Chapter nine

Trick or treat Ava

Chris slumped in his carseat, irritation written on his face. He looked out the window at the passing trees and cars. His brother and sister seated in the back of the car with him singing their hearts out. Chris turned to them and shouted, "oh shut up!" Wyatt and Melinda went silent and Piper turned in her seat to look at Chris. "Just because you're in a bad mood doesn't give you the right to yell at your siblings." She then looked at her other two children while Leo kept his eyes on the road. "You two go ahead and sing." Wyatt and Melinda resumed their rendition of "the wheels on the bus." Chris crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "This is so unfair!" "Chris, I already apologized, okay? I didn't realize Melinda's dance recital was today. I'm going to make it up to you with supper tonight," said Piper. "Yeah, at your restaurant. That's the only place we go now." "We can go somewhere else, where do you want to eat?" Chris looked out the window as he pondered over this. "Can we go to McDonalds?" Chris asked. "Sure." "Just us and daddy, no babies but Wyatt can come." "I'm not a baby," Melinda mumbled under breath. She quickly went back to singing. "That's fine, Melinda can stay with the other little kids." Chris nodded contently and his whole attitude changed. Maybe his seventh birthday wasn't ruined after all.

The recital was taking place at the local dance studio. Prue, Andy, Payton, Piper, Leo, Phoebe, Coop, Paige, both Henry's, Wyatt, Chris and Parker took their seats in the audience. Instructor Cindy announced the dance then the lights went out except for one above the stage. The dancers came onto the stage and began the dance. Phoebe was in charge of filming. Melinda came in to do her solo part and she was pretty good. Tamora got jealous since she didn't have a solo, so she ran forward and pushed Melinda to the side. Tamora then started Melinda's dance and Melinda pushed Tamora. Melinda started where she had left off but Tamora wasn't finished. Tamora ran to her and pushed her right off the stage. The music instantly stopped and only Melinda's crying could be heard. Piper and Leo ran to her and checked for injuries. Henry got up on stage and put Tamora over his shoulder. "Seriously, what the hell is wrong with her, you're not going to let her get away with this are you?" Piper snapped at her brother-in-law. Henry looked at her astounded as she had never said anything about the twins' behaviour before, Tamora was kicking and screaming. Speechless, Henry walked off the stage with his daughter. Piper looked over at Leo who was comforting Melinda in his arms. He looked surprised over what Piper had said but he wasn't sure if she had the right or if she had been out of line. Piper had mixed feelings over what happened, she looked at her sisters in the audience. Prue and Phoebe looked unsure how to respond and Paige looked upset over what Piper had just said. Piper left the studio, needing some air.

Everyone returned home approximately at the same time and entered the house silently. "I'm sorry," said Piper. Yet, Henry and Paige ignored her and escorted their children upstairs. Piper turned around and looked at her other sisters wondering what she should do or say now. "I know Tamora hurt your daughter and I'd be beyond pissed if she had hurt PJ, but what you said to Henry, I… I don't know. I really don't know how I would feel if someone told me what to do with my kid even if they had done something really wrong and normally don't… well...if we're being honest, I...I don't want to get in the middle of this," Phoebe said...she fell silent as she didn't want to further insult Henry and Paige but she did feel as though the twins never received harsh or big enough punishments to fit the crimes they committed against the other children. Prue shrugged as she really just didn't know what to say or how to feel. So, Piper looked over at Leo. "Let's give them some space. I think that's best. We'll take Chris and Wyatt out to eat. Maybe they'll be ready to talk when we get back." Piper nodded and motioned to her sons to leave the house. "We'll drop Melinda off at dad's," Piper decided. "She can stay home with us," Phoebe said. "We'll drop Melinda off at dad's," Piper repeated. She took Melinda's hand and led her out of the house.

"You stay in here until I come talk to you," Paige said. She closed the door leading into Henry Junior's room and looked over at her husband. "What are we going to do?" She asked. She felt so emotionally exhausted trying to raise such an aggressive misbehaved kid. "We could move out, get a three bedroom," Henry suggested. "What are you talking about...oh, I'm not mad at Piper. I mean I am but honestly, she's right. Tamora pushed Melinda off the stage out of jealousy, she could have seriously hurt her." Henry didn't respond. He knew Paige was right but still felt offended by what Piper had said to him. "It's not just at home. Tamora's already a bully at school and she's only in kindergarten. She's been sent home eighteen times...she's only been in school for two months." Henry looked to the side knowing he was failing as a parent. How could a parole officer that dealt mostly with minors not be able to keep his own children in line. The twins were only four-years-old. "Henry?" He looked at her. "I think we should pull Tamora out of school for the time being, before she gets expelled." "How would we do that when we both work during school hours?" "We bring her work home, we can take her to work with us. She can't be in school if she's going to hurt the other kids." Henry nodded in agreement. "Even if we moved out to isolate her from her cousins, we still have Kat and Henry." Silence filled the air. "We keep a close eye on her, if we see her get agitated, angry, annoyed, or even just bored, we put her in the magic proof room for a break." Henry nodded again. "Most importantly, we don't shrug it off. No more apologizing to the other parents saying "oh, sorry about her." Then move on. She's our daughter and we need to teach her that violence will no longer be accepted."

