Chris walked slowly toward the main library of the school, talking to
Leo, "I don't know where everyone else went. I think it would have been
best if we had all tried to stay together. Don't you agree?" He expected
to hear Leo, but there was only silence. "Dad?" Chris turned his head over
his shoulder. Not only were his aunts, cousin and future-uncle missing,
but so was his father. "This can't be a good sign," he sighed.
"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Chloe mumbled under her breath. She had thought she was following her mom and Paige into the Magic School, but where she was clearly wasn't the Magic School. She listened—but there was no answer to her question. She took a slow step forward before turning back toward the door. The cavern she was standing in was empty. "Dad? Mom? Chris? Hello?" There was still no answer.
Paige let one foot slip in front of the other as she walked down the hall of a corporate office building, "Ok, Toto, this is definitely not the Kansas I bargained for," she waved at a suit who walked by complete with vest, glasses, briefcase and stone sober look. "How am I supposed to find Gideon here?"
"Chloe, did you shimmer out?" Cole questioned letting his eyes glide around the room searching for his daughter. "I have never been to the Magic School, but something tells me it wasn't in the underworld." Cole walked over a pentagram inlaid in the cavern floor and towards a wall with torches mounted by the doors.
Leo found himself outside the nursery, inside all the children were playing, but Wyatt was no where to be found. "Leo," the nursery attendant approached him, "Where's Wyatt? We have been looking for him."
"Well, he is at the manor with Piper. With the baby due so soon, I wanted to make sure he was with her. You know, he could orb her to the hospital," Leo tried to come up with some plausible explanation.
"Honey," Leo heard Piper's voice. He turned to her and found her tear-stained face, "Wyatt isn't with me. I was hoping he was with you."
Leo felt panic erupt inside his stomach, "Maybe he's with Chris," he offered hopefully.
Tears started falling down Piper's cheeks, "Chris is missing, too."
Phoebe felt her hand clench with nothing but air lacing her fingers, "Paige? I didn't notice her orb out," Phoebe mumbled as she wiggled her fingers to the passing pregnant woman, "I also don't remember walking into a doctor's office. Hey 'ya, how are you doing?" she said to the next passerby. She walked up to the registration desk and was greeted by a bouncy brunette, "Hi, what office am I in?" Phoebe posed.
The receptionist giggled, "Dr. Brunswick, Mrs. Halliwell. You've been on our calendar for months."
"Right, silly me," Phoebe faked and took a seat in the waiting room, "Oh Lord," she exhaled as she picked up a parenting magazine from the side table.
Chris continued on toward the library. He walked down the endless hall and tried to note if there were any changes in his surroundings. All the pictures were the same. "Still looks like Humperdink," he paused in front of an old bust of one of the original principals of the school, "That guy makes me laugh every time. What was his real name—Theodore Frost? I think I like Humperdink better," he smiled remembering one of his favorite movies. He passed the nursery, the classrooms, his mother's old bedroom, Sigmund's office, and finally Gideon's. There was no one. Not a soul. Not a whisper. His family was not in earshot and neither were the two men he had come to confront. Chris leaned his back against the wall and slid down until he was sitting with his head resting on his knees, "Where are you?" he whispered to himself. He slowly lifted his head, closed his eyes, and concentrated. He could not sense his family anywhere. He was all alone.
"I should at least be able to sense Chloe," he closed his eyes again, "that was a powerful bonding spell she put on us." He concentrated and the invisible triquetra that had been tattooed on his chest began to glow. He could feel a tickling as muddled thoughts raced through his head. He could see Chloe alone, in the underworld, but before he could a grasp on her he felt wind pass him. He opened his eyes to see Leo walking by him carrying Wyatt on his hip. "Dad," he called out to Leo. There was no answer, "Ok, Leo, this is not funny," Chris rose to his feet and began to chase Leo down the hall.
Leo carried Wyatt into a small bedroom. Inside Piper was laying on the bed, no longer pregnant, "What? Today isn't my birthday," Chris announced following Leo into the room. "What's going on in here?" No one answered.
Leo gently handed Wyatt to Piper who began to coo to him, "I knew we'd save you. I knew everything would be ok. Thank you for coming to see mommy," she kissed him. Leo sat on the bed next to his wife and oldest son and admired them.
"Why aren't you answering me?" Chris walked to the edge of the bed and began to wave his arms frantically at Piper and Leo. "Hello, I know I've been distant lately," the crib in the corner caught his eye. He lowered his arms and walked to the bed—inside he saw a sleeping newborn baby boy, "It's me," he realized, "and Mom, Dad and Wyatt are not even paying attention."
