𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 || 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥

Chapter 37 - Congrats, Baby Daddy

I sighed, helping Paige up off the floor. Apparently, somehow, within the web cocoon, Piper had her own force-field. Which evidently wasn't fond of any of us trying to touch the cocoon.

"Alright, I locked Chris in the basement," Phoebe was saying as she swept back into the room before frowning at the two of us, "What were you doing on the floor?"

"Well, not having a lot of luck, that's why I'm on the floor," Paige grumbled, "I've tried orbs, knives, spells. Nada,"

"I hope Piper's okay in there," Phoebe said, walking towards it.

Paige made a noise, gesturing with her hand, "Don't."

"So do you think we should ask Chris for help?"

"Yeah, let's get the mutant who put her in there in the first place to help,"

"Don't call my boyfriend a mutant. It's insulting," I sniffed before shrugging my shoulders, "Unless he's secretly been Wolverine this whole time. In which case, I'd be totally accepting of the mutant remark,"

Phoebe seemed to be in agreement with me as she sent a pointed look towards her younger sister, "Missy, that is our nephew, he needs help too,"

Paige let out an exasperated sigh, "Okay, fine. How should we help? Uh, how about Leo?"

"Are you kidding? Piper will kill us," I scoffed, shaking my head.

"Well, she can kill us after she's saved,"

"Paige, Piper doesn't want Leo to know that Chris is his son, okay?" Phoebe replied, agitated, "So I don't think I could keep that secret,"

"Try," Paige made a face before calling out loudly, "Leo!"

Phoebe and I looked at each other.

"Seriously?" I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm as Paige just shrugged in response.

Leo orbed in then in swirl of blue-and-white, the familiar jingle following his entrance. He was dressed in a long, golden robe that reached all the way to his feet. Very different from the last time I had seen him.

He smiled over at us, "Phoebe, Paige, Mattie, how are you?"

"Not so good, we have a problem," Phoebe told him sheepishly.

Leo thought for a minute, "Perhaps we should meditate,"

"No, I don't want to meditate," Paige said as she held her side where she had been knocked unceremoniously to the floor before pointing to the far wall, "Piper, right there,"

Leo turned around then, walking closer for a better look, "Ah, the Spider Demon. She cocoons her victims before feeding on them,"

"Great, well, can you get her out of there?"

"Uh, well, the only way to get her out of there is to vanquish the Spider Demon. But it's okay, the cocoon is meant for preservation, so she's safe for now,"

I breathed a sigh of relief, "Good, that means Chris is too,"

Leo frowned in confusion, "Chris? He's in there too?"

Paige spoke up, changing the subject, "No, he's not in there, Leo, he's in the basement,"

Phoebe nodded in agreement, "Yeah, he was acting a little crazy so I-I locked him in the basement,"

"Yeah, after the Spider Demon infected him, he got a little crazy, went after..."

Leo smiled slightly, "I'll talk to him."

He walked off then in the direction of the basement as Paige called after him, "Ay, be careful... Good thinking,"

This last was muttered under her breath to Phoebe, who only shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm telling you, he has a right to know,"

"No, he doesn't."

I shook my head at the two of them, bickering like this.

Suddenly, we heard the familiar jingle of someone orbing and what sounded like a door slamming. Racing to the kitchen, we found Leo standing there, clearly mystified.

"What happened?" Paige asked, breathless.

"He attacked me,"

"I tried to warn you," she shrugged.

"That's real helpful, Paige," I said sarcastically.

"He's got issues," Phoebe tried to explain.

Leo frowned, "Issues?"

I nodded as the Elder made his way over to us, "Yeah, from being infected,"

"No, I think his issues precede that, don't you, Mattie?" Phoebe asked, sending me a forced smile.

Leo may not be technically apart of this family anymore ever since he "moved out" but he still knew us, he still knew when something was going on.

He eyed the three of us, "Something you're not telling me?"

"Actually..." Phoebe began but Paige cut her off.

"No."

Phoebe turned to her sister, "Look, he's gonna find out sooner or later and I'm gonna bust,"

"Find out what?" Leo asked, cutting to the chase.

"If he's gonna help us, we're gonna have to tell him,"

"It's Piper's business," I pointed out to Phoebe, shooting her a look.

"Tell me what?"

Phoebe went silent for a moment, enduring a staring contest with Leo that lasted for about half a minute before the words were spilling out of her like a fountain, "Chris is your son. Don't we all feel better? I know I feel so much better,"

Leo made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, his blue eyes wide in shock and disbelief. Slowly, he made his way to a chair before sitting down, all the while never saying a word.

"Pheebs, I think you broke him," I said but she only elbowed me in the ribs.

"How..." Leo stuttered out, his brows knitted in confusion.

"Uh, spirit realm, six months ago, you and Piper..." Phoebe trailed off before clapping her hands, "Leo, she's pregnant,"

Leo sighed, still in shock, "Why didn't she tell me?"

"Well, honestly, I think she knows how hard it was for you to leave one son behind. She didn't want to make it any harder,"

I pursed my lips, feeling sadness wash over me. I knew how hard it had been those first few weeks after Leo left. And of course, once Piper was back to normal. It was a difficult adjustment for us all.

Paige's phone rang then and she excused herself to answer it as Leo went on, "Why is he so mad at me?"

Phoebe shook her head before sitting down across from Leo, "I don't know, sweetie. He's real tight lipped about the future. It's a lot for you, huh?"

Leo made a face and Phoebe went on, patting his hand gently, "Well, uh, you gotta try to pull it together because we need you. Your family needs you,"

"Right. You're right,"

I smiled, "That's the spirit,"

"Well, uh, if I remember correctly, the Spider Demon's last victim was a wizard. So maybe I should go to magic school and see if there's something there that I can use to scry for him,"

"Okay, and what about Chris?"

"Check the Book of Shadows, I think there's an antidote,"

Phoebe nodded in response, "Okay... Welcome home."

Leo smiled slightly at her last words before orbing out of the Manor, off to magic school. And as for us?

We were off to find us a very large can of bug spray.