A/N: Thanks to my lovely reviewers, keep them coming!
*Food Fight*
That night Phoebe relented (reluctantly) and decided to let Grace to stay for the night, as it was a Friday. Wyatt, Grace and Melinda recounted their tale, with many questions. It had only taken half of dinner for them to finish, which was when it happened.
'Wyatt, Melinda.' Piper said, glancing at the adults. 'Mommy has something very important to discuss. Could you please leave the table? You can finish later, and I will give you an extra serving of dessert.'
Wyatt and Melinda scampered, with Grace trailing behind them. Piper looked at everyone else. 'At P3 today when I had to pay the band, I realized how short on money we are lately.' She said. Her voice was calm, but her eyes portrayed worry. 'And I mean short.'
Andy frowned. 'Well that's hardly surprising. Minus Grace, we still have ten, soon to be twelve people to feed, and only three of those twelve are employed.'
'And we're still paying off the renovations on the house.' Phoebe added. 'Because what was it you said Glen? There are going to be thirteen of us in here when Grace moves back. We might have room but not necessarily money.'
'Anyway.' Piper interrupted. 'Because three of you are dead you can't work.'
'I would take up social working again but I'd still be on maternal leave anyway.' Paige agreed.
'So I've decided to take up an extra job.' Piper announced.
Everyone stared at her. 'Piper how flexible would this extra job be?' Prue asked cautiously.
'Well I'm applying for a job as a chef again.' Piper replied. 'I thought we could all manage P3 together, to get a bit more workload off me.'
Everyone looked around, frowning.
'It's our only option.' Piper argued.
'All right.' Leo agreed.
Paige wondered if she should tell the others about the reflection in the store. She and Glen had changed their minds and were eating at home before leaving for dinner.
'I guess I won't.' She mumbled, as Piper called the children back in. 'It was probably only my imagination anyway.'
* *
That night Paige and Glen left, looking extremely glamorous. Leo, Prue and Andy were called up for a whitelighter meeting (but Paige was not, as the Elders didn't want her involved, being a half witch. She suspected it something to do with her, but was just happy not to have to go.)
Phoebe was working on her column. Grace thought unhappily it was all she did lately, and Wyatt and Melinda were lucky.
'So what do you guys want to do?' Piper asked the three kids she had been left with.
Wyatt's eyes lit up. 'Can we make brownies? Please?'
Piper hesitated. 'Alright.' She agreed, deciding the kids deserved it after such a day.
Piper gathered all the ingredients together, and began to measure them out. 'All right guys we've done this a million times.' She instructed, as they gathered around the island, Melinda, Wyatt and Grace all perched on breakfast bar chairs. 'So you should know what to do. But I still want you to follow my instructions.'
Wyatt, Melinda and Grace nodded, and washed their hands as Piper preheated the oven and began to grease a pan. They moved onto making the flour mixture, and set it aside. They had just began to stir the cocoa powder into the newly melted butter when the phone rang.
'Piper it's for you!' Phoebe called from upstairs, a moment later. 'Something about P3!'
Piper frowned. 'Okay!' She turned to the three, who were looking at her innocently. 'Now don't touch anything understood? Don't move.' Piper hurried out of the room.
Wyatt grinned as he dipped his finger into the mixture.
'Ew Wyatt!' Grace said, looking disgusted. 'We have to eat that and you put your gross fingers in!'
'I washed my hands!' Wyatt said with a shrug.
'Still.' Grace frowned.
'Gracie lighten up. It tastes good. Here.' Wyatt pushed the mixture towards her, knocking over the bag of flour in the process. It spilled all over the island and onto Grace's brand new, soft pink sweater.
Grace glared in horror as her sweater got partially covered in white flour. 'Wyatt! You're going to pay!' She shrieked.
* *
Piper frowned. 'They're what? Well sure. It's upstairs. Let me get it.' Piper carried the cordless phone upstairs. 'I can't believe this. Of course I did!'
* * Grace was still glaring at Wyatt. Melinda looked nervous. 'Mommy said not to move.' She reminded them. 'And not to touch anything.'
