Ch.26

Hours after Piper left the room I felt Leo return and a little later becoming an elder. It wasn't much longer before I felt the Titans show up and I appeared next to the fight cloaked in deaths cloak. When they fell in the pit Piper opened up, I threw my soul swords faster than most beings could perceive and felt the rush as they pierced both titans just after the pit closed.

I absorbed both Titan's powers and strength into myself and added them to my own. Their immortality was stronger than my previous one for this body. Now I sighed and went back into Pandora's room while Piper went off to do her own thing and Leo took Paige and Phoebe's powers back.

Phoebe had been the goddess of the hunt and Paige was the goddess of war. Phoebe stopped by to see me holding a sleeping Pandora and smiled from the doorway. "Hey you."

I returned her smile. "Hey love. How did it go?"

She sighed. "Well the titans are gone and the goddess powers I had but Piper went awol."

I nodded. "Then you'll need to find her. If she still has her powers over nature then she'll be at the center of this storm that's forming. You'll need to talk to her and convince her that her humanity is where her true power lays. Borrowed power isn't the same as power that you've obtained on your own or by your own merits. It'll consume her if she lets it."

She nodded seriously. "I'll go speak to Paige."

Smiling I told her. "I love you."

She sighed. "I love you too."

She disappeared around the doorway and was off to help her sister find her other one. Soon enough I felt the powers of nature enter my body. I hid it from even the other avatars as I took it into my soul essence and made it my own so that no one could remove it. I realized then that the jar that housed the essence of the gods would be the quickest way to reach the full understanding of this world's laws.

As for the god whose boy lay in space, I can only assume it is Heremus as his inner world that made up the demonic wasteland was so much like mine only it was dead and housed no world tree. That meant it was the origination of all the demonic powers and probably the origins of both the angels and demons. Only the witches and magical creatures of the world originated with the all and the first witch.

Theoretically that made the grand design the former gods own way of reviving himself and that I couldn't let happen. I'd have to bring both the demons and angels down but only when I was prepared to offer the world a suitable replacement for what the whitelighters and angels did as well as the demons.

Perhaps when I took in the all I'd have a solution. Until then though I'd have to get stronger and damned if I wasn't doing so at the moment as my body hit another peak of physical power as my invincibility took on a whole new meaning. I had to hide the changes and keep it from the collective but that wasn't hard as I was already hiding the other powers of a nature god.

Things got weird the next day as Piper started acting strangely and not even grieving Leo's decision to stay up in the upper plane. She was acting like it was no big deal and even though I knew how and why it was still creepy to see in person.

Her psychotically chipper attitude only got worse and worse over the next few months until finally Paige and Phoebe had enough of it. I'd been helping them by taking away the demons powers so that they could vanquish them and I was even training Chris on how to heal and and use his omni-linguistics.

Phoebe had advanced a lot further in her martial arts and combat training as well as weapons training. I only ever took time out from helping them to take care of Pandora and go on play dates to watch over her with the creepy Piper.

So I really was relieved when they vanquished the Trok demon. They dived headfirst into helping Piper until they found out Leo was missing this entire time. I heard Chris asking for my help but I only suggested he deal with them honestly for once as it really would help his case.

At this rate it couldn't hurt at least. He ignored my advise and I brushed him off like he had me. They ended up finding Leo on a cloaked island called Valhalla. It was run by amazons and they'd managed to sneak in and see him before making it back after Leo saved them and sent them for help.

Paige did a memory spell on Piper trying to get her in the right frame of mind to remember and be motivated to save Leo but it backfired and erased her memories. Instead Chris had gone off to get the amulets and told Paige and Phoebe to find a warrior's soul.

So when Phoebe came to me asking. "Can we borrow your soul honey?"

I merely sighed. "Sure, what do you need it for? Or is it a surprise?"

She looked a bit sad saying. "We've got a plan to get Leo back but we need a warrior's soul. I couldn't think of a stronger more fierce warrior then the one I married."

I smiled. "Give me a second to shed my mortal body. It's a process with all my powers."

I went into meditation and effectively killed myself in a way. My body was still alive and would continue to function but I was no longer inside it. Instead I set it on standby after a fashion and it would only react to threats to Pandora while we were gone.

I stood before her outside my body in spirit form and she uncapped a small soul container jar, sucking me in. It took a while and I had to keep my soul from expanding and shattering the container but it worked after a fashion.

The next thing I knew I was being released and presented to the Valkyries as a warrior spirit. I showed them my Viking warrior side and remained cold and aloof while staring the head Valkyrie down with battle intent and bloodlust that would quell most demons.

She looked really exited as I was clearly a superior warrior compared to what she was used to getting. She told them. "Put him in the ring so he can prove himself. Well done indeed."

They tried shoving me in but the moment they touched me, I broke out, knocking both valkyries out and beating the warriors into the ground that they had standing guard. They sent more Valkyries but it was Freyja who spoke up. "Warrior, you must prove your worth in the ring before you're aloud out. Go in now or I'll be forced to absorb you."

