It Takes a Village
3. When it Rains
Rain pounded on the bay windows while Pandora sat on the window seat of her family's living room flicking her fingers against the glass. At the point where her finger impacted the window the drops of rain appeared to be soaked up into the glass right into her finger.
"Dora! Go get ready for school!" Henry was rummaging around the living room looking for his shoes. Pandora didn't move though, as she concentrated on the water and her finger. Henry found his left shoe under his son's jacket and his right shoe under a pillow. The Mitchell living room was not as organized as the Manor and not as well coordinated as Phoebe and Coop's home, but it was homey and comfortable. Bending down to tie his shoe, Henry noticed his daughter hadn't moved.
"Pandora, you're going to be late." Henry sighed as he stood up and walked towards the window to hurry her along. Suddenly Dora had achieved in igniting a flame on the outside of the glass, burning right in the middle of the raindrops.
"Check it out Dad." Dora was fixated on the flame. Henry frowned down at her and grabbed her elbow.
"Pandora, that is enough. Go get ready for school." Henry pulled her up and pushed her softly towards the hallway. The young teen skipped down the hallway towards her shared room to finish getting dress.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Paige stormed into the living room looking flustered. Henry smiled at his wife, even when she was flustered she still looked beautiful. Her dark brown hair was twisted elegantly on her head and only half her make-up was done.
"What's wrong?' Henry walked up to his wife, slipping his arm around her waist.
"I thought I made some last night. I put them over here," Paige motioned putting away an imaginary potion bottle. "I need them for a demonstration I'm giving at Magic School." The Charmed sisters often gave lectures and demonstrations at Magic School, per request of Leo who was still the headmaster. Paige taught more often than either of her sisters, teaching part-time for whole semesters. Though the youngest Charmed sister had gone back to work part-time at a social service office and was still almost a full time white lighter.
"I know I put it right here, after we got home last night. I know I set it there before I had to go check on Marigold." Paige was mumbling to herself as she traveled to the kitchen with Henry following her.
"What did it look like?" Henry opened one of the cabinets shifting through little bottles of potion ingredients.
"Like a potion bottle Henry," Paige responded frustrated. She was shuffling through papers on the dinning room table, looking underneath things in a vain attempt to find the potion. HJ came stumbling into the kitchen, smacking into his mother.
"Sorry mum," He mumbled as he slid out from behind her. He opened the nearest cabinet and grabbed a box of pop tarts. Tearing off the silver wrapping of a package with his teeth, he started munching on the cold pastry as he pulled himself up to sit on the kitchen counter.
"What you looking for?" He asked his parents.
"You're ready for school?" His father ignored his question as he shifted through the dishes, thinking that with the way that Paige was sometimes the potion bottle might have ended up at the bottom of the sink.
"Yeah, Wyatt should be here in a second. Mum can I come to the lecture at Magic School this afternoon?" HJ asked hopeful. The young Henry was the only charmed child that had an attachment to Magic School. He liked to attend the lectures and had actually debated attending high school there instead of at George Washington with his cousins. But his parents had insisted that he stay at George Washington and go part time to Magic School. HJ was a flourishing young white lighter. But his focus on pacifism made him ignore his active powers and caused him to be underdeveloped compared to his cousins. Though he was the only one who could heal aside from Wyatt, and he could use his white lighter powers much better than his older cousin. But the young teen had yet to master his ability to move objects, and couldn't really make it work on command like his older cousins. Instead HJ's power still function much like Paige's had in the beginning, it completely depended on him being frightened enough.
"If you find this potion that I'm looking for, you can even orb there." Paige grumbled.
"Paige!" Henry glared at his wife. "You can't orb there, if you go you will use that portal at the manor. Piper is right you are all using too much magic." Henry often sided with Piper on the idea that his children, nieces and nephews were using magic to the point of irresponsibility.
"Fine, fine. Your father's right. But have you seen the potion?" Paige had her hands on her hips as she stared at her son.
"The one you were working on last night?" HJ asked cautiously. His mother nodded, narrowing her eyes noticing how he was avoiding eye contact.
"Do you know where it went?" Paige asked again.
"I might have seen Dora with it…" The young man said. "Wyatt's here." He disappeared into a swirl of white lights.
"You could use the stairs!" Henry shouted at his son.
"PANDORA!" Paige yelled.
"They are going to be late." Henry repeated.
