Wyatt Halliwell was the kind of person who seemed to have a permanent
glare set on his face. His eyes were green and always crackled with
electric rebellion. Sitting in the silence of his room, Wyatt looked out
the window and cursed the rain in his head.
"Looks like the plan will have to be executed tomorrow," he grumbled to himself. Laughter was heard from downstairs as his small cousins ran around the living room. A soft knock sounded on his door. He knew immediately who it was. Wyatt made no attempt to rise from his bed.
"Hey Wyatt, can I come in?" his little brother whispered. Wyatt rolled his eyes.
"Go away Patrick," he said miserably. The door opened. Patrick entered the room, ignoring what his brother had said.
"Are we not going to do it?" Patrick asked anxiously. His brown eyes shone with excitement. Wyatt shook his head slowly.
"We'll go tomorrow. It's raining and I don't feel like getting wet, besides, mom said she was staying home today if it rained because it was supposed to be an outdoor baby shower," Wyatt explained. Patrick sighed. At thirteen years-old, Patrick had already gotten the grasp of defiance with help from his older brother. With only two years between them, Patrick and Wyatt were closer than most brothers and both got into more trouble than most children their age.
"Wanna go somewhere? I mean, we can always go to the skate park and chase away the Skids," Patrick said, referring to a group of teenagers who were self described rebels. Wyatt shrugged and nodded. He yawned and scratched his blue Mohawk. He grabbed a chain and attached it to his pants and threw another to Patrick.
"Take this, we'll whip them until they bleed," he said with a laugh. Patrick grinned and pulled on a hooded sweater with the words 'Bite me' scrawled across the front and sauntered out of the room behind Wyatt. Suddenly Wyatt stopped at the sight of his mother.
"Where are you boys headed?" Piper asked suspiciously. Wyatt shrugged nonchalantly.
"We're going to the park mom," Patrick answered simply. Piper sighed at her youngest son.
"I wish that you wouldn't wear eye make up," Piper said to Patrick, motioning to his face. Black eye make up was the newest feature on his already pierced face. His eyes glared back at his mom.
"I wish that you hadn't left Dad, but we don't always get what we wish for now do we?" Patrick retorted cruelly. Piper shook her head and went on her way. Wyatt turned to Patrick once his mother had left.
"That was a nice come back Pat," he said. Patrick grinned and stuck out his pierced tongue. They made their way through the messy living room towards the front door. Two small girls and a baby boy approached them. Phoebe's daughters giggled at Patrick.
"Gee Patty, you look funny with face paint on," said four year-old Penny. Ten year old Prudence nodded in agreement. Baby Samuel gurgled and bounced up and down on his bottom. The brothers ignored the children and kept going on their way. As they approached the spray-painted skate board ramps, the brothers heard cursing and laughter coming from a rowdy bunch of boys and girls. The laughter stopped as Wyatt and Pat approached.
"If it isn't the Halliwell sisters!" Rory called from his place under a tree. The Skids approached Pat and Wyatt. The Halliwell boys were out numbered 5 to 2. They both reached for their chains.
"We can take you," Patrick challenged. Skip, the tallest boy grinned at the pair. He took a menacing step forward. Silence surrounded them. The everything exploded into violence. Wyatt and Patrick swung their chains at the same time. Ten minutes later, the two groups walked off in opposite directions. A silent truce had been called. Patrick wiped blood from his forehead. Wyatt limped slightly, but both boys were grinning proudly. The rain fell around them and they walked home in silence. Phoebe stopped the brothers in the front hall.
"What the hell happened to you?" Phoebe demanded. Wyatt glared at his aunt. Pat absently wiped blood from his cheek with his sleeve.
"None of your business. Get out of the way," Wyatt responded. He shoved his way past his aunt. Patrick followed. Once in Wyatt's room, the boys flopped lazily on the bed.
"Are you okay?" Pat asked his brother. Wyatt nodded lazily.
"Are you?" Wyatt asked in return.
"Oh yeah. Are we running away tomorrow?" Pat asked.
