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The Life and Times Part 3: Rhymes and Reasons Chapter 34 "To expostulate why day is day, night night, and time is time, |
Piper
arrived at the courthouse with a Rodik who had spent the whole trip telling her
about the importance of getting Willem's powers. Phoebe was waiting in the foyer
with Paige and Jade who had orbed. Piper with Rodik hiding behind her in case
any warlocks jumped out at him, walked up to her sisters and Jade.
Rodik
greeted Jade with a large scornful sniff that he kept for lesser witches."Where's the other …witch " he asked.
"On
her way " Piper said "We wait for her" she added in a don't argue
tone.
"Any
idea where Willem is? " Piper asked.
"Court
3" said Phoebe. "That's where Cole is, and Willem will be waiting for
some action with him, not us.
"Why
is he coming after your husband? " demanded Rodik.
"Shut
the fuck up, " said all four witches.
They
all jumped as in the corner behind them there was the tinkling of orbs and the
whitelighters appeared.
"What's
the fascination for the court house " asked Not-Casper. "Why is Willem
here."
"Its
because she knows her lover is going to show." Rodik snipped.
"Evil,"
said Phoebe without thinking. "Bad people and bad things
happen."
"Is
you husband at the courthouse?" asked Not-Casper somewhat suspiciously.
Phoebe
nodded " Maybe that is the problem" she said falling back on an old
half truth. "Cole was inhabited by the source, maybe Willem is…confusing
him with the source, that is the problem."
"Maybe
the whore has got her lover lined up to kill her husband" sniffed Rodik.
"Oh
shut the fuck up " said Jade before the others could.
"I
see " said Not-Casper. And then nothing else. "We'll wait." he said
To
Phoebe's relief Clarissa arrived, and the conversation ended. Clarissa was
a little flustered and very excited, and breathed in anticipation"
"Bombs away?" she asked.
"Maybe
Rodik should wait with you?" Jade suggested to the whitelighters.
"You
may not get many chances at the powers" Angela said reasonably and obviously wishing she did not have too.
"You
understood the Elders warning to respect the witches you work with,"
Not-Casper told Rodik who sniffed but decided it was not worth responding.
The
witches, with Rodik hiding behind them, made their way into the court room 3, a
sombre room, with dark wood wall lining, benches and tables and a judge with
whom Phoebe flirted at a law association dinner when Cole worked at Jackman,
Carter and Kline. Piper and Phoebe both remembered the last demon fight they had
in this court some six years ago, when Cole had been sitting at the same table
where he now sat next to an African American woman and a teenage boy, who had a
wan fragile look to him.
Paige
pulled the crystal from her purse. "Purple " she said.
"How
in the hell can a warlock that looks like Dracula be here and no-one see
him" demanded Jade.
"We're
seeing him" a whispered Paige" we just don't remember."
"He's
here " Clarissa told them "Sitting on the barrier just to the right of
Cole."
They
sat down and watched proceedings, Rodik sniffing beside them. Cole had instantly
realised Phoebe and the witches were in the court room. He glanced to the door
as they entered and raised his eyebrows, and made eye contact with Phoebe who
smiled somewhat apprehensively.
"Cole
will not interfere," said Piper confidently " He'll be smart."
"He'll
be pissed," whispered Phoebe and from the sudden rigidity in the way Cole
was sitting she knew his demonic hearing had picked up the conversation.
"What
are you waiting for? " sniffed Rodik.
"Court
to be cleared," sniped Piper,
"What's
Willem waiting for?" asked Clarissa.
"Phoebe
to start fighting the demons" said Paige.
"What
demons?" asked Rodik.
"Shut
the fuck up," hissed Piper and Phoebe while four people sitting in front of
them turned around and glared.
Cole
who had heard, half smiled as a court official made a shushing noise.
They
watched a lawyer taking a witness through a long list of questions about the
scientific properties of some chemical compound. The witness was explaining its
properties and benefits in lengthy and boring detail.
"What's
this about ?" whispered Clarissa.
"Mrs
Collins and he son " whispered Phoebe " he had a job in a factory.
