Penny and Me
There was movement on the other side of the room. Suddenly, the blissful darkness of sleep was penetrated by the harsh rays of the sun. A boy groaned, pulling the blankets over his eyes but it made little difference.
"Come on you bum, get up." His older brother's voice, permeating his sleep-filled brain.
"Go away," he mumbled under the many layers of bedding.
There was a jingle and with a swirl of white and blue orbs, the blankets lay on the floor, exposing Chris for all the world to see. He shot up when he realized what his brother had done. He turned his dark gaze on the 16-year-old.
"Two can play this game, Wyatt," he smirked and blinked. Wyatt looked down to see his pants gone. He refocused his gaze on his little brother, furious.
"You're so dead!" he howled and tackled the 14-year-old, pinning him to the bed.
The boys began to wrestle, each getting a few good swings in. Neither noticed the door creaking on its aging hinges or their sister standing in the doorway, watching them with mild amusement. She had planned on jumping on Chris to get him up but Wyatt had already taken care of that task. Instead, she snuck downstairs.
"Mom. Wyatt's trying to kill Chris," Melinda informed her mother with some semblance of worry in her voice.
Piper made a noise that sounded like a groan and headed upstairs. She found her sons now on the floor, Wyatt's hands wrapped around Chris' windpipe. Without a word Piper raised her hands to the lamp on the other side of the bed, causing it to shatter. Both boys looked up.
"Get up, the both of you," she ordered crossly. Wyatt and Chris struggled to their feet, both breathing hard and red-faced.
"What the hell is going on with you two? It's like every time I turn my back you're all over each other," she scolded.
"He orbed my pants off!" Wyatt protested.
"Only after he orbed my blankets off. So he started it," Chris accused.
"I really don't care who started it or who orbed whose whatever. It's getting old guys. You need to stop acting like four-year-olds," Piper continued, giving them the 'disappointed mother' look.
"You're both grounded for the weekend," she said with a note of finality in her voice.
"Mom! That's not fair. I have a date with Penny tonight. We've had it planned for like 2 weeks," Wyatt complained.
"Well I'm sorry but you aren't going. Reschedule it." Chris gave his brother a smug look.
"But Mom. This was going to be 'the night'," he protested.
"The night?" she asked suspiciously. Wyatt screwed up his face at her question.
"Not that, God! I wouldn't tell you that," Wyatt muttered, looking as if he was about to puke.
"Then which 'the night' is it?" she pressed.
"The night when I tell her I'm a witch," he informed his mother with a look that said 'duh'.
"We've been together for six months. I figure it's time she knows," he expounded.
Piper stared at her first-born son, not quite sure how to respond. After several minutes of awkward silence she managed to clear her throat. Wyatt and Chris looked at her expectantly.
"Get dressed. We'll talk about this later," she said and walked out of the room.
Once she'd left, the brothers turned to their own tasks of getting ready. Occasionally they would catch each other glancing in their direction but would say nothing.
"You're really going to tell her about magic?" Chris blurted as he pulled on a clean t-shirt.
"Yeah. She's gonna find out sometime. Why not now?" Wyatt answered.
"What if she freaks out?"
"She won't."
"You don't know that," Chris shot back.
"Shut up," Wyatt snickered, ruffling his baby brother's freshly gelled hair.
Chris glared at his older sibling but said nothing. He just went and fixed his hair while Wyatt headed for the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, both boys were heading down the stairs. The first floor was eerily quiet. The boys exchanged a nervous look before cautiously heading into the kitchen. There was no one there. They checked the living room and sun room. Again, no one there.
"What's going on? Where is everyone?" Chris murmured, looking freaked.
"I don't know. If I knew, would we be looking?" Wyatt snapped back.
Just then the front door opened and closed, causing Wyatt and Chris to jump. They heard footsteps entering the kitchen and keys clanging on the counter. Wyatt breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Chris.
"Look. This weekend is really important to me ok. So, help me out," Wyatt hissed.
"Ok. Fine but you owe me one," Chris whispered back.
With that Wyatt turned and walked in, followed by his brother to find their parents.
"Where were you guys?" Chris asked.
"Dropping your sister off at your Aunt Phoebe's," Leo answered.
