Garthwar wasn't the most graceful demon. He stumbled as he navigated his way through San Francisco, guided by the intense sensations that knotted in his chest. It was amazing that walking along the flat sidewalk proved more difficult than managing the Underworld's inconsistent terrain. The past twenty-four hours had been ironically one of his greatest. Despite Valentine's Day being the antithesis of all things demonic, it also served as his most successful day of the year. Never were there more cupids fluttering about the streets, vulnerable and cocky in their celebrations and matchmaking. For a demon of hate like Garthwar, it was ideal.
Being contacted by the Source himself was perhaps one of his greater moments. Malum called on all demons of hate to combine in an all-out slaughter of Cupids. It was to be an extermination. No one was quite sure what called for such a direct attack against their nemesis but no one was willing to let down the Source. After years of wallowing in the Underworld, the demons of hate were finally needed. Garthwar wasn't one to let the opportunity pass.
Of course, it was painful to be in the human world. The positivity and love was far more potent up above than in the Underworld. His senses for it raged so fiercely that he almost didn't know where to turn first. The distinct stink of Cupid, however, was enough to keep him on track.
Evening was beginning to set in over the bay area. Crowds outside of restaurants and clubs began to swell. Despite the excess amount of people, Garthwar focused in on his target. It was a slender man. He was dressed in a fine suit, his golden hair combed over. Garthwar nearly growled with excitement when he saw the large stone ring on the Cupid's finger. It seemed far too easy.
The Cupid sensed Garthwar before he could get too close and without drawing attention, began a brisk pace down the sidewalk. Garthwar calmly stalked after him, smirking as the blonde ever so subtly glanced over his shoulder in anxiety. The Cupid ducked into an alleyway and Garthwar shook his head. Before the blonde Cupid could teleport out, Garthwar shimmered in front of him.
"That was a stupid move," he chuckled. Garthwar easily clenched a wide hand around the Cupid's throat.
"Please…" the Cupid begged.
In a quick instant Garthwar threw his fist into the Cupid's chest, instantly securing a grip around his heart. The man cried out in terror as Garthwar turned the once pure organ into a shriveling, burning mass. The Cupid instantly fell to the floor and Garthwar disgustedly wiped off his hand. Before the dead Cupid could be absorbed in a pink flash, Garthwar quickly reached down and ripped the ring from the man's finger. With satisfaction he threw it to the cement and in a single stomp, shattered the magical stone.
Lucy's heart was racing as she snapped out of the premonition. A twinge struck her chest but she was so riled by adrenaline she hardly noticed. She ran a hand through her auburn locks, forgetting that they had been curled and sprayed for her date that evening. Before the premonition caught her by surprise, Gage had arrived, sparing her of Lila fussing over her outfit. By the groan of frustration she heard from below it sounded as though Gage had broken the news that Carson was sick to his beau, easily thwarting the plans for a double date. And then before she knew it Lucy was assaulted by images of the demon of hate and a seemingly cruel fate for Cupids everywhere.
Not caring about whatever mood her sister was in Lucy scrambled out of her bedroom and nearly tripped down the stairs. "Lila!" she called.
Rather than finding her sister she spotted Gage at the bottom of the steps, clad in a dress shirt and suit. "She's not here," he grumbled.
"Why?" Lucy nearly choked.
He furrowed his brow. "What you didn't hear her blow a gasket down here? I think she teleported out to find Carson," Gage explained. Despite his frustration, his face softened with concern. "Are you okay?"
"I just need to talk to her," Lucy sighed. "I had a premonition upstairs and…"
"Look what I found!"
Lila's arrival was announced with her usual spunk. Bunched into her fist was a handful of Carson's shirt, indicative of her successful capture of the youngest Jenkins son. Carson gave a sigh as he exchanged glances with his brother. "Sorry," he mumbled.
"Now this double date can happen after all," Lila smiled.
"Great," Gage said through the gritted teeth of a mock smile.
"No, we can't go," Lucy interrupted frantically.
"Lucy, I know you tried to stop Carson from going on this date and . . ."
"What!" Lucy shouted in outrage. She glared at the two brothers. "I did no such…"
Gage gave her a pair of wide eyes, reminding her of the proposal and how his involvement in the near cancelled double date was to be secret. "It wasn't all her fault," Carson spoke up. "I did go along with it."
"That's because you're a gentleman," Lila smiled.
"Please," Gage scoffed with a roll of his eyes.
"Why thank you," Carson smiled.
