CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Genie awoke in a panic. She raced to her father's room, but Arthur was nowhere to be seen. "Dad!" She shouted as she ran through the house. "Dad, please..."

"Hey, munchkin," Kit said as she intercepted Genie in the hallway. "What's wrong, sweetie? Take a breath and talk to me."

"Where's Dad?" Genie asked with tears in her eyes. She already knew the answer.

"Arthur went for a walk," Kit replied. "He should be back soon."

"No... No, no, no..." Genie whispered.

"Genie, tell me what's going on," Kit said. "Did you have a vision?"

Sobbing, Genie nodded. "He's got him," she said softly. "Judas has Dad."

"Are you sure he's already gotten to him?" Kit asked.

"I'm positive, Kit... Judas pretended to be Donnie. He was acting injured, and when Dad tried to help him, he attacked him... He took him to wherever he's keeping the others."

Kit, to her credit, remained outwardly calm, but Genie knew she was quietly freaking out. "Listen to me, Genie... We're going to get your dad back. Arthur's probably the smartest guy I know when it comes to dealing with psychopaths. He'll survive this. Maybe he'll even get the others out of there. Remember, Judas took Donnie, too. Your dad and Donnie know how to work together to handle dangerous situations. They're going to be okay."

That was when Killian joined them. His eyes widened in horror. Usually, Killian acted like nothing bothered him, but his fear was obvious now.

"Judas has Dad?" He demanded.

"We'll handle this, Killie," Kit replied. "I'll go talk to the coven."

"I'm coming with you," Killian said firmly.

Kit hesitated. "We can't leave Lydia alone," she said.

"I'll stay with my mom," Genie replied.

"Genie, are you sure you can handle doing that by yourself?"

"I'll call someone to stay with us, just in case I get stuck in another vision."

Kit hugged her tightly. "Alright. Stay strong, Genie. I'll check in as soon as I can." She released her and turned toward Killian. "Get dressed and we'll go," she said.

Killian ran off to his room. Kit checked on Lydia before leaving Genie alone with her mother.

Genie pulled out her phone and texted the first person she thought of.

My dad's been kidnapped, she sent.

I'm on my way, Solstice replied immediately.

Genie sat with her mother, holding her hand. "Mom, if you can hear me, I really need you," she said softly.

Lydia remained catatonic. Genie searched her eyes for some sign of what might be going on inside of her mind, but all she sensed was terror.

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. Genie rushed downstairs to open it. She took one look at Solstice and burst into fresh tears. Solstice immediately wrapped her in a tight, protective hug.

"Tell me what happened," she said gently.

"I had a vision," Genie explained. "Judas pretended to be Donnie, and by the time my dad figured it out, it was too late."

"Where is everyone else?"

"Mom's in the guest room... Kit took Killian to see the coven."

"What do you need, Genie?"

"Sit with me and my mom. You're empathic, but unlike most empaths, you can flip a switch and turn it off. I'm going to try to get through to my mom, but I need an anchor. If I fall too deep into her mind and get stuck, I might never find my way back."

She was worried that Solstice might try to talk her out of trying something so dangerous, but Solstice simply nodded. "Let's go," she said, taking Genie's hand and leading her upstairs.

Genie sat beside her mother while Solstice continued to hold her hand. Genie hesitated slightly. "You can do this, Genie," Solstice said firmly. "Just try to relax and focus on your mom."

Genie took a deep breath and looked deep into her mother's eyes. I'm your daughter, she thought. We share the same blood. Focusing on that, Genie slipped into her mother's mind.

What she saw was horrifying. They were in a basement. Teenagers were burning. Her mother's leg was on fire.

For a minute, Genie got lost in the chaos. Then, once her father and mother's teenage selves were both physically safe, she broke free of Lydia's panic.

"Mom, listen to me," Genie said.

Lydia was too busy screaming as a teenage girl was suddenly mauled by Jesse Rodriguez. Genie did the only thing she could and grabbed her mother by both of her shoulders. She stared into her mother's eyes, blocking her view of the horrific mauling and the sight of her dead friends and shouted, "Mom!"

Lydia blinked in confusion for a moment before she seemed to register reality. "Little Wish?" She asked softly.

"I'm here, Mom," Genie said in relief.

"It's not safe here... No, no, you can't be here..."

"Mom, this happened seventeen years ago. It's not happening now. Do you understand? It's just a flashback. It's not real."

"Flashback..." Lydia repeated slowly.

"That's right," Genie said soothingly.

