AN: Well, geez, life has a way of occupying one's time doesn't it? I had this chapter half-written before I took a break for my last exam (which I passed by the way- legit licensed architect here) and have opened it up to finish it about 20 times over the last few months! I wanted it to be longer, but I figured I might as well go ahead and post... you guys are enjoying the suspense, right? ;)
Anyway, I hope you enjoy and I love hearing your thoughts!
Happy Reading!
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"Piper," Paige started, crossing her arms across her chest, "doncha' think you're being a little neurotic?"
The older sister, looked up from the potion she was working on just long enough to glare at Paige, then focused back on her task.
"Seriously, woman, we don't need more antidote! I mean, c'mon, we've got enough antidote to save at least twenty-seven versions of Chris." Paige cocked her head, "Wait, you don't think he went back in time multiple times do you? Ohhhhh, I've already got a headache coming on."
Piper continued to ignore her as Phoebe bounded into the kitchen, talking quickly and nervously, Leo following close behind. "…you know? I mean if we do, you know, all get those other memories, will I remember dying Leo? And what if I never met Coop? What about the people who are dead in the other timeline but alive in this timeline? Or if they were born in that timeline or not this one? Or born in this one but not that one? And what about…"
"Enough Pheebs! Everyone in this family really is neurotic!" Paige interrupted. "Piper, did you at least think to stock up on the aspirin?"
"And coffee, I'll make more coffee." Phoebe changed focus. "I don't think I slept at all last night."
"Oh god, you don't need more caffeine, please no more caffeine," Paige moaned.
They were all nervous, and all dealing with their anxiety in their own way. Piper and Leo had decided to keep Chris's birthday low key since they really didn't know what to expect and didn't want the added burden of the entire extended family around. As much as they loved their nieces and nephew, they would be additional people to worry about and protect if things got nasty. The current working theory they had developed with the Elders was that Chris had started merging with his Original self, they'd noticed mannerisms natural to the Original Chris but not their Chris show up, he'd started referencing things only the Original Chris knew about and had begun using his powers in ways they could only surmise were survival adaptations from the original future. Thus far though, Chris was the only one who had been behaving out of character. With all the unknowns about the situation and the pressing quest to stop Nomed, the sisters and Leo thought it best to keep the focus on the known crisis and deal with any time travel repercussions as they occurred. Which was exactly how Piper found herself standing in her kitchen, obsessively making fresh batches of the antidote she hoped she wouldn't need and desperately wishing there was something more she could do to keep her middle child safe.
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Trina stepped out of the mirror, clutching a small, ornately decorated box. This was her third trip to see Jötunn in as many weeks, she shuddered, shaking off the vestiges of shadow that longed to pull her back through the mirror. It was the smell, she had realized, that bothered her the most. The land of the Great Exile stank of dying gods. It was a cloying, rancid smell, like nectar poured over a rotting corpse and the stench lingered for hours after her return. Everything seemed to be working according to Jötunn's plans, but as patient as the old Norse was she was even more patient. Trina had plans of her own. She looked down at the small box she carried, turning it over in her hands. It was difficult magic, she was relived she had been able to succeed thus far, but there was more to be done to secure the safe passage for her ally. Gods she hoped the woman would help. Once she was awakened, Trina would have to stay out of sight. The Morrigan had always blamed Trina for Gaim's exile, but Trina had been so young all those millennia ago, she had simply trusted the wrong god.
She paused in her thoughts, she could feel the invisible walls around her thinning. The worlds were changing, all of them. It was time to find Nomed and hand him the last bit of information he needed to complete the ritual. Securing the small box within her flowing gown, Trina headed out of the hotel room she was in, gracefully stepping over the body she had left on the floor.
It did not take her long to find Nomed, cloistered away in his penthouse poring over ancient manuscripts and maps with only two trusted companions standing guard. She announced her presence, the demon nodding his assent then studying her warily. Despite knowing his instinctive mistrust of her was well earned, it irritated her to see it in his eyes. She looked around at the maps he was studying as she waited for him to speak. He had been charting out the locations of old Nexuses thought long-banished. Trina could laugh at the Elders' pompous stupidity, believing they could close down the ancient links between the worlds. She would never understand this group of beings, gods in their own right who eschewed their own innate deity. They were such an odd combination of hypocrisy, self-sanctimony and cowardice it was a wonder they had ever come to power in the first place. To be sure, evolution had pulled a clever one when she saw fit to allow humans to be reborn as gods with their mortal memories still intact. She blamed Anansi first, then Prometheus and then let's not forget that arrogant Hebrew god and his son: all of them so fascinated by these damn humans. But what kind of hypocrite did that make her? She wouldn't have the free access between the worlds were it not for the bit of humanity in her blood. Then of course, the creatures who called themselves demons in this place, if they had any notion of the long line of human ancestors they were descended from… her thoughts were cut short as Nomed slammed his fist on the table.
"Well, Trina," he began slowly, "I hope that you have some news for me. Some news that would at least be mildly helpful anyhow."
