Part Eight.
Still in the past.
Piper rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling, feeling her tears dry on her cheeks. She was gradually getting over the initial shock of finding out that her young son was not who he had once been, and her mind was filled with thoughts of how to save Wyatt. Her sisters had knocked once or twice on her bedroom door but she had told them again and again that she wanted to be left alone, to think of ways to get her son back. Realizing that maybe Phoebe and Paige could help, Piper got to her feet, stumbling slightly on jelly-legs, and, pulling her coat around her - for there was a definite chill in the air - made her way down the stairs to the kitchen where Paige and Phoebe sat in solemn silence. They jumped up as soon as the brunette entered the room.
"Are you okay, honey?" Phoebe asked, her voice filled with sadness. Piper shook her head.
"No, but I have to deal. We all have to."
Paige nodded in agreement. "So - what are we going to do?"
"We're going to save my son." Piper replied grimly. She had taken the Book of Shadows from the attic before going down to the kitchen, and set it on the breakfast island, flipping through the pages.
"What are we looking for then?" Phoebe queried, glancing over her older sister's shoulder.
"Possession, I suppose." Paige intervened, pointing at a page.
"It doesn't make sense." Phoebe shook her head. "Witches are only possessed to get their powers, and then killed - what is Wyatt trying to do? I mean, remember when you were possessed by Tara, Piper. All she wanted you for was to kill her demonic boyfriend."
Piper grimaced. "Don't remind me."
"So what does this thing inside Wyatt want?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Paige blurted. "He wants to kill us!"
"Paige!" Piper exclaimed.
"What? Every demon does. This is no different. The thing possessed Wyatt to get our trust, because we would let our guard down around him, and tried to kill Phoebe. When he didn't succeed, he pretended to be Wyatt again. He wants to get rid of the Charmed Ones."
"There's a surprise." Piper muttered bitterly. She raised her eyes to her two sisters. "Just listen to me a second, okay? Whatever you do, don't kill his body. Because then Wyatt's soul won't be able to return. We have to figure out a way to get the thing out of Wyatt, and then we can fight it."
Phoebe ran a hand through her hair. "Piper - what if there is no way to get the demon out of Wyatt?"
Piper shook her head. "No way. There is no way you are going to kill my son! I won't allow it!"
"For all we know, he could be dead already!" Phoebe snapped. "Souls without a body gradually die! You almost did! How long Wyatt's been possessed, we don't know! His soul could have died years ago!"
Piper burst into a fresh bout of tears. "No, I won't let you." She repeated, sliding off the stool, still clutching the Book of Shadows to her chest. She turned towards the door. "You're not going to kill my son."
"Piper, think about it." Paige said quietly. She didn't want to admit it, but she thought that Phoebe could be right. Wyatt could already be dead.
"No, I won't!" Piper screamed. She shook her head. "You don't know how this feels. You don't understand!"
"No, we don't." Phoebe began.
Then the front door crashed open, and the three sisters threw themselves to the ground as every window in the house shattered. Glass shards flying everywhere, Piper covered her face with her hands, whilst Paige braved it and peered over the counter. Wyatt was standing in the kitchen doorway, his eyes glittering fiercely, a look on his face that terrified Paige to the bone. She shuddered, closing her eyes to block out the glare of her nephew. Never had she felt such terror, such bewilderment - such helplessness.
"Oh God." Piper moaned, scrambling to her feet. "Wyatt, if you're still there, listen to me. You got to get out - or in, whatever. Wyatt!"
Wyatt cocked his head to one side as he smirked at his mother. "I hate that name."
He thrust his palm forwards into the air.
Phoebe screamed in horror as she watched her sister crash through the kitchen wall, plaster falling to the floor. A large gaping hole showed in the side of the house, broken bricks cracking apart, and then there was silence from Piper's side.
"Leo!" Paige bellowed, crawling to Phoebe's side in protection. Wyatt giggled, a manic sound that chilled her through and through.
"He can't hear you. I took care of him."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Phoebe, in her shock at her nephew's statement, bobbed up before the blonde could stop her.
"Phoebe, no!"
Wyatt raised an eyebrow. "That means I killed him, and you're next."
Phoebe shook her head. "Oh, no. You tried once but you won't again." She levitated into the air and aimed a kick at the twelve-year-old's head. Wyatt grabbed her ankle mid-air, and twisted it sharply around. Phoebe gave another cry, this time of pain, as her leg broke. Paige winced and looked away as the middle sister fell to the floor whimpering.
"I think I will try again, because it's so much fun!" Wyatt exclaimed happily. He raised a hand, and a glowing fireball hovered above his palm. It was too much for Paige. Jumping to her feet, she threw herself at the child, bringing him to the ground on top of Phoebe, who gave another cry and promptly fainted from the pain.
Not one for the verbal banter, Paige wrenched Wyatt off her sister and threw him against the wall. The fighting lessons she had had with Phoebe were paying off, she realized as she pummeled him hard.
"Paige!" Piper gasped from the hole in the wall. Paige spun around, and her eyes widened in horror. Piper's face was covered in blood from a large gash on her head, and her own dark eyes had a glazed look to them. "Don't - don't kill - don't kill him!" She fell back out of sight.
Paige, shocked by the sight of her older sister, was caught off guard and after feeling a sharp pain to the skull, remembered no more.
