Next morning all three Charmed Ones were exhausted but still running high on hormonal energy which made the atmosphere tense and emotional. Piper aware of Glock in the next bedroom was up first and got the children ready. Leo knowing the reason she was up early, made a big show of helping. At breakfast Patsy was grumpy because he was picking up the heightened emotions and Wyatt was grumpy because he had to work so hard to not be ignored.  Melinda was queasy and complaining and slyly sneaking off for anything she could find that was even slightly chocolatey.

Glock awkwardly appeared at the kitchen door behind Cole who offered him breakfast. Piper greeted him with a besotted smile while Leo growled "Piper".

Glock looked at the array of food on the table, fruit cereal, bread and noted both Melinda and Pasty were playing with their cereal. Glock's appearance made both children stop attempting to eat.

"Chocolate" said Melinda

"Children in Burvjara where Glock comes, from don't even get offered breakfast" said Leo.

Melinda's reaction was to spit what cereal she had in her mouth over the table. Glock's nose twitched.

Wyatt let out a huge waaaaaaaaaaaaaah to get attention.

"Eggs?" asked Cole ignoring it all and going over to the bench "Toast?"

"I can get Glock some breakfast" Piper said shouldering Cole out of  the way.

"Piper" said Leo.

"I do not wish to be a problem" Glock said uncomfortably.

"Its no problem at all" said Piper a bight smile on her face "I cook "she said "I love cooking. Its no problem "she added breathing heavily.

"Piper" said Leo.

"Won't take a jiffy" she said

"Jiffy?" said Cole and Glock

"Piper " said Leo "Short period of time." He explained and Glock nodded and Cole raised his eyes.

Piper managed to produce for Glock in seconds, freshly squeezed juice, poached eggs, toast and crepes."

He looked at the feast in front of him and met Cole's expression.

"I'll have crepes" Cole said straight faced.

"Make them yourself "Piper suggested. "Or get Phoebe to make them for you."

"Piper" said Leo while Glock suspiciously tasted the eggs

"Very good " he said surprised.'

"I'm a great cook" Piper informed him brightly.

"Piper " said Leo.

Phoebe came downstairs, yawning heavily and slumped in a kitchen chair.

"Cole wants crepes" Piper informed her.

"Cole can get stuffed" said Phoebe through her teeth.

Glock eyed both sisters concerned and Cole shook his head. Leo shrugged.

"Coffee" Phoebe asked hopefully.

Cole shoved juice at her "Don't push it" he said "Pookie belongs to me."

Phoebe stuck her tongue out at him and turned to fussing Patsy to eat..

"Stinks" said Melinda splashing cereal over the table.

"Sure does sweetie" said Phoebe

Paige appeared at the door looking pale and tired.

Piper glared at her. "Did you sleep at all? "she demanded

"Of course" said Paige clearly lying. She helped herself to orange juice "You know I don't think spite attacks are that big of a deal "she announced "I mean nothing horrible happened. You know nothing evil." She giggled "I mean okay so a few fantasies."

Cole and Leo both snorted in unison and she shook her head.

"Hello" she  said to Glock "No-one has introduced us." she glared at Cole accusatory.

"You were otherwise occupied" he smirked "My sister in law Paige." he told Glock.

"I am honoured" Glock told her politely putting down his spoon and shaking her hand.

Piper sighed, her breath shaky.

"Oh shut up Piper " said Phoebe.

Glock flushed a darked orange, clearly uncomfortable and confused at the family. He looked at Cole who shrugged awkwardly.

Phoebe stopped supervising Patsy "I'm so sorry" she told Glock "We usually aren't like this. You caught us at a bad moment. We can be much better. "She added with a bright smile. "Cole should have warned you about us" she old Glock.

"The invitation was sudden" Cole muttered. "We didn't have time to discuss it.'

"How come you're the only one allowed to do stupid rash stuff without any consequences?" Phoebe demanded "not that we aren't pleased to have you" she added smiling at Glock.

"Thank you" Glock said not really believing her.

''This isn't you business Phoebe "Cole told her in his guardian voice which she totally ignored.

"Stop pissing off at Phoebe because a few little spites encouraged her imagination" Paige ordered Cole.

"Stop pissing at me about things that are none of your business" Cole told her.

