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Post by GoldnWlf on Apr 25, 2005 20:10:19 GMT -5
YYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!! You updated!!!!!!!!!!! Be like me and totally put off all schoolwork!! We need more updates! hehehehe
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Post by anglomaltese on Apr 26, 2005 3:49:10 GMT -5
Great stuff Leigh, keep it coming!
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Post by staceface510 on Apr 27, 2005 16:02:30 GMT -5
Curse all school work!! lol!! Great update. I can't wait for the next!
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Post by leigh19 on May 1, 2005 12:21:19 GMT -5
(Excerpt from Chapter 7…Chris discovers Jenny hiding in the tree’s behind the school…)
"Beautiful?” she whispered, still with confusion. “Chris, I have wings…something is seriously wrong with me, I need to get home…” Still unable to take his eyes off of her, Chris carefully removed his father’s big brown coat and let it drop to the leafy floor…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Chapter 20 XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Darryl and DJ followed Inspector Jameson back into the main room of the crowded police station. They had managed to distract him with a painfully slow investigation of the back of the high school, but after almost an hour and a half it was clear that they could not keep dragging the process out without arousing more suspicion.
Jameson had grown irritable and annoyed as the father and son team insisted on looking at every possible inch of the grounds, even after it became apparent that there was no evidence to be found. In all of their searching the only thing that they had discovered was a worn brown coat…nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing that could give them any new leads.
Melinda was still the most promising suspect, and the two could only hope that the Halliwell’s were almost ready to set things right…<br> Their stalling could not hold out much longer.
“Would you like some coffee inspector?” DJ asked eagerly, searching his mind for any way to buy them precious seconds. “You’re looking a bit tired.”<br> The inspector shook his head. “No thank you.” He replied shortly. “And the only reason I’m tired is because the two of you dragged me around that school yard. We’re still no further ahead then we were before…”
“We just have to think positively here.” Darryl cut in nervously as he took a seat at his paper covered desk. Jameson and DJ sat on the two smaller chairs in front of it. “We have the jacket.” He said, pointing at the garment in the older mans hand. “That could have belonged to the perpetrator. We should definitely look into it.”
Inspector Jameson rolled his eyes. “According to the witness accounts, the perpetrator was a girl…this is clearly a man’s jacket.” He stated with annoyance and he began to half heartedly scrutinize the item.
DJ and Darryl exchanged a glance, both knowing how close the man was to heading over to the manor…he was growing wise to their games…<br> Their time was running out.
“Just as I thought.” Jameson stated after another few seconds of looking over the jacket. He hastily placed it on the table and pointed out a small white name tag to his colleagues. “Right there…” he began. “The tag says Leo Wyatt…and that is most certainly not a girl’s name.”<br> Both father and son froze in shock as they looked down at the coat…Leo’s coat…<br> They had no idea how it could have possibly ended up behind the school, but this most certainly was not a good discovery. The inspector obviously did not realize the significance at the moment…but if he figured out that both Leo Wyatt and Melinda Turner lived at 1329 Prescott Street then he would be at the manor as fast as he possibly could…this was simply too much evidence to deny.
“It’s probably unrelated then.” Darryl managed to choke out, hoping that he had at least sounded calm.
Unfortunately, his acting skills had never been spectacular- especially in highly stressful situations- and Jameson easily noticed the sudden panic in his voice.
The inspector looked up at him, and an inquisitive expression crossed his face. “It may be worth checking into…” he muttered, pulling a small computing device out of his pocket. “I mean, it can’t hurt. I’ll just look up the name…see if there could be any possible connections…”
Darryl’s heart beat increased rapidly as he watched the man begin to type in the name into the portable police database…his head was screaming for him to take action, but his body was too stunned to move…<br> He was going to figure it out…he was going to trace everything to the Halliwell’s…<br> Years of careful protecting were all about to go down the drain…<br> “No!” Darryl exclaimed, his body suddenly filled with a jolt of nervous energy...
“Wh-” the other inspector began to question, but before the first word could fully form another officer burst into the room, diverting all of their attentions.
“Inspectors!”<br> Darryl gave a heavy sigh- overjoyed by the new officer’s perfect timing.
This was just the distraction they needed…whatever the young man wanted to tell them seemed urgent, judging by the expression on his face, and Darryl hoped that this would by them at least another few minutes.
“Yes, what is it Morgan?” Inspector Jameson asked, placing down his device and looking up at the new arrival.
“I just finished talking with a man that came by earlier…” the young officer began as he pulled a small round object out of his pocket. “You know, the one that delivered the home video that- supposedly- contained footage of two angels. You were the one that talked to him this morning, right Inspector Morris?”<br> Darryl felt his body seize up with tension once again.
His relief had been premature…<br> He knew exactly what footage officer Morgan was talking about…it was the footage of Wyatt and Chris…the footage he and DJ had tried to hide…<br> How had things managed to spiral so suddenly out of control?
“I…I don’t recall.” Darryl replied, trying unsuccessfully to appear confused. “I hardly think…”
“It doesn’t matter.” The young man cut in with a shrug. “The guy said that the first disk was a copy- so he dropped of the original- he thinks it might be better quality. He said he was going to send it to the news station, but first he wanted to make sure that we had the best possible evidence…”
Darryl could hardly breathe as he absorbed that the man had said. The world around him began to spin. This was bad…really bad…<br> Now there was evidence against Mel, Leo and the boys…there was no way he could cover this up…<br> He had failed- for the first time, the situation was utterly hopeless.
He had let down his long time friends…the women he had always thought of as his sisters…<br> Piper was going to kill him…<br> She would be devastated…<br> The thought broke his heart.
“Okay, let’s see this footage then.” Inspector Jameson said as he inserted the disk into the nearest computer…it was clear that he did not think much of it at the moment, but DJ and Darryl knew exactly how significant this footage really was.
