Chapter 11: Brain Drain Part 1
Max woke to find Chloe looking at her and smiling. "You're happy this morning," she said.
"Just never thought I would be this much in love," Chloe said. "Back when you saved me from Nathan by hitting the fire alarm, I was so angry, remember? Especially at my dad for dying."
"I remember," Max said with a sigh as she thought about her first use of jumping back in time via a photo. "And remember I tried to change that."
"I know," Chloe replied. "When you told me about saving him and the consequences it had in my life. Putting me in a wheelchair and killing Dawn. Well that was when I realized I was falling for you. When I realized I wanted to change for you. You probably hadn't noticed that I stopped smoking not long after we left Arcadia Bay."
Max thought back on it and nodded. She had noticed that Chloe hadn't waked 'n' baked in a while now. But she hadn't noticed that Chloe had stopped smoking all together. It made her wonder if she was that bad of a girlfriend for not noticing?
"Hey," Chloe said noticing the frown forming on Max's face. "I didn't mean that in a bad way. You had a lot going on, Maximus. First the destruction of Arcadia Bay, saving my family, your friends. Then finding out from your mom and dad that you had been adopted. Then finding your aunts, learning your birth parents were dead. And finally learning where your power came from. You had a lot on your mind."
Max smiled. "I did," she said as she kissed Chloe. "And you have been a wonderful girlfriend."
"It's more than that now though isn't it," Chloe said. "After all we do share a bed and we're even …"
"Making love?" Max suggested instead of the word Chloe was going to say. "Your right of course, we're lovers now." She leaned in and kissed Chloe again, slipping her tongue between Chloe's lips as they began to make out.
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In the kitchen Piper and Phoebe looked through the open door of the oven.
"Damn it! These ones are burnt too. I'm losing my touch," Piper said as she pulled out a tray of burnt cookies.
"Oh, no, it's okay, sweetie, they're just a little crisp," Phoebe said as Piper put the tray on the table. She noticed Max and Chloe walk through the back door and waved. "Morning Max, Chloe."
"Morning Aunt Phoebe, Aunt Piper," Max said. She got a whiff of the burnt cookies and looked in their direction. "Aunt Piper, I thought you were a chef?"
"I am," Piper said with a sigh. "Or at least I was. Maybe I should think about making another batch?"
"Um, Piper, remember when you told me to tell you when you're obsessing?" Phoebe said.
Piper sighed. "I'm not obsessing. I just want everything to be perfect, that's all."
"Yeah, but Piper, it's a baby shower, not a Royal wedding. Besides, don't you think you're doing enough already?" Phoebe asked. "For god sakes, you're hosting the thing and you're not even close to Wendy anymore."
"That is precisely why I'm doing all of this. I swear to god, in the last couple of years we've vanquished more friendships than we have demons," Piper said as Max got a glass out of the cupboard.
"I don't know if that is hella true or not," Chloe said. "But, Piper, you have made new friends, you do know that right?"
Piper smiled and looked at Chloe and nodded. She would never have pictured herself being friends when she was younger with a person like Chloe. Of course Grams would have likely been up in arms about it, especially when it seemed Chloe was the type of person Phoebe seemed to be friends with when she was younger. But now she was glad to have Chloe as a friend. "That is true, Chloe," she said. "And I am happy that not only are you my niece's girlfriend, but my friend as well."
Max walked over to the fridge and grabbed the milk carton to only find it was empty. "Who left an empty milk carton in the fridge?" she asked.
"Somebody forgot to put it on the list again," Piper said with a glance at Chloe.
"Don't look at me," she said. "I know for a fact that Paige was the last one to get a drink out of it."
"You could of warned me, Chlo," Max said.
"Sorry," Chloe said.
"You know, it's gonna take Paige more than a week to adjust to living here," Phoebe said. "After all it took more than a week for both Max and Chloe to adjust."
"True," Piper said. "But Max and Chloe have been good about making sure they let us know when they used something up." She looked at Chloe again. "Most of the time anyways."
