"I hate Jason"

Chris looked up from the book of shadows, amused. "We know. No need to broadcast it"

"I'm not an empath to broadcast that" I replied as I added another ingredient for the vanquishing potion I was working on.

"No need to be an empath to let people know you don't like someone" Chris countered. "Besides, Jason and Phoebe don't end up together. Why are you complaining?"

"Because he is around" I whined. "And he's clingy and annoying and..."

"Right now, Phoebe's love interest" Chris told me, chuckling. He was really enjoying this. Asshole "You have to respect that because that's how she's gonna meet your dad. After a string of really bad relationships"

I flipped him the bird "Sure, I'll remember just this conversation and you saying this when Piper is dating Greg"

Chris grimaced, shooting me a look to which I smiled smugly and sarcastic. "Really? That petty?"

"That petty" I confirmed, holding back a laugh.

Chris rolled his eyes, opening his mouth before closing it, straightening. "They're back"

"Potion's almost ready" I told him, stirring the potion before starting to fill some vials "I'll clean later"

"Good" Chris said, grabbing my arm before orbing us out of the attic.

~8~

We orbed downstairs to the conservatory.

I smacked Chris on the arm, feeling a bit nauseous "A bit of a warning next time"

Chris shrugged unapologetically, turning to face the sisters, "So, you vanquished the demon?" 

I rolled my eyes at how direct he sounded, turning away, freezing when I realized there was a lizard baby on Wyatt's playpen and Wyatt calmly sitting with it.

My eyes widened.

"Yes and no" Piper answered.

"Well, the good news is the demon you sent us after is in fact gone" Paige told us.

I tilted my head.

Phoebe nodded to the playpen "And the bad news is whatever ate it, left us that"

Chris followed her gaze toward the playpen. The baby wiggled his lizard-like tongue at us.

Paige chucked in amusement "I think he likes you"

Chris looked annoyed "I don't care. Vanquish it"

Phoebe looked at him disapprovingly "Chris"

"I mean it" Chris told them.

I whispered to the sisters, loud enough for him to listen "He's afraid of lizards"

Paige and Phoebe chuckled, amused. Chris glared at me. I smiled innocently.

Chris looked away, toward the sisters, sternly. "Now"

"No, we are not vanquishing a baby" Paige pointed at him "What's wrong with you?" 

Chris pinched the bridge of his nose, frustrated. "I'm just concerned that this could be the future evil that gets to Wyatt"

Paige waved a hand "Don't be ridiculous. Besides, Bree's not worried"

I widened my eyes "Don't put me in the middle"

"You were born in the middle" Chris shot back, almost instinctively for when we were kids and we'd get into fights. Phoebe and Piper exchanged looks, a glimmer of... Something familiar passed through their eyes I didn't understand. "And me? Being ridiculous? There is a demon in the playpen"

The tension between all of us broke by the sound of the phone ringing.

Paige began to walk away, toward the phone "I'll get it"

"Hey, if it's Jason, tell him I'm in the shower" Phoebe called out to her.

I perked. No more Jason?!

Piper looked at Phoebe, quizzically "Are you avoiding him?"

I barely heard Chris stifling a chuckle behind me as I looked at Phoebe intently, wanting for an answer too.

"Uh, kind of" Phoebe cringed. I frowned, lightly fidgeting with my necklace. "I, um, sort of told him that I loved him last night"

My eyes widened. Mom never mentioned that little detail about her relationship with Jason.

"Oh, and this is bad?" Piper asked, not understanding what was the big deal.

I think I did.

"No, except I said 'I love you too' as if he said 'I love you' first, which he didn't" Phoebe replied.

Ouch.

Now I get why you never told us this.

"Being an empath sucks" I pointed out, sighing.

Phoebe pointed at me, agreeing. "Definitely"

Piper raised her eyebrows, "So wait, you told him that he loves you before he tells you that he loves you?" I grimaced. Phoebe hummed her answer. Piper tsked lightly. "Yeah, that's not good"

Phoebe made a face. "Yeah, I'll be lucky if he doesn't move to Hong Kong permanently now" I really hoped he did. "I really thought I had my empath power under control"

Chris sighed, cutting in before they kept being distracted. Alright, Mr. Killjoy. Only when you're not amused at my expense, are you? "Forget that" he told them, "What are you gonna do?"

