Part Five.
"What is wrong with you?" Paige demanded of Phoebe, who was fidgeting in the kitchen, pouring out mug of coffee after coffee and biting her nails anxiously. "You're acting really jumpy."
"Oh, it's nothing." Phoebe didn't want to mention the episode with her and Wyatt. She knew that her sisters would never believe her.
"You look really tired." Paige continued, studying her older sister closely. Phoebe hurriedly wiped the sleep out of her eyes. She had stayed up all night in the attic, searching through the Book of Shadows for an answer on Wyatt and another reason she had been too scared to go to sleep for fear that he might kill her while she was sleeping.
"He's twelve years old!" She reminded herself harshly, aloud. Paige gave her a funny look.
"Who is?"
"Um, oh, nothing." Phoebe jumped a mile in the air as Piper and Wyatt walked in. "Hey! Piper! Wyatt! Good morning! How are you both?!" She bellowed in a high-pitched voice. Paige put her hand on Phoebe's forehead.
"I think she's coming down with a fever, Piper. She's acting so strange."
"Ha, ha." Phoebe swallowed hard, sensing Wyatt's steady gaze on her. She could almost feel his eyes burning into her back.
"Phoebe!" Piper shrieked, leaping forwards and knocking the middle sister to the ground, hitting her hard on her spinal cord and making the brunette wince.
"Piper! What are you doing?" Phoebe exclaimed in irritation, rolling out from underneath her older sister. Piper got to her feet, shaking her hair out of her eyes.
"Your back - it was on fire!"
Phoebe's eyes widened and she turned slowly towards Wyatt, grinning devilishly. Piper and Paige turned from one to the other, looking bewildered.
"Phoebe - Wyatt - what's going on?" Piper stammered, shocked.
"Piper, you were right." Phoebe turned to Piper. "Yesterday, when you said you sensed danger, you were right. And it's standing in front of us."
Piper shook her head, smiling incredulously. "No, Phoebe, you're ill."
"What?"
"Paige said so. You've got a fever. You're burning up."
"Enough to make me catch on fire?" Phoebe demanded. "Piper, last night - Wyatt tried to kill me. He - there's something wrong with him! I think he's possessed!"
"Shut up!" Piper bellowed, tears welling in her eyes. "What is wrong with you? Look at him!" She motioned towards innocent Wyatt. "He's - a child, Phoebe! How can you say that?"
"Mom, what is Aunt Phoebe talking about?" Wyatt asked quietly.
"See! He has no idea! For God's sake, don't speak like that!" Piper drew her son protectively close to her.
"Piper, just hear her out." Paige began, but Piper whirled on her.
"Keep out of this! How dare she accuse my son of being - evil! How could you? Is this some revenge because of Cole?"
Phoebe reeled back, her eyes wide. "What - how can you say that?"
"Oh, just because you lost your baby, doesn't mean I'm going to lose mine."
"I'm not a baby," Wyatt hastily intervened.
"Shush, honey." Paige tried to hold back a giggle. The situation was not in the least funny, but Wyatt's indignation was.
"Look, I love Wyatt! Loved!" Phoebe bellowed. "But he's not the same child he was a couple of weeks ago, Piper. He's changed. Haven't you noticed?" Now that she thought about it, Phoebe remembered her nephew's withdrawn manner, his sulkiness.
"I don't understand you anymore." Piper shook her head. "You're bitter because of your own failed family. If you think you're going to take Wyatt away from me, you've got another think coming."
"I don't think that! God, if I could be wrong - but I'm not. There is something wrong with him."
"Hey, I'm in the room!" Wyatt protested. "What do you mean, something wrong with me? Am I ill?"
Phoebe giggled, a strange, high-pitched sound. "Don't play innocent. I know that you're not who you say you are."
"He's twelve years old!" Piper grabbed Wyatt by the wrist and dragged him towards the door.
"Where are we going?"
"Out." Piper slammed the door behind the pair.
Paige span around to face Phoebe. "Now what the hell has been going on between you and Wyatt?"