Chloe sighed. "I forgot one time, Piper. I haven't forgotten since."
"I know," Piper said.
"Piper," Chloe said. "I've been wondering. Is there a job at P3 to the Max that I could do? I know that between me and Max living here, even if it's now in the garage loft, you have a lot of extra costs. Between the renovations to the garage and Max's tuition to that school you got her into. You could use a little extra cash, right?"
"You are offering to work for me in exchange?" Piper said.
"You keep the majority of my wages," Chloe said. "I say the majority as I need to get my truck fixed. But the majority of my wages could go to help you."
"It would be a good idea," Phoebe said. "It would lessen the financial burden, since you would rather have me available in case a power of three demon were to attack."
"I actually thought about changing my stance on that," Piper said. "Chloe is right; there is a lot of extra money going out between Max's school tuition and the extra food. I have even been thinking of asking Paige to chip in at least on the food bill. If we could get the food bill and Max's tuition taken care of, I can take care of the rest."
"Okay," Phoebe said. "I will start looking."
"Now Chloe, what exactly did you have in mind. I don't know if there is actually a lot you can do. You can't actually serve drinks, since you are still underage," Piper said.
"Not many jobs," Chloe said, "could I do; bouncer maybe, janitor maybe, or possibly manager. Don't know on that last one though."
"As long as you are not the one actually serving the alcohol you can legally sell it as long as you are supervised by someone over twenty-one," Piper said. "I had been thinking of hiring a new manager anyways. I could make you a manager-in-training and promote you to full manager in two years when you turn twenty-one. Is being a manager something you want to do though?"
"I think it is something Chloe should do," Max said. "While bouncer would fit more in with her image and style. I think she should strive for better."
Chloe smiled and kissed Max's cheek. "Thanks for the word of support."
"I'll take that as a yes," Piper said. "You will be working with me till you turn twenty-one. That way we can be in compliance with the law. So if I am not at the club, you won't be, at least not as an employee, understood?"
"Hella understood," Chloe said.
"Okay will someone grab those," Piper said motioning toward two baskets filled with baby stuff.
Phoebe picked up the baskets and she, Max and Chloe followed Piper out of the kitchen. "So cute," she said. "Aunt Phoebe sure would like to throw one of these for you one day."
"I'm …" Max started to say.
"While it would be nice, Max," Phoebe said, "to throw you one someday. I meant, Piper."
"Damn it! Paige!" Piper said as she knocked over a chair.
"You're changing the subject," Phoebe said.
Piper shook her head as they walked into the living room. "No, I'm ignoring you."
"Well, you can't ignore that beautiful little girl of yours that we saw in the future, and if my math is right, you and Leo better start, you know, right about now," Phoebe said.
Chloe looked at Max. "Did you just go to a gross place?" she asked.
"Yeah," Max said. "Though what got my interest is they went to the future."
Piper sighed as she glanced at her niece and Chloe and then back at Phoebe. "Phoebe, we saw a lot of things in the future that won't be happening now."
"I know. But that doesn't mean you can't have kids. I mean, don't you wanna little kid?" Phoebe asked.
"Not with demons dropping in all the time," Piper said. "I don't."
"So this future …?' Max said.
Piper sighed. "Do you remember the lesson Leo said your mom, Phoebe and I had to learn about personal gain?"
"Yeah," Max said.
"That's the future Phoebe mentioned," Piper said. "In it Phoebe was burned at the stake, your mom owned Bucklands and I had a daughter."
"Was I?" Max asked.
"It was an alternate future, we must not have met you for some reason," Piper said. "Maybe in that future you saved the town instead of Chloe. Though I don't know how our personal gain use could have affected you."
"Cause and effect," Max said. "Chaos theory. Whatever set you on the path to that alternate future caused, according to Warren, an effect in everything even the environment around you."
