So, here comes the next chapter. It's pretty long even for me. But I couldn't find the right point to stop. I guess it is alright.
Thanks for everyone who reviewed the last time. Have fun with this.
Thanks to Ann!
Chapter 25
Leo answered the door and stared at the man standing there. He seemed to be Leo's age – well, the age he should be – maybe a bit older with grey hair under a large brown cowboy hat. He wore an expansive grey suit with a white shirt and a leather band around his neck with a silver pendant. He clearly looked Texan. Leo wondered if there was a fair or anything but the man held out his hand and waited for Leo to shake it.
"Jem. Jem Taylor," he said with a deep voice. Yes, Texan indeed. Leo had difficulty understanding him.
"Leo Wyatt," he answered still wondering what was going on.
The other man laughed. "So, you are the father. Nice to finally meet you." His voice left Leo doubting if he was really enlightened.
Leo understood that he should know this guy. Taylor.
"I'm Kat's father. Well, I was," he said. He didn't sound a bit like a father who had just lost his child. However, as far as Leo knew, Kat hadn't had a great relationship with her parents so maybe they had lost each other long ago.
"Now, is your son here?" Jem asked. "I already checked two other addresses."
"Yes. I mean, no. Chris lives here now but he isn't home at the moment. But, please come in. I'll call him." The ex-Elder was sure that Chris had no interest in meeting with the other man. But he tried to stay politely.
"So, he hurried back home to mommy and daddy?" the laughter gave Leo goose bumps.
"Actually, we offered it to him. To help with Josh. Do you want to see him?"
"Who?"
"Josh. Your grandson."
"Of course. Is he with you? Do you let your wife work for a living as well?"
Leo noticed he held his hands in fists. What an…
He called for Josh who played outside with his baseball.
"Come to your grandpa!" Jem exclaimed and held out his hands.
Josh looked up to his grandpa Leo and wondered where else he should go. Leo gave him a light shove and Josh went to the other man who he didn't know. He kept eye contact with his grandfather but let the other man, who smelled bad, give him a hug.
"I'll call Chris," Leo said. "Please, take a seat." He left to get the phone in the kitchen when he turned around he saw Josh running after him, clinging to the leg of his pants. Leo placed his hand on the 4 year old's soft hair.
He reached Chris and after telling him that his father-in-law was there, he heard the line go dead and his son appeared in front of him in blue and white orbs.
"What is he doing here?" Chris asked and peered into the living room. Some days just kept getting worse.
"I don't know. He just arrived."
Chris watched the man in their living room who walked around examining every piece that stood there. Chris had only met him two or three times but after the first time he already understood why Kat hated him. He was a cruel man, always shouting at his family and having great fun when someone or something got hurt. He had a large field of cows and even they would run off when they saw him coming.
"Good. He won't stay long," Chris said dryly. Leo wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement. The 22 year old took two beers out of the fridge and went to his father-in-law. "Hi Jem, what are you doing here?" He handed him one of the bottles.
"Well, I had a meeting some managers here. A new company wants to buy the meat from my cattle."
Chris nodded. "Congratulations."
They clinked the bottles together. "Thanks. I really seem to become rich in my dotage. What about you?"
"I wait for my dotage to come before I'll get rich."
Jem laughed and took a large gulp from his beer. "Canadian?" he said doubtfully. "Don't you have any national pride?" No need to say that Jem was Republican.
Chris shrugged. "Drink it or leave it."
Jem held out his hand protectively. "Where is my grandson now? I thought I could talk a bit to him."
"I guess he is outside, playing again. Why don't you go and play with him?"
Jem looked into the garden. "Why not? I hope he is not a little wimp like his father?"
Chris just took another drink from his beer and let Jem go outside. "What is wrong with that guy?" he asked his father not caring if Jem could hear him.
Leo sat down on the sofa. "Is he here alone?"
"Thank God. You won't stand the bitch he calls his wife."
"Chris, please. I'm sure he just wants to see his grandson and then will leave again."
Chris scoffed. This man hadn't wanted to see his grandson for 4 years now. It was pretty unlikely that he got soft now. But he had no chance to voice it towards his dad as Piper was calling.
"Who is that man playing with Josh? I saw them from the road."
"That's his grandfather. Kat's dad," Chris said. Just as Jem came back into the living room with Josh, who ran to his father and sat down on his lap.
