A/N: The dream sequences do kind of tell the truth, what with the whole
baby thing and the reason Leo has been acting strange, but they don't play
a major role. I know we're up to chapter 11 (!) already, and there should
be some sort of evil plot coming into play ^_^ but I can't bring myself to
do it!! Oh well I'll try!
*Batteries Not Included* After rounding up Melinda, Wyatt and Grace, Piper led them all inside and shut the door, very firmly behind her.
"No more going outside." She told them. "Until tomorrow." Tomorrow was garbage day, and Piper couldn't wait.
The door closed and Phoebe walked in. After setting mousetraps she'd gone to her office to collect mail.
"Hi Piper, hi Mellie. Hi Wyatt. Hey Gracie." Phoebe ruffled Grace's hair. "Do you have homework?" Grace nodded. "Want help?" Grace nodded again and Phoebe led her into the kitchen, where they set up camp.
Phoebe opened her laptop and was opening a letter when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" Grace announced, and rushed out of the room. It wasn't long before she returned, holding onto Cole's hand.
"Cole." Phoebe said, trying to mask her annoyance. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought I'd take Grace and the kids out." Cole said with a shrug.
"Grace has homework." Phoebe said testily.
"But mom!" Grace protested. "I hardly get to see dad!"
"Grace, don't argue with me." Phoebe told her. Sometimes Grace could be an angel, but she had a wild streak, and a temper worse than any of the other kids. "Cole I am the one with the custody here and we agreed that you would only see her twice a month." Phoebe said angrily. "And extra on birthdays and Christmas."
"Well Phoebe in case you forgot, I have been a lawyer." Cole snapped. "And so I think I would know the rights I have here. I am her father and we have to make decisions together, whether you like it or not."
"Mom stop making a fuss!" Grace complained. "I wanna go with dad! Wyatt and Mellie can come too, I don't care."
"Grace, please be quiet." Phoebe said, not looking at her. "Cole, get out! You're not welcome in this house."
"Grace let me in and she is a member of the household. Therefore I am her guest." Cole said loftily.
"Grace is a child!"
"I'm six years old!" Grace protested. "I'm practically a grown-up!"
"Exactly." Cole agreed. He still had a hold of her hand.
"Cole-" Phoebe was cut off as both Cole and Grace shimmered out. "Oh great." Phoebe muttered.
"Trouble?" Paige asked, wondering in.
"You have no idea." Phoebe complained. "Cole just kidnapped Grace!! One minute I'm arguing with him the next minute they shimmer out."
"Oh that's harsh." Paige agreed. "Got any idea of where they are?"
"Well he wanted to take her out. So they can't be at the penthouse." Phoebe said thoughtfully. "Where would you take a six year old?"
"Um either the zoo." Paige took a shiny red apple from the fridge, rinsed it under the tap, before biting into it. "Or maybe the toy store. I mean Cole spoils her rotten. When I've picked her up from there. whoa. The place is spotless till you go into the room Grace stays in and you see piles of toys. No wonder she likes Cole so much - apart from the fact he's her father of course."
"The toy store! Of course! Grace wanted a new Barbie doll. Think you can orb me?"
"I got nothing better to do." Paige agreed, and grabbed Phoebe's hand.
A moment later they were in a deserted alley behind the toy store. "Come on." Phoebe dragged Paige into the store, and led her to the lit up, pink isles of Barbie's. Just as Phoebe had thought, Cole and Grace were shopping for Barbie's.
Phoebe strode up to them and glared at Cole. "How dare you abduct my daughter?" She demanded, taking Grace's hand. "I could have you arrested for that!"
"Except I'm her father." Cole said angrily. Grace turned to Phoebe, defiant and clutching a giant box of Barbie doll clothing.
"Cole how dare you-" There was a flash and suddenly Phoebe found herself on the floor. The entire store was pitch black and eerily silent. "Cole." She muttered angrily. "If you think for one second that you can pull a fancy trick and-"
"Phoebe shut up." Cole snapped. "It wasn't me, okay?"
Phoebe ignored him. "Paige? Grace? Are you alright?"
"Fine, I think." Paige mumbled. "Am I the only one who was thrown to the floor?"