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Post by leigh19 on May 1, 2005 12:22:10 GMT -5
Both of the Morris’ were frozen…shocked by the sudden accumulation of evidence against their friends…<br> The room continued to spin, and it took all of Darryl’s strength to remain upright…<br> The tape played…<br> He couldn’t stop it…he had failed …<br> “No.” he choked again, his shaking hand reaching to turn off the computer. “No.”<br> But it was already too late…enough of the footage had been shown…and Inspector Jameson had made one very important observation.
“The coat.” Jameson muttered his blue eyes suddenly wide. His mind was racing so fast that he hardly noticed his colleague’s weak attempt to shout off the screen. “The coat…”
Darryl could hardly breathe.
“The brown haired angel was wearing this coat…” he continued, looking down at the item in his hand.
He was right…the coat in his hand was clearly the same one Chris had been wearing in the video to cover his wings…<br> Before either of the Morris’ was able to stop him Jameson’s hand shot out for his computing device and he frantically typed in the name on the coat once again.
Seconds later, he received his shocking results.
Leo Wyatt. The small screen read. 1329 Prescott St. San Francisco CA.
“The owner of this coat lives at the same address as Melinda Turner.” Inspector Jameson stated, clearly stunned by the revelation. “And one of the angels was wearing it…”
“Are you saying that the demon girl from the dance is connected to the angels on the video?” officer Morgan asked, almost as dumbstruck as Jameson.
“It makes perfect sense.” Jameson muttered back, his mind racing as he thought over all of the evidence he had accumulated over the past day. “That blue light thing one of the angels did on the video…the witness statements from the school said that the demon girl blew a boy up into blue lights…and according to Jake the boy may have been her cousin. I didn’t believe it at first, but…” he paused and looked over at the frozen computer screen. “It must be true…somehow.”<br> There was a slight pause as all in the room tried to absorb the new revelation.
“So…” Morgan bean again. “You think that at least one of the angels is a cousin of the demon from the high school?”<br> Jameson hesitated, evidently finding this entire situation hard to believe. He had never been a man to believe in nonsense like magic and angels…but he had seen a lot over the last twenty hours…and it was becoming harder and harder to label all of the days events as an elaborate hoax. “He did the blue light thing…” he said, the excitement growing in his voice as he contemplated the great discovery he may have just made. “And he was wearing a coat that can be traced to her address…”
“That’s crazy!” DJ cut in, his mind searching frantically for any way to avert possible disaster. “They’re can’t be a connection. It’s impossible.”<br> Jameson turned abruptly to face the Morris’, his eyes clouded over with suspicion. He was clearly not amused by their attempts to stifle his big breakthrough. “The two of you have been trying to sabotage my investigation all day.” He stated angrily as he stood up and began to pull on his own jacket. “I’m beginning to think that my initial assessment was correct; you both know something that you don’t want me to find out. You’re trying to keep me away from 1329 Prescott Street.”<br> Father and son said nothing.
They couldn’t.
They were still in shock…still unsure…and Jameson had figured them out.
“Well, I’ve had enough of your games.” The inspector continued as he took a few quick strides towards the only door in the room. “Morgan-” he said, turning to the newly arrived officer. “Get as many people together as you can and send them out to the back parking lot. We may need back up. And get some of those tranq darts too…we don’t know what we’re up against…but if I’m right, this isn’t going to be an easy fight.”<br> The younger man scurried out and Jameson bean to follow, a confidant swagger in his step. As he reached the door way, he turned back to face his other two colleagues. “You’re not going to slow me down this time.” He stated with a slight smirk. “I know I’m on to something.”<br> And with that, he left the room, closing the door behind him with a resounding slam.
The noise echoed in Darryl’s head as he sat frozen in his chair. He could scarcely believe all that had taken place over the last few minutes. It had been so sudden. So quick. And even after all these years, he had been caught off guard.
He had thought that they had been leading him off the trail…when in reality, their fruitless investigation had provided the exact evidence the inspector needed to justify his trip to the manor.
Darryl’s heart pounded rapidly as the truth began to fully sink in. Going to the school had only made things worse. The coat…the tape…<br> Jameson had pieced it all together. He had figured it out. And now, it was too late to do anything about it…too late to protect his dearest friends…<br> As far as he could tell, the spell was still in place, and now a large proportion of the SFPD was about to show up on the Halliwell’s front porch, looking for answers…looking for Mel…and Wyatt and Chris…<br> “Did that just happen?” DJ whispered his brown eyes wide as he turned to face his father.
Darryl hesitated.
His body shook.
He didn’t want to believe it.
“Yes.” He stated. “We have to warn them…”
His hand shot out for the phone and he quickly dialled the Halliwell’s number.
This was his one final chance…he needed to tell them to get out of the house…it was their only hope…<br> They needed to hide…<br> He brought the phone up to his ear and listened.
It rang once.
“Come on, pick up.” He muttered.
It rang twice.
“Please pick up.”<br> Three times…<br> And then suddenly…it went dead. The long steady beep echoed in his ear and he felt the last glimmer of hop leave him.
“It’s not working.” He whispered fearfully. “It’s not working.”<br> His eyes met DJ’s for a brief second before the boy jumped up and bolted across the room for the door.
Maybe if they could some how beat Jameson and the others to the manor, things would be okay…<br> They had to at least try.
DJ’s hand grasped the silver knob and he yanked at the door.
His heart instantly sank.
“It’s locked.” He stated, turning back to face his father. “They’ve locked us in.”<br> Scarcely able to believe it, Darryl got up to try for himself, only to find that DJ had been correct. They were trapped.
The Halliwell’s were in danger…and there was nothing they could do to warn them…<br>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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mjp3
Witch
Posts: 1,140
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Post by mjp3 on May 1, 2005 13:38:53 GMT -5
Great update. The suspense is building! I kinda feel sorry for... well, everybody in your story! Keep up the great writing and update soon!
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Post by leigh19 on May 1, 2005 16:57:12 GMT -5
“Ring.”<br> The sound of the phone echoed through the living room of the manor, instantly snapping Wyatt, Chris, Mel and Jenny away from their deep concentration. Mel’s emotional outpouring had inspired them all too truly focus, and it was finally beginning to seem that they might manage to come up with a proper incantation.