Henry and Paige entered their son's room where their three children were playing. The children looked up at their parents. "Kat, please take your brother down to the kitchen for supper," Paige instructed. Kat and her brother got up from the floor, Kat took his hand and orbed them down to the kitchen. "Tamora, sit on the bed. We need to talk to you," Henry stated. Tamora did as asked, she got up from the floor and seated herself on her brother's bed. "Tamora, what you did to Melinda today was very wrong," Paige told her. "I wasn't done," Tamora whined, she crossed her arms. "No. No excuses. It is never okay to hurt another person. You're a bully and that needs to stop right now," Henry stated firmly. "I'm a bully?" Tamora asked. "Yes, you are. You're a very big bully." Tamora seemed surprised but also guilty. "You are not going to school anymore and if you can't play nice you will not be allowed to play with other kids." Paige told her. "But I like school." "I know but you're not going to be welcomed there if you're not nice to the other kids." "From now on, if you feel mad at someone, you need to go take a break in the magic proof room or in your room," Henry explained. Tamora looked at her parents and could tell they were mad at her and they were being serious and she knew she wasn't going to get her own way, so she didn't even try to argue.

The next day, Piper had allowed Chris to have his friends over to extend his birthday celebration. Shortly after noon Wyatt and Chris's friends: Dakota, Kennedy, Austin and some other friends arrived. Victor and Billie were also in attendance. Paige turned on the music and the kids started dancing. Twins were holding each other's hands and swinging their arms. Little Henry was having a blast, he no longer felt out of place. "I see Melinda's enjoying her dance lessons" Billie stated watching Melinda demonstrate her moves. "She loves it, practices everyday," Leo said. Paige glanced over at her daughters and told Victor and Billie what she and Henry had decided to do. "Don't know how it's going to work though. If I have to bring a foster kid to a new placement, what am I going to do with Kat, or if I have to do a home inspection? If Henry has to run after a parolee?" "She can do her school work at my place. Austin works during the day, I'm sure he won't mind. I have literally nothing to do during the day," Billie offered. "Are you sure? Tamora can be a handful." "It'll be fine and I don't have any kids so you won't have to worry about well...what you said." "Wow, thanks Billie, that's really helpful."

Late that night, hours after the children had gone to bed, there was a knock at the front door. Prue answered it, it was Darryl. "Darryl?" Prue informed him. "I know it's late, I'm sorry. I need your help…magical help," Darryl said. "Okay come in, my sisters are in the living room," Prue invited. "Four houses, adults dead, all houses had signs of child residents but none were found, nothing was stolen," Darryl explained. "Darry, that sounds like a serial killer and serial kidnapper, that's your area of expertise not ours," Piper stated. "I know, but all the witnesses said right before the attack a kid went to each house trick or treating," Darryl informed. "Trick or threatening? It's the seventeenth, Halloween isn't for like another two weeks," said Phoebe. "And children don't go around killing, I think it was one of those demon kids from your world," Darryl suggested. "I wonder who it could be," Paige said. "Okay, Darryl, get me a list of the houses and victims," Piper instructed. "Right here," Darryl said, handing over a folder. "Call us if it happens again tonight, leave the rest to us," Prue instructed. Darryl nodded and headed out. "The plan is to figure out her next move," Paige said. "And then… I'll blow up that damn little demon," Piper stated. "I think Ava went trick or treating early to get the candy before the other children do, but nobody gave her any because it's not Halloween," Piper stated. "Which made Ava mad enough to kill them, she might have left the children with the plan of collecting them later to start an army" Paige finished as if she read Piper's mind. "So she probably left them in the houses hidden so that the police wouldn't find them and take them to child services" Piper added. "Okay I'll go collect them and bring them here, you go look for our little friend," Paige directed. Paige orbed her and Piper to the edge of the street that the attack had occurred on. Paige noticed Darryl had left the doors of the attacked houses open, so that she would know which ones to go in. The sisters walked down the street, Paige entered the first house while Piper stood guard in-front of the first house with the door closed.

Paige looked around the house with a flashlight and noticed many family pictures. She heard a noise in the basement and went to investigate. In the basement behind the washing machine were two young children huddled together, way past frightened. "Hi, don't be scared. I'm Paige Matthews, I'm a social worker," Paige told the shaking children. "M..My na…me is is Lucy, and this is is is m…my brother Ma...son," the little girl sacredly introduced. "I need you both to come with me, to my house ok? Take my hands," Paige gently told them. Deciding Paige could be trusted, the kids took her hands. Paige orbed them to the manor. In the kitchen they found Prue up with Payton. "Good you're up, I need you to watch these guys, no time to explain," Paige told Prue.

