Charmed: Heritage - 103 - A Mother Knows

[StoryGirl83]

Charmed: Heritage
Episode 1X03 - A Mother Knows

Chapter One – Don’t Mess With Piper

Monday, January 11, 2027

There are some things a mother just knows. There are other things that it just seems like she knows, simply because she knows you so well.

Leo Wyatt was waiting patiently in the entry hall of his wife’s restaurant. He had been busy all morning, but there had been enough time before coming over to change into some clean clothes and take a shower. His wife, Piper Halliwell, was standing nearby, putting on her jacket. The maitrê d, Drinka Deguilio, was standing at the greeting booth, more or less bored. She had a piece of scratch paper that was doodling on to keep her occupied until the next customer arrived.

“Drinka, are you sure you guys will be all right?” Piper asked, ever worried about everything. “We can stay.”

This caused Drinka to look up from her doodling. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Halliwell. Everything will be fine.”

“You’re supposed to say you can’t do without me,” Piper grumbled.

“You deserve a break, Mrs. Halliwell,” Drinka told her with a smile. The large loops in her ears swayed as Drinka’s head moved. The bangles on her arm caught the light and spread rainbows about. “Callie’s no you, but she’s a good cook. We’ll do fine for one afternoon. Enjoy your time with your husband.”

“Come on, Piper,” Leo urged finally speaking. “As much as you wish it was not true, your restaurant can survive without you for a little while.”

Piper looked at her husband with a smile. “You win. Let’s go.”

Drinka looked at Leo and mouthed, “Thank you.”

Leo just smiled as Piper grabbed her purse and looked at him.

“All right, I’m ready.” Piper looked back at Drinka. “Call me if there’s trouble, Drinka.”

“We’ll be fine,” Drinka assured her. “Now, go.”

Piper didn’t here here Drinka. A feeling of being watched sent a shiver up and down her spine. She shivered slightly as she turned around. She looked around, but seeing nothing she turned back around after a moment.

“Piper?” Leo asked, concerned. “Is something wrong?”

Piper shook it off. “I’m fine. Let’s go.” Piper walked out the door.

Leo looked at Drinka confused. Then, he sighed and followed Piper out the door. He caught up with Piper a few feet outside the door of her restaurant.

As they walked, Piper looked at her husband, at her side. “So are you going to tell me where we are going?”

“You’ll see,” Leo told her with a smile.

Piper had the feeling of being watched, again. She turned around, frowning. She saw nothing, but this time, she didn’t ignore it. “Leo, do you feel that?”

Leo turned around to face where she was looking. “Feel what? What is wrong, Piper?”

Piper turned back toward the parking lot.

Leo lingered a moment, trying to figure out what she might have been seeing. Still seeing nothing, he turned back around as well. “I’m sorry I didn’t see anything unusual.”

Piper sighed. “Maybe it was nothing.”

Leo shook his head. “No, I trust your instincts. I just can’t see it.”

“I can’t see anything strange either,” Piper admitted.

“You felt something in the restaurant, too, didn’t you.” Leo commented, recalling her strange actions a few moments before.

Piper nodded and started walking toward their car.

“Piper?” Leo asked questioningly, wondering why his wife was ignoring him.

Piper took a few more steps and then without warning she turned around, hands raised and moved them down. Everything around her froze, including Leo. Every person within view was stopped. Cars on the road had stopped moving. There was a flock of birds in the air who had quit moving. Piper waved her hand in front of Leo and looked around at the frozen scene around her.

Leo noticed that Piper had moved. “Piper? What just happened?” He began to take in the fact that he and Piper where the only ones moving. “Did you just . . .”

“I froze everything,” Piper said, awed, as she looked around trying to find something that was moving. “Powers don’t usually advance randomly like that, especially after years of no use. Do they?”

Leo shakes his head. “No, they don’t. There must be a reason . . . but why did you freeze everything?”

Piper shrugged at that. “The invisible are still tangible right? If you run into them, then you can feel them right?”

“You think someone’s watching us?” Leo asked, contemplating the possibility.

Piper nods.

“They wouldn’t just stand out in the open,” Leo reminded her. “They’d be somewhere where people won’t run into them.”

“They weren’t expecting me to freeze things either,” Piper reasoned, “but I see your point.” With a look of concentration she began to chant. “Show me the one whose eyes I feel, so my nerves I may heal.”

A distortion formed between them and the restaurant near the front wall. Then, it formed into a demon leaning against the wall, with dark baggy clothes, messy hair, and skin tinted green.

Piper looked at Leo. “Any idea what it is?”

Leo shook his head. “If it weren’t for the skin tone, I’d say Lazarus demon or Scabber, but that’s not normal skin for either.” Leo looked around. “Any idea how long your freeze will last?”

“I don’t know. It’s never done . . .” Piper trailed off and looked around. A memory came to mind of events that had happened twenty-eight years previous. She had traveled ten year into the future with her two sisters Prue and Phoebe to try and save Phoebe from a future death at the stake. While there all three sisters had found stunning advancements in their powers. Prue had telekinetically pushed a hole in the attic. Phoebe had apparently used some sort of electric power to kill a man in revenge for the murder of a friend, the reason for her imprisonment and death in the first place. And Piper. Piper looked around as déjà vu filled her. In that future which never happened, Piper had frozen everything within view, even the birds flying in the sky.

“Piper?” Leo said in a questioning voice, bringing Piper back to the present.

“It’s nothing,” Piper told him, trying to shake the memory. “It never happened. I’m going to try and explode him. If it doesn’t work prepare to run.” Leo nods as Piper raises her hand and frowns. “What if I blow up more than I want?”

“It should still only blow up your target,” Leo reassured her. “There might be a little backlash, but your aim has always been good.”

Piper waved her hand in front of the demon and his head unfroze.

The demon tried to move and realized he could not.

“Who sent you?” Piper asked annoyed.

“Let me go,” The demon ordered, eyeing her wearily.

Piper gave him a disbelieving look. Did he take her for a fool? “Now, why should I go and do a thing like that? Why were you spying on me?”

“Let me go,” The demon ordered, again. Then, he tried appealing to her. “I didn’t attack you. I’d be stupid to do that.”

Piper smiled at that. “Finally the underworld starts to notice. Wish you’d noticed thirty years ago. It would have made things a lot easier.”

“Let me go,” the demon said, trying again. He was beginning to sound like a broken record.

Piper turned to Leo. “I guess he’s not going to answer me.”

“I guess not,” Leo agreed, somewhat amused.

“No point in keeping him around then,” Piper pointed out.

“Let me go,” the demon repeated, this time pleading. “I didn’t do anything.”

Piper looked at him. There was a look of annoyance on her face. “See that’s where you are wrong. I don’t exactly know what all you did, but I do know you spied on us. I don’t know what kind of info you got and I can’t trust you to tell me, so bye.” Piper flicked a closed hand at the demon and opened it.

Two things happened at once. The demon exploded and the time resumed as normal.

Piper stared at the spot where the demon had been. A look of sadness, mixed with annoyance passed over her face. Then she turned to Leo with a wry look. “And I was so enjoying the lack of demons.”

Credits Roll

---

If you haven't read the previous episode, click here and enjoy.

[StoryGirl83]

Chapter Two – How Far Can You Freeze?

A few minutes later Piper and Leo were standing outside their car, a shiny white sports car. Leo pulled opened the door on the passenger side and opened up the glove compartment. He pulled out a small cell phone and pushed a button. “Wyatt Halliwell, please.”

Piper looked up in surprise. “Why are you calling Wyatt?”

“Something I need to talk to him about,” Leo told her vaguely. “It will only take a minute or two.” Times up, Son. If your mom doesn’t know by tonight I’m telling her. No more secrets.

---

Wyatt Halliwell was pacing his office. Little did he know almost thirty years before his Aunt Prue had paced that very office waiting for its then current occupant, Prue’s fiancé at the time, Roger Bentley. If he had known, he might have appreciated the irony. Had Prue lived, she certainly would have. Wyatt heard his cell phone ring and picked it up. He flipped it on and put it up to his ear. “Wyatt, here.

“Wyatt, this is Dad,” the voice on the other end informed him.

Wyatt’s face came to attention and he stopped pacing. “Did you . . . something odd happened here a few minutes ago.”

Leo groaned as he realized the likely implications of his son’s words. “Don’t tell me you were affected, too.”

Still confused, Wyatt asked. “Affected by what exactly? Everything stopped moving here.”

Leo glanced over at Piper who was seated in the driver’s seat of the car, watching him suspiciously. “Your mom felt something watching us, so she tried to freeze them. Thing is, she froze everything. Are you saying it reached all the way to you?”

Leo’s head was turned, so he didn’t catch the sharp intake of breath as his wife absorbed her husband’s side of the conversation.

Wyatt of course heard nothing except his father’s question. “Must be. Did you figure out who was watching you and why?”

“Not yet.” Leo shook his head, even though his son couldn’t see it. “Your mom blew him up se he couldn’t report back. Listen, I was going to take your mom out, but this seems to take precedence. Can you meet us at the manor? And call Chris.”

Wyatt frowned as he glanced at the clock. “Can it wait, say half an hour? I get off them and I’d rather not take off early, if I don’t have to. I have the feeling that from here on out I’m going to get off early on a regular basis, so will it be all right?” If it wasn’t he’d leave. There was no question there. Family came first. “I’ll orb to the manor and get my car later, so I shouldn’t be too far behind you.”

