"An Afternoon in Babysitting" [R]

[oddball7]

Author: Rina Keaton


TITLE: AN AFTERNOON IN BABYSITTING
AUTHOR: RFK
SERIES: CHA
CODE: All
RATING: [R] Mild sexuality, mild violence and language
SUMMARY: Due to a Halliwell family emergency, Cole and Olivia are forced to baby-sit Wyatt on a Saturday afternoon.
FEEDBACK: [e-mail] - Be my guest. But please, be kind.
DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Wyatt Halliwell, Leo Wyatt, Victor Bennett and Cole Turner belong to Constance Burge, Brad Kern and Spelling Productions. Olivia and Harry McNeill are thankfully, my creations.

NOTE: The story picks up about two weeks after "In the Wake of Valhalla" - p221.ezboard.com/faussiej...D=34.topic


"AN AFTERNOON IN BABYSITTING" by RFK



PART 1



"Phoebe and I are going to be in San Jose for most of the day," Piper said to her youngest sister, as she and the other two Charmed Ones descended the stairs. "Do you have everything you need?"

Paige nodded. "You mean for Wyatt? Sure. Plenty of diapers, lotion, baby powder, baby food, his milk . . . Don't worry, Piper."

The three sisters reached the bottom of the staircase, where Victor Bennett awaited them. He, along with Piper and Phoebe were dressed in mourning clothes for a Bennett aunt that had recently passed away. They planned to attend the funeral being held in nearby San Jose. And since Piper felt leery about bringing along her eight-month old baby, Paige had volunteered to stay behind and baby-sit. Especially since she had no family connections to the Bennetts.

"What about protection for Wyatt?" Phoebe added. "Maybe we should bring him along."

Paige heaved a sigh. "Don't worry! Wyatt has his own built-in protection system. Or something. Besides, I'll just add a protection spell around the house, if it would make you feel better."

Anxiety flared in Piper's dark eyes. "No, it won't! Paige, you know that protection spells aren't very reliable. I don't want some spell to backfire on Wyatt."

"Harry doesn't think they're unreliable. Neither do Olivia and the others," Paige said. "Besides, he thinks we might not know how to perform a protection spell, correctly."

"And he does?" Phoebe retorted. She was not a fan of any of the McNeills, save for Bruce.

Victor gave his youngest daughter a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, honey. Paige may be right about Harry. Don't forget, he's been practicing witchcraft longer than any of you."

Piper, however, did not seem assured. "I don't know . . ."

Heaving another exasperated sigh, Paige exclaimed, "Piper, c'mon! Don't worry. Harry knows what he's doing. He's coming by, today. To help me cast this protection spell. In fact," she glanced at the grandfather clock, "he should be here, any minute."

"If you say so," Piper said reluctantly. "By the way, do you have Uncle Russell's number?"

The doorbell rang. Paige rushed toward the front door. "That must be Harry." When she opened the door, she found the red-haired male witch, standing on the stoop. "Hey! I wondered when you were going to show up."

Harry flashed a disarming smile. "Sorry. I had overslept this morning." He entered the house. "So, where's Wyatt?"

"Sleeping in his crib, upstairs," Piper answered. She cast Harry a dubious look. "Now that you're here . . . I guess we can leave."

A touch of sarcasm tinged Harry's voice. "And it's nice to see you too, Piper." He nodded at the middle Charmed One. "Phoebe. Mr. Bennett." He shook Victor's hand. "It's been a while."

Victor smiled at the younger man. "Not that long. Just five months. How are Jack and Gwen? And your grandmother?"

"They're doing fine. Will you be coming by for brunch, tomorrow?"

"Uh . . ." Victor cast a anxious glance at his two daughters.

Paige impatiently answered for him. "We'll all be there. Okay guys, it's time to go. You don't want to get caught up in traffic."

A reluctant Piper added, "Yeah, I guess you're right. The funeral starts in less than three hours. And it'll take us at least an hour to get to San Jose. If the traffic's okay."

Paige almost told her sisters and stepfather to have fun . . . until she remembered that they were headed for a funeral. "Uh, have a safe trip. Bye." After the three Bennetts left the manor, she closed the door and sighed. "Finally. Alone. I never thought they would leave."

Harry slowly made his way toward her, a seductive smile stamped on his face. "I didn't realize that you wanted to be alone with me that badly." He slid his arms around Paige's waist.

She responded with a teasing smile. "Don't flatter yourself. You're not that . . ." A shot of pain stabbed the back of her mouth. "Ow!"


Harry frowned. "Something wrong?"

"No. It's nothing. I . . . It's just a molar." Paige winced from more pain. "Needs to be pulled out."

"Maybe you should go to a dentist. For an emergency."

Shaking her head, Paige replied, "Nah. It's okay. I have a dental appointment on Tuesday, anyway. I guess I can hold out for another three days."

Harry removed his arms from her waist. "Well . . . okay. If you say so. Meanwhile, let's get started on that protection spell. Shall we?"


&^&^&^*^%*+_(_)**^&*&)(*(*&%%^$^%^$^%$*%&^%




The redheaded witch and the half-demon washed the last of the breakfast dishes, wiped them dry and placed them inside the kitchen cabinets. "Now that was a first-class breakfast," Olivia declared with a heartfelt sigh. "You make a better Eggs Florentine than either Mom or Bruce." She added surreptiously, "Don't tell them I said that."

Cole chuckled. "Don't worry. I won't say a word. And I'm glad that you enjoyed it."

"Hmmmm. You know, you should give up the law and become a chef. You've already been trained as one." Olivia shook her head. "How many demons can claim that they had studied at Le Cordon Bleu Academie in Paris?"

Dumping his rag on the nearby counter, Cole murmured, "You'd be surprised." Then he sighed. "So, what do you have planned for today?"

