The witches quickly went to the attic to check the Book of Shadows again. Phoebe was the first to reach it. Her eyes closed as her hand touched the cover of the book, and opened a moment later.
"Did you see anything?" Kevin asked.
"No, nothing," Phoebe said. She looked at her younger sister. "You were right, Paige."
"Hey, am I good or what?" Paige smiled.
"Good or paranoid," Piper said.
"I'm not paranoid, I'm just… cautious," Paige said.
"Speaking of caution," Prue said, "What do you think Grams was so worried about? I've never seen her like that."
"I don't know," Phoebe said, moving so that Wyatt could reach the Book of Shadows.
Wyatt started flipping through the pages of the book. "It must have had something to do with the Anubite. She must have known something about it that we don't know."
"Do you think it's back?" Prue asked.
"That wouldn't surprise me," Wyatt said.
"You mean it wasn't vanquished?" Phoebe asked.
"We couldn't find a way to destroy it," Wyatt said. "We still don't know why it left the first time."
"We'll be ready this time. It can't beat the power of four," Prue said.
Wyatt finished his search of the Book of Shadows. The page with Maggie's picture was gone now, along with a few others. Unfortunately, the book didn't mention the Anubite, either. He closed the book.
"Find anything?" Jill asked.
"No," Wyatt said. "But Prue's right. The Charmed Ones can handle it."
"As long as all of us work together," Prue said.
"Right," Paige said. "After all, there's no 'Charmed Ones' in 'team'."
"So Wyatt," Jill said. "Do you think we broke the curse on the book?"
"We must have," Wyatt said. "The page with the bad information is gone."
"Then I think we should go on with the plan," Jill said. "The underworld knows we're here now, and fairy magic won't keep demons out for long."
"You're right," Wyatt said. "Paige, I'll need your help again to find the other covens."
"Sure," Paige said. "Maybe I can break the world record for orbing."
"Thanks," Wyatt said. "I'll be ready to leave after dinner, but if you need to do anything first, we can wait."
"I'm ready when you are," Paige said.
"Sounds like we're finished here," Kevin said. "Let's eat."
"Wow, with everything going on, I completely forgot about dinner," Phoebe said.
"I didn't." Prue put her hand over her stomach. "I'm starving."
"Don't worry, I've got the main course simmering as we speak," Piper said.
"I still say it could use some green pepper," Maggie muttered.
"Well, we'll just see about that," Piper said.
The witches began to head downstairs. Wyatt stood off to the side. He took a deep breath, and gently touched Piper's shoulder.
"Piper, can I talk to you for a minute?" Wyatt asked.
"Of course," Piper said, turning to look at him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just… I thought we should talk."
"I didn't think you wanted to talk to me," Piper said softly.
"No. I mean, I wanted to." Wyatt turned away, unable to face the concern and sadness in her eyes. "Leo used to talk about you all the time. I was just a kid then, but I remember. He'd show me pictures of you, and tell me that you were the most loving person he'd ever known. He told me that the three of us had a bond that not even death could break, and I'd wonder if you were coming back. I kept imaging what would happen when I saw you again, until I realized that it wasn't going to happen. But now you're here, and I'm not sure how to feel."
"Wyatt," Piper put her arm around him. "I know this isn't easy for you, and that's okay. We'll work through it."
"You look just like you did in those pictures." Wyatt reached into his pocket, and pulled out a picture. It showed Piper holding Wyatt on his first birthday, and Leo's arms were around them. Piper and Leo were smiling, and Wyatt's hand was grasping the collar of Leo's shirt. "I think this was his favorite. He used to look at it when he thought I was asleep. He tried to be strong around me, but when he saw this picture…"
Tears began to form in Piper's eyes. "You've kept that all this time?"
"It's all I had," Wyatt said, his voice wavering as he gazed at his family in the picture. "Until I met Prue. She kept me going these last few years."
"Remind me to thank her," Piper said.
Wyatt looked at her, and put the picture back in his pocket. The two of them stood together in the attic, both of them needing time to come to grips with their emotions. Eventually, they went to join the others for dinner.
The meal was quiet. Everyone had a great deal to think about, from the troubles in their own lives to the rice plague that was destroying China's economy. Of all of them, Kevin was the most worried: For the second time in his life, he was preparing to go to war.
Eventually, dinner ended and everything had been put away. Paige and Wyatt walked into the living room together, and the others followed.
"We'll be back late tonight," Wyatt said. "Hopefully, we won't be alone."
"Goodbye," Piper said.
"Good luck," Prue added.
"Thanks," Wyatt said.
"And hurry back," Jill said. "If we don't hear from you tonight the waiting'll kill us."
"And by 'waiting'," Kevin said, "She means demons."
"Very funny," Wyatt said.
"Ready?" Paige asked.
"Wait," Maggie said, standing up.
"Maggie?" Wyatt said.
"Just be careful," Maggie said.
"Thanks Maggie. We will be," Wyatt said. "I'm ready, Paige. Let's go."
Paige and Wyatt orbed out. The first coven that Wyatt wanted to contact was in Hong Kong. He'd spoken to them before, and they seemed to agree with his plan. With their help, getting the other covens to join would be much easier.
The two of them rematerialized inside a burned-out building on the outskirts of the city.
"What happened here?" Wyatt said. "The meeting site is destroyed."
"It might have been an accident," Paige said, trying to sound hopeful.
Wyatt turned around as he studied the ruined interior. On the rear wall, he saw a pentagram drawn in blood. "I don't think so."
They started to search the wreckage that filled the room. Under a piece of the damaged ceiling, Wyatt found the witches he had been looking for. He checked for pulses, and tried his healing power. Paige ran over when she saw him crouching there.
