| Part 10 Christopher hesitated with his hand over the doorbell. Piper Cerrano had dropped out of the war about three years, and while everyone had questioned her motives, even Chris, over time he understood why she had. Jaina, who stood beside him, finally subdues to her habit of extreme impatience and with a sigh, reached over to slap the bell. A chime was heard inside and it was a moment before the door was lumbered slowly open by a young girl with a short bob of blond hair and thick bangs, glasses perfect for her face rimmed glowing silvery-blue eyes. �Hiya,� she said looking between them. Shock coursed through Christopher. The young girl had the eyes of a Tomorrow Person, eyes that the young girl hadn�t had when he had known her when she was very young. Since Piper had left the war about three years before, when the little girl was only two. Her eyes had been normal, human eyes, but it seemed that as time passed, they had become more and more silvery, more and more inhuman, more and more like the eyes of her mother, the eyes of a Tomorrow Person. Christopher felt as uneasy shiver go up his back as he realized that Shelby Cerrano was a latent TP, that at some point in her adolescence she would break out and it finally struck Christopher as to the reason why Piper had left the war. Jaina leaned down, hands on knees, and smiled at her. �Hi there sweetie, is your mommy home?� She asked sweetly, absentmindedly brushing her hair behind her shoulder. The little girl smiled and bobbed her head. A call was heard through the house, coming closer. �Shelby honey, who�s at the door?� After a moment, a blond woman of about thirty years of age appeared at the door. She ruffled her daughter�s hair and turned to her visitors and froze like a deer caught in headlights. Piper Cerrano hadn�t changed much. The strain of the war had lifted from her shoulders and all but disappeared from her eyes. Chris didn�t know what to do. He stood on the doorstep and let her order her thoughts. Her mind was surprisingly quiet, he wasn�t sure why, if it was strong shields or if it was something else. Jaina smiled at her. �Hi Piper.� She said. Piper�s eyes moved back and forth between them as she unconsciously moved closer to her daughter. �Christopher, Jaina, what are you doing here?� Chris gave her an uneasy smile. �Piper, we need to talk with you.� He said, one hand twitching nervously. /�Get a grip Chris.�/ Jaina ordered and he took a moment to relax, unsure as to exactly why he was so worked up. He guessed that it was because he had never honestly and truly asked for help. It had been a ploy, a tool to lure people in, but he had never really meant it. Piper looked between them and sighed, lowering her head as she put one hand on Shelby�s shoulder and steered her out of the way. �Would you like to come in?� She said softly, gesturing to the interior of the house. Christopher and Jaina settled onto one of the floral couches in the living room while Piper closed the door and went into the kitchen to get some refreshments. Shelby followed them and climbed into a chair that was much bigger than her and looked like it would swallow her up at any moment. She swung her little feet against the chair, eyes beaming. She looked like she was happy to have visitors. Her gaze focused on Jaina and she smiled. �You�re pretty.� She said. Jaina actually blushed, and Chris sent her an amused look. �Why thank you sweetie.� She said. �What�s your name?� Shelby asked, face full of childlike inquisition. �Jaina.� Shelby�s eyes brightened. �I like that name.� She said. �That�s pretty too.� Piper returned and set down a tray of drinks and cookies and settled stiffly into one of the other chairs in the bright, well decorated room. Silence descended over the room, uncomfortable, until Chris locked his gaze with Piper�s and gestured with his head to Shelby. Piper got the hint and turned to her daughter. �Shelby, honey, why don�t you go upstairs and play. Mommy needs to talk with these nice people for a while. Okay?� Shelby jumped out of her chair and moved over to give her mother a kiss on the cheek and a hug before skipping out of the room and up the stairs. Piper let out a sigh, a wistful look on her face, and turned to the two Darks on the couch. �You have a beautiful little girl Piper.� Jaina said. �Thanks.� She said. But then her face turned serious. �Okay, out with it Chris. What are you guys doing here?� Chris closed his eyes for a moment and licked his lips before speaking. �Piper, w-we need your help.� She scoffed. �Since when?� Jaina chucked and Chris elbowed her, shutting her up. �Sorry,� she said. He looked back at Piper with cold, troubled eyes. �We�re in a bad situation. We�ve lost two of our most powerful TP�s, one a Grey, the other our leader who had a rare crisis of conscience and lost his powers.� Piper�s eyes widened. �I�ve been out of the loop for the most part, but I�m assuming that you�re talking about Jake Ciarana if I�m not mistaken?� Chris nodded. �He broke out after you left. How do you know that?� Piper shrugged. �I hear things every once in a while.� She said. �And his twin sister Nathalie, the ones that the prophesy talks about. I suppose that she has broken out also.