Glock glanced from sister to sister and Cole and shifted in his chair uncomfortably

Melinda started to cry and Wyatt not to be outdone let fly with a waaaaaah while Patsy studied the patterns his cereal was making with the sultanas in his milk.

"You can't have any more chocolate "Leo told Melinda unsympathetically

"You can never have enough chocolate "Paige told him.

"Don't forget you have Fern and Leslie coming over this afternoon. You have to take them to the basketball match' Piper reminded Paige. Since their mother the witch Jade had died earlier in the year helping the Charmed Ones Paige had been keeping her promise to be there for her daughters.

 "Is that a good idea" Leo asked "you guys are still showing spite affects" he said as Melinda cried louder and Wyatt raised the decibels. "Isn't it contagious?"

Glock winced slightly at the noise.

"You get used to it "Cole explained to him "It's reassuring in fact. Kids being kids."

Glock nodded "You may be right my friend "but it will take time. You expect me to be here long enough to get used to it?"

Cole flushed and shook his head uncomfortably as Glock's nose twitched and then his skin went dark orange as he became he became aware that Piper was watching him intently.

"If is contagious we've all been out anyway" Phoebe pointed out which promptly made Cole accuse her of wanting to chase fantasy men, to which her angry response made him certain he was right.  The atmosphere was not made easier by Glock asking just how much time he had been away from his own realm by their time and Cole in his quietest guardian voice telling him the truth.

"I see" Glock answered and stopped making any attempt to eat. He stood up and walking into the living room while Cole winced and followed leaving the rest of the family to exchange anxious glances.

Cole followed Glock into the yard where he was banging in his pockets for his pipe. Glock indicated the yard.

"It is green" he said.

"I'm sorry" Cole said.

"You made your choices my friend" Glock told him, finding the pipe and concentrating on lighting it while Cole watched him.

As Glock managed to draw a line of smoke from the pipe, Cole said "This morning, breakfast, sorry about that."

"That is normal" Glock asked.

"More or less" Cole admitted.

Glock drew on the pipe. "When I was young" he told Cole "I went to a meeting of all the combatants' factions to try and find some common ground. The way you break your fast reminded me of it"

"It does?" said Cole.

"The meeting ended in a massacre," Glock told him, sucking harder on the pipe.

"We don't allow weapons at breakfast" Cole explained. "Stops that happening."

"You are wise" said Glock sucking on his pipe.

After Paige, Phoebe and Cole went to work, both Phoebe and Paige flatly refusing to consider remaining in the house, Piper decided that house cleaning was in order. This was partly because Glock was sitting in the parlour staring at his hands, grim after a night of pondering the reality of being brought to this, for him, strange realm.  And partly because with the traffic of the last few days, the manor was looking like an over used railway station.

After watching Glock, wearing his jeans and shirt sitting alone for an hour, Leo showed Glock how to use the television in the parlour. Glock thanked him politely and looked at the machine, a small smile around his lips and his nose twitching.

"What is this?" Glock asked flat voiced

"I haven't been to Burvjara" Leo said trying to keep his voice neutral "But I know it is very different from here. It may help to see something of our realm. This is television, "he explained, "It's something we watch for... entertainment. News seeing things, um tales, almost like our myths" he explained.

'"Thank you "said Glock his eyes a dull yellow.

"It’s a great way of seeing this realm" Leo said trying hard, "A way of finding out about it, of learning how people live here."

"Why don’t I just meet them?" Glock asked. Then he smiled, "Because I am to alien to be seen in this realm" he said and it wasn't a question.

Leo frowned and awkwardly shook his head. He went into the salon ostensibly to help Piper with the cleaning as she vacuumed and dusted the dining room and the foyer and living room but really to keep himself between Glock and his wife. He kept make muttering noises as Piper's breath came in quick little gasps every time she caught sight of Glock .

Glock finally stopped staring at his hands. Piper noticed him sit up straight as if, she decided, willing himself to face whatever he must face. He stood up wandered around the room and once went to the window, moving the lace curtains aside to look at the street. Then he finally sat down on the sofa and determinedly picked up the TV remote, watching the screen with an expression that struck Piper in her fantasy as noble in its fatalism. Glock occasionally glanced at Leo and Piper then sucked his lips together as if very uncomfortable, then he determinedly concentrated on the TV.

Piper because she could barely get her eyes off Glock realised his discomfort and hissed at Leo that he was upsetting their guest.