'Well Wyatt already broke that rule.' Grace replied, looking woefully at her new sweater, which had become her favourite.
'Flour comes off though.' Melinda said. 'Doesn't it?'
'Doesn't flour and water make a hard kind of dough like mixture?' Wyatt asked, beginning to laugh.
'That does it Wyatt Halliwell.' Grace said, grabbing the bag of flour. She leapt up from her chair and started to chase him.
'Uh oh.' Wyatt said, looking worried. He jumped out of his seat and began to run around the island. Grace shimmered.
'Where'd she go?' Wyatt asked. Melinda shrugged, before Grace shimmered behind him and dumped the bag of flour on him.
'Hey!' Wyatt yelled in protest. Melinda giggled.
'You've got flour on your eyelashes!' She teased. Wyatt shook out the top part of his body. Flour flew in all directions, but still clung to him like static.
'Ooh you'll pay for that. Mine was only an accident.' Wyatt said. He picked up the quarter cup of milk, carefully measured out by Piper for the chocolate icing and flung it at Grace.
Grace shrieked and shimmered out just in time for the milk to hit the fridge instead. She shimmered back to the island, grabbed a handful of sugar and threw it at Wyatt didn't manage to orb out in time.
Melinda got worried. 'You guys, mommy said-'
'Don't whine Mellie, it doesn't suit you.' Wyatt said, and with an impish grin, took a handful of walnuts and threw them at her. She squealed and tried to pick the walnuts out of her hair.
* *
'Okay I found it.' Piper said. She'd just sorted through all her important documents. 'And it says right here. I've passed with the health inspector many times. I don't care what she says. Fine. I'll get an exterminator in. What? WHAT?' Piper cried. 'A warrant - why do I need to find my warrant for a little thing like this? Well one copy of it is in the bank. The bank is closed I can't get it! What?'
Piper groaned. The person on the other line was a person named Belinda, who managed P3 when Piper was away.
'Well I don't know where the warrant I keep is. It's around. Somewhere. Listen Belinda; I live with three children and a baby. You think I'll be able to find it? Oh alright.' Piper got up and made her way to the study, which was even further away from the kitchen then the bedroom.
* *
Phoebe smiled to herself. 'Classical music is so soothing.' She said aloud. 'I'm sure to get a lot of work done. If a demon attacks I can hear it. And yet I still can't hear the kids screaming. Or Grace having fun with Piper.' Phoebe frowned, leaned over her laptop and turned the volume up.
* *
By then the downstairs kitchen had turned into a disaster area. Wyatt and Grace had used up all the ingredients on the island (including the flour mixture and the brownie mixture Wyatt had tasted.) They had then turned to the cupboards and the pantry.
Melinda was cowering under the dining table. One window was covered in splattered egg, another with melted butter. The counters had broken eggshells, walnuts, sultanas, sugar and more all over them.
Melinda had warned the two about the spell ingredients cupboard, and they wisely kept away from it. 'Wow.' She mumbled to herself, pulling a few chairs closer to the table so she'd be safer. 'When Grace and Wyatt fight, they really fight.'
Grace cackled as she started squirting Wyatt with honey. Wyatt let out an indignant shriek, climbed onto the counter and opened the cupboard of canned food. Can opener in hand, he ignored the honey Grace still squirted at him, as he opened some canned corn and threw it at her. Grace shimmered, and it hit the wall, then the floor with a soft plop.
Grace charged out of the pantry, with a jar of jam and a spoon. She began to fling the jam at Wyatt, who expertly orbed out of the way each time.
'Come on Mellie!' Wyatt laughed, as he danced around the room with Grace's abandoned honey. 'Join in the fun!'
'Mellie will not join in the fun young man.' Piper said angrily.
Wyatt froze. 'Uh oh.'
Grace still hadn't noticed Piper and Phoebe standing in the doorway, hands on hips and glaring at the disaster zone. With a grin she threw a handful of cereal at Wyatt, who, out of instinct, orbed.
