What You Don't Know Sure Can Hurt

by Lunara Dragon

The Charmed Ones have been enjoying a demon light life since Cole Turner became their guardian. But there is a new force that is threatening to become the next Source. The way they plan on doing it however could cost the sisters the very powers that they have thought of getting rid of before. But what's the real price if this new power becomes The Source of the Underworld?

What You Don't Know; Sure Can Hurt

By Lunara

Prologue-

Author's Note: Bare with me on the longer title, it'll get shortened more than likely once I think of a better title. The Prologue is short but necessary for setting up the timelines and plot for the story.

This is the fourth story in my Charmed Negen series (formerly referred to as Charmed Lineage)

A loud blaring rang out, echoing off of the walls in the bedroom. Cole smacked the snooze button before lazily opening one eye to check the time. His alarm clock read 6 o'clock in the morning and he let out a low growl.

"It's time to get up," a female voice whispered in to his ear

"Remind me again why?" Cole grumbled in response

"We promised the sisters we'd help them set the party up. Your idea, not mine." Lillith answered back in response before pulling the covers off of Cole's slumbering form

Cole finally forced himself to sit up in their bed while watching Lillith pull the curtains open. His fiance was already holding a cup of coffee but was sipping it slowly and made a face before passing him the cup. He gladly took it but then looked at her curiously through half shut eyes. Cole then used his free hand to wipe the sleep from his face.

"Right. Melinda's birthday party. It is a big deal, she's turning one. Wow; has it really been that long already?" Cole mumbled in thought causing Lillith to smile

"Yep," She answered before walking out of the room to start packing stuff up while Cole got ready for the day. Cole set the cup of coffee down on the night stand before standing and looking at the calender. That meant it had been over a year since he became the Halliwell family's official guardian. It still just felt like yesterday that he was trying to prove to the sisters he deserved his redemption.

"Surreal," he whispered in to the quietness before walking to his dresser to pull out a clean change of clothes

Halliwell Manor

Piper and Leo had already been up for awhile with Paige. Phoebe and her girls were on gift duty while Piper was on cooking duty. Paige had agreed to help before going in the early afternoon to pick up Melinda's cake.

"I can't believe my niece is already one," Paige muttered as she helped Piper start to pull out different ingredients from the pantry.

"Hey I was just saying that not that long ago about the twins. Where has the time gone?" Piper asked her younger sister

The two laughed but had a melancholy look on their face. The Charmed Ones had enjoyed a demon light existence since appointing Cole Turner and Lillith as their guardians. The Elders still had never assigned a new white lighter to the Halliwells, but Leo was trying to see if he could teach Lillith how to help her healing powers to progress.

Phoebe and Coop were expecting their third daughter. The sisters while enjoying their normal lives, marveled at how even without magical interference it still seemed to fly by them at certain intervals. Paige continued to pull things out and set them on the counter for Piper while the older sister started to get things in the oven that needed to cook for awhile and get the harder items out of the way.

"Leo, watch it. You're hanging that to low!" Piper yelled out causing both her husband and Paige to jump

"You'd think after years of marriage I'd learn by now. But no, I still volunteer for this every time!" Leo yelled out in answer

"What?" Piper snapped

"I mean, yes my love," Leo said in a sarcastic tone before winking at his wife. Paige tried to hide a snicker behind a yawn before turning away from Piper and pouring herself another coffee.

Turner Condo

Once Cole had showered and dressed for the day he found Lillith in their kitchen drinking a cup of tea. Sitting atop their table was a huge wrapped package with a bright yellow bow. They had bought a few outfits for Melinda, a few toys, and a magical orb. Cole had insisted on the miniature crystal ball because she couldn't orb like her brothers and when she got older it would provide her with the means for magical transport. It was spelled by Maria and Prue so that she could get to the Manor no matter where she was at.

"So," Cole began before taking the seat across from Lillith "Want to tell me why you're skipping the coffee? That'd be like Piper passing up a chance to cook."