“d**n it.” Wyatt muttered, throwing his pen down on the table in frustration. “I almost had this one finished. Stupid phone.”<br> Looking equally annoyed, Chris glanced up at his brother. “You gonna get it?” he asked as the phone rang again.
Wyatt looked over at the device with piercing blue eyes as he contemplated his response. “Sure.” He muttered, raising his hands slightly. “I’ll get it….”
The witch-whitelighter made a subtle flicking gesture, and, just as it completed its third ring, the phone burst into a thousand plastic shards.
Satisfied that the room was quiet once again, Wyatt picked up his pen and gave a dramatic sigh of relief. “Much better.” He stated as he snuggled back down into his position on the couch.
“Aunt Piper is going to kill you for that.” Mel stated, looking over at her moody cousin. “You probably busted up the whole phone line.”<br> He shrugged, obviously unconcerned. “Dad can fix it later. Right now the only thing I care about is coming up with a good spell…and I don’t want it to distract me again.”<br> Mel shook her head in disbelief before returning to her work in blissful silence. Truth be told she was somewhat thankful that Wyatt had eliminated one of the possible distractions in the room…she too was on the verge of coming up with a good spell, and she didn’t want to loose focus again.
Her red hand hovered over the paper. Her pen was poised to write.
All she needed were a few more words…<br> “Back…” she muttered, biting her lip lightly as she searched for the perfect closing word. “Track…sack…”
She noticed Wyatt shoot her a slight look of annoyance, but she didn’t care…<br> She was so close…<br> “Attack!” She said gleefully after another few seconds of silence. The others looked over at her with mild curiosity, and the young demoness began to scratch down her final line.
“Perfect.” She said, looking up at them, a grin across her face. “It’s not my best work…but I think it will do.”<br> Rather then risk reading the spell out loud she passed it around to the others for their approval.
For the first time that day, she felt as if there might actually be some hope…<br> Maybe they really would meet the deadline…<br> Maybe things would be okay…<br> Wyatt’s eyes scanned it quickly and he looked up at his cousin, the relief evident on his face. “Not bad.” He stated. “Better then mine.”<br> She gave a slight chuckle of satisfaction and quickly stood up from her chair to stretch her cramped limbs. “I think it will work.” She said, a hint of her old confidence appearing in her voice. “Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll take Jenny’s earlier advice and get a few minutes of fresh air…I think I deserve it.”
“Agreed.” Chris cut in as he too finished looking over the spell. “I think you may have just saved us all…the only think left to do now, is find the demon…”
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Post by leigh19 on May 1, 2005 16:59:57 GMT -5
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“What about this one?” Emily asked, looking up towards Piper who continued to leaf slowly through the Book of Shadows. The other witch had come up to the attic to help Leo look through the demonic ecyclopaedia’s for any possible leads, and so far, their combined efforts were yet to come up with anything substantial.
“Kieran Demons.” She read slowly as she scanned the entry. “It says they’re known for morphing into many different forms…maybe they figured out a way to spread their morphing power to effect others.”<br> Leo looked pensive for a few seconds before shaking his head. “No.” he began, glancing up from his own book. “We’ve dealt with them before…they’re not powerful enough-or smart enough- to do something like this.”<br> Piper nodded in agreement, and with a quiet sigh, Emily turned back to her reading.
Yesterday, she had been relieved and even happy to be thrown back into the life of magic she had once known so well…to be among fellow witches again…but today, after hours of hopeless searching, she was beginning to wish that she had never been given the opportunity to reconnect with her magical past. She had always been a person that loved adventure…and she grown to miss it over the years…but today had reminded her that being a witch wasn’t just about exciting vanquishes…It was much more complicated then that.
She knew all too well that magic could ruin people’s lives…<br> It could tear families apart…it had almost broken apart the Halliwell’s last night…and it had taken her away from her true love…<br> But, she reminded herself…it could be good too.
Emily’s mind fluttered briefly to thoughts of her daughter- the one magical gift she could never regret. Jenny had taken this entire situation surprisingly well…sure, she had been a bit quieter, and a bit more shaken up then usual…but overall she was impressed by her daughter’s ability to say calm after having such a huge and shocking truth placed before her. She supposed that Chris was partially to thank for that…he had been nothing but supportive the entire time…carefully explaining what a whitelighter was…what it meant…and, as much as it pained Emily to see her sweet, gentle little girl growing up, she couldn’t be happier about her daughter’s growing relationship with such a caring young man.
“Wait a second….” Piper’s voice broke her away from her thoughts, and she looked over at the other witch curiously. “I just thought of something.”<br> “What?” Leo asked, suddenly perplexed.
Piper smiled slightly and glanced over at her husband. “We’re so stupid Leo.” She began, the excitement building in her voice. “We’re freaking out about reversing the spell…but even if we don’t, you can all just glamour into human form. Why the hell didn’t I think of this before?”<br> Leo looked suddenly down at the floor to avoid his wife’s gaze…he hated to take away her excitement, but he knew that he had little choice. “Er…” he began hesitantly. “That won’t work.”<br> “What? Why?” Piper asked, her happiness instantly fading. She knew from his tone that he wasn’t lying, and she felt her hopes die out again.
Leo sighed. “Because.” He began again, knowing she wouldn’t like the answer. “What you see every day is a glamour. Thank about it…this spell forces us to reveal our true forms…and this is it…” he said, gesturing to himself and fluttering his white feathered wings slightly for emphasis.
“Explain.” Piper stated coolly, folding her arms across her chest and narrowing her brown eyes.
The whitelighter winced, knowing full well that if this crisis ever ended, he would be getting a serious lecture for withholding information. “Well…when whitelighters are reborn, this is what we look like. But obviously we couldn’t blend in too well down here if we walked around with our wings…so that’s why we’re given the power to glamour. When ever we come down to earth, we make ourselves appear human so we’re not found out. We stay in human form up there most of the time too…but technically, this is what’s natural.”<br> “If that’s’ true then how come the boys weren’t born with their wings?” Piper asked, less then pleased with his answer. “Doesn’t it take time to learn how to glamour? Surely they didn’t learn how to do it in the womb…”
He sighed again before continuing. “I suspect that because they were born in the earthly realm, the glamour automatically activated- as a precautionary device. If they had been born ‘up there’ I’m guessing they would have- er- come out with wings.”<br> Piper drew a deep breath and steadied herself on the podium. Seeing her husband and sons under the spell was strange enough…to think that the form she saw them in everyday was merely a disguise was very hard to digest.
