Shape of Things to come

Shape of Things to Come

Part 3:Seeds of Time

Chapter 44

‘All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts'
...William Shakespeare. As You Like It

The weeks of almost constant attack by Evil, combined with the very horrific reality of being under siege by the darklighters and their gremlins and grunts in her own home was leaving Piper was feeling a little overwhelmed with life. The darklighter siege was generating fears for her children, her husband, and her sister. Nevertheless, Piper had to convince herself that the danger to them was manageable, and go on living as if everything was normal. Therefore, Piper and Leo were spending the day at P3, sorting out the growing pile of problems created by the upcoming changes to P3 management. It was still in her name, although Reggie was getting angsty about stepping up and taking over. Cole was inflexible that the handover would take the time it took to organise contracts that would protect both sides and fix up issues like using the P3 name for the piano bar. Reggie fortunately knew Cole well enough to accept that pushing or demanding would not make the final handover any faster.

Leo had immediately, and in Piper’s view a touch to enthusiastically, began planning the renovations for a P3 piano bar in the basement under the restaurant. Cole was being tough about the piano bar’s continuance in the nightclub until the renovations were complete, to Reggie’s annoyance, but as the deal left it as the means of Leo and Piper taking a salary, Cole simply would not agree to any contract that did not protect it.

While waiting for the changeover, P3 was still Piper’s headquarters in the precinct, something else that would have to change very soon Piper realised. She spent the morning in a meeting with council representatives over the still aggravating zoning issues on parking. Council representatives tried to sneakily get her to agree to most of the restrictions Cole had nixed. Apparently, their research had given them the impression that relations between Piper and Cole were adversarial, so they could gain an advantage by setting one against the other. Piper disinformed them, clarifying that she and her brother-in-law were on excellent terms and relieved some of her feelings of being over-whelmed by giving the council representatives a very precise account of what was going to happen with parking. Feeling considerably less overwhelmed by events, she went downstairs to the piano bar space and told Leo she was feeling better after vanquishing the council representatives. He laughed but Donald and Robbie who Leo had cajoled into helping him measure up exchanged glances.

Leo wished Piper good luck with the next meeting with the lessees of the other buildings about security. Piper’s business was about an authentic San Francisco experience without the San Francisco crime which meant protecting the integrity of the precinct at all costs. However, all the lessees reported dealing with some rogue elements. Leo and Piper had walked through the precinct the night before in preparation for this meeting, with Piper clutching a magic crystal that indicated the presence of magic, Evil and Good. All the managers had pointed out rogue elements in their venues, some of whom looked decidedly weasely and the crystals flashing in various shades magenta, gray, and orange and deep brown indicated Briareos’ or perhaps Elisheeva’s grunts and lost souls were hanging around. There were also some flashes of deep black on black of darklighters and their addendums. Given that Cole’s firm had been targeted by demons and Paige’s problems started with lost souls in her workplace Piper and Leo had no doubts their presence was Evil deliberately targeting them as well.

It was a very difficult meeting with all the lessees Piper as a protection against demonic invasion, although she did not tell the lessees that, very tactfully for her, proposed that the site employ joint security, including venue bouncers. Although practical, this was tricky because it meant renegotiating all the leases so the meeting became quite intense. As the tensions grew, Piper was quite annoyed when her phone rang and after a quick glance, she saw it was Fern. Fern had been avoiding having anything to do with her, therefore calling was most unusual, so she concluded that Fern must have needed her badly. Fortunately, Piper was at the point of the discussions when she felt it would be advantageous to let the lessees talk amongst themselves.

With a rueful apology she left the room and returned the call, trying not to snap at Fern, saying as blandly as she could “What do you want Fern?”

She heard Fern swallow hard and suspected that in the second’s silence the younger witch was biting her lip. Fern finally spoke. “Sorry about the interruption” she apologised awkwardly. “Can’t get Paige or Phoebe, got Leslie and she thought I ought to talk to you?”

“I’m not running off for any magic vendettas” Piper told her pointedly and heard Fern swallow again.

“Not sure about vendettas” Fern finally replied. “I got a call from one of Charlie’s friends at the university. I know her, been clubbing a few times.”

“She told me Charlie’s been arrested by the FBI” Fern explained her voice becoming shrill. “Cole’s off somewhere, in court or something” she added “Leslie’s going down but chances are they might come after you or any of us.” Fern’s voice trailed off.

“Yeah, they came to her class, made it a real public thing, dragged her out in front of quite a few reporters. Don’t think it’s made the news yet but I bet headlines ‘Student arrested for University massacres’ won’t be far away. Sorry Piper, I didn’t want to call you” Fern’s voice trailed off.

