Oh dear. I was trying to be thought provoking and enticing in part 1, but after reading the reviews, I think I just about managed confusing. I've added another chapter to try and make it a bit more intelligible. Thank you so much for the reviews and the kind comments. Willow2 and Calen I really hope this second part helps, although as I am in the same position as Emma15 regarding Wyatt's evilness I am not sure it will.
"Don't you 'Mom' me, what the hell do you think that you were doing"
He had been expecting this, but the force of her anger shook him anyway. "I simply did what you asked me to do"
"I ASKED YOU TO TRY AND KILL YOUR BROTHER?!" Obviously that had been the wrong response.
"I wasn't going to kill him..." off her look "probably, well not completely anyway, its just...its just, he drives me nuts with his holier than thou attitude. I've got better things to be doing than dragging his sorry ass from the past to stop him being killed. If you ask me Gideon's welcome to him"
He sees her face, conscious that he has gone way too far. "I was joking" she says nothing and he hates that, in his life he has faced and defeated hundreds of terrifying, blood curdling, sadistic demons but only Piper's silent treatment has ever managed to unnerve him.
He tries to read her expression and realises that she is glaring at him pointedly. "Oh sorry" He flicks his fingers muttering a spell under his breath.
She immediately becomes corporeal, flexing her fingers, stretching her limbs, twisting her neck, she stands there for a moment just enjoying the sensation of being solid. He watches her, fondly, but it doesn't last long, she is on a mission and quickly gets back to business, moving to a chair accross from him she sits down and the real pressure begins.
"So, what are you going to do about him now"
"Me! Nothing. I've got an empire to run and if he wants to piss about in the past working on his master plan I say good luck to him. To be honest, I'm glad he's finally out of my hair. You asked me to drag him back....
"I think you'll find I asked you to bring him back"
"....ok. You asked me to bring him back, which I did. So that's me finished" In his mind he is willing her not to say it, but he knows that this wish is futile, knows that she is far too ruthless to let him escape.
"What about your promise to me.." Damn, she had said it.
"Oh no not again, not the death bed promise, again. That's not fair Mom"
She ploughs on remorselessly. "You promised me that you would always look after him for me and keep him safe"
"That's only because I felt bad that I couldn't save you, and by the way whose fault was that? It wasn't my idea to bind my powers"
"Well you shouldn't have used them to terrorise Mrs Johnston and...and we are not having this discussion again. The point is was that promise a lie?"
He grits his teeth "No, but I'm severely tempted to use Chris's time portal to go back and kick my stupid gabby self in the head. If I had known how much trouble the little runt was going to be and how often you would use this to manipulate me."
"You would have still made the promise" She smiles at him lovingly
"Maybe.." He pauses, hearing the thoughts of a demon outside the door, its Loquarious one of his chief body guards, he listens for a moment, then casually flicks his fingers and Loquarious is no more, It was a shame, he had been a loyal guard, but he had heard too much and Wyatt could not afford any weakness to be exposed.
He tries again to change the subject. "How's Leo?"
"Since I'm dead and you're not, shouldn't I be asking you how your dad is?"
He raises his eyebrows. "Come off it Mom, since the pair of you broke the witch/whitelighter rules and smashed the mortal/elder rules you don't expect me to believe that you are finally abiding by the dead/undead rules." He smiles as her silence confirms his theory. Ha, he knew it, that information might come in useful, but then his smile fades, thoughts of Leo always hurt.
Piper sees and understands his change of expression "You could call for him, I know that he would love you to"
"Oh no. He made himself quite clear. His insistence that he never wanted to hear from my evil, murdering, no-son-of-his, self ever again, was positively eloquent, it's a shame you missed it"
"He was very upset at the time, with may I say very good reason. He misses you, a lot"
"Whatever. Look Mom I really do have to go. Tomorrow I need to welcome Leprechauns and Slovacci demons into my alliance. I realise that none of my family...." He breaks off noticing how totally unimpressed his high powered negotiations make her and for some reason it amuses him and makes him love her more.
