Author's Note: This 'Episode' is the first of three introductory Episodes that aim to introduce you to the new characters. This Episode focuses on Piper and Leo's family - Wyatt, Chris and Melinda, Episode Two will focus on Phoebe and Coop's family - Penelope, Charlotte and Grace, and Episode Three will focus on Paige and Henry's family - Henry Jr, Pandora and Samantha.

Author's Note: This chapter is meant to be a 'teaser' of sorts – imagine it as the snippet of the episode you see before the show's credits play.

Episode 1x01:
"With a Shadow of a Doubt"

The ground beneath the Halliwell Manor trembled as an earthquake rippled through San Francisco. The sun peaked out from beyond the horizon and began to rise above the city. Inside the Manor, picture frames were turned askew on the walls, the chandeliers clattered against themselves and the family stirred as the quake began to subside.

"Is everyone okay?" Piper shouted, darting out of her room with Leo right behind her. "Melinda?"

The door at the end of the hall opened slowly and a messy, brown-haired Melinda traipsed out of her room, rubbing her eyes, "Boy, talk about a wake-up call," she said, yawning. "I'm fine, mom."

"Wyatt?" Leo called as he walked towards his son's door.

"I'm good," Wyatt replied, opening the door to his room. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah … what time is it?" Melinda groaned, lazily looking at her watch. "Ugh, far too early … Wake me up in about an hour and a half. Goodnight … morning … whatever," she sighed, retreating into her room and closing the door.

"Wyatt, are you dressed already?" Leo asked, noticing his son's notice difference in attire.

"Yeah," he sighed, "I'm opening the store early because there's a delivery this morning. I thought I'd get an early start."

"Early start? Now is still too early to be early," Piper joked, "You'd never catch me running to the Restaurant at this time in the morning!"

"I dunno, Piper. A fancy breakfast in pyjamas sounds romantic," Leo chimed in, sneaking his arm around his wife and smiling.

"You think so, huh?" Piper laughed.

"I just want to make sure I give a good impression, since this'll be the first time I've handled a delivery by myself," he sighed again, "I'd better finish getting ready." He stepped back into his room and closed the door.

"Yep, everything is definitely back to normal," Piper said, smiling at her husband. Piper's head suddenly twitched to the side as she looked upwards as if trying to remember something. Her eyes widened as she faced Leo. She shot off along the corridor and thundered down the stairs. "CHRIS?"

Chris lay on his bed wrapped up in the quilt with his eyes tightly shut, waiting for the noise and the shaking to stop. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, he realised that the room had fallen silent and the rocking of his room was minimal. He opened his eyes and sat up, surveying the darkness of his converted basement bedroom. He slid out of his bed and made his way to the very back of the room where the recently installed door to the back of the house stood. He took half a dozen steps towards the door when a sudden pain shot up his leg from his foot.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, hopping towards the door while trying to hold the pained foot in his hands. He reached the door and as he unlocked and opened it a dim light streamed in from the still-rising sun. He brushed off the dust and sharp wooden splinters that were sticking into his foot and looked back to where he had stood on something painful. The light pouring into the room revealed that a foot-long crack in the concrete subfloor had burst through the room's laminate flooring. "Damned earthquake," he said as moved over to his bed and began to set the pillows and quilt into their proper place.

Unbeknownst to Chris, a black smoke began to rise up out of the gaping hole in the floor behind him. "FFRRREEEEEEEE!" it said in a husky, echoing voice, before it quickly dissipated into the shadows on the opposite side of the room from the male witch.

Chris bolted around, "Who's there?" The room was silent.

"Free…" the voice said again.

"Who are you?" Chris asked, moving towards where the smoke had dissipated into the shadows. The smoke subtly wormed its way up the shadowed wall, across the darkened ceiling and back down the wall now behind Chris. It then formed from the shadows, slowly making its way to the young witch-white lighter.

Chris moved forward and outstretched an arm, adamant that something was there. His focus was disrupted as felt the breeze whip past him and the wind whistle between the leaves of the trees outside. He lowered his arm and shook his head. He turned around and saw the monstrous black smoke moving towards him. Surprised, he stumbled backwards and threw his arm out towards the black being, focusing his telekinetic powers on the smoke.

But nothing happened. He tried again, lashing his arm forwards and straining his mind. Nothing. The smoke was close now. Chris' eyes widened as tendrils of darkness threatened to invade his mouth and nostrils. Wisps of darkness slithered around his waist, wanting to pull him closer. He closed his eyes and his body burst into a flurry of bright white orbed lights. The smoke hissed and withdrew in surprise. The witch-whitelighter's body of white orbs moved upwards, but the shadow mounted the offensive and quickly whipped around the shining white lights, encasing it in a thick shroud of darkness. The smoke swirled around where Chris' body hung in mid-air and in mid-orb, gaining momentum until the blackness faded into nothingness.

A moment later, swirling black orbs faded into the room and Chris reappeared.

Sounds could be heard from upstairs and they grew louder and louder as the source neared the basement door.

"Chris?" Piper yelled, knocking on the door before opening it roughly. She stepped onto the top of the stairs into her son's room and looked down, seeing her son. "Chris, are you okay?" she asked, out of breath.

Chris smiled as he looked up to his concerned mother. "Mom, I'm fine. You worry too much," he laughed.

Piper sighed heavily and nodded, "I know I do. But that's why you love me," she smiled. She nodded again before quietly stepping out of Chris' room and closing the door behind her.

Chris laughed to himself. "Don't worry about me …" he said as his eyes briefly turned pitch black and a smirk danced upon his lips. "I'll be just fine."

Author's Note: Please leave a review!