"I doubt it's me" Leo hissed back. "I'm not the one embarrassing him and everybody else behaving like a besotted teenage fan."

Piper's answer to this was to turn her back on Leo and then inspect the dusting he had done. She made a silent and effective point by repeating most of the dusting to remove small smudges and specs of dust on everything he has touched. Piper's silence was particularly effective when she realised Leo had only dusted around some of the ornaments and not picked them up.

Leo tried to retrieve ground by grabbing the vacuum cleaner and energetically hauling it over the rugs in the dining room.

"Oh just go away and stop annoying me" Piper told him when he ran it over the polished floor boards in the hall.

"I am not leaving you" Leo told her. He glanced at Glock who was watching the mid morning news. Glock's expression was somewhere between bemused, concern and regret. Every few minutes he restless wandered then sighing came back to watch the view of the world that he did not understand or want to be in.

Piper eyes glazed and her tongue darting between her lips every time she looked at Glock, smiled sadly as she took in his pain and a small smile of compassion crossed her face. Leo noticing frowned, and could not stop a small shudder of annoyance maybe fear, then winced as he heard the call on the spirit winds from the guardian Durand whom he guided.

He tried ignoring the call, planting himself firmly between Piper and where Glock was sitting until there was more urgent, ringing in his ears like an alarm and he could no longer pretend it was not there .

"I have to go" he told Piper who put her head on her side and smirked.

"Thank you Durand" she said smugly and snuck another glance at Glock who was once again staring at his hands.

Leo sucked his lip then he strode over and caught her upper arms. "Are you going to promise me you aren't going to embarrass Glock I'm gone?" he demanded.

Piper glowered at him furiously, "Take. Your. Hands. Off me "she bit out.

"I can't go until you promise me you'll behave" Leo insisted.

"How dare you" Piper hissed at him standing on tip toe so she could watch Glock. She gasped a little, then snarled as Leo shook her.

"I don't care what magic is going on" Leo whispered, his voice terse "you're making a fool of yourself  and you're embarrassing me, us the whole family."

"Yeah sure" Piper told him sarcastically "Paige is so embarrassed she's off looking for porn pictures and I guess Phoebe is so embarrassed I'm making her go off chasing whatever fantasy is her latest daydream."

"Don't I count, "demanded Leo "or Cole."

"Cole's a god damned demon "Piper told Leo in an angry whisper "And he can suffer " Then she  snorted "You're just a jealous prick."

Leo for a second tightened his grip and then released her glancing upward as the ringing became so urgent, he could no longer ignore it and Piper smirked again.

Then they both jumped when they heard a loud crash in the kitchen. They rushed in to discover that Melinda was taking advantage of her parents concentrating on other issues to sneak into the kitchen and levitate herself up to the cupboard. She had found Phoebe's stash of emergency chocolate covered marshmallow cookies and was stuffing them into her mouth.

'"Melinda" Piper screamed and Leo looked disapproving, clearly blaming Piper for his daughter's lapses.

'"I'll fix it" Piper snapped stung back to reality as her daughter needed her. "Just go."

Leo pursed his lips and hesitated.

"Go Leo" Piper ordered as he hesitated "I don't need you.'

They heard a noise behind them and saw that Glock was standing at the kitchen door watching them and then his eyes went to Melinda levitating to the top cupboard shoving chocolate into her mouth.

"May I help?" he asked.

"No" Leo told him "we can manage."

He explained to Glock that he would be gone as short a time as possible and apologised again for Piper, making her positively shake with anger which turned to seething when Leo suggested to Glock that he keep out of Piper's way while Leo was gone.

Glock, awkward and uncomfortable, nodded and left the kitchen as Leo shaking his head at Piper, orbed.

Still glowering, Piper caught Melinda by the legs and hauled her down then she ripped the cookies from her daughter. She picked up a cloth and made a furious Melinda spit the biscuit she had crammed into her mouth into it.  Then she wiped Melinda's extremely angry  face and dragged her, sobbing loudly in between shouts  of "Mean mummy" and "I hate you", "And you love Patsy better than me." into the living room plonking her on the sofa with a colouring book and some crayons.

Melinda threw the books and crayons on the floor, so Piper picked up Big Cat who was asleep on the best silk cushion on the other chair and dumped him on Melinda's lap. Big Cat started to purr and Melinda, brought back to reality by her beloved cat, cuddled him and told him how she loved him better than mean mommy.

