***Short little chapter. I needed a study break! :-D ~abs
"Gideon!" Leo called, "You wanted to see me?" he asked as Gideon approached him donned in his golden velvet robes. Around them there was the clucking and clicking of white lighter clatter. "Do you mind if we talk in private?" Leo asked.
"Not at all," Gideon fake-smiled. He took Leo's elbow and directed him to a more private corner of the hall.
Chris orbed into the hall of elders. He was pointed in the direction of Leo and Gideon by one of the others. Sensing his presence would deter whatever Leo was to find out, he snuck around the tall pillars lining the room and hid.
"I was wondering if you found your niece and if she is doing well?" Gideon feigned concern.
"My niece?" Leo asked perplexed.
"Chloe, she is your niece?" Gideon's pulse quickened fearing he was about to give himself away.
"I wasn't aware that it was common knowledge that Chloe was my niece," Leo narrowed his eyes, "the other elders haven't mentioned knowing it."
Gideon had to think quick, "I've had my ear to the ground, searching and talking with different demonic sources, to help protect your son," he explained, "I heard that Balthazar was raised and he had a daughter from the future with a charmed one. I only assumed it was the girl about whom you have been concerned," Gideon crossed his fingers beneath his robes.
Leo nodded pretending to believe Gideon so that he would continue his story, "You're right, Chloe is my niece. I appreciate your concern about her. We were able to get her back."
"Wonderful," Gideon put his hand on Leo's arm, "I didn't want to say anything until I was sure, but I had been tracking Batterak and saw her in his cave. I was bargaining with him to release her, but when I went back with the bounty, she was gone. I was fearing the worst," Gideon lowered his eyes to floor acting the part of a fretful friend.
Chris clinched his fist from his hiding spot behind the stone pillar, restraining the urge to attempt to blow up Gideon.
Leo studied Gideon's body language. He could sense Gideon's apprehension and did not know whether to interpret it as fear for Chloe's safety or fear of being discovered, "She said she saw you," Leo saw Gideon's shoulders tense, "I was going to ask you why you were there. I'm glad to know that you were there to save her. I wish you had told us earlier, it would have been appeasing to know she was safe."
Gideon's shoulders fell slightly as he exhaled heavily, "She wasn't harmed then?"
Chris couldn't stand simply watching the conversation any longer. He revealed himself and walked around the corner joining the discussion between Gideon and Leo. "If you were really there, and we know you were, then you know she was harmed," Chris accused.
"Chris?" Leo was shocked to see his youngest son, "What are you doing here?"
"I came looking for you and I'm glad that I did," he turned back to Gideon, "You didn't answer me."
Gideon had a surreptitious look on his face and haughtily replied to Chris, "I suppose I saw that she was injured. I'm sorry I should have specified, she's doing better now, I presume? Leo healed her?"
Chris continued to stare coldly into Gideon's eyes. He, too, could sense Gideon's attempted deceit. Leo spoke, "I did heal her. I'm going to have to do it again because she was injured so badly the first time. I'll tell her you were asking about her." Chris had yet to remove his unconvinced gaze from Gideon.
"Thank you," Gideon bowed, "and if I might help with vanquishing her captor?" Leo's and Chris's interests were piqued. Gideon removed a piece of paper and vanquishing potion from within his robes, "I have information for you. Batterak plans on attacking tonight, in the manor. But he can be summoned so that you have the upper-hand. Also, this is a spell to sever his ties with the future, hopefully stopping his drawing of power from the future Cole. And this is a potion that should weaken him. Neither will effectively vanquish him, but it's a start. I trust that the Charmed Ones have a vanquish in mind."
"They do," Leo accepted the vial and potion, "I'll pass them along. Chris," Leo motioned for Chris to follow him.
"And Leo," Gideon beckoned, "Tell Piper that we miss her and Wyatt and welcome them back at anytime. We are all very excited about the birth of," he paused and ran his eyes up and down Chris, "the baby."
Leo smiled at his son. Chris held up his finger indicating Leo go ahead and leave without him. Leaning into Gideon's ear he whispered, "I trust Chloe. I know why you were there. I know what you're up to and I want you to know that you will fail. I guarantee it," he leaned back.
"We all know that your white lighter powers are not well-honed and I will forgive your severe misjudgment this once," Gideon glowered, "and in the future, maybe you'll learn to trust an elder over a half-breed demon- witch."
