The Wizard Of Oz, 4/5
Title: The Wizard Of Oz, Part 4 (of 5)
Authors Ginny and Kathie (Yakihngenit)
Word Count: 12,723 words
Warnings: RPS, Slash, AU, Magic
Rating: FRAO
Fandoms involved: House MD, RPS Hockey
Pairings: Chris Osgood/Kris Draper, Andreas Lilja/Nick Lidstrom, Chris Osgood/Nick Lidstrom, Steve Yzerman/Brendan Shanahan
(teams: Red Wings, NY Rangers, Buffalo Sabres mentioned)
Summary:
It is dangerous to hunt Demons, but someone has to do it - it is the Wizards that protect people from the things that go bump in the night.
Author’s Notes: We wanted to write something together again, and we didn't want to decide between RPS and FPS, so we just did both.
Kris blinked a few times, trying to figure what had woken him. The door. He unwrapped himself carefully from Chris and hurried to open it before the loud knocking could wake Chris.
"Mac," he said in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
Mac shifted from one foot to the other. "I got woken up by some energy spikes," he explained and pushed his hands deep in his pockets. "And they came from your house. I just wanted to make sure you guys are okay."
"Yeah," Kris said, stepping aside to let him in. "Mostly, at least. Chris ran into some trouble tonight."
"Trouble?" Mac asked and shifted slightly on his feet. "What kind of trouble?"
"The kind that nearly killed him," Kris whispered.
"Damn, Kris," Mac sighed and settled an arm on his friends' shoulder. "Will he be okay? What happened?"
"The demon he was chasing cut him," Kris explained. "He was poisoned. House says that he should be okay." He paused. "I think that's what House said."
"If House was here, then he'll be okay," Mac said firmly. "What about you, how are you feeling?"
"Worried. Exhausted. Still scared," he admitted.
Mac nodded and brushed his thumb over Kris' forehead, drawing an age-old protective rune. "You go back to bed," he said. "I'll make sure you stay safe, okay?"
He nodded. "Thanks Mac."
"You're my friends," Mac said quietly. "Go back to bed, okay?" he then repeated.
He nodded once and trudged back toward the bed.
Mac looked after him for a moment before sighing. He wasn't a high wizard, and he didn't have the same magical potential as maybe Oz did, but he was a Warden, and he had his own ways of making sure his friends were safe for the night; safe not only from the demons and other things that went bump in the night, but also safe from themselves.
It was his talent and he did it well.
Kris curled up under the blankets again and touched Chris' cheek gently, to let him know that everything was okay. Chris, he realized, was running a fever, just as House had predicted.
"I love you," he whispered to him, hoping that the fever would burn off any lingering poison.
Of course Chris didn't reply, and Kris sighed and pressed his forehead against the side of Chris' ribs. He needed the contact right now.
It grounded him. Holding him, he fell to sleep.
He never noticed when Mac sneaked into the room half an hour later and pulled the blankets up around them before settling a little stone with another protective rune carved into it on the bedside table.
Mac watched his two friends sleep for a minute before going back into the living room, confident that he'd strengthened the already set runes and spells more than enough to keep them safe. Oz had saved him long ago and, more than that, they were his friends, and he would do whatever it took to keep them safe.
He sat down on the couch and relaxed enough to allow himself to fall into a light sleep. The slightest disturbance in the energy fields around him would wake him up again, no matter what would cause them.
He hoped it would be Chris waking up, but would be happy as long as it wasn't something trying to attack or magic out of control.
When he blinked his eyes open again, it was three in the morning, and something - someone - was moving toward him. He sat up, reaching for his stick and a handful of salt before his brain was completely awake.
"Don't throw that salt in my eyes again," Kris murmured. "It's only me."
He reached out and flipped on the light, and Mac blinked as he recognized his friend, a blanket in his hands.
"What are you doing up?" he mumbled.
"Thought you might want a blanket," Kris answered. "More comfortable. You know, you don't need to sleep on the couch. You can just as well take the guest room."
"Closer to the door," Mac said. "Besides, I think your couch is more comfortable than my bed."
Kris hesitated and finally handed Mac the blanket. "Okay, then," he muttered. "I just want a glass of water from the kitchen."
Mac reached out and settled his palm against Kris' forehead. "Just how close are you and Oz, for his fever to jump over to you?" he wondered quietly. "That doesn't happen that often."
"We've been together a long time," he said quietly.
Mac nodded. It didn't explain exactly why Kris had caught Oz' fever, but he was willing to take it.
"Why don't you go back to bed?" he suggested. "And I bring you that water?"
"Don't worry about it Mac," Kris said. "But thanks."
"Can't help it," Mac easily said and wrapped his arm around Kris. The protective spells tattooed into his skin started to itch slightly, a sure sign that something would happen soon.
Kris leaned against him. "Everything's going to be okay now, right?"
"Yes," Mac soothed. "Come on, back to Oz with you."
"He scared me," Kris said. "I don't know what I'd do without him."
"You won't need to find out," Mac promised and slowly guided Kris back to bed.