"Oh."
"Mom, we thought about what you said and you're right. We need to grow up and get along," Wyatt interrupted.
"Yeah, we're sorry," Chris added, shooting his brother a quick glance.
"Nice try guys but you're still grounded," Piper answered over her shoulder.
"It's one weekend. You'll survive," their father added.
"When does our punishment start?" Chris questioned.
"After lunch," Leo answered.
"And lunch is when?" Wyatt inquired.
"Now."
The brothers let out a simultaneous moan but were ushered to the table where Piper laid out sandwiches and fruit salad. Lunch passed in relative silence, save the sound of silverware scraping on plates.
"To your room. And no orbing," Piper ordered.
"Yes Mom," they answered in unison.
"Wyatt, your Dad and I would like to talk to you," she added. Wyatt stayed where he was. Leo motioned for him to sit back down at the table.
"This isn't the sex talk it? Believe me, I got that one covered already," Wyatt said as a preemptive strike.
"No. It's about what you were planning on telling Penelope," Piper said, resting her hands in her lap.
"Mom, I'm still telling her. It's my choice," Wyatt retorted.
"It's not that easy Wyatt. We have to be careful. We don't want to expose magic," Leo said calmly.
"She's not going to tell anyone. I trust her," Wyatt protested.
"Just be careful, son," Leo answered, fixing his first-born with a stern look.
"Yeah whatever," he mumbled and got up, taking the stairs two at a time. Piper and Leo exchanged nervous looks.
"Should we set up crystals around the house so that they can't use magic?" Leo asked.
"I think that's a good idea," Piper answered.
Upstairs Wyatt slunk into the bedroom he'd shared with his brother for 14 years. Chris was sitting on his bed flipping through an old magazine. He looked up as Wyatt walked in.
"What do girls like about these things? They're stupid," he muttered, tossing it on the ground.
"I don't know," Wyatt answered, pulling his cell phone from his backpack. Chris stared at him.
"What the hell are you doing?" he blurted.
"Calling Penny, to tell her the date is still on," Wyatt answered casually, flipping the phone up and pulling his girlfriend's number from his phone book.
"Have fun dealing with Mom when she finds out," Chris said with a smirk.
Wyatt turned his attention to the ringing on the other end of the line. After about four rings someone picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hey Pen," Wyatt replied.
"Hi baby. What's going on?" Penelope asked.
"Nothing much. Just felt like talking to my girl. We're still meeting tonight at seven in the park right?" he answered.
"Yeah."
"Great. It's going to be a great night," he said, sounding very confident.
"You keep saying that so it better be," she joked back. There was shouting in the background.
"Listen Wyatt, I have to go. Mom's shouting at me to get off the phone," Penny muttered.
"Ok. Love you, Pen. See you tonight," Wyatt responded and ended the call.
He tossed the phone back into his bag and launched himself at his bed. Chris just shook his head. After a very quiet ten minutes the younger of the two sighed.
"I'm so bored!" he complained.
"Look I need you to cover for me tonight," Wyatt said matter-of-factly.
"No pressure there," Chris muttered. Wyatt fixed his baby brother with a pleading look.
"Ok, fine. I'll do it. But you owe me two now," he answered.
"No I don't. Earlier was a bust. So its still only one," Wyatt shot back.
"Jerk," Chris muttered under his breath.
The brothers lapsed into silence, both lost in their own thoughts for what felt like an eternity. Finally there was a knock on their door.
"Come in," they called in unison. Leo poked his head in the room.
"Dinner's ready," he told them.
The three male members of the household descended to the kitchen to join their mother for dinner. Chris looked at the spot which Melinda usually occupied.
"Is Mel sleeping over?" he asked as Piper passed him a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.
"Yes," she answered as she took her place and began to eat. The table lapsed into silence. Suddenly, Piper looked at the clock and dropped her fork.
"Mom, are you ok?" Wyatt asked.
"I just remembered I have to be at the restaurant at seven. We're catering a press conference," she answered, getting up and placing her plate in the sink. The clock read 6:50.
"I'll be gone a couple hours at the most. Behave," she told her sons.
"They won't be a problem hon," Leo whispered as he kissed her goodbye.
