Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Wyatt sat watching TV as Chris played with some blocks on the floor. It was a Saturday and all was quiet in the Manor, except for the clinks and clangs of Piper cooking in the kitchen as the family matriarch prepared for the meal later that evening. Phoebe, Coop, Paige, Henry, and Billie, were all coming over for dinner.

Paige and Henry were first to arrive, "Hey Piper, wow, it smells good in here, you didn't have to go all out you know..."

"I'm a chef Paige, that's what I do. Or at least it used to be..." Piper sighed, lately in between taking care of the boys, trying to run P3 and helping Leo adjust to everything, she didn't really have time to cook anything anymore. "The boys have been getting...ham sandwiches for lunch. All the time. This whole Leo thing is just taking up a lot more time than I expected."

"Oh honey, of course its going to be hard at first." Paige said. "Leo doesn't have powers anymore, and Magic School was overrun with demons for God only knows how long. Give it some time and things will start to get easier. I promise."

Piper looked at her younger sister and smiled "Your getting good at this whole whitelighter thing aren't cha?"

"I like to think so." Paige smiled smugly

"Hey Guys, sorry we're late I had to run my column into Elise before we came." Phoebe interrupted their conversation, kissing them both on the cheek before popping open the refrigerator and shoving the salad she picked up from the supermarket inside. Coop entered the room behind her and moved to shake Henrys hand before proceeded to hug Piper and Paige. "Where are my two favorite nephews!?" Phoebe called out before running into the living room where Wyatt was now playing with some action figures and Chris was asleep. "You guys are getting so BIG!" She exclaimed.

Paige listened to her sister play with the boys in the other room for a moment before turning back to the conversation she and Piper had been having prior to Phoebe's arrival, "So where is Leo anyways?"

"Oh he's at Magic School, trying to get everything ready so the kids can start their second term on time."

"Ahh, and Billie?"

"As far as I know she's with him. In fact, why don't you orb over and grab them. Dinners going to be ready in about 15 minutes anyways and I don't want it to get cold.

"Oh-kay." Paige said giving a joking pout before disappearing in a swirl of white lights.

"The big games on, you want to catch it? While we wait of course." Henry asked Coop, while shooting a glance over in Pipers direction. They switched places with Phoebe as she headed into the kitchen.

Piper looked at Phoebe, "What?" Phoebe asked.

"You just look so happy is all," Piper replied with a tired smile.

"And you look beat." Phoebe gave her sister a once over, a deep frown creasing her pretty features as she moved to press the back of her hand against her sisters forehead, "Piper are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine..." Piper swatted away her sisters hand and put down the gravy she was spooning into a boat as she wiped her hands onto her apron and gave a small sigh, "It's just, nothing has happened for months, and when have things ever stayed quiet? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all for having a normal life n' all, but usually no news it bad news. And I'm worried that something big is going to happen."

"Piper." Phoebe placed both hands on her sisters shoulders "We did it, we won. We beat whatever we were supposed to, and now it's our time to live our lives, without having to look over our shoulders all the time."

"I wish I agreed with you Pheebs, but I just have this feeling that something isn't right..." Phoebe opened her mouth to respond but at that moment Paige orbed in with Billie and Leo in tow. Piper gave Phoebe a look that said 'drop it' before grabbing the mashed potatoes and striding towards the dinning room, "Ready to eat?"

"That was delicious Piper." Coop said giving his belly a jolly pat.

"Fabulous, thank you." Phoebe beamed as her hand moved to rest on her husbands shoulder.

"I'm done." Wyatt announced, as the metal spoon clattered into the empty bowl, earning grins all around the table.

"Here come here," Leo said pulling his son towards him. "Wipe that ice cream off your face." He said as he dapped at Wyatt's face with a napkin, Wyatt pulled away, sliding out of Leo's lap and immediately headed for the television.

"I think I'm going to head out, I've got stuff to do." Billie said as she started to get up "Thanks for everything though, it was great."

"Wait just one second there missy." Paige said to her "Where do you think your going?"

Billie's glanced around the table as all eyes fell on her causing the young woman to squirm in her spot. "I just thought I'd, you know, go do some studying or research or whatever."

