NINE
"Piper, what are you doing to my daddy?" Patricia asked.
"Nothing, honey, he's fine," said Piper. "But he's not your daddy."
"Piper, what's going on?" Leo asked.
"Trying to find out who he really is," said Piper. "My guess is he's the same warlock that attacked us in the kitchen. And who probably impersonated you in the attic."
"You're crazy," said Shelling. "I've never been here before. I just arrived a few minutes ago."
"Leo, do you remember what you said to us in the attic earlier?" Piper asked.
"The attic?" Leo questioned. "I wasn't in the attic."
"Somebody impersonating you was," said Piper. "Only he didn't orb in as you would have done. And he mentioned Patricia's parents coming to get her. Something I told them before you supposedly showed up so you wouldn't have known about it just then."
"That doesn't prove it was me," protested Shelling.
"Not by itself," said Piper. "But there was no cab outside when you showed up at the door. They always take a few minutes to fill out their logs before they go on to their next fare."
"So this one didn't," said Shelling. "That still doesn't prove anything."
"I called the airport," said Piper. "When I went to get the coffee. There weren't any flights from Tacoma today. And there aren't any scheduled to go there tonight."
"It was a private charter by a friend of mine," said Shelling.
"You have an answer for everything," said Piper. "Even how I explained over the phone that Patricia was a witch."
"So what?" Shelling asked.
"So, I never mentioned it over the phone," said Piper. "That's not something you break to someone on the phone. There are always a hundred questions when you tell someone that and it's best to do it in person.
"And while I was getting the coffee I called Patricia's home. Both of her parents are still in Tacoma. Which means you're an imposter. And since you can obviously shape shift that would make you a demon."
Shelling just smiled at Piper. Suddenly he shimmered slightly and changed form into the warlock that had attacked them in the kitchen. Patricia shrieked and moved over behind Phoebe well away from the warlock.
"You're smarter than I gave you credit for," said the warlock.
"Why are you after her?" Piper demanded. "Is it her power you want?"
"Actually, no," said the warlock. "I've all ready got telekinesis courtesy of another witch. Hers might increase my power a little bit but that would only be a side affect."
"Then what do you want with her?" Phoebe asked.
"Well, that would spoil all the fun, now wouldn't it?" questioned the warlock, a broad smile on his face.
The warlock looked down at the coffee table in front of him. He squinted and the table suddenly moved bumping him slightly in the legs. With the bump Piper's freeze of the warlock was broken. Before any of them could move the warlock blinked and vanished from the living room.
"Leo," said Piper, "get to Patricia's house and bring her parents back here. We can't risk him using them to get to her."
Leo orbed out of the living room.
"Don't worry, Patricia," Phoebe said. "Leo will bring your parents here where they will be safe."
"But why does he want me?" Patricia asked. "You said he would probably want to wait until my power developed some first. Plus, if he all ready has this telekinesis ability why does he want mine?"
"That's a good question," said Paige. "He's all ready got that ability that's apparent. So yours shouldn't be of much use to him. Why would he be trying to get an ability he all ready has?"
"He wouldn't," said Piper. "Which means he's after something else. I just don't know what that is just yet. But we're going to find out. And until we do, Patricia isn't to be left alone for a second."