The Neighbors

Chris felt her tense. Vida had never liked orbing which was weird considering he was her best friend. As soon as they reformed he put her on the ground gently, holding her stable as she regained her bearing.

"You suck," she mutters while putting her head down so that she didn't puke.

"Suck it up, buttercup," he said and she snorted before looking up at him. "Better?" She just nods in response. "Good, cause we've got company."

She spins around, as a flame appears surrounding her hands. She glances at him and he sees a bit of coldness return to her eyes. It causes him to shiver. Back in his time Violence had been second nature to him. Even after first arriving those instincts had been extremely active.

Slowly he'd weaned himself off of the violence and danger but it had been hard. In some ways he knew his friend was right, he had been softened by the past. He prayed it was only a matter of time before she was softened too.

"What do we have here?" the demon asked, his voice low and menacing.

"Shouldn't you and your charge be above ground, Whitelighter," Another demon asked as he strode towards them.

"I'm warning you," Laveda said. "Leave and you may survive. If you don't, you will die."

"Oh, looks like we have a live one here, boys," one of the demon says cockily.

"Should we have some fun with the woman before we kill her?" a third demon asks as he steps towards them, licking his lips. Vida doesn't respond in any way but he finds himself tensing up, fearing for his friend.

"Definitely," the first says as he moves towards them.

Vida speaks out, cockily. "You couldn't handle me. But if you want to try, come and get me."

The two move in sync. She throws fire at one of the demons. It hits him but doesn't completely destroy him. This happens while he waves his hands at the same demon. The combined efforts of their attacks cause him to explode.

Then he throws lightning at another demon.

"Chris, hit the ground," she yells and then he notices water appearing on the ground at their feet. He notices it circles them and knows she is doing it. He nods then strikes the lightning at the ground. Water, as we all know, is a conductor of electricity which amplifies his powers, vanquishing all of the demons at once.

Once they disappear he stops the charge and the water evaporates.

"Are you okay?" she asks and he turns to look at her confused. Then his hand reaches up and touches his nose. When he pulls it away he finds it has begun to bleed.

"Just used a little too much magic in such a short time. My body is no longer use to it," he tells her. She nods, understanding.

"You shouldn't have let your magic get so flabby," she states and he laughs.

"First you say I've gone soft, now you say I've gone flabby. What's next, saying I've gone weak," he asks sarcastically and she shakes her head.

"You and weak don't belong in the same sentence because you are anything but," she says. "Now, are we here to gawk or are we here to hunt?"

He rolls his eyes but eventually heads down the nearest tunnel. They skulk along. He goes invisible, about to hunt for another demon.

--

Leo sits in the meeting with the other elders. He senses the same great magic that they are all sensing. It seems to come from everywhere yet nowhere. It's more powerful than Wyatt, almost completely matured.

It didn't make a lick of sense. No living being that he could think of had that much power. Let alone two particular people as they sensed. Not just one powerful person had this magic but two.

Maybe, just maybe the prophesized seventh daughter in the Clay Line would but that would only be after years of training, being all grown up. A witch from the Halliwell line might, might, be able to have that much power. The only other option would be a member of the Marks family line but even they were nothing when compared to the powers of the Clay and Halliwell blood lines.

He couldn't see where these two powerful beacons in the magical community were emanating from.

"Are you sure we cannot find them?" Sandra asked.

"No, I have tried, many times. Whoever it is, they are blocked to us," Domain, an elder on the council, states frustrated.

--

Piper paces, worried about her son. He'd disappeared with the Clay girl and they had no idea where they disappeared to. They mentioned hunting but that could mean against anything in any part of the world whether above the surface or in the Underworld.

She was beginning to wonder if her son was trying to give her gray hairs young. If so then he was well on his way to succeeding.

"Damn it Chris," she yelled frustrated as she pivoted in her place and sat down on the nearest living room chair. "I'm pregnant, I shouldn't be stressing." This she muttered to herself, remembering the complications she'd had while pregnant with Wyatt.