He realized Oz was awake only a split second before the lightning bolt hit him square in the chest.
He fell back with a loud grunt. Looking around for Kris, he rolled onto his knees, trying to drag air into his aching lungs. "It's Mac," he wheezed.
"Mine," Chris growled darkly.
"I know," Mac said, reaching instinctively for his stick before realizing that he'd left it in the other room. "Kris is yours. Oz, it's Mac. Darren."
"Mine," Chris hissed again, and another bolt hit the floor directly next to Mac's head.
Mac flinched. Of course, his body would absorb the energy if he got hit again, but it still hurt like hell. He didn't want to get hit again.
"Kris," he said, his voice as quiet and soothing as he could make it. "Kris?"
There was no reply.
Mac groaned. Staying here was starting to sound like it had been a bad idea.
"Where?" Chris hissed and started to move away from the bed. "Mine!"
"There," Mac said, spotting Kris next to the bed. "Kris," he hissed. "Wake up."
Kris didn't react.
Mac grunted as he struggled to his knees. He didn't want to hurt Chris, but he had to subdue him somehow and make sure Kris was okay, and to do that, there was only one thing he could do.
He took a careful breath and released it with a rush of words of Latin, Greek and long-forgotten Germanic languages that only survived in spells, jinxes, incantations and hexes.
Chris struggled hard against the bonds that held him in place as well as his magic.
"Dammit Chris, calm down," Mac muttered as he quickly got to Kris' side. "You're going to hurt yourself worse."
"Mine," he hissed angrily and threw himself against the bonds again. "Mine!"
"I know, damnit!" Mac hissed back and turned Kris' head to the side.
Oh great, he thought darkly. Blood. Of course the wizard, already on the edge, wouldn't calm down if he sensed that Kris was hurt.
Mac looked up at Chris. "Forgive me," he whispered and sent a flare of magic toward him through the bonds that he'd created and knocked Chris out again.
"Kris," he summoned and tapped his cheek gently while pressing his fingers to the cut on the man's temple. "Come on, wake up?"
"What' happene'?" he slurred.
"Kris," Mac slowly and patiently said. "When they exorcised the demon, who was here? Who did the exorcism on Chris?"
"Steve," Kris answered. "Pavel helped. Why?"
"Can you get up?" Mac asked and wrapped a hand around Kris' arm to steady him as he sat up. "I want you to leave this room and call Aaron. And Lils and Nick. Can you do that?"
"Yes," he confirmed. He stopped and looked seriously at Mac. "Darren? What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Mac soothed. "Go, make that call. I'll be with you in five minutes." He hesitated a second. "Put a cloth on that cut," he then said. "Apply some pressure. I don't think you need stitches, but I don't want to risk anything either."
Kris nodded and hurried away, worried about his wizard.
Mac sighed and returned his attention to Chris.
"I'm sorry, but we need to take you out of the game for a bit," he murmured while hunting through his pockets for everything he needed.
Chris was going to be furious, but he knew it was for the best.
He whispered spells and attached them to Chris' body with brief touches before stepping back. Chris would sleep peacefully until the morning, he'd made sure of that, and after that, he would re-examine him and, if he was convinced that he was healthy and strong enough, he would remove the containment spells that would keep Chris from performing any kind of magic until then.
He had, basically, turned Chris into a normal human.
He sighed and pulled the blankets up around his friend again before stepping out of the room and pulling the door closed. Kris was pacing in the kitchen, a towel pressed to his head. He looked exhausted, but also furious, Mac noticed.
"What the fuck did you do?" Kris snarled.
"Are the others on their way?" Mac asked calmly.
"Yes. Now what did you do?"
"I just did my job."
Kris blinked at him. "You...what?" he asked and stumbled a step back.
"Sit down," Mac said. "Before you fall. I'm keeping the wizard safe."
"But...you said he was going to be fine," Kris murmured and fell into a chair.
"He is going to be fine," Mac soothed. "He's just going to have to live without magic for a few days."
"Why?" he whispered. "He's going to hate that. He'll fight you."
"It's already been done," Mac said. "I told you, my job is to keep all of you safe and this is the only way."
"That's why you wanted me to leave the room."
"Yes," Mac admitted. "I knew you'd fight me too."
"Do you really need Nick and the others here?"
"Yes," Mac said bluntly. "I want to know where the tight connection between you and Chris came from."
"Is it really that big of a deal?" Kris asked. "I'm his Companion."
"That I want to find out," Mac said. "I never tried a containment spell on a Companion, and I don't want you to be the first."
Kris sighed in exasperation. "Fine. Whatever."
"Kris." Mac started and reached out. "Take this," he said and handed him another little, smooth stone with a rune cut into it. "Put it in your pocket and don't lose it," he advised. "Please? For me?"
It was a pretty strong spell, he knew, but he didn't want his friend to get hurt, and he figured that it was better to be safe than to be sorry.
"When this is all over, will Chris be all right?" Kris asked him.
"Yes."
There was no doubt in Mac's voice, and before he could elaborate, a knock at the door interrupted them.
"I'll get that," Mac told him.