"Miss Matthews? Miss Matthews," a lady dressed head to toe in a pink power suit waved at Paige from down the hall, "This way, Miss Matthews," she grinned.
"Oh, good gracious, I'm in hell," Paige gritted her teeth as she headed towards the Pepto-Bismol queen.
"Mr. Jenkins has been looking forward to meeting you. The temp agency has had so many good things to say about you. We're hoping that if the interview goes well then we'll be able to hire you for a full time position," Barbie stopped mid-stride and covered her mouth to hide her giggles, "I'm sorry, I've probably said too much," she playfully tapped Paige on the arm. "I'm just so excited to have another worker here. Mr. Jenkins is in there," she pointed Paige to a plush corner office.
"Uh, thanks..." Paige offered her hand.
"Gracie. Gracie Goodall, like Jane Goodall in South America with the monkeys, but no relation," she giggled again pouring herself a cup of coffee heavy on the sugar.
"Right," Paige tried to smile, "Take it easy on the coffee there, Gracie. And it was gorillas in Africa, not monkeys in South America," she corrected walking towards Mr. Jenkins office. Gracie continued to laugh and nod almost spilling her coffee on her pink couture.
"Miss Matthews," Mr. Jenkins rose from his desk and shook Paige's hand, "It's so nice to finally meet you. The temp agency has had nothing but positive things to say about you. Please take a seat."
Paige looked cautiously around the room. This seemed to be legit. Except that she had walked through a magical doorway on the landing of the stairs in her house expecting to go to the Magic School to vanquish slithery Gideon and had somehow ended up here. Where ever here may be. "Thank you sir," Paige tried her best to act professional under the circumstances, "It's always nice to hear that people have a positive thing to say about you."
"Oh very. It seems that not only are you a hard worker, but you have a knack for saving the lives of the people you work with. That's a bonus. Especially here. We have been having employees either disappearing or dying most inexplicably unexpected. Maybe your luck will help us out," Mr. Jenkins nodded his head over enthusiastically almost knocking his glasses off his round face.
"I've definitely had my share of good luck sir," thanks to a few leprechauns she added in a thought, "I'm hoping to help out here as much as I can. Just point me to where I need to start."
Mr. Jenkins jumped from his desk "Excellent!" sending his chair flying backwards towards a shelving unit. The crash drew Gracie Goodall, no relation to Jane, from the hall who spilled her coffee on her shirt with a squeal that startled the exuberant Mr. Jenkins who was now steadying the shelf. Paige walked to help Gracie clean herself off as she noticed Mr. Jenkin's lose his footing and the shelving unit push him back towards an open window and he began to fall. Before Paige could grab his ankle, Mr. Jenkins was tumbling out the window and towards the street below. Without thinking of her exposure or her audience, Paige quickly orbed out the window, grabbed Jenkins, and had him safely planted in the middle of his office floor which now contained coffee-stained, pink suited Gracie, and some other secretary in a vibrant tangerine top and gray pencil skirt. "Uh- oh," Paige closed her eyes and reopened them hoping that would make this nightmare end. No such luck, "The temp agency told you I was good luck to have around," she smiled. No one smiled back.
"Ms. Halliwell," the receptionist called Phoebe, "Dr. Brunswick is ready to see you now. If you would please follow me," she held the door for Phoebe before leading her down the hall. She was clearly in an obstetrician's office—there were pictures of new mother's cradling infants on the walls, nurses dressed in brightly colored scrubs, and the faint odor of rubbing alcohol permeated the office. "In here," the receptionist directed Phoebe into an office.
"Thanks," Phoebe smiled and took a seat. The walls were covered in various plaques and diplomas. Dr. Brunswick was obviously and infertility specialist—at least according to the certificate Phoebe was no reading.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," a handsome man about Phoebe's age walked through the door behind her, shutting it as he entered. "I know you have been anxious to hear the test results," he shook her hand before taking his seat behind his desk. "Do you have any questions since our last visit? Before I go into the results."
Phoebe looked around the office; this place was almost eerily perfect. Nothing was misplaced or out of order, there was a neat pile of charts on his desk, the number of his success stories that glared at her from the wall was statistically phenomenal. This couldn't be right. "I don't think so," Phoebe turned back to Dr. Brunswick, "should we wait on my husband before we get started?"
