***Y'all are such a wonderful audience! I truly enjoy reading your reviews
and suggestions—I'm going to work some of them in, thanks!! ;-) I'm in
the middle of a test nest with school and am suffering a little writer's
block... so be patient with me for a couple of days. This is the longest
chapter I've written so far. The Chloe/Wyatt relationship below is taken
from personal experience with a baby I was a nanny for. I hope you like
it. ENJOY!! ~abs
Chloe was dancing with Wyatt to Disney's The Little Mermaid soundtrack and "Under the Sea." Wyatt was laughing wildly as Chloe acted out the different fishes' parts of the song. Chris was solemnly flipping through the Book of Shadows. Chloe fell on the floor in exhaustion as Wyatt climbed on her stomach and laid down to give her a hug, she kissed him on the head. "That was fun," she sighed and looked over to Chris who didn't even crack a smile.
Wyatt was patting Chloe on the shoulder saying, "Good Clo, good... 'gin?" as he sat up and clapped.
"Not right now, big guy. I have to see why your brother is being such a stick in the mud," she set him on the floor and started the music back for him as he danced around alone. "Chris, look at your brother. He is enjoying life which is more than I can say for you."
"I'm trying to stay focused on the task at hand... making sure he has a life—trying to insure that he stays cute and sweet and happy," he said flipping back through the book, "Who do you think Gideon is working for? Or with?"
Chloe sat down on the sofa and watched Wyatt twirl around until he fell laughing on the floor. "I don't know. I don't know if we should assume it's him."
"Why the hell not?" Chris acted offended, "You heard what he said."
"I did," Chloe looked back at him, "but that doesn't mean he is the one that is trying to turn Wyatt. What if he is trying to save him, too. And wants to read his thoughts just like the rest of us—see what in the world could possibly turn a one year old evil." Chloe got up and walked over to Wyatt. "Let me see if there's anything new in your head, little man." Chloe held out her hand and Wyatt walked up to her. She sat on the floor in front of him and he sat in front of her. She placed her hands on his little fuzzy head and closed her eyes. Chloe sat still, and concentrated hard. She began to see things... flashes, bits and pieces of different pictures. Every thought was interrupted by the spinning top—there was dark, power, confusion, light, comfort, and love—and sitting in the middle of an open field was little Wyatt, all alone. Just sitting, staring at the sky and not looking either to the right or the left, but up. Chloe pulled her hands away and looked in Wyatt's eyes. "I have no idea what that means," she mumbled stroking Wyatt's face. "Dance!" he smiled and got up and started twirling again as Sebastian sang "Kiss the girl." Chloe put her head in her hands.
"What did you see?" Chris sat down next to her.
"I saw San Francisco in night and day. I saw Piper, Leo, you... all standing holding their hands out to Wyatt. And I saw a figure in black standing on the other side, leering at him. But Wyatt was sitting all alone, in the middle of an open field. He felt like he was miles from anyone. And there was a whirlwind of emotions surrounding him. Every vision was broken up by the top. It has to be integral to everything," Chloe put her head back in her hands. Wyatt continued to dance.
"How could you fail?" Gideon glared at Batterak. "He was vulnerable. I told you exactly where he would be."
"I couldn't help it," Batterak seethed, "the elder and the witch showed up. You said they would be powerless against me. But the witch, she was able to channel Balthazar's power... and she injured me," Batterak pulled up his shirt and revealed an open wound about four centimeters in diameter.
"She shouldn't have her powers back, but she was granted them by the council because she was willing to protect him. I apologize for that, I was not in favor of the decision. No matter. Cole knows that Chloe is his daughter now, so he is still vulnerable. You get her, and you will get him," Gideon instructed.
"She needs to die. My instructions, from the future, are to kill her. And I must say, that would bring me so much pleasure. I also have it on good authority that killing her could possibly pull Balthazar back to evil," Batterak snarled.
Gideon rolled a pen back and forth in his hand, contemplating what he was hearing. His goal had been to capture all three charmed offspring and hold them captive until Chris's birth... then turn them all—starting with the infant and young Wyatt—then send Chloe and Chris back to the future to take their place with Wyatt. He had to restore the balance of power somehow, and it could not be by letting the future charmed ones become empowered for good. But what if Cole was allowed to embrace evil once more, and give up his soul in fury over his daughter. He could reign again as the source and deny the avatars his abilities, and balance would once again be obtained. "Let me think about it," Gideon continued to roll the pen in his fingers.