"Yep. As long as Aunt Paige's baby shower is still on," Wyatt answered.
"Awesome, let's go find Dad," Pat said.
TO BE CONTINUED.
The next day dawned bright and sunny. As if the sky had forgiven the clouds for their downpour and had awarded the earth with a warm glow and a promise of a bright sunny day. Wyatt rubbed his sleepy eyes and ran his fingers through the blue Mohawk that decorated his head. He glanced down at his clothes covered floor and grinned. Patrick slept there, sprawled out across magazines and discarded sweaters and jeans. Patrick's green and purple hair was sticking in every direction.
"Pat, wake up," Wyatt whispered. Patrick groaned and turned to face his brother. He smiled up at Wyatt.
"We're going?" he asked sleepily. Wyatt nodded and jumped out of bed. He pulled on a pair of baggy black jeans and grabbed his already packed bag. He picked up some chains and a switch blade and stuffed them into his pocket. Patrick left the room and returned later with his own bag. He was struggling with a piece of metal that he was trying to stick through a pierced hole in his lip. Wyatt smiled at his little brother.
"Did you get the money?" Wyatt asked. Patrick nodded and held up a bundle of cash he had stolen from his mom and aunts' purses and change that he had saved. Wyatt peeked out the window and made sure that all of the cars were gone. An hour later, Wyatt and Patrick were walking down the highway with their thumbs sticking out. A large, beat up, black truck stopped and the window rolled down. Two teenagers grinned at Wyatt and Patrick.
"You boys need a ride?" the passenger asked. Wyatt nodded.
"We're heading to Los Angeles, but any distance would be awesome," he explained. The driver, a blond boy with shining blue eyes leaned over his passenger and shook Wyatt's hand.
"We're actually going to Los Angeles too. I suppose it's your lucky day! My name is Logan and this is Caleb. Is it alright if you guys ride in the back? It'll get windy, but there's more room back there," Logan explained. Wyatt and Patrick quickly hopped into the truck.
"You guys are going to have to chip in on gas okay?" Caleb called. Patrick shoved forty dollars through the back window. Hours flew by as if they were minutes, the boys laughed and sang to loud music. As the sun set, they pulled into the driveway of a small house.
"We're about three hours outside of LA, we promised that we'd take a friend of ours there too, in return, she's letting us crash at her mom's place for the night," Logan said, jumping out of the truck. Logan and Caleb entered the house without knocking.
"We're here!" Caleb called. A petite, red haired girl came into the front hallway grinning at Caleb. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Hi honey," she said lovingly. Caleb smiled at the girl and kissed her forehead. Tiny foot steps echoed off the walls. A toddler ran and latched onto Caleb's leg.
"Dada!" she cried happily. Caleb swung the girl into his arms.
"Hi my baby, how are you?" he asked affectionately. The baby grinned from ear to ear.
"I miss you dada," she cooed. Wyatt and Pat watched the scene quietly. Patrick leaned over to whisper in Wyatt's ear.
"Doesn't he look to young to be a dad?" Patrick asked. Wyatt shushed him. After introductions were made, Wyatt and Patrick learned the name of the red headed girl was Samantha and her daughter was Hailey. Caleb briefly explained that when Samantha was sixteen, she had had Hailey, who was his daughter, at the time he was seventeen. Hailey was now two.
"We wouldn't have had enough money if it weren't for a doctor we met. He gave us money and sold us this house. Caleb, Hailey and I wouldn't have made it with out him," Samantha praised.
"Thank god for our guardian angel, Dr. Wyatt," Caleb said, almost to himself.
TO BE CONTINUED.
"Doctor who?" Patrick squeaked. Samantha smiled and took Caleb's hand. Hailey giggled.
"Uncle Leo!" she cried happily. Wyatt felt a pit of anger forming in the base of his throat. Patrick took a step forward and opened his mouth to say something. Wyatt grabbed his brother and shook his head. Wyatt and Patrick were made a bed out of blankets on the living room floor.