"Very late once I kill her." Paige responded quickly walking out of her kitchen. Henry nervously looked at his watch, he was going to late now too it seemed. Paige stormed down the hallway and pounded on the door of the room her twin daughters shared.
"I'm almost ready mom!" Patricia hollered out.
"PANDORA!" Paige shouted again. The door creaked out and the young red headed teen stood smiling brightly, faking happiness to see her mother.
"Morning Mum. Look I'm ready to go, is Aunt Piper here?" She asked. Dora was dressed in black track pants and green thermal under a dark green shirt sporting Kermit the Frog touting a message about going green. Paige held out her hand and glared at her daughter.
"The potion Pandora." Paige's fingers twitched, making a motion of handing it over.
"The one you were making last night?" Pandora asked innocently.
"Yes! The one I was making last night. Where is it?" Paige demanded.
"I might have, sort of, accidentally…" Pandora started.
"Pandora Mitchell, how many times do we have to tell you that you are not to mess with the potions without supervision?" Henry started. Paige held up her hand to her husband though and bent down a bit to be on eye level with her thirteen year old.
"What did you do with it?" Paige asked again. Pandora took a deep breath and bent down and pulled up on her pant legs. When the fabric of the pant leg came up there was nothing there, it seemed that Pandora's leg was missing from the knee down.
"You spilled it on yourself?" Paige examined her daughter's leg. Grabbing hold of the invisible calf to make sure that it was in reality still there even though she couldn't see it.
"What were you doing to spill it on yourself?" Henry frowned at her.
"I was just looking it." Dora started and at the look of disbelief on both her parents' faces she continued. "I was trying to figure out what was in it by smelling it and sort of dropped it."
Paige was shaking her head in disbelief. Henry was actually not focusing on Dora at all but watching Patricia in the background. Tricia was biting down n her lower lip nervously and trying very hard to stay concentrated on finishing her make-up.
"Tricia, is this true?" Henry asked over Paige and Dora's heads. Tricia jumped at the sound of her name and ran her mascara brush over her cheek.
"I don't know daddy." Tricia jittered as she started trying to wipe off the black on her cheek. Henry strode into the room and went to stand behind Tricia; he stared down at her suspiciously. He didn't say a word, just stood and watched her and Dora was trying to distract Paige with mumblings about being able to start a fire even with the moisture in the air from the rain. It wasn't really working; Paige was starring intently at Henry and Tricia.
"She was going to drink it, I startled her when I shouted at her to stop." Tricia mumbled. "And then she dropped it on her leg."
"You were going to drink an unidentified potion?" Paige's voice went up a few octaves in shock. Henry bent down and whispered in Tricia's ear.
"You know you should tell us things like that, even if Dora suggests not to." He sighed. "Also, you're wearing too much make-up." And with that he moved away from his quietest child and back into the hallway where Paige was in a full rant now.
"Of all the ridiculous things to drink a potion! You don't know what it might have been, what if it was some kind of toxic! Why would you do that?" Paige was demanding.
"You didn't let me watch you make it so I didn't know what it was. I read about being able to smell out the ingredients but I don't know the smells well enough, so you know I thought if I had a little taste I might know what it was…" Pandora was desperately trying to explain. "Nothing happened, I'm fine. I knew it might not be that bad of a potion, I mean you were taking it for the freshmen at magic school. It couldn't be that powerful."
"Pandora Mitchell that is not a solid enough reason to decide to drink a potion. With that kind of judgment I wonder how you're going to be a good practicing witch." Paige was shaking her head back and forth.
Paige held her hand up to her ear and shut her eyes.
"Piper is here." Paige, Dora and Tricia said at the same time.
"Don't let anyone see you are missing a leg! That potion won't wear off until tonight." Paige pointed a finger at Dora sternly.
"Yes Mum." She sighed defeated.
"We're not done discussing this. Go on though before your aunt leaves without you." Henry nodded down the hall. Both girls grabbed their respective backpacks and raced out the door.
"What are we going to do with her?" Paige demanded.
"We're going to figure it out later, because right now we're both going to be very late." Henry kissed Paige on the cheek before walking away to find his jacket.
Completely caught up in their own fight, Tricia and Dora stepped out onto the open street without much thought to the rain. They were completely drenched in seconds of stepping out onto the street and scurried to Piper's car looking like drowned rats.
"Where are your coats?" Piper demanded as they dripped onto her recently cleaned backseat.
"When did it start raining that hard?" Dora demanded as she rung out her hair.