"My instructions are to kill her. For more reasons than the ones you must be thinking. And I'm going to do as I'm told, and I'm going to enjoy it," Batterak stood to leave placing his hands on Gideon's desk.
Gideon quickly orbed his letter opener to his hands and stabbed it into Batterak's left hand, "You're working for me while you are here. Don't forget, I am an elder. I can give the charmed ones the information they need to vanquish you. Do as your told. Capture her, do not kill her." Batterak pulled the letter opener out of his hand and threw it to the floor as he shimmered out. Gideon looked back at the star charts on his desk. Chris's birthday was in two weeks and he had a feeling that Chloe and Chris were suspicious of him. He had to be careful in carrying out his plans—or else he could be caught.
Chloe carried Wyatt back downstairs as Chris went to check with some of his sources to see if Gideon was connected to Wyatt or Batterak. Chloe was still singing "Under the Sea" twirling Wyatt who was giggling uncontrollably as she walked into the conservatory. Leo was meditating, floating about six inches above the floor with his eyes closed. "Looks like daddy is communicating with the universe," Chloe whirled around with Wyatt who was still laughing. Leo opened his eyes and laughed at his son and niece having such a good time. "I brought Wyatt back down to you. Chris went to check with some of his sources. Where is everybody else?"
"Paige went to set some things up at the club... somebody has to be running it. Phoebe took Cole to buy some more clothes. And Piper is upstairs taking a well-deserved nap. Come here," he motioned for Chloe to bring him Wyatt. Wyatt beat her to it as he orbed himself into his daddy's lap. "That's my boy," Leo beamed holding his son.
"One of them," Chloe corrected and sat on the floor. Leo noticed that she was no longer wearing the dress she had borrowed, but a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail.
"You look like you're ready to take on the world," he noted.
"If I have to," she smiled, "Anything to protect my family."
"Great minds think alike," Leo smiled as Wyatt got up to go bang on his toy piano.
"Leo, I want to talk to you."
"What about?" Leo was concerned.
"The other day, when I shook your hand... that was the first time I met you," Chloe responded.
Leo looked at her baffled, "How is that?"
"You took your job as an elder very seriously. I think my mom, Piper, and Paige were in contact with you. But I don't remember ever meeting you. Even though there was a picture of you holding me as a baby," Chloe thought back, "After Wyatt truly turned, and Piper, Paige and Phoebe," she paused for a moment, "died... we never even heard from you. Chris never heard from you. And he was still good."
Leo watched Wyatt happily play on the piano and thought of how Chris would hardly look him in the eye, "Is that why he hates me?"
"It has something to do with it. He felt betrayed, rejected... and most importantly... when he needed you the most, when Piper and Wyatt needed you the most, you turned your back on all of them. He was alone, Leo," she put her hand on Leo's leg and felt his sorrow and self-anger, "You have a chance to change that. To make it right. Chris is stubborn to the core, much like his mom," Chloe grinned and Leo nodded, "but the reason he is so closed off is because he doesn't want to get hurt anymore than he has been. I know he loves you. You just have to make him see that you love him, too." She got up and turned back to Leo from the kitchen door, "I'm going down to the basement if anyone needs me. If I'm remembering correctly, Phoebe has a punching bag and some swords down there. I need a good workout." She left Leo alone, watching his oldest son play, and wondering how to make things right with his youngest.
Cole and Phoebe were wandering through a department store. Cole felt completely out of place. He had been evil for so long, and then dead for a year, that being inundated in the swarm of the consumer-happy populous made him anxious. "We need to leave," he leaned over to Phoebe who was paying for a couple of shirts and sweaters. "No need getting the car, I'll just shimmer us home."
"No," Phoebe snapped back him, "You need to get used to being out in public again. Become re-acclimated in the world. You're hopefully going to be living in it for some time now," she grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "Would you like to go grab some coffee? I'm kind of craving a cinnamon spiced double mocha myself."
Cole continued to look around the mall, suspicious of everyone, as if he feared he was going to be ambushed at any minute. He and Phoebe walked in the coffee shop filled with people enjoying one of the first uncharacteristically warm days in San Francisco—mostly divulging in iced versions of their favorite coffee drinks. "What would you like? Anything, it's my treat," Phoebe smiled pointing Cole at the menu.
