Post by StoryGirl83 on Aug 27, 2008 15:28:06 GMT -5
Chapter Three - Mom's Hugs and Frisbees
and Dam, the darklighter
About fifteen minutes later Wyatt and Chris walked through the doors of a crowded restaurant. It was well lit and the noise of people talking could be heard of the sound of the music playing over the speakers.
As they walked farther into the room they were stopped by the maître d', Drinka Deguilio. She was about average height with dark, brown hair, brown eyes, and wore large dangling earrings. There were bangles on her right wrist.
“How many?” she asked in a cheerful voice.
As Chris looked around the room with a bit of awe, Wyatt shook his head. “We’re here to see Piper Halliwell.”
Leaning close to his brother Chris whispered, “I think I remember this place.”
“Mrs. Halliwell is busy right now,” Drinka told them in a polite, but firm voice.
“Tell her that her sons are here,” Wyatt responded in the same tone.
Drinka looked at them. Her eyes widened as she realized who they were. “Oh. Mr. Wyatt. Mr. Chris. I will see if Mrs. Halliwell can spare a few minutes.”
Wyatt grinned at Chris and looked at Drinka as she walked off. When she was out of earshot he turned back to his brother. “So you remember something, huh?”
Chris nodded and then smiled. “I remember playing in here after hours while Mom cleaned up and Dad helped her. Then we drove home as a family.” In a low voice he added. “No orbing aloud.”
Wyatt grinned as he too remembered such occurrences. “Yeah, Mom and her obsession with being normal.”
Chris started to say something, but then he saw Drinka coming back followed by his mom, Piper Halliwell. He stared at her as if she was an apparition.
She was wiping her hands off on her apron that is covered with flour and sauces, and had not seen the brothers yet. She reached them and Chris met her arms open wide, pulling her into a crushing hug.
“Mom!” he exclaimed in whispered awe.
Piper hugged her son and looked over his shoulder at Wyatt, her eyes filled with questions. Chris continued to squeeze her tight until Wyatt put a hand on his shoulder.
“Chris, go easy on her.”
Chris let go of Piper. He looked at her for a moment before going to his brother’s side. Then, so that only his brother could hear, he explained. “One of the memories that is jumbled up in my head, of what I lived through the first time, is of Mom dying. She died, Wy. She died. I was only fourteen and seeing her now, alive when I’m almost a decade older, it makes me happy. The funny thing is, I have memories of her when I was older than fourteen, but the memory of her dying is so strong.”
Wyatt was quiet for a minute and the he turned to Piper and gave her a hug. He pulled away and grinned at her. “Think we can come over for dinner tonight, Mom.”
“Of course,” Piper said automatically. “You are always welcome.”
Wyatt pulled completely out of Piper’s arms and looked back at Chris. “Think you can wait until then to talk?”
As Chris nodded, Piper looked between her sons. “Is something wrong?”
Wyatt shrugged and looked at Chris before looking back at Piper. “We’re fine. Don’t worry. We just want to talk.”
Chris laughed as he watched the worried expression on Piper’s face. When he stopped laughing her grinned at Wyatt. “Telling P . . . Mom not to worry is like telling a feather pillow not to loose its feathers. It doesn’t listen and neither does Mom.”
Wyatt sighed and nodded. “I guess that’s true, though I would have come up with a better analogy.”
“I was just thinking about earlier.”
Wyatt laughed and turned to Piper. “We won’t keep you any longer. Do you want us to come early and help with dinner?”
Piper shook her head. “No, you’re fine for today. I’ll see you later.”
Wyatt and Chris both nodded. Wyatt headed out the door. Chris gave his mother another big hug before he, too, headed out the door.
Chris caught up to Wyatt in a few steps. As they walked into the parking lot toward the van, Wyatt spoke. “I noticed that you started to call Mom, Piper in there. What’s with that?”
Chris debated whether to tell Wyatt anything or not. After a minute’s hesitation he looked at his brother. “I told you I went to the past. Something I didn’t tell you is that I didn’t tell them who I was. They knew I was from the future, but other than that they only knew I was a whitelighter. They didn’t even know I was a witch for months. As a result I called Mom, Piper. I called Dad, Leo, and I called Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige, simply Phoebe and Paige.”
Wyatt chuckled as they reached the van. “I bet Mom was mad when she found out.” Wyatt unlocked the door and climbed into the van. He unlocked the door on the other side allowing Chris to open hid door and climb in a well.
“More like shocked.”
Wyatt turned on the van and put it into gear. He backed out of the parking space and then drove toward the parking lot exit. “Anywhere else you want to go. We have time before dinner. Plenty of time since Mom hasn’t even left the restaurant.”
“How are you with a Frisbee?”
Wyatt laughed. “We don’t own a Frisbee. What’s with you and playing today? This isn’t like you.”
Chris shrugged. “After the year I’ve had, I want to relax for just a little bit. So do you have any money on you? I’ll pay you back when I figure out when and where my money supply is.”
Wyatt shook his head and smiled. “I think I can cover the cost of a Frisbee.”
“In that case, let’s go get one and head to the park.”
While Wyatt and Chris were preparing to enjoy their day, not everyone was as laid back as they were. Wyatt and Chris weren’t the only ones to notice that magic was back. In the underground a warlock dressed in a black leather jacket, with a white shirt and blue jeans was arguing with a darklighter dressed almost completely in black. The area was lit by torches, but otherwise was dark.
“Going against the Charmed Ones is suicide,” the Warlock told his friend.
The Darklighter shrugged it off. “I’m not going against the Charmed Ones. I’m going to attack the sons of a Charmed One. With them gone, their power will be considerably decreased.”
The Warlock started pacing, shaking his head as he went. “It’s still suicide.”
“Listen, we don’t know if they know that magic is back. This may be our only chance. If we get to them before they realize that magic is available, we might win.”
The Warlock stopped pacing and looked at the Darklighter. “You want to go against the twice blessed son of a Charmed One and his brother. Magic or not, you won’t win.”
“The won’t see me as a threat,” the Darklighter reminded him as he pulled out an athemé and ran his finger along it. “They don’t know about the powers I’ve stolen with this.”
The Darklighter threw a fireball at the wall. When it hit the wall it left behind a scorch mark. “I must act now before they have a chance to realize their magic works.”
“And when you fail?”
“I won’t fail.” The Darklighter stopped and considered this. “But if I do, you’ll have to find a way to successfully destroy them. It I fail, that means they are more dangerous than we anticipated. If I fail, see that I am avenged.”
“I will miss you, but I cannot see this succeeding.”
“Then, promise me you will find a way to avenge me if it doesn’t.”
The Warlock nodded. “I will, but I will think my plan out better than you have.”
“There isn’t time to think this out. I will see you, my friend.” The Darklighter dark orbed out.
“No you probably will not.” The Warlock said as he looked at the place his friend had been standing a minute before.