Episode Two: Something to Believe

The waves climbed up the shore with grace, sliding with just the slightest noise against the sand before pulling back into themselves. The water was consoling even in its dreary morning colors and less than warm temperature. Seagulls flocked the damp sand, poking at trash and crying loudly above the Ocean's rhythm; together they were the beach song.

An overcast day presented itself as she sat in silence, eyes heavy on the pale cerulean water and gray sky. Dreariness encompassed the day, and with its atmosphere she got the feeling that things would become worse before they got better. A feeling that made her core twist in despair.

Wind whipped through her auburn locks, twisting and manhandling them with relentlessness but completely gentle at the same time. She squinted her hazel eyes against the breeze, though they were already watering for reasons separate from the harsh pull of Mother Nature's draft. She still wore her insipid jade scrubs, stained with a few drops of blood and scuffle marks from the emergency room. Wrapped tightly around her to shield her from the coldness of San Francisco's Bay was a cream sweater that she hugged close to her body as she shivered.

The last time she had visited the beach in such gloom had been after a heart wrenching day at the hospital. His name had been Hector. Whenever one spoke the simple word she found herself sinking with angst. It had been her first day of work at the San Francisco Memorial. Her first real day in the ER without fellow students and a classroom. Rolling through the double doors that day had been a frail boy, secured in a brace and backboard as paramedics pushed him through. It had been a car accident. There was blood coming from so many directions and body parts that she had hardly known where to start. In that moment all training and studying she had ever received went out the window. All the adrenaline and emotion took over and she could hardly keep her hands from shaking or heart from thumping in her ears. The boy cried restlessly and shouted in pain. And she looked into his eyes, green eyes they had been, and attempted to soothe him. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Hector," he whimpered.

"Okay, it's going to be okay, Hector, all right? I'm Dr. Halliwell and I'm going to take care of you," she had told him soothingly.

He nodded but cried more. "Am I going to die?"

"No," she had answered. "No, you're not going to die."

When his heart monitor flat lined and she pounded on his chest for CPR, she regretted every word she had said. She had lost faith in everything she knew. She had become completely broken. When the nurse declared the time of death, she fled the ER, hiding like a small child in the locker room with knees pulled her chest and tears cascading down her cheeks.

And the beach, the beach where she had grown up with her cousins and laughed and played in the water and built sand castles, was the one spot she could find solace. Because at the Bay, with the water tumbling and the seagulls flocking and the red Golden Gate Bridge above, there was no death; everything was alive. And for a moment she could feel alive to.

Now however she felt as though the beach lacked its former console. Now her problems differed from life or death. They weren't about the hospital or patients.

Memories of the previous evening flourished through her mind, flashing at rapid speed and without pause, causing her to twist with more resentment, apprehension, and depression. She squeezed her eyes shut, the events loud in her mind.

Her stomached lurched as she landed in the manor, instantly recalling the ability to teleport. "Whoa," Joey gasped in surprise at her entrance. "Didn't aunt Piper bind your powers?"

"Yeah, well we thought she did," Laura answered before charging up the stairs, hair still unkempt and scrubs still on. The attic door was closed when she approached and out of habit she knocked, voice wavering with distress. "Aunt Piper! I need to talk to you!"

"Just a minute, honey," Piper's voice came muffled from the other side but in the moment Laura lacked all patience. She shoved open the door, simultaneously gasping out in confusion.

"Why are my powers back again . . ." her voice trailed off as she looked up to find her mother and aunt Piper frozen in panic with her unexpected entrance. Then her eyes dragged over to the third member in the room and her mouth dropped. "Aunt Paige?"

"Okay, we can explain, Laura, just . . ." Phoebe's words stopped as Laura fainted back, her body thumping onto the creaking floorboards of the attic.

"Oh boy," Piper muttered as Phoebe moved to revive her eldest child.

"I'm going to take that as my cue to go," Paige spoke up, giving a warm smile.

"Wait but Paige there's still so much that we don't know," Phoebe said in desperation, eyes set with anxiety. "How do we go from here?"