He was completely overwhelmed by what he saw—thirty different syrup flavors, about ten different ways to steam milk and add espresso, the same and then some versions iced, and something called a frappachino. "I have no clue. Was this all here when I left?"
"Yes, actually it was, you just didn't get out enough—you know, with all the evil plotting to take over the world," Phoebe turned to the barista, "We'll have a venti cinnamon spiced double mocha and," turning back to Cole and realizing he probably wasn't ready for the high octane version of the drink, "a tall vanilla latte, decaf," she added. She paid for the drinks and lead Cole to a table in the corner where they could partially be alone.
Cole stared at his drink before taking a sip. Phoebe watched him with mild enjoyment as he made a face with his first sip, "That tastes like hot milk," he frowned.
"That's because it is hot milk. Steamed to be exact. With a shot of espresso and vanilla flavoring," Phoebe took a sip of her own drink.
"Whatever happened to plain coffee with milk and sugar," Cole looked around at the busy café.
Phoebe just shook her head, "We need to talk."
"Here?" Cole was flabbergasted, "Do you really think this is the place?"
Phoebe laughed, "Yes, this is where people come to have serious conversations all the time." Cole took another labored sip of his latte. "I know that we have a daughter sometime in the future, and I know she says we're happy and married and life is grand until you get abducted. But Cole, I'm still really skeptical. I don't want to jump back into anything. I've been dating, a lot actually. And I've been in love with a wonderful man who made me feel like a queen—and I don't mean the queen of all evil."
Cole set his drink back on the table. He knew this conversation was going to come up eventually. He just didn't expect it for at least another forty-eight or seventy-two hours. "I know, I feel the same way."
Phoebe did not expect Cole to respond that way. He had gone insane trying to win her back before he was vanquished. He became an Avatar to alter reality hoping that would make her love him. "What did you just say?"
"I feel the same way." And he really did, "Being ensouled, sane, and back from the dead really gives a man a new perspective," Cole half- grinned, "I have the power to help fight the fight for good now. And I don't want to throw that away. I feel like I'm learning to walk again, but I need to learn on my own." Phoebe gave him a look of rejection, "Not that I don't need your help. You've been in this fight longer than I have. But I need to do what's right for me. I can't let knowing we get together and have a daughter keep me from doing that."
Phoebe played with the lip on her cup. "When did you get so smart?" she toyed. That was the last thing she had expected him to say. Yet her powers were letting her into his head, and he was telling her the truth. "I didn't really expect you to say that," she admitted to him.
"I didn't think that you did," Cole wasn't able to make eye contact with her either. Then he added, "You were in love with someone else? He wasn't as good-looking as I am," he kidded.
"No, actually he was better looking," Phoebe lied with a wink.
Leo crept into Piper's room with Wyatt asleep on his shoulder. He gently laid his son down in his crib and turned back to his lovely wife. She was sleeping on her back with her hands folded across her belly. He had never seen her look more beautiful. He gently walked over, and sat on the bed next to her, and bringing her hand to his mouth, he kissed it. Piper stirred, "Piper, it's almost dinner time. You've been asleep for three hours," he nudged her.
"I don't want to go to school. Let me take a day off," she kidded opening one eye. "Hi there," she smiled.
"Hi there," he smiled back, "Wyatt's sleeping in his crib. Chloe is in the basement training, Paige is at P3, Cole and Phoebe are at the mall, and Chris is demon hunting. How about you and I... you know..." he taunted.
"Doing 'you know' is what got me in this position to begin with," Piper rolled her eyes as Leo helped her sit up. Then she looked into the eyes of the man she loved, the father of her children, and leaned in to give him a passionate kiss. Leo surrendered to her taking her head in his hands, letting his fingers run through her long dark hair. Piper was the first to break away and left Leo wanting more. He had never stopped loving her. She had never stopped loving him. "Come on," she said tugging on his arm, "orb me down to the kitchen and you can help me cook something fabulous for dinner." Leo leaned in to kiss her again as he orbed them out of the room.
Neither Leo nor Piper had noticed Chris sitting on the window seat, watching the whole scene unfold. He bowed his head with a smile as he watched them orb out. He looked over to his big brother sleeping peacefully in his crib, "Wyatt, what can we do to keep this one big happy family?" he asked rhetorically as he got up from his seat and approached Wyatt's crib. He watched him sleep. And for the first time in his recent memory, he leaned over and kissed Wyatt's cheek, "You know I love you," he said before he too orbed out of the room.