"Dora! Stop that!" Piper scolded. "You're getting the car all wet."
Dora made a face and then pointed her own finger to her hair and she seemed to soak all the moisture from it.
"Dora!" Piper scolded again watching her niece use magic from her rearview mirror.
"Do mine!" Tricia whined as she was trying to warm herself up. Dora pressed her index finger unto her sister's shoulder and sat for a few minutes seemingly soaking up all the water present on her clothing.
"How did you do that?" Penelope had her head cocked to the side trying to understand the new magic that Dora seemed to have acquired.
"Well, I figured out I could do it this morning. I think its because when I'm trying to create fire in the wet air, I have to soak up all the water before it can happen. I'm not sure how it really works." Dora shrugged.
"You should not be using your magic just because the two of you forgot your coats." Piper sighed knowing it was no use lecturing. She herself was impressed that her niece had discovered another function of her magic, no matter how much she wished that the kids would stop overusing their magic their powers were maturing and an alarmingly quick rate.
"That's nifty function though. You don't have to use a hair dryer anymore." Melinda turned around to face her cousins in the backseat.
"Isn't that personal gain?" Penelope questioned quietly.
"Yes it is." Piper glared at her daughter for suggesting it.
"Hey Pen, what happened with Patience and that boy? Is she going to be allowed to see him?" Melinda asked excitedly.
"Phoebe would never allow her to see him!" Piper mumbled. She was trying to focus driving; the rain was making it a particular dangerous feat. She was trying to ignore the pre-teens in her car as much as possible, though it was hard with their squealing and giggles. At the moment Piper pulled up to the curb in front of the middle school the four girls jumped out of the car quicker than she could wish them a good day.
"Well have a good day," Piper shook her head as she watched the girls run into the building, catching a glimpse of what looked like a disconnected shoe on Dora's left leg. She frowned but didn't think twice as she pulled away from the school just as the warning bell was ringing.
"Tricia you aren't mad at me?" Dora was pulling at her sister's backpack. But Tricia ignored her, which meant that she was indeed mad at her twin sister.
"Come on," Dora pleaded.
"Leave me alone Dora. I don't want to talk to you right now. You're the reason we're always in trouble!" Tricia pushed her off her backpack. "Come on Melinda." Tricia slipped her arm into the bent elbow of her cousin and the two took off down the crowded hallway leaving Dora behind.
"What happened with you two now?" Melinda whispered as the two girls walked into their first period English class. Tricia rolled her eyes and sighed.
"I just wish that she could go one day without using her magic. I don't even think she's capable of it." Tricia whispered so lowly that few of their classmates even realized she was talking.
Melinda nodded.
"I think the same thing about Chris and Wyatt. It's almost like their addicts." Melinda and Patricia were the least attached to magic out of their siblings and cousins. They use their magic when it was convenient for them or they needed to protect themselves but otherwise they attempted to be normal. The two girls wanted to live normal lives, they hated that demons had been attacking them and their families since they were born. They hated attending any classes at magic school. They hated anything that interfered with their teenage girl social life.
"Who is that?" Tricia discreetly pointed to a blond boy sitting near the window. He was a bit taller than most of the boys in the classroom, he looked only slightly older than everyone else. He was dressed in a cargo pants and red t-shirt, he wore no coat and didn't seem to notice the girls starring at him.
"I don't know. But he's cute." Melinda giggled back.
"Let's go people, eighth grade waits for no one!" An older woman with peppered gray hair clapped her hands to get attention from the rest of the class. The young people in the classroom scrambled around a bit before sitting down, Melinda and Tricia sat next to each other towards the back left corner of the room.
"We have a new member joining our ranks today!" The older lady announced motioning for the blond boy to come forward.
"This is Adam Ankron." She introduced. "Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself."
The boy walked towards the middle of the room, he leaned against the teacher's desk as he looked at the other students in the class.
"Well, my name is Adam." He gave a bored smile to the class. The girls in the front row giggled at him but he didn't even look at them.
"I just moved here from Florida. I like to wear red and I like romantic walks along the beach." He was looking right at Tricia when he made this joke and winked at her mischievously.
"That is enough then Mr. Ankron." The teacher shooed him away back to his seat. "It seems I have yet another wisecracker." She frowned playfully at the new student before turning to the white board.
"I hope everyone read their chapters last night in Anne Frank. We're going to discuss the reading and the last twenty minutes of class we're going to an in-class writing assignment." She announced.