"Sorry we don't have a lot of room," Sam apologized. The next morning Caleb, Logan and Hailey sat in the cab of the truck and Wyatt and Patrick jumped wordlessly into the back. Samantha waved goodbye and they were off again. As they arrived in LA, Caleb turned around.
"Why are you boys so quiet?!" he yelled through the window. Neither brother answered. They were dropped off at a motel. Logan, Caleb and Hailey waved goodbye. Wyatt and Patrick waved goodbye and checked into the dirty motel. Their room was dark and damp. There was only one single bed and a mouse ran across the floor as they entered. Patrick turned to his brother.
"Why did Dad leave me? I mean, he got another family to help. Why couldn't he just stay and help me? Was I that bad of a kid? I tried to be good for him, even when he and mom were fighting. I tried," Pat asked weakly, he sat on the bed. Wyatt hadn't been expecting this from the boy. When his father had left Patrick was only seven. He had never expressed any care towards his father, let alone guilt. Wyatt hugged Pat close to him.
"It's not your fault kid. You were a great little guy. It's his fault, not yours. He and Mom didn't get along," Wyatt clarified. Wyatt eased off of the bed and opened the drawer to the only table in the room. A phone book sat in the bottom. Wyatt flipped through the yellow pages to doctors. Dr Leo Wyatt had a full page add with a picture of a smiling man with shining green eyes, not unlike Wyatt's. He ripped the page from the book and put it in his pocket.
"What is it?" Pat asked through tears.
"I think it's time we pay Dr Leo a visit and show him how we feel," Wyatt said. Patrick nodded.
TO BE CONTINUED.
The brothers trudged down the busy street as the sun sank behind the buildings and disappeared completely. A group of boys stepped from the shadows and blocked Wyatt and Pat's path. They smiled menacingly.
"Give us any cash and drugs you have on you," a blond haired boy rumbled. Patrick reached for the chain that dangled from his back pocket. A taller dark boy stepped forward and punched Patrick in the face.
"Don't even think about it little boy," he said. Wyatt swung his chain around and it clipped the boy that had hit Pat, in the face. The stranger crumbled to the ground and grabbed his face. Four other boys flew at the brothers. They swung their chains and punched madly. Within a matter of minutes Wyatt and Patrick were covered with bruises and bloody cuts. The group of muggers gave up when two of the four of them had to be dragged away unconscious from the fight. Patrick looked to his older brother. Wyatt was as close to tears as he had been in years. His left arm was most definitely broken and many of the abrasions scattered throughout his inflamed body should get stitches, but he knew that they would not. But Wyatt did not cry, he sighed and looked Patrick over.
"Are you okay?" he asked Pat. Pat paused for a minute and flexed his fingers and shifted his back around.
"It hurts to breathe," Patrick choked out. Wyatt grinned at the strength the thirteen year-old was showing. Broken ribs were not fun.
"You probably cracked some ribs. Are you okay to keep going?" Wyatt asked. Patrick absently swiped the blood from his split lip.
"Yeah, let's go," Pat said. Four more blocks later they walked up to the front of a square, tan coloured building. Patrick and Wyatt froze in their tracks when they saw a man locking the doors. He turned around and stopped and smiled at them. Then his smile dissolved when he noticed their state of health.
"Oh my God! Are you boys okay?" Leo asked. Wyatt and Patrick stared at him in shock.
"Dad?" Patrick whispered.
"Wyatt? Patrick?" Leo squeaked.
TO BE CONTINUED.
"We.came." Patrick started. Leo stared at his sons. Six years had passed since the ex-whitelighter had left for LA. The Halliwell boys had changed more than he had ever thought they would. Wyatt was almost as tall as Leo himself and had blue hair that was spiked and ran down the centre of his head. The biggest shock was his younger son. Patrick's hair was wild and Leo made note of the black eye shadow that decorated his son's deep brown eyes. The innocence that once shone in Patrick's eyes was gone and was now replaced by pain.