I growled at her but went into the ring and the Valkyries locked the cage behind me after tossing in a sword and shield. I picked them up before their champion came in. I was solid now though still a spirit so it wouldn't be hard for me to beat Leo.

When we clashed I had to rethink that as he showed a bit of skill and a whole lot of ruthlessness. Smiling, I shook my head. "Sorry friend, this is going to hurt, a lot."

I proceeded to beat him black and blue across the cage and even knock his helmet off. When I stabbed him in the gut I heard Piper react and taking that as a good sign I felt a slight bit of pity for him as I basically spent the next ten minutes torturing him in the ring until he was unable to move and my sword was at his throat.

I growled. "Yield or die!"

When he didn't yield I swung my blade and stopped when Piper and Freyja yelled at the same time. "Stop!" "Don't kill him!"

I backed away and looked at the Valkyries. "Oh? You said I had to show myself by winning. If he doesn't yield then he has to die so I can win. Or are you expecting me to die in his stead? Well? A warriors words are their oaths so unless you intend to go back on them then he must yield or die."

Freyja looked complicated as I'd shoved her into a tight spot. Warriors respected strength and the words of their comrades. To lie meant you weren't worthy of respect. Even if you occasionally lost a fight you could always train more and get stronger but a warriors words were their bonds, to break them meant you no longer saw those before you as worthy of the truth.

I turned back to Leo with my sword over his throat and asked Freyja. "What'll it be? Do I kill him and win like you said, or are you an oath breaker."

I gave her a cold look while even Leo looked towards her through his one good eye. Piper was showing emotions again and the Valkyries other than her sisters were too busy worrying about what Freyja's answer would be. She returned my look before saying. "I make the rules of the arena not you. Leave him be."

I didn't hesitate to turn and throw my sword, burying it into her throne an inch from her head. "Oath breakers words mean nothing. You set the rules and now wish to change them because your champion lost. You aren't worthy to lead the warriors here before you or anywhere else."

She looked but punched and I turned to the 'Valkyries' that had brought me here. "Take me back to my body so that I might pass on in peace. This place is a den of liars and oath breakers."

Freyja spoke up. "You can't leave-"

I pulled out my soul swords and sliced through her cage's magic's as I made a door of my own, destroying the barrier it made. "Watch me. If anyone Valkyrie or warrior stands in my way, they'll join the gods permanently."

The warriors backed away looking at Freyja with disappointment and waiting for her decision. Seeming that I meant it and that consuming my soul might mean many deaths if she could pull it off, she told them. "Let him go. You three take him back."

I'd already replaced Leo with an illusion that would hold and put him in my inner world until we got back. Phoebe, Piper and Paige led me back through a portal and I jammed the location to keep them from following us through with another portal.

They wouldn't realize Leo wasn't there for a day at least as his illusion would act like him and trick them for a time. Back at the manor I released Leo and watched the sisters take off the amulets. Piper then had a row with Leo while I went back to my body and took Phoebe on a date while Paige was left to watch Pandora.

Leo got to take his anger out on Chris before we left and I stopped him after catching the boy. Leo went for him again and I shoved him back saying sternly. "ENOUGH!"

Leo asked. "You'd defend him after what he did?"

I shook my head. "First of all, you've no proof it was him that did it. Second of all you left your wife and child when you decided to become an elder so I could give a rats ass if he shoved you into a cage on an island. If I'd been there you'd have a hell of a lot harder time then fighting would be warriors for that stunt. You think you were giving up just your kid and wife? You were giving up your entire family you self centered prick!"

The entire room went silent. I'd very rarely gotten angry and never with family but he'd crossed a line. I turned to Chris. "Go help Paige change Pandora and if you mouth off again I won't stop him from giving you a good beating. None of this is funny so wipe the smirk off your face before I give you one instead."

I turned back to Leo. "You abandoned us all with your choice and now that we've saved you, by which I literally died to do so, all you can think about is who sent you there? Life's unfair, why me? Boo fucking hoo. You haven't seen your son in months and your wive has literally been under your spell for all that time slowly becoming psychotically happy."

"I've had to go with her on every play date just to make sure she doesn't loose her shit and slaughter a bunch of defenseless children. You want to talk about blame, blame your damned self for choosing to leave in the first place!"

Leo looked at me like he wanted to maul me but he clearly knew he wasn't a match for me and deep down knew I was right. Sighing I told him. "Spend some time with your kid and wife or don't. By now it matters not. Either piss off back to your fluffy cloud or stay and clean up your own damn messes and take some damned responsibility."

I turned to Piper. "If you want him to get another beating you'll have to do it yourself. I've done enough violence today and it's time I take Phoebe out away from all this drama. I'll watch the kids tomorrow so you can have a sisters day out if you'd like."

She smiled sadly. "Thanks."

I nodded and turned to Phoebe, holding out my arm and escorting her out for dinner and dancing before a moonlight walk on the beach. When we finished our evening with a very much needed bout of vigorous sex, she'd especially taken a moon potion for tonight.