The discussion was almost completely loss on the charmed cousins in the back row as they happily passed notes back and forth to each other about the mysterious new boy. The class discussion and even the writing assignment passed in a blur, between discussions about what Adam might really like to do besides his claimed desire for romantic beach walks. Melinda and Tricia were the first two out of the classroom when the bell rang, still giggling and whispering to each other. Adam was by them only seconds later, purposefully pushing into Tricia's shoulder.
"Oh, sorry." He bent down to pick up the book he dropped at her feet. Tricia starred down at him in a trance. He stood back up and smiled at her again, showing off every one of his perfectly straight white teeth.
"I had to run into you, I just couldn't stop looking at you…" He held out his hand but instead of trying to shake her hand he took her books.
"Let me carry these, where are you going next?" He asked still smiling.
"To, um…" Tricia stuttered. Melinda's eyes were open wide as she stared at him.
"Well you're carrying an algebra book, so I might guess it's your next class? That's my next class too, I would love the pleasure of walking you there, Patricia?" He was bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"How do you know my name?" Tricia snapped out of her trace suspiciously eying him now. 13 years a magical heir to the charmed legacy had taught Tricia one thing, never trust anyone who knows anything about you without being told.
"It's on your notebook," He lifted his arms a bit to show off the name she had written on the top of the cover of her notebook.
"But that was rude of me, as you know I'm Adam. And you're name is Patricia?" He questioned.
"Yes, Tricia Mitchell. And this is my cousin, Melinda." Tricia waved her hand over Melinda.
"Pleased to meet you both." He smiled warmly at Melinda.
"Yes nice to meet you. I'm not going to algebra so I'll leave you too before I'm lat to my P.E. class." Melinda ducked under Tricia's arm and weaved down the hallway without a glance back.
"Excuse my bluntness, but I noticed your eyes in class. I knew I had to meet you." Adam started walking down the hall.
"You were brave to do that romantic beach walk bit," Tricia blushed as she looked down at her shoes.
"Oh I meant it though, I really like walking along the beach. Maybe with a girl with pretty eyes." He said slyly as leaned into the door of their Algebra class, holding the door open for her.
"It's not really beach weather here." Tricia mumbled nervously. Adam followed her to her seat, setting her books down he settled himself next to her.
"Yeah, this isn't exactly the sunny California they show in all those movies and commercials." Adam nodded thoughtfully.
"No. That's more the southern part of the state. We get real seasons, or more seasons up here." Tricia laughed loosening up a bit.
The two young people spent most of their math period talking to each other. Tricia become more comfortable as each minute of the class passed. By the time the period bell rang, Adam had suggested they hang out that weekend and she had happily agreed before running off to her next class without him. Adam slipped into a nearby empty classroom where he shimmered out of sight.
Adam appeared in the middle of the room next to the billiards. Anka was standing near the table, starring into a full-length mirror as she snapped her fingers changing the outfits she was sporting. There was a mustang sitting in the middle of the room in place of where the media center usually lay, two black sneakers were poking out from underneath it.
"Is it time?" She twirled around and clapped her hands.
"Javin told me to tell you when I've soften my target." Adam shrugged nonchalantly.
"Oh!" Anka jumped up and down. "Can I go to Wyatt first?" She asked loudly. Kron rolled out from underneath the mustang, rubbing his dirty hands against the dark gray material of his pants.
"Well I could work well with Chris." Kron nodded.
"I have to get back, I'm missing my…" Adam rummaged his pocket for a crumbled piece of paper. "My history course." He rolled his eyes as he read the schedule in his hand.
"Oh history, I love history classes." Anka smiled brightly.
"That's because it's like reading your diary." Kron laughed.
"Only sometimes. Sometimes it talks of the old men, and I had nothing to do with any of them. Some of their sons maybe…" Anka giggled looking dreamily into the mirror for a second. She snapped a pre-antebellum dress on, admiring the handiwork of the bodice before snapping her fingers again. She was dressed in a corset black top and a jean mini skirt; Adam was shaking his head behind her.
"It's pouring outside, that outfit isn't enough clothing." He commented before shimmering out again. Kron laughed.
"He is right darling. You would be cold." Kron snapped his own fingers to change his clothing into jeans and a lain long sleeve white shirt.
"I hate rain." Anka wrinkled her nose before snapping her fingers again. She remained in the mini skirt, but added leggings and knee high furry boots. The corset top changed into a swooping boat neck sweater and she smiled at her reflection.