"What are you doing here? What happened to you?" Leo asked, taking a step forward. Wyatt looked at his father and memorized his features, familiarity rushed into his mind. There was the same eyes that once fondly watched him play, the same smile that made Wyatt giggle as Leo tucked him into bed as a child and the same warm voice that used to comfort him when he was upset.
"Do you care?" Wyatt asked coldly, cradling his broken arm. Hurt flashed through Leo's eyes.
"Of course I care!" Leo protested.
"Then why did you leave us dad?" Patrick asked sadly. Leo looked at the boy, wincing as his glance passed over the many deep cuts and swollen bumps that covered the boy's hands, face and arms.
"We have to get you two to a hospital, I only run a family practice, I don't have the supplies that we need here," Leo said, ushering the boys towards his car. Wyatt and Patrick dug their heels into the ground and glared at the man that was suddenly concerned for their well-being.
"Why now Dad?" Patrick asked. Leo looked confused.
"What?" he asked.
"Why do you care now?" Patrick spit at Leo.
"You're my children. Of course I care about you!" Leo said in defense. Wyatt rolled his green eyes towards the sky.
"Save it. We just wanted to come and see you and tell you that Mom misses you," Wyatt said. Leo's eyes widened.
"She sent you?" he asked in shock.
"No way dude. She would kill us if she knew we were here!" Patrick exclaimed and then winced and took short pained breathes.
"She doesn't know where you are? She's going to be worried sick! Let's get you boys fixed up and then we have to call her!" Leo said. Wyatt and Patrick reluctantly sat in their father's car. Three hours later they sat in silence in a small apartment that Leo lived in. Piper had been called and had been informed where her sons were. When Wyatt hung up the phone, he stared down at the hard cast that held his broken arm in place.
"How are your aunts and Phoebe's little girl Prudence?" Leo asked, attempting to make conversation.
"Prue is ten and Aunt Phoebe had another baby girl named Penny four years ago. Aunt Paige met and married a man named Clark Davis. They adopted a boy that they called Samuel because they thought that they were infertile, and then they found out that she was pregnant," Patrick explained, not looking at his father.
"I want you boys to come stay with me!" Leo blurted.
TO BE CONTINUED.
"Are you kidding me?" Wyatt snorted. He laughed coldly and shook his head. Patrick remained silent. Leo looked a little hurt.
"No, I was being truthful. I want you boys to come live with me," Leo said, trying not to sound nervous. Wyatt grinned evilly.
"No way, you left us remember? Why should we have to start all over again and make a huge life change just because all of a sudden you care that you have two sons?" Wyatt retorted. Leo looked at his feet.
"I never.I meant.it wasn't." he stuttered. Wyatt stood up and glared down at his father. Not wanting to be the smaller man, Leo stood as well.
"You never what? You never saw me graduate from elementary school? You never were there to bail us out of jail when we broke into the school? You never saw mom cry because she was so worried that we were going to turn out as convicts? No, you're right, you never did. Maybe we needed a stronger male role model, maybe you could have stopped us from turning out as such disappointments! We are here to tell you that you were wrong in assuming we'd be okay without you! We aren't even close!" Wyatt yelled, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. Patrick silently stood and looked at Leo. Leo's face was registered with shock and hurt.
"We're here to tell you that we miss you. Mom misses you too," Patrick said quietly. Tears stung Leo's eyes.
"I am so sorry," Leo whispered. Wyatt looked angrily at his father.
"We didn't come because we wanted your apologies Leo, we came to tell you that we wanted you there in our lives. You weren't there at all!' Wyatt screamed hysterically. Patrick watched his brother carefully and waited his turn to talk.
"Dad, why did you leave me? Was I a bad son?" he asked carefully. Leo looked at his son and saw a child that was covered in bruises and cuts, a child that was forced to grow up without a father there for him, a child who was forced to grow quickly and was wise beyond his years. The thing that pained him the most was the eyes that tore into his heart, the same sad brown eyes that his ex-wife had on the day he left.
"It wasn't you Patrick, I loved you both more than I can say. I can see now that you are very angry with me, but leaving you was the hardest thing I have ever done," Leo said. Wyatt burst into tears.
