Chapter Seventy-Nine
Seven heartbeats echoed against the eerie silence that had engulfed the room. Perhaps the eighth heart belonging to that of a rebellious and ambitious demon bred in the pits of the underworld had ceased beating centuries earlier.
Fortunately, Phoebe had been correct in her belief that Npu's adoption of a human form prevented him from detecting the energy generated by the invisible witches. In this instance, the magic immortalized in "The Book of Shadows" had given the "Charmed Ones" the upper hand over their demonic adversary. Still, Phoebe was taking no chances. She whispered to Paige to "get Piper". They needed the power of three should Npu prove impatient and execute his deadly intentions. Paige nodded her understanding and quickly orbed from the loft. The novice witch had also decided to bring back Leo just in case the healing powers of a "White Lighter" were needed.
The fear etched on Gary's face betrayed him to his "guest".
"Is something wrong, Gary?" Chuck asked.
Don't lose it Hobson...you can't lose it! Think of Jennifer and Garrett. Gary's inner voice encouraged.
The mental pep talk was sufficient enough to enable Gary to tap into his arsenal of courage. His brain also took control as he formulated a plan to handle the body snatching demon and protect his family from jeopardy. Then inspiration, possibly born from desperation, struck.
"Nothing's wrong, Chuck," he said in a surprisingly convincing manner, "I...ah...I just didn't expect you is all."
Chuck laughed. "You know me, always unpredictable. I know that you told me not to come, but I got to thinking about you. I was worried about you, buddy."
Gary managed a weak smile. But behind that smile was a more pressing thought. He needed to get Jennifer and Garrett out of there! His wife had questioned his acting ability. Well, he was about to give the performance of his life. He just prayed that she'd realize what he was doing.
"Come in, Chuck." Gary's heart was racing as the demon wearing his best friend's body entered his home. Silently, Gary prayed that not only would he be able to protect his wife and child, but that there would also be a way to free Chuck from this insidious invasion by evil. The thought of expelling Npu by killing Chuck wasn't an option he would consider. Leo had talked about the demon being unable to survive in a dying host body and once Npu relinquished his human vessel, that it would be possible to heal Chuck, but Gary couldn't take that risk when even the tiniest margin of error existed. And he couldn't look into those blue eyes, Chuck's eyes, and physically harm his best friend. He couldn't do that under any circumstances.
Gary closed the door. Turning around to face his wife, he added, "It's nice to know that 'someone' was worried about me." He shot Jennifer an icy stare to cement his words. Yet, those mud green eyes gazing at her appeared tortured and apologetic.
She understood and took his cue. Jennifer was afraid to leave him alone with Npu, but she knew that Gary wanted her to get their son someplace safe. Silently, she cursed herself for imploring him to call Piper and postpone the plan. She needed to get to the witches. She had to bring them back to help. Jennifer lifted Garrett from his crib. Immediately, the baby's face contorted with displeasure before he let out a sharp wail. Clearly, Garrett was not happy that he had been awakened from his sleep.
"Was that little remark meant for me?" She replied angrily. "I love you and I do worry about you. I'm sorry if I don't agree with you when you do things without thinking them through first, without thinking of how they will affect all of us and not just yourself."
"Are you calling me selfish? Well, that's like the pot calling the kettle black now isn't it? I'm not the one who is so eager to desert my husband and child so I can become a Hollywood movie star!" Gary countered.
"And I'm not the one who hired a half-naked waitress!" She retorted.
Garrett was now fully awake. The shock of being disturbed from his sleep coupled with the sound of his parents' raised voices had precipitated a stream of loud and tormented cries from the infant.
"It's okay, honey. It's okay." Jennifer said in a soothing voice as she gently massaged her son's back. "Look, we're upsetting the baby. I think that I better leave now before we end up saying something that we'll both regret." She added. However, as Jennifer proceeded towards the door, Cat bolted unexpectedly from its hiding place underneath the bed. With flawless agility, the feline hurried across the room and situated itself against the door like a barricade. A chorus of fitful meows accompanied its actions. The animal antics were desperate. It seemed as if Cat didn't want Jennifer and Garrett to leave the loft.