“Look honey, I’m sorry.” Leo said, his green eyes pleading. “I should have told you…I never thought…”
“You’re right, you should have told me.” Piper snapped, sounding somewhat harsher then she had intended. “It would have been nice to know that I was, in fact, giving birth to cherubs.”<br> Leo frowned slightly. “I don’t think the boys would appreciate being called cherubs.” He muttered.
The charmed one was about to reply when she suddenly remembered that Emily was still in the room with them. “We’ll talk about this later.” She sated brusquely, giving her husband one of her trademark annoyed looks before returning to the book. “So…the bottom line is, you can’t glamour into human form…and we still need to figure out how to reverse this.”<br> “Right.” Leo replied, drawing in a calming breath. “The spell has inhibited our ability to glamour so that we’re forced into exposure.”<br> Piper gave an annoyed groan and forced herself to look back down at the book, while Emily began to survey the whitelighter in fascination. There were so many things she wanted to know…so many things Sean had never had time to tell her…<br> “So…” she began hesitantly. “Does that mean that when a whitelighter get’s their wings clipped, they literally get their wings clipped? I always thought that was just figurative.”
The man laughed slightly, amused by her wide eyed curiosity. “Yes…it’s literal. And it hurts a bit too. Trust me, I’ve had my wings clipped twice…”
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Post by leigh19 on May 1, 2005 17:00:18 GMT -5
Before Emily could question him further, two new figures shimmered into the room, their arms heaping with colourful bottles of potions.
“Phoebe, Cole.” Piper greeted shortly, scarcely looking up from the book. “Done with the potions?”<br> Phoebe nodded and she placed her supply on the nearest table. “I think so.” She said, sounding quite a bit more upbeat then she had during her last trip to the attic. “Paige is cleaning up…and we figured we’d bring the stuff up here.”
“Yep.” Cole agreed. “I think this is about the best we can do. We’re running low on ingredients.”<br> Leo looked over at the now potion filled table and smiled up at the demon. “Looks good to me.” He said, thankful that the new arrivals had directed the attention off of him. “I’m impressed.”<br> “Yeah,” Emily agreed, “That’s quite a hefty supply.”<br> “Let’s just hope it works against whatever we’re up against.” Cole replied. “Do we know what we’re up against yet…?”<br> Piper sighed and finally looked up from the worn old tome. “Not really.” She began grimly. “We haven’t been having much luck…”
Cole nodded with understanding as he placed a comforting arm around his wife. He could sense Phoebe’s disappointment…they had both been hoping that Piper and Leo had managed to make a breakthrough. “That’s alright.” He said, trying to smile reassuringly at his sister in law. “We still have time. I’ve been trying to think if I know any demons capable of this. Not many can cast spells…it’s a pretty rare thing down there…but I know it’s possible. I’m trying to remember if I’ve met any that could…”
“Tell me if you come up with anything.” Piper replied. “Why don’t you help look through the encyclopaedia’s maybe it will help jog your memory?”<br> Agreeing that that was probably a good course of action, Cole took a seat on the floor near Leo’s pile of books and grabbed the one on top. Sighing quietly and trying to mask her disappointment, Phoebe walked over to join her husband. Before she could sit down, however, a small brown object sticking out from underneath the couch caught her attention.
Stepping over to it, Phoebe bent down to see a discarded darklighter arrow lying amongst the dust on the attic floor. It must have been missed during last nights clean up.
There had been so many fired during the attack…<br> She shuddered slightly as she tried to push the horrible memory quickly out of her mind.
“What’s there Pheebs?” Piper asked, noticing that her sister had become suddenly side tracked.
“Darklighter arrow.” She replied, feeling Leo flinch beside her as the word left her mouth. “Don’t worry; I’ll get rid of it…”
She reached out for it, and as soon as her fingers brushed the smooth surface, she felt a familiar sensation over come her, and she was pulled into a premonition…<br> She and her sisters stood in the attic; armed with potions…five demons shimmered into the room…all looking fierce…ready to kill…<br> The one in the middle raised a deadly bow and turned towards Paige…his finger slowly pressed down on the trigger and…<br>
Phoebe gave a slight gasp as the vision abruptly ended and she was pulled back into the reality of the attic.
“Did you see something?” Cole asked from behind her as he rushed to her side to help her stand back up. “What was it?”<br> “A premonition.” She replied, her mind playing the images over in her head… “I saw demons…here. It was another attack…”
“Do you think they were the demons we’re looking for…the ones that cast the spell?” Piper inquired the hope evident in her voice.
Phoebe nodded. “It must be…I hardly ever get premonitions that don’t pertain to our current missions. And there was something about it…one of the demons…the one in the middle…”
Her mind was spinning as she tried to figure out why that particular figure had triggered something in the back of her mind.
“What about him?” Cole coaxed, knowing his wife was close to giving him the information they needed.
There was a long pause as all present waited, hoping that this was exactly the break they had been waiting for.
“I remember!” Phoebe gasped suddenly, the demons face now clear in her head. “I’ve seen one of them before…yesterday…”
She turned quickly to face Cole. “Remember when we were about to come here with Demetrius?” she asked excitedly. “But before we could shimmer out another demon came in…wanting to tell Demetrius something…?”<br> Cole closed his eyes briefly as he tried to remember.