Shortly after Piper raced out the front door, Leo set the boys to cleaning up the dishes. After a brief water fight, the boys returned to their room. Chris sat down on his bed again, staring lazily up at the blank ceiling. He heard the window open and looked over.
"What are you doing?" he asked, sitting up.
"Didn't you see all the crystals around the house?" Wyatt hissed as he removed the screen. Chris nodded in the affirmative.
"Well we can't use magic inside the house. So I'm climbing out the window and orbing," Wyatt explained as if he were talking to a small child.
"Well if you fall and break your neck, it's not my fault," Chris muttered, watching his brother climb out of the window.
"Leave the screen out but close the window," Wyatt ordered right before he disappeared in a swirl of white and blue.
The sky was dark above the park. A teenage girl was seated on a beach blanket, her sandy brown hair pulled back out of her face. Her deep green eyes were closed, and she seemed to be enjoying to the quiet.
"Hey Pen," Wyatt called as he sat down next to her, kissing her cheek.
"Sorry I'm late," he apologized, snaking his arm around her shoulder.
"You're not that late," Penny remarked, snuggling against him.
The couple sat in silence, enjoying the view of the starlit sky peaking down at them through the treetops. Finally, Penny broke the silence.
"So what's so special about tonight?" she asked, fixing her deep green gaze on his blue.
"Don't worry. I haven't forgotten," Wyatt breathed against her neck.
"I want to know," she begged, giving him the famed 'sad puppy' eyes.
"Alright. Do you believe in magic?" he asked, looking at her.
"Oh come on. Be serious. What's so special about tonight," Penny said, laughing his question off.
"I am being serious," he replied, his face emulating his statement.
"Oh. I don't know. I guess I always thought it was kid stuff. Fairy tales," she answered, shrugging.
"Stand up. I want to show you something," he said, extending his hand to her. He pulled her up, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Hold on tight," he whispered and in without another word the pair was consumed in blue and white orbs.
They rematerialized on the very top of the Golden Gate Bridge. Penny looked around, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. She clung to Wyatt fearfully. He smiled and laughed lightly.
"What the hell just happened? How'd we get up here?" she stammered.
"You can let go Pen. You won't fall. I promise," he whispered reassuringly. She let go tentatively.
"It's magic. I'm…a witch," he told her, straight-faced.
"But I don't understand...how?" she babbled.
"It's been in my family for generations. My little brother and sister are witches. So are my cousins and my aunts and my mom. But you don't have to be scared. We protect people," he explained, hoping she wouldn't freak out.
"What else can you do?" she asked, starting to feel at ease.
"Uh, let's see," he muttered. He blinked and the beach towel appeared in his hand.
"Summon things with my mind. And I have a shield too. I don't use it really. It's sort of instinct against evil I guess," he said, taking her hand and sitting down, their legs dangling over the edge.
"This is amazing," she breathed, squeezing his hand.
"But Pen you can't tell anyone. Not even your parents. You have to swear you won't tell," he pressed, all the lightness gone from his voice.
"Ok," she said, raising an eyebrow at him.
"We can't expose magic. Bad stuff happens. Really bad stuff," he said.
"I swear I won't tell anyone," she swore, kissing him on the lips. He caught a glimpse of his watch.
"It's getting late. I should get you home," he said, standing up.
"Can we...?" she trailed off, not sure of what to call the blue and white lights.
"Orb? Absolutely," Wyatt said with grin and they disappeared.
They parted company on her front porch, sharing a few quick kisses before she went inside. Ducking behind a bush, Wyatt disappeared once more. He rematerialized back on the roof of his own house. In the distance he saw his mother's car, heading straight for the house. As quickly as he could, he slid the window open and slipped through, replacing the screen quickly.
"How'd it go?" Chris asked.
"She's cool with it. Just like I knew she would be," he answered, his brow knitting together at the lump in his bed.
"Dad came in and I said you were sleeping. He seemed to buy it," Chris answered. Wyatt grinned.
"Thanks little bro, I do owe you one," he said, pulling the sheets back and rearranged the pillows just in time for the door to open, revealing Piper.
"Night boys," she said, a tired smile on her face.
"Night Mom," her sons answered. Wyatt lay back very satisfied with himself.