Throughout the other three houses Paige found the 3 Johnson boys, the Kindle boy, and the young Winter sisters. Each frightened but trusting towards Paige. Paige brought these children to Prue then orbed to Piper who was still in the same spot and was now freezing cold. "Nothing," Piper mumbled. "Whose house is this anyways," Paige asked and shined the flashlight on the mailbox. "Sanders…hmm…hey Piper does the last name Sanders ring any bells?" Paige asked. "Sanders…oh gosh yes it does…Dakota Sanders… Wyatt's friend Dakota," Piper realized. "You know, I always had a feeling we'd be saving the butt of one of his friends," Paige stated.

Prue and Phoebe were in the living room with the now orphan children and baby Payton when Paige and Piper returned home. The children had fallen asleep on the living room floor and Prue had covered them with blankets. "So what are we going to do with them?" Prue asked. "There's only one thing we can do, I have to take them to child services in the morning and find them a placement," Paige replied. "With a relative?" Piper asked hopingly. "Perhaps, but in most cases a foster home," Paige said sadly.

The next morning Paige got up early and served the children she had rescued some breakfast. Afterwards she tied them in her car and drove to her work, the social services building. There she and her boss tried to find relatives to take the children. The aunt of the Winter sisters agreed to take them. However no other relatives were willing to take in the others, or were able to. Paige found a nice foster home close by to the manor that room for all six of the children. Paige had visited this home before and knew it was a very nice home with a very nice caregiver. Before bringing them there, Paige brought them back to their old houses to pack up their clothes and once special item. Paige then brought the children to the foster home. "Hi Mrs. Whale," Paige said to the foster mom. "Hi Mrs. Matthews, who are these young ones?" Mrs. Whale asked. "These are the Willmott children, Lucy age six and Mason age three. These are the Johnson boys, William age ten, Jordan age seven and Zack age five. And this is Rolland Kindle age six," Paige introduced. "Well it's nice to meet you, welcome to the family I hope you like it here, come on in," Mrs. Whale invited with a kind smile. Paige led the children into the foster home where three other foster children were curiously watching on the stairs. Paige had brought one of them here a few months before. "Okay this is my number you can call me if there's ever a serious problem, I'll come back in a couple days to make sure you've settled in okay?" Paige told the children who nodded. "Take care Mrs. Matthews," Mrs. Whale said. "You too," Paige responded as she left the foster home. Mrs. Whale watched Paige leave then closes the door. She then helped the children settle in and introduced them to the other three: Wesley, Amy and Kevin. Yes Wesley was the kid who had been rude to Wyatt back in kindergarten but he was much better now. It was Amy who Paige had brought to foster home months earlier.

Henry decided to drop off the children at school so he could talk to his daughters' teacher. Wyatt and Chris made their own way to the playground while Henry dropped off Kat, Melinda, and PJ. Mrs. Wellington noticed that Tamora wasn't with them. "Oh dear, is Tamora not joining us again?" She asked. "No. My wife and I have decided to keep her home for the time being while we sort out her issues. Could you gather her assignments?" Mrs. Wellington nodded and opened the gate to let the three little girls and Henry in. "Come on in and we'll sort her out." "Thank you."

There had been no sign of Ava. The children had finished trick or treating and had passed out shortly after getting home even though it wasn't that late. Paige had gotten a strange feeling to go check on her children. She orbed up to her son's room first to find him fast asleep in his bed safe and sound. So, she orbed up to the room Kat was sharing with PJ and again both girls were sound asleep and safe. She almost decided to ignore her feelings and head back down to the living room but decided to check on Tamora first...just in case. What she found was Ava telling Tamora to jump out the window. In some kind of trance, Tamora was crawling out the window...a window on the fourth floor. Paige freaked and orbed her daughter over to herself, catching Ava's attention. "What? You didn't think I'd come back for her, she'll be a great asset with that firepower," Ava said. She laughed coldly. "What do you mean come BACK for her?" Paige asked. She took a step backwards, pulling her daughter back too. "You haven't guessed? Do you really not know your own child?" Paige looked confused but then her eyes turned darker as the realization came. "There is nothing wrong with my daughter. It was you, you did something to her. You made her mean and aggressive." "DUH," Ava stated. Ava's eyes flashed red and she started towards her. Just then, Chris orbed in unnoticed and orbed Ava out. "Chris? Where did you send her?" Paige asked. "A volcano. Who needs an ice cream truck?" Paige almost laughed. "How did you know she was here? You were sleeping." "I was pretending, and PJ told me." "PJ?" "She had a premonition and she told me."