"Your husband?" Dr. Brunswick looked shocked, "not unless you've gotten married over the weekend."
Phoebe faked a laugh, "Awh, you know me, doc, I'm just trying to lighten the mood a little."
Dr. Brunswick nodded his head in agreement, "You do like to make people laugh. Good one. Ok," he opened the chart marked Halliwell in big black letters that was lying in front of him on his desk. He read the report, took his glasses off and placed them next to him before turning to Phoebe with a heavy sigh, "It's not good news Phoebe. None of the treatments have worked. Your ovaries are still not producing viable eggs. It just seems like there has been too many blunt force traumas for you to be able to conceive. I'm sorry. I can find somewhere else to refer you if you'd like—for a second opinion—but I'm sure they will tell you the same."
"What?" Phoebe's heart fell.
Chloe pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders suddenly feeling more vulnerable than she ever had in the underworld. Being who she was and having the capabilities of neither being sensed as good nor evil, she had never felt out of place. Other demons would wink at her and she would playfully wink back. But today was different. Not only had she been expecting to walk through the door to the Magic School and be standing in the main hall with the rest of her family, but the demons here were also acting weird—reverent even. As she would pass different demons they would lower their heads in a bow. At first Chloe would nod back, which elicited many an odd stare, but now she was raising her eyebrows as she passed.
"Princess," a tall, broad-shouldered demon with blue and red tribal markings resembling Balthazar's nodded as she made her way down the corridor.
"Excuse me?" Chloe's voice went up an octave.
"I'm sorry, majesty," he apologized in a lower bow, "would you prefer Your Royal Evilness?"
This guy isn't joking Chloe realized in horror. "That's better," she held out her hand for him to kiss, "Take me to the thrown room. I feel like having an escort," Chloe offered him her hand, playing the part of a snotty demoness.
"He has got to be here somewhere," Leo shouted startling some of the toddlers to tears. "And Chris would not have disappeared. This is what he came here to do. This is wrong. You're all wrong. Chris! Chris!" he called.
Piper approached Leo and placed her hand on his shoulder, "Leo, you're scaring the children," she pointed to the other toddlers in the room and escorted Leo to the hall. "Chris is not answering. And we can't even find him or Wyatt scrying. There is something wrong. I know it," she began to softly cry again, "Can you sense them?"
Leo closed his eyes and focused more intently on his sons than he ever had, his face turned bright red with anger, "No," he mumbled through his lips, "Gideon!" he shouted, "He's behind this Piper. He'll know where Chris and Wyatt are."
"Leo, don't be silly," Piper looked at him confused, "Gideon is dead. He died trying to protect Wyatt. You were there. You spoke at the blessing of his ashes."
Confused thoughts that were trying to pass as memories flooded through Leo's mind, "What?" was all he could say.
"Trauma causes people to forget at times," the nursery attendant spoke, "maybe you've just forgotten?"
Piper looked pleadingly into Leo's eyes, "That has to be it," she placed her hand on his cheek. "Come on, let's find our boys." She took his hand and led him down the hall.
"Daddy, I was starting to wonder where you had gone to," Chloe rushed up to her father, "Mom and I have been so anxious to hear everything," she took his hand and began to lead him back to thrown room.
Cole was confused. When they had left the manor, Chloe was wearing black yoga pants and red sleeveless shirt with her cape. Now, however, she was wearing skintight leather bodice with matching, low-cut, leather pants...and heels. Chloe hates heels, Cole thought. She had told him that almost from the first day they met. "Sweetheart, what are you wearing? That's not what you were wearing when we left this morning."
Chloe stopped and looked at her father stunned, "What do you mean? Dad, did you get hit in the head again? I told mom that you should have taken more legions with you. Those nasty do gooder relatives, they always find some way..."
"Shhh," Phoebe cut her off. She approached her ex-husband in a scanty gold leather bra with gold chiffon covering her mid-drift. Her skirt was red leather and practically non-existent with the slit up to her hips on either side. She pushed Chloe out of the way and jammed her tongue down Cole's throat with such force he almost gagged.
He stammered and pushed her back. "Honey," he played the game, "do you really think we should be doing this in front of our daughter?"
Chloe rolled her eyes and sulked to her thrown. Phoebe cackled, "You have moral objections to kissing in front of our princess but what we were doing the other night was x-rated, and she and about twenty other guests were watching."
"No one ever said I was enjoying it, mother," Chloe countered.
