Good news everyone! I got my new laptop yesterday and I spent the last two
days typing up this chapter for you, my (faithful?) readers.
This particular chapter isn't the most exciting, I must admit, but I'm just happy I finally got to update. Thank you to everyone who hasn't abandoned this story, despite the delay in updating.
To those who had their doubts, please let me say that I intend to finish this story. The characters in it mean way too much for me to stop. I have written part of the next chapter, and though I still have to type it up, it shouldn't be too long in coming. May I also say that this story really is going somewhere and if you bare with me, you just might be in for a hell of a ride!
Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers. Your support means the world to me. Please keep reviewing! All new reviewers just as welcome!
Chapter 27: The Great Plan
Talia felt much better after her talk with Wyatt. The younger boy had a knack, a natural talent if you like, to make people feel better about themselves. Together they had come up with a plan.
Josh had come to mean a lot to both of them and they were determined not to let anything happen to him without a fight. Wyatt understood the implications of involving the Charmed Ones and so he agreed, albeit reluctantly, to help Talia handle this situation as quietly as possible.
Josh needed protection, and they felt that a half-witch, half-whitelighter assisted by a half-witch, half-demon were more than capable of providing it. The plan was simple really. Atleast one of them would be with Josh at all times. Both Talia and Wyatt felt that Josh was safe at his house. He lived with his family and servants, making up a large household, part of which was bound to be home at any given time. Evil was as reluctant to reveal the existence of magic, as Good was. For the rest of the time, it would be up to Wyatt and Talia to keep him safe. Josh's willingness to spend time with both of them would of course work on their side.
But Talia would also have an additional task. She would infiltrate the Underworld in disguise to try and learn the reason behind the Source's sudden interest in Josh. Unless Josh had a secret to rival their own, a fact that Talia very much doubted, then Josh was probably not all that important to the Source. The Source often ordered the death of mortals who have either done or would in the future do something extraordinary for the side of Good, and in the busy life of the Source of all Evil, Talia very much suspected that Josh's death sentence, as terrible as it was, was simply a routine case.
However, to have let this suspicion go uninvestigated and, furthermore, to base their entire strategy on it, would have made it into an assumption. Cole had always said that "assumption was the mother of all screw-ups" and Talia was damned if she was going to let Josh be just another screw-up!
Although Wyatt had been worried about her safety when Talia had suggested this part of the plan, he had finally agreed with her as he saw its necessity. Talia knew how to take care of herself better than anyone else he had ever known and he had complete faith in her.
When Wyatt had asked Talia to confront her father, she had refused outright. The strength of conviction behind her answer discouraged Wyatt to delve further into the subject.
Talia couldn't possibly go to her father and start calling in favours. The world didn't work that way at all, and she knew it. She was very much aware that once she had chosen sides, things like this couldn't happen. There were no in-betweens for people like her. Phoebe had had to learn that lesson in the most painful way possible when she had tried combining being a Charmed One with being Queen of All Evil.
But had Talia been completely honest with herself, she would have confessed that there was another reason for refusing to confront her father about this. Despite her previous suspicions behind Josh's death sentence, she was painfully aware, even though Wyatt was not, that all her theories were based on the simple fact that her father had no knowledge of her connection with Josh. Unless proven otherwise, there would always be the nagging suspicion that the planned hit on Josh was anything but routine, and in fact directly connected with her. Hadn't Cole punished some of her boyfriends in the past? Could this be a case of an overprotective father with the power to do to their daughter's boyfriend, what all overprotective fathers wished to do their daughters' boyfriends? Talia refused to believe that Cole would ever order the death of one of her friends to punish her for leaving the Underworld. Talia pushed that whole idea to the back of her mind.
"Good morning!" called a cheerful voice from the top of the stairs.
The teenagers cut their conversation short and twisted their heads to look at Piage standing at the top of the basement stairs.
"Everyone's been looking for you two," said Paige in as she bounced happily down the stairs. "You usually finish training at eight on Saturdays and it's ten o'clock now, is everything ok?" There was a hint of worry in her voice.
"Of course aunt Paige," said Wyatt. "We got talking after training and we must have lost track of time.
Talia mentally kicked Wyatt. He was such a bad liar! His voice betrayed his guilt at being discovered by Paige.
"What were you talking about?" asked Paige as she made herself comfortable on the steps. She had picked up on Wyatt's lying and was prepared to stay there as long as it took to find out what would make her nephew blush with guilt.
Talia decided that it was time she interceded.
"Well, aunt Paige, Wyatt was helping me with a certain. . . problem," she said, inserting the right amount of discomfort in those words that spelled to any self-respecting woman 'boy trouble'.
Wyatt stared at her. She had been the one vehemently refusing to let any of the Charmed Ones in on the plan. Was she about to spill the beans to Paige at the first opportunity?