Patsy had started to toddle after Piper clearly interested in Melinda being in trouble so Piper, anticipating trouble,  picking him up and put him on the floor next to the sofa with  a couple of toys in front of him. With an expression which reminded Piper of his father, Patsy narrowed his eyes and waved his fingers and brought the rest of his toys to sit in front of him in a huge mess and proceeded to arrange them.

Glock watched her carefully a curious soft expression on his face, his skin turning dark orange and she half turned, pushed her hair back out of her eyes and smiled wanly.

"We live in clans, in Burvjara" he said "living with mates and offspring is not practical." he added.

"You live without mates in Burvjara?" asked Piper pushing her hair from her eyes "Can I come to Burvjara?'"

"I fear you would not find a realm at war distressing."Glock told her with a smile. Then his nose twitched "Although from what I have seen in this abode, it would not perhaps, be so different."

Piper suddenly laughed "We've learnt how to fight without killing each other'" she explained, thought about it, and smiled. "Mostly." she added.

"Then I will watch and maybe discover how you do it" Glock told her his yellow eyes darkening.

Piper took a deep breath but before she could move Wyatt, feeling he had been ignored for two seconds to long let fly with one if his loudest screams. Piper picked up Wyatt and held him close against her, enjoying his sweet baby smell and the softness of his face against hers.  Then she took a train form Patsy as he started to pound it into pieces. She stood up and flicked her hair from her eyes.  Wyatt clutched close to her, putting one small fist in her face and she kissed him gently. She glanced back toward Glock who was watching her intently. She shuddered a little and looked away.

With Wyatt against her shoulder Piper picked the vacuum cleaner and managed to vacuum and hug him at the same time, lost a little in the pleasure of motherhood as she forgot magic and spites and crushes on aliens and sang away to herself.  Five minutes later remembering Leo was behaving like an arsehole about parenting she turned to check Melinda and Patsy and was once again one child short. A little boy. Fortunately before she could panic she saw him toddling into the living room and she went through in time to see Patsy standing as upright as his 14 months would let him, almost at Glock's feet and looking all the way up Glock's long length.

"Hello" Patsy said to Glock who had stopped prowling the room to notice him.

"Hello" Glock said smiling down at him, his trunk like nose twitched with amusement. He looked up and saw Piper at the archway, hair long and lose and slightly disarrayed, Wyatt on her hip clutching close to mom, snuggling in as hard as he could.

Glock nodded to her and she swallowed and then trying hard called Patsy.

"I'm sorry he annoyed you "she said carefully trying not to let her fantasy take hold of her again at the site of the tall Burvjarian, with his beautiful yellow eyes and noble face. Piper hesitated then explained. "Anytime he meets some-one …different, or when he feels the magic in some-one, powerful magic, he does this to get their attention. Phoebe was horribly embarrassed when he did it to a Jewish rabbi last week.  They wear very dark clothes and have full beards. Fortunately the rabbi thought it was sweet." Piper swallowed rushing the words.

"He was not annoying me" Glock told her carefully. I find the …offspring… amuse me. I have in my in past times" he explained "found pleasure and hope watching the offspring. I have "he said "found a purpose to try for them, to fight for them. It pleases me to watch them play. It…" His trunk like nose twitched and his yellow eyes softened as he looked at Wyatt in his mother's arms "They inspire hope," he said "And when I watch the females with the young ones. It inspires me to try...to endure" he swallowed, suddenly embarrassed. He turned away.

"I am glad "Piper said swallowing hard with the effort of control.  She flicked her hair again. With a shudder she kept herself together.

"Patsy" she said and held out her free hand. Patsy started to frown. "Patsy" Piper said firmly.

Patsy sucked his breath and went to Piper clutching at her hand.

'"I fear hope" Glock told her suddenly. He looked around the room "I fear a future without… where I don't belong. I fear to be an alien, a ...freak. I doubt…Cole was...kind. Saving my life, ….even of he meant to be."

"You're not a freak, an alien" Piper said bluntly.  "You're … " her breath shuddered "Beautiful. I…" she sucked her lip. "Cole doesn't always understand ...emotions" she explained.  "He acts … he's impulsive. Acts on instinct." she stopped". "His instincts are often good" she explained her voice catching. "Better than we like to tell him. He… he's been known to make things ….work when every bit of sense means they shouldn't."