Leo considered the request and the normal traffic for San Francisco. Wyatt was right that if he orbed home in half an hour, he wouldn’t be too far behind his parents. “I suppose that would be fine. With the demon vanquished we shouldn’t have to worry too much, but we don’t know what he was and he was spying for a reason.

Wyatt grinned. He couldn’t imagine anyone, even a demon, being stupid enough to spy on his mother. It simply didn’t work. “Understood. I’ll call Chris as soon as you hang up and I’ll go straight to the manor after work.”

“I told you it wouldn’t work to hide. . .” Leo began, his way of warning his son that he was about to be double busted.

Wyatt chuckled as he finished his dad’s sentence. “. . . Things from Mom, I know. Oh, well. At least she had one extra week without worrying about demons. See you at home, Dad.”

“By Wyatt. See you there . . .” Leo trailed off realizing as he heard a click on the other end. He hung up and climbed into the passenger side of the car.

As he buckled up, Piper looked at him. “I take it we aren’t going to have a relaxing afternoon.”

“Probably not,” Leo admitted.

“And our sons are involved somehow.”

“This is what they wanted, Piper,” Leo admitted. He wasn’t going to lie to his wife. He disliked hiding this from her enough as it was.

“They want to fight demons?” Piper asked skeptically.

Leo nodded. “If someone must, then yes, they would prefer it to be them. You taught them how, Piper.”

“We were at peace then,” Piper reminded him, as that somehow justified her thoughts. As if that should mean he sons should learn how to fight, but never use the skills.

“Everyone knew it couldn’t last forever,” Leo reminded her gently. “Be glad they had you to teach them.”

Piper sighed. “We’re headed home then?”

Leo nodded. “Wyatt says he’ll be there in half and hour and he’ll take care of calling Chris.”

“Oh, well. It was good while it lasted.” Piper turned on the car and began to put it in gear. She stopped and looked at Leo. “Do you think this power advancement will stay?”

“I hope not,” Leo informed her. “Wyatt said things froze where he was, too.”

“What?!” Piper looked at her husband stunned. “That’s miles from here.”

“Exactly,” Leo told her, his point made.

Piper put the car in gear, backed out of her parking space, changes gears, again, and drove out of the parking lot.

[StoryGirl83]

Chapter Two – How Far Can You Freeze?

A few minutes later Piper and Leo were standing outside their car, a shiny white sports car. Leo pulled opened the door on the passenger side and opened up the glove compartment. He pulled out a small cell phone and pushed a button. “Wyatt Halliwell, please.”

Piper looked up in surprise. “Why are you calling Wyatt?”

“Something I need to talk to him about,” Leo told her vaguely. “It will only take a minute or two.” Times up, Son. If your mom doesn’t know by tonight I’m telling her. No more secrets.

---

Wyatt Halliwell was pacing his office. Little did he know almost thirty years before his Aunt Prue had paced that very office waiting for its then current occupant, Prue’s fiancé at the time, Roger Bentley. If he had known, he might have appreciated the irony. Had Prue lived, she certainly would have. Wyatt heard his cell phone ring and picked it up. He flipped it on and put it up to his ear. “Wyatt, here.

“Wyatt, this is Dad,” the voice on the other end informed him.

Wyatt’s face came to attention and he stopped pacing. “Did you . . . something odd happened here a few minutes ago.”

Leo groaned as he realized the likely implications of his son’s words. “Don’t tell me you were affected, too.”

Still confused, Wyatt asked. “Affected by what exactly? Everything stopped moving here.”

Leo glanced over at Piper who was seated in the driver’s seat of the car, watching him suspiciously. “Your mom felt something watching us, so she tried to freeze them. Thing is, she froze everything. Are you saying it reached all the way to you?”

Leo’s head was turned, so he didn’t catch the sharp intake of breath as his wife absorbed her husband’s side of the conversation.

Wyatt of course heard nothing except his father’s question. “Must be. Did you figure out who was watching you and why?”

“Not yet.” Leo shook his head, even though his son couldn’t see it. “Your mom blew him up se he couldn’t report back. Listen, I was going to take your mom out, but this seems to take precedence. Can you meet us at the manor? And call Chris.”

Wyatt frowned as he glanced at the clock. “Can it wait, say half an hour? I get off them and I’d rather not take off early, if I don’t have to. I have the feeling that from here on out I’m going to get off early on a regular basis, so will it be all right?” If it wasn’t he’d leave. There was no question there. Family came first. “I’ll orb to the manor and get my car later, so I shouldn’t be too far behind you.”

Leo considered the request and the normal traffic for San Francisco. Wyatt was right that if he orbed home in half an hour, he wouldn’t be too far behind his parents. “I suppose that would be fine. With the demon vanquished we shouldn’t have to worry too much, but we don’t know what he was and he was spying for a reason.

Wyatt grinned. He couldn’t imagine anyone, even a demon, being stupid enough to spy on his mother. It simply didn’t work. “Understood. I’ll call Chris as soon as you hang up and I’ll go straight to the manor after work.”

“I told you it wouldn’t work to hide. . .” Leo began, his way of warning his son that he was about to be double busted.

Wyatt chuckled as he finished his dad’s sentence. “. . . Things from Mom, I know. Oh, well. At least she had one extra week without worrying about demons. See you at home, Dad.”

“By Wyatt. See you there . . .” Leo trailed off realizing as he heard a click on the other end. He hung up and climbed into the passenger side of the car.

As he buckled up, Piper looked at him. “I take it we aren’t going to have a relaxing afternoon.”

“Probably not,” Leo admitted.

“And our sons are involved somehow.”

“This is what they wanted, Piper,” Leo admitted. He wasn’t going to lie to his wife. He disliked hiding this from her enough as it was.

“They want to fight demons?” Piper asked skeptically.

Leo nodded. “If someone must, then yes, they would prefer it to be them. You taught them how, Piper.”

“We were at peace then,” Piper reminded him, as that somehow justified her thoughts. As if that should mean he sons should learn how to fight, but never use the skills.

“Everyone knew it couldn’t last forever,” Leo reminded her gently. “Be glad they had you to teach them.”

Piper sighed. “We’re headed home then?”

Leo nodded. “Wyatt says he’ll be there in half and hour and he’ll take care of calling Chris.”

“Oh, well. It was good while it lasted.” Piper turned on the car and began to put it in gear. She stopped and looked at Leo. “Do you think this power advancement will stay?”

“I hope not,” Leo informed her. “Wyatt said things froze where he was, too.”

“What?!” Piper looked at her husband stunned. “That’s miles from here.”

“Exactly,” Leo told her, his point made.

Piper put the car in gear, backed out of her parking space, changes gears, again, and drove out of the parking lot.

[StoryGirl83]

Chapter Three – Spies and Chills

In another part of town Centennial was located. Christopher Halliwell was sitting on a chair in front of a desk. As assistant manager he had an office, but right at that moment the papers with scribbled notes on them had nothing to do with Centennial. He scribbled something else on one of the papers and mumbled to himself. “There has to be some sort of pattern or catalyst. Seriously Mom and her sisters defeated the triad . . . again, then the so called ultimate power, then Aunt Phoebe had that premonition about me, and then nothing. It’s almost as if magic was waiting for . . .”

There was a knock on the door, distracting Chris from his thoughts. He grabbed the papers and turned them upside down in a pile. “Come in.”

The door opened and David Vandemark, a co-worker of Chris’ and work time friend, came in holding a small cell phone. “You brother is on the phone.” David walked over to the desk and handed the phone to Chris. “Are you going to be out of here soon? You’ve been in and out of your office all day.”

Chris put the phone to his ear. “Wy, just a minute.”

While Chris spoke he saw David looking at the contents of Chris’ desk.

On the other end of the phone Wyatt said, “Be quick.”

Chris held the phone away from his mouth and spoke to David, “I’ll try to get out of here once this phone call is over, but I’m not sure.”

Before David answers something caught his attention and he picked up a paper Chris forgot to turn over. “What’s this? It doesn’t seem to be related to work. I know the boss is dreadful at times, but demon?”

Chris managed to keep from groaning allowed. He put the phone back to his mouth. “Can I call you back?”

“Actually, this is kind of important,” Wyatt protested.

“Five minutes,” Chris requested, “and I promise I’ll call you back.”

“I’d rather you . . .” Wyatt began.

“Five minutes,” Chris repeated interrupting. “This is important, too.”

Wyatt sighed. “Make it fast.” Wyatt hung up with out waiting for a response.

---

Back in Chris’ office David watched Chris wearily. “So what is it?”

Chris held out his hand. “May I see it?”

David handed him the paper, if reluctantly, and waited.

Chris took it and looked at it.

After maybe half a minute David couldn’t stand the silence. “So what is it?”

Chris sighed. “It’s a project I’m working on.”

“For school?” David asked, his mind reviewing conversations he had with Chris about Chris’ college course. David had yet to figure out why Chris was taking that class, but he could see how this might, if stretched, have something to do with that.

“Uh . . .” Chris began trying to decide what to tell and what not to tell, if there was anything he could tell, “sure.”