Family were thrilled, he'd been in some trouble. Then he started to get sick,
found out that the factory was using illegal cheap chemicals for manufacturing,
so he complained and they sacked him. They're suing for illegal
dismissal…"
"You
don't think it's for real about the rat demons" whispered Paige in Piper's
ear "Those factory owners look sort of ratty."
"Leave
Cole to vanquish them in court" whispered Piper.
The
lawyer and the witness droned on and on about the chemical and its usefulness.
Cole did not take notes. The jury seemed to be nodding in agreement. The witches
kept glancing surreptitiously at the empty space where Clarissa said Willem was
standing.
The
lawyer finished his long and complicated questioning. It was Cole's turn. He
gave the witness a piece of coloured paper.
Phoebe
was distracted from magic. She loved watching him be an arsehole lawyer.
"Can
you read that out ?" Cole asked the witness.
The
witness read out a lit of ingredients.
"What
is it you are reading from? " Cole asked.
"This
is the label for Natural Happy/Healthy Family " said the witness .
"What
does it say Natural Happy/Healthy Family is?" Cole asked
quietly, politely.
"A
chemical free compound that will improve the health of the whole family. Using
totally natural ingredients," read the witness totally intimidated.
"Is
a natural ingredient?" Cole asked just as politely.
"Its
made using natural ingredients " insisted the witness. "And it has the same
chemical compound as …."
'Isn't it true that all chemical's have some natural ingredients" Cole asked calmly.
"Yes' muttered the witness.
"Is
XD44 a natural ingredient? " Cole asked quietly, politely "or a
manufactured chemical?"
"Its
made from natural ingredients " said the witness.
"It's
a manufactured chemical, " asked Cole pleasantly, almost lazily.
"Yes
" whispered the witness.
"Is
it listed in the ingredients for Natural Happy/Healthy Family?" asked
Cole.
"No"
said the witness.
"Thank
you" said Cole and sat down, half glancing behind because Phoebe was there,
but not missing the jury nodding, and one glanced at his watch in relief because
he would not have to wait on lunch while the witness droned on about the
chemicals properties..
"What
if Willem decides to leave before the court session finishes" whispered.
Phoebe nervously. "Realises its trap."
"He's
three feet away from getting what he wants" whispered Piper.
"Hasn't
taken his eyes off Phoebe since we arrived " whispered Clarissa.
"What's
going on?" sniffed Rodik.
"Shut
the fuck up" hissed Phoebe and the people two rows forward made shish
noises and a court official came and stood near them. Piper waved them to turn
around.
The
judge finally called a break and most of the court officials and public filed
out, Cole spoke to his clients, slowly, annoyingly taking his time, the clients
finally left and standing quietly all staring at each other were 6 spectators,
one security guard and the 5 witches and Rodik.
"Freeze
every-one so we can work out who the warlocks are" whispered Paige and
Piper lifted her hands and froze.
"Yes," said Clarissa thinking this is going to be easy.
"Let's
go get 'em" Jade called jumping to her feet and moving into the aisle .
Cole
did not move but watched them. "Can I guess what gives? " he said to
no-one in particular.
"Is
Willem frozen?" Piper asked.
"We
can't see him." said Paige" his magic.:."
"Is
still there" said Phoebe "But not for long."
"What
" said Cole.
Clarissa
pointed to the space behind Cole "There " she said, and Cole glanced
behind him.
"This
is weird " yelled Phoebe, half levitating, half jumping the seats and
barrier that separated court observers from officials. She ran to the space
where Clarissa pointed while Cole stood there and watched shaking his head.
Phoebe
found herself with the oddest feeling of being grabbed and Clarissa yelled at
her to be careful as she half flipped half levitated.
"Don't
Cole, " Piper ordered quickly.
"
I wasn't " he said suddenly remembering with regret the days when he could
just go in and protect Phoebe or the Charmed Ones without a second thought.
Piper
ran around the gate and Paige orbed to Phoebe, while Jade jumped the barrier and
spun to face the frozen people.
"How
many are warlocks" she yelled.
"All
of them " Cole who had tested their auras, answered dryly unable to resist
the temptation.
"Hell
"said Jade.
"Just
about " said Cole.