"No... No, it's not a normal flashback... He sent me here! The bad man trapped me here so I couldn't warn anyone... Arthur!" Lydia said sharply. "Arthur's in danger!"

Suddenly, Genie understood what had really happened to her mother. "Dad's missing, Mom," she said gently. "But you can help me get him back... We just have to snap you out of your catatonic state."

"Wake me up, Little Wish... We have to save your dad... We have to!"

"We will, Mom. Just hold onto me, okay? I'll bring us back."

Genie clung to Lydia as she tried to focus on returning to awareness. At first, she couldn't find her way out of the smokey basement, past the screaming young warlocks as the memory loop began again.

"Solstice," she whispered. "Sol, where are you? How do I get back?"

She felt Solstice squeeze her body's hand, and Lydia's memory suddenly faded away. They were left in complete darkness, but as Solstice continued to grip her body's hand, a path of light appeared.

Still clinging to Lydia, Genie began to run down the path. After what felt like hours but was only about a minute, she returned to her own mind.

Genie focused her eyes and looked at Solstice. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Anytime," Solstice replied.

"Mom?" Genie called nervously.

"I'm here, Little Wish," Lydia replied. She wiped a couple of tears out of her eyes. Noticing the saline drip attached to her arm, she asked, "How long was I catatonic?"

"A couple of days," Genie replied. "Dad wanted to make sure you stayed hydrated. He set this up this morning."

"Do you know how to take it out?"

"In theory?" Genie replied.

"I can do it," Solstice said. "I'm pretty thoroughly trained in triage for the slayers. I've dealt with setting up IVs and taking them out before."

"Thank you, um..." Lydia hesitated.

"I'm Solstice," she provided.

Lydia's eyes sparkled with something Genie didn't understand. "Solstice! That's a beautiful name." She paused, looking at Genie and Solstice and smiling. "Thank you for taking care of me, and for being here for my little wish."

"Of course. I'm happy to help."

"Honey, will you go downstairs and make something to eat? Anything at all? I'm starving... And then, once I have some strength in me, we can work on figuring out how to save your dad."

"Sure, Mom," Genie said. She immediately headed downstairs, leaving Lydia and Solstice alone.

Solstice carefully stopped the IV before removing it from Lydia's arm. She cleaned her arm with an alcohol wipe and put pressure on the hole to stop any residual bleeding.

"I've seen you before," Lydia said.

"I was here the night you went catatonic," Solstice replied in confusion.

"No, not then... I saw you in my mind, in a vision." She smiled at Solstice brightly before saying, "I'm glad you met my little wish. You two are good for each other."

"She needed a friend, and I guess maybe I did, too."

Lydia gave her a look that said more than words ever could before saying, "A friend... Are you sure that's all you are?"

Solstice hesitated, shocked that Lydia had asked her something like that. "Of course I am," she replied.

"Okay, Solstice," Lydia said with a laugh. "If you say so... But let me give you a piece of advice... Life is short and precious. You never know what will happen, so you should take advantage of things while you can. And if you find someone who makes your heart flutter a little bit faster, you should just dive into the deep end and kiss them. Seize the moment and embrace your bliss."

Solstice frowned. "Are you seriously telling me to kiss your daughter?" She asked.

"I never said it had to be my daughter," Lydia replied with an amused smile. "You filled that in on your own."

Thirty minutes ago, she was catatonic. Now, she's giving me relationship advice. What am I supposed to do with that? Solstice wondered. This had been the last thing she'd expected.

Her father was a sappy hopeless romantic. He'd always told her to fill her life with love, but Solstice had trouble letting people in, and while she could appreciate that some people were physically attractive to her, she'd never even had a crush before. She couldn't deny that she felt a connection to Genie, but how was she supposed to know if it was romantic when she'd never experienced romance before?

"How are you feeling now?" Solstice asked instead of replying to Lydia's comments.

"Better, I think," Lydia replied in a sing-song little girl voice that was definitely different than the wise big sister voice she'd been using to discuss Solstice's feelings toward Genie. "I'd like to eat now. I'm very hungry." She clutched her doll as Solstice helped her stand up.

"Let's go downstairs," Solstice replied patiently. She helped guide Lydia to the kitchen, being careful to stay close in case Lydia's legs gave out. They made it there safely. Solstice helped Lydia sit down before moving closer to Genie to help her finish cooking.