“It was him!” Phoebe continued her heart racing. “He had budging yellow eyes…sort of tanish skin…”
Cole nodded quickly as his wife’s words began to trigger his memory. He could see it now…he could remember the scene… “He called Demetrius master.” He said quietly as it came flooding back. “They must have been working together. Which would explain why Demetrius knew so much about the spell…and why killing him didn’t reverse it. He was responsible for the plan, but he had another demon cast it for him…”
Nodding enthusiastically, and feeling as if there was an end in sight, Phoebe bolted over to the book and began flipping the pages until she found exactly what she needed. “There he is.” She said, a smile forming across her face as she looked down at the old tome. “We’ve finally found him…”
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Post by leigh19 on May 1, 2005 17:00:35 GMT -5
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX A/N that’s the end of chapter 20. Hope it made sense. There will be more about the demon soon...but if you recall I have mentioned him a few times throughout the story. Hope the cop part was okay...and that you remembered all of the little details that I pulled together. I like mentioning things and then making them important chapters later...but sometimes I'm worried that readers will forget what I’m talking about:) Mjp3-thanks for reviewing so quickly! Glad you still like it.
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Post by anglomaltese on May 1, 2005 18:15:00 GMT -5
Great stuff Leigh! I loved how you explained the whole Glamour thing, so they couldn't get round it so easily! Keep it coming!
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Post by staceface510 on May 1, 2005 21:02:17 GMT -5
Yes!! It is almost over yet with so much to tie up! Keep it up Leigh!!
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Post by GoldnWlf on May 2, 2005 12:00:11 GMT -5
Keep it coming Leigh!!! I can't wait to see what happens because time is running out - with 24 hours limit around the corner, and the police on their way over....what will happen first? Update asap!!!
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elenarae
Familiar
[glow=green,2,200]Piper Fan Club Member[/glow]
Forever Charmed!
Posts: 206
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Post by elenarae on May 2, 2005 12:20:34 GMT -5
Wonderful Leigh!!!
You should be on the WB's payroll!
Waiting, holding my breath.
You are very good at building suspense.
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elenarae
Familiar
[glow=green,2,200]Piper Fan Club Member[/glow]
Forever Charmed!
Posts: 206
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Post by elenarae on May 10, 2005 11:34:35 GMT -5
Turning blue.....gasping........another breath.
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XxP3HalliwellxX
Familiar
[glow=green,2,200]Piper Fan Club Member[/glow]
Posts: 481
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Post by XxP3HalliwellxX on May 11, 2005 21:39:01 GMT -5
I love your fanfic, it feels so real!! I just started reading it today, it took me about 3 hrs but it was worth it, also, I like DJ, and Kenny, I think CHris and Jenny's love is so real!! II hope you update soon! I'll be anxiously waiting!! good job!! ;D
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Post by Faithfully charmed on May 19, 2005 12:59:38 GMT -5
Great Story but I am going crazy waiting for the ending...How will it all work out...I need to know...Please update soon. Thanks!!! ;D
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Post by leigh19 on May 26, 2005 23:37:39 GMT -5
I'm BAAAACK! So sorry for the delay- I won't bore you with my excuses;) But I hope you can all forgive me in due time…<br> Thanks so much to staceface510, GoldnWlf, anglomaltese, XxP3HalliwellxX(Can't believe you read it all in one go!), elenarae (hope this helps you breathe again;)) and Faithfully charmed! You guys are all awesome!
And a special Thanks to CanadianHalliwell for helping me kick my butt back into gear. This one's for you CH!
XXXXXXXXX Chapter 21 XXXXXXXXX
“d**n it!” DJ exclaimed angrily as he finally released his tense grip on the bars stopping their escape. Father and son had been trapped in the small office in the police station for almost fifteen minutes now, and their cries for help had so far gone unanswered. Neither could believe that Jameson actually had the nerve to lock them in…the persistent inspector had turned out to be more ambitious and cunning then they had originally thought.
He knew that the Morris’ wanted to stop his investigation, and although he was rather new to the division, he had been quick to figure out that the two knew more about the Halliwell’s then they were letting on.
Trapping them, and preventing their interference had been a wise move on his part….and it was a move that could very well result in the Halliwell’s being found out once and for all.
“Why the hell are there bars on the windows anyway?” DJ demanded hotly as he gave them yet another shake. “This is where the inspectors work, not where prisoners are kept.”
Darryl slowly lifted his head to look up at his son. After trying to call the manor several more times, he had finally given up hope. He now sat slouched in his chair trying with all his might to fight back the tears prickling behind his eyes.
“Because.” He began quietly. “This is still a police station…suspects are sometimes questioned or moved into various rooms, we can’t risk them making a run for it.”<br> The boy nodded slowly and glared over at the strong metal bars. “Just our luck.”<br> Hardly hearing his sons bitter words, Darryl looked back down at his desk. The truth still hadn’t had time to fully sink in…it was so hard to believe, that after all of these years, after so many challenges, he had finally failed to protect his dearest friends. He had come close to failing before…very close. He had even doubted that protecting their secret really was worth so much sacrifice…but he had always managed to pull though…things had always worked out in the end…<br> But this time, he didn’t see how it could possible be okay.
Almost the entire SFPD was about to arrive at the manor…there was so much evidence against them…because of the spell, the mere sight of almost any of the Halliwell’s was enough to confirm that they weren’t exactly normal…
They would capture Mel…capture the boys…<br> Question them…study them…expose them…
It was a horrible thought….
“I know!” DJ exclaimed suddenly, breaking his father away from his troubled reflections. “We can try calling Leo, Paige, Wyatt or Chris.” He paused, and Darryl could see that his brown eyes wide with desperate hope. “I mean, they’re whitelighters…and they can hear when people call out their names. If we can get a hold of one of them, and warn them to get out of the manor, then maybe things will be okay…”
The older man hesitated slightly, not allowing himself to believe that a solution could possibly be that easy. “Maybe…” he replied, giving his son a sad smile. “Try it.”<br> DJ nodded quickly and began shouting their names as loud as he could, hoping that, by some miracle, they would actually be able to hear. “LEO.” He called, his voice echoing through the small room. “PAIGE. WYATT. CHRIS. Come on guys! If you can hear me, orb here…it’s an emergency!”<br> The Morris’ waited.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
A minute.
