Chapter Nine: Heaven or Hell
Alanna felt her uncle tense up at the same moment as her magic gave a hiss of outrage. The young witch turned around and latched onto her uncle again to hide her eyes from Penny's parents. She closed her eyes and let her magic loose to act; to protect both Team One and Penny. We're going home…all of us, she told her magic.
"Sarge, she's got her gun on Jules," Sam reported, a trace of alarm in his voice.
Sarge's response was instant, he sounded much better with Alanna safe, "Jules, you got to control this thing."
Before Jules could reply, Sam hissed, "I have the solution." No, Sam, don't.
"Copy that, Sam. Your call. It's your call."
No, Sarge. "No." Jules' voice was firm, no trembling. "Please. Sarge, you got to let me do this. She's going to be okay." A tingle ran across her skin and she glanced down. Faint, shining violet light curled around her, illuminating her torso; almost like a magical bulletproof vest. Alanna. Jules focused on Penny. "Okay, Penny, I want to help you go home. I want to help you remember the girl you used to be." Come on, Penny.
"Good thinking, Jules. I'll get the mother on it. Feed her memories," Greg praised. Alanna beamed from her place next to him as he released her to pull his radio free and hold it up near Penny's parents. Whatever his nipote was up to would have to wait. "Sarah, I need you to tell us about your child. Any time that she felt joy or safe or loved or thrilled or anything."
Mrs. Westler only had to think a moment to begin. "I remember the snowstorm in the country. We were walking, uh, trying to get to the house."
"There was a snowstorm. You and your parents."
"And then we lost her. Remember we couldn't find her?" Mrs. Westler asked Mr. Westler. "And my heart was pounding."
"Only for a minute, they-they couldn't see you because of all the snow."
Mr. Westler nodded and jumped in, "Yeah, and then we did. We scooped up Pips, and we took her home."
"And you got to stay up late. Do you remember that? And they gave you three desserts."
"Oh, mosquito netting. She used to have it over her bed like a canopy," Mrs. Westler remembered.
"A canopy that was like a tent. And there were all these stuffed animals underneath."
"The telescope she got when she was nine- it's still there; it's still in her room."
"Man, I wanted a telescope so bad when I was a kid." Jules paused. "Saturn. I don't even know where that is, but I guess you do." She smiled at Penny, praying. " 'Cause that's what your parents are saying. They're right outside, Penny." The shotgun was trembling, Penny's lower lip was trembling, and tears leaked from the corner of the girl's eyes. "They're right outside. They're waiting for you. Come on, Pips. Come on. Come on, Pips." Please, let this work.
"Pip…Pip-squeak? That's what that means, right?"
"Yes. That's what that means." Jules replied.
"She-she said you were nice," Penny whispered. "She kept begging me not to hurt you and…and she burned her hands trying to stop me." Silent sobs began to wrack Penny's slender frame. Jules bit her lip, wanting to reach out to the broken girl. "Who was that man she ran to?"
"He's her uncle," Jules explained. "And my boss."
Under the sobs Penny looked confused. "But-but she called that other cop…"
"Yes," Jules confirmed. "I guess you could say we all adopted her. Or maybe she adopted us." Jules hesitated, then pushed quietly. "I know you're really scared, Penny. I totally understand; we were scared Alanna wouldn't come home." Penny's nod was almost unconscious. "But outside- that great big world- it's even prettier than the one in your room. It's your choice. It's your choice. It's up to you."
The shotgun dropped away, Penny lowering it away from Jules' torso as she wept for what she'd lost. "Yes?" she got out around her tears.
"Yeah," Jules whispered. "You're safe. They're outside. They're right outside."
Activity on the outside of the house stilled as the front door opened. The black haired girl stared around as she slowly stepped out of the house. As the sun shone down on her, her hair lit up, revealing itself to be dark brown instead of black. Hesitant, wary, the girl made her way across the porch and down the steps, each foot placed with care. Penny's head was on a swivel as she looked around the outside world, taking in cars and trees and people.
In front of a police car, a couple stood, longing in their eyes. The mother started forward and Sergeant Parker, who had Alanna on his left side, stretched out his right hand with a quiet, "On her time. Her time." Penny's movement was painfully slow, as if the girl was testing every step in her strange new world. "Let her come to you," Parker murmured. Penny's path took her straight toward the couple, though her eyes drifted to the ground. A step or two from her parents, Penny halted and slowly lifted her head. A single tear fell down her mother's face as parents and daughter came face to face for the first time in eight years.
"Julianna Callaghan, you made me proud," Greg Parker managed as he and Jules walked toward the parked SRU truck around the corner. Alanna held her uncle's notebook and bounced along behind the pair, spirits undimmed by her experience. Her uncle cast an thoughtful look in her direction; it had not missed his notice that her magic had acted on its own several times that day.
"Yeah, and I wasn't even perfect," Jules remarked ruefully as she turned and ruffled Alanna's hair. Both adults ignored Alanna's mock wail of dismay.
"No, you weren't," Greg agreed. "You were human. That's what our girl needed, that's what both girls needed to get out safe."
"Screwing up and being human. My biggest fear."
"Copy that," Greg said softly. "Look what happened. Planets aligned. It was a good day." He swept Alanna up again, enjoying the girl's shriek of glee as he boosted her into the truck's passenger seat.
"You want to pick up Lance and go out?" Jules offered. "I'm buying."
Greg smiled at his constable. "Nah. Actually, we're going to go do something. See you Monday?" Jules arched a brow and Alanna looked rather curious at Greg's statement.
"Right."
Kira strode into the briefing room as Sergeant Parker finished up the paperwork for the call. Two teens sat in the nearby seat, still clinging to each other. "Your e-tickets and credit card," Kira announced, offering the credit card back to its owner. "Better hurry; it's the last flight." Casual, she read the top e-ticket as she passed all three over to Lance. "Dallas. Long way to go for two days."
Sarge gathered his kids up and gave Kira a rueful look. "Not as long as it took me to do this." With that the unlikely trio took their leave, the teens trailing their uncle like ducklings.
A brunette entered the room her parents had said was hers and looked around. The white telescope drew her in and she crossed to it; her father hovering behind her. Her hand fell on a knob and she touched it lightly. "This one's for focus, right?" she asked her dad.
"Yeah," he managed, still looking rather choked up. "Yeah, that's for focus."
Penny's hand danced on the knob as she bent over and looked through the telescope. A smile stretched across her face as she looked up again. "Dad. The stars- they're still there."
~ Fin
Author note: The End...at least for this story. Hope ya'll enjoyed and I also hope to see you all this Friday as we kick off General Response.