"Then why did you do it Dad?! Why did you leave us?!" Wyatt yelled through tears.
TO BE CONTINUED.
"Looks like the plan will have to be executed tomorrow," he grumbled to himself. Laughter was heard from downstairs as his small cousins ran around the living room. A soft knock sounded on his door. He knew immediately who it was. Wyatt made no attempt to rise from his bed.
"Hey Wyatt, can I come in?" his little brother whispered. Wyatt rolled his eyes.
"Go away Patrick," he said miserably. The door opened. Patrick entered the room, ignoring what his brother had said.
"Are we not going to do it?" Patrick asked anxiously. His brown eyes shone with excitement. Wyatt shook his head slowly.
"We'll go tomorrow. It's raining and I don't feel like getting wet, besides, mom said she was staying home today if it rained because it was supposed to be an outdoor baby shower," Wyatt explained. Patrick sighed. At thirteen years-old, Patrick had already gotten the grasp of defiance with help from his older brother. With only two years between them, Patrick and Wyatt were closer than most brothers and both got into more trouble than most children their age.
"Wanna go somewhere? I mean, we can always go to the skate park and chase away the Skids," Patrick said, referring to a group of teenagers who were self described rebels. Wyatt shrugged and nodded. He yawned and scratched his blue Mohawk. He grabbed a chain and attached it to his pants and threw another to Patrick.
"Take this, we'll whip them until they bleed," he said with a laugh. Patrick grinned and pulled on a hooded sweater with the words 'Bite me' scrawled across the front and sauntered out of the room behind Wyatt. Suddenly Wyatt stopped at the sight of his mother.
"Where are you boys headed?" Piper asked suspiciously. Wyatt shrugged nonchalantly.
"We're going to the park mom," Patrick answered simply. Piper sighed at her youngest son.
"I wish that you wouldn't wear eye make up," Piper said to Patrick, motioning to his face. Black eye make up was the newest feature on his already pierced face. His eyes glared back at his mom.
"I wish that you hadn't left Dad, but we don't always get what we wish for now do we?" Patrick retorted cruelly. Piper shook her head and went on her way. Wyatt turned to Patrick once his mother had left.
"That was a nice come back Pat," he said. Patrick grinned and stuck out his pierced tongue. They made their way through the messy living room towards the front door. Two small girls and a baby boy approached them. Phoebe's daughters giggled at Patrick.
"Gee Patty, you look funny with face paint on," said four year-old Penny. Ten year old Prudence nodded in agreement. Baby Samuel gurgled and bounced up and down on his bottom. The brothers ignored the children and kept going on their way. As they approached the spray-painted skate board ramps, the brothers heard cursing and laughter coming from a rowdy bunch of boys and girls. The laughter stopped as Wyatt and Pat approached.
"If it isn't the Halliwell sisters!" Rory called from his place under a tree. The Skids approached Pat and Wyatt. The Halliwell boys were out numbered 5 to 2. They both reached for their chains.
"We can take you," Patrick challenged. Skip, the tallest boy grinned at the pair. He took a menacing step forward. Silence surrounded them. The everything exploded into violence. Wyatt and Patrick swung their chains at the same time. Ten minutes later, the two groups walked off in opposite directions. A silent truce had been called. Patrick wiped blood from his forehead. Wyatt limped slightly, but both boys were grinning proudly. The rain fell around them and they walked home in silence. Phoebe stopped the brothers in the front hall.
"What the hell happened to you?" Phoebe demanded. Wyatt glared at his aunt. Pat absently wiped blood from his cheek with his sleeve.
"None of your business. Get out of the way," Wyatt responded. He shoved his way past his aunt. Patrick followed. Once in Wyatt's room, the boys flopped lazily on the bed.
"Are you okay?" Pat asked his brother. Wyatt nodded lazily.
"Are you?" Wyatt asked in return.
"Oh yeah. Are we running away tomorrow?" Pat asked.
"Yep. As long as Aunt Paige's baby shower is still on," Wyatt answered.
"Awesome, let's go find Dad," Pat said.