"What a beautiful lady!" the Texan man said and placed a kiss on Piper's hand who blushed slightly. "She is much too good for you," he said to Leo.
Leo frowned. He didn't know if it was a joke or serious. But he didn't liked the tone in his voice.
"Why don't you stay for dinner," Piper purposed. "I'll call the rest of the family. How long do you plan on staying?"
"Oh, I will fly back home tomorrow morning. I just had business to do here."
"What kind of business?"
"I have a few cattle herds down in Texas. I sell the meat and leather."
"Oh, that sounds great. I own a restaurant. Maybe you could deliver me fresh meat too?"
Chris tried to stop his mom from talking so nicely to Jem but she didn't even look at him. How can such an ugly guy have so much charm on ladies?
Piper went into the kitchen to call the family and fix some dinner. Luckily, she always had enough food in store to make a great dinner when a sudden guest arrived.
Jem was a loud man. He talked a lot. He didn't care for his words. He just said whatever came on his mind no matter how it sounded. He was rude and obscene. It took Piper two seconds with this man at the table to understand that it had been a huge mistake to invite him over. Jem Taylor didn't even try to hide his antipathy towards his son-in-law. Josh seemed to be scared of the man. He had chosen a seat far away from his other grandfather between his Uncle Coop and Aunt Phoebe. Usually, he was an open kid and talked a lot but that night he only gave monosyllable answers and searched for his father's eyes from time to time.
Chris felt his hate towards Kat's father boiling up until it made it hard for him to breath. The first time he had met the man, he and Kat were already married. She wasn't welcomed and neither was he. But when she told her parents that she was not only married but also pregnant it resembled a chase away. They stayed in Texas for exact 8 hours. That was the flight plus the two hours stay at the Taylor's farm. The next time they visited them was two years ago to show Josh the other side of the family. But everyone felt the hostility and no one really cared about seeing the baby. Apart from Kat's mother maybe. But she had no say in anything and either she didn't care or she just was this type of women who rather wanted a dictator than a husband.
"I'm just glad that not both of my daughters ended up with a bastard. My older daughter isn't married at all. She doesn't even live together with a man. At least, those two haven't embarrassed me and my wife like that again," Jem said with his dark cruel voice and didn't resign to point towards Chris with his knife to emphasize his point. "But of course I hoped better for Kat. We had hoped that she'd marry the son of a friend of mine. But no, she had to leave, life in the city as some cheap hostess. And that's what happened!"
"I always fell that I can support my kids whatever they decide to do with their life," Phoebe said.
"You have to show your children where they need to go. That's what I believe." Jem emptied his wine.
Wyatt leaned over and whispered into his brother's ear. "Why do you let him talk like this?"
Chris only shrugged. There was no use in talking against Jem. He wouldn't listen anyway. In the end, he hopefully wouldn't have to meet this man ever again. After all, their only connection was Kat and she was gone now.
"Have you visited your daughter's grave already?" Leo asked.
"No. I insisted in burying her in her hometown. I still don't think that she should lay here. She is our daughter."
Chris knew that this was against him. Jem had yelled at him on the phone that Kat should be flown down to Texas, but Chris had thought it was inappropriate to fly a body around from a woman who had died in a plane crash.
"I thought she should stay with her son," Chris said. He wasn't really interested in what Jem had to say to this.
"He won't even remember her in a year."
"But she is still his mother and he will know about her."
"We can argue about this again. We know that it should have been different."
"Yes, indeed. She should still be alive."
Jem gave him a dark look but Chris concentrated on his drink. It seemed like the alcohol was the only thing Chris and Jem had in common.
"She wouldn't be dead if she hadn't to work. Real men care for their family. They earn enough money so their wives don't have to travel all over the country to pay the bills," the Texan man said.
"I had a job. Kat wanted to work. That's why she came to California."
"She should have stayed with us. Gone to the local college and found a husband. We should have never allowed her to come here. She only ended up with a child and a kid for a husband who still clung to his mom's skirt. You ruined her life."
"No, she ruined what you had planned for her."
"And what did she has from it? Death."
Suddenly every mortal and the cupid at the table stopped mid motion. Leo, Henry, Jem and Coop all sat there frozen in the spot.
"Josh?" Chris gave his son a scolding look even though he was grateful for the interruption. Josh looked at his father with large eyes. He didn't understand what this was all about. Why was this ugly man who was his grandfather talking so mean with his daddy? And why was no other adult helping him.
