Whitelighter Shock
Penny was seated in a side street café, reading the paper. A cup of coffee sat in front her and one hand rested on her ever-growing stomach. She was seven months pregnant and she was already wishing she could just have the baby. They had finally settled on name about a week ago; Tristan Alexander. He was growing normally and had so far behaved himself during ultrasounds.
"Excuse me," a male voice spoke, drawing her away from the print on the page before her.
"Yes?' she responded, looking up at a handsome man.
"Is anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing to the seat across from her.
"No…" she trailed off. Couldn't he see she was sitting at the table and she pretty much took up the whole thing between her paper and her belly? Wordlessly the man sat down and drummed his fingers on the table.
"Do you need something?" Penny finally asked in an irritated tone.
"I'm waiting for someone," he answered, pulling the paper away from her face.
"And I think I just found them," he said, sounding slightly seductive.
"Look creep, I'm married. So unless you want me to call the cops…" she began.
"Oh I'm sorry…I didn't mean for that come out how it sounded," he apologized.
"I'm your new whitelighter…the name's Kyle," Kyle introduced himself.
"Um…no offense but I have like six whitelighters in my family," she stated in a hushed voice.
"Well the Elders sent me here to be your whitelighter for a reason," Kyle explained.
"Yeah…and the Elders have a pretty shitty rep with my family," Penny added, folding her paper and getting up. Kyle jumped up and steadied the table as her large abdomen bumped into it.
"Look…I can't leave until I help you with whatever it is the Elders need me to help you with…so it would be really great if you could just cooperate," Kyle explained as Penny walked away.
"Fine…but just…don't expect any warm welcomes from my family," she grumbled and led the way towards the Manor. Kyle looked up at the house and swallowed. What had the Elders gotten him into? She walked in and Kyle followed. Voices traveled from the kitchen, one of them still painfully familiar to his ears.
"I have a whitelighter," Penny announced to her mother-in-law. Piper, Phoebe and Paige turned to see Kyle standing there. Paige felt her knees go weak and had to sit down.
"Kyle?" she asked, shocked.
"Hi, Paige," he greeted with a small wave.
"He…he's your whitelighter?" Piper asked, an eyebrow raised in suspicion.
"Yes…do you know him?" she asked.
"He was…my boyfriend at one point….I sort of got him killed," Paige admitted.
"Paige don't blame yourself…we stopped the Avatars," Kyle interrupted.
"It's great to see you," he added, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her in a firm hug.
"Yeah…uh…married with three kids," she whispered in his ear. He backed up and cleared hi throat, clearly embarrassed. Apparently he hadn't been keeping that close tabs on her. Somehow he'd missed the whole marriage and kids deal.
"So why does Penny need a whitelighter. There's six in the family," Phoebe commented.
"So she said…" Kyle replied.
"They just said I had to keep her safe…which was pretty vague," he added.
"Elders…what do you expect," Piper grumbled.
"Well…you are getting close to your due date…it wouldn't be that far off base to think Meris might try something," Phoebe suggested.
"Just what I want…some possessed cop tries to kill me and my baby…I get attacked by some freaky seal and now that crazy demon lady wants my baby…" Penny rattled off.
"Well I can see why the Elders would want to protect you," Kyle interjected. Just then the front door opened and Wyatt and Chris walked in.
"Who the hell are you?" Wyatt asked, as Kyle moved in front of Penny.
"Relax slugger. They're just the father and uncle to be," Piper said, trying to stifle a laugh.
"So who are you?" Wyatt pressed.
"I'm her whitelighter," Kyle explained, getting the pissed off spouse vibe from Wyatt.
"You ok, hon?" Wyatt addressed his wife. She nodded and gave him a reassuring smile.
:"And he has no idea what he's supposed to be saving me from," she whispered in his ear, knowing it would push his buttons.
"Elders send you?" the twenty-year-old questioned.
"Yeah…and I get that none of you like them," Kyle responded.
