The Neighbors
"Yes, but what do you feel for my son?" Piper asked again and Laveda looked down. What did she tell her?
"Just friends. Nothing more," she said. "I love him as a friend, that's it." Laveda looked at Piper who obviously didn't believe her.
An uncomfortable silence hovered over them. Wyatt's cries broke the silence and Piper went to tend to him. Laveda released a breath and looked around.
She felt somewhat lighter. Some of her grief was gone though the guilt remained. That would most likely never leave her. She'd always have the guilt, her sister's blood on her hands. Telling Chris wouldn't do anything but drive a wedge between the two friends.
"Are you feeling better?" she heard a voice ask and she turned to see Chris standing in the door. He was leaning against the frame, something he'd always done.
"Yeah, I really am," Laveda admitted, surprised. She hadn't felt, anything, since her sister and niece died. "Thanks for that."
He cocked his head to the side, confused.
"I didn't do anything," he states and she smiles.
"You were there, you listened, you were you," she tells him and he smiles at her. She sees a light in his eyes she hadn't seen in a while, since right after the war began. She knows its because he has his mom again. Piper might be younger, more self-centered and less neurotic, a lot less optimistic, but she is still his mom.
She wears her hair the same. She talks the same. She sounds the same and moves the same. The big things are there, the little ones you can do without. She knows his mom's death hit him hard. He's avoiding her but she's not about to let him ruin this chance she'd give anything to have.
"I'm your friend," he says as he move towards her. "More than that, you've fought at my side this whole time. I'd give anything to help you like you've helped me many times."
Vida smiled as he sat next to her on the mattress, crossing his legs. His shoulder rubbed hers and she smiled. They were comfortable.
A thought crossed her mind and she tossed it at him, praying he was still open to receiving telepathic messages. She tossed her thoughts out to him. He quirked his brows at her before laughing. Then he nudged his head to the side as he stood up. Then he held out his hand to her.
The moment they touched a bit of static electricity zapped them both they really didn't notice. He led her to the window of Wyatt's nursery which looked across the street.
Piper walked in and quirked an eyebrow while holding little Wyatt in his arms.
"How many hours do you think you sat here writing notes back and forth?" Laveda asked as they sat below the window on the floor.
"Half of our youth was here at this window. I had better writing than anyone in our grade because of writing to you," he said with a laugh. "Do you think your parents ever realized you were writing to me on that white board I bought you?"
"They didn't even know about it so I doubt it," Laveda laughed while looking at him. "If I was over there and you were to write something to me what would you write?" Laveda smiled widely.
"I'd be asking you to sneak out and come over here so we could talk. Once you got to the back wall with the hall window I'd telekinetically lift you in while you pretended to climb the drain pipe, like always," he laughs and she laughs while looking down.
"You know, I'm surprised you never snuck any of your numerous girlfriends in the manor that way," she states before looking up when she hears a little giggle. They both turn to see Piper stand there with a smile on her face.
"Numerous girlfriends?" Piper asks and Chris looks down with a blush which causes Laveda to laugh slightly.
"Lets just say Chris was mister smooth in school. Starting at age ten he had girls lining up for him. He didn't have to do anything but look their way for them to fall helplessly and madly in love," Laveda tells his mom and he coughs while glaring at her as best he can through that blush. "I know Chris, Future Consequences." Her voice is sarcastic but sweet and it causes Piper to laugh.
"I like your friend," Piper states. "Keep telling me these tidbits about Chris and this could be a beautiful relationship."
Laveda covers her mouth while laughing. "Now I know where Chris got his sarcasm," Laveda chuckles and Piper glares at her. She raises her hands in mock surrender which causes Chris to laugh and Piper to shake her head.
"Let's get you out of here before these two adult wannabes corrupt you," Piper says though she's laughing as she says it so they know she's joking.
The duo laughs as Piper leaves. After nearly ten minutes they stop laughing, finally. They look at each other smiling.
"That's the most I've laughed since I left the future, how sad is that," he states. "In a hell future I had more fun than here, in a good world."
"Yeah, well you always were a little fucked up," she states and he covers her mouth. She looks at him confused.
"Swearing now isn't as appropriate as it is in our time," he tells her. "You start swearing like that and you might as well have them kick you out now."
She nods, understanding. He lets her go and she shakes her head.
"They've tamed you Chris. You use to be, lets go hunting every night and keep your resistance up," she states. "Now you seem to be softer, hunting less and worrying about opinions of you."
"Tame?" he asks, arching a brow at her. She nods. He gets a mischievous glint in his eye. She knows what is about to happen. Because of that she stands up and runs down the hall.
He's hot on her tail. She runs down the stairs to the landing, jumping the last stairs to the ground floor. He grabs her as she prepares to enter the dining room. They are like a couple of kids and it feels good.
Chris tosses her over his shoulder into a fireman carry.
"Hey," she squeals as she hears familiar laughing. She sees his aunts on the couch.
"What did she do to deserve being carried around Fireman style?" Phoebe asks though you could hear what she's insinuating in her voice. Chris, obliviously misses it, like always. He was always too naïve when it came to such things considering he'd been engaged.
"She told me you guys had made me soft," Chris said. "So, I'm going to take her hunting."
"Chris, put me down, I'm not dressed appropriately for hunting," she states.
"Yes you are," he states. "You went hunting in a dress at your sister's wedding if I recall. This is a lot more appropriate than a long ball gown style dress."
She shrugs knowing it's true. "Fine," she states. Before she knows what's happening he orbs.