Chloe was dancing with Wyatt to Disney's The Little Mermaid soundtrack and "Under the Sea." Wyatt was laughing wildly as Chloe acted out the different fishes' parts of the song. Chris was solemnly flipping through the Book of Shadows. Chloe fell on the floor in exhaustion as Wyatt climbed on her stomach and laid down to give her a hug, she kissed him on the head. "That was fun," she sighed and looked over to Chris who didn't even crack a smile.
Wyatt was patting Chloe on the shoulder saying, "Good Clo, good... 'gin?" as he sat up and clapped.
"Not right now, big guy. I have to see why your brother is being such a stick in the mud," she set him on the floor and started the music back for him as he danced around alone. "Chris, look at your brother. He is enjoying life which is more than I can say for you."
"I'm trying to stay focused on the task at hand... making sure he has a life—trying to insure that he stays cute and sweet and happy," he said flipping back through the book, "Who do you think Gideon is working for? Or with?"
Chloe sat down on the sofa and watched Wyatt twirl around until he fell laughing on the floor. "I don't know. I don't know if we should assume it's him."
"Why the hell not?" Chris acted offended, "You heard what he said."
"I did," Chloe looked back at him, "but that doesn't mean he is the one that is trying to turn Wyatt. What if he is trying to save him, too. And wants to read his thoughts just like the rest of us—see what in the world could possibly turn a one year old evil." Chloe got up and walked over to Wyatt. "Let me see if there's anything new in your head, little man." Chloe held out her hand and Wyatt walked up to her. She sat on the floor in front of him and he sat in front of her. She placed her hands on his little fuzzy head and closed her eyes. Chloe sat still, and concentrated hard. She began to see things... flashes, bits and pieces of different pictures. Every thought was interrupted by the spinning top—there was dark, power, confusion, light, comfort, and love—and sitting in the middle of an open field was little Wyatt, all alone. Just sitting, staring at the sky and not looking either to the right or the left, but up. Chloe pulled her hands away and looked in Wyatt's eyes. "I have no idea what that means," she mumbled stroking Wyatt's face. "Dance!" he smiled and got up and started twirling again as Sebastian sang "Kiss the girl." Chloe put her head in her hands.
"What did you see?" Chris sat down next to her.
"I saw San Francisco in night and day. I saw Piper, Leo, you... all standing holding their hands out to Wyatt. And I saw a figure in black standing on the other side, leering at him. But Wyatt was sitting all alone, in the middle of an open field. He felt like he was miles from anyone. And there was a whirlwind of emotions surrounding him. Every vision was broken up by the top. It has to be integral to everything," Chloe put her head back in her hands. Wyatt continued to dance.
"How could you fail?" Gideon glared at Batterak. "He was vulnerable. I told you exactly where he would be."
"I couldn't help it," Batterak seethed, "the elder and the witch showed up. You said they would be powerless against me. But the witch, she was able to channel Balthazar's power... and she injured me," Batterak pulled up his shirt and revealed an open wound about four centimeters in diameter.
"She shouldn't have her powers back, but she was granted them by the council because she was willing to protect him. I apologize for that, I was not in favor of the decision. No matter. Cole knows that Chloe is his daughter now, so he is still vulnerable. You get her, and you will get him," Gideon instructed.
"She needs to die. My instructions, from the future, are to kill her. And I must say, that would bring me so much pleasure. I also have it on good authority that killing her could possibly pull Balthazar back to evil," Batterak snarled.
Gideon rolled a pen back and forth in his hand, contemplating what he was hearing. His goal had been to capture all three charmed offspring and hold them captive until Chris's birth... then turn them all—starting with the infant and young Wyatt—then send Chloe and Chris back to the future to take their place with Wyatt. He had to restore the balance of power somehow, and it could not be by letting the future charmed ones become empowered for good. But what if Cole was allowed to embrace evil once more, and give up his soul in fury over his daughter. He could reign again as the source and deny the avatars his abilities, and balance would once again be obtained. "Let me think about it," Gideon continued to roll the pen in his fingers.