Paige however ignored Wyatt momentarily. She had picked up on Talia's desired meaning behind those words.
"Maybe I can help," she said.
Talia threw a warning glance at Wyatt. To Paige it seemed that her hesitation was due to an internal struggle about whether or not to tell her aunt about her 'troubles'.
"You see aunt Paige," she said seemingly reluctantly, "there's this boy at school. . ."
Wyatt finally picked up on what Talia was trying to do. Wisely he chose to remain silent and watched a master at work.
"Josh?" guessed Paige, unable to keep the amusement out of her facial expression.
"Yes," admitted a red faced Talia.
Wyatt watched with great interest. He was in the presence of an accomplished actress.
"I know he likes me aunt Paige . . . everyone says we look good together and I know I have fun when we go out and stuff, but I'm not quite sure if what I'm feeling for him is friendship or . . ."
"Something else," filled in Paige. "Well, the only advice I can give you Talia is to spend more time with him. Only then will you feelings become clear to both of you."
Talia had to forcibly stop an enormous grin from appearing on her face.
Damn she was good! Wyatt couldn't help but marvel at the smoothness with which she lied. Not only had she explained away their detainment at the basement and covered up his poor attempt at lying, but she had also paved the way with Paige for spending more time with Josh, as per their plan! It must be the half-demon in her he decided.
Talia had to settle for a little smile and a thoughtful expression at Paige.
"That's actually good advice aunt Paige," she said finally allowing a grateful grin cross her features.
"Glad I could help," said Paige matching Talia's grin with one of her own. "Now, who's for breakfast? Piper made pancakes!"
"I am!" said Wyatt, a little too excitedly, jumping up and down with anticipation, his earlier thoughts forgotten at the mere mention of food. "I'm starving!"
"You're always starving!" teased Talia, none the less pickingherself up from the stairs with equal enthusiasm.
"I'm a growing boy!" pouted Wyatt, "I need my vitamins!"
"And what vitamins does chocolate syrup contain exactly?"
"You like pancakes as much as I do Talia!"
"Who doesn't?"
"Race you?"
"Are you sure you're up to it?"
"Ready. . . steady. . . Talia!" Wyatt screeched as his cousin sprinted up the stairs before he had managed to say the word 'go!'
With no further hesitation on his part, he sprinted after her.
Paige watched the two teenagers make their way up the stairs and out of the basement with much shoving and indignant shouting. She could hear their screaming and laughter long after she had lost sight of them.
Shaking her head in amusement, she slowly followed them up the stairs.
This particular chapter isn't the most exciting, I must admit, but I'm just happy I finally got to update. Thank you to everyone who hasn't abandoned this story, despite the delay in updating.
To those who had their doubts, please let me say that I intend to finish this story. The characters in it mean way too much for me to stop. I have written part of the next chapter, and though I still have to type it up, it shouldn't be too long in coming. May I also say that this story really is going somewhere and if you bare with me, you just might be in for a hell of a ride!
Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers. Your support means the world to me. Please keep reviewing! All new reviewers just as welcome!
Chapter 27: The Great Plan
Talia felt much better after her talk with Wyatt. The younger boy had a knack, a natural talent if you like, to make people feel better about themselves. Together they had come up with a plan.
Josh had come to mean a lot to both of them and they were determined not to let anything happen to him without a fight. Wyatt understood the implications of involving the Charmed Ones and so he agreed, albeit reluctantly, to help Talia handle this situation as quietly as possible.
Josh needed protection, and they felt that a half-witch, half-whitelighter assisted by a half-witch, half-demon were more than capable of providing it. The plan was simple really. Atleast one of them would be with Josh at all times. Both Talia and Wyatt felt that Josh was safe at his house. He lived with his family and servants, making up a large household, part of which was bound to be home at any given time. Evil was as reluctant to reveal the existence of magic, as Good was. For the rest of the time, it would be up to Wyatt and Talia to keep him safe. Josh's willingness to spend time with both of them would of course work on their side.
But Talia would also have an additional task. She would infiltrate the Underworld in disguise to try and learn the reason behind the Source's sudden interest in Josh. Unless Josh had a secret to rival their own, a fact that Talia very much doubted, then Josh was probably not all that important to the Source. The Source often ordered the death of mortals who have either done or would in the future do something extraordinary for the side of Good, and in the busy life of the Source of all Evil, Talia very much suspected that Josh's death sentence, as terrible as it was, was simply a routine case.
However, to have let this suspicion go uninvestigated and, furthermore, to base their entire strategy on it, would have made it into an assumption. Cole had always said that "assumption was the mother of all screw-ups" and Talia was damned if she was going to let Josh be just another screw-up!
Although Wyatt had been worried about her safety when Talia had suggested this part of the plan, he had finally agreed with her as he saw its necessity. Talia knew how to take care of herself better than anyone else he had ever known and he had complete faith in her.