Chris narrowed his eyes and flicked his wrists blowing Gideon into thousands of tiny blue orbs, "I knew I'd get the hang of that," he smirked with pleasure as he orbed back to the manor.
"J. Lo and Ben Affleck dated and were engaged," Chloe looked up at her mother from a magazine, "that would have been a scary combo."
Phoebe nodded, "Tell me about it. I never got good vibes from those two," she was working on her laptop.
Leo smiled and shook his head at the humor, "Hold still, let's see if we can get that leg healed right this time," he held his hands over Chloe's leg as they glowed.
Chloe could feel the swelling decrease, "You are such a miracle worker, Leo," she complimented him, "Do you think you could do my shoulder again, too?"
He nodded and moved his hands to her shoulder which also glowed, "You might also want to try the conventional approach—ibuprofen and an ice pack. Just to be on the safe side," he suggested.
Cole was sitting beside Chloe on the bed reading a John Grisham novel. "I'll get it for you," Cole rose from the bed, "Be right back."
Chloe looked down at the book and wrinkled her nose, "You vanquished his demon half, now if you could only vanquish his lawyer half he'd practically be an angel."
Chris nodded to Cole as he passed him before proceeding to waltz into Phoebe's room, *I blew up Gideon* he thought with a leisurely grin and took a seat on the bed with Chloe.
She dropped her magazine as a sneaky grin crept across her face as well, "Give me five," she held out her hand, "It didn't happen to kill him did it?" she hoped.
Chris slapped her hand, "Unfortunately no," he left his hand in hers, "But on the plus side, I was able to control my new power."
Chloe's eyes formed small slits as she jumped from the bed and threw her arms in the air, "He called me a what?" an energy ball spun from both her right and left hands in anger.
Cole was walking back through the bedroom door carrying a glass of water and ibuprofen in one hand. With his free hand he bare-handedly caught the first energy ball. Chris waved his hand at the second redirecting it out the open window above Phoebe's head as she ducked, "You have got to learn to control your powers when you're angry," Phoebe sat back up, "You could have hurt someone or left a pair of ugly scorch marks on my bedroom walls."
"He is going to be so sorry he called me that," Chloe fumed as Chris pulled her back down onto the bed.
"You're supposed to be resting," he scolded, "and you're not supposed to read me!"
"I wanted to know what made you mad enough to blow him up," Chloe frowned crossing her arms.
"You blew up Gideon?" Leo asked shocked. Chris nodded his head, "Why?" Leo interrogated.
"You couldn't possibly have believed that bull shit about his trying to bargain with Batterak to get Chloe back," Chris's tone of voice changed.
"That is no reason to go around blowing up elders," Leo disciplined, "and either way we need to consider the possibility."
"No you don't!" Chloe's voice was also getting louder, "I know what I saw, Leo, there was no bargaining going on... they were amiable with each other. They're working together. And if I had been there, I would have blown him up myself!"
"I just said we're not going to blow up Gideon," Leo rolled his eyes.
"Leo, you are no fun! Now I understand why mom turned you into a stick in the mud," Chloe crossly looked away.
Phoebe giggled, "Sorry," after Leo looked disapprovingly at her. "Uh, sweetie, what did Gideon call you," Phoebe tugged on Chloe's shirt sleeve.
"A half-breed demon-witch," Chloe glared defiantly at Leo.
"He did what?" Cole was getting hot now, "I am not a demon. I've got half a mind..."
"STOP!" Leo shouted above the idle threats, "No one is going to blow up Gideon... again... We don't want to further alert him to what we are doing. Got it?" he looked around the room, "Got it" he repeated forcefully. There was a jumble of responses. "Good. I believe you Chris," Leo put his hands on his son's shoulders, "and Chloe. I don't trust him. And obviously neither does Wyatt or he wouldn't put up his force field whenever Gideon is around," he took his hands of Chris's shoulders and walked around the room rallying his troops, "But what we cannot deny is the fact that he is helping us here, no matter what his motives, and we have to stay focused on vanquishing Batterak tonight. We'll worry about Gideon after that, alright?"
"Alright Leo," Phoebe jumped up, "What, he got me excited," she explained to the room of raised eyebrows.
"Great, then let's go find Piper and Paige and tell them what's going on and organize our plan," Leo led the group out of Phoebe's room.
