Disclaimer: Yadda Yadda Yadda-the gist is I do not own Charmed.
Author's Note: Thank-you to all my lovely reviewers, this goes out to everyone who has enjoyed it so far, especially since its your encouragements that had me finish this chapter and begin chapter six all today, so here it is, Chapter Five. Enjoy.
"Ah, but what were my favorite things you said to him?" Gideon questioned, pretending to be wracking his brain, as if the things she'd said weren't on the tip of his tongue. "Hmmm….." he said, once again with his index finger and thumb cupping his chin. Gideon continued this charade for what seemed like an eternity to Piper. Piper was working unnaturally hard to put up an emotionless front. On the inside however, she was silently pleading with him not to say what she knew to expect. Gideon finally began to speak. "Honestly I don't know which I love the most. There was 'I will get my son back!' The tone you used and the conviction of 'my son' would be heartbreaking to anyone. However it couldn't have been as bad as the exchange between the two of you." Gideon flashed a bright smile and winked. "Do you remember that exchange?" He asked, knowing full well she did.
"'He brings his shield up around me; he thinks I'm a threat.' Chris pleaded with you, trying to get his point through your thick skulls. But not one of you would listen. In fact, the only thing you had to say was" Gideon paused, savoring the stony look on Piper's face, knowing she wanted to protest. "'Yeah, well, so do I!' You screeched at him. How cold is it of a mother to say she thinks of her own son as a threat? Even if you didn't realize the relation, that's a cold thing to say to anyone whose mission is to save the world." Gideon finished for now, knowing he hadn't even gotten to the good part.
His constant pausing for dramatic effect was driving Piper insane. What's worse is that she knew he was just waiting to mimic words she'd spoken over a year ago. Words she never wanted to hear again. She knew he was just waiting for the opportune time to say them. However, she refused to admit it. In her state of denial, it came as a shock to hear the words spoken for the first time since they'd originally left her mouth. "'I don't want to see you anymore!' You said to him. You told your own son who adored you that you never wanted to see him again. Your son, who was trying to save the world, save you AND your sisters, who were downright awful to him largely due to your influence. Y-" Piper cut him off. "What is that supposed to mean? I had nothing to do with their feelings towards him. They disliked him on their own accord." She was aggravated that Gideon was trying to imply she'd conspired with her sisters to hate him. Piper wasn't about to let him shatter her completely, her interruption was proof of that. She'd fight when it was justified. Hearing him repeat those words, words she'd spoken over a year ago, hadn't felt as mind-numbing as she'd expected them to. Unfortunately, that wasn't a good thing.
It wasn't a good thing because she had become accustomed to hearing those words every night. They haunted her dreams and had caused many a sleepless night for her. Every minute she spent with Chris, whether it was feeding him or rocking him, or putting him to bed, those words echoed through her head. She couldn't escape them. When she'd thought the worst was over, Gideon took her to a place she only ventured on her darkest of days.