Chapter Two:
"Beep, Beep, Beep," went my alarm clock, as I rolled over to glance at the time. 7:15 a.m. I smack the off button and slowly roll out of bed. I then make my way towards the hall bathroom where Wyatt was just leaving.
"Allo Pace mom said brush your teeth then join all of the happy family down stairs for breakfast on this bright and early morning," Wyatt said sarcastically as he passed by in his grey University of San Francisco t-shirt, and navy flannel pajama bottoms, and his hair in a tattered mess.
I quickly used the restroom, brush my teeth, and headed downstairs towards the kitchen table where Leo, Wyatt, Chris were seated at the table, and my aunt was over by the stove cooking.
Chris greeted me first, "Gosh cousin if you are going to fit in here you must learn not to sleep in so late." He says winking at me. Chris at least was already dressed for school wearing a tattered rock band t-shirt, old jeans, and his black converse shoes.
Wyatt merely smacked Chris on the back of the head, and offered me the seat next to him directly across of Leo. "I am glad to see someone here besides me that hates getting up early as much as I do. Sometimes I think what the world would have been like if I hadn't stayed in town to go to college." He says smiling and shaking his head.
I took the seat next to him and said, "Aw come on wouldn't you miss having an annoying little brother constantly nagging you all the time?"
Wyatt laugh as Chris snorted, "I am not little or annoying! I am three years older than you ms. Prissy. Besides once I graduate this year I am going out of state for college and then we will see who is going to be the annoying one in the family."
Uncle Leo who was hiding behind a newspaper finally folded it and set it on the table in front of him. "Chris we have had this discussion before with my sucky pay and your moms pay you will be lucky not to be going to school under a bridge. Besides I kind of like having an annoying son around."
Chris merely set back in his chair and pouted. Piper finally started putting scrambled eggs on the empty plates in front of us, followed by toast, cinnamon rolls, and hash browns. After serving us all she took a seat in the seat next to me, and began to nibble at her food on her plate.
About ten minutes into the meal Chris went to reach for the salt in the center of the table and almost knocked over Wyatt's orange juice, but I flinced an actually froze the drink spilling in mid air."
Wyatt quickly grabbed the glass and set it under the remainder of the spillage in order to catch it. "Mom! Pacyee is right there!"
Piper glanced up, "I didn't freeze it! Paycee must have?"
All four pairs of eyes focused directly on me.
Wyatt finally said something, "Did you freeze it?"
I kind of just chewed my lip for a second until I answered, " It was an accident, I swear! I cant control it!"
Leo and Piper laughed, Wyatt smiled, and Chris just returned to his pouting.
"That's awesome Pace I didn't know you had powers? When did this happen?"
Leo finally spoke, "Last night actually, a demon attacked and activated her powers some how."
Wyatt's faced stiffened, "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Wyatt is like my awesome overly protective brother I never had as oppose to just a cousin.
"Just my head, but your dad fixed it." Chris finally looked up, "Demon? What Demon? Why were they after Paycee?"
Piper finally set her fork down to address this situation, "Okay kids the time is now 7:45 and ya'll have to be at school in an hour so please finish your food, and get dressed. Okay?"
Wyatt went to object, but was quickly adverted when my Aunt held up a finger to shoosh him. In a firm tone she said, "Do I make myself clear Wyatt Matthew Halliwell?"
I have never heard anyone get the best of Wyatt, but when my aunt sets her foot down she can be pretty scary. Chris and Leo let out a small chuckle, but with a quick dirty look from both Piper and Wyatt they quickly stopped and returned to eating their meal.
After the last bite of eggs I set my dish in the sink, and began to make my way upstairs, but as I made it halfway up I could hear my aunt's voice from behind me. "Paycee your father will be here any minute to pick you up, so instead of getting ready for school go back your clothes alright?"
I turned to face her, "What? I thought the whole reason for me staying with you guys was so I didn't miss school? I actually want to go to school at least there I know things will be some what normal, plus I want to see Ben and my friends."
My aunt sighed. "Pace this isn't about socializing this is about keeping you safe and until we know who is after you we want to protect you by keeping you somewhere safe."
I frown, "By taking me to my defenseless father? No! I don't want to be the responsible for my father getting killed by whatever that thing that almost killed me was. I wish mom was here at least she would listen to me."
Piper looked at me as if I had just punched her in the face, "Well I am sorry you will just have to make due till your perfect little mother comes back. But, for your information your father is more than capable of taking of himself and his little secrets so I will let you deal with that when he gets here. Now go pack since you are just so unhappy here."
My aunt simply just turned and headed back towards the kitchen. Something inside of me actually made me feel guilty about what I said to her. I just stood there for a moment until I finally manage to get the courage to head back to my room. I had managed to completely pack everything when I heard a familiar and comforting voice from the doorway.
"Hello Ace how's it a coming?" I turned my head and notice my dad's warm and comforting smile facing me.