Olivia stared at him. "What's that?"

"Nothing."

"Do you have any ideas?" Olivia asked. She followed Cole into the penthouse's living room. "For today?"

A desperate idea flashed in Cole's mind. "Well . . . the invitation to spend the weekend at Mark Giovanni's Santa Rosa ranch is still opened. Marbus and his wife were also invited."

Visions of a weekend with the Giovanni family filled Olivia with horror. "I don't think so." Olivia shot Cole an anxious look. "You did turn down his offer. Right?"

"Well I did consider saying yes," Cole replied sarcastically. "Until I contemplated two days in Pamela Giovanni's company. Of course, we could still head out . . ."

"No thanks. The idea of bearing witness to the ongoing Giovanni soap opera fills me with dread." A possibility occurred to her. "How about a drive down the coast? Go as far as Monterey? Or Santa Cruz?"

Strong arms encircled Olivia's waist, taking her by surprise. She could feel Cole's hard body pressing against hers. "Or why don't we simply stay here?" he murmured in one of her ears, causing her to shiver. "Spend the day together. In bed." He nipped at the delicate spot where Olivia's neck and shoulder met. A slight moan escaped her mouth. "What do you say?"

"Uh . . . are you suggesting . . . that we indulge in some kind of sexual marathon for . . .?" Olivia paused and pondered on what she had just said. "Wait a minute. Am I actually resisting this idea?"

Cole nipped her exposed flesh for the second time. "You tell me."

Olivia turned around to face her lover. "Hmmm, now that I think about it," she smiled seductively, "your idea sounds a lot better."

"Glad you think so," Cole murmured, before he lowered his mouth upon hers.


&^&^&^*^%*+_(_)**^&*&)(*(*&%%^$^%^$^%$*%&^%

[oddball7]

"Okay, do you have the Angelica root?" Harry asked.

Paige nodded. She held up the herb in question. The two witches stood inside Wyatt's nursery. Upon Harry's instruction, they had earlier placed sprigs of Mallow on every windowsill inside the manor. "It's too bad that mallow didn't work."

"Yeah, well I guess it just didn't work for you. Angelica root seems to be more your style."

A smile curved Paige's lips. "Ah yes. The herb that is under the guard of angels. That old whitelighter heritage coming back to haunt me. So, what do I do next?"

"Place the Angelica root in a small blue or white cloth bag and hang it outside the house," Harry instructed. "Near the door, if possible."

The Charmed One headed for the Solarium. "Let's see. There were some pieces of cloth inside that desk near the . . ." A familiar shot of pain filled the back of her mouth. Without thinking, Paige grounded her teeth, increasing the pain. "Aaaugh! My tooth!" She dropped the Angelica root from her hand.

Harry rushed forward to comfort her. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"My tooof!" Paige mumbled. "It huuths!"

"Must be your molar, again." Harry's green eyes regarded her with concern. "Maybe we need to get you to a dentist."

Paige's eyes flew open. "Noo! My dooctah ez guw! Wihaat! Whud abooh . . ."

"Huh?"

Heaving a sigh, Paige tried again. "My dooctah! Heh'z guw! Und Wihaat!"

"Did you say that your doctor hez . . . I mean . . . Your doctor isn't in the office, today." Harry said. "Is that it?" Paige nodded. He continued, "Okay, I'll take you to mine. As for Wyatt, we'll drop him off at my parents' . . ." Harry hesitated. "Oh wait! @#%$! I forgot. They went to Tom Boucher's wedding in Palo Alto. Gran's also there. As for Bruce and Barbara . . ."

Paige screamed in pain.

Harry took a deep breath. "Right. Look, I'll go upstairs and get Wyatt and his things." He started toward the staircase. "Don't worry, we'll find someone to take care him." Then he raced upstairs, leaving Paige to continue moaning in pain.


&^&^&^*^%*+_(_)**^&*&)(*(*&%%^$^%^$^%$*%&^%




A serene air almost permeated the atmosphere, inside Cole's living room. Almost. Serenity could have been achieved, if it were not for the passionate moans emitting from the couple locked in a horizontal embrace, on the living room's sofa.

With Olivia's body writhing underneath his, it took all of Cole's self-control not to rip off her remaining clothes, part her legs and sink right into her. Instead, he slowly stroke every inch of exposed flesh. Including the pale tan flesh that strained above Olivia's lacy white bra.

"Cole . . . please . . ." Olivia moaned between ragged breaths. ". . . now. I need . . . oh!" Cole had finally removed her bra. He gently squeezed one fleshy globe, before covering its coral pink tip with his lips, allowing it to become engorged. Another moan left her mouth. And when he gently bit into the nipple, she immediately arched her body.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Olivia gasped with surprise and breathlessly asked, "Was that the doorbell?"

Cole reluctantly removed his mouth from her breast and murmured, "I didn't hear anything."

Again, the doorbell rang. Olivia sat up, causing Cole to moan with frustration. "That was the doorbell," she said. "Maybe you should answer it."

"@#%$!" Cole muttered the oath, as he sat up and donned his T-shirt. Scowling, he marched toward the front door and peered through the peephole. Harry. It was Harry standing in the corridor outside, and holding . . . something. Cole sighed and opened the door. "Harry. What do you . . .?" A quick glance at the bundle in the male witch's arms told Cole that he was staring at Wyatt Halliwell. "What the hell?"

Harry dumped the baby in Cole's arms. "Here. I need you and Olivia to take care of Wyatt for a few hours. She's here, right?"

"Wha . . .?" Cole stared at the infant, who immediately began to wail. "What the hell?"

Olivia appeared in the doorway, wearing a bra . . . and her STANFORD U T-shirt. "What's going on?" she demanded.

