Author's Note: Hello all! I am back with another chapter and only hope that you all will not kill me for taking so long. My life is pretty crazy at the moment and I hardly get the time for anything anymore, but I did make time to finish this chapter and I am posting it just for all of my loyal readers (which, there probably aren't that many of, thinking that this story has died). Fear not, my fic has not and will not die. It is just taking longer than expected to write and post. But for all of you who stuck around and are still reading, a very big thank you from me. So, sit back, read and review and tell me what you think.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Demons, Potions and More Demons
"We are not going to erase anyone's memory," a Cleaner said, eyeing Piper and Leo as he stiffened himself.
"Why not?" Leo asked. "It's not as if you have never erased anything before."
The Cleaner made a face. "We Cleaners do what we have to when we have to. There is no reason to erase Inspector Sheridan's memory that we can see fit. You don't want a repeat of the Trials again, do you?"
Angered, Piper stormed up to the Cleaner. "Excuse me, but if it wasn't for her in the first place there would have been no Trials. It's all Barbas' fault and you know it. He's the one who got the phantasm to possess Sheridan and the reason magic was exposed."
The Cleaner stood, unscathed by her words.
Her eyes flaring, Piper threw up her hands in disgust. "I don't understand you. Here you are wanting to keep the magic world secret and you won't help us."
"Cleaners are neutral and helping a Charmed One would shift the balance," the Cleaner stated matter-o-factly.
Leo rolled his eyes. "But by not helping us you are going to let magic be exposed. Think about it: Barbas is the one who dragged Sheridan into this mess and now she knows something is up with my family and is going to after my son."
"How is your son any of my concern?"
"Don't you see? She met his future self. What is she going to think when she meets him again only a few years younger than when she originally met him and at a time when he should he older? How is that something we can explain without letting her in on the truth?"
"Once again, your son's mistake in getting himself caught is none of my concern."
Tilting her head, Piper glared at the Cleaner. "Would you listen to yourself? You are willing to let the whole of the magical society suffer exposure just because our son made a mistake? Cleaning up mistakes is what you do, it's why you are called Cleaners for Christ's sake!"
Surprised by her words, the Cleaner took a step back.
"Looks like someone is finally starting to listen," Piper whispered to Leo. She turned her attention to the Cleaner. "Well? Are you going to help us or not?"
The Cleaner smoothed out his white suit. "Honestly I think I should just erase your son for all the trouble you have caused me, just as I would have to your other son…but, seeing as how that went and what you are capable of, I relent and will help you. But this is to be the only time for this special occasion. The other Cleaners and I will only clean up the messes and other magical exposures as we see fit and otherwise you shall have to clean up your own mistakes, is that clear?"
Sighing with relief, Piper placed her hands on her hips and mustered a smile. "Crystal."
With a nod of approval, Leo watched as the Cleaner disappeared and turned to Piper. "Well, we got that out of the way. Now all we have to do is find Wyatt and Barbas."
"I have a feeling Wyatt is going to be a little harder to find than our little demon friend. You don't know how glad I am that Sheridan is going to be off our tails. All I really want to do is vanquish Barbas' sorry ass, find my son and put my family back together."
Leo cast his gaze downward. "It won't be that simple Piper. Even with Barbas gone…Wyatt has been gone for so long and he doesn't know us or remember anything about who he is. All his life he's been raised in the Underworld and by a demon that has wanted nothing more than to see the end of the Charmed Ones. How do we know that this hasn't been drilled into Wyatt? I mean, we've seen him go after Chris…"
Piper made a face at Leo, her mouth open wide in awe. "What are you suggesting, that we just leave him? Abandon him because he was raised by a demon? No, Leo. I'd like to think that there is at least some good in my son and I intend to find it, and if that means letting him stay someplace else until we all know we can trust one another than that is just what I will do. But I am not going to leave my son now that I have found him again."
There was a sudden silence between the two, broken by the sound of distant clapping growing louder. Turning, the two watched as a shadow lurking in the far off dark moved closer until his face came clear in the light. He had graying hair and his dark, cold eyes matched his black robes. With that familiar smirk he used to taunt his victims, the figure stood before the two and laughed as the sound of his clapping faded. Instinctively, Piper raised her hands to either freeze or blow him up, but the figure shook his finger and circled the two.
"Barbas," Piper said through her teeth.
"Piper," he answered, his voice cool and innocent.
"You saved us the trouble of having to go and look for you."
"And why, pray tell, would you have reason to look for me?"
