"Something struck me as odd…"
They had reached the last scene of Act Two. Despite their reconciliation a week earlier, Grissom and Catherine had managed to inject convincing hatred and energy into their performances so far. Now, all that remained was to complete the grand finale without any hiccups and their first performance would be a success.
Catherine was circling Paulette Mason, the officer playing the part of the Princess, while Brass and the rest of the cast stood assembled upstage.
"… The key to the room in which you were held, was just outside the door."
"Oh no it wasn't!" Paulette argued.
"Oh yes it was!" the chorus responded.
Paulette sank back in her chair with wide eyes.
"You could have escaped at any time," Catherine continued. "There was no glass in the window of the door."
"Oh, if only I'd known!" Paulette said dramatically raising her hand to her forehead.
"You did know!" Grissom declared stepping forward from the crowd. There was a gasp of surprise from the audience.
Paulette glanced from him to Catherine and stood up. "What is the meaning of this? You come here to rescue me and join forces with my archnemesis?"
"I was mislead, Princess… You were never in need of rescuing, were you? I was lured here by your servant who sold me the beansprouts. You were just hoping I would kill King Evilhead."
"He has been the bane of my existence for far too long!" Paulette declared venomously.
"Only because he has tried to tell the people the truth about you," Catherine told her.
"What truth? I have saved these people from his wicked ways!"
Grissom stepped even further forward. "You have brainwashed these people! The food you give them only keeps them under your power… You have them convinced that I am the bad guy in this little world of yours. When, in truth, it is you they should fear!"
The chorus gasped, and looked to Paulette for confirmation that it wasn't true. "Oh give it up Evilhead," she said, walking towards him. "You've been trying to spread these lies for years, and no one has taken you on."
The chorus took a step forward.
"The difference now is," Catherine said, coming to stand beside Grissom, "They haven't eaten your food in two days. They are free of your control."
Paulette shrank backwards. "Oh no."
The chorus stepped forward again.
Grissom smirked. "Oh yes… You have no power over these people now."
Paulette backed up.
Warrick took one step out of the crowd. "We expected to find that these were more lies from King Evilhead."
The chorus took another step, chanting, quietly, "Loathing."
Now Nick. "We expected you to deny it."
And another step. "Loathing!" slightly louder.
And Brass. "You lured my daughter here under false pretences!"
"Loathing!" even louder, and then they all stopped and looked at Brass. "Huh?"
Catherine's eyes widened, and Phil `Shoelace' took a step back into the crowd. Grissom turned to face Catherine, his eyes wide.
"Daughter?" he asked in disbelief.
She took a step away from him. "I told you that you were in for a surprise," she said, not turning to face him as she spoke.
"You're a woman?" Paulette asked loudly, incredulous.
"And she still managed to thwart your evil plan!" Grissom snapped at her before turning back to Catherine. "You're a woman?" he asked her quietly.
"I think we've established that," she replied, shyly, as Paulette stepped up behind her.
"What is this feeling, so sudden and new?" the other woman began to sing.
"I felt the moment I laid eyes on you?
"My pulse is rushing…"
Grissom broke the eye contact he and Catherine had shared and turned away. "My head is reeling…"
Catherine put a hand to her forehead. "My face is flushing…"
"Hmm, what is this feeling?" Paulette continued, smirking evilly at
Catherine.
"Fervid as a flame, does it have a name?"
She jumped back as she noticed the chorus had surrounded her. "Yes!
Loathing!" they sang loudly.
"Unadulterated loathing!
"For your face, your voice, your clothing!
"Let's just say, we loathe it all!"
They moved into a circle around her, backing her towards the top of the stage.
"Every little trait however small,
"Makes our very flesh begin to crawl,
"With simple utter loathing!"
While the chorus began to tie Paulette up, Catherine and Grissom took over the singing.
"What's this strange exhilaration?" they sang to the audience from
opposite sides of the stage.
"A true, peculiar situation,
"It's so pure, so strong…"
The turned only their heads, allowing their eyes to meet. "And though I do admit it came on fast…"
They smiled, and turned their bodies inward now. "Still I do believe that it can last…"
They turned apart again quickly when the chorus began to move downstage, and took over the singing.
"Yes we will be loathing, loathing you," they sang, as they dragged
a bound Paulette behind them.
"Our whole lives long!"
"Oh dear, Jack, you are just so good!" Warrick, Nick, Sara and Greg
sang, running over to Catherine, who kept trying to see past them to Grissom.
"How can we thank you, 'cause we really should!
"You have saved us from her powers,
"Shown us our lives can be ours!
"Yes we really must repay you…"
Catherine remained silent, the music played the tune of the line, but she had none to sing. She simply stared at Grissom, who returned her gaze, and they both wore wide smiles. The chorus came closer to join the others and they began to whisper amongst themselves.
"My pulse is rushing…" she sang quietly, starting to walk towards Grissom.
"My head is reeling…" he sang, also beginning to move.
"My face is flushing," they sang together.
"Oh, what is this feeling?
"Fervid as a flame,
"Does it have a name?"
They stopped, both walking and singing, as they came face to face.
"Yes," Grissom whispered, raising his hand to gently stroke Catherine's cheek, before lowering his lips to hers.
The chorus lead the audience in applause, then signalled for them to stop clapping so Grissom and Catherine could sing:
"Though I do admit it came on fast,
"Still I do believe that it can last.
"And I will be loving…
They turned to face the audience and the chorus sang, "For forever…"
"Loving…" the couple sang.
"Truly, deeply…"
"Loving you…"
Everyone on the stage joined in for the last line. "My whole life long!"
The audience erupted with applause, standing from their seats, and the cast took their places for their bow, smiles never once leaving their faces.
From her seat at the front, Carol grinned proudly at all of her actors. This year's pantomime had certainly been different; and agreeing to Greg's request to help him reunite Catherine and Grissom had definitely been beneficial; their scenes had been overflowing with chemistry perfect for the twist she had written into the end.
She watched them hold hands and come forward for their individual bows. Their eyes met as they straightened up again, and she saw Catherine's cheeks flush even more pink than they already were. And this was all the confirmation of her suspicions that she needed.
She got to her feet and joined the frenzied applause not only for the performance, but with hope that Jack and Evilhead would indeed live happily ever after.
THE END (Oh, yes it is!)