Harry quickly explained that he and Paige were babysitting Wyatt, when the Charmed One developed a dental problem. "I'm taking her to my dentist, since hers isn't available. Mom, Dad and Gran are at that wedding. And Bruce and Barbara went to Santa Barbara for the weekend. So . . ."

To Cole's relief, Olivia took hold of the squealing Wyatt and began to rock him. "So, why didn't you summon Leo?"

"I don't know. I guess I just forgot about him!" Harry retorted, as he handed a large shoulder bag to Cole. "How often do I summon Leo? Besides," he grunted, as he placed a folded pram inside the penthouse, "I figure it would be hard to find him, considering the whole Elder gig. There."

Frowning, Olivia asked, "How did you know where to find me?"

"I tried your apartment, downstairs. I figured that if you weren't here, I'd take Wyatt to the dentist with us."

Cole retorted, "Why didn't you take him with you, anyway?"

"And have to deal with both Paige and him? Oh." Harry reached inside his jacket pocket for a slip of paper and handed it to Cole. "This has my cell phone number. And Piper's, in case you can't reach me. So, uh . . . I'll be back, later." He turned away.

"Wait!" Cole cried out. "You expect us to baby-sit . . . this . . . this . . . uh, kid?"

Harry flashed him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Olivia has done some babysitting before. Right Livy?" His older sister glared at him. "Anyway, I better get Paige to that dentist as soon as possible. Bye!" He rushed toward the elevator and entered, before Cole and Olivia could do or say anything further.

Back inside the penthouse, Wyatt's cries filled the living room. Cole glared at him. "Why is he crying?"

Olivia sighed, as she continued to rock the baby. "I don't know, Cole. Maybe he's having abandonment issues. I'm not a tele . . ." An empty bottle materialized in Wyatt's small hands. "Oh. I guess he's hungry."

Cole stared at the bag filled with Wyatt's belongings, in his hands. "You don't really expect me to make baby formula . . . or milk . . . or whatever, do you?"

"No, I don't. I'll do it." Olivia placed Piper's son in Cole's arms. "You can hold him, instead." The infant continued to cry. "Rock him up and down," she ordered. "Gently. And I'll take this." She removed the bag from Cole and headed toward the kitchen.

As Olivia had instructed, Cole began to rock Wyatt in his arms. At first, it seemed that his efforts might be in vain. The baby continued to cry, while squirming in Cole's arms. Another five minutes passed before the tears subsided. Wyatt's cries became gurgles, as he stared at the half-demon with wide, curious eyes.

"Hey there, partner," Cole murmured. He eased into a nearby chair. "You're finally getting used to me. Huh? You know, the way you're staring at me reminds me of your dad. Well, when we used to get along. God, how long ago was that?" Cole continued to rock the infant. "Did you know that I almost had a son, myself? Yep. He would have been at least a few months older than you. Of course, I was possessed at the time, when he was conceived. Sometimes, I . . . I wonder sometimes if . . ." The half-demon sighed. "Never mind. I guess it's best that we put the past behind us."

Wyatt gurgled once more and grabbed a fistful of Cole's T-shirt. Then he began chewing on said shirt. Cole smiled. "Getting hungry there, are we? Let's see if Olivia has that bottle of milk ready." He carried the infant into the kitchen, where Olivia hovered over the stove. "Is the milk ready? Wyatt is beginning to mistake my shirt for food."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "It's almost ready. She removed the bottle from a small saucepan. After a brief wait, she dabbed the bottle's content on her wrist. "Just to make sure that the milk isn't too hot."

Cole glanced down at Wyatt, who continued to chew on his T-shirt. "Is it ready now? I don't think I'll have a shirt left, within the next half hour."

With a sigh, Olivia walked over toward the pair. "Here you go, Wyatt," she said in a singsong voice. "Here's your widdle milk. Poor thing. You must be very hungry. Huh? Does Wyatt want his milk? Here we go! Choo-choo!" Cole stared at her in disbelief, as she plopped the bottle's nipple into Wyatt's hungry mouth. Then she looked up at Cole, before a horrified expression appeared on her face. "Oh Goddess! I sound like Phoebe whenever she uses that ridiculous baby voice! What's the matter with me?"

Cole's eyes watched, as Olivia rushed out of the kitchen in a fit of horror. Then he returned his gaze to Wyatt, who had also been staring at the redhead. Then the half-demon and the half-whitelighter's eyes regarded one another. Cole sighed. "Partner, women are a curious breed. Even after a century, I still don't understand them." He regarded the infant with a sympathetic smile. "And you're going to find out, for yourself. One day."

Wyatt's blue eyes blinked, as he continued to guzzle from the bottle.



TBC

[oddball7]

Rina Keaton
Charmed Cafe Member
Posts: 2476
(12/6/04 1:32 pm)
Reply
Re: "An Afternoon in Babysitting" [R]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"AN AFTERNOON IN BABYSITTING" by RFK



PART 2


Within an hour, all seemed well inside the penthouse. Wyatt was fast asleep in one of the guest bedrooms. Olivia and Cole were on the living room sofa, locked in another passionate embrace. Actually, Olivia sat on Cole's lap with her arms wrapped around his neck. And her lips pressed against his.

"Do you think we should be doing this?" she murmured, after Cole's lips traveled to the curve of her neck.

Cole planted a soft kiss, emitting a small moan from her. "Why not?" he whispered. "Wyatt is fast asleep in another room." His tongue flickered into the hollow of Olivia's throat. "And we finally have an opportunity to enjoy some quality time, together." His mouth returned to hers, and the couple engaged in another passionate kiss. Then . . . cries of an infant reverberated into the living room. The half-demon heaved a long suffering sigh. "@#%$!"

Olivia reluctantly climbed out of his lap. "I better see what's wrong."

"Probably nothing," Cole growled. "I think that damn kid simply wants some attention."

"Wait a minute. I thought you and Wyatt were bonding."