"That wasn't Josh. It was me," Piper said. "This man has no right to talk to you like this. He should be grieving, he lost a daughter, but he doesn't even seem to miss her. Instead of mourning her, he blames everyone but himself."
"Mom, you have no idea what went on between Kat and her father. He can say whatever the hell he wants. I don't care and you shouldn't either. He is an old bitter man who finally understood that his whole family hates him. He just needs someone to take it out on. I don't care if it is me as long as he never comes back."
Piper sighed. She waved her arm and as soon as Jem was unfrozen again, he went on about what a mistake his daughter had made.
"That man is unbelievable," Piper said to her sisters when they stood in the kitchen fixing the dessert. "He needs to get out of here."
"We serve the dessert and then one of us calls him a taxi," Paige said, relieved to be out of the dining room. It was so uncomfortable to sit at the table while a totally stranger slashed at Chris and his own daughter.
"Poor Josh, is totally scared," Phoebe said, feeling the emotions coming from her little nephew.
"No wonder. The man is such jerk," Paige replied. "I'm scared of him too. I'm impressed at how Chris keeps down his temper."
"He keeps it down with alcohol," Piper muttered. She put mouse au chocolat in bowls.
"At least, they have one thing in common," the youngest sister murmured.
"What is wrong with you?" Phoebe asked Piper.
"I don't know. I'm just thinking. Leo and me treated the kids just like this man. We never helped them. They had no one. How can I complain about Kat's parents, when we were just acting the same?"
"Oh, sweetie, you can't think that. They didn't even need you. They were good parents, believe me. I visited them often enough to be sure." Phoebe placed an arm around her older sister's waist. "And you help now when you are needed. Believe me, you are nothing like this man. You were upset, that's true but he really has no love for anyone inside of him while you love your family with all your heart."
Piper sighed. She placed the bowls on a tray. "Okay. Let's get this over."
"I really wonder, why he even came here when he has no interest in Chris or Josh? He didn't even go to the grave. What does he want?"
"He wants to go back to Texas and tell all his stupid cowboy friends that I'm just the loser they all thought I am when they first saw me," Chris said suddenly appearing in the kitchen. "How long is dessert? Enough time for me to commit suicide?"
"It's done. I'll have your father call this man a taxi right afterwards. I want him out of my house," Piper said.
Chris took a deep breath. First he wanted to tell his mother that she was the reason why this guy was here anyway and now she acted like she was the only one suffering. But he didn't even open his mouth. It was not fair to take it out on his mother when it was Jem he was mad at. That wouldn't make him any better than his father-in-law.
"I'm really glad you're keeping your calm. I know how much you'd like to tell him what you really think," Phoebe said.
"I just don't want to go down to his level."
"That's a good attitude."
It wasn't as easy as they had hoped to get Jem Taylor out of the Manor. He invited himself to sit on the sofa in the living room after dinner to have another scotch and didn't even react when Leo said it was already late and everyone had to get up early the next morning.
Josh had never been happier that he had to go to bed so early. This man who said to be his grandfather was a mean and rude man, Josh hated him, and he never wanted to see him again. Luckily, his dad promised him that he never had to visit him and his cows in Texas, although the old man kind of insisted.
The taxi finally arrived and everyone said a more or less obvious hostile farewell. Chris brought his father-in-law to the door. "I guess we won't meet again."
"Who knows? There is always my grandson." Everything Jem said sounded like a threat.
"If you think that he will forget Kat be sure that he will forget you sooner. I'll make sure of it."
Jem glared at the young man a second. "You know, I'm right. You and my daughter have both ruined your life. I knew when I saw you the first time. You were kids. Stupid kids that had no idea what they had gotten themselves into. I'm sure my daughter had regretted what she had done really fast. She should have getting rid of the baby and rid of you. I know that she surely had wished she had listened to her father in the first place. She'd had a great life then."
"You are the only one who thinks that. You know, when we arrived back home from meeting you, she said that she might have been with her parents but she never felt so much at home as in our apartment here in California with me. I'm sure it hurts to know that your child really hated you. She hated you for what you said about her sister and about me and what you did to your wife. I know all that. I suggest you rather stick to your cows."
The Texan man put his hat on head. "You think you are on your way back up. I tell you haven't hit the ground yet."
"I tell you if he's not here in a second, we start our dinner," Piper said. She hated it when people didn't arrive at the Manor for family dinner in time and her sons knew that well. Now, where was Chris?