It didn’t take a genius to realize that the look that passed across Chris eyes meant that wasn’t it. Still David remained silent and let Chris talk he figured Chris must have a good reason to not want to discuss it.

“It’s been really weighing on me. I shouldn’t have brought it here, but . . . you know, I’ll be leaving shortly. I’ll keep this put away until I leave, and I’ll see you on the floor.”

David knew that look. It was the one where Chris wasn’t lying, because Chris never lied, but he didn’t want to talk about it and something bad was about to happen. David couldn’t keep the skepticism out of his voice as he said, “Sure. Just don’t get distracted like that again or, friend or not, I’ll talk to your boss.”

Chris nodded. “Fine. Now, if it’s okay with you, I need to call my brother back.”

“Something’s up with you, Halliwell,” David told him. He knew something was up, but he didn’t understand what it was or why. “I know you said had amnesia, but it’s like there have been slight alterations to your entire personality.”

“I’m fine,” Chris assured him,” but maybe you’re right. Maybe I have changed. I need to talk to my brother though.”

David looked at him for a minute and then nodded. “Then, again, maybe you haven’t. Family was always first with you. I’ll leave so you can call him back and hopefully not end up leaving early.” David knew that despite his threat to tell the boss, he would cover for Chris if he had to.

Chris looked up at the clock. The clock hands indicated it was a little after four-thirty. “Six . . .” Chris mumbled, indicated the time he was scheduled to leave, “bye.”

David left the room in search of Brian Heitzman, a newer employee still learning the ropes.

Chris looked down at the paper in his hand. He put it on the pile upside down with the others. He then picked up the phone and pushed a button on it. “Museum of Natural History, San Francisco, Wyatt Halliwell’s line, please.

---

At the Museum of Natural History Wyatt is seated at his desk with some papers in front of him. He sighed and looked up just as the wall phone rang. He looked at the phone and it orbed to him. He pushed a button on it. “Hello.”

On the other end Chris smiled at the eagerness in his brothers voice, and then frowned as he remembered that Wyatt had said it was important. Happy things rarely were important enough to warrant calls at work. “Wy, it’s Chris. Sorry about earlier. What’s up?

“Did you notice anything odd a few minutes before I called?”

Chris’ frown deepened. That sounded rather ominous. “No, but then I’ve been in this office for the last twenty minutes. Why?”

“Nothing?” Wyatt asked, sounding like he wanted something.

Chris paused and thought hard. “I think my pencil floated for a moment when I dropped it, but that’s about it. Why? What’s going on?”

Wyatt nodded his head absently. “Dad called and said Mom caught a demon spying on them. She froze the demon and everything else. She and Dad were at the restaurant. It affected me at the museum. I think maybe it affected the whole city.”

“So which are we more worried about?” Chris queried, staggered by what his brother had just said. “The demon, Mom’s powers, or the fact that I bet Mom now knows we’re keeping secrets?”

There was silence at Wyatt considered the question. Each was a very big deal. “The demon I guess, but only barely. Mom is going to be mad.”

“I’m leaving work early, aren’t I?” Chris asked, regretting that it looked like he was going to disappoint his friend, but as David had said, family did always come first to him, except maybe the planet and definitely any individual innocent.

To his surprise, Wyatt didn’t agree immediately. “Up to you. When do you get off?”

“Six,” Chris informed him, glancing up at the clock in the wall. “I hate this job. It’s so boring. I’d rather fight demons.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” Wyatt cautioned him.

“No wishing,” Chris assured him. “Just saying.” Chris paused considering his options. “I’d probably best stay until six, unless you really need me. Much as I don’t like this job, I probably shouldn’t risk it and I haven’t been the best employee today.”

“Why?” Wyatt asked concerned. “What’s going on?”

“I was checking figured and making list,” Chris told him blandly.

“Huh?” Wyatt responded confused. “What for?”

“To determined what is different about this time line that might cause a lack of powers.” Of course the problem was that since he had caused their aunt Paige to survive, Wyatt to be good, and inadvertently saved many elders and the death of the one elder who would have caused even more harm than he did, he didn’t even know where to begin, because everything was different.

“Find anything?” Wyatt asked, interested.

“Sure,” Chris agreed easily, “but nothing helpful.”

Wyatt frowned and glanced behind him.

Chris couldn’t see his brother, but he sensed that something was wrong. “Wy? You still there?”

“Yeah,” Wyatt replied absently, something definitely bothering him. “I’ll tell Mom and Dad.”

“Is something wrong?” Chris asked, concern lacing his voice.

“Huh?” Wyatt must have noticed the concern, because it seemed to wake him up. “Oh, no. I’m just . . . nothing. I’ll let you get back to work.”

Chris nodded, even though his brother couldn’t see him. “Call me if things change and you need me immediately.”

Wyatt agreed. “Will do. Bye.”

“Bye,” Chris echoed before hanging up.

---

In Wyatt’s office, something was definitely going on. Wyatt felt chills running up and down his spine as he walked over to the phone jack and hung it up. He turned around and looked straight at the corner to the left of the door, frowning. He looked at it, staring intently for a moment before he shook his head and headed out of the room.

[StoryGirl83]

Chapter Four – Demonic Rent-a-Spy

At the Halliwell manor some time later, Leo and Piper arrived home. Leo unlocked the front door and opened the door. He walked in and held the door for his wife as she headed in behind him.

“How long has this been going on?” Piper asked as Leo closed the front door.

“Think Piper,” Leo cautioned. “They’ve only been able to use their powers for nine days.”

Piper hung up her coat and turned back to her husband, annoyance in her voice. “Are you sure? It’s not like I check to see if my powers work. Besides both of them could orb, and potions and spells have always been an option. What makes you believe they haven’t been doing this for a lot longer?”

As they walked into the front room, Leo replied, “Well, Wyatt has trouble keeping a secret. As for Chris he’s half the boy we raised and half the young man who came to the past to save Wyatt. He’s sure they haven’t done anything before now and I trust him.”

“Quite a switch considering how much he lied to us,” Piper replied sarcastically.

“But not in the end,” Leo reminded her. “I am sure that he told me the truth.”

“I’m glad you’re sure,” Piper responded still annoyed, “but I’m not and you should have told me.”

“And I would have,” Leo told her with a sigh, “but I thought I’d give you a little more time and give the boys a chance to tell you themselves.”

“More time for what?” Piper asked, confused.

“You’ve enjoyed the relative lack of underworld activity all these years,” Leo reminded her. “Chris . . .”

“This was Chris’ idea?” Piper asked catching on to what he was about to say.

Since he had been uncomfortable with the idea, Leo couldn’t really say it was his, but he felt the need to defend his son’s idea. “He only mentioned that you liked having a normal life and maybe we should worry you.”

That only annoyed Piper more. “You deferred to our son rather than what I actually thought?”

Oddly, this brought a smile to Leo’s lips. “Are you denying that you want a normal life?”

“No,” Piper replied, trapped, “but you had . . .”

At that moment Wyatt orbed in, stopping whatever Piper was going to say.

Piper looked at him. She gave Leo a look that said, “We’ll talk later,” and turned back to Wyatt. “So I understand you and your brother have been sneaking behind my back and fighting demons.”

“Uh . . .” Wyatt began trying to think how to answer. “It was only one demon.”

“This family does not keep secrets,” Piper reminded him. “Understand?” When Wyatt nodded Piper’s expression changed to one of caution. “Is the demon gone?”

“She’s gone,” Wyatt informed her with a slight bit of pride. Trae had been his first demon vanquish in his memory, after all. “She’s well and truly vanquished. You aren’t going to say we can’t fight the next demon that comes along, are you?”

Piper shook her head. “Fighting demons is your choice. As long as you have the powers, it is your obligation to defend innocents when you see them needing help. I will not be stopping you from protecting innocents. It’s the lying and the secrets I have a problem with. Don’t try to protect me from what’s going on.”

“Mom,” Wyatt protested, “we can handle it.”

“Fine,” Piper agreed. “Handle it, but if I ask, don’t lie to me. Don’t pretend nothing it going on.”

“But, Mom,” Wyatt protested, once more, “you would only worry.”

Piper gave her older son a mother look. “Then, let me worry. It’s my job as a mother and my right.”

“Why would you want to worry?” Wyatt asked, confused.

“I don’t,” Piper assured him, “but I’m a mom. It’s inevitable. In other words, when I ask, spill. And if you need help, admit it and ask. And don’t go off on your own. You are a powerful witch, Wyatt, but no one is invincible.”

“Why is it that I seem to be the one getting yelled at the most,” Wyatt asked, slightly dejected.

“Because your brother isn’t here,” Piper reasoned, her voice promising that Chris would not be speared in any way.

Wyatt slumped down in a chair and scowled. This promised to be a long wait.

---

A couple of minutes after six, Chris orbed into his bedroom in the brother’s empty apartment with the papers he had been working on earlier in his arms. He put the papers on his desk and orbed out.

---

Wyatt was standing by the window in the front room of the manor, looking out.

Piper and Leo were sitting on the couch. “Anything odd happen with your powers today or this week, Wyatt?” Piper asked suddenly.

Wyatt turned around to answer as Chris orbed in. Wyatt shook his head. “Not that I noticed, but memories of using them are a bit limited. Chris?”