Kris nodded and put the stone in his pocket. He'd trust that Mac knew what he was doing.
He pressed the dishtowel back against the still bleeding cut in his forehead and went to get a glass of water. When Nick entered the kitchen, not a minute later, he had calmed down enough to be able to crack a smile about Nick's sweatpants and t-shirt.
"They woke you up, too?" he said and put more pressure on the cut.
"Uh-huh," Nick murmured non-committal. "Let me see the wound."
"It's just a cut," Kris muttered, but he removed the towel and took a step closer to let the Swede take a look.
"What happened?" Nick asked him.
"I'm not sure," Kris admitted with a small shrug. "Ask Mac about that?"
"I will," Nick told him, moving on to put the back of a hand against his forehead. "Rough night?"
"You have no idea," Kris sighed and pressed his towel back against the cut.
"Nick," Mac called. "Can you come in here."
"I'll send Lils in to stay with you," Nick said to Kris.
"You don't have to," Kris protested, but Nick only smiled and squeezed his elbow before leaving the room.
Seconds later, Lils entered the kitchen. His hair was sticking up wildly, and he, just as Nick, was dressed in comfortable pants and a t-shirt.
"Sorry for waking you," he apologized.
Lils shrugged. "Not the first time, won't be the last."
He looked around and finally nodded toward one of the chairs. "Why don't you sit down?" he suggested. "Let me take a look?"
He nodded and did as requested.
Andreas muttered as he hunted through the cupboards until he found the salt.
Kris grimaced. "I hope you're not planning on going anywhere close to me with that," he said wearily.
Lils looked at him questioningly.
"I've already had some thrown at me. Do you ever feel like they're keeping things from us?"
"What do you mean?"
Kris sighed. "Never mind," he muttered. "You wouldn't understand."
"Try me," Lils said slowly and grabbed a clean dishtowel. "Who's keeping what from you?" He hesitated briefly. "Do you mind if I draw with chalk on your kitchen floor?" he asked. "Or would you prefer to come back to our place?"
"What are you going to do?" Kris asked him.
Andreas scratched his head slightly. "I want to check your energy lines," he explained. "Make sure that, when the demon poisoned Oz, you didn't get infected with something, as well." He shrugged. "It's rare, but it happened before," he added when Kris stared at him in disbelief. "Mac says you're running a fever, that's not a good sign. No matter how long you've been Oz's Companion, this shouldn't be possible."
"You can do it here," Kris said, but looked toward the door. "What are they doing to Chris?"
"They're just making sure he's healthy and comfortable," Andreas promised. "Fifteen minutes, okay, and you can go to him."
"After you figure out what's wrong with me?" he asked dryly.
"After I figure out if there is anything wrong with you. And maybe putting a healing spell on that cut of yours." Andreas smiled. "What can I say, I don't think you want blood all over your sheets."
He grimaced. "Not really."
"I figured as much."
Lils pulled a piece of chalk out of his pocket and started to draw circles and symbols on the floor around the chair Kris was still sitting in.
Kris watched him and then settled back in his chair.
"You want a glass of water or something before I start?" Andreas asked as he straightened and reached for the salt again.
Kris shook his head and took a deep breath. "It's okay," he said. "Get it over with."
Andreas nodded firmly and threw a handful of salt over him while whispering incantations. Kris didn't understand a single word, but he knew that Andreas preferred to do his magic in his native Swedish tongue. It worked just as well, he supposed as his skin started to tingle slightly.
He sat silently, trying to keep still when Andreas worked his magic. "Well?" he asked when Andreas finally stepped away. "Did you figure it out?"
"Yeah," Andreas said and pressed three salty fingers against the cut at Kris' temple. It burned and almost made him flinch away, but Andreas just followed the move and whispered a short spell.
"Thanks," he sighed as the sting faded. "Should I be worried?"
"Nah," Andreas shook his head and ran a hand through his hair again. "You'll be fine. But keep that rune Mac gave you with you for the next three days, at least. At every moment of the day. Even on the ice."
Kris nodded and then sat up, his eyes wide. "Fuck! We have a game tonight."
"You have the flu tonight," Andreas said firmly. "Clears can take your spot in the lineup. Or Helmer."
"Okay," he agreed, suddenly feeling exhausted.
"You want to see Oz now?" Andreas asked and handed him a glass of water.
"Yeah," he said, putting his fingers in his pocket to feel the small stone that Mac had given him. "How is he? How long will he be out?"
"I'll let Mac and Nick answer those questions," Andreas told him.
"Okay," Kris said around a yawn he couldn't quite suppress. He obediently drank the glass of water, not noticing the slightly off taste until it was too late.
Lils met his suddenly angry gaze without a flinch.
"Bastard," he mumbled.
"Just something to let you sleep peacefully," he promised and grabbed his arm when Kris' knees buckled.
"You could've warned me," he managed.
"Don't worry about it," Andreas promised and wrapped Kris' arm around his shoulders to drag him toward the bedroom. "You're safe, I promise."