"You'll figure it out; I mean who better to help them then their predecessors?" Paige replied. Her body swirled in a shower of orbs as she slowly faded transparent. "Bye for now."

"Paige . . ." Piper stopped as her youngest sister disappeared and ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "That is just like her, you know? Leaving us at the most crucial moment with a smirk on her face."

"Here, help me with Laura," Phoebe spoke up, grabbing one of her daughter's arms. Piper grunted as she held the other, and slowly the two drug her over to the sofa, flopping her down into a sitting position when they reached it.

"I'll go get her some water," Piper said, quickly leaving the pair in the attic.

Phoebe sighed, gazing at her eldest, her first born, in affection and worry. Tenderly she brushed away a lock of her caramel hair, watching her in sadness. She admired Laura in more ways than one. She had fought to create an identity and meaning for herself and in the end had been more successful than Phoebe could have ever dreamed. But now, in a few short days, that destiny, the one she had forged for herself, was about to be ripped away.

Laura mumbled as she came to, slowly blinking open her eyes in puzzlement. "Mom . . ." she murmured.

"I'm right here, sweetie," Phoebe replied.

As Laura's eyes adjusted and she remembered her surroundings, she stiffened in alertness. "Aunt Paige. She was here, wasn't she?"

Phoebe nodded. "Yes."

Interrupting them was Piper's arrival with a glass of water. "How you feeling honey?" she asked her niece.

"Okay," Laura answered as she gratefully took the water from her aunt. When she rubbed her head she could feel a bump starting to form from where she had hit the floor. Then in the quiet she suddenly was reminded of why she had come to the manor in the first place. "Why are my powers back? Why was aunt Paige here?"

"The answers to those questions are one in the same," Piper replied.

"But I think we need to get your sisters," Phoebe said.

"What's going on?" Laura asked.

"Just let me get Lila and Lucy - - -"

"Mom, tell me; why are my powers back? Why . . ." Laura's voice trailed off as a sudden epiphany overcame her. In a moment of realization she was reminded of how her aunts first got their powers. How they first became unbound and how they, the three of them, sisters, had become the Charmed Ones. "No . . . no."

"Laura, are you okay?" Phoebe asked worriedly.

"It's us, isn't it?" Laura choked, rising from the couch, her eyes drowning with despair.

"What are you - - -"

"We're the new Charmed Ones, aren't we? We're the Power of Three," she realized, pacing away in panic. Piper and Phoebe exchanged anxious looks. "That's why Paige was here. That's why my powers are back."

Neither Piper or Phoebe could find the words to speak and Laura grew with frustration. "Tell me! Am I right?"

"Yes," Phoebe choked out. "We - - -"

"How did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?!" Laura barked.

"We just found out ourselves," Piper replied gently. "That's why you're aunt Paige was here. She was telling us what was going on."

"And I have no choice in this? After everything that I have worked so hard for, all the decisions I have made, I have to become a Charmed One?!"

"Laura, we didn't choose for this to happen to you! This was destiny! This is you're destiny. You were chosen to be one of the most powerful beings in the world and you are going to deny that?! You will forsake all of what we have taught you and the heritage of this family?!" Phoebe shouted in a sudden outburst, emotion shaking her voice.

"What; have you been talking to Lila?" Laura asked coldly.

"I have never thought your decision to become a doctor was selfish. I never even thought that your decision to bind your powers was selfish. But this. This is selfish Laura!" her mother yelled. "You are a witch, you are a Halliwell, and you are a Charmed One whether you want to be or not! And I don't know if this time I can let you deny that."

Now she stared longingly at the waves twisting with restlessness but remaining a beacon of peace in the same instant. Laura buried her head into her hands, cursing at herself; at her destiny. She knew it was wrong of her to deny it but she also knew it was unfair that she had to accept it against her own will. She wasn't willing to sacrifice her career for magic. She also wasn't willing to sacrifice her family or the future of good by denying her place in the Power of Three.