What do I feel? Solstice wondered. She didn't know the answer, but she did know a couple of things... She liked spending time with Genie, and she felt compelled to protect her. For now, she'd try to live in the moment and not overthink things. Wherever this path led, she'd get there at her own pace.

~*~

Jagger was heading home from the wererat meeting on his own. Logan had stayed to discuss some things that Jagger didn't need to be involved in. He didn't get very far before he sensed trouble.

Following his instincts, he headed toward the Salem Common. What he saw made him tense and hesitate, watching from the shadows so he could assess the situation.

About twenty-five warlocks he didn't know stood in the Common. They had surrounded several warlocks that he did know. Heather, Shea, Melanie, and Jordan stood in the center of the circle of strangers.

"Get out of our way," Shea said sharply, standing their ground and not giving in to the obvious threat. "We don't want any trouble."

"Oh, but we do," one of the outsiders taunted them in response. He sent an attack spell at Shea. They dodged the spell just in time, diving to the side.

"How dare you attack us?" Melanie demanded. "We're E.V.S. members!"

"All's fair in love and war, little girl," a woman replied.

"Mel!" Heather shouted in warning as another spell was released. She deflected it, saving Melanie from whatever devastating effects the spell was intended to have.

As the unknown warlocks began to attack the teenagers, Jagger was faced with an ethical dilemma. Yes, the teenagers were warlocks, and one of them had bullied him very recently, but in this situation, they were the ones who needed saving. He ran into battle, immediately attacking the closest adult warlock he could reach.

Melanie did her best to protect the others from harm, but it was Shea who seemed to be their top warrior. Not only did the Irish warlock pack a punch magickally, but they fought physically, too. Jagger was very surprised.

"You've had training," he said.

"My dad's a corrupt slayer," Shea replied. "And so am I."

"Let's put our moral differences aside and work together for the night," Jagger suggested.

"I think that's a good idea. You go right. I'll go left."

The two trained slayers began to physically battle against the warlocks. Jagger was pretty impressed with Shea's skills. They moved fluidly, almost like they were dancing, but every strike was fierce and efficient.

His attention was pulled away from Shea as Heather let out a scream of, "Jordan!"

Jordan lay on the ground in a pool of blood. His eyes were open and full of panic as his breathing grew rapid and shallow. Melanie ran to his side and tried to heal him, but his eyes fluttered shut and his chest stopped rising and falling before she could do much.

"Oh Gods..." Melanie whispered in horror.

Heather was in shock. She stood, frozen, as two warlocks turned their attention toward her.

Jagger sprang into action, snapping one of their necks and knocking the other one unconscious. As a third warlock flung a spell at Heather, Jagger knocked her to the ground. He shifted, taking the impact with his back and pulling her on top of him. He then shifted again, carefully moving her to the ground and covering her with his body as spells flew all around them.

He expected to get hit by one of the spells, but none connected as a protective shield wrapped around them.

"How dare you attack my sister?" Chad snapped. His eyes began to glow red, and one by one, the invading warlocks spontaneously combusted. Jagger kept covering Heather, still shielding her with his body.

He realized how close their faces were to each other. Caught up in the adrenaline of the moment, Jagger didn't stop to think before he kissed her lips. Heather let out a soft gasp of surprise before immediately kissing him back.

As the shield dropped, they continued kissing. Chad cleared his throat dramatically. "Ahem!" He said.

Heather quickly pulled away from Jagger. "Um... Thanks for the rescue, Oppa," she said softly.

"Oppa?" Jagger asked.

"It's a Korean honorific for an older brother," Chad clarified, his eyes still glowing red. "And she only uses honorifics when she knows she's in trouble."

"Jagger saved my life, Oppa," Heather continued, widening her eyes innocently.

"I'm well aware of that, Heather. That's the only reason I didn't just slaughter him for kissing you." Chad paused before adding, "I appreciate you protecting my baby sister, Jagger, but as far as the kissing goes... Carry on if you must, but if you hurt her, I will destroy you. Slowly."

"Understood, and perfectly reasonable," Jagger replied.

"Chad-oppa... Is Jordan...? Can you...? I mean..." Heather rambled.

Chad softened, appearing genuinely sad as he looked at Jordan. "It was his time, Heather," he said. "I can't bring him back. I'm sorry."

Heather held herself together, but Jagger sensed how upset she was. Perfectly composed, she asked, "Will you be the one to tell Daisy?"

Chad sighed. "Yes. It should come from me. Daisy's one of mine." He walked toward Melanie, who was still clinging to Jordan's body. "It's alright, Melanie. I'll bring him home," he promised. He immediately cast a spell to remove the blood from Jordan's body and clothes.

