**I have class today and tomorrow, so forgive me if I don't get another
chapter posted until late Friday night or Saturday morning. ~abs
Piper stood Wyatt up to finish dressing him, then set him on the floor to continue playing. Chloe was walking around the room looking at all the pictures. Piper was now watching Chloe through new eyes, "I have a niece," she smiled.
Chloe whipped around and caught Piper's gaze, "You do? I didn't know that. Is her picture in here somewhere?" Chloe stuttered.
"Ah, clever... coy... just like your mom," Piper pointed her finger walking slowly towards Chloe, "that's why you and Chris fight like brother and sister, why you're so tight, why I blessed those rings and linked your powers. And why you love him."
"Oh, it's not like that," Chloe was starting to panic and slowly backed away from Piper as she was inching closer.
"Oh, I didn't mean IN love... I mean like family. You're cousins," Piper finally reached Chloe as she tripped backwards into a chair and was now sitting in front of Piper. "No more secrets, no more lies," Piper commanded.
Chloe looked down, thought about it, and levitated herself in a seated position. Piper took this as a yes and again sat in front of Chloe on the bed. "No more secrets and no more lies," Chloe repeated.
"Boom," Wyatt pushed over his block tower.
Chris was walking down from the attic and ran into Paige on her way up, "Hey buddy, where are you off to in such a hurry?" Paige asked.
"Um, I've got some last minute ingredients for that potion Chloe and I are working on. Have you seen her?"
"Yeah, last I heard she was in your mom's room playing with Wyatt," Paige nodded and finished going upstairs.
"Thanks," Chris hollered back and went to his room. "Hey, Chloe, I got the wolfsbane," he walked into the room and saw Piper sitting there with her, "Mom, I didn't know you were in here. What's going on?" Chris asked suspiciously then noticing the guilty look on Chloe's face, "Chloe!"
"Chris, honey, before you get mad at her, please know that I figured it out and she just confirmed it," Piper assuaged him.
Chris looked around Piper and noticed Chloe levitating above the rocking chair, "Well, if she was floating like that it probably helped a little," he pointed sarcastically at Chloe who rolled her eyes and drifted back down to sitting in the chair.
"She didn't do that until after I found her out. You should have told me," she scolded her son, "I thought we had installed a 'no secrets' rule in this house."
Chris glared at Chloe a moment longer then smiled deviously, "So you told her who your dad is?"
*No! I'm still alive aren't I? I didn't want to send her into preterm labor.* Chloe thought.
"Ha, ha, so you haven't?" Chris laughed and sat piously on the bed, "This should be interesting."
*I should blow you up right now,* Chloe shot daggers from her eyes.
"You could try. But I'm betting my mom won't let you," Chris mocked.
"Ok, enough with the half conversation or I'm taking those rings away! You both stay where you are," Piper directed, "and somebody tell me what this one-sided conversation's all about. Who's your dad?"
"You're not going to like it, Piper," Chloe shook her head. Chris covered his mouth and lowered his head to hide his smile.
"The only demon, Avatar, whatever your father is that I would not want to have in this family is Cole and we vanquished him already."
"Well..." Chloe began. Chris covered his ears—he knew Piper was going to scream.
Paige was up in the attic reading up on mercenary demons. Phoebe was sitting in the conservatory working on her Monday column. Both of them heard "WHAT?!" and the explosion that followed. Phoebe looked up from her laptop and saw Chris orb and Chloe shimmer into the kitchen—both wide-eyed and scared of something or someone. "You two, what's going on?" she asked taking off her glasses. They both motioned to her to keep quiet.
"Oh, no you don't!" Piper yelled from the top of the stairs. Phoebe jumped up from her seat and walked into the foyer as Chloe and Chris cowered in the kitchen.
Footsteps could be heard running down the attic steps as Paige shouted, "What's going on? What exploded?"
Piper was walking towards the foyer steps absolutely livid. "Where are they? I know you didn't orb or shimmer out of this house!" she gritted her teeth.
"Was there a demon? What exploded?" Paige repeated.
"No, no demon. That was a lamp that exploded," Piper paced the upstairs hall. Wyatt was standing in her doorway watching, clapping his hands, "Again!" he smiled.