After taking a calming breath she went to the kitchen, needing to cook off some stress. That is interrupted by a knock at the front door.

"Yeah," Piper says answering it only to see red headed Gina Clay standing in the door, her stomach not yet showing she is pregnant. Standing beside her is seventeen-year-old Kacey Clay, the oldest of the Clay Children. She is red headed like her mother but she has bright blue eyes – the same blue eyes all of the children have. There mom's dark brown eyes are lost somewhere in the family gene pool.

"Bad time?" Gina asks and Piper shakes her head.

"No, just kid problems," Piper tells her and Gina nods.

"Don't we all have them? I hope you don't mind but Kacey has a project due next Friday and hasn't been able to get any done with the kids distracting her," Gina begins but Piper opens the door a bit more so they can come in.

"I don't mind, if you stay long enough you may get to see Laveda if she and Chris ever get back," Piper tells Kacey.

"Laveda?" Kacey asks obviously confused.

"Laveda Clay, your unborn sister. She's here from the future and she's out hunting Demons with Chris who knows where," Piper states and Kacey quirks an eyebrow while Gina just gets angry.

"Why didn't she come to visit me? I am, after all, her mother," Gina states and Piper smiles.

"Actually, she was unconscious for most of the time she's been back," Piper states.

"Will you call me when she gets back?" Gina asks and Piper nods. With that Gina thanks her then leaves. Kacey and Piper stand in the door way.

"I was about to bake something, would you like some?" Piper asks and the young woman nods. The two then head to the kitchen.

--

Laveda looked at Chris as he blew up a demon. In that moment he looked so much like his mother she couldn't help the smile that slid onto her face. It felt good. She pulled Chris down as the two final demons threw fireballs at each other. The fireballs hit the demons across from them vanquishing them.

"Number twenty-two and twenty-three," she states standing up and he laughs.

"Has it only been twenty-three?" he asked and she nods while rolling her eyes. "I thought we'd vanquished more than that."

"Nope, remember, that coven back there… thirteen demons ran away scared," she states bluntly.

"Damn, I forgot how good this feels," he mutters.

"And you said I swear a lot," she states cheekily and he tosses a bit of dust at her telekinetically.

"Damn has never been a serious word, especially in the Halliwell manor," He states and she chuckles.

"Don't let Piper hear you say it or you'll get your mouth washed out," she states as another collective of demons shimmers in. "Chris, heads up, demons."

He smiled as she moves to stand next to him. Laveda missed the worried look Chris shot her direction. She only saw his confidence and smiled. This was what she'd always missed in the future, the team work, the friendship.

"Chris, what are you thinking; Water Under The Bridge, Flood The Gate, Catch and Release, What?" she asks, naming off a few of his favorites.

"Actually, I'm thinking Blow the Top," he states and she glances at him surprised.

"You sure you've got enough energy to do that with me in the room. You'd have to shield me while doing that one," she reminds him and he smirks at her.

"Do you doubt me dear friend?" he asks and she shakes her head at him. The demons fully materialize as she steps next to him. She is surprised when he wraps his arms around her shoulders and places his chin on the top of her head as she bends it downwards. "Close your eyes," he whispers and she begins to.

Not before she sees his body begin to glow with pure white light. As she closes it she feels his energy pulsing around her, through her. Then she feels it burst in every direction.

It doesn't hit her but passes through her, gaining strength as it moves. The energy dissipates and she feels his arms don't move from holding her. Slowly she opens her eyes to see a dozen piles of ash on the floor around her. She looks up to see Chris looking down concerned.

"You okay? I tried to manipulate it so it traveled through you without hurting you but I'm not sure. Please tell me I didn't accidently hurt you?" he asks worried and she smirks.

"I'm fine," she states before looking at his arms. "You can let go now."

"Oh, right," he stammers before releasing his grip on her and taking a step back. She feels his body heat slip away and she shivers in the cold cavern though she hides it well. "Sorry."