Paige
threw the potion at the space where Clarissa had pointed and Piper ran to her sisters and the three of them recited
the get Willem quick spell.
For
a second nothing happened then a sudden pouff of white fire appeared as the good
powers separated and the frozen figure of the Dracula warlock appeared. As the
vanquish worked Willem began to spin consumed by the swirling wind as the good
powers separated .
All
five witches took a mighty sigh of relief that in the end it had all just been
so easy while Cole stood still his lips pursed, understanding what they were
doing, every line of his body showing how pissed he was.
"Say the vanquish one more time for the evil powers," ordered Piper just as the warlock stated to wriggle.
And
then it went wrong.
Rodik
cowered at the back of the room for the few second it took the witches to get to
Willem, then sidled around through the gate and the edged to hide behind the
empty jury box to the right of Cole and Willem.
Screaming
almost orgasmically, the power, the powers, Rodik rushed to get them as they
separated from the wriggling Dracula warlock, breaking the concentration of the
power of three. At the same time there was a huge flapping sound as four great
gargana demon power retrievers appeared in the room.
The
witches instinctively ducked the huge flapping creatures swooping them in the
low space and when Piper gestured to blow one up the warlocks started to
unfreeze and suddenly the Dracula warlock seemed to pull himself out of the
vanquish spin as the garagnas swooped him. He used a blast power of some sort to
blow up another of the garganas that exploded over the room with a shower of
black goo.
"Who's
bloody idea was this? " asked Cole the only on not ducking from the garganas.
"Damn
it "screamed Piper "He's using his evil powers to get out of it,.
The
witches threw the last of the potion and trued the spell again but it was to
late.
The
other seven warlocks pulled from the freeze, joined the fight. Two grabbed Piper
trying to hold her down and stop her freezing.
"Don't
Cole" yelled Phoebe. She levitated as high as she could and called
"Duck." Piper ducked and Phoebe kicked the two warlocks holding her
apart.
Willem,
cackling like he was a bad actor in a Dracula movie, free of the freeze lifted
his hands dramatically just before Piper went to freeze the scene. Piper moved
he hands to refreeze and nothing happened.
"He
used demonic anti freeze" Cole told her, still pissed.
Piper
moved to blow Willem up and the powers bounced off him. Willem seeing Rodik at
the freed cloud of good powers pulled out some sort of kinetic power and swiped
Rodik away bouncing him off the defence table, where he landed hard on the floor
with a resounding and somewhat pleasing thump.
Willem
then turned to the starting to dissipate cloud of the power and he held his hand
up and made a come to me gesture as Rodik screamed in aching disappointment,
" He's getting the powers back, the powers, the powers."
As
Willem sucked in the powers, he seemed to disappear from view.
The
seven other warlocks in the room didn't. They came at the witches.
Phoebe
managed to levitate and kick two warlocks to Piper who exploded one and Paige
caught the other midair with an orbed athame. Jade blew up another,
As
the vanquished warlocks powers separated the remaining garaganas swooped on the
evil ones, and Rodik seeing them moved toward the centre of the vanquish to find
the good powers.
"Where
the hell is Willem?" yelled Piper.
"Still
there" called Clarissa. "Not doing anything."
"Where?"
called Phoebe. And the security guard warlock who was apparently there for a
purpose pulled his very mortal gun out and aimed it straight at Clarissa who may
have been immune to magic but was not immune to mortal guns.
Cole
pursuing his lips and standing there hating being beyond it, saw the gun being
raised and stepped straight in front of the warlock and with great satisfaction
used his mortal fist to punch the warlock into the barrier which broke with a
crunch. Piper blew it up
Phoebe
and Paige turned toward the other warlock and the remaining two warlock's turned
their attention to Rodik fighting the garaganas off the power clouds.
Rodik
taking in the powers with an orgasmic pleasure suddenly realised what trouble he
was in. He spun and with a speed and strength only fear could bring he caught
hold of Piper and Jade and pulled them in front of him.
One
of the warlock's used some sort of stolen lightening power and the other some
form of fire disc. The lightning caught Piper on her right arm nearly severing
it and the fire ball disc hit Jade almost in the stomach and she just doubled
and fell.