Kris glared at Nick and Mac who were standing over Chris, suspecting that they'd been in on the agreement to drug him. He curled slowly and carefully around Chris as he fought back the drug running through his system for a few more seconds. "Can't feel him. Can usually feel his magic."
"That's okay," Mac soothed and gripped his shoulder tightly. "Just relax and sleep, okay? When you wake up, you'll be fine again."
Kris nodded once, wrapped his fingers in Chris' shirt and fell to sleep.
Andreas waited a few more heartbeats. "That went well," he whispered. "So far."
"So far," Mac agreed. "I've done all I know what to do, what do we do now?"
"If we want to break this bond - if we're sure that it's created by the demon's force - we need at least five Wizards and two Wardens," Andreas sighed.
"Dan will come," Nick said. "Do you want me to call a few others? Miller, Hecht and Lundqvist or Drury?" he suggested.
Mac hesitated. "But would it take them longer to get here than it would take for Steve and Pash to recuperate?" he asked. "I can call Aaron, but I really have no idea about you guys."
"We'd still be short a wizard," Andreas pointed out. He was quiet for a moment. "Call Miller and Hecht. One extra wizard won't hurt just in case Steve and Pavs aren't at full strength. See if they can get here tomorrow morning."
Mac raised his eyebrows. "You do realize that the Sabres play the Ducks in California tomorrow, right?" he asked slowly. "Aaron and I were talking about it the other day - because the Miller boys were planning on meeting up, and you know what happens if that kind of potential gets unleashed."
"Dammit!" Lilja snapped. "Are there any Wardens in the area?"
"How long can you keep Chris under?" Nick asked them.
"Wardens yes," Mac said. "Aaron and I are here. You just need a few Wizards."
"A few hours, maybe," Andreas said and ran a hand through his hair again. "I'll call Lundqvist."
"In California," Nick clarified. "Is there going to be something to worry about out there?"
"If we can get the Lundqvist and Drury here, hopefully Steve and Pav are feeling better by then."
Mac frowned. "Scott and Rob are in California," he reminded Lils. "As usual."
Lils ran a hand through his hair again. "Sorry, I forgot," he said sheepishly. "Okay, then. I call Henrik, ask him to come here, and bring Drury."
"And then you'll fix this?" Nick clarified. He brushed a hair off of Chris' forehead and pulled the blankets up higher around wizard and Companion.
"Yeah," Andreas said and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "It shouldn't be much of a problem, I think."
"Good," Nick said. But you're the one telling Babs that Chris isn't playing."
"You're the captain."
"You're the wizard," he countered.
Andreas opened his mouth to protest, but one glare from Nick had him meekly turn around and nod. "I call him," he agreed. "You call Lundqvist. Please?"
"Fine," Nick agreed easily.
Mac chuckled. "I'll stay with these two," he offered. "And call Aaron."
"Drapes won't wake up," Andreas told him. "Hopefully Chris won't either."
"If their bond is as tight as you think it is...probably not," Mac agreed. "But I'm prepared if he does."
"Is it going to hurt them when you break it?" Nick asked.
"It might Chris," Andreas admitted. "With all of the magic in him, even bound, he feels it. But it's hurting Drapes to have this tight of a tie. He shouldn't have Chris' fever."
Nick nodded. He understood that it was necessary to break it, even if he didn't like the idea of his friends hurt.
"The longer they're connected, the more it's going to hurt," Mac said. "And I'd really rather not get hit with another lightning bolt."
"You what?" Andreas asked.
"It's nothing," Mac said quickly.
"That's it," Andreas decided. "I wake up Steve."
"He didn't know what he was doing," Mac protested. "He was worried about Drapes."
"Yeah, and right now, I'm worried about you."
"I'm fine," Mac told him. "It hurt like a sonofabitch, but I managed to absorb it."
"Are you sure?"
"I wouldn't lie about this," Mac told him. "I don't want to get hit with another bolt, but I'm fine right now."
"Okay," Nick said and reached out to touch Andreas' hand briefly. "Call Steve in the morning, and Pav too? Will that be soon enough?"
"That'll have given them a full day to recover," Mac said. "A little less if they make it to tonight's game."
"Will that be okay for these two?" Nick asked and nodded toward Kris and Chris.
"It's going to have to be," Lils said.
Nick nodded and touched Lils' hand again.
Lils turned his hand until he was holding Nick's. "Did we miss anything?" he whispered softly to him.
Nick shook his head. "Don't think so," he answered just as quietly, before adding louder, "Mac? You sure you can handle things here?"
"I'm sure," he said. "Go home. Talk to Mike. Aaron's playing tonight anyway, so I have nowhere to be."
"Thank you," Nick smiled and tugged gently on Andreas' hand. "Let's go home? I'm tired," he said quietly.
He nodded. "Call us if you need anything," he told Mac.
Mac nodded and watched them leave before setting to work, to clean up the kitchen and occasionally making sure the two sleeping men in the bedroom were still asleep. He grimaced slightly at the number of runes written on Chris' skin - he knew how hard it was to wash off this kind of marker - but there was nothing to be done right now.
He knew that hunting demons was dangerous, and he was glad that he didn't need to do it. He was just a Warden.