"Time to play." Kron smiled at her and she nodded. The two dissolved into bouncing lights and appeared as shadows at George Washington High School. It was a passing period when the two appeared in the middle of a crowded hallway. Wyatt was walking next to Patience and the two seemed to be involved in a heated argument.
"Leave me alone Wyatt." Patience mumbled again.
"He is bad news Patience. And I have to go to this quick meeting after school and I need to know you're not going to get into trouble." Wyatt responded.
"You mean you want to know I'm not going to go home with Dervin." Patience moaned back.
"Yes that's exactly what I mean, now I need you to promise." Wyatt sighed.
"What's wrong, Chris isn't going to baby-sit me?" Patience responded sarcastically.
"He might…" Wyatt shrugged.
"Are you two fighting again?" Patience demanded.
"That's not what we're talking about…" Wyatt responded.
"You are, what did you do to him now?" Patience demanded.
"Why do you two always blame me?" Wyatt threw let out an angry growl.
"Because you have a pretty big ego that makes you think you're god." Patience rolled her eyes at him.
"You know what Patience, I'm not asking you anymore. Stay away from Dervin. Meet me at the car after school at 3:15 sharp." Wyatt gave her a warning look before ducking into his classroom. Patience glared after him but kept walking down the hallway. Anka walked through the wall of the classroom that Wyatt entered and Kron wandered floating above the teenagers' heads in search of Chris. The class bell rang and the hallways emptied out but Kron found Chris lounging in a nook outside of the library waiting. Chris was trying to blend into his surroundings, patiently waiting and barley moving. Kron watched him intrigued by what would happen next.
A few minutes passed where nothing happened, no one entered the halls and the only noise heard was a low murmuring of voices from behind closed doors. Kron sat on top of the lockers of the hallway, completely invisible taking in the vibrant youth coming from every direction and still focusing intently on Chris. Chris stood perfectly still only his green eyes gave away his anxiety. Suddenly the library door flew open and the young Henry stepped out into the hall. Chris moved quickly grabbing the neck of his cousin's shirt and pulling him against the wall.
"What the…" Henry yelped but Chris covered his mouth.
"Shush would you. You're going to get us caught." Chris whispered harshly.
"What is going on?" Henry whispered back looking weary already.
"I found the white lighters that got away from Wyatt and I yesterday. I'm going to after them, but I want you to cover in case I'm not back in time to drive home with you guys." Chris commented.
"How did you find them?" Henry's eyebrows perked up questioningly.
"My phone can scry. I did this thing with the GPS already on there and some magical advancements that I figured out with one of the kids at magic school…" Chris explained as he pulled out his cell phone.
"But you shouldn't be going alone, why are you going alone?" HJ whisper was heavy with worry.
"Wyatt thinks that it's my fault they got away, so I'm going to prove I can do this without him." Chris said back angrily.
"You two are fighting again?" HJ sighed. It seemed that Chris and Wyatt were always fighting these days.
"Henry, I didn't pull you out here to explain my plan or talk about Wyatt." Chris spat. "Just cover for me with him?"
"He's going to freak out. And what if something happens to you?" HJ said unsure.
"It won't. Besides I'll call for help if something happens. Promise." Chris patted his cousin on the shoulder before looking up and down the hallway. Before HJ could object anymore to the reckless plan, Chris orbed away.
"He's barely going to even need my help to influence him." Kron laughed to himself as he dissolved into his own lights. HJ shivered as he mumbled to himself that everything would be alright.
Chris appeared in a dark alley outside of a warehouse out by the pier. His brown hair stuck to his forehead as the rain fell steadily onto his head.
"Stupid rain." He mumbled to himself before using his jacket as a protective cover for his phone. He pulled out his cell phone to look at the coordinates of where his dark lighters were again. He stared intently at the little screen, wiping droplets of water from his face as he focused.
"It's here, but I think maybe it's inside?" He whispered to himself. He slipped his phone back into his jean pocket and pulled up his sweatshirt's hood. He held out his hands in front of him and closed his eyes, little sparks started to emit from his fingers but keep fizzling out. Kron studied him from a few steps away, still invisible for a few minutes of failed attempts. After the fourth time, Kron stepped closer to Chris and leaned into his ear.
"If Wyatt we're here, he would have already been able to use his powers to knock down that door." Kron whispered. Chris shifted his body weight angrily and rolled his shoulders before trying again. The sparks went a bit further this time, almost hitting the door.