When she was too tired and satisfied to walk, I flame traveled us to bed and tucked her in before grabbing a shower and checking on Pandora. I watched her for most of the night, occasionally changing and feeding her before rocking her back to sleep.

Several weeks later Phoebe was having trouble adjusting to her new empathic abilities so we spent some time in the basement together while I helped her finish mastering her Occlumency.

When she was able to achieve the void and use it to master her empathic ability, I told her a secret. "All powers that have manifested from magic require intent so they also require some basic form of emotions to use. Since you can tap into peoples emotions, you can tap into their powers as well. You are in fact always more powerful then anyone you'll ever face so long as their powers rely on emotions to use."

I began showing her my emotional spectrum and how I use the powers I have then I had her begin tapping into my powers as we trained. Soon enough I had to take her into my inner world to train for fear of her blowing up the manor.

In the end I showed her that so long as she used the bridge I'd built to her mind, she'd always be able to tap into my powers no matter the distance. I of course had to hide my avatar and god powers but the rest she was free to use including portals to the past.

When we finished her training she was called into the office for a meeting with her editor Elise and told to bring a hard copy backup of her article as their servers had crashed.

Later that evening she asked me what I knew about dragons and I directed her to the fantastic beasts and where to find them book on the attic library shelf. Much later I felt her using my powers in the manor and not going easy either until I heard her call for me.

I came to her side and saw the cleaners. I scowled and asked her. "What's wrong?"

She told me. "They're trying time take Wyatt because he summoned a dragon from the tv and exposed magic."

I sighed. "Then they can leave empty handed."

The cleaners looked to me wearily but still confident. "You don't have the authority to stop us from doing our work."

I nodded. "Perhaps not, but I do have the power to make your lives a living hell, quite literally in fact. If it's about the dragon and exposed magic, I'll take responsibility and clean it up. But if you have ulterior motives just know that neither side backing you can protect you from me. You may be able to rewrite history but I can erase you like you erase evidence of magic."

I pulled out my blades and they both looked a lot less sure of winning. I told them coldly. "Leave now and I'll clean up this mess and forget your intentions to break up my family. Stay and you'll find out where those you erase go first hand."

My demeanor had changed completely as I wasn't joking or playing around. I'd have to take them seriously even as an avatar and god because they could literally rewrite the past, making things incredibly difficult for me even as I am now.

They nodded and straightened their ties. "Very well. But know this, you'll be responsible for the child's magical exposure from now on."

I shrugged. "Unlike you idiots I couldn't give a rats ass if magic is exposed. My power isn't dependent on it staying a secret as no one and nothing can take it from me."

They left in a blink like fashion and I did a massive repairo charm followed up by the obliviation charm on the entire city. They'd forget anything that had to do with the dragon and all the stuff in the city effected by it had been repaired to as good as new.

I flew down from the clouds above where I'd performed the magic's and landed in the backyard, invisible. There I revealed myself and told them it was done. The next morning Paige ran off to her new temp job to help a friend deal with her pervert boss.

Leo had hung around a bit to try and repair his relationship with everyone but I'd finally told him. "It's not me you need to speak to. It's the sisters, our wives. If they can each forgive you then I can as well. I don't hate you Leo, I hate your choices. You worked so hard to build a solid relationship with Piper and in the end you threw it away for power."

He frowned. "That's not what happened!"

I shook my head. "It's not what you think I'm sure, but it's what I know. There will always be whitelighters and elders Leo. You choosing to become one won't really change anything as the battle for good and evil is eternal. Without conflict humans can't grow and learn morals to be good and without good chaos would rain as humanity is killed off by it's own lack of self control. A never ending cycle and one you've chosen over your own family."

His frown deepened. "Being an elder is more than that it's-"

I waved him off. "It's about inspiring people to be good, I agree but if you weren't one, another would be in your place doing just as much good in their own way. You change the details but the effect is the same. Like I said, you chose the power to make change over your own family. "

"At least as a whitelighter you chose family above everything, a truly remarkable sentiment I shared. But now you'd pretend you aren't hurting your wife and leaving your child to grow up fatherless because you think yourself so important that no one else can do the job you're doing. You've made the wrong choice Leo, this time you've chosen duty over family. Ask any military veteran who has family and you'll find they have tons of regrets. All for the same mistake you've made. Like I said, if they can forgive you, then you'll not find an argument with me."

I left him to think on my words and headed to meditate. A week later three small time witches tried to steal the book of shadows only to end up actually grabbing mine and one of them dying on the spot. They flipped out as the second one had grabbed it to try and keep it from killing the first and died with her.

The last remaining one was killed by my bots and her body burst as if vanquished as well. It really was a dumb move on their part or a smart move on Chris's part as he'd convinced the sisters to only leave mine out and to hide theirs under an illusion on the book shelf.

Evil witches really were dumb, though the blonde did suit them if it were merely a stereotype. I spent the next several weeks winning and dining Phoebe while letting her sleep in while I was on diaper duty as well. I enjoyed seeing her happy and I'd even used a bit of sex magic to intensify our coupling and prolong our already very generous orgasm times.