Chris looked at him confused, not having heard the question. “Huh? What’ the question?”

“Any power boosts or odd happenings with your powers?” Wyatt asked, paraphrasing Piper’s question.

“Other than gaining a new one?” Chris queried, seeing as that was odd.

“Yes,” Wyatt confirmed.

“You didn’t tell me that,” Piper commented, sounding hurt.

“I’ve only used it once,” Chris said, shrugging off the importance of his new power. “I haven’t figured out how to reactivate it so maybe it was just a fluke.”

“It wasn’t a fluke,” Wyatt argued. “It was because of Dad’s being an elder.”

“You have an elder power?” Piper asked surprised and with a tiny bit of pride in her voice. “What is it?”

“Invisibility,” Chris informed her, not wanting them to make a big deal out of it. “Can we focus on the demon you saw?”

“First,” Piper requested, “have you had any power boosts?”

Chris looked at them skeptically, but using his index finger he waved at an object on the other side of the room. He waved his arm slowly and a chair moved backward. He waved it forward and back into place before turning to look at his family. “No. All other abilities can’t grow like that. I suppose I could try orbing someone or something from Asia, but the concept is the same.”

“Fine,” Piper allowed. “Then, why did my power freeze half the town?”

“That’s it?” Wyatt protested. “You aren’t going to yell at him. Not fair.”

“That’s right,” Piper replied thoughtfully. “Chris, I understand it was your idea not to tell me. What do you have to say about that?”

Chris frowned and thinks about this. After a moment he looked up and with a mischievous look on his face responded, “Future consequences?”

Wyatt looked at Chris with a confused look on his face.

Leo looked at him surprised and chuckled escaped.

Piper’s eyes narrowed.

Chris smiled at her nervously, “Obviously it was a poor idea. I just thought you’d rather not know.”

“I’d rather it not be,” Piper corrected, “but it is, so I want to know.”

“All right, Mom,” Chris said with a sheepish look on his face.

There was something adorable about him that reminded Piper of the first time he had called her mom, back a few months before he was born. He had looked so surprised and so sweet and it had touched her then. The memory brought a smile to Piper’s lips. “Since we have that established, we need to check and see if the demon that was watching your father and I is in the Book of Shadows.”

Wyatt looked at the coffee table. He blinked and the Book of Shadows appeared on the coffee table.

Chris looked at the book and grinned as he began to chant. “My mother’s mind I do not know. Open this book and let it show, a king of demon that likes to spy and today my mother did fry.”

“Personal . . .” Piper began, her voice trailed off at the book opened and pages started to turn. After a moment the book stopped on a page entitled, “Demonic Rent-a-Spy.” The page began by saying, “I simply could not believe such a thing existed, but there it was . . .” and on the bottom of the page it was signed, “P. Baxter Johnson.”

[StoryGirl83]

Chapter Five – Payment In Pain

and the Spy Master

Down in the underworld, the Warlock who had for the past week been scheming behind the scenes, was sitting at a table made of stone as he waited for a report on his first active attack on the Halliwell brothers. On the side stood a second “Rent-a-Spy.” He had the same dark baggy clothes and green tinted skin. His jet black hair was slightly less messy. There was an air of command to him.

“Did you learn anything useful?” the Warlock asked the Spy Demon Master.

“The Charmed One vanquished one of my spies,” the Spy Master admitted, “but the other two were able to report in. The one spying on the younger reported nothing of value . . .” the Spy Master added, annoyance lacing his voice, “. . . I was forced to punish him since he mostly spied on the donut cart in the break room.”

“I trust the other had something useful,” the Warlock stated, sarcasm in evidence.
“He said that the older of the two brother witches seems to use his orbing powers a lot,” the Spy Master informed the Warlock. “If you find a way to bind their orbing, it might give you an advantage.”

The Warlock smiled. This was the kind of info he wanted, even if it was a bit limited. “Thank you. Hold out your hand.”

The Spy Master looked at him suspiciously. “Why?”

“So that I may give you the key to your payment,” the Warlock told him, his patience waning.

The Spy Master held out his hand. The Warlock reached out and put his hand on top of the green tinted one of the Spy Demon Master. A glow emanated from between their hands and the Spy Master pulled his hand away suddenly. “Ouch!”

The Warlock ignored the Spy Master’s discomfort, going on to give him instructions. “Go over to the wall on my left. Feel along it until your hand stops. Turn your hand one-hundred-and-eighty degrees. The wall should open and your money will be there. I have a gel to make.”

[StoryGirl83]

Chapter Six – Things Best Unsaid

Back at the manor Chris was trying to make sense of the lack of information they had. “Are you sure it gave us no idea how to determine who hired him?”

Wyatt groaned. He had heard the same question over and over, again in the last few minutes, worded different, but always the same. “Chris, would you stop asking. I’ve read this entry a half a dozen times and there’s nothing, so unless you want to go up there and talk to the elders . . .”

Chris glared at Wyatt. “Okay, so there’s nothing there. We’ll have no trouble vanquishing them if they are stupid enough to come back. What’s the point? What do they hope to learn?” Chris looked in the direction of his parents.

Leo shook his head. “I’ve never come across this.”

“Well, obviously great-grandma Johnson did,” Piper retorted, “so they aren’t new.”

Chris shrugged off her words as irrelevant. “New or old, what do they hope to accomplish? Who hired them? What are they looking for?”

“Probably a weakness,” Leo suggested, in his calm tone.

“Well, then they are bored silly,” Chris replied, a bit of laughter in his voice, “because we haven’t used out powers much especially Mom and, Dad you don’t even have any.”

“Maybe they weren’t just following you mom,” Leo suggested. “Did either of you feel someone watching you this past week or so?”

Chris shook his head without hesitation.

Wyatt frowned. “Now that you mention it, I can recall a feeling of being watched.”

“For how long?” Piper asked concerned.

“Just once,” Wyatt replied hesitantly, still thinking. “Today while I was talking to Chris and after.” Wyatt frowned, thinking. “Actually I think I remember the feeling that someone was watching me once before. It was last week when we were working on a potion to vanquish Trae. I didn’t connect the possibility, especially for the first event.”

“Wyatt,” Piper chastised her son, “you’re a witch. Everything is connected somehow.”

“Everything, huh?” Wyatt asked contemplatively. “Remind me the next time I mess up dinner, Chris. It’ll be demonic.”

Chris rolled his eyes. “Moving on.”

Leo smiled.

“Maybe we can write a spell to summon one of these spies,” Wyatt suggestion.

“To what end?” Piper asked. “They’ll either lie or not say anything.”

Wyatt shrugged. “Well, then we can vanquish them. That will be fewer demons to worry about.”

Got to admire his initiative,” Leo admitted, pride showing.

“Reminds me of his brother,” Piper stated in fond memory, though most of the memories that came to mind had been more frustrating than anything else at the time.

Wyatt looked at his brother confused.

Chris looked at his mother in surprise. “Me?”

Piper shrugged with a smile. “As I recall you liked to make preemptive strikes on demons.”

“But that was for a specific cause,” Chris protested. “I wasn’t trying to empty the underworld.”

“You would have if you had to,” Piper reminded him.”

“And a lot of good it would have done me,” Chris stated bitterly, “since the enemy I was looking for wasn’t even down there.”

“I’m not entirely sure what you’re talking about,” Wyatt admitted, “but I’m guessing this is one of those things about the past you haven’t told me yet.”

Chris nodded, but said nothing.

“Some things are better not said,” Piper told her older son softly, sad memories filling her, memories of loosing Chris in the past.

“Fine,” Wyatt gave in easily. He was realizing that he wasn’t going to get much out of them easily. There was something about the past, something he couldn’t remember, because he was too young at the time, that no one wanted him to know. It was going to take time and planning to get them to talk. “So what do we do? I don’t like the idea of waiting for their move when we know one is coming soon.”

Chris walked over to the Book and pointed to the page on the Rent-a-Spy demons. “We start making potions. Mom and I will put them together. You can get the ingredients. I think that’s safe.”

“You just don’t trust me,” Wyatt said, giving his little brother a look of fake annoyance.

“You’re right,” Chris agreed easily. “I don’t. If I didn’t before, you mistaking a tablespoon for a teaspoon last week proved I was right.”

Wyatt scowled at him. “Fine, I’ll get the ingredients. What do you need?”

[StoryGirl83]

Chapter Seven – The Demon Merchant

and Marchez

Down in the underworld the Warlock was sitting at his stone table. There was a selection of gels on the table.

A human looking demon was standing in front of him with a bag on his shoulder.

“And these will get rid of their pesky orbing ability, Marchez?” the Warlock asked the demon merchant, Marchez.

“No,” Marchez admitted. “They will only make the ability inaccessible.”

The Warlock scowled at him. “I want their orbing gone, not inaccessible. How long does it last?”

Marchez gave him an indulgent smile that claimed without a word that he was in control. “Until an antidote is used.”

“And what is the antidote?” the Warlock wanted to know so that he could make sure to keep the two witchlighters far away from whatever it was.

“There is no known antidote,” Marchez told him in an almost lazy tone.

The Warlock looked at him with interest. “No antidote? Has anyone attempted?”

“Of course people have attempted,” Marchez told him sounding a little annoyed that a mere warlock would doubt his word. “None have succeeded. I should warn you though that this doesn’t just effect orbing, so don’t get any on you if you want to be able to blink.”