Cole rolled his eyes. "I had to do something to keep that kid quiet. Besides, this is the second time, I had to deal with 'coitus interuptus', thanks to his crying!"

More wails traveled into the bedroom. Olivia sighed. "I'll be back." She marched into the guest bedroom, where she found Wyatt squirming underneath his baby blue blanket. Olivia picked up the squalling infant. And sniffed. "Cole!" she cried. "Could you come in here, please?"

Seconds later, the half-demon rushed into the bedroom. "What's wrong?" he demanded. Then he sniffed the air. "What the hell?"

Olivia replied, "It's Wyatt. We need to change his diapers."

Cole took a step back. "We?"

"Yes, Mr. Turner. We!" Olivia grabbed the reluctant half-demon's hand and jerked him forward. "I'm not the only one who's going to be changing diapers, today."

Terror filled Cole's eyes. "But I don't know how!"

Smirking, Olivia replied, "Don't worry. By the end of the day, you will be an expert. Now, hand me that bag, while you remove his diaper." She dumped the soiled infant into Cole's arms. He regarded her with horror. "What?"

"You want . . . me . . . to remove his diaper?"

A sigh left the redhead's mouth. As much as she loved Cole, he could be so anal at times. She handed him a smaller blanket. "Yes. Put this on the bed, lay Wyatt down and remove his diaper. You don't need written instructions!"

Muttering to himself, an annoyed half-demon spread the blanket on the bed, using magic. Then he lowered the still squalling Wyatt on the blanket. He stared at the diaper. "Okay," he began, "how do I unfasten this?"

While she rummaged through the bag containing Wyatt's belongings, Olivia replied, "Unfasten the tapes at each side of his diaper. Near the waist."

Cole heaved a deep sigh and bent over the infant. Olivia realized that he must have found the adhesive tapes that held the diaper together, for Wyatt finally stopped crying. And a ripe odor filled the room, as Cole removed the diaper. "God, he smells . . ." the half-demon began. Then it came at him without any warning. One minute, Cole was holding a soiled diaper, while talking to Olivia. The next moment, an arc of urine streamed out of Wyatt . . . and struck Cole right in the center of his chest.

"Wow!" Olivia exclaimed. "Talk about bullseye!" Then she broke into laughter, earning a glare from the half-demon. Cole returned his attention to the now gurgling infant, and regarded him with a murderous stare. Olivia's laughter continued, unabated.


&^&^&^*^%*+_(_)**^&*&)(*(*&%%^$^%^$^%$*%&^%




Nearly twenty minutes later, Cole strolled out of the bedroom, with Olivia close at his heels. She held Wyatt in her arms. "Oh God," he moaned. "That was probably the most traumatic experience I have ever endured. Not even getting killed by Phoebe and her sisters come that close."

Olivia gave him a cheerful pat on the back. "Oh come on! It wasn't all that bad. You did a good job."

"That . . ." Cole glared at a placid-looking Wyatt. "That crea . . . kid pissed on my shirt." He pointed at the wet circle on his T-shirt. "On my favorite T-shirt."

Mock sympathy appeared on Olivia's face. "Hmmm, Wyatt does have good aim, doesn't he?"

"I'm glad that you found it funny," Cole growled. "Meanwhile, I have to deal with piss on one of my favorite shirts!"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "For heaven sakes, Cole! Just change shirts, will you? And stop making such a fuss." Cole shot her one last glare and headed for the bathroom. He heard her give one last parting shot. "And I would take a shower, if I were you!"

Less than fifteen minutes passed before Cole emerged from the bathroom. He wore a clean, white long-sleeved shirt. Olivia now sat on the sofa, rocking Wyatt in her arms. She looked very maternal. "Is he asleep?" the half-demon asked. Upon closer look, he noticed that Wyatt seemed focused upon the television set. "I guess not."

"I can't get him to sleep." Olivia shot Cole a long-suffering glance. "And I think he's turning into a TV addict. If he hasn't become one, already."

Cole sat down on the sofa, next to her. In a sardonic tone, he suggested, "Why don't you take him for a walk? Maybe that will stop him from becoming a couch potato before his time."

Despite his sarcastic tone, Olivia seemed to find the idea acceptable. "That is a good idea. We can take Wyatt out for a nice, afternoon stroll. Maybe at Fisherman's Pier. Or the Marina Green."

Cole stared at her, as if she had lost her mind. "Are you crazy? I was just joking!"

Olivia stood up, breaking Wyatt's attention away from the television. The baby began to cry. "Well, it's a good joke. And it's also a good idea. Why don't we?" With Wyatt still crying in her arms, Olivia strode toward the guest bedroom.

Cole closed his eyes and sighed. "Me and my big mouth," he muttered.


&^&^&^*^%*+_(_)**^&*&)(*(*&%%^$^%^$^%$*%&^%

[oddball7]

Forty minutes later found Olivia and Cole strolling along a paved path that woven between the park and the marina. The reddish-gold spirals of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge loomed in the far left. Cole pushed a baby blue pram that contained the increasingly hyper Wyatt Halliwell.

Olivia took a deep breath and glanced up at the sky. "Isn't it a beautiful day? A blue sky, white clouds, the boats, and the bay looks cleaner than . . ."

"We shouldn't be here." Cole glanced nervously around, as if expecting a demon to pop up from the nearest bush. "Allowing Wyatt out in the open like this is a mistake. What if we're attacked by . . .?"

"By another demon?" Olivia snorted. "Well, I can only assume that we're both capable of dealing with an attack. Come to think of it, even Wyatt can take care of himself. Don't you think you're being a little paranoid?"

Cole rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm paranoid. How do you think I've managed to survive for over a century?"

Looking slightly annoyed, Olivia retorted, "Well, can't you ease up a bit? You're ruining my day."

