Hey guys, me again! It is finished! Again it was going to be longer but turns out…I think it holds well enough on its own. Honestly I wasn't expecting for it to be in this POV it just sorta happened….shrugs…anyways, hope you guys enjoy it.
….Chapter Seventeen….
…Under Pressure…
For the past few days Chris had been searching relentlessly for the sorcerer that could brew the Empath blocking potion. And so far he'd found no good leads as to where to find the man. None of his sources had come up with anything on the old man. Throughout his search he had this constant feeling that he was being watched and it continued to nag at him until finally he decided to do something about it.
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Orbing into the manor Chris found Phoebe pulling herself up off the floor. He briefly wondered why she was there in the first place before pushing it aside seeing as it had nothing to do with why he was there. He had to get to business, "You haven't seen Leo have you?" he asks.
Phoebe got to her feet turning toward the kitchen, "Oh Chris, not now," she stated before following her sisters into the kitchen, leaving him alone.
Rolling his eyes Chris started searching the house for any sign of the elder. He had to be the one following him. There was no one else that would be interested enough to do so. Leo was the only one that was always on his case about something. Minutes later, he made his way into the kitchen to find the sisters talking.
"So I searched the house, no sign of…" he began.
The sisters ignored him and continue with their conversation. He listened in trying to somewhat figure out what was going on. He caught something about Piper canceling her date, Phoebe's power getting on everyone's nerves, and Paige's new temp job babysitting a grandma who apparently had a deep dark secret. 'Yeah, she's not the only one. That's why we need this potion and if Leo's following me and finds out…then we'll both be screwed,' he thought worriedly.
A moment of silence passed before Phoebe spoke, "Someone's hiding something from me," looking between the people filling the kitchen.
Chris glanced quickly between the sisters, "Just let me know if anyone see Leo, okay?" before walking out of the kitchen. 'Phew that was close, I've got to hurry up and find this guy,' reaching the living room he orbs out.
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Few hours later
'Finally,' he thought as he followed the directions one of his sources had given him. Pushing the paper into his pocket he entered the cave to find an elderly man working, mixing something with his mortar and pestle. For a brief moment Chris noticed the old man's front teeth were missing.
"How can I help you?" the old man asked not looking up from his work.
"I was told that you were the one to see about an empath blocking potion," Chris began.
The man nodded, "I am."
"Great, then I'd like to purchase one vial," he told him.
The man grimaced turning around to face Chris, "All sold out I'm afraid. Good for me, bad for you."
'You've got to be kidding me,' he thought frustrated. "Well…how long will it take you to make one?" he began pacing back and forth before the man's work space.
"The potion you desire is pricy for a reason. The main ingredient is quite rare and hard to come by," the man explained, sizing Chris up, "What secret are you so eager to hide?"
Annoyance flared within him, "Just tell me how long?" Chris stated folding and unfolding his hands anxiously.
"Hard to say. Six weeks or months. Demonic suppliers are notoriously unreliable," the man explained.
Chris walked forward angrily, "Well, I can't wait, alright. I need it now."
The man grunts, "The impatience of youth. Then again it takes a young heart to brave great dangers."
"Spare me the Orpheus speech, old man. What are you saying?" he asked leaning forward on the stone desk.
Behind him an invisible figure appeared.
"Swamp land is where you'll find the Kotochul egg your potion requires."
Chris sighed leaning further onto the stone table.
"Now you understand the difficulty," he continued.
"Fine, I'll get you your damn egg. Just make sure you're ready by the time I get back," he stated turning to leave.
The invisible figure disappears.
Once again the feeling returned, Chris turned to the wall scanning it once before orbing out to the swamp lands.
Not even twenty minutes into his search he hears Phoebe calling him. Annoyed by the interruption he orbs to the manor.
"Yeah" he states as he arrived in the living room.
"Hey, I need you to watch Wyatt for me," Phoebe explained hastily.
"What? No, no way," he states firmly. 'No way in hell I'm watching him I have more important things to worry about!'
Phoebe narrows her eyes at him, reading him, "What's wrong? Why are you worried?"
"What's wrong? What's wrong is I don't do babies," he replied struggling for only a moment, "One and under crowd, not my thing. Leo however…" Leo suddenly appears beside him, "great with kids, especially his own." he looks to Leo, "You're not following me are you?"
Leo turns to Chris, "Why should I be?"
Annoyed Chris rolls his eyes looking back to Phoebe.
Phoebe looks between the two reading their emotions toward each other easily, "There's a lot of love in this room. Okay, so, um, there's a bottle in the fridge if Wyatt wakes up and the diaper rash cream, only if he needs it, okay? We've gotta keep that butt moist."
Chris laughs as Phoebe turns running to the kitchen, "Did you get that?" he asked before making his escape and orbing out to get back to his search.
ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo
Two hours later
While digging around in a particularly muddy area he sensed some strong tension forming between Phoebe and Paige. He had but to guess to know the cause of it. With a sigh he orbs out, leaving his search, to get Piper before things escalate.
Appearing in the back room of a restaurant he finds Piper talking to her date. He quickly walks over to their table, "Piper."
Hearing the voice of her young whitelighter Piper spun around to look at him, "What are you doing here?" she looks at his clothes, "Why are you covered in mud?" she asks.
Seth (A/N: Pipers date) looks at Chris then to Piper, "Excuse me a second, who's this?"
Piper goes to answer but Chris beats her to it.
"Me? I'm from the future," he states with an attitude. Not really liking the fact that Piper is dating or the fact that he had to neglect his mission once again for the sisters.
Looking down at the table she laughs uncomfortably for a moment, "Excuse us," she told Seth before grabbing the sleeve of Chris' shirt dragging him across the room, "Are you crazy?"
"You're not serious about that guy are you?" Chris asks looking over her shoulder at Seth.
Turning to look at Seth she stutters, "Well, uh…" turning back to Chris, "You know what, that's none of your business," her gaze falls to his clothes once more, "Where have you been?" she asks, wondering what in the world he had been doing this time.
Chris' gaze dropped to her, "That's none of your business. Look you better get home before your sisters kill each other."
"What? Why? What happened?" she asked quickly, before it hit her, she gasped, "Oh, no, Phoebe?"
He nods once in response.
Whirling around Piper looks to her date. "Great. Wait here," before walking back to her table.
Seth stands thinking she's going to sit.
"Hey, sorry to do this, but I've got a family emergency and I've really gotta run," she explains grabbing her purse.
Confused he does nothing but stutter, "Well…ok…then I guess I'll call you later."
She nods, "I'd like that. Thanks, for understanding." She smiles before going back to Chris, "Let's go."
Chris looks around making sure no one was looking before orbing them to the manor.
ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo
At the manor.
Chris and Piper appear in the entrance way to find Phoebe and Paige at each other's throats.
"Well, it's a good thing I did get involved because obviously there's a war going on over there," said Phoebe.
Fuming Paige responded, "I can handle it."
"Oh really?" she asked not believing her.
Seeing the opportunity Piper whistled, earning their attention, "Hi, hey, what is this about a war?"
Paige turns to Piper, "Ask Miss Buttinsky over there. She was with the Callaway's when they killed Richard's dad," gesturing to Phoebe as she spoke.
Turning to Paige, Phoebe stated plainly, "Paige, I'm telling you they didn't kill anyone."
'I was there," Paige argued.
"Yeah, so was I,"
They hear a noise and turn to find Leo coming down their stairs, "Hey, can you guys keep it down? I just got Wyatt to sleep."
Surprised Piper asked, "What are you doing here?"
Leo walks down the stairs.
"Okay, in the living room, in the living room, let's go, let's go," Phoebe says shooing her sisters into the living so as to not wake Wyatt.
"Can I go now?" Chris asks.
"No," Leo responds grabbing Chris and pulling him into the living room. The two walk in to catch the continuance of the sister's conversation.
"Paige, I'm telling you the energy ball did not come from the Callaway's," Phoebe stated trying to make her sister understand.
"I saw it come through the Callaway's window," she stated stubbornly.
"It couldn't have,"
Paige looks to Piper, "Oh, she's not only butting in, she's taking sides."
"Look, Paige, it's not only what I saw but it's what I felt. Don't you think if they just tried to kill someone I would have felt some intense anger coming from them? But I didn't."
"I don't know. Are you sensing any intense anger coming at you right now?" she asked angrily.
Calming herself, "No, but what I can sense is that maybe your attraction to this Richard guy is clouding your better judgment."
"I hate talking to an empath." She states holding the wound from the earlier attack, taking a seat on the couch.
"Wait a second, hold it. Didn't they fire on the Callaway grandmother when you got hurt? Maybe this is just retribution." Piper stated.
"No, Richard said his family didn't fire on them. I believe him," Paige answered.
Cutting in Phoebe asks, "Then where did the energy ball come from? They don't just materialize."
"Maybe they do," Piper added.
"What do you mean?" Leo asks.
Bored with the conversation Chris looks around the room crossing his arms.
She starts slowly, "Well, if Richard says it was no one in his family, maybe it was somebody else, maybe a third party."
"If so, the two families need to know before this escalates any further," the elder adds.
Piper looks to Paige "You've been in both houses, do you think you can get them to come here?"
"What do you mean, like peace talks?" she asks.
"Yeah, why not?"
Seeing his chance Chris straights up, "You've got an Elder right here, who better to mediate? Good luck." He says slapping Leo on the back then orbing out.
ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo
Going back to the swamp lands Chris spends more time searching for this egg. Pulling back a large rock he sees it, "Finally," he states quietly pulling the egg from its resting place and placing it in a bag for safe keeping, orbing to the old man's lair.
"Back so soon?" the old man asks, "Did you find the egg?"
Walking forward Chris lifts the bag from the egg sitting in his right palm, handing it over to the man.
"Nicely done," he states taking the egg and looking carefully to make sure there is nothing wrong with it, "These aren't easy to find." He walks slowly toward his work station, Chris following behind him.
"Tell me about it. How long before its ready?" he asks impatiently. Knowing that his time was running out and Leo would soon be on the path to figuring out his secret.
"You'll have it when you need it," the old man states cracking the egg on the side of the cauldron allowing the yolk to fall into the beginnings of the potion. When the yolk adds to the mix the cauldron bursts out flames.
Chris watches in fascination as the man set to work in completing his potion. Exhausted from standing he sat down continuing to watch the old man. Time seemed to tick by slowly. As he waited thoughts filled his mind. 'I hope Becca has been doing alright with the sisters. I couldn't really get a read on them from the time I've spent with them. They haven't shown any indication that they know….maybe I'm just worrying over nothing. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't let anything slip, she knows the risks just as I do.' Pulling his knees to his chest, he crossed his arms placing them atop his knees, before resting his chin on his arms.
Before he knew it he was pulled into memories of the times he'd spent with her.
The dungeon, the room where he'd passed out, fighting Ash, taking her to the Lady's shrine to be healed after the battle, talking with her by the lake, eating lunch with her, 'It seems so long ago, yet it's only been a few days. The sooner this guy finishes with this the sooner,' he paused in mid thought seeing the man place a funnel into the top of a vial, lifting a tube to fill the vial. He quickly moved to the edge watching as the liquid was poured into the empty container.
"You sure this is gonna work?" he asked.
"As long as it doesn't make you violently ill," Chris stood watching him closely, "Side effects, you never know." The man explained.
Chris sighed, "Thanks for the tip," reaching to take the vial from the old man.
Pulling back he asks, "You sure it's worth the risk?"
"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't," Chris stated honestly taking the vial from him, turning away to inspect the contents closely.
"He won't tell me," the man states watching Chris.
"Tell you what?" he asks shaking the vial in his hands.
"What you need the potion for," Leo voice resonates within the cave as he becomes visible.
Chris turns in time to watch him materialize.
"Other than to hide your secrets that is," he continues, walking toward the young whitelighter.
"What? This was all a set-up? Is this even legit?" he asked the old man.
"It's legit alright. But I'm afraid you have to answer to a higher power now," he states before bowing out.
Thinking quick Chris tosses the vial to Leo, "Go ahead take it. It wasn't for me anyway."
"Really?" Leo asks not believing him.
Fixing the elder with a look he states, "I got it for the sisters. Phoebe's new power is wreaking havoc on their relationship, or haven't you noticed?"
Leo looks at the vial waving it around, "You expect me to believe this wasn't meant to protect your secrets?"
Shaking his head he answers, "No, I don't. But seeing as you haven't figured me out yet, why would I even need it?"
"Don't get too cocky, kid." Behind them the old man turns to watch, "Wouldn't want me to clip your wings now, would you?"
Whitelighter sound
They both look up listening to the call.
"Whoops, looks like Wyatt needs another babysitter, dad."
Leo orbs out.
As soon as Leo's gone Chris turns to the man, "Alright, how fast can you make another one."
The old man looks up from his book surprised by the request, "Within the hour possibly."
"Great, then it's a good thing I brought two of those blasted eggs," Chris said pulling another pouch out of his pocket, handing it to the man, "Get to work."
Taking the egg, he set to work, occasionally peaking up at the boy in awe. Never would he think the boy to have gathered more than one egg, which that in itself was very impressive. He knew how hard it was to find them and was utterly shocked that the young lad had been able to find more than one. He wondered how many the boy had actually found, in the case that the elder had found out what he was up to.
Once again he was back to waiting. Lucky he'd been able to find two eggs, had he not he would had to have wasted more time looking for another, prolonging the risk of the sisters and Leo finding out who he really was, not to mention the truth behind Becca. He shuttered to think what would happen if they ever found out.
ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo
Placing the vial securely in his pocket hidden well from the prying eyes of an elder, Chris orbed to the manor. Piper and Paige were standing outside the attic door yelling at Phoebe. He could only guess what was happening.
"Come on, Phoebe, you can't stay in there forever," Paige yelled through the closed door.
"Yes, I can," they heard her call back from inside.
"Phoebe, this is nuts. Open the door." Piper called to her.
"No," she stated as if she were bored.
"Phoebe," Piper called again. She turned to Chris.
"Phoebe open the door," he called, though he doubt she heard him as she'd started trying to cast a spell.