But there was no shimmer of blue lights…no soothing chiming of bells…nothing happened.
They weren’t going to come.
“d**n.” DJ swore again, his heart sinking as he forced himself to face the fact that it wasn’t going to work. “Wyatt come on!” he tried again, still hoping that his friend would, by some miracle, appear before him. “Wyatt! You need to orb your ass over here right now!”<br> Once again, his cry received no response.
“I didn’t think it would work.” Darryl stated sadly, his eyes dropping to the floor again as he allowed feelings of defeat to overcome him.
They had tried. They had failed. It was all over…<br> He couldn’t do it any more.
He was helpless…<br> “I’m pretty sure whitelighters can only here their charges, and possibly family members in the case of Wyatt, Chris and Paige.” The man explained. “They can’t hear us DJ. They won’t come. There’s nothing we can do.”
DJ eyes widened again, and he turned to face his father in disbelief. “Dad?” he began, his voice tentative and unsure. “What are you talking about? We can’t just give up. We have to do something…we have to keep trying…”
“There’s nothing to try, son. We’re trapped, the phone isn’t working, no one is around to let us out…and we’re probably already too late anyway. I don’t like this any more then you do, but we have to be realistic here…”
As sad smile crossed the older mans face once again. He could not help but find a glimmer of inspiration in his son’s persistent enthusiasm. He could remember being that young…being so sure that there was nothing he couldn’t over come…<br> But his years on the force had taught him that, sometimes, things really were out of his control. He had seen dozens of innocent people loose everything just because they happened to wrong place at the wrong time…he had seen guilty men walk away on legal technicalities…<br> There was only so much he could do. And he had done it all.
It was just unfortunate that, this time, that hadn’t been enough.
“I can’t believe you’re saying this, dad!” DJ exclaimed, glaring down at his father accusingly. “You were always the one that taught me never to stop trying. You always said I could do anything, so long as I never gave up. We have to think of something. We have to do absolutely everything we can to save them.”<br> Darryl gave a heavy sigh. “I’m not trying to be hypocritical…but what if we have done everything we can?” he asked, slowly locking his deep brown eyes directly on his sons. “We’re just mortals DJ. We can’t fix magical messes like these. We don’t have the power to do that. We-”<br> “I am NOT listening to this.” DJ snapped before Darryl had a chance to finish his last sentence. “If you’re not going to help me think of a solution, fine. But there is no way in hell I am going to give up.” He paused and drew a deep shaking breath. Fiery determination flashed across his face, and his hands tightened into to tense fists. “Mel’s in trouble.” He stated. “And I’m going to save her.”<br> With that, the young man began a frantic dash around the room looking for something –anything- that was strong enough to bust them out of their confinement.
For several long seconds, Darryl could not bring himself to do anything but simply watch. The realization slowly began to sink in as his son’s final words rang heavy in the air.
Despite their current predicament, his despair began to wane as he watched DJ’s feverish search…and as he realized what it meant.
It made so much sense now…<br> He knew why DJ had insisted on helping with this particular problem. He knew why the boy had wanted to come to the manor…<br> He knew why his heart and soul were so entirely devoted to this one hopeless task…<br> He loved her.
He loved Mel.
And despite their imprisonment, despite the futility of it all, the young man wouldn’t accept defeat…<br> He wouldn’t give up on his love.
Slowly, but with more determination then he had felt all day, Darryl rose from his seat and began to help his son look for a way to create an escape.
He glanced briefly over at DJ, and a genuine smile crossed his face. Maybe it would work out…maybe they would find an escape…<br> He knew that he had been wrong to give up hope…<br> He knew that there was still a chance that things could be okay…<br> And most of all, he knew that they weren’t as powerless as he had thought.
They may be mere mortals, but they did have one very important, and very strong, power to lead them ahead…<br> The one force that was stronger then all else…<br> Love...
That was all they needed to keep their hopes alive.
He wouldn’t give up yet.
He couldn’t.
Love could always find a way…<br>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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Post by leigh19 on May 26, 2005 23:46:25 GMT -5
“Cronous.” Piper read as she joined her younger sister in front of the book of shadows. “He was originally a lower level demon, but he has used his spell casting ability to accumulate power over the past several centuries. Although he can now be classified as an upper level demon, he still prefers to work under the guidance of more prestigious demons. Extent of powers is unknown, but he is said to have energy balls, conjuring, and possibly shape shifting…”
“That sounds like our guy.” Leo stated, a slight smile lighting up his face.
This entire ordeal had taken a toll on the entire Halliwell family, but this new glimmer of hope had instantly given them all the determination they needed to put an end to the magical mess. Both Cole and Phoebe were pulsing with excitement as their memories slowly began to recall the critical events of the previous night; they more then anybody knew that Coronus was indeed the demon responsible.
Piper and Leo looked almost as relieved, and Emily was pacing the room in anticipation.
There was no doubt that the mood in the small Halliwell attic had uplifted significantly in the past five minutes.
“I know it’s him.” Phoebe confirmed, her hands jittering slightly as she reached up to touch the image drawn in the old family tome. I recognise him from the underworld, and from my vision. He was working with Demetrius, and he must have used his spell casting abilities to create the true nature spell last night.”<br> Cole nodded in agreement and placed a supportive arm around his wife’s back. “She’s right, that’s the guy. I can’t believe we forgot to check up on him.”<br> The oldest Charmed one nodded slowly as she continued to skim over the entry. “The description fits.” She muttered. “Can’t believe the name though…”
“What do you mean?” Phoebe asked quickly, worried that Piper was already doubting her discovery. She was happy to have finally done something useful for the mission, and she didn’t want her sister shoot her theory down.
“No, no.” Piper replied, rolling her eyes at the worry in Phoebe voice. “I don’t mean that I don’t believe you. I was just pointing out how strange it is that the two demons responsible for this crisis are named Cronuos and Demetrius…remember the Titians? Two of them were named Cronuos and Demetrius too.”<br> Phoebe gave a quiet sigh of relief and smiled over at her sister. “You’re right. I didn’t even notice.”<br> “Well,” Cole cut in, happy to lend his demonic expertise. “A lot of demons are given names that originally belonged to notorious big baddies. It’s seen as a prestigious way to name a young demon…it’s supposed to show status and potential for power.”<br> “And no baddies are bigger then the Titians…so I guess that makes sense.” Phoebe noted, a smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth as she briefly recalled their encounter with the powerful mythological figures.
