Chapter Twenty Four

Ireland

Chris stood outside the small cottage surveying the various magical items designed to keep out undesirables. 'You do realize that's what you are now?' Chris ignored that last jab, intent on spotting his prey. He smirked at the half apples hanging from the trees with leaves of sage bound to them.

'Primitive, but effective.' He thought, but not something he would have expected from his father. Curious he drew a little closer, waving his arm slightly as he approached the house, bungling any attempt to keep evil away.

Peering in the window he was a little taken aback to see his grandfather there; dressed in his bath robe and pacing nervously in the living room. It looked like Victor was talking to someone, maybe it was his father. Chris attempted to hear what they were saying by concentrating hard on Victor, but he didn't get very far when a green ball of energy whizzed past his head.

Chris's eyes flew open and he stared into the eyes of the wildest looking banshee he could ever imagine. Her red hair stood on end and her mossy green eyes glowed dangerously. Chris didn't retaliate, but stood his ground and smirked.

'What are you waiting for? An invitation? Her magick is no match for you, take her out, get your father and let's be gone!'

Chris again ignored the evil voice within and studied this woman as she continued to volley her arsenal of energy balls at him. He could clearly see Victor hovering over something in the corner, but where on earth was his father? Why was this Irish witch coming at him full force without the least provocation?

With the flick of his wrist Chris ripped the front door off its hinges and entered the tiny house as if floating on an unseen skate board. Having not seen what the threat was that set Moira on high alert Victor stood in confusion when he saw his grandson.

"Chris?" Victor took a step forward. "Moira stop! It's my grandson, stop it!"

Chris floated to the ground in front of Moira who he'd frozen in place.

"Oh Chris, I'm so glad to see you. I'm sorry about Moira, she didn't realize who you were I guess. Did Leo send you to help us?" Victor walked up to Chris and enfolded him in his arms oblivious to neither Moira's plight nor Chris's current state of affairs.

"Grandpa? What are you doing here?" Chris drawled.

"Leo asked me to come here and help Moira take care of your sister." Victor motioned for Penny to come forward.

Penny took a shy step forward tucking her small hand into her grandfathers.

"Granpa, that isn't Christopher." Penny's eyes never left her brothers as she slid her other hand to Moira and orbed the three of them away.

'You insidious buffoon! That is twice now that you have failed to complete the simplest of tasks! How hard could it have been to just grab the girl? She would make the best leverage for an exchange for the sword!'

Chris blinked, shook his head as if in a trance. "I know," he said solemnly, then orbed after them.

Chapter Twenty Five

Halliwell Manor

"God, in all our days of fighting demons this has got to be the worst damage ever." Paige sifted through upturned furniture and surveyed the broken stained glass window in the attic.

"Well, don't ever let it be said that our nephew can't 'redecorate'." Prue made air quotes sarcastically before she spotted something under a table. "I've got it!"

Both women cleared a space and laid the book open. Prue laid her hands over the pages and chanted as Paige watched them flip automatically to the one Prue was looking for.

"So, why so secretive about your idea on how to save Chris?" Paige paced to the hall door, peered out then walked back to Prue.

"I don't know. I wasn't exactly trying to be secretive per se, I just didn't think anyone was going to like what I've come up with and I wanted to get this first."

"Oh." Was all Paige said as she paced while Prue started reading.

"I don't like it here. It feels like the Nexus knows that evil has been here and it's trying to change the house." Paige shivered and rubbed her arms as if she were freezing. She looked around the attic nervously expecting Chris jump right out of the wood work. "Prue let's just go, I'm getting a really bad feeling about this."

"One more second, I just want to make sure it's in here." Prue used her finger to scan down whatever spell she was reading. "Good, it's here. Ok, let's get back to Cole's. We have a long trip a head of us."

"What do you mean by long?"

"Oh, you'll see."

Paige groaned and orbed them both out.

Cole's Penthouse

Leo took a deep breath before he knocked on the door of the man whom he hadn't seen since his wife and her sisters were killed. At one point in time they had almost been friends; if you could call being brothers in law and polar opposites in the magical community "friends."

The door opened before Leo had a chance to knock. Cole grinned, his perpetual stogie clamped between his teeth as he stood there watching Leo's reaction.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Let's just say that there isn't much I don't know about the whereabouts of the folks I care for. Welcome back, it's been awhile." Cole swung the door wide and gestured for Leo to enter.

Leo grinned to himself, surprised to realize he had missed his friend.

"I should tell you though; I've got a house full. You wouldn't believe . . ." Cole trailed off as Phoebe squealed and ran to Leo.

"Leo! It's so good to see you."

Leo caught Phoebe in a bear hug that almost winded him. Shocked beyond words, it took him a minute for realization to sink in. He set her down and away from him somberly.

"Is she here?"

"Of course!" Phoebe reached for Leo's hand in an attempt to pull him further into the penthouse, but he resisted and held her in place.

Phoebe stopped and turned back to Leo quizzically. Her senses were tingling and she was starting to not like what they were telling her.

"Leo what's wrong?"

He didn't get a chance to answer as Wyatt came into the entryway to see what the commotion was about.

"Dad!" Wyatt flung himself as Phoebe had into Leo's arms.

It was here that Leo allowed himself to sink joyfully in memories. This was 'his son,' one of his most precious gifts. Tears welled in his eyes and he buried his head in Wyatt shoulder to hide them. Cole clapped Leo on the back as left father and son alone.

Wyatt pulled out the embrace first tears streaming down his face. "It's real bad Dad. I don't know how we are going to recover from this." Wyatt wiped his eyes.

"We will. We always do."

Piper came out of the kitchen just as Wyatt pulled Leo into the living room. Their eyes met across the room and it seemed that time came to a screeching halt. Suddenly aware of her appearance, Piper finished wiping her hands on the dish towel she'd been using in the kitchen and smoothed the loose strands away from her face and tucked them as best she could in her pony tail.

"Leo." One breathless word and yet it felt like she'd said a thousand.

Heedless of the quiet room, they slowly crossed to each other; Leo speechless, full of swirling emotion, teetering between elation and anger; Piper hesitant, but joyful at the sight of him. One minute they were locked on each other and almost within each others grasp and the next Paige and Prue had orbed in between them, effectively breaking the connection. Leo looked away and took a step back. Piper stopped dead in her tracks; hurt and confused.

Prue held the book aloft. "Got it," she said as Paige blurted.

"Holy sh . .ugh, shoot. Is that really you Leo?"