No one dared to say anything so Piper wouldn't lash out completely.
"Finally," she sighed when they heard the front door. A moment later, Chris stood in front of the table. He hid his hands in the pockets of his jeans and a rather beautiful young woman was at his side, also hiding her hands behind her back.
"Kat?" Wyatt asked surprised. He knew the young woman himself. But not too well. He wondered what she was doing here with his little brother.
"You know each other?" Piper asked equally surprised.
"Yes. Hi, Wyatt," Kat greeted him.
"Would someone please explain this to me."
"Yeah. Well, Kat and I…" Chris started to look nervous.
"She's your girlfriend now?" Wyatt suggested.
"Ehm, no. Not exactly."
"You are friends," Phoebe purposed.
"Yes. No."
"Then what are you?" Piper finally demanded angrily.
"We are, you know, married."
Kat and Chris revealed their hands showing the shiny golden rings.
The whole family stared at them with the same dumbfounded looks. No one had even known that Chris had a girlfriend.
"Married?" Piper's voice cracked.
"Yes. Married." Chris tried to keep his voice calm. "You know." He hummed the sound of the brides walk quietly.
Piper stood up from her chair slowly. "I see. Can I talk to you for a second, please. Alone."
Chris sighed. He could imagine what was going to come. He followed his mother into the kitchen.
Piper's head appeared in the door again. "Leo," she hissed and her husband left the table as well.
Kat stood in the room unsure of what to do. Phoebe saw it and offered her hand. "I'm Phoebe."
She and Kat shook hands. "Oh, I know. I read a lot of what you write."
"Oh, really? Thank you. Take a seat."
"I don't think I'll have to."
"Oh, Piper. She will take that easy. She's just surprised. She'll be okay."
Right in that moment they could hear Piper from the kitchen. "What the hell have you been thinking?"
She paced the kitchen floor. Leo took a seat while Chris decided to remain standing.
"You don't have to marry, just because you think you're in love. You can be together with a girl for a while without being married. We are not that conservative," Leo said trying to keep the mood lightly.
"I know that. That's not why we did it. I had a good reason."
"You do? Tell us, please," Piper demanded crossing her arms in front of her chest. She couldn't understand what her son was telling her. He had a bright future ahead and now…he was married.
"She's pregnant."
"Oh, it's really noble that you feel responsible. But it's not your task. It's the father's," Piper replied.
"I am the father."
Piper stopped pacing and placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Leo."
The ex-Elder sighed. What was he supposed to say? "You never told us you had a girlfriend, at all."
"She never was my girlfriend."
Piper's grip tightened. "Then how did that happen?"
"Mom…" Chris blushed.
"Oh, I know how it happened. You saw this pretty girl, stopped thinking and had unprotected sex with her."
"No! No, that's not what happened."
"Then what did happen?"
"I met her at the party. Wyatt's birthday party last month. It happened there. But we did use protection. I swear. It just didn't work. Obviously."
Piper threw her hands in exaggeration. Chris feared a second she may blow him up but nothing exploded.
"Have you ever thought that the baby is maybe not yours," Leo asked. Chris shook his head. "You don't know her that well. The father could be anyone."
"Good thinking," Piper agreed.
"No, it's mine. I know it."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I saw it."
"You saw it? Where? In a vision? You don't have that poser."
"Neither could I throw Elder bolts before. But now I can. Maybe to protect the baby."
"That's ridiculous."
"Actually, it's not," Leo disagreed. "Lots of witches get more powerful to protect their children."
Piper glared at him.
"I'm just saying."
Chris understood his parents were way too upset at the moment. "Listen. I married Kat who is pregnant with my baby. That's how it is."
"And what do you expect us to do?" Piper said.
"Maybe say something like 'Congratulations' or 'We'll always be there for you'."
Piper shook her head and dropped on the chair next to Leo'. "But what about school? You were accepted in Harvard. You already packed some stuff."
"I know. I already called and told them that I couldn't go. Not yet."
"And when?"
"I'll go to the local college. In a few years."
"A few years?"
"As soon as Kat earns enough money, so I can go to school full time."
"And what is she doing?"
"She's a reporter for Channel 8 radio station. But she applied for a job at Channel 8 TV station."
Piper felt a headache coming.
"Where are you going to live?" Leo asked. He was sure Piper was not ready to take them in but he would offer it to his son, anyway.
"Kat has an apartment and we're search for a bigger one."
"You don't even have a job," Piper started again.