TO BE CONTINUED.
The next day dawned bright and sunny. As if the sky had forgiven the clouds for their downpour and had awarded the earth with a warm glow and a promise of a bright sunny day. Wyatt rubbed his sleepy eyes and ran his fingers through the blue Mohawk that decorated his head. He glanced down at his clothes covered floor and grinned. Patrick slept there, sprawled out across magazines and discarded sweaters and jeans. Patrick's green and purple hair was sticking in every direction.
"Pat, wake up," Wyatt whispered. Patrick groaned and turned to face his brother. He smiled up at Wyatt.
"We're going?" he asked sleepily. Wyatt nodded and jumped out of bed. He pulled on a pair of baggy black jeans and grabbed his already packed bag. He picked up some chains and a switch blade and stuffed them into his pocket. Patrick left the room and returned later with his own bag. He was struggling with a piece of metal that he was trying to stick through a pierced hole in his lip. Wyatt smiled at his little brother.
"Did you get the money?" Wyatt asked. Patrick nodded and held up a bundle of cash he had stolen from his mom and aunts' purses and change that he had saved. Wyatt peeked out the window and made sure that all of the cars were gone. An hour later, Wyatt and Patrick were walking down the highway with their thumbs sticking out. A large, beat up, black truck stopped and the window rolled down. Two teenagers grinned at Wyatt and Patrick.
"You boys need a ride?" the passenger asked. Wyatt nodded.
"We're heading to Los Angeles, but any distance would be awesome," he explained. The driver, a blond boy with shining blue eyes leaned over his passenger and shook Wyatt's hand.
"We're actually going to Los Angeles too. I suppose it's your lucky day! My name is Logan and this is Caleb. Is it alright if you guys ride in the back? It'll get windy, but there's more room back there," Logan explained. Wyatt and Patrick quickly hopped into the truck.
"You guys are going to have to chip in on gas okay?" Caleb called. Patrick shoved forty dollars through the back window. Hours flew by as if they were minutes, the boys laughed and sang to loud music. As the sun set, they pulled into the driveway of a small house.
"We're about three hours outside of LA, we promised that we'd take a friend of ours there too, in return, she's letting us crash at her mom's place for the night," Logan said, jumping out of the truck. Logan and Caleb entered the house without knocking.
"We're here!" Caleb called. A petite, red haired girl came into the front hallway grinning at Caleb. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Hi honey," she said lovingly. Caleb smiled at the girl and kissed her forehead. Tiny foot steps echoed off the walls. A toddler ran and latched onto Caleb's leg.
"Dada!" she cried happily. Caleb swung the girl into his arms.
"Hi my baby, how are you?" he asked affectionately. The baby grinned from ear to ear.
"I miss you dada," she cooed. Wyatt and Pat watched the scene quietly. Patrick leaned over to whisper in Wyatt's ear.
"Doesn't he look to young to be a dad?" Patrick asked. Wyatt shushed him. After introductions were made, Wyatt and Patrick learned the name of the red headed girl was Samantha and her daughter was Hailey. Caleb briefly explained that when Samantha was sixteen, she had had Hailey, who was his daughter, at the time he was seventeen. Hailey was now two.
"We wouldn't have had enough money if it weren't for a doctor we met. He gave us money and sold us this house. Caleb, Hailey and I wouldn't have made it with out him," Samantha praised.
"Thank god for our guardian angel, Dr. Wyatt," Caleb said, almost to himself.
TO BE CONTINUED.
"Doctor who?" Patrick squeaked. Samantha smiled and took Caleb's hand. Hailey giggled.
"Uncle Leo!" she cried happily. Wyatt felt a pit of anger forming in the base of his throat. Patrick took a step forward and opened his mouth to say something. Wyatt grabbed his brother and shook his head. Wyatt and Patrick were made a bed out of blankets on the living room floor.
"Sorry we don't have a lot of room," Sam apologized. The next morning Caleb, Logan and Hailey sat in the cab of the truck and Wyatt and Patrick jumped wordlessly into the back. Samantha waved goodbye and they were off again. As they arrived in LA, Caleb turned around.
