They orbed into the attic to see all three Charmed Ones. Piper looked at them, "Where the hell have you been?"
"Piper calm down." Leo said, trying to calm her.
"I will not. Leo, two of our children are missing as well as Little Phoebe. How can you stay so calm?" Piper asked, irritated with her pacifist of a husband.
"Chris took me to see the elders." Leo lied.
"What did they have to say?" Piper asked, eyes narrowed.
"Melinda was sent on a special assignment and P.J. was her ride and backup. The Fairy Queen and The King of the Leprechauns are having a land dispute. They sent the girls to try to keep both sides from fighting while they negotiated the terms of the deal they struck."
Chris was impressed by his father's ability to lie so smoothly to his mother.
"Then why hasn't Wyatt returned?" Piper continued skeptically.
"They told me that they contacted him, seeing as how in a few years he'll be king, and sent him to make sure the girls could handle it and to help with any riots." Leo explained calmly.
"Then why didn't they tell us, or Wyatt tell Chris?" Paige asked.
"They probably sent Wy straight there and being in the in-between dimensions he didn't get the chance to tell me." Chris said keeping his father's lie going.
"That would explain why scrying for them hasn't worked." Phoebe said.
"I can't believe the nerve of them to give our daughter an assignment like that without consulting us first."
"Piper, Melinda isn't a child anymore. She's 19, the elders can assign her things now without asking you first." Leo said.
Piper huffed, "I still don't like it."
"Look, go check on P3, then head back to Halliwells, I'll call you the minute we hear something." Leo said.
Piper didn't like it, but knew there wasn't much choice. "Fine, but you call me the moment you hear anything!"
They all left and Chris said, "That was great dad. I didn't think you had it in you."
"Well it won't last long if we can't figure out a way to contact them." Leo said.
"How? I mean neither of us can go there." Chris said upset that he couldn't go be by his brother's side to help.
"Not physically, but I'm hoping the bond you and your brother share is strong enough to reach across time and space." Leo explained.
"Do you really think so?" Chris asked hesitantly.
"I don't know, but we're going to find out, just not here: I don't want to risk your mother or one of your aunt's showing up unexpectedly and realizing we lied to them. Your mother would have a fit." Placing his hand on Chris' shoulder he said, "Let's go to my office at magic school."
X-x-x-x
Back in the Past
Leo ran down the stairs holding baby Wyatt close to him trying to avoid the attacking slime. Followed a little slower by Hippie Penny humming to herself. Just as they got to the door Leo reached for the handle only to have the slime cover the door and reach out. Leo barely avoided it's grasp as it reached for him. "We're trapped. It's got us surrounded."
"Really, look I'm sure if we just reason with it, everything will be fine." Penny said.
"I don't think it has a brain to think with. It's just a mindless thing all about power." Leo said, holding baby Wyatt closer.
"Don't be silly, I'm going to look for the source." Penny said, pleased with herself skipping out of the room.
"No, Penny, stay here!" Leo said, but just as she went through the kitchen door the slime covered it causing Leo to backup further into the dining room. Then as it suddenly started to get dark he turned around and saw the slime covering the window. Seeing that it was trying to trap him in the dining room, he managed to make it back to the living room.
Penny meanwhile was looking for the source of the slime, "Come now. I won't hurt you. I just want us to be friends. Let's talk." Hearing a noise by the basement she opened it and walked in. "There you are. Let's sing!" The slime reached out, grabbed her and pulled her into itself.
X-x-x-x
Wyatt, Chris and Melinda orbed to the basement. With the creature so large and the basement dark. They didn't see Hippie Penny who had tried to 'reason' with the thing only to be caught and the thing was currently trying to devour her.
"Okay, Mel, do you still have the spell?" Wyatt asked.
"Right here." Melinda said, holding up the paper.
"Ready Chris?" Wyatt asked.
"As ready as I can be. Let's hope it works this time." Chris said, eyes never leaving the blob.
" Drawing on the Power of Three Destroy this evil Entity." With that there was a flash of light and the creature was destroyed.
"I can't believe it. It really worked, Wyatt!" Chris said excitedly. He couldn't believe it.
"I told you to call me, Wy. You've done it." Wyatt grouched. He had hoped that working together would help with his and Chris' relationship, but he couldn't help but feel like one step forward just led to two steps back.
"Now is not the time for this, Wy." Mel said with an eye roll before turning to look at Chris, "See I really am your little sister."
"Annoying little sister is more like it." Wyatt mumbled.
Melinda glared at him, "Let's get back to Ladybug before mom and the others return."
"We can't forget to return the Power of Three. And Melinda, keep P.J. away from Phoebe before she figures out who she is." Chris said.
"How come you don't call her Ladybug? And don't call me Melinda." Melinda said, starting to understand Wyatt's opinion on the nickname. She knows that this is a different Chris, but it was still unnerving for him to be so different to her.
"Long story, not the time and place for." Chris sighed.
"He's right, maybe we can get together at P3 and talk." Wyatt happily offered, grabbing his siblings and orbing out.