The First Son

Part 7: The Witch Revealed

"This is insane!" Piper hissed. "He's five! There has to be another way."

Leo paced the floor, shaking his head. "No, this is it. We have to figure out how to get his powers working, whatever they may be. It's the only way to get our daughter back."

"By putting our son in danger as well? Are you crazy? Leo, I want her back just as much as you do, but I can't put my five-year-old in front of a witch with thousands of years of experience and expect him to make it out alive." Piper covered Rueben's ears gently so he couldn't hear the conversation about his almost certain demise.

"Piper's right, Leo. Even if he is going to fulfill some prophecy, he can't do it without practice. Without training." Phoebe spoke firmly, yet without the harsh tone her sister had been using.

Leo scowled at her. "Can I please just have an argument with my wife without being outnumbered three to one? Is that so much to ask?"

Paige stuck her chin out defiantly. "When it comes to the safety of our nephew, yes, it is to much to ask."

"Do you think I like this any more than you do?" Leo threw his hands in the air, heaving his frustration at the ceiling. "He's my son, for Chrissake! But it's the only way! I just have more confidence in him than you do. You think of him as a baby, but think about it Piper, he's growing up faster than we can raise him, and soon he won't need us anymore. But Melinda will, if we can get her back. Rueben is the only one who can do it, whether you want to believe it or not. He'll have help, from us, and a few others, so I swear he won't get hurt, but we have to at least try. Please, Piper. For our daughter, let's try."

Piper looked down at Rueben, who leaned against her, straining to hear what was going on. She lifted her hands from his ears and kissed the top of his head. "Fine. You tell him what he has to do."

***

"Do I have to?"

Leo held his son in his lap, trying to reason with the stubborn child. "Yes, Rueben, if you want to help us get your sister back, then I'd really like you to do this. But it'll take a lot of effort from you, and a lot of your energy. Are you going to help us?"

Rueben grabbed his chin and thought, sitting with one elbow on his knee. "Hmm…" he trailed off and Leo could feel his own muscles tighten. He waited for Rueben to answer. "Sure, as long as you promise to get me the new Lego set I wanted. You promise?"

Leo laughed and hugged his son tightly. "Sure, Cap. You got it. As soon as we get Mel back. But first, we need to figure out how to get this power of yours working."

Rueben jumped down off his father's lap and stood in the middle of the floor so that all were watching him. He lifted his right hand slowly, and at the same time, the chair Leo was sitting in rose off the ground. Leo gasped in unison with the three women, and slid off on the ground.

"How long have you known how to do that? And why didn't you tell us? What did I tell you about secrets?" Leo knelt down to look Rueben in the eye. His son seemed distant, almost as though he weren't in the room anymore. His eyes were cloudy, almost gray. Leo shook his arm gently and the color returned to his face. The chair dropped loudly, clattering on the linoleum floor.

"Huh?"

"Where did you learn how to do that?" Piper cut in, staring at him in confusion.

"Learn to do what?" Rueben scrunched up his face and plopped down on the bed, even more confused than his mother was.

"That thing with the chair! You lifted it off the ground without touching it!" Leo began pacing again, worried that something might not go as planned.

"I did? Really? I always wanted to do that. That's how Aunt Prue moved things around. Did I really move it with my mind?" Rueben was getting excited, his small voice raising higher and higher.

Leo picked him up around the waist and hoisted him over his shoulder. "We'll see." He and his son disappeared in a flash of light.

***

The air was thick and heavy surrounding the cabin that lay nestled far back in the hills of an uncharted land. Insects chirped softly in the distance, and closer to the log shack a wolf howled in mourning. The light from the only window bounced off the water vapors in the mist and spread a glow around the house that was anything but heavenly.