Wyatt stood up, shaking his head sadly. "They're all dead."
"Did you see anything?" Kevin asked.
"No, nothing," Phoebe said. She looked at her younger sister. "You were right, Paige."
"Hey, am I good or what?" Paige smiled.
"Good or paranoid," Piper said.
"I'm not paranoid, I'm just… cautious," Paige said.
"Speaking of caution," Prue said, "What do you think Grams was so worried about? I've never seen her like that."
"I don't know," Phoebe said, moving so that Wyatt could reach the Book of Shadows.
Wyatt started flipping through the pages of the book. "It must have had something to do with the Anubite. She must have known something about it that we don't know."
"Do you think it's back?" Prue asked.
"That wouldn't surprise me," Wyatt said.
"You mean it wasn't vanquished?" Phoebe asked.
"We couldn't find a way to destroy it," Wyatt said. "We still don't know why it left the first time."
"We'll be ready this time. It can't beat the power of four," Prue said.
Wyatt finished his search of the Book of Shadows. The page with Maggie's picture was gone now, along with a few others. Unfortunately, the book didn't mention the Anubite, either. He closed the book.
"Find anything?" Jill asked.
"No," Wyatt said. "But Prue's right. The Charmed Ones can handle it."
"As long as all of us work together," Prue said.
"Right," Paige said. "After all, there's no 'Charmed Ones' in 'team'."
"So Wyatt," Jill said. "Do you think we broke the curse on the book?"
"We must have," Wyatt said. "The page with the bad information is gone."
"Then I think we should go on with the plan," Jill said. "The underworld knows we're here now, and fairy magic won't keep demons out for long."
"You're right," Wyatt said. "Paige, I'll need your help again to find the other covens."
"Sure," Paige said. "Maybe I can break the world record for orbing."
"Thanks," Wyatt said. "I'll be ready to leave after dinner, but if you need to do anything first, we can wait."
"I'm ready when you are," Paige said.
"Sounds like we're finished here," Kevin said. "Let's eat."
"Wow, with everything going on, I completely forgot about dinner," Phoebe said.
"I didn't." Prue put her hand over her stomach. "I'm starving."
"Don't worry, I've got the main course simmering as we speak," Piper said.
"I still say it could use some green pepper," Maggie muttered.
"Well, we'll just see about that," Piper said.
The witches began to head downstairs. Wyatt stood off to the side. He took a deep breath, and gently touched Piper's shoulder.
"Piper, can I talk to you for a minute?" Wyatt asked.
"Of course," Piper said, turning to look at him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just… I thought we should talk."
"I didn't think you wanted to talk to me," Piper said softly.
"No. I mean, I wanted to." Wyatt turned away, unable to face the concern and sadness in her eyes. "Leo used to talk about you all the time. I was just a kid then, but I remember. He'd show me pictures of you, and tell me that you were the most loving person he'd ever known. He told me that the three of us had a bond that not even death could break, and I'd wonder if you were coming back. I kept imaging what would happen when I saw you again, until I realized that it wasn't going to happen. But now you're here, and I'm not sure how to feel."
"Wyatt," Piper put her arm around him. "I know this isn't easy for you, and that's okay. We'll work through it."
"You look just like you did in those pictures." Wyatt reached into his pocket, and pulled out a picture. It showed Piper holding Wyatt on his first birthday, and Leo's arms were around them. Piper and Leo were smiling, and Wyatt's hand was grasping the collar of Leo's shirt. "I think this was his favorite. He used to look at it when he thought I was asleep. He tried to be strong around me, but when he saw this picture…"
Tears began to form in Piper's eyes. "You've kept that all this time?"
"It's all I had," Wyatt said, his voice wavering as he gazed at his family in the picture. "Until I met Prue. She kept me going these last few years."
"Remind me to thank her," Piper said.
Wyatt looked at her, and put the picture back in his pocket. The two of them stood together in the attic, both of them needing time to come to grips with their emotions. Eventually, they went to join the others for dinner.
The meal was quiet. Everyone had a great deal to think about, from the troubles in their own lives to the rice plague that was destroying China's economy. Of all of them, Kevin was the most worried: For the second time in his life, he was preparing to go to war.
Eventually, dinner ended and everything had been put away. Paige and Wyatt walked into the living room together, and the others followed.
"We'll be back late tonight," Wyatt said. "Hopefully, we won't be alone."
"Goodbye," Piper said.
"Good luck," Prue added.
"Thanks," Wyatt said.
"And hurry back," Jill said. "If we don't hear from you tonight the waiting'll kill us."
"And by 'waiting'," Kevin said, "She means demons."
"Very funny," Wyatt said.
"Ready?" Paige asked.
"Wait," Maggie said, standing up.
"Maggie?" Wyatt said.
"Just be careful," Maggie said.
"Thanks Maggie. We will be," Wyatt said. "I'm ready, Paige. Let's go."
Paige and Wyatt orbed out. The first coven that Wyatt wanted to contact was in Hong Kong. He'd spoken to them before, and they seemed to agree with his plan. With their help, getting the other covens to join would be much easier.
The two of them rematerialized inside a burned-out building on the outskirts of the city.
"What happened here?" Wyatt said. "The meeting site is destroyed."
"It might have been an accident," Paige said, trying to sound hopeful.
Wyatt turned around as he studied the ruined interior. On the rear wall, he saw a pentagram drawn in blood. "I don't think so."
They started to search the wreckage that filled the room. Under a piece of the damaged ceiling, Wyatt found the witches he had been looking for. He checked for pulses, and tried his healing power. Paige ran over when she saw him crouching there.
Wyatt stood up, shaking his head sadly. "They're all dead."