"What am I supposed to do?" Phoebe asked. "I mean, you know, you tell a guy that you love them and they bolt, you know, it's just what they do"

Eh, no. I think I'll agree with Chris. No more distractions. 

"About the baby" I told her, pointing at said baby. "He meant the baby"

Chrid nodded, "We gotta do something" The baby scoped up a pacifier with his tongue. I eyed him awkwardly "Fast"

~8~

I pinched the bridge of my nose in amusement as I watched Piper and Phoebe lean over the playpen.

Piper was playing peek a boo with both the baby and Wyatt, trying to distract the baby and get him away from Wyatt.

"Where's Wyatt? Where is he? Look, look, wait, listen. Where's Wyatt?" Piper uncovered her eyes. "There he is! Look, look. Where's Wyatt? Where's Wyatt? There he is! Alright"

The baby simply stared at Piper, sometimes shimmering in and out of focus all around the play pen, but always close to Wyatt.

For some reason, I think I knew who this baby was. If we didn't screw things up, then this baby was one of Wyatt's best friends before he turned batshit crazy and turned to the villain we knew.

"Okay, I don't think distracting him is the answer" Chris told her.

Piper ignored Chris. "Wyatt?" the baby shimmered back to Wyatt's side. My little cousin seemed very content and happy with his new friend "Bad demon, very bad demon"

Paige walked in.

Phoebe looked at her sister "Hey, was that Jason?

Say no, Paige. Say no.

Paige granted my wish, "No, that was my raison d'etre"

"Pardon?" Phoebe asked, tilting her head aside.

"That was Darryl" Paige corrected herself." I've been wondering why the temp agency hasn't called and now I know why. I needed to be free to help him"

"To do what?" I asked.

"Well, to save an innocent" Paige shrugged at me as if that was obvious. Probably to her it was. "Why else would he have called? And more importantly, why else would I have been the one to answer the phone?"

"Because you were the closest to it?" Phoebe suggested.

Pauge gave her a sour look to which I had to purse my lips to not laugh at them. "No, because it's my reason for being" she replied. "Call me if you need help"

Paige walked away, leaving.

Chris gestured at Paige's retreating form, incredulously "What, you're just gonna let her go?"

I eyed him amused. It was like he forgot how stubborn the sisters could be.

"You're welcome to try and stop her" Piper told him.

Phoebe stood, "You know, I should go talk to Jason"

Piper pointed at her sister. "And her too"

Oh, she won't.

"Wait, stop" I called, slightly alarmed. Chris gave me a look that practically said, 'you were saying?'. The past was softening his hard exterior just a bit. "Where are you going? Are you slightly concerned that there's a demon in the house?"

Pjiebe gave me a slight smile as if talking to a child. Ugh, I hated when mum did that too. "Bree, this is a baby, okay? Relax. You too Chris. Don't think I didn't notice you're even more tense than her" she turned to Piper "And you call me if you need anything"

"Love you too" Piper told her.

Phiebe winced, glaring at her "Don't"

Piper smiled sheepishly "Sorry"

I stared after Phoebr as she left, swallowing through the lump on my throat. Every time she walked out of the room in this time, I still feared she wouldn't come back and it'd be the last time I saw her even though I knew I would because this was the past.

No matter how many times I tried to take that fear, the memory of the last time I saw her in my time creeped through my mind and it played over and over whenever Phoebe left this house. I was glad she couldn't read my emotions these days or she'll realize how painful it was seeing her close but so far away at the same time.

"And you're okay with this?" Chris talking to Piper snapped me from the mental torture I was doing to myself "Them dumping this on your lap like that?"

"Well, they don't seem too worried" Piper replied.

"Well, they should be" Chris retorted, seriously. "I need to figure out what kind of creature we're dealing with here"

Chrid orbed out.

And as much as I wanted him to relax for a little bit, I knew he wouldn't. Not at least until we saved our family.

Before Piper could say anything to me, I stood "Uh, I'll go check the Book. Something's gotta be there about Lizard demon babies somewhere in it, right?"

I walked out, leaving Piper alone with her son and a demon baby.