"What is wrong with you?" Paige demanded of Phoebe, who was fidgeting in the kitchen, pouring out mug of coffee after coffee and biting her nails anxiously. "You're acting really jumpy."
"Oh, it's nothing." Phoebe didn't want to mention the episode with her and Wyatt. She knew that her sisters would never believe her.
"You look really tired." Paige continued, studying her older sister closely. Phoebe hurriedly wiped the sleep out of her eyes. She had stayed up all night in the attic, searching through the Book of Shadows for an answer on Wyatt and another reason she had been too scared to go to sleep for fear that he might kill her while she was sleeping.
"He's twelve years old!" She reminded herself harshly, aloud. Paige gave her a funny look.
"Who is?"
"Um, oh, nothing." Phoebe jumped a mile in the air as Piper and Wyatt walked in. "Hey! Piper! Wyatt! Good morning! How are you both?!" She bellowed in a high-pitched voice. Paige put her hand on Phoebe's forehead.
"I think she's coming down with a fever, Piper. She's acting so strange."
"Ha, ha." Phoebe swallowed hard, sensing Wyatt's steady gaze on her. She could almost feel his eyes burning into her back.
"Phoebe!" Piper shrieked, leaping forwards and knocking the middle sister to the ground, hitting her hard on her spinal cord and making the brunette wince.
"Piper! What are you doing?" Phoebe exclaimed in irritation, rolling out from underneath her older sister. Piper got to her feet, shaking her hair out of her eyes.
"Your back - it was on fire!"
Phoebe's eyes widened and she turned slowly towards Wyatt, grinning devilishly. Piper and Paige turned from one to the other, looking bewildered.
"Phoebe - Wyatt - what's going on?" Piper stammered, shocked.
"Piper, you were right." Phoebe turned to Piper. "Yesterday, when you said you sensed danger, you were right. And it's standing in front of us."
Piper shook her head, smiling incredulously. "No, Phoebe, you're ill."
"What?"
"Paige said so. You've got a fever. You're burning up."
"Enough to make me catch on fire?" Phoebe demanded. "Piper, last night - Wyatt tried to kill me. He - there's something wrong with him! I think he's possessed!"
"Shut up!" Piper bellowed, tears welling in her eyes. "What is wrong with you? Look at him!" She motioned towards innocent Wyatt. "He's - a child, Phoebe! How can you say that?"
"Mom, what is Aunt Phoebe talking about?" Wyatt asked quietly.
"See! He has no idea! For God's sake, don't speak like that!" Piper drew her son protectively close to her.
"Piper, just hear her out." Paige began, but Piper whirled on her.
"Keep out of this! How dare she accuse my son of being - evil! How could you? Is this some revenge because of Cole?"
Phoebe reeled back, her eyes wide. "What - how can you say that?"
"Oh, just because you lost your baby, doesn't mean I'm going to lose mine."
"I'm not a baby," Wyatt hastily intervened.
"Shush, honey." Paige tried to hold back a giggle. The situation was not in the least funny, but Wyatt's indignation was.
"Look, I love Wyatt! Loved!" Phoebe bellowed. "But he's not the same child he was a couple of weeks ago, Piper. He's changed. Haven't you noticed?" Now that she thought about it, Phoebe remembered her nephew's withdrawn manner, his sulkiness.
"I don't understand you anymore." Piper shook her head. "You're bitter because of your own failed family. If you think you're going to take Wyatt away from me, you've got another think coming."
"I don't think that! God, if I could be wrong - but I'm not. There is something wrong with him."
"Hey, I'm in the room!" Wyatt protested. "What do you mean, something wrong with me? Am I ill?"
Phoebe giggled, a strange, high-pitched sound. "Don't play innocent. I know that you're not who you say you are."
"He's twelve years old!" Piper grabbed Wyatt by the wrist and dragged him towards the door.
"Where are we going?"
"Out." Piper slammed the door behind the pair.
Paige span around to face Phoebe. "Now what the hell has been going on between you and Wyatt?"