She had no problems with magic in the bedroom so long as it brought both of us pleasure without personal gain and I was more than happy to demonstrate it all. It wasn't until Paige interrupted us on the ceiling that we calmed down in that area.

It was ok though as we'd only stopped using it for positions. She'd actually come in without knocking because she'd needed Phoebe's help and wanted to bring two witch families that were feuding on her latest temp job together and wanted Phoebe to use her empathic abilities to mediate.

She at least had the decency to look away while we floated down to get dressed. Though the constant ewwing was a bit over dramatic. When Phoebe was back on the bed and dressed, I kissed her goodbye saying. "I'll watch Pandora and Wyatt while you three are busy. Do hurry back though, I want to see if we can achieve a ten hour long orgasm next."

Cue more ewwing from Paige and Phoebe'd been whisked away by her sister who clearly had no sense of privacy. Phoebe looked back at me reluctantly while she was being dragged away and I smiled at her before flame traveling to Wyatt's room to bring him and Pandora together.

To my surprise, Leo was there already. "I came to get Wyatt so he and Pandora can play together in the play pin outside. You're welcome to join us unless you want some more father son bonding time?"

He sighed. "No, that's ok, I think I'm gonna follow up on who trapped me on the island. The other elders want me to stick around until I found out who it was."

I shrugged. "Suit yourself. Come here Wyatt, we're going outside to play with Pandora."

He orbed into my arms and I chuckled. "He's growing and learning fast. I've no doubt he'll be learning to heal or speak soon enough."

I gave Leo pointed looks before orbing both Wyatt and myself to Pandora's room. There I picked her up with telekinesis and held her with my other arm before orbing outside to the play pin by the pool.

After I set them down inside, I waved a hand and replaced the pool water with sea water and put a barrier around it before I summoned a bunch of sea creatures both magical and not for them to look at while they played.

I sat down and meditated after putting the umbrella in place above their play pin. I had the house elves bring them snacks and prepare lunch for them while they both giggled and played with the fake sea creature toys and the real ones inside the pool responded in kind.

When the families were done inside and storming out angrily, I sent the sea creatures back and cleaned the pool before turning the water back into chlorinated pool water and not sea water.

Phoebe and the feast came outside after a while and watched the babies while complaining about what they were supposed to do with a pissed of ghost and two idiot families.

I merely opened my eyes long enough to tell them. "Remember, ghosts are only temporary, they can move on at any time so long as they let go of their resentments. As for the families. I can sense their hostilities and I wouldn't be surprised if they attacked each other tonight in force to end one another. You'll have to think of a solution for that on your own as charmed ones. Just remember that it's your compassion that makes you powerful, not any form of magic."

Leo who'd been listening spoke up. "Careful there, you're starting to sound like an elder yourself."

I rolled my eyes. "Hardly. Elders aren't the only ones who can understand the value of wisdom. Besides, I'd never abandon my family so I can't become one anyway. Not to mention I'm basically neutral and would kill the elders just as quick as any demon if they attacked."

I stood up and lifted both babies with telekinesis and made them fly to my arms before saying. "I'm gonna take them to see my parents and maybe summon grams and Patty to play with them a bit. Call for me if you need anything otherwise Phoebe can access my powers when in danger."

Phone kissed me and I backed away after returning the kiss and orbed to the Greengrass estate in France my parents had moved to so that they could retire from the wizarding world. Both Harry and my sisters were visiting as well when they saw me appear with the babies.

I introduced them to Pandora and Wyatt while telling Pandora it was her grandparents. She orbed into her grandma's arms and I handed Wyatt to Harry while I summoned Penny and Patty to spend some time with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Both sides got along rather well considering one was dead and the other was from a bigoted society and time where it was common to make arranged marriages. Harry bounces Wyatt on his knee while Wyatt giggled and played with a charmed mini dragon.

Pandora was getting a lot of love and attention of her own as well. Both sets of grandparents were playing and cuing over the babies to their satisfaction, while my sisters were pinching cheeks and making rainbows and stuff appear to make the babies giggle more.

I meditated there until it was time to return as they'd solved the family problem but only after many on both sides were dead. Paige had ended up possessed by the spirit and causing a bigger commotion before it was ejected and passed on. Only a handful on both sides of the families were alive now and that's with Phoebe healing what she could with my powers.

I set the babies down for the night and asked them for the full story. Damned if I hadn't regretted it. Feuding between two families wasn't my forte as most of the time it was my own family feud that was going on.

Phoebe and I returned to our fun a little later and it lasted a good two weeks before an upper level demon named Gith showed up. I watched the sisters deal with him and Chris go to him for help afterwards as they were all too focused on their normal lives for his liking.

When Gith turned on Chris, I was there to take away his powers like Chris asked me to be. I pulled the sisters out of the alternate realities as Chris vanquished Gith for good. Leo was of course suspicious, but I merely lied to him saying in front of them. "I'm the one who helped Gith take you into the alternate realities."

Phoebe looked displeased. "Why?"