His responsibilities lay elsewhere.
TBC...
Authors Ginny and Kathie (Yakihngenit)
Word Count: 12,723 words
Warnings: RPS, Slash, AU, Magic
Rating: FRAO
Fandoms involved: House MD, RPS Hockey
Pairings: Chris Osgood/Kris Draper, Andreas Lilja/Nick Lidstrom, Chris Osgood/Nick Lidstrom, Steve Yzerman/Brendan Shanahan
(teams: Red Wings, NY Rangers, Buffalo Sabres mentioned)
Summary:
It is dangerous to hunt Demons, but someone has to do it - it is the Wizards that protect people from the things that go bump in the night.
Author’s Notes: We wanted to write something together again, and we didn't want to decide between RPS and FPS, so we just did both.
Kris blinked a few times, trying to figure what had woken him. The door. He unwrapped himself carefully from Chris and hurried to open it before the loud knocking could wake Chris.
"Mac," he said in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
Mac shifted from one foot to the other. "I got woken up by some energy spikes," he explained and pushed his hands deep in his pockets. "And they came from your house. I just wanted to make sure you guys are okay."
"Yeah," Kris said, stepping aside to let him in. "Mostly, at least. Chris ran into some trouble tonight."
"Trouble?" Mac asked and shifted slightly on his feet. "What kind of trouble?"
"The kind that nearly killed him," Kris whispered.
"Damn, Kris," Mac sighed and settled an arm on his friends' shoulder. "Will he be okay? What happened?"
"The demon he was chasing cut him," Kris explained. "He was poisoned. House says that he should be okay." He paused. "I think that's what House said."
"If House was here, then he'll be okay," Mac said firmly. "What about you, how are you feeling?"
"Worried. Exhausted. Still scared," he admitted.
Mac nodded and brushed his thumb over Kris' forehead, drawing an age-old protective rune. "You go back to bed," he said. "I'll make sure you stay safe, okay?"
He nodded. "Thanks Mac."
"You're my friends," Mac said quietly. "Go back to bed, okay?" he then repeated.
He nodded once and trudged back toward the bed.
Mac looked after him for a moment before sighing. He wasn't a high wizard, and he didn't have the same magical potential as maybe Oz did, but he was a Warden, and he had his own ways of making sure his friends were safe for the night; safe not only from the demons and other things that went bump in the night, but also safe from themselves.
It was his talent and he did it well.
Kris curled up under the blankets again and touched Chris' cheek gently, to let him know that everything was okay. Chris, he realized, was running a fever, just as House had predicted.
"I love you," he whispered to him, hoping that the fever would burn off any lingering poison.
Of course Chris didn't reply, and Kris sighed and pressed his forehead against the side of Chris' ribs. He needed the contact right now.
It grounded him. Holding him, he fell to sleep.
He never noticed when Mac sneaked into the room half an hour later and pulled the blankets up around them before settling a little stone with another protective rune carved into it on the bedside table.
Mac watched his two friends sleep for a minute before going back into the living room, confident that he'd strengthened the already set runes and spells more than enough to keep them safe. Oz had saved him long ago and, more than that, they were his friends, and he would do whatever it took to keep them safe.
He sat down on the couch and relaxed enough to allow himself to fall into a light sleep. The slightest disturbance in the energy fields around him would wake him up again, no matter what would cause them.
He hoped it would be Chris waking up, but would be happy as long as it wasn't something trying to attack or magic out of control.
When he blinked his eyes open again, it was three in the morning, and something - someone - was moving toward him. He sat up, reaching for his stick and a handful of salt before his brain was completely awake.
"Don't throw that salt in my eyes again," Kris murmured. "It's only me."
He reached out and flipped on the light, and Mac blinked as he recognized his friend, a blanket in his hands.
"What are you doing up?" he mumbled.
"Thought you might want a blanket," Kris answered. "More comfortable. You know, you don't need to sleep on the couch. You can just as well take the guest room."
"Closer to the door," Mac said. "Besides, I think your couch is more comfortable than my bed."
Kris hesitated and finally handed Mac the blanket. "Okay, then," he muttered. "I just want a glass of water from the kitchen."
Mac reached out and settled his palm against Kris' forehead. "Just how close are you and Oz, for his fever to jump over to you?" he wondered quietly. "That doesn't happen that often."
"We've been together a long time," he said quietly.
Mac nodded. It didn't explain exactly why Kris had caught Oz' fever, but he was willing to take it.
"Why don't you go back to bed?" he suggested. "And I bring you that water?"
"Don't worry about it Mac," Kris said. "But thanks."
"Can't help it," Mac easily said and wrapped his arm around Kris. The protective spells tattooed into his skin started to itch slightly, a sure sign that something would happen soon.
Kris leaned against him. "Everything's going to be okay now, right?"
"Yes," Mac soothed. "Come on, back to Oz with you."
"He scared me," Kris said. "I don't know what I'd do without him."
"You won't need to find out," Mac promised and slowly guided Kris back to bed.
He realized Oz was awake only a split second before the lightning bolt hit him square in the chest.