"This isn't the time to play games, Barbas. Where is my son? Where is Wyatt?"
The demon placed his palms together and at his lips as he moved around the two, silently and mockingly. With the Darklighter out of the way, Barbas was back to feeling like his old self again, despite that Wyatt knew almost everything. Taunting the Charmed Ones was a favorite pastime of the bringer of fears, and what a better time than to have what he called fun than when one of the three was furious and looking for something she had lost?
Barbas' fun and games came to an end when he felt the heat of an explosion beside him. Glancing at Piper, he saw her hands up defensively and knew that it had been her doing. With a smirk, the demon moved toward her and shook his head opposite his finger. "I thought we had established the fact that your power has little to no effect on me."
"Don't think I won't find a way to kill you," Piper spat.
"Why worry about killing me when you should be more concerned with your son killing his brother?" Barbas asked, watching how it hit both Piper and Leo hard.
"Don't you dare talk about our sons," Leo said. "You already helped to kill one before and I will not stand to see it happen again."
"With the help of your former mentor, isn't that right Leo?" Barbas asked, his taunting coming back. "What a shame you had to loose one of your sons to someone you felt you could trust. It must have been a great fear you had bottled up inside while you were searching for who it could be that you were after, wasn't it?"
Leo grimaced, yet turned to Barbas with hate in his eyes. "What makes you think I would listen to you or believe anything you say?"
The demon turned away, his back to Piper and Leo. Knowing that the two couldn't see anything in front of him, the demon held out his hand and into it flamed the fallen Darklighter's crossbow. Fingers fumbling, Barbas tried not to make it too obvious that he had something in his hand and that he didn't know how to use it. Getting hold of the trigger, Barbas half turned around.
"You have no reason to believe me, but have you any reason not to?"
Piper rolled her eyes. "I have no time for riddles and no patience for you. Either you tell me where to find my son or I will personally see to it that I have a nasty potion that will vanquish you. What sounds good to you?"
Turning around fully and pointing the Darklighter crossbow straight at Leo, Barbas couldn't help but smile. "Neither."
Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Barbas pulled the trigger and the arrow came flying. Rushing to her husband's side, Piper took hold of Leo's arms and her body dissolved into blue and white lights as they orbed away. With no target to hit, the arrow pierced the air and then fell to the ground, a stunned Barbas angrily holding the crossbow. Scowling, he threw it down in disgust and lifted clenched fists into the air. Turning, the demon retrieved the weapon and smiled as he flamed out. Reappearing in a lair in the Underworld, Barbas was surrounded by many demons. Clearing his throat, he gathered their attention.
"Who wants to help me kill a Charmed One?"
It was as the other demons and evil creatures began to unite with Barbas that Piper and Leo returned to the Manor unharmed. Each was breathless and shocked by what had happened and Leo all but stumbled to the couch and sat himself down. Had he been hit by the arrow there would be no Leo at the moment and it was that thought that was racing through his mind as he tried to calm himself.
Piper, on the other hand, was furious at the demon and immediately went to work on a vanquishing potion. Her hands were a blur as she threw in bits of this and that, her voice echoing off the attic walls. "If he so much as hurt you, Leo…after all this he had the nerve to try and take you too…I cannot believe him, destroying this family the way he has…well, he's not going to be around much longer…"
"Piper," Leo said, standing by her side. "Take a deep breath."
She shook her head. Her hands shaking, she tried to keep from crying, but the tears came and she turned to her husband and held him close. "I already lost my children once. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you too."
"I'm right here," Leo answered. "I won't leave you."
"That is so very touching," a voice said from the shadows.
Letting Leo go, Piper turned and watched with hateful eyes as Barbas stepped from the darkness. He smiled, though he was unarmed and seemingly alone.
"Get out of my house," Piper hissed.
"Now, now. No need to be rude to a guest," Barbas teased.
"You are no guest and are unwanted. Get out of here before I-"
"Vanquish me?" the demon asked. "But it looks as if the potion is not finished."
Piper began to raise her hands, but as she did so a demon shimmered in on her right. Another appeared a moment later on her right and suddenly she and Leo were surrounded by men clad in black, their hands stretched out and an energy ball waiting to be thrown. Lowering her hands, Piper looked back at Leo. The two were alone and wondered if a witch and a Whitelighter would be enough to fight the group before them. If there was ever a moment when Piper wished her sisters were there it was now and for a moment, she wondered if she would ever see her sons again as an energy ball passed her and the fight between them all had begun.