The abrupt shout of her beeper yanked her away from her thoughts. She gave a low groan, grabbing the device from the elastic waistband of her scrubs. A new shift was beginning at the hospital and subconsciously she dreaded the idea of entering the emergency room with her out of control powers. Sensing no other choice she rose from the sand, brushing off her clothes and slowly making her way for the silver hybrid parked behind the shore.

Piper Halliwell slid the last pancake off of the cooking iron, flipping it onto the latest warm stack of breakfast goodness. A warm sun slid through the open windows, brightening the day with hopefulness and a golden glow. With ease she made her way for the repaired sunroom where conversation was rampant around the table.

"Yeah, the new additions to the menu are a hit," Wyatt was saying happily, his hazel eyes bright with their usual optimism. As Piper set another plate onto the table he gave her a warm grin. "Thanks, mom."

"So, a hit huh? Beating out dear old mom's original recipes?" Piper asked, raising an eyebrow teasingly.

Wyatt smirked, "Of course not. Piper Halliwell's originals are still the most appreciated items on the menu," he assured. Though Piper had passed her businesses onto her sons, she still took silent pride and great interest in the two places she had built from the ground up. When things were going poorly at either the club or restaurant, Piper was fast to criticize her sons (with affection of course). "But Chris, does say that profits have increased since my additions . . ."

"Is that right, Chris?" Leo asked. Chris had hardly said two words at the table, bitterly picking at his food.

"Yep," he answered. "I did the numbers last night actually. And Wyatt's being nice; between his and mom's dishes, Wyatt's are being ordered three to one."

"You know how to make a woman sober, Chris," Piper replied cynically before taking a drink of her coffee.

"So, is it true that Laura, Lila, and Lucy are the new Power of Three?" Melinda spoke up as she set down her fork. Everyone exchanged curious glances and Piper swallowed, slowly setting down her cup.

"Yes," she answered slowly. "Yes they are."

"I don't believe it," Wyatt said.

"What, you jealous Wy?" Melinda teased.

"No, I'm already Twice-Blessed, remember?" he quipped with a good-natured smile.

"So is Laura going to do it?" Chris asked, his tone completely serious. Despite not having any abilities like empathy or sensing, he was intuitive and had already begun thinking about the next plans of action.

"Why wouldn't she?" Melinda questioned.

"Think about it Mel. Laura has dedicated her life to avoiding magic; now she has to embrace it without a choice," Chris replied before his eyes settled back on his mother.

Piper shrugged. "I don't know about Laura. She was pretty upset last night," she revealed. "You can't blame her though. It's a hard concept to come to terms with and I'm sure eventually she'll make a decision."

"Hopefully not the wrong one," Chris muttered.

"You got to have faith little bro," Wyatt teased. He stretched in his chair and looked to his younger sister. "But on a better note; how are things back at Golden Gate High, Mel?"

A smile spread across Melinda's face. "The same as always," she answered. "The kids are just as undisciplined, my second period calculus class stares at me with contempt, and Principal Keller still smells like onions."

Both brothers laughed. "Remember that time we forked his yard?" Chris chuckled.

"Or the time we painted over his parking spot?" Wyatt added.

"Or what about when we printed those flyers for a party at his house and posted them all over the school," Chris laughed.

"You know that is still not funny to me," Leo said rolling his eyes, but still suppressing a smirk.

"Do you know how many times your father and I were called into his office when you two were in school?" Piper sighed.

"Don't over-exaggerate. For the most part it was Chris," Wyatt said.

"Yeah after you gave me all the ideas," Chris replied.

"No wonder every teacher I had would always groan about 'another Halliwell"," Melinda chuckled.

"Don't blame your bad reputation on us, Mel," Chris grinned.

"What?! I had a flawless reputation, thank you very much," she exclaimed in outrage.

"Goody two shoes," her brother grumbled in annoyance.

"Missy Chrissie," Melinda retorted, and Wyatt erupted in loud laughter while Chris gave her a dirty scowl.

"Do you three still have to argue like you're nine years old?" Piper asked.

"Don't act like you're annoyed. Subconsciously you miss all this," Wyatt reasoned.

"Oh really? What makes you so sure?"