He fell back with a loud grunt. Looking around for Kris, he rolled onto his knees, trying to drag air into his aching lungs. "It's Mac," he wheezed.
"Mine," Chris growled darkly.
"I know," Mac said, reaching instinctively for his stick before realizing that he'd left it in the other room. "Kris is yours. Oz, it's Mac. Darren."
"Mine," Chris hissed again, and another bolt hit the floor directly next to Mac's head.
Mac flinched. Of course, his body would absorb the energy if he got hit again, but it still hurt like hell. He didn't want to get hit again.
"Kris," he said, his voice as quiet and soothing as he could make it. "Kris?"
There was no reply.
Mac groaned. Staying here was starting to sound like it had been a bad idea.
"Where?" Chris hissed and started to move away from the bed. "Mine!"
"There," Mac said, spotting Kris next to the bed. "Kris," he hissed. "Wake up."
Kris didn't react.
Mac grunted as he struggled to his knees. He didn't want to hurt Chris, but he had to subdue him somehow and make sure Kris was okay, and to do that, there was only one thing he could do.
He took a careful breath and released it with a rush of words of Latin, Greek and long-forgotten Germanic languages that only survived in spells, jinxes, incantations and hexes.
Chris struggled hard against the bonds that held him in place as well as his magic.
"Dammit Chris, calm down," Mac muttered as he quickly got to Kris' side. "You're going to hurt yourself worse."
"Mine," he hissed angrily and threw himself against the bonds again. "Mine!"
"I know, damnit!" Mac hissed back and turned Kris' head to the side.
Oh great, he thought darkly. Blood. Of course the wizard, already on the edge, wouldn't calm down if he sensed that Kris was hurt.
Mac looked up at Chris. "Forgive me," he whispered and sent a flare of magic toward him through the bonds that he'd created and knocked Chris out again.
"Kris," he summoned and tapped his cheek gently while pressing his fingers to the cut on the man's temple. "Come on, wake up?"
"What' happene'?" he slurred.
"Kris," Mac slowly and patiently said. "When they exorcised the demon, who was here? Who did the exorcism on Chris?"
"Steve," Kris answered. "Pavel helped. Why?"
"Can you get up?" Mac asked and wrapped a hand around Kris' arm to steady him as he sat up. "I want you to leave this room and call Aaron. And Lils and Nick. Can you do that?"
"Yes," he confirmed. He stopped and looked seriously at Mac. "Darren? What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Mac soothed. "Go, make that call. I'll be with you in five minutes." He hesitated a second. "Put a cloth on that cut," he then said. "Apply some pressure. I don't think you need stitches, but I don't want to risk anything either."
Kris nodded and hurried away, worried about his wizard.
Mac sighed and returned his attention to Chris.
"I'm sorry, but we need to take you out of the game for a bit," he murmured while hunting through his pockets for everything he needed.
Chris was going to be furious, but he knew it was for the best.
He whispered spells and attached them to Chris' body with brief touches before stepping back. Chris would sleep peacefully until the morning, he'd made sure of that, and after that, he would re-examine him and, if he was convinced that he was healthy and strong enough, he would remove the containment spells that would keep Chris from performing any kind of magic until then.
He had, basically, turned Chris into a normal human.
He sighed and pulled the blankets up around his friend again before stepping out of the room and pulling the door closed. Kris was pacing in the kitchen, a towel pressed to his head. He looked exhausted, but also furious, Mac noticed.
"What the fuck did you do?" Kris snarled.
"Are the others on their way?" Mac asked calmly.
"Yes. Now what did you do?"
"I just did my job."
Kris blinked at him. "You...what?" he asked and stumbled a step back.
"Sit down," Mac said. "Before you fall. I'm keeping the wizard safe."
"But...you said he was going to be fine," Kris murmured and fell into a chair.
"He is going to be fine," Mac soothed. "He's just going to have to live without magic for a few days."
"Why?" he whispered. "He's going to hate that. He'll fight you."
"It's already been done," Mac said. "I told you, my job is to keep all of you safe and this is the only way."
"That's why you wanted me to leave the room."
"Yes," Mac admitted. "I knew you'd fight me too."
"Do you really need Nick and the others here?"
"Yes," Mac said bluntly. "I want to know where the tight connection between you and Chris came from."
"Is it really that big of a deal?" Kris asked. "I'm his Companion."
"That I want to find out," Mac said. "I never tried a containment spell on a Companion, and I don't want you to be the first."
Kris sighed in exasperation. "Fine. Whatever."
"Kris." Mac started and reached out. "Take this," he said and handed him another little, smooth stone with a rune cut into it. "Put it in your pocket and don't lose it," he advised. "Please? For me?"
It was a pretty strong spell, he knew, but he didn't want his friend to get hurt, and he figured that it was better to be safe than to be sorry.
"When this is all over, will Chris be all right?" Kris asked him.
"Yes."
There was no doubt in Mac's voice, and before he could elaborate, a knock at the door interrupted them.
"I'll get that," Mac told him.
Kris nodded and put the stone in his pocket. He'd trust that Mac knew what he was doing.
