CHAPTER FIVE

Soon Piper had Paige on her cell, quickly explaining, and later Paige told me about the conversation:

"What do you mean she didn't read the warning label?" she asked.

"I'll explain later. The bottom line is we need you home right now."

Paige sounded sheepish. "I'm kinda in the middle of saving Richard right now. I followed Phoebe's advice. I got his family here."

That surprised Piper: "I thought most of his relatives are dead."

Paige's voice smiled. "Oh, they are."

Piper couldn't believe it: "You're holding a magical intervention with ghosts?"

"What choice do I have?" Paige asked. "I decided it's all part of Richard's problem. He's got no family, no support group. That puts the burden on me to help him."

Piper sighed impatiently. "Okay, fine. Greg can wait. Again! Hey, as long as you got the ghosts, maybe you can get one to help us out when you're done."

"Help you do what?" Paige wanted to know.

But before Piper could answer, Richard walked in. "What's going on here?" and Paige told Piper, "I gotta go." and hung up.

Unable to get Paige to help, Piper was soon back in the attic, trying to write a spell, since I couldn't since I was now a genie rather than a witch. I supervised her work closely. "Ah, ah, ah, your wording isn't' quite right there. Jinny's an upper-level demon."

Piper glared. "Hey, I don't need a bossy genie on my back. I'm giving up a lot to be here. I'll write the vanquishing spell the way I want."

But I knew she wasn't doing it right. "But you should invoke the name of…"

Her glare grew angrier. "Do I need to call your Master Chris in here to order you to shut you?"

I stared at her in shock. "You wouldn't."

She gave me an "Oh, yeah?" look and warned, "Keep pushing."

Just then Paige orbed in, looking dreadfully unhappy.

Piper looked up, "Back so soon?"

She nodded. "The intervention was a train wreck. Richard wouldn't listen to anyone."

I went towards her to give her a hug. "I'm so sorry, Paige. Are you okay?"

She turned to see me and had to stifle a laugh.

That got me mad. "I'm trying to be sympathetic--and you're laughing?! I didn't ask to be a genie."

She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry; you're right. That was mean. I just needed a good laugh after what I went through."

I smiled. "I understand. Anything I can do to help?"

She nodded. "Yes--but don't you need to get back to Major Nelson?" and this time, Paige burst out laughing, and Piper, unable to control it, joined in, and I glared at both of them.

"What?" Piper asked, still chortling. "It was funny."

I stamped my foot in frustration. "That's it. I want out of this costume now! Finish the dmn spell already and let's summon Jinny."

Piper smiled. "Don't worry. I want this over as badly as you." She finished writing the spell and then asked Paige: "Did you score us a ghost?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Richard's dad. He's waiting in limbo for my call. And why do we need a ghost exactly?"

I wanted to know, too, so Piper explained. "Once we capture Jinny, he can possess her body and force her to wish Phoebe free."

Just then Leo and Chris walked in, arm-in-arm, chummy and laughing. Leo held up a box of crystals, while Chris trailed behind, holding my bottle.

"Here's the crystals you wanted." Leo told us.

Paige looked back and forth between the two guys. "I thought you were angry with Chris."

Leo laughed. "Nah, I had a change of heart. Decided to let bygones be bygones."

"Since when?" Piper demanded, looking at him suspiciously.

"Uh, guys," I interrupted. "I kinda need to tell you something."

Chris cut me off, glaring at me. "After we talk in the kitchen. Phoebe?"

"But--" I started, but he pointed towards the bottle and before I knew it, I was back in it.

"Wow, cool." cried Chris. "I'll be right back," he told the others. "Wanna have a little one-on-one with the help," and he must've walked away, carrying the bottle while inside I was stamping my foot and throwing a fit. THE HELP???!! OOOOO! That brat! Just wait until I was no longer a genie!

I could hear Piper ask, "What's he hiding now?"

Then I heard Leo laugh. "Chris is a helluva good guy, you know. You guys should really give him the benefit of the doubt once in a while."

Not too long afterwards I was out of the bottle, staring at my master, unable to believe what he was asking. "You wanna do what!?"

He smiled. "We got Leo in a good mood, and Mom's all sexed up for the fireman--it's the perfect time to give them the whammy!"

I shook my head firmly, still unable to believe that he could possibly talk about his parents, especially his mother whom I thought he loved and respected, that way. "I will not make Piper and Leo sleep together! We agreed to do things MY WAY here, mister!"

He smirked. "Nope, not mister. I'm Master."

I shook my head, scolding, "No, you listen to me--"

"I'm sorry, Phoebe," he interrupted, not sounding in the least bit contrite. "But I'm running out of time." He shrugged. "A guy's gotta survive." And before I could protest, he quickly said it: "I wish Piper and Leo would sleep together tonight."

I shook my head. "I will not--" but I could only watch helplessly as my palms pressed together, my head nodded, and my eyes blinked. Then…we heard a curious THUD! from the next room.

"What was that?" Chris asked and we both ran into the conservatory. There were Piper and Leo lying still on the ground!

I stared at Chris in horrified shock. "You made me kill them!"

He quickly knelt down and felt for pulses. "No, I didn't. They're sleeping."

I sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God…"

Suddenly it dawned on him. "You tricked me!"

I shook my head. "YOU made the wish for them to sleep together. I didn't know it was going to come out so literal."

Chris nudged his sleeping parents. "This is a mess. I've only got one more wish. I need to sort it out." He held up the bottle with, "If you don't mind --"

I shook my head. "I do mind! Jinny could arrive at any minute!"

But my master shook his young head. "I'll summon you when she does. I command you back into the bottle!"

I shook my fist at him. "You're gonna pay for…" But before I could finish, my eyes blurred and next thing I knew I was back in the bottle, and when I looked up, I couldn't see a darn thing--my master, the creep, had corked my bottle!