"Can it, darling," Phoebe shot a stream of fire towards her daughter barely missing her leg. Cole knocked Phoebe back and pinned her to the wall, "Oh, now you've decided to get rough," she licked his face.
"I'm leaving," Chloe shimmered out.
"Good riddance," Phoebe wrapped her legs around Cole's waist and proceeded with another deep throat dive with her tongue.
Cole pried Phoebe from his body and laid her limply across the thrown stand. "Phoebe, why are you acting this way?" Cole distanced himself about twenty feet from Phoebe.
"Maybe the little leech was right, you are acting funny. Did you get hit in the head again? We can call the seer and she can fix you all up," Phoebe pouted.
Cole was shocked, "You just called our daughter, the daughter you and I love, a leech? And you think I've been hit on the head?"
"Cole you're scaring me," Phoebe walked up to him and put her hand on his chest, "the seer thought we had squelched that humanity out of you before... when we found out I was pregnant. She thought it would weaken you. Don't tell me you're starting to think you love her again. Chloe is just the means to an end. You know that. You said that yourself," Phoebe ran her finger from Cole's navel to chin with a lustful look in her eye.
"No," he pushed her away, "You're wrong. I never said that. I would never say that about my daughter. She is my princess."
"Of all evil, yeah," Phoebe taunted and turned to leave the room, "Call me when the seer has you back to yourself. I'm going to go find some innocents to torture."
"She's not right, she can't be right. I'm not evil. Phoebe's not evil. And Chloe... no."
"You're parents, Your Royal Evilness," the demon bowed leaving Chloe standing in the thrown room with her parents.
"Thank you," she flicked her wrist and vanquished him in a fiery bath that even surprised her.
"Oh, honey, what have we told you about vanquishing the help. You're going to get daddy in trouble again," Phoebe rose from the thrown and took Chloe's hands, leading her back to her seat.
"He was annoying me," Chloe blinked to hide her own horror at the sights in front of her. Her mother and father dressed in black head to toe. Phoebe wearing what was essentially a black leather bra and black leather floor length skirt. On her head set a crown of pure onyx with iron decorations. Cole was not much different—leather pants and tight black shirt, his cape hanging regally behind his shoulders. What bass-ackwards world have I walked into? Chloe thought taking the crown, similar to her mothers, that was being offered her.
"Princess, you should really think about going to change. Your far too conservative," Cole scolded.
Ok, I'm in looneyland Chloe gave a final nod placing the crown on her head, "Sure dad, but not until after I help you vanquish some ill- fallen followers," she gave her dad puppy-dog eyes. Whatever world it is, killing a handful of upper level demons is not a bad idea.
"Watch this part," Barbas drawled out, "I had thought about making their fears separate, but decided it would be better played out if he thought she was evil and she thought he was evil."
"La-te-da, La-te-da, and we all go home happy," Gideon mocked, "What's the point?"
"The point," Barbas snarled, "is if she thinks he's the evil one, and he thinks she's the evil one... I'm going to pull Cole from his fantasy into hers. But they are still going to see each other as they were in their own world... father and daughter will kill each other thinking they are really saving themselves from my worlds. It's brilliant."
Gideon stood quickly to his feet and had Barbas dangling from the air gasping for breath, "It's idiotic. I told you, Barbas old friend, the girl does not die. Kill Leo. Kill Cole. I don't care. But none of the witches die—especially the progeny," Gideon threatened as he lowered Barbas back to the ground just so that his tows were scrapping the floor.
"Got it," Barbas choked. Gideon let go as Barbas thumped to the floor, "You're the boss," he hissed.
Gideon narrowed his eyes at Barbas as he went back into the parlor. Richard was unconscious in the middle of the floor, his arms and legs bond with blue orbs. Piper's mouth was being held shut by some sort of spell, and it was obvious she had become exhausted from fighting. Wyatt was sitting quietly in a circle of white crystals so that he would not be able to orb out. "I'm sorry to have to do this to you, Piper. But Wyatt should never have been allowed to be born. He shifts the balance of power too far in the side of good. He has to be turned to maintain the balance."
Piper started struggling again. Gideon waved his hand and Piper took a deep, gasping breath. "Then why Chris? Why do you need Chris?"
Gideon smiled, "Every good leader needs a number two man." With that, Piper and Wyatt disappeared in a cloud of orbs. "It's time for phase two of our plan," he turned to Sigmund and Barbas. "Barbas, you have the rest of the Halliwell clan to handle and distract. Sigmund, you and I are going to look after Piper and Wyatt." Gideon followed Sigmund back through the door to the Magic School as Barbas clapped his hand together and with a sly grin shimmered out.