I sighed. "Chris came to me for help asking for my advice on how to give you all perspective so I went to Gith and helped him pull you into realities made from your own hidden and unfulfilled desires. I wanted you to see that the paths your walking are diverging from your original path and are pulling and straining each of you as you're desperately clinging to each want like it's going to disappear."

I turned to Paige. "You need to relax. Magic is and always will be a big part of your life but you don't need it to consume your life and every waking moment."

Next I turned to Piper. "You need to realize that magic isn't all terrible. You're the charmed ones and with it comes the bad magic and disasters sure, but a lot of good has come from it as well. It brought you and Leo together, it brought your sisters and you together and it gave you a beautiful baby boy. Not to mention the fact that it brought Phoebe and I together and with that Pandora, your niece, was born. Your pessimism about magic can ruin your outlook on the fact that it is the very foundation of wonder and beauty in this world."

I turned to my wife and sighed. "You've been using your empathic abilities too much at work. So much in fact that the reality you went into was the one Jason wanted, not you. It's ok to use it to help people deal with their issues but don't try to use it to please others or yourself. Personal gain still affects you in negative ways."

Leo spoke up. "They could've been killed!"

I snorted. "Hardly. I was watching the entire time and when I felt it was time for them to come out, I told Chris to make the potion to vanquish the demon. He was only trying to help me teach the girls a valuable lesson. Life isn't about wants though it's ok to have dreams and desires, it's about living in the now and not worrying about the future or what you can or cannot change."

"Even Chris needs to learn that lesson. While you Leo, need to make your own decisions and stick with them. You've chosen to be an elder and yet you're hanging around every moment worried about the family you chose to abandon. Now you're trying to pawn off charges on Chris and popping in to see Wyatt and Piper while judging Chris on every single move he makes to help the girls."

"You are going to make it so much harder when you finally do return to up there and leave both Wyatt and Piper as broken and in pain as they were before all over again. Your decisions to be here are negatively effecting everyone as you insist on staying an elder. In the end you're opening up old wounds for your own selfish desires."

I turned to Phoebe. "I'll be watching Pandora, if you care to join me?"

She nodded and turned to Leo after taking my hand. "He's right Leo. You can't have it both ways and micromanage our lives. Although I'm not exactly happy he was working with a demon, at least he knew what he was doing and how he was affecting us all."

I flame traveled us both to Pandora's nursery room. There I picked up our daughter and sat on the sofa playing peekaboo with her. Phoebe sighed. "Was it really you that helped the demon capture us?"

I shrugged. "I'm a way yes. It's more like I didn't interfere until there was danger. Either way it was the same intentions and he did in fact ask me to make sure you all stayed safe and to interfere if Gith got the upper hand or tried anything."

She nodded. "Then why didn't you-"

I stopped her sighing. "Because of Leo. He's assuming that what Chris does is always with evil intentions. In reality he just wants to desperately help each of you. I believe him when he says he's here to help and I've agreed to help him do so while keeping you girls safe. Think of me like his backup plan that if all else fails, I pull his and your asses out of the fire."

"Lately you've been so wrapped up in work that even I've become confused with what you are actually feeling. You've been drawing to many emotions of others in to get ahead and it feels wrong even to me. I'm worried for you Phoebe. Work is healthy but you've started to prioritize it over your own feelings and that of our daughter and me."

She sighed and sat down next to me while laying her head on my shoulder. "I'm sorry. It's just that I've been trying to speed things up to help everyone feel the way I feel when I look at you both. I want to share this feeling with the world."

I chuckled. "That's good but all I ask is that you pace yourself. Even god took a day off after building the earth and that's only one small planet in the vast universe he built. He had to have his own downtime while doing it all. And he wasn't even married. Hell, he stayed and prioritized his children over making more planets for a while as well."

She kissed my cheek. "You're right. I'll talk to Jason and Elise about taking more time for myself and you two. Work is important but family is everything."

I chuckled. "That it is. You'll also need some down time with your sisters. Besides, do you really want your own talk show or do you want to give advice and not actually become a sitcom for women who use it for an excuse not to get out of the house and enjoy themselves? I meant what I said, life is about living and your job was meant to help people, not to become famous."

She looked up to me and I sighed. "I'll support you either way love. If you want fame I'll make you as famous as Oprah. But if you want to actually help people, then you already know what to do."

She rolled her eyes. "Oprah helps people!"

I chuckled. "I know, and there's already plenty of Oprah's in the world. Through your newspaper you were helping the people her influence couldn't reach without a donation. The people who were truly desperate and down on their luck. I can't say it's always rewarding but you were making a difference in your own way. This talk show thing was Jason's idea and while it's good to spread your name around, you'll eventually be wrapped up in it and forget those you were helping just like in the alternate reality."

She sighed and nodded. "I'll think about it."

I smiled. "That's all that I ask. Now, little Dora has a present for mommy and daddy needs a shower."

I handed our daughter to her and she made a face but I only chuckled and headed for my shower. Two weeks later I found Chris and Leo arguing in an ally way after saying goodbye to Phoebe and leaving Pandora with Wyatt as Piper said she'd watch them both today.