To be continued.
Still in the past.
Piper rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling, feeling her tears dry on her cheeks. She was gradually getting over the initial shock of finding out that her young son was not who he had once been, and her mind was filled with thoughts of how to save Wyatt. Her sisters had knocked once or twice on her bedroom door but she had told them again and again that she wanted to be left alone, to think of ways to get her son back. Realizing that maybe Phoebe and Paige could help, Piper got to her feet, stumbling slightly on jelly-legs, and, pulling her coat around her - for there was a definite chill in the air - made her way down the stairs to the kitchen where Paige and Phoebe sat in solemn silence. They jumped up as soon as the brunette entered the room.
"Are you okay, honey?" Phoebe asked, her voice filled with sadness. Piper shook her head.
"No, but I have to deal. We all have to."
Paige nodded in agreement. "So - what are we going to do?"
"We're going to save my son." Piper replied grimly. She had taken the Book of Shadows from the attic before going down to the kitchen, and set it on the breakfast island, flipping through the pages.
"What are we looking for then?" Phoebe queried, glancing over her older sister's shoulder.
"Possession, I suppose." Paige intervened, pointing at a page.
"It doesn't make sense." Phoebe shook her head. "Witches are only possessed to get their powers, and then killed - what is Wyatt trying to do? I mean, remember when you were possessed by Tara, Piper. All she wanted you for was to kill her demonic boyfriend."
Piper grimaced. "Don't remind me."
"So what does this thing inside Wyatt want?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Paige blurted. "He wants to kill us!"
"Paige!" Piper exclaimed.
"What? Every demon does. This is no different. The thing possessed Wyatt to get our trust, because we would let our guard down around him, and tried to kill Phoebe. When he didn't succeed, he pretended to be Wyatt again. He wants to get rid of the Charmed Ones."
"There's a surprise." Piper muttered bitterly. She raised her eyes to her two sisters. "Just listen to me a second, okay? Whatever you do, don't kill his body. Because then Wyatt's soul won't be able to return. We have to figure out a way to get the thing out of Wyatt, and then we can fight it."
Phoebe ran a hand through her hair. "Piper - what if there is no way to get the demon out of Wyatt?"
Piper shook her head. "No way. There is no way you are going to kill my son! I won't allow it!"
"For all we know, he could be dead already!" Phoebe snapped. "Souls without a body gradually die! You almost did! How long Wyatt's been possessed, we don't know! His soul could have died years ago!"
Piper burst into a fresh bout of tears. "No, I won't let you." She repeated, sliding off the stool, still clutching the Book of Shadows to her chest. She turned towards the door. "You're not going to kill my son."
"Piper, think about it." Paige said quietly. She didn't want to admit it, but she thought that Phoebe could be right. Wyatt could already be dead.
"No, I won't!" Piper screamed. She shook her head. "You don't know how this feels. You don't understand!"
"No, we don't." Phoebe began.
Then the front door crashed open, and the three sisters threw themselves to the ground as every window in the house shattered. Glass shards flying everywhere, Piper covered her face with her hands, whilst Paige braved it and peered over the counter. Wyatt was standing in the kitchen doorway, his eyes glittering fiercely, a look on his face that terrified Paige to the bone. She shuddered, closing her eyes to block out the glare of her nephew. Never had she felt such terror, such bewilderment - such helplessness.
"Oh God." Piper moaned, scrambling to her feet. "Wyatt, if you're still there, listen to me. You got to get out - or in, whatever. Wyatt!"
Wyatt cocked his head to one side as he smirked at his mother. "I hate that name."
He thrust his palm forwards into the air.
Phoebe screamed in horror as she watched her sister crash through the kitchen wall, plaster falling to the floor. A large gaping hole showed in the side of the house, broken bricks cracking apart, and then there was silence from Piper's side.
"Leo!" Paige bellowed, crawling to Phoebe's side in protection. Wyatt giggled, a manic sound that chilled her through and through.
"He can't hear you. I took care of him."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Phoebe, in her shock at her nephew's statement, bobbed up before the blonde could stop her.
"Phoebe, no!"
Wyatt raised an eyebrow. "That means I killed him, and you're next."
Phoebe shook her head. "Oh, no. You tried once but you won't again." She levitated into the air and aimed a kick at the twelve-year-old's head. Wyatt grabbed her ankle mid-air, and twisted it sharply around. Phoebe gave another cry, this time of pain, as her leg broke. Paige winced and looked away as the middle sister fell to the floor whimpering.
"I think I will try again, because it's so much fun!" Wyatt exclaimed happily. He raised a hand, and a glowing fireball hovered above his palm. It was too much for Paige. Jumping to her feet, she threw herself at the child, bringing him to the ground on top of Phoebe, who gave another cry and promptly fainted from the pain.
Not one for the verbal banter, Paige wrenched Wyatt off her sister and threw him against the wall. The fighting lessons she had had with Phoebe were paying off, she realized as she pummeled him hard.
"Paige!" Piper gasped from the hole in the wall. Paige spun around, and her eyes widened in horror. Piper's face was covered in blood from a large gash on her head, and her own dark eyes had a glazed look to them. "Don't - don't kill - don't kill him!" She fell back out of sight.
Paige, shocked by the sight of her older sister, was caught off guard and after feeling a sharp pain to the skull, remembered no more.
To be continued.