"Lila, I don't care about earlier, I'm serious now. I had a premonition…"
"Lou, save it," Lila sighed. "I have been through too much today to make this a perfect Valentine's Day and I will not have you selfishly squander it because you don't want to go on a date. Think of poor Carson!"
"It's really okay…"
"It's a demon! There's a demon out there . . ."
"There are always demons, but tonight is Valentine's Day," Lila insisted. She glared around at all three of them as they stood in the foyer, her dark eyes turning serious. "Now, you're all going to put on happy faces and have fun tonight, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, of course," the Jenkins brothers clamored anxiously.
Lila raised an eyebrow at her sister. "Lucy?"
"If you would just listen to me…"
"Let's just let the rest of the family take care of demons tonight, okay?" she cut her off. "Besides, you're already dressed and your hair's done. You look great. Doesn't she look great Carson?"
"Uh, yeah. Yes," Carson stammered.
Lucy gave him a glare before Gage cleared his throat. "All right, shall we go?" he asked, hiding his secret defeat. Lila looped her arm into his and the pair headed for the front door. Lucy gave a bitter frown, folding her arms across her chest as she followed after. Carson gave a deep sigh, bringing up the rear, closing the door behind them.
Joey wasn't one for Valentine's Day. Perhaps it was a firm stance of masculinity but for whatever reason, maybe the torments of childhood, he never saw fit to celebrate the day. It would be easy to find a date – or at least a hook up for that matter – but in the end it was all artificial. Going through the motions of romance was depressing, rather than inspiring. Perhaps that was his problem; he had yet to find a woman who inspired anything in him but lust. He needed someone to make him more than who he was. And sometimes Joey doubted he would ever find that.
Despite his disdain for the commercialized aspects of Valentine's Day, he weaved through the lobby of Cornerstone Rehabilitation Facility with a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates in hand. He had been making up for the time he lost following his mother's death at the bar with long shifts but had fortunately negotiated with Chris to have February 14th off.
"This is a nice surprise," Kate smiled, glancing up from the worn paperback she read. Joey eased into her room, smirking as his sister clamored to take off her glasses and set aside her book.
"Who said they're for you? I have a lot of admirers," he teased.
Kate only took the roses and chocolate with the eagerness of a small child. Joey warmed with her enthusiasm. In the past few weeks he'd wanted nothing more than to help his sister. More than that, he'd discovered a new sense of allegiance to Kate. With her powers stripped she was among the mere mortals and Joey silently reveled in their new bond.
"You don't have a date tonight?" Kate asked.
He stole one of the chocolates from the box she'd opened. "I do," he replied. "Right here."
"You didn't have to come," she said.
"I wanted to," Joey told her. "Besides, every woman in San Francisco is crazy for love right now. It's best for us bachelors to go into hiding…"
"Right, because you're so irresistible," she scoffed.
"Precisely."
"What's everyone else doing?"
"I don't know. Everyone's so busy, I think the only person I see anymore is Mel and that's just because we live together. I've been trying to pick up more shifts at the club and…"
"Is she going out with Jack tonight?"
"Naturally," Joey said.
"What do you think of him?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean."
Joey took a pause to cringe and rub the back of his neck. "Well, I don't know. I don't think I end up liking anyone who you guys date and…"
"Joe," Kate cut him off. "This is serious…"
"What do you mean this is serious?" he asked more somberly.
Kate stopped picking through the chocolates on the bed and met her brother's worried eyes. She sat criss-crossed on the mattress and he was now on the edge of his seat, radiating with anxiety. "I think she should be careful," she said.
Joey swallowed hard. "Is he…"
"I don't know. But Mel came here yesterday and was telling me how she can't sense his emotions and that he's been acting strange."
"I knew I didn't trust him," Joey shook his head.
"We can't be sure of anything yet," Kate told him.
"What? We're supposed to be sure when he tries hurting her?"
"He would have done that by now…"
"Or he's just buying his time."
"There's one thing that bothers me," Kate murmured.
"What is it?"
She sighed. "I don't know if I ever told you but when I was in the Underworld, there was a demon that could have killed me. He snuck up behind. I couldn't see his face. He thought I was Sam and he told me to leave."
Joey's face fell further. "That means that Sam has been…"
"That's what I thought but now it makes sense."
"How?"
"The demon could have been Jack. They work together. He could've easily thought I was her," Kate explained. Joey was already bolting up from his seat, shoulders tensed, and dark eyes wild with urgency. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm not going to sit back and do nothing. She's out on a date with him…"
"I promised her I wouldn't tell, Joe, and besides that, we don't know for certain that Jack is a demon," she tried to reason with her brother. It was strange being in this new position of calmness and rationality. Usually it was Kate ready to pounce into the next battle. Now, however, with new perspective, she could see the flaw in such impulsive behavior.