“Right, well, I guess it doesn’t really matter anyway.” Piper continued, forcing herself to look back down at the book. “The point is we found him, and this whole stupid mess is going to be over.”<br> “Just in time too.” Leo cut in, glancing down at his old silver watch. “It’s almost seven o’clock- that means we have just over an hour to reverse the spell before it becomes permanent.”<br> The oldest Charmed one could not help but shiver slightly as she was reminded of how close they were to loosing the small degree of normalcy she had worked so hard to uphold in her family. She was glad that they had managed to figure it out in time- and she would be eternally grateful to Phoebe for piecing it all together.
Things would be back to normal soon.
Her husband and sons wouldn’t be angels anymore. Her niece and brother and law wouldn’t be demons. (Not outwardly, anyway…)
They could all put this horrible ordeal behind them and move on with their lives…<br> She smiled at the thought, and relief washed over her entire body.
It was finally going to end…<br> “Good.” Piper stated, meeting her husband’s eyes for a brief second before continuing to read from the old family tome. “It says that to reverse a spell Coronus has cast, all we have to do is vanquish him. That should set things right.”<br> Phoebe clapped her hands together in excitement and anticipation. “Sounds simple enough. Does it say how exactly he can be vanquished?”<br> “Yep. The power of three is required- and to be on the safe side we should use both a spell and a potion.”<br> “We’ve certainly got enough potions.” Cole noted, glancing over at the heaping supply he, Phoebe and Paige had prepared in the kitchen.
Piper nodded in agreement. “Definitely.” She paused. “And if the kids have managed to come up with a decent spell, we’re all set.”<br> “He was accompanied by other demons in his vision.” Phoebe noted hesitantly as she recalled the images she had recently seen. “They had darklighter arrows too.”<br> She hated to worry her older sister, but she knew it was imperative to report every detail of the upcoming attack.
“Like we haven’t seen enough of those in the past two days…” Piper muttered bitterly, her face breaking into a frown as she thought of the weapon that could so easily destroy almost half of her family.
Noticing his wife’s displeasure, Leo instantly rushed to her side and placed a supportive arm around her back. “It’ll be fine, honey.” He soothed. “If you want, the boys and I will stay downstairs during the attack, and I’m sure Paige will manage to TK arrows away from her if need be.”<br> The witch nodded, feeling somewhat satisfied with his answer. If she was going to truly focus on her task, she needed to feel sure that her husband and sons would stay safe. Heaven knew they had suffered enough in the past twenty four hours…<br> She couldn’t stand to see any of them get hurt again.
“Okay then,” she began, drawing a deep breath to steady herself. “Phoebe, Cole, Emily- arm yourselves with as many potions as you can. We’ll fill Paige in on what we’ve found, and summon the demon- if his minions show up too, so be it- we’ll be ready.” She paused briefly and looked up into her husband’s captivating green eyes. “Leo honey, I want you to take the boys and Jenny into the dining room and set up crystals- there is no way I’m letting any of you near the attic if darklighter arrows are going to be involved.”<br> “What about the spell?” Leo asked, not overly pleased that his wife would not allow him to help with the vanquish. “Shouldn’t we get that sorted out first? The book said you needed one…why don’t we see what the kids have come up with?”<br> Piper nodded again. “Right- of course.” She muttered, feeling the anticipation begin to well inside of her. She knew that the time of reckoning was fast approaching. Everything was coming together…it would all end soon…<br> “Chris! Wyatt!” she called, hoping her boys would quickly orb up and deliver the last critical ingredient- no vanquish was complete with out a good power of three spell.
The five adults waited quietly in the attic for the sound of twinkling orbs and a glimmer of blue lights.
None came.
“Chris!” the anxious mother tried again, trying to ignore the slight dread forming in the pit of her stomach. Her boys almost always responded to her calls instantly…especially in times like these…<br> Why hadn’t they come?
“Wyatt!”<br> Still, there was nothing.
“Paige!” she tried. “Paige, orb up here now.”<br> The desperation was now evident in her voice, and hot tears began to form in her wide brown eyes. She wasn’t sure exactly how, but she suddenly knew that something bad had happened.
She knew something had gone terribly wrong…
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Post by leigh19 on May 26, 2005 23:54:31 GMT -5
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“Feels good to relax a bit.” Mel sighed as she flopped back down on the couch after her brief, but refreshing trip into the back yard. She was so relived to have finally come up with a decent vanquishing spell, and she could not help but feel proud of her breakthrough. The smile on her demonic face refused to go away.
Feeling undeniably light hearted, the girl grinned over at Jenny her two angelic cousins. “These past few days have put me through hell.” She stated, trying to force a straight face. “…literally.”<br> Chris gave a short laugh at the girls joke as he stretched out his tired limbs. “Well, despite appearances, it certainly hasn’t been a heavenly experience for us either.” He replied, inciting an eye roll from his brother and a quiet giggle from Jenny.
“You think you’re so funny Christopher…” Wyatt muttered as began working out the kinks that had formed in his shoulders from his hours of hunched over spell writing.
“You’re so wrong, Wy.” The younger brother shot back playfully. “I don’t think I’m funny…I know I’m funny.”
Wyatt snorted. “There’s a difference between being a neurotic, smart ass and being funny.”<br> “As if you know what you’re talking abo-”<br> “Boys!” Mel cut in, taking on a surprisingly convincing parental tone. “Don’t force me to break up another one of you’re stupid fights. I’ve had more then enough of your childish antics for one day.”<br> Chris snorted at his cousin’s remark, and the glare he had been directing at his brother softened. “It’s scary how much you sound like our mom sometimes.” The witch-whitelighter stated, glancing over in her direction.