There was no noise from inside, just the hushed breathing of the ancient witch, her cloak wrapped tightly around her skin-and-bone arms. Despite the bitter cold, she smiled sweetly at the cradle by her side, which rocked back and forth in an unfelt breeze. The child inside remained motionless, frozen in a state of suspended animation until her time was right. She would be the first. The first in over a thousand years for the cursed woman, who had not felt the warmth of the sun since before… since before her banishment. Those women, those jealous women and their herbs. How little had they known to entrap her like this. But the time was drawing nearer, faster than anyone had expected. See, that was the joy of a thousand years of nothingness. One always had the time to think. To plan. And so she had, planned and practiced, until the day when she could have her revenge…

***

Rueben paced the length of his bedroom, tapping his five-year-old chin in deep thought. Leo watched intently from the doorway while Prue hovered overhead.

"Are you sure she can't help us anymore?" Leo whispered to the translucent woman above his head. "You're sure she doesn't know anything else?"


Prue shook her head sadly. "No. Krista told me that she couldn't help you anymore than she already had, and that her coming along would just be a burden, so she stayed behind." She looked up as Rueben flicked his wrist at a chair, desperate to make it move even the slightest bit. He frowned as the chair remained in it's original spot. He sat down on his bed and pressed his eyes together tightly.

"I just wish that there was some way we could help him. Look, he's all worn out. We'll never get Melinda back at this rate." Leo wiped his hand over his face to wipe away his own weariness and yawned. "Hey, would you mind watching him while I take a nap? I haven't slept in a bout two days."

Prue smiled at him and nodded. "I'd love to."

Leo grinned back. "I love having a free baby-sitter around. Makes things so much easier." He turned and headed down the hall to the bedroom he and Piper shared, leaving Rueben alone with his aunt.

"Why can't I do this, Aunt Prue? Why is it so hard?" The boy kicked out at the air, venting his frustration on nothing.

"It's all in your head, sweetie. You can do anything if you want it bad enough." Prue settled on the bed next to him and became whole again so she could wrap her arm around his shoulder. "You know, I used think the same way. 'Why did they give me this gift?' 'Why is it so hard?' But you know what?"

Rueben glanced up at her. "What?"

"I loved every second of being a witch while I was alive. Sure, there were some problems, but it made me feel like I was specialer than anyone on the block." Prue winked at him and pushed him to his feet. He turned to her and rolled his eyes impertinently.

"It's 'more special', Aunt Prue. Not 'specialer'."

Prue smirked at him, tweaking his nose gently. "You're pretty smart for a five-year-old. I think you'll get a handle on this in no time."

Rueben beamed proudly and walked to the center of the room. He pressed his eyes shut again as he raised his hand slowly upward. The chair that had stayed so very still before began to rise off the ground, hovering in mid air before it dropped with a thud. He snapped his eyes open and gaped at the topple piece of furniture. "Did I really do it?"

"Yeah, honey. You did."

***

A searing pain ripped through the old woman's body, sending a wave of tremors through her decaying bones. She screamed, dropping to her knees in agony. The torture subsided, leaving her immobile on the floor. She heaved violently and gasped as the child stirred from her slumber. She waved a hand quickly past the bassinet and mumbled a few words before dragging herself to her feet. She reached into her bag on the bed and pulled out a vial of thick black liquid. Uncorking the bottle she stared at it for a moment before swallowing the contents. Her voice became low and even as she chanted.

The Son grow stronger each passing day,

Send him this sign to lead him astray.

Far of body, close of mind,

His sister now he will not find.


She wailed in discomfort as her features contorted, and her gnarled hands gripped the table firmly. The veins in her hands disappeared, and her cracking skin became smooth and youthful once again. She leaned her head forward and watched as her dry, white hair became thick and full again, bright with vibrant colors. She shook out her head once and glanced into the mirror on the wall. She remembered how the women had envied her for her locks. Red hair was a very fashionable thing to have in England…

A/N: Ack! This is what happens when finals are next week and you're up until unGodly hours of the night due to stress and anxiety! Actually, I do all my best work at night, especially late night. I guess I didn't need a new episode after all. I can still leave you in suspense. Did you get my subtle hint at the end? If not, go back and read part 3: the Coming. Well, I got over my writers block quicker than I ever thought I could. Now I can finish my songfic and it's on to part 8! Wish me luck… I may need it…

O_o --- That's Me

*muah*

Dimples