"May I remind you that this park serves as a gateway to one of the demonic market places?" Cole shot back. They passed a man standing next to an ice cream cart. He seemed to be placing a wallet in his back pocket.

Olivia shook her head in disbelief. "That was at the Golden Gate Park, Cole! Remember? And as I recalled, Piper and Phoebe had destroyed that marketplace, last spring. So, why don't you please get it together and put your paranoia on @#%$ . . ." She glanced down into Wyatt's pram and found the infant playing with a wallet. "What on earth?"

"My wallet!" The cry came from the man standing near the ice cream cart. "Someone took my wallet!"

And Olivia knew who was responsible. She gave the baby an admonishing stare. "Wyatt!" Then she turned to Cole, who looked slightly confused. "Wyatt took a wallet from that man near the ice cream cart. Could you send it back?"

"Huh?" Realization slowly dawned on the half-demon's face, as Olivia pointed out the distraught man. "Oh. Yeah." Cole waved one hand over the wallet and it disappeared. And Wyatt . . . began to cry. "Hey! Kid!" He picked up the infant. "I'm sorry, but you can't go around swiping other people's wallets."

The man near the ice cream cart cried out, "My wallet! It's okay. It's here on the ground."

Wyatt continued to cry. Cole tried to hand him over to Olivia, but she removed a bottle of milk from the shoulder bag, instead. She tried to stick the bottle's nipple into the baby's mouth. "Here you go, sweetheart. Are you hungry?" Apparently not, for Wyatt's wails continued.

Cole lifted the baby, until they were face-to-face. He shook Wyatt for a few seconds. "Hey. Hey! Wyatt?" he said in a stern voice. "Stop this. Listen to me. Listen. You can't go around taking other people's stuff. It's called theft and you can get into a whole lot of trouble." Olivia rolled her eyes in disbelief. Was he kidding? Cole continued, "Trust me on this. I know from personal experience. You hear me?"

To Olivia's surprise, the speech worked. Wyatt's cries finally subsided. Cole coddled him for a few seconds and returned him to the pram. The baby picked up the bottle of milk and happily shook it.

"I don't believe it," Olivia exclaimed in disbelief. "He actually listened to you. I'm beginning to think you're not so bad with kids, after all."

Cole growled, "Don't fool yourself. This experience is only going to make me insist that I use contraceptives, as much as possible. And that we should have stayed indoors."

A long-suffering sigh left Olivia's mouth. "I see the paranoia has returned. Your mother was right. You are too paranoid for your own good."

"Like I said, being paranoid has kept me alive."

Olivia shot back, "It's too bad that it didn't save you from being possessed by the Source. Or being killed by Paige and her sisters, over a year ago."

"What?"

"Look Cole, being vigilant and careful is fine. But no amount of paranoia is going to keep you completely safe." Olivia began pushing the pram. "We all take chances with our lives, when we wake up, every morning. Surely after 118 years, you've managed to figure that out." She glanced down into the pram and heaved an exasperated sigh. Wyatt sat happily inside, playing with a pair of sunglasses that did not belong to him, Olivia or Cole. "For crying out loud! Wyatt!"

Cole demanded, "What did he do now?" Olivia pointed at the baby and the sunglasses. A smirk appeared on the half-demon's lips. "I see. Now I wonder if this would have happened, if we had remained at the penthouse?"

Annoying bastard! It took all of Olivia's willpower not to @#%$-slap her boyfriend. It was a miracle that more than one woman had ever fallen in love with him. Glaring at Cole, she retorted, "I used to do it all the time with my telekinesis, when I was kid. I had even released a bunch of puppies at a pet store, once. And I don't recall being kept inside the house all of the time. Now, will you please return those glasses?"

"Whatever," Cole muttered. He waved his hand over the sunglasses and they disappeared from the pram.

The couple continued to argue over the merits of staying indoors, while they continued their stroll through the park. By the time they had returned to the safety of Olivia's BMW, Wyatt had teleported another seventeen more objects.


&^&^&^*^%*+_(_)**^&*&)(*(*&%%^$^%^$^%$*%&^%





"In Purson's name!" a tall, blond-haired man hissed in a low voice. "I can't believe my eyes!"

One of his companios, a portly man with thinning dark hair asked, "You found the portal, Ciyaher?"

The blond man, a demon from the Khorne Order, replied, "I found something a lot more interesting."

"Not the portal to the new marketplace?" The portly man, whose name was Grogor, hovered near Ciyaher's shoulder.

Ciyaher sighed. For the umpteenth time, he wondered why he had allowed such a single-minded creature like Grogor to serve under him. "He's not talking about the new market's gateway, moron," the third member of the trio retorted. A gangly redhead, sporting a goatee and mustache, dragged Grogor away from their leader. "He's talking about Belthazor." Ciyaher gave the red-haired demon a grateful nod. Unlike Grogor, Umbar possessed brains.

"Belthazor? Where?" Grogor glanced frantically around him.

"Over there, idiot!" Ciyaher pointed at the couple climbing into a dark-green BMW. "There's Belthazor . . . with his witch. And a baby."

Confusion whirled in Grogor's dark eyes. "Belthazor is a father?"

To Ciyaher's satisfaction, Umbar swiped the side of the slow-thinking demon's head. "No! Of course not! Belthazor doesn't have a child! We would have known, if he had. That must be the Halliwell baby. Belthazor and the witch are familiar with the Charmed Ones. They must be taking care of the child."

"But I thought that Belthazor's witch was one of the Charmed Ones," the idiot insisted.

Ciyaher closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Why did Grogor always seemed to be one step behind the times? And why did he continue to allow the idiot to be a part of his circle? Then his eyes snapped open. "Belthazor's relationship with the Charmed One is over, Grogor. He is now dating a McNeill witch. And I don't recall any of the Charmed Ones being a redhead. Do you?" He glared at his minion.