Joey shook his head. "I don't like this. I don't have a good feeling. I didn't have one in the very beginning and now . . ."
"Now we just have to be smart about how we proceed," she cut him off, raising a warning eyebrow.
"I'm not going to do anything," Joey said as he paced. "I just want to check on her. Make sure he hasn't tried killing her or something."
"She's lasted this long."
"It will make me feel better and don't tell me you don't want to know either," he challenged.
"I think this is a fragile situation. Besides, whenever you get meddling with these sorts of things, something always goes wrong."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Remember when you tried to help Wyatt and Chris track that demon? Or how about when you thought it would be a good idea to help Lucy with potions and you nearly caught the entire attic on fire? And don't let me remind you of the time we had to save you from…"
"Okay!" Joey cut her off. "I know I'm not magically gifted like all of you but it doesn't mean I don't want to help. You don't know what it's like sitting back and watching everyone else go to battle. It's helpless and demeaning and isolating!"
"You don't think I know that? Look where I am! I'm essentially trapped here while the world continues out there without me!" Kate shouted. The room fell silent as the two siblings stopped their screaming. The outburst was clearly the product of pent up frustrations and they sheepishly avoided each other's glances. Joey was red with a combination of anger and embarrassment. Kate panted for breath, still riled by her fury.
"I'm sorry you have to know what it feels like," he cleared his throat softly. He stood with shoulders hunched and his fists shoved into his pockets.
Kate only glared down at the comforter of her bed. "Me too," she mumbled.
"I'm going to check on Mel tonight, whether you like it or not. We may not be able to do much but I can at least do that," Joey said. "You may not understand it now, but when this is the only thing you can do to help, you do it."
"Just go Joe," Kate told him. "I don't want to talk about this."
"Reality?"
"It's depressing!"
"You're going to have to go out there and deal with it eventually…"
"You don't think I know that? I've been here, trying to process how the hell I'm going to get my life back! Everything is different! Not just giving up alcohol or guiding my life by these new AA principles but I don't even have the powers I was born with! It's like part of me has been robbed! They might as well have taken an arm or a leg!"
Joey swallowed hard as she ranted. In most cases he could be sympathetic to his family's plights, especially Kate's as of late. But this he couldn't stomach. He shook his head. "You want me to feel sorry for you? Is that what you want?" he asked.
"I want you to understand!"
"I do understand!" Joey shouted. "No one gave a shit about how I felt without powers but now all of the sudden yours are gone and you want all the sympathy in the world. At least you had powers! At least you can still help! You still have a functioning body, a family that loves you, and a chance to start everything over even after you let it go to shit! I mean it Kate; I will never sit and listen to you complain about not having powers. You did this to yourself and I've supported you. But I will not let you act like you're the only Halliwell who has to live without magic."
"I should have known you would be like this. I guess I'm encroaching on your territory? Not so special anymore are you Joey?"
"Is that really all you have to say to me?" he growled.
Kate glared. "I told you to leave," she said.
Joey snatched his jacket up from the bed and angrily turned his back. "Happy Valentine's Day," he hissed, before slamming the door behind him.
"It's a good thing you didn't go overboard or anything…"
Lucy Halliwell was scolded with a sharp look from her older sister. The group of four stood on the rooftop of an unmarked building – presumably Gage's apartment complex – graced with an ideal view of the glimmering lights of San Francisco. The dark pool of the Bay glimmered and the Golden Gate Bridge basked in a glowing red glory. A table was stationed in the center, surrounded by candles and a few strings of lights.
"I guess it is a little much," Gage cleared his throat.
"It's perfect," Lila insisted, rewarding him with a kiss.
Lucy rolled her eyes while behind her Carson immerged from the building with a pair of chairs. Apparently Gage had planned the night for two and the feeling of intruding on the evening couldn't have been more prevalent. "What do you say we cut out of here early?" Carson whispered in her ear. "I don't know how long I can stomach them cuddling…"
"That makes two of us," Lucy murmured back. Aside from that, no matter how annoyed she was with her sister, Gage was worthy of some private time to initiate his proposal. In fact, the prospect of the engagement was the only thing that kept Lucy from completely ruining the meal.
It could have been much worse of course. The food for one thing was good. Lucy wasn't aware of Gage's affinity for cooking or his seemingly romantic tendencies. The lamb was a little overcooked and the vegetables still too cold but the wine was expensive and the store bought bread was edible. In-between awkward pauses in the forced small talk, Lucy avoided the pressing look of Lila, knowing far too well that the look communicated one of two things; either reprimand or encouragement to be an enthusiastic date for Carson. Before dessert could be presented, Carson cleared his throat.