"No." Cole replied grimly. "Must have been some kind of power surge."
"Only a power surge doesn't contain a force to knock you to the floor." Phoebe argued. "So it must have been something else too."
"Look Phoebe-" Cole began, annoyed.
"Can you two stop bickering for five seconds while we figure this out?" Paige interrupted.
Phoebe sighed. "Okay then I say we wait till the store managers turn the power back on." Paige thought for a moment.
"Isn't it a little strange we're the only ones talking in a giant store full of children and adults, and nobody is even making the slightest whisper?" She asked.
"Hold that thought." Cole told her. "I'm going outside to check out what's going on." There was a scuffle, and he shimmered out.
"So now we're the only ones left." Phoebe sighed. "Might as well keep quiet then. It's weird talking when everyone else is so silent."
"I don't know why I didn't think of this before. I'll just orb a torch or something into my hand." Paige suggested, ignoring what Phoebe told her to do.
"No way, even if we are in the middle of a blackout there are still people around. They'll see the orbs." Phoebe muttered.
Paige sighed. "If you insist. Where's Cole?"
"Not sure. Knowing him he probably couldn't find the power box." Phoebe couldn't help but add. Paige rolled her eyes in the darkness. "Who's foot am I sitting on? Is that yours Grace?"
"No that's mine." Phoebe said, wriggling it. "Please get off it."
"Okay. Where is Grace anyway?"
"Oh when I fell she was right next to me. She's probably just being quiet. Gracie, speak up honey."
There was not a word from Grace however.
"Um Phoebe, knowing Grace she would have said something by now. Grace?"
"She probably wondered into another isle." Phoebe said nervously.
"That's it. Grace." Paige ordered. "Oh come on I've orbed humans around before. GRACE!"
"Nothing's happening." Phoebe said, now frantic. "Try the torch then."
"Torch." Paige ordered. A torch orbed into her hand, and Paige took it out of its wrapper, and clicked it on. "Wait a second. batteries not included." Paige groaned.
"Oh great." Phoebe muttered. "Well orb us out then. We'll find a torch and get back here ASAP."
"What about Cole?"
"What about him?" Phoebe asked impatiently, and grabbed Paige's hand, before they orbed out.
*Batteries Not Included* After rounding up Melinda, Wyatt and Grace, Piper led them all inside and shut the door, very firmly behind her.
"No more going outside." She told them. "Until tomorrow." Tomorrow was garbage day, and Piper couldn't wait.
The door closed and Phoebe walked in. After setting mousetraps she'd gone to her office to collect mail.
"Hi Piper, hi Mellie. Hi Wyatt. Hey Gracie." Phoebe ruffled Grace's hair. "Do you have homework?" Grace nodded. "Want help?" Grace nodded again and Phoebe led her into the kitchen, where they set up camp.
Phoebe opened her laptop and was opening a letter when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" Grace announced, and rushed out of the room. It wasn't long before she returned, holding onto Cole's hand.
"Cole." Phoebe said, trying to mask her annoyance. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought I'd take Grace and the kids out." Cole said with a shrug.
"Grace has homework." Phoebe said testily.
"But mom!" Grace protested. "I hardly get to see dad!"
"Grace, don't argue with me." Phoebe told her. Sometimes Grace could be an angel, but she had a wild streak, and a temper worse than any of the other kids. "Cole I am the one with the custody here and we agreed that you would only see her twice a month." Phoebe said angrily. "And extra on birthdays and Christmas."
"Well Phoebe in case you forgot, I have been a lawyer." Cole snapped. "And so I think I would know the rights I have here. I am her father and we have to make decisions together, whether you like it or not."
"Mom stop making a fuss!" Grace complained. "I wanna go with dad! Wyatt and Mellie can come too, I don't care."
"Grace, please be quiet." Phoebe said, not looking at her. "Cole, get out! You're not welcome in this house."
"Grace let me in and she is a member of the household. Therefore I am her guest." Cole said loftily.
"Grace is a child!"
"I'm six years old!" Grace protested. "I'm practically a grown-up!"
"Exactly." Cole agreed. He still had a hold of her hand.