"Why are you boys so quiet?!" he yelled through the window. Neither brother answered. They were dropped off at a motel. Logan, Caleb and Hailey waved goodbye. Wyatt and Patrick waved goodbye and checked into the dirty motel. Their room was dark and damp. There was only one single bed and a mouse ran across the floor as they entered. Patrick turned to his brother.
"Why did Dad leave me? I mean, he got another family to help. Why couldn't he just stay and help me? Was I that bad of a kid? I tried to be good for him, even when he and mom were fighting. I tried," Pat asked weakly, he sat on the bed. Wyatt hadn't been expecting this from the boy. When his father had left Patrick was only seven. He had never expressed any care towards his father, let alone guilt. Wyatt hugged Pat close to him.
"It's not your fault kid. You were a great little guy. It's his fault, not yours. He and Mom didn't get along," Wyatt clarified. Wyatt eased off of the bed and opened the drawer to the only table in the room. A phone book sat in the bottom. Wyatt flipped through the yellow pages to doctors. Dr Leo Wyatt had a full page add with a picture of a smiling man with shining green eyes, not unlike Wyatt's. He ripped the page from the book and put it in his pocket.
"What is it?" Pat asked through tears.
"I think it's time we pay Dr Leo a visit and show him how we feel," Wyatt said. Patrick nodded.
TO BE CONTINUED.
The brothers trudged down the busy street as the sun sank behind the buildings and disappeared completely. A group of boys stepped from the shadows and blocked Wyatt and Pat's path. They smiled menacingly.
"Give us any cash and drugs you have on you," a blond haired boy rumbled. Patrick reached for the chain that dangled from his back pocket. A taller dark boy stepped forward and punched Patrick in the face.
"Don't even think about it little boy," he said. Wyatt swung his chain around and it clipped the boy that had hit Pat, in the face. The stranger crumbled to the ground and grabbed his face. Four other boys flew at the brothers. They swung their chains and punched madly. Within a matter of minutes Wyatt and Patrick were covered with bruises and bloody cuts. The group of muggers gave up when two of the four of them had to be dragged away unconscious from the fight. Patrick looked to his older brother. Wyatt was as close to tears as he had been in years. His left arm was most definitely broken and many of the abrasions scattered throughout his inflamed body should get stitches, but he knew that they would not. But Wyatt did not cry, he sighed and looked Patrick over.
"Are you okay?" he asked Pat. Pat paused for a minute and flexed his fingers and shifted his back around.
"It hurts to breathe," Patrick choked out. Wyatt grinned at the strength the thirteen year-old was showing. Broken ribs were not fun.
"You probably cracked some ribs. Are you okay to keep going?" Wyatt asked. Patrick absently swiped the blood from his split lip.
"Yeah, let's go," Pat said. Four more blocks later they walked up to the front of a square, tan coloured building. Patrick and Wyatt froze in their tracks when they saw a man locking the doors. He turned around and stopped and smiled at them. Then his smile dissolved when he noticed their state of health.
"Oh my God! Are you boys okay?" Leo asked. Wyatt and Patrick stared at him in shock.
"Dad?" Patrick whispered.
"Wyatt? Patrick?" Leo squeaked.
TO BE CONTINUED.
"We.came." Patrick started. Leo stared at his sons. Six years had passed since the ex-whitelighter had left for LA. The Halliwell boys had changed more than he had ever thought they would. Wyatt was almost as tall as Leo himself and had blue hair that was spiked and ran down the centre of his head. The biggest shock was his younger son. Patrick's hair was wild and Leo made note of the black eye shadow that decorated his son's deep brown eyes. The innocence that once shone in Patrick's eyes was gone and was now replaced by pain.
"What are you doing here? What happened to you?" Leo asked, taking a step forward. Wyatt looked at his father and memorized his features, familiarity rushed into his mind. There was the same eyes that once fondly watched him play, the same smile that made Wyatt giggle as Leo tucked him into bed as a child and the same warm voice that used to comfort him when he was upset.