A nervous looking Grogor shook his head. "No Ciyaher."

"Then shut up! Unless you are spoken to." Ciyaher paused and thoughtfully regarded the green BMW pulling out of the parking space. "If only we could get our hands on that child. What a source of power he could be for us! Only . . . I don't know how we can take him from Belthazor and the witch."

Grogor commented, "The car must belong to her." The other two demons stared at him. "What?"

"Did I ask for your opinion?" Ciyaher growled.

Grogor's face turned red. "No Ciyaher. Sorry." He fell silent.

Ciyaher turned to speak to Umbar . . . until he regarded Grogor's words. In Purson's name! He was about to ask for this idiot's opinion. He took a deep breath. "Why do you think the car belongs to the witch?"

"Because she's driving, instead of Belthazor."

Umbar regarded the younger demon as some kind of idiot savant. "And your point?"

Grogor shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? The man driving the car, and the woman holding the baby? And with Belthazor holding the baby, how do we get it from him? How are we supposed to get the baby from him?"

Shaking his head in disbelief, Umbar retorted, "How did that tiny brain of yours ever dredged up such nonsense?"

"It's not nonsense," Ciyaher commented. He stared at Grogor, surprised that the younger demon's babbling had made some sense. "Frankly, it's good observation on Grogor's part." Umbar gawked at the blond demon. "Even more importantly, they're traveling by car and not teleporting."

A confused Umbar shook his head. "What are you getting at Ciyaher?"

The senior demon smiled cryptically. "I have an idea."

[oddball7]

&^&^&^*^%*+_(_)**^&*&)(*(*&%%^$^%^$^%$*%&^%



Olivia drove the BMW into the building's underground parking lot and eased it into her usual space. After she switched off the engine, Cole climbed out of the passenger seat. "Uh, mind opening the trunk?" Seconds later, the trunk popped open. Cole removed the pram, placed it on the ground and unfolded it. While Olivia climbed out of the car, he reached inside for Wyatt and placed the latter inside the pram. "Ready?" he asked.

"Just a . . ." Footsteps clattered across the concrete floor. The couple exchanged wary looks. "Oh. Someone's here," Olivia said. "We better use the elevator, instead. You go on ahead, while I get Wyatt's bag from the back seat."

Cole nodded, as he began pushing Wyatt's pram toward the elevator. He had not gone very far, when he heard what sounded like a gasp, followed by a scuffle. Alarmed, he turned around and spotted Olivia surrounded by three men. One of them - sporting red hair and a goatee - held the witch in a tight grip. "Olivia!"

"That's far enough, Belthazor!" a familiar and deep voice ordered. Cole recognized that voice. It belonged to a mid-level demon he had not seen in twelve years. Ciyaher. The latter continued, "Or else my associate will kill the witch."

Keeping his fear and anger under control, Cole took another step forward. He stared menacingly at the three demons. "Nice try, Ciyaher. But you won't be able to hold on to her, very long." He waved his hand at Olivia. And nothing happened. Much to his consternation. "What the hell?"

Ciyaher smirked. "Thought that would take you by surprise. Didn't you look carefully, Belthazor? Your witch is wearing a little present I thought you might appreciate."

Cole's eyes narrowed, as he spied a necklace hanging from Olivia's neck. An amulet. Or a talisman. "What's that?" he demanded.

The three demons chuckled. "You don't recognize the talisman around the witch's neck?" Ciyaher mocked. "I'm surprised at you, Belthazor. You're losing it."

An exasperated sigh escaped from Cole's mouth. "Well, why don't you enlighten me?"

"It's a talisman. Valac's Talisman. Surely you've heard of it?"

Indeed, Cole had. The talisman had been created by a dominion spirit for some wizard, over four hundred years ago. It prevented any magic practioner from teleporting a person or object that the talisman hung from. "Very clever," Cole murmured. "How did you manage to get your hands on it?"

Smiling, Ciyaher replied, "Oh, the talisman has been in my order's possession for nearly two hundred years. It used to belong to Artemus, the head of my order - until the Source had him imprisoned in the Stygian Abyss. Now . . ." The demon's smile disappeared. ". . . I want you to hand over the Halliwell baby. To my companion over there." Ciyaher nodded at a dark-haired, stocky man, who stood near Olivia's captor.

Cole hesitated. Ciyaher had him trapped and he knew it. As much as he wanted to save Olivia, he could not sacrifice Wyatt. The eight month-old baby got his nerves, but Cole could not hand the child over to a second-rate monster like Ciyaher. If only he could teleport Olivia . . . Wait a minute. The talisman only blocked a teleportation power.

"So I can't teleport a person or object while that thing is around," Cole said. "Am I right? Is that all it does? Block teleportation?" He shot a meaningful stare at Olivia, who arched a brow.

Ciyaher frowned. "What do you mean? Of course that's all it does! It's all I need it for. You can't rescue your little girlfri . . ." He rolled his eyes in disgust. "Don't tell me that you're still going to try to rescue her? Give it up, Belthazor! Hand over the child, and you'll get her back."

"I know I can't rescue her," Cole retorted.

"Good." Ciyaher's amusement returned. "Now, don't tell me that you're attached to that baby. He's the son of your enemies - one of the Charmed Ones and that whitelighter. The son of one of the witches who had killed you, over a year ago. You want to protect him?"

Cole sighed. "No. I guess not."

Nodding, Ciyaher added, "Why don't we end this ridiculous standoff and you hand over the child to Grogor."

Feigning reluctance, Cole reached inside the pram . . . and waved his hand over Wyatt's form, causing the infant to disappear. He straightened up, empty-handed. "Why should I hand Wyatt over to you? What if Olivia . . . is able to rescue herself?"