"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Chloe mumbled under her breath. She had thought she was following her mom and Paige into the Magic School, but where she was clearly wasn't the Magic School. She listened—but there was no answer to her question. She took a slow step forward before turning back toward the door. The cavern she was standing in was empty. "Dad? Mom? Chris? Hello?" There was still no answer.
Paige let one foot slip in front of the other as she walked down the hall of a corporate office building, "Ok, Toto, this is definitely not the Kansas I bargained for," she waved at a suit who walked by complete with vest, glasses, briefcase and stone sober look. "How am I supposed to find Gideon here?"
"Chloe, did you shimmer out?" Cole questioned letting his eyes glide around the room searching for his daughter. "I have never been to the Magic School, but something tells me it wasn't in the underworld." Cole walked over a pentagram inlaid in the cavern floor and towards a wall with torches mounted by the doors.
Leo found himself outside the nursery, inside all the children were playing, but Wyatt was no where to be found. "Leo," the nursery attendant approached him, "Where's Wyatt? We have been looking for him."
"Well, he is at the manor with Piper. With the baby due so soon, I wanted to make sure he was with her. You know, he could orb her to the hospital," Leo tried to come up with some plausible explanation.
"Honey," Leo heard Piper's voice. He turned to her and found her tear-stained face, "Wyatt isn't with me. I was hoping he was with you."
Leo felt panic erupt inside his stomach, "Maybe he's with Chris," he offered hopefully.
Tears started falling down Piper's cheeks, "Chris is missing, too."
Phoebe felt her hand clench with nothing but air lacing her fingers, "Paige? I didn't notice her orb out," Phoebe mumbled as she wiggled her fingers to the passing pregnant woman, "I also don't remember walking into a doctor's office. Hey 'ya, how are you doing?" she said to the next passerby. She walked up to the registration desk and was greeted by a bouncy brunette, "Hi, what office am I in?" Phoebe posed.
The receptionist giggled, "Dr. Brunswick, Mrs. Halliwell. You've been on our calendar for months."
"Right, silly me," Phoebe faked and took a seat in the waiting room, "Oh Lord," she exhaled as she picked up a parenting magazine from the side table.
Chris continued on toward the library. He walked down the endless hall and tried to note if there were any changes in his surroundings. All the pictures were the same. "Still looks like Humperdink," he paused in front of an old bust of one of the original principals of the school, "That guy makes me laugh every time. What was his real name—Theodore Frost? I think I like Humperdink better," he smiled remembering one of his favorite movies. He passed the nursery, the classrooms, his mother's old bedroom, Sigmund's office, and finally Gideon's. There was no one. Not a soul. Not a whisper. His family was not in earshot and neither were the two men he had come to confront. Chris leaned his back against the wall and slid down until he was sitting with his head resting on his knees, "Where are you?" he whispered to himself. He slowly lifted his head, closed his eyes, and concentrated. He could not sense his family anywhere. He was all alone.
"I should at least be able to sense Chloe," he closed his eyes again, "that was a powerful bonding spell she put on us." He concentrated and the invisible triquetra that had been tattooed on his chest began to glow. He could feel a tickling as muddled thoughts raced through his head. He could see Chloe alone, in the underworld, but before he could a grasp on her he felt wind pass him. He opened his eyes to see Leo walking by him carrying Wyatt on his hip. "Dad," he called out to Leo. There was no answer, "Ok, Leo, this is not funny," Chris rose to his feet and began to chase Leo down the hall.
Leo carried Wyatt into a small bedroom. Inside Piper was laying on the bed, no longer pregnant, "What? Today isn't my birthday," Chris announced following Leo into the room. "What's going on in here?" No one answered.
Leo gently handed Wyatt to Piper who began to coo to him, "I knew we'd save you. I knew everything would be ok. Thank you for coming to see mommy," she kissed him. Leo sat on the bed next to his wife and oldest son and admired them.
"Why aren't you answering me?" Chris walked to the edge of the bed and began to wave his arms frantically at Piper and Leo. "Hello, I know I've been distant lately," the crib in the corner caught his eye. He lowered his arms and walked to the bed—inside he saw a sleeping newborn baby boy, "It's me," he realized, "and Mom, Dad and Wyatt are not even paying attention."