"Other people might think the fate of the entire magical world ranks higher than one infuriating brother"
"Other people would be wrong and probably not the mother of two very infuriating sons".
She reaches up to place her hand on his cheek. "Please Wyatt. I miss watching over him, and the nightmare of history repeating itself has hung over us, me and your Dad, for the past 23 years. You are the only one left who can save him, not to mention he is back there trying to so very hard to save you" She can see him wavering.
"If you won't do it for us, do it for yourself. He is all you have left and underneath it all, I know how much family means to you".
She is looking earnestly at him now, her eyes full of pleading and love and he can't resist her, he never could. He wonders why he even bothered to go through this dance of opposition the outcome had never been in any doubt.
He kisses the top of her head. "OK, I'll think of something, I promise. But just for you. Not Chris, not Leo and definitely not me, just you. Satisfied?"
She smiles, her relief and blind faith in him transparent. He flicks his fingers and her body returns to its ethereal state, and as she begins to fade away he just catches her faint reply:
"And don't leave it so long next time. I miss my oldest baby too"
One day, he promises himself, one day he will manage the last word.
"The Halliwell Alliance grows stronger"
Graden watches Leo baulk at the statement. He knew that he would, knew that Leo hated that title and everything that it had come to represent and a part of Gaden, the nasty unworthy, unelder-like part of him thinks good. If Leo hadn't broken the rules, married a witch, had a child, they wouldn't all be in the sorry state that they currently were.
He turns his attention back to the debate. Colistan is still talking
"Our sources indicate that the Leprechauns and Slovacci demons will be joining tomorrow" There are murmurs of dismay around the hall, the news isn't unexpected but until recently the Leprechauns had been considered staunch allies.
Graden, however, is excited "We have an insider in the alliance?"
Coliston looks a little shifty "Not exactly, we were sent an invitation to attend"
"Oh. Are we going to go" They all turn to look in disbelief at the young elder who had uttered this and he shrinks beneath their scrutiny, not knowing what he has said that is obviously so very wrong
Graden takes pity on him.
"No we won't be attending. Tiathon, Wyatt's second in command, will have issued the invitation. The last time Elders accepted an invitation from him he slaughter them all, well almost all" He looks at Leo, before adding with only the slightest touch of malice. "Leo of course could go...."
They are all looking at him now, a few with understanding and compassion, some with open hostility and resentment.
"...nothing will happen to Leo"
What can he say, they are right. Nothing would happen to him. Wyatt had made it perfectly clear when the Odemphy killed Phoebe 5 years ago. He destroyed the demons, their families, their clan, their associates, their homes and culture, all wiped out in one night. Whatever hostile feelings Wyatt may have had for his family the message was abundantly clear, he would permit no one else to touch them.
Leo considers pointing out that Tiathon hadn't been working for Wyatt at the time of the Elder massacre but thinks better of it. Most of the other elders resent his presence there any way, suspecting him of spying for Wyatt. He feels very old and very tired and not for the first time wonders what he is doing there. Their numbers shrink daily as magical group after magical group leave to join Wyatt's alliance and the protection it affords. He had hung on, publicly affirming his allegiance to the Elders in an attempt to balance Wyatt's treachery. Yet privately he accepts that the Elder system he had known and respected is long gone, leaving behind this bickering petty travesty.
He notices that the room is silent and looks up to see everyone still watching him awaiting his response. "Fine, if the council wish me to attend and report on the meeting I have no objections. Now, if you will all excuse me". He gets up suddenly needing to be alone, it is late and he feels too weary to stay.
He walks slowly back to his room, trying to work out how he feels at the prospect of seeing Wyatt again. It had been three years, the day he had finally given up on him and accepted that this evil entity was no longer his little boy. He is so deep in thought he doesn't notice that his room is occupied until the other person coughs pointedly to get his attention and Leo's face lights up with pleasure and surprise
"Piper!"