Post by StoryGirl83 on Aug 27, 2008 23:46:39 GMT -5
Chapter Fourteen – Showing Off
Chris eyes widened. He had forgotten about Josias’ whitelighter friend, Elizabeth, the one who hadn’t been able to orb in years.
Wyatt looked at Leo sheepishly. Chagrin he said, “No.”
“I forgot about him,” Chris admitted. “Do you think this could help Elizabeth?”
Leo gave his son a look. “Well, the same gel that his you, hit her all those years ago, so it is worth a shot.”
Chris nodded and closed his eyes. For the second time in his life, Chris used his most unwanted power. “Josias.”
There was silence as they waited and then blue-white orbs formed into Josias Hinshaw. In his arms was a small blonde girl, Pansy Haskell. Josias looked at them with unveiled curiosity. “Hello, again. I admit I didn’t expect to see you any time soon.”
“Do you have time?” Chris asked, looking at Pansy questioningly.
On the other side of the car, Wyatt looked at the girl. Finding her irrelevant he shrugged and started examining the car. Let Chris explain.
Leo joined his son at the edge of the car.
Realizing what Chris meant, Josias looked at the girl in his arms. “You mean Pansy? She’s a charge.”
Chris eyed Pansy, uncertain.
Next to him, Hank walked over to Josias and smiled at Pansy.
Wyatt looked up curious as to what his cousin was up to.
“Hi, Pansy.”
“Hello,” Pansy replied, returning Hank’s smile. “Are you a whitelighter like Josias and Elizabeth?”
Wyatt chuckled.
Hank grinned, broadly. “Sort of.”
Josias looked over Hank’s head at Chris. “Sorry about bringing her, but her mom, Portia, needed a babysitter.”
“I’m not a baby, Josias,” Pansy protested, still in his arms.
Josias managed to keep back his laugh, though only just. “So why did you call me?”
Chris held out his hand. In blue-white orbs a wrench disappeared off the wall and reappeared in Chris hand.
Josias gulped.
Wyatt grinned and returned his attention to the car and his dad. Chris had things under control.
“Your orbing,” Josias stated, dumbfounded.
“We don’t know if you want to try this with Elizabeth,” Chris admitted, “but time is limited.”
Josias nodded. He looked down at Pansy, unsure what to do. It was easier to orb around in search of Elizabeth without a passenger.
“Want me to watch her while you guys help this Elizabeth,” Hank offered. “She can help Uncle Leo and me with this car.”
Reluctant as he was to trust people he had already decided that he could trust this family, so Josias looked down at Pansy. “Do you want to stay with . . ?” Josias looked at Hank for his name.
“Hank,” he offered, easily.
Hardly believing he was asking Pansy if she wanted to stay with someone whose name he had to ask, he none the less, looked down at her. “Do you want to stay with Hank while I go get Elizabeth and help her?”
Pansy eyed Hank. Her innocent eyes stared at him, until he felt a little uncomfortable, like she was seeing into his soul. Finally she looked back at Josias and nodded.
Josias put her down on the ground.
Pansy walked over to the front of the car. She got up on her tiptoes and looked under the hood. “So what are you doing?”
Leo walked over to her as Josias orbed out. “Hi, Pansy. Ever worked on a car before?”
Pansy nodded, solemnly. “Mommy needs my help a lot.”
Wyatt eyed her skeptically. “So you are handy with cars?”
“And other stuff,” Pansy agreed. She looked around until she spotted a broken coat rack made of wood. With a mischievous grin she turned to him. “Watch.” She walked over to where the coat rack lay. She waved her hands at it. With a happy grin she turned back as the pieces moved around until they had rearranged themselves to look good as new.
Wyatt stared at her stunned.
Leo chuckled.
Hank and Chris grinned.
“On cars and other big stuff I need a small part to focus on,” Pansy informed Wyatt in a conspiratorial voice. “I can’t fix a car all at once.”
Wyatt looked at Chris, who merely raised an eyebrow. “You know how you are always quoting ‘personal gain’ at me?” When Chris nodded, he continued. “I’m not sure this girl has ever heard that.”
Chris looked at Pansy as she waved her hands at a rusty fender and it rearranged itself to look new. “Yeah, you could be right.” Turning to Hank, he said, “Can you do me a favor?”
Hank looked at him questioningly.
“I know it’s her parents job,” Chris began, “and maybe her whitelighter, but could you find out if she knows what personal gain is?”
Hank grinned. “Chris she knows. She’s showing off.”
“Just check would you,” Chris requested. “I don’t want her in trouble.”
Hank rolled his eyes. “I’ll talk to her, but most little kids who have already come into their powers by her age play with them when they are young to learn how to use them. She should mature into not using her powers for personal gain as she gets older. Besides I hardly think fixing our stuff counts as personal gain for her.”
Chris looked at his teenage cousin. “Just talk to her.”
Hank nodded as blue-white orbs formed into Josias, hugging a young woman, Elizabeth Ellerton, to him. Once they were fully formed Josias let Elizabeth go.
She moved away and shook out the dark hair that hung just below her shoulders. “It’s funny how that is starting to affect me,” she comment, slightly unsteady. She turned to Wyatt and Chris. “You must be Wyatt and Christopher Halliwell. I’m Elizabeth. Unlike Josias I have actually heard much about you.” With a grin she added, “He told me about your first meeting. He has a tendency toward skepticism.”
Chris smiled. “Nice to meet you, Elizabeth.”
“We think we have the cure to our no problem,” Wyatt informed her.
“So I hear,” Elizabeth admitted looking at Josias.
“Do you want an explanation first or wait until after we see if it works?”
“After all these years I find myself reluctant to try yet another of could be dead ends,” she admitted, softly, “and yet, Josias did say you couldn’t orb when he first met you and now you can, so I am willing to try it and I see no need for explanation. Not only are your intentions good, but you have the brains within you to not easily be tricked. That will suffice.”
Chris grinned.
Wyatt inclined his head, his own grin growing at the compliment. “In that case I suggest we get going. It is a simple enough thing, but we only partially know its boundaries and dare not test them.”
Chris rubbed his head in remembered pain. “Almost got myself and another killed trying to orb out of it. Not something I recommend.”
Josias frowned. “If not orbing, how do you recommend we get there?”
“Oh, I recommend orbing,” Chris assured him. “We just have to be careful as to where we orb. We know enough of the borders to avoid them from one side. It’s just easier to show you then describe it.”
Josias shrugged. He looked at Elizabeth who came to his side. “Then, lead the way.” He hugged Elizabeth in front of him.
Wyatt closed his eyes. After a few seconds he reopened them. “Coast is clear.” He orbed out, followed quickly by Chris.
Josias sighed. Then, he orbed himself and Elizabeth out.