"Miss Matthews? Miss Matthews," a lady dressed head to toe in a pink power suit waved at Paige from down the hall, "This way, Miss Matthews," she grinned.
"Oh, good gracious, I'm in hell," Paige gritted her teeth as she headed towards the Pepto-Bismol queen.
"Mr. Jenkins has been looking forward to meeting you. The temp agency has had so many good things to say about you. We're hoping that if the interview goes well then we'll be able to hire you for a full time position," Barbie stopped mid-stride and covered her mouth to hide her giggles, "I'm sorry, I've probably said too much," she playfully tapped Paige on the arm. "I'm just so excited to have another worker here. Mr. Jenkins is in there," she pointed Paige to a plush corner office.
"Uh, thanks..." Paige offered her hand.
"Gracie. Gracie Goodall, like Jane Goodall in South America with the monkeys, but no relation," she giggled again pouring herself a cup of coffee heavy on the sugar.
"Right," Paige tried to smile, "Take it easy on the coffee there, Gracie. And it was gorillas in Africa, not monkeys in South America," she corrected walking towards Mr. Jenkins office. Gracie continued to laugh and nod almost spilling her coffee on her pink couture.
"Miss Matthews," Mr. Jenkins rose from his desk and shook Paige's hand, "It's so nice to finally meet you. The temp agency has had nothing but positive things to say about you. Please take a seat."
Paige looked cautiously around the room. This seemed to be legit. Except that she had walked through a magical doorway on the landing of the stairs in her house expecting to go to the Magic School to vanquish slithery Gideon and had somehow ended up here. Where ever here may be. "Thank you sir," Paige tried her best to act professional under the circumstances, "It's always nice to hear that people have a positive thing to say about you."
"Oh very. It seems that not only are you a hard worker, but you have a knack for saving the lives of the people you work with. That's a bonus. Especially here. We have been having employees either disappearing or dying most inexplicably unexpected. Maybe your luck will help us out," Mr. Jenkins nodded his head over enthusiastically almost knocking his glasses off his round face.
"I've definitely had my share of good luck sir," thanks to a few leprechauns she added in a thought, "I'm hoping to help out here as much as I can. Just point me to where I need to start."
Mr. Jenkins jumped from his desk "Excellent!" sending his chair flying backwards towards a shelving unit. The crash drew Gracie Goodall, no relation to Jane, from the hall who spilled her coffee on her shirt with a squeal that startled the exuberant Mr. Jenkins who was now steadying the shelf. Paige walked to help Gracie clean herself off as she noticed Mr. Jenkin's lose his footing and the shelving unit push him back towards an open window and he began to fall. Before Paige could grab his ankle, Mr. Jenkins was tumbling out the window and towards the street below. Without thinking of her exposure or her audience, Paige quickly orbed out the window, grabbed Jenkins, and had him safely planted in the middle of his office floor which now contained coffee-stained, pink suited Gracie, and some other secretary in a vibrant tangerine top and gray pencil skirt. "Uh- oh," Paige closed her eyes and reopened them hoping that would make this nightmare end. No such luck, "The temp agency told you I was good luck to have around," she smiled. No one smiled back.
"Ms. Halliwell," the receptionist called Phoebe, "Dr. Brunswick is ready to see you now. If you would please follow me," she held the door for Phoebe before leading her down the hall. She was clearly in an obstetrician's office—there were pictures of new mother's cradling infants on the walls, nurses dressed in brightly colored scrubs, and the faint odor of rubbing alcohol permeated the office. "In here," the receptionist directed Phoebe into an office.
"Thanks," Phoebe smiled and took a seat. The walls were covered in various plaques and diplomas. Dr. Brunswick was obviously and infertility specialist—at least according to the certificate Phoebe was no reading.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," a handsome man about Phoebe's age walked through the door behind her, shutting it as he entered. "I know you have been anxious to hear the test results," he shook her hand before taking his seat behind his desk. "Do you have any questions since our last visit? Before I go into the results."
Phoebe looked around the office; this place was almost eerily perfect. Nothing was misplaced or out of order, there was a neat pile of charts on his desk, the number of his success stories that glared at her from the wall was statistically phenomenal. This couldn't be right. "I don't think so," Phoebe turned back to Dr. Brunswick, "should we wait on my husband before we get started?"
"Your husband?" Dr. Brunswick looked shocked, "not unless you've gotten married over the weekend."
Phoebe faked a laugh, "Awh, you know me, doc, I'm just trying to lighten the mood a little."