Just when I was about to make my presence known they both went into the time portal they were standing next to. I jumped in after them but I must've been to late to enter their time because I ended up back in the Hadean eon. The world around me was all molten rock and meteor strikes were happening.

I flew up into space and orbited around the planet. I estimated myself to be around four point five billion years in the past. There was no magic around now to recover my own if I wasted it so I searched out and soon enough I found what I was looking for. It was Heremus's corpse floating in space, clearly already dead.

I cloaked myself and sat on his head that was the size of a star and went into a deep state of meditation. Cloaking barely drew off of my energies and I could really use this time to strengthen my own mind and repair it. I would simply arrive back on earth when I sensed Leo and Chris and go with them back to the future.

Time was as fluid now as any other period and it passed without complications. My mind became a cohesive whole as I remade it more solid and sturdier then ever before. All of the creatures, beings and things I made to defend it were as powerful as I'd sensed the source and the Hallow was.

All the beings in fact were boosted with the fruits of power from my world tree as they were set to defend my mind and work together to end any threat. My thought process sped up as I used the layout of the Lantean world ship I'd made out of city ships interconnected around a black whole to fuel them in the stargate reality.

I'd retained my memories from there thank Lucifer and I'd used them and all I'd learned over my long existence to strengthen not only my mind but to fortify my inner world as well. I'd used the eternal spring waters to water my world tree, leaving enough for myself and Phoebe to drink when we were ready.

The world tree seemed to enjoy the waters as the golden apples seemed to shine a bit and dew collected on the leaves. It had only taken a billion years to repair my mind fully, better then ever before. I spent the next three billion years absorbing the essence left behind in Heremus's body.

It made my own essence much stronger and purer as I made it my own completely. By the time dinosaurs became a thing on earth, I'd absorbed all I dare to take without collapsing the corpse and altering history. Plus I'd felt the powers Heremus had once had before starting to stir a bit.

So I headed to earth ahead of schedule and made myself a cave to meditate in peace in. On occasion I'd shrink a dinosaur outside and toss it into my inner world for later, in stasis of course.

By the Jurassic period I'd had quite the collection and when Leo and Chris finally fell through the portal, I was ready to leave. I appeared behind them in a flash of flames but they were already running froM the T-Rex. Annoyed, I tossed the T-Rex into my inner world as well and eventually they found me.

I can't say I hadn't changed by the time they saw me as I'd been nude from my clothes rotting off and my hair and nails had grown to freakish proportions so I'd cleaned up a bit by the time they found me by the portal in my everyday clothes with my hair cut and spiked like usual.

I waved at them. "How's it going? Did you two enjoy the chase? Because I'll be damned if I'm waiting here much longer."

Leo asked. "How did you get here?"

I snorted. "I followed you two through hoping to stop you idiots only to find myself four billion years in the past and the planet on fire. I had to wait around as a volcano swallowed the portal creating this rock formation back then. I'm Damn glad I'm immortal or this would've sucked."

They were both clearly shocked but I didn't give them the time as I told them. "I felt the portal open once more and you two arrived so I came over to see how it was going and if you'd like to return with me to the future."

Chris asked. "Why didn't you return to the future with a time portal you can create yourself?"

I shrugged. "I needed time to repair the damage the Source did to my mind and to strengthen it so that it wouldn't ever happen again. This provided me the perfect opportunity. Besides, it's not like there's a lot of magic to draw from around right now and using that much energy of my own would weaken me for months. Times a bitch to play with after all."

I tilted my head. "Why didn't you come to me in the first place? I could've opened a portal much easier for you to use before."

Chris rubbed his head. "I forgot you had that power. It's not like you use it all the time in the future either."

I shrugged and touched the portal before locking it into place. "There, it'll take us to the future seconds after I entered it."

I stepped through and they followed. I waved a hand and covered the portal before saying. "There, now no one will stumble into it. It's locked so that only magical beings can enter now. Don't go playing with time Chris, it's a dangerous thing and unlike me you aren't powerful enough to survive a meteor impact or a volcano swallowing you."

I sighed. "By the way the reason I found you was because Paige lost an innocent to a demon and she could use some guidance."

He orbed away and I followed with my own brand of travel. Leo followed though I don't know if he was coming along or following Chris. As it turns out the innocent had sold his soul to a demonic soul trader in a Faustian deal.

Paige did her own thing and the sisters tried to stop her but in the end she'd sold her own soul to the soul trader, banking on her sisters coming to her rescue. We all went except Leo who stayed to watch the kids.

I froze the demons and time itself in the chamber, leaving only the soul trader and the girls free to move around. I drained the soul trader of his powers and all the demons as well, collecting a lot of powers.

Paige had Piper blow up the contract vault and they vanquished all the demons in attendance. When we returned home and Paige was back in her own body, I cleansed a specific power and gave it to Piper. "There, the soul trader could freeze time like you can. It's the same power so you'll be able to fuse them and advance your power and control over freezing time easily enough."

She raised an eyebrow and I nodded before she sighed. "Fine!"