*Food Fight*
That night Phoebe relented (reluctantly) and decided to let Grace to stay for the night, as it was a Friday. Wyatt, Grace and Melinda recounted their tale, with many questions. It had only taken half of dinner for them to finish, which was when it happened.
'Wyatt, Melinda.' Piper said, glancing at the adults. 'Mommy has something very important to discuss. Could you please leave the table? You can finish later, and I will give you an extra serving of dessert.'
Wyatt and Melinda scampered, with Grace trailing behind them. Piper looked at everyone else. 'At P3 today when I had to pay the band, I realized how short on money we are lately.' She said. Her voice was calm, but her eyes portrayed worry. 'And I mean short.'
Andy frowned. 'Well that's hardly surprising. Minus Grace, we still have ten, soon to be twelve people to feed, and only three of those twelve are employed.'
'And we're still paying off the renovations on the house.' Phoebe added. 'Because what was it you said Glen? There are going to be thirteen of us in here when Grace moves back. We might have room but not necessarily money.'
'Anyway.' Piper interrupted. 'Because three of you are dead you can't work.'
'I would take up social working again but I'd still be on maternal leave anyway.' Paige agreed.
'So I've decided to take up an extra job.' Piper announced.
Everyone stared at her. 'Piper how flexible would this extra job be?' Prue asked cautiously.
'Well I'm applying for a job as a chef again.' Piper replied. 'I thought we could all manage P3 together, to get a bit more workload off me.'
Everyone looked around, frowning.
'It's our only option.' Piper argued.
'All right.' Leo agreed.
Paige wondered if she should tell the others about the reflection in the store. She and Glen had changed their minds and were eating at home before leaving for dinner.
'I guess I won't.' She mumbled, as Piper called the children back in. 'It was probably only my imagination anyway.'
* *
That night Paige and Glen left, looking extremely glamorous. Leo, Prue and Andy were called up for a whitelighter meeting (but Paige was not, as the Elders didn't want her involved, being a half witch. She suspected it something to do with her, but was just happy not to have to go.)
Phoebe was working on her column. Grace thought unhappily it was all she did lately, and Wyatt and Melinda were lucky.
'So what do you guys want to do?' Piper asked the three kids she had been left with.
Wyatt's eyes lit up. 'Can we make brownies? Please?'
Piper hesitated. 'Alright.' She agreed, deciding the kids deserved it after such a day.
Piper gathered all the ingredients together, and began to measure them out. 'All right guys we've done this a million times.' She instructed, as they gathered around the island, Melinda, Wyatt and Grace all perched on breakfast bar chairs. 'So you should know what to do. But I still want you to follow my instructions.'
Wyatt, Melinda and Grace nodded, and washed their hands as Piper preheated the oven and began to grease a pan. They moved onto making the flour mixture, and set it aside. They had just began to stir the cocoa powder into the newly melted butter when the phone rang.
'Piper it's for you!' Phoebe called from upstairs, a moment later. 'Something about P3!'
Piper frowned. 'Okay!' She turned to the three, who were looking at her innocently. 'Now don't touch anything understood? Don't move.' Piper hurried out of the room.
Wyatt grinned as he dipped his finger into the mixture.
'Ew Wyatt!' Grace said, looking disgusted. 'We have to eat that and you put your gross fingers in!'
'I washed my hands!' Wyatt said with a shrug.
'Still.' Grace frowned.
'Gracie lighten up. It tastes good. Here.' Wyatt pushed the mixture towards her, knocking over the bag of flour in the process. It spilled all over the island and onto Grace's brand new, soft pink sweater.
Grace glared in horror as her sweater got partially covered in white flour. 'Wyatt! You're going to pay!' She shrieked.
* *
Piper frowned. 'They're what? Well sure. It's upstairs. Let me get it.' Piper carried the cordless phone upstairs. 'I can't believe this. Of course I did!'
* * Grace was still glaring at Wyatt. Melinda looked nervous. 'Mommy said not to move.' She reminded them. 'And not to touch anything.'