"Why else would you make us come to Thursday Breakfast?" he smiled.

Thursday Breakfast was a weekly tradition started by Piper Halliwell over eight years earlier when Wyatt and Chris had left the nest and set out on their own. With their busy schedules and constant demon fighting, the family hardly had time together, which Piper truly longed for, and being the innovative mother that she was, she created mandatory Thursday Breakfasts. Now that all three of her children were grown with jobs and no longer living under her roof, it became especially important to her that they all had quality time with one another. Especially when they never knew what might be coming next.

"Well, I need to get going," Melinda announced sadly as she grabbed another bagel and drank down the rest of her juice.

"Need a lift?" Wyatt asked her.

"No, I drove," she answered, gathering the stack of graded papers she had brought with her. She bent down and gave Leo a kiss on the cheek and then moved to give her mother an embrace.

"Honey, will you be sure to remind Sam that we're supposed to have the will read today back here around seven?" Piper asked.

"Yeah, sure," Melinda nodded. "I was planning on having lunch with her anyway. I'll tell her then."

"I'll walk you out," Wyatt said as he rose. "I have to get to the restaurant before brunch."

"We do brunch now?" Piper asked. "Since when?"

"Just one of the successful Head Chef Halliwell additions," he answered with a wink.

"Well I would like to know when we add things like brunch to our menu," Piper replied. "I still own the place in case you forgot . . ."

"How about you come in later today and you can taste it for yourself?" Wyatt suggested as they embraced.

"I might just have to do that," she said.

"You coming?" Wyatt asked Chris.

"I have to check things out at the club. I'll stop by the restaurant later," he answered.

With a few last goodbyes Wyatt and Melinda departed the dining room and suddenly all was quiet again. Leo glanced from Piper to Chris, sensing the emotion and intensity. "You know what…" he began with a foreboding smirk. "I'm going to leave you two to talk."

"Dad - - -"

"Leo - - -"

"Call me if there's bloodshed," he called behind him as he made his way out of the dining room. Since the incident on the day of Paige's funeral the mother, son pair had been hesitant to exchange words. Chris was slow to apologize and for that Piper was just as stubborn when it came to forgiveness.

"I'll help you clear the table," Chris decided softly.

"That'd be nice," Piper said just as gently. In a short quiet the two cleared the dining room table of dishes and glasses, retreating into the kitchen for a session of washing and drying. Piper looked to her son as the sink began to run, biting on her bottom lip for a moment. "So . . . things at the Triquetra are going well then?"

Chris' emerald eyes slowly slid up to meet hers. "We're on speaking terms now?"

"Seems that way," she answered.

"Good I was getting tiered of forcing apologies. It's not like I haven't felt bad enough," Chris grumbled as he dried another dish.

"You can't blame me for being angry," Piper said.

"I know," he muttered in remorse. "I feel horrible for leaving you up here defenseless. If anything were to happen to you I would never forgive myself. But you have to trust Wyatt and I and the rest of us. It's our turn now and mom and we're going to screw up a few times just like you did. You have to give us that chance though. You can't hold us back."

Piper hated when her son spoke with such reason and clarity; one of few times he reminded her of his father rather than herself. She gave a slow nod of her head but wrapped a hand around her son's arm, grabbing his attention with familiar tenderness. "Chris, you're my son. My youngest son at that and I am always going to worry about you and always think of you as that little boy I raised. As of late you seem to think you're invincible and you've taken it upon yourself to protect the family. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'll be fine mom," he assured her.

"Promise me, you'll be careful," she whispered, caressing the side of his face.

"I promise," Chris nodded.

"I love you," Piper told him softly before pulling him into an embrace.

"I love you too, mom," he whispered.

The engine growled as it chugged up Oceanside Drive, a quiet neighborhood road with Baker Beach on one side and a series of suburban homes on the other. A crisp San Francisco sun was beginning to rise despite early morning gloom, and the clouds slowly parted from their gray clusters.

