Thank you, thank you, thank you for the lovely reviews, especially such long ones. They made me really happy. Its great to know that other people are interested in the stuff that floats around my head, you are probably saving me a fortune in psychiatrist bills. Plus comments like what are you going to do about..., or why is such a body doing... are really useful otherwise I don't address them - sorry I rambled on a bit there, stopping now.
Leo woke suddenly, cramped and desperate to stretch his limbs, but loath to move and risk her leaving his arms, he breathed in the scent of her hair, savouring the moment. But it didn't last, she stirred and stretched and turned to him confused "Hey! I was asleep what's that about"
He smiled and took the opportunity to trace her cheek with his finger. "It's the body, if you retain it long enough, it needs resting and feeding"
"Well that explains my next question, I'm starving and I bet you don't have any food" his face confirmed she was right and she poked him in the chest in mock annoyance "I don't know how you manage to survive without me"
He said simply "I don't"
The honesty of his answer was unexpected and she had to turn away, when she looked back he had risen, his expression troubled.
"What's wrong?"
"Last night I didn't set any barriers, anyone could have come in"
She got up too and began to get dressed, who cared, she was long past worrying about the elders and more curious than concerned she asked "Do you think they did?" he shrugged "It'll give them something else to gossip about"
She was concentrating now and it was his turn to ask, "What's wrong?"
"Shush. I need to figure how to get rid of the body and since you're not going to feed me, I probably should go"
"You don't know how? Wyatt didn't tell you?"
"Well he didn't actually tell me how to get the body either, but if he didn't want me to know he should have mumbled his spell more quietly, I'm dead not deaf" she clicked her fingers and began slowly to fade. "Ah ha!",
She grinned wickedly "I've always wanted to do this", before he could ask what, she pulled him into her arms and kissed him, fading away mid embrace, leaving him empty armed and looking foolish.
He smiled, "Oh that".
The room was heaving. Magical creatures of all types intermingled nervously as Wyatt strode among them with confident ease. In the crush he stood out, beings in his vicinity automatically shuffled away leaving him permanently framed by a circle of space. Tiathon called it his Corona of Terror. It worked for Wyatt, added to his mystique, besides he had never liked crowds.
Surveying his subjects he spotted Graden immediately, Leo, hooded, with his back to Wyatt was barely noticed.
Mm.. Elders, now that was interesting. So they had finally condescended to come to his party, he smiled savagely, he must remember to send Tiathon to them for a chat, his grin widened. It was about time they danced to his tune, it felt like most of his life he had been dancing to theirs. His father couldn't live with them because the Elders said so, they couldn't use magic for personal gain because the Elders said so, his mother had cried herself to sleep so many nights because the Elders deemed it so and she, and most of his other ancestors, had senselessly thrown away their lives because the fucking Elders had said so. Well the Elders could......Leo!!!!!!!
Leo had turned round and for a few seconds the world just stopped. Wyatt heard nothing, felt nothing, his mind scrabbled at nothing, before reality kicked back in and he was back, posed, powerful and most important totally controlled.
What the hell was going on? His mother last night, Leo today. Had he come about Chris too? No, he wouldn't, not anymore; it had to be about work. He tried to hear his father's thoughts, nothing; the other elder came up blank too. Shrewd Leo, he must have used blocking potions. Wyatt wasn't surprised it was something Leo had always been careful about, particularly around Piper, there were some thoughts he had made sure his son could never share. Casually Wyatt meandered towards them making sure that he stopped to talk to others on his way.
Finally, exuding arrogance, he reached Graden "And you are......?"
So this was the Great Man. Despite himself Graden was impressed, Wyatt emitted an aura of almost overwhelming power and it was all he could do not to genuflect. He pulled himself together and remembering he represented the Elders he stood up straight. "I am Graden and this is..." He broke off, gesturing to Leo not certain how he should continue.
Wyatt smiled lazily "Oh, there is no need to introduce Leo......hes a friend of my Mothers".
"Hello Wyatt" Leo spoke quietly.
The two just looked at each other, and seeing them so close Graden was struck by the striking similarly, of course he had known Wyatt was Leo's son, but even so the likeness was unnerving, as though a familiar, benign tabby cat suddenly morphed into a snarling tiger before his eyes.
Leo didn't known what he had expected, didn't even know what he currently felt. Last night, listening to Piper's highly edited, favourable account of Wyatt and his attempts to help Chris, a small glimmer of hope had flickered in his aching heart. Now, faced by this cold stranger the hope faded...and yet, and yet, beneath it all there was that beloved face, as familiar as his own, it almost was his own, but it was Wyatt's appraising expression that finally decided him, pure Piper, Leo made an effort.
"Its, its..good to see you"
"Really! And there was I thinking that you, like all right minded angels, thought I was the Devil. Well you live and learn" BASTARD! Did he think Wyatt was stupid? That he could show up after 3 years and say hello son, bow nicely to the important Elders? Well he was wrong. The world had moved on and so had Wyatt.
He smiled coldly, "I must circulate. Be sure to give my regards to Mom next time you...ahem see her" and he walked away, leaving Leo and Garden staring dumbly in his wake.
At first the ceremony was a disappointment to Graden, he had expected something more regal and grand, possibly trumpets and fanfares, certainly with at least a show of military might, but as it proceeded he realised that Wyatt needed non of these. He was himself sufficiently majestic and impressive that anything else would be gilding the lily. They were now all seated around a magnificent circular table that could easily accommodate hundreds yet magically managed to appear intimate. Graden wanted to sneer at this Arthurian charade but somehow couldn't.