"When a butterfly flaps its wings in one part of the world it can cause a hurricane in another part of the world," Phoebe said in understanding. "What may not have directly affected Max, may still have affected her. Think about it. The witch trials would have possibly been starting by now. If they were Max might have been afraid to save Chloe from being killed by that kid Nathan who originally shot her. As a result she may not have left Arcadia Bay and may have died in the tornado."
"That would make sense," Piper said in agreement just as Cole shimmered in.
"Phoebe?" he said.
"Hold that thought," Phoebe said. "Anyways back to the baby discussion, generations of Halliwells fought demons and had kids. It didn't stop them, why should it stop you?"
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe this is none of your business?" Piper asked.
"Oh, that's beside the point." Phoebe said.
"Phoebe," Cole tried again.
"How does Uncle Leo feel about this?" Max wondered. Despite the eww factor, she would love to have a baby cousin to help take care of.
"I haven't talked to Leo about this," Piper said.
"Well, don't you think we should?" Phoebe asked.
"We?" Piper said wondering what her sister meant by we.
Cole put his fingers in his mouth and whistled.
"Yes, Cole, what is it?" Phoebe asked.
"Okay. Freeze the room fast, then unfreeze only me," Cole said.
"What? Why?" Piper asked.
"Just do what I say and I'll explain after," Cole said.
"Let me try, Aunt Piper," Max said. "I've been wanting to try and see if I could selectively halt and un-halt time."
Piper nodded as Max brought time to a halt. Max looked at Cole and Chloe and willed time to restart only for them, but nothing happened. "It was worth a try. Keep practicing," Piper said.
"I will," Max said as she let time resume. "Give us a second, Cole. I couldn't selectively unhalt you or Chloe so Aunt Piper is going to freeze."
Cole nodded as Piper froze him, Chloe and the room.
"Please don't blow him up," Phoebe said.
"The same goes for Chloe," Max added.
"I'll try," Piper said as she unfroze Cole and Chloe.
"The rest of the room still frozen?" Cole asked.
"Cole, we're hella the only ones in the room," Chloe said.
"You're not actually. There's a chameleon in the house," Cole said.
"A lizard?" Max asked with a shake of her head. "You're worried about a lizard?"
"This chameleon is a demon," Cole explained as he grabbed a chair. "One who can transform into any object just to spy on you."
"Trying to tell me the manor or Max and Chloe's apartment is supernaturally bugged?" Piper asked.
Cole nodded. "Uh-huh. Has been for some time, apparently. It explains why the Source hasn't attacked you in a while. He's had his chameleons watching your every move, gathering inside information, especially now that he knows about Max and her ability to rewind time. Look around. What's not supposed to be here?"
The girls looked around as Piper spotted Paige's ugly-looking cane chair with bright red cushions. "Hmm," she said as she blew up the chair. Cushions and stuffing flew everywhere.
"Piper, I think that was Paige's chair," Phoebe said.
"Yeah, I know, exactly," Piper replied as the grandfather clock chimed.
"Uh, the room just unfroze," Cole said.
Max spotted a lamp she had never noticed before. "Aunt Piper is that a new lamp?" she asked just as the lamp transformed into a demon.
The demon used his power and they flew over the couch. Cole threw an energy ball at him and completely obliterated his arm, sending green goo over Piper's baby baskets. His arm immediately grew back.
"Cole, get back!" Piper said as she tried to blow up the demon, which ducked, and blew up the grandfather clock instead. "Damn it, we just got that thing fixed."
Paige walked down the stairs holding a washing basket and wearing earphones. The demon ran in front of her and Cole threw another energy ball. The demon ducked and Paige orbed out before the energy ball hit her. The demon got up and shimmered out as Paige orbed back in. "What the hell happened?" she asked.
"The freakin' furniture just attacked!" Piper said.
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A short time later Phoebe laid on the couch as Leo healed a wound on her forehead.
"Do you know how long the chameleon demon was in the house?" Leo asked.
"I don't know," Phoebe said. "The lamp has been here for at least three days. Maybe more."
"What do you think he wants?" Piper asked.