"Gideon!" Leo called, "You wanted to see me?" he asked as Gideon approached him donned in his golden velvet robes. Around them there was the clucking and clicking of white lighter clatter. "Do you mind if we talk in private?" Leo asked.
"Not at all," Gideon fake-smiled. He took Leo's elbow and directed him to a more private corner of the hall.
Chris orbed into the hall of elders. He was pointed in the direction of Leo and Gideon by one of the others. Sensing his presence would deter whatever Leo was to find out, he snuck around the tall pillars lining the room and hid.
"I was wondering if you found your niece and if she is doing well?" Gideon feigned concern.
"My niece?" Leo asked perplexed.
"Chloe, she is your niece?" Gideon's pulse quickened fearing he was about to give himself away.
"I wasn't aware that it was common knowledge that Chloe was my niece," Leo narrowed his eyes, "the other elders haven't mentioned knowing it."
Gideon had to think quick, "I've had my ear to the ground, searching and talking with different demonic sources, to help protect your son," he explained, "I heard that Balthazar was raised and he had a daughter from the future with a charmed one. I only assumed it was the girl about whom you have been concerned," Gideon crossed his fingers beneath his robes.
Leo nodded pretending to believe Gideon so that he would continue his story, "You're right, Chloe is my niece. I appreciate your concern about her. We were able to get her back."
"Wonderful," Gideon put his hand on Leo's arm, "I didn't want to say anything until I was sure, but I had been tracking Batterak and saw her in his cave. I was bargaining with him to release her, but when I went back with the bounty, she was gone. I was fearing the worst," Gideon lowered his eyes to floor acting the part of a fretful friend.
Chris clinched his fist from his hiding spot behind the stone pillar, restraining the urge to attempt to blow up Gideon.
Leo studied Gideon's body language. He could sense Gideon's apprehension and did not know whether to interpret it as fear for Chloe's safety or fear of being discovered, "She said she saw you," Leo saw Gideon's shoulders tense, "I was going to ask you why you were there. I'm glad to know that you were there to save her. I wish you had told us earlier, it would have been appeasing to know she was safe."
Gideon's shoulders fell slightly as he exhaled heavily, "She wasn't harmed then?"
Chris couldn't stand simply watching the conversation any longer. He revealed himself and walked around the corner joining the discussion between Gideon and Leo. "If you were really there, and we know you were, then you know she was harmed," Chris accused.
"Chris?" Leo was shocked to see his youngest son, "What are you doing here?"
"I came looking for you and I'm glad that I did," he turned back to Gideon, "You didn't answer me."
Gideon had a surreptitious look on his face and haughtily replied to Chris, "I suppose I saw that she was injured. I'm sorry I should have specified, she's doing better now, I presume? Leo healed her?"
Chris continued to stare coldly into Gideon's eyes. He, too, could sense Gideon's attempted deceit. Leo spoke, "I did heal her. I'm going to have to do it again because she was injured so badly the first time. I'll tell her you were asking about her." Chris had yet to remove his unconvinced gaze from Gideon.
"Thank you," Gideon bowed, "and if I might help with vanquishing her captor?" Leo's and Chris's interests were piqued. Gideon removed a piece of paper and vanquishing potion from within his robes, "I have information for you. Batterak plans on attacking tonight, in the manor. But he can be summoned so that you have the upper-hand. Also, this is a spell to sever his ties with the future, hopefully stopping his drawing of power from the future Cole. And this is a potion that should weaken him. Neither will effectively vanquish him, but it's a start. I trust that the Charmed Ones have a vanquish in mind."
"They do," Leo accepted the vial and potion, "I'll pass them along. Chris," Leo motioned for Chris to follow him.
"And Leo," Gideon beckoned, "Tell Piper that we miss her and Wyatt and welcome them back at anytime. We are all very excited about the birth of," he paused and ran his eyes up and down Chris, "the baby."
Leo smiled at his son. Chris held up his finger indicating Leo go ahead and leave without him. Leaning into Gideon's ear he whispered, "I trust Chloe. I know why you were there. I know what you're up to and I want you to know that you will fail. I guarantee it," he leaned back.
"We all know that your white lighter powers are not well-honed and I will forgive your severe misjudgment this once," Gideon glowered, "and in the future, maybe you'll learn to trust an elder over a half-breed demon- witch."
