Chapter Ten: P3
Paige slammed the telephone down in the receiver angrily as Piper entered the kitchen. Piper stared at her sister, confused at what could be wrong. Nothing seemed to matter to Piper at the moment, though. She was focused and had tested her powers over and over and knew that she was ready to fight. Besides, she knew that if she didn't fight now, she might be too afraid to fight later. Anyway, the demons needed to be destroyed, and she was just the witch to do it.
"I think I am ready," Piper said.
"Ready for what?"
"To fight the demon. What else is there for me to be ready for?"
"It's more like what your future self should be ready for when she returns and that will be a club that has no band to play in it," Paige half mumbled to herself. She turned to Piper. "That was the club on the phone and something is wrong with the band and we need to have a band tonight."
Piper shook her head. "How can finding a band be more important than fighting the demons?"
Paige sat Piper down at the table. "It's not, but the club is our major source of income and we need the money. Not that we are doing poorly or anything, but if one band won't play, then another won't and then we'll be whisked into some vicious cycle."
"Paige, you sure you aren't over-reacting?"
Paige sighed. "Okay, maybe just a little bit. But the thing is, someone needs to go down to the club and work things out with the band and make sure that everything is going to be ready for tonight. I would, but I have so many papers to grade for Magic School. Phoebe is busy with the potion and her column and Leo still isn't back yet from Elder-land."
Piper nodded and took a deep breath. "I'll go."
Paige looked at her sister, her eyes crossed. "Piper, I love you and everything, but you have no clue about your club. I mean, you can't just show up over there and expect everything to go over fine. You don't know who anyone is over there and you don't know how things are dealt with, I mean technically you are still sixteen and everything, but there is no way that I can let-"
Piper held up her hand, stopping Paige. "I'll take one of the boys. They have to know who everyone is, and no one will know it isn't me. It'll be okay, I promise."
"What if a demon attacks?" Paige asked. "Are you sure you can use your powers? I'm not sure it would be a good thing if you relied on one of the boys for protection. Their powers are just as shaky as yours are."
"Paige, when I say it'll be okay, I mean that it will be okay. Trust me. Besides, I worked on my powers and I have them under control, for the most part. So don't worry, it'll be okay."
Or, at least that is what Piper thought while she was still at the house. She was presently standing in the middle of her club, surrounded by frozen workers and band members. Nothing seemed to be going the way it should and that was partly due to the fact that Paige had been right, she didn't know how to run a club. Every word out of anyone's mouth was gibberish and in attempt to free herself from the stress, she froze the room. Wyatt, whom she had brought with her was sitting on one of the bar stools, drinking a soda while Piper tried to calm herself down. Taking a seat next to Wyatt, she grabbed his drink and finished it off. Eyes widening, she turned to her son who was staring at her in disbelief.
"Oh, I'm sorry honey," she said, ruffling his hair.
"Um...what's the matter with you, mom?" Wyatt asked. "I know your powers seemed a bit wonky earlier, but you didn't even remember the bar tender's name when we walked in and had no idea where your office was."
Piper stared at the floor, unsure of how to answer him. "Well...I just haven't been myself lately."
"Is it a spell?"
Making the perfect excuse, Piper nodded and answered him. "A spell. That has to be it, right?"
Wyatt nodded. "Maybe you should tell dad and he can look in the Book and we can fix you before the demons come again."
"But before we do that, I think we need to do something about getting a band," Piper said. Standing, she walked over to unfreeze those in the club, but stopped when she heard her son scream. Turning, she saw one of the annillas from that morning appear and it was hovering over Wyatt.
"Mom!" Wyatt shouted, falling from the stool.
Piper ran to her son's side, but was thrown back by the demon. She landed with a thud on the other end of the room, the fall shocking her and causing everything to unfreeze. The band and the club workers caught sight of the demon and ran up the stairs and out of the club, fearing for their lives. Oblivious to the other and lying helpless on the floor, Piper struggled to get to her feet as she heard Wyatt call out for her.
But it was too late. By the time she was standing, she saw the annilla take her son into its arms, him screaming and kicking to free himself. Too afraid to do anything, Piper watched as tears formed in her eyes as the annilla disappeared, taking Wyatt with it.