But Jennifer failed to heed the peculiar warning. After several moments and some prodding from her, Cat finally (and reluctantly) surrendered its berth. As Jennifer and Garrett left the loft, neither she nor Gary was aware that she and their son were about to face a greater menace.
Chapter Eighty
Several persistent and grating scratches at the closed door followed by a steady chorus of "meows" offered a telling overture to the impending disaster. The curtain hadn't been opened yet to the tragedy that was about to unfold. But Cat knew the script. A hero who had sent his wife and child away from their home to escape evil had unintentionally rewritten the scene. Only thing was, Gary didn't know that his actions had changed their futures in a deadly way. That was what Cat had been trying to tell him. That's what The Paper would tell him. He could still change Jennifer and Garrett's destinies. He could still make things right. He just needed to look at The Paper before it was too late.
"How do you put up with the racket? That cat is driving me crazy! How are we supposed to talk with all this noise?" Chuck complained.
Cat stopped what he was doing for a moment to stare at Chuck. This very special feline, this pipeline to goodness via its relationship with the caretakers of the early edition, was attuned to the demonic energy. For a brief moment, it appeared that Cat was considering its options. With a hiss and claws extended, Cat seemed poised to attack Chuck.
Gary was considering his options, too. He had watched Cat carefully and had determined that the animal was aware that this man wasn't Chuck. But if Cat behaved uncharacteristically hostile towards Chuck and Npu picked up on that, then they all would be in great danger. Gary couldn't let that happen. He knew what he needed to do.
"Stop it! What's the matter with ya?!" Gary yelled at Cat. Gary approached Cat and without saying another word, bent over and scooped the animal into his arms. He opened the door.
Cat knew what was coming next. The feline directed its hissing at Gary, defiant yet determined to let him know that he was about to make a big mistake. Except Gary wasn't listening. As one last final, desperate gesture, Cat once again extended its claws and scratched Gary's hand. It was a slight scratch; Gary's reaction was one of shock rather than pain. Cat's actions were intended as a warning, but Gary didn't understand. Instead, he tossed Cat outside of the loft and closed the door.
"Jennifer has made him very spoiled. He thinks that he has to be the center of attention all the time." Gary quickly covered upon noticing the expression on Chuck's face, a combination of confusion and suspicion.
A brief silence.
"I came by because I was worried about you, Gary. You don't look too good."
Gary rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "I didn't sleep too well last night."
Chuck glanced at the couch then at Gary. "The joys of matrimony, huh?"
"Jennifer...she just...things haven't been easy for her. She had a difficult pregnancy and now that Garrett is here, I think that she has that thing that some women get, you know, post-partum depression. I kinda feel like I'm walking on eggshells around her sometimes. But I love her. I just have to learn how to be more patient and supportive of her."
"You mean, you have to learn how to be a better whipping boy, don't you? Look Gary, I know that you love your wife and I like Jennifer, I do, but she's a spoiled brat. It's not her fault really since she grew up as daddy's little princess. She's used to getting her way in everything. That's why she's being so unreasonable about this waitress. So you have a beautiful woman working for you, so what? And even if you admire the woman's beauty, what's the harm? You're allowed to window shop without actually buying the goods. Look but not touch, right? What guy wouldn't? Jennifer should trust you. She's working on that show of hers, having those steamy and passionate scenes with her co-star and that guy is doing more than looking. And who is to say that she's not enjoying it, at least a little bit, while she's making you out to be the bad guy."
"It's not like that."
"Maybe. Maybe not. All I'm saying here is that you have to stand your ground. This is the second time that you've married a strong-willed woman with a domineering father. You don't want to have a repeat of what happened with Marcia. You owe it to yourself, but more importantly, you owe it to your son. You want Garrett to be his own man, don't you? That won't happen if you stand by silently and give in to everything your wife and in-laws want for your son. Okay, if this post-partum business is true, I think that a little distance from you and the baby for a short while will do Jennifer a lot of good. Tell her that you want her to do the movie. And like I said, I'd be happy to help you take care of Garrett. Just leave him in my hands."
