Wow! So many reviews for my last chapter! I'm honoured, everyone. I
thought it might save some trouble (and give me more time to work on the
story) if instead of answering everyone's reviews via email I write a
little author's note at the beginning of each new chapter. After all, it's
what aaall the authors are doing, dahlings!
Rose Madder: Back for more, huh! I'm glad. I hope this chapter answers your Wyatt question.
LozzieLiz: I followed your advice and started writing the moment I read your review. Hope you like the result!
Prue101: Anytime Jess! Hope you enjoy this chapter too!
Sweetone, Stephanie Slusher and Piper: Thanks you guys. It's always nice to have new reviewers!
And as for my old reviewers? Piper43, charmedfanatic3000, slyslayer13 are you guys still reading this? I miss you.
By the way if any of you are American, I could use some help with the American system. How does it work? Email me (you'll find my email at my author's page).
As always, you keep reviewing and I'll keep writing!
Chapter 6: Home
With Cole's exit from the manor an uncomfortable silence fell upon the people gathered in the living room. A silence that was only interrupted by Wyatt's friendly and cheerful voice.
"Hello Talia," he said, "I'm your cousin Wyatt. Your aunt Piper's son."
"Hello," said Talia a little uncertainly.
"Are you going to be living with us from now on?" he asked knowing that that was the question foremost on everyone's mind.
"Here? At the manor? I-I don't know," said Talia obviously uncomfortable at Wyatt's question. She turned to look at Phoebe with both hope and fear written all over her face.
"Talia, I'd really love for you to live with us," said Phoebe in a kind voice.
Talia looked at the woman who was her mother, with an expression of mixed wonder and gratitude.
"Me too," said Wyatt. "I've always wanted a sister, but I guess a cousin will have to do."
Talia turned to see her new cousin smiling down at her. He was tall for his fifteen years, already slightly taller than Talia, with blond hair, wide shoulders and kind blue eyes. Talia smiled back thinking that her younger cousin would surely have all the girls in his school drooling. There was something about him that made Talia trust him and that scared her a little.
All the people her age that she had ever met had treated her with respect, flattery and fear. She was after all the Source's daughter! Some had tried so desperately to become her friends in an attempt to win the Source's favour that it was sickening to watch. Talia had been bright enough see through that and she had been warned from Cole early on in her young life. And so she had lived the first sixteen years of her life a lonely existence. Her closest friend had been her father.
Of course Wyatt was sure to have lots of friends. Talia couldn't help but feel the tiniest twinge of jealousy, but it was gone as she took another look at his warm smile. She smiled back.
After the smallest of hesitations Piper approached the girl that was still sitting on the couch.
"Welcome to the family Talia," she said with a bright smile. "You are welcome to stay here with the rest of us. The Haliwell manor is your home for as long as you want it to be."
"Thank you," said Talia. Thank you aunt Piper," she said putting an obvious effort in the last two words and glancing at the woman in front of her to see her reaction.
Piper's smile widened. "You are very welcome Talia," she said.
"Welcome to the family Talia," said Leo smiling Wyatt's smile at her.
Five pairs of eyes turned to Paige expectedly. She made a single step towards Talia then seemed to stop, unsure of herself.
"Listen, I may not have been exactly friendly before. I'm sorry about that but, you see," she said suddenly finding her feet strangely fascinating, "your father and I, never really got along much. I know it's not your fault, and it wouldn't be fair to blame you for what your father did. I guess, what I'm trying, and failing badly, to say is welcome to the family Talia." Paige gave Talia a small smile.
It was enough for Talia to feel wanted. She looked at the people around her all smiling their approval on her. She liked their smiles. People never smiled much from where she came from. Talia smiled back. She was home
Cole flamed back to the Source's lair. He felt as if he'd lost his daughter forever. All these years the only thing that had kept him sane was her warm smiles, her quick wit and her brutal honesty, so hard to come by these days. And now she had been taken away from him and he could do nothing about it. He felt helpless. And that made him angry.
Cole paced the floor of his cavern like a lion in a cage. He was fuming. Talia didn't have the faintest idea of what she was letting herself in for. She was setting herself up to be hurt. Cole was convinced that people like them could never make it in the mortal world. Hadn't he tried as hard as he could to fit in, only to fail again and again? And witches and demons simply don't mix, he decided. Even if she managed to win the Haliwells' approval, she would spend the rest of her life continually trying to prove to them that she wasn't evil. He knew. He had found out the hard way. He wished he could protect her, but knew he couldn't. Not only that, but he was the Source. And the Source had, as was expected from him, put out a hefty reward on the head of the Charmed Ones and all who lived in the Haliwell manor. As of this morning, this included Talia.
When Cole could take it no more, he gave into the pleadings of the little voice in his head that was telling him to protect his little princess as well as he could and shouted his command.
"Valdis!!!"
Almost immediately a dark haired, handsome, young man shimmered before him. The man bowed before him and stood up with a respectful expression on his face.
"You summoned my liege?" he said.
"I have a task for you Valdis," said Cole in a commanding voice "Princess Talia has left the Underworld. She has gone to live with the Charmed Ones in the mortal world."
A single, elegant, dark eyebrow was raised at that statement.