As a familiar white condo came into view, the sleek motorcycle eased to a stop and sliding off the seat was Joey Mitchell. He punted the kickstand out, steadying the bike, straightened out his leather jacket and ran a hand through his chocolate brown hair. A pair of joggers ran past, both wearing San Francisco University sweatshirts. He flashed them a grin. "Morning ladies . . ." he said. They only rolled their eyes, laughing as they continued onward. He blushed, grumbling to himself as he headed for the tall staircase that lead up to the front door of the condo. "Stupid. Come up with a better freaking line then that . . ."

Adjusting the backpack on his shoulder, Joey pressed the doorbell, wind whipping from the beach through his left ear as he waited on the porch. Finally the door swung open and he gave a grin. "Joey!" his aunt exclaimed in excitement. In an instant she had him in a hug, kissing the side of his cheek and pulling him inside.

"Morning aunt Pheebs," he chuckled.

"What are you doing here?" Phoebe asked as she closed the door behind him.

"I thought I'd keep Lucy company," Joey explained as they headed up the stairs. "I mean, considering we're both college students on leave with nothing to do until after the New Year. And considering she's stuck on her ass with a broken leg . . ."

"Don't remind me," Lucy groaned as her mother and cousin entered.

"I brought videos and Mr. Pibb," Joey said, as he joined her in the living room. "Thought we could have a Hitchcock marathon."

"Oh I knew I loved you, Junior," Lucy grinned widely.

"I know, who doesn't?" he chuckled.

Since they were young, Joey and Lucy had been inseparable. Being the two youngest of the family they often found themselves in the same boat; avoiding baby cracks and ignored by their elder siblings and cousins. The best friend pair was only a year a part and throughout their high school careers had been hardly seen without one another. On some strange unspoken level they understood each other and more than that needed each other. Lucy found Joey to be the only one she could talk to and the only one who didn't call her "baby" or "peanut" because he was a year younger. And for Joey he found an ally in his elder cousin, one who didn't treat him differently because he was the youngest and didn't have powers.

"You two are adorable," Phoebe sighed, tilting her head to the side as she watched them on the couch.

"Ew, mom these painkillers are making my gag reflex extra sensitive so try to avoid the sentimental talk," Lucy said, casted leg propped up on the coffee table. In the first six hours of her arrival home from the hospital nearly everyone in the family had taken to signing it, writing messages and inappropriate pictures, which Phoebe had taken to scribbling over.

"Well, I hate to leave you two, but I have a meeting with my publisher and then I'm having lunch with your aunt Piper and Billie," Phoebe said, gathering her purse and keys. She pecked a kiss on Joey and Lucy's cheeks before heading for the staircase. "Don't answer the door for strangers."

"Okay!" Joey laughed. "Bye!"

The door swung close behind her and Joey gave a sigh, reaching into his bag. "So, what should we start with? Vertigo?"

"You have Spellbound in there?" Lucy asked.

"I think so . . ." he answered ruffling through the DVDs in his pack. He pulled it out and carefully began putting it in the player. "Spellbound; wouldn't be inspired by your recent discovery as a Charmed One?"

"Please, it's so overrated," Lucy replied as he sat back down next to her.

"So you're not excited?"

"I was a witch before this and one after it. The Power of Three honestly just sounds like more work than it's worth," she answered with a sigh. "I know mom already thinks we can't do it."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, that's right you weren't there for the Laura vs. Lila round seventy-eight," she answered.

"What happened?"

"They got in a WWF style brawl," Lucy said.

"And I missed it? Damn," Joey groaned.

"The Power of Three is based on a bond between sisters. But we . . . we don't have that I guess. Not like mom and Piper and Paige and even Prue had," she sighed. "Laura doesn't even want to be Charmed. She's going to deny it; I already know it and that will only make her and Lila hate each other more. It's too bad the future of good is depending on us. I mean no pressure right?"

Joey eyes fell a little with melancholy and he forced a dreary smile. "I think you can do it."

"Please Joe . . ."

"No, really I do. I know you can. This wouldn't happen to you if you couldn't handle it . . ." he muttered.

"Maybe you're right."