“Of course, you should call me” Piper answered tartly as she always did under pressure. “What phone are you using?” she asked.

“Mine” Fern replied. “Didn’t mention … you know stuff. Leslie warned about … listening in”.

“Oh well then perhaps I shouldn’t say what I think of the fucking FBI agent just chasing his bloody career and harassing our family, our innocent family making false arrests.” Piper snarled.

Piper snorted her agreement. “What did they charge Charlie with?” Piper asked.

“Don’t know” Fern answered. “Leslie did not get a call from her. I thought she was allowed to call a lawyer straight away.”

“Cole says they often drag that out, hoping the person will panic” Piper remembered. “You at work Fern?” Fern confirmed she was. “Go home” Piper ordered “then keep trying to get Paige and Phoebe. Get them home. Don’t want more footage of family being dragged out of businesses.

“Don’t know” Fern replied. “Don’t know why they would just arrested Charlie.”

“You didn’t do anything that would provoke a problem?” Piper asked suspiciously.

Piper grimly went back to her meeting where far more briskly and firmly than she had intended, she ended it with an insistence that her firm managing the security was the only viable solution and cowed the lessees so much that they all kind of nodded and left.

After they left, Piper returned to the basement where the boys and Leo were working and broke the news that Charlie had been arrested. Donald and Robbie were horrified and immediately angry at their father. Leo quickly ordered them to continue working, which kept them away from legal types for a while and he and Piper headed to the car. While Leo drove home, Piper tried Cole again but Clarissa who told her Cole was in court, cleaning up after DJ and she would get the message about Charlie to him as soon as she could.

It was a short journey to the Manor from P3, only a little over 15 minutes, but 5 minutes away from the Manor the phone rang and Phoebe enquired rather urgently where Leo was.

“No” Phoebe answered tightly “Neither has Paige yet. Get home as soon as you can” and she hung up before Piper could say anything.

She was so concerned she did not wait for Leo to finish parking the car, but ran into the house, to be greeted by Phoebe who was standing with her arm around a very worried Patsy, her face anguished while Paige and to Piper’s surprise Mark were bending over the sofa. Wyatt was lying on it clutching his side where a frightening rush of blood and some orbs were leaking all over the sofa.

“What’s happened?” Piper demanded her voice rasping as she ran to her son.

“Darklighter attacked Wyatt” Mark explained in his calmest his voice “Patsy got him home. Paige and I have done what we can but we need to get him to help.”

“Then get him up there” Piper ordered her voice getting shriller from tension.

Patsy pulled away from his mother and hovered close to Wyatt, fighting back tears, he whispered “In school yard, just as we were getting or bikes. I got rid of the darklighters” told Piper his voice shaking. Phoebe paled as she realised the implications for her son. “They were a bit surprised when I could attack them. Then I materialised and got him home. I don’t orb” he added. “But found...something. Kinda dematerilaised thinking about it and then kinda thought about coming home.”

“You did the right thing” Phoebe assured her son putting her arms around him again, as he gave up being a grown up and let mom comfort him.

“He’s mortal Piper” Mark reminded her quietly “I can’t get him high enough for THEM to help him, because he’s mortal. Neither can Paige. Where’s Leo?”

“Parking” muttered Piper looking around anxiously.“Parking” muttered Piper looking around anxiously.

Phoebe let Patsy go and ran out to the driveway to call Leo who raced into the house, taking only long enough to explain he knew where to go but was blocked getting up there. Mark explained he knew some secret byways in and out, but they did not lead high enough. He could get Leo through but Leo would have to find the healers in the higher realms.

Phoebe who had once been very ‘high up’ there, courtesy of Francesca asked concerned “Are you sure they will help a mortal? You know what they feel about magic and mortal crosses.” she asked.

“It’s my son. They’ll heal him, because I tell them too” Leo insisted as Wyatt looking pathetically small as his father held him, whimpered in pain.

“I’m coming too” “Piper insisted. “Paige can bring me. She can follow you.”

Mark shook his head. “No, you’re not Piper” he told her firmly. “None of you can.”

“Well firstly, because ‘up there’ isn’t for mortals, and ‘they’ will be less likely to help Wyatt if ‘they’ feel they’re being compromised.” Mark insisted as Piper snorted her disgust “And secondly, because I’m certain this is a trap to get the Charmed Ones into the spirit winds. Wyatt doesn’t need to come out of this feeling he’s responsible for killing the Charmed Ones. Stay out of the spirit winds” he ordered “Please. Leo” and both whitelighters disappeared in a cloud of orbs.

So may the outward shows be least themselves: The world is still deceived with ornament. In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt, But, being seasoned with a gracious voice, Obscures the show of evil?
(William Shakespeare)