Pleasure spread across the Warlock’s face. “It looks like you have yourself a deal. What about the other gels?”

“Various offensive and defensive gels,” Marchez told him off hand. “The red one packs a nasty punch when it hits something. The green one heals. The yellow one is a defensive barrier that lasts about five minutes. They are extra though.”

“How much of the gel must touch them before it takes effect?” the Warlock asked eyeing the innocuous looking gel.

“About half a pack,” Marches told him as he picked up a pack of the blue gel and held it out to the Warlock, “but it must touch skin. Are you interested in the other gels or should I put them away?”

“For not just the blue gel,” the Warlock decided. “I think I should like some of the others in the future, but first things first. Six of the blue gels as we agreed upon.”

“Why so many?” Marchez asked, a little surprised. “That’s twelve doses.”

“I would be stupid to underestimate this opponent,” the Warlock told him a bit bitterly. “They are smart and their family has been outwitting the underworld at every attempt.”

Marchez considered this and shrugged. So long as he got his money, he didn’t really care the reason. “Do you have my pay?”

“Hold out your hand,” the Warlock instructed.

Raising his eyebrows, Marchez held out his hand, palm down.

The Warlock turned it over and places his hand over that of Marchez. There was a glow between their hands causing Marchez to wince. After a moment the Warlock took his hand away. “Go to the wall on my left. Place your palm on it and move your hand until it stops. Once it stops turn your palm one-hundred-and-eighty degrees and the wall should open. You’ll find your payment there.”

Marchez pulled the bag off his shoulder. He put the red, yellow, and green gels in the bag, leaving the two blue ones on the table. He reached into his bag and pulled out four more bags of gel. “These are made to break on contact with the skin of those who weald good magic. That way it is harder for them to be used against evil and easier to use them against good. Make sure you throw it at the right target.”

With eyebrows raised, the Warlock asked, “Are they all of them like that?”

“Only if appropriate,” Marchez told him reasonably as he walked toward the wall.

An evil smile slowly formed on the Warlock face as he examined the gels and considered his plans.

[StoryGirl83]

Chapter Eight – Win, Lose, or Draw

and ten demons: Aithen, Aitha, Riz, Kasinda, Syre, Huller, Merig, Kasib, Morka, and Lukman

Back at the manor, Piper and Chris stood in front of a cauldron. There were empty jars and various spice containers. There were newly ground powders that were in small jars. Piper reached her index finger and thumb into a jar and brought out a pinch. She dropped the powder into the caldron.

Leo was looking through the Book of Shadows, hoping to find anything new to help them.

Wyatt walked in the door of the attic, carrying a glass of water.

Chris looked up as he came in. “You walked?”

“Why not?” Wyatt asked with a shrug. “I’m allowed to. It there anything else you need?”

“No,” Chris told him with a shake of his head. “That’s it. Would you grab some vials, so we can fill them.”

Wyatt placed the glass of water on the table. Then, he walked over to the shelves and started picking up vials. Without turning around he asked, “How many do we need?”

“Just grab some,” Chris told him.

“Do you have anything for stronger demons?” Leo asked, looking up from the Book.

“Yes, Dad,” Chris told him trying to conceal a bit of irritation for his father’s lack of trust. “We have some for stronger demons and some for the spies.”

“Good,” Leo replied in relief, “because I don’t think the spies are likely to attack. They just spy.”

Chris nodded before pouring some of the water into the potion. A small puff emitted from the caldron. “I know.”

“This potion if for stronger demons,” Piper added. “It should take care of any spy demons who attack as well.”

Wyatt brought over the vials and he began filling them along with his little brother.

“Good,” Leo repeated. “It does say something about a spy master. Perhaps we should try summoning him. It might . . .”

Leo stopped speaking as three demons shimmering into the attic. The first demon was a humanoid male in a leather jacket named Aithen. The second demon was his female counterpart in pink leather. Her name was Aitha. The third demon, Riz, was a male with skin so pale it was almost white. He bore a slight resemblance to a grimlock.

Aithen formed a fireball and threw it at the table with the potions forcing Piper and Chris to jump out of the way.

As Piper raised her arms to freeze the room, another demon shimmered in behind her. With her pale hair and flawless skin, Kasinda, resembled a prep school cheerleader more than she did a demon. Kasinda pushed Piper, causing the witch to hit the floor with a thud.

Just before it hit the potion table the fireball disappeared in blue-white orbs, reappearing about a foot from Aithen, and headed toward him. The fireball hit the stunned demon before he could react and caused him to explode.

Angered Aitha formed an energy ball in her hand and threw it at Leo, believing him her easiest target. Seeing the energy ball, Chris drove it off path with a fling of his arm while Wyatt orbed over to Leo and put up his shield.

Two more demons, Syre and Huller, shimmered in as Piper looked up at Aitha, fire in her eyes directed toward the demon who dared try to hurt Piper’s beloved husband. Piper flicked her hands and watched with more than a little satisfaction as Aitha exploded into a million tiny pieces.

Syre assessed the scene with eyes that were less than human, resembling a snake’s more than anything else. He cast a look of disgust at Huller. Huller had shoulder length brown hair and multiple piercings visible. With one last disgusted look at the demon next to him Syre spit some sort of acid, an acid that bore more than a passing resemblance to the acidic venom of scaber demon, in Chris direction.

Seeing it, Wyatt called out, “Chris! Watch out!”

Chris orbed out of the way just in time.

With his brother no longer in danger Wyatt turned to his dad next to him. “If I get you to the potions do you want to take care of some of the demons or do you want me to orb you downstairs.

On the other side of the room Piper put Syre perminately out of commission with a flick of her wrists.

Chris orbed back in and picked up Riz with his bare hands. In all my years as a witch, have I ever seen so many demons attack at once? It seemed a strange yet true failing of demons that because they trusted no one they almost always worked alone. Controlled once more he threw the offending demon at the wall.

Almost at once something caught his attention just inside his peripheral vision. He turned to see four new demons shimmer into different places in the attic.

The first was Merig, a male of which to say he was slimy was to be taken literally. Slimy oozed on him and some dripped to the floor.

The next was Kasib, pale skinned and pale haired, he flicked a look at the pale haired Kasinda. Had anyone cared to look the resemblance between the two demons would have been obvious. However, no one was really interested in how the demons, now totaling ten, were connected to each other, only how to get rid of the remaining seven.

The third of the new demons was a dark haired demoness named Morka. She appeared to be rather unobtrusive, though in truth her trophy list was rather long.

The fourth and final of the new demons was a dark skinned demon called Lukman. Weary eyes took in their fill of the four members of the family.

As he looked at the seven demons in turn Leo responded firmly to his son’s question. “Potions.”

Without so much as a nod, Wyatt dropped his shield and orbed Leo to the potions’ table. With his shield down, Lukman took aim and threw a blue gel pack at Wyatt from behind. Lukman’s aim was true and the gel pack hit Wyatt on the back of his neck. A tiny explosion formed as the packaging dissolved at the touch of the skin of good magic. The impact was so small that only Wyatt noticed anything, and to Wyatt is was merely an irritant that caused him to reach back and rub his hand against his neck. Gel that hadn’t yet been absorbed got onto his fingertips, absorbing before his eyes as he quickly brought his hand back and looked at it. What was that? Wyatt wondered as he turned around to look. He turned around just fast enough to see Lukman shimmer out, his task accomplished.

At the potion table, Leo was unaware of what just happened to his son. He threw one of the potions at Morka and ended a long, illustrious career of death and destruction with one explosion.

Piper finally managed to get to a standing position. She surveyed the scene around her as Chris telekinetically lifted one of the potions off the table and threw it at Huller.

As Huller exploded Kasib pulled out an athemé and threw it at Wyatt. Wyatt saw it coming and blinked, expecting it to orb away, but nothing happened. Confused he tried to orb out and still nothing happened. Almost panicked since his obing had never before failed him, he threw his shield up at the last second and stopped the athemé just short of hitting him. Reflief flooded threw him only to be stopped by dread as he tried to figure out why he couldn’t orb.

Several feet away, Riz held up his hands, shooting electricity at Chris.

Anxious, Wyatt called out to his brother. “Chris, problem.”

Chris ducked out of the path of the electricity. Piper waved her hands over her son's head, causing Riz to blow up. Leo threw a potion at Merig, blowing him up as well. “Little busy,” Chris retorted. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t orb,” was all that Wyatt said.

It was all he needed to say. Chris spun around to look at his older brother. “What?!” Chris exclaimed as Piper and Leo, also turned to look at their son.

Kasinda saw her chance, took aim, and threw a gel pack at Chris.

The pack hit Chris, causing him to turn around and face her. He waved his arm to telekinetically throw her just as she tried to shimmer out. Chris’ telekinesis won out, sending Kasinda against the wall so hard the she was knocked unconscious.

Seeing Kasinda knocked out, Kasib shimmered over to her and shimmed them both out before anyone can react.

Only after both of the remaining demons were gone did Chris reach up and rub the right side of his neck where the gel pack had hit him. The gel was completely absorbed. He looked across the room at Wyatt. At Wyatt’s nod, Chris held out his hand. “Vial.” When nothing happened, Chris’ shoulders slumped.