Seven heartbeats echoed against the eerie silence that had engulfed the room. Perhaps the eighth heart belonging to that of a rebellious and ambitious demon bred in the pits of the underworld had ceased beating centuries earlier.
Fortunately, Phoebe had been correct in her belief that Npu's adoption of a human form prevented him from detecting the energy generated by the invisible witches. In this instance, the magic immortalized in "The Book of Shadows" had given the "Charmed Ones" the upper hand over their demonic adversary. Still, Phoebe was taking no chances. She whispered to Paige to "get Piper". They needed the power of three should Npu prove impatient and execute his deadly intentions. Paige nodded her understanding and quickly orbed from the loft. The novice witch had also decided to bring back Leo just in case the healing powers of a "White Lighter" were needed.
The fear etched on Gary's face betrayed him to his "guest".
"Is something wrong, Gary?" Chuck asked.
Don't lose it Hobson...you can't lose it! Think of Jennifer and Garrett. Gary's inner voice encouraged.
The mental pep talk was sufficient enough to enable Gary to tap into his arsenal of courage. His brain also took control as he formulated a plan to handle the body snatching demon and protect his family from jeopardy. Then inspiration, possibly born from desperation, struck.
"Nothing's wrong, Chuck," he said in a surprisingly convincing manner, "I...ah...I just didn't expect you is all."
Chuck laughed. "You know me, always unpredictable. I know that you told me not to come, but I got to thinking about you. I was worried about you, buddy."
Gary managed a weak smile. But behind that smile was a more pressing thought. He needed to get Jennifer and Garrett out of there! His wife had questioned his acting ability. Well, he was about to give the performance of his life. He just prayed that she'd realize what he was doing.
"Come in, Chuck." Gary's heart was racing as the demon wearing his best friend's body entered his home. Silently, Gary prayed that not only would he be able to protect his wife and child, but that there would also be a way to free Chuck from this insidious invasion by evil. The thought of expelling Npu by killing Chuck wasn't an option he would consider. Leo had talked about the demon being unable to survive in a dying host body and once Npu relinquished his human vessel, that it would be possible to heal Chuck, but Gary couldn't take that risk when even the tiniest margin of error existed. And he couldn't look into those blue eyes, Chuck's eyes, and physically harm his best friend. He couldn't do that under any circumstances.
Gary closed the door. Turning around to face his wife, he added, "It's nice to know that 'someone' was worried about me." He shot Jennifer an icy stare to cement his words. Yet, those mud green eyes gazing at her appeared tortured and apologetic.
She understood and took his cue. Jennifer was afraid to leave him alone with Npu, but she knew that Gary wanted her to get their son someplace safe. Silently, she cursed herself for imploring him to call Piper and postpone the plan. She needed to get to the witches. She had to bring them back to help. Jennifer lifted Garrett from his crib. Immediately, the baby's face contorted with displeasure before he let out a sharp wail. Clearly, Garrett was not happy that he had been awakened from his sleep.
"Was that little remark meant for me?" She replied angrily. "I love you and I do worry about you. I'm sorry if I don't agree with you when you do things without thinking them through first, without thinking of how they will affect all of us and not just yourself."
"Are you calling me selfish? Well, that's like the pot calling the kettle black now isn't it? I'm not the one who is so eager to desert my husband and child so I can become a Hollywood movie star!" Gary countered.
"And I'm not the one who hired a half-naked waitress!" She retorted.
Garrett was now fully awake. The shock of being disturbed from his sleep coupled with the sound of his parents' raised voices had precipitated a stream of loud and tormented cries from the infant.
"It's okay, honey. It's okay." Jennifer said in a soothing voice as she gently massaged her son's back. "Look, we're upsetting the baby. I think that I better leave now before we end up saying something that we'll both regret." She added. However, as Jennifer proceeded towards the door, Cat bolted unexpectedly from its hiding place underneath the bed. With flawless agility, the feline hurried across the room and situated itself against the door like a barricade. A chorus of fitful meows accompanied its actions. The animal antics were desperate. It seemed as if Cat didn't want Jennifer and Garrett to leave the loft.