Paige slammed the telephone down in the receiver angrily as Piper entered the kitchen. Piper stared at her sister, confused at what could be wrong. Nothing seemed to matter to Piper at the moment, though. She was focused and had tested her powers over and over and knew that she was ready to fight. Besides, she knew that if she didn't fight now, she might be too afraid to fight later. Anyway, the demons needed to be destroyed, and she was just the witch to do it.
"I think I am ready," Piper said.
"Ready for what?"
"To fight the demon. What else is there for me to be ready for?"
"It's more like what your future self should be ready for when she returns and that will be a club that has no band to play in it," Paige half mumbled to herself. She turned to Piper. "That was the club on the phone and something is wrong with the band and we need to have a band tonight."
Piper shook her head. "How can finding a band be more important than fighting the demons?"
Paige sat Piper down at the table. "It's not, but the club is our major source of income and we need the money. Not that we are doing poorly or anything, but if one band won't play, then another won't and then we'll be whisked into some vicious cycle."
"Paige, you sure you aren't over-reacting?"
Paige sighed. "Okay, maybe just a little bit. But the thing is, someone needs to go down to the club and work things out with the band and make sure that everything is going to be ready for tonight. I would, but I have so many papers to grade for Magic School. Phoebe is busy with the potion and her column and Leo still isn't back yet from Elder-land."
Piper nodded and took a deep breath. "I'll go."
Paige looked at her sister, her eyes crossed. "Piper, I love you and everything, but you have no clue about your club. I mean, you can't just show up over there and expect everything to go over fine. You don't know who anyone is over there and you don't know how things are dealt with, I mean technically you are still sixteen and everything, but there is no way that I can let-"
Piper held up her hand, stopping Paige. "I'll take one of the boys. They have to know who everyone is, and no one will know it isn't me. It'll be okay, I promise."
"What if a demon attacks?" Paige asked. "Are you sure you can use your powers? I'm not sure it would be a good thing if you relied on one of the boys for protection. Their powers are just as shaky as yours are."
"Paige, when I say it'll be okay, I mean that it will be okay. Trust me. Besides, I worked on my powers and I have them under control, for the most part. So don't worry, it'll be okay."
Or, at least that is what Piper thought while she was still at the house. She was presently standing in the middle of her club, surrounded by frozen workers and band members. Nothing seemed to be going the way it should and that was partly due to the fact that Paige had been right, she didn't know how to run a club. Every word out of anyone's mouth was gibberish and in attempt to free herself from the stress, she froze the room. Wyatt, whom she had brought with her was sitting on one of the bar stools, drinking a soda while Piper tried to calm herself down. Taking a seat next to Wyatt, she grabbed his drink and finished it off. Eyes widening, she turned to her son who was staring at her in disbelief.
"Oh, I'm sorry honey," she said, ruffling his hair.
"Um...what's the matter with you, mom?" Wyatt asked. "I know your powers seemed a bit wonky earlier, but you didn't even remember the bar tender's name when we walked in and had no idea where your office was."
Piper stared at the floor, unsure of how to answer him. "Well...I just haven't been myself lately."
"Is it a spell?"
Making the perfect excuse, Piper nodded and answered him. "A spell. That has to be it, right?"
Wyatt nodded. "Maybe you should tell dad and he can look in the Book and we can fix you before the demons come again."
"But before we do that, I think we need to do something about getting a band," Piper said. Standing, she walked over to unfreeze those in the club, but stopped when she heard her son scream. Turning, she saw one of the annillas from that morning appear and it was hovering over Wyatt.
"Mom!" Wyatt shouted, falling from the stool.
Piper ran to her son's side, but was thrown back by the demon. She landed with a thud on the other end of the room, the fall shocking her and causing everything to unfreeze. The band and the club workers caught sight of the demon and ran up the stairs and out of the club, fearing for their lives. Oblivious to the other and lying helpless on the floor, Piper struggled to get to her feet as she heard Wyatt call out for her.
But it was too late. By the time she was standing, she saw the annilla take her son into its arms, him screaming and kicking to free himself. Too afraid to do anything, Piper watched as tears formed in her eyes as the annilla disappeared, taking Wyatt with it.