"I know you can do better than that, you're a charmed child after all. Do something that proves the power you came from." Kron whispered into his ear. Again the sparks went a bit further but still did not go far enough.
"No wonder Wyatt always has to come with his little brother." Kron mocked. That did it, Chris growled and bolts of lighting came from his fingers and shattered the door into the warehouse. Kron nodded approvingly and Chris stormed into the warehouse. His initial blast took out one of three dark lighters that were in the warehouse but when he walked in the other two were already shooting arrows at him. Chris ducked and rolled away from the flying arrows, being nearly hit several times before he could stand back up. Waving his hand he sent the two dark lighters flying into the nearby walls. Both dropped their bows onto the ground giving Chris the upper hand.
"Stop coming after my family!" Chris shouted at the dark lighter closest to him lifting up his hands and trying to use his new power. Again the sparks came short of actually hitting the dark lighter. Chris took a deep breath and closed his eyes, it took a few minutes but finally the sparks built up enough power to reach the dark lighter. Kron noticed that the second dark lighter had gotten back to his feet and was reaching for his bow.
"Look behind you," Kron warned Chris. The blast that had hit the first dark lighter had deeply wounded him but hadn't been enough to vanquish him. But Chris had to flip around just in time to see an arrow coming at his head. Chris threw himself on the ground and looked around him searching for an answer on how to attack next. He saw that the first dark lighter's bow was still on the ground with an unused around, stealing a glance at the severely injured dark lighter he magically waved the weapons to himself. Just as he was going to try and shoot the arrow the dark lighter that was attacking him blew up into pieces.
Chris got paled, he recognize that explosion. He started crawling towards the stacks of crate boxes, trying to keep low to the ground. Kron dissolved into the light when the charmed ones arrived on the scene.
"Christopher Perry Halliwell," Piper was standing over her son scowling. Chris rolled over to be on his back and look up at his mother.
"Hi Mom," He smiled laughing nervously. He pushed himself up with his elbows and jumped up to his feet.
"They are all gone Piper." Phoebe came out from behind a stack of crates. Her eyes widen in surprise at the sight of her nephew.
"Chris?" Phoebe said.
"Hey Aunt Phoebe." Chris gave her a little wave. Paige orbed in next to Piper.
"The other one got away." She stated looking around once. "What is Chris doing here?" She asked Piper.
"What are you doing here?" Piper asked even though she knew what the answer was going to be. Chris rubbed the back of his neck nervously looking at his aunt Phoebe hoping she might feel his anxiety and save him from having to explain himself. He found himself focusing on his mother and aunts attire, trying not to smile at how the charmed ones still wore they best to each vanquish. It was a habit that the girls had never grown out of and even today Phoebe was still in high heels and Paige was wearing a top that was going to have to be dry cleaned. Chris knew that he and his cousins would be the same way, there was something about fitting in a demon vanquish between work meetings and deadlines that was just very charmed.
"Christopher?" Piper said after a few minutes of silence. He blinked before glancing up at his mother.
"I came after the dark lighters." Chris croaked in barely a whisper.
"You did what?" Paige stared at him astounded. Phoebe was shaking her head and Chris swallowed trying to dampen his dry mouth before speaking again.
"I tried to come after the dark lighters. They are part of the group that we went after yesterday." Chris said louder as he stared at his mother's shoes.
"You came alone?" Paige demanded.
"After you almost got yourself killed yesterday with your brother. After I specifically told you no more magic for chasing demons?" Piper was furious. Chris just nodded still not looking at his mother.
"Chris honey, you could have gotten yourself killed." Phoebe whispered. The very idea of her nephew dying made her go pale.
Piper stepped up onto her tiptoes and grabbed her son's left ear in a pinch.
"We are binding your powers the moment we get back to the manor. Wait until your father hears about this…" Piper started as she pulled him out of the warehouse. The night before Piper and Leo had warned the boys that they were being trusted not to use their powers without having to bind them. It was a test in maturity and responsibility for the two teens and Leo had convinced Piper it was time to start loosening their leashes. Piper was silently cursing her husband as she dragged her almost adult son out to her car.
"Ow, mom… I can walk…" Chris tried to pull himself out of his mother's grasp without success. She pulled him all the way to her car and only let go when she pulled open the car door. Chris climbed into the backseat and Piper pulled the seatbelt over him and started to buckle him in.