Chris narrowed his eyes and flicked his wrists blowing Gideon into thousands of tiny blue orbs, "I knew I'd get the hang of that," he smirked with pleasure as he orbed back to the manor.
"J. Lo and Ben Affleck dated and were engaged," Chloe looked up at her mother from a magazine, "that would have been a scary combo."
Phoebe nodded, "Tell me about it. I never got good vibes from those two," she was working on her laptop.
Leo smiled and shook his head at the humor, "Hold still, let's see if we can get that leg healed right this time," he held his hands over Chloe's leg as they glowed.
Chloe could feel the swelling decrease, "You are such a miracle worker, Leo," she complimented him, "Do you think you could do my shoulder again, too?"
He nodded and moved his hands to her shoulder which also glowed, "You might also want to try the conventional approach—ibuprofen and an ice pack. Just to be on the safe side," he suggested.
Cole was sitting beside Chloe on the bed reading a John Grisham novel. "I'll get it for you," Cole rose from the bed, "Be right back."
Chloe looked down at the book and wrinkled her nose, "You vanquished his demon half, now if you could only vanquish his lawyer half he'd practically be an angel."
Chris nodded to Cole as he passed him before proceeding to waltz into Phoebe's room, *I blew up Gideon* he thought with a leisurely grin and took a seat on the bed with Chloe.
She dropped her magazine as a sneaky grin crept across her face as well, "Give me five," she held out her hand, "It didn't happen to kill him did it?" she hoped.
Chris slapped her hand, "Unfortunately no," he left his hand in hers, "But on the plus side, I was able to control my new power."
Chloe's eyes formed small slits as she jumped from the bed and threw her arms in the air, "He called me a what?" an energy ball spun from both her right and left hands in anger.
Cole was walking back through the bedroom door carrying a glass of water and ibuprofen in one hand. With his free hand he bare-handedly caught the first energy ball. Chris waved his hand at the second redirecting it out the open window above Phoebe's head as she ducked, "You have got to learn to control your powers when you're angry," Phoebe sat back up, "You could have hurt someone or left a pair of ugly scorch marks on my bedroom walls."
"He is going to be so sorry he called me that," Chloe fumed as Chris pulled her back down onto the bed.
"You're supposed to be resting," he scolded, "and you're not supposed to read me!"
"I wanted to know what made you mad enough to blow him up," Chloe frowned crossing her arms.
"You blew up Gideon?" Leo asked shocked. Chris nodded his head, "Why?" Leo interrogated.
"You couldn't possibly have believed that bull shit about his trying to bargain with Batterak to get Chloe back," Chris's tone of voice changed.
"That is no reason to go around blowing up elders," Leo disciplined, "and either way we need to consider the possibility."
"No you don't!" Chloe's voice was also getting louder, "I know what I saw, Leo, there was no bargaining going on... they were amiable with each other. They're working together. And if I had been there, I would have blown him up myself!"
"I just said we're not going to blow up Gideon," Leo rolled his eyes.
"Leo, you are no fun! Now I understand why mom turned you into a stick in the mud," Chloe crossly looked away.
Phoebe giggled, "Sorry," after Leo looked disapprovingly at her. "Uh, sweetie, what did Gideon call you," Phoebe tugged on Chloe's shirt sleeve.
"A half-breed demon-witch," Chloe glared defiantly at Leo.
"He did what?" Cole was getting hot now, "I am not a demon. I've got half a mind..."
"STOP!" Leo shouted above the idle threats, "No one is going to blow up Gideon... again... We don't want to further alert him to what we are doing. Got it?" he looked around the room, "Got it" he repeated forcefully. There was a jumble of responses. "Good. I believe you Chris," Leo put his hands on his son's shoulders, "and Chloe. I don't trust him. And obviously neither does Wyatt or he wouldn't put up his force field whenever Gideon is around," he took his hands of Chris's shoulders and walked around the room rallying his troops, "But what we cannot deny is the fact that he is helping us here, no matter what his motives, and we have to stay focused on vanquishing Batterak tonight. We'll worry about Gideon after that, alright?"
"Alright Leo," Phoebe jumped up, "What, he got me excited," she explained to the room of raised eyebrows.
"Great, then let's go find Piper and Paige and tell them what's going on and organize our plan," Leo led the group out of Phoebe's room.