"Upset stomach," Lillith answered with a shrug "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes. Will you be ok? I don't want you giving the kids a stomach bug," Cole prodded

"Give it up you Ass. You have the same suspicions as I do," Lillith said with a teasing glare before orbing out of the kitchen without another word.

Cole walked over picking up the oversized package while trying to fight the grin that was splitting from ear to ear on his face. He then shimmered himself and the present, following Lillith to the Manor. 'I should have insisted more strongly about using a smaller box. I can't even see,' Cole thought to himself in annoyance trying to peer over the bright yellow, curling tendrils of ribbon.

Underworld

"Remember when you go up there," a cold, low growly voice let out "Do not harm one hair on any of them. Do you understand me?"

"Wait. What?" A taller male demon yelled out over the group of demons

A woman stood from where she sat atop her chair and as she stood, she towered over the male demon at 6'5". She walked slowly forward as her skirt slid across the dirt floor and made a crackling noise with the powers contained within the fabric.

"Did I stutter Raz'e?" The female asked as her eyes lit up with an electric blue, her coal black skin shimmered in the low light of the cavernous room.

"No Source before you has ever spared a witch," another follower said in defense of Raz'e and her eyes pierced through the crowd

"No Source? Oh I plan on being so much more than that within time my dears. But for now, you will follow my orders or die. What we need will not cost the Halliwells their lives;"

"Yes my liege," The crowd of misfit demons mumbled. As the group left, the woman stood on her own with her second in command. A third figure appeared in golden lights and smiled maliciously at the taller woman.

When the two women stood side by side one had dark coal colored skin with almost glittery like etchings and scars running along her arms. The shorter had bright yellow skin with a light that reflected from within herself and shimmering white hair pulled up in to a high pony tail. The only thing the two had in common were their glowing green eyes.

"You are moving sooner than planned Kigal." The newer female demon stated in a light, fluttery voice "You better be sure about this,"

"Oh believe me. I am Inana." Kigal answered with a victorious smile

Halliwell Manor, Melinda's First Birthday Party

As Piper looked around at her crowded sunroom she smiled at Leo who was holding Chris in his lap. The now four year old boy was fighting with his dad because he wanted to run around with Wyatt and the older kids in the back yard. It was a cool, autumn day in November. Piper met the eyes of both of her sisters, Henry Mitchell, and Coop Cupid. The kids were beginning to gather for some of the games that Piper and Phoebe had set up for the birthday party.

Cole Turner stood with Lillith and Sheila Morris on the other side of the room talking about Cole's practice and how business had taken off in the past few months. Ever since Jackman, Carter, and Kline began referring smaller personal cases to their former co-worker. Sheila was telling them about her new online job and how great it was to have the extra income while still being a stay at home mom.

Piper finally placed candles into the cake and Leo pulled out the smaller cupcake they had planned on using for Mel's smash cake. Leo lit the candles as Cole walked over to Phoebe when he saw the face she was making. Her face was contorted almost like she was sneezing, her eyes were shut and she let out a low gasp.

"Was that what I thought it was?" Cole said in a low whisper

"Well it wasn't a hiccup," Phoebe shot back in annoyance "I saw a few demons attacking later during the party"

Paige made her way through the crowd to her sister and let out a low sigh "I almost forgot what this felt like. Thanks for that Cole Turner!"

"I'm not sure if that was a complaint or a compliment," Cole growled back before looking around. Piper's eyes glazed over when she saw the three of them conversing and the look on her sister's face. Lillith intercepted the elder sister and smiled

"We got this," Lillith said to try and calm Piper's panic

A group of four demons shimmered in to the kitchen of the manor. They looked around the small room before making there way through the door but were stopped half-way in the dining room. Cole shifted the floor below them causing the group to try and fight just to keep their balance. When one went to release a fireball two more figures blinked in and released an athame at the demon that shot the fireball.