"Yes, I do. At the store. I already asked Mrs. Dafoe if I could stay permanently until I find something else."
Leo sighed. He had to admit that it didn't surprise him that his son had at least sorted out a few things.
"Do you know what this decision means? Your life will never be the same again."
"I know that."
"I have a feeling, you don't," Piper said. "You have never even lived alone before. You are a father now. No more parties, no more selfishness, no more one-night stands. And this girl. What do you know about her? Do you even get along? Do you have the same aims in life? Do you know her family? Do you know her past? Does she know about magic? Can you answer all that?"
Chris stared on the floor. No, he couldn't.
"You are 18 years old. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into." She stared at the clock on the kitchen wall. "I have a proposition. Elide the marriage, go to school and Leo and me will raise the baby until you have a proper education and a job."
"No," Chris refused at once. No one else would raise his child except for him.
Leo ran a hand through his hair. "Do you and your wife have a plan? Do you know how you are going to live?"
"Yes. We do and we don't need your help."
"That's good, because we won't help you," Piper said crossing her arms again. "You have gotten yourself into this mess. Now, you try to sort it out. We won't help you."
Chris stared at his parents for a second but they wouldn't read the emotions in him. "Okay. Don't worry, we won't contact you again. If you ever want to see your grandson, you can stop by. I'll get my stuff tomorrow."
Chris left the kitchen without saying goodbye or even turning around again.
Kat was sitting at the table when he came back. She looked up questioningly.
"Come on, let's go," he said and held out his hand.
She took it but said. "I was invited for dinner."
"No, you weren't. None of us were."
Wyatt found his brother sitting on his son's swing. "Man, I thought our parents were bad," he said smirking. "That guy is bad." He approached his brother and saw the bottle in his hand. "Don't you think you guys had enough of this already?"
"Yeah, I guess you are right. Funny, what things we have in common. But I hope you can forgive me after this dinner." Chris said. And even if it were he wouldn't listen to Wyatt anyway.
"Kind of. I never knew he was so bad. Why do you let him talk to you like that?"
"How should I make him stop?"
"I don't know. But I remember how you sometimes talked to mom and dad or me, it leaves me wondering. That's all."
"He's gone. That's all. And he somehow is right?"
"What do you mean?"
"I got to change my life, Wy."
"And what will you do?"
"I'll look for an apartment, I try to keep my job for the next years and I'll deny women."
Wyatt laughed until he noticed that his brother was serious. "Come on, you are drunk. Go to bed if you want to keep your job."
"I'm not that drunk. I thought about it. I'm 22 now, in 14 years Josh will probably leave his home for college. And even if he stays he has his own life then. In 14 years I'm 36. Then I start fresh."
Wyatt frowned. "Okay. That's a plan indeed. A bad plan."
"It's not bad. It's stress-less."
"Okay, now, what happens when you meet the love of your life now or in a few weeks or in a few months?"
"That is really unlikely."
"But it could happen. I mean you already met someone, didn't you?"
"Did I? Who?"
"The waitress in mom's restaurant."
"Amy?" Chris pretended not to care when indeed the thought of the young woman made him feel a bit better even though he didn't really know her. "I don't even know her."
"What I know is that your eyes started to light up when I mentioned her," Wyatt winked. "All I'm saying is, don't stick too much to your plan. You don't have to sacrifice your own life for your son. You're doing a great job as it is. No matter what some jerk from Texas is saying."
Chris emptied the bottle. "Thanks."
"Actually, I came out here to give you an invitation. This Sunday, I'll give a birthday party for Rachel and a housewarming party for the apartment."
"Thanks. But don't count on me too much." Chris stood up only swaying lightly.
"Come over. Really. It will be fun. There will be people from high school even. And it will cheer you up a bit."
"Your high school friends bugged me in the past."
"We are grown up now."
"As I said don't count on me too much."
Chris went back inside. His mom and dad were still sitting at the now cleaned up dining table. They looked up when he went past them.
"Good night, sweetie," Piper said.
Chris felt that he really had drunk too much. This was a bad condition. You either drink enough to forget that you have drunk too much or you only drink so little that you don't have to worry. "Do you mind waking me up tomorrow if I should oversleep, please. I didn't fight for this stupid job to lose it again."
Don't forget to tell me if you liked it or not. It's okay to tell me that you don't like Jem or Piper's and Leo's reaction. That's actually what I want to hear ;-)