Phoebe
yelled out an all purpose warlock vanquish as the two warlocks aimed again and
sent one to the wasteland. Paige caught Jade, sinking to the ground with Jade's
head in her lap.
As
a small bubble of blood came out of Jade's mouth she smiled " it was
fun…my children "she whispered Oh god," she whispered and that was
it, no grand gesture, nor last speech, no long goodbye.
The
last warlock knew it was in trouble and blinked.
As
the powers of the vanquished warlocks separated the garganas plunged for the
demonic ones and Rodik plunged to get the good ones. Phoebe fell to her knees
beside Jade and Paige while Cole held onto Piper clutching her injured arm.
Phoebe
called for the whitelighters.
Both came, snorting in disgust at the sight of Rodik and the garganas jumping at
the powers like vultures feeding.
Not-Casper
without hesitation bent down and put his hands on Jade, while Angela gently
touched Piper's arm.
Seconds
later , Not-Casper stood up shaking his head bitterly. "I cannot heal
the dead" he said angrily and his face contorted into the blank numbness
that Piper had seen on Leo's face when charges passed beyond him.
Clarissa
thumping her sides with her hands awkwardly said " Willem has gone.
He cackled something about Belthezor and power and disappeared. Thanks for
throwing the punch " she said to Cole "Seems I'm always in your
debt."
Rodik
finally finished sucking the good powers in and the garganas disappeared to take
what ever they had retrieved "Stupid witch " he sniffed glaring at
Jade's body.
All
four remaining witches regarded him with downright hatred.
"That
was the best chance we had to get that warlock king's powers and you ruined it.
Just as well it wasn't a total loss. I got back something from its
cohorts." Rodik sniffed twice, his face caught in the intense afterglow
pleasure that sucking in the powers had given him.
Phoebe
stood up and held her hand out to Paige who reverently laid Jade's body flat and
stood up, her clothing covered in blood.
"Jade's
dead" Paige said flat voiced.
"Its
all right " sniffed Rodik" "I collected her powers before she
went so nothing is lost."
The
witches and whitelighters stared at him speechlessly.
Paige
stepped toward him but she wasn't fast enough. Cole hit Rodik as hard as he could
and there was a bone cracking thump as he crashed to the floor.
Paige
shuddered, then shaking with emotion stood over Rodik whimpering in pain, as he
huddled on the floor and clutched his jaw.
"Thank
you " said Not-Casper to Cole.
"You
son of a bitch " Paige screamed at the prostrate Rodik, "you son of a
bitch. You are going to die for this. You killed her, I swear to god, you will
die for this." She started to sob and Piper held hand out to her sister.
Paige shook her head, large most hysterical sobs coming out of her and then she
pushed Piper's hand off her, bent to touch Jade's body one more time then
suddenly unable to bear it she orbed leaving the whitelighters and sisters and
Clarissa and Cole to glare at Rodik. Bitterly.
Rodik
whimpered and then he shuddered as the second wave of orgasmic pleasure overtook
him, he smiled stopped rubbing is jaw and arched his body as the spirit winds
sucked him away.
"Little
bastard is enjoying the jerk-off" Phoebe said flatly almost for something
to say.
Cole
put his arm around Phoebe as she caught Piper who was already holding Clarissa.
The
whitelighter s indicated at the court room, broken furniture, green and black
goo and blood everywhere.
"We'll
fix this," Not-Casper said quietly and Angela nodded "and we will confer wit h Jade's whitelighter
about… her disposition, for her family."
He
made a sort of shooing movement and reluctantly and nervously the three witches
and Cole allowed themselves to be shuffled out the room. They stood silently
outside, Cole still with an arm around Phoebe, Piper with her arms around
Clarissa who was crying.
Phoebe
stamped her foot "Shit " she hissed "Dammit I want to kill that
little bastard. " She put he hand on Cole's "Aren't you going to say
anything about what we tried, using you?" she demanded.
"No"
he said quietly holding her closer.
"Damn
you," said Phoebe softly.
"You
can say something, " Piper told him, her voice shaking as Clarissa sobbed
on her shoulder. "You'd be right."
"Worth
a try "Cole replied slowly. "You were doing pretty good until
Rodik…got involved."