Piper turned as a few of the adults heard the commotion from the sunroom. Lillith turned away from Piper's friends and mortal colleagues that were there for the party. She stepped in to the doorway that connected the sunroom to the main foyer and then the dining room. Her eyes lit up with an idea and decided it was the better of two worse case scenarios. As Cole kept the demons at bay Lillith knelt in the doorway and conjured a wall of lights and vines. As flowers bloomed up and down the vines, a light would pop for affect.

"Leo light the candles. Now." Piper urged through gritted teeth

"How'd she do that?" Piper's cook from the restaurant, Javier, questioned

"She's a magician on the side," Piper shot back quickly "I got a good rate since she's engaged to my former brother-in-law,"

"Long story?" Javier questioned with a small smile now as Piper deflected the attention and they returned their attention to Melinda who now sat with her brothers and Leo.

Leo cleared his throat "Now that the shows over. I've got the candles lit. Let's sing!"

Cole managed to chase off the group of demons but noticed the warlocks had left behind a dagger with lapis lazuli encrusted around the handle. He picked the dagger up and slipped it in to his pocket before the wall of flowers faded away. He assumed the slow fade was to add to whatever excuse the girls had provided to the guests of the party.

He watched as Piper and Leo were saying their goodbyes and thank-yous to the party guests. As they were escorting people out Henry had gathered up the twins while Paige bounced Henry Jr on her hip. Coop held Penelope while Patricia walked over to Cole and pulled on his pant leg for him to pick her up.

Once the family was again alone in the manor Paige was the first to break the silence.

"Ok I'll ask it. What the hell was that?" Lillith shrugged in response as Cole looked around the group

Coop let out a low complaint "It's odd that they attacked here."

"But does that really count as attacking? It was more like one group of bad guys were battling another. Not us." Paige shot back

Cole cleared his throat and stopped making silly faces with Patricia for the time being.

"If you have the answer, Cole. Spit it out!" Piper quipped as her patience began to wear thin

"That was a prime example of Factions." Cole answered simply and now had a grim expression of his own

"Oh great. I could have gone my whole life without hearing about factions ever again!" Phoebe grumbled now getting a confused look from her husband. Cole let out a humorless laugh at that remark.

"Well you should have paid attention. It is still a big issue in the Underworld." Cole shot back

"Will someone fill the clueless husbands in. Please?" Henry piped up and Cole smiled at Paige's mortal partner

"Years ago. Way before Phoebe and I were even married and Paige was still new to her powers. I had to explain to all of them what factions in the Underworld meant. At the time killing the Charmed Ones meant a direct ascension to the throne."

"Wait. But they still don't have a grimoire and they didn't try to kill any of the kids or us," Paige observed aloud

"Correction. One group tried to shoot a fireball in to the sunroom. I am not sure who the target was," Cole answered

"But the other group defected it and killed a demon in the process," Lillith added

"So one of the factions is fighting for us?" Phoebe asked with her own confusion "I'm ok with that. But that hardly seems like the way to get a huge following with those in the Underworld. Pretty sure most of them still hate us."

"They do!" Piper and Cole answered her in unison

"Well what the hell then Cole? What does this mean?" Piper shot at the taller man

Phoebe let out another groan "It means we have to sit through Factions 101 with Professor Turner all over again."

"Did none of you pay attention the last time this problem occurred?" Henry asked with exasperation and received a glare from all three sisters.

"Welcome to my world Henry Mitchell," Cole said with a laugh

To Be Continued-

End Note: Just in case-This takes place a year and a half after A Half-Breed's redemption. Here are the ages of the kids Piper and Leo: Wyatt 6, Christopher 4, Melinda 1. Phoebe and Coop: Patricia 2, Penelope 8 months, Phoebe is pregnant with Pele. Paige and Henry: Samantha and Cecelia 2, Henry Jr. 1.