"My instructions are to kill her. For more reasons than the ones you must be thinking. And I'm going to do as I'm told, and I'm going to enjoy it," Batterak stood to leave placing his hands on Gideon's desk.
Gideon quickly orbed his letter opener to his hands and stabbed it into Batterak's left hand, "You're working for me while you are here. Don't forget, I am an elder. I can give the charmed ones the information they need to vanquish you. Do as your told. Capture her, do not kill her." Batterak pulled the letter opener out of his hand and threw it to the floor as he shimmered out. Gideon looked back at the star charts on his desk. Chris's birthday was in two weeks and he had a feeling that Chloe and Chris were suspicious of him. He had to be careful in carrying out his plans—or else he could be caught.
Chloe carried Wyatt back downstairs as Chris went to check with some of his sources to see if Gideon was connected to Wyatt or Batterak. Chloe was still singing "Under the Sea" twirling Wyatt who was giggling uncontrollably as she walked into the conservatory. Leo was meditating, floating about six inches above the floor with his eyes closed. "Looks like daddy is communicating with the universe," Chloe whirled around with Wyatt who was still laughing. Leo opened his eyes and laughed at his son and niece having such a good time. "I brought Wyatt back down to you. Chris went to check with some of his sources. Where is everybody else?"
"Paige went to set some things up at the club... somebody has to be running it. Phoebe took Cole to buy some more clothes. And Piper is upstairs taking a well-deserved nap. Come here," he motioned for Chloe to bring him Wyatt. Wyatt beat her to it as he orbed himself into his daddy's lap. "That's my boy," Leo beamed holding his son.
"One of them," Chloe corrected and sat on the floor. Leo noticed that she was no longer wearing the dress she had borrowed, but a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail.
"You look like you're ready to take on the world," he noted.
"If I have to," she smiled, "Anything to protect my family."
"Great minds think alike," Leo smiled as Wyatt got up to go bang on his toy piano.
"Leo, I want to talk to you."
"What about?" Leo was concerned.
"The other day, when I shook your hand... that was the first time I met you," Chloe responded.
Leo looked at her baffled, "How is that?"
"You took your job as an elder very seriously. I think my mom, Piper, and Paige were in contact with you. But I don't remember ever meeting you. Even though there was a picture of you holding me as a baby," Chloe thought back, "After Wyatt truly turned, and Piper, Paige and Phoebe," she paused for a moment, "died... we never even heard from you. Chris never heard from you. And he was still good."
Leo watched Wyatt happily play on the piano and thought of how Chris would hardly look him in the eye, "Is that why he hates me?"
"It has something to do with it. He felt betrayed, rejected... and most importantly... when he needed you the most, when Piper and Wyatt needed you the most, you turned your back on all of them. He was alone, Leo," she put her hand on Leo's leg and felt his sorrow and self-anger, "You have a chance to change that. To make it right. Chris is stubborn to the core, much like his mom," Chloe grinned and Leo nodded, "but the reason he is so closed off is because he doesn't want to get hurt anymore than he has been. I know he loves you. You just have to make him see that you love him, too." She got up and turned back to Leo from the kitchen door, "I'm going down to the basement if anyone needs me. If I'm remembering correctly, Phoebe has a punching bag and some swords down there. I need a good workout." She left Leo alone, watching his oldest son play, and wondering how to make things right with his youngest.
Cole and Phoebe were wandering through a department store. Cole felt completely out of place. He had been evil for so long, and then dead for a year, that being inundated in the swarm of the consumer-happy populous made him anxious. "We need to leave," he leaned over to Phoebe who was paying for a couple of shirts and sweaters. "No need getting the car, I'll just shimmer us home."
"No," Phoebe snapped back him, "You need to get used to being out in public again. Become re-acclimated in the world. You're hopefully going to be living in it for some time now," she grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "Would you like to go grab some coffee? I'm kind of craving a cinnamon spiced double mocha myself."
Cole continued to look around the mall, suspicious of everyone, as if he feared he was going to be ambushed at any minute. He and Phoebe walked in the coffee shop filled with people enjoying one of the first uncharacteristically warm days in San Francisco—mostly divulging in iced versions of their favorite coffee drinks. "What would you like? Anything, it's my treat," Phoebe smiled pointing Cole at the menu.
He was completely overwhelmed by what he saw—thirty different syrup flavors, about ten different ways to steam milk and add espresso, the same and then some versions iced, and something called a frappachino. "I have no clue. Was this all here when I left?"