"Mom, I can do my own…" Chris started but one look from his mother and he held his tongue. Piper slammed his door and was raving about her sons and how they thought they were indestructible as she moved to the driver's side. Paige got in next to Chris and looked disapprovingly at him before she started to examine his arm.
"Did you get hurt?" Paige asked.
"Paige don't you dare heal him." Piper warned as she slammed her own door.
"He's a little scratched up." Paige commented.
"Let that teach him to go off and fight demons by himself. Trying to get himself killed." Piper kept mumbling under her breath. Chris sat silently starring at his hands for a few minutes, fidgeting uncomfortably as his mother pulled out of the dock area of San Francisco.
"How'd you guys know?" Chris finally whispered.
"We didn't." Paige shrugged. "Not that you were there anyway."
"We were coming after the dark lighter gang that you guys told us about yesterday. We were going to take care of them." Phoebe shook her head.
"You were just lucky young man that we came along. Why! Why would you think of coming by yourself to finish off dark lighters? Did you forget that you're part white lighter? Did you forget that yesterday they almost finished off Wyatt?" Piper shouted at him.
"No Ma'am." Chris whispered.
"Didn't you think we would take care of them?" Phoebe turned to face Chris.
"I didn't think about it," Chris sighed.
"That's you're problem. You and Wyatt don't take a moment to stop and think. You are grounded for the next month! No magic, no driving, no going out with friends." Piper was speeding towards the manor. "And wait until I get my hands on Wyatt, letting you come out here all by yourself."
"Wyatt didn't know mom…" Chris shut his eyes not wanting to see her expression. Paige let out a low whistle. Piper stepped on the brake suddenly.
"You didn't tell you're brother you were going after demons?" She glared at him. Without opening his eyes, Chris shook his head.
"Why?" Piper demanded.
"He thinks it was my fault they got away yesterday, I wanted to prove him wrong." Chris was sudden aware of how childish that idea was.
"Christopher," Piper's voice soften and the car jolted back into motion.
"Did you tell anyone where you were going?" She sighed.
"I let HJ know." Chris nodded.
"And he didn't try to stop you?" Paige frowned.
"He didn't think it was a good idea." Chris shrugged.
"My fourteen year old nephew has better sense than my sixteen year old son, how comforting." Piper said sarcastically.
"Henry really needs to learn when to share information." Paige was frowning as her thoughts went to this morning and her daughter's invisible leg. Piper pulled up to the manor, angrily pulled out her keys and jumped out of the car. Phoebe opened an umbrella and hopped out of the car, she handed the umbrella to Chris as she wrapped an arm around his waist.
"You have to learn to be less reckless." She sighed.
"Yes ma'am." Chris said miserably as he held the umbrella carefully over his aunt's head. Paige and Piper ran into the manor trying to stay as dry.
"Attic, march." Piper commanded as Chris closed the wet umbrella.
"Do you really…" Chris looked up his green eyes begging.
"Christopher Perry you almost got yourself killed. Yes, I really do." Piper nodded and pointed up the stairs.
"Can we do this quick, I have to get to magic school." Paige mumbled as she followed Chris upstairs.
"And I have a deadline." Phoebe nodded.
Chris slowed his pace angry and miserable. He didn't understand how his aunts could be so candid when they were about to strip him of his powers. Chris really hated it when his active powers were bound. It always made him feel like he had lost a part of himself. The sixteen year old stood in the middle of the very crowded attic with his shoulders hunched up and his hands balled up into fists pushed into his sweatshirt. He was desperately trying to ignore the throbbing ache of his right elbow.
The Book of Shadows hadn't moved in the last twenty years. Well, aside from a few demon kidnappings and curious kids carrying it off. But the magical heritage of the family still sat prestigiously on near the bay windows and Chris was convinced that the floorboards were worn down in three places. The sisters always seemed to stand in the same places around the book and the wood seemed more aged in those three spots than the rest of the attic, or so he thought. Chris was an avid studier of the book, though his parents weren't aware how much time he really spent with it. Late at nights the boy would sneak up to the attic to read through spells and notations in the book, out of the all the cousins he was the one who had spent the most time with the powerful heirloom. He had been trying to figure out how to make a portable book of shadows, much like his cell phone GPS system but he had yet to mention to anyone. He was afraid his mother and his aunts would not understand, but Chris knew that one day with nine charmed children it was going to be difficult to share the book. But that was a problem for his generation and he was determined to figure it out without their help.