I gave Prue the second power of telekinesis and her powers did advance as well. Nearly to the extreme as she'd tried it and destroyed the attic. I had to repair it all and told her to go on vacation somewhere private like an island or jungle and to practice there.

I recommended Piper do the same as both had dangerous powers on an increasingly massive scale. The rest of the powers i cleansed and put away for later with the rest of the stock.

Later that night I told Phoebe about my trip to the distant past and the years I'd spent healing my mind. My powers hadn't grown or evolved as there was no magic present back then because the primordial essence was still hidden and hadn't been found yet.

A month went by before I knew it and with it Excalibur came to rest in the attic to await Wyatt when he gets old enough to wield it, and Piper cured a very unfortunate man of his experiments with potions to make himself strong enough to protect his baby.

I gave him a few powers including enhanced strength and fire throwing to help him in his endeavors before sending him on his way with some baby supplies. He'd have no problems dealing with the demons after his child now.

Finally a woman attacked Chris, draining part of his powers until Piper stopped her. I followed Chris to meet her and when I revealed myself she bowed a bit and backed away from him. I folded my arms and asked. "Why are you so afraid of Wyatt and Pandora in the future?"

Bianca snorted. "Because you left us to that fate!"

I sighed. "I don't know the full circumstances nor do I really care so I'll make this simple. Heal Chris and you can stay here. I'll vouch for you and you and Chris here can make up for lost time."

Bianca frowned. "Then they'll just send more assassins from the future until they're all dead."

I shook my head. "I'll take a trip to the future in person and guarantee they don't. Listen, I'm not the same man who left the world to it's fate. That me doesn't exist anymore from the moment Chris came back. I am not going to let it turn out bad like it did before. I'll stop it this time even if I have to strip Wyatt and Pandora of their powers and leave them mortal."

She looked stunned and I sighed. "Just heal him up and take him to the sisters. I'll be back in a bit."

I waved a hand and opened a portal to twenty two years into the future and stepped through. I ended up in the attic where demons and an older Wyatt and Pandora stood.

Pandora spoke coldly. "Leave us! You can't do anything to him and you'll only die if you stay."

The demons fled and I looked over my daughter and nephew. They fidgeted nervously and I noticed Wyatt had Excalibur strapped to his waist. He sighed. "Hello uncle. You seem less worn down. I'm assuming you're from the past?"

I nodded. "That I am. So tell me, are you going to interfere in Chris and Bianca's affairs in the past again? Because if you are, I can spank you both here and now as I assume I must've done often as you grew up."

They shivered and Pandora spoke still in the void from what I could hear. "If we promise not to send them into the past, will you return to your time?"

I nodded. "That's all I'm here for, well, mostly anyway."

I held out my hand and the book of shadows flew into it. I tore out the time traveling spell and tossed the book to Wyatt. "No more time hijinks. I'm going to spank Chris for messing with time as well. Each of you know better as I wouldn't have let you grow up without those lessons. Time is-"

Wyatt finished. "-a fickle mistress. We know. It wasn't our decision to mess with time in the first place. We were only trying to correct Chris's mistakes before he changed to much."

I sighed and entered their minds forcefully. They both flinched as I erased the time travel spells from both their minds at the same time. I exited their minds and told them coldly. "I'll deal with Chris. If I see you messing with time again you'll wish I hadn't given you those powers before I left this reality."

I waved a hand and reopened a portal, this time to the past. I sighed. "Just know that no matter what you've done or plan to do, I love you both. You're my family and I will always love you. Even if you're a bit silly sometimes."

Pandora wavered a bit and I noticed a tear fall from Wyatt's eyes before I stepped through. They'd made their decisions and with Chris coming back he'd in essence already changed their futures, only it wouldn't change wholly until I acted. I returned to my time and closed the portal behind me.

When I looked around I saw Chris and Bianca sitting together while the sisters were looking at me. I chuckled. "Sorry, I had to sort out the future a bit. Bianca said they'd send demonic assassins back through time so I went forwards and too their only means of time travel away from them."

Piper asked. "And who are they?"

Chris tried to stop me but I waved a hand, stunning him. "They are Pandora and Wyatt. As it turns out some demons manage to turn Wyatt evil sometime in the future and being cradle buddies, he takes Pandora with him to the dark side. It's why Chris here has been so reluctant to tell you anything."

"It seems Pandora and Wyatt kill all but Phoebe and I. We left that dimension as all we cared about was gone and what remained was evil. He came back to change those events with his knowledge of the future. They in turn tortured his fiancé Bianca here, and sent her into the past to bring him back so he couldn't meddle anymore."

My revelations shocked everyone except Bianca. Even her torture had an effect on Chris. They asked their questions but I waved them off. "I don't know the whole story and nor do I care. The future isn't set in stone and neither is the past for that matter. It's best not to think of it and focus on. Time isn't something anyone should be meddling with so save the questions and ask yourselves in the future."

I walked over to Phoebe and hugged her murmuring. "It's ok. Now that I know, I won't allow her to go bad. It's ok I promise."