"Yes, actually it was, you just didn't get out enough—you know, with all the evil plotting to take over the world," Phoebe turned to the barista, "We'll have a venti cinnamon spiced double mocha and," turning back to Cole and realizing he probably wasn't ready for the high octane version of the drink, "a tall vanilla latte, decaf," she added. She paid for the drinks and lead Cole to a table in the corner where they could partially be alone.
Cole stared at his drink before taking a sip. Phoebe watched him with mild enjoyment as he made a face with his first sip, "That tastes like hot milk," he frowned.
"That's because it is hot milk. Steamed to be exact. With a shot of espresso and vanilla flavoring," Phoebe took a sip of her own drink.
"Whatever happened to plain coffee with milk and sugar," Cole looked around at the busy café.
Phoebe just shook her head, "We need to talk."
"Here?" Cole was flabbergasted, "Do you really think this is the place?"
Phoebe laughed, "Yes, this is where people come to have serious conversations all the time." Cole took another labored sip of his latte. "I know that we have a daughter sometime in the future, and I know she says we're happy and married and life is grand until you get abducted. But Cole, I'm still really skeptical. I don't want to jump back into anything. I've been dating, a lot actually. And I've been in love with a wonderful man who made me feel like a queen—and I don't mean the queen of all evil."
Cole set his drink back on the table. He knew this conversation was going to come up eventually. He just didn't expect it for at least another forty-eight or seventy-two hours. "I know, I feel the same way."
Phoebe did not expect Cole to respond that way. He had gone insane trying to win her back before he was vanquished. He became an Avatar to alter reality hoping that would make her love him. "What did you just say?"
"I feel the same way." And he really did, "Being ensouled, sane, and back from the dead really gives a man a new perspective," Cole half- grinned, "I have the power to help fight the fight for good now. And I don't want to throw that away. I feel like I'm learning to walk again, but I need to learn on my own." Phoebe gave him a look of rejection, "Not that I don't need your help. You've been in this fight longer than I have. But I need to do what's right for me. I can't let knowing we get together and have a daughter keep me from doing that."
Phoebe played with the lip on her cup. "When did you get so smart?" she toyed. That was the last thing she had expected him to say. Yet her powers were letting her into his head, and he was telling her the truth. "I didn't really expect you to say that," she admitted to him.
"I didn't think that you did," Cole wasn't able to make eye contact with her either. Then he added, "You were in love with someone else? He wasn't as good-looking as I am," he kidded.
"No, actually he was better looking," Phoebe lied with a wink.
Leo crept into Piper's room with Wyatt asleep on his shoulder. He gently laid his son down in his crib and turned back to his lovely wife. She was sleeping on her back with her hands folded across her belly. He had never seen her look more beautiful. He gently walked over, and sat on the bed next to her, and bringing her hand to his mouth, he kissed it. Piper stirred, "Piper, it's almost dinner time. You've been asleep for three hours," he nudged her.
"I don't want to go to school. Let me take a day off," she kidded opening one eye. "Hi there," she smiled.
"Hi there," he smiled back, "Wyatt's sleeping in his crib. Chloe is in the basement training, Paige is at P3, Cole and Phoebe are at the mall, and Chris is demon hunting. How about you and I... you know..." he taunted.
"Doing 'you know' is what got me in this position to begin with," Piper rolled her eyes as Leo helped her sit up. Then she looked into the eyes of the man she loved, the father of her children, and leaned in to give him a passionate kiss. Leo surrendered to her taking her head in his hands, letting his fingers run through her long dark hair. Piper was the first to break away and left Leo wanting more. He had never stopped loving her. She had never stopped loving him. "Come on," she said tugging on his arm, "orb me down to the kitchen and you can help me cook something fabulous for dinner." Leo leaned in to kiss her again as he orbed them out of the room.
Neither Leo nor Piper had noticed Chris sitting on the window seat, watching the whole scene unfold. He bowed his head with a smile as he watched them orb out. He looked over to his big brother sleeping peacefully in his crib, "Wyatt, what can we do to keep this one big happy family?" he asked rhetorically as he got up from his seat and approached Wyatt's crib. He watched him sleep. And for the first time in his recent memory, he leaned over and kissed Wyatt's cheek, "You know I love you," he said before he too orbed out of the room.