"Yeah, well I like to think I am sometimes," Joey replied forcing a wide grin. "So, can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, girls still think you're cute, no you're pick up lines are not good, and yes I will help you sway the opposite sex," Lucy said.

"How'd you know - - -"

"Can we just shut up and watch the movie?"

Joey chuckled and shook his head. "Sure Luce."

The two bedroom apartment was empty when Kate rose at a quarter past eleven, hair messy and hazel eyes bloodshot. Sam had already left for work at the Bay Mirror, leaving Kate with only a half-pot of coffee and a scribbled note on the refrigerator. Meeting at Aunt Piper's to read mom's will at seven tonight. Remember rent is due today. I left the check under the mirror, make sure Ron gets it.

Kate shuddered at the slip of paper, her hands trembling with unfamiliar unsteadiness as she sat at the small kitchen table. She hadn't fallen asleep until six that morning and when slumber had found her she was gripped by dreams filled with terrifying memories of Paige's untimely death. Her stomach churned with nerves and though she hadn't eaten in days she couldn't find it in herself to consume food. In fact she could hardly remember the last time she had showered either. All the days blurred together in one painful hour of consciousness and her head pounded with fatigue and grief.

Her dark stare settled on the blank wall ahead of her and in an instant without intention she was hearing the voices, seeing the people, the memories, the blood, and her mother.

It had been a normal day at the manor when the attack had begun. Paige and Piper were making arrangements for Christmas in the living room. Joey had tagged along to help himself to a lunch made by his favorite aunt. Three demons and two darklighters had shimmered in, their attack unexpected and well-planned. Things in the Underworld were clearly becoming more organized and alliances were starting to form among the many evil factions, including those between darklighters and upper level demons.

Piper called for backup and Chris came immediately. The numbers of the demons had dwindled but two more had shimmered in and the darklighters still lingered. Joey hid behind the couch as the fighting took place and Paige fought as fearlessly as she always did. Then came the life changing part; an arrow ripped through Chris' back and he immediately fell to the floor, the poisoned tip plunging straight through his chest.

Kate would never forget hearing her mother's cries for help. When she orbed in Chris was limp on the floor and Piper tended to him with tears in her eyes, still screaming for Wyatt who had been lured to the Underworld in order to save another charge. "Go help Chris!" Paige had ordered her daughter.

Without hesitation she had slid over to her cousin's side, her hands shaking as she pulled the arrow out of his weak body. His face was pale and sweat dampened his neck and chest, seeping through his shirt. His whitelighter half was fading fast and soon the rest of him would follow. Kate quickly placed hands above him, the healing process proceeding at an anxious speed while fireballs flew and her mother and aunt desperately fought their latest adversaries.

She was not half way finished healing Chris when an unwarranted blow struck her, throwing her into the nearby wall.

And when she finally came out of blackness the fighting had stopped.

The manor was silent minus a few wheezing noises and Piper's voice screaming for help. Paige lay limp on the floor, shaking violently with two darklighter arrows protruding from her chest. Joey was at her side, holding her hand and sobbing uncontrollably. Kate frantically crawled over, her ears ringing and a dead quiet encompassing everything around her. "Katie heal her!" Joey begged.

Sweat touched Kate's brow as she yanked the first arrow out of Paige's frail body. Only a low wheeze escaped her mother's lungs, her lips dry and lacking all color but lifted in a weak smile. She gave a pained grunt as Kate ripped the second arrow out but remained tranquil as she lay. She stared with watering brown eyes, watching her last moments in complete harmony. "Not yet," Kate kept whispering to herself. "Not yet. Not yet . . ."

Her hands hovered with a golden glow above Paige's wounds and she waited in trepidation for the healing process to begin. But it never did. The dark stains of blood never evaporated. The gapping holes left by the arrows never closed. She focused and tried and tears fell from her eyes but nothing happened and she choked out a frustrated scream. "Why isn't it working?" Joey asked gently, brown eyes completely gone as if they were staring through their dying mother and at the blood covered floor beneath her.