Down in the Underworld, Meris was pacing back and forth. She had just received news that the Elders had given Penny a whitelighter. That was now another obstacle she would have to deal with. No doubt the Elders were anticipating an attack on her part against the mother-to-be. She was losing all of her best demons in this endevours and was beginning to think it was a lost cause. That child was going to be so heavily guarded not even a particle of dust could get close to it.
"My Queen," a purple scaled demon called, catching the Queen off guard.
"What is it?" she snapped.
"We have some new information about the whitelighter. He was an old flame of Paige's. Perhaps if we can use her as bait…tear his loyalties," the demon informed her.
"I like it…set it up," Meris ordered and with a bow the demon was gone.
Back in the Manor most of the rest of the family had arrived from school and various jobs. Henry was eying Kyle nervously. Paige had told him about the former FBI agent. Wyatt was pacing back and forth, deep in thought.
"Demon!" Penny shouted just moments before the purple demon appeared. Several of the cousins surrounded Penny but the demon merely gave them a smile and grabbed Paige by the arm. They shimmered out just as everyone realized that the demon was not after Penny.
"It took Paige," Henry exclaimed.
"Yeah…we all saw it," Kyle snapped.
"Boys…back to your corners," Phoebe ordered and the two men turned away from each other.
'We can get her back. We'll just scry for her," Piper stated calmly and Henry Jr. orbed the crystal and maps down from the attic. He laid the maps out and began to frantically scry for his mother. After a good ten minutes of scrying the crystal finally dropped.
"I found her…Let's go," he exclaimed and everyone latched onto a whitelighter, disappearing in a huge cloud of blue and white. Kyle and Penny stayed behind. The rest of the family appeared in a cave. Paige was chained to a wall.
"Look out!" she shouted just as a volley of energy balls came vaulting over their heads. Wyatt spun around to see the purple demon.
"Nice aim," he taunted. Suddenly the room was filled with orbs and Penny stood, looking completely confused. She spun around and before she knew what was happening, Meris had grabbed her, an athame poised against he throat. The cave echoed with the sound of one more set of orbs as Kyle appeared.
"Shit," he cursed, looking between Paige and Penny. Paige didn't look hurt but he couldn't help but long to save her, to pay her back for saving him. But the Elders had told him to protect Penny…a girl he barely knew who was married to one of the most powerful witches ever.
"What are you waiting for?" Wyatt shouted at Kyle.
"I…" he trailed off. Growing frustrated Wyatt summoned the athame and sent it hurtling into the minion, causing him to cry out in agony as he disappeared in fiery flames. Next Wyatt slammed Meris against the cave.
"You ever go near her again and I will vanquish you. Consider this your second strike," he hissed before stepping away. Chris was busy getting Paige down from the shackles and Penny was bent over, breathing hard. Kyle placed a hand on her shoulder and disappeared in orbs.
"You ok, Mom?" Henry Jr. asked.
"I'm fine honey. I'm not so sure about Penny though," she answered and the group disappeared in orbs as well, leaving Meris in the cave alone. She sent a fireball at the wall where Paige had just hung. She had let them slip through her hands. She should have just slit the girl's throat when she had the chance.
Back in the Manor Penny was laying on the couch, taking deep slow breathes. The orbing experience had felt different from the times she'd done it with Wyatt. Wyatt rushed to her, pushing Kyle out of the way.
"You ok? You don't look so good. Are you having contractions?" Wyatt babbled, not sure what he was really trying to ask.
"No…I'm not having contractions…it's just…I think the baby can orb," she answered, her hands resting on her stomach.
"Well he is your child," Piper chuckled.
"I did not orb when I was in utero," he challenged.
"Oh yes you did," she countered.
"Anyways, you're ok?" he check and she nodded.
"Well you didn't save her but she's safe…so you can leave now," he addressed Kyle.
"I second that," Henry muttered under his breath. Kyle looked to the sealing.
"Looks like I have to leave anyways. Good luck with the baby. And it was good to see you again, Paige," Kyle explained, giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek before disappearing for the last time.