Ciyaher rolled his eyes. "What are you getting at? She's not a Charmed One, Belthazor. So, stop playing around and hand over the child! Or the witch dies! Umbar! Why don't you give our old 'friend' a demonstration? Don't kill her. Just . . . show a little blood."

Before the red-haired demon could press the knife against Olivia's neck, it flew out of his hand . . . and toward his stocky companion. The hilt buried deep into the latter's forehead. As the demon called Grogor dropped dead to the ground, Olivia sent Umbar flying against a concrete pillar. He quickly flung a fireball at the witch. Using her telekinesis, she deflected it back toward him and he incinerated into a ball of fire. Olivia removed the talisman

The blond-haired demon reacted with horror at the deaths of his minions. "Oh my . . . Wait a minute! This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"No kidding," Olivia muttered sarcastically.

Cole sneered at the other demon. "It probably wouldn't have happened, Ciyaher, if you had also used a talisman to block telekinesis."

A roar from Ciyaher filled the air, and he whist the pram from Cole's grip. At the same time, he flung an energy ball at Olivia. Cole waved his hand, and the witch and the other demon immediately switched placed before the energy ball engulfed Ciyaher.

Once his screams died to a whisper, Olivia turned to Cole. "Not a very bright bunch, were they?"

The half-demon glared at his girlfriend. "And you consider taking Wyatt away from the safety of the penthouse, bright?" He waved his hand for the second time and Wyatt returned inside the pram, happily gurgling, as usual.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I see we're back to that topic, again." She grabbed hold of the pram's handle. Cole immediately teleported all three back to his penthouse.

"There's a lesson to be learned from all of this," Cole replied. "Like safety."

"Well here’s a lesson for you." Olivia removed Wyatt from the pram. "It's unhealthy to give in to our own paranoia. Wyatt will always be in danger from demons, warlocks and maybe even humans. Just like the rest of us." She began to bounce the baby up and down. "It's one thing to be vigilant. It's another to become a prisoner of our own paranoia. Besides, Wyatt had a pleasant time at the park. Right Wyatt?" She planted a light kiss on the baby's cheek.

A wide grin appeared on the infant's face, and he continued to gurgle. Cole folded the pram and shot Wyatt a mock glare. "So much for saving your ass, kid. Thanks a lot." Wyatt responded with more gurgles.


END OF PART 2

[oddball7]

Rina Keaton
Charmed Cafe Member
Posts: 2479
(12/6/04 7:41 pm)
Reply
Re: "An Afternoon in Babysitting" [R]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"AN AFTERNOON IN BABYSITTING" by RFK



PART 3


The middle-aged man and his two daughters climbed the stoop leading toward the manor's front door. Piper glanced at her father, who wore a mournful expression on his face. "Are you okay, Dad?" she asked.

Victor heaved a sigh. "Oh . . . uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm okay." He shot a reassuring smile at his daughter. "You don't have to worry about me crying again. I'm okay."

"I guess Aunt Lillian must have been very close to you," Phoebe said, as she slid her key into the lock and opened the door.

Nodding, Victor replied, "You could say that. She was almost like a second mother to me."

Once inside the manor, the two sisters and their father found Leo pacing back and forth, across the living room floor. Piper immediately stiffened at the sight of her former husband. "Leo? What are you doing here?"

The Elder immediately rounded on Piper. "Where's Wyatt?" he demanded. "I tried to sense his whereabouts, but I couldn't find him. And why isn't Paige here?"

"Huh?" Piper gave Leo a confused stare.

Phoebe spoke up. "Wait a minute, Leo. Piper and I were at a family funeral with Dad. In San Jose. So, Paige had agreed to stay behind and baby-sit Wyatt. Are you saying that both of them are missing?"

His face red with emotion, Leo cried, "Yes Phoebe! That's exactly what I'm saying! After I had finished a Council meeting, I realized that I couldn't sense Wyatt. So, I rushed home and . . ."

"Home?" Piper snorted with derision. "That's funny. I don't recall this house being your home, any longer!"

Victor patted his daughter's shoulder. "Piper . . ."

Through gritted teeth, Leo corrected himself. "What I meant to say was when I got 'here', there was no in the house. Including my son!"

"I wonder what happened to Paige and Harry," Phoebe said, frowning. "You couldn't sense them?"

"Paige is no longer my charge. And Harry has never acknowledged me as his whitelighter."

Victor murmured, "Smart kid." His comment earned him a glare from the Elder.

At that moment, the front door opened. Paige and Harry rushed inside the house. Piper noticed her youngest sister, holding the side of her jaw. "Hey, I see you guys are back," Harry greeted. "How was the funeral?"

Victor replied, "Oh, it went . . ."

"Where's Wyatt?" Leo demanded, interrupting his former father-in-law. "Where's my son?"

Piper added, "Leo's got a point. Where is Wyatt?"

"Ed wid Lide und Co," Paige mumbled. Everyone stared at her. "Uh . . . Sowee."

Phoebe demanded, "What happened to you?"

Harry spoke for Paige. "She had a little dental emergency. Something about a molar."

"Oh my God! I knew you had an appointment on Tuesday. Was the dentist able to do anything?" Phoebe rushed over to comfort her younger sister.

Harry added, "We couldn't get in touch with Paige's dentist, so I took her to mine."

"And what about Wyatt?" Piper asked, before Leo could. The blond-haired Elder looked as if he was about to blow a gasket.

"Oh. I couldn't get hold of Mom or Gran. So, I left Wyatt with Olivia and Cole." Harry paused and frowned. "Ooops. I guess I forgot to pick him up."

Leo's face turned a deeper red, as he shouted, "YOU LEFT MY SON WITH THAT DEMON?"



&^&^&^*^%*+_(_)**^&*&)(*(*&%%^$^%^$^%$*%&^%





Olivia stirred briefly from her slumber, wondering why she was hearing bells. A groan left her mouth and returned to sleep. Unfortunately, it did not last, for more bells rang in her ears. Another minute passed, before she realized that the penthouse's doorbell had been ringing.