"Do you care?" Wyatt asked coldly, cradling his broken arm. Hurt flashed through Leo's eyes.
"Of course I care!" Leo protested.
"Then why did you leave us dad?" Patrick asked sadly. Leo looked at the boy, wincing as his glance passed over the many deep cuts and swollen bumps that covered the boy's hands, face and arms.
"We have to get you two to a hospital, I only run a family practice, I don't have the supplies that we need here," Leo said, ushering the boys towards his car. Wyatt and Patrick dug their heels into the ground and glared at the man that was suddenly concerned for their well-being.
"Why now Dad?" Patrick asked. Leo looked confused.
"What?" he asked.
"Why do you care now?" Patrick spit at Leo.
"You're my children. Of course I care about you!" Leo said in defense. Wyatt rolled his green eyes towards the sky.
"Save it. We just wanted to come and see you and tell you that Mom misses you," Wyatt said. Leo's eyes widened.
"She sent you?" he asked in shock.
"No way dude. She would kill us if she knew we were here!" Patrick exclaimed and then winced and took short pained breathes.
"She doesn't know where you are? She's going to be worried sick! Let's get you boys fixed up and then we have to call her!" Leo said. Wyatt and Patrick reluctantly sat in their father's car. Three hours later they sat in silence in a small apartment that Leo lived in. Piper had been called and had been informed where her sons were. When Wyatt hung up the phone, he stared down at the hard cast that held his broken arm in place.
"How are your aunts and Phoebe's little girl Prudence?" Leo asked, attempting to make conversation.
"Prue is ten and Aunt Phoebe had another baby girl named Penny four years ago. Aunt Paige met and married a man named Clark Davis. They adopted a boy that they called Samuel because they thought that they were infertile, and then they found out that she was pregnant," Patrick explained, not looking at his father.
"I want you boys to come stay with me!" Leo blurted.
TO BE CONTINUED.
"Are you kidding me?" Wyatt snorted. He laughed coldly and shook his head. Patrick remained silent. Leo looked a little hurt.
"No, I was being truthful. I want you boys to come live with me," Leo said, trying not to sound nervous. Wyatt grinned evilly.
"No way, you left us remember? Why should we have to start all over again and make a huge life change just because all of a sudden you care that you have two sons?" Wyatt retorted. Leo looked at his feet.
"I never.I meant.it wasn't." he stuttered. Wyatt stood up and glared down at his father. Not wanting to be the smaller man, Leo stood as well.
"You never what? You never saw me graduate from elementary school? You never were there to bail us out of jail when we broke into the school? You never saw mom cry because she was so worried that we were going to turn out as convicts? No, you're right, you never did. Maybe we needed a stronger male role model, maybe you could have stopped us from turning out as such disappointments! We are here to tell you that you were wrong in assuming we'd be okay without you! We aren't even close!" Wyatt yelled, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. Patrick silently stood and looked at Leo. Leo's face was registered with shock and hurt.
"We're here to tell you that we miss you. Mom misses you too," Patrick said quietly. Tears stung Leo's eyes.
"I am so sorry," Leo whispered. Wyatt looked angrily at his father.
"We didn't come because we wanted your apologies Leo, we came to tell you that we wanted you there in our lives. You weren't there at all!' Wyatt screamed hysterically. Patrick watched his brother carefully and waited his turn to talk.
"Dad, why did you leave me? Was I a bad son?" he asked carefully. Leo looked at his son and saw a child that was covered in bruises and cuts, a child that was forced to grow up without a father there for him, a child who was forced to grow quickly and was wise beyond his years. The thing that pained him the most was the eyes that tore into his heart, the same sad brown eyes that his ex-wife had on the day he left.
"It wasn't you Patrick, I loved you both more than I can say. I can see now that you are very angry with me, but leaving you was the hardest thing I have ever done," Leo said. Wyatt burst into tears.
"Then why did you do it Dad?! Why did you leave us?!" Wyatt yelled through tears.
TO BE CONTINUED.