Paige flipped through the book of shadows for the spell and Piper glared at Chris with her arms crossed. Phoebe nudged her older sister.
"Are you going to make sure he understands?" Phoebe whispered.
"He's almost an adult, I shouldn't have to explain what he did was wrong." Piper gritted her teeth.
"Piper," Phoebe nudged her again.
"Oh, all right." Piper sighed back as she walked back up to her son. As she walked towards the sad boy she remembered him much younger. Chris had been a short eleven-year-old boy the first time Piper had bound his powers. It had broken Piper's heart but she had been ignoring her middle child's magical tantrums until that moment when he had pushed her too far. She knew that sometimes she was too easy on him, Chris got away with more than Piper tolerated from Wyatt and she knew it. Wyatt had to be responsible for his little brother and his baby sister though. And Piper was tough on him because she knew he had to understand that responsibility. Her Wyatt was destined to be the master of Excalibur and she always feared he was too easily swayed to the evil to not be tough on him. But Chris, her peanut, he was different and maybe it was because her heart still ached for her twenty-two year old son from a different future. Despite all these years and how much everything had changed from that future, sometimes Piper worried she still saw some of the old Chris in her own son.
"Christopher." Piper sighed. He looked up trying to look sad and innocent. She shook her head at him though before continuing.
"You understand that you're being reckless and irresponsible? And that you're lack of judgment with your own powers makes me think you need some time to understand that power is meant to be used responsibly?" Piper stated.
"Yes ma'am." Chris sighed.
"And you know that if anything ever happened to you…" Piper couldn't even finish the thought before choking a bit.
"Mom, I never meant to… You know I just wasn't thinking." Chris shrugged and smiled trying to comfort his mother. Piper pushed some of Chris' brown hair from his forehead.
"Maybe you'll remember to think next time?" She winked at him before she walked back to stand next to Paige. The three said the spell, almost in one voice, soothing Chris' nerves as he could feel his powers being suppressed. As the spell finished, Chris could feel his phone vibrate in his back pocket. He pulled it out and groaned loudly when he saw who it was. Chris pressed the ignore button and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
Piper watched him and smiled slightly when she realized who was calling. She took out her own phone and pressed 3 and pressed the receiver up to her ear.
"Mom! There is something wrong with Chris," Wyatt said frantically into the phone.
"Sweetheart, he's right here. I've got him." Piper responded. Chris was glaring at his mother from across the room.
"HJ said he went after the dark lighters! And I just felt like something went dark, sort of how it feels when…" Wyatt stopped mid sentence. He suddenly understand where the empty feeling in his stomach had come from, he recognized it now as the binding of active powers. Wyatt had a knack for feeling how much power was in his family, particularly his siblings, so whenever something happened to those powers he could feel it.
"I'm going to kill him." Wyatt grumbled into the phone.
"You will do no such thing. I'm going to leave your brother home, but I'm locking the attic. No spells while I'm not home. I have to head back to the restaurant and your aunts have to head to work too." Piper was saying.
"I'll baby sit the kid mom." Wyatt said loudly, hoping his younger brother could hear the phrase. Chris scowled at his mother but didn't say anything.
"Just make sure you both stay, get your homework done. And do not get into a fight." Piper warned.
"Tell him that I'll be by to take Henry to magic school for the lecture." Paige commented before disappearing into an orb of white lights.
"Coop will be by to pick up Patience, after he gets Primrose. It's his turn with the carpool." Phoebe nodded.
"You heard all that?" Piper asked.
"Yup." Wyatt responded.
"Be good." Piper said before snapping the phone shut. Phoebe hurried out of the attic and was fixing her make-up in the upstairs bathroom as Chris trudged passed the door with his mother. Piper had locked the attic behind her and was now leaving instructions with Chris.
"And don't even think about asking Wyatt to put you in a dangerous situation so that you can get your powers back, understood?" Piper wagged her finger at him.
"Mom, we only did that once." Chris sighed. Well once that she knew of, he thought more to himself.
"There are snacks in the kitchen, please be good." Piper kissed her son on the cheek and hurried down the stairs.
"Let's go Phoebe!" She hollered. Phoebe came running out of the bathroom, looking refreshed once again. She winked at Chris and disappeared down the hallway. Chris rubbed his elbow wincing as he turned to walk into his room. He hoped that after Wyatt finished yelling he would at least heal his arm.