"Huh? Oh." She glanced down and saw Wyatt sleeping peacefully in her lap. Cole sat next to her on the sofa, with his arm around her. And also fast asleep. The doorbell rang for the third time. Olivia groaned and gently lifted Wyatt from her lap. She placed the infant in Cole's lap and slowly stood up. Wyatt squirmed for a few seconds, clutched at Cole's shirt with his tiny fist and fell back to sleep.

Again, the doorbell rang. Olivia reluctantly dragged her body toward the front door, muttering, "I'm coming, I'm coming." She opened the door and found Harry standing out in the hallway, along with Piper and Leo. "Where's my son?" the latter demanded, as he tried to enter the penthouse.

Olivia shoved the Elder back into the hallway. "What are you doing?" she cried. "Haven't you ever heard of waiting for an invitation?"

A sigh left Piper's mouth. "Sorry about that. Leo's just . . . worried. About Wyatt . . ."

"He's on Cole's lap. Sleeping." Olivia stepped back, and allowed the visitors to enter - including Leo. She led them toward the sofa, where Cole and Wyatt presented an odd picture of domesticity.

Piper murmured, "Talk about a disturbing scene."

"Actually, I think they look cute together," Harry commented. Both Piper and Leo stared at him. "What?"

Olivia shook Cole's shoulder. "Hey! Wake up! Piper and Leo are here for Wyatt."

The half-demon groaned, as his eyes fluttered open. "Huh? Wha . . .?"

"Wake up! Piper's here to pick up Wyatt."

"Oh." Cole gathered Wyatt into his arms. The infant squirmed a bit, before he finally woke up. Then he yawned. Cole blinked at the visitors. "Uh . . . Piper, Leo. Hi."

Piper gave the half-demon a polite smile. "Cole. I see you and Wyatt have managed to . . ." A perplexed frown appeared on her face. ". . . bond?"

"Have they ever!" Olivia added in an enthusiastic voice. "They've become quite close."

All eyes fell upon Wyatt, who seemed preoccupied with chewing Cole's shirt. "Yeah . . . uh, being with Wyatt has been . . ." Cole gently pried the baby from his shirt and immediately handed him over to Piper. ". . . uh, interesting. Let alone, hell on my shirts."

"I hope he didn't give you any other trouble," Harry said. His green eyes twinkled with amusement.

Both Olivia and Cole exchanged cryptic glances. "Oh, no trouble at all," the former replied.

"But what?" Leo asked, looking suspicious.

Olivia shook her head. "Nothing much. "Um . . . we took Wyatt out for a walk at the Marina Green. He . . . uh, sto . . . teleported some things from a few people."

"What?" Leo looked horrified.

Piper gave her son an admonishing stare. "Wyatt . . ." Harry's amusement remained unabated.

Olivia continued, "Don't worry. Cole managed to return the items. Without anyone being the wiser. And when we had returned to the building . . . um, a few demons tried to kidnap Wyatt in the parking lot. By using me as a hostage."

Piper shook her head in disbelief. "Oh my God."

"But not to worry," Cole added. "They weren't a real threat. Just a bunch of morons with a bad kidnapping plan. Both Olivia and I took care of them."

Her anxiety abated, Piper said, "That's a relief." She gave the two babysitters a grateful smile. "Well, thanks a lot, you two. I guess we better get going."

Cole said, "If you need a lift to the manor, I'd be more than happy to provide it for you."

"I'd . . ." Piper hesitated. She glanced at Leo with mild distaste. "On second thought, maybe I'll take that offer. Uh, where are Wyatt's belongings?" A second later, the carry-on bag appeared on Piper's shoulder. And the pram, along with the baby's car seat, materialized in front of the visitors' feet. "Oh. Okay."

Harry added, "Don't forget to send me back. My car is there."

Cole walked over to where Piper held Wyatt and chucked the latter's chin. "Good-bye Partner. It's been . . . interesting. Don't be a stranger." The baby gurgled.

Olivia planted a kiss on the baby's soft cheek. "Bye Wyatt. Maybe we'll do this again, some day." Cole muttered something under his breath and Leo wore a doubtful expression. But Olivia ignored them and said good-bye to both Piper and Harry, before Cole teleported the three adults, the infant and everything else back to the Halliwell manor.

Disbelief illuminated the half-demon's blue eyes, as he stared at Olivia. "Uh, what exactly did you mean by 'do this again'?"

"You know," Olivia said with a shrug. "Baby-sit Wyatt."

"You mean . . . 'you' might baby-sit him, again. I don't recall volunteering for another afternoon with that kid. Not if I want to keep my shirts and sanity in check."

Olivia regarded Cole with surprise. “I thought that you had grown to like Wyatt.”<br>
Sighing, Cole returned to the sofa and sat down. “Okay, the brat’s not so bad. I just don’t want to go through another afternoon like that again. And that includes being pissed on.”<br>
Chuckling, Olivia replied, “Oh come on. It wasn’t that bad.” She headed for the liquor cabinet and reached for the club soda and a glass. “Despite the crying, Wyatt pissing on your shirt, the stealing and those demonic morons who . . .” She paused, as she poured the club soda into the glass. “Okay, this afternoon was a bit . . . busy. But it wasn’t all bad. Right?” Olivia faced the sofa and found Cole fast asleep.

After returning the bottle of club soda to the cabinet, she strolled over to the sofa, and sat down. Shaking her head in mild disbelief and amusement, she began to stroke Cole’s forehead. “What do you know? The mighty Belthazor brought to his knees by the shenanigans of an eight month-old baby.” She plant a kiss on his forehead, laid back against the sofa and began to sip her drink.


THE END