Wyatt sighed.

Annoyed, Chris flicked his wrist at a piece of broken wood, moving it fast and hard against the wall.

“Mom, I think we found out what the spies were after,” Wyatt announced. “They used some sort of gel to make sure we couldn’t orb.”

“Is there any left to test?” Piper asked looked at her two sons, worried. “We need to find out how to reverse it.”

“No orbing,” Chris mumbled to himself. “What will that prove?”

“Chris?” Piper questioned.

“What?” Chris asked, looking at her surprised. Realizing she had asked him a question he thought back. “Oh. No. I don’t think so.” Turning to Wyatt he deflected the question. “Wy?”

“Nope,” Wyatt replied with a shake of his head. “Unless some fell off. I got some on my hand and it was just absorbed.”

“That does not sound good,” Leo commented, concerned.

Piper sighed and started pacing. “I think it’s time to summon that spy master.”

[StoryGirl83]

Chapter Eight – Win, Lose, or Draw

and ten demons: Aithen, Aitha, Riz, Kasinda, Syre, Huller, Merig, Kasib, Morka, and Lukman

Back at the manor, Piper and Chris stood in front of a cauldron. There were empty jars and various spice containers. There were newly ground powders that were in small jars. Piper reached her index finger and thumb into a jar and brought out a pinch. She dropped the powder into the caldron.

Leo was looking through the Book of Shadows, hoping to find anything new to help them.

Wyatt walked in the door of the attic, carrying a glass of water.

Chris looked up as he came in. “You walked?”

“Why not?” Wyatt asked with a shrug. “I’m allowed to. It there anything else you need?”

“No,” Chris told him with a shake of his head. “That’s it. Would you grab some vials, so we can fill them.”

Wyatt placed the glass of water on the table. Then, he walked over to the shelves and started picking up vials. Without turning around he asked, “How many do we need?”

“Just grab some,” Chris told him.

“Do you have anything for stronger demons?” Leo asked, looking up from the Book.

“Yes, Dad,” Chris told him trying to conceal a bit of irritation for his father’s lack of trust. “We have some for stronger demons and some for the spies.”

“Good,” Leo replied in relief, “because I don’t think the spies are likely to attack. They just spy.”

Chris nodded before pouring some of the water into the potion. A small puff emitted from the caldron. “I know.”

“This potion if for stronger demons,” Piper added. “It should take care of any spy demons who attack as well.”

Wyatt brought over the vials and he began filling them along with his little brother.

“Good,” Leo repeated. “It does say something about a spy master. Perhaps we should try summoning him. It might . . .”

Leo stopped speaking as three demons shimmering into the attic. The first demon was a humanoid male in a leather jacket named Aithen. The second demon was his female counterpart in pink leather. Her name was Aitha. The third demon, Riz, was a male with skin so pale it was almost white. He bore a slight resemblance to a grimlock.

Aithen formed a fireball and threw it at the table with the potions forcing Piper and Chris to jump out of the way.

As Piper raised her arms to freeze the room, another demon shimmered in behind her. With her pale hair and flawless skin, Kasinda, resembled a prep school cheerleader more than she did a demon. Kasinda pushed Piper, causing the witch to hit the floor with a thud.

Just before it hit the potion table the fireball disappeared in blue-white orbs, reappearing about a foot from Aithen, and headed toward him. The fireball hit the stunned demon before he could react and caused him to explode.

Angered Aitha formed an energy ball in her hand and threw it at Leo, believing him her easiest target. Seeing the energy ball, Chris drove it off path with a fling of his arm while Wyatt orbed over to Leo and put up his shield.

Two more demons, Syre and Huller, shimmered in as Piper looked up at Aitha, fire in her eyes directed toward the demon who dared try to hurt Piper’s beloved husband. Piper flicked her hands and watched with more than a little satisfaction as Aitha exploded into a million tiny pieces.

Syre assessed the scene with eyes that were less than human, resembling a snake’s more than anything else. He cast a look of disgust at Huller. Huller had shoulder length brown hair and multiple piercings visible. With one last disgusted look at the demon next to him Syre spit some sort of acid, an acid that bore more than a passing resemblance to the acidic venom of scaber demon, in Chris direction.

Seeing it, Wyatt called out, “Chris! Watch out!”

Chris orbed out of the way just in time.

With his brother no longer in danger Wyatt turned to his dad next to him. “If I get you to the potions do you want to take care of some of the demons or do you want me to orb you downstairs.

On the other side of the room Piper put Syre perminately out of commission with a flick of her wrists.

Chris orbed back in and picked up Riz with his bare hands. In all my years as a witch, have I ever seen so many demons attack at once? It seemed a strange yet true failing of demons that because they trusted no one they almost always worked alone. Controlled once more he threw the offending demon at the wall.

Almost at once something caught his attention just inside his peripheral vision. He turned to see four new demons shimmer into different places in the attic.

The first was Merig, a male of which to say he was slimy was to be taken literally. Slimy oozed on him and some dripped to the floor.

The next was Kasib, pale skinned and pale haired, he flicked a look at the pale haired Kasinda. Had anyone cared to look the resemblance between the two demons would have been obvious. However, no one was really interested in how the demons, now totaling ten, were connected to each other, only how to get rid of the remaining seven.

The third of the new demons was a dark haired demoness named Morka. She appeared to be rather unobtrusive, though in truth her trophy list was rather long.

The fourth and final of the new demons was a dark skinned demon called Lukman. Weary eyes took in their fill of the four members of the family.

As he looked at the seven demons in turn Leo responded firmly to his son’s question. “Potions.”

Without so much as a nod, Wyatt dropped his shield and orbed Leo to the potions’ table. With his shield down, Lukman took aim and threw a blue gel pack at Wyatt from behind. Lukman’s aim was true and the gel pack hit Wyatt on the back of his neck. A tiny explosion formed as the packaging dissolved at the touch of the skin of good magic. The impact was so small that only Wyatt noticed anything, and to Wyatt is was merely an irritant that caused him to reach back and rub his hand against his neck. Gel that hadn’t yet been absorbed got onto his fingertips, absorbing before his eyes as he quickly brought his hand back and looked at it. What was that? Wyatt wondered as he turned around to look. He turned around just fast enough to see Lukman shimmer out, his task accomplished.

At the potion table, Leo was unaware of what just happened to his son. He threw one of the potions at Morka and ended a long, illustrious career of death and destruction with one explosion.

Piper finally managed to get to a standing position. She surveyed the scene around her as Chris telekinetically lifted one of the potions off the table and threw it at Huller.

As Huller exploded Kasib pulled out an athemé and threw it at Wyatt. Wyatt saw it coming and blinked, expecting it to orb away, but nothing happened. Confused he tried to orb out and still nothing happened. Almost panicked since his obing had never before failed him, he threw his shield up at the last second and stopped the athemé just short of hitting him. Reflief flooded threw him only to be stopped by dread as he tried to figure out why he couldn’t orb.

Several feet away, Riz held up his hands, shooting electricity at Chris.

Anxious, Wyatt called out to his brother. “Chris, problem.”

Chris ducked out of the path of the electricity. Piper waved her hands over her son's head, causing Riz to blow up. Leo threw a potion at Merig, blowing him up as well. “Little busy,” Chris retorted. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t orb,” was all that Wyatt said.

It was all he needed to say. Chris spun around to look at his older brother. “What?!” Chris exclaimed as Piper and Leo, also turned to look at their son.

Kasinda saw her chance, took aim, and threw a gel pack at Chris.

The pack hit Chris, causing him to turn around and face her. He waved his arm to telekinetically throw her just as she tried to shimmer out. Chris’ telekinesis won out, sending Kasinda against the wall so hard the she was knocked unconscious.

Seeing Kasinda knocked out, Kasib shimmered over to her and shimmed them both out before anyone can react.

Only after both of the remaining demons were gone did Chris reach up and rub the right side of his neck where the gel pack had hit him. The gel was completely absorbed. He looked across the room at Wyatt. At Wyatt’s nod, Chris held out his hand. “Vial.” When nothing happened, Chris’ shoulders slumped.

Wyatt sighed.

Annoyed, Chris flicked his wrist at a piece of broken wood, moving it fast and hard against the wall.

“Mom, I think we found out what the spies were after,” Wyatt announced. “They used some sort of gel to make sure we couldn’t orb.”

“Is there any left to test?” Piper asked looked at her two sons, worried. “We need to find out how to reverse it.”

“No orbing,” Chris mumbled to himself. “What will that prove?”

“Chris?” Piper questioned.

“What?” Chris asked, looking at her surprised. Realizing she had asked him a question he thought back. “Oh. No. I don’t think so.” Turning to Wyatt he deflected the question. “Wy?”

“Nope,” Wyatt replied with a shake of his head. “Unless some fell off. I got some on my hand and it was just absorbed.”

“That does not sound good,” Leo commented, concerned.

Piper sighed and started pacing. “I think it’s time to summon that spy master.”

[StoryGirl83]

Chapter Nine – An Unwanted Power

About a half an hour later Piper stood in front of the cauldron adding ingredients to a potions she was making for the master spy.

Wyatt and Chris were picking up stuff knocked down and around in the struggle. Thought they still had a lot to do, they were making visible progress.