"Why did you do that?" Shea asked. "He's dead either way."

"Daisy's genuinely one of the nicest warlocks I know," Chad replied. "She may be a quiet little introvert, but she's a sweetheart, and she packs a punch magickally. If I can spare her some trauma when I tell her that her only child was murdered, then I'm going to do that."

"I tried to help him, but... There was nothing I could do," Melanie said sadly. "My dad could have saved him... He's such a strong healer..."

"Melanie Becker, wipe those tears from your eyes this instant," Chad said firmly. "I feel your energy all over the Common. You protected my sister and your friends. You did everything in your power to help. Your father would be proud of you for what you did tonight. So smile, Girlfriend, because frowning causes wrinkles and your skin is gorgeous."

Melanie nodded slowly, pulling herself together. "I'll bring you home, Mel," Shea offered.

"Jagger, kindly take my sister home, but do not get caught doing so by my father. He'll roast you alive. Just see that Heather remains safe," Chad said.

"I will," Jagger promised. "Come on, Heather... Let's go."

~*~

Although Beth had answered the call when Kit asked everyone to meet at Deanna's house, the stress of finding out that Arthur was missing was too much for her. She'd begun to feel weak, and she had pain in her abdomen. Beth refused to go to a hospital, so Deanna insisted on driving her home for the sake of the baby.

Randy sat beside her. He'd sent Timmy home to get some rest. "We need to go somewhere that no one can track us," Beth said suddenly.

"What do you mean, Beth?" Randy asked.

"Not here... Not where Judas might hear us."

Randy hesitated. "I know a place," he finally replied. "It's the mausoleum where I trained and strengthened my telekinesis as a teenager. It's sacred to my soul's mother. She mentioned that he can't see what's happening inside of it."

"Okay. We're going there. Call Arnie and Dylan, and have Arnie ask Lou Anne to meet us there."

"Beth, what are you planning?" Randy asked.

"I'll explain when we're there. Call AJ to meet us, too. He should be there. And Joey."

Unwilling to stress her out by arguing, Randy did as she asked. He then helped her walk to the Howard Street Cemetery. Dylan was already waiting for them with AJ, Lyric, and Joey.

"Is it okay if Lyric stays, Mom?" AJ asked shyly. "I was walking her home from slaying when Dad called."

"It's fine, sweetie. She actually might be able to help," Beth replied.

"I'd be happy to," Lyric said cheerfully.

"What's going on, guys?" Dylan asked.

"Is everything okay, Aunt Beth?" Joey added.

"Let's wait until Arnie gets here," Beth replied.

About a minute later, Arnie arrived and Lou Anne manifested in front of them. "What's so urgent, Sugar?" Lou Anne asked.

"Randy, take us to the mausoleum," Beth said.

Randy led the way. As soon as they stepped inside, he sealed the door. Beth relaxed slightly despite their eerie surroundings.

"Okay, Beth," Arnie said. "Spill."

"I want to progress my pregnancy and have the baby tonight," Beth blurted out.

"What?!" Randy asked.

"In a mausoleum?" Dylan added.

"Hey, Echo was born in a cemetery and turned out just fine," Arnie pointed out.

"Why all of a sudden, Beth?" Randy asked.

"I'm having complications from my stress," Beth replied practically. "Now Arthur's missing on top of everything else. I want to help bring Arthur, Donnie, and the other home, but I'm not in good shape physically right now. Besides... We don't know what might be coming, and people keep attacking me to try to kill this baby. We can't risk anything else happening. This place is protected from outside interference. It's the one place we can do this where the baby will be safe."

"Beth, this is-" Randy began.

"Practical," Arnie cut him off. "Beth's right about all of it, Randy. This is smart."

"Alright, Sugar," Lou Anne said. "If you're sure, then let's bring your little one into the world."

Progressing the pregnancy was easy enough. It felt odd to Beth, like a thousand butterflies had suddenly thrown a party inside of her stomach and were fluttering their wings furiously, but it was painless, and as the magick settled, it felt oddly natural. Her baby was strong, and was ready to be born.

As her water broke, Beth tried not to panic. She pushed aside the memories of AJ's birth. I wish the coven was here, or Annabella and Gianna, Beth thought, but the mausoleum was a little small to host more than a few people at once. They were already pushing the limit.

I wish Jade was here, she thought. That broke her. Beth began to cry, her pain caused both by childbirth and grief.

