Part Seven.
Back in the past.
Phoebe paced the carpeted floor of the lounge, biting her lip anxiously as she awaited her sister and nephew to return home. She had skipped work just in case Piper and Wyatt came home sometime during the day, but it was almost seven o'clock in the evening and there was no sign of them.
"Oh God, what if he's hurt Piper?" She said aloud, her eyes wide with horror at the thought.
"Phoebe!" Paige exclaimed from the couch where she was curled up, watching Phoebe walk to and fro. "Of course he wouldn't!"
"You're right, he said he'd go for me first," Phoebe nodded, swallowing hard.
"Don't you think you're overreacting a little?" Paige questioned, drawing her knees up to her chest. She didn't like the way the middle Halliwell sister was speaking at all. To talk of Wyatt killing the three of them in such a casual manner - it just wasn't right. It wasn't - sane. Paige shook her head frantically, horrified that she could think such a thing. But in her head kept the nagging reminder of Phoebe's past.
Mother died when she was a baby. Barely knows her father. Sister who she never really got on with then loved dearly died of a demon attack. Lost a beloved brother-in-law. Fell to the dark jaws of love.
It was more than most people could stand in a lifetime, and that had only been the past thirty years.
"Overreacting? Paige, I swear, he said - he said that he was going to kill me, with Piper watching! Why won't anyone believe me?" Phoebe felt the tears well up for the first time in the short time since she had come across Wyatt's 'secret' if she could call it that.
"I believe you, honey." Paige said, not very convincingly. To be honest she wasn't sure whether she did believe Phoebe. It all seemed very far-fetched, even for the Charmed Ones. A slight nagging in the back of her mind asked her whether she thought Phoebe was hallucinating, or maybe even seeking attention.
"Yeah, right." Phoebe heard the hesitation. "No one does. I may as well just kill myself now and save Wyatt the bother."
The front door flew open and Piper burst in before Paige could exclaim at her sister's statement. Immediately both younger sisters knew something was wrong, for the eldest Charmed One, her face streaked with tears, slammed the door so hard the glass almost shattered, and locked it with shaking hands before turning to close the windows.
"Piper?" Phoebe asked, her voice shaking. There was no reply as Piper darted into the kitchen and was heard locking the side door. "Piper?" Phoebe repeated.
"Oh God." Piper burst into tears. "Phoebe, you were right, I'm so sorry, it's Wyatt, he." She choked on a sob and slumped down to the floor, burying her face in her hands. Paige immediately felt guilty for doubting her sister. She knew that they shared a close bond, and Phoebe would never make up something about Wyatt like that.
"What happened, honey?" Paige asked, seeing Phoebe was in no fit state to speak, from shock.
"I didn't want to be right, Piper." Phoebe whispered. "I wanted to be wrong. Even have gone crazy, or hallucinated, if that meant that Wyatt was - normal."
"He - I took him out of school for the day and we went to see - we went to see Leo." Piper sobbed. "Leo stared at Wyatt like he didn't even know him. And then - and then he said to me that he isn't Wyatt. Something - something's taken Wyatt and replaced him with - I don't know. I don't understand." She broke into a fresh bout of tears. "Wyatt got really angry then when he heard Leo say that, and he - his eyes, Phoebe. I can't explain it."
"I know." Phoebe replied quietly. There had been something about the twelve- year-old's eyes that was unexplainable. There was so much evil, and hatred inside his head.
"I panicked then. I ran. I ran, and I left him alone in the middle of the night. By himself! Oh God, I have to go and get him!" Piper jumped to her feet and ran towards the door.
"No!" Paige grabbed one arm and Phoebe grabbed the other. "Piper, if what you say is true, which I have no doubt in, then we could be dealing with something really big. You said it yourself. Wyatt isn't here anymore."
Piper wiped her face, her lower lip trembling. Her face was completely white with the shock of finding out what she had been in denial over, her dark eyes wide and scared, and Paige noted with concern that she was shaking all over. "You're right." She faltered. "Okay. Yes, you're right." Slowly, she turned away from the front door, pulling herself away from her sisters, and started walking up the stairs.
"Piper?" Phoebe asked, having finally found her voice.
"I just want to be alone right now, okay?" Piper replied, and moved in a trance up the rest of the staircase. Because that was exactly what she was. Alone.