"For school?" Paige asked.

"No" Billie replied.

"Then for what?"

"You know, stuff." Billie said, her tone shifting to slightly annoyed.

"Billie, sweetie," Phoebe said gently, "Why don't you just leave it for tomorrow?"

"Leave it for tomorrow...Yeah, that's not really gonna work for me." Billie snapped.

"Listen, just cool down" Piper said. "And when you're in the right state of mind, we'll help you find whatever it is you're looking for. But until then, you need to cool it, okay?"

Billie rolled her eyes, "Right."

Piper sighed, "Billie, we are all here to help you but we can't if you just keep blocking us out."

"I'm trying to harness my powers and abilities on my own, right now." Billie said, only slightly more calm.

Paige frowned, "You don't have to do this on your own."

"I don't want your help. Don't you get it?" Billie seemed close to tears now, "And even if I did, you don't have time to help me. You guys are all over the place these days. It's like demons and warlocks stopped coming after you and now you don't know what to do with yourself. Well I know what I'm doing with myself, and I need to do it on my own." She grabbed her purse and coat from the hanger, then, pausing in the doorway, she nearly whispered, "Don't come after me, I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

In the Underworld, the most powerful demons were assembling. A raised platform surrounded by torches lit the cavern where they stood. A cloaked figure stood on the platform, and as he began to speak, his voice was like a hiss that sent chills down the spines of even the most feared.

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were at Magic School, they were sorting through stacks and stacks of books attempting to put them back on the shelves in the library. "This is going to take forever," Paige complained.

"I know. And I have to get my column into Elise by 3:30" Phoebe replied.

"Didn't you just drop one off on Saturday?" Piper questioned. "How many columns does the woman need?"

"I'm trying to keep ahead of schedule, so if I do fall behind for some reason, it's not the end of the world." Phoebe said.

"Yeah I think your column not getting in on time is a bit lower on our list of things that will end the world." Piper joked.

"Yeah but it's still important to me. I mean, now that we're not fighting demons all the time, I have more time to devote to it, you know? I'm actually thinking about writing a book."

"A book?" Paige asked. "A book on what?"

"Love"

"Love?" Paige and Piper asked together.

"Yeah." Phoebe said, "Now that I've actually found love, I have a different perspective. Not to mention I have the perfect inspiration," she turned to place another book on the shelf but couldn't keep the goofy grin off her face.

"Ahhh" said Paige, "So things are going well with Coop?"

Phoebe turned to face them, fully grinning now, "It's amazing," Piper and Paige exchanged smiles at how happy their sister was.

"Details, I want details" Piper prodded playfully.

"Me too" Paige chimed in as she stood, "but right now, I have a lunch date with Henry, I've got to get to."

"Ah ah, I don't think so!" Piper appeared behind her sister and eased her back into her seat by the shoulders, "You are not leavin' us here with this mess to clean up. Sit."

Paige looked around, "May the object of objection become but a dream, as I cause the scene to be unseen." A swirl of bright lights enveloped the room and suddenly, everything was exactly in place. Paige looked around satisfied with the results and gave a curt nod before looking smugly at her sisters, "Can I go now?"

"Personal gain," Piper groaned but she had a look on her face that said she wasn't entirely mad.

"Think of it, as for the children, the next generation, if you will." Paige replied with a wink before disappearing in a swirl of blue and white lights.

"You gotta hand it to her," Phoebe said to Piper with a smirk, " the girls sure has a way of getting things done."

"A direct approach will never work." The hooded figure hissed. "But if we can tap into their human emotions, we can rip them apart from the inside out. We will go under their radar and infiltrate them. Before they realize what is happening, it will be too late."

"Be aware!" the once quiet hiss boomed now. "That if we are to fail now, it is likely our line will be extinct soon enough. As the power of the Warren line grows stronger and the numbers of offspring increase, our chances for survival get slimmer."

"However, it will not do us well to launch our attack right away, continue as you will. We will lure The Charmed one to us, with bait. And we will force them into a decision that will begin a ripple effect to their ultimate demise!"