I held her and promised her everything would be fine as I'd make sure of it. Bianca spoke up. "That's all well and good but what happens to us now?"

I raised an eyebrow before sighing. "There's extra rooms in the house you can choose one of them on the opposite end of the house until we get to know you better. No killing mortals and absolutely no evil, got it?"

She twitched but Chris, who was released from my stunning spell spoke up hurriedly. "Got it. I'll keep her out of trouble."

I nodded. "Good, then that's settled. Just know I'll be keeping an eye on both of you in case you can't reign her in. Demons are fine to vanquish, but anything else will have you both dealing with me."

I turned to Leo and the rest. "Does that sound fair?"

They all nodded knowing I wasn't asking for permission but their acceptance. Leo sighed. "Just keep her away from the kids."

I agreed wholeheartedly to that sentiment and we all split up. I went to comfort Phoebe and watch over Pandora. I'd already stationed to cloaked elves by her side at all times as well as nearly three dozen bots, all cloaked in the room at all entrances and exits.

If one demon entered the room it'd be impaled and beheaded while the room filled up with spikes and a shield would be placed around the crib. It'd have to be an upper level demon or of equivalent power to even get passed the barrier I'd personally put around the room.

I'd even placed the same protections on Wyatt's room, bots and all, with Piper's permission of course. A few weeks of paranoia and constant demon slaying later and I'd even removed all the non usual magical items from the attic.

It was mostly Grams's stuff she'd spelled. I'd even found a few random spell books she thought not to add to the book of shadows. One included sibling spells for child rearing. I'd shown it to the girls for a laugh until they'd realized the spells were made for and used on them.

Chris was adamant about the demon hunting so much so that he'd been leading the charge. I'd gone with them each time, collecting powers. Finally I'd found a power I hadn't had before when I drained a green slime demon.

The power in question was a rare one called swallowing. It was a fearsome power that allowed one to swallow any physical or magical attacks against them into themselves like a personal inner dimension. It was also one I expected a certain race of cats in the marvel universe had.

I had to hide it from the avatars like all my absorbing abilities were. I'd no intention of sharing this power with them and making them insanely hard to defeat if I need to do so. Therefore I hid it in my inner world as a power ball for now. My beasts all protected it along with the world tree and the other powers it held.

When Piper blew up the slime demon it had only it's sensing abilities so it could no longer reform and was instead vanquished. I'd had to toss up a barrier to prevent Phoebe and I from getting goo on us while Piper, Prue and Chris were slimed.

Paige had missed the last five vanquishes and I was ready to call it a day. Phoebe and I had a date in Brazil where we'd be taking Pandora for a couple of days. Paige was already almost moved out at this point so it was going to be just Chris, Bianca and Piper in the house with Wyatt.

That is until she showed up when we got back to the house asking if she was late. I ignored Chris's urgent and snippy attitude telling him. "Make a list of demons and demonic groups you think might go after Wyatt and we'll knock them off when Phoebe and I return. Until then spends some time with your fiancé because even if we change the future, you aren't going back to it until I say so anyway."

He gasped like a fish and looked to Phoebe who shook her head. "Don't look at me. He rarely makes these sort of demands and he doesn't change his mind once he's made it up."

I orbed Pandora into my arms and grabbed Phoebe around the waist. "See you all in a month when it's Piper's birthday."

I flame traveled us to Rio de Janeiro. From there we spent the full month traveling Brazil and seeing different parts of the culture while I taught Phoebe Portuguese.

She caught on well enough and when we returned a couple days before Piper's birthday, I hid the gifts we picked up as well as the treasure I'd found while we explored a few temples only magicals could find.

It wasn't much more than a few non magical gold cat statues and a few gold and diamond accessories. But they each had value and we intend to give them to Piper for her birthday along with a party.

Pandora had been so good on the trip I was thinking of letting her join Wyatt in magic school when it came around. A couple days later Paige had gotten the idea to give Piper a dream guy for one day and had dragged both Phoebe and Prue into it.

Prue was already in a serious relationship with Neal and Phoebe was with me so it was a bit awkward to watch them make Mr.Right. He'd come out looking like a seriously handsome playgirl model from Latin descent.

It made me question Phoebe's taste and if I wasn't up to snuff. Though his physique wasn't near mine by any comparison, he was more culturally handsome. It was interesting to see Phoebe squirm when Paige asked. "Ok, who made him a Latin model?"

I'd merely raised my eyebrow at my wife and she'd blushed. "That would be me."

I asked in a neutral tone. "Is there something I oughta know love?"

Phoebe shook head. "What? No! No no, it's just I wanted Piper to experience what I have."

My gaze went cold and I growled as the house shook. "Who?"

The other sisters fled making excuses while Phoebe sighed. "That case out wrong. I meant the culture and romance you've been treating me to. I figured this was the easiest way to give her a living example of the beautiful country we visited."

I looked her over and calmed down. "Why didn't you just say so? I'd have brought her back a pool boy or something. Don't mess with me like that love. When it comes to you I am a very greedy man."