"I think we're going to go on a walk," he said, glancing toward Lucy.
Lila's eyes widened with excitement at her sister, who only rolled her own. "Yeah," she agreed with Carson.
"Take your time," Gage said, raising a suggestive eyebrow.
"We know," Lucy murmured.
As soon as the two exited the roof, she gave a sigh of relief. Though her tolerance of awkwardness and discomfort was rather high, even Lucy couldn't avoid unease at the dinner. Carson echoed similar sentiments with a groan of his own. "What do you want to do?" he asked her.
"I don't know," she shrugged. "How long do you think it will take?"
"I'd give them thirty minutes," Carson replied. He held open the door for her and the two left the apartment complex with satisfaction. "You still like ice cream?"
"Are you still lactose intolerant?" she asked.
Carson smirked. "I can fight demons but I can't drink milk."
"It's certainly not as cool as kryptonite," Lucy told him.
"I think it still has a superhero-esque quality," he replied.
They walked in silence for a moment, hands in their pockets, hair moving with a faint breeze. "So you're living here now?"
"Yep. Graduated from University of Oregon last term. I'll take the bar exam in a month," Carson told her.
"So you're going to be an attorney," Lucy scoffed. "I'm not surprised…"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You were just always such a law abiding citizen, that's all," she told him.
"Well, I don't remember you being a beacon of rebellion, either," he said. "Besides you're going to school at Stanford? I'm sure they admitted you because you're so unique, not because you followed the rules or have a genius IQ."
She gave him a gentle shove and Carson laughed. "You're just jealous," Lucy insisted.
"That's me. Always jealous," he nodded.
"Comes with the youngest sibling territory," she replied, folding her arms across her chest.
"Ah, don't get me started on that," Carson said. He enthusiastically teetered on the edge of the sidewalk, sticking his arms out for balance. His bright eyes glimmered with the familiar happiness of boyhood that Lucy long ago remembered. His neatly kept light brown hair stuck out at a few ends.
"You haven't changed at all," she mused, not meaning to say it aloud.
Carson smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment," he replied. He gingerly stopped his performance of balance on the curb and glanced around. "What do you say we head to the pier?"
Lucy shrugged and followed after in agreement. Her auburn ringlets of hair were manhandled by the night air, slowly losing their bounce and retreating to more natural waves. She kept her hands stuffed in the pockets of her jacket. Carson stared down at his leather shoes with each long stride. "Your mom must be pretty proud," she spoke up. He glanced up in confusion and she quickly elaborated. "You know, going to law school…"
"Oh, yeah," Carson shrugged. "I guess. I mean, mom's always been a little more enthusiastic about the magical side of things."
"Going to school to be the family architect didn't seem to have much appeal either," Lucy chuckled.
"Well, we wouldn't want to work our brains too hard. Not when we have powers and demonic foes," Carson winked. He shrugged. "I guess the magic calling has never held much merit for me. It's not like I'm the firestarter."
"Hey at least you're not the least powerful of the Charmed Ones," Lucy said.
"You're still Charmed. That means something…"
"Yeah, sure it does. It means that they need me to hold their hands and chant a spell every once in a while," she clarified. "I mean, don't get me wrong; I'm not bitter."
"No, of course not. You don't sound bitter at all."
"I'm serious!" Lucy insisted, shoving him to prove her point. Carson laughed as he stumbled a few feet, hands up in surrender.
"All right, all right," he conceded. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was such a touchy subject with you."
"It's not."
Carson considered continuing their good natured jeering but only smiled. It was a crooked smile. His dimples twisted at an endearing angle that made Lucy want to grin but she resisted the urge. He kept his gaze trained on her and she glared. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied.
Lucy looked away, focusing on each foot forward, doing her best to remain disenchanted by her potential suitor. "Why'd you let Lila set us up?"
"I didn't," Carson said. "I mean, I didn't know it would be with you."
"But you still wanted Lila to find you a match for tonight?"
"Yeah," he shrugged.
"Why?"
"I don't know," he scoffed. "She offered and I thought it couldn't hurt. No one wants to be alone on Valentine's Day."
"I don't mind."
"Of course you don't," Carson shook his head.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"You just seem so set in your ways. Too cool for everything and everyone because you're so intellectual and sarcastic and bitter about being the youngest."
