Practice (Tag: Alidia) rated M

Roger smriked. "You're too late the venom is in her and it'll kill rapidly like it did with her father." Jessica began coughing and gasping for air cause her throat was closing. "I...loved...you...all..." her cuffed hand dropped as she stop breathing.

"We need to stop this!" Leo cried.
"I agree." Una said, calmly. She opened her book, read a spell in Latin, and made the offender lose conciousness. She then moved to Jessica's side. Hidden in her dress pocket was a water-filled jar that contained leechs. The female gargoyle let three of them attach to Jessica's arm.
"There's to much poison for just one leech. I'll need to use a number of them if I am to save her." Una explained. With that, she began chanting in Latin.

Jessica saw them below her. She looked at herself. "Wow I look sick..." Jessica tried to spread her love, but she couldn't. She felt so weak. Her ghosty self was fading fast. Jessica tried to began to wiggle her fingers, but nothing. She felt colder and colder by each minute.

While Una did her best to try and get some sign of life out of Jessica, Griff came to kneel beside the girl's body. He took her hand, caressing the soft skin. Unable to look at her like this, he lay his head on her chest as tears began to fall.
"I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner, Jessica. Please don't leave us yet. I love you, Jessica. Come back. Come back." he begged.

Jessica's spirit began to cry which resulted tears in her eyes. Jessica coughed. "Griff..." she said wrapping her hands around his.

"Jessica?" Griff inquired, confused. He wasn't sure if he had really heard that. Had he imagined the feeling of her hands responding to his touch?

Jessica was scared. She was alone. Her spirit called out again. "Griff..."
Jessica needed to show them. She gathered some of her energy and took the book and focused on the "True Love's kiss and vow..."

"Hey, what's this now?" Leo asked. Griff looked up. Una's book had turned to a specific page. Something about true love's kiss and vow. It hit him like lightning, what he had to do. With great care, he lifted her body closer to him.
"Jessica, I fell in love with you the very first time you kissed me. I love you. For your sweet nature, and wonderful personality. I always have." Griff confessed. He kissed her lips and placed her head against his shoulder when he needed air.

Jessica's spirit rejoiced as it when back in her. Jessica's eyes fluttered opened and she began stroking Griff's wings. She smiled as she kissed him back. "I love you and only you Griff..."

Griff moved back to see her. Jessica was touching his wings. He almost couldn't breathe, he was so relieved.
"Jessica." he said, ecstatic to see her look at him.

Jessica looked at him with tears in her eyes as she tried to get up....she gathered all her willpower and walked to Griff, embracing him. "I....I....I thought I was going to lose you...and I couldnt bare the pain...." Jessica saw Leo and Una; she walked to them. "Thank you...." Jessica kissed Leo on the check and hugged Una super tightly.

Leo was blushing at the kiss on the cheek. Una accepted the hug, but her maternal instinct made her gently push Jessica into sitting down. Griff held the young lady's hand.
"You shouldn't stand up right now. Wait for the leeches to finish their work." she instructed. It wasn't five seconds later that all three leeches let go of her arm and popped off, having gorged themselves to bloatation. Una collected them and returned them to their jar.
"Good thinking." Leo congratulated his sister.
"I know my merchandise." Una replied, waving her book as she spoke. Griff, meanwhile, was busy wrapping up her arm so the bleeding would stop.

Jessica smiled at her beloved and his family. "I...I must repay you guys...you all saved me... If there's something I could do let me know..." Jessica paused "daddy..." she whispered and then the tears fell. "Only if he knew..." she sniffled as she looked at Griff pulled him to kissed him.

"It's okay, Jessica dear. Everything will be okay. We could look after you." Griff reassured her, caressing her face.
"What he means is that if you have no other relatives, we could help take care of you until you're ready to making a living." Leo paraphrased for his brother.

Jessica looked at the family that stood before her. "You...you'd take me in...but would you get in trouble...cause I'm a human..." Jessica held Griff's hand to hers. "Like I said Griff; I'll only love you...cause it feels like you conplete me..." Jessica kissed his hand.

"It's not right to leave you like this after your father died, and I don't like the idea of us leaving with him still here." Griff explained.
"And there is something I think we should all talk to you about, Jessica. I don't know about you, but I would rather discuss this back at our shop." Una added.

Jessica was nervous. She nodded. "Okay I'll go with you...just let me grab something..." she ran in her parents room and grabbed the music box.


She opened it to see if still played the song and it did, she smiled. She ran back in her room. "Okay...lets go..."

Griff gently gathered Jessica in his arms, headed to her balcony, and glided back toward the Soho region of London. Leo and Una were right behind him. The three gargoyles and the girl headed back to the Into the Mystic store shortly after leaving. All four of them went inside to talk and get more comfortable.

Jessica smiled when they were in the air. She still felt a bit woozy but shakes it off when they are at the store. Jessica smiled and her eyes brighten when she walks in.

"Here now. You should have a seat." Leo said, offering Jessica a chair. Una sat in another one opposite of her. Griff went to put the 'closed' sign up on the front door, making sure no one would disturb them.

Jessica's smile turn into a scared frown. She sat as she placed the music box aside her. "What's the matter?" Jessica asked without hinting her fear.

"Jessica, I wonder if you are aware of your hidden potential. Your spirit was able to manipulate my spellbook to show us something that only one who knows about magic, even subconsciously, would know. You may have the ability to learn magic; you just haven't tapped into it yet." Una began.
"If that's true, you could learn a lot from what we have here. Our shop is full of books on such things." Griff realized.

Jessica was shocked at what she was hearing. "Me...a magic-caster...that can't be..." Jessica was scared. She looked around for any comfort. Then she saw a book. She closed her eyes and focused on it and it came floating down and she opened to the page of soulmates. Her body flet wired. She began to glow. "What's happening?"

If Una still doubted her own words, she was now a believer. Leo stared with his mouth slightly agape. Griff went to Jessica's side, holding her hand. As soon as he did, he felt this sense of warmth and familiarity that made him draw in a breath.

Jessica's outfit changed and her outlook. Her eyes were emerald green, her skin pale and her hair was black. Her clothes were like old English clothes. Jessica opened her eyes. She smiled as she looked at Griff. She rubbed his cheeks with her hands. "Oh how I love thee Griff..." she bent down to see his eyes and kissed him.