Routine Conversations
The sun was just rising over San Francisco when he emerged from his hiding place. He managed to convince a motel clerk to give him a room. It was no place of leisure and luxury but for one night it would do. He hadn't slept much the previous night, his mind too focused on his baby brother. Wyatt took in the smell of the morning due and the faint odor of fog lifting from the bay area. Even here, in this time it energized him. He wasn't entirely why but the dampness always managed to get his mind focused on the task at hand. Wyatt walked down the street as a few cars passed him. He was headed to P3. He had sensed Chris there last night.
"Hiding out. It won't last long," Wyatt murmured to himself with a devious smirk on his lips.
He arrived at the club and considered breaking in. Then he realized he couldn't let on that he was here, not yet. He needed to be ready, to know their routines and patterns. He needed to study and see when they were most vulnerable. He peered through the window in the door that led out into the back alley. He saw Chris lying on a beaten up couch, a blanket flung haphazardly over his body. The twenty-four-year-old noticed a couple empty beer bottles on the floor by his brother's feet.
"I wouldn't go anywhere for a while," Wyatt muttered under his breath, telekinetically holding his brother in place. Chris stirred slightly but didn't wake up. Wyatt figured the alcohol was keeping him submerged in his unconscious state.
The Future Ruler of All Evil closed his eyes, reaching out through the magical fabric and web that interconnected every witch and demon. He was searching for Leo. He could be sure that if his father was there, he would have to be more careful about spying.
"Thanks for making this easy, Dad," Wyatt simpered. Leo was nowhere on the earthly plane that Wyatt could sense.
He would have to find the perfect place to watch the sisters. A place he wouldn't be noticed but could still be comfortable. With a glint of determination in his eye he black orbed to Prescott Street. The Manor, while faded, looked in slightly better condition than it did in his time. He turned to see the house across the street. No one was home. There were no cars in the driveway. He orbed up to the attic and parted the curtains taking a second look across the street. He would need a way to spy on them without them knowing. He spotted a mirror and pulled it off the wall.
"Show me what I desire to see," he commanded, waving his hand over the reflective surface. The inside of the Manor appeared. Piper was in the kitchen, setting baby Wyatt in high chair. Phoebe was coming down the stairs and Paige was nowhere to be seen. He caught sight of Piper's protruding abdomen. That could only mean one thing.
Across the street Phoebe was pouring herself a cup coffee while Piper fed baby Wyatt hot cereal. Phoebe looked as if she hadn't slept all night.
"Oh come on, sweetie. It's yummy," Piper said, fighting with her first born son. He kept pushing the spoon away, splattering the hot cereal on the floor.
"You want me to try?" Phoebe asked.
"Why not," Piper grumbled and thrust the spoon and bowl at her sister. Phoebe bent down to Wyatt's eye level and began making faces at him. He giggled and just as he opened his mouth, she slipped the spoon into his mouth. He swallowed happily. Piper just shook her head.
"Oh, Piper. Don't worry about it. He's just being picky today," Phoebe remarked, noticing the worried expression on her sister's face
"It's not about that. It's about Chris. Sure he had that talk with Dad and apparently I die young but that's all he's said to me on the subject," Piper sighed.
"Well have you tried to talk to him?" she suggested.
"I try but he is still avoiding me," she answered.
"Chris! Can you come here please," Phoebe called out. Across the street Wyatt couldn't help but laugh. How fortunate that Chris was driving a wedge between himself and Piper. It would help his cause.
"Chris! Get your butt down here right now!" Piper shouted. Blue and white orbs appeared and a very bleary eyed Chris appeared. He was still in his boxers and a t-shirt.
"What?" he grumbled, clearly not happy to be awake at the moment. Phoebe looked between Piper and Chris.
"I'm…going to work now," she announced and sprinted from the room.
"Get some coffee. We're going to have a talk," Piper instructed her future son as she picked up her infant son. She took him into the living room and laid him in the playpen. Chris followed and flopped down on the couch.
"What do we have to talk about?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. Piper looked more closely at him. She could smell the alcohol on him.
"Have you been drinking?" she questioned.
"I'll pay for it," he muttered.
"Chris, what is going on? You have this big secret about what happens to me in the future and yet you refuse to talk about it," Piper railed.
"Look, Mom I told you I can't tell you," he whined.
"I know…it could change the future," she spat.
"I just don't want to lose you," he sighed, giving her a hug.
"I appreciate that but you need to start talking to me," she stated.
"Can't you just trust me. I love you, Mom. I always have," Chris promised. She gave him a half smile and ruffled his hair.