Back in the past.
Phoebe paced the carpeted floor of the lounge, biting her lip anxiously as she awaited her sister and nephew to return home. She had skipped work just in case Piper and Wyatt came home sometime during the day, but it was almost seven o'clock in the evening and there was no sign of them.
"Oh God, what if he's hurt Piper?" She said aloud, her eyes wide with horror at the thought.
"Phoebe!" Paige exclaimed from the couch where she was curled up, watching Phoebe walk to and fro. "Of course he wouldn't!"
"You're right, he said he'd go for me first," Phoebe nodded, swallowing hard.
"Don't you think you're overreacting a little?" Paige questioned, drawing her knees up to her chest. She didn't like the way the middle Halliwell sister was speaking at all. To talk of Wyatt killing the three of them in such a casual manner - it just wasn't right. It wasn't - sane. Paige shook her head frantically, horrified that she could think such a thing. But in her head kept the nagging reminder of Phoebe's past.
Mother died when she was a baby. Barely knows her father. Sister who she never really got on with then loved dearly died of a demon attack. Lost a beloved brother-in-law. Fell to the dark jaws of love.
It was more than most people could stand in a lifetime, and that had only been the past thirty years.
"Overreacting? Paige, I swear, he said - he said that he was going to kill me, with Piper watching! Why won't anyone believe me?" Phoebe felt the tears well up for the first time in the short time since she had come across Wyatt's 'secret' if she could call it that.
"I believe you, honey." Paige said, not very convincingly. To be honest she wasn't sure whether she did believe Phoebe. It all seemed very far-fetched, even for the Charmed Ones. A slight nagging in the back of her mind asked her whether she thought Phoebe was hallucinating, or maybe even seeking attention.
"Yeah, right." Phoebe heard the hesitation. "No one does. I may as well just kill myself now and save Wyatt the bother."
The front door flew open and Piper burst in before Paige could exclaim at her sister's statement. Immediately both younger sisters knew something was wrong, for the eldest Charmed One, her face streaked with tears, slammed the door so hard the glass almost shattered, and locked it with shaking hands before turning to close the windows.
"Piper?" Phoebe asked, her voice shaking. There was no reply as Piper darted into the kitchen and was heard locking the side door. "Piper?" Phoebe repeated.
"Oh God." Piper burst into tears. "Phoebe, you were right, I'm so sorry, it's Wyatt, he." She choked on a sob and slumped down to the floor, burying her face in her hands. Paige immediately felt guilty for doubting her sister. She knew that they shared a close bond, and Phoebe would never make up something about Wyatt like that.
"What happened, honey?" Paige asked, seeing Phoebe was in no fit state to speak, from shock.
"I didn't want to be right, Piper." Phoebe whispered. "I wanted to be wrong. Even have gone crazy, or hallucinated, if that meant that Wyatt was - normal."
"He - I took him out of school for the day and we went to see - we went to see Leo." Piper sobbed. "Leo stared at Wyatt like he didn't even know him. And then - and then he said to me that he isn't Wyatt. Something - something's taken Wyatt and replaced him with - I don't know. I don't understand." She broke into a fresh bout of tears. "Wyatt got really angry then when he heard Leo say that, and he - his eyes, Phoebe. I can't explain it."
"I know." Phoebe replied quietly. There had been something about the twelve- year-old's eyes that was unexplainable. There was so much evil, and hatred inside his head.
"I panicked then. I ran. I ran, and I left him alone in the middle of the night. By himself! Oh God, I have to go and get him!" Piper jumped to her feet and ran towards the door.
"No!" Paige grabbed one arm and Phoebe grabbed the other. "Piper, if what you say is true, which I have no doubt in, then we could be dealing with something really big. You said it yourself. Wyatt isn't here anymore."
Piper wiped her face, her lower lip trembling. Her face was completely white with the shock of finding out what she had been in denial over, her dark eyes wide and scared, and Paige noted with concern that she was shaking all over. "You're right." She faltered. "Okay. Yes, you're right." Slowly, she turned away from the front door, pulling herself away from her sisters, and started walking up the stairs.
"Piper?" Phoebe asked, having finally found her voice.
"I just want to be alone right now, okay?" Piper replied, and moved in a trance up the rest of the staircase. Because that was exactly what she was. Alone.