With a
tissue bunched to his nose, Chris leaned over the stand where the Halliwell
Book of Shadows was kept. He did not look up as he heard the familiar tinkling
and saw the blue and white sparkles that indicated someone was orbing in just in front of him. The last thing he needed
right now was a lecture from someone supposedly
older and wiser.
"I've been
looking all over for you, Chris. I thought we were going to go hit that demon
lair?" Wyatt bounced a glowing, white orb in his hand impatiently. "Don't tell
me you're actually starting to listen to Dad about reading up before heading
out. These are lower-level demons. We're more than a match for them." He closed
his hand around the glowing ball and squeezed it into nothingness.
"Uh-uh,"
Chris answered, rubbing the tissue at his nose. "I thought I remembered a spell
in here to rid a body of something unwanted..." He paused in his page-flipping and
his hand tightened as he pressed the tissue harder to his nose. "huhh-Shooo! Uhhh-Shoo! Snff! And I've definitely got something
unwanted. Snff! Snff! Extremely unwanted."
Wyatt
smirked and crossed his arms upon his chest. "Chris, I don't think there's a
cure for a cold in that book or any other. Besides, performing a spell on yourself? You definitely couldn't handle the payback for
personal gain."
"I'll
decide what I can or can't han...
handle." Chris was thrown forward, into the stand, lower arm resting on the
book. "hihhh-Choo! Snff! ahhh-hahShoo!" He cleared his throat and looked up at his older brother.
"It'd be for the greater good. I sure as Hell can't fight demons like this." He
straightened up as he rubbed his nose and orbed the tissue into the trashcan
across the room.
Wyatt
chuckled and went around the book. He waved a finger at it and it slammed shut.
At losing his place, and his plan, Chris sighed. Wyatt put his arm around
Chris' shoulder. "It's not a spell and it's not a cure, but I think I might
have something that will help."
"An ancient
magical object? Hehh-" He dug another tissue out of his
pocket. "uhhh-Shoo!" He cleared
his throat and sniffed again. The way he felt now, he wouldn't even be above
traveling back in time to try to head it off. "Or a potion?"
"A potion
of sorts," he said. Then he broke the news gently, "Mom's tea."
Chris
groaned and rubbed at his forehead, brown bangs falling against the back of his
hand. His mother's might be strong enough to do the trick, but it would not be
pleasant. In fact, he might have been better off with the repercussions from
using a spell for personal gain.
He reached
for the book again, but Wyatt laughed and held it closed with his free hand. "Hey,
do you want to kick some demon ass today or not?" Wyatt asked as he directed
Chris across the attic towards the door.
Chris
grinned. "Well, you can't do it without my help so I guess I'd better try it."
"Wait... I
wouldn't go that far!" Wyatt said, letting go of his brother and giving him a
playful shove towards the open attic door.
"Oh, I
would. Race you down." He orbed, leaving behind the words for his brother, only
two years his senior, "Try to keep up, Old Man."