"Why did you blow up a lamp—was it attacking you?" Paige asked now watching Piper pace.
"Well, because if I had blown up what I wanted to blow up I would have been charged with murder and I just don't think now is the time for that," Piper replied sharply, "Where are they?"
Paige caught up to her at the top of the stairs as Phoebe walked up and joined them. "Piper, sweetie, remember your blood pressure. You don't want to have the same problem you had with Wyatt," Phoebe soothingly reminded her.
"I don't care, where are they?"
"Maybe if we knew who you were looking for?" Paige suggested.
"That little demon and little angel... Chloe! Chris!" Piper yelled again pushing past Phoebe and Paige. The two culprits stuck their heads back around the corner of the doorway between the foyer and dining room. "You two, get your asses back up here. We are not finished talking," Piper commanded. Chris and Chloe slowly emerged from the safety of the doorway and began up the stairs.
"What did you do?" Phoebe asked quite concerned as her nephew and daughter passed her.
Chloe averted her eyes back to Chris who answered, "We told her we aren't 100% sure how to vanquish Batterak yet. But we're still working on it."
"It made her a little mad," Chloe added.
"I'd say," Paige smirked following Phoebe back downstairs.
*You have your mom's temper* Chloe thought following Chris back up the stairs towards Piper's room.
"Shut up," he turned to her.
"Sit back down," Piper ordered, "Are you kidding me?"
"No," Chloe meekly responded sitting on the bed behind Chris—hoping that Piper wouldn't try to blow her up if Chris was in front of her.
"Oh, I'm not really going to blow you up," Piper sassily insinuated that Chloe didn't have to hide behind Chris. She scooted back to the edge of the bed in Piper's full view. "Cole is your father?"
"Yes."
"How?" Piper probed for more details. Chris and Chloe exchanged sly looks, "Oh, I know how how... I mean, how can that be? He's dead. Three times!"
"We're still working on the details," Chris explained.
"You knew that Phoebe was married to Cole and had a child in the future?" Piper quizzed her son. Chloe turned to look at him, *Your turn.*
"Yes, but I couldn't tell you," he started.
"We instituted..."
"The 'no secrets' rule, I know," Chris completed her sentence, "but do you see what kind of problems this caused? I didn't want to do that. Besides, I didn't think it would matter if I told you or not. Cole isn't a problem in the future. And when I came back," he paused, "Chloe was dead."
Piper's eyes widened, "What did you just say?"
"She was dead. And had been for a couple of months when I came back in time," Chris kicked his feet, "but obviously something we have done has kept that from happening because check it out, she's alive." Chloe waved. Piper was speechless. "Mom? Are you ok?"
Piper stood up and began to pace in the room. Wyatt brought her a book. She turned to Chloe, "Is Wyatt?"
"Still evil?" Chloe asked. Piper nodded her head. "I'm afraid so. At least he was when I left," Chloe couldn't look Piper in the eyes.
Piper leaned over and picked up Wyatt as best she could. Then she sat on the bed and cradled him, "Read," he asked waving his book.
Chloe crawled across the bed to Piper and put her hand on her shoulder, "Piper, everything I told you is true—how I got here, why I am here, what my powers are, what happened to my dad—I haven't lied. I just left out the names to protect the innocents," she winked at Piper with her pun. Piper finally smiled. "I want to vanquish Batterak. Here, now. It'll change everything. And I am still convinced that he works for whoever turns Wyatt—either now or in the future."
"We've got a plan, Mom," Chris added also crawling across the bed to hug his mom, "You just are going to have to trust us."
Piper looked down at Wyatt and her belly. Then she looked back up into her baby's eyes—at the man he was. She looked up at Chloe and for the first time saw Phoebe's lips, her smile. "Are you close?" she finally asked. Chris and Chloe looked at each other confused. "Are you two close?" Piper tried to clear things up.
They smiled. "We may try to kill each other on occasion..." Chloe started.
"...but we love each other," Chris finished.
Piper nodded her head and let the tears roll down her cheeks. "So when should we be expecting you, Miss Chloe?"