"Yeah," said Piper "Do you think whitelighters fixed it in there." She
indicated the court room door."
Cole
shrugged and opened the court room door, to reveal a pristine courtroom, no
broken furniture anywhere.
"You
going back to court?" Phoebe asking Cole who nodded.
"You
know the rules," said Piper "Go on as if it had not happened. Keep
the magic quiet. Whitelighters will fix it up with family and explanations for
mortals why she went."
"We've
done this before " said Phoebe as tears started to fall down her face.
"Whitelighters
have done his before," said Clarissa with a little whimper. "
......................................................................................
Paige sat in the hall of the manor waiting with a calmness that almost frightened her. She knew what she was going to do and how to do it and she was not going to be deterred. She watched the hall calmly, quietly, Arturo's crystal in her hand flashing its colours, as it sat on the dining room table. Paige had decided on her course and damn the consequence.
Rodik had put his ego ahead of his concern for his peers once to often To many witches, to many lives, had been lost, to many a families had been broken. Every thing had to come to an end and Rodik's turn had come. He killed Jade, he came close to killing Piper and it would stop.
She sat quietly, calmly watching the crystal flash, little mauve lights, sparkling orange, the brown ones. Musha and friends, the brownies hard at work she thought. The magic surrounded her and to late, through the beauty she had found in the realms she had visited during the eclipse, Paige had discovered just how much it meant to he. Part of her deeply regretted what she would lose when she did what she was about to do but she was determined it had to be done.
The crystal flashed the particularly ugly magenta shade that announced Rodik was about to appear sated from his orgasmic pleasure during the retrieval of warlock powers and smug with self satisfaction. Paige moved herself into an orb, a cold determination all over her and waited.
She heard the hissing sound that announced Rodik's appearance at the edge of the spirit winds and she reached him before he materialised. It hardly took an effort to draw him back into the winds and drag him to the grey nothingness of the Rim.
He was screaming as she caught him, screaming, blustering and abusing her. It vaguely occurred to him as she move thorough the spirit winds and through the light places that he may be in danger.
Paige came out of the orb in the darkest corner she could find in the nothingness of the Rim, letting Rodik go as he spat his venom at her.
"Take me back " he ordered her " You snivelling witch"
Paige said nothing just watched him.
"Take me back" Rodik ordered " And I'll explain you were distraught with grief and guilt and interfered with the magic."
"You won't tell any-one anything, ever again," Paige said he voice calm. "You can only die by magic. Guess what Rodik. I'm magical and more deadly than any warlock you care to name.
"You're just a witch, a nothing snivelling" said Rodik.
Paige just gazed at him, the calm on her face so quiet, so confident, so deadly. "Shut up " she said pleasantly.
"I'll call my whitelighter" Rodik screamed. "Angela, Angela."
"She can't hear you" Paige answered" We're off the radar. I want to kill you. We all want to kill you. I intend to do it." she said calmly.
Rodik shuddered and shrivelled, then disbelief hit him that she meant it. "You're a good witch. You know how important I am to the cause of good. The cause would be lost without me. You saw your friend killed " he said "It was your mistake and you want to blame some-one. Look to yourself, stop trying to put your hurt onto me." He added grandly and unwisely.
Paige smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. She pulled out the athame that she hid inside her jeans, "Its the end Rodik " she said quietly " the last witch has died to give you a jerk off retrieving powers. The last family is going to be broken up by you. No more witch children left with out a mother."
"That's the risk that they take, answering their calling. I risk it everyday." hissed Rodik backing off and tripping over a hidden nothingness. He tried getting up and fell again, then began scrambling backwards.
"You're
dead" Paige told him. "Jade was my friend and you have killed enough
witches."
She
lifted the knife and walked toward him across the dark grey nothingness of the
rim, watching bitterly as he suddenly realised she meant it and he cringed,
pleading and ordering her stop.
"Wanna
meditate " she asked bitterly. "Wanna to take some time to think about
all the good ones who have died because of you, who have passed on before their
time, who have gone, to feed your…cravings."
She
towered over him, glaring down at his huddled figure. "How good are
you?" she asked. "This athame sends evil creatures, bad creatures to
hell. Where you going Rodik?"