Wyatt was stood on a podium in the hollowed out centre of the table, a group of leprechauns and slovaccis grouped to one side. He had been talking for a while and Graden looked around at the transfixed audience, hanging on Wyatt's every word,
"........... a new world order, beyond the old good-versus- evil morass. Today we are welcoming the Leprechauns and Slovaccis into the Halliwell Alliance. An alliance of good and evil, no longer bound in an endless destructive wheel of futile killing. Truly a commonwealth for..." he paused for the first time that day and looked mockingly at Leo "..for the greater good of all. Today we celebrate all magic whatever its orientation for what it truly is, power. Our rules are simple,
One, my wishes are law and my orders will be followed by members even unto death.
Two, no mortal may be harmed", he smiled playfully, "We need someone to rebuild this city and empty the bins.
Three, it is forbidden to attack members of other groups within the Alliance
Outside of these rules members can do anything they like, pursue whom they choose, kill what they will. However if these rules are transgressed", he flicked his fingers and, a grimlock sat around the table disappeared, consumed in a flare of fire. A new, confused looking grimlock instantly replaced him. "I will be upset" He turned to the new arrival.
"Are you the leader of the Grimlocks,"
"No. That..."The creature, not stupid, took in his surrounding "...my apologies sir, yes I am the leader"
"Under your late predecessor I received tales that children's eyes were still being collected, this breaks one of my rules. Will I hear similar tales under your leadership?"
"NO!" He looked terrified
"Good. Then you are welcome"
Wyatt turned to the group of slovaccis, "Now finally the initiation may begin"
The leader of the Slavaccis walked forward and knelt at Wyatt's feet, his head stretched back. Wyatt pointed Excalibur to the base of his throat.
"Do you swear as the leader of your people that you speak for all of them?"
"I swear"
"Do you swear to place this Alliance before your people, your family and your gods?"
"I swear"
"Do you agree to pledge your life for the obedience of your people?"
The slovacci alarmed by what he had just witnessed hesitated and at that moment one of the leprechauns who had been sidling nearer to them, launched himself at Wyatt with an enchanted blade.
Leo instinctively leapt up, his arms raised, ready to orb his son to safety, but he needn't have bothered. The leprechaun froze mid attack then began moving again in ultra slow motion. In a horrific scene, he was kept magically alive while first his skin then bones, blistered and boiled away, all the time his eyes bulging in terror and his mouth stretched in a soundless scream of agony. Wyatt never turned round, merely stood disinterestedly awaiting the Slovacci leader's reply.
The demon quickly made up his mind.
"YES, YES I swear"
Wyatt smiled "Then I welcome you to us"
He turned to the leprechauns, who were staring in horror at their tormented comrade, and smiled politely "Do you still wish to join us?"
They looked at him in disbelief.
"Oh, I beg your pardon" Wyatt flicked his fingers and the anguished leprechaun plus two of his colleagues disappeared,
Shell shocked and appalled the two remaining leprechauns looked at each other, before one nodded and reluctantly stepped forward to take the oath
Leo, who had known the dead leprechauns well, was sickened by the torture he had observed, turned to Graden. "I can't stay, I can't be a party to this, you talk to them if you like, I shouldn't have come" without awaiting a reply he walked away, with Graden quickly following.
In silence they made for the room designated for materialising and dematerialising, both so deep in thought that they did not notice the sound of running footsteps until the demon was almost on top of them. It looked terrified and glancing quickly around shoved a piece of paper in Leo's hand, whispering, "If you want him gone, be here" Not waiting to see if they heard him or not it shimmered out. Leaving the stunned elders looking at each other speechless.
Tiathon closed his folder "I think that went well. The attack by the leprechauns was a most effective demonstration, it couldn't have gone better if we'd planned it."
"Yes". Wyatt was thoughtful, knowing Tiathon was right, yet somehow it bothered Wyatt that Leo had witnessed the scene. "Did you see the Elders?"
Tiathon was grinning "Unfortunately they left before I could welcome them personally" he knew how Wyatt dispised them "I was surprised that they finally responded to one of my invitations"
Wyatt turned around "You invited them?"
"Oh I invite them to everything, for some reason they never want to come. I suppose they thought this time they would be safe sending..." His voice trailed off, hesitant about mentioning Leo before Wyatt did. Wyatt often got touchy around the subject of his family and Tiathon was always very careful not to risk that.
"Yes" Wyatt cut him off and not wanting to discuss Leo he didn't elaborate further "I will see you tomorrow"
Tiathon, recognising this as a dismissal left him, alone.
Alone. That was the price of his success. It was times like this he missed Chris, Chris had never been scared of him, not really, not even last night. Wyatt was irritated with himself, he had handled that badly, he should have known trying to bully Chris wouldn't work. It was just he couldn't let anything jeopardise what he was working for. If his brother were prepared to go back to the past to try and trash things who knew what he would do when, or if, Wyatt brought him back. Plus that half assed resistance he had been running before he left had been an embarrassment, if it had been any one else...
Wyatt walked to the window and looked out at the battered city, remembering how it had looked as a child, remembering feeling giddy as his father had orbed all of them around it, pointing out sites, telling stupid jokes. That's how it should have been all the time.
He turned his mind back to the Chris problem, acknowledging there was no question of it being if he brought Chris back, he had promised Piper. Besides she was right, beneath it all Wyatt was all about family. He grew more cheerful; Chris had worked with demons before, often, if he could just be persuaded to join Wyatt then who knew what they could accomplish together.