"I told you. Gathering information," Cole said.
"But for what?" Chloe wondered. "For why?"
"For the Source's next attack," Cole said as Max walked through the door from the kitchen.
"Anything?" Piper asked looking at her niece.
"Nothing is amiss that I could see, no new furniture or anything," Max said. "And I made sure to keep time halted while I looked too."
"Excuse me," Paige said as she walked toward them carrying her chair. "Is there any way to claim this kind of damage on our home owner's insurance policy?"
Piper shook her head. "Usually not."
"Usually?" Paige asked. "What do you mean? I can expect my furniture to be blown up again?"
"Get ready for the unexpected," Phoebe said. "That's rule number one in the Halliwell manor."
"Let me guess, rule number two is protect Chloe?" Chloe asked with a chuckle.
"I know that was meant to be a joke," Piper said. "But yet, you are definitely high up there in the rules, Chloe. I don't want Max coming at me because I let you get killed."
"Maybe we should get back on topic and figure out a way to find this demon," Phoebe suggested.
"Well, you could try scrying using his blood," Leo suggested.
"And we've got plenty of that," Piper said with a sigh. "Although, I don't know what good it would do to find him now. Whatever he's learned he's already told the Source."
"Except that he might also know what the Source's plan is," Cole said. "How he's going to attack. Find him; we might be able to find that out."
"I know," Paige suggested, "what about pooling our money into a fund to cover anybody's damage no matter who's it is."
"Um," Phoebe said, "we kind of are already pulling our money."
"Yeah," Max said. "I'm kinda expensive when Piper is putting me through private school for my senior year."
"I've been meaning to ask about that," Paige said. "What about your parents?"
"They can't afford to send me to a private school," Max said. "I was on a scholarship while I was going to Blackwell."
"That reminds me, Piper," Phoebe said. "Have you shown Max, Prue's space in the basement?"
"What space?" Max asked confused.
Piper smiled. "Your mom had a dark room. As you know she was working as a professional magazine photographer. Her camera and other photography stuff are in that room. It's all yours. Of course we will keep your instamatic camera for your daily rewind photos. But I think if you are dead set in following in Prue's footsteps, you need to start using better equipment and Prue had some good equipment."
Just then the doorbell rang. Everyone looked at each other and Piper and Phoebe cautiously walked toward the door.
"Whoa!" said Becca, a friend of Piper's, when Piper opened the front door. "Scared me. Hey, Phoebe, it's been a long time. Hey, sorry I'm late, we should go."
"Go?" Piper asked as Max came up beside her and Phoebe.
"To the shower," Becca said. "Wasn't I supposed to pick you up? Did I mess up?" She looked in her day planner.
"No, no, you didn't, Becca," Piper answered. "There's just some stuff going on here."
"So what else is new, huh? Do you want some help with the party baskets?" Becca asked as she started to walk through the door.
"Hi," Max said as she stepped in front of Becca. "My name's Max Caulfield. I'm Piper and Phoebe's niece."
Becca looked at Piper quizzically.
"Prue gave her up for adoption," Piper said. "She came looking for us recently, wanting to meet her birth family. She's staying with us now, while she goes to school here in San Francisco."
"It's nice to meet you, Max," Becca said.
"Anyways," Phoebe said, "I'm afraid something came up and Piper can't..."
"Oh, no, don't tell me that you're not gonna come," Becca said. "Everyone's so looking forward to seeing you again."
"Oh, really? Oh, they are?" Piper said surprised. "Well, th—then we can't disappoint them. W—We'll get some stuff at the market on the way there."
"Will you excuse us for one minute?" Phoebe said as she closed the door. "Wh—Are you outta your mind? You can't still go. Piper, we have to scry for that demon."
"Well, it doesn't take three sisters and a niece to scry," Piper said. "You two and Paige can do it and then call me when you find him."
"Piper!" Phoebe said.