She smiled, her cold, hard smile. "Yes, Nomed, I do actually. I tracked a lead on the sword," she said then chuckled softly, her eyes dancing with malice. "The Sword of Light… Claíomh Solais… You knew the last reputable sighting was in Welshlands, I started there this time. Where I was able to trace it to Avalon," she paused, tossing out a triple crescent ring, the owner's finger still within the silver circlet. Nomed picked up the macabre trinket, his eyes snapping to the Seer.
"Nimue?" He asked, hesitantly, his voice clouded with awed suspicion.
Trina laughed again. "Yes, the old nymph has been wasting quite away over the years, but she was at least helpful… after I convinced her it was in her own self interest."
"It can't be, all this time, Claíomh Solais has been right under our noses?" He would have laughed, except for the further complications this could cause.
"Yes, Nimue confirmed it, she was the one who took the sword from Ireland and the one who gave it to Arthur himself. Claíomh Solais is Excalibur." She studied Nomed's face carefully, he had little notion of the true purpose of Nexuses, the bindings between the worlds, she knew he thought having two of the needed relics in Halliwell possession meant total defeat.
"How has the mapping been coming?" She asked, changing subjects.
Nomed shook the concern out of his mind, Trina was always more than a few steps ahead of him, he needed to focus, needed to keep up with her. "I believe I have all five located now," he casually gestured with his hand at the maps. Trina looked at his notes with interest, it appeared he had located all five. She grabbed a pen and book, leaning over the map she drew a line connecting each of the five Nexus locations, forming a pentagram that spread across the earth. Then she circled the very center of pentagram.
"There," she said, her eyes wild with delight. "That's the hidden Nexus. The first one they closed off."
Nomed looked closer at the map, following the lines connecting San Francisco, Istanbul, Los Innocentes, Greenland and the Cape of Good Hope. "That's the damn middle of the Atlantic, Trina."
"Of course it is. The sea is where they sent the gods to die," she said, without emotion.
Nomed steepled his fingers, tapping his nose. "Alright then. We have them all laid out. They've all been banished, even the Halliwell Nexus."
Trina's eyes sparkled, she spoke slowly, softly, her hand running gently across the map, "And since when have you known any spell to be permanent, Nomed? Banished, not destroyed. You can summon them back, open the portals."
"What?" Nomed looked at her sharply, suspicion thick in his gaze. "And how, pray tell, do I do that?"
Trina laughed, pulling out the small box she had hidden in her robes and shaking it just a bit, "You use a key."
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Devren ducked behind a boulder as the manufactured energy ball came flying in his direction. These damn Halliwells, he thought, rolling his eyes and apportating his cross bow into his hands in a flurry of dark lights. The darklighter took a few seconds to sense the locations of the dark-haired witchlighter and the Phoenix who was with him, then flung himself out of his hiding spot, shooting his crossbow with frightening accuracy.
Chris sensed the shot coming just as Bianca yelled his name and orbed in place, narrowly avoiding the arrow. He saw the darklighter's eyes widen as flicked his wrist, sending him flying across the cave. Mid-flight, Devren dark-orbed himself behind Bianca, grabbing her around the waist and pinning her arms down.
He looked Chris in the eye, "Seriously, what do you want Halliwell?"
Chris almost laughed, it wasn't often he met with demons and darklighters who weren't terrified of him, then he noticed something… he recognized this darklighter.
"Devren?" Chris blurted out.
The darklighter, astonished loosened his grip on Bianca, she took advantage of the distraction, breaking free of his arms and using her momentum to spin behind him and catch him much the same way he had her moments before, except she had a blade at his throat.
"You know this creep, Chris?" She asked.
The darklighter tried not to swallow, breathing shallowly, he looked at Chris, thoroughly perplexed. Chris worried his lip, this was Devren, the same darklighter that had been in his dreams. Devren, one of his most trusted men, the closest thing he had to a friend… He shook the dreams out of his head. No, this was not a dream. This was real life and the darklighter before him was not a trusted friend, he was a darklighter, an enemy who had just tried to kill him.
"No," Chris shook his head, "no."
Bianca looked sharply at Chris and just as she was deciding to finish the darklighter off, Chris anticipated her shouting for her to stop. She looked at him bewildered, letting her guard down just long enough for Devren to get away from her. The darklighter, still confused by Chris's recognition, faced Chris and Bianca, pointing his crossbow at each of them in turn. Chris raised the energy gun, aiming it at Devren.
"We need to question him," Chris said to Bianca, never taking his eyes off Devren.
"Question him? Are you out of your god-damned mind Halliwell?" Bianca exclaimed.
"No! He's got information, I know it," Chris said.
"Like hell I do," Devren yelled. "And even if I did, you really think I'd share it with a Halliwell?" Then he shot another arrow, without taking any sort of aim and used the momentary distraction to dark-orb out of the cave.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it Halliwell! What the hell is wrong with you?" Bianca griped kicking at the dirt and marching herself out of the cave.
Chris ran his hand slowly over his face, what the hell was wrong with him? He sighed, there wasn't much time to waste trying to figure it out, he had a birthday dinner to get to after all.