"Oh, about three years... give or take a month," Chloe blushed. All four of them smiled.
Piper stood Wyatt up to finish dressing him, then set him on the floor to continue playing. Chloe was walking around the room looking at all the pictures. Piper was now watching Chloe through new eyes, "I have a niece," she smiled.
Chloe whipped around and caught Piper's gaze, "You do? I didn't know that. Is her picture in here somewhere?" Chloe stuttered.
"Ah, clever... coy... just like your mom," Piper pointed her finger walking slowly towards Chloe, "that's why you and Chris fight like brother and sister, why you're so tight, why I blessed those rings and linked your powers. And why you love him."
"Oh, it's not like that," Chloe was starting to panic and slowly backed away from Piper as she was inching closer.
"Oh, I didn't mean IN love... I mean like family. You're cousins," Piper finally reached Chloe as she tripped backwards into a chair and was now sitting in front of Piper. "No more secrets, no more lies," Piper commanded.
Chloe looked down, thought about it, and levitated herself in a seated position. Piper took this as a yes and again sat in front of Chloe on the bed. "No more secrets and no more lies," Chloe repeated.
"Boom," Wyatt pushed over his block tower.
Chris was walking down from the attic and ran into Paige on her way up, "Hey buddy, where are you off to in such a hurry?" Paige asked.
"Um, I've got some last minute ingredients for that potion Chloe and I are working on. Have you seen her?"
"Yeah, last I heard she was in your mom's room playing with Wyatt," Paige nodded and finished going upstairs.
"Thanks," Chris hollered back and went to his room. "Hey, Chloe, I got the wolfsbane," he walked into the room and saw Piper sitting there with her, "Mom, I didn't know you were in here. What's going on?" Chris asked suspiciously then noticing the guilty look on Chloe's face, "Chloe!"
"Chris, honey, before you get mad at her, please know that I figured it out and she just confirmed it," Piper assuaged him.
Chris looked around Piper and noticed Chloe levitating above the rocking chair, "Well, if she was floating like that it probably helped a little," he pointed sarcastically at Chloe who rolled her eyes and drifted back down to sitting in the chair.
"She didn't do that until after I found her out. You should have told me," she scolded her son, "I thought we had installed a 'no secrets' rule in this house."
Chris glared at Chloe a moment longer then smiled deviously, "So you told her who your dad is?"
*No! I'm still alive aren't I? I didn't want to send her into preterm labor.* Chloe thought.
"Ha, ha, so you haven't?" Chris laughed and sat piously on the bed, "This should be interesting."
*I should blow you up right now,* Chloe shot daggers from her eyes.
"You could try. But I'm betting my mom won't let you," Chris mocked.
"Ok, enough with the half conversation or I'm taking those rings away! You both stay where you are," Piper directed, "and somebody tell me what this one-sided conversation's all about. Who's your dad?"
"You're not going to like it, Piper," Chloe shook her head. Chris covered his mouth and lowered his head to hide his smile.
"The only demon, Avatar, whatever your father is that I would not want to have in this family is Cole and we vanquished him already."
"Well..." Chloe began. Chris covered his ears—he knew Piper was going to scream.
Paige was up in the attic reading up on mercenary demons. Phoebe was sitting in the conservatory working on her Monday column. Both of them heard "WHAT?!" and the explosion that followed. Phoebe looked up from her laptop and saw Chris orb and Chloe shimmer into the kitchen—both wide-eyed and scared of something or someone. "You two, what's going on?" she asked taking off her glasses. They both motioned to her to keep quiet.
"Oh, no you don't!" Piper yelled from the top of the stairs. Phoebe jumped up from her seat and walked into the foyer as Chloe and Chris cowered in the kitchen.
Footsteps could be heard running down the attic steps as Paige shouted, "What's going on? What exploded?"
Piper was walking towards the foyer steps absolutely livid. "Where are they? I know you didn't orb or shimmer out of this house!" she gritted her teeth.
"Was there a demon? What exploded?" Paige repeated.
"No, no demon. That was a lamp that exploded," Piper paced the upstairs hall. Wyatt was standing in her doorway watching, clapping his hands, "Again!" he smiled.