"Well, congratulations, this date is now over and you're officially alone on Valentine's Day, jackass," Lucy growled.
"I didn't mean it like that," Carson sighed.
"Oh you didn't mean to insult me?"
"Did it come across that way?" he winked.
"Yes!" Lucy shouted in outrage. "I knew this was a bad idea. I'm going to kill Lila…"
"What I meant is that you're far more than you believe yourself to be. And you hide behind this mask of wit and cynicism when deep down you're better than that," Carson explained genuinely. Lucy stopped her steps and peered up at his youthful but simultaneously masculine face.
"You haven't seen me in five years and you come to that conclusion?"
"I've always believed it," he shrugged. "Five years doesn't change anything. You're still the Lucy Halliwell I knew."
"And you're still a smooth talker. You'll make an excellent lawyer, let me tell you," she said, desperately brushing off his compliment and continuing onward. Carson sighed in frustration before following after.
"I think you've become more difficult with age," he decided.
"And I think you've become more…" Lucy's words stopped as a foreboding sentiment took over her entire form. The breath stopped in her lungs and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She tried to relax but the feelings meant only one thing.
"What's wrong?"
"It's happening," Lucy said.
"What?"
"The Demon of Hate," she replied. "I think it's Lila and Gage."
"Are they in trouble?"
"I don't know," Lucy murmured before breaking out in a run down the street. Carson, still struck with confusion, quickly turned on his heel and sprinted after her. The two desperately rushed toward the apartment complex.
While it was hard to accept the condo as a romantic setting, Phoebe Halliwell had done her best. After all, the house held too many memories of spit up, tantrums, first steps, and squabbles for it not to be associated with raising children. Even as she and Coop sat at the table set up in the living room, their three daughters stared down at them from photos on the wall.
"You didn't have to go through so much trouble," Coop sighed for the second time that evening.
"It wasn't any trouble," Phoebe assured. Two candlesticks glowed in the center of the table, capturing the aged but enthusiastic couple in a dim gold light. The second of the three course meal Wyatt had prepared was now only a few scraps of food on Phoebe's fine porcelain dinnerware.
"I should have been the one to put all this together," he insisted.
"I knew you would be busy with Valentine's Day."
"That's exactly the point," Coop muttered. The subtle wrinkles along his tan face deepened with quite distress.
"What's the matter?"
"It was exactly this kind of thing that drove us apart before. My calling always came before everything else," he grumbled in dissatisfaction. His frustration was clearly with himself but Phoebe couldn't help but frown. "I wanted us to start over on a clean slate and I feel like it never will be if I'm constantly preoccupied with charges and …"
"I'm not complaining."
"Well, I am," Coop said. His hurt was palpable and guilt radiated out of every pore. Phoebe cringed at his tangled emotions. "All I keep thinking since we started seeing each other again is that I screwed up the best thing I ever had. And now that I have it back, I see everything I did wrong. And I live in constant…"
"Fear that you're going to lose it again," Phoebe finished for him. His chocolate eyes met hers with pitiful honesty. She reached across the table and wrapped her hand around his large palm. "I'm here. I'm here and I don't want to go anywhere, Coop. I love you."
A glimmer of emotion made his eyes glassy and Coop managed a gentle smile. "I love you too," he said. "If it's at all possible I love you more now than I did twenty-seven years ago."
"That makes two of us," she told him. She squeezed his hand tighter.
"I know things got ugly at the end but I'm willing to take the leap if you are," he said.
"I'm here aren't I?" Phoebe smiled. He mirrored the gesture. For a moment, despite the obvious silver tips of Coop's hair and the subtle creases at Phoebe's cheeks, it was as if they were back where they started. Back in the condo. Back in their home. Back in love. Though Phoebe wasn't one for self-pity, she could only believe that it's what they deserved. They were worthy of the romance they once shared. They were worthy of a second chance. After all, she'd not only served as a Charmed One but she'd given birth to the new Power of Three. Surely, somewhere along the way she'd gained enough positive karma to have something worth lasting in her life.
"Shall I get dessert?" Coop asked. He kissed her hand before standing from his seat, carefully gathering their finished entrees.
Phoebe watched adoringly as he retreated to the kitchen. Their future was still uncertain – as always seemed to be the case among Halliwells – but at least for a short while, they could revel in the illusion of normalcy. Of course in most cases such instances were short lived.
The distinct sound of breaking dishes echoed from the kitchen. Phoebe instantly cringed. "Was that my good china?" she called from the table.
There was no reply and her concern quickly fixated on her husband. "Coop?"