He pressed the dishtowel back against the still bleeding cut in his forehead and went to get a glass of water. When Nick entered the kitchen, not a minute later, he had calmed down enough to be able to crack a smile about Nick's sweatpants and t-shirt.
"They woke you up, too?" he said and put more pressure on the cut.
"Uh-huh," Nick murmured non-committal. "Let me see the wound."
"It's just a cut," Kris muttered, but he removed the towel and took a step closer to let the Swede take a look.
"What happened?" Nick asked him.
"I'm not sure," Kris admitted with a small shrug. "Ask Mac about that?"
"I will," Nick told him, moving on to put the back of a hand against his forehead. "Rough night?"
"You have no idea," Kris sighed and pressed his towel back against the cut.
"Nick," Mac called. "Can you come in here."
"I'll send Lils in to stay with you," Nick said to Kris.
"You don't have to," Kris protested, but Nick only smiled and squeezed his elbow before leaving the room.
Seconds later, Lils entered the kitchen. His hair was sticking up wildly, and he, just as Nick, was dressed in comfortable pants and a t-shirt.
"Sorry for waking you," he apologized.
Lils shrugged. "Not the first time, won't be the last."
He looked around and finally nodded toward one of the chairs. "Why don't you sit down?" he suggested. "Let me take a look?"
He nodded and did as requested.
Andreas muttered as he hunted through the cupboards until he found the salt.
Kris grimaced. "I hope you're not planning on going anywhere close to me with that," he said wearily.
Lils looked at him questioningly.
"I've already had some thrown at me. Do you ever feel like they're keeping things from us?"
"What do you mean?"
Kris sighed. "Never mind," he muttered. "You wouldn't understand."
"Try me," Lils said slowly and grabbed a clean dishtowel. "Who's keeping what from you?" He hesitated briefly. "Do you mind if I draw with chalk on your kitchen floor?" he asked. "Or would you prefer to come back to our place?"
"What are you going to do?" Kris asked him.
Andreas scratched his head slightly. "I want to check your energy lines," he explained. "Make sure that, when the demon poisoned Oz, you didn't get infected with something, as well." He shrugged. "It's rare, but it happened before," he added when Kris stared at him in disbelief. "Mac says you're running a fever, that's not a good sign. No matter how long you've been Oz's Companion, this shouldn't be possible."
"You can do it here," Kris said, but looked toward the door. "What are they doing to Chris?"
"They're just making sure he's healthy and comfortable," Andreas promised. "Fifteen minutes, okay, and you can go to him."
"After you figure out what's wrong with me?" he asked dryly.
"After I figure out if there is anything wrong with you. And maybe putting a healing spell on that cut of yours." Andreas smiled. "What can I say, I don't think you want blood all over your sheets."
He grimaced. "Not really."
"I figured as much."
Lils pulled a piece of chalk out of his pocket and started to draw circles and symbols on the floor around the chair Kris was still sitting in.
Kris watched him and then settled back in his chair.
"You want a glass of water or something before I start?" Andreas asked as he straightened and reached for the salt again.
Kris shook his head and took a deep breath. "It's okay," he said. "Get it over with."
Andreas nodded firmly and threw a handful of salt over him while whispering incantations. Kris didn't understand a single word, but he knew that Andreas preferred to do his magic in his native Swedish tongue. It worked just as well, he supposed as his skin started to tingle slightly.
He sat silently, trying to keep still when Andreas worked his magic. "Well?" he asked when Andreas finally stepped away. "Did you figure it out?"
"Yeah," Andreas said and pressed three salty fingers against the cut at Kris' temple. It burned and almost made him flinch away, but Andreas just followed the move and whispered a short spell.
"Thanks," he sighed as the sting faded. "Should I be worried?"
"Nah," Andreas shook his head and ran a hand through his hair again. "You'll be fine. But keep that rune Mac gave you with you for the next three days, at least. At every moment of the day. Even on the ice."
Kris nodded and then sat up, his eyes wide. "Fuck! We have a game tonight."
"You have the flu tonight," Andreas said firmly. "Clears can take your spot in the lineup. Or Helmer."
"Okay," he agreed, suddenly feeling exhausted.
"You want to see Oz now?" Andreas asked and handed him a glass of water.
"Yeah," he said, putting his fingers in his pocket to feel the small stone that Mac had given him. "How is he? How long will he be out?"
"I'll let Mac and Nick answer those questions," Andreas told him.
"Okay," Kris said around a yawn he couldn't quite suppress. He obediently drank the glass of water, not noticing the slightly off taste until it was too late.
Lils met his suddenly angry gaze without a flinch.
"Bastard," he mumbled.
"Just something to let you sleep peacefully," he promised and grabbed his arm when Kris' knees buckled.
"You could've warned me," he managed.
"Don't worry about it," Andreas promised and wrapped Kris' arm around his shoulders to drag him toward the bedroom. "You're safe, I promise."
Kris glared at Nick and Mac who were standing over Chris, suspecting that they'd been in on the agreement to drug him. He curled slowly and carefully around Chris as he fought back the drug running through his system for a few more seconds. "Can't feel him. Can usually feel his magic."