Kate shook her head, never removing her hands, never quitting. Paige continued to tremble, body white as ash and chest lacking life. "It's okay, baby . . ." she whispered hoarsely to her daughter, grabbing one of her hands. Her fingers could hardly wrap around Kate's but she gave a smile. "It's okay."

"No, mom, please . . ." Kate whispered frantically, refusing to look at her mother. Refusing to move from the wounds and refusing to stop her attempt at healing. "I can do it. I can do it. I can do it . . ."

"Mom," Joey whimpered, tears sliding down his face. He grabbed her other hand, squeezing it tightly in his own, hanging on for dear life. She graced him with one of her charismatic smiles.

"You're going to be okay, Henry," she told him.

"I love you, mom," he whispered, voice cracking with thick tears.

"I love you too," Paige said gently. She looked up at Kate who hadn't moved and remained locked in her stubborn position with hands hovering over her mother's body. "Kate . . . It's time honey."

"No," she insisted shaking her head. "I can do it. I can do it."

"I love you so much," Paige choked, blood encompassing all parts of her now. Her body a place that only trapped her soul and in a moment she would leave. "Kate, look at me."

"I can do it. I can . . ."

"Kate," Paige pleaded softly. Her eldest, her first born, slowly looked to meet her mother's kind and tiered eyes. "I'm proud of you, honey. And I love you. I love you and your sister and your brother so much. Take care of each other, okay? It will be . . . it will be okay . . . I promise . . . I . . . I love . . . I . . ."

"Mom . . ." Joey cried, watching in horror as Paige's eyes locked in one last unmoving stare. He rumbled with sobs, burying his head to the ground with his dead mother's hand in his own.

"No . . . No, I can do it . . . I can do it. I can do it. I can," Kate kept repeating, her mind in a different place. Her soul ripped away from her. She only could continue to repeat the words, keep her hands locked in their healing position. It was the only way she could pretend that none of it was real. "I can do it . . ."

Now in the kitchen she replayed the memory in her head, her mother's blood still staining her hands, her lips still moving in a senseless phrase. It was all real. The flashback was consuming her entire being. She just kept staring at the blank wall, trapped with a mind full of terror.

"Kate? Kate?"

She didn't know how long she had stared or how long she had been sitting there in thought, but she nearly jumped out of her own skin when she realized that someone was behind her. She pulled in a breath and recovered, turning to find Lila at her back.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you okay?" Lila asked in her own secret worry.

"What?" Kate mumbled incoherently as she returned to reality. "What? I'm fine. I'm fine."

"You don't look like it," Lila replied.

"I'm okay, Ly," Kate insisted again, this time scrambling up from her seat and gathering her coffee, hands trembling as she gripped the mug.

"Is Sam around?" her cousin asked, scanning the small apartment in concern.

"No. No she left for work already," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"You told me to come over last night . . . remember? We were going to look through the Book of Shadows . . ." Lila began.

"Oh right, sorry, must have slipped my mind," Kate nodded, covering her abnormal behavior the best she could. "You think aunt Piper will mind?"

"No, she won't even be there. She is supposed to be having lunch with aunt Piper and Billie," Lila explained, deciding to shrug off the oddness of the situation.

"Has anyone told them that there's a new Source?" she asked, slowly beginning to shuffle toward her bedroom. Lila followed after and shook her head.

"Nope, not yet," she answered, flopping down onto Kate's bed. Her older cousin continued into the closet, riffling through hangers and drawers for something clean and acceptable. In the past days laundry seemed to be yet another thing she had neglected.

"I feel like that's a bad idea. Someone needs to tell them," she said as she swiped a pair of jeans from the messy floor. She sniffed for odor and when nothing too alarming stung her nostrils she pulled them on.

"They'll find out eventually. Wyatt just doesn't want to worry anyone with everything else that has been going on recently," Lila muttered. "The last thing we need is aunt Piper to have a stroke . . ."

"Funny," Kate said with a roll of her eyes before exiting the closet in a fresh wardrobe. She gave Lila a warm smile, eyes glimmering with something of hopefulness. A weak attempt at proving she was okay. "So, congratulations on the promotion."