Leo was standing in front of the Book of Shadows with a pad of paper and a pen. A sheet of paper was sticking out form the book, holding the place of the page on the “Rent-a-Spy” demons.

Chris picked up a broken piece of wood that had at once been a chair leg. “Obviously those gels were all they wanted. They left as soon as they had infected both Wy and me.”

“Look on the upside,” Wyatt recommended, pausing to look at his brother. “We killed seven of them and we can still use our other powers.”

Chris frowned. “I’m more interested in the fact that there were ten demons of which we didn’t kill three and that they successfully did something to our orbing powers with their gels.”

Leo looked up from the Book of Shadows. “I think I found your gels.”

All eyes were quickly on Leo. Chris was the first to reach him. The page was entitled, “Orb Stealing Gels.”

Leo looked back down at the Book and read aloud. “It has been four years since my whitelighter, Elizabeth, was grounded. The elders have decided that without her orbing powers, Elizabeth simply isn’t effective as a whitelighter. Not effective? I’m still here, aren’t I? It is strange that though the elders made Elizabeth a whitelighter, they cannot give her back the orbing powers that gel stole. Josias is to completely replace Elizabeth as my whitelighter. The elders offered her a choice between being turned mortal and having her soul recycled. Not surprisingly she chose to be made mortal again. Josias told us that while the elders believe that Elizabeth will become a whitelighter again when she dies again, they do not think she will ever get her orbing back unless an antidote is found. After four years I wonder if one ever will be.” Leo stopped and looked at his family, now standing around him.

“Who wrote it?” Chris asked, peering over his father’s shoulder.

Leo looked at the bottom of the page. “No name. Try calling Josias, Chris.”

“Huh?” Chris looked at his father confused. “Why?”

“If he’s still a whitelighter, he might be able to tell us something.”

“So?” Chris still didn’t get it. “He’s not my whitelighter. He wouldn’t hear me.”

Leo smiled slightly. “You’re half elder.”

Chris stared at his father blankly. “You want me to try and elder jingle a whitelighter?”

Leo nodded.

Chris rolled his eyes and then closed them. In a whispered voice he said, “Josias.” Chris opened his eyes.

To the surprise of all, even Leo, they saw blue-white orbs a moment later. The whitelighter who stood before them, Josias Hinshaw, looked at Chris with raised eyebrows. “This is not elderland. You are not one of my charges. Where am I? And why did you call me?”

“How specific do you need?” Chris asked, still stunned that it had worked. “A country, state, city, house?”

Josias looked at him speculatively. “The family name will do fine.” He looked around at the four people in the attic. “And which one of you is the elder.”

“I’m Chris Halliwell,” Chris told him. “I called you and if you are going to call me an elder you can leave right now.”

Josias gave Chris a look. “As I understood it, only elders can summon whitelighters in that manor.”

“I’m half elder,” Chris informed him, slightly annoyed, “okay. My dad was an elder. He’s mortal now. End of subject.”

With a raised eyebrow, Josias replied. “I take it elders aren’t exactly favorites here either.” There was a spark of amusement in his voice, almost as if he understood.

Wyatt chuckled. He picked up the Book of Shaodows off the podium and brought it over to Josias. “Is this you?”

Josias looked at the book and after a moment he looked up startled. “This is the Warren Book of Shadows. How did you get this?” He looked at them, again, more carefully. “And what did you say your name was again?”

Wyatt and Chris looked at each other. Chris was biting his lip to keep from laughing.

Leo looked at Josias in disbelief.

“We are descendents of Melinda Warren if that is what you mean,” Piper told him, “but our name is Halliwell. Can you tell us about this anti-orb gel? Did you ever find an antidote?”

Josias looked at Chris. His face was suddenly very serious. “A demon got you with one of the gels?”

Chris nodded and looked at Wyatt. “And my brother.”

“You’re both half elder?” Josias asked, addressing this question at Wyatt.

“I’m half-whitelighter,” Wyatt informed him, not really wanting to be associated in any way with elders other than his brother’s elder half. “I was at least a month old before dad became an elder.”

Josias looked at Leo. His words were telling as he said, “I take it you’re the whitelighter who gave up his wings for elder powers. Not a good trade if you ask me. I’d rather be mortal than an elder.”

“Actually I am a mortal now,” Leo told him, thoughts of his time as an elder, mostly bad experiences, flowing through his mind.

Ever the impatient one, Chris spoke up. “Can you help us with this gel or not?”

Josias shook his head. “We haven’t found a cure yet. Phoebe didn’t think we would, but Pam always believed we would.”

At the name Phoebe, Piper looked at his curiously. “At a guess I’m going to assume you don’t mean my sister when you say Phoebe, so who are you talking about?”

Josias frowned. “Pam wrote that. You didn’t know that?”

Piper shook her head.

Josias sighed. When he spoke, there was weariness in his voice. “Phoebe Bowen Campbell and her daughter, Pamela Campbell Rockwell. You must be related to them somehow if the Warren’s Book of Shadows is in your care.”

“Bowen,” Piper mumbled to herself. “Why do I know that name?” The name transported Piper back in time nearly thirty years. In her mind she could see Phoebe running up the stairs and searching all around the attic. She remembered the look on Prue’s face when Phoebe had found the camera that Prue’s past life had used. She remembered the certainty in Phoebe’s voice when her sister had pointed to the name P. Russell on the family tree and said that the name had to belong to her past life. She also remembered the names of the other two cousins. One of them had been P. Bowen. Phoebe Bowen? Piper headed away from the men in search of the family tree.

Chris saw his mom head away from them, but figured she had her reasons. Looking at the whitelighter in front of him, he wasn’t sure how long the guy would stay. He did, after all, have charges. “Is there anything useful you can say to help us?”

Josias thought about it, really thought, his mind wandering back to when Elizabeth had first been hit with the gel or at least the aftermath of it since he hadn’t met her until later that day when he had “temporarily” been assigned to help her. “Where were you hit?”

“Neck,” Chris replied quickly.

“Back of my neck,” Wyatt replied as a sudden shudder ran through his spine.

The look of disappointment on Josias’ face was so obvious it was almost funny . . . almost. “Too bad?”

“Why?” Wyatt asked, resisting the urge to touch the back of his neck, again.

“Absorbed too quickly,” Josias replied, again thinking back to the day he had met Elizabeth and her charges. “Elizabeth got some on her hands and was able to infect the attacking demon with it. Later that day she infected another demon. Neither could shimmer. The next day it proved the effect was gone or else I wouldn’t have been able to orb her home.”

Over by some chests Piper had found what she was looking for and was in the process of pulling the long rolled up family tree out from one of the chests.

“I got some on my hands,” Wyatt admitted, “but I’d rather just vanquish the demons.”

His words brought a very strange thought home to Josias. This guy wasn’t a normal whitelighter. He was also a mortal witch. “That’s right; you’re a witch, too.”

Having gotten the family tree out of the chests Piper stood and headed toward them. She clutched the ancient family tree carefully in her hand.

“Nothing wrong with that,” Wyatt protested in defense.

“No,” Josias replied almost softly. “It just makes it harder on the whitelighter if their charges die when they are in love with them.”

“The voice of experience?” Wyatt asked, curiosity rife in his voice.

“I’ve never been in love with a charge,” Josias informed him, his voice still soft, “but I have lost charges. Phoebe was my charge for a while and she died over fifty years ago. Pam died about fifteen years ago. We lost Paula, Pam’s daughter two months ago. Car accident.”

Piper unrolled the paper in her hand for the men to see, revealing the family tree. It had been updated to include Paige, Prue’s death, and the children of the three living sisters.

Josias looked at it and pointed to a name on the list. Leo and the boys looked where he was pointing. The name was P. Bowen. “That’s Phoebe.”

Chris moved his hand down the tree and touched the paper with his right index finger right below his own name. “Well, that’s me.”

Before Josias could respond Leo frowned and looked at Piper. “Wasn’t your grandpa Halliwell named Allen?” Having met the man, Leo knew his name was Allen and thus couldn’t figure out what he was reading on the page.

“Yes,” Piper replied looking at her husband. “Why?”

“Well,” Leo began looking at the paper oddly and then up at his wife, “it says Jack Halliwell here. And it has your dad listed as Victor Jones.”

Piper looked over the top of the paper and attempted to the read the names upside down. “Odd. I’ll have to ask Grams about that. I think she’s the one that would have put those names on.”

Josias frowned and thingyed his head to the side. “I have to leave. Phelicia is calling me. But can you do me a favor?”

“What kind of favor?” Wyatt asked, not sure if he should be suspicious or not.

A found look briefly resided in Josias’ eyes before he replied. “Elizabeth still needs that cure. For some reason it prevented the elders from turning her back into a mortal, so she’s stuck as a whitelighter with no orbing powers. If you find the cure let us know. Please.”

Wyatt nodded.

Satisfied, Josias orbed out.

[StoryGirl83]

Chapter Ten – The Survivors

and three demons: Lukman, Kasib, and Kasinda

Back at the Warlock’s lair the Warlock was talking with Lukman. He was pleased that the demon had successfully hit one of the brothers with the gel. A sound caused him to look up from his conversations. He saw Kasib entering the room, supporting Kasinda as she slowly limped along. “Is the other brother infected?”