Glock nodded." I would like to believe you" he said.

"I … you can" she said her voice husky with emotion.

Glock nodded "Thank you" he said

"Don't tell Cole I said…" Piper hesitated. "I mean I don't think he needs to be encouraged to be … impulsive."

'No " said Glock quietly/. "I bear witness to that truth."

Piper smiled then lowered her eyes. With her son clutching against her and holding Patsy's hand nodded she took a deep breath and turned to leave. At the door to the hallway she could not resist looking back and saw Glock standing at the archway watching her an expression of curiosity and something her soul recognised but could not put a word to,  on his face as the nose twitched and his complexion became deep orange.

Piper gulping air and still clutching Patsy's hand went back to the living room then pushed Patsy back to his toys and took a deep, deep breath. She cuddled Wyatt hard against her whispering that he was mommy's special boy then decided being mommy felt very special, which lasted the full five seconds before she realised the living room was missing a child and a cat.  She cursed under her breath and still holding Wyatt she stalked into the kitchen ready to give Melinda what fo. Only there was no Melinda. Just the open, empty cupboard where Phoebe had kept her chocolate stash. And the anti-orbing bracelet, that the witch babysitter Marly had made for Melinda to stop her orbing more than 14 months ago was on the kitchen table.

Piper let out a half screech then swallowed.

"Keep calm" she told herself. She's three and a bit. God" Piper thought "She's three and a bit. She's a witch" Piper thought. She pushed down all her anger "She's a witch, a powerful witch. God" she thought "There are warlocks out there looking for her powers. There are Geztalts on the loose chasing powers. Don't panic "she thought.  "Leo's going to blame me, she thought "say I was more worried about Glock than my daughter."

"And I wasn't"she said out loud. Then she thought about what she was doing and decide having Leo pissed off because she was drooling over Glock was better than trying to explain what she was really feeling.

'Scry for her" Piper thought suddenly calm grown up and reasonable and remembering yesterday, was it only yesterday, when she had lost Melinda.

Trying to keep calm, and knowing she still had two other children to look after, Piper went out and caught Patsy's hand and then all but ran up the stairs clutching hard at Wyatt as Patsy complained loudly at being dragged away from his private games. She did not notice her rush had made Glock come to the hall and watch her fly up the stairs.

In the attic she put both boys down and shaking, hauled out the map of san Francisco hoping Melinda was in San Francisco. She swung the scruying crystal and trying to keep calm she put all her concentration on her daughter and felt a sick sense of relief as the crystal came to a halt at Prescott street right on the manor.

This was followed by a wave of anger and Piper had to count to ten and then ten again before catching a crying Patsy's resisting hand.  Piper cursed Patsy's father for bequeathing his son empathic powers .Piper, clutching Wyatt on her hip, went into each room, this time checked behind beds, in cupboards anywhere that Melinda could possibly hide. Her heart leapt for a second when she saw a ginger cat in the laundry basket in her room and she started to tell Melinda what she would do to her if she did not come out but it turned out to be Little Cat.

Room by room she searched, a sense of calm desperation, growing when she could not find Melinda. She brushed past Glock, fan worship forgotten as she worried about her daughter and checked the basement, even pulling furniture out to make sure Melinda had not slid behind it. At the top of the stairs, at the basement door, she found Glock waiting and he  asked a touch apprehensively if she needed help.

"My daughter is missing "Piper bit out going from room to room as Glock followed her.

"I see" he said quietly.

"My daughter has probably orbed somewhere and I can't find her," Piper said dragging a resisting Patsy up the stairs. "It's not good, a little witch on her own. It’s a dangerous realm" she said.

"May I help search?" Glock asked his nose twitching with an emotion Piper did not understand.

"She'll hide from you too" Piper said. "More" she added, "You're a stranger" she qualified "we tell her to talk to strangers

"I see" said Glock "I can care for the offspring" he offered indicating Patsy who was by now bitterly resisting being hauled around the house and reaching into his magic arsenals to find something stronger than Auntie Piper.

Patsy found it in some power that gave him the strength of steel which brought Piper into a dead halt. He glared at her, a pouting expression of bloody mindedness on his face that would have made his father proud of him.

Piper sighed and let go Patsy's hand.