“Well, someone has to keep you two under control when she’s not around.” Mel replied. “Age obviously has nothing to do with maturity in this family…”
“Hey!” Wyatt retorted in mock anger. “I’m mature! Chris, on the other hand…”
The demonic witch rolled her eyes at her oldest cousin’s persistent taunting of his younger brother. Wyatt was always eager to poke fun of Chris in any way possible- and in her opinion it showed that he probably was the less mature of the two brothers. Chris could be short tempered and quarrelsome too…but he could easily revert to serious mode and get down to business when necessary. It was Wyatt that most enjoyed picking fights, and Wyatt that tended to get crabby when things didn’t exactly go his way…
“What are you kids up to?” a new voice inquired from across the room, breaking Mel away from her thoughts. Having just finished cleaning up after the potion making, Paige walked in from the kitchen, and was heading over to join them on the couches.
“Not much.” Chris replied, looking up at his aunt. “Mel came up with a good spell a few minutes ago, so we’re sot of taking some time to relax.”
The charmed one gave a quiet chuckle. “Lord knows we all need to relax.” She stated, taking a seat next to her niece and rolling back her shoulders to work out a few kinks. “It’s been a rather eventful two days.”
“That’s an understatement.” Wyatt muttered.
The others nodded in agreement.
They all knew that their ordeal wasn’t quite over yet, but they could not help but feel as if it was coming to a close. They had a spell, after all…they had potions…and chances were their parents had figured out the source of the problem by now, and were just about ready to set things right.
The four part whitelighters and one part demon all felt more clam then they had in quite some time.
“Do you think we should give mom and dad the spell?” Chris asked, glancing between the others. “You do it.” Wyatt replied with a loud yawn. “I don’t feel like moving.”<br> Chris scoffed. “It doesn’t involve much moving Wy. You’re a whitelighter; you can orb your lazy a** upstairs in seconds flat.”<br> “Orbing takes effort.”<br> “Hardly.” The younger brother shot back in mild annoyance. “It’s no harder then breathing…”
“Really?” a third voice cut in. “It can’t be that easy…”
Chris turned away from his aggravating older brother and looked over at Jenny. She had been rather quiet for the past while, and he suddenly felt very guilty for not paying her more attention. He had, after all, sworn to himself that he would do everything he could to help her adjust to the craziness of the situation. He could only imagine how confusing the past twenty four hours had been for her…and his neglect was not helping to clear up any of her worry…<br> “It’s pretty easy.” He replied, looking into her soft blue eyes. “Like I said before, it just takes a bit of time. But once you do it once by yourself, you’ll see how easily it comes. Don’t worry...when this whole mess is sorted out, I’ll teach you how to do it.”<br> Chris could have sworn that he heard Wyatt making quiet kissy noises behind his back, but he chose to ignore it. He had had enough of Wyatt’s teasing for one day…acknowledging it, would only make it worse.
“Thanks.” Jenny replied, smiling shyly as she averted her gaze down at the floor. “I can’t wait to learn.”<br> “And I’ll teach you all of the best spells.” Mel added, also wanting to re assure the girl. Despite yesterday’s tiff, she truly meant what she had said last night- she wanted a female witch to hang out with- she always had- and she was not willing to let this opportunity pass her by. “Glamour charms, easy vanquishing spells…”
“Don’t forget cleaning spells.” Paige cut in, with a wide smile. “Every witch needs to learn those.”<br> Jenny smiled up at the Halliwell’s, thrilled to have found such a great group of people that were more then willing to help her adjust to this new life. She had always hated being an only child, and it was wonderful to be around other people her age- and with whom she had something in common.
“Can I cast all types of spells? Anything I want?” the girl asked, feeling slightly excited at the thought. There seemed to be almost no limit to magic…<br> Chris shook his head. “Not exactly.” He replied. “There are rules and limitations. Spells for pure personal gain aren’t allowed…that can lead to major consequences- trust me.”<br> The others nodded, all recalling the wiccan complications they had faced over the years. Paige in particular had always had issues with the ‘personal gain consequences’- and even after all this time she still felt that the rules were stupid. She saved the world every week…that should entitle her to at least a few magical clean ups…<br> Before the lighthearted conversation could continue, however, a sudden scratching noise from the front hall way caused each of the rooms inhabitants to abruptly redirect their attention.
“You guys hear that?” Wyatt asked, his voice barely a whisper.
“Yeah.” Paige replied after another few seconds of silence, and another distinct scratch. “There must be someone- or something there.”<br> The five waited quietly, listening for any indication of what had caused the sound.
“It almost sounds like…a saw.” Mel muttered, her heart beating frantically in her chest. Maybe the demon they were after had come after them instead…maybe it was something even worse.
He mind began to race as she went over the possibilities. It sounded like something was trying to get in…<br> But, if it was something supernatural, why wouldn’t they just shimmer or flame…?
“I’m going to check it out.” Paige stated, trying to stay calm for her niece and nephews. “I’m sure it’s nothing…”
The youngest charmed one slowly rose from her seat and inched cautiously towards the from entrance way. She could still hear the strange sound…<br> It was getting closer…<br> Louder…<br> Her heart pumped rapidly…she didn’t know what it could be…but whatever it was, it probably wasn’t good.
Summoning up her courage, Paige stepped around the corner, hands ready to orb away any demonic foe that might stand before her.
But- she realized in one shocking instant- it wasn’t a demon at all.
No…it was worse then that.
Much worse.
The door swung open in one swift movement, and Paige found herself face to face with fifty members of the San Francisco police department…
For several moments she was too shocked to even flinch. The tall balding man in front stood starring at her with a mixture of shock and satisfaction…the others stared too…<br> It was obvious that they had never seen a real live angel before…<br> Barely able to breathe, Paige raised a shaking hand in hopes that her power could at least orb away some of the threat…but before she could release the slightest ounce of magic, or even scream for help, the tall man before her raised his gun.
The witch-whitelighter felt a sharp stinging in her neck as a tranquilizer dart struck, and mere seconds later, the world fell into darkness…<br>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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