Kasib indicated Kasinda with his chin. “She got him.”

“Where are the others?” Lukman asked looking around them in search of any of the other demons who had remained when he left.

Kasinda shook her head. “Gone. Vanquished.”

A look of disgust crossed the Warlock’s face, unchecked. “Three out of practice witches and an old mortal killed seven demons?”

“It would have been eight,” Kasinda admitted softly, “hadn’t gotten me out of there.”

“I wasn’t leaving you there, Kasinda,” Kasib assured her, a tender look on his face. He turned to the Warlock, his face hard. “We did what you wanted, now pay up.”

The Warlock shrugged. “Hold out you hand.”

Kasib frowned. “What has that to do with our payment?”

“I have to give you the key to a locker in the arena,” the Warlock informed him, enunciating each word as if speaking to a child. “Do you want it or not?”

“What about me and Kasinda?” Lukman protested.

The Warlock held back a chuckle. “I suspect Kasinda will get her share and I can give you a separate key if you wish, Lukman.”

Lukman considered this and finally nodded. “Fine. Give him a key and me one if Kasinda is agreeable.”

Kasinda looked up at Kasib with a small smile. Looking back at the Warlock she said, “Do as you wish. I will not be going up against those witches, again.” She looked back at Kasib. “Get you, Kasib, and let’s go.”

Reluctantly Kasib held out his hand. “Make this fast. I need to see to Kasinda’s wounds.”

[StoryGirl83]

Chapter Eleven – The Spy Master’s Words

and the Spy Master

Everything was almost ready to summon the master spy. Two vials were sitting on the potion table filled with Piper’s potion. The caldron had more potion in it and there were empty vials on the table as well.

Wyatt was putting a piece of paper on the table, but he kept one eye firmly on his brother. A worried look crossed his face as he considered what to do.

Leo was also watching Chris. He was trying to decide if he should intervene.

Chris was talking to Piper, and he was bordering on insolent, though his words did come from honest concern. “Be careful when you freeze the demon. We don’t want the whole town freezing, again.”

Piper’s voice contained unveiled annoyance. “Chris, I have had my powers longer than you have been alive. I think I know how to control them even if they have had a huge advance.”

“Just . . .” Chris began.

“That’s enough, Chris,” Piper interrupted. “Warning dually noted. You control your powers and I’ll control mine.” Her face softened a little as she added, “Okay.”

A sheepish look crossed Chris’ face as he realized what he had done and he nodded.

“Good,” Piper said satisfied. “Now, let’s summon this demon.” Piper turned to Wyatt and the potion table. “Wyatt is that spell ready?”

Wyatt held up the paper with the spell on it.

Piper nodded. “Good.”

Wyatt turned to his brother. “Ready, Bro?”

Chris rolled his eyes. “Yeah.”

Together the two brothers began to chant. “Master spy, invisible eyes. Who it is that sent the spies. Come to us, so we may see, and don’t let him flee.”

In front of them them the Spy Master appeared. Piper concentrated on the Spy Master and moved one hand up and down freezing him. She walked over to him and looked at him. A look at her husband, behind her still moving, reassured her that she hadn’t frozen anything beyond her intended target. “He doesn’t look like much. Only difference between him and the one spying on us is that his hair isn’t as messy.” Piper waver her hand in front of the Spy Master.

He looked around, taking in his surroundings.

“So you’re the one who sent spies after us,” Chris commented, unimpressed.

“Some spies,” the Spy Master scowled and mumbled to himself. “The one watching you was an idiot.”

“Oh,” Chris looked at him in surprise. “What did your spy learn?” He didn’t really expect an answer.

Considering what the answer was, the Spy Master didn’t really care if Chris knew. Scoffing he informed them what his inept spy had learned. “That your job’s donut cart was a good source of sugar.”

Chris’ eyebrows rose, but he didn’t comment.

“Want to tell us something useful?” Piper asked impatient.

“Why?” the Spy Master asked with malice in his voice. “You plan on destroying me anyway. No point in helping you.”

Chris turned to his mother. With a shrug he admitted, “He’s got a point.”

Piper scowled. “Yeah, well why couldn’t they get smart about other things instead, like the fact that we are going to win.”

“Perhaps,” suggested the Spy Master, “because you aren’t going to win. This battle maybe, but the underworld will triumph. You won’t be around forever. Your life spans are limited.”

“Maybe,” agreed Wyatt with steeled eyes, “but then maybe my brother and I will find a way to put a stop to your kind. Maybe we will win this war.”

“Without your orbing?” the Spy Master asked with a sneer. “I think not.”

“Our orbing is not the sum of out powers,” Chris informed him. “We are witches.”

“Witches?” the Spy Master repeated with disdain. “Who cares? A witch can’t win.”

Chris eyes grew narrow as he watched the Spy Master. The words made no sense, but they bothered him.

Wyatt stared at the Spy Master, a frown growing on his face. “What do you mean?”

The Spy Master grinned maliciously at them. “Wouldn’t you like to know, witch?” The Spy Master spit at first Wyatt and then at Chris.

Wyatt glared at him as he wiped off his shoulder.

“You’ll never get your orbing back,” the Spy Master taunted. “There is no cure.”

Chris had enough of it, so he turned to his mother. “I think it’s time to test your potion, Mom.”

With everyone else’s attention fully on the demon, only Leo hears the sound of shimmering behind them. “Boys!”

Piper, Wyatt, and Chris turned around. Chris threw the spy demon across the room with his telekinesis.

Wyatt turned back around and tagged the Spy Master. Then, he turned his attention back to the spy demon. He held out his hand, looked at the potion on the table, and . . . nothing. Wyatt scowled, remembering.

Chris reached the table and grabbed one of the vials. He threw it at the spy demon.

It fell short as the spy demon shimmered out and shimmered back in next to the Spy Master.

Wyatt spun around and tages the spy demon, hoping Josias was right. Chris telekinetically sent the liquid from the broken vial at the spy demon.

The spy demon tried to shimmer out and, much to Wyatt’s delight, it didn’t work. A moment later the potion hit the spy demon, causing him to blow up. At that moment Piper’s freeze wore off. The Spy Master tried unsuccessfully to shimmer out.

Chris saw the attempt. “Not a chance.” Chris turned to the potion table for the other potion, but before he could do anything, two things happened at once.

Piper, no longer worried around keeping her freeze flicked her hands at the Spy Master. Her ability to blow things up hit the Spy Master at the same time as the second potion, thrown by Leo hit him. The Spy Master blew up.

Chris let out a deep breath.

“So did we learn anything useful?” Wyatt asked.

Chris rolled his eyes at his older brother.

“That particular demon didn’t think much of witches,” Leo commented. “What do you make of that?”

“Considering it was witches and witch powers that brought him down,” Chris retorted, “not much.”

Wyatt nodded. He looked down at his hands, a slightly depressed look on his face. “Any idea what we are going to do about not being able to orb? This could cause problems for us. The Spy Master seemed to think we couldn’t get out orbing back.”

“He’s a demon, Wy,” Chris reminded his brother. As if Wyatt needed reminding. “There’s a way and we’ll find it. And we’ll find it in considerably less time then Elizabeth has been trying to find it.”

Wyatt grinned nodding. He turned to his parents. “Dad, Mom, do you think one of you could give me a ride back to work? I left my car there.”

Leo nodded. Turning to Chris he asked, “Do you need a ride as well?”

Chris nodded reluctantly.

“I’ll give Chris a ride,” Piper volunteered. “We need to talk about his keeping secrets some more.” She grinned at her son. “I like the idea of a captive audience.”

Chris groaned.

Wyatt laughed. A look from Leo made Wyatt stop laughing. Wyatt nodded. “I guess we’d better go then. See you later, Chris. Have fun with Mom.”

Chris sighed. It was going to be a long car ride.

The End

---

If you'd like to see what happens next just click here and enjoy.

[StoryGirl83]

CREDITS:

Created by:
Constance M Burge

Written by:
StoryGirl83

Edited by:
StoryGirl83

Main Cast:
Wes Ramsey as Wyatt Matthew Halliwell
Drew Fuller as Christopher "Chris" Perry Halliwell

Co-Starring:
Holly Marie Combs as Piper Melinda Halliwell
Brian Krause as Leo Wyatt
Callum Keith Rennie as Steven "Steve" Kessler (Warlock)

Recurring Guests:
Jake Silbermann as Josias Hinshaw
Mia Maestro as Drinka Deguilio
Nathan Tyson as David Vandemark
TBD as Marchez (demonic merchant)

Guest-Starring (alphabetical):
TBD as Aitha (female demon in pink leather)
TBD as Aithen (male demon in leather jacket)
TBD as Huller (demon with piercings)
TBD as Kasib (pale jock demon)
TBD as Kasinda (prep school cheerleader demon)
TBD as Lukman (dark skinned demon)
TBD as Merig (slimy demon)
TBD as Morka (bounty hunter demoness)
TBD as Rent-a-Spy Demons (various)
TBD as Riz (Grimlock)
TBD as Spy Master
TBD as Syre (Snake demon)

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Charmed and all related elements © Spelling Television Inc, and
TheWB Television Network, in association with Paramount Pictures.

All rights reserved.

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intended nor implied. The multimedia on these pages is provided
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Story © CHARMED: Heritage 2006-2015