"No prob, Chris," she states before glancing at his watch which reads Nine fifteen. "We should get back to the manor, If I remember Piper correctly she'll be going crazy."

He nods before wrapping his arm in hers before orbing. She feels herself get light, liquid like. Then they reform and her body shakes, her stomach full of an extremely queasy sensation.

Once they form he holds her arm as she sways slightly but once she's stable he immediately releases her. The girl who always had a crush on the neighbor boy, that suppressed girl, wishes he'd hold on just a bit longer. The logical side knows he has to release her, to step away.

"Nausea gone?" he asks and she nods.

"Yep, I really do hate orbing," she tells him and he chuckles. Just then Phoebe walks in dressed in a pair of pink flannel pajamas. "Stylin' Phoebe, really stylish," she tells Phoebe with a laugh.

"What, I'm comfortable. You two had better run, Piper's on a rant and Gina Clay's no better – hearing her daughter from the future is here and hasn't come to visit yet," Phoebe states as she sticks a cookie in her mouth. "By the way… Kacey's in the kitchen."

"Kacey, as in my sister Kacey?" Laveda asks fear suddenly flooding her. Dread follows it.

"Yeah," Phoebe says.

--

Chris feels Laveda tense up and his empathy picks up her terror.

"I can't face her," Vida states before turning to go upstairs. He grabs her and spins her so she is forced to look at him.

"Vida," he states before putting her face in his hands and forcing her to face him. "Laveda, look at me. Everything will be fine. You can handle this."

"No, I can't," she states and he sees she wants to. She wants to see her sister again, wants to see her alive and walking around. Still, that fear remains, that reminder that she isn't alive in the future.

When they go back she might be going back to a future she will not exist in.

"Yes you can," he assures her.

"No, Chris, I can't. I can't look at her knowing I couldn't protect our family. She's dead, they are all dead and I can't face them," she whispers and he pulls her close.

"I know its hard to face those who are dead in the future," he states hugging her. Phoebe looks at them. At that moment he thinks Consequences be damned. He tells her the truth. "I remember it every time I look at both of my aunts, Piper, hell, even when I look at Leo. You face it, you remember you have time now to make things right, make sure they know you love them."

"When did you get so wise," she quips playfully though obviously still terrified.

"That just comes with time, Kid," he states as they head towards the kitchen.

"Kid?" she asks as they enter. "I'll have you know I am two and a half months older than you, kid."

He laughs and she follows suit. She tenses again when she sees her older sister sitting at the table.

"Hi," Kacey says standing up. The same blue eyes Laveda has stare at them. "You must be my sister from the future." With that she holds her hand out. Laveda doesn't move so he nudges her 'gently'.

"Ouch," she grunts before stepping forward and shooting him a glare over her shoulder. "Yeah, I am. Laveda Jane Clay." With that they shake hands.

"Laveda… Latin name meaning Innocent One if I remember correctly," Kacey states and he sees Vida smile a small shy smile.

"Yeah. Kacey, Irish meaning Brave," Vida states and Kacey nods back.

"How do you know that – none of the other siblings do?" Kacey asks and he chuckles.

"I went through a phase where I looked through mom's belongings and found her name sources. They always stuck," Vida states though she blushes slightly. Then she looks at her sister and shakes her head. "This is so weird, I'm older than my big sister. So not right."

"At least you and Kacey are close in age now, I'm twenty-two and Wyatt is one – that's a bigger age gap than seventeen and twenty-two," Chris finds himself saying and everyone, including Vida and Kacey, laugh at this sad truth.

After a minute everything settles down. Kacey goes back to work on her homework while Piper bakes, Phoebe works on her article, Paige bounces around listening to music, and Laveda smiles at him while she offers to help Piper. He leans in the doorway. When Wyatt begins to fuss Chris goes to fetch him before he disrupts the peaceful moment.