� �Yes,� he said. �About a week ago. Jake has lost his powers and is with her, a liability. I�m finally in charge. The traitor Grey Morgan DiPietro has gone to the Lights as well. Either one could tell the Lights where our ship is and them we�re gonna be in deep trouble.� Piper started shaking her head vehemently. �I�m sorry that you came all this way Chris, but I can�t help you.� �Piper, I--� She cut him off. �I can�t leave. You saw Shelby, she�s a latent. I had hoped that she would have taken after her father, but she hadn�t. I can�t leave her without a mother.� She held up a hand, sensing that he was planning on making some assurance that nothing would happen to her. �You can�t know that.� She said sternly. �I was fighting that war before you both broke out. It�s dangerous. I barely managed to survive. I can�t go back and take the chance that I�ll die. I want to be there for my daughter when she breaks out. I�ve built too much here over the last few tears to throw it all away.� Chris understood that, and couldn�t really blame her, but theses were desperate times. �I understand your reluctance Piper, but really, there is no other way.� Piper uncrossed her legs and leaned forward in her seat. Her voice was controlled, volume low so as not to alarm Shelby. Still, it was clipped and stern. �Look, Chris, it�s nice to see you, really it is, and I wish that it was under better circumstances, but you came here for nothing. I can�t help. I haven�t even used my powers in the last two years.� /That�s why her mind was so quiet./ Piper answered seemingly before she even realized what she was doing. �Yes it is.� Christopher smiled meaningfully and Jaina giggled glared at them. �See what you did!� She exclaimed, then ducked her head and glanced over her shoulder, then returned the angry glare to him. �You can�t escape your destiny Piper. You are a Tomorrow Person and you are obligated to help in this war.� Chris said. �I have escaped this war for three years and I mean to keep doing it.� Piper said stubbornly. �And I think that its about time that you guys left.� Christopher sighed and motioned to Jaina to get to her feet. �I hope you reconsider Piper.� He said. His eyes darted to the doorway that led to the stairs and saw a tiny blond head and a silvery-blue eye peeking around the doorway. �It was nice to see you.� Together they teleported from the room, and Chris knew that Shelby had seen it. * * * Piper slammed one hand down on the seat beside her and called out. �Use the door next time.� She swiped one hand over her face, and leaned back in the chair with a sigh. /Damn you Christopher Murray! She thought, as her thoughts wandered back to a time where teleporting out of danger at the last possible second had given her an amazing rush. She tried to force her thoughts back to the present, but they were going anyway. As set in her convictions as she had led Chris to believe, she *was* intrigued with the idea. /But it�s *not* possible./ �Mommy?� Piper whirled around and pushed her hair out of her face. �What is it honey.� She asked, quickly pushing back her worry. �Where did they go?� She asked coming into the room and looking wide-eyed at her. �They had to leave Shelby.� Piper told her gathering her daughter up into her lap. �No, Mommy,� she said sternly, sticking out her lower lip stubbornly. �They were there, then they were gone.� Ice trailed its way down Piper�s spine. �You saw them go?� She asked, cursing Chris and Jaina silently again. Shelby nodded fiercely. �How did they do that?� �It�s magic honey.� She said quickly. She had used that excuse often enough when her telekinetic powers suddenly came to life in her daughter�s presence, and her five year old daughter believed it. Shelby nodded. �I wanna learn magic like that.� She said, still wide-eyes with wonder. Piper patted her back softly, the whole time staring off into space, mind reeling. /You will honey, you will./ She thought sadly, rubbing small circles on her daughter�s back. /Unless�the war is over and the ships are destroyed. Or one is still ther and she breaks out but there is not fighting./ Either way it meant that she had no choice but to go back to the Darks and help end the war. Piper felt a tear slip down her cheek and reached up to swipe it away. Shelby turned her head and looked up at her. She reached up her small hand and brushed at her face. �Why are you crying Mommy?� She asked. �Are you sad?� Piper tried to chuckle and gave her a weak, but warm smile. �I�m happy sweetie.� She lied for inside her heart was breaking. She sensed with an almost premonition-like reality, that this would be one of the last times that she would be able to hold her daughter and just spend time with her. She had to wait for her husband to come home from work to break the news to him and she shuddered to think of his reaction. He was a sap, he knew all about her life, and the war, but Corey Cerrano was immensely critical of it, and extremely worried about her. He was another major reason that she had left the war. Shelby smiled up at her. �You�ll be okay Mommy.� Piper was speechless, and just hugged her close. �I know sweetie. I will.� |