"You know…I don't know why you're still staying in the club. You're family. Why don't you move in here. I can move the weights…somewhere else. I don't like you not being close by," Piper suggested. It was more of a plea.
"What if Aunt Phoebe wants her room back?" Chris proposed.
"Well I think that she'd be willing to give it up for you as long as you're here," Piper assured him.
Wyatt looked on and had to take deep breaths to keep from puking. Perhaps his plan of using Piper and Chris' distant relationship wouldn't work so well after all. He looked disgusted at the mother-son bonding. He'd had enough of this. He waved his hand at the mirror, instantly dissolving the conversation, and the nausea passed.
"Time to see what Aunt Phoebe is doing," he muttered to himself. Instantly, the mirror shimmered, causing it to display the Bay Mirror. Phoebe was just walking from the elevator, a deep frown on her face. She murmured hello to her secretary and headed into her office. Wyatt, smirked as he remembered the story that his mom had told him about Aunt Phoebe's love life.
Phoebe flicked on her computer, and looked at all the mail she had, and she groaned. Wyatt was about to change the image once again when all the sudden she just threw her letters on her desk, and put her head in her hands. Wyatt tried to think about the many times magic had screwed Phoebe's life and finally remembered that this was near when Jason Dean had broken up with her. He smirked at the image, and drank in the pain plastered in plain sight. His smirk started to shrink as she opened up a Word Document and she began to type.
Dear Phoebe,
I know you have probably heard many sob stories about their life being horrible, and men leaving them. Mine is different, and I know that you have heard that before. Magic has just screwed me over once again.
Got your attention? Good.
The only thing is, this isn't the first time it has happened. Besides the loss of my oldest sister to it, my love life has been affected dramatically. The first guy I ever loved was Cole Turner, assistant ADA, or so we thought. He was the demon Belthazar, excuse me half-demon. Our love had blossomed from day one, but it was doomed from the beginning. For a short while he had become human, and had willing taken in the Hollow to save us from the wrath of the Source.
Unfortunately, before we were able to get married, he became the Source of all Evil. I literally went to hell to marry him and become the Queen of all Evil. I came to my senses, and vanquished him. Too make a really long story short, he came back, with a never-ending amount of power and still he wouldn't leave, and let me heal. He is finally out of my life for good, vanquished again. Then I met Jason Dean. Sweet, kind of annoying at times, but still sweet guy, but the only catch was that he was my boss.
Then magic just had to rear its ugly head back at me. I got possessed by Mata Hari, and ruined any chance of redeeming myself to him. I love being a witch, but I just have a feeling that… Phoebe went up and closed the document. "I don't even know what to feel anymore," and then she muttered, "Why are you making my life so horrible?"
Wyatt finally grew restless, and felt a sense of victory. He found a weakness inside of one of his aunts. She was doubting her magic, again. She would have been beneficial to the dark side, if she was able to lose the good side of her. Wyatt stretched; he was starting to get tired of being cooped up in this house. He sensed for his Aunt Paige, and found she was in Magic School. God, it was still filled with good magic.
With a sneer, he decided to go spy on her in closer vicinity. He knew he would have to make contact with one of them sooner or later. If he was to get to Chris he would need them to trust him. Paige seemed an easy target. She was more willing to trust strangers. Wyatt made sure to orb into shadow, masking the blackness of his transport. He looked around as the hallways filled with students. He needed to come up with a plan. With quick steps he dodged young practitioners of magic and headed towards the library. He figured he could spy from there and be inconspicuous. Just as he sat down at a table, Paige wandered in, looking really stressed out. She ran into Miss Donovan at the reception desk.
"Paige you don't look so good," Miss Donovan commented.
"It's just running the school is really hectic and I guess I'm feeling a little cramped here," Paige answered, running a hand through her hair. Wyatt listened in carefully. So Paige was stressed over Magic School. Perhaps he could play on that emotional drain to sway her to his side. Suddenly an idea came to him and he smirked wickedly.
"So do you need anything?" Miss Donovan questioned.
"No…I just needed to get away from the students for a few minutes. I'm actually heading home to check on Piper," Paige answered disappeared in orbs. Wyatt stepped into shadows and black orbed out of the school. He appeared in an alleyway, Paige walking towards him. He hurried to walk towards her. Moments later, Paige preoccupied with calling Piper, walked right into Wyatt. She dropped her phone. Wyatt bent down, picking it up.
"Sorry," he apologized, giving her a suave smile. Paige looked up at him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Thanks. I should have been watching where I was going," Paige murmured. He handed the phone to her.