Glock came over and took it and Patsy considered him for a second then summoned his steel strength and headed back to the living room. He dragged Glock as far as the hall, Glock skidding along in Leo's sneakers. Then Glock raised his eyes and closed them, lifted his other hand in a gesture that Cole would have recognised as connecting with his magic and Patsy stopped pulling Glock along, and to his frustration could not even pull away from Glock.

"You magic is more powerful than Patsy's" Piper exclaimed shocked as Pasty frowned at Glock clearly contemplating his options. "We thought Patsy's was...unstoppable."

"I feel strong magic in the little one" Glock told her "But I have survived many cycles in Burvjara because I have learned it is not always the most powerful being who wins'" Glock's yellow eyes darkened. "It is knowing how to use what you have well that matters.  Victory does not always belong to the strongest," he said smiling at Patsy who looked up at Glock's twitching trunk like nose and made his choice.

"Hello" said Patsy looking all the way up Glock's tall figure with Phoebe's large brown eyes and Piper half smiled and handed Wyatt over to Glock as she went into the laundry.

Glock, with a rather suspicious Wyatt in his arms, and holding Patsy's hand firmly watched her.

As Piper pulled everything from laundry baskets he went past her into the backyard.

A few minutes later while Piper pulled the laundry closet to pieces Glock still holding Patsy's hand, stood behind her

"I have discovered your offspring" he told Piper

"Where?" she demanded clutching at Leo's shirt which Glock  wore "Where?" she begged.

Glock explained "The young one knows." he smiled at Patsy "the young one located your daughter." Then he turned and went back to the yard followed by an anxious Piper and then he moved back toward the fence looking up.

"There" he said as Piper followed him

"Where?" she pleaded looking around then she followed Glock's gaze and whimpered.

On the highest point of the roof of the manor Melinda had happily perched herself, and with both hands, was stuffing chocolate from several packets of cookies down her mouth. Big cat was beside her, rubbing against her. As Piper and Glock watched, she dropped several cookies and they slide down the steep slope. Melinda slide after them and picked them up of the roof and stuffed them in her mouth.

"Melinda" Piper called loudly. "Get down here." she ordered. "Now" she ordered.

"No" said Melinda through the chocolate in her mouth. "Mean mommy "she yelled

"Get down here or I'll mean mommy you" Piper ordered.

"Can't" said Melinda

"Levitate" Piper ordered her.

"Can't" said Melinda stuffing more chocolate in her mouth.

''I mean it" yelled Piper

"Won't" said Melinda.

Piper stamped her foot in frustration. She yelled out "Mark", but after several calls, decided Mark must be with another charge and was using a whitelighter check for the level of the magic emergency because he did not answer. Piper promised herself Mark would hear about it.  She called out to Leo and he was also clearly rating magic emergencies because seconds went by as Melinda crawled precariously up the roof to Big Cat and planted herself at the highest point, sticking a chocolate covered tongue out at Piper.

Piper decided she hated magic and everything to do with it.

"Watch her" Piper ordered Glock in her best Halliwell witch tone.

Glock his nose twitching replied "Most certainly." he said.

Piper rushed inside and found her cell phone. She started dialling numbers. Paige's phone was simply not answering. Phoebe had her answering service on saying she would call back.

Eduardo answered Cole's number and said he was in court.

"He wasn't supposed to be today" Piper insisted desperately.

"Emergency" said Eduardo "Judge insisted he be there on threat of contempt. He's put the court case off three times in the last month."

Piper ground her teeth and rushed outside to where Glock was carefully watching Melinda who after gobbling down all the chocolate, was starting heave.

"Orb" Piper called to her. "Just think about it and do it."

Big cat moved up the roof ridge and as Melinda tried to catch him she had suddenly realised how high she was and she was not feeling well. She clutched the roof ridge and shook her head crying "Mommy, Mommy."

Piper called for Mark and Leo and stamped her foot in frustration, telling Melinda it was okay and just to orb but Melinda shook her head firmly, fearfully clutching onto the roof ridge for all she was.

"Would you like me to retrieve the offspring?" Glock asked.

"Can you materialise up there?" Piper demanded, fear making her voice terse.

"No" said Glock "I can climb out on the building covering"

"Roof" said Piper"

"Roof?" said Glock  running his tongue around the word as if it pleased him. "I can climb along the steep part and retrieve her.

"Can you climb and hold her?" Piper asked fearfully

"I am strong enough to hold her"  he added. "I can reach the ...roof through the small entrance under where she is.'