A denser thump rattled the kitchen and Coop grunted. Phoebe quickly pounced up to her feet and scrambled into the room. Coop was caught in the middle of an altercation with two demonic foes. While he had the better of one of them, the second was clutching to his back, strangling him from behind.
Phoebe instantly ripped the demon from Coop's shoulders. The two of them stumbled to the linoleum floor. Phoebe grumbled as the heel of her new pair of shoes broke. In the meantime, her enemy quickly rolled on top of her. She expertly twisted out of his maneuver, slamming the edge of her palm into his face. Before she could get to her feet, the demon, though bleeding from the mouth, yanked on her ankle, bringing her back down to the ground.
Only a few feet away, Coop dodged the fireballs of his own adversary. The first nearly skimmed his head and the second had him ducking out of the way. As he recovered, Coop expertly swiped up the nearby skillet, and with one powerful swing, smacked the demon in the face. His foe quickly dropped to the ground, allowing him to come to Phoebe's aid.
Though his wife was surely capable of handling the demon on her own, Coop couldn't help his protective streak. He angrily pulled the adversary off of Phoebe, tossing him aside with ease. Phoebe gave a sigh, brushing the lose strands of hair off her forehead. "I had it," she muttered.
"Sorry," Coop chirped. "We're getting too old for this…"
"Coop!"
The fireball came quickly, hardly giving either of them a chance to react. Coop moved aside with only seconds to spare, but the sphere continued past him, bouncing off of Phoebe's shoulder with a scalding sensation. "Phoebe!"
Before Coop could reach her, the demon clenched an arm around his throat from behind, teasing his throat with the sharp end of a blade. "I wouldn't move if I were you, Cupid," he hissed. The demon's partner slowly ambled over, rubbing the back of his neck in agony. "Take his ring!"
While the gem was rudely ripped from Coop's finger, he watched Phoebe in concern. With resiliency she clutched her wound and started to rise to her feet. "I'm okay," she told him.
"Tell her not to move!" the demon with the knife demanded.
Coop took a long breath, remaining a calm hostage. "Don't move," he whispered.
She nodded, though Phoebe's dark eyes flashed with fire, suggesting all the horrible things she planned to do to their adversaries. The demon who had Coop's ring studied it in intrigue, while his companion roughly shoved the Cupid against the wall. "This was far too easy," the demon muttered.
"You're a demon of hate," Coop realized under his breath.
"Coop…." Phoebe muttered in anxiety.
The demon of hate brought back his fist, prepared to throw his hand into Coop's chest and secure a fatal organ. "Stop!" the second demon shouted.
Everyone in the room froze in confusion. The demon slowly lifted his gaze from the ring. His partner glared in confusion. "What is it?"
"It's him," he explained, gesturing to the gemstone.
Phoebe and Coop's faces fell in bewilderment but the two demons seemed to understand. With complete seriousness, the one with a hold on Coop cleared his throat. "Let's go," he said.
Before Phoebe could react the trio shimmered out. She glanced around the destroyed kitchen and then down at her wounded arm. With a sigh she glared up toward the ceiling. "Wyatt! Chris! Girls!"
"You're hogging all the popcorn."
"Shhhhhh!"
Sam's face dropped at the simultaneous hushing she received from Wyatt and Laura who kept their gazes glued to the television screen. She swiped away the bowl of popcorn from Laura's grasp, hardly engaged in the romantic fantasy unfolding in the movie.
"I don't understand how you guys can stand this. It's so sappy," she groaned.
"Do you have to be so cynical?" Laura asked. "Just because you have to be alone on Valentine's Day doesn't mean you have to ruin the movie for the rest of us."
"Hey! You're alone too!" Sam shouted.
"James and I are just taking a break," Laura insisted quietly.
"Sorry," Sam muttered. "I shouldn't be giving you such a hard time."
"Thank you."
"I mean with Gage proposing to Lila tonight and all…."
"What!" Wyatt exclaimed in excitement. Laura choked on a piece of popcorn as her copper eyes widened. "That's great!"
"Are you kidding me?" Laura wheezed.
"Nope. Lucy told me today," Sam explained.
"Why didn't she tell me?"
"She probably didn't want to make you feel bad," Wyatt insisted. Laura punched his bicep. "Ow!"
"It doesn't make me feel bad. I'm happy for them," Laura insisted with more gusto than necessary. "And as for the oldest having to get married first, it makes no difference. I mean, aunt Piper got married before aunt Prue and aunt Paige before mom. I mean, do I wish it was me? Of course. But maybe some of us just aren't meant to be married…"
"Oh don't be so dramatic. You're going to find to someone and be wedded in bliss," Sam told her cousin.