I am here, Bethany, Jade's voice said in her mind. I wouldn't miss this for anything.

Jade... Beth thought, whimpering aloud. Jade, I'm sorry...

You have nothing to apologize for, Jade replied firmly. It wasn't your fault. It was my time, and if given the chance, I'd make the same choice again.

I miss you... And I'm scared.

I know you are, but you can do this, Beth. Everything's going to be alright. Just stay with me. Listen to my voice. And when Lou Anne tells you to push, do it.

Jade's spirit continued talking Beth down as the pain increased. "Just hold on, Sugar," Lou Anne said soothingly as Joey steadily stroked Beth's hair and tried to keep her calm. To Dylan, Lou Anne added, "I'm working on the baby, but I need you to focus on Beth. She's losing a lot of blood. Keep on healing her while I help this baby make his or her entrance."

"I've got her," Dylan promised. "Lyric, lend me a hand. Arnie, help Lou with the baby. Joey, keep doing what you're doing."

"What should I do?" Randy asked nervously.

"Catch the kid, Quarterback," Arnie joked.

Randy paled and looked horrified, causing everyone except Beth to start laughing. "He's kidding, Uncle Randy," Joey said. "Why don't you hold one of her hands while AJ holds the other? The three of us will lend Aunt Beth strength and try to keep her calm."

"Right," Randy said. "I'm on it." He held onto Beth's right hand, trying to lend her as much strength as possible as she screamed in pain.

"You're almost done, Sugar," Lou Anne said soothingly. "You're doing great."

Just breathe, Beth, Jade coaxed her. You're going to be alright and so is your baby. You just need to hold on for a few more minutes.

Beth couldn't stop crying, but she tried to remain strong and focused. Jade continued talking to her until Lou Anne shouted, "This is it, Sugar! Time to push!"

Beth pushed, despite how weak she felt and how exhausted she was. It hurt, and she screamed in pain, but she knew she had to keep going.

That's it, Beth. You're done, Jade said as Lou Anne delivered the baby.

Thanks for staying with me, Jade, Beth replied.

Where else would I be? I'll never stop protecting you, Bethany. I'm so proud of you.

The baby started to cry, which was music to Beth's ears. Not only had Beth remained conscious this time around, but her baby wasn't silent like AJ had been. This child was full of life.

"Congratulations, Mama," Lou Anne said. "You have a daughter."

"A daughter," Randy repeated softly.

Lou Anne placed the little girl in Beth's arms as Randy and AJ stood over them. "She's beautiful," Joey gushed as he continued to stroke Beth's hair.

"She's perfect," Randy added.

Beth looked at Lou Anne and asked, "Is she okay?"

"She's completely healthy, darlin'," Lou Anne promised. "And strong, just like her parents."

"What are you guys going to name her?" Lyric asked curiously.

"Well, we agreed back when Beth was still pregnant with AJ that if we had a daughter, we'd name her after my Ma," Randy said. "Are you still okay with that, Beth?"

"You know how much I love Darla, Randy," Beth replied. "But we were going to use Grace for a middle name... Is it okay if we change that?"

"Sure it is... What were you thinking?"

"Jade," Beth replied firmly. "Darla Jade Schwartz."

"I had a feeling, and of course I'm okay with that. Nothing feels more right, Beth."

Joey had tears in his eyes that he didn't bother trying to hide. He simply wrapped his arms around Beth, being careful not to squish the baby.

Thank you, he said telepathically. It feels like a piece of Mom is back with us.

She is with us, Joey, Beth replied. She's here right now.

I know. I feel her, even if I don't see her.

"That's a really cute name," Lyric said.

"We can call her DJ for short," Beth replied.

AJ looked at the tiny human in his mother's arms and smiled at her warmly. "Hi, DJ," he said. "I'm your big brother, AJ... It's nice to meet you." He kissed her forehead gently.

"Congrats, guys," Arnie said. He had tears in his eyes, too, but his smile made it obvious how happy he was.

"Finally, I'm inspired to write a happy song," Dylan added.

"See, AJ?" Lyric asked with a smile. "I told you to believe in the good."

As Beth held her newborn daughter in her arms, she smiled genuinely for the first time since they'd lost Jade. "Welcome to the world, Darla Jade," she said softly. The baby cooed peacefully in response, so Beth continued talking to her soothingly. "It's a little bit crazy sometimes... Okay, most of the time... But as long as you have love in your life, you can get through anything... And you have an endless supply of that."