Dr. Brunswick nodded his head in agreement, "You do like to make people laugh. Good one. Ok," he opened the chart marked Halliwell in big black letters that was lying in front of him on his desk. He read the report, took his glasses off and placed them next to him before turning to Phoebe with a heavy sigh, "It's not good news Phoebe. None of the treatments have worked. Your ovaries are still not producing viable eggs. It just seems like there has been too many blunt force traumas for you to be able to conceive. I'm sorry. I can find somewhere else to refer you if you'd like—for a second opinion—but I'm sure they will tell you the same."
"What?" Phoebe's heart fell.
Chloe pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders suddenly feeling more vulnerable than she ever had in the underworld. Being who she was and having the capabilities of neither being sensed as good nor evil, she had never felt out of place. Other demons would wink at her and she would playfully wink back. But today was different. Not only had she been expecting to walk through the door to the Magic School and be standing in the main hall with the rest of her family, but the demons here were also acting weird—reverent even. As she would pass different demons they would lower their heads in a bow. At first Chloe would nod back, which elicited many an odd stare, but now she was raising her eyebrows as she passed.
"Princess," a tall, broad-shouldered demon with blue and red tribal markings resembling Balthazar's nodded as she made her way down the corridor.
"Excuse me?" Chloe's voice went up an octave.
"I'm sorry, majesty," he apologized in a lower bow, "would you prefer Your Royal Evilness?"
This guy isn't joking Chloe realized in horror. "That's better," she held out her hand for him to kiss, "Take me to the thrown room. I feel like having an escort," Chloe offered him her hand, playing the part of a snotty demoness.
"He has got to be here somewhere," Leo shouted startling some of the toddlers to tears. "And Chris would not have disappeared. This is what he came here to do. This is wrong. You're all wrong. Chris! Chris!" he called.
Piper approached Leo and placed her hand on his shoulder, "Leo, you're scaring the children," she pointed to the other toddlers in the room and escorted Leo to the hall. "Chris is not answering. And we can't even find him or Wyatt scrying. There is something wrong. I know it," she began to softly cry again, "Can you sense them?"
Leo closed his eyes and focused more intently on his sons than he ever had, his face turned bright red with anger, "No," he mumbled through his lips, "Gideon!" he shouted, "He's behind this Piper. He'll know where Chris and Wyatt are."
"Leo, don't be silly," Piper looked at him confused, "Gideon is dead. He died trying to protect Wyatt. You were there. You spoke at the blessing of his ashes."
Confused thoughts that were trying to pass as memories flooded through Leo's mind, "What?" was all he could say.
"Trauma causes people to forget at times," the nursery attendant spoke, "maybe you've just forgotten?"
Piper looked pleadingly into Leo's eyes, "That has to be it," she placed her hand on his cheek. "Come on, let's find our boys." She took his hand and led him down the hall.
"Daddy, I was starting to wonder where you had gone to," Chloe rushed up to her father, "Mom and I have been so anxious to hear everything," she took his hand and began to lead him back to thrown room.
Cole was confused. When they had left the manor, Chloe was wearing black yoga pants and red sleeveless shirt with her cape. Now, however, she was wearing skintight leather bodice with matching, low-cut, leather pants...and heels. Chloe hates heels, Cole thought. She had told him that almost from the first day they met. "Sweetheart, what are you wearing? That's not what you were wearing when we left this morning."
Chloe stopped and looked at her father stunned, "What do you mean? Dad, did you get hit in the head again? I told mom that you should have taken more legions with you. Those nasty do gooder relatives, they always find some way..."
"Shhh," Phoebe cut her off. She approached her ex-husband in a scanty gold leather bra with gold chiffon covering her mid-drift. Her skirt was red leather and practically non-existent with the slit up to her hips on either side. She pushed Chloe out of the way and jammed her tongue down Cole's throat with such force he almost gagged.
He stammered and pushed her back. "Honey," he played the game, "do you really think we should be doing this in front of our daughter?"
Chloe rolled her eyes and sulked to her thrown. Phoebe cackled, "You have moral objections to kissing in front of our princess but what we were doing the other night was x-rated, and she and about twenty other guests were watching."
"No one ever said I was enjoying it, mother," Chloe countered.
"Can it, darling," Phoebe shot a stream of fire towards her daughter barely missing her leg. Cole knocked Phoebe back and pinned her to the wall, "Oh, now you've decided to get rough," she licked his face.