"Why did you blow up a lamp—was it attacking you?" Paige asked now watching Piper pace.
"Well, because if I had blown up what I wanted to blow up I would have been charged with murder and I just don't think now is the time for that," Piper replied sharply, "Where are they?"
Paige caught up to her at the top of the stairs as Phoebe walked up and joined them. "Piper, sweetie, remember your blood pressure. You don't want to have the same problem you had with Wyatt," Phoebe soothingly reminded her.
"I don't care, where are they?"
"Maybe if we knew who you were looking for?" Paige suggested.
"That little demon and little angel... Chloe! Chris!" Piper yelled again pushing past Phoebe and Paige. The two culprits stuck their heads back around the corner of the doorway between the foyer and dining room. "You two, get your asses back up here. We are not finished talking," Piper commanded. Chris and Chloe slowly emerged from the safety of the doorway and began up the stairs.
"What did you do?" Phoebe asked quite concerned as her nephew and daughter passed her.
Chloe averted her eyes back to Chris who answered, "We told her we aren't 100% sure how to vanquish Batterak yet. But we're still working on it."
"It made her a little mad," Chloe added.
"I'd say," Paige smirked following Phoebe back downstairs.
*You have your mom's temper* Chloe thought following Chris back up the stairs towards Piper's room.
"Shut up," he turned to her.
"Sit back down," Piper ordered, "Are you kidding me?"
"No," Chloe meekly responded sitting on the bed behind Chris—hoping that Piper wouldn't try to blow her up if Chris was in front of her.
"Oh, I'm not really going to blow you up," Piper sassily insinuated that Chloe didn't have to hide behind Chris. She scooted back to the edge of the bed in Piper's full view. "Cole is your father?"
"Yes."
"How?" Piper probed for more details. Chris and Chloe exchanged sly looks, "Oh, I know how how... I mean, how can that be? He's dead. Three times!"
"We're still working on the details," Chris explained.
"You knew that Phoebe was married to Cole and had a child in the future?" Piper quizzed her son. Chloe turned to look at him, *Your turn.*
"Yes, but I couldn't tell you," he started.
"We instituted..."
"The 'no secrets' rule, I know," Chris completed her sentence, "but do you see what kind of problems this caused? I didn't want to do that. Besides, I didn't think it would matter if I told you or not. Cole isn't a problem in the future. And when I came back," he paused, "Chloe was dead."
Piper's eyes widened, "What did you just say?"
"She was dead. And had been for a couple of months when I came back in time," Chris kicked his feet, "but obviously something we have done has kept that from happening because check it out, she's alive." Chloe waved. Piper was speechless. "Mom? Are you ok?"
Piper stood up and began to pace in the room. Wyatt brought her a book. She turned to Chloe, "Is Wyatt?"
"Still evil?" Chloe asked. Piper nodded her head. "I'm afraid so. At least he was when I left," Chloe couldn't look Piper in the eyes.
Piper leaned over and picked up Wyatt as best she could. Then she sat on the bed and cradled him, "Read," he asked waving his book.
Chloe crawled across the bed to Piper and put her hand on her shoulder, "Piper, everything I told you is true—how I got here, why I am here, what my powers are, what happened to my dad—I haven't lied. I just left out the names to protect the innocents," she winked at Piper with her pun. Piper finally smiled. "I want to vanquish Batterak. Here, now. It'll change everything. And I am still convinced that he works for whoever turns Wyatt—either now or in the future."
"We've got a plan, Mom," Chris added also crawling across the bed to hug his mom, "You just are going to have to trust us."
Piper looked down at Wyatt and her belly. Then she looked back up into her baby's eyes—at the man he was. She looked up at Chloe and for the first time saw Phoebe's lips, her smile. "Are you close?" she finally asked. Chris and Chloe looked at each other confused. "Are you two close?" Piper tried to clear things up.
They smiled. "We may try to kill each other on occasion..." Chloe started.
"...but we love each other," Chris finished.
Piper nodded her head and let the tears roll down her cheeks. "So when should we be expecting you, Miss Chloe?"
"Oh, about three years... give or take a month," Chloe blushed. All four of them smiled.