'Well Wyatt already broke that rule.' Grace replied, looking woefully at her new sweater, which had become her favourite.
'Flour comes off though.' Melinda said. 'Doesn't it?'
'Doesn't flour and water make a hard kind of dough like mixture?' Wyatt asked, beginning to laugh.
'That does it Wyatt Halliwell.' Grace said, grabbing the bag of flour. She leapt up from her chair and started to chase him.
'Uh oh.' Wyatt said, looking worried. He jumped out of his seat and began to run around the island. Grace shimmered.
'Where'd she go?' Wyatt asked. Melinda shrugged, before Grace shimmered behind him and dumped the bag of flour on him.
'Hey!' Wyatt yelled in protest. Melinda giggled.
'You've got flour on your eyelashes!' She teased. Wyatt shook out the top part of his body. Flour flew in all directions, but still clung to him like static.
'Ooh you'll pay for that. Mine was only an accident.' Wyatt said. He picked up the quarter cup of milk, carefully measured out by Piper for the chocolate icing and flung it at Grace.
Grace shrieked and shimmered out just in time for the milk to hit the fridge instead. She shimmered back to the island, grabbed a handful of sugar and threw it at Wyatt didn't manage to orb out in time.
Melinda got worried. 'You guys, mommy said-'
'Don't whine Mellie, it doesn't suit you.' Wyatt said, and with an impish grin, took a handful of walnuts and threw them at her. She squealed and tried to pick the walnuts out of her hair.
* *
'Okay I found it.' Piper said. She'd just sorted through all her important documents. 'And it says right here. I've passed with the health inspector many times. I don't care what she says. Fine. I'll get an exterminator in. What? WHAT?' Piper cried. 'A warrant - why do I need to find my warrant for a little thing like this? Well one copy of it is in the bank. The bank is closed I can't get it! What?'
Piper groaned. The person on the other line was a person named Belinda, who managed P3 when Piper was away.
'Well I don't know where the warrant I keep is. It's around. Somewhere. Listen Belinda; I live with three children and a baby. You think I'll be able to find it? Oh alright.' Piper got up and made her way to the study, which was even further away from the kitchen then the bedroom.
* *
Phoebe smiled to herself. 'Classical music is so soothing.' She said aloud. 'I'm sure to get a lot of work done. If a demon attacks I can hear it. And yet I still can't hear the kids screaming. Or Grace having fun with Piper.' Phoebe frowned, leaned over her laptop and turned the volume up.
* *
By then the downstairs kitchen had turned into a disaster area. Wyatt and Grace had used up all the ingredients on the island (including the flour mixture and the brownie mixture Wyatt had tasted.) They had then turned to the cupboards and the pantry.
Melinda was cowering under the dining table. One window was covered in splattered egg, another with melted butter. The counters had broken eggshells, walnuts, sultanas, sugar and more all over them.
Melinda had warned the two about the spell ingredients cupboard, and they wisely kept away from it. 'Wow.' She mumbled to herself, pulling a few chairs closer to the table so she'd be safer. 'When Grace and Wyatt fight, they really fight.'
Grace cackled as she started squirting Wyatt with honey. Wyatt let out an indignant shriek, climbed onto the counter and opened the cupboard of canned food. Can opener in hand, he ignored the honey Grace still squirted at him, as he opened some canned corn and threw it at her. Grace shimmered, and it hit the wall, then the floor with a soft plop.
Grace charged out of the pantry, with a jar of jam and a spoon. She began to fling the jam at Wyatt, who expertly orbed out of the way each time.
'Come on Mellie!' Wyatt laughed, as he danced around the room with Grace's abandoned honey. 'Join in the fun!'
'Mellie will not join in the fun young man.' Piper said angrily.
Wyatt froze. 'Uh oh.'
Grace still hadn't noticed Piper and Phoebe standing in the doorway, hands on hips and glaring at the disaster zone. With a grin she threw a handful of cereal at Wyatt, who, out of instinct, orbed.