"Phoebe," Piper said. "Look, okay, the bottom line is if I'm ever gonna have kids, then I need a life first, which means I need to be a human first and then a witch later. Okay, got it? Good. Come on Chloe, first day of work starts right now." Chloe walked over to her as she tried to open the door. "Outta the way!" Phoebe sighed and moved out of the way. She opened the door. "Hi! Bye Leo!"
"Bye!" Leo called back as Piper and Chloe left with Becca.
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Later at P3 to the Max, Chloe walked between Piper's friends pouring glasses of lemonade. As she headed back to the bar Piper's friend, Wendy—the mother to be and whom Piper was hosting the baby shower for, looked at Piper. "No offense, Piper. But isn't she kind of the wrong image you want to present?" she asked.
Piper smiled. "Chloe is a friend of mine, Wendy. On top of that she is my niece's, Max's, girlfriend. I trust her, okay. Besides I'm not going to do anything to anger my niece so soon after being reunited with her."
"If you don't mind my asking. Are you sure she's Prue's? I don't remember Prue ever being pregnant," Wendy said as she opened a gift and pulled out a cute baby jacket. "Oh, how cute is this! Oh, Piper, this is adorable. Where did you get this?"
"Uh, a little shop in the embarcadero. They have the cutest things," Piper said. "And about Max being Prue's daughter, yes Phoebe and I are sure. Max had the proof to back it up. Also the date of Max's birth corresponds to the time when Prue ran away for six months."
"I remember that," Wendy said. "Your Grams was so angry. Six months, would place just enough time for her to leave before she started showing and come back just after she delivered. You know we have so much more to catch up on."
"I know. We will," Piper said as she moved beside Becca, who was smiling at her. "What?"
"Nothing. It's just good to see you out and about again, that's all," Becca said.
Piper sighed as she glanced at Chloe. "Yeah, after Prue died it took some time to..."
Becca glanced toward Chloe and then nodded. "It was a surprise you didn't expect wasn't it," she said.
"Yeah," Piper said. "I don't know why Prue didn't tell me. I can understand Phoebe, but me."
"I don't have an answer for that," Becca replied. "I wish I did. But it wasn't just Prue's death and Max's arrival I was thinking about. The last three or four years you've just kinda disappeared."
"Yeah," Piper said.
Just then the phone sitting on the bar rang. Chloe looked toward Piper and sighed. She had heard what Piper had said about her and it caused her to smile. She walked up to the bar and picked up the phone. "P3 to the Max, Manager-in-Training, Chloe Price speaking, how can I be of service?"
"Chloe," came Leo's voice over the phone, "I need to talk to Piper."
"Sure, Leo," Chloe replied. "Let me get her." She sat the phone down on the counter and walked over to Piper. "It's for you, Piper, its Leo."
"Tell him I'll call him back," Piper said.
Chloe nodded as she walked back over to the bar and picked up the phone. "What is it Leo?" she asked knowing Leo wouldn't call unless it was important. "She said to tell you she would call you back."
"Max, Paige and Phoebe think they found the demon," Leo answered.
"Okay, hold on," Chloe said as she sat down the phone again and walked over to Piper. She leaned down and whispered in Piper's ear. "He said they think they found the demon."
Piper sighed. "Excuse me," she said as she got up and walked over to the phone and picked it up. "Already? Are you sure?"
"Yeah," Leo said. "You have to go now."
Piper sighed. "How am I supposed to have kids when I can't even be at someone else's baby shower?"
"What?"
"Nothing, never mind," Piper replied. "Meet me outside. The least I can do is say goodbye." She hung up and walked over to Wendy. "Uh, Wendy, I'm sorry, I've gotta go, something's come up."
"Ugh, now?" Wendy asked. "But we haven't even had the cake yet, you're gonna miss the best part."
"Ugh, I know. Story of my life," Piper said. "Chloe will stay here and have that cake in my absence."
Wendy looked to Chloe and then nodded. "If she means that much to you, I'll give her a chance and look past the tattoo and the blue hair."
"Thanks, that means a lot," Piper said. "I'll see you later."