"Promotion?"

"Being the new Power of Three."

"Right," Lila chuckled. "Well, that already sounds like a bust."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really think that Laura and Lucy and I are capable of being the Power of Three."

"Do you not want to?" Kate asked in confusion.

"No! Of course I want to. I was thrilled when I found out. To be Charmed is . . . it's amazing but Laura doesn't seem to think so," Lila explained. "As usual she'll screw things up for everyone else before sacrificing her happiness."

"You're hard on her. Maybe she'll surprise you," Kate said. "Besides, she might not even have a choice with her powers back or with the Source in town."

"You bring a valid point," she replied.

"I always do," Kate chuckled. "Now, lets go to the manor, shall we?"

"I'm right there with you," Lila smirked before disappearing in a swirl of pink. Kate pulled in one last calming breath and slowly orbed out.

Chris gave a low groan as he sat the bar, a calculator and pile of papers in front of him. A stack of boxes occupied the spot next to him, the latest orders for P3. He pounded numbers on the machine, scribbling out data onto the open file. The work that being the financial manager of two businesses entailed was tedious and frustrating, but Chris took pride in all that had been accomplished in the past five years since his taking over. Ratings of both the restaurant and club had sprung up and the establishments were becoming renowned in the Bay area. The Halliwells were truly making a mark on the map.

"You Chris Halliwell?"

A cool female voice echoed behind him and he wondered how he had not heard the visitor enter. He swiveled around quickly on his bar stool, greeted by the round and stunning face of the unwarranted woman. "Club is closed, I'm sorry," Chris said placidly.

"I'm aware," she replied. She stood firm and composed in her position, dark raven locks sweeping down her shoulders and large russet eyes locked in a stoic stare.

Chris' eyes narrowed in confusion. "Can I help you with something then?" he asked.

"I'm Detective Bianca Lawrence," the woman answered. "I've been sent to investigate your aunt Paige Matthews-Mitchell's death."

The young Halliwell was quickly overcome with complete seriousness, his heart freezing in anxiety. He swallowed hard, slipping under a mask of coldness and strength. "The SFPD didn't contact anyone in my family about an investigation."

"That's because the case has just been opened," Bianca revealed somberly.

"Is an investigation even necessary?"

"The cause of death remains unknown, Mr. Halliwell."

"Well, I'm afraid I don't know how to help you Detective Lawrence," Chris replied back coldly.

"I believe you do," she said, taking a step closer. "I'm here to find out what happened to your aunt and I won't stop until I do. Your family, the Halliwells, have been linked to thousands of cases that have never been closed and all untouched. People at the department backed off before because of Henry Mitchell's presence at the SFPD but I'm not willing to now. There is something very wrong with your family Mr. Halliwell, and I'm willing to go to all lengths necessary to unveil it."

"Good luck then," Chris told her bitterly. He inched closer to her, his body tensed and his senses consumed by a familiar protective nature. "Because I won't let you bully this family around with a badge and a gun. And to be honest with you, they won't either. My aunt Paige's death was a tragedy but it isn't a mystery any of us need solved. The Halliwells have done nothing but good for the past sixty years and they will continue to, whether you decide to investigate or not."

Bianca's eyes narrowed on him in seductive and prodding darkness. Her voice lowered into a sultry tone. "Is there anything else you want to tell me, Mr. Halliwell?"

Chris's green eyes glared back into hers, avoiding the fire and temptation with great difficulty. "No. That will be all, Detective Lawrence."

"I'll be seeing you," she said heels clicking loudly with her exit. Chris waited until the door slammed shut behind her before giving a frustrated groan, running a hand down his face.

"Damn it!" he shouted, punching the stack of boxes to the floor and raking his head of coffee hair.

that's the first part of episode two! thanks for all the reviews. Just fyi things might slow down a little as far as updates go with winter break over :( but i will continue to add as quickly as I can write. also be sure to check my profile for updates (i don't think there's anything recently but i'll be sure to tell when there are). Uh... i think that's it. Thanks for the reviews! ~ sammy