Paige
stared down, her expression blank as Rodik whimpered and she raised the athame.
No family here to stop her, no guardian behind her, nothing, She smiled
bitterly. Nothing.
"He
isn't worth it pet " said a voice softly behind her.
Paige
hesitated and then froze. Rodik cringed away, crawling back from her as she
suspiciously turned ready to defend herself and saw her lover Mark standing
there in his whitelighter robe, a somewhat grim smile on his face which did not
hide the concern in his eyes.
"He
isn't worth it " Mark repeated.
"He
got my friend killed" Paige said clutching the athame as Rodik hastily
crawled backward out of her reach. "Oh Mark" she mouthed softly torn
between running to him and watching Rodik crawl.
"He
isn't worth it, pet" Mark repeated this time stepping toward her. He looked
like Mark, the one she had known, hair sandy receding, concern for her written
all over his plain, intelligent ,good humoured face, soft gentle grey eyes that he
never took her face as he stepped between her and Rodik. Finally with a deep
shudder and a bitter sigh that took forever she lowered the athame.
"He
deserves to die" she said bitterly.
,"He
deserves something" Mark smiled gently "How about we get rid of the
temptation and then we talk about It." he said nodding his head toward at
the cowering Rodik.
"Where?"
Paige asked her lips tight and her eyes watery. "How?" she asked.
"He
can orbed outside the realm I heard " Mark answered. He grinned suddenly
"Us whitelighters in training always learn about the lowest of the low
first "
Rodik
sniffed and his head came up "Do you know what I am?" he demanded but
stayed cowered on the ground.
"As
I do know what you are "Mark replied cheerfully "Consider yourself
lucky I'm wiling to save you."
Mark
went over to Rodik and catching his collar he disappeared in a cloud of orbs
while Paige waited in the nothingness of the Rim staring at the spot where Rodik
had been. In seconds or maybe a lifetime, Paige didn't know, Mark returned alone.
"Where
is he?" she asked quietly .
"Tijuana
" said Mark "Middle of the tourist district. "I sorta. dropped
him there" he said. "Hard to judge the landing with something that is
not suppose to orb."
"Oh
I used to have trouble with the landings" said Paige "What if evil
finds him?"
"How
in Tijuana Tourist district?" asked Mark grinning "Pet why worry. You
were going to kill him, ….weren't you?"
"He
doesn't have any money or a passport and he can't be orbed in the earth realm.
" Paige persisted standing frozen 2 feet away from Mark in the nothingness
of the Rim, breathing deep harsh breaths.
"I
know" said Mark with a grin " his whitelighter will work something out
if he's nice to her. You were going to kill him weren't you?" he asked.
"He
isn't nice to his whitelighter" said Paige "She hates him."
"Then
I guess he's going to have to wait in Tijuana for a few days until she feels
like doing something about him " said Mark. "Were you going to kill
him?" he asked.
"Oh
" said Paige still standing there and then she stepped forward to put her
head against him, before looking up into his face. "I wanted to kill him
Mark " she said "I wanted to kill him so bad. " she said "It
would have been so easy "she said " just one plunge. The bastard
deserves to die Mark." she said "He's evil. He's worse than evil, he's
good and he just hurts people and he ought to know better. He deserves to die
Mark" she said "He killed my friend."
Mark
nodded understanding, then put his arms around her while she sobbed into his
whitelighter robe. He let her cry on his shoulder until she ran out of tears .
"Got
Jade killed " she amended. "Because of him."
Mark
looked down at her a quizzical expression on his face. "It may," he
said gently "have been her time."
"Is
that always the answer? " Paige asked bitterly.
"Don't
know enough yet to answer that, " Mark said "I only know enough to say
that lots of witches didn't get killed when he sure did his best to get them
killed. Your sister Phoebe for a start so maybe Jade's time had come."
"What
possible good could it do for… how could it be in good's interest for Jade to
die?" said Paige bitterly.
"I
don't know," said Mark. "I have no gift of the future."
Paige
sniffed and then half laughed as he led her to somewhere Rim the nothingness
that was sandy not rocky and they sat down. Mark pulled her close so she lay
half across him.