"You are to watch my daughter and report everything she does to me. And no one is to know. Not even she."
"As you command sire," said Valdis as he bowed before shimmering.
Rose Madder: Back for more, huh! I'm glad. I hope this chapter answers your Wyatt question.
LozzieLiz: I followed your advice and started writing the moment I read your review. Hope you like the result!
Prue101: Anytime Jess! Hope you enjoy this chapter too!
Sweetone, Stephanie Slusher and Piper: Thanks you guys. It's always nice to have new reviewers!
And as for my old reviewers? Piper43, charmedfanatic3000, slyslayer13 are you guys still reading this? I miss you.
By the way if any of you are American, I could use some help with the American system. How does it work? Email me (you'll find my email at my author's page).
As always, you keep reviewing and I'll keep writing!
Chapter 6: Home
With Cole's exit from the manor an uncomfortable silence fell upon the people gathered in the living room. A silence that was only interrupted by Wyatt's friendly and cheerful voice.
"Hello Talia," he said, "I'm your cousin Wyatt. Your aunt Piper's son."
"Hello," said Talia a little uncertainly.
"Are you going to be living with us from now on?" he asked knowing that that was the question foremost on everyone's mind.
"Here? At the manor? I-I don't know," said Talia obviously uncomfortable at Wyatt's question. She turned to look at Phoebe with both hope and fear written all over her face.
"Talia, I'd really love for you to live with us," said Phoebe in a kind voice.
Talia looked at the woman who was her mother, with an expression of mixed wonder and gratitude.
"Me too," said Wyatt. "I've always wanted a sister, but I guess a cousin will have to do."
Talia turned to see her new cousin smiling down at her. He was tall for his fifteen years, already slightly taller than Talia, with blond hair, wide shoulders and kind blue eyes. Talia smiled back thinking that her younger cousin would surely have all the girls in his school drooling. There was something about him that made Talia trust him and that scared her a little.
All the people her age that she had ever met had treated her with respect, flattery and fear. She was after all the Source's daughter! Some had tried so desperately to become her friends in an attempt to win the Source's favour that it was sickening to watch. Talia had been bright enough see through that and she had been warned from Cole early on in her young life. And so she had lived the first sixteen years of her life a lonely existence. Her closest friend had been her father.
Of course Wyatt was sure to have lots of friends. Talia couldn't help but feel the tiniest twinge of jealousy, but it was gone as she took another look at his warm smile. She smiled back.
After the smallest of hesitations Piper approached the girl that was still sitting on the couch.
"Welcome to the family Talia," she said with a bright smile. "You are welcome to stay here with the rest of us. The Haliwell manor is your home for as long as you want it to be."
"Thank you," said Talia. Thank you aunt Piper," she said putting an obvious effort in the last two words and glancing at the woman in front of her to see her reaction.
Piper's smile widened. "You are very welcome Talia," she said.
"Welcome to the family Talia," said Leo smiling Wyatt's smile at her.
Five pairs of eyes turned to Paige expectedly. She made a single step towards Talia then seemed to stop, unsure of herself.
"Listen, I may not have been exactly friendly before. I'm sorry about that but, you see," she said suddenly finding her feet strangely fascinating, "your father and I, never really got along much. I know it's not your fault, and it wouldn't be fair to blame you for what your father did. I guess, what I'm trying, and failing badly, to say is welcome to the family Talia." Paige gave Talia a small smile.
It was enough for Talia to feel wanted. She looked at the people around her all smiling their approval on her. She liked their smiles. People never smiled much from where she came from. Talia smiled back. She was home
Cole flamed back to the Source's lair. He felt as if he'd lost his daughter forever. All these years the only thing that had kept him sane was her warm smiles, her quick wit and her brutal honesty, so hard to come by these days. And now she had been taken away from him and he could do nothing about it. He felt helpless. And that made him angry.
Cole paced the floor of his cavern like a lion in a cage. He was fuming. Talia didn't have the faintest idea of what she was letting herself in for. She was setting herself up to be hurt. Cole was convinced that people like them could never make it in the mortal world. Hadn't he tried as hard as he could to fit in, only to fail again and again? And witches and demons simply don't mix, he decided. Even if she managed to win the Haliwells' approval, she would spend the rest of her life continually trying to prove to them that she wasn't evil. He knew. He had found out the hard way. He wished he could protect her, but knew he couldn't. Not only that, but he was the Source. And the Source had, as was expected from him, put out a hefty reward on the head of the Charmed Ones and all who lived in the Haliwell manor. As of this morning, this included Talia.
When Cole could take it no more, he gave into the pleadings of the little voice in his head that was telling him to protect his little princess as well as he could and shouted his command.
"Valdis!!!"
Almost immediately a dark haired, handsome, young man shimmered before him. The man bowed before him and stood up with a respectful expression on his face.
"You summoned my liege?" he said.
"I have a task for you Valdis," said Cole in a commanding voice "Princess Talia has left the Underworld. She has gone to live with the Charmed Ones in the mortal world."
A single, elegant, dark eyebrow was raised at that statement.
"You are to watch my daughter and report everything she does to me. And no one is to know. Not even she."
"As you command sire," said Valdis as he bowed before shimmering.