"Window" said Piper.

"Window" Glock agreed.

"Are you sure you can get her down?" Piper asked "She is powerful, more than Patsy in some ways, she's older, knows how to use her magic and she won't… she'll probably fight."

"My magic is a part of my soul" Glock told Piper "It is strong. I am fortunate. I have a strong soul. My magic is not your magic I cannot put fire in my hand but I can find strength through it. The magic is strong in me." he said in a matter of fact voice.

Piper took a deep breath and nodded as Melinda slide a little and cried loudly for mommy.

Glock went upstairs and Piper kept telling Melinda to stay still while she cried and pleaded for mommy. A few minutes later Glock levered his way through the upstairs window. Piper for a second thought he would not squeeze his large frame through it. But for a large being he was extremely nimble. He pulled himself out and caught hold of the down pipe and somehow hauled himself up the last remaining feet of the wall and caught the edge of the roof and hanging half of the roof, using the agility of a being whose life depended on their ability to act quickly, climbed onto the roof .

Melinda had crawled her way to the highest peek, trying to follow Big Cat and clutching the ridge terrified. She cried mommy, mommy and then let go with one hand to cram the last bit of chocolate in her mouth and slide a little down the roof. She faded half into an orb, but panicked about letting go then came out clutching hard at the roof. All of three and to frightened to listen to her magic.

Glock climbed up the steep roof, and Piper caught her breath then gasped as his foot slipped and he slide a little.

Glock glared at Leo's sneakers. "I could do this better if I had my boots" he called down to Piper.

Slowly he inched up the roof, Melinda whimpering as his large form came near her. She tried backing away and even though Glock tried to reassure her, his orange face and trunk like nose seemed to bother her. She slipped toward Glock and although Piper tried to reassure her, in panic, Melinda orbed, coming out of it further up the ridge and uncertain how she got there.

Glock stopped going toward her and gently spoke. Melinda half listened and he talked, inching his way toward her, while Melinda hesitated. He finally came close enough to reach her. But rather than snatch at her, he spoke softly and reassured as much as she would let him, till he could finally, gently with quiet certain movements reach out and catch her hand.

Piper her head thrown back, her hair blowing in the wind grinned as Glock looked down at her , his face also breaking into a big smile.

"How do we get her down?" Piper called.

"The small opening" Glock replied. 'The window."

Piper ran upstairs to the small room where the window was. She leant out realising from the gentle concern in Glock's voice that Melinda was giving him a hard time. He called to Piper that he was handing Melinda down and a second later he swung the little girl through the to the window, so gently she was not even aware of the risks. Piper caught her and pulled her close as she whimpered.

Glock then swung himself back into the roof.

"Where are you going?" Piper called clutching at Melinda and leaning out the window.

"The animal?" Glock answered. "I dislike half finishing anything." he told Piper.

She held her breath for what seemed forever, her stomach in knots as she heard several scrabbling noises as the sneakers Glock was wearing slide out from under him. She could hear him coaxing for a while then there was silence, then there was the squeak of rubber sliding down tiles.

Piper wrapping her arms around Melinda, hugged her close as Glock with a dexterity that amazed Piper, swung himself down from the roof and managed to climb in the window, while carefully holding a very resentful Big Cat. He slipped once but caught the edge of the window and slide in, with almost no room for mistakes.

Big Cat jumped out of his arms and ran for the landing. Melinda seeing her pet safe, orbed from mommy and took off after her pet.

"She's getting that bracelet on straight away." Piper told Glock

Glock smiled and stood up watching quietly, his yellow eyes bright as Piper took a deep breath.

"I thought you were going to fall" she said. "Cole would have killed me if you had got killed after he saved you."

Glock shrugged, and suddenly his face went darker orange. "Not Cole's choice" he said "I would not have slipped if I had had my boots" he added.

Piper nodded "Maybe you should wear your boots" she conceded.

"But then they would destroy your floors," Glock said close to her.

"I ..." said Piper "Leo can fix them" she told Glock.

"I trespass enough in you husband's generosity" said Glock.

"I.." said Piper and then jumped as the phone rang. "I'll have to answer that" she said.

"I will check your other offspring" Glock replied moving as if he regretted it.

"Thank you" Piper said and without being aware put her hand up and touched Glock's nose and hastily pulled it away before running to answer the phone.

....................................................................