"Cole-" Phoebe was cut off as both Cole and Grace shimmered out. "Oh great." Phoebe muttered.
"Trouble?" Paige asked, wondering in.
"You have no idea." Phoebe complained. "Cole just kidnapped Grace!! One minute I'm arguing with him the next minute they shimmer out."
"Oh that's harsh." Paige agreed. "Got any idea of where they are?"
"Well he wanted to take her out. So they can't be at the penthouse." Phoebe said thoughtfully. "Where would you take a six year old?"
"Um either the zoo." Paige took a shiny red apple from the fridge, rinsed it under the tap, before biting into it. "Or maybe the toy store. I mean Cole spoils her rotten. When I've picked her up from there. whoa. The place is spotless till you go into the room Grace stays in and you see piles of toys. No wonder she likes Cole so much - apart from the fact he's her father of course."
"The toy store! Of course! Grace wanted a new Barbie doll. Think you can orb me?"
"I got nothing better to do." Paige agreed, and grabbed Phoebe's hand.
A moment later they were in a deserted alley behind the toy store. "Come on." Phoebe dragged Paige into the store, and led her to the lit up, pink isles of Barbie's. Just as Phoebe had thought, Cole and Grace were shopping for Barbie's.
Phoebe strode up to them and glared at Cole. "How dare you abduct my daughter?" She demanded, taking Grace's hand. "I could have you arrested for that!"
"Except I'm her father." Cole said angrily. Grace turned to Phoebe, defiant and clutching a giant box of Barbie doll clothing.
"Cole how dare you-" There was a flash and suddenly Phoebe found herself on the floor. The entire store was pitch black and eerily silent. "Cole." She muttered angrily. "If you think for one second that you can pull a fancy trick and-"
"Phoebe shut up." Cole snapped. "It wasn't me, okay?"
Phoebe ignored him. "Paige? Grace? Are you alright?"
"Fine, I think." Paige mumbled. "Am I the only one who was thrown to the floor?"
"No." Cole replied grimly. "Must have been some kind of power surge."
"Only a power surge doesn't contain a force to knock you to the floor." Phoebe argued. "So it must have been something else too."
"Look Phoebe-" Cole began, annoyed.
"Can you two stop bickering for five seconds while we figure this out?" Paige interrupted.
Phoebe sighed. "Okay then I say we wait till the store managers turn the power back on." Paige thought for a moment.
"Isn't it a little strange we're the only ones talking in a giant store full of children and adults, and nobody is even making the slightest whisper?" She asked.
"Hold that thought." Cole told her. "I'm going outside to check out what's going on." There was a scuffle, and he shimmered out.
"So now we're the only ones left." Phoebe sighed. "Might as well keep quiet then. It's weird talking when everyone else is so silent."
"I don't know why I didn't think of this before. I'll just orb a torch or something into my hand." Paige suggested, ignoring what Phoebe told her to do.
"No way, even if we are in the middle of a blackout there are still people around. They'll see the orbs." Phoebe muttered.
Paige sighed. "If you insist. Where's Cole?"
"Not sure. Knowing him he probably couldn't find the power box." Phoebe couldn't help but add. Paige rolled her eyes in the darkness. "Who's foot am I sitting on? Is that yours Grace?"
"No that's mine." Phoebe said, wriggling it. "Please get off it."
"Okay. Where is Grace anyway?"
"Oh when I fell she was right next to me. She's probably just being quiet. Gracie, speak up honey."
There was not a word from Grace however.
"Um Phoebe, knowing Grace she would have said something by now. Grace?"
"She probably wondered into another isle." Phoebe said nervously.
"That's it. Grace." Paige ordered. "Oh come on I've orbed humans around before. GRACE!"
"Nothing's happening." Phoebe said, now frantic. "Try the torch then."
"Torch." Paige ordered. A torch orbed into her hand, and Paige took it out of its wrapper, and clicked it on. "Wait a second. batteries not included." Paige groaned.
"Oh great." Phoebe muttered. "Well orb us out then. We'll find a torch and get back here ASAP."
"What about Cole?"
"What about him?" Phoebe asked impatiently, and grabbed Paige's hand, before they orbed out.