But Jennifer failed to heed the peculiar warning. After several moments and some prodding from her, Cat finally (and reluctantly) surrendered its berth. As Jennifer and Garrett left the loft, neither she nor Gary was aware that she and their son were about to face a greater menace.
Chapter Eighty
Several persistent and grating scratches at the closed door followed by a steady chorus of "meows" offered a telling overture to the impending disaster. The curtain hadn't been opened yet to the tragedy that was about to unfold. But Cat knew the script. A hero who had sent his wife and child away from their home to escape evil had unintentionally rewritten the scene. Only thing was, Gary didn't know that his actions had changed their futures in a deadly way. That was what Cat had been trying to tell him. That's what The Paper would tell him. He could still change Jennifer and Garrett's destinies. He could still make things right. He just needed to look at The Paper before it was too late.
"How do you put up with the racket? That cat is driving me crazy! How are we supposed to talk with all this noise?" Chuck complained.
Cat stopped what he was doing for a moment to stare at Chuck. This very special feline, this pipeline to goodness via its relationship with the caretakers of the early edition, was attuned to the demonic energy. For a brief moment, it appeared that Cat was considering its options. With a hiss and claws extended, Cat seemed poised to attack Chuck.
Gary was considering his options, too. He had watched Cat carefully and had determined that the animal was aware that this man wasn't Chuck. But if Cat behaved uncharacteristically hostile towards Chuck and Npu picked up on that, then they all would be in great danger. Gary couldn't let that happen. He knew what he needed to do.
"Stop it! What's the matter with ya?!" Gary yelled at Cat. Gary approached Cat and without saying another word, bent over and scooped the animal into his arms. He opened the door.
Cat knew what was coming next. The feline directed its hissing at Gary, defiant yet determined to let him know that he was about to make a big mistake. Except Gary wasn't listening. As one last final, desperate gesture, Cat once again extended its claws and scratched Gary's hand. It was a slight scratch; Gary's reaction was one of shock rather than pain. Cat's actions were intended as a warning, but Gary didn't understand. Instead, he tossed Cat outside of the loft and closed the door.
"Jennifer has made him very spoiled. He thinks that he has to be the center of attention all the time." Gary quickly covered upon noticing the expression on Chuck's face, a combination of confusion and suspicion.
A brief silence.
"I came by because I was worried about you, Gary. You don't look too good."
Gary rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "I didn't sleep too well last night."
Chuck glanced at the couch then at Gary. "The joys of matrimony, huh?"
"Jennifer...she just...things haven't been easy for her. She had a difficult pregnancy and now that Garrett is here, I think that she has that thing that some women get, you know, post-partum depression. I kinda feel like I'm walking on eggshells around her sometimes. But I love her. I just have to learn how to be more patient and supportive of her."
"You mean, you have to learn how to be a better whipping boy, don't you? Look Gary, I know that you love your wife and I like Jennifer, I do, but she's a spoiled brat. It's not her fault really since she grew up as daddy's little princess. She's used to getting her way in everything. That's why she's being so unreasonable about this waitress. So you have a beautiful woman working for you, so what? And even if you admire the woman's beauty, what's the harm? You're allowed to window shop without actually buying the goods. Look but not touch, right? What guy wouldn't? Jennifer should trust you. She's working on that show of hers, having those steamy and passionate scenes with her co-star and that guy is doing more than looking. And who is to say that she's not enjoying it, at least a little bit, while she's making you out to be the bad guy."
"It's not like that."
"Maybe. Maybe not. All I'm saying here is that you have to stand your ground. This is the second time that you've married a strong-willed woman with a domineering father. You don't want to have a repeat of what happened with Marcia. You owe it to yourself, but more importantly, you owe it to your son. You want Garrett to be his own man, don't you? That won't happen if you stand by silently and give in to everything your wife and in-laws want for your son. Okay, if this post-partum business is true, I think that a little distance from you and the baby for a short while will do Jennifer a lot of good. Tell her that you want her to do the movie. And like I said, I'd be happy to help you take care of Garrett. Just leave him in my hands."