"That's okay," Mac soothed and gripped his shoulder tightly. "Just relax and sleep, okay? When you wake up, you'll be fine again."
Kris nodded once, wrapped his fingers in Chris' shirt and fell to sleep.
Andreas waited a few more heartbeats. "That went well," he whispered. "So far."
"So far," Mac agreed. "I've done all I know what to do, what do we do now?"
"If we want to break this bond - if we're sure that it's created by the demon's force - we need at least five Wizards and two Wardens," Andreas sighed.
"Dan will come," Nick said. "Do you want me to call a few others? Miller, Hecht and Lundqvist or Drury?" he suggested.
Mac hesitated. "But would it take them longer to get here than it would take for Steve and Pash to recuperate?" he asked. "I can call Aaron, but I really have no idea about you guys."
"We'd still be short a wizard," Andreas pointed out. He was quiet for a moment. "Call Miller and Hecht. One extra wizard won't hurt just in case Steve and Pavs aren't at full strength. See if they can get here tomorrow morning."
Mac raised his eyebrows. "You do realize that the Sabres play the Ducks in California tomorrow, right?" he asked slowly. "Aaron and I were talking about it the other day - because the Miller boys were planning on meeting up, and you know what happens if that kind of potential gets unleashed."
"Dammit!" Lilja snapped. "Are there any Wardens in the area?"
"How long can you keep Chris under?" Nick asked them.
"Wardens yes," Mac said. "Aaron and I are here. You just need a few Wizards."
"A few hours, maybe," Andreas said and ran a hand through his hair again. "I'll call Lundqvist."
"In California," Nick clarified. "Is there going to be something to worry about out there?"
"If we can get the Lundqvist and Drury here, hopefully Steve and Pav are feeling better by then."
Mac frowned. "Scott and Rob are in California," he reminded Lils. "As usual."
Lils ran a hand through his hair again. "Sorry, I forgot," he said sheepishly. "Okay, then. I call Henrik, ask him to come here, and bring Drury."
"And then you'll fix this?" Nick clarified. He brushed a hair off of Chris' forehead and pulled the blankets up higher around wizard and Companion.
"Yeah," Andreas said and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "It shouldn't be much of a problem, I think."
"Good," Nick said. But you're the one telling Babs that Chris isn't playing."
"You're the captain."
"You're the wizard," he countered.
Andreas opened his mouth to protest, but one glare from Nick had him meekly turn around and nod. "I call him," he agreed. "You call Lundqvist. Please?"
"Fine," Nick agreed easily.
Mac chuckled. "I'll stay with these two," he offered. "And call Aaron."
"Drapes won't wake up," Andreas told him. "Hopefully Chris won't either."
"If their bond is as tight as you think it is...probably not," Mac agreed. "But I'm prepared if he does."
"Is it going to hurt them when you break it?" Nick asked.
"It might Chris," Andreas admitted. "With all of the magic in him, even bound, he feels it. But it's hurting Drapes to have this tight of a tie. He shouldn't have Chris' fever."
Nick nodded. He understood that it was necessary to break it, even if he didn't like the idea of his friends hurt.
"The longer they're connected, the more it's going to hurt," Mac said. "And I'd really rather not get hit with another lightning bolt."
"You what?" Andreas asked.
"It's nothing," Mac said quickly.
"That's it," Andreas decided. "I wake up Steve."
"He didn't know what he was doing," Mac protested. "He was worried about Drapes."
"Yeah, and right now, I'm worried about you."
"I'm fine," Mac told him. "It hurt like a sonofabitch, but I managed to absorb it."
"Are you sure?"
"I wouldn't lie about this," Mac told him. "I don't want to get hit with another bolt, but I'm fine right now."
"Okay," Nick said and reached out to touch Andreas' hand briefly. "Call Steve in the morning, and Pav too? Will that be soon enough?"
"That'll have given them a full day to recover," Mac said. "A little less if they make it to tonight's game."
"Will that be okay for these two?" Nick asked and nodded toward Kris and Chris.
"It's going to have to be," Lils said.
Nick nodded and touched Lils' hand again.
Lils turned his hand until he was holding Nick's. "Did we miss anything?" he whispered softly to him.
Nick shook his head. "Don't think so," he answered just as quietly, before adding louder, "Mac? You sure you can handle things here?"
"I'm sure," he said. "Go home. Talk to Mike. Aaron's playing tonight anyway, so I have nowhere to be."
"Thank you," Nick smiled and tugged gently on Andreas' hand. "Let's go home? I'm tired," he said quietly.
He nodded. "Call us if you need anything," he told Mac.
Mac nodded and watched them leave before setting to work, to clean up the kitchen and occasionally making sure the two sleeping men in the bedroom were still asleep. He grimaced slightly at the number of runes written on Chris' skin - he knew how hard it was to wash off this kind of marker - but there was nothing to be done right now.
He knew that hunting demons was dangerous, and he was glad that he didn't need to do it. He was just a Warden.
His responsibilities lay elsewhere.
TBC...