"I
wanted to kill him Mark, " she said. "And "she sniffed back tears
" I thank you " She was silent for a second "Damn Cole "She
said suddenly.
"Why?
" he asked with just ghost of smile on his plain intelligent face. "I
mean why damn Cole?"
Paige
gave Mark a watery smile "Yesterday " she explained "I had this
awful argument with Cole, we all did. and you see he demanded to know what I
said after I killed my first demon. I ran from the manor screaming at my
sisters, 'What have you turned me into?' "
Mark
pulled her close to him "What did they turn you into pet?" he asked
"They
turned me into a witch Mark " she said reaching up to put her hand on his
shoulder and shuddering as she felt the warmth of him, the life of him through
his whitelighter robe. "I told Cole that and he said what killing his first
demon turned him into him a killer. " Tears poured down her face "
that bloody bastard fucking shit Rodik nearly mad me a killer Mark " she
said "I hate him."
"Shush"
he said "Didn't happen doesn't count."
"It
count's" she sobbed.
"Trust
me," said Mark.
"I
do," she said sniffing back the tears.
"Good," he
said gently quietly, soft grey eyes bright with orb lights "Isn't
there something you ought to be doing seeing we haven't …seen each the in a
.......while," he asked.
"Yeah
" she nodded with a shudder and a little whimper she turned herself and
fell back pulling him down to her, tasting him, sucking at him, reaching,
taking, more, arching against him, straining to get close to him as she pushed
the whitelighter rob away. Sighing as he pulled her shirt open and pulled her
jeans and her panties down, feeling him against her, feeling him want her,
feeling him in her. She held on to him tightly fearing he might be sucked away
from her as in the misty grey nothingness of the Rim they declared their passion
and their love.
"God," said Paige after
wards, as he rolled pulled her on top him "
"No
just an angel" Mark replied as she half laughed and half cried.
She
suddenly tried to pull away and he held onto her so she had to strain to look
into his face "I've waited a year for this" she said hurt " I've
waited a life time for this. Why did I have to wait Mark? Why in the hell did I
have to wait?"
"I
told you not to wait " Mark said gently pulling her against him.
"Don't," she started to say, struggling a little then collapsing against him.
"I
couldn't connect with you Pet " he said slowly "The only connection I
have is through magic and you lost your connection to magic. I was getting very
frightened that you would never find it again." he nuzzled against her bare
shoulder and moved his lips against her" But you did connect and here we
are."
"I
should have tried to kill Rodik earlier" she said.
"Better
you didn't," Mark told her "If you weren't connected to magic, you
might have succeeded."
They
kissed long and hard and slowly made love again. They lay together for a little
while or maybe forever in the nothingness of the Rim connected with magic
before they reluctantly stood up, kissing gently, unwilling to separate.
"Here we are " Paige whispered "I. never thought that all it would take was swapping lives with a unicorn."
"What ?" Mark asked perplexed "
"You
know " she said "The eclipse."
"I
guess its another one of those things I don't know as much about as
other…magic creatures " Mark said slowly, looking round for his
whitelighter robe.
"Are
you going to tell these one up there about this?" Paige asked quietly
watching him with longing in her eyes.
"Not
unless they ask" Mark said slowly "And they probably won't unless they
have a reason. You know. Don't ask, don't tell policy."
"I
heard they asked about Leo," Paige told him. "And Piper and didn't
like the answer."
"They
had reason too ask" Mark answered, "as it was explained to me, or
warned to me."
"So"
said Paige eyes big and frightened
"We
only break the safe rules" Mark decided. "We don't give them reason to
ask. About any of the things I know about your family, about anything."
"We
can't be like Piper and Leo" Paige agreed.
"Only
if I was a selfish bastard who wanted to cause pain and distress to my family,
those who are just recovering mourning me.". Mark answered
"You're
not a selfish bastard" sighed Paige.
"No
" he said reaching for her. "We'll workout something, now we've
connected."
"At
least I know one thing now, after meeting you like this" Paige said with a
watery smile"
"What?'
he asked perplexed .
"I
know what whitelighters wear under the robes." She said. "Piper could
have told me before. I wouldn't have blabbed I know what you wear under them."