Of Lorenz Theory & Love

Call the Apothecary

32 Call the Apothecary

5:20 pm PDT/12:20 am, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

"We need to tell Macy. ASAP." Maggie nodded, and they sped back to the kitchen to gather the rest of the books. After gathering them in their arms, they raced to Macy's bedroom, and began pounding on her door, shouting for her and Harry to come out now, this very instant, for a very important family meeting. "HARRY! MACY!" they hollered together.

5:20 pm PDT/12:20 am, Madalena Village, Azores, Epicenter Pico No. 23, Hot Tub

Harry jerked up, startled. "What is it?" Macy inquired, as they lay soaking in their afterglow ensconced in the steaming bubbles of the hot tub.

"Maggie and Mel. They're screaming for us to have an urgent family meeting. I think something's wrong," he looked at Macy, concerned. In response, Macy used telekinesis to conjure a beach towel from the main entryway. Drying themselves off, they entered back through the screen door, carefully laying the wet towel on the ecru barstool chair; Harry was going to place various fridge items in his duffel bag, but decided against it, figuring they would have time for that later. Instead, he grabbed Macy's arm and they orbed into the upstairs bathroom back at Vera Manor.

5:21 pm, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

"What's wrong, Mel?" asked Harry and Macy. "Did something happen?" The two stepped out of the hallway bathroom, their hair sopping wet, only to find her sisters in her empty, darkened bedroom staring at them as if Macy and Harry had four heads.

Trying to ignore the fact that Harry and Macy appeared to have exited the bathroom together after probably taking a bath together, involving shenanigans in the same place her other sisters took showers—eww... Mel abruptly stood up and called for a family meeting at 5:30. Everyone agreed and went about their way.

5:30 pm, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

Macy and Harry sat on the living room couch, across from where Maggie and Mel were seated. "What's up?" asked Macy curiously.

"This." Mel held out a glass test tube that was emitting a curiously bright shade of pink.

"A pink test tube?" Macy rolled her eyes. "Really? We were summoned for an urgent family meeting because of a test tube?"

"It's quite a lovely pink," Harry stated, a twinkle in his eye.

Mel ignored Macy and Harry, and continued. "The color symbology book I read indicates that there are certain...let's just say...side effects, that occurred as a result of Jimmy merging into Harry."

Macy's eyes fell upon Harry's in concern. "Oh no—what's wrong with Harry's body?"

Maggie spoke up. "It's not Harry, Macy, it's you."

5:32 pm, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

Macy felt the intensity of three pairs of eyes staring straight at her, as her hands began to grow clammy, and her voice turned a notch higher, from a heightened level of sudden anxiety. "What do you mean, me?"

Maggie appeared more than slightly uncomfortable at this point, so Mel took the reins once more. "What Maggie's trying to say is, due to the—ahem—extraordinarily romantic century-long enchanted history between Darcy and Jimmy, the merging spell affected both your respective body chemistries, removing any spell that was on either of you."

Macy and Harry turned to each other quizzically, then back at Mel. Just what was Mel implying exactly? "All spells," Maggie elaborated. "All spells big or small, fancy or not, protective or—ummm—contraceptive included," she finished off in little more than a whisper, praying silently she would not have to stoop to explaining the "magical" birds and the bees to her older sister. This was not the role she envisioned herself having, as the littlest sister of the famed Charmed Ones.

"Hold up—" Macy exclaimed. "Are you telling me—" speaking to both of her sisters, "—that my contraceptive spell wore off because Jimmy merged with Harry?!" They nodded. "Well," Macy mused, half to herself, "that certainly explains the last hour." Harry shifted awkwardly in his seat, choosing at that precise moment to stare at a blank spot on the adjoining wall, hoping nobody would notice.

"So I would highly, highly suggest, that in the meantime, while waiting for your bodies to acclimate and accept new spells, which might or might not be possible due to the merging," Mel went on, "that you use barrier protection."

Macy sighed. She was trying to stay undercover, she did not want to risk Celeste spotting Harry with a boxful of condoms at the local drugstore under any circumstances, and had no idea how any of this would be feasibly resolved. But then, Maggie had an idea, as if reading Macy's feelings of creeping anxiety and first-world hopelessness. "I'll order it online Mace," Maggie said. "It'll arrive at my office mailbox in a plain brown box, and I'll bring it home. It's what sisters do."

"Thanks a ton, Mags. I owe you, I really do."

8 pm, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

Macy opened the porch door, and shut it softly behind her, and met Harry, who was outside, holding a glass of wine under the glimmering tealights and encroaching ivy. "Well, that was incredibly awkward," she said, looking directly at him, as if to gauge his response.

"Awkward, yes," Harry replied, "but probably necessary—you are quite lucky to have two sisters who care about you so much." He paused for a bit, gently swishing the thin-stemmed glass of Cabernet he had with him, to bring out its aroma further.

After several more minutes, Harry continued talking. "About that pink test tube—"

Macy attempted a laugh. "Forget about it—"

"No, Macy, I don't want to forget about it," Harry spoke firmly, and a jolt of cosmic electricity made her spine tingle and her toes curl, ever-so-slightly.