When Wyatt had asked Talia to confront her father, she had refused outright. The strength of conviction behind her answer discouraged Wyatt to delve further into the subject.
Talia couldn't possibly go to her father and start calling in favours. The world didn't work that way at all, and she knew it. She was very much aware that once she had chosen sides, things like this couldn't happen. There were no in-betweens for people like her. Phoebe had had to learn that lesson in the most painful way possible when she had tried combining being a Charmed One with being Queen of All Evil.
But had Talia been completely honest with herself, she would have confessed that there was another reason for refusing to confront her father about this. Despite her previous suspicions behind Josh's death sentence, she was painfully aware, even though Wyatt was not, that all her theories were based on the simple fact that her father had no knowledge of her connection with Josh. Unless proven otherwise, there would always be the nagging suspicion that the planned hit on Josh was anything but routine, and in fact directly connected with her. Hadn't Cole punished some of her boyfriends in the past? Could this be a case of an overprotective father with the power to do to their daughter's boyfriend, what all overprotective fathers wished to do their daughters' boyfriends? Talia refused to believe that Cole would ever order the death of one of her friends to punish her for leaving the Underworld. Talia pushed that whole idea to the back of her mind.
"Good morning!" called a cheerful voice from the top of the stairs.
The teenagers cut their conversation short and twisted their heads to look at Piage standing at the top of the basement stairs.
"Everyone's been looking for you two," said Paige in as she bounced happily down the stairs. "You usually finish training at eight on Saturdays and it's ten o'clock now, is everything ok?" There was a hint of worry in her voice.
"Of course aunt Paige," said Wyatt. "We got talking after training and we must have lost track of time.
Talia mentally kicked Wyatt. He was such a bad liar! His voice betrayed his guilt at being discovered by Paige.
"What were you talking about?" asked Paige as she made herself comfortable on the steps. She had picked up on Wyatt's lying and was prepared to stay there as long as it took to find out what would make her nephew blush with guilt.
Talia decided that it was time she interceded.
"Well, aunt Paige, Wyatt was helping me with a certain. . . problem," she said, inserting the right amount of discomfort in those words that spelled to any self-respecting woman 'boy trouble'.
Wyatt stared at her. She had been the one vehemently refusing to let any of the Charmed Ones in on the plan. Was she about to spill the beans to Paige at the first opportunity?
Paige however ignored Wyatt momentarily. She had picked up on Talia's desired meaning behind those words.
"Maybe I can help," she said.
Talia threw a warning glance at Wyatt. To Paige it seemed that her hesitation was due to an internal struggle about whether or not to tell her aunt about her 'troubles'.
"You see aunt Paige," she said seemingly reluctantly, "there's this boy at school. . ."
Wyatt finally picked up on what Talia was trying to do. Wisely he chose to remain silent and watched a master at work.
"Josh?" guessed Paige, unable to keep the amusement out of her facial expression.
"Yes," admitted a red faced Talia.
Wyatt watched with great interest. He was in the presence of an accomplished actress.
"I know he likes me aunt Paige . . . everyone says we look good together and I know I have fun when we go out and stuff, but I'm not quite sure if what I'm feeling for him is friendship or . . ."
"Something else," filled in Paige. "Well, the only advice I can give you Talia is to spend more time with him. Only then will you feelings become clear to both of you."
Talia had to forcibly stop an enormous grin from appearing on her face.
Damn she was good! Wyatt couldn't help but marvel at the smoothness with which she lied. Not only had she explained away their detainment at the basement and covered up his poor attempt at lying, but she had also paved the way with Paige for spending more time with Josh, as per their plan! It must be the half-demon in her he decided.
Talia had to settle for a little smile and a thoughtful expression at Paige.
"That's actually good advice aunt Paige," she said finally allowing a grateful grin cross her features.
"Glad I could help," said Paige matching Talia's grin with one of her own. "Now, who's for breakfast? Piper made pancakes!"
"I am!" said Wyatt, a little too excitedly, jumping up and down with anticipation, his earlier thoughts forgotten at the mere mention of food. "I'm starving!"
"You're always starving!" teased Talia, none the less pickingherself up from the stairs with equal enthusiasm.
"I'm a growing boy!" pouted Wyatt, "I need my vitamins!"
"And what vitamins does chocolate syrup contain exactly?"
"You like pancakes as much as I do Talia!"
"Who doesn't?"
"Race you?"
"Are you sure you're up to it?"
"Ready. . . steady. . . Talia!" Wyatt screeched as his cousin sprinted up the stairs before he had managed to say the word 'go!'
With no further hesitation on his part, he sprinted after her.
Paige watched the two teenagers make their way up the stairs and out of the basement with much shoving and indignant shouting. She could hear their screaming and laughter long after she had lost sight of them.
Shaking her head in amusement, she slowly followed them up the stairs.