"Okay, let's see if this one works. In the name of the Halliwell line, bind my sisters from this power of mine," she read.
"Phoebe this is ridiculous," Paige commented.
Deciding to help further Chris called in warning, "Phoebe," pounding his fist against the door.
Piper tried again, "Phoebe."
Sounding a bit frustrated Phoebe yelled back, "It's not working, I can still feel your frustration."
Without her realizing it the three of them orb in behind her.
"I don't know what else to do, I've tried everything," she continues yelling at the door.
"Hey" Piper says causing Phoebe to jump and turn to them.
"You know, people lock doors for a reason," she informed them.
"Yes, well, I figure if you can use your powers to intrude on my life, then I can use mine to intrude on yours," stated fairly.
As she's talking Chris walks over to the sofa behind them and sits down.
"Come on, Phoebe. None of us like this new power of yours anymore than you do, but it's pointless to isolate yourself," Piper explained.
"Well, if I can't read you, I can't hurt you," she told them.
Chris turned his head waiting for the opportune moment.
Paige countered, "Well, how about instead of trying to control your power, maybe you try to, I didn't know, control yourself?"
"Because, Paige, I can't. And I can sense how annoyed you are right now and that's hurting me."
"Well, what's annoying me is I've discovered I have this magical destiny and I can't trust you to leave me alone for me to follow it."
"What do you think I'm trying to do up here?"
Cutting in Piper says, "Okay, let's look at the bright side. We settled a family feud, we set free a tortured soul, maybe your new power and Paige's new solo path away from the sisterhood, is some kind of synergy, that it's all working together in some kind of divine way."
During their sisters little speech they think about it, "Nah," the say in sync.
Finding his cue Chris stands walking toward the sisters, "I don't get it. Leo didn't give you the empath blocking potion?"
Piper looks to Phoebe, "What potion? Leo!" Leo orbs in. "Where is it?"
Phoebe turns finding him standing beside her, "Give me, give me, give me. Faster."
"Come on, come on, come on," Piper adds in.
Motioning toward the sisters Chris speaks up, "They're really anxious about that potion you got for them."
Leo looks from Phoebe to Chris then to the others, "Yeah, only I think you should wait to take it. Phoebe was given her power for a reason." Beside him Phoebe is motioning for him to give her the potion, in a child like manner.
Waving her hand before her Piper states, "Forget that," reaching out for the potion vial.
With a sigh Leo hands Piper the potion. She drinks some of it and then passes it on to Paige. Paige drinks some. They watch Phoebe each doing silly dances waiting to see if it worked.
She stares at them waiting, "Nothing, nada, zilch!" she states happily raising her arms above her head.
"Yes!" Paige exclaims clapping her hands before her.
"Hallelujah!" The eldest of the three shouts.
"Well," Paige begins heading for the door to the attic to leave, "I have to go finish a game of pinochle with grandma Callaway."
Phoebe turns, "Maybe you'll run into Richard."
'I'm sorry?" she asks.
"That was a sister thing, not an empath thing," Phoebe stands taking hold of Paige, "Come on." As she and Paige leave the room.
Chris turns to Piper, "So it worked, right? No nausea, queasiness, nothing like that?"
Piper looks at him scratching her head, "Nope, nothing," before leaving the room.
Turning to Leo he states, "Looks like we're one big happy family again."
Leo looks down then back to him, "You're not family." Then he too, turns and leaves the room.
Sighing Chris pulled the potion out of his pocket, drinking some before resealing it and placing it back in his pocket. 'If you only knew,' he thought before orbing out.
Well that's it for this one. Hope you guys liked it, if not I'll rewrite it. The quarter is nearly over which should give me some time to work more on these stories. I've come further with planning out my original story! I'll be posting a preview of it on my blog sometime this week, if you want to check it out. I honestly would greatly appreciate it if you did, but it's up to you. ^_^ I should have it up by this weekend…Take care everyone. Please don't forget to R&R!!!
Thanks to:
Angeleyenc: thank you for the kind review. I'm very glad you like this story! :D haha, yes. If you'd like I can give you a link to a photo of him.
Lizardmomma: I'm glad you enjoyed it. That they do, so much rides on them keeping their secret. Lol. Yeah, Leo is still a jackass. :D
Firepony16: I think it did? I'll have to recheck that. Thanks for pointing that out. I'll take a look and fix it. :D I'm really glad you like it. I appreciate the kind comment!
Celticfiddlerfourever: Wow, that is amazing! I don't think I've been able to finish all 22 chapters that quickly and I wrote the thing. ^_^ Thank you so much for the kind review. I'm really glad that you're enjoying it. Glad to have you as a reader!
Tomatosoup: first off love the name, its my favorite soup. ^_^ Thanks, glad you liked it!
And thank you to those that have read this without leaving a review. It means a lot that you simply read it. You're all awesome! I love you guys!