, but she'd promised herself that she would keep an eye on the witch, not only to protect Chris, but to protect the rest of her family.
The trio eyed each other, making sure not to let the other notice their interest. Each of them was measuring the other up, wondering how they would react, what they would do. While they waited, they wrote histories for the other person, wondering what made them so. They really didn't have to wait long, though.
-)-(-
Malachi licked his lips as he surveyed his demon army. After so many years of plotting and scheming, his plan would be coming to fruition. He'd never expected to actually get that far, and get a body with almost as many powers to match the Twice-Blessed. In a way, the cloud that was possessing the wrong person had a large silver lining. Even Malachi had to admit it: taking control of the younger Charmed brother had been a fortunate accident. There wasn't anybody closer to the Twice-Blessed, and it had allowed him to continue with even more caution. The body also afforded him protection from the rest of the Halliwells. The family connection was legendary, and Malachi knew they wouldn't risk hurting the spirit while he was still inside the young man. It was a stalemate, of sorts.
But Malachi had every intention of making his move now that the ball was in his field. His army was admirable, and his planning was perfect. The powerful demons he'd found had all collaborated fully, after the demonstration of his borrowed abilities and his promises to make them very powerful indeed. It was all going perfectly, and now it was time to set the plan into motion. "Let's go," Malachi intoned to the roomful of demons, and was rewarded by prompt shimmerings as they all headed up to the Halliwell Manor. Malachi smiled as he called upon Chris's orbs to transport him, brushing aside the weak protests from the soul still living within him. Nobody could stop him now.
(A/N) Ok, so nothing much happened in this chapter. Just setting stuff up for the next one, which will be epic, probably. There will be fighting, that I can promise you. Hopefully you didn't think this chapter was boring or anything. We got to see a little from both sides. Wyatt, Piper, and Jennifer are preparing for Malachi to arrive, and Malachi is amassing his demon army. This doesn't look good, especially since neither Piper nor Wyatt seem to know just how crazy both Malachi and Jennifer are. Well, maybe Malachi is a lot crazier than Jennifer, but that woman is a little too... um... let's use Piper's word: driven. Yup. She's an interesting character to write, of course, but it's just weird to think that way.
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