--

Phoebe looks around feeling content. It surges through the room, through every occupant. Uncertain of where its coming from she finds herself looking at every face. Chris walks in carrying Wyatt who was fussing. The fussing instantly died down and Wyatt began speaking incoherently.

"Laveda, if you are going to be using reverse empathy then use it on Wyatt and keep him content why don't you," Chris states while handing his brother to the young woman.

The young woman holds a baby like she's been doing it her whole life. She's confident in her hold of him.

"Reverse Empathy?" Phoebe finds herself asking and they all look at Chris. It's not Chris who explains though.

"It's like Empathy except instead of being a receiver – like you Phoebe, I'm a transmitter. I sometimes, accidentally, let my emotions influence other people around me. I'm content so you guys are feeling it," Laveda says while bouncing Wyatt on her hip.

"So, are you really all powerful like everyone says," Kacey asks and the sisters look at her confused. Nobody has any idea of what she's talking about.

"Yeah, the seventh daughter of the seventh daughter. I'm the strongest witch in existence. Well, female witch anyways… Wyatt's stronger than I am and Chris is just as powerful as I am," Laveda chuckles.

"Seventh daughter?" Piper asks and Phoebe has to agree with the question – not recognizing what they are talking about.

"Our families version of The Charmed Ones Prophesy. Our ancestor, Marian Easty, was hung during the Salem Witch Trials. The last thing she did was leave a prophesy for future generations," Laveda started.

Kacey cut in. "Of my daughters born a seventh daughter and from that seventh daughter a seventh daughter shall come forth. She will be the most powerful of all the witches on earth – a coming together of all the magic of this line gathered in one form. She will be the greatest force of good this world shall ever see."

"The final part of the prophesy nobody understands but it talks about me and my chosen mate making the world into a better world… whatever that means," Laveda stated and Phoebe pinched her lips while glancing between Chris and Laveda.

Making the future a better place, best friends, destiny bringing them together before birth, it couldn't be… could it? Phoebe's mind was off, thinking about the possibility.

--

Kacey watched her sister even though she was suppose to be doing her homework. It was mostly finished anyways. She watched the way her sister moved comfortably through that kitchen as if she'd always done that.

Earlier, right after Laveda got back, about thirteen or so demons had shimmered into the manor. Without thinking her sister and Chris vanquished them easily. It had been eerie but it told her more about her sister than anything she said or did.

Her sister was a warrior. She was a fighter and she didn't rely on anyone really – except maybe Chris. Her sister also became colder in that moment and had shown a darker side than what she normally did.

"How's your homework coming," Piper asked distracting Kacey. She turned back to her homework.

"Fine," she responded.

--

Wyatt looked at his friend who had been thrown in the dungeon. The man was lying on the floor, bleeding – his body broken.

"Why did you betray me? Why did you help her?" Wyatt demanded angrily. Robert looked up and there was something in his eyes that had been missing for a while. It was only now that Wyatt noticed. It was a spark of life, a light.

"You were killing her. In a day, if she survived, you would have destroyed what was left of Laveda. I couldn't watch one of my friends destroy another," Robbie stated. "She was once our best friend. You were the bronze, Chris was the Brains, I was the mouth, and she was the life and heart of our friendship. She was dying and sentimentality got to me. Impetuously I released her sending her to the one person I knew could bring her back to life – physically, mentally, and emotionally."

It took Wyatt a few moments to process this new information before he spoke again. "Fine, but you do anything like that again and I will kill you," Wyatt said. "So, how are we going to go fetch those two?"

--

[Well, sorry about the delay and I am aware of the fact I am evil… Cliff hangers – writers love them but readers hate them. So, what do you think? Good, bad, neutral… well, thanks for reading and thanks for anyone who has reviewed up until this point. I will be bringing in more of Laveda's relatives in upcoming chapters. If seeing absentee Kacey brought up issues imagine what seeing some of the sisters she is closer too is going to do to Laveda… Obsessed]