"I'm leaving," Chloe shimmered out.
"Good riddance," Phoebe wrapped her legs around Cole's waist and proceeded with another deep throat dive with her tongue.
Cole pried Phoebe from his body and laid her limply across the thrown stand. "Phoebe, why are you acting this way?" Cole distanced himself about twenty feet from Phoebe.
"Maybe the little leech was right, you are acting funny. Did you get hit in the head again? We can call the seer and she can fix you all up," Phoebe pouted.
Cole was shocked, "You just called our daughter, the daughter you and I love, a leech? And you think I've been hit on the head?"
"Cole you're scaring me," Phoebe walked up to him and put her hand on his chest, "the seer thought we had squelched that humanity out of you before... when we found out I was pregnant. She thought it would weaken you. Don't tell me you're starting to think you love her again. Chloe is just the means to an end. You know that. You said that yourself," Phoebe ran her finger from Cole's navel to chin with a lustful look in her eye.
"No," he pushed her away, "You're wrong. I never said that. I would never say that about my daughter. She is my princess."
"Of all evil, yeah," Phoebe taunted and turned to leave the room, "Call me when the seer has you back to yourself. I'm going to go find some innocents to torture."
"She's not right, she can't be right. I'm not evil. Phoebe's not evil. And Chloe... no."
"You're parents, Your Royal Evilness," the demon bowed leaving Chloe standing in the thrown room with her parents.
"Thank you," she flicked her wrist and vanquished him in a fiery bath that even surprised her.
"Oh, honey, what have we told you about vanquishing the help. You're going to get daddy in trouble again," Phoebe rose from the thrown and took Chloe's hands, leading her back to her seat.
"He was annoying me," Chloe blinked to hide her own horror at the sights in front of her. Her mother and father dressed in black head to toe. Phoebe wearing what was essentially a black leather bra and black leather floor length skirt. On her head set a crown of pure onyx with iron decorations. Cole was not much different—leather pants and tight black shirt, his cape hanging regally behind his shoulders. What bass-ackwards world have I walked into? Chloe thought taking the crown, similar to her mothers, that was being offered her.
"Princess, you should really think about going to change. Your far too conservative," Cole scolded.
Ok, I'm in looneyland Chloe gave a final nod placing the crown on her head, "Sure dad, but not until after I help you vanquish some ill- fallen followers," she gave her dad puppy-dog eyes. Whatever world it is, killing a handful of upper level demons is not a bad idea.
"Watch this part," Barbas drawled out, "I had thought about making their fears separate, but decided it would be better played out if he thought she was evil and she thought he was evil."
"La-te-da, La-te-da, and we all go home happy," Gideon mocked, "What's the point?"
"The point," Barbas snarled, "is if she thinks he's the evil one, and he thinks she's the evil one... I'm going to pull Cole from his fantasy into hers. But they are still going to see each other as they were in their own world... father and daughter will kill each other thinking they are really saving themselves from my worlds. It's brilliant."
Gideon stood quickly to his feet and had Barbas dangling from the air gasping for breath, "It's idiotic. I told you, Barbas old friend, the girl does not die. Kill Leo. Kill Cole. I don't care. But none of the witches die—especially the progeny," Gideon threatened as he lowered Barbas back to the ground just so that his tows were scrapping the floor.
"Got it," Barbas choked. Gideon let go as Barbas thumped to the floor, "You're the boss," he hissed.
Gideon narrowed his eyes at Barbas as he went back into the parlor. Richard was unconscious in the middle of the floor, his arms and legs bond with blue orbs. Piper's mouth was being held shut by some sort of spell, and it was obvious she had become exhausted from fighting. Wyatt was sitting quietly in a circle of white crystals so that he would not be able to orb out. "I'm sorry to have to do this to you, Piper. But Wyatt should never have been allowed to be born. He shifts the balance of power too far in the side of good. He has to be turned to maintain the balance."
Piper started struggling again. Gideon waved his hand and Piper took a deep, gasping breath. "Then why Chris? Why do you need Chris?"
Gideon smiled, "Every good leader needs a number two man." With that, Piper and Wyatt disappeared in a cloud of orbs. "It's time for phase two of our plan," he turned to Sigmund and Barbas. "Barbas, you have the rest of the Halliwell clan to handle and distract. Sigmund, you and I are going to look after Piper and Wyatt." Gideon followed Sigmund back through the door to the Magic School as Barbas clapped his hand together and with a sly grin shimmered out.