"You don't know that."
"I'm with Laura," Wyatt nodded. "Some Halliwells just aren't destined for marriage."
"Don't tell me you're giving up too. You're supposed to be the family optimist."
"I'm not being pessimistic. I'm just saying, there's a fair chance that I'll never marry."
"Where's all this coming from?" Sam asked in confusion.
"Yeah, what about Alex? I mean I know she couldn't spend tonight with you but at least you have someone. Not like Sam and I . . ."
"Speak for yourself," Sam cut her off. The snarky comment came quicker than she could stop herself and she almost instantly regretted spewing a possible revelation. While Laura's mouth dropped in confusion, Wyatt continued obliviously.
"Well, you see there's actually something I wanted to tell you about Alex…"
"What do you mean speak for myself?" Laura spoke over Wyatt, eyeing Sam with intrigue. "Is there someone I don't know about Samantha?"
"No, no, I was kidding. Wyatt, go ahead, what were you saying?" Sam stammered unconvincingly.
"This is hard for me to explain but…" Wyatt started only to be interrupted a second time.
"Don't change the subject," Laura said. "You've been acting strange and going off without telling anyone anything and I'm not the only one who's noticed."
"It's nothing Laura!"
"You are the worst liar!"
Wyatt, though flushed of most color, cleared his throat. "So as I was saying…"
"We can't afford to have anyone sneaking around right now," Laura warned her cousin.
"I slept with a manticore okay!" Sam blurted loudly.
Both Wyatt and Laura faltered with confusion. "You what?"
"I didn't know at first but it happened. And now he's helping me in the Underworld."
"In the Underworld?" Wyatt choked.
"He's not as bad as he sounds."
"Okay, maybe you want to start from the beginning, like what the hell you're doing in the Underworld? Do you have feelings for him?"
"For Nick? No! No of course not…"
"As I said, terrible liar," Laura muttered.
Wyatt shook his head in exasperation. "Okay guys, I really just need a minute to get this off my chest."
Laura and Sam were too deep in their own conversation to notice. "He's just helping me," Sam tried desperately.
"Do what exactly?"
"I'm gay!" Wyatt shouted above them.
His voice rang through the apartment, echoing with defiance that brought Sam and Laura to complete silence. Wyatt swallowed hard, slow to recover from the intense revelation. Laura cleared her throat to speak first.
"I'm sorry, Wyatt, did you say what I think you said?" she asked.
"I'm gay," he repeated gently. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to share it like that. I just don't know how much longer I can go on keeping it a secret."
"Don't apologize Wy," Laura soothed, placing a gentle hand on his back. Sam scooted closer, though her brown eyes were still wide in surprise.
"Honey, how long have you known you were…uh you know?" Sam asked cautiously.
Wyatt shook his head, "Nine years, maybe ten," he muttered. Both girls gasped and he blushed. "I knew I shouldn't have said anything…"
"No, it's not that. I just can't imagine keeping something like that to myself for so long," Laura replied. Sam nodded in agreement.
"We're not judging you, Wyatt. And for the record, no one else in the family will either," Sam added. "We love you no matter what."
"I know," he muttered, still bowing his head in embarrassment. "I just feel like a fraud. All those years of never bringing girls home. All those years of sneaking around and lying to everyone. Lying to myself even…I'm going to be thirty years old in eight days and it's taken me this long to be honest."
"Wyatt don't beat yourself up. This had to come out on your own time," Sam assured.
"Yeah. This is about you, not any of us," Laura nodded.
"I need to tell my parents," he murmured, still recovering from the gravity of sharing. Wyatt stared off distantly, shaking his head, hands still clasped together with nerves. He took long, deep breaths. "I need to tell everyone."
"You don't need to do anything you don't want to do," Laura soothed. Wyatt was her best friend, or at least the person in the family she always seemed to turn to. He was her rock and in this moment, it pained her to see him so conflicted and alone. Wyatt's sexual preference was as important to her as his shoe size, but the idea of him having to hide something for so long seemed dark and unfair. It was a wonder he could keep such an optimistic nature when keeping something so guarded. Secrecy was consuming and distracting and nauseating. Surely, the years of anxiety had worn him down and all this time, she hadn't had a clue.
"I'm sorry for how I this came out. I didn't mean for it to be this way…"
"Stop apologizing," Laura whispered, squeezing his shoulder. "As crazy as things seem, we're here for you too."
