Chapter Six

Belle sat on the top of the attic stairs trying to take deep breaths and make sense of what had happened. She wasn't sure how she felt right now. She had just used another power and it scared the hell out of her. What scared her even more was that for more than a month she had been spending time with a demon and she didn't even know it. She had liked him. So lost in her thoughts she didn't here Chris come up behind her until he sat down.

"How's Prue?" Belle asked.

"She's awake now so I think she'll be okay now. Bianca's just locating Wyatt now so that he can come heal her. How are you feeling?" Chris asked gently.

Belle shrugged. "I don't really know. Confused mostly," she said surprised at her reply.

"You wanna talk about it?" questioned Chris.

Belle hesitated, but as she looked at her cousin sitting there patiently, she felt like she could talk to him. "I was so scared. I mean all this time I was hanging out with a demon and I didn't even know it, I mean how stupid was I not to see it?" she started.

"You weren't stupid, demons can be really clever when they want to be," Chris told her.

"Yeah but Peyton warned me about it, but I just ignored it because I don't like magic, and I liked Jesse," Belle told him.

"Even Peyton wasn't sure that Jesse was a demon. And we know how you feel about magic. Given your history with it no one can blame you. It makes sense you would be resistant to any part of it touching your life." Chris said.

"That's the thing that I'm finding so confusing. I just had a fight with a demon where my cousin got hurt. I used another power that I didn't know about and I don't feel bad about like I have in the past when I've been around magic. I mean I was scared about everything, I think I still am a bit," she said with a rye smile, looking over at Chris who sat there listening to her. She took a deep breath before continuing "it didn't feel bad though. It felt kinda natural, you know in a good kind of way."

"How do you feel about that?" Chris asked.

Belle looked at him. "You sound like a shrink," she said, avoiding the question. He shot her a grin and waited for her to answer him. "I don't feel bad about it, it even feels good, you know what I mean?"

"Well I guess it was bound to happen at some point. I mean we all thought you'd have at least some powers, and at some point they would show themselves," Chris said thoughtfully. "The only unknown was your reaction to them. But how you feel about it isn't all that surprising. I mean up to now you've only ever had negative experiences with magic."

"You wouldn't call what just happened a bad experience?" Belle asked, frowning.

"Well it's both good and bad, at least as far as your experiences go," Chris replied, as she looked at him, clearly confused. "Think about it. Yes it was bad that you were attacked by another demon and that Prue got hurt. But on the other hand, you were able to help fight him off. That would have had to feel empowering."

Belle thought about what he had said. "I guess you're right, it felt good to have some control over the situation, although I have know idea how I did it."

"Don't worry, the control over the powers will come. After all being a witch is in your blood after all," Chris said with a smile on his face. Belle had a chuckle at that, feeling good about being able to talk to Chris. It was the first time they had ever really connected since she was a kid. "Wait here a minute," Chris said suddenly, startling her out of her thoughts.

She watched him stand up and walk back into the attic, leaving her frowning at him. She wondered what that was about, though she didn't have to wonder long. He walked back a few minutes carrying a book which he handed to her.

She frowned again, "What's this?"

"It's a book," he replied teasingly as he sat down.

"Really," she said sarcastically, staring at him waiting for him to explain.

After a chuckle he explained, "It's a book about our ancestors that we started a few years a go. It does go right through from Melinda Warren to the Charmed Ones, our mothers. It's not complete yet, there's still of the middle generations that we're trying to trace, but it might be a good starting place for you."

"Thanks," she said looking at the book.

Suddenly they heard the familiar chimes of someone orbing in the attic and stood up to investigate. They saw Wyatt appear next to the couch where Prue was lying with Bianca sitting next to her.

"Hey, what happened?" Wyatt asked.

"Demon attack," Bianca replied bluntly as she got up so that she wasn't in Wyatt's way. She went and stood next to Chris, who casually put his arm around her shoulders.

Wyatt walked around the couch and sat down next to his sister. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll feel better once you heal me, big brother," Prue replied, pointing to the wound on her chest.

Wyatt smiled and placed his hands over the wound, and everyone watched as his hands got the familiar golden glow around them as it magically fixed the damage.

"You know you should be more careful," Wyatt said to her when he was finished healing the wounds on her chest and forehead.

"Don't need to. I have this big brother who'll come and heal me if I get hurt," she said half joking as she gave her brother a hug.

"She must be feeling better, I can her the attitude in her voice," Chris said jokingly.

Prue poked her tongue out at Chris as Wyatt stood up. "Well I had better get going. I have a court appearance soon."

"No worries," Chris replied as Wyatt orbed out.

"Hey, is everyone alright?" Josh said as he and Peyton walked up the stairs.

"Yeah, everyone's fine. What are you doing here?" Chris asked, frowning.

"Bianca called and explained what happened." Peyton explained. "So what happens now?"

"I guess we get to work on writing that spell to vanquish him before he comes back," Bianca replied.

They spent the next two hours bouncing ideas off of each other as they sat around the attic writing the spell. Belle stayed with them and even offered a few ideas of her own, which surprised Peyton and Josh who hadn't been here for the demon fight. Bianca had explained to them the facts of what happened, but hadn't gone into details such as Belle's reaction to it.

Meanwhile in the underworld

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't just vanquish you myself right now?" the imposing voice questioned Jesse as he stood slightly cowering before the angry man in front of him.

"I know, my lord. I underestimated them, especially Belle. But I can fix this, I know I can," Jesse said, all but pleading for his life.

"You failed in your mission to get the book. More than that you were careless and could have exposed everything before I am ready to reveal it!" the man yelled even louder.

"I'll make this right. If you give me the chance I won't fail you again," Jesse said.

"You better not. If you do you better pray the witches vanquish you," the voice replied, the not so subtle threat clear between the two demons.

In the attic

They were just tidying up the attic from the last attack from the attack from Jesse when a puff of smoke in the corner of the room caught their eye.

"Demon's back!" Peyton shouts as she turns around and realizes that Jesse has returned.

Before they can react Jesse throws a line of fire at Peyton and Josh who dive in opposite directions to get out of the way.

"Crossbow!" Bianca calls and as soon as one appears in her hand she immediately fires an arrow which hits Jesse in the shoulder.

He pulls it out and with a wave of his hand sends Bianca flying into the wall behind her. Chris, seeing this, with a flick of his wrists blows up the arm of Jesse that had sent his girlfriend crashing into the wall.

Prue then sent Jesse flying across the with a gust of wind and at the same time said "Belle you need to say the spell, now!"

"Take this Demon and his tricks

In smoke and fire so thick

We seek to right this wrong

One last explosion and he be gone"

Belle was a little surprised as she watched the demon, who now looked so different from the guy she had met on campus, start to radiate smoke and fire. He started to scream and then exploded, causing everyone in the room to flinch. Within seconds he was gone.

Prue put a hand on Belle's shoulder, knowing even though her best friend was beginning to accept and even like everything that was happening, that that was hard.

Chris, meanwhile walked over to where Bianca sat and pulled her up by her hand and pulled her into a loving embrace. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly, worried about her.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, as she closed her eyes and lost herself in Chris's arms.