I jumped up from my squat and made my way over to a great big bear hug with my dad. "DAD!! OMG I HAVE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!!"
My dad held me in a hug for more than a minute until he finally released me, and fiddled with a strand of my curly hair. "I have missed you like crazy…. What has it been like nearly three months since I have seen you? Boy your hair has gotten so curly, and it is nearly twice as long as the last time I saw you. Your hair kind of reminds me of your mothers hair when we got married, it looks exactly like it. I am sorry about being away so long work can be very demanding. But, I've got lots of gifts from my two month stay in Paris to indulge you with!"
I was smiling so much that I could feel my jaw starting to hurt. "Well we better get crackin if I am going to open all of these gifts. Besides I am just glad to spending some time with you!"
My dad just nodded and glanced towards the door where my aunt was leaning against the doorway.
"Yeah you two better get going before traffic picks up. I hope you have a good time in Sacramento with your father. Be safe and make good choices okay kiddo?"
I smiled and walked
over and gave my aunt a hug. "I am sorry about what
I said
earlier Auntie I was just being cranky. I will be back in no time for
a visit."
My aunt eyeballed my dad for a minute before finally just nodded. "I am sure you will, now get going you two."
My dad and I are now cruising down I-80 in his new black convertible Porsche with the top down. My dad had just surprised me with an early souvenir, new Gucci sunglasses. As we continued on, we just continued to just talk and have a good time until we made our way back towards my dad's house. After nearly and hour and fifteen minutes I had finally manage to work up the courage to confront dad about this Charmed One thing.
"Dad do you mind if I ask you a question?"
My dad glanced over and smiled, "Of course what's on you mind Ace?"
I kind of shift in my seat a bit, " How much do you really know about mom, aunt piper, and the rest of the family?"
My dad grinned, "Well I know your mom likes the finer things in life, she is a hopelesse romantic, and some what a good person when she isn't being a pain in the butt. As for your Aunt Piper I just think she is one big pain in the ass all the time. As for the rest of the family they are just ex in-laws for me." He directed his attention back out to traffic, and then back to me again.
"That's not what I mean dad, I mean did you know mom was a witch?"
My dad's mouth hit the floor, and he finally removed the sunglasses he was wearing to look at me. "Who told you that fable? There is no such thing as witches. Did you aunt piper tell you this? You really should be careful about spending time with her, she is some what manipulative."
I shook my head, "No, a thing attacked me yesterday as I was going downstairs. I believe the term demon is what uncle Leo referred to it as."
My dad flipped on his blinker and zoomed across three lanes cutting of two or more cars. I heard several honks, until finally dad had managed to pull to side of the highway and put the car in to park.
He turned in his seat and glared at me, "A demon attacked you? What demon attacked you? Are you okay did he hurt you? If he laid a hand on you I track that son of a…"
I cut him off in mid sentence, "I am fine dad my head bled a little bit Uncle Leo fixed it some how. Aunt Piper doesn't know who tried to attack me. Didn't she tell you about this? I thought this was the whole reason I came out her two days early?"
Dad rubbed his temple, "No your Aunt didn't tell me a demon attacked you she just said a demon attacked, and she wanted to make sure you were safe. This is just like her, I swear you think she would tell me that some demon tried to kill my little girl, but no…"
My dad reached down to the ash tray and grabbed his cell phone, and flipped it open. I noticed him dial a few numbers on the phone, and I quickly grabbed the phone out of his hand.
He looked at me as I said, "Dad that's not the point, you didn't answer my question what do you know about the family secret?"
He sighed and hesitated for a moment, "Yes I knew that your mother was a witch when I started dating her. Long story short your aunts and mom are good people and they do great things for other people with their gifts."
"Dad I know why they didn't say anything, but how could you keep that a secret? Wait, you knew what mom was? Did you not freak when you found out what she was I mean a human dating a witch?"
My dad shifted nervously in his seat again, "Well I am sure I would have if I were a human." He offered a weak smile.
Now it was my turn for my mouth to hit the floorboard. "What do you mean not human? Oh my god your not a witch thing too are you? I swear I am going to end up in a looney bin by the time this over with."
He sat there for a moment and glanced towards the highway full of traffic. After a minute or two he finally look backed at me, but his face wasn't in his usual happy smirk it was in a frown. "Before I met your mother I was a completely different person, and thanks to your mom she turned my life around and made me who I am today. I actually was a demon when I met your mother."
I must have looked like a doll getting the crap squeezed out of it because I am pretty sure my eyes were the size of walnuts after hearing that. I didn't know how to react to this piece of news, so I just simply turned my head stared out the side of the car.
"Pace? Pace? Are you okay?" I could hear my dad asking me as if he was begging as well.
"Lets just get to your house ok, I am fine." I continued to stare out the side of the car until we manage to pull up in my dad's driveway.