Sam nodded in agreement, though she struggled to grasp the entirety of Wyatt's words. The thought that Wyatt could be gay never crossed her mind in her twenty-five years. He'd always been an older brother figure; strong, sweet, and wise. Sure there'd never been any girls in the last seven years but she always assumed he had the same problem as everyone else in the family; no time for a normal, romantic relationship. Now she didn't feel betrayed but amazed that she'd failed to notice anything before.
"Thanks for being so understanding. You two are the first people I've told," Wyatt muttered. He ran a hand through his gold locks, nervously grinning with his ever charming smile.
"Well, it's an honor," Sam smirked. "But I have to ask; does this mean there's no Alex?"
Wyatt blushed. "No there's an Alex. Just uh, a man Alex."
Before more could be exchanged, both Wyatt and Laura stiffened in their positions. The hair on the back of Laura's end tickled to a point and Wyatt stared up at the ceiling in somberness. "You feel that?" Laura asked him. Wyatt nodded.
"What's going on?" Sam asked.
"It's mom," Laura said, already on her feet. Wyatt moved just as quickly, forgetting their conversation instantly.
"Should I come?" Sam asked.
"No, we've got it," Wyatt assured. The two cousins left in a flash of color, leaving Sam in her apartment with an empty bowl of popcorn and voices coming from the ongoing romantic comedy. She sighed, chewing on her lower lip. In the silence, left with her own thoughts, she couldn't avoid it.
It was Valentine's Day and the only place she wanted to be was with Nick.
Despite the occasional chill that came with February, the San Francisco night was tranquil and temperate. A nearly full yellow moon glowed against a navy backdrop and from the rooftop, the city sounds fell to just a sweet whisper. While Lila soaked the scene up with vigor and wide brown eyes, Gage watched her with as much intrigue.
"Everything's perfect," she said.
"Good," Gage smirked. "That's just how I wanted it."
Lila graced him with a dimpled smile that inspired the butterflies in his stomach to take flight. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand with his own. "This is our third Valentine's Day together," she realized.
"One of many more," he said. He was almost trembling with nerves as the anticipation danced through his veins. He'd rehearsed his proposal speech more times than necessary and still sweat beaded at his neck and his heart palpitated. Gage knew Lila loved him but that said nothing for her answer. She was unpredictable. She was independent. She was a Halliwell. He knew the task ahead was no easy one as he thumbed the box in his pocket.
"You okay?" Lila asked him. "You seem stressed."
"No, no, I'm just thinking," Gage stammered. He took a deep breath. "Wow, I'm sorry, I didn't think this would be so hard."
"What would be so hard?"
"Lila I love you," he spat uneasily. He was going off script and he inwardly cringed.
She tilted her head in confusion. "I love you too, Gage. Honey, what's going on?"
"I've just been thinking about us. About how I want things to be. Well, not just how I want things to be but how you want them to be. Well, how I hope you want them to be…" he rambled with red cheeks and Lila squinted in confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
"What I'm trying to say is that these last three years with you have been the best of my life. When I'm with you I feel whole and I feel like I can be the best version of myself. And in the moments we're apart, those short instances during the day, I want you. I need you. And when I think about before, I don't know how I got by," Gage swallowed down a pit of emotion and fumbled with the ring in his pocket. "And when I think about the future, I only think of you."
Lila's chocolate eyes twinkled as they caught the light. She gripped his hand harder as if anticipating and feeling the same energy that dominated him. Her heart fluttered. Heat warmed her perfectly round cheeks and her lips trembled into a scared smile. She didn't know how she'd failed to see it before. She was a cupid, after all, surely she should have sensed his intentions. And even now as she watched him across the table it seemed unreal. Every girlhood fantasy was finally culminating into a sweet, breathtaking, declaration from Gage. All that was missing was the ring. "Gage, I…" Lila swallowed, unable to express the right sentiment.
"Don't say anything yet," he smirked, digging in his jacket.
The moment was becoming all the more dreamlike as Lila kept her eyes on him, hardly able to fathom the near perfect moment. Before Gage could produce whatever was in his pocket, however, Lila's dream quickly became a nightmare. Her brown eyes widened in horror. "Gage…" she sputtered.
"Just please, let me, try to get this out, I …"
"Gage! Look out!" Lila's voice echoed from the rooftop as a demon rolled up a hot red fireball.
In an instant, their engagement was put on hold.
Long time no update! I hope you all enjoy this installment. I know there's a lot going on in this one - especially with Wyatt - and I'd love to know what you think. Sorry for such delays between updates. Not only has it been hard to just get in the rhythm of writing but since college my journalism work has gotten a lot more intense! Thanks for sticking with me - Sammy
